Alyce T. Guettler Hunger Run 5k

Maybe it was too soon to sign up for another 5k, but when they're happening in my hometown, I get a little excited.  Plus, it was the cheapest race fee I'd ever seen.  Thus, the reasons Cindy and I ran the Alyce T. Guettler Hunger Run Saturday morning.

It was the least satisfying race of my short career and my slowest 5k time ever (you know, of the four official 5ks I've ever run.)

It didn't start out that way. Our plan was to run 11 minutes/walk 2 for the duration of the race.  Cindy and I tore off down the course in the beginning.  We ran the first mile in 10:29, according to my watch, which is mega fast for us.  We walked for two minutes, which was according to our plan, and then started off again.

My quads started aching, and we didn't have much to talk about (read: distract me from the horribleness that is running), so I didn't run the entire second 11 minute set. I crapped out about half way through.  This happened last Saturday during a training run too.  I just get to the point where I start thinking about how much farther I have to go, and then I just want to give up because it seems too far (hmmm...kind of like a  metaphor for when you need to lose an extreme amount of weight like I have/do).

Pre-race we are very smiley

But Cindy didn't let me quit and berated (read: encouraged) me to keep going. So after a minute or two of unscheduled walking, we picked it up again.  That second mile wasn't really all that slow either.  But on the third run, I walked a much larger portion, probably more than a quarter mile.  Again, Cindy was strong and kept encouraging me, even though I was not too fun to be around (read: whiney) by this point and I kept telling her to go on ahead without me.

When we got to that final kick-in-the-pants uphill, we agreed to run it and finish strong.  As soon as I could see the clock, I kicked up the speed a notch, and we crossed the line together at 36:08, my slowest time ever.

While I'm not satisfied with my performance, I'm trying not to be too hard on myself.  Some days are just sucky running days and sometimes it happens on race day.  Running is probably never going to be easy or natural for me, but I'm proud of myself for continuing to work hard at it.

Do you know what the best part of the race was? As we headed toward the finish line, and I was already upset with myself for walking so much, Kelly Clarkson's "What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger" played on my ipod.  And I took those words to heart.

Post-race orange slices make things better.
Please note my awesome runner shirt made by David Loy.
And my gigantic and awesome runner's watch (read: Garmin).

Motivation and Rainbows!

It's a good day when it starts with a rainbow sighting on campus!

It stretched from one side of campus to the other and I could see the whole thing! It was beautiful!

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Today my friend Carly re-posted a link to a guest blog a wrote for her a long time ago about motivation. You can read it here, if you want.

Reading it again reinforced something that I've been thinking about all week, which is that you've got to always keep your motivation in front of you.  It is way too easy to go astray with what's fast or tasty.  But if you've determined  WHY you want to lose weight and are committed to that, you have to keep reminding yourself of it.

This week I wrote the reasons why I want to lose weight on my bathroom mirror.  They include things like:
Running will be easier!
My pants don't fit
I want to be happy with pictures taken at my cousin's wedding in April.
I want to fit in the airplane seats to get me to my cousin's wedding in April.
Summer (Thus, less clothing) is coming!
To be the best me that I can be

I'm trying to keep all of that in mind this week and I've done pretty well.  Drinking my water, tracking my calories, eating my veggies/fruits and working out consistently. Whoohoo!

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On the topic of running, tomorrow is my first 5k of 2012!  Cindy and I ran the course together Wednesday night, which was a great idea she had.  It's mostly flatish (flat with little tiny, rolling humps, more than hills), but it ends with what seems like a gigantic uphill (in reality, it's probably not that big, but since it's right at the end, it's a butt kicker.) We're still not ready to run the whole thing, but will be running at least 30 to 33 minutes, which is pretty darn close to the whole thing.  Send good thoughts our way between 9 a.m. and 9:35 a.m. eastern tomorrow morning.

Stay tuned for a race recap later this weekend.

Happy Friday!

Thankful Thursdays: January 26

It's the best day of the week! It's Thankful Thursday!

