welcome to new members! good on videos and yes I am sure you will be great Nemo!! glad move went well Carly and I haven't even listened to all! I think you should get some sorta merit badge for that! the dog has just now moved his bed so he can actually see me and is laying looking pitful like do something with me. anyways some chores and etc so scooting
Nemo, those videos are awesome. As an apartment dweller, bicycle cleaning is a leetle more complicated. But I'm ready to embrace the pro-ness of cleaning. Rich would seriously punch me in the ovaries if he saw my road bike right now. She seriously needs a bath!
Shrink: Great advice from M about how to start getting into the aerobars. I remember when I first got them, I would only ride in them on straight sections of road with no other cyclist in front or behind me. A quiet bike path really, really early in the morning before the peeps are out is a good place to practice. Then practicing getting a water bottle out, drinking from it, then putting it back all while being in aero...practice on the trainer first, then on that same stretch of no traffic, straight road practice pulling out and putting back in the water bottle.
Kris: Nothing besides an isolation room for HazMat helps me and my stink in yoga!
Tracy: Thanks for the reminder for bike maintenance. I'm quite diligent and fussy about keeping the tri and road bikes clean. The mountain bike---keeping that thing clean is a losing battle! I try to hose off the big chunks of dirt/mud and that's it. I got on my 'cross bike last night for the first time since Nov. Poor thing! It still had last season's huge hunks of mud,grass, and leaves on it. Had to do a major clean-up on it---how embarrassing!
Carly: Welcome back to Rochester!
Olivia: Rest with no regrets--I like it! Last year during an "epic" ride in Lake Placid, I bonked/blew up into a million pieces. I stopped at a convenient store where my DH poured Pepsi and Cheetos into me. We were only 1 mile from our rental place. I wanted so badly to take the free tourist trolley back--you know, carry my sad-ass carcass and tri bike onto that trolley for a 10 minute ride back. I just about cried when DH said no.
Being a lurker this week too. Only logging on every other day and finding I hav elots to read. Don't even know where to start! I won't complain about work, but I have a student today, she is close to graduating, so doesn't mess me up as much.
I like Seat Saver from Hammer. Had lots of cysts and doc told me to stop shaving "there". So between minimal shaving, new Castelli shorts, new saddles, I have MOSTLY stopped with that problem. Every now and again 1 might appear. If it becomes painful (most do) I clean with surgical soap, lance it, get the pus out, clean again, antibiotic ointment and a bandage. Painful? YES!!! Over faster? YES!!! In a long race I use the mini tube of Aquaphor as a quick refresher. Waxing is out. I have had many rounds of laser hair removal and highly recommend this. Being a hairy Italian, it has decreased the thickness and number of hairs overall, but there is still plenty. I generally go for treatments 10 days before great vacations or big races.
Marianne- I gave up candy last summer. It has been great and unless I stop at the grocery store when I am starving, I am not even tempted. But if I have just a taste.... I could go off the deep end. Wish I was going to the beach!
Linda H.- Be good to your knee! Hope the scan provides useful info and you can get to the end of this! Bummer about the 2nd house. Something will come along.
Carly- Glad you made it across safely. That was a lot of RnP. Someday I might get to listen to those.
My questions about bike maintenance- What is a BB? If you are on the trainer all of the time, how often do you clean the chain and gears?
Michele: BB= "Bottom Bracket". I've NEVER changed mine or lubed it. You need a special tool to remove it and I haven't found a compelling need yet to purchase that tool. I understand it's really not all that difficult if you have the tool. Now that I live at the beach where sand gets into everything, I might have to invest in one.
Oh- and if my bike is on the trainer I generally don't bother with cleaning the gears. I think Coach R's advice needs to come with a big "IF YOU LIVE IN CALIFORNIA AND RIDE EVERY FREAKIN DAY ALL YEAR LONG" disclaimer at the beginning of that thing!! :-)
So...been off-line for probably a month. Very discouraged...lost focus...in a black hole and finally clawing my way out. There are lots of reasons the primary one being one of selfishness and total self absorption. I think I'm just going to start over here. I have lost no weight and desperately need to before 70.3 New Orleans....don't look back, right, just move forward. I can't change the past but I can change what happens from here on out. So this is my new beginning....not going to wallow in unjustified self pity any longer. You gals are great and I look forward to meeting you all.
sheryl, well we have missed you, really you should post a post "I am wallowing in self pity and will return in one month!"....lol. and big hugs to you! hey y'all know i have done this! "I am taking an online vacay and will be back later" and that way nobody is worrying per se about you. and February was a perfect month for a black hole!!! horrible weather and too much Valentine candy anyways!! and so now with spring break and a race approaching a perfect time to reanalyze life! I love your look forward approach to LIFE and I distinctly remember your story on why you were doing NOLA....as far as the weight gig goes, well in the last month the apps Lose It and other online stuff has hit EN with seemingly success. Linda is using FIt or some such? and Rich is using Lose IT, not sure if this sort of tedious accounting would help you but there it is....most say they never knew how much they were eating!! well hey I gotta scoot and going to attemp a bit of a run this morn with some TP work in there!! my removed splinter on my big toe is still throbbing but no big signs of redness so with bandaid on. I gotta scoot! and get kids ready... m
Sheryl, I too have always focused on how much weight I had to lose before XXX event, and done that for YEARS.. and just mentally crushed myself and sabotaged my training by not eating. I'm just starting to realize that I need to quit focusing on weight and focus on workouts. The weight either will or won't come off, but I'll still be killer fit. Extra weight shouldn't stop you from anything, if you're lighter you'll go faster, if you're heavier, it will be harder and slower, but if you've done the training, or even just most of the training, the race will be great fun. And it's NOLA ( please go to Port of Call and have a burger and a couple of Red Turtles for me!). Donna
Oh what a perfect set of posts for me to read this morning!!! The scale has not been kind to me this winter. Not being able to bike or run for 8 weeks and then not doing any running for - oh- I've lost track- on top of that, well, it's not been pretty. This morning I was simply relieved that the number didn't inch up over last week! And just when I'm about to despair I come hear and find others struggling as well. Thanks for the huge reminder that the scale isn't the only indicator of my fitness and I need to simply keep focused on coming back from this injury in a healthy way.
