I did it!

I jogged (3 short walks) 3 miles yesterday!

Coming to the end

WOW! It's hard to believe the challenge is almost over. What an experience! My top ten accomplishments are:

10. Getting up at 5:30 to workout at 6:30
9. Only farting one time with my trainer
8. Jogging for the first time in 20 years
7. Not peeing my pants while jogging
6. Doing intervals around a track for 2 miles
5. Comparing workouts with my high school son
4. Feeling at home in a weight room
3. Looking forward to workouts
2. Giving up pop
1. Turning 50 and being in better shape than I've been in 30 years!

Thank you Dallas for your support and pushing me to do more than I ever thought I could. Also for putting up with me whining, texts, dirty looks, and smart mouth.

Thank you Jen for your support. When we were doing the intervals around the track, she would always say something encouraging. She's so much stronger and faster than me, but she always complimented and encouraged me. What a great support, inspiration and friend!

No Stairs Today

Dallas sent us a 3 page text yesterday at 6:15 A.M. informing us that we need to work out on a track in preparation to run the 5k in a couple of weeks, so last night Jen and I met Dallas at the AFHS track. We jogged around one time, stretched, did these rabbit chasing drills (whatever it's called), jogged the straight aways and walked the curves and ended with an abs workout and stretching. After it was all over I went 2 miles and Jen went 2 and 1/4 miles (way to go Jen). Jen's a lot faster than I am - she's awesome!

Today my left calf and bone spurs are really sore. Whenever I stand up I have to hold onto something for the first few steps, then I'm good. Walking into the hospital, I went up the stairs by the dock and thought I might need to crawl up them. BUT I DID IT!!!!!!!!

Wearing heels with a sore calf and bone spurs, there are no stairs today!

PS - still pop free!

A Gentle Kick in the Butt

I guess it's been awhile since I've blogged, so here is the update. My eyes are great. My trainer is back from Hawaii (leaving again for Chicago - good luck!). I figured out I'm walking/jogging on the outside of my foot and that's why I have just bad shin splints. Still haven't lost much weight. Still pop free.

I want to thank Dallas for putting up with me. The other day I was whining about my shin splints and he sent me this looooooong text: "Ok I am not going to lie there is going to be pain no matter what you do when starting a program like this when you really have not done much exercise before now. Your muscles are being broken down tendons are stretching etc...so if you can work through the pain you will adjust to it and it will be easier and easier for you to exercise. However if you hive into the pain and ease off the workout your body simply falls back to the comfortable state where it has always been. If it is unbearable then we need to find a treatment for it but if it's pain that you can handle even though it's uncomfortable then I say work through it. " I love the fact that Dallas cares enough to give me the kick in the butt I needed!

I'm jogging a little more every day and I'm trying really hard to run on the inside of my foot. When I do that my shins feel a lot better. I'm still nervous for the 5k though.

Trainer Free

Can I just say that I have THE BEST support group...Jen and Janette are the best! I've been whining the past few blogs and they're great at gently kicking me in the butt.

This week I've been working out on my own since my trainer decided to go to Hawaii. I was nervous on Monday, wondering if I could work hard enough, especially after my birthday weekend of food, food, and more food and no exercise. I wonder if you could count riding on the back of a jet ski as exercise? My arms were so sore because I had to hold on for dear life! ANYWAY...I got on the treadmill and my shin spints came back, so I decided to jog (I can't say run because most people walk faster than I ran). Oh My H...my legs felt better when I jogged --- plus I didn't pee my pants! That's even a bigger bonus! I haven't jogged in 20 years and it felt almost good for the 1:30 intervals I jogged.

Yesterday I wondered if Monday was just a fluke, so I tried it again and I did it! I even got my speed to 4.4 (a PR). Not bad for an old lady who just had two cataract surgeries, celebrated her half century birthday and didn't have her trainer.

Week number 4 without pop!

New Eyes but a Year Older

Well, I had my second eye surgery and all is good--I can see!!!! I even wore eye makeup today. Life is good, so I thought. It's been two weeks of "light" workouts and I felt it this week. While on the treadmill Monday, my right leg felt like it was on fire. I was so disappointment because I'd come so far and now I feel like I'm almost back to square one. Dallas is headed to Hawaii today, so I'm on my own for a week and a half. Hopefully I'll be able to work through my shin splints and get my endurance back by the time he returns. Amazing what you lose in a couple of weeks!

It's also my birthday this week. It's kind of a BIG birthday too. I'll admit my body felt its age today. Between my bone spur, sore hip and shin, I wasn't looking forward to my workout, especially after Monday. After 4 ibuprofin I felt ok and did pretty good for an old lady.

With about six weeks left in the challenge, knowing there isn't a chance to win, I'm going to work harder than I have so far.

Oh yeah, three weeks and still pop free.

Contact Free -- At Least One Eye

I had my first cataract and lense implant surgery last Thursday and I'm now contact free in my left eye! Yeah me! It's sooooo weird to wake up in the morning (take off my eye shield) and be able to see. I LOVE IT!! I'm sooooo excited to have my right one done this Thursday. The doctor said for my prescription it's life changing, amen to that! I can look at an alarm clock without it being 1 1/2 inches from my face. I can shave my legs by sight not feel in the shower. Body's not there yet to go swimming, but when I do, I won't have to worry about losing a contact in the water! I'm loving it!

