I just finished writing an article about a first-time Boston Marathon finisher and my mind is contemplating what I learned from the interview I had with him. I asked him what advice he would give to someone who might think they could never accomplish running a race like Boston. His response was "you just have to believe you can do it." Of course, there is more to completing the Boston Marathon than just "believing" you can. Obviously it takes talent and a lot of hard training. But, the general idea is that if you believe that you CAN'T do it, you won't!
This past week I did a lot of "believing." After my 1 lb weight loss last week (um...5 days...), I was all about the forward motion of getting the job done the following week. I knew this diet plan worked but I doubted how my body would react once I started adding my normal workout routines back into my life.
This week my workouts consisted of two 1-hour swims, one 2-hour bike, one 1-hour run, one 1.5 hour run, and one 1-hour yoga class. Now, as far as my "normal" triathlon workouts go, this one is a little on the lite side. But, it's probably the most I've done in one week since triathlon season "ended" (it never really ends...) last year. So, making sure my body was both energized enough for the workout AND I didn't UNDEReat would be key!
My bike, swim & yoga workouts were great. I didn't push myself into my anaerobic heart rate (as suggested by my doctor) except for a few moments on my ride. I mean, have you ever seen Hunter Station Road in Reston, VA before? Yeah, I did a little huffing and puffing but I'm hoping my doctor will let that one slide. I say blame it on my ride leader!
My runs are a totally different story. I mean, seriously...I just ran a marathon a month ago so my aerobic conditioning is fine. But, I'm still totally dragging on my runs. Two miles into the run I feel I have no energy to continue moving. I'll stop and walk and the energy levels will come back up but then a little while later I crash again. So, during my last long run I decided to go back to my old way of fueling my body. Well, I didn't totally go back but I did bring my own electrolyte solution (with carbs) and one Gu gel (total carbs) for my run. Guess what? It didn't help! So, I'm still trying to find the right combination for my long runs. Maybe I won't have to worry much about it, though, because I'll hopefully reach my goal weight before I have to do any really long runs for upcoming races.
This week I'm going to focus on "believing" this can be done. I've seen the stats, I've gotten rid of my clothes, I feel the energy (except on my runs), and now I'm ready to continue on with this process. I'm about half way there so now is no time to stop!
So...ready for the stats? Here they are:
This week:
6.5 lb weight loss
1 inch in waist
0.5 inch in hips
0.79% body fat lost
Total since March 31st
19 lbs weight loss
6.5 inches from my waist
3.5 inches from my hips
1 inch from my arm
1.5 inches from my thigh
2.29% of my total body fat
No significant lean body mass loss
1 comment:
So so proud of you!!!!
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