Week 27 Weigh-in

Week 27 was another successful week on the scale :)

I weighed in at 122.5, which is down 0.5 from last week. I increased my calories a bit this week, and my average daily calorie intake ended up being 1,837. I may try increasing a little more this week, to about 1,900 per day, and see what happens.

Last week, a few people asked for me to post a new photo, since this is an all-time low weight for me. I had Jerry take a few pictures today. Here is a new comparison from my heaviest:

253 versus 133

Those are size 1 jeans! Crazy, right? I thought it would be interesting to see a side-by-side comparison of me at goal weight (133) versus 10 pounds below goal (122.5). Not a huge difference, but the jeans in the picture from 10 pounds ago are now too big to wear, so it is definitely noticeable in my clothes. Like I said last week, though, I always imagined 120-something would be "too thin" for me, because I just couldn't imagine being that small. But now that I'm here, I don't think I look bad at all!

133 versus 122.5

This week was a little unusual as far as exercise goes. I hurt my knee on Sunday, and I haven't run since (it's still a little stiff, and I want to make sure it's good before I run again--maybe tomorrow, but most likely Friday). So, over the last week, I've only run three times instead of five.

Saturday's heart rate was incorrect--my HR strap needed cleaning!

Also on Sunday, my Fitbit's battery went dead sometime during my long run. I haven't yet replaced it, so I don't have any idea about whether I've gotten in my 7,000+ steps per day goal. I keep forgetting to buy a new battery! I'll try and get one tomorrow.

As far as my other long term goals, I did stay binge-free--today is Day 196!! And I made a new recipe this week. This one was 3-Ingredient Orange Chicken Sauce:

This recipe got the thumbs down from Eli and me, but Jerry and Noah both liked it. I didn't make the chicken with breading (instead, I just cut up the chicken and put it in the crock pot with the ingredients for the sauce). Jerry liked it enough that I would probably make it again for his lunches for work.

I don't have time to write much today. We are meeting a friend of mine and his family for dinner tonight. He's a health teacher for high school freshmen, and he asked me to go speak to his class about being active and that you don't have to be thin to get involved with sports (I guess he has a lot of overweight girls in his classes that he hopes to inspire). I'll be spending the day at high school tomorrow, so it should be interesting ;) I'm nervous, though! I'm old enough to be a parent to those kids, haha. Anyway, tonight we are going to meet for dinner to discuss the plan for tomorrow.

Thanks for the nice comments on Facebook and Instagram about my new comparison photo! It feels good to be back at this place where I feel in control and happy. xo

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Motivational Monday #136

Surprise surprise! I have a Motivational Monday to share with you today. Like I mentioned before, I won't be doing these weekly anymore, but whenever I get a few submissions, I'll post them. Enjoy!

This is an email from Brittany:

"Starting December 2014, my aunt, cousin, sister, and I decided to run a 5k each month for a year. We all started off not being able to run half a mile. My first 5k took over 46 minutes! But now, we have accomplished our goal, and we just can't stop! We are still running a 5k each month because we just LOVE it. We still aren't very fast (we call ourselves Team Tortoise), but we are improving! 

On Saturday I hit two big milestones! First, I PR'd (not counting the virtual 5k I did  on the track) with a time of 30:38! Hopefully, I'll be in the sub-30 category next month!
Also, I hit 149 pounds, so, according to my BMI, I am NO LONGER OVERWEIGHT! I still have 14 pounds to get to my goal weight, but this was a huge deal for me! (I have lost 57 pounds total). 

I just want to thank you again for your blog and your running plan! I had done C25K too many times, and it was so discouraging. My mom, grandmother, and three of my aunts have had gastric bypass surgery and I thought that I was on my way to having to do the same. Seeing that you were able to do it on your own really encouraged me, and now I even have people asking ME for tips. HOW WEIRD! 

Here is a picture of us from the Jester Jog 5k. It was done on the city's Mardi Gras parade route, so lots of spectators! We are from Louisiana, if you didn't already guess :)
I am the one in the middle, #121."

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And here is a submission from Julie Anna:

"I actually was on a Motivational Monday post was back in 2013 (Motivational Monday #14!) with my mom after running our first 10K. Well, this past Sunday, I ran my first half marathon in Tallahassee, Florida! It was the hilliest course I have ever encountered and made for a very tough 13.1 miles.  My grandmother passed away last month after a 7 year battle with COPD, so my mom sewed me a heart out of my grandmother's favorite pajamas to wear on my bib (see picture).  Every time I wanted to stop, I'd just put my hand on that heart and keep running."

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A huge congratulations to Brittany and Julie Anna!

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Long run and reader questions

Ever since I started doing my easy runs at a low heart rate, I've really enjoyed running. I know I wrote about this before, so I don't want to be redundant, but it makes such a big difference in how I feel about running. Today was my long run, and even though it was crazy cold outside (12 degrees with a "real feel" of 5 degrees), I was looking forward to a nice, slow, long run outside.

