My Journey to Fit: A Forty-Something's Weight Loss Journey

Friday Mishmash

2012-06-01T05:00:00.000-05:00

I may have mentioned a time or two how I've started knitting (audience: oh REALLY???). I haven't found many knitters in my community - obviously they exist, or the local knitting store wouldn't be in business - but the other day I was in the waiting room at my dentist (no cavities, thanks for asking) and a woman sat down near me and started knitting in the round (using a double strand of yarn, no less) - I swear, it was all I could do to not immediately accost her with questions...as it was, I tried to not stare too much. Luckily for her, I was called in for my appointment fairly quickly. I really need to find a knitting group!

And in knitting news (nice segue, right?), I finished two windmill bags this week - a regular-sized bag, and a mini-me. Of course, it wouldn't be me if I didn't screw up, and I did - on BOTH. Same problem - I get one I-cord going the wrong direction. So...that makes me three for three with that error - at least I'm consistent? I've started another one - let's see if I can get through it without messing up. Honestly, with the I-cord, all it takes is for me to lay out the bag and double-check which direction to go...but by the third panel, apparently I think I've got it under control and don't check...and then I end up with the "Doh!" realization later on.

Pink, for a special girl - full size and a mini!

I thought the smaller one would be sweet as a doll bag, but it turned out a little larger than I expected. Plus, I should have shortened the handles...oh well, I'm still figuring all this stuff out. Still, it's cute, right?

********************

One nice byproduct of my Sit and Knit diet (besides the actual knitted projects) is that I've discovered some good British television shows...Downton Abbey was one, and last week I started watching Doc Martin, after years of hearing my mother talk about it. Now, I knew it was something about a doctor, but of course I always associated it with clunky shoes. It's good! And luckily, there are a lot of episodes to catch up on, plus it's still on the air. Sweet!

********************

The word verification on Blogger has been bugging me for a while now - TWO words? Half the time I can't even see the letters correctly - I give it a try, but if it doesn't work, I don't end up leaving my comment. And now? I noticed that along with a wobbly word, there was also a picture of numbers. What's next, a symbol that I have to describe? I know I sound like a cranky old lady, but for crying out loud, if you have word verification on your blog, please turn it off. I haven't had it for years and I promise you, I hardly ever get spam comments (not that this is a challenge, any spammers that might be reading!)(who am I kidding - they don't read - they just go back a year, pick a random post, and leave a link to their art website)(yeah, I don't understand the mindset behind that one, either), and if you do get one, it's easy to delete.

********************

Just because it's pretty:

Mini carnations (my fav - yes, I am a cheap date) in my mini disk pitcher

Just because it cracks me up:

I heer you mom, but I wait for my friend.

Paco, waiting patiently as he stares at the fence, where moments before his buddy Ginger, who was running around with him in the front yard, had slipped under. He sat and stared, looking around, but never moved, until she got tired of our backyard and came back out to play. Then they ran around again - too fast for me to get a good picture, but they had a good time!

********************

Tomorrow is my birthday, and I'm starting my 49th year off with a 4.5 mile run...because, why not, right? I'm also trying to bribe some of my running club peeps to come run with us (unfortunately some will be on vacation - lucky girl Julia is going to Cabo!) by offering ice cold watermelon as a post-run treat - we'll see if anyone is crazy enough to get up super early on a Saturday. Should be fun, regardless.

Have a great weekend!

Wednesday Workout Update

2012-05-30T05:00:00.000-05:00

My long run on Saturday was a rough one - I tried a couple of new things and let me tell you, they did NOT work out like I'd hoped. I could bitch and moan about the weather, too - but let's face it: I live in Texas. It's hot. End of story. We ran 4.5 miles, as planned...what wasn't planned was a mini breakdown around 1.75 miles in. But after a little hissy fit (Jeff can be SUCH a diva!), I made a couple of adjustments and the rest of the run went much better.

I started off wearing a Frogg Togg Chilly Pad around my neck - I saw a woman with one after the Wolf Pen race we did last month and was amazed at how cold the towel felt, even after she'd run a 10K. So I bought one for Jeff and I. Well, it does stay cold, I'll give it that. But it was bulky and heavy around my neck, plus it bounced around. I tried tucking it into my shirt but that didn't really help. Plus, I think the extra weight contributed to my feeling suffocated, and my breathing was back to the mess of panting/panic breathing that I thought I had gotten over. Combine that with my hat feeling wrong (I think I had my ponytail too high and the hat didn't sit right), which in turn kept hitting the top of my sunglasses, which kept sliding down my nose (thank you, sweat), and I was ripe for a breakdown. Luckily, it was short-lived - I was able to stop, readjust, take off the damn towel (and wipe my teary, sweaty face - the towel was cool, I'll give it that), take off the hat, and get back to running. Which went fine until I stopped for my "Gu at Tu" (thanks to Kim for coining that phrase!) - I was low on my favorite flavor, Chocolate Outrage, so I tried a different one - Espresso Love. Now, I love everything coffee flavored, but this GU was too strong for me - I couldn't even gag it down. Now I know - use what works, and what works for me is chocolate. Another lesson learned.

The one thing that was great about this not-so-great run? My legs. I don't know if it was the extra carbs I'd eaten for the last couple of days, or just that I've been running so often, but I didn't even notice them until close to mile 4. That was a nice realization - if I can get my lungs and emotions in order, my body should be good to go the distance!

Before...

Looking at the picture, I can see that my hat was on funny. And that towel...no. Just no.

And after:

Thumbs down to this run;

Wait, let me wipe the burning sweat from my eyes;

OK, maybe it wasn't so bad - after all, I just ran 4.5 miles. Thumbs up!

********************

Monday, Jeff and I woke up and ran 2 miles. Struggled a bit with my breathing again - what is up with that?!? Dislike. Later in the day, we headed out for sno cones, and actually walked there. Yes, it was 92 degrees, but we walked in the shade most of the way, and really, it was less than half a mile each direction. One thing about running is that it's made me realize how easy it is to cover some distance by foot.

Tuesday, Jenny and I ran 2 miles. It was funny - we were talking a lot as we ran, and at one point I was pretty breathless and said "I have to take a break" and started to walk, then glanced down at Ricky Bobby, saw that we were at mile 1.78 and said "I can't walk now!" and we started running again, with Jenny going all gung-ho trainer on me..."we'll run, no talking!" - which is what we did, and what I needed to do. It would have been silly to stop so close to 2 miles. Sometimes, I just need that extra push.

Tomorrow, Erica and I have 2 miles scheduled...seems to be the theme of the week! And then, I'll run a bit with Jenny - Erica and I run easy, so another little bit should be fine. Dribs and drabs all add up to stronger legs, though.

Memorial Day

2012-05-28T05:00:00.000-05:00

Continuing to enjoy the long weekend with Jeff - we had a long run on Saturday, saw The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel in a packed theater where, as Jeff joked, many Jitterbug phones were turned off at the beginning of the movie, ate fresh corn on the cob and watermelon for dinner, checked out some new running routes, and today have a short run on tap, followed by more relaxing, enjoying the warm weather, and quite possibly, a sno cone later on. Life is good, and I'm grateful for those who gave so much in the service of our country.

Der Misher und Der Masher

2012-05-25T05:00:00.000-05:00

Don't ask me why I'm channeling the Swedish Chef - I blame too much time alone. Luckily, Jeff's class for next week was canceled so he'll actually be in town for the whole week...I joked in an email to a friend that he'll probably expect unreasonable things, like dinner every night. What?? You mean a couple hard-boiled eggs, some cheese and a mega-ton of watermelon won't cut it? Geez.

********************

Speaking of watermelon, I am happy to report that despite the mid-90 degree temperatures, I'm staying well hydrated with watermelon. Lots and lots of watermelon. YUM. Now if the price of cherries would drop just a smidge, I'd be in fruity heaven!

********************

My hydration also took the form of a sno cone...and not just ANY sno cone, mind you, but one that happened to match my pedicure. Obviously I like blue:

The polish color is China Glaze's Towel Boy Toy; the sno cone flavor is blue coconut.

********************

There was some big excitement in my town yesterday - a 17-story building was imploded! I think just about everyone got up early and came out to watch it fall...how often do you get to see something like this happen, on purpose, after all? A little backstory: this was built in 1980 as a Ramada Inn and apparently was THE premier hotel in the area. Even my running buddy Jenny remembers taking homecoming pictures on the grand staircase - all the big events were held there. But, it was sold several times and fell into disrepair, and for the last few years it was an eyesore with broken windows and massive neglect. It sat right across from the university and made for quite the ugly sight. Finally, some developers bought it and are planning an apartment/retail complex. But first, they had to take down this building, and what better way than with explosives? It was interesting watching them get the building ready - they took out all the furniture, windows, insulation, etc, and toward the end, you could see through the building. The implosion was scheduled for 6:30 am yesterday - I put my camera on a tripod so it would be steady, zoomed in pretty close, and was lucky enough to get a couple of good shots as it came down. I was about a mile and a half away, just for reference. Here's the pictures (I ran them through a photo-editing "boost" to brighten them up, as the sun was just beginning to rise and it was still pretty dim):

Now you see it...