I did walk a VERY slow pace a couple of times last weekend and yesterday I did a light workout. Dallas was afraid my eye was going to pop out of my head, SOOOO I was the one increasing my speed on the treadmill and the Elliptical.

I did have a first yesterday. I've had a bad knee that likes to fill up with fluid if I do inclines or hills, yesterday I walked at a 1% incline without pain or fluid! Yeah me! I realize that the rest of the group is up to 6% inclines, but that's ok. It was a first for me!

Yes, I'm still pop free - two weeks!

Pop Free for One Week!

When I went home from training yesterday I was a little sad, which I really shouldn't have been. I worked harder than I had before. Set a couple of PRs (even if they were for 30 seconds), lifted more weights and did more reps, but I kept seeing other people in the gym going so much faster, running or walking on an incline, flying through weights.

Don't get me wrong, I am very proud of myself! I remember being afraid to sweat when I first started and now I'm afraid I'm not working hard enough if I'm not soaking wet. On the weekends I worry about not doing enough exercising and plan my work day around my work out time. I will admit that I am nervous when the Challenge is over and if I'll be able to motivate myself without a trainer? YES!!!!!!!

My family has been great during this Challenge. Very supportive. My husband is so proud of me. He makes sure he's available for me to work out. My 17 yr old son and I compare workouts. My other kids ask when I'm going to work out and when I get back they ask how it was. They do push ups and sit ups with me. They eat all the reduced fat meals I make without complaining and their favorite dessert is my diet soda cake with fat free whipping cream. YUM! I'm very lucky to have my family - I love them all so very much!

And YES, I made it one week without pop!

I HATE IT WHEN DALLAS IS RIGHT!!!!

Ok, I've been off pop since Wednesday and I lost 4 lbs last week. I'm sure Dallas will be, "I told you so" all during training with his big smile! I am glad I lost the 4 lbs though. This is the first real lost since the first week, hopefully, not the last! I still have to listen to him gloat though!

Here's some bad news/good news:

Bad news: I went to the eye doctor last week and I have cataracts.
Good news: I get new lenses inserted into my eyes and for the first time since second grade I won't have to wear glasses or contacts!!!!!!!!
Bad news: I can't wear eye make up for TWO WEEKS!
Good news: Dallas has to take it easy on me for those two weeks!
Bad news: Dallas will kick my butt this week and the week before he goes to Hawaii!!!!
Good news: I won't be wearing contacts when he's kicking my butt!!!!!!!

Swearing off Diet Coke or Swearing at Dallas

Today while training, Brooke and I were complaining about not losing much weight. Dallas chimes in about the amount of pop I drink. SOOO Brooke says, "We'll go without pop for a week." I wasn't too thrilled, but now that I've thought about it all day, I'm in. We'll see how much swearing I'll be doing at Dallas by the end of a week!



On Monday Dallas decided to increase my exercise on the treadmill. He started me out faster and wanted me to try an incline. I made it about 16 minutes and I thought my shine was on fire. He was very sweet and helped me stretch out my leg. Today he redid my exercise plan and I bypassed the treadmill and did the standing Elliptical. HOLY CRAP! I thought my legs were going to fall off! AND then we did the arm bicycle machine - not a big fan of that machine. Needless to say, my legs and arms were jello until about noon.



Serious, it was great! I'm liking to exercise (don't tell Dallas). I LOVE TO SWEAT. Never thought I'd EVER say that. I'm not a big fan while I'm doing the cardio, but always proud of myself when I'm finished. I like the weights except for the shoulder press. We're about a third of the way through and I'm already dreading not working out with Dallas.

At training this morning we decided to try a different machine. I've seen people working on it before and thinking "Wow, that's a cake walk machine." Much to my surprise, it worked my arms off! I have no idea what it's called, but you peddle with your arms and, of course, it has intervals and resistance. I'll never think any machine in a weight room is a cake walk again!

New Records

Well Dallas thought he'd be real funny yesterday and push me to new records! He added weight to my lifts, speed to my treadmill and harder/longer intervals on the Elliptical. When I left the gym I had weak legs and arms and very wet pants. I looked like I peed my pants! I felt very proud of myself especially since I gained weight last week!

Well I've been doing this now for 3 weeks. I like the exercising part, but hate the dieting part. I've totally screwed up on the eating . I lost 6 lbs the first week, 2 the second and 1 the third. I haven't gotten in the right mind set for dieting. I exercise real hard (for me), sweating a ton, getting my heart rate up, even taking the stairs (most of the time), but I want to eat ALL THE TIME! Almost every day between 1:30-3:30, I want chocolate and caffeine. I haven't had a "real" diet coke since November and lately, I really want one. I've been able to work through the cravings, but it hasn't been easy.

My trainer Dallas is great and we get a long real well.

First Workout

I've been so nervous for my first workout. Will I have a "Bob" or "Jillian" trainer? Will I throw up or fall off the treadmill? I DIDN'T! Dallas will be my trainer, but he was unavailable today so Tracy did my initial assessment today. I did the bike, treadmill and Elliptical and a few other things. My legs are tired, but I'm good.

I also had my first nutrition class today. I don't know if I'll ever understand the carbohydrate/protein/fat way of figuring out my diet, so I think I'll just stick with the point system.

Some of my goals for this 100 Days will be to not be afraid of working out with my trainer, work through the pain, and enjoy a hard workout.