New Trainer Take Two

I went to the gym today to workout and see Zak on his last day as a Lifetime Trainer. I did not want to work out. I have not been sleeping more than 5 hours a night and am exhausted. While talking with Zak and all but passing out on the personal training desk, we discussed my new trainer options and Zak chose Devon. I informed Zak that I didn't like him at all for the entire first TEAM session--which you all have known, but apparently he did not--and he seemed offended. I told him that I like him now and that's all that matters. And that I consider him a likeable person so getting to know this new trainer is going to be a rough process I think. Zak thinks it will be different because we were in a group session and I will be one-on-one with Devon. We shall see...

Devon came over to the desk and Zak introduced us. Zak bragged to Devon about all of my, er, uh...I mean *our* awesomeness over the past 8 months. I informed Devon that I had only ever trained with Zak and did not want a new trainer. Zak told Devon (in front of me...thanks Zak) that I was afraid I wouldn't like him. Devon looked me in the eyes and quite directly said: I'm afraid I won't like you either.

I think I'm gonna like Devon.

According to Lifetime's website Devon has been a NASM certified personal trainer since 2003 and his strengths are: Weight Loss, Athletic Performance, Self-Defense and Post-Rehab. Zak said that he is very good and will be tough with me, but also chat with me and Zak even thinks I'll be able to talk to him about all of my crazy life drama like I do to Zak....we'll see about that...

I am going to email him my goals and expectations and we are going to have my weekly Tuesday at 5 session next week, then decide if we want to move forward.

I got on the treadmill but wasn't feeling it so I hopped off after 15 minutes. :) I am a slacker until Tuesday. Accept that fact. I already have.

The End of an Era

The day has come. Sooner than we thought. I had my last session with ZTT today. He put his two weeks in and his company told him to take the two weeks paid and don't come in anymore. I guess they are scared he will steal clients. What they are really doing is ticking all of us off. They are hurting us, not him. But whatever. It's done. So, today was the end. I want to write a nice wrap up of my time with ZTT, but today is not the day. Hopefully I'll do it soon.

The Lifting:

Group #1:
Leg Extensions: 60 lbs, 15 reps
Walking Lunges: no dumbbells!
FM Chest Press: 30 lbs, 12 reps

Group #2:
Lat Pulldown: Setting 5 (which I think is 60 lbs), 12 reps
DB Floor Rows: 10 lb dumbbells, 6 each arm
Mtn Climbers: 15 each leg

Group #3 (super set):
DB Bicep Curl: 12.5 lb dumbbells, 12 reps
DB Shoulder Press: 12.5 lb dumbbells, 12 reps

Group #4:
Tricep Rope: 22.5 lbs, 12 reps
Rope Upper Back: 42.5 lbs, 12 reps

I don't want a new trainer. Brandon is out. Zak is working to find me a good one. I don't want one...

Step Class with Heather!

My friend, Heather, has wanted to check out my gym and possibly join for quite some time now. She wanted to check out a step class. I am always down for whatever, so whatever, step class it is.

I thought I knew what step class was. Basically an hour of aerobic activity involving the use of a step. I was wrong. It is an hour of pure misery led by a little, happy woman named Debbie. But I really think that Heather and I held our own...well, uh...most of the time...ok, some of the time. :) But Debbie affirmed me several times throughout the class with her perky, happy headset.

I have no idea how many calories I burned. But I think a bunch. Haven't worked that hard in a while...

Oh, and much to my dismay Heather now wants to join the gym and try the Latin Fusion class. This will not end well. But I am certain there will be stories...

Sole Sisters Run - 12/28/09

Ran with the girls today! I have missed it since I had a two week break (sick, then poor weather). But, as expected, it was wonderful!!!

We had a new sister this morning, Doreen!!! What a treat! And she thinks she may even come back!


Also, I am super excited because Amy and I ran for 30 straight minutes today! Since we were inside the gym we have no idea how far this was, but who cares?!? We tried to go as long as we could and we could have kept going, but I had to get off to work! With the 5 minute warm up and cool down we went for a little over 40 minutes. What a great morning!

Also, I will be doing a step class tonight at the gym with my friend Heather. Look forward to a post later if I can stay awake after my crazy busy day!!!

P.S. I went to the doctor about my cough today and I am not sick! :) But I do have exercise-induced bronchospasms or, as I like to call it, pansy asthma. :( He thinks it should go away in a few weeks with the help of two inhalers. :)

So Many Dirty Looks...

Today the assignment was 50 minutes of cardio as follows: {5 min zone 2, 3 min zone 3, 2 min zone 1 recovery} repeat.

I did everything at an incline of 2.0. The zone 2 was around 3.9 mph, the zone 3 was between 4.5 and 5.0 mph and the zone 1 was 3.0 mph (but it was mostly zone 2 since it took my heart that long to regulate back down from the zone 3).

My Stats:

Calories Burned: 480 (Treadmill)/534 (HR Monitor)
Total Miles: 3.77
Total Time: 60:00 (including cool down)
Ending Heart Rate: 129

About 30 minutes into it, I started coughing really bad. I got so many dirty looks from the other gym patrons... It passed and I finished healthily... :)

Next workout: tomorrow morning, bright dark and early, running with the girls!

Saturday Workout? Check.

Today I was not in the mood to workout. And it stunk. But, per usual, I felt better after I did it. The assignment was to repeat the weight routine from Thursday and do 30 minutes of cardio: {5 min zone 2, 5 min zone 3} repeat--attempt to get into zones via inclines rather than speed changes.

The lifting:

Group #1 (3 sets):
DB Walking Lunges: 20 lb dumbbells, 12 reps
Bent Over Row: 70 lb bar, 12 reps
BB Deadlift: 70 lb bar, 12 reps

Group #2 (3 sets):
SB Chest Press, 20 lb dumbbells, 12 reps
SB Bicep Curls, 15 lb dumbbells, 12 reps
SB Shoulder Press, 12.5 lb dumbbells, 12 reps

Group #3 (3 sets):
Tricep Rope: 22.5 lbs, 12 reps
Rope Upper Back, 37.5 lbs, 12 reps

The first group really stanks. It is *rough*. Lunges hurt. Bad. Then to go into the 70 lb bar for two sets of exercises. My forearms are mush when I am done. But I do it. Cause I'm amazing. Don't forget it. ;)

The cardio (I used my iPod shuffle instead of my iPhone, so I had no way to write down my stats...this is from memory... ::grin::):

Calories Burned: 313 (Treadmill)/620 (HR Monitor in total)
Total Miles: 1.93
Total Time: 35:00 (including cool down)/1:05:58 (in total)
Ending Heart Rate: 129

I was able to keep my speed right around 3.5 mph and varied the inclines from 4.0 to 8.0 depending on my heart rate.

Next workout: tomorrow. ZTT still hasn't told me what to do yet... ::sigh:: It will be cardio of some sort...

Swimming PR!

Merry Christmas, everybody!

Today was great! I ate waaaay too much at Ajay and Julie's, but it was totally tasty and thus, totally worth it! Then I went to the movies with them and hit the gym to go swimming.

Now, originally I had hoped to do some amazing feat of athleticism today like perhaps an indoor sprint triathlon... But due to my current coughing state, ZTT did not think that was a good idea. He told me he would email me my assignments but it would be swimming today. Well (shocker!), he never emailed me, so I decided to swim whatever I felt like! And I did...

Amanda F. had belittled intimidated made fun of mocked challenged me to swim longer distances without taking breaks. She thinks that I am not challenging myself enough. So, if you recall, in the past ZTT had had me do 6 laps, take a break and do 6 more. Today, I decided to attempt to do 12 laps without stopping. I also decided to do them all breathstroke since the elementary backstroke is my catch-my-breath stroke. So, I did! I did 12 laps all breathstroke. Then decided to do an elementary backstroke lap or two. At this point, I realized that I was very close to a half mile (16 laps in my pool) so I continued (I love a nice solid goal!).

Here is my lap breakdown:

Lap 1: BS, 1:34.97
Lap 2: BS, 1:47.29
Lap 3: BS, 1:49.62
Lap 4: BS, 1:50.82
Lap 5: BS, 1:53.64
Lap 6: BS, 1:53.49
Lap 7: BS, 1:57.06
Lap 8: BS, 2:00.87
Lap 9: BS, 1:59.70
Lap 10: BS, 1:55.89
Lap 11: BS, 1:58.95
Lap 12: BS, 2:00.12
Lap 13: EB, 2:02.78
Lap 14: EB, 2:01.61
Lap 15: BS, 1:48.25
Lap 16: BS, 1:49.86

Total swim time (without stopping!!!): 30:25.57

So, I am very happy that I swam a half mile for the first time and did it strong! I felt fine. Could have kept going. Guess Amanda F. was right...

Next workout: tomorrow. ZTT has not told me what to do, so I guess I'll do whatever I feel like... :) I know it will involve repeating the weight routine and some sort of cardio.

Still Sick...Still No Sympathy from ZTT...

I met with Zak the Trainer today. I was supposed to meet with him Tuesday, but was sick. I'm still sick, but definitely better than Tuesday. For serious though, this cough has gotsta go.

We did pairings (and triplings???) again:

Group #1 (3 sets):
DB Walking Lunges: 20 lb dumbbells, 12 reps
Bent Over Row: 70 lb bar, 12 reps
BB Deadlift: 70 lb bar, 12 reps

Group #2 (3 sets):
SB Chest Press, 20 lb dumbbells, 12 reps
SB Bicep Curls, 15 lb dumbbells, 12 reps
SB Shoulder Press, 12.5 lb dumbbells, 12 reps

Group #3 (3 sets):
Tricep Rope: 22.5 lbs, 12 reps
Rope Upper Back, 37.5 lbs, 12 reps

It was rough today, but Zak said it was clearly because I was sick, not my muscles. That makes me feel good. :) Hate feeling out of shape.

Also, the saddest news ever. Today, I chatted with Brandon about training with him. It looks like this will begin mid-January. The end of the ZTT era is near. I did ask Brandon what he wanted his nickname to be for my blog. He has requested Dr. Doom. Done and done. :) I'll work on getting a photo for you all...

Zak has not given me my workouts for the week yet (this time it was my fault...). But I will be doing cardio (probably swimming) tomorrow.

Merry Christmas Eve!!!

So Far Behind...

...Sorry. I am so far behind in my posting. I've been busy... :)

Thursday: Worked out at the hotel. Did cardio for 45 min (3 min zone 2, 2 min zone 3, repeat), like Zak said to.

