Homegirl Quel (kel) in Austin

Homegirl's First 5k & Outdoor Run In The Bag!

Homegirl's first 5k & outdoor run is in the bag! 

I totally did not train properly for it. Mostly because my first run went so well. After covering almost 2 miles in less than 30 minutes, I was like 'Pshhh 5k? I GOT this.' Only I didn't. After not training for the 5k, I still ended up running a 12'52" (12 minutes, 52 seconds) mile to finish the race in just over 40 minutes. Considering that it was also my first time running outside (I only run on treadmills because...you know...the dogs), I am actually satisfied with that time. Still kicking myself because it could have been so much better.  I was holding out on putting this post up with hopes for an official finish line photo, but a search for my bib number over at Brightroom.com, the official race photographers, turned up not one photo of me in action. I was chip timed though, so there is some official record of my first 5k. A Facebook friend of mine told me she saw me running on Fox News Austin, but I couldn't find the video. If anybody else does, please send me the link. I'm rambling. On to my official race report...

Please continue reading my full Race Report on HomegirlRuns.

Thanks!

My Treadmill & Food Network TV: The Perfect Marriage

I watch all my Food Network shows on the treadmill at my gym. There is no calculated reason behind it. Psychologically, maybe it makes me work harder in anticipation of eating awesome-tasting food post-workout? Although that never happens--I usually eat pretty healthily right after a workout. The real reason may be that I simply love Food Network TV. Since I do not usually have take the time to watch TV, or to read my ever-growing stack of unread books and magazines during the day, I get guilt-free daytime TV in when I can. I also watch it on the rare occasion I go to the gym at night. The other night, I met my new Food Network boo. I didn't pay attention to one thing he was cooking, because for me it was all about how he cooked it. But we're talking about daytime FTV watching right? So anyway,  I cook everyday and Food Network is perfect for fresh cooking ideas. I do not follow recipes often, but I do tweak my kitchen repertoire with new twists on our favorites. For example, I learned how to use peanut butter to liven up a spicy chicken stir-fry, and how to make savory oatmeal with green onions and scrambled eggs, and how to cut, peel and seed a cucumber for a super-pretty salad.  So Food Network TV helps make every minute at the gym count...and it makes every homemade calorie consumed after the gym taste awesomer.

My First Day Back At The Gym

Yesterday was my first day back in the gym since I got pregnant with Zack. Back then, I was going to a kickboxing gym and absolutely loved it. I actually looked forward to going everyday after work. On the rare occasion I missed a workout, I always made up for it by taking a weekend class. I lost a good amount of weight and saw my body begin to change pretty quickly. Then I got pregnant and my body changed in...other...ways even quicker. When I started thinking about joining a gym again, I looked for the kickboxing place, but they have since closed down.

So yesterday I was officially back in the gym. This time I had my baby with me. I was unsure how he would do in the kid's play area while I worked out, because I don't really leave him with people. He has stayed in the church nursery about 5 times and 4 of those he was a happy camper. Today, after I had signed him in a waved goodbye, I peeked back around the corner just to make sure he was really OK with having just waved goodbye to his mommy, and I was surprised to find him happily totting over towards the first toy monster truck in his path. My ego was a little bruised to see him doing OK without me. When does that feeling ever go away?

I went on over the the circuit training area and did a pretty good job pretending that I did this sort of thing all the time.

My new blog, DailyFitGirl, is LIVE!

I started DailyFitGirl in a last ditch effort to finally lose the weight that I've been trying to lose for 7 years now. I made great progress in 2008 with kickboxing, but just as my thighs were approaching awesomeness, got knocked up (totally on purpose of course). I gained 40+ pounds during pregnancy and lost it all within a few months, but am still stuck in my "before" stage. I'm trying to get back to "before-before", or at least as close to "before-before" as I can. I started posting to the blog last week to get a feel for it before the big reveal.

"Before" pics, goal and link to DailyFitGirl after the break!

So A.M. workouts aren't so bad after all

Just a little bit more to go y'all, then once and for all I can stop talking so dayum much about getting in shape...

