Motivation

I was Cycling yesterday at my local gym and afterwards the instrctor came up to me and asked, "What keeps you motivated to workout??" Now I gave her a quick answer and proceeded to keep spinning since the classes are only 40 min long and I needed my hour.

Thats another subject all in itself. This instructor sings in her mic, pants in her mic, I felt like leaving the class but the music was good and it passed the time away.

Anyways...back to the Motivation piece of the story. I have been thinking long and hard over the last day at what keeps me motivated.  If you look at the definition of Motivation it is the drive to acheive certain goals. Eveything we do everyday is overshadowed by the existance of motivation. We who work are motivated to work, we who compete are motivated to compete and so forth.

I have a certain goal I want to acheive and that is Finishing an Ironman distance race. If I want to do this and do it within the time frame, I need to be able to put the time and effort into being consistent with training. I think about my previous races and what I did well, and what didn't go so well and I think this is another motivator to prove that I can improve.

I was heavy for a good portion of my life. I have come to where I am today through exercise. It gives me stress relief and enjoyment and I have made friends through this journey. I am motivated because diabetes, high cholesterol and Hypertension run in my family and I am not going that route.

When I fail its not the ending, its the beginning of a new challenge for me. I am motivated because nothing is going to come between me and my dreams. If someone told me I couldn't do something I would prove them wrong in everyway. I am who I am because I had drive and determination to get me where I am today.

"So long as there is breath in me, that long I will persist. For now I know one of the greatest principles on success; if I persist long enough I will win."

~Og Mandino~

Week in Review

Time to tally up those numbers again! I cannot believe how fast the week flew by. Here in Central New York only 10 MORE weeks of winter! I am counting down!

It was a rocky start to the week trying to get to bed early for my 5AM workouts but by the end of the week I was waking up on my own around 4:30AM so I think Im doing good!

Nutrition wise well lets just say that is a work in progress. I have been reading about all these cleanses lately. Maybe I should try a clean diet as well. Here is what I have noticed about me. I have been making better choices overall but I ALWAYS feel hungry. I have now started adding a little more protein in my diet which has been helping.

At work I am now going to forsee all the staff nurses in our office and help do inservices, reviews and policy and procedures...Along with seeing patients. Man, How am I going to pull all this off?! I can do this. I am a strong motivated person. At least I have an Administrative day on Wednesday that I have to admit I have been working from home while working out! I might have to stay and work on some projects each month.

Workout wise I am proud to say I did not miss ONE workout my coach had set up for me. Consistency and discipline is what has been ringing in my ears for the last few weeks and boy did I nail it this week!

Here are the numbers....

Swim- 4100 meters  2 hours
Bike- 4 hours 41 min- trainer and spin class
Run- 17.93 miles- 3 hours 5 min
Strength- 1hour 3o min

Total Time- 12:16:10

I wonder whats in store next week for me?!! Happy Training!

My first Real Sufferfest via the Trainer

Last post I talked about my chaffing issues. Well Yesterday was horrible. I finally broke out the A&D ointment and soothed all the areas that needed it. Let me tell you that stuff healed my right up! Its really the same thing as Bag balm ointment without all the added ingredients!

After cursing under my breath that my Boyfriend didn't bring my bike and trainer up from the basement, I proceeded to get it myself and put it on the trainer. After 20 min of trying to get it in the stupid thing I found out I was putting the scewer in all wrong!! It had face back not up!! No wonder it wouldn't stay in the holder! I shook it about 15 times to make sure when My booty got on it, it wasn't going to fall!! I was so proud I finally did it on my own. Yes. I am a little lucky my honey takes care of everything but I think he is trying to tell me I need to learn after 5 years to do it myself!( I finally knew how to change a tire 3 years ago and could change it fairly quickly last year!!)

This was the finished product:

Yes I know the Syracuse 70.3 sticker is still Attached!!!





I knew my New book for work would come in handy!! Ha ha! Great read BTW!

So I loaded up with this.....

Gave the dog 2 bones so he would leave me alone....



