Marathon Training

With the Marathon only 13 days away, I had my final long run today. I was supposed to run 20 miles. I was hoping to run 22. But with the long runs increasing like they have been, I did not anticipate the sheer exhaustion I would be experiencing. I did not run all weeks in hopes to rest, but now I know how useful those midweek short runs really are. It was a mental battle this morning that stopped me at just barely 8.5.

I feel ok with my distance. I know I'm ready for 26.2. I gave my new shoes the test run I needed to before the big race. they were like a glove. Not a single blister or other discomfort.

The run was beautiful. I ran down cotton lane to try to mimic Montana as much as possible. The desolate streets and houses few and far between with lots of beautiful land to keep me company.

I passed the corn fields. I was amazed at how tall they are up close and was grateful for the shade they provided. It literally felt 10 degrees cooler running between them and their irrigation canal. I felt as if I better get used to the bugs flying too.

I passed many dirt fields fertilized with manure. That took my mind off the run for a short period of time. My favorite part was waking up with the horses. No up and around but them and me. I thought about which of the kids I coach I could trade gymnastics for riding time :). It's in the works.

Because my run fell short, Josh came and picked me up 6.5 miles from home. It's time to taper now and enjoy running for the sheer joy of it. I will be in Montana in 6 days. I can't wait to put some miles on my new shoes there!

My Diet Tip of the Day

Obviously soda is bad for you and ideally you want to stop drinking it, but I would not worry about doing it right away. You are going to start changing your diet, you don want to do it too much you fail. So you can leave diet soda in there as your treat - temporarily. But limit it to two per day. Aspartame causes cancer first off and natural sweeteners trick your brain into thinking they are getting sugar but because nothing results from it you end up craving more sugar and sabotaging your diet because of it. Also sweeteners cause you to be bloated and retain water. Limit it to two per day to start... Then eventually wean yourself off after 3 months when your other food becomes your norm. The healthier you become the less you will desire that crap anyway.

My Journey

My weight loss journey has been truly amazing. I am nearing one pound away from losing 30 pounds. I did not even know that I had 30 pounds to lose nor did I realize that I could lose it if I tried. The truth is, what I am doing today is not much different than from what I did on the very first day I started this journey. I am still counting each and every calorie that I put into my body and I am still working out as much and as frequently if not more than when I started. What has changed is my attitude, my outlook on life, how I view myself, and how I perceive the food in front of me.

I am a much happier person now and my attitude now is so much more positive than it ever was before. I finally know what it feels like when people say- don't let anyone or anything stand in the way of your dreams... This may not be the dream of becoming professional basketball player or a rock star, but I have always had a dream of being a very happy, healthy and fit mom. And now, here I am. I look at our lives as a family completely different than before, we are an active family now. We hike together in the White Tank Mountains and even run races and train together. It feels wonderful to love life in this way again. I have also accomplished dreams I had never thought about accomplishing before. Together, my running partner and I completed a half marathon without slowing to walk - we ran the entire thing in 2 hours and 20 minutes. We also ran a 10k with a 500 ft elevation change at 4500 feet in altitude. We finished barely over an hour and I took 5th place in my division out of 25.

I am finally starting to like the way that I look. It has taken me almost 30 years to appreciate my body and to like what God has given to me, but after being overweight for the last 5 1/2 years, I have a new appreciation for my body. Yes, my body has changed a lot since having kids, but having a trainer has helped to shape my body again into a strong, attractive and healthy form. I have put on a lot of lean muscle that I haven't had in a long time. Before I could not even sit straight up in my bed without using my hands, today I can do that and more. I did 2 pull-ups on a pull up bar - yes different muscles, but it is an example of the strength I have gained in this process. My arms are a part of me that I have always hated, but today I look at them and think, I have have skinny arms! I love my arms. It is great to feel this way about myself and proud of the way I look and all of my hard work.

For the first time in a long time I can now honestly say that I am a great example to my children of how to live well, eat well, and be healthy. Before I felt like a hypocrite telling them what they should and should not eat, however I myself, was overweight and ate poorly myself. Now I have rid myself of all of the horrible foods including coffee and sodas. I do treat myself every now and then, but it is no longer a part of my daily life. I can't remember the last time that I had McDonald's and I do not even miss it. In fact, I have a permanent reflux even thinking about that food. I do still eat some fast food - I will usually opt for the grilled or flame roasted chicken sandwiches, however I am very picky in regards to where I will get them. McDonald's and Burger King are not one of those places. I prepare food better than before, I even shop better. I have left my local grocery store with mass production of corn syrup based products and now buy almost everything at our local Farmer's Market. Yes, it is a lot more expensive, but the food is REAL. You cannot put a price on that.

I cannot believe the different person that I have become and feel, inside and out. I am proud of the influence I have had on my family. Being so close to 30 pounds, I am happy with the weight I have lost. I cannot believe I have come this far and do not know how much further I am capable of going. I just know I am going to continue to eat well and exercise as I have been doing since I started this journey on October 17th and see what happens. If nothing else, I am happy to maintain the health I have created for my new self.

Today's Run

My longest distance without walking... never thought I would ever be this person.

20 pounds

I am very close to 20 pounds now. If someone would of told me that I would be twenty pounds lighter running the PF Changs, Phoenix 1/2 Marathon then I was when I ran the PF Changs Denver 1/2 Marathon three months early I would of never believed them. Since Oct. 18th I have been keeping tracking, logging EVERY thing that enters my mouth. Even on my bad days. My goal - 1200 a day, adding an additional 100 for every hour of cardio that I do that day. Training for this half has been much different than Denver - this time I am actually training. Five days a week I run or walk/run/walk depending on what the training schedule is that day. The average number of miles per day is around five. Yesterday was seven and today is a vigorous nine. My fastest mile (only one) was about 8:30 min/mile. Before Denver, I could not run a single mile without slowing to walk. The Denver half, I walked the last 6 miles while running the entire first 6.5 - very proud of myself, but it was a long walk to the finish. My goal in two weeks from today will be to run the entire time. No slowing to walk, although I will be very happy if I finish in less then 2:30 hours.

I believe there have been four major factors (four different people) to the success of my weight loss. The first one is having friends to hold me accountable for what I eat. Someone who can regularly view my online food diary and speaks up when I eat poorly or exceeds my daily calorie limit. They can also view what I log in as my daily weight. The second is having someone I meet to work out. We plan it the day before what time we will be meeting and where and we stick to it. No backing out. We find a time everyday - no matter how much we have going on, we make it work. It has helped to keep both of us committed. Third, having a friend who is a personal trainer, training me in my home. She is a friend, so the cost is minimal for me, however I could not put a price now on how much she has helped the success of these twenty pounds. My workouts with her are MUCH harder then I would have EVER pushed myself. There are many times I have wanted to quit, but with her, I don't have that option. I am also much stronger now then I was before I started training with her. I have a gym membership, and I know how to use the equipment, but my workout changes with her each and every time and having someone there to say - 10 more when you would have determined you were finished makes all of the difference in the world. The muscle I have gained working with her has saved me from days that I do eat poorly. The muscle continues to burn the fat I put into my body instead of packing it all back on. I have always known this but never experienced it to this extent. And finally, having my husband be there to support me each and every step of the way - to encourage me and tell me how great I look, how good of a job I am doing, and how proud of me he is.

Without all of these factors I am not sure I would be 20 pounds of FAT less then I am today. There are not words to how much better I feel about myself and life. I cannot thank any of them enough.