Chilled to the bone

The "feels like" temp was a very toasty 10 degrees this morning, so I was looking forward to a pleasant run ;)  Haha, honestly, though, I love running in the cold. I did underdress just a bit, though. I wore my Cold Gear tights, a long-sleeved tech shirt, a fleece jacket over it, my new furry ear warmer headband, and gloves.

In retrospect, I wish I'd have worn another layer over my running tights. My legs (and especially my butt--why is it that my butt is always the coldest part of me when I run?!) were cold even when I returned. I had three miles at an easy pace on the schedule, but I ended up doing four. We had plans of going out to dinner tonight, so I figured burning a few extra calories wouldn't hurt.

It definitely felt like 10 degrees out there! I did an out-and-back route, and just when I turned around, the sun came out. The sun really didn't do anything to warm me, but it at least looked warmer. I finished four miles at a pretty steady pace, and felt great!

A hot shower felt really good after that. I got to work cleaning up the house a little, because Noah had invited a friend over. Once his friend got here, the boys were SO loud. Jerry and I tried to have a conversation, but we couldn't even hear each other, so we ended up just sitting on the couch and reading all afternoon. I'm about three-quarters of the way through Gone Girl, and it took me a while to get into it... but once I got to the second half of the book, I was completely blown away by the major plot twist! I'm charging the Kindle right now while I type this, otherwise I'd probably still be reading ;)

Jerry and I took the boys to Red Robin for dinner. Noah was asking earlier this week if we could go out to dinner, and I suggested that instead of "Pizza Fridays", we could take turns choosing a place to go out to eat once a week. The kids really liked that idea, and today was Noah's turn to choose. He chose Red Robin. A burger didn't really sound very good to me, but I looked up their menu online and a bowl of clam chowder sounded awesome--probably because it's so cold outside today, and clam chowder is one of my favorite soups. It was 16 PointsPlus for a bowl of the soup and the garlic bread that came with it, which is more than I usually spend for dinner, but not by much.

I wish I could say it was worth it, but it wasn't at all. I wasn't expecting it to be mind-blowing, because Red Robin isn't exactly known for their clam chowder, but it was lukewarm and just not very tasty. I had planned on ordering fruit salad with it, but I was so cold that it didn't sound very good when we got there. I felt pretty chilled to the bone all day today! Can't wait to get under my electric blanket tonight :)

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Furry headband

The warmer fall-like weather we've been having the past week or so was definitely replaced by winter this morning. It was cold out there today! Once I got the kids ready for school, my dad came over to walk them to the bus stop (he takes them early sometimes, so they can play basketball or street hockey while they wait for the bus).

I made my breakfast, and just as I sat down to eat, I saw that Eli had forgotten his library book. I looked outside just as I saw the bus turn the corner onto the street (the bus stop is on the other side of our block, probably about a tenth of a mile from our house). I had on pajamas, and of course, no bra, but I ran out the door as fast as I could to give him Eli his book before the bus got there. So classy.

After breakfast, I got ready to head out for a run. Today was three miles at half-marathon goal pace (8:15). I really wanted to stay as close to that number as possible, so that I get a good feel for it. Last week, my pace was 8:05 ish, and that defeated the purpose of the goal pace run. Last week, however, there was no wind; today felt a heck of a lot harder!

I did the same out and back route, and almost immediately, I felt like it was a struggle. I had a headwind, which probably didn't help, but my first mile was still a couple of seconds slow. I tried to pick up the pace, and things definitely felt easier once I turned around. I was a quarter mile from home when a chocolate lab ran out into the street, barking like crazy at me. I stopped running (stopped my Garmin too) and started yelling toward the nearest house, hoping the owner would come out and get the dog. Then a car came down the street and honked at the dog, yelling for it to go home (the driver knew whose dog it was). I took that opportunity to run very quickly to get out of there. I noticed my pace was way too fast the rest of the way home, so it made my last mile too fast. Ah, well.

After I finished my run, I stopped my Garmin and then walked a short loop of my neighborhood. Ever since I reactivated my ActiveLink, I've been doing whatever I can to get in a little extra activity. A short walk after my run is a great cool down, and since I'm already dressed for outside (and sweaty), there's no reason not to do it!

I set my ActiveLink goal to earn 5 Activity PointsPlus per day. It's an easy number to reach when I run 4+ miles, but when I have a rest day, or just 3 miles, like today, I have to get in extra activity wherever I can. I'm glad I reactivated the ActiveLink, because it really does motivate me to move more.

My sister asked me what I use to cover my ears in the mildly cold weather, and I suggested a Bondiband. I use them when it's not super cold, but cold enough to cover my ears (when it's really cold, I'll usually wear a fleece headband). She ended up ordering some Bondibands, and then sent one to me--it's SUPER cute!

