Author Archives: mbars1

364 days, 9 hours

That’s about how long it’s been – give or take a few minutes and a time zone – since I crossed the finish of my 100^th marathon.  It’s also how long since my last real run.  (We’re not counting those little 200-yard teasers as part of the Cross-Fit experience.  Especially since by round 3 of the “WOD” or “Workout of the Day” I knew it would be easier to run a few more miles than to do more burpees or push-ups.)

So – have I learned anything?  I’d like to say my body has changed, but in truth I never got very scientific about it so I’m not sure.   The same pants all still fit so that’s a good thing.  I DID move a couch all by myself last week (and this journey included a couple of steps as our house has many levels), so I’d like to think that those P90X videos helped with something.  Speaking of those, yes, I still do them.  I HAVE learned to change my lazy ways in strength training and I’ve finally embraced the idea of cutting down the cardio to pick up some weights & work in those damn squats & lunges.  I hope that this continues once I’m free on the roads again.

I have learned (or rather reinforced what I already knew) that my husband is a very patient & understanding man.  When I realized I still needed an endurance workout each week and turned to the pool, he had very little complaint about me spending 2-3 hours underwater each Saturday.  It’s one thing to deal with the long runs, but at least those weren’t limited to the 1-5pm lap times.  I have grown to enjoy those long swims, and am truly considering keeping them in there a few times a month, even as I increase my running mileage once again.

I have learned that in addition to my husband I have friends & family that support my weird little exercise quirks.  They were extremely helpful in getting me into Y’s, health clubs, and country clubs for access to pools or Zumba classes, and my brother even trolled alongside while I swam the lake in Canada so I wouldn’t be run over by a bass boat or jet skier.  (Though in my mind this was actually secondary to having a quick escape should I happen upon a snake in the water.)

I have learned that that number – THAT DAMN NUMBER ON THE SCALE is a real pain in the ass and really should be ignored most of the time.   Did you just have a great workout?  Yes.  Do your pants fit?  Yes.  Do you feel good?  Yes.  Then STEP AWAY FROM THE EVIL LITTLE THING.  Just walk away and enjoy your day.

I have learned that I have no shortage of ego when it comes the assessment of my own endurance.  While my husband and son are signed up for this weekend’s Hot Chocolate 5K here in Chicago, I’m entered into the 15K.   What is wrong with me?  I only hope there is still chocolate fondue left by the time I finish.

I have also learned that Baker Boys (melt-in-your-mouth cupcakes) in Highland Park is approximately 7 ½ miles from my house.  Can you say “destination run”?

I have learned that I’m lousy at sitting down to write.  Or perhaps there wasn’t all that much to be writing.  At least if someone wanted to read through every post at once it doesn’t have to be a huge time commitment.  There will still be plenty of time for a good run.

Keep moving.

Last weekend I was given an opportunity to WORK at the Chicago Marathon. When I knew I wouldn’t be running this year I had reached out to a friend who works full-time with the race to see if there was any way I could help. I had envisioned filling some water or Gatorade cups, perhaps hanging medals around finishers necks as they celebrate their own personal win. While I knew it may be tough to just be standing there watching others enjoy one of my favorite moments I also knew I wanted to give it a shot being on the other side of the “magic”. But instead of a simple volunteer chore my buddy scored me a position in the Forward Command tent as a liaison to the Charity Villages throughout the day of the race, along with helping the charities load in & out of their tents. Work hours started about 6AM Saturday, then 2AM start on Sunday. I don’t drink coffee, so can you say “5 Hour Energy Shots”?

For those who aren’t familiar – many races have “charity runners” who are raising funds for various causes. If a charity is a partner with a race such as the Chicago Marathon, they will have a special tent offering their fundraisers extra amenities like snacks, changing areas & gear check. One even went as far as to provide a “Taste of Chicago” spread complete with a hot dog cart and deep dish pizza.

My job basically meant I’d be listening to a walkie-talkie channel of the charity group during race day & if there were any emergencies to handle I could relay information back & forth. I was warned that if everything went well (i.e. no tornadoes requiring an evacuation, etc) then the day might be kind of boring. I had my fingers crossed for a “boring” day, and while it was a bit, I still found it fascinating to be watching how a show like that runs. If you ever get a chance to watch how a 37,000 participant race is produced, go for it. There is constant communication coming in from the course regarding racers pace, course & weather conditions, and crowd & traffic control. At no point throughout the day did the fact that there were tens of thousands of people swarming around the city and throughout Grant Park in the name of their event seem to faze anyone, and they all seemed prepared for whatever the day threw down. It’s a remarkable organization.

