Busy week....

I always find it so amazing how time flies by when you have a huge to do list and have a lot of plans. This past week flew by with barely any notice! I tell you!

I meant to get back into blogging every night before I go to bed but it just didn't happen this week. I will do my best to get everything down daily from now on. I promise.

First of all. I got to the gym on Monday, I did 10 minutes of the stair climber, 35 minutes of weights, 25 minutes of elliptical and 30 minutes of stair climber. Then I walked the dog when I got home from the gym. I was exhausted but felt really good.

Tuesday I got to the gym, it was a light cardio day, 40 minutes on the Elliptical.

Wednesday I did not get to the gym. I had every intention of doing so but I just didn't get there. By the time I was done work and doing all the running around to the Storage locker, sorting through boxes and putting kits for the Parade and the Family Festival. It was after 10pm and I was just too exhausted.

I did make up for it on Thursday though. Thursday was Canada Day! I was in the Canada Day Parade as part of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, CIBC Run for the Cure Committee. We entered a float and we walked the Parade route. Not quite 5km's but I figure I probably did about 7km when you count in all the zig zagging from side to side to make sure that people on both sides of the street were getting their goodies etc. Then it was to the Family Festival where we handed out more Breast Cancer Awareness items and put tattoo's on pretty much every child that was there. I swear to goodness!

Friday found me in the car going out to Vancouver to have a meeting about my position as a Run Director for the Run here in Abbotsford, then my mom and I went walking through the shops in Langley before finally heading home.

Today has been a busy day running errands and doing things around the house. Although I did not go to the gym today, I have taken the dog on a 5km walk as well as another walk around the block this evening.

I got a lot accomplished this week and I'm feeling pretty good about it. I'm going to start tracking my food again though. I've not done this in quite a while and I'm seeing the results on the scale. I was only down a pound this week and with all the activity I got in, I figure I should have lost at least two or three.

So here's to a new week starting tomorrow. To my American Friends, Happy 4th of July!

I'm back!!!

Well, to be honest I got back a week ago today, but between jetlag, catching up at work, catching up at home and the general return to craziness, I haven't had any time to stop by. But, here I am!

My conference went really well. As expected we were busy, busy, busy. I did get in one gym workout, it lasted half an hour. However, I did do multiple hotel inspections, and when you're walking around a mega resort in 40degree weather with 100% humidity. Trust me it's a work out. As well, on one of the Inspection days, the supplier turned it into an Amazing Race game so there we were in teams of 8 running like mad people through resorts to accomplish our tasks. That was more of a workout then working out was. Let me tell you! I will post pictures of it later.

I'm finally over the jetlag. I think it's odd. Take me to Europe with an 8 hour time difference and I'm fine. Take me to the east coast and it takes a week to get over the 3 hour time difference. Oh well. What can you do?

While I was away, I gained 8 pounds. YES 8 pounds....although, I'm pretty sure that ALL of that was water weight as of yesterday when I weighed myself on my regular weigh in day, I am down 1 pound from the week before I left. Considering I got in zero work out time last week and didn't really watch my eating plan that much, I am pretty confidant in saying the 8 pounds was water weight. My fingers, legs and feet can attest to that. I'm finally able to wear my rings again and do up my running shoes. YEAH!

Today's plan, I brought lunch with me, a good balanced lunch, dinner will be a simple stir fry and then we're off to the gym tonight for an hour's worth of cardio and resistance training. I hope you all have a great day!

Last post for a while.

I'm heading off to conference in the morning, I'll be away a total of 10 days. I'm looking forward to seeing old friends who I haven't seen in a couple of years. (It's been two years since we had a conference). We're heading off to a new destination for me I've never been to this Caribbean Island and I'm looking forward to exploring the people and the culture. I've got my MP3, and my gym clothes packed and I'm going to try to squeeze in a few workouts over the weeks. We've got a packed schedule. However with two free hours in between sessions and evening events I should be able to get some solid gym time or walks in the sand in.

It's been a busy week and I did get my work out's in everyday this week with the exception of last night. However, I did take the dog for a nice long walk so I still got my activity in.

I'll catch you all up to date when I get back. In the mean time, keep up the fight! Have a great week, we'll talk soon.

Tired...

