Bronchitis and TV show predictions

This is going to be pretty whiny, so I apologize for that in advance.

I'm really sick. This sucks! I've had a non-stop headache, sore throat, cough, and very stuffy nose for a few days, and this morning, my cough has definitely gotten much worse. I've had bronchitis a few times (always the last week of April or first week of May, weirdly), and I'm sure that it's bronchitis again.

I didn't do anything yesterday. I had zero energy, and just doing a few tasks around the house wore me out. But even though I was drained, I was really restless. I got sick of sitting around watching movies, but I just didn't have the energy to do anything else. I've spent most of the time cuddled up under my race shirt quilt watching Lifetime movies ;)

My throat was so sore yesterday that I ended up eating ice cream for dinner. Honestly, nothing else sounded remotely appealing. The ice cream used up every last one of my weekly points (which don't start over until Wednesday), and even worse, I couldn't taste it! The creaminess and cold felt great, but I haven't been able to taste anything because I'm so congested. So I feel like I totally wasted all those points.

This morning, I woke up coughing like crazy. Then the kids were complaining that we didn't have anything to eat, so I ended up going grocery shopping at 7:30 this morning. I forgot to bring tissues with me, so I grabbed a box of Kleenex from the shelf, opened it, and took a few to the bathroom to blow my nose (don't worry, I paid for the box later). Had to go to the bathroom to blow my nose twice more while grocery shopping.

I spent the whole afternoon getting caught up on bills. I really need to get in the habit of paying them right when I get them. Usually, I'll stick the bill in a folder to pay later, and then I end up getting a second notice before I realize, "Oh crap! I forgot to pay that...".

Jerry texted me to tell me that yet another of my TV show predictions is coming true. *SPOILERS* ahead--if you're behind on Grey's, skip to below the line. I don't know why I watch Grey's Anatomy, other than the fact that I started watching it from the very first episode. I don't really like any of the characters except for April and Jackson, but for the sake of just watching it through to the end, I continue to watch.

Anyway, about six weeks ago, I predicted that Derek was going to die in an upcoming episode. I even said it would be due to something with his brain, because he's a neurosurgeon, and what could be more dramatic than that? I told Jerry about my predictions, because I noticed that the writers were working to make the audience really like him, particularly in the last few episodes before he died. Jerry always believes me when I make guesses, because they are pretty accurate most of the time!

*MORE SPOILERS* I've learned that TV shows usually play up a character that is going to die soon, because they want the death to be heartbreaking and emotional for the audience. I even predicted George's death, but that was still heartbreaking for me! (That's also how you can tell who will get "voted off" of a reality show like The Bachelor or The Biggest Loser--the show will focus on that person more than anyone else during that episode.) So anyway, I predicted Derek's death. And then on that episode, I predicted that Meredith was pregnant--because drama. On TV, pretty much any time a woman vomits, it means she's pregnant. My next prediction is that Meredith and Alex hook up. Mark those words! ;) I take back what I said before--I do like Alex, too.

Jerry and I have really liked watching Chicago Fire and Chicago PD. Last season, I predicted that soon, there would be a Chicago Med-type show to round it all out. So when Jerry sent me the text today confirming my prediction, I was kind of exited about it! They've been doing crossover shows pretty often with the Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, and Law & Order: SVU.

I love crossover shows, and during Sons of Anarchy, I was hoping more than ANYTHING that FX would make Vic Mackey, (actor Michael Chiklis) from The Shield, an undercover cop on SoA. Michael Chiklis was, in fact, written into a couple of episodes, but not as Vic Mackey (bummer).

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Jerry and I are supposed to have a date night tonight. I wish I wasn't sick! We'll probably end up just watching a movie at home. I hope everyone has a great weekend--Happy Mother's Day to all you moms out there!

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Doggy daycare

Well, I managed to avoid getting sick the week before Indy (I *always* get sick the last week of April!), but yesterday I had a horrible sore throat. Then last night, I couldn't sleep for anything because every time I inhaled, it felt like there were razor blades in my throat. Jerry's alarm was set for 4:00 this morning, but I ended up turning it off a couple of minutes early and waking him up myself. I knew I'd never fall asleep, so I just got out of bed and went into the living room.

I tried catching up on email, but barely made a dent in it. Eli came into the living room at 5:00, complaining that his throat was hurting really badly. He sounded horrible, and I figured he had the same thing as me (which made me feel really sorry for him!). I told him he could stay home from school. I made him some chicken broth, hoping it would soothe his throat, and then gave him a breathing treatment because he was coughing. He was feeling much better after that, but I kept him home anyway.

After taking Noah to the bus, I took Eli over to my mom's house (he asked her if he could be sick at her house instead of at home). I really wanted to get my strength exercises from the physical therapist done today, so I turned on a movie and periodically, I got up to do a set of the exercises. It took a lot more out of me than I expected it to! I was actually breathing hard during the step ups. I did the maximum he recommended (hopefully it will help me recover faster).

This afternoon, Joey had another appointment at the doggy daycare. A couple of days after he'd failed his temperament test, Brenda, the woman who runs the daycare, called me to say that Joey had been weighing on her heart and she wanted to give him another chance. He had done so well up to the point where he bared his teeth, and even though she doesn't normally do second chances, Joey was on her mind.

I picked up Noah from school, and took the kids with me to the doggy daycare. It's a far drive into the middle of nowhere--there is truly nothing around for miles. Eli was excited to see Joey play with the other dogs, so we stood on the outside of the fence while Brenda and another employee slowly added dogs to the area, watching to see how Joey did. I'm no expert, but he seemed to do great! He didn't seem annoyed or put off by any of the dogs. They let in the dog that he'd bared his teeth to before, and there was no issue.

