Pecan pancakes

Today was Jen and Angela's last day in Michigan. They spent the morning getting some work done at my parents' house, and I met Renee for coffee. I got there before Renee, and when I ordered my coffee, I accidentally ordered a regular coffee instead of decaf. I hadn't had regular coffee in 8 months!! I was worried how it was going to affect me, but I just decided to drink it anyways.

Renee showed up shortly after, and it was really good to talk to her. She told me about the job that she was applying for, and we talked a little bit about marathon training. She's going to be running the NYC marathon this fall. I'm really excited for her, since this was her fourth year applying! She knew that if she applied three years in a row and didn't make it, she would automatically be "in" the fourth year--and she was (they just changed that rule, unfortunately, so you truly have to win the lottery to get in from now on). So she'll be training right around the same time as when I'm training for Detroit. (She's much faster than me, so unfortunately, I won't be doing my runs with her).

She said she definitely thinks I can aim higher on my time goal for the marathon. Rik said the same thing when I talked to him the other night. So I'm going to re-evaluate my goal and pick a time that I have to work for, but not strive for something out-of-reach. Not sure what it will be yet. I'm going to come up with an "A-goal" a "B-goal" and a "C-goal".

On the way home from my meeting with Renee, I started to get really jittery. My hands were trembling like crazy. But when I got in the house, the last thing I wanted to do was sit down, so I started cleaning. I actually wanted to clean! So I think I made a decision to start drinking regular coffee again, hahaha. I actually got some housework done, which was badly needed.

After that, Angela and Jennifer came over for our last filming before they were going back home. They wanted to film me blogging (which they were actually doing as I wrote the first three paragraphs of this blog); as well as film me talking about our team and how we are getting to know each other and become great friends via our team Facebook page. This is kind of a cool picture of Angela filming me while I was blogging...

After we were done filming that, we decided to go to Cracker Barrel for lunch. Angela wanted to go because she's never been to one! I always thought Cracker Barrel was a big chain that was everywhere, but Angela said they don't have them in L.A. As they were packing up their camera equipment, Estelle decided she had enough of living with us, and she packed herself up in the camera case...

She actually fit in that spot perfectly. I almost had Jennifer convinced to take Paolo with her, but she said she didn't think her landlord would let her have a cat. Bummer! (And no, I haven't given up hope finding Paolo a home that isn't mine!). I wanted to get a picture with them before they left, of course...

I look so short ;)  That is Jennifer on the left and Angela on the right. After that, we all headed to Cracker Barrel with Jerry and the boys. I got the pecan pancakes, and they were delicious!! I decided that the pecan pancakes will be my treat after my long runs for my marathon training... definitely something to look forward to!

Then it was time to say good-bye, because Jennifer and Angela had to head to the airport. I was so sad to see them leave! It was a lot of fun to hang out with them for the past few days. I won't see Jennifer again until we're in Miami. Angela is going to come here to film Rik and I meeting for the first time in October when we run the Detroit Marathon together.

Now it's back to reality. I have a TON of laundry to catch up on, as well as e-mail, blog reading, and some other blog-related stuff. But Jerry is off this weekend, so I plan on spending quality time with him and the boys as my top priority. What a fun few days it has been!

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Feeling overwhelmed

I had another great day with Jennifer and Angela! Last night, Renee came over and met them (over wine, of course!). I'm glad that she was able to, because I really wanted her and Jessica to meet the people I've been talking about (and will be talking about for months to come).

This morning, after I got the kids off to school, I went over to my mom's and we chatted over coffee for a little bit. They suggested getting some footage of Jessica and I running together, since we trained for the marathon together. So Jessica came over and we all walked down the road to film.

We just did a few shots of Jessica and I running, and I talked a little bit about our training. A very simple day today ;) Then we headed out to lunch. I really wanted to take Jennifer and Angela to La Pita--since everyone who tries it LOVES it--so that's where we went. I got my usual, which you've seen on the blog a thousand times...

The chicken kabob with hummus, garlic sauce, rice, salad, and (of course) warm pitas. When I start to feel full, I always tell myself, "Just one more bite." But it's just so good that I can't help eating more and more! I ate almost everything on my plate today.

