HBBC Week 6 + Christmas 5Ks

We are closing in on the final week of the Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge.  It is looking like I'll be lucky to have maintained my weight through this crazy time.  I have kept my workout streak alive since Thanksgiving which has been a big deal for me.  Exercise consistency has always been a struggle for me so I'm ultra proud of that.  I also participated in Kiley at Daily Vitamin F's holiday 5Ks.  So here is the round up of HBBC Week 6:

Sunday 12/22 - Bike trainer time (9.5 miles) = 3.2 points

Monday 12/23 - Walk with my husband (2 miles) + FB = 3 points

Tuesday 12/24 - The day was sunny and the recent freezing rain had coated the trees with ice so that they shimmered like glass sculptures.  I don't think the pics can show how pretty everything looked even though it was a pretty cold run though I tried.  Christmas Eve 5K (well, 3.2 miles) + FB = 4.2 points

 

 Wednesday 12/25 - Wore my new running shirt and the holiday socks that I got from Kiley in the sock swap for my Christmas Day 5K (lovely weather and need to take a break from my inlaws made for actually getting 3.65 miles) + FB = 4.7 points

Thursday 12/26 -  Early in the day I had stopped by my neighbor's house to drop something off and her kids wanted me and my daughter to stay and play Just Dance.  I slayed them all and got in some bonus cardio.  We joined a new gym (Sam B. Cook Healthplex) this week and Thursday we had our health assessments. There was some weight lifting and some cardio time while they were checking things and then we stayed a little after to do some more laps on the track (1/18 of a mile - painful to do all those laps, but my girl kept me motivated).  My daughter was disappointed that she can't use most of the equipment so we did a bunch of lunges, squats, situps, planks, etc so she felt like she got a good workout.  In the end we knocked out a couple miles plus all the strength work.  Later my husband wanted to go on a walk to discuss some things on our minds so we got in another couple of miles. + FB = 6 points

This was the only time I wasn't winning (as I wasn't playing) LOL

Friday 12/27 - Got up early and rode in a car for nearly 3 hours to spend time with my extended family (very small that it is) at my aunt's house.  It was great to visit, but the day was pretty shot by the time we spent nearly another 3 hours in the car on the way home.  Thankfully, the bike trainer is darn handy and not out in the cold.  Set up my Netflix and knocked out 10.2 miles before cleaning up and heading off to bed.  I also managed to pass on soda at my aunt's house and drink water nearly all day for one additional point + FB = 5.4

My aunt and cousin - the extent of my blood relatives besides my sister/2 nephews/2 kids

Saturday 12/28 - Back to the gym to meet with one of the "Exercise Specialists".  I wasn't all that impressed with the workout plan that they set up for us.  I'll probably hire a trainer to come up with something better, but it was an introduction to several of the machines so not a big deal.  We did more reps for a more well rounded strength workout.  After we finished the kids and I jumped on some cardio equipment and got a couple more miles.  We were at the gym for about two hours.  There was some standing around as we were shown how to execute the exercises properly.  + FB = 6 points.

Week 6 Total = 32.5 points

Wrapping up this year and this challenge.  Going to go bundle up for another walk with my husband. 

HBBC Weeks 4/5 + Jingle Bell Hell Part Deux

The workout streak is alive and well (22 days!).  But with the craziness of the holidays, my eating/drinking hasn't been as stellar as I'd like.  I guess that isn't really a surprise.  On top of it, I had a few days this week of feeling a little puny with a throat feeling like sandpaper.  But at a minimum every day (even on days I really didn't feel like it), I got out for a brisk walk with my tall husband (thus super fast paced because of his crazy long legs).  But for a bit of an update on my Bootie Busting progress:

Week 4:

Sunday 12/8: 13 miles on bike trainer - 4.3 pts + FB = 5.3

Monday 12/9: 8.76 miles on bike trainer (a win after a long night of shopping had me wanting to just bag this workout) + FB = 3.9

Tuesday 12/10: Ran before (and partly during) my daughter's piano lesson for 4.1 miles + FB = 5.1

Wednesday 12/11: 15.5 miles on bike trainer = 5.1

Thursday 12/12: 4.2 miles with Susan on the Greenway + FB (plus a win when I chose to eat a healthy breakfast of fruit/oatmeal instead of a coke at McDs) = 5.2

 

We were smiling even though it was 20 degrees -
annoying that it got up into the 40's later in the afternoon

Friday 12/13: 10 miles on bike trainer while I was accidentally scorching the chili I had on the stove for our neighborhood party (oops) = 3.3 (but ate way too much along with a couple of margaritas at the party - no clean eating bonus points here)

