Reader Questions & Answers #12

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. How do you battle temptations at the grocery store? I love that you don't keep binge food in the house, but I can't seem to stop buying the junk!

A. I wouldn't say that I don't keep binge foods in the house, because sometimes I will buy them with good intentions--and I try to refrain from binge eating. But for the most part, I do know what foods are nearly impossible for me to eat just one portion at a time, and I very rarely buy them. A short list of those foods: graham crackers, ice cream, regular sized chocolate chips (mini ones are okay), Reese's PB Puff's cereal, candy or cookies of almost any kind... there are more, but these are big ones that come to mind right away.

Reese's PB Puffs are like crack to me!

I know that some people have no problem eating junk food in moderation. I can do it with SOME foods, but the foods I listed above are the ones I really have a hard time with. So how do I battle the temptation of buying them at the grocery store? I actually don't have a very hard time with this. Once the food is home, it's VERY hard not to eat it. But at the grocery store, I just completely avoid the foods that I know will be a temptation to me. 

A lot of the foods actually have bad memories attached to them--which probably sounds ridiculous, I know. But I can remember eating entire packages of Oreos in the past, and the thought of buying a package of Oreos now fills me with dread--it makes me feel depressed because it reminds me of when I was fat. There are certain flavors and brands of ice cream I can't eat for the same reason. Fast food does the same thing--I can't eat at McDonald's or Wendy's, regardless of what I order, because it gives me a bad feeling inside. I wish I could somehow create that bad feeling for all of my problem foods! ;)

If you have a hard time with buying binge foods, maybe you could send your spouse or friend to the store with a list? When I wasn't able to drive after my surgery, I ate like an angel, because I had to rely on other people to do the shopping for me ;) Of course, that only works if your spouse doesn't buy the junk as well!

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Q. Did you have difficulty getting pregnant when you were overweight?

A. Not at all! I know that this is actually a really common issue for obese women to have, but fortunately, I didn't have any trouble getting pregnant. I got pregnant on the first try with both of my boys!

Funny story: When I was working at Curves and Noah was about 9 months old, I told my boss (and friend) Del that I was thinking about getting pregnant again when Noah was about a year old. She told me that I should start trying right away, because it would probably take a few months. She had three kids and said that it took a little longer to get pregnant between each of them. So, because she was older and wiser, I decided to listen to her ;) Three weeks later, she got an earful on the phone when I had a positive pregnancy test!

Two days before I delivered Noah
(who was 8 lbs, 8 oz)

While I had no trouble getting pregnant, I had VERY difficult pregnancies. With Noah, I had a condition called Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy (ICP). ICP is a condition during pregnancy that affects your liver; and the main symptom is severe itching. It basically makes your BLOOD itch, so everywhere that your blood flows itches like crazy.

I would spend hours in a bathtub filled with cold water to try and numb my skin and lessen the severity of the itching. I was extremely sleep deprived because I was itching so badly, and I remember hallucinating one night--I kept begging Jerry to cut off my feet, and I was completely serious! It was awful. My doctor induced labor 14 days early because of the condition, and the symptoms went away within two days.

I was terrified of getting pregnant again, for fear of having the ICP. Thankfully, I didn't have ICP with Eli; but early in the pregnancy, my pubic bone became dislocated. I had such severe pain (right where you can feel your pubic bone in front) that I had a hard time walking. Again, my labor was induced early--10 days early this time, because Eli was huge.

Even being 10 days early, he was 9 lbs. 10 oz. After Eli's birth, it became much worse. I was so uncomfortable at the hospital that I checked out at 1:00 in the morning to go home. I had to use a walker for a few weeks in order to move around. The only way I could sleep or lie down was with my legs completely straight and closed tightly together. I couldn't lift my legs to even put my pants on. I needed help to do everything. The pain eventually went away, but it took a long time. 

After that experience with the pubic bone, I decided that I just couldn't go through that again--and Jerry and I decided that he would get a vasectomy, just in case I ever forgot about the pain and decided I wanted another baby! ;)

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This e-mail wasn't a question, but I thought it was something I should post:

I have been reading about your breakfast of oatmeal for a while and that you use milk when cooking your oats. I tried it today for the first time. (The thought of hot milk just didn't sound great to me). Needless to say I have REALLY  been missing out. Keep telling everyone about oats and milk because it really made all the difference. Yum!!!

I absolutely agree! Oatmeal is completely different when you cook it in milk rather than water. The flavor and texture are great! I like cow's milk best, but almond milk works too.

