ElJay

I hear you on the no booze before bed. I'm trying to ramp down a bit, to see if it helps my sleep at all. I'm a terribly light sleeper anyway, so cutting down may help. I have a semi-vacation weekend ahead though, so better you than me for this challenge.

Adding pictures of me from January 10th (before losing any weight) and today (two solid weeks paleo, and toying with it for about 3 weeks before that & have been doing body weight exercises along with usual running since January). The front on pictures are hard to see much change, but even I was pleasantly surprised by the side photo. What will the next 6 weeks bring?

Nice goals. I think upping your miles to get to 18 is a great & attainable goal for 6 weeks. It allows some wiggle room without injury. Go get it!

I've cut out all drinks except for water, coffee, and boozy goodness. You can leave the fizz behind, I promise!

Nice goals - and you so can get this done. I love that you have a built in treat at the end waiting for you! Yay beach!

On Sunday I had a phenomenal race, so today, it was gray and I was wiped. Luckily that fatigue didn't hit me until after I got my workout in. 1 mile warmup: 8:04 pace (all runs at 1% incline unless noted as being outside) - It was an aggressive pace, considering I had raced yesterday, but part of me is trying to make this my new comfortable pace. Not my easy pace for a long run, but definitely want to get faster, and that means running faster. I have a longer term goal of getting a 1:43 half marathon by age 37 (my mom's PR), so it means making my body tougher. Stronglifts Day 4: Squat: 60lbs Overhead Press: 45 Deadlift: 105 I had failed at the first day of OHP, missing the last rep on the last set, so today I took extra time to rest between sets. I moved from 90 seconds to 2 minutes, which definitely helped. I may be 4 days in, but I can see how if I don't watch myself now, my form will suffer. So that's going to be something to really keep an eye on. I love it though, and I think all of this will help make me a stronger runner down the line. Mile finish: 7:31 I'd call it a cool down, but that's certainly not accurate. Running fast (I used an increasing pace every .1 mile on the treadmill) after weights is a good way for me to feel what I just worked on. There's no question that my hamstrings are torched by the end of a session. My overall pace for these two puts me at 7:48/mi, which puts me around a 24:14 5k. However, these miles were split up. As the challenge goes on, I'll use non-lifting days increase the duration of the time I can hold my pace. I can run a mile at 7:31, but I certainly am not at a point where I can run 3 that fast. Basically today I worked on speed, but over the next few weeks, I'll have to get my endurance going faster for longer. Object: De-lazy my look My husband's been working late on a project this week, when generally he's home by dinner, and a few housekeeping things have fallen to the side...like laundry. I wash, but haven't put things away. I put on makeup today, but still picked lazy lazy clothes that didn't help to make me feel like the powerhouse I am. So I'm going to go back upthread and modify my goal to reflect that I want to have an overall appearance that I feel proud of each day. It's so easy, when you have a 3 year old and a 7 month old to not care that there's food all over you and just go get things done, but the What Not To Wear folks in my head are tsking me for not making myself a priority outside of the gym. Being me doesn't end just because I took off my sneakers. Food/Body Metrics: When I weighed in this morning, I was 145, a weight I haven't seen in about 3 years (and that was from the exhaustion of kiddo #1, not from anything I was trying to do), and a weight I haven't held since getting set for my 10 year reunion 8 years ago. I started that at 158 and got down to 127 (high school weight!) over 6 months with standard calorie counting, running, & weight machine circuits on my own. I wasn't following any plan except to eat less than I burned. It worked, but I was HUNGRY. Add in medical stuff a few years later, and I was back at 156 again. This time, I'm doing it right, and am not ravenous at the end of the day. More importantly than the 145 was that my BF% on the scale dropped below 33%, and that's the number I want to see peel away, regardless of my weight. Forward glance: I ran in my vibrams, since they're easy to lift in. But after a race on Sunday (non vibrams) plus fast miles on the treadmill (vibrams) means ever so slight shin splints today. I may bring two pairs of sneaks to the gym, since I don't think they'd love me lifting barefoot after running warmups on the treadmill in my regular sneaks. I'm traveling Friday-Tuesday, & have appointments on Wednesday, which means I can't do my scheduled Stronglifts on Wed & Friday like I would normally do. Since I'm still so early in the program, I'm cheating a bit, and doing Wednesday & Friday's workouts on Tuesday & Thursday. I would never make a habit of lifting two days in a row - not at this beginning stage. Since the only thing I'm repeating is squats, I'll take extra rest time between sets. I've already scoped out a gym near our hotel where I can lift on Monday. I'm also getting my hair cut and colored today. Again, it sounds so petty compared to some life goals, but I remind myself that I can be a better caregiver when I care more for myself and take pride in my appearance. Petty thought #2 on that - I have long hair for the first time in I don't know how long. I'm not ready to cut it shorter again, but it gets so stringy at this length, so hopefully the cut will help me out a bit there. One wrong cut and I look like Mariah Carey circa the "Someday" video, except more of a hot frizzy mess.

