Well, it's officially fall, and the seasons are changing...back home in Maine, anyway.
Here, the only difference is that it gets cool enough at night that Baby Kara now has two blankies instead of one, and the days are a really moderate 85 or thereabouts.
Otherwise...no change.
As of my last post, which was way too long ago, I had indicated that I would be starting a couch to 10K program. It's being hosted by my local Fleet Feet Sports, which is a huge running store chain here in California (and all over the country). It's a lot more glitzy than my old Maine Running Company standby in Portland, Maine; it's not as packed with stuff as Marathon Sports on Boylston Street in Boston. Nor is it as large as Peak Performance Multisport in Portland, Maine. However, they have enough of what I need (except Extra-Salt Maragarita Shot Bloks!), and the owners--Aimee and Deron--are fantastic.
I was really tired the morning of my first run with Fleet Feet's "Running 101" 10K Training Program. The night before, I had driven to Sacramento with my niece to pick up my sister and her youngest daughter at the airport. They had been on a Disney Cruise that week, and Sam (my oldest niece) and I were eager to hear all about it. We had a lovely time at Whole Foods--we only spent about 45 minutes there this time, far short of our last 1 1/2 hour epic adventure--and then cruised the city a while. I went there to college (CSU Sacramento) back in the 80s, and lived there for 9 years before Kent and I moved to Maine, so I know the city fairly well.
I digress.
Anyway, we didn't pick them up at the airport until about 11 p.m.; then, by the time we got home, it was about 2 a.m.
Did I mention that I had to be at the river, ready to run, at 7 a.m.?
I set the alarm for 6:15 a.m., just a scant four-plus hours later, and threatened Kent with dire consequences if he let me sleep through. "You'll never wake up," he said.
At 6:15, when the alarm went off, I was shockingly awake; it was easy to get up, have some cereal, and drive over to our appointed rendezvous.
Aimee was very friendly, and gave us all binders, into which we will add our weekly "lessons" that she photocopies and hole-punches. It also has our schedule of running. Since I wasn't sure if I was a level 1 or 2, she added both for me. When everyone was assembled, we walked across the river to warm up, did some stretches, then took off along the riverwalk. I started with the beginner group, and we did a run 4/walk 1 minute program, for 3 1/2 miles.
At the turn-around point, the "intermediate" group met up with us, and as I had already left the beginners behind, I joined up with them, and happily found that my pace was equal to the task. Yay! I'm not hopeless after all!
Post-run we took a walk around the convention center, then it was off for home. I was happy that I'd been able to run without too much difficulty, and felt confident that I could join the intermediates the next week.
Fast-forward to last Saturday, Sept. 20. I was again at the designated area, and this time joined Deron in the intermediate group. We were five going out. The beginners did a 4 1/2 min. run/1 min. walk, and we did 5 min/1 min instead. I felt good, but I started getting a side stitch under my ribs on the right. To try to "fix" the problem, I focused for the entire first half of the four-mile run on breathing in and out while landing on my LEFT foot.
Supposedly people mostly breathe in (or is it out??) when landing on their right (70% of the population--who knew?) and that this causes most of the predominantly-right-sided cramping people feel. I don't know if that's all true, but it worked for me.
Along about the halfway mark, I started chatting with Deron about past runs, like my half-marathon last February and his Clam Beach run in the horizontal rain. It was great--the time flew by, and at the end of the run, we both gave it a bit of a kick--clearly I was slower, but I was able to speed up a bit, which is good for helping you to learn how to finish strong. Going faster on fatigued legs builds up endurance, apparently. Granted...it's supposed to be the last third of the run that you speed up for, but I'm not there yet...I can only kick for an extra minute at this point.
I'll get there.
When we finished, I realized that our group of five was down to four. We'd lost someone on the way. I still have no idea when that happened!
My goal is to run four times a week (including Saturday); Sunday I didn't run at all, but Monday I went out at midday and quickly flamed out. Sunshine and temps in the 80s are not conducive to running all out. I quit at two miles.
Ouch.
That brings us to today. I decided to go out and go for time, not necessarily distance; and, in light of the fact that it was midday and sunny, in the 80s again, I decided to be kind and let myself walk.
This time, I called my friend Pam, and we chatted for most of my run/walk, until my cell died. I did the last couple miles in quiet, except for some chatter by Baby Kara and a stop to douse my head in cold water at a local park. I was so hot, and that helped me feel so revived! There are some good tips online for how to deal with running in the heat; Runnersworld.com is an excellent resource for these and much, much more.
In the end, I had run/walked a pathetic almost-speed-walking pace, including my rest stop for water--just over 14 min/mile--but I went 6.5 miles in all, and was out for just over 1 1/2 hours.
Not bad.
I was particularly happy about the mileage, although the pace is frustrating. I am still trying to remind myself that running in heat requires a different mind-set--you can't just go all out like I used to do in Maine. You have to slow it up, you have to run early (which I'm NOT doing), and you have to hydrate. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Water (or, on longer runs, electrolyte-drinks like Gatorade) are critical. You don't want to get heat exhaustion or, worse, heatstroke.
Despite knowing this, I am surprisingly frustrated by my (to me) pitiful attempts at mileage anymore. I used to run 6-8 miles each time I ran. However, I need to also realize that I AM capable of running four miles at a time, and have done it without rest breaks on a treadmill at the Y, so I am definitely gaining some fitness back. When I can't run outside at noon in the sunshine in mid-80s temperatures in a dry, dry, DRY climate like this, I need to remember that this is not what I've been used to for a year and a half.
I should try to run in Eureka, instead. Cooler, more humid...more like Maine.
Regardless, the "Running 101 10K training program" is a good program. Unfortunately, I will have to confess to Aimee this weekend that I'm going to be missing three sessions in a row--first, I'll be in Portland, Oregon with my sister at a conference called "Art & Soul". I am also planning to run the Kaiser-Permanente 5 miler run that is being hosted in conjunction with the Portland Marathon.
Two days after I return from that, I will be happily winging my way home to Kennebunkport for a week-and-a-half visit with both of my daughters. Yippee! I get to go HOME! Maddy doesn't know anything about it--yet--but there, we will be visiting friends, going to our house for a "camp out", running around to do our favorite things (Fun-O-Rama at York Beach, The Clam Shack in Kport, Bandaloop in Kport, kayaking on the Harraseeket River with LLBean's Walk-On Adventures, the New England Aquarium and Duck Tour in Boston...), and maybe even taking part in the yearly Presidential 5K run in Kennebunkport. That will be a blast!
It looks to be a busy and fun next few weeks. The biggest challenge--keeping up with my 4x a week running. Should be OK in Portland, with the hotel and the 5miler; in Maine, I'll just have to bring a jogging stroller (or borrow or rent one) and take the baby to some of my old stomping grounds.
I can't wait!
Meanwhile...it's hanging out on the couch time for me. I get to do a lot of that, given that I'm still not in my own home, and that baby takes at least a 3 hour nap every day.
Maybe instead of sitting, I should pull out that jumprope I brought and make use of it. My legs still quiver at the remembrance of my last jumping escapade (and the five days it took for them to recover), but maybe this time I can learn how to take it a bit easier.
I'll try to be better about posting.
I know, I know...I say that every time.
Happy running!
"Run slowly, run daily, drink moderately and don't eat like a pig." - Dr. Ernest van Aaken
____________________________________________________________________________
Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor. However, I am a teacher certified in both California and Maine to teach science curriculum, including the human body (and health/nutrition) to kids in grades K-8. This blog is my attempt to wade through the current thinking and my own journey to fitness and health, and to present it in a way that makes sense to everyone. As a woman who is successfully recovering from obesity, I feel it's even more important to help others understand what I did to lose the weight; what worked, what didn't, and what the struggle has been like as I went from morbid obesity to fitness. It doesn't mean that I have all the answers, however. If you want to lose weight or gain fitness and health, by all means, read my blog--I think I can provide some help and clarity. BUT, please know that I am NOT a medical expert, and you should most definitely consult with your own doctor or family physician before undertaking any exercise and/or weight loss efforts yourself. Weight loss and fitness are personal journeys. I'm making mine visible to the world, but each of us has to take our own steps with our own doctor's guidance; please make sure you check in with yours before you try to do anything I have done. Good luck, and congratulations for taking that first step!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Friday, September 5, 2008
Dealing with Frustration
Today was another Epic Fail.
I've had a lot of those lately.
So being here in Northern California kinda sucks, overall. I miss Maine (boy do I miss Maine!) and I have had the worst homesickness you can possibly imagine. But the worst of it isn't just missing Maine, or trying to get used the California; it's this total lack of running ability I'm dealing with right now.
We joined the YMCA here and I was delighted that they just transferred our membership from the Biddeford Y, rather than making us pay the $60 membership fee all over again. I figured I could easily regain my fitness, with some focused effort.
The first couple days went well. I took baby Kara, and she happily played in the childcare area while I did a Yoga and Pilates class for an hour. That was tough. I did the poses all right, and only fell over once (yep!) when I realized my hand was in the wrong position and tried to put it in the right one without standing up first. Bad move. Fail! (THUNK!) The teacher laughed and said that her theory is that if you don't fall over, you're not trying hard enough. I like her! It was a good class and I was proud of myself for doing so well.
That evening, I started to tighten up. I took some advil, then at 11 I took more.
The next morning, by body launched an all-out revolt. EVERY muscle was SCREAMING at me. "Stupid! Stupid! Stooopid!! See what you did? What were you thinking??"
Even raising my arms to get a glass from the cupboard was painful. And walking! Or bending! Or basically even moving!
Good lord.
It took me Friday, Saturday, Sunday AND Monday to get back to normal. Wow.
Just in time for Tuesday's class.
I was delighted on Tuesday that I did OK again. Not as well as the first time...I think my muscles were still in open revolt and didn't want to put themselves through the contortions I was attempting. But I managed.
Afterwards, Kara and I did a "baby gymnastics class" and she enjoyed it, despite putting on the brakes and saying "Nooo!" when I first took her to childcare that morning. I thought we were home free.
Then Wednesday comes along. I tried to take Karalyn in, and she had a meltdown. I really think it was partially my fault. Babycenter.com sent me this dumb article about "separation anxiety" and "terrible twos" and suggested you NEVER "sneak" out when you leave your child. That saying bye-bye will teach her that I will always come back.
Well duh. I've done "bye-bye" ever since she was little. But this time? Not so good. I should have just sneaked out and let them distract her. But Nooooo, I had to push it and do the bye-bye thing.
She melted down, but they were busy distracting her when I left for the treadmills. I had decided that this day, I would run a 5K without stopping. I was steaming along at a pathetic 11 min/mile pace (totally slow!) and suddenly, when I was at 2.2 miles and doing OK, I hear my name on the intercom...interspersed with the sounds of my daughter crying in the background.
Oh geez.
So much for running. Insomnia that night kept me from sleeping, so Thursday I didn't even take Kent to school so I could have the car. No YMCA for me that day!
That brings us to today. Another bout of insomnia had me only sleeping 5 hours, but I managed to get up to take Kent to work so I could have the car, and by 9:30 we were at the Y. She again refused to go in, but this time I distracted her and ran for the door when she wasn't looking.
25 minutes later: "Will Karina please come to childcare?!"