Pleeessseeee- do not say the word diet today.... this was yesterday.. and I have really struggled being conscienous abt my food choices. Homeade yellow with caramel icing.... yummmmmm
On the bright side, this is what a friend brought me!
Could someone please help me with this! I am at the point of despair about losing these extra pounds I put on. OK, so it's only been a week, but I took the time to learn FitDay (it's awesome), and it says to lose 5 lbs in~6 weeks (not very aggressive) I should eat about 1500 cal/day. I have put in EVERY SINGLE THING that has gone into my mouth into the program to keep track. I have been totally on track 100%, I have NOT LOST ONE OUNCE!!! Not one! Every day I get up and my weight is about the same, or UP a little.
To lose weight according to Fit Day--I should eat 1500 cal/day, and that's before activity. 1500 calories/day is a restriction of 470 calories off my basic metabloic rate of burning about 2000 cal/day before exercise.
I have eaten on average for the last week--1460-1490/day without exception..
I haven't been in high training, but I average between 300 and 600 cal/day burned, which is an extra calorie deficit. (BTW, am I supposed to add those calories onto the 1500 for a higher daily total? If so, I'd starting gaining weight!) So counting the calories I'm burning, plus the calorie restriction, I am at ~ a 700 to 1000 cal deficit daily. WITH NO WEIGHT LOSS?????
What is going on? I started the Cytomel thyroid med at the same time, but I haven't read anything that says it causes weight gain or fluid retention. I am at my wits end. I finallty get serious, and doing all the right things and focused, and there's nuthin'. Ugh. What the hell more is there to be done????
Weight - Is weird. All I know is that when I really limit eating out/frozen burritos from Trader Joe's, drink lots of water, drink french press coffee instead of lattes, and crave lots of green stuff, weight goes in the skinny, happy direction.
It is also girl scout cookie season. I will admit thin mints have been qualifying as green stuff I crave. How can I eat half a sleeve of those things without realizing it?
It also just sucks to eat good food this time of year. Grocery store lettuce right now? Ick. I have a countdown to the start of the farmer's market (two months).
Could someone please help me with this! I am at the point of despair about losing these extra pounds I put on. OK, so it's only been a week, but I took the time to learn FitDay (it's awesome), and it says to lose 5 lbs in~6 weeks (not very aggressive) I should eat about 1500 cal/day. I have put in EVERY SINGLE THING that has gone into my mouth into the program to keep track. I have been totally on track 100%, I have NOT LOST ONE OUNCE!!! Not one! Every day I get up and my weight is about the same, or UP a little.
To lose weight according to Fit Day--I should eat 1500 cal/day, and that's before activity. 1500 calories/day is a restriction of 470 calories off my basic metabloic rate of burning about 2000 cal/day before exercise.
I have eaten on average for the last week--1460-1490/day without exception..
I haven't been in high training, but I average between 300 and 600 cal/day burned, which is an extra calorie deficit. (BTW, am I supposed to add those calories onto the 1500 for a higher daily total? If so, I'd starting gaining weight!) So counting the calories I'm burning, plus the calorie restriction, I am at ~ a 700 to 1000 cal deficit daily. WITH NO WEIGHT LOSS?????
What is going on? I started the Cytomel thyroid med at the same time, but I haven't read anything that says it causes weight gain or fluid retention. I am at my wits end. I finallty get serious, and doing all the right things and focused, and there's nuthin'. Ugh. What the hell more is there to be done????
Hey L- Not much time to respond. Perhaps that is to much of a calorie restriction?? Maybe try only half that deficit and see what happens.
I think I was told it takes 3 mos for thyroid meds to take effect, so more than a week!!! and on the calorie restriction?? well uhhhhh.. no answer!! I am gonna learn the Fit day too since you have enjoyed it. you need 3500 cals to lose a pound so that would be 7 days of minus 500 cals a day so you aren't quite there with a week of dieting, right? is that what I am hearing?? so to lose 5 lbs x 3500 = ??? a lot of work! haha. you dont' wanna hear that! my weight has stayed the same too so we are all in this together!! smile. let's target IMMOO camp for some sort of reduction though! it seems way out there so we can make it!
Linda P- I was thing what Gina was thinking, maybe 1500 calories is not enough, metabolism slowing down due to too litlle calories , reason for power outage on bike? yes, also agree with marianne- thyroid meds take a few weeks to kick in. never heard of fluid retention wt gain on it though. Are you only including calories from actual EN workouts, what about the workout you get with walking/playing with Cali.