BOOM! Now you don't!

The demo people said beforehand that it would take 7 seconds for the building to fall - and they were right! I couldn't believe it came down that fast. If you're interested, click here to see lots of videos of the Plaza Hotel implosion. Afterward, a little girl who was standing near me said "that's the first time I've seen something like that" and I told her "me, too!" - her eyes got really big as I think she realized how lucky she was.

********************

It doesn't hold quite the excitement of an implosion, but still, I was pretty dang thrilled to finish my windmill bag this week. The handles came together quite easily, and we ended up wrapping the yarn on the opposite side for fun. I like it and think it will be great for holding a knitting project, or a change of clothes, or who knows? I feel so accomplished, having completed this:

Close up of the wrapped handles.

Bottom of the bag.

********************

We have a three day weekend ahead, thanks to Memorial Day on Monday. I know, you're probably thinking that every day is like a weekend for me, but this will be extra nice - it feels like the official start of summer. On that note, I'm thinking that (even more) watermelon and corn on the cob will be on the menu - hey, I just came up with dinner! ;)

Have a great weekend.

Wednesday Workout Update

2012-05-23T05:00:00.000-05:00

Jeff was still out of town over the weekend, so I lined up my Half Homie, Julia, to run 4 miles with on Sunday. She and I started together in our running club nearly two years ago, and I always love it when I get the chance to run with her. Sunday was no different - we took off, chatting and just enjoying the morning...a pleasant run interrupted only once by Julia's warning of the very large, freshly dead snake that I was close stepping on, and my ensuing shriek. Hey, whatever gets the heart rate elevated, right?

We share a love of purple as well as a love of running.

********************

Jenny had a busy day ahead of her yesterday so we ended up meeting very early (6:30 am) for our run - actually, I don't mind getting up so early, and the temperature difference between then and 8:00 am is usually significant, so we are probably going to continue with this start time. Of course, it happened to be about 74 degrees when we ran, but it should have been in the low 60s. Ah Texas...it's survival of the fittest when it comes to outdoor exercise for a good portion of the year!

********************

What has been working for me lately:

Running without music. I have my headphones on and my iPod ready to go, but I haven't turned it on for the last few long runs...never thought I'd want to run without my crazy playlist, but don't have any need for music right now.
Listening to sounds - my breathing, which for the most part has been much better on the panic/anxiety breathing front, and also, footsteps. It's especially noticeable when I run with someone and can hear the cadence of our footsteps as we run - it's a neat sound to zone out to.
My new water bottle (by Fuel Belt) - it doesn't leak!
Don't laugh, but taking a GU at mile 2 of my long runs seems to help. I know, another thing that "serious" runners would think is silly, but I can't eat before I run, no matter how early I wake up beforehand. My last two miles are always faster than the first two, so it must be the GU, right?
Training journals - actually, I've been using one for almost two years now. Just got my new one; I like keeping track of my running (and for a while, my swimming) in them.

Oldest one is on the bottom; newest is on top, ready for me to fill in!

Anticipation and Appreciation

2012-05-21T05:00:00.000-05:00

It's taken me a long time - too long, really, to appreciate myself. It's not just a self-esteem issue, although that has been a big part of my life...and I'll get to that in a minute. But I remember how, as a child, I couldn't wait for the next thing - a birthday, moving up a grade in school, going on the next campout - life was fun, but the next! best! thing! was just around the corner, I was sure of it. Of course now I look back and think "why didn't you relax and just BE in the moment"? A hard concept for a child to grasp...or maybe it was just my personality. Any case, that was pretty much how I continued to move through life, anticipating the future and the next great thing.

Cut to May of 2008 and my weight loss...those of us who've been habitual dieters are quite familiar with anticipation, be it stepping on the scale or trying on a smaller size in the dressing room - things that can all turn out good (yay! the scale moved down/I fit into this new size!) or bad, when sometimes I didn't see what I'd hoped for. And then, all of the work I'd put into this seemed pointless. All of my prior victories on the scale and in the dressing room were forgotten. I was still overweight, I was never going to get there, this was just dumb. Rarely did I appreciate how far I'd come, and enjoy where I was at that moment, because I was always anticipating the next amount of weight that I should be losing, or the next smaller size that I could be fitting into. That momentary thrill of a new low weight or a new smaller size was just that - momentary.

I spent most of my adult life letting myself be defined by a number either on the scale or on a clothing size tag. Which, logically, is completely ridiculous. But a number was something that anyone could quickly understand - and even now, when I'm asked how much weight I've lost, I still say a number, because that computes to most people. Back when my "weight problems" started, as a teenager, I spent many years convinced that I was overweight and would be happy if I could just see a certain number on the scale. Of course, I look back on pictures of those years and see how low my self-esteem had to have been, to think that way.

I haven't weighed myself in nearly a year. I honestly do not care what I weigh right now. This body is so much more than a random number on the scale, and I have never been happier than when I finally, finally realized and accepted that. The same goes for clothing sizes...back when I was busting out of my size 24 clothes, I was thrilled to fit into progressively smaller sizes. But now, thanks to a few years of being able to wear normal sizes, as well as seeing the absurdity of the variety of sizes that fit me (the tops that I bought when I was shopping with my mom last month were size small, medium, large and petite extra-large), I really don't care what number is on the label - I'm just thrilled that I can shop for clothes, find things that fit, and have options about what I buy.

So this is where I am, four years into my journey to fit - and it really has become about being fit. I have a body that is now capable of doing physical activity. I have a body that looks cute in clothes. I have a healthy-enough lifestyle that is allowing me to maintain my weight loss without having to be stringent about every morsel I eat. I am in the best shape of my adult life. And I'm determined to enjoy it now - I'm not going to make the anticipation mistake any more, because I sure don't want to look back in five years and think "why didn't you appreciate where you were?" Today - right now - it's enough.

In case you think I'm exaggerating, here's a few pictures of me when I needed to "lose weight":

In costume for my tap dance recital at age 19. See how I was trying to cover my huge thighs? I remember being grateful that the t-shirt covered up the rolls in my stomach, too. Yep. The ship has sailed on those legs - too bad I didn't appreciate them back then.

Shortly after I graduated high school - 18 years old and feeling quite large.

I put this one in because I remember the guy I was dating at the time wanted to buy me a polo dress from Land's End, and I was horrified at the thought of how that jersey knit would show every fat roll on my body. I know, I want to slap me, too.

My hope for you, whether you're just partially into your weight-loss journey, or nearing the end, is that you will stop and enjoy where you are, right at this moment, and not worry as much as I did about the final number. Because I doubt very much that our (far in the future, hopefully) obituaries are going to include our final weigh-in.

Friday Mishmash

2012-05-18T05:00:00.000-05:00

After four years of blogging, I finally reached my photo upload limit. I blame my week-long Beach Palooza recap (side note - I just reread those posts - dang, that was fun!). Nah, it's all good - basically I've used Blogger for free for all this time; now it's going to cost me $2.49 a month for the photos. Well worth it to support my crazy habit!

********************

Speaking of four years of blogging, thank you so much for the sweet comments on Monday's post. I love that not only did I hear from my regulars, but also from some people who I had no idea were reading my blog! Which is nice, because sometimes I wonder if it's just me and the same 10 readers...now I know - there are more, they just rarely comment. Which is perfectly fine by me - I get "comment overload" when I read blogs and don't always comment, either. I'm just glad y'all are here, whether you say anything or not.

********************

I finally got Jeff his medal hanger! It took me forever to figure out what to have it say - I had the word "tenacity" floating around in my head, as that described how he was toward training for his first half marathon, but it wasn't long enough for the hanger. I got some great suggestions from many of you and those eventually led to "TENACITY + SWEAT = MEDALS" - I worked with Joel at Allied Medal Displays to get the sizing and symbols right - as usual, he was wonderful to work with and I can't recommend this company enough if you want a really special medal hanger.

Sorry for the flash - it's the only way I could get the shot without the shadow of the letters on the wall.

A runner's wall.

********************

Sometimes I struggle with how much to put "out there" on this blog, because it's fairly easy to figure out where I live, and what stores I might be talking about...and I really try to not speak bad, publicly, about small businesses - I know that it's not easy being a business owner, and they are only human, after all. I said all that to say that things did not go well with the last class on my windmill bag - suffice it to say that when we started to sew up the sides, it became apparent that something major wasn't right. And you know, after paying a decent amount of money for the class and the yarn, I was pretty peeved because honestly, I could have made those kinds of mistakes on my own and spent the class fee on something fun. Sighhhhh. We ended up leaving our bags with the instructor at the store so she could figure out how to fix them. I had additional frustration because I'd already started a second bag, so I knew that one was messed up as well. I was able to pick up the first bag a day later, and brought the other one in so she could take the two panels apart and get them reattached in the correct direction. So now I'm supposed to do on my own - sew up the side panels - what we would have done in class...and we'll have yet another class this coming Tuesday to deal with the handles. One of these days, this bag will be finished, but for now, this is what it looks like:

Not any different from last week!

