I'm Running Away from Adulthood

The Value of Me

2011-07-26T09:59:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time I was Sarah Frutchey. Some of you knew me back then. I was perhaps say, 16-years-old, a bit too into myself, and quite independent (or so I thought). I headed off to college with heady dreams of an undefined future, guided by Jesus, to hopefully a joyful end. I wanted to make a difference, change the world, perhaps act in a few plays, and maybe be a family counselor or a theater teacher.

Now I'm a 33-year-old Sarah Woodward. I'm called, "Hon! Mom! Mommy! MOOOOOMMMMMMYYYYY!!!" and a variety of other names. My every day choice effect not only my day but the feeding and care of my family. A third baby is due any day, and will add to the wonderful people who really need my love, quality time, and patience.

I feel a bit like a giant spider connected to many other parts of giant web. Or perhaps a bit more like pumpkin vine feeding a lot of pumpkins.

So underneath all the wonderful people I would say I help "feed" I also recognize the need to be fed myself. I appreciate all the precious friends who help feed me with prayers, hugs, helping hands, and encouragement. I also am blessed by those people who know and reflect me back to me. Helping me to define who I am, essentially, within and surrounded by relationships. I can't suspend my relational definitions as they help define me and grow me. However, there is an essential Sarah - I remember her - she was there in the quiet moments of the Rogue Valley woods at age 15, wandering around praising God and wondering what I'd be at age 30.

Holding onto the value of me, who I was created to be, and how I love to create, envision, inspire, and dive right in helps me believe that I am always worth recreating and rediscovering. And all this comes back to why I always love "getting back in shape" quickly after being pregnant and why I love running and eating healthy. These acts are a part of valuing the essential me that is underneath the layers of Mommy pounds that come at month nine of each pregnancy. Where is Sarah? She is there somewhere. Time to value her and bring her back to the surface.

A Blank Sheet

2011-06-24T15:09:00.000-07:00

I logged into my garmin online account after months - 7 to be exact - and cannot locate any of my previous data on my years of running! So frustrating. But I guess it is also freeing. Now I only have my memory of my fastest Personal records to remember. No more obsessing about the highs and lows of my previous running career.

I have 51 days till the likely birth of this baby. Within two weeks after his birth, somewhere near Labor Day, I should have only about 25 pounds to loose to get back to prepregnancy weight. I figure with some healthy eating, breastfeeding, and some swimming and weights I can start working out 5 weeks or so after his birth. It won't take me long.

I plan to be back to 145 by hmmmmmmm Halloween. Hopefully my leg injury will also mend if I do lots of yoga, swimming, and massage to get my weight down. After Halloween, if my leg doesn't hurt, then I can start running more in earnest. I could run in a CIM relay team in December!

Or I could run a half marathon in February.

It is always good to envision the path ahead. Since I've lost my data about how I did this before I'll just have to go by feel this time.

Finding my Foggy Limit

2011-06-11T10:35:00.000-07:00

Hello friends....It feels so long ago that I ran my marathon in December. On that day I was unknowingly pregnant and weighed about 145 pounds. I'm now up 30 pounds and I'm at 30 weeks - just ten weeks to go (or so I keep telling myself).

How I miss running. I miss just heading out the door running a quick three miles, seeing the creek and feeling the wind and sun, and rejoicing that my body was fit, fast, and balanced.

Right now I just feel so awkward and off balance. The big belly does this, as well as my leg injury which keeps reoccurring, and the fatigue of pregnancy will hit me just like a large wall of fog. When I least expect this fog all the sudden I MUST sit, I MUST rest, I MUST no longer move.

But I am a creature of movement: of action: of forward motion: of running. How I miss running. All my forward motion, however, must now be working inwardly. This little boy is growing within me very rapidly. He started out quiet and now he pokes and prods me and has a heart that makes the nurses eyes get big and say, "Strong heart!" I think he has stolen my running heart and is using it for his own nefarious purposes. I miss my heart and lungs. I want them back.

But this to "shall pass.."

How grateful I am though for my health before this pregnancy. I believe that one day my leg will heal, I won't be pregnant and I might once again run one mile...then two...then three.. and on up...until I once again hit my foggy limit. Without a pregnancy that limit won't be just walking up the stairs or down the block. It will only be as far as my legs will take me...which can be, for any of us, really damn far!

Much love to you all - Sarah

Struggling with injury

2011-03-12T07:56:00.000-08:00

Basically the nerve doctor in Kansas City was right, I should not run marathons due to a groin injury I sustained when in labor with Lincoln. My left leg (inner thigh nerve system) is damaged and therefore has the endurance of a 65-year-old woman. So after I would say about 15 miles it re-routes all communication to use back up muscles. This throws off my gait and over uses other smaller muscles in my left leg to the point of injury. Basically my left leg stops working completely near the end of the marathon, even if I it is extremely strong due extensive training. It is the nerves that shut down and fail me.

So I'm over three months from the race and I still cannot run three miles without feeling a lot of leg pain and tightness the day afterwards. The last time I overextended my left leg in a race was when I ran the "hilliest 5k in America" only months after birthing out Lincoln. It just goes to show that I can really gut out any race, even when I'm injured. But it also reminds me of when Paula Radcliffe (the World Record holder in the marathon for women) gutted out an entire marathon at the 2008 Olympics while injured and the commentators said, "this is a gutty performance but I really hope Paula isn't doing permanent damaged to herself with this race."

I keep asking myself what is the limit then of my legs endurance. When is the point of no return, after which I really should NOT be running. My leg pain started, I think, when I started into the last half of my marathon training (running 15-20 miles every Saturday morning). The pain was only slight then, however, so I ignored it. I also wonder if I were to invest in regular weekly massage during the last stage of marathon preparation, could I still push through more marathon seasons.

This injury took a year to recover from last time and is especially disheartening because I have dreams to run a 50k trail run someday (which is over 30 miles) and compete in other endurance races (perhaps a half Ironman like my brother Eddie). Today I go in for a 90 minute massage session. If I feel this massage therapist is effective, I'll sign up for a massage every one to two weeks, until my leg recovers. That was the ONLY effective treatment last time, massage along with yoga. It is painful deep massage, that is the only one that works for this injury, but I'm tired of not being able to run. POUT!

On a side note I did run three miles this week and despite injury and being four months pregnant I ran the first mile at around 9:50 and the second at around 10:20. My leg gave out the last miles and slowed to around a 12:00 but my heart and lungs felt totally capable of going much faster.

Cheer me on please!

What the marathon felt like

2010-12-08T16:59:00.000-08:00

I did it! I ran 26.2 miles and I only stopped to walk when my quads seazed up and forced me to watch. I set a new PR and I completed it pretty much on my own. It took me 5:04:48 (11:38 pace).

This is how it felt.
Pre-race: I was nervous but excited and highly caffeinated. A bit lacking in sleep.
The gun went off!
I jogged as slow as I thought I could and still ran mile 1 at a 10:13.
That was okay but I should have started slower. My goal was a 10:18 pace.

Mile 2 - 7: My running partner and I booked it downhill at a 9:40 average pace. I would feel and regret this later.

Mile 8 - 14: Was an unforeseen hilly section of the course. I knew it was rolling hills but it felt really hard. I struggled to stay ahead of 10:20 and my pace dipped to 11:00. By the half marathon point I was on pace at 2:14 BUT I could tell I had used up a lot of my legs endurance on the hills.

Mile 15 - 20: I spent these miles looking desperately for my family. I needed some encouragement as my pace kept slipping and the 4:30 pacer caught up with me and passed me at mile 16. I struggled to keep an 11:40 pace

Mile 20: It was awesome to see a huge crowd at this point and my family and most importantly my brother Eddie (who joined me to pace me home). The next three miles I talked to him about how my legs were dead and he encouraged me to just keep moving forward. I'm amazed I eeked out two 12 minute miles at this point.

Mile 23 - 25: Low point for sure. I was running 15:00 and stopping every .25 to stretch my quads which would just stop working all together. When I stopped I felt pain in every last inch of my body. I struggled to keep the shuffle moving forward.
At this point a school bus was trolling the race for the wounded and it kept slinking past me (and folks inside would yell, "come in here for margaritas!") This wasn't fair. I was emotional and yelled things to myself and sought encouragement from the crowd and from Eddie and from Kat (a friend who passed me and said keep going). The bands the last mile were really good and helped me have a sense of humor. I tried to dance along as passed each one.

Mile 26: I did this last mile in 12:38 or so, which was fantastic! Considering I had NOTHING LEFT! The last .25 I picked it up to a 10:30 pace at points. I was SOOOOO ready to be done. In the last 50 feet I sprinted past 5 women!

End of race: When I tried to lift my foot onto the chip timer step I couldn't do it.
My brother Eddie came up behind me and caught hold of me and helped me walk to a space to sit down. I could hardly balance and I was immediately freezing. I had left it all out there in the race and Eddie had to guide me to a place to lay down for 10 minutes before I could really even sit up. I had also spent most of the race with a tummy ache, afraid of throwing up, but thankfully I never did.

I came home with a beautiful medal which I am going to show the kids at church tonight. And I'm proud of how I trained for this race and completed it 97 minutes faster than my last marathon.

My thanks go out to my fam anf friends

Patience

2010-12-02T22:11:00.000-08:00

I believe in God.

I believe that I'm NOT God.

But sometimes I try to run faster then God.

This week I'm hardly running at all. I'm resting. My marathon is four days so this is called a taper. When you hardly run at all and store up food and water for the hardest run yet. I feel a lot of pent up energy. I want to go out with a bang.

But even when the gun goes off I will have to run slow. Slower then I will want to run.
In order to finish at a steady pace instead of slowly walking to the finish line. I will still be waiting. Through mile one to mile 20 to really let my legs go the pace they want to go.

Spiritually...I also get impatient with God. I want to go and with God make things right with people right away. I crave unity. I hate conflict. And I rarely enjoy waiting for resolution.

So this week I'm trying to practice waiting. Being patient with myself, others, and with God.

At some point I will run with all my might...just.......not.........yet.........

One step after another

2010-11-14T19:39:00.000-08:00

When you start out intending to run 20 miles without stopping for any reason the task ahead of you can feel daunting. You wonder if you can really make it the entire way, do you have the resources to draw on, or will you fail. These worries are not unlike the ones you might experience when facing a large decision that you know will have lasting consequences on my life. You start to lean towards saying yes to something new and as you gain momentum the thrill of that new change charges toward you along with the fear of what it will bring.

This is not unlike the fear of the marathon, you take your first step and before you know it you've run a mile and then two and then three. Once you turn around at the half way point you realize I'm almost there and perhaps you speed up like horse searching for the stable. But then the stable scares you by how far away it is and how unattainable that goal is and you slow down greatly doubting your ability to keep this pace all the way home.

Recently my feelings of fear, hope, excitement and anticipation that I feel during a my long runs (which last over 3 hours) mirror my self-doubt as my life approaches drastic changes and choices. I interview for a job tomorrow that would return me to work and out of my comfort zone of staying at home with the kids. My husband and I are also being certified to be foster/adopt parents through the county and may have kids in our home somewhat quickly.

I anticipate the new lessons I'll learn when my life changes often for the better. I'm so blessed to run. So blessed to even live in a country where I can work, run, adopt children, and feed them all. So worrying about these changes isn't more than just stretching my legs in the first few miles of a marathon. Isn't it?

Trying my best

2010-11-02T15:02:00.000-07:00

I ran a local 1/2 marathon on hilly terrain and my coach is saying this terrain is similar to the hills of my marathon. My stamina really fell after mile 10 but I'm still proud of the fact I ran 11 miles at 9:35 pace on those hills.
I borrowed a Garmin from my friend Francis since mine was destroyed this weekend in a freak motorcycle accident. I love knowing my pace. The Garmin ran out of juice the last two miles though but here is the breakdown.
1 8:49

2 8:58

3 9:11

4 9:48

5 9:08

6 9:33

7 9:46

8 10:06

9 9:46

10 10:05

11 9:44

12 11:24

13 11:24

2:09:26 (9:54 pace)

I was 42nd in my age group out of 121 women ages 30-34!

350 out of 838 women!

Oh and my favorite is that I ran the race alone and beat 37 of the 81 three-person relay teams!

If I can run a marathon still posting sub 10 minute mile pace overall, so around 4:20 I will be amazed. I will push my pace hard this weekend when I run 18 - 20

Thanks for your support everyone!

Sarah

5 minutes of Running

2010-10-20T15:40:00.000-07:00

My last country run was down a lonely road into the small town of Jacksonville.
I wasn't sure where I was running to or towards. I knew I had a few options. Grandmom's first house, or the house she recently died in, or her new gravesite. I ended up on the back porch of the house she had most recently lived in. Around me were the various gardening tools and whimsical decoration ideas she'd left behind her. Shells in a glass jar. A red necklace on a stone grasshopper. A metal toy bike in a flower box. A wind compass on the roof.

I couldn't really cry at the funeral, or when I found out she had died, but after running 2 miles to this porch I could cry here for 5 minutes and then suck it up again to run back. I left the 5 minutes on my watch as they were a part of my run.

The ability fo fuel

2010-10-04T17:17:00.000-07:00

The next six weeks I'll be running longer and longer on Saturdays. I feel slow right now on these marathon training runs because I often approach them improperly fueled due to my upset stomach issues.

However, last Saturday however was heavenly. I ate a large dinner late at night of bland rice pasta. My stomach was relaxed and happy.

I awoke after a good night of sleep, relatively, and with a settled tummy and legs full of energy. My run felt easier then it has for weeks. I ran around 14 miles all at a pace I could be proud of.

So I keep hoping that my tummy troubles are lessening even though today something has made my tummy unhappy. Was it the coffee? Or the ketsup?

Here is hoping that the next few runs will be easier and easier as long as I stay VERY strict on my diet. Oh, and I am loosing a bit of weight each week so I do need to really refuel carefully as I'm craving protein a lot after these runs, but meat can also aggravate my tummy. Especially spicy sausage.

Next up 16 miles, then 18, then 20 then 22 (I will attempt these on Saturdays in November) so hopefully that week is full of great refueling and a steady tummy.

16 minute miles to 7 minutes miles - How to get there

2010-09-10T08:26:00.000-07:00

My most recent running journey is as old as my 18-month-old daughter. Although I've been a runner since my youth, the pregnancy and then birth of a child is a touchpoint in both my athletic as well as spiritual life. With the birth of my second child, Zoe, I entered a new realm of motherhood. This is one where I can't have all my ducks, or children, in a row. I've always been I think calm as a mother, even with my first. People used to comment that I was so calm with Lincoln as he tried out his legs and independence it was as if this was my third child. But with the birth of my 2nd I am in a place that requires even more patience and resilience.

I'm at home providing daycare for my kids and their two cousins and sometimes some extra friends thrown in for good measure. The kids often make me laugh but they also make me yell out, "OH NO!" They are especially happy if I get down on the floor with them instead of towering about them bossing them around. But when you are a busy adult with a house you need to keep in order it can feel painstakingly slow to get down and talk to a child. Teaching them something new can take even longer but it can be so rewarding in the end when they look up to you with that smile.

So last night, I was running with my running group around the track and for the first time in a while my running and my mothering worlds collided. Nate actually had a night off from work and so he appeared track side with the kids mid-workout. My kids started hollaring, "Go Mommy!" each time I came around their side of the track. When I finished an interval and walked by they both ran onto the track to hug me, like I had won the race. They pushed me to my fastest mile ever in my life (7:38) and that was in the middle of a long hard workout of mile intervals. I felt like I'd run two races, my physical one with myself and the mommy race (trying to raise good kids who still love me in the end).

My new mile time also was cause for me to stop and reflect on how far I've come both as a runner and as a mother, since 18-months-ago. I'm sure a blog post talks about my first run AFTER giving birth to Zoe. I remember it as a long slow slog at a 16 minute mile, which is really a creative walking pace. I was pushing Lincoln in a stroller and had left Zoe with Daddy and finally gotten myself outside after 6 weeks of full-time newborn mothering. Since then I've learned a few things that helped both my mothering AND my running to get me where I am today. Here are a few.

