Back On Track

The last two weeks have proven to be exceptionally difficult. My stress level at work was ridiculously high, and my nutrition was poor and I wasn't exercising. This combination produces a Fibromyalia DISASTER!!! We are talking SERIOUS pain. It wasn't fun. I was in tears two days last week from all the pain and stress. Then I had to quit my 17 mile run at mile 4. It was really hard for me to quit, but I had to listen to my body. It was the right thing to do.

I have now settled into the first week of school and I'm officially back on a schedule. I do well on a schedule so this is a great thing. I bring healthy food at work and I'm starting to fit in some exercise again. I've noticed my shoulder inflammation has gone down a little bit so I'm hoping it will continue to go down and I am on the path to feeling better.

I've done some damage the last week and it'll take some time to undo it, but I'm committed to doing so and I'm looking forward to continuing my journey. I am back on track-I am NOT giving up!!

Ouch

Today I went back to work, and it was an 11 hour day because I had a meeting after school and worked in my room a couple hours after that. About that time, I noticed severe inflammation in my right shoulder up to my neck. Here we go...Ugh. I knew the Fibro would start up again when I went back to work. I might need to consider working out in the morning so I can get my exercise in when my body is not inflamed. I'm going to aim for afternoon again tomorrow and see my body feels. I am not going to stay late tomorrow so my plan is to leave on time and go to the gym straight from work. I'm going to do my fibro stretches tonight and go to bed very early. Cross your fingers that I feel good tomorrow! Anytime a pain cycle starts, it's important to get in front of it with exercise because once you're in that much pain, it's really hard to exercise because you feel like your body can't take it.

I still feel okay about things. I knew this was coming and have been mentally preparing for it. Tomorrow is a new day with maybe not so bad pain. I have my weekly weigh-in in the morning! Should be interesting since I've been a total slacker. :/

Cancelled??

So I get my happy self up at 3:45am to mix the Gatorade for our group and am on my way out the door by 4 and I get the word on the road that the run is cancelled because of lightning. There are pros and cons to this. Obviously, going back to bed rocks. But I actually got sleep and was ready, and ended up completely wasting a 5 gallon jug of Gatorade. Oh how it pains me!!! I'm gonna set it up in the kitchen today for some to drink just because I feel so bad.

So this messes with our schedule. I made specific weekend plans based on long mileage since I usually feel sick and am down for the day after any run more than 15 miles. It almost would be better to get the run in tomorrow but I'm thinking that won't work for some so I'm curious to see how we are going to make it up.

So yeah-slept until almost 11 and it was glorious considering I only have two days left of freedom before going back to work. Sadds!!!

And I have been SUCH a slacker! I've done cardio once in two weeks. It stops today! Ok maybe tomorrow! I have got to get myself back on a cardio pattern so I don't stall on weight loss.

Must keep going, must keep going!!!!

Feeling Down...

So I have to be honest, I'm feeling rather down today. It was one of those days where nothing went my way, and I was simply not happy. I'm very stressed about going back to work, and I'm worried about how my Fibro is going to handle itself once I'm feeling stressed and tired all the time again. Fibromyalgia is manageable in a low stress environment that allows me to get 10 hrs of sleep a night plus naps every day, but in a high stress environment with little sleep, it's very painful. I'm also worried about the first week back, when we have training and sit all day for a week. Usually sitting in a chair for more than 3 hours will start a flare up, I'm not sure what I'm going to do. It's nights like this when I really start to resent my condition. I know that I'm strong and a fighter but sometimes I find myself asking, "Why me?" and wish to feel good every day like normal people. To live everyday without having to stretch your body out or to lay flat because you've been sitting too long. It just doesn't seem fair, I feel this every second of every day.

But then I think of those who are dying, and have lost the battle of life and I have to consider myself lucky. I hope to one day come to peace with my condition. So far I have been unsuccessful.

I am also frustrated with how slowly my body is changing. Yes I look different, yes I've dropped weight, but why does it have to be so hard?? I feel like I have to bust my ass every day just to have the hope of looking fantastic. And I still am nowhere near it.
Don't get me wrong, I know I'm great, but sometimes it feels impossible to live up to our present day society's perception of beauty. I wish that all women could love themselves and appreciate their own beauty without the destructiveness that lies in negative comparatives. Maybe one of these days...

I know it's just an off day. I usually feel pretty good about things and I will feel better tomorrow. Everything will somehow work itself out and I will journey on in this unpredictable maze of life.

Gearin' Up For Half #9

I am running the Hottest Half Marathon in the morning! Woo Hoo! I got the race shirt, it's fine...should be cool since it's white, and I'm excited about getting another medal. One more hole to fill on my new medal rack! YAY!

I know it's going to be tough-was absolutely horrible last year when I did it. BUT-if we get a breeze, that'll help. I also know the course well and it's pretty flat. AND-I am 25 lbs lighter than I was this time last year when I ran the race. I am really curious to see if I beat my time. I should. Last year's hottest half was by far my worst half marathon time so if I don't, I have issues.

I admit I've been a slacker the last couple of weeks. I've been doing a lot of stretching and low key stuff, but haven't been getting as many runs in as I should. I want to start fresh after this half and do my required 2 weekly runs in before the long run on Saturdays. On our team schedule, I have 17 miles next Saturday, but that after a 13 mile half? Not sure how that's gonna work. I guess we will see how much energy I have at that time.

Wish me luck! I will be SO happy when it's over!!!

Inspiration

I've been following the Olympics very closely and I must say, I am so inspired by some of these athletes. They all have a story, they all have been down in their training, but they all have the courage to break through it and persevere. I'm also very impressed by their focus. It was great timing for my current mental state.

I am about to go back to work, and it will be very easy for me to work out less and make poor nutrition choices, BUT I am recognizing that I will be tired, and I must plan for it. My goals have not changed so my behaviors cannot, either. I think a key for me is sleep. I need to be tired at night and go to bed early. I think the best routine for me is going to the gym right after work on my way home. It's done by 6pm and I can enjoy my night and go to bed early.

With Fibromyaliga, I am hurting frequently and am exceptionally tired all the time, so I need a plan that will set me up for success. I am not my disease. I am a fighter, and strong as hell and I WILL reach my goals. Just like those athletes, sometimes circumstance makes things hard, but the ones that have what it takes will break through it and will be stronger and better for it in the end. I always need to remember: being weak is a choice, but so is being strong.

15 miler

This morning, I completed 15 miles with the team. I've been worried about this run for awhile and my concern was more than justified. The first 9 miles were great, but miles 10-15 were pretty brutal. When the sun was beating down and my feet hurt and I was staring up at hills when feeling slightly nauseous, it really was mind over matter. Luckily I had my team with me to help me through it. When you spend so many hrs running with people, you get really close and I was thinking today how lucky I am to have some of best friends suffering beside me. I feel like we can get through anything if we are together.

I'm absolutely exhausted. That run took everything out of me today. I haven't been sleeping well so I'm hoping I will get significant rest tonight so I can be up bright and early for church.

I am SO ready for Fall. Once the temperature drops, runs become 10x easier and we all the sudden get faster. Then it's time for race mode. OOooh yeaahhh!!

Speaking of races, it's now time to start mentally preparing for this Sunday's Hottest Half Marathon. Yay for a race shirt and a medal!

I'm off to bed. Hoping for some deep sleep. Good night, dear readers.

Running In Heat

So this Saturday, I have a 15 miler in the dead summer heat. Hot long mileage is never fun, but I don't think I've gone more than 13 in this kind of heat before. Usually our mileage doesn't increase to this until about September, when the temperature starts going down again. Naturally, I am nervous. The first 9 miles should be fine. Some of it will be done in the dark. But it starts to get crazy hot around the time of an insanely steep incline in elevation from mile 10-13. In other words, very hard hills when it's the hottest and we're the most tired. SCARY!!!
I love our team and we have a great group of conversationalists, so usually we make the best of it and try to have some fun. I do like the 15 mile course (minus the hills, of course) because a lot of it is around White Rock Lake. I will be one happy girl when this 15 miler is over. Then we will have 2 weeks before the next long 17 miler! Ahh we're gonna die!!!!

Anytime I start to get scared or feel weak, I think of my favorite motto:

Sweaty Bands!

Now I realize these are incredibly girly, but I love them!!! They are multi-functional. They keep your fly-aways out of your hair when you run AND they sparkle, therefore allowing you to look cute while staying athletic. Might I suggest the sparkle color matching with your outfit? So fun!
You can see that I arranged them to be in the shape of the Olympics. I'm the creative type. You're welcome. :D

For all your sweaty band needs....you can visit: www.sweatybands.com :0)

I Love Short Runs!!!