Here's the second bag I started - I used some different yarn (that I already had) - it doesn't have the texture like the yarn in the first bag, so I did the seed stitch on the pink, for variety. Guess what I discovered? Seed stitch is kind of a pain - it's boring, but you have to pay attention or you'll mess up (note the hole near one edge - oops, but I'm not too worried about that, as it should be hidden once I sew the panels together). Anyway, it's a good thing I discovered that I'm not a huge fan of that particular stitch, because I was considering doing a baby blanket with that as the border - which would have driven me crazy.

Pink for my favorite girl, who I'll be visiting in about 6 weeks!

I finally decided to do a diagonal baby blanket for my next project - I played with the pattern over the weekend making a washcloth, and liked that I could pretty much zone out while doing it, and still end up with a nice design. Here's the start:

With every row, you increase by a stitch until you get to a certain number, and then you start decreasing all the way down to the point...for such a simple pattern, it sure looks nice!

This is James C. Brett's Marble Chunky yarn - it comes in huge skeins so I only needed two. This color is Rosebush and it will sort of stripe/pattern itself as I knit. I like mystery yarns like this, and can't wait to see what the finished blanket ends up looking like!

********************

I saw this on Facebook yesterday and had to share - it describes, with absolute perfection, how my brain looks at math:

********************

Have a great weekend!

Wednesday Workout Update - Dribs and Drabs

2012-05-16T05:00:00.000-05:00

I can tell that all of my dribs and drabs of running are making a difference - I had a FANTASTIC 4 mile run on Saturday. The same 4 mile route that, last time I ran it (on March 10th), I was still doing 4:1 intervals, fought every hill, and only ran the last mile without stopping. This time? Not only did I run the entire distance, but the "hills" that were so challenging two months ago were nothing. Amazing how things have changed in two months. It really shows me how if I just keep at this, even with the little bits that I do, improvements happen.

********************

Monday's run was nice in that it was only 63 degrees...relatively cool! I'm sure that helped contribute to my best time so far - two miles in 24:15. In order to avoid that panic breathing, I start out pretty slow, but even my "slow" is getting faster. My first mile was 12:28; my second mile was 11:48! Woohoo!!! I broke the 12 minute mark! I realize that to most "real" runners, this is still incredibly slow, but for me? I'm thrilled.

********************

Commitment? Check...in the form of a, well, it would flow better to say "check" but in reality, it was a credit card since I did it online. Did what, you ask? Register Jeff and I for the BCS Half Marathon. I'm excited! This time around, I'll have a lot more time to train for the race, and plan on really easing my way into the longer distances - that, plus being a little more proactive on taking care of my legs and any aches and pains I have, will hopefully get me to the start line in one piece. Hurray - finally, I have another half marathon in my future!!!

********************

I quit the gym over the weekend - with all the running, I just have no desire to swim. Had the gym been closer to my house, I might have kept my membership, but it's a 20 minute drive each way, and that's not what I want to spend my time, or money (both gas and membership fees) on. Glad I had it when I couldn't run, but it's just not needed now. In the words of my son Max, "see ya, see ya, wally wally be ya!" *

********************

So after last Saturday's run, Jeff and I met my uncle for breakfast at Blue Baker - he went for a bike ride while we ran. It's still amazing to me that we do this...just a few short years ago, planning a run/bike route was not anywhere on my agenda. And look at us now:

Uncle Phil and me - sporty and stylin'!

*He came up with that phrase a long time ago...one of the many "Maxisms" that we still repeat to this day!

Four Year Blogiversary!

2012-05-14T05:00:00.000-05:00

This kind of snuck up on me - the anniversary of the start of my last diet and the beginning of my blog. Oh, and my new lifestyle. Minor thing, right? Actually, I think the fact that this date wasn't looming in my mind speaks volumes for how normal my new way of being is, and that in fact, it's not so new anymore. It's just something that I do - eat right most of the time, exercise several times a week - and not something that I stress over. Somehow, along the way, this has become my new normal. However, I don't dare let myself forget my past, because four years ago, if I hadn't tried one last time to lose weight, you know where I'd be? Still where I was.

I wouldn't have started blogging, and in the process, met so many wonderful people - and yes, I'm counting the online friendships as well as the in-person friendships. Since starting my diet and this blog, the size of my body has shrunk, but my world has expanded greatly.

I wouldn't have become a runner. I wouldn't have a half marathon medal and a bunch of race bibs hanging in my office. I wouldn't have had the confidence to go to the gym and swim for fitness. I never would have joined up with my trainer and flipped a tire, jumped on a high box or challenged myself the way that I did.

I'm grateful for the reprieve I seem to be receiving from my 20 year battle with food, dieting and weight gain. As with other addictions, I know that it is only a daily reprieve, based on the work that I put into it, but this has been the longest time I've ever gone, as an adult, at a normal weight. I look like a normal person from the outside. Inside? I know that deep down, I still have the ability to go on a food bender - and that was evidenced for several months last year when I was dealing with my ankle injury and my mom's illness. That said, I didn't throw all of my hard work away, and I was able to not lose my mind completely when it came to food, but that was a good reminder that I am not, nor will I ever be, cured of my tendency to be overweight.

Here's my journey, in pictures, from May 2008 to May 2012. Know what I see? Someone who, for the past 3+ years, has looked like a normal-sized person. Not a super-thin person, not a super-buff person, but just a plain old regular person. After two decades of being really overweight, I'll gladly take this. And I fully intend to keep doing what it takes to look like this for the rest of my life - that is a promise to myself.

Left - May 2008; Right - May 2009

Left - May 2010; Right - May 2011

May 2012

Finally, I have to thank you, my sweet readers, for all of your support, comments and friendship over the last four years - I seriously don't think I would have been nearly as successful with my weight-loss journey had it not been for blogging, and therefore, you!

Friday Mishmash

2012-05-11T05:00:00.000-05:00

Dear Kip,
I know you are a cat and act on your instincts, but when you actually catch a bird, I DO NOT want to see you with it in your mouth. That muffled meowing that I can hear is bad enough! And please, do not bring your prize to the back door. Although maybe I shouldn't assume you are showing me your fine hunting skills...are you trying to tell me something?

(image from this hilarious quiz)

********************

So did anyone happen to hear the angels singing around 4pm CST on Monday? See a rainbow, perhaps, or even a unicorn? I'm just wondering, because it was a magical moment for me, as I FINISHED THE BABY BLANKET!!! Yes, the bulky baby blanket, that I thought was so cute and wanted to knit it for my cousin Jill and her new baby - me, the new knitter, taking on a project like that - I actually finished it! I swear, my hands were shaking from excitement when I was done...the edge on this was quite a challenge, and I spent three separate days last week, for a total of 10 hours, at the knitting store, getting help with it. Plus I worked on it at home. The last step was to fold the edge over and pick up the stitches on the other side of the blanket and attach it as I cast off. I read and reread the directions over the weekend, and decided to try it on my own on Monday - and wonder of wonders, it worked! Here's the blanket - it measures 24" x 25.5" - almost a perfect square:

This will work as a squishy place to lay the baby, as well as a blanket to cover her (it gets pretty cold where Jill lives).

I loved the edge of the blanket when I first saw it - luckily, I was too new of a knitter to realize how much of a challenge it would be, or I probably wouldn't have taken on this project. I'm really pleased with how it came out, though.

Backside of the edge - the way the pattern had you do the attachment/bind off, it looks braided, which I think is cute! The knitting store woman thought I'd crocheted it, but no, it's knitted.

This was a labor of love, for my cousin, and her soon-to-be labor of love! My uncle (Jill's dad) will be here this weekend, so I'm going to wrap up the blanket and send it on with him as he travels to Jill's place. Nothing like a hand-delivered baby gift, right?

********************

I'm looking for my next baby blanket to knit (I have two more babies coming up - how exciting!). While I love love love how the bulky baby blanket turned out, that edge took a lot of work and I'm not ready to do that again anytime soon. However, what I loved about the blanket, though, was the edge - well, and the chunky look. I know, based on remembering what it was like with my babies, that I don't want to make anything "holey" as their little toes and fingers can get caught in the blanket. I also would like for the blanket to be fairly simple so I can knit while watching TV and not have to concentrate too much on the pattern. But I don't want it to be boring. Here's a couple that I found on Ravelry that I'm considering - any thoughts/suggestions from my knitting readers?

Chunky stripes - cute, and I'd get a lot of practice with starting new skeins/changing colors.

This is called the "eight-hour blanket" - somehow, I don't think I'd finish it in that time. I do like the edge stitch, though.

Seed stitch blanket - looks cute, right?

This one is called the "very easy" baby blanket. Again, I would not take that name literally, but I like the pattern.

