Ze Plan... Feedback Requested

This is what I am thinking for my long run schedule. *Remember this is my long runs only.

I am going to run about 3 times per week during the week also, but really try to not run 2 days in a row. I am not going to plan out those days, as "Fashionably Flexible" is rule #1 (for week days only).

Do you think that is too long of a taper from my last long run to my race weekend? I think I did this last year, but can't really remember.

Song of the day: Dangerous by Kardinal Offishall

Easily Irritated

I will be the first to admit that I'm easily irritate or "EI" as I frequently call myself.

I've made it pretty clear that I have embraced my inner-planner and I'm proud of it.

This recent email convo with the "boy who didn't open the door for me" is a prime example of my easy irritable-ness. My commentary is in green.

Me: I am working on my marathon training plan right now.
BWDOTDFM: When are you planning on starting that training plan? What does that consist of? I am gonna start running after the gym real soon again.
Me: It starts this weekend with a 10 miler. Then basically, long runs on the weekends and running 3 times during week. I really want to stick with yoga 2 to 3 times per week, also. (Then I sent him my long run schedule ~ hey, he asked.)
BWDOTDFM: Nice to see you didn't plan anything out. Just playing it by ear are we? (Sarcasm is funny, but not when it's stupid.)
Me: You have to plan out your long runs – Marathon training takes a lot of PLANNING.
BWDOTDFM: I know, "I plan out everything. My middle name is planner!" (Why do men find planning to be such a negative thing? Seriously?)

I'll tell ya one thing. I'm going to PLAN on not seeing him any more. How about them plans?

Maybe I just don't like him
or I'm really not ready to date
(probably a little of both),
but I keep finding little things like this that annoy me.


I hope he doesn't find my blog.

Oh Yeah That Marathon Thing

Remember that little race I signed up for? Well, I guess I need to let go of my "no-plan" running plan (as much as I have loved it) and start thinking about fall Marathon training.

I like to create my own plans because I know my body better than Mr. Galloway or Mr. Higdon. But I will take bits and pieces from a few plans and mesh them together for my very own POM plan.

This is what I'm workin' with:

1. Fashionably Flexible: Long runs on Fri, Sat OR Sun - whatever day works best for me.
2. Weak Weekdays: Only 3 times per week MAX and not over 5/6 miles.
3. Cerebral Caloric Intake: There will be NO 12 lb. marathon weight gain like last year.
4. Luscious Longies: 3 runs of 20+ plus miles, maxing out at 22 miles.
5. Yoga Yahoo: Continue to do Bikram at least 2 days a week - aiming for 3.
6. Healthapotamus: Get refocused on hydration/nutrition/vitamins/supplements.
7. Shoe-tacular: Need to get new shoes to put into the training mix.

I will come up with the flexi-schedule this afternoon instead of working.

Does anyone else make up their own marathon plans?
What are your priorities/thoughts/concerns/struggles about your plan?

Song of the day: Inspiration by Ian Van Dahl

Sundays Nothings

Just rambling...

Did Bikram twice this weekend. (I swear this is why the recent weight loss.)

Ran a total of 13 miles (Fri & Sun).

The scale still said 131 this morning even after a pizza and beer binge last night, so I'm officially changing it on my side bar. SWWWEEEETTTTT.

Is it bad to not go on a 4th date with a guy because he didn't open the car door for me on the 3rd date? It really bugged me for some reason.

I know I haven't done any songs of the day lately. This is because music hasn't been very inspiring to me lately. But on my run today, I played this song 3 times in a row! You know how I love me some cheesy remixes!

Song of the Day: Say Yeah by Wiz Khalifa

Sole Searching

Close your eyes for a minute.
OK, now open them so you can read, but pretend they're closed.

Remember your first pair of really good running shoes?
They fit just right and for the first time you felt like you were in the PERFECT pair.
They held your foot snug, but not too snug.
They supported your arches. They protected your soles.
They never rubbed you the wrong way.
You would go miles and miles with no friction.
They were cute and just perfect in every way.

Or so you thought.

Suddenly and out of nowhere, the shoes seem to be falling apart.
Something is amiss.
And before you can say "Sneaker Freshener" they're gone.

Everyone tells you that there are plenty of shoes out there. You have to just look around. So you go to the local dive shoe store. Nothing there. People suggest going online, but that just isn't your style. And who knows what you'll end up with. You go to the fancy shoe store with professionals there to help you. You have to give it a try.

You take a pair home. They're OK. They fit and they're even a kinda cute. But something doesn't feel right. You can't get the other pair out of your head. What is with the first pair that made them so great? If only you could forget about them, then maybe you would be ready to slip into the new ones.

Then everyone tells you to stop looking. You'll find a pair on accident somewhere, probably on sale, when you're not looking at all. This is not what you want to hear. This does not make an iota of sense. If you don't have a great pair of sneakers, then aren't you ALWAYS looking, even when you're not technically "looking?"

