Let's do an update on a few things that have happened during the last few weeks.
As you know, I have been experiencing some issues with my right foot. Out of kind of nowhere, I started having pain after running, and then pain starting when I ran. It happened kind of quickly. According to the weight bearing xrays, for some reason the arch on my right foot is super or hyper pronating, causing the bones in my foot to roll inward, which then causes the bones on the top of my foot to smash together when I run, causing a new and special kind of pain. My podiatrist said that had we not caught it sooner we would be looking at having arthritis set in. Rather than get the custom $300 orthotics, I decided to give some different inserts a chance.
While these inserts have been working to some degree, I battled new blisters and finally went back to my older running shoes (not worn out, just not my favorite) and sort of found some balance.
I ran my first 10k (6.2 mile) race on Thanksgiving. It was an amazing experience. I ran for 71 minutes straight. I've never run more than 58 minutes, or 5 miles. It was incredibly challenging, both physically and mentally. The race was mostly trail, with some pavement. I've never run on trails before, and always used the reasoning that it was due to my clumsiness.
Oops.
I did survive ~ I just had to watch the ground more closely than usual. At less than a mile I had rolled my good ankle (which happens to be attached to my bad foot) but it didn't hurt that bad so I kept going.
Something I've learned about myself is that I don't like to stop and walk. Some people use the Galloway method of running, where they run some and walk some, always, even for marathon distances. While Mr. Galloway has some very good reasoning behind his training, it is just not for me. I don't discount others who do it, or their choice to take walk breaks. I just won't. I find it much harder to run again, which is why my speed workouts once a week annoy me, though I know they are important.
That said, this race was not about finishing in a certain amount of time, or setting any records. It was about running 6.2 miles without stopping.
Even up to the starting gun I was not 100% sure I would do it. Could I do it, physically? Sure. I had run at least 5 miles more than once and felt like I could continue.
But I'm convinced that running is 90% mental. No matter your amount or intensity of training, if your head isn't right, you will not do what you set out to do and you'll find yourself stopping short, and then being angry and disappointed.
I've experienced this in many training runs myself.
Throughout the course, there were several people doing the run/walk method, several of which finished before me (lol) but there was something else I noticed. Some of the people I passed around mile 4 and 5 who were walking looked utterly defeated. They looked angry at themselves, and I sensed that they did not achieve what they had set out to achieve that day. I could not help but feel empathy for them; and I wanted so badly to get them all revved back up to finish the race. But I was having enough of a time keeping myself moving. It's weird, but in every race, I am always the only one pacing at my pace. I'm either that slow, or good at pacing while others burn out. I pass alot of folks in the last 1/4 of races.
I tried to pace myself around an 11 minute mile (30 seconds slower per mile than my 5k pace), but it varied widely from 10 - 12 depending on the terrain. I had to be careful as trail running has many little "obstacles" from mud to tree roots to pine cones, and at times the sun streaming in through the trees meant I could not see my feet at times.
I ran the entire race. 6.2 miles. 71 minutes straight.
The last half mile was the toughest for me. Both knees hurt, and my foot was hurting. I honestly know if I had stopped at that point I would have fallen over. But I pushed through it.
Talk about pain.
But glorious pain it was.
Crossing that finish line felt amazing. I still wonder if it really happened. 6.2 miles? Just a little over a year ago 3.1 miles seemed an impossible feat.
My foot needed to be out of my shoe pretty much immediately. Some ice and aleve later it felt fine. Friday my ankle was killing me...good thing I have a checkup appt with my podiatrist on Tuesday. I may try to run that morning.
In other news, I'm planning a post in my head for later on this week about the slippery slope I've found myself sliding down. Stay tuned if you want to learn from my mishaps. It will deal with a very real issue that I've been pulling back the layers on over the past few months.
For tonight, celebrate with me. I have much to be thankful for this year, and reaching my 10k goal despite the issues with my foot prove that if you are determined enough, you can accomplish things you never imagined you would. I still don't believe we can "all be anything and everything we dream" or we would all have record deals and sport contracts. But I do believe that if you find something you are good at, and practice it alot, you can amaze yourself. I could easily have talked myself out of running that far on Thanksgiving day. I could have come up with several really good excuses for it, and many of you would have agreed with my logic.
But I didn't. Despite my own doubt, I did it. And no one, and no thing (including foot pain) can erase that fact from my ongoing legacy. It is now part of my history. And a part I am particularly proud of.
Feels good. Now, what's next goal-wise? I'll be pondering that.
~Clara
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
How to NOT Gain Weight on Thanksgiving
Yep folks. It is possible. Completely, totally, utterly possible to enjoy Thanksgiving to its fullest WITHOUT GAINING AN OUNCE.
I should know. I've lost weight this week for 2 years in a row. And I plan to do just that; or at least maintain, this week.
Want to know how?
1) MOVE YOUR TATER, NOT JUST YOUR FORK. That's right. Get off your tater and do something active first thing in the morning. Go out for a walk, ride your bike, whatever your current fitness level allows. But start the day off with a burn and it will help get your metabolism revved up for the day. In fact, if time and schedule allows, go for a second walk later on after you eat. You'll feel much less miserable than if you just sit there after you eat.
