Back on the WW train

My first blog post was about my decision to transform myself.   I still do not know exactly what triggered the declaration in May 2010, but here are some of the reasons: 

• I was back over 200 pounds again.  The thought of carrying 200+ pounds on my 5'4" frame disgusts me.
• I was several months before turning 30 and knew that I couldn't keep on flitting through life.  I wanted to be sure I had time to enjoy the rest of my "youth".
• I was just unhappy with myself.  I couldn't name a specific item, but I was just not in a good place.

But the thing that really got my butt in gear was having deeper thoughts about my future.  It was more than "I am chubby/fat and want to look pretty in this or that..."  For some reason, knowing that I was turning 30 in a few months made me realize that the lifestyle transformation needed to happen sooner rather than later, or it would never happen.  Did I really think that I could wait until I was 40, 50, or 60+ to make changes to my life?  Yes, at one point I did believe that.  However, as I thought about it more, I thought "Why wait?  If you wait, you are wasting time that you could be enjoying doing other things and accomplishing other goals."  I knew it was time to take the bull by the horns and do something.

So, as a continuation of this journey to transform myself, I recommitted to the Weight Watchers program.  I have been talking about going, but I ended up going to a meeting with my college roommate last night (hi Charity!  love ya!).  I have been on and off the Weight Watchers program since 2005.  This time, I didn't just join WW, I made the commitment to stay on WW and evolve personally while I am on the program.  This means that I will: 

• Continue to run and try to find other fulfilling exercise activities
• Try to reduce/eliminate foods that I am "addicted to"
• Track the foods I eat honestly
• Change how I think about food and life
• Believe in me!
• Work hard to accept that no one is perfect and success only comes with passion and persistence

So...  Time to get moving on reclaiming my future!

Ridgewood Turkey Trot

On Thanksgiving Day, I did something I have never done before.  I participated in and completed the Ridgewood Turkey Trot 8K.  Heck, now that I think about it, I wouldn't have even considered exercising on previous Thanksgivings, much less participate in an event. 

The Ridgewood Turkey Trot is a race up Ridge Road, through some relatively hilly neighborhoods, and back to Ridgewood shopping center.  When I completed my 1st 5K, I set my eyes on completing an 8K by the end of 2010.  The Turkey Trot ended up being the race that I chose. 

I got up around 6 a.m., walked some in the halls of our condo building, and got ready to go.  I met 2 of the NCRC gals to share a ride to Meredith College.  When we got to Ridgewood, I realized that I was quite slower than most of the folks from the NCRC group.  Luckily, I found Jean!  Jean was one of the first members of the NCRC women's beginner running program and she still volunteers to mentor us newbie runners.  Jean, her friend Norma, and I ran at a 3:30/1:00 intervals.  I finished in 1:11:11, according to the text I got after the race from Precision Race. 

I am proud of myself.  I have now marked "Run a 8K" off my fitness bucket list.  Now off to the next race!

Blessed beyond measure

Today, I am thankful for:

• My ultra supportive husband - Jason may get tired of hearing my little tyrannical rants or hearing this 'n that about running, but he rarely says he's tired of it.  He just sits there, lets me do my thing and we move on.  I am so thankful for the love that we share.
• My family - My family and I may not always see eye-to-eye, but that doesn't mean we don't love and respect one another. 
• My friends - What can one say about good friends?  Hmmm...  Other than the fact that I have the most awesome, supportive, funny, crazy, awesome friends a girl could ask for...
• My health - I may be a little chubby, but I am healthy.  I am thankful that I have made some fairly significant lifestyle changes since the middle of this year and for my continued success with those lifestyle changes.
• My home
• My job

Although I could probably yammer on about all the things for which I am thankful, I will not.  Simply put, I am blessed beyond measure.  Here's to remembering the blessings every single day.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

I love the Christmas season.  I love everything about it - family, friends, food, and celebrating the joys in our lives.  While I pretty much love everything about my life on a daily basis, the holidays make me even more appreciative of all I have. 