Without question. I do a lot of local races through my club here in DC. I get something like 15 races for free with my membership, or something like that. I love racing, it's so invigorating (except when I have the occasional terrible race, which then bums me out for a while).

Thanks! I ran a 10k goal race (worked on my speed all spring) and got a PR of 50:32, so I was very close to getting 25 minutes in the 5k on that. I figure with my estimation, if I am doing a 5k only, then I should be able to get 25:00 or under if I haul ass. We'll see, since the 5k I have targeted is an out and back with an ever so slight uphill coming back. I'm running the Brooklyn Half on May 19th with my brother. I did the Rock n Roll half in DC, and felt awful, back in March. It was a relatively hot day and a hilly course. I got a PR of 2:05:37 at that race, almost 5 minutes better than my fall half marathon in September, but it was UGLY. Brooklyn is at least a net downhill course as well. It's a long goal, but my brother is a bit faster than me, and if I can get to a 9:00 pace, then I'll nab it. It's a very long reach for me - but gotta be in it to win it, right?

That was last year's Marine Corps Marathon - such a fun race.

I can't wait for the day I can add a pullup to my challenge goals. That's looooong term for me. Go get it!!!

Awesome goals - definitely solid all around work for the next few weeks!

Oh I am allll about negative splits. My mom was a runner well into her 50s, and has begun to pick it up again now in her 60s. That was the biggest lesson she imparted to me. I never ran as a kid, but picked it up, doing short races on my own about 6 years ago. In the last 2 years, I've started making it my passion to improve as well. She ran her PR 1/2 in 1:43 at age 37. I have 2 years to get there!

Time for my first challenge, y'all! We'll see if I've done this one right. Race: Pegasus Profession: Scout Starting Point: STR: 2 DEX: 2 STA: 4 CON: 2 WIS: 3 CHA: 2 Goals: Run a sub-2:05:37 1/2 Marathon. This was my pace and PR in March, and I wasn't thrilled with my time. I have another chance to beat it in May - so let's do this! STA: 4 Deadlift 160lbs. My best 1x from around a year ago is 155, and I started Stronglifts last week. I think it's a reasonable expectation to lift more. STR: 4 Run a sub-25:00 5k. Where as the half is testing my endurance, something I have been working on for a while, leaving endurance at the door and going for sheer speed is relatively new for me. This will be a PR pace. DEX: 4 Put on makeup, even if just some lipstick or eyeliner every weekday in an effort to be less stuck in the momzone, and dress in a way that I feel proud of. I don't have the budget for new clothes right now, but I will make an effort to make myself look more put-together when I'm out and about. Is it a bit petty? Maybe, but it goes a long way in making me feel like I am part of the world and not just part of my 2 kids' worlds. CHA: 3 Glad to be part of the group! Other minor things I'm working on, but not part of this challenge: I have been 90% paleo for two weeks now, after a start and stop at the beginning of last month. I'm feeling good, and hoping to start the process of leaning out a bit. I'm 146lbs and 5'7", but with 34%BF. I don't care about dropping pounds, but I do want to get my BF% down, and so along with the paleo, I started Stronglifts last week. This will be week 2, and it feels great. I'll update with my progress for sure.

This is going to be my first challenge, and so definitely ubercomplicated on first glance, but definitely excited, and know I'm a scout, even though I've just started to add stronglifts into my running program.

Joining in the fun. For years, I've been trying to go longer and longer, getting my first marathon in at Marine Corps last year (4:45, slower than I hoped but not bad considering some extenuating circumstances that week). Been dedicating this spring to speed. After some weights yesterday, decided to run fast for a mile, and got 7:35. Gives me a good sense that I can go a lot faster than that if I don't do weights and what not first. Very exciting to see where I can get to.

I haven't! But I'm gonna try it this weekend I think!

Thanks! It was today last week where I had my (in retrospect, small) carb binge. I've been doing great ever since. I upped my calories to average around 1700/day, with more good fats for sure. It's still hard, on workout days, to eat a lot early in the day, but I'm also trying to make sure I don't skimp either. I'm starting to add in weights via Starting Strength, and feeling pretty good! Loving the support on these boards!

In February of 2011, I joined a local CF box, and liked it well enough though running has always been my thing (and still is). In May I signed up for my first marathon, and then ditched CF, because it was messing with my training. I crossed the finish line, running the whole way, at the Marine Corps Marathon in October 2011, and have been working on my running speed ever since. I have my 10k goal race this weekend, and am hoping to get a serious PR. But that's not my woot. Today, I went to the area of the gym that no one ever goes...and I picked up the barbells again. It was after my usual IT Band strengthening exercises, and then my core routine (planks and the like). So, I picked a weight I could do easily for 8 reps, and added on weight for three sets. 75# for squats and 115# for deadlift in the last sets, and I have plenty of room to move up before I start hitting my 5 rep max. But damn, it felt great.

I'm so glad you asked this (and got answers - thanks everyone!) - I'm right along side you with reading & wanting to dive in, since I know the moves per se.

I'm finally getting around to reading as many threads as possible - I'm mscinco on there, and I'll be adding a whole lot of you!

