Mystery bottle

It was so nice not to have anything going on today! The photo shoot yesterday was fun, but I'm kind of relieved that it's over now. It's kind of funny... I read the book Brain Over Binge about a week before I found out about the photo shoot. I was really excited about being binge-free, I had accepted the fact that my weight is still seven pounds higher than I would like, and I was just feeling very happy with where I was at as far as eating/weight goes.

When I first heard about the photo shoot, my knee-jerk reaction was, "Oh no, I have to get back to goal immediately!" And I was dreading the thought of measuring food and counting calories/points, because I've been doing so well without measuring and counting. Then I started to think about how huge of a change my mindset went through to be HAPPY with where I was in that moment, and I really didn't want to mess with that.

I chose not to do anything differently. I didn't start counting points again or measuring food, or even being careful about what I ate. My ultimate goal has been to eat "normally", and so I continued to do that, even with the photo shoot coming up. It was SO nice not to stress about my weight! I didn't restrict, I didn't binge, my weight stayed steady, and I was very happy with how I looked for the photo shoot.

Somehow, I don't think that I would still be binge-free right now if I had played into that "getting back to goal" mindset. It was kind of a big revelation for me. I'm really glad that I continued to do what was making me happy, and I think my photos are going to turn out just fine!

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After lunch, I went to visit Mark today. I stopped to get him a milkshake, and to get his mail, and he had a very unique package waiting! It was a two-liter soda bottle filled with lots of candy, a little stuffed animal, and a few other small items. The shipping address was wrapped around the middle of the bottle, and I assumed that under the shipping label was the hole/cut for someone to have put those things inside.

But when I got to the nursing home, and showed it to Mark, I took off the label to reveal a completely sealed bottle (except for the screw on cap that's about the size of a quarter). We were both completely stumped as to how everything got in there! I tried pulling out the little bags of candy hearts with my fingers, but I couldn't get ANYTHING out through the neck of the bottle.

There was a card inside, and Mark and I both wanted to know who it was from (and maybe see if it revealed the secret!) but I didn't have any way of cutting open the bottle. I told him I'd take it home and cut it open, and then bring him the goods next time I visit. I wanted to show it to my kids and Jerry, too, because it was pretty mind-blowing!

Leave it to my 8-year old to show me what the "secret" was... there actually WAS a little door cut into the side, and it was taped shut. I didn't even notice it! Very clever ;)

Mark has been in such a great mood lately. It's so nice! For a while, he was always so tired and quiet, which is completely unlike his personality. Well, we found out that they were giving him twice the amount of painkillers that he's on now (Mark never really says "no" to anything, so when the nurses asked if he needed a pain pill, he always said "yes"). Now that they've been giving him less painkillers, he's very cheery and upbeat.

He was really excited to tell me that he's been walking. He said that the physical therapist had him walk a few times back and forth in the hallway yesterday and today. He knows that if he can walk on his own again, then he can go back to his group home, so he's really determined to do it.

Today, he was talking about the things he wants to do when he gets out of the nursing home. He wants to go fishing, or just sit near the lake at my parents' house. He wants to go to the Metropark where my dad works. And he wants to go to the junkyards with my dad like they used to. My dad is an auto mechanic, and he goes to junkyards for car parts. I guess he used to take Mark with him sometimes. Mark told me that he liked to look for loose change in the cars--he said the best place to find it was underneath the mats in the car, and he could find a couple of dollars worth of change.

I don't think he'll be able to go out in the boat or to the junkyards again, but I'm hoping that he's mobile in the spring, even if it's just in the wheelchair. I'd like to take him to the zoo, and maybe for some walks in the Metropark. He's really looking forward to some fresh air outside. Hopefully soon!

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My Runner's World photo shoot!

Ohmygoodness, I am so exhausted. It's been an unbelievable day! Today was my photo shoot for Runner's World magazine. The photographer, Peter, was driving in all the way from Chicago for my shoot. Crazy, right?

He wasn't coming until 2:00, so I went to the rec center this morning to run an easy three miles (on the indoor track again). Then I came home, ate breakfast, and tried on all my clothes for the shoot again. I think I changed my mind a dozen times about what to wear!

Peter called and said that traffic was at a stand still in Indiana, so he guessed he'd be here at around 3:30. I had suggested doing the shoot at my parents' house, because they have a huge back room, and Peter said we needed a lot of space; my house isn't spacious at all. So I went to my mom's house, where Stephanie came to meet me. As I'm sure you know by now, Stephanie is my own personal photographer ;)  She loves photography, so I invited her to come over and watch. She was excited to learn a little "behind the scenes" stuff.