Welcome back Sheryl! Actually, I was thinking of you just last night, wondering about NO 70.3. One of the girls i invited for open house is doing NO ( Kelly Murray). She was in Haiti with me. I am also not making progress on weight loss, Not going to be where I want for lake Placid. The past is behind you, can't change, so focus on one day at a time, move forward. We are here for you
Beth- so far I have been able to avoid Girl Scout season, love the thought of thing mints as green food. I like to keep them in the freezer. Don't even get me started on the somosa cookies- talk about eating a whole sleeve Can't wait for Farmers Market
So last night I was doing my run/walk after a stressful day ( my pt did not end up weighing 440 lbs, thank god, but plenty of other stressors) Was thinking for as much as i enjoy red wine as a de-stressor, running helps with that Soooooo much more. I have missed it! While not running was drinking Red wine, not every day, but with more frequency than when I am running. So decreased activity, yet more calories & sugar calories from wine, is why I am where I am with weight struggles. The other thing I was thinking of was how sometimes I rely too much on outside sources for motivation/ pushing myself more ( ie- personal trainer, or perhaps masters swimming) I just need to have it come from within me more. It is definitely within me, I know, but why do i need that external source to pull it out of me. I was once taught " if it is to be, it's up to me" Just food for thought. oh, i'm going to have to rest my knee next few days, no pain while running last night, but a little sore today/ last night. I don't want a setback! Ice, stretch, release,repeat..... I think I have a weakness somewhere with running muscles that is making Hamstrings and aBductors having to work more, causing the problem. We'll see
Another beautiful day here in Baltimore. have a great day every one
Thanks for all the online hugs. I appreciate them more than you know.
Funny story, my incredibly HIGH MAINTENANCE friend asked if I would take her and the kids to the airport this morning and having had this experience before and knowing that she NEVER offers to compensate for the gas (one in a while is ok but I have taken her numerous times at unGodly hours in the morning) I always recommend that we take her car. OK...well, in addition to taking her to the airport, she wanted me to drop her car at the shop so that they could fix it while she was out of town. Forget that the shop isn't really in walking distance....I would need to get a ride home...so...ok...I'll do it. Then...could I please pick the car up when it's done so that it isn't sitting at the shop for three weeks while she is out of town? OK...fine. Whatever....she is moving to Colorado soon and can't really ask me to do much then. So...dropped her at the airport and was pulling away thinking..wow...this car sounds bad (fairly late model Volvo XC70)....then on the road...wow...this car sounds REALLY bad.....merged onto 494...the oil light came on and the little rolling marquee on the dash told me I had no oil pressure and to pull off the road immediately....(but safely). I don't know how many are familiar with 494 near the Minneapolis St Paul airport? Yeah...totally completely insane place to break down. Called triple AAA...called my friend so that she could be stressed at the airport with two small children under 5. What fun is it being stressed all alone?? She mentioned something about it needing to go on a flat bed. Me...if I turn the key in the ignition and it doesn't start...I'm outta ideas so I wouldn't have known. 30 minutes later...AAA shows up with a hook truck. I tell him, I think you need a flat bed. Yeah...well that will be another 30 minutes...OK...I enjoy the traffic zooming by in huge volumes at 100 mph...sure...go get it. Finally 75 miles later...I'm back at home writing this down so that I can vent and then be pleasant on the phone with her. I haven't told her that the shop just grimaced and said...yeah...it was making that noise? Engine's probably shot. I do have to say that I do feel a little better about MY life now that I realize how messed up hers is...
OK...my goal this weekend while we are on a trip to a Growing Power class in Milwaukee, WI is to read everything I can about the EN way and get back in the saddle so to speak. Has anyone here taken their bike and trainer on a trip with them? I am thinking that with my long ride on Saturday, I'll haul them down to the fitness room and set em up and bike. Unless we are on the ground floor then I'll make my husband incredibly happy that he invited me along by waking him at 4:00 a.m. with my 3 hour bike. And really...if the plan says 3 hours and I'm on a trainer is it really supposed to be 3 hours????
I've get to do 3 hours on Saturday too, and its going to be raining. I've got a Troy Jacobson tape that's 3 hours so I'll do that. I also have a few shorter tapes, I use those when I travel - just take my laptop down to the fitness center and do it on the spin bike. Not much fun, but " if it is to be, it's up to me" ( Thanks for that Tracy)!
Oh Sheryl, that is simply hysterical! Well, OK, it's funny to me 'cause it didn't happen to me! But I can just imagine myself in that same situation (don't we all have one of those friends?) and just steaming with anger! I can't believe you remained so calm! You deserve a HUGE friend of the year award for that one!!!
Oh- and no- if it says 3 hours- that's just a guide when you are on the trainer. Just do the main set and get off.
Folks- when it comes to trainer rides... kick out the main set that's the meat. On the OS weekend I think it even gave a indoor & outdoor option. Rule of thumb I use is 50-70% of time as you don't coast, wait on lights etc on the trainer- you work 100%.
The issue I've found with the programs on line... they are good for journaling what you eat, as most of us (myself most included) underestimate what we take in. However, unless you are measuring sizes etc it's an estimate on cals not a fact type of thing. Just know that any guideline or even company's websites and food wrappers are close, but not always 100%.
