My first half marathon

Yesterday just may have to be added to the short list of "best days of my life".  I completed my very first half marathon and actually enjoyed it.  The half marathon benefited an organization called Hope for the Warriors. 

The day began earlier than I initially planned - a terrible thunderstorm woke me up around 2:15 a.m.  I drifted in and out of sleep until my alarms went off at 4:30 a.m.  I got up and ate my normal pre-race meal - peanut butter and jelly on wheat and an orange.  After everyone was up and ready to go, we left my parents house in Beaufort around 5 a.m.  The race was in Jacksonville, at the high school, and was about an hour drive from my parents.  Thank goodness for my Daddy being willing to drive!

We got to Jacksonville High School just after 6 a.m. and met up with my running buddies.  I was so happy to have them there with me.  I had planned to do this half all along, but the training was a lot easier and the anxiety was a lot less once they signed up to join me.

The girls before the race!
(from left:  me, Sarah, Alisha, and Shruthi)



After the pretty inspiring opening ceremony, we lined up at the half start.  There were about 350 people registered for the half marathon.  It was obvious from the very beginning that we were going to be a lot slower than 99% of the people in front of us.  I stuck my ear bud in my ear and turned on the playlist that the hubs created for running and we were off!  Very early after crossing the start line, we decided to embrace being slow and the likelihood that we would probably be last.  This was totally cool with me - the point of this race was to stay on my feet and finish. 

The bulk of the route was through neighborhoods.  We were definitely offered the scenic (and not so scenic) tour of Jacksonville.  If I had to give one complaint about the whole route, it would have been the 2.5 to 3 miles on Gum Branch Road.  It sucked, big time - cars speeding by, no shade to speak of, etc. 

We finished the race in 3:08:12 - 318 through 321 of 322 finishers.  Am I upset about our time?  Absolutely not.  Why?  Because I did it.  Sarah and I started the NC Roadrunners Club Women's Beginner Running Program on July 24 - less than a year ago.  I think Sarah would agree that if you told us we would finish a half marathon 10 months after starting to run, we would have laughed uncontrollably. 

The feeling of finishing was so awesome.  There is no way to describe how I felt.  I was so happy, exhausted, and ready for the next adventure.  While I am definitely not ready to run a half next week, I am ready to sign up for another one.  I love the feeling I get when I am done.  So great...

The hubs and I after the race

Picture from the day after the race

 

Quotes before the half....

Here are some of my favorite quotes related to running, etc.  I think these are great, especially considering that my half is in tomorrow!!!.

I look at running as meditation.  It allows me to decompress, download, and get rid of a lot of negative stuff.  That's my secret.  I go inside myself. -- Jeff Corwin, American animal and nature conservationist

You have to wonder at times what you're doing out there. Over the years, I've given myself a thousand reasons to keep running, but it always comes back to where it started. It comes down to self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement. -- Steve Prefontaine
In running, it doesn't matter whether you come in first, in the middle of the pack, or last. You can say, 'I have finished.' There is a lot of satisfaction in that. -- Fred Lebow, New York City Marathon co-founder

My attitude at a race has always been that if you look your best, you will perform your best. If you're all grungy and feeling kind of sloppy, you are going to behave and perform that way. So I would always put on full make up - you know, lipstick and mascara, the whole bit, even hairspray. It's as if I am going to work. After the race, people would ask me 'Did you even run? It looks like you just got out of the beauty department.'. On the start line, it's a psychological ploy. I like the dichotomy that you can be really aggressive and athletic and flirty and sporty, and still be feminine. Why shouldn't you be able to do all of that at the same time? -- Shirley Matson

If you run, you are a runner. It doesn't matter how fast or how far. It doesn't matter if today is your first day or if you've been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run. -- John Bingham

The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start. -- John Bingham

Happy 5th Anniversary!

Well, I lied... I said my previous post would be my last before my half marathon.  Then I realized that I couldn't go without posting a Happy Anniversary post for my dear hubs. 

Jason and I met in 2004.  When we met, I was honestly a little concerned.  Jason uses a wheelchair because he has cerebral palsy.  For some reason, this just made me slightly nervous.  I talked through my feelings with Jason and as we grew closer and I knew that I wanted to be with him, I also realized that using a wheelchair doesn't mean a hill of beans.  We may have to do things a little different, but our life is no less adventerous than others. 


In May 2005, Jason proposed.  It was quite an interesting couple of weeks - it played out like this:

• Weekend of April 15 (2005) - J and I went to Beaufort to visit my parents, extended family and celebrate my Granny Brown's birthday.  It was during this weekend that Jason asked my Daddy if he could marry me - I had no clue!  I mean, yeah, we had talked about maybe, one-day getting married, but I didn't realize he was quite that serious...



Jason and I at Sportsman's Pier (in the
terrible wind that weekend!)

