I survived!!!

Today I ran my first 5k. I was very nervous about it all week and was almost sick this morning. The furthest I had gone without stopping was 2.5 miles until today. I was hoping that adrenaline would carry me the last .6 miles and it worked.

I was told that over 200 people had preregistered for the race and I was overwhelmed as I saw the crowd and all the seasoned runners. My friend Leslie, who has guided me through this process and given me so much encouragement, helped calm my nerves just by being there. There were some others there too that made it more relaxing: Donna and Kelsi Crisenbery, Amy Harrison, and Brooke Rider. Before the race started I kept thinking "these people are going to run over me and I'm not going to make it!"

I had only trained on a treadmill or a paved, flat trail. The course today was on paved road (with potholes!), brick road and grass. There was a bit of uneven terrain which made me nervous and I kept picturing myself rolling down the wet grassy hill! The hills are what really got me. Now these were not big hills, but rather gradual inclines, but as I was approaching them they looked like mountains!

Now I am constantly telling people to think positively, not to focus on the "what ifs" and to stop negative thoughts. But I was full of all of that this week. I am known to be clumsy; sometimes just walking is a challenge for me! So I kept picturing myself tumbling and having bloody knees as I crossed the finish line! There wasn't much positive self talk until this morning.

One thing that really helped me was seeing Jamie at the start of the race. I didn't see him until just before we started, and it was only from a distance. When I caught a glimpse of him and waved, for some reason it was a great comfort to me and really motivated me. He does not believe me, but his support by just showing up was really meaningful to me.

The course was really beautiful. We ran from Holzer Clinic at Sycamore, through the GDC grounds and back, by the City Pool, Haskins Park and onto the trail to the finsh line. The weather was cool and damp but perfect for me. I was actually able to enjoy the scenery, which I hadn't planned on. And the residents of GDC were gathered at various spots and would cheer loudly as people passed. That was really motivating!

Les gave me tons of pointers that I clung too. The main one was to pace myself. She said that people would start out fast and then wear out and that I had to be very careful about not getting caught up in the crowd. I started out with Les and then quickly fell behind, but I did not want to push myself too hard because I desperately wanted to finish the race in a run. I was ok with people passing me left and right. And it felt really good when I passed people!

There was a group of guys behind me who were loud and laughing and cutting up. They were amusing, but kind of annoying. I realized after about mile one that I couldn't hear them anymore, which meant they had fallen behind. That made me feel good too!

I really struggled for the first mile. My legs hurt, I felt like I was having trouble getting my breath, and I could not see how I was going to finish. I kept hearing Leslie saying "pace yourself" and I kept looking for her blue shirt and white hat well ahead of me. I also kept praying "help me Lord" and "thank you Jesus." I kept thinking "you can do this." Had my thoughts been out loud, it probably would have been quite amusing.

After mile one, autopilot kind of kicked in. I'm sure there's a technical runner term for this, but it was much easier from this point. It wasn't easy, but easier. It seemed like everyone that passed me was just cruising and not out of breath at all. I felt like I was breathing heavily the entire time, but I know that you notice your own breath more than you do anyone else. By about mile 2.5 I knew I had this thing in the bag. My legs were hurting around the city pool, but the end was in sight and that spurred me on. Les had said when I hit the final trail that there was about a quarter of a mile left. When I hit that pavement I kicked it up a notch and passed the girl I had been following the entire time. It felt so good to approach the finish line. I could hear people cheering and someone yelled my name. I had never felt anything like that and I really liked it. I finished a tad over 35 minutes and couldn't believe it! I ran the whole thing! And I finished well ahead of those guys that were cutting up behind me in the beginning!

A funny moment was me looking for Jamie after the race. I coudln't find him anywhere. Finally I saw him walking across the parking lot. He had gone back to the car because it was cold, and he thought I would take a lot longer, so he was shocked when he saw that I was done. That felt good too!

I have learned a lot with this running experience. I learned that when I think I am maxed out, I can do a lot more. This has stretched me physically and mentally. A lot of the challenge is purely in the mind. One day while training in the gym, Todd Miller got me to go about a mile over my normal run by pure manipulation...I mean coaching. I would be close to being done and he would say "anyone can go 2 more minutes." That day I realized I was capable of a lot more than I thought. Since that day, when I think I am done, I go a little further. Then when I think I can't take another step, I go a bit further.