When Peter got there, he spent about a half hour getting all the equipment set up. He did some test shots, and then I changed into my first outfit (of four). First, he wanted to get photos of me walking toward the camera, just like I was in my before picture in the blue shirt.

He also had me do a funny-looking stretch. I like how small my waist looks in that pose!

That was about as active as I wanted to get with those shorts on! I never wear shorts, but Runner's World said they wanted me to "show some skin" instead of covering up so much. I felt much more comfortable in the jackets they sent, so I compromised and did a little of both.

I did some running toward the camera shots, some still portrait-type shots, some more stretches,  and all kinds of poses. I changed my outfit a few times, so there was a good variety.

Stephanie took these pictures for me (thank you Steph!); she didn't want to use the flash, because it would mess with the photographer's pics, so the colors are little off. I like having these pics, because it'll be interesting to see what the photos look like when they're done! Peter said that after the magazine hits newsstands, he can give me all the pics he took.

The shoot lasted a couple of hours, and I had so much fun! I felt a little awkward at first, because I was afraid of looking fake, but Peter assured me that he wanted my personality to come out in the pictures, so he wasn't going to make me do anything "fake".

Looking at these photos is making reality really set in. I can't believe I'm going to be in Runner's World! Of all the magazines to be in, that would certainly be my first choice. The issue comes out in April, and I'm super excited to read the story about my Ragnar team. Each person on the team is super inspiring!

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Motivational Monday #49

Happy Motivational Monday! The weeks seem to be going by SO fast lately. It seems like I just did a MM post yesterday.

Today, I had intervals on the schedule: 6 x 400 at 5K pace with 400 recovery jogs. (Translation: Run 1/4 mile hard, then jog 1/4 mile, and repeat for a total of 6 times). The roads aren't clear enough to run intervals outside, and I really wasn't in the mood for the treadmill, so I ended up going to the rec center to use the indoor track. I hadn't used the indoor track in a very long time!

You have to go around 12 times to equal a mile, so I ended up running a lot of laps! With my warm-up, I ran 42 laps total. I swear, it felt like I was leaning to the left all day today after that ;)

Running 42 laps isn't exactly "fun", so I'm very proud of myself for getting it done! It was a nice change from the treadmill, too. Another thing I am proud of this week is that I am still binge-free, even though I haven't been counting calories/points or tracking food.

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Anyway, let's get to it! Here are a few Motivational Monday submissions:

I really didn't want to edit out any of Tamara's e-mail, because I think a lot of people could find it helpful, so here is exactly what she wrote:

"One year ago, on 12/31/12, I made a New Year's resolution to continue losing weight on what I called 'The Slowest Diet in the World'.  Basically, I shot for a one pound loss per month and had been doing that for the past few years.  It was working, but, as the name implies, it was slooooowww going!  In mid-January I happened to mention that I needed to get cruising on weightloss and fitness to a friend of mine who directed me to your website.  I spent the next week reading all about you and your story and became SO INSPIRED.  I decided to stop pansy-ing around with my slow method and to kick my rear into gear with exercise, commitment and, after reading even more of your blog, DETERMINATION.    I committed to losing 40 pounds before I turned 40 in October.  You were instrumental in providing the dogma I needed to hear at the right time and proving, through your example, that it is possible to change from heavy and unfit, to healthy and capable.  Your site became a guide, of sorts.  Just ask my husband how many times he has heard me say, "Katie, from Runs For Cookies, says..."  You're amazing!  Thank you, Katie!

I know that I'm the one who did it.  I know it was me every time I took a step.  It was me making myself get on the elliptical.  It was me putting on my exercise gear to go run, out in the dark.  In the cold.  In the rain.  It was me, whispering 'determination' aloud, when I needed to bypass poor food choices.  It was me skipping Halloween candy and walking by delicious treats in the staff room.  It was me sweating and swearing and running and lifting and riding and hiking and crunching and reprioritizing, but it was often your voice in my head that would bring me back when the going got tough.  Reminding me that I have to hold myself accountable.  That my determination and will decide the outcome.