The timing of meals can also be critical. I start big with breakfast and the meals shrink as the day goes on. I also don't eat after 7:30pm (snacky time and tend more to overeat if I go that late). I would also encourage accurate measures of body fat. When I start piling on the miles, my body can put on muscle pretty quick- which translates into loose waist in the jeans and tight in the thighs! YIKES! Throw in water retention at certain times of the month and it's no wonder we could be pulling out our hair at weight issues.
Ok, so it's 63 degrees and crazy sunny! I'll be watching the clock all day... lemmmeee outttta here!!!
Again, addressing the calorie intake vs weight loss issue. When I started training for IMFL 08, I was 144-45 and had cut calories back to 1800ish. Couldn't take any weight off. At the suggestion of nutritionist friend, I ADDED ~ 300 calories back in. I also rebalanced my diet, getting more protein,less carb.
Also, I tried to create my biggest calorie deficit on Saturday (biggest training day). I would pre-fuel well, appropriately on the bike/run, and then carefully refuel.
By race day I was down to 130 and give or take a 2-3 lb swing, have stayed there since.
Welcome back, Sheryl! I too am crawling out of a hole. Here's to fresh starts! Oh, and had a good chuckle over your Volvo breakdown story. I really liked how you called her after the car broke down. I would've done exactly the same thing! Get us both a can of tuna and a feather toy!!
LP: 1500 doesn't seem like much when you add all that exercise. A 700-1000 Cal deficit is alot. So 1500 Cal minus the 600 Cal burned with exercise = 900 Cal a day. when I was a gastric bypass surgeon and worked with morbidly obese people, my recommendation to them was not to eat less than 1000 Cal day EVER. Your body will go into starvation mode and hold on to every Cal like grim death. I'd shoot for more like a 200-400 Cal deficit.
Michele C: Nice to hear from you, chica! So, have you taken that absolutely gorgeous Pinarello out for a spin outside yet? As for the bottom bracket, I don't touch it. I let my LBS clean it out when I take my bikes in for their yearly tune up. I simply don't have the tools to take it apart and put it back together.
My Argentina pics---I KNOW y'all were just wondering. I've gone through half of them...hoping to be done with the last half by next week. I took so so many pictures of BIRDS. It's crazy, I know. I go bird photog nutty with every trip I take. It's a real struggle to not make the entire vacation album 95% birds. Luckily, I have some pics of elephant seals from this vacation to break things up. Ha!
Sheryl - What a day! Glad you were able to vent to us.
The OS is ending with a whimper for me. I couldn't be happier - and I'm the one who was blissfully happy with my workouts six weeks ago. Oh well. I took a week and half off from running to try to give the ankle a rest and did an easy 3 miles yesterday. No pain on run, foot in ice bucket after the run, no new pains this morning. We'll see... I'm looking forward to a weekend with temps in the 70s so that I can ride outdoors.
Speaking of weight loss... I recently went off birth control pills (because my refill was scheduled during the Week 'O Snow, so there was no mail delivery, so I missed starting a new cycle) and haven't gotten my period since. Right around then (mid-February) is when my weight loss suddenly became noticeable. I saw the gyno today for an annual Pap and she suspects that I'm irregular due to my training (something similar happened a few years ago too). We're still running tests to rule out other causes. I find the whole thing a tad unbelievable because I always pictured amenorrheic triathletes to be so thin their skin looks like tissue paper over their muscles. However, according to Wikipedia, it's not just about your fat stores - it can also mean that my training is leeching every available calorie and so I don't have any leftover to menstruate. Interesting! Frankly, I'd be happy not having another period ever again, it's just that I got these coupons for free Tampax and now they're taking up space in my medicine cabinet...
I feel so much better after reading your posts... perhaps it's the misery loves company philosophy. Suzanne is probably sick of hearing me complain (she's been very supportive) but ever since my crash in Aug my weight has been inching up. Right now I'm 10 lbs from my "normal weight" and 12-14 from my race weight. I never thought I would let that happen. I tried to stop it from happening, but not being able to work out didn't help... and being in a new relationship didn't help... and now I'm disgusted with myself. My "normal" friends don't get it and say I look great... but my work pants don't fit, my jeans are tight (not to mention the muffin top phenomena), and putting on my bike shorts and swim suit is just plain depressing. Ive been trying to get it under control the last few weeks and every time I think I'm making progress I get slammed back to reality. And it's really bad for my mojo. I'm hopeful that now the weather is getting nice (if only I could ride my bike outside) and fresh fruit and veggies will be bountiful I'll be okay - particularly as training ramps up (but I have 6 more weeks of OS before I hop into HIM mode). This has never happened to me before. This is the heaviest I've been in 10 years (I was a chubby kid and downright fat in college... I was so proud that I was 30 pounds lighter than when I graduated colleged... saying I'm 20 down is nice, but I know what I used to look like... I need to figure out what the middle ground is. I can't always train like a madwoman, so I have to figure the off season eating thing out...good thing I have 9 months before I'm there again (assuming I can get back to my old fit self this season).
Speaking of nothing... but commenting on Suzanne's and Nemo's post - I haven't bought tampons/pads in 10 years. Seriously! I stopped having regular periods in the spring of 2000. Right after graduating, before I started working out... and long before I started running and doing tris. I was on the pill and it just stopped happening. I saw the docs (my TSH levels were slightly off, they found a hot nodule in my thyroid, I had a biopsy... what an ordeal) and everything checked out... who knows, they just stopped. Not that I'm complaining... since I've rounded out these past few months, I've been spotting again and last month I cramped for the first time since college.... holy sh@! it was awful... I guess the extra calories... not a fan. Another reason to get back to my fit self! Hope everything checks out with you Suzuki, keep me posted!