I worked out in the morning for the first time today. I am usually one to clinch my pillow until the very last possible moment in the mornings, so getting up before the sun is a pretty huge deal for me. Today, I didn't have to force myself out of bed, because I was already up at like 5 something tending to my babies dogs.

It actually felt good to get the workout done and off the to-do list for the day. I actually got a lot of stuff done before I even got to work, which felt awesome. Now, tonight, I have time to go for groceries AND twist my hair. Tomorrow will not be a happy day if one of those two things does not get done to.night.

Kick boxing classes are set at P.M. for me (there is an A.M. class, but it's Mui Thai kick boxing--in English, that means, I will not be taking that class), but in-between days, I think A.M. workouts will do just fine. It was really relaxing. This morning was cool because there were only two other people in there. I watched videos on VH1 during my cardio session (I didn't know Mandy Moore was still singing. I thought she had crossed over all the way to acting...I think she should. She's a good singer, but a WAY better actress.) Watching the videos was my best bet, because just as I was feeling the burn and wanting to quit, Rihanna's "Umbrella" video came on and I was inspired to work through the burn. That girl is FIT with a capital T!

I was glad there weren't many worker-outers, 'cause I didn't have to rush through the weight machines or try to control my ugly weightlifting face. My face, in general is very cute (in my humble opinion), but my face in exertion? Not so much with the cuteness.

Weight loss is changing my life right now

I've gone down 4 sizes in about 3 months...with the help of a weight loss counselor and LOTS of fresh fruits and vegetables. I've chosen to consume all my carbs mostly at breakfast too, which I think has made a big difference...especially since I use to eat them at 10 PM most nights.

Anyway, I'm officially out of plus-sizes and back into misses. I went shopping for pants ast night in a non-plus size store, didn't buy the largest size in the store, didn't buy pants with lycra, didn't flinch at the $54 price tag. Stylish plus-size clothes for tall women like myself cost an arm and a leg, so $54...I could do that.

We're going to St. Lucia for my sister-in-law's wedding in a few weeks. We were in St. Vincent a couple of months ago and I had lost some weight before that trip. Still, when we got back and I saw the pictures, I had. to. get. professional. help. So far, so good.

I'll post the St. Lucia pics and my official "before and after" pics in about 8 weeks.

**Warning: TMI will start now. If you don't want to know, stop reading now.** Also, my conception prospects have improved from losing just 10% of my body weight.For the past two months I've had two periods like clockwork. For my uterus to start working again? To have proof that my life-giving parts actually have a greater chance at giving life? Pret.ty awesome.**Warning: TMI over.**

The TMI bit will obviously be counterproductive for my weight loss endeavors. To baby fat, I say, "Bring it." The thought/reality of having a baby both terrifies and excites me for many reasons, but that's another post for another day.

These boobs are made for walkin'.

After dusting off a pint of The Devil Häagen-Dazs Mayan Chocolate Ice Cream, I dusted off my treadmill (literally and figuratively) and got in workout #1.

Jarring my body up and down for any length of time does not agree with my DDDs. As soon as my boobs are back in the doubles (I'm sure that's as tiny as they'll ever get again), I won't have to go to a specialty shop ($$$) for a good sports bra. Until then, these boobs are made for walkin'...uphill mostly. When I can strap these puppies down, I'll try jogging. Of course I'm not working out just for the thrill of it...

I just kicked off Project Fix It for the West Indies. I like enjoy food too much to diet, so I gotta work it off.

The first time I went to St. Vincent, I wore a two-piece bathing suit very nicely.
The second time I went, I had settled into a one-piece.
This will be my third trip down there and If I go like I am now, I'll be in a zero-piece swimsuit, 'cause I won't be wearing one. And no swimming while on vacay to the West Indies is not an option.

I'm not sure how much progress I'll make over the next 11 weeks, but I do plan on sporting a two-piece this time. Of course I'll be grateful to just be fit again whether I'm in a two-piece or not--and hopefully I'll get in the habit of taking better care of myself.

My Hate Affair

I got a stutter-start reacquainting myself with my treadmill this week. I'm slowly getting back into the swing. However, no self-respecting dog owner can work out on a treadmill solely, so I'll warm up with my girls, Okie & Stella.