Brenda told us we could leave for a while, and she was going to watch him play in the really large area with the whole pack. I was a little nervous, but the kids and I went to Cabela's (nearly 30 minutes away, but the only way to kill time around there). We didn't stay long--just browsed around for about 20 minutes. Cabela's sells fudge, and I was SO tempted when I saw the Red Velvet fudge; but I am super determined to get back to goal, so I didn't get any. I even took the kids through the Burger King drive thru so they could have something to eat before their baseball practice, and I didn't eat anything from there, either.

Anyway, we headed back to the daycare. When we got there, Joey was still in the yard with the other dogs, so I assumed that meant he was doing well. Brenda brought him out to me, and said he was fantastic. He had a blast playing with the other dogs, and didn't show any signs of aggression or anything to worry about. He passed his test! Joey was totally exhausted. He laid on the floor by my feet while I chatted with Brenda. I signed him up to go there for a half-day every Tuesday, just to let him interact with other dogs (sort of like a doggy playdate). Joey loves water, and they even have an in-ground pool for the dogs, so he's going to love that.

The kids and I had to go straight from there to their baseball practice, so it was a long afternoon. I'm so glad that we don't have anything going on tomorrow! I just want to rest and nurse this cold. My nose is very congested, and I've been coughing. I just hope today was the worst of it. Eli was SO much better by the afternoon, and even did his baseball practice--so, hopefully this cold is a short one.

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You may have seen this via Runner's World, but they are doing another cover contest for the magazine. SO MANY of you have such great running stories (I read them every week for Motivational Monday), and I want to encourage you to submit your story. I'm not going to enter (I had my 15 minutes of fame already, haha), but I'd love to vote for any of my readers that do. So if you enter, let me know! Here is the link to the contest. Remember, you'll never know unless you try. Your story could inspire thousands of people!

The winners (there will be one male and one female) will not only be featured on the cover of my personal favorite magazine, but also attend the NYC marathon as a VIP guest of Runner's World and receive some great prizes. (I'm not getting anything for promoting the contest--I just think it'd be awesome to see one of my readers on the cover!) #RWCoverSearch

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Gait Analysis

A busy weekend turned into a busy week. I don't usually have so much stuff going on, but this whole week has gotten filled. The boys started baseball today, and they will have practices four days a week. I had Weight Watchers and my gait analysis today. Tomorrow is another temperament test for Joey (did I mention that they want him to go back to try again? I don't have my hopes up, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to give it another try).

This morning, I went to Weight Watchers to weigh in and stay for the meeting. I gained 4.4 pounds, but considering I'd lost 6.8 pounds last week, I'm happy with that. I didn't count points all week, because I was in Indy, and then when Thomas was here, we ate some higher-point things. But I went back to counting points yesterday, so hopefully next week will show a good loss.

Glenda, my leader, had told us to bring a notebook this week for an eight-week challenge she is doing. She said that several people in her meetings have been struggling lately, and she wanted to think of a way to get them focused and excited again, so she came up with a little contest. There are prizes (I'm not sure what), but the only rules are to attend every week for the full 8 weeks, and to lose 5-8 pounds (minimum of 5, maximum of 8). I certainly hope I'll lose more than 8 pounds over 8 weeks, so I'll just forfeit the hope of any prizes, but I like the idea of the challenge. She said we'll be taking lots of notes, which is what the notebook is for.

Today, our meeting was pretty full--there were probably about 25 people in there. Glenda wanted us to think about what was the final straw that made us join Weight Watchers, and what we're doing to reach our goals. She asked for volunteers to go up to the front of room and share. After a couple of moments without volunteers, I raised my hand. Definitely way out of my comfort zone to speak in front of everyone, but I hate awkward silences. Also, I was hoping that maybe by sharing my story, I might open up a conversation with some other members, because I'd really like to make friends in the meeting.

I talked about my final straw moment--when I was trying to teach Noah to ride a two-wheeled bicycle--and then how I lost 125 pounds over the next 16 months. I shared that I did pretty well maintaining my weight until December 2013, when I had that moment with Mark at the hospital, where he offered me chocolate. I'd felt foolish for counting points while Mark was dying of lung cancer, so I thought I could handle eating "intuitively". And here I am, 30 pounds heavier, which is what made me go back to Weight Watchers.

It felt good to talk about, and I wasn't sure if anyone had noticed my weight gain since the last time I was there or not, but now I don't feel like I'm hiding anything. A couple of people thanked me after the meeting for sharing, which made me feel good.

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This afternoon, I had to drive up to Novi (about 50 minutes away) for my gait analysis. It was in the physical therapy wing, and I instantly liked my therapist. He didn't seem super rushed, he was easy to talk to, and asked lots of questions. He did a physical exam first, bending my joints and pressing here and there to see whatever it is he was looking for. (Interesting fact he shared: 30-40% of stress fractures actually recur, which is what happened with mine.)

I changed into shorts, and he had me walk and then run up and down the length of the hallway while he filmed it. Then he took me to a treadmill, where he filmed me at several angles for a couple of minutes while I ran. He's going to analyze the films over the weekend, but he said that he could clearly see that I am asymmetrical, particularly when I run. He tested the strength of different muscles, and my left side is quite a bit weaker than my right. He also said that I don't pronate enough (I supinate), which can cause stress on the fibula.

