One of the Most Surreal Experiences of My Life: Guts to Glory

Yesterday, something popped up on my "Facebook Memories" that made me stop and think back to what a crazy experience I had back in 2014.

In 2009, I never, ever, EVER would have believed you if you told me that this would happen in just 5 years. In 2009, I was 253 pounds (my heaviest non-pregnant weight). My only exercise consisted of walking around my house doing laundry, cooking, etc.

I had never run a single mile in my entire life (I always got out of it in gym class). I hated exercise SO much. I dreamed of losing weight, but I wanted to do it without exercising. I basically wanted to go to sleep one night and just wake up skinny.

I remember asking my friend Renee about her running--I specifically asked, "So, if you were to just go out and run one mile, would that be easy? What would that feel like?" I was stunned when she seemed sort of taken aback, replying, "Yeah, I could do that. I wouldn't be out of breath or anything, unless I was running really hard. But running a mile isn't hard."

She seemed almost embarrassed (I guess "humble" would be the right word) about the fact that running a mile was no big deal to her. I, on the other hand, was speechless. "Seriously, you can run a mile like it's no big deal?!" I asked her.

It was Renee that started me on my running journey. She saw that I had written "Enter a 5K race and RUN it" on my list of 30 goals by the time I'm 30 years old. I honestly never really expected to do it, but since I love writing goals, it made sense at the time.

After seeing that on my list, she followed up with a card saying that she was supportive of me and would help me prepare for the race; and that she'd even run it with me. I faked the excitement; I was honestly feeling sort of frustrated that I would actually have to follow through. I couldn't make excuses for this one.

But I didn't want to let her down. So, I signed up for a 5K that was in October 2010, and I started training in May 2010 after I walked a half-marathon in Indy.

I was able to run the 5K distance within weeks (I think about 6 weeks?). I wasn't fast, but I was able to do it. I kept training, going farther and faster as time went on. I ran my first half-marathon in May 2011, and my first full marathon in May 2012.

Who was that person?! Certainly not me.

So, imagine how shocking it was on March 6, 2014, to see my photo on a full page spread in April 2014's edition of RUNNER'S WORLD MAGAZINE.

It was SO surreal. How on earth had I gone from 253 pounds and not exercising at all to 133 pounds and running marathons? That alone was mind-blowing, but then to be in RUNNER'S WORLD magazine? What!

RW sent a photographer all the way from Chicago to do a photoshoot. We went to my parents' house because they have a huge backroom that would give the photographer plenty of space.

My friend Stephanie, who does photography as a hobby (she's amazing!) was very interested in watching, so I invited her over to watch. She took some pictures during the process, which were pretty fun to see--the side by side of the behind-the-scenes vs. what was in the magazine (or at least considered for the magazine).

Here are a few:

Runner's World had sent me a bunch of clothes and even shoes to try on and use for the photoshoot. Whatever I wore for the shoot, they let me keep. It was so exciting!

The photographer said that RW wanted photos of me being "serious" and "strong"--not smiling. I cannot take a picture like that! I remember at my wedding, the photographer said the same thing--he tried to get some serious photos, but I just can't do it. I look ridiculous when I don't smile.

Anyway, here are some other photos that were shot that day:

I just cannot believe that this all happened. Looking back on it, it feels like a dream. Runner's World magazine is very well-known in the running community, and to say that I was blessed enough to share my store in it? Well, I just can't express the words.

Here is the article (my pages, anyway). You can click on these to enlarge--hopefully they'll be readable!

It's been six years, and so much has happened since then. But I am so so so grateful to have had this experience!

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Four year anniversary of Ragnar

Well, it seems that 2017 is off to a decent start :)

The weather was super nice here on Monday, so to take advantage of the weather, the kids and I went to Nike Park. It's a HUGE fenced in park, and whenever we've gone, there hasn't been anyone there--so it's a great place to take Joey off leash. (They really ought to turn this park into a dog park. We don't have any dog parks around here.)

The kids and I played on the playground while Joey ran around sniffing every single blade of grass in the park. One of the things on my list of things to do with the kids this year was to take them to Nike Park, so we crossed that one off right away. A couple of people asked me to see the list, so here is a picture of it. A lot of it isn't really relevant unless you live around here, but there are other ideas as well.

(You'll probably have to click to enlarge it enough to read it)

Eli is 1 of 30 kids in his grade that were selected to compete for a spelling bee (all of the kids were given a spelling test, and the top 30 kids then do a mini spelling bee to select the top 10). Anyway, after Eli's disappointment from not making the Quiz Bowl team in the fall, it was very exciting that he is in the top 30 for this. Even if he doesn't go further than that, it's quite the accomplishment! I'm super proud of him.

Today is the four-year anniversary of when my Ragnar Florida Keys team, From Fat to Finish Line, crossed the finish line in Key West! In some ways, that day feels like it happened a million years ago; in others, it feels like just yesterday. And it will always be unbelievable to me that the whole thing is now a documentary on Netflix!

This is an anniversary video that the producer made on the one-year anniversary. One of my friends shared it on Facebook today, and I had forgotten about it. I love this video! I think it's the song that makes it so emotional for me. My favorite part is when my face lights up as I see John running in for the major exchange between him and I. I don't remember if that's in the actual film or not.


I have a crazy busy weekend ahead of me. Jeanie and Shawn (my sister and brother-in-law) are coming in from Illinois because we're having a baby shower for Becky. Just two more months until I'm an aunt!!

Eli's 11th birthday is on Saturday, which is the same day as the shower, so we're going to celebrate his birthday on Friday. He wants everyone to go out to dinner together--"everyone" being my parents, my siblings, and their spouses. On Saturday, we have the baby shower and then we're going to Brian's for dinner, drinks, and games. On Sunday, Eli is having a birthday party at the bowling alley with some of his school friends.

