Newburyport Spring Fever 5k - 5/6/12 - 24:42 (7:58 min/mile)

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Have I mentioned lately how nice it is to be back in Boston? How indebted I am to my wife for picking up our lives and moving 1,000 miles from where we had set up our roots? Well, I am ... on both accounts!

Yesterday, the wife and I were able to participate in the Newburyport Spring Fever 5k, which benefited my cousins (triplets) old school.

The race didn't start until 1pm so I figured why not hit up a 70 min Spin class that morning at 9am then work a couple hours of Weight Watchers inventory at the Boston store theeennnn head up to the race.

What. Was. I. Thinking?

I ended up driving from Somerville --> Woburn --> Boston --> Somerville --> Newburyport ... which is A LOT of driving.

But, we managed to make it to the race on time. Phew!

There was one little problem however ... no port-o-potties at the starting line. Ouch! And I had to gooooo.

There was no choice other than to try to hold it as long as I could.

Off went the gun, I hit start on the 'ol Runkeeper and hit the ground running ... literally! ;)

I made it about half a mile - making good pace - before I spotted a softball field and snack shop. They HAD to have a bathroom. Not gonna lie, I definitely freaked the girl at the snack shop out as I came barreling toward her in my running attire with number yelling about a bathroom. She thankfully pointed one out and phew! problem solved.

BUT that ate up some time. I debated stopping my Runkeeper to see how long the whole ordeal actually took, but I decided against it. I would just have to try to haul butt and make up the lost time.

Most of the first mile was all down hill so we were cruising. My legs weren't as tired as I thought they would be after all the Spinning I had done that morning (and she had really kicked our butt).

I hit Mile Two and said HELLLOOOO hill. It was straight hill for at least three blocks. It looked like the hill that would never end. Halfway up the hill was the mile two marker where the woman told me I was at 16:17 - so about 8:06 pace. Darn! That is not what I wanted to hear.

So I kicked it up a notch. I was going to finish with a sub 8 min/mile pace if it killed me. :P

The last mile was tough, but I pushed through. I was enjoying the comments from people on the streets and other runners about my Superman socks. I got a few "You Go Superwoman!" which I absolutely loved!!

I crossed Mile Three and turned the corner for the home stretch and saw the clock flip to 24:17. Ahhh! My PR was 24:33. I tried to run as fast as I could down the last .1, but I didn't make it.

I finished in 24:42 ... 7:58 min/mile.

If I didn't have to make the bathroom stop, I totally woulda had a nice shiny new PR. But that's okay, I had a great time.

My uncle came in just after me at 26:02 and the wife improved on her last race with a 33:37 finish.

My aunt and the girls walked the 5k and posted a great time of their own.

We enjoyed some of the post-race festivities at their old school before heading to their house for a BBQ.

What an all around fun race.

Half Marathon Training Update - 9 under 9

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Technically I'm ahead of my Half Marathon training schedule, but recently I have just been getting back into the swing of long runs since I had to take so much time off in February/March because of the IT/patella injury from before the F^3 Lake Half Marathon on January 28. Well, I'm happy to report that my leg seems to be back to healthy! I have been running pretty pain-free since the end of March. WOO! Who woulda thought that listening to the physical therapist's advice of "rest" would actually pay off. :P

So yesterday I set a goal of running 9 miles. It would be the longest run since that half marathon.

Since I work 7-1:30 on Mondays, it would be an afternoon run. Not my favorite time to run - I prefer early morning - but it would work since it was cool and in the low 60s ... nice running conditions.

I finally set out just before 3pm and immediately felt good. I had taken it easy the previous week so I was ready to end April with some good mileage.

I finished the first half mile at about an 8:30 min/mile pace. Woo! I was happy, but I didn't want to start out too quickly because I wanted to finish the whole 9 miles.

My Runkeeper chirped that I was half way through the run and I was STILL at a sub 9 min/mile pace ... ahhh!! At that point, I dug in and kept my eye on the prize!

