10/10 - Swimming and ellipitcal; 10/11 - 45 min spin

On Saturday, like many others in the central Iowa, I woke up to a ground that was lightly covered with snow. Hmmm....might be tough to see those soccer lines to see if the ball is in or out for the boys' games.

About three hours later, the games were finally called off. I was happy to have a Saturday without running the kids around, but now starts the process of trying to fit in and reschedule those games into an already busy weekday schedule.

However, with how much my boys giggle, laugh, and smile; I know all of my "trouble" is worth it.

Anyway - as for the workouts lately - I'm still doing okay without running, but it is tough. I spent 35 minutes on Saturday doing the elliptical before swimming for 55 minutes. The 90 minute workout was my longest in a long time.

Today - I spent 45 minutes on the bike. Solid workout, but a little light after yesterday's longer workout.

Just in case you are wondering how I spend my 45 minutes spinning; here is the routine I follow:

Warm up 5-7 minutes

Set 1

2 min. seated climb

2 min. standing climb

1 min. RC

Set 2

1 min. seated climb

1 min. jumps (on seated climb tension)

1 min. standing climb

1 min. sprint (seated)

1 min. sprint (stand)

Do this set 2x

Set 3

30 sec Hover

30 sec Sprint (seated)

30 sec. Vertical

30 sec. Sprint

30 sec RC

Do this set 3x’s (last one will get a 1 minute RC)

Set 4

30 sec seated hill (med. hill)-30 sec. stand sprint (on seated hill tension) x5

RC 1 min.

Set 5

2 min. seated climb

2 min. standing climb

Cool down

My nutrition plan this last week is going well. I have reduced the number of calories by about 600 a day in order to take off a little weight I have gained since I stopped running. Since Tuesday, I have dropped about 4 lbs. I have eliminated all "processed" junk food from my diet, loading up on the veggies and fruits. I have tried to increase the percent of protein I'm taking in but it is tough to move that needle when I'm trying to maintain a "vegetarian" diet until supper.

I've adopted Mark Bittman's philosophy of "eat more plants". When I get hungry for snacks, I reach for whole foods - such as apples, bananas, and grapes instead of granola bars or protein bars. If it comes in a package, it is likely not on my list to eat.

People thought I ate well before, crazy how there is always room for improvement!