"I think I have a hobby"

Strange title, right? This post gets a little auto-biographical. Hang with me.

I grew up in a rural area--out in the sticks, one hour away from anything. Yes, we had a few little stores, a few gas stations (now there is one), and a K-12 school of 320 students (now there are 150). I grew up building forts, hiking trails, camping, and fishing with my dad. We also had a hoop outside, and I would spend hours playing basketball.

I worked hard in school and played every sport I could, and thanks to that hard work, I went on to a four-year University. The only real hobbies I had in high school were sports--specifically basketball. I wasn't great by any means, but it was a lot of fun! I also had a job every summer starting at age 13. I lived in a tourist area, so I cleaned rooms, worked front desks/gift shop, or in a restaurant.

Obviously college was a busy time. I studied, worked a job 15-20 hours a week, plus worked summers back home. I played a few seasons of intramural basketball, nothing serious. I can also recall specifically twice that I "worked out" during college. After gaining the Freshman 15 in 6 months, spring quarter I took an aerobics class, and I ran 3 times a week (probably no more than 3 miles each time), and I lost 20lbs. The other time was my senior year, realizing I put those 15-20lbs back on. This time I joined a gym, and I did weight training 2x a week and cardio 4-5 days a week--walking, jogging, or aerobics. I lost 12 lbs, but I was tracking my body fat percentage, and that dropped drastically. But when summer quarter ended, It was time to start student teaching. I moved back home.

Once back home, we were planning our wedding, I was student teaching, then got a long-term sub job. After our wedding, I worked two jobs--subbing and waiting tables back at my old summer job through high school/college. That summer, I got my first teaching job--back home! So while teaching, I also coached after school--jr. high basketball--girls first, then boys followed. You haven't lived until you coach jr. high basketball! That basically occupied my first two years of teaching. And at this point, I had gained several pounds back, but I didn't have the desire (or time...so I thought) to exercise. I changed grade levels those first two years (like from 1st grade to 6th grade!) so it was like being a first year teacher twice.

But I knew I needed a master's degree. At this point, I was 25 years old and living in the sticks again, so I signed up for a distance-learning Master's program and got to work. And three months later, I was pregnant with my daughter.

And at this point, life took a turn. Daughter was born prematurely, so the next two years were dedicated to getting her healthy, and I continued to teach, AND finish my Master's Degree. At this point, I was the biggest I had ever been. So I decided to try the Atkins diet, and in one year, I lost 40 lbs. The details of that are for another post... When my daughter was 2, I realized I didn't want to raise her out in no-man's land, so we moved to where we are today--A small town that at least has grocery stores and a movie theater.

After the move, I got a new job, and I wasn't feeling professionally challenged. I think what it amounted to was that my daughter was healthy, and I was bored. My husband would say, "You need to get a hobby." But soon I was signed up to start the National Board Certification process for teachers. And in two years, I gained back 25 pounds.

I got another new job closer to home (and I've been there 8 years! Love it!) and after I certified with National Board, we decided to try to have another baby. My mind was totally preoccupied with this. But a year later, all I had to show was a few possible miscarriages and no pregnancy. So in March 2008 we started the adoption process. In June 2009, we traveled to China to adopt our son. I see two things in those pictures: I see my beautiful boy, and I see his fat mom--me.

The next two years were something out of a text book about international adoption. The night terrors, control issues, behaviors...he also had a cleft palate, so we had surgeries and lots of speech therapy. I put every fiber of my being into my son. But let me say this too, he is a character and my kids are the lights of my life! But I read every book, joined every yahoo/internet/FB group, to find answers and support--and to support others. It's no picnic. We have seen amazing results...again, another post, another time.

And one night after all this...I saw my reflection in the window as I sat at the computer. I had never seen myself like this: a large, soft body, with a head attached. I saw this person that I did not recognize. That person in the reflection was not the person on the inside. I weighed 221 pounds.

So in August, 2011, I started exercising, and the weight started coming off slowly. And then I started running...and all these strange things have happened in the last year:

*I read books about running.
*I've joined running groups on FB, and I RUN WITH THOSE PEOPLE.
*I shop online and research gear and gadgets for running.
*I get up early or go to bed late so I can run.
*I set personal goals.