When I saw that it was 12 degrees outside, that actually sounded fairly warm after all the single- and negative-digit winter days we've had for the last few years. I wore Cold Gear running tights and two long-sleeved tops. In retrospect, I underdressed.

I wore my last pair of Brooks Adrenaline 13's. When the Adrenaline 14 model came out, I tried it and didn't like it at all; so I bought several pairs of the 13's on clearance online. I had one pair left in the box, so I took those out today to break them in.

I headed out for an out-and-back, and the first mile was awesome. I felt SO good today! The new shoes were nice and springy, and I was running at a low heart rate, which was nice and comfortable. It was at around mile one that I realized I'd underdressed--by a lot. I had a headwind, so I just told myself that when I turned around, I'd be warmer.

At mile three, I normally turn left, but this time I took a different road. I hadn't gone down this road since I got my stress fracture, and the change of scenery sounded nice. I wasn't sure if I was going to turn around at mile four or mile five. I decided double digits would be nice, so I ended up going out for five miles.

At around mile four, it started to snow really hard. It was hard to keep my eyes open! I probably should have turned around early, but I could see the end of the road (it's straight and flat, so you can see for about two miles), so I just decided to keep going. I was SO COLD. My hands were really stiff--I had them in fists tucked inside of my sleeves (I was wearing gloves, but not great ones).

The snow was blowing into my face because of the headwind, so I was glad to turn around. But, I'm not even joking, as soon as I turned around, so did the wind. I was super bummed that I didn't get any relief when I turned, but my pace was good for my low heart rate (high 10:00's), so I just focused on getting home. Not even a mile after I turned around, I stepped on a patch of ice (there wasn't much ice at all! I don't know how I didn't see it) and my leg twisted. I didn't fall, but my knee started to hurt pretty badly.

By mile seven, I was limping while running, which is really bad. I finally decided to take a walk break and maybe stretch it out. I walked a few steps, then just stopped and rubbed my knee, stretched for about 10 seconds, and tried to run again. It felt totally back to normal! I was so relieved. A quarter mile or so later, I started to feel the pain again, so I immediately stopped to stretch again. And so it went, for the last three miles--I had to stretch probably 6-8 times. Each time, the stretching fixed whatever the issue was, but then it would start to come back.

When I got home, I used the foam roller on my IT band and the back of my knee (where I felt the pain), and it felt better after that. I really hope that I didn't injure it. By stepping on a tiny little patch of ice, of all things! I'm going to take tomorrow off completely, even if it feels fine.

Despite the cold, the run was going really well until the ice incident. I am used to my pace being in the 11:00's now on easy runs, but my heart rate was 143 bpm on average and my pace was 10:55. It felt very effortless! Love runs like that.

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I mentioned this on social media, but I'll write it here as well. A few years ago, I did a segment on my blog for "Reader Q&A", where readers emailed me questions (not a particular topic--anything was game) and I answered them on my blog once a week. Since I've been feeling writer's block lately when it comes to my blog (I feel like I'm always writing the same things over and over), I thought it might be fun to bring back the Reader Q&A.

So, if you have a burning question for me, you can email me at questions@runsforcookies.com, and I may answer it on a future post. Jerry said he is game, too, so if you have questions for him, he'd be happy to answer them. I'll keep your name anonymous, unless you specify that I can share it.

I hope everyone had a great weekend (and Valentine's Day, if you celebrate it)! It was a super cold one here!

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Coldest interval session ever

Michigan's gloriously warm winter has definitely turned this week. This morning, when I was deciding what to wear on my run, I checked out the temp:

It looks nice with that picture of the sun and clouds, and even 13 degrees didn't sound THAT bad. But then I saw the "RealFeel" temp of 4 degrees, and the wind, and promptly changed my mind.

I had intervals on the schedule this morning, and I wanted to do them outside if possible. The roads are clear of any ice and snow, so I just dressed as warmly as I could and hoped it was enough! I wore two pairs of Cold Gear tights, a Cold Gear top with a fleece jacket and then a windbreaker over that. Ear warmer headband, thick gloves, socks, and shoes. Aquaphor on my cheeks to help with the wind. I was a sweaty mess before I even stepped outside, because I was so hot with all those layers!

Today's workout:
10 minute warm-up
4 x 4:00 (note that that is 4:00 minutes, not 400 meters) at "faster than race pace" (the suggested pace is 7:30/mile, so I wanted to aim for that); recovery jog/walk between intervals until heart rate reaches 136 bpm.

The warm-up was not fun. I had a headwind, and it was freezing! It's difficult not to run faster when it's that cold during the warm-up. I'm supposed to keep my heart rate low, but it's hard to get warm when jogging along. I was actually grateful when I heard the beep to start my first interval.

My legs were feeling kind of sore, and I felt kind of clumsy for the first interval. (When I was sitting down in shorts on my couch a couple of days ago, I noticed that when I flexed my quads, my muscles were insanely prominent. So I showed Jerry, and then the kids, constantly flexing and relaxing. Turns out that I got really sore from that little flex/relax session! haha).

