Fat to Fast

New blog site...

2010-10-04T17:46:00.001-07:00

I have a new blog site that I switched to because this one just isn't working for me. It won't let me post things half the time. Soooo, If I haven't bored you to death, please follow me on

www.annaeldridge.tumblr.com

Weigh in!

2010-09-02T10:21:00.000-07:00

It has been one week on the raw food diet and I have lost 4.4 pounds! I'm very excited about this. It motivates me to try and get through 3 more weeks.

I did deviate once and give myself a 'free' meal at olive garden with my roommates. But even then I got the low fat pasta with fresh tomatoes on top, so it wasn't horrible. The only other times I don't eat raw are with my coffee creamer (I can't do coffee black, yuck) and salad dressing. There are a couple of recipes for it in the book, but they sound disgusting. I use a low-fat italian or balsamic vinaigrette.

I can't really tell if I have more energy from eating this way yet because I've had a sinus infection for over a week and just now got medicine for it. So I will try to track that more this week.

This is already a diet I would recommend to anyone wanting to be a little healthier. It's not hard to follow- I basically eat fruit for breakfast, a salad for lunch, and then something cooked (chicken, turkey burgers, rice, anything all natural with nothing added in the ingredient list) for dinner. I can even have chocolate from Whole Foods. So while the first week made it difficult to say no to processed foods, I know it's only because I'm still getting used to it. I think after a month this may be something I'd like to continue.

I had my first nutrition class Monday and one of our projects is to research/try any diet out there (atkins, south beach, slimfast, etc.) and present our findings. I think this will be a fun one to be able to say I did and it actually worked. Until next time!

Day 4

2010-08-29T11:53:00.000-07:00

So far so good! Not really much to update yet...I think I will weigh in on Thursday so it will have been a full week. I can already tell that I feel lighter and my clothes fit a little better, so hopefully the scale will tell me something. I'm still a little apprehensive to try some of the foods I bought, like the almond milk and almond butter. I also plan to make pizzas with the ezekiel bread and fresh tomatoes and goat cheese, so we will see how that goes too.

I can't tell if I have a cold or if it's allergies, but something has been plaguing me for the past week. I can't really breathe out of my nose. I bought some medicine but it upset my stomach. Yuck.

School starts tomorrow...I finally get to take my first nutrition class. It looks like nutrition classes are all I have left to take after this semester so I will be learning a lot about food. Yay!

Day 2- Raw food detox diet

2010-08-27T20:09:00.000-07:00

So today was my 2nd successful day of the raw food detox diet. I have decided to go for a month and track my progress/results on here. I have eaten mainly apples, bananas, grapes, carrots, strawberries, tomatoes throughout the day, and I had an omelet for dinner last night, and a salad for dinner tonight. The only time I deviated was with my salad dressing, which was a balsamic vinaigrette. I have drank mainly water, and I even made lemonade from fresh squeezed lemons and stevia. I went shopping at Whole Foods tonight and spent more money than I wanted, but I know it's an investment in my health. I may start putting pictures of my grocery hauls on here because I think it's helpful to actually see what I ate. I bought almond butter (to replace peanut butter since peanuts aren't considered natural), all natural jelly, almonds and pistachios, raisins, goat cheese (the only kind of cheese allowed), Lara bars, flax cereal, almond milk (can't have regular milk), tomatoes, Ezekiel bread and tortilla wraps (Ezekiel bread is made without flour and yeast, so it will be interesting to taste) and a few other things. One thing I have noticed so far is how 'regular' I already am. That may be TMI, but it's true. The only annoying thing with eating so much fresh food is that I will have to go to the grocery store every 3 or 4 days. I think it will be worth it though.

Something new

2010-08-25T11:47:00.000-07:00

Some of you that read this may know that I'm now studying nutrition/dietetics, and I've become kind of obsessed with it as a hobby. I recently read a book called the Raw Food Detox Diet and I have decided to try one month of eating raw. This diet is similar to eating no processed foods but more strict. I really like the way the author of this book put it: waste=weight. It makes sense. Your body is not meant to digest food that is not natural. Therefore, it is just waste, sitting in your stomach, turning into fat. I am to eat only fresh fruits and vegetables, very lean cuts of organic meat (which I won't be eating very often since eating organic is $$$). Dairy products aren't recommended and it will be hard to give up milk. The way she put it, cows milk is meant for baby cows, not for humans, and our stomachs aren't meant to digest it. She does allow organic goat cheese, but I'm not sure how I feel about that. There are 5 different levels in her book: level 5 is the most lenient, and has you eating 75% raw and allows meat. Level 1 is strictly raw until dinner, and a mostly vegan approach. I'm in no way looking to turn vegan, and will probably stick to level 5 since this is mostly just an experiment type thing. If I like it, I will probably continue it. I'm just interested in seeing how it affects my body.

Another aspect of this diet I like is that the author puts no limit on how much raw food you can eat. She says if you feel like eating a 2lb bag of carrots or 3 bananas at once, go for it. There is the argument that eating too much of anything will make you fat, but it's not true. By eating 3 or 4 or 5 bananas at once, sure you are getting a lot of sugar and carbs, but it is all NATURAL and easily digestable. She calls them 'quick-exit' foods. These foods are only in your stomach for 30-45 minutes, and then they make a quick exit. The sugars in the bananas are not the same types of sugars that are in doughnuts. They are going to affect your body differently and positively.

There are also several rules about food combinations that are general rules, not just particular to this diet. For example, you should only eat fruit alone and on an empty stomach. I always liked eating it for desert, but apparently this is a big no-no, as it basically ferments and rots in your stomach (causing intestinal gas/issues). You can combine certain veggies with meats and so forth, but there are rules on what you cannot combine. It's interesting and I'm looking forward to seeing how it affects me.

We finally have internet at our apartment, but it's not set up yet. Hopefully it will be by this weekend and I will be looking to blog daily and use this kind of as a journal for my Raw Food Detox Diet experimen

Holy carbs!

2010-07-29T14:56:00.000-07:00

I came across a website called fitday.com which records what you ate that day and displays it on different charts and things. It shows you how much you've eaten of everything on a nutrition level that day- calories, fat, carbs, etc. In the past few days, I have not eaten over 1200 calories and 10 grams of fat on any day. I'm getting nearly 100% of the daily protein recommended, but I'm getting too many carbs!! It shows you a pie chart of fat, protein, and carbs, the the carbs portion is almost 75% of the pie. Could that be the answer? But don't runners need carbs? In the book I'm reading called "Marathon" by Hal Higdon, he says a marathon runner should be getting no less than 400g of carbs per day. Granted, I'm no marathon runner, but it still seems like the 180g a day I eat is too high. Or am I not eating enough fat? I'm a low fat dieter- I have been for a long time. It's like I'm afraid of it or something- I shun away foods high in fat, although maybe I should be more concerned with calories. I'm really looking forward to my nutrition classes in the future. Maybe that will give me some answers.

Experimenting?

2010-07-27T14:15:00.000-07:00

Since changing my major to nutrition, I've become overly obsessed with how food affects the body. Since last December, I lost 25 pounds with weight watchers/running, which is based on cutting calories and counting points based on the food's nutritional value. That worked pretty well when I was overweight, and worked slowly, but now that I only have about 15 more pounds I want to lose, it's getting harder and harder to make any progress. I mentioned in my last post that I was going to try the eat clean diet. The only thing wrong with that it, I pretty much 'eat clean' as it is. I could probably perfect it a little more, but I never eat fast food anymore aside from subway, and I usually ward off eating bad meals because I don't want to feel guilty for eating it. I don't drink soda anymore and very sparsely drink diet sodas now. So, I should be losing weight, right?

Well, the only conclusion that I can come to is that even though I may be eating well, I might still be eating too much. I think I'm going to resume counting points and keeping track of my calories that way since it's easier than counting calories itself. Anyway, back to the nutritionist subject- I've become interested in all the different types of diets out there. One that has sparked my interest is the Low-Glycemic Index diet. Basically foods are assigned a number, and the lower the number, the better the foods are for you. It ranks the foods in accordance to how the carbohydrates in those foods affect your blood glucose level. It it supposed to lower your chances of getting diabetes and heart problems and help you sustain weight loss. It never made sense to me to go on a low-carb diet because carbs are essential to your body-especially brain function and energy levels. But the different types of carbs you eat are what makes the difference. I think I am going to try this diet for a few weeks and see if I can tell an improvement in my hunger levels and energy levels. I think it's kind of neat to experiment with different 'diets' and see how they will affect me.

My running/exercising is getting there. I ran yesterday a little before noon and it was ridiculously hot outside. Toward the end I started getting a little tingly and decided I'd better go inside. I was only outside for about 45 minutes. I know you're supposed to exercise early when it's this hot outside, but I just can't. It's not waking up that's the issue, it's having absolutely NO energy at 6am. I can't enjoy my workout if my body is dragging the entire time. It would be ineffective anyway. I enjoy running at night, but then finding the time to do even that is hard. Hello YMCA! I guess I will just have to deal with the treadmill for the next month or so until it cools off outside.

Running Update

2010-07-20T12:14:00.000-07:00

I think my roommates and I have to decided to get internet soon, so I will be able to post a lot more on here, if anyone actually reads this. I'm finally back on track and signed up for the Murfreesboro Middle Half Marathon in October. I had my first training run last night- 25 minutes of running around the neighborhood and then 5 minutes of sprints. My quads are pretty sore today, but I plan on taking a long walk tonight that will help them stretch out.

In an attempt to get down to my goal weight of 130, about 15 pounds away, I have started looking into the Eat Clean Diet. It is a book that my roommate told me about, and I practically read the whole book while wondering around a bookstore last week. I even took notes. Basically you eat nothing processed, no sugar, no saturated or trans fats, and load on the veggies and fruits, and drink a lot of water. It also really focuses on eating a lot of protein and balancing that with complex carbs. I wouldn't really call it a diet- this is how I should be eating anyway. I am going to try to stick to it for a few weeks to see if it helps me make any progress.

For an update on my job status, I don't really have on yet. Just hoping and praying. Last week they said they would make the decisions within the next couple of weeks, so it's about time for us to find something else. I got a really good review from my boss-he basically flat out said he thought I was the most favorable part time manager, so I hope his say is worth something in the decision. As for now, I'd appreciate your prayers.

For fun I was going to post a picture of the old hefty me 8 months ago, and one from last week for you to laugh at the comparison, but I can't figure out how to upload pictures on here, oh well.

:( :( :(

2010-07-12T23:26:00.000-07:00

Some not so happy things are taking place in the life of me right now. I would blog more, but like I said, lack of internet makes that kind of hard. I guess I may find more time on my hands soon though.

Pretty much what was supposed to happen with my job has turned a complete circle. Since 2 theaters in the district got flooded, all of the employees got sent to the remaining 4 theaters in the Nashville area. However, a lot of employees with smaller payroll equals not enough money. Therefore, I have recently been notified that all of the theaters will be cutting positions. I don't know if I will have a job in a few weeks and this makes me very sad/angry/upset. I really like my job and not to toot my own horn, but I'm good at it. I love the customer service aspect and working around a lot of people. I am a part time manager, so this could either work in my favor in that I have a wide open availability, but it could also work against me if they only want to keep full time managers.

The district manager said the cuts will be made solely by our performance- meaning he will look at our reviews (which I don't even have any) and if/how many write ups we have in our files (I don't have any of those either). So, if it is performance based like we were told, then I guess I have a pretty good chance.

I've already applied for about 15 jobs online in the past few days and I must say, job searching is a stressful and daunting task. As much as I really would like to stay with the company, I know things will work out. I have God on my side and I know he will reveal his plan and place me in an even better job if I do lose this one. I'm trying to give up my worldly hope and place my faith in His hands.

Say a prayer for me, cross your fingers, whatever it is you do, I'd appreciate it.