It has been one year and I have lost 72 pounds, (282-210).  In the past five years I've lost 130 pounds (340-210).  The only mile I ever ran before this year, without stopping, was in ninth grade.  I logged over 375 miles between March 21st, 2013 and January 25th, 2014, ran my first two 5k's, regularly run for 30-50 minutes at a time now, and set a PR of 8:12 for my best mile ever.  ME!  This has been a transformative year for me.  I keep my promises to myself now, have faith in myself, believe, think that I am capable now, am strong and I am the healthiest I have ever been in my life.  I still have 40 more pounds to go until I re-assess and decide where to go from there, but now I have faith that I'll get there in good time and that I can do it.  I will.  I'm determined to do so."

I love that Tamara writes that it was SHE who did the work! She found that determination within herself, and she put in lots of hard work to get where she is today. (Tamara's blog)

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After having weight loss surgery, Rebecca is proud of the new, active lifestyle that she's living. She just completed her first half-marathon last month! She says she doesn't love running, but she's happy to have crossed that off her bucket list. She has learned that she does love biking, hiking, and kayaking; and this year, she looks forward to joining a women's beginner road-biking group!

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In 2011, Kelly lost 80 pounds with Weight Watchers. She continued to exercise, but admits that she let her portions get a little larger, and was "slacking" in keeping up with maintenance. She gained 30 pounds back, but decided to nip it before gaining any more. Yesterday, Kelly (third from the left) completed her first half-marathon! She signed up last fall in the hopes that it would help her stay accountable and lose weight. She finished in 2:33, which she was very happy with, and is already thinking about doing another one. She's feeling very motivated in taking off the weight!

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Meg reached a big goal of hers this weekend--to run a sub-40 5K!  She has one-year old twins, and has just started running again after taking a hiatus for her pregnancy and taking care of the babies. She worked really hard to reach this goal! (Meg's race report)

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Congratulations to everyone on your accomplishments! Don't forget to check out the Motivational Monday Facebook post for more stories (there were lots of great ones today!)

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1,000!

This is my 1,000th post on Runs for Cookies! I've been trying for a couple of weeks to put together a meaningful post for the occasion, and I have several drafts prepared; but nothing really "felt" right. One thousand is just a number, really; and if there is one thing that I've learned over the past 1,000 posts, it's that numbers should not be given so much attention.

When I started this blog in April 2011, I never expected it to become what it is now. I'd written a blog since 2000, and had just a handful of readers all those years; when I switched over to Blogger and started Runs for Cookies as a maintenance blog, the number of readers grew so quickly it scared me. I always shared such personal things about my life, and having a larger audience made me nervous. 

I originally intended for Runs for Cookies to be an online journal where I could keep track of my diet and exercise. I had just lost 125 pounds, and was terrified of gaining the weight back. All the odds were against me, and I thought that if I wrote everything down, I would have a record to look back on if I gained the weight back--I would be able to see exactly where it went wrong. Talk about pessimistic! ;)

As my readership grew, so did my accountability. Knowing that people were reading helped me to stay on track (well, for the most part!) and I started to get a sense of this huge online community of people that support each other in weight loss and maintenance. I started to get e-mails from people who were inspired to start running, which I thought was awesome!

I have had some incredible experiences over the past few years, and it's all because of this blog. Here are just a few things that never would have happened, if not for Runs for Cookies:

I was a guest on The Dr. Oz Show in November 2011. It was such a fun experience!

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I was selected by Fitness magazine as Best Weight Loss Blog in 2012. 

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I hosted a Virtual 5K last year, and about 500 people ran with me on my 31st birthday! (This Saturday is the 2014 Virtual 5K, which you can sign up for here). 

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I met Rik, a reader of my blog, who later became a good friend and captain of my Ragnar Relay Florida Keys team. He came out to Michigan to run the Detroit Free Press Marathon with me!

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Purina ONE invited me to their headquarters in St. Louis for an amazing learning experience about one of my favorite subjects--cats! I was only there for about 24 hours, but the whole thing was amazing. 

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Because I get asked a lot of questions about running, I decided to make it official and become certified as an RRCA coach! Now, at least I have some credibility ;)

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I've met quite a few readers! A few people have recognized me at races, and I love it when they say hello. This photo was from when Stephanie and I met up with Kelly from Sublurban Mama at my favorite restaurant--La Pita. I'm still very shy, but having the blog has helped me become more social and step out of my comfort zone. 

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I've had the opportunity to try out some really cool products for review on my blog! One of my very favorites was this CamelBack Marathoner vest.

