Food Log

I think this will help a little. I am having so much trouble getting the food thing back under control!! I am doing better and dropping weight, but I am far from where I want to be. I was looking at my archives and noticed that I am not eating the same as I used to. I am close but not quite.
This morning is the Benbrook Women's Tri (Sprint). As staff we all had to be here at 5:30am. It has been a very long time since I got up this early. Now with my Little Man at home, it is really hard to wake him and chance a day of crankies just so I can go for a run. I have just waited a little longer and started running at 7am. Anyway, we are all here and supporting women of all ages and sizes complete their first or hundreth sprint tri. It is very exciting, crappy weather, but exciting. I get so tired of non-athletes griping and complaining and calling these women crazy people or freaks. As I see it, they have trained hard and for at least a few months for this event. They deserve their time to shine, crappy rainy weather or not. There, done with that.

Now for some accountability!!

Breakfast at 6:00am~
Banana
Oatmeal Packet
MNS and Slim
Snack at 9:30am~
Vanilla Sandwich cookies (it's all I had)
Tea with Splenda and milk
Lunch at 1:15pm~
1 cup Chicken broth and Noodles
Maple Doughnut
Snack at 3:30pm~
2 ounces Swiss Cheese
Dinner at 6:15pm~
Cheesey Potato Casserole

Weight Checkin: 187
Exercise: None Yet

Calories:1607

Fall Breakaway 5K report

Okay, I need some tips on running 5K's at 9am. It seems my tummy and bladder are confused. I tried to wait until the last minute to get up and head to the race, but Hotty Hubby hates being late. So we showed up an hour early. Yikes!! I was starving by 9 and had to pee like crazy before mile 3. So what do you do? I guess I should have eaten before we left the apartment and well, tried to go pee before we started? Anyway, hotty hubby and I went to the KAT Fall Breakaway 5K. It was listed on my previous post. We had a great time!! It was not too crowded, but it was very hilly. It was in the TCU area...my favorite part of FW!! We finished in 42:35 (13:42/mile). Not sooo bad, but we could have finished faster had I not had to go pee so bad. I was afraid at one point that the next step I took would be like a dam breaking and all the pee would just come flowing!! Yikes...we had fun anyway!! I hope to be able to not have the bladder problem on October 24th. We will see.

Blog on friends!!

Great start to the week

So my actual birthday was a bit of a bummer, I share it with my mother in law. I know, damn the irony. She turned 60 and I turned 32. Saturday was fantastic, but my birthday was yesterday. I know my hotty hubby will eventually redeem himself. Enough about that...

I ran about 1.25 miles this evening with a friend as I was training him. It was slow and I felt like a race horse wanting to go fast. It was good that I didn't my friend is just getting started into the running thing. After I got home from work, I decided that since I was sans Little Man and Nikko I thought I would go for a run. A boy, did I ever run. I ran about 4 more miles. At first I was just running because I was still a little iritated with Hotty Hubby. So I ran until the white noise in my head went quite. It took about 2 miles at about a 12 minute/mile pace. I was pooped but then I started listening to the words of the music I was streaming. I love my IPhone, more specifically I love Pandora on my IPhone. Anyway, I was listening to Breaking Benjamin. Ordinarily this is heavy and dark music and I choose to listen to light and airy music. But tonight I wanted to do some internal fighting. I am ready to stop using my mycoplasma as an excuse. Of course this is easier when I am running and it is not 200 degrees outside. Nonetheless, I needed to kick my spirit into gear. I enjoyed the music and the run. I am tired, my legs are quivery, and lower back is a little crabby. I finished my 4 miles in about 54 minutes, slow but done!! What a way to start the week.

I would like to write more, but it is time for bed. I am wiped out!!

Blog on friends!!

Fall is coming!!

I am so excited. I have officially kicked off my fall running season. I starting running with SuperMan on Monday last week. Hotty Hubby and I ran last Saturday. This weekend has been filled with birthdays, family, naps, and food. It has been nice. I am totally embracing my 32nd year. I am proud of the first gray hair that dons my head. Well, maybe that is taking it a little too far. Haha. I was mortified when I saw it. I don't know whether to die my hair or pluck it out...hmmm.

I think I want to try to train for the Dallas White Rock half. I may not be very fast, but I want to do it. If we continue to live in a place that is 80 degrees or higher 10 months out of the year, I will not ever be able to fully devote my training to doing anything fast. Just when I think I am fit enough to handle more, it gets hot and I can't continue. It has really been a very difficult transition for me. I am only able to really train from October to late March. It sucks!!

