It's Been a Long Time

Far too long in fact.

While I haven't been posting, I have been working out.

In fact, I started working with a personal trainer.  It hasn't gone quite as I had expected.  The low carb protein diet, has been near impossible to meet, even with protein shakes.  And I've gained weight (may be do to some other things going on, but still!).  It's also been tiring!  Trying to keep up with it, kickboxing, and running is hard.  I can't blame it all on training, this California summer is killing my runs cause everyone knows the treadmill suck!

Today we did a body analysis (post workout) and as I have done before, here are the numbers:

Age:  31

Height:  5'8"

Weight: 215.4 lbs

Bone Density: 6%

Muscle weight: 114 lbs

Fat Percentage: 40.3%

Yep! That's reality folks.  

So here are the goals:

Age:  stop time

Height: good

Weight: below 200 and eventually at ~160 for a healthy BMI

Bone Density: Good!

Muscle weight: 120, an pretty big increase of 6 metabolism driving lbs

Fat: 25%, a huge jump!

So there we are.  

Stay tuned.

Mantras

Mantras are an interesting thing.

Sometimes we create them without even knowing it.  These statements are often negative and somehow get repeated over and over in our heads till they become a mantra and become a dark cloud over our heads.

Things like:
"I can't run that fast"
"That is too high of a hill"
"I can't lose weight"
"Pushups are too hard"

So I have decided that I must strike the negative ones from my head.  If I hear them creeping in, my goal is to replace them, with something positive or at least a challenge.

Things like:
"I can run"
"I get to run down the other side of that hill"
"I'm not gaining weight"
"I can do a pushup"

And I've actually started a true mantra.  One I say to myself before bed and one I say to myself when I get up.

I go through this mantra with my body, my mind, my soul, and me.
"My ___ is good"
"My ___ is strong"
"My ___ is beautiful"
"My ___ is is a gift from God"

It may seem sad that I need to remind myself of these things, but its true and I accept it.  Its part of me accepting me.  Because... "I am good, I am strong, I am beautiful, I am a gift from God."

1/2 Marathon Leads to New Rule

Well after weeks of heat and stress induced sickness, and thus time not truly training and a funk as a result, I ran my send 1/2 marathon.  And I finished it!  Not in a time that makes last's years race (the same course) a laughing stock, and not in a time that beats last year's, but I did cross the line.
I ran 13.1 miles in 2 hours, 59 minutes, and 11 seconds (lat years was 2:51:30).  Or another way of putting it: I ran a 13:40 mile pace (13:04 last year).
So numbers aside, I did it.  Once again I ran further than some ever consider.
And there were good parts.  I ran at 11:19 mile pace (and ran the whole time!) for the first 2 miles.  This is where a pacer is amazing.  The next 3 miles were good as well, giving me an average of a 12 min mile pace!  The fastest I've ever done.
But sadly the race didn't end there, and as I tried to keep the pace high.  I just couldn't do it.  I was doing ok, till mile 8, but my second wind never came at mile 9, or 10, or 11, or 12.  So I walked, and jogged when I could.  But my aching feet reminded me that I had not put in the road time, and had not been training on dirt and rock paths.
At the 13 mile marker, I was able to push myself to a run (out of sheer will), and I crossed the line in a wheezing state.  But I did cross the line.
And to that picture of me crossing the line. -->  New rule: unless you are a beauty queen or photogenic, do not look at the course pictures from a race. The image you have of yourself crossing the finish line is far better than the one caught on film.
I have no desire to see that belly or double chin ever again.
Tomorrow to the gym.

Sick No More!

Sing it high and low: I am sick no more!

After spending a FULL week in bed and on the couch, I am back at work and as of tomorrow morning, going back to my normal workout plan.  Some say the only joy of being sick is the weight you lose, but I'm sure as I rehydrate and get back into the swing of things I'll realized the only weight I lost was muscle weight.
But here's hoping that's just not true.

So Tired

Hard run this morning. I'm starting to feel the early summer heat. I pushed it and after a fun filled weekend of lots of wine at not enought water or sleep, the first thing I wanted after those 3 miles was 2 aspirin. And now after a good lunch, spinach salad with chicken and a beer, I have an iced latte by my side and I've taken another 2 aspirin and countless glasses of water, I am exhausted! Its 4:42, normally the middle of my day, or my afternoon at least, and I'm worried there is not enough coffee in the word to make me feel like staying in the work fray. I normally love dinner and yoga on Monday nights, but I think the only thing I'm seeking tonight is my pillow.

