Oh to be just overweight!

Life’s gotten busy and I haven’t taken the time to post.  There’s been so much going on I can hardly give much detail.  The short version is:  

• My marathon run is 1 week away
• My left knee is in bad shape, but I can manage the pain pretty well for 16 or so miles (I don’t know what’ll happen after that in the actual race)
• I’ve been negligent about going to the chiro and PT lately…just hasn’t seemed like there’s been time
• I’ve brought my race expectations to a more realistic level considering my physical condition
• My longest “run” has been 20 miles which consisted of me running 16 miles, walking some and running a total of 1 more mile, so… 17 miles run, 3 miles walked…makes me VERY nervous for race day

Presently, my runs basically start with pain and almost “dead” feeling legs and I power through ’til I’m supposed to be done.  Running has lost some of it’s joy at the moment.  I know I will recover after the race and will return to “normal”, but right now my legs hate me for what I’m putting them through.  Post race, I look forward to gradually getting strength back in my legs and allowing the necessary recovery time so I can train in the spring pain-free.  In a weird way, I’m still excited for the marathon, hoping and praying that I will just be carried in large part on the energy of the crowd and the race-time adrenaline.  Won’t be long ’til I find out!

I’ve been super negligent posting on here with the busy-ness of summer and all the family activities, but I’m here now to share some wisdom I gained this past weekend attempting a 13 miler.

1. Don’t wear the gray shorts on long runs.  Okay, this only makes sense to me, but I’ll try to explain.  I do not have thin thighs.  Though my legs are quite strong and muscular, my inner thighs have chosen another path.  They continue to store their normal amount of fat and not allow much room in between them.  I’ve come to think of them as very close friends who refuse to allow anything to come between them, such as empty space.  That being said, I wore some shorts that have served me well on shorter runs.  They are a 2-layer cotton blend short with a loose outer layer and a tighter inner layer…very comfortable.  Well, along about mile 6 or so, the inner layer starting riding up on my thigh.  I’ll mention here that the inner layer is not as tight as it once was since I bought them when I was about 20 pounds heavier.  Anyway, at first it was just annoying, but after awhile it became more of a pain/irritation issue.  As any distance runner has discovered, there comes a time when you encounter an unpleasant amount of friction somewhere on your body.  For me it was my inner thigh.  Just one.  The left.  So, don’t wear the gray shorts on long runs.  Tight spandex, compression-type shorts with about a 5″ inseam are best (for me).

2.  Drink a lot the night before a long run and up to 2 hours before hand, them no more than a cup right before the run.  I’m guessing some of you can see where I’m coming from on this one, but for me it’s a bathroom issue.  Among my many other imperfections, I must list a not-super-strong bladder.  I blame the child bearing season of my life for this one.  I have not yet run more than about 8 miles without a trip to the toilet.  Please excuse the TMI.  If it bothers you, feel free to skip ahead to #3.  I have yet to find the right fluid balance for me.  If I feel thirsty, I take a drink.  Well, that doesn’t work when you’re about to run.  ‘Cause then about 3 miles in I’m thinking, “Oh man, I gotta pee.”  So, what I’ve figured out so far is to hydrate myself really well the night before and then get up early enough to drink a few cups of water and wait to run until that has worked itself out.  Then right as I leave out the door, gulp down a cup of Powerade for energy.  I learned the lessons of #2a. Don’t eat before a long run and #2b. Have bathroom options on your route a few days ago.  I thought a Clif bar would be a good thing before my 9 mile run.  Well, my bowels disagreed.  At mile 2 I knew there was going to be trouble.  Thankfully it was shortly after that time that I passed by a port-a-potty at a local business.  Tragedy was narrowly averted.  I’m still working this fuel stuff out.  So far, the nasty Hammer gel is winning the contest of what works well and has the least side effects.  I tried some kind of apple pie flavor last time and that wasn’t too bad.  It’s a work in progress.