And it was a PATHETIC 25 minutes. I only managed 1.7 miles; some of that was walking! I couldn't even maintain my sad little 11 min/mile pace, so I did "sprints" of 9 1/2 min/mile for about a tenth of a mile or two, then walked. I cannot believe I used to do 2 miles at 10 min/mile, eight sprints at a 5 1/2 min/mile pace (interspersed with jogging 11 min/mile), then two more miles at 10 min/mile!
WHERE has my fitness gone? A couple minutes at 9 1/2 minute/miles?? Holy cow!
So now I'm in this new world. It's called Frustrationland, and I'm BOUND and DETERMINED not to let it get to me.
You might think that I've been here before. Well, I haven't. Remember, 17 years as a morbidly obese woman weighing in at 259 pounds meant that I didn't really have any fitness to speak of. I certainly couldn't run a mile, or even a half for that matter. So every new level was a new PR; a personal record, a "best" so to speak. So each fitness gain was greater than the one before. And every new gain left me feeling better and better, higher and higher.
Now I'm in Frustrationland, and the view is very different. I run a couple miles one day, and the next time I run 2.2 miles. Instead of being pleased at the gain, I'm annoyed that I can ONLY run that far. Running 10 minute miles used to be my "average" pace; now it's my sprints and I can only maintain it for a few minutes at a time. Gone are my 6-8 milers at that pace. I couldn't even complete a 4-mile race right now without stopping. Last Thanksgiving, I did four miles at a super easy 10 minute/mile pace because my leg was hurting!
So Frustrationland is a new and ugly place to live. It's almost as bad as Northern California. 20 "easy" miles in four hours looks so far away from where I am right now, I can't imagine how long it's going to take me to get BACK to that level of fitness.
After leaving the Y with a teary baby in hand, I went straight to my local FleetFeet store and begged for their help. I explained that I don't need stuff; I need resources. They gave me a handful of flyers, but more importantly I got on an email list and I'll be joining a Training Program to do a Thanksgiving 10K race. I explained my predicament, and they said the training will be a Galloway-style run/walk program. Looking over the signup sheet, I can see there are three levels:
1) Run/Walkers
2) Runners, 11-13 min/mile pace group
3) Runners, under 11 min/mile pace group
Peeking through the curtains of Frustrationland, I note that while once I would have checked off level 3 without hesitation, now I can't even be sure I would manage 2. I may have to do 1.
SO! At least I have a goal and a plan in hand. Starting next Saturday, Sept. 13, I will be meeting with a group of people and starting from scratch. I will have to go back to run/walk, and become a newbie all over again. I did this once; I can do it again. From June until September I went from a walk/slight jogger to a half marathoner. I am sure I can manage a triathlon by next spring, and maybe that marathon will be in sight for next year.
I can do this. I will do this. I canNOT let Frustration get me down.
Now if only Karalyn will cooperate and leave the separation anxiety behind...until she does, at least I have my training group, and maybe I'll have to get back to dawn running. It's worth it. Now that I know what fitness and health--and the conspicuous lack of both--feels like, I never want to lose either of them again.
"Success doesn't come to you...you go to it." - Marva Collins
____________________________________________________________________________
Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor. However, I am a teacher certified in both California and Maine to teach science curriculum, including the human body (and health/nutrition) to kids in grades K-8. This blog is my attempt to wade through the current thinking and my own journey to fitness and health, and to present it in a way that makes sense to everyone. As a woman who is successfully recovering from obesity, I feel it's even more important to help others understand what I did to lose the weight; what worked, what didn't, and what the struggle has been like as I went from morbid obesity to fitness. It doesn't mean that I have all the answers, however. If you want to lose weight or gain fitness and health, by all means, read my blog--I think I can provide some help and clarity. BUT, please know that I am NOT a medical expert, and you should most definitely consult with your own doctor or family physician before undertaking any exercise and/or weight loss efforts yourself. Weight loss and fitness are personal journeys. I'm making mine visible to the world, but each of us has to take our own steps with our own doctor's guidance; please make sure you check in with yours before you try to do anything I have done. Good luck, and congratulations for taking that first step!
I've had a lot of those lately.
So being here in Northern California kinda sucks, overall. I miss Maine (boy do I miss Maine!) and I have had the worst homesickness you can possibly imagine. But the worst of it isn't just missing Maine, or trying to get used the California; it's this total lack of running ability I'm dealing with right now.
We joined the YMCA here and I was delighted that they just transferred our membership from the Biddeford Y, rather than making us pay the $60 membership fee all over again. I figured I could easily regain my fitness, with some focused effort.
The first couple days went well. I took baby Kara, and she happily played in the childcare area while I did a Yoga and Pilates class for an hour. That was tough. I did the poses all right, and only fell over once (yep!) when I realized my hand was in the wrong position and tried to put it in the right one without standing up first. Bad move. Fail! (THUNK!) The teacher laughed and said that her theory is that if you don't fall over, you're not trying hard enough. I like her! It was a good class and I was proud of myself for doing so well.
That evening, I started to tighten up. I took some advil, then at 11 I took more.
The next morning, by body launched an all-out revolt. EVERY muscle was SCREAMING at me. "Stupid! Stupid! Stooopid!! See what you did? What were you thinking??"
Even raising my arms to get a glass from the cupboard was painful. And walking! Or bending! Or basically even moving!
Good lord.
It took me Friday, Saturday, Sunday AND Monday to get back to normal. Wow.
Just in time for Tuesday's class.
I was delighted on Tuesday that I did OK again. Not as well as the first time...I think my muscles were still in open revolt and didn't want to put themselves through the contortions I was attempting. But I managed.
Afterwards, Kara and I did a "baby gymnastics class" and she enjoyed it, despite putting on the brakes and saying "Nooo!" when I first took her to childcare that morning. I thought we were home free.
Then Wednesday comes along. I tried to take Karalyn in, and she had a meltdown. I really think it was partially my fault. Babycenter.com sent me this dumb article about "separation anxiety" and "terrible twos" and suggested you NEVER "sneak" out when you leave your child. That saying bye-bye will teach her that I will always come back.
Well duh. I've done "bye-bye" ever since she was little. But this time? Not so good. I should have just sneaked out and let them distract her. But Nooooo, I had to push it and do the bye-bye thing.
She melted down, but they were busy distracting her when I left for the treadmills. I had decided that this day, I would run a 5K without stopping. I was steaming along at a pathetic 11 min/mile pace (totally slow!) and suddenly, when I was at 2.2 miles and doing OK, I hear my name on the intercom...interspersed with the sounds of my daughter crying in the background.
Oh geez.
So much for running. Insomnia that night kept me from sleeping, so Thursday I didn't even take Kent to school so I could have the car. No YMCA for me that day!
That brings us to today. Another bout of insomnia had me only sleeping 5 hours, but I managed to get up to take Kent to work so I could have the car, and by 9:30 we were at the Y. She again refused to go in, but this time I distracted her and ran for the door when she wasn't looking.
25 minutes later: "Will Karina please come to childcare?!"
And it was a PATHETIC 25 minutes. I only managed 1.7 miles; some of that was walking! I couldn't even maintain my sad little 11 min/mile pace, so I did "sprints" of 9 1/2 min/mile for about a tenth of a mile or two, then walked. I cannot believe I used to do 2 miles at 10 min/mile, eight sprints at a 5 1/2 min/mile pace (interspersed with jogging 11 min/mile), then two more miles at 10 min/mile!
WHERE has my fitness gone? A couple minutes at 9 1/2 minute/miles?? Holy cow!
So now I'm in this new world. It's called Frustrationland, and I'm BOUND and DETERMINED not to let it get to me.
You might think that I've been here before. Well, I haven't. Remember, 17 years as a morbidly obese woman weighing in at 259 pounds meant that I didn't really have any fitness to speak of. I certainly couldn't run a mile, or even a half for that matter. So every new level was a new PR; a personal record, a "best" so to speak. So each fitness gain was greater than the one before. And every new gain left me feeling better and better, higher and higher.
Now I'm in Frustrationland, and the view is very different. I run a couple miles one day, and the next time I run 2.2 miles. Instead of being pleased at the gain, I'm annoyed that I can ONLY run that far. Running 10 minute miles used to be my "average" pace; now it's my sprints and I can only maintain it for a few minutes at a time. Gone are my 6-8 milers at that pace. I couldn't even complete a 4-mile race right now without stopping. Last Thanksgiving, I did four miles at a super easy 10 minute/mile pace because my leg was hurting!
So Frustrationland is a new and ugly place to live. It's almost as bad as Northern California. 20 "easy" miles in four hours looks so far away from where I am right now, I can't imagine how long it's going to take me to get BACK to that level of fitness.
After leaving the Y with a teary baby in hand, I went straight to my local FleetFeet store and begged for their help. I explained that I don't need stuff; I need resources. They gave me a handful of flyers, but more importantly I got on an email list and I'll be joining a Training Program to do a Thanksgiving 10K race. I explained my predicament, and they said the training will be a Galloway-style run/walk program. Looking over the signup sheet, I can see there are three levels:
1) Run/Walkers
2) Runners, 11-13 min/mile pace group
3) Runners, under 11 min/mile pace group
Peeking through the curtains of Frustrationland, I note that while once I would have checked off level 3 without hesitation, now I can't even be sure I would manage 2. I may have to do 1.
SO! At least I have a goal and a plan in hand. Starting next Saturday, Sept. 13, I will be meeting with a group of people and starting from scratch. I will have to go back to run/walk, and become a newbie all over again. I did this once; I can do it again. From June until September I went from a walk/slight jogger to a half marathoner. I am sure I can manage a triathlon by next spring, and maybe that marathon will be in sight for next year.
I can do this. I will do this. I canNOT let Frustration get me down.
Now if only Karalyn will cooperate and leave the separation anxiety behind...until she does, at least I have my training group, and maybe I'll have to get back to dawn running. It's worth it. Now that I know what fitness and health--and the conspicuous lack of both--feels like, I never want to lose either of them again.
"Success doesn't come to you...you go to it." - Marva Collins
____________________________________________________________________________
Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor. However, I am a teacher certified in both California and Maine to teach science curriculum, including the human body (and health/nutrition) to kids in grades K-8. This blog is my attempt to wade through the current thinking and my own journey to fitness and health, and to present it in a way that makes sense to everyone. As a woman who is successfully recovering from obesity, I feel it's even more important to help others understand what I did to lose the weight; what worked, what didn't, and what the struggle has been like as I went from morbid obesity to fitness. It doesn't mean that I have all the answers, however. If you want to lose weight or gain fitness and health, by all means, read my blog--I think I can provide some help and clarity. BUT, please know that I am NOT a medical expert, and you should most definitely consult with your own doctor or family physician before undertaking any exercise and/or weight loss efforts yourself. Weight loss and fitness are personal journeys. I'm making mine visible to the world, but each of us has to take our own steps with our own doctor's guidance; please make sure you check in with yours before you try to do anything I have done. Good luck, and congratulations for taking that first step!
Thursday, August 28, 2008
The Question: How Did I Do It?
A couple posts ago, in response to my entry, "A Life Altered Yet Again", Tyler asked me the following question:
"I'm curious, how did you lose weight?"
I've gotten that question a lot, especially from people who knew be "before", and who hadn't seen me in a while. The usual remark is "WHOAH!" followed by, '"How did you do it?''
I wrote a reply out to Tyler, and realized that it's the same answer I always give. I may have even put this in another blog entry someplace. But it bears repeating...the things I did that made a difference for me.
