God Led

After spending the weekend and holidays with a good friend, I believe our friendship was God led. Scott and I moved to Maine 13 years ago. So did my friend and her husband, however they moved from Colorado. We only met them 5 years ago at our office as patients. We immediately hit it off. After spending many months at the office with her, we started talking about triathlons. We were both really interested in doing them but never have. Neither of us were in "shape"enough to do it. So, we decided to train for a local triathlon together. We both spoke with our husbands and neither were very excited to do it with us. They were very supportive of us though. After several talks with them, the men agreed. We were going to do our first ever triathlon together. We started training mostly by ourselves or with our spouse. Occasionally, on weekends, we trained with our friends. During the summer, every Monday and Wednesday we went to Spring Hill to swim and bike. We over trained the route of the triathlon and we were becoming bored. Finally, the day arrive. It was beautiful. The crowds were roaring. The athletes covered the once empty field. Soon, we will be able to call ourselves triathletes. The race was exhausting but it was exhilarating to come across the finish line knowing that we completed a hard earned goal. We signed up for the Pumkinman again next year.

The next challenge began when I ordered Fun Passes for the year. (This is a coupon book for the Seacoast area where you buy an adult pass and a child gets in free) On the Breathe NH website, I saw a bike tour. I always wanted to do a 100 mile two day bike ride. I was excited to accomplish this tour. It was either one or two days. I approach my friend Marica with it and she agreed that would be great to do. Since we never rode that long before, we decided to do the 42 mile one day tour. Now, to talk the boys into it. Scott had no desire to ride a bike that long. He didn't like biking for the triathlon. That was his worst event, beside throwing up while swimming. My friend's husband was willing, so we had to convince Scott. Eventually, peer pressure won over. So, the following May we climbed on our bikes and rode. PS: I was pregnant and Scott had a herniated disc. But we still did it.  The ride was great. We started in Portsmouth and rode to Rye Beach and up the coast to Ogunquit. The most exhausting part was the hills in Kittery. They were constant. By the time we rode into York, we were hurting. York Beach is pretty flat but our legs were on fire and it was hard to enjoy the scenery. We finally came to Nubble Lighthouse and took a long break. After resting, we proceeded to our final destination. Crossing Route 1 we can hear the chorus of voices cheering us on to complete the last leg of the tour. Again, it was exhilarating. We did it! Another accomplishment down. However, we still want the 100 miler and may sign up for the Patrick Dempsey one of these years.

That same year we were signed up for the Pumkinman, but Scott nor I could race that year because of our conditions. Our friends still continued to enter the race and finish. We were very proud of them. We signed up again for the bike tour in May and I decided not to do it because baby Ella was too young and refused to take a bottle. I couldn't be away from her that long. So the boys did the tour and the girls stood back this time. It was good that we didn't do it because it rained most of the time. They finished first in their tour. We would have held them back so I'm glad they were able to put up a great time.

Scott and I wanted to sign up for the Seacoast Road Series this year. But trying to convince our friends was a little more difficult. She had knee problems and hated running. However, peer pressure wins out again. They signed up. We ran 6 out of 8 races with Market Square Day being a 10K and all the rest were 5K. Our first race was slow. I think we were about an 11 minute mile. By the end of the series, we broke the 10 minute mark. We were thrilled. Scott also broke his time of 24 minutes. Market Square Day is a race that I won't forget. Scott pushed Ella in a stroller and at the first corner the stroller wheel fell off. Marcia and I stopped to help put it back on. After about 3 minutes we started to run again. Scott took off to make up time. Marcia and I started out at our 10 minute pace again. We found out the Scott passed Gano on the run and made record time. He was fast. We weren't. Marcia wanted to walk around the five mile mark. We walked for a minute until I realized she wasn't in pain. She had to persevere and I pushed her to run again. She completed her first 10K race.