Some changes

2010-06-17T11:59:00.000-07:00

Last night I had a fantastic run! I think I finally found the perfect place to run- which is conveniently around my neighborhood. It's like a labyrinth-so many different streets connected together. I would love to get a Garmin Forerunner so I can explore everywhere without getting lost-I'm still pretty unfamiliar with most of Murfreesboro. I did 3.5ish miles last night (I'm guestimating my mileage since I'm running for time) in 40 minutes. I love running at night- most of the heat of the day has died off as the sun is going down and I get to enjoy the sunset. It was kind of stuffy out though, since I headed out right after it rained. But, it was still great. I do miss running to music, but I'm kind of enjoying just listening to the sounds of nature. I'll get an ipod when I can afford one.

I'm changing the way I eat again. I kind of let myself a little too loose and gained back a few pounds. I'm determined to lose my last 15 and stay there. I know my only mistake is the amount of snacking I do. If I can cut that, I will be good to go. I'm so looking forward to the Middle Half Marathon in October! I finally have my running attitude back.

Oh, and another change: at 9am tomorrow I will be cutting all of my hair off. Well, not all of it, but a lot of it. I have decided a small change might instill some type of new motivation in me to take pride in how I look. I've grown out my hair for a few years and it has kind of been a security blanket. It is almost to my butt and it's long enough for me to donate to Locks of Love. I know it's only hair, but I'm super nervous about it. I'm hoping this change will lead to more good ones in the future.

Just an update

2010-06-14T13:33:00.000-07:00

I know I said in my last post I would blog more, but it is really hard to do that when you don't have internet access for most of the week. We haven't gotten it installed in our apartment yet, so I'm usually only able to access it from my phone.

I'm finally getting back on the ball. I ran last Thursday and last night and both of the runs were around 730pm. I find it is the ONLY time I can run and not die of heatstroke...it is usually warm and breezy around that time when the sun goes down, and it's not too hot.

It has been really weird, but these two runs have been great! I thought taking so much time off would set me back and I would have to gradually work up to running and I would struggle, but honestly it's like I haven't taken off much time at all. The only thing I'm hating right now is that my runs have been silent...I have no ipod. I have more motivation when I have my music, so I will have to figure something out.

Anyway, this is my vow to be consistent in my running until my next half-marathon in October and also to lose my last 15 pounds!

Wow....

2010-05-26T13:09:00.000-07:00

Has it really been over a week since I updated last? I hope my whole summer doesn't fly this fast. Unfortunately, work and moving and trying to get settled into a routine is making finding time to run very hard. Hopefully everything will calm down this week and I WILL get back out there. I realize these are poor excuses, but I'm still a lazy college kid. I'm actually really excited that I live in Murfreesboro now because there are so many places to run- I live in an awesome big neighborhood that is really flat and safe, so I can't wait to get out there soon. My complex also offers a free 24 hour gym and pool! YES!

Weight wise, I have NO idea what is going on with my body: I'm still losing weight and I haven't exercised barely at all in a few weeks. When I stopped weight watchers (mostly because of the havoc the flood caused and my lack of money) I weighed 146.6 at my last meeting. As of today, I weigh 142. I'm eating pretty well, I guess just not as much as I used too. I don't understand it, but I'll take it.

Hopefully I will write on here more often, as it helps keep me accountable.

Body logic?

2010-05-17T13:24:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to figure out how I have not gained any weight over the past 3 weeks of eating fast food, sleeping very little/too much, and not exercising hardly at all. It doesn't make sense to me, but I'm thankful for it. I know I said last week would be the week I get back on track, but everything always has to happen at once, right? So, I will begin seriously training today and get my body back used to exercising. Hopefully I won't slack on any of my weekdays runs- I am moving this weekend so everything is hectic and I am all over the place. I have to learn how to incorporate my runs into my crazy schedule and just do them! I want for them to become second nature. Hopefully this week I can stay focused.

Back on track

2010-05-10T11:52:00.000-07:00

Wow, the past week has escaped me. I guess I've gotten caught up with everything since the flooding happened. For an update with that, it seems like everyone is pulling together to help all those who were affected by the flood. God has really held control of this situation from all the stories I've heard. I just feel very lucky and blessed that I was unaffected. One of my (future) roommates lost the house she was living in- everything is gone. I just can't imagine how it would be to have everything one moment, and nothing the next. I hope everyone is thinking about/praying for those flood victims.

I only ran 2 miles last week. That was not my plan-the flood basically affected everything I did last week. I am starting my marathon training this week, following Hal Higdon's marathon plan. Thankfully, a very hard year of school is over and I can focus all of my time into running and doing things I want to do. I am finally moving in two weeks, and I feel the area I'm moving to will offer me many more places to enjoy running.

I hope everyone is safe and doing well.

What do you do?

2010-05-02T20:03:00.000-07:00

When things don't go your way, or if something upset you, or if your plans don't work out, what do you do? I know a lot of people get angry, many worry, and everyone gets upset. There's hardly anything you can do about it- except pray. This blog entry is not one dedicated to running or fitness. Although I know most everyone who reads this probably already knows about the major flooding disaster in middle TN, I felt pressed to write about how I felt.

I am afraid of what I don't know--being uncertain. As of right now, my place of employment is flooded, and I could be out of a job. I could worry about everything that I have to pay for in the future- I'm about to move in to an awesome townhouse and will have more expenses than normal for a while. I just got a promotion at work that at the moment, doesn't mean a thing. Until the damage at work is accessed, I can't do anything but try to spend as little money as possible.

There are houses on the street of my hometown that got washed away. Not just flooded, but destroyed. These people have nothing and watched everything they've known be stripped away from them. My heart goes out to these people. I can worry about my job all I want, but at the end of the day, I'm thankful and grateful to say that I still have a house and that my family is safe.

I think that I should probably be more worried than I am about this whole situation, but there is something so calming about being under the faith of God. There is something greater and mightier than you and I, and something in my mind tells me everything will be okay and work out. I am certainly praying for everyone who has been affected by this unexpected disaster, but I am also praying that everyone will turn to God in any situation that causes them worry and anger. He ultimately is in control of every situation, and He will take care of us.

ABsolutely sore.

2010-04-30T15:31:00.000-07:00

I have a weird thing about me in that after I workout, I like feeling sore. It makes me feel like I worked hard and got something out of my workout. However, the kind of soreness that p90x gives me is NOT the kind I like to feel. If you don't know much about p90x, it is a series of 13 dvds, each dvd working a specific muscle group or the body as a whole. I did the ab ripperx (x stands for extreme) yesterday and I feel like someone kicked me in the stomach! Here's the kicker: the dvd is only 15 minutes long! It feels good though, (not physically) but to be able to walk past a mirror and know that it's working. I was planning on running today for the first time after the half-marathon last weekend, but I am so sore from yesterday I couldn't do it. Not only are my abs sore, but my whole core; my glutes, upper thighs, and lower back muscles all hurt. Maybe I'll run tomorrow...

I have approximately 6 months until the marathon. Initially I had decided to use Jeff Galloway's training method, but stumbled upon Hal Higdon's and thought it may work better for me. I just find it kind of weird that Galloway's weekday runs never get over 30 minutes, and you only do them 2x per week. Higdon's has increasing weekly mileage, and every 3rd week the long run tapers. I feel while Galloway's method may be a smarter plan for injury prevention, I think I could get more out of Higdon's method. I just ordered his book, so hopefully I'll be able to get the best training from him.

The only injury I've been troubled with, if you can even call it an injury, are my second toenails on both feet. They look terrible and gross. In a way it makes me feel like I have a battle scar or something. I just don't know what to do about them except for paint them and try to make them look normal.

In other news, I finally get to start my new job as a manager at the movie theater on Tuesday, after waiting over a month for my background check to come back. It was a ridiculously long wait. I am very thankful for this promotion. Also, I will be moving to Murfreesboro in a townhouse with a couple of friends in 23 DAYS! I couldn't be more excited. PRAISE GOD!

Not all jeans are created equal

2010-04-28T09:19:00.000-07:00

Why is it that I have been wearing a size 8 pair of jeans that fits comfortably for a while, have two pairs of size 8 jeans that are a little tight, and just bought a pair of size 6 jeans that fit like a glove? I'm confused to what size I actually am. Anyway, that isn't really important.

I think I am going to take the rest of this week of to finish recovering- my hamstrings and calves are still a little sore and stairs are not my friend right now. I also had 2 water blisters on my toes that I took care of and they kind of hurt. I will probably do the p90x stretch video and maybe the arms video.

I'm also trying to decide which training plan to use for the marathon training- Jeff Galloway, or Hal Higdon? Does anyone have any preferences? I've looked at both and Jeff Galloway's seems good, but you don't run over 30 minutes on any of the weekday runs. I'm not sure if that will be enough training for the long runs, but I guess the man knows what he's doing. Hal Higdon's plan has increasing weekday mileage every week to prepare for the long runs. Hmm...

I just finished my last assignment for this school year, a terribly long history paper that fried my brain. No more history classes for me. I'm definitely a science major. I'm excited about this because after next Tuesday, I will have tons of free time to focus on my training. Well, aside from work at least. I think my biggest struggle will be keeping my motivation up. I tend to get lazy in the summer. I know that as long as I keep seeing results, such as good runs and steady weight loss/muscle gain, it will be enough to keep me going.

I'm also excited to run the Murfreesboro Middle Half. Since it is 6 months away and all flat, it will be cool to see how much time I can shave off of my Country Music half time. Plus, I will be living in Murfreesboro by then so I will know the area. I'm still trying to convince some people to train with me..cough cough roommates...

Anyway, God is doing great things in my life and I pray he is in yours.

God, give me courage to run the race. Help me to persevere as you taught us. Grant me the strength to finish strong. Honor me with your presence on my journey. Allow me to be a Grace Runner this day. Oh, Lord, one more breath, one more step, one more mile, FINISH LINE. This is my prayer. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

"Never allow your circumstances to dictate your character"

2010-04-26T07:41:00.000-07:00

I ran my first half-marathon last Saturday! I'm excited for many reasons--I started this whole running thing mainly to lose weight. The half-marathon was basically something to just keep me motivated so I wouldn't quit. I have never reached a goal like this before, though. Not only did running help me lose 23 pounds, but losing 23 pounds has helped me run. I now look forward to losing my last 22 pounds while training for my next half-marathon and full-marathon in October.

First off, I want to give God all the glory. It was only by Him that I was able to run the race. I woke up around 4:45 and got myself ready. I ate half of a clif bar and drank half a red bull and some water. My dad had given me a pink Team413 shirt at the last minute if I wanted to wear it, and I was glad he did because I had wanted one for a while. That shirt ended up carrying me through the race. When we got to the park area, it was more organized than I thought it would be. I went with my family for a quick devotion with Chris, the founder of Team413, and other runners. We prayed for the race, and then I headed to my corral. They ended up starting the race a little early for weather reasons so I was running before I knew it. The first 3 miles were a blur--I was running but I was so distracted from people watching that I had run up and down hills and not noticed it. I struggled a little running up Demonbreun street, but that was expected since it was the biggest hill of the race. I ran all the way up to Music Circle and down Music Row. Once I passed Belmont, miles 4-7 seemed like they took forever. When I came back around to Music Row, I started slowing down a little and eventually had to stop and walk due to a major side cramp. This frustrated me because I wanted to keep running, and nothing I did would make it go away. I decided to run through it and made it back to Music Circle. I thought I was going to start rolling down the hill at 17th, but I was thankful for a decline. At mile 10 I felt like I was so close! It was only a 5k from here, but I seemed to have hit the wall. In my training, I missed my last 2 long runs which I really shouldn't have since I was only up to about 11 miles. I kept running until I had to stop. I think there were people walking faster than I was running. I saw mile 11 and stopped for water. My side was cramping so badly and if I had run the last 2 miles, I would have a PR. I saw someone running past me with a Team413 shirt on, the same exact one I was wearing, and it reminded me why I was running the race in the first place. On the back of every Team413 shirt, it has a verse from Philippians, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." I pretty much recited this over and over until I hit mile 12 and 13 and eventually crossed the finish line. Although the last 2 miles had taken me over 30 minutes to run, I still made it. At the finish, I grabbed a bottle of water and a medal. As soon as I stopped, pain immediately shot through my lower back and legs, but I didn't care. I was so excited I ran a half-marathon.