Here is my training plan:
Run 4-5 days a week; standard long runs on the weekends.
October 3, 2009~Fall Breakaway 5K
October 24, 2009~Pink Out 5K
November 22, 2009~Turkey Trot 5 mile
December 13, 2009~Dallas White Rock Half??
January 19, 2010~Too Cold to hold 15K?
February 14, 2010~Austin Half??

We will see how all of this goes. I need some training partners!! I have Hotty Hubby and SuperMan, I think we will be okay!!

Gotta Go!! Blog on friends!!

I love hills!!

Yesterday I ran 5 of the hardest miles ever!! It was a running day so I hit a stopping point for the day at work and just took off. I was planning on running at least 6 possibly 7. I settled for 5. It is basically all up hill. Okay, so there were some down hills, but mostly ups!! Yikes!! It is a route that my friend Superman and I have contemplating. He has since broken his foot in Boot camp. Hopefully he will be ready to run soon!! I do so much better with a partner. Hotty Hubby has decided that running just looks to painful to participate. Bummer. Here's the coolest thing about this route...my sitter's house is at the top of the hill!! I can run to visit my J man. They were loading up to go swim practice and he was not happy, so I just turned around and began my trek downhill and back to the Y. It was sooooooo hard. My friend and sitter came in to the Y and announced to everyone that I was running back from her house. The hills are that big!! They all were cheering for me when I can staggering back in the front doors!! Superman was thoroughly disappointed that I had gone without him. I told him I would do it again. Hotty Hubby now thinks I can climb Mt. Michelle on my bike pulling the J man. I think he has lost his mind.

I started to get a little frustrated that I was so slow, but before I could finish the thought, I put it away. I am slow and I need to deal with that. It is getting to be summer time and I only sweat on one side of my body. I need to deal with that. I would like to just put that out of my mind and be happy that I ran 2.5 miles UP HILL!! I did something that most people are not even willing to think about trying. I am proud of that. I see the beauty in that. I am strong and powerful!! I am capable of running tough terrain in the heat and humidity, so I am going to deal with the rest of the stuff that just seems to get in the way. Worrying and getting angry at the fact that I can't sweat on one side is not going to make sweat magically appear.

So here is my plan...go on with life as planned, but just at a slower pace. I can work with that, because I know that when it cools off in late October, I will be in better shape than if I were to give up running all together. I will keep putting on my shoes and lube up just like I do during the winter. I will just have to go earlier and slower to beat the heat. I can have a longer look at the beauty that surounds me. Besides, Superman will not wait for me all summer and if I want to conquer some longer distances this fall, I can't afford to not run. So I will run now in preparation for what is to come. I will run to conquer what I believe to be a real physical limitation. I will move on. I will let it go, and get on with my journey. The finish line is always sweeter when you have to work really hard to get there.

Blog on friends!!

Hot, Hot, Hot

It is hot outside today!! There is no way around it. Just plain hot. I have a little bit of a renewed spirit today, because yesterday I found out that my mycoplasma is now dormant. Meaning, it is no longer attacking my body!! It was wonderful news!! I had the blood work to confirm it. I am still left with the heat intolerance, but not as bad. I don't have those stroke like symptoms anymore, but I get hot and miserable. That is not any different that any other human testing their limits in the heat.

Did anyone watch the Michael J. Fox thing last night? One word: Amazing. I thought I was an optimist!! He is an incredible human being! More to come on that. I would like to spend more time writing about this!

I rode 30 miles this morning. It was hot and sweaty!! I rode the first 15 in an hour, that was really good for me!! The last 15 however took me almost 2 hours!! I had to stop and keep pouring water on my right side. The tough part was that not all of the water fountains are functional along the Trinity Trail path. Most of the dog water fountains were up and running, and near the end of the ride, that was okay with me. I wasn't drinking the water and I was planning on showering the moment I walked in the door anyway!!

I decided that I will participate in an indoor volleyball league this summer. I don't know how it will go, but it is worth it just to keep working out!! I plan to still ride and run, and definitely swim, but as early as possible. I am also not going to focus on speed. Just distance. Everyday that I get to go out is a blessing. I could have been told that I was losing circulation and was going to lose my legs, but I wasn't. I was told that I have heat intolerance. Big deal!! I will learn to continue to work with it!!

I have to go for now!! Blog on friends!!

Slow running days are here again!!

The humidity is relentless around here. I was getting prepared for the heat, but totally forgot about the humidity!! That will wipe me out faster than the heat I think. I am struggling a bit with deciding what direction to go in now that I have found out about the permanent damage to my body. Those damn parasites!! The mycoplasma has done permanent damage. I will not ever be able to workout in the heat again. That leaves me sort of lost. I have always been an edurance junkie and I love to run and ride outside and what a perfect time to go, except the whole sweating thing. Poor pitiful me...blah blah blah....

