Back In The Swing of Things

The marathon training is going well. I actually started a new plan on 10/19 that a wonderful friend wrote up for me. It was such a nice surprise that she had written it up for me. I was complaining that I just didn't have the motivation in me to run in general. I had been sick for awhile and I think it had taken a lot out of me. She wrote up a plan that had me running 3 days/week. This includes 2, 45-60 min runs during the week and 1 long run of varying distances on the weekend. Tomorrow will be a 10-miler. I'm a little nervous about it since it's been since I did the Brooklyn Half in May that I ran that far but I have a nice route picked out and I'll be trying out my new Nathan Intense hydration vest and Tailwind for nutrition. I've heard great things about Tailwind so I'll see how it goes.

I've been spending time during the week running on the treadmill and one night this week I ran my 8-miler (I didn't get to do it over the weekend) at a local arena. That was challenging both mentally and physically because I had to count 48 laps to get the 8 miles in (I thought my Garmin could do it but not without a GPS connection and there wasn't one indoors) and the cement floor was a little rough on my legs. I persevered though!

Another thing I'm now doing is running slower. I'm going to try it for a little while to see if I can increase my stamina. I think I was running too fast before and that was contributing to my needing to take a lot of walk breaks. I was ok with it because I figured I could do regular intervals at around 4 min run/1 min walk but I was getting tired after even a few of those. The last two treadmill runs I've run slower and been able to run long without walking. I'll be trying that during my long run outside tomorrow too.

Marathon Training and Tattoos

Obviously it’s been awhile since I’ve written but I have a good excuse. Well, I don’t know if it’s good or not but it’s a reason. I was sick for about 6 weeks with an upper respiratory infection. Yes, I waited 5 weeks to see a doctor which was less than smart of me. I really thought the coughing was getting better at different times. I swear! Well, it wasn’t. I’m doing better now. Still some coughing but nothing like it was. I think it’s allergies at this point because when I take an allergy pill I definitely feel better. They really dry me out though so I’m not a huge fan.

On the topic of running, I didn’t run at all for 6 weeks. None. So, day 1 of marathon training was yesterday and it was TOUGH! Yup, 3 miles felt like 30 and the dreadmill mocked me through the whole thing. Damn that thing! Even my beloved Seinfeld on the TV in front of me couldn’t make me happy to be on that thing.

I’m still (and probably always will) going with intervals. I started off at 4:1. I got through 3 sets of those and then went to 2:1 at a slower pace. It’s going to take some time to get back into the swing of running and with 16 weeks of training, I’m sure I’ll get back into it in no time.

Today is a rest day (I like this plan because it has 3 rest days per week and I’m going to use at least one of them to back into weight training) and tomorrow is 4 miles and I think I’m going to try to get my butt up in the morning and get outside for it.

The other thing that’s been going on is I started getting a full-leg tattoo on my left leg 2 days ago. Go big or go home, right?! It’s an Asian theme with bug-eyed goldfish, waves, flowers and rocks. The thigh outline is done and I go back in 3 weeks to start the color. Cool stuff.

Running and a Pain In The Back

Running has been going well. I've also been keeping up with the weight training which I'm really enjoying. I can't believe I'm saying that. Ahh... how one's life can change.

I haven't run since last weekend though because I threw my back out or hurt it or I really don't know what but it hurt. A LOT. I've been through a lot of back issues over the years starting when I was 14 and on and off until my last back surgery in 2003. Since 2003 I've only had a few short-term pains but this past weekend was definitely a reminder of that. I was very worried that it was going to be a long-term issue but it seems to be a lot better today. I'm not really sure what triggered it. I may have overdone it at the gym but all I did was slightly bend at my kitchen sink and I felt the infamous zing up my back.

I've been taking care of the pain by walking and using a heating pad. I have a desk job so I was good about getting up and stretching a lot to avoid it getting stiff. One of the interesting parts of this (if there really are any) is that as soon as the pain hit on Monday morning, I started panicking like it was 11 years ago. It was almost like no time had gone by. But one of the main reasons I had the back issues 11 years ago was my weight and this time around I'm much smaller. I have to think that contributed to my getting better much quicker. But boy, I learned this week just how much running has become a part of my life because I really miss it and it hasn't been that long. Of course I also noticed every runner out there this past week which usually I'd notice some but not too many.

So, my back is getting better and I can't wait to run again. I got another pair of my favorite running shoes, Brooks Adrenaline so I can go back and forth between my two pairs to keep them from wearing out too quick. And let's be honest, I can't not get more running shoes!