HOW I DID IT:
#1, I started weighing myself daily. Knowing anybody fluctuates up to 2-3 pounds daily, it was just a "check-in" to see how I was doing. If I went up over 3 pounds, I knew I was doing something wrong. Weight Watchers tells you to NEVER do this...but it works for me.
#2, I read YOU: On a Diet by Drs. Mehmet Oz and Michael Roizen. It reinforced that losing weight is PHYSIOLOGICAL, not psychological OR the whims of the "Diet Gods" (whom I was convinced hated me anyway). They actually have all sorts of good stuff online now, through their website, "RealAge" (which helped me learn how to eat)...but I read the book. Old-fashioned, perhaps, but it worked for me. I re-read parts of it when I felt especially persecuted by those blasted Diet Gods...
#3, I walked. Then I jogged. Then I ran. And I decided to join a club to add the weightlifting component to work on my strength. The trainer there, a wonderful guy, told me NEVER to do the same thing two days in a row. He said your body needs time to recover, and doing things two days in a row doesn't allow it the time to recover and rebuild. So I did weights AND 30 minutes on the elliptical 3x a week, and walking/jogging 3x a week, alternating. The trainer said my walking/jogging was my "weight loss" effort, so aimed for my elliptical training heart rate to be at something like 80% of maximum to train my cardiovascular system. It worked! My cardiovascular system ended up in fabulous shape; I could out-walk and out-run my teenaged niece without huffing and puffing! The trainer was a great help and I stuck with his program for a couple months, then met with him again and started a new program...until I really got serious about running...then I ended up just running most of the time. Mistake--I should have stuck with the weights. It would have made me a stronger runner. Even though I could run half marathons and do triathlons, I was mostly strong on my legs/hips, but not so much in my core and arms.
#4, I wrote down EVERY LITTLE THING I ate and tallied the calories. When I hit 1800 calories (up to 2000) I stopped eating. Period. It only took a few days for me to start to nail down what I could do to maximize my nutrition/satiety without piling on the calories. I noticed that foods that were closest to their natural state (i.e. apple vs. juice) tended to fill me more and "cost" me less. But I did NOT play games and eat junky, tasteless food just because it was low in calories. I ate whatever I wanted, even dark chocolate (Lindt, mmm) but just "budgeted" my calories accordingly by making sure I ate lots of healthy stuff in between--like fruits, veggies, whole grains, and lean proteins. And I tried to make sure I ate the veggies FIRST when I had dinner, and used a lunch plate instead of one of those huge dinner plates. That helped. If you split your plate into halves, then the half into halves again (so you have two 1/4ths and one 1/2), put the veggies in the half side...and in the 1/4 portions, that's for your lean protein and whole grains. That helps a lot.
#5, Take a multivitamin and calcium, and yes, that's important for guys too. Although I got far better nutrition from the new way of eating anyway, I just wanted to be sure I was covered.
#6, I made healthier choices to lower my cholesterol. It was over 200, and I dropped it to something like 159, with excellent HDL levels, low LDL levels, and oustanding triglycerides. The exercise was a huge help too, but I made sure to eat olive oil instead of butter or margarine, whole grains (whole wheat bread, wild/brown rice mix, etc.) and I had oatmeal daily...I love oatmeal, so it wasn't a tough sell. I also ate salmon weekly if I could, and just tried to eliminate all those trans-fats (hydrogenated or partially-hydrogenated oils) and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), both of which are in just about everything (even crackers!). I think HFCS is the spawn of the devil. :)
Incidentally, my doctor, when I went in for my checkup after telling him I wanted to take care of my cholesterol by myself (without drugs) first, nearly danced when my numbers came in. He was giddy, it was so funny! He called me a "poster child" and said that I was living proof that "diet and exercise work!"
And by the way...one more thing: I NEVER use the word "diet" except to mean "eating plan" as in, "That's part of a healthy diet." I have young, impressionable girls, and I NEVER want them to diet. Ever. It's a roller coaster that you can't get off of. I simply called it "eating healthier", and my daughter knows I eat healthy...but has never once said I was on a diet. I want it to stay that way. Diets are temporary--eating healthy is a permanent choice.
That's not to say some Oreos don't go amiss now and again...!
:)
There. The Answer to The Question. I hope it provides some insight for you, and helps you out in your weight-loss and/or maintenance efforts.
Good luck!
____________________________________________________________________________
Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor. However, I am a teacher certified in both California and Maine to teach science curriculum, including the human body (and health/nutrition) to kids in grades K-8. This blog is my attempt to wade through the current thinking on weight loss, and to present it in a way that makes sense to everyone. As a woman who is successfully recovering from obesity herself, I feel it's even more important to help others understand what I did to lose the weight; what worked, what didn't, and what the struggle has been like as I went from morbid obesity to fitness. It doesn't mean that I have all the answers, however. If you want to lose weight, by all means, read my blog--I think I can provide some help and clarity. BUT, please know that I am NOT a medical expert, and you should most definitely consult with your own doctor or family physician before undertaking any weight loss efforts yourself. Weight loss is a personal journey. I'm making mine visible to the world, but each of us has to take our own steps with our own doctor's guidance; please make sure you check in with yours before you try to do anything I have done. Good luck and God bless!
"I'm curious, how did you lose weight?"
I've gotten that question a lot, especially from people who knew be "before", and who hadn't seen me in a while. The usual remark is "WHOAH!" followed by, '"How did you do it?''
I wrote a reply out to Tyler, and realized that it's the same answer I always give. I may have even put this in another blog entry someplace. But it bears repeating...the things I did that made a difference for me.
HOW I DID IT:
#1, I started weighing myself daily. Knowing anybody fluctuates up to 2-3 pounds daily, it was just a "check-in" to see how I was doing. If I went up over 3 pounds, I knew I was doing something wrong. Weight Watchers tells you to NEVER do this...but it works for me.
#2, I read YOU: On a Diet by Drs. Mehmet Oz and Michael Roizen. It reinforced that losing weight is PHYSIOLOGICAL, not psychological OR the whims of the "Diet Gods" (whom I was convinced hated me anyway). They actually have all sorts of good stuff online now, through their website, "RealAge" (which helped me learn how to eat)...but I read the book. Old-fashioned, perhaps, but it worked for me. I re-read parts of it when I felt especially persecuted by those blasted Diet Gods...
#3, I walked. Then I jogged. Then I ran. And I decided to join a club to add the weightlifting component to work on my strength. The trainer there, a wonderful guy, told me NEVER to do the same thing two days in a row. He said your body needs time to recover, and doing things two days in a row doesn't allow it the time to recover and rebuild. So I did weights AND 30 minutes on the elliptical 3x a week, and walking/jogging 3x a week, alternating. The trainer said my walking/jogging was my "weight loss" effort, so aimed for my elliptical training heart rate to be at something like 80% of maximum to train my cardiovascular system. It worked! My cardiovascular system ended up in fabulous shape; I could out-walk and out-run my teenaged niece without huffing and puffing! The trainer was a great help and I stuck with his program for a couple months, then met with him again and started a new program...until I really got serious about running...then I ended up just running most of the time. Mistake--I should have stuck with the weights. It would have made me a stronger runner. Even though I could run half marathons and do triathlons, I was mostly strong on my legs/hips, but not so much in my core and arms.
#4, I wrote down EVERY LITTLE THING I ate and tallied the calories. When I hit 1800 calories (up to 2000) I stopped eating. Period. It only took a few days for me to start to nail down what I could do to maximize my nutrition/satiety without piling on the calories. I noticed that foods that were closest to their natural state (i.e. apple vs. juice) tended to fill me more and "cost" me less. But I did NOT play games and eat junky, tasteless food just because it was low in calories. I ate whatever I wanted, even dark chocolate (Lindt, mmm) but just "budgeted" my calories accordingly by making sure I ate lots of healthy stuff in between--like fruits, veggies, whole grains, and lean proteins. And I tried to make sure I ate the veggies FIRST when I had dinner, and used a lunch plate instead of one of those huge dinner plates. That helped. If you split your plate into halves, then the half into halves again (so you have two 1/4ths and one 1/2), put the veggies in the half side...and in the 1/4 portions, that's for your lean protein and whole grains. That helps a lot.
#5, Take a multivitamin and calcium, and yes, that's important for guys too. Although I got far better nutrition from the new way of eating anyway, I just wanted to be sure I was covered.
#6, I made healthier choices to lower my cholesterol. It was over 200, and I dropped it to something like 159, with excellent HDL levels, low LDL levels, and oustanding triglycerides. The exercise was a huge help too, but I made sure to eat olive oil instead of butter or margarine, whole grains (whole wheat bread, wild/brown rice mix, etc.) and I had oatmeal daily...I love oatmeal, so it wasn't a tough sell. I also ate salmon weekly if I could, and just tried to eliminate all those trans-fats (hydrogenated or partially-hydrogenated oils) and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), both of which are in just about everything (even crackers!). I think HFCS is the spawn of the devil. :)
Incidentally, my doctor, when I went in for my checkup after telling him I wanted to take care of my cholesterol by myself (without drugs) first, nearly danced when my numbers came in. He was giddy, it was so funny! He called me a "poster child" and said that I was living proof that "diet and exercise work!"
And by the way...one more thing: I NEVER use the word "diet" except to mean "eating plan" as in, "That's part of a healthy diet." I have young, impressionable girls, and I NEVER want them to diet. Ever. It's a roller coaster that you can't get off of. I simply called it "eating healthier", and my daughter knows I eat healthy...but has never once said I was on a diet. I want it to stay that way. Diets are temporary--eating healthy is a permanent choice.
That's not to say some Oreos don't go amiss now and again...!
:)
There. The Answer to The Question. I hope it provides some insight for you, and helps you out in your weight-loss and/or maintenance efforts.
Good luck!
____________________________________________________________________________
Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor. However, I am a teacher certified in both California and Maine to teach science curriculum, including the human body (and health/nutrition) to kids in grades K-8. This blog is my attempt to wade through the current thinking on weight loss, and to present it in a way that makes sense to everyone. As a woman who is successfully recovering from obesity herself, I feel it's even more important to help others understand what I did to lose the weight; what worked, what didn't, and what the struggle has been like as I went from morbid obesity to fitness. It doesn't mean that I have all the answers, however. If you want to lose weight, by all means, read my blog--I think I can provide some help and clarity. BUT, please know that I am NOT a medical expert, and you should most definitely consult with your own doctor or family physician before undertaking any weight loss efforts yourself. Weight loss is a personal journey. I'm making mine visible to the world, but each of us has to take our own steps with our own doctor's guidance; please make sure you check in with yours before you try to do anything I have done. Good luck and God bless!
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Back in the Saddle...er, Treadmill...again
Here we go again!
Today was my first day back on track. Since we got here a few weeks ago, I've been checking out a bunch of fitness clubs in the area. One had great classes but the facility was really run-down and gritty. Another one had no pool, so wouldn't have worked for Maddy or ME when I am back into triathlon training. Another one had a pool, great classes, fitness focused on women, treadmills with tv screens on them...but the membership fee was $650! (You don't PAY that though...they knock it down to $480 or so through various "incentives", then you knock off $18 every month you work out...that requires a 3 year commitment at least.)
I was getting bummed but then we found the Y. WHY I didn't look before, considering we belonged to one in Maine, boggles the mind. I'll blame it on being brain-dead due to not exercising.