I am really and truly tired today. I was up extra early this morning, to the tune of 4am. I drove my sister and brother in law to the airport for their flight. They are on their way to Montreal to take in the sights, relax and enjoy some racing!

Needless to say, after getting up that early and then working, my umption in my gumption had certainly left the building without me by the end of my work day. I told my husband when I called to let him know I was leaving the office for home that I didn't think I was up to going to the gym. I got home, we had dinner, we walked the dog around the block. He was ready to head to the gym and I just didn't feel like it.

I went though! I went and I worked out, and I struggled. I was tired, I was feeling it but I did it. I did 10 minutes on the stairclimber, I did resistance training on my legs, I did another 20 minutes on the Stiar Climber, then I did twenty minutes on the stationary bike and then I did 20 minutes on the Elliptical. You see I was tired and I was having a hard time focusing all of my energy on one machine so I moved around today. I don't do that very often, but I did get a really good workout in.

My activity Accountability Chart today:
Activity 1hr:24min:41seconds
Time in Zone 1hr:23min:22seconds
Average Heart Rate 135
Maximum Heart Rate 153
Total Calories Burned 1156.

As you can see from my heart rate and my calorie burn, it wasn't an overly intense workout today, but considering I was on my fourth or fifth wind by then, I think I did pretty good. I'm proud of going to the gym, when really I could have just sat on the couch and been lazy. I made a choice, and I feel better for having made that choice.

Have a good night everyone! Talk to you tomorrow!

Blank....

I can't think of a title. I don't know what to call this post so I guess I'll have to call it blank.

I'm actually feeling pretty bad right now. I haven't been posting and several of you have sent me messages asking if all is right in my world and it is. It really and truly is, I just haven't been in the mood to write.

I'm going to try to change that this week, try is the operative word. I'm leaving for our National Managers Conference at the end of the week and so this week promises to be a busy one. I'm going to be going to the gym in the evenings with my husband as I have been for the past week and a bit. However, I'm going to have to be dealing with shopping, laundry and packing as well so I'll have to wait and see how I do for the posting part of it.

I'm just back from the gym, not quite an hour ago now, we came home, showered and had a nice healthy lunch of green salad with a grilled 4oz chicken breast cut up through it. It was very yummy for the tummy. I enjoyed it. I'm still a little hungry but I'm going to drink another bottle of water to see if I'm really hungry or I just ate to fast. I'll have to wait and see.

I've gotten a lot of activity in this week, I went to the Gym, Monday, Wednesday and today. I didn't get there on Tuesday as Life got in the way and Thursday I helped out over at my parents house weedwacking the yard and raking up the grass clippings. Saturday, I didn't get there as I simply didn't have the energy. I'm not using that as an excuse but I was falling asleep everytime I sat down. You see I haven't been sleeping very well(for about three weeks) and on Friday night, I finally, finally broke down and took a half a sleeping pill. I don't like taking them; but when on average you're only getting maybe two hours of sleep on and off through the whole night and it's been like that for weeks; you eventually have to bite the bullet and do something about it. My husband asked me to please take one and so I did. Thus the reason I had absolutely no umption in my gumption on Saturday at all. I was groggy and dozy the whole day.

Today I'm much better, I had a good night sleep last night and even had an hour long nap this morning and then off to the gym I went. Today I followed Jillian Michaels advice in her book "Winning by Losing". In it she says to do no more than 10 minutes of warm up cardio before doing your resistance training and after your resistance training do the bulk of your cardio.

This is what I did today. I did 10 minutes on the Stairclimber and then moved into my resistance training. I can honestly tell you,I felt the difference today, I actually felt as though I was challenging myself with my weights, I was able to do more reps then when I do my resistance training after 45minutes of cardio. So how about that...I learned something this week and it paid off!

This post is getting a little long winded, I guess that's what happens when you haven't blogged for almost three weeks!LOL!

Weight loss, in the past three weeks I'm down 4.5 pounds. I'm not thrilled with that number but I'm happy with it, the weight is going in the correct direction so I'm fine with that.

Here are my Activity accountability charts for this week.