Another good thing is that after a month of the scale not moving and my clothes not feeling any looser, I'm finally losing weight. I had to lower my daily calories a little bit and that seems to make the difference. I think that especially as I'm trying to lose weight, the whole calorie thing will have to be adjusted and readjusted on a regular basis and I would imagine that once I get to my goal weight, it will be the same situation but for now, I'm just happy the number on the scale are getting smaller. I feel better already and I've only lost 4 lbs. Those 4 lbs were hard earned though!

Cleaner Eating and Pudge

The running and clean(er) eating are going well, I’m very happy to say.

No, I haven’t lost any weight which I have to say is a bummer, but I also wasn’t tracking my calories and I know after doing this for a long time that the only way I can lose weight is be honest with myself by tracking my calories. This cleaner way of eating has been a great change. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still eating things that contain ingredients that I don’t recognize but I believe in baby steps with some things and food is one of them. The drastic stuff doesn’t work for me. I feel better and have a feeling that besides my run streak that this better eating thing has really helped my running.

Speaking of running, I did a 5k in Maine on 7/6 and beat my PR by 2 min! Pretty awesome, right?! I came in at 38:42 and this included a few walk breaks which I always do but had a feeling this time I wasn’t going to need any because I was feeling so good. That was until I got near the ocean and all I could smell was seaweed and fish. I usually don’t mind that smell but it didn’t hit me so well during the run. I felt nauseous so I walked but I persevered and did great!

The whole eating and weight thing is still something that will always need to be addressed and I HAVE to lose some weight before I start marathon training the 2^nd week of September. I just can’t go into it with all this extra baggage or as I have nicknamed it, “pudge.” I know it’s not reasonable to think I’ll lose the last 27 or so pounds in 2 months but I’d like to put a dent in it. Well, I’m definitely on my way. I started tracking my food in MyFitnessPal again yesterday, including upping my calories (I don’t think I was eating enough after reading all sorts of stuff) so I know that will do the trick.

Next up on the agenda of my life is some upcoming traveling including the in-laws this coming weekend and NYC the following weekend to see The Screaming Orphans (the Irish band we followed in Ireland this past November) perform at a party. After that, we are going to Maine again in September for a few days.

 

Here’s to a happy, healthy summer!

What I Learned on Saturday

The June run streak is over and I did it for the whole month. I felt proud to be doing it to raise suicide awareness and proud of myself for sticking with it even on days when I really didn’t want to. Will I do it again? Yup. I think as long as the mileage isn’t high, I will probably try it again but for now I’m going to change gears and start running to enjoy it and my health. I’m also going to continue with the weight training that I started at the end of May. I feel better already doing the weights.

I have to say that even though I’ve decided to change to running just for enjoyment and my health, that is going to be a challenge for me. I have a training plan or should I say, maintenance plan all set up that I created before I ran Brooklyn that I was going to start a couple weeks after I did the race. I will need to get outside my comfort zone to not use that training plan for awhile, or at all, and just start the marathon training in Sept like I planned. I also like to track my mileage so even though I want to get out there for enjoyment, I would want to track the mileage somehow. I should go out there without wearing my Garmin and track on my iPhone instead. I don’t hold the iPhone in my hand so it’s not like I’ll be able to continuously check it like I do my Garmin.

I’m going to continue my “clean eating” lifestyle and work toward my weight loss goal which is only 26 lbs away. I put clean eating in quotes because it seems like such a fad thing and it really has so many definitions but for me, I like one of the definitions I read that basically said to eat things where you recognize most, if not all of the ingredients. I realize this is going to be a lifetime of change but I’m already in that boat with having the gastric bypass surgery and after this past Saturday, I realize more than ever how important it is that I be smart about what I put in my mouth.

This past Saturday I had a low blood sugar episode. I don’t have Diabetes (I’ve been checked) but I’m very aware of the symptoms since I’ve had them before and my mom passed away from Diabetes complications.

I started Saturday with a 1.5 mi run and then went home, showered, changed and eventually went to breakfast. I had my normal breakfast of 1 poached egg, 2 slices of bacon and 1 slice of toast. But today was a little different. I had a few bites of hubby’s pancake with syrup on it. The combination of the additional carbs, running and not having enough protein was what I’m thinking did me in 2 hours later. I felt shaky, tired, a little out of it and craved sugar. I had some lemonade and a soft pretzel and recovered but I learned a lot that day.

Apparently something called Reactive Hypoglycemia can occur in gastric bypass patients. I won’t go into the details of what this is but basically, it can cause low blood sugar issues/attacks and can be severe. I am now being much more aware of my protein/carb balance.