Moving on. I did try to run today. I was a little late, but I did it. I ran 2 miles in 28:40, and walked the last 2 because I was burning up. I finished walking and completed my low effort workout in 1:15:30. I did stop to give Nikko and myself a big drink of water. I am just not sure what to do. Run anyway and give up on getting anything productive done during the warmer months? Run on the dreadmill? Transform into the ultimate group ex junkie? Advice? Hotty hubby thinks we ought to design some sort of jersey/shirt that has freezer pack pockets in it, so I can run with ice bags...he has lost his mind. I will just keep plodding along, literally!!

Run on friends!!

A big finish and some sad news

This weekend I participated in the Tri Benbrook Sprint Triathlon. I had a great time. I thought I had done really well until I just looked at my previous sprint times. Here is the breakdown:
Swim 300m~6:36 (2:12 pace)~October 2006
Swim (July 2006) 500m OW~14:18 (2:52pace)
Swim (May 2009) 300yd (2:13 pace)~6:38
T1 (October 2006)~2:05 (I thought I was quicker)
T1 (July 2006)~2:34
T1 (May 2009)~1:38
Bike (October 2006) 13.8miles~47:30 (17.4mph)
Bike 20K July (2006)~43:28 (17.1mph)
Bike (May 2009) 13.8 miles~59.48 (13.8 mph)
T2 (October 2006)~1:17
T2 July (2006)~2:44
T2 (May 2009)~1:32
Run 5K October 2006~39:48 (12:45's)
Run 5K July 2006~45:31 (14:35's)
Run 5K May 2009~44:39(14:19's)
Overall time: 1:37:17 October 2006
Overall time July 2006:1:48:50
Overall time May 2009: 1:54:18

I can say this about yesterday...it was crazy windy!! The temp was a balmy 75 degrees or so but the wind was gusting around 25-30miles an hour. I was trying to keep my heart rate in my heart rate zone since I have a big race planned for May 24th. I know that slowed me down quite a lot. I hope to do better next month. I did have a good time though.

Now for the sad news, I will not ever sweat on my right side again. That is quite tragic because that means that I will never be comfortable in the heat again. I guess I somewhat expected that, but I had hope that it would get better as all of my other symptoms did. I will just have to figure out some other sport to participate in during the summer months until we are able to move somewhere cooler. Maybe Canada?

Blog on friends!!

No Half?

So as it turned out I had procrastinated myself right out of the Lonestar Half Iron. I was crushed. I have spent 3 months on gruelling training. Well, maybe it wasn't soo bad. I was pretty upset though!! I got myself registered for an Olympic in Carlyle, Illinois. I am pretty fired up about that one!! I will get to use my spanky new wet suit. I am a little nervous though, the water temps are expected to be around 70 degrees. Yikes, that is cold!

I am still training, just now with a slightly different perspective. Somehow the olympic distance is not so intimidating. I can do it. I am ready for it. Now if I could just drop another 15 pounds!! I am working slowly at it. I have been adjusting my diet here and there. It is tricky!! I don't know if it is because the first time a lost a significant amount of weight I was in my 20's or if I am just not getting enough food? Who knows, I am still going to persist and defeat the fat!!

I am running in the Benbrook Sprint this weekend. I am a little excited about it. I swam today and finished a long 2000 yard swim in 56 minutes. I actually did 20 x 100's. My goal was to finish each one in 2 minutes. I did achieve that goal for the first few and then my arms got tired and I lost focus on my form. I noticed that every time I took a breath my butt sunk down a little and then I would have to work even harder to get balanced. If I stayed focused, I could take a breath without sinking...I would just roll a bit further and tuck my chin. That was a little tricky because I kept drinking water. Oh well, I will keep trying. Tomorrow is another swim and I am ready to stay focused.

Blog on friends!!

Mycoplasma

Unlike bacteria, the Mycoplasma has no cell wall. This enables it to invade tissue cells, incorporating the cell's nutrients, and using the cell to replicate itself (much like a retrovirus). When the Mycoplasma breaks out of the cell, it takes a piece of the host cell membrane with it. When the immune system attacks the Mycoplasma, it also gets "turned on" to attacking the host cell. In this way, an autoimmune condition can begin. Autoimmune conditions associated with Mycoplasmas include arthritis, fibromyalgia, myositis, thyroid dysfunction (Hashimoto's or Grave's Diseases), and adrenal dysfunction, signs and symptoms of Lupus, Multiple Sclerosis, Lou Gehrig's Disease.