The only thing that drove my nuts throughout the day was my voracious appetite. It’s amazing how sitting on your ass for much of the day can make you so hungry (I guess lack of sleep was a factor). Let me tell you, when a COLD bacon, egg & cheese on a cinnamon raisin bagel tastes GOOD, you know you’re hungry.

As my day was blessedly lacking of any major excitement to handle, I found myself watching the live web cam showing the finish line. Watching runners faces fill with looks of joy, relief & sometimes tears did make me want to be out there, not necessarily running but at least to high-five and congratulate them. On this race day, I was merely a little cog in the wheel of production. On this race day, it was about THEM.

Keep moving…..

Almost there!

How many times have I heard those words?  It’s a classic cheer for marathon spectators, along with “Woo-hoo” and “You look great!”  (That last one always makes me worry for some folks’ eyesight.)  Now – the “almost there” can either be good or bad to hear.  Before I’m back out on the running courses again, I’d like to offer some advice to marathon spectators:  unless you are standing within YARDS (say about ½ mile or less) of the finish line, we are not almost there.  Yes, it’s common sense to think that compared to a full-on 26.2 miles, a measly 3 or 4 may seem like almost there, but out of 100 marathons, I don’t believe I’ve ever hit mile 22 and felt like I was almost there.  Please, save those two precious words for a spot on the course that’s shorter than a diaper dash and keep to the “woo-hoos” anywhere else.

Now – while coming into the final month of my running abstinence may appear to be “almost there”, the problem is it’s the month of October.  Leaves are changing, the air feels crisp and the sunny days in the low 60s are what make fall one of my favorite times to be outside running.  As I watch all of the lovely happy running folk soaking it in around me I can feel my toes tingle.  It is MARATHON SEASON and I’m missing it!

Then again, I’m not really missing it.  In an effort to give back a little, I will be working at the Chicago Marathon this weekend.  While I’m certainly excited and honored to help out with such an event, I’m pretty sure it will be a tough experience to be jealous of about 38,000 people at once!  While I’ve always hoped for good weather on race days, this time it’s on a whole new level.  I know it’s harder to watch these races than participate, but if the weather isn’t good it’s downright miserable.   So – fingers crossed for decent weather, safe & healthy runners, and enough willpower to keep from ditching my post and going bandit in the race.

Keep moving!

Road Trip Challenge

It’s been a few weeks since our return, and school has started already so I really have no excuse for the lack of writing.  Anyone who is still paying attention by now is used to it!

Last month I took the challenge of a road trip with my son to Canada, Pennsylvania, and DC.  While in previous years the challenge here would have been in the boredom of a long drive, this year my big challenge was “How on earth will I work out decently away from home?”

As I packed up for the trip, taking my usual over-packing up an extra notch since – after all – this is a ROAD trip and I have no worries about checking baggage, I seriously considered packing some free weights so I could at least continue some of the P90X moves while in the lake country of Canada.  Fortunately, sanity and (let’s face it) lack of space kept the weights at home.  I did, however, pack a folder with the P90X worksheets with every intention of hitting the weight room at the Y once we got down to PA.

First week of the road trip was mostly speed walks, with a little swimming thrown in.  Now – I did take advantage of being out in the middle of nowhere while I walked.  To jazz things up a bit I’d stop every ten minutes and do some lunges, jump squats, or even push-ups at the side of the road.  Very few people actually saw me, and I figured whatever they thought it’s not like I’d run into them at the PTO.  At least, I hope not.  While the lake was nice to swim in I get nervous being in open water without a bit of a crowd, so my swims were limited to 20-30 minutes, except for one day when I convinced my brother to troll alongside me in the boat for an hour as my guardian from jet-skiers and fish hooks.  (Fingers crossed the motor would scare away any snakes, too.)

My anxiety over strength training was quickly replaced by my anxiety over being prepared for the Stonewall Swim on August 4.  It was a 4.2-mile race from Long Island to Fire Island that my college roommate had done a couple years ago.  We decided to sign up together and make a “girls getaway” out of it.  (For the record, we do realize how odd we are.  Most “girls getaway” weekends would typically involve a spa or wineries, but when we get together it’s to run marathons or swim across bays.)

