video blog from City Hall, Manhattan

Code Red needs your opinion!

First video blog!

Code Red showing some love from Los Cabos, Mexico… Watch!

the final verdict on the code red challenge…

Well, it’s Sunday and it’s the last day of my 18 day challenge to lose 10 pounds. Since I have a reeeeeally early flight tomorrow, I decided to conclude this today.  Also, my computer will be packed up…

I had a super rough night’s sleep last night.  I woke up at 2:30AM with terribly nauseating hunger pains tearing through my stomach like a bolt of lightening.  I pretty much shot straight up in bed.  I’ve never done that before with hunger pains.  I don’t usually get them at all.  So I got up and fixed a snack and drank a ton of water.  It was so disturbing and intense that I’m wondering if God woke me up to pray for something.   Sometimes He’ll do that, you know.  He might need you to pray for something right then but, of course, I didn’t think of that right then–I could only think of food.  So I hope I didn’t fail God (sorry, Lord).  He’ll give me another chance, though.  That’s one of the great things about God.  He never gives up on us no matter how many times we screw up.

Anyway, here’s the final weight.  I didn’t make the 10 pound mark but I’m happy with this considering that I wasn’t able to use any other form of exercise besides running. Total weight loss was a little over 7 LBS.  But the real bottom line is that I feel really good and like I’ve said all through this, feeling good is all that matters.  It’s not just about the scale.  Hope you guys have learned something from this as I have learned a great deal.  I think, for me, it’s gonna take more than just roadwork to keep me where I want to be. These past 18 days were not easy by any means. In fact, it was a downright struggle.  I’m looking so forward to lacing them up mid-September when I return from vacation. Boxing is a vital part of my well-being and I’m not complete without practicing the sweet science.  

I don’t think I’ve ever hit the 0.0 mark.  That’s pretty funny.  Check out my nasty feet with the blisters.  YUCK!  LOL

2 days left for Code Red Challenge

It was a beautiful Saturday.  Champ and I went out for a long walk early.  There was a kind of a festival thingy downtown and a bunch of streets were blocked off to allow vendors to set up and sell things.  It was really nice to walk through and see.  I’m so over the Code Red Challenge but I refrained from eating the funnel cakes and crepes as I strolled through.  Every pound counts at this point and I can’t afford to put on anything before weigh in.  As it is, I don’t think I did very well.  But I feel terrific.

 

• 9AM             Protein shake
• 10AM-1PM  Walk with the dog
• 1PM              Veggie burrito
• 6PM              Salad with spinach and pinto beans
• 9PM             Long distance run after it cooled down.  

Stopped off at City Hall and sprinted the stairs.  Made my legs turn to jell-o .  Also banged out some push-ups and sit ups and jump squats while I was there.

I’m totally into this picture-posting thing.  It makes the blog more interesting.  I need all the help I can get!  My mom, sisters and I send pics back and forth because we all live thousands of miles apart and it’s the best way to stay in touch. I sent this to them this morning.

day 15: 3 days left

It’s totally Friday.  I’ve let the running drop to once a day, to my disappointment.  This is really a critical time for me to really give it all I’ve got like we do during the last few seconds of a round in boxing.  Just go for broke!  But I feel like I’m dropping the ball–perhaps due to burnout or perhaps due to the fact that I’m fairly satisfied with the way I look so I’m not as compelled to get back into my soggy clothes and grunt out another 4 miles.  Also, it has rained every day and I never know when it’s gonna rain so it has been putting a damper (no pun intended) on my routine.  BUT–still, that’s no excuse.  I work at the nicest, most high tech training facility in New York so I could always hit the treadmill there.  So if I don’t meet my goal, the bottom line is I didn’t do all I could do.  But I still have a couple of days left so we’ll see…

• 7AM   Protein shake and banana
• 10AM Cup of coffee
• noon  yam
• 2:30   Nectarine and small bag of peanuts
• 4:00   Sandwich and chips at home
• 11PM Rain finally stopped.  3.5 mile run

As you can see, I finally figured out how to add photos to the blog so here is my shirt I had on today.  Says it all, uh?

day 14: 4 days left

Thursday.  Rain, rain, go away.

• 7AM   Protein shake and banana
• 10AM Yam
• Noon  Sandwich and chips
• 5PM   Nectarine 
• 7PM   Some cooked spinach
• 8PM   3.5 mile run

I wasn’t hungry this afternoon for some reason, but forced down some spinach cause I didn’t want to wake up hungry in the middle of the night.  

