June 17, 2009

5.8K (3.6M) on the Treadmill at the hotel this morning on 2:8 intervals. There is increasing competition in the fitness room -- one guy came in at 5:15AM I'm sure hoping to beat me to the treadmill...I may have to return to Fitness Pointe so that I avoid a conflict.

Back in Indiana today through Friday - it will be a challenging week work wise. I'm hopeful to get down to OC again to visit with friends from Maine who are vacationing there and to visit with Dad for Fathers Day.

June 16, 2009

Fairfax 4.5 in reverse - which I am now going to make the standard way as the hills work more in my favor if I go in this direction. I have the extra pleasure of being in Fairfax on Monday and Tuesday this week (flying out tonight).

Had a good weekend at the beach with Mom, Dad and Kates. I didn't bring my computer so no posts on the weekend. Did the Fenwick 4 miler on Saturday and then a walk with Kates and her little dog too on Sunday morning. A great dinner party on Saturday night with family and friends bayside.

June 12, 2009

4.5 Miles in Reverse on the Fairfax trails. I decided this morning to get out of my rut and go the opposite way that I normally start out on my runs from home. It didn't change much, but it was a bit nicer to see things a bit differently. I was pleased to be home in less than an hour and to stick to the intervals of 2:6...I just didn't feel like pushing myself to 8s which I did on the treadmill -- maybe tomorrow.

If all goes well, Kates and I will head down to the beach to visit with Mom & Dad for the weekend and I'll take my bike and give it a run on the flat lands of the Eastern Shore.

June 10, 2009

Happy Birthday Peaches ( a life long friend from Bentley College!)

A 5K this morning (3.2 Miles) on the treadmill at the hotel. Had to cut it short due to work pressures, but was satisfied that I at least got 40 minutes in. Scales moving in the wrong direction, still need to find something else that works better than chocolate!

June 9, 2009

4.25 Miles on the Treadmill at the hotel this morning. Although the fitness center officially opens at 6:00AM CDT, I have been able to sneak in my workouts at 5AM with no real interruption or company at the start. (I did have someone come in on the elliptical for about 20 minutes this morning). Today, given the strong results of the weekend I went with 2 minutes walk and 8 minutes run which I kept up for the 50 minutes. I think the goal of the Gallagher Marathon program is 1/9 which would be excellent if i could get there before my next 1/2 marathon. Really thinking I need to find a 10K to sign up for as I'm raceless till September right now ;(

June 7, 2009

Fairfax, VA -- 13th Annual Rock the House!

This is the first race I can say I ran twice! Last year this time, Kates and I ran this local race on a stinking hot day and it was a killer and we completed it in 1:20. I came across the finish line at 55:34 (not sure what it will officially say), shaving 25 minutes off our time last year (or 5 minutes per mile!). I didn't have any challenges with the 5K yesterday, it was nice to run in the neigborhood and it was nice to be able to stand at the finish and cheer those across who were coming in after more than an hour.

Once they are posted, I'll compare my results from last year

June 6, 2009

Saturday -- the National Mall for the Global Race for the Cure 5K

Check one thing off my bucket/lifetime list, I was able to run a 5K -- I increased my intervals to run for 5 minutes, walk for 2 and I came across the finish line iat 32:19 (10:24 minute miles) a personal record for me - I've never seen a 10 in the front! I was finisher #2154 out of 5,608 runners (top 40%). I was 131st out of the 431 women in my age bracket (top 30%). While I ran, my friends Liz, Cheryl, Nancy, Julie and Trish were walking behind me also accompanied by their daughters Erin and Maureen. It was awesome. I recorded a video and had a picture taken compliments of Ford Motors that I will post later.

Lots of goodies from the tents and pretty good nutritional food afterward. Later in the afternoon Julie and Liz came with me down to the craft fair in Occoquan which is not as great as I remember it. They came back for dinner and we had fabulous chicken kabobs, beans, rolls and a good chardonnay. Topped off the evening with strawberries and raspberries for dessert. A really good day overall.

June 4, 2009

Munster 5K
This morning I ran a 5K (3.2 Miles) on the treadmill in a little over 37 minutes. So my goal on Saturday at the Komen Race for the Cure is to finish in 40 minutes or less. I had at least 2 5 minute running intervals, so I'm thinking of setting my watch for walk 3, run 5 instead of 3:4 that I normally do. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Yesterday I also went to WW here locally and it sure makes me appreciate what I have on Saturday mornings in Fairfax. Small group and very monotone speaker wasn't very inspirational, but glad I went since its out this weekend.

