Love at first split

I was actually kind of excited to go out and run eight miles this morning, thanks to my new Garmin that arrived yesterday! I didn't even procrastinate; just headed out right after the kids left for school. It was pretty nice out this morning--a great morning for a run.

The first thing I noticed about the watch right out of the box was how light it is. It weighs next to nothing. When I got ready to run, I was a little frustrated at first, because I couldn't get the heart rate monitor to read on the watch. The manual says that the heart rate monitor is already paired with the watch, but when I turned on the watch, it just wasn't picking up the signal. I wasn't sure what to do about it, and I was pretty disappointed. I was about to just grab my old Garmin and go run with that, but I tried one more thing: "Add a device" on the watch, and it picked up the signal immediately. I guess the two weren't paired by the manufacturer. Now, there shouldn't be a problem.

The HR strap has a built-in accelerometer, which I am super excited about. It eliminates the need for a foot pod while using the treadmill or when GPS is turned off. It's extremely accurate, because it uses your outdoor data to automatically calibrate it for indoor use. The more you run, the more it "learns" about you and can predict your performance.

Anyway, once I got the heart rate monitor paired, I headed out. I pushed the start button and ran. I didn't have a goal pace or anything for today; my only plan was to run eight miles. I kept looking down at the watch, because it's so pretty and has so many cool numbers! ;)  I'd set up all four screens yesterday, so it displayed all the things that were important to me: distance, time, pace, average pace, lap pace, heart rate, etc.

The touch screen is going to be hard to get used to, I think, but I like it. I didn't have any problem using the touch screen with my gloves on. The screen isn't SO sensitive that an accidental bump would throw anything off; the only way to start and stop the workout is to push an actual button on the side of the watch.

Less than mile into the run, I heard a beep and a message popped up on the screen: "Recovery check: Good" or something like that. I wasn't sure what that was about, but the manual says, "The recovery check provides a real-time indication of your state of recovery within the first several minutes of a run." It's based on heart rate, and there is a "Recovery Advisor" that appears when the run is over. It tells you how much recovery time you should need after the workout you just did (anywhere from 6 hours to 4 days); it doesn't mean I shouldn't run in that time, it just means that is the amount of time I should wait before another "hard" run. Mine was 72 hours after today's run (I took the pic a couple of hours after running):

So after I ran the eight miles, I stopped the timer and then sat on the porch to go through the data. There was a cat sitting on my porch (not my cat!) and he was very friendly. He's been hanging around for several months now, but I think he belongs to someone. He was rubbing all over me while I was sitting on the porch, so I took a few pics of him:

I was really excited going through the data on my Garmin. First, a bunch of "records" popped up--my fastest mile, my fastest 5K, my fastest 10K, and my longest distance--because this was the first time I used the watch, I had a bunch of PR's ;)  So, for example, the fastest mile is shown below. When I run a mile faster than that, it'll show a new record.

Then I saw the basics of my run:

Distance, time, pace, calories, the usual... I was bummed to see the calories, because that seems so low to me! That's only 70 calories per mile. I'm going to see if I can find some more info online about how that number is calculated.

There was a ton of other data that was fun to look at:

The average heart rate and max heart rate are self-explanatory. The "TE" is "training effect", which is the impact the exercise has on your aerobic fitness, shown on a scale of 1-5 (based on heart rate). The cadence is the number of steps per minute--ideally, it would be around 180. Vertical oscillation is the amount of bounce while you're running, measured in centimeters--mine was 10.5, which is average. I was curious to see how the cadence would compare with the data from my foot pod. It was identical! So the accelerometer inside of the heart rate strap is just as accurate (if not more so) than the foot pod.

I love that the Garmin shows your VO2 Max. VO2 Max is a number that defines your body’s maximum ability to transport and utilize oxygen during exercise. Basically, higher is better. For a female, 30-39, 44 (my reading) is "excellent", so that's pretty awesome! But this was just based on ONE run, so that could change pretty significantly after I've run a few more times. I guessed it was around 39-40, based on some online calculators, which is in the "good" range. It's hard to see in the pic, but there is a band of different colors around the edge where the VO2 Max is shown. The colors represent Poor, Fair, Good, Excellent, and Superior (from left to right); you can see the white line is where mine falls.

The VO2 Max is used for the Race Predictor on the watch, also, which I am excited about! Again, this was just based on ONE run, so it's probably not accurate yet. After I run a few more times, the watch will "learn" more, and it will be more accurate. But here are my race predictors based on today's run:

It's pretty interesting, because those are very close to the goals I have set for the spring! My 5K goal is sub-24, my 10K goal is sub-49:23, Half goal is sub-1:50 (and I have no plans for a marathon).

My watch was connected (via bluetooth) to my iPhone, so all of the data automatically uploaded to my phone! There is a Garmin Connect app that displays all of the data (with cool charts, of course).

Because the info was uploaded onto the Garmin Connect app on my phone, when I logged into my account on the computer, the info was already there. So easy! With the Garmin 910xt, I would have to use a little ANT+ stick in the USB port on my computer to download the info from my Garmin (that was the thing I lost in Key West, and had to buy a new one!).

There is a new little section on the website that shows the Running Dynamics:

It even shows ground contact time (the amount of time your foot is touching the ground) in milliseconds! I have no idea what to do with that information, but it's fun to know ;) 


So, it's safe to say that it was definitely love at first split with my Garmin 620! I'm super excited to get some more runs on there so I can see how it affects the VO2 Max and the race predictions. I'm also really excited to try it out on the treadmill and see how accurate it is. There is WAY too much info to get into a lot of detail in here, but DC Rainmaker did a VERY in-depth review of the watch. I always learn new things when reading his reviews! (Also, he has a coupon code for 10% off, just FYI; I ordered mine through his link).

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A new toy!

On this Thursday last year, I wrote a post called "'Till I Collapse", after I reached two big milestones during a training run: I ran a sub-26:00 5K, which was a HUGE goal of mine for a long time, and I ran my first sub-8:00 mile. I was so happy and excited!