That same brain-dead-edness also stopped me from considering that my sister's remote control might not be programmed properly (it wasn't) until AFTER the Olympics were over...and after I programmed it properly, requiring finding appropriate codes online, I discovered SHE DOES get NBC. It didn't come in until I set the remote to find the channels automatically...and the channel did not come up when manually hitting the "up channel" button on the VCR.
So we missed the ENTIRE Olympics for nothing.
Argh!!!
Anyway, I digress.
The YMCA here is fabulous. They have the 25-yard pool (outside) and another inside for waterobics or whatever you call it. They have a nice cardio theatre and Cybex weights, and their treadmills are in the upstairs area--and they all have their own TV screens. It's called "Cardio Theatre" and it rocks!! I was bummed about not having access to my own choices on the treadmill, now that I no longer have a basement entertainment center (or a treadmill, for that matter). No problemo--I have full cable choices right at eye level, and I control them. YES!
There is a great daycare, and Kara was a real trooper for her first day there. She was there for an hour and fifteen minutes, and only called for me a couple times. She never cried, and she happily had her milky and some "cack-ows" (crackers) for snack. She was delighted to see me, though, which was gratifying!
There are also CLASSES. Did you see that? I said, there are CLASSES!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have been missing classes since we moved to Maine. What classes? ANY classes! I'll take whatever anyone offers! YES, my home YMCA had classes, but I never tried going to them because I had my own treadmill and I was biking on my own and swimming at the Y. So I didn't bother.
NOW, however, as I'm trying to rebuild my fitness base, I'm delighted to have the option.
Why?
Here's a secret: I know how to do ab work, but unless someone's standing over me cracking the whip, I won't do it. It's a pain, I get bored, and I need the mental/verbal direction to get me going. I'll do it if it's a class, but otherwise...no.
So there are two classes I'm going to take. One is a 1x a week ("Extreme" targeting glutes and guts), and the other is a 2x a week--Pilates/Yoga! So between those, and running 3x a week, I should be doing well within the next two months. I figure it took me two months to lose it, it'll take me 2 months to get it back. I don't have any illusions that I'll be back to running 20 miles on my LSD (Long Slow Distance) runs in just two months, but being able to run 8 to 13 at a time would be wonderful.
This morning, I was so tired I was literally almost cross-eyed. Thankfully Kara slept in, so after dropping Kent & Maddy at school, I went back home and slept for a couple more hours. I was really headachy, and felt so tired that I nearly didn't go to the Y after all. Finally, though, I remembered an old piece of advice I read on RunnersWorld.com:
If you don't feel like going, just at least get dressed, and head out the door. If you get started and still don't feel like running, turn around and go home. However, chances are that you'll feel better and be glad you went.
So I did it. I got dressed, fed the baby, and then took off for the Y. I intended to hang around the babycare area at first, but they told me they'd call me if she cried for "more than ten minutes" (MY child? Miss Sunshine?), and it was best to "dash out before she sees." So off I went. I was on a treadmill in a matter of minutes, and happily settled in at an 11 min/mile pace to the tune of HGTV on my personal video screen.
I lasted two miles.
TWO MILES! How totally pathetic is that?? OH MY GOSH! I couldn't believe it! Two months, and I go from running 20 miles comfortably to feeling like my legs are made of lead in just TWO miles!!
This is COMPLETELY unacceptable!
I had to slow to a walk (15 min/mile pace), then kicked it back up to a run for a mile. After that single mile, I had to walk again, then I ran one more. I finally had enough and walked another 20 minutes, and then that was it.
FOUR MILES. How sad! Four miles used to be my "quick dash" on the treadmill. That was a non-running day. Now that was all I could manage!
I am SO not happy. But I knew this would happen.
This is the weird thing: once you get fit, you hate losing it. And it can be utterly demoralizing and depressing, and it's so easy to say, "Oh well, crud, I blew it, I might as well have another Oreo." And I've done a LITTLE of that, but I knew that I was playing around with unhealthy food for a short period of time, and that I would rapidly getting sick of eating like that...and that soon enough, I'd be back on track. I hit that point this week...and last week when I ate a lot of M&Ms while watching Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
So it's time to get back into it. The classes are very exciting. I know that with my single-minded focus, which I am infamous for, I will regain my fitness soon enough. I look forward to being able to fit into my clothes better, and hopefully with the glutes/gut and the pilates/yoga, I'll be even more fit than I was before.
Is there a six pack of abs in my future? I doubt that. However, I can certainly tighten things up. And a stronger stomach will make a stronger back, eliminate my back spasms, and help my running form as well. And my shirts will look nicer, too.
So here we go. Time to kick booty again. My willpower AND my WANT-POWER are up and running!! I'm up for 2x pilates/yoga, 1x glutes/gut, and 3x running per week. The other day I'll probably swim or walk or something. Or maybe I'll just take naps. LOL.
Now I just need our house to sell so we can buy one here, and we'll be good to go.
Anyone wanna buy a house in Kennebunkport, Maine? It's really pretty and a screamingly low price for Kennebunkport!
(See that TV in the pictures? That's my basement...the treadmill used to be to the right of the picture, facing the TV...it is such a gorgeous house...!)
Happy days, everyone!
____________________________________________________________________________
Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor. However, I am a teacher certified in both California and Maine to teach science curriculum, including the human body (and health/nutrition) to kids in grades K-8. This blog is my attempt to wade through the current thinking on weight loss, and to present it in a way that makes sense to everyone. As a woman who is successfully recovering from obesity herself, I feel it's even more important to help others understand what I did to lose the weight; what worked, what didn't, and what the struggle has been like as I went from morbid obesity to fitness. It doesn't mean that I have all the answers, however. If you want to lose weight, by all means, read my blog--I think I can provide some help and clarity. BUT, please know that I am NOT a medical expert, and you should most definitely consult with your own doctor or family physician before undertaking any weight loss efforts yourself. Weight loss is a personal journey. I'm making mine visible to the world, but each of us has to take our own steps with our own doctor's guidance; please make sure you check in with yours before you try to do anything I have done. Good luck and God bless!
Today was my first day back on track. Since we got here a few weeks ago, I've been checking out a bunch of fitness clubs in the area. One had great classes but the facility was really run-down and gritty. Another one had no pool, so wouldn't have worked for Maddy or ME when I am back into triathlon training. Another one had a pool, great classes, fitness focused on women, treadmills with tv screens on them...but the membership fee was $650! (You don't PAY that though...they knock it down to $480 or so through various "incentives", then you knock off $18 every month you work out...that requires a 3 year commitment at least.)
I was getting bummed but then we found the Y. WHY I didn't look before, considering we belonged to one in Maine, boggles the mind. I'll blame it on being brain-dead due to not exercising.
That same brain-dead-edness also stopped me from considering that my sister's remote control might not be programmed properly (it wasn't) until AFTER the Olympics were over...and after I programmed it properly, requiring finding appropriate codes online, I discovered SHE DOES get NBC. It didn't come in until I set the remote to find the channels automatically...and the channel did not come up when manually hitting the "up channel" button on the VCR.
So we missed the ENTIRE Olympics for nothing.
Argh!!!
Anyway, I digress.
The YMCA here is fabulous. They have the 25-yard pool (outside) and another inside for waterobics or whatever you call it. They have a nice cardio theatre and Cybex weights, and their treadmills are in the upstairs area--and they all have their own TV screens. It's called "Cardio Theatre" and it rocks!! I was bummed about not having access to my own choices on the treadmill, now that I no longer have a basement entertainment center (or a treadmill, for that matter). No problemo--I have full cable choices right at eye level, and I control them. YES!
There is a great daycare, and Kara was a real trooper for her first day there. She was there for an hour and fifteen minutes, and only called for me a couple times. She never cried, and she happily had her milky and some "cack-ows" (crackers) for snack. She was delighted to see me, though, which was gratifying!
There are also CLASSES. Did you see that? I said, there are CLASSES!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have been missing classes since we moved to Maine. What classes? ANY classes! I'll take whatever anyone offers! YES, my home YMCA had classes, but I never tried going to them because I had my own treadmill and I was biking on my own and swimming at the Y. So I didn't bother.
NOW, however, as I'm trying to rebuild my fitness base, I'm delighted to have the option.
Why?
Here's a secret: I know how to do ab work, but unless someone's standing over me cracking the whip, I won't do it. It's a pain, I get bored, and I need the mental/verbal direction to get me going. I'll do it if it's a class, but otherwise...no.
So there are two classes I'm going to take. One is a 1x a week ("Extreme" targeting glutes and guts), and the other is a 2x a week--Pilates/Yoga! So between those, and running 3x a week, I should be doing well within the next two months. I figure it took me two months to lose it, it'll take me 2 months to get it back. I don't have any illusions that I'll be back to running 20 miles on my LSD (Long Slow Distance) runs in just two months, but being able to run 8 to 13 at a time would be wonderful.
This morning, I was so tired I was literally almost cross-eyed. Thankfully Kara slept in, so after dropping Kent & Maddy at school, I went back home and slept for a couple more hours. I was really headachy, and felt so tired that I nearly didn't go to the Y after all. Finally, though, I remembered an old piece of advice I read on RunnersWorld.com:
If you don't feel like going, just at least get dressed, and head out the door. If you get started and still don't feel like running, turn around and go home. However, chances are that you'll feel better and be glad you went.
So I did it. I got dressed, fed the baby, and then took off for the Y. I intended to hang around the babycare area at first, but they told me they'd call me if she cried for "more than ten minutes" (MY child? Miss Sunshine?), and it was best to "dash out before she sees." So off I went. I was on a treadmill in a matter of minutes, and happily settled in at an 11 min/mile pace to the tune of HGTV on my personal video screen.
I lasted two miles.
TWO MILES! How totally pathetic is that?? OH MY GOSH! I couldn't believe it! Two months, and I go from running 20 miles comfortably to feeling like my legs are made of lead in just TWO miles!!
This is COMPLETELY unacceptable!
I had to slow to a walk (15 min/mile pace), then kicked it back up to a run for a mile. After that single mile, I had to walk again, then I ran one more. I finally had enough and walked another 20 minutes, and then that was it.
FOUR MILES. How sad! Four miles used to be my "quick dash" on the treadmill. That was a non-running day. Now that was all I could manage!
I am SO not happy. But I knew this would happen.
This is the weird thing: once you get fit, you hate losing it. And it can be utterly demoralizing and depressing, and it's so easy to say, "Oh well, crud, I blew it, I might as well have another Oreo." And I've done a LITTLE of that, but I knew that I was playing around with unhealthy food for a short period of time, and that I would rapidly getting sick of eating like that...and that soon enough, I'd be back on track. I hit that point this week...and last week when I ate a lot of M&Ms while watching Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
So it's time to get back into it. The classes are very exciting. I know that with my single-minded focus, which I am infamous for, I will regain my fitness soon enough. I look forward to being able to fit into my clothes better, and hopefully with the glutes/gut and the pilates/yoga, I'll be even more fit than I was before.
Is there a six pack of abs in my future? I doubt that. However, I can certainly tighten things up. And a stronger stomach will make a stronger back, eliminate my back spasms, and help my running form as well. And my shirts will look nicer, too.
So here we go. Time to kick booty again. My willpower AND my WANT-POWER are up and running!! I'm up for 2x pilates/yoga, 1x glutes/gut, and 3x running per week. The other day I'll probably swim or walk or something. Or maybe I'll just take naps. LOL.