I will be going to my doctor to confirm my this but in the meantime, I already knew that as a gastric bypass patient that I need a lot of protein and not as much carbs. So, I learned that I need to be careful because just as a side note, now that I’m more active I get even more annoyed when a weekend day has been wrecked which is exactly what happened Saturday because after the blood sugar episode I needed to come home and sleep for hours. Not fun but a learning experience nonetheless.

It's On!

Well, it's official. I've upgraded my half marathon status to the full marathon for the Rock 'N Roll New Orleans Marathon on 1/25/15!

Nervous, excited, antsy, blah, blah, blah. Sure, I feel like all of those things but hey, I've left myself plenty of time to train (I don't need to start until September) and I've done 3 halfs so I already know how to kick some training ass!

So for now I'm still doing the June run streak for suicide awareness. Today was day 17. I average about 1.5 miles/day and I'm still going strong. Hubby and I are weight training together and I also do some different machines on my own on days when he doesn't go so all is going well with that.

I'm still waiting for the layoffs at work. They should happen this week or next. I'll be happy when they are finally over. The stress of waiting isn't good for any of us.

Happy Running!

New Hope

The June run streak for suicide awareness is still going strong. Today will be day 11. I also started weight training last week. I will be starting the core work soon.

One of the great things about the weight training has been my husband going with me. We root each other on while on each machine. It’s been a great experience so far. We are doing 3 machines for legs and 3 machines for arms together and then on days he doesn’t going with me, I do 6 other machines on my own. He really likes that this hasn’t been stressful to get into. He puts a lot of pressure on himself and this has been a no-pressure situation so far.

We are also both eating better and I’ve dropped 3 lbs already. I usually drop it quick the first week or 2 but it will even out. 27 lbs to go till my goal. I’ve never been this close in my life to my goal weight. Yippee!

I’ve also decided I’ll be doing the full marathon instead of the half for RNR New Orleans in January. I just need to pay the $20 upgrade fee and I’m in. I’m hesitant, nervous and excited but I think the way my life and health have been going, it’s time to take another chance.

What I mean by “how my life and health have been going” is just that things have become so uncertain with my job lately. We are waiting for the next round of layoffs which should come in the next week or 2. With this in mind, it just reminds me how life is uncertain and short and how I want to make the most of it. On the flip side, my health has been great. I’ve been eating better, like I said, the weight is coming off and this run streak and weight training have me in a positive mind set. I’m not sore at all from either thing and that makes me happy.

With my job being up in the air, hubby and I are making future plans that we are getting excited about. We both very much want to travel around the country and depending on what happens at my job, we might be able to do it next year. I’m very excited thinking about it!

 

Happy running, walking and smiling!

A Race Report and New Goals

Wow, it’s been awhile since I’ve written.

To start out with, the Brooklyn Half went well. It was a whirlwind weekend of traveling to the race, a slight mess-up with where we were staying, not much sleep and just one long race, but it all turned out well in the end and I PR’d by 4 min!

The official count for the amount of people who raced was 25,587. Insane! I just couldn’t believe how many people were there! I’ve never been involved in a race that had so many people. On top of that, it was incredibly well-organized. There were plenty of water stations and port-o-potties too. It was an incredible experience in general.

My personal experience with the running part wasn’t quite what I hoped. Yes, I PR’d but I know I could’ve done better if I hadn’t had sore feet for awhile and my quads started tightening up like crazy around mile 6. I stopped and stretched a lot for the quads but I think the feet were the cause of my sneakers. I’ve run in Mizunos before and had been training in them but I just don’t think they had enough cushion and support for that type of distance. I’ve also had good luck with the Brooks Adrenalines so I went back to them. I’ve run in them a few times this week and I’m very happy with them so far.

Next up race-wise is July 6^th in Kennebunk, Maine. I’m really looking forward to it because it’s in one of my favorite places (southern Maine) and I have the excuse to go up there and eat lobster. It’s a win-win!

The next one after that is Rock ‘N Roll New Orleans on 1/25/15. I am currently registered for the half marathon but I think I’m going to upgrade to the full. After reading the story about the 91 yr-old woman who finished the RNR San Diego marathon this past weekend, I have no reason not to try. She is an amazing inspiration! Please look up the article. You won’t be disappointed.

I still have 30 lbs to lose so that is my first priority along with doing the run streak I’m doing for the month of June. I’m doing it to raise suicide awareness. It was suggested on the Run JunkEes Facebook group I’m part of to run a minimum of 1.37 mi/day during the month of June because the statistics say that every 13.7 min someone commits suicide in the US. I think this is a great reason to push myself out of my comfort zone.