Since I'm following last year's runs as a sort-of schedule for the next couple of weeks, today was a big day to beat. I wanted to beat my 5K time from last year as well as run the third mile under 8 minutes. I haven't run a sub-8:00 mile outside in a long time! I was actually pretty nervous, even though it was just a training run.

After I got the kids off to school, I dressed in my running clothes and headed out. My plan was to try and stick as closely to my splits from last year as possible, beating them by just a second or two. Last year's splits were 8:31, 8:34, and 7:54.

Because I was nervous, I started out way too fast, which is always a mistake. I caught myself about a quarter mile in, and forced myself to slow down. The first mile wasn't too bad; tough, but I was just thinking about how much tougher it was going to feel during the third mile! My first mile was done in 8:18, so I slowed down some more. I wanted to save as much energy as I could to try and hit sub-8:00 for the third mile.

Second mile was done in 8:29. Perfect! As soon as I heard my Garmin beep after the second mile, I picked up the pace. At first, it really didn't feel as hard as I expected it to. My pace was about 7:45, and I felt good! But that mile felt like the longest mile of my life. It kept feeling harder and harder to hold that pace. When I hit mile 3, I kept running hard to finish off the 0.11. My neighbor was outside, and must have thought I was ridiculous; I flew by him, then stopped in front of my house, gasping for breath. He said "Good morning!" and I could barely give a wave. I was exhausted. But I had done it!

I spent the rest of the morning updating the "Favorite Things" page on my blog (finally). I've been meaning to add some things on there for a long time, and I just hadn't taken the time to get it done. I have a few other pages that I need to update, so I'll hopefully get that done soon.

The kids had asked me to take their allowance money and go buy them a Rainbow Loom and more rubber bands today for their bracelet-making. They've been making SO many bracelets! They haven't even touched the TV or video games this week--I love that they found something creative to do that doesn't involve electronics. So I went to the craft store this afternoon to pick them each up a loom and some of the bands. I ran into Renee, who happened to be there for the exact same things! Her son wanted a loom, too. I think it's so funny that my kids are so excited about making these bracelets. They spent the whole evening like this:

When I got home from the craft store, Jerry told me that I had "very special" package arrive in the mail. It was MY NEW GARMIN!! I tore into the box to check it out, and read the quick start manual. I played around with the watch a little bit, but I won't really get to try out the features until I run tomorrow. I love the orange/white color combo.

I printed out the owner's manual and I'm going to spend some more time looking at it tonight, and getting it set up for tomorrow's run. Tomorrow's post is going to be VERY nerdy! ;)

Today marks the two-year anniversary since my lower body lift surgery. I cannot believe it's been two years already! I am still VERY happy with the results, and I wouldn't change a thing. My scar is very faded, and I haven't had any complications. When I look in the mirror, I still admire that my stomach is flat (well, for the most part... after Halloween, it's a little puffy! haha).

It's kind of interesting... ever since my surgery, the first place I notice a weight gain of even a couple of pounds is in my stomach. I kind of like that, because there is no such thing as being in denial about a few pounds. I can clearly see a gain when it happens, and that's usually what kicks me back into weight loss mode.

Speaking of which, today was day three of staying on track. I'm really determined to get back to 133 before December 12th!

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Post-Halloween weigh-in

Oh, boy. I really didn't want to post my weigh-in today! Last week, I didn't post one, and a few people asked about it. Thank you for that, by the way! It keeps me accountable even when I really don't want to be ;)

Having the kids' Halloween candy in the house threw me way off track, and it's been such a huge struggle to get back on. My kids were very generous with their candy, and I probably ate just as much as they did. Since then, my weight has been hovering around 140-142... which is up from 135 just over 3 weeks ago! Today's weigh-in:

I went the entire summer without seeing the 140's, so I'm bummed to see that again. But to be honest, I am surprised it's not much higher. After the amount of Halloween candy I ate, I felt like my weight should have been in the 150's or 160's. I do know how easily 5 pounds turns into 10, which turns into 20, and I don't want that to happen. So as badly as I didn't want to weigh-in today, I did. 140.5. And hopefully next week, I'll be safely back in the 130's.

The one year anniversary of reaching my goal weight of 133 is on December 12th--a month away. I would LOVE to see 133 again on that day, so I'm keeping that in mind. I don't really have any room for error, so I have to stay on track. Surprisingly, the holidays aren't a problem for me. I'm not a big Thanksgiving dinner person, and we only go to one or two holiday parties throughout the season. I don't bake, because that's way too dangerous for me. I usually don't have a problem losing weight over the holidays; so let's hope this year is the same!

I came down with a bit of a cold on Sunday after the half-marathon. Nothing serious, but I haven't been feeling my best the past couple of days. With the exception of my runs, I've been resting a lot. Yesterday and today, I spent most of the day reading a book under my electric blanket, sipping hot tea, with Estelle curled up on my lap.

She loves the electric blanket almost as much as I do. Every time I sit down, she jumps right up on my lap; if I have my computer on my lap, she gets annoyed that it's invading her space, and she plops herself right on the keyboard.

I didn't really have a plan to run today, but because I took Monday off (the day after the half-marathon), I decided to just go out and run three miles at an easy pace. I went out at 1:30 in the afternoon, and with the wind chill, it was in the low-30's. The wind was pretty brutal!

I did a three mile out-and-back, but when I was about a quarter mile from home, I decided to take a detour to my parents' house. My mom just received a whole bunch of fabric from a friend, and she told me I could take whatever I wanted, so I went over there to browse through it. There was a TON of it. Her friend, who was a quilter, passed away early this year. Her husband was just going to throw away everything, and my mom said she'd like it, so he gave it to her--a sewing machine, lots of notions, and boxes upon boxes of fabric.

It was fun going through the fabric, and I put together a good-sized bag to go back and pick up from her later (it would have been awkward to carry while I ran!). I'm not sure exactly what I'm going to make with it, but I love to sew, so I'm sure I'll come up with some projects.

I left my parents' house, and ran the rest of the way home, so my total ended up being a little over four miles, rather than three.

I noticed the past few times I've run outside, that there is a problem with my Garmin getting a little foggy spot in the center of it. That's never happened before (with any of my Garmins), and it makes me wonder if the seal is broken or something. Anyone else have that happen? I tried to get a picture, but the spot was almost gone by the time I grabbed my phone.