And in the last few days I realized....I'm not doing this to get ahead professionally. I'm not doing this for my kids. I'm not doing this because I have to. I'm not even doing it to lose weight anymore. I'm doing this because I WANT to. So I said to my husband (who has a zillion hobbies), "Honey, I think I have a hobby."

I used to think hobbies were ridiculous. Oh sure, I dabbled in stamping, scrapbooking...but nothing comes close to the love I have for running. But it is MORE than running. It's being OUTSIDE! I use the treadmill so that I can continue to be outside! I have a love-hate relationship with that thing....

And now I'm a year into this, and after 13 races last year, two of them half marathons, I started to feel a little...well....bored. You can tell I'm not one to stay on one thing long, right? But at just the right time, I've discovered TRAIL RUNNING! I posted here last summer about a trail run I went on back home while visiting the parents, and I knew that it lifted me up in a way that pavement didn't. I get it now. And as I look back at that post from last summer, I think, "How did I not see it!" Yes, I will still continue running, but if I get the chance, I'm hitting the trails.

Trails are home. Trails are like basketball. I don't play basketball much anymore unless I'm coaching my daughter, but like basketball, with trails you have to read what's in front of you and react. Just like offense and defenses change, so do trails. And trails are BEAUTIFUL.

So not only have a found a hobby, I found a hobby that challenges me and is healthy.

Some might call it obsessed.

I call it finally having some FUN.

I Can Do It! 13.1 miles to end 2012

If you would have told me on Dec. 31, 2011 that exactly a year later I'd be running my second half marathon and 13th running race of the year, I'd have said you were on drugs. Yet here I was, Dec. 31, 2012, getting ready to run my second half marathon at the Yukon Do It Marathon/Half Marathon/5K run. It was a small race, a total contrast to the Rock n Roll Half in Seattle that I did in June, but nontheless, 13 miles is 13 miles, no matter where you run them.

I couldn't decide whether or not to wear my crazy socks. The weather was a balmy 35ish degrees and cloudy, but no rain. Still, we would be running the first 4 and last 4 miles along the water (up and back course). As I was talking to other runners in the breakfast room at the hotel, they all said, "Wear them!" So...another thing I never thought I'd do...a bright yellow jacket with bright pink socks with skulls on them. (Thanks Angela! I'm now hooked on socks!)

My 1st goal was to finish in under 2:24. That would be an 11 min. per mile pace, and I knew I could push and get that. Compared with my 12.15 goal for June, this was a big goal for me. But I had another number in mind...2:20. If I could pull off a 10.45 pace, I could do it. For a long run, that would be pushing it for me, but I knew I had it in me...maybe. I had been fighting off a cold, so I just wasn't sure.

When I started the race, I felt good. I didn't look at my time, and that was my first mistake. What I did know was that at 1.5 miles in, I got a side ache. This has happened to me maybe 3 times total since I've been running. So I felt like I was running slow because of this. I finally stopped for about 10 seconds just to breathe it out, and by about mile 4, it was gone. At that point, I checked my watch...40.30. OH NO! or... OH YEAH! I wasn't sure. I was running just over 10 min miles, which for me, was fast. The only time I run 10 min miles is on a 4 mile run or a 10K race. Someday I'd like that to be a doable pace for a half marathon, but I'm not there yet. So I kept going, and so far the course had been flat.

Now I had studied the map of the course, and my husband and I drove most of it the night before. I thought I knew what was going on, so I felt like I could actually keep a pace of about 10:30-10:45 the rest of the race and I could meet my 2:20 goal. So I hit mile 5, and say whaaaat? What's this little hill with a turn around? OK, not biggie...and I'd do it on the way back too...no problem. OK, back to the road, say whaaaat? Again? Up another hill, around and down...and this is where we saw the camel, which was random and very cool, but still...I wasn't ready for this and had I known I'd have adjusted my speed to a slower pace much earlier. Now, one more jaunt that I did know about, down to a park and back, and this was the intersection I saw my husband. I had finished 7 miles in 1:13...that is the best I've ever done for 7 miles. When I saw my husband, I told him I had a few more hills (those ones headed back) and I was hoping for a time of 2:18. I knew when I hit that last little hill, it would be mile 8, and the last 5 miles would be fairly flat. No problem! Tough, yes, but doable.