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And now a question for all of you...

Do you have any foods that you associate with bad memories, for some reason or another? I know my dad won't eat onion soup because he had the flu one time when he ate it (and subsequently threw it up). I can't eat Turkey Hill Chocolate Peanut Butter ice cream, because that is what I ate before I fainted and broke my jaw.

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"How I Lost 130 Pounds" (A guest post by Lealah)

I would like to introduce you to another teammate from my Ragnar Relay team. Lealah (pronounced LAY-luh) was very close to having lap band surgery, but discovered she could lose the weight on her own--and she did. Check out her super inspiring story!

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Hi! My name is Lealah. I've been privileged to be included in an amazing group of people with which to run the Florida Keys Ragnar Relay in 2013, and here is my story:

I've spent my entire life overweight, if not obese.  In 2010, I realized I was incredibly unhappy with the way my life was and with how I felt.  I tried anti-depressants from my doctor and that actually made things worse for me.  I was in a spiral of being depressed and angry, and many times I would direct my anger at the people around me.

I reached a high of 260 lbs, and I felt miserable with nothing to look forward to. I saw a picture of myself and realized exactly how much weight I had gained and why it was so tedious climbing up and down stairs. Everything felt overwhelming.  I felt like there was no escape and the more I thought about trying to change, the more difficult it became to even conceive the idea of a better life with better health.  I felt trapped.

In January of 2010, I had a friend whom was planning getting lap band surgery and I thought "Hey that sounds like something that could work for me!" So I went to several seminars, got really excited, pumped myself up, dreamed of not being fat anymore. Then I got to the financing.

This part made me nervous, but I had found a weight loss surgeon whom I particularly liked that reassured me we'd find a way to make my insurance cover part of it. He said that with a recommendation, his documentation, and reports of prior weight loss attempts, we could make a case for it.  The first step was to lose 10% of my body weight.

On February 15, 2010 I started eating better and I started walking. One month later, I had lost 20 pounds.  I kept going until suddenly I'd lost more than the 10% required to begin the process of weight loss surgery.  I had somewhat forgotten the lap band surgery and every time I thought of it, I remembered the repercussions that came with the surgery.  I LOVE to eat. I knew I did not want to give up so many of my favorite foods and I started thinking to myself, "If I can lose this much with diet and exercise, then maybe I can go all the way."

I found an awesome website called Sparkpeople.com where I tracked my food and exercise.  I got a membership at the YMCA for myself and the kids, and started trying new exercises.  I started using the elliptical, and the first time I got on one, I only lasted about 8 minutes. The next time, I made it 55 minutes.  I tried Yoga, even started trying the Couch to 5k program.

By May, I had started going to Zumba and loved it! The amount of courage it took me to enter that first Zumba class is immeasurable. Being overweight came a huge sense of insecurity and fear of crowds, but I overcame it. I was on a roll, and all the paperwork I had from the different weight loss surgery seminars had been shoved into a drawer somewhere. I no longer even considered that an option.

The summer of 2010, I entered a Subway Weight Loss Challenge to which the winners would be announced at the Midnight Streak 5k. Since I was attempting (struggling horribly through) the Couch to 5k program, I considered signing up for this as my first 5k.  Regrettably, I chickened out, because the running was not going as well I would have liked. I started doubting whether I wanted to pursue running at all or not.  I did, however, win third place for body fat percentage loss.

I continued on my journey and the weight loss started slowing down.  At the beginning of June 2011, I decided to try running again.  This time all the hard work on the elliptical paid off and I started running short distances immediately.  It was tough, but I knew I could do it.  I decided to sign up for my first 5k, and what better way to mark an anniversary than to sign up for the Midnight Streak?

Since then, I have run a total of three 5K's, one Warrior Dash, a 25k, and a half-marathon. I plan on doing the Midnight Streak again and hopefully another mud run this year. Maybe, just maybe, I will run a full marathon in November.  It's hard to believe that only a little over two years ago I was twice my size and could hardly manage getting up the stairs.

Now running is just a part of who I am. But don't misunderstand me; many days I still have to force myself out the door before I realize that yes, I did really want to go for a run.  I just have to remind myself of why I run and why I enjoy it so much. I run for freedom, peace of mind, size 2 jeans, cheat days, and to control my depression and anxiety issues.  I run to breathe.  I truly run for life.  I can't imagine not being a runner now.

