Weight Loss Success Story: How Carly Lost 100 Pounds and Started Running!

Early this month, I received an e-mail from a woman named Carly that I found so inspiring, I asked her to share more about her story. I excitedly read the e-mail to Jerry, and I told a couple of my friends about Carly and how inspirational her story was.

I receive a lot of e-mails from people who say they wish they could run, but they are "too heavy". That certainly may be true, considering running is hard on your body, but if an overweight or obese person gets the go-ahead from his or her doctor, there is no reason that he or she cannot become a runner. Carly has certainly proved that--and she is losing weight in the process.

When I read Carly's story, I just had to ask her to write a guest post so that other people can be inspired as well. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.   --Katie

Update: We invited Carly to join our Ragnar Relay team, From Fat to Finish Line, and she ran with us in January 2013. The team is now part of a documentary called From Fat to Finish Line, available on Netflix and Amazon.

Here is Carly's story, in her words:

"Last summer, I received pictures of myself from a wedding I had recently been in. It would be an understatement to say I was unhappy with the way I looked. Something HAD to change.

I started taking small walks every night. After about a month of walking, a lot of research, and a heart-to-heart talk with my doctor, I decided to start the Couch to 5K running program. In order to keep myself going, I immediately signed up for a 5k near the end of the program. I am the type of person that won't stick to something unless I have a plan so this worked well for me.

On the day of my first run that September, I weighed 349 pounds.

It took me over two weeks to get through the entire first week of the program. I would run for a minute, and then walk for 90 seconds every other night. I will never forget how hard those one-minute runs were at over 300 pounds.

Once I stopped feeling like I was going to die after the week one runs, I moved on to week two. If I didn't feel comfortable with a week of the program, I repeated it. I struggled a lot with week four and repeated that a couple of times. Then came week five and I realized that the sneaky folks who wrote the Couch to 5k program hated me: a 20-minute run out of nowhere!

I did the whole 20 minutes the very first time and shocked myself. That was the day I ran my first whole mile.

By the time my 5k race came in late October, I was only in week seven of the nine-week program, but I was determined to try. At that point, I was 330 pounds, and I ended up running the entire 3.1 miles in 52 minutes WITHOUT walking at all!

Up until that point, I had always run alone, but I had a very supportive friend running with me and pushing me. She would encourage me to keep running when I wanted to stop, and made the race really fun. I am sure I would have stopped to walk if she wasn't there.

I actually screamed out my weight in excitement as I crossed the finish line--my running high obviously messed up my brain in that moment! I finished the Couch to 5k program and two months later ran a second 5K race in 45 minutes.

For me, running is almost more mental than physical. The first 10 minutes of every run are the worst, and all I can think about is stopping. I begin to wonder why I ever thought it was a good idea to run. Once I get past the first 10 minutes, however, I love it!

I had a lot of people tell me that running at my weight wasn't safe for my knees, heart, and feet. This can be true, but there is a safe way to get started and proper ways to protect yourself. From the time I started week one, I had permission from my doctor and was sized for proper (expensive) running shoes.

I don't "run through pain" and I am very conscious of my body and if it needs to rest. I had to stop running twice: once for bronchitis and once for shin splints. It took me a week to get back to where I was each time, but the rest and time off was necessary.

In the beginning, I struggled with running in front of other people, afraid of what they were thinking. I work on an Air Force Base, so the gym I go to is not exactly lacking good-looking, well-built men (and very fit women). I am definitely still the biggest girl there. The only way I was able to overcome being nervous about working out in front of them was to just do it! It also gives me plenty of motivation to use proper form and suck in my belly when I work out.

Once they recognized me and saw me shrinking they would stop me and tell me what an inspiration I have been to them. Me? An inspiration at 300 pounds? Crazy!

Since beginning to run in September, I have lost 63 pounds. A BIG part of that is due to changing my eating habits and tracking everything I eat. I work full-time and I am a single mom to a 3-year old, so I have to be very creative to find the time to work out and plan healthy meals.

I recently signed up for a half-marathon in May and I am beginning to train for that. I plan to walk/run it, but my big goal is just to finish. I would love to be able to help anyone who thinks they might be too big to run. Start slow and be mindful of your body and you can do this!"