And then...mile 9...I hit a wall. I don't know what happened, but my quads tightened up, my chest tightened up, and I felt like I just couldn't make it any farther. So I stopped to walk. Defeated...but my time was 1:35...I still had 45 minutes to make it 4.1 miles. Oh, I got this! And 49 minutes still would get me to 2:24, so I was OK. And again, I had never run 9 miles in 1:35. I was still at an average of just over 10:30 pace, so I had time to slow down. But I didn't plan on this.

Between miles 9-12, I had to walk a little, then run. My quads were so tight, it was like nothing I'd ever experienced. Clearly, I started too fast and pushed it harder on those hills than I should have. I watched my goal of 2:20 slip away, so then I said "OK, 2:22...I can do it." I was at 2:10.30 at mile 12. I was cold, tired, and just ready to be done. When I hit mile 12, I said to myself, "There is not a snowball's chance in hell I'm going to walk this last mile." So I pushed and ran it out.

Finishing time: 2:22.04. I did it! I may not have hit that 2:20 mark, but I know what I did wrong, and I know how to correct it next time. I was keeping time on my iPod, which is fine, but I am now waiting on a Garmin Forerunner GPS watch to help me in these kinds of situations. But for today, I got a new PR (Personal Record) over my previous time of 2:38.30 in my first half marathon. And...I still have a goal to chase!

So that was how I partied my way out of 2012...13.1 miles of fun fun fun! I'm not the best, I'm not the fastest; but on that day, I was the best I've ever been, and that was pretty cool.

I've taken the last two days off, allowing my muscles to calm down, and I have a little foot pain, nothing too serious, but the foot needed a break. I'm hoping to get out in the morning with a friend for a slow and easy run, not sure on Friday, then a few runs on Saturday and Sunday.

Then on Monday, the chaos begins again. Back to the classroom, daughter in two sports, kids in piano, Ty and his antics, and my fingers in a little bit of everything. I'm hoping that in 2013 I can lose the pounds that snuck up on me on the holidays, plus lose another 15. I hope to try some new workouts, but I'll keep running at least 3-4 days a week.

Thanks for following along, and Happy New Year!
Jolene

8 days til the big day!

In 8 days, I will run my second half marathon. One year ago, I didn't run a single step.

One year ago, I was getting over a sprained toe, which limited me to the elliptical. I could hardly walk, but I could push my feet and legs on the elliptical, and that's what I did. For two whole months. I watched the Biggest Loser, and at that point I had already lost 18 lbs, but still had many more to go. I had hit a plateau, and wished that I could try to run.

Yesterday I set out for 9 miles and ended up with 10 (I am sensing a pattern here...). Today I went out for 4 hard miles with hills (remember, hard for me is probably not hard for other runners, but definitely hard for someone who doesn't run at all, right?). I really believe I am ready for this half marathon--as ready as I can be.

So what are my goals?

1. To finish. As long as I finish, I win!
2. To finish in 2:24 would be really great. That would be right around 11 min miles. (11x13.1=144min=2.4 hours = 2 hr 24 min.
3. Anything under 2:24 would be icing on the cake.

I told my husband, anything over 2:25 means that something went very wrong...let's hope that doesn't happen. My first (and only) half was in June and my time was 2:38. My goal was 2:35, but I had to make two stops--bathroom and to take off my coat, which meant repinning my bib. Well, won't have the repinning issue since a bought a fuel belt! I also had a massive flu bug one week before, so really, 2:38 was a time I could be happy with...then, not now.

So now, I have to figure out my taper plan. I've been reading and reading...basically, I need to rest my legs, but not too much. With this half marathon on a Monday, it is a tough one to figure out. I'm taking tomorrow off due to Christmas all day. Here's the plan (I think).

1. Tuesday--5 mi
2. Wednes--3.5 mi
3. Thurs--off
4. Fri--3.5 mi
5. Sat--2-3 mi jog
6. Sun--rest
7. Half Marathon!

Unless someone has a better idea, I think this should do the trick.

Merry Christmas!

