Cheese in a can

Ahh, July. Only two more months of listening to my kids fight non-stop with each other before school starts back up.

Thanks so much for all the great book suggestions! I am a super slow reader, so those suggestions will probably last me a lifetime. For those of you that asked, I am on Goodreads. It may look like I don't use it very often, but the truth is, I just don't finish very many books. I start new books all the time, but if it doesn't hold my interest enough for me to want to continue reading it rather than watch TV or read blogs, or other distractions, then I just don't finish. The perfect example of a book that held my attention is The Hunger Games. I absolutely LOVED that series!

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Why does it look like his half is bigger?! I was SURE I took the bigger half...

Going out on the boat for the fireworks on Saturday turned out to be pretty fun, but I ate way too much junk. I let myself get too hungry before we left, and when we stopped to get snacks, I made some poor choices--chips and cookies.

Jerry and I split a huge cookie, and once I took a bite, it wasn't very good. I shouldn't have finished it, but that is such a bad habit of mine! I wasted those calories on a cookie that didn't even taste good.

That night set me back this week as far as my weight goes. As of yesterday morning, my weight was the same as it was on Wednesday, despite the fact that I ate pretty well from Wed-Fri. I'm back at it today, so hopefully I'll at least see a little drop when I "officially" weigh in on Wednesday.

My mom bought "cheese" in a can for the kids. I've never understood the appeal of that stuff! It looked so disgusting, but my kids think it's awesome. They thought they were cool to spray the cheese right into their mouths. Yuck!

The fireworks display that the park put on was actually pretty impressive. Jerry and I sat together on the floor of the boat to watch, and it was nice to just be together. Thankfully, the kids had a good time so they weren't complaining non-stop, like I expected. The sunset was gorgeous, too:

We got home a little after 11 p.m., and Jerry had to work on Sunday, so we went right to bed.

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Today was technically the first day of my running "break". Remember how I said I was going to take a whole week off? Well, I only lasted until 2:00 pm today, lol. I started to feel a binge coming on, and I knew that if I ran, I would stay on track. So I promised myself that if I felt my knee hurt in the slightest, I would stop.

I had to do the dreadmill again, since Jerry was at work and the kids were here with me. I turned on Season 10 of The Biggest Loser (Ada's season) on Netflix--the marathon episode. It was different to watch it this time, now that I kind of "know" Ada (even if it's just by phone and Internet). It was such a motivating episode to watch while I was running! Seeing her run her fastest mile on the treadmill and then run a 4:38 marathon was super inspiring. Watching that made the time on the treadmill fly by for me today.

Today's run was scheduled to be 50 minutes easy with 8 pick-ups. So I set my Garmin for 5 mins 30 seconds of running easy, and then a 30 second sprint... repeated 8 times, and then a 2 minute cool down. I did my sprints slower than last time. I did the first one at 10 mph and it just felt too fast--my muscle cramped up a little, so I took it down to 9 mph and 8 mph for a couple of them. It looked like this when I was done:

After running, I felt a million times better, and my knee didn't bother me at all. Lately, it only seems to hurt when I run outside. So I successfully avoided a binge, which is a big accomplishment!

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Reader Questions & Answers #19

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. Did you talk about your weight loss as you were doing it? I feel so self conscious telling my friends I'm dieting! It's like admitting I'm fat (not that they can't tell...). 

A. I was embarrassed to tell people at first--not because I was afraid to admit I was fat (I knew that was obvious)--but because I was afraid of failure. I had tried to lose weight so many times before only to gain it all back, so I "knew" that it wasn't going to last. I just wanted to save myself the humiliation.

However, once I realized I was really sticking with it, and a couple of months had gone by, I was pretty open about it. My friends learned that I was completely determined to stick it out, and I wasn't going to cave in at get-togethers (Winers meetings, mostly). I think telling people is actually a good thing--it makes it harder to quit, because it's embarrassing to admit to the people you've told ;)

My first Winers meeting that I was "dieting"... nobody knew
at that point.