Since we were injured for the Pumkinman, we were able to move our entry to the following year. Our friends joined us again. We trained for the swimming together and ran sometimes together. But we didn't train as much as we could have. I still had some baby weight on and couldn't keep up with Scott on the bike. The year before biking was so easy, but not with extra weight. So I didn't want to bike that much. I mostly ran for the series and swam once a week. About a month before Pumkiman, Marcia wanted her chance to challenge me. She wanted to do a bodybuilding competition. She thought I would say no. However, I was all in. I always wanted to be a fitness competitor but didn't have the gymnastics background. So I never pursued it. But when Marcia approached me, I was all in. The next week I started my P90X program and there was no turning back.

We did finish the Pumkinma strong. I beat my time from last year. I am interested to see what my time will be if I enter this year. I wasn't planning on doing the tri, but with the weight lose and the added strength, I might kick some butt. We'll see.

So now, you are up to date with how our friendship started. We each pushed each other to go farther than we have before. Would we ever have thought about a triathlon if we didn't meet each other? Only God knows. Would I ever be training for a bodybuilding competition,only God knows. So after Marcia stated the she didn't know why God led her back to Maine, I was just kidding when I said it was me, but after thinking and charting our journey together, I know it has to be God led. We have both helped each other grow in a uncharted part of our life.I am blessed to have them as friends.

After the Holidays

January 2, 2012 is the start of the New Year. Last week I started to kick it into gear. I ate much more raw food than I have in a while. I made raw Pad Thai, which was fabulous. that is Scott's favorite raw recipe. He had 2 helping. Unfortunately, it has a lot of calories because of the almond butter. But it tastes just like Pad Thai. I also made raw enchiladas. I was very impressed. It came out very tasty. I will have to keep that recipe on hand. I also  juiced every day to get those vital nutrients in my system.

The rest of the week was not as much raw food. I love eating eggs in the morning. I use 1 egg and 2 egg whites. I add spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, and salsa to taste. This makes the eggs much more filling. Occassionally, I added ekekiel bread since my trainer says I need carbs in the morning to help my muscle grow. After looking at the calorie difference of one whole egg versus just egg whites, I couldn't believe the difference. 70 caloies for 1 egg versus 48 calories for 3 egg whites. So I switched to just egg whites. I miss my yolk but not enough for the extra caloies.

I also like to eat deli turkey (I know, it has many nitrates and is not good for you) rolled in low fat swiss cheese. I try to keep this to a minimum, but its a great snack when I get really hungry and don't have the energy to make something. I shouldn't say energy, but when I get hungry, sometimes it just hits me and I need to eat immediately. Scott can see the difference in me when I get famished. I get light headed and really grumpy. (Yes, more grumpy than usual,lol) I snap at the kids for no reason. So, I try not to become that hungry but sometimes it happens when I have to take care of the kids first.

I mentioned in a last blog that I wanted to be in a better mood. Since cleaning up my diet, it has helped. As a friend says, my anger pie is not full or overflowing anymore. I am able to remain more calm with the things the kids do instead of blowing up at them. It still irritates me when the kids whine about doing school work but I try not to get so angry. If they just do what I say then the angry pie will remain empty. But kids will be kids and I love them dearly.

First Run of the New Year

Feeling the heat of the sun beat down on us as we waited for the horn to blare to start the race of our first run of the New Year was exhilarating. The temperature was 51 degrees at the start of the race. The layers that we had piled on were removed due to the warm weather. The skies were clear and crystal blue. It was a gorgeous day. I can not believe it January 1st, 2012. We had  hats, gloves, outdoor running clothes, and jackets. We were prepared for 20 degree weather. When we left the house, it was 27 degrees. The roads were still slippery. As we drove farther south, the sun came up and warmed the earth.

I dropped off my bag at the baggage area after waiting in a long line. I walked out of the building peering into the crowd to find Scott.  I couldn't find Scott and my friends in the crowd. The announcer called 10 minutes to the start. They were no where to be found. I proceeded to the race area scanning the crowd for red jackets and white hats. Little did I know, there were many people wearing the same red jackets that we earned for the Seacoast Road Series. And the white hats were give aways for this race. I walked past the start of the race constantly looking for them until I reached the back of the line. Still, they were nowhere.  "5 minutes to race time" Still no Scott. Finally, above the crowd I saw an orange hat of my friend Gano and flagged them down. They sauntered over to me. Marcia was very happy to find me since we are running buddies. I felt relieved to finally find them. They were waiting outside the door when I came out but I never saw them.