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I met Andrea, a reader of Runs for Cookies, and told her I'd run the Chicago Marathon with her. She ended up getting injured, so she couldn't do the race, but I went anyway. It ended up being one of my favorite races of all time!

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Because of this blog, Mark has gotten literally HUNDREDS of get-well cards! All he has to do is look around his room to see how many people are thinking of him. 

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I met some of the most inspirational people and ran from Miami to Key West with them! We've become very close, and the whole team feels like family to me.

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None of these things would have happened if not for this little blog! There are tons more, but these are some of the most significant things that come to mind. As you can see, my blog has evolved from a diet/exercise journal to an enormous part of my life. I honestly cannot picture what my life would be like if it didn't include my blog. Thank you, every single one of you, for reading! 

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Birthday cake

Today was a rest day, but it was far from restful. Tomorrow is Eli's birthday party, and he made a last-minute request for his cake. He had been saying that he wanted a cookie cake decorated like a bowling ball (his party is at the bowling alley), and since I did the same thing for Noah's birthday, it was pretty simple. I had planned to buy the stuff and make it today.

Last night over dinner, however, Eli decided that he wanted to have a fishing cake instead. I tried to think of a simple way of doing it, and decided we'd buy a 1/4 sheet cake with blue frosting (to look like water). We could buy a toy boat, and put a fisherman in there, and put Swedish Fish in the "water" around the boat.

Jerry was working this morning, so the kids and I went in search of a toy boat. We couldn't find one anywhere. We went to five different stores looking for a boat, and came up empty-handed. At the last store we were at, we didn't find any toy boats, but I had an idea to go look at the aquarium/fish supplies, because I thought maybe they'd have a boat for aquarium decor. It turned out that they did not; but they did have a bunch of cool SpongeBob stuff, and Eli really liked that.

We bought a few things, and then went to Kroger to see if we could order the cake. On the way there, Eli asked if we could make his cake instead of buy it, and I was thrilled with that idea ($4 instead of $20). The SpongeBob stuff was pretty expensive, so making the cake at least saved a little money. He chose a devil's food cake with white frosting (to color with blue food coloring).

When we got home, we went right to work. All things considered (I'm a terrible baker!), the cake turned out pretty cute!

Eli was happy with it, which is really all that matters ;)

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I haven't written much about my binge-free streak, because there really isn't much to write. I'm doing really well! And the best part is, I'm not worried about it, obsessing over it, or even thinking about it much. After reading Brain Over Binge, all of my binge habits made so much sense.

I always used to go through each day almost waiting for the moment I would binge. It was never a matter of "if", but "when". I just assumed it was a part of who I am, and that it was something I'd always have to deal with. After reading Brain Over Binge, I learned that the way I was thinking about it was actually making it worse. It had become a habit ingrained in my mind.

I'm not doing "intuitive eating", because that makes me obsessive--always wondering if I'm hungry, if I'm satisfied, what I really want most, etc. That never worked for me. Instead, I'm just not giving my food much thought at all--I eat my regular meals and snacks, and I just make sure I take (and eat) a "normal" sized portion. I haven't even had to use my Kitchen Safe, and I've bought several of my "trigger" foods without incident.

Yesterday, I felt so normal at dinner. First, when we were visiting Mark, I wasn't giving dinner a single thought. I was used to always thinking about my next meal, especially if we were going out to a restaurant. But I didn't hurry though our visit, even though I was starving. At the restaurant, when the server put chips and salsa on our table, I didn't have the ever-constant battle in my head about whether I should eat the chips or not, and if I do, how many, etc. I ate a few of them, but mostly, I was distracted from the chips by having conversation with Jerry. Usually, it's the other way around--I have a hard time focusing on conversation, because I'm thinking about the chips. Does that make sense? Am I the only one that has that problem?!

Anyway, yesterday's dinner made me feel really excited about all this. It gives me hope that I can get away from thinking about food all the time. I don't have to try and distract myself from the food, like I always felt like I was doing before. I just don't give much thought to it at all.

My weight hasn't budged in weeks now, and I'm happy with that. Yes, I wish I was maintaining about 7 pounds less than I am (I've been at 140), but if I can maintain my weight and stop worrying about food/weight all the time, I'll happily take 140 ;)

I still don't feel comfortable saying that this is it--the book totally changed my life and I'm cured from binge eating. I'm not sure at what point I'll be able to say that. But the book, as simple of an idea as it is, really made something click for me. I'm doing really well with it, and I'm very happy with the changes I'm seeing (and feeling)!

