Adjustments

I had my heart rate test this morning at the gym.  I was super anxious about it and mostly afraid that I wouldn't be able to run as long or as hard as the test required.  Bob laughed at me and called me crazy for competing with...myself.  My neighbor pointed out that I am in better shape then I give myself credit for.  But there is still the little voice in the back of my head that tries to tell me I'm not good enough. I'm getting better about pushing past her, but the thought still pops up.

The test itself was not hard.  You have to run at increasing speed and increasing incline on the treadmill while this machine tracks your heart rate and your oxygen intake.  That wasn't the hard part believe it or not.  The hard part for me was that you have to wear this mask that is hooked up to the machine.  It was horrible.  I just wanted to rip the damn thing off the entire time.  I tried very hard to just focus on my breathing, which is not a strength of mine anyway...I tend to huff and puff.  The other hard part was that you can't eat before the test.  So by the time I got there, at 10am, I was shaky I was so hungry.  Thank God the uber expensive hoity toity gym we now go to has a cafe on site!

I still haven't sat down with Mike yet to really go over the results, just had a quick review with the guy who did the testing with me.  In a nutshell, I think, the test shows that my body burns fat pretty effectively, but not carbohydrates.  And that I burn the most fat in zones 2 and 3, which is basically a heart rate between 175-185. This is good information to know.  I was also told to up my protein and healthy fat.  I will get to go over it at my training session Thursday a bit more so I may need to correct my initial understanding. The particularly exciting news is that he told me I am in pretty good shape. (Thank you Mike) and that I am on the higher end of performance and oxygen intake compared to other people who work out! YES! See Bob, I WAS competing against someone else!!

I know that making more adjustments means I am continuing to meet my goals.  I have to continuously adjust my behavior and thinking based on what level I am at.  It's not enough to just count calories in vs. out.  I really need to figure out how my body processes food and how I need to be training.  It's very interesting, a bit frustrating (I have never been particularly good with change), but a good challenge.  There is no stopping me.  I am close to meeting my initial weight loss goal and am actually excited to hit it so I can set a new goal.

I no longer feel like I just 'was an athlete'. I feel like I have found that part of myself again.

I AM an athlete.