I want adventure in the great wide somewhere (comments welcome)

[SuperHappyFunTimes]

172.6 - Hopefully this is just water weight due to *ahem* hormonal issues

I turned my run today into a walk for reasons to be discussed below. I walked 30 minutes with the stroller in the morning and then did a 20 minute bike ride and another 30 minute walk in the afternoon.

I've been having problems with my iliac crest/ iliac spine (where you put your hands when you put your hands on your hips - that bony part) for about six weeks. I went to an othopaedic doctor and physical therapy and massage therapy and got 4 different answers, but it didn't get better. Running made it worse, but I have a 10k on Thanksgiving that I am bound and determined to do.

As a last resort, I went to my chiropractor. Honestly, I kind of thought chiropractors were quacks. I only went to them so I could get a prescription for massage therapy for my upper back and neck tension. Well, I may have become a believer. I went in yesterday, unable to take a single step without twinges of pain and told him my story. He did some adjustments and as soon as he was done, it felt better. Really better. Immediately. He said no running for 24 hours but that I should be fine after that. So, the real test will be Sunday after my 7 mile run, but so far it feels 95% better! I have HOPE!! I was getting so frustrated and discouraged...

I have done well tracking this week, although I've had a couple of high point days due to halloween parties. But, I tracked and am still within my limits this week. Now, if the scale will just cooperate!

 

[Minnie Momma]

Yaaaaayyyyyy for no more pain!

And awesome job for tracking all your points honestly!!!!

 

[SuperHappyFunTimes]

Yaaaaayyyyyy for no more pain!

And awesome job for tracking all your points honestly!!!!

Thanks!!

 

[SuperHappyFunTimes]

171.6

I did a 70 minute bike ride today, appx 14.6 miles, 12.5mph. It's been about 6 weeks since my last long bike ride so it was a little exhausting, but once I got about 30 minutes in I got in the swing of it and it started feeling better.

I also took some sports beans with me since I knew I'd be out over an hour and had them around 35 minutes and 50 minutes in which really perked my energy level up.

I'm planning to do 7 miles tomorrow on a long slow run. Maybe 4 min run/2 min walk intervals, although I really should do it at a 2 min run/2 min walk interval to be conservative. Maybe I'll just see how I feel in the morning. Since the time is changing, it will be great to be able to get an earlier start tomorrow and not have to wait for the sun to come up at 7:30.

That bike ride did make me HUNGRY. I had some graham crackers and natural peanut butter. Probably more than I should have eaten, but I earned 14 points with the bike ride and I ate 12 points with the sports beans plus the snack, so I guess I'm still ahead.

I really wanted to get under 170 by my weigh in Monday, but that doesn't look likely right now. I guess I'll reset my sights to next week. As soon as I get under 170, I'm ordering a Garmin 10. Ooh, I love running gadgets!!

 

[SuperHappyFunTimes]

171.0

I did a run/walk of 7 miles today in 1:16 (10:44 min/mile pace). Probably a little too fast for my "long slow run", but I finished! The loop I run at a local park is 75% dirt and limestone and 25% sidewalk. So, I decided to run the dirt and limestone segment and walk the sidewalk segment. It worked out pretty well. I took a pack of sports beans and stopped for some beans and water at 2 miles and 4 miles and that helped a lot too.

I do think the long bike ride on Saturday may have made the run on Sunday a little tougher. I definitely felt my hamstrings today while running...

My hip/ab/oblique/glute/hipflexor/whatever it is issue is a little tweaky but it held up pretty well. If it hurts again, I'll go back to the chiro. Hopefully it will just keep getting better and I can run again Tuesday. The weather is supposed to get a little cold and rainy on Tuesday so I'll have to keep an eye on it in case I need to move the run.

My toddler (almost 2) still is a terrible sleeper. He was doing a lot better last week, but the last few nights he has relapsed a bit and is more restless and wakes up every 3 hours or so. Of course, with the time change, he decided to get up at 4am today which was not fun! Being tired is definitely a trigger for me to make bad food and exercise decisions. So far so good though!

Looks like I'll finish the week with all my "weekly bonus" points since I earned so many exercise points this week. Now, I just need to see some great results on the scale tomorrow!

