Seasonal Depression

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So, it's winter here in Virginia. It's been winter for a while now, I know. But somehow I can usually get through the holidays alright. January and February always hit me the hardest as far as Seasonal Affective Depression. It was much worse when we were still living in Rochester, NY. But this year I feel like my SAD has come back pretty strongly. Here's some of my symptoms:

Insomnia, and/or trouble waking up in the morning. Luckily I manage to make it to work, albeit later than usual, but on the weekends I've been finding myself sleeping in past noon which, OK, I did a lot as a teenager and really, still do even when I'm not depressed. But it's HOW I'm sleeping in. Happy Jac sleeps in because "ooh, its so cozy and I'm having a great dream and isn't it lovely to lounge in bed" SAD Jac sleeps in because "Urg, I have no energy, no reason to get up, I don't care about all the things I have to do".

Drinking. I'm not a huge drinker usually. But this past weekend I drank far too much. Normally I have one or two drinks because I enjoy them... a really nice glass of wine or a tasty cocktail. But Friday I was a mess. I was so determined to put on my happy face and have fun with my friends, that I drank a lot because I struggled to feel anything. I haven't had anything to drink since Friday night... except a sip of some of Joe's wine at dinner on Saturday... because I recognize the potential issues here. Plus, alcohol is a depressant and I'm not dumb enough to give a depressed girl MORE depressants. I spent the entire weekend recovering - and not just the typical hangover recovery. My mood is still not recovered.

I'm hungry all the time. I'm an emotional eater. When I'm more emotional, I shovel food into my face like I'm going to starve. I don't enjoy it, I have no concept of being "full", and I'll eat everything in sight. Last week was worse for this, but I've been following this "diet" from a magazine - it's a two week plan - and I made Joe and Bill go grocery shopping with me and I've committed to sticking to it, especially since we spent a lot of money on food.

I don't give a shit about things or enjoy things. I was nominated for "Outstanding Costume Design in a Musical" for our local theater community honors group. I think I did a good job acting with the appropriate amount of excitement to appease everyone around me, but to be honest... my level of excitement was very low. I don't FEEL excited. I also don't feel like I necessarily deserve the nomination. And that's not me being modest. I'm not a poster child for modesty over here. I just... don't care. I'm currently working on a show that opens in a few weeks. I've barely made progress on it and I'm struggling to "get it together". I just started a new position at work, with a big, high visibility project and I'm coming in to work late and leaving early and procrastinating. I started doing the TEAM Fitness thing at the start of January... I've missed at least one session a week since. I didn't go Monday or today this week, nor did I go in to make up for lost time. The apartment is a mess, laundry isn't done, and you know, whatever.

I make it sound terrible. But I've had major depression before in my life and this is not it. I had a nice dinner with friends on Saturday and we laughed so much we were in tears. I'm able to get out of bed and function, where as when I was majorly depressed, those things wouldn't happen. I can still interact with people though my introversion is more pronounced. I'm not crying for no reason like I did when I was depressed.

Because it's not a major depression, going to my doctor and getting meds doesn't really make sense. I've been on anti-depressants before, and they work, but I feel like this is pretty mild in comparison, so what I really need is to see a counselor. I'm in contact with one and hopefully I'll be able to get in to see her in the next week or so. I made an appointment with my psychiatrist because I'm almost out of my ADHD meds. I'm feeling better today than I did even a few days ago, which may have to do with the fact that I'm doing something about it.

The biggest thing that I SHOULD be doing is going to bed early and waking up at the same time every morning. Why a smart chick like me can't get a handle on a sleep schedule... it's frustrating. That would probably help me the most. I definitely rely on Joe too much, or let him enable me. He's a night owl like me, so when he's up until 12:30, I'm up also. He sleeps until 8:30am... I like to snuggle. He doesn't necessarily need to change his schedule... I do. This has always been a huge problem and we need to find a way to remedy it.

Thinking about getting a light box.

Chocolate Milk heals my soul

We've started buying whole chocolate milk from Whole Foods. It's pretty much amazing. I can only drink a half glass at a time because it is so rich but first thing in the morning after an intense workout like today's... man is it good.

I missed the Monday morning TEAM class - i had some issues sleeping and this time chose the extra couple hours of sleep. To make up for it, I went to the gym after work and when I walked in, my trainer was right there. She said "I missed you this morning!!" and then told me I could hop into the 7pm class with a different trainer. I had about 20 minutes before the start of class so I just hung out on the treadmill for a while. Monday was a weight circuit class and this other trainer was a bit harder than Rachel. He was nice, but I don't think I'll be switching classes. Good to know I have an option if I miss the 6am class, also good to know that as "punishment", his class is harder.

I made it in this morning even though we got some snow. Part of the reason I made it was because I could hear Rachel's voice saying that she missed me. Part of it was because today was our first real cardio day and I wanted to make sure I did it with my regular trainer. Plus, we met with the nutritionist, Kara, this morning who gave us a very brief overview and a book to log our meals and workouts.

The cardio was intervals based on Heart Rate zones. We first did an RPE test which determined that my Anaerobic Threshold is 170. For me right now, that's a little faster than a jogging pace and I can barely keep it up for 2 minutes. It was a hard workout but I made it through and took some extra time to stretch afterwards.