After lunch, Jennifer and Angela came with me to pick up the kids from the bus stop. Angela brought the camera to film some "everyday stuff" that I do, but my life is seriously SOOO boring. I feel bad that they don't have much to film. We chatted at my house for a little while and then it was time for the kids' baseball practice, so Jennifer and Angela came along.

I was feeling really guilty for being such a boring hostess, but Noah and Eli's practices were at two different schools, so my dad couldn't take over for today--I had to take Eli to practice while he stayed with Noah. Jennifer and Angela stayed at the practice for about 20 minutes and then left to go work with the footage they'd gotten over the past two days.

At baseball practice, Eli was extremely excited for his turn to bat. On Tuesday, he'd gotten three hits to the outfield, and he was really proud of that. Today, he was hoping to repeat that. When it was his turn, he hit the first ball just past the pitcher. The second one was really short, just a few yards in front of him. I could tell he was discouraged, and I saw him get really determined for his third hit.

He smoked the ball HARD--right into the pitcher's eye. It seriously hit him square in the eye, poor kid. He was crying, and ran over to his dad. All the parents were worried about the kid who was hit, and Eli wasn't really sure if he could be excited about his hit or not. I had him apologize to the boy, but I told him that he had a great hit.

When Eli was practicing, I got this really horrible feeling of being overwhelmed--it was like a blanket just draped over my shoulders, weighing me down. I'm feeling so guilty--like I'm neglecting everyone in my life. I feel like a bad wife, a bad mother, and a bad friend. I've barely seen Jerry lately, my parents have had to help out with watching my kids way too much recently, and I feel like I'm losing touch with my friends because all of this stuff going on with ME (my blog; Fitness magazine; The Ragnar Relay project and documentary; the marathon).

Renee is applying for a new job, and I was looking forward to hearing about it, but I forgot to ask her about it last night over wine, and I feel bad about that. I know that all of this is just my depression going through a bad spell right now, but I really hate this feeling. And of course, the lump in my throat is back. Jerry is off work tomorrow and Saturday, so I'm going to try and spend some quality time with him, as well as do something fun with the kids.

The kids have been really cute lately, which makes me feel even worse. Eli keeps asking me if he can get his ears pierced, hahaha. I didn't tell him no, but I really hope he changes his mind! I think I will buy him magnetic ones. ;)  My mom told me another funny thing he said--he asked my mom if penises have bones. I cracked up at that one. Tomorrow is their last day of school. I can't believe how fast they are growing!

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The interview

Today was a very exciting day! I was looking forward to it for the past couple of weeks. Jen and Angela, the producers of the documentary From Fat to Finish Line (about our Ragnar Relay team) came to visit. Jennifer is from New Jersey and Angela from L.A.

First, I woke up at 5:15 in order to get a run in before I had to get the kids ready for school. I really didn't want to get out of bed, but once I did, I was getting more excited by the minute for Jennifer and Angela to arrive. As soon as I stepped outside and started running, I felt amazing! The weather was perfect at 5:30 in the morning, and it was just getting light outside. I decided almost immediately that I would do four miles instead of three.

I think I was going a little too fast, though, because my knee was really hurting. I really need to get it looked at by a doctor before I start marathon training. I don't want to go through this all over again. At 3.4 miles, I could have gone a block and arrived home, or I could have circled the neighborhood to reach 4 miles. So I decided to go ahead and keep running until I hit 4.

 After my run, I quickly showered, blew my hair dry, and put on some make-up. After getting the kids off to school, I went to my mom's house to wait for Jennifer and Angela to arrive. I was so excited when they go there! Normally I'm super shy around people I've never met, but I truly feel like I knew them already because of our Ragnar Facebook page. We quickly fell into conversation.

We had lunch (my mom made a big salad spread) before doing the interview. Then we went outside to do the filming of the interview. I wasn't nervous at all, which actually surprises me. I was very irritated at my shirt, however--one of the spaces between buttons wouldn't stay shut!

Angela setting up the camera

Ready for the interview

I didn't rehearse any of the questions, because I wanted my responses to be natural. I stumbled over words a few times, but over all, I think I did okay. I answered some unique questions, ones that I didn't feel like I've answered over and over again, which was refreshing.