I had no idea that Bondiband has furry headbands! It was warm, snug against my head, and didn't slip off or anything. Very cozy! I think I'm going to order another one in pink.

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Yesterday, I was finally able to cook a turkey that Jerry's employer gave us. They give out a frozen turkey to each employee a couple of days before Thanksgiving each year. I've had it in the fridge, thawing, and even when I finally decided to cook it yesterday, there was ice in the cavity of it. But it took up so much room in my fridge that I was happy to get it out of there and finally cook it.

I put it in the oven in the afternoon, and then made a turkey pot pie with some of the meat for dinner last night. Today, Jerry requested turkey and gravy sandwiches (with a "moist maker", of course!). I wasn't in the mood for a sandwich, so I actually made a salad (I am not a salad person at all, but sometimes I get a craving for one). We still have a ton of meat left over, so I think I'll make turkey and noodles (like my chicken and noodles), and then maybe soup or tetrazzini. It's kind of fun to come up with different ways to use up a whole turkey!

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Off to pop some popcorn and watch Old Yeller with my boys! Haven't seen that movie since I was probably Noah's age :)

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Being photographed

This morning, I had four miles at an easy pace on the schedule. It's been super nice outside lately, so I  was looking forward to it, but it was really windy. I ran four-mile route that goes around a couple of neighborhoods, and a couple of miles in, I passed by an older man that I see fairly often when I run the neighborhoods. He's probably in his 70's, he walks a lot, and walks pretty far from what I've seen.

I haven't been running the neighborhoods lately, so I haven't seen him since just before the Chicago Marathon. He carries a baseball bat with him while he walks (for protection, I assumed). As I came up behind him today, I called out, "Coming up behind you!" and then when he turned, "I just wouldn't want to get whacked with your bat!" and he laughed and said, "Nah, this is for the pit bulls". He asked me how the marathon went, and I was surprised he remembered. So I stopped and walked alongside him for a couple of minutes while we chatted.

I learned that he walks for exercise to maintain his own weight loss! He said he used to weigh 210, and now he's 170. He said he feels a million times better, and he wishes that overweight people would  be able to know what it feels like to be a "normal" weight, because they would see that it's worth the sacrifices to lose the weight. I didn't think of it that way before, but it definitely would be hard to go back to being obese now that I've experienced this size. Life was a lot harder before, from my self-confidence to tying my shoes to finding clothes.

Anyway, I hadn't stopped my Garmin while I walked with him, so when I started running again, my lap pace read 11:30. I made it a mission to try and get that mile pace down to 9:14, which is what my easy pace is supposed to be. I ran hard, but didn't quite make it. I got the lap pace down to 9:20. Not bad!

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A couple of friends of mine shared this article on Facebook about feeling too fat to be photographed, and it definitely hit home for me. If there is one thing I regret most about being fat, it's that I was so worried and occupied by the fact that I was fat. I avoided the camera like the plague, and because of that, I don't have many pictures from my 20's, or even late teens. Now, my kids don't have many pictures of them as babies with their own mother.

I'm not sure what I thought at the time. That anyone looking at the photo would think, "I can't believe she allowed herself to be photographed, she's so fat!"? It's a ridiculous way to think, and I wish I'd realized that back then. Once we had digital cameras, it was so easy to delete pictures, too. If I did happen to get photographed, all I had to do was push a button or two and it would be gone, never to be seen again.

When I look at pictures of other families, I never notice, "Oh, she's overweight" or "Her thighs look big", or "Look at that double chin". I just see the picture for what it is--a photo of that family, doing whatever it is they were doing in the moment. Once I realized this, I try to get a lot more photos of myself in the memories. Rather than taking tons of pictures of Jerry and the kids when we do something fun as a family, I'll get pictures of them, ask Jerry to take pictures with me in them, or even ask a stranger to take a photo for us. I want my kids to have those pictures to see that I was an active mom, that I did fun things with them. When I was overweight, judging by the photos, you would think my kids didn't even have a mom, because I was never in the pictures!

Just today, while we were waiting for dinner to get done (it was in the oven), the four of us went for a walk around the neighborhood. Jerry was being silly with the kids, and I took a bunch of photos. Then I asked him to take my phone out of my pocket to get a picture of Eli and me, because I was giving Eli a piggy back ride (and galloping while doing it, just ask my burning thighs!).

Someday, I want Eli to look at that and see a mom who gave him a piggy back ride... he's not going to notice (or care) that I'm not wearing make-up, that I didn't do my hair, or that I'm wearing yoga pants (all easier to see if Jerry hadn't gotten such a blurry pic!). I still have days where I feel fat, and I nitpick certain spots on my body in photos... but I never delete pictures for that reason anymore. I always think to myself, "Someday, I'll be happy that I have this." When I first started losing weight, I decided to take a picture every 10 pounds that I lost, so I could see the changes in my body. After I'd lost 10 pounds, I felt amazing, and I was so excited to see the difference. I wore the same clothes, and had Jerry take some comparison photos.