Carly's Tips for Overweight Runners

*Proper shoes - Go to a running store that will watch you run on a treadmill and fit you in the best shoes for your feet.

*Get the 'okay' from your doctor - You should do this before any exercise program, but being overweight can put an extra burden on your body (it's also nice to be able to compare your numbers from the tests your doc takes after you've been running for a while).

*Start slow - You should be able to walk 30 minutes at a reasonable pace before starting to run.

*Be comfortable - If you're nervous about people watching you run, you will probably be more productive running alone.

*Eat well - Eating nutritionally bad food or too much food makes me feel weighed down when I run.

*Stretch - I thought stretching was nonsense for a while, but since I started stretching, my runs are always better. Plus, it feels so good!

*Don't give up - The first time you run for a minute will not be easy, but it does get better as your body gets used to it.

Carly said that you can e-mail her at:  carlyoleo (at) gmail (dot) com.

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Blueberry muffins the size of my face

I decided to check the weather this morning to see just how cold I was going to be on my run today...

Yep, sure glad I looked. ;)  Before my run, however, I had to go to the boys' school for a "breakfast with mom" event. I drove the kids there and we all went inside to get our muffins and milk. They had those muffins from Sam's Club--you know the ones that are the size of your face? The banana one is my favorite, but they only had chocolate and blueberry, so I got the blueberry.

I thought to myself that I should probably only eat half of it (because they are 600ish calories each!!) but it was so good that I just ate the whole thing. Since I was planning on running 6 miles afterward, it was like the muffin had 0 calories :)

I went home and tried to psych myself up to go run in the freezing cold (the temp was actually reading 3 degrees, which actually made me kind of excited to run, just to see how bad it would be). I sent Renee a text to see if she'd want to go with me at the State Park, and she said that despite being totally hardcore when it comes to running outside in the winter, maybe we could wait until the afternoon when it was supposed to reach 19 degrees, and Alicia would come too.  Sounded good to me!

So instead of running, I spent the morning cleaning the bathrooms. My least favorite chore. Usually Jerry does them because he knows how much I hate to do them, but he's been working like a mule lately (12-hr shifts, 5-7 days a week). I also cleaned our bedroom really good so that we don't have any clutter on our dresser (where we tend to accumulate random crap).  Tonight, I just want to cuddle under the electric blanket and maybe watch a movie or something.

I went to the State Park and met Renee and Alicia (who are both way faster runners than me!) and we headed out for a 6-mile run. I was worried about pushing myself TOO hard because of my knee (and the farthest I've run since before surgery was 5 miles) so we went at a pace that probably felt like a crawl to them, but was only slightly uncomfortable for me.  I could talk, but only a few words at a time.

We finished the path that we were running and it only totaled 5.8 miles... and because I'm such a perfectionist, I drove home and then ran the 0.2 to round it off at 6 ;)

The past couple of runs I've had were almost a minute per mile faster than we ran today, but only half the distance. I love seeing that 643 calorie burn, but it sucks that I already spent it on a muffin this morning! 

I've learned recently that I absolutely LOVE running outside in the winter.  Last year, I did most runs on the dreadmill. This year, I've totally embraced the cold and it's fantastic. It's SO much better than running in the heat of summer. And wearing the right clothing makes me totally comfortable and not too cold. The hard part is just the wind. When it's windy, it's kind of miserable to run.

I'm feeling kind of bummed that I won't be able to celebrate my 30th next weekend (my actual birthday is on Wednesday, but I was hoping to go out on Friday). I've NEVER liked to celebrate a birthday, but this one is a huge milestone, so I was really hoping to do something fun like a comedy club with some other couples.

That's the only weekend Jerry is off work, but it also happens to be a weekend that my parents are busy on Friday and Saturday and won't be able to keep the boys. We've never hired a sitter for our kids (not just because of the money, but also because I have a hard time trusting people with my kids).

I am going out to lunch, however, with Jessica and Renee on Thursday to my favorite restaurant, followed by a trip to Victoria's Secret at the mall ;)  I have two gift cards that I really want to use on something cute now that my incision is all healed and my belly is pretty flat. When I was fat, I always dreamed of wearing cute lingerie--and technically I could have, but I certainly wouldn't have felt "cute" or "sexy" in it. Then after I lost the weight, I still wasn't feeling it because of the saggy skin. I'm definitely feeling it now, and I can't wait to go buy something!

