Goal Keeper: The Fifth Element

The only way that you can keep your goals is if you keep yourself accountable – not only to yourself but to those around you. That’s why I post my goals on here, that’s why I update my Twitter. Even if no one responds, I feel as if I have an obligation to keep my goals.

Whether good or bad, I’m going to try to check-in on Sundays to go over who my goals when the past Sunday to Saturday. Also, let’s see how long I can come up with cute “number” phrases for the post title.

Random Fun Fact
The Fifth Element, aside from being boron, is a super sweet science fiction movie with Bruce Willis and an extremely cute Milla Jovovich with hunting gear orange hair. Our cat is named Leeloo after her character in the movie!

2011 Goals
1.) Lose 13.5 pounds (from 113.5 to 100 pounds)
Current Weight: ~109 pounds
This was taken Saturday morning. I’ve got some serious super motivation now from signing up for lots of races! I bought Jillian Michael’s Six Week Six Pack DVD and some hand weights from Meijer today and we’ll see what she’ll all about. I watched it today (and didn’t work out) just to see what I was in for. I do many of the moves already with my trainer, so I think it’ll be a good video to work along with at home (as long as the husband isn’t there to watch me!).

2.) Work out five times per week.

• Sunday: 5k in the morning!
• Monday: 40 minutes on trainer (morning)
• Tuesday: 40 minutes on trainer (morning); 2.5 miles (treadmill, afternoon)
• Wednesday: 5:30pm work out with Sarah (1 hr)
• Thursday: 45 minutes on trainer (morning); 3.25 miles (treadmill, after work)
• Friday: Off day!
• Saturday: 4 mile run on treadmill (morning, 46 minutes, 11:30 pace)

3.) Run a 5k
Done! Completed on 2/6/2011 with a time of 30:48.

4.) Run/bike a duathlon
Thinking about signing up for the Willow Metropark Duathlon. I am actually going to start to look for some duathlons later in the summer… because of some big news I’m dropping below!

5.) Eat meat only once per day or not at all.

• Sunday: 1
• Monday: 0
• Tuesday: 0
• Wednesday: 0
• Thursday: 0
• Friday: 0
• Saturday: 0

6.) Eat dinner out once per week or not at all.
This week, since I had planned on the disastrous soup not being disastrous and lasting for more than one meal, we ended up eating out twice: Wednesday night at Great Plains Burger Co (very good bean burgers) and Friday night at Gourmet Garden (veg lo mein!).

7.) Volunteer with Earthworks Urban Farm in Detroit and Growing Hope in Ypsilanti.
I’ll be waiting until Spring to start working on these.

8.) Have my own garden in a Project Grow community garden.
Still haven’t heard from Project Grow…. this goal is on hold until then! It’s out of my hands right now whether I can complete this or not.

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I’ve signed up for the Free Press Half Marathon!

otherwise known as, I get to run across an international border and through the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel under the river.

I’m crazy, but it’s okay. I’ve got 8 months to add 8 more miles to my longest run. Totally do-able. :)

Also, I’ve been practically meat-free the entire week, save for the ham & cheese soufflé I had at Panera a week ago (they didn’t have the other kinds left, boo hiss…). What’s funny is that we went out to Great Plains Burger Co. for dinner on Wednesday night and I remarked to Tim, while eating my black bean burger, that it has been so long since I’ve had a real hamburger, that I can’t accurately remember what it tastes like. I’m sort of excited about that!

Goal Keeper: Fantastic Four

The only way that you can keep your goals is if you keep yourself accountable – not only to yourself but to those around you. That’s why I post my goals on here, that’s why I update my Twitter. Even if no one responds, I feel as if I have an obligation to keep my goals.

Whether good or bad, I’m going to try to check-in on Sundays to go over who my goals when the past Sunday to Saturday. Also, let’s see how long I can come up with cute “number” phrases for the post title.

2011 Goals
1.) Lose 13.5 pounds (from 113.5 to 100 pounds)
Current Weight: ~110 pounds
This was taken this morning when I woke up. It’s been between 108.5 and 110 this past week. With the 5k today I wasn’t sure exactly how much I should work out before hand…. and with my birthday this week we ate out a bunch more than we normally do. Oh well. Back on track today AND tomorrow.

2.) Work out five times per week.

• Sunday: off day
• Monday: 6am workout with Sarah (1 hr), 5k at the gym (evening)
• Tuesday: 40 minutes on trainer (evening)
• Wednesday: Pull-ups, push-ups, bicycle crunches, plank-ups, leg press, leg extensions, and 5k at the gym (afternoon)
• Thursday: 2.5 miles outside (!!!) (evening)
• Friday: Birthday! Off day
• Saturday: 60 minutes on the trainer (afternoon)

3.) Run a 5k
I have signed up for a 5k on February 6th in Novi, MI.

Monday’s 5k was my fastest yet, coming in at 33:04, which is probably the fastest I’ve done it in. I’ve been started at 5.3mph and going up by .1mph each quarter mile (the treadmill has an oval of lights that when it’s complete it is a quarter mile) and keeping it at 6mph once I reached it. So that makes my fastest timed mile at 10 minutes. I ran again on Wednesday, but I kept it at 5.5mph the whole time.

