Little updates

So the 2013 is here, the goals are set (not 1 but 2 marathons) and training for them get going in just under two weeks.  So some small updates instead..

No sweetener coffee- probably near 18 months since i started this one.  I was reminded because a few weeks ago I ordered a coffee and it bad sugar in it.  I think we can mark this one done.  I drank it, but can’t say it was a magical drink I missed.  Was different, didn’t particularly enjoy it and happy to not have it again.

Tomatoes and mushrooms- can’t say the tomatoes have grown on me overall but we are at a truce.  If they are there i eat them but I don’t ask for them.  (Sun dried on the other hand are great.)   The real surprise has been mushrooms.  I’m not seeking them out actively either but I do eat them as well.  On occasion I have really enjoyed them.

Cardio- been enjoying my break from the treadmill and going back to the stairmaster even tho i know calorie burn is less efficient.  The sunday long runs (1 hour) have highlighted the lack of mid week running getting harder and harder.  Also highlights my need to target distance not time.  No motivation to go faster.

Cold- i am nearly wearing two sweatshirts at home!  One thing i continue to not like about the weight loss.  I also had to cut a few minutes off run sunday for same reason.  Will need to watch it. Last year was warmer and i was still doing more treadmill in January and February

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Fake It..

.. till you make it.

Still generally bummed about how things wound up, nor do I have any real ideas about how I plan to proceed in the long term. I swore if I injured myself training for 2012 I’d defer to 2013, but lacking real info from NYRR plus my own current ambivalence I’m not committing to it or anything else yet. But I am going with the keep moving forward or die mentality and hopefully everything will sync up eventually.

So for now I’ve decided to go back to a mix of old and new routines. During the week, I aim to hit the gym 3 nights a week and am doing some indoor cardio, generally avoiding the treadmill, followed by some weights. On Sunday mornings I planning to do a ‘long’ run, of about an hour or so for a more cardio based work-out (and also I am addicted to the calorie burn of running these days if anything).

I’m also doing a bit more ‘running’ on off days. The dog needs some exercise and I’m trying her on C25K. We’ll see how far we get before she bites me ;). I don’t think she was particularly pleased with her first session on Saturday. We’ll see how tonight goes (I’m writing this Tuesday mid-day).  Unfortunately, the weather is getting cold now, but if the opportunity for something fun comes up, I’m also not going to worry about the marathon right now.

I also updated my targets and goals in the weight loss front.  I finally settled on a final phase end goal weight of 160 lbs.  I had gotten close to this number over the summer, and it felt like a good end point.  It puts me firmly inside the BMI range, even if I bounce up a little.  It felt achievable at the time (before the super-long distance running/eating and San Fran trip kicked in).  I also put the goal back to 1 pound a week (I had reduced it given the realities of long runs).

I started this on the Saturday after the cancellation.  It’s my plan for the rest of the year and to survive the holidays.  Honestly, I could probably use a routine shake-up anyway after all that running (173 hours worth, or yes, I spent entire 7 days of the last 52 weeks running).  I probably won’t make the weight goal by year end, but should be a lot closer.  I hope to have the answers for the long term by New Year and then can decide how to proceed.  And the new fitness regime should be able to pivot to whatever that winds up being.

Hurricane Madness

So that was some storm.  Everyone is safe and sound and we escaped with (what looks like) minor damage.  Many trees (including my neighbor’s) are down and clearly people are way worse off.  So like most Long Islanders, we are without power or internet (I’m at my folks right now for the day squatting) but otherwise alright.

So far the NY Marathon is still on for sunday.  How I will pick up my kit and stuff – who knows?  How will I get there – who knows?  How will the family get there – ditto.

I went for my run this morning and feel pretty determined.  Also – I need to burn off all this excess ‘hurricane’ food I’m eating.  Being bored in the house with lots of food that will spoil is not a good combo.  Having to eat out at meals – not a good combo.

I did not post my weekly weigh-in this week – combination of things (mom’s birthday, storm concern, needing to get out early for run) meant I forgot to weigh in at normal time.  I posted a mid-day weigh in to Lose It (as you can see, and it weren’t pretty).  Which is a shame too cause up to Saturday was finally dropping the conference weight.

Also – happy halloween!

What comes next?

As my various calendars and emails keep reminding me, the NYC marathon is just a tad over a month away.  I’ve been pretty focused on the training and busy with work, but people are starting to ask me … what’s next?

I don’t have much of an answer.  Partly, I’m so busy, haven’t had much time to think about it.  Partly, cause I really have no idea.  I’ve commented earlier that I’m not especially in love with running.  I can’t say I’d sign up to run another marathon ever again (tho again, some people capture the bug AFTER their first one, so I’m not ruling it out either).  In addition to the time and effort going into training for it, I dislike how I avoid doing other things (rollerblading) because I’m afraid of injury.  I also don’t like the lack of control over my eating I have at the higher mileages (body is just saying – SEE FOOOD!!!!! EEEEEAAAAATTTT ITTTTTT!!!!!!! NOM NOMNOM NOMNOMNOMNOM!!!!).

That said, I don’t mind the half-marathon distances(heck I’ve just done a half-marathon or more each of the last four Sundays all by myself), AND I am in lover with the calorie burn efficiency of running vs other options at my current weight.   The training for half’s is a bit less strenuous for those, so I could definitely see myself maybe doing one of those a year.  So definitely some running just not marathon lengths.

I also was toying with idea of triatholons over the the past few months.  However, I was always a bit concerned about how fiddly it seems to do right, and my re-introduction to swimming due to injury has been a useful reality check on what I would need to do (least of which is pay for pool access).  Also, the thought of swimming in the hudson was never tempting and I recently read A.J. Jacobs book on getting healthy and it just reinforced my feeling of .. ick.   So probably not.

One idea I am toying with is restarting with couch-to-5k with the dog as she could use the exercise and would need the build up.  And as my kid gets better with the bike, I want to go for rides, so I am thinking of getting a bike might be a good idea (and confirming that I only hate the stationary bike, not real ones).  And .. rollerblading!  At least sometimes when the weather permits.

But I still think I need to shake-up my workout routine a bit more than this.  I’ve been plateaued the last few months.  Part of it is the running induced food monster not letting a calorie slip through and part of it has been work, but I think I also need a more radical workout shakeup to shock the system a bit for those final couple of pounds.  One idea I have is to go back to the strength focused program I originally started with but abandoned with the marathon training.

Any other ideas?