Work In Progress - FitoverForty

[Boss Man]

Whenever you take a passport sized photo, for any reason, you name me one person that doesn't end up looking like a total dick in some way shape or form.

I bet even Russell Crowe looks like a dick on his passport

If a guy like that was being honest, he'd probably say his passport pic, made him look like he really needed a poo or had trapped wind or somethhing like that.

[Bonnie]

I hate cameras..

[PandorasVise]

Lynne don't sweat the pictures. Everyone has bad photos once in a while. That is why they shoot like 500 pictures for one magazine ad. I am sure that if he shot a pic a second before or after, it would have been a good one.

[ldematto]

We all hate our own picture - we do look differently to others, that's a fact! You look great Lynne! I too get down sometimes when I look at updates (just last week I think I commented on how fat I looked!) but if I showed them to you you'd prob think they looked great! We are oh so critical of ourselves...but I guess that helps in keeping us going. Perfection is not what we are striving for (how boring!?!?) we are striving to be the best we can be!

[fitoverforty]

I know I am too hard on myself, and always see the flaws before I see the positives. But as was said, camera angles, etc. can have a lot to do with it. So, I'm just gonna move on, get over myself, and just keep trying to reach short term goal - 145lbs by mid July - not much time to do it, gotta work really hard and not let anything derail me. This is a battle, a war of sorts...I am fighting against all the past bad choices, bad eating habits, neglected health that contributed to the extra lbs. i am now carrying. It would be easy to just give up - take the easy route and just give in to the pressures and temptations of life - and just not care anymore what I looked like, or how i felt...but there is something inside of me that keeps fighting back, keeps pulling myself up, dusting myself off and saying "keep on trying, don't EVER give in. You only have one life to live...one time around...live it like you were meant to with a healthy body and mind. So, I can never give up - and i will always be striving to attain a goal - whenever one is reached I just set a new one, it is what keeps me being me, it keeps me living - it's who i am.
Starting a new training program this week - 20 week run/walk marathon program. There is a marathon in October I have sights set on. This week starts out with 35 minute sessions: run 3 minutes, walk 2 minutes repeat 7 times - twice this week. Two days for crosstraining (biking, strength training, swimming, etc.) then one longer run/walk of 5 miles on the weekend, and one rest day. I think I can handle that, as it gradually builds up with longer runs, shorter walk times. I'm excited! Wish me luck! I can still run the shorter races in the meantime (5k's, 10k's) and use them as training tools too.

[feelin-great]

I am fighting against all the past bad choices, bad eating habits, neglected health that contributed to the extra lbs. i am now carrying. It would be easy to just give up - take the easy route and just give in to the pressures and temptations of life - and just not care anymore what I looked like, or how i felt...but there is something inside of me that keeps fighting back, keeps pulling myself up, dusting myself off and saying "keep on trying, don't EVER give in.

The fact that you keep fighting back is what really matters - no matter how long it takes to get to your goals, what matters is that you keep going - I know you will do it, you are so determined!

[fitoverforty]

thanks Jocelyn! I will always keep on trying...I may have bad days here and there, and i am forever battling self image issues, but overall I am in a good place in life, with many great days ahead, even after I reach fitness/weight goal, I will still be trying to reach the next goal, and to not go backwards and regain anything I have lost.
Good days ahead!! woo hoo!

Todays workout:
first day of marathon training
5 minutes w/u
35 minutes cardio
3 min. run/2 min. walk - repeat 7 times
5 minutes cooldown
the run part was kept at about 70-75% HR or effort - not an all out sprint type, but a good solid pace - not a slow conversation type pace.

2x30 sec. stability ball front planks
2x12 rev. crunch
2x12 leg lifts (from floor)

Have a great day everyone!

[fitoverforty]

I posted workout today, before I actually did it. Whew! 7 repeats was hard!
I ran the 3 minutes at 7.0 mph & walked the 2 minutes at 4.0
then after the 7 repeats I walked/jogged for a few minutes to round off the mileage to 4 total miles - (that's an old running habit I have)
I always keep up with total weekly mileage and try to increase it each week. In best running days I was averaging 35 to 40 miles a week. Hope to get back to that eventually.

