Week 47 Weigh-in

I'm not going to reflect much on my weigh in today, because I wrote it all last week. My "moving average" is up a little more... again. I wish I could say that after last week's confessional about my struggles right now, I pulled myself together and kicked ass this week. But, that's not the case. I am pulling myself along to the best of my ability right now, and that's all I can really do.

Yesterday, I read an email from a reader regarding last week's post, and it really made me stop and think. She said to try to focus on the parts of fitness and food that make me happy rather than looking for that specific area to improve. I really like that idea! I am always so focused on the struggles and how to fix them that I never really think about the parts that I enjoy.

Here are some things about food and fitness that I really enjoy:

• Watermelon (I'm obsessed with watermelon right now!)
• Easy runs (the truly easy ones, when I feel like it's a light jog)
• Home-cooked food
• La Croix water
• Running with my kids and Jerry
• Feeling fit
• Logging my food on Fat Secret (yes, I'm in the minority, but I love logging my food!)
• Hitting my step goal on Fitbit (I started wearing it again last week)
• Looking at my running data (because I'm a numbers nerd)

Okay, that's what I could come up with for now. I just realized how rare it is that I really think about how much I enjoy those things! Lately, I've been stressing about the things I'm doing "wrong"--snacking when I'm not hungry, overindulging in ice cream, etc.--that I haven't thought about the things I'm doing "right"--drinking tons of water, getting in my runs, eating a lot of fresh fruit, etc. I think that simple mind trick might help with my mood and stop me from worrying so much about it.

Anyway, while this week hasn't been great as far as eating goes (I typically have one good day, one bad day, one good day, etc...), I've had an AWESOME week as far as my running goes. I unintentionally started a run streak, and yesterday was actually Day 10. I don't normally do run streaks, because I believe rest days are super important; but like I said, I didn't do this intentionally.

Last Wednesday, I scheduled a rest day, but that morning, I really wanted to run. So I did! I was going to rest on Friday, but it was raining in the morning, so I headed out to get in my "Rainy Run" on my Cookies Summer Running Checklist. Then on Monday, I was scheduled for another rest day, but since I wanted to get in a run for the 4th of July (again, for my Checklist), I ran again.

So, while last week I mentioned that I really need to make a running schedule because I was having a hard time getting motivated to run, now I feel overly motivated--crazy! I really like having a routine, and after a rest day, I always have a hard time pushing myself out the door to run. It's comfortable doing the same thing every day, and for the last 10 days, that's included running.

My mileage hasn't been crazy, though--there were three runs that were just two miles. I never used to think a run was worth it if it wasn't at least three miles long, but I've really enjoyed the two-milers this week. I've liked doing my Summer Running Checklist a lot, too!

Today, I broke the run streak in order to take a rest day. I was tempted to continue the streak, but the last thing I need is to get injured again. Now, if only I could just get overly motivated to work on my diet... ;)

This week, I'd like to focus on getting back into the habit of eating on a schedule. I think that is what was most helpful in not overeating when I was doing really well. Lately, I've been snacking a lot in the afternoon and evening, when I am not even hungry, which is where the problem is.

BUT--like I said above--I am not going to focus on the problem right now. One thing that I enjoy about eating on a schedule is that I actually feel hungry when it's time to eat, and food tastes so much better when I'm hungry. So, instead of stressing about snacking all afternoon, I'm going to try to keep in mind how much I enjoy my snack at night when I'm actually hungry. I think this approach will help with my mood/attitude.

So, thank you, Reader (not sure if you want your name mentioned, so I won't) for the suggestion of focusing on the things I enjoy about food and fitness! It's very refreshing :)

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How to Become a Runner (and Get Faster)

In theory, becoming a runner is simple--you just run, and you're a runner! But anyone who tries it for the first time knows that it's actually not that easy. Running is tough! And at first, it's not enjoyable, because you get out of breath and exhausted.

When I tried to start a running program (the ever-popular Couch to 5K plan), I could never get through week 4. (You can read my story of how I became a runner here.) And more than anything, I hated doing run/walk intervals. I found myself dreading each run interval, which made the entire workout kind of miserable. Since I couldn't get past week 4, I finally decided to do my own plan--something that got the running portion out of the way at the beginning of the workout, and then I wouldn't have to dread the intervals.

I continued to increase my mileage until I was running three miles at a time. Only then did I start working on getting faster.

I recently wrote a training plan that is very similar to what I did when I started running. I wasn't following a formal plan, but the way I've written this is as close as it gets. Before getting started running, I suggest building up a routine of walking 30 minutes, 3-4 times per week. This is important because it makes the routine a habit. When you've built up this habit, you'll feel very "off" when you miss a workout--and that's a good thing! It will help you to stick with the running plan.

Click here for the "Walk to Run" training plan PDF

Some tips for getting started as a runner:

   I know it's cliché, but I have to say it: Check with your doctor. Show him or her the training plan. Make sure you're healthy enough to do it.

   Choose a 5K race to sign up for, and register NOW--right this minute--so that you are motivated to stick with the training schedule. Once you're running for 30 minutes straight from using the Walk to Run plan, you can continue to build up a base with my Base Building for Beginners plan. When choosing a race, I would pick one that's about 4 months away, and make it your motivation to stick with the training!

   Once you choose a race and register, tell everyone you know. Right away. Announce it on Facebook, tell your friends and family, your hair stylist, your dental hygienist, everyone you see. This is also insurance that you will actually get in the training. How embarrassing would it feel if you just up and quit, and then everyone asks about your race?