When he said that, something clicked for me. When I first started feeling the pain, it was after a 12-mile run on a newly paved road that had a sharp slope on the shoulder. Considering I run facing traffic, that would have made the supination even worse. After that run, my leg was really bothering me. The same thing happened when I ran the half-marathon in December--the slope was terrible, and the pain kicked in when I hit that part of the road.

Anyway, the PT gave me several strength exercises to do 4-6 times per week. I'm going to work on both sides, but on some of the exercises, he wants me to do more reps on the left side. He also said to focus on walking lightly on my feet--try not to impact hard on the ground. After the strength issue is solved, and I'm more symmetrical, he'll work on getting me running again.

I love the diagram ;)

I left feeling good with the choice of PT, but frustrated at the thought of several more weeks before I can even start running again. At this rate, I don't even know if I'll be able to run the Detroit Marathon in October. I'm going to be the most compliant patient he's ever had, and follow everything he said to the letter... and hopefully, I'll be able to start training for Detroit on time.

I'm glad to have some answers as to what caused my stress fracture, and hopefully the plan he outlined will get me back to running sooner rather than later!

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2015 Indy Mini weekend

I'm home! What an amazing weekend. I brought my computer with me, thinking I may blog once or twice, but I never even took it out of my bag. I had way too much fun with my Sole Mates!

Sorry that I didn't get to do a Motivational Monday post yesterday. I'll save the submissions for next week!

I'm not going to get into all the details of the weekend, because it would take several posts, but here is a quick rundown and some pictures...

Thursday
Jerry and I got the kids off to school and then headed to Indianapolis. It's a four-hour drive, and I was super excited to get there. We stayed at the same hotel we always have for the race, the Embassy Suites Downtown. We stopped at the airport to pick up Paige and Martha. Bonnie and her friend, Nancy, were already at the hotel. We went to the expo for a little while. Our hotel had free happy hour from 5:30-7:30 every day, so we took advantage of that.

At 8:00, Jerry and I went to the airport to pick up Thomas and Cat... and a surprise Sole Mate, Hilary! I had been keeping it a secret for so long, and was super excited to bring her to the hotel. Nobody knew she was coming. When we got to the hotel, we went into the room where everyone was hanging out, and I said I picked up a surprise at the airport. Then I opened the door, and in walked Hilary. There gasps and tears and smiles all around, which was perfect! We went for a late dinner at Chipotle,  had a couple of drinks at the hotel, and then went to bed.

Friday
On Friday, we had breakfast at the hotel, and went to the expo again (with everyone this time). Rik, the captain of my From Fat to Finish Line team, and his wife, Cynthia, drove in from Wisconsin that afternoon. We had dinner at Buca di Beppo. With my sister and her friends, there were 20 of us, and the restaurant did a fantastic job with such a large party. After dinner, we hit up happy hour at the hotel again. It was so great to have time to chat with everyone!

Dinner at Buca di Beppo

Saturday
Everyone was up bright and early for the race on Saturday. Saturday morning was bittersweet for me. I felt like a loser for being the only runner in the group NOT running the Indy Mini (half-marathon), but I knew I'd made the right decision. I'm just so tired of this stupid stress fracture! Anyway, we had a quick breakfast and then everyone made their way to the corrals. I walked with Jerry and Rik to their corral. Rik was planning to pace Jerry for his first half-marathon, so I knew Jerry would probably have a great race. I gave him a quick hug and kiss, and started making my way to the finish line to wait. Cynthia isn't a runner, so thankfully I had some company.

Cynthia and me at the finish line

The 5K was finishing up when we got over to the finish line. We found a good spot to stand and cheer on the runners. Watching the back of the pack of the 5K was awesome! There were so many inspiring people--very young kids walking with a parent, people in wheelchairs being pushed by a loved one, very overweight people who looked like it was a huge struggle, but were so proud to cross that finish line--all sorts of inspiration!

After the 5K finished, we only had to wait about 10 minutes before the hand-cyclists and wheelchairs of the half-marathon started coming through. I'm always in awe when I see them finishing a half-marathon with their upper body strength alone! While we were standing there, Lise, a reader of my blog, stopped by to say hello! I'll save her story for Motivational Monday, but it was her first 5K, and she did awesome.

Shortly after the wheelchairs came through, the elite men started making their way across the finish line. I got a great photo of Elisha Barno, the first male to finish:

Elisha Barno (I like to imagine I look like that when I run! haha)

After the elites finished, I started getting some text updates from everyone else in the race. I'd signed up for notifications, and it was exciting to see each one come through. I knew Thomas would be the next one to finish, and he finished right when he predicted--1:42:26. I managed to have some good photography skills with my iPhone this time, and got a great pic as he ran by!

Jerry was due to finish in around 2:10 (actually, I'd told him to try and beat MY first Indy Mini run time, which was 2:10:40). Right as I was explaining to Thomas that we'd know from far away when they were coming through because Jerry would be acting very goofy and easy to spot. I pointed to a couple of people and started to say, "Just like those guys", when I realized that it WAS Rik and Jerry! And sure enough, they were showing their excitement ;) I hurriedly grabbed my phone and started snapping pictures.

Even though I was practically in their faces, Jerry never spotted me. Rik saw me, though. They crossed the finish line in 2:09:03!

I knew that we had about 20 minutes before anyone else would finish, so I started making my way to the post race party to congratulate Jerry. I'm SUPER proud of him! He really worked hard to train for this, fitting in his runs even after working 12-hour shifts.