It's the little spot between the 09 and 09.

Speaking of my Garmin, I got a very exciting e-mail yesterday... my Garmin Forerunner 620 has been shipped!! I pre-ordered it a few months ago, and I've been super excited for it to be released. It'll be here just in time for my winter training plan. I'm really excited to try out all the new features!

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November 12

We actually got snow last night! The kids and I were in the living room with the blinds shut during the evening, and when I was locking up the house before bed, I noticed that the ground was covered in snow. I love cold weather, but I really don't like snow. It stuck around all night and half of the day today. It just feels too early for snow!

This morning, I woke up again at 4:50. I'm so tired of waking up before 5:00! There is no need for me to get up before 7:00, but I can't sleep in for the life of me. I laid in bed this morning, trying to fall back asleep, before I finally decided to get out of bed at 6:00 and run on the treadmill. If I was going to be up that early, might as well be productive!

I'm not following a particular running schedule until my winter training starts on the 25th, but I've actually been using last year's runs as a mock-schedule. I just look at what I did on this day last year, and do the same run. These are last November's runs. When I tap on the particular day, I can see my pace and map of where I ran, and all that.

Since someone is sure to ask, this app is called
"LogMyTraining Pro"; I like it because I can sync
it with my Garmin.

So on this particular Tuesday last year (the 13th), I ran 3 miles in 26:59. So today, I decided to run 3 miles in 26:59 or less. There is no real purpose for copying last year's runs! I just needed some direction until the 25th.

I set the treadmill at an 8:45ish pace to start, and then during the last mile, I kept increasing the speed just to get done faster. I really picked it up for the last half mile or so, and ran at a 6:58 pace for the last two-tenths of a mile, just to see if I would have a heart attack ;)

After showering, and getting the kids off to school, I made breakfast. I got this box of Breakfast On the Go! from Kroger for one of their Free Friday coupon downloads (they have a coupon every Friday for a free item). I figured that since today is Taste Test Tuesday, might as well give it a try. I chose to get the Apples & Cinnamon flavor.

I peeled and chopped an apple, sprinkled it with cinnamon, and then microwaved it for a couple of minutes until it was soft. Then I topped it with the Breakfast On the Go! packet and a drizzle of almond butter.

The whole thing was 7 PointsPlus, and it was very satisfying. The Breakfast On the Go! is really just like a granola--oat clusters with dried fruit and nuts (in this case, it was apple pieces, raisins and almonds). It's very crunchy, which goes good with the soft apple.

The packet was 5 PointsPlus, which seems like a lot for such a small amount, but granola is always high in calories. I rarely eat just a bowl of granola and milk, like I would cereal, because of the small serving size; but when bulked up with an apple and some almond butter, it went a long way.

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I don't know why I feel like this is worth mentioning, but today is the three year anniversary of when I broke my jaw. It was a very significant event in my life--I tend to think of everything in terms of "before I broke my jaw" and "after I broke my jaw".

The whole jaw incident was just so strange! I'd never broken a bone in my entire life; nor had I ever fainted. And then November 12, 2010 happened. The whole long story is here, but basically, I put Noah to bed and then became extremely nauseous and dizzy. I started to walk to the bathroom, thinking I was going to throw up. Next thing I knew, I woke up face-down on his floor, my face in a puddle of blood. There was a hole in my lower lip and in my chin (where the bone had punctured through) and my jaw was horribly misaligned in several spots.

My mom took me to the hospital, where I spent six days, having two surgeries. I'd broken my jaw completely through in five places. The doctors were never able to tell me why I fainted, but they believe it was because of my low blood pressure. Strangely enough, I don't associate my jaw incident with bad memories; I actually have really good memories from that time!

I learned just how much my family loves me. I've had depression ever since I was a kid, and I always kind of felt like a misfit in my family, like I wasn't good enough to belong. They never gave me any reason to feel that way; I think a lot of it had to do with my weight (I was the only overweight one).

But when I broke my jaw, my whole family immediately pulled together to do whatever I needed, without my having to ask for anything. I wrote about it all in detail here, but to put it simply, they were fantastic! I still can't even think (or write) about this without crying. I just feel like it made my family so much closer.

My friends were amazing during that time, too: picking up my kids from school, chauffeuring them around (I couldn't drive), making dinner for my family, coming to visit me to keep me company, etc. They didn't wait for me to ask for help; they just took charge and said did it, which was such a relief to me.

So, I think the reason November 12th is such a significant day for me is because I was finally able to open my eyes and see how much everyone really cares for me. In the peaks of my depression, I used to think that nobody would even bat an eye if something happened to me. The whole incident with my jaw made me realize how wrong I was.

It was also my jaw surgery that led to my skin removal surgery. Prior to breaking my jaw, I was terrified of anesthesia, and wouldn't even consider skin removal surgery. After my jaw surgeries, which weren't exactly optional, I was over my fear and I started the process of finding a surgeon. Almost a year to the day after my first jaw surgery was when I had my lower body lift, which has been life changing (in a good way) as well!

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Motivational Monday #40

I want to start by wishing a Happy Veteran's Day to all the men and women who have served or are serving our country. I am SO grateful, and I thank you for your service!! This is a picture of my "little" brother, Nathan, who joined the Army shortly after 9/11/01. He spent three years in Iraq! I'm so happy that he is home safe now :)

Today is also Motivational Monday, and there are some great stories to share. The highlight of my week was definitely yesterday's half-marathon. I felt SO good through the whole race, and it made me excited to do some more races in the spring.

I'm still struggling to stay on track for more than a day or two at a time. I go through phases like this sometimes, and it makes me feel hopeless for a while! I'm trying my best, but it's a daily battle. I always love Motivational Monday, because I feel hopeful going into the week :)

---

Blaine:

"About six months ago, I was feeling super tired and sluggish every day, work was getting hard to go to, my stress level was through the roof, and I knew I had to do something. I remember hearing your story on the Today Show a few months before and thought I would look your story up. Oh, boy, did it motivate me. I started doing daily walk/runs barely able to run a tenth of a mile, but slowly I built up my tolerance. The first time I ever ran a mile without stopping, I cried. Never in my life have I been able to run a mile.

