a few more things

A few more things that I’ve been thinking about since yesterday.

Michelle reminded me of my first marathon description – I re-read it and got all misty eyed, I really needed that run to awaken me. I have so much that I want to do, experience, teach, learn. I really, really needed that experience in the canyon.

This weekend I am going to the lavender festival in Sequim – ah my love of lavender, anything that is lavender – lavender lemonade, lavender soap, lavender, lavender, lavender! Brian might be fighting fires, if so, then I’ll go on my own – oooh and maybe take my bike….

I ordered a bracelet from a lady at the farmer’s market at lunch yesterday and I can’t wait to pick it up next week (I know it sounds weird, but you’ll all want one once you see it). Photos will follow – I’ll SOOO excited. I also got some carrots, snap peas, blueberries and a basil plant, I’ll have to do some cooking this weekend.

A few weeks ago I read an article in Runner’s World about two mom’s training for a marathon and one of the ladies would pay herself a dollar for every mile she ran. After she finished the marathon she had $750 hard earned dollars to spend entirely guilt free and on herself. So, I started my stash at the beginning of July and I have $11 whole dollars saved (don’t forget I’ve been sick for a week and a half, so I haven’t been running too much). I also decided to up the ante and I will be taking my weekly weight loss and rounding up or down the number of pounds and stashing that also (I will need new clothes anyway). Then I thought I should have been doing this from the start of my weight loss, so in order to make up time, I am going to double my weight loss. So I’ve lost 3.2+1.8 *2 = $10!!! This is like the gold stars in first grade… it sounds lame, but once you get a gold star or twenty-one dollars in your stash it isn’t so lame. For security purposes I will not post my stash values =), but I will let you all know how much I get to spend after the Portland Marathon (oooh, and it is all sales tax free in Oregon)!

Oh yeah, I ran with the Y-club at the track/park last night and ran the park loop with Sydnee (she ran the Yakima marathon as her first also, she is young and fast). We got 3 miles in and according to her Garmin we did 11:40 min/miles – Holy guacamole!!!!! I was pushing it a little, but we were still carrying on a conversation, so I wasn’t totally maxed out. I know that on longer runs I will be a little slower, but it is really encouraging to get some fast times under my belt, especially after being sick for a week and a half.

Hopefully I’ll have some ‘after 20 lbs’ gone photos from this weekend – hmmm, what to do this weekend, here is my list (in no specific order and don’t worry- I make lists that I know that I cannot finish – that’s just me); mow the lawn, lavender festival, hiking near Mt. Rainier, running a leg of the Michelle's Grande Ass Marathon with the Y-club run on Sunday, hooking up my drip irrigation in the backyard, eating salad from the garden, compiling a birthday package for my brother, download recipes, grocery shopping, washing the car, ironing my skinny clothes for next week, start the concrete forms for the garden shed, hmmm, anything else…. We’ll see.
Have a great weekend everyone!

Run Macha Woman Run!

10% of me is gone for good!

We’ll I’m back from my near death experience. It wasn’t that bad, but I did get a sinus infection that did not clear up until a few days ago. Sleep, the couch, the remote control and I made good friends last week and through the weekend. In the last post I had hoped that my ‘detox’ from vacation would work and it did – I lost 3.2 lbs and last night I weighed in and lost 1.8 more – drumroll here….. for a total of 20.2 lbs gone! I hit my 10% gone goal last night and I was thrilled.
Here are some positives from this weight loss experience:

• I get to buy new clothes (even down to the undies ‘cause they don’t fit anymore either).
• I have a ton more energy (last week not included).
• I feel better about myself, which is weird because I never felt over weight before, just uncomfortable.
• I am eating soooo much healthier and getting my body the fuel it needs to run faster and further.
• I can run faster!