I am fortunate to also have a mother-in-law with a knack for and love of Christmas decor.  While I am sure that our condo would be lovely with whatever Christmas decorations I put out, she just has a special ability to make everything "just so".  We spent the last two evenings putting up our main Christmas tree (living room) and Jason's UNC/sports tree (office).  We also spent some time putting our mantle decor and miscellaneous decorations up. 

Who's ready for Christmas?  We are!

Jason with the UNC/sports tree

Closer look at UNC/sports tree

Jason with living room tree, showing mantle

Another view



Boo to injuries

This week has been an off week for running and I have to say that it has totally sucked.  My normal routine  usually looks like this:  running with Sarah on Monday, personal training on Tuesday, cross training/weights on Wednesday, running with Sarah on Thursday, rest day on Friday, running with Sarah on Saturday, and cross training on Sunday.  The normal routine was a total bust this week and it has gotten me into a funk. 

Why getting out of the normal, you might ask?  Well, back in late August, I did something to my adductor/IT band in my right leg (helpful image below).  I took about 3 weeks off, but was feeling OK enough to finish my 1st 5K with my beginner's running program at the end of September.  Last Saturday, Sarah and I ran at Oak Park and things were going well.  However, after our run, something in my leg/"girly bits" just didn't feel right.  I stretched more when I got home, took and anti-inflammatory and hoped for the best.  Needless to say, this week has been tough.  When those muscle are strained, it makes everything more difficult - getting in the car, crossing your legs, lifting your leg to put on pants, etc.  So, needless to say, it has been interesting.  I am going to take it easy again for the beginning of this week, in hopes that I can actually run my Turkey Trot on Thursday.

I have signed up to do the Ridgewood Turkey Trot 8K on Thanksgiving Day.  In October, I attended Diva Night at Fleet Feet.  They had all kinds of door prizes that you could put your ticket(s) in the running to receive.  I put mine in the free Turkey Trot registration and I won.  I never, ever win anything and I took this as a sign that I should bust out of my comfort zone and do it.  I am looking forward to the race on Thanksgiving, but hoping that my little leg issue doesn't cause me any issues.

In other news, we are putting up our Christmas decorations today!  YAY!  Jason and I love the Christmas season.  I think that Christmas decor has the potential to make almost any person happy.  I'll post pics when we are all done. 

Thankful for the past few days

The beginning of the past week was a little tough, but going through tough situations makes me even more thankful for all I have.  Today I am thankful for many things:

• A husband that is beyond supportive of anything and everything I want to do
• An awesome group of friends that are always there
• Celebrating the life of special people that have passed away, but realizing that they will always be in hearts and memories
• LIFE - being able to live, breathe, participate in, and celebrate each day

Sometimes it just doesn't happen

And yesterday was one of those days.  I left work and went to the gym.  I met very quickly with my chiropractor to work on some IT band and lower back issues.  When we were done, I went upstairs to begin my workout for the evening.  I guarantee that I was on the elliptical less than 5 minutes.  I just wasn't feeling it.  I decided to try the stair mill; that didn't work either.  After trying to make myself do two different pieces of equipment and failing, I decided that it was OK to skip a day at the gym.  I usually work out five or six times a week (running - 3 days a week; cross training and weights - 2 or 3 times a week) and realized that missing one day wasn't going to kill me.

The more I thought about it on the way home, the more I realized that expecting that I will love working out every single time I go is unrealistic.  I have to tell myself that it is OK to have days when you don't want to workout, but don't let that become the norm.  Maybe I need to try some classes to add some spice to my gym days.

Do you force yourself to workout even when you aren't feeling it? 

New experience

Yesterday, I served as a course monitor for the City of Oaks Marathon and Half Marathon.  My assignment had me stationed at Snow Avenue/Hillsborough Street from ~6:30 a.m. to around 7:45 a.m.  The City of Oaks race started at 7 a.m.  While I was expecting to see many different types of people, I didn't realize there would be such diversity in the race:

• Several guys (and a few girls) running about a 5 minute/mile pace
• No less than 4 pregnant women.  When I say pregnant, I mean belly-button out and running
• "Skinny" and "fat" people (I hate those labels, but how else can you describe it?)
• Old and young
• Straight runners, run/walkers, and walkers

Being able to see so many different people on the same course, all trying to accomplish the same simple goal of just finishing was an inspiration for me.  After my course monitor assignment was over, I joined some of the NCRC gals over at Applebee's, near Meredith College.  We decided to meet up there to cheer on one of our NCRC friends that was running.  Beth is one of those folks that I can definitely call an inspiration too.  Beth and I have similar histories with our weight loss and she is definitely a person from whom I gain hope and positive thoughts.

