Endurance Testing

Here we are day two of my new healthy eating plan :) I do get a little hungry mid-morning and post-dinner but am hoping that is just my body getting used to my new lifestyle. I am the "keeper of the candy dish" at work (that is my official title, I am pretty sure my business cards will arrive any day now). As the keeper, there is always candy at arm's length. I think I told you that I read an article about how candy dish people got bigger raises. That hasn't really happened but I do have more visitors to my office and those visitors get surprisingly cranky if you have less than desirable candy. My goal this week has been to resist the urge to tap into the candy dish. so far, so good...

The interesting thing about my group is that if I saw them on the street, I would say they did not need to change a thing about their shape. Some are in there to lose a few pounds, others to lose body fat, and some are in there to gain muscle. It is funny how you can be in the kind of shape the majority of the population would kill for yet still have issues with the way you look. For me, I was always slightly bigger than the rest of the kids as a child so I think that image carries with me through life. (Did I tell you I quit gymnastics as a 5 or 6 year old because a fellow student told me I had fat toes? I was a sensitive little kid...) Even now that I am on the smaller side and more fit than I have ever been in my 40 years, I still feel like I could do more. This experience has been eye opening in that I am certain that 95% of us out there aren't happy with our appearances no matter how fit we are. Sad but true...

Today's workout was bootcamp in the morning and then I did a treadmill endurance test with my teammates later in the day. The purpose of the test was to give a before and after so we can see how the heart rate training has improved our speed. The test was a 30 minute run at a 2% incline. During the run, you had to be at your threshold or 10 beats below the whole time. My distance covered at the end of the test was 2.58 miles. Theoretically, if I do the training as prescribed, I should be able to cover a longer distance in the same amount of time at the same heart rate at the end of this program. We are going to do another test at 4 and 8 weeks.

After work, I stopped by the grocery store and loaded up the cart with all sorts of healthy favorites. The plan is to try and bring breakfast and lunch to work as much as possible to save some cash and have better control of my intake. I leave the house at 5:15 each morning to go to the gym and then don't get home until 6:00 or later if I have tennis so I eat most meals and snacks on the go. The trick will be getting in the habit of packing up food every night. On the up side, it should save me a bundle of cash over eating out!

What is happening this weekend... I am planning to sleep in tomorrow - WOO HOO - and then work in a 10 mile run followed by a cleaning spree at home. Sunday is strength training and then who knows?

Have a great weekend!