Last week Rachel did some measurements and she gave me my results today. My body fat percentage is 28%, and my sit-and-reach flexibility test was 9 inches. According to the body fat wikipedia page, I fall into the "average" category (between 25-31%). According to the BMI that the nutritionist gave me (26.97) I'm considered overweight, which I knew already.

I was exhausted afterwords. I'm still pretty tired 3 hours later. The insomnia is going away I think - I slept pretty well last night though I'm still struggling to get to bed on time. Keeping the cats out of the bedroom seemed to help. I did stop at Starbucks on my way in this morning for a latte and a "protein plate" which is an egg, some fruit, a little cheese, and this yummy muesli bread with honey peanut butter.

Now, I don't have to think about working out until Friday morning!

Week 1 struggles

Yesterday I was sore. Not the sorest I've ever been after working out but I needed to use my hands to assist my legs if I wanted to cross them, and squatting to get into the car or sit on the loo was challenging. Gotta love lunges and bosu squats!

Monday and Tuesday nights it was really hard for me to sleep. First, I got to bed later than I should. To wake up at 5:30am and get 8 hours of sleep, that means going to bed at 9:30 which, sorry folks, isn't going to happen. I'm aiming to be in bed by 11:00 which is early for me. Sunday night, before my first class, I got to bed by 11, Joe came in and snuggled for 20 minutes and I passed out. Monday night I got distracted with cleaning and chatting online so I crawled into bed around 1am. Last night, I didn't get home until 11:45 so again, 1:00 was about the time I actually got into bed. That basically means if I fell asleep right away, I'd be getting 4.5 hours of sleep. Tuesday I woke up around 7:30, but it had taken me a long time to fall and stay asleep. I remember looking at the clock around 4am. My cats missed me when I was on vacation and decided they wanted to snuggle all night. Joe has been taking some medicine to help him with his insomnia which knocks him completely out so he is basically a pile of snoring dead weight. It is very frustrating which only makes falling asleep that much harder. Part of the problem was someone turned our heat up and didn't turn it back down before bed.

I woke up this morning after maybe 3 hours of sleep, and only 4ish hours the night before, for day 2 of TEAM Fitness. Today was day 1 of tests. She weight me (188.8 - I discovered that the scale at home is about 5lbs lower than it should be), did the body fat caliper things, a sit-and-reach for flexibility and then we had to go on the treadmill for 30 minutes to get the best distance we could. I managed 2.13 miles.

I feel pretty tired at work, and i have a lot to do tonight. But, I plan on kicking everyone out at 10 so I can try and get some sleep!

T.E.A.M. Fitness

So, this morning I attended the first TEAM Fitness class at my gym. It's basically small group personal training, three previously I wasn't even waking up until 8:00. Mornings are dark, and cold. It was 27 degrees outside when I walked to my car this morning. Eeesh!


It ends up costing about $166/month (in addition to our regular gym membership) but costs much less than working out with a trainer one-on-one. Plus there is the added camaraderie. In my class this morning there was one other girl my age, all the rest were older people. The trainer is really nice though. Today we did circuit weight training. Wednesday is apparently cardio plus some testing. Not sure yet what Friday is, but I do get the impression that if I want to see results I'm going to need to add in my own cardio a couple days a week. Perhaps on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, and then I can become a real morning person.

I feel really good so far today. Since I was so early, I stopped at Whole Foods on my way in to work to pick up some breakfast (they have take-out stuff so I had scrambled eggs with veggies, and roasted potatoes with more veggies) and I stocked up on lunch for the week - pita, hummus, salad, fruit... so I should be getting back on track with the nutrition side of things.

Now, it's just a matter of getting caught up at work. I took my Adderal already. Normally I'd wait until 10:30ish but with starting my new job soon I really want to get used to being "on" all day.

The Shoulder

Tuesday I arrived at Pilates class (which I've been doing once or twice a week for a few months now). My right shoulder was feeling tense, seemingly from sitting at my computer all day. So I gave them a stretch and a rub and went along my class. It was sore but not unbearable... until after class. I got into my car and I couldn't turn my head, and it hurt all the way down my arm, up my neck, and across my chest. Not sure exactly which move made it that bad, but I was thinking about going to the ER. However, since it wasn't anything life threatening, there was no bleeding, and the pain was only about a 7 on a 1-10 scale... I just took some Aleve, put the heating pad on it, and tried to take it easy.

After not sleeping, I called out of work around 5am. Did manage to get a little nap in. Called an orthopaedic doctor, luckily they had a cancellation and so I headed over at 3. I was thinking it was probably a pinched nerve but since the pain was coming from under my shoulder blade (as opposed to the top of my shoulder/neck where i usually feel it) I decided it warranted going to the doctor.

So, I met with Dr. Lonnie Davis at the Center for Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine. I liked him. He did a lot of "raise your arm this way, turn this way, push, pull" type of things and thinks it is just a strain or possibly a pinched nerve, exacerbated by the fact that my neck and shoulders are very tense. He gave me some Prednisone for the pain/inflammation, a muscle relaxant, and I need to do 6 physical therapy sessions to learn to stretch and strengthen my upper body to avoid this kind of injury from happening again.