Now I just need our house to sell so we can buy one here, and we'll be good to go.
Anyone wanna buy a house in Kennebunkport, Maine? It's really pretty and a screamingly low price for Kennebunkport!
(See that TV in the pictures? That's my basement...the treadmill used to be to the right of the picture, facing the TV...it is such a gorgeous house...!)
Happy days, everyone!
____________________________________________________________________________
Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor. However, I am a teacher certified in both California and Maine to teach science curriculum, including the human body (and health/nutrition) to kids in grades K-8. This blog is my attempt to wade through the current thinking on weight loss, and to present it in a way that makes sense to everyone. As a woman who is successfully recovering from obesity herself, I feel it's even more important to help others understand what I did to lose the weight; what worked, what didn't, and what the struggle has been like as I went from morbid obesity to fitness. It doesn't mean that I have all the answers, however. If you want to lose weight, by all means, read my blog--I think I can provide some help and clarity. BUT, please know that I am NOT a medical expert, and you should most definitely consult with your own doctor or family physician before undertaking any weight loss efforts yourself. Weight loss is a personal journey. I'm making mine visible to the world, but each of us has to take our own steps with our own doctor's guidance; please make sure you check in with yours before you try to do anything I have done. Good luck and God bless!
Monday, August 18, 2008
A Life Altered Yet Again
HOLY COW.
Well, since I last wrote, my life has completely undergone yet another change.
No, I'm not pregnant.
In late June, on the LAST day of school, Kent found a listing for a job in Redding, California, on Craigslist of all places. He called to query, and 9 days later he was hired and we were in the middle of a transcontinental move back home.
The reason for the move: our entire family--brothers, sisters, parents, aunties, uncles, cousins, and grandparents--are within 3 hours of our new home town. We had no family in Maine, and the girls were missing out. So were the grandparents.
So what has this been like? Imagine, if you will, taking one of those snowglobes and flipping it upside down, then shaking it like mad. That was what it felt like, but it was our life that was the snowglobe. We have taken to calling it the "Snowglobe Effect". We had 2 1/2 weeks to completely pack our entire house, and then another week to get to California. Maddy flew with her grandparents; baby Kara drove with us. We made it in 6 days flat, from Kennebunkport Maine to Redding.
So here we are. Back in California. My ENTIRE house is packed and in storage in Portland, Maine. My home is NOT selling (surprise surprise), and I'm living with my sister and her two girls.
To say this has been a "big change" is putting it mildly.
The worst part is that Redding is not exactly a good place to run in the afternoons. The temperatures mid-day, when I usually would go out, range from the 90s to up to 112, as it was last week. I can't take the baby out in that, unfortunately. Today is a glorious day, very breezy, so I could have gone out, but I spent the day on the phone dealing with about a billion little details, like pediatrician bill mistakes and arranging for car windshield wiper repairs (ours got recalled, so not a big thing, just it takes time). The baby is sound asleep, and when she gets up, Kent will be home and it's off to open a bank account.
I've been looking at clubs in the area, and found one I like. It has some neat amenities, and I need to clear it with Kent. But I need to start running. I haven't run in a month or more, and the last thing I did was 8 days ago--walking in San Francisco!
So to say I'm out of shape is an understatement, compared at least to what I was when I did the PolarBear triathlon. I still fit into my clothes, but I haven't got the stamina, I'm sure.
The depressing part is that in late May, I ran 20 miles for the first time ever. I did a four-loop run past Walker Point (President Bush Senior's compound) in Kennebunkport--my last time, coincidentally, but I didn't know I'd never run that loop again as a Mainer. I was so excited--I KNEW I could have run 6 miles more, if I had been asked. I was peaking perfectly for the San Francisco Marathon on August 3.
Then the bottom dropped out, our lives flipped upside down, and August 3 saw me in Eureka, walking with the baby but not much else. So much for San Francisco.
So in the next week or so, I hope that everything will finally settle down, and I can get back into a routine. Kent and Maddy have gone back to school, so Kara and I are settled to our usual at-home routine. Not much is different there anyway. She thrives on routine; so do I.
I cannot WAIT to get back into running. It turns out that California has about a thousand (ok, somewhat less than that) triathlons. One is in two weeks. I can't do that one, I don't have a bike and I haven't run, so I'm really not ready. I could always do it just to get my feet wet (ha ha) and meet people here, but I could also do that by going to volunteer as a body marker or something.
I need a Maine Triathlon shirt. That'd get some attention and I'd meet people that way.
The good news is that there are a lot of people at Kent's new school who run. They meet weekly in the evenings. The bad news is that I can't meet them easily in that neighborhood because, without our house selling in Maine, we can't buy one here. We may actually need to rent the house out, and rent one here, and hope that it sells in a year or two.
Insane.
So there you go. Life intervenes, and it all gets very weird!
Take care, have fun, get out there and do something...and cross your fingers for me. I need it!!
-- Karina, uprooted and homesick, but glad to be back among family in California once again!
____________________________________________________________________________
Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor. However, I am a teacher certified in both California and Maine to teach science curriculum, including the human body (and health/nutrition) to kids in grades K-8. This blog is my attempt to wade through the current thinking on weight loss, and to present it in a way that makes sense to everyone. As a woman who is successfully recovering from obesity herself, I feel it's even more important to help others understand what I did to lose the weight; what worked, what didn't, and what the struggle has been like as I went from morbid obesity to fitness. It doesn't mean that I have all the answers, however. If you want to lose weight, by all means, read my blog--I think I can provide some help and clarity. BUT, please know that I am NOT a medical expert, and you should most definitely consult with your own doctor or family physician before undertaking any weight loss efforts yourself. Weight loss is a personal journey. I'm making mine visible to the world, but each of us has to take our own steps with our own doctor's guidance; please make sure you check in with yours before you try to do anything I have done. Good luck and God bless!
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
PolarBear Sprint Triathlon - Bowdoin College, Maine
Lately, it seems like months go by before I update this blog. Ooops!
I mean to, but I get so busy. Between playing with Karalyn, who is now almost 18 months old (wow), running, doing house stuff and working part-time as a bookseller, my life is really busy!
So a number of things have happened since last writing. I participated in the PolarBear Sprint Triathlon held on May 3, 2008 at Bowdoin College in Maine; I continued training for the San Francisco Marathon (August 3, 2008); and of course I had a lovely three weeks of visiting with my parents, who came for a visit from Eureka. Yippee!
More on those another day. Mostly, this is all about the PolarBear.
I was very excited to participate in the PolarBear Sprint triathlon. It's held at Bowdoin (as mentioned above), and involves a 525 yard pool swim, 12 mile bike ride, and a 5K run. I started in the 2nd wave of swimmers--the 2nd slowest group--which was fine with me. I estimated I'd need 12 or 13 minutes to do the swim, but I over-estimated with them to make sure I'd have plenty of time. I used a swim cap, too, which made me look like a dork in my photos (I look like an old woman, ergh!) so in future, I whip that puppy off as soon as I'm out of the water!! LOL!
While watching the first wave start, a few of us noticed that, despite being promised by an announcer that it'd be sunny shortly, it was now pouring down rain outside...directly onto my dry biking clothes, under which was my waterproof Brooks Nightlife Jacket. Oh geez. If I'd thought it was going to rain, I'd have put the clothes UNDER it, rather than trying to organize my clothes in the order I'd put them on!
Anyway, getting into the water, I was excited because I'd done more swimming and had learned how NOT to race compared to last year: that is, I got in the pool determined to go at a strong but manageable pace, not trying to "race" but just be consistently strong and swim with the best technique I had. When the last person out of the pool from the first wave got out, we were off! I felt great--I even lapped the women on either side of me (who were coincidentally #'s 234 and 235, while I was 233), and was out of the pool in just over 12 minutes. I got out and ran outside--where it was still raining. No drying off today, apparently!
I yelled out my number for my split (12:51; 141st out of 177), and hustled over to my bike: the old Raleigh Technium from my college days. That puppy cost somewhere between $350 and $500 (Dad says $500, holy cow), and Dad had it FedExed out to me because he knew that riding my mountain bike is hard in a triathlon. I had literally gotten it in time to get it tuned up and taken out for one ride before the race. In fact, with the possibility of rain, I nearly decided against it, because the skinny tires had me scared. However, I had brought it after all. I got dressed in my riding clothes, took a bite or two of Clif bar, and headed out on the bike. I got to the road and took off. I rode with one of the other women (235) almost the entire time.
Near the end, she got ahead of me, but then at one tight intersection, the traffic got so jammed up she unexpectedly braked and nearly dumped her bike. I was so impressed that she didn't fall; I kept yelling for her "keep it up" and "you're doing great!" but she never caught me on the bike. I think she was rattled.
We pulled in within a minute of each other (45:42, 109th out of 177 riders), and I quickly tossed off my jacket and helmet. A quick grab of something to eat (I'd snacked on the ride, too, but my Bento Box--the food carrier--was so small, it was a pain), and I was off again. Immediately, I cramped up. Every time I try to drink gatorade/water mix on a ride, I cramp. I am just going to stick with water from now on. I suffered through two full miles of cramps before it eased up, and the last mile was blissfully free of pain--but my legs were torched from the bike. I had ridden too hard, considering I was so psyched to be on a good bike, and I was trying to keep up with 235! Duh!
When I came in to the finish, running the 3 miles in 31:26 (128th out of 177), I clicked my watch and saw that, my goal being "in under 1:30", I had made it JUST under 1:30! The official timers had my time at 1:30 exactly, but I know my watch was right because I clicked it as I started and as I finished. However, I'll take their time. I was bummed that I didn't run better than a ten minute mile, but considering that I was running in pain and exhausted, a ten minute mile is good! I need to stop being such a pain about it!
Final time: 1 hour, 30 minutes, .003 seconds; 121st out of 177. I met my goal time, and shaved 15 minutes off my previous triathlon time (granted, it did have a 3 mile longer bike portion...)!
I was so happy I was jumping around screaming--for myself--because nobody else was there! Kent was at USM giving a workshop on literacy, and the girls were being babysat because, really, there was nobody to watch them AT the triathlon, and they couldn't do it with me of course! I did see Rebecca Lamb, though, which was cool--she works with Kent--and that was nice. I happily got in line for a massage (free), when a Team Nor'Easter member out of Peak Performance Multisport in Portland came up with a DONUT.
OMG. A DONUT. I wanted one! I was starving! I said, "WHERE did you get that??" He told me there was a WHOLE TABLE of them!! I said, "I'm outta here!" and ran for a donut--chocolate. Yum! I was so hungry! (I had some banana too.)
When I came back, I let two other guys go ahead of me since I left the line, but the Nor'Easter guy let me go first. The massage was a great help, and she gave me a few hints about how to eliminate the cramping next time. I've used that a few times now when I started to cramp, and it helps. I push on the muscles right under my ribs for a few seconds at a time, moving from middle to side, and it goes away. Whew.
Afterwards, I ate a bit more, then went for a shower. We were at Bowdoin College's Phys Ed facility, of course. A shower felt SO good, I was so cold and wet--the warm, dry clothes helped a ton. While there, I spoke to a nice lady who was also a Team Nor'Easter member. I said I'd considered being a member but I couldn't make their training. She said it didn't matter, because it was mostly for support and if you couldn't train, at least you'd know people there.