Saturday is our Winers meeting, so although it's not a birthday celebration, I can at least pretend everyone is celebrating my 30th with wine! ;)  Hopefully Jerry and I will be able to go out soon.

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Cold weather and warm food

I was supposed to go for a run with Jessica this morning, but I ended up canceling and running alone by my house. I had plans to meet up with Renee and Jessica for coffee at 11, and with the drive to and from Jessica's, I'd waste a lot of time that I needed to take a shower and get dressed before coffee.  I live in the middle of nowhere, so everywhere I go takes me at least 15 minutes.

The weather channel was calling for snow, but not until a little later, so I headed out for a run right as my kids left for school. My dad snapped a picture for me, although it's not exactly a great pic:

I need more running pictures! I only have a few and they're all terrible--too blurry, too dark, too far away. Oh well. The first mile wasn't too bad, and I actually felt a little too warm. Considering it was only 14 degrees outside, that was strange. But as soon as I got to the lake front, I felt like I froze into an icicle. The wind was blowing right into my face, and it had started to snow--so all the flakes were going in my eyes. The wind was VERY strong and I felt like I was running in place.

I had the most horrid look on my face as I was running, and I'm sure that if someone had seen me, they would have thought I was a beginner runner pushing myself WAY too hard. I could barely keep my eyes open, but then I saw someone else who was outside--a woman out on a walk. I tried to wipe the grimace off my face, but I think it was just frozen in place.

By mile three, it was snowing pretty hard, but once I was off the lake front, it wasn't so bad. I finished the run and took a super steamy shower.

Then I made my current favorite bowl of oatmeal for breakfast:  1/2 cup of oats, 3/4 cup of milk, 2 dates (chopped), 4 walnut halves (chopped), 1 tsp. brown sugar, and a splash of vanilla extract (about 1/2 tsp).  I put it all in a bowl and then microwave it for 3 minutes on high. I let it cool for a few minutes and then top it with some sort of nut butter--today was coconut butter.

You'll have to imagine the coconut butter on top ;)

I swear, there is something magical about cooking oats in milk rather than water. It makes not only the taste, but also the texture a million times better. After my surgery, I switched back to cow's milk instead of the almond milk because it has more protein, and I have to say I really like it better. The almond milk is a fantastic non-dairy low-calorie milk, but I think I'll stick with cow's milk now.

I met Renee and Jessica for coffee before lunch. I ordered decaf, but I think maybe it was actually caffeinated. I was very jittery on the way home, and I STILL feel jittery. Next time I'll just get tea. While we were sitting there, it started snowing something fierce. It looked like a blizzard outside. It was really slow driving home, and an ambulance went past me (no doubt because of an accident). It was so dreary looking outside, I just wanted to curl up under my electric blanket. Homemade chicken noodle soup was the perfect lunch today!

Tomorrow we're supposed to get 3-6 inches of snow... ironically, tomorrow is my scheduled long run.

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The Difference Between Motivation and Determination

When people learn about my weight loss, aside from wanting to know the magic pill I took (i.e. diet and exercise), they usually ask me, "How did you stay motivated?"

The short answer is, I didn't. I didn't even have motivation when I started losing! What I did have, however, was determination.

(Um, Katie... isn't that the same thing?)

No--they are completely different! Here is the definition from the dictionary:

Motivation- A motivating force, stimulus, or influence; incentive; drive.

Determination- The act of deciding definitely and firmly; firm or fixed intention to achieve a desired end.
(source)

I believe that motivation is only temporary. You might feel motivated to lose weight by watching weight loss stories on TV, or reading weight loss blogs (like mine!) or seeing a friend who did it. But that motivation only lasts until you are faced with temptation, and then the motivation shoots out the window because you want to eat _____ (fill in the blank). Motivation is that "force" that makes you want to achieve something and gives you drive to do it--but only until you lose that drive.

(source)

Determination, on the other hand, is "the act of deciding definitely and firmly". It's a DECISION that has no if's, and's, or but's. You make the decision to just do it, and you DO IT, motivation be damned.