Today I'm thankful:

For a great run last night.

My previous run before last night was Saturday morning and it was not peachy.  So I'm extra grateful for the super great run I had last night. Cindy and I ran the course we'll run in the Hunger Run 5k on Saturday and now we're ready to storm that course on Saturday!

For a few good days of eating well.

It's amazing how much better you feel, mentally, when you're making decisions that you know are better for you.

For the anticipation of upcoming triathlons

I've been reading my triathlon training book, and I went for a swim yesterday. Both made me excited to try another tri.

For a kick-butt week at work
Work has been crazy busy, but that's a great thing. I love checking stuff off of my to-do list!

For playing actual Scrabble twice this week!
I play A LOT of Words with Friends on my phone, but it's not often I get to play real Scrabble!

I'm sorry I kind of failed on the Thankful pictures this week. I promise to try to do better next week.

What are you thankful for this week?  

The Candy Diet

I need to lose weight. I need to eat healthy. I need to eat candy.

All of those statements are true.  Statements 2 and 3 are going to help me achieve statement 1. I think (hope).

I've written before about how I'm usually all or nothing when it comes to healthy living.  But that strictly- veggies-and-healthy-meals lifestyle can only be maintained for so many days when you love candy and Moe's like I love candy and Moe's.  And then the dam breaks and the water all rushes out.

So instead of ruling candy out of my life all together, I'm attempting to enjoy it in moderation.

Shocking and revolutionary, I know.

I've decided to allow myself one full-size candy bar a day, fitting it into my allotted calories. The reason behind this is, if I go with something smaller, like a fun-size bar, I will either feel slighted, or I will eat much more than just one fun-size bar.  It's just the way it is, and I'm feeling like facing facts these days.

You might say, "Jill, you're a 31-year-old woman. You do not need candy every day."  To that I would say, "Do you really not want candy/chocolate baked goods every day? That is foreign to me. I do not understand the language you speak. beep boop di doop beep boop di doop. Does not compute." (I would also do the Robot while saying that last part.)

All I'm saying is, I'm giving it a try.  Heck, for all I know, this one candy bar a day could be a gateway drug, and I could end up on the streets begging for money to buy a King size bar.  But I'm feeling optimistic, so I'm going to choose to be positive.  I'll let you know how it goes.

What do you think?

Gain By Losing

Each year at this time, Special K runs an ad campaign with the slogan, "What Will You Gain When You Lose?"

The version of the ad at left tells you that you when you lose weight, you will gain, "calm, joy, moxie, sass, shine, drive, pizzazz, oomph, sparkle, excitement, confidence, peace, momentum, pep, glee, spirit, zing, guts, resolve, nerve and hope."

Last year I liked this idea so much that I posted this brief blog about it.  I really felt I had gained these things and more when I lost my 60, 70, 80+ pounds. (Granted, that is a bit more extreme than the average Special K dieter, who might lose 10 or 20 pounds.)

But a few weeks ago, my friend Jess also blogged about the ad, with a different point.  She said, 

"I can't have those things at my current weight? I can't have those things if I gain the weight needed to reach my target weight? I can't have those things simply by focusing more on the important things in life? ... You don't have to lose two pounds, or six pounds, or twelve pounds to have those things."

And every single one of her commenters agreed with her, except me.  I mean, don't get me wrong, I am on her side, I'm picking up what's she's putting down.  I hope you're living a full, happy life no matter what size clothes you wear. I hope you don't feel as though you need to lose weight in order to find joy or peace. What a horrible situation it would be if you did.  

But, I've been thinking about this a lot ever since. To be honest, I AM looking to gain by losing. Otherwise all the crap of measuring portion sizes, counting calories, prepping meals and snacks, planning meals out, fitting workouts in, etc, well it wouldn't be worth it, would it? I don't want to do a whole lot of something for nothing, do I? No one does.

But that makes me ask myself, "What am I hoping to gain?  WHY do I want to lose?"  I feel like the correct answer should be "better health," but you'd be a fool if you believed me.  Yes, abstractly, I think better health  is a good thing. No, I don't want to get diabetes or have heart problems.  But is it something that motivates me daily? Simply, no.