I still receive mail from the different weight loss surgery offices I had visited.  It always makes me smile to see because I am instantly reminded of how far I have come. It's been two years and two months since I started this journey and I have traveled a great distance.  I have lost more than half my body weight.  I have become an athlete.  I instruct Zumba twice a week.  I have deemed myself worthy.  I've regained my pride.

Now I'm focusing on bettering myself in all aspects of my life.  Now when I see something in my life that I'm not happy with, instead of wallowing in despair, I look at how to fix it.  How am I going to make my life better?  It takes work and dedication, but it is by no means impossible.  In fact, it's quite possible:

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Henry Ford Museum

For the first day of our little "staycation" break, we were gone ALL day. And I only have a few moments to write this post before we head out again (to a movie). We woke up and got the kids ready for school. I actually would have liked to keep Noah home today (he still wasn't feeling great), but he begged to go to school because he had a field trip at the recycling center today.

After the boys got on the bus, Jerry and I ate a quick breakfast and then headed out for the Henry Ford museum in Dearborn. We looked around the museum a little before checking out the Titanic exhibit. There were some fun things to look at!

This was just begging for a photo

This was a cool kitchen from the 1950's

TV's have come a long way!

This is an old-fashioned baby swing/jumper. Pretty cool!

Stuff from MY generation... or maybe slightly later ;)

Remember Simon??

A school desk from the 1950's

Remember: Duck and cover.

  

Because "duck and cover" will protect you from a nuclear blast...

These were some old car seats. They looked more dangerous than the seat of the car!

The museum was really fun. Then we "boarded" the Titanic. I was given a ticket with the name of a woman, and her story. Then at the end, I could see whether I survived the sinking of the ship.

My ticket

Jerry's ticket

 My person was named Elizabeth, and she was 29-years old. She was a widow, traveling alone. We walked through the Titanic exhibit, and it was REALLY neat to see all the artifacts that were collected from the ship. But I liked reading the personal stories on the wall the best. It was so sad to read about the real stories of real people that were traveling on the Titanic.

The exhibit had a huge block of ice that we could touch to see how the temperature of the water felt to the people that were exposed to it that day. I had tears in my eyes more than a few times as we walked through. We weren't allowed to take pictures in there, otherwise I would have. They had a replica of the famous staircase (seen in the movie) and it was AMAZING.

At the end, there was a wall listing the "saved" and the "lost" of the Titanic. Elizabeth's name was with the saved. Benjamin Hart (Jerry's man) was lost. Seeing the numbers of people under the "lost" sections was heartbreaking--and it was even sadder that as the class went up, so did the number of survivors. The crew lost the most, then the third class, then the second class, and the first class lost the fewest people.

We looked around the museum a bit more before heading to lunch.

We went to a pizza place called Pizza Papalis in Dearborn. We ordered a deep dish Chicago-style pizza with green peppers and feta cheese. It was AMAZING. And of course I had a beer with it...

I had two pieces, but I wish I'd only had one--because after we left Pizza Papalis, we went to Whole Foods for dessert. I got a turtle brownie, of course! But I brought it home with me to eat at the movies. I think I might just call that dinner, because I'm really not that hungry after such a filling lunch.

Sorry this is so hastily written, but we have to head out to the movie now! Not sure what we're seeing yet.

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Last double digit run before the marathon

Today I had 12 miles on the schedule--the last double digit run before the marathon! I am so glad to be tapering, but I feel like it's going by too fast. So far, tapering is my favorite part of training, lol. Anyway, I made plans to meet up with Jessica this morning to do our 12 at the Metropark.

When the kids woke up, Noah was complaining of a sore throat and headache. I took his temperature, and he had a fever. Surely, the same virus Eli had. So I had to keep him home from school--which meant I was going to have to come up with a different plan for my run.

Since Jerry and I are planning on spending the weekend together, I wanted to get it out of the way today. I sent Jessica a text and told her that I was going to have to do it on the dreadmill. I really didn't want to! I haven't used the dreadmill in a long time, and I would have liked to keep it that way.

I probably spent half an hour setting everything up for a long run. I knew I would need a fan, so I brought a fan out and set it up in front of the window, which I opened. Since the window was opened, I didn't want to blare the TV and bust my neighbor's eardrums (I have to turn it up loud to hear it over the treadmill). After some thought and creativity, I came up with this:

Cat tree=computer stand

Free Lifetime movies online

The cat tree was at the perfect height to prop my computer on so that it was directly in my line of vision. Estelle was a little pissed that I moved her throne perch, so she pouted and moved to the bedroom. I discovered that you can watch Lifetime movies for free online, so I chose a movie. I got some water, a packet of Gu, and I hooked up the computer to the treadmill speakers, so I didn't have to wear earphones.