I thought it sounded good, so the next week I went to a Team Nor'Easter social night at Peak Performance in Portland, and decided to sign up. I've since gone to a 2nd night, and Jean was a great help in talking to me about the marathon plans and my running schedule. The people rock.
I expect I'll do at least one more triathlon this year; maybe the CELT again in September. But for right now, my goal/focus is the SF Marathon August 3. I have done my longest run to-date about a couple weeks ago now--20 miles, while my parents were here. Took me just over 4 hours, and I felt like if I needed to, I could have run another 6. My legs weren't trashed, and I felt pretty good doing the full four laps of 5 miles each around the Presidential Loop.
That was a huge mental hurdle. Going out, I didn't WANT to run it at all; I wanted to quit. I REALLY didn't think I could do it. I was dreading it like crazy!! But when I did it, I was like, OK, now I KNOW I can do a marathon!! It was like when I did my first true brick workout, riding 15 miles then running 3; I knew I could do a triathlon. Now I know I can, it's just a matter of how long it takes me, not whether I can finish or not.
So that's my experience, and a few pictures.
"A good time was had by all." :D
____________________________________________________________________________
Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor. However, I am a teacher certified in both California and Maine to teach science curriculum, including the human body (and health/nutrition) to kids in grades K-8. This blog is my attempt to wade through the current thinking on weight loss, and to present it in a way that makes sense to everyone. As a woman who is successfully recovering from obesity herself, I feel it's even more important to help others understand what I did to lose the weight; what worked, what didn't, and what the struggle has been like as I went from morbid obesity to fitness. It doesn't mean that I have all the answers, however. If you want to lose weight, by all means, read my blog--I think I can provide some help and clarity. BUT, please know that I am NOT a medical expert, and you should most definitely consult with your own doctor or family physician before undertaking any weight loss efforts yourself. Weight loss is a personal journey. I'm making mine visible to the world, but each of us has to take our own steps with our own doctor's guidance; please make sure you check in with yours before you try to do anything I have done. Good luck and God bless!
I mean to, but I get so busy. Between playing with Karalyn, who is now almost 18 months old (wow), running, doing house stuff and working part-time as a bookseller, my life is really busy!
So a number of things have happened since last writing. I participated in the PolarBear Sprint Triathlon held on May 3, 2008 at Bowdoin College in Maine; I continued training for the San Francisco Marathon (August 3, 2008); and of course I had a lovely three weeks of visiting with my parents, who came for a visit from Eureka. Yippee!
More on those another day. Mostly, this is all about the PolarBear.
I was very excited to participate in the PolarBear Sprint triathlon. It's held at Bowdoin (as mentioned above), and involves a 525 yard pool swim, 12 mile bike ride, and a 5K run. I started in the 2nd wave of swimmers--the 2nd slowest group--which was fine with me. I estimated I'd need 12 or 13 minutes to do the swim, but I over-estimated with them to make sure I'd have plenty of time. I used a swim cap, too, which made me look like a dork in my photos (I look like an old woman, ergh!) so in future, I whip that puppy off as soon as I'm out of the water!! LOL!
While watching the first wave start, a few of us noticed that, despite being promised by an announcer that it'd be sunny shortly, it was now pouring down rain outside...directly onto my dry biking clothes, under which was my waterproof Brooks Nightlife Jacket. Oh geez. If I'd thought it was going to rain, I'd have put the clothes UNDER it, rather than trying to organize my clothes in the order I'd put them on!
Anyway, getting into the water, I was excited because I'd done more swimming and had learned how NOT to race compared to last year: that is, I got in the pool determined to go at a strong but manageable pace, not trying to "race" but just be consistently strong and swim with the best technique I had. When the last person out of the pool from the first wave got out, we were off! I felt great--I even lapped the women on either side of me (who were coincidentally #'s 234 and 235, while I was 233), and was out of the pool in just over 12 minutes. I got out and ran outside--where it was still raining. No drying off today, apparently!
I yelled out my number for my split (12:51; 141st out of 177), and hustled over to my bike: the old Raleigh Technium from my college days. That puppy cost somewhere between $350 and $500 (Dad says $500, holy cow), and Dad had it FedExed out to me because he knew that riding my mountain bike is hard in a triathlon. I had literally gotten it in time to get it tuned up and taken out for one ride before the race. In fact, with the possibility of rain, I nearly decided against it, because the skinny tires had me scared. However, I had brought it after all. I got dressed in my riding clothes, took a bite or two of Clif bar, and headed out on the bike. I got to the road and took off. I rode with one of the other women (235) almost the entire time.
Near the end, she got ahead of me, but then at one tight intersection, the traffic got so jammed up she unexpectedly braked and nearly dumped her bike. I was so impressed that she didn't fall; I kept yelling for her "keep it up" and "you're doing great!" but she never caught me on the bike. I think she was rattled.We pulled in within a minute of each other (45:42, 109th out of 177 riders), and I quickly tossed off my jacket and helmet. A quick grab of something to eat (I'd snacked on the ride, too, but my Bento Box--the food carrier--was so small, it was a pain), and I was off again. Immediately, I cramped up. Every time I try to drink gatorade/water mix on a ride, I cramp. I am just going to stick with water from now on. I suffered through two full miles of cramps before it eased up, and the last mile was blissfully free of pain--but my legs were torched from the bike. I had ridden too hard, considering I was so psyched to be on a good bike, and I was trying to keep up with 235! Duh!
When I came in to the finish, running the 3 miles in 31:26 (128th out of 177), I clicked my watch and saw that, my goal being "in under 1:30", I had made it JUST under 1:30! The official timers had my time at 1:30 exactly, but I know my watch was right because I clicked it as I started and as I finished. However, I'll take their time. I was bummed that I didn't run better than a ten minute mile, but considering that I was running in pain and exhausted, a ten minute mile is good! I need to stop being such a pain about it!Final time: 1 hour, 30 minutes, .003 seconds; 121st out of 177. I met my goal time, and shaved 15 minutes off my previous triathlon time (granted, it did have a 3 mile longer bike portion...)!
I was so happy I was jumping around screaming--for myself--because nobody else was there! Kent was at USM giving a workshop on literacy, and the girls were being babysat because, really, there was nobody to watch them AT the triathlon, and they couldn't do it with me of course! I did see Rebecca Lamb, though, which was cool--she works with Kent--and that was nice. I happily got in line for a massage (free), when a Team Nor'Easter member out of Peak Performance Multisport in Portland came up with a DONUT.
OMG. A DONUT. I wanted one! I was starving! I said, "WHERE did you get that??" He told me there was a WHOLE TABLE of them!! I said, "I'm outta here!" and ran for a donut--chocolate. Yum! I was so hungry! (I had some banana too.)
When I came back, I let two other guys go ahead of me since I left the line, but the Nor'Easter guy let me go first. The massage was a great help, and she gave me a few hints about how to eliminate the cramping next time. I've used that a few times now when I started to cramp, and it helps. I push on the muscles right under my ribs for a few seconds at a time, moving from middle to side, and it goes away. Whew.
Afterwards, I ate a bit more, then went for a shower. We were at Bowdoin College's Phys Ed facility, of course. A shower felt SO good, I was so cold and wet--the warm, dry clothes helped a ton. While there, I spoke to a nice lady who was also a Team Nor'Easter member. I said I'd considered being a member but I couldn't make their training. She said it didn't matter, because it was mostly for support and if you couldn't train, at least you'd know people there.
I thought it sounded good, so the next week I went to a Team Nor'Easter social night at Peak Performance in Portland, and decided to sign up. I've since gone to a 2nd night, and Jean was a great help in talking to me about the marathon plans and my running schedule. The people rock.I expect I'll do at least one more triathlon this year; maybe the CELT again in September. But for right now, my goal/focus is the SF Marathon August 3. I have done my longest run to-date about a couple weeks ago now--20 miles, while my parents were here. Took me just over 4 hours, and I felt like if I needed to, I could have run another 6. My legs weren't trashed, and I felt pretty good doing the full four laps of 5 miles each around the Presidential Loop.
That was a huge mental hurdle. Going out, I didn't WANT to run it at all; I wanted to quit. I REALLY didn't think I could do it. I was dreading it like crazy!! But when I did it, I was like, OK, now I KNOW I can do a marathon!! It was like when I did my first true brick workout, riding 15 miles then running 3; I knew I could do a triathlon. Now I know I can, it's just a matter of how long it takes me, not whether I can finish or not.
So that's my experience, and a few pictures.
"A good time was had by all." :D
____________________________________________________________________________
Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor. However, I am a teacher certified in both California and Maine to teach science curriculum, including the human body (and health/nutrition) to kids in grades K-8. This blog is my attempt to wade through the current thinking on weight loss, and to present it in a way that makes sense to everyone. As a woman who is successfully recovering from obesity herself, I feel it's even more important to help others understand what I did to lose the weight; what worked, what didn't, and what the struggle has been like as I went from morbid obesity to fitness. It doesn't mean that I have all the answers, however. If you want to lose weight, by all means, read my blog--I think I can provide some help and clarity. BUT, please know that I am NOT a medical expert, and you should most definitely consult with your own doctor or family physician before undertaking any weight loss efforts yourself. Weight loss is a personal journey. I'm making mine visible to the world, but each of us has to take our own steps with our own doctor's guidance; please make sure you check in with yours before you try to do anything I have done. Good luck and God bless!
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Winter Training, Part II
It's been a long time since I was on. Life intervenes.
My Half at the Hamptons was a good experience, but not necessarily one I wish to repeat. It wasn't the running, it was the cold, wind, snow, sleet and freezing rain that got me.
I ran a 10 minute/mile pace for a while, but after a couple miles I had to walk for a minute and drink a lot of water. I had a horrific pain in my right side and under my ribs. I tried kneading it, stretching, breathing deeper, and drinking water. It took three miles, but I finally shook it off. It was horrible!
I maintained a decent pace, though. I was trying to keep the 11 min/mile pacesetter in sight; it wasn't until mile 8 that I heard from other people that no, I wasn't imagining it--he was running more like a 10-minute-mile pace. I had thought so, but I kept wondering if he was starting out fast to "bank" time for slowing down later. Or maybe he was just not a great pacesetter! Eventually I passed him, and ended up finishing before he did.
Eventually, I slowed way down as the cold and weather started bogging me down. It was tough slogging, with the precipitation kicking in around mile 6, then the freezing rain literally bogging down my running pants so that I had to keep hiking them up around my waist as I ran. My drawstring was broken so that was no help.
The last couple miles were especially tough, with the wind whipping straight into our faces and straight through my soaking pants. Running into a headwind is bad enough; doing it when wet and trying to speed up during the last bit is near impossible. I eventually managed to force myself to manage a pathetic kick at the end, and finished in 2:22:39, knocking a good 14+ minutes off my first half marathon time (which was run in perfect conditions, no wind).
A couple days later, with my finishers medal.
I still cannot figure out what the figure in the center
is supposed to represent.
To me, it looks like a 1920s flapper
sitting on a pile of boxes and bags from a shopping spree!
I was really happy with my performance, and was lucky in that Kent and the girls happened to drive by (looking for parking) right as I raced across the finish line. So they saw me finish! However, when I stopped to take my timing chip off my shoe, my stomach hurt so badly, I felt so sick and nauseous, but not like I had to throw up. I just needed some nutrition and DESPERATELY needed to stretch. I spent 20 or 30 minutes chatting with Amy and her family, and stretching out the body, while enjoying an Accelerade and some of my favorite Stacy's Pita Chips, which LocoRunning always seems to provide.
