Half Marathon Training Has Begun!

And...I have a LONG ways to go to 13.1, my friends!  Now that the training is here, I'm fearful I may not make it.  I have less than 2 months to go.  Eek! 

But, if Tony taught me anything, it's to do my best and forget the rest.  Regardless of whether or not I manage to run every step of that 13.1, I will undoubtedly run the absolute furthest I have ever run in my life on race day.  That has to count for something. 

That said, I'm going to work like crazy to get there.  A bit of filler of what's happened between the end of P90X and the beginning of half marathon, or HM, as I will refer to if from now on: 

My life got, let's say, rearranged, in ways I did not anticipate.  Mostly the rearrangements have been difficult but also for a greater good.  Still, I fell back on my old, not-so-awesome habit of emotionally eating.  I've packed on a good 5 pounds dealing--or not dealing, as it were--with all of this.  When I emotionally eat, then I get depressed.  When the depression creeps in, so does fear and laziness.  I put off HM training for an entire week and ate myself into oblivion.  

Then this past Sunday came.  It was the day of my 5K.  I came into it having not run one step in well over a month.  It felt like a make or break kind of moment, and I knew finishing it without walking would be just the boost I needed to get back on track.  So, with one of my favorite friends by my side, I set out to conquer 3.1 miles.  Conquer it I did, my friends.  It was painful and grueling and I did it.

I'm now on track with an HM schedule.  I have to admit, I'm skeptical.  But, I'm just going to do what it says and trust the system. 

Monday:  I rested.
Tuesday:  I ran a couple miles.  I tried to buck the schedule, but I couldn't.  So, I'll listen to it from now on.  
Wednesday:  I did Jillian Michael's Yoga meltdown since it's a "cross-training" day.  I forgot how much I hate and love that woman.  She combines yoga and cardio in this workout, and it's pretty awesome.  

I'm also doing the Yoplait Yogurt 2-week Tune Up just to give me a little shot in the weight loss arm and get the eating back under control.  I do love yogurt!  :-)  

So, now we're up to speed.  I'll keep you posted, hopefully a bit more often than I have been.  Not every day, but definitely multiple times a week.  It keeps me accountable.  And, any of you who have running tips for me, now's a great time to share them!   

Day 90: Yoga X

Well, my friends, that's it.  I did 90 days of this craziness, and to be honest, I'm a bit let down.  I thought for sure when I finished today there would be fireworks and balloons and even a small marching band.  Instead, I had children demanding food.  Go figure.  :-) 

Still, I'm pretty damn proud of myself.  This was the biggest fitness endeavor I have ever undertaken, and I did it.  I DID IT! 

Thanks for reading along with me and encouraging me all along the way.  I'm going to take a few days off to rest and recuperate, and on Monday, I will begin running, which will mark what I think will be an even bigger fitness endeavor.  I've enjoyed the regimen of blogging my workouts, so I think I will just keep going with it.  If you were in it just for the P90X, then I bid you adieu.  If not, then come along with me as I learn how to be an awesome runner, starting with a 5K next Sunday. 

Day 90:  Brought.
P90X:  BROUGHT! 

Day 89: Plyo

AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!  One more day!  One more day!  One more day!  If I had time in my schedule today, I'd just go ahead with that yoga and be done with it.  But that's not going to happen.  It's just mind-blowing to think that I'll be done in less than 24 hours, ya'll! 

Plyo was a delightful romp through mind-blowing pain today.  In other words, it was the same old same old.  I really can't stand hearing Tony say, "You can do anything for 30 seconds" without being able to explain to him that, yes, I can, but 30 seconds followed by 30 more followed by 30 more followed by a whole minute with 45 second breaks in between is quite different than just one 30 second trial.  I'm too sore to even go back and correct the horrible grammar in that last sentence.  Grammar matters, but not right this second. 

So, I worked up a good sweat and felt great when I was done.  Well, I felt great when I was done and in the shower.  There's that gross interlude between workout and shower where I feel, what's the word?  Disgusting?  No.  Flabbergasted?  Yes.  That's the word.  It really does take a bit of time to right my world after finishing a session of plyometrics with Tony. 