It worked out really well! I started running and realized my foot pod wasn't registering on my Garmin. This was the first time I tried using it with the Forerunner 910xt. I stopped running and fiddled around with it, and realized I had to change a setting on it. Once I did that, I was good to go (again).

Since I was so bored, I was going at a faster pace than normal, and I waited 4 miles before doing a walk break. I would have just skipped the walk breaks altogether, but my knee started hurting; so I figured I'd better do what was working.

I don't know exactly how accurate the pace is, simply because I'm not sure how much I trust the foot pod, but based on my breathing and heart rate, I think it was pretty accurate. My heart rate seems to be getting lower and lower on each run that I do. I know that's probably because it's getting more conditioned, but it means I have to work longer or harder to burn the same amount of calories as before.

Two hours of running, and I only burned 844 calories?? Good grief!

I'm so glad to have that out of the way so my weekend is all free and clear to enjoy. Yesterday, I remembered that I have a bunch of gift cards from way back when I broke my jaw. So Jerry and I are going to work on using them up this weekend. That's a pretty fun task!

We have 2 free movie passes, and a $25 movie gift card; 8 free passes for the comedy club; a gift card to Chili's; a gift card to Buca di Beppo (was supposed to use that in Indy tomorrow night, but we found another one in Michigan that we'll go to). I also have a gift card to Kohl's and Home Depot, and a Victoria's Secret coupon for free panties. So we can do quite a bit this weekend and STILL save money. We will go to the Titanic exhibit, which is $27/person; but when all is said and done, this weekend won't cost much at all compared to Indy.

I got an e-mail this morning that made me *almost* glad I'm not running the half on Saturday...

 If there is one thing that makes me even more miserable than running on the treadmill, it is running in the heat. So for those of you running or walking in Indy on Saturday, make sure you be careful and listen to your body! I am praying that we have a nice cold day for the marathon. It's only 17 days away!

Considering how much I hate running in the heat, I have no idea what possessed me to sign up for a run called the Solstice Run, and I registered for the 10-Mile. It's June 23rd--which means it's going to be HOT. But I knew if I didn't have a race to train for after the marathon, I would probably slack off and not run much. I still plan on taking some time off--probably a week of no running at all--but since this 10-Mile race is a month after the full, it won't be hard to get ready for it. Oh well, hopefully it will be fun!

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Ragnar photo collage

Wow--first, I just have to say thank you so much for your kind thoughts and generous offers on my last blog post. I was feeling really down about the whole thing yesterday, and I even ate my feelings away through a partial jar of peanut butter--a bad habit that I would love to get rid of one day! I really do appreciate the offers to help me make it to Indy for the race, but I just wouldn't feel right accepting them.

As much as I love the race, and will miss not going this year, it will still be there next year. My heart just really isn't in it right now. It wasn't the race itself that I loved so much, but the whole atmosphere and spending time with my friends and family. It's one of the few times each year that I get to see my older brother and sister. But enough about that.

I was looking up other things for Jerry and I to do this weekend, but I haven't had much luck. Going to Traverse City, MI for wine tasting--sounds super fun, but the hotels that were offering deal for the wine tasting were booked. There is a Titanic exhibit at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn that I really want to go to, so I think we'll do that. Definitely not as fun as a weekend getaway, but it's something to do.

Besides, we have Key West to look forward to in January! Jerry and I never went on a honeymoon (or even a real vacation together), so we are both super excited for Key West. After I'm done with the Ragnar, we're going to stay three nights in Key West before coming home.

Speaking of the Ragnar, check out this collage of our team... isn't it amazing?!

I've already introduced Meredith, Mary, Jennifer, and Linda... and I will continue to share the stories of the rest of the team. The numbers on the collage represent the runner positions we hold. As Runner #1, I will start at the actual starting line in Miami; and I will share a van with the first six runners. Runners 7-12 will share Van #2. We each run three legs of the 200ish miles. I will start, and then pass off to Meredith, who will run her first leg and then pass off to Lealah, and so on.