Persistence.
If you get out and run every other day or so and try running a little faster or harder each time you will get faster. Also with kids if you set a boundary or teach a new lesson or get up and hold them tight in the middle of the night, this persistence will lead to happy children and a system that works well. If I get down on my kids level and open my arms they know they will get a hug. If I start counting down from three and I get to one before they have listened they know they are going to the bedroom.

Joy.
Does what you are doing give you joy? Persistence can really knock the joy out of my running or my mothering so I need rest to refuel and come back again. I also need to remember the good and easy runs and the good and easy days mothering so that I can keep plugging along with them. I recall the giggles between siblings playing in the other room as I get some cleaning done or the sunrise over the American river as some Canadian geese fly over our running trail. Both these moments refuel me and remind me what I love about running and mothering. If I don't feel the joy then I need a break.

Friendship.
Sometimes to find my joy again I need the company of friends. One of my dearest friends comes over at least once a week with her two children and we don't sit around complaining about our lives. We instead invite each other to help us recount the joy in our lives. We fuel the smoldering flames under our joy for mothering, and other pursuits. My friend said to me just yesterday, "I'd rather have my kids be cranky here then at home with me by myself." Just like my running partners who often say, "I couldn't have run today without you." There is joy in the moment in the act of running and mothering when you have a friend by your side.

Pride.
On that day 18-months ago I felt weak, overweight, and trapped in a body and new life that were so heavy and challenging. But even in that moment I felt the sense that I could accomplish anything. I sensed that if I could climb up out of that weakness into strength I could be proud of myself and that would be a great challenge to conquer. When I'm around friends who have no self-worth I feel drained. I try to fan the fires of, "you can do it!" beneath them to start up their joy again but they don't have any self pride to start with. If you want to become something different you can, but only you can convince yourself. You have to believe in the end product before you will ever get there. I believe that someday I will run the Boston Marathon. I also believe that someday my kids will grow up loving each other, the world, and their families. I can see the mountain top and will reach for it.

Running Relays

2010-08-17T15:57:00.000-07:00

Early on in our overnight relay race, our 12-person team decided it would be a great goal to actually beat 24 hours to travel 187 miles by foot. That is the neat thing about these crazy relay races, is that others depend upon your performance both mentally and physically. Whenever the baton was handed to me I felt the surge of responsibility to do my best to get through my run as fast as I could so that we could meet our time goal. In the end I performed a lot better then I would have on my own.

My first leg was a rather hilly 10k course with lots of shade and glimpses of the Pacific Ocean. I finished it in a 9:06 pace per mile which was way better than a flat and hot 10k I'd completed a month earlier in 9:50 pace. I then helped with other tasks of timing, driving, and guiding my teammates to and from other handoffs as the sun set. We passed of the baton to team 2 and tried to get some sleep on a creaky gym floor which runners kept walking on. It was impossible without some serious earplugs so I just gave up.

My next run was only 2.7 miles at 3am and I wish I had taken this run faster. It was over before I knew it and at the same pace too. I could have run this faster but i got a bit disoriented in the dark streets of Anacortes, WA (no street lights).

Pushing the team forward by driving the old Vanagon up steep hills from 3am on till 6am was the hardest part of the race for me. It was harder then running for sure. Staying alert while driving and making sure you follow directions are really hard tasks at this stage.

The middle of the night logistics as well as proper hydration, fueling of the car and yourself, and containing inflammation are all key parts of making it through a relay safe, sound, happy, and a winner.
A sense of humor is key at this time of the race as well as a high tolerance for smells and crowds.

My final leg was looming after one hour of sleep and a pile of pancakes. It was a 7 mile trek up some serious hills and down a steep backside. Each hill slowed me to a 11 minute mile pace, as I raced down the other side at sub 7 minute pace. In the end I ran this last leg in 9:40 pace (still faster than that flat 10k back home). My personal finish was down a steep downhill to the ocean and to some awesome music my husband was playing for me on his dulcimer.

Our team finished just below 24 hours and in 16th place out of around 200 teams. My overall pace for 15 hilly miles was 9:20, a lot faster then my 11:10 pace of two years ago. Relays definately have a way of kicking me into gear.

Running intervals in heat

2010-08-03T22:24:00.000-07:00

I'm in the heat of the summer, not my own female heat or something, and it is the dog days of that heat down here in Sacramento. My local running race team that I joined has a crazy 67-year-old coach who does NOT care if it is 100 degrees out we should still show up to the track to run intervals every Tuesday at 6pm (rain or shine and boy does it shine). SO I thought i was prepared with my water and electrolytes, but I put too much of it in the water which made it like I was swallowing cotton balls. I borrowed water like a mad woman. Not even asking some team members and gulping down a kids water like it was mine.

I ran 4 X 1200 meeters in that heat in something like:
6:15
6:01
6:38 (jogged around high school to find a bathroom to cool off in for 5 minutes and stuck my head in the sink)
6:22 (I ran this last one only because my coach gave me a hard time when I returned to the HOT track).

As a side note. I've regained about 10 pounds this month of travel to Seattle and eating stuff like lattes, endless salmon, dolmas at Pikes Place, Crumpets with marmalade from Pikes Place, endless morning pancakes, pastries from coffee shops, an entire crab, wine, beer, hot dogs and bread.

So I'm reimplementing my food and training diary via Excel tomorrow morning and I hope to loose 15 pounds in the next two months.

A typical run in Haiti

2010-07-02T21:56:00.000-07:00

While in Port au Prince I was lucky enough to stay in a real building with running water, electricity, and food. This building was protected from the masses of hungry Haitians by a concrete wall and large steel door. Whenever I felt fortified enough internally I would venture outside of our walls with my teammates to bring food, and what hope we have due to our Lord Christ, out to the Haitians.

Several teammates were college students from around the US who I just met when I arrived at the Apparent Project guest house. Thankfully, they were runners, as many friends and family donated $900 toward our relief efforts which required me to run 9 miles while in Haiti. I did this by running 2.5 miles four mornings while I was there. So as I was saying the college kids helped me for though I was 10 years their senior they were more knowledgeable about how to run in HAITI. They knew that 6am is a good time to start (before it is 90 degrees out)and by 6:30am it is too hot and the roads are crowded with tap taps (trucks converted into taxis).

After exiting our gate, we would take a left up the hill on the river bed like roads, and continue up hill at a 11 min mile pace for about 1 mile. Then turn left at a pile of rubble or a corn row or a goat. We would weave in and out of these hilly roads and then after another 1/2 mile we would turn onto the main road (which was just busier and full of tap taps and vendors). My guides would point out churches, schools, and mass graves.

To avoid the vendors (on the 2 foot dirt curb) or the tap taps competing for the one lane but coming both directions, we would often run on the only concrete curb we could find (a four inch precipice). My deft running partners, always ahead of me would jump onto this four inch wide path and run straight and sure and then hop over this toxic puddle and that pile of rubbish, dash around a vendor or some school children (to each we said, "Bonjou."). I'd always follow obediently. At times we turned heads in our tight running tanks and short shorts, and sometimes kids teased and ran with us in flip flops.

One of my running partners told me of a time when she was running up hill in her Nike gear and how a Haitian woman overtook her running in flip flops with a full basket of plantains on her head. In other words, the fact that you can even go running for fun means you are wealthy as I believe this woman was running for some other purpose than fun. Running in Haiti was a lot of fun for me and a lot of work but it was like all things in Haiti, it reminded me how thrilling it is this live and how blessed I am to have shoes.

Haiti might be a place to run to or with next. For you or for me. But since you are American, and you have the wealth and health to go running, get out and run. Even if that just means figuratively. The world needs you in some way to exit your gated community and hike up the steep dirt hills.

This week I was lucky enough to run on paved streets in the mid-80s of my California suburb and tomorrow I get to test my prowess in a local 10k race (unheard of in Haiti). Each step I hope to remember a few of the miles I ran through the streets of Port au Prince, with Ali, Molly, and Luis, and a few smiling Haitian children. I think I might miss the precipice, the rubbish, the goat, the obstacle course of Haiti somehow made me feel alive.

Reengage Weight Maintainance Plan

2010-05-10T14:07:00.000-07:00

It has been almost two months since I was actively training for a specific race.
Due to this lack of focus over the last two months I've gained about 8 pounds. Without a race to train for I put my fitness goals and running self on the back burner and focused instead more on my other roles of mother and wife. These roles shouldn't be in competition but sometimes are when you can't find babysitting or a T-ball practice is at the same time your running group meets to run. But I'm starting to feel out of balance, no quiet time or space for me which I get when I run, since I've decreased my running from 20 miles a week down to 5 or less! This was also due to a bout I had with illness and a reoccurring tummy ache.

Here are the steps towards restarting a weight loss or maintenance plan.

Step One. Weigh yourself.

Nothing cuts through the denial than seeing your weight gain on the scale and staring it in the face. I'm up to 146 from my low of 137.

Step Two. Set a Goal.

Mine is to loose 6 pounds in 3 weeks while I train for my 9 miles I'll have to run in Haiti.

Step Three. Create a schedule.

Food diary and calorie counting must start again as well as a workout calendar.

Step Four. Enlist some help.

I've paid the $40 for the gym to watch my kids while I work out in May. I'm begging friends and family to help watch the kids when I run on Tues and Sats with my running group.

Step Five. Compete with friends.

I'm challenging other friends to loose 6 pounds in three weeks with me. Want to join in on the competition?

Interval Training

2010-04-20T22:30:00.000-07:00

We ran three intervals of 1.44 miles around the park with my training group.
I'm not sure I would ever have the focus to do intervals alone. It is really hard to push yourself to run that fast by yourself.

I ran the first loop at 8:13 pace
The second in 8:35 pace
The final in 8:45 pace

It was windy and that made us feel a bit slow but I am pleased with my pacing. I am surprised my last loop around the park was still below 9 min mile pace since I was feel really tired.

I'd love to run the 5k run on May 15th at the Running Zone in under 8 minute pace (or even to just maintain that 8:13 that I kept up for 1.44 miles!). That would be a 25:30 time and would keep me on the fun honor board they have for age divisions at the back of the running store (I'm 3rd place for age 30 - 34 with a time of 26:04 right now).

New 10k Personal Record

2010-04-11T16:29:00.000-07:00

Today I got up at 6am to drive to a race at our city zoo. I spent the morning by myself cheering on the 5k racers. Trying on new Saucony shoes that they let me run in for free and waving at baby ducks in the pond. I saw lots of local elite racing teams warming up and winning this local race, those people are fast! I'm still waiting to see the results posted on-line.

I felt good the first three miles but faded due to lack of fuel. They weren't handing out Gatorade (just water) and I didn't have any gu to eat to keep my legs movin. Nevertheless I still ran it in 54:54 (8:50 pace).

Mile One: 8:19
Mile Two: 8:32
Mile Three: 8:56
Mile Four: 9:00
Mile Five: 9:13
Mile Six: 8:59
Last .2: 1:50 (I didn't have much kick left)

Last year I ran a 10k in around 66 minutes or a 10:40 pace so 8:50 pace is much faster for me. My goal is 8:30pace or less (I'll get there some day). I felt actually rather slow especially since I ran pretty much this pace for my half marathon on March 14th. My training has really slowed down since then though so I think therefore I am slower than I was on March 14th (or for sure I have less endurance). This race also shows how amazing my half marathon showing was since I ran the first 10 miles of that race at 9:12 pace and then the last three at 8:45 pace to make it under 2 hours. I kept telling myself to run three 8:45 miles at the end of this race, since it was much shorter (but without proper fueling they wouldn't comply). Perhaps I was just missing my brother Eddie motivational phrases to kick it into a higher gear near the end like, "You are an endurance athlete! Look at you! You are amazing sis! You are doing this for your kids! Look how fast you are!" I think each sentence takes like 5 seconds off my pace.

It is funner to run a race when your friends and family are running with you or cheering for you. But lots of races are held on Sundays so that is hard for our family. I did make it home, then to the shower, and then to church in time (which really was the real race).

Keep running!
Sarah

I'll run a mile for $100 donated ....and I'll run it in Haiti!

2010-04-05T10:44:00.001-07:00

Our Haiti relief team leaves on June 5th to help the Clay's who run the non-profit organization "The Apparent Project" in Port au Prince. While there, we will deliever relief supplies directly to needy single mothers who need resources such as: tents, tarps, baby formula, baby food etc. We will also be doing a daily school for street kids helping them process the trauma of the earthquake through artwork, song, reassuring Scripture telling them that they matter to God, and also a daily meal and medical care.

In order to do these tasks we still need to raise around $5000 for these relief supplies and for the cost of feeding and housing our team while we are in PAP.

I've contacted my dear friends Corrigan and Shelley Clay about my crazy idea to run one mile through the streets of Port-au-Prince in the high temps and humid conditions in June for every $100 you donate.
They said they know where I can run safely.

You can give less than $100 to pay for a partial mile if you like too! Whatever you give helps.
$1 pays for a meal for a street child
$3 pays for a tarp for a family
$5 pays for a bottle of infant tylenol
$10 pays for a case of baby food
$25 pays for a tent for a family

$100 pays for lots of these necessities.

So if I can commit to doing something that terrifies me - that being running in extreme temperatures and through streets of rubble in Port au Prince, will you commit to donating funds to help Haitians?

To donate go to this link (http://www.apparentproject.org/)
and make sure when donating through paypal to type "Sarah Runs a Mile"
That way the Clay's will tell me what has been given toward our efforts and how much I need to run.

If you want the money to be used to specifically buy supplies you can mail it in check form to:
Sarah Woodward
Attn: Cornerstone Church
9625 Gage Street
Elk Grove, CA. 95624

Write the check to Cornerstone Church with the note "Sarah Runs a Mile" on the memo line.
Write me a note saying what supplies you want purchased with your check.

Thank you already for your generousity. Every dollar you spend will go right to the needs of Haitians. We can't wait to post pictures showing you how your donations will be helping rebuild Haitian lives and dignity.

How to spell ennui

2010-04-01T08:01:00.000-07:00

I guess I'm bored or maybe just satisfied after my successful half marathon on March 14th. I then caught a two week slight cold that was just tough enough that I only went running twice in the last two weeks. I quickly gained a few pounds and now feel a bit out of it with my running.

Thankfully my brother is rescuing me again by coordinating 5k run this Saturday that I must run in this time since it is actually starting at my front door. I also have a legitimate shot at winning the women's division AND coming in 2nd or 3rd place overall. So I better get myself running sometime today.

Another bummer is that my gym is adding child care fees to the mix (I knew it was a matter of time). If I want childcare for Lincoln and Zoe so that I can get a treadmill run in during the evenings I'll have to pay around $40 a month. Sigh. Or I could just start getting up earlier in the morning and going to the gym before Nate leaves for work.

We also just got some rough family news and it just makes me sick thinking about it. One of those things that just swirls around in your head and you wake up thinking why am I sad, oh yeah that. So now I could really use a run. Thankfully time with kids can also make me feel better too.

I'm running a 10k race on April 11th and then won't train for another race until our family relay race on July 23rd (after Haiti). Our whole lives are being planned pre and post Haiti at this point.

Amazed and Delighted - sub 2 hour half marathon

2010-03-14T14:41:00.000-07:00

Last week I blogged, "I would be amazed and delighted to run this pace for the half marathon, finishing at a total time of 1:59."

And here I am having done just that. I finished a half marathon in 1:59:32 (9:07 pace).
This completely blew me away and I did it with my brother Eddie running with me illegally handing me fuel and words of encouragement. The last three miles I ran negative splits!
8:40, 8:50, 8:40!

My brother Eddie coached me through the whole race by my side and really helped me push a consistent pace all the way to the end. It felt great to finish so much faster than my last race in Sept, which was 2:27!

Just goes to show you how much faster you can get when your train consistently and have great support around you. Now what should I do next?

8 miles again

2010-03-06T22:11:00.000-08:00

Today I felt great and pushed hard for 8 miles.
By mile 5 I was right on a 9 minute pace at 45:00.
Things got a bit dodgy and confusing when I followed some training partners past a turn off. But my final time was somewhere near 73:00 (9:07) and by last mile was the fastest!

This was four minutes faster than I ran this distance just a month ago.