And just in case you weren't entirely sick of reading about knitting, here's a shot of my windmill bag - this Tuesday we have our last class on it, and we'll learn how to sew up the sides and graft the handles - et voila, eet vill be dun! (no idea why I turned French there...really, with a windmill bag, I should be speaking Dutch. Fran, any help?)

Sigh. Well, I THOUGHT I was almost finished with this bag...notice anything wrong? The stupid handle on the dark pink is on the wrong side, and I didn't see it until I laid the pieces out for this picture. You know, this is pretty much par for the course with the way I knit...one little distraction (in this case, a rain-soaked Kip trying to climb into my lap) and BAM - I'm off. I'll undo it and make it right. This is also why I like to have a few different projects going at the same time, so when I get frustrated with one, I can set it aside and move on with something else for a while.

Speaking of knitting (oh WERE we???), you'd think that with all this knitting I've been doing, my Sit and Knit diet would be working wonders and I'd be all svelte and such. I'm very sorry to report that you would be wrong...even though I've been too busy to eat much, apparently knitting burns so few calories that it doesn't seem to be making a big difference, dang it!!! There goes my great diet plan, and my claim to fame.

********************

Remember when I called Jeff and Will "twins" on Monday's race recap? Further evidence exists in the official finish line shot:

I'm thinking they should take up synchronized swimming since they're so good at synchronized running!

********************

Not much else to report on today, as this week has been all about two things for me - running and knitting. Jeff and I are going to run 4 miles tomorrow, just for fun. I know, it even sounds a little crazy to me! Our goal is to get me up to a good 5 mile long run base by mid-June, when running club starts back up. And then? More running!

Have a great weekend!

Wednesday Workout Update - I am TIRED!

2012-05-09T05:00:00.000-05:00

I am tired, and I really don't know why...yes, I've run a lot of days, but not a lot of miles, really. I ran about 9.5 miles last week, and this week, starting with Sunday's race, I've already run a little over 7 miles. Like I said, not really a lot of miles, but I ran three days in a row, so maybe that's it. My quads are tired, and until I ran yesterday morning, my ankle wasn't an issue, but it kinda started hurting more than it has been, so I guess it's a good thing today is a rest day. Tomorrow, I lost my mind and agreed to run with both Erica and Jenny - separately. My calendar says:

5:45 am - run with Erica
7:45 am - run with Jenny
9:00 am - die (or at least take a nap)

What can I say, I'm a social runner! Given the opportunity to run with someone, I'm going to take it...I never know when my next lonely run will be, so I choose to be with other runners whenever possible. Anyway, since a post about how tired I am is boring, I thought I'd include some pictures of my mom that I took when she was here last month - we went for a walk and run (well, me) around the scary statue park one day, and after we were done with our speedwork (seriously, you should see my mom walk - for a short person, she is insanely fast), we took a leisurely walk and I made her pose with the statues - and how much fun is it that she was game?

Revolutionary war soldier - I kept thinking the statue seemed short, until I got some perspective... ;)

Texas soldier - this is the statue that startles me just about every time I run around the corner.

That's right, my mom was making friends with Texas!

The World War II airman modeled after the first President Bush. Mom is trying to figure out what he's looking at.

Korean war soldiers on guard while Mom stands at ease.

There was one more statue, but it was on a granite rock and I couldn't convince my mom to climb up so I could take her picture with it. Next time...

Wolf Pen 5K and 10K Recap!

2012-05-07T05:00:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, Jeff and I ran the first annual (hopefully) Wolf Pen 5K and 10K - this race was held in the same park where Jenny and I like to run, so it was quite cool to actually race there. The race benefited seven non-profits in the area, and I liked that when we signed up, we got to choose which organization we wanted our share of the fee to go toward (while all were very deserving, we picked the local animal shelter, former home of Paco, Kip and Henry). This race had some minor issues, like no safety pins for the bibs (and there weren't even holes punched in them), and no one on the course directing the racers - just orange cones - but overall, for the first race done by a fairly young race director, Pam, it was a good one. I have to give her big props for being open and willing to change, because when I saw the course she originally chose, I emailed her about it, as it looked dangerous to me - she had runners sharing a single lane with traffic on the access road, where vehicles travel around 60 MPH. I was pleasantly surprised when, about a week later, she emailed me back saying she'd changed the route...wow! I loved that she put runner's safety above her ego, and to me, that speaks volumes about her character. So well done, Pam - I hope you do this race again next year!

Packet pickup was the morning of the race - I was surprised that we all received technical shirts as part of the package:

My lack of sleep before a race is pretty evident with the bags under my eyes, gah!

Twins! Will and Jeff, ready to run!

Me and my original half homie, Julia - hard to believe that we started running together almost two years ago!

Dramatic pre-enactment of how we looked crossing the finish line (never mind that we were facing the wrong direction, lol!)

Before the race, they had a 100 yard "boot dash" for the kids, although only a couple kids actually wore their boots. They were so cute!

Lined up, ready to run...

Run!

The final finisher - she was adorable!

The little kids made it look so fun that some of the bigger kids wanted to have their own race:

The guy in the cowboy hat was wearing boots...

...which apparently aren't the easiest things to run in!

Jeff and I, pre-race.

Julia and I having fun, waiting for the start.

So I ran the race, and I have to tell you, this whole "running" thing is getting easier for me. I didn't have the panic breathing problem at the beginning, and that first mile felt really good! Although it was really warm (about 77 degrees), it was overcast and there was a slight breeze, so it didn't feel too bad. Jeff wanted me to slow down a bit, but honestly, I was feeling so good that I didn't want to. Which kinda came back to bite me toward the end of the race, but oh well. It was fun! My finish time was 37:43 - average pace was 12:38. My first two miles were 12:14 and 12:27. We shall not speak of that third mile, lol. Nah, it was fine...13:01. I'm happy with it, and quite pleased with how much I've improved in just two months of racing.

My new favorite post-race position:

Ahhh! If I only had a pit crew to lay out a blanket and a pillow, I'd be completely set!

We trailed Will the entire race, and after Jeff and I finished, he decided that he felt good enough to jump back on the course, catch up to Will, and run with him for the rest of his 10K. I know Will appreciated it - it's dang hard to keep going on a 10K when most of the runners stop after 5K - and this course had you running it twice if you were doing the 10K, so he'd seen the finish line and had to keep going. While Jeff was off running, I hobnobbed with the winner of the 10K, who had passed us as we were getting close to finishing the 5K - yes, he's quite fast!

Gustavo Roman, Jr. - pretty much, if you see him at a race, he'll be the winner. And he's still in high school! This young man has talent...I wouldn't be surprised to see him on the cover of Runner's World soon.

Yesterday was also Lemonade Day, and after the race I bought the best tasting cup of lemonade I've ever had from these two cuties:

Luckily I had my emergency $5 in the pocket of my water bottle - I've been carrying it around since the fall of 2010. My need for lemonade was definitely an emergency! The bigger kid even made change for me; I was pretty impressed with the salesmanship and service they provided.

Here comes the 10K finishers:

Julia, beating the boys...nice job, peeps!

Our USAFit BCS gang - racing diehards.

Oh! Remember how Julia kept winning a doorprize at every race we did last month? Well, guess who was the winner yesterday? ME! I know! I was pretty surprised too...and really, she probably only didn't win because it was a drawing, and Julia was still out running when they were taking the entries and announcing the winner. So what did I win?

Four pint glasses and a tour for four at a local micro brewery! Cool!!! Now, I don't drink, mind you, but still - I'm just thrilled to win something! I'll set up Jeff and three friends for the tour one of these days...I'm sure they'll enjoy it. I've already had some iced tea using my new glass - how fun!

Unless there's a surprise race in town that I haven't heard about, this race will finish our racing season. We've had a lot of fun with these 5K's and it's been so wonderful to be able to race again, and nice to actually race with Jeff - something I never imagined we'd be doing back in 2010, when I started doing 5K's. I guess you never really know what's around the bend, right? Anyway, thanks for putting up with race recap after race recap...next week, I'll be back to some more normal posts.

Friday Mishmash - Yays and Boos

2012-05-04T05:00:00.000-05:00

Yay to EmDub, who is the winner of the Snikiddy snacks and $25 grocery store gift card giveaway!!! Email me (40somethings journey@gmail.com) with your name and address so I can pass it on to my contact - congratulations!!!

********************

Boo to Athlete's Honey Milk! They recently changed their name to Core Power, (I don't understand why a successful would company do this) but that's not where my dismay is coming from - I'm upset that they discontinued their coffee light flavor! I have been hooked on that stuff for a year and a half now and was buying it regularly, by the case. Apparently the powers that be decided that it's not a popular flavor - REALLY??? Ever heard of Starbucks? I'm pretty sure anything coffee-flavored is popular...and dang it, I liked it! Now what? When I discovered this flavor isn't available, I emailed them with my dismay but never heard back. Way to discourage your previous customers, ~~Athlete's Honey Mile~~ Core Power.

