Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Wednesday Workout Update - Say Yes to the Dress Edition

Sunday: Went for my first run with Ricky Bobby. He likes to go fast, and I had my best run yet, believe it or not! Sure, it may have been a mental boost to run faster with him, but as we all know, mental is most of the battle, be it diet, exercise, or whatever. I set out to run two miles in 80* heat and humidity - yes, at 7:00 a.m. Instead of fighting the weather, I just decided to accept it, because god knows I can't change it, lol! Yes I was a hot sweaty mess inside of the first five minutes, but it was ok, and the run was good. And you can't beat our after-run(me)/bike ride(Jeff) tradition of hitting Blue Baker for a spinach, egg and feta bagel sandwich and coffee. We sit outside by the fountain - it's a nice way to start our Sunday. If you had told me even six months ago that I would be willingly getting up early on the only day I have to sleep in, and exercising, I'd have laughed in your face...strange how things change!

Jeff didn't mind that Ricky Bobby had breakfast with us!

Ricky Bobby tells me that I ran 2.25 miles in 25:16, with an average pace of 11:14, and my first mile pace at 10:25. Unfortunately, he is acting like a typical man and isn't telling me everything I need to know, like what my second mile time was. I'll get him to spill it - just have to get inside his head!

Monday: Ow my arms. Ow my arms. Ow my arms. They burn! But let me back up - first we did one-minute speed sets in cardio - I started on the bike, where I would pedal like a madwoman for one minute, then leisurely pedal for another minute, then back to being a madwoman. You would think pedaling like crazy for only a minute isn't that hard, but let me tell you that this is when a minute feels like for-ev-er! Did four sets of that, then took a break (ha!) with a two-minute wall sit - then onto the rower for another speed set.

Then we went to the gym where Brad had stations set up with choices - we had to do two sets and they could be one, the other, or one of each. I started off with the rope wrestle - it's where the weight bench back is set at a slant and I stood behind it, resting one arm on it while holding a heavy rope. I dropped my arm down, slowly, as Linda held onto the rope and provided resistance - both on the way down and back up. Ten times per arm, times two. Holy hell that is hard. My arms are burning all the way from my shoulders down to my forearms as I'm typing - this exercise works every muscle in your arm! It was very cool to look down and see my bicep muscle look so big, and I knew that this was "making changes" as Brad likes to put it, on a part of my body that I want to see changes, but ouch, ouch, ouch. Definitely needed to push the protein for muscle repair after this one. After that, I did walking lunges holding 15 pound dumb bells for four minutes (instead of doing negative leg presses...I don't mind the leg press so much, but the negative resistance makes me so freakin' sore for days afterward that I will do anything to get out of them). Finally I did kettlebell rows with a 26 pound kettlebell - you squat and then stand up quickly, pulling the kettlebell to your chin. Two sets of 50 reps. My arms are like limp noodles now. Owie!

Tuesday: Jenny and I met up to go running - she proposed changing things up a bit, so we drove to a different park and ran most of the way to Smoothie King. Why only most of the way? Because we died. It was 80+ degrees and so humid. Both of us agreed that our legs felt fine with the running...it was the upper body that gave us trouble. And while we were disappointed to run even less than the week before (hey, at least we're consistent...consistently going backward, haha!), we finally came to the conclusion that running in this heat and humidity is just going to be hard. And there will be some runs that are not good. So we are going to set out with a certain number in mind for each run - like maybe 3 miles - and if when we reach it, if we feel like we could keep going, we will...otherwise, that will be it for the day - and THAT'S OK (<---caps lock for mine and Jenny's sake).

I looked up training programs for half marathons, and most have you starting twelve weeks from the race - which for us would mean starting the end of August. So we need to look at this summer running as just keeping our bodies used to running. I would still like to be able to run for eight miles without stopping by Labor Day, and I think we can work up to it...but it's not going to be as simple as going out for a run, not with this kind of Texas heat. Ricky Bobby is now telling me what our "splits" are (i.e. pace for each mile ran), thanks to sweet Helen, who took the time to send me a detailed email on how to set him. She has a lot going on in her life right now and the fact that she did this touches me deeply. Thank you, Helen!

Wednesday: I am going to be perfectly honest here and tell you that I did not want to go workout today. There were several reasons - for one, I knew we were going to be finishing Brad's workout from Monday, and I would be facing the "choice" of doing two sets of 30 box jumps on the 18" box (which I can't do - I can't jump that high...I can do the 12" box, but that one was in the cardio room and he wouldn't let me bring it to the gym, no matter how many times I offered) or doing 60 burpees while wearing the 20-lb. weight vest. Ugh ugh ugh. Obviously I was going to have to do the burpees, and we all know how much I hate those. Another reason why I didn't want to go today is that our workouts are getting harder - Brad and Linda are pushing us more and more. Which is the reason I go there - to be pushed - but dang, it's really been tough lately. Sometimes I just don't want to have to work so freaking hard!