This means, though, no pilates for the next two weeks. And I had to cancel the deep tissue and hot stone massage I had scheduled for Friday. Bummer. I'm glad I went to the doctors though, and that it's not a worse diagnosis!

Final Countdown

So, I just got notification that my 10 year high school reunion will be held on Nov. 20th. So, just under two months away.

I weighed myself this morning: 177.5. Not bad considering the last few weeks I haven't done much of anything, except being sad (for good reasons) and getting a terrible cold which had me out for about a week) But now I have a clear deadline, which is always helpful for me. I would be pretty happy if I could get back down to 170 by the reunion. So I signed up for pilates again, once a week for now, and I bought a Groupon for Jazzercise a while ago that is unlimited for two months, so that works out well. If I can go twice a week, plus keep up my walks at lunch, plus pilates and watching what I eat, 170 shouldn't be too hard of a goal to reach (it's about 1 lb a week.)

Bill, my roommate, has a new girlfriend, Lil, thanks to an introduction from yours truly. She's super awesome and wants us to help keep each other motivated and, in her words "bitch at each other when we slack off". Yay workout buddy, even if we work out separately and then just talk about it later.

GeekMoot and ChicMoot lessons

So, a couple weekends Joe's college buddy, Thad, and his S.O., Josh, were visiting from the beautiful (so I've heard) state of Colorado to the beautiful state of Maine, so we, along with Dave, went back up to Joe's parents camp to spend the weekend. We were just up there for GeekMoot for a week in July - which is a yearly vacation we take with Joe's geeky friends to play board games like Arkham Horror... really geeky, involved games, most of which are too complicated for me. We dubbed last weekend "Chic Moot" in response.

A little about the camp: Joe's parents built this beautiful home on Toddy Pond, not too far from Bangor, ME. They live there part time now, and it is probably one of the most beautiful places I've ever spent my time. It's all rustic inside, log cabin-esq. There is a hot tub on the deck, and the camp is offset from the lake and relatively private. They have a really nice dock out on the lake attached to the shore, and another floating one a short swim away. Every time I am at camp (during the summer at least) I see loons. Loons happen to be my favorite animal!

During Geek Moot, I made sure to get the guys down to the water at least once a day. A few of us went hiking once, and we went on a nature cruise. But for the most part we sat around, ate, drank, and sat around some more. I actually spent a lot of time alone, just sitting at the dock or otherwise doing my own thing while the guys played games. I went into town a few times. I took a glorious long nap on the hammock. I went to bed at a reasonable time most nights, around midnight, and woke up around 9. After the weekend I felt rejuvenated and relaxed, which lasted a long time after I returned home.

Chic Moot: we spent a good portion of the day on the water. I showed off my canoeing skills with Joe and Dave. Thad and Josh coached me through kayaking... I almost lost my glasses falling into the water during my first canoe-to-kayak transition, but was impressed with being able to get back into the canoe from the water. We went swimming with my nephew. That night, we sat in the hot tub and went out to star gaze. It was only the weekend - flew to Boston on Friday, got to Maine at 4:30am Saturday, up at 9am, bed at 11, woke up at 6 to go on a whale watch, then drove back to Boston and almost missed our flight... but got home around 11.

Here is what I've learned from these two trips.

1. Sleep is important. This seems so simple but I really struggle with getting enough. I should be waking up in the morning around 6:30-7:30, depending on if I need to go running or not so I really should be going to bed between 10:30-11:30.

2. Eat less. Again, a no-brainer but in watching the guys eat during geek-moot vs. the guys during chic-moot... the food awareness in the second group was very different. Observing Dave was particularly interesting. He seems very aware of how much food he needs to eat, when he's had enough, etc. He turns down dessert. He is not an emotional eater. Dave manages to stay trim but doesn't really work out. If I could somehow emulate this (and add working out) it would make my losing weight a lot easier. I've been trying to be more aware of how hungry I actually am, and stopping when I'm almost full, even if the food is incredible, and even if there is a lot left.

3. It is important to balance out activity with "doing nothing". Geek Moot was a good indicator that I need more reflective quiet time than I give myself. Considering how wonderful I felt even after I returned home, this is something I've been thinking a lot about. I do tend to be on the go all the time but I want to work towards simplifying my life so I can be calmer as a norm and not just on vacation. I need to make time to breathe.

4. I shouldn't be afraid to try new sport-type things. Kayaking was so much fun, and I'd been hesitant to try it. Having Thad and Josh talk me through it was good for my confidence. Once I got in the boat and got going - the independent feeling was wonderful. I am excited to try doing a ropes course, learning how to surf, working on golfing... Our hike was really nice during Geek Moot, and I should do more of that, also.

5. I need to work out. Holy moly! Joe's mum took a picture of me in the canoe and I know I shouldn't dwell, but all I can see is my flabby stomach. I try and tell myself "OK, so you have a flabby stomach. You also have mad canoe skillz that everyone was impressed with!" but it's hard to do. The plus side is it was kind of a catalyst and I've started running again.

Sweet Tooth

I have recently (within the past year or so) discovered that I do not have a sweet tooth. It was a really surprising realization and I am amazed that it took me so long to figure it out.