Saturday 12/14: Was supposed to Jingle Bell Run in Columbia with my daughter, but the event was canceled at 5:50 AM (before 8 AM race) due to ice and snow; snuggled back into bed and then late in the afternoon headed out for a very cold and slightly slushy 2 mile walk with husband + FB = 3

Week 4 Total = 30.9

Week 5:

Sunday 12/15: Bike trainer workout in the evening for 10 miles while husband supervised both kids at archery team practice + FB = 4.3

Monday 12/16: Neighborhood run in lovely weather (balmy 32 degrees) for 3.2 miles + FB = 4.2

Tuesday 12/17: Feeling kind of puny - Just a brisk walk for 2 miles (though honestly I felt a little better after going - maybe I should have tried to do it earlier in the day) + FB = 3

Wednesday 12/18: Hair appointment, shopping ALL day, picked up kids and only was up for a 2 mile walk with husband + FB = 3

Thursday 12/19: Fantastic run in 50ish degree weather on the Greenway with Susan for 6 miles and later conceded to walking with husband for another 2 miles - banner workout day!  FB for 9 points total.

I really love how much fun you can see we were having here -
about half way through our run in front of County Park Lake which still has a skim of ice across it


Friday 12/20:  Busy day doing some last minute shopping.  Cold walk with husband in the late afternoon on a dreary cloudy day for 2 miles.

Saturday 12/21: Jingle Bell Hell (Part Deux) - I got the weekend dates wrong so I recently tweeted to XLMIC that I would be doing a Part Deux (which she loved) and on the day of her in person (with donuts) run.  But there were no donuts for me.  Nor California sunshine.  Instead, the day dawned with freezing rain and temps hovering right about freezing.  I thought that sounded hellish enough, but my husband suggested some hill repeats for good measure.  I'm not a big fan of those so I thought it was perfect.  He prescribed that I go to the bottom of the steep hill, back up to the top of a cul-de-sac (which is back over my shoulder in the pic below) and then back down to the bottom and repeat 2x.  Turned out that was going to be a little short distance wise so I added a length down to the Wavco driveway on the last leg and then added the short hill that I live on for a solid 3.5 miles!  FB'd about my run for the extra point = 4.5 pts

Why am I smiling for hill repeats in freezing rain?



Maybe it was imaging what people thought of my elf-like socks and my husband's oversized sweatshirt so that I "matched"

Week 5 Total: 30 points!  Now if only I could clean up my eating!  Scale has been a bit all over the place hovering around 165.  It's dipped down a little and jumped up a little, but seems relatively settled which I call good for the holiday season.  Now if I only get extra points for all the wrapping I need to do.

Streaking! HBBC Wk 3, Jingle Bell Hell, Etc.

The streak is alive!  I'm so excited that I have managed to commit to at least some kind of exercise everyday (started Thanksgiving Day).  It is a renewed commitment to getting in a workout that finds me often squeezing something in at the end of the day when I would normally curl up under the flannel sheets and call it a night.  I think my new motto might be "better late in the day than not at all".  Not always good for getting a good night's sleep, but I can usually catch up at some point.

This is helping with the HBBC 2013 points too!  Especially because I can't seem to get my freggie point (curse that point!) and my water is still pretty hit or miss (mostly miss).  So without further ado:

Sunday (12/1): 3.25 mi run to Walmart and back, actually ate veggies/fruit, Facebook'd the group = 5.25 pts

Monday (12/2): 3.5 mi run with Stacy in evening, FB'd - 4.5 pts

Tuesday (12/3): 3.2 mi run with Stacy in evening, FB'd - 4.2 pts

Wednesday (12/4): 6.0 mi on bike trainer while watching Netflix, Salad w/ dinner loaded with veggies, fruit for breakfast (calling it half point), FB'd - 3.5 pts

Thursday (12/5): 10 mi on bike trainer, FB = 4.3 pts

Friday (12/6): 1850 yds in pool in about 45 min, 2 mi walk with husband, FB = 6 pts

Pool was dead on a super cold Friday afternoon.  Lap lanes behind me.

Saturday (12/7): Jingle Bell Hell virtual race with XLMIC for 3.1 miles = 3.1 pts

HBBC Week #3 = 30.85!!

MMNW - 167.2 down a little, but progress slow.

