April 27, 2008
MY FIRST 5K
This has clearly been a big week of firsts for me. First brick, first mammogram and first 5K. This morning I participated in the Women's 5K by the Bay race. It was a beautiful 5K run in Harve de Grace, MD.
I have a few friends that are runners that asked to me to do the run with them. I thought, "What have I got to lose?". I have been harassing my friends to start riding so I figured I had to get out and do a little running with them. Fair is fair. On top of that I plan on doing some triathlons this summer so I thought this could help.
I had been training on a treadmill for a few months and had run outside maybe twice. Yes, I know (as I've been told 100 times) that running outside is totally different than the treadmill. So there I was this morning out in the cold at 7:30am and hating life (I'm not a morning person). Oh ya, and did I mention I don't like running? I was also having a hard time getting past the fact that this would be a short workout (i.e. waste of my time) as opposed to riding 30 miles and getting a great workout on the bike.
With all of my negative thoughts in check I shimmied up to the starting line and ran my big butt off. I kept trying to visualize getting into the "zone" but I don't think I actually ever found it. Finally I crossed the finish line as I watched the clock switch to 28:00. I came in 79th out of 340. So there you have it. I made it and it wasn't bad at all. My friend Jen even took 9th place overall! My goal for my next run will be to beat her time of 21:00. Yah right, in my dreams!
March 30, 2008
HOW TO GAIN 5 POUNDS ON EASTER VACATION
Yes, I am still a part of the biggest loser contest and am trying to be strong but the strangest thing happens when I get around my family. I am no longer the girl that eats right but instead I become a food junkie. With that I bring you the top ten ways to gain 5 pounds in a week. I did it and so can you!
- For breakfast always start out with coffee and add some heavy flavored cream. After coffee time treat the rest of breakfast as if it is a 3 course meal. Donuts, then cereal, then pancakes.
- Make sure to order out as many meals as possible and don't forget about the sides, they're the best part...especially garlic mashed or mac and cheese which are offered on almost every carry out menu.
- Try and eat some type of cheese product with every meal and then throw in a glass of whole milk for good measure.
- Keep your children's easter baskets easily accessible so you can pop several pieces of candy in your mouth all day long without the kids ever noticing.
- When eating at a restaurant, first finish your plate, then try and help out all the skinny people at the table that are "too full" to finish their meal.
- Don't worry about filling up on bread at a restaurant. Eat it up, slather it in butter or olive oil with cheese and always ask for more, even if you have an appetizer, salad and entree on its way.
- No matter how full you are, always order dessert and don't share it with anyone.
- Every day between lunch and dinner a trip to the ice cream parlor is a nice afternoon pick me up. Your order should include a large chocolate malt or shake.
- Have an all junk food lunch with the whole family that includes doritos, twinkies, cupcakes and cheese puffs. You'll suddenly become popular with all the kids on the beach, not just your own.
- Every night before bedtime check your fridge for any leftover pizza or pasta and get in a good bedtime snack. There's nothing like listening to your stomach churn when you're trying to fall asleep.
Good luck! If you follow all the steps I'm sure you'll have no problem being as successful as me!
February 18, 2008
THE BIGGEST LOSER - Part 2
Yes, yes and yes, the biggest loser is still happening!!! I know I have been ignoring the topic for a while and I apologize but sometimes dealing with weight loss can be such a drag. Just looking at my back fat in the mirror can put me over the edge. Is there really any reason why we can't just shave our fat off with a big ass potato peeler? If life was so easy...
So it's week six and I am down 12 pounds. I am steadily losing a pound or so week and I'll take it. Yes, I'm eating right, working out and sending some pretty serious voodoo to the other contestants. But, come on, losing weight sucks! I can be a little bitchy about it if I like, right? Although I must admit that I am enjoying my daily breakfast of low fat oatmeal with a spoonful of flaxseed for got measure. If nothing else it keeps me clean as a whistle.
Here's my strategy...I'm gonna be slow and steady and then in the last two weeks I'm gonna spend 3 hours a day in a sauna in addition to working out, eating only figs and drinking water with lemon. I am not prepared to lose this competition so ladies, "Get ready to rumble!"