Just after clicking "workout completed" I started crying...

I had really done it! I held a sub 9 min/mile pace for 9-consecutive miles!

Wow!

For the girl who started running in 2005 with a 12 min/mile pace to go to this - it is a MAJOR accomplishment. One that boosted my confidence right back up!

If I was able to hold this pace for 9 miles, I think I will actually be able to hit my goal of running a sub 2 hour Half Marathon this year. I have three chances:

Rock 'n' Roll Chicago Half - July 22

Rock 'n' Roll Providence Half - August 19

Boston Athletic Association Half - October 7

I think if I keep working hard, I will be able to do it...

(Note: current Half PR is 2:05.40 - set in the F^2 Lake Half in Chicago January 28)

April FLOUNDERS Bring May MOTIVATION

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I think we all figured out that my April was NOT up to par. I would be on plan for like 3 or 4 days then go off the wagon - so to speak - for three or four days. There was no rhyme or reason to what I was doing. I let my will power take a vacation to some warm tropical location, while I ran around like someone who has their issues with food under control. THANKFULLY you all kept me more on track than I would've been. I thank you for being there while I fought to get back on track ... and failed.

Overall in April, I had a BLAST. Lots of time with good friends, good beers and good food ... but, I ended up gaining just under 2 lbs.

NOT what I had planned.

But, this is the time to buckle down and figure out how to be on plan, while being social.

I am using the month of May as a time to get "BACK TO ME" - time to focus on my needs, my health and for now, the number on the scale.

I seem to work better when having a goal or challenge in mind - I think back to how I kicked BUTT in December because of my Dynamic December challenge.

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So here is what I am looking to accomplish during #MarvelousMay:

1) #plankaday - This has been life changing for me. I am not one for crunches, especially with my back injury, so this is a great way to get some core work in without sitting and doing a bunch of crunches - I don't want to do - on the floor.

This program was started by Dr. Sherry Pagoto (@drsherrypagoto) and is open to interpretation. For me, I started with doing a 60 second forearm plank every day for a week. The next week I upped it by 5 seconds and did 65 second forearms planks every day for a week. I did 5 second increments until I could hold a forearm plank for 4 minutes - yes! I can hold a plank for 4 minutes. Ahhh, I never thought that was possible.

Once, I hit that goal I switched up my planks. Last week, I did one 2 minute forearm plank and a 1 minute side plank on both sides every day. I like to keep my core guessing each day what I will do. :)

I am going to continue to do my #plankaday every day. I am enjoying the versatility and loving the #plankaday community.

2) #back2basics - I think this is a great challenge and timely for me as I am trying to get back into the swing after flip flopping back and forth in April. I also like this challenge (started by Colleen - @tryn2bfit) because it again leaves the choice of what you focus on up to the individual. I think that is a great way to keep people's attention and driven when they are working on something extremely personal.

For me, I will be focusing on hitting all 6 of the Weight Watchers Healthy Guidelines. Every day of the month I will be sure to have my required amounts of liquids (water), fruits/veggies, vitamins, dairy, healthy oils & exercise. I am pumped.

3) #30daychip - I owe a lot of success to the man that created the #7daychip/#30daychip program: Brad Gansberg (@bradgansberg). He has been a great motivator and has gotten me back on track more times than I can count.

This is yet another great challenge that you set for yourself. I have done a few different #7daychip topics, which you can see here.

The basic premise is to do something healthy for seven consecutive days ... or if you are feeling like you want a real challenge you can go for 30 or 100 days.

For this, #30daychip (which would be my second) I am looking to track my food every day. That means: log it into Weight Watchers eTools, write it up as a food log post on my blog and Facebook/Tweet it out.

4) #100ozchallenge – This is actually the first challenge that I started on my own! I have had at times upwards of 50 people participating. Woo! I feel wicked cool. Okay, that wasn’t cool. Dammit!

