Getting the Support I Need

I am a couple months into training for my triathlon and getting back to the active person I once was. I would say that overall I am doing pretty well. I had a set back of a few weeks with the sprained ankle but am back to running again. My weight has not changed for about a month ( down 10 lbs), but I would say my body composition has. I have developed leg muscles once again and my arms are becoming toned. I even had to shop for some new clothes since my old jeans were too baggy on me. I still want to lose a bit more weight and get rid of the last of the back fat, but think I will hone in on that once I have finished my triathlon.

Being active again has been very rewarding on other ways. This weekend my husband and I took our dog out for an early morning jog. It was such a great way to start the day that we plan to do it each Sunday. The obstacle races have provided our family with an activity that we can all share and have fun doing together. My family has been very supportive of my efforts to get fit and it has provided us with healthy family fun.

I am so glad that at the beginning of my training I swtiched to Beginnertriathlete.com. The plan that I selected has been very straight forward and I can tell my aerobic capacity is increasing. It hasn't been hard to stick to this plan and I love all the tracking and data information on the site. I know what I have to do and get it done. I am becoming confident that I won't die during my upcoming triathlon:)

Even though the plan has been great, the best part about the website is the support and information that one can get from other triathletes in the community forum. I scan the boards multiple times a day and find so much information, encouragement and humor in the community. If I have a question, seasoned triathletes answer promptly with great advice.

Talking about support, the one thing that I have found that I am beyond thrilled with and could not train without is my....... sports bra - ha!

It is the Lululemon Ta Ta Tamer. I love this bra because it REALLY gives me the support I need and does not cause the dreaded mono-boob. I also like that it is not a racer back style and has the tradtional bras straps. I don't like how racer backs leave me with back fat hanging out the sides. YEK! The bra really keeps the girls in place when I run and is very comfortable. 

I have been getting support from many different sources websites, apps, my family even a great bra - and it has been wonderful.

I am Still at It!

I haven't blogged for a few months but I am still working toward my goal and doing pretty well if I must say so.  With school, volleyball practices starting and fitting my training into my schedule, I have had little time to blog.

So here is a recap of the last couple of months

On August 17th our family entered our first obstacle 5K, the Foam Fest Run. It was such a blast! The obstacles went from dirt to foam to dirt to foam. The obstacles ranged from climbing walls, mud pits and a 50 ft slip and slide.  We now have a new family hobby. Here is a pic of Jake all foamy. He came in second overall in our heat.

The next weekend we drove up to Mammoth for the 3rd annual Mammoth Mud Run. We dressed as super heros as many people wear costumes for the race. Megan and I made the tutus which were easy and fun to run in.  Now THIS was a fantastic time. The weather was perfect and there was such a party atmosphere about the town for the event. This will become a definite Bilbao tradition. 

Some dirty shoes and tutus

Although, I came away with a souvenir that I wasn't planning on. A VERY sprained ankle. About 1/2 mile into the course I stepped on a rock and twisted my ankle. BUT I finished the race. The sprain put me off running for 3 weeks. I still kept to biking and swimming to stay on track for my Triathlon training. 

To see a fun video of the Mammoth Mud Run, click here. We are actually in the video for a nano second warming up with Tony Horton of P90X fame. Our next goal is to participate in a Zombie Run. ARRRRRR. 

If you want to try something fun and get some exercise, try an obstacle race. Check active.com or other racing websites for obstacle races in your area.

My Favorite Equipment - Plugging Along

So I am pluggin' along with my triathlon training and Vemma Bod-e diet. I think I have found if you give me a plan, I can follow it - but not very good at going it on my own.

My Favorite Equipment 

So, one of the items that I seem to have with me for every workout, except swimming, is my iPhone. I use running apps, cycling apps and of course my workout playlist keeps me pumped up through all the activity. This is probably the most  valuable tool I have at this time. I paired it with the Belkin Fastfit armband and can use it while weight lifting, running and cycling.


