Weekend Pics

My parents moved east of Spokane last spring to Liberty Lake. Though the drive from Seattle is about an hour longer, I've come to love their new digs. Lately, my visits have included runs around the neighborhood, as there are tons of trails and paths to discover.

Last weekend I came upon (go figure) Liberty Lake! Who knew it was less than a mile away from my parent's home (when I actually mentioned this to them, they admitted to not have been yet, whoops). The lake was completely frozen over and beautiful. I returned with my mom and new cam to take some pics of the skaters and scenery.

My first panoramic!

No lifeguard on duty

I loved the colors in this shot



Skaters in THE MIDDLE of the lake y'all!







I had to "test the waters" myself







Project Bikini Countdown

It has been three days since Project Bikini has gone into overdrive.

Project Bikini has been what I’ve lovingly referred to as the process of getting my winter self(read: white pasty skin, unnaturally dark hair, and happily plump) ready for 7 days and nights in the Mexican Riviera.

I don’t think there would have been any chance of project completion without the reward of a vacation and the fear of public mockery.

For the past two months I’ve undergone bleaching, toning, tanning, waxing and polishing. It’s been generally painful yet successful. Two coworkers asked if I’ve lost weight, I’m tanner now than I have been since moving back to soggy Seattle (though I will swear to my grave that the tanning was ONLY to prevent this albino skin from burning to a crisp the second it sees Mexican sun), and Matt is full of compliments about how great I look. And let’s be honest, that never gets old.

Though I’m happy with the results, they are not quite what I was hoping for. So leading into the trip, I decided to take these efforts to the next level. My diet has turned to a whole foods, vegan, caffeine/preservative/ alcohol/ and sugar free menu. What’s left? Everything I usually avoid: veggies, fruit, tofu, and rice.

I also thought I’d be up for "Daily Doubles" working out both in the morning and evening. I was successful on Monday.

Then the withdrawals set in. I had forgotten that my "No Face" (i.e. not eating anything that had or came from a face) was also a detox.

My body = not happy.

I was insanely tired and grumpy, had a constant headache, and could hardly finish one workout. Exercise time turned into nap time.

Luckily, this part of the detox passes quickly. It’s day four and I'm seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

I’m finding myself full of energy and in an annoyingly good mood. I’m back to full steam ahead with the No Face and the Daily Doubles. I may not get to a six pack (abs, that is) by cruise time, but at least I’ll feel confident enough to hit the beach without a bag over my head.

Keep Going

Working out every day has definitely not been my favorite thing lately. I'm so glad I have my friend Tiffany as an accountability partner. She decided to do the "Lent Challenge" too. We share a Google calendar and can see the workouts each person has accomplished each day.
It's definitely a great motivator when you see your 45 minute swim trumped by her 90 minute one.

This has also been a great motto for me recently:

I haven't been seeing the results I'd hoped for initially (it doesn't even feel like I've lost any water weight). It's good to remember that this is a slow process and a habit changer, not a form of immediate gratification.

Yet Another Project(s)

In addition to balancing regular posting on the blog, adding to my thankful list, working to cross off items in the bucket list, and discussing outcomes of Pinterest experiments, I've decided that I should probably add another on-going topic to the mix.

And while there may not be rest for the weary, there is plenty to go around for the unemployed. I've been using my lack of daily structure as an excuse to not get anything done, and quite frankly, I've reached the point that even I'm longer buying my own excuses.

A very wise friend of mine essentially gave my lack of structure theory a much needed kick in the arse last night. His point? Why not build the structure into each day myself?
While this may sound quite obvious to the average reader, it's taken me the greater part of a year to come upon the realization.
To make it more granular, we talked about the amount of time I want to spend each day on certain tasks.
I want to be a writer, right? So I need to dedicate a specific amount of time each day to the task. At this point, I can safely say that I have a good two hours each week day to commit to content.