I headed back to the finish line to watch the rest of the group finish. I had told everyone to finish on the right-hand side of the street, where I knew I'd be standing; still, I managed to miss Cat, Becky (my sister-in-law), and almost missed Hilary and Paige, who were running together. I caught them at the last second, so I didn't get good pics. But I got a fantastic picture of Bonnie!

And of my sister...

Once everyone had finished the race, we went back to the finish line party where everyone could talk about the race. Again, I felt totally left out because I had no stories about the course or even a medal to wear, but I really did have a great time at the finish line. We took some fun pictures.

Martha, Jerry, Rik, Thomas; Cat, Paige, me, Hilary

Jerry faces all around

I love this picture of Paige and me!

After the race, we went back to the hotel so everyone could shower. Then Jerry, Thomas, Rik, and Cynthia went to see The Avengers movie, while the rest of us went to get frozen yogurt for lunch. I didn't "earn" it like the rest of them, but I certainly wanted some, too! Paige showed us how to make what she calls "yogurt lasagna"--where you start with a layer of toppings, and then add a layer of fro-yo. You bang it on the table to get the air pockets out, and then repeat. We each made a huge cup of frozen yogurt, and it was worth every mile that I didn't run that day!

Mine is on the bottom right

That evening, we stayed at the hotel and ordered pizza. I had one more big surprise for the group, so after we ate, I headed down to the lobby to wait for the surprise to show up ;) I had a drink with Jeanie, Becky, and Jen at the hotel bar, and explained to them what was going on--Dean was driving in on his motorcycle after work! Dean had a very important event going on at work all weekend, so he wasn't able to make it to the race. A couple of weeks ago, he decided to make the 2-1/2 hour drive to Indy after work on Saturday, and then drive home early on Sunday morning.

Jeanie, Becky, and Jen came up with a story to help me carry out the surprise for the Sole Mates. When Dean arrived, I went up to the room first. A few minutes later, Jeanie, Becky, and Jen came in, and Jeanie said they'd met some guy at the bar and he came with them. Everyone looked slightly uncomfortable, like, "You picked up some guy?!" and then in walked Dean.

It was AWESOME--everybody was very surprised and excited to see him! There were screams and tears and hugs once again, which was so fun. Everyone kept exclaiming about how thin Dean is now, and I forgot that they hadn't seen him since Ragnar last year. I've seen him a few times, so I'm used to him getting smaller and smaller each time!

We went down to the hotel bar and played Cards Against Humanity for a while. Then we got a group picture of all the Sole Mates--and I loved this "outtake" photo! We were laughing so hard as we tried to figure out how to fit us all into the picture.

Sunday
The next morning was sad all around, because everyone started heading home. Saying good-bye is hard, because you never know when you're going to get together again. Jerry and I left at around 11, and Thomas rode to Michigan with us for a short visit before heading home to Portland yesterday. We played Keno on Sunday night. Bonnie had PR'ed her half-marathon with a 2:22:22, so I played my usual numbers plus "22"--and I did pretty well!

Monday
Yesterday, while the kids were in school, Thomas, Jerry and I went to The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn. Even though I've been there several times, I still like it--I always notice things I hadn't seen before. Then we went to La Pita for lunch, since Thomas has heard so much about it on my blog--thankfully, he loved it as much as I do!

After the kids got out of school, we all went miniature golfing and took a ride on the go-carts. It was so much fun! The last time I had been there was when I was probably 17 years old and on a date with Jerry, so it was nostalgic in a way. I took Thomas to the airport at around 8:30, and then headed home.

The whole long weekend was AMAZING, and I had so much fun with my Sole Mates! I want to do Indy next year, because seeing the finish line really made me want to run the race again. And I'm going to try and start planning another Sole Mates reunion for next year (not at Indy, but another fun place).

Now, it's back to the norm!

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Headed to Indy!

I am SO very excited to head to Indianapolis tomorrow! Jerry is going with me, which makes it even better. It's about a four-hour drive, so we're planning to get there in time to pick up a couple of my Sole Mates from the airport. I wish my entire team was going, but it didn't work out that way. Still, I'll see Thomas, Paige, Bonnie, Cat, and Martha. Also going are Jeanie (my sister), Becky (my sister-in-law), several of Jeanie's friends, and Bonnie's friend Nancy, who I met briefly in SoCal. Except for Thomas, I haven't seen the other Sole Mates since a year ago when we ran SoCal. None of them have met Jerry, either, and he's looking forward to meeting the friends I talk about so much.

I've been really up-in-the-air about what to do as far as counting Points while I'm there. I had an awesome weigh in at Weight Watchers today--down 6.8 pounds!--so I should stay on track and continue to lose. However, the last thing I want to do while I'm there is nitpick everything I eat and drink, estimate portion sizes, and journal my food. I did that in 2010, and looking back, I kind of regret it. I missed out on some good food and drinks, and I spent more time worrying about staying on track than I did enjoying myself.

I'm not saying that I have to pig out to enjoy myself, because I know that's not the case. But I'm thinking of going to Indy with the same attitude and plan I did in Portland--eat and drink what I want, just don't pig out. When I came home from Portland, I weighed the exact same as I did when I left; so, I'm hoping for the same outcome in Indy.

When I get home, I'll go right back to counting everything again, just like I did this past week. If my weight is up, I can handle that. I'm prepaid through July at Weight Watchers, so I will be weighing in next week no matter what happens in Indy. I just really want to go and have a great time with my Sole Mates.