2) PLAN YOUR PLATE. What do you LOVE to eat at Thanksgiving and what can you live without? I try not to eat anything I don't absolutely love on a holiday like this one. So choose those things you know you will really enjoy. We have 2 meals to attend tomorrow, one at lunchtime the other one around dinner time. I plan to eat at both. I love my mother in law's "dressing" and sweet potato casserole. I love my mom's stuffing, cranberry chutney and pumpkin pie. and I'll eat turkey at one place or the other. I can live without the 12 other courses like mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans cooked with ham, salads, etc. I also don't eat the crust of pumpkin pie as pie crust, which isn't even sweet, carries alot of the calories of that particular pie. I plan my plate at each place and while I am fuller that day than normal, I'm not miserable.
3) ENJOY THE PEOPLE, NOT JUST THE PLATES. This is key. Thanksgiving isn't about gluttony, and yet we've turned it into that. Think about what and who you are really thankful for and make that your focus. Sure, the food is wonderful, and the traditions ring supreme in your childhood memories. But more than the food, I love the togetherness this holiday brings; as well as the reflection on what blessings I've experienced this year.
Here's a short list of my blessings this year, in no particular order.
*A God who loves and forgives me of my failings, whom I can run to anytime, any day.
*My loving and supportive family and friends, specifically my amazing husband and sweet girl.
*An amazing job where I get to do what I do best every day.
*Better health than I've ever had in my life.
*Enough. We have enough. Not excess, we aren't rich, but our needs have been supplied.
*Boots that zip up my calves.
*Strong, muscular calves that made it tough to find boots to fit. :)
*Wearing a size 12 after living miserably as a 24 for a long time.
*A body that allows me to RUN. Legs that work, lungs that respond. The new goal to celebrate in the morning of running 10k (6.2 miles) for the first time ever!
I AM BLESSED and have so much to be thankful for this year. How about you?
Clara
I should know. I've lost weight this week for 2 years in a row. And I plan to do just that; or at least maintain, this week.
Want to know how?
1) MOVE YOUR TATER, NOT JUST YOUR FORK. That's right. Get off your tater and do something active first thing in the morning. Go out for a walk, ride your bike, whatever your current fitness level allows. But start the day off with a burn and it will help get your metabolism revved up for the day. In fact, if time and schedule allows, go for a second walk later on after you eat. You'll feel much less miserable than if you just sit there after you eat.
2) PLAN YOUR PLATE. What do you LOVE to eat at Thanksgiving and what can you live without? I try not to eat anything I don't absolutely love on a holiday like this one. So choose those things you know you will really enjoy. We have 2 meals to attend tomorrow, one at lunchtime the other one around dinner time. I plan to eat at both. I love my mother in law's "dressing" and sweet potato casserole. I love my mom's stuffing, cranberry chutney and pumpkin pie. and I'll eat turkey at one place or the other. I can live without the 12 other courses like mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans cooked with ham, salads, etc. I also don't eat the crust of pumpkin pie as pie crust, which isn't even sweet, carries alot of the calories of that particular pie. I plan my plate at each place and while I am fuller that day than normal, I'm not miserable.
3) ENJOY THE PEOPLE, NOT JUST THE PLATES. This is key. Thanksgiving isn't about gluttony, and yet we've turned it into that. Think about what and who you are really thankful for and make that your focus. Sure, the food is wonderful, and the traditions ring supreme in your childhood memories. But more than the food, I love the togetherness this holiday brings; as well as the reflection on what blessings I've experienced this year.
Here's a short list of my blessings this year, in no particular order.
*A God who loves and forgives me of my failings, whom I can run to anytime, any day.
*My loving and supportive family and friends, specifically my amazing husband and sweet girl.
*An amazing job where I get to do what I do best every day.
*Better health than I've ever had in my life.
*Enough. We have enough. Not excess, we aren't rich, but our needs have been supplied.
*Boots that zip up my calves.
*Strong, muscular calves that made it tough to find boots to fit. :)
*Wearing a size 12 after living miserably as a 24 for a long time.
*A body that allows me to RUN. Legs that work, lungs that respond. The new goal to celebrate in the morning of running 10k (6.2 miles) for the first time ever!
I AM BLESSED and have so much to be thankful for this year. How about you?
Clara
Saturday, November 5, 2011
So Much Has Happened!
Where to start?
I went to a podiatrist on Tuesday morning. The first thing they did was x-rays - I wondered what the heck another x-ray would do, until I realized these were weight bearing x-rays. So I stood on my bad foot and let them take more pictures.
The doctor came in and showed me the pictures. It is kind of amazing to see what is happening to my foot. It is not fractured, that is the good news. However, I have bruised the bone...
What is happening is my arch is no longer supporting my weight - so when I put weight on my foot, my bones are starting to hyper-pronate, which means the foot is rolling inward. This causes my metatarsals to hit against my talus bone (top of my foot) in a new and special, er, painful way. He said we caught this early; many times it turns into arthritis.
Solution? He said custom orthotics. I asked how long it would take before I could run again. He said as soon as I had my orthotics.
So Thursday I went to have an impression made of my foot. When I got there, I asked what the actual diagnosis code was on my prescription. She looked it up and said, "huh, it says Black Heel." I googled that and it is a skin condition on your foot where it turns black...not what is happening to me. I realized it must be wrong.
When I met with the orthotic specialist I told him I wasn't comfortable with the fact that the dx code was incorrect...could we find out more? We talked about what was going on with my foot.
Turns out this guy treats a number of members from the local runners club. He said he wasn't sure if I needed these orthotics - that maybe an over the counter insert he is very familiar with would work. He found my doctor, talked it over with him and returned.