   Choose a training plan. If you don't use mine, then find one that fits into your lifestyle--if you don't have much time to run, don't choose a plan that has you running six days a week for an hour each time.

   If the running feels too hard, or you think you can't make it through the running portion of each workout, SLOW DOWN YOUR PACE. It should feel ridiculously, embarrassingly slow! If you slow down, and progress the plan as written, you should be able to complete the workouts.

   Go to a running store and get fitted for good running shoes. They aren't cheap, but they are a great investment! The wrong running shoes can cause injury and making running miserable. Besides, if you invest in good shoes, you'll be more likely to stick with the training. You will feel terrible if you waste the money you spent on those shoes!

   Be consistent with your training. I can't stress enough how important it is to train consistently! Choose a training plan that you can fit into your life (the one I've written is 30 minutes, 3-4 times per week... which I think is do-able for pretty much anyone). Once you start skipping workouts, it becomes easier and easier to skip more--and then quit. Make a commitment that works for you (I committed to 30 minutes, 3 days per week) and make it NON-NEGOTIABLE.

   Do the plan with a friend, if possible, to make it more fun! If that doesn't work out, you can keep things interesting by running several different routes. Post to social media about your runs, so that you hold yourself accountable. Follow runners on social media, like Instagram, to motivate you to stick with your training.

All of that said, becoming a runner really is as simple as just running! And I promise that it gets easier the more you do it... when I think back to my first run, I'm kind of amazed at how far I've come. I went from running less than 1/10th of a mile to running three full marathons! I used to think running was the hardest exercise to do, but now I find it the easiest (aside from walking). If you stick with the training, and do it consistently, you will be amazed at yourself as well!

The first thing that people ask me once they start running regularly is how to get faster. In the beginning, I wouldn't worry about this at all. The most important thing is running regularly, and building the discipline needed to continuously run several times a week for the long term. However, if you've build up a solid base of easy running, then here are some ways to get faster...

To Build Speed:

   Run more mileage. The more you run, the better you will be at at running--just like anything else in life, practice makes (almost) perfect. So, just by running consistently, you will naturally get faster as your body gets conditioned to the mileage.

   Start some basic speed work. Speed work should make up no more than 20% of the time you spend running, so use it minimally. (Even experienced runners shouldn't do more than 20% speed work). Also, you should never do two "hard runs" on back-to-back days. Hard runs are anything faster than an easy run, OR a long run. A long run is considered a hard run, so you shouldn't do it back-to-back with other hard runs.

The simplest speed work you can add is called a "Fartlek" run. For a Fartlek, you basically run at several different speeds without rhyme or reason. You may start at an easy jog, and then sprint to the next mailbox. Then slow until you reach the corner. Then run hard for the length of a block. And then slow jog for the rest of the song you're listening to. And so on. It shouldn't be a specific time or distance--just whatever you feel like doing at the moment. By doing some short, fast bursts of running, your legs will start to strengthen those muscles needed to get faster.

   Another form of speed work is similar to the Fartlek run, but it's very structured, and we call it "intervals" or "repeats". This may mean running for 60 seconds very fast, and then walking or jogging slowly for 60 seconds. Or it could be running hard for 1/4 mile, and then walking or jogging slowly for 1/8 of a mile. Then you repeat each set several times. These are tough workouts! But they will most certainly make you a faster runner.

   Finally, another run that I believe makes a world of difference in your ability to get faster is called a "tempo run". For this run, you might jog five minutes at an easy pace, and then run at tempo pace for 25 minutes, and then jog to cool down. Tempo pace is faster than an easy run, but not as hard as sprinting. It should be uncomfortable enough to where you wish you could slow down, but you know that you could continue at that pace for the duration. I usually do these at the fastest pace I can manage without having to slow down or take a break. And I am completely spent at the end!

Those are three basic forms of speed work that will certainly make you a faster runner, once you have a solid base. However, it's super important to develop a base of easy running before you start adding in speed work. PLEASE read my post about "The Importance of the Easy Run" before you start running at all.

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Well, there you have it! How to get started as a runner, as well as how to get faster once you've built your easy run base.

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Walk to Run Training Plan

This plan is for those who aren't currently runners, but would like to get started.

Click here for a PDF of the Walk to Run Plan

When I tried to start a running program (the ever-popular Couch to 5K plan), I could never get through week 4. And more than anything, I hated doing run/walk intervals. I found myself dreading each run interval, which made the entire workout kind of miserable. Since I couldn't get past week 4, I finally decided to do my own plan--something that got the running portion out of the way at the beginning of the workout, and then I wouldn't have to dread the intervals.

My first run, I went out and ran as far as I could--which ended up being less than 1/10th of a mile. It was hard, and I couldn't imagine how anyone could run a mile, let alone a full marathon (as my friend Renee had done recently). Then I walked until that workout reached 30 minutes.

The next time I went out, I tried to run just a little farther than before. And again, I walked until the workout reached 30 minutes. I continued to do this, going a little farther each time I ran. However, I wasn't progressing as quickly as I would have liked. I talked to my brother about it, and he gave me some advice that would become the most useful advice I'd ever received as a runner. He told me to "Slow down! If you run really slowly, you'll be able to go a lot farther than you think you can."

The next time I ran, I ended up running my first mile! I couldn't believe how much better it felt when I went slowly. I felt like I could probably have walked faster than I was running, but it didn't matter at that point. I continued to increase my mileage until I was running three miles at a time. Only then did I start working on getting faster.