Suzanne get your thyroid checked! it affects cycles as well. *** this has nothing to do with anything but in from Dillards' swimsuit dept where the saleslady says it takes trying on 25 suits before you find ONE! I asked if I could quote her! anyway I was helping my GF by being the runner to go get correct sizes, I am now caught up on swimsuit styles!!
Susanna, who is a practicing OB-GYN, makes the point that " amenorrhea is not a normal physiologic occurence, but is in fact pathologic. She says the menstrual cycle is an overall reflection of general health and when there are abnormalities in the cycle, health is not optimal. Though it is convienent for athletes to not menstruate during training/competition, it is not normal nor should it be encouraged as a goal (unless it is absent due to manipulation with birth control pills/IUD etc.). There is so much that goes into cycle normality, and hence why regularity is a sign of excellent health, that the hypothalamus, the pituitary, the ovaries, the uterus, the thyroid, the adrenal glands, fat stores, calorie intake, stress level, activity level, cholesterol production, and on and on all effect the menstrual cycle in such a way that why any one woman has irregular cycles will like differ from the next. Having too little fat and eating too few calories is definitely one of the many causes of amenorrhea and is NOT OK!"
That's her soapbox. I might add that she is 5'10 & 125 lbs, which is technically "underweight". BUT, her calorie intake is normal, nutrient packed, and she has very regular (every 28 days) periods.
What timely posts, ladies! I have been eating so well, logging every bite, cutting calories, cutting out my weekday glass of wine, no dessert, working out more d/t HIM training, and I still haven't lost any weight. I'm fueling my workouts and recoveries properly. As we all know, it's so frustrating! Unfortunately, when I get too frustrated I usually pitch a mini-fit and eat sub-optimally for the rest of the day. Yeah, it happened today. And, yes, I'm having a glass of wine tonight! I don't have much to lose, 5-7 pounds, but that makes a huge difference in how I look and feel being only 5'2". Argh. Luckily, I live close to EN's very own Penny, and we are working out a time for us to meet so she can measure my RMR with a fancy new machine she has. Sigh. Maybe that will help.
Sheryl, welcome back, and what a day you had! You are a super-nice friend to do all that.
I'm supposed to do a 3 hour ride outside this weekend, but it's going to be in the 30s. No thanks. I'm going to try to stick it out on the trainer as long as I can.
Thanks for the weight discussion, friends. It's nice to feel that I'm not so alone in this!
Sheryl, I take my trainer and bike with me ALL the time when we go somewhere (which is not THAT often!)! Throw it in the car with everything else and it gets set up right in the room with us. I often wonder what the hotel staff think, but it also makes a very handy clothes hanger!
Ladies, ugh, I totally want to "weigh-in" (sorry, I know, the pun, arrr!) on the whole weight loss situation as well. I'm 5'8" and like Becky, have fought my weight my entire life. Then I got pregnant, and oops! Healthy eating was out the window! so, I'm working on dropping A LOT of weight and it is NOT easy. I have tried everything...too few calories, too many, this diet, that diet. I've lost 15 since October and the only thing that I have found that works is....(drum-roll,please!) nothing, at least nothing consistent. I could eat the healthiest ever for one week and not lose any weight. Then the next week I'll eat mostly healthy, maybe have pizza and bam, a pound or 2 down. It is very inconsistent. And yes, monthly changes in hormones don't help at all-I'm always up that week. I get mad when my DH sits there at night and eats a whole bag of jelly beans and loses 2 pounds that week!
I'm so thankful you guys have been so open and honest about this! Like everyone else has said, it's nice to know I'm not the only one struggling!
I've get to do 3 hours on Saturday too, and its going to be raining. I've got a Troy Jacobson tape that's 3 hours so I'll do that. I also have a few shorter tapes, I use those when I travel - just take my laptop down to the fitness center and do it on the spin bike. Not much fun, but " if it is to be, it's up to me" ( Thanks for that Tracy)!
Which dvd do you have? I have a three hour one too. Have you done it before?
Comments
Nemo, those videos are awesome. As an apartment dweller, bicycle cleaning is a leetle more complicated. But I'm ready to embrace the pro-ness of cleaning. Rich would seriously punch me in the ovaries if he saw my road bike right now. She seriously needs a bath!
Kris: Nothing besides an isolation room for HazMat helps me and my stink in yoga!
Tracy: Thanks for the reminder for bike maintenance. I'm quite diligent and fussy about keeping the tri and road bikes clean. The mountain bike---keeping that thing clean is a losing battle! I try to hose off the big chunks of dirt/mud and that's it. I got on my 'cross bike last night for the first time since Nov. Poor thing! It still had last season's huge hunks of mud,grass, and leaves on it. Had to do a major clean-up on it---how embarrassing!
Carly: Welcome back to Rochester!
Olivia: Rest with no regrets--I like it! Last year during an "epic" ride in Lake Placid, I bonked/blew up into a million pieces. I stopped at a convenient store where my DH poured Pepsi and Cheetos into me. We were only 1 mile from our rental place. I wanted so badly to take the free tourist trolley back--you know, carry my sad-ass carcass and tri bike onto that trolley for a 10 minute ride back. I just about cried when DH said no.
