Happy 2017!!!

It's a New Year & I'm working towards a New Me. So it's the same old song & dance... I gain wait, I lose wait. I run obsessively, I "take a break." I'm turning 39 in 16 days (not that I'm counting or anything!!!) so I did some big time reflecting & goal setting prior to 12/31/16. Here's an update of the last quarter of 2016, after my last post!

I did 3 half marathons in 3 months!!! Yay me! In October, on one of my long runs I set out to run 11 miles but that turned into 13.1! Then I did my first Disney World run on Nov. 6 at the Wine & Dine Half Marathon. It wasn't a good race for me mentally or physically (3:09:17, 5 minutes of that was waiting in line for the bathroom inside Animal Kingdom!). Waking up at 2am to run is tough, to put it lightly! St. Jude was Dec. 3 and while my time wasn't what I wanted (2:57:45) I ran with Carol Braun the whole time (well except for the mile & a half I had to run to catch up to her after I stopped to pee!!). Throughout all this training I signed up for a virtual race to run 150 miles through the fall... I completed it on Christmas Eve (I didn't even run for 2 weeks before the Wine & Dine due to an upper respiratory infection so to only extend the goal by 3 days was awesome, I thought!)

I'm not one to "run for fun" if I'm not working towards a goal. Right now I'm working on running 38 miles in the last 38 days of my 38th year! As of today, I've ran 18. Next will be 39 miles in the first 39 days of being 39. Then I run a half marathon on April 1... the Jack Daniel's Oak Barrel Half Marathon! It has one of the largest hills... Whiskey Hill (which is over a mile long) so it's going to be quite the challenge!

Some years I set BIG goals for the years. Some years I choose a word & make that my focus. Never have I set long term goals (past 1 year) I decided to change it up for 2017, as my 30s come to a close. So here's what I got....

My measurable goals are ONLY set for January! I'm going to make them monthly so I can hopefully keep them up & build on them. They are:

1. Log every food I eat into My Fitness Pal
2. Make healthier choices but don't freak when I don't
3. Work out 6 days/ week for at least 20 minutes
4. Run 38 miles by 1/27

My yearly fitness goals: Run Oak Barrel HM, Run St. Jude HM as a Hero & find 1 more 10k/ 15k race to run.

My word for 2017: ME! I'm focusing on ME and doing what brings ME joy!!! I'm going to focus on my spiritual, mental, & physical well being. I'm going to say no to what doesn't bring me joy, yes to what does & do what needs to be done with a joyful heart. I'm also going to break these down into smaller, more measurable goals. That way I can actually SEE the tangible results.

My long term goal: (like way long term!) Do the Run Disney Coast2Coast Challenge in 2019, starting with running the Disney World MARATHON in January 2019... right before I turn 41!! I've had the bug for a while but that nagging feeling kept getting stronger. I just didn't have a clue as to when (training is a HUGE commitment) & where (I was actually thinking of doing it through St. Jude). My friend, Shelby Rushing, just ran her first full marathon & it was at WDW and it threw gasoline on my spark! Then I've read 2 different running articles listing the top 10 races to run your first full marathon in & WDW was #1 for both! So there it is. Out in the universe for all to hear. For all to hold me accountable. WTH am I thinking?!?!? Oh, yeah. I'm a crazy runner.

So here's to 2017!🍻🎉🏆🏃

My Annual Post... Unintentionally!

I can't believe it's been a year since I've written about my running.... It's a good thing I'm not a blogger as a living because I'd be BROKE!! I had one of the best training runs of my life today so I have to write about it so I can remember it. I have an alarm set for 5:40 am M-F to get Perri up for school. A few weeks ago, I added Saturday to that so I could wake up & do long runs while training for the Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon on November 6th. I did not want to get up today & hit snooze 4 times! I slowly got ready & was out the door at 7:00. My plan was to run 7 miles but maybe 8- if I was feeling like really pushing myself. I even put on my Disneyland 10k shirt since that race was starting at the same time I was in hopes of inspiring me & supporting those who were running the 1st leg of their Dumbo Double Dare this morning (technically 1 year ago we were just heading out to Cali & wouldn't run the 10k for another day)

God's first sign was this little box sitting in front of the front door when I opened it! I was grateful for the reminder of WHY I'm waking up early & training for the next 3 months (I'm running the St. Jude Half again December 6th- I must be insane to do 2 halves a month apart!).

