Could this be any more tempting?!

I woke up very congested today, and I am SO hoping that I can kick this cold before Sunday. I'm still doing everything I can, and at least my throat isn't sore anymore, but the congestion is driving me crazy!

Jerry and I spent the entire morning and part of the afternoon cleaning the house. It wasn't super messy, but we took our time. Rik sent me a text at 11:00 to say that he and his wife Cynthia were on their way to Michigan, and they would be here at around 5:00. I started thinking that maybe La Pita wasn't a good idea--it's a 40 minute drive, and since they were driving here from Wisconsin, the last thing they'd want to do is get back in the car to go to dinner.

So I changed plans, and made a big pot of turkey chili. I'm actually glad it worked out that way, because then I wouldn't have to spend a bazillion PointsPlus on dinner.

Angela, the producer of From Fat to Finish Line, flew in today also--she wanted to film Rik and I meeting for the first time, and film some more stuff while we're all together. Rik, Cynthia, and Angela are all staying at my parents' house this weekend, so I went over there to wait for them to arrive. I brought the chili with me, and figured we could just eat there.

Angela arrived about a half-hour before Rik and Cynthia. And guess what she brought with her?!

That cookie cake, I kid you not, is the size of a large pizza... maybe even bigger. How in the hell am I supposed to stay on track this weekend?! That is my very biggest weakness--cookies with butter cream frosting. Especially the Mrs. Fields cookie cakes.

Rik arrived bringing all kinds of goodies, too--cheese and sausage, wine, lots of little chocolates, and this amazing pastry called a Kringle. All the stuff was local to him, so of course I wanted to try it all.

This is a Kringle. The nutrition info was on it, and for 1/12th of the ring, it was 220 calories. I had a piece that was a little smaller, about 200 calories (6 PP). I could've eaten it all, because it was really good, but I am trying my best to rein it in this weekend.

So we ate chili and chatted for a long time. I am really happy with the way I handled my dinner and dessert today. I ate chili, which was 8 PP. Then, I had one piece of chocolate covered licorice (a mini piece a couple of inches long), and one mini chocolate covered pretzel. And finally, I had a small piece of the Kringle. So when all was said and done, I ate about 16 PP.

We haven't cut into the cookie cake yet--maybe tomorrow. I'm going to have a piece, but I'm going to weigh it out and count the PP for it. Then hopefully everyone else will eat the rest.

Meeting Rik was exactly how I thought it would be--I didn't feel nervous at all, because I already felt like I knew him. We've been talking on the phone and on Facebook for a year. Tomorrow, we're going to run two very easy miles in the morning. Then we're going to Eastern Market in Detroit, followed by the Expo to pick up our race packets.

The nerves about the race are REALLY starting to hit me!

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Yummy food!

I woke up feeling about 90% of my normal self again! The injections I got at Urgent Care yesterday helped a ton. I'm very confident that I will be completely back to normal by Sunday, thank goodness.

I had the most delicious breakfast this morning. Recently, my dad gave me a ginormous bag of onions that he bought at a farmer's market. I decided to cook about half of them down into caramelized onions. I do it very simply--just spray a huge deep skillet with cooking spray, and load it up to the top with sliced onions, and sprinkle with salt. I cook it over medium heat for a long time, until they are deep brown.

I've been making pita pizzas lately, and topping them with the onions. For breakfast today, I used them in an omelet. I just used one egg, one egg white, about 1/4 cup of the caramelized onions, and one ounce of fat free feta cheese.

This was so good that I decided to caramelize the rest of the onions to have this all week long!

I met Jessica for coffee (tea for me) in the late morning. She's running the same race I am this Sunday, but she's doing it as part of a relay team. She'll be running the second leg, so I may see her on the course. We actually know quite a few people who are racing there this weekend.

While we were chatting, one of the employees brought us two cookies "on the house". Just what I need!!

I didn't want to be rude, so I took the cookie, but I didn't eat it. I wrapped it in a napkin and took it home with me, to give to my kids. That was hard. It's obvious that cookies are my weakness!! Especially cookies with sugary frosting. But I'm trying to save all my extra PointsPlus for this weekend, when I'll really need them!

I managed to keep that cookie on my counter all day without eating it. I'm a rock star.

I made a very old Weight Watchers recipe for a raspberry pie (or, I think it was originally strawberry pie, but I used raspberries). I had bought a big bag of frozen raspberries from Sam's Club for protein shakes, but I don't like using them in shakes because of their seeds. So I was looking for something else to use them in, and decided to try out this recipe. My mom used to make it all the time, with strawberries.