I was also really undecided about whether I should run the half-marathon on Saturday. I'd talked to my doctor about it, and he gave me the go-ahead if I take it slow and easy; but considering I had so much trouble getting through just six miles on Sunday, I figured I should probably sit out the half this weekend.

I REALLY want to do it, and I probably could; but my stress fracture isn't totally healed yet (I feel twinges here and there ever since the run on Sunday). I'm registered for the Detroit Marathon in October, and I want to let my leg completely heal before I start training in June. I have been so undecided about what to do, but I finally made the decision yesterday that I am going to sit this one out. Healing in the long term is more important than hobbling through this race, so that's what I'll do.

This will be Jerry's first half-marathon, so I'll be able to be at the finish line to see him cross! I'm really excited about that. Also, I've always wanted to see the winners of that race cross the finish line. When I was there in 2008 (or maybe it was 2009?), there were actually TWO first place winners! They crossed the line so closely, that they had to look at photos to determine a winner; and even then, it was declared a tie.

The Indy Mini was actually my first race ever--in 2008, I walked the whole 13.1 miles with zero training. I knew nothing about what to expect, and I was in so much pain afterward! But I did it again the next year, and the next. In 2011, I ran the race, making it the first half-marathon I ever ran. It's a really fun race (they have over 80 bands along the course!) and I always thought it would be fun to watch the finish line as a spectator. So, even though I'm bummed to not be running it, I'm super excited to watch the finish!

I most likely will not be posting while I'm gone, but if I have some down time at the hotel, I might write. I'm really far behind on email, because I've been spring cleaning non-stop for three days, but I will get to that when I get home, also. Have a great weekend, everyone!

I don't have a picture for this post, so I'll just share this one... Estelle sat on my lap for the first time since we got Joey! She's been ignoring me for a few months now, and I was beginning to think she'd be that way for ever. But I'm glad that she just hopped on my lap for a nap :)

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Motivational Monday #107

Indy week has arrived! I'm so very excited to go to Indianapolis on Thursday to reunite with (most of) my Sole Mates. I've been crazy busy today trying to get all the last minute details sorted out. I've also been trying to get my house clean, because Thomas is driving back to Michigan with Jerry and I on Sunday, and flying out of Detroit on Monday.

You know how you start one small project (cleaning the spare bedroom) and you find something that belongs somewhere else (say, the hall closet), and then you notice the hall closet needs organizing, and you find something there that belongs in the bathroom, and you notice that the bathroom is a mess...and so on? Yeah, that's what happened today. At least I'm getting my spring cleaning done!

Anyway, there is no doubt about what my Motivational Monday accomplishment is this week. I handled this weekend SO WELL when it comes to how I ate! Even though I was on a relay team called "Here for the Beer", I didn't even have a sip of beer all weekend (I knew one would lead to another, and another...).

I feel like I did when I was losing the weight in 2009-2010. I was completely confident in what I was doing, and I felt entirely in control. I love that feeling! Anyway, I'm very proud for handling the whole weekend the way I did.

Here are some MM stories for you today... enjoy!

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Lisa lives near Boston, and this past Monday was Marathon Monday there. She always has that day off work, so she likes to use that day to challenge herself with something physical--running her first 10K, doing her longest run outside, etc. This year, she was 7 1/2 months pregnant, and she had slowed her pace and decreased her distance, but continued to run throughout her pregnancy. She lost 75 pounds several years ago, and works hard to keep it off, so she was worried about gaining it all back when she got pregnant (it would be easy to use the pregnancy as an excuse to stop exercising at eat much more than she should). She has been eating healthy and exercising while pregnant, and she has gained only the healthy amount of weight for a pregnancy, which she is very happy with. On Marathon Monday, she decided to challenge herself by running 5K without stopping--and she did it!

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Renee ran a half-marathon last weekend! She did the Rock the Parkway Half in Kansas City, and even though it was her third half, it was her slowest time. It was a very tough race for her, because she's been fighting allergies and bronchitis, and she wanted to quit the race very badly--but she kept going! She's thankful to her family and friends to helped push her along. And this weekend, she had a great four-mile race! She even PR'ed by 3:30. (Renee's blog)

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Last weekend, Dana and her husband ran their second 5K race! They did the Pittsburgh Pirates 5K Home Run, which finishes at home plate at PNC Park. Since walking her first Turkey Trot in November, Dana has spent a lot of time preparing to run this 5K. She is proud to have run about 60% of the distance in intervals, and she even shaved about five minutes off of her average practice time. She's also down an impressive 60 pounds out of her 100-pound weight loss goal!

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Yvonne started running a little over two years ago, and has since lost 35 pounds and completed a dozen 5Ks, several 10Ks, and three half marathons! When she started running, she would have family and friends say, "Hey, let me know when you go running again so I can join you!" but she was never really sure how to make that work with her running schedule. She decided to start a monthly run, and create an event on her Facebook page, inviting anyone and everyone who might like to get some exercise. At the first run, she only had one person show up; but she kept doing it, and this month, she had 12 people show up! She is feeling proud to have inspired others to start running. (Yvonne's Facebook page)

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Congrats on some awesome accomplishments, ladies! Thanks for sharing :)

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2015 Glass City Marathon Relay race report

Wow, what a day! I'll start by saying I'm totally exhausted. Yesterday, Jerry and I went down to Toledo to meet up with our relay teams and go to the expo. We picked up our packets, and then went to dinner at an Italian restaurant called Biaggi's (the same place we've gone for the past two years when doing this race). I had invited Dean and his wife, Mandy, to meet us there, so it was fun to get to see him!