PS - The above photo is my fab friend Molly (who I work with) and I in the Bahamas. Molly is the organizer of the biggest loser contest and I must say she is going strong. If there's one person I wouldn't mind losing to it would be Molly...but that's it!
PSS - The photo of me...I just couldn't resist.
PSSS - I still have no idea why every bloody person that comes to the Atlantis has to have their picture taken in that silly chair...but hey I was doing it just like every other idiot that walked by. Peer pressure I guess.
January 3, 2008
THE BIGGEST LOSER
Recently I wrote about a couple of friends that I have traveled with for years. This fall we had a little friendly weight loss challenge. As you can read in my blogs under the category Free Your Fat, I didn't do so well. After spending some time with them in Boston (see Crazy Christmas Carolers blog) we decided to make this weight loss thing a little more challenging.
We are now doing our own version of the Biggest Loser complete with a weekly weigh-in, photos and a big cash prize. The winner gets $1260. How can you go wrong with that? Of course I am determined to win but it means I really have to buckle down and mentally prepare myself. I can't get gastric bypass surgery, I can't get my jaws wired shut but I can ride the hell out of my bike, right?
This was my lovely photo for the contest. Unfortunately there was no one around to do my hair or make-up. Oh well. It'll make for a much better transformation photo. Wish me luck!
December 9, 2007
PITFALLS OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON
While the holiday season is full of fun and excitement there are several pitfalls that can easily take you off the straight and narrow path. You’re probably surprised that I ever make it off the straight and narrow path, but yes, it happens to me too.
1. You pass Dunkin Donuts on the way to the gym and you decide to go inside and do a virtual workout while eating donuts and having a cup of coffee.
2. You start making a different Christmas cookie every day until Christmas and tell your friends you’re just doing it because the kids really love them.
3. You can barely fit into your holiday wardrobe so you start wearing your cycling shorts underneath your clothes because you’ve already worn out all the elastic in your spanx.
4. You get a Santa hat, fake beard, red bucket and a bell and stand in front of the shopping mall collecting money for your own personal emergency holiday relief shopping fund.
5. You start mixing your morning V-8 with a shot of vodka as a way of celebrating the holiday season.
6. Before heading out on a winter ride you attach a couple of sticks to the top of your helmet and ask all of your cycling buddies to refer to you as Rudolph.
7. You show up at spin class with a basket of cookies and ask the instructor if you can do a cookie exchange before class starts.
8. Every night before bed you do some serious carb loading in case Santa calls you to help out with some of the sleigh riding.
9. You stop at the grocery store for your weekly shopping trip and you end up next door at the liquor store doing wine tastings all day.
10. On Christmas Eve you dress your whole family up as elves, put them on bikes decorated with balloons, streamers and bells and pretend to be having your own holiday parade through the neighborhood.
So watch out and try to be good. Believe me, I know it’s not easy.
December 1, 2007
HOLIDAY SHOW TIME
I really enjoy doing shows over the holidays. The audiences always seem to be a little more upbeat than usual and ready to share their holiday cheer. This weekend I performed the holiday version of Woman on the Rag. What that really means is that I try to weave a few holiday themes into my improvisational scenes while the structure of the show remains pretty much the same.
The shows were very well received and I think the audiences especially enjoyed watching me try to squeeze into my dress with the help of 2 stagehands. One night they couldn’t get the zipper up and I ended up doing my entire Roxi set with my dress undone. Needless to say it was quite a sight.
I had fantastic audiences, which was largely due to the amount of press I received in Frederick. The Maryland Ensemble Theatre did a great job of PR. Two local newspapers gave me nice write-ups. The Frederick Gazette wrote an article titled “Split Personalities”. They included several photos in the article in addition to a photo of me doing the splits on top of a piano which was on the cover of the Arts and Entertainment section. I was also chosen in Frederick’s 72 Hour newspaper as the #1 show to see in Frederick. Not too shabby.
The beauty of the shows, the press and the fliers was that every article included that I was a Women Who Rides and the Trek web address. I am really fortunate that I have been able to cross-reference all of the things I am involved in. At present my life is truly spectacular and I love to perform…but I am little exhausted. I am not a superhero with super powers just a Women Who Rides. Time to get back to my training.
