Sunday, July 25, 2010

I Apparantly Look Like the Daughter of Myself, and Other Revelations




I've been a lazy blogger. Sorry people! I shall repent and do better!

Things are getting crazy people! :c) This week, we mourn the loss of my long-time friend, my Wonder Woman t-shirt. It was a very hard worker, putting in two, sometimes three shifts a week. It was a mercy retirement. Just couldn't get it smelling normal again. The ladies in the class I go to in the morning are pretty disappointed though. We need to find a suitable replacement! I think I need to get crafty.

I rented a wetsuit this week. That was a fun, strange experience. If you've never wrestled your way into a wetsuit, and you've not done your cardio for the day, I'd highly recommend you go try one on. For extra credit, try on one with sleeves. :c) Anywho, I went to Triple Sports in Scottsdale to rent and try on the thing. The woman in the store who helped me was awesome, and very encouraging. It's a great little store, but so very far away! I wish there was one like it on my side of the Valley. Ah well.

I also went out and bought a new pair of running shoes. I went to a store called Road Runner Sports while I was clear in the heck over in Scottsdale (for the 2nd time in a week). They had this cool high-speed camera thingy that films how you run, then they use a computer to measure the pressure you put on your feet, and they match you up with the right shoes. I'm now the proud owner of a pair of Nike Triax. I've been running in Asics for a while, so it'll be cool to try something different. The people who work at that store are great fun too. One of them recommended a race in October called the Cactus Chacha, which is held in the White Tanks. I really think I'll do that race, since I've been working on my trail running skills. Yesterday, I ran the trail at Pinnacle Peak (again, in Scottsdale). The weather was AMAZING yesterday. It was the perfect day to run that trail. So much awesomeness! The pics above are from that run (my head looks so tiny in them. Weird! Isaac is on the left, Jose is on the right).

Over the past week, I replaced my id's as well. I spent a very unproductive hour and a half at the DMV to replace my driver's license. Then, I went to the District offices to get a new work id. The woman there was so funny! She pulled up my profile on the computer, gave me a strange look, and said, "Is this picture of you?" I just started laughing. She said, "You've lost weight! You look like the daughter of this person!" It was so funny!

I was talking to someone about how people treat me differently now that I'm smaller. I couldn't really describe what the difference was, but I figured out at least part of it yesterday. I went to the mall and there were sales in several of the stores. I went in to Aeropostale, where they were having a sale on t-shirts. The salesperson there came up to me and said, "How are you today? Can I help you find your size?" And then it hit me. I've not been asked that in one of those stores before. Usually, they would say something like, "Can I help you find something?" Never before have they asked me to help me find my size. I only put that together because the same thing happened in American Eagle. It's really a small thing, I know, but it is one of those things that makes a difference! Something most people wouldn't notice or think about. It was an interesting day yesterday!

So, this is going to be a pretty big week for me. We are reporting back to work this week. I get to set my classroom up and all that stuff. I'm glad to be going back, somewhere deep inside. When I find that place, I'll let you know. :c) At least I like the people I work with! Especially the short ones. :c)

The triathlon is this lovely Saturday. So excited! I should be getting my packet this week with my swim cap and timing chip. Don't worry, I'll have lots of pictures for everyone. Keep me in your thoughts! I can use all the extra help I can get!

The Fitness Challenge stuff is all going according to plan. I've been busy juggling all my supplements, workouts, and meal plan stuff, but I am doing pretty good. Drunk Zombie Sarah briefly made an appearance earlier this week on Wednesday during Bootcamp, but I was able to combat that with a protein shake. Whew! Be wary that she's out there, consider her dumb and not very dangerous to anyone but herself. :c)

Monday, July 19, 2010

This Post Brought to you by the Letter A, for Awesome. :c)

Yay! So, several new and interesting developments over the course of the week. Let's get caught up, shall we?