It was ridiculously hard, but I didn't order any wine--just had water with dinner. I didn't touch the bread basket, and I ordered a half-order of pasta. I got spaghetti marinara, which ended up being about one cup of pasta with a half-cup of sauce. I added a little parmesan cheese, (along with all the basil leaves that nobody seemed to want on their food--blasphemy!) and that was that. It was delicious, but I still managed to stay on track. The desserts at Biaggi's are amazing, but thankfully, not many people ordered dessert, so it wasn't in my face to tempt me.

At the hotel, everyone was drinking beer; but again, I stuck with water. I even bought a little container of grape tomatoes to snack on, which was totally unlike me. Lately, I've really liked those little tomatoes for some reason! I was super tired, and I actually fell asleep while everyone was hanging out in our hotel room.

For breakfast, I brought a Special K oatmeal cup and an orange, which worked out well in a hotel room. We had to leave the hotel at 6:00 for the race, and there were 18 of us (three full relay teams of five people, plus three others who came to spectate). We squeezed into TWO vehicles--I was in my brother-in-law's truck with EIGHT other people. It was crazy, and so hilarious. We had six of us in the back seat, and we were all crammed in there. We tried so hard to get a picture, but you can't see just how cramped we were.

Because we had three relay teams (Here for the Beer: 1, 2, and 3), we all decided to run together. So runner #1 on each team stuck together as a trio. Then they passed the bib off to runners #2, who all stuck together; and so on. So we went to the first exchange to wait for the first three runners to come through.

I was runner #2. I was totally undecided whether I was going to do this race or not until the last minute. I eventually decided to go for it, because my doctor had given me the okay to try the half-marathon next weekend in Indy, so I figured that if I ran today and had a problem, then I certainly have no business running in Indy.

While we were at the first exchange, I saw Jessica and Renee, who were doing the relay as well. Stephanie was running the full, and she put together a relay team to run alongside her, just like my sister did last year. She'd asked me to join, but I had already committed to doing the relay with my family, so I wasn't able to. I saw Stephanie go by the first exchange, so I cheered for her. About 10 minutes later, our first three runners came through. Kendall, Nathan's girlfriend, handed the bib off to me.

I ran with my sister, Jeanie, and her friend, Jen. We had the longest leg, which was 6.1 miles. I hadn't run at all in about three weeks, so I had no idea what to expect. Thankfully, my leg seemed to be doing great. We took the pace very easy, and I was actually pretty discouraged at how difficult it felt to run at such an easy pace! Jeanie and Jen said, "It's so nice to run at such a relaxed pace--so much more enjoyable" and I wanted to kick them. I was barely able to talk at all, because it was such a struggle for me.

I never had any major problems with my leg, but by mile five, I started questioning whether I could finish. I was dying! Right at the perfect moment, I saw an older man with a jacket on that said "Larry" on the back. And I said to Jeanie, "Do you think that's 1000 Marathons Larry?" We met him at the Rockford Half-Marathon in Illinois, where he was running the full.

We asked him if that was him, and sure enough, it was (although now he goes by "Marathon Maniac Larry"). I was really excited to run into him! I asked him what number marathon it was today, and he said 1,486 (I think--I know it was 1,400-something). Crazy, right?! Even crazier, today's was his third marathon THIS WEEK. He ran Boston on Monday, another marathon yesterday (I can't remember which one he said), and then Glass City today. He's 70 years old, and running marathons every weekend!

I chatted with him for a few minutes, and Jen took a couple of pics of us. Larry is the nicest man! If you ever see him at a race, make sure you take a minute to chat with him. At that moment, I was glad that we were at the back of the pack at this race--otherwise, I wouldn't have run into him!

We moved past him, and continued on. That last quarter mile took every ounce of energy I had. When we got to the relay station, I passed off the bib, and then walked away from the exchange station to cry for a minute. I was just so frustrated that I've had to take so much time off of running, and that running right now feels so hard when it used to feel so easy. I figured that there is no way that I can do Indy if I just practically fell apart after six miles.

I only cried for a minute before rejoining the group. Today was supposed to be all about fun, so I didn't want to dwell on how I felt about my run. I was definitely grateful to have finished it, and that my stress fracture didn't give me troubles.

The rest of the race went well, and I had a blast cheering at the relay stations. That's my favorite part about this race! The relay stations are so much fun. Once we left the last relay station, we headed to the finish line. I knew Stephanie was hoping for a sub-5:00 finish time, and it was getting really close. I was watching for her, and looking at the clock. She came through the finisher's chute and finished in 4:58-something! I was really excited for her.

Just about 20 seconds later, our relay runners came through, so most of us joined them in the chute to run across the finish line. It was a fun finish! (Jen got some really great pictures of the finish but I don't have them yet).

Nathan, me, Brian, and Jeanie

I stopped at Subway on the way home for some lunch, because I knew that there was going to be a ton of junk food at the party at my parents' house. I brought some flavored water over there, so I could drink that instead of beer. And I managed to avoid so many temptations: my dad's fried fish, tacos, burgers, a brownie trifle, Better Than Sex cake, and a three layered cake with buttercream frosting. It was really difficult not to just say, "Oh, screw it, I'll just start over tomorrow"... but I've been saying that for a year, and I really am super determined to get back to goal sometime soon. I certainly could have chosen to use my weekly points on some of this stuff, but I want to get back to the point where I feel totally in control and okay saying no. I don't have to eat that crap every time it's in front of me!