It probably took an hour or so to do the interview, maybe an hour and a half. Then we went inside and set up to do a quick interview of both Jerry and I...

Jerry was super nervous, which surprised me. Usually I'M the nervous one, and he's calm as can be, but not today. He even got choked up when he talked about how proud he was of me, and I've never seen him do that before!

We had some more conversation and it was already dinner time. My mom made spaghetti, so we had that, and then talked some more--I LOVE listening to Jennifer and Angela's stories about when they used to work at talk shows (they met when they worked for Montel Williams together). It's just very interesting. I only have a few moments to blog now, because they are coming to my house for wine tonight :)

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I just have to share some good news as well. Rik called me last night and asked if I would want some company during the marathon! He is going to pace me to my goal. He lives in Wisconsin, so he and his wife are going to come here for the weekend of the race and he's going to run with me. I'm super excited about it. It will actually be the first time we'll meet face-to-face. Fun!

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Okay, have to go get the wine glasses and snacks for tonight...

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A new license

My friend Del (the owner of the Curves I used to work at from 2003-2005) called me a few days ago and asked if I would like to come in and work on Tuesday at 8:00. She said that her granddaughter was graduating from preschool, and she wanted to go watch that, so I would only be there for a few hours. I was excited about it, and said sure.

So this morning, I got up early to shower and get dressed before  sending the kids off to school. I even dried my hair and put on make-up (!!) something I rarely do ;) Just as I finished putting on my make-up, Del called to say that she got the date wrong on her granddaughter's graduation, so she didn't need me after all. I was kind of disappointed, but it worked out for the best because I had a lot to get done today.

I went to the post office to mail a baseball bat for Jerry. Jerry bought a bat at a garage sale for $5; and he just sold it for $120!! I wouldn't haven't given that bat a second glance if I had seen it first. After the post office, I went to the Secretary of State to apply for an enhanced driver's license (and enhanced license will get me into Canada and Mexico, and it's cheaper than an actual passport). There are few things that are more boring than waiting for your number to be called at the DMV. You can't even really "people watch" because everybody just sits and stares straight ahead.

I was bummed that I had to get a new photo taken for the enhanced license. I really liked the photo on my license, and the woman who took my application even said, "Oh, this is a good picture, too bad you have to have a new one". Bahaha! But she said my new one turned out as good as the old one, so we will see. I did remember to change my weight, thank goodness! Last time I was getting my license renewed, I was super excited to get a new photo and change my weight from my obese weight to my current weight of 133. In my excitement, I forgot to change my weight--so according to the DMV, I was still 250ish pounds! Anyway, she took my new photo and I should get my enhanced license in 2-3 weeks.

I stopped at the fruit and veggie market on the way home to get the stuff to make this recipe for a Smashed Chick Pea & Avocado Salad Sandwich. It took a while to make (have you ever peeled the skins from a whole can of chick peas?), but it was worth it. I was surprised how much I liked it!

After lunch, I got to work getting stuff cleaned up for tomorrow. I haven't mentioned this until now, but Jen from From Fat to Finish Line is coming to visit!! I've already talked about the documentary that her film company is making about our Ragnar Relay team; so her and another producer, Angela, are coming in tomorrow morning. They will be here until Friday night to do interviews and some filming for the documentary.

I'm mostly just excited to get to meet Jen in person! They are going to be staying at my parents' house (more comfortable and spacious than mine with my boys) and only 2/3 of a mile from my house. I'm not really sure what the plans are yet as far as the interviews. But of course I will write about it tomorrow night.

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A couple people have asked me about whether I wore my hydration belt during the marathon. Yes, I did. That was the first time I had ever carried stuff with me during a race, but after the last half-marathon I did, I knew I wanted to have water with me at all times. I felt like I was going to die of thirst during that half-marathon, so by wearing my hydration belt, I had access to water (or Powerade) throughout the whole course.

I'm really glad that I wore it! I was able to fit 5 Gu's, a pack of Shot Bloks, my cell phone, and a water bottle. I refilled my water bottle with Powerade at a couple of different stations, and I sipped that throughout the course. I had already worn the hydration belt during most of my long runs, so I knew it wouldn't bother me... and it didn't.