The Mycoplasma organism has the capacity to invade cells, tissues and blood, producing systemic infections in numerous organ systems. According to Dr. Nicholson, it can penetrate the central and peripheral nervous system. Because it has the ability to damage the immune system by invading the natural killer cells (NK cells) of the lymphocytes, it weakens them, reduces their numbers, and renders them susceptible to viral infections, such as Human Herpes Virus 6 (HHV6). It may also explain some of the environmentally sensitive responses that are seen with CFIDS and MCS.

I have had this infection for about 10 years or so. We think. All I know is that I met up with this Neurologist and have not felt this good in a really long time. I did not think that this thing was affecting my everyday life and it was!! I can get up in the middle of the night and not feel drunk, I don't have the strobe light sensation when closing my eyes that I did, I have an abundance of energy, and my endurance is so much better!! It is crazy!!

This morning has been full!! I was scheduled to run with one of my co workers~we'll call him Superman~ and he stood me up. I went home and took Little Man and Nikko for a 3 mile run. I am a bit tired today, so it wasn't fast (about 43 minutes). Plus, I am 2 weekends away from my big race and am not ready to push myself really hard yet. I came back to the Y and helped teach boot camp. After that I taught Tai Chi, and will teach Cycle here in a bit. Tuesdays and Thursdays are typically like this now and it can get very exhausting. Anyway, my run this morning was good. I love the smell of spring. I am worried about the heat coming on so early, but then again, isn't it about time for it to get warm?

Tomorrow is Little Man's first birthday. I am so excited!! We are having a party this weekend at a local park. All of our family is coming in and a few friends are going to help us cook out and play!! It is going to be so much fun!! I can't wait to share some pics!!

Everyone should go outside and play today!! It is beautiful...especially if you are in the North Tejas area!!

Blog on friends!!

I need an update!!

Runner Susan if you visit me, I am in need of a serious update!! Can you help me update my blog?

Now for the serious update!! As it turns out my sweating thing is not such a cool trick!! I have been seeing a new Neurologist/Opthomologist and he has discovered the secret behind it all!! I am being treated for a micro organism called Mycoplasma. It is airborn and there is absolutely no way to determine how I picked it up. Stranger than strange...hotty hubby and little man don't have it. Without treatment, it would have eventually killed me. But now I can live forever!! Haha. I take a heavy dose of medication every morning and after a month, I can say, that maybe I don't hate Texas after all. My eyes are better, I have very little speach issue anymore, and my neurological jitteryness is gone. But wait, before you ask, no I still don't sweat on my right side. Which poses the question: Am I still heat intolerant?

That is the perfect intro into topic number two: LoneStar Half Iron Man Triathlon.

Feeling miserable in my post baby body, I sat with hotty hubby and decided that I would in fact train for a long distance tri. Am I crazy? Maybe...but it has been fun! I actually started training in January and have stuck with it. I feel awesome. My post baby love is still hanging around my body, but I figure it is the high dose of Prednisone I am on. That will be decreased again soon and I will drop the lbs. My race is Sunday, April 5 in Galveston. I could not be more excited. We have postponed any and all other races to save for this one. Runners beaware, once you cross over to the dark side of triathlon, you will go broke!! Between the wetsuit, the race entry, the bike maintainence, and all of the gel and food you need, you will need a second or third job just to pay for it!! I will keep you all posted!!

My run last weekend was particularly exciting. I was scheduled for a really long brick, but decided to switch the days and run. So I was scheduled for a 2 hour run. I ran the entire time!! I am not sure if I have ever done that. Before you start thinking to yourself wow that is fantastic, I was so slow. I only ran 8 miles, but I ran it!! I have been adhering to a very strict training regimen following a different way of training your body. I workout at a very low heart rate. My zone is 130-144bpm. That is approximately 65-75% of my max. If I go above that, it would take too long to recover and I would not be ready for my next run, swim or ride. In theory, this actually makes you run faster over time. I was a sceptic. When I first started I walked most of my sessions and stayed with in my zone. Now, I run 15min miles and stay in my zone. Now at the race, I will need to keep in my zone until mile 6 of the run. After that, all bets are off and I can run faster if, I can.

I will say this: I am faster. I have been cheating a little on this plan and have added a 3 mile tempo run one day a week over the last couple of weeks and taaadaaahhh, I am a 10:05 pacer. At least for 3 miles. My heart rate was obviously too high on those runs, but the plan is working. Cool.

Little man is awake and summoning me for some breakfast!! I love having a little one!!
Blog on friends!!