Yesterday, we had a short 8 miler that was awesome. We had about a mile of intense hills, but overall it wasn't bad. And it was short! I love short runs!! I'm trying to prepare for next week's 15 miler. It's going to be insanely hot...the longest I've gone in this heat. I'm nervous. I also have The Hottest Half Marathon coming up in a couple of weeks. Yikes! Why am I so stupid?? Ha. I know I'll be happy when it's over, and I can't wait to get the medal and the shirt. I'm ridiculously excited about race shirts and what sparkle skirts they match with. Yes, I'm a nerd. :D :D

SO...as the summer is winding down, I'm looking at the prediction of my summer weight loss goals. I wanted to lose 15-20 lbs and it looks like I'm going to hit around 15, if all goes well. I'm bummed I didn't get to 20 but I am smaller now, and I lose at a slower rate when I'm smaller. I should have prepared for this in my calculation. Oh well, I'm trying to be happy with 15. I have about 3 more weeks left of summer so I'm going to try my best to finish strong! I can't believe it's almost time to go back to work. Where did the summer go?!

Rest And A New Shirt!

My Disney "In Training" shirt came in yesterday! I actually chose the more masculine one, which is odd for me since I always go for girly, but I didn't like the design of the lighter color, so I went with this one. Yes, that was a run-on sentence. :D It's a dark color, so I will have to save it for Fall, but it still gets me excited about running Disney, so I'm happy.

I have REALLY enjoyed these last two days of rest. I have stretched out my body a lot and I'm feeling good again. Friday's are usually rest days because of Saturday morning runs, but since we're only running 8 miles this Saturday, I can workout tomorrow since I've been such a bum. (Bummage rocks).

I had lunch with my friend Jenny today and we talked Disney races pretty much the whole time. Eventually, I'd like to run Wine and Dine, Tower of Terror 10 mile, Tinkerbell Half, Disneyland Half, and WDW Marathon Weekend. So yeah, pretty much all of them. :D I can't wait until I have money, it will be ON!

Have a great night, dear readers! I am off for some more resting. (YES!) :0)

630 minutes = CRAZY!

So this week in my UG Challenge, I took on the 630 minutes of exercise in a week challenge. I'm SO tired. I have completed four 100 min workouts and a 12 mile run this week. Today, I took 3 naps and I'm STILL tired. I cannot wait to rest. I was lying in bed this morning and my entire body felt so tight. I know this is good but it hurts! I think tomorrow I'm going to take the day off, even though it's the day of my favorite Zumba class.

I think tonight and tomorrow will consist of lots of sleep, hot baths and many hours of rest. I can't WAIT!!!

2010 DRC Half Marathon

DRC and I have a love/hate relationship. I've done well with time on that race, but for some reason I get horribly sick after all of them. HMM! Of course both times my strategy was completely stupid. I started out going really fast and too hard, and then I'm hella tired by the end. BUT, I still don't understand why I'm so sick when I'm fully conditioned by the time the race comes. The world may never know.

A lot of people hate this race, and I'm not really sure why. It's a great time of year, and though it has some solid hills in random places, I like the race. White Rock is beautiful so I'm always happy to run there. And with a great shirt and a medal, I always enjoy it. Now after this particular race, I remember getting my medal, and see the pic above? I was about to hurl when that was taken. Can you tell? (and oh my gosh, I was fat!) Immediately after that race, I had to lay down because walking made me faint. I got horribly sweaty and started seeing white. If I laid down, it was bearable, but every time I'd try to get up, I'd get sick again. My two PGL's at the time went and got massages while I stayed on the ground, haha. Then we rode the bus back and I felt horrible all the way home. I slept for a very long time when I got home then got very ill the next 4 days. Good. Times.

I Love New Toys!

My medal rack came in! I love it!!! And look at all those holes with no medals. Just WHAT are we going to do about that?! :p

12 Miler

This morning, our Galloway group completed 12 miles. It was actually a pretty fun run, with the exception of the last 2 miles. We laughed a lot and kept each other entertained for quite awhile. It didn't feel like 12 miles. But by mile 11, I was ready to be done. The sun was beating down in a not so fun kind of way, with no breeze. Ew! But the good news, it's over and now we get a later run next week with less mileage! YAY!! I'm trying not to think about 2 weeks from now when we have a 14-15 miler in the same awful heat.

I have the Hottest Half Marathon coming up in about 3 weeks. The medal has the sun wearing sunglasses! Cute!!

And lastly, I'm doing a challenge this week that is the goal of 630 exercise minutes during the week. I was really dumb and took two full rest days, so I'm gonna be bustin' it these last 3 days. We're talking 2 hours a day kind of bustin' it. Why do I do this to myself?!

I'm still feeling great and excited about reaching new heights! Until next time! :0)

3:1's

My training is going GREAT! This week I got up to 3:1's and it felt easy. I'm going to do the same thing next week, but will gradually increase my speed. I had a great weigh-in this week and am down almost 12 lbs this summer. So far I am right on track!

Tomorrow morning, we have a 12 mile run at 5am. It's going to be VERY hot. I will be happy when it's over.

I signed up for another half-Heels and Hills and Him in September. I'm ridiculously excited.

Off to bed...I need to get up at 3:40AM tomorrow. Ahhh!!!

Magic Mile #2

This morning, we had our group run of 8 miles. We started out the run by completing a magic mile, aka run as hard as you can, putting forth 95% of all you've got. We use this tool to predict our race pace and view our improvement throughout the season. My first magic mile was in mid May on the very first day of marathon training. It killed me and I was very slow. Here are stats:

Magic Mile #1-Mid May-13:41 pace
Magic Mile #2-Mid July-11:58 pace

I was pumped about an 11:58 magic mile! And I only put forth about 85% effort, I could have pushed harder but I didn't necessarily want to because we had 7 miles to go and I knew I would crash and burn if I did. So those numbers are a significant improvement and I'm happy.

I was pretty miserable the last 3 miles of the run, though. Those magic miles always kill me and I was feeling very sick, exhausted and defeated. I did fine and held up strong, but inside I was wanting to puke. On the way home, I was trying not to fall asleep in the car. And then I took a shower and slept for 2 hours. I'm still feeling sore and tired but at least I'm more rested.

So yeah, good times. Runs like these certainly make you appreciate the ones when you feel good.

Speed work

I've started lengthening my running intervals during my weekly runs. Tonight I did the following pattern 3 times: 2:1's 2x followed by a 3:1. This pacing seems to be working well. It's not easy yet, but today seemed a little easier than last time and I maintained the 12:56 pace so I'm happy.

Tomorrow is our magic mile for our running group. I'm curious to see how much I improve from the last one we did in Mid May. I've been training hard since then so I'm hoping for a decent improvement.

Off to bed! Early run in the morning! :0)

Body Glide

On runs more than 13 miles in the heat, this little bottle is your FRIEND! Now, this might be gross, but runners learn fast that you learn A LOT about a person on long runs...burp, sweat, puke, you name it, it happens. So if you go long in the horrible heat, you will notice the grossness that is chaffing. Mine usually happens under the sports bra and it is NOT fun. So apply this little baby between any long run, and voila, the RED. IS. LESS. :D

Red Balloon 5K

This race was just for fun. I did this race with my friend's Christina and Jeana. We had a blast! We ended up making shirts with the matching red theme. Aren't they cute?!

We even got polka dot ribbon bows to match. Oh yeah, it happened. :0)

Here we are getting the warm fuzzies as they release the red balloons to symbolize our little ones in need.

The course was super flat and easy and that's my kinda race! It was fun going short. And it was even more fun doing it with friends.

Here are Christina and Jeana looking cute..

And then all of us before the start...

WE DID IT!!!

And of course before we left, we had to get a stupid picture with random blow up hockey man.

Good time, good cause, good day!

Princess Half Costume

So Jenny and I were talking a lot about outfits for the Princess race and I think I've come up with what I want to do. I'm thinking this cute pink polka dot Minnie sparkle skirt...

...with a white or black shirt with my name and a cute saying on it...with these cute matching Minnie Mouse ears...

SO FUN!!!