When I finally decided to lose the weight, it wasn't a matter of feeling motivated--because I didn't feel that way at all. I really was sick of dieting and failing; of high hopes being crushed every time I failed; deprivation and restriction... I just wanted to be done with the whole idea of losing weight and just live my life!

However, when I wasn't able to teach Noah to ride a two-wheeler because I was too fat to run up and down the street alongside his bike, the fire of determination was lit inside of me. It was no longer an act of feeling motivated (because I still didn't feel motivated)--I just decided that I would have to do it, no matter how badly I didn't want to.

When I made that decision, it was no longer an issue as to whether I could stay on track--because I was so determined to finally reach the "end" that I wanted/needed. I knew exactly what I needed to do to lose the weight (count calories and make smarter food decisions; exercise); so I did it because that was the decision I had already made.

When you feel the fire of determination, you're not making the decision to just "get it done"; you're making the decision to do whatever it takes to get it done. This doesn't mean that you're not going to have setbacks along the way; but you will realize that they are just setbacks. You can keep right on going, because you already made the decision to do whatever it takes and not give up.

Eight months after I felt that determination, my mom took this video:

I was still very overweight in that video (about 173 pounds), but I was able to teach Eli to ride a two-wheeler.  That made every little sacrifice worth it.

If you have seen my weight loss video, then you might recognize this picture:

The reason I chose that picture to represent "determination" was because this was the day that I finally achieved an 8-mile run. I had attempted to run 8 miles two other times, but couldn't quite make it. Then I made the decision that the third attempt was going to be IT, and I was absolutely determined to finish that 8 miles. And I did!!  My shirt was soaked in sweat (that was obviously before I discovered the magic of technical shirts!) but you can see the smile on my face and how proud I felt in that moment.

I guess the whole point of this post is that if there is something you want, don't wait for motivation to push you through (because it won't)--find the determination inside of you and DO IT! No excuses ;)

 

"A failure establishes only this: that our determination to succeed was not strong enough." --John Christian Bovee

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A sleepless night

Worst. sleep. ever. last night. Jerry apparently has the stomach flu, so he was in and out of bed constantly--going to the bathroom to throw up. He was supposed to leave for work at 5:00 this morning. In the 9 1/2 years he's worked there, he has NEVER ONCE called in sick.

They get bonuses for perfect attendance, so he has made it a point to get perfect attendance every year. I thought for sure he was going to have to call in sick today. He ended up calling and asking if he could use a vacation day today (which doesn't count against his attendance), and thankfully, they said yes.

Chandler couldn't have been happier...

Despite getting zero sleep, I still had to get the kids up and ready for school. It was pouring rain this morning, so I drove them to the bus stop. Once we got there, I realized that we forgot their backpacks at home. I went back home, ran in the house to get the backpacks, and then we went back to the bus stop. And we waited for 15 minutes, until I realized that the bus must have come while I was back at the house. So I had to drive the kids to the school in my pajamas (sans bra!).

I had a 3-mile run on the marathon schedule today, so as soon as it stopped raining, I headed out for a run. It's 46 degrees today--and ALL of the snow and ice is gone. If there is one thing that is predictable about Michigan, it's the fact that the weather is so UNpredictable. (Oh, and the fact that no matter where you drive, you will ALWAYS run into road construction).

I went at a pace that felt a little too fast to be comfortable, but I was still able to finish strong. I was really pushing it, though, wanting it to hurry up and be over with.

I think I'm almost back to my pre-op pace. It's weird though, in October 2010 I was running about a 9:00 min/mile easily, even for my long runs. Then I broke my jaw, and then I gained back 15 pounds--and my pace slowed by at least a minute per mile. Now that I've dropped the weight again, I'm  hoping that my pace gets a little better than it has been.

By the way, I read a VERY inspiring post by Jen at From FAT to FINISH LINE this morning, and I just had to share it with you--make sure you check it out (and be sure to watch the video at the end)!

I'm glad I don't have anything scheduled tomorrow. I'm going to try and catch up on my e-mail and housework. It's amazing how putting something off for just a day or two makes a world of difference in the long run!

I can't wait to put on my fleece pj's, pour a glass of wine (just one this time), and settle in to watch The Biggest Loser tonight. Then hopefully sleep much better than I did last night!