I recently wrote a training plan that is very similar to what I did when I started running: The "Walk to Run" Plan. I wasn't following a formal plan, but the way I've written this is as close as it gets. Before getting started running, I suggest building up a routine of walking 30 minutes, 3-4 times per week. This is important because it makes the routine a habit. When you've built up this habit, you'll feel very "off" when you miss a workout--and that's a good thing! It will help you to stick with the running plan.

So, this plan is for those of you that want to get started running, but you hate the thought of doing run/walk intervals. You should be capable of walking 30 minutes, 3 times per week to be able to handle this plan. Also, I have to say this, make sure you check with your doctor before you begin. Show them a copy of the plan and just make sure they are cool with you following it.

Once you're in the habit of walking 30 minutes, 3-4 times per week, then you can start with "Week 0" of the training plan (which is just walking). You won't start any actual running until Week 1. The first running workout seems sort of silly:

Walk 5 minutes
Run 30 seconds
Walk 24:30 minutes

It totals 30 minutes, and there is a grand total of just 30 seconds of running! But it's nice to get that running portion out of the way early, and then you don't have to worry about it for the rest of the workout.

When I say "run" 30 seconds, what I really mean is "lightly jog". Pretty much anyone can jog lightly for 30 seconds! The plan progresses slowly, adding just 30 seconds to 1 or 2 minutes per workout. It's kind of amazing that by adding just a tiny amount here and there, you'll be running for 30 straight minutes after 12 weeks (11 weeks, if you don't count Week 0).

I hope the plan is simple to follow, and I wish you the best as you become a runner! I welcome all feedback, good or bad, about the plan and how it works for you. Enjoy :)

Click here for a PDF of the Walk to Run Plan

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Short trailer for From Fat to Finish Line

I almost didn't write a post today, but I wanted to share this video, so this will be a super quick post.

As I mentioned, the From Fat to Finish Line documentary is going to be released on August 2nd--it's coming up so fast! I'm a nervous wreck, especially when I saw this on Amazon:

"Starring Katie Foster"... what?! This is just so crazy to me. I'm actually more nervous than excited at this point. When I agreed to this whole thing, I never dreamed it would actually get this far. On Amazon? And Netflix? It blows my mind!

Anyway, Angela (the producer) shared another short trailer for the film. I already showed you the original trailer several times, so here is a short, fun one that was shared today:



I love Rik's quote at the end. That's EXACTLY how I feel when I finish a run :)

As the release gets closer, I may be sharing some more photos or videos as Angela allows. If you follow the From Fat to Finish Line page on Facebook, you can see them all there as well.

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Today, I checked off another run on my Cookies Summer Running Checklist--the "Podcast Run", where you download a new podcast and listen to it while you run. I downloaded the new podcast from Runner's World, which I'd been meaning to do anyway, and I listened to the episode with Bart Yasso (one of my favorite people in the running community). I think he really needs his own podcast where he can tell stories about his runs! His stories are SO interesting! I listened to his seminar at a RW event, and then I bought his book because I enjoyed the seminar so much.

Anyway, I am getting bored of taking mid-run selfies (and for some reason, they keep coming out super blurry). I'm not sure how else to "document" my run with photos, other than the token Garmin photo. So today, I decided to try out the timer on my phone. I propped it up on a rock, and managed to get a pretty good picture!

I ran 3.5 miles at an easy pace, and it felt REALLY good today. The temp was much lower, which is probably why.

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I've been trying to get some good pictures of Olivia/Monica (we call her Monica, but because we are fostering her, we can't really officially change her name). She's constantly on the move, so about 49 out of 50 pictures I take turn out blurry. But here is a decent one:

And I love how she sleeps curled into a tiny ball:

She adores my family, but she still doesn't get along with the other pets. I hope that after some time, they'll come around. They don't fight, but the cats always hiss at each other when they walk past. And Olivia/Monica constantly swipes at Joey's nose when he gets close to her.

But other than the issue with the other pets, she's adjusting really well!

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High Intensity Intervals

I recently spent some time looking at my 10K training, to see if maybe there was something I was doing then that helped the weight drop off so easily (like I said, I wasn't trying to get below my goal weight; but shortly after I started the 80/20 training, my weight started dropping again pretty easily for some reason). I had tried a new training plan that involved a lot of short intervals--something I wasn't used to. I had never done 45-second or 60-second intervals before.

It made me wonder if maybe the high-intensity intervals, coupled with the very slow, easy runs, helped me drop the weight. I have no idea, but I training that way made me realize that I really enjoy doing short intervals like that. It's a very tough workout overall, but you only have to focus on short little bursts of effort at a time, before you get a break.

I recently wrote an entire training plan made up of high-intensity short intervals and very slow, easy runs--the same thing I was doing before--and I thought I'd give it a try for a while. Since I'm not really training for anything, I can basically just experiment however I want to. (If I find the plan worthwhile, I'll post it on my Training Plans page). For the plan, I have intervals ranging from just 10 seconds to 60 seconds--but nothing more than 60 seconds of hard effort at a time.

Yesterday, I did the most extreme of the short interval workouts--60 x 10 seconds with 20-second recovery walks. SIXTY intervals. It sounded crazy, but the total time would only be 30 minutes (not including a warm-up). I figured it couldn't hurt to give it a try, so I set up my Garmin for the intervals (I had to use a work-around to get the workout to show up--adding the workout to my calendar and then syncing the calendar. No idea why I can't get the workouts to sync by themselves!)

