Hi guys!  I’ve been such a bad blogger this week!!  I’m not gonna lie, I’ve not been doing good.  It’s been an emotional week, and I have definitely eaten my way through it.

Thanks so much to those of you who offered words of comfort and concern.  I’m hanging in there and things could definitely be worse!  I have been very busy with work and randomness (and working on the new layout!!) and I hope to resume regular posting very shortly (and catch up on all your blogs!).  I just really don’t want to disappoint people, especially to everyone who has looked to me as a source of inspiration.  I haven’t been feeling it the past few days that’s for sure.  What I have been feeling is a mix of sadness, shame, regret, worry, uncertainty, pain, and a pinch of happiness strewn about

So I’m down, but definitely not out.  I’m looking forward to the start of a new month tomorrow as a fresh start…yeah I know it’s cliche, but I’m hoping I can pull some motivation from it.  I have a few more tweaks to make to the site (but nothing major), a new training plan in progress (foot is still sore but getting better everyday!) and a new pair of shoes in the mail from the $100 gift card I won for onlineshoes.com from Amanda!!  (They’re New Balance WR769KM…I’ve been wearing these since they were 765’s and I can’t tell you how happy it makes me that they are even MORE PINK now!!)  If that isn’t motivation, I don’t know what is

So TGIF tomorrow!  Can’t wait to catch up with everyone.

What a rough few days.  I really needed more sleep than I got last night, but at least it is a new day and I have a better perspective on things than I did yesterday.  I feel like I’ve been walking around in a fog the past few days, with little under my control.

I read Jenna’s post yesterday and everything just hit me again.  I can’t even imagine what she is going through.  A really close friend of mine lost her brother earlier this year which was tough.  And on Thursday night, a husband of a friend at work took his life and everything has been overwhelming since then.  The funeral was yesterday, and I don’t know how any of us made it through the school day.  I didn’t really know him that well, but it just makes you think about a lot of things.

I can relate a lot to what Jenna said…about not really ever having experienced death first-hand, how these kinds of things don’t just “happen to us”; I am very fortunate that I still have all of my grandparents and close relatives.  But it’s been hard to see those close to me go through these tragedies because it makes it seem so possible.  And this is going to sound terribly morbid, but whatever…because I feel SO blessed, SO lucky to be surrounded by people I love and have NOT experienced anything personally so tragic, sometimes I can’t help but think…so what’s going to happen?  Nobody is ever THIS lucky.  What is around the corner?  I’m just paranoid like that, and I have to push those thoughts out of my head.

So the past couple of days have been hectic.  I have been fumbling and scatterbrained at home and work and eating has not been well.  We are giving state tests this week which adds to the craziness.  When I feel bad, cardio helps, but I’m still out of commission on that front.  That’s been one of the hardest parts.  After a binge, a good sweat session really helps clear my head and makes me feel fresh and re-energized…but I’m going to have to try to move on today without that.  I know I can do it…life is just way too short to be consumed with this foolishness.

Sorry to be such a downer this morning.  Just writing this has helped, and I KNOW I am going to have a successful day today.  I have to.  So many of you are such an inspiration to me, and I have to remember that this is now a place I can turn to for kindness and support, instead of food.

In an attempt to lighten the mood (and make myself laugh) I’ll leave you with my dogs playing with the laser pointer (that we originally bought for our cat might I add).  The laser pointer is the best toy ever.  We keep it in a drawer and Itsy knows just where it is…every day after I get home, she runs from her crate and sits patiently in front of the drawer until I play with her :)  In the second video, Josh is playing with them, and he likes to make them do circles and send them crashing into walls (which I don’t think is very funny, but the dogs can’t get enough!!)

Ok, I feel better now!

Just because you ran a marathon doesn’t mean that you will be able to run 5 miles the next weekend at a 7 1/2 miles per hour pace.  Yes you ARE a rockstar, but come on.

In 85 degree weather?

I made it about 3.5 miles before completely losing steam.  I walked about 1/2 mile, then ran 1 more at a considerably slower pace. 

