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 :) 

Slowly but surely

I did great in January! I did 15 minutes of yoga at least 5 times a week!! I also started a plank challenge but I must have found one that was NOT for beginners. The time would increase by 30 seconds every other day. I can't plank for 2 days then just add another 30 seconds. So for February I found one that is more my style & increases slower :)

I also decided after 20 days of doing beginners yoga, I could start to add in an intermediate class. I decided to start with the Intermediate Combination class. All is going good, a few new poses are added, old ones are being held longer & then half-way through, this happens....

Ummmm... I have not advanced this much!!! There's also another move where I hold both my ankles behind me (the pose is called Bow or Dhuranasana)... Kevin had to hand me my right ankle :) So then all I could think of is Ron Burgandy....

I'm not giving up though!! This is just the thing I need to become better! On the schedule for tomorrow is Intermediate strength. Should be interesting :)

The weather has been so crappy & I've done the treadmill a few times but I really want to just lace up & head out the front door! That says something that I actually want to run :) I'm ready for Spring, even if that stupid rodent said it was going to be another 6 weeks until it gets here! Here's to hoping that in February I complete the plank challenge, have ran a few times & am doing the intermediate yoga classes most of the time!

Today was a good day!!

Happy MLK Day!! Since the girls were home today, I decided to take it easy this morning! No rush to get the girls out the door & then onto the 25 things that "had" to be done today. When they're out of school, I only schedule what is absolutely necessary to do. Even at 7&9, it's still a hassle to accomplish tasks with them in tow! I slept until 7:45, enjoyed some coffee, did the dishes & started doing laundry. Then it was time for a little exercise.... I did my 15 minutes of Yoga (flexibility today) and after that I started on the 30 day plank challenge. Thanks Pinterest for the plan!! http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/1200x/b2/6e/5f/b26e5f18b4f29ae9d52eb84994420bbe.jpg (hope this link actually works!!)

I knew when it started at only 20 seconds that this planking thing was going to be tough! My core started shaking after 17 seconds but holding for another 3 was no problem. Hopefully by the time I get to 240 seconds, I will be MUCH stronger :)

I didn't stop there... After that I ran!!! I did 2 miles in 28 minutes, which is nothing to brag about but in my defense I ended up doing my warm up walk for almost 10 minutes because Google Play was all messed up on my phone & I was messing with that. I did walk twice during the 18 minutes of running but considering I haven't ran in 2 months, I'm pretty dang proud!! Oh & I did all this on a treadmill!! Yuck ;) I can still remember back to September when I started the Couch-2-5k program. I could barely run 1 minute straight. Sometimes I forget how amazing my body is, when I don't let my brain get in the way. I also have a respect for my body & don't set unrealistic expectations for it... If I can barely breathe, it's ok to slow down a walk for a minute to catch my breath, then back to running again! I think this is how I found happiness in running. That and I quit comparing myself to my marathoning husband! Enjoy the picture of me post run.... All hot & sweaty :)

Week 2

Well, no current picture since I didn't think to do another selfie if me! So instead I will share a picture of me & Kevin after we completed the Warrior Dash last October. It was the toughest physical challenge I have faced so the victory was SO sweet! I was so proud of myself because there were times during it that I seriously questioned if I could finish!

I have done yoga everyday since the girls started back to school. All but 1 day when my alarm didn't go off, I woke up early to do it before they got up! That is HUGE for me. I'm not a morning person so waking up early for anything is an accomplishment in of itself... Let alone giving up sleep for exercise :) I  only did Zumba once last week. The other 3 days didn't happen b/c of office payroll & a meeting, a dr appt in Nashville & substitute teaching at the Middle School. I'll be better this week, or at least I will try to ;)

Week 1

This week has been a transition week. I'm still trying to get my head & heart on the same page to making lifestyle changes! It started out as one of the coldest weeks in history (-2 actual temp on Monday morning!) so that was not the start I was hoping for! I ended up cooking dinner all 4 nights, which is a rarity these days. I did not cook "health food" but I did use healthier option. We'll except for Nacho Night! When the girls ask for a meal, I make it. They rarely request a meal. Plus that guarantees me no complaints of what's for supper that night :) On Nacho Night, I didn't eat very much so that was healthy.

I also started doing yoga this week. I got this awesome app, Yoga Studio (thanks Starbucks free app of the week!). It has all these classes set up but I can also create my own. Last week & this week, I'm doing the 15 minute beginner series.... Strength, flexibility, & combination. I've been getting up early (for me!) & doing it before I get the girls up. I'm really enjoying it. So far it's not too much so I can just do it in my pj's. Workouts don't get much better than that :) Thanks to the girls being out of school for "cold days" I only went to Zumba once. That was the first time in a month & I was struggling the last 2 songs! I'm working on making good exercise habits first... Then comes the good food habits!

I took a selfie after my first yoga session on Monday. It was so cold outside that even inside felt chilly so that's why I'm wearing the scarf! As for the hair, I let it do its own thing since we didn't go out that day. Sometimes you just have to let the curls loose!! I'm going to take a picture every week to document my journey.

Have a blessed week!

Well, it's been a looooonnnnngggg time!

I vaguely remember keeping this blog & it actually took about 30 minutes just to find it, then I had to reset passwords, change Google accounts, blah, blah, blah!! So and hour + later, it's a new year & a new journey and once again I'm on the weight loss journey. Praise the good Lord above, I am not all the way back to where my journey began over 5 years ago but I still have a journey! To be totally honest, I really don't know how much weight I need to re-lose because it has been many months since I've stepped on a scale :/ I just know I have to get my butt in gear & now!

I do good when I write stuff down to keep myself accountable, so here goes nothing!  My word for 2014 is PEACE. I'm trying to focus on PEACE in all areas of my life... to be at peace with my body, at peace with my health & habits, at peace with my family & most importantly- to receive peace from my Savior! Here is what I want to accomplish for 2014: I will complete my 2nd Warrior Dash in under 1 hour and do it as a St. Jude Warrior. I will complete my 2nd half-marathon and do it as a St. Jude Hero. That means I have to raise $1300 at least! Kevin will do both along with me so that means we have to raise $2600 together... for y'all that don't like math! To achieve these it means I have to up my exercise & do some fundraising! I will exercise no less than 4 days a week- running, Zumba or Yoga (trying something new here & got a handy new app to try it... thanks to Starbucks "free app" of the week!). I've learned to enjoy doing 5k's thanks to the "Couch to 5k" app but realize I'll have to do more if I want to run 13.1 miles. I've already got a pile going for consignment/ yard sale. That will NOT raise us $2600 but it's a start. Maybe have a bake sale/ lemonade stand during the yard sale?!? If you have any ideas... please, please, please share them with me!

I'm going to be honest. When I set out on this journey the first time, I was mentally ready & willing. This time... not so much! I know that means this journey will be a lot more difficult & have more set backs. I also know that once I get a taste of success, that's just the jump start I'll need to get on a role.  I'm not doing weight watchers again this time (even though I know how well it works) or at least not yet. Right now, I'm upping my exercising (which is really easy since I've worked out 4 times in the month of December!), making healthier choices, planning better & writing down the process to keep me accountable.  I'm actually kinda hoping that nobody will read this, so if you are- thanks for keeping me on track!


Here's to me being at PEACE with 2014!