Support Group - 10 lbs or less

[princessbride6205]

Hi all -
It's been awhile since I've been in here, but I'd love the chatting and support of a weight loss thread. I reached my goal weight last Spring and maintained pretty well the rest of 2010 and through the holidays. But the past 2 months or so I've let my eating get away from me and avoided the scale. I finally hopped back on last weekend and I'm up 5 pounds from the high end of my maintain range. Not terrible but it's time to pay more attention. I've been exercising 3-4 times a week, but I'd like to do a little more and of course make better food choices. Hoping I can lose 5-7 pounds.

 

[jodeja]

Hello All!
It's been fun and encouraging to read all of your posts ~ you are all doing so great!

I got a Garmin this week too - used it both runs. It was fun and I loved being able to monitor my pace. I just read the manual and need to figure out more of it's uses, but I really like having it - I find myself pushing myself harder to stay at a certain pace! I'm hopeing it'll help me improve my runs.

Mommy McQueen ~ which Garmin model did you get? I am still thinking about/budgeting for one. I have been looking at the 305, which I believe is the one that Kolohelady linked to a few posts back.

I haven't been posting too much because I guess I felt I didn't have much to post about. My weight is exactly the same no matter what. If I am strict about my diet and exercise regularly or if I don't, it is exactly the same. Well, at least it's not going up! and my clothes are getting looser. I must be losing body fat but not pounds. It can be frustrating because even a little loss on the scale is motivating, but I realize it is not the most important thing.
I have been running 3 times per week consistently and getting a tiny bit faster and running a bit farther each time. My boys and I have been doing hill repeats lately and that has been very fun.
Since I have an old $8 analog scale, I was just looking into getting a new fancy scale that also measures body fat %. Does anyone have one of those that they would recommend? The brand I keep seeing in articles is Tanita, but I am not sure which model to go with.
I did call our local hospital about getting a hydrostatic weighing done, but they are only open the same hours that I work! So, I will have to schedule that for a day I have off work, which will probably be the day we get back from our Disney cruise to Alaska. Great, right after eating unrestrained for a week!
I did schedule a body composition and metabolism test at the spa on the cruise ship, so that should be fun and interesting.
Anyway, aside from the number on the scale being stuck, I am feeling more lean and energetic and loving running and eating better!

Hope you all have a great week!

 

[MommyMcQueen]

Mommy McQueen ~ which Garmin model did you get? I am still thinking about/budgeting for one. I have been looking at the 305, which I believe is the one that Kolohelady linked to a few posts back.

Yes, I got the 305. I really like it, and I finally downloaded the software and was able to look at some of the charting and reports that it does. My only issue with it is that I have really small, boney wrists and it rubs on my outer wrist bone and can be quite uncomfortable. I was thinking about looking for some kind of cloth wristband that I could wear and strap the garmin over it. When I wear long sleeves its okay since I put it over the cloth, but now with short sleeves its been a little uncomfortable and I find myself trying to constantly adjust it during my runs which can be distracting. Still a great device and I'd highly recommend it!

I haven't posted lately either since I don't have much to report - weight loss has not been going too well. I've been running a lot and really doing well on my training for the half, but I've also just been eating way too much, so I haven't lost anything, and even gained back the couple pounds I did recently lose. I don't know - there's just a lot going on right now and I think the stress of everything is getting to me and the "freedom" of being here alone is leaving me much less accountable. I'd never be snacking at night if DH was here, I'd be making better meals and eating out less. Add to that the stress of worring about our house not selling and financial issues with that, combined with some boredom/lonliness, and I'm snacking all day long. I don't mean to make it sounds like things are just misreable, they're not - in general our days are fine and we're doing good, but beneath it all is a lot of worry and stress. I also have a potential health concern that I haven't told DH about yet (he really doesn't need the extra worry either), but I need to get back in with my ob/gyn and have tests done on that ovarian tumor they found last fall - I've been having some pain/discomfort and things seem to be worsening with that. I can't even fathom the thought of another surgery right now, I don't know how we'd get through it, so I'm a bit worried about that too. I guess when it rains it does pour!