3.  If your knee starts to hurt, pay attention.  Now, this should be common sense, but I know there are people out there like me who try to run through the pain.  I figured it would ease up or I could work it out by slowing my pace and/or alternating between walking and running (humbling enough in and of itself for me).  Neither helped and I kept trying to run on it to the point that it became almost too painful to walk on for 2 days.  OOPS!  Let me justify myself a little, though.  I was 9 miles into my 13 mile run.  I was feeling really good and everything was going really well.  Then the pain began.  It seemed to come out of nowhere.  I hadn’t done anything like twist my ankle or hit a rock weird to tweak the knee.  It just began hurting.  I thought #1 ‘I’m NOT walking 4 more miles’ and #2 ‘Since I’ve never had this pain before maybe it’s just a fluke and will go away if I ease up.’  Makes sense, right?  I was determined to get in this long run since I was planning to do a half marathon this coming weekend.  This isn’t my “big” race, so I felt no need to do a taper.  It was just meant to gauge my performance for the future.  I really, really wanted to do these 13 miles.  It was important to me.  Too important to make smart choices, I guess.

4. Get regular adjustments and/or massages when training for a marathon.  I had planned to get into the chiroprator last week for my right calf that has had a dull to moderate ache for a few weeks.  I put it off until it was pretty uncomfortable and then couldn’t get in right away.  I think favoring one leg probably helped to strain the other, but that’s just part of my own personal theory.  I got into the chiro today and she gave me some tips and recommendations that I’m sure will help.  One of them was that when you’re running this much it’s a REALLY good idea to get regular massages, focusing on your legs and working out soreness, eliminating waste materials that builds up from extended muscle use, and helping locate areas of tension to be mindful of.  I think this combo is going to be the ticket for getting my legs back on track and becoming even better.

5. Pray and relax.  Not necessarily at the same time.  So, that knee that gave me so much pain and trouble Saturday is now pain free.  Last night, my family and I prayed for it and I asked some friends to join with me in prayer for it and I woke up this morning with NO PAIN.  Amazing, right?  That’s God for you.  I haven’t run on it and I will be taking it easy, per the chiro’s instructions for my other leg, but that’s just awesome!  The relax part mostly has to do with allowing your legs some down time.  Elevate them, if possible, at night and allow time even during the day to rest them sufficiently.  I know some people have desk jobs and that’s not a big issue, but others of us have less predictable days.  I’m a stay-at-home mom and during the summer when the kids are here, I can’t just sit around and rest my legs unless I’m very purposeful with it.  I have to allow myself 15 minutes when the kids are playing outside or inside playing Wii or something to put my feet up and relax instead of cleaning or preparing meals, etc.  Heck, it’s a good time to pray too!

So, I finished the 13 miles walking…But I finished and at least I learned some things.  The chiro figures if I cross train for a couple weeks and take it easy on my legs, I’ll still be totally ready for the marathon October 3rd.  I’ll trust her professional opinion and work hard to get there.  Here’s to the learning process!

So, last week DS says to me, “Mom when are you going to start going to the fitness center again?”  I explained that I had gone there in the winter so I could run when the weather outside wasn’t cooperating.  Meanwhile I’m thinking, ‘Do you think I’m slacking or something?’  Here I am running AT LEAST 18 miles a week, usually more in the like 22, and this kid is asking me why I’m not at the gym!  There’s just no pleasing some people!  LOL  I admit, I have let up on my strength training for now as I increase miles for the marathon which I already plan to add back in as soon as I get back to training after the marathon.  I have become more and more aware of my need for that aspect of exercise.  I defintely don’t love it like running, since I don’t have a trainer or class I can go to, but I can see that my body looks better when I’m doing it regularly.

On to the running….

