Yeaaaaaah baby yea!! Soccer season is back! And it couldn't have come soon enough. I'm so bored/stressed/consumed with studying that being able to get away from the books just to run around on a turf field for an hour is like a vacation for me!
I actually had to scale back on soccer this spring (believe me I'm not happy about this), I couldn't play with my women's league because their games were scheduled during the hours I'm sitting in bio lab, so I'm only playing with my co-ed league this season.
We had our first game this past Sunday, and for some reason winter decided to pay us a visit. I know it's only early march and it should still be cold out, but it was a low of 26 that night and right now, 3 days later, it's 70 degrees out *scratches head*. We've had a really mild winter here and the weather keeps flip flopping lately. So I had all my cold weather gear on, hat, gloves, smart wool socks, running tights and a few layers of long sleeves. (I found these super awesome light Marmot shirts at REI on clearance, they're wicking and great for a base layer, so worth the $12 I paid for them :)).
We ended up tying 1-1, the other team scored a nice shot that hit the side post and bounced in in the last minute of the game. I'll give them credit where credit is due, it was a close match. We played really well I think considering it was our first game and most of us hadn't played together before. More importantly I had an awesome time, made some good passes and didn't make a fool of myself. I left the field kind of with an "I really needed that" feeling. I really missed playing. Taking all winter off was not fun.
Of course several days later I'm still feeling the effects of the game...not in a good way though lol. My hamstrings were killing me for two days after the game. I had an epsom salt soak Tuesday after bootcamp, but I think acupuncture really help clear that up. Of course now my right hip is not feeling so hot, it started bothering me during today's leg work out. I made sure to do an extra long stretch. I go through this every start of the season after taking some time off. No matter how much I condition and sprint, it's so not the same as actually being out on the field during a game!
So the moral of this post is stretch stretch stretch! Soak and rest...and also make sure you keep doing things you love as your work outs, it makes it so much more fun. :)
Ok, so theres been a lot of soccer news goin' on so here's my mini soccer news section:
The Lionel Messi Show stomped all over Bayer Leverkusen. Messi scored 5 Goals during a Champions league match, the first player to ever score that many goals in a champions league game! No one is better than him right now, no one is even close!
Ok, to me this is the most important news of all...
Arne Freidrich signs to Chicago Fire!!! No I'm not a Chicago Fire fan...but this latest signing is testing my allegiances. Who is Arne Freidrich you ask? If you follow the German National Team you know... if you've followed any of my past soccer posts you might know as well. He's a defender, which I dig because that's my position usually, but I've had this liiiiittle crush on him for oh... since the 2006 world cup, and he's now playing on American soil!! Guess who's going to the next DC United v. Chicago Fire match... this chick. (See MLS...take a lesson from kickette, this is how you sell tickets!)
Seriously... look at the man...
how can you not?!...just.
No words right now.
Crushes aside this is good news for MLS. The league needs more signings like this. We need to attract more talent over here to make the games more exciting. He was a big name on the German National Team (82 caps and a goal scored during the world cup--if you're thinking so what one goal? Just remember he's a defender, we defenders rarely get the opportunity to score.) he played in 2 euro cups and 2 world cups, it's an impressive international career. My only wish is that he signed with DC. I'm sad that I never hear of DC getting any big international signings. Is the club broke? Their stadium situation is a mess, there's even been rumors of moving the team (which I'm ok with because the rumor was a move up to Baltimore and that's my home town)....but what's going on DC?
And now for some funny shit... Shit Soccer Girls Say from @soccergrlprobs
Yeah, I would so be the chick crying over a broken head band I can NOT work out with out my headbands! and the "T-shirt tiiime" was definitely me too, until I decided to clean out the drawers and donate to good will, now I only have a few colors that I really like (Black x2, red, purple, white, grey, navy...oh I guess I really didn't clean them out)
Holy crap! It's 2012! How did that happen so quickly?? I hope this is going to be a big year for me. I made it through my first class last semester so I feel confident going forward. (coming up next semester is biology) Anyway, I actually really like math now! It's a lot of fun. I got an A in the class and a perfect 150 out of 150 on my final exam haha. (Yes, I studied a LOT). Functions, log function, ln functions, the quadratic formula, i, e, radical equations, and graph transformations were my BEST friends. The funny thing about me is I couldn't do basic math with out a calculator (don't ask me to add with out one because I will use my fingers!), but when I look at an equation (and if you study them enough) you start to see patterns of how to "attack" and solve. You learn the rules, where to move the numbers to make everything work...and it all just sort of clicks into place. At least it did for me. I miss math, I kinda want to have a puzzler book of math problems, like some people have sudoku books, I want a book of algebra problems. Call me crazy but I really liked that class.
The biggest lesson I've learned though is that attitude makes a BIG difference. Ten years ago you couldn't pay me to take a college level math class. Now I want a puzzler book of problems to do in my spare time! And this relates to all aspects of life, a positive attitude will take you places...like losing weight or crossing the finish line of a race...or getting an A in a subject you hadn't studied in over ten years. Being negative never got me anywhere in the past. So my motto for 2012 is keep my chin up, and keep a smile on my face and good things will come!
So with all that being said I will do one of my "Current Status" posts since I haven't done one of those in a while.
Current Mood: Optimistic
Current Weight: Not really worried about it. I'm on a mini vacation visiting my friend Ashley, the shoewhore. When I get back THEN it will be time to buckle down. In the mean time I'm still exercising and eating healthy most of the time. Spent 2 hours at the gym yesterday, plan on going climbing today, and trying out boxing for the first time.
Currently Thinking about:The fact that I'm turning 30 this year, and the fact that this year will be THE year I finally get myself on a maintenance diet. Once I get home it's really time to push myself, I am giving up sugar for two months (that includes all sweets, refined carbs, dairy and yes alcohol....so long delicious wine.) I am also thinking of really challenging myself in the exercise department as well by trying two a days for a week off and on. ALSO a little spark has entered my head...I was thinking about maybe trying to run my first full marathon. I'm still trying to wrap my head around how to go about the whole training thing. I've successfully completed two half-marathons, although not at fast as I would have liked to...so maybe I should shoot for a full? I'll have to ask my knees first and get back to you on that one haha.