When I looked at the pictures, I was horrified. I looked exactly the same! I was really upset, and was thisclose to deleting the pictures. But I reminded myself that I would regret it, if I did, in fact, go on to reach my goal weight. I'd have wished that I saved those pictures!

And now? For all of the pictures that I did save, or allowed to be taken, I'm grateful to have them! I just wish I hadn't let my weight stop me from capturing memories with my family for so long.

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What a small world!

I did something today that I haven't done in a very long time... I ran intervals outside, on the roads. The treadmill makes intervals easier, because there is no thinking about it; just set the pace and run. The track is incredibly boring, so I've only done that a couple of times. The road is definitely most preferable because I don't get so bored, but it's HARD.

I had been planning to do hill repeats on the treadmill today, but it was mentally torturing me, so I decided to set up my Garmin to do 8 x 400 with 200 meter recovery jogs. (Basically, that means that after a half-mile warm-up, I would run a quarter mile hard, then jog slowly for about 0.13 miles... and repeat for a total of 8 times. Finish with a half-mile cool down.

I decided on an out-and-back route, because it's hard to make a lot of turns while trying to run really fast. I started with a half-mile jog, and then the Garmin started counting down beeps to my first hard interval. Since I hadn't done 400's outside in such a long time, I had no idea what kind of pace I was looking for. I guessed probably about 7:00-7:10/mi.

The first one nearly killed me, and I saw my pace was 7:05. So, I knew that I was going to be getting much slower before the last repeat! I wished that I'd set up 400-meter recovery jogs, instead of 200-meter ones. I didn't even fully catch my breath between the hard intervals. It was REALLY tough, and I wanted to quit so badly. But I finished, even though I could feel myself getting slower with each interval.

I was disappointed to see my pace, because I was sure that the last time I did intervals outside on the road, about a year ago, I was doing them with a pace in the high-6:00's or low-7:00's. I just looked it up on my blog, though, and today's wasn't too far off from last year! So I definitely feel better about today's run now, knowing I haven't gotten too much slower.

I always dread intervals, but I feel amazing once they're done! ;)

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This morning, I saw that a woman named Melissa posted a picture on my Facebook wall. She said it was a photo of her finishing her very first half-marathon (in 2009). And, what a small, small world... look who was finishing right behind her!!

Just in case you don't recognize that infamous blue shirt, it's ME :)  Crazy, right?! I was walking next to my friend, Mandie (in the black shirt). Just in front of Melissa (partially blocked by the guy in the white hat) is my mom. This was at the 500 Festival Mini-Marathon in 2009, where my "before" photo  was taken.

I remember so many of my thoughts throughout that race... Am I the biggest one here? (looking around); Yep, I'm the biggest one here. I'm glad I bought a new outfit for this race, because hopefully my pictures will look okay to post on Facebook. Don't look at the cameras, just walk tall and be confident. Oh, and suck in your stomach, Katie, there's a camera! My legs don't hurt as much as they did last year; good thing I trained this time. But, oh, the blisters! Next year, I'm going to be a hundred pounds lighter, and I'll do this race again...

Hahaha, looking at this picture that Melissa shared brought back so many of these memories! (Thank you, Melissa!)

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Stupid scale

Yesterday, was my long run, and it went so well! It was only seven miles, which isn't very "long" when I put it into perspective, but it was my scheduled long run of the week. Instead of running one of my usual routes from home, I decided to go to the State Park and run it there, for a change of scenery.

The weather wasn't too bad; I wore my Cold Gear pants, a short-sleeve tech shirt, and a light jacket. My long run pace is 8:53/mile, so that was the only target I had to aim for. When I got to the park, it was SO quiet. I didn't see a single boat or fisherman (usually, there are at least a dozen). After I got out of the car, I noticed a young man (probably about 20 years old) walking on the path that I was going to run. There was only one other car, so I'm assuming it was his. He was wearing jeans, so I didn't get the impression that he was out to exercise, and he wasn't carrying fishing gear. Since I was alone, I decided to just run my path the opposite direction, so that I wouldn't have to pass him. I'm sure he was harmless, but I get a little nervous when I'm by myself.

I've been having some good runs lately, and this one started out no differently. My pace was on target, and I really enjoyed the scenery. I ran along the beach (on the path, not the sand!) and the lake was SO calm that it looked like glass. When I ran through the campground, there wasn't a single soul there, and it was kind of eerie! As soon as I got to the edge of the woods, there was a deer who didn't even get spooked by me. Usually, when I see deer, they dart off into the woods like I'm going to hunt them down. But this one just looked at me, and actually took a few steps toward me, which was odd.