After I had gotten back home, when I was leaving, my mom ran out to hand me my race bag that I had forgotten. But, it was actually my dad's and I didn't notice until I had stopped. In his bag was a book called Gracerunner, Faith on the Run, written by Chris Gillespie who founded Team413. I read the whole book in one sitting and have never been more excited to run for a purpose that serves God. One part in particular struck me in his book--he writes, "Never allow your circumstances to dictate your character--instead, allow your character to show through your circumstances so that God will be glorified in All things!" I think that is really awesome. Christian or not, you should never let your circumstances dictate your character. I know I was becoming frustrated in the middle of the race when I had that cramp, and maybe it showed on my face. God tells us to praise Him and give thanks in ALL circumstances. This race was a blessing for me, as was Chris' book and Team413. I am no longer running to or from something, but for something. From the book: In the marathon of life, are you running to something that isn't there, or from something that is troubling you? All you have to do is cast your burdens on Him and let Him carry you through. I am proud and excited to call myself a Gracerunner and pray that I can be a witness with my running.

So, since this has probably been the most rewarding thing I have ever done, as you can probably tell, I am trying to persuade people to run with me. There are various 5k's throughout the summer and half-marathon in October I am doing. If you think you can't run, you CAN! I started from nowhere, and ended up where I am now by putting forth a little effort a few times a week. I want others to share in this rewarding experience with me.

Oh, did I mention I am so sore I can barely walk? Yep, it's true. But I'm praising God for this. I thank Him for my family, friends, Team413, and anyone else who has played a part in my running.

God is in control

2010-04-22T20:43:00.001-07:00

Well, the half-marathon is this Saturday. It’s supposed to be stormy and nasty according to the meteorologists on the news. When I first learned of this, I was frustrated and disappointed. I have worked so hard and just wanted everything to be perfect! I wanted nice overcast, cool breezy weather. Besides, I’ve never even run in the rain. Will it inhibit my performance? Cause blisters and rubbing on my body? Maybe. But then it occurred to me that none of that matters. What if the rain is a blessing in disguise? What if I would have gotten so hot from the high temperatures that I would be begging for a little rain? Hmm…It looks like maybe I needed an attitude adjustment. I’ve worked hard and at this point all I can do is my best, but most of all I recognize I need to just have fun and let my worries go. There will be more races, half-marathons, and even marathons that will give me plenty of sunshine. I also realize that I only run because of the grace of God. He has given me the power and ability to accomplish my goals. The only thing keeping me sane about the marathon I will be running this fall is the faith he gives me; without that faith, I would have so many doubts about being able to complete a marathon. I hope to bring joy and faith to others through my running. I want my running to serve a purpose.

I know that whatever happens on Saturday happens, and that I have little control over it. All I can do is pray for good conditions and for strength to run strong. I love this prayer that I read on team413.org, a running ministry my dad is a part of:

God, give me courage to run the race. Help me to persevere as you taught us. Grant me the strength to finish strong. Honor me with your presence on my journey. Allow me to be a Grace Runner this day. Oh, Lord, one more breath, one more step, one more mile, FINISH LINE. This is my prayer. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

When do you really know?

2010-04-19T18:17:00.000-07:00

The title of my blog is referring to what i want to do in the future. Since starting school a few years ago, I've changed my major from biology, to chemistry for pre-pharmacy, to radiology, to nuclear medicine, and back to biology. Now I'm pretty sure that once I get started at MTSU this fall, it will be nutrition. I'm pretty excited about that because I know it will be hard, but something I can handle. It will also be so much more interesting that what I am learning now. I know a lot of people are in my position, about not knowing what they want to major in and then get frustrated about it. Of course I want to choose something that will give me job security, money, and happiness, but I don't believe it's that easy. I have been battling against my body for almost 5 months and I am interested in not only how it functions, but how I can get healthier and help others get healthy as well. I'm hoping nutrition will be the answer. I know I'm going to have to do a lot of praying and thinking to really know for sure though.

Anyway, the half-marathon is this weekend. I feel really under-prepared. My training has not been on track for the past few weeks due to school, and I've missed a few long runs. Although this race is not going to determine my happiness for the rest of my life, I really wanted it to go well since I have been training for so long. I can only do my best though. Also, the forecast is predicting rain. This majorly bums me out. I have feared it would rain since the beginning, and while I know it is not the end of the world, I just wanted to run in some sunshine. I'm hoping it will hold off and just be cloudy. It looks like the first half of the course is mostly uphill with some flat areas, and the last half is mostly downhill with some flat areas. I plan on kind of saving as much energy as possible the first half and doing some power walking up the bigger inclines so I can really perform for the second half. I'm hoping all the extra adrenaline will help give me some energy too. I really enjoy the race experience from the few 5k's I've done, so I'm really excited to see how it will be on race day. Any advice on what to wear if it's rainy?? I really have no clue about this stuff.

Honestly, I know training for the full marathon will be more enjoyable that training for the half was. I will not be in school, and that takes a lot of pressure away and gives me so much more time. This has been my hardest semester ever and I'm just wanting to survive the next two weeks. I'm going to need everyone's prayers for me on Saturday!!!

9 Days

2010-04-15T19:50:00.000-07:00

I could not wait to get out of class today to go for a run. Sometimes I just get these jolts of energy and I feel like I could run all day. I set out to run 8 miles and decided to go to the park. This morning, I did the p90x stretch video, which is basically an hour long video of stretches that work every muscle in your body. Oddly enough, when I started running, my shins began to burn immediately. I have never had a problem with shin splints or anything before, even when I was just starting running. I thought it was odd and that it must have been a product of stretching them out this morning. Did I stretch to far or hard? Hmm…

I felt pretty good most of the time-it was a decent temperature and most of the mile path was shaded. I wore my hat and sunglasses and that also helped keep the sun off me. Around my 4th mile, I tried some Clif Shot Blocks. Unlike Gu gel, they actually tasted really good and the texture didn’t gross me out. I ate two blocks and felt some energy pretty quickly thereafter. I haven’t found anything that has worked that well, so I will probably use those on race day.

Unfortunately, I was unable to complete 8 miles. Not because I didn’t want to, but because of the bathrooms. On the one day that I decided to really hydrate well and drink a lot of water, I had to use it really bad after the 4th mile or so. I stopped by them and, of course, they were out of order and the door was locked. I was bummed that I didn’t get to finish, because I felt like I could have. I decided to call it a day and rush home to a bathroom. I was not about to play ‘nature girl’ and go find some obscure area to do my business. Not that kind of person…

Anyway, I feel like doing the stretch video really helped loosen me up and I will probably do it the night before the half. Another weird thing that has been happening lately: Last year I had to get a tooth implant in one of my front teeth, so I have a two inch long screw from the base of the tooth up into my jaw. (Gross). After my runs, if they are more than a mile or two, it just throbs for about 30 minutes. Not really a painful throb, but a weird and annoying throb.

It seems like everyone is being plagued by allergies this season-I feel quite blessed to not have any issues with it. I know I would hate trying to run outside and be constantly struggling to breathe.

Does anyone have any suggestion of what I should put on my ipod for the race???

My mind is kind of all over the place so I will leave it at that. 

Is it summer yet?

2010-04-13T18:07:00.001-07:00

The good: My pace is increasing and I feel like I didn’t really have to do anything to make it increase. I used to have a steady pace of about 11:30-11:45 per mile, and lately it’s been almost an entire minute less at 10:45-10:55. Weird, but I’ll take it!

The bad: I have been having something constantly plaguing me for the past few weeks, such as a hurt toe, a hurt knee, or an achy quad. I stretch and warm-up, but nothing seems to help this. Grr. I think I am going to purchase a foam roller and see if that will help loosen up my muscles a little.

The ugly: I have been having weird times when my mouth will be so dry it feels like a desert. I don’t understand. I always try to keep myself hydrated, I don’t take any medication and I don’t know what would cause it to dry out. It was terrible on my run earlier.

I had a lovely 3 mile run at the park today. I decided to wait until right before sunset so it wouldn’t be so hot. It was still hot, but the sun wasn’t right on top of me. I sweat like crazy and it is gross.

I have an account on dailymile.com and was on it the other day looking at some of its features. I was kind of excited that I hit my 100 mile mark…it took 63 days, but I was still happy. Some of the websites features are interesting. According to the site, I have burned 4 lbs, powered 259 TV’s, saved 5.5 gallons of gas, and burned 82 donuts. I haven’t quite made it around the world yet, and that will probably take a few more years. I’m trying to persuade some of my friends to start running with me so I can have a partner. I don’t mind running alone, but it gets old and sometimes it’s really easy to take days off if you don’t have anyone keeping you accountable. I need to get better with my persuasion.

I’ve also been looking at some 5k’s and things I’d like to do over the summer. I think just training alone throughout the summer would be boring so I wanted to incorporate some fun events. I really enjoy 5k’s; they’re always fun and exciting and most benefit some type of charity. Some I want to do are Ellie’s Run for Africa and Memorial Day Dash in May, the St. Jude Music Fest Road Race and the RC Cola and Moon Pie 10 miler in June, the Firecracker 5k in July, and the Franklin Classic in September. Too bad I probably won’t be able to afford to do all of these, but hopefully I will be able to somehow. And, hopefully I can coerce some friends into doing them with me. :D

Almost there

2010-04-11T19:16:00.000-07:00

Well, I have officially 13 days until the half marathon. I am nervous, but excited about it. I'm praying for decent, cool weather and that I feel good on race day. I'm doing everything possible to try and prepare for a good experience. I've been trying different energy products...Gu Gel was the nastiest thing ever, and I also tried the Gu Chomps, which are like gummies. They were much better than the gel, but still kind of gross after you chew them a little. I tried Jelly Belly Sport Beans and they were pretty tolerable and tasted good. I also just bought some Luna Sport Moons and some Clif Shot Blocks, both of which are like gummies and look really good! Hopefully I will find something I really like to use on race day. I got a cheap hat at Tjmaxx. I'm only debating on what the best thing to wear would be. I usually sweat like a monster on my runs, so I want to be as cool as possible.

I have been on a weird schedule with my runs. I ran 6 miles last Thursday, 4 miles on Friday, and hopefully I will get 4 miles in tomorrow after work. Due to work and stuff, I've been having to do my longer runs on weekdays, so I will be doing a long run of hopefully 8 miles on Tuesday.

As for weight watchers, I somehow lost 4.4 pounds this week. I don't know how it happened. I did work really hard at the gym last week and with my eating, so I guess that's it. It just really surprised me. Now I am at a total of 21.4 pounds lost and at 145.6.

Self-evaulation

2010-04-08T12:07:00.001-07:00

I’ve been kind of in a slump and a little depressed about my last run. I think it’s time I evaluate why I am doing this and putting my body through this. Sometimes you need to get back that motivation you had when you started in the first place. I had to ask myself “why am I running?” and, “what goals do I have for myself?”

1. Health reasons- I refuse to be someone who sets my set up for failure with my health. There is so much a person can do to prevent 99% of diseases out there and I want to do everything I can to stay healthy. It’s not just a change for me for this year, but a lifestyle change.

2. It’s a big challenge- I never, ever, ever thought I could take on something so big as this. There are
tons of people out there who can’t say they’ve run a half marathon. I think it will be a cool accomplishment after working so hard.

3. To get my body where I want it- I’ve been the sibling who maybe didn’t get the good genes or whatever, but I’ve never had the ‘perfect’ body. I realize this may be a selfish reason, but I’m ready to have the confidence of someone who is proud of their body and what they’ve worked for. I’ve never liked how I looked in clothes and a lot of times, it would frustrate me. I still have a lot of weight left to lose, but each pound is a pound I can’t wait to say goodbye to.

