*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!!!