Fitness Progress Update

Oh what a difference a year makes!  As many of you know I have been on a constant journey to get fit, eat healthy and lose weight.  Often it feels like a constant battle which I sometimes feel like I'm losing, however the past 7 months have seemed to change everything!  I joined Albany F.I.T. Boot Camps and never looked back!  (Over the holidays I signed up for another 8 months of boot camp, giving me membership through November 1, 2014)  It's still a struggle sometimes, especially when it comes to eating (working out has never been an issue) but I feel as though I'm making significant progress toward a more happy and healthy me.

 

And here's the proof of progress ...

 

Bethlehem Turkey Troy 2012 vs. 2013

 

It wasn't until after my run when I was looking at the pictures that Adam had taken that I decided to compare last year's picture to this years.  I knew I had been doing well but I was honestly shocked by the change - I was so much bigger in 2012!  And even though I still have a long way to go I am happy with my current progress!

Turkey Trot 2013

Thanksgiving morning I ran the Bethlehem Turkey Trot for the second year in a row!  (Two years makes it a tradition right?)  The difference between this year and last was that this year it was FREEZING!  Literally, it was about 24 degrees but felt like 8 degrees, especially when you were in the shade.  The night before be headed down to the local middle school to pick up the race t-shirts and donate food (the race benefited the local food pantry); the event also had fireworks and even though it had rained/snowed the majority of the day the fireworks went off without a hitch!  The next morning we left the house around 8:30 AM and walked down to the middle school for the 9 AM race start.  Given how cold it was I made sure to layer up - I wore my longest running tights, a long sleeve compression shirt, workout t-shirt and then another long sleeve running shirt (with thumb holes) as well as a hat and gloves.  I also wore a jacket and scarf but Adam held on to that after the start of the race.

 

Pre-race coldness!

Waiting for the race to the begin; and I found a turkey!

 

Getting ready to run!  Still freezing.

At around 9:10 AM the horn blew and we were off!  The 5K race took you on a tour of suburban/old town Delmar; through a lot of residential neighborhoods and then back to the middle school.  Overall I felt GREAT running this race!  Despite the cold it was a really good race - I kept on track and ran about 10:30/11 minute miles and finished the race in 34 minutes flat!  Not too shabby for this being my first race since the summer and the first time I've run a 5K distance in a while (since I've been boot camping instead).

After the trot I walked back to the house and helped Adam prep and cook our Thanksgiving dinner!  More on that later!

Total Body Transformation Challenge Update

I am about to wrap up week #5 of the Total Body Transformation Challenge (TBT Challenge) that I have been doing through my (relatively) new gym Albany F.I.T (I blogged about signing up for boot camp here).  So far it has been great - challenging yes, but I have been seeing some great results!  Eating well combined with some crazy intense boot camp classes (I typically go 4 - 5 times a week when I am not traveling) has really been paying off!  I haven't taken any measurements since the start of the challenge but I have hopped on the scale a few times and so far I am down about 10 LBs in 5 weeks! 

 

Each week of the challenge we are given a meal plan and I have to be honest, I haven't been following it completely - I more or less use the meal plan as a guide throughout the week.  When I travel for work it is nearly impossible to stick to the exact meal plan and let's face it - I like to cook, so I have been coming up with some inventive new recipes while still sticking to the tenants of the challenge.  Another great thing that has come out of the challenge is that I eat SO much healthier when I am on the road!

 

I think the main reason I haven't been sticking to the meal plan religiously is because I want this to be a long term thing - more of a lifestyle change.  I have to be realistic with myself, if I didn't allow myself to eat any carbs, when the 8 weeks was up I would binge on  them!  So I have been practicing portion control, following the 80/20 rule (more on that later) and using the MyFitnessPal app everyday.  Because of this I understand that I may not lose the 20 - 25 LBs in 8 weeks that is typically associated with fully completing the challenge, but I know I will eventually.  Also, nearly everyone I know who has strictly completed the challenge in the past has gained back all or most of the weight within a few weeks.  So in the meantime I have been working on alternatives to my favorite foods and getting creative in the kitchen!