Next week is a light week as we rest before our half marathon on March 14th.
I would be amazed and delighted to run this pace for the half marathon, finishing at a total time of 1:59.

There will be a pacing teams there so I guess I'll start with the 2 hour pacing team and see where that leads me. If I fade at the end of the race at least I'll start with being hopeful. I know you are supposed to start conservatively but I know I can run this pace for almost 9 miles (might as well hope the last 4 I can maintain this pace). We shall see!

Rest Day

2010-02-24T15:12:00.000-08:00

When you run to stay in shape you often only keep track of your mileages, since numbers are fun and your speed. But I should really also mention how often I just rest from running. Life is all about balance. So I try to go running when I feel like running. If I don't feel like it I try to rest that day.

After running 10 miles on Sat, and then racing in a speedy 5k on the next day, I did nothing on Monday (except garden a lot). My back was sore and my legs fatigued on Tuesday and that along with a rainstorm led my training team to cycle indoors instead of run. I was relieved to not push my legs with another run. Today, Wednesday, I might still rest from running as I feel fatigued.

I'll save up my energy for a run on Thursday morning when Nate can help watch the kids.

I plan to keep running my 20 miles a week...but that includes days of rest which are relaxing and allow my legs to recover their vigor.

10 miles - how to plan

2010-02-20T18:56:00.000-08:00

Today our training group of about 50 runners/joggers/walkers ran 10 miles through the vacant subdivisions left half built during the recession. We ran past the vacant mall (it's a skeletal half built structure) and on into the country (which was really only a block away). Lots of streets built that start and then end in the middle of fields. Some real estate moguls dream of where to turn country into the suburbs that ended in the middle of a cow pasture when real estate value plummeted. So the slick and vacant suburban streets to nowhere turn into old country roads where motorist speed by at 60 mph and we diligent job on the left side of the road so that we can see them coming.

It was an eerie experience jogging along such a landscape and then out into the wineries and chicken farms that dot the highway. When you run 10 miles you actually get to see a lot of territory even if you are running an out and back course.

Our trainer asked us to consider whether we associate or disassociate while running in order to push ourselves to go the distance. To associate you think of your body and how it's performing and focus on technique or even on the pain to push to through it. Or to disassociate you might plug in a IPOD or play mind games with yourself so that you DON'T focus on your body. I spent my run noticing how I use both these tools while running and how overtime they have helped me speed up and go longer.

Some tricks I use:
Music on the IPOD - disassociate
Speeding up my hand turnover - associate
Gliding my feet forward (not up and down) - associate
Counting down from a high number - disassociate
Pushing the pace hard during a specific song - associate

Important Tools:
Fuel - ShotBlocs, water, Gatoraid
Socks that don't rub
Dress down so that the first mile feels cold
Watch (timing is key)

Today some folks were running ten miles for the first time in their lives.
They struggled near the end with fueling problems or getting lost because they didn't track how they ran the out portion of the course. Training is both mental and physical and I guess I had forgotten how many tools I use unconsciously or consciously to stay focused, fueled, and on track. I messed up a bit with fueling
by forgetting my fuel and had to rely on some stale gummy fuel that our coaches provided.

10 miles took around 1:35 for me to run (but I forgot to start by watch right and left my Garmin in my purse) So we can all make mistakes. Running 10 miles takes preparation and sometimes I forget things, but the more I do it the more confidence I have that I know how to complete the distance despite the mishaps.

A One Year Old Child

2010-02-13T09:37:00.000-08:00

Today we celebrate Zoe's birthday a few weeks before the actual day.
This time last year I was fully pregnant waiting to meet my baby girl and weighing about 75 pounds more than I do now.

Right now, in my life, I can really say I am truly happy. Each day I get to celebrate my children and my home, and my husband, and my health. I live in the land of plenty and I do not want. Zoe is walking, flirting, giggling, and is such a joy to be with and so is Lincoln and my nephews Joel and Ned.

Yesterday I was presented with a full-time job offer to return to work. It would add some serious money to our family income. However, I'm finding, my heart is just happy doing what I'm doing. I feel crazy with delight. Perhaps even crazy enough to say, "No thanks." Crazy.

So my run this morning was spent pondering these things. I have until Tuesday to make up my mind. But is my mind already made up?
Not sure. I can be flexible.

It felt great to run 9 miles this morning in the following timeframes.
Mile 1 = 9:23
Mile 2 = 9:19
Mile 3 = 9:07
Mile 4 = 9:20
Mile 5 = 9:42
Mile 6 = 9:46
Mile 7 = 9:40 (66:19)
Mile 8 = 9:43 (76:03)
Mile 9 = 9:00 something
Total = 85:00 (9:30 pace)

I definitely couldn't have done this a year ago!

A Speed Ladder

2010-02-09T21:23:00.000-08:00

Tonight our group did a fun workout that was different than the long run or tempo run, it was speedwork around the track. Each lap around the track is around 400 meters.

The workout and my pace is below:
800 meter warmup
400 meter run (1:50)
1 minute walk
800 meter run (4:00)
1:30 minute walk
1200 meter run (6:10)
2 minute walk
800 meter run (4:10)
1 minute walk
400 meter run (1:50)
800 meter cooldown (4:20)

So we ran around 3.25 miles and I ran on average near an 8 minute mile.
I can't believe how much faster I am getting. It just is amazing to me. Whenever I look down at my watch and see my pace lingering around 8 or even 7:50 pace and I feel good I just say to myself, "if feels good keep at it."

My teammates are real encouraging and told me today that I am one of the fast runners, no longer considered a jogger. I remind them that for seven plus years I ran around an 11 minute mile on my regular runs and that this new pace, which puts me at the head of the crowd surprises me. No one really believes me when I say this, least of all myself.

Anyways, I recommend the workout we did today. It was fun and it forces you to try and maintain a fast pace the entire run. And Jenny I think you will just get faster and faster as your body gets healthier. Track work like this can do wonders too.

8 miles - getting faster

2010-02-07T13:12:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I ran 8 miles in around 77 minutes, at`around 9:52 pace.
This is slower than I'd like to go but I am faster than before.

Some past 8 miler training times are below:
August 2005: 105 minutes
August 2010: 86 minutes
Sept 2010: 90 minutes (in half marathon)
Feb 2010: 77 minutes

So it is good to see that I am getting faster.

Mile Aug-09 Feb-10
1 9:46 9:44
2 9:51 9:31
3 10:30 9:23
4 11:11 9:38
5 10:22 10:23
6 11:37 9:51
7 11:07 10:04
8 10:41 10:00

I can run 8 minute mile pace when I'm only running for say 4 miles.
I find myself holding back my pace and taking it easy on long run days.
I'd like to push the pace to more like 9:15 next week when we run 9 miles.

My goal isn't just to finish another half marathon but to set a strong PR at that distance which means to run fast as well as long.

A long distance gets in your head and you think if I go out to fast I'll not have enough left at the end. This can be wise but sometimes I think it can also make me complacent. I will try to start out with the 9 min/mile pace group and stick with them for 9 miles.

Speedwork...legs hurt

2010-01-28T21:05:00.000-08:00

We were supposed to run a warm up 10 minutes, than increase our speed every 5 minutes until the last 5 minutes were at 5k pace. Instead I went from my car to the start of our speedwork without warming up and ran the first mile at 8:49 (my 5k pace) the second mile at 8:55, and the third mile at 8:49. So I ran fast the whole time and didn't really pick it up that fast in the end. We were supposed to run for 30 minutes and I really kicked it in the last minute to get to 3.29 miles in 30 minutes (8:57 pace). Not bad but not great. I like seeing that 8 though instead of 9 minute pace. I have a few runners that are close to my pace and we seem to really treat each group run like a race which helps me move faster than I would on my own. I keep looking over my shoulder to see if anyone is trying to pass me.

But now my left chin and right knee hurt because I think I did all that with shoes that were just too worn out for me. I'm trying to decide whether or not to run the 5 miles I'm supposed to run tomorrow before my long run on Saturday. Perhaps I could cut that run short too to let my legs recover (or I could cross train at the gym now that I once again have a membership)! They say 50 minutes of hard biking does the same good for maintaining your cardio endurance as does running the same amount of time. I think I'll try to run, and if my legs hurt at all, I'll go bike at the gym. That way I'll still have the legs to do another 7 miles this Saturday and hopefully beat last weeks time of 66:30.

Improvement

2010-01-24T10:08:00.000-08:00

"A not-bad rule of thumb is that half as much year-to-year improvement is the best you can expect. So if you improved 9 minutes for 10K in 2009, improving by another 4.5 minutes would be maximal improvement in 2010.
That's the MAX, not the average. If you can get under 27 for 5K, under
56 for 10K, and under 2:05 for half marathon, you'll have had a great year."

My brother-in-law is a great wealth of training information and has helped me set more realistic speed improvement goals for this upcoming year. Right now I'm training for the half-marathon improvement (which sort of feels like working backwards). Should I just start the year trying to get faster in my 5k, then move on to the longer distances afterwords? Oh well, too late now.

I ran 7 miles at 2:04 half marathon pace yesterday. Now if only I could maintain that pace for 13.1 I would meet the half marathon goal no problem.

My back is hurting which is the first time I've had this problem so I think I might have to go see a chiropractor for an adjustment. Perhaps I am pushing myself too hard lifting kids all day long on one hip and then rushing out the door for a run. Today I'll rest and hopefully get an appointment scheduled with the chiropracter for Monday sometime.

Running Away from Questions

2010-01-14T07:39:00.000-08:00

I know my life is easy.
I know that I'm spoiled getting to worry about losing weight...not gaining it in order to survive.

With the Haiti earthquake, I'm spoiled sitting here in my comfy house with the time, energy, food, comfort, roof over my head, and Internet in order to type this nonsense about my fitness routine. My selfishness sickens me.

Today I'll go running and pray for my friends the Clays and their many street children they loved and cared for who are in Port Au Prince. I pray they will find food, shelter, and safety. Visit to donate.

I will also be running away from my three-year-old sons questions.
"Why do we live on this ball that wiggles and makes houses fall down?"
"Will our house fall down?"
"Where is Jesus when the houses fall down?"
"When you type on the computer will no more houses fall down?"
"Can the orphans come to our house so that they can have food?"

Good questions son. I can't answer them. All I can say is that I love you and we will do all we can to help the children in Haiti together. And I'll go running to just blow off a fraction of my feelings (which are nothing compared to what Haitians are feeling.

Training Team for early Spring Half

2010-01-07T16:37:00.000-08:00

So I've joined a training team in order to train for the Shamrockin' Half Marathon here in Sacramento. The trainers are a couple who own the running store in town. At the orientations all the questions that were asked were ones I could have answered. I think it left me going...oh...I know how to train myself. But I really signed up for the comraderie and am now trying to recruit my Mom to join me.

This Saturday our first long run as a training group of around 50 people is a 4-6 mile long run. Our trainers want us all to run slow and easy. I think I will run 6 miles as fast as I can! I won't get injured doing this since that distance isn't that long for me. And if I'm going to really train for this Half Marathon I want to train my long runs at the pace I hope to accomplish, which is under 10 minute miles.

I know right now I can already run 7 miles at a 9:20 pace.
If I could maintain that for 13.1 miles that would be a 2:02 half marathon, or a 122 minute. For now I'll just say around 2:10 (which is less than a 10 minute mile).
Therefore, on Saturday long runs, with my training team I plan to run sub 10 minute miles. At least that is my plan.

someday I'd love to run a sub 2 hour half marathon (which would require a sub 9:10 per mile pace). That will be a long range goal. When left to just enjoy a run I like to run 9:30 pace right now. I only push it faster when I'm running a quick 2 miles. I could probably run 2 miles in around 8:40 pace.

Sorry to ramble numbers. But when I have a goal ahead of me I am much more motivated to run. I also need to decide on my pace ahead of time if I want to be growing.

Relay Results

2010-01-05T21:49:00.000-08:00

Hello “Frutchey Clan” team and friends:

We did great this morning running a family team relay in Sacramento freezing weather (it might snow tonight)!

We had lots of fun developing a unique team strategy for finding each other at the relay exchanges (Eddie invented a bird call). We also had a great time cheering on all those fast marathoners, some who were trying to qualify for Boston by running our local marathon (which has lots of down hill).

Meanwhile, together we ran 26.2 miles in a final chip time of 4:31:50!

Our pace was 10:22 per mile.

“Frutchey Clan” finished 55th out of 90 teams in the Family Team Division (in the top 61%).

177th out of 249 Overall Coed teams (71%).

And out of all teams we were 611th out of 910 (67%)

And we beat ALL TEAMS that didn’t even show up for the race at all!

Our handoffs and approximated individual accomplishments were as follows:

Karen ran the first 6 in 78:12 (12:35 per mile)

Eddie then ran from mile 6 to around 13.5 in 63:18 (8:20 per mile)

Sarah then ran from 13.5 to around 20.5 in 67 (9:22 per mile)

Betsey ran the final 5.7 in 61:50 (10:51 per mile)

Thank you for running with me friends and family. If it wasn’t so cold I’d definitely say lets run this one again next year. For now, let’s just defrost and perhaps keep our eyes peeled for other relay opportunities in our area in the future.

Cold CIM Relay

2009-12-06T14:24:00.000-08:00

Just ran a new Personal Record for the 10k at 57:45 (9:16 per mile pace).

I ran a 7 mile leg of the CIM Relay this morning with the following teammates:

Karen, Eddie, myself, Betsy

It took us 4:35:00 or so to go the entire 26.2 miles. More details are forthcoming on how we placed but if you want to look us up the results will be at this link:

Look up the "Frutchey Clan" team under the family relay teams as well as the women's relay teams!

Time to nap!

Thanksgiving 5k

2009-11-26T11:00:00.000-08:00

It was 32 degrees here in Overland Park, Kansas as I ran a new PR for the 5k over moderate hills, windy weather and with 5,000 others crowded next to me on narrow streets. While this is my fastest 5k yet, I wouldn't say it was the funnest, especially since I had no one to share it with. I think this is one of the first official 5ks I've gone to completely alone and it really did lack a sense of shared community for me. But in the end it did give me a nicer than expected time.

9:10 - Mile One
8:57 - Mile Two
8:12 - Mile Three
1:32 - last kick

27:22 - Total Time (8:48 per mile pace)
32:13 - my Thanksgiving 5k 6 years ago (age 25)
28:32 - my previous PR

The last mile I felt like I was going so slow and was so cold I couldn't feel my limbs. I was surprised at my time that mile, but really I just wanted to be done and go back to a warm house with friends and family to celebrate Thanksgiving...now when will that turkey be done?

Did you know I LOVE to run?

2009-11-15T14:33:00.000-08:00

I went for another 30 minute run-while-the-kids-are-happy-and-before-things-get-crazy-while-Nate-is-watching-them, late last night from 5:30 to 6pm. I think I ran around a 9 minute mile and snuck in 3 miles. It was a little creepy running on the creek trail with the sun already completely gone. I made sure to only listen to one ear plug of my Ipod so I could hear people around me.

When I do get away to run like this I ask myself why it is something I enjoy so much. Humans don't usually do something regularly if they don't enjoy it, and since my friends and family have come to see me as a runner (since I run 3 or more times a week) I am starting to realize in hindsight that I do like running. Do I run for just weight loss or fitness or as an excuse to get away from children (thankfully they can't run as fast as me yet)? I guess I take running for granted and think everyone enjoys doing it and does it often, until folks refer to me as one of those "odd runner types". Then I look around myself and realize that running is something I don't have to do regularly, instead it is something I CHOOSE to do, and other CHOOSE NOT to do.

So why do I CHOOSE to run?...seems to be the pressing question which non-runners keep asking me.

I think the answer to this question is:
I Love to Run

Why? (as Lincoln would press the question further)

The answer to this goes back to when I started to run.
When I was 15 I moved to Oregon on my own to live with my grandparents on a farm.
My parents were going through a rough time.
And I was like Forest Gump, I would go and just run out in the country roads and fields.

Why?
I loved it.

Why?
Running made me feel young and fit. It gave me some quiet time to process my feelings. A run out in the field made me feel close to God and nature (I often had to play head butting games with our goats).