The last 2 weeks I did really good on my running, so I'm trying to focus on that right now. Last week I ran 3 times during the week, and then did a long run on Saturday of 12 miles! Saturday's run was one for the books - what a horrible, horrible day! It was so outrageously windy that day but I had to get the run in, and I don't usually run when it's so windy here. My legs were tired/sore starting out but I knew I had to go out the try - when I was running into the wind I was literally hardly moving forward at all! After about mile 7 I just decided to walk the stretches into the wind since my walking pace was just slightly slower than trying to run! At mile 11 I was about to cry - I just wanted to be done so bad - my legs were so tired and sore, but I forced myself to go 1 more mile and in the end I was glad I did it. So it was the last long run before my half in 2 weeks, so I took a few days off this week to rest up the legs, I was really feeling it and needed a couple days off, after an 11 miler last Saturday, doing 3 4-milers during the week, and then a 12, my legs were beat. Plan to go out this afternoon and get an easy run in though, and a shorter long run this weekend. 11 Days until the half!

Hope everyone is doing well and can update soon! If anyone has any tips on how I can stop continually eating all days long plese post them! I'm in serious need of advice - I just can't seem to stop snacking even though I KNOW I shouldn't be doing it! A lock on the pantry door may not be out of the question!

 

[KarenAylwood]

Hi all... haven't been posting lately because honestly I totally fell off the wagon Easter wasn't a great weekend for me and I totally gained. I posted that I hit 128.8 a few weeks ago- I went up majorly and am back down but not to my lowest. I'm at 131.4 as of this morning, which is good for where I've been. After Easter I had gotten to 136 but I'm sure much of that was water weight. I started South beach the day after and it's not been as hard as I remembered it, although I did have some wine on phase 1 (a no no) and had more peanut butter than I should have. Plans are to be good and keep it up but the future in-laws are all coming into town for FBIL's college graduation (he fell off the wagon a few times and it's taken 10 years to get here- so it's something to celebrate!!).

The fam has already ordered a cake from Costco and there are plans to grill out on Friday and go to a great restaurant on Saturday (where we're having our rehearsal dinner). I've staked out the restaurant already for healthy options. This weekend will be a big test... let's hope I don't fail it like I failed the Easter test!!

First dress fitting is exactly 1 month from today!! I'd love to sneak into the 120's again by then. Friday I have a meeting with a personal trainer in the area. My gym wanted $75 per session for physical training... you've got to be kidding me This guy is certified and does it out of his house for $35/session. We'll see if we can even fit it into my schedule. I'd have to do it right after work since I work 30+ miles from home and he already has a bunch of clients.

I need to remember that 131.4 isn't my goal, nor is it in the 120's, but it's a solid 5 lbs lighter than I've been before and I can definitely feel a difference day to day

jodega- I have the Garmin 305 and I can't run without it. I literally CAN'T. I it. Best investment I've made- right up there with good solid running shoes.

MMQ~ good job on the 9:30 pace! I just did that last Saturday for my 4 miler and I couldn't believe it. I think I came in at 9:24 average for 4 miles! Feels great once you start to increase in pace. Once I got the distance with the half, decreasing my time hasn't been all that hard.

 

[KarenAylwood]

MMQ~ We posted at the same time Great job on your long run!! I only did as long as 10 during my training and it was brutal. That last 10 mile run was a lot like yours- miserable and windy. I can't believe you pushed through to 12, that's awesome- you're more than prepared!

Also some pixie dust for medical problems Definitely tell DH when you feel up to it... I'm sure it will be a weight off just to at least share some of the fear/burden. Goodluck and make an appointment!!

Part of the reason I fell off the wagon was that DF was out of town for a bachelor party one weekend and I ended up snack snack snacking at night on Saturday and Sunday during the day. That proceeded to push me back to the 132ish range, then Easter I just let it all go. Grr. Last night I staved off my snacking urge by drinking a lot of crystal light. Other times I brush my teeth way before bedtime. Honestly I struggle with it too!

 

[princessbride6205]

Hope everyone is doing well and can update soon! If anyone has any tips on how I can stop continually eating all days long plese post them! I'm in serious need of advice - I just can't seem to stop snacking even though I KNOW I shouldn't be doing it! A lock on the pantry door may not be out of the question!

Wow, you have some serious mental toughness - pushing through the wind and tired legs on to 12 miles. I hope that your stress and medical concern improves soon.
As for not constantly snacking, I was in that mode up until a week or so ago. I couldn't snap out of it. For me it's all about the decision and motivation to stop eating and control my cravings. I'm not actually hungry. Sometimes I'll drink tea or water or chew gum. The best thing is to get my mind off food - exercising, keeping busy, chatting on the boards.

