Radio Silence

I apologize for the Radio Silence from this end but a lot has been going on keeping me UBER Busy!

• Finishing up Grad School and Financial Aid Applications (i.e. lots of frantic searching for documents and scanning)
  
• Massive Corporate Restructuring going on in the work front (thankfully I am not involved but being that even the slightest ripples in my day to day goings on effect me I have been on edge :\
  
• Did some more recipe testing:
  - Tried out the Better Burger with Green Olives recipe from Healthy Appetite on the Food Network
  - Also made some home made hummus from scratch ... yep, no canned garbanzo beans here ... and added some beautiful calamata olives.
  - and for desert: cut up apples and sprinkled Truvia sugar and cinnamon on them and baked for about 20 min ... HOLY YUM!
  
• Had some freelance work come in! A ULTRA FUN Baby's First Year Photo shoot which has kept me smiling for the last 3 days!
  
  Here's a sample:
  
  
  
  
  

T-minus 6 days to M-Day!

Have a great day!

Better Than Chocolate

I am now convinced that Recovery Runs are better than Chocolate. Alright, maybe a close second but still right up there.

Boy, do I feel better today!

I was a little scared apprehensive about heading out on my first run after the 13.1 but I knew the soreness would not subside without it and after postponing on what was going to be 3 days Mr. Boyfriend finally pushed me out the door (Thank goodness for him!)

I started out slow, as I knew I should, but about a mile in my knee started to complain so I decided to set my Garmin for 5:1 Run:Walk Ratio. Afterall, it seemed to work very well for a group of people I was stalking pacing with on the run and I lost sight of them after mile 4. So I decided to give it a shot.

My pace was right on for a recovery run and I felt terrific afterward.

and now for a few pics from the race itself:




Had to do a little Photoshopping on them but I still think they came out great. I ended up purchasing my finish pic which I will add to my wall of accomplishments :)

Today is my Friday being that I start a 10 day long weekend, boy do I need this!

Happy Thursday!

Self-Imposed Long Weekend

Everyone should indulge in one every once in a while!

Thursday night, Mr. Boyfriend and I hit the Metallica concert and may I say "It was AWESOME!"

Rock On!

Great seats!

It was explosive!

I'm not a huge fan but it was still a lot of fun!

Friday, I did my afternoon run in a decent time. I stopped using the Galloway method and my time has improved considerably.

Mile 1	0:10:32
Mile 2	0:11:21
Mile 3	0:11:20
Mile 4	0:11:24
Mile 5	0:10:59
Extra .33	0:03:31

Saturday was the first day I was able to wake up and get a morning run and may I say, I LOVED IT! I am definitely hooked. I am also running IPOD free. I really does allow you to concentrate better on RUNNING and breathing and all the mechanics. It's not easy but it is so worth the sacrifice.

Mile 1	0:10:50
Mile 2	0:11:18
Mile 3	0:11:24
Extra .74	0:08:23

Mr. Boyfriend was still sleeping so I slipped out and got a couple of rounds out on the Bicycle.

Can I say, FINALLY!

It took me twice around just to get my footing back. Then I was in full swing. I did another 6 loops before the sun got to me and I had to head inside. I must do that again!

Sunday was my long run. I woke up at the same time but being that my run was much longer I ended my run and the heat was starting to get bad.

Mile 1	0:10:32
Mile 2	0:10:45
Mile 3	0:11:37
Mile 4	0:11:19
Mile 5	0:11:35
Mile 6	0:11:21
Mile 7	0:11:17
Mile 8	0:11:19
Extra .01	0:00:05

I'm pretty stoked that I made my race pace without really trying too hard and I think I kept it pretty consistent. I did have to take a few walking breaks but I kept them to 1 per mile and always between 45-60 sec.

In the future I'm going to have to wake up earlier as my runs get longer.

Also, I need to be more careful on my long runs. I got 5 blisters. Two on the arch of my right foot, two more on my toes of the same foot and one more on the toe of my left foot. I know it's because I used the wrong sneaker for the run. It was my only lapse.

Everything else worked out pretty well!

• Half a Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cliff Bar before the run. I didn't feel hungry at all.
  
• 20oz of Half Water/Half Gatorade (I could have used another 4oz though)
  
• 1 Zym hydration tab after the run and 1 cup milk (also after the run)

Overall still a great run!

For today's run, I calculated the time I needed to get up to be at work by 8am and I guess I got a little carried away. I headed out at 6:10am to find:

It was PITCH BLACK! It felt like it was Midnight, eerie and spooky. I tried to do once around the block but it was too much. I checked and Sunrise is at 7:15am.

I started to fiddle on the computer and lost track of time and ended up heading out late ... GEESH!

I had planned to do a 5 miler but time and the fact that this would be my 4th run in a row caused me to reconsider.

I ended up doing 3.47 instead. I was able to keep my race pace ... but BARELY! By the end my blisters were aching a little and my legs felt like I had no gas in them ... I was running by shear will alone!

