Author: Jenna

Yesterday, after much back & forth, I participated in the Hot Chocolate 5K. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by the overall experience.

I had originally signed up for the race about a month ago, forgot (or rather didn’t realize) that it was this past weekend. I ran once this week, on Tuesday, in preparation. I was having back aches and feeling all around crummy most of the week. I really wasn’t feeling like running.

Saturday came and I started feeling better. I went and got my packet. I started to get energized about it. I decided I might as well run because I will regret it more if I don’t then if I do and fail.

I was a little worried. I had read that Hot Chocolate races were not well-organized. That packet pickup was a headache. That they ran out of finisher mugs (and really, why run this race if you don’t get the chocolate after?) My second run was highly disorganized after and it was not fun to finish 5 miles and get nothing. I digress. I thought the packet pickup was great. I went Saturday afternoon and did not have to wait in line. I was a little disappointed in the jacket. It looked so nice online. It will work for the little rain we get in Phoenix. I also got a free hat. It seems nice, although the brim is a little big for my little head. It is white and appears to be made of the wicking material. I will have to try it out when I attempt to run in summer. On the surface of the sun. 😉

Arriving at 6 am was not fun. I was up at 5 and left the house at about 5:15. Traffic was already heavy. I heard the 15Kers had a mile and half wait just to get off the freeway! Yikes. It was really cold. Colder than my races in Wisconsin last month. And it didn’t help that we had to walk through a grass field damp with frost. The moisture got in my shoes/socks and my toes were completely numb.

I did my stretching and walked a lot to try to warm up. Whatever I did, my warmup must have worked. I got a new PR: 32:52. I also feel I did pretty well for my age/gender (151/444 and 861/2847 respectively. Overall I was 1263 out of 3748. The run actually felt easy too. I started off slow and used a couple ahead of me to pace. I was also fairly numb for about the first mile and then finally my body seemed to get warmed up. At the drink station, I grabbed a Gatorade and had to walk/pause a bit because of the crowds but after that I kicked it off pretty quick then settled into a good pace. As soon as I saw that finish sign I again kicked it into gear.

I really liked the wave start they did. It was controlled. Each corral was by pace time and it seemed people pretty much stuck to where they were assigned. The let each corral go 3 minutes after the last so there wasn’t too much traffic rushing at once. The only bad part of the course was a small stretch that was split for each direction but it got very narrow for the start/out. Most runners were still close to running the same speed so it created a bottleneck. The finish/back part of the road was much wider and by this point the runners were more spread out. It seemed it would have made more sense to have it wider at the start.

My finisher’s mug was great. Although I would have liked a bit more fruit and less “treat” like items. And another napkin. Chocolate fondue is messy. 😛 It also was too much chocolate for me. It made my stomach upset to eat that much chocolate/treats (although I didn’t eat it all) after running. I felt bad for some of the 15Kers. They ran out of the fondue for them. They got the treats and hot chocolate but nothing to dip the treats into.

This was their inaugural run in Phoenix. I’d say overall it was a success. I would probably do it again, maybe attempting the 15K next time.

I am trying to plan my race circuit for the coming months. I have quite a few I want to do, including the PF Changs Rock N Roll Marathon which I just found out has a mini (5.4 miles)! I am planning to do the half in January 2014 but I just might do the mini this year. I am going to need to make a racing budget. Wow, if you asked me in high school if I needed a racing budget, I would have laughed at you.

I also wish I had a friend that would run races with me, even if we didn’t run together. I just would like someone to carpool with and hang out with before/after. I am an introvert and don’t go out of my way to meet new people at races. Since most races are on weekends, typically Saturdays, my boyfriend can’t come cheer me on due to work. I am ok with that so now I need to make my friends run muahahahahahaaha

Sometimes I feel like just giving up. I don’t feel like I will ever lose all this weight. Does anyone else go through this?

I see the success others have, losing much more than I need to, and I have a hard time believing that I will ever reach my goal. Don’t get me wrong, I think the people who have lost hundreds of pounds are amazing and I am extremely impressed by what they have achieved. I just can’t visualize myself getting to where I want to be.

I enjoy my runs. I enjoy my P90X session. I enjoy healthy foods. Why can’t I enjoy the process of losing weight? Or even just appreciate what I’m doing?

I don’t want to settle. I want to get down to my goal. I want to be happy with my body again. Maybe the large amount of weight (relatively speaking) is too daunting. Is it because it’s not easy? Do I subconsciously not want to lose weight for some reason?

There are some days I just want to give up completely but I force myself to watch what I eat or get off the couch. I also have some things going on in life that are probably affecting how I feel about everything else right now. How do you stay on track when you just want to give up?

On a different note… I just might be a crazy person. I have my first, official 5K on Saturday morning. After I get into town on Friday at 8:30 PM. What was I thinking?