I've also decided to use Lent as a time to work out more. Each year I choose something random to dedicate myself to. I don't give up the usual chocolate or coffee (please, I'm not insane), but instead choose to forego things like denim, shopping, or dating. This year, I thought I'd flip the table a little and add to myself by working out everyday for forty days. And of course, you guessed it... I'll be documenting it here and adding an excercise page to TRIM.

Be prepared to see much more of these "thinspirational" messages

I might also mention that I recently gave up a very big time suck in my life, Facebook (to be clear, this is not Lent related)

Collectively, I think it's freeing up multiple hours in my week that were once spent senselessly meandering through 2nd birthday albums of the child of a friend I used to know in high school but haven't actually spoken to in years.
(Plus I've found that Pinterest is a great outlet for my social media addiction)

I'm not the first person to come upon this realization. Nor do I hope to be the last. I don't know if this is a permanent decision, but I've decided to give it up until I no longer have an inkling to check it in the morning.

I loved this little last ditch effort by FB to keep me around... My friends will miss me? Good! I hope so.
Part of the point of taking this sabbatical is to connect with them in real life, not online.

My time on my laptop can now be freed up to work on daily writing, blogging and reporting on my Lenten progress.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have some push-ups to get back to.

Two A Days

Today I began my "Two A Days" or as we used to call them in high school, Daily Doubles. For the next few weeks, if not months, I'll be working out not once, but twice each day.

As yucky as the usual me would say this idea is, I'm actually pretty excited about it. It does help that the weather in Seattle is still beautiful which means my first workout gets to be a run in the sun.

This is all part of a new workout project my friend Katrina and I have decided to embark upon. We'll hopefully soon be turning this little idea of ours into a new writing project as well. But until then, we've affectionately been referring to it as "Rah Rah Push Up Bra" (credit of this name goes to Katrina).

I first started my workout regimen for the project two weeks ago. It had become apparent in September that my knack for fainting on runs was leading me nowhere near the Chicago marathon fast. Having to perhaps give up this goal for good, I needed a new focus. Katrina proposed her new plan and I was instantly on board. I began training that next week and lost five pounds in five days.

As these things don't last long, the weight and definition has now somewhat plateaued which means it's time to kick the workouts up a notch again. I'm also bracing myself for some dietary changes. Less carbs, more fruits and veggies.

The current goal is to drop another five before November which is just about two weeks away. While Katrina and I continue to work on how to present our new project, I think I'll stick to posting my progress here.

Some daily thinspiration never hurts either

Equipped to Swim

Having recently joined a gym (the first time in five years), I’ve been frequenting the pool for my daily workouts. Unfortunately, unlike community pools that have provided gear for full body workouts, this place is a little lacking.

I decided to stock up on the necessary accessories needed for a better water workout. Naturally, I also happened to look for the cutest trim possible too.

I was told by my triathlete friend, Tiffany, that floral swim caps are not the coolest thing for swimmers to wear…

… though I disagree, I decided to play it safe with a simple pink swimcap.

In an additional effort to save my blonde locks from turning green (and from smelling like a walking hot tub), I've been told that TriSwim is the best line of products to use for hair and skin care.

For working my arms and legs, I found a pull buoy and kickboard, also in (of course) pink.

And last, instead of just swimming back and forth until I'm tired, I thought I might try to find a few workouts to better train my body and form
http://www.active.com/swimming/Articles/Four-Focused-Swim-Workouts.htm

How swim-tastic.

P90X

This week Katie and started the P90X program. My soreness is not as debilitating as I'd expected (or heard) it would be, but after an 1 1/2 hours of arms and abs yesterday, it was not easy to get up this morning. Did I mention the ab program is titled "Ab Ripper"? Ouch

I'm not about to post before and after pictures, but from the research I've done on Google Images, I'm hoping to see some decent results. This follows along with one of my goals for 2010, trying new workout routines. P90 seems to be a good replacement for a gym membership or jogging for a couple miles now and then, and doing this with a partner keeps me accountable to working out everyday.