I did a five-minute jog to warm-up, and then heard the beep to start my first interval. I couldn't believe how quickly it went by! Ten seconds is NOTHING.

But before I write about that, let me explain how the intervals work on the Garmin. When you are five seconds from starting an interval, the Garmin does one beep per second (as a countdown, so you know it's coming up). Then, during the interval, when you're five seconds from the end, it will beep each second for the last five seconds.

So, for 30 minutes, it sounded like this:
Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep. 5 seconds of quiet. Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep. 15 seconds of quiet. Repeat--SIXTY times. Hahaha! So much beeping.

The constant beeping actually wasn't so bad, though, because when I started each interval, I only had to run for five seconds before it started counting down to walk. So, I would start running hard, count up to five in my head, and then count down from five to the tune of the beeps and start my 20-second walk.

Now, how effective was this workout? In theory, it sounds like nothing: sprint for 10 seconds, and then literally walk slowly for 20 seconds.

Oh, Friends. It was HARD.

In fact, after about 35 of these intervals, I was ready to quit. I just wanted one goddamn break that lasted longer than 20 seconds! I stopped my Garmin, and started walking, thinking I'd quit at that point, and then next time, try to get in 10 more or something. Sixty was just too much. But, then I thought about my previous blog post, and how I've been struggling lately. I knew I had the rest of the workout in me, I just didn't want to put in the effort.

So, I gave myself a kick in the ass, took a deep breath, and then started the Garmin again to complete all 60 of the intervals. And I did it!

So sweaty. So exhausted.

It was really interesting to look at the data, afterward, too. (For comparison's sake, I'm going to ignore the 5-minute warm-up jog at the beginning of the interval session, and just focus on the 30 minutes of run/walk intervals.) Even though I only ran hard for 10 minutes of the 30-minutes of intervals, my heart rate stayed almost constant the entire time--and it was high! In fact, my average heart rate during the 30-minutes of intervals was 167 bpm--which is 90% of my maximum heart rate.

The reason for that dip in heart rate at around the 23:00 mark is from when I stopped my Garmin and took a walk break for about 60 seconds.

When I did my "RUNch" a few days ago, I ran an 8:40 pace for 3 miles (26 minutes), and that felt really hard. My heart rate averaged 164 bpm. Yesterday, I did an easy warm-up for 5 minutes, ran hard for a total of 10 minutes, and walked for a total of 20 minutes. My average heart rate was actually three beats per minute HIGHER than the 3-mile RUNch!

During the RUNch, I burned 256 calories; and during the high-intensity intervals, I burned 240 (that does not include the warm-up). In terms of calories burned per minute, the interval workout burned 8/min, and the RUNch burned 10/min. The difference is, I was putting in hard effort for 26 minutes during the RUNch; and only 10 minutes during the intervals.

It was a very different workout from what I'm used to, and I look forward to trying more like it (30 x 20 seconds, for example, or 12 x 30 seconds, etc.). From the research I've done on high-intensity intervals, there are a few key notes: 1) Put in 100% effort on the intervals; 2) Keep the duration of the recoveries to no more than two times the hard interval, and make the recoveries VERY easy; 3) Keep the entire interval session between 10 and 40 minutes long; 4) To make it harder as you get fitter, decrease the duration of the recoveries and/or increase the duration of the intervals.

I have to say, I was surprised at how tough of a workout this ended up being! The time flew by, both during each interval and during the workout as a whole. The beeping was a little annoying, and this was definitely not a "zone out and daydream" sort of run--but it was very effective in terms of heart rate and calories burned. I liked trying something new!

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Week 46 Weigh in (maintenance struggles)

I've been really conflicted about whether to write this post or not. I really don't want to write a post that sounds negative and whiny; but, readers always tell me how much they appreciate my honesty with the struggles in regards to weight loss/maintenance, instead of only writing about the successes. I've never tried to paint a picture that implies I have maintenance all figured out--I think it's something I'll struggle with forever--but writing about the struggles is hard. It's embarrassing. It's shameful. 

I'm struggling right now--a lot. I've never been one to make excuses for my weight struggles, and I won't do that now. I know exactly where I'm going wrong, and I own that. I just hope that by writing it out, I can come to some sort of solution.

Ever since I went to the Pacific Northwest for my 10K in April, I have had the hardest time getting back into a good routine. I was doing SO well before that trip! The weight maintenance almost seemed too easy, and I was just waiting for the catch. I dropped more weight, reaching an all-time low of 123, which I wasn't even trying to do. I was at a really good mental place with food, too--I wasn't thinking about food 24/7, I wasn't overeating, I was eating the foods I enjoyed. Physically, I felt like I was in the best shape of my life (and I probably was).

I crushed my goal for the 10K, and felt like I could do ANYTHING. It was awesome! Then, when I got home from my trip, I just couldn't seem to get back into that mental place I was in before my race. I'd lost my drive, my focus. It seems almost too "textbook": I was chasing down a big goal, and I absolutely killed it. Afterward, I felt an enormous sense of relief that it was over, but I had no real plan for what to do next. All of the headspace that was taken up by my race goal was suddenly empty again, and I wasn't sure how to fill it. It makes perfect sense why I'm struggling.