As I write this, I'm in the middle of making an enormous batch of rice--enough for 40 people!--for the shower. We're having a "Javanese lunch"--I have no idea the origin of this meal, I just remember growing up eating it once in a while (usually at a shower). It's basically a buffet of 10 ingredients: rice, diced chicken or turkey, almonds or peanuts, green onions, celery, pineapple, coconut, cheddar cheese, chow mein noodles, and gravy. You start with the rice, and then add the other stuff on top. It's delicious! The ingredients seem so odd, but they work really well together. Anyway, I am in charge of making the rice, so I'm getting that prepped today.

So, a crazy weekend ahead, but super fun. I love getting to hang out with my brothers and sister! We only all get together about once a year, so I always look forward to it.

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Update on my From Fat to Finish Line teammates

Where are they now?

After the documentary From Fat to Finish Line came out on Netflix, I've gotten several emails/comments asking about updates on my teammates. If you haven't yet seen the film, you can watch it on iTunes, Amazon, or Netflix. (I also wrote about the whole process on my blog, from when it was just an idea, to the filming, to the race, and aftermath.) 

The documentary was filmed in 2012 and 2013, so there is a lot to catch up on! I asked my teammates if they'd be interested in sharing a brief update for my blog readers. This is going to be a long post, because there are so many things to share! (I did not get updates from Lealah, Ada, or Carly). Enjoy :)

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Runner #1: Katie

Since I blog several times a week, it's no surprise what I've been up to; but, I'll post a brief update here in case you're new to my blog. After the Ragnar Relay with From Fat to Finish Line, I trained for the Chicago Marathon and ran a PR of 4:16. A family friend was diagnosed that month with terminal lung cancer, and I spent the next five months making his last days the best that I could help with (my blog readers helped a ton with that!). After he passed away, I started gaining weight like crazy, and I eventually reached 160 pounds (I was 133 in the film). 

I became injured with a stress fracture in late 2014, and it caused me problems for 10 months! I had to cancel several races, and my weight and race times suffered. When it healed, I started training super hard for a 10K PR using a heart rate training method. I dropped to my all-time lowest weight of 121 during training, and ran a 49:03 10K race in April 2016. I was thrilled! 

After the race, I stopped "training" and started running just for fitness. I had a deep episode of depression over the summer, and gained back a lot of the weight I'd lost last year. I'm now at 150 pounds, which is 103 pounds down from my highest, but still more than I'm comfortable with. I am working on getting back down to my comfortable weight of 130-135, but I'm not in a huge hurry--just taking it one day at a time! I used to think that I had to maintain a very stable weight to be considered "successful", but I've realized that my body fluctuates by up to 30 pounds a year (I gain weight every summer), and I've accepted that. Next May, I'll run my first half-marathon since 2014, and I'm looking forward to it :)

April 2016, when I PR'ed my 10K!

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Runner #2: Meredith

Well here it is almost 4 years since I became part of the Fat to Finish Line Ragnar Team. I have maintained a 85-100 lb weight loss over the last 4 years. It is and always will be an everyday fight to keep my weight off, but it is a fight that I will never stop fighting. When I first joined the team, I had run some 5ks and 10ks and had just completed my third half marathon… Since then I have continued to do many races every year. My husband and I do around 25-30 races a year which include anywhere from 5ks to half marathons and everything in between. I have now completed over 25 half marathons with another 10 scheduled in the next 5 months.  I have also completed 2 full marathons. I have my second Ragnar coming up in March of 2017. 

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Runner #5: Andrea

It's been over three years since we all met and ran the Ragnar in Florida. Since then, I have ran our local 39.3 race series (where you run three half marathons in less than four weeks), a handful of 5k's, and I've had two attempts at running a marathon (I had to drop out both times due to an old back injury). 

My biggest challenge hasn't been running, but in maintaining my weight. Weight loss has no finish line. Whatever you did to lose the weight, you will have to continue to do if you want to maintain your loss. I've managed to maintain a 20-pound gain. I've learned that I still struggle with emotional eating and when life throws me curve balls, I usually end up eating my feelings of stress, anxiety, happiness, sadness, (name any feeling). Although I know food doesn't cure any of those feelings or make you any happier, it's familiar and it's where I turn for comfort. 

I've also learned not to dwell on my "failures" with maintenance, because it's not actually failing, but rather learning what works and what doesn't. I remind myself often that I've kept off over 100 pounds, so gaining 20 pounds doesn't mean I've failed. 

Just recently, I've realized that I do really well when I have some accountability in my fitness and weight goals. So, I've signed up to work with a personal trainer three times a week and we will take measurements and weight every six weeks. It's a great way to measure my progress and set goals.  I've also been going to my Weight Watchers meetings every week which keeps me accountable with my weekly weigh in. 

I'm currently training for the Indy Mini Marathon in May and I'm looking forward to meeting many of Katie's readers there!

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Runner #6: Rik

Since filming completed in January of 2013, so much has happened!

Building on the success of our Ragnar Relay in Florida, and the shape I got into to be camera-ready, I spent 2013 working with a professional running coach, looking to qualify for Boston. I trained very hard for most of a year, then ran the Indianapolis Monumental marathon in November and put up a PR of 3:29:37. It wasn’t good enough for Boston, but I was so close (needing a 3:25), I decided to keep trying.

I continued working with my coach through 2014, targeting a September race to qualify. Six days and 40+ miles a week – we turned running into a second job. That July, I ran a 20:36 at my company’s annual 5k, another huge PR. But by August, I started having some odd fatigue issues. I’d have plenty of energy to get through my work day, but I’d put on my running shoes and feel out of gas before going half a mile. My doctor couldn’t find a thing wrong with me. At my qualifying marathon attempt in September, I felt terrible from the starting gun, and dropped out halfway through, hugely behind pace and completely exhausted – I felt as if I would pass out. I discovered (eventually) that I had overtraining syndrome. And the only thing to do for it – stop running. Which was heartbreaking. And also a relief – I had been training so hard for so long that running wasn’t fun anymore. My Boston dream went on the back burner.

Since that time, I changed my fitness focus to having fun and helping others get started. I got certified by Road Runners’ Club of America as a Distance Running Coach (the same certification that Katie has!), and started a small side business coaching new runners. That has been really satisfying, spreading the joy of running to others, and seeing them discover just how much more they can do than they ever thought they could.