• April 26 - We went to the mall for a "diamond event" at Carlyle and Company.  J said that he just wanted to get an idea of the types of rings I liked.  I should have thought something was a little "fishy" with this, but I had no clue!  I found a stunning setting that I absolutely loved - one oval center stone with two princess cut diamonds flanking each side of the oval.  It was classic, simple, but different - I loved it.  After we finished looking at rings, J and I went our separate ways before dinner.  I needed to get a few things for my upcoming trip to visit Margaret in Florida while attending a conference.  Needless to say, I had no clue that he was actually purchasing the ring that night.
• April 30 through May 5 - I headed off to Florida for a weekend visit with Margaret.  After our weekend together, I headed over to the Portofino Bay hotel for a work conference.  It was a great week.  It was during that week that I realized I wanted to spend the rest of my life with J.
 



Margaret and I before heading out to
Universal City Walk

• May 10 - It was a normal 'ole day.  I went to work, ran some errands, and then I went to get my hair cut and colored (Hey!  Hair color is important!).  After my hair appointment, I called J at the condo.  He said that we had a small problem and that there was no power in our condo unit.  So strange...  I got to the condo a little after 7 p.m. and J was right - the power was out.  Jason was sitting in the middle of the living room in the dark.  I don't love the dark normally, but hate it even more when I can't see anything.  J had a tiny little flashlight and tried to guide me over to him without causing me to fall over furniture.  When I got over to him, he proposed.  I have to say that I don't really remember what he said, except asking me to marry him.  Of course, I said yes!  I was so excited, shocked, happy - it was great!  We called our parents, Margaret, the Allen family, and a few other people.  Not sure what was up with the power, but when we called the Allen's and their daughters started cheering, the power came back on. 
• May 5 (2006) - Our rehearsal and rehearsal dinner...  Jason's parents hosted the rehearsal dinner at their home.  We enjoyed cocktails and appetizers on the front lawn, followed by dinner in their home.  It was nice to be able to have our rehearsal dinner at their home because it allowed us to spend more time with our family and friends.




• May 6 - Our wedding day... I won't say there were no stressful moments, but no matter the stress, it was the most wonderful day.  Jason and I were married at 4 o'clock in the afternoon at Forest Hills Baptist Church.  We were surrounded by the love of many family members and friends.  Our reception was held at the Albert Coates Local Government Center (home of the NC League of Municipalities - where J's Dad worked before he passed away and where I currently work)
















• After a great wedding reception, we headed off on our honeymoon trip to Nags Head.  It was just the break we needed and the perfect start to our wonderful marriage.

Wow...  I can't believe that it has been five years!  Every single day allows me to see how blessed I am with a great husband - he is the ultimate cheerleader, supporter, and friend.

I love you J!

Last post before the half

The hubs and I will be leaving for our 5th wedding anniversary cruise/vacation bright and early on Thursday morning.  It is hard to believe that we have been married five glorious years - seems like just yesterday! 

We're going on a 3-night Disney cruise, on the Disney Dream, followed by 4-nights at the Polynesian.  While we are on the cruise, we'll be completely incommunicado (cell phone rates are ridiculous at sea!).  I am looking forward to enjoying a few mimosas by the pool and some yummy meals! 

The cruise and vacation isn't going to be all fun and games though.  I do need to get in a few short (2-4 mile) runs while on the ship and once we get back to Walt Disney World.  My half marathon is on Saturday, May 14 (2 short days after getting back from vacation).  So, I will be trying to eat yummy, healthy choices while also enjoying every bit of food I consume. 

Hope that you all have a marvelous week!  Can't wait to report on the half marathon!

10 miles - DONE!

Well, well, well....  Despite the little bit big bunch of nerves yesterday morning, we finished survived 10 miles yesterday.  What does 10 miles mean?  It means - double digits; 3.23 5Ks; 1.61 10Ks; and 3.1 miles from a half marathon.  This is that funny place where people that have run long distances definitely welcome you into the fold and say with the utmost encouragement "You've done 10, you can definitely do 13.1.  A half will be a breeze...."  I can't say I agree with the sentiment that "...A half will be a breeze...", but I am now confident that we can do it and we will do well. 

A few negative things about yesterday's run....  Sarah and I decided to run earlier in the day in hopes of beating some crap-tacular weather forecasted for the afternoon.  Since Sarah had a meeting early in the morning, we met at 10:30 a.m. to run.  I guess I didn't think about the hottest part of the day being between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. - yesterday was definitely one of those days.  We trudged on toward Shelley Lake despite the heat/humidity.  It was 80-something degrees and so humid that I actually thought for a moment that I could move to Minnesota in the winter and be happy (For anyone that knows me, you know this is crazy.... I hate cold weather, snow, and everything about winter.)  Poor Sarah and I were ultra-whiny and couldn't seem to find anything good to say about running.  Geez....

Due to the humidity, I found myself hoping begging for some rain around mile 6.  I didn't want to say anything aloud about wishing for rain, because I just wasn't sure Sarah would agree.  Finally, just before mile 7, I did it - I said aloud "I just wish it would rain for a minute or two...."  Guess what??!!??  Not one minute later, it started to sprinkle, then it started to pour.  We had a good rain for about 3 minutes and it was absolute heavenly bliss.  Those three minutes helped me survive the last three miles - I wasn't so sure I was going to make it before that.