So, I’ll be working on the weight loss, run streak (for June) and start weight training with core work. I’m going to continue that into September and then start training for the marathon. I’m very excited about all of it especially since it’s keeping my mind off work. There have been many layoffs at my job recently and there will be more in the next couple of weeks. I’m trying not to think a lot about it since there is nothing I can do. Running helps me deal with it all.

Happy running!

A PR!

I'm SO stoked! I got a 5k PR tonight of 38 min! I'm very proud of myself and just plain happy in general.

The last time I did a 5k race was May 2013 and I finished in a little over 42 min. Tonight's run wasn't a race per se, but I did it for me. I was very emotional afterwards, thinking of my mom and how proud of me she would be and hopefully is, in her better place. I cried like a baby after running it. Well, running will do that to you.

Happy Running everyone!

No Sleep 'Till Brooklyn!

Well, I ran another 5 miles yesterday and I’m definitely feeling it in my quads today. As the day goes on I’m feeling less sore but my desk job doesn’t help so I need to get up and walk a little every hour to avoid stiffening up too much.

I just had to run yesterday. The weather was beautiful and I was able to leave work a little early. I kept saying to myself that I would just run 2 or 3 miles but 5 was on the schedule for my next run (which should’ve been today) for training so I went out with one goal but finished strong!

That was my first back-to-back longish runs… ever, so I’m very proud of myself! 15 miles in 2 days. Not too shabby.

I’m taking a rest day today but I’ll be back to a 45-min tempo run on Wed and then a 3-mile run on Thu. Brooklyn is only 18 days away. I’m feeling stronger about it lately since I got back into a more consistent training routine.

As the Beastie Boys said, “No Sleep ‘Till Brooklyn!”

10 Miles

Wow. This was my first 10-mile run since September when I did my last half. I would definitely say it went well but boy, was it hard in spots. I always try to remember that if it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. Seems like a good thought.

I kept my mantra going in my head the whole time. "Run Strong, Be Positive." Then when the run started to get more and more difficult, I changed the mantra to "Run Strong, Stay Positive." It really seemed to help.

I had tried this 10-mile training run last Sunday but the negative thoughts took over and I just didn't have it in me. I was proud of myself for doing 5 miles though. I just knew I needed to tackle the 10 especially before Brooklyn which is in 3 weeks.

I did something new this week. I tried carb-loading. I figured it was worth a shot just to see if it would change my energy level. I didn't really notice a difference. I had a little more energy at the beginning of the run but I'm attributing that to the fact I hadn't run in 3 days. I don't think I'll try carb loading again until I train for a full at some point.

Speaking of a full marathon, I'm still toying with the idea of training for the full instead of the half for New Orleans in January. The thought of that is extremely daunting though. I mean, running more than double what I ran today in one shot??? How would that even be possible? I have no idea. I do know that I am going to focus on losing weight after Brooklyn. I'm sure that losing the extra weight will help. I'm thinking between 30-50 lbs. I would imagine I'll have a better idea once I get closer as to what feels good.

Happy Running!

No More Excuses!

We’ve all had issues with not wanting to run. You aren’t feeling 100% or maybe you are tired, feeling off, having a rough day, well, there are all sorts of reasons or excuses.

I’m having that kind of time right now. I should be training for my half coming up on 5/17 and I’ve only run twice in the last week.

Why have I run so little? I’m trying to figure it out. Maybe it’s because I haven’t been sleeping well. I haven’t been feeling myself lately. I guess there could be all sorts of reasons and excuses but basically I just need to do it and if doing it for myself isn’t enough, do it for people who can’t. For people who would love to be out there but are unable to be. I need to keep reminding myself of that.

Either way, I’m going to get out there today after work. Either to the gym or outside but I’m going to do it dammit!

A short but effective post I’d say.

An Amazing Run!

It was an beautiful Spring day. It was an amazing 8-mile run.

What a way to start a post, right?

Seriously though, (ok, kind of) yesterday’s run was one of those rare ones. The last couple of weeks have been challenging for me. Between not feeling well 2 weeks ago (for the whole week) and then not wanting to run much at all last week, yesterday made up for all of it.

I just kept an even pace and didn’t need to stop to walk as much as I usually do. I’m averaging around a 12-13 min/mile pace when I run but then you add the walking in and it’s around 13:53. That’s pretty amazing considering the treadmill is always over 15 min/mile. It just goes to show you that you really do have more control when you are running outside which sounds a little odd but really makes sense when you think about how the treadmill just keeps you at an even, boring pace all the time.