*Denotes PR’s

Full Marathons
*2012 Dallas Marathon-6:56:18--15:45 pace
2011 White Rock Marathon-7:09:17--16:23 pace
2010 White Rock Marathon-7:13:18-- 16:32 pace

Half Marathons
*2011 Texas Half Marathon-3:03:57--14:03 pace
2011 Heels and Hills Half Marathon-3:05:08--14:08 pace
2012 Heels and Hills and Him Half Marathon-3:09:56--14:25 pace
2012 DRC Half Marathon-3:10:18--14:20 pace
2010 DRC Half Marathon-3:11:56--14:39 pace
2011 DRC Half Marathon-3:12:46--14:43 pace
2011 Cowtown Half Marathon-3:21:35--15:23 pace
2012 Hottest Half Marathon-3:26:55--15:48 pace
2010 Big D Half Marathon-3:31:53--16:10 pace
2011 Big D Half Marathon-3:40:53--16:52 pace
2011 Hottest Half Marathon-3:49:11-17:29 pace

15Ks
*2013 Hot Chocolate 15K-2:08:07--13:42 pace
2011 Bold In The Cold 15K-2:11:44--14:10 pace
2010 Too Hot To Handle 15K-2:29:65--16:07 pace

10Ks
*2011 Addison Hot Chocolate Run 10K-1:23:28--13:26 pace
2012 Hotcake Hustle 10K-1:33:30--15:03 pace

6.4Ks
*2012 Dallas Miller 64 6.4K-57:31--14:23pace

5Ks
*2010 Red Balloon 5K-53:10--16:36 pace
2011 St. Paddy's Day Dash Down Greenville 5K-54:29--17:32 pace
2013 FIREFLY 5K Pace????

Mini Marathons
*2013 Moo Cow Mini Marathon 2.62miles-39:45--15:10 pace

2011 White Rock Marathon Medal

This is my favorite FULL medal. The 26.2 changes color tone in the light. It's heavy and made of nice material. Love. It.

2011 DRC Half Marathon Medal

I really like this medal. It was extra big because it was an anniversary medal. Although I like the medal, I got sick AGAIN at this race. I have no idea what it is about DRC, but I've gotten VERY sick both times I've run it. HMM!

2011 Hottest Half Marathon Medal

This race was NUTS! I should have known, based on the name. But 13.1 miles in August heat in Texas was definitely a challenge. I'm still proud of it, though. It has fire on it and makes me feel like a badass. :p

2011 Heels and Hills Half Marathon Medal

Obviously, I love this medal. It's PINK!!! I loved this race, was the only race I've run in a storm! Good times. I love girly medals!!!

2011 Big D Half Marathon Medal

This is my *FAVORITE* Half Marathon medal. It's so cool looking!!! They definitely improved their medal from the previous year. Now I'm not gonna lie, I completed the race, but I was kind of a slacker. I was sick, dehydrated, and pretty much walked the last 8 miles. Oops!

2011 Cowtown Half Marathon Medal

I really like this medal. I earned this one, Cowtown has definitely been the most difficult Half to date. And this race series is so cool because each year's medal is one piece of 4 that goes together to make a ginormo presentation display. Maybe one of these days I can do 4 years in a row for all pieces.

2011 Texas Half Marathon Medal

Although this medal is definitely not my favorite, this race is special because it's my PR, aka my fastest Half Marathon time. WOOP!

2010 White Rock Marathon Medal

This medal is very special because it was my first FULL marathon, and therefore my first full marathon medal. The material is very nice and it's very heavy. I love it, I just stared at it for days! Numberous hours of training and many tears were shed to get this medal. I'm VERY proud.

2010 DRC Half Marathon Medal

This was my 2nd Half, DRC Half Marathon. I liked this medal okay and I definitely earned it. I got VERY sick during this race.

2010 Big D Half Marathon Medal

This was my VERY first race medal! I was so excited about it, even though it's the most boring one I own. I worked HARD for it and it will be forever special to me.

What I Can Do In 30 Days

Today is special because it marks day 30 of staying in calorie range, drinking lots of water, and exercising like crazy! I am officially down 9.5 lbs in 30 days and can fit comfortably in my smallest pair of jeans. YAY!!! MUST. KEEP. GOING.

Officially Registered!

Today, I registered for The Princess Half Marathon! YAY!! Signing up was very exciting and then Jenny and I got to talking about outfit options. My biggest dilemma is going to be to go with Minnie red or Minnie pink. Man, it's a tough life! :p

New Year's Double Surprise

I'm so excited! I got my New Year's Double In Training shirt today in the mail. Isn't it cute?! Can't wait to wear it! :0)

Longer Intervals

Yesterday, I thought I'd try and push myself a little during my run. I've been slowly incorporating longer intervals in my runs to work on speed. The past couple of weeks, I've done 1:1's twice, then 90:60 2x then 2:1's twice. Yesterday, I did all 2:1's and incorporated two 3:1's. I was so happy, my overall pace for 30 minutes was 12:56! I've been waiting to see a 12 for awhile so I'm very excited! It did push me and it wasn't easy, so I'm going to continue to do that and see if it gets easier with time. To Success! CHEERS!!

30/30s

This morning was our 11 miler. It was insanely muggy and I'm pretty sure it's the wettest we've been this season so far. Our Marine Corp runners went early to complete an extra 2 miles but the regular marathoners started at 5am. We tried 30/30s instead of 1:1's. I was against this at first but I have to be honest, I liked them. I felt good the entire time, didn't tire out too bad and could have gone longer. I also felt good for a long time after the run. Score! I can't tell if it was easier because of the 30/30s themselves, or because there wasn't a hot sun today. I'm curious to see if I feel the same on a hot sun kind of day.

I'm feeling good about training and had a great weigh-in week. I lost 2.6 lbs and 4.8 inches! YAY!!! I am starting to see the reshaping of my body and that's uber exciting. I am amazed at the results of strength training. Must. Keep. Going!!!

2010 Too Hot To Handle 15K

This race certainly lived up to it's name. It was a 9 miles of pure hell. First of all, it started late. Almost 30-45 min late, and it got hotter and hotter. The first part of the race wasn't bad. But by the last two miles, we were all dying. I remember only being able to run 40 seconds of the minute interval. And the same was for those around me. Jamie tried to keep us motivated by blaring loud music on her belt, but it didn't work. I thought I was gonna die!! We finally finished, and I'd never been so happy to see the word FINISH in my life!


At the end, after a few minutes of rest, we got a group photo. This was our 2010 Slow Burner Running Team! Memories!!

Since then, we've run in the same horrid heat, but not once have we ever done this race again. HA!

2010 Big D Half Marathon

This race is extra special to me because it was my very first half-marathon. And my very first race, for that matter. I did a half way before I did any 5K, 10K or anything else. I had trained on my own up to 11 miles and I was ready. I was very nervous and had no idea what to expect. I remember being clueless as to what to do at races. As soon as we got there, I asked this lady, "So we just stand around until we start? We don't check-in?" HAHA! And then right before the start, I remember standing in a large group of runners, feeling like I was going to throw up, and telling myself, "You can do this, You can do this." It was TERRIFYING! I did all kinds of stupid stuff in my first half, like start in the front. Oh and then giving it my all for 5 miles and then crashing at mile 6. Gotta love being a new runner, wasn't quite sure how to pace myself back then. And I didn't know how to keep my adrenaline from controlling me. I've learned a lot since then. BUT-my finish was still great.

I cried, of course and my friend Christina and my mom were there to greet me at the finish line.

Then I met a group of my supportive friends at El Fenix for a celebration dinner!

The medal sucked but they redeemed themselves by having a rockin' medal the following year. So overall, a great experience. I thought that'd be it. NOPE! If I had only known just how addictive those races are! :0)

SPARKLE SKIRTS!!!

Jenny is responsible for my latest obsession....SPARKLE SKIRTS!!! Aren't they cute?! We match! And we planned it! Good. Times. :0)

Meeting Jeff Galloway!

Today, some of us from Galloway got to meet THE ONE AND ONLY Jeff Galloway! I'd never met him before so I wasn't sure what to expect. He is awesome. Very knowledgable and so personable! He had very insightful information on all things running. We even got a picture! :0)

He talked a lot about different races and couldn't say enough great things about Disney. This of course got me even MORE excited and now I'm more motivated than ever! I'm also starting to see some serious changes in my body. Thank you strength training!!! Gotta keep going. Possibilities are ENDLESS!

New Year's Double

I just signed up for the New Year's Double! It's a Half Marathon on New Year's Eve and a Half Marathon on New Year's Day! I'm so excited, I love new challenges!!

Progress!

I had a really hard workout in the gym today and I'm excited to report that I am seeing progress! SCORE! I've been starting this new strength training program, which if I'm honest, I've never done before. My doctor told me strength training would help tremendously with my Fibromyalgia. He is right! I am starting to feel GOOD! Anyway, today when I was doing the kettlebell, I realized I am ready to up my weight. I am currently doing a 15lb bell and I think I'm ready for a 20. On the dumb bells, I'm ready for 10 lbs instead of 8. WOO HOO!