As a result of my fitness journey, my confidence and my willingness to take on new challenges have both grown, and I have seen that spill over into other areas of my life, including my career. About a year ago, I took a new position with my company that had me relocate from my lifetime home in Milwaukee, WI to Sacramento, CA. While a great career move and an exciting adventure, it definitely threw me for a loop with my health and fitness. I have been working a lot more hours, and it requires a lot more of my energy. At the same time, I left behind my regular running partners behind in Milwaukee. I struggled for months to find time, energy, and motivation to do more than 10 miles a week. I put on 10 pounds I didn’t need or want.

Thankfully, over the last few months, I’ve finally gotten my work/life balance back, begun to build a new social and fitness circle, and have spent the summer training with my local Fleet Feet training group for the California International Marathon here in Sacramento on December 4. That will be my thirteenth marathon, and my tenth state – I am on my lifetime quest to do a marathon in all 50 states. And that includes going to Boston, someday!

At my all-time heaviest, I was 275 (approximately). When we shot the movie, I weighed in at 180, which was my lightest - I was really concerned about looking good on camera but my wife felt I looked too thin, especially in my face. So, I found a comfortable weight of 190 and maintained it, until we relocated. I topped out at 200 a couple months ago, and as I write this today, I am at 197 and dropping, targeting 190 again. I know I will always need to keep an eye on my weight, but that’s okay. I am so much happier, healthier, and more able than I was before the journey started – it’s a small price to pay.

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Runner #7: Jen Roe

The film was a life-changing and eye-opening experience. Having a difficult and emotional moment on film was super scary, humbling and hard. At the time I felt super uncomfortable and embarrassed that it happened at all and especially on camera but since the movie has come out I’ve found myself grateful. I appreciate that moment now because so many people have said they can relate to it. It makes me feel better to know that not only am I not alone in having hard times when running but that others can feel comforted that they aren’t the only ones to have felt that way either. I also have the benefit of looking back and really being able to analyze how I let those "voices in my head” really get to me. Because of that I’ve been able to do a lot of self-reflection and work in that area. 

Since the movie, I’ve gone on to do a few triathlons, a bunch of half marathons and my dream race - the NYC Marathon. In fact, I’ll be doing the NYC marathon again in November. I’m probably about 10 pounds heavier than I was in the movie but at peace with that as my doctor is very happy with all of my numbers. Running has helped me keep most of the weight off and my health exactly where it needs to be. I still consider many from the team very good friends and it truly was one of the best things that ever happened to me.

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Runner #8: Linda

So much has transpired in my life since January 2013 and From Fat to Finish Line’s epic Ragnar Relay run from Miami to Key West. I am now balancing working a couple different part-time jobs outside the home with caring for my family and household. My kids you see standing with me in my before picture on the Brooklyn Bridge in the documentary are now 20 and 18 years old and attending college!

This year I turned 45 and it all hasn’t been frickin’ fabulous. After a fantastic year of running in 2013, I managed to injure myself. I tried to ignore it, but the pain wasn’t allowing it. I went to an orthopedist in April 2014 and discovered I had a torn meniscus in my right knee. I had surgery that July and went through 8 weeks of physical therapy. In that year, I wallowed in self pity and instead of meticulously watching what I ate, I reverted to old habits of comforting myself with food. I gained 25 pounds.

That didn’t stop me from gaining entry into my dream race, the NYC Marathon. If I was going to do one marathon, NYC was it. On November 1, 2015, my husband Charlie and I finished the NYC Marathon, hand-in-hand, content and honestly happy it was over. My time was less than stellar. I hit “the wall” very early in the race when us back of the packers were told we would have to move to the sidewalks in order to finish, even though we were still well within the projected time limit. (NYCM is a very back of the pack friendly event with an 8 hour time limit!). Even with that accomplishment, my mind still is the weakest part of my body and I fight the Negative Nelly in me constantly.

There may be a day when I need to tackle that distance again, but it’s nearly a year commitment and I’m not ready to give that kind of time to it right now. This year has been filled with New York Road Runner races, running the five borough races and gaining guaranteed entry for Charlie and I into the NYC Half Marathon, another iconic NYC race. I am still battling to re-lose the 25 pounds, and it is getting harder the older I get, but I’m not giving up. I know the weight is literally slowing me down, and my race times reflect that. I am trying to focus on the joy of racing and crossing the finish line with my husband and not the finish time. I am so very fortunate to have a husband who loves me no matter what the scale or time clock says. That means more to me than any medal or PR.

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Runner #9: Jen Small

In 2012, I obtained my Personal Trainer Certifications (ACE and AFAA) as well as my USA Triathlon certification. I have been training and coaching on a one-on-one basis and as well as remotely. I continue to teach bootcamp-style fitness classes as well as cycling classes in both Southern and Western Maine.  I am still with Team Rev3 and love triathlon and endurance sports. I recently started mountain biking and trail running; I just love being outside at the beach and in the mountains.

My daughter is now 8 years old and is very active; she plays field hockey, and is on the swim team. She has also been involved in cheering, tumbling, and lacrosse.

The biggest change has been my personal life. The film highlights the struggles my marriage encountered once I lost weight and gained self-confidence. While we tried to save the troubled relationship, things were just too far gone and we separated 2 years ago. Honestly, leaving a toxic relationship was harder than losing weight but it was just one more part of my journey that shaped me into the person I am today.

I am so much happier now and have found a partner that shares my energy, adventurous spirit and passion for life. I am excited for the future and to help others find their own personal joy! I am returning to school again to expand my coaching and training education as well as study nutrition.

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Runner #10: Allison

Running Ragnar with Team From Fat to Finish Line in January 2013 was an amazing experience! I came home and immediately jumped into training for my first marathon in October. In July, with training in full swing and feeling great, I found out I was pregnant with my first child! While I tried to keep training, I ended up withdrawing from the race and volunteering instead. I gave birth to my son in March 2014 and love being a mom; I could write pages on the phenomenal little man my now two-year old has become! In my last trimester, I gained 30 pounds (darn pregnancy cravings!) and picked up a nice case of sciatica, so I started walking, trying to work back to running. I also went back to school, working towards a nursing degree, in the fall of 2014, so I had a pretty full plate and taking care of myself fell by the wayside.

