Run like you stole something

As my facebook follower received this pre-information of yesterday evening, there is another announcement of a cornerstone on my way of getting back into the best shape of my life.

You know, I did the COLOR RUN 5K-Challenge in Munich on 30^th June, which was really a colorful and funny event (although I catched a cold some days before). In this post some days ago you can read my summary. 

My next Running Event is planned in Ulm (my home town) on 29^th September with 10K. 
It´s called 'Einstein Marathon' regarding the birth town of Albert Einstein.

Einstein Marathon in Ulm (with the tallest church of the world in background)

I already signed in last year for the event of last year but unfortunately I didn´t focus on my training and had so much excuses… So I transferred my participation to this year. 

As mentioned, the B.A.A. (Boston Athletic Association) opened yesterday their registration for the upcoming Half Marathon on 13^th October. Whereas I´m on-site in this time I studied the pros and cons of participation/non-participation…. Until the last minute before the opening! 
I know, that I´m not a professional runner (not fast and no long distance). On a sunny Sunday morning in March this year I woke up, fastened my running shoes and ran…. Ran without heart rate monitor, without time- and distance goal. The weather was nearly perfect and at the end I did 9,7 km (rd. 6 miles). This was my longest distance so far!

Picture of one of last year´s BAA Half Marathon event (internet fund)

I couldn´t imagine the picture of being in Boston without participation and seeing the happy finisher while standing next to other viewer.

The registration open was announced for 10:00 a.m. EST / 4 o´clock CET. 
I stick a big post-it label into my diary and set the alarm in my mobile phone for not forgetting this date.

Afterwards it seemed that this was the best idea. The field-size is only for 7,500 runner and they advised to fill out the registration form VERY QUICK! Some of these was already hold by distance medley participants (medley is the BAA 5K, 10K and half), who could signed up for all three earlier this year.

I want to have one of these medals

It closed in record time of 12 minutes, as the field size limit has been reached!!! Last year happened this at 55 minutes and the year before at 2 hours.

I´m a lucky girl to register in time, but I had to wait until getting the acceptance mail.
Nearly every few minutes I scrolled down my iPhone for updating my inbox. :o)
Round about 4 ½ hours later I got the redemptive mail: 

I`M IN…!!!! 

Whooo hoooo!!

Therefore: the progress of my participation in Running Events in this year will added by one more cornerstone. 5K, 10K and now also 21K (13.1 miles).

But – to be honest – I´m a little bit scared of this participation. The longest run I ever made was nearly 10K… and in 12 weeks I have to run the double distance!!

It´s now time to train with a huge aspiration, if I want to reach the finish line without crawling on all fours. :o)
But as John Bingham said: "The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start."! 

Additional to this training I don´t forget to follow my nutrition plan and my weight lifting plan…(see here) :o)

This new cornerstone will be the best motivation and the best fat burner for me for reaching my goals: enter fit, shaped and healthy with a lighter weight the plane to USA for a lovely time in Boston and New York City!!

Do you have any running competitions planned this year or did already some of them?

Beachbody Challenge 2013 - Week 3

My own Beachbody Challenge has started on Feb 1, 2013.
In the following 20 weeks - until beginning of summer in Germany - I want to move up a gear and keep my eyes on low-carb clean eating in combination with 4-5 times training a week.

Here´s my diary of Week 3: 

First, Sorry for my long absense, but as announced in my last post I was from Sunday Feb, 17th to Friday Feb, 22th in vacation for skiing in the alps.The weather was marvelous, the snow was gorgeous and we had a lot of fun in our lodge.
(I apologize for my incomplete meal diary, but the connection to the web was really poor!)

Due to the daily skiing – I burned rd about 1200 to 1600 kcal a day !! – I had to change a little bit my nutrition. I tried to eat also clean, but not to eat low carb, because I need this essential additional energy.

For sure, there was one or another cheat meal also included. I enjoyed every bit. :D

But unfortunately this little change in my meal plan came to a problem. I won´t say, that I fell completely off the wagon, but I´m struggeling with coming back to my clean eating plan. The craving for some candies is really high.