I get on my way, enjoying the 60 degree weather & somewhere between miles 2 & 3 (halfway down Eagle Point), I see a car driving next to me, creeping really slow & it's one of my best friends- Kim!! She was headed to a yard sale so we chatted for a minute & she had me laughing (we decided that I was running at about 15 mph since she couldn't read the speedometer on her mom's car!! Lol). I keep on going, trying my best to avoid getting ran over by yard salers!

I was back at the house at mile 4.5 or so & was getting hot with my black shirt on & the sun shining. I knew shade would be limited over in Oakland Farms & Saddlebrook so I did something I never, ever thought I'd do... I took off my shirt & ran in my sports bra only!!! OH. MY. WORD!!! It was the most terrifying, freeing, & coolest thing I've done. I had a GREAT pace after I threw my shirt in our front yard, thanks to the adrenaline! It's not like you could see a whole lot since I had my fuel belt on plus it was a high impact bra (translation: LOTS of support & coverage). I don't have the body to do that but I read an article this week that kind of made me think.... No I don't have flat abs, I'm overweight, my thighs rub together, I have a muffin top & a hundred other imperfections but I'm a runner. I'm pushing myself when I don't want to. My legs can carry me long distances, my heart & lungs work hard to sustain me. I am a runner. I can do hard things. That includes letting go of insecurities so I can feel cooler (which I did & didn't get overheated on my run like I normally do)! And as a bonus, I kinda felt like a badass. (P.S. Kevin was getting ready to run when I got home & saw me like this & I was like "I was hot & I didn't care what anyone thought of me running like this." His reply: "Who cares?!? You look awesome!!"😊❤️)

At mile 7 I was in the middle of Saddlebrook & knew if I ran straight home, I'd be at 7.5 miles or a little more so I decided to make another loop through Oakland Farms so I could do the 8 miles. That's where God sent another sign... I ran into our sweet old neighbor Mr. Don with Mocha, Hayley's dog bff. It made me miss my Hayley girl but he said "if you're tired honey just go sit down at the house. Mrs. Sue will take care of you & I'll give you a ride back home after Mocha & I are done with our walk." I said "I think I'll be ok but if you see me laying on the ground, just attach me to your bumper & drag me home!" I hugged him, told him we missed him & kept on going.

So once I got to 8 miles, I was at 1:48 so I said "I'll just go until 2 hours and be done." This required me to run past the house again. I hit the 2 hour mark & was at 8.88 miles but I couldn't quit on an uneven number so I ran past the house for a third time until I made it to 9 miles!!! I did quit then & walk the 0.12 miles back home!!

Running is so much more mental for me & my mind is never full of positive, enlightening thoughts. I have to fight hard to over come them- like really hard some days. Usually in the form of prayers, uplifting songs, "fight" songs (those are what I call the ones with beats that make me push myself to speed up), and even tears. Isaiah 40:31 is my running verse. I repeat it often. Same with Philippians 4:13 & Hebrews 12:1. God reminded me today He is with me every step, I'm never alone & even when I feel like I'm terrible at this running thing- I'm really pretty awesome.

 (Not my running shoes; photo from Google images)

Been a while (not surprisingly!!)

I just realized I haven't posted since my last half marathon & now I'm 2 weeks away from another one!  Well actually I'm 2 weeks away from running a 10k AND a half marathon!! I'm doing the Dumbo Double Dare in Disneyland. Kevin planned on doing it & we thought about taking the girls & me staying with them while he ran, like usual. Then we found out how much it would cost to take them (& that was before we fed them) so that was a quick decision to NOT take them... meaning I could run!! I'm not sure what I was thinking! I did run 6.3 miles yesterday & 14 today (my longest run ever!!). I wanted to die at mile 12 but I kept pushing through. I also hit my wall right before mile 9 today; usually that comes after mile 10. I'm excited to run in Disney!!

I've been training since mid-May & actually faithfully. Jeff Galloway has a great training plan for doing back to back runs which is relatively easy. I like his training so much, I took the training plan for the Disney World Wine & Dine half & changed the dates so I could use it for the St. Jude Half Marathon. Unfortunately his training for that started the first of August... meaning I get no break from training. He does training 3 days a week but 2 of them are just "30-45 minutes." Meaning mileage doesn't matter!! That's refreshing to me & very doable. It also means when I don't really want to run, I just run to Old GB Pike & back. 2 miles done just like that!

13.1 miles of RUNNING done!!

Yesterday I achieved my goal go running a half marathon. I never walked once! I also achieved my dream in time. I wanted to do the half in under 3 hours. My time was 3:00:58 so that absolutely counts!!! Here is my race recap from the weekend (be warned, this is a LONG post)...