[fitoverforty]

I get mileage even at like 17 minutes, so then I get to 20 minutes, but a good song is on, and I want to finish it, but then I only have 1/4 mile left... (:

I know! I am so bad about it - I used to be worse....when I ran a new route I would have to get in car and drive the distance to see how far it was. I kept track of every inch. If I ran 4.36 miles then I would have to even that up and run 5.64 the next time to make an even 10 miles - it drove me nuts not to be exact. Nowadays I'm not quite as bad, except when i am on the treadmill, I see the mileage and if I finish workout and it says 2.78...well you know what I have to do - so then i get to 3.00 miles and time is 28:28...hmmmm just 1:32 more minutes to reach 30:00 minutes total....oh, but now mileage is off....gah!!! you see what I'm saying? Can you say Obsessive Compulsive Disorder?
Yes, Les, they do have a "walk across Texas" - it is 830 miles long! You can sign up to do a "by yourself walker" program or choose the 8 person team - who knows I may do that one day - it would be fun.
Well, say what you will...but I was very inspired by tonight's Biggest Loser show where the remaining 4 ran a full marathon. Whether it was an actual marathon, or if it was spaced out over several days (who knows, it's television after all..) I saw them running mile after mile and I thought "I have no reason, no excuse, nothing stopping me - I want marathon finishers medal! So, I feel even more inspired and motivated now to get through this next 20 weeks of training. I hope I can find a training partner to do it with. I've got a few running friends that are going to be training for the same marathon, but they are not going to be doing the "run/walk" program I have chosen to do. They all are experienced marathoners and alot of runners have this "pride" thing about not walking in a race - like that cheapens it or something...and I have been guilty of that attitude in the past, and I don't begrudge anyone there own personal rules for themselves about running - to each his own...I have been a runner for 25 years and at this point in life I just feel blessed and happy to be able to complete one, whether I run, walk, crawl or skip rope...does it really matter? Not to me, not anymore.
Okay, I'm rambling now....sorry! I'm just feeling all sorts of emotions about this. I have attempted several times to get through a training season for the all mighty marathon and each time something always derailed me - sometimes it was just me. So, I'm scared to try, afraid of failing again, but I don't know how to do anything else but try - and try again, until I get there. Hey, I got through the first day of training! Only 19 weeks, 6 days to go!! woo hoo!

On another note...someone at work has been eating all natural PB I keep in the fridge!!! That just peeves me to no end!! I don't mind if someone asks if they can have some...but for anyone to just help themselves - I don't have many "treats" left in diet, PB is very near and dear to me, ya know?
Today, I had a little laugh...and I don't think I had to worry about anyone wanting to eat lunch - I mixed together: 4 oz. LF Cottage cheese, 1 can albacore tuna in water (drained) 1/2 cup fresh homemade guacamole, small handful of almonds, pistachios. It was good! But even I have to admit it wasn't the most eye pleasing sight - kinda looked like something I had already chewed and just spit back into the bowl!!! ahahaha! gross, huh?
okay, I need to call it a night, I'm getting delirious....
'til tomorrow - hope everyone is well and happy.

[feelin-great]

Lynne, I was so inspired by The Biggest Loser last night, too! The whole time I watched I was thinking "I can do this!" Then I felt silly for wanting to do a 1/2 marathon instead of the full. But I am still going to stick with the 1/2 in October and then see from there I am definitely going to get started on the training program - now I am getting excited! I do have a friend that would probably train with me if we could, but our schedules don't work well together so I think I will be on own...

As for your peanut butter getting eaten - that was happening here, one lady's sandwich kept getting eaten! She went to the owner after the 5th time and he put a note on the fridge that he would be watching He isn't someone you want to mess with so she hasn't lost one since! Maybe you could put a note on it that you are sick and you double-dip

[fitoverforty]

Then I felt silly for wanting to do a 1/2 marathon instead of the full. But I am still going to stick with the 1/2 in October and then see from there I am definitely going to get started on the training program - now I am getting excited!