So why do I still run?
For many of the same reason. Quiet. Closeness to God. Nature (the stars were out last night). A calming effect on my soul. It is one of my life's constant stress release mechanisms.

Running has helped me get through many periods of my adult life (just like the title of my blog states).
I ran throughout college. I ran throughout my rockin' 20s (although I ate and drank and was merry throughout that time as well - leading to more weight gain).I ran while pregnant. I have run injured. I ran a marathon while grieving the death of my father. I ran during my first cooperate job. I ran through the darkest years of my marriage. I am now running through being a Mother of two and childcare provider of 4 and a wife of one great guy (who works long hours). I've run in California, then Oregon, than Washington, then California, then Kansas, then Missouri, and now California again. I've had lots of running partners too; from my high school basketball teammates, to Cara in college, Trish in grad school, Lisa in Kansas, Nate off and on where ever, My brother-in-law Will, My father-in-law Bill, Betsy here in Elk Grove, Eddie my brother here in Elk Grove, and my dog Edgar in Missouri (my props go out to you all, especially that poor beagle that I drug along behind me after 1 mile).

I must confess, looking back, I've run a lot!
I guess I must really LOVE to run.

Half Mararthon Personal Record

2009-10-05T08:38:00.000-07:00

Despite a gut ache that has lasted all last week, keeping me from running, I successfully completed a half marathon yesterday morning. I had signed up for this race to just keep up my fitness after the relay in August (where I ran 14 miles over 24 hours). So now I was attempting to run 13.1 miles without stopping to walk or rest.

I got to the start line a little too late to wait in line at the porty potties and therefore had to get in line for the race. In hindsight, perhaps I should have stayed in line and just taken my potty break, since I had a chip timer on my shoe and I could have started a little late and had my start still count. Instead I started with a pace team that was carrying a sign for 2:25 and struck up conversations for the first 10 miles with this group. It really helped the miles tick by to actually have a group running my pace. I also felt like a real runner finally being fast enough to run with a pacing team.

My main fans were Nate and the kids in a double stroller which he rushed around town to see me at mile 1 (took my sweats), mile 3 (gave me a hat), mile 5, mile 12("Go Mommy!") and the finish! I was amazed at how often I saw them cheering me on. It really helped me.

After my potty break at mile 10 which I think took me 4 or 5 minutes I ran three 10 minute miles to catch up and pass the last pacing team (2:30), and kick nit home the last 1/4 mile at 9 minute pace. My chip time was 2:27:44 (11:17 pace). I remember the day when that was my pace on a 5k race! The last half marathon I ran was in 2005 before I had had children. I weighed 25 pounds more than I do now and ran it in 2:47. If I hadn't stopped for that much needed potty break (waiting in that potty line) I think I could have even beaten 2:25 (and had a pace in the 10 minute per mile range).

Races like this one are a blast. They make you feel fit and happy to be alive. At the finish we were given medals that were cowbells on ribbons, since this is the Cowtown Half. If I run it again next year I'll have to dress up more like a cow.

For now I need to focus on beating this stomach ache and getting ready for the Fun Run 5k on Dec 5th and our Marathon relay as a family on Dec 6th.

The Apparent Project Blog: All kinds of fasting....

2009-09-29T10:09:00.000-07:00

The Apparent Project Blog: All kinds of fasting....

I am ending my beloved gym membership to fast and in some way help this ministry...join me.

I'm Haunted

2009-09-23T23:01:00.000-07:00

I could write here about my most recent run that felt great and safe and made me feel free from adulthood. But instead I am haunted by the stories of my dear friends the Clay's who are working with orphans in Haiti. "Almost every day I am forced with the decision of whether to send a street kid home to no food so that I can have dinner with my family, or whether to let him stay and not know whether there will be enough food for our household of 10 this month." These words from Shelley haunted me as I ran tonight. They should haunt me. They should haunt us all.

Then another friend sent me an email just randomly..."I command you - be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9" and our preacher just preached on "Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted." Are we to go to Haiti and help the helpless too? For how long? Would it really comfort? I feel like someone I loved has died. How self serving this American world his with its gym memberships and running clubs and TVs and fast food while orphans are abandoned to die at trash heaps in Haiti.

Visit: This website to help!

Celebrate Good Times Come On!

2009-09-13T12:55:00.000-07:00

I am done with around 22 weeks of steady focus on weight loss. During this time I've lost 47 pounds of weight (2 pounds a week). The first 25 pounds were the remaining weight from my pregnancy and came off fairly rapidly. The last 19 pounds were harder to remove and I used an 8 week weight loss challenge at my gym to motivate me to keep pushing. I've carried that extra weight since my early 20s so it was harder to get rid of.

After an especially hard week of dieting and working out I weighted in at the gym yesterday morning weighing 137 pounds. I had lost 12.2% of my body weight since 8 weeks ago, and 25% of my body weight since early April (5 months ago). Loosing 1/4 of myself in 5 months has made me feel very strong and fast and lean. I also feel really excited about the future. I am very blessed to have the money and time for a gym membership and a support system of friends and family to help me meet this goal. At my weigh-in I had my brother Eddie who has been on his own weight loss journey for several years now and is always motivating me to eat better and meet him at the gym for early morning workouts. I also had my sister-in-law Karen who is a supportive friend when it comes to balancing our roles as mothers and athletes and breastfeeding mothers. I appreciate how she and my Mom were flexible with me when I brought her children or mine to the gym with me for workouts. My Mom was also at my weigh-in and she was my partner in this the whole way, even participating in a Spring weight loss challenge with me (doing push ups and sit ups which she hadn't done since college). Nate was at work but was there in spirit since he modified my diet and helped me track calories as well as watched the kids lots when I had to go to the gym. My brother Peter also watched the kids at home if they were napping and I had to make a training session, so thanks go out to him as well.

To celebrate we all met for sushi and Japanese beer at a fun local spot. We ate LOTS of sushi and I loved eating all that rice so late in the evening, along with the soy sauce. Thank you all for your support through this. Love you all. Sarah

Hood To Coast Results

2009-09-03T09:18:00.000-07:00

Here is a photo of me at the near top of Mt. Hood, awaiting our 11:45am gun time to start the Hood to Coast relay. I ran the first leg and had the honor of starting the relay for my team of 12 fellow runners. Relay races are lots of fun but I only had a vague concept at this point what we were all in for, as we had never run the Hood to Coast relay before (preferring slight smaller and shorter relays in the past).

At the start I was greeted with enthusiasm not only by my teammates but also by a loud commentator shouting out our team names as we left the starting gate, and also the American Cancer Society folks who were happy to meet us after our fund raising efforts.

I began my decent down the steep Leg One at 11:45am on a Friday morning (we had left Seattle at around 5am so I was already a bit sleepy). My adrenaline was pumping with the rock music and caffeinated gu blocks from the race start and I had to keep telling myself to take it easy and not run my fastest first mile ever. One glitch in my plan was that I left my Garmin at home so I didn't really know my pace. I kept passing runners and asking politely, so what is your pace? They kept saying they were 9 - 10 minute milers and I thought, I'm out of my league here. Why am I passing these folks. I guess its the downhill (I shrugged and kept with the pace that felt good). I realized at one point that I ran one mile in 8:20 pace (since I had a Timex I'd borrowed and could set a split between the state road mile markers). 8:20!!!! I hadn't run that mile pace since MAYBE high school JV basketball try outs, age 15. I tried to slow down but found the pounding on my knees hurt more and my lungs and heart rate were so slow that I wasn't out of breath at all. I decided to just run as fast as I could (this is a race afterall) and I finished the 5.65 mile downhill in 49:35 (around a 8:44 pace).

Running 5 miles normally doesn't fatigue my legs that much. I'd been training with three such runs of this length a week or longer. So the quick inflammation of every part of my legs after this run from calves, to quads, to ankles, to hamstrings was a bit surprising. Only an hour after this run, despite my attempts at stretching, icing and biofreezing, I was hobbling whenever I tried to stand up and walk. I made an effort to get out of the van at EVERY exchange to walk, and still I was just getting stiffer and stiffer. I was slowly turning into a Tinman without oil and still had to more legs of the race to run (the next one approaching at 8pm that Friday evening).

Once my other 5 teammates ran their first legs (with lots of hand slapping and team espirit) our team van was off duty and needed to drive to Portland for a major exchange where we thought we could sleep and eat. After fighting through Portland rushhour traffic we sat in a barren industrial parking lot thinking where is the food and how can we sleep here. It was a major let down. No nap. No food. So we set out doing what any runner would do, and walked about 2 miles looking for food (to only find a Burger King). After eating my BK salad and a kid Whopper and a small shake (yuck) I prepped for my next run as my teammates tried to get a nap. The sun was setting and the rain was drizzling. The exchange points was chaotic, the theme at this point was already in our heads, this race has too many teams in it! I walked a bit away from the crowded exchange to stretch when I saw my Dad (father-in-law) running quickly to the exchange. He didn't see me and I just barely saw him coming. I stepped in, said "I'm here!", he handed me our bracelet baton and I was off.

"Off!" Yes, I was off. At a distinct walk hobble jog. It was an interesting gait. And soon after starting I had to run up stairs to get to the Portland bridge that crossed the Columbia River. I cranked up my Ipod (first time I'd worn it) to push through the initial pain. I passed some other hobbled Leg One runners, and that fueled me. I picked up the pace and my legs loosened up. I ran this leg through the oncoming darkness down an industrial Portland road on the broken sidewalk. It was 4.75 miles, at a time of 48:35 (10:10 pace); not bad for my legs feelings so stiff and tired.
ed
After this leg I was in great need of a nap. But now our van was on a mission to make it through the ridiculous traffic of 2000 other vans careening toward the same exchange points in time to get our next runner to the next stop. At 2am we were off duty again and trying to get to the next major exchange for that long awaited nap (I'd been up for 22 hours straight and run 10 miles). The windy back road took us 2 hours instead of 1/2 hour to navigate. We laid down in our sleeping bags on the floor at 2:35am...my eyes finally closed at 3:30am...my clock alarm awoke me at 4am...I started running my last leg at 4:30am.

At this point I looked at my brother-in-law as he helped me hobble to the exchange with my headlamp and sweatshirt in the slight rain and said, "I think this might be the hardest thing I've ever done." I have birthed out two huge babies so i was feeling some discomfort at this point to say that. I ran very slowly at first and once again passed my first runner and then more it was crazy how bad everyone looked at this point. My mind was so tired it played tricks on me. I thought any shadows in the street that moved were either animals or puddles. I had to keep working through that each time a shadow moved. I pumped my arms the entire run to keep moving. I could hardly stand or walk when I got out of my sleeping bag...so I was surprised that I was running. Black clouds floated over my head and i was on a back country road. I would have enjoyed the run more however it was 4:30am in the morning and I had slept in 24 hours, so I was in survival mode. I could see reflective vests dancing in front of me; they were mesmerizing. I decided to think of all the people who had died from cancer that folks had ask us to run for.

Each name came to mind and I was reminded how hard it is to watch someone you love struggle to breathe, to sit up, or to stand. "I'm blessed." I kept saying this in my head. "For my kids." I said this too. I want to stay healthy and alive for my kids, unlike my Dad was able to. "For my Dad." I almost heard his voice out there. "For my friend." I thought about my friend Emily who just lost her Mom to cancer. And I was somehow moving forward, and passing people. I got passed to, but not as often. This leg felt the longest, but it was the shortest. I ran 3.75 miles in 38:30 minutes or so (another 10:10 pace).

Last year I ran at an overall 11:10 pace or so. My fastest leg last year was 11:06 and I ran it weighting 168 pounds and 2 months pregnant. This year my overall pace was closer to 9:40 and I weighed 141 pounds. I set a goal 10 months ago to run sub 10 minute pace and to weight in my 150s for this race. I met both goals. I also set a goal to raise $1000 for American Cancer Society and with your help I raised $1107.

It feels great to set a goal and meet it on so many levels. Thank you to everyone who supported me along the way. Nate says i called him after my last leg a bit drunk on lack of sleep and misery. He joked if he recorded the conversation I might never sign up for a relay race again. But even though I was sleep deprived and sore to the point of hardly walking for days, I'm ready for another one! I think it is because when you do an endurance event you discover what your real limits are. Now a 5am run seems easy (especially after a few hours of sleep), since I've done one at 4:30am with no sleep!

I encourage you to find a hard goal and go for it. It truly makes you realize how strong you really are.

Packing for Relay

2009-08-26T19:19:00.000-07:00

I've confronted a cold bug with a death stare the last few days saying,"You will not make me sick for this race!" Trying to balance being a full-time Mom of two under age 3 and daycare provider for 2 more during the day, and tapering for this race, and getting better for this race has been a challenge.

But so far, my head is somewhat still clear. I hope to get three nights in row as of tonight of good sleep. I've rested from exercise for several days. And now I'm attempting to pack for my flight to Seattle tomorrow morning while my 6 month old squirms on the floor and wants to be talked to.

I'll be traveling with:
1) Two kids and no Dad (he has to stay home and work)
2) Two carseats
3) One suitcase
4) One breastpump
5) Lots of running gear (three outfits), first aid kid, Garmin, headlamp, fuel etc.
6) 60oz of frozen breastmilk for Grandma Tina to use while watching Zoe.
7) and NO Cold Bug!

Wish me luck!

Sympathy Weight

2009-08-17T08:34:00.000-07:00

My husband has displayed sympathy weight recently. We both think he gained a bit during this pregnancy and then last night he showed some "sympathy weight" by going to the gym with me and lifting weights (which is not his cup of tea) and then we weighed him. While I've lost 40 pounds since Zoe came home from the hospital, Nate has lost 15 pounds. Not only has he lost weight with me without even realizing it he has sympathized with my weight loss goals with all the support he has given me. Let me count the ways!

1) Invented new recipes to stay within my diet.
2) Asked me if I could eat a dessert and stay within my calorie count for the day. If I can't he doesn't make it for himself either.
3) Watched the kids before work in the mornings so that I can get in a quick daily run.
4) Given me training tips, since he ran cross country in high school.
5) Bought me skinny clothes to help me celebrate my success.
6) Reassured me that I look great and not to get to down on myself on an off week.
7) Massage my tired muscles.
8) Make me an ice bath.
9) Push the kids in strollers while I ran a 5k.
10) Babysit the kids with grandparents helping during a 10k.
11) Buying me a gym membership and new running gear without complaint.
12) Reading my blog and chatting with me about it.

Having a spouse or friend cheer you on through a goal like this is essential. I am so glad that Nate has been there with me to gain and loose the sympathy weight and provide me with the sympathy I needed to keep pushing towards my goal.
I couldn't have been as successful without him.

Official 5k PR

2009-08-15T09:27:00.000-07:00

28:35 (9:12 pace)

I crushed my last 5k time by 4 minutes.
And I broke my last PR from 2003 by 2 minutes.

Feels good.
I had fun passing 6 people in the last mile.
I think I was in the top 3 in my age group too but I'll have to verify that.

Attempting a Fast 5k

2009-08-14T21:29:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow morning is another $5 5k at the local running store.
I haven't beaten 32 minutes in a 5k in a long time, so that will be goal number one.
Secondly, I'd love to set a new 5k PR, which would take me running at a 9:50 pace.

I'll try my best and will hopefully achieve these goals no problem.

I am running 15 pounds lighter than the last 5k in May.
So that should definitely help. Also, last time I went running I was able to run 3 miles in 29:27, right on pace to beat my 5k PR of 30:39.

Root me on.

I Need a Heroine...cue the music

2009-08-10T14:08:00.000-07:00

And I don't have to look far.
There are plenty of AMAZING female athletes I can look to to get inspiration when I'm worn down in my own training.

Deana Kastor (female bronze Olympic marathoner in 2004 and American Record Holder)
-I like how her husband can only keep up with her running pace by riding next to her on a racing bike.
-She also does lunges in this one documentary while prepping for her 2006 win of the Chicago marathon, in such blistering speed and for such a long time that my jaw dropped to the floor.
This video shows her winning her Olympic medal.