Ok everyone think light thoughts, gotta be quick, but my next pt weights 440 lbs! Boohoo
Just venting!
I like Seat Saver from Hammer. Had lots of cysts and doc told me to stop shaving "there". So between minimal shaving, new Castelli shorts, new saddles, I have MOSTLY stopped with that problem. Every now and again 1 might appear. If it becomes painful (most do) I clean with surgical soap, lance it, get the pus out, clean again, antibiotic ointment and a bandage. Painful? YES!!! Over faster? YES!!! In a long race I use the mini tube of Aquaphor as a quick refresher. Waxing is out. I have had many rounds of laser hair removal and highly recommend this. Being a hairy Italian, it has decreased the thickness and number of hairs overall, but there is still plenty. I generally go for treatments 10 days before great vacations or big races.
Marianne- I gave up candy last summer. It has been great and unless I stop at the grocery store when I am starving, I am not even tempted. But if I have just a taste.... I could go off the deep end. Wish I was going to the beach!
Linda H.- Be good to your knee! Hope the scan provides useful info and you can get to the end of this! Bummer about the 2nd house. Something will come along.
Carly- Glad you made it across safely. That was a lot of RnP. Someday I might get to listen to those.
My questions about bike maintenance- What is a BB? If you are on the trainer all of the time, how often do you clean the chain and gears?
Oops- work to do. Lata!!
Oh- and if my bike is on the trainer I generally don't bother with cleaning the gears. I think Coach R's advice needs to come with a big "IF YOU LIVE IN CALIFORNIA AND RIDE EVERY FREAKIN DAY ALL YEAR LONG" disclaimer at the beginning of that thing!! :-)
Sheryl- we missed ya. Glad you are back!
On the bright side, this is what a friend brought me!
Could someone please help me with this! I am at the point of despair about losing these extra pounds I put on. OK, so it's only been a week, but I took the time to learn FitDay (it's awesome), and it says to lose 5 lbs in~6 weeks (not very aggressive) I should eat about 1500 cal/day. I have put in EVERY SINGLE THING that has gone into my mouth into the program to keep track. I have been totally on track 100%, I have NOT LOST ONE OUNCE!!! Not one! Every day I get up and my weight is about the same, or UP a little.
To lose weight according to Fit Day--I should eat 1500 cal/day, and that's before activity. 1500 calories/day is a restriction of 470 calories off my basic metabloic rate of burning about 2000 cal/day before exercise.
I have eaten on average for the last week--1460-1490/day without exception..
I haven't been in high training, but I average between 300 and 600 cal/day burned, which is an extra calorie deficit. (BTW, am I supposed to add those calories onto the 1500 for a higher daily total? If so, I'd starting gaining weight!) So counting the calories I'm burning, plus the calorie restriction, I am at ~ a 700 to 1000 cal deficit daily. WITH NO WEIGHT LOSS?????
What is going on? I started the Cytomel thyroid med at the same time, but I haven't read anything that says it causes weight gain or fluid retention. I am at my wits end. I finallty get serious, and doing all the right things and focused, and there's nuthin'. Ugh. What the hell more is there to be done????
Sheryl -- Welcome back. We missed you.
Weight - Is weird. All I know is that when I really limit eating out/frozen burritos from Trader Joe's, drink lots of water, drink french press coffee instead of lattes, and crave lots of green stuff, weight goes in the skinny, happy direction.
It is also girl scout cookie season. I will admit thin mints have been qualifying as green stuff I crave. How can I eat half a sleeve of those things without realizing it?
It also just sucks to eat good food this time of year. Grocery store lettuce right now? Ick. I have a countdown to the start of the farmer's market (two months).
Linda P- I was thing what Gina was thinking, maybe 1500 calories is not enough, metabolism slowing down due to too litlle calories , reason for power outage on bike? yes, also agree with marianne- thyroid meds take a few weeks to kick in. never heard of fluid retention wt gain on it though. Are you only including calories from actual EN workouts, what about the workout you get with walking/playing with Cali.