The half is only 17 days away.  If we can do a training run in yesterday's conditions with just the two of us, I think we'll be fine for the half - earlier in the day, hopefully less humid, and with our two other running buddies.  YAY!

Nerves getting the best of me...

For some reason, my nerves are getting the best of me this morning.  I took today off so that I could get in a 10-mile training run with Sarah.  Sarah will be out of town this weekend and I'll be heading out on vacation in the middle of next week. 

When I woke up this morning, I was so nervous!  I have no clue why.  I have a feeling that the idea of running a half marathon is freaking me out.  Jason and I talked about how hard we've trained and how well we have done so far.  Running 10-miles today and running a half marathon in 18 days should be no problem.  I have worked hard to get to this point and it will be great to accomplish this goal - now I just have to get the nerves under wraps.

Back in the saddle

I have not exercised in any form since last Thursday morning, well that was until 5:45 this morning.  That's five days of nothing - no walking, no running, no Arc trainer, nothing, nada, zip, zilch.  Now that you get where I am going... not working out for 5 straight days was so foreign to me. 

Why didn't I work out?  Well, I ran with Alisha on Thursday morning and could tell that my breathing was off and my throat hurt a little.  By Friday morning, I had a bad cough and by Friday evening I had no voice.  Saturday morning, I was supposed to do 8 miles around Beaufort and could barely move.  I was sick - yuck!  I ended up staying home from work on Monday and slept the bulk of the day.  By the time I got through the workday on Tuesday, I was exhausted and decided to take one more day off and vowed to get back at it on Wednesday. 

This morning, I met up with my awesome running buddies (Sarah and Alisha).  I wanted to run, but I was worried that the five days off would cause me to be extremely slow.  Thank goodness for Sarah being an awesome pacer!  There were several times that I could feel my legs saying "Go faster, go faster...", but I did my best to stick with Sarah and Alisha, as I knew Sarah had my best interest in mind with the pace.  We finished 2.5 miles in 32 minutes (not too much slower than normal). 

I think it's easy to say that my body was glad to be back in the saddle.  While my body enjoyed the few days of rest, it was ready to get back to movin'.  The run was the perfect thing for the beginning of my day.  I know that I probably say this way too much, but I am amazed at how far I have come.  When I started running in July, I couldn't imagine saying that I missed doing any sort of physical activity.  Now, my body and soul thrive on that time.  I love the "therapy" session and the health benefits - so great!  Lovin' this new me!!

Our first half marathon is in 24 days!!!  I can't believe it!  I am so full of so many different emotions.  I can't wait for May 14th to get here!

Weekend in Review

The past few weeks have been quite busy at work. Other than work there hasn't really been much to talk about, until this weekend.  On Friday afternoon, J and I headed to Carteret County for an awesome weekend full of family and friends.

Friday:

After arriving in Carteret County around 2:45 p.m. we decided to go by my Granny's for a little while.  We had a family celebration of my Granny's 85th birthday scheduled for Saturday afternoon, but figured we'd stop by and say "hi" since we were passing through on our way to Beaufort.

We delivered birthday gifts and a housewarming gift.  I think Carly (my cousin Nicole's daughter) was jealous of the housewarming gift we gave Natalie and Chris.

Friday evening, J and I met up with Margaret and Jamie at Hannah's Haus.  Long story short, Hannah's Haus is a little tavern/bar in the back of the Gaskill's Hardware Store in town.  Hannah's is located in the part of Gaskill's where I used to regularly go with my Dad to pick up lawn mowers that had been repaired or to look at baby chicks.  It is so funny to see it as a bar, but it is a fun atmosphere. 

After hanging out at Hannah's for a while, we met up with Margaret's Dad and my parents for dinner at Clawson's.  As always, dinner was a blast - who couldn't have fun with the bunch!

Saturday:
I was supposed to get up early Saturday morning and run 8 (or so) miles.  When I woke up, I could barely get my breath because of being so congested.  I took some medicine and just relaxed until it was time to get ready to get moving for the day.

We went to my cousin, Jordan's, softball game.  She's playing Babe Ruth Softball for the first time this year.  When we got to Smyrna, her team was on the field and they were doing great.  The Down East Dolphins continued to do well and ended up winning the game!  Congrats to Jordan!

After Jordan's softball game, we headed over to my Granny's.  The whole family was there.  My Aunt Juanita and Uncle Harold live in Michigan and they don't get down to North Carolina as often as they would like.  My Uncle Elmer, Aunt Barbara, cousin Natalie and her boyfriend, Chris, live in northern Virginia.  They visit pretty regularly, but it is not often that we are able to coordinate getting the entire group together.  We grilled out and had birthday cake in honor of my Granny's 85th and cousin Nicole's 26th birthdays.  It was great!

Granny (center) with all her kids, grandkids, great-grandkids
(and spouses and significant others too!)

