This has not been a banner week for RunningBeth.
Now, I've gotten up every morning (except Sunday, my rest day) and I've run. But instead of running 8 miles a couple of days, I've run 5 one day, 6 three days, and 2.5 one day (lightning).
And it's been a struggle. I haven't wanted to get up and do it. I've had to literally force myself to run. Once I'm out there, and once I'm done, I'm fine, but getting out there -- UGH.
My speed hasn't been the same either. Last week, I was effortlessly running six miles in 50 minutes. This week, it's been a struggle.
I've spent the majority of this week trying to figure what has happened. I am not sick -- the sinus/allergy crud I had last week is gone. My routine has not changed -- I'm still going to bed at 9 p.m., still doing the same old stuff.
I was talking to my trainer about this on Wednesday, and he asked me all the usual questions -- are you sleeping, are you sick, etc. And then he hit the target:
Are you eating?
I automatically said yes, but then I remembered that I did skip a meal over the weekend.
It wasn't premeditated, and it wasn't because I was trying to make up for eating a dark chocolate cupcake from Sprinkles or drinking a Sangria Rita from Pappasito's. I genuinely was not hungry. I wasn't.
I wasn't hungry that evening, and when I woke up in the morning, I wasn't starving. I did eat a really great breakfast, but I wasn't ravenous.
That one, little thing set off a chain reaction that I couldn't control or stop during the week.
Lesson learned. Always eat. Never skip a meal. Ever.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Why I Run: Reason 3,467
This morning my children argued about the following things:
---
Also, we spent all morning getting Kyle's band stuff ready -- hanging the uniform on the hanger neatly, putting a masking-tape label on the hanger so it doesn't get mixed up with anyone else's, writing his name inside his band shoes, going over what was going to happen after school minute by minute so we were all on the same page.
They load up in the car, I drop Katie off at school, and head toward the junior high.
From the back seat:
- Kyle not riding the bus. He had to bring his band uniform, hat and shoes to school today because there is a game this afternoon, so I told him I'd take him to school so he wouldn't have to drag all of that plus his trombone on the bus. While I was in the bathroom throwing make-up on, the following conversation was happening:
Katie: Kyle, you need to go wait for the bus.
Kyle: Katie, I'm not riding the bus today.
Katie: Yes, you are.
Kyle: No, I'm not. I have to bring all this stuff to school so Mom's bringing me.
Katie: I don't care; you're riding the bus.
Kyle: No, I'm not. I'm not riding the bus!
Katie: Yes, you are.Blah, blah, blah, so on and so forth, for about 10 minutes. Now, Katie knows Kyle isn't going to ride the bus. It had been mentioned several times last night in her presence, and several times this morning, also in her presence. But she literally LIVES to mess with her big brother. Why Kyle can't freaking IGNORE 90 percent of what she says, I do not know, but there it is.
- And this gem:
Katie: Kyle, why do you get paid for taking out the trash and I don't get paid for doing stuff?
Kyle: Katie, I don't get paid for taking out the trash. You know that!
Katie: Yes, you do.
(Kyle smartly stays silent, looking at his iPod Touch.)
Katie: And you have a Netbook and an iPod Touch and a CELL PHONE, and I DON'T HAVE ANY OF THOSE THINGS!!
Kyle: It's because you're not old enough. You'll get one when you're older.
Katie: But it's NOT FAIR. You have EVERYTHING, and I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING!!!! (Says the girl who has a TV, DVD player and a Wii in her bedroom right at this moment)
Kyle: You do, too. You have all that stupid girl stuff and all those toys and art stuff, and...
Katie: My stuff is NOT STUPID. YOUR STUFF IS STUPID. ALL OF IT.At this point, the argument disintegrates into each of them saying random things that make absolutely no sense.
---
Also, we spent all morning getting Kyle's band stuff ready -- hanging the uniform on the hanger neatly, putting a masking-tape label on the hanger so it doesn't get mixed up with anyone else's, writing his name inside his band shoes, going over what was going to happen after school minute by minute so we were all on the same page.
