Hey guys, I just wanted to say I'm going out of town to my Mom's today and will be there until Sunday the 24th. She has no internet access, so I probably won't be around, but I may be able to get online at my brother's a few times. It will be challenging to stay on plan while I'm there, and I also have to find a place to get all my running miles in (the local park is really only good for short runs), but I'm going to do my best!! Wish me luck!! I'll miss my 100 lb. club friends!

We'll miss you! Hope you have a great time with your Mom. That's really nice that you can spend some time with her.

LisaMarie I'm gonna miss you.

But I am thrilled that you will get to spend some time away and with your mom. Have a great time. Good luck sticking to your plan and I hope you find a suitable place to run. You, you, you running girl you.

I look forward to hearing from you when you get back.

Congratulations on your determination to stay OP during your time away. I know that, for me, vacations are the hardest time. I, too, am going to look into running sometime in the near future - you've inspired me! Looking forward to seeing your progress after your return!

Enjoy your trip. It sounds like you are planning ahead and going to work on some obstacles.

Have a great trip ~ we'll see ya when you get back.

Enjoy your visit. We'll catch up with you later.

Have fun, Lisa! We'll see you when you get back,

Hey everyone, I'm back!! Sort of...

I'm at my brother's house tonight, and he has internet access, but I'm heading back home tomorrow. Thank GOD! I've been off and on my plan all week and my weight has fluctuated like crazy this week! I weighed in on Tuesday at 178, so I just maintained, but since then it's been anywhere from 177 to 184. Eek! I stayed on plan some of the time but I was wayyyyy off sometimes too (as always happens when I'm with my family!)

The good news is that I DID manage to get in all my runs, which means I ran a total of 29 miles from Sunday to today (Saturday). That includes taking Thursday off, and I'm definitely taking tomorrow off because I have a horrible pain in my left butt cheek. Too much info? Sorry! I think I may have pulled something on yesterday's 8-mile run, the longest one I've ever done!!

Anyway, I had a great time but I missed my 3FC friends like crazy and couldn't wait to get back to posting and to REALLY being on plan. I need to seriously recommit to my eating plan instead of just hoping that all this running will take care of my screwups! I'll be looking to you guys for support (as always)! And it's going to take me AGES to catch up on all the posts...

Well hi there!!! It's good to hear from you.

You're so amazing. You kept up with your running. That's fabulous. I hope your umm butt feels better soon. That must be mucho uncomfortable.

I'm so glad to hear that you had a good time. And I am sure you will get right back to plan when you get back to your own home and your own routine. If not, I'll come and kick your butt - maybe the right side though. Okay?

Yep, Robin, you might want to stay away from the left side! Ha!
Glad to see you back and we'll hear more from you later, Lisa. But you'll probably have to set aside a couple of hours to catch up on posts! Even after a day or two it takes awhile!!
Great job on the running!

Good to see you back, Lisa! 29 miles? WOW! No wonder your butt cheek hurts Hope you feel better.

It's great to have you back! I've been wanting to ask some running questions, and couldn't wait until our resident expert returned! Hope you don't mind, but I'll ask them now.

1 - I have been walking about five miles every day, and have been really wanting to add in some running, so I have added a little. But - I worry about not having proper shoes. Mine are $4 Wal-Mart clearance cheapies (as are ALL of my shoes), but they seem to be all right. Do I really need to mortgage one of my children to buy some good running shoes?

2 - How fat is too fat? I worry about stressing my joints, and since when I don't exercise, I gain weight, regardless of my calorie intake, I really don't want to risk injury. So, do I need to quell my desire to run for now until I get some more of this weight off?

Thanks in advance. Wishing you a pain-free return to plan!

Laurie

Laurie, I'm far from being an expert but I love talking about running so I'm happy to answer your questions the best I can!!

1 -- Shoes are important. I went to a running store at the beginning of all this, when I was just doing a few minutes of running in my walking, and I got a pair of $85 Brooks running shoes. They felt wonderful for months. They got me through the first few months of running and even my first 10k. I got a second pair of the exact same shoes and they felt HORRIBLE. I ended up with serious foot pain and went to a doctor, who told me to get fitted by a pedorthist for shoes custom fitted to my feet. I ended up spending $168 and two hours of being fitted, but it was WORTH it. The pedorthist told me that I was in the wrong shoe originally but I was so heavy at the time that I was sort of controlling the shoe instead of the shoe fitting my foot, if that makes sense. When I lost a lot of weight and upped my mileage, my body changed and the demands on my feet increased, so I needed a better shoe. Long story short: you may be getting by on cheap shoes now but you're going to need good support or you'll risk injury. Every seasoned runner I've ever talked to has said that good shoes make all the difference in staying injury-free.

2 - I started running at 250 pounds, and my knees hurt a bit from the impact. I iced them at night when they hurt, and I got through that pain in a few weeks. I can't say for sure if your body will be ok with running at your weight, but mine was certainly fine. At around your weight, I started training for my 10k, and I ran it at 195. If you want to run, do it -- don't wait!! But get good shoes!!

Let me know what you decide and keep me updated on your running. You should also check in with the Cool Runners thread in the Exercise forum, if you haven't already. Great place to hang out.

Much thanks on the advice! The cost of shoes is prohibitive for me, but I'm very encouraged that you started when you were heavier. I will check out the Cool Runners thread as well! I just wanted to check in before I went for my walk tonight, and I think I'll run when inspiration hits during my walks but not push it until I get my very own cool shoes. A 10K at 195 pounds, huh? How impressive is that? Even being at Onederland is something that I am just starting to believe might be possible, let alone...