 

Total Body Transformation Challenge

Life has been absolutely CRAZY lately!  Back-to-back-to-back trips for work, moving Adam into his new house, moving his aunt to her new apartment, yard saleing and the Total Body Transformation Challenge!

Two and a half weeks ago I began the Total Body Transformation Challenge through Albany F.I.T. Boot Camp!  The Total Body Transformation Challenge is an 8-week challenge where the staff at Albany F.I.T. provides a weekly meal plan, group support and of course workouts!  Currently I am in the 3rd week and it has been hard with traveling, I haven't been able to eat the meal plan exactly as prescribed but I have been eating SO much more healthy on the past three trips than I have in the past.

The first week was the hardest - no carbs, no sugar and it was essentially a detox; I had a HUGE headache for about 2 days because of it.  Since then the challenge has been essentially a no/low carb, low sugar, high protein diet.  Combined with weekly boot camp workouts and I have been seeing results!  I have also begun to incorporate protein shakes into my diet which has kept me full long and gives me tons of protein.

Like I mentioned - traveling while doing The Challenge has been challenging!  I don't feel that I am getting the maximum results that I could get because while I am eating healthier on the road I am not able to cook or eat the prescribed meal plan; however starting the middle of this week I am back in town for about two week and then after that it is just a couple of quick trips so I feel as though I will be able to stay completely on the wagon and stick to the meal plan.

Wish me continued luck!

F.I.T. Boot Camp

Well, I did it.  I joined Albany F.I.T. Boot Camps and my credit card is still smoking from the purchase but I am now about three weeks in (had to take a week off for travel) and it has been absolutely awesome!  At the beginning of June my neighbor Jamie convinced me to sign up for the one week free trial; she has been doing boot camp since last January and has lost a TON of weight.  I figured what the heck, I'll give it a try and that'll be that.  I wrong!  After the first class I was completely addicted.  Boot camp is not your typical workout - if you are not familiar I would probably compare it to crossfit, minus a lot of the olympic lifting.  We push sleds, squat for days and do combination lifts like you wouldn't believe!

 

Since I was an athlete in college and more importantly a power lifter this type of workout is right up my ally - group fitness, small classes with a trainer motivating you all the way.  Since graduating I have worked hard to find what I really like to do workout wise - I've run a bunch of races, fell in love with spinning and doing a lot of hot yoga but I never incorporated lifted.  I think apart of me felt that if I started lifting again I would immediately bulk or my back would start to hurt like it did in college.  I expressed this thought to the trainer during my trial week his response was "are you still eating at the dining hall?"  I was slightly confused for a moment but then I realized - aha! no I am not still eating like it I did when I was in college. 

 

So long story short I signed up for boot camp for the next 8 months and have been loving the workouts ever since.  I still spin or run on my 'off days' but for the most part I have been purely boot camp focused.  I also signed up for an 8 week challenge where F.I.T. will provide you with a meal plan, small nutritional groups and all kinds of other support to keep you on track with the hope that over those 8 weeks clients can reach their fitness goals.  The challenge will start in early September but until then I am focused on working hard during boot camp and eating healthy, balanced meals.

 

F.I.T. Boot Camps in Albany

Sleds - one of the toughest things we do!

TRX bands - so many different exercises can be done with these bands.

Box jumps!

Kettle bells, dumb bells and weights ... oh my!

White board where our workouts are posted everyday!

Hiking Pawtuckaway State Park in New Hampshire

During our little vacation to coast Maine & New Hampshire we decided to bring our hiking stuff with the goal of hiking somewhere in New Hampshire (cross another state hiked off our list - even though the list if pretty small at this point).  Adam picked a trail in Pawtuckaway State Park which was located about 25 minutes from where we were staying in Hampton.  The weather was overcast, not chilly but definitely not the temperature you would expect when the previous week was 90+ degrees, foggy and it looked like it could start raining at any second, but we ventured out anyway!

 

Hiking in New Hampshire, terrain wise, is completely different from any other hikes we have done.  The terrain was rocky but not like 'fallen rocks', more like you are hiking over boulders that have been there for centuries!  The environment also varied a ton, one minute we were scaling the side of a mountain then the next we were in a 'valley' surrounded by grass and flat rocks, the next we were right alongside a pond and then we came around to find huge boulders!  The boulders were awesome and we later learned that the area is very popular with rock climbers.