Measure Update

Just a quick 2 month status report: I did a bit of measuring this morning and have learned a few things.

Kickboxing has been great for my arms, I've lost a whole inch off of them.  That is unless I flex and let my bicep go Ba-Bam! (just kidding)

My high waist is whittling down, but I need to make sure whatever abs I'm building under my belly flab are flat because I've gained a whopping 1 1/2 inches on my stomach.

It looks like it moved up from my hips/

My weight is in constant flux, and the biggest determination seems to be how much water I have had in the last day or so.  So I'm trying to take weight out of the equation.  I get on the scale less and less, and really let my body tell me how it is feeling.

Right now my body is looking forward to lunch and coffee to follow.

Bye for now.

Boobs!

One of the things I wanted to do with this blog was get fit and keep learning on how to rock my curves.  Boobs are most defiantly part of those curves.  Even though they can bounce all over and have to be restrained in a sports bra when running, I must say I do love mine. 
And as we all know women and men of the world who love boobs and the people that have them, have a common enemy in breast cancer.


One woman is banning bloggers together to raise awareness and support for women facing breast cancer. 


Blogger Angie Uncovered is running the 1st Who's Boobs Web Event, campaign to raise both awareness and donations for breast cancer in women AND men.  

See them here: http://www.angie-uncovered.com/p/whose-boobs-picture-pages.html

While don't really consider myself a blogger, this is a blog, and of course a good cause, so I've done my part and submitted a pic of my pair of girls.  It's up to you to see if can figure out "Who's Boobs" are who's.  


;)  

New Love

I may have found my new love: A juicer!

It's just so pretty!  And even though I have not mastered the right fruit/veggie mix yet, it has been fun experimenting.  

So here are a few things I have learned:

1. A little celery goes a long way

2. Sometimes it will separate, but drink it anyways

3. Add the really pulpy things last (like a grapefruit)

4. Its really fun to throw things into it without having to chop them up

5. 1 lime makes anything taste like an odd margarita

6. Adding a beet will make you feel like you are drinking blood

Here is what I have made so far:

Monday: Apple, celery, lime, lemon, spinach, orange

Tuesday: Apple, spinach, celery, beet, lemon, ginger

Wednesday: Kiwi, celery, kale, apple, grapefruit

Can you tell I have a lot of a lot of celery, spinach and apples?

And here are a few combos yet to be tried: (as found on Facebook and across the web)

• carrot beet lemon ginger cucumber 
• spinach kale lemon ginger golden beet cucumber fennel pear
• Spinach cucumber kale apple
• carrot/apple/parsley
• 2 Celery,1/2 cuke, 1 ambrosia apple, sliver of ginger, squeeze of lemon, Hendricks gin and a dash of white pepper
• Apple * Carrot * Kale * Ginger
• carrot, apple, celery, ginger, pineapple, cucumber, cilantro

The cocktail looks fun for sure!

4 lbs

So in 4 weeks, I have lost 4 lbs.  Just as designed.  And that's good.
But its true that while it took a long time for it to go on.  You want it off as fast as possible.
But for now, I'm going to just keep truckin'.

I'm not crazy

Ok,
So as part of this new food plan with MyFitnessPal, I needed to measure my neck, waist, and hips.  So I also measured my body in the same spots I did a year ago and the results are, well, what they are.

So on the left is a year ago, and on the right this morning.
Biggest difference, my high waist.  It went from 36" to 43".  Thats an addition of 7 inches!

Can I get a WTF?

I know that my muscles along my rib cage are stronger, but this is going the wrong way.  My stomach is smaller, but I feel like my body which was curvy and lumpy is now going square or pear shape and lumpy.  Not the way I want it to be.  And what is with an extra 2" on my thighs.
Not cool.

But here is hoping that diet is the answer though it may take a genie or guru to find it.  boo!

Well...

That didn't work quite as I expected.
I totally meant to keep up with this blog but am failing horribly.  But I must admit that it has not been because I have not been running or working out.

So here is the schedule that is keeping me oh so sore:
Monday:       Run in the morning, Yoga at night
Tuesday:       Kickboxing at the Y
Wednesday:  Run in the morning, or if I'm as sore as my abs were today, walk to the store for yogurt.
Thursday:     Back to Kickboxing
Friday:          Try for one more run
Weekend:     Long run or bike ride or something totally different, like shopping

Now that I'm starting to get in a rhythm it's time to tackle the food aspect of all of this.  I love food!  And that can make this part hard.  I also work crazy hours and have a co-worker that likes to eat out and is rather picky.