They load up in the car, I drop Katie off at school, and head toward the junior high.
From the back seat:
Kyle: Ummm, Mom?
Me: Ummm, Kyle?
Kyle: I think I left my band hat at home.
Me: You think? You don't know? Is it back there with you?
Kyle: No.
Me: Then where else could it possibly be, son, other than HOME?
Sunday, September 25, 2011
One year.
Lots of amazing things can happen in one year. Anyone who's ever had a baby can attest to that.
Exactly one year ago today, I decided I was done. I was tired of trying to find clothes that I liked AND that came in my size (14). I was tired of being embarrassed to go anywhere. I was tired of walking into a room and thinking that everyone was whispering about my weight.
I got up, I weighed myself (161), and then I sat down and committed myself to three months of Weight Watchers.
A week or so later, I started walking. A week or so after that, I started running.
I ran during the rain. I ran during cold weather. I ran when I was sad. I ran when I was happy. I ran when it was the absolute last thing I wanted to do. I became a vegetarian, and cut down my diet drink intake by a considerable amount.
I hired a personal trainer, and started lifting weights.
I ran a half-marathon, and finished with a personal best. I ran on Paradise Island, The Bahamas. (I wore a TWO-PIECE BATHING SUIT on Paradise Island, The Bahamas!)
I signed up for a marathon. I started setting my alarm for 4 a.m. every single damn morning and running.
I scaled back a bit when both my personal trainer and my doctor told me not to lose any more weight -- I take Sundays off now.
Today, I weigh 117 pounds. I wear a size 2 or 4, depending on the store. Since February, when I got a Garmin Forerunner 405, I have run about 1,300 miles. I have burned almost 100, 000 calories.
Is my life always sunshine, roses and rainbows? Hell, no. But the fact that I feel good about myself, that I don't have the aches and pains of a person carrying weight far above what her frame can support and that I'm filled with endorphins makes it a little easier when things go badly.
And that's what this was always about: Making a good life a little better.
Exactly one year ago today, I decided I was done. I was tired of trying to find clothes that I liked AND that came in my size (14). I was tired of being embarrassed to go anywhere. I was tired of walking into a room and thinking that everyone was whispering about my weight.
I got up, I weighed myself (161), and then I sat down and committed myself to three months of Weight Watchers.
A week or so later, I started walking. A week or so after that, I started running.
I ran during the rain. I ran during cold weather. I ran when I was sad. I ran when I was happy. I ran when it was the absolute last thing I wanted to do. I became a vegetarian, and cut down my diet drink intake by a considerable amount.
I hired a personal trainer, and started lifting weights.
I ran a half-marathon, and finished with a personal best. I ran on Paradise Island, The Bahamas. (I wore a TWO-PIECE BATHING SUIT on Paradise Island, The Bahamas!)
I signed up for a marathon. I started setting my alarm for 4 a.m. every single damn morning and running.
I scaled back a bit when both my personal trainer and my doctor told me not to lose any more weight -- I take Sundays off now.
Today, I weigh 117 pounds. I wear a size 2 or 4, depending on the store. Since February, when I got a Garmin Forerunner 405, I have run about 1,300 miles. I have burned almost 100, 000 calories.
Is my life always sunshine, roses and rainbows? Hell, no. But the fact that I feel good about myself, that I don't have the aches and pains of a person carrying weight far above what her frame can support and that I'm filled with endorphins makes it a little easier when things go badly.
And that's what this was always about: Making a good life a little better.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
That was a surprise...
My trainer has asked me to do many things that I've thought were beyond my abilities.
Lifting free weights, for starters. Doing dips and pull-ups for another. I've been able to do them all -- not a ton of repetitions and not a ton of weight, of course, but I've done them with varying degrees of success.
Then yesterday, he asked me to get on the mat and do push-ups.
I asked him to repeat himself, because 1: previously, I've only done push-ups on a weight bench or a structure that was chest high; 2: I can't do push-ups; and 3: did I mention that I can't do push-ups?