********************

Yay/Boo to "domain name" spam email - Yay because it's so ludicrous it entertains me, but Boo because seriously, does this really work? If you're not familiar with this, these are emails sent basically saying "the domain name bleeptybloopty.com is for sale and can be yours for the low low price of whatever - improve your web traffic and buy it today!" - the latest one that I received - "toastergrill.com" - had me puzzled as to where they made the connection with that particular name to my blog, but then I remembered the Pinterest picture I posted of the sideways toaster making cheese toast (warning: don't try this at home - my toaster caught fire!)...oh! Quite the stretch, but OK. Still, I'll keep my $375 and take my chances with web traffic.

********************

Yay for understanding a little more with knitting! I've learned how to do an I-cord for my windmill bag, and also an edging technique (knit, knit, slip, slip, knit)...and with help, I'm able to pick up stitches to start another panel. It's quite fun to see this bag progress, and naturally, I'm already planning my next bag(s).

You can see the where the windmill bag got its name - I just need to knit the last panel (pink) and then sew up the sides and graft the I-cords together. Good thing I have another class on Tuesday, because I have no idea how to get that pink section attached at an end AND a side!

********************

Yay to the ladies at the knitting store - I spent FIVE hours there yesterday, working on the edging of the baby blanket that I'm making. Their patience was much appreciated - not only did they help me learn a new technique (picking up stitches), but then they helped immensely in figuring out how to pick up 60 stitches per side when I'd only cast on 53 (per directions...yes, a bit strange, but it worked out and I got all 240 stitches picked up). I've had the body of the blanket finished for nearly a month now, but was too intimidated by the edge to get started. However, the baby is due in less than 8 weeks, so I had to get going with it! The edge involved math and geometry, which taxed my brain like you wouldn't believe. The good news is that I'm well on my way:

Close up of the double strand pink edge and the markers at each corner - how fun, I'm getting to use some of the knitting accessories I've bought!

The blanket is gathered right now because I'm knitting the edge in the round - yet another new technique for me! When I'm done it should lay flat...at least, that's the theory.

********************

Boo to my lazy self for being too tired to take a decent picture for Fashion Friday...I was beat after my knitting extravaganza, so just propped the camera on my counter for a quick shot. This is another one of my new tops, bought when my mom and I were shopping mavens last month. I love the style - it's so comfortable and drapes just enough that I'm not self-conscious about my stomach.

Butterflies!

********************

Yay for one more race this weekend! It's a 5K/10K and a 100 yard boot dash (only in Texas, lol) and it should be a lot of fun. Look for Julia to win another doorprize! I'll be back Monday with a recap - yay? Have a great weekend!

Wednesday Workout Update - Random Running Thoughts

2012-05-02T05:00:00.000-05:00

"Run the mile you are in" - Runner's World posted that on their Facebook page yesterday, and it struck me: I seem to spend so much of my runs worrying about what's around the corner - the hill (ugh, so high!), the distance (ugh, so far!), the wind (ugh, so strong!), the heat and humidity (ugh, TEXAS!) that I tend to not focus on and better still, enjoy the moment. Because I really DO love to run. I think it's just in my nature to want the circumstances to be perfect and easy...and we all know that doesn't happen very often when it comes to running! But I am going to work harder on the mental aspect of it, and just BE a runner and stop fighting everything else that comes with it.

********************

I don't normally tally up my mileage for the month, but I was curious how my little dribs and drabs added up: I ran about 37 miles in April! That pleases me immensely.

********************

I ran both Monday and Tuesday mornings this week - two miles each day. The interesting thing is that while my first mile is slow, my second mile has been just under 12 minutes...11:59 on Monday and 11:54 on Tuesday! I was fairly spent after the second mile, and wouldn't do this during a 5K at the moment (as there is still that pesky third mile to do, lol), but it feels GREAT to push myself like this! Don't get me wrong - it's still as much a mental challenge as it is physical, but as I get closer to the end of that second mile, I know that I've got it.

********************

When I run with Jenny, I'm used to her or I talking encouragement out loud - things like "we can do this" and "we're doing great" and "just to the bridge and we'll be done" - don't laugh, it really helps! I was doing that on Monday when I was running with Jeff, and he was answering me, which cracked me up - as much as we've been running together, he's usually the one doing the talking while I try ~~not to die~~ to focus on the running.

********************

Tomorrow I'm running with Coach Erica - just a couple of miles. I didn't plan on running four days a week, but so far, these short runs, plus the one longer run on the weekend, don't seem to be bothering me...and as I'm a social runner, I hate to pass up a chance to run with someone. While I'm still a bit cautious, I think I'm getting over my injury paranoia - I've had several runs where it's only later that I've realized I didn't worry about my ankle! Yes, there is still a bit of pain, but not much, and completely bearable, especially if it means I get to run.

A very pleased-with-herself sweaty runner early Monday morning!

********************

P.S. Don't forget to enter the Snikiddy snacks/grocery store gift card giveaway - click here!

BCS Realtors 5K Run For Shoes Recap!

2012-04-30T05:00:00.000-05:00

If it's Monday, it must be time for yet another race recap, right? Fear not, we're nearing the end of racing season here, so regular posting will resume soon. On Saturday, Jeff and I met up with racing buddy Julia for the BCS Realtors 5K Run/3K Walk For Shoes race - this is a fundraiser that our local realtors have done for 14 years now - they raise money to buy shoes for local school children. As this race had two distances, there were a lot of families, kids, strollers and dogs around, so that was entertaining. Wish we could bring Paco to something like this, but he turns into Cujo when he's around other dogs, which can be a bit embarrassing.

This was a nice flat course - I've run the area previously, back when I was training for my half marathon in 2010. I knew that there was only one slight incline, so it should have been pretty easy. Hah! Famous last words. The race didn't start until 9:00 am, and it was warm. Like, 75 degrees warm. And windy, naturally. That makes for a bit more of a challenging run - we had a headwind for close to a mile, plus we were running in the direct sun. Later starts for these fun runs are nice in that we don't have to wake up super early, but we sure pay for that with the weather. Trade-offs...oh well.

I did OK for the first two miles, but my pace definitely dropped during the last mile. And then, our Garmins beeped, signifying that we were at 3 miles - but we were not anywhere near the finish line. A 5K is 3.1 miles, and running a little extra is normally no big deal, but as we all know, running is a mental thing - and having to keep going was tough! I can't tell you how much I wanted to stop running when our Garmins showed 3.1 miles (and it was interesting, because you could see people ahead of us hesitating at the exact spot, kind of like "hey, I should be done by now"), but we kept running. I had no kick at the end - the heat got to me. Total distance ended up being 3.3 miles - yes, nearly a quarter mile longer than it should have been! I think they didn't get the course measured accurately because we started on a path through a park, and that is hard to measure on Map My Run. So we ended up running 3.3 miles in 41:57, with an average pace of 12:42.

Couple of other notes: I had my headphones on and my iPod ready to play, but I started out not running with the music on - I wondered if it would help with my panic breathing issue. And? I think it did - at least, the breathing went much smoother. However, I probably should have turned on the music during that last mile because it might have taken my mind off how hot I was. The other thing is that I had my headphone cord in the front instead of the back like I normally do, and I kept catching my water bottle on it. Took me a while to figure out why that was happening - oops. Guess I just got distracted when I was putting them on.

And now, a few pictures:

My new running skirt, and my hopefully leak-proof new running water bottle!

Lots of pink...water bottle, Road ID, shirt, headphones - what can I say, I know what I like!

Jeff and I, ready to run. He wanted to know what matching shirts we were going to wear for this race and was disappointed when I said I was wearing pink - can you believe he didn't want to match my pink shirt?!?

Julia and I, ready to get our run on!

Back of the start line, right where I like to be.

And done! My face is as pink as my shirt - I was a hot, sweaty mess. But look at that cute dog in the picture - he ran the 3K...what a good boy!

A shady spot in the grass was calling my name...

Perfect place to hang out while we waited for raffle winners to be drawn.

Jeff's hair after he'd been laying down in the grass...frightening!

Another raffle with tons of prizes, and another time that Julia was the only winner in our group. She won a year's membership to a Zumba gym! Last week, she received a gift certificate to a BBQ place as her prize for wearing the most teal - she texted her husband "winner, winner, BBQ dinner" - this week, she texted him "winner, winner, getting thinner" - that girl just cracks me UP! Congrats, Julia!

Friday Mishmash - On the Radio

2012-04-27T05:00:00.000-05:00

I did a phone interview for America's Test Kitchen radio a while back (end of January, which explains why I talk about swimming and not running) and it finally aired. Eeeeek! I was both nervous and excited to hear how it came out, as I had to think on my feet and try to answer questions - which is not something I'm accustomed to doing! The host, Christopher Kimball, has the nicest voice and was really kind, which I appreciated. I tried not to be self-conscious as I spoke - it was hard not to, though, when you don't know what they are going to ask, yet you know they're recording the entire time you're talking. Anyway, here's the link to the show if you want to listen - the segment that I'm in starts just after the 11 minute mark. My voice is the first quote you hear, then a couple of experts in the diet field, then more of me. The segment is called "Do Diets Work?" and I think they made some good points with it..weight loss is definitely possible, although as we all know, it's not easy.