Tomorrow is a rest for my legs day ... I do strength for my core and arms.

Wow! What a weekend :)

In Review - Week of September 28st:

Half Marathon Training Week 6 of 12:
(Full Marathon Training Week 1 of 18:)

WORKOUT	DISTANCE	AVG Speed	TIMES
	25.14 Miles	5.34	5
	2 Miles	N/A	1
	0 Meters	N/A	0

Total Workout Time: 06:12:39
Total Running Time: 04:42:39

040:09:28:02 till the Half-Marathon!
117:09:46:39 till the Full-Marathon!

I leave you with a video of clips from the concert!


Happy Monday!

J4★Weekend

Well, the 4th of July Weekend has come and gone and so did the J4★5K.

I was underwhelmed by my result of 36:58.

Pretty much no change from a month ago.

I also logged a distance of 3.6 on my Garmin meaning that I still have some more calibrating to do.

It also means I have alot more training to do.

But looking for the positive points:

• I was able to keep up with people who looked alot fitter than me.
• I felt no shin pain or shin splits
• I ran without my Ipod and it felt good (so no more excuses when I forget it in the future).
• Mom ran a good race and again I went back for her and helped her finish strong. :)
• Mom is totally excited about our next race 13.1 Fort Lauderdale
  

So I was dragging a bit after that but I so totally did not allow that to ruin my weekend!






We got our JAM on, I took some outstanding photos and watched some fabulous fireworks! :)

Have an Outstanding Monday!

About Me

For most of my life I have been over weight.

I wasn't born overweight and made it to somewhere around 7 years old as a healthy child with a healthy weight.

Then that year, my Private school closed and I was transferred into the Public School System. And after that, I don't recall being a very active as a child nor was I very involved in anything.

I would spend my summers in Puerto Rico with my father's family but I don't remember much of anything.

Actually, after that point all I recall is sitting in front of the TV, playng Mario Brothers on my Nintendo or going to get Malta and Mazareal's with my grandfather.

Something changed.

I'm not entirely sure what (and I am not venturing to accuse the Public School System).

After that, I did not become active until I started college. At which point I was quite overweight (Obese on the BMI scale) and my first year I decided that I would signed up for a Judo class.

I surprised myself.

I was never a brave soul and I half expected to walk in and have the class be canceled due to lack of participation.

But to my surprise it wasn't ... and that's where it all began.

I even started to compete (Here you see me after a Sunshine State Games Competition where I got 2nd Place. Top Row 4th in from Left to right with a Brown Belt.)

I started to lose weight.

Not a lot but enough for me to find the bravery to sign up for the FIU ROTC Program. This is where RUNNING and I were formally introduced and started our on-again off-again affair.

I wasn't very good but I managed some 8 minute (first) miles in my PFT Test runs. I was able to keep up with my designated "Slow" group and I occasionally went on runs with other JUDO members when they wanted to pump up their training.

I SAW RESULTS.

I set goals and started to realize my dreams. I became a Judo Instructor, a Firearms Instructor and Substitute Teacher. I picked up several hobbies including but not limited to: Photography, Running, Working Out and overall fitness, Traveling, Writing the All-American Novel ... and so much more.

Then I graduated from College. Got a SLACKER JOB at the Gun Range and a second Job as a Cyber-Journalist for a local TV Station. I moved out. Made some mistakes and ended up MARRIED!

Three years later.

I had a couple of bumps in the road and I ended up back at the beginning, actually much worse than I ever thought possible. My top weight was 242 pounds on my 5'6" frame. My doctor told me I was putting my life at risk being so overweight.

I didn't know where to begin.

So I took some sage advice from a childhood movie:

"When it all goes wrong, go back to the beginning"
- The Princess Bride

I started with what I knew. I joined WeightWatchers.com and diligently tracked all the foods I ate along with my workout (a session of Billy Blank's Tae Bo every morning, even Sundays).

After a year and without really noticing, I had lost 50 pounds.

My life really turned around.

But as time passed, I seemed stuck.

Now a year has come and gone and I've been stuck at the same weight. I've had multiple personal trainers and never managed to lose more than 10 pounds which I quickly gain back once our training sessions are over. Not that any one of the personal trainers wasn't great but I think my problem is something that a personal trainer can not fix. I've been working out albeit not consistently or regularly or even to the degree that I should be working out.

So I am pressing the reset button.

In 2009, I've started learning to play guitar, learning to play drums, learning to play the piano, returned to my hobbies of Photography and Running and even starting to write again.

I am determined to kick-start and start reaching my goals again.

In March of 2009 I started training for the Seven Mile Bridge Race.

I started running longer and longer distances and I got hooked.

I started signing up for Races.

• Mercedes Benz Corporate Run 2009

• Tour of the Gables 5K

• J4★5k

I wasn't going out to set any records but just to be other there with other people running is a wonderful feeling!

Then I took the plunge and went for a half-marathon at 13.1 Fort Lauderdale

Next, I'm signed up for the ING FULL MARATHON!

Wish me luck!