Getting tested....

Have you EVER seen anything like this?

This is The Bod Pod....kind of like a time capsule. I may have actually traveled through space and time this morning...but I can't tell you for sure.

So this morning I had some testing done. I wish I had been able to get in about 6 weeks ago so I could have a good starting measurement before I made my dietary changes BUT I couldn't get in so I have the measurements now. I'll schedule another appointment in a month or two to measure further progress. So what exactly is the Bod Pod? Good question....

This machine uses Air Displacement Plethysmography. English please...Ok, it is a dry way of testing body fat percentage. It is similar to testing underwater BUT the obvious difference is that air is more convenient and comfortable than water, and it is not wet. Duh...you don't have to hold your breath, submerge and expel ALL of your air to get an accurate measure. You simply strip down to approved skivvies, put on a cute swim cap, climb in, shut the door and wait for 50 seconds. The testing is easier and safer, is reliable, and has improved repeatability accuracy.

The basic operating principle of the Air Displacement Plethysmography includes some really big words that you all will understand, right....Densitometry, Mass Measurement, Volume Measurement, Thoracic Gas Volume, and Surface Area Artifact. For a complete break down of all these really, really big words go HERE and check it out.

Along with the Bod Pod I also had my resting metabolism tested. This means I found out how many calories I need each day simply to maintain and sustain life with zero activity, or just existing each day I require 1700 calories. They hooked me to a crazy mask and I got to lay down and breath in a dark room for 15 min. I wish I would have had my phone handy to snap a picture of myself but I didn't so I found this photo, taken from HERE:

So just imagine that is me, not a dude, and laying alone in a dark room.

So, sharing the results of today's tests have been on my mind. I was debating whether or not I would put it out there for the world to know and I have decided I will and in a month or so when i go back I hope I can share some improvements with you and we can celebrate together. Plus I know I am not the only one struggling to be healthy and maintain a healthy weight. We all work so hard and man of us never see the scale budge. I have begun to take drastic measures and I need to know that it is working. So without further adue, the result of my Bod Pod test:

You can see here my % of body fat, fat free mass, how many pounds of fat (37.791?! Wow. No wonder I am having trouble with my paces!), how much I would weight with 0% fat WHICH IS NOT POSSIBLE, HEALTHY OR EVEN HUMAN....

I would like to focus on the %of body fat, % of fat free mass-or muscle, and that Fat Mass...I put a 10 pound weight loss as my goal. I am certain this is possible. And once I achieve that I can re-evaluae and set a new goal or sustain.

So with the above information it was determined that I am in the Moderately Lean category on the Body Fat Rating. i am 2% away from lean...Wow. I can do that, I can get there.

In talking with the woman who conducted my test and evaluated the results she told me I was in a good range. She explained the health concerns with being too low, which I already know. She pointed to the Ultra Lean category and said, "This here, this ultra lean is for people who, you know, do triathlons and stuff."

Ugh, punch in my face. Yeah. I know. I see them every other weekend (remember the 90 pound turkey? Yeah, me too). It was frustrating to hear the opinion, judgement, or bias or whatever you call it that I should have been in the ultra lean category simply because I do triathlons. The shoulds, oughts, and musts really get old and annoying, even though I do it to myself all the time. I work out and train so much, I should be leaner, I ought to be below 20% body fat, I must lose 10 pounds....The expectation to be something simply because I do triathlons or marathons, or whatever...I don't need to hear it from the health professional. I need to hear how I can get to my goal.

Thursday I have my Fitness Assessment where I will have my VO2 tested. I am pretty excited. Have you ever had anything like this done before?

Do you fight the shoulds, oughts, and musts? By that I mean do you find yourself thinking thoughts like "I should be 10 pounds lighter." "I ought to be able to run a 8:45 min/mil pace." "I must qualify for Boston." "I must get first in my age group." "I shouldn't get passed by a 90 pound turkey!" You see? These are what I call unhelpful thoughts. They do more harm than good. If you find yourself beating yourself up with these types of internal dialogs try to catch yourself and stop the thought process and replace it with something a bit more helpful and positive. See what happens!

Sometimes you just need a little PUSH...

...a little oomph if you will.