********************

In Sit and Knit diet news, I took a knitting class that began Wednesday night - we are making a "windmill" bag, which can be easy or complicated...naturally, I'm starting with easy! Although we have two weeks before the next official class, the other student (who also shares my name although she spells it differently) and I are zipping in this morning to get some extra instruction on adding the second of four panels to the bag. Which meant that I had to knit close to 100 rows yesterday - not too terribly hard, unless you're me. I was rolling right along and nearly at 50 rows when I realized that my piece had come in on one side - I stopped and counted the stitches, and only had 19, which was a problem as I'd started with 20. Unraveled and I'm pretty sure I've gotten it corrected, but you know what? It's just a bag - if I have one wonky row (there is a chance some stitches might be twisted but I can't really tell), it's OK. Here's the yarn I chose - it's a nubby cotton and I love how it feels:

I had to use the front window to get the light right for the picture...and nosy nose instantly needed to see what I was doing...

...and then check out the neighborhood for any mail people or delivery drivers that needed barking at.

The other neat thing about making this bag is that it uses the "pick up stitch" technique that I need to do to put the edge on my bulky baby blanket, so I'm hoping that after I learn it for the bag, I'll get up the nerve to finally edge and finish the blanket. Win-win!

********************

In case you missed my post yesterday, I did a review and giveaway for Snikiddy snacks - click here to enter if you want a chance to win both some snacks and a $25 grocery store gift card! Winner will be announced next Friday.

********************

Fashion Friday continues with another top that I got when my mom was here - it's similar to last week's tiered top, but pink. I paired it with my white denim capris, and then for fun, my new darker denim capris:

I think I like how I look in the darker capris more at the moment, but give me another month of running and I suspect I'll be happier with my legs, and therefore the white capris.

Of course, most of my pictures looked like a version of this:

Not only is he leaning into me, he's standing on my foot. Silly dog!

********************

Tomorrow is, you probably guessed it, another 5K race. At first I thought they bunched them up all in March and April here because of the impending hot weather, but seeing as other Texas cities have more races throughout May/June and even July, now I'm thinking it's because we are a college town and after mid-May, the students leave...and apparently that's who race organizers think run these races. Not entirely true, but since I'm not in a position to change that, all I can do is run every race while there is one. Any case, I'm looking forward to tomorrow's race, and hope to run just one second faster than last week. I know, lofty goal, right?

Have a great weekend!

Snikiddy Snacks Review and Giveaway!

2012-04-26T05:00:00.000-05:00

I get offered a lot of stuff to review (although sadly, not a Mini Cooper), and I turn down most of it. Why? Because ~~it's crap~~ it's mostly products that not only I wouldn't use (diet supplements), but also wouldn't recommend. Although I freely admit to accepting pretty much every running product that has come my way - hey, I'll sell out for shoes and clothes, but you'll still get my honest opinion about them. That said, I hesitated before saying yes to the Snikiddy snacks, because honestly, I try not to eat chip-type snacks, period. But they not only offered chips for me to try, but a giveaway that includes some of their snacks and also a $25 grocery store gift card, so the lucky winner can use it to buy some fruit and veggies and assuage my guilt at being responsible for a nice box of snacks arriving on their doorstep. And with that out of the way, here's what I received in the mail last week:

Fries, chips and puffs!

Our son Sam was home for a couple of days, so he, Jeff and I broke into the bags and did a taste test. We all ended up preferring a different flavor. I was most intrigued by the "Eat Your Vegetables" chips after reading the ingredients - first listed? Navy beans. Yep, I'd say that was definitely a vegetable! I ended up not really liking these - just didn't think they had much of a taste. They weren't Sam's favorite, either, but Jeff really liked them. As for the Baked Fries, Sam voted them his favorite, while both Jeff and I were just OK with them. The Grilled Cheese Puffs, on the other hand, were pretty tasty to me...like an airy, light Cheeto. Plus, you get a huge amount in one serving:

All of this for 120 calories!

That said, I didn't eat an entire serving - I'm really trying to not eat "junk food" - and even though these snacks are healthier than a lot of bagged snacks, I'm not doing myself, a formerly overweight person, any favors by eating them. I will say that they were good enough that I had Jeff take them to work (I believe in not making my life harder than it has to be when it comes to food, at least at home). I hear that there ARE people out there who don't struggle with their weight or overdoing it on certain foods, and for them, these would make a decently healthy snack/treat. Unfortunately, I'm not one of them. But that's OK.

If you want a chance at winning a prize package of 3 bags of Snikiddy snacks and a $25 grocery store gift card, are 18 years of age or older, and live in the U.S., leave a comment telling me you want in - I'll draw a winner next Thursday and post it in the Mishmash on May 4th (interwebs willing). Snikiddy will mail you the prize, I'm just the middleman. If you don't want to wait to see if you're the winner, you can download a coupon for a free bag here. Good luck!

FCC: Snikiddy sent me three bags of snacks to try - the review is all my own opinion.

Wednesday Workout Update - What's the Plan, Stan?

2012-04-25T05:00:00.000-05:00

Running club is done until late June - and while we have a couple more 5K's on tap for the next two weekends, I'm not training for anything in particular. Which is a dangerous thing for Lazy Shelley. Old habits are just too easy for me to fall back into, moreso with exercise than eating. While I know that eating right is my first line of defense in maintaining my weight loss, exercise helps, too. In the last couple of weeks, I've considered the following:

Going back to my old trainer, Brad. I did enjoy the small group workouts, and my body definitely looked fitter when I was doing them. However, I would have to commit to a 12 week plan, and more importantly, PAY for it. He wasn't cheap, and his prices, like everything else in life, have increased. I'm not working, and really can't justify that expense. Plus, there are things I'm not willing to do anymore (basically any jumping move) because I don't want to make my not-quite-healed ankle any worse, and that would mean modified workouts...which he would do, but still. Mostly it's the high cost that is stopping me.
The pool. I either need to get back to the gym and start swimming again, or else let that membership lapse...no need to be paying for something I'm not using. While I don't think I get a great workout with swimming (mostly because of what I put into it), I did see changes when I was swimming five days a week. Now that I'm running, I wouldn't swim that often, but a couple of days used as cross-training would do me some good.
Yoga. I really enjoyed my outdoor yoga classes last summer/fall. They haven't started up again - I wish they would, as I'd be be back there in a heartbeat. I know that they would not only be good for me with muscle strengthening, but also might help me with controlling my breathing, and I could apply that to my running. I could look for another yoga class, but that is really stepping outside of my comfort zone - it was hard enough to go to this one.
Running. Well obviously, I'm going to keep this up! My plan is to run between 2.5 - 3 miles on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and then do a 5 mile long run every Saturday. I like that distance for a "standard" long run - it should take about an hour, and I won't be too sore afterward. And then, when running club starts back up, I'll have a decent base to being training again. Training for what, you ask? Well, I'm going to try for another half marathon, but I'll continue to reevaluate and see how everything feels along the way...while I'd like to do few more, I don't want to do so at the cost of another dumb injury where I can't run at all.

Honorable mentions to the above list include biking (but with my cruiser bike, that's more of a leisure activity at this point) and at-home core work...while she was here, my mom and I were talking about making up a schedule of what to do, workout-wise, on what days, as I just forget to, say, do some planks in the evening. (and hello, could that last sentence have any more commas?) So I'll make up some sort of schedule...and stick to it.

Speaking of running, I felt so good after Saturday's 5K that I willingly woke up early on Monday morning to run with Jeff. Crazy, right?!? We did his standard neighborhood/store parking lots loop, which was 2.6 miles. Here's proof:

Sweaty and red-faced...perfect way to start off the morning!

Close up of Ricky Bobby showing the distance...and a bonus picture of Paco showing what he really thinks about all this running business!

Jenny and I ran yesterday, so I've got 5 miles under my belt already - have I mentioned how happy I am to be running again? It's nice to be back!

Teal Ribbon 5K Recap!

2012-04-23T05:00:00.000-05:00

What a fun race. With a cool temperature of 55 degrees(!), a start time of 9:00 am, and a 10 minute drive from home, this was such a relaxed morning...no traffic to deal with, and it was even daylight when we left the house! I even slept pretty good before the race - only woke up a couple of times, which is normal for me. Usually I'm tossing and turning all night before a race - WHY, I have no idea - it's not like I'm racing racing, you know? But I felt calm going into this - I think that knowing it was only a 5K, and I could do that (I could, I could!!!) gave me some confidence.

Henry posing with the cute teal ribbon soap that came in our packets...sure, we got a race t-shirt, but how cute is this soap?!?