Then I went to cardio and I've noticed that my last three treadmill runs have increased in pace by 15 seconds each run. I'm getting faster! These are the intervals I used today:

1:1's 2x
90:60 2x
2:1 2x
Repeat

That interval sequence adds up to exactly 30 minutes so it works out! I think by next week I will be ready to increase my intervals even more. I'm excited!

Princess Half and a MEAN scale!

I have always wanted to run Disney and HORRAY...it's happening!! My new friend Jenny and I are doing it together. She's super sweet and fun and I know we will have a blast! I cannot believe it...I've dreamed of this for so long! I cannot wait to run those 13 magical miles! The race weekend is Feb. 22nd-24th, 2013. We will most likely fly down Friday and come back Monday. I need to get skinny because I need to look cute in all the pics. YAY!!!

On a more downer note, I lost ZERO weight this week. I was uber bummed. I did lose 4 inches, though so I know I'm making progress. I worked hard so I was surprised to see no loss, but the inches don't lie so I'm trying to stay positive.

I *WILL* reach my goal. NOTHING will stop me!!!

About Me

I'm Lindsey, 31 years old and am currently living in Plano, TX. You know, growing up, I never thought I'd ever be a runner. I still can't believe it when I think about it. But I've always had something inside of me that craves extreme success in any form, and I've been this way since I can remember. I am very much a goal setter, and I like to learn new things and perfect the art, whichever it may be. I'm also a perfectionist and demand the very best from myself at all times. I'm pretty sure I get this from my father.

Anyway, I have played softball, did some strength training in college, and became a pro at the elliptical machine but to be honest, I never, EVER enjoyed working out and the mere realization of that is why I never pushed myself to do something great.

THEN...one day I was watching Biggest Loser. At that time I was very unhealthy, sad, depressed, and ready for a new challenge. On that night's episode, they were having the Biggest Loser Half-Marathon. Watching the finish of the participants inspired me and I just bursted into tears. It hit me like a bolt of lightning...I said, "I'm going to do that!" And I did!! I started big...of course. I'm very extreme so I did a half way before I ever did a 5K, 10K or 15K. But it was great. I trained on my own, starting with Couch to 5K. I will NEVER forget my first week of this program. Never running a day of my life, naturally I was dying. And I will never forget day 3. I was on the treadmill and completing the 60 seconds jogging, 90 seconds walking intervals for 20 minutes. The guy next to me says, "Are you okay? Maybe you should sit for a second." HAHA yeah, that happened. It was the hardest thing I'd ever done in my LIFE. To this day, I still say running up to 3 miles for the first time is still harder than going long. The work it takes to condition the body up to that is huge, and I will always respect that process.
MOVING ON, once I got to where I could run 3 miles straight, I created a customized half-marathon training program for myself and I chose the Big D Half to be my first race. During training, I discovered my love for running. I can honestly say running my little heart out every Saturday, upping my miles one week at a time was one of the best times of my life! Every week, I hit a "that's the longest I've ever run in my life" milestone. Talk about a high! I loved it. And then race day came. My first Half-Marathon finish was amazing. I cried of course and got my first medal. It was *AWESOME*! At that time I thought it would be a check it off the list kind of thing. Nope! I love new challenges and thought, "Well if I can do a half, then I can do a full!" So I signed myself up for the Jeff Galloway Running Program. This program was different because it was 1 min walking/1 min running. I was running straight on my own, but my body was feeling it, and I figured this could be great for going really long and preventing injury. So I tried it and found that the support of a running group made all the difference in those upper mileages. We trained for 30 weeks and I completed my first Full Marathon in December of 2010. Yes I was very proud of myself but I'm not going to glamour it up. It was awful and I was in tears the last 6 miles. But once I recovered, I could enjoy the reward of finishing and accomplishing that insane goal.

Since then, I've completed 11 Half Marathons and 3 Full Marathons. I'm also now a Pace Group Leader for my running team and I absolutely love it. I have found my running family and I am so grateful this has turned out to be such a passion for me.

So now only one question remains...

Should I do an Ultra? :0) Maybe one of these days...

~Lindsey

Keepin' On!

I'm so pumped because Marathon training has officially started and I'm fully motivated to have a great PR this year! It is also the first week of a new UG challenge and I'm motivated to do well! My goal is to lose 15-20 lbs this summer. I know that will make a huge difference in my PR in December.

I'm also re-vamping my blog! My friend Jenny totally inspired me with hers, so I'm on a mission to make mine better and up to date! Hopefully this will help me stay focused through the course of my journey.

Last night I had a great workout at the gym. I did a 30 minute run with much longer running intervals, 20 flights of stairs, serious upper body weights, and my fibro stretches. This totaled to be 90 minutes. A great day 1 with a calorie deficit of 1,185. Woo Hoo!

Upcoming Races

2013 DRC Breakfast Bash 5 Mile
2013 Electric Zombie Run
2013 Tower of Terror Happy Trail 5K
2013 Tower of Terror 10 Mile
2013 Bad Prom 5K
2013 McKinney Mini
2013 Dallas Marathon Relay
2013 New Years Eve Double 5K
2014 New Years Day Double 5K
2014 Blacklight Run
2014 Hot Chocolate 15K

I am up to 33 races so far! Woo Hoo!!!

2013 Disney Mickey's Haunted 5K
2013 Disney Tower of Terror 10 Miler
2013 Moo Cow Mini Marathon
2013 Firefly 5K
2013 Rock N Roll Half Marathon
2013 Disney's Princess Half Marathon
2013 Hot Chocolate 15K
2013 New Years Day Double 5K
2012 New Years Eve Double Half Marathon
2012 Dallas Marathon
2012 DRC Half Marathon
2012 Heels and Hills and Him Half Marathon
2012 DRC Breakfast Bash 5 mile
2012 Hottest Half Marathon
2012 Miller64 6.4K
2012 Hotcake Hustle 10K
2012 Dallas White Rock Marathon
2011 DRC Half Marathon
2011 Hottest Half Marathon
2011 Heels and Hills Half Marathon
2011 Big D Half Marathon
2011 St. Paddy's Day Dash Down Greenville 5K
2011 Cowtown Half Marathon
2011 Texas Half Marathon
2011 Too Cold To Hold 15K
2011 Hot Chocolate Run 10K
2011 Bold In The Cold 15K
2010 Dallas White Rock Marathon
2010 DRC Half Marathon
2010 Red Balloon 5K
2010 DRC Breakfast Bash 5 mile
2010 Too Hot To Handle 15K
2010 Big D Half Marathon

Shoes

Shoes are the most important piece of equipment for running. I use Brooks' Ghost 3 for Women and I absolutely *LOVE* them. I was fitted at a running store and they are pretty close to perfect. My only wish is that they had them in pink. :0)

Picking myself up again....

Wow, I just realized how long it's been since I've posted! Almost a month...sorry, life's been beyond crazy.

Like my new background? I chose this because it reminds me of summer and that's what I'm living for right now.

Here's an update on how things have been. January and February have been the toughest months since I can remember. As I've been complaining about, school is killing me. I'm doing a triple load and working full time and it's just absolutely horrible. I go to work, stay late often, come home to hours of homework, then I go to sleep. The next day, same thing. My weekends are filled with minimal fun and tons of work. It's really been getting to me. With this stress comes lack of motivation. I've gained about 8 pounds since January and I feel horrible about everything. The winter storm knocked me off my routine and being stuck inside the house for 5 days made me want to bake cookies and eat comfort food. Then I got sick. I had a fever that wouldn't quit and it took about a week to start to feel normal again. Then I went out of town. I simply didn't give a sh*t last week and here I am today. I weighed in this past Saturday and was SHOCKED at the number. I am the heaviest I've been in about a year and a half. I almost cried. I just get so uspet that I can do so well..hell I was 26 lbs lighter last April. And then I can erase it all. I can't believe how great I looked last year...I was looking LITTLE...now it's all gone. I'm going through a depression with my stress level and life is just really hard right now. I have 11 weeks until graduation, I'm really just trying to keep it together until then.

I have a the Cowtown Half-Marathon this weekend. I always follow through with committments so I refuse to quit. I ran 3 miles tonight and I'm going to attempt 10 miles tomorrow. I have a feeling it's going to be hard.

I joined Weight Watchers this week with my mom. I've heard great things about the PointsPlus program so I'm going to give it a go, I need some kind of focus right now.

Ugh...