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As a consequence, my scale didn´t give me a reason to smile – I have a stagnancy….I don´t know, if the stagnancy of my weight is a result of a muscle growth in my legs due to the daily skiing or if my body is just confused!

The last days I rethink my nutrition and training plan. But I didn´t find any blooper.
So I “only” have to be patient – but to be honestly – that´s one of my biggest problems…..

To call back in my mind, in exactly 10 weeks I participate in my first 10K-competition! And only 3 weeks later there´s my second cornerstone of 2013: The wedding of my lovely co-worker Susanne. The last week of May I´ll be in vacation again for a trip through some different states of Germany. We´ll meet our friends of the above mentioned lodge again. We are really impatient for meet them again.

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But, as the quote of my personal trainer: NO PAIN – NO GLORY…. So I have to earn this pleasure. My biggest motivation is the imagination of a really hot body on the wedding and the trip through Germany. 

Friday - Feb, 15
Friday is Bootcamp Day. We did a real hard training, because after our training we got a little surprise (some nice canapés) due to the first anniversary of Bootcamp Ulm.

I rocked 704 kcal in 45 minutes.

Saturday - Feb, 16
After studying at the university I went home for packing my bags with the snow stuff for the upcoming winter holiday with skiing on a lodge in the alps.

Sunday - Feb, 17
- first day of skiing - 

Monday - Feb, 18
- Skiing -

Tusday - Feb, 19
-Skiing -

Wednesday - Feb, 20
- Skiing -

Thursday - Feb, 21
- Skiing - 

My Progress so far of Clean Eating

First, sorry for my long absense....but my new year started very busy. 

Today I want to give you a status quo of my progress.

Since Middle of December I started to eat clean. A few of my reader will probably wonder, why I started this in the 'most difficult part of the year', while you can get sweets and christmas cookies at every turn. So, my answer is: Therefore. 
This was one of my secret to came healthy over Christmas holiday. :o)

I don´t need a 'New Year' to start clean eating.

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So, the half of January is over and I want to give you a short feedback.

NUTRITION
Since January 1, I do a food diary at Myfitnesspal.com. (You can also find a link of the left side of my blog). This will also keep me in progress and give me the right motivation not to fail. I hope, the most of my posted food is known - but here in Germany are some differences than in the States.

For sure, at the beginning it won´t works for 100 percent to change completely your nutrition from one day to another, but I try to involve peux-a-peux the rules into my daily life. And I see, that it works from day to day even better. For example, I did a few days ago this yummy receipt: Turkey Meatloaf Muffins from Jamie Eason. Marvellous!!

When I started my food diary, the presettings of myfitnesspal was 1300 kcal a day. And I was really full. But when I started my work on January 7, I needed more kcal due to more mental and physical work.
So I changed the settings from 1300 kcal up to 1800 kcal with a spread of 25% Carbs, 45% Proteins, and 30% Fat. I didn´t raise up from one day to another - so I ate every day a litte bit more to my new goal.

Furthermore, I try to drink every day not less than 2 liters of water and tea.

In the first week of January I lost only 400g (1 lbs), but in this second week I lost 1,1 kg (2.4 lbs).
Please keep your fingers crossed for me for continuing this success.

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HEALTHY 
Besides my happiness of loosing weight I see further changes. In the past I ate, when I was hungry or bored or stressed: When I feel my empty stomach, I ate something. I changed this habit completely.
I have now fixed times, when I eat: 7 am, 10 am, 1 pm, 4 pm, 7pm and 10pm. (see also the schedule in one of my last post).

The advantage of this fixed times is, that your body knows exactly, when he´ll gets the next meal and the energy. And you can avoid all foods/snacks/candies besides these stated hours. I also try to eat no Carbs after 4 pm.

Since I ate regularly, my indigestion problems has blown off (in the true sense of the word). I didn´t feel myself like I ate a balloon. Furthermore, my skin is more clearly and looks healthier than before my clean eating.
Finally, I have got really more power and I didn´t have a 'low point' at the afternoon.