Back in high school, I was HUGE on sugar. Breakfast was a cup of earl gray tea with (whole) milk and one and a half teaspoons of sugar. Obviously this wasn't enough to really get me past 10am, so between classes I'd stop at the school store and grab a Nutty Buddy. Lunch, at least senior year, was a half of a sandwich and a cup of soup and chips from Nuts About Ice Cream, and usually i got a extra thick mint chocolate chip milkshake for dessert. Also, we had soda machines at the school and you could rarely find me without a bottle of Cherry coke. After school, I'd visit my elderly neighbor, and she always had hot chocolate and cookies (which I'd eat with whipped cream). And, after dinner (spaghetti was, and still is, my favorite) there was usually ice cream or some other kind of treat. Gym I believe was twice a week? Because I went to a large high school, our gym classes were grouped together - so three gym teachers would split up the classes based on what each student wanted to do. Usually I chose to walk the track with my friends, and we didn't exactly keep up a good pace. During the school week, my only other exercise was band practice in the fall (marching up and down the street with a Baritone horn... harder than it sounds but, again, not exactly a calorie burner). Also, I had a paper route that I walked in the mornings, which took about 45 minutes. On the weekends, I worked at Planet Trog, a laser tag arena. From noon until 6 I wandered around the arena after kids birthday parties and such, and then from 6 until midnight(or later) I hung out with my coworkers and played a bunch of games. At least I got a little bit of exercise. It still isn't surprising that when I graduated high school, I weighed 220 lbs and wore a size 18, which you can see in the photo before senior prom.

Freshman year of college wasn't much better: I remember drinking lots of soda, grabbing stuff from the vending machines (there was a french fry vending machine right next to the ice cream bar vending machine... dangerous) and the dorms "corner store" (where I had my first Wonka candy bar... chocolate with graham cracker pieces). I still managed to lose weight in college, due mostly to the meal plan and walking back and forth to the dorms. I transferred out of RIT to go to the community college the following fall, but before the end of the year, I managed to get mono. It was terrible, I was exhausted all the time (right during finals, no less), but I did lose another 10 lbs, putting me under 200lbs, before heading home for a couple weeks before starting my summer job as a camp counselor at Adirondack Camp on Lake George in NY.

While my employment experience was less than desired (for a number of reasons, which I mostly credit now to my immaturity at the time), that job was a huge life changer. At the beginning of the summer, I bought a dress from Lane Bryant that was a size 16. At the end of a summer filled with a regular schedule of 8 hours of sleep, chasing kids around and teaching them how to canoe, swimming almost every day, and only having food available to me at mealtimes (and only being able to eat after the kids had eaten) I was practically swimming in that dress. (too bad, it was really pretty). I was down to a size 12, and I think about 175 lbs. This was 2001.

I gained a lot of the weight back. When I met Joe in early 2005 I weighed around 195. (The picture on the left is from October of 2005.) I dropped a bit of weight but it wasn't until we got engaged and moved to Virginia that I really started making an effort. I started running, I did a "bridal boot camp". I discovered pilates and loved it. I weighed 172 the morning of my wedding in 2008, and I'm between 175-180 now. So, from my heaviest, I've lost around 45lbs, which isn't too bad! The picture to the right is from the summer of 2008, at the same cafe in Boston! Best Tiramisu ever!



One of the life changers for me was this seminar I went to, put on by Jennifer of Howe to Eat called "Getting off the sugar roller coaster". She talked about that 3:00 slump at work, and how eating sugar becomes addictive and a vicious cycle of sugar highs and crashes. How artificial sweeteners are actually worse for you than real sugar (because they are sweeter, so you teach your body to want more regular sugar to obtain the same amount of sweetness), and how basically, they are chemicals, when what your body really needs are foods closest to their natural state as possible. (so, evaporated cane juice is better than white sugar, etc.) Instead of having a candy bar at 3:00, I'd have a sweet potato (less calories, still sweet, and you get the benefit of all the fiber, vitamins and minerals). I emptied our pantry and fridge of anything containing HFCS and Joe and I are pretty diligent at reading labels at the grocery store. Naturally sweet things now taste sweeter, and sweets like milk chocolate are just too sweet. If I eat a cupcake during our birthday celebrations at work, I feel gross for the rest of the afternoon. If I want chocolate (Joe keeps emergency chocolate hidden in the house for when I'm having one of "those days") I opt for a piece of really dark, high quality chocolate instead of a cheap-o Hershey bar, and I try and savor it.

When I see people who are dieting buying things that are sugar free... Its hard for me to comprehend. Splenda and other artificial sweeteners just leave this terrible aftertaste in my mouth and give me a headache. I'd rather have a few spoonfuls of real, full fat, real sugar ice cream than an entire bowl of something chemical laden and overly processed. Sometimes, I'd rather have an apple with peanut butter (the natural, nothing added to it kind). Or a cup of blackberries.

The idea is, eat things as close to their natural state as possible. Maybe not to the extreme of eating a raw diet - that's a little too much for me - but, why drink apple juice when you can eat an apple, and get the benefit of the fiber in the apple?

I thought i was at an intermediate Pilates level...

...until i took a class at The Pilates Room in Mclean. It's actually right down the street from my regular pilates studio, Pengu Studio.