Anyway, today was SUPER fun hanging out with my family. This was the first race that all three of my siblings and I were able to participate in together. Even better, our spouses did it, too! (And I'm putting Kendall in the "spouse" category, because she and Nathan are pretty serious). We're already planning to do it again next year!

Siblings & Spouses: Me, Jerry, Kendall, Nathan, Brian, Becky, Shawn, and Jeanie 

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Quick Bullets

I have a super busy couple of days this weekend, so I just have time for a quick bullet post...

*I am doing awesome being back on Weight Watchers, and it feels really good.

*For the past three days, since I started back on Weight Watchers, I've slept through the night. For the past year or so, I haven't done that! I usually wake up at least 5-7 times during the night. I'm not sure if it's because I feel so much better mentally, or if it's because I've been eating well, but either way, I'm so excited that I can sleep!

*I started crocheting a new afghan to keep my hands busy when I watch TV at night.

*My favorite snack for the past four days has been frozen sweet cherries (not "sweetened"--just the sweet variety). I used to love frozen grapes, and I had a bag of sweet cherries in the freezer for smoothies, so I decided to try them as a snack. Right out of the freezer, they don't have much flavor, but if you let them sit in a bowl for about 5 minutes, they're perfect! And as long as they're just plain old cherries (no other ingredients), they are 0 PointsPlus, which is a bonus.

*I had "Runs for Cookies" put on a sweatshirt today to wear at the Glass City race. It gets cold standing around at all the relay stations, so I was going to wear an orange sweatshirt (our team color), and at the last minute I thought I'd get the lettering. I like it! If you happen to be at the Glass City race tomorrow, and you see me, make sure you say hello :)

*Both of my brothers, my sister, and I are going to the Glass City race. This will be the first time all four of us have been doing a race together!

*I'm SUPER excited to go to Indianapolis on Thursday and see my Sole Mates. A few weeks ago, I asked Caitlin if she'd bring me a piece of the best carrot cake I've ever had from Boston, and she said sure. Yesterday, I asked her to please not bring it, after all. I am doing so well that I don't want to screw up getting back to my goal weight.

*I brought Joey to my parents' house to meet my sister's dogs. She has each a male and female basset hound, and after Joey's temperament test, I was a little worried about him meeting Remy (the male). Jeanie wasn't at all worried. When they met, Joey did bare his teeth like he did during the temperament test, but Jeanie insisted that it was fine. She said dogs do stuff like that all the time at the dog park, and 99.5% of the time, the dogs work things out on their own. And sure enough, Joey and Remy were fine. Joey certainly likes to be the dominant dog, but he never got aggressive or mean. So that was a relief. 

*The decomposed remains of an adult female were found in a wooded area next to some railroad tracks about 10 miles away. It hasn't been confirmed that the remains are of Chelsea Bruck, but we should know in the next day or two. Chelsea is the woman who went missing a couple of miles from my house when she was at a Halloween party. My entire community has been obsessed with this case, because this sort of thing just doesn't happen around here. Everyone has purple ribbons (Chelsea's favorite color) on doors, cars, telephone poles, road signs, windows, etc., to show their support in finding her. 

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Well, I've got to head down to Toledo for the expo and dinner. I've already planned out my dinner at the Italian restaurant, so I'm keeping on plan!

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Joey's temperament test

Wow! I am speechless at all of the comments on my last post. I almost always get nervous to press "publish" on my blog posts, but I get a little extra nervous when I write something pretty personal, like yesterday's post about the weight gain. I actually wrote that post kind of hastily, and now I wish I'd put more thought into it! But I am so glad to see that I'm not the only one who has those thoughts about weight gain and seeing the scale inch upward.

I did really well staying on plan yesterday. Going to the meeting made a big difference in my attitude toward counting my points, which made staying on plan a little easier. Today, Jessica asked me if I'd like to get together for coffee or lunch, and I said sure. I really wanted to say lunch, but I figured I'd better be safe and just do coffee (tea for me) and eat lunch at home.

We went to Panera, and I got an Earl Grey tea. We sat and chatted for about an hour and a half, and it was really nice to talk about what's been going on lately. Jessica is maintaining a large weight loss as well, and she's struggling a bit right now, too. I like having someone to talk to who knows the struggles I deal with daily. She has a big sweet tooth just like me ;)

In the afternoon, Joey had an appointment at a doggy daycare for a temperament test. I need to find a place to board him while Jerry and I are in Indy, and I've been waiting a month for him to get this test and (hopefully) be accepted into their care. It was pretty far away (about 40 minutes), and when we got there, Joey was SO excited when saw that there were other dogs there. We had to wait in the car until our appointment time, and he was dying to go play.

First, Joey walked around inside the house while I filled out paperwork. She wanted to make sure that Joey wasn't going to pee in the house or anything (when dogs board there, they don't go in kennels--they stay in the house like a pet). After that, we went outside to a fenced-in area where they would slowly introduce other dogs to watch Joey's behavior.

Let me tell you... today was a HUGE milestone for me. I've been really terrified of dogs for several years now, and that was one of the reasons I wanted to get a dog--to get over that fear. I was inside this fenced in area while the owner kept adding more (large) dogs, until there were about a dozen of them (I lost count). I was a little nervous, but NOTHING like I would have been a few months ago, before we got Joey. So, my fear is subsiding!

Anyway, Joey was doing great. They started with the submissive female dogs, then the more dominant females, and there weren't any problems. When they brought in a dominant male, I thought everything was going okay, until the other dog did something to upset Joey, and Joey bared his teeth in a way that the person who was evaluating him was very concerned about. She said when they show both sides of their teeth like that, it's just one step away from a bite.