 

[Terapin]

You are doing great! I'm really proud of you! That bike ride sounds like amazing exercise.

 

[SuperHappyFunTimes]

170.6

I ran 3.1 miles in 28:30 today! That's a personal record for me!!! I only stopped once in the middle for a water fountain sip of water. I really wanted to keep going to 4 miles, but since it's the first time in 10 years that I've run the whole 3.1 miles, I decided to be MODERATE and SMART and stop at 3.1. I'm almost more proud of myself for not doing 4 miles than I am for running the whole 3 miles.

I went back to the chiropractor today to get my hip/pelvis adjusted again just because I still felt a little uneven, like one leg was longer than the other.

My 13 year old DS brought home straight A's, so we celebrated with cupcakes. I just had one and I tracked the points. I'm really trying to do Weight Watchers as a lifestyle change, which means I may not lose 2 lbs a week due to occasional treats and splurges, but I think I will be able to maintain whatever I do lose this way...

My next run is Thursday or Friday.

 

[Minnie Momma]

Awesome job! (on the single cupcake & point tracking as well as not over-doing the run)

 

[SuperHappyFunTimes]

170.6 - Come on, just 0.7 lbs to my next reward!!!

I ran a little over 3 miles today without stopping. Yay, I kept it slow and steady at a comfortable pace and finished pretty strong. My left knee started tweaking at the end but it feels great now.

I've been struggling with getting HUNGRY the last few days. I'm tracking all my points, but I'm just HUNGRY. I know I need to bump up my veggie and fruit intake, I just need to focus on that. I always get stalled right before a milestone and getting under 170 is a big milestone for me (going from obese to overweight based on BMI).

I officially signed up for the Thanksgiving morning Turkey Trot 10k. I'm pretty nervous about it. A reasonable goal is to finish under 1:15, but I secretly want to finish close to one hour. I'm struggling with deciding which intervals to do for the race. I know I can do 6.2 miles with a 4 min run/ 2 min walk interval. I'm kind of wanting to try it at a 1 mile run/ 1 minute walk interval. I may shorten my long run of 8 miles Sunday down to 6.2 miles and try it at those intervals.

We're meeting the inlaws at an Italian restaurant for dinner and I've got to decide on dinner in advance. I've got almost all of my weekly points left, so I can splurge if I want to. I just want to make sure to decide on it in advance.

 

[Minnie Momma]

Hope the dinner with the in-laws went well. An Italian restaurant would be my downfall. I believe it is my all time favorite food --- next to chocolatey goodness

 

[SuperHappyFunTimes]

171.0

I think I have some crazy physical and mental block about getting under 170. Maybe I shouldn't weigh myself at all for a week and see what happens (I'm a once a day weigh in girl).

I ran 6.2 miles today with much longer intervals than normal, I ran 10 minutes and walked 1 minute the whole way. I finished in 1:08, which is better than my official goal of under 1:10 for the Thanksgiving 10k, but worse than my secret goal of at or under one hour. Yes my secret goal is totally unrealistic, but that's just my crazy ego hard at work trying to get me injured...

The run went pretty well, I had my tired, ugh am I ever going to finish moments and my uncertain, worried that I won't be able to finish moments, and then there was the memorable moment at 5 miles where I had to dash to the potty. I've got what you might call a sensitive stomach which worries me for both the 10k and the half marathon. This is the first run I've had to make a pit stop during, which is a hopeful sign. I've read other places that some runners with similar constitutional issues will take Immodium the night before a race. I think a shot of Pepto will probably be strong enough for me, but I probably need to put it on my pre-race plan.

We had a nice dinner with the inlaws and met my sister in law's new boyfriend. I think this one is pretty serious. I like him a lot, he's from Chicago and I have this strange thing about thinking that people from the midwest in general and Chicago in particular are very nice. Both times I visited Chicago, everyone was super friendly and nice. I ended up getting a thin crust personal sized pizza with pesto and grilled chicken. I didn't eat any of the dinner rolls and I had water to drink. So, not an awesome choice, but not awful either.