I hate working out y'all. I also hate looking like I hate to work out. Plus the weather is cooling off and I have a knee-length tailored trench, a chocolate cord blazer, jeans and wool slacks that MUST be worn this Fall. So, my hate affair with my treadmill continues.

Eyes on The Prize

I didn't reach my goal of running my mile non-stop.

I'm positive it had to do with the fact that I didn't eat breakfast or lunch prior to running, I don't know what I was thinking. I left early for work on Friday and had planned to stop for breakfast, but traffic sucked, so I had to go straight to work and take an early lunch instead. Well, by the time lunchtime came around, I was so into reaching my project goals for the week that I just snacked on carrots and time just went by. Plus I had an ear ache. I didn't want to not run, 'cause then how would I be able to face you folks whom I had told about my 1 mile goal? Anyway, I'll never run on empty again. It was not awesome.

I was going to try again this morning, but Billy called (from Boston- he was there this week again for work) and woke me up around 7 am and reminded me that I got a speeding ticket about 3 months ago and needed to take defensive driving. I'm glad he reminded me, 'cause my deadline is next Friday, and I'm not trying to have a warrant out for my arrest. Needless to say, I didn't try again today, but tomorrow it's on.

Since my ultimate goal is to lose weight, I'm working on a collage of pictures of myself from my college years (ranging from a size 7 to a 10) to hang on the facing wall my in front of my treadmill. I thought about putting a mirror up there, but decided old skinny pictures would be better motivation. I use to think that I'd never be a size 8 again, but that's crazy, you know? Lots of people are the same size they were "in college" so why shouldn't I be?

A huge part of my identity was hinged on being tall and thin, not because of some unrealistic desire to be thin, but I was just naturally thin. When I started to lose that about 5 years ago, I freaked out and just gave up because I figured I was fighting age or genetics or whatever, and that it was a losing battle, which got me to where I am today...a skinny girl in a thickish woman's body. It's MADDENING!

Anyway, I think it'll help me to have the old pictures in sight whilst treading on the mill. Keeping my "eyes on the prize" should be enough motivation to help me run that extra mile...at least one mile for now anyway.

1 MILE

So this week I plan to run 1 mile without stopping. I'm looking forward to making progress. I wish I could run on the Brushy Creek Trail with the dogs, but the idea is to actually LIVE through the experience, so I'll walk the trail with them instead. My walk out with them'll be my warmup.

I don't think I'll ever run outside until I'm in better shape. When people see me, I don't want to look like I'm going to need a paramedic. I'll run indoors for now, on my friggin' treadmill. Hopefully my knees will last me long enough to at least lose some weight.   

I don't usually listen to hip-hop on the radio (I call it sex-rap), but for some reason it's the best workout music! I do have my favorite sweat-to-tunes that aren't rap ("Dreams" by The Cranberries is great for running or cheesey aerobics),but until we spring for that phat ipod, sex-rap it is.

Wish me luck!

Interest du Jour

Running.

We're going on a cruise in August. It's been planned for a year now, but I haven't thought about it in a while. Plus my doctor told me to lose weight ASAP, so I have a couple of good incentives to get serious about running.

And Sally told me she was going to run in a 5k or something in San Antonio, and I thought it would be cool to be able to participate in those events, since there are like a million of them here every year.

My mom started running last year. Even though she's not a pro, she does her thing. It would be cool to run a race with her one day.

I watched Summer get in shape running 20 minutes a day and an ex-coworker finally lost her baby weight after 3 years by running, so I'm going to make it a priority. I got this running schedule from coolrunning.com. I figure if I focus on improving time/distance, I won't focus so much on losing weight...following a schedule should "distract" me from my actual goal of weight loss. We'll see.

It's not like I've never run before. I ran all the time when I was younger...on the track team in junior high school, working out pre-season with the basketball team in junior high, and with the track team in high school (Cheronda you remember those days). I can do it, I just have to...do it.

I've tried dieting, but depriving myself of the foods I like is NOT hot.