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. 

Tuesday and hills are hell

I was just skimming Ben Does Life's blog and had to laugh about his post on the subject of Tuesday.  I have to agree 110%.  Now that I actually think about it - he's totally right.  There is nothing special about Tuesday.  I guess I could say that Tuesday is special because it is one of my run days, but other than that - nothing.

Today was a run day.  Toward the end of the workday, I realized that I was not really in the most social mood and kinda in a funk.  I thought it best not to spread my negative energy to others and decided to run on my own.  I left work promptly at 4:40 p.m. and headed to the Ale House on Creekside Drive.  My intention was to run 3 miles at 4/1 intervals.  I succeeded at running 3 miles at 4/1 intervals, but the hills were absolute hell today.  Now, for those of you that may know the Middle Crabtree Creek Trail, you know that it isn't terribly hilly, but that bridge leading up to the greenway entrance on Capital Boulevard is horrible.  I can see on my charts where my pace took an absolute nosedive.  Lesson learned - do not do this trail on a regular basis, especially if you want to feel good about yourself.  Despite the crappy hills, I finished at an average pace of 15:57. 

On to the next run...

Tough week

Last week was a tough week.  I started the week with a sore throat, hacking cough thing going on.  I was determined to keep on going so I made friends with Mucinex-D and vowed to keep my running up. 

I met Vanessa and Sarah at Shelley Lake at 6 a.m. on Tuesday morning.  While in the beginning this seemed like I good idea, I was beginning to wonder by lunch.  However, I have to admit that I was far less sluggish at the end of the day than I normally tend to be.  If it weren't such a pain in the butt for our household morning routine, I would probably run more in the morning.  There's just something about running early in the morning, hearing the birds, and being around nature in its earliest hours that is more therapeutic than running in general. 

Tuesday evening, I went to "Diva Night" at Fleet Feet.  They had several showcases, bra fittings, shoe fittings, etc.  I won free registration for the Thanksgiving Day Ridgewood Turkey Trot 8K.  Earlier in the day, I had been thinking about not doing the Turkey Trot, but since I got free registration, I am definitely doing it.

On Thursday evening, I met some of the NCRC gals at Fleet Feet for their weekly social run.  I have a feeling that I will not be doing that run again.  While I enjoyed seeing the gals, I thought the sidewalks were going to be the death of me.  When I got home on Thursday evening, I was so upset.  I told Jason that I was going to quit running, didn't know why I started running in the first place, etc.  We went through the full range of emotions and thankfully he just listened.  Jason has an amazing ability to be the voice of reason without saying one word.

I had planned to get up and meet some NCRC gals on Saturday morning.  When I woke up earlier than expected, with an even more annoying cough, I decided it would be best if I went running on my own.  I ran the Crabtree Valley Trail/Alleghany Trail.  I did a total of 4 miles in 58:26, at 3/1 run/walk intervals (avg. pace of 14:35/mile).  Since I am still getting over the muscle/tendon strain in my groin area, I am keeping the intervals low.  Eventually, I will get back up into the 6/1 to 8/1 range.

On Sunday afternoon, I went for a short 2 mile run on the Fallon Creek Trail/Middle Crabtree Creek Trail.  I got a little lost on some of the access roads to the trail, but figured it out this morning.  I couldn't find how to get to the other side of the trail from off Anderson Drive.  Luckily, this morning I drove over that way and followed two bikers and found the connector.  I think this will end up becoming one of my favorite places to run. 

I am hoping that this week will be a great week.  I am trying to maintain a positive attitude and outlook on my goal to run a 1/2 marathon in 2011/2012.  I think that most anyone that really knows me would say that I am a very determined individual and once I put my mind to something, nothing is gonna stop me.  I believe this is so true about running too. 

 

One sided view of health?

