Summer Challenge- July Results & Goal Setting

So if you recall, I'm in the middle of a Summer Challenge with some blogging & twitter buddies.

Aptly named the "Summer Bipolar Smoked Chiquita Rabbit Trifecta" (by Mr. Funner)

Click the title for the posting of the challenge.

My results for the month of July were pretty good! -4.3lbs! I didn't quite make Mr. Funner's challenge weight loss of 8lbs, but hey, I'll take it! :) Most of my weight loss was accomplished in the last couple weeks of the month by SETTING GOALS! Not goals like "I'm going to lose XX lbs this month", but setting the ACTIONS that will get you where you want to go. Check out Mistress Laura's post on Goal Setting. While my own goal setting was much less structured, I still found it EXTREMELY useful. I will need to refine my goal setting skills, but for the moment, this seems to be working great! Planning out when and where to workout AS WELL as my meal plans was something that I was missing. Posting a week in advance INSTEAD of after, has helped me to stay accountable and keep re-updating the same post. BRILLIANT! :) Seems like something so fundamental, especially with all the reading that I do on fitness/ weight loss and nutrition... I guess I just needed to stop reading about it, and actually DO IT!!

August will prove to be a more challenging month with road trip to Montana for JP's wedding and then wedding part II in town with friends and relatives visiting. Planning will be much more difficult, but will need to be done if I'm going to continue in the right direction.

Have you set your goals for this week? month?

Week of June 29 & the challenge!

Monday- TT workout A
Final TT workout for June! YAY!
No stats :/

Tuesday- Nature's Stair Climber - Grouse Grind.
3km STRAIGHT UP!
I hadn't done this in over a year and my time sucked but I just wanted to go and do it on my own. I'm glad I did.

Check the stats!
1:35hr
1094cals
Max HR192/ 177 Avg

Wednesday- HAPPY CANADA DAY! (Rest & rented scooters)
Managed to keep my eating CLEAN! Yaaa!

Thursday- 5k run
36:01min
434cals
Max HR 186/ 167 avg

This run will serve as my measuring stick. I went running at Central Park and loved it! There's a well marked trail (Terry Fox Run Trail) that goes all through the park. No chance to overheat cause you're running through the forest. I'll be doing this more often!

Friday- tight hipflexors from my run yesterday. Resting up for tomorrow's first workout of the month!

If you read my blog, chances are, you have one too and I don't need to explain all the great things about it. In response my my bla post last week, friends encouraged switching it up, resting a bit and adding something new.


Enter... THE CHALLENGE! ("Summer Bipolar Smoked Chaquita Rabbit Trifecta")

The Challengers: One of my dear blogging buddies Mr. Fred Funner (check out his blog re. his workouts! he's a madman!)
And MikeZ, aka Smoke D. Blowfish http://smoketheblowfish.blogspot.com/ (whom I've never actually had the pleasure of "speaking" with but judging from his posts... another madman who constantly challenges and pushes Fred to new levels of fitness fun! :)

A little friendly competition between friends... boys vs. girls... beasts vs. wannabe (that's me)!
LOL- In anycase, it'll be fun, and it's the motivation I was lacking!

The goal : Most weight lost by the Aug 31, 2009
With a split down the middle: Most weight lost in July and in August seperately.

I did my first two workouts for our challenge over the weekend.
Saturday- Beginner BW Pulse Pyramids. (Smoke does a great job of explaining them on his blog HERE)
This was tough but manageable... I was a big sweaty mess after finishing. Great workout followed by 10min of steady state cardio. (5.5mph @ 2%incline)

Sunday- Lightning Intervals
Similar to HIIT sprints but a taaaaaad more intense! I was sucking wind at the end of each of the 9 intervals I did.
1min sprint @7.4mph - 2%incline
2min active rest (walking)
For a full 27min worth. WOW... amazing how an extra 30 seconds can totally kick your arse!
32:18min
311cals
HR Max 196/ 149avg

So guys, look for our regular posts where we'll share the workouts, sweat and arse kickin's!
Excited, but NERVOUS!!