In June 2015, I started working out with a personal trainer and got my butt kicked 3 days a week before work. I was still having a hard time running because of hip/pelvic issues, but I found I love weight lifting! We focused on strength building and interval/Tabata training for cardio while I went to physical therapy for Achilles tendinosis. I was cleared from PT in August and decided, with only 4 long training runs under my belt, to run my second half marathon in October 2015; it went great! The hip/leg pain persisted though, so I had an MRI in April 2016 and learned I had two bulging discs. I stopped working with the trainer, got depressed, started eating, and gained back the 30 pounds I’d just lost. 

In August, I finally screwed my head on straight and started back at the gym, along with pool physical therapy. I’m down 10 pounds and taking it slow and easy. I was recently able to deadlift for the first time in months, and just ran my first 5K since the spring. One day at a time, staying focused, making good choices, and constantly being inspired by the FFtFL community!

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Runner #12: John

Since filming the documentary, I have continued to run, finishing eight marathons and twenty-four long-distance relay races in total. I left my Mon-Fri, 9-5 life and now work as a consultant. The flexible time allows me to continue to travel and race in as many destination events as I can handle. I am also very active in the From Fat To Finish Line online community.

Personally, my life took another very public turn for the better when I began to devote as much attention to my mental health as I had to my physical health. Despite the ongoing stigma of mental health treatment, I’ve begun to share my story in hopes that it helps other people in need. You can read more about that at my Writer Blog and my post, Life Medicated.

Life is good, folks. And I’m looking forward to 2017, when I will celebrate my 50^th birthday and my 20^th wedding anniversary.

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And there you have it! We are 12 ordinary people who lost weight, ran a fun race, still struggle with weight maintenance, and are determined enough to never give up. 

You can also read blogs for Leahlah, Jen Roe, Linda, Jen Small, and John.

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Netflix! (And steak fajita bowls)

Holy smokes. Big news, Friends... the documentary is now on Netflix!

I've already written several posts about the film itself, so I won't be redundant. But, I know that a lot of you were hoping to see the film on Netflix, so now is your chance! This is just SO CRAZY to me--me, on Netflix? What?!

I asked the other members of my From Fat to Finish Line Ragnar team if they would be interested in sharing an update about themselves, since the documentary was actually filmed a few years ago. Hopefully, I'll get something to post about them soon!

A lot of my friends have been curious if I was paid for doing the film, so I imagine some of you may be curious, too.

The answer is no--I signed a release waiving any claim to any money the film may make. That said, though, I didn't invest any of my own money, either. Jen and Angela used a LOT of money from their own pockets to produce the film, and I wasn't willing to do that. I had no idea how far this whole thing would actually go!

Also, making a documentary is very expensive, and it doesn't usually result in a big payoff. Most documentaries don't make much (if any) money. So, I have no real ties to this film other than the fact that I was in it. The team was actually made up of several of my blog readers who had written me to share their stories!

I have met some amazing people and gotten some fantastic opportunities because of this film, and I'm so, so grateful for that. The fact that it is now available on NETFLIX is terrifying, exciting, thrilling... I'm not even sure how to describe it. But anyway, if you haven't seen the film yet, and you'd like to, you have the Netflix option now ;)

And if you're a new visitor to my blog because of seeing the film... welcome! I wish I had a more exciting post up today, but much of my blog is just about my ordinary, everyday life in maintaining a large weight loss. Here is my About Me page, where you can get the gist of who I am and what my blog is all about. I would suggest starting there!

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Yesterday was Jerry's birthday. He's now 36 years old. When did that happen?! We've been together for half of our lives, which just blows my mind. I was planning to make him a German chocolate cake from scratch (his favorite), but he asked me not to. He's been doing really well with his eating lately, too, and he was afraid that the cake would throw him off. After confirming that he truly did not want cake (I didn't want to not make it, if he was secretly hoping that I was going to anyway), I decided to put the effort into making a yummy birthday dinner instead.

Jerry loves Chipotle, and we don't have one around here, so I decided to make a "Chipotle bar" where we could create our own. I marinated skirt steak all day, and I made cilantro-lime rice (I just added True Lime to the cooking water, and then added cilantro after the rice was done cooking). I sliced a bunch of peppers and onions, and cooked them with a homemade fajita seasoning.

I made a spread on the counter of the steak, rice, fajita veggies, fiesta corn, seasoned black beans, lettuce, salsa, guacamole, sour cream, and cheese, and we each made our own "steak fajita bowl" for dinner.

Everything turned out so good! I dare say that it tasted even better than Chipotle. The rice was my favorite part, which is interesting, because I'm not a fan of cilantro; but, I could eat a giant bowl of that rice all by itself. Jerry was thrilled with his birthday dinner, and said he was glad there was no cake, because he was stuffed. (Also, he'd had a "birthday doughnut" for breakfast at work.)

For my close friends' birthdays, I like to share a photo collage on their Facebook walls, usually photos of the two of us together. When I was looking through pictures on my computer for Jerry's birthday, I found so many silly ones of him that I thought would make a funner collage:

These pictures span about 17 years!

Haha! He's goofy and fun-loving, and that's what I love most about him :)

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It's FINALLY here!

It's been over four years in the making, and I am relieved to say that the documentary, From Fat to Finish Line, is FINALLY available! I had nothing to do with the making of the film, other than the fact that I was one of the subjects (and I put together the team of runners)--but this is a big day indeed. It was so crazy to see the documentary on the iTunes movies page today!

I've been writing about it on my blog for, well, YEARS now; but, if you aren't familiar with the documentary, here is a brief explanation: In 2011, a reader of mine named Rik contacted me about my lower body lift surgery. One thing led to another, and, in short, we put together a Ragnar Relay team of 12 people who had all lost a lot of weight and become runners (our team lost about 1200 pounds total).