Yes, this is where I drag out the injustices of junior high wherein I was asked to do this Presidential Physical Fitness test (while wearing a blue, one-piece bloomer outfit, might I add) and failed miserably on just about everything.
So when my trainer insisted that yes, I needed to get on the mat and do push-ups, I sighed, resigned myself to not being able to do and got on the mat.
And I did push-ups. Easily.
WTH? How did that happen?
After the first set, the trainer said, "I thought you couldn't do push-ups. Do another set."
So I did another set and then another. No problems whatsoever.
Lifting free weights, for starters. Doing dips and pull-ups for another. I've been able to do them all -- not a ton of repetitions and not a ton of weight, of course, but I've done them with varying degrees of success.
Then yesterday, he asked me to get on the mat and do push-ups.
I asked him to repeat himself, because 1: previously, I've only done push-ups on a weight bench or a structure that was chest high; 2: I can't do push-ups; and 3: did I mention that I can't do push-ups?
Yes, this is where I drag out the injustices of junior high wherein I was asked to do this Presidential Physical Fitness test (while wearing a blue, one-piece bloomer outfit, might I add) and failed miserably on just about everything.
So when my trainer insisted that yes, I needed to get on the mat and do push-ups, I sighed, resigned myself to not being able to do and got on the mat.
And I did push-ups. Easily.
WTH? How did that happen?
After the first set, the trainer said, "I thought you couldn't do push-ups. Do another set."
So I did another set and then another. No problems whatsoever.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Twenty miles.
I ran 20 miles for the second time yesterday. The last time I ran 20, it was dreadful. Like I wanted to quit 14 miles in, and I dreaded every single step I ran.
I hadn't done it again since then -- about a month ago -- because I hated it so much.
This time, it was no big deal. Seriously, there was a time or two when I thought I wanted to stop running for a minute, just to rest, but I didn't, I wanted to run and finish more than I wanted to stop and rest.
I told myself at the beginning that I needed to take it easy -- that I was going for distance, not speed. I ended up running it at a pace of 11-minute miles, so not bad at all.
It was enjoyable. And finding out that I burned more than 1,700 calories (according to my Garmin) was awesome.
I'm going to up my daily mileage -- 10 miles on M, T and TH, and 8 on W and F, and then of course, 15-20 on Saturdays. Since I'm getting faster, I have the time to run more, so why not?
I hadn't done it again since then -- about a month ago -- because I hated it so much.
This time, it was no big deal. Seriously, there was a time or two when I thought I wanted to stop running for a minute, just to rest, but I didn't, I wanted to run and finish more than I wanted to stop and rest.
I told myself at the beginning that I needed to take it easy -- that I was going for distance, not speed. I ended up running it at a pace of 11-minute miles, so not bad at all.
It was enjoyable. And finding out that I burned more than 1,700 calories (according to my Garmin) was awesome.
I'm going to up my daily mileage -- 10 miles on M, T and TH, and 8 on W and F, and then of course, 15-20 on Saturdays. Since I'm getting faster, I have the time to run more, so why not?
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Insatiable.
When you run 50+ miles a week, you are hungry every single second of every single day, just about.
When you run 50+ miles a week, you can eat anything your heart desires, just about. (I burned more than 700 calories Monday morning during my 8-miler.)
But that isn't what this is about, right? This is about making my body the healthiest and the best it possibly can be, both in and out.
And Chee-tos aren't the way, sadly.
My appetite has increased considerably in the past few weeks, due to my increase in mileage and just activity in general (some evenings after work, I literally don't sit down until 8:15 p.m.)
So, while I'm not restricting my diet as severely as I was when I was trying to lose weight, I still have to make good choices.
Luckily, I have lost what little sweet tooth I had. If I want ice cream or a cookie, and I have it, but I really don't want that very often.
I still drink a lot of water. I aim for 100 ounces a day. I don't always make it to 100 ounces, but I get pretty darned close.