Future goals:
1. Run a full marathon- this is actually a goal that is going to happen. For some reason I was crazy and insane enough to allow my dad to sign me up for the Marine Corp Marathon in Washington D.C. on Halloween this year. I’m already a nervous wreck about it, but after thinking about it I know it will be okay. I’m very excited for summer and just to have more free time. I feel like my training is being compromised right now due to school, and although school comes first, I don’t like allowing my training to suffer.

2. Inspire and motivate others- I know I absolutely could not be where I am now without the support of my family and friends. I probably would have quit a couple weeks after beginning, just like I used to all those times. There’s no way you can fail at something if you keep trying. I hope through my blog that at least one person was inspired to get healthy.

I weighed myself this morning and weighed less than I ever have. I always get really excited when that happens. I can’t wait to reach my tentative weight goal of 130. This is just the goal I set with weight watchers: ideally, I’d like to be around 120. I’m going to work really hard in the few weeks left until the half marathon to try and strengthen my legs some and tone up a little. I don’t want to be the ‘fat’ runner out there, haha. I’m also pretty pasty, but I think I’ll let the sun take care of that.

16 days!

Psychological or physical roadblocks?

2010-04-05T08:58:00.001-07:00

I really want to say I had a good long run yesterday, but that is not the case. I was supposed to run 11 miles, but stopped short at a little over 6. I don't know what my deal was. It was my first time running in the heat (80 degrees) so I know that didn't help, and I was still really sore from weight training all week. The main thing that I think really affected me is the fact that I was tired. I have not been getting more than 5-6 hours of sleep every night and it's really starting to catch up with me. I'm constantly lagging around everywhere and I've lost all energy. I'm going to try to get back on a better sleep schedule this week because I know it will help. Also, my stupid toe started bothering me again. It was fine all week, but when I finished yesterday it was really sore and now it's turning a dark color. Ugh. And, yet another thing...I went to REI on Saturday to get some things that might help my long runs. I picked up some GU gel-the only flavors they had were strawberry banana, mint chocolate, and orange, so I felt I would be safe with the orange- some GU chomps, and some jelly belly sport beans. I tried the GU gel yesterday, and not only did it NOT help at all, but it was the most disgusting thing I have ever put in my mouth. Usually textures don't bother me all that much, but this was like eating toothpaste mixed with hairgel with a nasty orange flavor mixed it. I will not be trying those again. I've heard the chomps may make your stomach upset, so I will probably try those on a shorter weekday run just in case. I was also going to buy a waterbottle with a hand strap, but the cheapest ones were $20. So, I just suffered and carried a sweaty bottle that I ended up ditching after a few miles. I'm just getting really frustrated that my runs and getting so hard lately and nothing is helping. My leg muscles are constantly sore, no matter how much I stretch or ice. I even slept with icyhot patches on my legs last night and I don't think they did anything, after braving an ice bath, which didn't seem to do anything either. I guess I'm kind of anxious for this half marathon to be over so I don't have to worry so much if I miss a few runs. It will be easier in the summer and when school is out, and I know it will be more enjoyable. I have one more long run next weekend, and then a shorter run before the half. I also kind of fear that I psych myself out before I get anywhere on my runs. I tell myself, wow 11 miles is a lot, I may not be able to finish that, and then I end up feeling like I can't finish. I don't know what it is.

Does this mean I'm a real runner now?

2010-03-31T08:20:00.000-07:00

After my ten mile run on Sunday, I noticed some of my toes were achey, but one in particular hurt more than the rest. The toes didn't necessarily hurt, but the nails did. My second little toe on my left foot looks like it is going to be a problem for a little while. I think I might lose a first toenail. :( I know that's gross, but I'm typing it on here in hopes that someone may offer advice of what to do. I've read many websites that say just leave it alone and let it take its course. For now, it's red and a little swollen under the nail, so I've been applying peroxide and neosporin and putting a bandaid on it. It felt fine before I ran 4 miles yesterday, which must have irritated it because now it hurts when I walk. I'm not going to not run because of a stupid toe, so I'm hoping it won't bother me that much. I guess I'd rather have a hurt toenail than a hurt knee though. Blessing in disguise??

Aside from that, my training is going pretty well. I decided I needed to step up my game from now until the half, and I really wanted to focus on getting some more weight off. I strength trained on monday, and I'm feeling the soreness. I'm going to try to do some type of exercise every day. I will probably hit up the p90x tonight. It always kicks my butt.

I think I am going to pick up some supplies before my 11 mile run this weekend. I have yet to try GU gel or sports beans, and I'm kind of excited to see how they work. I also need to figure out a good way to carry a water bottle around. I bought a hat and just need sunscreen and then I think I will be on my way. It's supposed to be mid-70's and sunny this whole week!!

Oh my aching....everything.

2010-03-28T18:34:00.001-07:00

I ran 10 miles today and I feel like shouting it from the rooftops because I’m so proud! I usually don’t like to boast about stuff, but I feel that is a really big accomplishment for anyone, much less me. I also ran it in right under 2 hours, which is amazing for me. I am slow. I was really worried about how this run was going to go since I had missed my last two long runs. I think, for me, my first 3 miles are the hardest. Shouldn’t it be the opposite, and the last 3 be hardest? That’s what I would think anyways. Maybe I don’t get a good enough warm-up. Once I get past that, the only issue I have is keeping myself from getting bored. I did a lot of people watching on my run today since my ipod died. I need a new one so bad. Oh well. The only thing that hurts is my knees! I plan on icing them a lot this week. Tomorrow I am not going to run, but weight train. I have been looking forward to being able to do this since I got my Y membership back. Hopefully that will allow by lower body to recover a little. Ideally, I would like to run approximately 15 miles throughout this week and then do 11 miles for my long run next weekend. I think this will be much easier to accomplish now that I can go to the Y if I can’t workout until it is dark outside. I only have 27 days until the half! In that time, I would like to lose 10 pounds, even though that is really asking a lot. I’m halfway to my goal weight of 130. Maybe I’ll start taking classes and stuff at the Y. So many possibilities! After having a couple of bad weeks, I feel better and so much more motivated now. I guess everyone goes through a slump at some point or another.

Buckling down.

2010-03-27T22:15:00.000-07:00

This past week went okay, not terrible, but not great either. Although I didn’t go over my points at all, I felt like I wasn’t eating well, which is weird. I also only ran twice, and most of the reasons why I did not exercise more were out of my control. However, I got my YMCA membership back (thanks, Dad!), so now I can go run/workout at anytime and not have to worry about the weather. I was really excited about this because now I will get to cross train. I believe this will really help me out a ton. I’m thinking I’ve hit a plateau recently, and it kind of freaks me out since I still have 25 pounds until I hit my goal weight. I may not have been on my game with my training for the half marathon (which is exactly one month away) for the past few weeks, but tomorrow starts a new week, and brings a new opportunity. My goal is to go to the Y every day this week and run/workout. I really want to start doing some strength training with my legs, so that they’ll actually be able to carry me 13+ miles, and also I would like to get a little more muscle definition. I’m confident I will be able to complete the half marathon, but I really need to step up my game with my training and stop slacking.

As for my weigh in this week, I used the one pass we get, so I didn’t have to weigh in. I knew I was going to gain and I really didn’t feel like being in a disappointed mood all day since I had to work. I’ve decided it is really worth it to treat yourself for doing well in a weight loss program. My friend Brooke, who has a youtube video log (vlog) was talking about how weight loss is the most selfish thing you can do for yourself, and I completely agree. It is also important to reward yourself for things that you are doing right. We have these things called bravo’s at our ww meetings. Basically, if there is something you felt good about during the week, whether it was exercising or resisting a cupcake, you can get a bravo sticker. You won’t always have someone supporting you 24/7 for weight loss, so you kind of have to do it yourself.
Tonight, I deserved a bravo. I went out to eat to Chili’s, and I was actually going to let myself eat badly. However, at work earlier, we changed the candy in the candy cases and I ate more chocolate than I should have. So, I was going to get a pulled porked sandwich and fries but decided to get the chicken fajitas- which were absolutely delicious! I had looked it up on the internet before hand (I basically made a list of what I could eat healthfully at a handful of restaurants) and the chicken fajitas were really low points. It was a pan of sizzing grilled chicken with caramelized onions and peppers, a side plate with lettuce, tomatoes, black beans, brown rice, and some tortillas. The tortillas were probably the worst part. I only ate one because they were so filling, and brought the rest home. It was so good! I’m glad I talked myself out of the bad greasy food.

10 miles tomorrow.

Oh, Brooke’s youtube channel name is lindseybrooke27. Go watch her now and comment/rate/subscribe because she is awesome.

Sometimes you just need a break

2010-03-22T22:17:00.000-07:00

I had my first run in a week tonight and felt really good. For some reason I thought it was going to be really difficult to get back in the swing of things, but the only hard part was getting myself to the gym. As soon as I get in my car and go, I can't turn back. I decided to run 5 miles tonight and did that in a little over 58 minutes. The only bad part was that I was on a treadmill with nothing to look at but the darkness outside. I miss being pampered by personal televisions at the YMCA. I listened to a health podcast, which talked about keeping motivated. I feel this was definitely appropriate and I think it helped me really relax through my run. Also, I feel so much better with my new shoes. They help my posture and I'm not experiencing much back pain or knee pain. I made it through a week of p90x last week, and I've made it through many weeks of running, and now I want to combine the two this week. We'll see how that goes. I would like to stay off a plateau and really lose this week. I decided to splurge a little on Saturday night, and ate some steak, a potato (with lots of butter) and a ceasar salad, and buttery rolls from Logan's. I know this may not seem like a bad meal to some people, but for me it was. However, I only got to enjoy it for a short time. I got pretty sick late Saturday night and Sunday morning and ended up expelling my meal. I guess I saved myself the points, huh. I haven't eaten much red meat since January...probably less than once a month. I'm wondering if suddenly chowing down on a big steak was the issue there.

Anyway, I think taking off a week really gave me a good mental break. I'm counting down the days until school is over and then I'll be able to run as much as I want whenever. I seriously can't wait.

10%!!!

2010-03-20T20:45:00.000-07:00

I was pretty excited today because I finally reached my 10% and got my keychain, losing 2.2 pounds!! I’ve lost 17.8 pounds total. The next milestone with weight watchers is 25 pounds. I have a feeling that is going to be a really hard goal to reach. It just feels like it should be easier to get the weight off, but truthfully, it’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to commit to. Eating well is not easy, cheap, or fun, but is so necessary for weight loss. Exercise helps, and is essential for weight loss in my opinion, but you would never lose weight if you didn’t change your eating habits. This has been the most difficult part of weight loss. I just fear a plateau is coming and is going to halt my progress. I had a really weird week last week; I only ran once and it was a horrible run. I then decided to halt running for the rest of the week (probably not the best decision) and just do my p90x several times, which I did. I think I needed a mental break from running. Don’t get me wrong-I do enjoy running, but sometimes I wear myself out mentally if I miss a run and then feel guilty about it, or if I have a bad run. I think it really helped and now I feel ready to jump on the bandwagon again.
I bought something this week that I have never bought before: a bikini. And, I don’t hate it. I’m actually really excited about getting to wear it. And by May or June or so, I will hopefully have lost even more weight to where I’ll feel even more confident about it. My awesome Dad is putting me back on our YMCA membership so I’ll be able to not only have a place to run, I’ll also be able to weight train and tone and get in other forms of cardio. I’m very excited about this! Thanks, Dad!
I have a long run of 10 miles this week, but will probably only do 8 or 9 since I didn’t do so well last week. I will certainly update soon, though.