So the plan is to start tracking calories again, using the MyFitnessPal program online and the app on my phone. But I have to find a way for it to become habit so I have to find a good, positive reinforcement instead of a feeling of guilt at that piece of pizza I just ate and the cookie I want to have.  If anyone has suggestions let me know.

Here we go!

2012 and onward!

I've done it.  I've fallen into that classic new blogger state, of thinking about posting that last big thing I did, but waiting on free time, or the pictures, or free time, and never getting around to it.  Well I make one resolution to this blog, I will wait for that stuff no more.  My goal is now to post about whatever is going on with this Fat Bottomed Runner, time or pictures or no!

So moving into 2012 this is what we got.

3 Resolutions:
1. Run 500 Miles this year
2. Run a 1/2 marathon at a 12 minute pace
3. Get under 200lbs and stay there!*

*This is a carry over from last year (and probably a few years before that) but try, try, and try again.

So here's the plan.

M+W+F of 3 miles + long training runs + 1/2 marathon build up + 1/2 marathon =(>) 500 miles

I'm also finally taking my cross training seriously (this should help with numbers 2 & 3 and those pesky shin splints) and I am starting a kick boxing class on T&TH.  And of course yoga with friends on M nights, and whenever I feel I need it and can sneak it in.

Well there you go!  I'm a scheduled and planned girl, but I got miles to go and curves and resolutions keep!

The Marathon

Its taken me over a month to get pictures to post, thus my writing of the marathon has been delayed.  But no more!  Here they are...

It was nearly light when the "W wave" crossed the start line at 7:30am.  We kicked off and headed down through China town, then back South towards the hospital, then North again towards the the start.  I had to pee so bad, that my sister and I stopped just after the first mile.  There were bands and groups every couple of miles to cheer us on.  We passed my mom at mile 5, and then headed out along the water front.  The four of us kept playing an odd game of leap frog, with us catching up and then passing each other as we all kept our own run/walk tempos.  But the youngest among us was not seen (until the finish) after mile 8.  At mile 10 I had to pee yet again!  Mile 11 found the marathoners headed out to the rest of the course and the 1/2 marathoners headed to the finish line.  Mile 11 was also the last time I saw my 3rd sister as she sprinted out in front.  I felt great after I peed and was really feeling strong miles 12, 13, 14, and 15.  Mile 16 is the most challenging part of the course with a mile long uphill trek, but I was still feeling good.  I was making really good time, maintaining a 14 minute mile.  As a jogged across the market in the middle of the St. John's bridge for mile 17, I felt the un mistakable pain of shin splints in my right leg.  My sister and I sorta walk ran for the next mile, but at 18 I knew I would be walking the rest of the way (as fast as I could) and thus my sister went on jogging ahead.  I was walking hard, but every change in terrain had me balling my fists.  Mile 21 was meant to be a relief for runners with a nice downhill stretch, but my shins were just in more pain.  From mile 22 on down I was just chanting the distance left to go.  4.2 to go, 4.2  to go, 4.2 to go...  Mile 24 finally found me crossing back across the water and to the finish line side of things.  But just before mile 25, I found myself, and many other runners, stuck at a railroad crossing as a freight train, slooooowly passed.  I wouldn't let myself sit down for those 10 or 15 minutes for fear of not getting up again.  Once the train was gone and the guardrails raised, we continued on.

Here I am with tears in my eyes at mile 26 or so, hobbling towards the finish line.  I'm wearing a shin splints sleeve on my right leg and it did help, just enough.   I'm sad to say that I didn't even celebrate crossing the finish line.  The professional pictures taken along the course only show me grimacing in pain, so needless to say I did not purchase any of them.  

Our reward for completing the 40th Portland Marathon: a coin, medal, race shirt, finisher shirt, heat blanket, and a chance to sit down.

 Wrapped in a heat blanket, with my leg laid out and my fat butt on the curb.  It felt so good not to have to be moving anymore.  My sister got this cool shot of her feet and my body in the background.

We all made it.  With the medals to prove it!  We were all so tired and after a shower and a bit of food, totally sacked out, sleeping from 10-12 hours a piece.  The drive back to California felt so long and our muscles were so sore.  All I know is that next time there will be more training.

And by next time, I mean, an 1/2 marathon.

I'm just not crazy enough to do the whole thing again!

Up to the start

On Sunday October 9th, 2011, I completed a full marathon!

I've been needing to tell you all about it, but have been waiting on picture, but I'll just add them in later.

So, here is what happened up to the start line.

My sisters, mother and I drove from California, up to Portland on Friday and Saturday (race on Sunday).  We hit the outlet mall just south of Portland and arrived in the city at 2:30, just in time to check into our hotel, and head to the race expo.