Solution - spend $20 on over the counter inserts (made by Spenco) before spending $300 on orthotics that might not work anyway...and are non-refundable.
He sent me to a drug store and I picked up a pair of the inserts.
I could not WAIT for Friday morning so I could try them out.
I made it an entire mile before it started hurting...then I walked home. I had put the inserts in my minimalist shoes (Brooks Green Silence) and they have pretty much zero arch support...so while it was better than without, it was not quite right.
So combo #2 was up this morning. Spenco inserts in my Brooks GTS 12s. I had some pain while running but then it sort of went away. My foot was even a little numb. I decided to keep going and ran 2 miles. The funny part is, once I've run, it hurts the rest of the day. But while I'm running it is bearable.
Because I know there will be long term effects until I get this figured out, I am back to the drawing board again.
So today I put together Combo #3. Spenco Inserts with my Brooks GTS 12s, and an additional arch insert in my right shoe.
I plan to try Combo #3 in the morning. I need to know what is going to work before I fly out Monday! I am going to the hotel gym each morning, even if that means I only get to do the elliptical.
I'm just so excited to be back out there somehow. Even if right now my foot is hurting and I need to ice it again. :)
No pain no gain, right?
Or loss that is.
I did ok eating wise this week. Not as bad as last week. Not as good as it could have been. I'm continuing to work through my head issues; did you know that those are never truly fixed?
You can adjust habits, get on a good roll, but you will always, always face challenges with food if you started off with food issues to begin with.
Does it get easier? Sure!
But it is never something you're cured of. Having lost 100 pounds in 2 years I definitely can attest to that.
Please know I mean for that to be informational, not discouraging. I think its important for people to realize that this journey is not easy.
But it is SO worth it.
Going to try to post some outfit pictures this week. Have done some shopping lately and found some awesome new duds. I'm trying to buy things that I will be able to wear 20 pounds from now still. I invested in a black blazer that will likely fit me forever.
That is what makes it worth it. :)
Big hugs to all of you out there...will be better about blogging my updates this week!
~Clara
What I ate today:
Breakfast: Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal
Lunch: Wendy's grilled chicken sandwich, small chili
PM snack: shared some Junior mints with my wee one
Dinner: Loaded Baked potato soup (homemade)
Dessert: healthy pumpkin muffins
Exercise:
ran 2 miles...and shopped shopped shopped! Total of 2800 cals burned all day.
I went to a podiatrist on Tuesday morning. The first thing they did was x-rays - I wondered what the heck another x-ray would do, until I realized these were weight bearing x-rays. So I stood on my bad foot and let them take more pictures.
The doctor came in and showed me the pictures. It is kind of amazing to see what is happening to my foot. It is not fractured, that is the good news. However, I have bruised the bone...
What is happening is my arch is no longer supporting my weight - so when I put weight on my foot, my bones are starting to hyper-pronate, which means the foot is rolling inward. This causes my metatarsals to hit against my talus bone (top of my foot) in a new and special, er, painful way. He said we caught this early; many times it turns into arthritis.
Solution? He said custom orthotics. I asked how long it would take before I could run again. He said as soon as I had my orthotics.
So Thursday I went to have an impression made of my foot. When I got there, I asked what the actual diagnosis code was on my prescription. She looked it up and said, "huh, it says Black Heel." I googled that and it is a skin condition on your foot where it turns black...not what is happening to me. I realized it must be wrong.
When I met with the orthotic specialist I told him I wasn't comfortable with the fact that the dx code was incorrect...could we find out more? We talked about what was going on with my foot.
Turns out this guy treats a number of members from the local runners club. He said he wasn't sure if I needed these orthotics - that maybe an over the counter insert he is very familiar with would work. He found my doctor, talked it over with him and returned.
Solution - spend $20 on over the counter inserts (made by Spenco) before spending $300 on orthotics that might not work anyway...and are non-refundable.
He sent me to a drug store and I picked up a pair of the inserts.
I could not WAIT for Friday morning so I could try them out.
I made it an entire mile before it started hurting...then I walked home. I had put the inserts in my minimalist shoes (Brooks Green Silence) and they have pretty much zero arch support...so while it was better than without, it was not quite right.
So combo #2 was up this morning. Spenco inserts in my Brooks GTS 12s. I had some pain while running but then it sort of went away. My foot was even a little numb. I decided to keep going and ran 2 miles. The funny part is, once I've run, it hurts the rest of the day. But while I'm running it is bearable.
Because I know there will be long term effects until I get this figured out, I am back to the drawing board again.
So today I put together Combo #3. Spenco Inserts with my Brooks GTS 12s, and an additional arch insert in my right shoe.
I plan to try Combo #3 in the morning. I need to know what is going to work before I fly out Monday! I am going to the hotel gym each morning, even if that means I only get to do the elliptical.
I'm just so excited to be back out there somehow. Even if right now my foot is hurting and I need to ice it again. :)
No pain no gain, right?
Or loss that is.
I did ok eating wise this week. Not as bad as last week. Not as good as it could have been. I'm continuing to work through my head issues; did you know that those are never truly fixed?
You can adjust habits, get on a good roll, but you will always, always face challenges with food if you started off with food issues to begin with.
Does it get easier? Sure!
But it is never something you're cured of. Having lost 100 pounds in 2 years I definitely can attest to that.