Currently NOT Thinking about:The fact that I'm turning 30 this year. I used to have such a negative attitude toward turning 30 because when I was in my mid-20s I had always hoped that by the time I turn 30 I'd have a real career not just a "job", I'd have my own house and I'd be in a good relationship. And although I have neither of those... yet being the key word, I am still remaining positive because going into my 30th year I am healthier, happier and I am more motivated and determined to make things happen than I was when I was younger. The rest will come with time and effort.
Currently looking online at: uefa.com. Yup the soccer addiction is still alive and well. This year is the euro cup! My German boys will be on television again... winning I hope ;). I wonder if Spain still has what it takes to stay the top team?! Will the germans (2nd euro 2008, 3rd worldcup 2010, and 2006) rise to the top again!?? Or will there be a new star on the euro stage?? I am eagerly waiting for this to start. I need a fix of good international soccer!
They beat the Dutch (who were #2 in the 2010 world cup) just recently...
really looking forward to this tournament.
Currently looking forward to: Besides above...Losing the last of the fat on my body and going on a maintenance diet. It will happen this year. I'm going to make it happen!
Currently listening to: M83's latest album. Haven't listened to these guys in ages. Midnight City is a pretty good track.
Currently Realized: Holy Crap it's 2012!!! And it's going to be my year!
So that's what's going on with me... please share any goals you want to reach in 2012 below!!
I know I haven't written in a while, and I'm not trying to be a downer on this blog, but sometime I have to rant!! Just to preface, I'm just dandy lately and I will write more on that in another post...but there's been some stuff that I keep reading about weight and body image on the internet that infuriates me so MUCH I had to blog about it.
I have a bit of a celebrity gossip addiction. I read a few celebrity gossip blogs and one of my favorites is Cele|bitchy. So in the past week alone there's been a lot of stuff that I've read of celebrities talking about their bodies and it pissed me off enough that I wanted to write this post. I know I know, I shouldn't care about what these people are saying because "celebrity" is a strange bizarre world completely disconnected from the rest of the world, BUT they are putting it out there to the public and what they say is downright harmful...and misleading to many many women who struggle with their weight and their body image!
WHO ARE YOU TRYING TO KID??
Kristie Alley... I have nothing against her, and I'm very happy for the weight loss she did achieve on dancing with the stars...but what the HELL are these claims that she's making that she's a size 4 now?!? If that's what a size 4 looks like at 5'8", then based on my real size in her world I'm a size 20 at 5'9" (I'm a size 10-12 depending on the cut of the pants). She claims that she went from a size 8, and after losing 100lbs, she went to a size 4. WHAT? When I lost 100lbs I went from a size 22 to a size 10-12. Who is she trying to fool besides herself?
Here's my advice to her/her publicist, STOP WITH THE DELUSIONS!! Be proud of the weight, you DID lose it's a great thing, you're 60 years old and your skin looks damn good... but please...please stop being dishonest about how much weight you actually did lose and your "size 4" pant size. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say she's a 12 and she's carrying her weight around her middle and her hips just like I do, hence the the smaller upper body.
Moving on...
SHE WANTS TO EAT MY BRAAAAIINNNS....
I had never heard of this woman before, but she's the heiress of the Guinness fortune and she's some sort of "fashionista" Looking at her here I'd say she's pushing 75+....she's only 43. That's scary. What's more frightening is the things that come out of her mouth...
In a recent interview with New Yorker Magazine style icon and international heiress Daphne Guinness, whose couture is currently on display at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, has revealed her stay skinny mantra – and it is sure to shock eating disorder groups. “I’ll eat when I’m dead!” the startling thin and pale-faced fashionista exclaimed when offered lunch during her photo shoot with the magazine.
According to the publication, the 43-year-old Brit, who is the daughter of brewing heir Jonathan Guinness and the ex-wife of Spyros Niarchos, keeps her stick-thin figure through a diet of Red Bull and Ensure shakes.
She defended her diet by simply stating, “If I eat, I can’t work.”
A few years ago, Kate Moss created controversy when she coined the phrase “nothing tastes as good as skinny feels.”
Jesus... I'm not even going to pretend to understand whats going on inside the head of someone with an eating disorder, but I do understand what it feels like to have no control over what you eat and to want to have that control. I was having a discussion the other day with a co-worker about the very FINE line that dieters sometimes straddle between eating healthy, eating the right amount of food vs. not eating enough because you keep cutting back little by little. I can see how women fall down that rabbit hole. After struggling with my weight my entire life I understand the mentality of someone who thinks I can't I can't I can't when it comes to certain types of food. I have that struggle myself daily sometimes, and sometimes I even feel a resentment towards junk food laying around the office and towards people who eat what ever they want all the time. Because I can't eat what I want all the time and that's just part of my life and my metabolism. I know by now how my body treats excess sugar and junk, it turns it straight to fat that takes a heck of a lot longer to burn off than to gain. I need to reach that point in my life where I stop thinking how unfair it is to have to be diligent about the way I eat. My struggle may be for a while finding my happy place with food. My goal is to get to a place where I'm ok being around bad food and snacking every once in a while with out feeling guilt! Anyway, that being said although I do have my hangups with food, I'm in no way heading towards having an eating disorder like surviving off of ensure and redbull. I feel bad for people who deny themselves the food that is good for them, I understand giving up snacks and junk food, but all solids?? It's sad and these people need help. It really is sad that she thinks that she has to live her life this way, and that some women think that this is how you might have to eat to get "skinny".
JUDGEY GOOP...
Goopy tries to be this I'm every woman type on her website...you know by blogging about stuff most women can't really afford and sharing her experiences that most women will never experience (again the celebrity disconnect)...like presenting at the emmy's and walking the red carpet...or winning an Oscar and hanging out with Beyonce and Jay-z...or having a guest appearance on a hit TV show and singing at the grammys...why does she try so hard? She already had most people's admiration with her acting and beautiful looks and figure... now she's everywhere and it's annoying. But she really did prove she's just like every woman out there...no not by blogging about how she's better than you, but because she's insecure about her appearance just like 99.9% of us. Oh, Goopy, here I was thinking you were so far above... well, everything for that matter.. Here's what Goop had to say:
I live for Tina Fey and I love Kenneth from 30 Rock! Wait ... why does my arm look like that and since when do I have 9 chins?