With the whole not feeling well 2 weeks ago, that started my not eating too well again. I started eating more bread which is my biggest downfall. I’m starting to cut that back. I know a big part of my being able to run more comfortably and better is going to be losing weight. I’m getting back on track with it because especially during yesterday’s great run, I know it could’ve been better if I wasn’t carrying around an extra at least 30 lbs.

So, that’s my goal for this week. To start getting better with the eating again and make sure I track everything through MyFitnessPal.

Another thing about my run yesterday is how it’s amazing what a different perspective it put on things after I was done. I’m now really looking forward to Brooklyn next month and thinking about setting up a plan for the 3 months between Brooklyn and September when I’ll start training for the New Orleans race in January.

I will be introducing weight training and cross training during that time so I’ll be looking for a kind of between races kind of thing and then carry the weight training and cross training into the September training.

Exciting stuff! Well, here’s to getting through another Monday!

Feeling Better, Perfect Running Weather and A Confession

                                                     I love this weather!

Last week's feeling crappy has finally passed. Thank God! Enough was enough.

I played a half day of hooky today to get out and run. It's been a long, hard winter here in Upstate NY and once I heard it was going to be in the 50's and sunny, that's all it took. I worked for 4 hours, came home, changed and put 4 miles in the books.

Unfortunately I'm now a week behind on my training but I'll make the best of it and do what I can do. As of today I've decided I'm going to do a much better job of focusing on the positive than on the negative. If negative thoughts start creeping up like what I'm not doing or what I haven't done, I'm going to stop and ask myself about the things I HAVE done and what I plan to do. There's no reason to be negative. I've come amazingly far in my strides of becoming healthier over the past 3 years and I need to remember these things anytime the negative stuff starts popping up in this head of mine. I'm going to type them out to show you and this will help me also be able go back and look at the list.

1. I've lost 117 lbs over the past 3 years. I am working on losing 20-30 more.
3. I'm working on eating healthy and mainly eating things with ingredients I recognize as whole and not processed and/or chemicals.
4. I've run many 5k's and 2 half marathons. I'm training for my 3rd half now. Oh yeah, it's in Brooklyn baby!
5. I registered for the New Orleans Rock 'N Roll Half Marathon in January 2015 but I'm going to train for the full. If I feel comfortable, I have until the end of Nov to upgrade to the full.

New Orleans + My First Full. Now that rocks! But hey, I'm going to do it if I'm ready. If I'm not, I'm going to rock the half. ;)

How's that for positivity?!

Things Are Getting Better

Things really are getting better. I feel better in general and I bought myself a new MacBook Air yesterday. I absolutely love it! I'm a huge Mac fan so it was only a matter of time before I gave in to a new laptop.

As for the training/running/feeling crappy/PMS stuff that is getting better too. No, I haven't run yet but I'm going tomorrow night. I know it's going to be a little rough since it will be 6 days since I ran but I'm up for the challenge. I miss running already and I think I'll feel well enough to go. I was going to go yesterday but I woke up yesterday morning after having slept on my neck wrong and could barely move my head. It's getting better today but I didn't think the run would be enjoyable if I couldn't move my head much. Why push it? Unfortunately this past week was a wash but it can only go up from here.

Confusion Say Be Kind To Yourself (or something like that)

I never expect (which I guess is part of it) how bumps in life just come out of nowhere.

I’ve been feeling truly “off” since last weekend. I don’t know why. I have some ideas but PMS doesn’t really seem like a valid reason. Of course it is a valid reason but for someone like me who never really had issues with it before, it’s a foreign concept.

Feeling moody, depressed, tired and just crappy in general was something I always attributed to being morbidly obese which is how I spent a good chunk of my life. Since I’m not in that position anymore I guess I just automatically thought I wouldn’t feel that way again. Boy, was I wrong.

I felt crappy on Monday so I left work early. I worked Tuesday and ran Tuesday night. The middle of the night (Tuesday going into Wednesday) came and I got a horrible migraine. What a bad night. Then I had to miss work yesterday just to recover. Enough is enough.

I’m feeling better today but I don’t like missing all these training runs. I know this is part of life and you have to take the good with the bad but I don’t like it one bit. So there. Wahhhh!

Luckily I was already one week ahead of my training (I actually thought ahead on this one and figured something like being sick might come up) so I planned this well. So now I’m on track if I go today. Do I feel like going? I’m not sure yet. I’ll see how I feel later.

The moral of my story is always listen to your body. No matter how much you feel you have to run, you will probably be sorry later if you push it too hard. I don’t know if running on Tuesday helped give me a migraine but it’s always a possibility. Be kind to your body and you will be rewarded.