Please know I mean for that to be informational, not discouraging. I think its important for people to realize that this journey is not easy.
But it is SO worth it.
Going to try to post some outfit pictures this week. Have done some shopping lately and found some awesome new duds. I'm trying to buy things that I will be able to wear 20 pounds from now still. I invested in a black blazer that will likely fit me forever.
That is what makes it worth it. :)
Big hugs to all of you out there...will be better about blogging my updates this week!
~Clara
What I ate today:
Breakfast: Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal
Lunch: Wendy's grilled chicken sandwich, small chili
PM snack: shared some Junior mints with my wee one
Dinner: Loaded Baked potato soup (homemade)
Dessert: healthy pumpkin muffins
Exercise:
ran 2 miles...and shopped shopped shopped! Total of 2800 cals burned all day.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Day 1 of Possible Broken Foot Saga
Hey all, so Day 1 went ok. I did get up early and rode my exercise bike for a half hour. I turned up the intensity/resistance to 7 so it was harder than normal (I keep it at a 4 most of the time). Lots of sweat so that is a good sign.
Started off well with eating..had a few minor slips here and there but all in all pretty good.
Breakfast: Honey Nut Cheerios with Almond Milk
Snack: Banana
Lunch: Half bbq chicken salad and cup of chicken noodle soup from Panera with wheat roll
Snack: 2 pumpkin muffins (made with just pumpkin and cake mix - they were good!) and 6 Candy Corn Pumpkins.
Dinner: Grilled chicken salad
Yes. I gave in on the pumpkins. But really, 6 pumpkins is nowhere near as bad as it could have been...
Am I rationalizing? Maybe. I promised you I would blog the truth, so here it is. Good, bad, and in-between. :)
One VERY positive decision I made today - I packaged up the rest of the candy corn and gave it to someone upstairs.
I have an appointment tomorrow morning with an ortho doc/podiatrist. Hoping he sends me right away for the MRI so I can get that done quickly and know before the week is out what the prognosis is. I learned tonight that this particular doctor is big on casts. That will NOT be fun especially given I am traveling all week next week. But at worst, I think I'll end up with an air boot. We'll see.
Will let you know how tomorrow goes! Got another date with the exercise bike in the morning - scintillating! Yeah, a little sarcasm never hurt anyone, right?
It's all good.
~Clara
Started off well with eating..had a few minor slips here and there but all in all pretty good.
Breakfast: Honey Nut Cheerios with Almond Milk
Snack: Banana
Lunch: Half bbq chicken salad and cup of chicken noodle soup from Panera with wheat roll
Snack: 2 pumpkin muffins (made with just pumpkin and cake mix - they were good!) and 6 Candy Corn Pumpkins.
Dinner: Grilled chicken salad
Yes. I gave in on the pumpkins. But really, 6 pumpkins is nowhere near as bad as it could have been...
Am I rationalizing? Maybe. I promised you I would blog the truth, so here it is. Good, bad, and in-between. :)
One VERY positive decision I made today - I packaged up the rest of the candy corn and gave it to someone upstairs.
I have an appointment tomorrow morning with an ortho doc/podiatrist. Hoping he sends me right away for the MRI so I can get that done quickly and know before the week is out what the prognosis is. I learned tonight that this particular doctor is big on casts. That will NOT be fun especially given I am traveling all week next week. But at worst, I think I'll end up with an air boot. We'll see.
Will let you know how tomorrow goes! Got another date with the exercise bike in the morning - scintillating! Yeah, a little sarcasm never hurt anyone, right?
It's all good.
~Clara
Sunday, October 30, 2011
It's All in the Plan
I have spent this entire day wallowing.
Sad faced, slow moping, eating crap "comfort" food wallowing.
I didn't eat dinner since lunch was so ridiculous, we all just snacked tonight. And I made cookies (half a batch, but STILL).
Did it help?
NO.
But with all the wallowing came some planning. If you know me well, you know having a plan is huge for me. I have to know what's next. And with my healthy lifestyle its been no different. Planning is a HUGE key aspect to my success.
Planning meals. Planning activity. Planning for speed bumps.
And man, have I hit a big one.
I'm 90% sure I have fractured my right foot. On the top of it, above the butterfly tattoo. I took a week off, as nothing showed on the x-ray but about 3/4 of a mile in to my run today, I felt that familiar pain. I ran a mile, then walked the mile home. Completely and utterly bummed. Apparently stress fractures don't show up on an x-ray right away anyway.
I wanted to cry several times today but have held it in. It isn't going to help. And my nose will be stuffy/runny and then I'll have a headache. Nope, not cry worthy. Yet anyway. It might be when the doc tells me how long to stay off it now...
So, today was about asking for prayer and having pity on myself. I literally dreamed about running last night, so to wake up and get to go this morning after a week off was amazing. It made the letdown that much harder to bear, however, when the pain came back.
So tomorrow I'll be calling the dr back and letting her know what the sitch is...and asking for an MRI to be set up. Once we know for sure what's going on, then we'll go from there. I don't think I'll need to wear a boot or anything like that, but it will probably be flat shoes and little to no weight bearing activity.
No running.
No Zumba.
No Tae Bo.
No Biggest Loser workouts.
Freaking UGH!
Now that I've sufficiently wallowed, the dust is settling, I have a tummy ache and am in need of a plan. I only have 5 days to get this worked out with the dr as I fly out next Monday on a 4 day trip. I need to have my routine figured out before I go so I can still work out while traveling.