My Stats:

Calories Burned: 482 (Treadmill)/489 (HR Monitor)
Total Miles: 3.42
Total Time: 54:00 (including cool down)
Ending Heart Rate: 124

They had televisions on each of the treadmills that you could plug your headphones into. I ran to The Office. So awesome.

Friday: rest.

Saturday: Ran/walked intervals with Meghan!!! She has serious knee problems but went out with me anyways!!! Gotta love her! We went for 39 minutes.

Sunday: was supposed to do the weight routine. Didn't. Jet lag.

Monday: was supposed to run with the girls. Didn't. Icy roads.

Today: was supposed to meet with ZTT. Didn't. Sick. But I did chat with Zak and he told me to do 25 solid minutes in zone 2, then take tomorrow off, then we'll meet at 1pm on Thursday.

My Stats:

Calories Burned: 215 (Treadmill)/216 (HR Monitor)
Total Miles: 1.52
Total Time: 25:00

That's about it...

Getting Over My Cough-Thing

So, I didn't meet with ZTT yesterday because I am getting over some mild cough thing that got cruddy yesterday. But we met today instead...and I am down 4 pounds from last week! 66 total! I'm amazing!

My energy was a little down since I am still recovering so even though Zak started my 'intense month' with 30 minute intense sessions, we took it relatively easy. I say relatively because it kicked my butt. We are doing 'pairings' now which are two exercises back to back, then rest. Next week it will most likely be triples.

Today I did:

3 sets:
Walking Lunges with Dumbbells, 40 lb dumbbells, unsure how many...
Bent Over Row, 70 lb bar, 12 reps
3 sets:
DB Dead Lifts (Straight Leg), 25 lb dumbbells, 15 reps
SB Chest Press, 20 lb dumbbells, 12 reps
3sets:
SB Bicep Curls, 15 lb dumbbells, 12 reps
SB Shoulder Press, 15 lb dumbbells, 12 reps
3 sets:
Rope Tricep Pushdowns, no idea the weight, 12 reps
Rope Upper Back, no idea the weight, 12 reps

This week's assignments:

Thur - cardio 45 min (3 min zone 2, 2 min zone 3, repeat) **use whatever cardio equipment the hotel has that you want to use**
Fri - OFF
Sat - outdoor run or OFF
Sun - repeat last week's weight routine and cardio (30 min zone 2 treadmill)
Mon - run with the girls
Tues - train with Zak

Thursday may change...I'll find out tonight. Next workout tomorrow at the hotel in California! I probably won't blog at all during my trip since I won't have my computer. Look forward to something Sunday...

Well...I Tried...

Today I was assigned to run the 5K with my girls in Bel Air. I asked ZTT if I coud also lift later in the day. He said it was fine.

Well, the 5K was canceled due to weather. I really debated what to do. Lift only? Run a 5K in the afternoon? Lift and light cardio? I decided I would lift and swim after my movie date with Amanda F.

So, I set off to the gym to lift and I found it to be *much* harder than the previous two times I did the exact same routine. I thought maybe it as because I rested yesterday--but isn't that supposed to make it easier??? About halfway through my routine, on the Roman Chair, I felt pressure in my chest and remembered that I have been nursing a cough for the last 4 or 5 days, but did not *feel* sick. Well, I think it has finally hit me. Breathing felt awkward for the next few exercises, but I kep thinking I would push through it. During the chin ups I decided I would not swim--just finish my lifting then go home. When I got to the shoulder press, I did the first set then suddenly broke into a sweat, felt light-headed and thought I was going to be sick. I immediately decided to stop and go home. :( I think I made a good decision. I think I will not be running tomorrow morning, but resting. I will see how Monday goes and will maybe run tomorrow night.

I lifted:

Squat Press: 230 lbs, 15 reps, 3 sets
Bent Over Row: 60 lbs, 12 reps, 3 sets
DB Deadlift (straight leg): 25 lb dumbbells, 15 reps, 3 sets
SB Chest Press (alternate last set): 20 lbs, 12 reps, 3 sets
Roman Chair: 15 reps, 2 sets
Assisted Chin Ups: 120 lb assistance, 12 reps, 3 sets
Assisted Dips: 115 lb assistance, 12 reps, 3 sets
Leg Extensions: 75 lbs, 12 reps, 3 sets (I was only supposed to do 70, but didn't noticed the 5 pound weight was down...oops)
FM Shoulder Press: 25 lbs, 12 reps, 1 set

Because I left early, I didn't lift:

FM Shoulder Press: 25 lbs, 12 reps, 1 set
Rope Upper Back: 42.5 lbs, 12 reps, 2 sets

Next workout either tomorrow running or Tuesday with ZTT.

Andrea Day!

Today Andrea and Baby Matthew joined me at the gym! What an awesome treat! I wish she could do it everyday, but apparently Bel Air is far away...

According to ZTT, the assignment was: cardio (20 min z1 treadmill, 20 min z2 steps).

First, we did 25 minutes on the treadmill (to include a 5 minute warm up walk for me--Andrea hit it from second one...). I did 3.5 mph at inclines between 2.0 and 4.0. The stats:

Calories Burned: 195 (Treadmill)/189 (HR Monitor)
Total Miles: 1.44
Total Time: 25:00

We then moved to the stepmill. I will say this...and I may regret it...but with Andrea, I did not hate the stepmill! We chatted the whole time and the 20 minutes kind of flew by... I do believe that if I did it again tomorrow without Andrea, it would go back to being terrible. :) I did 20 minutes at level 4. Andrea kept bumping her levels up--because she is amazing! My stats:

Total Miles: 1.19
Calories Burned: 171.9 (Step-mill)/394 (HR Monitor-in total, including above)
Floors Climbed: 57

Great day! Tomorrow is my rest day and I am so looking forward to it! Next workout will be Sunday morning dark and early for the Unofficial Sole Sisters 5K, then I will repeat my lifting routine later that day.

Thursday Workout? Check.

Today was lifting and 35 minutes of cardio all in zone 1 (BO-RING...although the entertaining point of my workout was when Zak came over and totally narc-ed out Lynn for narc-ing me out...the four of us: ZTT, me, Lynn and Amanda, are terrible...).

The lifting:

Squat Press: 230 lbs, 15 reps, 3 sets
Bent Over Row: 60 lbs, 12 reps, 3 sets
DB Deadlift (straight leg): 25 lb dumbbells, 15 reps, 3 sets
SB Chest Press (alternate last set): 20 lbs, 12 reps, 3 sets
Roman Chair: 15 reps, 2 sets
Assisted Chin Ups: 120 lb assistance, 12 reps, 3 sets
Assisted Dips: 115 lb assistance, 12 reps, 3 sets
Leg Extensions: 70 lbs, 12 reps, 3 sets
FM Shoulder Press: 25 lbs, 12 reps, 2 sets
Rope Upper Back: 42.5 lbs, 12 reps, 2 sets

The zone 1 cardio was entirely at an incline of 2.0 and a speed of 3.5 mph. Stats:

Calories Burned: 256 (Treadmill)/570 (HR Monitor in total)
Total Miles: 2.13
Total Time: 37:00 (including cool down)/1:17:42 (in total)
Ending Heart Rate: 119

Next workout tomorrow with ANDREA!!! I will be doing: cardio (20 min z1 treadmill, 20 min z2 steps). I think Andrea will too, but she is free to do her own thing so long as she can still chat with me!!! So excited!!!

Wednesday Workout? Check.

Today was my Wednesday workout. I did it in my new zones, that ZTT gave me yesterday and I completely forgot to put in the blog post. I will do that now. I found out DAYS later that I wasn't supposed to eat for 3 hours before the test (I ate 15 minutes before) or do vigorous exercise the day before (I did). So I told Zak that my zones were clearly 20 beats higher than they should be (::grin::). He disagreed with the 20 beats, but did lower my zones in in three weeks he may give me a free retest. New interim zones:

Zone 1: 135 - 145
Zone 2: 146 - 160
Zone 3: 161 - 170
Zone 4: 170 - 180
Zone 5: 180 - 190

So today I did {4 min zone 1, 2 min zone 2} 8 times. The whole time I was at an incline of 2.0 (except at the beginning to get my HR up). The zone 1 was walking at 3.5 mph--the zone 2 was running at 4.5 mph. I pushed it to 5.5 mph the last 2 minutes for fun. Finish strong!

My Stats:

Calories Burned: 491 (Treadmill)/454 (HR Monitor)
Total Miles: 3.54
Total Time: 56:44 (including cool down)
Ending Heart Rate: 121

Next workout tomorrow: lift and cardio (35 min all zone 1)!

My 150th Post!

Can you believe it??? 150 blog posts. Most of these correlate to a workout. Some more than one. Some don't. But I have probably worked out ~150 times since April 22!!! Wow!

And it was a weigh-in day! I am down THREE more pounds! That's 62! Only 39 til my goal! Craziness... I am so proud of me!

Today was a ZTT day. I feel like it was a great session. I cannot exactly put my finger on why. Most of our sessions are good, and some are very entertaining, but today seemed like a really GREAT session workout-wise!

The Lifting Routine:

Squat Press: 230 lbs, 15 reps, 3 sets
Bent Over Row: 60 lbs, 12 reps, 3 sets
DB Deadlift (straight leg): 25 lb dumbbells, 15 reps, 3 sets
SB Chest Press (alternate last set): 20 lbs, 12 reps, 3 sets
Roman Chair: 15 reps, 2 sets
Assisted Chin Ups: 120 lb assistance, 12 reps, 3 sets
Assisted Dips: 115 lb assistance, 12 reps, 3 sets
Leg Extensions: 70 lbs, 12 reps, 3 sets
FM Shoulder Press: 25 lbs, 12 reps, 2 sets
Rope Upper Back: 42.5 lbs, 12 reps, 2 sets

This is the routine I will repeat in my workouts, but Zak made it 'more fun' today. The last set on the Squat Press he upped the weight to 270 to 'show David up'. David is another trainer. Zak is competitive. Awesome. :) Also, today Zak taught me what a 'drop set' is. One explanation of a drop set is pain. Another, perhaps more useful, definition is: do two sets regular, on the third set do 10 reps regular, then immediately drop the weight down and do 12 reps, then immediately drop the weight again and do 15 reps. We did this on the Leg Extension machine. This machine is *very* good at isolating the muscle that runs down my thigh into my knee. And the FIRST rep hurt. I told ZTT as much and he asked if it hurt my muscle or my knee. I said my muscle. He grinned large and said, "That's one." Awesome. :) The drop set hurt, but I secretly love when Zak has me do things like that. I feel good for pushing myself and feel strong and in shape. Shh, don't tell Zak... I asked him how long he had been waiting to punish me physically like that. He gave me some official answer of him being glad that I have come so far that he can do things like this with me. I rolled my eyes, but am sort of flattered. :)

Plan for the week (No more slacker trainer! He emailed me BEFORE our session):

Wed - cardio (4 min z1, 2 min z2, repeat 8 times)
Thu - repeat weights and cardio (35 min z1)
Fri - cardio (20 min z1 treadmill, 20 min z2 steps)
Sat - OFF
Sun - unofficial 5k (I expect an impressive time on this)
Mon - run with the girls
Tue - session with Zak

I have asked him if I can lift Sunday. I like lifting 3x per week and have the time.