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Kind of a big deal!

Today was my long run for the week, and I think I'm starting to feel back to my old self! For the past couple of weeks, my heart rate was elevated much higher than normal when running, and I had no idea what it was from. Last week, I felt awful while running just five miles on the treadmill; mentally, I was feeling great, but my body just physically wanted nothing to do with running.

Anyway, we got several inches of snow yesterday, and the streets weren't plowed this morning. Instead of doing the treadmill (again), I decided to go to the Metropark. I called them first, to make sure that the paths were cleared of snow, and I headed out at around 11:00--kind of late to start my run, but I was doing a bunch of online banking stuff all morning.

When I got to the Metropark, I was disappointed to see that the paths weren't really all that clear. They'd been plowed, but there was still a lot of snow/ice on the path. Considering I'd just driven 20 minutes to get there, I decided to run anyway, and just take my time so I didn't slip.

I had to stay really focused on my footing, so I didn't get to enjoy the scenery much. I wanted to keep my heart rate in Zone 3, and I was expecting my pace to be in the mid-10:00's in order to do that. But I was surprised to see that I could run a typical  "easy run" pace of mid-9:00's and my heart rate stayed put. 

I ran three miles out and then turned around. On the way back, I noticed that a lot of the snow/ice had been melting, so the way back to the car was much easier to find footing. My favorite part of the path is in the woods, and today it looked SO calm and peaceful, I had to stop and take a couple of pictures.

During the last three miles, I started to feel really happy and almost giddy to be running! The treadmill is certainly helpful in bad weather and when the kids are home, but it felt great to run on real ground today. The view of Lake Erie certainly didn't hurt.

My average heart rate was in Zone 3.6,  which was right where I wanted it to be. I felt really energetic on the way home, so I cranked up the radio and sang along really loudly. I was in one of those, "So happy to be alive!" moods.

This afternoon, I called the nursing home to talk to Mark. I told him that I was going to come visit, and asked if there was anything he wanted me to bring. He said he'd like KFC for dinner. Jerry said he wanted to go with me to visit Mark, so we waited until the kids got home from school, and then all four of us went. We stopped and got his mail, and then got his dinner from KFC, and went to the nursing home.

When we got to his room, Mark wasn't there, but his roommate told us that he was in the physical therapy room. The physical therapist happened to be going into Mark's room to grab something, so he took us to the therapy room and set up a place for us to visit with Mark in there. Mark looked really good today, and was very talkative! I gave him his hats, and then opened his cards for him. He also got a couple of packages, which are fun to open. Inside one, there was a big button with flashing lights that said, "I'm kind of a big deal!". I thought that was so appropriate! I pinned it to his jacket.

Mark told us that he had good news: He did his last radiation treatment today! It sounds like he'll be going home soon, probably within the next couple of weeks. He's really excited about going home, and I told him that we'd have a party with pizza and cake, just like he wanted.

I asked him about what kind of cake he wanted--chocolate or yellow? What kind of frosting? And then I said, "Do you like your cake with a lot of frosting, or just a little bit of frosting?" Since we're pretty much kindred spirits when it comes to sweets, I expected him to say "Lots of frosting!" But he said, "Just a little bit of frosting. Too much frosting is bad for you!" That made me laugh so hard. He loves junk food--candy, milkshakes, KFC... but too much frosting is not good ;)

And then he pretty much melted my heart when he followed with, "But we can get a lot of frosting. I want everyone to be happy and enjoy it!" I told him we could do one cake with a lot of frosting, and one cake with a little bit, to please everyone.

When we were getting ready to leave, we took Mark back to his room because he wanted to listen to a new CD my dad got him (Jackson Browne). I gave Mark a hug, and then when Jerry hugged him, Mark told him, "You keep her close, Jerry, don't ever let anyone take her away from you. She's a good girl!"

Today was a damn good day :)

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The FURminator

I had plans to get together with some friends this morning for coffee at Panera, so I basically just rolled out of bed and onto the treadmill at 6:30. I love this Hal Higdon schedule, because the mileage seems so minute compared to when I was training for Chicago! Today I only had three miles on the schedule, at half-marathon pace. I have no idea what my half-marathon pace is right now, but since it was only three miles, I figured I'd just try to do it at my ultimate goal pace for a 1:50 half-marathon.