I'd planned to run the path right out of the park, turn around, and head back to the car, but instead, I changed my route so that I would stay inside the park the whole time. It was nice, not having to worry about traffic or loose dogs or anything like that. I never did come across anyone else out there, either! My pace felt good (not super easy, but not hard, either). It was just one of those runs where everything went well, and I felt good for starting my day that way!

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I've been frustrated with my weight. I wrote a few days ago about how I binged on chocolate chips; and the next morning, my weight had shot up by 5 pounds! I know that I didn't eat 17,500 calories worth of chocolate chips (!), so it wasn't a "real" gain, but usually something like that would make me go up a pound or two... not five. I told myself I'd just write it off and get back on track, but I felt defeated. Normally, I'm really good about not letting the scale upset me, because I KNOW that I have gains here and there that have nothing to do with how I'm eating. But for some reason, this one bothered me.

So instead of getting back on track, I ate some more. And since my week starts over tomorrow, today I just thought, "Eh, what's one more day?" I didn't binge, but I haven't counted my PointsPlus and I've definitely overeaten. I feel very puffy and I'm sure the scale would reflect that. So, I've chosen not to get on the scale for a while. I'm going to wait until December 12th, which is the anniversary of when I reached my goal weight. That gives me eight days to eat well and not let the scale get under my skin. The last time I took a short break from the scale (before the Chicago Marathon), I felt more free, and I was able to get back on track and feel good about myself. And I dropped the weight fairly easily! So that's what I'm going for.

For a fresh start, I'm starting a new 3-month food journal--I always like the blank pages of a new journal. I also reactivated my Weight Watchers ActiveLink today, because I feel like I've been getting sluggish lately. Aside from running, I haven't been moving much, so I am hoping that by using my ActiveLink, I'll push myself to be more active during the day.

Since today was a rest day, I didn't run. But after dinner, Jerry, the kids, and I all went for a walk. We went about a mile, and it was SO nice outside. I kept racing Eli to see who could skip to the next telephone pole faster (he won every time--I guess I'm not very good at skipping!). Both of the kids mentioned that they liked going for family walks, so we're going to make it a point to go more often.

I also decided to renew our rec center membership. It's only $100 for a family of four for an entire YEAR, which is a bargain. I want the kids to stay active during the winter, so this way, they'll have a pool, indoor track, basketball courts, racquetball courts, etc. I'm going to take them at least twice a week for a couple of hours, and I can get in some extra exercise, too! I have no excuses to let this little gain be the end of me. ;)

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Motivational Monday #43

Lots of Motivational Monday stories today! Looks like you were all pretty active over Thanksgiving :)

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Sam just ran her first half-marathon! She ran a 10K in June, and really didn't have any desire to run that distance again; so instead, she decided to go for a half-marathon. She set a goal of 2:45, and ended up killing that goal with a time of 2:34!

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You may recognize Dean from when he shared his first 5K... or his first 10K... or even his first half-marathon. It's been a joy to watch his progress as a runner, and actually see him get smaller in the process. It was because of Motivational Monday that I met Dean online, asked him to join my Ragnar SoCal team, and then later met him in person. And today, I'm SUPER excited to announce that Dean has reached a new milestone... he's lost 100 pounds!! At 217, this is the smallest he's been since 1996. He celebrated the milestone with a six-mile run, and then on Thanksgiving, he set a new PR in the 5K, finishing in 28:02!

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Jessica completed her first 10K at the Detroit Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving! She's an avid 5K'er, but this was her first 10K. She finished in 1:07, and she loved the race. She's super proud for accomplishing that run!

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Janine just completed her first 10K, the "Nikolaus Lauf" in Regensburg,  Germany, with a personal best time of 59:07! She was thrilled to finish under an hour. She said the field was competitive, but she had fun. 

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Jamie is proud to have run her first 5K race, finishing in 51:56!

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Meg (far right) ran her farthest distance ever during a Turkey Trot this week--5 miles! She had a baby boy in September, and was very excited to get the go-ahead from her doctor to start exercising; when she did, she trained for this race. Next, she hopes to train for a half-marathon!

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Like many of us, Crystal set some New Year's Resolutions for 2013: one of them was to reach the 130's in weight, and the other was to fit into size 8 jeans. She stuck with her goals all year, and just weighed in at 138.8. Since May 2012, she's lost 118 pounds! She also blew way past size 8; here she is in a pair of size 2 jeans! Her next goal is to complete her first half-marathon on Dec. 15th. (Crystal doesn't have a blog, but she has a Facebook page)

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Coree (far left) PR'ed at a Turkey Trot 5K on Thanksgiving, despite having lots of excuses not to go! It was 20 degrees outside, she wanted to sleep in, the other girls were faster than her, etc... but she went and she finished with a 20 second PR!