Ok. So I'm looking the picture over closely.... Dear god in heaven....does this mean Goopy is human and has flesh that moves and flattens in certain angles like the rest of us? She's not a robot slowly taking over the our movie theaters, tv's, kitchens and mark my words radio and broadway will be next! NO ONE is safe from the Goop... But she is right about one thing... Tina Fey. Now she's someone to admire all around.
On to the next thing that pisses me off...
ONCE AGAIN I HAVE BEEF WITH THE BIGGEST LOSER...
I get asked pretty often if I watch the biggest loser, I don't, but I previously I wrote my mixed feelings on the show after seeing one episode. Well one of my co-workers mentioned they were having a new season so I thought maybe I'd give it a chance and check it out again now that I'm moving to the "other side" (ie losing the last few and maintaining) of this weigh loss journey. I watched the first episode of the new season Battle of the Ages... and once again. I have issues with this show.
They take people completely away from their home life which could be the root of 90% of their problems with poor diet and lack of exercise.
They exercise exercise exercise all day long. realistically how many of us can dedicate more than an hour at the gym?
They never show the participants refueling with protein or banana's or some kind of healthy snack even though they spend hours working out and burning hundreds of calories.
In fact...they didn't show them eating AT ALL in the first episode.
People loose ridiculous amounts of weight in a short period of time so it leads me to wonder what their diet is and how is that diet maintainable for the long term.
If someone loses the least amount of weight they aren't rewarded for the hard work it took to even lose the amount they were able to lose, they are instead punished and possibly booted off the show.
I will give the biggest loser credit for showing that it DOES take hard work and dedication to lose weight, but so far it's a lot of smoke and mirrors and it completely glosses over the fact that realistically 2lbs of weight loss a week is healthy. I'm going to stick around and try to give the show a chance to redeem itself, but for now my opinion remains firm that just like Kristie Alley, the Biggest Loser is spewing out a lot of myths and misinformation about weight loss.
I don't think people realize how damaging the media is to someone struggling to lose weight. Magazines are airbrushed, XXS is the new Small, celebrities are botoxed, nipped and tucked on camera projecting a image of what an "ideal figure" or an "ideal face" should look like. Everywhere you turn there's a new fad diet a new fad work out...there's SO much misinformation out there its hard to process fact from fiction. Fact: Eat vegetables, eat whole grains, eat lean proteins, eat occasionally some nuts...eat the diet that the human body was meant to live off of before cheetos and twinkies and coca-cola and McDonald's was invented. Fact: watch your portions. Fact: Exercise at least three times a week, even a long walk is enough if you're watching your diet. That's that trick to being healthy and the pounds will come off in the process. BTW... you know what tastes better than skinny feels. Chocolate. Just saying. It won't kill you every once in a while.
Just so this entry doesn't end on a completely negative note, I'm going to write about a few people I admire for their recent comments on tv about their weight and body image.
I loved this woman's story. Her sense of humor is awesome and she really does prove that confidence makes you a beautiful person no matter what your size. I just want to give her a fist bump and say I wish I had as much balls as she does!!
Also, I want to give much love to Hope Solo. Hope Solo and Abby Wambach were on Letterman after the world cup final this summer and Hope was talking about her shoulder injury around the 5:30 min mark in the video:
She mentioned her weight on the air and then she said "Yes, as a woman I just gave all of you guys my weight!" I was stoked when she said that on national television and then pretty much said yea I weigh 150 what of it!? And she said "I'm proud of it" !! I LOVED HEARING THAT. I dare anyone to say she looks bad. She just proves that weight is just a number on the scale, it is not a reflection of our physical appearance. Plus, she's my height!! 150lbs is totally an obtainable and realistic weight for me but I also have to remember she's a professional athlete and I'm just a pretend one on the weekends ;).
This is actually what the Fitness Dweeb command center looks like...
I just wanted to share this little exercise I do with you all. The nutritionist I've been seeing for the past two months told me about it. He's an old school body builder and knows how to shred the fat. I've not seen much of a drop in scale weight since I started following his meal plans, BUT that doesn't mean I haven't dropped any body fat. According to his caliper measurements I've dropped a ton of fat and built up a ton of muscle at the same time. When I went to him two weeks ago I was only seeing a 1lb drop on the scale, well it turned out that I lost 10.5lbs of body fat, but gained 9.5lb of muscles, so there would be my one pound scale difference. See, it's not always about the scale.
Anyway, he introduced me to a new exercise that is guaranteed to make you sweat your butt off and shred body fat. It's not a cardiovascular exercise. The point of this exercise is not to get your heart rate up, but to make you work your muscles hard over a long period of time at a slower pace and lower impact. This is an exercise that should put you in "fat burning zone". I've been curious what exactly "fat burning zone" meant so I had to search it:
The fat-burning zone. Yes, it exists, but it has been misinterpreted. The fat-burning zone is a concept that the body burns a greater amount of fat at lower-intensity aerobic exercise than it does at higher intensities. Actually, the body burns a greater percentage of fat at lower intensities than at higher intensities. At lower intensities the body may burn 50 percent of the calories from fat, while at higher intensities it may only burn 35 percent. But at higher intensities you burn way more total calories—and more fat calories overall—than you do at lower intensities.(from active.com) (Further reading: another article on Fat Burning Zone in USNews)
So basically it's a long slow burn, and you're targeting the fat calories more effectively than doing high intensity training (which is basically anything like kick boxing, bootcamp work outs, sprint intervals etc.), but you also have to do these exercises for a longer period of time...so seems to me it's a toss up as to what type of exercise is absolutely 100% efficient. I do this exercise in ADDITION to my bootcamp work outs, running, and soccer, so while I may shred fat with this activity the other exercises I do help me tone muscle.
I like this treadmill work out because it really is a great sweat...I'm sweating out the toxins as they say :) and it's an exercise anyone can try. You don't need to be fast or strong or coordinated, you just need to be willing to put in the effort and the time!