Lately, with the summer months being so hot and humid AND my new demanding work schedule, I have been struggling with my runs. Struggling to get through a three mile run can be a real downer, a real confidence-killer. I know there are many factors contributing to my slump: staying up later, getting up earlier, stress of a new job, diet, hours siting and driving, and also some over training and a little bit of fatigue.

Something had to change. Obviously I just started my job so that was not going to change. I decided in July to take on a new way of eating. I needed to know what I was putting in my body and I needed to STOP putting things in my body that are not natural, helpful, or healthful. Now I am by NO means an expert when it comes to diet and clean eating, but I am stumbling my way through it. I have found that making things from scratch is the easiest way to know what I am consuming. If it is processed I pretty much don't eat it. Towards the middle of July I embarked on a new way of fueling my body: I have cut out wheat, grains (rice and yes, this includes bread), pasta, sugar (all forms to include fruit), dairy. It was TOUGH at first but now going into my 6th week, I am used to it and really loving how I feel.

I can (and will) go into more details on the new way of eating soon. I have lost about 8 pounds of fat and gained 5 pounds of muscle. I need to get my measurements so I can tell you how many inches I am down. Tomorrow morning I have an appointment to test my resting metabolism and measure my BMI, and I'm not talking with calipers. I am very excited about this. Then on Thursday morning I am going in to the Wellness Center for the Fitness Test to include the VO2Max testing. I am beyond excited about this. Finally I am getting some valuable, measurable information about my health and fitness. Boo-yeah!

Anyway, back to the little PUSH we may or may not need at times...I was a little hesitant when Daniela of Power-gy contacted me about giving their product, PushNOW a try. First, I wanted to know what was in it and was it safe. So many products in the past have proven to be dangerous and I just don't go there. Anything that raises your heart rate can't be good or safe when you are running 26.2 miles, or even 3 miles for that matter. Those products aren't for me.

BUT-I checked out Power-gy and as soon as I read about the product I was interested. It seemed different, by description and by ingredients.

What Power-gy says:

PRE-WORKOUT ENDURANCE SUPPLEMENT

Need that extra "push" while exercising? Feeling sluggish halfway through your workout? push NOW is a pre-workout endurance supplement that gives you the perfect amount of sustained energy to carry you through your workout routine. Unlike most endurance supplements that are packed with sugar based ingredients, push NOW is sugar-free.

Here are the ingredients:

*****Now, I am by no means an expert or a doctor or have any education or training about this sort of thing SO with that being said, please consult with your doctor before taking anything like this.

My experience with this product was very, very good. I have tried products in the past but this one is different. If you will recall, I have been doing a good amount of my training in the evenings. So, with this being a pre-workout supplement, before my evening runs I took one supplement around 7 o'clock PM. My workouts have not been easy, I am doing the Run Less, Run Faster plan which has me doing some serious speed work and tempo runs. Each time I took the Push NOW I was able to make it through my workout. Not only did I make it through my workouts but I was hitting my paces right on target. THAT, my friends, is a BIG deal. I didn't poop out and actually after my first RLRF workout I was surprised that I was able to even finish the workout. Just as the product promises, it gave a subtle push to make it through.

A couple of other things I think you should know. I did not notice my heart rate raise any higher than it does during a workout sans supplement. I generally have a heart rate of 165 during an easy mid to long run. During my speed work it can push 185 if I am working HARD. I did not feel like my heart was going to explode or that I could possibly die at any moment. I felt completely natural. I had actually forgotten I took the supplement after one workout. I was neither wired nor running around like a crazed energizer bunny. And get this, after my evening workouts I was able to come home, shower, and fall into bed at 10 o'clock and sleep. Yes, I was able to fall asleep after taking this supplement only 3 hours prior. Now I'll admit, I am kind of a freak of nature when it comes to sleeping, I almost fell asleep while swimming laps in a warm, sun lit, indoor pool once...but still, I think this deserved to be mentioned.

I took the supplement before my Roxborro Sprint Triathlon where I had my swim PR by 1 min 20 seconds. I also had a killer bike (despite the rain) and my best run (during a tri) of the season. Had the run not been on a muddy trail in the pouring rain I would have possibly gotten a 5k PR. I finished that race feeling like I had been able to push to the end as opposed to wanting to fall off a bridge a mile in to the 3 mile run.