Anyway, four minutes goes by so slowly when running hard! The pace wasn't that much faster than my 5K pace last weekend, but it felt much harder. After the interval, I slowed to a jog, and waited for my heart rate to go down. It was taking much longer than usual. Eventually, I slowed to a walk to decrease my heart rate a little faster. I ended up with a half-mile recovery, which is the same as the interval itself.

My lungs were burning by the third interval, but I just keep pushing myself with one more to go. I walked for all the recoveries after that first one. I really don't think I could have managed a fifth--it was a very challenging interval run! But I was very happy with my 4:00 splits:

0.53 miles at 7:33/mi pace
0.53 miles at 7:30/mi pace
0.54 miles at 7:27/mi pace
0.53 miles at 7:35/mi pace

Pretty consistent, and very close to my target! You can see after that first interval where I was jogging, going slower and slower until I was walking just to get my heart rate down. For the next three, I just walked after each one. I didn't want to be outside any longer than I had to in that cold. For the rest of the day, I was feeling that "runner's lung" (not a real thing, I just call it that) where I coughed a little each time I took a deep breath. That's when I know I've had a really tough workout!

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Week 26 Weigh-in

I don't know what the heck is going on with my metabolism (not complaining!) but I had another big loss on the scale this week:

I weighed in at 123, dropping 2 pounds this week. That makes a total of 130 pounds lost, which is just so crazy to me! My average calorie intake was 1,737 per day. If you had told me that my weight would EVER get this low, I would have said you were being ridiculous.

When I set 133 as my goal weight, I always imagined that losing much more than that would make me look too thin, because I just couldn't picture it. Seeing how I look now, though, I don't think I look bad at this weight at all. Would I still be happy at 133? Of course. I just have a huge cushion to fall back on now, if I should indulge a little too much. This week, I'm going to try to get in more calories, either by having a second high-calorie day, or just eating a little more here and there.

Being on maintenance this time around feels entirely different than when I was on Weight Watchers. Back then (2013), I alway felt like I was just holding on by the skin of my teeth not to gain weight each week. I felt like I was constantly on edge, and one little slip would send me right over the side. This time, I am not being rigid with "rules" or anything like that, and I don't feel at all deprived. I don't feel that eating too much one day is going to send me into a tailspin. This is the most confident I've ever felt about losing/maintaining weight.

As far as my running goes, I felt much better this week by cutting back on the mileage. I ran 19.11 miles this week. (I didn't run twice yesterday, I just accidentally split up the warm-up from the intervals that I did, so it looks like to separate runs.) The pace for the intervals I did yesterday includes several minutes of total rest between intervals.

I did well with my long term goals this week, too:

Getting in 7,000+ steps per day for at least 6 days: I did 6 out of 7 days.
Staying binge-free: Still going strong! Today is Day 190.
Trying at least 1 new recipe: This week, I made Baked Spaghetti, which I wrote about yesterday.

Three for three on my long term goals! Here's to another great week :)

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Doughnuts

Wow. I can't even begin to thank you for all the kind words on my last post. I had no idea that my blog meant that much to some of you! Reading the feedback was actually very helpful, too. For example, I always used to think that writing a lot about my family was uninteresting to people who don't actually know us, so I tried not to stray too far off topic on my posts.

When I first started Runs for Cookies, I was basically just transferring over from another site (I used to write on Open Diary, a site that is no longer active, from 2000-2011). I had just lost 125 pounds, and I decided to start a new blog to help me with weight maintenance. I was so sure I was going to gain back the weight, as I had every time I tried to lose weight, that I wanted to have everything documented. That way, I could go back and see what went wrong.

Writing on Blogger was much easier than Open Diary, and I really enjoyed writing on my blog. I had been so used to just a handful of readers for years, I was caught off guard when I started getting a lot of traffic to my blog. It was kind of scary at first, because I shared so much of my life. I was getting a ton of questions about my weight loss, so I started responding to those as well as writing about my day-to-day life. And I was amazed at how many awesome people I've met (either in person or just via email) due to my blog.

For the past year or so, I've been feeling like I've already said everything I have to say, so I've been questioning whether it's time to close the blog. I feel like I'm writing the same things day after day. Reading all of your kind comments yesterday made me realize that some of you probably feel like you know me well from reading my blog, and if I were to just drop writing, it would feel like there was no conclusion.

Because my blog is called "Runs for Cookies", I guess I've always felt I should stay on topic (running, weight loss, maintenance, food, etc.) But the best part of having a blog is that it's MINE--I can write about whatever I want! ;)

Like I said, I don't plan to make any drastic changes. I just don't want to force myself to write something if I don't have anything to say that day. And I want to be more careful about what I post about my family (mainly the kids; Jerry doesn't mind being on the blog at all). So, I may write a little less frequently, or write shorter posts, but I'll still be here. My blog has changed quite a bit over the last five years, so this is just another subtle change.

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Anyway, today is Fat Tuesday! I had never actually eaten a paczki before, because they are traditionally made with prune or jelly filling, which doesn't appeal to me. Jerry told me that Monica's had some with vanilla cream filling, so I decided to try one this morning (Monica's is a local bakery that has amazing doughnuts).