The documentary shares a little of each team member's history, and shows how we all came together as a team to run the 2013 Ragnar Relay Florida Keys. This was filmed over a period of a year, and then hundreds of hours of footage was condensed down to a single film. If you'd like to watch the film, on Amazon (digital or DVD). I think it may be available on some other VOD platforms, but I'm not sure. It will be on Netflix later this year (we don't have an exact date). (If you pledged money toward the film, you will get your DVD shortly as well).

I hope you enjoy the film if you choose to watch it!   I learned that producing a film is an actual art form, and the producer is the artist. Angela (the producer) has been fantastic through all of this--I can't even begin to imagine how much work it was to make this film!

The best thing to have come out of this film is that I have met some of the most amazing people that I never would have met otherwise. I've also had some crazy opportunities that never would have come my way--being on the Today Show and in Runner's World magazine, for starters! This whole experience has been so surreal. Sometimes, I feel like I'm not deserving of all these opportunities, but I have to remind myself that I earned this. I worked SO hard to lose the weight, to become a runner, and to keep the weight off. I've had so many successes and struggles over the years, I've lost count of each ;)

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Speaking of struggles, I've been feeling a little better the past week or so as far as this depressive episode goes. It's interesting, because you would have thought that Chandler's passing would make me feel even worse. Before Caitlin came for the weekend, I was worried that I would be a terrible host considering my mood lately; but almost as soon as she arrived, I busied myself to make sure that she was having fun, and I almost forgot about my depression. I had so much fun over the weekend--it was just what I needed!

I don't feel 100% back to normal yet, but I do feel like that dark depression cloud is lifting, and I'm hopeful that I'll feel back to normal soon (a few weeks ago, I felt like it would never end). It's interesting--I've cried over Chandler several times over the past few days, but it felt like "normal" crying, from grieving a beloved pet; but, when crying from depression (for no reason at all), it doesn't feel "normal". I hope that makes sense--it's hard to explain!

I wasn't eating well at all while I was feeling so bad, and I've actually been afraid to get on the scale--I think it's been over a week since I weighed myself. Over the weekend, I took Caitlin to a lot of my favorite restaurants, so I was eating junk then, too. I don't feel bad about what I ate on the weekend, because it wasn't emotional eating; where before, I was eating to make myself feel better.

Interestingly, after Caitlin left, I was craving some healthy foods (probably because of the junk I ate over the weekend)--I made a giant fruit salad (just cantaloupe, honeydew melon, and grapes), so I've been eating tons of fruit. I've also eaten more salad in the past few days that I have in the last six months, haha. For dinner last night, I made a recipe I found on Pinterest for Southwestern Chopped Salad. It was SO good!

Anyway, Jerry started a super crazy project at work yesterday that will continue over the next few months; and since he's going to be working so hard, I promised myself that I would work just as hard at being my best self. I'm back to counting calories how I was doing before, and I'm following a running schedule again. I'm going to finish our bathroom project, which will take a while. And I'm going to do my best to ensure that the kids have a great last month before school starts!

I am beyond thrilled with my new therapist--I've seen her twice now, and I actually really look forward to going again. She validates my feelings, and I love that I can tell her anything without feeling judged. She gives me "homework" to do, which has been helpful in keeping me focused.

I haven't really decided on a running goal for fall, but I'm following a half-marathon training plan for now. If I decide that I don't want to do that distance, then I'll switch to a 5K plan in the fall. Right now, I just want to get back into a running routine. Also, my therapist suggested that I replace one of my runs with swimming each week (I have chronic back pain due to arthritis and a couple of bone spurs). I think I may take an adult swimming class this fall. I've always hated swimming, but maybe if I learn how to swim properly, I'll actually enjoy it. If nothing else, it will be good cross training!

I am so glad to report that I am feeling better, and I hope that those of you who could relate to what I was going through are feeling better as well--if not now, then soon! Thanks for being patient with my not-so-happy posts lately. I tried to keep them positive, but it's hard when I'm not feeling very positive. I can't even tell you how much I appreciate the support from so many readers!

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Indoor track (and another trailer for the documentary)

After my last post, I took the boys to their baseball games which lasted all evening. We didn't get home until 8:30, and Joey had been cooped up in the house while we were gone, so I was going to take him for a quick walk around the neighborhood. I started thinking about the unintentional run streak I had going on, and at the last minute, decided to run a mile with Joey instead of walk (to keep the streak alive).

In the six years I've been running, that was the longest run streak I'd ever had (like I said, I'm not a big believer in running every single day). It was hard not to continue it, though! I made sure to go nice and easy, and it was only a mile.

It's been crazy-humid in Michigan this week, which makes for miserable running weather. Lately, I've been dealing with the heat really well--I was running in 85 degree temps, which is great for cold-loving me--but the humidity was only in the 40%'s, so it wasn't that bad. This week, even when the temp is just 75, it's too humid to be enjoyable.

Yesterday, Jerry was off work, so he took the boys to practice in the morning. When they left, I decided to go use the indoor track at the high school recreation center. I don't normally like running on it, because it's a very small track (1/12th of a mile), and the constant turning can wear on one knee--but since I've been running such short distances lately, I figured 2-3 miles wouldn't be too bad, and I could listen to a podcast.

One of the runs on my Cookies Summer Running Checklist is a track run (indoor or outdoor), so I got to check that one off the list. I was the only person on the track the entire time! It was super quiet, which was really nice. I had forgotten my headphones, so I just zoned out while I was running in the silence. (It sounds terrible, but it was really enjoyable to be that quiet and just hear a light tapping of my shoes on the track.)

My fist in that picture seems to be saying, "Go get 'em, Champ!" or something like that. Also, my shorts were blue, so it looks like my body is cut off at the waist, haha.

It was actually just as hot in the rec center as it was outside. I wish they'd crank up the air conditioning in there, or at least have some fans going. But, it was nice not to have the sun beating down on me. I'll probably go there often over the next month or two.