And finally, I have taken this supplement for two of my long runs, including this past weekend's 14.77 mile run. I probably could have gone on to 18 miles if it weren't for my calves tightening up, the humidity, and I was hungry. So the verdict is.....I'm certainly purchasing more of this supplement. It has earned the 5 Mile Stamp of Approval.

Go ahead, check out their website (HERE) and if you have any questions I am certain Daniela would love to answer them for you! She knows her stuff and has a passion for health and wellness.

Have you ever tried anything like this before? What are your thoughts on using performance supplements?

All Mixed Up...

This has been one of those weeks. All my workouts and runs are all mixed up. I wasn't able to get my tempo run in on Thursday or Friday so I am hoping to hit the treadmill in a little bit, if Hurricane Irene cooperates. For now we are right on the outskirts (just south and east of Raleigh) and have random wind gusts and rain. Nothing serious. This puts my long run of 13-15 miles tomorrow morning EARLY.

I am super stoked to run with Running and Whatnot in the morning! She is in town from WA for a couple of weeks and is struggling with the culture here, the absence of sidewalks, and the SERIOUS lack of consideration given to runners and others seeking an active lifestyle by motorist and those who think we should not be on the 2 inch shoulder of the road. So in case you have missed me and my complaining about this stupid town I live in go ahead and check out her recent experience in trying to get out and simply run in this town. It will make you go outside and hug your sidewalk. Seriously.

It's sad that when I day dream about running I imagine Tacoma, sidewalks, slow moving cars, not dodging cigarettes flying out of car windows at me, beautiful scenery, and SMILING and WAVING motorist. In real life, here in my neck of the woods, I get honked at (and not by the boys flirting) and flipped off. Seriously.

Fortunately being a military family all I have to do is wait, wait just a little bit and a move is on the horizon. I am excited about our next move! It is looking like a move to CA is next! I know, it is super early to be talking about that, like almost three years early, but it gives me something to look forward to...getting out of this place. Ok, wow, little tangent there, enough being grumpy and negative.

I am attempting to be the change I want to see in this town. (Ghandi)

It isn't fair to say that no one in this town is healthy or active, because in fact there are a lot of healthy, active people. Many of which kick my bootie in each triathlon I have competed in. It is just the overall culture is different from what I fell in love with in Runner's Paradise (AKA the PNW). I still have not adjusted but I have at least, for the most part, accepted where I am and what I am working with. I am making it work, kind of.

Speaking of a move to CA, I have been busy completing the requirements so I can transfer my professional license to CA. This has me busy with studying for CEU tests and I have to take a graduate level class that I didn't need for my degree program. So with that being said I have been very busy and will continue to be so for the next few months. I have to get my licensure paperwork in by Dec. so my blogging may be a bit on the sporadic side for a while.

And for your viewing enjoyment, LB wanted to run to the Bus Stop on Friday...of course I let him. He set out on the quarter-mile + run while I was loading the car and locking the house...As I pulled up next to him I had to get a picture. Do your kids ride the bus to school? For some reason, when he got on that bus the first day of school it was like a punch in the gut. I was so proud of him for being independent and brave but he is that much further from being my baby...

Well, off to check in with all my friends running the Hood to Coast Relay this weekend then to get in my 6 mile tempo run!! What are you up to this weekend? Hunkered down for Hurricane Irene?

RLRF I sort of <3 you....

...even if you are trying to KILL me.

Today I squeezed in my RLRF workout! I hit snooze this morning, yep no surprise there. I don't even know why I bother setting that stupid alarm. 90% of the time I hit snooze. I LOVE having three runs a week though because if I snooze Monday I can still get it in on Tue or Wed, then have run #2 in on Thru or Fri and still be able to get my long run in early Sunday mroning. Three runs a week make my running possible and alleviate the stress of a training plan. Not to mention the two to three cross training sessions a week can easily be done on my porch, at the yoga studio, or the pool on the weekend. So this plan is working great right now.

Tonight's workout consisted of 3x1600 m repeats, or 3x 1 mile repeats, @ 7:40 min/mil pace with one minute rest between each. I'm not gonna lie because really I would jus be lying to myself, and what's the point of that? I took about TWO MINUTES rest between each one. I'm sure that is not ideal because the point is to raise that lactic acid threshold and increase endurance at a faster speed but lets face it, 7:40 min/mile for a whole, entire mile is redonkulous-for me anyway. I am certain these workouts are working. I need to find 5k to test it out and play with my new found speed. I was actually surprised I was able to do three one mile repeats at that pace. Mission accomplished, self-estem boosted 25 points, confidence through the roof.... And that is how it should be.