Put in "The Ugly Truth" into the DVD player and began my ride. What a great movie that was! I won't give the details away but most of it is so true about both men and women!

That took me right up to 1:40. I was doing great until this point. I got off to take the dog for a potty break and when I got back on my crotch hurt for the last 20 min!! 20 agonizing min!! I even tried to put the Wedding Planner movie on but that didn't even help! This has been my farthest ride so far. I have only ridden 1:10 at most. So this was mental as well as physical. I stopped, stretched about 10 times in that 20 min but I wasn't giving up! I finished!! 2 hours Ave HR 139!! Woo hoo!

Then it was onto a Recovery run for 20 min. I had to keep the heart rate below 144. nope HR 147. I felt awesome though, like I could run forever at that pace!!

Fueling was a little off with the ride. I took in water as well as Heed. a total of a Bottle in a half. Should've finished both I think. Im not sore and I feel great so we will see how my 75 min run on tap for tomorrow goes!!

Happy Training!

Serious Chaffing Issues

I have no Idea what is going on this week but I have had some Serious Chaffing issues. I have never had this much in my Half Ironman as I have had in the last week! I have no Idea why.

I have had Sports bra chaffing to the upper part of my chest to the point people ask me what happened to my chest when Im wearing a v-neck shirt. It looks like I burned myself. Seriously.

Now comes the back. THe elastic on my sports bra gave me a nice little cut on my back. Really?!!

Then today in the most enjoyable cycling class I ever took. (Why does it seem like guys classes are always better than the womens?!!) I was having some nether region issues. It was everytime we went to sprint I felt someone was scratching my inner thigh and other areas we wont mention. All day at work my groin hurt to the point I had to put Oint to soothe it. What the heck?!!!! I don't know how Im going to do a 2 hour ride tomorrow!

I have got to start lathering my body up with my chamois butter, body glide, whatever I can get my hands on from now on!!!

Sorry I have been out of the loop on Blogs!! I promise to read all the blogs I follow tomorrow!!

Happy Training!!

Am I Addicted to Sugar??

I have a few patients that I can easily point out in my head that have asked me this. They have come to me stating they cant lose weight, they crave sweets all day, they are cranky if they don't have sweets. Hmmm...is it true?~~ Is there such a thing as Sugar addiction?!

Sure you have heard on Alcohol addiction, drug addiction, smoking addiction. But Sugar addiction?! Yes it is true. There has been proven studies showing that there is such a thing!

An October 2003 issue of “Brain Briefings” from the Society for Neuroscience suggested that “some brain actions and characteristics associated with the intake of sweets and drug addiction may overlap”, chiefly in the area of the brain’s opioid receptors. The article suggested that sweets may activate a similar biochemical system of incentives and rewards that leads to addiction of substances like heroin and other opiates in the brain.

Interesting huh?

The reason why I say this is because these can lead to more serious problems down the road such as Diabetes, Obesity, Hypertension, High Cholesterol. What is interesting is they say there is a link also between sugar and the way your body fights infection. Consider the non compliant diabetic who comes in and always has non-healing ulcers. The link is there. See when there is excess sugar in the body bacteria thrive on it so the body never heals unless the cycle is broken.

I have told my patients they arent crazy and their symptoms are true symptoms.

The hard part is managing them. Withdrawl is just like coming off of caffeine. Sugar levels drop and moodiness and irritability can set in. Anxiety, tremors, headaches and cravings are all normal in Sugar withdrawl.

People who are trying to break their Sugar addiction (Like I am, BTW) Should take a more natural approach. Eat more Fruits and Vegetables and YES, more protein! I also tell my patients EXERCISE!! It is the best Natural high there is! It releases endorphins and your body is more efficient at metabolism after exercise!

Now to hop on that Trainer!!

Happy Training!!

Treadmill thoughts and week in Review

Today I was on the treadmill at my local Golds Gym. I looked around and saw so many new faces. You know the ones that make losing weight and being healthy a goal for the New Year. Its frustrating when the gym is jam packed with people like this with only a few sticking it out for the long run each year.