This running thing is spilling over into other areas of my life. When I think I have spent all I can emotionally, I go a little further. When I am exhausted, I squeeze a little more out. I think Paul really knew what he was talking about when he compared our faith walk with a marathon. I now get the parallel. There is always a little more strength left than what we think is there. We may have to tap other resources, like depending on God to nudge us on or even carry us at times, but we have much more potential than we realize at times.

Before today I wasn't sure if this race was a one time deal or if I would do more. I am hooked for sure and can't wait until the next one. I am so glad I stepped out of my comfort zone because the satisfaction was well worth it. It's strange that something so painful and difficult can be so fulfilling in the end. I guess it's kind of like having a baby! I think I feel a 10k coming on in the fall...

5k vs WOF: Nooooooooooooo!

I just realized that the 5K is the same day as the Women of Faith conference. Mom and I paid for our tickets to that months ago. What do I do?? Suggestions please!

Still on the Wagon

It has been about 2 months since I have written anything. I am sure you thought I have quit my diet and gained all my weight back. Because of holiday and post holiday madness, I just haven't had time to blog. So here it is.

Holidays
I successfully survived the holidays without ruining the plan! I ate a few of my favorite things that are not on the diet, but only small amounts. I did not eat so much at anytime that I felt stuffed or sick, which is usually the way it goes for me during the holidays. I even survived a vacation in Florida while sticking to the plan! I exercised at the resort and of course took my hula hoop with me. I was really anxious about surviving all the holiday meals and vacation, but it really was not a big deal at all. I was sensible and enjoyed myself, and kept exercising.

5K
I am still on track to run the 5K in April. I am continuing in the program, "Couch to 5K," but
I'm not going through it as quickly as I could. It says to take is slower and stay in certain phases longer if necessary, so that's what I do. I don't move on to the next phase until I feel ready. This week after walking 5 minutes, I run 3, walk 1.5, run5, walk 2.5, and then repeat. When I started this phase I thought there was no way I could run 5 minutes straight, but I surprised myself and did it. I find myself praying for God to help me through it because when I start I think "there is no way I can do this again!!" I am absolutely soaked at the end and I'm sure the people at the gym are just waiting for me to kill over, but so far so good. I still don't know how in the world I'm going to run a 5K, but I'm going to stick with the program. I feel so good after running and really feel like it is a great workout. I am doing this in addition to my hula hoop and upper body weights.

Wii Fit
An awesome addition to my workout routine is the Wii Fit that we got for Christmas. It is an amazing system that Jamie and I have become addicted to! It tracks our progress, including weight and BMI. There is yoga, strength training, aerobics and games. My routine is about 30 minutes of yoga, 30 of strength training and a little aerobics. I like to do this on my off days from the gym and running. And it's nice because I can do it in my living room. It has also motivated Brett to get moving a lot more. She ran a mile in under 6 minutes the other night!

Bottom Line
Since starting the FBD in October, I have lost about 20 pounds. For a few weeks I hit a plateau and just couldn't budge past 20, so I did the jump start to the diet again. The book said that occasionally you may feel the need to do the jump start to get rid of bloat and kickstart you back into weight loss. The first time I did it I was miserable for the 4 days it took. This time was much better. I only did it for 3 days because I could tell a huge difference in my stomach by day 3. And I think it wasn't as miserable because now I am used to eating right and small amounts. So I may just have to do that every few months. The best news of all is my waistline! Ok, I'm ready to admit my size. In October I was in 18's. Saturday night I was able to get into all the 12's I have! I was so excited. They are a tad bit snug but my 14's are just too big, so that has made me extremely happy and motivates me to go on!

Overall, I feel so much better. I have more energy and just a better feeling of well being. Thanks for all of your encouragement. It really does help!

5K. Do WHAT?

I have a wonderful new friend, Leslie, who ran cross country in high school. She didn't run for years and then began running again last year. She has run in some 5K's and is doing really well. She basically started training from scratch since she hadn't been an active runner for so long. Leslie ran a 5K this weekend and was over last night talking about it. I have never really been a runner. Jamie's theory is unless something is chasing you, there is no reason to run. I've kind of had that same idea. But something peeked my interest last night when Leslie was talking about 5Ks. I think maybe it's the good feeling of accomplishment I've had lately. I like the feeling and want more. If I ran a 5K I would definitely feel like I accomplished something.

After Leslie left, I went to tristateracer.com and found a calendar of upcoming races. There are some in December and January, but I think that's too soon. But there's a 5K in Huntington in April for autism, and I thought that would give me plenty of time, plus autism is something I really care about. So I thought that would make my first race all the more special.