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If you give Katie a glass of wine...

...she is going to pour another.

I had a pretty uneventful weekend, but Saturday night, I did something I swore I would never do! My kids were staying the night at my parents' house, and Jerry was at work. I was trying to catch up on blog reading. It all started so innocently, with a single glass of wine...

But then I had another glass. And a third. Before I knew it, I was doing a Google search...

Why on earth would I need a passport, you might ask? Good question. There is actually an international race in October--the Detroit Free Press Marathon/Half-Marathon/5K. I sent Jerry a text to see if his work would pay for my registration (like they've been paying for a lot of local races lately)...

Ignore the boob comment. Of course he would go
and ruin my screenshot with a comment like that!

And just like that, I did it. I swore I would never do another marathon, and just six days after my first, I was registered for my second. What the hell was I thinking?!

I was already registered to run the fifth leg of a relay at that same marathon, so I had to find someone to take my leg for me--and Stephanie said that she would like to do it. I think she is the perfect person to take my spot! I'm a little bummed about not doing the relay, because I'm sure it would be so much FUN--but this is the only fall marathon that would have worked out for me (plus, Jerry's work is paying for the registration!)

I just really want to have a GOOD marathon experience. The first one was okay, and certainly could have been worse; but now that I know what to expect, I think I can have a much better experience. The only downside is that I won't have a training partner this time, but I will live (hopefully).

So anyway, I will be running 26.2 in Detroit (and Canada!) on October 21st. I promise not to be AS annoying with the marathon talk this time around ;) Training starts on June 18th--right around the corner. I am doing a different schedule this time around. I found this training schedule in a Women's Running magazine a while ago. The training is only three days per week--but all three days are higher quality workouts. This is impossible to read while it's this small, but I think if you click on it, it will be bigger (not that it's interesting to anyone but me!)

E=Easy run
PU=Pick Up (30 seconds of fast running)
T=Tempo (a "comfortably fast" pace)
ER=Easy Recovery
MP=Marathon Pace

I am actually going to make it a point to do cross training this time around. I am going to do strength training as well (using my new kettlebell) starting tomorrow. For cross training, I will probably either ride my bike or walk at a high incline on the dreadmill.

My goal going into this marathon is to finish under 5 hours. Last time, I was just doing it to finish, regardless of time. But I don't like that my pace was all over the place during training and the race itself. I'd like to stick to the training schedule and follow the recommended pace for each run, based on my current half-marathon time. According to the McMillan calculator, I should be able to run a full marathon in 4:20:00 ish. I'm not even going to aim for that!! I will be more than happy with anything under 5:00:00.

The best part about this race is that the average temp is between 44 and 57 degrees--PERFECT for running! I will be training through the summer though, which isn't going to be pleasant. I will probably have to do quite a few treadmill runs, because my kids will be home from school. And I know I shouldn't plan to fail, but IF I have bad knee problems like last time, or if the heat is just too difficult to train in, I can always switch to the half-marathon as a back-up plan.

I have to go to the Secretary of State tomorrow to apply for an enhanced driver's license (it's cheaper than a passport). I know so many of you said that I would do another marathon, and I swore up and down that I wouldn't. So go ahead and say you told me so! ;)

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Reader Questions & Answers #14

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. Were you very accurate with your calorie counting?  I know counting calories will not be exact, but did you always do a give or take? Now that you have lost weight, do you feel that you can relax more about weight loss?

A. I am such a perfectionist that when I started losing weight, I was very precise with my measurements. I like to measure food by weighing it out in grams rather than portioning with measuring cups or spoons. While portioning my oatmeal, I would make sure it was exactly 40 grams--if it said 41, I would take a little out. I felt like it HAD to be precise, or else I was "cheating".

Now, however, I realize how silly that was! Eating 41 grams of oatmeal instead of 40 is not what made me fat. So I definitely got more relaxed after losing the weight. I never used to eat at parties while losing weight because I didn't prepare the food, so I had no idea exactly how many calories were in it. But now I realize that it's okay to guesstimate.