Lately, all of my runs have felt hard, so I wasn't really sure if I'd even be able to do it. I set the treadmill at 7.2 mph and distracted myself with Medium on Netflix. I actually felt okay today; it was a tougher run, but I knew I'd be able to stick it out. My heart rate was in the mid- to high-Zone 4 range, which is fine for a tempo run, but it was still higher than it would have been a few weeks ago before the strange issue started.

As soon as my run was done, I hopped off the treadmill and into the shower so that I could get the kids ready for school. It felt good after walking them to the bus stop, knowing that I'd already done my run for the day! After breakfast, I headed out to stop at PetSmart before going to Panera. Paolo's fur has been getting matted in spots, even though I brush him every day, and I wanted to get a good brush.

After reading reviews about a brush called the FURminator, I was intrigued. I couldn't fathom spending $45 on a cat brush, but the reviews were all so great that I was convinced. With four cats, if it worked as well as people claimed, it would be worth it. So I went into PetSmart to buy that.

There were four to choose from: large cat with long hair, large cat with short hair, small cat with long hair, and small cat with short hair. (A "large" cat was defined as 10+ pounds). I have a small cat with long hair, an extra-large cat with short hair, and two small cats with short hair. There was no way I was going to buy three different brushes, so I ended up going with the small cat with long hair one.

After that, I went to Panera to meet up with friends: Renee, Jessica, Andrea, Courtney, and Alicia. Andrea just did the Dopey challenge at Disney World (a 5K, 10K, half-marathon, and full-marathon in four days), so we were there to hear about her experience (all of us are runners, and we love talking about/hearing about running!). It was SO nice to have some adult conversation after spending three weeks at home with the kids for their Christmas break.

I planned to go right to the nursing home to see Mark, but on the way there, I called to make sure he was done with his treatment at the hospital. They said he was still at the hospital, and to call back at around 1:00. I couldn't go that late, because the kids get out of school at 3:30. I decided to just go home, and then take the kids (and Jerry) with me after dinner to visit.

When I got home, I FURminated Paolo and Chandler. The comb worked good, but it wasn't mind-blowing, like I'd hoped. I'm not really sure what to think yet. Chandler definitely liked this comb better than the brush I usually use. Paolo always likes being groomed, but it didn't get a ton of hair off of him. I'll try it again tomorrow.

While I was FURminating Chandler, FedEx dropped off a package for me. From Runner's World! I knew they were sending me some clothes to wear during my photo shoot on Tuesday, but I had NO idea just how many clothes they were going to send... my mind was blown when I opened the box.

There were SO many things to choose from! I was told to put together a few outfits, and whatever I ended up wearing for the shoot, was mine to keep. I spent all afternoon trying everything on, mixing and matching, and trying to put together some outfits. I ended up putting together four(!) different outfits.

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It started snowing pretty hard this afternoon, which put a damper on my plans of going to visit Mark. Jerry said the roads were really slippery on his way home from work, so we decided not to go out after all. I will definitely go tomorrow, though. I just wish his treatment at the hospital didn't last all morning! That's the easiest time for me to go, because the kids are in school.

Tomorrow is my long run day, and for the first time in a very long time, I'm not dreading it. I only have six miles on the schedule! I might try to go to the Metropark to run, for a change of scenery.

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Hats for Mark

Today was a rest day, and my day felt so much longer than usual! It was really nice. I walked with the kids to the bus stop this morning, and it was super cold (the "feels like" temp was -9). The kids have been wanting to walk a lot more lately, because I bought them each a Wii U Fit Meter. I'm so glad I bought those! The kids have been getting in a lot more activity, and have been looking for excuses to move around. They think it's fun to compete with each other, like Jerry and I have been competing with each other, to see who can log the most steps.

I wanted to go buy Mark a hat today, because he sounded really interested when I asked him if he'd like one. I couldn't really find what I was looking for, though. I wanted to get him a very lightweight, comfortable, snug-fitting cap just to keep his head covered while he's indoors. So I ended up going to Hobby Lobby and buying some knit fabric to make him a couple of hats. I also bought a small piece of fleece to make a warmer hat.

I was pretty sure I could just wing a pattern, but I found one online that was exactly what I was looking for. It was super easy and fast to make. I made him a brown one and a blue one (there weren't many knit fabrics to choose from, and most of them were really girly). I also made one with the fleece. They turned out pretty well!

That bottom one looks red, but it's actually brown. I'm going to go visit Mark tomorrow, so I'll bring the hats with me, and hopefully he likes them.