Anyway, here's the exercise:
TREADMILL "BACKPACKING"
All you need is a backpack, access to a treadmill and some free weights.
Try this out with out the backpack first...
Set the treadmill at the highest incline which is 15.
Don't let your speed go over 2.5, try to stay between 2.3-2.5
If walking uphill at 2.5 is too easy, add weights to a backpack and walk on the treadmill with the backpack. Try starting out at 10lbs, increase to 15 or 20lbs if necessary (I use 15lbs).
Walk "uphill" for a minimum of 45 minutes, 3x a week.
DO NOT HOLD ON TO THE TREADMILL, that is cheating and you are not using your muscles to get yourself up that "hill".
Your heart rate should not spike or get high for a long period of time as if you were running or sprinting, but you WILL sweat so so much! This activity is supposed to feel like walking up a mountain. I promise you that's what it will feel like. You will be tired and worn out. Make sure you have a water bottle with you to stay hydrated....also it can get kinda boring on a treadmill for 45minutes so have some good music handy or grab the one in front of the tv and catch up on the news.
Also, make sure you have a good backpack. I actually didn't own one since I'd been out of school for so long, but I went out and bought a bag that I think will be pretty versatile for me. I can use it for school, hiking, travel and these exercises :)
I bought this Kelty bag...because it was extremely comfortable, it has a waist belt to keep the weight off my shoulders (if you have a bad shoulder like me this is a BIG plus...probably a MUST have for your next backpack purchase), and the shoulder straps are contoured and very comfortable. The back of the pack has an aluminum "spine" for even more stability.
I asked my resident backpacking/hiking/all things outdoors expert (my cousin's hubby...we'll call him Bearded Vegan) if this was a good bag and he said that Kelty bags were good middle of the road packs, and he also recommended that I use sand bags instead of free weights because they won't wear out the fabric as easily and it will extend the life of the bag...Really good advice!! Plus I have a lifetime warranty which I didn't know because clearly I don't read tags. So thanks Bearded Vegan! I'm happy with my purchase :).
Ok, so now that we've gotten the technical part of this post out of the way...I just wanted to share an email from my cousin (she's the one who married Bearded Vegan ...we don't hold that against her), anyway, I told her I hadn't given up on the blog...and this is her response... she knows me TOO well:
"Imagine how excited you would get if the characters from true blood made a guest appearance on Game of Thrones and played a soccer match with their characters. That is how excited I am that you are blogging again."
!!!!!!!!
Like I said she knows me TOO WELL. AND did you actually picture what that soccer match would be like between these characters?? If you're anything like me of course you did! But what advantage would Game of Thrones characters have over the super naturals of True Blood. If true blood had a mixed bag of players, no more than two vamps on the field at one time, none could be keeper.. .and also no shape-shifting allowed on the field..hrm, well I'm thinking the only way Game of Thrones characters could have an advantage is if they wore silver pinnies to stop the vamps.
Welcome to my brain!
It's a strange place to be.
Anyway, this post needs more soccer so I'm stealing this video off of Kickette because it's awesome... and this is how the game of golf should be played... Here's Diego Forlan, Uruguayan national player, kicking ass on the links.
p.s. Even if I played this way I'd still be shooting like 5 or 6 over par every hole. MULLIGAN!
p.s.s. Half marathon training is chugging right along. I'm improving my time a lot this year. I finished 8 miles in 1hr23mins on Saturday before that "little storm" called Irene hit our area.
I know, I dropped off the face of the earth again. I had to do some thinking about whether or not to continue this blog. Long story short...I've decided to carry on, but the theme will no longer be the same. I'll keep all the old content. It's still going to be about fitness, exercising and nutrition but I'm not going to go off on starry eyed rants about twilight and Robert Pattinson because well... confession: I'm over it.
However, some things never change...I'm still a dork I just won't be focused on forcing myself to make this blog about one particular subject, because to be honest it made it really hard to write a post and tie it in to something I wasn't particularly interested in any more.
Anyway, I have other nerdy obsessions... first up... have you been watching the new season of true blood?? I haven't caught up to the most recent episode yet, but I'm really liking season 4 a lot more than 3.
I don't know whats going on with Eric right now, but I love how he acts like a little kid.
Also... HAVE YOU SEEN GAME OF THRONES!???!?!?! Yes, I'm yelling that. Have you seen it??! OMG! I'm a total fan girl! Say hello to my new eye candy...
Jon Snow!
Robb Stark!!
And I can't even talk about poor Boromir I mean Ned...I just can't talk about it.
It's going to take me some time. Maybe by the end of season 2 I might be ready, but season 2 is so far off at this point!!! Seriously, you will watch this show and at the end of every episode shake your fist in the air and say 'damn you Game of Thrones!!' because it's just that addicting.
So I'm sure you're probably thinking well... with all this TV watching you've been doing I hope you haven't fallen off the badwagon. Not to worry my friends. HBO GO makes it very convenient for me to watch tv when I actually have the time to watch. Take note cable companies...this needs to be your option now: Online only content available on demand. Aside from the fact that I don't own a TV... I can't follow a schedule, I've never been able to glue myself to the tv at a set time, but now I don't have to. I can stay up til 2am on a Saturday night watching episode after episode of Game of Thrones on my lap top (I mean that's what normal people do on their Saturday nights, right?)
What ever don't judge me!!!
I think I might be moving on to Boardwalk Empire next.
Anyway, aside from my latest fantasy TV obsessions here's whats been going on the past few months...
Remember how I said I wanted to reach that 100lb weight loss goal last fall but then I blew it?? Well I did that back in April, then I went on vacation to Charleston, SC and ran a 10k. The Cooper River Bridge Run is so much fun :)
Oh and then later that month I ran a 3 mile obstacle/mud race...
MUUUUUDDD!!!
It was a blast!! And such a tough leg work out! Running in sinking, sticky mud and muddy water for three miles (plus obstacles) is not easy!
Then in May, I decided to lead a Couch to 5k Group. After almost two full months of training runs the group completely their First 5k!! I was a very proud running momma.