Tonight we had Open House for LB to meet his new 1st grade teacher! I think it's going to be a good year, for all of us!

I was so proud when we stopped by to say Hi to LB's kindergarten teacher and after greeting LB she looked at me and said, "I've started walking! It's not running but I'm walking! I've lost 10 pounds!" She told me that LB was always talking about me and my races and running. It is such a good feeling to know that I have motivated her in even a small way and she is getting fit and healthy!

And because I am 16 years old and care what other people think of me, I cleaned up my cords....So many of you loathed my cord mess so I felt embarrassed about my mess like I should tidy them up. We'll see how long it stays like this.

Before:

AFTER:

There, do you all feel better now?

OH! I almost forgot! Check out my guest post over on Power-Gy's blog HERE!! I'll be doing a review of their Push NOW Pre-workout endurance supplement soon!

I wouldn't say " TOTALLY....

...redeemed myself", only slightly redeemed myself.

For some reason peeling myself out of bed at 5:30 AM on a Saturday is much easier than oh, say a Monday, Wednesday or a Thursday. What is that about? I guess it is just knowing that I had the remainder of the day to chillax and be lazy instead of be functional at work all day makes a difference.

The sweet, soft, and gentle sound of my alarm startled me from my sleep (who me? Sarcastic? Nah.....) at 5:40. The amazing and welcoming aroma of delay-brew coffee did make my arousal that much sweeter... My foot got caught in the sheet, or the sheet was practically tied around my foot, and I fell out of bed landing on my pile of cords that I use to charge all my 50 jillion electironics: computer, iPod, hard drive, two cameras, cell phone, work on-call cell phone, Garmin...just to name a few. Anyway, my foot was caught and I think I pulled my ego hamstring or inner thigh trying to catch myself and prevent my face from saying good morning to the stinking carpet.

Nice way to wake up...Way to find that inner peace, get the day off to a goooood start. Don't you hate it when that happens? Or am I the only person in the world who gets tangled up in the sheets?

My Pile-O-Cords....

And the funniest part of all this is that just this morning, while I was out, LB wrote me a little note because he tripped, or fell off the bed and/or stepped on a plug and hurt his foot. In case you have trouble reading it, it says:

"Mom kilenee (clean) up yor (your) kords (cords)."

I was confused at first when I saw it, I wondered if he or The Hubs had witnessed my graceful greeting of the day....but I don't think either of them did, for one it was pitch dark my room and LB was in his own room. I think it was just sheer, random coincidence.

I piddled around, ate breakfast, had my coffee, and hit the door by 6:20. I should have and could have left a little earlier so I could have gotten in 13 miles-ish. I headed out knowing I needed to be home by 8 so I could meet J-Ninja for yoga at 9.

My RLRF plan called for 17 miles...uh yeah, right....No. I am just not ready for that kind of mileage. I am not about to risk injury right now so I am following the old 10% increase in mileage per week, kind of. Really I am just not increasing in a stupid way. I realize this is not how the plan is meant to be used but I just don't have the base for 17 miles right now and I don't have the time or energy for any other plan. So 3Plus2 (3 quality runs plus 2 [at least] cross train days) it is for me.

So I should have done 17 miles at MP (marathon pace) +48 seconds: 9:54 min/mile. Now I am sure on a 10 mile run I should have hit that MP +15 or 20 seconds but hey, I'm just rolling with the tides right now...So I hit my 10 miles at a 9:55 min/mile pace. I was soaked in sweat by the end. It was muggy and I couldn't keep the sweat out of my eyes. I have been thirsty ALL day long too.

Yoga was good, not amazing but good. We got some nice, deep stretching in and I think that was much needed. The best part of all this was breakfast after with J-Ninja! I earned that Western Omelet and pancakes!

Tomorrow I hit the pool! I am ready for a nice, long swim! My joints and muscles miss the pool!

I QUIT.

No, not my training, not my job, not anything of significance really....except my run tonight.