It was definitely different from a doughnut. I love Monica's doughnuts, but the paczki was just okay. The flavor of the dough was different, and denser than the traditional yeast doughnuts. I told Jerry that I liked it, but that I probably wouldn't eat one again. I'll just stick to doughnuts!

Speaking of doughnuts, Jerry and I discovered something kind of interesting this week. Jerry's favorite food in the world is doughnuts, and when he ate one a couple of weeks ago at work, he said he didn't even enjoy it because he felt so guilty for eating it (he is counting calories as well). He started counting calories when I did, but he hasn't been able to drop the 10 pounds that he's wanted to lose.

When he said that he felt guilty, I told him that he shouldn't feel guilty if he just plans the doughnut into his day. I even suggested that he buy a doughnut every single morning, count the calories in it, and enjoy every bite guilt-free. He obviously liked that idea, so that's what he's done all week. And you know what? He dropped four pounds!

Even if this is completely unscientific, I really believe that our feelings play a role in whether our body lets us lose weight. I notice that when I feel guilty for eating something, I have a hard time losing; but when I plan for it, enjoy it, and don't feel bad about it, the weight comes off much more easily. Since I started calorie counting, and I don't feel guilty for anything that I eat, I have had a fairly easy time losing the weight (I'm eight pounds under my goal weight, without even trying!). When I was on Weight Watchers, and I ate something that put me over my Points for the day, I would feel guilty about it.

Several people have asked me what I am doing differently since I started calorie counting. It's really not much! Other than what I wrote in the series about binge eating, the biggest difference is that I feel much better about myself and I don't feel bad about what I'm eating. Jerry agrees--this past week, his only change has been that he plans ahead for a doughnut every morning, and he eats it guilt-free.

I asked him why he thinks eating a doughnut helped him drop four pounds this week, and he said that the doughnut gives him something to look forward to, and it's something that he really wants. It has stopped him from eating a bunch of things he doesn't really want (he was snacking at work, trying to avoid eating something like doughnuts, when he would have been better off in the long run to just eat a doughnut and not snack).

He had been very doubtful when I suggested the doughnut idea to him, but he was surprised to see that it actually worked. He only buys one at a time, so he doesn't have a whole box staring at him all day. And he buys good quality, freshly made doughnuts from Monica's so it's satisfying to him. Feeling satisfied with his favorite food every day has made him stop eating compulsively throughout the day.

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For Taste Test Tuesday this week, I made this recipe for Baked Spaghetti. The recipe said it serves 8-10, but I cut it into 12, and the portions were pretty big for being under 400 calories.

Jerry, Noah, and I all liked it a lot; Eli wasn't crazy about it, because he doesn't like Italian sausage (I used hot Italian turkey sausage, not the sweet Italian sausage the recipe called for). This tasted just like lasagna, only the spaghetti noodles are much easier to work with than lasagna noodles. I'll make it again--it was good!

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Blog changes

I almost didn't write a post today, but I had a moment this evening that I wanted to share.

Everything has been going so well lately, that I've been feeling really great about myself and where I am at this moment in my life. A couple of days ago, a reader contacted me to tell me that my before and after photos were being used in a mailer from a personal trainer. She forwarded the mailer to me, and sure enough, my photos were there (my watermark cropped out). The email implied that the trainer trained me to get to my "after" photo.

I was pissed, of course. This has happened before, where some scam company uses my photos to try and sell diet pills or something. That's why I started watermarking my before and after photos. I have messaged the trainer twice now (once by email, once on Facebook) and he still hasn't responded. I asked him to please remove my photo from anywhere that he has used it, and I said I would appreciate it if he would retract what he'd written in the mailer. I just want him to acknowledge that what he did was wrong. He earns money through his site, not just from training but by selling memberships to private running groups.

Anyway, I was angry about that, but I was planning to give him one more chance to respond privately before I went public with his wrongdoing. As I went to the message part of Facebook, I noticed a message in there from another reader. She said she noticed that my blog post was on a different website. I checked it out, and someone had copied my ENTIRE blog post about the Weight Watchers SmartPoints plan, including my scale photo, onto their own blog... word for word.

Stealing a photo is upsetting to me, but copying my entire post? How could anyone possibly think that's okay?! I looked at the Facebook page for this blog, and they have over 90,000 fans. They had posted a link to "their" post on the blog, making it appear as if they had written the whole thing. At the very bottom, in tiny lettering (light gray color) was "Source: www.runsforcookies.com". That's it! It's one thing to post a link to someone else's blog, where people can read it at the source (that's totally fine); but it's actually illegal to copy and paste my entire blog post the way they did.

The post had only been up for an hour, but the damage had been done--there were a dozen or so shares on Facebook, and lots of repins on Pinterest. I immediately reported the copyright infringement to Pinterest and Facebook, and I messaged the Facebook page to please remove it all. I was really upset by the whole thing, especially considering it happened just after the personal trainer stole my photos. I posted a public comment that it had been stolen from my blog, and some random person replied that because my blog is public, anyone is free to copy whatever they want (not true!).