I then decided to sign up for a 5k to have something to build toward. I ran that 5k about a month ago and the day I ran it I signed up for a 10k. Over the past month I had horrible runs, extra stress at work, and almost didn't show up for the race this weekend. Again, people I don't know motivated me to finish. The night before the race, I was at a birthday party and people were asking me why I wasn't drinking. I told them I had a race in the morning, and their encouragement made me show up for the race. It was freezing, but I went. I had three goals in mind: 1) don't die, 2) don't walk, and 3) don't finish last. I beat all three of my goals and most importantly, I beat the girl I was 6 months ago--barely able to get out of bed to go to work. So far I've lost 45 pounds and I owe my initial motivation all to you and your blog, so thank you for inspiring me. I'm going to tackle a half marathon in the spring, and I'm so excited to do it."

---

Chris:

"On Saturday night, my sister, boyfriend and I put our ten months of training to the test and ran the Walt Disney World Wine and Dine Half Marathon. When I started running in January, I couldn't run a minute without feeling panicky and out of breath. I trained using Couch to 5K and eventually ran a 5K, then another.  I signed up for the half with my supportive sister and boyfriend. We trained faithfully using Jeff Galloway's program. In the process, I lost 50 pounds!"

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Cindy:

"I had my first 10K this weekend! I still cannot believe I ran 6.27 miles at once. I've been on motivational Monday before for a 5K and my first triathlon in August. I am starting to believe I am actually a runner.  It was about 1.5 hours after I finished that I said aloud that I would enjoy doing another 10K. LOL!  My goal was 1 hour 20 minutes and I finished in 1:19:46!!"

---

Jennifer:

"On Sunday, I accomplished something that 11 months ago I hadn't even joked of attempting--a full marathon. I started the Couch to 5k plan at New Year's, and continued to their 5k to 10k plan, then on to a half, then a full!"

---

Lisa:
"I ran my second half marathon yesterday, with a time of 2:04, beating my previous best of 2:11!  It was the "All Women & One Lucky Guy Half."  There were 770 women in the race and they choose ONE guy through a $5 lottery (money goes to charity) to run.  He won for his division!  It was COLD and windy and damp.  I couldn't feel my fingers after mile 4 or so.  When they handed me my pretty pink heart-shaped medal, I dropped it because I couldn't grip anything.  Luckily they had hot soup at the finish line!  I'm freezing and drenched in sweat and can barely stand or hold my medal in this picture, but I'm thrilled that I finished!  I've always been a wimp about the weather, so this was a huge challenge for me."

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Pam:

"I beat a 9-year old 5k PR this weekend! Went from 32:26 to 31:41! Set that old PR in January 2005 when I'd just turned 30, and considering I'm now staring down 40, I'm pretty happy with that."  (Pam's race report)

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Janelle:

"I started seriously running in July. A hot July. I'm talking over 100 degrees. I don't know what I was thinking but I just kept pushing myself to go out and run. I was running 11:00-11:30 miles. Usually 2.5-3 miles at a time.  And it was hard and HOT!

The next month I pushed myself to run more frequently than the previous month. And I kept improving my time. My goal for October was to run 50 miles. I did it. In fact, I ran 62 miles for the month. My other goal was to run a sub 30 5k. By this time I was running a 5k very regularly (4-5 times per week) but I just couldn't meet my time goal.  Each time I ran I got so close and then one day IT HAPPENED! I ran a sub-30 5k and every day I'm getting faster. I can now run a 28:20 5k and its not even that hard for me anymore.

Just a couple months ago I was only running a couple miles at a time. Then I got good enough to run a 5k several times a week, but I just couldn't figure out how to run over a 5k. I just couldn't imagine running 4 miles. I've now done it several times. And today I ran over 6 miles. I can hardly believe it.

And the thought that keeps running through my mind when things get tough is something you brought up a few weeks ago. It was the sign you saw that said "remember when you thought you couldn't do this?" Well, it wasn't so long ago that I didn't think I could do this-any of this-run 5 days per week, run a 5k, run a sub 30 5k, run 4 miles, run 6 miles. But I'm doing it. And my self esteem is improving a little bit at a time.  And I keep wondering how fast I could be if I got rid of the extra 40 pounds I'm carrying around. And I keep wondering that if I can run 6 miles then maybe I can run a half marathon. And I hope someday in the next year I will look back on how far I've come and think "remember when I thought I couldn't do this?""

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Stacy:

"For the last several weeks I have been eating right and walking everyday.  As a result I was able to do a 13-mile bike ride with my husband on Saturday without NEEDING to stop (except for the occasional photo-op or red light).  The last time we rode, last spring, I had an emotional break-down half way through and couldn't even ride 5 minutes without taking a break.  I felt great the whole way through!   I think that's pretty impressive for being 285 lbs (and dropping)."

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Congrats to everyone this week--you are truly motivating! Feel free to check out the Motivational Monday Facebook post for some more stories.

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Monroe Half Marathon race report

The wind was howling all night long, so I was imagining the worst for today's half-marathon. The sound of the wind was actually what woke me up at 4:50, so I just got out of bed and got ready for the race pretty early. The race didn't start until 8:00, but it was only a few miles from my house, so I didn't even leave until 7:25. I loved being able to use my own bathroom before a race instead of a porta potty!

My goal for this race was to pace "That Loud Redhead", Stephanie, to her goal of under 2:10. That's a 9:55/mi pace, which normally I would find pretty easy, but I was feeling a little worried under the pressure. The farthest I've run since the Chicago Marathon was 10 miles, and that was a couple of weeks ago. Also, I've been struggling a lot lately during my runs, even at what should be an "easy" pace. Anyway, I was confident I could do it, I just didn't know if I would feel good while doing it ;)

When I got to the starting line, I was surprised how many people showed up! For a very small town, and the first year of this race, there was a great turnout. It was cold and windy, but not horribly so. I wore Cold Gear tights, a long-sleeved tech shirt, a fleece pullover, a sparkle skirt (so it would be easy to spot me), ear warmer headband, and gloves. I was cold before the race, but I knew I dressed well for the weather.