Cheryl Hayworth (bronze Olympic medalist in female weightlifting)
-She has made the Olympic team three times
-Her highest weight lift over her head is 285 kg (628 pounds) in two events, and American Record.
This video shows her setting new records.

Dara Torres (silver medalist in 50m Olympic swim in 2004)
She's 42 and just swam in the finals of the World Championships
She has a 3 year old to take care of too.
Nuff said...here is an article that says the same.

Joan Benoit Samuelson (Olympic Gold medalist 1984 in the marathon)
Oh yeah, and she ran in the trails again last year at age 50.
I met her and shook her hand and talked to her about how awesome she is. She told me I was awesome for running to raise money for cancer research. I replied I guess we are both awesome!

After watching this video I think I can go out and push myself a little harder.
These women are so inspiring.

You Succeed

2009-08-07T08:37:00.000-07:00

This morning I awoke to run a long run with my friend Betsy but she had to sleep in.
So I desperately searched for my Garmin because I'm a bit addicted to using it whenever I run outdoors. It took me 30 minutes to find, right where I left it on the porch. I need to get better about laying out all my gear the night before so that I don't waste time in the morning. Right now I think I own 6 pairs of running shoes by the way, so it shouldn't be hard to find a pair of those at least.

So with less time to run before Nate had to leave for a meeting at 8am, i was out the door by 6:45am trying to get him in less than an hour. I wanted to run at least 4 miles. So I started sort of slow and then sped up with each mile after that. Here are my splits.

Mile One: 11:29
Mile Two: 10:47
Mile Three: 8:56
Mile Four: 9:44

Total Time: 40:58 (Pace per mile 10:14)

Last three miles my pace was 29:27 (pace was 9:49)

This is a huge accomplishment for me. I could hardly believe it. But sometimes when you push yourself and dream the impossible, on a standard every day morning, you succeed.

I can't believe this

2009-07-30T20:57:00.000-07:00

I just put on some jeans that are size 8. I'm not joking. This is crazy. I guess I could have put this on facebook as a status but I don't want to sound to cocky.

I'm just surprised. I guess you work hard and it pays off. Yippee.

Someday I WILL be Faster

2009-07-26T13:16:00.000-07:00

Today I committed to running 7.5 miles and I tried to get up by 5am. Instead I was up at 6am and out the door by 6:20am, which made for a nice cool run with the sun at bit of a low blinding angle. I planned ahead and had Tootsie Rolls in my pocket so that this time (unlikely my last run) my legs wouldn't run out of sugar to burn after only 3 miles. This worked well and I enjoyed having a kick in my step the last two miles.

I ran an average pace of 11:32, but the last mile and a half I was running at around a 10:45 pace. I love the pace calculating tool at the following website, by the way, and hope you use it to: http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/4/4_1/96.shtml I would love to be faster then I am and had hoped be running at a 10 min mile pace by now. I think I could maintain a 10 min mile for perhaps 3 miles, but not more than that. For now I am pleased that I have some good endurance, my legs are strong, and I don't feel any injuries coming back. I can run 7.5 miles no problem. Of course I did feel like eating everything in sight this morning (french toast by Nate and coffee and a McGriddle from McDonalds later and I finally felt full).

I hope I can run my miles in the Hood to Coast a bit faster than I did my run this morning (I think I can do that since I'll be running it in three legs with 5 hours or so recovery between each run - 6 miles, 4 miles, and then 4 miles.)

I also looked up my old records of when I ran the KC Half marathon in 2005 while training for my marathon one month later (can you believe that the results from that race are still on the Internet.) I ran/walked that half marathon with a chip time of 2:47:00 (12:45 per mile pace). I'd like to beat this time soundly when I run the Sacramento Half Marathon on Oct 4th 2009 - two pregnancies later and 4 years older and hopefully 25 pounds lighter. My goal is to run this half marathon in under 2:20:00 (10:41 min mile). It is fun to think of my 31-year-old self betting a race against my 27-year-old self.

My long-term dreams include running a 5k, 10k, and Half Marathon all at 9:30 min pace, which would be total times of 29:30, 59:01, and 2:04:32. Perhaps I'll shoot for those time goals in the Fall of 2010 after another year of training by running at least 20 miles a week. Someday not only will I have endurance (like the Energizer bunny) I'll also have speed (like a real bunny).

Hey Peoples!

2009-07-21T19:41:00.000-07:00

When we went to San Francisco and rode on a trolley car with our son Lincoln he was so excited he yelled, "Hey peoples! We're riding in Thomas peoples!" to all the people outside of the car.

Today I am so excited I have to just shout for a second.
"Hey peoples! I weigh less than 150 pounds peoples!"

This has been a weight loss goal for 5 years. If I can get below this (149.6) I'll be the lightest I've been since the year 2000 (so in the last 10 years).

And that "Peoples!" is worth shouting about!

Long Run in the HEAT and Long Range Goals

2009-07-19T13:19:00.000-07:00

I went for a long run this morning a bit too late! I started at around 8am and by the time I finished it felt 90 degrees outside (although it was only 80).

Here is my route:
Large Loop to Park
Find more Runs in Elk Grove, California

I was happy with my pace but hope to start out perhaps a bit slower in order to go perhaps 7 miles next Sunday. I'm trying to balance speedwork, long runs, and weight loss training at the gym.

I very much appreciate the accountability I'm receiving from my running partner Betsy, brother Eddie, and coaches Nate and Will and trainer Cesar.

I will likely meet my goal of running well (faster than last year) in the Hood to Coast at the end of August. I will also likely meet my new weight loss goal of running this race in my 140s.

I'm very goal -oriented so I often find that if I train really hard for a race and don't have something to train for after that race that I suffer a loss in motivation afterward. This happened to me in 2003 when I trained hard for a local 5k race in the Winter; I set my 5k PR in that race in Feb 2003 and made a weight loss goal by loosing about 15 pounds while training. Since I didn't really have a long-term plan for other races after that race, I quickly regained the weight and lost all the speed and cardio fitness I had accrued up to that point. That is why I've worked up an extended calendar of events to train for until the end of 2009.

Aug. 15th - EG Fun Run 5k
Aug. 23rd - Winery Relay with Betsy (5 miles)
Aug. 28th - Hood to Coast relay (14 miles)
Oct. 4th - Cowtown Half Marathon (13.1 miles)
Dec. 7th - Cal International Marathon Relay (7 miles)

I'm excited to be doing three relay races with friends and family. It always makes me run faster knowing that my efforts contribute to the success of a team.

43 Days - Yipes

2009-07-16T10:04:00.001-07:00

Is that what the counter says on the right hand side of this page? 43 days till my race!
That came fast.

I've been sidelined for the last 10 days with a deep chest cough. But now I'm better and feel great. I went for a four mile run today and will swim tomorrow. The Saturday morning I will run around 7 miles. Nothing like going from 0 to 60. I'm also within shooting distance of being in my 140s which wins me a coveted prize (I get to go see the new Harry Potter movie once I weigh 149 on the gym scale).

I start another weight loss challenge this Saturday and my trainer has put me in a group of people that are hard core folks (always paying to individual training and such). So essentially on my "off" days from running I'll be doing intense leg squats and weight training with this team of fit people (Tuesdays and Fridays at 6pm). The combination will leave me exercising a minimum of 60 minutes a day up until the last week before the race. I plan to be weighing close to 140 by race (which means I'll finally hit the "normal" range on the BMI chart - man that chart is ruthless - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/bmi_tbl.pdf).

Also, folks have been pretty generous this week and I'm only $110 from my minimum commitment of raising $500 for the cancer society (see http://run.to/RunForEd). I committed to doing a push up for every dollar raised this week; so far I have to do 73. I'm proud of my training partners both far and near right now who are committed to weight loss with me. Here is a shout out to Rebecca, Christina, and Betsy.

Excerise Ideas

2009-06-30T07:04:00.000-07:00

Someone posted on my last blog asking the following: "any chance you'd give me some idea of what exercises you did each week? I'm desperate to lose these last 15 pounds, and I know I'm going about it all wrong." I think this was my friend Shari from facebook, but since I'm not sure, I'll answer here just in case.

My trainer was very focused on two things diet (by counting calories) and then 1-2 hours of exercise a day. He stated up front that if we didn't change what we were eating our bodies would NOT loose weight no matter how hard we worked. I didn't like hearing this since I love to eat and I didn't want to learn how to count calories. I started keeping the food diary, which I can send you if you email me. This got me to cut out things like dessert and extra fat. I realized very quickly that I was eating a high fat diet, despite thinking I was healthy since I rarely eat beef or dairy (in part due to my husband's high cholesterol). So restricting my calories and eating lots of veggies and whole grains helped me drop up to 5 pounds on some weeks.

Exercise was the second part, and my trainer even states it is the 2nd in importance in a weight loss program. The key with the exercise is to change up what you are doing on a regular basis so your body doesn't get used to it. 1 hour of cardio and then 1 hour of weights a day is ideal. One week I did the following and lost 5 pounds that week:

Monday: REST
Tuesday: 35 minutes elliptical trainer
15 minutes hard weight training
1 hour walking
Wednesday: 35 min run (am)
25 min fast lap swim (pm)
Thursday: 1 hour circuit training with trainer
(this includes exercises like squats and lots of situps, and then cardio to get your heartrate backup, and don't forget pushups).
Friday: 1 hour circuit training with trainer
Saturday: Ran a local 5k, 32 minutes
Sunday: 30 lap swim for recovery

Some of my favorite activities include:
Elliptical machine
Stair step machine
Running
Swimming laps as fast as I can
Lifting weights (shoulder press, chest press, biceps, triceps)
Situps
Cycle classes
Circuit training
Squats with weights
Lunges with weights

Hope this helps others who want to try and loose some weight fast.
Reign in your eating and then add in the exercise and keep your body guessing on what you will do next.

Good luck!
Sarah

Body Fit Challenge Results

2009-06-12T08:42:00.000-07:00

I ran with my friend Betsey at a torrent pace to the gym this morning for my final weigh in. My trainer was there hoping that I would weigh in and win the thing, but I knew it wasn't to be because I slowed down my weight loss this week to maintain my milk for Zoe.

During my weight loss challenge I tracked my food, my exercise, and my calorie intake all on one sheet, as well as my weight. Here is a snapshot (above - click on it) of how I tracked this info. This was a really great tool for me to keep my weight loss on track.

I plan to still loose at least around 2 pounds a week until my race at the end of August. My body just can't handle 5 pound weeks (which I had a few of during this challenge), while still maintaining my milk supply for my 4 month old daughter.

Today I ran 4.13 miles in 44:35 or a 10:48 pace (faster than this time last year).
Go Warriors!
Sarah

New Goals

2009-06-10T11:50:00.000-07:00

So I decided to go on a trip last week instead of really pushing ahead and winning my weight loss competition at the gym (I'll likely finish in 2nd place). So I'm refocusing on a new goal to stay positive.

A 10k on the 4th of July (lets just finish this without walking) and another 10 pounds of weight loss before August.

I can do that. And once I do that I get to buy myself some new workout clothes and a dress.

10% and In the Lead

2009-05-30T21:32:00.000-07:00

I've lost 10% of my body weight, that is 17.8 pounds in 5 weeks and vaulted to the lead out of the 75 people racing to win the weight loss competition at our gym. Now I'm feeling quite happy but also quite fatigued. My hip hurts and I'm hoping I can still loose around 9 more pounds before June 13th, the final weigh in.

Just read my friends post about adopting her daughter. God always lays on my heart perhaps we our next children will be adopted.

New 5K PR...post age 30

2009-05-23T10:44:00.000-07:00

My overall 5k PR is 30:39 (9:53).
This morning though I ran faster than I did in last years 4th of July run, setting a new post-age-30 PR. No bad when you consider I've gained and lost 50 pounds since running that 5k in July 2008 due to my pregnancy and delivery of a large 8lb 12 oz girl.

July 4th, 2008 my time was: 32:45 (10:33)
April 13th, 2008 my time was: 35:17 (11:21)
This morning my time was: 32:31 (10:25/mile)
1st 5k back in 2003 was: 32:54 (10:37_

I'm especially proud that I ran the first mile in 9:59. I like seeing that 9.

By the 4th of July run I should be closer to 10 minute miles (if not faster) and 20 pounds lighter! Perhaps I'll even beat 30 minutes.

Fundraising Effort

2009-05-22T14:06:00.001-07:00

My fundraising letter is going out to all my contacts and then perhaps to the contacts of my parents and on from there to their friends.

My goal is to raise $1000 while training for the Hood to Coast relay in August.
So far my email blast has gotten some donations from a few of my former colleagues, which I appreciate! Please see the link to the right if you want to read more about my fund raising for the American Cancer Society. Basically I'm raising money for this society due to loosing my father to cancer in 2000, at the age of 49. We miss him a lot and wish he was here getting to know his grand kids.

I'm also running a 5k tomorrow and really want to run it in under 33 minutes. The mere fact that I can run a 5k without walking is a feat, seeing as my baby is just 11 weeks old. I've also lost 15 pounds in the last 4 weeks and in second place in the weight loss challenge at the gym (I've lost 8.5% of my body weight so far).

All this is to say, I'm passionate about fitness, firstly yes because it makes me feel good. But also because it means I'll be around when my kids have kids, unlike my Dad. His battle with cancer was complicated by his struggle with obesity. Please consider donating money to the American Cancer Society in memory of my Dad. I'd like to see less adults and kids dying of cancer. It just stinks!

Speed Trial

2009-05-16T09:30:00.000-07:00

I was sneaking in a run with two feverish kids at home with my mother...so in other words I had to run fast! I ran quickly to the old high school track I used to train on with the JV basketball team. Back in my glory days I thought I wasn't in good shape, running an 8 minute mile around the track (making me a very slow guard).

As I arrived, I mentally challenged my 15-year-old self to a speed trial. Needless to say the 15-year-old won. BUT my 25 year old self did NOT win as I completed the trial in 10:02. I wasn't running 10 minute miles in my mid-20s, at least not consistantly.

It was encouraging to see how fast I could go. I think a month ago I was running 11:40 on the mile! Since having Zoe I've lost an additional 20 pounds and am now withing 5 pounds of my pre-pregnancy weight. The more I loose the faster I get is what I say!

Progress

2009-05-12T18:27:00.000-07:00

I ran two miles of a 5k training run at 10:30 pace, which is a pace faster than I ran this time last year.

I've lots 10 pounds in three weeks with diet and increased exercise.

I've increased my resistance training and my weights on those as well.

I can do more push-ups.

My baby girl has gained weight and inches steadily.

My remaining goal is to loose another 10 pounds (at least) in the next five weeks, with 10 more pounds in the month following that. This would mean I could run the local 5k on the 4th of July while weighing in the 140s. Last time I ran at that weight I could run 9 minute miles!

Can I?

2009-05-09T22:30:00.000-07:00

Can I prep for this Sprint Triathlon by June 6th? Today I biked 9.5 miles and then ran 2 miles. I've lost 13 pounds in 3 weeks so my running feels lots faster! Hope to be at least 13 pounds lighter by June 6th as well.

.5 mile swim. The swim will be in Rancho Seco Lake, with a beach start and finish. The water temperature will be around 72 degrees. Wetsuits are allowed. The course will be clockwise course marked with large orange swim buoys. The course will be monitored by safety boaters.
The Bike

The 16-mile bike course starts off within the park at Rancho Seco for the first 2 miles and then turns onto highway 104, monitored by CHP officers, for a 6 mile out and back loop. After a left turn back into Rancho Seco Park you finish around the lake and back into transition area.
The Run

The 3-mile run heads out of the transition area along a grass path to a wide fire road that loops around the lake for 1.5 miles before turning and returning on the same road. The dirt is softer than pavement and the mild hills are invigorating and satisfying. The finish is back to transition area and the huge welcome of the crowds, announcer and other finishers.

Competition, a Coach, and Scottish Roots

2009-04-19T10:00:00.000-07:00

I find that without something or someone to motivate me I often get routine and lazy when it comes to exercise and eating right. Yesterday, in order to combat this and get down to my college weight, preferably the weight I was my Freshman NOT Senior year, I upped my training to a whole new label.