On my running, I didn’t get to run in Longview or Portland last weekend. I did make my father-in-law and Kent a poster for the Seattle to Portland Bicycle Ride but they beat me out of the rest stop and I missed them. I revamped the poster and gave it to them after they finished. I might want to try the STP next year, I could do it…. It is roughly 200 miles in two days – oh boy, here we go…. Ooh I could ride it with my ‘dads’. My dad rode it about 20 years ago, he might be up for it again. Look what happens when I’m sick and can’t run or work out, I start to plan for another goal (wait that’s a good thing right!).

My new running shoes are broken in (I’ve been wearing them even when I was sick because I really wanted to be running in them – what an addiction). So I am going to hit the track tonight and go for a short warm up run (and to make sure I don’t push it too hard and get sick again). I also made sure to pack my water belt to keep my pants up, the smaller size should be here on Friday! I'm going to sign up for another race this fall at lunch......
Happy Trails everyone!
Also, go and congratulate Michelle on her blog, she has lost 75 pounds and is a true inspiration … someday I want to be cool like her =)

summer colds are no fun

Today is my weight watchers meeting and I am hoping for a loss. I have done really well this past week – I ran 7miles (with hopes of more but a cold got in the way), I ate all of my ‘flex’ points and I feel like the detox from vacation worked. Brian came home from fighting fires on Monday night and he was tired, I had caught a great head cold and was in and out of work the past couple of days just trying to survive so we are passing in the night again. I finished my training schedule over the long weekend, but I am now behind due to this crazy summer cold – so I’ll catch up in the next few weeks.

I did find some new running shoes, it was time, the last pair got me through my first marathon and I didn’t want to have to get new shoes right before the next one. I might try to find a second pair in a month or two so that I can alternate them – we’ll see.

I ran the 4 on the 4th in Steilacoom and I really enjoyed the morning run. There were booths set up and I did some window shopping before the run. I also ran the 4 miles in 47min. under a 12 min. mile !!!!! I was so proud of myself, I even made it up the hill to the finish without stopping. Michelle finished under 40 min – single digits miles – she is going to have to change her name from ‘Back of the Pack’ to speedy Gonzales….. it is great to see her smiling and enjoying her fast pace.

My father-in-law is doing the Seattle to Portland bicycle race this weekend and we might be a support vehicle which means I could run in Longview and in Portland this weekend, it sure would be nice to run in Portland before the marathon (I mean it would be great to be his support staff and see him finish =)). Hopefully we’ll be able to help, I just hope I don’t get the bug and decide I want to try the race next year – I should prepare Brian for this now…..
Anyway, I hope everyone is enjoying the beautiful summer weather. I’ll kick this cold to the curb – I’ve had enough rest for awhile and I really NEED to go running.

Go macha, go!!! Sniff, cough, sniff…..

update

I went to the WW meeting last night and I gained….. 1.8 lbs. – at least I’m still at 15 lbs. lost – and hey, life happens, next vacation I will be more active and eat more wisely. I’m glad that Wendy decided to join me at the meeting, I think she will enjoy it and I know that having her there last night made the gain bearable (otherwise I would have beat myself up during the whole meeting). Now that I am home from vacation, I am totally on track again, all of my ‘safe’ foods are ready, I can pack my lunch and I have fruit again. Although I am having a triple latte this morning as I still have not caught up on my sleep and last night we had thunderstorms and lighting, so I didn’t sleep too soundly. Both Michelle’s gave great pep talks – thank you for the comments, support is key on this journey.

My husband is off fighting wildfires in Eastern Washington (he left a few hours after I got home from Alaska), so my nerves are a little more rattled than normal, but he loves his job and knows to be safe. I am planning on running tonight at the track with Wendy and I will probably get in a long run or two this weekend, oooh and maybe a quick hike with Darby on the 4th. I will work the 1.8 lbs off before I know it!
I’ll get some photos up soon, have a great 4th everyone and steer clear of the potato salad – it will kill ya…

This is not a great photo, but here is Wendy and I finishing the Tacoma Half Marathon in the beginning of May (before the weight loss journey began – I can’t wait for my race photo at Portland – remember… lean mean running machine!!!!!)

family

Well, Michelle has asked where have I been? Well, I am working today on three hours of sleep after coming home from Anchorage last night. My Dad and I went to visit my brother for a long weekend (he is stationed at Elmendorf Air Force Base for a three year stint). I have some cool photos to post – we have a great group of men and women serving us in the skies, everyone should be greatful that they have decided to serve our country.