Anyway, this is a pretty simple challenge: drink at least 100oz water a day. That’s it. Keep yourself hydrated during the winter months. I just saw on twitter today that “Dehydration can cause ageing & can slow down metabolism as much as 3%” – I am here to not let that happen! Stay hydrated!!

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So today is Day One, I am refocusing and getting back to my Number One Priority: ME!

What will you be doing to make May the best month of 2012 thus far and rock your own #MarvelousMe challenge?

Wisconsin in 33 hours...

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So in total my trip to Wisconsin for my friend Kate's wedding this past weekend lasted 33 hours from door-to-door. Wow! That is what I call a whirlwind trip for sure! Thankfully I live near the airport and not many people were traveling to Logan at 5:30am on Saturday. I made it from my front door to the airport through Security and to my gate in 10 minutes. Yes folks you read that right ... 10. Minutes. I was damn impressed. My new Premier Status helped get me through security, but overall it was a painless trip to the airport.

(Note: did you know you don't have to take off your jewelry? All these years I thought you had to, but nope. Maybe it's because of the new fancy screening machines? I'm not sure, but I was happy to skip that step.)

Thankfully when you travel for such a short period of time you can get away with just a carry on ... and that early in the morning means COMFORT wear. :)

You know I had to search the terminal until I found a Dunkin Donuts. :P

I also lucked out and got the exit row. Not that I woulda trusted the guy sitting next to me to help in the case of an emergency, BUT I dealt with it for the leg room.

I had a layover in Chicago and was able to travel through my favorite terminal at O'Hare. I always love these lights!

So I made it to Madison, Wisconsin around 10:30am CT (thanks to Brandon for the ride from the airport) so it was time to explore the city before the afternoon wedding...

 We tried out some of the local craft beers on the main street in Madison...

I loved that Madison wanted to combine people's love of both a delicatessen and a carousel. Normal, right? :P

It was finally wedding time after this! We headed to Badger Farms, where the wedding was held in a cute barn surrounded by fields of green. Nice scenery for a group of city kids. ;)

Kate and Joe looked picturesque on their Happy Day. I absolutely LOVED her dress.

I loved the country set-up and colors used to set a great scene.

And I was able to see some of my friends from college that I haven't seen for almost three years. You may not speak everyday, but when you are back together it's like no time has passed at all ... that is friendship!

 

The next morning we hit the road at 5am CT to make the 1.5 hour drive to Milwaukee to fly back home. Thank you to my lil' pregnant Sarah for taking the wheel as her husband I slept the entire ride!

After a flight from Milwaukee to Chicago then a delay in Chicago, I headed from Chicago to Boston and was back at my house at 2:30pm ET.

What a busy and awesome 33 hours. It was great to be able to see my friend tie the knot, catch up with friends I haven't seen in years and be a part of a magical night.

Now someday, I too will get to have that kind of magical night. Not sure when the wife & I will be able to afford it, but we will... someday!

Slumbrewin'

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I first heard of the Somerville Brewing Company, Slumbrew, through my friend Kim who is a local craft beer aficionado. She told me about it just before moving back to Boston from Chicago in January. So of course, as soon as we got back to town we had to give it a try. Wow! It is awesome. The company has four great brews:  Flagraiser IPA, Happy Sol, Porter Square Porter and My Better Half.

I can't tell you which is my favorite because they are all great! But, if you twisted my arm and told me I could only have ONE. Well, first I would say stop twisting my arm ... then I would tell you: My Better Half.

If you click here, you can find locations that sell Slumbrew near you!

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On Friday night, I was honored enough to FINALLY meet the masterminds behind Slumbrew ... and even got to check out where the company all began. My dad, another Slumbrew fan, joined me for the awesome night. Here are just a few pics:

 

 

 

 

 

In addition to some pretty yummy beer, a local Somerville chocolate shop - Taza Chocolate. It was delish! Chocolate covered almonds, cashews, etc. Mmm...