Actually, that was one of the reasons I started this blog. I wanted there to be people I had to be accountable to, whether I was losing weight, maintaining weight, or even gaining the weight back. Knowing that I will have to admit my weight on my blog helps keep me in check (sometimes--it doesn't always work!). But anyway, you don't have to get specific with your friends about what you're doing--just maybe tell them that you're making healthier choices to try and lose a few pounds. They don't need to know the details.

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Q. How long did it take before friends started to notice your weight loss? I'm down 25lbs, and no one I go to school with or work with has noticed or said anything! Only my family and boyfriend! :(

A. It's so frustrating when you work so hard and it seems nobody notices, isn't it?! Nobody said anything to me until I had lost 40 pounds. Forty pounds is a lot of weight! It took me about four months to lose that much, and sometimes I wanted to give up because "nobody noticed". But once I got to a certain point, it was like everybody noticed all at once, and I got a lot of compliments. It helped me to stay motivated. Just keep in mind that you're losing weight for YOU, and not for the compliments (although they are definitely nice to hear!). And if you keep on going, people will take notice eventually ;)

50 pounds down--people FINALLY started to notice!

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Q. Do you recommend one over the other for the Garmin? I plan on buying one, but I can't decide if I should go for the more expensive one or not. I do listen to music while I work out, maybe the vibration feature is enough of a reason...

A. I wish I had experience with all of the Garmin models so that I could recommend a specific one. The only ones I've used are the 205, the 305 and now the 910XT. I don't believe that Garmin makes the 205 and 305 anymore. The 910XT is awesome, and has all the bells and whistles--but if you're not a triathlete (*cough* ME *cough*), then you'll be paying for features you won't use.

There is a great blog that has a review of all of the watches, and it can definitely help you make a decision! You can find it here: DC Rainmaker Product Reviews. That said, I definitely recommend getting one that includes a heart rate monitor (some models don't). Even if you don't think you'll use it, you may change your mind later (as I did) and wish you had it.

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Q. Do you know of anyone through your channels who lost weight, became a runner with ASTHMA?  I find it hard to find runners with asthma.  I am looking for tips for starting a running  plan from someone with asthma.

A. This is a question that I actually cannot answer, because I don't know anyone with asthma who has become a runner (at least that I know of). But I wanted to post this in case any of my readers have dealt with it and may be able to offer some encouragement...?

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Groundhog Day

Thanks to the fact that my kids are obsessed with catching crawfish in the creek, I feel like I’m in the movie Groundhog Day. It seems like I’m writing the same things over and over again. I may end up taking a break from blogging this week (especially since I’m taking a running break) so that it doesn’t seem so monotonous.

That said, I bet you can’t guess what the boys and I did today...

This time I let them bring a friend. They asked if they could bring Brendan, and I said sure, but let me take a shower first. When I got out of the shower, Noah told me that he called and talked to Brendan’s mom, and told her that we’d pick Brendan up in a few minutes. I didn’t even know that he knew their phone number! Hahaha, so I threw on some clothes and we headed out.

I brought the boys to the creek and  Listening to the boys talk was cracking me up. I was sitting in a lawn chair watching them play, and they were having conversations with each other. At one point, Brendan (7) said to Eli, "I know what you mean, I feel your pain, Eli, I feel your pain." Bahahaha! A couple of times, I heard Noah say, "O-M-G!" I know for a fact that he didn't learn that from me!

I wished I had a book to read or something. All I had with me was my iPhone, and I got bored with that quickly. However, I AM getting caught up on my Google Reader. I’ve been about a month behind on everyone’s blogs, and even though I was reading a little every day, it wasn’t enough to catch up.

 
Right now, I am only about a week behind. I hope to get it all cleared out within another week or so. I’m kind of bummed that I missed so many cool giveaways! By the time I read about each giveaway, it was over—by about 3 weeks, lol.

Tonight we are going out in the boat with my parents to watch the fireworks show put on at the Metropark. Every year, for as long as I can remember, we've gone on the boat for the fourth of July fireworks show. I can't say I enjoy it, but I know that the kids love it, so that's why we go. I am just not an outdoors-person in the slightest. My brothers sucked up every last ounce of that gene.


