An extremely satisfying day..........................

Had a great time at the race yesterday, but first let me share with you what I did in the morning before heading out to the race.

In preparation for the trail race in June I decided I would make use of day and add in a morning run. I decided to do my 5.5 route and then add a little to make it 6.5.

I had a bit of trouble getting out the door, forgetting this, that and the other thing. And for whatever reason I can never get the stupid water bladder in the pouch the right way so the hose kinks. I was having (my) Mister help me fix it so I didn't have to take the whole pack off, and was pretty crabby it was taking so long and I was behind schedule. Not the best way to start a run, but I am being honest at least.

Finally out the door, I headed down the street around the corner and was given a very undeserved reward. A guy that I ran into several weeks ago (that was the perfect pacer for me) was heading my way and turned around and joined me for my run. How blessed am I. Had not all the hassles happen I would have passed his starting point before he began and missed out on being able to run with him.

We were running a really good pace, both winded but still able to carry on a conversation. He gave me some good tips for training and racing, but the best news is he agreed to be my coach and help me with my speed workouts. Isn't that terrific? I am thrilled because I can't make myself go faster but I go faster when someone else is around.

He is used to only going 3 to 4 miles (bad knees) and so I left him at the 4.5 mark and kept going. I am not going to swear to the final distance I did but it is somewhere between 6 and 6.5 and I did it in 59.30. That is the fastest I have ever done that distance, and I know it is totally because I was keeping up with someone.

When I got home I drank some muscle milk to put some carbs and protein in my system, did a little gardening, and got dinner in the crock pot, and lunch on the table before heading downtown for the race.

A record turnout of close to 6,000 people were there and it was a wonderful party atmosphere. I looked like a total loser as I put everything I thought I might need on the trail in my pack and strapped it on. A stinking little 5K and I looked like I could be lost for days before running low on supplies. Who cares, people have made fun of me for far more stupid reasons. If practicing carrying an extra 3 to 5 pounds makes me faster on the trails then it is worth it.

I was pretty warm by the end of mile one, but felt great and kept going. By mile two, my spoiled inner child kept telling me that we should slow down, what was the big deal there were still thousands of people behind us. The coolest part of the race was right at the end when I picked off a woman to pass and I DID IT! Never mind that the first two minutes after crossing the finish line were devoted to NOT giving in to the urge to puke all over my shoes, it was so worth passing her I would do it again in a minute. My final time was 32.32 and I am extremely happy with that time, and already looking forward to my next race.

After finishing the race, posing with my friend who is a real survivor, eight years now and growing stong.

Lazy days...............................

My favorite part of racing, is that you get to be a slug the day or two before (how much of a slug depends on the length of the race).

Yesterday, I ran a quick two miles. Don't ask for time, I didn't time it. I will say that I remember thinking, boy this feels good today. I wish I could figure out what I do different, because some days I feel fabulous running, and other days no matter what I change I can't get that feeling of all my body parts working in synchronicity. Something to work on...

The rest of the day was devoted to yard work (I made sure not to sit stooped over too long, so I wouldn't be able to move today), and the regular stuff, but I took it pretty easy with that stuff as well.

My race today isn't until this afternoon. I have never ran a race that started this late. Wonder if it will feel different? I came up with a great idea yesterday, but you are going to have to wait until tomorrow to hear more about it. Curious? Good thing you're not a cat!

I'm NOT a survivor?..........................

Last night, after running three miles (in about 34 minutes) I went into town to the local running store to pick up my race packet for the Susan G. Koman Race For The Cure 5K that I am participating in this Sunday, along with over 4300 other people.

I found my number, and said (out loud) "Wow! I have never had a number this low before (it was 11)." One of the women standing behind the table said to me, it is low because you are a survivor." Knowing that she was referring to cancer, I had to tell her that I was not a survivor. I was then informed that I must have clicked the survivor button on the computer when I registered (Computers NEVER make mistakes now do they?). Anyway, another lady led me to another table and announced to the crowd, "This lady needs her number changed. She is not a survivor." By the third time she explained this to someone I could not stand it any longer and had to say, "Okay! While I might not have had cancer, Honey, you had better believe I AM A SURVIVOR!" The lady laughed and left me to be helped by the people behind the table.

They still were not sure how to fix the number thing, so led me back to the first table where I heard the first lady telling the end of the story about me having told her I was a survivor. I am always glad when I can make people laugh!

Finally, I got my number. Guess what number it is? Give up? 1112. Had they been a tad faster I would have had 1111, which I took as a sign that in reality I am a double survivor.

In a way I am. Two of my sisters have had cancer. One lost the battle, one is currently cancer free. I applaud the research and the dedication that people are putting into fighting these diseases don't get me wrong. Still, there is a tiny part of me that really felt resentful when I heard the words, "She is not a survivor." I know what they were referring to, but I also know all the things I have overcome from the past. I would have liked to have heard, "She is not a cancer survivor" instead. Am I a knit-picker or what?