Yep, I am not taking {insert # of weeks} off completely. I WILL find something I can do and I will DO it.
And I will rid my office of the candy corn tomorrow morning.
It is really difficult to eat well when I'm not running. I don't know if its because I associate my food more with fuel when it is being used as such, but I need to remember that even if I'm not running, my body still needs good, healthy fuel to run efficiently.
I only rode my exercise bike once this week. My butt goes numb after awhile and I get bored (its a recumbent bike). Starting tomorrow, I'm going to get up early, bump up the resistance, then ride it for an hour at least. I have a book I've been trying to read so I can do that simultaneously.
So the plan consists of eating within my range, and making the BEST choices I can, and exercising in the BEST way I can. At least doing something.
And for some reason, when I decide it, say it, blog it and plan it, 9 times out of 10 it becomes my reality.
Last week I spent too much time denying that I could really be that injured and just trying to get through the stupid week so I could run again and everything would be fine.
This week I'm going to deal with it head on, make the best of an undesirable situation, and blog as much as I can for accountability.
Sound like a plan?
Good. I needed one.
As much fun as its been to wallow, it has gotten me nowhere. Fortunately it was only a day.
Setbacks are going to happen on your healthy lifestyle journey. This isn't my first injury. It's my first "not cool story" injury. But despite any setbacks I've experienced, I've always come out stronger and still overall successful.
I may not be running a 10k on Thanksgiving. But I will still be giving thanks for a number of things.
Catch you tomorrow for my first accountability post of the week. I'll be including a "what I ate" and "what activity I did" as well as an update on my foot.
~Clara
Sad faced, slow moping, eating crap "comfort" food wallowing.
I didn't eat dinner since lunch was so ridiculous, we all just snacked tonight. And I made cookies (half a batch, but STILL).
Did it help?
NO.
But with all the wallowing came some planning. If you know me well, you know having a plan is huge for me. I have to know what's next. And with my healthy lifestyle its been no different. Planning is a HUGE key aspect to my success.
Planning meals. Planning activity. Planning for speed bumps.
And man, have I hit a big one.
I'm 90% sure I have fractured my right foot. On the top of it, above the butterfly tattoo. I took a week off, as nothing showed on the x-ray but about 3/4 of a mile in to my run today, I felt that familiar pain. I ran a mile, then walked the mile home. Completely and utterly bummed. Apparently stress fractures don't show up on an x-ray right away anyway.
I wanted to cry several times today but have held it in. It isn't going to help. And my nose will be stuffy/runny and then I'll have a headache. Nope, not cry worthy. Yet anyway. It might be when the doc tells me how long to stay off it now...
So, today was about asking for prayer and having pity on myself. I literally dreamed about running last night, so to wake up and get to go this morning after a week off was amazing. It made the letdown that much harder to bear, however, when the pain came back.
So tomorrow I'll be calling the dr back and letting her know what the sitch is...and asking for an MRI to be set up. Once we know for sure what's going on, then we'll go from there. I don't think I'll need to wear a boot or anything like that, but it will probably be flat shoes and little to no weight bearing activity.
No running.
No Zumba.
No Tae Bo.
No Biggest Loser workouts.
Freaking UGH!
Now that I've sufficiently wallowed, the dust is settling, I have a tummy ache and am in need of a plan. I only have 5 days to get this worked out with the dr as I fly out next Monday on a 4 day trip. I need to have my routine figured out before I go so I can still work out while traveling.
Yep, I am not taking {insert # of weeks} off completely. I WILL find something I can do and I will DO it.
And I will rid my office of the candy corn tomorrow morning.
It is really difficult to eat well when I'm not running. I don't know if its because I associate my food more with fuel when it is being used as such, but I need to remember that even if I'm not running, my body still needs good, healthy fuel to run efficiently.
I only rode my exercise bike once this week. My butt goes numb after awhile and I get bored (its a recumbent bike). Starting tomorrow, I'm going to get up early, bump up the resistance, then ride it for an hour at least. I have a book I've been trying to read so I can do that simultaneously.
So the plan consists of eating within my range, and making the BEST choices I can, and exercising in the BEST way I can. At least doing something.
And for some reason, when I decide it, say it, blog it and plan it, 9 times out of 10 it becomes my reality.
Last week I spent too much time denying that I could really be that injured and just trying to get through the stupid week so I could run again and everything would be fine.
This week I'm going to deal with it head on, make the best of an undesirable situation, and blog as much as I can for accountability.
Sound like a plan?
Good. I needed one.
As much fun as its been to wallow, it has gotten me nowhere. Fortunately it was only a day.
Setbacks are going to happen on your healthy lifestyle journey. This isn't my first injury. It's my first "not cool story" injury. But despite any setbacks I've experienced, I've always come out stronger and still overall successful.
I may not be running a 10k on Thanksgiving. But I will still be giving thanks for a number of things.
Catch you tomorrow for my first accountability post of the week. I'll be including a "what I ate" and "what activity I did" as well as an update on my foot.
~Clara
Monday, October 24, 2011
Better Safe than Sorry...
So, I just returned from the doctor's office...let me back up a few days to give you the scoop.
On Saturday I had a glorious run. It was beautiful outside, I felt great, so I just kept on going. A total of 5 miles in 56 minutes. It felt amazing.