So what's a girl to do? Just go around not wearing any sneakers? There are those incredible barefoot runners, but this girl is not one of them. This girl needs a new pair. And now her standards are so high, she is holding out for a pair that will really knock her socks off in ways she can't even imagine.

So the search continues.

Friday's Findings

Starting today, I am using up some extra vacation days and take EVERY Friday off for the entire Summer. How flippin' sweet is that?

Since I had the day off, I was able to sleep in AND run. This had me out on the boardwalk at about 8:30 am instead of my usual 5:45 am. Let me tell ya, there are a heck of a lot more people out and about. Which leads me to a few questions and findings:

1. Don't these people work? If so, what kind of job do they have that they can be surfing, walking dogs, drinking coffee, etc.


2. It's alot warmer outside - water and sunscreen might have been a good idea.


3. Passing gas while running is much easier when there are not a lot of people out. (*Note to self - look behind you first.)

I got home, did some stretches & home-yoga then hopped on the scale to find this exciting revelation! Can you believe it? 131.6? Holy shit! That's 3 lbs this week. I am not going to update my side bar just yet because I know I was a bit dehydrated. But that is really exciting for me. I have not weighed this amount since high school.

Heading out to San Onofre to meet my sis and nieces who are camping there. Getting to see my favorite girls and eating s'mores (I'll probably just have 1/4 of one) sounds like a great way to start off the weekend.

Cold Hard Tips

As a Sagittarius, I am known for being well, a bit blunt sometimes. So I thought I would dish out some brusque health tips for anyone who needs a little ass-whoopin'. I know I sure could use one once in a while.
*Sensitive peeps might want to stop reading here.

1. STOP MAKING EXCUSES - Nobody cares why you didn't work out or why you ate an entire pizza with a carton of ice cream on the side. The excuses you are making are falling on deaf ears. You are only hurting yourself. Do something about it.

2. FUGGETABOUTIT - Take the following foods out of your mind, away from your reach and out of your mouth. It will suck at first, but you will start to feel so much better in other ways that when you actually do eat it again, you will have a complete shiz-attack (literally, be near a bathroom).

• Chinese Food
• Mexican Food
• Fast Food
• Sugar
• Salad Dressings
• Creamy Sauces
• White Bread/Pasta

3. LEARN IT, LIVE IT, LOVE IT:

• Fruit - apples, oranges, peaches, strawberries, blueberries, grapefruit, watermelon - you get the picture.
• Veggies - Salads, spinach, peppers, artichokes, zucchini, asparagus, green beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, broccoli - once again, you get the picture.
• Cottage Cheese
• Kashi Cereal
• Yogurt
• Egg Whites
• Chicken, Fish & Turkey
• Whole Grains - Quinoa, brown rice, whole wheat

4. COUNT CALORIES - You will freak out when you realize how many calories you have actually been consuming. 1500 is my maintenance range. I dropped down to 1200 when I was in "loss" mode. Yes, you might be hungry at first, but you will shrink up your stomach and train your body to eat less food. (NOTE: It might be different for you based on your size, gender, etc. So find out. It is your responsibility to know how many calories you need on a daily basis.)

5. GET MOVIN' - exercise, walk, run, skip, jump, box, lift weights, hike, have lots of sex, ski, dance, play squash, play tennis, play basketball, do karate, race your kids, play soccer, get movin'. Burn calories any way you want to~there are so many activities out there you are bound to enjoy one of them. (If not, refer to #1). Once again, it may suck at first but once you get in the routine, you will start to crave and need exercise.

6. LEARN TO COOK - or at least how to make healthy dishes. In this modern Internet world, there are millions of recipes for healthy EASY versions of practically anything. One of my favorite sites is Worlds Healthiest Foods.

7. HAVE A PLAN - Sit down and write out your menu, figure out your calories, plan it all out. I recommend to keep it as simple as possible. If that's too hard, then join a group that can teach you how (Weight Watchers, etc.) Just trying to wing it day by day without a plan will set you up for failure.

8. SUPPORT SYSTEM - Hopefully your friends and family will support your decision to get healthy, but they might not. Be prepared for negative comments. (I went through this for a couple months until I actually started to look thinner, then all my friends wanted to know how I did it). If you can't find support at home, then look on the Internet, blog, join forums, join challenges. At some point you will start to feel so good about your success that you won't even need the support anymore. But such a huge life change is so all encompassing that you will want to talk about it ALL the time. That's why we have blogs, right?

9. CHANGE YOUR THINKING - Don't put yourself on a "diet" thinking it is a quick, temporary thing. It is not. You have to change your entire thinking about food and what food means to you. Is food something you use for comfort? Is food something you do when you're bored? Do you use food to cover up emotional feelings? Food is fuel for your body. That is all it is. If this is your main issue, then seek help. There is nothing wrong, embarrassing, or shameful with getting to the root of the matter with a little professional help.

