Fitness Goals for 2008?

Txgirl - way to go!!!  You must be doing the dance.

I've been doing well with my activities.  My first trail 1/2 marathon is next Saturday, April 12, at Bear Mtn in NY state.

I've been doing a bunch of hiking/backpacking, snowmobiling, running and some walking. 

I've not been staying on task with my eating.  I need to cut down (notice I didn't say out) my sugar intake. Presently, I'm losing and gaining the same 2-3 pounds which means I'm not losing the 5 - 10 I'd like to lose.  Also I need to get back to eating more vegetables.  I have been good with my water, though.

How's everyone else doing?

Debbie 

Felicia, the Half Marathon starts at 9 AM at the Bear Mountain State Park Administration Building.  I guess the course is challenging enough that they are giving 1/2 marathoners 4 hours to complete the course.  Jeeze Louise!

I do have a sore hamstring.  I plan to nurse it with limited running between now and then.  I can walk/hike fine.  I've been doing stretching and some weight training.  We shall see.  The hamstring problem came out of no where.

Of course, the race course elevation doesn't suggest it to be very runnable so I should have no worries.   :-)

There is also a 50 miler, 50K and a 10K.  It's a Nike sponsored event.  I have a few friends doing the 50 miler.  

Stop by and say Hi!

Debbie 

Trigeek, congrats on reaching that home stretch!  Bomber, good luck in next week's trail 1/2.  I know that area a little - I bet the course is beautiful. 

Post-surgery running is becoming more and more enjoyable.  It was complicated for a while by a seroma in my armpit - when it got too big (golf-ball size I could handle, but not a tennis ball) and too tender, I simply had to stop for a couple of days.  But the seroma is resolving, and running is back to being a pleasure.  I was able to rejoin my usual Thursday group run, where I hooked up with a couple of other folks just coming back from illness or a winter layoff for a conversational 6 miles.  (Most of the group does an 8 mile tempo run, which I wasn't quite up for.)  This morning, I ran for an hour, on grass for as much of the time as I could.

I'm working on the yoga class goal, too - went to a drop-in session with my daughter and a friend. 

Next weekend I'm heading down to Toledo to cheer for teammates running in the Glass City Marathon.  

Linda

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to share my goals...reading all of your posts encourages me to just get moving even when it seems difficult!  I'm post bi-lateral mastectomy in Dec and one month past exchange surgery.  I'm fortunate not to need any chemo or rads, so really have no excuse for not exercising!!  My goal is to get back into kayaking and running.  Of course, kayaking is going to be slow going because the muscles involved are where I'm weakest now due to the mastectomy.  I've been dealing with a lot of shoulder pain and weakness in that arm.  Any advice on how to loosen that up and strengthen those muscles?  I often think "I might have to give up the kayaking"    Right now, I'm just walking/jogging on the treadmill and trying to build up a bit of endurance before even attempting a run outside.  I've gained about 20 lbs since first dx last summer....and it seems so much harder to lose it (50 and peri-menopause).  Anyway, it's encouraging to read about all of your efforts!!! 

Ellen- Thinking of you and hoping you are starting to bounce back a little right about now. Day 6ish was often the worst point of the treatment cycle for me. Whatever you can do to pace yourself/take care of yourself- go for it. Wow- some hair! Am I understanding correctly that that is actually your hair?! 

My neighbor is doing the triathlon with me- very exciting to have a training buddy. Now if my knee will cooperate... 

LCIS Girl- I didn't have reconstruction but I found yoga to be a great help in getting strength and range of motion back in my mast side arm and shoulder. Saw an orthopedist the other day for problems in my "good" shoulder and knee on the same side. He was genuinely impressed with my full recovery on the mast side.

Hey, Debbie, how was the Bear Mountain race?

I am gearing up my workouts with the warmer weather.  I am up to 75 crunches daily with a goal of 100.  I have a 5K (power) walk the  1st and 2nd weekends in May.  The 3rd weekend is the local Relay for Life.  I'm hoping that all this will get me off this plateau that I've been on with weight loss.  Only lost 1 lb this month.  I keep telling myself that a loss is a loss but is still somewhat discouraging to exercise 1 hour everyday on 1500 calories for a 1 lb loss. 

I was wondering how the Bear Mountain race went (and about wetcoast's Boston experience - hoping it went well). 

I took an extended weekend vacation this past week, and got in some great urban runs around Brooklyn for a mileage total of 45 (my highest mileage week since January).  It all felt really, really great - I'm healed from surgery and not yet beat up by chemo - and watching the webcast of the women's marathon olympic trials on Sunday psyched me up to run just a little longer and just a little harder on Monday.  No Tuesday night speed sessions for me this summer, though. 

Noelle, it's good to hear that you're doing well with your treatments.  I had my first tx of dose dense AC this morning, so I'm a little behind you.  (Can I draft off you??)  Oh, and that yogurt parfait recipe you posted on another thread?  I owe you big time for that - what a great, make-ahead treat.

All the best,

Linda

Mine is the 100k Ozfam walk (of which we will run part) -

I also want to get my 10K back under an hour

SNOW!  Enough already!  :-)

As for the lunges, Anne, my butt always hurts after.  I guess I need to do them more than once every other week or so.  :-)  

Anne, congratulations on getting through your next step.  You'll be back to normal in no time.  

Kitty, that 100K walk sounds interesting.  Looks like you are downunder! 

2008 goals update: I went on a Komen walk today.  Got in the wrong group and walked the 1-miler by accident.   Got in the correct group and walked the 5K.  So between the 5K, the 1 miler and walking all around the area, a great day for exercise. 

I have another 5K event next Friday AND Saturday and the following Saturday after.  I am basically walking a 5K about 5 days a week now.  I am feeling much better about my physical conditioning,  Now if I could just get off this plateau and begin losing more weight! 31 lbs to date, 30 to go. 

How are y'all doing on your goals?

Linda, it's great to hear that your running program was able to stay in place during treatment.  Hope it all goes well during #2.

I'm scheduled for a hysterectomy with ovary removal in June so I sure hope that the required month-six weeks away from exercise isn't too difficult.  I'm going to try to walk (slowly) as soon as possible as that is the only allowed exercise during recovery time.  I hate the thought of losing ground on the goal that I've been working so hard to achieve.

Anne, seromas are so uncomfortable.  I hope it is getting better.

Felicia, thanks so much for posting the picture!  As great as you look (and you do look great), forgive me for saying that I'm even more impressed by that 68-year-old grand master!  There's something really special about those few individuals who stick with a sport through the decades.  They're awesome athletes, and in my experience almost invariably kind and humble human beings as well.  I'm privileged to know several runners like that. 

My own update . . . I'm still trotting along after my second AC tx.  I did 6 miles with my running group on Thursday, sticking with the slow/injured/out-of-shape caucus, but still running faster than I expected.  I definitely felt the effort.  I'm keeping my daily runs much more relaxed, but the good news is, there are still daily runs.

I've also started doing some upper body stuff.  After my mastectomy/lymph node dissection in March, I couldn't imagine ever doing a push-up again.  This week - ta da! - I've reincorporated them into my routine.

Linda