Jeez, did I read that in a fortune cookie?

Training, Compression Sleeves and Pulling The Trigger

Training for Brooklyn is going well. My 7-mile long run at the end of week 4 was yesterday and it was pretty rough but I got through it. I don't think it would've been as rough if I hadn't done it on the treadmill but since we just got more snow this past week in Upstate NY, the roads and sidewalks aren't really runner-friendly yet. I've noticed that when I run in the snow and ice that I really tense up since I'm more alert due to the possibility falling. This leads to me being more sore the next day than usual, especially in the shoulders and back so my thinking is that it's not always worth it. They say Spring will come eventually and I really hope they are right because Jesus, this winter has sucked!

I purchased Zensah brand compression calf sleeves yesterday since I figured after that long run of 7 miles that they could only help. I was feeling some calf tightness on the damn treadmill anyway. I'm not sure what I think of them yet and whether or not they helped but I've put them on a couple times for a few hours at a time and so far so good. I'm not sure if I'm going to use them on my run today but I think I will. Luckily it's only a 3-mile one because I'm not up for anything longer today.

Last but not least I pulled the trigger on registering for the Rock 'N Roll New Orleans Half Marathon on 1/25/15. I would like to do the full marathon but I'm going to play it by ear since I've never done one. I registered for the half but I have until the end of Nov to upgrade to the full. My plan of attack on the training is to do the half in May and then continue keeping a running base of 3 miles, 4x/week until the middle of Sept. Then I'm going to start the 18-week Hal Higdon Novice 1 marathon training and see where it takes me.

Going to New Orleans is great because I've always wanted to go (hubby has been twice so he is familiar with it) and I get to stay with a friend I haven't seen in many years.

Well, I guess I'm off to meet up with the dreadmill for another date today. He won't get to enjoy my company as long today though. :)

Instant Gratification

Do we all live in our own worlds of wanting instant gratification? I believe I live in that world when it comes to many things including my running and losing weight.

I’m trying to “enjoy the journey” as they say but it’s been harder than usual lately. I’m not completely sure why but I think some of the factors may be how I grew up. I grew up always overweight and not active. Spending all that time in that state just wore on me. Sure, there were many times I would try to eat better and exercise, trying various ways of either going on a specific diet that may or not include starving myself but nothing ever really changed for the long-term.

As the years went by I got heavier and heavier and more and more sedentary. Food was a crutch for me. It’s where I went for emotional support. Of course it’s only an instant gratification thing but it did the trick for a few minutes. Soon afterwards I would go back to feeling the feeling that lead me to eating in the first place. What a vicious cycle!

Do I have it all figured out now that I’ve lost 115 lbs and taken up running? Nope. But I think I go about becoming a healthier person in a better, safer way now. I think my new issue is that for once in my life I’m actually not too far from my goal weight. It’s like I can almost touch it and know I can reach it which makes me want it yesterday even more. Even more than just the losing weight is the running. I want to be a marathon runner yesterday too.

Why can’t I just be happy with the process?

I don’t know why. I need to start working on that.

The other question I need to ask myself is what will happen once I reach that goal weight? Will there be fireworks and balloons? Will the world stop spinning and everyone will sing me a song? Nope. That’s not going to happen but of course it will be nice to meet that goal. My point is, will I just stop eating better and taking care of myself once I hit that goal? I don’t think so. I just need work on enjoying everything I can do now that I couldn’t do before. I need to run for me and run for the people who can’t. I need to remember how far I’ve come in a short amount of time and continue to be the person I want and strive to be.

The Importance of Rest and Some Other Stuff

Yup, rest is important. I’m slowly but surely realizing that. In my world I spend a lot of time over-analyzing things. I’ve always been like that. I’ve actually gotten much better but I’m a work-in-progress and have a ways to go.

So with the whole over-analyzing thing, I don’t always see the obvious like the fact that sometimes we just need a break. It can be from life in general, from running, from your family, anything but it’s OK TO TAKE A BREAK!

It really is ok to take a break. We all need one. We get so super-saturated with everything in this day and age that our bodies and minds need the time off. I took this past Saturday off from the world. I slept insanely late, didn’t shower, didn’t do much of anything but I did make soup. Yummy chicken noodle soup. It was a good day. Yeah, I felt a little guilty taking it off since it was supposed to be a run day (the end of my 2^nd week of half training) but I can make that up because it’s only one day. I just get a little hard on myself sometimes. That’s another thing I’m working on.

I did my long run yesterday (6 miles) and it went great. I learned from last week’s protein debacle to actually eat a lot of it and I drank coconut water and used a heating pad when I got home and today I feel great.