First dress fitting is exactly 1 month from today!! I'd love to sneak into the 120's again by then. Friday I have a meeting with a personal trainer in the area. My gym wanted $75 per session for physical training... you've got to be kidding me This guy is certified and does it out of his house for $35/session. We'll see if we can even fit it into my schedule. I'd have to do it right after work since I work 30+ miles from home and he already has a bunch of clients.

I need to remember that 131.4 isn't my goal, nor is it in the 120's, but it's a solid 5 lbs lighter than I've been before and I can definitely feel a difference day to day

Hope your personal training goes well - hopefully he can help you reach your goals.

As for me, not much to report. my eating habits have been better this week. I haven't eaten as much produce as I should, but at least my calories are under control. I got in my 2 mid-week short runs already, and I'm hoping to get my 5-miler done this weekend. I'll be visiting my parents house, so I'll need to scope out a good route.

 

[jodeja]

Anyways, I am not trying to lose "weight" per say, I am more about toning up and how I feel. My weight is basically perfect for my height and stature.

I am so impressed and so proud of you for realizing this! That is H U G E !!! Some women never come to that realization, no matter what size and shape they are, and I think that is so sad. It is very mature of you to recognize what is the healthiest and best weight range for you and your body.
I have been impressed with all of your posts, really. Way to take charge of your life and your health!!! YAY!

 

[jodeja]

Anyways, I am not trying to lose "weight" per say, I am more about toning up and how I feel. My weight is basically perfect for my height and stature.

I am so impressed and so proud of you for realizing this! That is H U G E !!! Some women never come to that realization, no matter what size and shape they are, and I think that is so sad. It is very mature of you to recognize what is the healthiest and best weight range for you and your body.
I have been impressed with all of your posts, really. Way to take charge of your life and your health!!! YAY!

 

[jodeja]

Thanks for all of the feedback on the Garmin 305. I must get one! Even though I am trying to save more money to spend on the cruise (ONE spa appointment is almost $200! ) On Amazon right now they are around $128-$130. There is also one on ebay that says it is brand new for $120. That one says “make offer” so I offered $100 and then $105 but they were both declined. I am not sure what the point of “make offer” is if they really won’t take less than the asking price. I have never done a “make offer” deal on ebay before. I was thinking about going back and offering $110 and then $115. It is free shipping, as is the one I was looking at on Amazon.
Does $120-$130 seem like a reasonable price?

MommyMcQueen ~ I have to echo what everyone else said and give you props for your 12 miles fighting the wind! Sounds like you are so ready for your Half!

I joined SparkPeople yesterday. I was resisting counting calories because, at almost 40 years old, I have been down that road too many times before. I CAN lose weight on low calorie diets that require logging everything (I have started and stopped and started and stopped Weight Watchers about 5 times over the last 16 years), but it never lasts. You read those testimonials from people who say “It doesn’t even feel like I’m on a diet! This way of eating has just become my lifestyle.” I never feel like that when I am logging my food and counting calories. I causes me to think about food constantly and feel deprived. But, I thought that I should get a little more serious and give it one more shot. Even if I use SparkPeople for a few weeks just to get a baseline. It has already showed me what I suspected, and that is that I am seriously protein deficient. So, we’ll see how it goes...

About snacking, I am obviously no expert, but here are a few snacks that help me when I feel like munching all day long:
Cut an apple into 8-10 slices and put on a plate, take one bite and put the slice down, go do something else and then when you want to munch take one bite and put it down. When I do this at work it will take me almost a whole day to eat one apple. If I am actually hungry and not just feeling like snacking, I will put some peanut butter on the plate to scoop up with the apple slices.
Put a small handful of raisins and a smaller handful of raw (organic) almonds in a small cup, bowl, or ziplock snack baggie and mix them together. Eat one almond with a few raisins for each bite. Pause and do something in between bites. This is the snack I carry around at Disneyland with me I also have a small cup of this on my desk at work sometimes. It usually takes at least half the day to eat ¼ cup raisins with about 16 almonds.
Also, I agree with what Karen said about water, tea, and brushing your teeth!

