Quick Monday Update

Quick update from the weekend:

• I met Juice (of "Positively Losing") on Sunday, who was visiting the bay area. She's even more delightful (and positive!) in person than she is on her blog, so you can imagine how nice it was to meet her! We enjoyed a nice stroll through Golden Gate Park, and the weather was cool but clear (and they'd been predicting rain, how fortunate was that?). Highlights stumbled across: the drum bridge in the Japanese Tea Garden, the impromptu roller skate party (complete with DJ in fuzzy hat and skate covers, not to mention a Napoleon Dynamite look-alike dude!), and a groovy drum circle. And I've got a few more books for my "to read" list.

• I tried Jessica's (of "Pudget") broccoli cheese soup recipe. YUM! The beans made a nice, nutritious thickener. My mistake was using the thick broccoli stems without peeling the outer layer, but that was relatively minor.

• I finished reading the book, Transformed by Triathlon: The Making of an Improbable Athlete, by Jane Booth. Good read for the aspiring triathlete! I enjoyed reading Ms. Booth's story, and I was tickled at recognizing the setting, being an SF Bay Area resident. It was, for me, equal parts inspiring and intimidating. The author had the resources (read "time" and "money") to dedicate to competing in the sport: gear, personal training, and the like. Can it be done on a shoestring and in the scraps of time I have available? We'll see! But like the author, I'm not sure what's driving me toward trying a "tri". I think that, in my case, it's more interesting to me than increasing my distance as a runner. Not to mention that being a triathlete is probably the penultimate opposite life!
  
  
• My back is still a little sore...more tight than sore, but I still feel somewhat sidelined. I've been walking, and I rode my bike a little yesterday, but I'm a bit anxious about whether it will be okay for BodyPump class on Wednesday.
  

The Good News and the Bad News

Well, bad news first: I tweaked my back in BodyPump class on Wednesday. *sigh*...I had decided to up my weights a bit, and I felt fine during class, but about an hour or so later, my lower back starting pinging. Darn, darn, darn! I took it easy yesterday, and walked around a nearby park, and checked out the pool where I'm going to start swimming once a week. I had a date with Jillian and her girls this morning, and I had to cancel. (i.e., "30 Day Shred" DVD, and I was going to run, too.) I've been walking, but otherwise *nothing*.

I should be taking this like a grown-up.

I really should.

*sniff*...I'm going to be okay, really!

[lip quivers]

WHAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!! NO FAIR!!!!!!!!! I WANT TO RUN!!!! I WANT TO LIFT!!!!!! I want to train for my Tri!!!! AAAAAAUUUGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

I guess my question is, what can you do to keep the rest of yourself in shape when one part of you is giving you trouble? If it were legs, I could focus on upper body, or if it were upper body I could do lower stuff, but when it's your back? *sigh*....

*sigh*...Okay, now for the good news! And there's plenty to offset my tantrum.

• It's sunny outside!

• It's the first day of Spring, and the trees in the neighborhood where my office is located are in full bloom, and little white petals are drifting through the air everywhere!

• Got a date night with Mr. Handsome and Handy tomorrow night! Kids are going to their dance teacher's for a babysitting fundraiser by the older students, so we can stay home if we want to and watch a grown-up movie! Or we can go out! (We usually have to go out when there's a babysitter, so it might be kind of luxurious to stay IN!) 4 glorious hours!!!

• I talked to my mom today. You know, the one who had heart surgery 2 months ago? Who was feeling tired all last month? Well, she's been walking and today she walked 3.5 miles!!! Woo hoooooo!!!! She wants to do a 5K walk event with me!!!!!
  

• I get to meet Juice on Sunday!

Weekly update, 3/17/09 (St. Patrick's Day Edition)

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

Family lore maintains that part of my mutt-ley heritage is Irish, so my people have always celebrated St. Patrick's Day with the time-honored wearin' o' the green and sendin' o' the cards. (And the occaisional eatin' o' the chocolates masquerading as shamrocks or gold coins.) We don't swill green beer or typically eat corned beef and cabbage, although I've got a powerful hankering for some corned beef hash. Mr. Handsome-and-Handy (of authentic Polish/German heritage) is bemused by the whole affair. (And you'd think he'd be all over a holiday celebrated, in many parts, with beer!) He missed a prime pinching op this morning when I was still in my running gear, although he snuck in a belated one later. ;-) I got one in, thinking his t-shirt was blue-grey, but no, it was a sea green color. OH well!

But I tell ya, kids these days! You know the old ways are doomed when kids are confused about using the color green for St. Patrick's Day. Everyone knows that Patrick is a large pink sea star who resides in Bikini Bottom! *sigh*.....