I'm not gonna lie, this week sucked. I was so busy and stressed that I doubt I will lose any weight this week. That sucks too because I had a really great nutrition/exercise week, but my body always holds on to weight when I'm stressed. I started this new relaxation thing where I light candles and listen to spa music. Did that work? Nope. The entire time I kept thinking "Ok when do I need to get THAT done?" Ugh...I've been struggling. I need to learn to relax my MIND as well as my body. That goes along with running speed as well. The more relaxed your mind is, the faster your body can go. There's just so much to learn...

It has been established that I don't spend NEAR enough time stretching. I've always been bad about not stretching but I need to start making it a priority because I'm REALLY starting to feel the tension in my body. My back and all my muscles are really tight and hurting. I'm going to schedule that massage I got for my birthday last year. I'm in DIRE need of one.

This weekend I have my 3rd half marathon. The course is around White Rock Lake so it's relatively flat. YAY! I'm really curious to see how I do because my last half marathon, I finished 3:11 and that was a VERY good day. My goal is to hit 2:59:59 before the end of the spring, but I'm not sure I'll get there with this race. It will probably take some time to make that happen and I'm okay with that. Should be interesting!!

Woo Hoo!!!

Lost 3.1 lbs this week....ooooh yeah! I had a fantastic week with no cravings, no cheating, not going over my calories and 13 miles of running. I'm very proud of myself, especially since I was sick the entire week and missed a workout. Let's hope this week goes just as smooth.

Tomorrow I start classes, oh joy. I know I'm gonna cry when I see the syllabus. Both classes look really tough. I've already packed a healthy dinner for tomorrow on the way to class. I think as my treat for the day I'm gonna stop and get a Sonic diet coke on the way. I LOVE Sonic diet cokes.

Today I did a nice and easy slow run with Jeana. I bumped her up to 8 miles for today and she did really well. I only got 2 "I hate you"'s and some consistent complaining toward the end but she got through it. I don't care if you bitch, but you must finish. That's my 1 rule. She did and passed with flying colors. I took her up to Arbor Hills and she handled those well, they aren't easy. We have a 15K this Sunday around White Rock Lake and I'm excited that it's her first 15K! I'm so proud of her and it was awesome seeing her set that milestone for herself. It's gonna be fun!! :0)

I did 8 miles today and starting tomorrow, I will be resting every Tuesday because those are the days I have class and will be completing 14 hr days. This means I'll be in the gym on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays with one long run on the weekend. This is 4 times a week and a moderate component of my life. I feel pretty good about it.

Wish me luck...starting tomorrow, life will be twice as stressful and I'm going to need a lot of focus and energy to get me through the next 18 weeks. Here we go.... :(

Race time comparisons....

Sometimes I get down that I'm still slow and I get really discouraged. Today, I thought I'd figure out my previous race paces and compare them to where I am now. This is what I calculated.

Half Marathon #1: 16:10 pace (last year)
Half Marathon #2: 14:39 pace (this year)

15K #1: 16:07 pace (last year)
15K #2: 13:56 pace (this year)

Those are the only races I've done 2 of but it just showed me that I HAVE in fact grown in a year's time. I need to keep these numbers in mind when I get down about speed.

My first 10K

I ran my first 10K yesterday with Christina and Carie. It was probably one of my favorite races to date. Definitely doing that one again. My goal time was 1:38:00 and I finished in 1:23:28...I'd say I crushed that goal. Oh yeah! I'm feeling lighter and according to my scale, I have dropped a significant amount of weight this week. I'll know just how much tomorrow on my official weigh-in day.

I had some temptations this week but I overcame them with no problem. The pizza was kinda tempting at the TAKS night that I worked, but overall I had no problem staying away from it. I just kept thinking how gross it would make me feel afterwards. Then yesterday, I had to really turn up my will power. My family came into town and we were having a late lunch around 4pm and then I had another dinner at my running banquet at 7. I chose to eat very little that morning so I'd be hungry and then I ate a few chips and a little bit of soup at the family dinner and then when I got to the banquet, I had one fajita with a spoonful of refried beans and I didn't eat the brownie. I was completely satisfied and didn't feel like I was missing out. It was a great balance for me.

This week, life is going to get a lot more stressful. I'm starting school and will have a lot of homework on top of work and internship hours. I'm really dreading it but I guess the best thing I can do for myself is to keep working out in the mornings and keep going to bed early and eating right. It's going to fly by and I'm already down almost 10 lbs from when I started back mid Dec. so if I keep going, maybe I can look really good by the time it's all over and time for summer! That's the plan anyway...

This upcoming weekend, I'm running with Jeana for her first 15K. It's the 2nd 15K I have done with a friend so I'm pretty excited about it. Then the next weekend, my
3rd Half Marathon!! My goal by the end of May is to break the 3 hour mark and get in the 2's. I have a feeling that it will be a couple months before I'm able to and I'm okay with that. All I can do is the best I can. Should be interesting to see where I turn out concerning time.

Overall I'm doing exceptionally well at this whole workout/eating right thing. I'd say the thing that's pulling me through is not 100% depriving myself. If I want fries or chips, I'll eat 1 or 2 and then stop and make sure the rest of the meal is really healthy. It's so much healthier to just eat 1 or 2 bites of whatever it is that's bad than eating a ton of it later from deprivation. When I'm not really wanting it, I choose not to eat it and save those bites for when I feel it's a serious craving. So far it's working!

That's all I have for now. I will post my weigh-in results tomorrow. Thanks for reading! :0)

Tomorrow's race...

Tomorrow I'm running a 10K and my goal is 1:38:00. It's ambitious...let's see if I can do it. I'm actually pretty pumped, it's my first 10K! :0)

Doin' great!

I'm pretty pumped, I am doing so well!! I haven't had any real cravings or temptations yet and I've been very stable on my mental process of staying healthy. All the running helps. If I run 3 miles in the morning, I don't want to ruin it because I don't want to undo all that sweat. I weighed this morning and am down yet another pound! YAY! Also, today I am wearing the 3rd pair of one size smaller pants.

This weekend I have a 10K with my friends Christina and Carie. They are doing the 5K and I am doing the 10K. Although it sucks to not be able to talk with them, I'm really excited about pushing myself. I want to see how fast I can go. I've been talking with a friend about technique and I'm going to try some new things on this race and see if it helps improve my time.

My first temptation is probably going to be tomorrow night. I'm working this TAKS night at work and they are serving pizza. I love pizza. REALLY love pizza. So, it's going to be an act of will power and I'm just praying they don't make me work the pizza table. I might just have to scream.

Everything is going well. I have to go back to work for a couple hours tonight to help with ESL parent classes and then I'm coming home to crash. Tomorrow I have a 3 mile run at 5:00AM and it's a tempo run...hopefully will set another personal record. I'll let you know! :0)

Week 1 Weigh-In!

DUDE! I am loving this new background!! Anyway...had a good week and was expecting a little bit of a loss. Weighed this morning and am down 2.1 lbs! I am happy with that. I told myself I would like to lose 2 lbs a week during this process. So far, I'm on track!

I am back in 1 pair of smaller size pants! Oh how I've missed them. 3 more in that size to go and then I'll officially be a size smaller. I'm predicting 1 week for one pair and 2 weeks for the other 2. Can't wait!

Cheers to cute clothes!! :0)

Week 1 and a 15K!

So I made it through the first speed training week. Was a good week. No cheats, great nutrition and lots and lots of running! I clocked 20 miles this week, and that's great! I've found that I love running in the morning. It's over at 6:00AM and I feel so great during the day. I'm really glad I've started this habit.

I'll be honest, I'm not expecting a huge loss this week and I think it's going to be because I've been doing pretty well overall before this, so my body is somewhat used to all this and not as reactive. It's kind of sad. I remember when I would run 20 minutes 3 times a week and eat great and I would drop weight like crazy! Not now, I really have to work for it now. I weigh in tomorrow morning, so I'll let you know how it goes!

I've been thinking of ways to improve the diet and honestly, I did really well this week. One thing I know I can improve on is preparing more veggie type foods. My issue is being busy and exhausted with these new long hours that I don't want to cook chicken and salad; I'll just get a WW dinner instead. While I know those dinners are fine and you can lose weight eating those, it's ultimately better for you to prepare real food. I need to spend more time making a salad with that meal and eating more veggies. Oh and water, that's a big one. Still feel like I can't get enough of that in. So I'm going to work on that for this next week and see if it makes a difference on the scale!