Next run is Tuesday. Happy Veteran's day everyone! Thanks to all who have served and to those who are still serving.

 

[SuperHappyFunTimes]

169.0

I have officially left obesity! And earned my Garmin 10 watch that I ordered last week . I know I'll probably bounce around up over the 170 mark for the next week or two, but it feels awesome to see that new number on the scale!

 

[Minnie Momma]

Congratulations April!!!!!!!

 

[SuperHappyFunTimes]

Congratulations April!!!!!!!

Thanks!!!

 

[SuperHappyFunTimes]

170.0

So, I only saw weights in the 160's once so far, but I know I'm close to getting back. I've been starving this week, but trying to stick with healthy choices.

I did run 3 miles on Tuesday which was ok. I did it on the treadmill which was MISERABLE. I hate hate hate the treadmill. I'm having a twingey pain in the outside of my right foot. I'm guessing it's nothing but since my running partner is still in a boot due to her stress fracture in her foot I'm kind of paranoid. I bought some superfeet inserts and I skipped my run yesterday to be safe. I have a 10k on Thanksgiving morning which is really important to me and I'd hate to get injured before it.

So, I have to decide whether to do 3-4 miles tomorrow or not. Argh!!

 

[SuperHappyFunTimes]

169.2

Well, I decided to hold off on any more running until the 10k on Thanksgiving morning. My foot is just a little achy and I'd rather not risk aggravating it before the race. I've just got to trust that my training is going to carry me through even with 10 days off. I'll probably be more nervous that I would have been if I'd been able to run this week, but I'll make it (hopefully!).

Eating on plan for Weight Watchers has been a challenge this week and I am concerned about the holidays. We're doing Thanksgiving at my house and some of the food will be healthy, but most of it won't. I've always celebrated with food and I don't think that's a habit I'll break easily. I think I'll try to only eat the minimum points next week on Monday through Wednesday so I'll be able to splurge on Thursday...

Since the scale's moving so slowly, I thought I'd share some of my non scale victories (NSV's).
- Having my jeans that used to be too tight to button become too loose to wear.
- Being able to go down the slide with my toddler at the playground without it being a tight fit.
- Not worrying about fitting on rollercoasters or airline seats anymore.
- Being able to shop in the regular section of clothing stores.
- Controlling my gestational diabetes with diet while pregnant and not having it after delivery and having good HA1C results.
- Improving my blood pressure so I don't need to start medicine.

I need to focus on more of those in the coming months as I try to lose the last 30 pounds or so. I know it will be slow going and I'll want to give up and soothe my anxiety and stress with junk food and sweets. I need to remember the benefits I earn by eating well and exercising. I want to be healthy and active for a long time to enjoy my children, my grandchildren (one day!) and my husband and family. A couple of moments of satisfaction from overindulging is NOT worth the pain, shame and health impacts of obesity. OK, now I just need to remember that!

 

[SuperHappyFunTimes]

I "forgot" to get on the scale this morning. I think I'm going to skip weighing myself until Monday.

I ran my first race in over a decade this morning. A local Turkey Trot 10k, mostly on trails. It was great!! I decided to run this like a training run, started out nice and slow, made sure to do my planned walk intervals (5 minute run/1 minute walk) and ran the last mile without walking. I felt strong and steady the whole way.

I finished with an official time or 1:07 which was under my goal of 1:10. My actual time was closer to 1:05, but the race only had a timing mat at the end, not at the start, so starting at the back of 500 people kind of penalized me. I'm still thrilled with the 1:07, especially considering how good I felt at the end, like I could have kept going for a few more miles if I needed to. And my mile times were faster the second half than the first half (negative intervals if you want the fancy pants running term) which was another goal I had.

I was so nervous about this run for a lot of reasons, but a big one was that I hadn't run in 10 days because I'm dealing with a tweaky glute/hip/iliac crest injury and a tweaky spot on my right foot (probably related). That hip is a little stiff, but not too bad. and my foot felt fine the whole time.