1 PP raspberry pie

I have no idea where it originated, but you use:

1 (4 serving) box of sugar-free vanilla pudding mix (must be Cook & Serve, not Instant)
1 (4 serving) box of sugar-free raspberry Jello mix
2 cups water
About 2 cups of raspberries (mine were frozen, so I just ran them under water for a minute); I didn't measure these, because they are zero PointsPlus.

Whisk the water and pudding mix together, and bring to a full boil. Remove from heat. Add the Jello mix, stirring until smooth. Pour into a pie plate. Sprinkle the raspberries all over, letting them sink into the Jello mixture. Refrigerate for a couple of hours before cutting.

The entire pie only has FOUR PointsPlus! I had 1/8 of the pie, topped with 1/4 cup of Cool Whip Free, and it was a total of just 1 PP. It was surprisingly really yummy. Normally, I'm not a fan of artificial sweeteners, but I made an exception for this (I wanted something dessert-y, but low in PP). I'm sure you could use the non-sugar free versions to avoid the artificial sweeteners, but it would add calories.

I've been working on my food plan for the weekend. I'm nervous about this! If I have a plan, I'm pretty good about sticking to it. If I try and wing it, I usually end up caving and eating everything in sight. The hardest part of the weekend for me is probably going to be La Pita tomorrow night. But I've already calculated the PointsPlus for what I'm going to eat, so I will do my best to not go overboard.

My blog posts might be sporadic this weekend, since Rik will be in town. Most likely, I will just be posting later than usual. I'm SUPER excited to meet Rik, and I'm actually starting to get excited about the race. I just hope that everything goes well--no issues with my knee, mainly. If my knee holds out for this one last uber-long run, I will be very happy!

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Urgent Care and Wed. Weigh In

Still sick. But hopefully not for long.

Last night, Jerry and I were lying down and watching a show before bed (okay, it was Hoarders--we like that show!) and when I stood back up, I couldn't breathe out of one nostril. So I was getting congested. I had to keep clearing my throat, too, because I could feel a post-nasal drip sensation in my throat.

This morning, I felt a lot of pressure in my head, and I can't taste anything. I took Airborne, I downed three cups of tea with honey, drank lots of water, and just didn't feel any better. I still haven't felt any symptoms in my chest, however, which is good! As long as the cold stays in my head, I can run on Sunday.

After lunch, I decided to go to Urgent Care to see if there was anything I could do. I thought it wouldn't hurt to check for strep throat. The wait at Urgent Care was long, and I was tempted to get up and leave, but I had already paid my co-pay.

I finally saw the doctor, and explained what was going on. I told him I'd never normally go to Urgent Care for a little cold like this, but I am supposed to run a marathon on Sunday. He checked me out thoroughly (including testing for strep, which was negative), and ended up giving me two injections--an antibiotic and a steroid. That combo worked wonders for me a couple of times in the past five years or so when I've had these symptoms. He was confident I'd be good to go by Sunday.

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Today is Wednesday, which means it's my weigh-in day.

My weight was 141, so I lost 1.5 pounds this week.
Body fat was 24.2%, which is down 0.5%.
Waist was just shy of 27 inches--I really should just measure once a month, because the weekly changes are minute.

Overall, a great weigh in! I'm almost back in the 130's which I haven't seen in a long time. I think it was May? That's when my summer weight gain started.

For those of you that asked about my body fat monitor, it's by Omron, and I bought it on Amazon. There is a link to it on my "Favorite Things" page. This is the same one we used when I worked at Curves, and I found it to be pretty accurate. Here is a post I where I wrote a little more about it.

For next week's weigh in, I am only hoping to at least stay the same. Rik is going to be here from Friday until Monday. I still plan on counting my PointsPlus, but we are going to La Pita on Friday for dinner; Saturday, we're carb-loading with pasta; Sunday is the race, and then probably pizza and beer for dinner. My weight also goes a little out of whack when I do a really long run, and I think a marathon counts as a long run. I won't be upset if I don't lose weight next week, and I won't even be upset if I gain a little--key word being "little". But I am working out a plan so that I don't go overboard.

Sunday will mark six weeks of no peanut butter! I'm almost a little scared to eat it again, for fear of going overboard. But I will have to come up with a plan to work it back into my diet. I'm definitely going to have the peanut butter flavored GU at the marathon! :)

My brother Brian is in town until Friday (unless he decides to leave tomorrow). I hinted (not very subtly) that I'd love for him to come back to Detroit on Sunday for my race. He said he has to be at home on Saturday, but he may come in for my race. (That usually almost always means no). But if I happen to see him Sunday, I think it would put a little pep in my step!

Well, I must get my house cleaned up, so when Rik gets here, he doesn't think Jerry and I watch Hoarders for decorating tips ;)

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Distracted driving

All night long last night, I kept waking up because my throat was so sore. I still wasn't feeling congested (good thing), but my throat continued to feel worse. I kept hoping I would wake up in the morning, and I would feel back to normal.