 

[KarenAylwood]

jodega~ I paid $150 each for our Garmins about a year ago. I think $120-130 is a very fair price. I'd pay $200 if that was the going rate! I think they started out at around $300 when they first came out.


Fun article... the beast helped knock me off my losing streak a few weekends ago.. grrr.
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/wellness_articles.asp?id=693

 

[dewpointe]

I am so impressed and so proud of you for realizing this! That is H U G E !!! Some women never come to that realization, no matter what size and shape they are, and I think that is so sad. It is very mature of you to recognize what is the healthiest and best weight range for you and your body.
I have been impressed with all of your posts, really. Way to take charge of your life and your health!!! YAY!

Awe thank you!

The past week has been super hectic. I am graduating High School in a month, have three shows to dance at the week before memorial day weekend, need to write a speech... or something for graduation and other duties (I am the second honors essayist of my class), I also need to get my invites out, take my last college math placement test, get my immunizations, sign up for classes, get a job, save up as much money as I can, and many other stressful, exhausting, and time consuming tasks. I will be admitting myself into a psychward once I am officially free from all this.

This week the only exercising I did was my normal dances classes. But I worked my butt off and sweated like a pig. As for eating... I have been eating just okay. I did have ice cream a couple nights and a few bad things but its so hard in my household. I am either starving because theres nothing to eat or its food thats bad for me. I dont want to snack on chips and bad food, I want healthy foods. I have enough self esteem issues as it is and I dont need another thing to worry about (that being any weight gain).

sorry if that was kinda long and rant-ish. I am just really stressed.

 

[MommyMcQueen]

Hi everyone! WOW great to see so many updates!

Jodeja - I also paid $128 for the Garmin 305 - I was waiting for months to see if Amazon would drop it to $99 like they've done in the past, but I got tired of waiting so I just ordered it. Yes it's a lot of money but I too feel it is worth it - I just love it. We hiked on Saturday at a state park and I even wore it there to track how far we hiked. It's a really great tool and worth the investment....just like good shoes!

Dewpoint - Hang in there! Sounds like you have a lot going on in the next month! Be sure to use your dance and other exercise as a positive stress-reliever. It can be a lot of stress but also sounds like some really great opportunities for you and your future - a lot to be excited about! Is there any way you can go to the store with you mom or dad when they shop and pick out a few things that you'd like - more healthier choices? It's important for you to have some food in the house that you can eat - not good for you to be starving, especially with all you have going on right now.

Thanks so much for all of the tips and ideas to stop snacking - they are all great ideas and very helpful. I have been doing better on the snacking since the end of last week, and I hope I can do better this week again - will definitely be using a lot of the ideas you guys listed. I know I'm eating out of boredom/lonliness, especially at night - after the kids are in bed and I'm kindof here with not much to do. So - I need to find things to do to keep myself busy and keep myself occupied. And I stocked up on gum!

Last week was just okay for me. I took off several days from running - my legs really needed a rest. I realized after my 12 miler that I had done 35 miles in 8 days, which is a lot of me, and my legs were needing some time off. So the first time I ran last week was Friday - and it was a really bad run. I had the worst shin pain that I've ever had - even just walking at times was difficult. (During the week I got wacked in the left shin with a baseball doing batting practice with my son, so I had a big bump/bruise from that so I don't know if that just aggravated it more but my left leg was in just horrible pain). So after that attempt at running, I came home and iced the legs, and went out that night and got a foam roller. WOW - that roller is awesome - I just love that thing! So I rolled and iced again that night, and went out Satruday morning for a 7 mile - and it was so good! The best run I've had in about 2 weeks - I just took it comfortable pace and didn't push too hard - didn't want to set off the shins again - they were a little tight at times and felt a few twinges of pain, but nothing like the day before. It was just a good, comfortable, fun run and I as go glad ot be out there relatively pain-free. I really enjoyed it. So, since then I've been icing and rolling every day and hoping that they shins will feel good for this weekend.

I'm super excited about the Half on Sunday - and I also signed my kids up for the kids 1K run on Saturday morning so we'll go to the expo, I'll get my packet and we'll do the kids run. It should be a lot of fun. The event (Green Bay Cellcom marathon) features a run through Lambeau Field as the final lap, and the kids run starts outside the stadium - and does a loop around the field then back out to the finish, so that should be fun, since my 2 boys love going to Lambeau. During my race on Sunday, the family can sit in a designated area in stadium and wait/watch for me to come through. It should be a lot of fun and I can't believe how excited I'm getting for it!