I have turned into a carb fiend (possibly because that's what my body needs to run, huh?). Before, I saw bread as a vehicle of transportation for sandwich fixings. Now, it's the main event. I have sandwiches just so I can eat bread.
Sandwiches are a fairly elaborate affair; something I didn't anticipate when I became a vegetarian. I choose awesome, bakery-made bread -- multigrain, seeded, sprouted. I slice it to the optimum thickness, and toast it. It *must* be toasted -- this is non-negotiable. I spread a little light mayo on it. Or pesto. Or hummus. Or a good grainy mustard. Then: tomatoes. I adore tomatoes. I eat them two times a day, every single day. EVERY SINGLE DAY. Grape, cherry, hothouse, heirloom...I love them. The tomatoes make up the "meat" of my sandwich, and I am not shy with them. Then...the sky's the limit. Roasted red peppers, romaine, mozzarella cheese, pickles, cucumbers -- if it's a vegetable or a cheese and it's possible to put it in a sandwich, I probably have done so.
(I just wrote a lengthy paragraph about sandwiches. Really, Beth?)
I love avocado -- again, one of those things I probably have every day. Greek yogurt -- Chobani and Siggi's, both vanilla, are my favorites -- is another thing I love. Black beans, salsa... I could go on forever..
And my sweet, precious strawberries. I have them every single morning.
The funny thing is, I still get comments from people about how I must not be eating or I must not eat much.
It all comes down to two truths: Eat less. Move more.
That's it.
When you run 50+ miles a week, you can eat anything your heart desires, just about. (I burned more than 700 calories Monday morning during my 8-miler.)
But that isn't what this is about, right? This is about making my body the healthiest and the best it possibly can be, both in and out.
And Chee-tos aren't the way, sadly.
My appetite has increased considerably in the past few weeks, due to my increase in mileage and just activity in general (some evenings after work, I literally don't sit down until 8:15 p.m.)
So, while I'm not restricting my diet as severely as I was when I was trying to lose weight, I still have to make good choices.
Luckily, I have lost what little sweet tooth I had. If I want ice cream or a cookie, and I have it, but I really don't want that very often.
I still drink a lot of water. I aim for 100 ounces a day. I don't always make it to 100 ounces, but I get pretty darned close.
I have turned into a carb fiend (possibly because that's what my body needs to run, huh?). Before, I saw bread as a vehicle of transportation for sandwich fixings. Now, it's the main event. I have sandwiches just so I can eat bread.
Sandwiches are a fairly elaborate affair; something I didn't anticipate when I became a vegetarian. I choose awesome, bakery-made bread -- multigrain, seeded, sprouted. I slice it to the optimum thickness, and toast it. It *must* be toasted -- this is non-negotiable. I spread a little light mayo on it. Or pesto. Or hummus. Or a good grainy mustard. Then: tomatoes. I adore tomatoes. I eat them two times a day, every single day. EVERY SINGLE DAY. Grape, cherry, hothouse, heirloom...I love them. The tomatoes make up the "meat" of my sandwich, and I am not shy with them. Then...the sky's the limit. Roasted red peppers, romaine, mozzarella cheese, pickles, cucumbers -- if it's a vegetable or a cheese and it's possible to put it in a sandwich, I probably have done so.
(I just wrote a lengthy paragraph about sandwiches. Really, Beth?)
I love avocado -- again, one of those things I probably have every day. Greek yogurt -- Chobani and Siggi's, both vanilla, are my favorites -- is another thing I love. Black beans, salsa... I could go on forever..
And my sweet, precious strawberries. I have them every single morning.
The funny thing is, I still get comments from people about how I must not be eating or I must not eat much.
It all comes down to two truths: Eat less. Move more.
That's it.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Mile by mile.
I am not the brightest star in the sky.
Don't get me wrong; I get by OK. But I'm easily fooled. Even by myself.
Typically, I wake up 20-30 minutes before my alarm goes off. I snooze off and on until 3:58 a.m., when I turn off my alarm and go get dressed to run.
This morning, I woke up when the alarm went off. And I did not want to run.