One day to go.  I think I mentioned that. 

Day 89:  Brought. 

Dy 88: Stretch

What can I really say about a 60 minute DIY massage?  That's what this video is, and that's why I love it so very, very much.  It makes my back feel better.  It makes my headaches go away.  It makes the world disappear.  It makes me smile and breathe and concentrate on every muscle in my body without demanding anything of them other than their elasticity.  It's a wonderful thing, my friends.

Then I get to jolt my body back to reality tomorrow morning with plyo.  These two workouts couldn't be in starker contrast if they tried. 

Now I'm 2 workouts away from being done.  What do I do with this blog? 

Day 88:  Brought. 

Days 86 and 87: Core and Kenpo

Soooo, I missed blogging yesterday.  I got to about the last 2 minutes of cool down and suddenly my tummy went all kinds of wonky.  I made a dash for the toilet, emptied everything inside my body including my kidneys and a lung and headed for bed for the rest of the day.  It wasn't a workout thing, though.  It was something else.  I don't know what. 

I was glad it came at the end of the workout so at least I got one in, you know?  Of course, drinking my Slim-Fast at the end was not an option.  Turns out ginger ale is a better choice.  Too bad I didn't have any.  Ah, well.  The workout was awesome.  It was my last CS workout of this round of P90X.  Good-bye, Core, you have been a faithful friend to me from day 1.  You and your backyard shelves.

Today I'm feeling better.  I'm keeping food down, and I just have residual weakness from yesterday's complete post-workout, bed-ridden inertia.  I tackled Kenpo with a bit less enthusiasm, but I'll be damned if I let a little vomit yesterday postpone my finishing this bad boy on Thursday!  Plus, I have some anger I'm trying to get out of my system.  I punched and kicked with less lethal force, but I still would have left some serious bruises.

Days 86 and 87:  Brought. 

Day 85: Yoga

It's a hot July--wait, September--afternoon, and I just finished yoga.  I feel all stretchy.  And hot.  I'm very, very hot.  I'm just glad it wasn't a plyo day. 

Wanna see my new shoes? 

Pretty good, right?  These are the shoes that will carry me to the half marathon, folks.  First they'll get me through the Fremont Brew Ha Ha at the end of the month, though.  It's a 5K that ends in a beer garden.  I believe I told you already, but it bears repeating.  I can't wait to tackle it with my pals!  The running and the microbrews, that is. 

But, before then, I finish with Tony.  Not permanently, though.  We'll meet on strength training days, and I will definitely keep him around for yoga and stretching.  Then he and I will have another 3 month long standing pre-breakfast date once the marathon is complete and I'm in the post-race blues.  Of course, Christmas is like 4 weeks after the marathon.  Who can be blue then?  Well, yes, my shoes will still be blue, but a cheery blue.   

Ah, Christmas.  Life's amazing when you have so much to look forward to, isn't it? 

Day 85:  Brought. 

Day 84: Rest

Nevermind that bit about "one last time" I said last time.  I should have double checked my schedule.  It's a "recovery" week, so it's double yoga at least.  I'd re-check, but it's a rest day.  I'm done with the stairs.  :-)

It's hot out, just in time for school.  Go figure. 

Day 84:  Melted. 

Day 83: Kenpo

I am really, really finding it difficult to get up so early!  This wasn't a problem forever, and now, it is.  Oh, well, at least I'm getting my workouts done.  I feel slightly guilty for plopping my kiddos in front of a movie so I could do it before naptime and have more time for relaxation during naptime, but it is what it is. 

It's hot out.  It's hot in here.  I'm sweating like a pig, and I finished 20 minutes ago!  I'm just counting it as extra weight lost. 

From here on out, every workout I do will be the last time I do it.  Kinda sad and really exciting. 

Day 83:  Brought. 

Day 82: Core Synergistics

Comcast was out today.  It's too late to blog.  I did it! 