November 27, 2007
I CAN'T MOVE
No I haven’t broken my legs, I just can’t stop eating. It’s nothing new. This has been a lifelong problem that I am still unable to shake. I started out strong in September and made a promise to my public to lose 25 pounds. Once I got to 9 pounds I thought the rest would just melt off me. Fat chance. I had been working so hard on my weight loss program that I finally thought I was ready to ditch my size (10 -12’s) and become a size 8 permanently! Looks like I did it and then let it all go to pot. The more I rode the hungrier I became. I started getting cocky thinking, “Oh I’m riding so much I can eat whatever I want.” Yah, right. That type of thinking can only go so far (especially when you’re 40).
Then we got a new scale and it made me realize the harsh reality that our old one really sucked and I was much larger than I ever thought I was. I’m not in college so I can’t use the “freshman 20” excuse anymore nor can I say “I just had a baby” seeing that Seamus is 18 months old. I need to come up with some new lines.
I have never been skinny and never will be but I’m just asking for a little help from the person big girls talk to (whoever that is). Maybe it's the fat angel, the fat god or the fat psychics? That could be exactly what I need! A fat psychic that can hypnotize me to put down the brownies, guac, Doritos, potatoes, bread, etc. It's worth a try.
The worst part of all of this is that I’m performing Woman on the Rag this weekend at the Maryland Ensemble Theatre in Frederick and I can’t fit into my dress for the final number. I guess my enormous holiday gut is getting me down, literally. People are going to start mistaking me for Santa. I've got to get it together.
November 16, 2007
I'M IN BIG TROUBLE
This is scary stuff! No, not my life (that’s already scary enough) but now I have a new “trainer to be” and I'm in big trouble. I feel like I am getting a new confidant in a way. It's really kind of nerve wracking. OK, I feel the need to explain. After I started this crazy venture I talked with Trek about things I wanted to get moving on and goals I wanted to accomplish. I thought a trainer would be a nice addition to my stupidly lame “a little bit of this a little bit of that" training plan. So my dear friend and favorite Trek Chiclet, Krista, hooked me up with a trainer named Mary Daubert (formerly known as Grigson). I know what you’re thinking right now, “Wow Susan that’s great, your own personal trainer! What a perk to the job!” Believe me, I thought so to until I received a daunting email of which I will only include the highlights.
“Hi Susan, I understand that you are interested in personal training and Krista has given me your info. I am qualified as a NESTA certified personal trainer and a level 3 USA cycling coach. I spent 4 years with the Australian Institute of Sport as a developmental rider focusing on the 2000 Olympics. In 2000 I turned professional and rode for the Subaru Gary Fisher Mountain bike team until I retired in 2003. My major achievements are 5 time Australian Mountain bike Champion, 2 time American Series Mountain Bike Champion (see photo), 2 time World Cup Winner, 2 time Olympian, 24 hour Solo World Champion (2001) and I have also raced extensively on the road and have participated in triathlons.”
So after I read this I started thinking to myself, "What I am going to say to her that doesn’t make me look like a total loser?" Let’s see … I am a flabby mother of four that wishes she were in better shape. I carry an extra 20 pounds around just for warmth. I have no upper body strength BUT I nursed all my kids and my boobs look great in a push up bra. My greatest accomplishments are riding my bike instead of doing shots and popping pills all day every day…oh ya, and becoming the greatest actress of all time (in my head of course). I should be your most challenging client ever but I promise to make you laugh the hardest.
I’m a little nervous. Wish me luck…no, wish her more luck. She has no idea what she’s in for.
September 27, 2007
BIKE BABE FASHION SHOW!
This is a big weekend for me and I have some serious pre-show jitters. No, I’m not doing another show. I’m modeling in the She Got Bike festival and expo that is happening this weekend in Maryland. I am so lucky to be a part of such an amazing women's event. I will be leading the 46 mile ride, speaking to the riders about my fabulous Trek gig and strutting my stuff on the runway. Yes, a bike babe fashion show! How cool is that? Sweetness and I are very excited about this big event. What could be better than a bike festival that celebrates women that bike? I have recruited a lot of women to ride and it’s going to be a blast. The beauty of She Got Bike is that any woman at any level can ride. There are 14, 25, 46 and 62 mile rides offered. Jill from Trek will be there with the WSD demo trailer loaded with tons of bikes for everyone to try out. I may even have the Loveman spruce up Sweetness for the big day!