The Teal Ribbon 5K was done by our local Sexual Assault Resource Center, and the race director happened to be Cary, who was in our running club this last season! This was the first time they've done a race, and it went really well. It was in Downtown Bryan - I've run the Downtown Derby there before, so I knew that the course would be pretty flat, which of course, is my favorite. The only hard part ended up being the first half mile, as we were running directly into the wind, which was blowing a little over 20 mph. Really, wind - again?!? But I could see ahead to the point where we would turn, and I knew that the wind wouldn't be an issue after that, so I just powered through it.

My goal for this race was to run the entire time, and also hopefully finish faster than I did my last 5K, which was 39:01. And? I achieved both goals!!! While I struggled a bit with the panic breathing at first, my legs felt good and I knew that I was going to be able to keep running. Our finish time was 37:18 - average pace was 12:30! But get this: my first mile pace was 12:13. I didn't intend to start out that fast - really, I'd planned on doing that mile in 13 minutes, but I guess the starting excitement, plus powering through the wind made me a little faster. Second mile was 12:46, third mile was 12:32. Not bad, not bad at all!

Pictures!

Yes, my jacket matched the balloons...I was quite pleased with that!

Julia! My USAFit running buddy from the very beginning - love seeing her smiling face! And how cute was her outfit?!? I was so proud. :)

Just having a good time before the race...

Wearing our Brazos Running Company technical shirts!

At the starting line...er, crack. Seriously - we stood behind a crack in the road! I liked the small-town feel of that.

See? I wasn't kidding about the starting crack!

I lined up at the back, where I like to start (no worries about getting in the way of serious runners). Jeff took some pictures, and I laughed later, when I uploaded them and saw the girl in the orange shirt finally give me a look like "who are you and why so many pictures?!?"

Look, I'm really running!!! See the nice, flat course? My kinda race!

Finished - with the race director, Cary, who did a great job with her first race!

Jeff, me, Julia and Will - USAFit BCS, finishers!

I promise, I didn't know until after I'd signed us up for the race, but Red Mango was a sponsor and our favorite manager (who sadly is going to be leaving the state soon), Cam, was there, making smoothies for the racers! Deeelicious!

Wake up, run 3.1 miles, get a smoothie. What more could you want? Except for, maybe, some dance tunes???

Hammer Time - Will and Julia getting their groove on!

Random runner - do you think she got to do the race in a baby jogger?

Julia won the prize for the best teal costume - most deservedly, I have to say!

All in all, this race was everything I'd hoped it would be - a fun morning spent with good friends, enough running to regain my confidence, and a great start to the weekend!

Friday Mishmash - Feels Like Summer!

2012-04-20T05:00:00.000-05:00

I am all ready for summer, thanks to a care package from sweet Katie J:

Flip flops, a huge beach towel (with my blog flower on it...haha, do you like how I "own" the hibiscus?), and a cool insulated cup, again with my blog flower! So cute - and how does she know I love pink???

She also included a Sweaty Band, which I can't wait to try!

First shot - the light didn't work, but I had to include this because of the background subject...

Katie, you really shouldn't have...but I'm glad you did! Thanks so much!!

********************

Gecko. Newt. Salamander. Lizard? I really have no idea what this is, or if there is a difference between all four (there must be, otherwise why the different names?), but this guy was hanging around while I took the Sweaty Band pictures and I thought his color was so pretty:

I don't mind these guys when they are outside. But every once in a while, they slip inside the house, and then? All bets are off - it's just them and the cats. And sometimes? The cats win.

********************

Speaking of pets, I wish you could see how well Paco sits and waits for his treats...he will wait until the cows come home (or we say OK, whichever comes first). Once a month, he hears the Heartgard package crackling and is RIGHT THERE, waiting for his treat. This month I tortured him by placing the treat on my knee and taking several pictures before he got the OK...my dog. So fun. And this helps to make up for all the barf I get to clean up when he throws up in his crate at night. Pets. Why???

Wait...wait...wait...

OK!

********************

I have something unusual (for me) to show you with my Sit and Knit diet - a calm, neutral-colored yarn. You know how much I love color, but this yarn was so soft that I couldn't stop touching it at the store, so I bought it. I'm making a scarf, using a simple pattern of casting on 34 stitches, then doing a knit 2, purl 2 repeat. Thought it would be good practice with purling, and I am still fascinated that I can create ribbing by doing this. So I set off, knitting away...and wait...this didn't look right. Brought it into the knitting store, where I was told you have to "knit the knits and purl the purls" - and actually LOOK at your stitches to determine which one to do. Oh. I was just K2, P2 away...oops! Once I got that straightened out, the scarf began to develop how I thought it would:

This scarf has also been an exercise in patience to see what subtle pattern develops with the yarn - again, not my usual color choice, but I like it.

********************

Fashion Friday continues with another outfit I bought while shopping with my mom. I love this top for several reasons: it reminds me of something from the early 70s, the colors are so summery (can you tell it's getting warm here?) and it's loose and comfortable - the better to beat the heat AND hide my stomach.

Paired with some Lee capris that I bought at JC Penney, during an ego-tastic shopping trip where every pair of capris that I brought into the dressing room FIT. How often does that happen??? If you're me, never.

Tomorrow we have a 5K fun run on tap - and the weather is forecast to be in the mid-50s! Perfect running temperature! I'm looking forward to this race - it's only 3.1 miles, woohoo!!! Have a great weekend.

Wednesday Workout Update - 10K Training Review

2012-04-18T05:00:00.000-05:00

When I was writing my recap for the 10K race, I started to go down a pretty negative path, and rather than sully the race experience - which was mostly fun - I decided to save the negative talk for today - aren't you lucky?!? LOL. Really, it's not all bad. But it's real, and as this blog is all about my journey (to fit!), I thought I'd share what has been a rocky road (and not the delicious kind) with my getting back to running.

I started this training program with the goal of just getting to the point of running again, which I accomplished, so that was huge for me. But the hard thing was that while I had mostly good runs, I always felt a little behind, because not only had I already done this once before (back in 2010), I had done it better (And my gosh, I've lived in Texas too long because that sentence structure just flowed out of my mind, bad grammar and all. Next thing you know, I'll be fixin' to run. I need a California visit, stat!). Logically, I know it was dumb to feel that way - after all, I'm a couple years older, less fit, AND coming back from an injury. But logic and my brain don't always coexist peacefully. So I battled many long runs in my mind, with being the slowest person out there. It's not like my running club is competitive - that is the antithesis of what we are - but in my head, I was competing against the RunnerShelley Version 1.0. This new me, RunnerShelley Version 2.0, is not the same, and it was hard to accept that, week after week. Every time that I ran a bit longer, or ran a new distance, while I was still happy about that (and being able to run, period), deep down, I was full of doubts because I just wasn't where I used to be. DUMB, I know. Try knowing that and still feeling it. Oh, it's fun to be me.

I had good runs and not-so-good runs. The longest I've run without stopping is 4 miles. Which is really, really good! I think part of why this ended up being so hard for me was that every week we increased our long run distance - there was never a chance to "just" run the same distance again...we were always doing more. I am discovering that for me and my comfort level/mental health, I need to be able to say "oh, we're just running four miles? I can do that" - it's like I need instant replay (well, a week later instant replay). Instead, I found myself thinking "oh crap, now we've got to run XX miles..." - it was ALWAYS more, and always a challenge. We all know that running is hard enough to do on the physical level, but for me, it was turning into a huge thing, mentally.

I am relieved that the 10K is over and done with. I am relieved that for the next three weekends, we "only" have 5K races on the schedule. I am really looking forward to them - they are all in town, on relatively flat courses, and I know that I can run 3.1 miles. I like doing 5K races - this is what got me hooked on running two years ago. And after the last few weeks, running a 5K sounds so easy! Don't get me wrong - I know it will still be a challenge to me, but a much more doable challenge. Most of all, though, I'm relieved that I CAN run again. I honestly wondered if it was ever going to happen...a year is a long time to not run. But I am a runner, and I will continue to run, and most of all, enjoy it.

Blue Bell 10K Fun Run Recap!

2012-04-16T05:00:00.000-05:00

Whew - I am so glad that this race is done! Unfortunately, I knew going into it that it would not be a super-happy-fun-time for me, and yes, I know that having that kind of expectation does not help, but here's a list of why I was not thrilled to be doing this race:

I have never liked running a 10K race
I don't like hills
I wasn't ready to run 6.2 miles yet

So with all of that, you may be wondering why in the world I did this race. Well, it was the goal race for my running club's 10 Week/10K program. I wouldn't have missed it for the world. It's a really pretty race, out in the country, in a small town where it seems like everyone turns out to support it (the race benefits the local high school athletic programs). And you get ice cream afterward! I think the benefits outweighed the detriments, for sure. By the way, those detriments included:

Waking up at 4:00 am in order to be on the road by 5:00 am (parking was going to be crazy, so we'd rather be there early to avoid traffic hassles)
WIND. It was really, really windy - blowing close to 20 MPH, with gusts in the 30 MPH range. That is not fun to run in
Hot weather - it was near 80 degrees when we started the race
Hills. Yes, I've already mentioned that, but it bears repeating - I am a flatland runner, and I like it that way!