First, let me just explain what I love about pilates (and yoga, for that matter). I love the body awareness I gain from it. Its amazing how a pose, stretch, or movement can feel completely different if you tilt your tailbone one way or the other, or pull your abs in or let them go, or move your head to one side. Yoga gives me this great sense of balance, Pilates gives me a sense of length and both make me feel so much more gracefull - and for a klutz like me that's a huge thing.

In a recent interview, Julia Roberts, talking about exercise said "I do love how I feel afterward: accomplishment, clarity, energy, strength, joy. These are all things I give myself through working out, and I can feel it in everything I do." Right on!

So, Pilates last night. Through the magic of Groupon, I've been able to try out a bunch of different pilates studios, especially since, unfortunately, Pengu doesn't offer a lot of evening pilates classes that fit my schedule. (and the one I used to take, Jumpus Ultimus... I think I need to be in better shape before I start taking it again). So I get a groupon for The Pilates Room and sign up for my first class right away. Class started at 6:00, and is less than 5 miles from work, so i left at 5:15.... and still got there late. Oh northern VA rush hour!

This was one of the most challenging (non jump board) pilates classes I've ever taken. The instructor, Janine, gave me so many corrections and I couldn't even do a lot of them. Aparently I've been doing neutral spine wrong (somehow I have to get my tailbone and my lower ribs on the mat without tilting my pelvis. when I crunch I lead with my head which throws off my position.) We did some work on the Wunda chair, which I've only ever done a few times in the past, and I couldn't get a lot of the movements.

After class, Janine suggested that if I could make it, to come to the 5:00 class which she said moves a little slower (it's still an intermediate class) but, no way I could do that with my work schedule. So she said "no problem, we'll work with what we've got!". She showed me a little more about why my posture is wrong, and told me I did a good job on the reformer, reminded me to use a pillow to help get my ribs down until I can do it on my own.

Today, I feel sore. Duh. But, I'm planning on going back and possibly becoming a regular.

On a side note, I weighed myself yesterday... 178. Down 5 lbs in less than a week. I'm pretty sure its just normal fluctuations, not that I've actually lost 5 lbs. still, I'll take what I can get!

Yoga

So, yesterday was my third yoga class at Sun and Moon. I was a little nervous. The first class i went to seemed pretty easy. A lot of back bends (which I overdid and then had a sore back and chest for a few days). The second class, our regular instructor was out and her sub did stuff focused on the heart chakra (so, chest openers, mostly) and it was another easy class. So I was nervous that this mixed level class was going to not be challenging enough for me. Granted, an easy class isn't such a bad thing. It teaches you how to slow down, enjoy each movement, etc. We did a lot of pranayam (focusing on breathing) in both classes. I know it's important... I just... I wanna DO stuff.

So, last night, we did planks. A lot of them. I never liked planks. Which means, they are probably really good for me. We did a lot of side planks. I disliked side planks even more because I was never able to get into them and feel balanced or strong. Until last night.

The way she instructed them was in baby steps. Our first side plank was one leg straight, and the other one bent in front (as shown in the first picture). The second, both legs were straight but the feet were one in front of the other. The third one was the traditional side plank, with the feet stacked. I was able to do all three. Then we did a fourth variation... Like in the second picture except we were up on our hand instead of on our elbow and our foot was on the ground in front of us, instead of in the air.

The instructor gave me two corrections. In Down Dog, I hyperextend my elbows (because i'm double jointed) so I have to conciously turn my arms in towards each other without also moving my hands to point towards each other. Also, aparently in Chaturanga Dadasana, another one of those poses that I find very challenging, I squeeze my shoulder blades together and collapse into my chest. The instructor told me I need to broaden my shoulders.

We did some more pranayam again, and then into savasana (corpse pose) and I just can not seem to relax. Something always hurts. Last night it was my chest, neck, and chin. Plus, I couldn't turn my brain off. Once it started going away... she started reading a poem and it was time to end class. The art of sitting still... gotta work on that.

obligatory "sorry i've been gone" update

So... last you heard, Joe, Bill and I had joined a gym. We have since gone on "stand-by" there, so we pay a $10 monthly holding fee. The summer has been a lazy one, other than the Pilates classes I took in June at Thrive Pilates because of a Groupon. We were going to sign up for a bootcamp class (another Groupon), but only Bill actually used his. The times they offered sessions (all outside) didn't actually work with our schedules.

I started taking yoga classes once a week, on Mondays, at Sun and Moon Yoga Studio. I was inspired by a yoga class I took at Thrive - I was able to hold bakasana (Crane Pose) for the first time ever. For maybe 2 seconds, but it was something! So far I've had two classes at Sun and Moon - an all levels class. They have both been very relaxing classes, and seemed very "easy", though it hasn't stopped me from being sore the next couple of days. Eventually I'd like to be taking two classes a week. One maybe more challenging than this one, though.

Being outdoors has been really hard this summer because it has been SO HOT. I used to go on walks at lunch almost every day but going outside is near impossible. Its even been too hot for me to run in the mornings before work... not that I've been making a valiant attempt or anything.

There are some mornings I wake up and walk to my car for work and think "If only I'd been able to wake up earlier this morning...." I do need to get a better handle on my sleep schedule. For a while, I had my phone set to an alarm at 10:30, which meant it was time to stop what I was doing and get ready for bed. Eventually I just kept hitting snooze, like I do in the morning, and before I know it, its midnight. Should stop doing that...

