Cookie sacrifice

Today is Monday, which means it's my long run day. Since this is a step-back week, my run was "only" 12 miles. My mom kept my kids overnight so that I could run this morning (the kids are off school for Spring Break). I met Jessica at 8:00 and we went to the Metropark.

I had  ROUGH night last night. I don't know if it was food poisoning or what, but I spent half the night in the bathroom. My stomach was icky and achy, and I felt super nauseous. When Jerry left for work this morning, I was crying and moaning that I was so miserable. I felt hungover, but I didn't drink yesterday, so that wasn't it. But anyway, I was really worried about my run this morning.

I didn't eat breakfast beforehand, because I wanted to keep my stomach calm. And I think that actually worked! My stomach behaved throughout the run, thank goodness. We just did a 12-mile lollipop route (which is an out-and-back with a loop in the middle of the run.

About 4 miles into the run, Jessica's knee started hurting her pretty badly. At first she was trying to run through the pain, but then we started talking about a back-up plan. We were near my aunt's house, so I told her she could stay there and I would run back to the car and go pick her up; but she really wanted to continue. After about 5 miles, she decided she needed to walk. So she started walking, but was walking so fast that I didn't even have to stop running!

Now, when we run our long runs, we go at a VERY slow pace--about 11:15-11:30 per mile. It's a comfortable pace for us, keeping our heart rates low and we're able to maintain a conversation. Which is perfect for long runs. But Jessica was WALKING at a pace of 11:20/mi!! I think the fastest I can walk is about a 15:00/mi pace, so I was blown away that she was walking so fast.

But taking a few walk breaks helped her knee a lot, and the second half of the run was much better than the first!

My knee held up well, which I was very happy about! All the rest over the weekend must have done me some good. Rest day tomorrow, then 9 miles on Wednesday.

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Yesterday, Jerry and I went to his parents' house for Easter dinner. His sister and her boyfriend were there as well, and they gave us a huge cookie bouquet. The cookies were beautifully decorated, and you all know how much I love cookies with frosting!!

It was very thoughtful of his sister, but I knew I couldn't bring that into my house--I wouldn't stop eating cookies until they were gone. And with my weight being up since marathon training, I'm trying really hard to be careful about what I eat.

Since the kids were spending the night at my parents' house, Jerry and I decided to go to the movies--and I brought along the cookie bouquet. When we ordered our tickets, I put the bouquet on the counter and told the young man working there, "These are for you--and the other employees that got stuck working on a holiday." He smiled and looked very surprised. I ordered our tickets, and he said, "Just a minute..." and we went in the back room. When he came out, he told us that we were all set, our tickets were free. How cool is that?!

Then Jerry and I were sitting in the theater, waiting for the movie to start (we were the ONLY people in there) and the manager and another employee came in and thanked us again for the cookies. The manager gave us two more free tickets to use whenever we want. I was shocked, but thrilled. Not only were they happy to enjoy the cookies, but Jerry and I got about $36 worth of free movie tickets :)

We saw the movie "American Reunion". I LOVED IT!! The movie "American Pie" has a special place in my heart because it was the movie of my generation. I graduated in 2000 (Jerry in 1999) and the kids in the movie were the class of 1999. So we were the same age as the kids in the movie when it first came out, and Jerry and I saw it on a date together just after we started dating.

American Reunion was very nostalgic for me, especially the soundtrack for the movie--some GREAT songs from back then! Last night, Jerry and I felt like we were dating again--we even took a couple of pics before the movie started.

For comparison, here is a picture from 1999 when we started dating:

I know, right? LOL

The movie was everything I hoped it would be--shocking, funny, a little gross, immature, and... dare I say relate-able? I could relate to the kids in the movie in 1999, and today, I can still relate to them as they've aged in the movie.

I have another story to tell you about a Pomeranian doggie, but I will save that for tomorrow.

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Reader Questions & Answers #8

On Sundays, I will answer some readers' questions in a post. If you have a question that you would like me to answer here on the blog, just send me an e-mail at: SlimKatie (at) runsforcookies (dot) com with the subject "Q&A", and I may include them in a future Q&A post. They don't have to be about weight loss or running--anything is game!  (Remember, I'm not a doctor or dietician, or any sort of medical professional--I can only answer questions from my own experience).

Q. Have you always been a fast runner? I just started running in January and I just ran my first 5k this weekend and finished in 44:54 (my goal was under 45:00!) The next day you posted about the girl who walked it in 40 minutes! Did you get faster as you lost weight? As you trained more?