So this week I just plan to do a couple of easy runs - ice and roll the legs alot, and improve my eating. I bought tons of fruit and veggies this weekend and I'm really going to focus on eating well this week - really want to feel good for the weekend, and not dragged down my all the carby-junk comfort food I have been eating.

Hope everyone has a really good week!

 

[jodeja]

Hello All ~ hope you had a great weekend and are ready for the week!

Well, I am loving SparkPeople!! I can really see the reason I wasn’t making much progress before, even though I felt like I was eating healthy and cutting back on portions. SparkPeople has really helped me to see how eating mindlessly or making just a couple of bad choices per day can really add up. However, using SparkPeople I can still eat the things that I want to eat and even eat some ice cream, as long as I eat the right amount to stay within my daily goals. This weekend I had a tiny but so satisfying sundae of ½ cup of Hagen Daasz vanilla with 2 teaspoons of caramel sauce. It was so good and it is more satisfying for me to eat a small amount of really rich and high quality food than a larger portion of the fat free/sugar free stuff.
The program recommended I eat between 1220 and 1570 calories per day, this is with an exercise goal of 30 minutes 5 times per week. The first day I was right at 1569 and I dropped about 100 calories per day each day. The first 3 days I felt great, but once I got around 1200 calories I didn’t have enough energy to run as well as I usually do and I was getting a bit crabby. So, I think I need to stay around 1300-1570 as long as I keep up my exercise.
I have also decided to not train for a half-marathon for now. With all of my other responsibilities it is too hard for me to focus on weight-loss and training at the same time. When I get up into higher mileage, my body needs more energy/calories to sustain the exercise and so I don’t want to have two goals that feel conflicting at the same time. I would love to do a Half this summer, but think it’s best to stick to my goal of just exercising 5 times per week no matter what it is. I usually do 30 minutes during the week and 45-60 minutes on the weekends, so that’s enough for now.
I did finally schedule the hydrostatic weighing. I had to choose a day that I could miss a morning of work which normally is no problem, but I am taking 2 weeks off in June for the cruise. My weighing is June 10, so I still have some time to get in shape for it
At my weekly weigh-in on Friday I was shocked that I am down to 131.5!! Finally some movement on the scale! That was so motivating!

 

[dewpointe]

Hi everyone! WOW great to see so many updates!

Jodeja - I also paid $128 for the Garmin 305 - I was waiting for months to see if Amazon would drop it to $99 like they've done in the past, but I got tired of waiting so I just ordered it. Yes it's a lot of money but I too feel it is worth it - I just love it. We hiked on Saturday at a state park and I even wore it there to track how far we hiked. It's a really great tool and worth the investment....just like good shoes!

Dewpoint - Hang in there! Sounds like you have a lot going on in the next month! Be sure to use your dance and other exercise as a positive stress-reliever. It can be a lot of stress but also sounds like some really great opportunities for you and your future - a lot to be excited about! Is there any way you can go to the store with you mom or dad when they shop and pick out a few things that you'd like - more healthier choices? It's important for you to have some food in the house that you can eat - not good for you to be starving, especially with all you have going on right now.

Thanks so much for all of the tips and ideas to stop snacking - they are all great ideas and very helpful. I have been doing better on the snacking since the end of last week, and I hope I can do better this week again - will definitely be using a lot of the ideas you guys listed. I know I'm eating out of boredom/lonliness, especially at night - after the kids are in bed and I'm kindof here with not much to do. So - I need to find things to do to keep myself busy and keep myself occupied. And I stocked up on gum!

Last week was just okay for me. I took off several days from running - my legs really needed a rest. I realized after my 12 miler that I had done 35 miles in 8 days, which is a lot of me, and my legs were needing some time off. So the first time I ran last week was Friday - and it was a really bad run. I had the worst shin pain that I've ever had - even just walking at times was difficult. (During the week I got wacked in the left shin with a baseball doing batting practice with my son, so I had a big bump/bruise from that so I don't know if that just aggravated it more but my left leg was in just horrible pain). So after that attempt at running, I came home and iced the legs, and went out that night and got a foam roller. WOW - that roller is awesome - I just love that thing! So I rolled and iced again that night, and went out Satruday morning for a 7 mile - and it was so good! The best run I've had in about 2 weeks - I just took it comfortable pace and didn't push too hard - didn't want to set off the shins again - they were a little tight at times and felt a few twinges of pain, but nothing like the day before. It was just a good, comfortable, fun run and I as go glad ot be out there relatively pain-free. I really enjoyed it. So, since then I've been icing and rolling every day and hoping that they shins will feel good for this weekend.