Running after tragedy

Usually I run to relieve stress, but last night the stress, anger, sadness, and confusion was too much to bear. My energy was zapped, and I just couldn't run.

Early in the week I found out that a teacher I taught with at a former school lost her battle with cancer. On Friday I arrived at school to learn that two of our students lost their father unexpectedly. And then as if that wasn't enough, I learned later that morning that my beautiful cousin also lost her battle with cancer, and she leaves behind a 1 year old daughter. Those three things alone had me pretty shaken up and asking WHY WHY WHY??

And then I learned of the unthinkable, horrific tragedy at the elementary school in Connecticut. I read about it at lunch, and I teared up. I was so sick and shaken to the core. Maybe some readers don't know this, but not only am I a parent, but I am a teacher. Just like all parents, I send my kids to school everyday trusting the teachers and staff to keep my kids safe. To other parents, I am that person who is supposed to be keeping their children safe. I had to teach math, and I made mistake after mistake, and the class (bless their hearts) laughed at me. I apologized, told them I heard some sad news at lunch, but I would be more focused. I didn't tell them the news, and I continued to choke back the tears as I looked at them and thought, "What if...what would I do?"

My daughter was sick yesterday, so she was not at school. I coached her team's basketball practice after school, then I went home with every intention of running. But the anger and sadness totally overwhelmed me. I just didn't have it in me.

I keep thinking, "What would I have done? Would I have kept calm? Could I do what those teachers did to keep those kids safe?" I want to think I could. I want to think I have it in me...I did a lot of soul searching, and of course just tried to process how in the hell this could happen, as all Americans were last night. So I snuggled with my son, and we watched Home Alone, and we laughed not just at the movie, but laughed at my son laughing at the movie!

So we all woke up this morning, and our daughter felt like she just couldn't manage to play in her basketball games today. At that point, it was early, and I set out to run 4-5 miles. It wasn't the greatest of training weeks. It went something like this:

Sunday 12 mi long run
Monday 3 mi recovery run (and all I had time for)
Tuesday 0
Wednes. 5 of the most horrendous miles ever (not going into detail)
Thurs 2.5 mi on treadmill and 45 min spin class

So Friday should have been 5-6 mi, rest on Saturday, long run again on Sunday. That was the plan. Well, we all know that plans change.

So I figured an easy 4-5 miles wouldn't affect my long run on Sunday. I didn't wear gloves (I figured I'd survive), and I wore cotton socks. I also didn't set out water, so this all proves, I did NOT set out for a long run today.

So I started out, and after almost two miles, I thought HEY!
1. It's daylight
2. It's not pouring rain (only softly raining)
3. I FEEL GOOD.

At that point I decided I'M RUNNING 12 MILES TODAY! I called my husband, told him the plan, and kept going. So while running, I thought about everything. The tragedy, the sad passings in the community, my son's upcoming surgery, my kids, my family, ...EVERYTHING.

But after 13 miles...yes, I ran 13 miles...I only came to a few conclusions. I still don't understand this senseless tragedy, and I probably never will. But I know that I am strong, and God is always with me. I am mentally and physically tough. If I were in that position, you'd better believe my mind would take over and I would protect my students come hell or high water, just like I know my own children's teachers are doing for my kids. Let's just hope and pray I am NEVER and my kids are NEVER in this position!

After my run, I feel better. Not great, but better. The anger is gone, but the sadness remains. I know everyone else is feeling the same way. So I sit here trying to wrap up this post...and I still don't know what to say, other than I have no words to explain how I feel, and I hope that says it all.

Half Marathon coming up!

That's right...I did it. I signed up for a Half Marathon on Dec. 31, 2012. My rationale: I started the year running less than a mile...I'm going out on 13.1!

And I couldn't have done it at a more stupid time.

My daughter has an activity literally every night of the week: basketball, fastpitch, or piano. Then she has 2 games on Saturdays. Tyson also has piano, and he is having surgery on the 21st. Kacie has two piano recitals, and Tyson is in one of them :)

So all that on top of being ready for Christmas before Tyson's surgery, teaching (report cards due Dec. 3), two field trips to Seattle, and just normal life. So yeah, sign up for a half marathon...that's a smart thing to do, right!

It is. It really is.