MOTIVATION
As announced above, I post my food diary - every day! This is real a high motivation, because you know, that the whole world can take a closer look to your plates. 
Additional, I´m a member of a very nice facebook group called 'New year - new Rear', in which we motivate us each other and give us some advices.

I also bought this week a new bikini for the upcoming summer. It´s a obligation to fits like a glove. :o)

It´s normal, that the weight will sway at the beginning. To push my progress, I met this week an regional personal trainer Timo Schmid (sorry, link is only in german) asking for feedback of my training and nutrition plan and for giving me some further advice. It was a really nice evening of an exciting discussion of generals fails of nutrition and training.
I´m anxious of his response of my plan. I´ll keep you up to date.

For me, another motivation is to finish successful my sporty cornerstones: I´ll participate in three competitions of a 10K-run: on May 5 (Cityrun), on July 28 (as a relay in a triathlon team of three girls) and on September 22 (Cityrun along the river).

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This is my progress so far - certainly, I´ll keep you in the loop.

If you want to read further information of clean eating I warmly recommend you this book.

Stay healthy and eat clean! 

New Year's Resolutions

What's your #1 health & fitness goal for 2013? Lose weight, healthier diet, get in shape, drop a bad habit? 

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The whole point of a New Year’s resolution is to start the year with a positive outlook and the hope for a better you. When you set goals that you can’t reach, the opposite tends to happen. Set realistic goals for yourself this year by following these tips. 

Be realistic. If you wake up on 1 January with a hangover and a strong urge for a double espresso and a bacon sandwich, is this really the day to begin the 'first day of the rest of your life?' Start on the 2nd, instead, and use the 1st to finish up the stilton and the Quality Street and to clear the cupboards of any other tempting food that is not in keeping with your new regime! 

Set a goal you can keep - take baby steps. First, choose a resolution that is attainable. Forget about losing 100 pounds or saving enough cash to buy a house. When you make goals that are unreachable, you set yourself up to fail. Instead, set small goals that you know you can reach. If you succeed, you can just keep going, and you'll feel great about accomplishing your goal. For example, set a time frame that within 3 months, you will lose 10 pounds. This would be a healthy way to lose weight, about 1-2 pounds per week. It is possible that you could actually lose more weight, which would make you feel that losing weight is easy. If you were trying to be healthier either through diet or exercise, set a more realistic goal. For instance, plan to exercise for 30 minutes 2-3 days per week, and gradually increase throughout the year. Set goals for the week or month. When trying to eat healthier, make small changes, such as eating one fruit per day, and increase as this becomes a daily habit.

Don´t go it alone - Get help. If you're setting a big goal, find someone to help you along the way. Want to lose weight? Hire a personal trainer or look for an workout buddy. Want to find a new job? Visit a career counselor. A professional who is trained to help you meet your goals will have an arsenal of tools to get you where you want to be. If you can't afford a professional, look for a friend, a websites or support groups to help you meet your goals. There you can motivate each other and share ideas. Most of life's challenges become less daunting when you aren't in them alone; working with a friend to reach your goal may mean the difference between success and failure.

Be patient. Fitness and weight loss don't happen overnight. That's why it is important to have a time frame for your goal. Set mini goals to work towards along the way - these give you something more immediate to aim for, and help you build confidence and faith in yourself.

Keep track. Spend some time formulating and writing down your health and fitness goals, ensuring they are challenging but realistic. Be positive and confident about your ability to achieve them. Keep a food and/or exercise diary to monitor your progress and help motivate you to stay focused on your goals. I use an excel-file for my plans and documentations of weight and training.

Make your health a priority Perhaps the most difficult thing to do is to make all of this work in your hectic schedule. It usually helps to maintain a list of things you need to do. To help with your cooking, try to plan a menu each week so you will know exactly what you need at the grocery store - and to minimize the possibility of ordering take-out. If you must eat lunch or dinner out, remember that healthy choices, such as salads or wraps, are better options. However, moderation is also OK. Occasionally having the dinner that you enjoy will not hinder your ultimate weight loss goal. As the saying is: Take care of your body.  It's the only place you have to live.  Jim Rohn

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In sum, don't try to put too much on your plate. Take each day as it comes, and do not get frustrated if you slip up every now and then. Don't be afraid to start again! Once you establish healthy habits, the rest will be that much easier. Treat yourself for reaching each goal or staying on track for a certain amount of time. Good luck with your resolutions!