Let’s go back to last week, I ran out of time to post but I had an awesome WW meeting last Wednesday night – I am down 17 pounds total !!!! I talked with my leader the week before and mentioned my lack of energy, especially when I’m running and she told me to eat more – yes, eat more (this is a diet? – no remember, a lifestyle change, healthy eating, a new world). So the ‘eating more’ really helped, I made sure to get my full points in for each day and try to use my flex points for the week. I also made sure to try and eat more meat for the protein. Anyway, it was a losing week, about 2+ pounds – I’m too tired to look in my book, maybe later.

Thursday I picked up Darby the dog from her full day at doggie daycare and we made our way to the local high school track to meet up with the Y-club, but I was running late so we did a few laps around the track and Brian picked her up so I could keep running. I ran out through the trail, passing by Linda who said she didn’t recognize me as she tapped on her hips – what a compliment and also a reminder that I need to be running with the group more. I ran for 48 minutes and completed 4 miles for a 12min/mile – which for me is 2min/mile faster than before I started losing weight. I didn’t feel like I was speeding up, my body must just be able to move faster with the same amount of effort and less weight to move – this is very encouraging for me, maybe I’ll be able to keep up with everyone now, and maybe after losing even more weight, get even faster!

Friday was a busy day, it was Alpaca shearing day at my parents farm. We had 14 animals to shear, collect wool, trim toe nails and wrangle in the pastures. The lady shearing was tough and weathered, but truly seemed to care for each animal as if it were her own. The weather was really warm and we were tired, dusty and just plain beat. After we finished (8am-5pm) my Dad and I headed off to the airport to catch our 8:30 flight to Anchorage – we were beat.

Saturday was the air show at Elmendorf – we even got to watch the Thunderbirds fly, my brother joined us (he had to work most of the day). Sunday, Monday and Tuesday we hung out with my brother – taking him grocery shopping, buying him a houseplant, sight-seeing, having a fun time just hanging out. He sure has grown up a lot – it’s weird to think that he has his own place, his own life, he is a grown up – a responsible one at that! I might get some photos up from our weekend later.

As far as running while in Anchorage – I took all of my running clothes and it was light out for 20+ hours a day and there was a trail very close to my brother’s house, but did I run, nope – I turned into the ‘bump-on-a-log-Jessica’ that I used to be. I really should have ran, but I was enjoying time with my Dad and brother, guess sometimes that is the important stuff. I did try to eat right while gone, but eating breakfast out is really hard – especially at greasy diners. I did fairly well at dinner – one night at Applebee’s I got a WW point meal and I got a turkey burger at Red Robin (only because they were out of Garden burgers). I did cave on Tuesday and had some Kraft Macaroni and cheese (hey I was in a bachelor’s house…), but I did only have half the box instead of the whole thing – and I balanced it out with a salad at Chili’s in the airport that was 11 points. I did realize that I am much happier, fuller, feel skinnier when I eat better, I was starting to feel sluggish and I was craving broccoli and grapes. Oh well, how often do I get to hang out with my ‘little’ brother and my Dad like that.

Tonight is a WW meeting and I will be going with Wendy, who has been doing the program online. I am glad she’ll be attending the meetings – maybe we can even run to them together. I am a little nervous though – it was a really heavy eating weekend (the first real time I know that I went over my points – how much are hashbrowns in oil anyway) and I have my ‘friend’ visiting, which usually puts be at a lower weight loss on its own. At least I know that I want to continue the weight loss journey and that the feelings of missing it was a great indicator that I didn’t ‘fall off the wagon’ but that I should have prepared for the vacation a lot better. Anyway, I bought a Runner’s World Magazine in the airport and here are a few highlights that kicked me into gear:

• Finalize my training schedule for the Portland Marathon – print it out and carry it with me.
  