In June, we started a 6 week weight loss challenge at my bootcamp. I had my ups and downs but in the end I lost 5 more lbs. So my total loss is now at 106lbs and I'm still working at it. Also in June, I got my braces off...so I no longer resemble a teenager...but I still haven't been asked to prom!
So now we're into July. I'm still working on my weight loss, but I've also decided to try and go back to school in the fall. I wavered for a long time, mostly because I wasn't sure if I personally had what it takes to be a good example of weight loss to others, but I want to become a Registered Dietitian. I'm starting out small taking baby steps towards the degree since I've been out of school for so long and math and science were never my strong suits. I have to take a college algebra class towards the degree, so I'm also studying review chapters a couple nights a week and going to a tutor to reteach myself a subject I hadn't studied in 11+ years. Yikes.
Actually, I think this mug is kind of awesome!
And, last but not least... I haven't left my true love out of my life either. Did you watch the women's world cup?! Please tell me you did?? Please tell me you supported these amazing athletes!? Watching women's soccer reminds me of why I love the game so much. The skill, the athleticism, and the sportsmanship that the men sometimes forget to display are just...I have no words. It's an inspiration to so many. In 1999 it was a huge inspiration to me. The performance by our US women this year just confirms everything there is to love about this sport. They are my idols.
I can't really talk about the results in the final...it's too upsetting, it's still too soon for me. Maybe one day. I will say congratulations to Japan though. And if I've taken anything from the game or the sport in general it's this. Dreams can be made or crushed on that field, but at long as you're in the game you have the opportunity to make them. Case in point, I played two games back to back yesterday. We're having perhaps the biggest heat wave of the summer right now with heat indexes over 100 degrees plus humidity of 52%. It's brutal, it's the worst weather to play in. To make matters worse we played a man down and had no subs, we were down on the score board, but at half time we said you know, what do we have to lose, lets play the best damn game we can. And we did. We lost but we walked away proud of our passing and our team work and all the effort we put in to the games. It's a great feeling.
If you follow this blog you may have noticed that I took a bit of a hiatus...I actually took the blog down for a while with every intention of deleting it, but I sat on that idea for a couple months first. My last post was made on Oct. 16th. The day I ran my first half marathon. Two days later on Oct. 18th my grandfather passed away.
On Oct 15th my Dad had said to me that I needed to visit, that my Poppop had taken a turn for the worst and he might not be with us much longer. I had known he was sick earlier in the week but I didn't think it was that bad. He had been to the hospital a time or two in the previous years but, like he always was, my Poppop seemed to come out strong and chug along stoically as always with a Manhattan in one hand and occasionally a cigar in the other. I left work early to visit him that Friday and my Dad was right. I wasn't prepared to see my lovable Poppop struggling for breath, unable to open his eyes, eat food or even sit up. He still held our hands though and he still wanted my Mommom, his wife of 63 years, by his side. He knew when she wasn't there and that made him restless.
When I ran the marathon and the pain in my legs was at its worst I thought of my Poppop. He made me keep going. My Aunt had told me that he was a fighter. He always had been. Poppop fought in every major campaign in Europe during World War II: D-Day, the Battle of the Bulge and Rhineland. He never spoke much about the war but the few stories we did hear made me realize how lucky he was to be alive, how lucky my entire family was to even be here to share these stories. So when I was running I thought of Poppop and how he would never quit so I should never quit either.
Quite a handsome young man in his uniform too wouldn't you agree :)
Two days later my Poppop passed away. I had never lost anyone close to me before. It was a blessing he no longer suffered but it was also the most heart breaking time for me and my entire family.
Right before I ran I was pushing to reach a weight loss goal. I was only 2-3 lbs away from 100lbs of total loss. After my Poppop passed I took a week off from working out to be with my family. I was surrounded by desserts and hearty meals for an entire week. And I ate blindly with out even thinking. I seemed to have no control over the desserts. I just wanted sweets.
When I returned to bootcamp the following week I got on the scale and I had gained 10lbs. TEN POUNDS!!! I was crushed. On top of everything that had happened this was just one more stress ball to add to it. I freaked out. I had never gained so much weight so quickly. I felt like a failure. I felt like I failed everyone including my readers of this blog and worse I felt like because I let this happen during my Poppop's passing that his death was some how an excuse to let myself go a little and that made me feel terrible.
I hid the blog from public view. I contemplated deleting it because I was a failure. I was not someone setting a good example for a healthy life style. How could I write about getting up and exercising and eating properly when I failed so miserably at it. I just wasn't in a good place and I needed time to think and get myself back on track. Because I told myself remember Poppop wouldn't give up!
I've been working out just as hard as always since I took that week off, I still went to bootcamp I still went on runs even in the freezing cold too, I still played soccer I managed to lose a little through the holidays which I'm happy about, but I just couldn't bring myself to come back to the blog and share it. Because after all I still screwed up so bad. My friends told me I was being too hard on myself when I stressed about my weight gain and I realize now I probably was. Hindsight is always 20/20 they say. I set a new goal to push through those final pounds to reach 100lbs of loss, and I've been working toward it. I have a deadline and I'll see where I stand tomorrow when I hop on the scale again at boot camp.
I also learned a valuable lesson about how I deal with grief through all this. I've never mourned the loss of anyone close to me before. I've been very lucky in that aspect, I know. But now I know my way of handling grief is to turn to food. Now I know to be aware of it in the future.
It took me a long long time to come to the blog and write about why I basically dropped off the face of the earth, about why I gave up and hid the blog. For the longest time I didn't know what to say, but it was a post on Twitarded from Dangrdafne that made me say I have to keep writing. I have to keep promoting healthy living on this silly little blog of mine because it was my mission when I started and I'm not a quitter. It's not in my blood to quit. Thanks Poppop :).
See that little counter widget on the side of my page?? It says only 10 DAYS TIL RACE DAY!?!... I'm not freaking out nope, not gonna freak out....even though I'm quietly screaming on the inside...I'm not gonna freak out. I'm ok... I'm cool. I swear.