"Just go out there and run two miles," I told myself. "Just two. And then you can quit."
So I got dressed and headed out.
Near the end of my second mile, I told myself, "Why don't you go ahead and run another one? C'mon. You have to do at least a 5K."
So I did.
And then I told myself, "You know, you're already up. It's not like you're going to go back to sleep when you get in the house. Why don't you run two more? Just five, Beth. That's all. Just five."
So I did.
I went from not wanting to run at all, to running just two miles, to running just a 5K, to running five whole miles (in less than 40 minutes, by the way).
All because I talked myself into it...
Don't get me wrong; I get by OK. But I'm easily fooled. Even by myself.
Typically, I wake up 20-30 minutes before my alarm goes off. I snooze off and on until 3:58 a.m., when I turn off my alarm and go get dressed to run.
This morning, I woke up when the alarm went off. And I did not want to run.
"Just go out there and run two miles," I told myself. "Just two. And then you can quit."
So I got dressed and headed out.
Near the end of my second mile, I told myself, "Why don't you go ahead and run another one? C'mon. You have to do at least a 5K."
So I did.
And then I told myself, "You know, you're already up. It's not like you're going to go back to sleep when you get in the house. Why don't you run two more? Just five, Beth. That's all. Just five."
So I did.
I went from not wanting to run at all, to running just two miles, to running just a 5K, to running five whole miles (in less than 40 minutes, by the way).
All because I talked myself into it...
Saturday, September 3, 2011
I'm really going to do this!
First, about my run. I was only going to run 15, but the rain derailed that at mile 14. I'm bummed about that, so much that I may head back out this afternoon if the rain clears or tomorrow. Either way, I'm going to run tomorrow -- three-day weekend gives me plenty of time to run and get some rest in!
---
I reserved my hotel room for the marathon this morning. Dec. 3-5, I will be in DFW! It's starting to get really real, really exciting, and really scary.
I can do this. I know I can, but at times, the prospect of actually running 26.2 miles totally overwhelms me.
How did I get to this point? How did the 235-pound woman I was just seven years ago get to the point where she believes that she can run 26.2 miles?
I really have no idea. Honestly. I'm just happy that I think I can, and that I can!
---
I get asked a lot about where I buy my clothes. I have an eclectic mix, to be sure, but I mostly buy them on the Internet.
Here's a list:
Anthropologie
Johnnie Boden
ModCloth
J. Crew
Banana Republic
One online store that I haven't bought anything from yet is Shabby Apple. They have some beautiful dresses, but I just haven't settled on anything.
I also find cool things on eBay -- my basket purses that I also get comments on came from there. I have a gorgeous black dress with hand-appliqued daisies on it that I always get comments on that I got on eBay.
Locally, I buy at Dillard's and my biggest secret (I guess not any more) is SteinMart. I go in there once a month, and always come out with something amazing for not a lot of money.
So there it is.
---
I reserved my hotel room for the marathon this morning. Dec. 3-5, I will be in DFW! It's starting to get really real, really exciting, and really scary.
I can do this. I know I can, but at times, the prospect of actually running 26.2 miles totally overwhelms me.
How did I get to this point? How did the 235-pound woman I was just seven years ago get to the point where she believes that she can run 26.2 miles?
I really have no idea. Honestly. I'm just happy that I think I can, and that I can!
---
I get asked a lot about where I buy my clothes. I have an eclectic mix, to be sure, but I mostly buy them on the Internet.
Here's a list:
Anthropologie
Johnnie Boden
ModCloth
J. Crew
Banana Republic
One online store that I haven't bought anything from yet is Shabby Apple. They have some beautiful dresses, but I just haven't settled on anything.
I also find cool things on eBay -- my basket purses that I also get comments on came from there. I have a gorgeous black dress with hand-appliqued daisies on it that I always get comments on that I got on eBay.
Locally, I buy at Dillard's and my biggest secret (I guess not any more) is SteinMart. I go in there once a month, and always come out with something amazing for not a lot of money.
So there it is.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)