I really surprised myself on Thursday, leaving work only about 10 minutes early to bundle up and run outdoors for a little while. The cold air wasn’t as difficult as I had thought it would be.

My 5k is today (as you can tell probably I start writing well ahead of time) so hopefully that is going well My goals were to finish, to not be last, and to hopefully be under 35 min.

Upcoming Races
Shamrocks and Shenanigans 5k March 13th in Ann Arbor, MI
Warrior Dash: July 30-31st in Flushing, MI.

4.) Run/bike a duathlon
Thinking about signing up for the Willow Metropark Duathlon. I still haven’t signed up for this since I am not fully convinced that I can run two 5ks on either side of a bike ride. I need to talk to Tim and his friend about signing our century team up for Race for the Cure though, so we can start fundraising – I want one of the sweet jerseys!

5.) Eat meat only once per day or not at all.

• Sunday: 1
• Monday: 0
• Tuesday: 1
• Wednesday: 1
• Thursday: 0
• Friday: 1
• Saturday: 0

6.) Eat dinner out once per week or not at all.
This didn’t work out so well this week, haha. We went out for Chinese food on Wednesday night… who knew it was going to be Chinese New Year?? Lucky us I love that the Chinese restaurant we go has actual Chinese people dining in it, that must mean something good, right?

Friday was my birthday (big 2-5!) and we finally got to go to Yotsuba. I think it’s the best Japanese restaurant in Ann Arbor… also the staff is mostly all Japanese from what I can tell by listening in on their conversations.

I also went out on Saturday night with my friend Bryan for dinner

7.) Volunteer with Earthworks Urban Farm in Detroit and Growing Hope in Ypsilanti.
I’ll be waiting until Spring to start working on these.

8.) Have my own garden in a Project Grow community garden.
Still haven’t heard from Project Grow…. and it still isn’t May yet. Waiting so long for this is going to be super difficult. I did find out this week that the full plots are about 750 square feet…. hopefully its a square or else I don’t know how else I will plan it.

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Super Bowl 5k Update!

Today was the 5k! Finally!
I was up at 6am… not really sure what to eat, so I had a banana and some coffee. The long sleeve shirt we got for the race at the packet pick-up yesterday is awesome, it’s the wicking type, so I used it in my layers.

We left the house around 7:30am and drove out to Novi. Got there around 8 and hung out in the car for a while. Got out, stretched, jumped around a bit to try to keep warm. It was around 25F.

I was pretty far back in line so I got a nice walk to the start line at 9am. In the end, it wasn’t as bad as I thought. Not too cold. I was actually able to pass a lot of people (and that’s not counting just the walkers!) and since it was my first time running in a group I thought it was really nice to get with a group I could pace myself with.

I didn’t bring my HRM or watch, so I really had no clue how fast I was going (I think this was actually a good idea – if I had worn it I would’ve been obsessed with checking it every five seconds).

My clock time was 33:06 and my chip time was 30:48!! Holy crap! That’s a 9:53 pace! I am officially amazed.

Goal Keeper: Hat Trick (#3)

The only way that you can keep your goals is if you keep yourself accountable – not only to yourself but to those around you. That’s why I post my goals on here, that’s why I update my Twitter. Even if no one responds, I feel as if I have an obligation to keep my goals.

Whether good or bad, I’m going to try to check-in on Sundays to go over who my goals when the past Sunday to Saturday. Also, let’s see how long I can come up with cute “number” phrases for the post title.

2011 Goals
1.) Lose 13.5 pounds (from 113.5 to 100 pounds)
Current Weight: ~109 pounds
This was taken yesterday morning when I woke up. I had seen 109 once before in the week… so hopefully it is a pretty accurate reading.

2.) Work out five times per week.

• Sunday: 3 mile run, ab work
• Monday: 6am workout with Sarah (1 hr)
• Tuesday: 25 minutes on trainer (morning)
• Wednesday: 45 minutes on trainer (morning), 35 minutes on trainer (evening)
• Thursday: 45 minutes on trainer (morning), 5k at the gym (evening)
• Friday: 6am workout with Sarah (1 hr)
• Saturday: 35 minutes on trainer (evening)

3.) Run a 5k
I have signed up for a 5k on February 6th in Novi, MI. I ‘ve good at running so far this week, as I managed to go on Sunday and Thursday. Hopefully I’ll make it out again 2-3 times this coming week. I meant to go on Wednesday too, but all the treadmills at our apartment gym were taken.

Thursday’s run was 5k in 34:37, which is probably the fastest I’ve done it in. I’ve been started at 5.2mph and going up by .1mph each quarter mile (the treadmill has an oval of lights that when it’s complete it is a quarter mile) and keeping it around 5.7mph for most of it.

I also signed up for the Warrior Dash! It’s July 30-31st in Flushing, MI. Apparently I’m a crazy ass that wants to wade in mud and crawl under barbed wire. Less exciting than the Warrior Dash is that I signed up for the Shamrocks and Shenanigans 5k in Ann Arbor on March 13th as well.