Why am I kinda sorta not really freaking out? Because even though I haven't been blogging I've still been working hard at my fitness levels to make sure I own this race!...If owning that means I finish in 2hrs and 30 minutes (which is almost a 12 minute mile and compared to some that makes me a slow poke) WHAT the freak EVER!! I'm going to OWN it!
My furthest training run has been 12 miles, which I completed last weekend in about 2hr and 15mins (oh and yes it was ALL hills baby), this weekend I ran 9 miles and then took a much needed yoga class to work on some of my muscle tightness. I went to bootcamp 4 times last week and played soccer last week and this week as well. I kinda haven't been doing my shorter runs but I know between the bootcamp and soccer and the training runs that I have the endurance to finish.
Plus I know the 2nd half of the course, I ran it last year in the team relays. Everyone keeps trying to scare me and say the first half is hilly as shit, but guess what, all i've been doing for the past month on my training runs is hills. I'll get past them. The second half is pretty much flat ground. Guess who loves running on flat ground? This chick. So yeah, I'd say I'm pretty well prepared for the race at this point :)
I am also still trying to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma society for their Light the Night Events so PLEASE if you can, donate to my page so I reach my goal of raising $655 ($50 per mile I run in the half marathon). I am $430.00 away from reaching my goal. So if you're reading please donate if you can... if you can't please help me spread the word!!
Also in the middle of all this I've decided I really needed to push to lose those extra pounds to reach 100lbs of total loss. I'm anywhere from 3-5lbs away depending on when I weigh myself (I know I'm only supposed to do it first thing in the morning I will from here on out). It's been rough trying to kick start my metabolism again. For two weeks I eliminated (almost completely there were some weddings thrown in there that I enjoyed myself and the open bar at a little too much) but anyway, for two weeks in early September I completely cut out sugar (including fruit), salt, saturated fats, refined carbohydrates and dairy from my diet. I was on 1100 calories / 6 meals a day. Yes, I finally went to a nutritionist (after 2.5 years of doing it myself) to seek this advice.
I know what you're thinking 1100 calories a day that's impossible to live off of that... it's not trust me, if you limit your diet to only the good foods, whole grains, lean proteins, and lots of veges you'd be amazed at the amount of food you can eat. I felt like I was force feeding myself at the end of the day...I just couldn't eat that much food.
I've practically perfected every type of egg white and vege omelet I could think of.
Try this out for a relatively quick, filling and delish breakfast:
(my portions are 4 egg whites and about 150g or more of the veges this number could be more or less for you)
egg whites mushrooms red and yellow peppers Mrs. Dash (salt free) grilling spice
saute the veges with a spritz or two of olive oil and the Mrs. Dash seasoning, then add to the eggs.
PLAIN instant oatmeal. (my portion recommendation is 2pks)
The oat meal can be cooked with water, or try Original Almond Breeze milk if you want some added creaminess and a little sugar 7g in a cup, or go with the Unsweetened version for NO added sugar, just a creamy texture for your oatmeal. Add a ton of cinnamon and enjoy!
I promise you will be FULL and you will be full for a LONG time!
After two weeks i lost 4lbs of body fat and increased my lean muscle mass. Two lbs a week of loss is healthy. Since then I've lost 6 total. I took a week off from being so strict but now I'm back on.
Here's an idea for a lunch you can cook completely in the microwave! Perfect for gals on the go, slackers like myself that hate taking the time to pack a lunch, or those of us stuck in the office.
This product has been a life saver for my diet:
No, I don't own stock in their company, and I'm not being paid to promote this product. They cook food quickly and the food is healthy!!
So here's my idea for a lunch:
Buy individually wrapped frozen tilapia (white fish) fillets. Add two slices of lemon and squeeze a little bit of juice to the bag Add salt free seasoning to taste, my recommendation: Mrs. Dash
Frozen broccoli (can be steamed in the bag, but you might want to use a separate one than the one you cook fish in to avoid a fishy taste) 1/2 sweet potato (also can be cooked in a microwave, pierce with a fork several times - I haven't tried cooking these in the bag) sweet potatoes are naturally sweet but also rich with complex carbs, dietary fiber, and Vitamins A, C and B6, add cinnamon for more delicious flavor...cinnamon is also very high in antioxidants!
You will have a complete meal with lean protein, veges and a carbohydrate in less than 10 minutes.... I'm all about quick and easy. (Ash if you're reading this DON'T even go there! Hooka! ;))
So yea that about sums up my life since my last post... I'm still here, I'm still running, still going to bootcamp, still playing soccer and still focused on my diet.
Once race day gets here though I will be SO happy to have my Saturday mornings back...AND once I lose that 100lbs I think I'll crack open an expensive bottle of wine and go to the Indian buffet... maybe not in that order but I can't WAIT! Then I need to refocus and lose another 5lbs because I know I'll gain it back through the holidays because I will enjoy a few cookies and slices of pumpkin pie, then I need to lose that after the holidays. It's a life time commitment, but SO worth it especially when you see that little dress in a shop window and you go to try it on and it looks FAB-U-LOUS on you... or when you reach a new running goal/weight loss goal and you have that extreme sense of accomplishment. It's worth it just to try for that feeling alone!
Ok, enough philosophizing from me...off to cook up my lunch! (Chicken, broccoli, carrots and a small portion of whole grain pasta! lean protein, veges and a whole grain!)
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is the world's largest voluntary health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research, education and patient services. LLS's mission: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. Since the first funding in 1954, LLS has awarded more than $680 million in research funding.
Since I'm already signed up to run a race that isn't part of Team in Training, I decided to try and raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society through their Light the Night event! Please donate any amount you can spare to this VERY important cause!!
I want to try and raise $50 for every mile that I run. That's $655 and if a few more than 30 people donate about $20 each then I will reach my goal!
If Flash image does not work please click the image to Donate! Or click HERE!
p.s. Training runs are still going awesome! Last week I did 10 miles in 1hr 57mins. This week we run 7 miles of hills!! I'm well on my way to being prepared to run the half marathon!
I have officially signed up for the Baltimore Half so that means on Oct. 16th my ass is running that 13.1 miles because I'm not wasting that entry fee!