Sole Sisters Run - 12/7/09

Sole Sisters Run this morning! And we went indoors for the first time. It's COLD at 5:30am. COLD.

Julie, Kiley and I did laps in the Crossroads Gym for 39 minutes. We did a 5 minute warm-up walk, then 4/3 intervals, followed by a 1 minute cool down walk.

I liked it indoors! Didn't think I would...but glad I did, since it will only get colder!

Also, the conversation was awesome. I love my girls... :)

Next workout tomorrow with ZTT!

Great Weekend!

I came into this weekend mildly stressed. I felt like I had a lot to do for the Baby Shower today, but also had a lot of other things. Well, the snow put an end to that! I found myself with a lot of down time and PLENTY of time to get ready for the shower (partially in part due to my amazing friends who all helped by bringing food!!!) and clean my house! What an excellent relaxing weekend and a great time with great friends!!!

So. I was supposed to run a 5K this morning, but due to the weather, it was canceled. At 6 am when I got the text from MT (Thanks fr the head's up MT!), I rolled over and went back to bed rather than going to the gym to run a 5K on the treadmill (as any sane person would do). Due to the shower, I didn't really have time during the day to workout. But I could have gone AFTER the shower (around 6pm). Then Kimberly asked to take me out to dinner to thank me for the shower...it's only polite to say yes... Especially when it is Outback. :)

I was concerned about running late tonight and then early tomorrow with the Sole Sisters so I decided that *if* I worked out, I would swim. Well, I did end up going to the gym after dinner. And I went swimming. And I am really glad that I did. I feel great both physically and mentally! I made a good choice!!! YAY! I feel like had I not worked out and told ZTT that the race was canceled so I didn't, he would have said: "I totally understand." And I don't want him to. I want him to say: "Why didn't you get the exercise in some other way?" So I did. And I will tell him that's what I want from him. Tough love, ZTT...tough...love.

My Lap Times (Elementary Backstroke, EB, is the correct term for Snake-Chicken-Eagle):

Lap 1: BS, 1:37.55
Lap 2: EB, 1:46.75
Lap 3: BS, 1:54.80
Lap 4: BS, 1:58.02
Lap 5: EB, 1:50.22
Lap 6: BS, 1:54.74
Rest: 2:26.58
Lap 7: BS, 1:39.63
Lap 8: EB, 1:49.42
Lap 9: BS, 1:52.84
Lap 10: BS, 1:57.29
Lap 11: EB, 1:51.97
Lap 12: BS, 1:49.75

Total (including rest): 24:29.56

So without the rest it was about: 22:03. That is like a minute and a half faster than last time! Progress!

Next workout: tomorrow morning with the Sole Sisters!!

Last Workout* til Tuesday!!!

*at the gym.

Today I lifted and did 30 minutes of cardio: 15 minutes in old zone 2 on the treadmill and 15 minutes in old zone 3 on the stepmill. I didn't have my iPhone with me, so I did not record stats. And I did the same lifting routine I have done for the past two weeks.

Such a boring blog post, I know.

My friend, Lynn, joined me for the 15 minutes on the stepmill, which is nice because the stepmill stinks. Then we went to the LifeCafe and chit-chatted while I drank a Very Berry Blast Smoothie. Yum! Good smoothie and good conversations!!!

Next workouts are Sunday morning: 5K; Monday morning: Sole Sisters run; Tuesday: session with ZTT! Lynn is running (well, run/walking) the 5k with me (and maybe ZTT too--if he is man enough)!!!

The Stupid Test

I took the stupid test today, a.k.a. the CardioPoint Assessment. Here are some interesting (to some?) statistics:

Peak VO2: 36.9
Peak HR: 175
VO2 at Threshold: 35.6
Heart Rate at Threshold: 175 (aka Anaerobic Threshold)

So my AT was the same as I had previously thought: 175. In April, when I started all this we estimated my AT to be 175. According to the literature, we guesstimated my zone to be:

Zone 1: something to 122
Zone 2: 123 to 152
Zone 3: 153 to 174
Zone 4: 175 and above

Great! So they stay the same??? ZTT and the Stupid Test say no. :(

The new zones based on the test:

Zone 1: 152 to 162
Zone 2: 162 to 168
Zone 3: 168 to 175
Zone 4: 175 to 185
Zone 5: 185 to 195

I don't even want to talk about it. Zak is working me up to these zones slowly because they are awful!!! Zone 1 is supposed to be an easy workout--a HR of 152 is NOT EASY. That's all I'm saying...

ZTT and I also had a "meeting". He had agenda topics on a post-it note and everything. I kind of love his organization level--but it did sort of feel like I was being called into the principal's office... We discussed: client/trainer expectations, emailing, scheduling and something else, but cannot for the life of me remember what the 4th item was... Anyways, he wanted me to tell him why I was dissatisfied. I said: Dissatisfied??? *innocent eye blinking and smile*. He said: You have a terrible poker face. True that, ZTT. So we talked about how I felt that at the beginning he was all in and that drives me to be all in, but lately he hasn't been. He agreed that he has been distracted but is making an effort to be all in again. We also discussed emails and how he needs me to put important things in bold for him... ... ...OK... I also shared some of my concerns unrelated to him as a trainer but to my journey. I feel like I am reaching a weight that I always reach then gain again. This makes me a bit apprehensive and worried. On top of that, my progress is slowing. What was 3 to 4 pounds a week is 1 to 2. This also is discouraging. ZTT agreed that I have not plateaued yet, so we need to kick it in high gear and maybe push me really hard for one month to make it considerably past this weight and get me some momentum. I think that's a great idea. I also told him that although he claims he can be tough with me, he really hasn't. I can talk him into (and out of) almost anything. I told him that when I say no, DON'T LET ME. I will not like it, or be nice when this happens, but it is what I want/need. He agreed. We will see.. All in all I am glad he brought up doing this since I am bad at confrontation and we really needed to touch base. And all of these reasons are why I ::heart:: ZTT. :)

Zak modified my Wednesday workout after the test and I did 30 minutes of cardio: {3 minutes 130-150, 2 minutes 150-160} 6 times.

My Stats:

Calories Burned: 300 (Treadmill)/305 (HR Monitor)
Total Miles: 2.31
Total Time: 37:30 (including cool down)
Ending Heart Rate: 123

Next workout tomorrow (probably with my friend Lynn!!!): lifting and 30 minutes of cardio: 15 minutes treadmill in old zone 2, 15 minutes stepmill in old zone 3.

Tuesday Workout. Check.

Today was lifting and 30 minutes of cardio in zone 3.

The lifting:

Squat Press: 200 lbs, 15 reps (after the last two sets walking lunges across the room and back, then rest)
SB Chest Press: 17.5 lb dumbbells, 12 reps (last set alternating)
DB Deadlifts (straight leg): 20 lb dumbbells, 12 reps
Cable 1 Arm Row: 32.5 lbs, 12 reps
Roman Chair: 10 reps (only 2 sets)
FM Shoulder Press: 25 lbs, 12 reps
Assisted Chin Ups: 120 lbs assistance, 12 reps
Assisted Dips: 115 lbs assistance, 12 reps
Rope Upper Back: 37.5 lbs, 12 reps
Chest Fly: 65 lbs, 12 reps

For the cardio I was a bit worried, because as I get more fit, it gets more difficult to walk in zone 3. So I thought: 30 minutes of running?!? Oh noes! So, I took the Julie V. approach to jogging and tried to jog at a fast walking pace. I jogged at a pace between 4.1 and 4.4 for the whole 30 minutes! Now, this is slower than my interval pace when I run and walk, but good for the stamina I think... Yay, me!

My Stats:

Calories Burned: 215 (Treadmill)/635 (HR Monitor in total)
Total Miles: 2.29
Total Time: 35:00 (including cool down)/1:20:51 (in total)
Ending Heart Rate: 127

Next workout is tomorrow. It was supposed to be cardio for 48 min {4 min zone 2, 3 min zone 3, 1 min zone 4} 6 times, but I have been forced coerced arm-twisted suckered into manipulated convinced to take the CardioPoint test (the one with the zone testing) tomorrow. So I will do that, then ZTT will assign me something for the remainder of my workout once we see what I do for the test. Fun times...

Sole Sisters Run - 11/30/09

Today was the third Sole Sisters run!!! I LOVE them! They are so great for me! And I think everyone else loves them too... At least I hope so! ;)

Today we had Kiley, Julie, Karen and a new Sister: Jane! Also, the dedicated Amy joined us late since she overslept. That's right, she slept in and still came, parked randomly on the side of the road and found us! What dedication!!! :) We're so glad you did, Amy!!!

Julie and Karen jogged and the rest of us ran intervals of run 4 minutes, walk 3 minutes--a favorite pace of mine. :) We went for ~42 minutes. And I thought we were going 3.24 miles but mapmyrun.com and reality do not always agree so there were some roads that I thought were there that weren't...

Next workout: Tomorrow, repeat weight routine and 30 minutes of cardio all in zone 3.

Sunday Workout. Check.

Lifting and cardio today. The cardio assignment is HIT, {3 minutes zone 2, 1 minute zone 4} 7 times, for 28 minutes.

The lifting:

Squat Press: 200 lbs, 15 reps (after the last two sets walking lunges across the room and back, then rest)
SB Chest Press: 17.5 lb dumbbells, 12 reps (last set alternating)
DB Deadlifts (straight leg): 20 lb dumbbells, 12 reps
Cable 1 Arm Row: 32.5 lbs, 12 reps
Roman Chair: 10 reps (only 2 sets)
FM Shoulder Press: 25 lbs, 12 reps
Assisted Chin Ups: 120 lbs assistance, 12 reps
Assisted Dips: 115 lbs assistance, 12 reps
Rope Upper Back: 37.5 lbs, 12 reps
Chest Fly: 65 lbs, 12 reps

For the HIT, I did the zone 2 at 3.5 mph and the zone 4 at 6 mph, with the exception of the last interval when I did 7 mph. I did the whole thing on an incline of 2.0. My Stats:

Calories Burned: 291 (Treadmill)/635 (HR Monitor in total)
Total Miles: 2.15
Total Time: 33:00 (including cool down)/1:15:45 (in total)
Ending Heart Rate: 124

Next workout will be my Sole Sisters run tomorrow morning. As for the evening (if any assignment at all) or the rest of the week, I don't know, because my [slacker] trainer has not yet gotten me my assignments.

