Shrinking Days of Summer Weigh-In #4

What a BLAH week!  I am really struggling to snap out of my post race "blahs"... If you read Heather's post on True Confession Tuesday, well I might as well have written it, because I couldn't have expressed my week better.


Last week I professed my commitment to drop-kick the sugar... Yeah... Well, I really wasn't committed to that because the sugar has continued to rule my life!!!  What is that?  How can one substance feel so powerful and so irresistible?  Truly baffling to me.  I do believe, however that my kicking sugar has much to do with exercise.  The more I exercise, the better I feel and the better I feel, the easier it is to say no to sugar and other things that aren't healthy.


As of Friday, I continued to be sore and to have pain in my leg and hip, so I stopped in to see Steve, my sports chiropractor and he worked me over AND gave me orders to do NO IMPACT EXERCISE for two weeks.  While I am more than willing to do what needs to be done to heal, this was an emotional blow for me.  I have just wanted to continue running so bad!  As I tend to do, I went on a bit of a strike - the kind of "If I can't do what I want, I won't do anything at all"strike.  Pretty self-destructive and definitely harkens back to my really unhealthy days.  By last night, I was starting to snap out of it and then Jillian kicked my butt... She is really good at that!  I watched Losing It and was given the "nudge" I needed to quit making excuses and just do it.  So, at 9:30pm, I got myself ready and headed to the gym.  Amazingly enough, I felt great!  Isn't it funny how that works! ;)
 

So, here are my numbers... Definitely a loss... getting back to baseline before the race.  Thilled for the loss, but still working to get back in "the swing" of healthy life!

Starting Weight

215 lbs
Starting Weight for this Challenge
196.6

Today's Weight

196 lbs

Change from last week

-1.2 lb
Difference for the challenge
-0.6 lb

Total Difference

 -19 lbs

 

Need a new suit?

 Over at the Sisterhood, there is a sweet giveaway going on...

Now, I know that many of us don't want to go "THERE" when it comes to swimwear... We tend to feel more like this when it comes to swimwear...

BUT... the great designers at Land's End have real women in mind with their swimwear collection!

I was blown away when I went HERE to browse... Between the huge selection, attention to flattering style and the ability to search based on "anxiety zones", Land's End had me hooked.

Several of my favorites include THIS, THIS, THIS 

and THIS

 

I am pretty certain that I will be purchasing one if I don't win one of the EIGHT (yes, you read correctly EIGHT!) swimsuits being given away at the Sisterhood. You can get in on the fun too... Just go here and scroll down to the bottom of the post for instructions!

 

Shrinking Days of Summer Weigh-In #3

This was a week that was full of getting back into the swing of "normal life"... I am still reeling from my amazing experience with Team Shrinking Jeans in San Diego!  You can read all about it HERE.


Overall, I am getting back into my eating routine... The only caveat has been sugar.  I am still getting back to the business of dropping the sugar.  I don't really struggle giving up starch, bread and other carbs that I have been really limiting, but there is something about sugar and sweets that is just purely addicting to me.  This go around it has been ice cream - maybe because we ate quite of bit of it on vacation and maybe because it is so flipping hot here.  Regardless, it has to go and as of Monday, it is done and over... 

On the exercise front, I am still tired and still recovering from the race.  I attempted to run/walk on Saturday and only made it two miles and had to walk most of it because of leg pain.  I tried again yesterday and wile I was able to do more running, I still felt like my legs were huge tree stumps to lug around.  General consensus has been to give myself some more time and cross train in the meantime... Great advise, I just am impatient and itching to run!  Plan to start 30 Shred today, now that I am not in the later weeks of training for a run.

 
So, here are my numbers... Definitely a loss... getting back to baseline before the race.  Thilled for the loss - next week I will definitely be in the negative for the challenge!

Starting Weight

215 lbs
Starting Weight for this Challenge
196.6

Today's Weight

197.2 lbs

Change from last week

-2.2 lb
Difference for the challenge
+0.6 lb

Total Difference

 -17.2 lbs

 

Shrinking Days of Summer Weigh-In #2

What a week!  I completed my Half Marathon and had an amazing time in San Diego!  You can read all about it HERE.


I made the decision after my weigh-in last week, that I would loosen some of my eating habits in light of the race and taking vacation with my family.  I allowed some extra carbs and definitely ate what I wanted after the race... potatoes have never tasted quite so good.  I also allowed myself to let loose and have drinks at the after party and the next night.  It was a blast!  The SAH's at the Sisterhood definitely know how to have a good time!