A. First, congrats on reaching your goal! "Fast" is only relative to each person. I'm definitely a "middle of the pack" runner, and a lot of runners would probably consider my pace on the slow side. But my definition of "fast" has changed since I started running. I remember that first, I was aiming for a 12-minute mile, which seemed fast to me. Then a big goal was a 10-minute mile, and then a sub-30:00 5K. Once I was running a 10-minute mile, the 12-min mile seemed SO slow. Now, I'm happy when I run sub-9:00 miles in a race. But if I compare myself to my friend Renee, I'm practically a turtle at that pace!

My point is, what is fast to you may be slow to someone else, and vice versa. So rather than compare yourself to other people, just look at your 44:54 time for the 5K as a baseline. You might make your next goal 43:xx, which technically WOULD be fast--for you!

To get faster, you need to run faster--sounds obvious, but if you never push yourself to run faster, then you probably won't improve. Also, adding mileage can help with your speed as well. My speed was constantly improving for about the first 7 months of running. I know I can still improve it with the right kind of training, but right now my focus is on the marathon (slow and steady).

Q. Does your husband read your blog?

A. The short answer is no, he doesn't read it. Once in a while, he will come home from work and say, "Hey, I read your blog today." I've been blogging for 12 years, and he's probably only read a handful of posts. I don't mind if he doesn't read it, and I don't mind if he does... but it's probably not very interesting to him! If he wrote a blog about something he found interesting (Star Wars, ugh) you couldn't pay me enough to read it ;)  (He was just reading this over my shoulder, and said, "You've been blogging for 12 years?!" Haha, my point exactly).

Jerry is extremely supportive of my blogging, however. When I'm trying to write a post or respond to e-mails, he will keep the kids out of my hair. He'll make me a cup of tea to drink while I write, and he listens when I tell him stories about my readers (yes, I talk about you as if you are my friends!) And he totally lets me steal the spotlight when it comes to our weight loss ;)  He's lost 75 pounds...

Q. When you were a big girl how did you get up the courage or nerve to start running? I am too afraid to even start!

A. Normally, I'm a very nervous person, so I'm surprised that I didn't have any anxiety about running. I talked to my friend Renee (my only "runner friend" at the time) and told her that I had a long-term goal to enter and RUN a 5K race. In the back of my mind, I really didn't think it was possible for me. Renee seemed very confident that I could do it, so I decided to go ahead and register for a 5K that was many months away.

I can't believe I'm posting this pic--this was
from after one of my first runs. *cringe*

Once I registered for that race, I knew I would HAVE TO train for it. I was kind of embarrassed to run in public, because of my weight, but I promised myself that I would do it three times per week, no matter what. I actually found that running in public was helpful--I didn't want to appear as if I was really struggling to run if I encountered someone else, so I faked being a strong runner until that person had passed me. "Fake it 'til you make it" really does work when it comes to running. I only got better at running, and smaller in size :)

If you're overweight and thinking of running, but afraid to start, I would highly recommend checking out Carly's story. She started running at 350 pounds, and she's had some AMAZING progress. 

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And now a question for all of you...

What is your favorite Easter candy?

I am partial to Cadbury Cream Eggs--LOVE THEM. Not surprising, because I love frosting and chocolate. I also love the Reese's Eggs--the ratio of chocolate to peanut butter is perfect. Much better than the Reese's Cups.

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Jennifer's Weight Loss Story

Over the next few months, I'd like to introduce you to each member of our Ragnar Relay team. Everybody has an inspiring story of weight loss and running, and I hope that you will enjoy reading these as much as I did. Last week, I introduced Meredith. Here is Jennifer's story...

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"I have struggled with weight my whole life. I have an identical twin and even as a kid I remember being referred to as "the chubby twin - that's how to tell 'em apart." Throughout grammar school and high school I was continually insecure about my weight. Looking back now, I wasn't really a heavy teen, I just had very skinny friends, so my size 10/12 figure seemed huge to me next to my sized 2 and 4 friends.

I first joined Weight Watchers when I was 18 years old and  throughout the next 2 decades would go on and off the program dozens of times.

In my mid-20's I lost 60 pounds and reached goal. It was the best 10 minutes of my life! I became an expert at losing the weight but had no clue how to maintain it and began to pile it back on.

