Sugar and Training Update

[Veronica]

I've been watching my sugar intake since mid July - about six weeks now. My trainer just did another weigh and measure session with me. I've lost seven pounds and 5% body fat. My lean body mass has stayed the same. I'm down about an 1.5 inches across my chest and back and the same across my butt and hips. With legs and arms added in, it totaled up to about a 5 inch loss. I'm just about to walk out of the Athena division.

I'm not doing as much cardio as I had been before my HIM. We've been putting the last of our wood flooring down and then I went back to work and it's been hard to fit it in. I have been doing the weight training twice a week with the trainer, weekend warrior bike rides, mostly rides up Diablo, but I did a 200 K two weeks ago and a few short runs here and there.

I didn't change my diet all that much. The big thing is I don't drink any sugared drinks other than a serving of OJ. I'm drinking lots of water instead. I cut out the yogurt I had been eating for breakfast. I have Frosted Mini Wheats instead. They have about 1/3 of the sugar that my yogurt breakfast had.

The few runs and bike rides that I have done this past month have felt really good. I had a fantastic 200K. One of my fastest times ever, on a pretty hilly course and at the finish I was exuberant, not nearly dead. The 17% on Diablo has seemed so much easier as well.

I know there is this huge debate about whether or not cyclists need to do leg weights. This cyclist needs to do leg weights. That 17% of Diablo used to send my heart rate right up to 192. Last weekend I was talking to Thom as I rode up it and my HR topped out at 180.

Now that school has been in session for two weeks I can hopefully get back into a regular routine of running in the morning. I have another sprint tri at the end of the month.

Veronica

[crazycanuck]

Aha! You're here and rather healthy I see!!

I was wondering where you'd disappeared to!

[squirrell]

I just switched to Mini-Wheats or Shredded Wheat for breakfast, too.

Did you know they have NO Sodium! That's why I switched to them from Cheerios.

[jobob]

V looks great - I noticed the difference right away when I saw her this morning. Her waist is tiny!

[Veronica]

Jo's first question, "Are you sucking in your gut?"

No, about half of every training session is spent on Core exercises. Then when we do move on to another body part, she'll still throw in something on the Bosu, so I'm still having to use those muscles to stabilize.

I hate anything that isolates my lower abs. They are my weakest link.

Veronica

[yellow]

Good job, V! It's hard to cut out the sugar...lawd knows I've been trying (not very successfully, though).

I've been struggling with trying to shed the poundage and body fat that I've acquired over the last 6 months. I finally started keeping a food diary and have really been paying attention to ingredients. Not that it's helped a whole lot, other than to just make me aware of just how much crap I was eating when I didn't think it was crap (mostly corn derivatives, esp HFCS, which is what is in those sugary sodas you've cut out). Unfortunately my results have been lean body mass lost and no fat lost (although admittedly the lean body mass loss have been minuscule). I think in order for me to lose what I'm calling the 5 & 5 (5 lbs, 5% BF), I will need to **gasp** exercise more. It's been a nice little break, but I can't get rid of the 5 & 5 unless I do that, I think.

That being said, Martha and I are going to go out and run to the summit of Mt Timpanogos today. OK, run-hike.

[Veronica]

I bet it's more run than hike.

Veronica

[yellow]

I bet it's more run than hike.

With her, you are probably right. She hurts me.

[Veronica]

You're lucky to have a running partner. I'm still too slow to run with the other people who I know run. I'm down to about a 10:15 average pace over 4 miles. A huge improvement over when I started in April, but still rather pokey.

I was whining to Thom the other day that swimming and cycling are easy for me. Why isn't running? He reminded me that I have a long history of cycling and swimming. And about how tough running is on your body. He's really good for helping me to keep things in perspective.

Veronica

[OakLeaf]

Yellow, after you shared those pics of yourself in the bikini, you're fooling NO ONE.

I'm just saying.

[yellow]

Yellow, after you shared those pics of yourself in the bikini, you're fooling NO ONE.

I'm just saying.

Girl, you should have seen me in January. That's what I'm going for. Since that time I've gained 5-8 pounds (depending upon the day) and 5% BF. I feel it when I run. I have a few pairs of pants I can't wear comfortably.

V, I run alone a lot. It's hard to find running partners. I actually found a pretty good one on Craigslist a while back, but, unfortunately, she moved. M's the only one that's crazy enough to agree to go out and run up mountains with me. We're pretty compatible...she's faster going uphill and I'm faster going downhill. I won't even tell you the pace we run; doesn't matter for trails. But I will tell you that our average today was WAY slower than 10:30 mm.

Today's highlight was that we saw oodles of mountain goats, including some very cute and fluffy babies. We were probably within 10' of them. Of course, I didn't have a camera today. Stopping to watch them did mess up our average pace.

[tulip]

That's great, Veronica. Very inspirational! Lean is good.