Today, I wanted to focus solely on getting better as soon as possible. I drank a quart of water right when I woke up, and then I gargled with warm salt water. I took some Airborne, and ate breakfast. I was trying to decide whether I should run or rest today. I was scheduled for a four-mile easy run, and I really didn't feel like I was sick enough to skip it.

I've always used the rule of thumb that if you're sick from the neck up, it's fine to exercise; if it's from the neck down, then rest is best. Since it was really just my throat that was hurting, I chose to run. Running always makes me feel better, no matter what is going on.

I dressed in what I'm probably going to be wearing at the marathon on Sunday, and headed outside for a four-miler. Rik and I talked over the weekend about our pacing plan for the marathon, and we agreed to start with the 4:30 finish time pacers (a 10:18/mi pace) and then fall back if it feels too fast. So today, my goal was to get a feel for the 10:18 pace, and try to run at that pace the whole time.

I only looked at my Garmin after each mile split, and I did great the first mile--then I went a little too fast for the last three, but I'm glad that I felt good enough to do so! My throat didn't bother me at all while I was running, probably because I breathe through my mouth and my throat gets dry anyway.

My last few runs have been progressive runs, which is good--meaning that each mile was a little faster than the mile before. I wasn't deliberately trying to do that, but it shows that I still have some energy in the tank when I finish. However, I will be completely shocked if I somehow manage to pull a 4:30ish finish time! I would just like to get under 5 hours, and I would be just as happy with 4:59 as I would with 4:30 or even 4:01 ;)

While I was running on the shoulder of a busier road this morning, I heard a car coming up behind me. I got over as far as possible to the right, because I know drivers don't really pay attention (I see people texting and driving ALL THE TIME while I'm running). The car got closer, and when it was right next to me, the driver floored the gas and made the engine rev really loudly while the tires squealed. I looked to see the car swerve toward me, and then swerve again away from me, like they were trying to scare the shit out of me--which it did.

Why would anyone do something like that?!

Just recently in a neighboring city, there was a woman who was standing in her driveway watching her daughter get on the school bus before school. A car came down the road, driven by a 17-year old girl who was distracted while driving (not sure what the distraction was), and ran over the woman in her driveway, killing her. Isn't that awful? I feel bad for everyone involved, including the teen driver--that would be a very harsh lesson learned.

I always try to be very aware of drivers while I'm out running, and I try to make eye-contact with drivers before I cross in front of them (even when I have the right of way). I forgot to write about this during my last 20-miler, but I was almost hit by a car about 3 miles in. I had pushed the button for the crosswalk, and when it changed to the walk sign, I started running slowly across, watching the driver who was waiting to turn toward where I was running (to make sure she saw me). I got halfway across when she gunned it and came at me FAST. I jumped backwards, and she was so close that I hit my hand on the hood of her car to get her attention, and only then did she see me.

Anyway, I guess my point is that running is a dangerous sport! ;)

I spent the rest of the day lying on the couch drinking tea almost non-stop. The thing that has worked the best for my throat so far is ginger tea. I actually combined a few remedies into one--ginger tea, honey, and apple cider vinegar. It wasn't the best-tasting tea I've ever had, but it worked wonders on my throat! I felt almost back to normal for a little while after drinking it. Estelle kept me company on the couch.

Estelle never sits on my lap (or anyone's lap). She hates to be held. But she somehow knows when I don't feel well, and she becomes a lap cat. She did this after my surgery, too.

I'm really not feeling any better than I was this morning, so I am probably going to be spending tomorrow on the couch, too.

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Borrowed time

I've been on borrowed time for a while now, and I think my time is up. I haven't had so much as a head cold since May of 2011. I used to get sick at least 3-4 times a year, but it's been 17 months now. Jerry has been sick for a couple of days, and today, my throat is very sore.

And I'm running a marathon on Sunday. Worst timing ever to get sick!

I am hoping and praying that this thing runs its course before the weekend. Usually when I get sick, it gets pretty bad. I almost always wind up with bronchitis. But if I have the same bug as Jerry, then it shouldn't be too bad. Right now, it's just a sore throat, so hopefully I won't get any other symptoms. I don't know if Airborne actually works, but I've been taking that to minimize the damage.

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Yesterday, I really had the urge to go out for a short run. This rarely happens to me, and I figured an unscheduled three-miler couldn't hurt, so I got on my running clothes mid-morning and went outside to run. I started my Garmin, and made it about halfway down my street, and then I thought, "I want to run hard today--I haven't run hard since the 5K race I ran in March."