Bad week

2010-03-17T18:53:00.000-07:00

This hasn't been the greatest week, and it's only wednesday. I had a bad run on Monday, only 2 miles. I intended to run on Monday night at the Foy center on campus, and as soon as I got there I, of course, locked my keys in my car. So, instead of getting to run, I got to wait for over an hour for a guys to come unlock my car. I also had to pay him $160 for it and so now I'm broke AND didn't get to run. I intended to run tonight but I didn't have any clean workout clothes (not really a good excuse) and tons of homework to get done. I have eaten pretty well this week, but I usually don't have an issue with food. I did, however, do p90x on Tuesday morning and tonight. So, I guess I haven't been completely worthless this week, but I feel guilty every time I miss a run and I feel like I'm losing my conditioning. I feel like I've lost any and all energy I may have had, and it's wearing me out. I thought you were supposed to have more energy after beginning a workout/healthy regimen! I absolutely cannot wait for summer. I will have so much more time to focus on running and working out. Where is all this extra time college kids are supposed to have? I'd like some, please.

What the heck!?

2010-03-15T08:12:00.000-07:00

If you know me, you know that I work 4 to 5 days a week, go to school, and run. Why is it so easy to go to school and work, but it is so hard for me to run? When I started out, I pictured the first month being really hard, which it was, but then the rest would be easy. I've been having to move my long runs to Sundays because I've started working in the afternoons on Saturdays. Last week went well, but this week is baffling me. I was supposed to do 8 miles yesterday, and I could only do 3. I know that this was due to the fact that I ate a big meal of teriyaki sesame chicken about 90 minutes before my run. I thought that would be enough time to digest and I would have plenty of energy to run...well, I was wrong. This has happened several times and from it, I've learned that I have a really slow digestive system and I pretty much have to run on an empty stomach. So, no big deal, I would just try to do my long run again tomorrow. I was only able to do 2 miles and this is what upset me. I was supposed to do 8! Why is this so hard? I have good days and bad days, but it seems like the time of day and when I eat has everything to do with how I run. If I run in the morning like today, I feel tired and sluggish, even after having a small breakfast. My best performances have been in the afternoons, but working and going to school doesn't leave me any afternoons to run, except for Sundays. I would love to run more at night, but it's too dark and dangerous. Should I sacrifice the $40 a month for a gym membership? I'm starting to feel it would be worth it.

I'm also feeling like losing more weight will help. You don't see many overweight runners out there. Even though I'm not really terribly overweight, I still think my body is carrying a lot of extra fat, and that if it wasn't, it would make running easier. I am going to have a goal of crosstraining a lot this week to really try and get off this plateau.

Oh, I had my meeting yesterday and weighed in at 151.8 with a total loss of 15.6 pounds. I guess I'm happy with it-I wanted more though. I feel like when I work really hard, it doesn't pay off. Where's the balance?

Hey, soul sister

2010-03-11T17:05:00.000-08:00

I have soul sister by train stuck in my head all the time. I love that song. I even learned it on guitar today. Anyway, I got new running shoes today, amongst some new socks, and a pair of shorts and a shirt, thanks to my Dad! I love you! I was excited about my shoes, they're actually not ugly like my other ones were and they fit much better. I did a five mile run today in 56 minutes, and I got out of breath. I'm pretty sure I was going at a faster pace than I should have been. I kept getting a stupid neck cramp. I had also eaten about an hour before and judging by that and previous times eating before running, I think I'm better off not eating before running period. Even if I wait a couple hours, it still feels like I just ate and am running with a ton of food in my belly. I like running on an empty stomach, but I'm afraid I won't have as much energy. I need to try some of those GU gel things. I also have a problem in that I tie my shoelaces too tight, and end up with numb feet halfway through my runs. It especially bothered me today. I'm going to try and be more conscious of that next time. My schedule has me down for a 10 mile run this Sunday, and frankly, it scares me. I was supposed to do 8 last weekend, but got cut short one mile due to time, so we'll see. I will probably shoot for 9, and do 10 if I can. Hopefully the rain will hold off!

I've also been considering what to do after the half marathon. I know I want to stick with running. I've been thinking about doing a full marathon in the fall, maybe in October. That is, if I get more serious and start training everyday for it. I still need to lose a bit of weight, which in turn will make running easier. I love weighing myself right after I run because I am at my lightest. I'm looking forward to my weigh in this weekend, since I have not been bloated or had any stomach issues at all this week. I have discovered something that is awesome to me: frozen yogurt. I am the kind of person that will choose ice cream over pretty much anything, so when you set out a huge bowl of ice cream in front of me that is under 100 calories and less than 2 grams of fat, it is a good day for me.

Take that, body!

2010-03-09T15:52:00.001-08:00

It looks like my experiment is working! I haven't eaten any processed foods in the past 2 days and I haven't had one bloated moment. It's not really rocket science, though. The better foods you put into your body, the better you'll feel. I'm going to try my hardest to keep doing this, although it is really expensive for someone making minimum wage to eat basically fresh produce and organic all the time. I think it will be worth it though.

I ran 3 miles today and had a stupid headache the entire time. I wasn't going to run today because I was feeling like a lazy bum, but I decided to anyway. I wish I could hire someone to just run around after me and motivate me 24/7. I was a little sore after my 7 mile jaunt on Sunday, but not as bad as I thought. I am going to start cross training tomorrow; i think it will help boost my weight loss and keep me off of that plateau. I also could use some toning.

More blah blah blah

2010-03-07T22:16:00.001-08:00

I have never been more tired in my life. I worked friday, a 13 hour shift yesterday, and a shift tonight. I also ran 7 miles tonight. This is just me complaining that I'm tired. Okay, now for the updates:

I had a great run today! I really wanted to run 8 miles, and that was the plan, but I got too caught up on mapmyrun.com trying to plan a good course and apparently took way longer than I thought. So, in order to make it to work on time, I had to cut my run a little over a mile short. Disappointing, but I feel good knowing that I would have been able to run the extra mile. I ran down music row twice, which was 3 miles, and then ran from Belmont at Wedgewood to West End, back to music row, which was 4 miles. The weird thing is, my run started off weird and then got better toward the end. I didn't warm-up well enough (I never do, so you'd think I'd learn) so my first 3 miles were really tight on my legs. The last half of the run was great! The weather was absolutely perfect. I didn't need to bring water or anything. And, I had a decent pace (for me at least). So, all in all, I was pretty happy with myself. I discovered that I like running to podcasts better than music, because it is more distracting. I listened to one called Fat to Fit, and it was really encouraging and talking about weight loss struggles. It really makes me want to go into Nutrition in school. Hmmm......

I really think I need new shoes. My lower back is aching a lot and it's either because of my shoes, or I have bad posture. I really try to maintain a straight line with my body though, and am pretty conscious about it when I'm running. I don't know what it is. Also, I had to do a lot of my run today on concrete, unfortunately, and now my knees are killing me. I will certainly be breaking out the frozen peas and icing them down tonight.

As for the ww meeting yesterday, I was really frustrated because I only lost .6. However, after I got over the fact that that is a healthy amount of loss for a week, I became satisfied. I'll reach my 10% when I reach it. I don't have to feel disappointed because I didn't lose what my mind thought was good. I have lost a total of 14.6 pounds in ten weeks. So, a pound and a half a week isn't bad, right? I have a stupid person in my head telling me I should be at a certain weight by now, but I realize they are wrong and slow and steady wins the race. I think, however, that I'm starting to plateau. This is a little discouraging since I'm running consistently, and have been since January. I admit, I haven't done a p90x workout in a couple of week, so I'm going to fit that back in this week for some cross training. I really would like to start losing some fat. I think it's stopped coming off of my stomach and is coming from my ears and kneecaps or something. It's discouraging. I also think I'm going to try a little experiment for this week; I'm not going to eat any processed foods starting tomorrow. I guess that means I need to go to the grocery store. I just think they're really messing with my body. I have felt bloated and uncomfortable all the time for the past month and it's starting to really get annoying. I eat A LOT of fiber, and realize that may have something to do with it, but something's gotta give. I also drink a lot of water, so why wouldn't it balance out? I'm going to do this experiment for this week to see if it helps my tummy pains.

This week also happens to be spring break, which will allow me plenty of time to exercise, and no excuses. This week should and will hopefully be a great week. I have my determination face on.....for now at least.

Updates and other things

2010-03-04T10:16:00.000-08:00

Surprisingly, this week has been excellent so far. I have been able to run everyday, like I wanted, and I have been tracking my food. I'm trying to make most of my runs happen in the morning. I figure since the half-marathon will be early, I need to get accustomed to that. However, I will probably be incorporating more evening runs when it starts staying light outside longer (I think that's in a couple of weeks?). I still have a pain in my left quad, but I'm trying to overcome it by not thinking about it. I figure I'll get used to it sooner or later. It doesn't seem like something that has the potential for injury, so I'm just going to ignore it. I also still occasionally get cramps in my shoulder/neck area when I run long distances. This really really annoys me. If I focus on breathing deep, it usually goes away, but it takes a few minutes. A few minutes with a cramp is a long time. Another issue I'm having is trying to find places to run. Any suggestions? The park is getting boring when I'm doing longer distances. I would also like to not run around car and bus fumes, although I understand that is unavoidable most times.

I am trying to decide how many miles I should do for my long run this weekend. My schedule tells me 8 miles. Last week I ran 6, and that was the most I've ever run. I'm not sure if I'm quite ready to take on 8 miles. Maybe I should just aim for 6 or 7. The weather forecast for the weekend looks great and I'm excited to take advantage of it. I was supposed to be running a 5k with my dad this weekend but of course life got in the way. Or, work got in the way. I didn't request off in enough time and now I can't go. I really wanted to do a race in March, but that is becoming unlikely now. I can't really afford any entry fees.

I'm really excited to weigh in this weekend. For some reason, although I have been tracking and eating well all week, I feel lazy and blah (but I blame that on the monthly issue women have). I think that my hard work will pay off this weekend, and hopefully, I will FINALLY reach my 10%. I have been mentioning it for almost 3 weeks now and it is only two pounds away! It's going to make me mad if I don't reach it this week! I'm sure I'll be bloated or something Saturday morning. My body has a way of making me mad. Anyway, I'll update on my weigh in later this week. Unfortunately, Brooke and I will have to cut our 9:30 meeting short to be at work at the stupid hour of 10am. That means no weekly ritual of waffle house. :(

Wow, I am really rambling here.

Some exciting, irrelevant news to weight loss/running, is that I will be moving in with Brooke and Karissa in May and attending MTSU. Brooke and Karissa also have blogs on here about their journeys with weight loss as well, so it will be really encouraging to live with people who are conscious about what they are eating and the importance of exercise. We already found an amazing townhouse that has a ton of space and 3 bathrooms! We are excited about the fact that we can all pee at the same time. I'm trying not to wish time away to the end of May, but I'm very excited about the move. I feel like I was ready to make some changes in my life and do what makes me happy. I think this will be a beneficial decision and that I can go from there to figure out what I really want to do with my life.

Anyway, that was more information than anyone probably wants to or cares about reading. Have a nice day.

Nagging problem

2010-03-01T09:03:00.000-08:00

For the last couple of weeks, I've had an ache in my left quadriceps. My muscle is really tight and it feels annoying when I run. I stretch a lot to try and help it, but it never goes away. It isn't necessarily painful, but it doesn't feel good. Does anyone know of any different stretches or techniques I could try? I thought the soreness from running would have gone away by now, but it keeps sticking with me.

I had an okay run this morning. I'm trying to get used to waking up earlier so I have time to run before work (because I know I won't do it after work). I think I need to wake up even earlier so it will give me time to actually "wake up." A run doesn't really feel beneficial if I'm dragging the entire 3 miles and feeling sluggish. I think eating breakfast would make a world of difference, too, so I plan on going to bed earlier and waking up earlier. Darn the life of a college student.