Then, I started to get a stabbing pain in the bottom/side of my left foot.  Dammit.  I had to limp the rest of the way to the car, as I was about 1/2 mile away at that point.

Seriously.  I’m pretty ticked at myself.  I have never been injured before, and I’m not prepared to start!  I am icing right now, so hopefully that will help.  Did I just not give myself enough rest?  I felt fine when I ran on Thursday and the first part of the run today, so I don’t know.

Off to run some errands (Michael’s, Dierbergs…) and then to see my parents & grandparents tonight.  They are barbequeing at their place!  I am trying not to be anxious in not knowing what type of food will be there…I know about how many calories I will have left, so I will just have to make the best possible choices I can. 

Hopefully my foot will stop hurting!!

It’s been a couple of low-key days around here, and I’m so glad it’s the weekend!  My grandparents are in town, so I’m looking forward to seeing them tomorrow.  The weather is going to be gorgeous, so I’m also looking forward to a nice run at the lake tomorrow morning!  I can’t believe I’m finally at the point where I love running…I actually craved it at the beginning of the week and really hated having to take a couple of days off.  I did an easy 2 miles on Thursday and today I worked out on the elliptical for about an hour.  Getting outside this weekend should be fun!  Unfortunately I also have to mow my lawn at some point, which has to be one of my least favorite chores.

I’m working on putting together a training schedule for my fall races, which really is fun for me :)  I am going to try to include more weight training in my workouts (which I get so bored with…I really need a good weight training plan!) and some yoga.  I don’t stretch nearly as often as I should!  Today I also ordered a photo from the race; I can’t wait to get it so I can work on a shadowbox with my race momentos! 

Two days worth of eats:

Thursday

• 1/2 c. oats w/cinnamon & Erin Baker’s peanut butter granola (340) - This stuff was GOOD!  I have never had granola in my oats before, and this was very nutty and had great flavor. 

• Salad w/2 T ceasar dressing (220) sf jello (10)
• Clif bar (250)
• apple w/2 T pb (270)
• Homemade turkey burger (240) - I just mixed some ground turkey with an egg and some garlic salt and threw it on the George Foreman.  I love garlic and these were tasty!

• Brown rice mixed with some broccoli and cheese (220) - great combo, why haven’t I don’t this sooner?

• sf pudding (130)

Total cals: 1680 (230 burned w/exercise)

Friday

• 3/4 c. Kashi Go Lean! w/honey Oikos (170) turkey sausage (120)
• WW wrap w/spinach, chicken, & laughing cow (240) banana (110)
• Clif bar (250)
• apple (80)
• Leftover pasta from the other night (310)
• DQ Blizzard (680) - Friday night ritual :)  I made sure to leave room!!

Total cals: 1960 (460 burned w/exercise)

Have a great weekend!

Finally today felt like a normal day!  I have minimal soreness, and am planning on doing an easy 2-mile run tomorrow if all goes well.  I have NOT enjoyed taking these 3 days off, even though I know I needed it!  I am also feeling much calmer about food today as well.  It is clear to me now how much I was over-thinking things, which caused me a lot of stress and anxiety these past few days…it’s amazing to me how others have been able to notice things about my thoughts/actions that I was blind to, and I’m extremely grateful for all the support.  By tweaking my BMR with the Harris Benedict Formula that Holly suggested (which has similar activity levels to what I was using before from Jillian Michael’s book, Winning by Losing) I have decided to settle on shooting for 1500 calories a day, plus more depending on how much I burn through exercise.  That should keep me on the slow and steady track to losing 1/2 lb. per week. 

When I decided that this afternoon, it was like a huge weight had been lifted!  I didn’t realize how much just the thought of 1350 calories a day had freaked me out.  I know it’s only a 150 cal difference, but I feel much more relaxed about the higher number.  It’s a bit lower than the 1600 I was doing before, but I don’t think it’s too low that I will feel deprived.

Ok, sorry for so much calorie talk around here :)  It just feels great to have a successful day after having a couple days of careless eating; often that’s the hardest part for me.  Back to regularly scheduled programming!!