So I picked up the pace, and I ran hard. The first mile, I wasn't really trying to run at a race-pace, but eventually, that's what it turned into. I was running as hard as I comfortably could for the three miles, just to see where my body is right now in terms of speed.

It was rough. I felt like a beginner again, running for the first time, where my lungs were burning. I'd almost forgotten what that felt like. But knowing it was only for three miles helped me to push through, and I felt SO good! I felt like I really worked my legs, and I was out of breath when I got back to my house. I miss that breathless feeling of a good workout.

I was surprised when I saw my splits--I haven't lost my speed as much as I thought I did this year:

9:01, 8:54, and 8:15... average pace of 8:42/mi. If I had run just a little farther, to finish out a 5K, I probably would have been right on par with my personal record for a 5K race (26:57). Seeing those numbers was exciting for me! It makes me want to work on speed training after this marathon is over.

What's kind of crazy is that my "hard" pace for this three-miler was Renee's pace for her 20-miler; and Rik's pace for his full marathon! The thought of running that far at that pace just blows my mind.

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Today, Jerry and I had a "date day" while the kids were at school. He was off work, and we decided to go see a matinee. I also still had 26 weekly PointsPlus to use up (tomorrow is the last day of my week, so any weekly points I don't use by tomorrow night will be gone--and I don't like to waste points!)

At first, I was thinking about using them on a cookie slice from Mrs. Fields (with buttercream frosting, of course). I looked up the nutritional info on my phone, and I knew the 26 PP would cover the cookie, but the amount of fat and sugar was scary! I decided I should probably save a treat like that for a day when I do a long run (maybe Sunday after the marathon?)

I looked up the PointsPlus in movie theater popcorn, and it was 7 PP for 5 cups (without butter). That just wasn't worth it to me! I want butter on my popcorn. We went to Target to see if maybe there was a box of movie theater candy that looked good, but none of those seemed worth the amount of sugar and PP.

My throat was feeling sore, and I thought ice cream sounded good. So we decided to splurge on lunch at Taco Bell, and then after the movie, we'd get a vanilla cone from McDonald's. Taco Bell is the only fast food place (other than Subway) that I don't feel bad eating. I haven't eaten McDonald's or Wendy's food in over 3 years, because it brings back bad memories of binge eating when I was obese. I didn't eat Taco Bell much when I was obese, so I don't associate it with binge eating (if that makes sense). Maybe that's just really weird. I don't know!

Anyway, I wanted to spend roughly 20 PP at Taco Bell, so I ended up ordering a CrunchWrap Supreme and a Fresco Crunchy Taco:

The CrunchWrap Supreme was 14 PP, and the taco was 4 PP--so it was definitely a splurge for lunch, but at least it wasn't pure sugar and butter like the cookie would have been ;)

We saw the movie Taken 2, and I loved it! I loved the first one, and was skeptical that the second would be as good, but it was. Liam Neeson's character is great in those movies.

As planned, we got a cone from McDonald's on the way home, and I am so glad I decided to spend my weekly PP the way I did. Those cones are the perfect treat, and only 5 PP.

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I got some new tea from Teavana called Caramel Almond Amaretti, I was in heaven when I opened it and smelled it! But I have to admit, I was a little turned off by the color. All I kept thinking about was that gross strawberry-flavored milk:

I'm sure it wouldn't look like that if I hadn't added cream to it, but how could I not add cream to a tea called Caramel Almond Amaretti? It tasted good, so I just tried not to look at it while I was drinking it. I've been drinking lots of hot tea today to soothe my throat!

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Reader Questions & Answers #26

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've lost 135 lbs and I'm a pretty healthy eater. I sometimes struggle to let go and indulge every now and then. When I do I feel like people are watching what I eat. For example, I pinned a dessert on Pinterest and it posted on Facebook. Somebody commented about it not being healthy. Another example, we went out for dinner and I got pancakes (I love breakfast for dinner) and my brother said "there's a lot of calories in those pancakes." I know some of this is probably paranoia but do you ever feel like people watch what you eat because you've lost a large amount of weight?

A. First, a huge congrats on your weight loss--that is amazing!! I can absolutely relate to the comments on what you're eating. Most of it comes from the blog, though. I used to post my daily food logs (just for my own accountability, not because I was asking for advice), and I would get comments like, "You eat too many carbs", "You don't eat enough protein", "You eat too much fat", and even recently, "Grapes are unhealthy--just sugar and water".

I've learned that no matter WHAT I eat, people are going to have an opinion about it, so I just ignore those comments and do what is best for me. I'm very in-tune with my body, and I know what foods make me feel good, what foods make me feel like crap, what foods make me gain weight, lose weight, etc. I've never claimed to be a perfect eater, and I certainly wouldn't be happy eating a "perfect" diet that didn't include my favorite foods, healthy or not!