So, there you have my attitude going into today's workout. What happened? Well, it was like old home week - Will was there, along with Cameron, who used to train me when I worked out on Tuesday afternoons, and of course Linda and Brad. Brad was doubling up on sessions today - having the Thursday people come in for their workouts because he will be busy tomorrow...his sweet wife, Kara, will be having their new baby! It was a mishmash of people, but it all worked out just fine. Linda took Kathleen, Ashley and I to the gym (poor Jenny was out with a pinched nerve in her neck), where I did 100 twisting crunch-type things - I sat on the weight bench with my feet slipped under a strap, leaned back at an angle, and rested a weighted bar behind my neck while I twisted from side-to-side. That was quite the ab workout! It aggravated my tailbone a bit which is frustrating - it's been sore since January. I have a feeling complete rest from those types of workouts is what will make it heal completely, but obviously I don't do that.

Then it was on to the burpees - Linda strapped the vest on me and off I went. I did them in sets of ten, rest a minute, another set of ten...I was not fast, but I got them done. Blergh. After that, we went to cardio, where the newly-married Will took us to the elementary school that is about 1/4 mile down the street. Now, in the old days that walk alone would have been my workout, but Will had us doing Tabata sprints around the track - we sprinted for 20 seconds, stopped for 10 seconds, and did it over and over for a total of eight times. I am not a sprinter (unless I'm close to to the finish line) so these were tough! After that, he had us do a steady run around the track - it's 300 meters, so that was no problem. Then we walked and jogged back to the gym - boy, I was a sweaty mess by the end of that workout. But you know what? I'm glad I went.

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And now, the Say Yes to the Dress part of this post. Today is mine and Jeff's 26th anniversary! I was curious, now that I am fitting into such small (for me) sizes, whether I could get into my wedding dress. I can't remember exactly what I weighed on my wedding day, but I suspect it was somewhere in the 125 - 130 pound range. And yes, I weigh a lot more than that now, but all of the workouts have changed my shape so much that I couldn't resist. So out of the box came my very 80's-style dress...and I got it on - woohoo!
JC Penney size 7/8 dress - it fits...or does it?Um, yeah...couldn't quite zip it up! But hey - this is the closest I've ever come to fitting back into the dress since the wedding, so I'm happy!

And here we are, moments after being declared husband and wife:
June 16, 1984

No big plans to celebrate- in fact, he's out of town until late Friday night. But, Saturday is the Texas Reds Festival, and I told him I'd buy him a steak (actually we get two free steak tickets because I will work the Artist's Showcase again this year) - who says romance is dead?!? LOL

33 comments:

  1. I love the wedding dress photos - before and after. What fun! As always, your workouts leave me feeling like an absolute slug. I did love the Sunday morning run/breakfast stop. Very cool.

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  2. Isn't it fun to try on your old dresses? I don't have a wedding dress, but I have old formals that I like.

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  3. That wedding dress is beautiful! Congrats on 26 years! My FIRST year anniversary is coming up on July 18 and I am DEFINITELY trying on my wedding dress since I've lost about 35 lbs since then. I wouldn't change a thing about my wedding but it's just fun to try the dress on again! :)

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  4. What a beautiful couple you two are.
    Congrats on getting back into your dress. It's been 19 years for Doug and I and my dress is still vacuum sealed in the box the cleaner put it in.

    Great job on the workouts girl!! You're a machine!!

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  5. Happy Anniversary! I did the same thing with my wedding dress last year, then he said, you've proved your point, now get rid of it ;-). I have two boys so no one to pass it along to but I just can't part with it ;-)

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  6. How fun to try the dress on! I love that show by the way. Even though chances are I will never get married.

    Congrats on 26 years Shelley! That is impressive to say the least.

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  7. Happy Anniversary! You look beautiful both 26 years ago and today.
    You still didn't tell me about your work, but I see Artist mentioned again, please do tell.

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  8. Love the wedding dress pix - thanks for sharing! Hubs and I will celebrate 23 years on Sunday!

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  9. Blergh on the Burpees indeed!

    I agree that all you need to do until 12 weeks out is get your running base strong. Just get out there and do your runs. Some will be great, some will be awful and THAT'S OK.

