Ouch!

So I was running on the treadmill yesterday and was cruising along when at around the 3 mile mark all of a sudden had a sharp pain in my right calf. Not sure what it was. I am hoping it was just a pull and not a tear. Does not seem to be swollen at all and most of the pain is gone. Just some soreness. Either way, I will be running again tonight. I was going to run outside in the heat, cause I love it, but I think I will do the treadmill again in case of any mishaps. Only 4 days left on my 5K a Day Challenge. I need at least 16 miles between today and Saturday. Even if I have to do it on one leg.


Ron

Raquel's Monday Morning Update

Good morning everyone its Monday….blah! Not really much to blog about today but I did have a break from work/gym and got a lot of well needed sleep. I was a total tired mess that even Ron was telling me I needed a vacation from the gym. Rested my muscles and now I’m back into beast mode (hopefully, okay maybe lil beast mode lol) I got a lot of training coming my way with the Muddy Buddy I’m doing with Ron this July I need to do my very best and with a bit of luck finish at a good/decent time.

I don’t plan on doing a weigh in until July 31^st, where I will be taking a new picture with measurements as well. I really want to go into fall 2012 being lighter and fitter! Please wish me luck I’m going to need it!

See yea in July,

Raquel  

Sunday Fun

So Sunday I was on my own for much of the afternoon because my wife was spending time with her dad and I decided to make the most of it and get in a good workout.  I went to the gym and got in a killer workout of Chest, Tri's and Shoulders for a little over an hour.  After that was over, I went home, had a couple spoonfuls of all natural peanut butter to sate my appetite with a glass of water, then headed out for a run.

I headed out for what was supposed to be a light run since it was the middle of the afternoon and 90 degrees.  I made the first mile and my thirst was really kicking in because the air was very dry, almost no humidity.  At the mile 2ish mark, I stopped in at a Walgreens to get a bottle of water, thank God I was smart enough to bring my debit card.  After a few swigs of cold water, I felt refreshed and ready to go so i decided to go longer.  I headed down a road that I knew there was no turn around for at least a mile(I dont like to run the same route back).

I made it to the 4 mile mark and started back home.  By this time, I was getting tired.  My workout earlier and the heat were starting to catch up to me.  by now I was down to my last few ounces of water and it was warm(not very refreshing).  I pushed through the wall and kept moving.  The faster I could get home, the faster I could take a cool shower and chug some water.  So I got to a point where I knew I was only about a mile from home and I was completely drained.  I stopped and walked for about 2 minutes to regain some energy and then finished my run out.

When I walked into the door of my house and felt  the A/C, it was almost a euphoric feeling.  I was spent.  Unfortunately, my run had taken me longer than I anticipated and I had to rush to get ready to pick up my wife.  So I chugged a few glasses of water, ate a banana and hit the shower.  I didn't get to eat for another 2 1/2 hours.  I would not recommend this.  I was very sluggish and unfocused.  Once I got a decent meal everything was fine.  I am looking forward to my next run in the heat.  Might have to go shirtless next time though, I got one hell of a farmers tan going on now.

Ron

Too Much Running?

So I've been doing my 5K a Day Challenge for 20 days now with 10 to go and I have been having problems with my legs.  As a runner I know that any kind of distance running is usually followed with some type of pain or soreness, but my shins are killing me.  There are times that after a run my shins are throbbing.  I am constantly having to fight through soreness in my right knee and shin while running just to finish a 5K.  I am now 5 miles behind and will have to make those miles up.

Yesterday I gave myself a rest because I was exhausted from work and working out all the time.  I can't wait for this challenge to be over.  There is no medal or recognition.  Just the sense of pride of finishing what I started.  But once it's over, I'm not running for a week.  Gotta give my legs a chance to truly heal and recover from the abuse.  I am hoping that this challenge would have helped me lose a few extra pounds this month.  I guess we'll see on July 1st.

In the mean time, just gonna keep on chuggin along.  I am going to try and hit 5 miles tonight to help make up some of the miles I am behind on.  Better get the ice pack and ibuprofen ready.

Ron

5K a Day Challenge Update

Ok, so it's now June 14th and just about halfway through my challenge.  I am about a mile behind where I should be for the month but I am still going strong.  I've been having issues with my legs hurting, mostly in the shins and my right knee so I started taking ibuprofen in the mornings and after my runs to take down the inflammation.  Not gonna lie, can't wait for this challenge to end so I can take a few days off and recuperate.

On a side note, my wife and I recently took new photos for our weight loss journey.  To be honest, she looks a hell of a lot better than I do.  The first set of pics we took looked like crap cause of lighting and a crappy camera.  She retook her pics with her iPhone and they came out great, maybe I need to do the same.  Unfortunately my measurements have not changed much over the past few months so I obviously need to change something up.  Most likely my diet.  I hate dieting.  I like food and I like to eat what I want but after a talk with my wife, I guess there is no getting around it.  I am going to have to cut out all the bad stuff.  So from now on I will be attempting to follow a more strict diet and see if I can get under 240 lbs and stay there.

Right now I am hovering around 240lbs.  My goal is to be around 225 lbs by the end of the year.  I will be experimenting with different regimens of weight lifting and cardio in order to lean down more without losing too much muscle mass.  Suggestions are welcome.  I will post another update about this in 2 weeks to keep myself accountable.