My Apps

The running app I use is the "Zombies, Run! 5K Trainer". This app is SO FUN and makes me actually look forward to running. The runner (you) is the new runner 5 during the Zombie Apocalypse. A story is told during your running sessions about previous runners and the "base". Only a little bit of information is given per session so it keeps you guessing and coming back for more of the story.

The program starts you slowly with a warm up and then walk/run sessions and a final 10 minute free run (at first this was mostly a walk). I am finding that 2 weeks into the program I am already doubling the amount of time that I could run at first, which was next to nothing. After your run, you can upload your data to the website and get your GPS route, run time and distance. It is just awesome.  What a geek! For more information visit https://www.zombiesrungame.com

My cycling app is Cycle Tracker Pro. While riding this gives voice prompts for MPH, ave speed, time and calories burned. While not as fun as the Zombies app, it gives me data I need to make sure I am getting my distance in. You can also upload your cycling data to the website to track your information. I think for biking I may still have to get a speedometer to make sure I am riding at a good speed and not taking it too easy.

Both Apps allow me to listen to my workout playlist; however when I am biking I just wear one ear bud for safety reasons. Here is my jammin' workout playlist that keeps me stepping or pedaling to the beat.

No Church in The Wild 

Love is Gone

Ray of Light

As Your Friend

Boogie Wonderland

Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough

SOS

Battle Scars

Yeah!

Love, Sex, Magic

Wall to Wall

No Hands

Rocketeer

Marvin & Chardonnay

What is your favorite workout tool?

A Change of Plan

When I started on the journey to train for a triathlon, I signed up for a training plan from Active.com to guide me through the necessary training to be ready for a sprint triathlon. As I have been biking and swimming, I have realized that my legs are not nearly as strong as they need to be for these activities. Years of inactivity have depleted my muscles and they are not adequate enough to provide sufficient power in the pool or on the pedals. Truth be told, my arms need strengthening as well but once my legs are back to par, my arms shouldn't have to work as hard. I decided today to switch programs and go with one that incorporates weight lifting/strength training in the schedule. I have found a "Couch to Triathon" program on Beginnertriathlon.com and hope that this one will meet my needs. I did have to pay for this program but thought that it would be worth the cost in the long run- $50 for 6 months.

Given the amount of time that I have to train ( very little) I need the program to be effective. Over the last 2 weeks I feel like I have made a little progress with my aerobic capacity, but am listening to my body and know that I need to be STRONGER. I am hoping this new program will work on my stamina and my strength. I know a  little more muscle will do me a lot of good.

Beginnertriathlon.com in addition to my biking and running apps have helped me start getting fit and enabling me to measure my progress. So far I have been swimming, biking and training for the Zombie Apocalypse. I let you know about the Zombie Run in my upcoming posts.

Arrrrh!

My Fitness Pal

One of my favorite tools on my journey is My Fitness Pal. It is a free website that can help you track food, exercise and much more. I am amazed at the food data base. There is not a food that I have not found on this site and users can also add their own recipes for nutrition and calorie count.

I find that My Fitness Pal gives me a good idea of what I am putting into my body and how much I can/cannot eat. Sometimes I will just plug a food in to see if it keeps me in my calorie range. If it puts me over, I will change my plans.

Another favorite part of this site is the social media aspect. You can have friends, participate in all different sorts of forums such as General Diet and Weight Loss, Food and Nutrition, Fitness and Health, Motivation and Support and many many more. Some are just silly while others are serious. It's like having a personal support system right at your fingertips. It is also nice to converse with others on the same journey that I am on and see that we all have good and bad days.

Of course there is also the smartphone app that you can sync with your account to log food and exercise while away from home.

I will warn you that like other social media sites, you may spend a little too much time conversing with others and perusing the forums - but it is all good.  To connect to My Fitness Pal, click the picture on the right side bar.

My New Eating Plan - Vemma Bod-e

As I started investigating how to find fit again, I became so confused over how to eat a proper diet -( not to be confused with dieting since I know that doesn't work. I am thinking long term life plan).  I know it's a basic system function of our bodies, yet with all the conflicting diet information out there I didn't know how or what I should eat.

