June 2009 Yankee Distance Challenge

Holy Hannah! At this rate another new Yankee Stadium is going to be built and Jeter will be long retired. This really is my last month on this challenge. Never in a million years did I expect to take this long to travel such a distance.

The home treadmill will be a huge boost to the numbers I can generate as far as distance and hopefully assist in the dropping of inches.

Distance Remaining - 33.6K

So without further adieu.

June
2 - 3.8 (5/31)
4 - 3.5 walked more than ran..pathetic!
8 - 1.3
9 - 4
10- 5 (bike)
13 - 2.8
22 - 2

My My My Month of May

I just finished a 3.4K run on the treadmill. Oh how I love my treadmill! I know I keep going on and on about it. It feels like when you're the honeymoon phase of a new relationship. All moon-y eyes and sweet thoughts. It won't always be like this I'm sure.

I hit the wall today! That's okay with me though. Not every day is going to be amazing and the best day ever on my quest to a healthier me. I'm just happy right now to be using the treadmill to further my physical fitness, especially in light of my tender ankle.

The number cruncher in my has a couple things to share.

Work out days - 5/31
Distance run - 17.7K

By normal standards they are not good numbers. Again, I'm okay with that. May was the most successful month since January. You know how January is with resolutions and new beginnings. May is my new beginning month.

On that note, I'm off to make myself something for breakfast. I've been up for 2 hours and have yet to eat. Very unlike me, but I wanted to get my work out in first and now, other than baseball tonight, I'm done for the day. I feel very accomplished.

Putting This Puppy To Bed

March Distance - 32.5KM
Distance Remaining - 67.8KM

I'm down to 67.8KM left to go. I've been doing this challenge for a very long time. Much longer than I would have liked. That is typical for me though.

I want to hit the end of this challenge by the end of April. Come hell or high water I will get this done one way or another. 26 days left in the month of April (starting tomorrow) works out to an average of 2.6K every day for the duration. I can do this. That really is only 2+ walks per day with the doogie! I can do this.

4 - 3.1K
5 -
6 -
7 -
8 -
9 -
10 - 3.2K
11 -
12 -
13 -
14 -
15 -
16 -
17 -
18 -
19 -
20 -
21 -
22 - 4.4K - what a pathetic showing this month so far
23 -
24 -
25 - 5.8K felt great
26 -
27 -
28 -
29 -
30 -

March Madness to Yankee Stadium

February Distance - 22.1K
Remaining Distance - 100.3K

The month of April is the month that this damn personal challenge is put to bed!
7 - 2.36
8 - 1.4
10 - 1.1
12 - 1.1
15 - 1.1
16 - 1.3
17 - 1.1
18 - 1.1
21 - 6 (walked the dog and hit the treadmill at the gym)
22 - 1.1
23 - 5.4
26 - 5.8
28 - 3.7 (32.5)

January 2009 Yankee Stadium Distance Challenge

December Distance - 13.8KM
Distance Remaining - 164.19KM

I thought November was a bad month. I was stellar compared to December. I should be ashamed of myself.

This being a new month, a new year I'll do better.

January 2009
1 - 5.76
2 - .76
3 - .76
4 - .76
5 - 4.75
6 - 4.25
7 -
8 - 9.23
9 - 4.89
10 - .76
11 - .76
12 - 2 (34.68)
13 - 3.06
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31 - 1.01

November Yankee Stadium Distance Challenge

October's Distance - 42.55KM
Distance Remaining - 207.57

November
1 - 1.52
2 - .76
3 - 2.46
4 - .76
5 - 1.52
6 - 1.52
7 - .1.52 (10.06)
8 - 1.52
9 - .76
10 - 1.52 (12.86)
11 - 1.52
12 - .76
13 - .76
14 - 1.52
15 - .76
16 - 2.28
17 - 1.52
18 - .76
19 - .76
20 - .76 (24.26)
21 - .76
22 -
23 -
24 - .76
25 - .76
26 -
27 - .76
28 - .76
29 - .76
30 - .76

October Yankee Stadium Distance Challenge

Since Daisy still needs to be walked, I will continue on with my quest even though I missed the personal goal I had wanted to hit as far as dates go. The date would be the last game at Yankee Stadium (don't want to talk about it). Here's to another month of happy feet!