My long run Saturday was a whopping 12 miles!  I was scared and a little apprehensive at first, thinking of this crazy distance.  I planned to better handle the heat, my fueling, and other necessities than I did on the 10 miler.  So, I woke at a reasonable (earlier) time and prepared to run.  I figured I wouldn’t want anything much in my stomach before the run, so I just had some water and then a cup of Powerade, and off I went.  The plan was to do 3 laps around my block (4 miles each), running by my house each lap and having some kind of drink and fuel.  The first lap went well and I felt very good, except I did have to stop by my house to make a quick bathroom break after the first lap (guess I had too much liquid beforehand).  I literally ran up my driveway, did my business inside, then ran right back out gulping down a Hammer gel and a drink of water.  The second lap was also good.  I had reversed direction to change the “course” up a bit and it was a good choice, I think.  So, once again, I ran by my house, grabbing another Hammer gel and drink of water.  The third lap, I called “runner’s choice” to humor myself.  It just meant I would go whichever direction I felt like, based on how I liked the first 2 laps.  I decided to go back to the lap 1 direction.  I’m not sure if I liked it better because I was fresher on lap 1 and it seemed “easier” or if it was the order of the hills, etc. that I preferred.  At any rate, I felt at ease and lap 3 went well except some tension in my shoulders about mile 10 or so.  My legs and breathing were incredibly comfortable, though I kept a challenging pace.  As I passed mile 11, I was thinking, ‘I can’t believe how good I feel right now.’  Not that I could’ve gone on forever, but it was really, really good.   I finished strong and felt great afterward.  DH and I even took the kids to the beach right afterwards and I swam and played, like any other day.

I think the Hammer gel was just about the perfect fuel for the run.  I can’t help but think it must’ve been part of what made it so successful.  Don’t get me wrong, though.  That is some NASTY stuff.  I’d never had it before and the texture was enough to make me gag, but the disgusting flavor of the orange almost put me over the top.  All I can say is:  Drink water immediately after taking that stuff.  It washes down very easily, thank the Lord!  I had vanilla the second time around and it isn’t as bad flavor-wise, but I am going to explore other fuel options just in case there’s something out there that does the same job and isn’t  quite as revolting.  :)  I’ve heard of some products on the message boards that I will be checking out next time I go Wal-Mart or somewhere that sells that kind of stuff.

Well, this Saturday is my first strictly running race this year.  It’s a 7-mile run near my hometown.  I grew up doing this race as a teen and this is my first time doing it since then.  I’m SUPER excited and I’ll let you all know how it goes! 

Well, I’m back in the groove after vacation which was wonderful, by the way.  We went to Alaska on a cruise (dangerous for a food addict!) and the weather was cool and nice for us pretty much the whole time.  The scenery was amazing and the excursions we went on in each port were so much fun.  DH and I went kayaking for the first time at one port and in another, we canoed and went for a hike in a temperate rain forest.  At one stop, my mom and I went zip-lining (a first for both of us) and loved it.  So, it was pretty active and I kept up with my running on board the ship, but I got spoiled.  Ya see, with the cool, misty morning weather and no hills to combat as I ran around the ship deck, I got soft!  LOL  Once I got home and it was in the upper 80’s with crazy humidity and hills everywhere I run, I about died on my first long run (10 miles) back at home!  It wasn’t pretty AT ALL!!!!

This past week has been a low mileage week, so my long run was a mere 7 miles which isn’t too bad for me anymore.  However, I’m looking ahead a couple days and I’m freaking out.  12 miles are scheduled for Saturday morning’s run.  12 MILES!!!!!!  Remember how I mentioned almost dying during the 10 mile run, which, by the way, is my longest run EVER?  Yeah well, 12 miles has me wanting to run alright!  Run away from my schedule and hide.  I have to figure out hydration, fuel, etc. since I still haven’t broken down and bought a water belt or anything.  On my 10 miler, I ran 2 5-mile loops that ran me by my house once, so I could use it as an aid station.  My adorable children were out there with water, fruit and granola bars as I ran by.  It worked okay, but I should probably come up with a better plan.  This time I’m most likely going to do 3 “laps” around my block (out in the country) which is conveniently 4 miles around.  That would give me 2 “aid station” breaks by my house this time.  That will definitely be better than just one.  I am going to have to make my way to a running/sporting goods store and gear up better so I can just carry my fuel needs with me.  I always resist investing more money than necessary in running.  I prefer a low-maintenance approach.  Quality shoes and running clothes (including a good sport bra for women), IMO, are all that a runner really needs to invest in.  The rest is fluff.  That having been said, I’ve never tried running this far, so that opinion is subject to change!