I have been using MyFitnessPal for a while and know there are a few schools of thought- what do you all consider low-carb?

Yesterday it was definitely a combo of boredom and hunger, today my stomach was actually growling before I had the tuna. It's gotta be the sugar withdrawal talking, right? Also add in exhaustion driving the hunger. We have a 3 year old and a 6 month old (adopted - so that's not driving the body stuff hormonally, for clarification, otherwise I wouldn't add that disclaimer) and I'm absolutely exhausted. I sleep like crap, because I'm a light sleeper and there's just no way around the bad sleep right now, which sucks hardcore. Worth it, but definitely a zombie over here, which was one of the deciding factors on the diet change. I'll check out the bulletproof coffee. I've seen it mentioned before, but haven't looked into it yet - thanks! On the stevia - it's the last holdout on the sugar bandwagon (aside from wine), only because I am not ready to give up coffee since I'm barely getting enough sleep as it is. It's on my list of things to cut, and I even go back and forth between that and sugar, just a tsp either way, because coffee's too bitter without it, to me.

I love MyFitnessPal, and perhaps too much. I had set it to 1lb per week, but it still was setting me at like 1400 calories, which is probably what had me famished to begin with. I've upped the amount to hit manually, and am going to try to simply ignore the overall calories for the next month, and only look at the macronutrients to make sure I'm getting enough fat. It's really a testament to the addictive power of sugar. On an intellectual level I know all of this stuff, know what I mean? I know that it's calories in/calories out, but that in order for this to work, it has to also be the RIGHT kind of calories. I lost 30lbs 8 years ago just by counting calories, and eating "better" by Standard American Diet standards, but when I had a medical issue come up that had me stop exercising, the hunger came back something fierce. Today's meals: 10min cardio warm up 5 minutes ITband strengthening exercises (side steps, lunges, etc) 15 minutes core (not just abs) workout (continuous circuit of a variety of things like planks, side planks, leg raises, bridge, etc) 15 minutes of body weight rows, deadlifts & overhead press Breakfast (I do better working out on an empty stomach): Sweet potato post workout 2 hard boiled eggs Coffee w/cream & truvia Lunch: Big Assed Green leaf Salad with sausage, peppers, onions, broccoli, & tbsp each of balsamic vinegar and olive oil Snack, just now because I was ravenous again: 4.5 oz of tuna mixed with avocado & lemon juice Dinner is still TBA. Certainly feeling better about it all today over yesterday. I do need to figure out how to front load my day a bit more, which is a challenge, since I exercise best on an empty stomach. I get to the gym after preschool drop-off, around 9:30, and am done an hour later and try to eat right then and there to maximize the muscle repair aspect of any carbs like sweet potatoes that I'm eating. I can try grilling up some bacon to pack with the eggs as well, but anyone have any suggestions for a good portable, high fat breakfast? Thanks again for all the support - I've been lurking for a bit, diving in is always scary, but in a good way.

@horrorgirl - I love calculators, and I came up with basically the same thing you did, which was why I was trying to stay around 1500, almost never under that, because I still have that weight-loss mindset. I want to lose fat, and in my head that means losing weight on the scale, you know what I mean? It's so hard to step away from that ingrained (and faulty?) logic. I want to lose inches. Right now, my hips are a size 4-6 but my natural waist is a size 10-12 - it makes it REALLY hard to shop!!! I want my stomach to match my hips (but not the reverse - ha). So - based on that, would you still think I should eat more (I mean I'm hungry, so clearly yes on some level) or try to fight through the hunger while my body adjusts to a paleo lifestyle and just use brute will to fight off my desire to EAT. ALL. THE. FOOD. come 2pm? Thanks to everyone - I have been doing a lot of the NF stuff since January, but finally admitting that abs are made in the kitchen

Thanks @elastigirl - I definitely am doing the NF bodyweight exercises 3x a week for now, but can't drop my mileage too much until my half marathon is over next month. After that, my miles will be closer to 15 (though ramping up again over the summer) for a month at least, where I plan to focus on some heavier lifting. I'm a runner, and it's one of those non-negotiables for me. If I have to have a belly, but eat 90% clean and am runnning, I'm gonna be far happier than doing less mileage and having no belly. I'm a stay at home parent, and my running is my one big "me" thing, and socially a great outlet for me. I definitely am not tempted by wheat on a regular basis, only in times of desperation when I'm looking for that quick hit of basically sugar. I am almost out of the home-roasted nuts I made, and will definitely not restock (or will put into 1oz pouches for grabbing in a pinch). I'm gonna cut down on the fruit a bit for now too, since sugar is clearly my trigger. I even was reading on Whole9 the other day something that really resonated. It's not that I want to give up the milk & stevia in my coffee, it's that I'm looking for a sweet fix to start my day. I think after the 1/2 marathon, I'll be ready to try a Whole 30, or close enough to it, and can ditch it. I'll go with the sweet potato post workout, since a protein shake may have too many sweet additives to trigger my munchies. Good call on that one! I drain a full can of tuna when I mix it with about 100cal of homemade guacamole to put on the big assed salad.