Throughout my adulthood I'd face down and kick bad habits - smoking, comfort eating, drinking too much. I continued to struggle with weight throughout most of my 30's and pretty much held around 185 - 190 pounds - about a size 16 or so on me. I was unhappy at that weight but not miserable. I'd dabble at Weight Watchers, kinda try, kinda hope to lose it but I was stuck (mainly because of my choices).

When I got pregnant I decided that I was going to eat whatever the hell I wanted, I was pregnant! Food party time! What a mistake that turned out to be. Not sure what kind of reward I thought gaining 70 pounds on top of my already overweight body would be but I ate with gusto and paid for it.

A week before my son Ben was born, I stepped on the scale and peered over my ballooned body - it read 255 pounds. Because of all those ridiculous choice I had developed gestational diabetes and I was so big and uncomfortable that I felt horrible all the time.

After Ben was born, I was miserable - everything hurt. My knees and ankles felt the pressure of the extra weight. It was hard to get in and out of my car. Chairs tightly hugged my hips and flying on an airplane (which I was doing for business) was torture for me and probably for the poor guy stuck next to me.

Three months later and with only 15 pounds of "baby weight" gone, I decided to give Weight Watchers one last shot. I vowed to myself that no matter what,   good week, bad week, ugly week - I was going to that meeting every single week. I would not leave that  meeting if it took me the rest of my life to get to goal.

It wasn't easy.

The first year I lost 40 pounds - Less than a pound a week but in the right direction.

The second year? I'd only lose 7 pounds the whole year. THE WHOLE YEAR! I played the 'up a pound' and 'down a pound' the whole year.  Part of this plateau was my fault because I didn't want to make the changes needed to keep losing. I also didn't want to really exercise - I fought it tooth and nail.

Finally, something took a turn for me. I read a book about making goals and somehow and for some weird reason, "run a marathon" made the list. It was an absurd thing to put on the list. I didn't even like running and had never even run for a second in my life. I'm pretty sure I just stuck it there to fill the list up (the book suggested 100 life goals) and half way through I began grasping at straws. Whatever works.

The book further recommended that you pick a few life goals and make action steps to get there.  Well, somehow I decided on that goal and I googled half marathons and New Jersey (my home state) and found one 6 months out.

In a blink of an eye and without realizing it, I changed my life forever. I took the plunge and I signed up - if those ten minutes of insanity hadn't happened, well my life wouldn't be what I've come to know of it today.

It was utterly ridiculous. But it was done and being cheap and broke I would not let that $125 race fee go unused.

I began to train. On day one I ran for one minute and hated every second. I cried. How would I ever run 13 minutes never mind 13 miles? I started a little blog about my journey on day one. Knowing I had a few followers (in those days probably only 10 folks or so) cheering me on and looking for updates kept me going.

I kept going back for my training and kept working at it. I ran/jogged/crawled and walked through those training sessions.... And I eventually ran/jogged/crawled and walked my first half marathon!  it was the proudest day of my life.

Running helped me finally reach my goal of a 96 pound weight loss and has truly changed my life. I have maintained my weight loss since December 2010.

I am honored, humbled and excited to be running the Ragnar Race with Katie and the rest of the team. I am sure it will be a lifetime highlight in my overall journey of running, weight loss, friends and experiences."

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Jen writes a blog, which you can find at See Jen Roe Run.

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R.I.C.E.

Baggy sweatshirt and pj pants? Check.

Rest. Ice. Compression. Elevation.

That's my plan for this weekend. My stupid runner's knee has flared up again. I'm terrified of not being able to finish my marathon. I've come so far in the training, and I will be so bummed if my knee prevents me from finishing (or even starting) the race!

I was supposed to run 4 easy miles today, but I decided to skip it completely. Saturday and Sunday are scheduled rest days. So maybe by taking a three-day weekend off of running, I'll be good to go for my 12-miler on Monday. Next week is a step-back week, thank goodness (our long run is "only" 12 before bumping up to 18 a week from Monday).

I just finished reading Hal Higdon's book Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide and it is a MUST READ for anyone considering a marathon (or even a half-marathon). I learned so much from this book that I couldn't possibly share it all! Poor Jessica has listened to me go on and on about "Hal Higdon says..."  ;)

Source

One thing that really struck me was that during the entire 18-week marathon training program, I will have run 461 miles--which equals approximately 46,100 calories burned. Divide that by 3,500 (calories in a pound of fat) and it comes to over 13 pounds of fat burned! So theoretically, if I didn't increase my calorie intake at all during training (not possible, because I would starve), I would lose 13 pounds during marathon training. Haha, I wish it was that easy!



