oops

As you know, I discovered I had gall bladder disease while training for this year's Pear Blossom Run (an annual mile run that commemorates spring in the Rogue Valley). I was determined to participate - though not willing to push myself physically and create even more setbacks. After 3 weeks, when I began to run again, I discovered the pain from my right ab muscle being cut up to remove my gall bladder and had to use a brace around that muscle to do it. I was slow at getting back, but oh so determined. Guess what? In all of my drama and life changing events...I forgot to register for the race. March 15 was the deadline for a shirt, and April 5th (Tuesday) was the last day to register. I tried to register on my lunch break at 11:45. Registration closed at 11:30. This race meant so much to me...I was heart-broken! I felt frantic...what could I do? Run without a number? Just go be a spectator? First...I cried my big-girl disappointed tears, then, I called the ...

The worst thing one can do is not to try, to be aware of what one wants and not give in to it, to spend years in silent hurt wondering if something could have materialized - and never knowing. - David Viscott So, honestly, I don't like to run. Never have. And even worse....I don't really like the treadmill much AT ALL. So why on earth do I run on a treadmill for at least 2-3 miles 5 days a week? Two reasons... 1. I like what running has done for my weight loss and what it has done to my body. 2. I love that moment when I reach and pass a new goal...which happened today. Those moments sneak up on me, and just when I think I am NOT getting any faster or better, my body morphs and suddenly I have to speed up to keep my heart rate up. Today I sprinted a few times for an entire minute at 9 mph, and my "base" speed where I could catch my breath and let my heart recover was 6 mph. That may not seem very fast, but for me (a confessed non runner who felt like a ru...

Sounds funny to say, but I wasn't nervous at all. I didn't even take a picture. After running the Half-Marathon, anything less seems SO doable! I have something planned every couple of months...just to keep me motivated, and today is a beautiful 6 mile hilly run in Talent, Oregon called the Frostbite Run. I didn't do it for a great time, I just did it to finish, and so that I didn't have to workout at the gym! A guilt free weekend! Yay! And, the best part was that I finished in 1 hour and 6 minutes (my first 10K...and run ever.....was done in 1 hour 26 minutes). Shaving off 20 minutes was pretty darn exciting!

One thing I wanted to accomplish after hitting my 100 pound weigh obliteration, was participate in a half-marathon. 13.2 glorious mile of my feet hitting the pavement.... One problem it was 36 degrees outside (I don't like to be cold), and I really don't "like" to run. I honestly never get in that "zone" but I like how it feels when I am done. So, I laced up my shoes, took some pictures and ran the Grants Pass Half Marathon on November 20th. One thing crossed off my "Someday I Want To..." list. Our motto for this race came from Hebrews 12:1 Pre-run jitters Still smiling after 13.2 miles!

This was a monumental day for me - the longest run. I felt very apprehensive at first - and thought all the way to the start line that I should have signed up for one of the many other events they were holding that day. There was a 5k, 2 mile, and even a 10 mile walk that left 30 min earlier than the run, but there I was - signed up for the 10 mile run! There were some 1200 participants, and the energy was so high...it was a really fun experience. Here is a picture of us before the race began. The race started, and my goal was just to keep a steady pace as long as I could, which I was able to do for the entire race. 2 minutes walking, 3 minutes running. I didn't really start to hurt until about mile 8. It was at that point I wondered if I was moving in the right direction because the finish line kept getting further and further away! My reoccurring thout for the duration of the run was that during the last Pear Blossom Festival the most exercise I got was walking to and fro...

Well whether I am prepared or not, the Pear Blossom Run is this Saturday. 10 miles - more than any other race I have done. When I signed up, I had great plans to train and be able to run the whole thing non-stop. Life didn't cooperate. I had a vacation, and I have nagging cough that will not leave! I seriously sound like I am trying to hack up a lung. My breathing capacity is shot, and I am feeling a little worried about how I will do. Trying to take it easy this week, yet not sit around. I have done my Body Sculpt class 2 days so far, and then today I went for a light walk with Isaac while he rode his bike. We went 2.25 miles! He is such a trooper! He either rode or walked the whole way...and I even ended up burning over 700 calories! It was such a nice walk, and I couldn't help but think of how hard that would have been 18 months ago.

Well, today was a big day for milestones for me. It started out rushing to Medford to weigh in at WW meeting where I reached a huge milestone.... 60 official pounds gone ! It was a pretty awesome feeling, but short lived as I didn't stay at the meeting, but scooted out to go register for the 5 mile Shamrock Run. ( I figure race participation was a good excuse to miss a meeting). I ran with my girl, Alissa , who has been and continues to be my major motivation source in this crazy endeavor and won't let me give up.....ever. True to her character, after crossing the finish line, she waited for me at the entrance to the track field, and ran with me around the track as I finished the last stretch of the run. WHAT AN AWESOME FRIEND ! She convinced her son, Thomas to run this with us, which made it all the more fun.....hard for me to believe that she has a 19 year old. She seriously amazes me! So I logged some more miles on my new 350 mile shoes..,..didn't run my best r...

I think we are HOOKED ! Alissa joined the Southern Oregon Runners Club, and gets all the info on the races. We have made the ultimate goal of completing a marathon together...in Hawaii. So, we have LOTS of training to do before that happens. Alissa chose the 1/2 marathon event...which she did great, but I did the 5K so as not to be DEAD on Isaac's birthday. I had a lot planned, and I needed to be able to function. It was really hard for me to stay motivated without her right next to me encouraging me. It was a concern that we both had, so I made little laminated slips of paper to carry in our wrist pockets that said, " I won't give up, if you won't give up . " It did the trick! I did my race in a much better time, and Alissa finished her 1/2 marathon in under 3 hours....reaching yet another goal of hers. Isaac was waiting at the finish line with Kevin, and I thought to myself, "there is no better gift I can give you today than memories of a healthy ha...

So Alissa says to me one day out of the blue, "I think we should run in that race they are advertising in town." There wer e pos ters all over for the Grants Pass 1/2 marathon, 10K and 5K to be held November 15th. Only three problems. 1) Uh, neither of us run. I have jogged on the treadmill for 5 min at a time tops, but nothing of any distance. We love to exercise together, including weight lifting, but running on the treadmill is a whole different beast. 2) We signed up 1 week before race day. That doesn't give us much time to get prepared in any way shape or form for running 6.2 miles. 3) We know absolutely nothing about running! I tried by best to talk her out of it, or at least talk her into doing some training and signing up for another race, but it was useless. She had her mind made up. Before I knew it, I was signing up for a 10K! Me....the "fat girl" who never even got to take gym in high school because her doctor thought she wasn't ...