Vacation was great, the 10 extra pounds I came home with…not so much, especially since they won’t go away.  So hard to get back to the completely good habits.  I’m good like 75% of the time.  I assure you, it’s NOT enough!  LOL

I’m just checking in to note that I’m OP and still hanging out around 134.  I really hope to be at goal before vacation so even if I go up a little while we’re gone, I can get back down there easier.  I have a week and a half.  It’s probably unreasonable to think I can lose 5 pounds in that time period, but I’ll give it a shot by staying OP this weekend.  We’re going to a potluck on Sunday.  My plan for that is to only take modest portions, then go swimming afterward to burn any excess calories I take in.  After that, I should have no other major food challenges to deal with next week.  We shall see how everything plays out.

My monthly goal is to reach and maintain under 133 lbs.  That is a much more reasonable goal and I fully expect to reach that by Monday or Tuesday.  Well, I better head out here and tend to the kiddies! 

The family and I traveled back over to Green Bay this past weekend for my first race/event of the season.  It’s a sprint length triathlon (400M swim, 16 mi bike, 5K run).  We camped and had a good time with the exception of dealing with rain Saturday night that got into our tent a fair amount (via the floor, not the roof).  I was still able to get decent sleep and….

Here’s my tri report from Sunday:

Finish Time: 01:45:48.0

Swim: 00:08:33.1 Disappointed in my performance, but okay with my time if that makes any sense

T1: 00:02:47.8 Felt slow, but not too bad

Bike: 01:06:12.3 (exactly a 15 m.p.h. pace) Felt like EVERYONE was passing me for some reason, but I kept the pace I anticipated, so I can’t be unhappy with that! I was in agony towards the end and went as fast as I could to just get OFF THE BIKE!!!!! LOL

T2: 00:00:44.7 Thrilledwith how quickly I got thru T2!!

Run: 00:27:29.9 Felt good and passed a bunch of people on this leg which increased my confidence. This is definitely my strength of the 3 sports and it showed!

Overall finished 23 out of 35 finishers in my age group. Not too bad!

My parents were able to come over and cheer me on and take their camper out for the first time.  I’m glad I squeezed this race into my schedule, but I’m truly happy to be able to focus on mostly my running now.  The rest of the races I plan to participate in for the rest of this summer are nice boring runs!

The weather here is hot and humid and there appears some sort of dragonfly plague going on here.  I’ve never in my life seen so many dragonflies at one time in one place.  They’re everywhere.  It is certainly making the afternoon run seem unappealing at best, but I’ll be a trooper and get out there.  It’s almost time to switch to morning runs.  Thanks heavens!  Tonight is also softball, but I’m hoping the temps will have cooled off some by then (7 p.m.).

I’m back OP and feeling better (read: less guilty) and ready to finish May well.  My new thought is to be thankful that I’ve essentially maintained my weight since December.  That’s 5 months of maintenance.   Sure, I was trying to LOSE weight during that time, but in proper perspective I can appreciate that for 5 months I have maintained a 65-70 pound weight loss.  I’m going to continue working towards my goal range that I have in mind, but I’m calling it maintenance overall.  I figure the weight will come off, but I’m going to enjoy my accomplishments and focus on the healthy habits I’m working on developing.  That should help the weight to come off even as I face the typical summer challenges of vacation, grill outs, ice cream, and less structure in general.

The devotional book I’ve been doing has been a good help in getting my head on straight.  Even as I haven’t followed all the advice, suggestions, etc., they’ve been on my mind.  Now, I’m seeing more power in reshaping my thinking through the lens of honoring God with what he’s given me.  I think I may go back through this devotional again right away to reinforce the things I’ve learned and pick up even more tools to help with making healthy choices.