Last Monday evening was the beginning weigh in of the Fitness Challenge at the Thunderbird Pure Fitness. I went in, did my thing, wore my awesome "Working on My After Picture" shirt, and managed to scare the living liver out of one of the other competitors. The fitness director, Sean, told everyone that I won the last corporate challenge, and that they should just copy what they saw me doing. It was pretty funny. Afterward, a woman walked up to me and asked me how I did it. I told her that I worked out and was very careful with my diet. She said, "How often do you work out?" I replied, "Six days a week." Her eyes got all big, then I continued, "Twice a day." She just about fell over right there. I hope I didn't crush her spirit! :c)

Are you ready for a plot twist?

After the weigh in for the challenge, I decided to go to the Arrowhead Pure Fitness to do my workout, since I had been gone for a while. I pull in to the parking lot, and what's all over the windows? Fitness Challenge fliers. Dun dun dun.... I just about had a fit right there. Didn't Jose tell me just last week that they weren't going to do the Challenge? Well, it turns out that when I asked him about it, he decided to run one of his own for just our club. I walk in the door, and am immediately set upon by two trainers, Taylor and Jim. Taylor was really nice and asked who I was going to train with. Jim asked me to train with him. It was a bit crazy! Jose was there, and I said, "Jose, you didn't need to get me a present!" He laughed. So, I'm doing both Challenges! Crazy! Arrowhead's starts next Monday, and ends two weeks after the other one. Drunk Zombie Sarah will be hanging around a bit longer that planned, but it will still be awesome!

Speaking of awesome, I found a shirt at Target that says, "Proud To Be Awesome!" I wore that to Saturday Seminar (which was one of the best ones we've had in a long time). People laughed and loved it. I love wearing funky shirts to work out in. Too much fun! If anyone out there finds a cool shirt, let me know!

Last on the big news front, is my new mile time. 8:12!!!!!! I CAN NOT BELIEVE IT! This afternoon Brian (the trainer who helped me through the first Challenge) asked me if I wanted to beat my mile time. I said "Sure!" He made me stretch and all that, then manned the treadmill controls. He coached me through the whole thing, telling me to calm my breathing and even my stride. When I hit the mile mark at 8:12, I pretty much yelled and jumped and cheered and made all kinds of happy noises. People clapped and cheered too. It was so amazing! I LOVE MY GYM! Brian really earned his brownies today.

On a final note, I am nursing a bit of an injury. I hurt my shoulder during the infamous "Bootcamp Challenge" back in June, and it's been acting up again. Blah. Blah. And, Blah. Not fun. No push-ups for me. Feh. So, I've been hitting the Ibuprofen and ice. Hopefully it's not too much of a setback!

That is all! :c)

Monday, July 12, 2010

Push-ups are Your Friend, and Other Lessons

Sorry, I'm a day behind. :c) I drove back from Utah yesterday and didn't get a chance to write up my week. I had lots of fun visiting Nell and her family. I made the Purple Boss' 3rd birthday cake, it was so cute! I didn't bring my camera, so I'll have to rely on those who had one to provide pics.

It was a slow week work-out wise, due to my preparation for the Fitness Challenge. I had my training session with Issac on Wednesday. It was awesome! He had me do those crazy diamond push-ups that you see all the muscle-bound guys do. I felt so proud! I was able to do 8 of them. Issac has great faith in me, and goes above and beyond the call of duty when it comes to training me. My half-hour with him is the highlight of my week. We try to cram in as much as we possibly can in that small amount of time.

Up at Nell's, I went to the "boot camp" class. There was a different teacher this time, and I really didn't enjoy the class. It was really aerobics heavy. Blah. So not my favorite. Ah well. I needed to slow up anyway.