As you know, I already set my cornerstones for 2013 so I don´t need a new year´s resolution. My plans and wishes are to be staying on track for reaching my goals of loosing weight, shaping and strengthen my body (with clean eating) and get into the best form of my body I ever have.

Take care!

One more cornerstone

After a strength-sapping weekend I have now enough time for my next post.

On Sunday I got a surprising mail including a wedding invitation of my colleague (and also a good friend of mine) Susi. The wedding will be end of May 2013. That's exactly in 6 months!!

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That's so exciting!! My last attendance of a wedding was 23 years ago!! As a little fashion-conscious girl one of my first thoughts was: "Aaah, what should I wear?!"

The wedding will be on May, 25. So normally it'll be a warm summer day in Germany - I think a dress is the right choice.

But from the current point of view, this choice will also have a catch.... It's not the problem of having NO dress. All of them doesn't fits me and I do not have a well-shape body for wearing a dress. But I have 6 more months to change this situation!!

So this will be my forth cornerstone of 2013: looking good on my friend's wedding.

Here is an overview of all my four cornerstones 2013:

• On May, 5 there will be in my home town a 10K city run (5x2km)
• On May, 25 there will be the wedding of my friend: looking good in wearing a dress is the mission.
• On July, 28 there will be the premiere for a participation in a triathlon
  (short distance/olympic distance)*
• On September, 22, there will be also a 10K city run.

To keep on the progress I went to my Zumba class on Monday.

After this sporty hour I lost 627 kcal... That's the beginning of shaping.

On my today's schedule will be a intervall training on the treadmill.
  

Dear fat - say goodbye to my body!!! :o)

Confession

I have a confession to make: I have been the biggest slacker in terms of fitness in the last few weeks, months, years ...

When I was a child I did a lot of sports: classical ballett, swimming, and gymnastics. In my spare time I played always outside with my friends.

But now? I´m getting chubby and chubbier and that really sucks! 
Quite frankly the reason for that being that my gym has definitely not seen enough of me lately and late-night (and wrong) snacks while studying or watching TV has been filled my stomach a few too many times. 

To make a picture of me: I´m female, 29 years old, engaged and work as a full-time assistant in the south region of germany (between Stuttgart and Munich). Besides my office job I do a study in general management as a distance learning class. And finally, my Body Mass Index is 28 (yes, twentyeight!)

Well, it’s all about to change!!

I am determined to get back to my old healthy self in the next few weeks and months. On April 2013 (in 4 months) I´m getting 30 and that will be my first cornerstone to recheck my fitness path.  

The other cornerstones 2013 will be:

• On May, 5 there will be in my home town a 10K city run (5x2km)
• On July, 28 there will be the premiere for a participation in a triathlon
  (short distance/olympic distance)*
• On September, 22, there will be also a 10K city run.

*Short Distance will be 500m Swim, 20K Bike, 5K Run
  Olympic Disciplin: 1,5K Swim, 40K Bike, 10K Run

Maybe some of you feel the same way and that’s why I thought I would share some of the things on my to-do list.

• I´m overweight. To get in a normal space of weight I have to loose at least 15 - 20 kg.
• Workout at least 3-5 times a week
• I have to train to run 30min, 5K, 10K without a break
• Reducing the sweets in general and especially in the late evening
• Asking myself: Am I really hungry or just bored?
• Drinking a lots of water and unsweeted tea: at least 2 liters.

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If you guys like my posts like this, I’d be happy to share some of my workout routines, favorite music for motivation or more healthy meals. I am by no means an expert in the department, but I always love hearing what works for others. Just let me know in the comments. Also, I’d love to hear what you guys do to stay active and healthy!!