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Rachel started running in February, at 54 years old, and on Thanksgiving, she ran her first 10K! She finished in 1:10:48, and just signed up for her first half-marathon in March 2014. She said she was never a runner, but now she absolutely loves it! (Rachel's blog)

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Tiina went for a run with her (canine) running partner on Thanksgiving morning! She said it was a beautiful morning for a run, and she was very thankful to spend the morning outside. (Tiina's blog)

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Liz just completed a couple of big milestones in her fitness journey--she reached her 10% weight loss in Weight Watchers, AND she completed her first 5K! In September, she couldn't even run for a full minute; but she downloaded an eight-week training app, followed the program, and completed the race. She's already planning her next 5K! (Liz's blog)

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Nicole and her five-year old son completed the Santa Fun Run on Sunday! She and her husband are trying to teach their son that exercise is just a normal part of life, and not a "chore" to dread. He was very excited to train for this race, wanting to go outside and run drills so he could win ;) The two of them are going to train for The Color Run next!

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I loved reading this e-mail from Claire! I didn't want to cut anything out, so I just copied it here:

"I NEVER thought I would run a race. Honestly, if you had asked me a year ago at 326 pounds to run anywhere I would have told you I only run when chased or from a fire, and even then it would have to be a pretty bad fire. A few months ago, after losing 100 pounds and my weight stalling, something clicked in me while I was reading your blog, and I decided to sign up for the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving and the Half Marathon in May in Cleveland. Clearly I had lost my mind. 

I have always wanted to run a marathon, triathalon, SOMETHING that would make me feel like I had done a thing, but I never had enough faith in myself. I have bad feet (bunions, severe overpronation), one leg is longer than the other causing hip pain, and I get severe exercise induced migraines if I do too much in the heat. My body is clearly against me. No matter. I won't be swayed! 

I bought a treadmill for $75 on Craigslist. It isn't fancy and it creaks if I lag behind but that's just more motivation to stay at the front and work harder. Following your advice, I made goals I knew I could stick to for a lifetime. 3-4 days a week on the treadmill. At LEAST 2 miles at a time. The first few times I didn't make it that far. I got back on the next day and went further and further. I made a deal with myself that I couldn't watch Breaking Bad unless it was from the treadmill, again at your advice. I got up to week three of the couch to 5K program when I got a SEVERE sinus and ear infection and just couldn't bear the treadmill for almost 3 weeks right before the Turkey Trot. 

Three of my friends had signed up for the race with me, and two talked me into dropping from the 5 miler to the 2.5 mile race so they would feel more comfortable. Those two friends ended up cancelling altogether, so the remaining friend, Betsy, and I resolved to run the 5 mile race....in 24 degree weather. I had never run outside and I was still on antibiotics, but it was my first race and I was determined to run it! 

We arrived early, and one of the drop-out friends and my fiance were there to cheer me on. Betsy and I lined up and ran and walked and talked and enjoyed the race as much as you can when your lungs are burning and your toes are numb. As I approached the finish line, my fiance ran up and played "Eye of the Tiger" on his phone to inspire me to finish strong. 

As we ran across the finish line, I realized I had finally finished something. I didn't quit, I didn't give up, and I didn't back out just because everything wasn't perfect. I DID IT! I had set three goals: Don't die. Finish. Don't be last. I hit every one. When I got home, I looked on the internet for a sticker or magnet to commemorate my first race. I couldn't find anything that said "5 miles" or "8K", so this crazy girl got on the treadmill for another 1.3 miles just so I could get a 10K sticker and not be a liar. I've never been so proud of myself. Ever."

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Liz and her husband started running in April 2013, with the goal of completing the Gobble Jog 5K. When the time came to sign up for the race, they impulsively decided to go for the 10K instead! She was extremely nervous, and it was only 20 degrees in Atlanta, but she ran the entire way without stopping, finishing in 1:09:47! Her husband finished in 52:30! Liz has lost 20 pounds since she started running in April, and now the couple is talking about half-marathon training :)

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This e-mail from Jen gave me chills!

"This weekend wasn't a race that I run, but a race I helped plan and put on for a family friend!  You see I have not been running very long, but have definitely fallen in love with running.  I fell in love with it from learning of the life of a fallen Navy Seal from our small town of Rockford, Iowa.  His name was JT.  His brother-in-law, along with other family members have started a foundation called 3 Minutes Out. They hold a 5k each July to raise funds for the foundation and military families and collect items for soldiers that are deployed.  Scott works so hard to ensure that JT's memory is not forgotten, as well, as remembering other veterans.  Unfortunately, just a few short weeks ago, Scott was diagnosed with cancer.  After a lengthy hospital stay his family was left was a pile of medical bills.   

This was all on my mind as I started creating I am thankful posts and planning my November workout calendar.  I had written down an easy 3 mile run for Thanksgiving morning and that is when my wheels started turning.  I thought to myself maybe we could hold a quick no frills run on Thanksgiving morning to raise money for Scott!  In a few short weeks we planned a little fun run and the turn out for our little town was amazing!!!  There was no fee to do the run, but we had a free will offering bucket and raised $1267.00.  I was so proud of our community for coming together to support a friend.  It was so motivating to see all of the runners/walkers out there in 12 degrees working toward a goal of burning some pre feast calories and raise some funds for Scott!  It was truly one of my proudest moments!