Good news is I get to go home tonight -- there were high odds it would be delayed till Friday and I would have missed GGN!

June 3, 2009

Hampton Inn Fitness Room this morning with CNN for a leisurely 3 miles on the treadmill. The good news is I'm having difficulty getting up at 4:30AM to get to Fitness Pointe for a 5AM start...its the bad news as well. I'm just dedicated to working out each day this week.

I got two more names from a new colleague yesterday to add to my shirt for the Komen Race for the Cure that I'm set for on Saturday morning. It will be my first "5K" race, which was on my bucket list at one point to run a 5K. I hope the weather holds. It will be nice to have some friends in the race too...although they are walking I know they will be with me!

June 2, 2009

"Hampton's Travel Tips #316....get pumped
While on the road, fitting in as little as 30 minutes of exercise a day can have big health benefits...Take care of yourself"

How appropriate that this is the first travel tip I get put in with my room key after a week of no exercise last week. I crashed at midnight CDT last night and set the alarm for 6AM assuming I wouldn't work out, but my body clock got me up at 4:50AM. So I decided to put on my clothes and go downstairs to the hotel fitness and get 30 minutes in! I ended up with a 50 minute workout (30 elliptical, 20 treadmill)...and when I just got back to the room my alarm was going off! A good decision with good benefits. Lets hope I hold it for the week.

The fitness center at the Hampton can hardly be called that...1 each bike, treadmill, elliptical...but it is a good surrogate for Fitness Pointe.

The mirrors on the wall weren't too reassuring as I focused on the muffin top that still needs to go away...good motivation.

May 31, 2009

Logged my first 16 miles on my new bike! I picked it up yesterday afternoon, but didn't have the motivation to get out yesterday. This morning when I woke up it was raining, so I headed off to Lifetime Fitness and reconnected with the elliptical machine for 5 miles, and then went to 7:30 church at St. Leos. I was appropriately dressed in red as it was Pentacost Sunday.

Around 11:30AM I decided to try to bike to Lou & Rob's house. I started by driving to an access point to the Fairfax County Bike trails and off I went. I figured out pretty quickly that it is downhill from my house to Lou's. So I didn't stay long at their house, and came back uphill in about 1:34. (Fancy trip computer on the bike). I popped two ibuprofen when I got home and not 10 minutes later Mom & Dad arrived!

We'll have Sunday dinner at Lou's and celebrate Rob's birthday.

May 30, 2009

4.5 Miles this morning before the day started...Feeling a bit of guilt for not working out at all this week when I was in Hammond -- no good excuse, just lazy! I did manage to get in 15 miles over the Memorial Day weekend - 10 of which were along the shores of the Atlantic Ocean in Ocean City Maryland. I really don't miss the humidity which is rearing its ugly head here in the MidAtlantic States.

Wayne was fired up this morning at WW - the topic of the day was motivation, which was just what I needed. Marcie was also helpful this morning giving me some things to think about to get back on the path of reducing weight.

Sue taught my CRT class this morning at Lifetime Fitness and she was a machine! Might be because she plans on the Reston Triathalon tomorrow. It is a great class but quite a killer.

My new bike arrived last night at the Bike Lane, and so today after unloading the car, I'll head over and pick it up. Thinking tomorrow morning I'll be on the O&D Trail or down in the DC area cycling around.

I'm going to try to be better about posting, as I find it keeps me honest about working out and watching the other aspects of my life. Have a great weekend!

May 19, 2009

Fitness Pointe, Munster Indiana
5AM back with all the Tuesday regulars and my favorite elliptical machine :) Trek'd 5.0 miles in a little over 38 minutes and felt much better afterward. Trying to work off all of the sweets and eats I had in St. Louis last weekend.

May 18, 2009

Hammond, Indiana

Back in Munster on Sunday night, same pattern just in a hotel...dinner, laundry and catching up on some work for re-entry.

Fitness Pointe this morning for 5 miles in 40 minutes..whew! Some of the same faces that I see Tues-Thur on Monday morning. Weather is chilly, hope it improves as the week goes on. How can it be Memorial Day this upcoming weekend?