Today was another humid day, and the kids were scheduled to run as well. So I took them to the rec center, and the three of us ran on the track. Eli was scheduled for 1.5 miles, and Noah was scheduled for 3. It was fun to be able to run "together", but not have to stick right next to each other.

Normally, I try to do some sort of speed work on Thursdays*, but running intervals on the track is really bad for my knees (the indoor track is just too small for running that fast). Instead, I decided to run a warm-up mile, a tempo mile, and then a cool down mile.

*Just as I was typing this, I realized that today is FRIDAY, not Thursday! Oh, well, I didn't do speed work yesterday, so it worked out anyway.

I felt really good during the warm-up mile, so I decided to aim for sub-8:00 on the tempo mile. It sounds like it should be easy, considering I ran a 10K at that pace just three months ago, but I've only run a few sub-8:00 miles since the 10K.

Surprisingly, the second mile went by really quickly! The pace felt difficult, but not too difficult, and I actually felt like I probably could do another mile or two at that pace if needed. My heart rate for that mile was 165 bpm, which is just what I would have expected. After that mile, I slowed down to run with Noah, because he still had over a mile to go. Eli even joined in for another half mile with us. When we were done, we were all dripping with sweat because it was hot in there. It was a great run, though!

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This afternoon, the back of my heel felt kind of sore, and I thought maybe I developed a blister or something (if feet gross you out, you might want to close this post now). I took off my sock, and noticed a piece of hair stuck to my foot (the hair wasn't growing there, it was just stuck there). When I tried to brush it off, I realized the entire thing was stuck underneath my skin! It was like a grew a layer of skin on top of it.

I ended up having to use a needle and tweezers to pull it out from under my skin. I instantly felt relief, and it wasn't even sore anymore after a couple of minutes. So weird! I imagine maybe the hair was inside of my sock, and somehow got stuck to my foot that way. I don't know. (It was pretty satisfying to pull it out, though).

Sorry if I grossed anyone out, but I just thought it was odd enough that it was worth mentioning here! Haha.

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I'll leave you with another new trailer for From Fat to Finish Line!



And here is a behind-the-scenes teaser video:

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Short trailer for From Fat to Finish Line

I almost didn't write a post today, but I wanted to share this video, so this will be a super quick post.

As I mentioned, the From Fat to Finish Line documentary is going to be released on August 2nd--it's coming up so fast! I'm a nervous wreck, especially when I saw this on Amazon:

"Starring Katie Foster"... what?! This is just so crazy to me. I'm actually more nervous than excited at this point. When I agreed to this whole thing, I never dreamed it would actually get this far. On Amazon? And Netflix? It blows my mind!

Anyway, Angela (the producer) shared another short trailer for the film. I already showed you the original trailer several times, so here is a short, fun one that was shared today:



I love Rik's quote at the end. That's EXACTLY how I feel when I finish a run :)

As the release gets closer, I may be sharing some more photos or videos as Angela allows. If you follow the From Fat to Finish Line page on Facebook, you can see them all there as well.

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Today, I checked off another run on my Cookies Summer Running Checklist--the "Podcast Run", where you download a new podcast and listen to it while you run. I downloaded the new podcast from Runner's World, which I'd been meaning to do anyway, and I listened to the episode with Bart Yasso (one of my favorite people in the running community). I think he really needs his own podcast where he can tell stories about his runs! His stories are SO interesting! I listened to his seminar at a RW event, and then I bought his book because I enjoyed the seminar so much.

Anyway, I am getting bored of taking mid-run selfies (and for some reason, they keep coming out super blurry). I'm not sure how else to "document" my run with photos, other than the token Garmin photo. So today, I decided to try out the timer on my phone. I propped it up on a rock, and managed to get a pretty good picture!

I ran 3.5 miles at an easy pace, and it felt REALLY good today. The temp was much lower, which is probably why.

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I've been trying to get some good pictures of Olivia/Monica (we call her Monica, but because we are fostering her, we can't really officially change her name). She's constantly on the move, so about 49 out of 50 pictures I take turn out blurry. But here is a decent one:

And I love how she sleeps curled into a tiny ball:

She adores my family, but she still doesn't get along with the other pets. I hope that after some time, they'll come around. They don't fight, but the cats always hiss at each other when they walk past. And Olivia/Monica constantly swipes at Joey's nose when he gets close to her.

But other than the issue with the other pets, she's adjusting really well!

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From Fat to Finish Line documentary release dates!

It's been four years in the making, and we finally--FINALLY--have a release date for From Fat to Finish Line, the documentary!

This whole project started in late 2011. I was recovering from my lower body lift surgery, and I got an email from a man named Rik. Rik told me that he had the same surgery a few weeks after I did, and he was very grateful for the posts I wrote about my experience. He said it helped to see what he had coming as far as recovery goes.

In his introduction, he mentioned that he'd done a Ragnar Relay, and I told him that I'd done one as well. We wrote about how much fun they were, and how cool would it be to run a Ragnar with other people like us? (People who had lost a lot of weight and become runners.)

Rik and me in October 2012

At first, I thought it was just talk, but we quickly realized we could actually make it happen if we wanted to. I really didn't want to do the leg work of all that a Ragnar entails (captaining a team is a TON of work). He said he didn't mind that part, but he only knew of one or two people who we could ask. Because of my blog, I know of a LOT of people who have lost weight and started running, so I had that part covered. Between the two of us, we could turn the talk into reality.

It took almost no time at all before we had a team of 11. We held off on one spot (the team requires 12 people) so that we could offer it to one of my blog readers who may have never commented or emailed me before. We had several people "apply", and Meredith's letter blew us away. We decided as a team that Meredith was the our 12th teammate. (You can see links to each member's story on this page).

We started a private Facebook group to get to know each other (we were all strangers to each other!). We had lost a collective 1200 pounds between the 12 of us, and we'd all become runners during our journey--some of us having done marathons, and some just starting at the 5K level--but we all had a common bond.

We decided on the Ragnar Florida Keys in January 2013, and started making appropriate plans for that. One of the girls on our team, Jennifer, is a co-owner of a film company called Media Meld Studios. She and her partner, Angela, thought this whole story would make a great documentary film.

