Having eatten nearly 1000 calories before noon not so smart yeah?

If this was a non-exercise day I'd be screwed. I want to bike... it looks nice out at the moment, but Chi-Trib says 40 percent chance of rain in the afternoon. Last time I ignored the forecast because it looked nice out, I got caught in a heavy downpour while 20 miles from home on the bike. Hmm... what to do...

Just got back from a long ride. About 2:45 or so biking :15 for stop lights/signs approx = about 3 hours give or take = 42 miles

Training called for 155mins = 2hr 35 mins

Decided to take the North Branch trail today for my long training ride. About halfway out about as far away from home as possible it started to downpour which slowed me down a bit. Rained for about 10 miles. Total ride was just under 42 miles my longest/farthest ride yet. Instead of looping the trail at the end I got to where it loops back and turned around so I repeated the last 4.2 mile circle. Plus I went to Starbucks when I got back home.

People are so stupid. This one lady yelled at me "Stay on your side please" Um. HELLO? Its called passing. I had just passed a guy.... it was before a curve, but I finished the pass before the curve and was just about to go back into my lane. I realize there are stupid people on they trail they deal with every day, but she hadn't even seen me riding and just assumed I was the stupid one? BTW I was going extra slow too to be cautious. Whatever Mrs. Superiority.

Exercise isn't "hard" for me these days, but getting out the door to convince myself to do it is. Why are we so resistent to something we know makes us feel fabulous? How to light that fire under my butt?

Luckily my fear of not making a fool of myself in the tri's has kept me mostly on track and I've been doing very well with exercise except that week or two slip up I had a few weeks ago. I'm very proud of how hard I've worked. I've certainly earned to be where I am and where I'm going.

Anyway, I'm reluctantly heading out the door for a run. It's nice out today, so it should be fairly nice. I'm alittle worried about my foot as I was doing a high impact cardio DVD last night and now something in tender. Hopefully it's not going to bother me.

10 days and counting to D-Day. Or T-Day. Or Whatever!

Monday I did 24 miles in 2 hours. I didn't subtract time for the stop lights. They finally re-marked the forest preserve trail, so I stopped at the 10 mile marker. I estimate maybe 13-14mph.

Today even though my legs felt more tired I did 28 miles in the same chunk of time. I think I had better luck with the lights this time, and there must have been a bit less wind. I stopped at mile marker 12. (And downed a couple of shot blox) I suppose I averaged 14-15 mph?

I guess it would help if I actually installed that catseye bike computer I got a few weeks ago.

Anyway 52 miles this week and I still have another ride on Friday. Not too shabby.

Whew. Okay off to mow the lawn. Better get out of these unflattering bike shorts first!

Sorry for the bad photo. Was was too freekin' bright to get a decent one.

Yeay! They Pro-rate! only $45 bucks for the rest of the spring session and comes to $21/mo for spring summer. I'm going to run down there now with a check... and ask if I can see the fitness facilities first, but I'm pretty sure I'm joining. Takes care of my Pool issue and Treadmill issue!

Too bad I don't still live in the condo this place is only like 4 and a half block from there.

It's 13 out and it says the windchill is -6. That doesn't sound SUPER bad, but it's hella-cold for walking around sweaty after a workout.

Brrrr....

Spring. Now. Yes?

No Change this week. Boo Hoo. It's making me grumpy.

On my last run something in my foot started bothering me. I think I need to get a new pair of sneakers. You're supposed to replace them every 500 miles (How do people AFFORD that?) and I used mine for walking all last summer. Normally I Pronate outwards. The souls of my steel toe shoes are VERY worn on the outside back edge after wearing them for a few years.

I'm wondering though if since I lost weight or if its just when I run if I pronnate inwards as my foot bothers me when it rolls inwardish and I could run on the outside edge OK. So I have to go to one of those snooty running shoe stores so they can watch me walk/run.

The problem is running sneakers aren't cheap and there isn't anything wrong with my old ones... I mean they look fine on the outside and everything so I'm really resistant to shelling out obscene amounts for new ones, but I know the right sneakers can help prevent injury... and since I'm hauling around an extra 70 pounds still I need to take all precautions.

Last time I went to fleet feet, but as far as I can remember they didn't have a treadmill for testing... so I'm going to investigate a bit.

Running shoes though are about the LAST thing I want to spend money on. I hate sneakers.

I took off yesterday because it was like 2 degrees outside (after being almost 50 the day before!) and now today its warmer (23ish) but snowing. Grrr...

Oh well off I go 3+ miles into the snow to get to the gym and back.

See how determined (stupid?) I am?

Another Shot of when my hair was cute. This is the last time I was about the weight I am now. Maybe 5 years ago... this is before we lived in the condo and lived in an awesome apartment in Lincoln Square. I miss Lincoln Square dearly. Stupid Chicago Prices.

Since I walked with success the last 2 days I think I'm going to walk down to the gym today. I'll give the treadmill a try today and see how the calf is behaving and if I can do any training again yet. I think probably not, but it's worth a shot. If worse comes to worse I'll just leave right away and do that 4 mile circle I do on my way to the gym. I'm just anxious to not lose too much progress. Don't worry if it bothers me at all I'll stop.