We've also not been very good about what we've been eating. We try and make it out to the farmer's market every weekend but even then, we do a lot of take out and a lot of going out to eat.

Overall, this summer I've gained some weight. Not only has the number gone up, but I can see it in how my clothes fit, and feel it in how my body feels. Some friends and I went out dancing on Saturday and I was getting cramps in weird places, almost like side stiches, and my knees still hurt - I actually had to ice them when I got home. Regardless that I weigh 183 now (and my goal is 160), I need to feel like my body is actually working. I want to be able to challenge it - learning to surf, going hiking and rock scrambling, a high ropes course I want to try out, holding bakasana for more than 2 seconds...

In addition, I recently told a friend of mine that he needs to take care of himself - eat healthy, maybe lose a bit of weight - because I care about him and his well being. I was giving him all of this advice and realized I hadn't actually been practicing what I preach. That was a good kick in the pants to get back to SparkPeople and start tracking my food and exercise again as well.

title of blog

So, when I started this blog the title "Hit the Road, Jac" was a play on words: from the song "Hit the Road, Jack" by Ray Charles, made popular by this weird TV show that had a talking rabbit... and the fact that I was literally hitting the road by running and otherwise getting in shape. I forgot, however, that I'm also "hitting the road" because Joe and I have lots of vacations planned. What better motivation to get healthy (again) than awesome vacations to hot places?

In addition to the long-weekend type vacations, these are the trips in the works. I do plan way ahead...

Next spring, we're heading to the golden coast of California. Starting in San Diego, we're going to work our way up the coastal highway, visiting friends along the way. I also want to learn how to surf. This means I'll be in a swimsuit in public and that I need to have a nice strong core for balancing on a surfboard.

Sometime (probably spring again) in 2012, I'm coordinating a Caribbean cruise. Realizing that a lot of my friends and I are turning 30 soon (Joe in September of 2011, me in October of 2012) I thought rather than everyone planning their own celebrations, it'd be much easier and cost effective (not to mention fun!) to have everyone on a boat, so that the majority of the people on the ship will be connected in the "6 degrees of Jac in a bathing suit". How's that for motivation? Plus, I don't want to limit myself of any excursions that might otherwise be difficult for someone not in shape.

Fall-ish of 2013 will be our 5 year wedding anniversary. To celebrate, we'll be heading to Italy. Details are naturally in the works since this trip is more than 3 years away, but still worth mentioning I think. Though, I do keep thinking "how much gelato, wine, and other yummy food can I enjoy before offsetting all of my working out?" Right now... not much.

I mentioned me in a bathing suit a few times. Of course it is something I'm thinking about, but to be honest, that's only part of it. When I FEEL healthy and fit, it doesn't really matter what my body LOOKS like. Still, the thought of it is certainly motivating. So is wanting to challenge this body at 30 more than I did at 20 and really celebrating life, since it is the only life we get.

spontaneous sprinting

It's birthday party day at work today. We get cupcakes from Georgetown Cupcakes to celebrate everyone's birthday in the month. I picked a chocolate cupcake with Irish Cream frosting.

It's sitting uneaten on my desk. I'm still feeling sated from eating my YanYan - my treat for getting blood work done today.

I was feeling lethargic so i went outside for a walk. Then I decided "I feel like running". So, in my cute bronze ballet flats i go sprinting through the parking lot. not worried about someone seeing me, or if I'm wearing the right clothes, or how out of shape I've gotten... I just ran. And it felt great.

Still don't really want the cupcake, though.

Hitting the Gym

So Joe, Bill (our roommate) and I all joined a gym on February 1 ("our" new year since Jan. 1 was right in the midst of us working on a musical). We are now members of Lifetime Fitness, which is actually a really nice gym and it is bike-riding distance away, when there isn't 2 feet of snow on the ground.

I really like this gym for a number of reasons. They have a ridiculous amount of cardio equipment - I've never not been able to get a treadmill or an elliptical when I wanted one. They have a cafe and a salon on site (which reminds me to call and book a massage.) The locker rooms are nice and clean, plenty of showers and a steam room, which I love. The pool has two dedicated lap lanes and a water slide, and there is also a huge hot tub and a sauna. The classes look pretty good though i am a little disappointed with their selection of yoga classes. They don't have pilates reformer, though the other location does and I can go there if I like.

With our new membership, we were able to meet with a trainer for a "Fit Point" assessment, and one personal training session. Joe wasn't much interested, but Bill and I met with a gal named Jen. The Fit Point measured our strength, flexibility, body fat, and cardio strength. Basically I am just slightly overweight (less than I thought), average flexibility, above average cardio, and just above average upper body strength. So I feel like I'm starting out at a good place. I weighed in at 182.

Tuesday night was my complimentary personal training. We started out with squats on a Bosu and lunges (3 sets of 12 each), followed by push-ups on the Bosu and assisted pull-ups (3 sets of 12 each). Then came incline sit-ups and back extensions, then table top balances and side plank raises. I felt like it was a great, challenging workout that showed me just how out of shape I've become over the past 6 months or so. After the squats and lunges, my legs were jelly, which made the push-ups really hard, and made the core work even harder.