After the panic was over, the race began. We started about 1 minute 10 seconds after the horn went off. There were over 1,000 runners trying to get over the starting pad. It was slow going at first. The route was very mild. One small hill emerged at the beginning of the race and after 1.5 miles, we ran along the Pawtucket River. Since I haven't ran in a month, I thought I was jogging slowly. However, we had a 10:15 split and finished the race at 32 minutes exactly. About 1.5 miles in, I had sharp shooting pain in my lateral knee. Slowly the pain moved medially but continued to be excruciating. After having to walk during the last race due to my knee, I wasn't going to let it stop me again. I know I would be more miserable psychologically if I walked than if I just dealt with the pain. I was very depressed after having to walk, that I didn't want to do that again. I felt like I let myself down not running the last race of the series. I know many people sign up to be walkers, but I feel that to say that I ran it I have to run the whole time. Otherwise, I would complete it but not to the best of my ability.

 So, at the 3 mile mark I was ready to kick it into gear. I tried to coax Marcia into increasing our speed. She did a little bit. After the last turn I increased my pace and unbeknownist to me, my knee pain went away. I couldn't believe it. All my knee pain was gone. So I cranked it up more and crossed the finish line. I received my medal which was I wine bottle topper which is perfect for me.  I grabbed a water and went to find Scott. My knee still did not bother me. I prayed a thank you to God and enjoyed the after glow of finishing the race. Of course, this is a Will Run for Beer Series and it wouldn't be a race without the beer.

Day 2

I woke up today extremely sore. The new work out program has officially kicked my butt. I think it was the reverse pull-ups that did me in. My upper abs, lats, triceps, and biceps, you name it, and it hurts. I was going to do chest and triceps today but I think I will change it to legs. I don't want to work my arms if they are still sore from 2 days ago. My trainer will be happy that I am sore. She looks forward to that.

For my diet, I plan on having my green juice for breakfast again. I plan on doing a month of this juice and at least 60% raw food a day. Raw food consists of anything that is not cooked above 118 degrees F. I will consume a pomegranate for snack, homemade mushroom and kale soup or turkey lettuce wraps, and a salad with smoked salmon for dinner. I realize that if I plan my meals out exactly what I eat for the day, I can stick with it better. I planned yesterday and did not waiver. Even though I ate only raw food, I still consumed over 1700 calories. The almond butter itself was 900 calories. That is the only issue I find with raw food, trying to keep calories low. There is a lot of calories and fat in nuts, however they are a major source of protein for raw foodist. But I didn't hit my protein intake. Protein was only 40g, however it was pure protein that was easily absorbable. The first few days of tracking calories and protein with mostly raw food will point me in the direction that I need to follow. This will also guide me how how many protein shakes I need to drink. I did have a chocolate one yesterday. While seaching the net, I found a company that makes raw protein powder. Its a little more than I want to pay but in the long run it will be beneficial. I will finish the chiro blend powder I have now before I switch. If I go 90% raw consistently, I will change over to the new powder. Onward to day 2.

Changed up My Weight Routine

It has been about a week since I hit the gym last. I continued to do cardio at home but missed the weights due to the holiday. I met with my trainer yesterday. We worked on back and triceps. I was confused. She put me on a 4 day weight training program. Back and triceps, chest and biceps, legs, and shoulders with abs 2 or 3 times a week. I gazed at her with a blank look. Since I have been lifting for 3 months, it was time to change my program. By hitting back with triceps, I would still be using my biceps to pull with back exercises therefore hitting my biceps twice in a week. Same as for chest and triceps to hit my triceps twice a week. It is time to continue to grow in my body building. I have been increasing my weights consistently, but I was ready for a change. I was starting to get bored with my routine.