While I was looking for Stephanie, someone came up to me and introduced herself as Elisa. She's  a blog reader, and had e-mailed to let me know she'd be there. I chatted with her for a few minutes (she ran the Detroit Marathon as well, AND the Indy Marathon last weekend... and let's not forget a 5K AND a 10K yesterday!). I wish I'd thought to take a picture; I always forget about it until I'm writing my blog posts.

I found Stephanie, and walked with her toward the starting line. I also saw Renee, Jessica, and Andrea, who were running the half as well. I spotted Emma, a friend of mine who was running her FIRST half this morning. And finally, I saw Dean, from my Ragnar SoCal team, who I just met in person a couple of weeks ago. It was fun seeing so many familiar faces!

When the race started, we were on a fairly narrow path in the park. It was kind of crowded for a quarter mile or so, and at first, I felt like we were going way too slow; but the Garmin showed a pace in the 9:40's, which is actually faster than planned.

Let me preface this by saying I'm a terrible pacer! I *should* have run 9:50-9:55/mi, no matter what Stephanie was doing or how she was feeling. But she seemed to be doing so well that I just kind of let her set the pace for the first half of the race, and it ended up being in the 9:40's. I mentioned a couple of times we may want to slow down, but otherwise, I was basically just along for the ride.

After the first half, though, I could see that her pace had slowed a little, and I worried that the 9:40's were too fast in the beginning. Even though I could tell it wasn't "easy" for her, she was doing just fine in the low-9:50's. Jerry and the kids were at miles four and eight to cheer us on. Jerry was as loud and "annoying" as ever, which Stephanie and I both appreciated ;)

My parents were volunteering for the race by pointing runners in the right direction about a mile in. My mom made a bunch of signs that she passed out to spectators, and we saw those along the course.

I could tell when Stephanie was really starting to struggle, because she stopped saying "thank you" to all the volunteers. She had made it a point to say "thank you" to every single volunteer along the course, and once we got to the last four miles or so, she stopped talking altogether. I know that feeling well! When I first start a race, I feel great and say "thank you" and yell to people I know; but once I hit that point of ohmygodwhenwillthisbeover, it's all I can do to RUN, let alone talk.

I was worried! I kept thinking about what I would do if she insisted that she had to slow down. Should I slow down with her? Keep running for a 2:10 finish, no matter what? Push her and insist she can do it?

Thankfully, that never happened! Stephanie is a total trooper, because she stuck to her pace, even when she was super tired, and she had a super strong will to get that sub-2:10. The last couple of miles, I was trying to think of something--anything--to say in order to get her to the finish line while keeping pace. She wasn't saying a word in response, so I knew she was giving it everything she had (again, I've been there, and I know that feeling!).

We took a final turn and saw the clock had just turned over 2:09, so she'd done it! We crossed the finish line in 2:09:04.

I actually got a little choked up afterward. I knew how much it meant to her to hit that goal, and I was so proud and excited that she did it!

We talked to our other friends about how they did (it seems everyone had a great race!). Then I was on the lookout for Emma. She was hoping to finish in 2:40, and Jerry said he thought she looked like she was struggling a little on the course. I knew she was running alone, so I decided to run backwards along the course (not "run backwards", but run the course in the wrong direction...), to find Emma and then run with her to the finisher's chute.

Did I mentioned I felt FANTASTIC throughout the entire race, and afterward? Yep, I was thinking I'd have to run about a mile or two back to find Emma, and then run the rest of the way with her, and my legs were totally telling me to go for it. So off I went, running in the wrong direction.

Emma was doing great, and she was way ahead of her pace! I only went back about half a mile before I caught up to her. I ran with her until the finisher's chute, and then I stepped off the course to wait, so I didn't actually "finish" twice. She ended up finishing in 2:35, a full 5 minutes ahead of what she thought she'd do!

Today's race boosted my spirit SO much. It was awesome to be able to run with Stephanie to help her reach her goal. Also, I am absolutely amazed at how great my body feels. I honestly felt like I could have run the whole course a second time. (I'm sure that's the last thing Stephanie wants to read! haha). My heart rate was pretty low through the whole race, and my legs never got tired. I guess maybe my body took more of a beating than I thought in Chicago, and even though I took eight days off of running afterward, I must have needed more time to get back to normal. Today, I felt normal--better than normal, even--and it's an awesome feeling!

I really loved this race, and I hope that Stacie (the race director) decides to do it again next year. The course was awesome, and very pretty this time of year. It went through downtown Monroe, as well as the State Park. It's super flat, which is what I'm used to. The only issue was that the course went over railroad tracks. That didn't affect Stephanie and me, but Emma said that she just missed a train.

When I picked up my packet yesterday, I ran into Stacie, and we made plans to get together for coffee after the race today. I hadn't seen her in forever, so it was fun to catch up. We just went to Tim Hortons and chatted for a while. I wanted to hear all about how the race went from her side, and I'm still just so stunned at the amount of work that goes into directing a race.

There were a couple of big issues during the race (one of them was the train, the other was that about 10 people from the 5K made a wrong turn because a volunteer pointed them in the wrong direction). Three of the people from the 5K were extremely angry, and yelled at her, but she took it very well. Stuff happens! Overall, though, she got very positive feedback about the race, and she plans to do it again next year. I definitely want to volunteer next year, and possibly even be part of the planning committee. Stacie put in SO much work, and it's all on a volunteer basis. All of the profits from the race went to the Special Olympics, and she was happy with the amount of money that was earned.

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Don't forget, tomorrow is Motivational Monday! If you have a fitness/health accomplishment you'd like to share this week, you can send a picture and a short description to my e-mail: slimkatie (at) runsforcookies (dot) com, and I may include it in tomorrow's post!

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A guest post from Caitlin, who lost over 200 pounds!

Last month, when I ran the Chicago Marathon, I was lucky enough to meet up with someone I had "met" online, through this blog. Her name is Caitlin, and she'd e-mailed me a little over a year ago, after completing her first marathon. She mentioned that she'd lost "well over 100 pounds", and became a runner. She showed interest in running a Ragnar, and when John and I put together a Ragnar SoCal team recently, I invited her to join.