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! <— My theme for the airports tomorrow. But man, how I hate paying for water there! Why can’t I just bring my own? Thank you terrorists. If my 5K time suffers I am totally blaming Osama bin Laden, k?

And you know what else I did? I signed up for a 5 mile run on Thanksgiving morning. Seriously… what was I thinking?

I am getting a bit nervous about my first, official 5k. What if I mess up and knock someone over at the drink station? What if my asthma acts up and I can’t run? What if I hate it? What if I love it and become a racing fiend? I’ve already looked up ideas for all the racing bibs I’ll  be collecting (coasters anyone?).

The 5 mile scares me because it is 5 miles. I haven’t run 5 miles in a while. I figure if I need to walk a half mile or so near the end, it isn’t the end of the world. All that matters is I tried my best (and forgot the rest, har har har) and FINISHED. That is more than I can say for some people.

My dad will be doing the 5k with me. I tried to get my mom to sign up and just walk but I don’t think she did. She was worried that we would have to wait for her. She is so cute. I just thought since I hadn’t seen them in a year it would be a fun family thing. I am doing the 5 mile run alone. My parents are hosting Thanksgiving so I will let them prep and cook while I run my butt off.

I have taken my training to the outdoors recently. I want to run 5ks and eventually half marathons (I don’t think I could ever run a full marathon) and to do so, I need to get used to running outdoors again.

It’s October and I am already worried about what I am going to do come summer. I am at a loss. In Phoenix you have to either go early in the morning or way late at night. You are luck if it gets in the 90s overnight during the summer. I get overheated easily when working out so this is a huge concern for me. I get up at 5 to get to work on time. I don’t want to get up any earlier (plus if I get ready for a run, the dogs will go nuts, wanting to go with me, thus waking the boyfriend). Good thing I have until maybe April/May to figure this out!

While running outside I have discovered a few items that would make my running easier. I am open to suggestions on these items and will be doing research on which items might be the best for me before I buy any of them.

• Water bottle – I currently run holding a 16 oz bottle. It gets uncomfortable. It’s not meant to be a running water bottle. Even though I go short distance, I need water. My throat becomes terrible dry. I am trying to work at weaning myself down/off but I don’t think I will ever be able to run completely water free.
• I need something to hold my cell phone or a nike+ watch. I currently use the nike+ app on my phone to track my runs. I’d like to continue using this. I am thinking a belt for the phone would be the least pricey option. I already have an arm band for my ipod so I don’t want an arm band on the other side for the phone. I’d look like a total dweeb. 😉
• Sunglasses. The sun is bright. I’ve tried just a pair I have around and they slide down and aren’t super good at blocking the sun. I also tried a visor but it makes my head too hot.
• Headband. I have a goody elastic-ish one I use currently. It’s thin so some of my shorter strands get in my face. It also doesn’t stay put. Yesterday in my 37:30 run it fell out twice. I stopped once to put it back on. The other time I just wrapped it around my wrist while still moving. I am also thinking one that is meant to soak up sweat might be good.
• Foam roller. I really need this to work out my calves and hips. So tight. I stretch before and after I run but they are always TIGHT.

So if anyone has any suggestions that has worked for them, please let me know. Or if you tried something and thought it sucked, let me know that too!

I have been seriously working on my weight for the past two months. I really started in May with just trying to get back into my healthier eating habits. In July I slowly worked in exercise. By mid-August I bought a scale and tape measure to really be able to track weight loss and body changes.

I would like to share with you my changes in the past two months or so.

I created a basic spreadsheet chart. For the measurements I used waist as where the belly button is (based on how most places measure you) and waist natural is where my waist naturally curves in. Obviously fullest part of the bust is over the boobs. This measurement has fluctuated a bit. Some weeks it goes up and then back down again. Bust under is right under the boobs. Thigh is the mid-thigh based on the pj shorts I always wear. My thigh also fluctuates. I’m not worried about the boobs and thigh as much as the waist and hips.

I weigh & measure every Saturday. I log all my food (to the best of my ability) on my fitness pal. I have calculated my TDEE and eat at around 20% below that. I have started my 5K training plan as I signed up for a race on 11/17. I am running three days a week now. The other 4 days are either rest (usually once a week) and I am going to restart my P90X program. I did two weeks of if, got a pinched nerve in my back and didn’t do it for two weeks.

I am quite proud of how far I’ve come in two months. When I look in the mirror I don’t always see the changes. I can tell I have lost a little. My body looks a little different and my clothes fit better. Others tell me they can see it in my face. But some days I see myself and I don’t see changes. Then I look at my numbers and I feel better. I am making a difference. I am changing my lifestyle and my body. I am proud of what I have accomplished so far. One day I will see the changes and I will be proud to share that day too.