Today’s Eats

• Oatmeal breakfast cookie (280) - Another winner!  This one was just as delicious as the chocolate chunk cookie, very moist and chewy.  Thanks again to Erin Baker’s for the samples!

• Salad: romaine lettuce, shredded parm, chicken, 2T ceasar dressing (220), banana (110)
• apple w/2T pb (270)
• Luna chocolate peppermint stick bar (180)
• Dinner was a great whole wheat pasta concoction with diced tomatoes, spinach, italian seasoning, Trader Joe’s sun-dried tomato chicken sausage, and italian cheese blend (310):

I made a big pot, so there’s lots of leftovers!!

• Dessert: I mixed some sugar free white chocolate pudding mix with 1 c. skim milk and a few tablespoons of lite cool whip.  I split it into two servings and stuck it in the freezer for a bit.  Yum! (130)

Total cals: 1500

I hope everyone had a great Wednesday!  I might actually get to bed early tonight!!

Thanks so much to everyone for the kind words and congrats!!  I am really trying to soak it all in and eat it up, because I know I will never have another “first” marathon!  However….two more races are in my future!  Tonight I registered for the Lewis & Clark half-marathon in St. Charles (going to try to make my sub-2 hour goal!) and…the Chicago marathon in October!  What in the world am I thinking??  ;)  Even crazier, I have it in my mind that my next marathon goal will be a 4:15 finish time.  Stay tuned!

The bad eating yesterday was just so bizarre…it was like everything, all my bad habits just came flooding back for a few frantic moments.  Like I said yesterday, it wasn’t a full-blown binge, but I don’t think I am being 100% honest to say that some of the anxieties weren’t creeping in there while I was eating. 

And I don’t know if it was because my stomach was still messed up from the race or because I haven’t binged in a while, but even though I didn’t eat as much as I used to when I binge, I felt so incredibly sick last night.  Just the worst.  And yet today, I’m having to fight the urges all over again…like I can’t even remember what it felt like last night! I hate that “selective remembering”, the thinking that I can overeat tonight and it won’t feel “as bad” as before.  Luckily I have been able to keep things in check today.  But it feels like starting all over again from square one.  Back to re-learning how to eat normally and fighting those cravings once again. 

It’s like this constant push pull…I want to be healthy and the best I can be, yet sometimes the urge to over-indulge is so compelling.  A friend (hi Sarah!) mentioned that having the goal of the marathon within my reach gave me constant motivation to be my best self, which helped keep the overating at bay.  It’s when I’m in between goals which is the hardest; I like having that motivation, something to strive for.  Without tangible fitness goals, I’m not quite sure how to stay on track the way I would like.  Which is why although my muscles are still screaming at me, I am HATING having to take it easy these few days post-marathon.

Anyways, today was good.  I really really appreciate all the comments and suggestions about the calorie intake.  I am really struggling right now with what to do.  I actually have been enjoying counting calories for the past month; it has given me a sense of accomplishment and structure, and I think it really has helped to control my tendency to overeat.  I agree with everyone that 1350 is probably too low (although if I exercise, I will definitely be eating to make up for the cals I am burning as well!), yet I don’t think I was moving anywhere with 1600.  I was kind of staying in place, anywhere in between 141 and 145.  So I’m going to keep doing some research and keep playing around with things.  It seems like such a delicate balance, especially combining trying to lose weight while training for endurance events!  I think mixing up my workouts will also really help me out.

Today’s Eats:

• Erin Baker’s breakfast cookie, Double Chocolate Chunk (300)

I received this wonderful package in the mail yesterday from Erin Baker’s Wholesome Baked Goods.  Yay for free stuff!!  I was really excited to try the Chocolate Chunk breakfast cookie this morning:

For 300 calories, I was a little worried that it wouldn’t be dense enough (I like things that take a while to eat/chew, like Clif bars!) or hold me over until lunch, but it did!  I LOVED the chocolate chunks in this cookie; it was very chocolatey and so yummy.  And I love that this product does not contain trans fats, HFCS, cholesterol or artificial anything.  I can’t wait to try out the oatmeal cookie and the granola!!