Oh, and of course, the requisite banana.
Some time later, "Auntie Sue" (the girls' Godmother and our dear friend) told me that all that sick feeling was probably a bit of hypothermia; all the blood was being shunted to major organs to prevent me from going into cold shutdown, but at the same time I was trying to force it into extremities with the running. She said running this was no doubt a good experience and a great challenge, but not something I should consider repeating because of the hypothermia dangers.
I told her, Not to worry--I am DONE with running half marathons in New England in FEBRUARY! If I run another February half marathon, it's going to be someplace like Sedona or Hawaii! I am not THAT addicted to running that I'm willing to do that again.
The sad part is that a runner, Bill Paradis, died on the course--a man from North Berwick. I passed the ambulance at mile 6, and the women he was with were crying. The papers later said they rushed him to the hospital, but I saw his sneakers sticking out of the end of the gurney inside the ambulance, and NOBODY was rushing anywhere. I'm sure he was already gone (massive heart attack) and the "rushing to the hospital" to pronounce was a formality. It was very very sad.
Apparently he was a pretty nice man, an oustanding member of the running community, and was a supporter of Olympic Marathon hopeful Emily LeVan (http://www.twotrials.org), who is trying to qualify while her 5 year old daughter Maddie is simultaneously battling leukemia.
Bill Paradis will be much missed by the seacoast community.
___________________________________________________________________
Anyway, with that said, now I am going to veer into another direction. As promised, I need to address the issue of winter running--not that we'll be doing much more of that (hopefully).
When it comes to clothing, it's all about the layers. You need to be comfortable--not too hot, and definitely not too cold. You need something that wicks away sweat, so it doesn't get cold and clammy (or worse yet, freeze to you).
So what is layering? Basically, it's putting two or more pieces of clothing over each other to help you keep dry and warm when you're out in the elements. Then, as you get warm or cold, you can add to or "delete" items from your attire.
"The Layers"
The first layer you want up next to your skin is the wicking inner layer. That is the layer of clothing that will trap warm air against your body, but it will also transfer, or "wick", away the moisture you produce when you exercise. You know--sweat. You can use anything made of polypropolene or microfleece. I like coolmax products, and others like Power Dry underwear. Under Armour makes good stuff too. You'll see it on the label.
The second or middle layer needs to be for warmth. Its purpose is to insulate the body, to help you retain heat. Wool is a great option, unless it makes you itch. My preference is fleece, but you can also use down or primaloft (depending on conditions). Sweaters, jackets, vests--all are good options.
The third or outer layer is for protection from the weather. This is the layer that's going to keep that rain, snow and sleet out--or, in the case of me during my last half marathon, the layer that DIDN'T keep the rain, snow and sleet out. Some good choices include gore-tex shells (which are waterproof), nylon shells (which are water resistant, unless you treat them with some waterproofing option), and insulated jackets or parkas. My Brooks Nightlife shell (the bright yellow one) was actually quite effective; it was only the Sporthill running pants that I had on that weren't weather-resistant, and that bogged down.
Of course, you will probably want some sort of weather resistant and warm hat, and the same with the gloves, and maybe even something to wear over your face if it's cold enough.
There you have it. The three layers that keep you toasty.
The last thing you need to know when you go out is that all this clothing should NOT make you feel toasty as you run out the front door. If that's the case, you'll be overheated before you hit the first mile-marker.
Ideally, you should feel somewhat chilled when you first start out. You'll warm up as you go, and then you'll be good for the run.
As far as wind, if you have to run in windy conditions, and you have any choice, it's best to run into the wind on the way out, then with the wind on the way back. That way the wind won't be chilling you all the way home when you're at your sweatiest.
Some people love to run in winter. As for me, I have learned to love my treadmill. If it weren't for the fact that I wanted to keep my fitness level or improve, I wouldn't have worried about running at all. I HATE the cold.
So what am I doing living in Maine?? Hee hee! Ask me next summer and fall when the weather here is glorious!
I hear a baby crying out for her Mom. Time to hit the road.
Be well!
"You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you stop to look fear in the face."
- Eleanor Roosevelt
____________________________________________________________________________
Disclaimer: Look, I'm not a doctor. However, I am a teacher certified in both California and Maine to teach science curriculum, including the human body (and health/nutrition) to kids in grades K-8. This blog is my attempt to wade through the current thinking on weight loss, and to present it in a way that makes sense to everyone. As a woman who is successfully recovering from obesity herself, I feel it's even more important to help others understand what I did to lose the weight; what worked, what didn't, and what the struggle has been like as I went from morbid obesity to fitness. It doesn't mean that I have all the answers, however. If you want to lose weight, by all means, read my blog--I think I can provide some help and clarity. BUT, please know that I am NOT a medical expert, and you should most definitely consult with your own doctor or family physician before undertaking any weight loss efforts yourself. Weight loss is a personal journey. I'm making mine visible to the world, but each of us has to take our own steps with our own doctor's guidance; please make sure you check in with yours before you try to do anything I have done. Good luck and God bless!
My Half at the Hamptons was a good experience, but not necessarily one I wish to repeat. It wasn't the running, it was the cold, wind, snow, sleet and freezing rain that got me.
Starting out:
0.8 miles down,
12.3 miles left to go...!
0.8 miles down,
12.3 miles left to go...!
I ran a 10 minute/mile pace for a while, but after a couple miles I had to walk for a minute and drink a lot of water. I had a horrific pain in my right side and under my ribs. I tried kneading it, stretching, breathing deeper, and drinking water. It took three miles, but I finally shook it off. It was horrible!
Despite the horrific pain in my side,
I have a happy smile going here.
I'm so glad to be doing my 2nd half marathon!
I have a happy smile going here.
I'm so glad to be doing my 2nd half marathon!
I maintained a decent pace, though. I was trying to keep the 11 min/mile pacesetter in sight; it wasn't until mile 8 that I heard from other people that no, I wasn't imagining it--he was running more like a 10-minute-mile pace. I had thought so, but I kept wondering if he was starting out fast to "bank" time for slowing down later. Or maybe he was just not a great pacesetter! Eventually I passed him, and ended up finishing before he did.
I got too warm, despite the cold weather,
and had to undo some layers. You can see
my water bottle in my right hand--
I was still trying to shake that side pain.
and had to undo some layers. You can see
my water bottle in my right hand--
I was still trying to shake that side pain.
Eventually, I slowed way down as the cold and weather started bogging me down. It was tough slogging, with the precipitation kicking in around mile 6, then the freezing rain literally bogging down my running pants so that I had to keep hiking them up around my waist as I ran. My drawstring was broken so that was no help.
The last couple miles were especially tough, with the wind whipping straight into our faces and straight through my soaking pants. Running into a headwind is bad enough; doing it when wet and trying to speed up during the last bit is near impossible. I eventually managed to force myself to manage a pathetic kick at the end, and finished in 2:22:39, knocking a good 14+ minutes off my first half marathon time (which was run in perfect conditions, no wind).
A couple days later, with my finishers medal.
I still cannot figure out what the figure in the center
is supposed to represent.
To me, it looks like a 1920s flapper
sitting on a pile of boxes and bags from a shopping spree!
I was really happy with my performance, and was lucky in that Kent and the girls happened to drive by (looking for parking) right as I raced across the finish line. So they saw me finish! However, when I stopped to take my timing chip off my shoe, my stomach hurt so badly, I felt so sick and nauseous, but not like I had to throw up. I just needed some nutrition and DESPERATELY needed to stretch. I spent 20 or 30 minutes chatting with Amy and her family, and stretching out the body, while enjoying an Accelerade and some of my favorite Stacy's Pita Chips, which LocoRunning always seems to provide.
Oh, and of course, the requisite banana.
Some time later, "Auntie Sue" (the girls' Godmother and our dear friend) told me that all that sick feeling was probably a bit of hypothermia; all the blood was being shunted to major organs to prevent me from going into cold shutdown, but at the same time I was trying to force it into extremities with the running. She said running this was no doubt a good experience and a great challenge, but not something I should consider repeating because of the hypothermia dangers.
I told her, Not to worry--I am DONE with running half marathons in New England in FEBRUARY! If I run another February half marathon, it's going to be someplace like Sedona or Hawaii! I am not THAT addicted to running that I'm willing to do that again.
The sad part is that a runner, Bill Paradis, died on the course--a man from North Berwick. I passed the ambulance at mile 6, and the women he was with were crying. The papers later said they rushed him to the hospital, but I saw his sneakers sticking out of the end of the gurney inside the ambulance, and NOBODY was rushing anywhere. I'm sure he was already gone (massive heart attack) and the "rushing to the hospital" to pronounce was a formality. It was very very sad.
Apparently he was a pretty nice man, an oustanding member of the running community, and was a supporter of Olympic Marathon hopeful Emily LeVan (http://www.twotrials.org), who is trying to qualify while her 5 year old daughter Maddie is simultaneously battling leukemia.
Bill Paradis will be much missed by the seacoast community.
___________________________________________________________________
Anyway, with that said, now I am going to veer into another direction. As promised, I need to address the issue of winter running--not that we'll be doing much more of that (hopefully).
When it comes to clothing, it's all about the layers. You need to be comfortable--not too hot, and definitely not too cold. You need something that wicks away sweat, so it doesn't get cold and clammy (or worse yet, freeze to you).
So what is layering? Basically, it's putting two or more pieces of clothing over each other to help you keep dry and warm when you're out in the elements. Then, as you get warm or cold, you can add to or "delete" items from your attire.
"The Layers"
The first layer you want up next to your skin is the wicking inner layer. That is the layer of clothing that will trap warm air against your body, but it will also transfer, or "wick", away the moisture you produce when you exercise. You know--sweat. You can use anything made of polypropolene or microfleece. I like coolmax products, and others like Power Dry underwear. Under Armour makes good stuff too. You'll see it on the label.
The second or middle layer needs to be for warmth. Its purpose is to insulate the body, to help you retain heat. Wool is a great option, unless it makes you itch. My preference is fleece, but you can also use down or primaloft (depending on conditions). Sweaters, jackets, vests--all are good options.
The third or outer layer is for protection from the weather. This is the layer that's going to keep that rain, snow and sleet out--or, in the case of me during my last half marathon, the layer that DIDN'T keep the rain, snow and sleet out. Some good choices include gore-tex shells (which are waterproof), nylon shells (which are water resistant, unless you treat them with some waterproofing option), and insulated jackets or parkas. My Brooks Nightlife shell (the bright yellow one) was actually quite effective; it was only the Sporthill running pants that I had on that weren't weather-resistant, and that bogged down.
Of course, you will probably want some sort of weather resistant and warm hat, and the same with the gloves, and maybe even something to wear over your face if it's cold enough.
There you have it. The three layers that keep you toasty.
The last thing you need to know when you go out is that all this clothing should NOT make you feel toasty as you run out the front door. If that's the case, you'll be overheated before you hit the first mile-marker.
Ideally, you should feel somewhat chilled when you first start out. You'll warm up as you go, and then you'll be good for the run.
As far as wind, if you have to run in windy conditions, and you have any choice, it's best to run into the wind on the way out, then with the wind on the way back. That way the wind won't be chilling you all the way home when you're at your sweatiest.
Some people love to run in winter. As for me, I have learned to love my treadmill. If it weren't for the fact that I wanted to keep my fitness level or improve, I wouldn't have worried about running at all. I HATE the cold.