Fortunately after about a week in Canada we went down to PA where I could get some decent swims in at the Y and felt good about the race.  I felt even better when my friend confirmed that out of 45 entrants there were only 2 women.  It was very tempting to NOT share this information with anyone and simply claim that we came in 1^st & 2^nd overall for women – but anyone with internet access would be able to determine that it was the only option.   The race itself was amazing – very well organized & loads of fun.  Each swimmer was granted their own kayaker to carry provisions, keep us on course, and even provide floaties if needed!  I had a great paddler who kept me straight on course and I finished near the top of the crowd.  The best part was getting out of the water and rather than dealing with a bike ride & run, I stepped immediately over to brunch.  Brilliant!

After the big swim I was down to my last week in PA before heading back home and I’d say my biggest challenge then came in the form of just trying to take it easy.  While the week before I could use my race as an excuse to be obsessed with getting to the pool, now I had no such excuse.  I’m afraid that while this year has been a success so far in that I have proved to myself that I can handle not running – I certainly haven’t shown improvement in the relaxation area.  I’m still the crazy one that will get up at 3:30 in the morning to workout before we catch an early flight.  I’m still the nut case that has to schedule in at least one endurance workout each week – while it used to be 2-4 hour runs, it’s now a 2-3 hour swim.  But I’m also still the girl who will swing by the bakery and grab a half dozens cupcakes on the way home from that long swim.  I buy more if I have to share.

Keep moving.

Is it lazy if I’m not writing because I’d rather get a workout in?  I know it’s been a while since my last post, so I’ll try to get the next few quicker.  At least I’ve been burning enough calories to keep me sane.

I admit it now – this no running thing is really starting to get to me.  It’s summer, and each time I see someone out running I get a little jealous, especially if they are running with earbuds.  I know there are some purists out there who feel that running while listening to music is cheating yourself out of the sounds of nature, but when you live in the city or the suburbs there isn’t that much nature to be heard.  Besides, I came into running about the same time the Walkman came out and immediately got hooked in trying to match my gait to the tunes.  For the past 30 years I’ve been recording “running” songs with a good beat and rhythm.  In the old days it was usually off the radio to a cassette tape, these days I “Shazam” them and load onto my Ipod.  There were few things I enjoyed more than getting out on a nice day when I’m feeling good and cruise along to some fast tunes.  Now I’m doing my best to speed walk to them, but even at about a 14 minute/mile pace, it’s just not the same.   Then I noticed some folks swimming with – low & behold – EARBUDS!  They make Ipods for swimming!

I’m lucky enough to have very generous in-laws, so with my birthday cash from them this year (takes me a while to spend it sometimes) I purchased a pretty little blue Shuffle and happily loaded it up with some of my favorite running tunes.  While it’s an adjustment for me to pull the swim cap over my ears in order to keep the buds in (I’m one of those “ears out” swimmers) I was still excited with my new toy, and couldn’t wait to try it out.

Into the water and the first thing I notice is I’m a REALLY LOUD SWIMMER.  Perhaps not so much that anyone else would notice but when the swim cap is pulled over my ears, all the sounds of my breathing are amplified and I sound like freight train.  So – the volume on the Shuffle gets jacked up high, problem #1 solved.

Problem #2 was my choice of music.  As I tried to move my arms in time to Lady Gaga it only took me one length of the pool to realize that arms pulling through water are not going to come close to the cadence of your legs through the air.  Perhaps for a 50 yard sprint, but not my 7000 yard endurance fix. Back to the drawing board on that one & time to laod up some Enya perhaps?

My next adventure in swimming is due to the fact that I’ve registered for an open water swim race in August, so I felt the need to get into the open water.  I registered for a swim in Lake Michigan with a nice coach & even rented a full sleeve wetsuit for the occasion, thinking I’d be mighty comfortable.  Getting to the beach on a 90 degree day had me believing it might even be too warm for the full sleeves and considered grabbing the sleeveless one instead.  Then I got into the water.   The 60 degree (or maybe high-50s) water.  Whoa!!!!  Ok, feet & hands a bit chilled, but my body felt ok and after a minute I felt good enough to try some dolphin dives & bobbing to get my face in the water.  SON OF A $%#*!!!  Suddenly I forget how to breathe!  The coach gives us a warm-up route so I head off.