Granny with her kids - (left to right) Robert/my Daddy, Elmer,
Les (aka "Bo" or "Dee Bo"), Woody, and Juanita

Saturday evening, we went to see my Dad's church cantata.  I got to see a lot of people that watched me grow up.  They were all so nice and complimentary of my weight loss, etc.  It was a good feeling.  After the cantata, we went to No Name for dinner.  Unfortunately, dinner at the restaurant was cut short by the power going out.  We were fortunate that our pizzas were almost done and we ended up taking them home and eating there. 

Sunday:
I woke up still feeling pretty darn awful.  So, I missed my run once again.  Mama drugged me up with some Mucinex and Tylenol Cold.  After lunch, we decided to go ahead and hit the road back to Raleigh.

We were very grateful that the storms that ripped through North Carolina on Saturday didn't do a lot of damage in Beaufort or to our home in Raleigh.  While we were driving back, we were amazed by the damage in certain parts of our drive back.  There were several neighborhoods in Havelock that were completely flat.  We knew the storm did a lot of damage, but didn't realize how much until we got back home on Sunday evening and saw the news.  Our thoughts and prayers are with all the families that were affected by the storm! 

Girls weekend/Cooper River Bridge Run

Happy April!  I cannot believe it is April already!

This past weekend, the girls (Sarah, Alisa, and Jade) and I packed up and headed to Charleston for a much needed girls weekend and to run the 34th Annual Cooper River Bridge Run. 

We got to Charleston on Friday afternoon and headed to the Expo and pre-race spaghetti dinner.  In the back of my mind, I imagined huge pots of spaghetti sauce with women in hairnets dishing out sauce on top of our pasta.  The dinner was actually a "Taste of Charleston".  Some of the best restaurants, bakeries and the culinary school had various food items.  I think we all would agree that the macaroni 'n cheese from the culinary school was slammin'.  So good!

On Saturday morning, we got up at 5:30 and headed to Mount Pleasant.  This was after a night of my barely sleeping because I was so excited.  I think the only person that was more excited than me was Sarah.  The race organizers instituted a "wave start" this year.  While this is my first time participating in this race, I can imagine the absolute madness in the past without the wave start. 

Once the race got started, Sarah, Alisha, and I just trucked along at our normal pace.  When I saw the bridge on Friday evening, I though "Oh, well that's not so steep.  It'll be easy compared to the hills in Raleigh."  I was totally wrong.  Once you get past about mile 1.5, you start on the incline.  The incline goes until about mile 3.  That's about 1.5 miles of uphill, while dodging some of the other 40,000 participants. 

Despite dealing with the headwind and 40,000 other people, we finished in 1:21 - pretty dang good if you ask me. 

After the race, we walked around downtown Charleston and had lunch at Mellow Mushroom.  The veggie calzone that I had for lunch was the perfect finish to a great race. 

The weekend in Charleston was great!  I definitely think that the Cooper River Bridge Run will remain on my "must do" list for years to come.

By the way, our half marathon is 38 days away!!  I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I am about the half!  So, so pumped for the rest of the training and the actual race!

Thank God NCAA basketball is almost over

I went to my weekly Weight Watchers weigh-in yesterday.  I gained for the second week in a row - so annoyed.  I talked with the leader about what could possibly be causing the gain.  I haven't changed much about my eating - I rotate between about 3 or 4 breakfast items, 2 or 3 lunch items (or leftovers), and try to balance the day with a healthy, yummy dinner (sometimes including a new recipe or two).  I haven't anything about my workout schedules/activities, but some of the gain could be caused by building muscle.  I was still having difficulty reconciling the weight gain, so I thought some more...  and then I figured it out.... (or at least a contributing factor)

BEER.... 
My new love is causing a kink in my life.  I have never really been one to love beer, at least until recently.  I would prefer a liquor drink or wine over beer most days. 

Well, that was until Sarah introduced me to Sweet Josie.  When Sweet Josie and I met, I truly believe it was love at first sip.  Each time we have been out to watch basketball and/or hang out with friends, I have had at least one beer (if not 3 or 4).  Beer just kinda goes along with hanging out in a favorite restaurant while spending three (plus) hours watching the games(s).  It is easy to Did I track the beer that I consumed?  That's a little hard to answer - yes and no.  I see there are certain times where I did track it and certain times I didn't.  There is no way to be realistic about my food choices and weight loss if I don't track each beer (approximately 7 points plus values per pint).

So what now?  I am not planning to give up my new love.  Sweet Josie and I will just have to have fewer dates and I need to plan better for those times. 

Cheers!

7 miles? Really?

We're still continuing on our half marathon training plan.  Today called for 7 miles.  When I woke up this morning, it was cold and my super-delicious dinner from TriBeCa Tavern was still weighing heavy on my stomach.  I wasn't in the mood.  I definitely benefited from having running buddies today - I probably would have skipped if I was running alone.  The run went very well.  Just after we reached the halfway point, I had a couple Cliff Shot Blocks.  They were a very helpful little pick-me-up.  I am still going to experiment a little with a few other things - maybe a Cliff bar, Fig Newtons, or maybe even something like Swedish Fish. 