And I will leave you with my favorite Irish prayer:

May those who love us, love us.
And those who don't love us,
May God turn their hearts.
And, if He cannot turn their hearts,
May He turn their ankles
That we may know them by their limping.

Progress last week

7-day blood glucose average: 94 (met goal of less than 120)
7-day fasting average: 96 (met goal of less than 120, 100% of days)
Weight goal: -.6 (met goal of maintain or lose)
Food goals: Consumed 5 meatless, low-fat meals and 1 fish meals. (met meatless, missed fish by 1 meal)
Exercise goals: 4-2/3x30 min. cardio (4-2/3 because I only did 20 minutes on Monday...On the other hand, it was 20 minutes with Jillian!), including 2 runs. 3 strength workouts: one-hour BodyPump class and did 30 Day Shred with Jillian Michales video twice. (Missed exercise goals by 1/3 cardio.)
[Side note: I really feel like the abs and lower-body strength training has improved my running, both in form and in feeling like I have a more powerful stride. Love it!!!]
Misc. goals: Got adequate sleep all nights. Refining food goals for better HDL/LDL still on the to-do list. Got family buy-in for triathlon and chose an event; attempting to register.

Goals for this week
7-day blood glucose average goal and fasting numbers: below 120.
Weight goal: Maintain or lose.
Food goals: 4 or more meatless, low-fat meals and 2 or more fish meals.
Exercise goals: At least 30 minutes of cardio 5 days, plus 2 days of arms & abs strength training workouts. Include at least 2 runs in cardio, weather permitting (dry and >40 degrees).
Misc. goals:
7 or more hours sleep/night.
Refine my nutritional goals regarding fiber and fats, to improve HDL/LDL numbers.
Register for the "See Jane Tri" event in September!

"Mantra Monday"

Christie O. over on Baby Tea Leaves has just started her new weekly installation: "Mantra Monday." And anyone can play, so I'm game!

I'm going to be a copy-cat, though, since I've had triathlons on the brain lately. My mantra this week is the same as Christie O.'s from last week: "Just 'tri' it!" I had my little to-do list of what to do to feel like I could do a triathlon this year. I found a triathlon that looks promising ("See Jane Tri" on September 26, 2009) and discussed with Mr. Handsome-and-Handy. He was worried about the open-water swim part, but I assured him that this one had lifeguards and "water buddies" in boats and on boards to provide resting places along the swim. So...got the family buy-in. Yeay!!!

So...I'm "tri"-ing to "tri" it, but I keep getting errors when I click the Register Now button. Oh well, I've got a query in, so we'll see how it goes....

Weekly Update, 3/10/09

Progress last week
7-day blood glucose average: 103 (met goal of less than 120)
7-day fasting average: 100 (met goal of less than 120, 100% of days)
Weight goal: -1.2 (met goal of maintain or lose)
Food goals: Consumed 6 meatless, low-fat meals and 0 fish meals. (met meatless, missed fish by 2 meals)
Exercise goals: 3-2/3x30 min. cardio (3-2/3 because I only did 20 minutes on Monday...On the other hand, it was 20 minutes with Jillian!), including 2 runs. Attended BodyPump class and did the aforementioned 30 Day Shred with Jillian Michales video for my strength workouts. (Missed exercise goals by 1-1/3 cardio.)
Misc. goals: Got adequate sleep all nights. Finished documenting my adventures with Mary Lou's Platform. Refining food goals for better HDL/LDL still on the to-do list.

Goals for this week
7-day blood glucose average goal and fasting numbers: below 120.
Weight goal: Maintain or lose.
Food goals: 4 or more meatless, low-fat meals and 2 or more fish meals.
Exercise goals: At least 30 minutes of cardio 5 days, plus 2 days of arms & abs strength training workouts. Include at least 2 runs in cardio, weather permitting (dry and >40 degrees).
Misc. goals:
7 or more hours sleep/night.
Refine my nutritional goals regarding fiber and fats, to improve HDL/LDL numbers.

Something about Tri-ing...

Last fall I was reading the comments in my favorite parenting-plus-a-lot-of-other-stuff blogs, sfgate.com's "The Poop." Someone mentioned the Mermaid Triathlon and its distances, and it was a total "WHOA!!!" moment for me. Who hasn't heard (and felt daunted by the mere idea) of the Ironman? But I had no idea there were shorter-distance triathlons! (I guess that happens to a body when one has been spudding out on couch+car seat+office chair for 13 years.) I don't know if I'd ever become a long-distance runner, but I do love biking and swimming...so I started thinking, "Hmmm...maybe I should try a sprint triathlon sometime."

