[Georges] Accountability supports my goals.

[Georges]

I almost think the title says it all, but for a brief back-story:

 

The last challenge was a non-starter for me, and I stopped using myfitnesspal.  I kept running, mostly, but that's about it.  I don't want to go back to the detailed tracking on mfp right now (I feel like it was starting to have a bad effect on my view of food).  I'm not joining the Sept 16th-Oct27th challenge.  However, I do want some kind of prompt to think about and track what I'm doing.  Also, even though I've been pretty quiet here for a while, I really, really love the Rebellion and don't want NerdFitness to slip out of my life.  So:  Battle Log.

 

At the Start:  15 September, 2013

 

Running.

I'm training for a marathon, which I will finish on 20 October.  There's a lot of emotional "stuff" I'm working on/through with this.  There's more physical "stuff" I'm working on/through with this than I'd remembered/anticipated.  It's not consuming my life, but it has pretty much dominated all my free time.

 

Strength.

Bodyweight work has been completely neglected.  See above.  I'm not okay with it, but I've come to terms with postponing my re-start until after the marathon.

 

Food/Body Composition.

I pretty much plateaued as soon as I started bumping up my running mileage.  I'm hovering around 155 (I've had a cold this weekend, so the 152 this morning is probably an outlier).  For reference, I'm 5'0" and female.  My short term goal is 150  for the marathon.  My medium term goals are to lose weight in November, break for American Thanksgiving, lose weight in December, break from Christmas to New Year, and lose weight after that with breaks or re-feeds to be determined until I either weigh 125 (previous healthy-feeling weight) or until I have some other reason to stop losing weight.  At that point, I'll have to re-evaluate goals.  I suspect that <25% body fat will be a goal, but I can't realistically set a final goal from this vantage point.  The overall goal is "strong body that supports good health."

 

Unfinished Business.

Last challenge, I did not purchase a vehicle, although I did pay off the last of the last of the debt.  Mr.Georges still needs a safer way to get to work than my horrible-in-the-snow-or-really-even-in-the-rain car.

Last challenge, I did not get any closer to swim lessons, although I did find out that my optometrist approves of corrective swim goggles (I wasn't sure if they were a good product or a sham) and I did manage to spend some time in a lake.

From challenges past, I'm still(!) struggling with: establishing some good habits for housekeeping, overcoming social isolation, de-cluttering.  The house re-wiring will be on hold, I think, for a bit, while we work on other house projects (like repairing the wall we can't wire yet).

 

Onward!

[ETFnerd]

nice... your cold will be better in half a fortnightitude... 

[Georges]

nice... your cold will be better in half a fortnightitude... 

  Sounds about right

[Georges]

Day 0 (Yesterday)

 

Got my long run in.  I'm officially worried.  This was the third16-miler, and all three of them went "mentally well, but physically badly."  I can live with just making it across the finish line at MDI, but it looks dicey, and even if all goes well, it will be a slower-than-15-minute/mile-pace.

 

Next long run plan:  Fuel better.  I ran a long time after breakfast, but early enough that I didn't want to eat lunch right before running.  Tank was a bit empty.  Also, I ran out of Gaterade... have a bit of a headache this morning, so I probably got a bit dehydrated and/or a bit low on electrolytes.  Also, I'm going to add in some serious walk breaks, and see if that helps.  I'm kind of running out of time to try new things out in training.

 

Best part of the day: We (finally!) moved our bed back into the bedroom.  It's now blue & green, with a sexy ceiling fan/light fixture and a bazillion outlets.  No more temporary bedroom in the den!  (Although we're going to set up a guest bed in there, but that's so we can have Guests... Yay!)

 

Also, I found out that my new slackline is waiting for me at the post office.    Didn't make it there before they closed (11 am on Sundays), and I'm not sure if I'll get there today (no car, raining, working), but it's here in the same town as me

[idealistinfire]

Sweet work on the moving the bed and the slackline being so very close   Good luck with your new running techniques! 

[Georges]

Late update...

 

Day 1, Monday: (rest day).  I thought I was recovering well from Sunday's long run.

Day 2, Tuesday: (rest day).  I swept at work, which kicked up a lot of dust (cement floor), was feeling a bit wheezy when I left work.  Then the respiratory bits pretty much decided to shut down.

Day 3, Wednesday:  Called out of work sick.  Apparently, not just a reaction to the dust, as I had a fever.

Day 4, Thursday: (Today).  Home sick again.  I had to sit down this morning because I thought I was going to pass out.  Went in to work just long enough to do some invoice-y stuff no one else has access to, came home.  Ate food, so that's progress.

 

So, not the best start to a battle log.    Today I do my best to take care of myself, tomorrow and Saturday I plan to catch up on all the crap I couldn't do while sick, and maybe I'll be okay to run Sunday again?  I'm not sure what to do if I'm not.

 

I did get to liberate my new slackline from the post office, so I'll get to play with that when I'm feeling better.

 

Edit to Add:  Bedtime, and I'm feeling better.  Looking forward to getting back on track tomorrow.