Yesterday I was a little sore, but still went into the gym to walk gently on the treadmill and take a pilates mat class. The first time I took the class a couple weeks ago I was able to do most of the advanced modifications. This time, I had to do all of the beginner modifications. I didn't feel bad about it though. Thanks to my yoga experience I've learned that you should only do what you feel like you can do that particular day. Bill and I sat in the hot tub last night, and he was nice and gave my legs a good massage when we got home.

Today, I can hardly walk, the DOMS is so bad. It is a sick twist of fate that staying hydrated can help the soreness a bit, but that means I have to pee. a lot. and the whole sit down-stand up thing is REALLY hard. Mostly I am sore in my quads, glutes, pecs, and lats. My abs are definitely sore as well. So, yeah, I pretty much hurt everywhere. Luckily I understand that this is part of the process of starting a new work-out routine so I'm not discouraged! I'm looking forward to my muscles recovering so Bill can show me the work-out routine that Jen gave him last night!

Dropping Out

So, its been a while since my last update, mostly because not too long after that brick, I decided that I really wasn't ready for this whole Triathlon thing. I was feeling burned out, wasn't looking forward to my workouts, and in general just didn't feel ready. I'm not positive I could do all three sports separately, let alone back to back to back.

But, no worries my loyal readers (all 5 of you....) Now that Joe and I are back from vacation and his shoulder is mostly healed, we're going to start running again, training for a 5K at the end of October. And, I plan on picking up regular yoga classes again. We're also going to get gym passes (its 25 admissions to be used within a year, so I think we can handle that better than paying month to month) That way I can keep up with my swimming but not be forced into a class twice a week.

Stay tuned!

First Brick

Sorry for the delay in this post. The past week has been crazy at work and at home and being out of town for a few days.

Last weekend I did my first brick. I rode 6 miles on my bike (to change my swimming class to Tuesdays and Thursdays) and then came home and immediately ran 3 miles. I ate a Cliff Goo-thingy in between (wow, that was disgusting. but I'm trying to remain open minded)

Anyway, it was HARD! I couldn't run the entire time and had to walk some of it. I was exhausted afterwords (though, I guess that is the point)

I started a new swimming class this week, taught by an older guy named Forest who is the most beautiful breast-stroker I've ever seen. He basically gives me a work-out and then supervises the rest of the class, but comes over every so often to critique my form. Its been going OK except for my legs cramping!

Running has fallen off a bit. I did go on Tuesday but haven't been since. I'm working on getting a good schedule together this week which will hopefully help.

I'm a month and a half out from the race and feeling tired, run down, and not all that excited. Joe is going to help me take a look at things and make sure that I'm doing the best that I can. I think most of the problem is not eating well and not getting enough sleep, and not staying hydrated.

27 is a great age!

I woke up this morning to go running. Its been a while since I've done a morning run, and I can't remember ever running 30 minutes straight in the AM.

I didn't quite make it. I was surprised at how icky I felt this morning. I woke up feeling super hungry so I had a piece of (whole wheat) bread with some (natural, no salt or sugar added) peanut butter. It sat like a lump at the top of my stomach. I did 2.75 miles instead, in about 35 minutes. I ran threw a spider's web (eww!). But, I saw a deer and wished that I had my camera with me. I felt OK about the workout though, and when I got home I did the first day of the 100 push-up challenge!

Last night, I went out with my friend, Heather, to celebrate her birthday which is on Sunday. That said:

Dedicated to Heather

I met Heather working at my last job. She's one of the nicest, coolest gals I know. She actually got me to start running. I don't know exactly how it happened though I have a feeling I wanted to have something in common with her because she is SO COOL and I wanted to be cool, too. The first 5k I ever ran I did with her back in October 2007 (she totally beat me but she was there - Joe caught a great picture of her!). She was doing really well with the whole running thing, but then injured her knee. Instead of giving up, she just picked up a new sport instead (cycling) and is training for a century ride in October. She has this great balance of life: working full time, going to school part time, making time for exercise, and making time for her friends. I've very lucky to have her in my life: She's got this amazing positive personality and anyone who's ever met her can tell you that. So when I'm feeling a little run down by this whole race thing, I can think of Heather and the smile on her beautiful face and be inspired by her perseverance. Happy Birthday, Girl!

This post brought to you by the letter Dave

I had a great run today. It normally takes me around 40 minutes to do my 5k. (5 minutes walking, 30 minutes jogging, 5 minutes walking) Today it took me 35 (just the 5 minute walk and the 30 minute run... don't worry, I still cooled down)

It think it had a lot to do with a few things.
1. My massage on Saturday. When she said she opened up a lot, she wasn't joking. My muscles didn't hurt like they normally do, my knee has been feeling way better, even my shoulders felt better when I was running.
2. I've been eating really well lately. I did a modified detox this weekend, ate lots of veggies and whole grains and not a lot of dairy or sugar. I feel like I'm back on track even if I'm not perfect.
3. Dave left me another quote on my Facebook: “Sure I am this day we are masters of our fate, that the task which has been set before us is not above our strength; that its pangs and toils are not beyond our endurance. As long as we have faith in our own cause and an unconquerable will to win, victory will not be denied us.” - Winston Churchill
4. I was thinking about a lot of people. People who either inspire me or cheer me on, or I'm out to prove wrong. I decided I should make a post, or a series of posts, dedicated to these people. I think the first one is obvious.