So what do I want to gain?  I think self confidence is a big part of it; feeling comfortable in my clothes, self assured and happy to see pictures of myself again.  Pride in myself and what I can accomplish when I work hard.  Amazement from seeing how far I can run or how much weight I can lift. Daring to try new adventures  or just new clothing styles. 

Losing as much weight as I have lost, and still have to lose now that I've gained quite a chunk back, does change you a bit.  But I don't think that's bad -- before or after the change. It's just all part of the journey.

Now I've talked too long, boring you with all that's been sifting through my head lately. What do you make of it all? Why do you want to lose weight?

The Small Signs Add Up

I didn't need to step on the scale today to know that I have continued gaining weight.*

I'm privy to that little nugget because of a million tiny signs that have been blinking on and off at me for weeks now, like some bug zapper in the back yard. I've just been shutting my eyes to avoid witnessing the death of all of those bugs.  Signs like:

• I hate all of my clothes again. Not because of their color or style, but because of how they make me feel. Every day I wish I could just wear sweatpants and t-shirts.
• I breathe a little sigh of relief when I unbutton my pants.
• My legs are rubbing together when I wear skirts. 
• I've been stretching out my t-shirts when I put them on to give me a little breathing room.
• And today, I realized I can't see my collar bone any more. My beloved collar bone.

If any of you have ever been significantly over weight, then perhaps you recognize these signs too.  All of my hard work from two years ago is slipping away, and I'm just letting it go. I'm not writing this for sympathy from you, though it does seem sad. When I write those little signs out like this, they seem not so little any more, but giant, glaring Las Vegas Strip-style signs.

  

Don't be sad for me. I chose this. I know the consequences that come from eating too many meals out and too much chocolate.**  While I've kept up with my workouts and water, that's not enough to combat the evil calories.

So it's time to rededicate myself again.  Tomorrow is another day. And at the end of it, I just want to be able to say:

*But I did, and I have.
**I just love them both so much.

Thankful Thursdays: January 19

Today I'm thankful:
For my running buddy Cindy

She keeps me going and makes me feel like I've had therapy AND a workout after a run. Someday I'm going to write an amazing post about how amazing Cindy is.  Stay tuned.

That I've learned a bit about the Republican nominees.

Two days ago (or maybe 24 hours ago), I couldn't even keep track of all of the people running. But since South Carolina is in the hotspot, we've had quite a hubub of activity on campus the last few days. First we had Mitt Romney stop by yesterday for a rally in the building where I work.  Today NBC News and MSNBC's Chuck Todd broadcast his "Daily Rundown" from the heart of campus.  I went to watch the taping and now I've finally got all of the candidates straight. Plus, there was some exciting breaking news as they learned about the mess-up in Iowa and Perry's dropping out. (Watch me drop some knowledge on ya!)

This would be a great picture of Mr. Romney if that dude
hadn't thrown up his camera/arm at the last second.

Chuck Todd. Maybe you've seen him on MSNBC or
the Today show?

For having the bright idea to wash my coat to get the embarrassing stains out of it.
So I wore my coat for awhile today while I was outside watching that Chuck Todd taping, and I just kept noticing all of these weird stains (most likely from dropped food at some unknown past meal). I washed it tonight and it's looking brand spanking new now!

That this little girl celebrated her first birthday yesterday

Natalie Grace in a dress my sister MADE.

That I'm running my first race of 2012 next weekend!
The 32nd Annual Alyce T. Guettler Hunger Run, starting and ending on my beloved campus next Saturday, January 28!

Look at that, it's another Thankful Thursdays all wrapped up and I didn't even mention Downton Abbey or the weather! Whoo hoo!

What are you thankful for this week??

Thankful Thursdays: January 12

I have lots to be thankful for this week...

I'm thankful that this race exists. (Click on the picture so you can read the details.)