About mile 4, my right foot started to hurt, on the top of it, then it went numb. Wasn't a terrible pain, but when I felt like going past 5 miles, I decided not to push my luck, just in case.
Sunday I ran 2 miles, just a quick run. It hurt for about a half mile, then was fine.
Yesterday afternoon my wee one wanted to go for a walk. I laced up my shoes but could not walk more than a mile with her, my foot hurt so bad.
Crap.
So today I called the sports med place in Dothan, which couldn't get me in until Friday morning. I'm not the type to sit around and wait for the scoop on whatever might be going on, so I went to the urgent care instead as I knew they had xray machines.
While they cannot see a fracture, they didn't rule it out. The radiologist still has to look at the films, but in the meantime, the doc has put me off of my foot for 1 week. No weight bearing activities.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Yep, that about sums up how I feel about that. They gave me this adorable post-op shoe to wear - it feels like it is the wrong foot, and as I was adjusting the strap, it broke (oh, darn!) so I will be looking for something else to wear, or I may just wear flats all week.
I had my Zumba clothes in the car.
I could not be more bleh about all of this right now.
But if I have learned anything from being sidelined in the past, its better to be safe than sorry. I know this personally.
And if I want to run that 10k in 4 weeks, I'd better err on the side of caution.
That is so hard for me - I'm not at all a cautious person (in this regard anyway, I am when it comes to being a passenger in a vehicle - lol).
So please pray for my sanity this week. I have to make it to Sunday with no running or Zumba. I'm going to ride my recumbent exercise bike until my butt goes numb, but that won't register any calories burned on the Bodybugg so I'm preparing myself for another bleh week.
My weigh in by the way, yesterday, was terrible. I was up a pound. What the HECK? I think it must be sodium from the traveling last week. Or the movie theater popcorn and fro yo I had for dinner on Friday night. But come ON, I ran 5 miles on Saturday...should have mitigated ALL of that.
Or not.
This whole exact science of losing weight is ANYTHING but exact.
But, I digress.
The point of this post was to ask for prayer. I'm at risk at this moment of eating all 4 of the leftover jillian michael's healthy brownies (therefore defeating the purpose of them being healthy brownies). I'm trying really hard not to let myself just give up, even for a day. I won't be very happy with myself if I do.
Hang in there with me and say a prayer for me, will ya?
Clara
On Saturday I had a glorious run. It was beautiful outside, I felt great, so I just kept on going. A total of 5 miles in 56 minutes. It felt amazing.
About mile 4, my right foot started to hurt, on the top of it, then it went numb. Wasn't a terrible pain, but when I felt like going past 5 miles, I decided not to push my luck, just in case.
Sunday I ran 2 miles, just a quick run. It hurt for about a half mile, then was fine.
Yesterday afternoon my wee one wanted to go for a walk. I laced up my shoes but could not walk more than a mile with her, my foot hurt so bad.
Crap.
So today I called the sports med place in Dothan, which couldn't get me in until Friday morning. I'm not the type to sit around and wait for the scoop on whatever might be going on, so I went to the urgent care instead as I knew they had xray machines.
While they cannot see a fracture, they didn't rule it out. The radiologist still has to look at the films, but in the meantime, the doc has put me off of my foot for 1 week. No weight bearing activities.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Yep, that about sums up how I feel about that. They gave me this adorable post-op shoe to wear - it feels like it is the wrong foot, and as I was adjusting the strap, it broke (oh, darn!) so I will be looking for something else to wear, or I may just wear flats all week.
I had my Zumba clothes in the car.
I could not be more bleh about all of this right now.
But if I have learned anything from being sidelined in the past, its better to be safe than sorry. I know this personally.
And if I want to run that 10k in 4 weeks, I'd better err on the side of caution.
That is so hard for me - I'm not at all a cautious person (in this regard anyway, I am when it comes to being a passenger in a vehicle - lol).
So please pray for my sanity this week. I have to make it to Sunday with no running or Zumba. I'm going to ride my recumbent exercise bike until my butt goes numb, but that won't register any calories burned on the Bodybugg so I'm preparing myself for another bleh week.
My weigh in by the way, yesterday, was terrible. I was up a pound. What the HECK? I think it must be sodium from the traveling last week. Or the movie theater popcorn and fro yo I had for dinner on Friday night. But come ON, I ran 5 miles on Saturday...should have mitigated ALL of that.
Or not.
This whole exact science of losing weight is ANYTHING but exact.
But, I digress.
The point of this post was to ask for prayer. I'm at risk at this moment of eating all 4 of the leftover jillian michael's healthy brownies (therefore defeating the purpose of them being healthy brownies). I'm trying really hard not to let myself just give up, even for a day. I won't be very happy with myself if I do.
Hang in there with me and say a prayer for me, will ya?
Clara
Sunday, October 16, 2011
And the Secret is...Focus
What an incredible week.
I wondered how I would feel reporting to the world today about everything. My most recent weigh in, the crazy hilly race yesterday, how I was doing with my eating.
Well, I am very happy to say that I have good news. On ALL fronts.
As you know I spent much of September losing and gaining the same 3 pounds. Well, I have finally released them forever. Well, Mandisa says released - she says you shouldn't say lost as you really don't want to find them. But maybe since released sounds kinda gross I will say exterminated. Wait. Not much better.