So what am I doing living in Maine?? Hee hee! Ask me next summer and fall when the weather here is glorious!
I hear a baby crying out for her Mom. Time to hit the road.
Be well!
"You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you stop to look fear in the face."
- Eleanor Roosevelt
____________________________________________________________________________
Disclaimer: Look, I'm not a doctor. However, I am a teacher certified in both California and Maine to teach science curriculum, including the human body (and health/nutrition) to kids in grades K-8. This blog is my attempt to wade through the current thinking on weight loss, and to present it in a way that makes sense to everyone. As a woman who is successfully recovering from obesity herself, I feel it's even more important to help others understand what I did to lose the weight; what worked, what didn't, and what the struggle has been like as I went from morbid obesity to fitness. It doesn't mean that I have all the answers, however. If you want to lose weight, by all means, read my blog--I think I can provide some help and clarity. BUT, please know that I am NOT a medical expert, and you should most definitely consult with your own doctor or family physician before undertaking any weight loss efforts yourself. Weight loss is a personal journey. I'm making mine visible to the world, but each of us has to take our own steps with our own doctor's guidance; please make sure you check in with yours before you try to do anything I have done. Good luck and God bless!
Monday, January 14, 2008
Winter Training, Part I
Well, it has been a long time since I've updated. Life intervenes, and when the triathlon was over, my training (for the triathlon) lapsed. I have been running, however, at least three times a week ever since, with my long runs being between 10 and 13 miles. So that at least is going really well.
As I sit here writing, the snow is flying and building up outside my windows. We've gotten about five inches so far, and more is on tap to fall. I should leave for work in one hour, assuming I can get out of the driveway!
All this snow is beautiful, but it begs the question: How do you train in wintertime in Maine??
I am such a newbie, not only to this new body, but also to the concept of continual exercise. I used to exercise for a while, and then quit when I lost the weight I wanted. Or I would go out and do something now and again, like go for a walk or swim in a pool if one was handy...but not for the specific purpose of moving my body and keeping it in shape. I guess you could say that, even when I was not fat, I never was in very good shape. I didn't have much in the way of muscle, that's for sure! I certainly wasn't one to hit the gym or be dedicated about any sort of exercise at all.
So this is all very new to me. Add to that the winters in Maine being snowy and icy, and it limits what I have available to me in a way that I never dealt with in California. At least there, it's pretty temperate year-round, even in the north (Eureka) where I am from. Yes, it might rain, but there was no ice on the roads and the temperatures, at worst, MIGHT dip to the 30s, but usually would be in the 40s and 50s.
In Maine, we call that "T-shirt weather"! LOL!
So here I am, a new runner and triathlete, with a fit and healthy body, staring out the window at all that snow.
Yes, I could pull out my snowshoes, but when you have to take care of a baby during the day, that's not a great option.
The ice on the road pretty much nixes running and biking. I don't belong to the YMCA (yet) so there is noplace to swim!
My answer: the treadmill.
Sure, it's not sexy, and the scenery never changes, but as a way to keep the fitness base I've built, I have found it invaluable. I can speed up the treadmill to get in some interval training (running at a steady pace with "bursts" of speed, or sprints), I can keep it at a higher pace to do some tempo training, I can change the elevation to simulate hills, and I can put it at a slower pace and do a long 2-hour run to simulate a half marathon.
The only thing that really stinks about it is that it doesn't simulate the real-life pounding your body gets on the road. True, it's easier on the knees, but when there is a half-marathon in the future, nothing beats being out on the road for the practice.
And yes, I have another half-marathon in my future. February 10, to be exact, the Half at the Hamptons (Hampton Beach, NH), put on by Loco Running company. Another 13.1 miler is looming.
Am I nuts? Probably. But it dawned on me that, without a serious race in my future, it might be all too easy to let the training go and just do the minimal. I want to keep the solid running base I've built, even if I couldn't keep the bike or the swim, and perhaps even add to it if possible.
The weather cooperated last week with a January thaw, and I was able to finally get out for two long runs on the road. I ran 5.8 miles one day, and then last Saturday, I put in a 13.2 miler as practice for the half marathon. I ran that faster than I ran my original half marathon. That one I did in 2 hrs. 36 minutes; Saturday, I ran it in 2 hours 25 minutes. I wasn't going for speed, and I know that on race day the adrenaline will have me moving at a faster clip a bit more easily than I was on Saturday, but I was happy regardless, as I managed an 11 minute mile pace (compared to the 12-minute mile pace I had last September).
That increase in speed over such a long distance gave me the confidence that yes, I'm doing this right. Running 3x a week, eating properly (and still tracking, EVERY DAY, what I eat and the calories in it), and building in intervals, long runs and tempo runs in my weekly training runs on the treadmill is not only helping me keep my base, but it's helping me to improve.
I can't wait for the half marathon. My only worry is a knee that gets stiff on me. I have been to the orthopedic sports medicine clinic in Maine, and the physician's assistant X-rayed it and did tests, and he declared that it seems to be fine. I am just "sitting in a bogus position" sometimes, and that makes it stiffen up.
No, I'm not satisfied with the explanation, but I'll see what happens in the half marathon and go back to see them again--the doctor this time, not the PA.
Anyway, winter training can be done. I will have some more specific ideas next time for winter training, both in gear and in activities, but for now, I just wanted to toss out an update and
let you know that no, I haven't gone back to my old fat ways.
I'm still in this for the long haul!
Happy fitness, everyone!
"Laziness is nothing more than the habit of resting before you get tired."
- Jules Renard
____________________________________________________________________________
Disclaimer: Look, I'm not a doctor. However, I am a teacher certified in both California and Maine to teach science curriculum, including the human body (and health/nutrition) to kids in grades K-8. This blog is my attempt to wade through the current thinking on weight loss, and to present it in a way that makes sense to everyone. As a woman who is successfully recovering from obesity herself, I feel it's even more important to help others understand what I did to lose the weight; what worked, what didn't, and what the struggle has been like as I went from morbid obesity to fitness. It doesn't mean that I have all the answers, however. If you want to lose weight, by all means, read my blog--I think I can provide some help and clarity. BUT, please know that I am NOT a medical expert, and you should most definitely consult with your own doctor or family physician before undertaking any weight loss efforts yourself. Weight loss is a personal journey. I'm making mine visible to the world, but each of us has to take our own steps with our own doctor's guidance; please make sure you check in with yours before you try to do anything I have done. Good luck and God bless!
As I sit here writing, the snow is flying and building up outside my windows. We've gotten about five inches so far, and more is on tap to fall. I should leave for work in one hour, assuming I can get out of the driveway!
All this snow is beautiful, but it begs the question: How do you train in wintertime in Maine??
I am such a newbie, not only to this new body, but also to the concept of continual exercise. I used to exercise for a while, and then quit when I lost the weight I wanted. Or I would go out and do something now and again, like go for a walk or swim in a pool if one was handy...but not for the specific purpose of moving my body and keeping it in shape. I guess you could say that, even when I was not fat, I never was in very good shape. I didn't have much in the way of muscle, that's for sure! I certainly wasn't one to hit the gym or be dedicated about any sort of exercise at all.
So this is all very new to me. Add to that the winters in Maine being snowy and icy, and it limits what I have available to me in a way that I never dealt with in California. At least there, it's pretty temperate year-round, even in the north (Eureka) where I am from. Yes, it might rain, but there was no ice on the roads and the temperatures, at worst, MIGHT dip to the 30s, but usually would be in the 40s and 50s.
In Maine, we call that "T-shirt weather"! LOL!
So here I am, a new runner and triathlete, with a fit and healthy body, staring out the window at all that snow.
Yes, I could pull out my snowshoes, but when you have to take care of a baby during the day, that's not a great option.
The ice on the road pretty much nixes running and biking. I don't belong to the YMCA (yet) so there is noplace to swim!
My answer: the treadmill.
Sure, it's not sexy, and the scenery never changes, but as a way to keep the fitness base I've built, I have found it invaluable. I can speed up the treadmill to get in some interval training (running at a steady pace with "bursts" of speed, or sprints), I can keep it at a higher pace to do some tempo training, I can change the elevation to simulate hills, and I can put it at a slower pace and do a long 2-hour run to simulate a half marathon.
The only thing that really stinks about it is that it doesn't simulate the real-life pounding your body gets on the road. True, it's easier on the knees, but when there is a half-marathon in the future, nothing beats being out on the road for the practice.
And yes, I have another half-marathon in my future. February 10, to be exact, the Half at the Hamptons (Hampton Beach, NH), put on by Loco Running company. Another 13.1 miler is looming.
Am I nuts? Probably. But it dawned on me that, without a serious race in my future, it might be all too easy to let the training go and just do the minimal. I want to keep the solid running base I've built, even if I couldn't keep the bike or the swim, and perhaps even add to it if possible.
The weather cooperated last week with a January thaw, and I was able to finally get out for two long runs on the road. I ran 5.8 miles one day, and then last Saturday, I put in a 13.2 miler as practice for the half marathon. I ran that faster than I ran my original half marathon. That one I did in 2 hrs. 36 minutes; Saturday, I ran it in 2 hours 25 minutes. I wasn't going for speed, and I know that on race day the adrenaline will have me moving at a faster clip a bit more easily than I was on Saturday, but I was happy regardless, as I managed an 11 minute mile pace (compared to the 12-minute mile pace I had last September).
That increase in speed over such a long distance gave me the confidence that yes, I'm doing this right. Running 3x a week, eating properly (and still tracking, EVERY DAY, what I eat and the calories in it), and building in intervals, long runs and tempo runs in my weekly training runs on the treadmill is not only helping me keep my base, but it's helping me to improve.
I can't wait for the half marathon. My only worry is a knee that gets stiff on me. I have been to the orthopedic sports medicine clinic in Maine, and the physician's assistant X-rayed it and did tests, and he declared that it seems to be fine. I am just "sitting in a bogus position" sometimes, and that makes it stiffen up.
No, I'm not satisfied with the explanation, but I'll see what happens in the half marathon and go back to see them again--the doctor this time, not the PA.
Anyway, winter training can be done. I will have some more specific ideas next time for winter training, both in gear and in activities, but for now, I just wanted to toss out an update and
let you know that no, I haven't gone back to my old fat ways.
I'm still in this for the long haul!
Happy fitness, everyone!
"Laziness is nothing more than the habit of resting before you get tired."
- Jules Renard
____________________________________________________________________________
Disclaimer: Look, I'm not a doctor. However, I am a teacher certified in both California and Maine to teach science curriculum, including the human body (and health/nutrition) to kids in grades K-8. This blog is my attempt to wade through the current thinking on weight loss, and to present it in a way that makes sense to everyone. As a woman who is successfully recovering from obesity herself, I feel it's even more important to help others understand what I did to lose the weight; what worked, what didn't, and what the struggle has been like as I went from morbid obesity to fitness. It doesn't mean that I have all the answers, however. If you want to lose weight, by all means, read my blog--I think I can provide some help and clarity. BUT, please know that I am NOT a medical expert, and you should most definitely consult with your own doctor or family physician before undertaking any weight loss efforts yourself. Weight loss is a personal journey. I'm making mine visible to the world, but each of us has to take our own steps with our own doctor's guidance; please make sure you check in with yours before you try to do anything I have done. Good luck and God bless!
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