The expo was simply crazy!
People were everywhere, booths on three underground levels of the Hilton (I think it was the Hilton) Hotel.  Booths selling: shoes, clothes, food, Gu, water, logo wear, pins, maps, jewelry, exercise equipment, massages, sign-ups for other races, and I'm pretty sure I saw one selling tutus.  We walk around and hit what was interesting.  Finding a running pouch for two of my sisters.  I found some humorous stickers with great sayings like "26.2 Because I'm the full Crazy!", and "If it wasn't for me, you'd have no one to pass" and "I thought they said 'Rum'!".

From the expo, we headed to a family friend's across town where she made her parent's stolen and secret pasta sauce for us.  So yummy.  It was great to try and relax with friends, but I was feeling incredibly anxious.  And very full and roll-polly.  Tappering and carb-loading, I now know, have that effect on me.

We headed back to the hotel, laid everything out.  Pinned numbers on shirts, tagged our shoes, filled our hydro belts, and rationed out our Gu.  My sister took a Tylenol PM and now will forever do so before a big race.  I hopped in the shower, headed to bed and had a restless nights sleep.



the marathon.  The whole kit and caboodle!  The big enchilada! All 26.2 miles of it!

Tapering

Well the marathon is on Sunday, three short days from today.

So my last two weeks have been spent tapering (running less), and resting.   And now it is all for carb loading.  Carbs should be 65-70% of my diet from now until the race.  The last three days I have been having carbs as 50-60% of my diet.  Last night also involved streaking my hair with pink to get pumped for the race. (Though I may have to do it again tonight to get some more pop!)

One of the things about tapering is that it can drive you crazy.  And while I've been trying to embrace the crazy this year, this type of crazy was not what I was talking about.  Tapering madness is were you feel every ache and pain, get into your head way to much, and generally freak out that you are not prepared for the 26.2 miles ahead.  I can feel the anxiety creep into my fingers as I am typing this...

But this is normal.  So they say.

So now it is time to take a deep breath, look back at old posts, pictures, and have faith.  

In 3 days I will be ready to watch the miles move below my feet.

:)

5K

Saturday, my sisters and I had a 5K fund raiser run.  No sweat we thought, we do that on any given Monday.

All would be well if my shin splints didn't hurt too bad.  My sister taped me up and that should do it.  I'm a strong mamma jamma, I figured I could give my shins a short test.

Plus we were going to have a bit of fun and run in crazy socks!

But it sucked!  It sucked, big time!

The weather was hot and humid and we had a sucky run.  While the organization, had put on this fund raiser for the last three years, the course was bad, and the planning poor.

The best part of the run was being done.  And the shirts weren't too bad.

Next time I'll just hang out with my sister, wear crazy socks and eat ice cream.  A much better and cheaper plan!

Shin splints

Pain! Pain! Pain!
What I thought were shin splints before were nothing compared to this.
This is pain!

Twenty (18.8 really) Miles

My sister before

 So after the 1/2 marathon was complete and I finally pulled myself out of bed, my sister and I realized that it was time to get back on our training schedule and start running again.

But way too early came our next long run: 20 miles!

We decided that the best way for us to do it was drive, 20 miles east, and run home along the lower 20 miles of a 50 mile bike trail that  goes by our house.

We figured we would always be headed home to warm showers and that would be all the motivation that we would need.

Me before

It also helped that it was the first day of below 90 degree temperatures.

We started off the morning in good spirits, though a little behind schedule.

The first few miles were spent waking up and learning what side of the trail to be on.  (Walkers/runners go on the far left, while bikers have the standard right side of the path)

The next few miles went fine, with us walking quite a bit and running some.  We were keeping hydrated with accelorade and water, and taking in gu and energy beans.

Us after

My sister was upset that she forgot to put sunscreen on her face.  But as it wasn't very sunny I thought she would be ok.

We stopped once or twice to get a rock out of our shoes or to get more water from one of the drinking fountains.

All was going well at mile 10, in fact we were quite enjoying ourselves.  We were walking more than running because the day was more about the distance than the speed.

Somehow I miscalculated when we were at mile 13.1 (the halfway point for a full marathon) so it seemed we walked that mile twice.

At mile 16, all was not well.  In fact I started to feel a lot of pain in my right shin.  I was glad I had gone further that ever before, but I was still 10.2 miles from a full marathon, and still about 3 miles from home.