This blog is going to hit on a few different health & fitness topics I’ve come upon during my personal weight loss journey.

Lately I’ve felt like everything I am working isn’t making a difference. I’ve been working out and eating under my calorie goal but I don’t physically see a difference.

Saturdays are my weigh-in/measure day. Last Saturday hadn’t been very good nor the week before. Two weeks ago I had gained weight (about a pound, I know… it’s not much but it was still tough to see). Last week I lost the weight I had gained the previous week. I felt crappy all week. I have a pinched nerve and sore back and didn’t really work out but kept under my calories. I got on the scale this morning and lost another pound. I felt such relief. I also took my measurements. Most were the same or went down but for some reason I gained in my boobs, not complaining there. 😉

This morning helped me renew my faith that what I am doing is working; it is just working very slowly. I think it is hard for me because the site I use to track calories has a forum. Many people post their success stories on there and I see people who are losing 20 pounds quickly. Well, I need to remember I don’t have a lot to lose. I am just slightly overweight and the people who are losing quickly are considered obese. I cannot compare myself to them or anyone else. Everyone’s weight loss journey is different.

I am noticing clothes are fitting better and I am looking better in them. Time. It takes time. I was feeling quite down this week but seeing the scale and measurements today really helped me see that I am losing and making changes for the best.

On a less personal note I have a couple of things that I have noticed while trying to lose weight. One is about eating out, the other about overweight women’s obsession with Marilyn Monroe.

First, eating out… I know eating out isn’t the best thing but sometimes it has to be done and we need to learn how to eat out and stay in shape. It still amazes me when I look up calorie content for some places. Last weekend the boyfriend and I were going to go out for breakfast before the Cardinals/Eagles game. I thought, “oh, black bear dinner sounds good”. Once on their website I realized it was not a place I can eat at anymore. Most meals were almost my entire days worth of calories! They had three “light” options. And for breakfast light apparently means egg whites. *sigh*

Another thing I’ve noticed about eating out is the sodium count. I don’t need to really watch this for health reasons but it is interesting. On days when I eat homemade or whole foods my sodium is WAY under the recommended 2,300 mg. On days when I eat out? I get at least 3,000+mg. Wow.

I cannot believe that chains cannot possible find ways to make healthy, tasty options with lower sodium. I have actually started getting kids meals at places again. It’s smaller portions and thus fewer calories. Plus at McDonald’s I get apple slices. LOL

And lastly, the boyfriend and I like to eat at non-chain or local places. It gets hard to know what the calorie counts are. I just have to guess. I wish more places would publish this information.

The topic of clothing size/vanity sizing is quite interesting. On the forum it led to people bringing up Marilyn Monroe. This is always a fascinating topic. I have known women who make themselves feel better about their weight by saying, “Marilyn was a size 10/12/14″ well, what they seem to ignore is the fact that sizes were labeled differently back then. You can look at any picture of Marilyn and tell she is not the same size as today’s 10/12/14.

Sizes have gotten bigger. If you are a current size 12, tack on 2-3 sizes to get what you would be when there was standardized sizing (think pre-1980s). When you go to buy vintage do you fit into the same size as you wear in current clothing? I would guess the answer is no. In today’s sizing Marilyn would be a 4/6/8.

Don’t believe me? Marilyn had a 22″ waist. How big is yours? Mine is 31” (at the narrowest) and I wear a size 12. Here is a couple of articles for you to read more about her measurements and sizes:

http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2012/04/marilyn-monroe-was-not-even-close-to-a-size-12-16/

http://jezebel.com/5299793/for-the-last-time-what-size-was-marilyn-monroe

So, in closing, why do plus-size women look to Marilyn as their plus size icon? Even when she was at her heaviest she still was not that big. She was my height and at her heaviest 140 pounds. 5’5 can look good at 140. I know. I’ve been 140 and looked great. Her measurements were kicking! I would love to have them. LOL

My oh my… I haven’t written in quite some time!

I recently went on a trip to San Diego. I want to write a post about that but I need to go through & pick out the best pictures to go with it. I only took 400 pictures while there. 😉 So be on the look out for this post in the near future.

I am planning on really focusing on my running and working out. I have some races planned for the near future. I will update more on this soon too.

I have some product reviews to type up for BzzAgent. Products include gum (I am addicted to gum in general so this was a great product for me), a new kind of candy and new products from Glade.

I also feel I am going through a 1/3 life crisis. I will go into much detail later.

I should be getting my new car soon so of course expect much pictures then. I have a trip home planned for Thanksgiving. I will also be getting the new Kindle Fire HD 8.9″ around this time. I am so excited for a tablet! And I am working on two books. And by working on I mean I have two ideas. LOL Details maybe to follow. 🙂

I started doing P90X last weekend and what it has forced me to realize is how bad I have let myself get. I have been working on my stretching and running at the gym but with P90X I have been forced to see how weak I am, how not flexible, how mushy my core had become and how little balance I have.