The other thing I’m going to start working on more is my self-image. I started reading this blog called Dirt Diva this weekend and this chick Catra is amazing! That’s the only way I can really describe her. She races it seems almost every weekend and doesn’t do 5K’s, nope, not this girl, her favorite races are 100 miles. Yeah, 100 MILES! Isn’t that amazing? So while reading this blog I just got drawn into her style, spirit, outlook and all sorts of other things that make her a really cool person. She isn’t afraid to put herself out there. She dresses how she wants and has awesome tattoos to boot. I just really found myself envying her. I want to be that type of person who just puts herself out there and does what she wants and dresses how she wants. So yes, this is something I’m going to start working on more. Being my own person and feeling strong both mentally and physically at the same time. Like I said before, I’m a work-in-progress, I like to think we all are and being the best I can be is a goal that I need to focus on more.

 

Do you take needed breaks?

What is your fitness goal either short or long-term?

Do you feel you are a work-in-progress?

Lesson Learned

Training and losing weight are going well. I’m in my 2^nd official week of training (by “official” I mean I started another training program and then switched to a new one so I’m really in the 2^nd week of the new one) and there’s only been one rough day/evening/night. This is the point where taking care of myself really hit me and how important it is.

This happened this past Sunday. I had done my longest run since Sept on Saturday which was 5 miles and then Sunday was 3 miles. Before the 3-mile run on Sunday I had a waffle and juice. It wasn’t much but it was enough since I was going out for breakfast after the run which would be my normal breakfast at my favorite diner of 1 poached egg, 1 or 2 slices of rye toast and 2 slices of bacon. So yes, breakfast was good and I felt fine.

Then I got home after breakfast and did all the cooking I planned on doing which I knew would take most of the rest of the afternoon. During this time, I had a few of the cookies I made which isn’t big deal but I didn’t have any protein. Not only is protein important for training but it’s extremely important as a gastric bypass patient.

The evening came and between the long run Sat, the shorter one earlier that day and then spending the rest of the afternoon standing and not eating protein, I was one sore lady. I was sore to the point of it hurting to walk and having trouble sleeping that night.

On Monday morning I started eating protein like I normally do and started to feel much better for my evening run.

Lesson learned. Eat the right amount of protein and don’t stand for hours after multiple runs and you will feel much better.

Besides the training going well, I’ve also lost 9 lbs which I’m very happy about. I’ve got around 30 more to hit goal and I’m looking forward to getting there. The combination of the training and losing weight is challenging but as long as I log everything in myfitnesspal, it keeps me accountable and aware of what I’m eating.

 

Enjoying Life and Training

Things are going very well. I’m in my 2^nd week of training and I decided 2 days ago to change from Hal Higdon’s Novice 2 Half Marathon training to the Intermediate one. The intermediate one is more varied and includes strength training, stretching and speed work which are all things I was going to be adding anyway, I guess I just need to be told what to do. LOL!

I’ve had tons of energy this week to boot. I don’t remember ever having this much energy. I keep trying remember if there was a time, thinking maybe it was when I got down to my lowest weight after my gastric bypass surgery which was 20 lbs less than I am now a couple years ago but no, that wasn’t it. I really think this is probably the best I’ve ever felt which at 42 is really nice. It’s challenging for me because as I’ve said, I’ve always had weight issues and now I’m trying (again) to lose weight while training for another race. I realize this may not be the ideal situation, but for me, for now it’s the best choice because while I’m training I take care of myself much better than I usually do. I’m hoping that someday this will “stick” and I’ll always take this good care of myself even when I’m not training but for now, this is it. My goal is to lose between 30-50 more lbs. I know that losing all of that excess weight will only help my running and that’s all I care about now. It used to always be about my size and how others perceived me but not so much anymore. Ok, I still have those self-conscious days just like everyone else but things have changed. Running does that. Plus, my running is getting better and better!

I’ve run many more times since my last post and it’s interesting how everyday is so different. I guess that’s the same as in all aspects of life. Some days my runs are hard, some days easier. I know I just need to stick with it no matter what and I can’t wait!

A Good Day So Far

I gotta say, today has been surprisingly good. I wasn’t sure how it would turn out since I opted to do my running before work at 7am instead of after work and I am NOT a morning person.

Well, maybe I’m becoming one. The last couple of weekends I’ve regretted waking up for a bit then falling back to sleep. I end up having crazy dreams. I’ve talked to a few friends about this and they have the same issue. So, I think I need to get up or at least stay awake on the weekends now that I have this newfound energy. Which brings me to that topic…

Newfound energy.