Once we go through all 12 runners, we start over again with me. The start times in Miami are staggered, so the slowest teams start first, and the fastest teams start later in the day (this is to have all the teams finishing within a certain time period at the end). Our team pace will probably give us an early start, maybe 7:00 AM? So we are able to estimate the times that our legs will fall--my first one would be at 7:00 AM, my second leg would be at about 4:36 PM, and my third and final leg would be at about 6:35 AM. The accuracy of this is based on how well everyone estimated their pace. But I liked the first position because none of my legs will fall mid-day, when it's scorching hot outside ;)

My leg distances are: 5.7 miles, 8.8 miles, and 3.0 miles. When I did the Ragnar in 2010, I remember not being very happy when I did my second leg, because I was tired and it was the middle of the night. So I think that by getting my first two legs in before Friday evening has its advantages. I was in Van #2 last time, which gives you a much later start, and that means more tired for the later legs.

I'm just so excited and I wish January would get here sooner!

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Some of my teammates were urging me to start using Twitter. I've avoided Twitter like the plague, because it seems so intimidating; and I don't have a smart phone, so I can't do updates unless I'm sitting with my laptop. But I've set it up so that when I publish a new post on my blog, it will "tweet" that on Twitter (I have no idea if I'm using that terminology correctly, so just humor me and go along with it). If you use Twitter and would prefer to be notified of updates that way, you can find me at: www.twitter.com/runsforcookies. I have no idea how often I will "tweet", but I'm trying to get the hang of it. It's so confusing!

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Major disappointment

A couple of hours after I wrote my blog post yesterday, I got a phone call from my sister. She said that she wasn't going to be going to Indy this weekend, and her friend Jen wasn't going either (I don't want to get into the reasons why). I'm not upset with her at all, but I am SO SO SO disappointed.

I'm not going to Indy this weekend. I'm not going to be able to do my favorite race. This would have been my fifth year in a row doing this race, and I was really excited to do it for the enjoyment of it. There were only six of us that were planning on going this year, and my brother was called to do a flight this weekend, so he said he couldn't go. Then there were only five, including Jerry and me.

Anyway, the whole point is that Jerry and I can't afford (financially) to go without the group; and it just wouldn't be the same going without my sister. If you've been reading my blog for a while, you know how much this annual trip means to me. I look forward to it all year long! This race is what started my weight loss journey, and each year that I go, I set new goals for the following year.

And then after yesterday's blog post, I saw that quite a few of you are going to be doing the race this year as well, and I was really excited to meet up at the finish line. Jerry was really bummed out too, because we use Indy weekend as a time to just be adults, and have fun without worrying about the kids (the kids stay with my parents for the weekend).

I was thinking of coming up with something to do as an alternative plan, but I can't think of anything that wouldn't cost much. So I think we'll just try and plan a fun night on Saturday with friends or something--maybe a comedy club?

The only positive to all this is that we are saving quite a bit of money by not going; and since Eli's doctor/ER visits last week are going to cost a small fortune, we can just put the money we were going to use for Indy toward the medical bills.

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So anyway, enough self-pity.

Jessica and I got together for our scheduled eight-mile run today. It was lightly drizzling outside, which actually felt pretty good. It was very overcast, too. Perfect running weather.

We decided to do the 9:1 ratio again. Right away, I knew it was going to be a bad run. I felt really weak and exhausted. I have no idea why--maybe my faster run yesterday? I also had less calories yesterday than normal, because I'm trying to keep my weight under control (139 today). Maybe it was just a combination of the two.

By mile two, I was really feeling tired. I didn't know how I was going to last another six miles. I didn't bring water or Gu or anything with me, since it was "only" eight miles today, and I wished I had brought a Gu for a little pick-me-up. Jessica's knee was really bothering her badly today; mine was hurting, but not horribly. I don't understand it--sometimes my knee feels just fine and other times it's unbearable. I hope that it heals up during our tapering.

We turned around at mile four and headed back. We were both pretty quiet during the whole run, probably because we both just felt really "off" today. I'm going to rest tomorrow, and then do 12 on Thursday (since I won't be running the half on Saturday). And finish the week with four on Friday.

I was really bummed when I saw the summary of our run, and that I had only burned 580 calories in 8 miles!! My average heart rate was only 138 bpm, which is super low for a run. At a comfortable pace, my heart rate is usually 145. I was surprised what a huge difference is made in my calorie burn.

Gosh, I sound like such a Debbie Downer today! I'm super tired, so that might explain it. But I had a really exhausting week, which I'm not used to.