She watched the two very closely after that, and it happened again. After that, she called it quits, and Joey had failed. I immediately wanted to cry. I thought that meant he was an aggressive dog, and I was instantly worried about the kids, and my cats, and all that. We went in the house, and she explained to me that Joey was doing awesome until the dominant dog came in the picture; and apparently Joey, himself, is very dominant (I never would have guessed that, based on how he acts with us).

She said she's sure that Joey would probably pass a temperament test somewhere else, but that she is extremely selective about who she allows in her daycare. She told me that I had no reason whatsoever to worry about the cats or the kids, and that he's not an "aggressive dog"; she said I'd just have to be very careful about introducing him to other dominant male dogs.

It never even occurred to me that he might not pass the test! Joey has never shown any signs of aggression to any people, or dogs we've encountered on walks, or to Nathan's dog, Bailey. So the fact that he bared his teeth at this other dog was was really surprising to me. So now I'm back to square one as far as finding a place to board him next week.

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This weekend is going to be pretty busy. My sister arrives tomorrow, so I'm sure I'll get together with her. I'm also babysitting my friend's kids tomorrow after school. Saturday, our Glass City Marathon Relay teams are going to the expo in Toledo to pick up our packets. We have three teams of five people each, so it's a big group! We'll check into the hotel, and then go have dinner at an Italian restaurant we've gone to for the past couple of years.

Sunday morning is the race. I need to get working on some signs! I feel totally unprepared going into this race. After the race, we're having a party at my parents' house, just like we did last year. It's going to be tough not to eat and drink all kinds of crap there, but I am going to stick with my plan and count my points!

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How the weight creeps up

When I told my sister about how much I've been struggling lately, she suggested that I go back to my Weight Watchers meetings. She said it would make me feel so much better and in control. I've always gone to Wednesday meetings, and I hadn't planned on going today, but Jeanie sent me a text to remind me this morning.

So, after I got the kids on the bus and ate breakfast, I headed to Weight Watchers. I love my leader, and I knew there wouldn't be any judgement about my weight gain, but I still wasn't sure if I wanted to weigh in. I don't *have* to weigh in unless I'm at goal, and I'm certainly not at goal.

I sat in the car for a minute when I got to my WW center, thinking about what to do. I feel like I've hit rock bottom right now, and I really want to feel better. So I decided that I was going to weigh in today, and accept the gain. I also decided to make a big commitment--I would buy a 12-week pre-pay plan, so that way I would be losing out on a lot of money if I don't go to the meetings.

Glenda, my leader, was happy to see me. I started to tell her about what was going on, but I could feel myself getting choked up, so I just told her to weigh me and get it over with. It turns out there was a special on the 12-week pass... for $136, it would include 12 weeks of meetings, 12 weeks of eTools (the online tracker that I normally pay $18/month for), and a "Starter Kit", which included a cookbook, a bento box, and some portion control plates.

Paying $136 in one chunk is a LOT, but because I did it that way, I think I am much more likely to go to the meetings and follow the program. I hate to throw money away, so I am determined to put this to good use. When I did Weight Watchers in 2012 and finally reached goal, I only stuck with it because I was paying for it--and it's not cheap!

I weigh myself almost daily at home, so seeing my weight wasn't a shock. But in the box below, it shows +/- and lists how much you've lost or gained since you joined. Seeing +27.0 today was what shocked me. I know how to do math, so you would think I wouldn't be surprised; but seeing that number printed out on my little book took my breath away. I'm 27 pounds over my goal weight?!

This is how weight creeps up on me:

-I reach my goal weight of 133, and I'm very happy. I maintain 130-136 for a year by counting my Points and tracking my food.
-I decide to eat "intuitively" instead of tracking, and "live a little".
-Soon, I see 139, and I think, "Yikes, I'd better reel it in a little. At least I'm still in the 130's, though."
-Then one day, I see 141, and I think, "Woah! The 140's. Well, it's in the low 140's, so I'll just cut back for a day or two and be back in the 130's. I'm retaining water from eating badly."
-One day, I see 146, and I think, "Yeesh! I'd really better get back on track. But thankfully, I'm still in the 140's. I never want to see the 150's again."
-Shortly after, I see 152, and I think, "Holy cow! I swore I'd never see the 150's again. Thankfully, it's in the low 150's, though. A couple of days on track, and I'll be back in the 140's..."

...and so on. You can go through each "decade" of weight with that train of thought, and I could picture myself continuing on until I'm back at my starting weight! It's scary how quickly it can happen, and how hard it is to reverse. So, from now on, if I find myself thinking, "Well, at least my weight isn't in the _____'s", I know that I'm going to have a problem.

I felt relieved after weighing in and buying the 12-week pass. I feel like I'm finally taking control of something, and making a real plan to get there.

The meeting was pretty crowded, and there were a lot of people I'd never seen before (plus the regulars that I remembered from when I used to go weekly). It was a good meeting, and I was glad to be back. And now that I am prepaid through July 21, I am going to make it a habit to go once a week!

The next couple of weekends are going to be pretty tough to stay on plan, but if I can get through the next two weeks, then I don't have anything else going on anytime soon, so I'll really be able to stay focused. I'm going to come up with a plan for these two weekends, just like I used to when I was faced with challenges during my weight loss. And I'm going to attend my meetings and weigh in, even if I don't end up sticking with my plan, or if I fall off track.

I'm glad my sister convinced me to go back to my meeting! I feel like I can start fresh from here, and hopefully get out of this funk I'm in :)

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