I'll be out there next year!

Results: The 5K that wasn't

Well, the results are in...  The 5K that wasn't a 5K was officially a 4.34K.  So, if a 5K is 3.1 miles, how far is a 4.34K, you might ask?  Thanks to the help of a friend, 4.34K is 2.69675 miles.  Our estimate that the race was between 2.6 and 2.8 miles was right on the money.  I finished my 4.34K (for some reason, I just love typing that because it is so strange to me) in 36:45, at a pace of 13:38.  Not too shabby.  My first race was at 14:53 pace, so I have knocked off about 1:20 of my pace since end of September.  Go me!

Kay's Cancer Kickers and the 5K that wasn't

Today was the Free to Breathe 5K, benefiting the North Carolina Lung Cancer Partnership.  When I found out about this race, I decided I had to do it.  I had a wonderful coworker pass away from lung cancer in March 2010.  I was on a team with her husband, son, friends, and coworkers.  Our team, Kay's Cancer Kickers, was able to raise over $3000 for lung cancer research.  

  Kay's Cancer Kickers

Front, left to right:  Andrew (Kay's son), Dottie, Jason, and me

Back, left to right:  Mark, Kevin (Kay's husband), Bob, Karen, Audrey, and John

So, you might be wondering why the post title is "The 5K that wasn't".  Well, that is because that is exactly what the race was - a 5K that wasn't a 5K.  A friend and I were running the route, trying to make the best of being absolutely frozen and dealing with the "spitting" rain.  We get to Oval Drive and I tell her that something isn't right and we're supposed to go to the right and loop around.  Unfortunately, no one is doing this and there was a police officer sending everyone to the left, toward Centennial Parkway.  In the back of my mind, I kept telling myself that something wasn't right.  I previewed the race course on Wednesday and knew that they wouldn't have changed it in the span of 3 days.

The suspicion that something wasn't right with the route was evident again when we got to the mile 2 marker and it had only taken us about 10 minutes to run a mile.  While I would love to say that I ran a mile in 10 minutes, it isn't possible at this stage in my running career.   We just kept on trucking along, chatting, and enjoying the race.  When we got close to the finish, I could see the clock and knew there was no way that I could finish a 5K/3.1 miles in ~36 minutes.  But, I was going to revel in the fact that I did it - I had completed my second race.

A few minutes after we finished, another friend came over and said that the course was routed incorrectly at Oval Drive.  It made me feel better to know that I wasn't going completely nuts.  I mean, seriously, I had just previewed the route on Wednesday.  I knew they hadn't changed it.  Given that, I think the 5K was about 2.6 to 2.8 miles (Two of us were wearing our Garmins and had conflicting information).  I am hoping to receive an email from NC Lung Cancer Partnership with the exact distance in the next few days.

So that folks is the story of the 5K that wasn't.

Fleet Feet Racing Team

I have been thinking about joining the Fleet Feet Racing Team since I discovered it on their website last month.  I went to Fleet Feet for the first time the week after I started the NCRC Women's Beginner Running Program.  I felt comfortable when I walked into the store and didn't feel like I was being profiled as a runner (or in my case a non-runner). 

So, I finally decided to email Amanda, the store manager, yesterday to get a little more information (and reassurance) from her.  I am definitely no Pheidippides, but I do love to run (slowly).  Amanda calmed my nerves about being the only "penguin" on the training team.  She I went to the store last night, purchased 2 new base layers, a pair of Smart Wool socks and my team singlet.  I will be wearing it tomorrow for the Free to Breathe 5K.  I am looking forward to being a part of the Fleet Feet Racing Team and encouraging other people to join in on running.