The last time I swam in Lake Michigan was 2 years ago and I remember it taking about 10 minutes to get warmed up enough to swim with my head down, so I figured it would just take a bit of time.  Well – after about 30 minutes of sputtering about like I’m in a water polo game the coach asks if anyone is really too miserable to swim in the cold.  Out of 20 of us I was the only one raising my hand to bail.  Who cares – I was freezing with bright red hands & feet and felt no shame as I hiked up the beach to my car.  I felt better when I saw at least 3 other folks heading to the parking lot as I pulled out.  Even better when I made it to the pool in time to get  3000 meters in much warmer water.  Swim wimp!

Hope all your own adventures in or out of the water treat you well.

Keep moving!

I know I was supposed to start the Crossfit stuff a few weeks ago, but I managed to make up some excuses for skipping it.  PTO meetings in the way of the schedule, the outdoor pool is open, I got a cold…all the while continuing to work out at home by playing a little roulette with the P90X dvds.  I think to be honest what kept me away was a bit of fear.  I had heard through the grapevine that some instructors are pretty mean (think Marine Corps DI) and I wasn’t looking forward to someone yelling at me to do more push-ups.  I also heard from many folks that it can be pretty tough to move the next day.  I’m happy to report that the instructor is not nearly as mean as expected.  However, it did take a full 3 days before I could move around without wincing.

The most pleasant surprise is learning how to fit a good, intense workout into an hour.  It starts off with some challenging warm-up moves like lunges, squats, & sit-ups with a medicine ball, and everyone’s favorite: dive-bomber push-ups. If you haven’t tried these yet, you have no idea what you’re missing.  (Lucky you!)

Then you move onto the fun & games portion that may include jumping rope for 4 minutes (a lot harder than it sounds), squat-lifting more weight than you thought you could, or revisiting that old-school shuttle run.   Following this is the W.O.D. – Workout Of the Day.   This can include just about anything so the only thing you can count on here is to be completely wiped out within the next 15 minutes.  Last week’s was a cycle of 200 meter run *(see note), 15 medicine ball sit-ups, then 15 medicine ball squat-jumpy things.  Repeat 5 times, as fast as you can.

By the end one round one I realized I probably should have paced myself better.  At round two I happily obliged when the instructor called out for anyone with a ball 14lbs or more to drop to 10 squats.  (Mental note here: always grab at least the 14-pounder.)  By round three I believe “Jello” is too solid a substance to describe how my legs felt.  Towards the end of round five the horrifying thought went through my head that I might actually vomit.  At a playground – with preschoolers as an audience.   Last week’s post-workout effects started within 12 hours.  Began in the shoulders and worked quickly through to the quads where the soreness stuck around for a few days.

Today’s WOD was only (ONLY!) 4 rounds:  25 jump-squats, 200-meter run, and 25 sit-ups.  Round one started off as a bitch with just the jump-squats and didn’t get much better after that.  I was told pick up the pace a couple of times, but to me simply continuing to move forward was picking up the pace enough.  Let me tell you, those 200 meter sprints are just a tease for the real thing – and it would have been so much easier to keep skip the other stuff and just run for an hour.  It’s taking a little longer to hit with the effects this time, but that really just scares me all the more.  I’m thinking an ibuprofen smoothie might be just the call for dessert.

Keep on moving!

***  SIDE NOTE:  After explaining my “year off” situation and taking a poll at the Crossfit class, I have made the executive decision that sprinting (Hah!  Not by round 2.) 200 meters in the course of an interval workout does not count as going for a run.  I was a marathoner for crying out loud.  Two hundred meters is less than the final “kick-in” at most of my races.  Thanks for understanding.  ***

For the record, my lack of writing DOES NOT reflect a similar circumstance in the fitness effort.  It is, in fact, the working out that has gotten in the way of writing.  In order to be sure I had enough time to complete the P90X workouts (75-105 minutes each day), plus whatever kind of cardio I felt was required, I was getting up around 5:15 to get it done before getting my son up for school.   I would love to sleep later but I have become a “workout first thing” type of person.  I am simply too anxious if the day starts to get away from me without having burned a few hundred calories to start it off.  (Too many times I think I can schedule it for later and THAT is the day the car breaks down & costs me those precious hours.)  Of course, what this leads to is when I find a bit of time during the day to write, I inevitably choose to conserve energy – all types – by leaving the laptop off and taking a nap before it’s time to pick up the boy from school.