I've hired a physical trainer and am competing in a group training program designed to have me loose weight. My trainer has restricted my calorie intake to around 1500 calories a day and is encouraging me to do at least 2 hours of cardio work a day. This competition continues for the next 8 weeks, until mid-June, and the winner will be determined both at the club level and at the larger regional level based of percent of total body weight lost. My Mom was brave enough to sign up with me and we are both now committed to meeting at 4pm every Tuesday and Friday for our one hour workout sessions with our trainer.

Beyond that I have lots of other classes at the gym planned to get in my 2 hours a day. Over the last two weeks, which was before this competition started I did increase my exercise and reigned in my eating. This resulted in a 7 pound weight loss in 2 weeks. I think I have a real chance of winning this competition for the women at my club, as the last female club winner lost 12% of her body weight in eight weeks. For me, with a starting weight of 178, this means I need to loose around 22 pounds, which will get me down to 156 pounds (averaging 3 pounds a week).

When I get to my 160s I'll celebrate with a message. And since I expect to loose around 3 pounds a week, that should just be a few weeks away. That will be a nice accomplishment. I'll let you know when I get there. I'll weigh in each week on Monday or Tuesday. I should weigh 169 by May 4th.

When I set my mind to things I can be really competitive and stubborn. I'm hoping that I can use these somewhat bull-headed character defects to my benefit in this competition. My old Uncle Archie used to say it was the Scot in me. Time for that Scot to come out fighting. 2 hours a day. No problem. 1500 calories or less, no problem. I'm wielding the broadsword of my ancestors now, stubborn perseverance, and no one can stop me.

5k results

2009-04-13T12:57:00.000-07:00

I ran my own 5k using my Garmin and a Juniot High track last night. The stars were beautiful and I ran to the sound of my Ipod and the spraying sound of the nighttime sprinklers on the football field. Moonshine was my only light.

Mile One: 11:28
Mile Two: 11:07
Mile Three: 11:36

Total 5k time: 35:17

This is an 11:21 pace, which is a bit slower than my pace last July at 10:30, BUT IT shows how quickly I'm getting back in shape. Keep in mind I just had my baby girl Zoe 6 weeks ago.

I felt fast and great after this self-imposed race. It was a very freeing feeling. My first official 5k is in late May. Let's hope I can beat this most recent time then. I've also signed up for a weight loss training group at my gym. This should help me get faster as well.

Two Miles a Day Through Elk Grove

2009-03-31T14:34:00.000-07:00

Today I ran two miles in a 25:27, which is around a 12:40/mile pace.
It was a nice run around the Elk Grove Park which has ancient oak trees, and is rumoured to be the "grove" that a city founder saw "elk" walking through back in the 1850s. Hence the city name "Elk Grove."

I do remember a faster time for me, back in 2003, while training in Overland Park, Kansas. Back then I got fast enough to run two miles in 18:00, which is a 9 minute mile. Two kids later, a one year long heel injury, a marathon trained for and behind me, and I'm much slower than I was before (not to mention the 35 extra pounds I'm currently carrying).

I'm focusing on working out at least 30 minutes a day and when I do run, I'm keeping it to short runs like this (2 miles) so that I can really push my speed. I'm trading off days running with cross training by Pilates and swimming to rebuild my hip flexors and other core muscles.

Take your baby with You

2009-03-18T13:40:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm 16 days post birthing my baby girl, Zoe (8lbs, 12oz).
I also just received an email with the following future "due date" of my next big accomplishment.

"Red Carpet Warriors--

With 165 days until we head down the mountain from Timberline Lodge, we've got 11 of 12 runners for our Hood to Coast team."

I am one of those 11 runners!
So today my baby took her first bottle from Daddy and I jogged 1.8 miles while pushing my two-year-old in a broken down jogging stroller.

My pace was somewhere between 13 to 16 minutes per mile. Yipes. My goal will be to get below 10 minute miles in the next 6 months.

When I accomplish this relay in record breaking time (for me) I can confidently proclaim that I've run two relay races with over 11 miles in each 24 hour race within one year. Not to mention that within that same year I was pregnant and birthed a huge baby. This leaves all my female cousins and sister with no excuse not to exercise or run in fun relay races while pregnant or recovering from pregnancy.

Birth Story Summary:
To summarize my recent birth of Zoe; it was a mental challenge for sure.
Basically my labor started at 11pm and kept me up all night. No sleep for me.
We drove 40 minutes to Davis Hospital at 6:30am after I ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I listened to my hypnotherapy music and birthing music on my Ipod as we drove out there. Once there I labored with Nate's help focusing till 1pm (in the shower, counting through contraction, etc. At 1pm I wanted to get in the birthing tub and they told me I was dilated to at least a 5 cm. But the hospital was packed and both birthing tubs were in use. So I started to panic. I asked for an IV drip of something to calm me down and I labored for another 1.5 hours. At 2:30pm the tub still wasn't ready so I begged for an epidural. I was likely deep into transition at this point but refused to let my midwife check me for how dilated I was. Right when the epidural doctor came in the room I was told the birthing tub was ready for me. But at that point I was to frustrated to want to go that route. I got the epidural and started being nice to everyone. From 3 till 4pm I rested and Nate took a nap. Then at 4:10 or so my nurse came to check on my and noticed that when I tried to turn on my right side that baby girl's heartrate dropped. She decided to check my dilation and when she started to exclaimed, "Baby's head is crowning! She is ready to be born." A backup doctor was rushed in and was very nice introducing herself and was coaching me to push when I asked, "Where is my husband?" A nurse said, "Oh is that him asleep on the coach?" They woke up Nate and got my Mom back in the room. The doctor asked if I was a fast pusher with Lincoln and I said, "very fast." After one push the doctor told me to slow down so that I wouldn't tear, and then with a second push Zoe was out. Overall, pushing took less than 5 minutes, just like with Lincoln and my recovery has been amazing. Only one stich, and the epidural wore off quickly with no adverse effects. So I have forgiven myself for not "making it" through the entire labor without drugs.

In the end I pushed out another almost 9 pound baby. At this hospital they took Zoe and put her right on my chest after birth and left her with me for 2 hours. She took right to nursing for 45 minutes and kept looking in our eyes so content. It was amazing. I walked into the hospital weighing around 206 pounds (about 20 pounds less than when I birthed Lincoln). After two weeks of nursing and sleeping and eating, I know weigh around 180 pounds and hopefully still going down.

My goal is to weigh in the 150s by August for the relay race, which will enable me to reach that fast 10 minute or less pace.

Are you prepared for victory?

2009-02-18T19:43:00.000-08:00

I'm in the red zone
The last few seconds are ticking off the clock
A Finish Line just appeared around the bend

I recall seeing a sign 2 miles from the end of my marathon race in 2005 that said, "You are just a few steps away from finishing what you started!"

I feel really sore and tired most of the time, but I am still feeling much better than I did at this point with my last pregnancy.

I even swam 600 meters a few days ago. I felt like I was swimming through an oncoming current and it took me 21 minutes, which is quite slow even for me. But I am really close, so any exercise is just amazing at this point.

I am also working on visualizing my upcoming success in my most important race to date. Birthing my second child. I'm going to wear my heart rate monitor and IPOD and treat this like any serious race. The goal is a painless birth...a relaxed birth...a baby in my arms after hours NOT days. All this will happen.

I'm like Joan Benoit Samuelson, who I met once and talked to, although I can't remember what I said. I just read a recent article detailing Joan's Olympic Gold marathon race in 1984.

"Minute by minute, mile by mail, she forged onward past the barren landscape along the Marina Freeway, increasing her lead to almost 2 minutes at 15 miles. What fortitude enables a lone runner to hold form for more than 20 miles when she knows that behind her lay the greats, en masse, conserving energy, poised like a cycling peloton to overtake her? The answer came from Samuelson herself after the race, when she recounted her mindset. 'I said to myself, 'Are you prepared to deal with victory? I decided I was.'"

This will be me in just a few days! I am prepared to deal with victory.

Go Slow and You Get to Eat More!

2009-02-11T13:19:00.000-08:00

I guess when you walk slowly in a race and weigh more, you burn more calories.
At least this calorie counter thinks so.

http://www.runtheplanet.com/resources/tools/calculators/caloriecounter.asp

When I compare how much I burn when I weigh 200 pounds and take 57 minutes to complete a 5k-to when I weighed 150 pounds and it took me 30:30 minutes to complete a 5k, I get these two different numbers.

681 calories vs. 348 calories.

I guess the main benefit to being light and fast though is that you can get through a 5k faster, even if at the end you burn less calories.

This counter also says I burned around 4175 calories when I ran my marathon in San Fran. 2005, versus I'm guessing around 3030 calories for my fast and light brother-in-law Will to run his Chicago marathon. That means I could eat an extra McDonalds meal more than he did after the race! Two bad we didn't run in the same race at the same time, or that would have been fun to rub in. The slower you run, the more you get to eat.

I'm neglecting to mention that he ran his marathon in less than 3 hours, I ran mine in less than 7 hours. I think his feat is more noteworthy, but at least I get the extra burger for effort.

A 5k Walk, while carrying an extra 50 pounds

2009-02-07T11:07:00.000-08:00

This morning my friend Betsey and I, as well as my Mom, two strollers, and three kids in the strollers, started out at the back of the pack of a local 5k. We ended at as the last racers as well. But if you can believe it, I was able to jog the last 1/4 mile even though I weight over 200 pounds (although my hips are hurting a bit now).

My final time was around 57:40, a pace of 18:34 per mile.

I usually finish 5ks in around 32 minutes, a pace of 10:30 per mile.

But I had loads of fun and enjoyed getting hilarious eye popping double takes from all the runners when they saw my HUGE 8 month preggo belly. I literal saw people's eyes pop out. When I won some running socks at the raffle afterwards everyone clapped for me like I was winning an Oscar.

This local running store does a 5k every 3 months or so far $5. I really just walked this one so that I can get a free T-shirt and award next December for competing in all four races this year of 2009. I should be able to expect a new PR at each race.

I was really motivated to at least beat the 1 hour time mark, and did. I might not have though if not for my friend Betsey who kindly pushed Lincoln in a stoller as I pumped my arms at a 3.5 mph pace. It is always great to have good company.

Only 24 days until my due date of March 3rd.
I'll keep this 5k time as my Personal Record for a 5k while 36 weeks pregnant. Not sure if I'll have test this PR so it might just stick forever.

My brother ran with his wife which was great for them. He is Mr. Skinny now and is trying to get under my weight before I have the baby, which is a bit frustrating for me since I'm 5 foot 4 inches, and he is like 6 foot 3 inches. Although I always weigh more then Nate when I'm barely pregnant, so weighing more than my tall brother shouldn't be too bad. But between you and me and don't think he will make it since he weighs 216 and I'm at 203, with only 24 days to go. But who knows. If I get up to 210 and he looses like 6 pounds in the next 3 weeks, we might weigh the same for like one day of our lives. We will have to take a photo on that day!

Fun!

I now weigh 199.5 pounds

2009-02-05T14:42:00.000-08:00

Yes, with four weeks till lift off, I am only a .5 pound away from going over 200 pounds, which I've been fighting off like a lioness! Argh. I went to the gym and almost had to use that large weight on the 200 pound mark instead of the 150 pound mark. I was so mad I even yelled at the scale. Luckily, I still got to use the 150 pound mark. But I remember once being able to use the 100 pound mark in 2003, and I dipped to 149 pounds for like a day. I really want to get back there and quickly too!

A few months before this pregnancy I got down to 151 pounds, after lots of running AND a well-placed 48 hours flu bug. At any rate, I am not going to get down on myself, and may need to stop weighing myself at all till the baby comes. No reason to fret. I've lost weight before. I'm an active person. I will breastfeed and exercise, sometimes simultaneously until the weight comes off again.

Also, when I walked into the hospital to birth Lincoln I weighed around 230 pounds. this time I might weight closer to 205 pounds. So I will look at this pregnancy as a tremendous success. Perhaps it has something to do with not living right down the street from a MidWestern delicacy called frozen custard. Perhaps.

I did swim 10 laps today, and two days ago I spent a 1/2 hour on the eliptical machine and lifted arm weights. So really, my friends, you have no excuse to not get active this Winter, if I'm doing all that work while 8 months pregnant.

My Nesting Poem, Nate said I should share

2009-01-28T14:26:00.000-08:00

I am a little birdie

Who likes us clean not dirty

I love my loving hubby

Especially when he is grubby

From helping me with nesting

Our resources together divesting

To get our house all ready

For our little lady

So please don’t get all stressed out

For this list of dust to grout

It’s just ideas from a mother hen

To the papa of her den

California Dreamin'

2009-01-25T20:01:00.000-08:00

So I'm amazed that no matter how often I think I have life figured out, some new vision for the future surprises me. We've met some new friends in town who have been dreaming about forming an intentional Christian community right here in suburban Elk Grove. We felt called to come hear before knowing that others felt that perhaps God was calling us to lives of simplicity, sharing, and outrageous love with our wealth, both spiritual and financial. Right as we have met these new friends, property in the neighborhood I grew up in, which is the only neighborhood with any acreage left, has plummeted in value. Huge swaths of land with older farmhouses, and some newer town homes are selling for around 100k, when just three years ago the land was selling for over 600k. So God is providing like-minded friends, the property, and now we just need to pray for more like-minded friends. It would be a bit daunting to buy up lots of property and not be able to fill it with folks who want to live in community with us. So please pray that we have wisdom in this crazy idea called an intentional community. We aren't even sure what it is, or how it would work, but the seeds are definitely planted.

"The Lord only promises the kingdom of heaven to the poor. That's because anyone who loves temporary material blessings loses the fruits of love. No one can serve both God and money because either one will be loved and the other hated, or one will be served and the other detested...So give away your clothes-your earthly possessions and you won't be pinned by the one fighting against you. Then you can enter the kingdom of heaven via the straight path and the narrow gate. What a great swap! To exchange the things of time for the things of eternity, to get one hundred gifts instead of one, to enjoy life everlasting!" -Claire of Assisi, Letters 1212AD

On a side note, I'm in my 35th week of pregnancy, almost to month 9, and I'm daily floored by practice surges or contractions. Despite my huge energy level which has propelled me to bike, walk, or swim every day this past week, I find that by the evening my uterus is NOT happy with me, and therefore floors me with an endless surge that knocks my breathe away. I can't wait for this baby to come, although then I won't get any sleep for at least 3 months and will be a walking zombie, but at least I'll have my body back. I've lowered my pain medicine before I go to bed since my new midwife advised against it, so the exercise is my way of making sure I can get to sleep at night. Swimming today will likely relax my hips enough so that they won't ache as I lay on my side at night. What a blessing I have to live with such wealth that I have a cozy super soft King sized bed to sleep in each night. I keep wondering how women who are pregnant in hovels all around the world survive as they sleep on dirt floors. God forgive ME for whining!

Practice Makes Perfect

2009-01-14T14:47:00.001-08:00

My body wants to focus not on exercise and more on practicing for birthing my baby. This means whenever I do more then just the bare minimum each day, I get these practice surges which tell me to sit down and stop.

Sigh* Oh well. I only have 6 weeks to go. I'll just keep drinking water and focus on getting good sleep. I might go for a bike ride today but my balance might not be good enough. So I guess I'll ask my Mom to pick me up. I love lifting weights though, free arm weights.

I get the best looks of awe at the gym when I am bicep curling 20 pounds with a tummy that looks like the pic below! Lots of fun. My next race will be Memorial Day, a 5k, around 3 months after the birth.

At the Gym

2008-12-18T13:49:00.000-08:00

I've made it twice to the gym so far this week and put in 30 minutes on the eliptical trainer, getting lots of looks from fellow gym members as my belly portrudes. Then I go down to the weight floor and either push myself on arms or leg lifts. It feels great, and my back is much better. I read that perhaps the baby was just sitting on my sciatic nerve and now she has moved, which makes things much nicer. I also went walking early I think on Saturday morning and got to know our frosty neighborhood. Walking outdoors when it is in the 30s and foggy is a delight, although most folks here think it is way too cold!

I weigh 190 pounds with 69 days or so to go. My goal is to stay below 200 pounds if I can, which will take some exercise. I was 227 or so pounds when I birthed Lincoln.