All of us have had things in our life that were difficult, that tested us beyond measure. All of these things count and make us who we are today. Here is a list of some of mine:

Being orphaned at age 8
Being sexually molested by two different people before age 15
Divorce, not once, but twice
Completing a college degree (graduating with high honors)while being a single mother of three
Starting three different (successful) businesses
The death of three of five siblings
My first-born growing up and leaving home
The first time (above) first born made a decision that I didn't agree with (she joined a sorority)
being morbidly obese (by the charts) and now being a few pounds away from un-obese
Not one but two half-marathons
The discovery that the world does NOT really revolve around me (this was a really tough one)

That is just a short list and I the point is NOT to discount how great it is to be a cancer survivor, but to cheer myself on and acknowledge where I have come from.

Having done that, it is now time to move on towards my goals, running and otherwise. One of my favorite saying is, "It isn't about what happens to you, but about what you do about it afterwards that really matters." Everything in my past had led me to this particular fork in the road, headed towards the 26.2, and I have not one tiny bit of desire to have eat from any different fork. I love what life has served up to me, and continue to gobble it up with relish. Maybe even mustard and onions, I am not a fan of ketchup.

An "off" day....................................

As in a day I didn't plan to run.

I did eat breakfast in a timely manner so that is a good thing. I also didn't eat ice cream at the open house at the college my youngest is attending in the fall so that is a REALLY good thing.

I also didn't eat dinner, but a punch size cup of Chex mix at the college and some cheese when I got home so I had some protein for my muscles.

This whole eating thing is so hard most of the time. I wish they had a pill you could take that had everything you needed and I didn't even have to bother with eating. Either that or I had my own chef that could make me what I want and then follow me around and fill in for me while I took the time to eat the way I should be eating.

If I know this is so important, why can 't I make it a priority???????????????????

Good intentions gone awry........................

Busy, crazy, insane day yesterday, life happens I guess.

I was powering through my morning well, and even made one of my "perfect meal in a glass" for breakfast. In a blender (my smoothie maker died) stuff a couple of good size handfuls of spinach and/or any kind of dark salad greens (does not include iceberg) in the blender. Raw, fresh ones. Then dump a fresh pineapple on that (smush it down). Can use canned, but make sure it is in own juice. Add some water so it will blend and do just that. Then to that mixture I add a banana (makes it creamy), a couple scoops of protein powder (we are no longer officially raw folks), some Maca powder (a super food from Peru), and psyllium husk powder (pure bulk fiber). One could also add powdered vitamins is desired, and or tofu for the protein. Blend again until all mixed and breakfast/lunch/dinner is ready. One can also add ice (or freeze the banana)if you like that style. This amount of ingredients makes three servings for me and I keep the other two in the fridge or freezer for another day. Sugar free, and an excellent way to be sure you are getting all your greens in for the day. The banana has potassium, and the pineapple has bromine or whatever it is that they want you to take in pill form.

So, I have my creation complete by 9:30 AM. My goal is to eat by 9 to 10 in the morning each day. Then people started coming and going and I didn't finish my drink until 1:30. My intentions were so good, reality not so much. The day continued like this, and it was 8:30 before I ate dinner. About a third of a veggie salad from Subway with one of those sm packets of Tuna (love these by the way for their convenience and portability), and a TLB of ranch dressing. Perfectly satisfied with this, I ended up eating a small bowl of mint chocolate-chip ice cream sometime after the salad. This was totally not my fault! Flicking through the channels, I came across the Food Network Challenge with people trying to break world records. These two guys were seeing how many scoops of ice cream they could dip in one minute. I am watching this, thinking to myself, "ice cream sounds good" with no plans to act on the thought when my youngest (watching with me) says (at the same time I am thinking this), "Boy! That makes me want some ice cream." I caved! One more example of how sugar is my enemy.

But this is a journal about running right. How one fuels the body is a big part of running, and one I have put a lot of effort into. I am a work in progress.

And I did run 2 miles last night. It was 7:30 by the time I got started. I opted to take my Jack Russell with me. Jack's were bred as working dogs, and Emma is a smart one. When we go for a walk she acts like a regular dog, sniffing here, there, everywhere. But when I take her running, I tell her she is working. If she does try to stop to sniff I tell her, "Your working" and she keeps moving. She is still a dog, and did HAVE to stop, and it was either run (about an 1/8) of a mile out of the way to the trash can or carry it with. Of course I did the increased distance.

I was gone a little over twenty minutes, Emma helping me to keep up the pace. This is another thing I need to get to become a habit before the real training begins, remember to look at my watch when I get out the door. I have a HR monitor with a stop watch, but I have not been wearing that regularly as of yet. I am still trying to learn all the functions and get frustrated if the thing starts beeping while I am running and I don't know why. I have a whole month to figure it out. It will happen.

