I Don't Think Tapering Means

not running at all!! 

With all the insanity at work I haven't been able to run since last Saturday.  I had plans to run with Julie tomorrow morning, but just canceled because things are not getting any better and I will probably need to be here again at 7:00 am.  Hopefully tomorrow night I can try and get a few miles in.  I need to make sure my knee is okay before attempting my half mary on Sunday.

Hope you're all doing well and I apologize that I haven't visited your blog - I'm too busy watching the freakin' stock market lose % points!

Two Year Anniversary

It’s so hard to believe, but 2 years ago I looked like this:

2 years ago today I walked into Jenny Craig knowing I needed to do something to lose weight, and I didn’t want to have to go down the gastric bypass road.

I remember walking out of the center with 6 or 7 bags full of food thinking to myself “there is no way I’m going to lose 140 lbs”.  The most weight I’d ever lost at one time before was 35 lbs.  I figured, oh, I could lose maybe 40 or 50.

Well, 2 years later and I have lost over 100 lbs (although I’m currently at about 97 lbs gone – thank you running).  In 2006 I was wearing a size 20/22 pant, 3XL shirt.  A year ago I was wearing a size 14 pant, XL shirt.  Today (depending on where I get them) I am wearing a size 10/12 pant, L shirt.  I have lost 51 inches.  The most amazing thing?  I am training for a marathon!!!  That’s something I NEVER imagined when I started down this road.

For those of you just starting your journey, it may seem like it will take forever to lose the weight you want to lose.  I’ll be honest with you…it will definitely take more time than you thought it would!  2 years later and I still have another 43 or so pounds to lose, and it’s going nowhere fast.  However, I continue to eat right and exercise, and even though the scale barely moves, I am toning and reshaping my body.  I will continue to take things one day at a time…but I do hope by this time next year I can say I reached my goal!!

Oh My Goodness!!

Wow!!  I am on the front page of ExtraPounds!!  How exciting is that??  I'm loving the new look and can't wait to check out the updated site.

However, since the financial markets are crumbling around me I will have to do it later.

As a quick update - long run on Saturday went well - 18 miles.  18.41 to be exact.  However, at mile 15 my right knee started to have searing pain underneath the kneecap whenever my heel hit the ground.  I hope it's nothing - maybe because I tried some new shoes for the first 5 miles - but just in case I've made an appointment on Thursday with my orthopaedic surgeon (so psyched I was able to get in so quickly - maybe because I used to work for him).  Anyway, I was able to finish within 4.5 hours, which is very important because in the actual marathon you have to get to Mile 18 within 5 hours or you don't get to finish.

Hope everyone has a fantastic day!!

Today We Remember

7 years ago today America was changed, never again to be the same.  My prayers go out to those who lost loved ones on this tragic day, especially to the families of my coworkers from Marsh, Inc.

We will never forget.

 

My Favorite Day

is today!!  I am now 43!!  It's completely amazing that - even though I still need to lose about 40 lbs - I am in the best shape of my entire life.  I am proof that you're never too old to change your life.  If I can do it - anyone can!!

I am doing just fine - my right achilles tendonitis has been acting up, so I iced it on and off yesterday.  It's feeling better today.  I'm supposed to run hills tomorrow with Julie - we wil have to see how its feeling tonight/tomorrow morning.  Figures it would act up a week before my 1/2!

Even better, the scale was down about 3 lbs this morning!!  Hopefully that trend will continue.  I am definitely feeling motivated about getting back on plan and losing the rest of this weight.

Hope everyone has a terrific day - I know I will!!

Pouring Rain and 100% Humidity Suck

Saturday’s long run was supposed to be 17 miles – I squeaked out 16.25 and it was an effort to not stop after about 10.

Julie and I decided to do the second loop of our scheduled run at 6:00 am.  We knew that an outer band of rain from Hanna would be greeting us, and it was definitely a downpour – much worse than the rain in Stowe.  It sucked, but it wasn’t really that bad – because at least it was cool. 

We ran a little less than 4 miles and were dripping wet when we arrived at the MIT building where we meet the rest of the group.  I dried off as best I could with the bathroom paper towels.  We didn’t leave for the second part of our run until 8 or so, and by then of course I was feeling a little chilly.  Not to worry though, because I heated up really quickly when we went outside.

The rain had stopped, but the humidity was so bad and the air so thick I could hardly breathe. It. Was. Horrible.  The first mile in I knew I was going to miserable.  Luckily every once in awhile it rained a little, which helped.  The sweat was just pouring off of me. I just had no energy whatsoever on the loop back to the Mass Ave bridge.  It was all I could do to force one foot in front of the other.