    As Miz would say Lovelovelovelove the wedding photo. But the photo you took now gave me a real smile. Still beautiful after all these years - in fact more beautiful!

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  10. How cool is that that you still fit your wedding dress, that must have felt good!

    Glad you did go today even though it's harder. I think Brad and Linda are great trainers pushing you further every time.

    I like your positive attitude about the weather and going to use that myself. They forecast a hot summer here so I can whine about it or accept it although I can't stand the heat very well. Oh well, we'll see when it gets here.

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  11. Haha, YES! That wedding dress IS very 80s, which makes me LOOOVE IT! That's awesome, Shellz. Seriously...like, major accomplishment! You rock :)

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  12. Awesome workout as per usual be careful out in the heat and humidty expect to go slower:)

    Congrats on the 26 years of marriage that is awesome and to be commended.

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  13. Happy 26th and counting.
    You got into the dress and that's what counts :)

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  14. Happy Anniversary to you and Jeff!

    The more I read your workouts the more I realize I need to push my exercises up to the next level!

    Damn burpees! I don't think I'll ever like those either!

    Ah, the 80's wedding dress - love it and love the wedding picture!!

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  15. Happy anniversary, and plenty more of them. I'd say that's good going with the wedding dress after that many years.

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  16. Happy Anniversary! Congrats on getting in the dress again. Who cares if it zipped? Totally doesn't matter.
    You are really rocking the physical activity. Good for you!

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  17. Love the wedding dress photo. My wedding dress is a size 22, so I certainly hope I never fit into that again LOL!

    Your workouts tire me out. I don't know if I could get through them. I need to start some burpees once I get totally healed up... maybe.... or not.

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  18. Out browsing weight loss blogs and just had to stop here. Your pictures are totally inspiring. (Your blog is pretty too.) You rock!

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  19. I'm tired just reading about your workouts.

    HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

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  20. Such a fun post. The before and after pics are great. Happy Happy Anniversary. Your hubs looks crazy happy in the before pic. Too cute.

    I have to admitt, I secretly smiled alittle that you didn't want to workout. It tells me that you are indeed human. Maybe alittle bionic.....those workouts are killer!

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  21. Congrats on the anniversary!! I finally was able to put on my dress last year after 5.5 years. It was um.i.can't.breathe. but it zipped!

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  22. Congrats on 26 years you two!

    And wow, wedding dress photos...I am on my (slow) journey, but never thought about that particular marker. Haha - I love your honesty, showing us the back of your dress!

    My dress was 'preserved' so I won't be trying it on most likely until I would be absolutely certain. You should be so proud. Wow.
    Chrissy

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  23. Congratulations on the anniversary. Hubs and I will celebrate #25 this year and I also got my dress at JCPenny's :)
    Now if I could only run like you.

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  24. Love the wedding dress photos! Then and now! My wedding dress was an old size 8 (before all this ridiculous vanity sizing today) so I'd be lucky to get a thing into it. I guffawed when I saw the "view from the back"! It's truly fantastic that you can get the body into it. Such great progress you've made!!!

    Also, I crack up every time you mention Ricky Bobby, just because I love Will Farrell and that movie was pretty hilarious! Great workouts...someday maybe for me too.

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  25. Happy Anniversary!!! You look beautiful. And your arms look fantastic in that pic of you having the bagel outside.

    I'm impressed with your commitment to stick out running in this heat.

    So do you know which running schedule you're going to use for the half? I NEED to get back to my schedule. Stupid foot. and the heat!

    And congrats for getting back int hat wedding dress! You're doing fantastic. As usual, you're an inspiration. :)

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  26. My dear friend,

    I'm leaving tomorrow for a week to have a vacation in Belgium. No internet access there so I won't be reading your blog next week. Will catch up on you next weekend.

    xxx

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  27. Love the dress! Happy Anniversary!

    Your workouts give me sore arms just reading about them. Good job going even when you didn't want to!

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  28. Happy Anniversary and you look Mahhhvalous!

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  29. Dang it, drives me nuts when I leave a comment and then its not there. Not that I said anything important. I think I said , no wedding dress for me. If I had ever had one, it would have been anywhere from a size 10 to a size 28...

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  30. Shelley! You're a beautiful bride...then and NOW!!!! Happy Anniversary!!

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  31. I am very late, but Happy belated Anniversary! How awesome that you are able to (mostly) get into your dress! I have mine downstairs, and I was at goal weight back then, hmmm...might be a good goal to aim for!

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  32. Oh, don't feel bad - my wedding dress was maternity (which, incidentally gives me a very good excuse for it not fitting), and we just celebrated our 22 anniversary with coupons as well.

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