Round 3... let's go!

I am so super pumped for Round 3, 2011.  It started today.  I was a tiny bit slack in between the two rounds (food, didn't slack off on exercise for one second), but I'm back baby!  I used to wear scrubs at work that were a size XL.  I bought a Medium size a while ago, but they only arrived 2 weeks ago.  The top was fine, but the bottoms were a little snug.  This week, they are loose.  Love it!

I am increasing my running distance, gradually, and I feel like my running sessions are giving me the best results to date.  I also love me a BodyStep class.  I had a friend stop me, mid sentence, last week to comment on my calves!  I was rapt.  I also am loving the very new sensation of feeling my bones re-emerge.  Can't wait for December/late Nov, when I reach my goal.  I might be "done" with the 12wbt by then, or I may have become more addicted and feel the need to enrol in Lean and Strong.  Doubt it though, as I'd rather be fit than ripped!  Never say never!

Wow!

Round 3 of the 12wbt will start on Monday, and I'm so excited!  I did my fitness test today, and I was absolutely blown away.  When I started Round 2, I couldn't run for 60 seconds without stopping, gasping!  I did 45 seconds as my wall-sit.  I think I did 12 push ups.  I did 8 mins 45 seconds as my 1km time trial.

At Week 8, my results told me that I was now "Intermediate".  At the Finale workout, they asked for people from Intermediate to try out "Advanced".  NO WAY!  Today, just 4 weeks after that day, I did another Fitness Test.  OMG, I'm "Advanced" in every category.  My daughter was blown away, as I did it with her last time.  She couldn't believe how quickly I'd advanced.

Having said that, I've been busting my butt at the gym 6 days per week, and I've earned this.  It still seems weird, as I've never been "athletic" or "fit".  I'm the girl who can't run, and is a couch potato in my head.

I'm very proud of the fact that, as a 40 year old (did I say that out loud??) I'm fitter than I was at 30.  Even 25 perhaps?  I was skinny at 25, but not fit.

In other news, I'm over my rant from the other day.  Their problem.  This is MY journey, not theirs.  I also need to let it go when I hear of people who are doing the 12wbt but are not prepared to do it properly.  That's their issue, not mine.

My tally is standing at 21.3kg lost as of yesterday.  My confidence is soaring, my self esteem is back where it should be, and I feel pretty fricken amazing!  I like what I see in the mirror, and more importantly, I FEEL great.  No more breathlessness on stairs, my resting heart rate is bradycardic, and (apart from some training aches and pains) I feel like  a teenager!  WTF didn't I do this years ago?  Because I wasn't ready to hear it.  That's why.  

Grrrrr

I'm feeling a little cranky today.  I guess it had to come, but I wasn't prepared for this just yet...  I'm starting to get loads of comments about how I "surely don't need to lose any more weight".  In the scheme of things, it's sort of a compliment I guess, but it makes me feel angry.  I know that it's more about the person who says it than it is about me (ie, their own body image issues) but I am getting sick of it.

Here are the facts.  Yes, I've lost 20kg.  BUT, I was 35kg overweight for God's sake.  You do the math.  My BMI still puts me in "Overweight" category.  

So, I don't care if me losing weight is confronting to anyone else, I'm going to keep going until my BMI within the healthy weight range.

Vent over...  back to normal transmission...

20kg gone, and 10 years, apparently!

I've reached a big milestone!  20kg gone!  I used to imagine what it would be like to wear nice clothes, like who I saw in the mirror, reclaim my life... now I'm doing all those things and more.

I worked tonight, and worked with a colleague who I haven't seen in a while.  As soon as she walked into the tea room, her jaw literally dropped and she said, "Fark (she's Irish!) what's going on?  You're fading away!".  I told her what I'd been doing, and she was so thrilled for me.  She kept staring at me over the next 8 hours, and at the end of the shift, she came up and hugged me and said that I look at least 10 years younger.  I was blown away, and a bit emotional!

I don't know if I've mentioned here, but I a month or so ago, I signed up for a FunRun sponsored by my employer.  I was going to sign up for the 5km run, but a colleague talked me into signing up for the 10km.  At the time I thought it was ages away and I'd be right.  I really only started taking running seriously after I did this.  In the past few weeks, I've had my doubts that I'd be able to do it, even though I kept feeling stronger and stronger with my running.  I've heard many people say that running on the treadmill is much easier than road running, so I was doubting myself.  Today, it was such a glorious day here, that I thought it'd be the perfect day to get outdoors and run.  I mapped out a 7km course via the website MapMyRun.  I totally amazed myself by being able to run it, non-stop!  Took me a bit over 50 mins.  And I was worried that I couldn't run 10 mins!!  The longer I ran, the more empowered and pleased with myself I was, so I just kept going.  I am in no danger of breaking any land-speed records, but I did it!

Wow, I'm a runner!

I've been doing the C25k running program for a few weeks now, and today's run called for 20 whole minutes of running - no walking in between. I've never done that before- the most I'd done prior to today was 8 mins at a time. I was thinking that I'd struggle... Guess what? I smashed it! Felt so comfortable and easy that I actually managed 28 mins before I did 1 minute of walking, then ran for another 10! OMG! I feel 10 foot tall and bullet-proof tonight!

Hello triceps!

Wow... Upped my weights at gym yesterday and my triceps are killing me today. Either that, or it was the "speed ball" moves in Body Combat that have made me wake up sore.

The bloody scales didn't move today. :-( Don't know if it was the wine last week, or maybe just a bit of a plateau. Either way, I'm glad they didn't move up! Just have to keep putting one foot in front of another and be super clean with my eating.

Totally pumped!

So, after coming home from the high of the Finale party and workout, I have to admit that I let my guard down a bit. I don't think it shows on the scales, but I had 3 nights in a row where I drank wine after dinner. Not large amounts, but all of a sudden I stopped and realised that I was becoming complacent and starting to let old habits drift back in.

I stopped right then, and won't let that nasty little habit back in, thank you very much.

I was feeling positive about Round 3, which starts in September, but was lacking the absolute excitement and focus that I had prior to Round 2. I guess I was too caught up in celebrating my losses in Round 2, to look forward to the task ahead. Then, last Friday, something just clicked. Unlike last Round, when I was uncertain that I would stick to it, get results etc, this time I'm going into it KNOWING exactly what I have to do to reach my goal. AND I'm going into it a totally different person than I was last time. This time, I'm happy, positive, empowered and like what I see in the mirror.

My husband has been my biggest supporter - always allowing me time to train, day and night. Today, he saw me wearing my new 3/4 jeans and fist pumped the air, announcing "She's back, baby!" He's so sweet...

I'm eating clean, training like a mongrel, and I'm so excited to jump into the next 14 weeks!