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@alwaysadrunk-blog
How is your weight loss coming?
... slowly. very very slowly. but! it's been ... 10 weeks? on weight watchers? and i'm still in the red, so that's better than about 80% of the time before.
thank you for asking though, so sweet of you!
Exercises that work: planks
Yeah. I'm with you. PLANKS SUCK!!! But you know what? They're dead useful, in that they not only work like, every muscle (if my amount of soreness has anything to do with it) but you can do them quite literally anywhere.
See: last year's planking meme.
Anyway, I can't describe planking as well as a video can, so here ya go:
As they say - start with 15 seconds. I actually started with 10 seconds, 3 times, every other day. I'm not that far from it, but my goal is eventually to do 1 minute planks, 5X, every other day. Cause dudes. That's a crazy workout, and it's only 5 minutes! Plus recovery, so more like an hour. Or something like that!
dailyish dose of curvspo - hollywood works out! sometimes we see these actresses looking effortlessly glam at premieres and forget that in fact, it requires a SHIT ton of effort. that's why today we're looking at a bunch of stars in different shapes/sizes rocking their workout.
Habit is habit and not to be flung out of the window by any man, but coaxed downstairs a step at a time.
Mark Twain
dailyish dose of curvspiration - Octavia Spencer! i have to admit i haven't (yet) seen the help, but of the things i've seen her in (this is an embarrassing list and it includes win a date with tad hamilton, seven pounds, never been kissed, etc) she's always made an impressive impression on me. more importantly, i think there's a lot you can tell about people by whom they surround themselves with and some of her besties - Allison Janney and Melissa McCarthy, specifically - are some of my abfaves in the entire world. for curvspo, Octavia is a great model - she wears things that flatter her body, doesn't shy away from color or statement clothes, and also? she's frank, awesome, and not at all ashamed of her shape. GO OCTAVIA! I will see the help and I will love you in it and also, you're amazing.
Exercises: SHORT RUNS!
I hate running. I'm not ashamed to say it. It makes me all flemmy when it's cold out, and sore no matter what, and I look like an asshole doing it.
Yet?
I know how good it is for me because I FEEL so much better when I'm running. And long runs - for me, even 6 miles is a long run because I'm so slow - are fabulous. Just past the 3rd mile is when I start to like running, and around mile 5 is when I "get in touch with myself".
Not TOUCH myself. IN touch WITH. Hehe!
Seriously though, sometimes you just don't have the time or the mental ability to deal with a 6 (or more) mile run. On these days, I like "track" workouts. Track workouts are designed to up speed, but even if you're not super hardcore, they're intense and short bursts of energy for a short period of time. Everyone has 30 minutes! And this is what I do when I can't make room for more:
800m warm-up. If you live near a track, great - that's usually 2X around (assuming it's a 400m track, but be sure to check). If not, use your usual way of tracking miles - eg, a garmin watch or DailyMile or MapMyRun or the treadmill. 800m is pretty much a half mile. Do this at a super comfortable (ehem, slow?) pace.
400m sprint-ish. Yeah I mean no, you're not sprinting for 400m (or 1/4 of a mile) but you are going faster than you're comfortable with. By the end of the 400m you should definitely be breathing heavily, like you just finished a short race, which let's be honest - you sort of did! To determine the pace you should be running, check out the McMilian pace calculator. It's awesome - you put in a time you've run at a specific distance (5K/10K/etc) and it spits out what should be your shorter run's pace. If you want to be hardcore, set a goal for your 400m pace. I usually try to run my 1000m pace divided by 2.5 (to get me to 400) but maybe I should up it this summer? We'll see.
THEN do a 400m recovery (again, 1/4 mile). This pace should be slow, but not so ridiculously slow that you're walking. I'm saying this because I used to walk my recoveries. I try to aim for just a bit faster than my warm-up pace, but seriously, just keep it consistent.
Then another 400m "sprint".
Then a 400m recovery.
400m "sprint".
400m recovery.
Last 400m "sprint"
Last 400m recovery.
Then do an 800 cool down jog, which should definitely be slower than your recovery runs (but again, no walking!). Mostly, just jog it out to loosen your muscles!
This way, you've done 3 miles, which isn't something to sniff at (and not taken forever). But instead of just jogging for three miles on the treadmill (booooooring) you've also done a SUPER great, intensive workout that helps your heart AND your speed.
The best thing?
No matter how fast (or slow, if you're at all like me) you run, this workout works! Just make sure to find YOUR "sprint" and recovery paces! And don't walk. Because that's no fun.
Besides it takes longer, and who likes THAT.
dailyish dose of curvspo - TOPANGA! Or Danielle Fishel, i know. but when i was growing up, her character on boy meets world was... just? an inspiration to be smart and true to yourself no matter who that displeased. and so when i came upon a story of her dramatic weight loss and then (some) re-gain, and her struggles with weight, and her just awesomeness in general i was like TOPANGA! yes yes - Danielle!!
your blog is just perfect <3
aw!! thank you so much!! i'm so terrible at posting. i will be much better again, i'm sure of it.
dailyish dose of curvspiration - ADELE! clearly, the queen of the grammy's (where btw did you see the music industry fall all over themselves to celebrate a woman-beater?) has taken hits for her weight, but as all can see, she's is GORG. especially compared to (cute!!) Selena Gomez. beautiful women come in all shapes.
My Favorite Things: A Support Network
I know this sounds like a total cop-out, but here's the thing. I've been feeling (and I bet I'm not alone in this) NO motivation to work out lately. Between the weather and the holidays and the hangovers FROM the holidays, I just want to nap when I'm at home. You know what running is? The opposite of napping.