A reassuring run

2010-02-27T21:02:00.001-08:00

So, up until my run today, I was having a horrible week with food and running. I only ran twice last week and they were both pretty bad runs. I also did not eat well (I didn’t eat bad either) which caused me to gain .4 pounds this week at my meeting. I was really disappointed in this since I am only two pounds away from reaching my 10%. This week has, however, already started off really well (since my meetings are on Saturdays, my week “starts” on Saturday) with a fantastic run today. I had my first legitimate long run and ran 6 miles in 1 hour and 12 minutes. I was really hesitant about giving myself a goal of 6 miles in the beginning because I had terrible runs last week, so I just decided to take it one mile at a time. I ended up doing better than I ever would have thought! 6 miles is a lot for me and it’s so reassuring that this is something I can do. I look back at the beginning of January when I couldn’t even run a quarter of a mile and now I’m halfway to a half-marathon. This pretty much just proves that if I can do it, anybody can. I still have a lot of weight left to lose, but I’m slowly getting there. Running has become something I like to do and I’m glad I committed to it. I definitely will say weight loss has not been easy. I think genetics has gotten the best of me and has really made me work hard for results. Giving up wasn’t going to get me anywhere, so I basically only had the choice to stay committed and have hope that things would get easier. I must say, they really have gotten easier. I’ve had a lot of encouragement from people and nothing is more important than that. I think weight watchers has given me the tools I need to lead a positive lifestyle. I would have never gone if my friend, Brooke, had not encouraged me to go with her. Seriously, why would I want to get up early every Saturday to gather round a table of people with issues? Well, it turns out that was where I needed to be. So, I’m basically just really grateful for everyone who has supported me.

I’m going to aim for 8 miles for my long run next weekend, with the intent of running at least 4 days before then. I’ve been really bad about not running enough, and I know it will really help me. I let work and school get in the way last week, and although they are still high priorities, I should always be able to find time to fit in a run. I’m also going to track this week.

New PR's

2010-02-23T17:17:00.000-08:00

I did not feel like running today at all, but I knew it would come back to bite me if I didn't. I'm trying to run everyday, but between school and work, finding any free time at all is hard. I'm at least running every other day, but I want to make it more consistent. I had mini-wheats with fat free milk and a banana for breakfast this morning and it made me feel really heavy throughout the day. Maybe it was the load of fiber I took it. It made my stomach a little upset, so that didn't really encourage me to want to run. I did end up doing two miles, though. The first mile was at 11:25, which is a quick pace for me, or I thought so at least. My second mile was a ridiculous 9:27! I thought I was going to die! I was really proud of this because I had felt so energy depleted today from lack of sleep. I am going to try to do 3 mile runs for the rest of the week and then do a 5 or 6 mile long run on Saturday or Sunday, God willing. I haven't felt like I've had much energy lately and it's beginning to bother me. I think it may be my sleep schedule...I'll often go to bed late, sleep in late, go to bed late, wake up early, etc. It's a vicious cycle that I need to stop. I just can't go to bed when I'm not sleepy. Another thing that has been bothering me is my running shoes. They feel like they are too big on my feet, and then I end up tying them too tight so they feel like they fit. I can't afford new ones, so I guess I'm stuck with them. It looks like I'm running a 5k here in the next few weeks, so that will give me something to look forward to.

Sunshine on my shoulder

2010-02-20T22:27:00.000-08:00

I had a ww meeting this morning and lost .6 pounds. It wasn't a huge loss, but I didn't have the best week I could have food wise. I'm at 153, and have lost 14.4 pounds total. I will be at my 10% at 16 pounds, so I'm really hoping to get there next Saturday! I had a beautiful run outside today at the park and completed 4 miles in just under 46 minutes, which is a personal record for me! It felt great, too. I even got some sun. I feel faster, and it obvious with my new pace that I'm getting there. I think I'm going to start doing some speed intervals on my rest days and see where that gets me. Anyway, my goals for this week are to run 4 or 5 days, and to really eat well and reach my 10%.

Easy Run?

2010-02-16T18:05:00.000-08:00

Today I was planning on running on the treadmill at school for two reasons: it's stupid cold and dark outside, and my back has been hurting for the past week or so. I figured maybe the treadmill would be a little softer than concrete sidewalks or asphalt. I was going to do an easy run...maybe 2 or 3 miles. I was feeling so great that I ran 5 miles!! Granted, treadmill running is way easier than outside running, but 5 miles is still a lot for me. I think the tracker on the treadmill may have been a little off- I ran at my usual pace of around 12 minutes per mile, but it said I was running around 13:30. I felt like I was going kind of fast, too. So, whatever the distance, when I was done, it said 5 miles. I went for a full 70 minutes! That's a really long time for me to do anything, much less run! I was super sweaty, but I never got out of breath! I did get these annoying cramps right under my collarbone to the left on my left side-I get them every so often and I hate them more than side cramps. I don't know how to get rid of them-I don't clench my fists or shoulders or anything. Just another annoying thing. I felt like if I wanted to I could have gone even longer, but I didn't want to overdo it since I plan on running everyday this week. I also didn't really get a chance to eat much all day-another reason I didn't want to push it too much. But, all in all, I'm happy with my run today. I'm going to take it outside tomorrow, and hopefully I can get at least 3 miles in. I really need to start adding some distance!

Weigh In

2010-02-13T21:24:00.000-08:00

I finally had a ww meeting this morning-after 2 weeks in a row being canceled from the snow. I didn't feel like I had lost at all because I hadn't been tracking or anything. At my last weigh in, I was at 158.6. This morning I weighed in at 153.6, meaning I lost 5 pounds! I was pretty excited. Although this was over the course of two weeks, I still think that's a lot. I only have 2 more pounds until I reach my ten percent so that's pretty exciting. I can't wait to be in the 140's. The only thing that sucks, even though I've lost 13.8 pounds total, I don't really feel any skinnier or anything. So, I'm hoping that I can really focus on getting this weight off and really start liking my body. I did kind of reward myself today and bought a dress and 2 pairs of jeans-which were a size 8 (I used to wear a tight size 10). So I'm finally in the single digits! (With certain types of clothes at least). Hopefully I'll get to my goal weight by summer so I can actually show off what I've been working hard for. If I reach my goal weight by my birthday, I'm thinking about taking a trip to the beach or something to celebrate. Who knows!

I plan on running tomorrow. I don't have a set amount of miles, I just want to get out there and take it easy. I've had a couple of bad runs lately so I don't want to push it. I'm also definitely going back to the park to run so I don't have to inhale any more car fumes. I want to start running everyday. I feel like I lose conditioning when I take a day or two off at a time. I know you're supposed to let your body recover after running, but I'm so tired of running being "hard." Isn't it supposed to get easier as you get more accustomed to it? I want to start adding more mileage but I just think running a little everyday instead of running a lot on a few days will work better for me. Now it's just about finding time. I need to put aside my excuses and just do it.

Blah

2010-02-12T13:33:00.000-08:00

I had a stupid run today. I've never felt so blah and fat on a run....except maybe my first few. My last run was great, so I was thinking I could at least run 3 miles and be okay. I decided to turn around early and just run 2.3 miles. I ran down Broadway towards Hillsboro Village and I can say one thing that really bothered me was the fumes from all the cars. It was almost unbearable. I passed a lot of busses and trucks and I think that probably didn't help me run any better. I feel kind of stuck with my weight loss. I will weigh in tomorrow at ww, but I haven't had a meeting in almost 3 weeks...which means I haven't been on the ball with tracking my food and points. I'm definitely going to get back on track this week. I know I would run a lot better if I could lose some more weight. Don't get me wrong, I haven't been eating badly at all. I just need to plan good meals instead of snacking on whatever here and there. I also need to go to bed earlier and wake up earlier. Having late classes and working late has completely messed up my sleep schedule. I know I would feel better If I didn't sleep half the day away. My goals for this week (starting saturday) are to track everything I eat and stay under my points, run four or five days with a total of 15 miles, and do at least 3 sessions of p90x. I only have 71 more days until the half marathon and these crappy runs aren't going to cut it.

one, two, three, FOUR!

2010-02-09T15:15:00.000-08:00

That's right, I ran four miles today. Yeah, I'm surprised too. I wasn't even planning to run today, but I didn't get to yesterday and I knew I wouldn't be able to tomorrow. So, I would've felt pretty guilty getting off my training schedule. I was only going to run 3 today, because that's what was on my training plan, but I was feeling good and wanted to see if I could do four. I was pretty tired afterward, but I was proud I did it. I also ran the four miles in 49:12. I looked at my clock at each mile, and for the first 3 miles they were almost exactly at 12 minutes, with my last mile being around 13. So, I can at least say that although I'm slow, I'm consistent. I also ran without music today which really made me feel bored and like quitting...my ipod is about done for. It's one of the older generation ones and really big and bulky. So, there will me some new ipod shopping in my future-i'm thinking just a nano since I mainly use it to run with. I really want a touch though! Too bad that would be almost a whole paycheck. My legs (before today's run) were still pretty sore from the big hill during the 5k last weekend- especially my hamstrings. I did the back and biceps, and ab ripper p90x dvds last night, and then the x-stretch dvd this morning. The stretch did help loosen me up a little, but it seems like I get sore after most of my runs. I'm ready not to be sore all the time. I think it may be one of the things that keeps me slow. I definitely want to improve my time, but I'm more focused on the half marathon now and just being able to run 13 miles!

My first 5k!

2010-02-07T21:05:00.000-08:00

I ran my first 5k on Saturday in freezing cold, icky weather. It actually wasn’t that bad-after I got moving I was grateful that it was cold. I ended up coming in around 36 minutes. Unfortunately, I don’t have the official time. That, however, is so far my best time for 3.3 miles. It usually takes me between 40-42 minutes to run 3 miles. So, it may have been the cold or adrenaline pushing me to run faster. Aside from the super big hill we ran up, I didn’t mind the course. The first and last mile flew by and I thought it was neat just to run with a lot of people. I started in the back so I would be able to pass people instead of having to watch people pass me.

I’ve decided to start counting my miles for the year…I may have missed a few days, but from what I have written down, since January 15^th I’ve run a total of 21 miles. I only count full miles, so I try to keep that in perspective. I’ve found a training plan for the half marathon coming up in April. I’m going to try my best to stick to it-it has me running 4 days a week I think. I’m looking for another 5k or possibly a 10k to run in March.

As for ww-it has been a big fail for the past few weeks because our team leader is apparently afraid to get out in the snow, so my meetings have been canceled. From my scale, I’ve been weighing in around 155-156. I didn’t track at all last week-I blame it on the lack of meeting-but I’m going to track my food this week and stick to my training plan. I still have about 20 lbs to get to my goal weight of 135. The better my jeans fit, the more motivated I feel, though, so I’m pretty happy with my progress.

Crappy Run

2010-02-03T09:58:00.000-08:00

So, I think not exercising for 6 days has bitten me in the butt. I didn't mean to not exercise- I'm just sane enough not to run in 6 inches of snow and ice. I could've cross trained, but I guess I'm going to use the time excuse. It just got away from me last weekend. My run today was horrible. I felt really heavy, like I had to really force myself to even move. It doesn't make since-I'm at my lightest weight yet, so shouldn't it be easier for me to move? Ugh. I only ran 2 miles today in 23:56. Maybe I was running too fast and got tired. I don't know what it was-I just felt weird. It felt like I was flexing my shoulders the whole time, but I wasn't, and it was making me slump over and run with bad posture. I'm going to run on Friday- I'll probably only do 2 miles again since I have the 5k early Saturday morning. We'll see how that goes...hopefully I'll be out of my funk by then.

People

2010-02-02T15:48:00.000-08:00

People are ridiculous. It snows and suddenly everyone freaks out. The roads were completely and totally fine today. I drove all the way from Clarksville to Bellevue to make the Tuesday ww meeting since I won't be able to go to my usual Saturday one, and they canceled it again!! WW is working against me! Ugh. So it's pretty much going to be until next Tuesday, if I decide to go, or next Saturday until my next meeting, which sucks. It also sucks that it is supposed to snow on Saturday again and be really cold because I have my 5k on Saturday. Everything seems to be working against me...hopefully if the sidewalks are clear I'll be able to go on my first run since last Thursday. Ugh People. Ugh.