Angela and Jennifer decided to go ahead with the filming, and throughout 2012, they traveled to each team member's hometown to film interviews. Meanwhile, Rik and I made plans to run the Detroit Marathon together in October 2012, and it would be the first time we'd meet in person--naturally, Jennifer and Angela wanted to get that on film.

Jennifer and Angela came out here to Michigan to film interviews in June 2012, and then again in October to film Rik and I meeting for the first time and running the race together.

With Jennifer and Angela in June 2012

With Rik at the starting line of the Detroit Marathon 2012

In other exciting news, The Today Show heard about the documentary in the works, and they wanted to air a piece about it. They made plans to go to Miami and Key West to film us as well! This whole thing just kept getting more and more unbelievable to me.

Finally, in January 2013, all 12 teammates, the production and film crew for the documentary, as well as The Today Show, flew down to Miami to meet for the first time. It was so fun to get to see all these people I'd been chatting with for a year! We had a great connection, and I knew the race was going to be a blast. I wrote all about the race and our time in Miami and Key West on several posts.

Finish line photo in Key West

Posts about the race:
Bienvenido a Miami 
Ragnar Relay Florida Keys, Part 1
Ragnar Relay Florida Keys, Part 2
Ragnar Relay Florida Keys, Part 3
Ragnar Relay Florida Keys, Part 4
The Today Show aired! 

Here is the clip from the Today Show:

After arriving back home, several of us appeared on our local news stations to talk about the film. And the production crew got to work on editing hundreds of hours of film down to a single movie. They also had to find investors in the film, which is a huge process in itself. I had no idea how much work, money, or energy goes into making a documentary!

For the last three years, Angela and Jennifer (as well as their film crew and editors) have been working like crazy on this project. The film was completed last year, but they still had to work on getting it publicized--at film festivals and available on digital networks. The film premiered at the Nashville Film Festival last summer, and while I wasn't able to be there, I was told that it was a big hit with the audience.

There was a screening of it in Vegas last November for the From Fat to Finish Line community. And there will be a screening in San Diego this July. The film will be available to the public shortly after that...

The official release date is August 2, 2016! From Fat to Finish Line will be available on VOD (Video On Demand) for iTunes and on Amazon Prime. If you pledged money on IndiGoGo for a DVD, that will be sent out and you will receive it around that time as well (Angela hopes to get them out just before the VOD release date). Then, in early September, the film will be available on Netflix.

Crazy, right?! I'm in a film that is going to be on NETFLIX. Even though I've known about this for four years, I guess I never really believed it would get this far. But the contracts are signed, and it's happening. Wow.

When I go to Virginia Beach over Labor Day weekend, there is going to be a screening of the film as well--and it's open to the public, so if any of you are interested in seeing it with me, I'd love to meet up! The film screening will be September 3rd (the Rock 'n' Roll Half is on the 4th, and a lot of the From Fat to Finish Line community is doing that). It should be a fun time!

I'll close with the trailer for the film. I've shared it several times before, but it still gets to me every time!


I'll be sharing a few other promo videos as they are released as well.
The website for the film: www.fattofinish.com
On Twitter:  www.twitter.com/FattoFinishFilm
On Facebook:  www.facebook.com/fattofinish
IMDb page: From Fat to Finish Line 

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Finders keepers!

I feel like it's been such a long time since I wrote, but maybe that's just because I've had a lot of random things going on over the last week or so.

As I mentioned, I hurt my knee on last week's long run. It was REALLY painful on Monday, and I was pretty upset that it would totally derail my training. I decided not to panic, and it's early enough in my training that taking some time off isn't going to be the end of the world. I decided not to run at all from Monday through Thursday. Then, on Friday, I went for a very short test run to see how it felt. It was good!

On Saturday, I ran three miles, and again--no problems. Relief! Today was my long run, and since I ran 10 miles last week, I decided to cut back today to just 5 miles. I didn't want to risk aggravating my knee, just in case it wasn't 100% yet.

We've had some amazing weather this weekend. Yesterday, it was 64 degrees and sunny! A week ago, it was just 9 degrees--shows you how much Michigan weather can change at the drop of a hat. This morning, it was a little cooler (about 40), but great weather for a run. My friend Bonnie was interviewed on a podcast recently, so I listened to that on my phone while I ran today. Bonnie is adorable--she has the sweetest Virginian accent, and she made me laugh out loud several times while I was running. (Here is a link to the podcast--Bonnie is on S2E6, from 2/19. You can read Bonnie's weight loss story here on my blog.)

My run went great! I was wondering if my heart rate monitor stopped working, because it rarely beeped to signal that I was using too much effort. It was so nice to just run, listening to Bonnie chat in my ear, and not worry about my pace. At around mile four, I spotted something on the side of the road that caught my eye--a $20 bill! That's the most money I've ever found on a run before, so I was pretty excited.

When I got home, I was happy to see that my pace was 10:42/mile and my average heart rate was 143 bpm. That's good for an easy run! (I keep my heart rate below 146).

We had a couple of exciting things happen on Wednesday. Jerry was off work, so we decided we'd better go get our taxes done--I'd been dreading it, because we've had to pay for the last couple of years instead of getting a refund (the downside of blogging). We went to a new tax preparation guy, and he was extremely helpful! We ended up getting a nice refund this year, which is awesome.

While I would love to use the money for a new treadmill, that would be rather selfish of me; so instead, we decided to plan a vacation. The From Fat to Finish Line group on Facebook is planning an event in Virginia Beach over Labor Day weekend (the Rock n Roll races and a showing of the documentary). Jerry and I decided to plan a trip there and take the kids, so we'll make a vacation out of it. I don't plan to do the race, but I would like to meet up with anyone from the group that would like to. (It's open to the public, so if you're not already a member of the group, you're welcome to join! And please let me know if you'll be in Virginia Beach, so we can meet up.)