I also placed myself on a plateau. I've been hovering around 195-6. Everything is going according to plan! Starting tomorrow morning, I'm going in to full tilt diet mode. Whitney is happy to be leaving town for the next couple weeks. She doesn't seem to remember what I fondly call the "Drunk Zombie" portion of the contest, which is the last two weeks. She gets to have front row seats for that. :c)

There was a small blip as far as the contest goes last week. My particular club wasn't participating. I dithered a bit about what to do, but ended up heading down to the club on Thunderbird. I went in to the club, and spoke with the fitness manager. I think he was a bit surprised when I told him what I wanted. I told him that I wanted to join the Fitness Challenge because I was going to win it again. :c) I told him I needed a trainer who was going to push me pretty hard, and he put me with Jeremy. (to be in the challenge, you need to purchase three training sessions)

I trained with Jeremy this morning, and let me tell you, I lucked out! He really put me through my paces. I think he was pleasantly surprised at my fitness level. He had me running and jumping all over that place. It was pretty crazy. I am a major sweater (not something I've discussed on here, but nonetheless, I usually look like I've taken a shower in my clothes by the end of my workout), and when we went up front to sign out and schedule our next workout, I got several comments on the amount of grossness I had going on. :c) I'd say that was a great indicator of how awesome that workout was.

I am very excited for this week. I'm getting my bike out of rehab today, and plan on breaking it in this week. I'm also headed to a store called Triple Sports, which caters to triathletes. Excited to be moving on to cool things!

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Anticipation!

Here's my latest creation. It's a hit at the gym, and I love it! Thank heavens I have to do laundry twice a week, that means I get to wear it a lot!

Speaking of after pictures, the next fitness challenge was announced! Hooray! It starts on the 12th. I am going to be winning this one as well. I am so excited! Because the challenge is so close, I have backed off my exercise routine (my trainer laughed when I said I was backing off. He didn't think I knew how), and I have upped my calories so that I am maintaining my weight until the start. So. Very. EXCITED!

Prepare yourselves for another big announcement. I am signing up for a triathlon! YAY! It is in San Diego on the 7th of August. I know, it's the Saturday before school starts, but I don't care! I want my summer to go out with a bang. I have wanted to do a triathlon for a long, long time. Cameron at Pure Fitness has been asking me to join him, and I told him I wouldn't do one on a Sunday, so he found one on a Saturday. Can't wait! It's a sprint distance triathlon, with a 500m open-water swim, a 30k bike, and a 5k run at Camp Pendleton.

To achieve my triathlon dreams, I needed to rehab my poor bike from college. It's just a lamesauce mountain bike that I bought at Walmart to get me around campus. It hasn't seen any action in a long time. I took it to Performance Bikes, and the technician Pret pretty much just shook his head and told me I was crazy. I said, "I know! I can't get a new bike, so I'll have to suffer with this one." He said that I definitely didn't want to be riding on that bike for the 18.6 miles I'll need to. I told him I would manage, and we could discuss putting a bike on layaway when I was done. That seemed to appease him, a little anyway. Pret helped be get fitted for a helmet and helped me pick out road tires to go on my bike. Super helpful! He was great to talk to as well. He asked me what made me want to do a triathlon, and I told him a bit of my story. He lit up like a Christmas tree and told me that he had a similar story. So great! Now, I've bonded with my bike guy. :c)

I picked up a bike buying guide. Let me tell you, they don't price those things with poor, starving art teachers in mind. Sheesh! I'm going to need to save my pennies for a long, long time. Fun to drool over and dream though!

Biking is the part of the triathlon I am least familiar with. I'm going to need to learn how to change tires and everything. I'm up for the challenge! I pulled out a book I bought a few years ago called "Slow Fat Triathlete" by Jayne Williams. It's about a woman who up and decided to start doing triathlons after she had been working on losing weight. It's a great book! I have also been reading "Triathloning for Ordinary Mortals" by Steven Jonas. It's a more comprehensive guide to triathlon, and is very helpful. This month in Runner's World, they even had an article about how to train for a triathlon! It think the fates have decided that now's my time!

So much on the horizon for me! I am very excited for the weeks ahead. Wish me luck!