I'm not saying I'm going to run it, but how awesome is a race that combines two of my greatest loves, racing and Moe's?  You run halfway, scarf down a burrito and run back.  The fastest person gets $2,000 big ones.  Awesome!

I'm thankful that winter has not been too wintery.
Basically, I live in South Carolina for a reason: because I can deal with mid-fifty degree January days like today.  It makes outdoor winter running a much pleasanter experience.

I'm thankful for my friend Cindy.

We've run a couple of races together in the past, but we both let ourselves get out of running shape.  So now we're working together to get back up on top.  Running is hard, but it's better when you've got somebody to  do it with.


I'm thankful for trying new workouts.
PiYo on Monday was hard, but I'm glad I did it. I may even do it again one day (once the soreness from Monday wears off.)

I'm thankful for a day off.
I'm also thankful for the advances to civil rights that were brought about, in part, because of the courage of Martin Luther King Jr., but I'm also really excited for a day off.

I'm basically thankful for everything I was thankful for last week.

I mean, really, Downton Abbey Season 2 premiered, and I'm definitely crossing the lines toward obsession with that show.  The Englands moved back on Saturday and are now settling into their new home. Natalie is as adorable as ever, I've had more great workouts, and I've been fantasizing about future races as I fill up that blank, new calendar.

What are you thankful for this week?

Ten Percent

When you start Weight Watchers or sign up with Sparkpeople.com, they encourage you to set a small goal at first. No matter how much you want to lose in total, both organizations encourage you to work towards losing ten percent of your body weight. For a 150 pound person, that person would work to lose 15 pounds. For a 200 pound person, that person would work towards losing 20 pounds. 


Why? Well there's the obvious boost that comes from setting and meeting small goals.  If you set out to lose 50 pounds, it can take a long time and be discouraging.  But if you set and meet a smaller goal on your way to 50 pounds, it makes you feel powerful, making you more confident of being able to tackle the big goals. (I think you know that I'm a big fan of setting and meeting goals.)


But also they say that the health benefits of losing just 10 percent of your body weight are significant enough to make a difference.  


Weight Watchers says that benefits include, "lower cholesterol and blood pressure as well as reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes. It also seems to increase life expectancy and decreased lifetime medical care costs by $2,200 to $5,300. A 10- to 15-percent weight loss could even lower the risk of premature illness and death." (from http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=39481)


Or there are these stats from Sparkpeople's DailySpark blog:
"What can 10 percent weight loss do for you? A lot, especially if you suffer from lifestyle diseases such as Type 2 diabetes or hypertension.

1. Are you diabetic? You could see some stabilization and improvement of your blood glucose levels.
    
2. Do you have hypertension? You could see your blood pressure start to lower.
    
3. Is your cholesterol abnormal? You could see an improvement in your blood lipid levels.
    
4. Regardless of your other health conditions, losing 10 percent of your bodyweight puts you at a decreased risk of developing heart disease."

From (http://www.dailyspark.com/blog.asp?post=the_health_benefits_of_losing_just_10_of_your_body_weight)


Plus there's this little nugget that I saw on Twitter a couple of years ago, "For every pound you lose, you alleviate pressure on your knees by 4 pounds." -Dave Zinczenko, editor-in-chief of Men's Health and Women's Health


I think about that quote every time I run.  Of course the more I lose, the easier it will be for me to run and the longer my legs will allow me to run, but every individual pound I lose makes a difference. I love that.

So right now, I'm working on my ten percent. What about you?

PiYo

Stupid me thought I would give my legs a break today by going to a PiYo class today during lunch. The class description called PiYo a unique, athletic blend of Pilates, Yoga, and more. My legs have been feeling a little tight lately, and I thought that sounded like a perfect light workout out after the last week, when I've been a little brutal on my legs with a couple of great, hard runs and no true rest days. 

I was thinking of PiYo as like a gentle stretching class, which I thought would help with the tightness in my legs.  Boy, was I wrong. 

Instead, it is a rather quick moving, highly choreographed strength training routine that uses your own body weight as resistance. How dare they! Don't they know that my body weight has crept up lately?  Don't they know that I haven't done strength training in months?  