Speed racer? Not last night.............................

I did my 5.5 mile route last night. Not having much energy (could this be because I didn't eat much during the day because I was busy?) the first hurdle was getting out the door. To accomplish this, I tell myself to get out there, that is it. No goals, plans, or rules, just get out the door.

Once I get down and around the corner I am committed and on my way. My next thought is to decide the minimum I will do. On this particular route I also have a 3 miler so I told myself that if I wanted to I could turn around at 1.5 and just stuck with my nice, slow jog.

By the end of the first mile I was warmed up and finding a rhythm. Clear that this run was not going to be about speed, I decided to make it about form. I focused on slightly leaning back (people looking at me would have thought I was upright, but there is this perfect spot one can find that tips your center of gravity back ever so slightly. You know it when you feel it), head held high, arms relaxed (elbows with a bend) thumbs and fingers relaxed slack, not bunched, with arms going forward and back and NOT crossing in front of the body. The arm thing easier as your trunk gets stronger.

Once I had focused on this for awhile, I turned my attention to my stride. The proper way to pick up speed is to shorten your stride while speeding up your turnover rate. I played with this for about a mile, shortening a little, a little more, feeling the difference, then lengthening it back out and feeling the sensation of slowing down. All of this will be important when I am racing and needing to pick up the pace or climb or recover from a hill.

After I got bored with this, I turned my attention to my gait. Land on the ball of your foot and role down onto your heel. After about a quarter mile of this I put it all together and tried to get the feeling of gliding. I try and picture a deer moving through a field and mimic that motion.

By now I had arrived at mile 4 so I told myself I could run a cool down and walk at mile 5. I always tell myself this, and nearly always end up not walking. By the time I get to 5 miles I think "if I keep going I can be finished faster. Last night was no exception. Sometimes knowing I have options I don't need to exercise them.

About a quarter mile from home, I met another runner running on the wrong side of the road (runner's rule is to always run on the left where I was) and heading right at me, Fortunately the road has little traffic so I moved out into the middle of the lane. As I got closer, I noticed that this guy was looking W-A-Y to serious to be having any fun so I decided it was my mission to lighten him up, if only for a second. As we approached one another I yelled out "high five" as I raised my hand. He looked confused for a sec and then got it, smiled and we slapped hands as we passed. If I can't be wacky and have fun while I am running then I'm not going to do it. Period.

Just think, if I hadn't done my run exactly as I did, the timing would have been off and I might have missed that moment. This will help me to get out there the next time I don't really feel like it!

Getting everyone up to speed............................

In September of 2004, I was sick and tired of feeling sick and tired all of the time. I had been working hard to get a new business up and running, and now that it was I had some time to focus on getting myself back to being myself.

As is typical of lots of people, I thought about doing lots of different things to make this happen, but didn't actually do any of them.

In January of 2005, I decided it was time to put up or shut up. Having failed at every diet and exercise program I had ever tried, I vowed that this time would be different. I tried something I had never tried before...a combination of pledging to love myself no matter what, and setting very realistic, very attainable workout goals.

IT WORKED!!!!!

I started with a commitment to walking on my treadmill for fifteen minutes five times a week. Everything else grew out of that, until about a year and a half ago, I started playing with the idea, the possibility of being able to run a full marathon. I decided that I would set my fiftieth birthday as the time frame to reach this goal. I will turn fifty on October 7, 2007 and I am signed up to run the Detroit marathon on October 21, 2007. I am going to do it, and will document the journey to race day on this blog.

Running has taught me that I am made of much stronger stock than I thought once upon a time (and I have always been a pretty confident person when it comes to goal setting). The more I accomplished with increase distances and longer races, the more I knew I could do anything (not just running things) that I set my mind to.

I have had tons of support from my husband and family, and would not have been able to be where I am today with that. Going into this marathon, I also have the support of a dear blog friend, who has caught the fever and is planning to run the full 26.2 with me. Having her beside me from training to race day will be my guarantee of success.

I hope you enjoy taking this journey with me through these posts, but more importantly I hope these posts create a fire in your own belly and inspire you to go after your own gold/goals, whatever that may be.

After surgery, from a beginning size 16, down to a size 6 pants January 2007
After my latest race, a half-marathon in New Orleans in February (2007). I am on the right. Still not happy with the size of my thighs, but I might have them lipoed as a reward for completing the marathon. Of course this all depends on how much down time is involved and what up-coming races I have planned. After my first surgery I was walking a mile by day 3, and back to running three miles by day 20. Pretty proud of that fact.

Here I am after after almost two years of running and eating better. Done to 148# I rewarded myself with surgery and had a whopping 14 inches of skin taken off my stomach, and my boobs put back where they belong. This was December of 2006

This is my size at my heaviest, a whopping 220# and I am only 5'3"! Check out those thunder thighs! This is September of 2004