The last 3 miles were horrible.  I was limping, we were low on water and out of Gu.  And the sun had gotten really strong and hot.  I was out of adrenaline and had to sit at least twice.  One time because I thought I was going to throw up.  Somehow I was over heating.  Remember that comment about forgetting sunscreen, yeah the whole left side of my body and my chest looked like a tomato and I am still peeling.

We made it to the park, where I sat down on a bench and my sister did the extra 1.2 miles to make it a full 20 mile run.

I then hobbled home.  Promptly got water, aspirin, and frozen blueberries.  Shin splints suck.  And now I'm not to run, and the full marathon is only 4 weeks away!

Sleep

Sleep, what I have been needing and the reason I am having the hardest time getting running again.  Ever since the 1/2 marathon I have had the hardest time getting going in the morning and getting myself on a run.
Well see how tomorrow goes.

Lord help me get my butt out of bed and back to training.
                                                        Amen.

1/2

Believe it or not but last Sunday I ran 13.1 miles in a race and didn't die!

I wasn't sure how I was going to do, so two weeks before hand I ran it in a training run through the neighborhoods around my house.  I made it to mile 8 without a problem, but after that my left leg hurt and I just couldn't make myself run again.  But I finished the 13.1 miles in 3 hours 30 min.  Since then I have been running, but only 4-6 miles at a time, strictly working on keeping a good form.

So last Sunday was the race.  My sisters and drove to Santa Rosa the day before, grabbed an over-priced pasta dinner and headed to bed with a new race day manicure.  I was calm and ready to go with only minor butterflies in my stomach.  We all set a goal of finishing in under 3:30, with a dream of finishing in under 3:15.

Come 5:30 in the morning I had slept on and off and was not totally rested, but off we went to the race.  One of my sisters and I stood in line for the port-a-potties and were actually in them when the start shoot went off.  We did up crossing the start line with our other 2 sisters and the race was on!

The loop was along the river and about 6 miles out and then a quick jog down a side stream and back to the start.  The marathon runners would be doing the loop twice.  In the first 2 miles my sisters and I had all broken up on our own, and were playing leap frog with each other.  My goal was to stay on pace so I started with my new plan of 2 min run:1 min walk (~ 13 min/mile pace), but I was getting tired of flipping my wrist and checking my watch over and over.   I woman in front of me had a beeper that keep going off at intervals.  After a bit of chatting I learned that it was a GymBoss and was an interval timer.  She was an interstate marathoner and it had worked wonders for keeping her on pace.  Another woman was running in the same area and started chatting with us.  She was an iron man competitor, using the marathon to strengthen her running time and she used a heart rate monitor to keep her pace.  I ran with these lovely ladies from mile 3-5, and the miles just slid by.  But at mile 5 I knew that I needed to start fueling so I grabbed a gel.  I have yet to master the eating and still running so I soon fell behind my new friends.  The next few miles, were fine.  I keep my pace and while I was running by myself there were people in front of and behind me.  At mile 8, I slowed as before and could no longer keep my pace.  So I moved to a 2 min run : 2 min walk, and just kept moving.

Two of my sisters were about 200 yards in front of me, but I just couldn't bring myself u to catch them.  My other sister was a ways behind me and I was always hoping she would surprise me, but alas I only saw her on the finish line.

Miles 9-11 were a bit of a blur, with my thoughts concentrated on "just keep moving".  One of the worst things I did was calculate my time at mile 9 and I realized that if I made a 15 min pace, I could finish in under 3 hours.  It also meant that I had another hour of running left, after the 2 I had already done.  At mile 11, one of my sisters in front of me had fallen behind while fueling up and I was able to chat with her for a bit before she ran forward again.  I kept drinking water and had a second gel.

At mile 12, the lead marathoners lapped me.  Two amazing women making olympic trial times, flew by me and I'll I could do was cheer them on.

The last mile just seemed to continue to stretch out, but my ability to kick into a run was harder and harder.  At mile 13 with just the last .1 of a mile to go, I once again found my steam.  And ran to the end.    I feel you must finish strong if you are even going to bother.  I finished with a time of 2:53:something!  Far below my original goal and even my dream goal.

It was a good run and I learned a lot.  I already have bought a GymBoss interval timer, it's in the mail.  I also learned that I have to find a better way of fueling my body.  The gel are providing me with energy, and water is keeping me hydrated, but I am not balancing my electrolytes.  This is getting tweaked so I can keep going.  I also learned that a friend on the road is a good thing, so my sister and are are working together to get our paces in sync.

All in all, I'm glad I did it and proud of my accomplishment.  It may just be the right length of race for me.

Now to prep for the big mamajama!