I've been eating out of boredom a lot lately, and I really need to quit doing that! My mornings are pretty busy--I get the kids ready for school and onto the bus, and then I run. After my run, I shower and it's usually time for lunch. Then I check my e-mail and maybe clear my Google Reader, but the rest of the afternoon I find myself snacking just because I'm bored.

I was thinking back on my weight loss and maintenance, and I realized that I do best when I have some sort of project going on. I went through a long knitting/crocheting phase during my weight loss; I redecorated my bathroom which took a couple of weeks; I organized photos on my computer (taking days of my time); I typed out a whole recipe book full of my recipes and nutrition info; I redecorated my bedroom; I organized my closet and got rid of clothes that I didn't wear anymore; I made (what seemed like) tons of Gockets... stuff like that.

I need a new project--something that takes a lot of time and really interests me. I really need to organize my photos again and back them all up onto the external hard drive, so maybe I'll start working on that. And I have a lot of new recipes to type out. What are your favorite ways to pass time when you're bored and want to snack?

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Yesterday, the kids colored Easter eggs. And being the genius that I am, I punched all the holes out of the box BEFORE I read the directions...

I had no idea how much vinegar and water to add to the dye tablets, so I had to dig the cardboard circles out of the trash and piece it back together.

My kids don't believe in the Easter bunny, so I have no idea why they like to color eggs, but they had fun. Tomorrow, we're going to my parents' house to celebrate my little brother's birthday (and have dinner), and then on Sunday, we're going to Jerry's parents' house for dinner. I'm going to try and rest my knee as much as possible, though. Have a nice Easter, everyone!

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A run for turtle brownies

Since the kids have Spring Break all next week (it actually starts tomorrow) Jessica and I won't be able to do our "usual" lunch after our long run on Monday. The kids will be home, so we'll have to change up our plans for next week.

For that reason, we decided to go to Whole Foods after our 8-mile run (our semi-long run of the week) today. We've both been thinking about that turtle brownie that we had last time, and we thought getting the brownie and a cup of coffee sounded perfect after our run.

First, we met for our run after the kids went to school. As soon as Jessica saw me, she started laughing--we were wearing the same outfit AGAIN:

Excuse the fact that I look like a sausage stuffed into a casing. I ordered a size small shirt when I registered for that race, but after I registered, I saw that they said the shirts are running small, so order a size up. When I got my size small shirt, I saw that they weren't kidding--it was very small!

Anyway, since we were "only" running 8 miles, I didn't feel the need to really prepare for it--no carb loading like we do the night before a long run, I didn't bring Gu with me, or anything like that. Quick and simple. Or so I thought.

This 8-miler was the second-worst run I've had since marathon training started. The worst was the 13-miler. Almost immediately, I felt like I had zero energy. It was hard to put one foot in front of the other. I felt very out-of-breath, which normally I don't feel when I run slowly like that. And then, after about 3 miles, my knee really started to hurt. Not just a normal ache, either--it was really painful, particularly on the few downhill portions we had.

I had planned an out-and-back route, but we really fucked that up somehow and wound up back at the car at mile 4... so we just did the same loop again. There were a lot of uphills and a few downhills--normally, we run on very flat surfaces, so maybe the hills irritated my knee? Dunno. But Jessica's knee was hurting too. We kept thinking about the turtle brownie, and it made us push through the pain.

When we got back to the car after mile 8, my knee hurt so badly. I stretched for a minute, but I really just wanted to sit down. We got in Jessica's car and headed to Whole Foods. A cup of decaf and the brownie were the only things on my mind at that point!

We headed right over to the bakery, oohing and ahhing over the desserts. When I got to the case where they keep the brownies, there were only two left: one walnut brownie and one chocolate chunk brownie. No turtle brownies! :(  We both stood there shocked for a minute, and then Jessica asked the boy working there if they had any more. He went in back to check, and we eagerly waited. When he came back, he said he was sorry, but they didn't have any.

So bummed!!

The other brownies didn't look nearly as good as the turtle brownies were, so I was trying to decide what else would be satisfying. Jessica got a fudge brownie, and right after she took a bite, the guy said that they found some in back! I was so glad, because nothing else would have satisfied me like that stupid turtle brownie. We waited for him to finish helping someone else, and then he went to cut into the new batch of brownies when he realized that they were the walnut ones--not the turtle ones.