Hmm...

2010-01-29T22:48:00.000-08:00

So, I'm supposed to have a ww meeting tomorrow morning, but since the last time it snowed and our meeting was cancelled, i called the 1800 number to make sure tomorrow's was too. Sure enough, it was, and I'm kind of bummed. I exercised a lot this week and I was really excited to weigh in. So, I weighed myself on my scale and I'm going to post that number for this week- I'm at 156.5 which would be a 2 pound loss. However, I'm not going to count on this for my official weight since weight watchers has their "special scale." Since you can go to any meeting you want throughout the week, I will be going to Tuesday night's meeting. This was my plan to begin with since I have the 5k on Saturday and would've had to either go to Tuesday's meeting or pay $12 for nothing. So, I'm really excited to weigh in on Tuesday. I'm actually starting to like the way my clothes are fitting a little better. I feel better too.

Bam

2010-01-28T22:57:00.000-08:00

I ran another 3 miles tonight, and it was on a little bit of an incline. It was a little rough-not because of the incline-but because I picked up my speed. I actually ran what was really fast for me, the majority of it up the hill. It was also really cold and windy! Here's hoping that next Saturday there will be warmer, calmer weather for my 5k. It supposed to be really cold through Sunday, so I was planning to do a long run on Monday. It should, according to the meteorologists, be in the 40's and sunny. I plan on doing a 4 mile course with my only objective being to complete it.

Darn hills

2010-01-26T15:57:00.000-08:00

I ran another 3 miles again today, and it was rough. It was really cold outside, so that didn't help much, and I had to combat a few hills in the area I ran today. The good thing is-I tried running the same hills a few weeks ago and I had to stop and walk them. Today, I was able to run up and down all of them, not stopping, and while keeping a consistent pace. I ran approximately 3 miles in a 40:19, so not great, but I'll take it.

If you read back to my posts at the beginning of the month, I state as my goal that I wanted to be able to run 30 minutes without stopping by the end of January. Well, looks like I reached my goal! Now it's time to get ready for the 5k next Saturday, and then begin some sort of training plan for the half-marathon in April.

Brrr.

2010-01-25T18:37:00.000-08:00

I ran another 3 miles (without stopping) at Centennial Park today. It was a little tougher than it was on Friday, but only because it was really cold, snowing, and very, very windy. I ran 3 miles in 38:32, so not too bad. I'd like to eventually get it around 30 at some point. If I ever get done with studying tonight I am going to do the p90x arms and shoulders dvd. I bought some 8lb weights and a yoga mat so hopefully I get to use them soon.

Weigh in #6

2010-01-24T00:27:00.000-08:00

Today I went to mtg and weighed in at 158.6, breaking my 160 barrier and losing 1.4 pounds this week, and 8.8 pounds total! I reached my 5% which was 8 pounds, so I'm pretty happy with it. I hope next week I will hit 10 pounds. That will be pretty satisfying. Our ww leader was talking about how if you lost 10 pounds, and you went to the grocery store and walked around carrying a 10 lb bag of potatoes, that's how much extra weight you were carrying around all the time. I didn't think of it like that, but a 10 lb bag of potatoes gets kind of heavy after a while. I know my body is getting healthier. I hope to fit in a run at some point tomorrow. Anyway, I'm ready to start a new week and hopefully with incorporating a lot of exercise this week I will hit my 10 pound goal on Saturday.

Drum roll please..............

2010-01-22T13:52:00.000-08:00

I ran 3 miles without stopping for the first time!!! I'm very very excited about this. My plan today was to run only 2, but I just kept going. I am soooo sore from doing p90x wednesday and thursday, and so my legs (especially my hamstrings and quads) were really sore. I noticed my right hamstring was getting really tight towards the end, but I just kept going. I'm noticing my breathing is getting a lot better (thanks Corey for the tips) and I'm not struggling against side stitches as much. According to my ipod, I ran the 3 miles in 36.6 minutes-roughly 12 minute miles. So, I'm slow, but it's a lot faster than I thought I was going. I feel like the slowest runner in the world, but that doesn't really bother me. I think the next thing I need to work on is hills. :(

I think I will just do the p90x instead of run tomorrow, or double up 2 p90x's. It was supposed to be shoulders and arms, and the ab ripper today and yoga tomorrow, but I can barely lift my body at all and I also don't have enough time before work. I just feel really accomplished and excited. I have a ww meeting tomorrow. I feel good- I know I may not have necessarily lost this week due to starting the p90x, and I'll be okay with that. I'll update with that tomorrow!

p90x!!

2010-01-20T18:35:00.000-08:00

My p90x came in yesterday and I completed the first workout tonight. I'm following their schedule, so I did the Core Synergistics workout. I was pretty much already sweating during the warm-up. The workout was about 50 minutes non-stop- you're constantly moving and working different muscles. It definitely worked my core. My whole midsection is sore, as well as my thighs. I won't get another chance to run until Friday due to school and work, so this will take the place of my runs until then. If you're following the guide, it has you doing 6 days per week. I'm going to try to follow this-it shouldn't be a problem most days. Since it's a 90 day program, I want to get to where I'm running in the morning and doing the workouts in the evening. Another thing I've noticed is how well my pants fit! I used to have a really tight (expensive) pair of jeans that I kind of had to force myself into. I tried them on a couple days ago and they fit comfortably, even with a little room to spare. I have a whole box of clothes that don't fit, so I think I may start trying things on again this weekend to see if they fit. I'm also going to start taking body measurements. I realize that since I'm starting a hardcore workout regimen, I may gain muscle and my body may change without it showing up much on the scale. So, this will be a good way for me to track this.

Woohoo!

2010-01-18T14:18:00.000-08:00

Today I decided to run down Music Row in Nashville-starting at the roundabout where the naked people statue is all the way down to where the road dead-ends at Belmont. I started off well )after having a little stomach ache earlier in the day) and made it from the roundabout to Belmont. At the last 1/4 mile or so there is a pretty good sized hill, and I found myself huffing and puffing and getting a side cramp. For some reason, I was thinking that from the roundabout to Belmont was a half of a mile, but it was actually a full mile! I was disappointed when I started getting tired because I thought I had only ran a half mile. I decided to run back despite the pain in my side. After pushing through it, I ran the whole way back, thinking I had only ran one mile, while in fact I had run two! After I got it straight in my head, I was thinking "I can't believe I just ran two miles." Two may not seem like a lot to some people, but I was just now able to run one mile without falling over dead. So, I'm really proud of my two miles today. I may take tomorrow off or just walk a little. Time to go ice my legs...haha.

Will I make it?

2010-01-17T20:41:00.000-08:00

I ended up running yesterday-I had initially planned on just walking since I had to work. I went to Red Caboose Park in Bellevue. There is a slight incline in the loop but it wasn't too much. However, it was enough to make me sore. My shins are sore, but so are my inner thighs, so I don't think I'm in danger of shin splints. I'm just plain sore. I did complete a full mile, walked a lap, and then ran another 1/5 of a mile. I was pretty proud of myself. I think once the soreness goes away, my runs will start to become easier. I'm starting to get used to a breathing pattern. The only thing I'm a little worried about now is not being able to run a full 3 miles before my 5k, which is on February 6th. It gives me roughly 20 days to add 2 more miles, and I don't know if it's going to happen. I'm going to really try to be able to run the full race. As for my weigh in, I lost 1.2 pounds this week for a total of 7.4 pounds. I guess I can't complain too much. :)

No pain, no gain

2010-01-15T14:02:00.000-08:00

Okay, to update the past few days: Since I ran on Monday and Tuesday, I took Wednesday off. On Thursday, I had about a 3 hour break in between classes. During this time, I went to the school's rec center and used the indoor track. I don't know what was wrong with me yesterday, but from the time I started just walking over to the rec center, I had this annoying cramp/stitch in my side. It was like one you would get after running to fast or something. By the time I got to the track, I decided to walk until it went away. Alas, it didn't go away, so I decided to just start running since I was frustrated at this point. After 5 or so minutes of running, it hurt too bad so I stopped. I then continued to walk for 90 minutes. I was really frustrated that I wasn't able to run-I hadn't had any problems up until this point. So, moving on to today, I decided to deviate a little from my training program. Since it has been cold lately, I've been using a treadmill for all of my workouts except for yesterdays, and was kind of nervous about the pavement, wind, etc. First off, it felt amazing outside so that was an advantage to me, and second, I ran a full mile without stopping. This was pretty awesome for me since I haven't run more than 5 minutes at a time. So, I may deviate from my training program some more, and just run a mile until it feels comfortable. The first half or so went well, and then I started getting tired. And then the side cramp hit at the very end and I proceeded to walk for another 15 minutes before calling it a day.

Weight wise: I weigh in tomorrow morning after 2 weeks of no meetings, so I'm really hoping for a decent loss. I don't have to work until night tomorrow, so if I'm not too sore, I may try to squeeze in another run or at least a long walk.

No turning back now...

2010-01-12T12:01:00.000-08:00

So, starting running has been the biggest commitment I've made in a long time. Not only am I signed up for the Music City Half Marathon in April, I'm also signed up for the Predators 5k in February. Since my goal for January was to be able to run 30 minutes by the end of the month, the 5k will be a small test to see if I got there. It's on the 6th of February so it will be almost exactly a month. I haven't had to repeat a day in my training program yet and I also have been able to complete each day so far. So, that's pretty motivating. Today's run will be rough, but I think I'll get through it. I will be running 5 minute intervals at a time-yesterday I ran 3 minute intervals. (It may not sound like a lot, but as a beginning runner, it's kicking my butt). Also, something I'm very excited about-I will be getting p90x as a late Christmas present! I'm sooo excited about this. It will help me trim up my body and help shed some extra pounds which will, in return, make running easier. I seriously can't wait until it comes. I'm going to try my best to do it everyday, but school will make it hard. I guess all in all, I'm still pretty excited about this new transformation.

How do I...

2010-01-10T23:14:00.001-08:00

How do I build endurance? I know I'm not going to be able to run a half marathon right off the bat, but when will I finally start being able to run for longer periods of time? I feel like my most important focus right now is building endurance. I look forward to my training, but it's difficult for me to even run for a few minutes at a time. I'm not getting discouraged, I just want to start making better progress.

Uuuuugggghhhhh

2010-01-09T13:31:00.000-08:00

I left this morning to go to my w.w. meeting and low and behold, the meeting was apparently canceled. No one was contacted about it being canceled, though, which is why I'm so irritated. I was really looking forward to the meeting this week and weighing in. Maybe I'll just have a big loss next week. I could have slept in a good two extra hours, too. Oh well. I don't want to post my weight from my scale- it would be totally different than the w.w. scale number. So, I guess I'll just have to wait until next week. Anyway, that's my rambling for today.

Friday

2010-01-08T21:49:00.001-08:00

Okay, so today went pretty well. Except for that I was in bed until about 2pm with really really really bad cramps. I was tired of feeling like crap so I finally just took a lot of medicine and got up and forced myself to get on the treadmill and I ended up doing my 30 minute training program plus an extra 30 minutes of walking. Take that, body! Due to the fact that I didn't feel well and exercised, I didn't eat anything until right before work around 5pm. I then had half a subway sandwich, and then had the other half on my break. Then, after work, I had some cheese and crackers. So, aside from not eating enough, today went okay. I weigh in tomorrow morning so we'll see what happens. I'm hoping for good results.

Not too shabby

2010-01-06T13:55:00.000-08:00

I know it's early in the day yet, but I have to work later so I won't be able to post. I just finished exercising and I have to say that was my hardest workout yet. While following my training program, I upped my running time, which meant lowering my walking time. Even though I was really out of breath, I was really proud of myself for finishing. I didn't even get any side cramps or anything. I've also eaten pretty well today, too. Since exercising is going so well, my next goal is to drink more water and limit the nasty diet soda. Anyway, I'm really looking forward to weighing in saturday. Hopefully I'll be in the 150's!