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First day of marathon training

I was SO excited to discover that Blogger now has a "reply" option on blog comments, and the reply will post directly below the comment you're replying to. So this means I will probably be replying to many more comments. I always just feel like my replies will get lost in the shuffle, and I don't even know if the commenter will see my reply, so I rarely actually reply to comments. Anyway, hopefully this will be a much cleaner look for the comments section, and definitely more helpful.

Most blogs didn't have to DO anything to get the new comment system. But for some reason, Runs for Cookies had to be difficult. I had to mess with the html coding stuff (which I know absolutely NOTHING about). But I got it to work.

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I had too much wine last night. Jerry and I were playing cards, and the kids spent the night at my parents' house. One glass led to another, which led to another... and this morning I woke up feeling a little hung over. Which was just perfect, because my marathon training started today! ;)

I am following Hal Higdon's Novice program--only I am making my running days M-T-W-F instead of the way he has them listed. So today was a scheduled 3-mile run. I went to Jessica's house to meet up with her, Julia, and Johna. We ran the same route as before, so it was a 4.2 mile run.

Jessica lives super close to the State Park, so we just run to the park and do the trail there. The trail was mainly covered in snow with a little ice. I actually really like running on snow, because it makes a cushion. But the ice is scary.

I went to the running store a couple of days ago to possibly buy some running cleats--they are these rubber contraptions that you slide over your shoes and they have little spikes on them so that you can run on snow and ice. They were expensive and I wasn't too crazy about the couple of pairs that I tried on, so I held off on buying them. Yesterday, I researched some other options, and found one that looks promising--I'm going to try them out and then I'll post more about them once I know how I like them.

Anyway, we were running on the slow side because of the snow and ice, but it was a great run. I always say this, but running with other people makes it so much more enjoyable! The time went by fast, and finished our 4.2 miles.

When we were done, I wanted to get a picture of Jessica and me on our first day of marathon training (I promise I'll quit talking about "our first day of marathon training" now).

We didn't dress alike on purpose, but it definitely looks that way!  I love her Bondiband--it says "Run now. Wine later."

One run down, 70 more to go before the marathon.

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And since I started training today, I figured I couldn't put off registering any longer... so I did it!!

It was so strange to click the "marathon" option

And then $97.58 later... I got an e-mail.

I also booked my hotel. I figured that Jerry and the kids could come too, and we can make a weekend out of it. I like that the race is on Sunday, because then I can just get in the car and we'll go home right after. We'll have Friday and Saturday to do some fun stuff with the kids.

I just can't believe this is all happening...

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Fetch

Well, I lied. I ended up eating two pieces of Eli's cake yesterday instead of just one. But the rest went in the trash!  I wish I could say that I regretted the second piece, that it tasted terrible and I only ate it because it was there. But honestly, I truly enjoyed the second piece just as much as the first. I'll always be a die-hard sweets fan!

Speaking of which, someone asked me a question about my daily treat, and I've actually never been asked this before... She was wondering why I save my daily treat to eat at nighttime. A very good question! The reason I do this is because when I eat my treat, I want to really really enjoy it. If I had eat a piece of cake at Eli's party, I would have been distracted by conversation, kids yelling, music blaring, my tight jeans, etc, which would not have satisfied me at all. At home, in the evening, I'm comfy in my pajamas and the kids are in bed and I can sit and relax and TRULY enjoy my treat.  Also, it gives me something to look forward to during the day!

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The past couple of days I've been working on a batch of tea wallets to put for sale on my Gockets page. I've put them on there already, so I retitled the page "Shop" for lack of a better word. Anyway, they took soooo much more time and work than I thought they would, so that is the only batch I'll be making! But they are super cute and a great way to use up the fat quarters of fabric that I had.

I also was ironing the initials on a couple of Gockets, and Estelle was completely fascinated. She kept stealing the velcro strips from out of my bag of supplies. Then she just sat and watched me like a hawk. Apparently, she's taken on the job of quality control manager.

I've been trying to get a video of her playing fetch. I swear that she knows as soon as I turn on the camera and she walks away. But she plays fetch like a dog would! She has a drinking straw that she plays with, and she'll bring it to me or Jerry over and over over again to throw it. So we'll throw it, she chases it, and brings it right back.