A little bit of the willies

I ran my first 5K on September 25.  I have my second 5K race this Saturday (Free to Breathe - NC Lung Cancer Partnership).  If I said that I wasn't the least bit nervous, I would be lying through my teeth.  For some reason, it is only Tuesday night and I have the biggest case of the willies.  There is absolutely no reason for me to be nervous.  I survived the first race and I can do this one too.  I wonder if part of the nervousness is that the hubs is going to be sitting there waiting for me for a the entire ~45 minutes it will take me to run it.  Of course, his sitting there waiting could provide the motivation for me to go faster.  I can't stand for someone to have to wait on me!

Books: "The Courage to Start" and "Running for Mortals"

I read The Courage to Start in late July/early August.  The Courage to Start was his first book.  The book is filled with practical advice for any person that is considering starting to run.  John Bingham adds humor through the entire book with reliving funny (and not so funny) moments in his beginning running career.  The key quote that I will always remember from this book is:  The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.  Every time I get discouraged with what is going on with my running, I repeat that to myself.  I am sure that I am one of thousands of runners that now uses that as my mantra.

I just finished reading Running for Mortals by John "The Penguin" Bingham and Coach Jenny Hadfield.  This book didn't disappoint.  Like The Courage to Start, it is filled with tons of practical useful information.  It is also filled with interesting anecdotes that will make nearly anyone laugh.  I would add this one to my list of must reads for new runners.

Some quotes from Running for Mortals that are important to me:
Every run has the potential to transform us from who we are to the person we're becoming.  Every step on every run could be the one that begins our metamorphosis from who we've been to what we've always wanted to be.

You will only succeed if you are setting realistic expectations for yourself based on the uniqueness of who you've been, who you are, and who you want to be.  You cannot and should not try to be what someone else is or was or wants you to be.  You can't.

Postponing the joy of the journey until you reach your destination is the worst possible plan.  Waiting to celebrate until you've gotten to where you want to go means missing all the wonderful places you pass along the way.

You were born to move.  You were born to walk and run and chase.  You were born to be an athlete.  No matter how far out of shape you think you are, there is still a road back.  It may be long.  It may be fraught with setbacks and frustration, but it's there.  All you need to do is take that first step.  Take that one step toward a new you.  Then take the next and the next.

Something for me

I recently ran across an ad for Inspired Endurance jewelry when skimming Runner's World.  Their jewelry is nice, simple, and provides a great message.

If you want to get me a nice gift, feel free to get me one of these :-)

• Live, Laugh, Run pendant:  http://www.inspiredendurance.com/LIVE-LAUGH-RUN-Pendant-p/iep008.htm
• Dream, Believe, Do pendant:  http://www.inspiredendurance.com/DREAM-BELIEVE-DO-Pendant-p/iep009.htm
• Be Fabulous bracelet:  http://www.inspiredendurance.com/Inspiration-Cuff-Bracelet-Sterling-Silver-p/ier011b.htm

Holy humidity Batman

I thought that October was supposed to be a month of relatively cool temps and low humidity?  Not so today.  Today was probably one of the most humid days I have ever experienced in October.  On top of that, it had rained off and on all day.  Humidity plus rain equals yucky, sticky mess.

I got to the Ale House on Creekside Drive a few minutes early.  Since the rain had stopped about 3:45 p.m., I thought it would be a good idea for me to check the trail.  I walked about 1/4 mile on the trail and found a couple small puddles.  Needless to say, the rest of the trail was filled with them too.  Sarah and I decided early on that we were just going to run 3 miles, walk bridges, and be careful.  The worst thing would be to rush and slip/get hurt.  The run turned out well.  We finished a 5K in 44:03, at an average pace of 14:15.  Not bad at all for girls that were runnin' in the hot, sticky, rain.

Of course, we were very careful on our run, but I wasn't so careful when I got home.  Imagine this....  I walk into our condo building, take my shoes off in the hall because they are soaked, and stretch for a few minutes.  I decide to go into the house and get ready for my GNO (girls night out) with the Meredith gals.  I start across our hardwood floors in my sock feet (socks are soaking wet) and almost eat it on our hardwood floors.  I guess this is one of those moments where I should thank Rick (my trainer) for all those exercises that encourage good balance. 