Just Keep Swimming, Just Keep Swimming...

Today was my first swim day in months! I asked ZTT to incorporate them in and he did!!! He originally assigned me 8-10 laps without stopping, break, repeat in 25 minutes. I informed him that the amount of laps and the amount of time did not agree. I am slooooooow. So we determined swim 6 laps without stopping, take no more than a 5 minute break, then 6 more laps without stopping would be best! I had never done more than one lap without a break before, so I was excited for the challenge of 6. :)

It really wasn't too bad. I did some breathstroke (BS) and some snake-chicken-eagle (SCE) (really not sure the real name, that is what Amanda F. called it when she taught it to me--you are on your back and you make your arms like a snake, then chicken, then an eagle, then repeat... It isn't as weird as I making it sound).

Lap times:

Lap 1: BS, 1:36.26
Lap 2: BS, 1:56.28
Lap 3: SCE, 1:55.65
Lap 4: BS, 1:59.90
Lap 5: SCE, 1:57.94
Lap 6: BS, 1:57.16
Rest (way shorter than 5 minutes since I wanted to look busy so no one would try to share my lane) 1:35.53
Lap 7: BS, 1:55.69
Lap 8: SCE, 2:02.63
Lap 9: BS, 1:56.13
Lap 10: BS, 2:09.17
Lap 11: SCE, 1:47.43
Lap 12: BS, 2:07.71
Hot Tub: 4:08.16 :)

Total: 29:05.64

So, excluding the hot tub, I really hit the 25 minute mark well! And I am super proud of myself for doing 6 laps without breaks!

"Give Me ONE Session With Her..."

Is it bad when other trainers make comments like: "Give me *one* session with her, Zak. It'll only take one..."? I think maybe it is...

I went to workout today and spent a few minutes chatting with ZTT about a backlogs of emails that he had yet to respond to. I maintain that email is the *least* intrusive form of communication I can utilize. ZTT is able to read them and respond at his leisure. Today Zak _joked_ about giving me an email cap of 8 per week, any additional would be automatically deleted. Ha ha, Zak. Implement that and I will start calling. Your cell phone number is on your business card. I'm just saying...

But I digress. Zak and I were discussing the Black Friday deals at Lifetime. One of them is to buy one test and get one free. This is a really good deal, but as I told Zak, I do not want any tests. He informed me that I *will* be getting tests at some point, maybe not now so I should buy them now and use them in the 6 month period allowed after purchase. I again told him that I did not want the [stupid] test and I told him why. This test calculates your heat rates zones. I am observant and have noticed that EVERYONE who takes the test ends up having to work harder to stay in lower zones. What I mean by this is typically, a HR of 153 is the bottom of zone 3 for me. After the test it would be higher. See? You wouldn't want the test either. I am quite happy with my zones. Brandon the Other Trainer (yes, there are more than 2, but now I can call him BTOT ::grin::) came over at this point. I asked Brandon why I would want to get my zones tested. He gave some story about being successful (I wasn't really listening). I said, 57 pounds, Brandon, 57 pounds. He said that it could have been 65. Oh! BTOT! Speaking my language. The three of us chatted about this a bit longer and I may have been my sassy (ZTT's word not mine) self. Brandon turned to Zak and asked for one session with me with an evil personal trainer grin on his face. Note to self: Never train with BTOT. He will bring the pain.

Also, I decided to tell ZTT that I feel like I am ever-so-slightly turning toward the slippery slope. I am nowhere near it yet, but I feel like I used to spend my zone 2 intervals at the top of zone 2 and now it is at the bottom. Things like that. And I ate poorly in NYC and then on Thanksgiving. I am OK with these conscious decisions, but I feel like I need to get back to strict quick! I also gently reminded (or perhaps sassily, to use his word) ZTT that he is supposed to be tough with me. I told him I wasn't going to tell him what I ate on Thanksgiving and he totally let me... ::sigh:: He really needs to get my butt in gear. For serious.

Ok...enough stories. On to the workout! I lifted and did 30 minutes of cardio: {3 minutes zone 2, 2 minutes zone 3} 6 times.

Lifting Routine:

Squat Press: 200 lbs, 15 reps (after the last two sets walking lunges across the room and back, then rest)
SB Chest Press: 17.5 lb dumbbells, 12 reps (last set alternating)
DB Deadlifts (straight leg): 20 lb dumbbells, 12 reps
Cable 1 Arm Row: 32.5 lbs, 12 reps
Roman Chair: 10 reps (only 2 sets)
FM Shoulder Press: 25 lbs, 12 reps
Assisted Chin Ups: 120 lbs assistance, 12 reps
Assisted Dips: 115 assistance, 12 reps
Rope Upper Back: 37.5 lbs, 12 reps
Chest Fly: 65 lbs, 12 reps

Cardio Stats:

Calories Burned: 262 (Treadmill)/629 (HR Monitor in total)
Total Miles: 1.99
Total Time: 30:00/1:19:06 (in total)
Ending Heart Rate: 128

Zak gave me workouts for today, tomorrow and Sunday. He claims the rest will come tonight... We'll see. I plan on swimming tomorrow unless the pool is crowded:

Friday - repeat weight routine & cardio 30 min (3 min zone 2, 2 min zone 3, repeat....any piece of cardio equipment you want)
Saturday - cardio 30 min (steady state zone 2, you can walk at an incline or run) OR swim ~25 minutes (try to maintain a consistent pace for 6 laps if you can then rest no more than 5 minutes and repeat)
Sunday - repeat weight routine & cardio 28 min (HIT, 3 min zone 2, 1 min zone 4, repeat)

Oh, and...I am getting the test. ZTT 1, Erin 0.

Run, Cranberry Can, Run!

Turkey Trot today! Gobble, gobble! The Bel Air trot did not disappoint and the cranberry can man and the turkey showed up, as well as many others wearing reindeer antlers, santa hats, native american headdresses and pilgrim hats!

I followed the run 10 minute/walk 3 minute interval plan. My chip time was 39:07. I am not thrilled with this, but happy. The last 5K (the Monster Dash) I did 4/2 intervals in 38:15 (and had a 5 minute warm-up walk, which I didn't this time!). I wonder if I am more efficient with shorter intervals... Anyways, this course was very hilly. That may have affected things.

I *did* have an awesome time with my girls! Kiley joined us for the first time! What a treat! We ran together for most of the first two miles until I gave her permission to be free and go on faster without me! She did great!!!

Here is a picture of most of us with the Cranberry Can Man:

"How Is It That You Two Are Friends?!?!"

Today I was chatting with Zak the Trainer about my friend Lynn who is going to join Lifetime and train with ZTT (YAY!) and mentioned that she had not emailed him back yet about her upcoming training because she was thinking through her answers thoroughly. He laughed (seemingly uncontrollably) and said: "How is it that you two are friends??!?!?!" Burn. Well done, ZTT. Well. Done.

Oh! Also. I told Zak all about this total jerk at the gym on Sunday who yelled at me FROM ACROSS THE WEIGHT ROOM to tell me not to take weights he was "using" and by "using" he meant wanted to use after he completed the current weights he was doing ACROSS THE WEIGHT ROOM. As Amanda F. would say: You can't claim two machines, jerk! I was caught so off guard I gave him his stupid weights back. Won't happen next time... Anyways, he was there and I pointed him out to Zak and Zak told me that no one likes him and that he does all of his lifting completely wrong and shows off but is going to destroy his body fast. :)

Today was a weigh-in day. I am up one pound. :( Booooo. Understandable though because I ate poorly in NYC. Zak also thinks that my body is still processing all of the badness and should even out in the next few days...whatever. It's done. Moving on... :)

I really feel like ZTT is pushing me and I love it! We did roman dead lifts today!!! Pansy girl ones, but still did them!!! It's really difficult to get the form right and I am glad we did it with the 20 pound dumbbells. It requires a lot of thought on my part to keep the right parts of my body straight and stuff. But I still did it!!! And Zak said my form was good. Good!

My lifting routine for the next 2 weeks (3 sets each unless otherwise noted):

Squat Press: 200 lbs, 15 reps (after the last two sets walking lunges across the room and back, then rest)
SB Chest Press: 17.5 lb dumbbells, 12 reps (last set alternating)
DB Deadlifts (straight leg): 20 lb dumbbells, 12 reps
Cable 1 Arm Row: 32.5 lbs, 12 reps
Roman Chair: 10 reps (only 2 sets)
FM Shoulder Press: 25 lbs, 12 reps
Assisted Chin Ups: 120 lbs assistance, 12 reps
Assisted Dips: 115 assistance, 12 reps
Rope Upper Back: 37.5 lbs, 12 reps
Chest Fly: 65 lbs, 12 reps

Everything but the Squat Press went up in weight, and ZTT added the lunges to that. I love seeing that kind of progress! Makes me feel like I am doing something right!

As for the next two weeks, ZTT and I sat down and made a general outline, but he has yet to email me the official breakdown. From memory without specifics:

Wed Nov 25th: rest
Thu Nov 26th: Turkey Trot 5K in Bel Air--run 10/walk 3 intervals
Fri Nov 27th: lift and cardio
Sat Nov 28th: light cardio
Sun Nov 29th: lift and cardio
Mon Nov 30th: Sole Sisters run and maybe light cardio
Tue Dec 1st: lift and cardio
Wed Dec 2nd: cardio
Thu Dec 3rd: lift and cardio
Fri Dec 4th: rest
Sat Dec 5th: rest
Sun Dec 6th: Columbia 5K--intervals either 10/3 or push harder based on feedback from the turkey trot
Mon Dec 7th: rest
Tue Dec 8th: Lift with ZAK!

Reunited and It Feels So Good!