Since I was so busy getting this organized that morning, I didn't run with the group.  I had to get my run in later that day, but boy was it worth it!" (Scott's Facebook page)

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Amanda just completed her first half-marathon yesterday! At 275 pounds, she was very happy to do this race and prove that you don't have to be thin to run ;)  She did the Galloway method of running one minute and walking one minute intervals. She said she really recommends this method for anything thinking that they "can't do it" because of their weight. (Amanda's blog)

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Joy, and her daughter, Kady, ran the Trot for Hope on Thanksgiving! It was a two-mile race, and Kady was very excited to complete it!

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You can check out some more motivating stories on the Motivational Monday Facebook post!

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Rocky road

I felt really lethargic this morning when I woke up, and I know it was because of eating all those stupid chocolate chips yesterday! I didn't feel like heading out for my run right away, so I decided to deep clean the laundry room. We have a couple of shelves in there that accumulate SO MUCH junk, and I've been meaning to clean it out for a long time.

It took me about an hour, but when I was done, the room looked so much better. I should have just done it a long time ago so I didn't have that chore hanging over my head for so long! Anyway, it felt really good to get that cleaned.

After that, I got dressed in my running clothes and headed out for an easy three-miler. I wanted to make sure to take it easy on the pace today, staying as close to 9:15/mi as I could, so I had the idea to bring my phone along with me, and stop to take pictures here and there on my route. I really wanted to make it an enjoyable run.

Once I started running, however, there really wasn't anything interesting enough to take pictures of. About a mile in, I decided to change my route to go next to Lake Erie, and I'd get a picture of the lake. Turns out the lake was frozen enough for ice fishing, because I saw a guy walking around on the ice, stomping in spots (to test it? dunno).

It wasn't until I got home and looked at my pictures that I realized there was a guy with an ice shanty out there, also. If you look straight up the middle of the photo below, you can see something that looks kind of like rocks way out there; when zoomed in, it's actually the shanty.

I'd planned to just do an out-and-back route, but right when I started running, I changed my mind. I decided to run home on the access road that goes through (what used to be) the woods (it's now marsh). It's not paved, just dirt and rocks, but it's only a half-mile or so long. It was pretty private back there, so I had fun taking all sorts of pictures. I had no idea if they even turned out until after I'd gotten home. I took all of the pictures while I was still running...

I've walked the access road often, but this was the first time I ran it. I was surprised how tired my legs felt after running just half a mile on the rocky trail. It was definitely harder than running on pavement! I wish we had trails within a short drive from here so I could run on them more often, because I think I'd like trail running; but the closest would probably be 40 minutes away.

I can see how it would be nice to just run for fun on a trail, not worry about pace, and enjoy the scenery. I was surprised to see that I actually was able to maintain my pace, despite the rocks. I don't think I could have done it for more than a mile or so, though; my legs were pretty tired!

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Yesterday morning, I finished the book I'd been reading, and I realized I forgot to request a new one at the library, so I was left without anything to read. Ever since we got rid of cable, I rely on a book for entertainment before bed, and I was disappointed that I didn't have anything to read. I (grudgingly) decided to try downloading a book to Noah's Kindle.

I am one of the few people who actually would rather hold a real book instead of a digital copy, but it was digital or nothing, so I gave it a try. I saw the book Gone Girl was available for download from the library, and a few readers had recommended that book for me recently, so I chose that one.

I read it for a little while this afternoon, on Noah's Kindle, and the Kindle wasn't as bad as I thought! I still prefer actual books, but the one advantage to using the Kindle is that I don't have to worry about turning on a light. Sometimes, when I get up really early in the morning, I'll read for a little while before the kids wake up; but when I turn on the light, they usually end up waking up. Using the Kindle would solve that problem.

I haven't gotten very far into the book yet, so I can't really say how I like it. But I'm glad I have something to read and keep me entertained before bed! Estelle probably won't like the Kindle much, because then where would she sit to annoy me while I'm trying to read? ;)

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Just a reminder that tomorrow is Motivational Monday! If you have a picture of a fitness/health accomplishment that you want to share, you can send it (along with a brief description) to SlimKatie (at) runsforcookies (dot) com with the subject "Motivational Monday". I may post it on the blog tomorrow!

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Renee's surprise party

Renee's surprise party turned out so great last night! I honestly didn't think she'd be surprised, because the location of the party was a place where you couldn't bring someone without that person getting suspicious. I figured her husband, Dave, would have to tell her just before the party (at least) to get her in there.