I'm super excited about the Half on Sunday - and I also signed my kids up for the kids 1K run on Saturday morning so we'll go to the expo, I'll get my packet and we'll do the kids run. It should be a lot of fun. The event (Green Bay Cellcom marathon) features a run through Lambeau Field as the final lap, and the kids run starts outside the stadium - and does a loop around the field then back out to the finish, so that should be fun, since my 2 boys love going to Lambeau. During my race on Sunday, the family can sit in a designated area in stadium and wait/watch for me to come through. It should be a lot of fun and I can't believe how excited I'm getting for it!

So this week I just plan to do a couple of easy runs - ice and roll the legs alot, and improve my eating. I bought tons of fruit and veggies this weekend and I'm really going to focus on eating well this week - really want to feel good for the weekend, and not dragged down my all the carby-junk comfort food I have been eating.

Hope everyone has a really good week!

I live with my mother and he boyfriend so it's hard. He usually pays for groceries so if its something that he doesnt like he wont buy it... and all he eats is junk. I am basically *bleep* out of luck

 

[ohMom]

hi everyone

we are busy people! it's great to read up on everyone, i am reading but i admit it's hard to keep it straight in my mind to post replies....yet another symptom. but i don't think i've told you all i did officially get my diagnosis...pituitary Cushing's disease. I went to see a surgeon yesterday as a matter of fact. the surgery itself is endoscopic and a fairly quick recovery considering....it's the after the fact that's going to suck..cortisol withdrawal. i have pretty much all but decided to postpone surgery until after our cruise. then i can just take all the time i need. until then, i started a medication that slightly lowers cortisol. i have seen small effects, but was told it could be a few weeks for real changes to be noticed. bummer.

MMQ -- you have a half this weekend!! HAVE FUN!!

dewpointe -- this does sound like a very stressful time for you, i'm proud of you for coming here to vent some of that stress....i am going to think of you and your determination to eat healthy when i feel the need for some junk food

jodeja -- buying a Garmin was one of the best purchases i've ever made for my workouts...i cannot walk without wearing mine, even now when my pace is pathetic, i just gotta know my data and it helps me push myself

 

[MommyMcQueen]

ohMom - so glad you finally got a diagnosis! Sorry to hear that the only treatment is surgery though. At leat you know know what you are dealing with the there is hopefully an end in sight once the surgery is done. Hope you have a great time on your cruise and get some time to relax! You deserve it!

Jodeja - Glad you like SparkPeople so much and glad it is working for you! I too notice such a huge difference when I track my food, it really makes all the difference in the world when you know exactly what you're eating.

This week has gone really quite well, so I was really disappointed to weight myself today and see the exact same number as last week. I tracked my food all week and ate tons of fruits and veggies. I did snack I think 2 times that I knew I shouldn't have - I told myself not to do it but I didn't have the willpower to stop! But I do feel better, I feel like I should have lost this week - i.e. pants feel looser. So, I'll keep at it, it's going well.

I ran twice this week, on Wed and today I ran 4 easy miles each, in prep for Sunday's Half. I'm super excited but the weatherman said a word this morning that made my heart sink. The word was Gusty. It's going to be gusty. I know the weather people here like to downplay the wind - they usually say "breezy" which means pretty windy. And then they say "windy" its like flag-sticking-straight-out constant wind. So I don't know how bad "gusty" is going to be exactly, but luckily the course does wind quite a bit so we should have stretches where the wind is at our sides or backs.

I haven't really set any goals for this Half, I would love to PR but don't have an expectation that that will happen, especially with my lack-luster training this spring. I think I trained okay, but not great like last year, no where near the consistency. So, my realistic goal is to finish within 10 minutes of last years time, and I really hope I can do that. If I do beat last years time I'll be thrilled.

Hope everyone has a good weekend!