Welcome back Sheryl! Actually, I was thinking of you just last night, wondering about NO 70.3. One of the girls i invited for open house is doing NO ( Kelly Murray). She was in Haiti with me. I am also not making progress on weight loss, Not going to be where I want for lake Placid. The past is behind you, can't change, so focus on one day at a time, move forward. We are here for you
Beth- so far I have been able to avoid Girl Scout season, love the thought of thing mints as green food. I like to keep them in the freezer. Don't even get me started on the somosa cookies- talk about eating a whole sleeve
Can't wait for Farmers Market
So last night I was doing my run/walk after a stressful day ( my pt did not end up weighing 440 lbs, thank god, but plenty of other stressors) Was thinking for as much as i enjoy red wine as a de-stressor, running helps with that Soooooo much more. I have missed it! While not running was drinking Red wine, not every day, but with more frequency than when I am running. So decreased activity, yet more calories & sugar calories from wine, is why I am where I am with weight struggles. The other thing I was thinking of was how sometimes I rely too much on outside sources for motivation/ pushing myself more ( ie- personal trainer, or perhaps masters swimming) I just need to have it come from within me more. It is definitely within me, I know, but why do i need that external source to pull it out of me. I was once taught " if it is to be, it's up to me" Just food for thought. oh, i'm going to have to rest my knee next few days, no pain while running last night, but a little sore today/ last night. I don't want a setback! Ice, stretch, release,repeat..... I think I have a weakness somewhere with running muscles that is making Hamstrings and aBductors having to work more, causing the problem. We'll see
Another beautiful day here in Baltimore. have a great day every one
Funny story, my incredibly HIGH MAINTENANCE friend asked if I would take her and the kids to the airport this morning and having had this experience before and knowing that she NEVER offers to compensate for the gas (one in a while is ok but I have taken her numerous times at unGodly hours in the morning) I always recommend that we take her car. OK...well, in addition to taking her to the airport, she wanted me to drop her car at the shop so that they could fix it while she was out of town. Forget that the shop isn't really in walking distance....I would need to get a ride home...so...ok...I'll do it. Then...could I please pick the car up when it's done so that it isn't sitting at the shop for three weeks while she is out of town? OK...fine. Whatever....she is moving to Colorado soon and can't really ask me to do much then. So...dropped her at the airport and was pulling away thinking..wow...this car sounds bad (fairly late model Volvo XC70)....then on the road...wow...this car sounds REALLY bad.....merged onto 494...the oil light came on and the little rolling marquee on the dash told me I had no oil pressure and to pull off the road immediately....(but safely). I don't know how many are familiar with 494 near the Minneapolis St Paul airport? Yeah...totally completely insane place to break down. Called triple AAA...called my friend so that she could be stressed at the airport with two small children under 5. What fun is it being stressed all alone?? She mentioned something about it needing to go on a flat bed. Me...if I turn the key in the ignition and it doesn't start...I'm outta ideas so I wouldn't have known. 30 minutes later...AAA shows up with a hook truck. I tell him, I think you need a flat bed. Yeah...well that will be another 30 minutes...OK...I enjoy the traffic zooming by in huge volumes at 100 mph...sure...go get it. Finally 75 miles later...I'm back at home writing this down so that I can vent and then be pleasant on the phone with her. I haven't told her that the shop just grimaced and said...yeah...it was making that noise? Engine's probably shot. I do have to say that I do feel a little better about MY life now that I realize how messed up hers is...
OK...my goal this weekend while we are on a trip to a Growing Power class in Milwaukee, WI is to read everything I can about the EN way and get back in the saddle so to speak. Has anyone here taken their bike and trainer on a trip with them? I am thinking that with my long ride on Saturday, I'll haul them down to the fitness room and set em up and bike. Unless we are on the ground floor then I'll make my husband incredibly happy that he invited me along by waking him at 4:00 a.m. with my 3 hour bike. And really...if the plan says 3 hours and I'm on a trainer is it really supposed to be 3 hours????
Oh- and no- if it says 3 hours- that's just a guide when you are on the trainer. Just do the main set and get off.
The issue I've found with the programs on line... they are good for journaling what you eat, as most of us (myself most included) underestimate what we take in. However, unless you are measuring sizes etc it's an estimate on cals not a fact type of thing. Just know that any guideline or even company's websites and food wrappers are close, but not always 100%.
The timing of meals can also be critical. I start big with breakfast and the meals shrink as the day goes on. I also don't eat after 7:30pm (snacky time and tend more to overeat if I go that late). I would also encourage accurate measures of body fat. When I start piling on the miles, my body can put on muscle pretty quick- which translates into loose waist in the jeans and tight in the thighs! YIKES! Throw in water retention at certain times of the month and it's no wonder we could be pulling out our hair at weight issues.
Ok, so it's 63 degrees and crazy sunny! I'll be watching the clock all day... lemmmeee outttta here!!!
Again, addressing the calorie intake vs weight loss issue. When I started training for IMFL 08, I was 144-45 and had cut calories back to 1800ish. Couldn't take any weight off. At the suggestion of nutritionist friend, I ADDED ~ 300 calories back in. I also rebalanced my diet, getting more protein,less carb.
Also, I tried to create my biggest calorie deficit on Saturday (biggest training day). I would pre-fuel well, appropriately on the bike/run, and then carefully refuel.
By race day I was down to 130 and give or take a 2-3 lb swing, have stayed there since.
LP: 1500 doesn't seem like much when you add all that exercise. A 700-1000 Cal deficit is alot. So 1500 Cal minus the 600 Cal burned with exercise = 900 Cal a day. when I was a gastric bypass surgeon and worked with morbidly obese people, my recommendation to them was not to eat less than 1000 Cal day EVER. Your body will go into starvation mode and hold on to every Cal like grim death. I'd shoot for more like a 200-400 Cal deficit.
Michele C: Nice to hear from you, chica! So, have you taken that absolutely gorgeous Pinarello out for a spin outside yet? As for the bottom bracket, I don't touch it. I let my LBS clean it out when I take my bikes in for their yearly tune up. I simply don't have the tools to take it apart and put it back together.
My Argentina pics---I KNOW y'all were just wondering.
The OS is ending with a whimper for me. I couldn't be happier - and I'm the one who was blissfully happy with my workouts six weeks ago. Oh well. I took a week and half off from running to try to give the ankle a rest and did an easy 3 miles yesterday. No pain on run, foot in ice bucket after the run, no new pains this morning. We'll see... I'm looking forward to a weekend with temps in the 70s so that I can ride outdoors.