I wasn't expecting maintenance to be super easy, but I wish I had prepared better for what to do when it got hard. Returning home from my trip a few pounds heavier than I'd left was no big deal to me--I never intended to get my weight down that low in the first place, so I was okay with that. Seeing the number on the scale inching its way upward week after week since then, however, is a scary thing. I barely held on at my goal weight of 133 this week, and I'm happy it's not more; but, if I don't change something, I won't be surprised to see 140, 145, 150 again.

Today's "moving average weight" was up again:

My depression has made it hard to stay focused, too. I have to force myself to do things that the depression just makes me not want to do (running, cooking, taking care of the house, activities with the kids, etc.). I know if I don't fight against it, it will only get worse. I'm not going to sit back and watch all of my hard work go down the drain--I'm going to fight against this as hard as I can! My depression is always much more manageable when my eating is on target, even after just a couple of days.

Again, I'm not complaining for the sake of complaining, or trying to sound whiny--I'm just trying to write out my thoughts about all this as honestly as I can. This is the truth about my struggles right now, and I hope that they will be short-lived.

This week, I'm really going to focus on doing the healthiest things I can for ME. I felt much better about myself when I did my hair and make-up every day, but I'd stopped doing that--so I'm going to make it a point to do that again. I've written up a running schedule (not too specific, but enough to get me running 4-5 times a week) and I am going to follow that plan. I'm going to make healthy eating choices to make my body feel good. And I'm going to try to get some good quality sleep. I haven't been sleeping well at all lately, so I'll make it a point to go to bed earlier. When I eat well, I sleep better, so hopefully that will be the case.

There was something that really stood out to me when I read "How to Have Your Cake and Your Skinny Jeans Too" by Josie Spinardi, and I think it makes a lot of sense in this situation. Here is a quote from the book:

"Years ago, I stumbled across a study that completely changed the way I related to food (and challenges!). Sonja Stroop and her team found that people who did not emotionally eat did one thing differently than people who used food to cope with emotional distress. A single coping behavior made the difference between not using food--and using it. As if that weren't amazing enough, the people who did this one magical behavior enjoyed higher life satisfaction, attained more personal success, had more satisfying relationships and suffered from far fewer mental and physical illnesses. Whereas the people who lacked this specific skill frequently suffered from depression, anxiety, struggled with drugs, alcohol, gambling, anorexia, and bulimia. What's that million-dollar difference? 

When faced with a stressor, the "Shiny Happy People" (the non-food-users) engaged in task-oriented coping. They took direct action to resolve, mitigate, or eliminate stressors. They focused on solving. Conversely, the people who did use food engaged in emotion-oriented avoidant coping behaviors. These people were much more likely to think that they were unable to mitigate a stressor, and as a result, focused on soothing themselves--with food. Since they (often falsely) believed that they could not change the situation, they focused their efforts on minimizing the distress they experienced in response to the stressor--they tried to change their feelings."

In task-oriented coping, one alters the situation; whereas, in emotion-oriented coping, one alters the emotion (usually in an unhealthy way, such as compulsive overeating). Interesting, right? I've always been a pretty emotional person, so this makes a lot of sense to me. Based on that, I really ought to take some time to figure out what my stressors are and come up with a solution to resolve or eliminate them.

My therapist mentioned that I use something similar for coping when I make big goals to focus on, such as the 10K. She suggested that I may have been using goals like that as a way of avoiding thinking about stressors. By focusing on that goal, I wasn't resolving my stressors; I was just avoiding them. That's why she suggested that I don't make any big goals right now--I should just focus on the present. It's harder than I thought it would be! I constantly find myself wanting to set big goals to work on.

Writing all this out actually makes me feel a little better! As soon as I finish this post, I'm going to work on figuring out what my stressors are so I can resolve them. If nothing else, it will help me to be more aware when I'm eating emotionally. Right now, I just want to focus on one day at a time, making the healthiest choices I can. It's kind of amazing how a few days of eating well and exercise can completely alter my mood for the better. Yesterday, I had a great day--a really good run in the afternoon, my calories were in check all day, and then a walk at the State Park in the evening. I even slept pretty good last night!

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Running and an update on Monica

Well, I knocked two more runs off of my Cookies Summer Running Checklist. The first was a run with the kids yesterday. The kids have been doing a GREAT job at following their training plans. They've really surprised me! They haven't skipped any runs, and they haven't even complained about them.

Last week, I decided to order Eli a Garmin on Amazon. Jerry and I each have one, and Noah got one for Christmas in 2014. Eli was always borrowing one of ours for his runs. I thought since he's doing so well at sticking with his training, I'd get him a Garmin of his own.

I bought him the Forerunner 10, which is the same one Noah has. At $80, it's the most basic GPS watch, but it does exactly what he needs it for--to track his time, distance, and pace. He loves to write down his time on his schedule after each run so that he can compare it to previous runs.

It arrived on Sunday, and I set up a Garmin account for him. Unfortunately, I forgot to put the watch on the charger. Yesterday, Jerry and I took the boys to the State Park for a run. Jerry was going to run one mile with Eli, and I'd run two and a quarter with Noah. Eli was excited to use his new watch--and when we turned it on, we noticed it had a low battery. Totally my fault. I just hoped it would last the duration of his run. He and Jerry headed out one direction and Noah and I headed out in the opposite direction.

It was extremely hot, and I felt like we were running about a 10:00 pace--then I looked at the Garmin, and it showed an 11:20 pace! Noah was really surprised, because he said he felt like we were going much faster, too. (He recently ran his fastest mile ever of 8:30!). I was glad I decided to bring the handheld water bottle for him, because he was struggling in the heat. I told him we'd run nice and slow the whole way.