[Georges]

Day 5 (Friday):  Went to work and spent the day trying to catch up...  Spent too long there, but I didn't really feel like I had any better option.  Then tried to start catching up at home.  Looooong day.

Day 6 (Today!):  Catching up on housework.  It's not as fun as going to the fair would have been, but it was the right thing to do.  I took the day at a more reasonable pace than yesterday, and got a lot done.

Tomorrow, I see if I feel up to my run or not.  :/

I'm a little sad that this week was a total loss in terms of leveling up.  It is what it is, though, and when I'm feeling well again, the goals will all still be there to be worked on.

[Georges]

Day 7:  Mid-day update.

My lungs are still feeling swampy.  Overall, I'm feeling a little under seige, and I don't know if it's 'just' because I can't run, or if there's more going on.  I'm going to shut the compy down and try to rock out the last of the catching-up-housework to see if that helps... not sure what to do if it doesn't.

 

Later:  I did the housework I said I would.  I hope I feel up to running tomorrow, or at least going for an exercise-paced walk.  Maybe that's the root of my foul mood - it's been a whole week without running now.  Maybe it's because I'm feeling a little bit under seige, in a Maaslow kind of way.  Maybe it's just isolation - being sick meant no fair for me, so I guess it's been over a month since I got out of town... again.

Tomorrow, a new week starts, and I'm glad.

[Georges]

Day 13.... I swear, there will be a battle log here in this thread.  I am finally feeling like I am not sick any more.  Today is catch up on housework day.  Tomorrow is my (last before taper) long run.  I am super-anxious about the running, both tomorrow's run and the fear that my training might not have been enough.  I am now just looking forward to the day after the marathon.  I was not prepared for how emotionally draining this whole thing would be.  I want my life to have less whining, more fun.

[Georges]

Day 14: Finished my long run. 18 miles.  so much hurt.  still worried about finishing the marathon, but can't even express how relieved i am to be done with long runs.  shorter distances next year, only.

[Georges]

Days 15&16:  Enjoyed the heck out of a double rest day.  Getting more and more nervy about the marathon, but finishing that last long training run felt like a huge weight lifted off me.  I did remember today that a good taper still has planned runs, so I'm taking a look at that now...

This week:  5, 8, 5, 9

Next week: 3, 5, 3, 8

Marathon week: 3, 3, walk 3, marathon

Oh Yeah.  Those look like the kind of numbers I want to be running post-marathon-recovery, too.

[idealistinfire]

Glad you enjoyed your days off - good luck with your upcoming marathon.  I know nothing concrete about running schedules, but from the office talk I hear from our local marathon runner, your schedule looks good

[Georges]

Glad you enjoyed your days off - good luck with your upcoming marathon.  I know nothing concrete about running schedules, but from the office talk I hear from our local marathon runner, your schedule looks good

Thanks! 

[Georges]

Day Yesterday (I lost count already):  9 mile "long run."  I am in love with my taper.  It was really awesome to be able to go faster.  It was awesome to look forward to a run again.  The quarter-sized blister I got was not awesome.  (They're not the shoes I'll be wearing to MDI Marathon.)  Stacked a little firewood, too, which made it feel a bit like a real workout.

 

Day Today:  Rest day (housework and a bit more firewood stacking).

 

I know better than to re-start bodyweight workouts during the taper, but I'm starting to get excited about starting them as soon as I can afterwards. 

 

I don't remember if I've mentioned weight lately, but I actually managed not to gain weight with the high mileage - I weighed in at 151.5 this morning.  I had been aiming for 150 for the marathon, so all I need to do is be smart about food during the taper.  (151.5 is close enough, in my mind, because my daily variance can be about 2 pounds.)  I haven't really got a weight loss plan for after the marathon... at this point, I'm going to try to lose between October 27 (1 week post-26.2) until November 27 without tracking calories and see how it goes, take a "refeed" at American Thanksgiving (the quotes are because I shouldn't need one for hormones or physiological reasons, just mental ones) and evaluate.

 

Other things I've been putting off until post 26.2:

Trying out my slackline (fear of injury)

Hiking/Trail running (time constraints)

Trying out my Zem running shoes (fear of injury)

Cycling (time constraints - hope I have some good rides before snow!)

Rebooting my social life (time constraints... and since running is all I talk about, I'm afraid I'll bore my friends to death...)

 

Fall is generally a high energy time for me, especially once my allergies calm down, and this year I'm pretty excited to get things moving again!

[idealistinfire]

heh, I'm pretty sure I bore my friends with my passion-talk too.  But it's only fair because I listen to their passion-topics too!  Glad you're feeling excited and ready to go with the strength training after the marathon!

[Georges]

I didn't wand to let more than a week go by without posting in a thread that I started to keep myself accountable!

 

But...

 

There's not much to write about this week.

 

Fitness (running):

I'm in full-on taper madness.

I'm up a pound.