I didn't know much about her, but from what I did know, it seemed we had quite a bit in common. After she committed to our Ragnar team, I learned she was going to be running the Chicago Marathon; so naturally, I suggested we meet up!

Caitlin and I at the Chicago Marathon expo

It's very rare for me to feel comfortable around a total stranger; usually, I feel like an awkward mess. But as soon as I met Caitlin, I immediately liked her; she is extremely sweet, generous, and humble. As I learned more about her, I grew nothing short of amazed by her story. The "well over 100 pounds" that she lost? That would actually be 238 pounds!! She was very nervous to go public with her story, so I'm excited that she agreed to step way out of her comfort zone to share this with you. Enjoy, and feel free to leave her a kind comment if you'd like :)

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"In August 2009, I weighed close to 400 lbs.  Not many people in my life know just how heavy I was; looking at me, they could tell I was big, but I never let anyone know the exact number. Even now I really don't want to write it: 383 pounds!

For as long as I can remember I had been overweight.  I remember feeling self conscious about it starting in 4th grade.  I played sports when I was younger, so even though I was heavy, I was not obese.  I stopped playing sports in middle school when some of my friends told me that I ran "funny", and would never be able to make the cut for the high school sports teams.  So I went from being somewhat active to pretty much totally sedentary, other then the dreaded gym classes at school.

There was no medical reason for my weight; I just ate too much, and didn't move enough.  I have always enjoyed cooking, especially baking, and loved to eat the fruit of my labor.  In high school I went on my first diet--a self created one of far too few calories and way too much exercise.  I dropped over 30 pounds but quickly gained it back as I was miserable and hungry all the time.

Throughout high school, I tried different diets and had a gym membership I used sporadically, but I continued to gain weight.  When I graduated high school I was a size 22/24.  I couldn't tell you what I weighed, because I refused to get on a scale.

I went to my college orientation and remember being so embarrassed about my size.  I have always been shy and more of an introvert, so I had trouble meeting new people, and my weight made it even worse.  I overheard one of my roommates saying something about how she knew she would be stuck with the "fat, pathetic girl".  I decided not to attend that college and took a year off.

In that year of staying home, while all my friends from high school were away at college, I gained even more weight.  I didn't know what to do with myself outside of a part-time desk job.  I attended a college closer to home, so I could commute and avoid a lot of the social situations that made me so uncomfortable.

I knew I was eating too much and I knew I was far larger than most people (including my four brothers!).  Other members of my family struggled with their weight, but I was, by far, the largest.  I tried different diets; would join, then quit, the gym; and remained miserable.  I was in my 20s and supposed to be out living my life but instead I was hiding from everyone I knew. I wouldn't even attend most family events because I was so ashamed of myself.

There was no big "Ah-ha" moment for me, and no health crisis, but in August 2009, I decided I had to change my life; otherwise, I would never change.  I changed my diet, but rather than a radical overhaul, I decided to make gradual changes.  I set my daily calorie limit to 1400 and stuck to it. I totally eliminated soda--I had been drinking 4+ cups a day.  I did not want people to see me exercising so I bought the Biggest Loser DVDs, and would walk in a cemetery near my home.  I knew working out at the gym did not work for me.

Over the first five months, I lost over 60 pounds and had worked my way up to walking 8 miles every single day.  I wanted to incorporate more vegetables into my diet; I ate a salad every night at dinner and had lettuce and onions on my sandwich for lunch, but thought I could include more.  I starting cooking (and still do) things like Quinoa Zucchini Casserole, Farro with ground turkey and vegetables or homemade chicken vegetable soup with healthy grains like wheat berries, brown rice and farro rather than pasta.

I came up with a rotation of healthy meals that I loved--I cook a big batch, divide it into servings, and have my meal ready all week long. Throughout 2010 I continued my daily walking, DVDs, and added weight lifting routines I had found in various fitness magazines.  I also started to incorporate brief bursts of running in my walking--making sure the no one was around when I did, because the comments from my friends still echoed in my head.

I fell in love with running, and kept increasing the distance until I had run a full mile.  Once I hit 170 pounds, I plateaued; I could not get my weight to go down. I was running a couple miles at a time, and working up to more, but my weight would not budge.  My brother suggested I try P90X, and while I did not think I would be able to keep up with it, I committed to the 90 day routine.

I fell in love with P90x, and although it was the hardest thing I had ever done I stuck with it.  By December 2010, I had hit what was my goal of 155 pounds; but I was still miserable, because I had loose skin on my arms, stomach, chest, and legs. I felt like a giant deflated balloon.  I refused to wear t-shirts or shorts because I was so embarrassed of the excess skin.

I also still could not see myself as a "normal weight" person; with all the skin hanging off my body, I still felt huge. I looked into skin removal surgery, but it was expensive, and I was nervous about having surgery.

I continued running. My older brother convinced me to enter a 5K, and I finished in just under 30 minutes and fell in love with racing. In September 2011, I ran my first half-marathon, and loved it!  I decided to try again in November 2011, and after learning more about half-marathon running, managed to shave 16 minutes off my time.

In late 2011, after maintaining my weight loss for almost a year, I met with a surgeon, and scheduled my surgery for January 2012. I had the surgery (the doctor removed 12 pounds of skin from my body!!!) and after a long recovery, resumed my running in April of 2012.  I ran two more half marathons that year, and entered a lottery for a full marathon, figuring if I was selected, then it was "meant to be".

I was selected, and ran my first marathon in October of 2012. After completing the marathon, I wrote Katie to tell her how inspirational I found her. I had originally found her blog when researching skin removal surgery, and continued reading. I was following her marathon training while training for mine.

I am so glad I sent that email, because she invited me to join the Ragnar SoCal team--getting to know 11 new amazing people! I love to enter and run races. I ran my second marathon in Chicago last month, and have done mud runs, half-marathons and 10Ks.  I am trying to get up the nerve to do a Tough Mudder but jumping into dumpsters of ice water and possibly being shocked by live wires has deterred me so far!