On the exercise front, I am still amazed at what I have accomplished through my training for the race.  While entertaining, my stats on dailymile.com are really astounding...
Since the beginning of my training in February, I have 

logged 178.6 miles
burned 8 pounds
spent 39.59 hours running
and
burned 169.06 donuts!

Pretty amazing perspective!
 
So, here are my numbers... I expected a gain, given all of the above and the extra FUN had in California.  I was blessed with my monthly womanhood on the night before the race as well.  Between that and all of the electrolytes and alcohol, I can feel the water weight.  No doubt next week will be an exciting weight on the scale!

Starting Weight

215 lbs
Starting Weight for this Challenge
196.6

Today's Weight

199.4 lbs

Change from last week

+3.4 lb
Difference for the challenge
+2.8 lb

Total Difference

 15.6 lbs

 

Breaking Through Walls... The Race Re-Cap

Many of you know that I had my "little race" this past weekend.  I packed up my family and we drove to San Diego for race/vacation.  It was amazing to have David and the boys with me - they have each made sacrifices so that I could take this journey and have been my biggest coaches, encouragers and fans!

We promptly arrived and hit the beach... The boys first time, and they had a blast!

We also hit the race expo....

and met my fabulous Team Shrinking Jeans - well, met in real life that is... We already know each other and likely know more about each other than many friend do, so it was like a reunion of sorts...

Here we are together at the Inspiration Dinner, along with our amazing Coach Joe.

We had many moments to be reminded of the TRUE reasons we chose to participate with Team in Training.  We reflected on the fact that we each raised over $2900 individually and more than $43,000 as a TEAM to fight blood cancers.  This took my work as an oncology nurse to new heights and gave me another tangible way to affect my precious patients and their courageous families.  It was especially exciting to hear that Team in Training raised over

12 million dollars 

for LLS for this event alone!  

AAAAMMMAAAZZZING!

Race day came VERY early - 4:15am in the lobby of the Hilton early!  Here are a couple of pics from the lobby abuzz with excitement and LOTS of coffee. 

Top - Having a little breakfast; Second - Team Shrinking Jeans + Husbands; Third - Melissa and I: Fourth - Jessica and I; Bottom - The whole Virtual TnT Team

We shuttled to the start line, took the chance to experience the joy of the porta-potty, checked our bags and anxiously waited for our corral to start - being that I was in corral 36, I waited awhile.

Lisa and I getting ready to check our bags at the UPS trucks...

Christie in her beautiful tutu, Heather and Christy - just off the bus ready to start...

   Here is what the start looked like...

The energy was crazy!  So very exciting!  Here is a great video of the course -  It was a beautiful course, but very different than I had imagined.  One very large hill, but lots of "up and down" and because we ran on the freeway for awhile, the surface was slanted... How do you train for that?  I started out and had a difficult first couple of miles - my shins were on fire... I think because of all of the waiting at the starting line, but then one of my "theme songs" (Britt Nicole -Walk on the Water) came on and I saw my favorite sign of the whole course that read "Its not sweat, its your fat cells weeping..."and before I knew it, the burning subsided.  I found my groove and just did what I have been training to do... run 2 minutes, walk 2 minutes, hydrate, gu pack, rock to the music... AND enjoy the moment, the scenery, the crowds, the sea of purple TnT jerseys, the cheering and the sheer accomplishment of what I was undertaking. 


This was an inspiring moment... Running by the posters of all of our honored teammates and all of the loved ones we were running for...

Going through Balboa Park was the highlight for me - It was beautiful, pretty shaded and after the park came the big hill, which was tough to go up, but going down was the best mile of the race for me - I ran the whole mile and ran the fastest mile I have ever run in just over 12 minutes.  I got to see David, the boys and my parents at mile 8 and mile 10.  Here are a couple of the pics David took...

I think I was wondering just how crazy I was for doing this in the first picture.  This picture above shows my honored teammates - the people I was running for... Clockwise from top... "In memory - Colten - Little Man"; "In honor - Dominie, In Memory - Rowan"; "In honor and memory of all of the cancer warriors at Cardon Childrens"; "In honor - Alex Arndt"  They were all with me, every mile of the journey - inspiring me, motivating me and challenging me!