My pink flip flops were reunited today!!! I lost one at the gym a week or two ago. When they are wet, I do not like to put them inside my gym bag, so I lay them on top. The day Amanda F. and I did our pre-half-marathon-prep-outdoor-run, I had lots of wet items since we ran outside. I stacked them all on top of my bag and drudged to my car. When I arrived home only one flip flop remained. I went to buy another pair and not only did the store not have my awesome flip flops (they really are nice flip flops)--they didn't have any! It's like it is wintertime or something. So, anyways, on my way out today I asked member services if they had a lost and found cause I lost my pink flip flop and this other guy overheard and said: I found a pink flip flop in the parking lot! We went to lost and found together and lo and behold! my flip flop was there!!! Oh, what joy. Oh, what bliss!

This great news couldn't have come at a better time because I am poopy today. Not that poopy, just a little, but I did give ZTT a hard time. He totally walked right past me and turned his head away from me as he passed. BURN! It was a most amazing shun. I promptly texted him that he had just totally ignored me and called him a 'jerkface' which he was. He came over a few minutes later and told me that *someone* would be doing ten minutes of planks in her session tomorrow for calling her trainer a jerkface. I am calling this bluff. I don't believe he will do it...

So today the assignment was 15 minutes of zone 3 cardio on the treadmill and 15 minutes on the (evil) stepmill. I did it. And I didn't like it. I am a bit concerned that it is becoming very difficult to reach and maintain zone 3 while walking. I have to go to high inclines or run. Boo. I mean, I guess it's a good thing and probably means I am healthier, but it means more work. Bleh.

My stats:

Treadmill:
Calories Burned: 195 (Treadmill)/163 (HR Monitor)
Total Miles: 1.33
Total Time: 20:00

Step-Mill:
Total Miles: 0.90
Calories Burned: 132 (Step-mill)/318 (HR Monitor-in total, including above)
Floors Climbed: 43

Next workout is tomorrow with ZTT. Possibly with 10 minutes of planks...

Thursday through Monday Morning

Wow! I have been AWAY from the blogging...but I'm back!!! A recap:

THURSDAY: Woke up too early and lifted. Zak the Trainer and I agreed that since I only lifted once last week due to the half marathon prep, getting 3 in this week was important. So, I did! I did the strength circuit (3 sets of each except when noted otherwise):

SB Chest Press: 15lb dumbells, 15 reps regular, 12 alternating, 12 inclined
Squat Press: 200 lbs, 15 reps
Cable 1 Arm Row: 30 lbs, 12 reps
SB Leg Curls: 15 reps
Assisted Chip Ups: 125 lbs, 12 reps
Assisted Dips: 120 lbs, 12 reps
Chest Fly: 60 lbs, 12 reps
FM Shoulder Press: 2 sets 20 lbs, 1 set 25 lbs, 12 reps
Rope Upper Back: 32.5 lbs, 12 reps
Planks: 40 seconds each, 2 sets
Roman Chair: 10 reps, 2 sets

When I was finished, I saw Zak. He gave me 100 out of the 118 pushups he owed me. I get the other 18 tomorrow (with claps). Good enough. :)

FRIDAY: Was in NYC with my friend Rebecca and her mom! Beccers and I went to Central Park for some HIT per ZTT. We did the 3-2-1, as we affectionately deemed it. 3 minutes walking (zone 2), 2 minutes jogging (zone 3), 1 minute running (zone 4). We did this 7 times and warmed up and cooled down.

SATURDAY: Chewbecca and I went to Central Park again but this time did run/walk intervals of 3 minute run, 3 minute walk. We did this for about 45 minutes if memory serves.

SUNDAY: This was a rough day to fit everything in--but I pretty much did. My train arrived 30 minutes late into BWI so that put me behind, but I booked it to the gym, lifted (same as Thursday) and did 27 out of my 30 minutes of cardio. Then I showered, scarfed some food down and went to the movies with Amanda F. My stats:

Calories Burned: 235 (Treadmill)/560 (HR Monitor in total)
Total Miles: 1.58
Total Time: 27:13 (including cool down)/1:07:37 (in total)
Ending Heart Rate: 128

MONDAY: Sole Sisters Run!!! We grew in number by ONE! A very special one, Karen B.! Today we split into runners and run/walkers. Everybody did AWESOME! I was particularly impressed by Julie V. jogging alongside the walkers the ENTIRE 45ish minutes...impressive! The runners (to include me) did 4 minute run/3 minute walk intervals for a little over 3 miles! We went for just shy of 42 minutes with a 5 minute warm-up walk.

Next workout: in about an hour and a half! Short one: 15 minutes zone 3 on treadmill and 15 minutes on the (yucky) stepmill. Then tomorrow is my session with ZTT.

ZTT, You Smell Like Beef and Cheese!

ZTT sits on a throne of lies. He is supposed to do pushups every session we have--one pushup for every glass of water I drink the day before. He hasn't done one. We came to a total of 92 for this week. He said that he would do them when I came in today. I add my water from yesterday, obviously, and told him he could do 104 pushups today. When I saw him I reminded him of this. He was working at the computer and said he would come over to the treadmill and do them in a bit. Next thing I knew he was in session with Amanda F.!!!!! I walked over when I was done on the treadmill and he gave me his "I'm with a client" line. I told him Amanda didn't count cause we are BBFs. Then I told him he was a liar. And he should do double tomorrow morning. Yup, 208. We will see...

Today I did HIT cardio -- {3 min zone 2/3, 1 min zone 4} repeat 11 times. My Stats:

Calories Burned: 411 (Treadmill)/409 (HR Monitor)
Total Miles: 3.51
Total Time: 54:00 (including cool down)
Ending Heart Rate: 121

Zak emailed me my workouts for the week:

Wed - cardio (HIT, 45 min (3 min zone 2/3 jog, 1 min zone 4 sprint, maintain consistent speeds)
Thu - repeat weight routine
Fri/Sat - cardio 45 min (3 min zone 2, 2 min zone 3, 1 min zone 4, repeat 9 times)
Sun - repeat weight routine & cardio 30 min (all zone 3)
Mon - cardio 30 min (15 on treadmill zone 3, 15 on stepmill zone 3)
Tue - lift with Zak

Yes, that is a quote from his email, he referred to himself in the third person. You may also notice that his times do not add up. :) Today I did 44 minutes and the Fri/Sat will be 42 (7 repetitions). Friday and Saturday I will be working out in the hotel in NYC!!! Or in Central Park, depending on the weather. These are quasi-optional. I should be doing something but if time does not permit, something shorter is ok, per ZTT. I will not be blog posting until Sunday night or Monday. Try not to miss me too much. I will be having fun in NYC!!!

2 Pounds!

It was a weigh-in day today! I am down two more pounds, so that makes 58!!! 60 is so close!

The session with ZTT was good and I was only in mild pain from the half marathon--really just my hamstrings. Zak had no sympathy on my leg pain and pushed the weight up anyways. Thanks, ZTT...

My Lifting Routine (3 sets of each except when noted otherwise):

SB Chest Press: 15lb dumbells, 15 reps regular, 12 alternating, 12 inclined
Squat Press: 200 lbs, 15 reps
Cable 1 Arm Row: 30 lbs, 12 reps
SB Leg Curls: 15 reps
Assisted Chip Ups: 125 lbs, 12 reps
Assisted Dips: 120 lbs, 12 reps
Chest Fly: 60 lbs, 12 reps
FM Shoulder Press: 2 sets 20 lbs, 1 set 25 lbs, 12 reps
Rope Upper Back: 32.5 lbs, 12 reps
Planks: 40 seconds each, 2 sets
Roman Chair: 10 reps, 2 sets

Next workout tomorrow. Zak will email me the schedule later today. Basic plan:

Wednesday: cardio, TBD.
Thursday: Lift
Friday/Saturday: some sort of cardio for hotel gym (NYC!!!!)
Sunday: Lift and light cardio
Monday: Sole Sisters Run!!!, maybe evening cardio

Monday Morning Sole Sisters!!!

I was so blessed today to get to run with my Sole Sisters for the first time!!! Julie, Kacy, Kiley and Amy met me in the church parking lot at 5:30am!!! Now, I was wide awake at 4:13am due to my excitement. :) I got to the church at 5:15 and stretched my achy, achy legs. Felt good!!!

After a 5-minute warm-up we ran 60 seconds, walked 90 seconds and repeated for about 2 1/4 miles. Everyone did great!!! We had all skill levels, walking, getting back into running, and runners. We stuck together for this one, but if more people start coming and/or the runners wanna go further or faster, we may route two different tracks that maybe will bump into each other or something.

What an amazing way to start the day! Would YOU like to start your Monday this way??? If you want to come to Ellicott City, you can!!! We'd love to have you!!! Join us!!! :)

The girls from this morning:



Next workout tomorrow with ZTT! (BTW, ZTT approved this to be my Monday cardio so I did not go to the gym today!).

One of the Best Days Ever

Today was awesome!

Executive Summary:

Jen X walked sub-15 minute miles for 8K.
Julie and I shattered our goals and completed the half marathon in 2:56:51.
Andrea and Amanda J. shattered the sub-5 hour marathon goal and finished in 4:45:17!!!
Elizabeth saved two lives (ok, she called for help for two people, I am sure they are grateful!)

Wow. I feel amazing. I completed a HALF MARATHON!!! I am still trying to process that...but I am definitely owning that. :) Erin Corman, Double Shot of Deliciousness, Half Marathoner.

Julie and I started with a 2 minute warm up walk. The intervals are as follows:

Walk: 2:00
Run: 9:59
Walk: 3:00
Run: 9:59
Walk: 2:59
Run: 9:59
Walk: 3:00
Run: 9:59
Walk: 3:00
Run: 9:59
Walk: 3:00
Run: 10:00
Walk: 5:00
Run: 3:59
Walk: 3:00
Run: 3:14
Walk: 4:04
Run: 3:59
Walk: 5:04
Run: 3:59
Walk: 5:00
Run: 3:59
Walk: 5:00
Run: 3:59
Walk: 5:00
Run: 3:59
Walk: 4:59
Run: 3:59
Walk: 5:00
Run: 3:59
Walk: 4:59
Run: 3:59
Walk: 5:00
Run: 3:58
Walk: 2:34
Run: 1:57

We started strong with the 10/3 plan. Made it to mile 6, then I needed to stop. julie thinks it may have been mental for me, since that is the furthest I had been before. I think I agree with her. Then we toyed with 4/3, then 4/4 and ended up with 4/5--a great pace for me at this point. The breaks were a bit long for Julie and she was cramping up so she ran slowly next to me during most of the walk breaks. And, of course, we sprinted the end and totally passed this guy feet from the finish. I so hope the photographers captured that. :)

The shot blocks and me did not get along. I only took 4 (1 1/3 serving) the entire time. :(

This is me a minute or two after I finished. I was exhausted and elated, both depicted quite well in this photo:



This is all the girls! I am so proud of all of us. Today was near perfect (except the nausea that came in waves most of the afternoon...):



I am so proud of all the girls and honored to be a Sole Sister (and a HALF MARATHONER!!!)