• Work on my i-pod playlists – use the article as reference for additional songs.
  
• Look into marathon in Las Vegas in early December.
  
• Look into the Olympic Dualathon at Black Diamond in September (40k bike and 10k run).
  

Here is to family, friends and happy memories.
I’ll get photos and more info on here once I get more than 3 hrs of sleep….

Tagged

Ok, so I haven't found time to scan the photos or upload from the camera, but here is my response to Michelle's tag.

The Rules:Tagging is easy. Just copy the following onto your post. The rules of the game are posted at the start of your blog post. In this case, I'm asking you 5 questions about running. Each player answers the 5 questions on their own blog. At the end of your post you tag 5 other people and post their names. Go to their blogs and leave a comment on their blogs telling them they've been tagged and to look at your blog for details. When they've answered the questions on their own blog, they come back to yours to tell you. Got that?

1. How would you describe your running 10 years ago? 10 years ago I was applying for Architecture School and was trying to get through my second year of college. Working out was not something that I would do. Looking back, I did a lot of walking at school in Seattle. Lots of daily exercise washing cars for a living, but very little structured exercise. The last time I ‘ran’ was getting ready for 10th grade basketball – I would run down my childhood country road bouncing the basketball, I must have drove the neighbors crazy.
2. What is your best/worst running experience? Every time I run it seems like the best running experience. I like the fact that I can talk and run, so probably when I was doing my first 16 mile training run and I need a pep-talk I called my friend Lisa and her son Brandon gave me a pep talk – he is five! I talked to a lot of people on my cell phone that day, just out for a run. Oh yeah, the day in the winter when there were little snow flurries as I was running, that was fun, I felt like a kid chasing snowflakes. Oh yeah, the first day this spring when I smelled fresh cut grass. This list could go on for days, running has just opened my eyes, ears, heart, everything.
My worst running experience was during my first marathon. The hills were tough for me – I trained for the mileage on a flat trail, just to get the mileage in, not the hill training. So when I was at the 20 mile mark, my feet were like raw hamburger and I felt alone in the canyon (I really was alone), and I had a big hill in front of me, I felt like I was crazy for even trying to do this. Then I would think about all of the people at the end waiting for me, I got up those hills even if I had to power walk them. It was a mentally and physically challenging day. The next one will be better though, I know a little of what to expect now and I can train my body and my mind for the obstacles that I know will be out there.

3. Why do you run?
Because I can, and because I saw a flier in the YMCA last February (2007) advertising a Couch to 5k running program. I told my friend Elinor, I should do that… and here I am. The Y-Run-Club took me under their wing and kept me moving, giving me advice, cheering me on and just being out there running.
Why not, I have a lot of things that I want to do, the more someone makes it a challenge the more I want to do it. Because I can run, putting my own two feet in front of each other and move myself fast down the trail, road, sidewalk – it is amazing what your body can do!
As I heard a lady in my WW meeting say, she ‘walks away her mad’. Part of me runs to get away from pressures – pressures like work, family, spouse, housework, projects… the list could go on and on. I can think about what I want to when I’m running, although at times I wish I had a recorder to nab great ideas or at least be able to sketch while running (wait, that’s what I could be doing on my walk breaks).

4. What is the best or worst piece of running advice that you've been given about running? Best advice; Body Glide, Butt paste, proper clothing, proper socks, retiring shoes after mileage (even if they still look new). The Y-Run-club has been a wealth of information. I just figured out that I can use the body glide on the arches of my feet to combat the 2” blisters that are persistent.
Worst piece of running advice…. I don’t think I have gotten bad advice, I try out a lot of different things to see what works for me.
4a. My advice to others – you are never too old, too fat, not-built-for, too clumsy, etc., to start running. Just find a good beginner program and try it – you’ll find it addictive – and hey there are many more worse things to be addicted to.