Unfortunately, she likes to do it mostly in the middle of the night. She'll bring her straw onto the bed and then meow until we throw it for her. And repeat about 10-15 times. It used to be amusing, but it gets a little annoying after a while. She has us trained very well ;)  Does anyone else have a cat that plays fetch?

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Tomorrow starts marathon training!! I still haven't registered, but I hope to this week. My first week of training is pretty simple. It looks like this:

Monday- Run 3 miles easy.
Tuesday- Run 3 miles easy.
Wednesday- Run 3 miles easy.
Friday- Run 6 miles (long run)

Tomorrow, I'm actually going to be running 4 miles, because I'm meeting Jessica. I've only been running three times a week since surgery, so I'll have to add a fourth day. I'm going to try and stick to the schedule as much as possible so that I'm super prepared for the race. I'm still having issues with my knee (although not as bad as it was), and I'm just praying that it will get better on its own.

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Lifetime Movie Network just reminded me how pathetic I am... "You're watching 'KILLER MEN SUNDAY' on LMN."   LOL, how do I get sucked into these movies?!

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Rollerskating party

We got some serious snow last night! Not a whole lot accumulated, but while it was snowing really hard, the roads were very slippery. My parents were on the expressway and they saw a bunch of cars sliding off the road and into the median. Then someone rear-ended them on the expressway! Thankfully, they were completely unhurt. And even their car didn't have a scratch or dent on it. But the person who hit them totaled the front of their car.  The expressway was actually shut down after that because of all the accidents.

We went to the kids' Family Night for their school. It was at the local rec center, and they had free pizza and activities going on there. Jerry and I picked up my friend Andrea's son, because Andrea was sick. So we took the three boys and they had a blast.

This morning, the kids had their first swimming lesson. It was awful. Noah did just fine, but Eli was acting like a completely bratty two-year old. He didn't want to get in the water, didn't want to listen to the teacher, etc. I made him get in, and the teacher had to hold him in the water while he kicked and tried to claw his way out. He's not scared of the water at all--but he wants to use a life jacket, and I want him to learn to swim. Anyway, the teacher said that if he does it next week, she'll have someone else help teach the class (there are only 3 kids total) and she would work one-on-one with Eli.

Today was Eli's birthday party. He turned 6 last Saturday, but since Jerry was working, we had his party today. Since he loves roller skating now, we had his party at the roller rink. I wasn't planning on skating, but a lot of the parents were, so I changed my mind and got some skates on. I hadn't worn roller skates since I was about 7 years old!

Yes, the roller rink is just as retro as it looks :)  Skating was so much harder than I remembered! I had to hold on to Jerry most of the time, and I couldn't stop or turn, lol. It was fun though. My calves are going to feel that tomorrow for sure!

My mom and Jerry's mom both decided to try it out, too. I was worried about my mom falling, but Jerry helped her around the rink too ;)

Jerry's mom, Jerry, and my mom... his job was to hold them up, apparently ;)

Unfortunately, Jerry's mom went around by herself and fell pretty hard. She was complaining that her wrist hurt, and she ended up leaving the party early to go get it checked out that the ER. (When we got home, we learned that she actually broke it! They had to put it in a cast).

Eli had a cake from Sam's Club (the best cakes!!) with buttercream frosting, which you all know is my weakness. I didn't eat any cake while we were at the party, but I planned on having a corner piece (with lots of frosting) at home. So I insisted everyone take cake home for their families, and we only wound up with about 5 pieces left over.

 As soon as we got home, I had to have a piece--and it was SUPER rich with lots of frosting, which is just how I love it. But now I'm totally satisfied, so I'm hoping that Noah and Eli eat the rest today and tomorrow, and we'll be done with it.

There is a chance our friends Joe and Amber might come over tonight to play some board games, but I'm not sure if that's going to happen or not. I better get the house cleaned anyway! (It's kind of funny--when I was cleaning, Noah asked me if someone was coming over. When I asked him why, he said, "Because you're cleaning"  lol)

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A very wintery run

So I looked outside this morning and saw that the weather was perfect for a run:

It's actually snowing here, but you can't see it in the pic

BWAHAHA, I just wanted to curl up under my electric blanket (set to "high" of course) and read my book. But I got dressed in my running clothes, checked the weather (no idea why I torture myself) and headed out.