When someone makes a comment about your food having a lot of calories or something, I would say, "I know, isn't it great that I can indulge and still maintain my weight loss?" It will get old after a while, and the comments will probably stop. But you know your body, and what is best for you, so don't worry about what anyone else says.

Q. When you first started running how did you find it in you to just run by yourself? I HATE running by myself despite that I listen to music. I really don't talk a lot when I do run with someone but I think it is the motivation that I have someone running with me that keeps me going.

A. It's kind of funny, but the reason I originally chose running as my main exercise was because I could do it alone. I'm an introvert, and the thought of doing group exercise was anxiety-provoking for me. Now, I enjoy running with a partner once in a while, but there are lots of positives about running alone.

When you run alone, you can go at whatever time is convenient for you, without trying to figure out a schedule that works for both you and a partner. You can run at your own pace, so you don't have to slow down or speed up. You can focus on your own goals, whether it's to run farther or faster. 

I find podcasts pass the time faster than music does

Running with a partner certainly has its advantages, because it passes the time so much faster. It's distracting, and you can even forget that you're running when you're having a conversation. If you have a running partner and that's what you enjoy, then there is no reason you should have to change and start running alone.

But if you need to run alone, for whatever reason, maybe you could find an "accountability" buddy, who you text periodically during a run to say how far you've gone or any thoughts about the run. I did this recently with Lealah, because we each had a 20-miler scheduled on the same day. It really helped me mentally when I stopped to "check in" with her!

Q. My sister and I have started running together. We are both obese, but she is about 40 lb heavier, a few inches shorter, and she runs a little slower than I do. We're kicking around the idea of signing up for a 5k several months from now. My question: Should I try to keep pace with her in the race, or even walk with her if she needs to slow down that much? How do you handle this situation when running with a partner or group? I don't want to hold myself back, but I feel like I'd be letting her down if I left her behind.

A. This is a really great question! Most of the races that I do have been with friends. However, we all run our own race--meaning we go there together, hang out together until the race starts, and then we do our own paces during the race, and we meet up again after the finish line. We all have different goals, so we focus on ourselves during the race.

We arrived together, dressed alike, but ran at our own paces.
The finish line is the best part, anyway ;)

If this is agreed upon before the race, then there should be no hard feelings at all. However, if you agree to stay together during the race, then you should stick with that plan. It would be very hurtful if you agree to run together, and then when she is going slower than you would like, you take off and leave her in the dust ;)  

You should certainly talk about it before you even register for the race. Just say something like, "So do you have a time goal for the race? I'm going to try for xx:xx!" And then it kind of informs her that you won't be running together unless she plans on running that same time. Chances are, she would feel badly for holding you back if she knows you could go faster. When I run a race with Renee, she's much faster than me, but I wouldn't want her to slow her pace in order to run with me. We just meet up at the end, and talk about how we did.

The exception might be if you're doing a fun, novelty race--like The Color Run, or Warrior Dash, or something like that. Then it would be fun to stick together as a group. But again, I would discuss it beforehand.

As long as both of you discuss and know what to expect on race day, and then follow through with that plan, there shouldn't be any hard feelings!

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And now a question for all of you...

What's your favorite "cold weather" meal?
One of my favorite things about fall and winter is cooking lots of soup! My very favorite would probably be Split Pea Soup in the slow cooker.

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Playing dress-up

Last night was my monthly Winers meeting. Renee hosts every October's meeting, and it's a Halloween theme. We have a bonfire, and everyone wears Halloween costumes.

I looked online for days trying to think up a good costume, and I finally decided that I'd like to go as Medusa. The main (and most important part) of the costume is her hair made of snakes. I went to the dollar store and bought a few packs (about 40 individual) little snakes and a couple of bigger ones. Then I got some plain barrettes, and I spent a few hours hot-gluing the snakes to the barrettes so that I could arrange them in my hair.

I also got face paint (to do a grayish face and dark circles around my eyes), and a tunic with some netting stuff to go over it. I was really excited about my costume once I got it all together!

Yesterday, I told Renee I would come over early to help set up. At around 4:30, I decided to get ready, because it would take me a long time to get all the snakes in my hair.

When I picked the first one up, the barrette fell off. I tried another, and the same thing happened. The barrettes came off of each one that I picked up :(  I was so bummed. I am definitely going to figure out how to make it work for next year, though. I really want to go as Medusa!

