Monday, May 31, 2010

Back to Basics

I forgot to do my stats this morning and I have already eaten etc so tomorrow. I am not confident that I have lost any though. I am getting back to basics this week and going to be religious about counting the calories. I won't be training so hard as I am giving my body a wee break but I will still do something.

I think I am still on a plateau. I am winding down the breast feeding now so I am going to drop my calories to 1,600 from 1,800 and not do as much aerobic exercise as I have been doing for the triathlons and see if that gets me over the edge.

How is everyone else doing?

Happy Blitzing!

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Tri Fever!

OK...second tri is over and done with! And to reward myself I had a sticky pecan slice this afternoon and a few glasses of wine this evening! What's the point in training so hard if you can't reward yourself at the end of the day?

At 6am this morning I was having second thoughts about this triathlon seeing as it was cold wet and miserable!  And of course STUPIDLY early! But we stripped off our clothes, stood in the rain and then swam, rode and ran ourselves ragged around Stanley Park! This one was a little different as it was a 4km trail run and a 500m swim.

I have to say I really do have the Triathlon Bug, I am loving the training with my friends, the lead up and the feeling when I cross the finish line and Scott and Callum are there waiting for me! We have 7 weeks off now till the next one...

And of course a few pictures!!!


Happy Blitzing!!!

Friday, May 28, 2010

Running Running Running....

Following on from a facebook conversation, here is some running advice.

Running outside is different from being on a cross trainer, or even a running machine, inside. Get yourself some really good tunes on your ipod and just go! If you feel like you want to stop, pick a landmark ahead of you and think you'll stop when you make that tree, or lamp post, then if you feel good when you get there, pick another one and keep going! There is definitely a "wall" in the first 15 mins or so of running but if you run through that wall you will find you can keep going for a bit longer.I hit a wall after about 1 or 2km and then after that I get a second wind. When I run 10km, the first 5km is the hardest, after that it feels so much easier. The key is NOT to stop when you first feel like stopping but to push on through for another 500m or 2 minutes or whatever you pick. Even speed up the pace a little. You will be surprised at how far and how much you can do.

As always....HAPPY BLITZING!

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Answer to Comments in Last Post

I made a post about P90x a while ago. I think it is good, but nothing different really to what I have been saying all along about mixing it up and increasing your intensity level so your body doesn't get used to the same training every day. Sandy, I would use bigger weights. I use 10lb dumbells and you won't bulk up, I promise you. DON'T BE SCARED OF THE WEIGHTS! Your baby weighs more than 2lbs and we have  no problem picking them up. Shopping bags weigh more. The key is the amount of reps. At the end of your rep you want to feel it. If you are doing 2 x 10 reps then at the end of the first 10 your arms should be feeling the strain, a short break and then the second rep.

For triathlon training I did some research on the internet. I started by just doing the same I was doing anyway on my cardio days. A run or a ride but then I would be doing a 10km run to work on stamina or a 15km ride with a big hill climb. Then about 10 weeks before the tri start doing 2 things a day. You need to get your body used to the strain the intensity puts on your muscles. After every ride run for 10mins to get your legs used to the change in motion. Run to your swimming pool, go for a swim and run back. Swimming uses your WHOLE body and the feeling of running after a swim is quite different!

About 6 weeks before the tri I was doing at least 2 if not 3 things a day. A week looked a bit like this:

  1. Monday - 10km ride then 3km run in morning (Sometimes a 500m swim in the evening)
  2. Tuesday - 14km ride with hill climb in morning then a very short 5 or 10 min jog
  3. Wednesday - off
  4. Thursday - run 4km to pool, swim 500m, run 4km home
  5. Friday - yoga and gentle flat ride
  6. Saturday - 8km ride, 4km run 800m swim
  7. Sunday - trail run 5km to 10km
I would sometimes have 2 rest days a week. If you can run 10km then you can do a short/sprint triathlon. It is like anything you just have to train for it.

I find if you have a goal then you are more likely to succeed. And friends really help. There were 5 of us doing the tri and we all pulled each other along. Amy K was the best motivation, she was so positive and up beat about  everything and having a friend like that to pull you along is as important as the training itself.