Can't even describe our disappointment.

I ended up getting a peanut butter brownie thing (layer of brownie, then peanut butter, then chocolate ganache) and a decaf Americano coffee. The dessert was good, but not as good as the turtle brownie. I still felt like I was missing out on something when we left. I realize that sounds ridiculous, but I was totally looking forward to that turtle brownie! Have you ever been super disappointed when you were really looking forward to eating something special?

Anyway, I'm considering taking tomorrow off of running. I am scheduled for a 4-mile easy run, but if my knee is hurting, I'm going to give myself a 3-day weekend of not running. Next week is a step-back week, meaning our long run is shorter--we "only" have to run 12 on Monday. I do want my knee to be feeling better by then.

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Fluffernutters

Thank you for all the nice comments on my last post about my one-year blog anniversary. I really wish I'd had something planned, or at least wrote out a better anniversary post--but it didn't even occur to me that it was my blog anniversary until 9 pm!

I had a 5-mile easy run on the schedule this morning. Jessica and I only do our long runs and our semi-long runs together, so I was on my own. I feel like I've gotten kind of spoiled by having company on my runs, because I kept procrastinating heading out the door. I kept thinking about how boring my run was going to be.

My mom came over before I headed out, so that I could show her how to respond to comments on SparkPeople. If you wrote her a comment and don't get a response, it's not personal ;)  She's just not very tech-saavy!

After she left, it was about 9:00, so I left for my run. I ran a route that I don't normally run (it's on a fairly busy road with just a rocky, gravely shoulder). That was definitely a workout on my ankles. I had to watch my steps carefully while on the gravel when cars were passing. Then as soon as I hopped back onto the concrete, another car would come.

My legs felt pretty heavy, and I went slower than I normally do when I run alone. I'm sure I'm still fatigued from Monday's 16-mile run. But I finished out the 5 miles and I was still almost a half mile from home, so I just kept running home. And you better believe I'm going to count that extra half-mile toward my 4-mile run on Friday, so I only have to run 3.5 ;)

I have to admit, I was pretty bored running by myself. I ran solo for a year and a half, and I never knew what I was missing by not having a running partner. Now that I do my long runs with Jess, running by myself makes the time pass so slowly! I brought my iPod today, but I never really "hear" what I'm listening to. I know that doesn't make much sense, but I basically have the earbuds in and then space out and don't really listen to it. So it's kind of pointless to even bring it with me.

I've tried audio books (Why do I still want to call them "books on tape"? Geez, I'm old), but I never remember what I've heard. I like podcasts, but it has to be really interesting for me to pay attention. Do any of you have a favorite podcast?

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I went grocery shopping today, and somehow marshmallow fluff made its way into my cart. I haven't been able to keep that in the house because I binge on it. It's been a long time since I had it, so I am going to try to eat it in moderation. I LOVE Fluffernutter sandwiches! A Fluffernutter is peanut butter and marshmallow fluff on bread. I like to make them with toasted waffles, too--it gets a little melty and tastes completely orgasmic that way! Which is why I didn't buy waffles ;)  One thing at a time!

I made half a Fluffernutter for lunch, and I definitely have missed this sandwich! And for the first time in a long time, I haven't felt like bingeing after lunch. Whenever I eat things that I feel like I "should" eat, rather than what I really want, I just don't feel satisfied--which leads to a binge. So by eating the Fluffernutter, I was satisfied mentally and physically... and no binge. This isn't anything new to me, but I always tend to forget how important it is to listen to MY BODY rather than all the nutrition info that we hear thousands of times a day.

I hope that as long as I don't have graham crackers or waffles in the house along with my Fluff, I'll be okay ;)

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One Year Blog Anniversary

It's 9:00 pm and I just now realized that it's my one year anniversary of starting Runs for Cookies! I'm bummed that I didn't have a special post all ready to go. So I'm going to wing it--I feel like I have to write something in celebration.

First, I'll write some stats:

I've written 344 posts.
I've accumulated 1108 followers, and 2319 subscribers.
My blog has gotten 1,708,612 page views.
My most-viewed post is actually my very first post: FAQ#1: How did you lose the weight?
My most-viewed blog page is my Photos page.
My biggest traffic source is from Pinterest.
I have gotten hits from people in 143 different countries.
My running over the past year:

My weight at this time last year was 139. Today it was 142. I'm not happy about the gain since I started marathon training, but I am very happy that I'm so close to where I was a year ago. Maintenance is going well!