Eating isn't going quite as well. I knew the holidays would be a challenge. I ate lunch out every day this week, except today. I made ok choices, but not great. I did not track points yesterday or today. I decided I needed to eat extra yesterday to prepare for this morning's run which is just silly. I made TWO pies today. Two. Apple and peanut butter. From scratch. Mmmm. But I sent one home with my mom and the other I think I can control myself around, so I'm going to consider tomorrow to be a new day.

Tomorrow I will take a walk or bike ride AND I will track my points!

 

[SuperHappyFunTimes]

Yeah, I'm not getting on the scale until Monday.

After three days of relatively bad food choices, I've hopped back on the wagon today. I've been eating well and tracked my points all day so far.

My right foot is still giving me some twinges so I'm afraid to run again soon. I really want to run tomorrow, but I'm terrified of getting sidelined with a stress fracture or worse that might take a couple of months to heal. So, I'm going to err on the side of caution and take a couple of weeks off. Just walking and biking and maybe some elliptical work. I'm also going to use this time off of running to get a good strength program started. Squats, lunges and core work!

I'm really proud of what I've lost so far, but I've still got a long way to go. My DH and mom took pictures at the finish of the 10k and I was disappointed in how big I still look. It's a good reminder of why I can't get too comfortable at this weight and why I need to focus on getting another thirty pounds off! I'd love to be proud of the photos at the Princess Half Marathon and not cringe.

 

[SuperHappyFunTimes]

171.0 Not too bad considering

I took two weeks off of running after the Thanksgiving 10k because I was having some tenderness in my right foot and to try to heal my tweaky iliac crest problem. Apparently, when I take two weeks off of running I also have a lot more trouble sticking with the healthy eating plan.

I ran three miles on Friday night and it went pretty well. I ran faster than I meant to (5 minute run and 1 minute walk intervals) and it was pretty warm and humid for December, so I felt kind of nauseous after I finished. The good news is that my foot and hip felt ok.

I ran 6.2 miles today at 5 minute run and 1 minute walk intervals. Again, I ran faster than I intended to (1:07). I tried some new fuel for the long run, Cherry Blossom flavored Honey Stingers. They are AWESOME! Way better than the sports beans, I can eat them without water and they don't stick in my teeth. And, yay, my foot and hip feel ok. I figure if my foot problem was a pending stress fracture, running the 10k today would have made it hurt.

I also decided to change my princess costume for the Princess Half from Merida (I just couldn't find the right color running skirt anywhere) to Mulan. I got a yellow running skirt, light green top and a dark blue belly band (for pregnant ladies, but I figured it'd be comfortable to add to my running costume). It looks pretty close to her costume, but I have to admit that it is not very flattering right now. The yellow skirt is not very forgiving. Guess I need to get back on track with eating right. Not to whine, but it's really hard during the holidays for me... I've got to focus on getting some more weight off and toning up before the race so I don't hate the race pictures.

Is this where I admit that I just ate three oreos and two pieces of fried chicken? Guess I've got some mental work to do.

My goals this week:
1. Track my points every day, every bite!
2. Run three days.
3. Do strength training twice.
4. Drink at least six glasses of water before dinner each day.

 

[SuperHappyFunTimes]

The holidays are just rough for dieting and eating well for me. I've given myself a pass to eat whatever I want until December 25. Starting on December 26, I'm back on the program. I am continuing to run and it's going pretty well.

I ran 8 miles on Tuesday at a 5 min run/1 min walk interval and it felt pretty good. My 4 mile run on Friday was a little rough, I think I must have still been recovering from Tuesday's long run. I did another 4 mile run today and it was awesome. I did it in just over 40 minutes, my pace was 10:07/mile, including the 1 minute walk intervals.

The Galloway training plan for the Princess Half has this weekend as a short long run (if that makes any sense), but next Sunday is 9.5 miles!

My Garmin 10 is helping me so much, being able to check my pace at any time really helps me push harder when I'm slacking and to slow down when I'm going too fast.

So, when I start back on the healthy eating plan on Wednesday, I have to figure out exactly what I want to do. Weight Watchers points probably, but focusing on whole foods as part of that with no refined carbs. I'm also giving up on diet sodas!

I'll try to post back in here after I start back on my plan on Wednesday. I hope everyone has a great holiday!!