I ran another 15K this past Saturday! It was in Grapevine and it was called BOLD IN THE COLD! I really liked the course! It was very pretty and peaceful but damn, those runners were fast! My time was 2:11:44 which was 18 minutes and 13 seconds faster than my last 15K. My overall pace was 13:57 which is the fastest I've ever gone outside. It was a good time for me but the slowest pace of the race was 14:02! 14:02!!!!! That's crazy!! The last 15K I did, TOO HOT TO HANDLE...the slowest time was over a 17 minute pace so I was really surprised at that 14. Gotta give credit to those Grapevine peeps, they are fast! Speaking of fast, I went with my friend Casey and he's crazy fast. I think he finished at like a 7:35 pace or something. That's so amazing and he's just starting long distance! I felt really bad that he had to wait almost an hour for me to finish. Yeah, how much does that suck that he could have gone out to eat and come back and still been back before I finished. Oh yes, gotta love being slow.

I have high hopes for this week! I don't really feel deprived and am looking forward to losing more weight and hitting more speed records. I'm bumping up to level 2 of my 16 levels in my speed training plan. I'm pumped!! I might not make it to the gym tomorrow because I'm not feeling very well right now. I feel like something is coming on so I might take tomorrow morning and rest. I'm really praying for a snow day but we won't know if that'll happen till the morning. I normally schedule Tuesday as a rest day and I'll just switch out Monday for Tuesday this week so I won't be losing any running days.

So far I feel really focused and ready for the next challenge! This weekend is the Hot Chocolate 10K in Addison. We get a shirt, a 10K finisher mug and we get to fill it with hot chocolate. I'm pretty excited about it!

Ok I'm off to get some rest to force myself to feel better. Goodnight!

Will Power!

I did NOT want to get up for the gym this morning. My alarm went off at 4:50am and I thought to myself, "Noo!!! I could just not go." Then I thought, "But then I'd have to do it after work." and that was enough for me to get up. I can honestly say that I LOVE it being over at 6am. It's so nice knowing that when I come home after work, I'm done for the day. Anyway, I went and completed a hill training 3 miles run. I was happy to feel that it was the easiest run of the week, which surprised me considering it was hills. Tomorrow will be a 2 mile tempo run so that means that I get to sleep in for 15 minutes...holla! And Friday....OFF!

Oh and I found these awesome new cracker chips from Special K. I really like the potato chips called Munchos except I find them a little too salty for me. These Special K chips have the same flavor of Munchos but aren't as salty so they are the perfect taste for me. My favorite flavor is Sea Salt but I also saw that they have Sour Cream and Onion. I'll have to try those next time.

I'm still doing great this week. No cheating, haven't missed a workout, and haven't gone over my daily calories. I should have a good weigh-in on Monday. I would say that I need to drink more water so I'm gonna work on that.

Nutrition for today:

BREAKFAST
Fiber One muffin
Banana

SNACK
Yogurt

LUNCH
Lean Cuisine Pizza
Fruit cup

DINNER
Potato soup (lowfat)
Weight Watchers quesadilla

Day 2...much better!

Today was great! I went to bed at 8:30 last night and with those 8 hours of sleep, had no problem getting up at 4:45am to get my 3 miles in. I felt really good today. I've about figured out that getting sleep is the key here. I'm going to attempt to go to bed as close to 9 as possible tonight, but Biggest Loser is on until 9 so I make no promises. I'm really excited about the premiere!

I had a great nutrition day as well. Was not hungry at all and that was pretty awesome! I got to work really early and stayed late today and staying busy helps! I'm finally getting in the swing of things and I'm feeling pretty good. Had some hip pain this morning and that sucked and it REALLY started hurting around 10am but it's finally dulled to an annoyance pain and I can live with that. Looks like it's time to bust out the pain patches...haven't needed to use them in about 3 months...grr!

I'm ready for my first weigh-in next Monday! Here's my nutrition for today:

BREAKFAST
Fiber One muffin and banana

SNACK
Light yogurt

LUNCH
Weight Watchers Chicken Quessadilla
60 calorie pudding
Fruit cup

SNACK
100 calorie popcorn

DINNER
Peanut butter sandwich
Cup of chili
(Weird combo, I know. But I had to get in the calories)

And that's it! Good night, all!

Day 1....exhaustion!

Woke up at 5:00am and met Christina at the gym. I planned on getting 3 miles in but because we had to be at work early and I heard the tollway was closed and there was going to be crazy traffic, I decided to only complete 2 miles. It sucks but, can't be late! I'll make sure and get 3 in from now on. I did 2 miles @ 11:57 pace. I'm actually pretty pumped about starting off a speed training season in the 11's pace range. I'm curious to see how fast I can get by May.

Today was rough. Didn't fall asleep till after 11pm last night so I was going on about 6 hours sleep. This is usually no big deal but keep in mind that I've been getting 10-14 hours of sleep the past 2 weeks so it was an adjustment. (Yes, I'm a bum). I felt great this morning but about 10:30am, I was getting really tired. Was pretty much a zombie all day and still feel like crap. I'm going to go to bed super-early tonight and then I'll have to get up at 4:45am tomorrow to hit an earlier workout because I have to be at work even earlier tomorrow. There's just something messed up about getting up when there is a 4 in the time! GRRR!!! My eating has been great and I got my workout in so I'd say it was a good day. Hopefully by tomorrow I will feel much better and in more of a routine.

Nutrition for today:

BREAKFAST
Fiber one muffin
Banana

SNACK
Apple
Lowfat cheese

LUNCH
1/2 cup of lean meat chili
Fruit cup

SNACK
Baked cheetos

DINNER
2 lean pockets
(I know this is a lot, but I had the calories and was starving so why not?)

SNACK
100 calorie cheezits

Hit my perfect calories for today! :)

Last Day of Freedom!!

The hell starts tomorrow! Ok, it won't be hell, but I'm REALLY gonna hate getting up at 5am...I am NOT a morning person! But I keep telling myself, how great is it going to be at 6am when it's over? Yay!

This semester is going to be extra challenging because of my stress level. If I fit in the runs in the morning, I won't have an excuse and I'm hoping that losing weight will keep me mentally balanced during this stressful semester. I have many races planned this month and I'm hoping that'll keep me stable and motivated.

Monday will be my weigh-in day and I have strong speed training and nutrition plans in place. I'm ready to get started! I'll be blogging as much as I can fit in, and will hopefully be skinny just in time for summer! Ya know, the summer I will have OFF?! I am SO excited about this, I will be graduated and relaxin' in the sun...it's been so long since I've done that! COME ON, MAY!!!

New Year, New Goals...

New Years Day is kind of cool for me because Jan. 1 of last year was the first time I'd ever run 3 miles. It was pretty awesome. Now I can do so much more than that and I feel like my hard work has finally paid off. Now, if you know me...I always have to aim higher so I've set quite a few goals for myself this spring. I've created a running schedule that starts Monday, January 3rd and the focus is primarily speed. I start at a reasonable speed and get faster and faster each week. It's a 16 week plan which will consist of one half-marathon a month. I am going to try and beat my time each month and I will track my progress. I cannot WAIT! By the end of the summer, I should not be slow...well, not AS slow if you will. I'm excited!

I'm beginning my final principal internship with work so I will be working really late hours all the time so I've decided to do my workouts in the morning...5am! Yep, that's gonna suck. But I can imagine it's like anything else, once you get in a habit, it'll get easier. And I bet having it done by 6am is going to be awesome. I'm returning to my great nutrition on Monday as well and my weight loss goal for this spring is 30 lbs. That's totally doable if I stick with it. I'm feeling pretty confident in that. I did it once, I can do it again.

Here are the races I plan to do this spring:

Jan. 8th: Bold in the Cold 15K
Jan. 15th: Hot Chocolate 10K
Jan. 23rd: Too Cold to Hold 15K
Jan. 29th: Texas Half Marathon
Feb. 27th: Cowtown Half Marathon
Mar. 27th: Rock N Roll Half Marathon
Apr. 10th: Big D Half Marathon
May 1st : Heels and Hills Half Marathon

Hopefully by May, my medal rack will be full! I'm pretty excited about it :0)

Here's to 2011: The year for strength and accomplishment!!!

Blah!

So Christmas was awesome. My grandma fed us tons of bad food and it was really yummy. I ate more than the typical normal day but I also didn't blow it but now I'm feeling unmotivated. I had mac n cheese today. MAC N CHEESE! That's a terrible choice!!! So yeah, tomorrow it's time to re-focus and get my butt in gear.

Today I ran 4 miles with Jeana and she did really well. I also have been thinking and I think after this spring is over, it's time for a new challenge. Can we say Olympic Triathlon? YES!

I'll post tomorrow when I actually have something interesting to say besides, "I'm a bum that eats mac n cheese". Until then...