I had a great time meeting the brewers, Caitlin and Jeff, and sharing a great night with some other craft beer fans.

Moooooo!

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Yesterday during my run I was being a complete Negative Nancy and Debbie Downer. I'm really not sure why. I think it I was sad to be running alone. I really love solo runs, but there are just times that you want someone by your side - to chat with, rant with or to just keep the pace going. But, since leaving Chicago, I haven't found a consistent running partner for my weekday morning runs. Thankfully there have been people to go to 5ks with - meet up before and after. But, the training runs are a different story. It really made me miss my old running partner-therapist-hair stylist-friend Ellie. She was a huge motivator and thankfully still is. We still compete running wise even though we are over 1,000 miles away.

But, I digress...

As I was running, I was letting all the negative thoughts about myself creep back in. Not sure why. I tried to banish them away. I kept coming back with some positives. But, I was just in a negative place.

Hey, it happens. I know we have all been there before.

So then I tried to think about where all my negative thoughts stemmed from. Since for me, negative self talk has been around since I can remember.

Then it hit me ... the first time I remember becoming conscious about my body and my body image.

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(I don't think I have shared this story with you before, but if I have - sorry, but it bears repeating)

It was 1995. Summer. I was in seventh grade. I was ROCKIN' my Notre Dame football jersey and some shorts. I know. Epitomy of style. Also, not sure how I didn't know then that I was gay. :P

But, I was standing with my mom waiting for the bus and a car of like four guys drove by ... and "moo"-ed at me.

Yup, that's right.

They actually "moo"-ed at me.

I thought this was something that only happened in the movies or something, but nope. There it was.

And that memory has stuck with me ever since.

Whenever I get upset with myself over "messing up" and going over my points for the day or gaining on the scale or not tracking or not going to the gym - it is the first thing I think about.

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I think that instance dropped the little negativity seed in the back of my mind that I let grow. Any other negative comment that someone made about me, just watered the little seed and let it grow. Until, after years, it became this huge living creature all in my brain.

Thankfully with the help of Weight Watchers and one kick ass support system, I've started - for lack of a better word - pruning the negativity plant in my brain down. Little by little, I'm becoming more confident and more impressed with who I am and who I am becoming.

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So there isn't a huge moral to this story but just a glimpse into how one action can cause a serious reaction to one person's life. And I'm not talking about externally, but rather internally.

I allowed this one moment in my life to shape how I thought about myself for years to come. The ramifications can't be fully understood.

But, as I said. I will take each day and work to cut that negativity tree back until it's nothing...

BAA 5k – 4/15/12 – 24:58 (8:03 min/mile)

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How cool is that? Yes the 5k course was part of THE Boston Marathon course. The bleachers were even set up for the Marathon so as you walked to the START line you could feel the energy that the marathoners would be feeling the next day. Okay, the bleachers were empty so I had to use my imagination, but man it was a cool feeling.

The Boston Athletic Association (BAA) 5k was the first race of the BAA Distance Medley, which includes a 5k, 10k (June 24) and a Half Marathon (October 7). The cool thing is you get a medal for each race then a SPECIAL medal when you complete all three. Yes, I think we can see why I signed up for the whole scha-bang. :P

What was cool was actually having a big group of runners that I knew - okay, well I met three of them that day - but it was still a fun experience. We met up before the run and got our pre-race photo in.

Are we seeing all the Sweaty Bands going on in this pic? ;)

Can you also see that Dawson from Dawson's Creek even made an appearance. Yes, best race shirt ever! :P

We made our way through the crowd to the START line. Well, as best we could with 6,000 runners participating.

This is where I had to regroup. We all know how well I handle these "big races." I had to tell myself not to expect a PR since most of the run would be bobbing and weaving through the crowd since there weren't any sort of min/mile corrals anywhere. Which really shocked me seeing as how this was a BAA race. But, I digress.

