Tuesday, October 28, 2008

WooHoo!!!

Last night was my final class with the trainer. A one on one. We re-did tests that we had done at the beginning, 8 weeks ago. I was happy to see that my body fat percentage went from a 22.9 then to 19.6 YEA!!! I lost no weight because I've been eating like there was no tomorrow, so I was happy to see some results anyway! Maybe it will encourage me to get back on the diet wagon and lose some pounds!!! I was also able to go an inch farther on the sit and reach test, but my sit ups only went up one in the one minute time frame to 21...I so need to work on that. Anyway got some new exercises that I will be trying to do on my own, as I don't think I can join the class again this session. Wow....if that BF% is any where close to right, that is a pretty healthy percentage....amazing considering I'm still quite overweight.

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Knee pain...and rambling...

I seem to have some pain in my left knee, well kind of below the knee actually. Not sure what that's all about, but I think it has more to do with the walking lunges and squats that I've been doing during my class with the trainer. It hurts a little getting up out of the chair and on stairs. I did manage to get in a 4 mile run both Saturday and Sunday. Should have gotten in some bike or swim time, but didn't happen. I actually got a few things done around the house! That hasn't happened for awhile. :) Tomorrow is my last class with the trainer. I don't think I will be doing another one right now because money is a little tight. I've got some other minor health things going which are going to result in some extra medial bills...soooo I will have to come up with some things to do at home. Actually will be kind of fun. I have some great DVD's that I haven't used since last winter. I don't want to quit on the strength training that I've been doing. I can also workout when I run at the rec center.

I've also been looking at joining CWW (Colorado Wild Women) http://www.cww-triathlon.org/ a triathlon training group. Sounds like a pretty good deal at $350 for full season, with swim lessons, which I need, need, need....I have til January to think about it I guess.

Wow...a lot of rambling.. :)

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Don't I feel stupid!

Oh yea I just realized to that at the Denver marathon there was this guy that they kept making this big fuss over. He had a group of people with him and they were all wearing the same shirts, they had run for the Make a Wish foundation, but every time someone crossed they would film it and pretty much just take over the finish line like they were the only ones there. Any way I just figured out who it was...duhh! It was Bill Phillips with Transformation...and if that name means nothing to you like it did to me...he's the author of Body for Life. Good looking guy he is. :)

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Volunteering what fun!




OK so how fun was today!!!! I had a really great time volunteering at the marathon. The weather was beautiful! Started out cool about 45ish and went up to the mid 70's or so. I have to say though...I've never seen so many snotty noses and bleeding nipples! OUCH!!! Started out working in the food tent and then ended up handing out water at the finish line and then from there to entering numbers for the manual timing check. So how exciting to be right where it all was happening! Got to watch as they all took off which was very cool also. I believe there were about 8 to 10,000 runners in all. We were handing out water when the winners crossed the finish lines too and it was so cool! Imagine my surprise when I recognized the 4th guy to cross for the 1/2 marathon! It was a guy that I was talking to at the 10k that I just did. He took first there. It was wild to see him cross and recognize him..he was so close to the 3rd they were fightin to the finish. Oh my god the pain some of those finishers were in...I just can not believe the guts it took for them to finish. I had tears in my eyes many times. Amazing people, just amazing! Not sure how it made me feel about running one. I think I may end up running a 1/2 not sure if I can even contemplate a full.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Wow you can run without a Garmin!

So this morning when I went to do my tempo run, I was getting ready I turned on my Garmin and hummm....no battery left. Well I guess I can't run. I actually started to take my shoes off. Ok so obviously I wasn't really wanting to run to bad. I took a couple of minutes and I reminded myself that I could run without the Garmin. Slapped on my stop watch, mapped out a 3 mile run Running Ahead and off I went! I had a good run at a good time, and it was kind of fun running without knowing how fast I was going, or what my heart rate was.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Weekend workouts

Well I missed a Friday already for the Friday photo...so I guess that's done. :) I've been in a bit of a funk lately. I think it is the time of year. I'm not ready for cold and dark. I will miss the summer. I've had such a good time this year with all the training for the triathlon. The long bike rides with friends.

Well I didn't make my goal to get to the pool twice this week, but I did get there today. I didn't work to hard at it but I did get wet. :) I started my workout by doing a 1/2 hour on the stationary bike and then on to one hour on the treadmill for a slow easy run. I moved to the pool, but only swam a few easy laps for 20 minutes. It did feel really good to be in the water. I have got to find the time to get it in so that I can work on my breathing. I have so far to go before next spring. I plan on getting some swimming lessons in here some time also. Just not sure when. Maybe after the first of the year. I want to continue to work on my strength training with the trainer class for a few months. I do think I'm on track to increase my running mileage, although I would have liked a longer run this weekend.

I'm excited about next weekend and volunteering at the Denver Marathon. I've never been to a marathon before, in fact I've never been to any race that I haven't run in and I've only run a few. I hope I am able to spend some time at the finish line seeing some of the people cross and cheering. My duties will be in the food tent, so I'm sure to see most everyone I would think.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Great running!!!

