Fat Little Legs: June 2010

Hopefully Minnesota Tourism won't see this post otherwise I'll probably be kicked out of the state, but at this point, KICK ME OUT!!! I don't want to live here. I don't like it here. I failed big time today, and because I don't want to take personal responsibility, I'm going to blame it on Minnesota.

Let's back up a bit... late last week Tara @ 263 and Counting ran 5 miles!!! I was so proud of her, that I challenged myself to run 5 miles, but it had to wait until the weekend, because I don't have that much time on weekdays. So I said I'd do it on Saturday. I DIDN'T. I woke up, after a thunderstorm filled night, and the air was so thick with humidity you could have probably cut it with a knife. Now you have to know that I grew up in Montana. If there is 14% humidity people start complaining its humid. People in Montana don't have air conditioners. You just don't need them. My blood still hasn't completely adapted to the Midwest killer summer humidity, even though I've been here 11 years now. So... a 5 mile run in 99% humidity wasn't going to happen. A 1 mile run in 99% humidity wasn't even going to happen. So I did what any good Weight Watcher would do... I made waffles, and then went to SuperTarget to buy food! I did not run. I heard on the news that the humidity would drop on Saturday overnight, and Sunday would be much less humid. So I planned my run for then.

This morning I woke up at 7:15, and put on my running clothes and was out the door by 7:30. My first thought... "Hmmm... I thought it was supposed to be less humid, not more." Yep now it was 100% humidity instead of 99%. AWESOME! So I set my Nike+ to 4 miles, because I knew that 5 wasn't in the cards for today. At 2.5 miles I was dying! I mean I could barely breathe and I was actually getting dizzy, and wouldn't you know it, a freaking mosquito even bit me in the upper arm. I wasn't going to make 4 miles. It sucked! I hated it, but for the sake of safety I quit at 3 miles. EPIC FAILURE! It was one of the worst feeling runs I have had to date. I felt horrible the entire time, and felt like puking for about 40 minutes afterwards.

So back to my "I hate Minnesota rant"... because I want to blame someone other than me, and because it really sucks to fail, here are the top 10 reasons I hate Minnesota:
10) There is no Minnesota nice... myth!
9) People do not know how to merge
8) Sweaty people walking around eating food on a stick = the best celebration of the summer, the MN State Fair
7) Vikings will not for the life of them draft a Quarterback
6) Snow
5) More Snow sometimes in April and May
4) Mosquitoes as big as birds in other states
3) No ocean within a 2 days drive
2) 90 degrees with 90% Humidity!!
1) Nothing beats the feeling of 30 below with 60 below windchill on your face in January at 5:30 am as you head to the gym

Minnesota - Please do not take this personally. It was really never meant to be between you and I from the beginning. I only meant to be here for a few years after college to "get on my feet". Somehow deep down apparently I like something about you though, because I stayed for the last 11 years. Some days though putting up with you ain't easy.

Weekend Reading

June 26, 2010

My New Normal

Loving Life June 24, 2010

A Peek into my First Nike+ workout

Nike+ June 22, 2010

New Toys

Nike+ June 21, 2010

A Good Man Passed This Way

June 20, 2010

I Have a Secret

100lbs June 17, 2010

Tuesday Edition of Highs and Lows

Highs and Lows June 15, 2010

Highs:

Still thinking about the awesomeness of my 5k on Saturday. I'm feeling really empowered and strong!
Everyone's comments the last few days on my blog, have been so great. I love reading them!! So if you commented, thanks from the bottom of my heart. Reading the comments really fuels me to stay on track with my goals. I've reached over 25 followers in the 6 weeks or so that I've been doing this. I'm excited about that. Right now I'm just really feeling a passion and a calling for trying to help and inspire anyone I can. I'm not sure what shape that is going to take, but I want you all to know this is a doable thing. I can say that because I have done it. Note, I said doable - not easy.
The sun is finally shining this afternoon.
I went to Lands End yesterday looking for a light weight jacket to keep out the rain (see one of the lows below) - for running, and for an upcoming trip. A lovely gentleman told me that they didn't have any women's jackets, but they had some boys ones and he thought I could "easily fit into a boy's large". I seriously gave him this "who the heck are you looking at buddy" look. I think he thought I was offended. I was just stunned. He assured me it was nothing to be ashamed of, and that he also fits into boy's sizes. I'm still laughing about this whole exchange. Lovely man, whoever you are, even though I'm pretty sure you don't swing my way... I LOVE YOU!
Not long until I'm on vacation for the first time since last September!