Friday Expo: it was so cool to be one of the racers checking in! We even got a $25 voucher for being a Bronze level donor so I got me an ornament, half marathon shirt and my 13.1 sticker for my truck!!! We also got to see our names on the pace car. I also made some temporary tattoos to be reminded of all who supported me in this journey & God's Words of encouragement!

 

Friday Hereos Pasta dinner: as we were walking in, U of M cheerleaders were cheering & Workers were thanking the heroes. I got choked up! While waiting in line for the buffet, we saw people's tweets so Katy told me I needed to tweet something & made it on the big screen tvs. So did an earlier tweet so she thought that was cool. We heard two sisters speak on their experience on their children being St. Jude patients. One was Katy's age who had melanoma & the other was Perri's age & is fighting leukemia. Very inspiring again! I also learned that the federal government gives 4% of their cancer research budget of like $2 billion to childhood cancer; less than $190 million. Childhood cancer is the #1 cause of death in kids. Last year St. Jude spent $209 million on research alone! Everything they learn, they share. They ask "outsiders" to assist them in researching in hopes of finding a cure. That data was surprising & angered me, making me want to fight harder for these kids! That night it was hard to fall asleep with the activities of Beale St plus the nerves & excitement. Then poor Perri had a coughing fit about 3am that lasted over 20 minutes!

Race day: we were up at 5am thanks to the music/ speakers for the 5k that started at 7:00. The start line was outside of our room! I went to the Starbucks next door, not so much for coffee but mainly to see what the weather was! It was an absolutely perfect day to run... North wind and in the low 50s. I also ended up changing from shorts to tights after the 3 block walk to the Peabody. Smart decision!!! My legs never really got hot & I was glad to have my shirt & singlet on (I started out with long sleeve under the singlet but changed in the hotel).We went to the Heroes VIP lounge for a bite to eat and hand the girls over to Corey Beth. All I had was a banana there because my nerves couldn't stomach much more. Here's how the race went:

Start: so exciting & so nerve wracking! Emily Fletcher ended up coming back to start with me so I didn't have to wait & start alone :) We only ran together for about 2 minutes but that was all I needed to kick start my run. I am so grateful to her for that!! I also noticed that my iPod was at about 50% power & my gps watch was at about 75%. I wanted to freak out but then realized there was nothing I could do so no sense worrying about it now... Just focus on running. Note: a 2009 iPod Nano can play 3 hours of music on a 50% charge & still have plenty of time to spare! It also helped that I created a playlist that I didn't have to mess with & kept my pace exactly how I wanted it to be!

Mile 2: we came upon the "Mighty Missip" and boy was that wind brutal! This was the only time during the race that I felt cold. There was also the coolest Scottish men playing bagpipes (my picture came out blurry). I had an 11:40 pace for mile 1 due to the adrenaline & excitement but slowed down so I could keep running at mile 12.

5k mark: 43:15, not bad timing but definitely not a PR! I got to see my babies & give them kisses!! Perri said "You're doing good Momma!!" Katy said "you're the slowest runner ever!" Because I was the last of the crew that they saw (Kevin, Mary Mac Lax, Manry Martin, Sandy Long & Emily). That kind of bummed me out for 2 minutes then I decided not to focus on it & just keep running.

Mile 4-5 was through the St. Jude campus. I saw the welcome banner & got excited (this was what I was looking forward to all race!). Then I ran through it & burst into tears. People were thanking ME! One said "Heather you are my Hero" (my name was on my bib & I had my Hero singlet on). Then I saw a boy in a blanket, holding on to his IV stand saing "Thank you Heroes" and another in a wheel chair with the biggest smile & they became the faces of my run. There were nurses, doctors, families, support staff- the entire campus route was packed. I could barely breathe as I left but then at mile 5 my pace was 12:09, my best of the day besides the first, which is no coincidence!😃

Mile 5: there was an open port a potty so I ran in & peed as fast as I could, not caring about germs... Sweat kills those, right?!?

10k mark: according to my watch, I was at the exact same time as my 10k finishing time a few weeks ago at the Farm Bureau/ YMCA race. I was feeling good!

Mile 7: somebody was passing out free beer samples so of course I took one! It was only a shots worth but it may have been the best beer I've ever had!! I also saw a sign that said "Run like you were picked for the Hunger Games!" Then realized it was being held by a college friend, Kristi Krotzer!! So of course I gave her a quick hug 😃 I will list some more signs at the end because I can't recall where most of them were now!