Today's Numbers

2008-12-07T17:32:00.001-08:00

I met with a trainer and she gave me a weight training routine to do along with cardio, three times a week. I am 80 days from having this baby and have gained around 27 pounds so far. This means I am likely on track to gain another 11 pounds before I'm done, which would put me at 38 pounds gained this pregnancy. This is much better than the 57 pounds gained with my first pregnancy but it is still a bit high.

SOOOOO, I'm planning on working out Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday of this week at the gym (20mins weights, 20-30 mins swim or walk). Then on Tues, Thurs, and Saturdays I can either take a Yoga class or just take it easy and go for a nice walk to my Moms.

Baby girl is active and happy and my back pain isn't as bad when I recognize when I am tired and stop lifting kids into my loving arms. I need to get my sleep so that I can perhaps walk or workout in the mornings before I lose our one car to Nate (who uses it to commute to work from Noon to 9pm) which leaves me stranded in the evenings.

I love the weather here in Sacramento though for working out! There really aren't any days that are impossible for running. No ice covered streets. I remember doing one such run last year (see my blog entitled "I did the Iditorod.") that was in freezing cold temperatures and on ice covered roads. I think the coldest it might get here is 35 degrees this winter, and I used to love days like that in KC in the winter for running. Hey it was over freezing, that was warm after two weeks where it had been close to 15 degrees or less. Usually it is in the 50s here with a really nice crisp fog in the morning. No rain, no ice, no snow. I wish I could run!!!! I'll just have to get my butt out of bed and walk.

Still Focused

2008-11-18T17:54:00.000-08:00

Thanks to my brother-in-law I have a new long-term fitness goal, that being to train and run in the Hood to Coast relay in record pace (for me) in August 2009. This will be 6 months after having my baby girl in late Feb 09. As of right now I can walk a 5k, but no longer run it, just due to the weight on my joints of the pregnancy. My heart and lungs miss the cardio and I have jogged a good 1/2 mile recently to get my heart rate above 130 which felt marvelous. It was at night jogging in Old Sacramento and I felt I could go forever, but was cut short due to time.

So I need to stay in at least decent shape until my baby's birth and then return to running as soon as possible afterwards. My left hip is still an issue and with the additional weight of the pregnancy fatigues easily after a day of picking up a 20 lb 5 month old (my nephew) and his brother a 2 1/2 year old with a broken ankle (40 lbs). This week I've gone to a yoga class every other day and either walked 2 miles on the treedmill (with hill inclines) or swam a 1/2 mile in the pool. I find that my weight stays down the more I walk though, so I need to keep this as the focus of my exercise even though swimming and yoga are nicer on my hip. Wish me luck.

My goal for the Hood to Coast is to run my 15 miles or so in record pace for me, pushing it down to close to 10 min miles! I used to be able to run at a 9 min mile pace in 2003, which was when before bearing two kids and pushing over age 30, so lets see what staying focused will do.

Go Red Carpet Warriors...Hood to Coast here we come!

Already Gaining Fast

2008-10-29T20:27:00.000-07:00

According to my midwife I'm gaining too fast for her liking since she doesn't like my starting weight. Dispite my numerous explanations of my BMI according to my trainer before pregnancy, she is still concerned.

When I ask her what else she wants me to change though she says she guesses I'm doing all I can to stay fit and healthy. I say, whatever, I'm still going to end up much lighter then I was with Lincolnso I'm not worried. Nursing tends to bring down my weight quick anyways.

And I hit a new PR in swimming the 1/2 mile with a 22:35 time!
And I walked 5 miles today.

So there!

Still Exercising

2008-10-19T21:51:00.000-07:00

I'm in my 5th month of pregnancy and have gained around 14 pounds so far, not bad.
So I'm trying to gain only 9 more by the time I'm done which is hard work to stay that low.

I swim 800 meters every other night and play raquetball on other nights or go for walks. The swimming is the best. My leg feels healed and with swimming it never gets aggravated. One thing I CANNOT due is pick up my nephew or son too much as carrying that extra 30-40 pounds really messes with my lower back and my left leg injury.

My current pregnant PR for swimming 800 meters, or 1/2 mile is 23:07.

Wish me luck.

New 5k PR

2008-07-06T08:02:00.000-07:00

On the 4th of JULY I ran a local flat 5k in 32:45. This is a new PR for me at least
now that I am over 30. This means I ran it in an average of 10:33 min/mile. This is
great for me as I've been slower then 11 minute miles for some time and it means I am on
pace to do well in the relay later this month.

Running Out and Back

2008-05-23T19:54:00.000-07:00

I ran two nights ago with Nate = around 3 miles.

Tonight here was my pace on another run. I'm working on my speed right now.
All legs are .25 miles in length.

1) 2:43
2) 2:36
3) 2.32
4) 2.20
Mile One: 10:12:59
5) 2.44
6) 2.23
7) 2.30
8) 2.38
Mile Two: 10:15
9) 2.49
10) 3.06
11) 3:02
12) 3 minute walk break
13) 2.33
Mile Three: 11:30 (if you subtract the walk break)

So I ran the first two miles a blistering pace (that is for me) at 20.29.13
According to the Air Force fitness standards I now have a passing two mile pace for my age group! Go for me. I had to hit somewhere between 20:30 and 15:48...so this is just passing. I will keep trying to maintain this speed over three miles. Right now my third mile slowed way down to a 12 minute pace, which made my average pace over three miles close to 10 min 40 seconds, which is right where my brother Will wants me for the relay in July. Now maintaining this pace for three legs and despite hills or other tough conditions (like after not sleeping and being on my third leg in 24 hours) is quite another matter.

I would also like to meet the Air Force Standard for push ups for women my age which is between 17 and 50 guy pushups! Right now I could probably squeeze out perhaps 9 or 10. I'll have to work on that.

My New Focus

2008-05-09T07:58:00.000-07:00

I felt too sick with a head cold to participate in the triathlon with my brother, though I was there to cheer him on.

I am now focused on training for the Pacific Northwest relay, where I will run 3 legs of around 3 miles within 24 hours on July 25th.

I am also focused on how God might be calling me back to being an at-home Mom after my job ends in July.

Lots of refocusing, but this is a good time.
Keep us in your prayers as we are in a decision time regarding where to go after my job ends (we know we are are called to move back to the West Coast, but what part is still up in the air).

Relay Race Results

2008-04-17T06:45:00.000-07:00

We got back from Holly's wedding in California and then got up at 4:30am the next day to make it to the church. We got our three teams broken apart into three vehicles and all made it to the starting line by 6am. After the first handoff everyone got really excited as they began to realize how fun the day was going to be, cheering each other on and running a race as a team.

The course was poorly marked at some points and leg distance had been changed overnight, which made some beginning walkers have to travel far greater and more difficult distances than were planned. They all had good spirits though and often we would slow our team to a walk to stick with the other teams if we were about to pass them. This race wasn't about winning, it was about community building and finishing, while racing in honor of one of our pastors that has Cystic Fybrosis.

I ran both my legs, a total of around 10 miles, at an 11 minute pace. I likely started out a bit faster and ended a bit slower, but I felt fantastic at the end. I could have run another leg if necessary, although my blood sugar was a bit low, as I didn't drink much Gatorade throughout the run. I didn't walk one second of it!

My second leg was along the levee heading into Lawrence, Kansas with farm land on my right. It was beautiful. I got to finish the race for my team of 5 women. In the end all the teams finished the 43 to 45 mile race (depends on whether you got lost, we did) in about 8 hours! About a 10 min, 40 second pace. We had some walkers and some fast runners and some slower runners like me. And together we went the distance. Over half of each team was folks who had never done a road race before. They are all jazzed about next year, and now better understand that you need to be in training for something like this.

Here are some pics of the fun day above. The first is of all the team members, plus Dylan our pastor and his wife Shannon. The second is of my starting out on my second leg. I finished this leg with just my sports bra as it got up to 75 with no shade around the final two miles.

I am now training to complete a sprint triathlon with my brother Eddie in Sacramento on April 27th. Wish me luck.

Ran 5 Miles By Accident

2008-03-20T08:24:00.000-07:00

I was showing Nate and old Out-and-Back course yesterday from back when I was training for my marathon. I was sure it was 2 miles out and then 2 miles back. However when we were close to 3 miles out Nate was wise to ask if we were running to far. I then remembered that this route was actually a 4 mile out and back course. I guess marathon training does something to your head and you start thinking an 8 mile run is a short run.

Luckily we turned at around the 2.5 or more mile point and made it back in time for Lincoln to play on the slides at the playground. I pushed myself to stay close to Nate's pace, while Nate was handicapped a bit with a 25 pound toddler in a stroller (I like that ;-)). We estimated we ran 5 miles in around 53 minutes, which for me is fantastic! Exactly on pace with where Will wants me to be by July. I'll have my Timex watch on next time I run to get a better picture of my true speed. I've already run 10 miles this week and I'm only half way done, and feeling great! Now I need to stretch out my left leg before it gets all jammed up again.

Running Away Again

2008-03-14T05:23:00.000-07:00

In preparation for my 10 miles in a local relay race on April 6th. I put in 5 miles earlier this week and another 2 miles a few days ago. The day after I run I then have to do some yoga stretching in order to keep my plantar fasciitis in check. As long as I really stretch out my entire left leg I seem to be doing fine.

This routine of running and yoga has been a great relaxing one for me and it is also helpful to have Nate running with me as he is training for the same relay race. Since we formed the team out of friends from church we are surprisingly some of the best runners on the team (this year I recruited a bunch of walkers and joggers). One guy told me last night that he hadn't run in over 15 years, so when he tried to run 4 out of this 8 goal miles a few days ago he didn't make that far and is sore today (surprise surprise). This puts a little more pressure on Nate and I to truly run our entire 10 miles (broken into so legs of 5 miles).

Even so, I am excited to coach a team of friends who is really just doing the relay race due to the vision of the race (it is for Cystic Fibrosis and our pastor has this disease and is in fact sick this week). If you want to support our two relay teams in this endeavor just make checks out to the CF Foundation and send them my way before April 6th. Isn't that how I got into running. I had a vision a few years before my marathon that I should be running in memory of my Dad to stay in shape and choose that life while I had the chance to honor him. He never really choose the fit life while he was here and I am sure he regrets that.

Another motivator is that I gave my scale away! Yes, you heard me right. At church we are supposed to bring something symbolic to leave behind during the Lenten season and leave it on the stage of the church. I brought my scale. I had been weighing myself at least once a day and this behavior was so routine that my 18-month-old son knew how to weigh himself by stepping on and then off and then back on the scale again. He is 25 pounds by the way, what a little porker - actually that is skinny for his age. Anyway, I am healthy and I know my body fat ratio is in a healthy range so I decided obsessing about my weight is only making it harder to loose any and I should relish my current fitness level for the positives I mentioned in an earlier post. I've come a long way and if you need me to run a 10k or due 15 guy push ups I could do that on the spot. Not many folks can say that! So who cares what the scale says.

To answer Dad's question on my last post my next two road races are relays. I love running with teams. The second relay race will be with my Woodward relatives running about a 1/2 marathon spread out over 3 legs and 24 hours. I get to run one at around 11pm and then another around 6am. How fun!
AND

I Did the Itidarod

2008-03-03T19:06:00.000-08:00

It’s unlike any other event in the world. A race over 1,150 miles of the most extreme and beautiful terrain known to man: across mountain ranges, frozen rivers, dense forests, desolate tundra and windswept coastline...and I did it!

Okay, not the real Alaskan Itidarod Dog sledding race, but I just did my own Winter Endurance Test. With warm coffee and a fire in the fireplace tempting me to stay inside, not mention Nate's fresh muffins, I layered on many layers and headed out into the 15 degree windchill. I ran my own Alaskan wilderness race through freezing wind, putting in my 3 mile training run, in preparation for the Brew to Brew relay race in April.

And I was greeted by my own beautiful terrain, as the solo runner through the neighborhood. Stars flickered in a jet black sky above and their light filtered through the old oak trees that lined the streets. The old trolley trail crunched with the sound of frozen mud under my feet and I skated out an back again. I did it! It think this was my best endurance feat of the winter, and it was truly all mental. I didn't even mention that I have cold-induced asthma. Time for that inhaler, a nice hot shower, and a few muffins.

Keep trekkin!
Sarah

Swimming with Lincoln

2008-02-11T19:07:00.000-08:00

Tonight Lincoln and I talked our way into the YMCA (since my membership is on hold till March 1st) and we went swimming AND played on the slide. Lincoln tried to say "water" and "slide." He was very excited and he is a very big boy. Climbing up the play set to the slide without my help.

Sometimes it is fun to just be a kid again by being active with a kid. God please protect all the kids in this world. I wish they all had a safe adult to just play with.

My BMI

2008-01-29T18:14:00.000-08:00

My brother Will challenged me to question the numbers a bit more.
The YMCA did a BMI height and weight calculator that stated I was at 27.1 in my BMI - which is overweight. They also did a 7-pinch Jackson-Pollack test but didn't explain it well to me. Nate found a place on line for me to enter my pinch results-
http://www.linear-software.com/online.html.
Luckily I'm pretty small on all my waist-up measurements, leading to a BMI of 23.6, which is considered normal or ideal for my frame!

Yipee. I guess buff muscles lead to me weighing more - but I love being strong! It is easier to pick up my baby and throw him that way - Lincoln, not Nate - but someday maybe Nate ;-).

RE: Official Results

2008-01-27T16:54:00.000-08:00

I had an official fitness test at the YMCA today, my first since this time last year. I found out that I'm actually officially 5 feet 4 inches tall, yipes, an inch and a half shorter than I have always thought. This means my healthy goal weight should be lower than I thought; it should be somewhere in the range of 110 (which is what I weighed in 4th grade - impossible) and 145 (which is what I weighed my Senior year of college). Basically back during my Freshman year of college when I was running a lot and could do 35 pushups, and weighed 127 pounds and thought I was fat - I was actually at an ideal weight for my frame.

So even though I still have some weight to still loose, like at least 18 pounds to at most around 30 pounds (sigh), the GOOD news is how far I have come.

I had a fitness test 6 weeks after having my son Lincoln in Oct. 2006 and can now compare those results to my results today - and I am happy! So in 16 months since Lincoln has learned how to walk and communicate and I have grown as well.

Positive changes since 6 weeks after labor:

I've lost 32 pounds
I've lowered my fat weight by 38% and achieved an average lean body mass rating.
I've lowered my BMI from 33 to 27.
I've increased my maximum bench press from 110 lbs (well below average) to 140 lbs. (well above average).
I've increased my maximum leg press from 220lbs (below average) to 300 lbs (well above average).
My cardiovascular health is rated as average after being well below average after my pregnancy.
And I am well above average in flexibility as I can reach over 7 inches past my toes!

Onward and upward I must say. This is not a time for stopping. Time to keep forging ahead.

Wish me luck.

Weight Lifting but not Losing

2008-01-05T12:15:00.001-08:00

So I guess if you lift lots of weights you don't necessarily loose weight, unless you were really overweight to begin with. You just make your overall fat to muscle ratio better. I haven't posted a new weight because I have continued to waver around my Oct weight despite all the P90X workouts I've been doing. But I had to show these somewhat embarrassing photos to brag a bit about my arm muscles. I definately feel stronger and can almost do 10 guy pushups now!

I want to hit the next three weeks with a vengeance and really finish this 90 days strong, then i can start over again and this time actually do the diet right as well. My goal this year is to still get down to my goal weight.

I am down to size10 or 12 pants and that feels great. So even though my weight has stayed the same, I know I've lost around 2 inches in my waist, and a 1/2 inch around the hips. I'll just take it a day at a time and we will see where I end up.

Variety and Holiday Chocolate

2008-01-01T11:13:00.000-08:00

I had ten days in Seattle and made sure to go running four days, and cross country or down hill skied on two days. The other four days I rested. The last few weeks before this long break from work I wasn't able to work out much at all due to illness and extra long hours at work. I should be on day 70 of the 90 day workout program I've been trying. But I really feel behind. However, this break was a fun way to enjoy my new fitness. I have never felt less sore after skiing two days in a row, and I wasn't sore at all after running with my friend Cara three days in a row over the hills of Seattle. By the end of my winter break we were able to speed up our run by around 2 minutes, so that we ran it in around 35 minutes instead of 37. I think it was around 3 miles.