At that moment, I wanted to just take down my entire blog. It's hard to describe, but I just felt very violated. I started to think about all the other things that have probably been copied and posted elsewhere, including my kids' pictures. I was so upset that I started crying, and it had been a long time since I've cried--like I said, everything has been going so well for me lately. As I waited and hoped for a response from the Facebook page, I was SO TEMPTED to binge eat. The anxiety I was feeling would have been eased in just seconds if I could stuff my face with food.

And you know what I did? I went for a walk. The kids and I took Joey for a walk around the neighborhood, because it was so gorgeous outside (50 degrees!) and I just wanted to get away from my computer. We only walked one loop of the neighborhood, which was about 3/4 of a mile, but I was starting to feel better. I got a text from Jerry (he was at work), who said that the post had been removed from Facebook, and I was so relieved when I heard that.

When I got home, there was a message from that Facebook page, telling me that they were sorry and had removed the post from the blog, Pinterest, and Facebook. Now, if only I could get the personal trainer to admit his wrong doing in stealing my photos. (ETA: I finally got an email from him. He apologized and said he would remove my photo; it's already been mailed out to thousands of people, so I don't know how much good that will do. But I am glad he at least responded.)

Anyway, the whole point of this post was not to complain about people stealing my property. I was very proud of myself for choosing to handle the stress and anxiety I was feeling without food. In the past, I've always turned to food to make me feel better, but I've been getting really good at avoiding binge eating. Anxiety is my biggest binge trigger, and being able to deal with that mess today in a healthy way (going for a walk) is big progress for me.

All of that said, I'm just not sure where to go from here. I'm feeling less and less comfortable posting about my life online (you may have noticed that I've been writing less frequently). When I had just a handful of readers, I was very open about everything--probably way too much information, honestly! I miss those days--when I could make a joke without someone being offended, curse freely, post a food log without being nitpicked and criticized, and write about things like sex because my mom wasn't yet a reader ;) My blog has always been a place for me to just write about my day and my thoughts; never a place to preach or tell others how they should be doing things, so I hope it doesn't come across that way.

I've been thinking about making some changes to my blog, and keeping a lot of my personal life out of it; but on the other hand, I love to keep a journal documenting my day to day life. And I've met some completely amazing people through my blog! I suppose I could just keep a handwritten journal at home, but there is something fun about having a public platform to share my ideas and thoughts. It has sparked some great conversations over the years, and I have learned a ton from readers who have commented or emailed.

Over 99% of the feedback I receive on my blog is positive and/or constructive, so I don't want the few negative parts to change the way I write. However, as my kids are getting older, I am starting to think that maybe it's time I just stick to writing about my running and weight loss/gain/maintenance, even if that is boring. I don't want the kids or other family members to feel "on display", if that makes sense.

I'm not saying that I'm going to be doing anything drastic; but if you notice that I don't write as much about my family as I used to, it's just because I am trying to conserve some privacy for them. And because of this, I may not be writing as frequently as I have for the past few years. This blog has been such a blessing in my life (amazing opportunities, meeting people who have become extremely close friends, helping me stay accountable in the weight loss goals) and I just can't really imagine what life would be like without it!

Thanks so much for reading. I'm not going anywhere, but I want to take a moment to say thank you--for inspiring me, for healing me, for teaching me, and for growing with me :) xo

I don't have any good pictures for this post, so I'll share this picture of Joey and me. February 3rd was his one-year "adoptiversary"!

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2016 Muskrat Run 5K race report

I've always said that 5K is my least favorite race distance, because it's SO HARD. You basically run just under a sprint pace for 3.1 miles, which is pretty torturous ;) My PR was actually really old, because I just don't like the distance enough to race it more often. In December 2012, I ran 25:44, which was my best official race time. In 2013, I ran 3.1 miles in 24:04, but that was a training run, so it doesn't really count for a PR (at least in my eyes).

This year, we've had unbelievably warm weather for the season. I've always wanted to do this Muskrat Run (just for fun), but when the day comes, it's always icy and the paths at the park are covered in snow. A couple of years ago, there was a blizzard during the race! This year, we have exactly ZERO snow on the ground. I've been watching the weather, and decided to go ahead and do this race. Not just run it for fun, but to run my best!

The last 5K I did was the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving, and I ran my hardest that day. My finish time was an even 27:00 (the course was short, so I had to adjust my time to reflect that). Today, my goal was 1) to have improved since Thanksgiving; and 2) to hopefully be on track for a 10K PR in April. I was really hoping to hit sub-25:00 today, but I figured I would most likely hit something around 25:30-25:45.

I've been training much differently than ever before, but I had no real idea if it was working. I've been doing most of my running at a very slow, easy pace (about 11:00-11:30/mile). And a couple of times a week, I run short intervals (about 1-4 minutes each). In the past, I've always insisted that tempo runs are the way to go to get faster; and this training plan I've been following doesn't contain much tempo running (there are only two segments in 10 weeks of training, and the longest time at tempo pace is 10 minutes).