With all that going on, it would be really easy for me to say, "I'm too busy to run." After all, the days are now so much shorter, so it's harder to get out there. I knew I NEEDED motivation to keep going. Oh sure, a 10K would have done the trick and been less stressful...since when do I do things that make sense?

This is my motto this month, and yes, a half-marathon on Dec. 31st it is!

I am not training to beat a time or anything like that (although I should PR since my RnR half-marathon time was 2:38. I should beat that!) My goal is to be able to run the whole thing. There is one really good sized hill that if I need to I will walk up. About 10 days ago I ran 9 miles (which is what got me thinking I could do another half!), and last Sunday I ran another 7 miles. My knee has had a dull ache to it, so I've taken it easy this week to let it recover, but I am planning a flat 10 miler either today or tomorrow. After that, I really only have 3 more weeks of long runs, Then the weekend of Tyson's surgery (it's on a Friday) that is the weekend to start tapering anyway, so I think it will work out fine.

So yes, a lot going on...it's a great time for a half-marathon for sure!

Wish me luck!
J

My running life in the last week

I woke up last Saturday with every intention of running a 5K race that benefits foster kids. There was a 10K option as well, but after two weekends of 10Ks in a row, I have to say, my legs were not feeling too swift. In fact, I really just wanted to stay home in my warm bed. I think it was in the upper 30s or lower 40s at the race. But my friend is a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) volunteer, and they were sponsoring the race. I had to keep my word.

So I arrived, along with a few others from my running group, and before I knew it, I was registering for the 10K like it was the most natural thing in the world. "I'm already here, I might as well just go for a nice 6.2 mile run and hope to finish in around 1:06." So that was the goal.

Here are some people I have met through the running group before the race. Two did the 5K and 3 of us did the 10K.

So the race started, I just started jogging. I was FREEZING! My fingers were purple...time to buy gloves! I felt good, and I really just felt like I was jogging, as I chatted with people I knew along the way. We got to a water station and I asked, "Is this the one mile mark?" The answer was, "No, this is the halfway turn around for the 5K. It's about 1.6." Say WHAT? So I looked at my time (which meant my purple fingers had to try to work my iPod) and sure enough, about 17 min had passed, which is a little fast for me, but yeah, that made sense.

Finally by mile 2.5 or so, the feeling in my fingers came back and I actually started feeling warm. As you can see from the picture, it was a beautiful sunny day, just cold. We were also next to the water, which is usually a little windier and colder as well.

I hit the 3.1 mile mark, which was a turn around at the South Side Bridge, and after a quick sip of water, I decided I would unpin my bib number and take off my jacket. This was what slowed me down a bit at the half marathon last summer, when I had to stop and deal with the pins and the bib, as well as the jacket. So I got two pins off, got to the third pin, and....I had pinned not just through my jacket, but through my shirt too. That meant it was WAY too complicated, and since I was not stopping, I would just have to sweat it out and be warm.

So I finished out the 10K, crossed the finish line, pulled out my iPod, and I said NO WAY! And my running friends who waited for me said, "Yes way!" Yep, 1:00.55. That is a PR for me for 10K! I honestly felt super great during that run. I started slower, and I think for me that is the key. I was tired at the end, but it felt amazing to know that I could pull that time off. My short term goal is to get 10K in under 1 hr. That was a pace of 9:48, so I'm on my way for sure. And to think I wasn't even going to do it...wow, I would have really missed out! Now I know part of this time is due to it being very flat. Well, I guess some races are like that...it's a great chance to PR, and I took it!

Here is my friend who is a CASA volunteer and me after the race. She does at least 2 races every month with her daughter. She is an amazing mom and person!

So on Sunday, before we knew it, a big group of us decided to go for a 3 or 5 mile run on a trail in our area. We met at 10 am, and off we went. I did 5 miles, and by the end, yes my legs were feeling pretty tired, but the trail was flat and beautiful.

On Monday, since it was a day off, I decided to connect with another runner I met last spring, and at the time she so kindly took me on a 10 mile run when I was training for my half marathon. Even though she was much faster than me, she slowed down and ran with me. On Monday, she already had plans to run with someone else, and she invited me to join them. First I said no, I'm too slow...I didn't want to slow them down--and that was the honest truth. But she encouraged me and said, "Really, you should come with us!" So I did, and we did 5.25 miles around a little town near my house.