P.S. Chipotle was amazing. ;)

I Will Leave a Girl...

...hopefully return a half marathoner. (BTW, I am _freaking out_ internally).

The plan:

5 minute warm up walk
{10 minute run, 3 minute walk} repeat until I cannot anymore
{walk until I feel better, 4 minute run} repeat until I see the finish line
sprint to the finish. ;)
die.
come back to life.
walk the 1.1 miles from the finish line to Chipotle.

One serving of Shot Blocks will be taken 15 minutes before the race and every 45 minutes into the race.

Wish. Me. Luck.
Pray.
Think of me.
Send positive thoughts (to Richmond, VA, not MD!!!).
Do that thang you do.

Cause I need it!!!

Look forward to my blog post about it Saturday night or Sunday!!!

If you want to track our progress, I recommend tracking Julie since I am switching races, my tracking my be messed up. To do this, follow these instructions:
1. Go to www.richmondmarathon.com
2. Click on the link that reads: To sign up for participant tracking via text message/email, click here. in the middle of the top of the page.
3. Create an account.
4. Search for Julie (not me) by entering Last name: Fitzgerald and Race: 2009 McDonald's Half Marathon.
5. There should be two results, select Julie.
6. Enter your cell phone number and service provider (or email address if you prefer emails).
7. Voila! You're done!!!

Outdoor Run Domination

Today Amanda F.* and I dominated our outdoor run. In the rain. Which at one point was very hail-like (i.e. the raindrops bounced on the pavement). ZTT instructed me to do intervals of 10 minutes running, then 3 minutes walking. I honestly didn't think I could do it. I mean, I know I could do one, but it was the subsequent intervals that concerned me.

Amanda and I set off, well-bundled and excited. We did a 5 minute warm-up walk then did the intervals. We were able to do the intervals as Zak dictated for the whole 3.64 miles we ended up going. We did 4 intervals and a 5-minute warm-up walk so we went for right about 54 minutes. That's just under 15 minute mile. This confuses me since I can run/walk much faster than that when I run 4 minutes, walk 3. Hmm... There was the moment I ran in place while Amanda tried to help a man in a car find something, but it didn't take THAT long...

Here is the route:



Either way, I was able to do it..and it wasn't that bad! I feel like I could totally start that way on Saturday, but if I can go faster with shorter intervals...? Will bounce this off of Zak and see what he says...

Also, I tried the cran-razz flavored shot blocks that ZTT bought for me and they were super-tasty! They also never bothered my stomach during the run. I will eat them on Saturday before the half!!!

*I feel the need to add an initial since I have so many friends named Amanda. Off of the top of my head: Amanda F., Amanda J., Amanda M. and Amanda T.

Can I have CHIPOTLE?!?!?!

Today began with a fun time in the LifeCafe with Julie!!!! Then we warmed up together and I abandoned her because today was a ZTT day. I wasn't too worried because anything would be better than last week. And I lost 3 pounds. I'll take that. :) That brings the total to 56. Yessssss.

Zak led me through a lifting routine but I won't be repeating it due to the half marathon prep and rest, so I don't have a copy of it. But it was good. And I was flat out giggly. There was a LOT of laughing going on. Again, Zak said he would much rather giggly-Erin than what he got last week. :)

So, we were talking about my meal Friday night to prepare for the half marathon. I said that I had to grab something in the greater Arundel Mills area due to my schedule. Immediately I thought: Chipotle. Where better to get carbs??? I proposed this idea to Zak the Trainer and he is *actually* thinking about it. My standard: tortilla, pinto beans, steak, cheese, lettuce and sour cream. I told him I would forfeit the cheese, but the sour cream would HAVE to stay. He commented on how he could not believe we were discussing this in a gym and said that he would think about it. Yessssssss. Cannot wait to hear his answer. If it is yes. ;)

Also, he bought me a present!!! He bought me shot blocks for the race on Saturday!!! What an awesome trainer... Zak, if you actually read this--which I don't think you do--you are the best!!! EVEN if you are bailing on me for the outdoor run tomorrow. (Which he is. Totally. But Amanda is saving the day and running with me!).

Plan for the week (to be solidified later tonight in an email):
*Wednesday: Outdoor run. 3-4 miles. Intervals TBD.
*Thursday: Rest.
*Friday: Rest.
*Saturday: 13.1 miles.
*Sunday: Rest.
*Monday: Cardio of some sort (TBD).

I finished this excellent day with a full body massage. It. Was. AWESOME.

October 9, 2011: Andrea, Me & ZTT.

Today was HIT (High Intensity Training)! I did cardio: 5 min warm up, {3 min zone 2, 1.5 min zone 4} repeat 8 times, 5 min cool down. It was intense (hence the name), but doable.

My Stats:

Calories Burned: 424 (Treadmill)/411 (HR Monitor)
Total Miles: 3.02
Total Time: 46:00 (including cool down)
Ending Heart Rate: 133

I also chatted with ZTT some today. Oh, I should mention that I am upgrading from the 8K to the Half Marathon on Saturday in Richmond. Yes, I am crazy. Yes, I got ZTT's permission to do it. He is surprisingly supportive, which confuses me because he was so adamantly against it when I asked at the beginning of October. So, my friends and I had come up with 3 theories as to why, and I presented them to him today:

1) After our tif last Tuesday, he is scared of me. (courtesy of Andrea)
2) He was so impressed with my performance at the 10K, he now believes I can do it. (courtesy of Lynn)
3) He sensed I didn't really want to do it when I asked in October and supported me. (courtesy of me)

He said it was part #2, part #3 and part #4. He was quite defensive that it was not #1. A little too defensive, if you know what I mean. ::wink::

4) I have a good group of friends who support me in this in an awesome way and so he wants to support me in it. (courtesy of Zak).

Excellent! So, me and Julie will be run/walking the half on Saturday. ::gulp::

Next workout tomorrow with ZTT!!!

Oh, and as for the title, Zak agreed to it. Andrea knows what I am talking about. I mean, it's so far away, things can change. But he's down and ::gulp:: so am I!!!!

A Taste of What May Come???

I spent this past weekend in Harrisonburg, VA at Massanetta Springs Camp & Conference Center for the Crossroads Church of the Nazarene Annual Ladies' Retreat. I had a lovely time with a quite lovely group of women!!! As determined ahead of time by Julie and myself, we ran/walked on Saturday. We invited women on Friday night to join us and determined that butt-early Saturday morning was better than during the 5-hour break Saturday afternoon (by "we" I mean everyone but me--I was all for sleeping). When all was said and done, Julie, Eva, Amy and I all awoke early and met at 0630 for a walk/run. Julie and I did more walking and Eva and Amy did more running, but we all managed to stay together for the whole time. It was so much fun! And hopefully a taste of what is to come for the Catonsville Chapter of the Sole Sisters... It's looking like 5 or 5:30 am on Mondays will be our weekly meeting time, but that is still very tentative! I had such a great time and I hope that we get this thing off of the ground running (pun very much so intended!). For the intervals, I ran 3 minutes, then walked 2 minutes. Including the 5 minute warm up walk, we went for 53 minutes total.

Also, I was a rock star with the food. I could not stick to my strict plan perfectly, but came pretty close. Even with Cracker Barrel for lunch today...Mmmm....

Next workout is cardio tomorrow: High Intensity Training--3 minutes zone 2, 1 1/2 minutes zone 4, repeat 8 times. Try to use speed instead of inclines to shift the zones.

I *Think* Me and ZTT are Friends Again...

...I mean, he told me he'd email me answers to my questions tonight with a smile, so either he is over being frustrated with me or really good at faking it. Either way, I'm happy.

Today I lifted and did cardio per ZTT's instructions.

Lifting:

Squat Press: 110 pounds, 15 reps (only did 12...whoops)
SB Chest Press: 12.5 pounds, 12 reps (the 12.5 pound dumbells were missing, did 15s...yeah, I did)
SB Leg Curls: 15 reps (only did 12...whoops)
Lat Pulldown: 60 pounds, 12 reps
Back Hyperextension: 15 reps (only 2 sets)
Assisted Chinups: 140 pounds assistance, 12 reps
Assisted Dips: 130 pounds assistance, 12 reps
Chest Fly, 55 pounds, 12 reps
FM Shoulder Press: 20 pounds, 12 reps
Bosu Crunches: 15 reps (only 2 sets)

Then I did cardio. The instructions were incline of 7.0 in zone 3 for 30 minutes:

Calories Burned: 377 (Treadmill)/605 (HR Monitor in total)
Total Miles: 2.12
Total Time: 40:00 (including cool down)/1:19:40 (in total)
Ending Heart Rate: 119

Also, I asked Zak (who was wearing a Yankees shirt..bleh...I told him I would wear mine on Tuesday...mine isn't as nice...) about the optional workouts. He said that he is not babying me, my body needs a break, so we decided on resting Friday, run/walking with the girls at ladies' retreat Saturday and resting Sunday. Good plan. :)

Next workout on Saturday, but will not be able to blog about it until Sunday!

I Hate the Step-Mill

I hate the Step-Mill. Today I did cardio: 5 min warm-up, 30 minutes on the treadmill at an incline of 5 and a speed of 3.5mph, followed by 15 minutes on the step-mill on level 4.

I hate the Step-Mill. My Stats:

Treadmill:
Calories Burned: 321 (Treadmill)/286 (HR Monitor)
Total Miles: 2.01
Total Time: 35:00

Step-Mill:
Total Miles: 0.99
Calories Burned: 135 (Step-mill)/449 (HR Monitor-in total, including above)
Floors Climbed: 43

Ending Heart Rate: 145

I hate the Step-Mill. Workouts for the rest of the week:

Thursday – Repeat weight training routine and cardio (30 min. Zone 3 at incline of 7)

Friday – OPTIONAL (personally I think you should give your body some rest because you have been doing great with your exercise and sometimes giving some added rest actually helps boost your progress; but if you do decide to workout 2 sets of 20 squats, 15 pushups and 45 second planks will work)

Saturday – OPTIONAL (I don’t want to give you specific guidelines on your retreat, but if you go for a walk/run try and do a 3 min. jog/run – 2 min. walk setup for whatever time you have available)

Monday – cardio (HIT, 3 min. Zone 2 – 1.5 min. Zone 4, REPEAT 8 times; try and use speed not incline the whole time to shift zones

I hate the Step-Mill. I have an outstanding email to ZTT asking if he really thinks I need this pansy optional stuff in my workouts or if he is catering to my bad mood and babying me. I don't need babying. You're my trainer, be tough. That's all I'm sayin'.