Distance To Go - 250.12K

1 - .76
2 - .1.52
3 - .1.52
4 - .76
5 - 5.76
6 - 15.3
7
8
9
10 - .76
11 -1.60
12
13 - 5.52
14
15
16
17 - .76
18 - 1.56
19 - 2.28
20 - .76
21 - .76
22
23
24 - .76
25
26
27
28 - .76
29 - .76
30 - .76
31 - .76 (42.55)

August Distance Challenge - Yankee Stadium

July's Distance - 32KM
Distance To Go - 292.7K

August
1- 1.1K - walked the block at work

I'm hoping for a more physical driven month than previous months. I'm going work towards a goal of 45KM this month.

June Yankee Distance Challenge

May Distance 53.2KM
June's Goal - 60-70KM
Distance To Go - 357.4KM

4 - 6K (hills 3) - awesome
8 - 10K - longest run to date all 10:1's
16 - 6K - burning calves, but my own fault since it's been a week since I've run!
21 - 10.7K - 1h 15m 34s - all mental. This was probably my most difficult run to date. Thank God for K-Pow or I would have quit somewhere near the first step.

The thing I'm most stoked about in regards to my May total is that is all running. I didn't bike at all. I will sometimes bike (at the gym) to increase my distance numbers. Not this month. Since I'm trying to prepare for the 10K race in July I figured I would be best served to focus on the running and only running.

I didn't run near as much as I could have or should have this past month. I'm a little disappointed about that, to be honest. I was dealing with the mother of all blisters, not an excuse but more a nasty reality. I think I'm finally over that little problem. My work schedule was really bad a couple days with really quick flips from shift to shift, factoring in ball games and now my working full time. The lazy days of part time work are now behind for a bit, if not forever.

I'm not losing weight with this running thing which upsets me greatly. I do see an incredible difference in my ability to push through a run as opposed to how I was when I first started. It is so much a mental game, this running. I love it! I feel incredible and inspired to be running, knowing that I've always envied those that were able to run and now I can too. I'm not great by any means, but I do try. I can wimp out at times and be a brat... still dreading those damn hills!

I have to seriously increase my distances this month (scary and scared). It is imperative that I run more 8K's and get in my first 10 and 13K. Holy yikes, even typing the numbers freaks me out. I will figure it out and of course, let you know how it goes.

Happy running to those of you that do and all others, you don't know what you're missing! ;)

April Yankee Stadium Distance Challenge

March

Distance Remaining - 485.2KM

April
1 - 3.9KM running intervals; 4.3KM biking
4 - 3.2KM running intervals
5 - 3.8KM running intervals; 2.7KM biking
*7- 1.5KM running intervals; 5.2KM biking
8 - 2.8KM running intervals; 2.8KM eliptical; 5.7KM biking
11 - 1.6KM running; 5.8KM biking
14 - 2.7K running 3/1's on the street - OMG it was awesome, but killer. Starting over is hard as hell! 4.6K walk with KP
15 - 3.4K running on the street
20 - 9.1 K walk with KP
29 - 6K run/walk (9 days off. Healed the sick stomach and killer blister) I feel ready to make it back to the street consistently.
30 - 5.5K run/walk

* I was running really well, when a lady came up to me because she forgot her watch on the machine. I paused the machine, but in getting her watch, hit the automatic stop button. I couldn't get back in to the swing of it. I'm such a fligthy at times. Oh well, I was doing great and I can do it again!

I'm setting some personal distance goals for myself this month. It has been ages since I've set out some goals for what I want to do as far as my fitness. It used to be a driving force in my life and to see it fall so low on the priority list is heartbreaking. All I really think about is the failed commitment to myself when I let my health and physical well being be put on the back burner. If I don't look after myself, no one else is going to do it for me, nor should they.