 

The hike should have taken us about 5 hours but we did it in a little under 4 hours.  Why did we book it you may ask?  Well because if you stopped, even for a second you would be eaten ALIVE by mosquitoes!  They were SO bad!  They chewed you up even when you were moving.  They bit through my pants and when we finally made it back and I was able to count all my bites, I had 18 HUGE bites all over the front, back and sides of my legs.

 

All in all and despite the mosquitoes the hike was a lot of fun!  We weren't able to get any pictures of the views due to the fog and you don't get a great sense of just how huge the boulders were from the pictures but the diversity of the trail made it a great hike!

Adam through the fog in one of the open rock valleys.

Hey look - I'm on a big rock!

Me next to the boulders.

HUGE boulders!

Adam and the rocks!

 

When in New Hampshire - go for a hike!

Haystack Mountain - Vermont

Last Sunday we headed up to Vermont to hike Haystack Mountain.  Haystack is located in the town Wilmington, VT which is about 20 miles outside of Bennington, VT and about an hour and a half from Albany.  Haystack didn't appear to be that tough of a mountain but afterwards I definitely felt like I had gotten a good workout!  The hike was approximately three hours round trip and ended with an awesome view of Southern Vermont!  What made the hike challenging was all the rain we had had that past week - the trail was soggy!  There were portions of the trail that were straight mud and looked like a swamp and to make matters worse there were TONS of bugs!  Once we made it through a couple of muddy spots though it wasn't nearly as bad; although on the way down my boot did get completely dunked in a mud pit - so much so that the mud went over the top of my boot and into my sock - gross!  Luckily it was on the way down but by the end of the hike my lower legs pretty much looked like I had been attacked by a mud monster. 

Vermont is pretty much one of my favorite places ever and I love hiking there!  I dream about one day owning a cabin in the woods in Vermont.  So, here are some pictures from the top of the Haystack Mountain! 

Top of Haystack Mountain looking toward Southern Vermont/Massachusettes

 Adam taking pictures of the view.

Elise with the mouatin/river in the background!

 

Me on the top of Haystack Mountain!

Another mountain conquered!

 

Check out that view!  I love this picture!

Weekly Meal Plan + More

It is going to be a BUSY week!  Next week I start traveling again for work and will be in NYC for half the week, so I am working to prep and wrap up things at the office before heading out on Sunday.  This week I am also taking advantage of a free week at F.I.T. Boot Camp in Albany.  My neighbor Jamie is a member there and has been encouraging me to give it a try, so when the opportunity for a free week was presented to me I said - yes!  I am pretty nervous about it because I have heard that boot camp completely kicks your ass, but I am willing to give it a try!

 

Now on to this week's meals - I'm not sure how long I will continue to actually post our meal plans for the week but at this point I still get really excited and begin searching my recipe list and thumbing through the grocery store circulars early Sunday morning.  Last week's meal plan was pretty much a success (I forgot a few things for some of the meals which meant I had to make a few little trips to the grocery store) so my goal is for this week to be even more organized!

Weekly Meal Plan

Sunday

Fish Sandwich w/Spicy Cole Slaw

Monday

Buffalo Chicken Wrap w/Sweet Potato Fries & Veggis

Tuesday

On Own/Sushi Night w/the Girls

Wednesday

Chili Mac w/Green Beans

Thursday

On Own/Dinner with my friend Jamie

Friday

Goat Cheese Chicken Pesto Sandwich w/Steak Fries & Veggie

Saturday

Crock Post Chicken & Broccoli over Rice

 

Here is a preview of the hike we did this past weekend - Haystack Mountain in Vermont! 

More on the hike later!
 

Gorgeous view!

Happy National Running Day!