Miles 9-11 were pretty warm - sun out and inland enough that there wasn't much of a breeze - They were difficult miles that included much more walking than running.  Then came the home stretch and I realized that I was really doing this, I was really about to come to the end of my first HALF MARATHON... I was really about to break through walls in my life that had far deeper implications than just finishing a race.  I felt the ocean breeze hitting my face and reaching into my soul.  I listened to all of the songs that keep me moving.  

I felt every part of my body and every step I took... 

I felt ALIVE... 

I felt HEALTHY... 

I felt POWERFUL... 

I felt STRONG and 

I felt TRIUMPHANT!

 I came over the bridge and around the corner towards mile marker 13 and I picked up my pace to an all out sprint... A strong, confident, graceful, intense and fast sprint... Past David, the boys and my parents and down the home stretch over the finish line with hands held high, I crossed over to the other side - The walls came crumbling down and I was still standing with my hands in the air ON THE OTHER SIDE.  

This was so much more than training for a race.  This was symbolic of so many things for me.  Becoming a runner and challenging my body to new heights has given me the evidence to prove that I am capable of so much more than what I have been settling for in terms of my physical health.  I have released nearly 20 pounds, I have become obsessed with running gear, I have broken my sugar addiction, I have "put it all out there" and allowed myself to be supported by a team and to support them in return and more than anything, I have become a much healthier me.  Many walls have crumbled before me... The sky is officially the limit!

Here are a few pics from the home stretch and the finish line.

Before I bring this post to a close, I have to mention some women and their amazing community... Five of whom were on Team Shrinking Jeans... 

 These are the women who have helped me in ways they will never fully be aware... I found the Sisterhood about a year ago and immediately loved what they had created.  Being as busy as I am, it has given me a way to belong to a community and benefit from accountability, challenges, new information and most importantly friendship without having to attend weekly meetings or put something new into my schedule.  I jumped on the opportunity to train for this race when they announced they would be doing it, because I had come to know, trust and feel bonded to these gals.  For the first time in more than three years, I feel like I have my life back... I feel like I am on a healthy path... I feel like I have finally figured out what will work in my journey to release this weight... I feel alive and strong!  So thank you, from the bottom of my heart... Thank you for helping me get my life back and for welcoming me as a part of the team and for challenging me when I needed a kick in the pants and following it up with powerful words of encouragement that have helped me believe in my own strength, worth and ability.  Love you all!

So, here I sit... incredibly proud of where I am.  A bit sore and weary.  A bit lost, now that it is complete.  Nevertheless, I am ready to take on another race.  So my next goal... The Women's Half Marathon in Scottsdale on November 7th.  I can't wait to compare my pictures and my times...

Shrinking Days of Summer Weigh-in #1

It has been a good week!  The MOST exciting thing about this past week was that it was my LAST week of training for the Half Marathon!!!!  It has been such a journey, and I am READY and SOOO EXCITED to get to San Diego and experience all that goes along with being a member of Team in Training.  I think I am looking most forward to the after party!  That will mean that I have crossed the finish line and for the first time in months will be able to really let my hair down and party!  WITH all of the crazy ladies from Team Shrinking Jeans no less!

On the exercise front, my training has continued and I conquered a major fear this weekend.  I had my last long run (8 miles) that coincided with being in a higher altitude (5200ft) and not only finished it but really tore it apart!  I was so nervous about the altitude because the first time I tried to run up there I felt like I was going to die and that was barely 4 miles.   SOOO, because I am into conquering my fears and all that limits me, I took it on and it felt so amazing!  Five of my miles were my fastest yet... my legs didn't hurt and neither did my lungs!

On the eating front, it was a mediocre week filled with a holiday weekend, the beginning of PMS and being told by my coach that I am supposed to eat some more carbs this week... Never tell a recovering carb addict to eat more...  I have managed to maintain a decent balance and not go overboard, but I did say yes to a hot dog at the pool on Sunday and Ice Cream with Noah on Monday.  Today, the stress at work was such that I wanted to run to the chocolate, but instead grabbed my Chocolate Brownie Luna Bar - got through the craving and fed it with something good for me.  I truly have decided that the week of my biggest physical accomplishment deserves a bit of a pass - as long as I focus on quality carbs, hydrating my body and watching my portions.  It has been interesting seeking the balance between fueling my body for exercise like this, and not going overboard.

So, here are my numbers...

Starting Weight

215 lbs
Starting Weight for this Challenge
196.6

Today's Weight

196 lbs

Change from last week

-0.6 lb
Difference for the challenge
0.6 lb

Total Difference

 19 lbs