If any of you are wanting to train for something, whether it be a 5km fun run, 10km, half marathon, a triathlon then let me know and I will give you support, training tips etc!

HAPPY BLITZING!!!

Friday, May 21, 2010

That answers that question!!!

So.....I guess it is straight back into it! I have just signed up for Triathlon number 2 for 29th May. So I went for a gentle jog last night and am back into training mode!

Also, a quick recap. Back in January I was following a magazine that claimed if I did their exercises I would lose 10/15/20 pounds by March. I have to say that I think it was right! Between Jan 1st and March 1st I only lost about 10lbs but I lost a lot of inches and was building lean and toned muscle. I think if you are someone who has NEVER exercised and you followed their toning exercises twice a week combined with cardio you would lose a lot of weight and a lot of inches.

I have to stress again, for anyone new to The Belly Blitz, DON'T BE AFRAID OF WEIGHTS! Weights are our friend and so many girls just think cardio cardio cardio but if you don't mix it up and add in some strengthening and weights you won't tone up as much as you want. If you are aiming to do 5 days a week, then make 3 cardio (2 cardio and 1 interval) and 2 weights and strengthening and you will SEE the inches fall off.

Also, do not skip meals, do not starve yourself and do not deny yourself anything that you want. Everything in moderation. I use http://www.caloriecount.about.com and it tells me for my activity level and my weight and height how much I should be eating. As I am STILL breastfeeding I never go below 1,800 calories.

TO DATE I have lost in total 20kg/45lbs and I am back to a UK size 10 or a US size 6. Check out my before pic...I was HUGE! I was about a UK 16/US12...I couldn't get the jeans I now wear past my knees and lived in my maternity clothes and even they felt a bit tight.

Anyway, WE CAN ALL DO IT! Don't focus on how you feel right now but how you want to feel and look. In the grand scheme of things 6 months is not a long time and at the end of it you will feel better, look better and be better armed to live a fit and healthy life!

HAPPY BLITZING!

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Days off or back into it?!

Well, now the tri is over but I still have 5 or 6 lbs to lose...I am sort of wondering where to go from here. We are all considering doing another triathlon on the 29th May and we definitely want to do one in August so a couple of things to work on.

I think my body is getting used to the exercise and I need some new techniques to up the fitness and fat burning. Interval training really is great for this so I may have to get back into that.

The last few pounds are always the hardest!

Happy Blitzing!

Monday, May 17, 2010

Some tri pics....

Post triathlon and Week 20 stats!

OK, so The Bloated Bitch has gone LOL! My poor Scott....I have to admit I was a bit of a nightmare for a couple of days!

Triathlon was yesterday, we all did SO well!!!! I wanted to do it in 80mins and I was 80mins and 09secs!  I am feeling fit and healthy and HOPEFULLY am over the plateau.

So....STATS!
Weight: 63.7kg DOWN 800g 
Waist 26 inches DOWN 1 INCH
Hips: 37 inches NO CHANGE (I think my hips will forever be 37inches LOL! Nice to have curves!)
Bust: 33 inches DOWN 1 INCH!

So I am pretty happy. Weight is coming down and the inches are falling off. Just another3 kg to go!

HAPPY BLITZING!

Monday, May 10, 2010

Bloated B*tch from Hell

Hi all

Well she finally came to visit...after nearly 18 months Aunt Flo popped in unannounced and I am a bloated miserable b!tch from hell!!! Stats will be delayed this week as if they are not good I am likely to slit my wrists LOL!

So.....Happy Blitzing!!!!

Monday, May 3, 2010

Week 18 weigh in and stats

Well, apologies for not being online much. I have had a stinking cold/virus all week and have only managed one training session, though it has not affected my appetite at all!

Weight: 64.5kg DOWN 200g (LOL!)
Bust: 33inchesNO CHANGE
Waist 27 inches NO CHANGE
Hips: 37inches NO CHANGE

I think I am still more or less stuck on a plateau and all my good intentions went out the window last week with being ill. Not quite back to fighting fit yet but getting there.

How has everyone else got on?

Happy Blitzing!