This afternoon, the hubs and I just relaxed around the house until it was time to meet Margaret, Gavin, and her parents for an early dinner at Rudino's.  The last few times I have been there, I have ordered the Veggie Grinder.  It once again didn't disappoint.  We were there few several hours and it was great to just hang out and catch up.  Margaret and Gavin will be heading back to Florida tomorrow afternoon, but she'll be back in North Carolina in mid-April for a wedding.  YAY!

The weather is supposed to be crappy tomorrow.  I think I am going to get up early and go to the gym for a while.  When I get back, I am planning to just do some cooking and baking.  Of course, we all know that plans don't always work out - I'll probably end up reading, catching up on silly TV shows, and taking a nap.  Either way, it'll be a glorious Sunday. 

Next weekend is the Cooper River Bridge Run.  Sarah invited me to go several months ago and I have been super-excited ever since.  I don't really remember the last time I went to Charleston.  I am kinda intimidated about running over the bridge, but it will be a fun race.  After the race, we'll have time to explore the Charleston/Mount Pleasant area.  AWESOME girls' weekend!

55 days!!??!!

My very first half marathon is in 55 days!!??!!  I am not sure what possessed me to actually count the days before the race, but I did.  Every time that I think of Saturday, May 14, I have so many emotions - I am excited, scared, proud, etc.  The next 55 days cannot come fast enough and cannot be far enough away at the same time. 

Yesterday, Sarah and I volunteered for the Tobacco Road Marathon.  Sarah's cousin, Brandy, was running this race as her first half and we thought it would be a great experience for us and a bonus if we got to see her.  After waking up at the ungodly hour of 4:45 a.m., we made our way to Cary/Apex to be at our station by 6 a.m.  We were posted at mile 3 - the half marathoners were directed to turn right onto the trail and the marathoners were directed to turn left onto the trail.  Sarah and I spent the entire time cheering for the ~4,400 runners.  It was a great feeling!  We saw Brandy and I saw a girl from my gym.  I have mentioned the girl from my gym to Sarah several times before.  She runs very long distances on the treadmill and I don't know how she does it.  I am hoping to get the nerve to talk to her the next time I see her at the gym.

After the last of the half marathoners and marathoners went through our area, Sarah and I got in the car and went on a wild goose chase to find a spot to watch and cheer some more.  We followed some cars and ended up around the 11.5 mile mark.  We did our best to cheer on all the runners and many of them thanked us for being there.  YAY for supporting others!  Some of my favorite Sarah-isms:

• "You're earning those pancakes!"
• "...Kicking ass and takin' names..."
• "You are awesome.  Everyone else is at home in bed and you are running a half marathon!"
• "...CBS Sunday morning hasn't even come on and you have run 3 miles..."

I really enjoyed cheering the runners on yesterday.  I am hoping that we will be met with the same enthusiasm in Jacksonville!
 

Sarah's perfect post

I think that Sarah and I need to confer more on our blog posts.  After reading her post from last night, I believe that we may be the same person.  I guess that's what happens when you spend 3+ hours a week running together and obsessing over various things via email during the day :-) 

Since she already wrote the intro, I am going to provide the answers to some of the questions that I get daily:

Q:  Don't you starve on Weight Watchers?  Aren't you hungry?  What do you eat? 
Well, if you consider not eating a 2 flatbread sammie combo from Quizno's every day as starving, yes.  But, no - I definitely do not starve on Weight Watchers.  I actually feel like I eat all day long.  The Weight Watchers Points Plus system is great.  You can eat all the fruit and most veggies for 0 points plus values.  The program also encourages you to eat more healthful, filling foods (they call them power foods).  I can still eat anything I want, I just have to be prepared.  Every evening, I put my planned food into the WW tracker and pack my lunch.  It works for me.  Yes, I did order Girl Scout cookies this year.  In case you were interested, there are 16 Thin Mints in each sleeve - that is 4 servings.  I can totally eat just 4 cookies now, whereas in the past I would down the entire sleeve.

Q: Doesn't running hurt?  I can't run because it hurts (insert body part here).
I am not gonna lie - running can hurt.  But, the pain is temporary if you keep at it.  When I started running on Saturday, July 24, 2010, I thought I was going to die.  As soon as we were done, I went home, showered, sat down on the couch to "rest for a few minutes", and slept for nearly 4 hours.  Mind you, on our first run with NCRC, we did 1 minute walk/1 minute run intervals for 1 mile - that was definitely a wake up call to how out of shape I really was.  The next day I hurt, Monday I couldn't walk, and Tuesday I went back out there.  Other than an injury that sidelined me for about a month, I haven't stopped.  Does it hurt now?  No, so long as I do what I am supposed to do (stretch, eat properly, etc.).