 

[princessbride6205]

ohMom - Good luck with your half!

 

[MommyMcQueen]

Hi everyone - hope you all had a good weekend!

My weekend was super busy but pretty good. The weather was less than ideal. It was the weekend of the half, I ran it on Sunday. Saturday I had signed my kids up for the kids 1K fun run and took my oldest (DS7) to that - he liked it, it was fun. DS5 couldn't go, he had t-ball at the same time, so he did that instead.

So here goes - the half marathon went pretty good. We knew going into the weekend that the weather was going to be tough - cold, rainy, windy. On Saturday it was all 3 (DS7 and I ran in the rain for the kids run), but by Sunday morning the rain had cleared so it was at least sunny, but about 40 degrees and VERY windy - like constant 20-25 mph winds with gusts to 40 mph.

We got to Lambeau Field where it started and it was cold, the wind was harsh. DH and the kids waited inside the atrium while I got in line for a port-o-potty outside, then we headed over to the starting line. This race was huge - 9,000 runners for the full and half. After the gun went off it took me 7 minutes to get to the start, and I was about half way through the pack. The first 5 miles or so were really good. The course was mostly east/west so we didn't have any headwind for awhile - at points it didn't even seem windy out there, we were in thick, tree lined neighborhoods. I was cruising along at a nice 9:30 pace most of the way, but the water stations slowed me down - I drink a lot and am not yet graceful enough to drink and run, so I always walk through the stations. By about mile 8 we started to turn to head back and we got into some of the headwind, not a lot and not for a long time, but the blocks we did into the wind were tough.

By mile 9 I was going through my lull and asking myself "why am I doing this?" Not that it was going bad at all, I was feeling okay, but I was really pushing myself the entire way to hold close to a 9:30 when I was running, knowing that I was not going to PR at this rate anyway with stopping for water. But by mile 10 I was getting excited, kind of got a second wind - knew it was getting close to the end...we crossed a street a few blocks away from the finish and all we had to do was this last loop and it would be done! Mile 11 we were into the wind again - head on for about a mile - I did walk some of this stretch since it was just too hard to run into it. As we turned back to cross the street to get back to Lambeau, DH and the kids were there at the corner waving an cheering - that gave me a huge boost, I was so excited to finish now! I kicked it into gear and headed into the final mile - a portion of which was through Lambeau field - the course runs through the staduim, up the player tunnel, and out around the warning track of the field. I did my loop around the stadium - that was so fun, and headed back down the tunnel and out to the finish line. DH and the kids were there cheering me on and I crossed at 2:16:14, 5 minutes over my half from last fall.

I was a little disappointed that I didn't PR, but considering my training this spring and the weather conditions, I am happy enough with it. I did make the goal of finishing within 10 minutes of the last one. I felt like I was running at a good pace, but it's the water stops that slow me down, maybe I need to think about carrying water or learn how to run and drink!! When I do stop I feel like I'm breathing so heavy I have to walk for a minute just to catch my breath to be able to take drink! Need to work on that.

The course for the half and full split at mile 11, and the poor marathoners had a stretch of trail along the river that went for 6 miles directly into the headwind - those runners were tough who finished that, I cannot even imagine.

Now I need to focus on eating better and losing this weight. After my really good week last week and eating well over the weekend, I'm only down a half pound. So I have to do better and be sure to track everything. I do feel ready to do it, I just need to make it happen. I also want to start some strength training and get toned up - plan to start my Jillian Michaels DVD this week.

Hope everyone is doing well!

 

[princessbride6205]

MommyMcQueen - congrats on your half! It's still a great time even though not a PR. I hate running in the wind. Sounds like the weather wasn't helping you out.

After a few weeks of no appetite, it's come back a little. But I'm still eating well. I got in my 6 miles on Sunday, which I was really thrilled about. DH is on a business trip this week, so my workouts will be walking on my lunch hour and maybe some light strength training after DD goes to bed. I suppose I could do a video - it's been months since I've done one of those.

 

[ohMom]

MMQ -- you Thanks for sharing your half-marathon report with us!! the wind sounded awful but you overcame and had a fantastic time (i think!) pat yourself on the back and enjoy a reverse-taper...you deserve it!!

my only tip for the water station, you probably know, do you squeeze your cup to form a 'V" and drink from the point?