Date... Total Activity,.. Time in Zone,.. AVG HR ...MAX HR... Calories
May 31.... 1h 33min .......1h 28min .......143 .....163 .......1422
June 1.... 1h 2min ........59min27sec .....149 .....192........ 960
June 6.... 1h 37min ........1h 22min ......143 .....164........ 1474

Total 4hour 20min 3hour 40min 145 3856.

A pretty good week...talk to you all tomorrow!

Let's get physcial...

physical..I wanna get physical, let's get into physical
Let me hear your body talk, your body talk, let me hear your body talk

All right, I realize I have just completely dated myself by typing those infamous words to Olivia Newton Johns' song Physical. It was in the early 80's? Maybe. I know that it was played everywhere and the video(who remembersGood Rockin' tonight on CBC with Stu Jeffries?) was scandalous.

Ah well....those were the days. Fortunately the skin tight bodysuit and leotard with leg warmers is no longer how we dress to go to the gym. If that were the case everyone there would have run from the building screaming in terror as I walked in the doors. Instead I was in my shorts, my trust old work out t-shirt and my good runners. It was time to get physical. And physical I did get. I started with a 10 minute warm up on the stair climber. Then I switched over to my weight program. After the first interval, I did another 10 minutes of cardio by using the rower and then back to my last interval of weights. I was cooling down on the Elliptical when my husband came up to get me.

Revitalized and rejuvenated I had to wonder why I had put off going to the gym for so long. It's been a really long time since I was there and I felt so GOOD when I was done!

Of course last night, I pulled a typical Katie move and while reaching into the cupboard bottom shelf, I managed to twist myself into a pretzel and hurt my neck. I think I've strained the muscles. It honestly feels like whiplash. I don't know how I did it, but I did. So alas, today I didn't go to the gym. I am simply too stiff and sore in my neck area, the silliest things hurt, like sneezing (hello allergies!), picking up a pot, petting the dog. All these silly mundane things are hurting me today so I'm going to take it easy today, but alas tomorrow I will be back at the gym! Nothing is holding me back now. Absolutely nothing!

Weigh in was yesterday, and I'm happy to advise you that I was down 1.4 pounds. YEAH ME!

We're back on track and loving every minute it of. Here I am being accountable so we may as well just get yesterday's activity on the page so to speak.

Activity Dog Walk
Duration 50 min
Distance 6ish km's.
Heart Rate. Don't know forget to start it.

Activity Gym Work out
Duration 50min, 35 sec
Time in zone 47min, 02 sec
AVG Heart Rate 128
Max Heart Rate 149
Calories burned 624

Have a super day everyone!

Feeling the Burn

I am feeling the burn today! Wahoo! First off was weigh in. It sucked, I'm up three pounds. I'm not happy about it. I think I know why so I'm not going to obcess over it. That's just the way it is.

My husband and I went on our first bike ride together today. I was so excited about it. Now, I am in now way, shape or form as good a rider as my husband. Let's face it. It's hard for a 280ish person to be as light and fly on a bike as their 170ish counter part so I know that I'm going to be moving slower, but I tell ya. My husband flies on his bike. It's amazing the speed he gets. When we were going down hill he led the way, when we got to the flat parts I led. I eventually has to tell him to go on without me, I was going to wait here for a few minutes and then turn around.

My legs were killing me! They were burning like nobody's business. I wore my heart rate monitor and it was working hard to keep up with my beating heart, let me tell you! We live in an area with some substantial hills and I don't mind telling you I worked my buns off to get up them.

There is one hill that I havne't been able to make it up yet. That is my goal, to be able to come around the corner at South Parallel Road, turn right and make it up that darned hill.

I worked hard today, I was huffing and puffing, giving myself pep talks as I struggled up that last darned hill but I did it!

Today's Road tally. 5.8km's 35min, 40 seconds, AHR 154bpm, MHR 180bpm(That was coming up the last hill, I thought my chest was going to explode!;-)

It was a great ride. I'm looking forward to the day when I can do that ride in under 30minutes with an AHR(average heart rate) of below 140. It will come, I just have to keep working at it.

For all of you Mother's out there, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!

Riding...Riding....Riding....

