Yea! That's the way you do it!

Yes! This is how you do it baby! (Pats myself on back)!!

I am almost half way to my goal of losing 100 pounds. Never thought I would be here again! I lost 60 a year or so again and then gained most of it back. I am praying this will the LAST TIME I do this. I want to lose the 100 pounds and then maintain. I have worked my butt off but I am enjoying it as well. Exercise, which used to be a "bad" word in my vocabulary, is helping me achieve my goal! I recently started spin classes and they are awesome! No way you can be in there and not work up a sweat! I feel so good when I finish my outwork regardless of waht it is. Yesterday I went to the Y to do a speed workout on the treadmill. I call it a speed workout because it was faster than I normally do but may not be "speedy" for some folks. Also I think the TM is notorious for not accurately calculating mph and or the distance I have gone. But I know I ran and I know I worked up a sweat. I was able to run for 4 miles without having to stop for a walk break. That is a first for me! Can't do it outside yet but that's okay. I remember the first time I tried to do the C25K program - when it got to running nonstop for more than 5 minutes I could not do it! I remember feeling such a failure but look at me now!! Persistance and dedication pays off baby!!

I am in a group called PIF (pay it forward) 500 mile club We are running for 500 miles this year and paying ourself or someone else can pay us .10 per mile and at the end of the year we give the money to a charity of our choice. Cool huh? See below for my current mileage:

Never in a million years would I have dreamed I could run, walk, or wobble for 1/2 a mile let alone 500 miles but I'm doing it baby!! And losing weight in the process. Can you tell I'm excited?

I hope everyone has an awesome weekend and remember to inspire someone today!

OA, Jeff Galloway IN PERSON and other ramblings

My OA meeting last night was great! We had two new members! How cool. We are started a "book study" and are going to study the 12 Steps and 12 Traditions of OA. Need I say that in the first three paragraphs I saw myself over and over. I am so glad I decided to do something positive about my food issues. Like I said at the meeting last night - it is not just about losing weight! It is about getting healthy and that is what I want to do. If I lose weight in the process - that is great too! Thank you God for 12 Step programs - they have literally saved my life!!

I went to the Y to run on Monday and it was packed! That is the first time I have seen it that full this year! I guess all those new year resolutions are in full swing! lol. I did the elliptical for 2.6 miles and still no treadmill available. I wasn't exactly dressed to run outside so I went upstairs to the cardio/core class. Wow and wow and ouch! The jump rope part almost killed me...he he... (not to mention my 52 almost 53 year old bladder wasn't happy either). I had not done that class before but I loved it. I will definitely do it again. But....now my right calf is hurting. I wonder if I strained it.....oh great...just what I needed. But I am taking it slow today. I didn't do anything yesterday as far as exercise. I did have a total of 19 miles last week so that was great, but no weight loss for that week but I am hoping a weight loss will show up this week for sure.

The Galloway running group that I am a part of is starting back this Saturday. And guess what??? The man, Jeff Galloway himself, will be there in person!!! I am too excited!! He will run with us that morning and he will be doing a three hour running school that afternoon. I can't wait!!  I will let you know how it goes.

MAKE it a great day everyone!

Race Report St.Jude Half Marathon pm 12/05/09. (December 14, 2009)

Monday, December 14, 2009 I completed my first half on December 5th. It was lots of fun and it was cold!!!! But I enjoy running the cold better than hot.Me, my DH, my mom, and friends stayed at the son's house. He and his wife ran as well. We all did great! We got there on Friday to pick up our packets and look at the expo. I bought a few things - a hat,which I needed for warmth, a pair of gloves and I bought one of those belts that holds your race bid. Thought that was cool! he he. I also had a "fanny pack" to wear and carry my Gu in. My son laughed and said I would have so much stuff on I would not be able to run! We ate supper Friday night at the Spaghetti Warehouse. It was great too! Here is me and Linda. I'm on the left sitting down.