You say you can't run?  Really?  Do you have something wrong with your legs?  Did your doctor say that you can't run?  OR, it is that you are scared, concerned, worried, etc.?  No one ever said that you had to take off running like the Road Runner or Speedy Gonzales.  The key is moving.  Get out there and get moving.  If you want to run and you train appropriately, it will come in time.

Q:  How do you find the time to run/exercise?  It takes a lot of time to get ready to go run, etc.
I find the time to run and exercise because I make it a priority.  My work schedule is such that I leave at 4:30 each afternoon.  The trail that Sarah and I run two times a week is right on my way home from work, so I have no choice than to pass it.  I bring my clothes to work, change into them before I leave and stop by the greenway for a quick run after work.  I am always intrigued by people that say it takes a lot of time to get ready to run.  Really?  I think it takes me 5 minutes to change out of my work clothes and get my running clothes on and shoes laced up.  I also try to get out of my office during the day at least twice a week for a walk or run in the middle of the day.  Yes, I sweat and no, I do not smell like roses.  I clean up the best I can and move on with my day.  My biggest help with this has been having a buddy and the hubs.  I am committed to run because I have at least one other person that is expecting me to be there.  My husband also keeps me accountable by asking what I am doing after work, etc.  It works for me because it is important to me. 

Go read Sarah's tips for getting started with running and Weight Watchers.  She is totally right on!  Here are a few more from me:

• Make running/fitness/health type activities appointments on your calendar.  In this day in age, it seems like everyone has a Blackberry/iPhone/smart phone - use it.  They all have handy-dandy little calendars on them.  I put my healthy lifestyle activities in my calendar in a special color, etc.  Would you miss your annual gyn visit or dental appointment?  No, probably not - so why would you skip an appointment to lengthen your life?
• Try new foods!  This is so very important!  Through running, Weight Watchers, and the change of mindset about food, I am not eating things I have never eaten before.  If you asked me 2 years ago if I would eat parsnips, I would have said "What the h*ll is a parsnip?" - same thing with quinoa.  I spend my evenings combing through message boards, recipe websites, etc. finding yummy new things to try.  It is fun, gets the hubs involved, and generally turns out to be a food we will enjoy and put in our favorites list.
• Celebrate!  (Sarah mentioned this, but I couldn't help adding it.)  You must celebrate every single success.  Tracked every day?  Awesome!  Exercised 4 days and earned activity points?  Great!  Signed up for a race?  Rock it!  Went out to dinner and enjoyed every minute of it, without overindulging?  Yes!

You can do it!

Looking at the bigger picture



My chart for the last 24 weeks (highest weight on chart was
204 on October 27; current is 178.8)

This morning, I went to my weekly weigh-in at WW.  I am always a little "out of sorts" on Tuesday morning.  I have a routine that I follow and all I want to do is get the weigh-in over as quickly as possible.  Today was no different...
Last week I lost 3 pounds, the week before that I lost 2 pounds, and 2 weeks before that I lost 2.6 pounds.  I should have known better than to count on losing like that again.  Today, I weight exactly the same as last week.  Disappointed is not the appropriate word to describe how I initially felt.  I felt defeated, upset, sad and was about to cry. 

It didn't take long for me to tell several people about my being on the road to being discouraged.  They all offered the same advice - you are doing great, this is a journey, keep up the good work.  When I was sitting in my car, thinking to myself that I had "failed", I didn't think of how far I have come.  Since October 27, I have lost 25.2 pounds; since November 29, I have lost 18.8 pounds.  There is something to be said about that!  Obviously, that didn't happen without my changing my behavior.

The more I thought about it, they are absolutely right!  If you are in the same boat as me and sometimes get a little discouraged, etc., please make sure you step back and take a look at the bigger picture.  Yes, I want to lose weight.  However, losing weight isn't the only important thing in this journey.  Weight is only a very small piece of the journey to a healthier me.  Each step I take in selecting healthy foods to eat or to exercise is helping me gain muscle mass, gain endurance, and become a healthier me!

Some things I will be changing:

• No more sneaking on the scale.  The hubs and I do not have a scale in our home.  I learned many years ago that I tend to be obsessed with the number on the scale versus how I feel and how my clothes fit.  There are two scales in the bathroom on my floor at work and a scale at my gym.  I have been sneaking on the scale "just to see".  I will now only weigh at my WW meetings.
• Changing up the cardio.  I have been beating the demon monster machine using the Arc trainer for the past few weeks.  I love the calorie burn and feeling that I am really doing something.  I know that I need to change it up though.  I will be rotating between the Arc trainer at the stairmill more.
• Reminding myself that it is a journey.  This is definitely a journey.  If I said I gained the weight overnight, you would know I was lying.  Allowing myself to think that I will lose the pounds in a short period of time is just lying to myself. 

Every food choice, day of exercise, 5K/8K/10K race, or other choice I make is a victory.  Sometimes you just have to be reminded to look at the bigger picture.