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Photoshoot with 'that loud redhead'

What a weekend! Normally, my weekends are totally uneventful. Friday night was really fun--I went out with a bunch of runner friends for dinner to celebrate Jessica's and my 20-mile run that morning. (Yes, it was worth celebrating--we were THRILLED to get it done with!)

We went to dinner at an Italian restaurant called Dolce Vita. I ordered an "Almond Joy martini". It sounds much better than it tasted, however ;)  I ordered gnocchi for dinner and ate almost all of it. I really wanted dessert, too, even though nobody else did--so I ordered a "peanut butter cheesecake". Sounds amazing, right? Well, when I got it, I took one small bite and it was gross--it tasted like pure whipped butter--not even a hint of peanut butter.

I was really disappointed, so I politely told the server that I didn't like it. I assumed she would take it off the bill, since I only had one small bite and I sent it back. But she said the manager told her that she couldn't take it off, because it was a matter of "personal preference". I was really blown away by that! I don't send food back very often in restaurants, but when I don't like something, I will send it back and the manager never has a problem taking it off the bill.

So I asked to talk to the manager, and the manager told me that other people ordered it and didn't complain; and since there was nothing wrong with it, she couldn't take it off the bill. I was so shocked I didn't even know what to say! I could completely understand that if I had eaten the whole dessert, but I literally had one bite. So I told her that I wouldn't be going back there, and it was a shame to lose a customer over a $5 dessert, especially when my friends and I all ordered drinks and dinner and spent quite a bit of money there. She finally agreed to take it off the bill. But I still won't go back there. Am I out-of-line on this? Is this typical at a restaurant? Just curious. When I worked at Lonestar steakhouse, I had customers would eat their entire steak and then complain, and we STILL took it off the bill--because "the customer is always right".

But despite that little scenario, I loved going out with everyone and I hope we do it again soon. Maybe after the actual marathon?

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Yesterday, I had a date with my friend Stephanie to take some "after photos" for a project I will share soon. Stephanie is a photographer by hobby, and her photos from our Winers meetings always look great, so I asked her to take some pictures for me. I paid her with a bottle of Chardonnay ;)

We went to the Metropark where Jessica and I run, because it's gorgeous there. I needed a good head shot, and I'm really impressed with how they turned out--I actually look pretty good! Here are a few of my favorites:

A couple of running photos:

And a couple of photos with my old jeans:

I actually look like I have nice biceps in those last two pics... not sure where that came from! It's so strange to wear a tank top, let alone allow someone to take pictures of me in one. My very first time wearing a tank top was exactly two years ago, and I was SO self-conscious.

Stephanie was awesome and I didn't feel self-conscious around her at all. She actually just celebrated hitting her goal weight at Weight Watchers! She writes a blog called That Loud Redhead, so be sure to check it out if you'd like :)

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I had five easy miles on the schedule today. It was raining this morning, so Jessica and I agreed to do it on our own sometime during the day. Knowing that I didn't have to meet her for a run just made me procrastinate all day long, until I finally decided at about 1:30 that procrastinating wasn't going to make it go away.

I forgot to set my Garmin up for the 9:1 intervals we've been doing, and I realized it right after I started running. Instead of stopping and setting the interval workout, I decided to just run the whole five miles straight through and see how my knee was doing. I was running at a slightly-faster-than-easy pace, and I guessed it was about a 10:00/mi pace.

After a mile, I saw that I actually ran it in 9:35, so I decided to just go with it as long as it was comfortable. My knee felt 100% normal until about mile 4, and even then I barely felt a couple of twinges. No pain though. So I finished out the run in 47:34, a 9:30/mi pace. I felt good knowing that I haven't somehow lost the ability to run straight through rather than do the 9:1 run/walk.

My splits:

I felt really good after that run. It was overcast and on the verge of raining, which is my favorite running weather. Tomorrow I have eight miles scheduled, then Wednesday I'll do four. Rest Thursday. I leave for Indy on Friday, and the half-marathon is on Saturday.

I'm really excited about the half-marathon this year. The first two years, I was really worried I wasn't going to finish in time (they have a 4-hr time limit); the third year, I wanted to finish faster than 3:30; and last year, it was my first half-marathon that I actually RAN. I always thought it would be really cool to do it without a time goal and bring my camera along, taking pics along the way to show off what a fun course it is. So that is my plan for Saturday. Run, walk, stop for pictures, chat with people, totally ENJOY the race without a care in the world what my time is. (So if you're there and you see me with my sparkle skirt--I think I'm wearing the blue one--make sure you say hi!)