Feels like 12 degrees? Sure, I'll go for a run!

I was supposed to run with Julia today, but Noah threw up last night and I figured I'd have to keep him home from school today, so I canceled with Julia. Noah felt fine when he woke up, so he went to school and by that time, Julia had gone for a run with her husband.

I had to run carefully and slowly so that I didn't slip, but other than that, it was great! When running into the wind, I wished I'd had a mask for my face, but that was only for about half a mile. It started snowing pretty hard and the flakes were going right in my eyes, which was annoying, but I'm not sure how to get around that problem.

I did 5.2 miles (the farthest I've run since after surgery) and felt great when I was done!

After yesterday's post, some of you asked what I like to wear when I run outside in the winter... I wear my Under Armour Cold Gear compression fitted pants, an Under Armour Cold Gear long sleeve top, and a fleece jacket over it. Then I wear a headband/earwarmer thing, and gloves. And of course the given: socks, shoes, Garmin, sports bra. I always feel a little chilled when I step outside, but I'm totally comfortable once I start running.

I like the Cold Gear line by Under Armour, because it's very light weight and moisture wicking, but it keeps you very warm! It's meant for temps below 55 degrees. They also have a Heat Gear line, which I love to use in the summer. It's meant to keep you cool in hot temperatures. I don't normally like to spend a lot of money on clothes (you know I buy EVERYTHING from thrift stores!) but the Under Armour stuff is definitely worth the money.

Anyway, after my run, I took a shower and ate breakfast, and then Jerry and I went to get Eli's party decorations. We went to a store called Party City, and it was awesome!! It made me want to plan a party (for adults). I was glad Eli wasn't with us when I saw their huge candy area:

Yes, that is ALL candy. Crazy, right? I'm sure that is what Eli thinks Heaven is like :)

We got his decorations and then headed home. I had a piece of toast with my lunch, and when I was deciding which nut butter to spread on it, I decided to take a picture to show you how crazy I am about my nut butters:

All of those jars are currently in use--I like a variety! ;) 

Peanut Butter & Co. Cinnamon Raisin Swirl, White Chocolate Wonderful, and Dark Chocolate Dreams
Smucker's Natural creamy
JIF creamy
Krema natural creamy
PB2
Barney Butter creamy almond butter
Kettle creamy almond butter
Sunbutter sunflower seed butter
And homemade coconut butter and chocolate coconut butter
Oh, and not pictured is the cashew butter in the fridge ;)

Yep, I'm obsessed with my nut butters!  I like them all for different things. They can turn just about anything into something decadent.

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Well, I'm off to the kids' Family Night at school!

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How to get started as a runner

Let me just preface this post by saying that I am in no way qualified to give advice about running--I'm no running coach! (Update in 2013- I got my certification as a running coach. And I still stand by everything written here.) But a lot of people have been asking me lately about how to get started, so I'm happy to share with you what I've learned over the past couple of years as a runner. This is just based on my own experience.

When I was 253 pounds, I couldn't even imagine being a runner one day. And now I'm running at least three days a week, and training for my first full marathon... VOLUNTARILY.  I don't *love* running, like a lot of runners claim to; I just love the way it makes my body feel. I love that it's a very efficient form of exercise. I love that it makes me a nicer person in everyday life. I love that it helps me maintain my weight. I love how it's shaped my body.

But I hate actually DOING it. ;)  While I'm running, I'm always thinking "Five more miles" "Four more miles" "Three more miles" etc. Wishing I was done. And then when I finish, I think, "Wow, what a great run! I love running!"

Anyway, back to getting started...

I think the very first thing that one should do when thinking about becoming a runner is register for a 5k race. Say what?! Yes, register for a race. There is nothing that will motivate you to go out and run more than knowing you will HAVE TO run a race soon.

I registered for a 5k race that was many months away, thinking it would take me that long to be build up to running 3.1 miles. I don't think you'll need THAT long. If you're a beginner, I'd give it about three months. Once you register for your 5k race, pick a training schedule. My very favorite training schedules are those by Hal Higdon. He has a novice, intermediate, and advanced schedule for just about any distance race you can think of. I would try his Novice 5k schedule. (Lots of people use a program called Couch to 5k also--I attempted it numerous times, but it was just too difficult for me. But maybe you can give it a whirl with different results).