I really need to come up with plans to keep myself busy all week. I know that I don't run for hours on end each day, but it takes up a good chunk of my morning--between dressing to run, then actually doing it, and following it with a shower and getting dressed, it takes 2-3 hours. Since I'm taking the week off of running, in the hopes of healing my knee, my days are going to seem very long. Especially if they only consist of taking the kids to the creek! 


I supposed I could be productive and get my house uber clean... but that's no fun! I really want a good book to read, but I'm at a loss. I've started and stopped dozens of books this year, and haven't gotten interested in any. Yes, that includes the 50 Shades series... I'm probably the only person on the planet who thought it was lame and didn't even finish the first book. It's not that I'm a prude, either--I love a good smut book! ;)

I have a couple of books on request at the library, but I'm third in line, so it will be a while. Any suggestions? I like easy-to-read fiction novels, as well as memoirs. On second thought, maybe I should just give up on books and work on clearing out my Google Reader first!

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Rip Van Winkle

It was another early morning for me today. Yesterday was pretty hot--hot enough that my boys' baseball games were canceled last night! So I wanted to make sure and get my 10-mile run out of the way early today to avoid a heat stroke ;)

Ty was coming to meet me from Ann Arbor (about a 45 minute drive) at 6:30. So I got up at 5:00 to get ready for our run. We met at a gas station, and then I drove from there to the park that Jessica and I used to park at for our long runs. I had mapped out a 10-mile out-and-back route that went to the tip of the Metropark and back.

It was pretty hot outside. At just 6:30 AM, it was already in the 70's, and it was 81 when we finished. It was extremely humid--the air felt really thick, which made it harder to breathe. We saw quite a few people out running, though, which was really surprising. I never see other runners! But I counted at least 6 or 7 today.

My knee was holding up pretty well, but at mile 4, we decided to do a short walk break every mile (the 9:1 thing Jess and I did). Ty is coming off of a hip injury, so we took it easy. When we got to the bridge at the Metropark, we stopped for a quick picture:

My knee pain got worse at around mile 9, and I decided to listen to my body (like my doctor told me) and walk the rest of the way back to the car. I stopped my Garmin, of course ;) Ty said that taking a week off of running really helped a lot with her hip injury, and I think she has me convinced to take a FULL week off of running. If I'm going to do it, the best time would be NOW. I don't have any races lined up until September 1, when I'm running a half-marathon in Minnesota.

I don't think that taking a full week off will harm my fitness level, so I am going to try it. My next run won't be until a week from Monday--so I'll be skipping all three scheduled runs next week. I'm going to go for walks instead, as long as my knee feels good about it, and I will continue my strength training, stretching, and foam rolling. Let's hope that the time off helps my knee!

Anyway, we got back to the car, and I was drenched in sweat. When it's that humid outside, the sweat is just ridiculous. But here are our splits:
Stupid Garmin is all screwed up. I just spent about an hour trying to upload our run, and it wouldn't work. It STILL won't work. And even when I look at the Garmin itself, it's only showing one lap (the first mile). Oh well, at least I can get the final stats of the run:

My iPhone takes terrible pics of my Garmin,
but I'm too lazy to get my real camera.

After the run, we headed to breakfast at Cracker Barrel. Ever since I had the pecan pancakes when Jennifer and Angela were in town for the documentary, I've been craving them again. They are probably going to be my go-to meal after my long runs during marathon training. They did not disappoint me today:

I ate all three pancakes, but I really wish I'd just had two. I felt comfortably full after two, but they were just so good I couldn't stop! Then Ty headed back to Ann Arbor, and I went home to shower. I've been extremely stressed and anxious for the last couple of weeks, and it's causing physical symptoms that are really bothersome (lump in my throat, eyelid twitching, etc). So I took a Xanax to relax a little. I don't take it very often, but when my anxiety and stress gets really bad, I might take one.

Then Jerry and I took the boys to the creek to catch crawfish again, since he was off work today. He waded through the creek with the boys.