I started wracking my brain to come up with a last minute costume. Searching through my closet, I saw my "fat clothes" from my before photo, and I even entertained the idea of dressing up as my before photo, by stuffing the clothes with pillows:

It was pretty funny, but it was nearly impossible to walk around like that. I texted Andrea to see if I could borrow a costume from her, and thankfully she was home and had a Supergirl costume! Jerry picked it up on his way home. I was planning on leaving the house at 6:30. By the time he got home with the costume, it was 6:45. I threw it on quickly, and thankfully it fit!

I went to Renee's to help set up, and everything looked great!
(Photos from Winers are all courtesy of Stephanie)

Before I left, I made a plan to have only wine, and no food there. While I was losing weight, that's how I always handled Winers meetings. The food is always fantastic, but it's usually very caloric and I have no idea how to count it. So I ate before I left, and just stuck to wine--I had about 6 oz.

I enjoyed seeing the girls, because I don't usually see a lot of them unless it's at a Winers meeting--and I haven't gone to the last few meetings, so it's been a while.

The blonde wig and poodle skirt is actually Jessica! Doesn't she look awesome? I think the blonde suits her well ;)  Stephanie (far right) was wearing a costume that her mom made in the 60's. Stephanie said even at age 13, it was super tight, and she was never able to wear it. Since she recently reached her goal weight, and is super petite now, she was able to wear the costume!

By the time I left, at around 11:00, it was 37 degrees outside. And my bare legs were completely frozen. When I got home, I crawled into bed under the electric blanket and snuggled up to Jerry, but I just couldn't get warm. I was completely chilled to the bone. But I had fun, as expected! :)

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The winner of the True Citrus package is:

Congrats Rachel!! Please send me an e-mail at SlimKatie (at) runsforcookies (dot) com within 48 hours, including your shipping address so that I can pass it on to True Citrus. Enjoy!

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Milestones

Today was my last long run before the marathon!! I decided to drive to the Metropark to start my run, and on the way there, I was thinking about how this was kind of bittersweet for me. I know I always complain about my long runs (well, any run, really), but there is obviously something about it that makes me keep doing it.

It's not "fun" by any means, but I've come to enjoy seeing the "regular" cyclists, walkers, and runners on the Metropark path. Seeing the seasons change so up close and personal from winter to spring, and then summer to fall has been really interesting. Marathon training has allowed me to run on trails I'd never used before, listen to hours upon hours of podcasts, and see some interesting people, animals, and things along the way.

I learned a lot about my body--that I have good days and bad days when it comes to running, that my knee prefers shorter distance runs, that I can chafe in places I never would have thought I could chafe. I know where all the public restrooms and drinking fountains are in a 15 mile span across three cities. I can tell you the exact distances between parking lots, bridges, and other landmarks.

Things I will not miss about marathon training: knee pain, having to turn down drinks and certain foods the day before a long run, looking at the same old scenery for mile after mile, having to spend calories on GU and Gatorade, having to wear a hydration belt while running, and using races as "training runs" for a bigger race.

My last long run today was eight miles. Eight miles is a relief to run after the 18- and 20-milers! But today, while I was running, I thought about the first time I ran eight miles. I'm sure I've probably written about this before, but eight miles was a huge milestone run for me.

I was following a 15K training program that was 10 weeks long. I wasn't training for a race, but I was a beginner and wanted to build up my mileage. On week nine, I was scheduled for an eight-mile run. It was an extremely hot day in August, and I had to run in the heat of the afternoon (the only time I could get away). I couldn't believe just how HOT it was, and I wanted to quit so badly.

I was really struggling, and just wasn't sure if I would make it. I didn't carry water with me, and I felt like I was really overheated. At mile 7.5, I had to pass by my house (where I would circle the block and arrive back home at the 8-mile mark). My vision was blurry, I could barely put one foot in front of the other, and I was actually worried about my health--so I quit. I only had a half-mile to go, but I know I made the right decision.

A week later, I was visiting my brother in Minnesota. He said that there was a nice trail along the Mississippi River where I could run, and I decided to run my eight-miler there. The weather was nice (still hot, but it was morning and not horribly hot--and it was along the river, which had a breeze).

I just wasn't feeling it that day.

Maybe it was the traveling, and vacation-mood I was in, but I ran about six miles before calling it quits. Attempt #2 was another fail. I was getting frustrated, and starting to think that I would never be able to run eight miles.

When I got home from my brother's, I went to the store and bought a piece of carrot cake. I had been craving carrot cake with cream cheese frosting for MONTHS. I put it in my refrigerator, and told myself that when I ran eight miles, I could eat it. That got me motivated ;)

I went to bed at 9:00 that night, to rest well so that I could wake up early the next morning (before it got too hot outside). I was determined to run those eight miles!

Third time was a charm.

August 2010, my first 8-miler

I ate my cake, and enjoyed every bite! I was prouder of finishing those eight miles than I was after my first 5K, first 10K, first half-marathon, and first marathon. That eight-mile mark felt like Everest to me.