Julie walked across the bridge with me back to Boston and I headed home from there.  I walked down Mass Ave and turned onto Tremont, stopped at Starbucks for a well-deserved iced non-fat latte and got home a little before noon.  My Garmin read 16.25 miles, and I couldn’t go another step further.

I took an ice bath and relaxed the rest of Saturday – enjoyed the House marathon on USA.  Yesterday my legs weren’t too sore, but we just went for a walk in the morning.

So, overall I’m feeling fairly defeated.  Physically, I am just not sure I’m going to be able to complete the marathon.  I am fine up until 14 miles or so and then it all goes to shit.  I don’t know if it was the weather that brought me down, or that I didn’t follow my run/walk plan since I was with Julie – we haven’t run together the last couple of weeks, and I’ve been running ½ mile and then walking for a minute.  I think what I’m going to have to do is run on my own on Saturday (18 miler) to see how it goes.  I'm going to have to make a decision in the next couple of weeks to stick with the full or drop down to the 1/2.

On another topic, my boss is headed to London tomorrow night for the remainder of the week - always good news!  Hopefully that means things won't be too crazy - can't count on it though.

Hope everyone had a nice weekend!

Writer's Block?

Or just feeling completely apathetic? I’m going to go with apathy, because I have a million ideas churning in my mind to write about, but just haven’t felt like writing them down.

Monday was a pretty nice day – Jerel and I went up to the Boston Common and I did 3 miles of hills and 2 miles just running around the Public Garden.

Saw Tara Tuesday morning and had a good workout with her – still feeling it today! Of course, getting back to work on Tuesday was the nightmare I had predicted it would be. Nothing happens in August here, so September gets super busy. All I did on Tuesday was research and book travel – NY, London, Tokyo…good times!

Yesterday morning I got up early and ran a little over 3 miles. I wasn’t really feeling like being out there, plus I was sore from my training on Tuesday. Probably one of the first times I’ve had a crappy run. It was bound to happen!

I need to go to the gym and do my strength training tonight, and then some other cross-training tomorrow. Saturday is a 17-miler. Julie and I are going to meet early and do the first part of the route together, and then finish up with everyone else. I think we’re also having our “Race Prep Clinic” so that should be interesting. I can’t believe the race is only 6 weeks away!

I tried my new shoes out during my last 2 runs. I definitely needed them – I could feel the support they were giving my knees, but I’m not sure if I really like them yet. I’m sure I’ll know after Saturday’s run. I also picked up my very own foam roller. Tigger thinks it’s something for him to play with.

I’ve also really trying to watch what I eat this week. I have a feeling the lack of fruits and veggies has been causing my energy to plummet. Of course, I’m still not losing any weight – I hope to rectify that after the marathon. I called JC today to renew my Rewards membership. I am planning to go back so I can try and get rid of this last 40 lbs. She tried to talk me into coming back now, but I need to focus on my training – although it is tempting!

Hope everyone is having a great week!

Gustav

Pretty worried about this one...my friend Maura moved to New Orleans last September and hasn't really stayed in touch.  Thank goodness she finally answered her cell phone this morning when I called and told me she is evacuating to Mobile.

Did my 16 mile long run yesterday and am a bit sore - enough that I think I'm taking the day off from working out.  I did pick up some new running shoes on Friday.  I think it was time, especially since my knees were killing me about 10 miles in yesterday and my IT band on my right leg has been bothering me.

Not much else going on - just enjoying the long weekend.  Hope everyone is having a good one too!

Gonna Get My Kicks

on Route 66...the Route 66 1/2 marathon, that is!!  Ah yes, Travel Girl is almost 100% sure that she'll be marking another state off her list this year and join Bridget and her niece in Oklahoma.  And you know I'm gonna be singing "Ohhhhhh - klahoma, where the wind comes sweeping down the plain"!

Okay...who else is close enough to Tulsa to join us??  You know you want to!

Hormonal Plunge

You know those menstrual charts where the graph starts out toward the bottom (emotionally low) and slowly peaks toward ovulation (emotionally high)?  I’m at the bottom of the chart!  TOM arrived on Saturday afternoon (a couple of days early) and I have been feeling blah ever since.  Yesterday was pretty bad with cramps but at least it didn’t hit me at work like it did last month.

I did get my 15 miler in on Saturday morning. It wasn’t too bad.  I didn’t run with the group so I was able to get started around 7:00 am.  It was a great day for a run, and the first 10 miles or so was really nice.  I even ran past the Northeastern University boathouse – I had always wondered what it would be like to be out that far on Storrow Drive!

Of course, even though I'm getting in good exercise the scale isn't cooperating, but I'm sure that's water retention.  Hopefully it will start to go down in the next few days.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!  I will try to be a better blog buddy this week - especially since the boss will be out Wed, Thurs. and Fri!