Dedicated to Dave

So, I keep mentioning Dave. When I first met him I was sure he hated me. OK, maybe hate is a strong word. But he certainly didn't seem to automatically love me like the rest of Joe's friends. He's got this wicked sense of humor that, unless you know him well or don't take things personally, can be kind of... painful. And, as someone who didn't know him well and did take things personally... you can imagine. I like to think of Dave as the last test I had to pass before I was allowed to marry Joe, because since the wedding (its about to get sappy) I feel like he's a real brother-in-law. There is some saying that friends are the family that you choose. Joe has chosen amazing friends and I just love them. When it comes to this triathlon, I know that Dave says he just wants Joe to lose (see the to-do list he edited for us), but I believe that honestly, he wants to see me succeed- not just to beat Joe, but to really succeed- even if he'd never come right out and say it. I posted on Facebook today "not feeling very motivated" and he responded with the above quote. No "just relax" quote for Joe today, just one encouraging quote for me. And that's why this post is dedicated to Dave. Love you, bro.

Always carry quarters!

So, since my last post I have:

-Completed four 30 minute runs. This week I'm planning on running Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday.

- Went to two swimming classes on the 6th and 8th, and skipped two swimming classes on the 13th and 15th... Monday I just had a case of the Monday's, and Wednesday I got stuck at work late. This week I am going today but need to skip Wednesday because Joe's dad is in town and taking us out for dinner. I probably should go to the pool on Friday to make up for it.

-Rode my bike 9.5 miles to work on Sunday. Work is really only a little over 7 miles away, depending on which roads I take, but I had to turn around and go back home about a half mile in because I forgot my key, and then I got lost trying to find the back entrance through the woods (as opposed to the super traffic-y normal entrance) But it was a nice, do-able ride so this weekend I'm planning on hitting the WO&D and trying for 12-14 miles on Saturday. In total it took me one hour and 18 minutes to go 9.5 miles at a leisurely pace. This included a stop at a lemonade stand. 10 cents for a cup of lemonade? Heck Yeah! Actually, I gave them 25 cents and told them to keep the change: 4 little kids, it was really cute. And, you just can't pass them, ya know? So, that is why I need to make sure to always have some change on me.

-Got an awesome 90 minute Deep Tissue massage from Ingrid at Sesen Spa on the 18th. Joe's parents got me a gift certificate to use after the musical I costumed and I finally used it. Ingrid is awesome. I've seen her a couple of times. She asked how pilates was going so I filled her in that I stopped for a while to train for the triathlon. She was impressed! I wanted her to work on my legs and she asked how much pain I wanted (hahaha) And I asked her to go kind of middle of the road. I actually fell asleep when she was working on my glutes and calves, but when she got to the quads... man, that was sore. But, good sore. And she always does a great job loosening up my shoulders (I gather my stress between my shoulder blades... the bad posture doesn't help.) Afterwords she complemented me on my strong legs.


This weeks schedule looks like this:

Monday: Bike 3 miles (if the weather cooperates) and swimming class
Tuesday: Run 3 miles, 100 push up challenge (I'm going to start it again), biking in the afternoon if I run in the morning.
Wednesday: Off, dinner with Joe's dad.
Thursday: dinner with Heather for her birthday, 100 push up challenge
Friday: Run 3 miles (hopefully in the morning) Bike 3 miles and Swimming make-up
Saturday: Bike 12-14 miles
Sunday: Run 3 miles, 100 push up challenge

Also, walking 30 minutes outside at lunch on any days that aren't raining.

Actual Update

So, Friday, I ended up running in the morning, and did Couch to 5K week 9, Day 1, which was a straight 30 minute run. I tried to pace myself and it didn't go too bad. My abs were still hurting from that pilates video! I took the rest of the weekend off, though.

Today, I made it to my first ever Monday swimming class!! I didn't swim as far as last time, only 1300 meters. But I'm feeling off today anyway. Thats still .81 miles so I feel OK about it. And I feel like I'm learning a lot which is important. I forgot my water bottle again... it made it into the gym but I locked it in my locker. So next time, I'll remember it!

Dave posted new quotes for Joe and I....

Mine: "Setting a goal is not the main thing. It is deciding how you will go about achieving it and staying with that plan." - Tom Landry

Joe's: "By letting it go it all gets done. The world is won by those who let it go. But when you try and try. The world is beyond the winning." - Lao Tzu

And, a relatively new friend of ours complimented me and told me that I am "striking" which was a much needed boost to my ego. :-D

Tomorrow, I go running. One of the running magazines I get mentioned that athletes who sleep 10 hours a night perform better than those who get less. I'm not that hard core, but I really need to start getting 8, which would put me in bed at 10:30 if I'm waking up to run, and 11:00 if I'm not. So, I should go get ready for bed!!

I woke up this morning feeling in love with the world, and as the day went on I lost more and more energy. I got home from work and was laying on the couch, and basically had to drag myself to swimming class. I drove instead of riding my bike... but I feel much better having gone. I did get out for a walk on my lunch break which helped a little bit mid day.