Ok, at this point, almost 16.5 miles in 3 days, even for me that's a bit much. I took Tuesday off.

Wednesday was a horrible day at school, and let me assure you, it's not the students. They are the light of my day! So naturally, I felt the need to go run for 1.5 hours. I covered about 9 miles, which included several small hills and inclines. I say about 9 miles because I used mapmyrun.com, and I don't know how accurate it is. Nike Plus had me at 9.05, so I'm hoping it was about right, but I won't know unless I go out and drive it--which I will eventually.

Thursday was a spin night, and it felt great as well. I haven't done a spin class in awhile, and I like to mix things up.

Which brings me to today: Friday. No run today...my knees are a little achy. I have taken ibuprofen a few times this week, plus iced my knees before bed. I think I will put in 4 miles or so tomorrow morning, because I have a plan for Sunday: a trail run. Not just any trail run, but a trail run back in my hometown, and there is supposed to be a storm tomorrow. Some people from our running group are planning to join me, so I am hoping all will be OK for running on Sunday morning! We shall see.

The moral of the story...I am running with people. Me, the loner from January to May who was scared to death to run along side someone...I now run WITH people. That alone is a reason to celebrate!

Thanks for following along! Things are about to get interesting...more on that later :)

J

-50 lbs, 2 Races, and a New Goal!

That's right! I finally hit the -50 lb milestone!

Here's a review of the before picture:

And this is today:
Disclaimer: I hate pictures of myself, but I bought these boots last weekend and this picture shows that I can now actually fit into these kinds of boots because

A. My calves are small enough to actually fit into the boot.
B. I am down another jeans size, and these are skinny jeans that I bought just for the boots!

And through the blurry picture Kacie took as we were rushing out the door this morning, yes, that's a pug on a purse (a birthday gift to Kacie from a friend) and I can explain the pug purse: We were goofing off this morning before "stuffed animal day" at school. This was my stuffed animal, and then Ty attached himself to it and wouldn't let go. Oh well, there are worse things.

OK, here's the pic:

And without the pug, but with the boy who has to pose!

It felt great to finally hit that 50 lb goal. I'm still not advertising what I weigh, and I know I'm no where near "thin", but I feel SO much better. I'm most proud that I did it without a fad diet or weird regimen. It took 15 months for me to lose 50 lbs. It wasn't easy. I wanted to quit. There were nights I didn't want to run...didn't want to work out...wanted to eat the ice cream and drink that Mike's Hard Lemonade. I have made a life-style change. Do I still eat crap food? Of course, but in moderation. I don't eat fast-food, and if I do, it's a snack wrap or a salad. I don't eat deep-fried food. I'm not perfect...far from it...but I'm careful and sensible--most of the time ;)I knew that if I was going to do this, I had to figure out a way that I wouldn't torture myself and give up.

In running news...

I did end up running the 5K Zombie Dash. It was pouring down rain, but it was fun anyway. I ran with a group and we just took it easy since we were in the dark on a trail with zombies jumping out at us. Here we are after the race, and that's me in the reflective coat, which is so funny because I'd rather blend in than stand out in any picture.

Then last weekend I ran another 10K with a great friend who traded in her PE teacher job to be a stay at home mom. We had a great time. She is a great runner, and her goal was to get me to finish with 10 min miles. Well, we almost made it. Final time was 1:02.34, for about an average of 10.06 per mile. I was beat by the end!

Now tomorrow is another race, a small local fun run to benefit local foster kids. To be honest, I'm beat. I'm beyond beat. But this benefits kids, and where I live, we have a NEED to help foster kids. So I'll probably just do the 5K, then come home and do some elliptical. The race for next weekend was cancelled. Probably a good thing for me!

And now I have a new goal...you won't believe it. I don't believe it. I signed up for another half marathon, but not just any half marathon, oh no...this is the Hillbilly Half Marathon on March 2nd. It's a trail run up and down a mountain. This is for me to prove that I can do it...not for a time or a PR, but just to show that I can. It's going to be wet, cold, muddy, slushy, snowy, and FUN! There is a group going, so it should be a memorable day.