• Salad (220) banana (110)
• apple w/2 T pb (270)
• 6 inch Subway on wheat (turkey & ham, american cheese, lettuce) (330)
• Rest of my DQ blizzard (I couldn’t finish it all last night so I saved half for today) (340)

Total cals: 1570

Work is crazy this week and I’ve been falling behind on blogs/emails.   Hopefully I will be able to catch up by the end of the week!  Thanks again for all your support - each of you who care enough to comment and sent nice thoughts my way truly mean the world to me!!

It’s been a pretty cool day :)  I wore my race shirt to school today and it was fun to have the kids ask about the race and talk with the other teachers who were there.  My geometry kids were in awe of the thought of running for 4 and a half hours and I had them calculate my pace per mile given my finishing time.  They were funny.  I wonder if someday any of them will remember talking to me about it and be inspired to run a marathon themselves.

Now that the race is over, I am looking forward to changing up my exercise routine a bit.  I also headed back to the BMR online calculator to re-evaluate my daily calorie goals since I have lost about 6 pounds.  I just wanted to see if things had changed at all.  What did I find?  That I have NO IDEA how I came up with the daily calorie target of 1600 cals.  I could have swore I used the same online calculator, only 1600 is the amount of my BMR + normal daily activity.  So essentially that’s maintenance mode; to lose 1/2 lb a week I need to subtract 250 from that, which puts me at 1350 cals, plus add on some for whatever I burn during exercise.  So I understand why last week my weight stayed exactly the same (141.8).  Hopefully making a small shift will shake things up a bit.

I am a little nervous about doing 1350.  It’s very reasonable, but it’s also 250 less than I have been eating!  The only thing I am worried about is that it won’t necessarily allow for dessert every night like I have been doing, which has been very helpful to me in keeping the binge triggers at bay.  But I guess it will be a big motivator, then, to burn some calories through exercise each day, to allow for those treats!  Which is how it should be :)  With my heart rate monitor, that part has been coming easily lately, and it’s very motivating to be able to see the number of calories I am burning during exercising.  So hopefully it won’t be too much of a problem in the future.

Today, however, has been a little rough.  I consumed a couple of leftover Cadbury eggs from Easter, 2 handfuls of wheat thins, pasta and a breadstick for dinner, and a DQ blizzard.  Definitely not within my calorie budget - not even the 1600 limit!!  Sigh.  I wouldn’t call it a binge…I wasn’t anxious or scarfing, and I knew exactly what I was doing and the reprecussions, but I was eating for comfort.  For what I don’t kow.  Do I feel deserving because of yesterday?  Did I deprive myself yesterday and I’m rebelling?  I did somewhat play the “forbidden foods game” yesterday at the race, which is what got me into trouble later (I only drank water, no gatorade, and didn’t eat the goodies put out for the racers afterwards), because I didn’t want the extra calories.  So maybe that’s it? 

I’m a little irritated by it, but I’m trying really hard not to let myself fall into that mindset of having to be “perfect” and allowing myself to have these extra treats.  I want to remember this week as the week I ran a marathon, not the week I fell off track again with my eating.  So tomorrow is full of brand new choices, and I can’t change the choices I made today, only how I let them affect me tomorrow.

Holly has a really great post today about her experience at the Boston Marathon.  I can’t even imagine running fast enough to be able to qualify for that!  What an amazing accomplishment.  Maybe someday… :)  I guess at one point my half-marathon time was 2:45, and this season I got to under 2 hours, so maybe anything is possible!!  It’s true, marathons are completely addicting…was it really only yesterday that I thought I was going to die and swore I would never do this again?

Thanks so much to everyone for all the kind words and congrats about the race :)  I am so unbelievably happy and proud of myself!  I keep thinking back to miles 21-25 when I wanted to walk so badly, and didn’t know how in the world I was going to be able to run for another hour.  And then I did.  I just did it.  I kept thinking about staying in front of the pace team and keeping my goal of not walking during the race.  If I could make it through that, I can make it through anything.  Even a day of less than perfect eating. 