At one point, we came up on Jerry and Eli, who were running toward us. Eli said his watch had died, which was a bummer. (I put it on the charger as soon as we got home, so it's ready for tomorrow's run).

It was a tough run in the heat, but both the kids did great! I'd wish I'd gotten a picture of all four of us afterward. I counted that run on my Checklist as the "Child's Play" run (running with a kid).

Today, I planned to do very short, very hard intervals--20 x 30 seconds with 60 seconds of recovery between. I set up the workout on Garmin Connect, but for the life of me, I haven't been able to transfer it to my watch. It was driving me CRAZY. I finally just decided to forget about it, and do a tempo run instead. I had no idea what kind of pace to run for a tempo, so I just went by feel--my effort level was about an 8 or 9 on a scale of 1-10, so it was tough. Making it extra tough was the fact that I went out at 1:30 pm, so it was the hottest time of day.

I was guessing my pace to be around 9:00, but was surprised to see it at around 8:40, so I just went with it. I wanted to slow down several times, but I knew I was capable of doing three miles at that pace. (It's kind of crazy to think that less than three months ago, I was running a 10K at a 7:55 pace!).

When I hit mile three, I was still a third of a mile from home, but I stopped my watch and walked the rest of the way. That was a tough three miles!

My heart rate was 160-169, which is perfect for a tempo run. (Thankfully, I didn't have any run-ins with birds. Hopefully they're done being mean for the year.)

My face was SO hot and red after the run--I've missed that feeling! I've been doing so much low heart rate running, that it's rare I get to feel pretty exhausted. Even after taking a cool shower, my face was beet-red. I really needed that run today, and I almost feel like it worked out for the best that my Garmin wasn't cooperating with the interval plan. I've been struggling a lot lately in regards to maintenance, which I'll write about tomorrow, but today's run boosted my spirits for sure.

So, since I started my run at 1:30, I decided to count it as the "RUNch" on my Checklist (a run started between 12 and 2 pm). I've completed five of the runs on the Checklist so far (each run that I do only counts as one item, even if it fits into multiple categories). It's been kind of fun to focus on something other than pace and mileage!

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Olivia (a.k.a. Monica)--our foster cat--is doing really well! I wish I had a lot to write about her, but she's seriously SO CHILL that I have no stories. She doesn't love the other pets yet, but cats usually take a while to warm up to each other. She's super cuddly, and when she wants to be petted, she'll head-butt us until she gets attention ;)

She hid out in my bedroom a lot the first few days, but she's been venturing out more and more now. I've been trying to get good pictures of her, but she always looks so pissed off! Hahaha, she has a "resting bitch face"--she can be happy as a clam and still look like she's angry at the world.

In this picture, she was lying on my lap and purring. Anyway, she's really a very quiet, laid-back cat. She's been great!

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Cadillac weekend

Well, the weekend went much differently than planned. Jerry and I had a hotel booked in Cadillac for Friday and Saturday nights, and we were really looking forward to running the 10K on Saturday. I hadn't yet registered for it, because we kept holding out hope that we could get a couple of friends to come with us and run the relay; so, we planned to just register the morning of the race.

On Thursday, I wanted to see what time the race started, and when I looked at the site, I noticed that there actually wasn't a 10K this year! There was a 5K, half-marathon, marathon, and marathon relay for teams of four people. Neither of us was prepared to run a half, so that was out of the question; and we really didn't like the idea of doing an out-and-back 5K when the 6.9-mile loop around the lake was exactly what we'd been looking forward to. I posted on my Runs for Cookies Facebook page asking if anyone would be interested in joining Jerry and I as a relay team, but that was a no-go.

We were really unsure of what to do. Jerry took two vacation days from work in order to go up there, so we considered skipping the whole trip and saving his vacation days for Tour de Troit in the fall. On Friday morning, we ultimately decided not to go to Cadillac. I was bummed, but it seemed to make the most sense. The biggest downside was that I had prepaid for our hotel room, and it was non-refundable because I'd gotten a good "blind" deal on Priceline.

All day Friday, I was feeling guilty about letting the room go to waste. I offered for my family to use it for free, but nobody was available to go up there. I offered it up online for $100 less than I paid for it, but I didn't have any takers (I wasn't surprised, considering it was so last-minute). Finally, at around 7:00 pm, Jerry and I decided to just head up there and skip the race. We could just run the lake loop on our own, and have a little getaway.

The drive is 3-1/2 hours, so we hurriedly packed some bags and headed out (my parents were already planning to take care of the kids and pets). We had a really fun drive up to Cadillac--I played DJ in the car, and we sang along to some old school songs. When we got there, it was 11:00 pm! We just watched an episode of Orange is the New Black and then went to bed.

The next morning, we ate breakfast at the hotel (it was included with our room) and then decided to walk the mile and a half to the race. We weren't planning to run it, but we thought it would be fun to watch and to enjoy the lake view. It ended up being a really nice walk--we went down a hill with 8% grade (there was a sign announcing the grade) and we knew we'd be walking back UP that hill on the way back to the hotel ;)

The Lake Cadillac Team Marathon race is made up of a series of 6.9-mile loops around Lake Cadillac--the starting lines are at various points, depending on the total race distance (half or full), and the finish line is also the start/end of the loop. So, for a four-person relay, the first person does a shortened loop, and then tags the second runner at the checkpoint/finish line. Then the second runner runs the entire loop, and tags the third. And so on.