Some funny/strange Google searches that led to my blog:
"kale crap smell"  ---Been there, smelled that!
"ugliest cats"   ---Poor Estelle. She fits the bill.
"treadMILF"   ---Heck yeah, I am!
"two bottom cheeks hanging below his navel"   ---huh?
"unflattering runner"   ---thank goodness there are no mirrors where I run
"are there sharks in Lake Erie?"   ---No. I assure you, there are no sharks.
"cookies make you happier"   ---Duh!
"cookies with a fuckload of chocolate"   ---Just point me in the right direction.
"eat like a horse at night"   ---So? I can't be the only one!
"giddy after arch bars removed"   ---Yep, pretty much.
"guy third leg"   ---Jerry said "they must be looking for me"
"hot naked men of arizona"   ---Maybe they were searching out The Boring Runner? ;)
"husband says stupid things"   ---Everyday.
"marshmallow fluff in my pants"   ---Are you SURE that's fluff???

The original title of my blog was "Half My Size"; but I changed it when I couldn't budge the last 5 pounds. I didn't feel honest having a blog with that title since I wasn't technically half my starting weight.

The original blogspot domain was theycallmeslimkatie. An Eminem reference.

It's been SUCH a great year, and my blog is so much more successful than I'd ever imagined. I always expected this to be my private little corner of the web, but it's been fun. I hope to keep blogging for many years to come!

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If you've read something you've enjoyed or found helpful over the past year, of if I've responded to your e-mail, or comments, or if you've just enjoyed the blog, I would love for you to take a minute to vote for me for the Best Weight Loss Blog at Fitness magazine. I'm nowhere near winning, but I would love your support if you haven't yet voted!

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I would like to offer a huge thank you to ALL of my readers--you've made this past year so enjoyable for me, whether you have commented or e-mailed, or even if you are just a "lurker" here. I appreciate your reading!

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Chia Seeds and Blood Donation

Today, I had the intention to go to a blood drive to donate my blood. I've only donated blood twice in my life, and I would like to do so more often. While I was falling asleep last night, however, I began to wonder if donating blood would have a negative impact on my marathon training.

So this morning, I asked my know-it-all friend (Google) if it was okay to donate, and discovered that it was a bad idea. I looked at numerous sources, and they all said the same thing: wait until you're done training. Apparently, it takes weeks to get back to "normal" after donating blood. A lot of runners said they felt awful when trying to run after donating.

So, needless to say, I decided not to chance it, and to forgo giving blood today.

Instead, I spent the entire morning and part of the afternoon lounging around in my pajamas on the couch. My body feels pretty sore from yesterday's run. Not horribly sore, but enough to where I really feel like I need this rest day.

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I've gotten a few comments/e-mails lately about chia seeds. They were mentioned in the video I recommended: Hungry for Change. All the health benefits sound great, but a lot of people don't know what to do with them or how to use them.

I'm certainly no chia seed expert (I didn't even OWN a chia pet, can you believe it?) but I do eat chia seeds now and again. When you add chia seeds to a liquid and let them sit for about 10 minutes or so, they get kind of gelatinous, and they thicken the liquid--looking almost like a tapioca pudding. I like to use them to thicken oatmeal--particularly my cold oatmeal.

Cold oatmeal is nothing new--just search "overnight oats" on Google and you'll see that. But I'm not a plan-ahead kind of person. I never think ahead far enough to put my oats in the refrigerator the night before. Besides, I think they get a little too mushy that way. I like the cold, raw oats in a much simpler manner.

I make cold oats in the morning, just 10-15 minutes before I want to eat. I combine equal parts oats and milk (1/2 cup old fashioned oats + 1/2 cup milk) with a teaspoon or two of maple syrup to sweeten. I add 1 Tbsp. of chia seeds. Then I add whatever mix-ins I want--my very favorite is 1 Tbsp. cocoa powder for a chocolate oatmeal. Stir it up and then let it sit in the fridge for about 10-15 minutes. Most of the liquid will be absorbed by the chia seeds and oats, and it'll be thickened to a perfect (in my opinion) consistency.

My favorite way to eat cold oats is in an almost-empty nut butter jar or a peanut butter bowl. The chocolate combo above in a peanut butter bowl is SO good:

1/2 c. oats, 1/2 c. milk, 1 Tbsp. chia seeds, 1 Tbsp. cocoa, 1 tsp. maple syrup

It tastes just like a no-bake cookie.