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Yesterday, my sister sent me a text saying, "Did you know that you're quoted in Good Housekeeping this month?" I had actually completely forgotten about that. A few months ago, someone from the magazine contacted me for a quote.

And speaking of magazines, on Tuesday, I have a photo shoot for the Runner's World magazine article about my Ragnar Relay team. I have a photo shoot for Runner's World magazine! Runner's World magazine is going to take pictures of ME.  I never, in a million years, would have imagined that I would one day type (or say) those words.

I've been subscribed to Runner's World ever since I started running. I love that magazine! Four years ago, I was obese, had never run a mile in my life, and believed that running was just for a special breed of people. Since then, I've run almost 4,000 miles, including three full marathons. When the heck did that happen?!

I'm SO incredibly excited about the Runner's World story, but I keep doubting myself... asking "Why me? What makes me worthy of being in Runner's World?" I don't feel like I've done anything that most other people can't do, if they want it badly enough. I certainly worked really hard to get where I am today, though! My hope is just that our story inspires people to pursue what they once felt was impossible. All of my teammates felt like running was impossible at some point. And now all of us are runners!

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Slippery speed work

I ran outside yesterday! Our neighborhood still has a lot of slush and ice, so I couldn't run here, but I drove to the State Park in the hopes that their paved trail was clear. Yesterday was speed work, according to the Higdon schedule that I'm following now, and it was simply 5 x 400 at 5K pace. (Basically, that means running a quarter-mile at 5K race-pace, and then jogging for a quarter-mile, and repeating for a total of 5 times).

I got to the State Park, and started with a half-mile warm-up. I was disappointed to see that the trail wasn't entirely clear. I was dodging patches of ice, which is the worst when it comes to speed work. I decided to just do my best in the circumstances, knowing that I may have to stop at walk mid-interval.

And sure enough, that's exactly what happened. I spent a lot of time staring at the ground and hopping back and fourth over ice patches, but a couple of times, I came across a spot where I literally had to walk very carefully...

Needless to say, my split times were all over the place by the time I finished the three-mile run.

My "fast" interval paces were 8:37, 8:03, 7:41, 8:13, and 7:59... hahaha, very consistent. The only one that was unhindered by the ice was the third.

But I was mostly curious about my heart rate outside, because it's been so high lately on the treadmill. Turns out that it was higher than usual during the interval run also, even during the recovery. A few people have mentioned that I may want to get my iron/ferritin levels checked, because that could be why I'm feeling so drained on my runs even though my heart rate shows I'm working hard. Our insurance kicks in next week, so I'm going to make an appointment for a check-up and the blood work.

This morning, I went back to the State Park for a three-mile easy run. I was bummed to see that I forgot my heart rate monitor, but I didn't go home to get it. I definitely felt like I was working harder than usual, even though I was running at a slower pace. But it was so nice to get outside and run!

I'll probably be going to the State Park quite a bit until the streets in my neighborhood are clear. We need one really warm day to melt all this snow!

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My mom talked to Mark's nephew today to get an update on what's going on with Mark. He's going to be staying at the nursing home for three more weeks while he continues his physical therapy, and then he'll have to leave. Since Mark is doing so well with the physical therapy, and may even be walking with a walker by the time he leaves, he's going to be able to go back to his group home. This is really great news!

Mark has been asking to go "home" to his group foster home ever since he was admitted to the hospital; and when they saw how advanced his cancer was, it didn't look like he'd be going back home at all. My parents are still hoping that when Mark has to leave his group home for hospice care, that he'll be able to go to their house, but the fact that he can go to his group home again, at least temporarily, is exciting.

Remember how I wrote when Mark got some money here and there in his cards, I put it in an envelope with his name on it, and asked him what he'd like to do with it? I told him he could just tell me what he wants to buy and I'll go buy it for him. He thought about it, but the only thing he could come up with was to have a pizza party at the group home. He wanted to spend his money on pizza and cake for everyone. Now, it looks like he'll actually be able to do that!

In a couple of weeks, once he's a little more mobile, we'll take him to the group home and have a little party for him there, complete with pizza and cake. I'm so excited for him! Not only for the party, but that he gets to go home for a little while, where he's comfortable (and it's only a 20-minute drive to go see him there, rather than 45 minutes to the nursing home).

His nephew is going to visit him tomorrow, so I'm going to go on Thursday. I asked Mark if there was anything he wanted me to bring, but he couldn't really think of anything (other than a milkshake and/or coffee). I suggested a comfortable hat, because he lost his hair, and he really liked that idea. So tomorrow, I'm going to see if I can find a thin, comfortable hat for him.