Jerry and I sat on the curb by the checkpoint/finish line, and watched the runners go by. I believe the race director is also the running coach at the local high school (I could be wrong), but the race is mainly made up of high school kids doing the team relay together, which I think is so cool. Next year, I'd love to get a team together to run the relay.

After watching the race for a while, we decided to walk around the lake. There were a ton of buoys in the lake, which we learned was for a triathlon taking place this morning. The walk along the lake is SO nice! That's what made me fall in love with Lake Cadillac the last time we were there. It's gorgeous.

Set up for the triathlon swim taking place this morning

We spent the day walking around town, going in little shops, playing Keno in a bar called The Roaring 20's, going to see Independence Day at the theater--and then leaving after 10 minutes because it was really bad!--and finally, getting a Blizzard from Dairy Queen and walking back to the hotel. The day went by so quickly.

At around 7:00, we ended up deciding to make the drive home last night instead of waiting until morning. We both really missed the kids, and we wished we'd have brought them with us. I think we'll probably bring them with us next year (maybe we could even do the race as our own relay team). So, once again, we road tripped home and arrived at around 11:00. When I got up this morning, I was glad that we were home instead of spending the whole morning in the car. It was still a fun little trip, though! We certainly made the most of our time there.

When we got home last night, we noticed that the fish flies had hatched--they were EVERYWHERE. I really needed to get in a run today, since Jerry and I never ended up running in Cadillac (we walked a ton, but didn't run the loop). It was 95 degrees and there were fish flies everywhere, but Jerry was scheduled for three miles so I just ran with him.

Those are fish flies!

I was going to count the run as my "Buddy Run" (running with a friend) for my Cookies Summer Running Checklist, but as we were running, I found a penny on the ground--so I'll count the run as my "Penny Pincher Run" instead (finding a penny on a run).

A few people have asked about my heart rate training during the summer, and if my heart rate is up when it's hot. Yes! I have to slow my pace a lot to keep my heart rate down when it's hot outside. Today, it was 95 degrees and my average heart rate was 144 bpm--with a pace of 11:36/mile! It's a little frustrating, because my body wants to go faster, but it brings my heart rate up too high. On the other hand, it actually feels really nice to jog slowly and enjoy the run.

I kind of feel like I need to write up a summer training plan, because the lack of structure is starting to get to me. I loved it at first, but it's getting easier and easier to run just three days a week instead of five; and I feel best when I run five days a week. I won't train for anything in particular, but I like having a plan telling me what days to run and for how far.

Speaking of writing plans, I finally finished the half-marathon plan I was working on for my blog! It's a "Finish Strong" half-marathon plan, and I posted it to my Training Plans page. It's not necessarily meant for training for your best time, but rather to finish a half marathon feeling really good (and using the 80/20 Running method). It could be used for a first time half-marathoner, as long as that person has built a solid base. The first long run is seven miles, and there is a little bit of speed work, so it's not a "couch to half-marathon" type plan. Anyway, I know several people were asking about a half-marathon plan, so it's up now! (I'm going to work on a "Your Best Half-Marathon" plan as well, which will be more for bettering one's time.)

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Cookies Summer Running: Rover Run

Yesterday morning, I hadn't been planning to go for a run, but I was feeling kind of energetic, so I just decided on a whim to go run a few miles. I wanted to knock one of the Cookies Summer Running items off the checklist, so I skimmed it quickly and was planning to do the "Generous Run"--where you leave a few quarters in random spots on the run for other people to find.

Then I remembered the stupid birds from Monday, and I really didn't want to go. I know it sounds ridiculous to be scared of birds, but they are terrifying when they're squawking and dive-bombing your head. They don't just do it once, either; they will follow me up to a quarter mile down the road sometimes. Running faster doesn't do anything, because they're faster than I am of course, but my heart RACES and it feels impossible to catch my breath. Then, for the rest of the run, I'm extra paranoid every time I see a bird.

Instead of giving up on the run altogether, I decided to do the "Rover Run"--taking Joey with me. I hoped that the birds would be less likely to attack if they saw a dog. Also, we had plans to pick up Olivia (the kitty we are fostering) later in the morning, so I thought it would be a good idea to get Joey worn out so he wouldn't be quite so excited when we brought the cat home. Joey saw me getting on my running shoes, and gave me his sad look, because he knew I was leaving.

I said, "Do you want to come with me?" and he definitely knows what that means. He got crazy excited, and even grabbed his collar off the table in the living room. It was SUPER nice outside--not at all humid like it was on Monday--and I was excited to take Joey on a run.

We ran down the road I thought we'd be least likely to encounter birds, because it has heavier car traffic. Joey has gotten much better on his leash, and when I tell him to heel, he runs at my side fairly well. (If he sees a squirrel or other dog, he starts pulling, but I just say, "Hey!" really sharply, and it snaps him out of his tunnel vision.)

No idea what I was saying here--probably "good boy"

About half a mile into the run, a black bird started circling overhead, making the very distinct "Get out of here!" chirping. I decided to completely ignore my heart rate training today, and just run comfortably fast (well, as comfortably fast as possible while running with a dog). Instead of doing the lollipop route I'd planned (I didn't want to encounter the bird on the way back), I decided to take him to the lake's edge at mile 1.5 so he could cool off, and then we'd go home through the marsh.