As I thought more about this today, I got nervous because I have no idea where to start. I'm not a runner. I didn't run track or cross country in school, I know nothing about it. I asked Leslie where to start and she gave me some pointers and directed me to the site, coolrunning.com. They have a lot of great information, including a program called "couch to 5K" that helps people like me start out and get into the groove, gradually.

I am excited to start this new journey. And now that I have announced it to everyone, I have to follow through! My training begins in the morning.

By the way, I'm 13.5 pounds down and I learned to hula hoop the other direction. And of course I have a whole new set of bruises!

Numbers

It has been about two and a half months from when I began working out, a month and a half since starting the Flat Belly Diet, and one week since hula horror. I've officially lost 12 pounds and have gone down 2 pants sizes. About 3 weeks ago I had gone down one size, and after a week of hula hooping, I've gone down another size. I don't think it's all because of the hula hoop, but I think it is contributing significantly. It still hurts to do, but it is getting easier. I am up to 7 minutes now! I am posting a picture of the wicked bruising I have on my side. It looks like I have been beaten. But I have been assured that it will go away.Hopefully this doesn't gross you out!

So all this progress has really motivated me to keep going. It is so nice to actually see results. I have a long way to go, but am on my way!

My brother sent me a Power Point presentation today that his dietitian at work put together. It is about holiday eating. Apparently people gain about a pound from holiday eating, but never lose it. So a lot of extra weight that people carry around is from years of holiday eating. I have been anxious about the upcoming holiday meals. The presentation had some great tips, like snacking before going to a family dinner so you're not famished when you get there which usually ends up in overeating. Another good idea is to only put the bulky foods on your plate that fill you up and don't mess with insulin levels. So eat things like proteins, lean meats, nuts, and veggies; stay away from white stuff like white bread, rice, potatoes. Go for wheat bread, rice and crackers. Eat the pumpkin pie without the shell. Don't deny yourself the favorite things, just eat small portions. And don't waste calories on liquid calories or food that just isn't worth it. So I have a plan and I am going to enjoy my Thanksgiving meals, but focus more on blessings, family and relationships rather than food.

Hula Horror

Tonight I began a new part of my exercise routine. A friend of mine who has had great success at weight loss suggested I purchase a weighted hula hoop. I had never heard of one these. When I was a kid I used to hula hoop all the time. I loved it. I was also skinny. So I researched hula hoops online and found the one for me. I ordered a four pound medium ACU Hoop. I have anxiously awaited for it to arrive for several days. It was on the porch when I got home this evening. It came in eight pieces, all different colors. They are made of foam and snap together. Of course my obsessive seven year old insisted that I assemble the pieces in ROYGBIV so they would look like a proper rainbow. I assembled it and was surprised at how large it was. This wasn't going to be a big deal. I was great at hula hooping and I can still do it with Brett's hula hoop. No problem. WRONG!

The torture began. I swung that bad boy around my belly and could not believe the pain! It only stayed up for about 4 seconds! The instructions said for the first week to only use it for one to three minutes. Being the over achiever that I am, I wanted to go for at least 5 minutes. I made it but mostly in just 4 second intervals! I think the longest it stayed up was about 20 seconds. It took every ounce of strength I had to keep that thing going. When the directions say "forcefully" swing the hoop, it means FORCEFULLY swing it! I was out of breath and couldn't believe I got such a work out! But I survived. Beth had warned me that for some time after she started she actually had bruising from the impact of the hoop. I am quite sure I will have multiple bruises tomorrow.

As Jamie and the kids watched they thought it was quite funny. Jamie said it looked painful. I have red blotches all over my abdomen. This better be worth it! I will decide later if Beth really wants to help or if she's playing an evil trick on me!

Fringe Benefits

Several months ago James, who is 4, very innocently asked me why my belly was still big since Luke wasn't in it anymore. I told him I was working on it. He then said, "but you aren't exercising." That's when I was reminded of the example I am setting for my children. Shortly thereafter I joined the gym.

Of course the best part of losing weight is having to yank up my pants all the time. I love actually seeing progress. But some other great things have happened too. I feel really good. I just feel healthier. My energy is good and I have more motivation in general.

Brett, my picky, PICKY eater, has taken notice also. She knows mommy is trying to get healthier. She has actually tried some new things that I am eating, and likes them! She tried baby spinach, tapenade, and a blueberry smoothy. She is watching so I have to keep it up.

Jamie has started working out and is eating slightly better. So I am glad that something positive is happening in my family through this new way of living. I think it's going to last this time.