I'm really enjoying riding! I really am, when I got home from work tonight, the rain of the past few days was done and I decided to get on my bike and go for a ride. Now, even though it is MAY, someone forgot to tell mother nature and it is frigging cold out there. None the less, I bundled up, long sleeved shirt, under a short sleeved shirt with a jacket on top, long pants, my helmet and off I went. It was exhilirating. I'm loving it. I went down our horseshoe to the right, turned right onto Old Yale road, turned right onto Whatcom road, right onto South Parallel Road, Left onto Old Yale Road, and around Delair park, turned right back onto Old Yale road and finally turned right onto the second half of our horseshoe.

I don't actually know how long I was gone. I didn't look at the time when I left, I do know that the Canucks game had just gone into the first between period segment and when I got back they were about 5 minutes or so into the 2nd period.

I DO know that I worked my buns off. I did have to get off the bike at one point and push it up one of the hills. I just plum ran out of steam! The wind was in my face and I was pedaling for all I was worth but I didn't seem to get anywhere. So, I got off, and walked my bike to the top of the first hill. Got back on at the flat portion, built up my speed and made it up the rest of the hill, including the hill leading up to our complex.

I couldn't beleive how hard it was. Bike riding used to be so easy! At the Gym I can get on a stationary bike and go for a half an hour, or forty five minutes. However, in the real world, on a real road, with REAL hills, and REAL wind blowing in your face, it is so much more difficult.

Here I sit 4 hours later and my legs are still throbbing and are all jello feeling. I know that I was huffing and puffing when I got home, I was sweating up a storm when I got home as well. The next bike ride, I'm going to wear my heart rate monitor so that I can see just how intense my ride really is!

Love it when a plan comes together!

I really do like it when a plan come together. Nothing is more satisfying than making a plan and at the end of the day it all comes together and everything turns out better than you had hoped.

You see, my husband used to have a road bike. When we first met, he would go on these 3 hour bike rides and thoroughly enjoy them. When he moved to be closer to me, when we got engaged, he moved into an apartment and unfortunately the bike was stolen off his third floor balcony. We never did find out how the heck they did it, but they did.

Flash forward to last week, we knew that we were getting money back from our taxes. You have to like it when the government gives you some of your money back. It's really nice when they do that and low and behold the money popped into our bank account. So we had several discussions on what we would like to do with oure refunds and I made the suggestion that we get bikes. We can go on rides together, it will get us outdoors, fresh air and it's good for us!

When I was a teenager I loved my bike. I had a ten speed bike that I took everywhere, I would go riding for hours and hours. It was great! I was hoping that I would still have that wonderful feeling if we got bikes.

Well! Guess what....we got our bikes yesterday!!!! Mine is lovely purple color, it fits me just right. It has 24 gears(I have no idea what to do with all of them!), and it has a nice wide comfy seat. I got a Trek 7200WSD. Here is a picture from their website.



We bought our bikes and stopped by my parents house to show them our new purchase. I got on my bike and rode around my old neighbourhood and it was exhilarating! I loved the feel of the pedals, I loved the wind blowing in my face. It was AWESOME!!! I so enjoyed it.

You know that old saying "It's like riding a bike, you never forget how?" Well that was me yesterday. I was a little nervous, I'm a lot heavier now than I was then, but it was great! I had a wobbly start but I did good, no crashes!

I was hoping to go for a bike ride this morning before I had to go to work, however, living on the Wet Coast of Canada, it was pouring this morning. Maybe tonight, after dinner....I can't wait to hit the road and feel the wind on my face!

Good day!

I'm a little late posting this week. I had a great day though. First thing is first. Weigh-in. I was the same, no heavier, no lighter but I'm good with that. I still haven't managed to get myself back into the groove of going to the gym. I really do need to get to the gym!

I know that once I get the umption in my gumption and get going again, I will feel better about it and I will be happy about it. I know it is a mind set and I just HAVE to do it! I know that, I really honestly do but I just haven't gotten there.

I don't know why this is, I actually think it's ironic. Most people when they go on holidays worry about not getting in a good workout, they drop down their physical activity. I went on my holiday and hit the gym 90% of the time. I get home, and I haven't gotten to the gym once yet.

I know, I know. It make no sense what so ever, BUT hopefully if something comes together as my husband and I are hoping it will. I will be getting lost of outdoor activity. More about that later....Have a great day everyone!