Ron

Raquel: Work in Progress Results

Hello readers, I just wanted to put up some info about my journey so far. It’s been a difficult one but I’m making it. I decided I was going to take some current pictures of myself to show my results since I first started back in 2011. Well, thanks to a bad camera and terrible lighting they came out awful!!! But thanks to my Iphone, a bedroom mirror and some confidence I managed to take 3 new pictures. I also took my measurements on my total body to see how many inches I’ve lose since day one. Check out the chart below. 

	1-11-11	6-12-12
Waist	39”	29”
Chest	38”	35”
Neck	13”	11 ½”
Thigh	27”	24 ½”
Calf	16”	15”
Arms	13”	11 ½”
Hips	51”	41”
Weight	188 LBS	143 LBS

In total I lost a total of 29 1/2” and 45 pounds! Not bad huh?! Seeing all of this makes me really proud of what I have accomplished so far. I’m still working very hard and started to try new workout and been lifting a lot more than I have in the past year. Getting toned and tightening up what jiggles. Don’t worry I’m still doing my cardio (running, biking, etc). I know what my trouble spots and weaknesses are and I plan to make that a thing of the past and become stronger!

Thanks for reading!

Raquel
1/11/2011                                                                               6/14/2012

                                                                   

                                                           

Raquel's Weight Loss Journey

So my wife, Raquel, asked me if she could write a blog entry about her weight loss journey.  Of course I said yes.  So here is my wife's story....

It’s been really difficult writing this entry about my-self.  I’ve been thinking about how I would even start writing about my weight loss journey because it’s not been an easy one. So I’ll start from the beginning. When I was a kid I never had issues with being overweight I was always a skinny little girl and I stayed like that all through grammar, middle, and even high school. I never had to worry about looking great in my clothes or having to deal with mean kids in school making fun of me cause of my weight. When high school ended I started dating Ron and that’s pretty much when the weight gain started. I would never blame him for it but then you are young and fall in love the pounds start adding on. All we both wanted to do was hang out with each other, eat pizza and junk food all the time. There was no eating healthy or being active.

Slowly through the years I started getting heavier and heavier. Size 10 went to a 13, then 13 went to a 18. We were both out of control with our eating. When we both moved in together it was a sitting on the couch watching T.V. or playing computer games and eating junk all day every day. Was it awesome, sure it was! Did I like the way I looked? No. It felt like I was wearing a heavy suit.  I did not look like my-self or feel like my-self. Nothing fit and going to the stores and trying on clothes was the worst.  I would try on jeans and just cry in the dressing room. I would storm out with tears in my eyes pissed off at my-self.  When Ron and I planned to get married we both jumped on the “getting fit for the wedding” bandwagon. We joined a gym and both got personal trainers. I hated it, I tried and failed. I did not lose a size or a pound. It was so hard to focus on planning a wedding and working out/eating right. I put the blame on my-self because I did not have the willingness to change my life.

We got married on Nov 7^th 2009. It was a beautiful wedding, but Ron and I were at our heaviest. I look at those photos today and think “oh my god”. As time went on I continued to do nothing about my weight. I went into a depression where I would just stay in bed and cry. Cry about how I hated myself. How I hated the way I looked, that I was “fat” and how could Ron love and want to be with me? How could he think I was attractive now when he knew how I used to look? I could not even look in the mirror, I hated my body, hated everything I became. This was not me. I knew I had to do something because my weight was just getting out of control and I really wanted to be happy again.

During the end of 2010 I decided to finally make a serious decision about doing a total life change. I went back to the gym and started eating healthy. It was extremely hard! There was nothing easy about getting your ass to the gym and to top it off eating healthy! Oh my god! But it was working 10 pound lost then 20 and so on.  During the summer of 2011, I started to add running into my routine. One of the best things I’ve ever done. That winter I signed up for my first 5k. I ran and completed the Santa Hustle. In January I completed the 5k Polar Dash in snowy cold Chicago! In May of 2012 I completed my first obstacle mud race called the Spartan Sprint.

My start weight was 190 lbs I’m currently at 143. My jeans were an 18 now I’m a 10. All shirts went from a large/extra large to a size medium. Everyone from my family, friends and co-workers complement me on a daily basis. What a feeling it is!! Even going and trying on clothes is a breeze. I can go into a clothing store find my size and it fits and I look and feel great!

 I really have no goal weight; I would make mini goals and work to complete them. I’m still going, pushing myself every day.  This is probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life, and it’s not easy. There is no magic pill or fad diet I was on. It’s pretty amazing what you can accomplish when you have the dedication and will power. Thank you for reading!

Raquel

5K a Day Challenge

So today I have decided to challenge myself a bit.  Until the end of June, I will run a 5k or more every day.  Now in the interest of being completely open about this challenge I am posting it here before I start rather than after I finish so that I can be held accountable by my peers.  Since this is my idea, I will be counting for all 30 days of June.

Rules:
-Must run a 5 k(3.1 miles) per day minimum
-If you miss a day, the run must be made up for by the end of June.
-Must complete a minimum of 83.7 miles by June 30th(I will be trying for 93.3)
-Competitions do count so keep track of any race miles you do

Please leave a comment if you feel like trying this challenge and feel free to leave an update with your progress.

Ron