I’m a little nervous on the exercise front.  I’m feeling better after pulling something in my hip last Tuesday at softball.  Now, I plan to run and do softball tonight.  I think if I run before softball it’ll keep me looser so I won’t risk injury that would keep me from my regular training.  I cannot get sidetracked from training this week as I have less than 2 weeks before my triathlon which I have totally under-trained for biking-wise.  I’m going to get biking in a couple times this week and next week and hope for the best!  Next week is the official start to my marathon training which means more running.  I’m going to have to switch my running to the mornings since the heat and humidity are a bit much for afternoon running anymore, plus I was planning to switch anyway since all races are morning starts.  I was just waiting for the kids to get out of school so DS can babysit his sisters while I run.  Thankfully it’s not more than 30-40 minutes on weekdays.  The long runs are on Saturdays.  I gotta figure out my pre-run food plan.  I’m used to being able to have a couple hours after eating for the food to settle before I run.  Back when I was running in the mornings before, I was just eating half a banana and some water.  That may be the plan again.  Lots to think about….

I spent hours outside yesterday with my dad working on the landscaping in front of the house.  Most of it was not the glamorous flower and shrub planting stuff that instantly makes it look better.  It was the tilling, raking, picking up rocks and roots, leveling the ground, etc.  Anyway, at the very end I did get a few plants put in and I am SO excited to finally be able to get to that point.  I also started forming a path lined with rocks going from the driveway to the walkout on the side of the house.  Anyway, it’s coming along nicely and I figured I’d brag a little since I hadn’t mentioned the house in a while.  We have grass coming up finally too.  It looks so great to have a big patch of green on a large portion of one side of our yard.  We’re kinda doing the yard in sections so we don’t get overwhelmed and it’s working out so well.  We do it little by little and never feel like we can’t get it done. 

On the weight front things are good.  I’m at 132.8 today.  I was beginning to wonder is 1500 cals was gonna be a problem on my rest days, but now I realize I have to think big picture.  I held steady for a couple days, so I was considering lowering my rest day cals, but then this morning I woke up to a modest loss.  It was a relief to see that I was still progressing.  I also looked at my weekly progress and saw that I was down over a pound from last week even before today’s loss.  So, overall it’s working out very well.  In April, I have lost over 6 pounds which is incredible for me.  Maybe it’s come off easier since I had already lost it once…I don’t know.  Either way, I’m good with it.  I’ll never complain about “fast” weight loss as long as I don’t average more than 2 pounds a week…though at this point I don’t have a ton left to lose unless my body chooses a different weight than what I had in mind.  LOL  Seriously, I want to be safe and healthy about it. 

Well, I’m off to conquer another (rest of the) day.  Hoping to keep on schedule with my running this week since soccer schedules are trying to interfere, dang it!  It’ll be the consistent part of my weekend when the food is different and I’m not at home, at least I can count on my run!    

Time for more calories!  I am on the 1500 calorie plan now (as of today), but honestly I’m a tad nervous.  Ya know that feeling of not knowing if you can do something on your own without VERY specific instructions, but at the same time not wanting to do a lot of work to do it…yeah, I’m there.  Shame on me for being lazy in my “work” counting nutrition facts.  I need to start using fitday or something to calculate that for me.  I can’t do it myself and have a life…it’s too time consuming.  It was easier when I was keeping my menu pretty much the same, but this food program has me adding some new “staples” to my regular diet….yummy additions, I must say.  Anyway, I planned my menu then I realized we had some schedule changes, so then I had to adjust and it just got a little overwhelming balancing my food nutrients.  I can keep track of calories, but the other stuff was the challenge!  I’m going on fitday after I finish writing this to plug my food info in and hopefully get that under control. 

I’m super proud to report I am back down to 133.0 this morning; only a few pounds from my all-time low in January.  This time I’m going to make sure the 120’s stick!  I think that’ll have to wait until May (hitting the 120’s).  I’m not sure how the 1500 calories will change my weight loss.  Heck, maybe I’ll lose even faster….highly unlikely judging from past experience, but ya never know.  So, tonight I am going back to Weight Watchers for the 2nd week  in a row.  I haven’t been able to go 2 weeks in a row for months.  This is a happy day for me!  I plan to start going every week again so I can have that extra accountability to keep me on track.  Another positive note is that my body fat is slowly decreasing also (makes sense of course).  I want to be down a couple more percentage points for a more ideal running physique.  That would make my year to get there AND reach my goal weight (and STAY there)!