Day 82:  Brought. 

Day 81: Yoga

I am having MAJOR problems getting my little tushie out of bed to workout.  I have no idea why.  I really think the vacation is harder for me to leave in the past than I'd like to admit.  I did manage to get to my workout in the afternoon, though, as opposed to this evening, so that's a bonus.

Tomorrow's Wendy's first day of 2nd grade, which means I'm going to be back on my old school schedule from a couple months ago. Yikes!  At least I didn't spend the summer sleeping in until 8 every day.  That wouldn't have even been possible, but lucky nonetheless.  Tomorrow?  Core at 5.  Let's do this and FINISH STRONG! 

Day 81:  Brought. 

Day 80: Back and Biceps

I went WAY off my norm today and worked out this evening.  I just didn't want to do it this morning.  We had no children.  It was quiet.  The sun was shining.  I just wanted to lay in bed and enjoy the morning.  I had no intention of skipping out today, especially when today brought the prospect of updating my FB status showing just 10 days to go! 

It was a good workout.  I love the "glamour" workouts.  They make me feel all pretty.  They're like lip gloss only harder and stinkier. 

Really, truly, I am almost done.  The reality that I'm now in single digit countdown is almost too much for me to process.  I remember typing in "Day 1" and now look at me.  Day effing 80!  Go me! 

Day 80:  Brought. 

Day 78: Rest; Day 79: Plyo

I've gotten a bit off on the schedule.  Yesterday I enjoyed a rest, and this morning, I kicked boo-tay with plyo.  I feel good.  The finish line is just up ahead.  I'm SO ready to be done and back in my running shoes.


I am starting the Body-for-Life-for-Women 12 week challenge on Wednesday next.  The one that's in 3 days.  Eh, you're smart enough to figure that out.  I think I'll pick up a few new Jillian Michael's workouts to change up my strength training once I'm marathon training.  I really can't wait until Christmas to look back at the last year and see how far I've come.  It may sound a bit narcissistic, but I've worked hard enough to stroke my own ego a bit, amen?


I am feeling a strange apprehension amid my excitement, though.  P90X sounded like an enormous, almost insurmountable, challenge when I started, and I can't help but let that uncertainty creep in when I think about the running that's ahead of me.  It's hard for me to break new ground, but it seems like I've been successful with it all this year.  God's given me a hell of a lot of strength.  


Day 79:  Brought.  

Day 77: Shoulders/Biceps/Triceps

The soreness continues!  I love it.  I love the burn.  I love the way I waddle when my entire lower half is screaming out in rebellion every time I need to move.  I love how incredibly unsexy I feel.  I'm being partially facetious and partially truthful.  You can decide which is which. 

I made it through about 3/4 of this today.  Remember a while ago I popped something during this workout?  I guess there is residual pain, and not the good kind.  I could work around it mostly, but there were some moves where that just wasn't an option.  Then there are some moves that aren't an option even without pain.  Plyo pushups?  I laugh in your general direction.  Ha!  Ha!  Ha!

On a happier note, I got awesome running shoes yesterday.  Let the marathon training commence.  Well, you know, in a few days. 

Day 77:  3/4 Brought. 

Day 76: Kenpo X

So, that bit I wrote yesterday about not being any worse for the wear?  I spoke too soon.  Oh, man, was I sore this morning!  Kenpo's always a good time, but today it was a toughie.  I made it through.  


You faithful friends who have been reading for weeks and weeks know how much I love this workout.  I was thinking about what exactly it is that I love most about Kenpo, and I realize that it's because there's not one part of it that I have to modify.  There's no move that I dread.  This DVD I can do from beginning to end, and I can keep up with everyone.  Considering how confused I was the first few times I did this, this is huge.  I don't know if I thank Tony or Wesley Idol.  Both.  Thanks, guys.


I am still sore, but I managed to put it out of my mind while actually working out.  I dread every time I have to get up to go to the bathroom, though.  


Day 76:  Brought.