I have maintained my weight of 145 lbs since recovering from surgery - maintenance isn't always easy, but if my weight goes up by more than 2 pounds I look at what I have been doing and adjust so I do not continue to gain.  I taught myself healthy habits throughout my weight loss journey, and continue with them today.  Running and P90X have given me much more confidence; joining a team of strangers to run 200 miles is something I could not imagine doing even two years ago!"

Update: Caitlin has written an updated post in November 2017 about how her maintenance has been going, which you can find here. 

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Bracelets

Jerry was off work today, so we spent a nice morning together after we got the kids off to school. Since we canceled cable, we haven't been able to watch the fourth season of The Walking Dead; so this morning, we decided to huddle around my computer and watch it on the computer. It ended up being pretty comfy, actually! We laid on the bed and watch the first episode.

Because Jerry was off work, he decided to surprise the kids by picking them up from school at lunchtime and taking them to the movies. They went to see Thor, which didn't interest me in the slightest, so I decided to go for my run while they were gone. I originally planned to run seven miles today, but since I'm running a half-marathon on Sunday, I realized it probably wouldn't be too smart to do that. I settled on five miles.

I was praying I'd have a good run today. I haven't had a run that I felt really GOOD about since the Chicago Marathon, and it was getting really discouraging. I wanted to feel confident in pacing Stephanie for her half-marathon on Sunday, and it didn't help that I've been struggling through my runs lately.

Jerry told me it was "freezing cold and windy" outside, so I dressed for freezing cold and windy. I don't know why I ask him, because he's way too dramatic! ;)  I wore a long sleeved tech shirt and a fleece over it, with gloves. When I stepped outside, I thought maybe I would be a little warm, but didn't want to go change, so I just started running.

I planned to run an easy pace, so that I could save my energy for the race. I felt like I was running at about a 9:30 pace (which has been a struggle lately). About a tenth of a mile in, I looked at my Garmin to make sure I started it and it was working (one time I ran a whole mile before I realized I forgot to start my Garmin). I saw my pace was in the mid-7:00's!

I thought, "Okay, there's something wrong. That can't be right..." and then I stopped running and stopped my Garmin. I turned it off and turned it back on, so it could relocate satellites. When I started running again, I made sure that I was running at what felt to be a 9:15-9:30ish pace. When I looked at my Garmin, I saw I was actually running a pace in the low-8:00's.

The distance on my Garmin was exactly what I expected it to be, so the pace was correct--I was shocked at how good I felt running at that pace! When I finished the first mile in 8:16, I forced myself to slow down. I kind of wanted to run hard to get that "runner's high" feeling when I was finished, but the last thing I wanted to do was wear myself out for Sunday.

With the exception of feeling way too hot and overdressed, I felt SO great the rest of the run! It was exactly the mental boost that I needed.

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My kids have been begging me to get these little rubber bands that they can use to make bracelets. I guess they are very popular at their school, and "all the kids" have them ;)  I'm all for them doing something creative rather than watching TV or something, so this afternoon after my run, I went to the craft store to get the rubber bands.

There was a HUGE display of them, with a sign that says, "As seen on YouTube!", so apparently they are pretty popular.

They're just a bunch of little rubber bands that you loop together to make bracelets. The kids were super excited, and spent the whole afternoon making bracelet after bracelet.

Noah made me a girly one with his pink and purple bands, and I think it's actually pretty cute! I will wear it proudly. Jerry was lucky enough to get an all-pink one, haha.

I can remember making friendship bracelets when I was in elementary school out of embroidery thread. We would have dozens of them on our arms, and trade them with friends. I can't believe I'm now old enough to have two kids that are in the bracelet-making age!

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Speaking of my age, I've gotten a few questions about my Virtual 5K for my birthday. A virtual race is basically a race that you do on your own, anywhere, and report back afterward. The date for mine will be on my 32nd birthday--Saturday, January 25th. (It's free, of course.)

Jerry and Stephanie designed the logo :)

On that day, you can run or walk 5K (3.11 miles) anywhere you like, at whatever time you'd like. You can even use the treadmill! I'll even have a bib that you can print and wear while you run, or just for a picture afterward. When you're done, I'll have a form that you can fill out with your name, where you're from, and your finish time, and I'll post a list of the results once I get them them all in. You can also post pictures on my Facebook page, with a short recap of your race (I love to read about what the weather was like in your neck of the woods, how you felt, if it was your first race, how you're celebrating, anything you'd like to share!).

I'm going to have a prize (or two or three), which will be given at random to a few finishers. I don't know the details of the prizes yet, but I think I'd like to put together a box of a few of my favorite things to give away.

There was an awesome turnout last year, with nearly 500 finishers! Here is a link to the results page that has some fun stats on the bottom. But you can see, you can walk or run, fast or slow, in a group or by yourself, whatever you'd like--it's just supposed to be fun! I'll put up an "official" sign-up soon, but I wanted to explain a little in case you may be interested :)

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Running in the winter

This morning, I got out of bed at around 6:15. I had plans to go shopping with my mom after the boys went to school, so I decided that I had plenty of time to get in a three-mile run on the treadmill before the kids had to get ready.

There was no time to browse around on Hulu or Netflix for a show to watch while I ran. I just hurriedly scrolled down through the shows. I saw The Amazing Race, and my sister has mentioned it a few times to me (she really likes it), so I clicked on that. I really didn't know anything about the show, but my run was only going to last less than 30 minutes.

I set the treadmill at an 8:50ish pace (I can't really remember). I felt MUCH better than I did a couple of days ago, but that could be because I was on the treadmill instead of outside. The treadmill feels easier than outdoor running. I'm going to run outside tomorrow, and hopefully feel good! I need a run that leaves me feeling really good before the half-marathon on Sunday.

After my run, and getting the kids off to school, my mom and I went to JoAnn Fabrics, Sears, and Costco in Toledo. I bought winter coats for the kids at Sears. And I was super excited to go to Costco! I'd never been to Costco before; I've had a Sam's Club membership for years. But my mom just got a membership to Costco recently, so I wanted to go check it out.