Weigh-In: Week 1

I weighed in this morning for my first week back on the nutrition that I should be on while running and .....I lost 4.3 lbs! GO. ME! I was pretty happy about that but I gotta be honest, the last few days have been rough. Yesterday and the day before, I had some motivational issues. I wasn't going to cave, but Monday I really wanted pizza and was very grumpy that I coudln't have it. I ended up eating more calories than I should have and then I just felt like crap about everything. Because I felt like crap, I didn't go to the gym. Yep, it's a vicious cycle isn't it? Kind of the same thing happened yesterday ....I was hungry all day but didn't go over my calories, but I didn't work out either. I only ran 3 times this first week and that is super-lame. I'm kind of dissapointed in myself but hey, I had a good loss so I must have done something right.

Today was much better. I wasn't hungry at all, in fact I'm under my calories...and I had a great 3 mile run at the gym. My pace is getting faster and I'm starting to feel much more comfortable at faster speeds. This is a great way to start the spring training season.

I talked my friend Jeana into doing a 15K with me. This will be her first long distance race so I'm totally pumped about getting started with her. Too bad she isn't, in fact I think she's dreading it. I made a customized training plan specifically for her in her favorite colors so hopefully that will help pep her up! We're starting our first long run on Dec. 27th!

I'm really enjoying my time off of work. I actually got EVERYTHING I possibly needed to get done today and am now able to just relax and enjoy the holidays. I'm a little worried about nutrition this week because of the visit to my grandma's house. I've planned to eat a little of what I want, but not go nuts under any circumstance. Unfortunately, my awesome Memama does not believe in low-fat food, so we might need to make a pit stop on the way for some healthier choices so I'll at least have something to go along with those "little bit" of goodies. I'm so excited to see my family...my family rocks!

Here's my nutrition for today:

BREAKFAST
Fiber One Poptart (YUM)
Banana

LUNCH
Healthy Choice Meatloaf Meal
Corn
Baked Apples

SNACK
Mini Breakfast Burrito

DINNER
Which Wich-Turkey and ham on wheat w/veggies

SNACK
Baked Cheetos

Losin' weight and feelin' great! Can't wait for those races!!!

Tempo Run!

"If you feel bad at 10 miles, you're in trouble. If you feel bad at 20 miles, you're normal. If you don't feel bad at 26 miles, you're abnormal." ~Rob De Castella

Today was good...awesome nutrition but I felt a little hungry. Oh well, some days are just like that. I didn't cave and stayed consistent so I feel good about it. I feel even better about my awesome run tonight! 2 miles @ 10:59min pace! THAT'S RIGHT, 10:59!! I was so flippin' happy with that! Why can't I do that outside?! I'm tempted to do that exact run tomorrow and see if it's any easier. It WAS a tempo run so I was pushing myself, but every time I'm outside I feel like I just can't get there. Sigh...oh well, I'm sure I'll figure it out soon enough...

I'm so excited about having the next 2 weeks off. I'm really feeling the Christmas spirit this year. Last year I was so busy I think I felt it maybe once? This year, it's every day and I'm so happy about it. Every time I hear Frank Sinatra's CHRISTMAS WALTZ, the world is at peace. It's wonderful.

Here's my nutrition for today:

BREAKFAST
Fiber one muffin
Banana

LUNCH
Cup of ckn and veggie soup
Salad
Wheat thins (mmmm)

SNACK
100 cal popcorn
100 cheezits

DINNER
Cheese and bacon sandwich (yes I'm weird)
Baked doritos
Banana

SNACK
Lowfat chocolate ice cream

Day 4

Still holdin' strong! In fact, I'm feeling pretty motivated today. I got a 6 mile hill course in today and my pace was 14:19 which wasn't bad considering it was a hard course and I haven't had a long run since early December. I'm honestly pretty happy to be starting a new running season at that pace! So much better than when I started at 17:00 minute miles! Anyway...I went to the store and bought tons of healthy food and I feel GREAT about what is in my apartment. I do not have one thing that's full of sugar or that is bad for you. I'm so glad I'll be at home for two weeks and able to prepare food the easy way, not at work!

I'm considering doing another full marathon in April to prove to myself that I can do better, but I haven't officially decided if I want to put those kind of hours in just yet. I'm going to give myself a month to think on it before I make a decision to register.

Here's my nutrition for today:

BREAKFAST:
Fiber One Cereal

LUNCH:
2 ckn fajitas
charro beans

SNACK:
extra charro beans (I liked them)

DINNER:
Subway turkey and ham on wheat
1/2 bag of baked lays

SNACK:
Lowfat sugar free chocolate ice cream

I feel so great! I got my perfect calories in for today and I have to be honest: I'm shocked at how much a difference a week can make. Last Saturday, I was eating tons of crap and was feeling really sad, sluggish and unattractive! Today, a week later...I feel hopeful, happy, strong, and that I still got it! It's so not worth throwing your life away because you want to be able to have those cookies. I'm so glad I caught myself early...and that I'm willing to undo the weight gain. I really feel good about where I am, mentally.

Day 2 and 3

So yes, it's getting harder because yesterday temptation creeped in, and today it slapped me in the face!

I was feeling really good yesterday, but when my friends got McDonalds for lunch and I had my stupid Weight Watcher dinner, those fries SURE looked good! But I resisted, and then I felt better once I was done. I knew it would only take a couple days for the bad food to be calling my name again. Yesterday I followed my calories to the tee and had a successful day overall minus a workout because I didn't get home till almost 9:00.

Today...terrible temptation day. See, it was party day at school as well as the last day before Christmas break so everyone and their mom was giving out goodies to all the teachers. Don't get me wrong, it's incredibly sweet and thoughtful but my diet does not allow for those sweets. I did really well all day and then at the end of the day, I allowed myself one piece of fudge. I ate 70 calories less for dinner and ended up with a day of perfect calories. I was pretty happy with myself. I did not run today nor did I plan to because I had plans tonight. The running will resume tomorrow and I'm very happy to report that I will have 2 weeks OFF to remain consistent. Holla!

Nutrition:

Thursday
BREAKFAST
Oatmeal

SNACK
60 calorie string cheese
60 calorie pudding

LUNCH
Weight Watchers Ziti (my fav...love it)
fruit

SNACK
100 cal popcorn

DINNER
fruit
1/2 sandwich
Cup of tortila soup

SNACK
Lean Pocket

Friday

BREAKFAST
Mini Breakfast Burrito-140 calories

SNACK
Yogurt

LUNCH
Cup of chicken and veggie soup
Soft ckn taco

SNACK
100 cal popcorn
1 piece of fudge

DINNER
Salad
1/2 portion of roast beef
Corn
Green Beans

SNACK
low-fat ice cream 160 cal

Doing well so far. I'd be lying if I said it's getting easier. It's definitely getting harder but I know it'll pass once I get into a groove! I'm so excited about having 2 weeks off to get my life and health together. Feels good!!!

Day 1 of Being Back On The Nutrition Train

Today kind of sucked. I'll be honest. I was grumpy all day because I got very little sleep, had parent issues, and the kids were absolutely crazy. That's the one down side to being a teacher. Trying to teach children during the week before a 2 week holiday is extremely difficult and frustrating!! 2 more days, 2 more days...

I did great on my nutrition today, in fact...I have 210 calories left for the day. I'm still in that "tired of bad food" stage but I know it won't last for long. That's when I'll have to implement some will power.

Went to the gym tonight and did:

100 crunches
Arm weights
Leg weights
2 miles @ 27:50

Pace was very slow today because I was in some pain. It was my first run since my marathon and I had terrible stiffness in the legs and some back pain. I really need to up the stretching.

Nutrition for today:

BREAKFAST
Oatmeal

SNACK
lowfat string cheese
pear

LUNCH
Soup
Salad

SNACK
100 calorie popcorn

DINNER
PB sandwich
apple
whole grain goldfish (love those)

SNACK
Haven't decided yet!

So yeah, I'm out of it today because it's been such a crappy day and I'm still trying to wake up from my 2 hour nap after school. I still should have no problem sleeping tonight. I'm hoping I feel better about things tomorrow. At this point I just want this day to be over.

I'm BACK!