I have a feeling that I will sleep like a baby again tonight.  I took the day off work today and did a pretty good workout at the gym this morning.  I rode 8.5 miles on the bike and worked out with my trainer for 30 minutes.  Then, I went for my run with Sarah.  So, definitely looking forward to the great night of sleep ahead of me.

The 1st finish

I was catching up on some blog reading last night and one of Ben's posts resonated with me today.  The first line of the post is Sometimes running and training sucks.  Boy, is he right!  I haven't had one of those days recently, but it is so very true.  When I don't want to go for a run, don't want to go to the gym to meet with my trainer, or want to eat a whole pack of Oreos just for the hell of it, I think of one thing...

This is a picture of my very first 5K (Women's Distance Festival; September 25, 2010).  This was the culmination of a 10-week running program, of which I was able to only run about 4-5 weeks.  I was plagued with a fairly tough groin muscle/tendon strain and had to walk the last several weeks of the program.  Even though that was a struggle, I was bound and determined to run in this particular 5K - no matter how slow, no matter how much it hurt, and no matter how silly I looked.  The look in my eyes (yes, it is small) is all it takes for me.  I see the determination and sheer will to accomplish things and that's what leads me to do the things that I don't want to do at the time, so that I can do the things I want to do in the future.

Another accomplishment!

Jason and I have been out of town since Saturday attending my work's Annual Conference in Winston-Salem.  We got back last night, but I just wasn't quite in the mood to write this post, but it needs to be written.

Saturday was a wonderful day for a run.  Sarah and I planned to meet at Crabtree at 7:15 a.m., as I needed to be on the road to Winston-Salem by 10 a.m.  We discussed doing between 4 and 5 miles.  The original half marathon training calendar showed Saturday as a 5 mile day; the modified (stretched out) calendar showed Saturday as a 4 mile day.  So, we set off on our somewhat eager goal to complete 5 miles.  We settled on running a 3:30 run/1 walk interval.  I have discovered over the past few weeks that somewhere between 3 and 4 minute runs are my "sweet spot"; Saturday I discovered that 3:30 is the perfect spot for me.  Anyway, I think we were both a bit anxious to go 5 miles.  But, we were gonna do it!  We were off - we didn't care how long it took us, but we were gonna do 5 miles. 

The beginning was a little cold.  I was glad that I didn't wear anymore clothes than I did, but I sure needed my jacket to start things off.  After 3 or 4 intervals, the jacket was promptly tied around the waist.  I checked my Garmin and we finished the first mile in 13:55.  While that's a pretty good clip, it kinda slowed us down on the second mile (15:00).  The first two miles were definitely learning moments for relatively new runners.  The last three miles were completed at the perfect pace (14:40 average pace). 

While we were out on the run, somewhere on the trail headed to Shelley Lake, we ran into two volunteers from our running program. I know that one of them was Megan, but I don't remember the name of the other.  It was great to see them!  The best part was that they weren't that much faster than us.  Penguins unite! :-)

After we finished we both felt so great!  It was just amazing, electrifying, exciting, thrilling, and so many other synonyms.  We finished 5 miles!  I mean, seriously, on July 22 I think we both had difficulty even doing 1 run/1walk intervals.  The deal for both of us isn't time, it is distance.  Sarah and I both kept telling each other how awesome it felt.  Again, back to the penguins - we did the run in good 'ole John Bingham/penguin fashion, but we finished 5 miles.    
After our run, I felt so good.  I did learn one lesson though - do not run any relatively "long" distance for your body and then get in the car to drive about 2 hours.  It was not good.  I wasn't necessarily sore or hurting, but my legs just felt a little "wonky".  Other than the little bit of funny feeling in my legs, I was so energized for the day.  Of course, the minute my head hit the pillow on Saturday night, I was out.  Considering that I am not normally one to sleep well in hotels, I think it was the great morning run that helped me sleep like a little baby.

Now that I have run 5 miles, I feel like I can do anything.  I think each new mile makes me hungry for the next.  I am on my way to complete my goal of a half marathon in 2011/2012.  Each new mile is an adventure and I am ready to go!