I bought a coat (used) on Ebay last night. Its the same exact Tripp coat I've been wearing. (Reversible Black vinyl on one side and purple monster fur on the other) Mine just about buttons up now, but I figure if I get where I want to go I would need at least a size down... and it was only $12.50. Hopefully it isn't ratty or anything. Mine is an XL but it's a smaller juniors XL and this one is supposed to be a juniors L. I was actually looking for the red version so I wouldn't have two of th same, but I couldn't pass up the price. Figure I'll sell which ever one doesn't fit when I'm done losing weight.

I put an ice pack on it and took some advil.

I'm so sad. Hopefully it will only be a few days...

So frustrated.

I was leaving the house to goto the gym. I hadn't even really even started when I was crossing the road (Sorta busy so I went to jog across) and I pulled something in my leg.

So much so that I had to turn around (I was right close to home luckily) but whatever I pulled hurt so I was sorta limping home. I'm hoping it's not serious but I am so frustrated now I wanted to go work out.

Nothing feels serious wrong, so I'm hoping I just snapped muscle together oddly and it's just whining at me right now. If I hurt something I'm going to be really really upset. Since I hadn't warmed up yet I guess I shouldn't have tried running across the road, but geeze I wasn't even exercising and I hurt myself.

It's in my right calf when it stretch it. :( Sounds like a calf strain. (pout pout pout)

I'm feeling bad this morning so I'm going to goto the gym again today. Normally I only run every other day, but I think it may make me feel a bit better. That and a coffee (how counter-productive!)

After coming home and punching in some numbers in mapmywalk.com I found out between the 60min gym walk/run and the walk to and from the gym today I ended up going... 7.5 miles! Wah. Holy crap!

I seem to have squeezed through the Gym sign up red tape without getting the hardcore sales pitch! Woot!

Today: still some DOMS soreness but not intolerable so I went and did my second day. I did another hour. 13 of those minutes were running intervals 5.5 for the first half 5.0 second... At the 45 min mark I threw in a couple of 1.5 minute intervals I also walked home.

So far so good. Thank goodness for building up a cardio base this is so much nicer then the 1 or 2 other times I tried to learn how to run. Much more comfortable. It seems to be a lot more about your fitness level then your weight surprisingly.

Also grabbed a few sale exercise DVDs on my way home for 8 bucks each.

It's been awhile since I've been able to post. I had to take a extended break from the concentrated weight loss effort with the crazy all day long work schedule I had with the One of a Kind show being dropped in my lap, good holiday online sales, a few custom jobs, and then being out of town visiting family for the holidays. It was a planned break, so it's not a big deal. I should have jumped right onto my normal schedule when I got back, but apparently I screwed around for a week.

Anyway I think the damage is 5lbs, but I will weigh in officially tomorrow since the 3 fat chicks site is starting up their biggest loser challenge again next week and we have to weigh in tomorrow. BTW I don't think I told you guys but I was the biggest loser on the Red Team last time, as I lost 36lbs in the challenge. That's kinda cool! Right now I think I'm at about 232 give or take though so I've still lost over 70lbs!

So anyway today is the first day of the Discovery Channels Body Challenge where you can print out a free 8 week pass to Balleys Fitness. I've been wanting to test out my running legs so I decided to go down today and get my 2 free months. We have one about maybe 1 or so miles from my house. I had Greg drop me off today and I walked home on the way back.

The awesome news is I walked/ran for 60mins. I would walk for 4.5 mins and run for a minute and alternate that for about an hour. I started off at 4.0 walking and 5.5 running and ended up at about 3.2 walking and 5.0 running. This means I ran for a total of 10 and a half minutes. WHAT? holy crap. Okay it wasn't consecutive, but I'm not sure if I've done that much like that um... ever? And I'm not talking about a slow jog 5.5 is a nice steady run! I'm pretty psyched about that. I'm going to try and modify my own learn to run program. If I end up liking it I'll get a treadmill after the 2 months or join the gym that is closer to the house (We have a crappy XSsport about quarter mile away)

So anyway thats where I am now about to drive back into full attention mode instead of trying to hold steady. I'm hoping to be able to reach my goal by next Christmas.

It's been 6 months.

Time goes on no matter if you do it or not... so you might as well make your best attempt, because time is going to happen anyway.

6 months!

Can't wait to see where the next six take me.

I just updated my Bio with some useful links and such:

"This is a weight loss journal. If you know me (or don't) and want to be added feel free. I'm about 1/4 the way there on a long journey. There is no magic... Just hard work and watching what I consume. Okay, there is more to it then that to make it a long term success, but it really comes down to that.

Some things that have helped me along my way:

1) Myfooddiary.com - A food/exercise recording tracking thing. Like Fitday but more user friendly.
2) TurboJam.com - Home workout DVDs like dancey kickboxing, but the only workout I look forward to doing!
3) Videofitness.com - If you like workout DVDs this is the place to trade, learn, and talk about them
4) Nutritiondata.com - Place to look up foods in various measurements
5) South Beach Diet (The Book) - I'm not on this diet, but my way of eating is really fairly close
6) 3Fatchicks.com - Great website/forum with lots of people in every step of the weight loss process
7) Mapmywalk.com - Map your walking route so you can measure your distance
8) Thin for Life - (The Book) - People who have walked the walk and maintained it
9) Ipod - Nothing makes you pick up your pace quicker and make time fly by faster when walking/running then good tunes.
10) Nike+ Sport Kit - I actually JUST bought this but it looks like it will be fun and I wanted an even 10!"

We installed lights in my studio but only on the side that has my desk. My workout space is still dark and creepy... but that's okay, I don't want anyone to see my shaking things that shouldn't shake.