I can’t wait until the photos come in (even though I always look like hell in them!) and am thinking about making a shadowbox that will include a race pic, my medal, a map of the race course, and my bib’s…any other ideas?  Anyone ever made one of these for a race?

Go! St. Louis Marathon, April 19th, 2009

• Chip Time: 4:28:12 (about a 10:12 pace per mile average)
• Clock Time: 4:37:39
• Sex Place: 269 out of 628
• Div. place: 78th (it didn’t say how many were in my division…)
• Half-split: 2:12:52

All I can say is…HOLY CRAP.  I have never been in this much pain in my life

What an awesome day.

I had been praying for the weather to hold up all week.  I am a weather.com addict, and every time I checked it, it was different.  Last night, it said there would be a 70% of thunder storms all morning today, and Josh and I fell asleep to rolling thunder and rain. 

I tried to go to bed at 10ish, and my alarm was set for 4:15 (Josh’s parents were picking us up at 5:30!!).  However, my body decided it wanted to wake up at 3am and I couldn’t fall back asleep!!  I was too excited/nervous.

Luckily, the weather was actually perfect!  It was right around 55/60 degrees or so, and it didn’t storm, but there was a light rain the entire length of the marathon (except for around miles 18-20 or so).  But it was perfect.  Without the rain, it would have been so humid, and it really helped keep me cool.  I don’t think I have ever been out in the rain for that long in my life.  It made me feel pretty hard-core!

When I got out of bed, I had some oatmeal, and packed my duffel bag with 2 towels, propel, 2 bananas and 2 clif bars for me and Josh, my IPOD, and 6 vanilla GU’s.

Josh’s dad snapped a picture as we were leaving the house this morning:

 We got to the race on time!!  The past 2 times I have run this, I have always been late, so we were off to a good start!  Here’s Josh trying to pin my pace team bib on my back:

I signed up with the 4:30 pace group, which was a 10:18 min. mile.  When we lined up at the starting line, I was right behind the pace leader, but once everyone started moving, he just got lost (he didn’t hold the sign up very well, so he was hard to see…but I guess it would be hard to run with a sign!).  A girl who was supposed to be in the same pace group saw the bib on my back, and we hit it off and started running together.  She was wearing a Garmin (I left mine at home and just wore my HRM) so she kind of kept checking our pace, and we were right at a 10 min. mile.  I am so glad we met each other; this was her 2nd marathon, and she was so much fun to talk to, and definitely a great motivator!  I really don’t know how I would have done so well without her.  It really helped to have another person to try to keep up with and to keep my mind off of how much farther I had to run!! 

The first few miles just FLEW by, and before I knew it we were at the 10 mile mark.  That’s when my legs started to get kind of sore; my feet were feeling it the most.  But they didn’t hurt bad enough yet, and I just kept pusing on.  Having the GU really helped to; it was something to look forward to every 45 minutes!  Beth and I had passed our pace leader a ways back, and we had a steady 10 min. mile pace.  On my back bib, the person at the expo yesterday had written “stay with Charles!” who was my pace leader, and the 4:30 goal time.  People kept asking me, “Where’s Charles?”….when we told them we had passed him up, they said it should really have read “stay with Sara!”  It was hilarious.  I love how friendly runners are!

I actually didn’t start to hit a wall until about mile 21.  Up until this point, my breathing had been great, but at this point my breathing was pretty labored.  But I kept pushing.  We did slow down, which ended up giving us an average pace of about 10:12, but we were still ahead of the pace group, so as long as we kept it under 10:18 I knew we would meet our goal!  Beth kept encouraging me to keep going, and we tackled some pretty big hills in those last few miles.  The course overall was very hilly, which I actually kind of like…my legs feel like they hurt LESS going up the hills because I just push up them trying to get them over with!  And then they feel so much better once I get to the top and it levels off or goes downhill.

At mile 22 I turned on my IPOD for the first time.  I was so nervous that it was going to be dead because of the rain.  Luckily it worked just fine.  I am so glad I decided to bring that with me…it was great talking to Beth, but when I didn’t think I could go one step further, the music REALLY helped me move forward. 