5. Tell us something surprising about yourself that not many people would know. hummm, I’m sure that there a lot of things…. Let’s see, I was a pretty rebellious teenager and I got suspended from school for TP’ing my basketball coach’s house. There were eight of us maybe that got caught…. My punishment was being home from school with my dad working around the house (which really wasn’t that bad, except that I knew he was disappointed with me). I still have the newspaper article somewhere and I still feel lame buying a case of TP at Costco. Let’s see, I am really a farm girl who needs a place in the city during the week and a farm with lots of animals and tractors and fields and chores for the weekend.
I am really a open book, I try to have people around me that support what I do and what I want. Someday I would love to have my own architecture firm in the city and my own farm in the country – and adopt some kids that need a good home along with a pack of ‘pound puppies’.
Now, I’m Tagging,
Michelle, Rob, Wendy, Emily, Jenny

I'll try to get some photos in later, but today is my active day, I rode my bike to the bus (1mi.), went to work and I am heading to step aerobics tonight after work and then a 5mi bike ride home. Hopefully it will get sunny later today!

Have a great day everyone!

Tag & Thin-Dependence

I’ve been tagged by Michelle regarding running – I will work on those (something to do during my lulls at work tomorrow.)

I had a great weigh-in last night, now I’m down 13.8 pounds (in 6 weeks)! Today I had a client tell me that my eyes looked really blue because of my nice purple shirt (I found the shirt with the tags still on it in the bag with the receipt in the bottom of the closet – an obvious purchase without trying it on last fall, and that it didn’t fit – I tried it on and now it fits and looks good). This client is about my age +/- and she is becoming a really great person to talk with, I floated all of the way back to the office – she had no idea what an impact that comment made.

Today I had a great moment(s). For all of you skinny people you can skip to the bottom of the post now, you just wouldn’t understand. I squatted while looking at roofing samples on the floor and when getting into a supply cabinet at work. You know, squatting when the back of your thighs touch the back of your calves – for me it hasn’t happened in a long time, I guess I didn’t even notice until I did it today. Yes, it is weird, but it was comfortable, it did not cut off the circulation, guess it’s a sign that all that I am doing is paying off. Well it’s not the only sign, I have moved in to the 4th belt buckle hole – that happened when I was feeling like I was getting a cold on Tuesday. I kept hiking up my pants all day and finally took the belt in a notch. Brian is going to get me suspenders soon if I don’t stop shimming my pants back up to the correct spot =).

Tonight I came straight home and Darby and I started out on a long walk – the sun is finally out (it has been in the 50’s and raining here). We walked down Sunrise, stopped at starbucks for an Iced Cinnamon Dolce Latte and headed back home. I just need to be out in the sunshine… We did 2.5 miles – a good afternoon walk. I am still optimistic that all the sleeping I did earlier this week has kept the cold away, but I don’t want to push it, otherwise I would have ran at the track with the Y-run-club. The Sound to Narrows 12k is this weekend. It will be my third year. My first year I was coming off of a broken toe and a sprained knee (don’t ask – it was only a fall down three freakin’ steps onto carpet). Last year, Brian and I ran it together in the rain. This year I’m running it solo – Brian has been having some knee troubles so he is out. I am going to park and ride my bike to the start line to avoid parking aggravation (it is at a park in the middle of a residential neighborhood). So I am excited to be running through the park, zoo and old neighborhood. I have also been putting together my training plan for the Portland Marathon – I will see if I can post my goals for that.

Overall my WW has been a really great experience, next is to see if I can convince my mom to join me…. My WW ‘coach - Candy’ (yes, her name really is Candy) gave us this inspiration for the upcoming summer season;

My Declaration of Thin-dependence:
I pledge allegiance to myself
In quest of my weight goal,
And to the healthy habits for which it stands.
One body…
Under control …
Indisputably,
With confidence and new clothes for fall.

Run, macha woman, run!