Needless to say, I did a fair share of huffing and puffing and got nice and sweaty.  It seemed to concentrate on my legs, and I walked away a quivering mass of jello from the waist down.

I liked the class. It didn't make me feel as stupid as Yoga always does (I usually end up in a giggle fit in Yoga, because of how stupid I'm sure I look.  Although, I should note that I did giggle once or twice today too).  It didn't feel like a waste of time either, as I got red faced and sweaty by the end.  It was nice that it was only 45 minutes, so I could do some quick ab work and get changed/cleaned up before heading back to work.  

Have you ever done Pilates or Yoga or even better PiYo?  What do you think of it?  I've never been much of a fan of these types of workouts, but after today, I think I'll give PiYo another shot next week. It's fun to mix things up and test my body with new workouts.  See the video below for a PiYo example of the kind of workout we did today.





Oh and if you're wondering, I did pretty good on my Goals of the Week last week: I did seven workouts and drank all of my water every day but Saturday.


Goals this week include increasing my fruits and veggies to at least 3 servings a day and getting back into the swing of logging my calories on www.loseit.com.

Confessional Friday

I first learned about Confessional Fridays from April, who linked up with the Blonde Ambition blog the last few weeks to do her own Confessional Friday posts.

So, here goes:

1. I almost never remember to wash my fruits and vegetables. I'm sorry if that grosses you out.

2. I LOVE  receiving Christmas cards, photos and letters, but I don't send any.

3. My biggest food weaknesses are Moe's and peanut butter.

4. I slept in a double bed for years, but recently switched it for a twin and I am so much more comfortable in that.

5. I've been a subscriber to Entertainment Weekly for almost 17 years. 

What have you got to confess?

Thankful Thursdays: January 5

After a brief holiday hiatus from Thankful Thursdays, I'm thankful that it is back.  No, really, 'cause I love Thankful Thursdays.

Today I'm thankful:
The Englands are moving back to Charlotte.  

My favorite family-by-the-sea and some of my biggest triathlon fans are moving five hours closer to me. Hooray! And, I get to help them move!  (Confession: While I HATE moving myself, I actually like helping other people move as long as they are packed and organized. Just a little tip to keep in mind if you ever ask me to help you move.)

I've finally discovered Downton Abbey.

I had read about this British drama set in 1912-1913 in several places before being motivated this week to go find the full episodes of season one online (first season is only four episodes!). It is beautifully shot and well written.. Season two premieres in the U.S. on Sunday night on PBS (I can't believe I'm watching a show on PBS), so you have time to catch up.

I've had some great workouts this week.

On Monday I finally got back to run/walking again; the first time I've run solo in several weeks.  Tuesday and today I had the chance to Turbo during lunch with some work friends.  Yesterday I got in a game of racquetball. There is no better workout than Turbo, really. Tonight I'm heading out to meet Cindy for another run.  Sweating just makes you feel good.

That Old Man Winter decided to lighten up.
I mean, was it just me, or was the beginning of this week teeth-chattering, see-your-breath, straight-to-the-bone cold? I live in South Carolina, and I have not signed up for that kind of cold. Thankfully, it was gone in less than four days.

That Natalie is sitting up.

Because of low muscle-tone, a symptom or byproduct of Down's Syndrome, Natalie is a little bit slower in some developmental areas.  She started sitting up really well, unassisted for longer periods of time, this past weekend when my parents were up to visit.

For a fresh calendar.
There's just something about a new year; it's full of possibilities. I can't wait to see what 2012 brings each of us.

Who God Loves

I don't have any deep health and fitness thoughts to drop on you guys tonight, so I thought I'd share this awesome video I found stashed in my bookmarks on my computer.  A great reminder.

Happy Here

I don't think I had realized quite how much this summer/fall weight gain affected the way I look until I spent Christmas at my parents' house.  The thing you should know about my parents' house is that there are many pictures of me there (and, of course, my three siblings and five nieces and nephews). 