So, time to start trail training...in the winter! Brrrrr... :)

Thanks for reading and following my journey!
J

10K PR TODAY!

I can sum this up by the two Facebook posts I wrote today.

From early this morning: "Today is my 10th race since I started running. BUT...it's my FIRST race in the RAIN! Ugh! This is hard. I want to stay home, I admit it. 10K in the rain is just not sounding fun right now. But I'm tough, and I'll do it anyway. I already know it's not going to be pretty. I even thought about switching to 5K, but nah...if I'm going to do it, I might as well go for it and just get soaked!"

And here is my post after the race: "I actually got a PR today at my 10K! Lots of hills at the beginning, but nice and flat for the second half. The rain didn't even bother me. My time is 1:01.52ish, but Hoquiam says 1:00.15. So actual time is somewhere in between, but hey, better than my old PR of 1:05.30, so yay!"

Not everyday is one of success, but today it was, and it feels good to know that sticking with it has more results than just weightloss. It may or may not be important that I was the second to the last one to finish. Our local 10Ks generally only attract those who run competitively, unlike bigger cities that draw a larger crowd and a variety of times. If I had to guess, I'd say there were about 15 of us in the 10K. The rest ran the 5K or the 2mi. I still don't think my time is that bad--my average was 9.51 per mile! Putting this into perspective: in March, I ran my first 6 mile run in about 1:17. I really believe that quote at the top of the page--I'm racing myself. Sometimes I win with a PR, and sometimes I don't.

I saw this picture today, and I felt like it clearly sums up my experience so far with running:

So next Sunday, another 10K. Wish me luck!
J

How many races in one month?

First of all, I love this picture and quote. It is exactly how I feel!

I could do a 10K every weekend for the next 4 weeks, if I wanted to. The question is, do I want to? I've never been in this situation before. In fact, as I look at my calendar, it's more like I could do 5 races in the next 6 weekends, Thanksgiving weekend being the only one off. I was going to do a 4mi Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving, but it turns out I'm hosting Thanksgiving, and since I've never cooked a turkey....I'm a little nervous.

So, tomorrow is a go for sure--local city 10K. Then Sunday is a 5K local Zombie Dash. Not sure on that yet.

Next Sunday is an event called Turn Back the Clock, which celebrates daylight savings. This one is a go as well--I'm signed up and running with a good friend. This one is about an hour away from home, and I'm looking forward to it!

The third Saturday is a local event to support Advocates of Foster Children. It's a Fun Run, and I want to support this group.

The fourth Saturday is another local city fun run.

All of these races have 5K or 10K options. My dilemma is that I have a hard time fitting in a long run on any day EXCEPT weekends. If I do 10Ks every weekend, I will not have the energy for a long run the following day.

So I've decided the next two weeks are a go. After that, I will show up at the local events and decide. I STRONGLY support local events because even though I've been running less than one year, I see the need to support local races, or they will disappear. I am not fast, so I don't like 5Ks. Heck, I"m not even fast at 10Ks, my goal is just to finish. But I always figure that if I'm going to pay for a race, I might as well get 6 miles out of it. But now...I don't know.

As for my weight loss, I'm down another pound, so just two more til I hit the 50 mark! Work and kids has been very hectic. I am a teacher, mom of two amazingly spunky children, and a wife of a Law Enforcement Officer. My husband's schedule is insane, so I'm like a single mom 4 days a week. It was also conference week at school, and I've been battling a virus for 3 weeks. Some nights I just can't get out there, and the nights that I can, it's hard to motivate myself.

But I got a new running jacket this week, and when it came, I was like a kid at Christmas. :) I had it shipped to my school since no one was home this week, and wow...if I was tired, that perked me up! I got to try it out last night, and I think I like it! It still has to pass the rain test. I can't figure out how to get just the picture, so here's the ">link to the Brooks Women's Nightlife Jacket II. It is on sale at Brooks.com for $65, regular $100. I bought a size up, XL, because it said go the next size if you have long arms. So I did...sleeves are great, but the jacket is a little big. I figure for rain running thought, that's OK.