After my first 8-miler

I had a rough run today--my six-milers this week were awesome, but today I was just having an "off" day. I kept reminding myself how HARD it was to run those eight miles a little over two years ago. Today was a "short" long run. And I finished.

I kind of miss being a "beginner" runner, because everything was so new. Every distance was new, I was bettering my pace with almost every run, and I had no idea how far it was from my house to the main road, or the mail box, or around my block. I remember when a 12:00/mi pace was my goal, and when I reached that, a 10:00/mi pace seemed unattainable, yet I reached that goal, too.

After my marathon, I'd like to go back to the basics, and start fresh. I can't wait to have an "easy 3 miles" on the schedule, and a long run that doesn't get into the double digits. I want to run hard and fast, just to see where my body stands now. I've been running long and slow since January!! When I do runs on the treadmill, it will be nice to be done after watching a half-hour sitcom, instead of a full-length movie ;)

A week from Sunday, all of this training will come to a head when I run the Detroit Free Press Marathon. And then I am declaring myself a "beginner" again--and I'm so looking forward to it!

I hope this post doesn't sound whiny, because that's not my intention. I'm just trying to describe how marathon training coming to an end is bittersweet, and how this marathon is almost like closing a chapter of my life. I've come so far as a runner the past couple of years, and today's run really helped me to absorb all of it.

I've become the stereotype that I used to hate--the "results not typical" person who lost 100+ pounds and is now running marathons. BAHAHA, I never would have foreseen this.

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True Citrus Review & Giveaway

Once upon a time, many many years ago, when I worked at Curves, a dietician would come in periodically to educate members about healthy eating. I always loved listening to what she had to say, and she introduced me to some new (to me) products. One of the things that she brought in was called True Lemon.

It was in a little packet (the size of a packet of sweetener). She explained that it was crystallized lemon--basically the equivalent of one wedge, and it wasn't sweetened at all. She showed the members this product and said that it's a great way to start drinking more water--you can add a packet to water, and it tastes just like water with a squeeze of lemon in it. I tried it and really liked it, but I wasn't able to find it in the store.

Fast forward almost 10 years, and I got an e-mail from a company called True Citrus--the original "True Lemon" company. They asked if I would like to try some of their products, and I was really surprised when I saw how much they had branched out. In addition to the True Lemon, there is also True Lime, True Orange, and True Grapefruit. The True Lemon and True Lime also come in shaker bottles to use larger quantities than the small packets.

They've even added some products that are sweetened--iced tea with lemon, lemonade, and raspberry lemonade. These are similar to products like Crystal Light, only they are sweetened with Stevia rather than artificial sweeteners.

I was excited to see all the bright citrus colors when I opened the box:

I've spent the last couple of weeks trying out the different products. I started with the four unsweetened products--True Lemon, True Lime, True Grapefruit, and True Orange.

Here is the what the contents of a packet look like (this is the True Lime):

I added it to some sparkling water (unsweetened--just plain old carbonated water) and ice, and it was really good! The True Lime tastes just like a squeeze of lime juice. I tried the orange, grapefruit, and lemon packets the same way. Normally, I am not a grapefruit person at all--I don't like grapefruit, and I don't like grapefruit juice. However, I have to say that the True Grapefruit was my favorite!

Jerry and the boys all agreed that they like the grapefruit one the best also, but we really liked all four flavors. The True Lime was screaming at me to use it in a cocktail (yes, screaming), so I looked online for a very simple recipe using lime, and I came up with a Paloma.

Why yes, that is a Sam's Club-sized bottle of tequila, thankyouverymuch.

A Paloma is a cocktail made with tequila, grapefruit flavored soda, and a lime wedge. A shot of tequila has 4 PointsPlus, so I used diet soda; and in place of the lime wedge, I used two packets of True Lime (I love lime, so I used two, but one would work too). It was fantastic! My only regret is that I didn't salt the rim of the glass, because that would have made it extra yummy. I made the kids a mocktail version (just the soda and True Lime), and they loved it.

Shaker bottles to sprinkle on veggies,
popcorn, pasta, meat, etc.

You can use the True Citrus products many different ways--almost anywhere that you would use citrus juice in a recipe. These are convenient in that they don't go bad (I've thrown away more lemons and limes than I can count because they've grown mold); they are also portable, so you can carry the packets in your purse.

Here are some ideas from the True Citrus website:
*Sprinkle True Lime on popcorn or tortilla chips.
*Sprinkle True Lemon on vegetables instead of using salt.
*Add True Lemon or True Lime to butter to make a lemon butter or lime butter.
*Make flavored ice cubes.
Click here for the full list of ideas on their website.