Today is National Running Day!  Running is a somewhat significant part of my life but I also have a serious love/hate relationship with the sport.  I have run a bunch of races and in the past month I have run three (you can read about them here, here and here) but that doesn't mean that running and I always get along.  Spring and summer is when I seem to love it the most.  Living in the Northeast means that it is hard (and miserable) to pound the pavement during the later fall and winter months, so during those months I tend to focus more on spinning, yoga and other indoor fitness activities.  Right now I am in the 'love' portion of my relationship with running.  During the summer months I tend to shift my workouts to the afternoons.  The weather is nice and the town where I work has very 'runable' sidewalks and neighborhoods so it is easy to head out for a run after work.  But the truth of the matter is I don't run fast, or for very long (3 miles is sort of my standard) and I would like that to change. 

 

After my last 5K I really started to think about my past races and how it seems like I have become a lot slower than I was last year; I realized that I am not dedicating nearly enough of my workouts to running and that I should be taking advantage of the summer and my opportunity to pound the pavement.  That being said I have only ever run 5Ks, 3.5 and 4 Milers and I would really like to attempt something longer.  I want to run a 10K!  This goal is not necessarily new, one of my goals for 2013 was to run a 10K, 15K or half marathon and while I would love to one day run a half marathon I think a 10K is much more realistic at this point.  I have been looking at a couple of races and there are a few 10Ks in mid to late September that I am considering.  I also need to implement a training plan.  I can run 3 miles relatively easily but anything beyond that at this point is tough and overall I would like to increase my speed.

 

So there you have it - my new running goal announced on National Running Day!  The next step will be to register for a 10K and start training! 

 

If (when) I complete this it'll be such a major accomplishment for me!

 

Race #3 - Freihofer's Run for Women

This weekend I completed the third of my three races in three weeks with the 35th Annual Freihofer's Run for Women.  This is the third year I have run this race and it is by far one of my favorite races!  The race begins under the bridge of the Empire State Plaza and we run through Washington Park and around downtown Albany before finishing at the same place we started.  Friday night I headed down to the CDPHP Health & Fitness Expo to pick up my race bib, running shirt, box of cookies and bread.  Yes you read that correctly - registration for the race includes a loaf of bread and a box of the most amazing Freihofer's Chocolate Cookies (they are to die for)!  I was a little disappointed in the shirts this year - the sizing just seemed off.  I got an XL which would normally be big on me (I'm not a fan of running in super tight shirts) but it was skin tight!  So that was a little disappointing. 

 

For this race they line you up according to time (at registration you enter the time of your last 5K) - slow to fast - walkers in the back and the fastest people in the front.  Each section has a different colored bib - this year mine was green and I was three groups up from the walkers - almost the middle of the pack.  The morning of the race was HOT, probably about 75 degrees and humid when we lined up at 9:45 AM and it reached about 80 throughout the race.  I knew it was going to be hot so I made sure to hydrate a lot the night before.  It is crazy to think that the weekend before I was running the Survive the Farm race in 40 degree rain and just one week later I am running in near 80 degrees and sun!  

 

As I was standing at the start time waiting for the ceremony to start and the gun to go off I was looking up at the (very) large banner that hangs on the bridge over the start line.  The banner announces the date/time of the race and has a panoramic shot of a bunch of women starting the race.  Well wouldn't you know it but I am one of those women!  I am on the huge banner overlooking the start of the race!  I couldn't believe it and thought it was so cool!  The picture is from two years ago - my first time running Freihofers!

 

Banner overlooking the start/finish of the race.

It may be pretty hard to tell but I am the one in the dark green shirt.

 

The race began and we were off!  5,045 women ran the race - a record number and there were a ton of professional runners!  The start of the race is uphill and being a 'back of the pack' starter means you get to watch all the super fast runners race up the hill.  It is a pretty awesome sight to see - those women are so fast!  It may sound somewhat corny but it is really empowering to run a women's only race - it's just something about the energy of being surrounded by so many other women all of whom are there to run and have a good time!

 

Start of the race!

(Picture taken from the Albany Times Union website)

 

Personally my race was good but I felt like my time didn't reflect it.  Simply put, I am just slower than I was last year.  I definitely need to work on my speed and the number of times I run during the week needs to increase.  It was also SUPER hot and even though I ran 95% of the race, there were a couple of times I needed to stop and catch my breath or drink some water.

 

Action shot!  Coming in at the finish!