This morning I set out for Day 1 of my half marathon training with my boot camp groups starting at 8am. Which means my alarm was going off at 6:50 in the morning on a Saturday. FTW.
We're starting out an hour earlier next week because of the heat so I better get used to it. I was armed with some new running shoes, arch hugging socks and some new shorts I couldn't resist buying....they were on sale and super light weight! (I'm not one of those runners that needs the newest gear even though I sound like it lol, my shoes were a year old and worn to crap, and it's hot as balls out hence needing light weight shorts...good shoes = good support and less chance of injury my friends :))
I can't speak highly enough of my Brooks running shoes... they're like love for my foot. My last three pairs of shoes have been Brooks. No matter what other brands I try on these always work out best for me.
So anyway...
The run: completely flat trail and it was shaded...soooo nice. The second I stepped off the trail into the sunny parking lot to stretch after the run... buckets of sweat, it was sweltering!
Distance: 5 miles, run/walk 4 mins/1min. I think we will be run/walking for the actual race because honesty I would probably keep the same time if I ran straight through.
My time: about 56 minutes which is an 11 minute mile. I kept pace with our leader and one other guy so I felt I did pretty well for our first run. Basically I was the first chick, but I backed off at one point because I heard one of the guys talking about how his kid vomited all over his back. Seriously why do all parents do this... making us non-parents suffer through their stories of their children's bodily fluids. I felt like I was going to puke on the side of the trail. fml. Shoot me if I ever become that kind of mom.
Problemas?: Nope, felt great. Really glad I went out this morning. A little sore in the right hip still from when I pulled it several weeks ago playing soccer but LOOOOOOOTS of stretching afterward.
Motivational Songs: I was kickin' it old school listening to an old mix on my ipod that had some of my favorite songs from highschool and college on it. This mornings songs on the way to the trail were:
Rebel Rebel - David Bowie
Bittersweet Symphony - The Verve (there are rules for listening to this song in my car...I must have control of the volume at certain moments for maximum crescendo factor ;))
Lucky Man - The Verve
Words - Doves
High and Dry - Radiohead
Someone Great - LCD Soundsystem. (2006...just after college)
1976 - Smashing Pumpkins (can't ever get over this song... ever.)
Good songs for a nice Saturday morning. Nothing fast paced or dancy for me this am. It was too early for that, and since I killed my shuffle I don't run with music...just the sounds of pounding feet.
p.s. Also... follow this blog! http://halfasstohalfmarathon.blogspot.com fellow fans Fat Girl Slimmed and Muffintopped (LOVE those names) are also training for a half marathon!
I promise this is the last post where I mention the world cup...for 4 years...if I'm still blogging in 4 years lol :) My friend Ashley aka Shoewhore told me that her friend Em reads my blog and likes it (sweet! Thanks Em!), but she doesn't understand a damn thing about soccer... it's ok. I understand. The off sides rule is confusing, and the fact that the reffing in this world cup has been a little...well a lot ridiculous, I can understand why you can't get behind the game. It's cool, maybe we're not all meant to understand. But check out this awesome quote that my cousin's fiance sent me from his friend... maybe now you'll get it:
"Twilight's like soccer, they run around for 2 hours, nobody scores, and its billion fans insist you just don't understand"
LOL!
See you don't have to understand completely, just appreciate the fine muscled specimens...um I mean the athleticism of the game... ;).
on to the post!...
Current Mood: Sorta sad that there's no more good soccer on regular tv (I'm one of those freaks that doesn't have cable!) for the foreseeable future...come on 2014!!
Current Weight: 183 (26lbs of loss since I started the blog - 92lbs of total loss!) I lost 3 pounds last week! :) It amazing what happens when I get strict with my diet..and by strict I don't mean starvation or giving up foods I enjoy, I mean a balance of proteins, fibers and starches and portion control. I've set a new goal to lose 20lbs once I get there I'll re-asses and see how much more I need to lose/tone from that point.
Currently Thinking about: My love/hate relationship with Spain! I hate them because they defeated Germany, I hate them because they played a boring 115 minutes of soccer against the brutal Dutch..who knew they had it in them ey??
Sing it! Everyone was Kung Fu fighting!! Those Kicks were fast as lightening!
But I love them because most of their line up is made of FC Barcelona players or soon to be Barca players...and I like Barcelona...you might as well say that Barca won the world cup.
Currently NOT Thinking about: How I still hate Spain because Germany in my opinion was the more creative team, better at passing, and they scored way more goals through out the tournament...but that yellow card against Mueller, I really think that made a difference in their semi final game against Spain. Mueller ultimately won the golden boot (on more assists) yet he had to sit out that game, Germany could have used him. Spain controlled the ball, they controlled the game, and even though the German defense held them at bay for most of the game it only took one corner to make a difference and I counted at least 7 Spanish men on defense at one point. UGH! I'm not bitter...nope not me... not at all. ;)
Keep your eyes on the one on the left... #13 Thomas Mueller, winner of the Golden boot at only 20 years old... the one on the right though, back off ladies I claimed him in 2006 ;) lol It's a long term celeb-crush...christ, I'm turning into a kickette! anyway, #3 Arne Friedrich, German defender who also scored a goal against Argentina! :)
Also...just for the memories... I wanted to post this video:
So long world cup... see you in 4 years!
Currently looking forward to: Starting half marathon training on Saturday!! Oh did I tell you I've decided to run the Baltimore half...? I haven't signed up yet, guess I should jump on that.
De jong Kung Fu fighting is from the dailymail pic of the German boys from the dailymail
Just watch this...listen to the announcers voice! You don't need to understand the language but you'll understand the emotion...
I watched that video, and this one with the actual video like ten times (couldn't find a good quality of the video with this dubbed on youtube)... Every time I watch it I get chills. It's still unreal to me! When it happened, JE ran out of her office wondering if they could take it away from us... my live stream was a little behind hers so when it caught up and I got to see the goal happen and I jumped up and said there's NO WAY they can take that one away from us!!! I swear this team gives me little heart attacks every time I watch them play!
I'm wishing my fighting boys in blue good luck today! I'll be watching from a local bar... finally not stuck depending on univision's live stream in the office! I have my little USA flags ready!