I've also had chia seeds in hot oatmeal, but I don't notice them at all. I will cook my oats on the stove with a Tbsp. of chia seeds (and whatever stuff I want in my oatmeal). You won't taste them at all. I like to save the chia seeds for cold oatmeal though.

For more of my oatmeal combinations, you can check out my post about oatmeal.

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I discovered that Phoebe (our orange cat) loves Burt's Bees lip balm. Isn't that weird?! I swear that she knows the second I put it on, because she's all over me. She sniffs my lips and then tries to lick it off before I stop her:

It drives her crazy. And then last night, she went nuts over some tea I was drinking that had the same menthol-like smell. What a strange kitty!

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16 miles, what???

I took the weekend completely OFF of physical activity. I wanted to rest up and feel great for our 16-mile run today. I've been nervous about it, because I seemed to have lost my running mojo after the half-marathon last weekend.

Last night, I ended up carb-loading with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Not at all how I'd planned it! I spent all day making chicken soup from scratch, and just before dinner, when I was going to add the pasta to it, I decided to change things up and make some whole wheat dumplings instead of adding the pasta. When I make dumplings for soup normally, I use an egg, white flour, and salt. I wasn't sure if the whole wheat flour would work well, so I googled a recipe. I thought it was odd that there wasn't an egg in it to hold it together, but I made the dumplings and dropped them into the soup, which was at a low simmer.

Ten minutes later, I checked on the soup and the dumplings were gone--totally dissolved--and I had a murky-looking, thick, chicken and flour soup. I was bummed. Nobody wanted to eat it, so down the garbage disposal it went. And we had PB&J's for dinner--which were actually really good.

I didn't sleep very well last night, because I was nervous about the 16-mile run. I woke up at 3:30, and couldn't go back to sleep. When I got out of bed, I had baked oatmeal for breakfast and dressed in my most comfortable running clothes. Jessica apparently got that memo about what to wear, because we showed up wearing the EXACT SAME OUTFIT:

That's what happens when you train for a marathon together.

I planned our route so that we would park and do two out-and-back routes--the first one being 5 miles out and 5 back, so we arrived back at the car at 10 miles; then the second route was just 3 miles out and 3 back--total of 16 miles.

Jessica was smart enough to bring a long-sleeved top which she put on over her other one. I froze for the first 3 miles or so. It was really cold and windy. At mile 6, I ate my peanut butter Gu. I had the lemon-lime Powerade in my water bottle (that's what they're going to have on the marathon course, so I wanted to try it out on a long run).

We got back to the car at mile 10, and I topped off my water bottle (I'd only drunk about half of it). Then we headed out for the last 6 miles. Once we hit mile 12, my legs were starting to ache. I could feel it from my hips to my knees. Not pain, but definitely achy. I ate my chocolate Gu at that point.

At mile 13, I started bitching and moaning. My legs just wanted to STOP RUNNING. Jessica was feeling okay, so she let me complain. At around mile 14, I got a second wind and it was Jessica's turn to complain. When we got back to the car, and the Garmin beeped mile 16, we stopped running. And we both started groaning. We walked stiffly over to the grass and started stretching, groaning with each stretch.

We were SO achy. This was the most sore I've ever been after a run! There were some guys in the parking lot getting into a truck and leaving, and they asked how far we ran. We both got really excited that they asked, because nobody ever asks when we are running long. We both said, "16 miles!" and told them we were training for the Cleveland marathon. It totally made our day that they asked ;)

We took some pictures:

16 miles!

This was where we tried to look like we were running, hahaha

THREE effing hours of non-stop running

And our splits...

After our run, we went to La Pita for lunch. I don't even have to show you what I ate, because it's always the same! This time, however, we didn't order extra garlic sauce and we didn't eat the pita bread until our lunch came out. I immediately divided my lunch in half, and only ate half of it and two pita breads. I didn't want to get too full, and I'm really trying to watch my calories. Today I'm aiming for about 2,500. If I go over, I won't worry about it, but I at least want to be aware of how much I'm eating.

All-in-all, today's 16-miler was a success! Neither one of us had tummy troubles (which is a miracle, because Jessica always has stomach problems on long runs, but she tried new fueling stuff today). We both are sore, but we feel good. I'm looking forward to a rest day tomorrow!