I haven't tried this yet, but I want to try adding a packet of True Lime to cheesecake pudding for a key lime pie-like dessert.

The lemonade mix and the raspberry lemonade mix are both very good as well. In the summertime, I like to make a five-calorie Arnold Palmer by mixing unsweetened iced tea with Crystal Light Lemonade (50/50)--but I am now going to switch to the True Lemonade, because it's sweetened with Stevia.

Overall, I honestly cannot say anything negative about any of the products they sent me. I really enjoyed them! And I discovered that my local Kroger carries the True Lemon and True Lime (unfortunately, not the True Grapefruit). They are in a strange spot of the store--with the sugar and other sweeteners. So if you check your store, try that aisle.

True Citrus is very generously going to give away a box of all of these products to one lucky Runs for Cookies reader! You will receive the same box that I did, which includes:

A box each of True Lemon, True Lime, & True Orange for Cooking, Baking & Beverages (32 packets/box)

A box each of True Original Lemonade, & True Raspberry Lemonade for Your Water (10 stick packets/box)

A box of True Grapefruit for Your Water (32 packets/box)

A canister of True Lemon Iced Tea for Your Water (6/2-quart packets)

A True Lemon & True Lime Shaker for Cooking, Baking & Seasoning (2.85oz/shaker)

That is a LOT of products. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did! To enter, leave a comment on this post telling me how you would like to use one of these products. I will accept entries until Saturday morning (10/13/2012) at 8:00 a.m. EST. I will announce the winner Saturday evening, and the winner will have 48 hours to contact me or I will select a new winner. 

You can find True Citrus on their website, Facebook, and Twitter. 

(In full disclosure, I was given the True Citrus products for free to review, but was not required to give a favorable review. All opinions are my own.)

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Wednesday Weigh-In is Back

Jerry is working the day shift now, and he had today off work, so after the boys went to school, it was just the two of us. I had a 6-mile run on the schedule, so I got it done as soon as the kids left for school. I did the exact same route as Monday's run, and I had the same goal--to have even splits (maintain a consistent pace).

Monday's run was so great, and left me feel like I wanted more, so I was hoping to mimic that. And thankfully, I felt fantastic today as well! I didn't even glance at my Garmin, I just listened to my podcast and tried to zone out.

When I got back to the house, I stopped to stretch, and felt amazing. I think it's a combination of tapering (running fewer miles) and the fall weather. It's perfect! I just really hope that I have a run like this during the marathon. I looked at my splits, and they weren't nearly as consistent as Monday, but they weren't horribly far off, either:

After I showered, Jerry and I went to a new thrift store that opened recently. I bought a few things, and maybe I'll take pictures after I've washed them, but nothing that was a super great find. We had to stop at Kroger for eggs on the way home, and that led to browsing around. I pointed out to Jerry that they now have my former-favorite ice cream in a single serving size cup. I say "former" favorite because it was what I ate when I was obese... Chocolate Peanut Butter Haagen Dazs.

See how tiny? It's not even a half-cup--it's 3.6 fluid ounces. When I was obese, I used to eat a whole pint of this ice cream at least a few nights a week. I checked out the nutrition stats to see how many PointsPlus the little container would be:

Yes, that reads 310 calories and 21 grams of fat (9 of which are saturated) in that TINY LITTLE not-even-a-half-cup of ice cream!!

This calculated out to 8 PP. Not worth it. A cup that small is just a tease for me. ;)

I did find something that someone mentioned on my blog recently (Mary, I think...?). These breads:

Caramel Apple and Pumpkin Spice Swirl breads by Pepperidge Farm. These are seasonal, and I just had to try them. I usually keep bread like this in my freezer, and take out one slice at a time to toast for a snack or breakfast.

The Caramel Apple flavor is 3 PP, and the Pumpkin Spice is 2 PP--per slice. That seemed like a lot at first, but they are pretty thick slices, and probably the same amount of bread as a Bagel Thin, which I was spending 3 PP on. When I got home, I had a slice of the Caramel Apple one, and it was really good! I'm going to try the Pumpkin Spice one tomorrow for breakfast.

I love seasonal finds like this, but I hate that it's seasonal when I discover I love it! ;)

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I figured out how to switch my weight tracking day on Weight Watchers to Wednesday, that is what I plan to do from now on. I've always had Wednesday as a weigh-in day (only because that was the day of the week I started losing weight).

I don't know when or why I stopped doing formal weigh ins, but I think it was when I broke my jaw. I only did it sporadically after that, but I'd like to start doing it every week again. I always record my weight, my body fat percentage, and my waist measurement. I just weighed in on Sunday, so I wasn't expecting much, but here goes:

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