I was really starting to feel the Xanax, which was making me incredibly tired. That's why I don't take it very often, because it puts me to sleep. Jerry took a picture of me, which looks really pathetic:

When we got home, my kids called my parents to ask if they could spend the night over there, and of course my mom said yes. I was excited to be able to hang out with Jerry, and possibly even go out somewhere. I wanted to lie down for just a couple of minutes, so I laid on the couch and watched Tosh.0 with Jerry... and I actually fell asleep! I never, ever take naps--I was willing myself to keep my eyes open, but I just couldn't. Jerry thought it was funny, and actually took a picture of me sleeping. I can't believe I was so out of it that I had no idea he took this:

I am so not attractive when I sleep, haha! Anyway, I didn't sleep very long--just a few minutes--but then my eyes shot open and I panicked that I had fallen asleep. I know a lot of people like naps, but I hate them--I feel like it's such a waste of my day.

So now Jerry and I are trying to figure out what to do tonight--whether we should go out or stay in. I'm leaning toward staying in. ;)

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Things I have been enjoying lately...

This post is not sponsored in any way... I just thought it would be fun to share some things that I've been enjoying recently:

These MorningStar Farms burgers are so good! I accidentally bought this kind (the "prime" ones) instead of the original grillers, of which I had read a good review. I was bummed when I saw I bought the wrong ones, because I've never really found a good veggie burger that I loved.

I've been putting them on a regular hamburger bun, then adding a little mayo, ketchup, mustard, pickles, and a slice of cheese. It is delicious! Not super low-calorie (422 calories total), but very good and filling.

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This Michelob ULTRA Light Cider has become my go-to summer drink. You can read my full review (FYI, it's a sponsored post, but the opinions are my completely honest ones).

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Baked beans. They are such a summer food, and I've been obsessed with them lately. I've been eating them as a side dish with something just about every day. I think I'll start experimenting with homemade versions in the crockpot, but for now, Bush's will do just fine.

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My iPhone. I never realized just how much I was missing out until I got this! I've never been much of a phone person, but I get excited every time I get a text message or Tweet or even just a phone call ;)

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I cannot believe my treadmill is making the "things I've been enjoying" list... because you know how much I hate running on the treadmill! But since I haven't had a choice lately (with my kids being out of school, I have to be home with them), I've had to do my running on the treadmill. And I have to say, setting up my laptop to watch movies or TV shows right in front of my face has made it totally bearable (and dare I say a little enjoyable??)

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source

The TV show on Lifetime called Drop Dead Diva. I started watching this from the very first episode, and despite the fact that it sounds completely lame, it's actually really good! It has held my interest for four seasons now. The whole concept of the show sounded stupid, but when the first episode aired, I was too lazy to change the channel... and I got hooked in!

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My Under Armour Perfect Pants... again, I know that I did a sponsored post for UA, but I am truly in love with these pants!! I wear them way too often because they are so comfortable. My only complaint is that the legs are a kind of long, but the comfort level totally makes up for that. And I just discovered that they have a hidden pocket in the waistband--I have no idea how I missed that!

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Twitter. I still don't understand it completely, but I am starting to see the appeal with Twitter. I still get super nervous every time I tweet something, though--lol. And I don't know if I'll ever understand the Twitter "language", but I am having fun trying to figure it out.

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This blog. Melisa's use of *disclaimers* makes me crack up when I read. I really enjoy the way she writes, like she's having a conversation with the reader.

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Watching my boys play baseball in the evenings. They are at the age now where they really love to play, and they are learning all the rules. The games (well, Noah's games, anyway) are actually exciting to watch, because they keep score at this level, and they play by the rules. (Eli is still playing t-ball, where they don't keep score or follow baseball rules). Eli's games are funny to watch because a lot of the kids are clueless, but they try so hard!

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And, I will leave you with that. The boys have a game tonight, so I've got to get ready to watch (in 100 degree heat!).  If you enjoy this kind of list, please make one of your own and link to it here in the comments--I love reading about what everyone else is enjoying, because it gives me ideas or products to try. I got the idea from SUAR.