Right as we were getting to mile 25, there was a HUGE uphill to the mile marker, and I pushed way too hard up that hill.  I felt like I was going to hurl at the top, so I walked through the water station until I could catch my breath.  I have never felt that bad before during a workout.  It kind of really hit me that I had just run 25 MILES.  How crazy is that.  At that point, with only one mile to go, I could finally see the end in sight!  So I found a good song and tried to keep a nice, steady slow pace, because I knew I would beat my goal at that point.

It was such a good feeling to cross that finish line!!  Words can not describe.  I still can’t believe I did it.  I saw Josh and his parents near the end, and it was so great to have all the people out in the rain cheering us on.  I saw my principal 3 times on the course (she kept moving around ) and one of the other teachers as well.  So awesome to have that support.  Some of the funny signs people were holding up: “And think; you paid for this!” and, at mile marker 1, “You’re NOT almost there!!”  NOT cool!

I was really proud of myself that I ran the whole thing, except when I walked through water stops; and we didn’t even stop at them all.  There were honestly so many times I DID want to walk, which is why I am so glad I found someone to tag along with :)  I am so proud of myself and really can’t believe that I ran a MARATHON this morning!!!

Here’s Josh getting close to the finish line (he did the half):

And both of us after we had hobbled back to the car:

I’m not going to lie, I am in SO much pain right now.  I didn’t think it would hurt this bad.  My legs are cramping up like never before, and it’s just insane :)  We’ve tried to walk around a bit today, but we did end up taking a 2 hour nap on the couch when we got home this evening.  I wish we could afford massages!!  Plus, with the rain, our hands and feet were so pruny and prone to blisters…the back of my heels rubbed raw on my shoes and there is blood all over the back of my precious shoes :(  My white socks had turned red, and were thrown away.  Miracuously my toenails are all still in tact!

Right after the race, we came home to shower, and then Josh’s parents took us out to the Cheesecake Factory (that was a BIG motivator during the run!!). 

In the car (it’s all over!):

Let me back up and say that during the run, I had eaten 6 gu’s, and once we got back to the car I had a banana and a Clif bar.  But I soon found out that that was NOT enough. 

After my shower I started to feel really nautious.  On the way to the restaurant, it got worse, and I was starting to think it was a bad idea to go out.  I was finally getting my breath under control (I was still breathing pretty heavily once I got home!!), but I felt really light headed and thought I was going to throw up, or pass out, or both.  I hung out in the bathroom for a bit, then once we got a table I tried eating some of the bread and it didn’t help too much.  I really felt so awful.  I can’t describe it.  I was trying to get in water, and I ordered a plain cheeseburger on wheat bread and some fries.  I didn’t know if I would be able to eat it or not.

Well, once I got my food I started eating the fries and DUH, I slowly started feeling better.  I realized, which I should have realized sooner, that my electrolytes were probably very low and the salt on the fries REALLY helped.  I should have been better prepared with post-race fuel.  So I ended up eating most of the fries, and I could only stomach a little less than half of my cheeseburger.  But what a difference.  I started feeling so much better, and even had room for a slice of Godiva cheesecake :)  I almost finished a slice, but it was way too rich!!  I took the rest of the burger home and just ate it maybe an hour ago because I was finally feeling hungry again.

So would I do another marathon? ;)  Maybe….someday!!  Never say never.  But for now, I am going to focus on the half-marathon distance, and trying to make my sub-2 hour goal official.  I love running so much and am so happy with all I have accomplished in the last few months with my training.  It was definitely worth it.  I’m sure once the pain subsides I will already be planning all the other races I want to do

All I can say to anyone who wants to do a marathon…it is possible!!  It really is.  I have had this goal for maybe 7 years, but it was always one of those things that I kind of thought would be fun, but didn’t really know if I could do it.  It feels amazing to accomplish something important, something that not everyone can just go out and do.  I have learned a lot about persistance these past few months which I plan to carry over to future training, and also other areas of my life. 