Two quotes that are relevant for me right now:
"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

"It was being a runner that mattered, not how fast or how far I could run. The joy was in the act of running and in the journey, not in the destination. We have a better chance of seeing where we are when we stop trying to get somewhere else. We can enjoy every moment of movement, as long as where we are is as good as where we'd like to be. That's not to say that you need to be satisfied forever with where you are today. But you need to honor what you've accomplished, rather than thinking of what's left to be done." - John Bingham (No Need for Speed: A Beginner's Guide to the Joy of Running, page 159)

Hilarious reading

My cousin, Natalie, is a pretty voracious reader.  I like to read, but I don't have anything on her.  Many times I check her blog to see what she's been reading and usually get a pretty good idea of some good reads.  A couple months ago, she wrote a post on her newest set of upcoming books to read. 

One of the books was Assholes Finish First by Tucker Max.  I have to admit that I had never heard of this person, Tucker Max.  I decided that I would give his first book, I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell a whirl.  Let's just say this...  It is the most raunchy, inappropriate, offensive, absolutely hilarious (pee in your pants hilarious) book.  I don't know that most women would want to read the book, but for some reason I just die laughing with every story of his past. 

So, if you are looking for something to read that is absolutely uncouth, but will make you laugh - get a copy of I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell. 

Big girls DO cry

First things first...  My apologies to anyone that may have passed an overweight girl in black shorts, pink tank and white cap that was crying while walking on the Crabtree Creek Trail.  Yep, you guessed it - that was me.  I left work a few minutes early this afternoon, bound and determined to get in at least 4-4.5 miles since I will be missing my run on Saturday.  Needless to say, my left hip and knee had other plans for me.  I had feeling it was going to be a slower run because of a little annoyance in my left leg.  After 3/4 mile the pain got a little more annoying, then after 1 mile I just knew I couldn't keep going.  I ended up ending my run after 1.3 miles and had to walk the rest of the way back. 

I cried off and on the entire way back to my car.  I cried because my hip and knee hurt terribly.  I cried because I had to stop running.  I cried because I had to still walk back to my car even though I hurt.  I cried because I am proud of what I have done thus far.  I cried because I want to keep going, but things keep holding me back.  I cried because tears seem to make it all feel better.

Two days ago, I was feeling awesome about running.  I was a confident woman who was sure that running was her "thing".  For the moment, this has gone out the window.  I know that the feeling will come back, but I wish it didn't have to leave.  These are the times that I am beyond thankful for my encouraging husband.  Without his strong words of encouragement and belief in me, I would not have kept this up.  

So, here's to figuring out what is up with the hip and knee and getting back on the trail... 

Is this really me?

I have been running (albeit very slowly) since July 24, 2010.  On August 28, I injured myself and ended up finishing the 10-week beginner running program by walking, but I finished.  I ran my first 5K on September 25.  I have continued to run since then.  Then, why do I think on a daily basis - Is this really me? 

Is this really me?  Is this the girl that didn't/couldn't/wouldn't play sports in middle/high school because she was fat?  Is this the girl that had to ask a friend to take her to senior prom because no guys in her own school asked her?  Is this the girl that weighed 340 pounds in May 2000?  Is this the girl that lost a ton of weight, yet struggles with food issues every single day?  Is this the girl that still sees herself at 340 pounds?  No, this is the woman that started running because she wanted to do something different.  This is the woman that told every single person she could that she started running, so they could hold her accountable. This is the woman that has continued to run, despite an injury/cold/busy day/hard day because she loves it.  So, YES, this is really me. 

Despite my love of being able to be outside and run, I am still full of doubts.  I feel like I am a big fake, simply because I don't fit the profile of the "normal runner".  I am not 130 pounds, far from it, but I am a runner.  As I go through each run, seeing others pass me on the trail (sometimes twice), my mind goes back to John Bingham.  One his quotes that keeps me moving:  "At the heart of the matter, the real changes are in how you think about yourself. By discovering your limitations and then overcoming them, you can learn to be your own hero. And that, for most of us, is the biggest change of all."  Daily, I am slowly tearing down the walls of doubt and becoming my own hero, but it will take time for me to convince myself that Yes, this is really me.