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A new incentive

Another gorgeous day in Michigan today! Check out my view as I type this:

The boys begged me to bring them back to the creek today (this time with their little nets) so that they could catch crawfish. I really needed to catch up on e-mail, but I figured I would just do that at the park while they waded in the creek… completely forgot that I need internet to do e-mail ;)  So I decided to just get a start on my blog post in a word document.

This morning when I woke up, I made some Banana Cranberry Oat Bars. I wanted them to be done baking and ready for eating after my run. I had another great treadmill run today. I wouldn’t go as far as saying I’m enjoying the ‘mill, but it hasn’t been all that bad.

I set up my computer so it’s right in front of my face (perched on the cat tree) and I watch a show online to pass the time. Today, I watched The Bachelorette, and I really enjoyed the episode (it was the one that just aired Monday). I’m terrible with the guys’ names, but there is one guy that actually caught my attention this season.

Normally, I think ALL the guys seem super fake and obnoxious for one reason or another, but I really like the guy she did the marionette puppets with (just looked it up, and his name is Jef). He is so funny in a very real way, that seems to be his real personality. I loved when they were lying down kissing and it seemed to be a super corny moment (per the usual Bachelorette stuff), but then he said, “...I want to date you so hard and marry the (bleep) out of you” (not sure what word he used there, but whatever it was, it made me laugh and I almost fell off the treadmill). I’m not a fan of his hair, but his personality totally makes up for it. Maybe because he's goofy just like my husband?? ;)

Today’s run was the same as last Wednesday—run 15 minutes easy; then do 4 repeats of: 5 minutes fast, 2 minutes easy; and then a 10 minute easy cool-down. It ended up looking like this:

That little jump in the beginning was when I hopped off the treadmill for
a second to adjust the fan behind me.

I just realized that with an 8:40 pace, if I had gone just another tenth of a mile, it would have been a 10K PR for me. My 10K PR right now is 55:05. But again, I'm faster on a treadmill than I am outside.

The longer intervals like that were tough, but I felt good when I was done, and I was drenched in sweat. I’m really looking forward to Friday’s long run! Ty is actually coming down here from Ann Arbor to run 10 miles with me. And the best part is, we are going to Cracker Barrel afterward ;) I have pecan pancakes on my mind!

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Confession time--I hate writing about this, but I have to for my own peace of mind. I was not at all happy when I got on the scale this morning and saw the biggest number I've seen since my surgery in November--148!! Granted, I felt puffy and I ate quite a bit of sodium yesterday, but I still shouldn't have seen that number. That is a full 10 pounds heavier than I was when I started marathon training in January. And I can see the extra weight in that picture I just posted above.

I was 150ish all last summer, and it bothered me, because that is technically "overweight" again. And I knew it was because of my diet (tons of flurries from the ice cream shop near my house). I have been really slacking lately on my diet, and just saying, "Well, I had a hard run today, so it's okay to eat ____."

With the whole What's Beautiful Challenge by UA, I really wanted to get down to goal by the end of summer. But instead, I've gained weight. The weigh in today was very scary though--enough to scare me straight, hopefully. I am back to counting every calorie I eat until I can get back down to my maintenance range. This seems to be the pattern I follow in maintenance--gain to a certain point where it scares the shit out of me, and then stay on the straight and narrow until I get back down to where I am happy. I still haven't figured out how to STAY where I am happy ;)

So anyway, Jerry suggested that I reward myself with a new laptop (something I desperately need, as mine is old and having more and more problems lately) IF I reach a goal that I set for myself. I would like to be back down into my maintenance range (133-137) before August 31st--9 weeks and 2 days away. That is certainly do-able. I will post my weight every Wednesday for accountability.

However, since the best part of marathon training is refueling after long runs, I am going to allow myself one meal per week (following my long run) to indulge, regardless of calories. I'm not calling it "cheating", because I hate that word. I just don't want to feel like I'm punishing myself by being super strict 100% of the time. So I can enjoy my pecan pancakes after our 10 mile run on Friday without guilt!

Does anyone else tend to gain weight in the summertime? I do just fine over the holidays, and usually December is when I'm my lightest (in 2010, I was 128; in 2011, I was 134). But during the summer, I am always my heaviest. I would love to break that cycle.