4.) Run/bike a duathlon
Thinking about signing up for the Willow Metropark Duathlon. It is 5k run, 20k bike, then another 5k run. Not signed up yet… I’m still thinking about it. I have been riding the trainer a lot to get used to being in the saddle. There are also some plans in the works to ride a century (100 miles) for the Race for the Cure this year as well.

5.) Eat meat only once per day or not at all.

• Sunday: 0
• Monday: 0
• Tuesday: 0
• Wednesday: 1
• Thursday: 0
• Friday: 0
• Saturday: 1

6.) Eat dinner out once per week or not at all.
Didn’t happen this week, but I’m not really upset about it. We had dinner Tuesday night at Silvio’s for a Slow Food Huron Valley meet-up and we celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary on Wednesday night at Grange.

7.) Volunteer with Earthworks Urban Farm in Detroit and Growing Hope in Ypsilanti.
I’ll be waiting until Spring to start working on these.

8.) Have my own garden in a Project Grow community garden.
Still haven’t heard from Project Grow…. and it still isn’t May yet. Waiting so long for this is going to be super difficult. I did find out this week that the full plots are about 750 square feet…. hopefully its a square or else I don’t know how else I will plan it.

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I think that this week was especially good for me was because my one coworker that I normally go out to eat for lunch with was only in the office on Monday, so I had to eat my packed lunch on Tuesday through Friday… not to mention that two-a-day workouts really make an impact!

I’m pretty scared nervous about my run next Sunday. I hope it doesn’t dip back down into the teens… or snow… or be on icy roads. Did you hear me, Michigan?! I need you to behave yourself!!

Goal Keeper: Part Deux

The only way that you can keep your goals is if you keep yourself accountable – not only to yourself but to those around you. That’s why I post my goals on here, that’s why I update my Twitter. Even if no one responds, I feel as if I have an obligation to keep my goals.

Whether good or bad, I’m going to try to check-in on Sundays to go over who my goals when the past Sunday to Saturday.

2011 Goals
1.) Lose 13.5 pounds (from 113.5 to 100 pounds)
Current Weight: 110-111 pounds
I am totally convinced that this is going to take a long time. This past week I saw anywhere from 110 to 111 pounds, and 109.5 at one hop on the scale.

2.) Work out five times per week.

• Saturday: one hour on trainer (evening) 
• Sunday: 40 minutes on trainer
• Monday: 6am workout with Sarah (1 hr)
• Tuesday: 30 minutes on trainer (morning)
• Wednesday: 5:30pm workout with Sarah (1hr)
• Thursday: day off!
• Friday: 40 minutes on the trainer
• Saturday: skiing at Crystal Mountain!

3.) Run a 5k
I have signed up for a 5k on February 6th in Novi, MI. I really need to get back to the gym and actually runing since it is only two weeks away. I need to go run today as well, to get off to a good start at that. I have no real goals for a finishing time, but it would be sweet if I could do it without stopping. My main worry is the cold weather. Seriously, February in Michigan? What was I thinking??

4.) Run/bike a duathlon
Thinking about signing up for the Willow Metropark Duathlon. It is 5k run, 20k bike, then another 5k run. Not signed up yet… I’m still thinking about it. I have been riding the trainer a lot to get used to being in the saddle. There are also some plans in the works to ride a century (100 miles) for the Race for the Cure this year as well.

5.) Eat meat only once per day or not at all.

• Sunday: 0
• Monday: 0
• Tuesday: 0
• Wednesday: 1
• Thursday: 1
• Friday: 1
• Saturday: 0

6.) Eat dinner out once per week or not at all.
This week is Ann Arbor Restaurant Week and I cannot pass up a good deal, the chance to eat at a locally-owned restaurant, and a place that I’ve never been too before. This Thursday we went out for dinner at Melange Bistro. This weekend was also a skiing weekend but since my friend Megan now officially has a gluten allergy, I packed food for us for the drive up and back down on Saturday night.

7.) Volunteer with Earthworks Urban Farm in Detroit and Growing Hope in Ypsilanti.
I’ll be waiting until Spring to start working on these.

8.) Have my own garden in a Project Grow community garden.
Still haven’t heard from Project Grow…. and it still isn’t May yet. I should figure out the size of a full plot and start planning.

9.) Continue posting about the yummy food I make and eat.
I feel like I might as well just take this one out of here, since it’s pretty simple

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I have a couple of goals that are really easy, some that are medium and just take a little bit of thought beforehand, and some that are a bit more challenging.

It still blows my mind that I used to be 25 pounds heavier than I am now. In fact, I am regularly amazed at that every time I pick up weights in the gym and think of how heavy they feel, then think of carrying around that amount of weight.

I really need to start working on the running more. It is so hard for me to get out to the gym, despite that it is so close, especially when I know I can at least get some exercise on the trainer.

I don’t want to look like an idiot at the 5k though, so today I am definitely going to go running. (Internets, hold me accountable!)