Oh, and...I hate the Step-Mill.

I Should Have Chosen the Free Fit Test...

Today was my free session with Zak as a prize for doing so well in the 10K. Recall that I had a choice to do this or get a free fit test. I chose the session because: 1) I don't want a fit test; 2) I love my sessions with Zak the Trainer; and 3) I was going to have 2 weeks between my last appointment (Oct 27) and the next one (Nov 3). I was so excited for it. It seemed wonderful. But, alas, it was not.

I weighed in at the same weight as last week. This upset me. I work very hard. Very hard. I give up a lot. A LOT. I don't cheat at all. AT ALL. I worked out Sunday through Saturday last week. Every day. I took off Sunday and worked out Monday. And lost NO WEIGHT. Now, yes, I know I lost 8 pounds last week. I wasn't expecting that again. All I wanted was ONE POUND. Forward progress. That's it. And I was not happy about it. Also, we took measurements. I lost like 1% body fat. REALLY??? So, you might argue: Erin, your weight stayed the same, but you gained muscle and lost fat. NOPE. That would show up in the measurements. AWESOME. *sarcasm*. Well, ZTT didn't like my negative attitude and so the whole session was a lot of discussion about this. It wasn't fun. I should have chosen the free fit test.

In the discussion I told him everything I was thinking. That I wish I had eaten all those foods I didn't eat (the cake at Lisa's shower, the yummy rice at the Vyas house, the pretzels on the boat today). If I am not going to lose, I wish I could have had a few bites of deliciousness. He told me that this was self-destructive thinking. I told him I didn't get to my current weight with healthy thinking. I told him that I was also angry because every week I do not make progress costs me more money. The gym and ZTT are expensive! If I am not cheating and am working very hard, I want a return on my investment. This week of no loss = another week of money out of my pocket. Zak says that I can be angry if it inspires me, but he worries my current attitude will snowball into a downward spiral. He then told me lots of stories about "clients" who had problems that started off like this. I felt like he was threatening me, but he claims he wasn't. He did point-blank say that he would not help me re-lose pounds. I didn't like it when he said that. I am not sure how I feel about it now. I think I still don't like it.

Also, at one point we were going to do the leg curls on the stability ball and I grumbled and he asked very nicely: Do you not want to do it??? I looked at him and said: Don't cater to my bad mood! Don't ask me my opinion. Tell me what to do. Tough Love, Zak, tough love!

Ugh. I am frustrated. I feel like Zak is too. Somewhat rightfully so. I kind of feel like he's my trainer so he should have to deal with me when I get all moody and make me work through this. But then again, he does have some high standards for his clients and what they put into the workouts, so maybe he can be frustrated with me. I don't know.

So...for now. I am giving it another week. At that point I don't know what honestly. Will cross that bridge when I come to it. I really don't see myself quitting. But I hope I can get out of this funk.

Next workout is tomorrow. Zak didn't have it so he is emailing it to me. It will be cardio of some sort.

"Should I Just Bring the Crash Cart Out Now???"

Yes, loyal fan base. Zak the Trainer approached my treadmill during my warm-up for today and asked me the title question of this post. Now, for those who occasionally "feel bad" for ZTT for having to deal with me...he dishes it out as good as he takes it. That's all I'm sayin'. :)

Today was crazy-high-intensity-because-ZTT-thinks-I-can-do-crazy-stuff-like-this-and-I-can-but-for-serious-ZTT!-day. It was:

5 min warm up, {4 min zone 3, 2 min zone 4, repeat 7 times}, 5 min cool down.

Now, let me be clear. Zone 3 = a very fast walk or jog about 4.5 mph. Zone 4 = full out run at 5.5-6 mph. I never run that fast. But I did today for 14 minutes over seven 2-min intervals. (I will say that I feel really good that I was able to run that fast for that long...but that is beside the point, ZTT is still crazy). My intervals were basically, walk 3.5 mph at 0.0, then 2.0, then 4.0, then 6.0 then 8.0 inclines for the first 3 minutes of the zone 3. For the last minute, I dropped the incline to 0.0 and ran at 4.5 mph. The first 30 seconds of the zone 4 portions were at 5.5 mph and the last minute and a half was at 6 mph. This seemed to keep my HR where it needed to be. I stepped off that treadmill red-faced and out of breath. Awesome. :)

My Stats:

Calories Burned: 565 (Treadmill)/528 (HR Monitor)
Total Miles: 3.61
Total Time: 52:00 (including cool down)
Ending Heart Rate: 135

Next workout tomorrow with ZTT. We will be doing measurements! Excited to see inches lost and percentage body fat decrease...

*Grumble, grumble* STEP-MILL *Grumble, grumble*

Boo. (<--gratuitous halloween reference).

Today was 30 minutes in zone 2, followed by 15 minutes on the step-mill at level 4. For those who do not know, a step-mill is a stairmaster. A machine where you continually walk UPSTAIRS but never get anywhere. A machine created and developed by, or at the very least utilized by, the devil himself (or herself). I don't know why anyone would like the step-mill. I mean, you know what I love? Escalators. You know what I love more than escalators? Elevators. For serious. So when I began training with Zak the Trainer I told him about my hatred of the step-mill and suggested it be used as a punishment for me if I do not stick to my food and exercise plan. So, when Zak asked me if I would do the step-mill, I reminded him of this. He asked if I could handle it for 15 minutes. Apparently, I cannot say no to Zak the Trainer so I said yes. Sigh. It wasn't *that* bad. But when I see him next, I will tell him it was... :)

My Stats:

Treadmill:
Calories Burned: 308 (Treadmill)/281 (HR Monitor)
Total Miles: 1.85
Total Time: 35:00

Step-Mill:
Total Miles: 0.89
Calories Burned: 135 (Step-mill)/448 (HR Monitor-in total, including above)
Floors Climbed: 43

Total time of workout: 51:37
Ending Heart Rate: 128

Yes, 43 flights of stairs AND I should really add on the TWO flights I climb to get to the exercise floor. Yes, that's correct--Lifetime put the exercise floor UPSTAIRS. There's an elevator, but I am fairly certain that if ZTT ever found out that I stepped foot in it he would make me PAY. So I don't...EVER. Wow...this post was a bit whiny...

Next workout: Monday. Zone 3 & 4 cardio.

I'm Late! I'm Late! For a Very Important Blog Post...

I don't think I have ever been this far behind! My internet was down Thursday night and I was in crazy-favor-making mode for the Baby Shower tomorrow last night, so I have not blogged about either day!!!

Thursday: I participated in a 5K! Per ZTT's advice, I ran 4 minutes, walked 2 minutes (recall at the 10K I ran 4, walked 3). The course was a bit hilly but not too bad overall. I finished in 38:14 which makes a 12:20 minute mile. I'll take it!!! :)

Friday: I lifted and did cardio. The lifting:

Squat Press: 110 pounds, 15 reps
SB Chest Press: 12.5 pounds, 12 reps
SB Leg Curls: 15 reps
Lat Pulldown: 60 pounds, 12 reps
Back Hyperextension: 15 reps (only 2 sets)
Assisted Chinups: 140 pounds assistance, 12 reps
Assisted Dips: 130 pounds assistance, 12 reps
Chest Fly, 55 pounds, 12 reps
FM Shoulder Press: 20 pounds, 12 reps
Bosu Crunches: 15 reps (only 2 sets)

For the cardio it was 5 minute warmup, 30 minutes of zone 3 at an incline of 6.0, 5 minutes cool down. I had to run in the beginning to get my heart rate up, which kind of stunk at an inlcine of 6.0, but once it was up I walked a brisk pace for the rest of it. :)

My Stats:

Calories Burned: 368 (Treadmill)/678 (HR Monitor in total)
Total Miles: 2.19
Total Time: 40:00 (including cool down)/1:22:34 (in total)
Ending Heart Rate: 121

Workouts for the rest of the week:

Today: 45 min cardio (30 minutes on treadmill, maintain zone 2; 15 minutes on stepmill, level 4)
Monday: 42 minutes cardio (4 minutes zone 3, 2 minutes zone4, repeat 7 times)

Got My Prize Today!

I went to the gym for my Wednesday workout: 5 minute warm up, {4 min zone 2, 4 min zone 3, 1 min zone 4} (repeat 5 times), 5 minute cool down.

Zak the Trainer swung by my treadmill to give me my prize!!! Recall the prize is because I did such an awesome job at the 10K. I had the choice of a free session with Zak or a free fit test. I don't really want to take fit tests ever because it has been my understanding from others who have done it that it makes your workouts harder. :) So I opted for a free session with Zak. We were supposed to have our next meeting on the 10th, but now we are meeting on the 3rd too! YIPPEE!!!

My Stats from the cardio today:

Calories Burned: 552 (Treadmill)/540 (HR Monitor)
Total Miles: 3.54
Total Time: 55:00 (including cool down)
Ending Heart Rate: 130

I'm still waiting for my workout plan for the week...ZTT says he will email it to me... Tomorrow I am run/walking a 5K at 8:15am, then my next gym day is Friday!

What I Eat

Some people have requested the details of my food plan. I want to caveat this to say that Zak the Trainer developed this FOR ME based upon my resting metabolic rate and foods I like/want to eat. It is roughly a 1800 calorie a day diet.

Breakfast: special k with skim milk, grapes
Snack #1: fiber one bar, yogurt, apple
Lunch: tuna sandwich, almonds, pear
Snack #2: cottage cheese, strawberries
Dinner: 6 oz of either steak, chicken or pork, green beans or carrots, 1/2 cup cooked whole grain pasta

Some notes:

+ All of the fruit can be interchanged or whatever. I eat the strawberries latest in the day because berries have complex carbohydrates which are good pre-workout.
+ The yogurt I eat is Dannon Light n Fit. I find it to be tasty. Also, I get the 6 pack which are smaller than the singles.
+ The tuna sandwich can also be two starches and 4-5 oz of protein (e.g. chicken breast and a dinner roll)
+ The cottage cheese could be greek yogurt, but I have never tried it and frankly, it frightens me...unsure why.
+ Again the vegetables for dinner can be interchanged with whatever.
+ The whole grain pasta can be substituted with a small baked potato or sweet potato, or a 1/2 cup of brown rice.