Lows:

Feeling a little "race let down". I ran this morning, my first run since Saturday, but I felt a little wimpy. I did 15 minutes and then a 1 minute walk, and then I was going to do another fifteen, but wimped out at 13. I've never done that before. I've always run the amount I committed to. I think its because I don't have the race looming in front of me. Does that make sense?
It has been raining like 13 out of the last 14 days and in the 60s for highs... isn't it June? We get so much bad weather in Minnesota, please give us the 3 months of summer we deserve.
I haven't been sleeping well this week, and I'm feeling exhausted!
I caved and weighed myself this week (I know, slap me, but I made it through last week), I have not lost weight, in fact, it looks like I have gained a pound since Thursday's weigh in. I think I might cry. I do not want a plateau. I don't "do" plateaus. Then I watch that "Losing it with Jillian" show on TV on Sunday. So there's this lady who wants to run her first 5k, and she manages to lose 32 freaking pounds in 6 weeks, training for the race! That takes me a 3/4 of a year! I was yelling at the TV... I seriously was, ask my husband. I hate when they show these things on TV. Am I the only person in the world that finds that discouraging rather than inspiring?
Feeling stressed, about lots of non-weight related things.

Whys and Why Nots

5k June 13, 2010

First 5k Race Recap

5k June 12, 2010

I actually can't believe how well I slept last night. I certainly had pre-race jitters, but I kept telling myself that it is no different than the other 3 days I ran this week, just more people around.

I got up at 6:20, and put my clothes on, got the child out of bed and dressed, and we left around 6:50. As soon as we pulled out of the garage I noticed it was drizzling, but definitely not thundering/lightning, and it was really light. Yeah!! It was about 57 degrees out and about 90% humidity according to the radio. Humid, but cool - for June.

The race I was running was the CDI Back in Shape 5k.

We got there and I got my number (#88) pinned on, and my chip on my shoe, and met up with my group. My Weight Watchers leader and 5 other wonderful, amazing ladies from my Weight Watchers group were all racing with me. We took pics at the starting line, and got lined up. The national anthem plays... REALLY SLOWLY!

Team Weight Watchers!

It was time!!! We are off!

The first mile was so easy and amazing! The time passed so quickly. I seriously saw Prior Fat Girl - she was running the same race as me!!! I passed a man that had to be in his 80s! Seriously... I thought that is just so great, he was rockin' it. Then we were already at the turn around and headed back. There's where my first mistake happened - I got a cup of water and tried to drink it resulting in an immediate stomach ache. Now I felt like I was seriously going to vomit. My Weight Watchers leader is yelling at me the whole time - you can do it. You are awesome! You are not going to vomit! Then she says "let's go hard to that sign." I'm thinking "uh no, I just told you I'm going to vomit, how about you go hard to the sign while I vomit, okay?" ~~Jillian~~ Crazy WWers leader doesn't take no for an answer. We go hard to the sign. She tells me my legs are as light as air. I chuckle and think... nope I'm fatlittlelegs. We make the last corner, and are on the home stretch. We "go hard" to another sign, and then the last hill. Ugh! We can see the finish line, and I cross, arms in the sky cheering.

I did it!!! I ran 3.1 miles, and my unofficial time is 32:17!!! (I realize at this point I am serious violation of an overuse of exclamation points, but I really don't care). I seriously can't believe that. I wanted under 40. I completely obliterated that goal! This is from someone that 18 months ago weighed 96 pounds more than they do today. This is from someone that 7 weeks ago didn't have running in their vocabulary. It was amazing!

I feel like I should do one of those "thank you speeches" I want to thank the academy... But seriously... Thank you crazy Weight Watchers leader (and I mean that in the nicest way of course). I seriously cannot tell you how much you have been a part of this journey. I am the luckiest person alive to have you in my life, and I hope that I can make a difference for some other "fat girl" someday like you have for me. Thank you other lovely ladies of team Weight Watchers. You guys made it fun. You guys pushed me to actually do this, and I did, since I didn't want to let anyone down.

Tonight I find myself on the computer looking for more races. I swore to myself I wouldn't... and here I am.
This one came up:
James Page Blubber Run
Awesome and hilarious... but I might have a conflict on that date

And then as if divine providence, this one came up:
The Great Prostate Cancer Challenge
And that one I am available for. See... my dad died from prostate cancer in 2001 - I was only 23 years old. 23 years was not enough time with him. I've now lived another third of my life without him in it. There used to be 2 things in life that made me really miss him:
1 - He never got to meet my son
2 - He never got to see my house (He was a building contractor-I'd love to hear the critique.)
and suddenly it struck me tonight... he will never get to see me thin - all the pictures I have of me and him I'm fat in. That makes me sad. Dad this next one... its for you!