I try to be accurate in eyeballing a portion of food, and I look up the calories--I know that it's not 100% precise, but it makes counting calories a lot less complicated. I think as long as you can trust yourself to be honest, then it's okay to not be be super precise about the accuracy. But if you tend to give yourself a little more than you are accounting for and convince yourself that it's the right portion, then maybe you should weigh it out ;)

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Q. I remember reading on your blog in the past that before you lost weight your day centered around food and eating. I have that same problem. Even though I am following Weight Watchers and having success I still think of or plan my food for much of the day. At what point, if ever, did food not become central in your thoughts or day? Do you still struggle with food thoughts filling much of your time?

A. This is something that Jessica and I talk about often. Jessica lost 80 pounds a few years ago--from counting calories and exercise, just like me. We both agree that food takes up a huge majority of our thoughts for the day--even after losing the weight. Before losing the weight, I was always thinking about what I wanted to eat next or what sounded good to eat. As I was losing weight, I was always planning out my meals in my head. And now that I'm maintaining, I am constantly thinking about and worry about gaining the weight back.

Jessica's before and after photos

I really wish that I could just push food out of my mind for an entire day, but it's impossible. Losing the weight didn't make me quit thinking about food all the time, unfortunately. In a perfect world, I would be able to eat "normally" (intuitively, but without thinking about it that way) and I wouldn't give a single thought to food when I wasn't hungry. But I honestly can't even imagine what that would be like! I realize that obsessive thoughts about food aren't "normal", but I haven't figured out how to fix that yet.

Something that really drives me crazy is how I associate food with certain places. If I have to go to the mall, for example, I immediately think of Mrs. Fields and I start to obsess over what I can buy there. Or if Jerry suggests going to the movies, I immediately think of popcorn. Sometimes the kids want to go to the dollar store, and that makes me think of candy. So frustrating!

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Q. What sort of exercise (if any) does Jerry do?? Does he run at all?

A. I've actually been asked this question quite a few times lately. I will let Jerry answer it...
"Do I exercise? No. Here are my reasons excuses for not exercising:

1) I don't have time.
2) It's really hard.
3) Have you SEEN Katie's toenails?!

See? Exercise.

I do play softball during the summer, but that is the only "real" exercise I do. I've tried out running a few times, because Katie is kind of inspiring (not sure if you've heard that before), but I really don't like it. I lost weight just from eating what Katie gave me to eat."

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And now a question for all of you...

Does your spouse/significant other exercise with you? As Jerry just answered, mine does not. I'm kind of glad he's not a runner, because we would probably fight over who gets to do which races and who stays with the kids ;)

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John's First Ragnar Relay (a guest post)

I would like to introduce you to Runner #12 on our Ragnar Relay team, John. I "met" John via SparkPeople.com. John is not only a member of Spark, but also the success story manager! As a SparkPeople success story, I was e-mailing him photos and questions for possible inclusion in the media. I didn't realize he was SANDIEGOJOHN, who was one of my Spark friends until months later.

"Knowing" him via his Spark page and e-mails, I decided to ask him to join our Ragnar team. I'm so glad that I did! He is so much fun, and I've learned a lot about him since forming our team. I'm sure Rik was happy to have another male on the team, also ;)  Here's John...

Hello, Everyone!

My name is John Hulsey, and like all the other runners on Katie's Ragnar Relay Team, I am thrilled to be part of this crazy adventure and grateful to have this chance to share a little bit about me with the amazing (and amazingly supportive) readers of Runs For Cookies.

I've shared my weight gain and loss story on my own blog, so I thought I would take this opportunity to talk specifically about my earlier experience with Ragnar.

I started running in December 2010. In April 2011, I heard about a relay race and was curious about it. I found it on the web, signed up on the site to read more about it, and logged off. Sure, it sounded fun, but I wasn't a runner good enough for that. No way.

Right away, I got an email from someone who asked, "You are looking for a team? We need a runner. Interested?"

Oh, jeez, what had I done?! Turns out, I thought I was filling out a profile about myself but I had actually checked the box that said, "I'm a runner looking for a team." And with the Ragnar Southern California coming up in a week, teams were desperate to find replacements for runners that had dropped out.