So I finally hit the starting line and started the usual process of making my way through the crowd. This was my first road race through Boston and I was psyched. It is just so nice being back and taking in all the sights I love downtown.

The first mile was the roughest ... especially with elbowing. I haven't seen so much elbowing and shoving in awhile. There was one woman in particular who got me in the right side that I was determined to pass. You know, to show her. :P

Thankfully, after the first mile, I was able to break through the tougher crowd and find more space. As the space cleared, my pace sped up.

I was impressed that my Runkeeper didn't get messed up due to the buildings so I was actually able to keep track of my time/pace.

As soon as the Runkeeper let me know 20 minutes had passed, I kicked it up a notch. I wanted a PR of course, but I would be happy if I could still finish in under 25 minutes.

(Disclaimer: when did I become the person that wants to finish a 5k in under 25 minutes?? I can remember finishing in 38:21 and now I want to finish in under 25 minutes. Wow! I still amaze myself and forget how far I've come)

I just crossed the Mile 3 marker, saw the photographer getting my "about to cross face" as a little girl comes barreling passed me on the left. Yup, definitely not going to be ordering THAT photo to show off. Hey look at me getting passed by an 8 year old at the Finish. I. Don't. Think. So.

But I hit the Runkeeper as I crossed the line and I saw 24:58. I also saw 3.2 miles instead of 3.1, but I was happier with the 24:58. Okay, I was pissed for a minute that I was 26 seconds shy of a PR, but then I remembered the bobbing and weaving and told myself to get over it.

Plus, I was a-okay once I got my medal ... and my "snack bag" at the Finish. The "snack bag" included a chocolate chip bagel. It may have been the BEST bagel I have ever eaten. Or it just felt that way in the moment.

Official Results: I finished in 24:58 (8:03 min/mile pace) ... I was 1,295 overall out of 5,253, 365 out of 2,973 females and 88 out of 587 in my division.

Not too shabby.

Oh, and I happily passed the girl that jabbed me in the right side. Take that girlie! ;)

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The six of us headed for a post-race brunch at Brownstone Bar and proceeded to get the WORST service I have ever experienced at a restaurant/bar. The waitress was rude, the location was unprepared for a large group of customers and the kitchen produced cold and incorrect food. Boo to them. But thankfully the company was great and really that is what Brunch is all about.

Bye Bye Truth Tuesdays ... Hello Face It Fridays!

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Well, the time has come to finally change my weigh-in day! Truth Tuesday treated me well, but it is time to welcome Face It Friday to the game.

Tuesday was a great weigh-in day for me in Chicago. When I started Weight Watchers in November 2009, I was a Monday night weigher-in. Rough! I didn't really like night weigh-ins because I would eat/wear the same thing all day Monday to make it consistent and I had to watch how I was over the weekends.

So when my Monday night meeting closed, I made the switch to Tuesday night since my Monday night crew transferred over there and the Leader Lisa was AWESOME!!

Well unfortunately, I missed most of the meetings on Tuesday nights in 2010 because we would have a ton of games that night if the Cubs were home and if we were on the road - sometimes I was too. So my attendance in 2010 suffered from February-September and it showed on the scale. In 2010, as a whole I only lost 9.8 lbs - that means I did a lot of up and down during that time and a LOT of missed weigh-ins.

So in 2011 after chatting with a friend who had WW at work, I convinced the Cubs to offer the same program to employees. Okay, originally the plan was totally selfish so I could stay on plan, but it ended up benefiting my coworkers as well. :)

The at work meeting also ocurred on Tuesdays, but at 11/11:30am. Yay! That meant I only had to keep the morning consistent and the rest of the day could vary. I also started bringing in my pre-determined "weigh-in" outfit to change in to just before hitting the scale.

So the Tuesday weigh-in continued to be a success. Towards the end of my time in Chicago, I started weighing-in at 8am on Tuesdays. It happened one time when the office was closed thus cancelling our at work meeting for the week so I had to go somewhere else.