I am an avid blog reader.  I especially love blogs about living a healthy lifestyle and running.  Why?  Because I crave ideas for making the healthy living journey more interesting and fun - plus, seeing that there are others doing the exact same thing as me is motivation, pure and simple.  The big thing floating around the blog world right now is an article that appeared in Marie Claire.  I have read the article several times and feel like I need to provide my thoughts:

• I don't read all the blogs of the "Big 6", as called by the writer (I have never heard these folks referred to as the "Big 6", that's news to me).  The ones I have read have provided me good information from food/recipe ideas, ways to change up a workout, and just good "ju ju".
• It seems that the author went about this article opinion piece in the wrong way.  I would assume that she went to the blog writers with a completely different idea for her story, then chopped their responses to fit her needs.  This was wrong.  If you are going to write an article, you need to be sure it is an article - not a one-sided, rude, mean-spirited opinion piece.  The author does make some valid points about eating disorders, etc.  I think the approach was just wrong.  Because of her approach she has actually made her message even less important. 
• Common sense and reality - period.  Yes, I sometimes become a little disappointed or discouraged with my progress in my running, healthy eating, etc. when I compare myself to these ladies.  But, each time I remind myself that we are all different - everything about each of us.  These differences should be celebrated and used to motivate.  All you have to do is use a little common sense when reading any blog and you will be just fine.

So, here's the final thing.  I hope that this one critical article doesn't keep people from writing about their healthy lifestyles.  I also hope it doesn't keep others from reading these blogs.  I genuinely believe that this article is an opportunity to inspire more folks to care more for their overall health and well-being.

Inspiration

I love reading Brie's blog.  She's funny, down to earth, and just says what she wants to say.  I am inspired by all the women's blogs that I read, but there's just something about her.  She posted this on her blog about a month ago.  I have had it printed on a piece of paper at my office, but today it rings especially true.  It's from a Nike ad:

All your life you are told the things you cannot do.

All your life they will say you’re not good enough

or strong enough

or talented enough;

they will say you’re the wrong height

or the wrong weight

or the wrong type

to play this or be this or achieve this.

THEY WILL TELL YOU NO,

a thousand times no,

until all the nos become meaningless.

All your life they will tell you no,

quite firmly and very quickly.

And you will tell them Yes.

A dose of reality

On August 28, I went for my first run with my group after returning from vacation.  I was excited to get back to running with the gals and continuing to improve.  During the run, something felt "funny" in my girly bits (yes, that's the diplomatic way for me to say groin).  I kept pushing through thinking it would be ok.  I finished my run and went home.  Later in the afternoon, I thought I was going to die.  The pain between my legs was killing me and I really couldn't lift my right leg much more than an inch off the ground.  I continued through the weekend with my three best friends:  Advil, ice, and a heating pad.

The next Monday, I went to see my chiropractor before my appointment with my trainer.  We talked about what happened, etc. and mapped out a plan to get me back to running.  Dr. Evan worked on the different muscles around the pain for nearly a month (a month that I wasn't allowed to run - I had to use the boring elliptical). 

On Wednesday, September 22, he released me to start running again.  He gave me a series of stretches to do before my run and after.  That evening, I went for my first run and did ok.  I went a total of 2.25 miles/1.57 running, at an average pace of 15:23.  Big problem noticed around mile 1.4 - the pain was back.  Although it wasn't nearly as bad as before, it was obviously still there. 

I ran my first 5K on Saturday.  I did all my stretches, dropped my intervals to 3:1 and completed in 45:56 - not bad in my opinion.  After the race, I was so confident.  I was ready to go for another run.  I was ready to move on to the next adventure.  Then I tried to run last night...

Last night did not go well at all.  I got to Shelley Lake prepared to do 3:1 for just over 5K.  I was excited to see what my body could do, then I took the first step...  Needless to say, I realized that the pace and intervals were not going to work.  I ended up walking after about a mile - sadly, my walk wasn't much slower than my "run".

So, I have an appointment with my regular doctor today.  I am going to go try to explain to her where I have been, what I have done, and figure out what she recommends we do from here. 