Nick is concerned I'll become awkwardly muscular. With my lack of any definition at this point, I don't really see that as a threat.

Beach body here we come!

Thoughts on the Trail

Three runs into the spring, and I feel like I'm already getting into the groove (insert attempt # 23 of marathon training). It gets dark at about 6:30, which means its hard to run after work, but weekends and late mornings are still an option.

Some ruminations I have had on my past three excursions:

• I am still jumpy around furry friends of the forest. I guess I'll always be scared of squirrels and fuzzy caterpillars


• The one bird variety I seem to be okay with are the swans who swim in Town Lake. They are so elegant (maybe my new found admiration comes from wanting to be more graceful myself)


• The best motivation I have found thus far is the clear distinction between "runners" and "walkers," physically, I'd much rather resemble the former


• Kids do not belong on running trails unless they are being pushed in a stroller. Sorry parents, I know it's good for them, but tripping over your little tikes who run zig zags on the sidewalk isn't much fun


• I wish I could run in my neighborhood, (sigh) one of the downfalls of living in the ghetto
  
• There are only two places I know of (here and LA) where 60 degrees means people working out in fleece, gloves, and scarves


• Today I ran in the rain. It made me feel as hardcore as a certain triathlete I know. True, simply getting wet doesn't quite compare to midnight sub-zero snow covered runs, but a girl has to start somewhere, right?

Spotted: I Almost Forgot!

Oh it's been so long, and who would have thought it to happen in Austin?

Spotted: At local burrito joint "Freebirds," mega cyclist with an even bigger ego Lance Armstrong. If I had been caught dead with one of those cheap looking yellow bracelets, I probably would have rubber band shot it at him.

Ok, ok, it's clear I have my own very strong opinion about the lad.

Working Out (and catching up)

(Wednesday's late topic)

It was a busy week getting into the swing of my new schedule. Needless to say very little exercise was accomplished. I do however, have a tip to share. I've already come into a lack of motivation to do my daily run. I found that if I get dressed in my workout clothes eventually a run will follow. Sometimes this won't occur for an hour or two, but somehow the thought of taking my running clothes off without going for my run makes me feel too lazy and thus motivation somehow follows.

26 in 26

I've known for awhile that running a marathon was goal I would someday accomplish. I decided that sooner than later would probably be the best idea since these hips, knees, and other joints sure aren't getting any younger.

Last year, I began to train for the Los Angeles Marathon. LA was the decided city as I love all things So Cal, the weather is sure to be wonderful, I will accept any excuse to travel there, qualifying isn't required, and as far as marathon routes go, this one doesn't have a reputation for being to terribly difficult (26.2 miles is really challenge enough for me).

I was a bit trigger happy in my training however. I started in March of 2007 just weeks after the marathon took place. My excitement for this new goal surpassed the common sense I should have had to research a training plan. By August I was worn out and bored with the hour long+ runs I had committed to. I gave up on my gumption and surrendered the effort for 2008. 26 (miles) in 26 (my age) had a kicky ring to it anyways.

This year I had the exact opposite strategy. I would wait until August to train, join a running group, and follow a strict regime. Throughout this year, I have worked out and run from time to time, but I was very careful not to overdo the mileage.

When August came around, my motivation was nowhere to be found. I told myself this would be OK, I still had time to get into the swing of things.

It's now the end of October.

Nick and I decided once we were settled and the stress of the move was behind us we would both start working out. He of course wanted me to come up with the workout plan. Since I've never gotten a guy in shape before, he'll just have to accept my yoga videos, running, and lifting 7 lb weights.

Thankfully, the team effort is starting to spark the runner in me again. I'm incredibly sore from running two days in a row, but motivated to catch up for lost time. Looks like Nick will have to follow a mile building workout plan instead. We'll see where this new enthusiasm leads to. Hopefully to my "home town" and the finish line.