When I got there, I asked Rachael (a friend who did a lot of the planning) what the story was. She said that Renee thought she was going to a benefit concert given by a close family friend. And knowing Renee, this was a PERFECT way to get her in there! I got there a little before 6:30, and a bunch of our mutual friends were there. I had a small glass of wine and tried to avoid the snacks.

Dave, Renee, and their three boys arrived at 7:00. John, the man whose concert Renee thought she was attending, was playing some music and instructed us to sing Happy Birthday as Renee walked in.  As soon as she walked in the room, and we started singing, Renee started crying and she was SO shocked. I think we all had tears when we saw her reaction. It was great!

She doesn't look anywhere NEAR 40!

I chatted with Jessica and Tammy for a while. I hadn't planned to have any cake, but when I saw how good it looked, my intentions went out the window. I took a piece, which wasn't a huge piece, but it was the corner piece, which was loaded with frosting. It was probably a 4:1 ratio of frosting to cake! I know a lot of people don't like that, but the frosting is my favorite part of cake, so I was in heaven.

After I ate that, I started feeling really guilty. If I had planned on eating it, and worked it into my budget for the week, then I wouldn't feel guilty about it at all. But I spent a huge chunk of my weekly PointsPlus on it, which left me very little until Wednesday, when my PointsPlus reset for a new week.  I know I shouldn't feel guilty, because what's done is done, but it bothered me that I was so impulsive in eating it.

Anyway, I stayed until about 9:00. I was glad that Renee opened her gifts before I left, because I was excited about what I got her! She loves heels, and after a race sometimes, she'll even buy a pair of heels to celebrate. She also loves wine (our wine club was her idea), and we get together for wine and chit chat sometimes. So when I saw this wine bottle holder, I just had to buy it for her!

Isn't it cute? They had a few different colors, but this was the flashiest ;)

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Yesterday, Jerry asked me to make him some Cookie Dough Hummus to take to work. The chocolate chips were already locked up in the Kitchen Safe, so I had to go buy another bag to make the hummus. I doubled the recipe, but still only used 1/2 cup of chocolate chips. I should have dumped them out in the trash, but I put them away in the pantry without even thinking about it.

You can see where this is leading...

Today, I was feeling stressed out and binge-y, and the chocolate chips popped into my head. Grr! The Kitchen Safe has truly been a lifesaver for me, because my trouble foods are locked up for most of the day. But once I thought of those leftover chocolate chips, I couldn't stop thinking about them. And then when the kids started driving me crazy after dinner, I took "just a tablespoon". Which led to another. And then another. I finally ended up dumping the rest out, but not before I'd eaten most of the bag!

I'm going to try REALLY hard to get right back on track. Rather than depleting all of my weekly PointsPlus and starving for the next few days, I'm just going to write it off as if it didn't happen, and still maintain the same weekly PP I would have had if I hadn't binged on the chocolate chips. I need to just forget about the cake and the chocolate chips and go right back into my usual routine.

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I had a fantastic run this morning! I only had three miles on the schedule at an easy pace, which I was actually looking forward to. It was a little windy, but not terrible. My easy pace is 9:15, so I tried to stay close to that pace.

Today was one of those runs where I really enjoyed it. It felt nice to be outside in the cold air and getting in some exercise!

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Pace run

I was completely dreading my run this morning, which was kind of ridiculous--it was only three miles! But it was a half-marathon pace run, and since I started my new training schedule this week, that meant a pace of 8:15/mi. That's not grueling, but it's not exactly comfortable!

I was procrastinating all morning, and then my sister called. She laughed when I told her how much I was dreading it, and said, "Just think of it this way--you'll be done in 25 minutes!" That made me think of how if I'd just gone out to run when I first started thinking of it, I would've been done hours beforehand ;)

I finally got dressed to go run outside. The weather was great this morning--no wind at all, and 25 degrees, with sun. The sun is my enemy in the summer, but when it's cold during the winter, the sun feels pretty nice. I tried not to feel pressure to hit my goal pace (I have 18 weeks to train!), but when I set a particular goal, especially while running, I always put pressure on myself to hit it.

I started out way too fast, but caught myself just a quarter-mile in, and slowed it down. I really should make my goal pace 8:25, because then I will likely hit 8:15. By setting it at 8:15, I was hitting 8:05. To reach my half-marathon goal of 1:49:59, I would need a pace of 8:24, so I'd like to keep it between 8:15-8:20 during training, for a little wiggle room.

Anyway, my legs were feeling better today (yesterday, they were pretty sore from the intervals I did on Wednesday). I was breathing a little hard, but the pace wasn't torturous. I finished with a pace of 8:05 for the three miles, and felt good.