Good Day

2010-01-04T23:15:00.000-08:00

Today went pretty well and I'm happy about it. I haven't eaten too much (from previous night's activities I wasn't hungry) so I didn't use that many points. I had an english muffin for breakfast, a salad with grilled chicken for lunch, and this amazing rice and bean meal. It was delicious. I exercised today-this made me very proud of myself because I resisted all day and napped instead. It happened though-and now my feet hurt from running in the wrong kind of shoes. But, I'm still glad I worked out. I'm actually looking forward to weighing in on saturday...it's only tuesday so I hope I'm still thinking that by Saturday. I need to exercise at least 3 more times this week to meet my goal. I'm one step closer to being able to run the half marathon.

2010-01-02T20:14:00.000-08:00

So this week was actually pretty good. I ended up losing 2.2 pounds for a total of 6.2 pounds lost! I'm pretty happy with it. I'm hoping that next week I'll break the 160 barrier. I'm at 161.2 right now. I found a training program on the internet that I'm going to follow in order to reach my goal of running 30 minutes straight by the end of January. It has me moving for 30 minutes, 4 days per week. I'll probably do the 30 minute workout and walk for 30 minutes afterward just for extra exercise. I plan to start my first workout tomorrow morning. It seems to be the only time I have to be able to exercise for the next couple of days, so I wanted to fit it in.

No pressure?

2010-01-01T21:37:00.001-08:00

My dad is/has been a runner for the past few years. He completed the Country Music half marathon and the full marathon in consecutive years. This year I mentioned doing to half marathon to my dad and he then proceeds to go ahead and sign me up for the half marathon in April. So....it looks like I have four months to get my ass in shape. My goal by the end of January is to be able to run 30 minutes non-stop, and then February-April I will focus on completing the full 13 miles. I'm ready to get started and hopefully I will be able to stick with this through school.

I have my 3rd weigh in tomorrow and hopefully I will see a loss. I don't really feel thinner...it's kind of depressing. I look at my tracker for the week and besides today, I've eaten nothing but healthy food. I definitely think exercising will help, but my body seems to be holding on to the fat as long as it can. I will update (hopefully with good news) tomorrow.

Lazy ass

2009-12-31T10:31:00.001-08:00

Ugh...I'm frustrated with myself today for not getting up and exercising. I had all morning but now it's too late because I'm going to get my hair cut and then going to work. I really think starting this new year tomorrow will sort of instill a newness in me and give me the motivation to start exercising. I've been thinking about the half-marathon I've mentioned before. The Country Music Half Marathon is on April 24, 2010. That gives me roughly four months to go from a couch potato to a runner. It's something I really want to do, and I know that I can do it, I just need to start now. It's the perfect time to run outside since it's cold and not sweltering hot. I love the cold weather so I know I could deal with that. I wish I had someone to do this with me. I think my biggest problem right now is procrastination and lack of motivation. So, I came up with a plan to put $3 away in a savings account every time I exercise. I think the whole "reward" thing does work, and the money that I save at the end of each month will be for me to spend on me. Maybe that will help me get my ass off the couch.

Ouch

2009-12-30T07:12:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a not great/not bad day. I had some dental surgery way too early in the morning, and wasn't allowed to eat or drink 6 hours before the procedure. I went in at 8am, left at 11ish (according to my mom) and not remembering anything, I woke up around 4 at my parents house in an upright sitting position on their couch. I was sedated for the procedure, but man I was knocked out. I didn't even remember leaving the office, the drive home, etc. So when I finally woke up at 4, I left to go get my car. I wasn't hungry at all mostly from the pain pills. Eventually I ended up having some delicious chicken breast with this great tomato sauce, wild rice, and black beans for dinner at Calypso Cafe. Although this was a satisfying meal, a few hours later I was starting to get hungry again (I'm guessing it's from not eating all day) and had two packs of weight watchers string cheese for 1 point each, and then to end the night I had a weight watchers ice cream cake for 1 point. So not a bad day. I've been drinking a ton of diet sodas lately and I think the aspartame is messing with my metabolism. I've done a lot of research on the effects of aspartame and it just sounds plain awful for you. I think I'm going to stop drinking anything but water for a week and see if it boosts my weight loss. I hate working really hard food wise during the week only to find out it's the diet soda that's keeping me from losing big numbers. So, we will see.

Don't sweat it

2009-12-28T18:04:00.000-08:00

Today was a good ww day. Aside from sleeping in really late, I ate pretty well. I tried egg beaters for the first time (since for some reason walmart didn't have ANY eggs...weird) and I don't think I liked them very much. Even though they're healthier than eggs, I didn't like the way they tasted. I'm going to go back to using 2 egg whites mixed with one whole egg. I also had 3 slices of turkey bacon (yum)! and a serving of hashbrowns with a tbsp of extra virgin olive oil. My total breakfast was only 5 points and very tasty. For a snack I had about a cup of sugar free/fat free jello- one serving is only 10 calories. (It's the kind that you mix, not the already made jello cups). I also tried these new crackers I bought called Wasa crackers- they're like specially made with whole grain and whole wheat and meant to fill you up. They come like graham cracker size (in sheets) and they're really crunchy and grainy. They don't taste the best but they have barely any calories, no fat, and a ton of fiber. Two big sheets are one point. They would be really good with a slice of cheese and tomato or something, but I ate one cracker plain for .5 point. For dinner I had baked chicken and asparagus. I've come to find I really love asparagus!! Haha. And to save the best for last, I got to exercise tonight (hence the title). Finally. I walked/ran for a total of 2.1 miles-about 45 minutes and let me tell you I'm already sore. I'm definitely going to try and keep this up and see if this whole running thing is something I think I can stick with. All in all, a good day.

Urrrrghhh....

2009-12-27T22:31:00.000-08:00

I'm so ready to be back on a regular schedule. I say I want to start exercising/running but I find myself either at work, at my apartment, or somewhere else that doesn't allow me time to exercise. I really want a treadmill. I live in a second floor apartment so it's not exactly easy for me to exercise. I've tried several videos but I'm afraid the people that live downstairs may start complaining about noise from me bouncing around upstairs. I can't go on walks around my apartment complex...it's not exactly safe. I can't afford a gym membership. Ugh. It's frustrating because I actually want to do these things. When I start school back in January and get on a regular schedule again, exercising, and eating, for that matter, will be so much easier.

Weigh in #3

2009-12-27T07:56:00.000-08:00

I had my third ww meeting yesterday and weighed in at 163.4, so that gives me a loss of .4 lbs. Considering that it was the week of Christmas, I am pretty satisfied with losing the half pound. I ate a lot of bad yummy holiday food. I'm going to start exercising this week, and see if it will add to my (hopefully) loss next week. I ate really well yesterday: had 1 egg, 1 egg white, plain hashbrowns, and wheat toast for breakfast, 1 chicken breast for lunch, 1 chicken breast, broccoli, and a small red potato for dinner. Hopefully in conjunction with some exercise, I'll see a bigger loss on the scale next week. I've lost 4 pounds total, and will reach my 5% in 4 more pounds.

Christmas

2009-12-25T22:53:00.000-08:00

Today went okay foodwise. I did end up using 11 "extra points" but hey, it's Christmas. I had to enjoy myself a little. I did do well with portion sizes and didn't go crazy. I just had a bunch of little things and it all added up quick. I weigh in tomorrow, and I'm really hoping for a loss. I worked really hard this week except for today, and I want to see it pay off. I'll update this sometime tomorrow after I weigh in....and go to work. :(

Thursday-Xmas Eve

2009-12-24T21:04:00.000-08:00

Okay, so...the past few days have gone pretty well food wise. My biggest problem is I still find myself a little hungry after my meals. I need to find more filling foods and incorporate those. Things will get easier once i'm back on a schedule I think...right now I'm not at my apartment 24/7 because I have to work, so it kind of makes it hard to get a good 3 meals in each day. Due to having to work on Christmas, I won't be getting to join in Christmas dinner, which sucks, but will also not allow me to eat horrible foods. I will be getting Christmas brunch though, and will probably use most of my points on that. Everytime I weigh myself, it's gone down, usually a half pound or so every other day. The weird thing is, though, is that I don't feel much skinnier. It's such a slow process and I know it's working...I guess I just want that instant satisfaction.

Another thing I've been thinking about doing is starting running. I realize running takes a lot of commitment and I haven't really decided if it's something right for me yet. It sounds great right now, but in a month when I go back to school I question if I will actually stick with it or not. I'm taking my busiest semester yet and fitting exercise in will be hard. I think it would be really cool to start now though. There is a half-marathon in April-The Country Music Half Marathon which is held in Nashville. It's a big goal, but in conjuction with the "diet" im on and if I consistently keep losing weight, I feel it's something I should be able to accomplish. I just need to make up my mind.

Monday

2009-12-21T21:26:00.000-08:00

So....I slept in really late today-I usually never sleep in past 9 or 10 so it was really relaxing. I woke up around 12:30 and ended up getting called into work at 2. Because of the combination of waking up late and getting called in to work, I didn't eat anything until I went on break at work. I had a ham and cheese sandwich on wheat, no chips or soda. That kept me filled until I got back to my apartment around 10pm where I made 3 slices of turkey bacon, 1 egg and 2 egg whites. Then I had one miniature reeces cup for dessert. Not bad I guess. I work every day this week except for saturday, and it's going to be really hard for me not to get fast food on my break. Subway will definitely get old soon. I'll probably just make some chicken breasts for the rest of the week. It's going to suck having a ww meeting on Saturday, but for some reason I'm looking forward to it. I really want to see another loss on the scale. My work pants used to be really tight at the waist, but just from losing the 3.6 pounds they already fit better. Christmas dinner will be a challenge, but I'm going to do my best to stay within my points.

Sunday

2009-12-20T21:54:00.000-08:00

So today was a pretty decent day, except for I feel like I'm getting a little sick. I had a fruit and yogurt parfait for breakfast, some cheese and crackers around lunch time, and then an early dinner of steak, potatoes, and asparagus. It was my first time trying asparagus and I actually really liked it. I think my biggest issue at the moment is that I get a little hungry in between snacks and meals. Hopefully I can just find more filling foods to eat. I also need to start exercising. Bah.

First week

2009-12-19T21:26:00.000-08:00

Hello blog world...I tried making youtube videos but ultimately failed. Apparently I am not webcam savvy enough. Anyway, writing makes it easier for me to say what I want and be more detailed so I figured this would be the best way to record my thoughts.

I guess I'll start with a little intro about me-I'm 19 years old and attend Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, TN. I'm a biology major and will hopefully graduate in the next year and a half to move on to Physician's Assistant school. I'm constantly going somewhere and doing something...besides going to school fulltime I also work at a movie theater.

The point of making this blog is to help me track my weight loss journey and to hopefully encourage others doing the same in the process. I started weight watchers with a friend last saturday. I really enjoyed the first meeting and was pretty encouraged. I weighed in at 167.4 last saturday. I went to my second meeting today and had a loss of 3.6 pounds, putting me at 163.8. I was pretty excited-I really worked hard my first week and kept a pretty strict diet. Hopefully I can integrate some exercise in this week. I pretty much use the "I don't have time" excuse. I don't have access to a gym, except for the one on campus which isn't really convenient. I work when I'm not at school, and work is about 45 minutes away from school, which really doesn't give me much time to fit in exercise. However, I'm definitely going to try and suck it up and make time this week. I really want to see a solid loss on the scale next week so I'm going to do my best. I would love to get into running, although I know that takes a lot of commitment. I think being able to run a marathon would be pretty awesome.

As for my diet, when I'm at my apartment, I pretty much only eat grilled chicken breast, frozen or fresh veggies, etc. When I'm at work, I try only to stick to subway. I try to drink mostly water, and have a diet drink only when I'm craving something with taste. Hopefully I can find a way to spice up the diet because it is already getting kind of boring.

That's all for my first week weighing in. I will probably update this every couple of days to help keep myself on track. -Anna