Well. Ok ONE of the opposites.
Anyway, times like these call for a supportive network! I know I talked about them on my post about my half marathon, but I just want to reiterate how important it is to have people with whom you have NO BAGGAGE be a part of this network. My friend Caroline, for example, and I have been friends for a long time and she's never once played any role in making me feel fat or unworthy or out of shape. So when I say "I don't want to run" and she says "you'll feel better if you do" I know she means it (even if it sounds delusional) because why else would she? She doesn't worry about my weight, she's not seeing me naked, she's not my mom.
Those are all separate people, btw. In case you were weirded out.
The point is, when the going gets tough, the tough have a bunch of people cheering for them on the sidelines to make sure they get going. So whether it's your best friend, some of your family, coworkers, or strangers (on say, DailyMile or MapMyRun), make sure you have people in your life who have no motives other than keeping you happy.
dailyish dose of curvspo - martine mccutcheon! i felt badly about having to do another one of these after kat dennings - jeez, you people love her more than christina hendricks - but it had to be done so i went with the seasonally appropriate choice. if you're at all like me, you know martine mccutcheon from "love actually" in which she plays hugh grant's love interest natalie. she is a JOY in that movie, between her hilarious lines (i did 'ave an allful premonition i was gonna fuck up my firs' day. aw piss it), her gorgeous smile, the chemistry she has with daaaayvid the prime minister and that red coat (!!). the fact that they also make a joke of the fact that she has "thighs the size of big tree trunks" which she CLEARLY doesn't have (as hugh grant says in my favorite line of the movie "ooooooo would we call her chubby?"), she's a perfect choice. martine is ridiculously talented (she's also written and had a solo singing career) and curvy and wonderful. i love her, actually.
dailyish dose of curvspo: kat dennings! i love this ms. dennings. LOVE HER. she plays smart, sexy women who know what they want and don't have a problem asking for it. not unrealistically - i feel like her scene in nick and norah's playlist with michael cera in the recording studio, when she orgasms for the first time, is equal parts awkward and awful and awesome. but also, real. and as a CURVASTIC lady, she could play tons of bimbette roles just by thrusting out her chest, but she has chosen well. it's also gratifying to watch a tv actress not shed a ton of weight the minute her show gets picked up. keep 'em coming kat!
Tuesday and Wednesday workouts
I'm trying to get back in the swing of things! I swear! Alright so Tuesday I had what was probably the worst run in a LONG FUCKING TIME so we're not even going to talk about it, except it was short and I had to walk and just awful on every level. Later today I'm running again so it'll be better.
Wednesday I warmed up by doing 2 miles on the stationary bike in under 10 mins, and then did a 25 minute cardio set on the ellip. Essentially, the cardio function works to get you to (and keep you at) a heart rate that is in the middle of 70-85% of your maximum. For a 28 year old, that is 154. It's really hard to do, but highly effective in short periods of time. Plus, because I have to keep my hands on the monitors, my arms feel like they got a workout too!
Anyway, like I said - run today, and hopefully some ab work and arms. I gotta get back into weights! I stopped about 2 weeks before the half to just sort of focus on running and relax a bit, but dude, the Ragnar is in Miami and mama's gotta wear a BATHING suit. So yes. Will do will do will do.
XOXO peaches, I'll be back later!
dailyish dose of curvspiration - Anita Ekberg! this former miss universe does not only inspire me because she rocks the curves, but also she is the one who makes me wanna stride into the fontana di trevi EVERY TIME i'm in rome.
My Favorite Things: Girl Talk
And I don't mean you know, chatting with your besties. Although that's fun too, and I do find the allure of drunk brunch a powerful get-me-through-this-fucking-thing motivator on Sunday mornings.
However!
I mean Girl Talk, the AMAZING DJ who mashes together 30 seconds (or so) clips of popular songs, adds a medium to fast beat, and then puts them on the internets for FREE DOWNLOADS! Let me just say that it was the first time I paid for music in a long time (and voluntarily).
The thing is with me, when I'm running, full songs don't work for me. I don't know if that's because they're too long, or the seconds between songs give me a chance to think, or even if it's only because the various beats per minute that change throw me.
Whatever it is, Girl Talk destroys all those problems.
I noticed an immediate difference in performance using his music. I ran further without a walk break than I had EVER done before - and I didn't even realize it. His mash ups keep you chugging and distracted, but aren't distracting enough that you get out of the zone. Girl Talk got me through my half marathon, and my only complaint is that he doesn't have enough albums for me to do super long runs.
Girl Talk, if you're reading? Please do more! I'll pay! I miss you and need your new music!! And also, that magical placement of Springsteen, Simon and Garfunkel and Chicago in the All Day album - gets me happy every time. Let's be honest - when I'm running, that's no small feat.
dailyish dose of curvspo - Queen Latifah! she's an inspiration to tall women everywhere, strong, hilarious, and oh yeah - a damn good singer. i would love her for her chicago performance alone except did you know she's a JERSEY GIRL! YAY!! she's also rocking those curves, whether it's on stage, in film, along the red carpet or anywhere in my home state. as she says - she deserves a lot of tat for what she's got to give!
dailyish dose of curvspo: America Ferrera! ms. ferrera first captured my hear when she was in real women have curves (although really, real women are just... women. or men who feel like they are women. i've lost my train of thought... i'm back!). don't get me wrong, "pretty betty" is not in any way plus sized, but in an age of stick-like figures she stands among hollywood as gorgeously normal (but slim to be sure). she WEARS those hips like the proud curvy lady she is, and i love that she is always. effing. smiling! yay America!