So nothing like something new to get you motivated again!
Happy Running!
J

I have 3 pounds to go--reflecting back

It seems that I have broken through my weightloss plateau. I have lost another 3 pounds after losing nothing for 4 months, maybe even gaining a few over summer (gotta love s'mores!). But now, I'm 3 lbs away from -50. It might take another month, but I know I'll get there.

With the daylight hours shrinking and my daughter's activities increasing, I'm feeling anxious about how I will get my workouts in without impacting my children too much. For this reason, I don't have any half marathons planned until at least April. Instead I'm sticking with 10Ks. I've done 2 10Ks, and my times have been 1:05:55 and 1:05.30. Both had hills, and the 10K I'm doing at the end of October also has hills, so my goal is to finish under 1:05. So I must continue finding time to work out.

A year ago, I still owned a treadmill, so I would just go out to the man cave/rec room/what-ever-you-want-to-call-it room and I'd walk. I also had and still have an elliptical, so when the walking would get boring, I'd use that instead. I remember my goal being to walk 2.5 miles, and later it was 2.85 miles, and I know it took me almost 50 minutes to do that. That's where I was at physically, and it was all I could do. And I did it, 3 times a week plus at least 1x on the elliptical. But in early November the treadmill died, and plus I sprained my toe--bad--so bad I could hardly walk. After taking a week off and contemplating just giving up, again (I hurt my back in October), I decided to just see if I could do the elliptical, and by golly, I could! So I spent two months on it, 4 nights a week. It was parked in my living room at the time because my husband was working odd hours and I needed to be near the kids (the man cave is detached from the house).

So two nights ago, I came home from work, and I was STARVING. Therefore, I ate dinner without getting my running in. That meant that at 8:15 pm, I had choices.

A. Do nothing.
B. Run in the dark.
C. Elliptical, which is now in the man cave.

Husband was home, Ty was in bed, so I opted for C. It's been a LONG time since I went out there to work out, other than a few times with weights. But I turned on X-Factor on our old TV, and I started my cardio. Suddenly, the last year came flooding back. I haven't watched TV and worked out since I first started exercising over a year ago, whether it was in the house or in the man cave, whether it was treadmill or elliptical. And my show of choice was Biggest Loser! If Biggest Loser was on, I was on the elliptical. I'd also watch the Voice or X-Factor...that must be what triggered these reflections.

I remembered how I'd get on the elliptical at a level 2, and if I was really pushing it, I'd move up to a level 3 resistance. Now I start at level 5 and move up to 6. I remembered walking those 2.85 flat miles on the treadmill in about 50 minutes. Last night after school I ran 5 miles in 54 minutes, with hills. I thought about the sizes of clothes I've gotten rid of, and how soon I'll be buying more pants so I'd better wear the ones I have now while they fit!

And I thought about what it will be like to say, "I've lost 50 lbs." Now last night, I blew it. I was starving and ate later than I should have. These last 3 are going to be a fight, and sadly, running 20+ miles a week just doesn't do it for me anymore. Although I've changed my diet, I've done nothing drastic, which I'm also proud of. I haven't done any weird diet, shots, pills, or anything. I know some people have health issues as to why they must change their diet, and I totally respect that! So don't think I'm saying that you shouldn't try different things. I just had NO EXCUSE! My body was and is fine. I've had little injuries along the way, and a few bigger ones, but I've worked hard and kept at it. I still drink coffee, but I also eat breakfast everyday. I pack a lunch to school everyday rather than eating fattening cafeteria food or running to Safeway for greasy sandwiches. I keep a protein bar in my desk for after school to get me through to dinner. And I TRY not to eat late at night. One thing I can improve on is portion control, so that's my focus. But tonight is pizza night...and I'll have my thin-crust pizza, with a side salad. It's the choices I make, and if I continue to make good choices, those last 3 pounds will come off.

So I have 3 pounds to go. I've lost 47 pounds...I'll get those last three. When? Maybe by the end of October, or November...I have no time line. I've never rushed this weightloss. It will come off, with God's help, it will happen!

No races this weekend, just planning a flat 7-9 miles in the morning to enjoy this beautiful fall weather. So I leave you with this saying, and if you like it, check out Slow is the New Fast on Facebook. I love her posts!

Enjoy this beautiful weekend!

Jolene