So this morning I just had the best run! It was an easy run and everything just felt right. It was coolish about 50 degrees, dark and quiet. I decided to just kind of ignore the Garmin and run easy. I was going to go 3 did an extra 1/2 and would have done more had I had the time. When I loaded my run I was really excited to see my graph.
I never ever have that smooth blue line, that shows I was staying pretty consistent as far as my speed goes. It made me very happy! Now it was as usual pretty slow, 12.49 was my average pace, and my average hr was 144. Not to long ago 12.49 would have been a real struggle, so I feel great that it seemed so easy this morning.

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Swimming and running

I have got to get back to the pool! It was my intention to do it today and well...just didn't happen. I did get a run in this morning, an easy 4 mile run. So now I need to sit down and come up with a schedule so that I will get some riding and swimming in as well as up my running. My goals for October.

1. Continue with the strength training class

2. Swim twice a week.

3. Weather permitting get on the bike at least once a week. (Would love to have one of the trainers, but really not in the budget, so as weather gets bad will have to go to a stationary bike, never taken a spin class, but I think that will be happening this winter also.)

4. Increase running miles, I want to hit 58 miles this month.

Well that should be enough. :)

Let's see what we can do!

Saturday, October 4, 2008

Thoughts from my bike ride...

This weekends ride was the first time that I have done a longer bike ride by myself. I was suppose to go with some friends but for one reason or another they had to cancel, so that left me to do the ride alone. I was determined though to get out on that bike. It was a coolish morning around 60 degrees and overcast. I decided to ride the bike path to Golden, I knew that would be around 30 miles round trip. So one of my first thoughts as I head out is...I really need to ride more often. I so enjoy it! About 3/4 of the way there I pass 2 couples taking a break, the 2 women of the group (both pretty large) are off their bikes sitting there smoking. Thought number 2...I am so glad that I quit smoking and started exercising. It's not a hilly ride you climb about 500' over 10 miles, most very gradual but one killer hill as you crest out at the top before descending down in to Golden.





Looking down over Coors Brewery

At the top of the hill, I had decided that was were I would turn around, I got off to have some Gatorade and a Lara bar, my legs were shaking. Thought number 3..riding by myself sometimes is good. I rode the first 1/2 without stopping at all. When riding with friends we tend to take quite a few short breaks. After a short break I turned around and headed back...so much fun going down hill! I did the whole ride trying to keep it pretty easy. I have a tendency to put it in a hard gear and then end up with sore knees. So I stayed in the two smaller rings for the whole ride and kept it to where it felt easy and just spin faster. On the way back out passed the two couples again. The were putting their bikes on the car this time women smoking again...Thought number 4..man I'm really glad I quit that!



We have had such beautiful weather here in Denver, I am so not ready for winter. The trees in town this year however have been pretty disappointing. This picture does not do these justice, but there are a few pretty ones. About 3/4 of the way home the legs are getting tired...thought number ?... as my quads are starting to cramp, Julie you can not go out after not riding for 2 weeks and do a 30 mile bike ride...this isn't smart . Continue on easing up a little knowing that I'm going to have to climb some hills to get home.....ok here comes the hill before I'm home. It's not that big, but is fairly steep...thought number??...I'm going to end up walking a hill for the first time ever...no, no I can do it...just sit and spin Julie...Oh my gosh, I'm going so slow I may go backwards...just keep spinning...Wow! I made it to the top! Good ride 29.37 miles 2 hours 21 minutes.



Friday, October 3, 2008

My life as a sit com


Fridays photo is actually from Monday. I had jury duty this Monday and well at the risk of offending someone I have to tell you that it was the most bizarre experience! I'm not sure that that is the way to put it but...wholly cow what a mix of people! I know that's the point, but I'm telling you in the group I was with that got called back, there were 2 ladies there that were easily in their late 70's with one probably in her early to mid 80's. There was one man who was so large that I really did not think that he would be able to sit in the chair. And my personal favorite, the young girl who when we were still in the main room continued to text while a judge was up front talking to us, which wouldn't be so bad if she had turned off here ringer, and then when we were called back proceed to get pretty "green" and say that she needed to leave because she was so hung over...and it was very obvious. And then there was the defence attorney... The man was the worst! He looked exactly like what you would think of when you think of a shyster/ambulance chaser lawyer...he had a limp, a lisp, and a twitch. His hand gestures were extreme. The case was a DUI (makes you wonder about the above girl and how she got to the courthouse! LOL!) and I'm pretty sure if the defendant had, had even a remotely decent lawyer she could have gotten off. What a day, we barley got to a decision by 5... And I completely forgot about the lady who approached 2 other jurors and myself at lunch...she said she had a fight with her husband and did not make it to jury duty, but she could not go back and tell her boss that. So she wanted to know if we could explain to her how selection went, and wanted to know what kind of case we were on....very strange...I pretty much, scratch that, I did just say "good luck with that" . Now on a more serious note...wow what a huge responsibility! It was hard to make that decision especially when feeling like really neither side had done the case justice.
Now as far as training for the week...been very light. Only one very short run and 2 strength training classes. I plan to run tonight, and get in at least a short swim. Biking tomorrow and hopefully a long run on Sunday. I need to make a schedule, without one I flounder. I don't know what to do, when to do it, or for how long. Another thing to do this weekend. But I keep thinking I need a goal. Maybe I don't, other then to improve all of the above for next season, which for me still requires a plan.