Jingle Bell Hell Race Report:  I bailed on my usual Thursday run with Susan when the day dawned in single digit wind chills.  But I was hoping to get out for a run to the bank on Saturday and thought I'd just try to dress for the cold and make the best of it since there wasn't any snow or ice (which there has been since then).  I waited until the afternoon when it warmed up to all of 23 degrees (*first point of "hell").  I put on my new thermal tights and yoga pants, running shirt and warm cycling jacket, Buff, ear warmer, gloves and socks/shoes.  I needed one more layer on top as I was cold until I got to the bank (where I sweated while waiting on my bank business - ugh! - *2nd point of "hell").  Headed back home only to be faced with a GPS watch stating that I'd only gone 2.9 miles when I reached the street in front of my house (*3rd point of hell).  I "laughed" (requirement) a little and kept on going to the end of our property where my watch buzzed 3 miles and I turned around to come home for the final 0.1.  I tried to take a festive shot of myself with one of the Christmas decorations, but Murphy and his damn law - a shadow from my phone.  Came inside and realized that some comibination of my shirt, sweat, etc had caused me to break out in some kind of hives (final point of hell).  Thankfully it went away pretty quickly.  Oh well - Happy Jingle Bell Hell to all!

 

HBBC 2013 - Weeks 1 & 2 + MMNW

I've had a rough start to the Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge 2013.  The good news was that it caught the tail end of my relatively active Phoenix vacation.  I did some playing around with MapMyRide and managed to get some mileage estimates for a couple of my outings in Tempe and Phoenix.  So the summary of Week 1 (which I finally got the points in the spreadsheet TODAY - doh):

11/17-11/23

Sunday: Hiked 0.2 mi to the Hole in the Rock overlook plus walked 5.3 miles with all the trekking around IMAZ spectating.  We also did a fair amount of walking at the Botanical Gardens, but it was very slow with lots of stopping to looky-loo so I'm not counting it.  Fairly certain the only fruit I had was a slice of lime in my margarita and I'm pretty sure spinach dip doesn't count in the Freggie dept.  Drank lots of water while in the dry air so I'll give myself a point there. = 6.5 points

Monday: Hiked 3.7 miles to top of Sunrise Mountain in Peoria, AZ.  Again a freggie fail.  Three 16 oz waters, so just short of a water point (especially since I also had a margarita and a soda). = 3.7 points



See my water cup?

Tuesday: I don't think I did anything even resembling being on a diet as I stressed to play catchup from being gone for the better part of a week.

Wednesday: Freggie/water fail.  HBBC guilt sent me out the door for 2.9 miles in my neighborhood.  = 2.9 points

Thursday: Walked with husband 2.0 miles = 2.0 points

Friday: Fail again. 

Saturday: Fail. Walked with husband 2.0 miles = 2.0 points

Facebook group points - I'm pretty sure I posted in the group at least once. 

Total Points for Week #1: 18.1

11/24 - 11/30

Sunday: Fail - plus gorged myself at charity breakfast

Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday: Fail

Thursday (Thanksgiving): Thanksgiving Pie Run (aka Turkey Trot) 5K with my sister; freggie fail (I won't count veggies coated in cheese or in rice casseroles; ate enough mashed potatoes that I should have skipped dessert) = 3.2 points (race a little long)

Friday: Spent time with extended family.  Went out to dinner and had a salad, but also a burger.  Not enough freggies as usual.  Walked with my husband - 2.0 miles. = 2 points

Saturday:  Took daughter and niece to pool.  Knocked out 2000 yards with lots of resting - 1 hour plus some play time with the kiddos.  Calling it 4 points (1 pt/15 min of laps).  Drank a bottled water at the pool concession.  Drank coke most of the rest of the day.  Nutrition fail.  = 4 points

Posted in FB group at least once = 1 point

Total points for Week #2: 10.2

12/1 - Sunday: Didn't overindulge in pancakes after mass; drank water most of the day (only one 12 oz coke); ate entire broccoli crown plus half cucumber with dinner plus a banana for finally getting one freggie point; ran 3.25 miles at dusk. FB group post = 6.25 points

Stormwater geeks run to detention basins and back (Walmart's specifically)

12/2 - Monday: Overindulged both breakfast and dinner (though sadly I don't think lettuce and tomato on my burger count much as a freggie point); only a little water and mostly after my 3.5 mile run with Stacy (which felt much better than most of my runs - huh, imagine that!). = 3.5 points

Kind of feeling like trying a "streak" of some kind.  Mostly because the numbers on the scale have slowly been creeping up on me.  MMNW was 168.4.  I had been solidly in the low 160s with even seeing the rare 159 only a few months ago.  I know the nutrition has been a big fail.  So has the soda drinking.  And I haven't been as consistent with working out.  So I think my "streak" will to just do SOMETHING every day.   My husband got my bike all set up on the trainer (even installing my new cadence/speed sensor so I can get a "distance" - belated Happy Birthday to me!).  So that is my new goal for December.  Will probably run tonight since it is supposed to be our last warmish evening for a while.  Fingers crossed I can stick with it!  I'd really like to see the scale move back down during this crazy holiday season!  It's been done in the past (HBBC 2011) so let's just see!

Definitely thankful for Amanda and her HBBC 2013!