Mile 8 was through the zoo. The course path was narrower & it smelled of animal poop big time so this was a little challenging at times. I did get to high five a person in a panda suit so I yelled "go AOII"!!!

15k mark: 2:08:44. Once I passed over that strip, I hit my "brick wall" and was seriously thinking of walking. This was also my worst mile at 13:56 😓 I threw away the water bottle I started with only to freak out to not have a water source for the next 4 miles, besides every mile's water station. An angel from Juice+ gave me a bottle a few minutes later so that calmed me. I then decided, let me get on Poplar & then I will walk. Once I got on Poplar & waved at a row of cars with people hanging out them cheering, ringing cow bells & holding signs I was at the Target house (where families can live while kids are undergoing treatment at St. Jude). There was the prettiest teenage girl with a bald head & mask on holding a "thank you Heroes for helping me fight cancer" sign. As I once again started to cry, I stepped up my pace.

Mile 10: I was excited when I realized I only had to do a 5k! I also threw away the water bottle because I knew I was well hydrated & didn't need to carry it with me. Sometime after this, I saw Blair Tower & had to take a picture of where Kevin & I first lived together! I also wasn't surprised to see the BP station boarded up; I don't think I ever went in there once because it was so shady!!

Mile 11.76, according to my watch, I got a pretty bad cramp in my calf & I said (out loud!), NO! I did stop for about 5 seconds to stretch it on the curb but kept going through the pain & doing a few weird steps to stretch it out as I went. It slowed my pace down 13 seconds but there was no way I was going to walk now!

Mile 12.5ish we split from the marathon & this started a downhill run to the finish. I looked at my watch & realized I could possibly make my goal of 3 hours so I gave every ounce of energy that I had a push my little legs as fast as they would go!!! I stopped my watch & Run Keeper app & both showed I made my goal (13.55 miles/3:00:39 for RK but my watch didn't save the data I later realized... dang it!!).

Finish: I was holding the medal someone thrust at me, the an older man said "ma'am, you just did a great thing! You should wear that medal with pride!" So he took it & put it around my neck 😊 The thing about the finish is it is in the infield of the Redbirds birds stadium. To get to everything else, you have to walk up 25 steps to the concourse. My legs were already hurting & I looked up this steps & the Jr.ROTC boy said to me "I can carry you if you'd like ma'am?" I laughed & said "I appreciate the gesture but I think I can make it slowly" then told the lady behind me "you can pass me I'd you'd like." She said "oh I won't be passing anyone anytime soon!" I was also in the food line with some guys who had me laughing the entire time & let me go ahead of them because "they were raised to let ladies always go first." That was also the best cold Krispie Creme donut I've ever had! I met the girls and we waited for Kevin to finish, which was just an hour & 18 minutes after me!!!!

Race signs that I remember:

Oh hell, you've come this far, you might as well finish! (Mile 11 or so) this was in a row of about 7 signs that were all on Jeeps but that's the only 1 I can remember!

Why do all the cute ones run?

Your feet hurt from kicking ass!

This is the worst parade ever

Way to go, random runner & You're doing great, random runner!

You can sleep in next Saturday & no more long runs

You trained for today longer than Kim Kardashian was married

All toenails go to Heaven & toenails are for sissies

That fuel belt makes your butt look good

Touch here for a power up (I touched it!!)

Run like Justin Timberlake is waiting for you at the finish line

The experience of being a St. Jude Hero is truly spiritual. I didn't even get "runner's amnesia" before I decided I'll be back next year, running as a Hero once again! That says something when you are hurting from your nose down & actually want to do it again! I just quickly realized that doing this wasn't really about me. I need to do all I can to find a cure for cancer. After we pigged out after the race in the Heroes lounge (I got to eat a Central BBQ sandwich!!!), I showered & the girls rubbed my legs & back, which felt heavenly! Kevin was going to go to Flying Saucer but it was too crowded so he went to the hotel bar instead where he saw half the Miami Heat team, including Dwayne Wade & Pat Riley!! Since the girls couldn't go to F.S. I said I'd stay in the room with them... & took an hour long nap instead. We went to dinner at Huey's but could eat it all, sadly 😣 We were all in bed by 9pm! What a fun, beautiful, painful, exhausting, exilirating & uplifting day!!

I think I can, I think I can....

Well I have not lost a single pound since I last updated this blog. It makes me SO FUSTRATED!!!! It's also made me a little depressed & feeling defeated. I have not been following Advocare to the T but I have been making such better choices! For the last 3 weeks, I've been sticking to my half-marathon training. Running 9 times is a cause for celebration in of itself! Then last week I tried a crossfit class with Jennifer (more on that in a minute). So I worked out 8 out of the past 10 days (1 day did include running & crossfit workouts!!). I'm pretty sure that I'm not eating enough. At least that's what I'm hoping it is or else I'm busting my butt for nothing. These are going to be my new mottos (thanks Pinterest!!)