When I woke up today I knew I needed to get on the scale just to see how I was doing in my Trek weight loss contest. I had my bike fashion fitting to look forward to and I wanted the clothes to hang on me. Ok, I don't think anything has ever hung on my body (except a monkey) but I thought it sounded good. In one of my recent blogs (Enough Fat for Everyone) I made a promise to my public that I would lose 25 pounds. Yes, losing weight sucks but I am up to 9 pounds in one month. How did I do it? I had my stomach stapled. Yah right. Since I have fallen in love with Sweetness (and I have fallen hard) I have been riding the heck out of my bike. Last week I told the Loveman that I wanted to get rid of the car and ride my bike everywhere. He once again grounded me, as he does so well, and reminded me that there is no way I could pull all of my monkies around on my bike. My response was, “If I get a trailer for my bike I can at least pull 2 kids and the others can follow on their bikes.” So maybe I am going a little overboard but Sweetness is the bomb! Yes, I am cutting down on my eating but the constant riding is really helping. A lot of people hate exercising but I’m telling you if you get a bike you can make it so much more enjoyable!
So tonight I had to go in for my big fitting for the Bike Babe fashion show. I was meeting with Katie from Joe’s Bike Shop and She Got Bike. She is the buyer for the store and had picked out some pretty cute spring samples for us to wear. Of course, I will be wearing the Trek clothes which seem to fit my body quite nicely. Yes, like any woman I was a little nervous that the clothes might be a little too snug in a few places but everything fit perfectly. I was having flashbacks of my photo shoot at Trek and thinking “Oh god, not the embarrassment of a fitting again!” There’s nothing like being the girl trying on all of the larges when everyone else around you is wearing smalls and an occasional medium. But I always have to remind myself that everyone’s body if different. For example, I was given extra cushion in my belly so my kids have a place to put their head during story time. See we can all brainwash ourselves into believing that every ounce of fat on our body is there for a reason and has a function. Here’s your mantra for the day, “I love my rolls, I love my jiggle, and I love my body!” Now get out on that bike and ride!
September 19, 2007
WORLD CYCLOCROSS CHAMPION
My oldest son Liam is 7 years old. When he was born I remember thinking to myself “When I have children I am going to play with them.” Growing up my parents always played with all of my siblings as well as our friends. They swam, rode a tandem and played tennis. They were very athletic people. My house was the place that all the kids in the neighborhood wanted to come and hang out. It was the fun house. As I grew older I began to observe all the parents that never really “played” with their children….and there are a lot of them out there. What I mean by this is that parents take their kids places, buy them things, give them parental advice but they never actually get out and “play” with them. Playing with your child would include things like riding bikes, playing ball, running, swimming or taking hikes with your child. We all know only too well that instead of getting active many parents opt for TV or video games. We’re either too old, too tired or too busy, it's an easy out. Don’t feel bad, everybody does it.
In my house I have a no TV during the day rule and I also have a rule that if I hear you say you are bored you get a swirly in the toilet. Luckily none of my children have ever said that to me. Boredom is an excuse for laziness and I don’t tolerate laziness too well. I am far from being a perfect mom but one thing that I do know is that kids need to exercise just like adults. 
It affects their mind, their mood and especially their weight. We all know the reason behind why the obesity rate in children is sky high so I won’t get preachy. BUT there is something that each and every one of us can do with our children. Involve yourself in some type of physical activity with them. Play with them!
Liam loves to ride his bike. He watches the Loveman and I do it constantly so as a result he has a passion for it. He has taken 10 mile rides with me and has done an incredibly great job. The Loveman races cyclocross and Liam started doing it with him last fall. Any race that Jim competed in he signed up Liam for the kids’ race. The sad part of it was that at each race there were only about 10 kids competing. The good part is that at least some kids were getting out and doing it. Liam took last year’s season very seriously and even placed in a couple of the races. He truly believes he is a World Cyclocross Champion in his age group and I think that’s pretty cool. The Loveman even set up barriers in the yard so he could practice at home. He’s dying for this year’s season to get started.