 

After the race we went up to the Empire State Plaza and picked up some refreshments - there were a ton of people, bands were playing and everyone was celebrating finishing the race.

 

 

Me, Elise and Elise's aunt post race!

 

I am really happy I ran the race - it is fun, well organized and always empowering.  I will probably end up running it every year I am in Albany!  Freihofer's wrapped up my three races in three weeks and that'll probably be my last race for a couple of months.  I may run the Firecracker 4 Miler in Saratoga but if not I have my eye on a couple in September - maybe even a 10K!

Race #2 - Survive the Farm 5K Obstacle Course Challenge

Oh man, where do I even begin?  This race was beyond tough.  This weekend I ran the Survive the Farm 5K Obstacle Course Challenge which benefited the 'Operation Adopt A Solider' and 'Hope for the Warriors'.  If you want an idea of the obstacles and the course, you can check out a video of the course here.  This was also the second race of my three races in three weeks - you can read about my first race, the CDPHP Workforce Team Challenge here.  The weather leading up to the race was nasty - it rained all week and race day the high topped out at only 42 degrees with constant rain.  Perfect day for running an obstacle course race - right?  I cannot even begin to tell you how tough this race was; I finished in just under an hour an ten minutes. 

The entire course was mud, everywhere you stepped you sank.  It was so muddy that throughout the majority of the race it was nearly impossible to run - every time I started to run I sank even deeper or slid all over the place.  My two goals for this race were to 1 - finish and 2 - finish without breaking anything, which was a very real possibility!  It was also COLD, really really cold.  Which didn't help anything when you were running through and jumping over creeks with water up to your knees, sliding into a pond that was chest deep and crawling under barbed wire. 

We got there around 9 AM, signed in, got our shirts and chips, after that we were freezing so we decided to go sit in the car for a while.  Around 9:50 we lined up for the race (there were 3 heats running at 10 AM, 11 AM and 12 PM) and waited - the national anthem was sung and then we were off!  Within the first 100 yards I was COVERED in mud up to my knees.  And at this point all the runners were still pretty close together so when I reached the first obstacle there was a bit of a line.  The first obstacle was five logs (approximately 50 feet long) over a creek that if I fell in would have been about up to my chest (I know this because I saw other women about my height fall in.  I made it over without falling in but the real test came when I had to climb up the hill on the other side! 

Following that obstacle there were about 13 more - everything from climbing a rope ladder to ducking and climbing over logs and army crawling under barbed wire.  All those were intense but the most challenging part of the entire course were the hills - and there were A LOT of them.  Envision trying to climb a 45 degree hill (at least) that is straight mud; and to make things even more challenging think about having to go down the opposite side!  I was basically mud surfing down hills, going from tree to tree trying not to fall flat on my face.  At the end after the barbed wire crawl (with worms) we climbed a decent hill to a slide at the top (an actual, huge slide) complete with what looked like dish soap and a huge hose.  Going down I picked up a lot of speed and at the end was dumped into a pond with water that came up to my chest!  After that it was about a 1/4 mile to the finish where there was a towel, warm clothes and a beer truck waiting!

Huge flag anchored to a fire truck for the race - the race was on Memorial Day weekend after all.
 

Group #1 getting ready to take off - I was somewhere in that pack.
 

Look at all that mud!

 

Coming in at the finish!
 

Almost there!

 

Completely exhausted and SO happy to be finished!
 

Our team!  Team Upstate/Downstate!

 

My very much earned dry fit shirt!

I survived the farm!

All in all the race was extremely challenging!  The rain (including the entire week of rain leading up to the race), the cold and of course the extreme mud made everything about the race 100x more challenging.  It would be interesting in seeing how the race could be on a warm sunny day (I think I could actually run a good portion of it) but at this point I am not willing to definitely commit to doing it again next year, we'll see though - I think I need time for my extreme soreness to go away.

Race #1 - CDPHP Workforce Team Challenge

Last night at the CDPHP Workforce Team Challenge (3.5 Miler) I kicked off the first of three races in three weeks.  And as much as I would like to say that I kicked butt and did awesome - the race didn't exactly go as well as I had planned.  My time was definitely a lot slower than I wanted it to be but it wasn't all bad! 