 

Unfinished Business:

I finally went to look at a pickup truck.  Chatted with the salesman about financing, put in an application (at about 5pm Friday, so I won't hear back until Tuesday).  Chatted with Mr.Georges about what the monthly payment on a used truck would be compared to the payment on a new truck.  (They're nearly the same, because of the difference in interest rates, and because a bank will finance longer on a new truck.)  Nebulous progress, but a little progress nonetheless. 

 

Big ol' housekeeping push yesterday.  I think I found somewhere to dump my nervous energy from tapering.

 

In my battle against isolation, I've been trying to make plans with a friend from down south... so far, two times have fallen through.  But on a positive note, my sister is coming to my marathon, so I won't have to spend the weekend all alone surrounded by people who have their friends/family supporting them.  Nothing lonelier than being alone surrounded by people who aren't.

 

Health-wise, I've noticed that my asthma is NOT under control.  I haven't figured out what (if anything) I can do about it.

 

Also, too:

After reading this recent NF article, I've decided I'd like to work on how I use my words.  I'm starting by picking the gratitude journal habit back up, with three things a day.  There's already a thread for this on the forum, but I'll probably just put mine here, so that I see them every time I post.  (I'll be making some other changes the article suggests; this is just the first small change.)

 

Todays three things:

1)  MiL roulette - I'm pretty lucky.

2)  My sister is keeping me from having another lonely marathon experience

3)  We have a basement full of firewood, before mid-October.

[idealistinfire]

  Nothing lonelier than being alone surrounded by people who aren't.

True that.  My worst Christmas Eve was going to a church service by myself

 

Nice work on the house and the truck and tapering before the run!  And thanks for keeping us updated

[Georges]

Today's Three Things That I am Grateful For:

 

1.  Having the day off today.  I needed it.

2.  Mr.Georges is making a roast.  Mmmm... comfort food.  (He doesn't even eat beef, himself.  He's pretty good to me   )

3.  Progress (slow but sure) on the truck aqcuisition.

 

I got a phone call from the truck salesman.  I guess the application processing folks do not get the day off today.  I did get pre-approved, at an APR I am not at all okay with, for a four-year loan on a 9-year-old vehicle.  So, I gave my mum a call, because she had mentioned that co-signing might be an option, and we're going to talk it over tomorrow.  Co-signing would get me a lot more truck:payment buying power.  Now I need to go do all the market research I didn't do when I thought a new truck was not an option, and figure out what's out there that's within my monthly-payment-plus-insurance budget.

 

Taper still has me.  With some raging PMS to boot.  I can't believe I'm going to a marathon in less than a week.  Dumped some nervous energy into a little bit of housework and making bread.

 

This week feels like treading water.  I'm not getting anywhere until Sunday.  I can't even think about Sunday without getting butterflies in the tummy.  At least I know I did the absolute best I could with my training - flirted with over-doing it, but I'm pretty sure I didn't actually over-do.  Okay, I have to go think about something else now.

[Georges]

Today I'm grateful that we have a new coffee machine.  It was a splurge to buy, but good coffee is pretty high priority in this home.

I'm grateful that there was some stuff to keep me busy at work today.  Not stuff that is my job, but easy work that needed to get done that no one else wanted to do, so I didn't have to leave early or sit and do noting.

I'm grateful for my family, for a lot of reasons, but today, specifically because they support me in my efforts to do/be better.

 

No real news for the battlelog today.  Holding pattern 'til Sunday.

[idealistinfire]

  Coffee is a big priority in my house too.  I prefer French Press coffee, but then, it's only me drinking it.

[Georges]

Wednesday Gratitude:

Autumn.  It's my favourite time of year.

Learning.  I still get to learn things (mostly about chainsaws these days, but still learning).

Leftovers.  I can't believe how much I didn't love them when I was a kid.  Now they are such a welcome reprieve.

 

 

 No real news for the battlelog today.  Holding pattern 'til Sunday.

 

Still.

 

I guess I could consider it a nutrition win that I'm not having a cold beer like I want to.  It's not willpower, though, it's just that I'll be picking up Mr.Georges from work, and that means no beer.

[Georges]

  Coffee is a big priority in my house too.  I prefer French Press coffee, but then, it's only me drinking it.

Mmmm.... I like my french press, when I get the size of the coffee grounds right so it's strong enough, but Mr.Georges thinks the coffee isn't hot enough when it's done.  It's still a nice press to have for travel/camping/etc. though, so that's okay.

[Georges]

I forgot to be grateful yesterday...

Partly, I forgot to post, but mostly, it was just a really rough day.

[idealistinfire]

Sorry to heat that.  Hope today treats you better

[Georges]

I'm Back.

 

Here's some stuff I can be grateful about today, without even trying:

 

1.  My awesome sister and her support before, during, and after the marathon.

2.  My awesome perserverance (and/or stubbornness.  But this time, it worked in my favor.)

3.  Each and every person who has helped me make the journey, both times, from un-able to able.  From the first person who insisted that I see a real medical person all the way to the volunteer who put the medal on me.

 

There's probably a lot more to type, but I'm still "processing."   I pinned a lot on this goal, and there's a lot of feels to get through.