The shortest run on Hal Higdon's 5k schedule is 1.5 miles. When I first started running, I couldn't run even 1/10th of a mile, so there is no way I could start on that schedule. I had to build my way up. If that is the case for you, set the training schedule aside for a while. This is how I built up my mileage:  I went outside and ran as far as I could manage (about 1/10th of a mile) and then I walked until I reached 30 minutes total. Then two days later, I did it again, and managed to run a little farther before walking the rest of the way.

I continued to do this (three times per week), running a little farther each day. After I had done about a mile and half, I was frustrated that I felt like I would never get any farther. I mentioned it to my brother, and he told me that I was probably going too fast. He said slow waaaay down, even if I felt like I could walk faster than I was running, and see if I could go farther.

I took his advice and managed to run the 5k on my next time out! I was very very slow, but I didn't have to walk at all. Once I managed to run 5k, I tried to do it a little faster each time. I would set a goal before my run: "Today, I'm going to run 5k in 34:59 or less" or "Today, I'm going to run 5k in 32:30 or less" etc. Eventually, I reached a big goal of a sub-30:00 5k, which was very exciting for me.

You can build up your mileage that way, or you can follow the training schedule once you're able to run 1.5 miles. I LOVE training schedules, because you don't have to think about what you're going to do--the schedule just tells you what to do! However, you don't HAVE to follow the schedule right to the tee. I switched my days around as needed, and just checked off each run as I did them that week. If you're scheduled to run and it's pouring rain, there is no harm waiting until the next day to do it. Or if you're schedule to rest, but it's a gorgeous day, head out there and do the following day's run.

On getting faster...

I'm definitely not an expert here, either. I found what works best for ME is to add an interval workout once a week. Intervals are where you alternate slow running with fast running for short periods of time. For example, I might do the following:  Run 0.2 miles at a 10:00 min/mile pace; Run 0.2 miles at a 8:30 min/mile pace; repeat for the desired length of the workout. These workouts are easy to do on a treadmill, because you can set the pace with the touch of a button.

You all know how much I looove my treadmill (not), so I choose to do intervals outside whenever possible. My Garmin Forerunner 305 has an interval setting that beeps at the beginning of each interval. So when I hear a beep, I know to start running hard, and when it beeps again, I slow to a jog. Then later, I can look on the computer to see what my pace was for each interval. (You can set the intervals to be however frequent you want--either by distance OR time).

Another speed workout is called a tempo run. You run this at a "comfortably hard" pace. If your "comfortable" pace is 10:30/mi, then you might run the tempo at a 10:00/mi. It's faster than you're used to, but not so fast that you're sprinting.

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Once you're comfortable with running about three times per week, you can make your own ideal running schedule when you're not training for something. Ideally, I like to do three runs per week: one shorter, easy run (about 3-4 miles at an easy pace); one speed workout, either intervals or a tempo run; and one long run, usually 6-10 miles.

When you want to do a race, you can follow the corresponding training schedule for that race. I always use Hal Higdon's programs, because they are very "do-able" for someone like me.

In a nutshell:

1) Sign up for a race.
2) Start training (three times per week).
3) Build up mileage by running slowly--work on speed later.
4) Eventually, try to do an easy run, a speed workout, and a long run each week.
5) Stay consistent. Run three times per week to keep in shape--if you take weeks off, it will be that much harder to get started again. Staying consistent is probably THE most important advice I can give you! I made a promise to myself that I would run a minimum of three times per week, NO MATTER WHAT. And with the exception of my two surgeries, I've kept that promise every single week for almost 2 years now.

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A word on shoes... I HIGHLY recommend going to a running store and getting fitted for shoes. Not all running shoes are created equal, and you will benefit from having a professional fit you for the right shoe. You will probably pay a lot of money for a good pair of shoes--but it is WELL WORTH IT when you don't get blisters and tendonitis and stress fractures from wearing bad shoes.

I was super embarrassed to go to a running store when I was fat, because I felt like I didn't belong. But I got over it after I was in a walking cast for 3 weeks because of tendonitis. Now that I wear good shoes, I have no problems with my feet!

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I think that pretty much sums up the basics about getting started as a runner. Hope this answers some questions!

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