Status report is good – I have COMPLETED the P90X!  My overall review is that I really liked it and while I still refuse to take pictures, I do think there is some change in appearance.  I am sure there is an increase in strength, since part of the program is to write down everything you do.  It’s been my challenge each workout to get at least one more rep or lift a bit more weight than the last time so I know I’m either improving or I was seriously dogging it 3 months ago.  Of course, I remember being a very sore sack for those first few weeks so I doubt it.

Another reason I enjoyed the program is that you can do it at home (i.e. no audience – some of us have stage fright in the gym….or simply don’t like the smell), and you can modify as you need it.  I wasn’t ashamed to be doing most of my push-ups on knees in the beginning, and I’m proud of how many more are on toes now.  I’m not sure if I’d feel as proud if I had to work out next to “Suzie Fitness” the entire time, since I have an awful habit of comparing myself to everyone.  It’s best to compare myself to the sorry lump I was 3 months ago and give myself a good pat on the back.  (Now that I’ve been doing that damn yoga, I can reach all kinds of spots!)

So even though I was getting a little bored with the program (and certainly had all of Tony Horton’s jokes memorized), I am actually tempted to repeat it and see where those numbers go in the push-ups.  However, this year is supposed to be trying different things, so I’ll be moving on.  A fellow fitness freak & triathlete I know from my Ironman days suggested the Cross-fit method about 12 hours before a Groupon popped up for such classes nearby.  Bought the classes & now I just need to stop hiding in front of the DVD player and get myself back out to moving with people.  Really hope “Suzie” isn’t next to me.

Keep moving!

Yoga.  YOGA.  YYYYOOOOOGGGGGAAAA.  Admit it – it’s a fun word to say.  Of, course as with most things in life, it is much easier said than done.  See, I’ve always been a “mover” with my exercise.  Running, swimming, biking – always going somewhere (or at least pretending to with the assistance of treadmills & wind trainers).  For me if I’m not putting some distance into a workout it must not be happening.  This attitude is part of why I’ve taken on the challenge of going for a year without running.  While I understood the wisdom behind weight training, stretching & ab work I was skipping it in favor of running more miles.  Even though I knew it would be better for my body to skip the jog once in a while and pick up some weights I still couldn’t bring myself to do it until I went cold turkey.

So, here I am almost six months into my year and I’m feeling pretty good so far.  I’m almost done with week 11 of the P90X program and while I’ve usually supplemented with some extra cardio time (power walking, eliptical or swimming), there have actually been days when I’ve skipped that little bonus and been fine with it.  However, when it comes to yoga I am still having a very hard time with my patience.  Again – I KNOW this stuff is good for me, I KNOW I should be faithful to it, but why, why, WHY does it have to take so long?  And what exactly is wrong with me as I struggle to achieve and hold poses, shaking & sweating while the thought in my head is “How much longer until I can work out?”.

I understand that part of yoga is being able to let go and focus on the moment, your breathing, or simply staying upright – but I am always watching the clock.  Usually by the time the video gets to “corpse” and “fetal” position I am downright kicking to actually move and worse that any sugar-spiked 2-year old in my ability to just lie still.  It’s about then that I’ve given up & I’m tying the shoes and flipping the switch on the treadmill.  Of course, hours later my shoulders will still be feeling the effects of the MANY vinyasas, upward & downward dogs and I will be reminded of why I force myself through it – but this still doesn’t seem to help for the next time.  So, while I may not appreciate the process of a yoga session itself, I can certainly appreciate the after-effects.  And the clothes.  What’s not to love about such comfy outfits?

Keep on moving…..or holding that balance pose.

While this P90X workouts are doing something for me physically, it doesn’t help with material to write about.  After all, it’s a 90 day program, and each day (at least 6 days per week) is an hour or more.  Add on my freaky cardio fixes and there’s really no time to do anything new.  I’m looking forward to getting out there again!

In the meantime, since last week was my birthday I thought I’d take a moment to reflect on how truly fortunate I am to be writing such posts.  There’s the luck of my health, which has been remarkably good all my life and with very few injuries.  There’s the simple luck of geography, in that I live not only in a place with all the basics (like water and electricity) that so many go without, but my particular little town is great for running – good neighborhoods & sidewalks everywhere!

What may be just as important is the luck of my friends & family, which started with very active parents who encouraged us to pursue some form of exercise each day.   It has blossomed into siblings & friends that join me for marathons –  or at least let me stay with them when I’m in their town for a race.  Some have even braved the pre-dawn hours to drive us to starts and watch the festivities.  I have a husband that is spending this year whittling down his 1/2 marathon time so he can beat me next fall, and a little boy who ran his first 5K at age 4.   More than anything else it’s that these people understand me and allow me to continue in my weird running or other exercise pursuits without complaint.  (At least, not much complaint.)