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Candy Heaven

What a boring day! Yesterday went by so fast, and then today was just the opposite. I was actually pretty sore when I woke up this morning--I think those super fast intervals I did yesterday may have done my muscles some good. I love that hurts-so-good feeling in my muscles after a tough run.

After lounging in my pajamas for way too long this morning, I did the leg exercises that the doctor gave me yesterday. It actually took much longer than I thought--about 45 minutes--to get through all the exercises. Most of the exercises require me to do 3 sets of repetitions on each leg.

After I showered, I knew I was going to go stir-crazy sitting in the house, so I asked my friend Amber if she wanted to meet us at the park so the kids could play. She has a boy a few months younger than Noah and a three-year old little girl. The three boys together (my two and her's) are completely rambunctious. I don't know where they get all that energy!

They had a blast at the park looking at crawfish in the creek.

Eli kept begging me to go buy him some salt water taffy. Stupid Food Network... he was watching it last night and they showed how the salt water taffy is made. I thought he'd forget about it by morning, but he has a crazy-good memory when it comes to reminding me to buy him things. But the last thing that boy needs is more candy, so I told him not today.

Speaking of him and candy, yesterday we stopped at Party City to get invitations for Noah's birthday party. Eli's face totally lit up when we went by the candy section. I bet this is what Heaven looks like in his dreams :) I took his picture in front of all the candy:

To prove I'm not a totally mean mom, I did let each of the boys pick out 15 of the 15/$1 candies. I wish this store was closer to us, because it would be awesome when I just want to buy one small piece of candy. If I have a craving for licorice, for example (confession: I may have a bag sitting next to me as I type this), I have to buy a big pack of it. But at this store, you could buy each piece individually (for 7 cents each).

But I could totally get carried away there, too...

Speaking of cravings, I had a totally random craving today for my cold "almond joy" oats, so I went to Kroger to buy the stuff to make them for lunch tomorrow. This is the ONLY way I will eat yogurt. Yogurt is my very least favorite food I've ever tried, but this is one way that I can eat it.

I mix 6 oz. of Dannon plain, fat free yogurt with 1/2 cup old fashioned oats, 1 tsp. maple syrup, 1 scant Tbsp. mini chocolate chips, 1 tsp. shredded coconut, 1 tsp. sliced almonds, 1/4 tsp. coconut extract (the extract is a MUST). I just stir it all up and eat it that way. I know most people like to let their cold oats soak overnight in the fridge, but I think they get too mushy that way. So anyway, I am excited to have this for lunch tomorrow--it's probably been a year since I last made it.

Today is the day that the Fitness magazine is technically supposed to be on shelves (although some people have seen it earlier, even before me!)

I absolutely love my team! I know I say that at least a couple of times a day, but they are so much fun. Rik was actually in Alaska running a (very tough) marathon on Saturday! And Jennifer was in NY interviewing Linda for the From Fat to Finish Line documentary.

Well, I've got to get the boys' stuff together for their baseballs games tonight. I'm looking forward to going--it's gorgeous outside today!

And just because I'm curious... what is your favorite penny-candy? (These days, they are more like 7 cents, but you know... the tiny little pieces of candy). I think my favorite is probably a Tootsie Roll Midgee. Love Tootsie Rolls!

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Sports medicine doctor's appointment

I had to wake up to the alarm again today--this time at 5:00 a.m. I think Jerry was relieved that it was my alarm, and not his--so he could sleep in today :) I had my sports med appointment today at 7:00, and it takes about 45 minutes to drive there, so I had to leave at 6:00.

I had a quick cup of coffee before heading out. When I got there, they gave me the usual forms to fill out, but I hadn't even completed the front of the first page when I was called in to see the doctor. Then the doc came in almost immediately--awesome! That's a bonus to having a 7:00 appointment, I guess.

I explained to him all that was going on with my knee: when I first had the pain (April 5th), exactly where it was and what it felt like, and anything else that I thought might help. I even brought my Adrenaline shoes with me to make sure I was wearing the proper shoes for my feet. He watched me walk, and then pushed and prodded my knee and leg, maneuvering it in all different directions to see where the pain was originating.