After I finish, I am going to stand at the finish line and cheer until the very last person crosses--my Ragnar teammate John inspired me to do this. Then I'll have my finish line beer and enjoy the rest of the afternoon with more beer. Can't wait!

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Reader Questions & Answers #11

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. I would love to do more races each season but at $65/$75 and more for the "bigger/better" races, the $$ adds up to quite a bit.  And so I find myself only doing the super local races that I can drive to that morning and only if I manage to register to get an early-bird discount.  You refer to your "debt" quite a lot on your blog, you talk about how you don't eat out and that you mostly shop at resale stores.  How, then, do you justify spending so much $ on all the races that you do throughout the year especially when quite a few of them require travel and overnight stay?

A. This is why I always feel a little uncomfortable talking about my debt on my blog--if someone doesn't know the whole story, they will think I am spending outside my means. I think that everybody has his/her own "thing" that they splurge on--some people may get manicures every couple of weeks, some people go out to lunch every day, etc.

My "thing" is running. I don't spend money on myself in any other instance--I cut my own hair (haven't paid for a haircut in probably four years, and I also cut Jerry's and my kids' hair); I use 88 cent shampoo and conditioner; I don't buy make-up--I wear it so rarely that one bottle of foundation will last me three years; I buy all of my clothes (except underwear and some running gear) at resale shops and garage sales; I only eat out VERY occasionally; I drink tap water rather than bottled water or soda; I don't buy books or movies (I use the library); and the list goes on and on. 

I've only traveled to a couple of races--I go to Indy each year for the half-marathon in May; and in 2010, I went to Minnesota for the Ragnar Relay, and Illinois for the Warrior Dash. When I go to Indy, the total for the entire Fri-Sun weekend is about $250. We share hotel rooms, eat the free breakfast at the hotel, and have dinner out. With hotel, gas, food, race fee, etc, the total is about $250. Not bad at all!

On my way to MN for Ragnar Great River 2010

I'm lucky to have a brother who is a pilot, also. When I went to Minnesota for the Ragnar, I used a buddy pass, which was $100 round-trip. The race costs were about $150. So for a three-night stay with airfare and food, that trip cost me about $300. This August, I'll be going to MN for another race; and again, using a buddy pass. I'll stay at my brother's house, so the trip will cost me about $200 total.

Our Indy group from last year--2 hotel rooms, 8 people (Jerry is unpictured)

Until recently, I didn't do many local races because of the costs. But I discovered that Jerry's work will pay for local races, so that is the only reason I've been doing them lately. They've only cost me a couple of bucks in gas money to drive there. So as you can see, racing really doesn't cost me much--pennies compared to eating lunch out every day ($10/day=$3650 per year), or buying a Starbucks coffee every morning ($4/day=$1460 per year). And besides, before I lost the weight, I was spending $20+ on a single binge! The money is much more useful going to a race fee.

(ETA: I don't think the person who wrote me this question was trying to be rude.. just curious. And I'm happy to answer!)

Q. I am wanting to get started running and I have been down this road before.  My question is about Sports Bras! As a larger-breasted gal, it is SO hard to find a bra that is supportive when I want to run. I can't find anything that holds the girls in place during that kind of exercise.  Do you have any suggestions?  Recommendations?

A. I've been asked this question a few times, and unfortunately, I haven't been much help. My "girls" are teeny tiny since losing the weight, and I do just fine with cheap sports bras from Target. But I decided to go to the "expert" on this one, and ask my sister. She has some *lovely* girls--everything I am lacking in that department, she more than makes up for.

She said that the best ones to get are from Essential Bodywear. Apparently they were one of Oprah's recommendations. You can actually host or attend a "bra party" where a consult will come fit you for a good bra. My sister swears by these bras. So hopefully that will help you out! ;)

Q. When just starting out with jogging/walking, what is more important...the distance or the amount of time you walk/jog for? For instance, should my goal be to walk/run 3 miles every time, whether it takes me 30 OR 45 minutes (right now its 45...but eventually I'd like it to be 30).....or is it better to just make sure I'm getting a 30-minute workout in and worry about distance later.

A. I think this is just a matter of what you prefer and what your goals are. When I first started, I looked at time. I would run as far as I could, and then walk until I reached 30 minutes. Once I was able to run for 30 minutes straight (I was running slowly, so I hadn't yet reached 3 miles), I started running for distance. I would keep building up distance of non-stop running until I was running for 5K (3.1 miles) without any walking. At that time, it took me about 40+ minutes to run 5K. After that, I continued to run 5K three times per week, trying to get a little faster each time. And since then, I focus only on distance rather than time.