10. MAKE THE TIME - Wake up earlier, stay up later. This is your health. This is your life. Everybody is busy. Everybody has a lot on their plate these days (hopefully not literally). Make yourself a priority. Nobody will do it for you. (Refer to #1).

If you need a friendly competition to get your booty in gear, head over to Viv's page and check out her Independence Weight Loss Challenge! I hear there might be prizes. But honestly, what better prize is there than having a healthy body?

Stay Strong. Peace. Out.
(Notice: I am not a doctor or a professional anything so you really don't have to listen to me. Seek a doctors advice before starting any program, but he will most likely tell you to get your ass in gear.)

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

I had big plans for my four-day weekend.
Big plans for running.
Big plans for yoga.
Throw in some weight training and maybe a fun new class of some type.
Grocery shopping for healthy food.
Preparation of said food.

Didn't happen.

If you measure success by drinking too much and going on lots of dates, then I had a successful weekend. But if you measure it by doing any of the items listed above, then I failed miserably.

Ok, I exaggerate a bit. I did attempt a horrible 2 mile hung-over run. I was so embarrassed. I talked about running with a new friend, then we go running and I was so hung over I had to walk after 2 miles. I did go to yoga once and got a good 8-miler in on Sunday.

I was definitely not as healthy/active this weekend as I wanted to be. Luckily Anita didn't punish me for it. Holding firm at 134.

The Lurking Landlord

When I was apartment hunting, I spotted my current place and called the number to make an appointment. I went to check it out & meet the landlord after a tennis match (visual: hot little tennis outfit). I think that is the reason I got the place - honestly. I'm fine with that EXCEPT that my creepy landlord thought this gave him the window to BRING UP PLAYING TENNIS with me EVERY flippin' time I see him. (NO MO FO, I am NEVER going to play tennis with you so SHUT IT.)

Let me paint you a picture of him. He is creepy, he is at least 25 years my senior and he is creepy. Did I mention that he is creepy? At one point he was living in the main house (I live in a back house) and he would STOP BY a couple times a week. Why? There is NO need for him to STOP BY, especially after 9pm - which is the typical time that he does. The STOP BYs luckily ceased when he moved.

Well he's back. And I can't seem to shake him. I am extremely rude and uninviting when he STOPS BY. I freakin' hate it. 99% of the time I am in my jammies watching a movie or reading and it's my down time. I go to bed very early and don't want him stopping by. Ever.

Recently, my toilet decided to take up running. And even more recently, my walls decided to take up Bikram. There is water dripping out of my drywall. Yep, so I had to call the lurker. This gave him license for even more stop bys. Seriously, he stopped by 3 times to look at the problem. He has yet to fix it. I have towels soaking up the water from the walls and have to turn off the water at my toilet after every use. I feel like I live in the ghetto.

Here's a sample of the conversation we had last night at 9:30 pm.
Lurker: We really need to get you up to my Big Bear cabin.
Me: (silent with weird look on face)
Lurker: You can run up there. That will get you in shape.

ARGH. WTF?
#1. Who is this "we?" you speak of?
#2. I am in shape so shut the F up.
#3. There is no way in hell I would go anywhere with you, let alone a deserted cabin.

I wish I could move, but my rent is affordable (now I know why) and I live in a kick ass area.

Am I Fat?

Yesterday Haley was chatting about how to measure your "frame" size - in other words, are you small boned, big boned, etc? According to this measurement, I am medium framed. Ok, I guess I already knew that.

Then Ms. Flusterate recommended a website that I just HAD to check out. I realize this is just ONE more way for me get crazier, so I clicked on the link:

Am I Fat?

Now here's the funky part - there are 2 options for body fat % calculators.

1st test said 21% (categorized as Fit/Lean)

2nd test said 31% (categorized as "Overfat")

What the fuck? There is no way on God's green planet that I am "overfat" by any means. Where the heck do these calculators come from? And why such the huge ass discrepancy?

And we WONDER why I am (and so many other women) so crazy/obsessed.

Flashback to 9th grade gym class when they told me I was 33% body fat and I wanted to DIE of embarrassment.

Anita has a body fat % option on her. It definitely varies depending on the amount of water in your body. In the morning, my % is higher (around 27%) and in the evening it is lower (around 24%).

So who is right?

How do you know?

Does it really matter? I eat a healthy clean diet, I exercise, I am 4 lbs from my dream weight AND I have muscles (I have taken quite a liking to flexing in the mirror).

So these stupid calculators can SUCK IT for all I care!

(I know- WHY do I even bother to look at them then? Cuz I'm crazy people, duh!)

Good Day.