Back to the point, I am excited that I've lost another 2 pounds past my 100 pound mark. I'm solidly 183 now. I honestly don't remember the last time I was there and actually stayed there. Probably around that weight when we got married, but again, I gained it back quickly. Stopping your program will do that to you.
Duh, right?
This weigh in was great as last Sunday I weighed 185.8 and it sucked. I was so miserable about it, but I faithfully reported it to my Body Bugg program and waited while it told me I must be sneaking oreos. Really, it just adjusts your intake amount for the last week and accuses you of eating way more than you tracked. Not very fair I felt, though this week it ended up jacking my intake down saying I had eaten less than I reported since I lost 2.6 pounds. It is making me realize that while losing weight is scientific (less calories in, more calories burned), it isn't a one-size-fits-all perfect, fault-proof science. Although when I really think about it, here is what I've come to realize.
If I compare my calories this week to those of weeks prior, the amount I ate wasn't necessarily that different.
It was QUALITY.
Not Quantity.
Sick of hearing that quality is more important than quantity? Yeah, me too. But bear with me here.
Want to know the difference between this week and other weeks?
I ate BETTER food. Healthier. Got in my fruit and veggie servings. AND my daily dark chocolate.
And I didn't crave weird junk food. Dessert still taunted me at that buffet I was telling you about the other day (the one with the white devil pasta). But I conquered it.
And again, I'm that much stronger.
So what's the "secret?" There really isn't just one thing. It's a combination of good choices that moves you in the direction of success. And if something isn't working, its time to re-evaluate, get dead honest with yourself and change something. Anything. Shock your body for once. Get it out of its routine.
My break did that for me - not only giving my knee time to heal, but giving me a chance to rest and reset. I needed a brain break too I think.
One choice I made this week was going daily with my chocolate again. Dark chocolate every day is going to have to be my thing. In fact, the dark chocolate of choice has been those mini-york peppermint patties. Oh my heaven. Just one tiny one is enough to satiate me. 50 calories of happiness. And during the day I've been fine since I started doing that regularly again. Worth it.
Another choice was making sure I got my water in - and planning my meals and sticking to my plan.
More choices - my activity. I ran Monday morning, did Tae Bo on Tuesday night, ran Wednesday morning and did Zumba Wednesday night, then ran again Thursday and took Friday off as a rest day before my 5k race Saturday. Yeah, pretty active week. And I'm planning another one right behind it. Because my body is responding well to it.
My focus has been a little off lately. I've been focusing on the scale not moving, my cravings being out of whack, and wondering if I'd ever get under 185 for serious.
What got me back into my groove was putting my eyes back on the small steps that it will take for me to meet my goal. Each time I exercised. That much closer. Every healthier food choice. That much closer. Every blog post where I'm pouring my heart out to potentially no one but its still cathartic...That much closer.
Let's talk about the race yesterday. I will likely get misty eyed.
I ran my best race time EVER. 32:16. This same race last year, I ran in 40:04. What a difference a year makes. Check out the difference in the two photos:
At the start line I was nervous as usual. Unsure of myself and my ability. But all week I had felt this freakish determination like I was going to kill this race. I had no idea how, as I knew it was the hardest race I'd ever run. They even changed the course but talking it over with someone before hand it didn't change for the "easier." Just multiple, different hills. Fortunately no time to be nervous.
I looked around and instantly felt overwhelmed with emotion.
It was amazing to see all of these names flying around me. Everyone was running with a purpose. With a focus. I vowed not to lose mine. Some teenage boys were goofing around during the first mile and distracting me so I put in both earphones and zoned out. As soon as we were down one hill, we were going up another.
I had the same experiences as before, but kept telling myself - this is MY race, not the person who just passed me. That helps me pace so much. I know many people burn out toward the end. Sure enough in the last mile I began passing people like crazy. People who had stopped to walk. People way skinnier and fit-looking than me. I hoped they couldn't hear me wheezing.
The last hill was murder. Then I pictured my friend Irene and could hear her saying "Go Clara" in her Staten Island accent. Literally a minute later "I Run for Life" by Melissa Etheridge came on the playlist. PERFECT timing. I zoomed past people going uphill. I knew we were nearing the end.
When you round the last turn the finish line is still .2 miles away, but you can see it clearly. I poured out all I had and then realized the clock said 31 something. Now, I wear a Garmin, so I could have done the math myself, but I was so focused, I hadn't looked down in awhile. I burned it across the finish line, amazed as I realized it was my fastest 5k EVER.
Faster than I'd even run one in my non hilly neighborhood.
I can only credit sheer and utter focus and determination. Oh, and the people praying for me (thanks!). Seriously, I've never been more elated with a finish. And my hubby got a great picture too.
I placed 20th in my age group. Yeah, not the most impressive ever, but I wouldn't have even placed last year. 130th out of 309 people. Still, closer to the top half than the bottom half!
So all in all, what a great week and weekend. I am so excited about how I'm feeling, not just physically strong (a tad bit of knee pain this morning during my easy 2 miles but no pain at all yesterday) but also mentally strong. Spiritually strong.
A force to be reckoned with. When I'm focused, that is.
Stay focused friends. Sorry for the long post - if you're still here, thanks for riding along.
~Clara
I wondered how I would feel reporting to the world today about everything. My most recent weigh in, the crazy hilly race yesterday, how I was doing with my eating.
Well, I am very happy to say that I have good news. On ALL fronts.