Well, you know where that kind of thinking leads a girl leading the "opposite" life: it's been the "plate of shrimp" thing in action again. I keep finding articles about triathlons: at first I was finding those sites by searching, but now I'm finding them in my random readings. For example, two bloggers I read regularly, Lori ("Finding Radiance") and Christie ("Baby Tea Leaves"), recently posted about training for triathlons. Then, today...Zen Habits had an article, "A Guide to Starting Out in Triathlon". (In other words, sprint tri's are going to be the new 5K.)

I know what some of you out there are thinking: "That's all very nice, Pubsgal. So when are you going to sign up for one?"

Hem...haw....Good question. Frankly, I'm also nervous/scared as well as excited by the idea. Not quite as nervous as I'd be at the idea of sky diving, but it's up there. But I have done a few things to move along the path:
- Ordered a brightly-colored swim cap.
- Ordered vision-correcting swim goggles. Tried them out this past weekend and they work great!
- Read enough online to whet my curiosity, and to get me a bit nervous.
- Planted the seed of the idea with my family.

What I feel like I need to do to get ready:
- Watch a triathlon. I had thought to try out a just-announced local one in June, but it's the same weekend as my kids' dance recital, and that tends to be very labor-intensive for the dancers' parents. So I might just be watching that one...or maybe, just do it and muddle through it?
- Get more information about transitioning. What goes into this phase of the triathlon?
- Figure out how to get over the swim fear factor. Even though I've always loved swimming, and I float really easily, I'm a bit apprehensive about the whole idea of open water swimming and swimming in a race context--all that thrashing about of other people makes me nervous.
- Get family buy-in. In other words, figure out how to train and race without feeling like I was abandoning my family. As being the career half of a career/at-home parent dynamic duo, I'm already absent during the weekdays at work. Evenings and weekends are the only break-time my partner gets. I think the training is probably doable, but just need to figure out a doable event.
- Modify my training. I already do my main working out in the morning or at lunch time, and I can run a 5K. So I think it would be a matter of figuring out how to best work in the swimming and biking portion of the training. Biking is doable, since the gym has spin classes and exercise bikes, and I have a bike and an exercise bike at home. Fitting in swimming is the challenge, since the gym does not have a pool. There is a pool about 3 miles from my workplace that's open year-round and has lap swimming in the morning and afternoons. I could probably fit in 1 bike/swim per week in the morning before work during the school year, and 2-3 during the summer. Doing this, I could probably be ready for a triathlon in September 2009.

Will Pubsgal "just Tri it" in 2009? I think you already know the answer to that one. Stay tuned.... (And any good links, tips, etc. greatly appreciated!)

Weekly Update, 3/3/09

Tidbits
Happy March, everyone! I'm so glad it's a new month. Gotta love a new start!

On the Right to Bare Arms
Over on Lynn's Weigh, I enjoyed reading her thoughts on strength training ("Thank You, Michelle Obama"). Apparently Mrs. Obama received criticism for baring her arms in the middle of winter. *sigh*....I feel for her, but she got off easy: she only had to deal with media catiness. I had to deal with a rampaging four-year-old daughter! I'd layered that day, and I removed my outer shirt to reveal (*gasp!*) a tank top. I'm baffled, but am guessing it was tank envy, she's too young to take Mom's "work-in-progress" arms personally...Thing 2 raged, stomped, professed outrage at both my continuing to wear the tank top, expressed disgust of her own (usually favorite) PJ top, and looked for (but did not find) her own tank top. I thought we'd made peace at bedtime, but at 5 a.m. she crept into our bed and mumbled, "I hope your shirt stays dirty forever." So I now ponder which of us has the problem: her for reacting so strongly, or me for stubbornly refusing to relinquish my right to bare arms? Oh, I shudder at the thought of the teen years...I am so in for it.

What Do Grownups Do for Fun?
On the cuter front, Mr. Handsome-and-Handy and Thing 2 were at the park. He decided to use the swing next to hers. The foundation of the universe shifted slightly.
Thing 2: "But Daddy, you can't do that!"
Mr. H&H: "Why not? Grownups like to have fun, too. Why, what do you think we do for fun?"
Thing 2: "Eat crab. And stinky fish. And go to Uncle D's and watch pirate movies. And drink beer."
Hmmm...sounds good to me! I continued the poll with Thing 1.
Me: "So...what do you think grown-ups do for fun?"
Thing 1: [long pause as he considers the question] "Jog. That's it."
Well, between the two responses, that's a pretty good balance, I'd say.

Adventures with Mary Lou Completed
I ended right where I began: at my starting weight. The last bits of advice were those little secrets that aren't so secret....
Friday: "Keep your sense of humor." And something about the importance of being able to laugh at yourself. No worries there!
Monday: "Continue to eat healthy! A healthy diet combined with exercise can speed up or maintain your weight loss." Astonish me.