Speaking of weight loss... I recently went off birth control pills (because my refill was scheduled during the Week 'O Snow, so there was no mail delivery, so I missed starting a new cycle) and haven't gotten my period since. Right around then (mid-February) is when my weight loss suddenly became noticeable. I saw the gyno today for an annual Pap and she suspects that I'm irregular due to my training (something similar happened a few years ago too). We're still running tests to rule out other causes. I find the whole thing a tad unbelievable because I always pictured amenorrheic triathletes to be so thin their skin looks like tissue paper over their muscles. However, according to Wikipedia, it's not just about your fat stores - it can also mean that my training is leeching every available calorie and so I don't have any leftover to menstruate. Interesting! Frankly, I'd be happy not having another period ever again, it's just that I got these coupons for free Tampax and now they're taking up space in my medicine cabinet...
I feel so much better after reading your posts... perhaps it's the misery loves company philosophy. Suzanne is probably sick of hearing me complain (she's been very supportive) but ever since my crash in Aug my weight has been inching up. Right now I'm 10 lbs from my "normal weight" and 12-14 from my race weight. I never thought I would let that happen. I tried to stop it from happening, but not being able to work out didn't help... and being in a new relationship didn't help... and now I'm disgusted with myself. My "normal" friends don't get it and say I look great... but my work pants don't fit, my jeans are tight (not to mention the muffin top phenomena), and putting on my bike shorts and swim suit is just plain depressing. Ive been trying to get it under control the last few weeks and every time I think I'm making progress I get slammed back to reality. And it's really bad for my mojo. I'm hopeful that now the weather is getting nice (if only I could ride my bike outside) and fresh fruit and veggies will be bountiful I'll be okay - particularly as training ramps up (but I have 6 more weeks of OS before I hop into HIM mode). This has never happened to me before. This is the heaviest I've been in 10 years (I was a chubby kid and downright fat in college... I was so proud that I was 30 pounds lighter than when I graduated colleged... saying I'm 20 down is nice, but I know what I used to look like... I need to figure out what the middle ground is. I can't always train like a madwoman, so I have to figure the off season eating thing out...good thing I have 9 months before I'm there again (assuming I can get back to my old fit self this season).
Speaking of nothing... but commenting on Suzanne's and Nemo's post - I haven't bought tampons/pads in 10 years. Seriously! I stopped having regular periods in the spring of 2000. Right after graduating, before I started working out... and long before I started running and doing tris. I was on the pill and it just stopped happening. I saw the docs (my TSH levels were slightly off, they found a hot nodule in my thyroid, I had a biopsy... what an ordeal) and everything checked out... who knows, they just stopped. Not that I'm complaining... since I've rounded out these past few months, I've been spotting again and last month I cramped for the first time since college.... holy sh@! it was awful... I guess the extra calories... not a fan. Another reason to get back to my fit self! Hope everything checks out with you Suzuki, keep me posted!
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this has nothing to do with anything but in from Dillards' swimsuit dept where the saleslady says it takes trying on 25 suits before you find ONE! I asked if I could quote her! anyway I was helping my GF by being the runner to go get correct sizes, I am now caught up on swimsuit styles!!
Susanna, who is a practicing OB-GYN, makes the point that " amenorrhea is not a normal physiologic occurence, but is in fact pathologic. She says the menstrual cycle is an overall reflection of general health and when there are abnormalities in the cycle, health is not optimal. Though it is convienent for athletes to not menstruate during training/competition, it is not normal nor should it be encouraged as a goal (unless it is absent due to manipulation with birth control pills/IUD etc.). There is so much that goes into cycle normality, and hence why regularity is a sign of excellent health, that the hypothalamus, the pituitary, the ovaries, the uterus, the thyroid, the adrenal glands, fat stores, calorie intake, stress level, activity level, cholesterol production, and on and on all effect the menstrual cycle in such a way that why any one woman has irregular cycles will like differ from the next. Having too little fat and eating too few calories is definitely one of the many causes of amenorrhea and is NOT OK!"
That's her soapbox. I might add that she is 5'10 & 125 lbs, which is technically "underweight". BUT, her calorie intake is normal, nutrient packed, and she has very regular (every 28 days) periods.
Sheryl, welcome back, and what a day you had! You are a super-nice friend to do all that.
I'm supposed to do a 3 hour ride outside this weekend, but it's going to be in the 30s. No thanks. I'm going to try to stick it out on the trainer as long as I can.
Thanks for the weight discussion, friends. It's nice to feel that I'm not so alone in this!
Ladies, ugh, I totally want to "weigh-in" (sorry, I know, the pun, arrr!) on the whole weight loss situation as well. I'm 5'8" and like Becky, have fought my weight my entire life. Then I got pregnant, and oops! Healthy eating was out the window! so, I'm working on dropping A LOT of weight and it is NOT easy. I have tried everything...too few calories, too many, this diet, that diet. I've lost 15 since October and the only thing that I have found that works is....(drum-roll,please!) nothing, at least nothing consistent. I could eat the healthiest ever for one week and not lose any weight. Then the next week I'll eat mostly healthy, maybe have pizza and bam, a pound or 2 down. It is very inconsistent. And yes, monthly changes in hormones don't help at all-I'm always up that week. I get mad when my DH sits there at night and eats a whole bag of jelly beans and loses 2 pounds that week!
I'm so thankful you guys have been so open and honest about this! Like everyone else has said, it's nice to know I'm not the only one struggling!
Which dvd do you have? I have a three hour one too. Have you done it before?