He was thrilled to stop at the lake and play in the water for a few minutes! Then we headed toward the access road through the marsh. I couldn't believe how overgrown it was--the path has gotten narrower and narrower. I let Joey off leash, and while I ran on the path, he was running through all the brush next to me, zig-zagging around and chasing after birds. There were SO many bugs flying around, and I was really sweaty, so they were sticking to all my exposed skin. But the Rover Run was all about Joey, so I dealt with it ;)

Joey looks so tiny here!

It was fun to run through the marsh, but I was relieved to get back on the road. I leashed Joey, and we ran the rest of the way home, for a total of 3.1 miles. Then I sprayed him off with the hose and checked him for ticks.

It ended up being one of my most enjoyable runs in a while! Joey couldn't have been happier to come with me, and it felt kind of adventurous. It also felt nice to run at a faster pace for the second half of the run--not "fast", really, but the pace that I used to call my "easy" pace before I started heart rate training.

Technically, I could have crossed off a few of the runs on my Cookies Summer Running checklist--Rover Run, Trail Run, Beach Run, and Selfie Run--but I decided that I'm only going to mark off ONE from the list for each run that I do. That way, it'll keep me busy all summer. Today, I marked the Rover Run.

Two runs down (Solstice and Rover), and 47 more to go! :)

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Everything went smoothly when we picked up Olivia (whom we are now calling Monica). I will write more about her soon! Right now, she's helping me write this post...

Doesn't she look kind of like Estelle?

She's a very sweet kitty!

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Healthy Summer Indulgence Ideas

This past weekend was full of food: hamburgers on grill Friday, catered food at the zoo and a barbecue at our friends' house Saturday, another cookout on Sunday for Father's Day... so much food!

This is exactly why summer is so hard for me. I have no problem with the holiday season in November and December, but when it comes to food and drinks all summer, I have this summer attitude that gets me in trouble. It's not even that the summer foods are irresistible (well, except ice cream--I could live off of that!) but more of the idea of summer foods.

(This photo was taken at a beer festival in Portland with Brian and Becky in August 2015)

Fruity drinks, cooking on the grill, going out for ice cream on a hot day, getting fried foods at the fair (Lord, help me, come August!)... it all has this sort of romantic ideation around it for summer.

And it's all in my head! I know this. I could see it coming. I planned for it. It hits me EVERY SINGLE YEAR. And I still fell for it, hahaha. My weight this morning was 133--I have officially gotten back up to my goal weight, which is pretty scary, considering we are only two days into summer!

BUT. I really hate it when people complain about things and/or make excuses and then don't do anything to fix them. So, I refuse to do that. I'm trying not to panic, but it's hard not to when getting on the scale and seeing that I have exactly ZERO wiggle room for summer. Especially since Jerry and I are going to Cadillac this weekend.

So, my plan is this: Cut back on my calories to around 1,800 or less for six days this week, and then have just one high calorie day, which I'll cap at about 3,500. These numbers aren't set in stone--I do much better when I don't have an "official" calorie goal--but just something to aim for. I'd really like to get my weight back down to 128, so that I have 5 pounds of wiggle room through the summer.

There is no reason to live by my "summer attitude" regarding food each day, all summer long--that's how I always end up gaining 20 pounds. I'm going to Virginia Beach at the end of the summer, and I really want to be at or under my goal weight for that.

I'm not going to try and plan out more than just this week right now. I want to stay focused on the present, and not panic. I'm afraid that panicking would cause me to overcompensate and cut back too drastically (to, say, 1500 calories a day) and then I'd feel really hungry and deprived, and binge. So, I'm going to cut back sensibly and see what happens. I know (logically) that as long as I don't go overboard several days in a week that I won't continue to gain. I'm going to look at today's weigh-in as a wake-up call ;)

This weekend will be challenging, because I no longer have any wiggle room from my goal weight. Jerry and I are driving up to Cadillac, Michigan for the Lake Cadillac Team Marathon+. We plan to run the 10K on Saturday. Last time we were there, we only stayed one night; but this time, we're staying Friday and Saturday nights.

I already looked up restaurants on Yelp, so I know where we'll be eating. Today, I'm going to come up with a plan of what I'll order so that I can track my calories ahead of time. We're going to see if we can somehow fit both of our bikes in the back of the Jeep--it would be awesome if we could bring our bikes with us! We could ride everywhere we want to go, and the loop around Lake Cadillac is super nice. We do plan to be pretty active, even if we don't have our bikes, so getting in exercise isn't a problem.

I also started to think about what I could do to keep that romantic ideation of summer, only in a healthier way:

  Instead of sipping fruity drinks, shandy, or margaritas on the deck in the evenings, I could make a pitcher of flavored David's Iced Tea (still summery, but no calories).

  When cooking on the grill, we could make turkey sausage or chicken kabobs with lots of peppers, onions, and mushrooms instead of cooking hamburgers and hot dogs. 

  I ADORE corn on the cob cooked on the grill. I can experiment with different seasonings.

  When going to a barbecue with friends or family, I could make a fruit salad instead of homemade coleslaw (which is my go-to). 

  Instead of getting flurries at the ice cream shop, we can grill some pineapple at home and top it with a small scoop of ice cream--again, very summery, but a fraction of the calories. OR, if I really want to go get ice cream, I can't forget about my beloved cones from McDonald's! A vanilla cone is only 170 calories; and they have dipped ones during the summer that are only 270 calories. I like these just as much as an 800-calorie flurry.

I like this idea of substitutions, because then I can still feel like I'm indulging in summer, but I won't gain 20 pounds doing it! ;) Anyone else have ideas like this that scream summer but aren't too high in calories? Please share!

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