Finding a New Way

While watching Extreme Makeover Weight Loss Edition, I saw the personal weight loss coach and trainer, Chris Powell. Well, he is a very handsome guy so I googled him to find out more about him. Wow!  I found out not only is he on EMWLE, but is regularly featured on the Dr. Oz show so I thought he was pretty ligit. In my search for more information, I came across his system he developed with Vemma for weight loss. I wasn't sold on the system at first since it contained a shake. I am leery of shake diets with short term success stories and not a lifelong eating plan. But, as I looked into the program, the shake is such a small portion of the program and it incorporates lots of whole foods in to the eating plan. Still not sure about this guy and his plan, I decided to read his book "Chose More, Lose More for Life". You can tell he is a motivator by his writing, but underneath all the pizzazz was an eating plan that made sense to me and looked good. So I jumped in and ordered the Vemma Bod-e Extreme Transformation Pack. ( 2 packages of Bod-e Shake mix, 24 cans Bod-e Burn, 7 cans Bod-e Cleanse) There is also an app for your smart phone to give you update and messages to eat. You don't have to order this plan, you can get the recipes and eating plan in his book, but I decided to give it a try.

Keeping the Demon Away

Basically the plan is a carb cycling plan to boost your metabolism and keep your body from adjusting to the same thing every day. The system has you eat every three hours to keep your blood sugar level even and prevent overeating at meals. The cleanse lasts only 7 days and is a digestive cleanse, not a trendy cleanse - boy does this cleanse work! ( plan to be around some facilities)  My kids were skeptical about this plan since I had tried a juice  (trendy) cleanse at one point. By noon the first day the kids were BEGGING me to eat something since I have blood sugar issues and if I don't keep them constant - some crazed demon possesses my body.

I have lost 5 pounds in about 3 weeks which I think is a healthy rate. Even though the scale doesn't register a huge loss, my clothes are already fitting much differently. I don't feel deprived or hungry, on the contrary, I feel really good. My food doesn't come in a package or from the cabinet but from the refrigerator. I eat lots of color and veggies now and little to no processed food ( aside from the shake mix). After seeing my results, Marc, my husband,  has now started the plan as well.

Here is what the plan looks like - Pretty straight forward.

Day 1 - Low Carb
Day 2  - Low Carb
Day 3 - High Carb
Day 4 - Low Carb
Day 5 - Low Carb
Day 6 - High Carb
Day 7 - FREE      ----------Yeeeayyyyyyyy! Free means anything you want ------------

Since I have a free day, I always know I can have something like mac and cheese, pizza or baked goods and not obsess about it all week.

I am sure this is a style of eating that I will continue for quite a while. It is easy, healthy and and doesn't exclude any food. It definitely feels like a plan not a "diet". So this is my eating plan to find fit.

For more information about Vemma Bod-e click the link on the right side bar. 

Today's Workout and the Need for Equipment

As I started downloading training programs for a Triathlon, I realized I am going to have to buy some stuff. I don't want to go crazy on the budget since I am really just testing the waters ( OK pun intended)
My first purchases were for my first swim workout - A pair of goggles and a stop watch,  both of which were on sale - Yea!

My first workout swim was for 45 minutes in our small community pool. I alternated between breast stroke and freestyle mainly relying on breast stroke since it is a resting stroke for me. I did a few lengths of backstroke and sidestroke just to mix it up a bit. I think in the future I need to find an olympic pool so that I can know the distance and length that I am swimming and not just time. I also need to add to my equipment and buy a swim cap to save my hair from all the chlorine. (Ah, vanity)   It felt really good to get back in the water and swim for more than a length or two. My arms are a bit sore from the workout but it's a good feeling.

The "Again" Part

Back in the day I was actually a lifeguard starting at our local pool and then working summers for the National Park Service along the Columbia River. As I have said before, over the years I became a spectator and not a participant even though I live in Southern California and can swim almost every day. It was great to get back in the sparkling blue pool and feel the joy of being in the water again. Now, - to do some homework on a new" swimming hole".