I apologized to the woman and explained that it was a mistake, I wasn't nearly good enough to run with a team, etc. She replied, "... and yet, there you are on the Ragnar site."

Back and forth we went for several emails. Long story short, she convinced me to join the team. And just like that, I did. A week later, I took a train to Los Angeles, spent the night with a friend, and the next morning stood on the sidewalk at 5am and waited for a white van to come pick me up. Crazy, right?

I had never run a relay. I had never run a Ragnar. And I didn't know a single team member. But I had no idea how amazing the running community is. And I definitely didn't know the spirit of the Ragnar.

From the beginning, the team said they were concerned with three things. One, that everyone had fun. Two, that everyone stay safe. Three, that everyone ran their best. And in that order. And they meant it.

My first leg was just under three miles and I was so nervous. "Just run," I kept telling myself. And I did. It wasn't my best run (it was hot and it was all uphill... ugh!), but I did it. And when I met up with the team, they weren't concerned with my time. They weren't concerned at all. They were just happy I had completed the leg and we were off to the next exchange.

My second leg was late in the evening, and I ran six miles under a brilliant (and nearly full) moon. The evening was cool but not cold, the course was uphill and then back down, and I felt confident. I waited in the chute, took the bracelet from my teammate, and I headed out. My pace was good, my body felt strong, and the first few miles were as expected. And then, just past mile four, the unexpected happened.

I was suddenly and completely overwhelmed by it all. There's no other way to explain it. My last thought was, "I can't believe I'm doing this. It's the middle of the night, I'm running six miles, and I'm going to make my team proud of me."

And then, tears. And not just a couple of tears, like when you watch the coffee commercial where the brother comes home from college and surprises his family. No, this was if-you-don't-know-better-you'd-think-my-dog-died tears. I was still running, definitely, but the tears just kept rolling down my face.

That was my moment, you see. I realized that I had truly changed my life. I was no longer that man just standing by while the days ticked off a calendar. To quote the site SparkPeople, I had truly made my life an adventure. And I knew in that moment that I would never be afraid of a challenge again.

When I came into the exchange, I had the biggest grin on my face. I had beaten my expected time, but that was the last thing on my mind. Instead, I felt like I had become a completely different person over those six miles. I started a man who "wasn't a runner," but I ended a man who was ready to try anything.

And after the Ragnar, I did just that. I ran a Tough Mudder, Bay to Breakers, the Rock n Roll San Diego Half Marathon, and in October 2011, I ran the Marine Corps Marathon. And I haven't stopped since.

For me, the Ragnar Relay is more than just a run. It's where I finally opened my eyes and saw the person I have become. It's not about being the fastest runner. It's not about winning the race. It's where all the hard work pays off. It's where all the training and healthy eating and early morning workouts and saying no to an extra dessert and all the other things that go into losing weight and building a healthy body show themselves to the world.

If you have a chance to run a Ragnar, do it. You will never regret giving yourself that moment to truly prove who you are.

You can check out John's blog for more about his story.

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7 Days of Sex

I don't know what possessed me this morning, but I barely opened my eyes, saw that it was 6:15, and thought, "Oh good! I have time to get my run done BEFORE the kids to go school!" It's not like I had anything else going on today that I had to get it done early. And technically, I think I'm still allowed to call it a rest day, considering I ran a marathon on Sunday ;)

I hopped out of bed and threw on some running clothes. Jerry got home from work at 6:30, so I headed out right away. My plan was to run 3 miles easy. As soon as I stepped out the door, I was struck with the humidity. The air felt very thick. I almost turned around and went back inside, but I figured that I'd already dressed for it, and I might as well just do it.

I felt like I was running at my "normal" easy pace (prior to training for the marathon, my "easy pace" was about a 9:10/mi). After a mile, I looked at my Garmin and it said I was doing a 10:13/mi pace. That kind of bummed me out. I wasn't trying to go fast, but I wanted to see where my normal comfortable pace is now. Second mile was 10:23. I picked up my pace with a quarter mile to go, because I just wanted to be home. Third mile was 9:36. I was still .13 miles from home, so I kept running fast--my pace at that last clip was 7:41!