I consider the current experiment completed, and I'm so glad I got a chance to try it out. Which reminds me, I never did share the family's initial reaction to The Platform....
Mr. H & H [cringing as the kids try it out and Mary Lou's voice emits]: "Ugh! I just want a number. It's like your [uber-motivational relative] to the 3rd power!"
Thing 2: "It's the greatest thing I ever saw!!!"
Thing 1: "It's good. I need to work out lots!" [Both kids start jogging around the living room.]

The Things enjoyed playing with it, which is why I had to move it to the garage. (That, and I feared waking everyone up in the morning.) They would hold heavy objects to make the weight go up, then weigh without them to get the applause or the music; the music was catchy and made them wiggle around the kitchen. Their reaction to some of Mary Lou's advice reminded me of that Far Side cartoon of "What We Say to Dogs/What They Hear."
What Mary Lou Said to Us: "Instead of eating chips for snacks, try eating fruit and nuts."
What Things 1 and 2 Heard: "Gub gub eat chips gub gub, gub gub gub gub gub."

I had originally thought The Platform might be a good tool for teenagers, because of its intention as a tool for motivating, educating, and breaking the weight loss process into manageable chunks. But paradoxically, for me, I found that to be its biggest weakness: its focus on weight loss. Would this help or hinder teens who struggle with society's and the media's messages about weight and body image? Would it motivate them to form healthful habits? I don't think I have the answer to that, but it was a question I had, and that focus stood out as weird to me for some reason. Sure, I like seeing a result on the scale as well as the next person chasing the goal of a weight in the "healthy BMI" range. There's part of me that currently thinks, "Uh oh...is this it forever? Or just a plateau on the way down? How badly do I really want that goal weight number? What am I prepared to do to get it?" But on the other hand, the scale is just one measure, a number without applause, music, silent treatment, or tones of voice implying "great job" or "you could have done better." And part of me whispers, "So? How do you feel? Oh...and you'd better go for that run before it starts raining again." How do I feel? Great! I haven't felt this good since my 20s. Anyhow, I intend to try it again in -10 pounds to see what its maintenance mode is like, but I think it would be more useful generally if it had a maintenance mode from the outset.

Beer and Cake and Being Busy
Charlie Hills (of Back to the Fridge) is one of my favorite bloggers. I'm sure everyone who's visited here probably frequents his blog, but if you haven't, I highly recommend it. He generally makes me laugh, but also made me cheer the other day: he broke through "The Barrier" to Onederland. He credits fewer overall calories (some of which included cake and beer, hurrah!) and being busy. I was struck by the similarity with my own barrier break-through, although I won't be showing any cool charts with explosions. My menu, though, also had some beer...a little cake...and I was very busy. The similarity ends, though, at what I ate on Saturday: a whole mess of the fantabulous Gorilla BBQ. (Yes, that place in the converted rail car featured on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. Thank you, dear friends of ours who had them cater their 5-year-old's birthday party!!!) I'm usually more of a fan of pulled pork--and theirs was hea-ven-ly--but I actually preferred their beef brisket. And the grilled zucchini, portobello mushroom, and eggplant were pretty darn yummilicious, too.

Progress last week
7-day blood glucose average: 97 (met goal of less than 120)
7-day fasting average: 98 (met goal of less than 120, 100% of days)
Weight goal: -1.6 (met goal of maintain or lose)
Food goals: Consumed 5 meatless, low-fat meals and 1 fish meals. (met meatless, missed fish by 1 meal)
Exercise goals: 4-2/3x30 min. cardio (4-2/3 because I only did 20 minutes on Monday...On the other hand, it was 20 minutes with Jillian!), including 1 run. Attended BodyPump class and did the aforementioned 30 Day Shred with Jillian Michales video for my strength workouts. (Missed exercise goals by 1/3 cardio.)
Misc. goals: Got adequate sleep all nights. Finished documenting my adventures with Mary Lou's Platform. Refining food goals for better HDL/LDL still on the to-do list.

Goals for this week
7-day blood glucose average goal and fasting numbers: below 120.
Weight goal: Maintain or lose.
Food goals: 4 or more meatless, low-fat meals and 2 or more fish meals.
Exercise goals: At least 30 minutes of cardio 5 days, plus 2 days of arms & abs strength training workouts. Include at least 2 runs in cardio, weather permitting (dry and >40 degrees).
Misc. goals:
7 or more hours sleep/night.
Refine my nutritional goals regarding fiber and fats, to improve HDL/LDL numbers.