Goals
Running/Walking - 50KM
Biking - 85KM

I know I can probably hit higher numbers, but I'm trying to take the approach that this is the very first time for me to do this. When I first started running, something I never thought I would like, let known, come to love, I did it by running, what I now know to be called intervals. I would walk for 2 minutes and run at a very low pace for 2 minutes, and then walk for 1 minute and then run for 2 minutes. I built on those numbers so that I was running 45 minutes with a 2 minute warm up and a 3-5 minute cool down. I want that again. When I originally did this, it was this time of year, getting ready for my baseball season. Now is as good a time as any to get on the road to a healthier me! I owe it to myself! Am I convincing anyone, or just really trying to convince myself? No matter. As long as I do it.

April Totals - 74.6KM (410.6)

March Distance Challenge

March
26 - 4.2 KM

Distance to go: 485.2

I made it to the gym today for the first time in what seems like forever. I ran/walked, but mostly ran on the treadmill. I did a mini circuit of weights.

I mostly wanted to test my ailing shoulder with the mini circuit. It killed before, during and still now. I'm clueless as to what could be the problem. I know about 4 years ago, in another lifetime I hurt while working out, but wasn't able to get the rest needed to heal it. I'm not sure if it's a lingering injury from then or something else. I was pulling carpet nails about 2 weeks ago, that may have stirred up some trouble. I would think if that were the case the pain would be long gone by now. I have a very poorly designed work station and poor posture when working on account of the poor design and I wonder if that might be the issue. Popping Advil and a heating pad does little to relieve the pain. Oh well! It's a long way from my heart. I know there are some of you that will tell me to see my doctor, but since my last visit and his lackadaisical approach to my concerns I've lost faith in him. I'll live with this, whatever it may be and just deal with the pain when it gets me!

I have to tell you I do a lot of internalizing. No seriously, I do. I'm probably the most anal person I've ever encountered. I push myself to the highest strictest limits. I set the bar so high for myself it's a wonder I'm not certifiable. Maybe I am and no one has the heart to tell me. I want to be this, I want to be that. I'm happy with who I am as a person, but I want my body to look a certain way and when it doesn't I get so frustrated with my lack of commitment to the gym. There was a time when I worked and I worked out. That was pretty much the extent of my days. They were good days and they were hell days. I want the body I had at that time, but I'm loathe to commit to that mentality. Am I able to find one without the other? I'm sure of the answer, but somewhere someday I'm going to find the answer to that. I think when I do, I will find a sense of peace and contentment I've been seeking.

Most of these thoughts come from one simple run on the treadmill this morning. I was running and feeling incredible while doing so. Don't get me wrong my head was still racing with things that I felt I should be doing at home, but I pushed those thoughts away and focused on my breathing and the sweat I could feel on the back of my neck. I love sweating when I'm at the gym (only at the gym). For the briefest of moments I felt like I could do this, I could find the drive and desire. Scratch that I have the desire, I don't have the drive right now. I'm working on it though.

I walked away from the gym today feeling incredible! What a gift I just gave to myself. No one but me could have done that! I have to remember that as I struggle and strive to achieve this goal. I think I just changed some of my perspective from fitting in to those jeans to wanting to be healthier and toned again!

Thanks for hanging in here with me!

Gym Girl Rises To The Occasion

Stop the presses! Stop the presses! I made it to the gym today and the alarm didn't even go off. It didn't go off because I'm back in my bad sleep pattern. I was laying awake at 3:30ish and finally gave up at 4am and started puttering around the house. I had one load of laundry finished before leaving the house. How pathetic is that?

It was good to get to the gym although my triceps are killing me! I didn't take much distance off my totals to Yankee Stadium. I'm happy though because I broke in to the 400's, so as much as the numbers are small all together they are adding up.

February Total - pitiful, I know
Feb 27 - 2.7 KM
Total KM's to go: 489.4

That's all for now. I'll be back later with updates about my house and my stitching.

Talk later