It made me curious what my one mile time would be. I've never all-out sprinted for a mile to see what my time is. I'm guessing maybe 7:45? That just seems crazy fast though. Maybe more like 8:00. I think I will run it on June 1st and then again on August 31st, and see if I improve. If my knee can handle it, I'd like to do speed work this summer. I'm hoping to hit my sub-26:00 5K goal this fall, so I can just push it out of my mind and never visit the 5K distance again.

I was soaked in sweat after that short little run--that's how humid it was. It was literally dripping off of my face. But it was nice to be done so early! I took a shower and got the kids ready for school, then ate breakfast in peace and quiet.

I took my tight, sheer yellow shirt to the post office to send back to Under Armour. I just didn't feel comfortable in it with the fabric being so sheer. I also had to mail in a jury duty response form. I'm nervous that they're going to pick me! I'd be a terrible juror. I got the form in the mail a few days ago, and it said I MUST fill it out and return it within 10 days--but it didn't even include a prepaid envelope! I never have stamps, because I don't mail anything anymore.

I have another toenail that isn't looking too good. The nail on the second toe on my left foot looks like it's raised up in a weird way. A lot of people have mentioned blisters underneath nails, and I'm wondering if that's what this is.

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Jerry and I have been watching this show called "7 Days of Sex" on Lifetime. It features couples that are in a bit of a relationship rut, and they have to have sex for 7 days in a row (maybe that's where my brilliant 30-day idea came from??). The couples end up doing little date nights and stepping out of their comfort zones--and the sex part is really just a tiny percentage of the whole plan. It's been a pretty interesting show, and it made Jerry and I want to start doing "real" date nights.

Lately, whenever we have time to spend alone together, we end up watching our shows on TV or watching a movie. I think it would be fun to feel like we are dating again! So we're going to start working on that--taking turns planning things for us to do together that don't involve TV. We used to have such a fun relationship (and we still do, in some ways); we actually got comments from people all the time about how great our relationship is. But it seems we've fallen into a rut--so we should have fun getting out of it ;)

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Who needs toenails?!

I know I said I was going to take a whole week off of running, but I woke up feeling back to normal today. The kids had spent the night at my parents' house last night, so I got the urge to go for an early morning run. I decided that I would just do 2 miles--nice, slow, and easy.

As soon as I stepped outside, I felt the humidity--even at 7:30 in the morning! I was bummed. I miss the cool, crisp air that I was spoiled with all winter. I started running, and was surprised at how good I felt! My legs were a little stiff and sore, and my knee is still an issue, but I took it easy.

When I got a half-mile into the run, I heard, "Mama!" and I saw my boys at the bus stop with my dad. So I ran over to them and stopped for a few minutes to talk. Then I kept going and finished out the run. If I feel good tomorrow, I may go for 3 miles.

When I got home, I made my latest low-calorie breakfast... quick-cooking oats cooked in water with a teaspoon of brown sugar. Normally, I cook use old-fashioned oats and cook them in milk, but when I was at the hotel in Cleveland, I had to make do with the quick oats and water. I actually really liked it that way, so I've been making that the past few days. I only used 28 grams of oats (100 calories), plus a teaspoon of brown sugar (15 calories).

That, plus a glass of chocolate milk made for a very tasty breakfast!

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So last night, I noticed something that I'd been hoping to avoid... one of my toenails is turning purple/black :(  I've been running for over two years now, and I've never had to deal with a toenail issue. But it's almost a right of passage to lose for runners to lose a toenail, so I guess it's overdue. I'm going to show you a picture, even though it's gross (I'll make it a small pic at least):

I just cringe at the thought of losing a toenail. Gross! But it's been hurting pretty badly ever since the marathon, and I can't put any pressure on it. I hope it's just bruised.

I took the boys to Noah's soccer practice after dinner, and as I was getting stuff out of the car, Eli stepped on my foot--RIGHT ON my big purple toenail. I actually saw stars for a second. 

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Lately, I feel like I'm constantly on the computer--blogging, responding to e-mails, comments on Facebook, Twitter, working on my memoir... so much stuff! Reading blogs has been put on the back burner, and I figured this week would be a good time to catch up since I'm recovering from the race. I about had a heart attack when I saw my Google Reader this morning...