I have a horrible fear that she is going to tell me to stop running.  I hope not - it is the first form of exercise that I have ever loved.  I want to go for a run, even when it is raining.  I am looking forward to running in the cold, just to test my body.  I know that I can do this, I just have to take the time to get myself fixed.  I can do this.

How did I get here and now what?

On July 14, I added a little bit more to my challenge to transform myself.  By that point, I had been working out with a trainer for about 8 weeks, had been eating better, and just treating myself better.  After a particularly intense workout with Ed (trainer) earlier that week, we talked about my goals and things I just wanted to accomplish.  One of those things was to run a 1/2 marathon and not just any 1/2 marathon - the Disney Princess 1/2 Marathon.  At that moment, Ed and I discussed how I could realistically get to that goal and do just about anything else.  I did about a week of a Couch To 5K pod casts, then realized that running on the treadmill was torturous and I needed to find a running group.   

Lo and behold, I found the NCRC Women's Beginner Running Program.  My first run with the group was on Saturday, July 24.  During the 10-weeks in the program, I have had the privilege to meet some of the most awesome, supportive, and inspiring women.  We encourage each other to keep going, even on the hardest of days.  It is so great.  The "end" of the official program was the Women's Distance Festival on Saturday, September 25.  After battling a pretty annoying tendon pull for most of August, I was determined to complete the race even if I had to walk.  My doctor released me to run the Wednesday before the race, but urged me to just take my time and listen to my body.  On Saturday, I set my Garmin for 3:1 intervals with a goal to run (not walk) during all my designated run times.  I finished the race in 45:53 (chip time) at a pace of 14:53 (239 out of 285 participants).  I was able to stick with my goal.  The way I see it - that ain't to shabby for a chubby gal that hasn't run since the Presidential Fitness Test requirements in 5th grade (and I tried my best to get out of that).

So, now what...  The ladies that I have been running with the last 10 weeks all seem to want to move on to something more.  We're working out some times for runs and making plans for participating in races.  I thought the questions provided by NCRC at our "graduation" dinner were the perfect explanation of the "now what":

What are your goals?

• Complete at least 3 more races before the end of 2010.  So far, I am signed up for the Monster Dash 5K, Free to Breathe 5K, and Ridgewood Turkey Trot 8K
• Complete the Beaufort Road Race 10K in July 2011
• Complete the Disney Princess 1/2 Marathon in February 2012

How many times a week will you run?  I plan to run 3 days per week.

Where will you run?  Through the running program, I have discovered the Capital Area Greenway system.  I hope to run as many routes as possible on the area greenways.

When will you run?  I plan to run on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday most weeks.

Will you run alone or with a friend?  I am going to run with friends as much as I can.  While running alone allows one a lot of time to think, it isn't all that fun.  I like the encouragement that I can offer and receive from running with others.

How many miles a week do you plan to run?  I am going to start following Hal Higdon's Novice Half Marathon training program.  I will probably spread the training weeks out a bit too.

Why?

Why? Funny you should ask... I have been asking myself the very same thing...

My name is Regan. In May of 2010, I made up my mind to transform myself, my entire self - my mind, my body, my diet, my mood, everything. I began by joining a new gym and making changes to how I thought about food. Not long thereafter, I started working out with a personal trainer one day per week. Of course the entire time I was working out with my trainer and going to the gym, I was cussing every piece of equipment in my head. The cussing in my head and working out consistently made me more determined to do more.

In July, I learned about a women's beginner running program offered through the NC Roadrunner's Club. I talked to a girlfriend that did the program last summer, and after much contemplation joined. I ain't gonna lie... The 1st three or four runs were absolute hell on wheels, but after that I was hooked. I finished the 10-week program on Saturday by participating in the Women's Distance Festival 5K. While I didn't finish the 5K at a sub-30 pace, I did it and that is all that matters.

This blog will be about my adventure to transform all of me...