I used to be a dance. My whole world was flexibility and balance. It really hit home today while doing the Yoga X routine. At one point I had tears in my eyes. I was so sad but I persevered and made it through the 90 minute yoga session (with some modifications).

I have a lot of work ahead of me and I am trying to be patient. Sometimes patience isn’t my strong suit. So what does it take to really lose weight and get back in shape?

• Time – it took me about a year to put this weight on, it’s going to take at least a year to take it off
• Patience – it isn’t going to happen over night. I know this. This is a big one for me. I need to remember patience is a virtue.
• Hard work – being lazy during workouts isn’t going to get me anywhere. I need to put in the energy to really see results.
• Pushing boundaries doing P90X half assed or relaxing on the treadmill isn’t the way to go about it. I need to make sure I go all out and then some. P90X isn’t easy and is a challenge in and of itself but I can’t let myself not push through it.
• Diligent – diet is a huge part of losing the weight and keeping it off. Not that I can’t treat myself once in a while but this is truly a “lifestyle change”, as they say. It’s hard but it can be done.
• Reward – there are milestones we hit. Pounds lost, inches lost, muscle gain. I plan to weigh/measure myself every Saturday morning. When I reach 24 pounds down (1/2 way to goal) I am going to buy myself a tablet. When I reach goal, a dslr. But I do little rewards as I go. A good workout? Have a small treat (dessert or dinner out). 10 pounds gone? Maybe a new dress. A much smaller waist/hip/bust measurement? Maybe a new bra. You get the idea.

These are my ideas of getting it done. What do you do to make sure you get it done? How do you push yourself? Do you reward yourself?

Today I made a list of all the workouts/exercise I like or want to try.

• Running
• Dance (ballet, jazz, tap, modern, hip hop)
• Biking
• Rollerblading
• Pilates
• P90X
• Boxing
• Kickboxing
• MMA
• Weight lifting
• Hockey
• Basketball
• Volleyball
• Hiking

I think that pretty much covers it. In the past I was a dancer. Now I am a runner. I want to get back to biking and rollerblading (when it’s not over 100 degrees out!) I hike occasionally but would love to do it more. I randomly do pilates and kickboxing, when I take a class or do a dvd. I would love to play volleyball again. I was once very sought after to join the team. It’s been a long time since I played basketball and I only did hockey in gym class so it might be fun to really learn. But I am not a fan of ice skating so maybe not. :

One of my running goals is to run a 5k, 10k and half marathon. I am not sold on a marathon but who knows… maybe after I hit those three goals I will want to accomplish that too.

Currently I am focusing on my running and losing weight. Once I have lost my 48 or so pounds I want to focus on strength and lifting again. Currently I don’t have enough time at the gym (got to catch a bus) so I am focusing on cardio and dropping weight.

I have always wanted to learn how to box. Those workouts are intense and such a great workout. Then my BF got me into watching UFC and Strikeforce and now I wanna learn mma. I have a pass for two free classes at the gym Ben Henderson trains at so once I am a little more fit I will take advantage of those.

What do you do to keep in shape? Do you have any workout goals you’d like to reach? What workouts do you like to do? What do you want to try?

To 3.6 pounds lost! Also my measurements have gone down also!

Measurement            Before (July)            Now (August)
Neck                               13.5                           13.25
Waist                              38.0                           37.0
Natural Waist                  36.0                           34.0
Hips                                 43.0                           42.5
Bust (fullest)                    41.0                           40.0
Bust (under)                    38.0                           36.0

I also looked into my frame. According to my wrist measurement (5.5), I have a small frame. Good to know because I should weigh between 117 and 130. 130 is my goal. 🙂

I have never been a fan of weighing daily (I’m more a fan of how clothes fit/look & how you feel) but I am aiming for at least once a month or maybe weekly. Weighing yourself does have some benefits. I finally bought a scale so I should be able to do so. We will see.

I can also tell the difference in my clothes. Items are starting to get looser. I’m not feeling “stuffed” into skirts or pants. And I moved over a hook set on my bras! 🙂

I also feel full more often with this new diet. And I am also not craving junk. I feel so much happier already.

I am also running again! Not as fast or as far as I was but it will come in time. Yesterday I did a mile without walking. I then walked two minutes and ran another half mile. I might have been able to go farther but I have time restrictions at my current gym.

I am setting goals, both small and big. I want to lose five pounds by labor day, 30 by Halloween. I want to be able to run a 5k in a month from now. If I make them, I will reward myself with a treat (that shirt I want at anthro or something for the home). If not, I’ve at least made progress and can set a new goal.

How are you coming toward your goals? Have you set both short and long term goals?