Time to go see if my husband will give me a leg massage…

Those of you who have completed a marathon, what did your post-race recovery look like?  How long can I plan on feeling sore?  How long till I should run again?

I wasn’t going to post tonight, but I just had to get on and share the recipe for the pizza I made for dinner:

I have never made a pizza like this before, and I can honestly say it tasted better than anything I could have ordered!

What you’ll need:

• 1 Trader Joe’s pre-made whole wheat pizza crust
• 2 cans diced tomatoes
• 6 oz. spinach
• 2 Trader Joe’s sun-dried tomato chicken sausage
• 3/4 c. Trader Joe’s lite mozzarella cheese

What to do:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Brush a little olive oil around the edge of the pizza crust.
2. Spray a skillet with cooking spray and cook the spinach on medium-low heat until wilted.  Season with pepper to taste and set aside.
3. Put the tomatoes in a strainer and press out as much liquid as you can.  Spread tomatoes over pizza crust; top with spinach, chicken sausage (cut into thin slices), and cheese.
4. Bake for 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

You won’t be disappointed!  This was fabulous!

Finally it’s Friday!  This week has been so long.  For a great giveaway to help raise money for the Lupus foundation,  head over to Sweet and Fit .  She has some yummy treats up for grabs!  Peace!

That will be me tomorrow!  I took my first spinning class in ages tonight, along with an hour long sculpting class.  I had a really good time.  It reminded me of how much I love group ex and miss teaching it.  I always get a little cocky taking other instructor’s classes and just know that I could be up there doing a better job teaching ;)  It’s a bad habit!  But really….as much as I enjoyed spinning tonight, if I hadn’t once been an instructor, I would have been lost.  There were 3 new people in class (the instructor did a show of hands), and he did not go over the intensity levels on the bike, hand positions, or ANY body alignment the entire class!  That just pisses me off.  Also, one of the newbies asked him how many calories she would burn in class (it was a 30 minute class) and he told her that for this class, if she worked hard, she would burn between 500 & 600 calories; if she took an hour long spinning class, she would burn 1000.

For the record, in the 25 minutes we rode (he started 5 minutes late), I burned 250 calories.  And I guaranteed I was one of the hardest working people in the room!

But I digress.  I still had a good time.  It just amazes me that somebody like that is allowed to teach a spinning class, and I can’t teach anymore until I get my cert. renewed, even though I taught for 6 years and taught a class at my college on how to become an aerobics instructor.  And I was damn good!

I would love to get recertified someday.  But at the price it costs to get the certification and keep up with all the continuing ed., I just wouldn’t be able to teach enough to make it worth my while.  Maybe someday! 

The sculpting class I took was okay; I really felt my muscles working, and it felt great to lift because that’s the part of my routine that has been really lacking.  I was a little dismayed that I only burned 100 cals in an hour long class, but my heart rate wasn’t up that high.  I lifted heavy on upper body, but took it easy on lower because I didn’t want to tax my legs TOO much tonight. 

Today’s Eats

• 3/4 c. Kashi Go Lean w/honey Oikos & cinnamon (170), 3 turkey sausages (120)
• Tall skinny vanilla latte (90)
• WW wrap w/spinach, chicken, & laughing cow (240), banana (110)
• Clif bar (240)
• Apple w/pb (270)
• South Beach personal veggie & chicken pizza (330)
• Slice of cake (260)

Total cals: 1840

This little card was in my mailbox today at work; it’s a little stone that says “believe” (not that you can’t read it!).  It was from my principal.  She is a runner herself, and wanted to wish me luck at the race this weekend.  She will be on the course to cheer me on, as well as a few other teachers who are running!  I thought this was such a nice gesture.  Plus, today I found out that our boy’s track team will be volunteering at one of the mile markers on the course passing out water and gatorade :) 

One of my coworkers lent me her Kelly Clarkson CD and told me it would be great to load onto my playlist for the race.  I have decided to bring my IPOD with me.  Depending on how chilly it is that morning, I might even wear my running jacket so I have pockets and an IPOD holder…hopefully it won’t get too warm.  Thanks for all of your warm wishes/tips/and advice!  3 more days!