I was there at one point so I need to be nice and curteous to these people with similar goals. Although today, I was being gauked (Sp.?) at. I don't like when people stare at me at the gym. I wonder what they are thinking in their head? Do I have a booger hanging out of my nose? Do I Have toilet paper hanging out of my shorts? Ba ha ha!! I really go into panic mode. Don't know why but I do sometimes. I decided today though that I was going to let them stare at me. Maybe they like a quality they see, maybe they think Im strong, maybe they think Im awesome?!!

Another revealation I had today was when I was on the treadmill for 75min. You know a lot goes through your mind in this time frame! This is how it went: first 10 min I kept thinking, Oh my, my legs are tight from yesterdays run..keep the cadence up! Next 10 min I was laughing inside at the lady next to me that kept having to stop running. And was huffing and puffing about it. Slow down chicka. Next 15 I thought about my cadence, my Ironman and how I wanted to finish. I pictured myself fist pumping at the end, I might have even tried it out on the treadmill but thought against it. The 35 min I looked at all the people on the treadmill of all different shapes and sizes, running all different speeds and it was in this timeframe that I decided I wasn't going to race the guy next to me, I wasn't going to get frustrated with my slow Zone 2 times, but to run my own pace, in my own zones and not care what goes on around me. They don't see what I am trying to accomplish and most of these people will never know. So from now on, it is just me and the treadmill, or road, whichever that may be. I had a good run today and I think this is why!!!

Onto the week in review. I had a pretty crazy week. I had to skip a few workouts here and there because I didn't have enough time to do all the other family things I needed to do. I spent a lot of time with my daughter as she had the week off from school so the time spent was different. All in all I still managed to get some training in. Here are the Numbers:

Swim: 5750 meters- 2 hours 9 min
Bike: 2hr 11 min - trainer
Run: 16.74 miles- 3hours 1 min 27 sec.
Strength: 1 hour 30 min

TOTAL TIME: 8:51:27  

HAPPY TRAINING!!

Resolution Run 2011

Nothing says ringing in the New Year Like a good old run with friends! The Resolution run was in full Swing again this year! This race is put on By the Syracuse Track Club Every Year. It is not your typical race scene. There is no chip timing, A champagne and water stop, and custom prizes of all sorts of novelty items, and you never know the distance you are running. But you can guarentee in will be 5k-10k range!

This years Race started at 11:11am. 1-1-11 at 11:11. Pretty Neat! I got to the "race" around 10:30 and signed up for the club. The race was free when you signed up or you could just pay $10 to race. The money goes to a great lunch afterwards as well as free beer. Now you cant go wrong with that deal! This year I promised them I would try to meet up with them for some good old running!



Friends From Lake Effect Run Club



I couldn't believe the turn out! Especially after all that drinking the night before by

many!!                                                                                                          

The weather couldn't have been more perfect, low 50s!! Yay!! The run started on time and we were all off trying to get our pace going. Now this wasn't timed so I just tried to do my best. There is a infamous hill, John Street Hill, they have us run up this hill every year. A friend of mine, guy here, challenged me to race up the hill will him. The hill is about 10% grade. People were shouting, "show offs!", So of course I couldn't slow down even though I was panting! That wouldn't look cool!!

See the hill coming up?? John Street


All of us stopped at the champagne stop, toasted to a New Year. This was about Mile 3. We went down around the Inner Harbor where the Syracuse 70.3 race ended, and then back to the Spaghetti Wharehouse where the run started.

Total mileage 4.94- Time 46:27, Average Pace 9:24.

10 sec faster per mile than last year!! Hey its faster!! And this year was half a mile longer!!

In closing, the people above have inspired me greatly. All these people, with different running abilities, all support each other in every event we do together. I absolutely love this club!! Hats off to The Lake Effect Running Club!! May there be many more races to laugh, cheer and have a good time together!! ! :)



(PS all the pics are from today but as you can see my camera didnt want it to be 2011!!! Ha ha!!)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!