My five year old Fiona is working hard at riding her bike and I continue to push her. Sometimes she would prefer to dance in her coconut bra and her grass skirt over riding her bike and that’s ok by me. At least she is doing something and we can do it together...except I don’t wear the coconut bra. Who knows, maybe she’ll be a belly dancer. It really is a killer workout for your core and you can make some decent money as dancer.
As parents we always have to keep in mind that we are the bosses of our monkies, not the other way around. So get out there and play with your kids. Do something! Dance, run or ride your bikes around the block! It will stay with them for a lifetime. Who knows you too could have a World Champion on your hands.
September 10, 2007
WHY THE HECK DID SHE WIN?
OK ...Here’s my essay. 
When I first saw your ad for Trek Women Who Ride I thought to myself, “this is so me”. I am definitely the poster chiclet for Trek. No, I am not some buff athlete that races for a living. I am the mother of four small monkies who has used her bicycle as her saving grace. Without my bike I could easily become a horrible, fat, angry, out of shape mother and wife. Who wants to be around that person? Not me! Through my bike I have been able to channel my mental, physical and social needs in such a way that it has completely changed my life.
Over the past seven years I have been pregnant for forty months, gained two hundred ten pounds, lost two hundred ten pounds and nursed for a total of forty eight months….not to mention my body has a been a hormonal battlefield. My bike has gotten me through all of this. Without cycling I would be a mess. Some women eat, some take happy pills and some beat their husbands. I made the decision a long time ago that I didn’t want to do any of those things.
Physically I have used my bike to keep me in shape during each of my pregnancies. I rode until my sixth month of each pregnancy and then stopped riding when I could no longer reach the handle bars….of course I continued taking spinning classes up until the day I delivered. Once I delivered I was back on my bike within seven days and I even have the pictures to show it! I knew it was the only way I could get out of the house and remain sane as well as drop fifty five pounds. Unfortunately I am not one of those women whose baby weight just falls off. I needed my bike and luckily I was able to lose all of my weight after each pregnancy.
Getting up and out of bed, managing my family, holding down a part time job and keeping my life together is pretty hard. Getting my kids taken care of, preparing my bike and riding for thirty miles every other day is even harder. But I do these things because I know I can eventually get out on the road, get some good exercise, clear my mind, get my endorphins going and feel totally refreshed when I get off my bike. I am always a much nicer person to be around after a ride. I not only ride for myself but for my seven year old Liam, my five year old Fiona, my three year old Kiley, my eleven month old Seamus and of course my husband Jim.
I am a huge advocate for using your bike to make a total lifestyle change. My bike is my life, my religion and my world. There is nothing I would love more than to share these passions and my story with Trek.
August 18, 2007
ENOUGH FAT FOR EVERYONE
I have been kind of avoiding the topic of "fat". I feel like I am opening a can of worms and I may never get it shut again. Time to lay it all out on the table. Here goes...I have a lot of fat on my body. The lycra that I get to wear while I ride sucks up quite a bit of it but inside those shorts is a lot of jiggly fat. Sports bras are helpful as well but then there's all the fat that oozes out on the sides. I have thought about wearing spanx (a full bodysuit with tights) under my cycling clothes but it would probably look a little weird. Fat is like the enemy in my world...or isn't it in everyone's? Yes, I know I have been through 4 pregnancies and lost a lot of weight each time but I need to take it to the next level. What the hell am I waiting for?!?! No, not to the level of Mary-Kate Olsen or Angelina Jolie but to a place where I'm a little more toned and not so flabby. I have made a promise to myself (and my public - that's you) that I am going to get rid of about 25 pounds of the extra fat I have hanging around my body. Now I know you're saying to yourself, "Wow, she doesn't look a pound over 120!"...wink wink. Here comes the shocker. I am going to be brutally honest. I have great legs BUT I have enough love handles for the loveman, the monkies and all my friends to hang on at the same time. Hell, Cirque de Sole could probably choreograph a full length show with their entire ensemble swinging from my love handles. I clearly have a problem there, not to mention that my stomach is like a bowl of spaghetti. I've been thinking I would like it to resemble more of a six pack. Of course my public will probably never see my stomach again after 4 monkies but I must aspire to something, right? Just think of how much faster I'll be able to move on Sweetness. The Madone is my friend - my fat is my foe. Let the games begin!