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This month is going by way too fast! The Runs for Cookies Virtual 5K is a week from Saturday, on the 25th (my 32nd birthday). If you haven't signed up already, you can check out this post with the details and sign-up form. Right now, there are 454 people signed up! Remember, you can run OR walk, or a combination of both. Even if you think you can't do it, give it a try! You may surprise yourself :)

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Motivational Monday #48

Happy Motivational Monday! It was so hard to get back in the swing of things with the kids going back to school today, but it was nice to have some peace and quiet this morning. I sat with a cup of tea and watched an entire show on TV without getting interrupted... strange! ;)

I've had a great week: staying binge-free, eating very well, getting my runs in (even though my energy feels zapped), and yesterday, I was pretty proud when I jumped on that box at the rec center. I'm hoping for a week just like it, and today was off to a good start.

Here are a few readers' accomplishments for some Monday motivation...

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Laurel just completed Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge at Disney World--a half-marathon on Saturday, and a full marathon on Sunday--a total of 39.3 miles! This race was especially monumental for her, because she tried to run it last year, and was "swept" (removed from the course) during the marathon. She hadn't trained well, but certainly learned what to expect for this year. She trained hard all fall, and along with her husband, she did it! (Laurel's race report)

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Last January, Martha heard about a challenge at her weight loss center (after losing 40 pounds!) and decided to join in. The goal? To complete a mile (or more) a day, every day, for a year. She never honestly thought she'd make it past the first month, but she kept going... despite having some busy days and weeks, a few colds, crazy weather, and even a kidney infection, Martha managed to get in her mile. Every. Single. Day. Today, she celebrated one year on her streak! In the meantime, she's lost 60 more pounds, bringing her total to 100 pounds lost. I'm super excited that I'm going to be meeting up with Martha in person in April, because she is on my Ragnar SoCal team :)  (Martha's blog post about the streak)

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Amanda just completed her first Disney race this weekend--the Minnie 10K! Disney has a minimum pace requirement of 16:00/mi, and if you aren't able to keep that pace, then you are "swept" from the course. In February 2012, Amanda was at mile 5 of the Disney Princess Half-Marathon when she was swept. That made her extra-determined to finish this 10K, and she trained hard for it. She was very nervous going into it, but she maintained a good pace and finished the race! Now that she's proven to herself that she can maintain the pace, she plans to tackle the Princess Half next February as a redemption race from 2012. In looking back at her 2012 race, she likes to think of this quote from Theodore Roosevelt: "It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed."

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Just four years ago, Bergen weighed 320 pounds--she was also sad, overwhelmed, and didn't believe in herself. She read "The Spark" book, and started to take small steps toward losing the weight and being healthier. In July 2012, at 260 pounds, she started the Couch to 5K program. She continued to run, and just ran her first full marathon! It certainly wasn't easy for her, but she had a mantra. Here is what she wrote in her e-mail:

"'This isn’t hard, being 320 pounds was hard!'. It’s true. As hard as running the last few miles of a marathon was, it was hard it a way that made me feel alive. It was hard in a way that showed me what I was capable of. It was hard in a way that made me feel completely in touch with my body. When I was 320 pounds, it hurt so much to live with that weight every day, and yet, I was also so numb inside. Yesterday, what I experienced the last few miles of my marathon felt like the absolute polar opposite of that. The other thing that really pulled me through the last few miles was looking down at my wrist because I wore the stop watch that I used when I started Couch to 5k and bracelets my daughters made me. Looking at my wrist reminded me of how far I’ve come and who I was doing this for.

Crossing the finish line, looking up and seeing my family cheering for me was amazing! I cried. They put a metal around my neck and I was proud of myself! Sometimes I have a hard time being proud of myself and seeing how far I have come, but yesterday I felt like I was going to burst with pride!"

Bergen shared her story on the podcast Half Size Me (episode 87).

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Allison has not only lost over 100 pounds, she also just completed her first half-marathon! Her daughter ran her second 5K, and she and her son ran the half-marathon together. She's been running for two years now, and her son wanted to start running with her. At seven years old, he ran his first 5K last year, a 10K in the spring, and then begged to do a half-marathon with his mom. They had a great race! Allison said her favorite thing is to stay fit with her kids.

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Don't forget to check out the Motivational Monday Facebook post for more stories (and to post your own accomplishments)!

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