Running for time rather than distance has its advantages, though. If you are an experienced runner and you find yourself having a hard time slowing down on your easy runs (which can lead to injury), you can set a time goal rather than distance--which means you'll be running for 30 minutes (or whatever you choose) whether you run fast or run slow. Sometimes when I know I'm running 3 miles, for example, I will want to get it over with as quickly as possible so I run too fast. But if I knew I was going to run for 30 minutes regardless, I would be more inclined to run slowly.

But really, it's totally up to you how you want to handle it. The most important thing is being consistent! 

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Linda's story

I would like to introduce you to another member of the Ragnar Relay team. Some of you may recognize her as "Frickin' Fabulous at 40"--she has been a long-time reader of my blog and she always takes time to comment. I really felt like she was my friend before I even asked her to join our team. She truly is "frickin' fabulous" ;)  Here is her story...

My name is Linda and I have been overweight/fat/obese, whatever you want to call it, ALL my life. I think the only time I was considered a "normal" weight was at birth! I have lost weight, only to stop working out (for some reason or other) and therefore stop caring about my nutrition, which led me to gain it all back and then some. (For me, exercise keeps my diet on track.) This time was different.

I went to the doctor for my annual physical and there were a couple issues. One concern was my blood pressure. That can't come as a surprise to anyone. I was 37 going on 38 years old, weighing 229 pounds at 5' tall. My mother had a quadruple bypass in at the age of 61. It was only a matter of time for me. The thought of leaving my children too soon terrified me. I was tired of feeling exhausted and looking terrible. I was disappointed in missing all of the things I kept myself from participating in because of my size, like parasailing in FL back in July 2009. I no longer wanted to be an observer in life.

On August 17, 2009, I put my mind to it and just did it. I ate less and I moved more. I didn't cut out complete food groups, (read: JUNK!), I just ate less of it. I tried not to eat anything after dinner. I did a lot of exercising at home to my Leslie Sansone DVDs and walking outside with the kids I babysit in  the double stroller.

Well, considering I hadn't even been thinking about losing weight at THAT time, I was no where near running a marathon, but the IDEA of running a marathon always sounded intriguing, an awesome item to cross off the bucket list. My husband said if I ever did it, he would do it with me.

When I started taking care of myself, that conversation kept playing over and over in my mind. So, after losing about 40 pounds, I started going to the track in March 2010. My husband would come with me to encourage me to keep going, even when I couldn't run 1/2 a lap. (I'll never forget when I finally ran an entire mile, I turned to my husband and asked him if he was proud of me and he said he was proud of me just for starting.)

I would just keep trying to add distance every time I went out there. On June 5, 2010, I ran/walked my 1st 5k in 42:42. After that I picked up the Couch to 5k program midway and continued to train at the track. On September 10, 2010, I ran an entire 5k with a time of 34:39. I was in love with running!

My weight loss had stalled a bit, so I signed up with My Fitness Pal on April 1, 2011. I have since lost 35 more pounds, for a total weight-loss of 75 pounds. I have run five 5ks, including the Damon Runyon 5k at Yankee Stadium, (a dream come true to run on the warning track at Yankee Stadium!!), a 10k in September, and now I am training for my first half-marathon, the Diva Half-marathon on 10/7/12!

Then it's on to the Ragnar Relay in Key West in January with 11 other runners who have amazing, inspiring weight-loss success stories. While in Key West, I plan to finally parasail without my weight getting in my way. My husband's and my dream of running a marathon together is starting to look like it will become a reality, if I can get my husband to train for it! If I'm going to dream, I'm going to dream big--I have my sights set on the NYC Marathon!

Wearing her "skinny husband's" jeans ;)

You can read Linda's blog at Frickin' Fabulous at 40.

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One more thing (on a related note): Remember how I mentioned that our adventure may turn into a documentary? Well, it looks like that is now more of a reality! Media Meld Studios is going to turn our weight loss stories and our Ragnar adventure into a film to hopefully inspire other people like us "before" to start moving. The website for the film isn't up yet, but you can check out the Facebook page if you'd like. They've already interviewed a few team members, and they will be coming to Michigan soon to interview me. I will post all about it when it happens.

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Update: During the filming of From Fat to Finish Line (the documentary), Linda received a makeover because she was commonly mistaken for her kids' grandmother instead of their mother!

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