I've been doing a ton of reading about 10K training lately, and the thing that stuck out to me the most is this: most people think they want to get faster, but in reality, they probably just need to work on endurance. Most people can run fast for a short distance; but to sustain that pace, you need endurance. To get that endurance, you need to run aerobically, and keep your heart rate low. I've been second-guessing my training constantly, because I'm not doing speed work for more than a couple of minutes at at time. I knew I was capable of running a 7:55-ish pace, but I had no idea for how long I could hold that!

Basically, I felt like I was going into this 5K completely blind, not knowing if I was going to burn out 10 minutes in or if the endurance training I've been doing would carry me through the whole distance.

All of that said, the race was at 11:00 this morning, so I had plenty of time to get ready. I didn't have to wake up early and rush out the door. The race was at the State Park, which is less than 10 minutes away, and it's a small race, so I figured I'd leave at 10:00 to register. The weather was nearly perfect for a run--32 degrees and sunny, but windy (wind chill was 21 degrees). Running in wind is not my forte.

I left my house at 10:00, and was registered and bibbed by 10:20. I probably should have left a little later, but I always like to be early. In all the reading I've been doing lately, I've also started believing in the importance of warming up before a hard run. I've read about the the physiological benefits to a warm-up, including some strides, before a hard effort. So, at around 10:40, I headed out for a jog around the parking lot, throwing in a few strides.

I was super bummed during the warm-up, because that stupid abdominal muscle spasm was back! I tried breathing deeply, holding my abs in (sometimes that helps), forcing my abs outward (again, sometimes it helps), but nothing was working. Right then, I knew the race was not going to go well, if I'd be able to finish at all.

Just before 11:00, we lined up. I'm not sure how many runners there were, but I would guess about 50 or 60. I knew the course very well, considering it was at the State Park that I run frequently, and they happened to throw in the only "hill" we have in about a 20 mile radius, haha. My friend Tammy was behind me at the starting line, so I asked her to take a quick picture.

I was lined up just behind all the guys who looked like they were there to win. I don't like lining up that close to the front, but I don't like getting stuck behind people, either. I just made my best guess as to where to go. When the race started, I realized I chose well. I was passed by about two people right away, but otherwise, I could see I was pretty close to the front of the pack.

I looked at my Garmin after a minute or so, and I was going way too fast--low 7:00's--so I knew I'd better slow down. It didn't seem that fast, because I was basically running with a pack. Since nobody was passing me, and I wasn't passing anyone, it kind of felt like I wasn't going anywhere (my lungs would say otherwise). I just wanted to focus on being steady, so I slowed the pace down to the high 7:00's.

In that first mile, I actually passed a few people when we went up the "hill"! I thought for sure they would be coming up behind me any second on the downhill, and I felt that way the whole race. Running along the water was brutal, because we had a headwind. My heart rate got up over 175, which is when that effort becomes unsustainable for me. I can maintain 174 or lower, but once I hit 175, I can feel basically myself dying.

The first mile was actually sub-8:00! I was surprised by that, but several weeks ago, I'd run a sub-8:00 in training. After that first mile though, I was just waiting for my body to say, "Nope--not today!" and totally crash (in training, I hadn't run more than 10 minutes at a fast pace). The second mile felt better, because the wind wasn't too bad. I shocked myself with another sub-8:00. (Surprisingly, the muscle spasm from earlier never appeared during the race. I am so glad that I took the time to warm up! Otherwise, the spasm would have happened during the race.)

After that, I was really starting to get tired. We had to go along the water a second time, directly into the wind, and the voice in my head was screaming at me to take a walk break. I saw my heart rate was 176, so I made the conscious decision to slow until it reached 174, even though it meant taking the pace slower than 8:00. Mile 3 ended up being 8:05, so not bad at all. Then I kicked it as hard as I could manage, even though I was ready to collapse, for the last tenth of a mile.

I crossed the finish line in 24:51!! A new "official" PR. I was super excited to have hit my "A" goal. My pace was 7:56/mile, just a second slower than I need to run my 10K in April. After the race today, I feel like it's certainly possible to hit my 10K goal. I have two months to train, and build my endurance even more. I'm doing a 4-mile race on February 29, so I'm hoping to run a 7:55 pace for that. If I can do that, I will have another month to tack on another 2 miles at that pace. Difficult, but not impossible.

After crossing the finish line, I sat at a picnic table and just tried to slow my breathing. I had given everything I had, and I honestly feel like it was my best effort--I don't think I could have finished even one second faster than I did. So, I was really happy with the result. I took over two minutes off of my Turkey Trot time!

After calming my breathing for about five minutes, I was about to leave, when I realized I may have placed in my age group. I was curious, so I hung around to wait. They posted the results, and when I checked the board, I was shocked to see MY name as first place in my age group! I was super excited about that, and then the volunteer working there told me that I had also finished as second female overall!

Yes, this was a very small race, but I am still super proud of it. To be the second female to finish was awesome! I waited around for the awards presentation, and I saw that the first female won $100--something to strive for next year? Haha. I never pay attention to the award info on the race registration (because I usually don't win), but I was psyched when they announced that the second place female (me!) would receive a $50 gift certificate to a runner store. (The race itself was $30--would have been $20 if I'd registered early--well worth it.)