You shouldn't feel silly - doing a 1/2 marathon is no easy task. I've done 4 of them and each one had a different story, unique experiences, but the one thing they had in common was that they all had their share of "hitting the wall" moments, and I felt a tremendous amount of joy and accomplishment when I crossed that finish line. I think it is a good idea to do a 1/2 m. as your first long race - I'm excited for you! I hope you do find a training partner - it is SO hard to train alone (I did it for 3 of races) than if you have someone who is depending on you to show up and put the miles in.

Maybe you could put a note on it that you are sick and you double-dip

ahahahaha!! good idea.

[fit-fanatic-2025]

They usually put the biggest loser episodes on their website. I really like the marathon episodes. I'm going to go an watch that whenever they put it up. I haven't really watched it all season but i do love the marathon episdoes.

I really liked it when they had biggest loser where are they now and they showed season winner matt hoover running the ironman in hawaii. Really motivating and fun to watch.

[fitoverforty]

ah...the Ironman....another notch in belt I hope to attain some day.
I told son yesterday that I was beginning training for a marathon. He said "No, Mamma!! You're too old!!" He said "You almost died on your last one!" He was talking about last 1/2 marathon I ran. It was a 13.1 mile race ran entirely on the beach. I had a terrible race - suffered heat exhaustion and nearly collapsed right in front of him. They had to call an ambulance for me - tho' I didn't go to the hospital - it was a bad experience. It was all due to lack of training and carrying too much weight for frame. I was heaviest weight ever for a race - didn't train properly or eat properly so i paid the price. I thought I could just "wing it". The longest training run I had done was about 8 miles - once. I should have lost weight during training - but didn't because I didn't eat right. So I went into it too heavy and not ready. Did okay until about mile 9, then achilles starting cramping up, calves started cramping - I didn't carry any water on (NEVER AGAIN!) and the water stops were so far apart, I started slowing down, then walking for a few minutes, then jogging, til finally I was just trying to move forward any way I could and look for the mile markers...10 miles, 11 miles...where the heck is the finish line!!!! legs felt like...well actually I couldn't feel legs anymore I just had this all over feeling of pain and exhaustion, but finally I saw the finish line - heard the people yelling for me. I couldn't see hubby or son - I crossed the finish line and the lady was trying to get time chip off shoe, she made me stop (I really needed to keep walking) then I bent over to catch breath - I don't recommend this to anyone - always keep moving, keep walking, dont sit down, dont' lean over. When i raised back up, legs collapsed - I went down like a sack of potatoes. Finally I knew I had to get up (I guess everyone thought I was sitting there on the beach on purpose, no one helped me ) I got up and found hubby and son - he helped me up to the pavallion and I sat down - they dumped cold water over head...
Anyway, so i understand son's worry. husband and family feels the same way. I just told him that I had a bad race - I've had many more good races than bad - that day was just not day, but I learned from it and will do better this time. He made me pinky promise.

[feelin-great]

He made me pinky promise.

Cute

Now you have me worried! I am still gonna do it, but I guess that is good motivation to train well!

[fitoverforty]

Don't be worried. The reason I talked about it is to share experiences of what NOT to do. I made some key mistakes, and if by sharing it, I can educate someone else on what can happen by not training properly, & not hydrating properly then it is worth it. Like i said, I've had many more good races, where everything fell into place, i ran well, felt great and couldn't wait to run the next one!
I'm glad that it motivates you to train well. It is so important to plan ahead and so for the next 4 months everything you do, everything you eat, every workout is focused and thought out - planning for that big day to ensure that you will step up to that start line with confidence, excitement - ready to give it everything you got and have the best race you can.
One of favorite quotes I keep on the wall in front of treadmill: "When I thought I couldn't go on, I forced myself to keep going. success is based on persistence, not luck."
Another poster I have on the same wall: "Success does not come to you...you go to it"
And the last one: "Success is focusing the full power of all you are on what you have a burning desire to achieve." - Cassie is the perfect example of this one. She's hero.