In the end, he said that I have BOTH iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS) and patellofemoral pain syndrome ("runner's knee"). The runner's knee is what is causing the most pain, however. It's funny that he diagnosed me with both issues--because when reading about each syndrome online, I couldn't decide which set of symptoms described my pain better--they both sounded like what I had going on. It never occurred to me that it could be both!

He suggested I take 4-6 weeks off of running and do something like biking or elliptical instead. I told him that I had just started training for another marathon, and I told him about the training schedule. I asked if I could still do it, or is it uber important to take the time off completely. He said it depends how much this particular race means to me, and that I should listen to my body.

I can run, but if my knee starts to hurt, I should stop. I shouldn't run through pain. He also said I should do treadmill or track running, since the surface isn't as hard on impact. He gave me a script for physical therapy, as well as a packet of exercises and an elastic exercise band to use to strengthen my leg muscles. He also ordered x-rays, which I had done before I left the building.

All-in-all, I am glad I went. I didn't really learn much that I didn't already know, but it was nice to confirm what I believed. And I am glad he gave me the option to still do the marathon if I listen to my body and take it easy as needed. I'm going to try and continue training, but if it gets horrible like it did before, I'm going to take the recommended 4-6 weeks off of running, even if it means missing the marathon. Luckily, it's been getting better recently, so with the additional exercises he gave me to do, hopefully it will continue to get better.

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After my appointment, I came home and did my scheduled run for today. Even though it was gorgeous outside (not too hot), I did it on the treadmill as the doctor suggested. Today's run was 50 minutes easy running, with 6 pick-ups (fast 30-second intervals). I did something I've never done on my treadmill before--I actually pushed a double-digit button. The one that pushed my speed into double-digit miles per hour!! I've never ventured into that territory before. My splits:

If only I could have such consistency when running outside!

My intervals were only 30 seconds each, but that was about the maximum time I could hold a 6:12/mi pace before feeling like I was going to fly off the back of the treadmill. In retrospect, I should have worn the little emergency stop clip! My knee felt good, though--maybe the treadmill is good for something after all ;)

While I was running, Jerry went and got doughnuts for breakfast. He's been working a lot lately, so it was good to be able to have breakfast together, especially a treat like fresh doughnuts! I already explained that there is a new bakery near us with amazing goodies. When they first opened, I bought some for the family, but I passed one up. Today I felt fine about eating one because I had a good run beforehand.

I told Jerry I wanted something with frosting--like a frosting-filled one. He said when he got there, there was one that was peanut butter cream filled, so he picked out that instead. He knows me SO well--if I had known that was an option, I totally would have picked it!

It's kind of funny, I was never a doughnut fan until April of 2011. Even at my heaviest, I would pass up doughnuts in a heartbeat because I just didn't like them. But when I was on vacation in Tennessee, I tried a Krispy Kreme, and it was all over from there ;) Anyway, Jerry and I sat on the porch with coffee and our doughnuts, and had a nice chat over breakfast.

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We took the kids out to get new bedding (theirs was a couple years old and pretty ratty looking). The kids have been begging to go out to a restaurant again (we've been taking them once a month, and we still hadn't gone in June). So we went to a place that is kind of like a Coney Island. They actually had a vegetarian section on the menu, which made me happy. I ordered a sampler plate of spinach quiche, sauteed vegetables, rice, and hummus with pitas. It looked fantastic:

Everything was delicious, but when I tasted the rice, I was positive it tasted like they cooked it in chicken broth. I asked the server, and he confirmed that it was cooked in chicken broth. They definitely shouldn't have put that on the vegetarian menu! I didn't eat it, and they applied a $2 discount to the bill, which was cool of them. I hope they amend the menu for other people who may think they are eating vegetarian rice.

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It was so nice to spend the whole day with the family today. It definitely felt like a weekend, with the doughnut-breakfast, shopping, and eating lunch out. Then we cooked on the grill for dinner. The day totally flew by!

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