I hit snooze this morning. I hate it when I do that. I mean I love it, getting that extra hour of sleep, but I hate it. And the kicker is that I knew it would be difficult to get my run done this evening. I knew that I had a busy day at work and an appointment at 6 PM. Yet I still self-sabataged and hit snooze.

Tonight I got home about 6:30 and The Hubs was making dinner-AWESOME! I was super starving since I had to eat my lunch at 11and devoured the chicken stir fry dinner...

Fast forward 45 minutes and I am on the treadmill at the Rec Center, plucking away at my 6 mile tempo run. I completed my slow, warm up mile at 9:48 min/mile pace. I quickened the pace to 8:45 min/mile for mile two. I could feel my stomach burning. The burn was creeping up into my throat and my stomach was H.E.A.V.Y. Mile 2 came and started to pass but things were not feeling good and I was doing that disgusting throw-up in my mouth thing....I hit the big, fat, red STOP button and packed up my stuff. I headed to the car with my tail between my legs. Tonight I quit my run. I could have done my 6 mile tempo run but somehow I just didn't feel like puking up my dinner. I was defeated.

I have to get it together. I'm still struggling with the early AM running thing even though it's only 3 days a week. Today's tempo run is scrapped. I think the smart thing to do is scrap it for tomorrow too and go ahead with the long run Saturday AM.

Have you ever just straight up quit in the middle of a run? Even though your legs and breathing were good? It felt weird and I was kind of angry. I needed this run but I just couldn't stomach it.

RLRF: I <3 You....

Kind of.

This past weekend I missed my long run. How am I supposed to get in a 17 mile run at MP +45 seconds when I am doing a triathlon? Major conflict here but what ever, I'm going to make it work. I was too sore on Sunday to get it done and Monday just didn't work out. So scratch the long run for this week. I'm determined to get it in this weekend, Saturday. I have no excuse. It will be long run Saturday AM then yoga with the J-Ninja.

This morning I slept in and had a plan to do my run on the treadmill then hit the pool after work. Well the treadmill happened but the pool did not. I really miss swimming. My swim time on Saturday was awesome, my best time of the season: 13:49.9 (previous PR is 15:09)! So I would love to keep the swim momentum going and get that time down a bit more, I need all the help I can get to make up for my weak run showing. I'm picking up my tri training intensity for the remainder of the season. I only have two left, as of now: an Olympic distance (which is scary!) and another sprint.

Tonight's RLRF workout was a doozie, I expect no less than a doozie out of these workouts though. I did a 10 min warm up followed by 5 x 1k @ 7:49 min/mile pace, followed by a 10 min cool down. It was rough but nothing I couldn't handle, even with my wicked blister:

The Hubs fixed me up with duct tape...it worked pretty well. It was still sensitive but at least it didn't get any worse and I was able to run.

Many of you have asked if I got the blister from my new NB w10 Minumus shoes. The answer to that is No. The blister came during the run portion of my sopping wet triathlon on Saturday. I made a last minute decision to ditch my socks after the bike and put my bare feet into my soaking wet Sauconys. I think it was the best choice and this one blister could have been worse and multiplied by 10 if I had worn the socks. So i think I came out of this deal pretty good! So far no issues with my w10s! Love them!

Take a Gander at This...

It hurts...real bad. And yes, I know my foot looks very dirty....

I hit snooze this AM instead of going for my run. How can I run with no skin on my arch? I don't know either...So I didn't. Suggestions welcome. Anything would be better than what The Hubs suggested: Put duct tape on it...Uh, seriously, is there anything you men don't use duct tape for?

Tomorrow is a new day though and my alarm is set for 5:15 AM so I can do my 5x1k @ 4:42 with 400 yd recovery between and a 10 min warm up and 10 min cool down.

Next thing for your viewing enjoyment is this truck I saw today. Look closely at the roof of his truck. I guess I could call him and ask what's up with the dinosaurs and super heros? Well and to ask what's up with his truck in general. It looks like my 6 year old went crazy practicing his numbers and letters on it, then played dinosaur vs. super heros on top....

Need a closer view? It's a little blurry but you get the point. Funny.

And finally, Sunday afternoon we had a small, impromptu belated 6th birthday party for LB. Poor kid didn't have any fun at all though... The look on The Hubs' face is priceless. Almost as classic as LB's face. Almost.

Happy Monday everyone!!!