Getting my award

The medal was for winning my age group; the gift certificate was for overall.

I have a total runner's high right now. I love the feeling of setting lofty goals and crushing them! I have a lot more confidence in this style of training, too. Looking forward to seeing what happens next :)

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Ladies Night at Running Lab

Yesterday evening, I had the pleasure of meeting several local women who are "influencers" in the running/fitness population. A couple of weeks ago, I received an email from a running store called Running Lab in Brighton, Michigan. They invited me to "Ladies Night", a private event at their store for the influencers. Brighton isn't very close (a little over an hour away), but apparently, some of my readers told Running Lab about my blog, which is why I was invited. I was so flattered that people spoke highly of my blog to the store, so I decided to make the drive up there (besides, I love running stores!). So, I want to thank those of you that told Running Lab about me!

I was getting nervous about driving up to Brighton by myself--an unfamiliar area, rush hour, and driving in the dark is a combination that made me uncomfortable. Jerry wanted to take the kids to see Star Wars again, so he looked to see if there was a theater near the running store, and there was. The timing worked out perfectly for us to drive up there after the kids got out of school, and the boys would see the movie while I attended Ladies Night.

I always feel socially awkward when attending events where I don't know a single soul, but I've gotten more comfortable over the past couple of years from attending a number of blogger events, so I was excited to go. When I got there, they had a nice food spread and even beer and wine!

I introduced myself to Renee, the woman from Running Lab who had invited me, and she was super nice. I took a little piece of dessert and a glass of wine, and sat next to a couple of women. They didn't know anyone either, so we started chatting about how it is that we were invited and what we do. I had assumed it would be all bloggers, but I actually ended up being the only blogger there. There were running coaches, fitness instructors, and people just very passionate about helping others get into running.

Once everyone was there (probably about 20 women), we went around the room to introduce ourselves. This was my favorite part of the evening, because it was really fun to hear from everyone about how they came to be runners or how exactly they help others with running. After the introductions, we heard from a Brooks representative for the Moving Comfort sports bras.

That was actually the first I'd heard of Moving Comfort--I have very small boobs, so I've always just used cheap sports bras. The Brooks rep said that our sports bras should come second only to running shoes when it comes to quality of sports apparel, and that they should never see a birthday (meaning that they need to be replaced before they are even a year old). She suggested replacing them when we replace our shoes. I was embarrassed to admit that I have sports bras that are about five years old, haha.

She said that she'd be measuring each of us and giving us a nice sports bra! I was glad to be measured, because after dropping these last 10 pounds or so, I swear my boobs have gotten even smaller. When I was measured at Victoria's Secret not too long ago, I was a 36 B. At the Running Lab store last night, I measured a 36 A! I know a lot of women might not like losing their boobs, but I happen to prefer small boobs. Being an A cup is totally fine with me ;)

I tried on a couple of bras and ended up choosing a cute black one with pink straps. One of the benefits to having small boobs is that I don't need the "straightjacket" type bras (the Brooks rep called their most supportive bra a straightjacket, haha).

There was a Saucony representative there as well, and she spoke about the importance of finding the right running shoes. Running Lab offers gait analyses at their store, which is really great (I wish the store was closer to me!). They have a treadmill at the store, and during a gait analysis, they will film you running on the treadmill, and then watch it in slow motion to see if there are any issues with your stride. I had a gait analysis done by my physical therapist last year, which showed that I have a weak left hip.

Last night, the Saucony rep told us that we'd be getting fitted for shoes, and given a pair of Sauconys! How awesome is that? Saucony is a brand that I've never actually worn before, so I'm interested to try them. Over the last year or so, I've gotten less attached to any particular brand/model. (For five years, I was wearing Brooks Adrenaline; but once I tried Altras, I really liked those. Then I tried the Brooks Ghost, and those have become my favorite. I rotate several different shoes now.)

Renee measured my feet, watched me walk, asked me to do a few things with my feet, and then brought out a few options to try on. My feet were measuring an 8.5, but I ended up getting a 10 (all my running shoes are 9.5-10). I ultimately chose the Saucony Triumph, which feel lighter and more flexible than what I'm used to, but very comfortable. I'm excited to go for a run in them!

In all, the evening was very fun and I met some great ladies. I left with some seriously awesome swag (a nice Running Lab jacket, t-shirt, Feetures! socks, a few samples of gels, and the shoes and bra).

I also got some gift cards for Running Lab, which I'd like to give to those readers who mentioned my blog to Running Lab (as a thank you--if you hadn't done that, I never would have been invited!). So, if that's you, please send me an email and I'll send you a gift card for the store :)

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Tomorrow, I'm running a 5K race. I wasn't sure if I was going to do it until a couple of days ago (I wanted to watch the weather). I'm going to run my hardest and see what my current 5K race pace is--hopefully I'll have seen some improvement from the Turkey Trot. My time was 27:00 for the Turkey Trot, which is a pace of 8:41/mile. That was on a hilly course, and tomorrow's race is super flat.