How weird is this? This running and eating better is making me feel better and have all sorts of energy. I’ve felt this way before but I really don’t remember it feeling this good. My brain is surprised by it all. My body is surprised by it all. I’m going to bed some nights not even tired. Strange stuff.

So, to top off my morning of getting up early and running, today was my first official day of half marathon training. I’ve mentioned this before but it’s good that it worked out this way because I’ll still have an extra week (it’s 13 weeks till the race but the training plan calls for 12 weeks) in case I need to repeat any days or a week. Today was a 3-miler and it went well. I didn’t hate the treadmill either. I wonder if it was because I wasn’t fully awake enough to have those kind of feelings yet. I hate to admit it but I guess that’s another good reason to run before work. Damn. I thought this might not have to become a habit. Well, it’s only 2 days per week when my hubby goes with me. So that will be Tue and Thu and on Wed I’ll go after work myself. On the weekends, I’ll either run outside or go to the gym but I’ll play it by ear.

Me, a morning person? Hmmm… we shall see.

Training Has Officially Begun!

I’ve had a couple weeks to get used to running again so I’ve decided that this week will be the start of my half marathon training for the Brooklyn Half on 5/17. I’m using the Hal Higdon Novice 2 plan which I like because it builds in two rest days a week instead of just one like a lot of them do. I need more than one rest day. Maybe after lots of running someday I won’t but for now, I definitely do.

My other focus the last couple of weeks has been on losing weight. I’ve got around 30 lbs to lose and I know this will only help my running. Anytime I think about eating some type of crappy food, I think about continuing to have to carry 30 lbs worth of bags of flour on my back. I did that one time. Well, I don’t mean I carried 30 lbs worth of flour on my back but I did buy bags of flour each time I lost 5 lbs to get an idea of how much extra weight I’d been carrying around. It’s very motivating. Maybe I’ll do it again.

Yesterday I ran outside because I’m about ready to throw the next treadmill I see into a lake. It went well. It was the coldest weather I’ve ever run in (25 degrees) but there was some sun. There was also some snow which of course makes things a little more difficult but I think it works more parts of your legs than just running on regular pavement or on the treadmill. It must because I was freakin’ sore last night. I felt really accomplished though. Plus I found a new app for my phone that has great music mixes on it so that really helps.

So my race is 13 weeks from this coming Saturday. That leaves me one week to play around with if I need to repeat it because my training plan is twelve weeks. Even though this will be my third half, this one is different because there is a three hour time limit, which the others didn’t have. I completed my last half in 3:15 so I’ve got some work to do but I’m definitely up for the challenge!

Life and Its Hiccups

I figured it was about time I blogged again. I’ve missed it but I’ve figured out why I was away.

Since my mom died in September I really haven’t wanted to discuss anything personal. Always on the edge of crying, the more I think about things, the more I will cry. I know it’s probably not healthy to hold things back but I also don’t want to burst out crying in random places like work. Things that trigger my being upset is my running and taking care of myself in general which have both been neglected.

I’m not being hard on myself even though it may sound like it. I’ve had issues with food my entire life. I knew as soon as my mom passed that I was going to eat more and eat more crap than usual. I actually thought about it. For me, it was unavoidable. Please don’t judge. We all have our addictions and vices.

So, as usual, I signed up for a race to get myself motivated again. This has always worked in the past and it shall work again now. I’ve registered for the Brooklyn Half on May 17^th and this time there’s a 3-hour time limit. Since the last one I completed in 3:15, I need to get my butt in gear. I started training this week, which means I’ve run once and it was VERY difficult but I knew it would be since I’ve only run 3 times in 4 months. I’m using Hal Higdon’s Novice 2 Half Marathon Training Plan. I’ve loosely used his Novice 1 plan before but this time I’m really going to follow each day. I need the discipline and consistency. I had to take yesterday off because I didn’t feel well but tomorrow would normally be a rest day but I’m going to run. I have to be flexible too. It’s all about balance.

So, on top of the running and eating better, my company laid off 17 people last week. That was an unexpected blow. There are going to be more lay-offs too. We don’t know when and won’t until the moment they happen but they will happen. This leads me to putting my plan in gear even quicker.

My plan is to move to New York City. I’ve always wanted to live there but changing my husband’s mind about not wanting to go at all to now wanting to has been an interesting process. Well, maybe not a process but he didn’t want to at all and now he does. I guess he changed his mind when we went down there for a day a few weeks ago. Whatever it took, now he wants to go. So now we are looking for jobs. We’ll see how it goes.