When we first walked in, it reminded me a lot of Sam's Club, but on a smaller scale. I took my time going around the whole store. I wasn't very impressed, mainly because their prices are a lot higher than at Sam's (particularly the meat). They didn't have as many options, either. On the plus side, they had some items that Sam's doesn't have. I'm glad I went to check it out, but I am going to stick with my Sam's membership.

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I've gotten quite a few e-mails recently asking me about running in the winter: Do I run when it's cold? What do I wear to run in the cold? etc. I'm surprised I haven't really written much about this already (or maybe I have, who knows?!).

I actually really love running in the winter. I would choose snow over sun and heat any day!

What I wear:
For bottoms, it's no secret that I LOVE my Under Armour Cold Gear compression fit tights. I can wear just those (no second layer) until the temps are in the teens. If they get below that, then I wear the tights with another looser layer on top.

On top, I wear a sports bra, and a tech shirt (either long-sleeved or short-sleeved, depending on the temp outside). On top of that, I'll wear either a second tech shirt (long-sleeved) or, if it's really cold, a fleece jacket on top. When the temp gets in the teens, I'll even wear three layers: two long-sleeved tech shirts and a fleece jacket.

I wear my usual socks and shoes; in the super cold temps, I might wear two pairs of socks. I also wear an ear warmer headband, and gloves. When the temp has been ridiculously cold, I've even worn big fuzzy mittens ;) 

Put together, this is a typical cold day outfit:

That day (Christmas 2012), it wasn't very cold. I wore my Under Armour Cold Gear tights, a short sleeved tech shirt, and a jacket on top. Headband and gloves. (While it looks like I'm wearing boots, those are actually my black shoes and white socks, because I'm fashionable like that).

The coldest temp I think I've ever run in was in the single digits. When it gets that cold, the biggest concern is my face, because it's uncovered. I bought a balaclava for that purpose, but it was terrible trying to run with that over my mouth! I couldn't breathe.

On the day this picture was taken, it was 10 degrees. I wore two layers of running tights, two long-sleeved tech shirts, a fleece pullover, two pairs of gloves, two pairs of socks, and the balaclava.

A reader gave me a tip one time to put a thin layer of Vaseline on my cheeks, because it would keep me warm and protect my face from the wind. I tried it (with Aquaphor, which is similar to Vaseline, and I already use it for anti-chafing), and it worked really well!

When there is snow or ice covering the road, slipping can be a concern. I did a review for Icespikes a couple of years ago, and I still really like them. They are basically little screws (with a sharper head on them) that you screw into your shoes (I used an older pair of shoes, since I wouldn't be using them very often). The screws grip the ice or compacted snow, and they don't add any bulk to your shoes at all. (Here is a link to my review, which is more in-depth).

If your schedule is flexible and allows you to run during the day, you may want to start running in the afternoons. The sun is usually out, and it's a little warmer than it is in the mornings. (Also, it stays dark for so long in the mornings, and I don't like running in the dark). I usually run in the late morning/early afternoon all winter.

My very favorite part of running in the winter? Taking a super hot shower when I get home! I actually imagine that while I'm running; I think about how good it will feel to take a hot shower, and then dress in some super comfy clothes, and drink a mug of hot tea. Oh, and let's not forget the electric blanket, and at least one cat on my lap ;)

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Headbands

Today, my main focus was to just stay busy and stay on track. Today was my rest day, so no running. It was raining all day anyway, so it was a good day to stay busy with a project at home. This morning after breakfast, I made a cup of the Coffee Cake tea I just got from David's. It was really good! I would definitely order it again. It tastes very similar to the Red Velvet Cake tea.

A while ago, I bought some ribbon on sale for half-off, and had plans of making a bunch of running headbands out of them. I made a small batch before, basically making a copycat version of Sweaty Bands. I like them because they actually stay on my head, and they keep stray hairs from getting in my face.

Sweaty Bands are pretty expensive, so I made my own. It's pretty cheap to do a big batch; but the downside is that I have several that are identical, because I bought rolls of ribbon. You only need 16" of ribbon to make them, and with the rolls of felt ribbon, I can get 4 bands. I think they end up costing roughly $1 each to make, if you make them in a big batch. It's not worth it to make just one, though.

Anyway, today I decided to stay busy by sewing a big batch of them. I had everything on hand, but they just aren't very fun to make ;)  I wound up making 14... that will last me a long time!

The headbands are just two 16" ribbons (one velvet ribbon, which keeps the headband from slipping, the other whatever pattern you'd like), stacked on top of each other and sewn with right sides facing outward. The short ends are connected with a 6" piece of elastic.

I was glad to have that done, and I worked on those right up until it was time to go to parent-teacher conferences with Eli's teacher. He's doing really well this year, and I'm so happy about that! Last year, he had a very hard time with reading comprehension. I really love his teacher this year, and he's come a LONG way in just a couple of months. She said she's very pleased with him, and doesn't have any issues that need attention, so I'm glad. I have a conference with Noah's teacher next week.

When I got home, I mapped out a meal plan for a week. I included a lot of slow cooker dinners, because they really help me to stay on track when the house gets crazy mid-afternoon. I also made sure to fit in the Weight Watchers Good Health Guidelines, which made it a little trickier. But I feel like I have a pretty solid plan for the next week, which will hopefully get me back in the routine after all the Halloween candy I ate last week!

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I just realized that there are only 11 1/2 weeks until my 32nd birthday. This time last year, I announced that I would do a Virtual 5K race (3.1 miles) for my 31st birthday. There was such a great turnout, and I LOVED looking at the pictures and reading all the race reports (either blog posts or just a sentence or two on Facebook). I think I'd like to do it again this year! The second annual Runs for Cookies Virtual 5K :)

Last year, I gave away 31 prizes, but I'm going to keep it much simpler this time--maybe just 3 prizes, given by random drawing (of the finishers). I'll post finish times and link to some race reports. I can't even describe how inspiring it was to read about all the finishers from all over the world last year!

Anyway, I'll post more details of that soon, but if you'd like to participate, this is the time to get started training! My birthday falls on a Saturday (January 25th), so it's perfect for a race. Run or walk, I'd love to have you do a 5K "with" me that day :)

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