Anyway, enough complaining - time for the recap. We arrived at the location just after 6:00 am and met up with our running club peeps - Coach Dale had set up our pop-up awning, and many of us brought lawn chairs. We all sat around and chatted - we were so early, we'd even arrived before packet pickup started! No matter - it was good company and a chance to catch up with everyone, as we're usually busy doing that running thing. We also got to hang with another USAFit group out of Montgomery, which was nice. We finally got our packets and found two fun items inside:

A technical shirt! Unusual for a fun run, but very cute and much appreciated!

And a packet of bluebonnet seeds! Love the "Texas" touches on this race.

Once the sun came up, it was time for some group shots:

The finish line!!! We were all looking in different directions because there were two cameras going.

At the ice cream truck, where we would later get our treats!

Coach Dale wanted us to show off our shirt backs, but I love how both Julia and I couldn't resist turning around toward the camera!

Jeff had to check out the truck - the difference between us is that I would have checked out the freezer section where all the ice cream was, not the cab!

Then we headed to the start line, where Coach Dale got this shot of us as we waited:

You couldn't miss us out on the race course - love our bright orange shirts!

At 8:30, the race began. I didn't look at my Garmin for pace - just tried to run without going into that panic-breathing that I've been doing. And I did pretty well at the start - was surprised afterward to see that my first mile's pace was 12:32. Of course, it all went downhill - er, UPhill from there, and I ended up finishing in 1:28, for an average pace of 14:08. Yes, there was walking. A minor mental breakdown around mile 2.5. Hills! Wind gusts - one even blew off Jeff's hat! Heat! Jeff started pouring water on the back of my neck at the mile 3 water station, and that helped a lot. Lots of great course support, from the water stations at every mile, to the spectators who were very encouraging, as well as many of the runners in our pack. Heck, I even got compliments on my new hat and you know that made my day!

Image taken from here as I forgot to get a good shot while wearing it...

Finally, the end was close - and thankfully, after a killer hill, the last two-tenths of the race were downhill. Jeff and I caught up to Molly, who I ran intervals with during the first couple of weeks of running club, and the three of us crossed the finish line together - woohoo!!! After that? A visit to the ice cream truck was in order!

About 30 seconds after this picture was taken, most of my rainbow popsicle melted and broke off. Awww! That's OK, because there was a delicious Crunch bar waiting for me. Yum.

So. Not my best race, by far, but it was fun to be with my running club peeps and see everyone complete the race. More thoughts on my running season coming on the WWU in a couple of days.

Friday Mishmash

2012-04-13T05:00:00.001-05:00

(Our pretty new bedding flowers - Moss Rose)

Thanks for the ideas and suggestions regarding Wednesday's post - I think commenter Louise hit the nail on the head, with her description of the immediate increase in heart rate when you begin to run. Glad to hear that I'm not the only one who experiences this. I'm sure anxiety is also part of it, and I hope I can at least work on that aspect - anything to lessen the hyperventilating would be nice at this point.

********************

My mom flew home to Oregon on Wednesday morning. We had a great time and pretty much walked off (by shopping!) all of the frozen yogurt we managed to eat - let's just say that the apple didn't fall far from the tree when it comes to froyo. Or shopping. And in the matter of shopping, I just have to reiterate how nice it is to be able to shop in the normal-sized departments of stores - yes, I know it's been a couple years since I left Lane Bryant, but every once in a while I am still surprised to be fitting into regular sizes and that my mom and I can shop side-by-side for clothes. Maybe it's because I don't get to go shopping with her very often (once a year if I'm lucky), so my mind reverts back to the larger-sized me, since that's where I was for so long. Here's a Fashion Friday quickie:

New purple top (Willi Smith from TJ Maxx) paired with last year's white denim capris. Also, I printed this picture to replace an older one that I've had hanging for about 8 years - it was definitely time for an update:

Believe it or not, I was actually on the thinner side when this picture was taken! Circa 2004.

********************

Paco has not been represented on the blog lately, so here he is, in all his glory:

Pitiful, isn't he??? Poor dog has seasonal allergies, and this spring has been especially tough on him with all the rain and pollen. He's been chewing his feet so much that they are raw - he actually whines as he's chewing them because it hurts, but he can't seem to stop. We put medicine on his paws, wrap them up, and then he has to wear the cone of shame so he won't immediately tear off the wrap. It seems to be helping, but he's not very happy with the whole experience. I probably wouldn't be, either!

********************

Sit and Knit diet update: I finished the body of the bulky baby blanket - now I have to figure out how to "pick up" the edges with a deep pink AND knit in the round to finish it off. Needless to say, I'm sure I'll be spending time next week at the knitting shop. I also finished my butterfly washcloth! I used a lighter weight of yarn and while it was harder to knit, I like how it came out:

Remember when Terry and I went to Yarnorama? Well, they were in the midst of an anniversary celebration, and we entered their prize drawing while there...long story short, I won a prize! Yarn and a sweater pattern:

I'm not at the point of being able to knit this sweater yet, but hey - I may get there before next winter, and then? How cool would it be to actually wear a sweater that I made?!? The owner also, very nicely, included a different sweater pattern that I might be able to knit sooner - it's short-sleeved and super cute. I'm both scared and excited to try it!

I have a knitting doppelganger, courtesy of my mom:

How did she know my hair is that wild? Oh yeah, she's seen me first thing in the morning!

Tiny knitting needles made out of toothpicks and beads! She knitted that piece, too!

Mom made the doll in a class she took - love the personal details like the jewelry, knitting, and the purple dress. Now I just need to come up with a name for her...any suggestions?

********************

I can't believe that tomorrow is the goal race for our 10 Week/10K program - and yes, nervous would be an understatement when it comes to that race, what with the hills and the distance. But, I'm really going to try and just enjoy the day, and focus on running from point to point (mailbox, lightpost, cow - whatever keeps me moving forward). And afterward? Ice cream! I can do this.

Here's last week's running outfit:

Pink! And with this, I completed my challenge of wearing 10 different outfits for the long runs...you know, some people would challenge themselves with actual RUNNING, but not me...I'm in it for the clothes, baby!

Have a great weekend!

Wednesday Workout Update

2012-04-11T05:00:00.000-05:00

Back in 2010 when I was training for my first (and so far, only) half marathon, my mantra was "mind over miles" - I even had a necklace that said that on one side, and "13.1" on the other. This go-round, my mantra has been "run happy" (and of course I have a necklace for that...which should surprise exactly no one, lol). And after an involuntary year off, I definitely AM happy to be running. But I'm also thinking that I need to resurrect my other mantra as well, because lately I've been having some serious doubts when it comes to distance.

I know that part of this is because every long run on Saturday is a "new" distance for me (this go-round). So I'm not running a familiar distance, and that messes with my mind. Where it manifests is not in my legs, but my lungs. I practically hyperventilate as I start each long run...which, as you can imagine, does not make running very easy! This last Saturday, we were running 4 miles, and I wanted to run the entire distance. At nearly a mile longer than my 5K last Sunday, I knew that it would be a challenge, but I figured the hard part would come after I'd hit 3 miles. Nope. Right away, I was gasping for air. My heart was pounding out of my chest - it was ridiculous, really. It was close to half a mile before I stopped feeling like I was going to die - and probably another mile before I felt like I found my rhythm between my breathing and my feet. Then? Everything was fine. I ran without much effort. Didn't think about what I was doing...it just flowed. THIS is why I run.

But dang, getting to that point? Painful. And you'd think after all this time, I could do a simple run without practically going through a panic attack. I honestly don't know what to do to change this, or if I just need more time. This coming Saturday is our goal race (and yet another new distance, ack), but after that, we are just going to do some 5K's for the next few weeks. Which should be comfortable and familiar, so hopefully I'll stop this panic-breathing nonsense. Are you listening, mind???

A Big Ball of String...er, Yarn!

2012-04-09T05:00:00.001-05:00

Anybody remember the book A Big Ball of String? It was mine as child, and Max used to love to have Jeff read it to him when he was little. But I digress...

My mom and I were busy yesterday, creating the big ball of yarn that I will use to make a scarf for her (and possibly me)(we think there will be enough)(and we like to match!). This involved cutting the yarn to length (2, 2.5 and 5 yards) and then tying the ends together, in order. Took more calculations than we originally thought, but I think we (read: my mom) figured it out. Here's how we did it:

We measured the distance we needed, and wrapped the yarn around two chairs. My mom sat and held the ends while I went round and round with the yarn, in the worst game of musical chairs I've ever played, lol!

Then we cut the yarn, and laid it on my dining table, in the order of knottage.

At first, I thought I'd be knotting until the cows came home...but it didn't end up taking too long.

Gorgeous! Although, we surprised at how small the ball of yarn ended up being...we'd both envisioned a REALLY BIG BALL. So we made it happen, via optical illusion...

Tadaaa! A big ball of string!

And now I need to get busy knitting. :)