First, hello to the new readers on here! I know some of you have come over from the Sub-30 Club and I'm so happy to have you here! Well, I assume that's what's going on, since I went from 6 or so readers to 20-something. I'm slowly getting through the other blogs posted, but I love finding new ones!
I have to say that I am loving the My Fitness Pal website. I logged my off-work days and found that if I was eating what I knew I should, I came in right around the calorie target. I logged a day of food for a work day, which wasn't required, just to see how I was doing then too. Turns out I was under eating quite a bit. This was absolutely not on purpose and I strongly encourage everyone to make sure they are eating enough. Clearly four light days where I am at work and running my butt off and then 3 days where I eat too much (and not always the most nutritious choices) was hurting me. Now I eat at least the minimum, but more on heavy workout days if I'm hungry. I also make sure I'm well hydrated since thirst, at least to me, feels just like hunger. It's actually worse, because when I'm really dehydrated, I crave salty and sweet snacks and not anything healthy. That's now my cue to chug some water.
Well, from Monday to Friday I lost 3 pounds! So, I'm back to 155. That's great, but I need to break through this point and keep on moving down. I do feel good about it since I have a plan and an ultimate motivation - a half ironman and a full ironman sometime in the future. I want to be doing these somewhere in the 130-140 range. I really have no idea exactly where since I've never been there. Well, as an adult anyway...
I had swim class today. I love my class and my teacher is great. There's rarely more than 5 or 6 of us so we get pretty detailed instruction for a very low group rate. The last two weeks, I've finally gotten to the point where everything is starting to click and I can glide more (or waste less energy). She's really happy with my stoke count across the pool (16-18 in 25 yds...not sure how that really compares in swimming) and how much my form has improved. I'm sure I have a long way to go, but for someone who was so scared of a group swim class that signing up had me sweating, that's pretty good! The funny part of the class was when the three of us that showed up were doing freestyle sprints. I get back to the wall and she's laughing. Then she says, "and Jillian swam the length of the pool and only took one breath after she started!" Haha....oops. I tend to do that if I'm not thinking about making sure I breathe more often. While she said she was impressed with my lung capacity, breath control and head position (which is easy if you don't move it to breathe!), she wanted me to at least practice breathing every other stroke for now. Sometimes I forget and do every three. At least if I get tossed around in my tri I know I can hold my breath for a while!
She aslo helped me with my glute pain. Turns out from what she said (from her experience) and what I now remember from others' experience, it is likely piriformis syndrome. UGH. Once she said that I'm sure it is. There's definitely sciatic nerve involvement. How did that not occur to me? I know enough people that have dealt with it. Anyway, the typical causes (tight hamstrings...DUH...among other things) are problems I have been dealing with so at least now I know how to deal with it. For now, running doesn't hurt it and swimming is the only time I don't feel it at all.
I'll keep you posted. Have a great week!
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