So I was reluctant to try this crossfit class at Wholesale Fit but it was FREE (every single class is free! The "catch" is, I have to drive to Rivergate) but Jennifer was pretty persistent. Oh. My. Word!!! I kinda get all the hype. 10 minutes in I said to her "I really thought we were friends. I had no idea you hated me!!" I thought I was going to die. Almost for real. I have also never been as sore as I was the next day & day after that. My first class was triceps on Monday. On Tuesday after I ran, I was certain I was going to have to leave my sweaty running tank on until Kevin could take it off me because I couldn't lift my arms up AND try to pull the shirt over my head. It was crazy! I kept going with her though, 3 more times that week. I haven't been able to go this week but I've been doing the workouts at home. Real honest to God workouts! I'm using weights, resistance band, & my stability ball for no less than 45 minutes. I have been sore after too so I know I'm pushing myself. I am really hoping that this will help my Warrior Dash training :) This is our first real week of summer... Temps in the mid-90s with the humidity to match so I'm keeping my workouts indoors. When it cools off, I'll run the hills of the historic distric & try out the monkey bars at Garner St. Park for my course practice. 

I simply have to have faith & remember that being healthy is my ultimate goal... Not a number. I'm making healthier choices daily, I'm pushing my body harder than before & getting stronger with every workout. I also have to remember I'm doing all of this for the kids of St. Jude, who are also pushing their bodies to the max & getting stronger every day but in a COMPLETELY different way. That's what truly matters. I'm sure the number will reflect that at some point!

Oh good gracious!!!

That had to be the toughest 10 days of my life!!! There were so many restrictions & such a schedule to keep up with. It was like nothing I've experienced before... But 

I am extremely proud of myself. I also couldn't have done it with out my best friend & Advocate cheerleader, Kathy Gunn!!! She listened to my "hangry rant" on day 2, then told me to suck it up & deal with it!! That was exactly what I needed. By day 10, I had a plan how to live my life going forward. Now I know this is 24 days long but I simply couldn't live that deprived for another 2 weeks. I was going to fail miserably and never change. With Kathy's help & support, I'm setting up a plan that works for me & that I can live with and succeed at doing! 

After the 10 days, I was down 2 lbs. & a total of 7 inches (chest, waist, hips & thighs)!!!! I know some people see crazy results but I'm honestly glad I didn't. This was the motivation I need to do this long-term. I did weigh on day 4 & was down 5 pounds but once I started running, I gained those 3 lbs. back. I have no idea how though since I was constantly hungry! Oh, well. 

Oh and I started my half-marathon training! The weather has been crazy cool... Like in the 80s, with really low humidity. Usually we're never below 90 with 90% humidity this time of year! You won't hear any complaints from me because it makes for perfect running weather! I'm going to have to switch training programs though because Runkeeper has me on a plan building speed, not as many miles. As long as I finish under 3:30, I don't care about my time but I need to be able to actually finish those 13.1 miles!!!

This is my new reminder for living healthier & half-marathon training :)

...and here we go again!

So, here we go again. This time though, I had to resort to extreme measures but I also need to learn how to live healthier so I can quit doing this. That is the good thing though... It has been 6 years since the first time I started the weight loss journey & I'm didn't go back to the very beginning but I was getting dangerously close. I did well up until the past year & a half. Mentally & emotionally I can't keep this up. My life is just too busy for me to try to do this on my own. One of my best friends finally convinced me to try Advocare. I am on day 4! Day 2 was awful... I was so "hangry"!!! I just hate the restrictions... Eating every 2 hours, Protein & veggies every meal, fruits 2-3 times/ day, & only a few carbs twice a day. This is the cleanse part so it takes a big effort to rid my body of all that crap I put in my body. After day 10, it will ease up... Thank God!!! Perri came home yesterday & wanted to eat some of my fruit. This pretty much sums up my reaction!! 

The other great thing about Advocare is the vitamins that I will remain on. As I approach my 40s (still 3+ years!!), I have to accept that my body is changing. I want to enter them feeling the best I can & prepared to take on the second half of my life. I also know that this half-marathon will be easier if I'm carrying less weight as I run :) I've already committed to it so there's no backing out!

Time for lunch of my lean protein, veggies & maybe even a carb :)