Weekend recap

First things first!  Happy Daylight Savings Time!  I know there are some people that love to grumble about DST, but I am not one of those.  DST means a few things - it will not be pitch-black when I wake up in the morning; there will soon be a time when I can get a run in before work without being scared to death on the greenway; I can get a long run in after work if I can't get it done on the weekend.  Who would have ever thought that two of my three reasons to like daylight savings time would revolve around running...

Friday:
The hubs and I went to Natty Greene's for lunch with Erin.  He took vacation for the afternoon so that he could watch basketball (crazy Carolina fan).  I knew that I would never be able to get him to leave the pub in the middle of the game, so I left hubs at Natty Greene's and went grocery shopping.  I couldn't bear the thought of hearing him yell at Carolina for 2 hours in public.

Later on the in the afternoon, Sarah and I went for a walk at the NC Museum of Art.  I didn't even realize the trails existed.  Not only do you have trails that connect with the other Capital Area Greenway trails, there is beautiful art along some parts and some unpaved trails.  I think I have found a new favorite Sunday walking spot.  

On Friday evening, the hubs was pretty pre-occupied with basketball.  We relaxed at home and had a great new recipe (Asian Grilled Chicken) for dinner.  While he stayed up until some ungodly hour watching basketball, I spent the rest of the evening watching mindless TV before drifting off to sleep (earlier than I would care to admit).

Saturday:
Our Saturday morning run was the first official long run of the half marathon training program.  My running buddies and I met at 8:30 for a 6-miler.  Sarah and I have been talking a lot recently about how we are so focused on pace.  In an effort to be less obsessed focused on pace, I decided that I would  no longer wear my Garmin.  I will check our routes online to find the turn-around point before we go and leave the timing up to Sarah.  I have to say that running without my Garmin beeping after each mile to tell us our pace was very liberating.  We needed to slow our pace down in order to continue toward the distance we wanted to accomplish and this seemed to work just right.  We finished our 6 miles in 1 hour and 20 minutes (~13:20 mile).  I think Sarah and I did a pretty decent job of planning out the half training.  We'll do 6.5 miles next Saturday, 7 miles the next, then we're off to the Cooper River Bridge Run the first weekend in April.   

On Saturday afternoon, Sarah, Sarah's Dad, Alisha, and I went to see Spring Awakening at Memorial Auditorium.  I have heard a lot about this musical/production, but didn't realize it was even in town until Sarah told me.  She was able to get us some pretty darn good seats for a good price.  When we got into the auditorium, Sarah told her Dad to charm the female usher on the lower level to see if we could get better seats.  Thanks to him, we were able to sit very close in some seats that probably would have cost us $70 each otherwise.  We're going to have to recruit him to go on more adventures!

Sunday:
Today has been pretty easy-going.  I spent the early part of my day sitting in the recliner under a blanket, piping hot cup of coffee in hand, while watching CBS Sunday Morning.  I swear there is no better way to spend Sunday morning. 

The rest of the day was filled with going to the gym in an effort to avoid being a home listening to the hubs scream at the TV burn off some calories.  I did 60 minutes on the Arc Trainer and 20 minutes on the bike.  Felt so great!  The rest of the afternoon/evening has been spent doing things around the house and preparing to go back to work tomorrow.  

Here's to a great week! 

101 Ways to Deal with Stress and our dinner tonight

My therapist emailed me a great list today.  It is called "101 Ways to Deal with Stress".  I am going to make a concious effort to try at least one means of reducing stress each day as a way to curb my anxiety.  Hope this list helps you too!

Get up 18 minutes early • Prepare for the morning the night before • Avoid tight fitting clothes • Avoid relying on chemical aids • Set appointments ahead • Don’t rely on your memory... write it down • Practice preventative maintenance • Make duplicate keys • Say no more often • Set priorities in your life • Avoid negative people • Use time wisely • Simplify meal times • Always make copies of important papers • Anticipate your needs • Repair anything that doesn’t work properly • Ask for help with the jobs you dislike • Break large tasks into bite size portions • Look at challenges differently • Unclutter your life • Smile • Be prepared for rain • Tickle a baby • Pet a friendly dog/cat • Don’t know all the answers • Look for the silver lining • Say something nice to someone • Teach a kid to fly a kite • Walk in the rain • Schedule play time into every day • Take a bubble bath • Be aware of the decisions you make • Believe in yourself • Stop saying negative things to yourself • Visualize yourself winning • Develop your sense of humor • Stop thinking tomorrow will be a better day • Have goals for yourself • Dance a jig • Say hello to a stranger • Ask a friend for a hug • Look up at the stars • Practice breathing slowly • Learn to whistle a tune • Read a poem • Listen to a symphony • Watch a ballet • Read a story curled up in bed • Do a brand new thing • Stop a bad habit • Buy yourself a flower • Take stock of your achievements • Find support from others • Ask someone to be your “vent-partner” • Do it today • Work at being cheerful and optimistic • Put safety first • Do everything in moderation • Pay attention to your appearance • Strive for excellence NOT perfection • Stretch your limits a little each day • Look at a work of art • Hum a jingle • Maintain your weight • Plant a tree • Feed the birds • Practice grace under pressure • Stand up and stretch • Always have a “Plan B” • Learn a new doodle • Memorize a joke • Be responsible for your feelings • Learn to meet your own needs • Become a better listener • Know your limitations and let others know them too • Tell someone to have a good day in Pig Latin • Throw a paper airplane • Exercise every day • Learn the words to a new song • Get to work early • Clean out one closet • Play patty cake with a toddler • Go to a picnic • Take a different route to work • Leave work early (with permission) • Put air freshener in your car • Watch a movie and eat popcorn • Write a note to a far away friend • Go to a ball game and scream • Cook a meal and eat it by candlelight • Recognize the importance of unconditional love • Remember that stress is an attitude • Keep a journal • Practice a monster smile • Remember you always have options • Have a support network of people, place and things • Quit trying to “fix” other people • Get enough sleep • Talk less and listen more • Freely praise other people • P.S. Relax, take each day at a time... you have the rest of your life to live.