 

Some background on this race - every year the major health insurance company - CDPHP - puts on the Workforce Team Challenge; you must register as a company and run in teams of 4.  Teams also typically make team shirts and overall it is a really fun event.  This year over 9,000 people participated!  That is a HUGE number and A LOT of people to fit in under the Rockefeller Plaza for the start of the race.  I was right in the thick of it and being crammed up against 9,000 other runners did not allow for much picture taking - however I was able to lift a few from 'Google Image' to give you some idea of the race.

Getting ready to start the race!  Under the 'bridge' between the NYS museum and Rockefeller Plaza.

Tons of runners heading up Madison Avenue toward the course.

So now on to the not so great news - as I mentioned my time was a lot slower than I had hoped, but then again you can only go SO fast when for the first 1/2 - 3/4 of a mile you are elbow to elbow with tons of people and trying not to fall flat on your face.  Anyway - according to my chip my overall time was 41:52 (11:58 mile) and according to the 'MapMyRun' app my time was 41:20.  The goal I set for myself was to finish between 38 and 40 minutes, so when I crossed the finish line and saw over 41 minutes I was pretty disappointed.  However, some good did come of this race - I pretty much ran the entire race, the only time I walked was at the water stations (2) because let's be honest drinking water, running and trying to breath all at the same time simply does not work well for me.  I also now have a good goal - I know I can run the distance no problem so now I need to work on my speed!

 

My next race is in a week - Survive the Farm 5K and Obstacle Course - that race I won't necessarily be going for time since there will be obstacles involved so between now and Friehofers (June 1st) I hope to up my fitness and be able to run a decent 5K time.

 

My t-shirt and race bib!

'Why YOU wished you worked at PRA'

Adventures in Eastern Iowa/Running the Mississippi

A couple of weeks ago I was headed back to Iowa for the second time this year (I was in Des Moines and Davenport at the end of February).  This time I went to observe two newly minted SOAR trainers.  Observations are great because while you are working it is not nearly as stressful as having to train or hold forums; because of this it also leaves a lot more time to explore the local area.  I was stoked when I booked my trip back to Eastern Iowa/Davenport because I remembered that the city and the hotel where I would be staying is located right next to the Mississippi River and there was a great running/biking path.  Back in February it was definitely too cold to do much of anything outside but I figured by early May the weather would be perfect - and it turned out to be just that, the entire time I was there the temperatures were in the high 70s/80s, the sun was shining and it was absolutely gorgeous! 

 

Prior to my arrival in Iowa the area had had some serious rain which had resulted in a decent amount of flooding.  The parking lot of my hotel, which is located about 1/2 mile from the banks of the Mississippi River, was flooded and on my way to the hotel I saw numerous houses along the river that were still flooded!  Due to this the river was really high!

 

Check out how high the river is - not much room between the bridge and the water!

Signs along the Mississippi River run/bike path.

Rock Island/Moline, IL, American Discovery Trail and the Mississippi River Trail

Plaque along the river commemorating the Great Flood of 1993.

The water along the MS River was so high that it flooded stairs and a landing leading down to the river.  There were actually a TON of people fishing around this area.

 

Along the Mississippi there is a bridge that connects Iowa and Illnois.  The bridge was built by the army corps of engineers in the 1800s and is made completely of metal grates.  On this bridge there was also a bike/walking path and on one of my runs I decided it needed to be crossed!  The bridge was a little over 1/2 a mile long and it wasn't until about half way across that I looked down and realized that you could see straight down to the river (which was very high and raging)!  It was scary and awesome at the same time!

 

Bridge over the Mississippi River from Iowa to Illinois!

 

Running across the metal grated bridge - looking straight down to the Mississippi River!

Covered two states on my run!  Welcome to Illinois!

Just across the bridge on the Illinois side is Rock Island - which is also home to Fort Armstrong.

'Gaurding' the Mississippi River from the Illnois side.

Cannon balls!

 

Standing in Illinois - looking toward Iowa.

Getting ready to re-cross the bridge back to Iowa!

 

The mighty Mississippi!