SpinCycler’s BodyBlog

It’s been way to long since I checked up on all my friends here. Since I finished grad school and started a job, it has been hard to keep up. That and I realized that I was obsessing about food and working out, and it wasn’t making me happy. When I stopped stressing and counting all calories etc., I shed a great amount of fat. I quit the gym and use the streets as my gym and the yoga studio down the street. I feel a lot better. I know I will go back, but I needed a sabbatical. I just wasn’t loving it as much as I used to.
In other news, my boyfriend (fiance, I guess!) and I are engaged! Woo hoo!

Also, after running that 10-mile race in November, I signed up for a half marathon and will run it on Jan. 25. I am really looking forward to it, but I have not trained really hard for it. I had an injury that put me out for a while, so I may be slow but I can definitely run it.

I hope everyone is doing well and that you all had a very happy holiday season. I can’t wait to see what everyone’s new years resolutions are. Happy 2009!!

I am so proud of myself and my running partner. We ran the 10-mile race in 1:39:33, which is less than a 10 minute mile the whole way. I can’t really walk but I feel like a million bucks. Many props to my wonderful boyfriend who showed up bright and early to cheer me on at one of the toughest hills on the course. I don’t know if anyone knows Austin, Texas but the hills are brutal and all the hill training I did really paid off. Now I am off to collapse! WOW!

The challenge ended and I don’t even have time to tally my points but all week looked the same. I am going to take a break from fitness Web sites in geneeral and really focus on my running and spending more time with friends and being social. You really are all great people and great friends. God bless!

Spirit: 16 points

Go for a walk alone: 2 points

Random Act of Kindness: Bought my friends on Saturday cookies for their kids: 2 points

Group Activity: Lunch with a firend, dinner with a girlfriend, football game with many friends: 6 points

Blog Comments: 6 points

Body: 23 points

Cardio: 5.5 hours, 11 points

Weights: 1 hour, 2 points

Pounds lost: 2 points

Clean Eating: 8 points

Mind: 2 points

Reading "The Great Railway Bazzar": 2 points

*I need to do more here.

TOTAL POINTS: 41+88= 129!!! 

Also I wanted to brag on myself, I ran 7 miles for the first time ever on Friday and I am so close to my goal of running 6 miles in 1 hour. This morning I ran 6 in 1:02:25. Go me!

I hope everyone is well. 

Read’ em and weep!  Just kidding, here are my point totals since Oct. 1:

New friends made on bb.com: 4: 4 points

Go for a walk alone: 1: 1 point

Random act of kindness: 1 (There was someone at work who needed help stuffing and labeling 700 envelopes. I helped her for an hour without being asked) :2 points

Responding to blogs: 4: 4 points

Group Activity: 3 (Lunch with a friend, dinner with a new friend, jogging with my neighbor and her dog, Boots…reminds me I really need to be more social. It’s good for me!): 6 points

Yoga class: 1, 90-minute class, 3 points

Meditation: 1 and I did it instead of eating my way through stress, 3 points

30 minutes of cardio: 10 (45 mins. Running Wed. and Thurs., 90-minute walk on Friday, 60 minute bike ride on Sunday, 60 min. run on Monday): 10 points

30 minutes weights: 1: 1 point

Clean eating: 3 days: 6 points

30 minutes reading: 1 (I am reading The Great Railway Bazaar and loving it): 1 point

Total for Wednesday through Monday morning at 9 a.m.: 41 points!!!!!

This is a really great challenge, ladies. I am loving the IN and OUT factor. Looking forward to seeing what everyone else is up to!

I left my point tally at work, so it will have to wait until Monday.

I hope to use this challenge as an opportunity to set some realistic goals for myself and I must document where I am today. While I am more proud of my althletic accomplishments and more ashamed of my current states, I must post them, so I can look back at them on Oct. 31 and realize how far I came in a month. Goals are listed after.

Weight: Somewhere between 124 and 126.5 it has been flunctuating (120-122.5)

One inch above waist: 28" (27.5")

Thigh at widest part: 21.5" (20.5-21")

Body fat: 24% (22-23%) 

Other Goals:

Fit into this one pair of jeans that zip but are too tight to wear in public

Continue to run 3-4 times a week, completing my training schedule for the month

Make more time for yoga class

Love myself and the process

Look at my calorie intake and see what I can get rid of

I WILL NOT PIG OUT ON HALLOWEEN CANDY!

Keep up with all my friends on bb.com.

I plan to keep track of my points and post them on my blog once a week as well as notifying the group leaders.

I look forward to hearing about everyone else’s experiences as well. Happy October!

5.1 miles in 56 minutes last week!

6 miles in 70 minutes this week!

I am ADDICTED!!!

My new personal challenge is…. every time I think something negative about my body I have to come up with two positive things to say about myself.

For example: My stomach looks flabby….I have come a long way since I started my fitness journey loosing 3-4 inches in my waist AND I am really athletic.

I think this is going to help with my self image.

And finally I am competing in the In and Out Challenge….

Check it out here:

http://blog.bodybuilding.com/tlcinwdm/2008/09/24/in-and-out-challenge/

…with running. I have been training for a 10-mile race to be held the 2nd week in Novemeber and I am really enjoying it. My record so far is 4 miles in 46 minutes, which for me is fantastic. I have a great partner which makes training much easier and pleasant. I don’t know how I did it without one — actually I didn’t:)

I haven’t come up with a goal time for the race just yet except to run the entire thing. But I think 2 hours for 10 miles would be a reasonable goal. Any thoughts? Any tips for runners, such as nutrition pre/post run? Any sites/ books you recommend? I am a sponge for this kind of stuff.

I hope all is well with all my bodybuilding.com friends!