04/20/2009 03:11
Checkin' in...
It's been right at 2 months since I last posted. You're probably expecting me to write that I've fallen off the wagon and fallen back into my old ways, and that's the reason I haven't posted. Thankfully, NOT the case!
As far as my weight, I've maintained somewhere between 207 and 209. It was my hope to have broken below 200 by the time I do my Country Music Half Marathon this next weekend, but that's not gonna' happen!
I believe just in the last week or two, I've read someone's blog that talked about getting comfortable at a certain weight. Although I definitely want to break under 200, and continue on to my goal, I think I've found myself complacent and "comfortable" to just be in the 2-single digits, and enjoy that I shop in the misses department again! Training for my 2nd half marathon, I've been sitting at 10+ miles for my highest mileage day of the week over the past month or so, and as I told a coworker, I think I've been "running to eat" instead of "eating to run"...meaning, even though I haven't lapsed into binge eating, I've used the high mileage days as an excuse to eat a bit extra rather than to use the calorie expenditure to further my weight loss. So where I may not fluctuate more than a lb. or 2, I haven't really pushed to lose either...over the 3 or 4 months of training for my first half marathon last year, I lost between 25-30 lbs. just through that process, along with being extra diligent with my eating plan.
I believe just in the last week or two, I've read someone's blog that talked about getting comfortable at a certain weight. Although I definitely want to break under 200, and continue on to my goal, I think I've found myself complacent and "comfortable" to just be in the 2-single digits, and enjoy that I shop in the misses department again! Training for my 2nd half marathon, I've been sitting at 10+ miles for my highest mileage day of the week over the past month or so, and as I told a coworker, I think I've been "running to eat" instead of "eating to run"...meaning, even though I haven't lapsed into binge eating, I've used the high mileage days as an excuse to eat a bit extra rather than to use the calorie expenditure to further my weight loss. So where I may not fluctuate more than a lb. or 2, I haven't really pushed to lose either...over the 3 or 4 months of training for my first half marathon last year, I lost between 25-30 lbs. just through that process, along with being extra diligent with my eating plan.Fitness wise, as I just mentioned, this coming Saturday is my 2nd half marathon at the Country Music Half Marathon in Nashville! It has been great to not have to deal with some of the strains and small injuries that interrupted a bit of my training for my first half marathon, and through training for this 2nd, I've gotten to complete as much as 12 miles twice, and then did the whole distance this past Wednesday. Today, I dropped down to 7 miles, and and anything I do this week before next Saturday, will be no more than 2 or 3 miles at a time. It is my goal to complete this half in just 7 minutes faster than the last...so 3 1/2 hours as opposed to 3:37 that I finished my first...lol...I don't ask for much to make me happy! I'm being realistic too, in knowing that probably until I lose about 20 more lbs, I'm not going to really be able to carry my weight much faster or longer periods of running. I have been training using a run/walk sequence, and unless there is something that prevents me from following that same sequence on Saturday, I plan to run/walk as much of the race as I can. Although I haven't gained great jumps in my pace, I've been encouraged to see that according to my Garmin, when I'm doing my run sequence, I'm able to more consistently maintain a 4.5-5mph speed throughout those segments.
As more and more friends have seen me that haven't seen me in a long time, it's been fun to tell them how I've lost the weight I have...mostly over the last year, though I started the journey almost 3 years ago. A couple of friends I've had lunch with, and they've just wanted to talk about how I've prepared for doing my half-marathons, and I've enjoyed sharing my experience with them, and a couple are now actively working toward running again, as I did, by working from walking into a walk/run sequence.
I had the experience, last night, of going to an informal "pre-reunion" gathering of about 20 classmates that showed up for dinner at a BBQ restaurant in the town I grew up. I was very shy in high school, so even though I had gone to school and been casual friends through 12 years of school with a some of the popular group in high school, I've always been intimidated by these types of reunion gatherings! Walking in the door last night, all that insecurity came rushing back in!
But I was very surprised at the reaction of 2 or 3 of the guys there that approached me, and one--our class valedictorian, star baseball player, and most accomplished at our 10 yr reunion--who said he has been following my progress of preparation for my half marathon on my Facebook, and said he really could tell how committed I am to my fitness/running goals. He just retired from his military career as an officer about 3 years back and working as a civilian now in the IT field, so of course he had to adhere to a fitness regimen in the military, but after being out for a few years, said he's just been trying to get back into a fitness routine and running by doing some 5k's and will be doing a 10k in 3 weeks. LOL...he's also "single again", so it will be fun to encourage him through Facebook in his running/fitness endeavors, and keep up with him as we move toward our "formal" reunion on August 1!
Another guy, who I had already been emailing and chatting with through Facebook, was there. He's married, but he's one of those guys that seemed kind of nerdy in high school, but at the 10 year reunion and after, really had become a "hottie"(he was in the military too), but is a super sweet guy. Just through our emails and chatting I had given him some idea of my weight loss journey, but last night was going to be his first time seeing me (outside of a head shot picture) in almost 20 years! Since we all wound up in booths, and I came in a little late, our initial conversation was over the back of a booth. As he was getting ready to leave though, he came to get a hug, and as he hugged me, he whispered in my ear "You look GREAT!" That made my day....night...year!
Even though he's happily married, it meant a lot to have someone that I really admire as nice looking to complement me in that way. I think that comment can become the motivation and catylst for me to really step it up in my eating and fitness goals as I move into serious weight-loss and shape up mode the last 3+ months before my reunion to try to look even better by my high school reunion!
Even though he's happily married, it meant a lot to have someone that I really admire as nice looking to complement me in that way. I think that comment can become the motivation and catylst for me to really step it up in my eating and fitness goals as I move into serious weight-loss and shape up mode the last 3+ months before my reunion to try to look even better by my high school reunion!After my half marathon this next weekend, I will have 2 1/2-3 months to really concentrate on other fitness goals besides just running/walking, although I intend to keep that up, and even plan to train for a 10k that is run in my neighborhood at the end of June. I won't go into serious half-marathon mode again until the first of August, just as my reunion is over. So after this next Saturday's half marathon, it's all about "Reunion Readiness" for me!
Work, since the first of the year, has been non-stop hectic, so that was a big part of why I stopped posting. LOL...no one really seemed to notice that I stopped, and those that did have contacted me in other ways(THANKS, ya'll!), so at least wanted to post an update of what has gone on with me over the past couple of months in my weight loss and fitness journey! I still love following all of your blogs, and commenting when I can, but just don't know how often I can update my blog, and not feeling pressured to do that has taken some pressure off of me with work being so stressful. I will try to update during/after my half marathon weekend this next weekend, though! Hope everyone has a great week!