As you know I spent much of September losing and gaining the same 3 pounds. Well, I have finally released them forever. Well, Mandisa says released - she says you shouldn't say lost as you really don't want to find them. But maybe since released sounds kinda gross I will say exterminated. Wait. Not much better.
Back to the point, I am excited that I've lost another 2 pounds past my 100 pound mark. I'm solidly 183 now. I honestly don't remember the last time I was there and actually stayed there. Probably around that weight when we got married, but again, I gained it back quickly. Stopping your program will do that to you.
Duh, right?
This weigh in was great as last Sunday I weighed 185.8 and it sucked. I was so miserable about it, but I faithfully reported it to my Body Bugg program and waited while it told me I must be sneaking oreos. Really, it just adjusts your intake amount for the last week and accuses you of eating way more than you tracked. Not very fair I felt, though this week it ended up jacking my intake down saying I had eaten less than I reported since I lost 2.6 pounds. It is making me realize that while losing weight is scientific (less calories in, more calories burned), it isn't a one-size-fits-all perfect, fault-proof science. Although when I really think about it, here is what I've come to realize.
If I compare my calories this week to those of weeks prior, the amount I ate wasn't necessarily that different.
It was QUALITY.
Not Quantity.
Sick of hearing that quality is more important than quantity? Yeah, me too. But bear with me here.
Want to know the difference between this week and other weeks?
I ate BETTER food. Healthier. Got in my fruit and veggie servings. AND my daily dark chocolate.
And I didn't crave weird junk food. Dessert still taunted me at that buffet I was telling you about the other day (the one with the white devil pasta). But I conquered it.
And again, I'm that much stronger.
So what's the "secret?" There really isn't just one thing. It's a combination of good choices that moves you in the direction of success. And if something isn't working, its time to re-evaluate, get dead honest with yourself and change something. Anything. Shock your body for once. Get it out of its routine.
My break did that for me - not only giving my knee time to heal, but giving me a chance to rest and reset. I needed a brain break too I think.
One choice I made this week was going daily with my chocolate again. Dark chocolate every day is going to have to be my thing. In fact, the dark chocolate of choice has been those mini-york peppermint patties. Oh my heaven. Just one tiny one is enough to satiate me. 50 calories of happiness. And during the day I've been fine since I started doing that regularly again. Worth it.
Another choice was making sure I got my water in - and planning my meals and sticking to my plan.
More choices - my activity. I ran Monday morning, did Tae Bo on Tuesday night, ran Wednesday morning and did Zumba Wednesday night, then ran again Thursday and took Friday off as a rest day before my 5k race Saturday. Yeah, pretty active week. And I'm planning another one right behind it. Because my body is responding well to it.
My focus has been a little off lately. I've been focusing on the scale not moving, my cravings being out of whack, and wondering if I'd ever get under 185 for serious.
What got me back into my groove was putting my eyes back on the small steps that it will take for me to meet my goal. Each time I exercised. That much closer. Every healthier food choice. That much closer. Every blog post where I'm pouring my heart out to potentially no one but its still cathartic...That much closer.
Let's talk about the race yesterday. I will likely get misty eyed.
I ran my best race time EVER. 32:16. This same race last year, I ran in 40:04. What a difference a year makes. Check out the difference in the two photos:
 |
| June 2010 - October 2011 1st 5k race vs 7th 5k race |
 |
| Champions of Hope race 2010 vs 2011 40 pounds lighter |
At the start line I was nervous as usual. Unsure of myself and my ability. But all week I had felt this freakish determination like I was going to kill this race. I had no idea how, as I knew it was the hardest race I'd ever run. They even changed the course but talking it over with someone before hand it didn't change for the "easier." Just multiple, different hills. Fortunately no time to be nervous.
I looked around and instantly felt overwhelmed with emotion.
 |
| Everyone wore these - and several had more than one name on it like mine did. |
I had the same experiences as before, but kept telling myself - this is MY race, not the person who just passed me. That helps me pace so much. I know many people burn out toward the end. Sure enough in the last mile I began passing people like crazy. People who had stopped to walk. People way skinnier and fit-looking than me. I hoped they couldn't hear me wheezing.
The last hill was murder. Then I pictured my friend Irene and could hear her saying "Go Clara" in her Staten Island accent. Literally a minute later "I Run for Life" by Melissa Etheridge came on the playlist. PERFECT timing. I zoomed past people going uphill. I knew we were nearing the end.
When you round the last turn the finish line is still .2 miles away, but you can see it clearly. I poured out all I had and then realized the clock said 31 something. Now, I wear a Garmin, so I could have done the math myself, but I was so focused, I hadn't looked down in awhile. I burned it across the finish line, amazed as I realized it was my fastest 5k EVER.
Faster than I'd even run one in my non hilly neighborhood.
I can only credit sheer and utter focus and determination. Oh, and the people praying for me (thanks!). Seriously, I've never been more elated with a finish. And my hubby got a great picture too.
 |
| Wish I had seen my hubby and daughter - I might have smiled and waved! the time says 32:24 but my official chip time was 32:16 due to how long it was after they said "go" and I had not yet crossed the starting line. |
So all in all, what a great week and weekend. I am so excited about how I'm feeling, not just physically strong (a tad bit of knee pain this morning during my easy 2 miles but no pain at all yesterday) but also mentally strong. Spiritually strong.
A force to be reckoned with. When I'm focused, that is.
Stay focused friends. Sorry for the long post - if you're still here, thanks for riding along.
~Clara
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