From that point on (December 27, 2011), I kept with the 8am weigh-in on Tuesday morning at a WW center then I would attend my regular at work WW meeting at 11:30.

But, as soon as I got to Boston, I realized there was no Tuesday morning meeting close to me or  even a WW store with open hours. So I had to come up with plan B. This was when I originally toyed with the Friday morning weigh-in idea, but I was stuck on Tuesdays.

So, for the past two months, I have been taking the train in to the Boston store, weighing in at 8am, taking the train back home and then attending my normal Tuesday 10am meeting.

I didn't mind it really, but it was getting to be a bit of a pain to commute all that way for what amounts to what a 45 second weigh-in.

Yes, obvious thing would be to loosen the reigns and change my weigh-in time ... but c'mon now - do we think my OCD tendencies could handle that? ;)

Plus, I just really like having my weigh-in in the morning. Get it out of the way and go about my day.

I thankfully know there is a 8am meeting near my house at the WW in Malden, where I can pop in and weigh-in anytime between 7:30 and 8am - right on my normal schedule and only 1 mile from my house. Win-win! :)

This concludes Part One of "Why I am switching to Friday weigh-ins?"

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Part Two of "Why I am switching to Friday weigh-in?" is easy ... I looked at my social calendar - I know, I have one of those now :P - and realized I was using a lot of my weekly points plus values Friday-Sunday. This wasn't boding well because sometimes I would use them during the week thinking I was banking enough for the weekends - only to realize by Saturday night - that I wasn't.

I think I would feel more comfortable going in to the weekend with all 49 weekly points plus values then being able to adjust the week (Monday-Thursday) accordingly. Plus, I am always more diligent during the week.

Also, after seeing the damage from the weekend, I have four days to kick up the activity before the weigh-in.

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As I was chatting with another Weight Watchers Leader in New York, Melanie, on Twitter. She reminded me how we need to mold the plan as our lives changes and what will help us succeed for the long term.

So that is what I am doing. Giving a new game plan a try to see if that helps me maintain the weight loss I have worked so hard for.

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How do you pick your weigh-in day? Has it changed as your journey progresses?

Eating To The Clock...

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I am a boredom eater. I am a grazer.

I am a sneak eater.

This are all characteristics that I have had since I was younger ... and have crept back into my routine as I temporarily moved home two months ago.

I have been battling these food tendency demons since we got back to this fare city and I think I have come up with a solution. Okay, a member in one of my meetings on Saturday gave me the idea while helping another member out.

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So a woman on Saturday was concerned about working from home and wanted to know how to tackle the ever grazing that would occur during her "work day." She asked if anyone had a suggestion on how to combat the problem.

A woman told her to act as if her desk at home was her place of work and to give herself assigned "snack breaks." I thought this was an awesome idea.

For the first time in almost a decade, I am not spending all of my time at work, where I had a much more structured eating pattern. Now, I spend more of my time either commuting between meetings or home alone with the pups ... which lead to perfect "secret snacking" time.

BUT, if I set my eating schedule the same as when I am say working 7-1:30 today when I am off until 5pm tomorrow - I could create a pattern.

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Some people call this eating to the clock. You know you always have breakfast at 9am and lunch at noon, etc. Some folks don't like this method, but for my anal retentive/OCD mind, it is comforting. I find comfort and solace in a routine. Could be why I end up eating many of the same foods day in and day out.

So this week, I am going to try and create a basic routine and try to stick with it as best I can or at least use it to curb the unexpected and unnecessary tips to the cupboard ... where all my little trigger foods are luring me to.

Well, that is the game plan for this week, there is no harm in trying a new tactic to beat the evil junk food demon. Right?

I will let you all know how it goes...

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Do you eat to the clock or can your meal planning easily change as your plans do? Please share any tips or tricks you use for success!