If I have a perfect race tomorrow (feel really good, no issues at all), I'm hoping to finish under 25:00 (an 8:03/mile pace, the same that I'll need to run the 10K in April). But I think that more likely, I'll finish around 25:30-25:45 (8:12-8:17/mi pace).

Interestingly, my current 5K PR is 25:44. I've run 5K faster than that in training (24:04 was my best); but in a race, the fastest I've finished is 25:44 in December 2012. So it will be nice if I can get an official PR tomorrow!

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Week 25 Weigh-in (and a recap of my goal weight history)

Today marks 25 weeks since I started calorie counting. I reached maintenance 10 weeks ago, when I hit my goal weight of 133. I haven't been actively trying to lose more weight, but I like having a cushion under my goal, so that if I have an indulgent weekend or vacation, I won't get on the scale to see that I'm five pounds over my goal weight. This week, I (accidentally) hit a couple of huge milestones:

I weighed in at 125. One hundred twenty-five pounds!! That means that I have now lost 128 pounds--and I am less than HALF my starting weight :)

When I was a teenager, and young adult, I always envisioned my goal weight to be 125. It just sounded like the perfect number. As I got older (and heavier) I realized that it just wasn't realistic. When I was losing the weight in 2009-2010, I was aiming first for 185, and then 160. Eventually 150.  When I hit 149, I was ecstatic, because I had never before seen the 140's. The next big milestone was the 130's--I'm pretty sure my jaw hit the floor the day I saw 139. When I reached that weight, I imagined how awesome it would be to hit not just 129, but 126.5, to say that I was "half my size".

In late 2010, I saw 127.5 on the scale one day, but that was the closest I ever got to being half my size. I had a broken jaw at the time, and was living off of smoothies, so it was short-lived. As soon as the wires came off my jaw, I gained back 10 pounds immediately. My weight stayed mostly between 140-150 for 2011 and 2012. In the fall of 2012, I reached 156, and was horrified--so I joined Weight Watchers, and gave the PointsPlus plan a try. I set a new goal weight of 133, and surprisingly, I actually reached that goal on 12-12-12.

I maintained that weight for about a year, and then I turned into a big anxious mess, and gained 27 pounds back from emotional eating. I tried doing Weight Watchers, but I just was not losing like I had before. I was miserable, even though I tried my best to be happy at that size.

In August 2015, I switched gears from Weight Watchers to calorie counting. And the weight started melting off, faster than it had with Weight Watchers. I still have no idea how it came off so easily! I took a much less strict approach, where I didn't have a calorie target for the day, and that helped me tremendously. I learned to be kinder to myself, and that eating more than usual one day didn't mean I'd failed. I learned to balance my calories out.

On November 25, just 15 weeks after I started calorie counting, I had dropped those 27 pounds and was back at my goal weight of 133! For these last 10 weeks of maintenance, I haven't really been doing anything differently than I did to lose the weight. I've been eating a little more than I was when I was actively trying to lose, but as I said, I don't have a calorie target. I've been paying a lot of attention to my body's cues, and even if I don't always obey them, I'm much more aware of my hunger and satiety.

Anyway, back to today's weigh in... I somehow dropped three pounds this week, after weighing in at 128 for the last three weeks in a row. My calories were a little less than usual, an average of 1,703 per day. I decided to take my measurements (full body, not just waist) and body fat percentage today, too, since I'm now 8 pounds under my goal. My body fat is 19%, which I'm thrilled with. My waist is now 24.75"--my waist has never been this small! I compared today's measurements with my starting measurements:

Kind of crazy, right?! When I used to measure my abdomen, it was very obvious where I needed to put the tape measure, because it was the largest circumference of my body--but today, I was just kind of looking in the mirror like, "Where do I put the tape measure?"

I did great with all three goals this week:

I got in 7,000+ steps all 7 days; remained binge-free; and I tried two new recipes. One was for peanut butter bars, for my birthday dessert (I chose this instead of cake):

I wish I could say they were amazing, but were a little bland--I would have liked more peanut butter flavor. They gave me a bad stomachache, too, so I won't be making them again. You know I love chocolate and peanut butter, so for me to not enjoy these was kind of shocking.

The other recipe I tried was for One Pot Chili Mac & Cheese, which was delicious! Especially with sour cream stirred in. (The recipe said four servings, but I doubled the recipe and got 11 generous servings out of it. I also used ground turkey breast instead of beef, just because we like turkey better.) The whole family loved this.

I followed the 80/20 running plan all week, and learned that I am just not cut out to run every day. Yesterday, I was experiencing all the classic symptoms of overtraining. So, I have to scale it back. I'm going to follow the previous plan I was doing, because it still fits into the 80/20 ratio of easy running to hard running (and it was working so well!); it's just less mileage overall. I'll write more about all that later. Anyway, here is a recap of this week's runs:

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Clearly, I am super excited about this week's weigh-in. I never intended to get to 125, but it somehow happened, so I'm not complaining. Hopefully this will help me hit my 10K goal in April!

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