Even RPattz is fired up by the U-S and A!
Germany face Rob's Three Lions tomorrow at 10am est on ESPN...but sorry Robert, as much as I love your pretty face, I'm supporting Die Mannschaft!!
here is yet another segment on this blog where I rant/ramble...especially about the world cup :):
Current Mood: Excited, but nervous!
Current Weight: 186... 23lbs of loss since I started the blog!!! (89lbs of total loss!!! BMI is down again as well!) I didn't meet my goal so I'm giving up sweets for 30 days. UPDATE: I had my measurements taken last night, even though the scale didn't go down much I lost 1/2" in my arms, 1" in my chest, 2 3/4" in my waist, 2" in my hips, 1" in my thigh so i'm still probably building lots of muscle!
Currently Thinking about: My speech tonight, and how I'm kinda sorta, but not really prepared. I have a power point and an outline but I haven't really practiced the talking part, and my braces make me have a tendency to slur a little when I talk so I hope I don't sound like an ass!!
Currently NOT Thinking about: My speech tonight because then I'll get all worked up and even more nervous then I am!
Currently looking online at: FIFA.com! World cup baby! Have you been following?? It's been really unpredictable! I mean, my German boys lost Serbia!!
It's ok Arne, I still think you have mad Defensive skills...
(He may or may not have something to do with my love of the Germans...
but I swear it's only like less than 10%...90% is their playing style, and the other little bit is how awesome it is to say Schweinsteiger's name with an obnoxious German accent lol)
Any-who... back to the news... Spain lost to the Swiss...Argentina giving solid performances, but not much out of my favorite Messi yet... Portugal destroyed North Korea 7-0, Brazil tops Ivory Coast 3-1, France loses to Mexico 0-2, England ties with Algeria leaving them tied for points with us, but behind in actual goals scored! Honestly I was expecting better performances out of them... and Italy proves to be, meh.
The most insane of the groups has been our group...Group C. It's wide open for anyone to advance. And my USA Men have rallied big time and played probably the most exciting game of the tournament so far against Slovenia. We fell behind in the first half but Donovan fired back in the 2nd half keeping hope alive.... You can watch the highlights here.
Michael Bradley's 82nd-minute equaliser!!
Note: These highlights don't show the goal Edu scored in the 86th minute giving us a 3-2 lead but then taken away by and extremely controversial call by the ref. They claim a US player committed a foul...however, I don't think anyone knows what the foul was, or exactly which player committed it.
Two words FIFA: Instant Replay. At the very least challenges should be allowed on some goals. I know you don't like stopping the clock...so review the challenges at the half or at the end of the game. You can't rely on the refs eyes alone sometimes when the game moves so fast. Look what happened to Ireland v. France. With some handy magic from Henry, France is allowed in the world cup, but putting up a piss poor performance so far. I'm sure the Irish would have fought harder. Poor judgment cost us 2 points. We absolutely have to beat Algeria to advance now.
Currently looking forward to: More world cup games!
Currently listening to: US Soccer press conference
Just wanted to post a quick update...I just found out this morning after boot camp that I'm going to be speaking about my experiences with weight loss! My bootcamp is doing free fat loss seminars. Last month we talked about food for fat loss, but this month we want to talk about getting started and finding the motivation to stay healthy... and that's where I come in! :)
I don't know exactly what I'll be saying yet but I have two weeks to prepare and an entire blogs worth of material to pull from ;).
So anyway this is just extra motivation to behave myself this weekend and hit the hotel gym while I'm out of town visiting family (cough lurker Rebecca! cough)...but in case we need extra motivation...
So I'll report back soon and let you know what I'm talking about, it should be a lot of fun!
p.s. as if I was going to forget mentioning this today...
My co-ed team lost its final game... our unfortunate win-less season is over but I could care less, I enjoyed every minute on the field, I loved playing with my team, despite the heart breaking losses we gave it our all every game and I don't think anyone gave up on encouraging each other to keep trying. Sadly my soccer seasons are over for a few weeks, but I'm not fretting or going into a panicked state of loss and denial clutching my cleats against my chest crying because there are no more games. In fact I think I'll be ok, more than ok actually, because there's a little bubble of excitement returning that's been dormant for four years...
Can you feel it too? That little twinge of anticipation...The feeling of wanting to jump up on your desk and shout "come on already!"...
I've had that feeling for a while...The anxiousness of following the qualifying matches, the fear or relief when the groups are announced, then the waiting, oh the agonizing wait...but all of a sudden there's little glimmers of hope... magazine covers start talking about it... you're friends want to know your predictions... you spend an evening at the bar with beers chatting about it...afternoons reading your magazines...
Are you confused? Can you not guess what I'm talking about?
I'll give you a hint.
It's not eclipse.
(I'm a blasphemer I know)
Just click play and watch the GREATEST commercial EVER! ;) you know you want to...
fdjakeioafneaio earu39a9!*!&*!&!^^~!!!!!!!!!!
*throws fist in the air!*
Are you still breathing?!?!
Maybe you're just watching it on repeat
And it's STILL 17 Days away!
*bangs head against desk*
Do you understand how many levels of awesome that commercial is?!?
Do you feel what I feel right now??
fanboys and girls...Imagine having to wait 4 years for the next favorite LOTR/comicbook/starwars/startrek film... now do you understand my level of excitement? This is bigger than all of that, this is bigger than anything, ever. Period. For one month the entire world is watching, cheering, crying, rejoicing...
Maybe you don't get it, maybe you're not into the beautiful game like I am...but maybe you should just give it a chance. There's no other sport out there as universal and uniting as soccer. All you need is one ball. So tune in it all starts June 11th, 2010!!
p.s. The video didn't feature one of the greatest players in the world...probably because he's not sponsored by Nike... but I will pay homage...
My hero... Lionel Messi
Watch out for him and the Argentina squad! Very eager to see how they do.
(call me crazy twi-fans but I *might* chose him over Robert Pattinson
if given the choice to meet both but I could only pick one--although I'm sure maybe Rob might want to meet him too and we could just go together, so it would all work out in the end ;))