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Reader Questions & Answers #7

On Sundays, I will answer some readers' questions in a post. If you have a question that you would like me to answer here on the blog, just send me an e-mail with the subject "Q&A", and I may include them in a future Q&A post. They don't have to be about weight loss or running--anything is game!  (Remember, I'm not a doctor or dietician, or any sort of medical professional--I can only answer questions from my own experience).

Q. My question is about clothes....during your weight loss, how did you manage to dress yourself in clothes that fit without buying 10 different wardrobes in different sizes? I think I'm down a size and I need SOMETHING new....maybe just a belt to keep my pants up...I just don't know what to do...spend money on something that I will (hopefully) shrink out of in a few months...or look frumpy in my current clothes?

A. I dropped sizes pretty quickly while I was losing weight--approximately one size per month. I went from a size 24W to size 4 in 16 months, so I went through a LOT of clothes. But I didn't spend much money! Because I only wore each size for a month or so, I knew I only needed a few pairs of jeans and a few different in-season tops. I didn't need new pajamas, or dresses (unless I had an event), or undies. I love to shop at thrift stores and garage sales (even now--95% of my wardrobe comes from either a thrift store or garage sale). 

So while I was losing weight, and realized I needed the next size down, I would go to the thrift store and buy 2-3 pairs of jeans and a few tops to get me through the month. It's not a huge variety, but I didn't mind wearing the same things over and over for a few weeks while I was losing weight. 

I wore my underwear and pajamas until they were too baggy, and then I obviously had to buy new ones. Just for the record, I don't buy used panties ;) As I got too small for my jeans, I cut them up into squares and eventually put them all together into a quilt:

So you really just need enough to get by, if you're losing weight consistently. And don't be afraid of used clothes! I bought most of my (name brand) jeans for $1 or even less at garage sales.

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Q. What kind of aches and pains did you have when you first started running? My hips are killing me!

A. I think it's very common for hips to be sore when you've just started running. Even now, when I do a longer run than usual or I run harder than usual, my hips will be sore for a day or two. There is a difference between pain and soreness, however. If you think something is wrong, you should definitely get it checked out by a doctor. But I think most people get sore in the hips and even hamstrings (back of your thighs) when they first start running.

Another common complaint is of shin splints--a sharp pain in the front of your lower leg. This can be remedied by stretching after a run, by warming up before you run, by wearing well-fitted shoes (make sure you get fitted for the right shoes!!) and by easing into running rather than running like hell your first time out the door. And, of course, my favorite remedy--rest days! ;)  One or two days rest really works wonders when you feel achy. And if it doesn't get better, you may have injured yourself and should probably get checked out by a doctor.

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Q. I was wondering what you use for water/hydration while on your runs? I run regularly, but only for short distances as I hate carrying water, and find that fanny pack type things bounce too much so I end up not bringing any water with me.  I'm starting to train for a half marathon, so I will need some way to incorporate water into my runs, and hoped you would have a solution for me.

A. This was an issue I just recently had myself. I trained for my half-marathon without carrying water, but now that I'm training for a full, I knew I'd need water during my long runs. There are a few solutions:

1) Plant water bottles along your route the day before your long run. This takes effort and time, and I just didn't want to be bothered doing that;

2) Plan to run loops so that you pass your house, or your car, or some building where you can get water. For example, on a 12-mile run, plan to run three 4-mile loops so that you pass your car or house twice during the run. This was my plan, until I discovered...

3) Buy a hydration belt. I was 100% sure I was going to hate wearing a hydration belt. I don't like to carry things with me when I run (even an iPod is annoying to me). But Jessica bought one, and I gave hers a try on a long run. I was really surprised that it didn't bounce or slosh around or ride up or anything like that! 

We found that the secret is to wear it up around your natural waist (the narrowest part of your midsection) and wear it pretty snug. I tried to wear it low around my hips, but it bounced around like crazy. 

See how high up I wear the belt? It doesn't bounce.

The one I bought is this one by Amphipod, but I honestly don't think that the brand matters. I tried one on at Target (after buying the Amphipod) and it felt exactly the same to me, for $20 cheaper. My only concern with a belt like this is for people who carry a lot of excess weight around their midsection--I don't know if it would bounce around or not in that situation.

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And now a question for all of you...

What is your current favorite TV show?

I am LOVING "Shameless" on Showtime. It's a guilty pleasure of mine (like listening to Eminem!) but I can't get enough. Love it! 

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