Looking at shots taken just last Christmas or last spring made me realize just how much weight I've put on.  It's a noticeable difference.

But last Christmas and last spring I was still not at my goal of 100 pounds lost. So I was continually trying to lose and not appreciating where I was.  I was upset when stepped on the scale and it didn't go down or when I got off track.  When people said to me, "You've lost weight!" I brushed them off with my standard response, "Oh, I've still got more to lose."  

Now that I'm 30ish pounds heavier than I was then, I wish I had stopped to enjoy it.  I wish I had appreciated a little more of how hard it was to lose those pounds and how grateful I was to be fitting in sizes I hadn't seen since high school.

Speaking of high school, I always felt like the fat girl, but looking back now I realize I was a pretty healthy size.  I wish I hadn't lived life with the self-imposed "fat girl" label, but instead appreciated my body for the unique composition of cells that it was.  

So what lesson am I trying to teach myself today? How to appreciate what I have instead of thirsting for something else.  Yes, I wish I hadn't gained back those 30ish pounds, but I'm still 60ish pounds lighter than I was when I started.  Yes, my pants may be a little tight, but they're still several sizes smaller.

Goals for 2012

Thanks for indulging me this past this week as I went a little overboard with lists and "Gee, isn't my blog great!" posts.   This is my last of my New Year's posts: Goals for 2012.

I've been having a hard time coming up with solid, measurable goals for the upcoming year.  I know that I want to pray more and love more and give more, but it will be hard to judge at the end of the year if those tasks have been accomplished. Still, I will try.

I'd also love to say that I will make it to 100 pounds lost, but given my history of the last two and half years, I'm not positive that I will be able to seal that deal. Still, I will continue to try.

In racing news, I have more concrete goals.

• I will complete at least two sprint triathlons this year and perhaps an Olympic distance triathlon.
• I will run a personal record in the 5k, which means I'll finish in less than 33:36.
• I will run at least one more 10k and then decide once and for all if I will attempt a half marathon sometime in my lifetime.

In the area of personal goals:

• I will to try that trampoline aerobics class, Airobics.
• I will paint at least one wall in my house that I've lived in for 4.5 years and never painted anything.
• I will continue blogging.
• I will get my savings account back up to where it should be.
• I will read at least 60 books.  (This year I read 67.)

That's all I've got for now, but you know I'm always adding to and amending these goals of mine to stay focused.

Now for this week's goals.  Over the last two weeks, I've abandoned all of my healthy habits, so my goals are back to the basics:

Five workouts a week, including three runs, and three liters of water a day.
I can do this.

What goals do you have for Twenty-Twelve?

Checking off 2011's Goals

Today's the day.  My friend Cara B's birthday.  Oh, and also the day we all start our new year's resolutions.  I prefer to think of mine as goals for the upcoming year.  I'll share with you my goals for 2012 tomorrow, but first, let's check out how I did with 2011's goals.

1) Lose 100+ pounds.
Big, fat fail on this one (pun intended).  I did not, in fact, lose 100 pounds in 2011, and I'm further from my goal now than I was this time last year. But I'm trying really hard not to let that bother me as I press on toward the goal.

2) Visit England and France and my friend Stephanie Hardy.
Fantastic check mark for this one! I miss Stephanie.

3) Run my 2nd 10k and hopefully a sprint triathlon. I'm still thinking about a half marathon. Maybe.
Check and check and the jury's still out on the half marathon.

4) Visit the doctor for a physical for the first time in two years.
Done. While it wasn't the weight loss inspiring conversation I hoped for, at least now I can wait another few years before going back.

5) Celebrate my parents' 40 years of marriage!
They made it to 40 years in June, and we celebrated with the whole family, all 13 of us, in one beach house. That's how we roll, Stuckey-style.

6) Read through the entire Bible.
Check!


So to sum up, I've got a bunch of big checkmarks on the giant 2011 to-do list, except for one of the most important.  oh, well, that's why we have 2012, I guess. It's another try.

So, how'd you do with your 2011 goals/resolutions?