I have highlighted 15 items in pink.  I am going to work very hard to follow through with these.  I think having certain items to focus on will make the journey that much easier...

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Tonight, we had Broiled Salmon with Rosemary and Quinoa and Black Beans.  The hubs normally doesn't like salmon because it is too "fishy".  He actually seemed to enjoy our dinner tonight - whereas, I didn't eat all my salmon. 

I was a little frustrated when I left work today.  I felt like I really needed to run, but the weather was crap-tacular - it was sideways raining, blowing a gale, and just crappy.  Sarah and I had agreed to just go to our respective gyms.  As much as I was looking forward to working out, I was annoyed that I couldn't run outside.  In an effort to make the gym visit less torturous seeming, I challenged myself - 60 minutes on the Arc Trainer (strength profile, level 6), followed by 20 minutes on the bike (random hill profile, level 8).  I was certain that I was never gonna survive the Arc Trainer after the first 15 minutes.  I "opened"  my new book (Women Who Run) on my iPad and trudged on.  In celebration of accomplishing my gym goal, I enjoyed a nice Bad Penny beer with my dinner.  I don't think Big Boss had in mind to pair this beer with salmon, but it worked for me!



Isn't she (the Bad Penny) lovely?



Anxiety

I have been dealing with anxiety off and on for years.  I have been pretty good about hiding it.  I rarely let people know that I was feeling worry about something because most of the time I had no clue what I was worried about.  I did not want people around me to think I didn't have it all under control or that I wasn't capable of something.  There have been times that this fear/stress/worry/anxiety has gotten the best of me.  In August of this year, I had one of those moments.  I absolutely blew up and pretty much let my anxiety control me and caused a lot of hurt. 

After the incident in late August/early September, I made the decision to start talking with a therapist again.  If I was truly going to transform my whole self, I was going to have to get some assistance with understanding how to cope.  I got several recommendations and proceeded to make an appointment.  I felt immediately at ease with my therapist, even before I met her the first time.  My first appointment was an absolute disaster - at least in my mind.  I cried uncontrollably for most of the appointment and could not get my thoughts together at all.  It was so frustrating that I could not tell her why I was there, why I was upset, why I was confused, and on and on. 

I went to see her every week for almost two months.  We spent a lot of time talking about my day-to-day activities, how I approach situations, etc.  Through our talks, I really came to see how many things in my life were controlled by my anxiety.  I always chalked up my behavior to being a perfectionist, type-A, control-freak - all of that is really anxiety in disguise.  Each one hour session with my therapist helps me to understand why I get anxious and how to cope with the anxiety, without getting into a full-blown anxiety attack.  At the recommendation of my therapist and in consultation with my doctor, I am also back on medication for my anxiety.  While I hate the thought of being medicated, the thought of letting anxiety control me is worse. 

I went to my therapist today and the entire session was devoted to talking about several recent situations that have caused me to have severe anxiety.  After talking through the situations and understanding circumstances, she encouraged me to use my blog to gather more coping strategies. 

Some of the ways I cope include:

• Take deep breaths.  As silly as it sounds, the suggestion to "smell the cookies (deep breath) and blow out the candles (deep breath out)" really works. 
• Be active.  If I feel like I am having an "off" day, I make sure that I do some type of physical activity.  It could be as simple as going for a walk around the block at work or going for a long run.  Just move - it makes a difference.
• Let go of perfection.  Perfection is an unattainable goal.  No one has ever been or will ever be perfect.  I work very hard every day to tell myself to let go of perfection - it is still a struggle, but one day I will let it go.
• Get support/Ask for help.  I haven't talked to a lot of people about my anxiety, but those people that are closest to me or I know have their own anxiety issues have been a great resource for me.  When I am in a situation where I am beginning to feel anxious, I let someone around me know that I need to change the environment/circumstances.  It is a lot easier to just say what you need than to hold it all in.  I have realized that it is ok to ask for help/make yourself vulnerable.  Most people really are supportive and want nothing but the best for you.

So, what do you do to cope with situations that cause anxiety/stress?