It originally had 608 unread items!! I felt extremely overwhelmed. I went through some of it today, but it's going to take me forever to catch up. I realized that I have no idea what is going on with any bloggers lately, because I haven't been reading. So if I missed something big, please let me know!

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Make sure you enter the $500 Under Armour gift card giveaway from yesterday's post, if you haven't already! This is the second sweepstakes, so if you didn't enter yesterday, then you aren't entered for this time around. It doesn't hurt to try...

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Time for the blinders

I remember when I was losing weight, and someone asked me how I stay focused. I tried describing the feeling of determination, and I finally just said, "It's like putting the blinders on--you just pick a goal and put all of your focus on it!"

Easy to spot in bright yellow! ;)

Well, now that the marathon is over, it's time for my blinders once again. Like I said a couple of weeks ago, I am ready to commit to losing the last five pounds--and for some reason, these five are killer!

I haven't wanted to cut back too drastically on my calorie intake because of the marathon training, so my progress isn't exactly where I would have liked it to be as far as my weight. It's easy to justify eating too much junk after running 20 miles!

I have been working really hard on changing my habits, however--like I mentioned, the afternoon is prime binge-time for me, so I've been going for a walk every day after lunch to refocus and get away from the food ;) And I've kept my nightly snack to 300 calories, which has been difficult, but necessary...

This is my current-favorite 300-calorie snack: 28 g. of Skinny Pop Popcorn; 15 g. of Cinnabon cereal; 14 g. of peanut butter Cap'n Crunch; and 14 g. of Cocoa Puffs. It makes a huge bowl, probably 4-5 cups. I snack on it slowly and it lasts me a long time.

So with the walks in the afternoons, I am burning probably about 150 extra calories a day--not much, but it's definitely saving me calories by not binge eating at that time. I am also limiting my snacks at night to 300 calories. And now I am ready to kick it into high gear by consciously lowering my calorie intake on a daily basis. I do great with my meals, but I've been snacking way too much. So I will limit my snacks, and eat more slowly to feel satisfied faster.

As far as exercise, I got some new Under Armour clothes, which is making me excited to get back out and run! (By the way, I got a few compliments on my UA outfit that I finally decided on for the marathon--the capris were a hit!) I'm taking the next couple of days week off to rest my post-marathon legs, but I am actually looking forward to running again. I bought something completely out of my comfort zone--a pair of UA shorts! But they are longer shorts (7 inches), so it's working out ;)

No, that's not a smudge on the photo...
those are my pasty white legs.

They hit just above my knees, and they are compression fit, so they actually work out well for me! I really like the compression fit of the UA clothes because they hold all my loose skin in place rather than letting it flop all over (nice visual, I know). The compression fit also makes my legs look skinner, so that's always a bonus! ;) Trust me, that is the ONLY reason I like this photo of me:

Why yes, my post-op jaw is
twice the normal size--but my
legs sure do look skinny in
those compression tights! lol

Have any of you signed up for the UA What's Beautiful contest yet? The prizes alone are definitely worth it, but you could also use the site for the accountability of reaching your goal, like I am. There are tons of different goals you could come up with: Run a mile without stopping? Improve your 5K time? Lose 10 pounds? Run a half-marathon? All you have to do is pick a fitness related goal and put your blinders on! ;)

Under Armour is once again giving away a $500 gift card! You can enter into the drawing by leaving a comment in the form below, answering the question, "How do you empower your workout?" See the rules (and other ways to enter) below.

SWEEPSTAKES/GIVEAWAY RULES

Rules:

No duplicate comments.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

a) Leave a comment in the form below telling me how you empower your workout.

b) Tweet (public message) about this promotion, including exactly the following unique terms in your tweet message: “#whatsbeautiful” “#sweepstakes”; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post

c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post. To comply with FTC Guidelines (see http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/10/endortest.shtm), entrants’ blog posts must disclose that they are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post.

d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

Entries from all participating blogs will be pooled for winner selection; only two entries per household.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 5/23-6/11.

Be sure to visit Under Armour's page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews.

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