After we did our taxes, we went to the car dealership to turn in Jerry's lease (a Dodge Dart). He's had it for three years, and we planned to buy another Patriot when we turned it in (we love our Jeep Patriot that we bought in 2010). When we got there, we checked out our options. I'm not a big "car person", meaning that I basically just choose whatever is cheapest and I don't need any of the bells and whistles. Our Patriot doesn't even have automatic locks or windows!

We saw a very cute bright yellow Jeep Renegade in the showroom. I'd never heard of the Renegade, and the salesman told us it was new. After using my brother-in-law's employee discount, and using the rebates from the lease, it ended up being cheaper to buy the Jeep Renegade than it would have been to buy a used Patriot. And even though I'm not a big car person, I fell in love with the yellow Jeep! So, we left the dealership in my new wheels ;)

I absolutely love it! And the color just makes me so happy. We picked up the kids from school, and they were really surprised (and excited) to see the new Jeep.

I finally remembered to buy a new battery for my Fitbit, so I will start wearing it again tomorrow. It's been a week without it, so I have no idea how many steps I was getting in!

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Running Motivation (movies and books)

I didn't get a single Motivational Monday submission this week! I'm going to cut back the Motivational Monday posts down to "Monthly Motivation" or something like that. Since I've only been getting one or two per week lately, I'll just save them up and post them once in a while.

To keep with the "Motivation" theme today, however, I thought I'd share some of my favorite movies and books about running! I've included the trailers for the movies, so you can see for yourself if it's something you'd like to watch. (I am sorry, but I had to truncate this post because of all the media on it, so if you're reading this on a reader or email, you'll have to click through to the blog).

Here they are, in no particular order...

McFarland, USA

Available on Amazon, Vudu, and iTunes

This is your typical feel-good Disney movie. A physical education teacher of a Latino school discovers several kids with some serious running talent (or potential, rather). He begins to train them to run cross country, despite the kids' parents not being very supportive. As most Disney movies are, it's predictable and a little corny at times, but it is very inspiring and makes you want to run. AND, it's based on a true story!

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Prefontaine

Available on Amazon, Vudu, and iTunes

Chances are, if you're a runner, you know who Steve "Pre" Prefontaine was. He was a track runner in Oregon who was as confident and cocky (in a likable way) as he was talented. He once held the American record in SEVEN different track events, and he competed in the 1972 olympics. The movie details his life, which ended tragically at age 24. (I recently discovered that Pre and I were each born on January 25th! I think it's fun to share a birthday with a running celebrity.)

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Saint Ralph

Available on Amazon (free with Prime!), Vudu, and iTunes

This movie is hilarious! It's about a ninth-grade boy named Ralph who attends a strict Catholic school. He's always getting into trouble, in the way a coming-of-age boy does. He gets caught smoking, and as punishment, he has to join the cross country team. His mother is in the hospital, dying, and Ralph makes a bargain with God that if God heals Ralph's mom, Ralph will train for and WIN the Boston Marathon. This movie is extremely entertaining! The only thing that would make it even better would be if it was a true story (it's not).

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4 Minute Mile

Available on Netflix, Amazon, Vudu, and iTunes

This movie made me want to run FAST. It's about a high school boy with a tough home life who is discovered to be a very talented runner (kind of like 8 Mile, the movie with Eminem, only instead of rapping, this guy runs). He is trained by (if I remember correctly) a former track coach who turned alcoholic. The coach decides he's going to train him for a sub-4:00 mile. I won't spoil the ending, but it's inspiring ;)

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From Fat to Finish Line

Available on Amazon, Netflix, Vudu, and iTunes

I couldn't resist posting this one... From Fat to Finish Line is a documentary that I took part in when I formed a team of runners for a Ragnar Relay. Here are the posts about when/how the team came together. Our team was made up of 12 people who had lost a collective 1200 pounds and became runners throughout our journey. One of the girls that I asked to join the team happened to be a part owner of a small film company, Media Meld Studios, and they thought it would make an awesome documentary. The film has premiered in Nashville and in Las Vegas, and is now available on Netflix and iTunes! Here is the trailer (just try to watch this without getting goosebumps!)


The Barkley Marathons: The Race That Eats Its Young Available on Amazon, Vudu, Netflix, YouTube, and iTunes
If you want some serious motivation, this is the movie to watch. These people are HARDCORE runners. They run a loop of what seems impossible terrain and elevation changes--100 miles, and it has to be completed in under 60 hours. There are only 40 runners allowed, and it fills up immediately. The application fee is only $1.60 (plus a license plate)--odd, but the film explains it ;) This is a must watch!

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These are a few of my favorite books about running. I didn't include training books--these are stories/novels/memoirs about running. (Amazon affiliate links)
Running for My Life: One Lost Boy's Journey from the Killing Fields of Sudan to the Olympic Games By: Lopez Lamong This is hands-down my favorite inspirational running book. This is the true story of Lopez Lomong, who went from a refugee from the Sudanese Civil War to being a Nike-sponsored athlete on the US Olympic team. If you find yourself making excuses not to exercise, or take care of yourself, this is a must-read. I felt SO incredibly grateful for my life after reading this book. 

Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner By: Dean Karnazes Dean Karnazes is an incredible runner who can basically run for days without stopping. He never gets tired! I was hooked from the first page of this book, which details Karnazes' adventures and how he got started as an ultra runner. This is an interested read whether you are a runner or not!

My Life on the Run: The Wit, Wisdom, and Insights of a Road Racing Icon By: Bart Yasso, of Runner's World Magazine In this book, the "mayor of running" Bart Yasso shares tales of some of his most interesting races. I've met Bart a few times at Runner's World events, and his stories are incredible. He has been all over the world and has done some really crazy races--including a naked run at a nudist camp! A very entertaining read.

Born to Run By: Christopher McDougall Additional: I feel like it would be a crime not to mention Born to Run, which is pretty much the most famous book of all time about running. I own a copy of the book, and I've started to read it probably five or six times, but I just can't get into it! I'm going to list it here anyway, because so many runners rave about it. (I'm vowing to read the book in its entirety sometime this year. Hold me to that!)

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And there you have it--my very favorites. Do you have a favorite running movie or book? Please share!

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