I also drink about 10-14 glasses of water per day (that's 5-7 bottles).

Hope this helps to answer any questions you may have had!

Don't Be Tardy for the Party (Just for you, Lynn and Amanda)

Wow. There are so many amazing things to post here. I think I will just list them.

1) Went shopping today. Did not step foot in the plus sized dept. Bought size 14 jeans in the regular women's section. That is THREE sizes down! Also got a shirt and some more workout clothes!
2) Weighed in. I lost EIGHT pounds in ONE week! And Zak the Trainer says it is completely healthy, so no I-am-worried-about-your-pace comments. I am still on track for an average of two pounds per week and Zak says this is safe.
3) These 8 pounds brought me over the 50 pound mark! I am officially at 53 pounds!!! As Andrea keeps telling me, we have to have a 50 party. I think we shall. No idea when or where or how. But stay tuned (and don't be tardy).
4) These 8 pounds also pushed me past one of my MAJOR goals!

Zak was speechless when I weighed in. It was followed by a hug (more of an attack--I asked if I could hug him first, not sure if I waited for an answer) and a high-five (the first of many throughout the night) and lots of jumping and yelling and shoving Zak in excitement (poor guy...I cannot contain it sometimes). One of the other trainers pointed out that half the gym was looking at us. I apologized, but Zak told me not to worry about it--I was excited, as I should be!!! I said "I am AMAZING!" many times during our session, and there were many, many high-fives. I cannot stop smiling. I am SO happy!!!

As for the workout:

Squat Press: 110 pounds, 15 reps
SB Chest Press: 12.5 pounds, 12 reps
SB Leg Curls: 15 reps
Lat Pulldown: 60 pounds, 12 reps
Back Hyperextension: 15 reps (only 2 sets)
Assisted Chinups: 140 pounds assistance, 12 reps
Assisted Dips: 130 pounds assistance, 12 reps
Chest Fly, 55 pounds, 12 reps
FM Shoulder Press: 20 pounds, 12 reps
Bosu Crunches: 15 reps (only 2 sets)

There was supposed to be the Techno Upper Back, which I hate, and ZTT knows it, but he took it off as a treat for doing so awesome!!! And, some of you (like me) are no doubt wondering about my prize for doing the 10K so well. He won't have it until tomorrow and will not tell me what it is!!! Also, he is emailing me my workouts for the next two weeks tonight, so until then all I know is I am doing "cardio" tomorrow. :)

Since I hit the 50 mark, I decided to do a side by side comparison. The photo on the left is from June 3, when I had lost 18 pounds already. The photo on the right is from Sunday when I was 50+ down:

The Next Day...

...

:)! So I was not all that sore after the MCM 10K! I wore shoes with a slight heel and that probably wasn't the best idea since my legs were a touch sore, but really not too much more than usual. :)

Then I went to work out today.

The assignment was cardio: 5 min warm-up, 25 min zone 2, 25 min zone 3, 5 min cool down. I did the entire zone 2 period at an incline of 6.0 and a speed of 3.2. My heart rate would NOT go higher than zone 2, despite my best efforts. When the time came to switch to zone 3 I had two options: higher incline or faster speed. I really hate inclines. So I dropped it down to an incline of 0.0 and began running. Perhaps not the best choice as my legs indicated, but whatever. I ran for 15 minutes with absolutely zero stamina issues, then walked at 6.0 for the last 10 minutes. Since my heart rate was already up, it stayed in zone 3. Now I hurt. :) But in a great way! ;) Here's to hoping tomorrow with ZTT isn't too painful...

My Stats:

Calories Burned: 579 (Treadmill)/544 (HR Monitor)
Total Miles: 3.41
Total Time: 60:00 (including cool down)/1:04:43 (in total)
Ending Heart Rate: 132

Next workout tomorrow! And weigh-in! And I have a feeling it is going to be a good one...

MCM 10K!

Today was the Marine Corp Marathon & 10K!!! It. Was. Awesome!!! The day began at 3:30 am when I was WIDE AWAKE. Jet lag? Sheer excitement? Who knows...but I laid awake in bed for the next 2 hours-ish, when Amanda woke up! And I whisper-yelled: HAPPY MARATHON DAY!!! And the day began...

As Leah told me: I may not be fast and I may not be good. But I am cute!


(::sigh:: I know the picture is sideways...It isn't working right and I don't have the energy to deal with it...)

We made it to the start line early, which was nice...and cold...and we got to our corrals (I went to the far back...). At which point I hooked up with Lynn, my pre-race support!!!



She wished me luck and gave me an awesome pep talk and then let me 'get in the zone' and the gun went off!!!

After a 5 minute warm up walk, I stuck to Zak the Trainer's plan of 4 minute run/3 minute walk intervals. I was able to do it the entire way with a mini-sprint at the end! :)

My official chip time was 1:22:25! My official goal was under two hours. My secret goal was under 1 1/2 hours. I. Am. Awesome!!!

Then, I met up with my post-race support team!





Yes, ZTT! He came (late--due to his underestimating the metro crowds he claims, not me and my finish time...) to congratulate me at the finish! He says he is very impressed (as well he should be...) with my finish time! (So am I!) Also he said I get a prize on Tuesday (CANNOT WAIT!) AND he told me that I didn't have to lift tonight!!!! It's like a million prizes!!!

Once we cooled down, got out bags from the UPS bag check and said bye to some friends, we went over to cheer on the AMAZING marathoners--Amanda, Andrea and Mary-Theresa! They looked great (at about mile 18)! We then metro-ed to the finish line. It was packed. Sooooooo packed. We met our finishers as they came out and then could not get out of Rosslyn for like 2 or 3 hours!!! The metro was packed, the shuttles were packed, the taxi stand had a long line that moved soooo slow. We called a cab. They lied to us and never showed up...sigh. We ate dinner and FINALLY got back to the hotel (thanks to our hero, Ms. E!).

Amber and I got back to my house by 6:30 pm and promptly showered and got into PJs! And yes, I am still wearing my finisher medal--because of all days, TODAY is the day I can wear it without being (too) weird!!!

Friday Workout? Check.

I lifted and did cardio today like I said I would.

The strength circuit:

FM Squats, 100 pounds
SB Chest Press, 12.5 pound free weights
SB Leg Curls, 12 each set
Planks, 2 @ 45 seconds each
Assisted Chin Ups, 145 pound assistance
Assisted Dips, 140 pound assistance
Chest Fly, 50 pounds
FM Shoulder Press, 20 pounds
Bosu Crunches, 2 sets of 15 each

This workout is the hardest one I have done as of yet. I think this is a good thing. I have moved from the machines some to free weight type stuff and it must be working a whole lot of new muscles cause I feel it. But it is a good thing!!! (At least that is what I tell myself... ::grin::). Also, Zak totally forgot to put the techno upper back on my workout sheet (which I hate!) so I don't have to do it!!!! Ha ha ha ha ha ha! Suckaaa, ZTT!!!

The cardio was 30 minutes in zones 2 & 3. My stats:

Calories Burned: 257 (Treadmill)/561 (HR Monitor - includes strength and cardio)
Total Miles: 1.61
Total Time: 30:00 (including cool down)/1:04:43 (in total)
Ending Heart Rate: 123

Next workout is the MCM 10K!!!!!! I am so excited I could spit. But I won't. :) The shirts came in and they are awesome! And, awesome news!!! The shirt I ordered for myself is WAAAAAY too big, and the shirt I ordered for ZTT totally fits me!!!! So, I took his. :) He can swim in the shirt... And I will look fierce. ;)

Perfect Weather, Perfect Outdoor Run...

Today was the outdoor run! It was great! I feel so good now about Sunday's 10K. I have a plan and I feel like it is achievable... Yessssss.

When I showed up at the gym today I got super apprehensive. I really don't want to get winded and tired and slow walk the end. It is a big fear of mine. But Zak the Trainer is AWESOME. And he set me up with 4 minute run, 3 minute walk intervals. And he timed it the whole time so all I had to do was run, walk and chit chat (which I do so well). It was good. I feel like I can definitely do the 10K at that pace. I mapped out the route on mapmyrun and I think I got it...~4.5 miles:

It was just supposed to be the Columbia Gateway Loop...but we missed a turn... :) We went from about 7:10pm until 8:15ish...so 1 hr 5 minutes? For a pace of about 4.15 mph. Not bad. I'll take it. :) (Disclaimer-the times are complete guesses...but I think in the ballpark).

Workout plan for the week:

Friday: Lifting and 30 minutes cardio (zones 2 & 3)
Sunday: 10K!!! And lifting.
Monday (optional, pending brother visit): Cardio--25 minutes zone 2, then 25 minutes zone 3.

Also, I have food plans for Saturday night and Sunday morning before the 10K. Basically, an extra serving of carbs on Saturday and cottage cheese and fruit and oatmeal before the race!

YAY!!!

"I Didn't Like That."

Well, ZTT decided that easing back into a workout routine is for sissies--and kicked my butt--even though I LOST a pound on vacation. Yes, that's correct! I am down another pound!!! For a total of 45!

So, I do not have a hard copy of the workout from tonight, Zak the Trainer is giving it to me tomorrow (when we go for an outdoor prep run for the 10K together!!!). The workout moved away from machines and more toward the mat, but there were still some machine work. I'll do my best to describe it since my memory is suffering from the affects of jet lag...

FM Squats, 100 pounds. Same weight as before but I squat lower and it is *rough*. According to ZTT, it works more of my legs. Awesome. *sarcasm* When I finished my three sets there, I told Zak that I didn't like that. He didn't care.
Chest Press on an Exercise Ball, 12.5 pound free weights. I lack balance and grace in this.
Hamstrings on Mat and Exercise Ball. I lay down on the mat and roll the ball with my legs...It's hard to explain... Again, lack of grace...
Planks. Zak the Trainer decided not to tell me how long I was going to hold them until I was done. :). Two planks, one 45 seconds, the other 55 seconds.
Pull Ups on the machine, so not real pullups.
Triceps Dips on the same machine.
FM Shoulder Press, 20 pounds.
Abdominal Crunches on the Bosu Ball, 2 sets of 15 each.
Techno Upper Back, 40 pounds.

The workout plan for the week will be solidified tomorrow, but tentatively:

Wednesday, Outdoor Run with ZTT!
Friday, Strength Circuit (and probably some cardio)
Sunday, MCM 10K! (and maybe lifting in the evening)
Monday, either day off and dinner with my brother who will be in town or cardio.
Tuesday, ZTT.