So I've been doing a lot of thinking over the last couple weeks and I've come to the conclusion that I feel like absolute crap. I have been eating WAAAYYY too much bad food and I'm getting puffy! This taking time off from running sucks. I feel like a lazy bum. The shapely form I used to have, now it looks like marshmallows. It's not pretty! I'm tired of feeling down about it so it's officially time to change it. Now I know what you're thinking...Why now, Lindsey? Well, because I want to give myself a head start before January. Starting in January, I am going to kill it and lose the rest of my weight (Yes, I'm confident) and what a great time for it to happen sooner than planned! I'm just tired of feeling so down and lethargic about weigh gain. It gets old pretty quick. SO...starting tomorrow, it's time to recommit myself to nutrition. I haven't been fully committed since last April so I think it's time to start feeling good again. Honestly, I don't think it will be hard at first...right now the thought of cookies and cake makes me want to puke but I know the cravings for bad stuff will creep in in a few days. Just gotta be strong, I can do this. So yeah, leave it to me to try at the hardest time of year but I don't care. I'm tired of feeling like this. I noticed I've been avoiding mirrors. That is SO not me! I am the sassy girl that flaunts it in heels...THAT'S who I always should be. SO-it's time to get her back. Shouldn't take long...time to utilize my support system and get to work!!

To Hotness!

~L

My First FULL Marathon Experience

The day finally came...and it was a whirlwind, let me tell you! It started when I woke up at 2am and perked up to think, "I'm ready!"...but then I had to make myself try to fall asleep for 3 more hours to get up at 5. Didn't fall asleep until about 4:15 then the alarm finally went off at 5:00. The morning started smooth, got my toes vaselined (helps prevent calluses and blisters), put the body glide all over the body, clipped the toenails, and all the other race preparation as needed. I left with a very smooth start until I got to Fair Park. They suggested we get there at 6:30 to avoid traffic. I was there at 6:15 and sat in traffic without moving for about 45 minutes. It was a little bit stressful but I finally found a parking spot and made my way toward the Cotton Bowl. I was supposed to meet my team at Gate L but I had to go to the bathroom so I thought I'd stop at the port-o-potty before I met them. That was when the first diaster started. I had my phone with me and set it down when I went in. When I came out, I walked 3 steps and noticed that I had left it in there. I waited for the dude to come out and went to go get it after he left. It wasn't in there. I freaked out thinking I went to the wrong one, but I knew that was it! I looked around, couldn't find anyone with my phone and I freaked. All my communication with my mom that day was going to be on that phone, not to mention the fact that it was the iPhone4 that I'd only had a week. So I start crying, and this person lets me use her phone to call it. Some dude answers and says he has my phone. Phew, thank god! So I go and meet this dude to retreive it...really nice guy, but here's the thing...it wasn't the dude that came out of the port-o-potty! So yeah, not sure I'll ever figure that one out but I'm sure glad he was a good person. He even called my mom to tell her he had my phone and was going to turn it in to lost and found. Yay for good peeps!

So I finally had my phone and it was time to meet my peeps. Everyone was great and we got to our places before the start. We were kind of toward the back and there were tons of groups in front of us that we knew would start ahead of us. We were all in good moods and excited to start this amazing race that we've worked so hard to complete. I'm a first timer so it's safe to say I was the most excited, and because I'm extra bubbly, apparently it was funny. Oh well :0) So when the race started, we listened to them release the first group and it was really exciting. They released each group by alphabet letter, A-P. This took FOREVER and kind of made us grumpy. We knew that the course was only open for 6 and a half hours from gun time and they kept wasting more and more time. They FINALLY released us at about 8:48am or so and the race started at 8:00am. Once I saw this, I knew we didn't have a prayer to finish in the time limit. Not the best feeling to start off a long race with.

So we started and if I'm honest, it was super annoying dealing with all the people. You couldn't even set your own pace until about mile 2. I also got really warm at about mile 2 and chunked all the extra clothing. Readjusting the bib also took time. I always think I won't get hot in that cold of weather but I always do. So I readjusted and I was a little bit slower than normal, and I still don't know why. We went through downtown and then uptown and it was really good scenery and then we passed some really peppy bands and that kept our spirits up. At about mile 9, we knew we were approaching the split where halfers go one way and marathoners go another. I was running with my pace group leader, Jamie, and when it was time to split, we went one way and everyone else went the half marathon way. I was like, "Oh crap, what have I gotten myself into." We went on a long time with just us and then I was happy to see more people behind us as we kept going. This part was when it started evening out. It got much more quiet as we approached White Rock Lake. It was actually kind of funny, we've run that lake a lot and usually there are tons of people on it. Not that day, it was almost empty and it was so peacful, very different than I was expecting. We continued to keep going. Met some great people and checked out some new port-o-potties...again, wasting time. But I am NOT going to be one of those crazy serious runners that just goes in their pants because they don't want to lose time. GROSS! Anyway, I held up pretty well, again dissapointed with my pace...slower than normal. I started to notice some pain and fatigue around mile 18. I got even slower and had to start the mental game. Not fun. About this time, all the bands packed up and photographers went home. There were even people missing from the food/water stations and I wasn't happy about that. I started getting upset. When you hit that point where you feel like it's killing you to move forward, that is when you need the support the most. That is when we had it the least. And quite honestly, it's sending a message that slower runners are insignificant. I wanted to cry. And then I did. I was hurting, ready to stop and I still had 8 more miles to go. Jamie was great, trying to distract me and make up convos to keep the focus off the pain. I got slower and slower and once we got to mile 23...it was suckage like I can't explain. Everyone was gone. They were the slowest and longest miles of my life and I just wanted it to be over. I knew I had to keep going but it took 5 times the effort it usually does to move forward. We continued on and FINALLY came up to Fair Park. I remember thinking, "Okay, the finish line is on the other side of this turn." I was worried it would be taken down and all the people giving out our medals would be gone and I wouldn't get a finishers shirt. Jamie ran on ahead and says, "It's still up!" We turn the corner and there it is...the most beautiful word in the world...FINISH! Thank GOD!!! We ran at a faster pace at that last .2 miles and it was AWESOME! We crossed and a lady put the medal over my neck and congratulated me. (I had a blue bib so everyone knew I was a first timer)...she also handed me a finisher shirt. I, of course, was crying, partially because I was so happy to be done, but also because I finished and they stayed for us and allowed us to have the finisher moment we deserved. Carrie, the other pace group leader, waited for us to finish and was so sweet and supportive as usual. My friends Jeana and Christina were there with my awesome mom and it felt great to have that support. I got tons of text messages during the race from all my wonderful friends and it was a good day, despite some dissapointment.

Then came the hard part...recovery! Once I finished, I could barely walk, it was rough. Walking to the car was a nightmare and then I discovered that I didn't have my car keys or my license. When you finish a long race, you're so out of it that you aren't really focused or thinking clearly. I remember having them near the finish line so I knew they had to be there somewhere. My mom went back to look for them and Jeana, Christina and I went back to the car. Mom found them at the finish and then Jeana finally found my license in my car. YAY! Crisis averted! That makes #3 for the day! We then went to El Fenix for dinner and I was so hungry that I ordered two meals. This was quite comical. I said, "I'd like the two enchilada dinner, and the chicken fried steak meal." He says, "Enchiladas a la carte?" I said, "Nope, the dinner and the other dinner." He looked at me like I was nuts, it was hilarious. My meals took up half the table and we got a good laugh out of that. I ended up not eating much and took it all home to my brother. I got home and assessed the damage. I had two big blisters...one of which was on top of a callus. I had chaffing under the sports bra which I had before on the 23 mile training run. Even with those conditions, I actually was feeling pretty good (except for the couldn't walk part) and then about 8:30pm I started feeling sick. Usually this happens immediately after a long run so I was pretty excited that the nausea came late. By that time, I was on the couch and ready to go to bed anyway. I finally fell asleep around 10 and had to be up for work the next morning at 6.

The next morning, I was really sore and absolutely EXHAUSTED! Even after 8 hours of sleep, I was trying to stay awake all day. I felt good but so tired, it was rough. The soreness was even worse and I was just trying to make it through the day.

On Tuesday, Day 2 after the race....HORRIBLE! Day 2 is always the worst concerning soreness so I forced myself to take an ice bath. Those are intense and really hurt but MAN, does WONDERS every time! Once I took one, most of the soreness went away and by Wednesday I was walking normal.

Looking back, I feel much better about the experience now than I did the day I completed it. I was slow, everyone left, I felt hopeless and insignificant...but I FINISHED A MARATHON! Less than 2% of Americans have done that. I am a marathoner! I should be proud, and I am. My final time was 7:13:18. That is a suck time but ya know what, I'm going to get better. I'm going to train on speed this spring and try again next year and I will beat my time. I know what to expect now and I know that I have plenty of room to grow. My team has been wonderful and so have my friends and family. I might have been near the end but I was not last. It was a good day.

I am going to take 3 weeks off of running then start a 16 week speed training plan that I already have created. I have very high hopes for myself and I'm really excited about getting started.

I finished my first full marathon...it only gets better from here!