When it comes down to the people in my life I am most thankful for my husband.  He is the one who started dating a casual marathoner (I was training for #9 at the time), having no idea it would determine a sort of life style for us.  The past 15 years he has been my main “sponsor” and support team as we’ve traveled around the country & overseas for races.  He was with me when I watched an Ironman race for the first time and saw the gleam in my eyes.  It was without hesitation that he assured me I could do one – all I needed was a good bicycle (he gave me his).   He never let a seed of doubt enter my mind and was thoroughly convinced that I could do whatever I wanted once I had the right equipment.  He was there for me holding PB&Js, bananas & power gels as needed throughout 5 Ironman races and always had my favorite post-race treats ready or was willing to head off into the night to find them.  By the time I had finished my last full Ironman race, he had not only picked up my swim & bike gear from the transition area, the swim stuff was rinsed & hanging to dry & the bike was packed up & ready for the trip home.  Triathlete friends asked if he could be rented.

Within 5 weeks of our son being born I was back out taking my long runs on Saturday mornings, leaving Jeff alone in the “deep end” with a newborn – not only for my run but for the post-run nap.   Sam himself has also been a great support.  He was so used to getting outside for walks & eventually runs in the stroller every morning that if we weren’t outside by 9am he started to get cranky.   They have both been great in dealing with the various trials – driving in the dark to drop me off at a race start, fighting LA traffic after getting me at a finish (cabs for that one ever since), camping out in the few patches of shade on a very hot day in Sonoma, & fighting crowds and traffic at many, many races to stand and get a 4 second wave or hug at mile 20.  I know that without the love, support and acceptance of my wonderful family I would not have been able to get my toe to the start of so many races, much less a full 100 marathons.

I had a very nice birthday this year – quietly celebrated with a few friends, and yes I did receive some nice gifts.  But the true gift is the one of this particular life that I get to lead, and the amazing people I get to spend it with.  Thanks to all of you that are a part of it.

Keep moving!

I am now in week 5 of my P90 *almost* X challenge (the DVD set I have is missing the yoga DVD, so I swim instead on those days).  Last week was actually a bit of a test for me – a rest week.  Having one that isn’t trailing a marathon just doesn’t seem “earned” to me, so I had to put my faith in Tony Horton to know what he was doing.  After all, the people on the videos look pretty good.  Of course, when something called core synergistics is included twice it’s not a couch potato kind of rest week, and I still had to burn some cardio calories to keep my mood straight.

This includes my weekly long swim, that has reached a nice 6000-8000 yards and is a nice mind-cleanser as well as a workout.   I had to practice some mood control on Saturday when after 75 little yards the entire pool was cleared out due to a “chemical imbalance” (those damn kids parties) & we were informed the pool would be closed for at least an hour, probably more.  My sanity was only on edge until I was able to confirm a babysitter for the Sunday afternoon lap session & the pool was back in balance by then.  Phew!

I admit that I’m not always the best student with regards to the at-home workouts, but I am doing my best with this one.  I’d say my biggest flaws would be using workout bands of mystery tension instead of installing a pull-up bar, swimming rather than finding a yoga class (and lets face it, it’s the North Shore – there’s a yoga class around here every hour), favoring chocolate milk over the official recovery drink and REFUSING to give up my bakery treats.  There is one other step that I choose to skip along this journey and that was the BEFORE pictures.  See, in the instructional DVD, Mr. Horton tells you all the equipment you would need for the workouts (including that pull-up bar) and tells you to take a set of BEFORE photos in several different poses.

My problem is that there are  reasons  these are the BEFORE photos – and for these reasons I was not about to take pictures of myself in a sports bra & tight shorts without a strategically placed sarong.  Now that I’m 5 weeks in, however, I’m starting to wonder if anything looks different and wish I’d taken those damn photos.  I mean, I’m no push-up queen yet (as yesterdays attempts at the one-arm goodies will tell you), but Plyometrics has become much more tolerable than it was the first week.  I truly believe that despite my best efforts to sabotage it with peanut butter cookies, this stuff might be working.

I guess I’m at a point where I can at least get some photos taken and see where it goes from here, but whenever I’m considering taking the shots in the bathroom mirror I can’t help reaching for a towel to drape just so.  Maybe next week.

Keep moving!