After today's run, I don't think I'll dread the half-marathon pace runs anymore. I was just nervous today because it was the first of many, and I wasn't sure how that pace was going to feel. Actually, today made me a little more confident that I might *actually* reach my goal in the spring! It's a very lofty goal, and I knew that when I set it. But I remember thinking that "Enter a 5K race and RUN it" was a lofty goal that was nearly impossible! ;)

I had plans of just sitting at home all day, because I didn't want to have to deal with crowds of shoppers; but I'd forgotten that I had to weigh in at Weight Watchers for November. Jerry had to weigh in, also, so we went together this afternoon. My weight was fine, so I'm good to go for another month. I know I keep saying this, but I'd like to pick a meeting and start going weekly again. It helps to know that I have to be accountable to someone each week.

After we did our weigh-in, we were right by a bunch of stores; and since we had nothing better to do, we decided to go into a couple of stores to see if there were any good sales. I went into PetSmart to get another box of those cushions that the cats like (there are two in a box, and the four cats have been fighting over them), so now they each have one.

Kohl's, which is a couple of doors down from PetSmart, looked insanely crowded; I'm glad we didn't go in there! We stopped at Wal-Mart and got a couple of Christmas gifts for the kids. Surprisingly, Wal-Mart wasn't too crowded.

After dinner this evening, the kids were fighting and my nerves were just shot. I had a strong urge to binge. I've realized over the past few years that when the kids are fighting and driving me crazy, the urge to binge eat gets really strong. I recognize what's going on, but sometimes, it's hard to stop. Today, though, I managed to resist. Today is Day 18 of a binge-free streak, and I'd hate to ruin that now! It's a lot easier to resist on Day 18 than it is on Day 1 or 2, so I just kept reminding myself of that.

When this post goes live, I'll be at a birthday party for Renee. Her husband is throwing her a surprise party for her 40th! I'm just hoping that I can resist diving head-first into birthday cake ;)

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First snowy run of the season

I was a little surprised when I looked out the window this morning and saw snow on the street! I had no idea it was going to snow. Judging by Facebook, I'm the only one who didn't do a Turkey Trot race today. There is a big Turkey Trot in Detroit, but last year was a ginormous mess, and people were really angry about it, so I had no desire to give it a try. And with the snow this morning, I'm glad I was at home.

I had four miles at easy run pace (9:14/mi) on the schedule this morning. Yesterday, I bought a couple of new warm tops at Wal-Mart to run in, so I was looking forward to wearing one today. The snow was still coming down when I woke up, so I figured I'd better head out for my run as soon as it was light outside, before the snow got too bad.

Normally, I'm not a big fan of snow, but it was SO nice to run in the light snow this morning! There was probably about a quarter-inch on the streets, and most of the streets were undisturbed when I went out at 7:30. It's easier to run on fresh snow than it is on packed snow. The snow wasn't deep enough for me to need IceSpikes, so I just wore my regular running shoes.

I was being careful with my footing, so I wasn't sure how my pace would turn out, but I ended up running faster than planned, so the snow didn't hold me back at all. My legs were definitely sore, though, from yesterday's intervals! Maybe I should have eased into the intervals for a couple of weeks ;)  I didn't come across a single soul for most of the run, and it was really peaceful, especially with the snow still falling.

I tried to get a picture of my new shirt, but it's really hard to see in this picture:

It looks red in the pic, but it's actually bright pink. It has a wide turtleneck, which is nice for blocking wind without feeling like I'm strangling. And the sleeves have thumbholes, which I'm a huge fan of!

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We had plans to go to my parents' house for an early dinner, at 3:00. After I took a hot shower, I dressed in my favorite sweats and curled up on the couch with a book and some tea. It felt good to relax for a little while! Noah had spent the night at a friend's house last night, and Eli stayed at my parents' house, so the house was pretty quiet.

Before I went to my parents' house, I made my plan for dinner. I didn't want to get there, see all the food, and throw my good intentions out the window. I ended up spending 19 PointsPlus on dinner:

Turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, a crescent roll, and my favorite--sweet potato casserole. After I ate all that, I wanted to eat seconds, but I was feeling pretty full, so I forced myself to stop. I had a couple of bites of Reese's Cup Pie for dessert, and counted that as 2 PointsPlus. The only thing that I ate that I hadn't counted on ahead of time was the crescent roll. It slipped my mind when I was planning out my food. But over all, I'm very happy with the fact that I stayed on track! And I didn't bring home any leftovers.

Other than my run tomorrow morning, I don't have anything planned. I am not a Black Friday shopper, and I usually avoid going anywhere the day after Thanksgiving! I'll probably read some more of my book.

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I wrote this on Facebook, but I want to write it here as well...

I just want to say a big THANK YOU to each and every one of you that reads my blog--whether you are a quiet lurker or a regular commenter, I appreciate it so much! This blog has helped me through some really tough times, and has helped me celebrate my accomplishments, and for that, I am so thankful. I've had some really amazing opportunities because of this blog, and I know that is due to all of you who read it. So thank you!!

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. And if you're braving the stores tomorrow, I hope you find some awesome deals ;)

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