I got up at 4:15 and ate a power bar and drank some coffee and water. Driving in was easy. No problem there. We parked and had to walk a bit but I just considered it a warm up. We stopped in The Peabody to use the restroom because we walked by there and I thought it would be a long line at the portapotty. I had so many layers on it took a while to go to the restroom. We had lots of time before the race started. We stood around trying to keep warm and waiting on others to get there. I was really excited.

Starting off was confusing at first. I decided we were in the wrong corral but then I decided it didn't matter because everyone was going to pass us anyway. But I did make sure we were not up front with the elite runners. That would have been downright uncouth and besides we would probably have gotten run over. I was awesome when we walked up a few steps and looked down at all the runners. I had never seen so many people in one place I don't think. The gun went off and we took off. I did ok till about mile 5. Started getting tired and I thought, "oh no! Can't get tired yet....too early in the game" but I took a Gu and keep going. Those hills were murder. When you train on flat land like I do, the hills are not too kind. The only "hill" to speak of in our town is the levee and that is a pretty big hill! We ran it twice and I believe that is where I might have torn my calf muscle so the last time we ran it I walked up and ran down. This was clearly not enough training for the "rolling" hills I encountered in Memphis. My new definition of "rolling" hills is - "NEVER ENDING" hills. That is what they were! But I was determined to finish. The supporters on the side of the street were amazing! Ruth Ann and I talked some as we ran and that always makes it go by quicker. When we were at about mile 5 and had just come off the river side, someone on the side of the road said, "way to go, you got it made now, the worst is over!" All I can say about that is - he must have NEVER run this race. (ha ha) The worst wasn't over but part of it was thank goodness! The scenery was great as well. We passed Elvis singing his heart out! Cool! I was told that there were St. Jude kids who came out to meet the runners but I never saw them. I think it was so cold they had to go back in before we came along. But it was still great. We did pass a house where the kids who had to stay for extending periods would stay and there were some people outside of that house. They were cheering us on and screaming. It was awesome. I won't go too long on this race report. Lets just say I did pretty good until about mile 11. I got so tired. Those hills were a major pain!! We were doing a 1:30 ratio. We ran for 1 minute and walked for 30 seconds. That ratio worked well for me on my long training run of 14 miles. But I took another Gu. I think all in all I took about 3 chocolate Gu and after the race I wish I hadn't. Something made me sick afterwards. I had to stop at potty THREE FREAKING TIMES! Oh well, at least there were no lines at them. (For me, this was the best site of all...ha ha)

The run through the park was very pretty, what I remember of it...I was in agony by this time. :( My chip time was 3:41:30. My watch had 3:25. I tried to remember to stop and start my watch at each stop we made but not sure how accurate I was. Having a garmin sure would help. I might get one for Christmas...yeah!!! My friend who ran with me, her son is a St. Jude child and when we ran through the St. Jude Campus it was very emotional for her and me! At one point a lady said, remember who you're running for and that pumped me up and gave me some extra energy. After all...we were running for those who could not. I can't wait to do it again! I plan to be a St. Jude Hero next time and raise some money for the event. It was very motivating. Another friend of mine took some pictures and I got some of them but not all. Will post others as I get them. Here I am at the finish line - I was giving a "thumbs up" to my family. Someone said it looks like I was doing something else....not!

Me and Ruth Ann at the finish line

'When the race was over I headed for the food and got a piece of pizza, a donut, three cookies, hot chocolate and two banana halves, water and a diet coke. My hands were full. I felt like a pig trying to get out of there with my hands full. And I was freezing. I didn't see the point of that silver blanket thingy they give you at the finish but on the walk back to the car I was extremely happy I had it. (don't look a gift horse in the mouth my mama said). I got sick to my stomach right after the race. I don't know it it was the post race food or the Gu. Just the thought of chocolate Gu makes me sick to my stomach now. I don't think I will use that again. I went home to my son's house and laid around on the couch all afternoon. So much for my shopping trip I though I would be able to do after the run! ha ha!! Later on that afternoon I got in the hot tub and that helped too. It was a wonderful weekend and I can't wait to do it again. My favorite part ----My son gave me a BIG HUG after I crossed the finish line. I hope I made him proud. I know I made myself proud. And I am so proud of my son, Jason, and his wife, Martha, for participating with me. It was a dream come true. I want to give a big SHOUT OUT to all my family and friends who participated with me and my family and friends who came to watch and to all those who had to listen and read about my struggles along the way. Thanks to my SparkPeople friends who encouraged me so much! It would not have been possible without each and every one of you guys! Special thanks to my hubby who allowed me to spend so much time on the road training and did not complain once! I love you! Can't wait for St Jude Marathon in 2010!!! Here are a few more misc pictures:

Our Jeff Galloway YMCA training group

Unable to complete long run. (November 9, 2009)

Monday, November 09, 2009 I was unable to complete my 12.5 miles this past Sat. No, it was not my pulled calf muscle but my right foot! It started hurting at mile 3 and I though..uh oh..this is not good! It was on the bottom and would go up through my ankle. I have had it before but not very much. It was not unbearable but by mile 5 I decided I would go home. Better to pull out on the training run than the actual race itself. I keep telling myself not to feel bad about it. I am so compulsive with things. But I did get up this am and go to Y and do 48 minutes on elliptical. I don't believe I burn the calories that Sparkpeople says I do but that's ok. But I was moving anyway! More than I have been lately. My husband went so I was motivated to go too. I told him to wake me up but he didn't believe I would go and I almost talked myself out of it when he did wake me up. (God! I wish I could break that habit!!!!) But all in all, I am not going to let Saturday get me down. I am going to look at the positive...after all, I did do 5 miles! It wasn't like I didn't do anything. I remember when 5 miles sounded like it was around the world and back! My how things change. MAKE it a great day everyone!

What I did after C25K (November 3, 2009)

Tuesday, November 03, 2009 Someone asked what I did after my C25K. I had joined the Y and was doing the C25K on the treadmill there. I saw an advertisement at the Y that offered a class that would "teach" me to run using the Jeff Galloway Training Clinic. I had seen that same advertisement a year or so ago but was too scared to go. This time I went. I joined the group and we began meeting for runs on the weekend and also getting "assignments" for what to do during the week plus lots of motivation and running tips from our fearless leader, Phillip. I was hooked from the get-go!! I was at first really self consciousness about my weight and how I looked when I ran but I am slowly getting over that. I still find it hard to run in broad daylight some afternoons even though I need to because I have an even harder time getting up to run in the morning time! But I made a decision that I would not quit no matter what and so far I haven't. I trained for the YMCA Cotton Classic 5k walk/10K run and when time came for the race I chickened out on the 10K and did the 5K walk. But that was a learning experience in itself. So many walkers were running. I was told if I was a walker I could not run but if I was a runner I could walk so I had wished I had signed up for the 10K but again fear got the best of me. So here I am 9 months later, after doing 5Ks, one 10K and, believe it or not, I am signed up for the ST. Jude Memphis Half Marathon on December 5th. (I can't hardly believe it either!) But I am having the time of my life. I have not lost any weight since I started running which was surprising to me at first but I never changed my eating habits either. I am having a hard time learning how to eat in order to run well but at the same time eating in order to lose some weight. So I have decided after the St. Jude Half I will concentrate on my weight loss and participate in a few races along the way but nothing major. I watched the New York Marathon and it really got me excited. I began to think I would like to do the New York Half. I really would. Maybe that will be a goal for me in the future. The problem would not be running the half but getting the funds to get me to New York in the first place. I have always wanted to visit there. But I will keep that in the back of my mind for now. I won't count it out! If your YMCA offers the Galloway Training Clinic you should check it out. I absolutely love it. I know I would not be where I am today without it (Thanks to our fearless leader, Phillip, as well). I never knew you could run/walk if you needed to. As long as I can do that I am okay. One day I want to be able to just run mainly but I will work on that when I have lost more weight. In the meantime, I may still be overweight but I feel better than I have in years. And I know if I keep it up, the weight will come off...just like everything else in my life....ONE DAY AT A TIME!