This work out started with dead lifts. She threw 45 on each side. Gulp. I don't usually start that high but I do end up that high. I can do this! Wrapping the bar with the straps, bent knees, butt down, shoulder blades down and back, and head up, LIFT. Push away from the floor Stand up and back down. Reposition -butt down, head up, shoulders back, lift. stand up, and back down. 2.  Three more were like this. Then it was rest time. Another set followed with the same weight and then 10 pounds were tacked on for 2 more sets. I was exhausted. Next, she had me do reverse chin ups. I have never done that before. Today, my arms and back are really sore. It was a great work out. Looking forward to tomorrow for chest and biceps.

Take 2 or is It 3

The holidays have been crazy. Just like most people, I slipped, again and again. I have been horrible on my diet. But now is to start a new day, again. I feel like I keep writing the same thing. I was in a loop without any ending. I was on a spiral downward and couldn't get out. I was defeated diet wise. So what did I do, eat more. Fortunately, I continued to exercise so that my weight didn't spiral out of control. I'm not sure what was going on. But I am determine to bounce back. I moved my competition up to July. So, I only have 7 months to get the weight off and build the muscle.

Now today is a new day. I watched "May I Be Frank" which is about a lifestyle change to rawfood and detoxing as well as positive affirmations. I started to research again how to be raw food while be a body builder. I finally found someone on Facebook that was a raw body builder. I was encouraged to know that it is possible. I know in my heart it is but listening to trainers say it's not is discouraging. Yes, its true that I need 100g of protein and will not be able to consume that quantity of nuts and seeds. However, the protein in the raw food becomes readily absorbable and utilized compared to cooked meat.

I am looking forward to the next few days. I will start to notice more energy and a better mood and out look on life. Being home with the kids is stressful at times with no break. When I went raw in the past, I became clear headed. I was happy all the time with tremendous energy. I can not wait to get that back. I'm sure my kids will be grateful to get me back as well.

Today, I had a perfect day. I started out with a green juice of kale, spinach, apple, carrot, ginger, beet, and cayenne. I ate clementines for snack and raw Pad Thai for lunch followed by a handful of almonds for snack. I will have a protein shake soon and raw enchiladas for dinner. It smells really good while its dehydrating. Scott always love when we go raw. He usually doesn't have a lot of choice when I make his dinner. But he is very receptive to trying anything.

It is a new day and I am ready again. If I fail, I will keep trying. I will live one day at a time and not be discouraged if I get off course. I will persevere and accomplish my goal. I WILL PREVAIL AND NEVER GIVE UP.

Vacation and Holiday Weight Gain

It has been a while since my last blog. I was on vacation for 2 weeks. During that time, I continued to lift weights. I needed to exercise to counteract the food and alcohol. I think the workout only helped with  one drink. Since returning, I have continued working out but have been having a hard time getting my eating under control. I gained 3 pounds on vacation and another 2 since. I have been struggling with parties and the cheese and crackers, seaford newburg, stuffed mushrooms, etc. I have not had much desserts, but its the great tasting food that I struggle with. If its in front of me, I want it. Even if I am full, I still want it. Of course, I feel sick after. This doesn't count the alcoholic drinks that I have been consuming. Orange creamsicles, toasted almonds, lemon drops. Tonight is another party, where I will be eating and drinking again. This week has been much better with eating than it has the last month. I have lost 2 pounds already, but today is not going to help.

I have been lifting heavy as directed by my trainer. I can now bench 95 pounds. I am very happy with that. I have started working out at home as well when the baby lets me. For one week, I walked everyday on the treadmill at an incline. By doing this, it helps to lift and define the gluts. That lasted a week. Then the baby decided to change her nap schedule which made working out impossible. So then I changed my cardio to the Insanity workout and exercised while the baby was playing. It made it a little easier. I wanted to up my cardio to help with the weight loss, even though my trainer doesn't want me to. She wants me to lift heavy all the time and keep cardio to a minimal so as not to lose muscle. And start losing weight in March to diet down for the competition.

So today, I will be doing my Insanity program to counteract some of the damage I will do tonight. Once the holidays are over, the temptations will be minimal. It will be easier to stay on my diet.