May 16, 2009

Edwardsville, Illinois

What a great night put on by the parents and hosted by Debbie and Jimmie at their house. Lots of family and friends and we had a blast. I was able to meet many people I had heard about all my life and reconnect with one of my first "crushes." One of the grooms from Lou & Rob's wedding came and I told him "I Loved You" to which he was quite surprised...I was at the time 14 years old and he was 20+ and gorgeous. It was fun.

Today a bit of help to Kates and then a flight to Chicago

May 16, 2009

7 Miles this morning ont the Schoolhouse Bicycle Trail, part of the Madison County Trail system. As it turns out the trail was just around the corner from our hotel, and I headed off at about 6:15AM to get a run in this morning. Midwest FLAT is what I experienced which made for an easy run...and at about mile 2 I had a gorgeous view of St. Louis off in the distance with a traditional red barn in the foreground. I didn't have my camera, so I'll just have to remember it.

Not many companions out on the trail, just one runner and 2 cyclist...I saw more animals than people -- 2 bunnies, several cardinals and other beautiful birds on the trail. I managed to get back before the rain came which was good.

Yesterday was another graduation festivity day -- ended with me visiting two casinos and making my own economic stimulus contribution to the local economy. Felicia was a newbie to casinos, and she was shooting dice and taking home more than she invested by the time we left the Casino Queen. Last party for Kates here in the midwest tonight at the home of Debbie and Jimmie in Edwardsville.

Big Red Women lost 8-0 to UMass last night in the first round of the tourney -- they came up against a very strong pitcher. Good news is that it is a double elimination tournament, so they have one more chance today versus Sacred Heart to stay in it. Lets hope it goes better today!

May 14, 2009

Saint Louis University Law School Graduation

What a wonderful day we all had at "SLU" celebrating our newest attorney in the family! There were 14 of us in the audience watching especially closely for one of the 305 graduates to come across the stage. A quick "Go Hoos" as loud as we could after they announced Kates!

We went out for a late dinner at a rooftop restaurant and it was a beautiful night for such a party. That just kicked off a weekends worth of festivities.

I had a crazy trip West as my flight to St. Louis on Thur morning was cancelled and United booked me on the next day. When I called them at 8:15 on Thurs am to say that wouldn't work - they offered me the only alternative of a 10:20 AM out of Reagan. Mom and Dad rushed me down to DC and after stops at Outside Baggage Check, American Kiosk, American Check in, United Check in and then finally American Check in - I had my boarding pass and rushed to the gate. I was of course in seat "E" in the back of the bus squished between two men who could have been wrestlers in a prior life...More a comedy of errors trip but one I won't forget. The rest of the family was surprised to see me on the flight!

hed

May 10, 2009

Happy Mothers Day!! I am blessed to have my Mom with me today as she just arrived from Florida on Saturday.

Saturday I returned to Lifetime Fitness and my CRT class and got my you know what kicked! It was an excellent workout and the weight training is causing some minor pains in my shoulders and arms today.

Spent the day yesterday getting Mom and Dad acclimated back in Virginia and we had a quiet dinner at home.

Up this morning for church and to celebrate mothers day. It wasn't until 2PM that I went out and ran the Fairfax 5 Miler (local just around the neighborhood). It was pretty hot, but I feel much better that I did it. Off to Burke for family dinner to celebrate Mom's!

May 6, 2009

Not much new to report -- 5 Miles in 41 at Fitness Pointe this morning. I feel very rushed as I have a 7AM CDT meeting so its been frenetic. At least I did the "right" thing and didn't skip it.

May 5, 2009

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Sabotage is the word that comes to mind to me today. Stress from work and other issues gave me good excuses to get off the exercise plan and onto an unhealthy eating plan. I saw the results this morning on the scale at Fitness Pointe, where I clocked my 5 elliptical miles in 39 minutes and hit the showers due to early meetings. Starting again and working hard--need to sign up for a race to keep the focus on.

Weekend took me to Ocean City MD where despite the rain, it was nice to be at the beach and get some things done to be ready for the season. The snow birds return from Florida on Saturday and we had to make sure their nest was ready for them, although I think they may spend a month or so with me before heading east.

Big Congrats to Coach Blood and the Big Red Women's Softball team -- they won the Ivy League Division on Sunday besting Big Green (Dartmouth) in 2 of 3 games over the weekend. They are headed off to the "dance" next weekend -- place and time to be determined!