I can’t wait for Mexico.  I can already taste the salt around the rim…

 This was last year’s trip to Mexico.  Thought you might laugh.  I love cigars…

day 13–I’m getting excited!

It’s Wednesday and I’m really getting excited for Cabo.  The weather was just awesome today which only added to my already happy mood.  Plus, I talked to my Mom for almost an hour on the phone and we did the whole girl thing like, “What are you gonna pack for sundresses?” and “can I borrow your cute necklace that hangs down low?”  My parents, by far, are two of the coolest people on this planet.  And my relationship with them only deepens as the years pass.  I can’t wait to see them.  But until then, my training continues and it’s no easy feat, let me tell you.  I overslept this morning so didn’t do my early AM run.  That only meant my late night run had to be longer and more intense.  I really needed both runs today since I’m really getting down to the wire and I need every chance I can get to keep the weight coming off.  Oh well…

• 7AM   Protein shake with a banana
• 10AM coffee from the street vender guy (my favorite thing about New York)
• Noon  1/2 of a yam cooked until soft and eaten plain
• 1PM    Mixed nuts
• 3PM    More mixed nuts
• 4PM    The other half of that yam
• 5PM    Huge salad with spinach, fish and italian dressing
• 8PM    Long run

day 12: 6 days left

It’s Tuesday and I’m getting closer to d-day, or should I say “M” day for “Mexico.”  I feel great today.  The rain finally stopped so I was able to resume normal outdoor training.

• 7AM   3.5 mile run
• 8AM   Protein shake
• 9AM   3.5 mile run
• 11AM sandwich, chips
• 4PM   Banana
• 6PM   Salad with spinach and fish drizzled with lite italian dressing
• 8PM  Sprint intervals on stairs at City Hall.  Also mixed in was jump rope, push-ups, ab work, one minute each for almost a half hour.

I’m excited to step on the scale and see how I’ve done but in the same respect, I’m a little hesitant to do so.  Not because I’m afraid of failing but because weighing myself goes against everything I believe in and preach to my clients.  The bottom line is I feel great in my clothes and swimsuit and that’s all that should matter to any of us.  That’s all I want for you, too.  But I gave my word, so I must follow through and get the final weight to see if I was able to pull this off.  The scale just isn’t accurate when it comes to muscle weight and water fluctuations.  So remember that when one morning you weigh yourself and the next morning you’re 5 lbs heavier.

day 11: 7 days left

It’s Monday.  Champ and I slept in late because it was raining and felt so good to stay curled up under the covers and listen to the pitter-patter.  

• Noon   Protein shake
• 1-3PM Walked all over Manhattan running errands with the dog
• 3PM     Peas, carrots, brown rice and pinto beans
• 4PM     Still hungry so I had a bowl of oatmeal.  Felt much better.
• 6PM     Yam cooked until soft and eaten plain
• 9PM     Long distance run with sprint intervals added in

It doesn’t look like I ate much but remember I didn’t do much, either.  So my body didn’t require much fuel.  As you can see, I’m a pretty low-maintenance eater and I can eat the same thing over and over and it doesn’t bother me.  Once I discover something I like and I know that it’s good for me, I just keep eating it.  For one, the veggies you can pretty much never get enough of.  Chances are, you’re not gonna eat “too many” vegetables.  And like the beans and brown rice are excellent for you; just don’t eat them too late (since they take long to digest).  And, as always, lots and lots and lots and lots of water.

    

Animal–I love this

History is a bitch.  Is is merciless, weeding out the wannabe pretenders from the true contenders.  It crushes the weak, leaves ’em behind.  It stops for no man.  But that don’t mean you can’t push back.  Who are the defiant?  When it’s time to spill blood and guts, they come with buckets in hand.  When the chips are down, they rise to the occasion. When a balls out session calls, they’re always the first in line-and they get right back in to ask for more… More punishment means more reward.  Standing tall, they are warriors.  They are mythmakers.  A breed apart, we are not made, we are born.  Born for this, born to shine in the darkness.  So take a long hard look in the mirror and ask yourself this: are you a leader?  Or will you be forever resigned to follow?  When history is made, will you be the one making it, unracking the iron and unsettling the dust?  Or will you sit on your ass reading about it long after the fact?  

There is no room for second.  

No place for the imitator.  

No space for the poser.  

History will be made…For the one.

http://www.animalpak.com/iconic