I still have a lot of work to do to continue on this path I've started down. Some goals for this year are to fit in the size 12 dress for my dear friend Holly's wedding in April. To do this I need to loose two inches around the waist, and four around the hips by then. I also want to increase the push ups I can do, and perhaps even complete my first pull up sometime this year. Thanks friends for cheering me forward.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Feel free to post your goals here as well.

Re: The flu Equals Weight Loss

2007-12-14T19:24:00.000-08:00

One factor I hadn't planned on using in my weight loss plan was catching the flu; however, it has proven strangely effective, at least in the short term. Within 12 hours I went from 158 pounds to 151 pounds by simply retching my way through the evening. I know...such a lovely image...and now I am a bit light-headed and tired and dehydrated. Basically it gave me lots of sympathy for anyone who struggles with bulimia -what a horrible trade-off in strength and health in order to lose weight! I can't image how hard it would be to live day after day tempted to lose weight quickly that way (which also saps your strength and self esteem at the same time).

I'd much rather keep going with healthy eating and exercise, which help me lose weight while gaining self esteem, a nice additive. I'm not going to post this 151 as a true 151 weigh in until it lasts till Christmas, since all the eating I will do until then will likely restore my strength and a few pounds that the flu prematurely ripped away from my frame. I'd rather be a 151 with strength and health, than post a 151 that is merely a weak, dehydrated, fake. But sometime soon I will surely get there (especially with the salted and buttered popcorn Nate is handing me while I type this and he edits my grammar).

For family members needing Christmas ideas though, my size Large running pants are way too baggy now and I would love to slip into some Mediums! Much love and I had better go drink some more Gatorade to rehydrate!

An accomplishment!

2007-12-02T18:27:00.000-08:00

I've constantly worked out 5 days a week since mid-October which is starting to make my clothes a bit baggy and my arms look stronger. I also think I've lost a couple pounds putting me in the 150s no matter when I weigh in, night or day! My goal is to loose a few more pounds by Christmas which would put me down at 155 pounds (which I haven't been since Christmas 2003 - 4 years ago).

I am finding it much easier to run now that I weigh less. This time last year I tried running about 2 miles when I weighed around 190 pounds. It was much harder then it is now. Last night it was 60 degrees at 8pm at night. I had to get out and run since this sort of weather only happens one a month in Dec and Jan and NOT at all in Feb here in the Midwest. I just ran all around the neighborhood with all the brick houses lit up with Christmas lights.

I had fun just running without a watch or a time limit. I ended up running lots of hills and through lots of wind which blew the leaves around. The sky looked threatening, almost like a summer thunder storm might start. I think the wind made folks think it must be cold and nasty out because I didn't see many cars or people out at all. We went from an ice storm warning in the morning to a 60 degree windy night, and no one took the time to walk out side to check and enjoy it.

One hour later I made my way back home. My heal hurt a bit but I felt fantastic and so much faster then I have been in a LONG time. I'm guessing I was running under a 10 minute mile at parts. I need to sign up for a 5k soon to check my time. But I don't want to push to hard to fast and aggrevate my heal.

Here are my workouts the last six weeks that have led to my success.
Starting October 21st, 2007
Week One: 2.5 hours Weight Lifting, 1.5 hour cardio, workedout 5 days
Week Two: 2 hours Weight Lifting, 3 hours cardio/Yoga, worked out 5 days
Week Three: 3.5 hours Weight Lifting, 3.5 hours Cardio (ran,swam,yoga), worked out 7 days
Week Four: 5 hours cardio, worked out 5 days
Week Five: 1.75 hours Weight Lifting, 3.5 hours Cardio, worked out 5 days
Week Six: 2 hours Weight Lifting, 1.5 hours Cardio, worked out 4 days
Week Seven: I'm in now.

That's a total of 31 days of working out in the last six weeks!

The rumblings of change

2007-11-22T17:05:00.001-08:00

Day after day I get up and workout hard, and eat less, and stay focused. And so far I weigh and look about the same as I did one month ago when I started this workout routine. However, underneath the surface I can tell I'm stronger. I can do twice as many push ups, stretch twice as far (and for those who know me you know that means now I can almost touch my nose to my toes), and am starting to at least feel the muscles under the surface.

I've read that fitness and overall weight loss is an up and down journey. The most important change occurs when I start to form a habit. If I can lock into a new healthy habit then the results will be evident throughout my life, and may not really show up for awhile. Just like if I developed an unhealthy habit, which could lead me to creeping weight gain and a slow decline in overall health. Any change takes time. Right now I'm setting the foundations with healthy habits so that I am growing healthy under the surface, which will slowly become evident on the surface as well.

So far my new healthy habit that I hope to practice now and therefore keep for a lifetime, is working out in the mornings before my family is awake. This gives me a way to relieve stress and get my heart rate up before I meet the needs of the day. Another healthy habit I am working on right now is eating smaller portions and eating healthy (whole grains, fruits, veggies and lean meat). I read the book, "Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy" by Dr. Willett from the Harvard School of Medicine. And I've adopted the food pyramid created by the Doctors of Harvard as the guiding tool for my healthy eating. See below.
So I've started at the base of the pyramid and am focusing on the stuff at there. Daily exercise and weight control, then eating whole wheat and healthy fat and then on up in moderation.

Another healthy habit I am working on includes exploring emotional healing for myself and my family through some great recovery tools and by joining a women's support group. It has helped me risk more in my relationships and is helping me draw on God in a more intimate way, which feeds every area of my life. Now if I could engage this sort of healthy processing of emotions on a daily basis through great communication with myself, God, and others, I would be on my way to healthy living on a whole other scale!

Slowly but surely the pounds are dripping off. But more importantly slowly but surely I'm become a different person, a healthier one, and who wouldn't be proud of that!

A Perfect Week

2007-11-10T12:34:00.002-08:00

I did all my early morning workouts this week, except on Friday the DVD player quit on me so I went running instead. My weight swung high the first week (when I was sick) and is now back down to around 160 so I haven't lost any weight. But I am feeling stronger. This program has lots of upper body weight training, yoga, and pushups and pullups. so my arms are definately getting stronger. I think I might go swimming today, my day of rest. I've also had lost of fun video chatting with my brother Eddie as we workout. It always helps to have a friend urging you out of bed in the morning!

From Sweet Dreams to Kempo X

2007-11-02T12:32:00.001-07:00

I've learned the hard way that I need to be on the alarm clock side of the bed, or else I sleep in.
Let's just say my husband hits snooze and somehow an hour later I'm late for work and have missed my workout. I was on the alarm clock side this morning, and even then I got up a 1/2 hour late. I made my workout but wasn't able to ride the bus into work. I'm trying to get up earlier in the morning so that I can both work out and ride the bus into work.

The day I'm able to do this will be a miracle and I will post it here, because it will require me getting up at 5:30am, working out for 1 hour, then showering, then walking to the bus stop at 7am, then riding the bus from 7:20 to 7:40am, and arriving to work early! Wouldn't that be fantastic. I would be a healthy, earthly-friendly, early-bird worker. In my dreams ;-)

Well, actually it is my sweet dreams that keep me from this dream of becoming a better morning person. That and the interrupted dreams that my son still gives me at night, with the waking up and needing attention, or delayed dreams due to needing to debrief with Nate or clean the house until 10 or 11pm. To make this work I need to get to bed closer to 9pm, than 11pm. It is a lifestyle change and it will take time. It also involves the compliance of my great husband since for some reason I can't fall asleep without him next to me. So either we both become morning birds, or neither of us do, unfortunately. For right now I'm happy if I just get the workout in, get no shower, and drive my car to work, getting there a bit late. I know it's not really close to my final goal - but its a start.

Kempo X was fun this morning. Lots of shouting though, which I was afraid might wake my guys so I kept it quiet. I tried to Skype my brother so that we could work out together, but I couldn't reach him. My heart rate got up there even though it didn't feel that hard. It was fun and I've been thirsty for most of the rest of the day. I think I will try to make it to the gym to go swimming. I can see why my brother likes it - very close to boxing or karate. I like Yoga better. Maybe a gender bias there.

Over the river and through the cold

2007-10-31T20:03:00.000-07:00

to a house full of cough and fitness videos we go! Kleenex's and cough medicine are all over our house as well as used airline tickets from two trips in the last 5 days. No wonder it was difficult for me to keep my perfect streak going. So after pridefully challenging my brothers onto perfection, I got sick with a head cold, went on a weekend trip to St. Louis and had an 18 hour travel and work day to Baltimore in the last week. Since last Wednesday I've only done two of the 7 workouts.

I did Chest & Back on Monday and Yoga X (the whole 90 minutes) on Halloween night. I did do 20 minutes of the Plyometrics video before my son asked for my attention (and my legs were so sore just from the warm up that I fear what the whole DVD will do to me). I also ran 1.5 miles while pushing Lincoln in his stroller last Thursday (which was a feet since I did have a head cold).

I'm back on track and feel strong. That Yoga workout was intense and was way harder then any class I've ever taken. I was amazed at how far I could stretch at the end. I was able to hug each one of my legs when they were stretched out straight.

The Lone Workout

2007-10-23T20:43:00.000-07:00

Talked to my brothers tonight and we are all on day three of these P90X workout routine. We were all staring at another massive arm weight lifting work out and NOT wanting to do it. Both brothers said to me on the phone that they were going to call it a rest day because their body needed the rest and that I should just take it easy to.

How could I pass up this chance to rub it in their faces by still doing the workout!

So at 9pm I put in the DVD, grabbed my heavier weights and went to town on 1 hr of shoulder, back, bicep, and tricep lifting. Yes, I am now to tired to even use the mouse on the desk, which might be a problem when I go to work tomorrow. But it least I still have my pride and no I haven't caved already on this program. Unlike some slackers I know who owe me a make up workout sometime in the future!

This program is fun and energizing. It is a great lift to be doing something completely different with my exercise routine. Now I just need to get the diet part right and I should have successful first 30 days. My fingers are getting too tired to type now though due to the arm fatigue so I better go to bed. At least I can go to bed without feeling guilty, unlike some slackers I know who caved on day three of 90!!!!! So sad.

Second day of PS 90X

2007-10-22T05:12:00.000-07:00

I'm on my second day of PS 90X. I've done two 1 hr workouts - chest and back on Sunday, and Cardio this morning. I was skeptical that the Cardio would work me out as good as a good old-fashioned run would. But since my brother made me a nifty schedule I'm sticking to it. And the Cardio work out got my heart rate to my running heart rate, can you believe that. And I was inside out the rain the whole time.

My arm and back muscles are really sore from the workout on Sunday and I'm feeling relaxed after my Cardio workout this morning. I have to thank my brothers for doing this with me, because I would have slept in this morning if I didn't know my brothers were up working out.

I'd like to thank everyone who is reading my blog as well. I hear rumors that lots of folks in my family and some close friends are checking in on my and reading up on how I'm doing each day. Please leave a comment of encouragement if you have the time. It will be as if you are another one of my mentors holding me accountable to my commitment to get fit.

Now its a quick wipe down with a towel and a clothing change and I'm off to work.

Drum roll please

2007-10-14T18:36:00.000-07:00

I weighed in at 159 pounds, which means I've lost 7 pounds in two months. Now I need to set my sights on the 140s! I weighed 148 on my wedding day, so that would be a nice milestone to reach again. It is a big deal that I'm out of the 160s actually since I have been in the 160s for the last 4 years, with only one short exception. I hope to retrain my body to never think that is a good equalization point.

My brother has also challenged me to a 90 day intensive work out program called PS90X. I took the before photos today which were humbling. I plan to do this and am buying the weights needed. I hope this will push my body onto an even lower level.

Attached is the only before photo I'm willing to share on-line.
I call this one my "game face." Bring it on little bro. I ain't scared of your stinking 1 hour a day workout program.

I think it should push my weight down in the 140s before Christmas, which would be awesome because at this time last year I was in the 190s! 50 pounds in one year is awesome especially when I think about what a year it has been, of becoming a new Mom and struggling with my thyroid not working. Way to go me!

Oh and the YMCA gave me a T-shirt, book on the YMCA and a water bottle for working out so much in the month of September and tracking my workouts on their computer. Yeah for me! I think I ended up finishing 7th in their month-long competition. Rock on!!!

Biggest Loser Weigh In

2007-10-14T07:11:00.001-07:00

I'm heading to my favorite gym that has my favorite scale so that I can do my monthly weigh in. Here is the history to this below.
Aug. 13th at 166 pounds
Sept. 15th at 164.5

I'm hoping for below or around 160 today.

I'm winning.

2007-09-22T11:07:00.000-07:00

I'm currently winning around four battles.

One is with my heal pain (slowly but surely it is going away after lots of money spent on painful deep tissue massage on my left leg).

Secondly, I'm winning in the battle to get my body to loose weight again. I lost 2 pounds this week and am down to 162.5!

Third, I'm winning in a contest at my YMCA for working out the most in September and logging in my activity on a computer at the gym. Actually I am in fourth place is the YMCA contest. I was quite surprised to see my name listed "#4. Sarah Woodward" on the contest poster next to the computer earlier this week. I've already one a T-shirt, yippee! And now my name is on a poster!!! How is that for motivation. Not sure what I win if anything if I stay in the top 5 or actually win the whole thing. But it doesn't matter. I know I feel great working out each morning. This morning I swam 15 laps and I just feel so relaxed now. Tomorrow I will attend the 1 1/2 hour yoga class that kicks my butt into shape. I'd love to keep this up and if I kept losing weight at this pace I would be down to at least 145 by Christmas.

Fourthly, I'm eating healthier to. This morning I had my Grape Nuts, blueberries and soy milk. For lunch a sauteed eggplant, squash, apple and red pepper in some salsa. It was super yummy and I only ate about a cup of it. I might skip dinner or have a smoothly. It is the combination of eating way less and exercising every day without fail that is finally leading to the weight loss. That and taking my thyroid medicine faithfully.

All this exercise has really helped me keep my cool at work too. It has been stressful the last few weeks but since I workout before coming in in the morning I feel relatively relaxed no matter what comes my way.

Feels good to be a winner! I know my real motivation too. It will be good to always be active for this little guy.

The Health Account

2007-09-15T10:15:00.000-07:00

"I weighed in at the gym yesterday, Aug. 13th at 166 pounds. I'll weigh in again in one month, around Sept. 15th. If I keep swimming everyday until then, and eat smaller portions, I should shed some pounds."

Okay. So I went back to the exact same scale today, on 9/15 and I weight 164.5! Now that is only a loss of 1.5 pounds but I am starting to feel some success in other areas as well. The past two weeks I've gotten up and to the gym by 6:30am where I have either swam or circuit trained or run on the elliptical for 30 minutes. So the 1.5 pounds I lost was definitely just in the last two weeks. Another big up is that I found a massage therapist who can make my heel feel better by rubbing my calf muscles really hard, like so hard I cry. He did this on Thursday and the next morning I got up and ran 2 miles and felt great. I guess all along my heel was really related to my calf muscles being all bound up. Now it will take some regular massage and I should be healed!

So I feel hopeful, energized and jazzed about my fitness right now. And I really think I can make it back into the 150s by Christmas. Which would be wonderful. After that I'll have the 140s in sight.

I'm also reading a really good book I got at the library about health called: "50 Simple Ways to Life a Longer Life." I like reading stuff like this about how to really make my life a healthy one. Some tips I've picked up are: eat a low-calorie diet, eat fish, drink tea (black, green, and white hot tea specifically), exercise and eat fruits and veggies, volunteer, and let go of stress.

One paragraph really go me jazzed as it listed all the benefits of regular exercise:
1) it strengthens the heart
2) reduces risk of heart attacks and strokes
3) lowers blood pressure
4) prevents arterial plaque buildup
5) strengthens bones
6) lessens your changes for osteoporosis
7) lessens chance for Type 2 diabetes
8) reduces your changes of getting breast, prostate, and colon cancer
9) fights stress and anxiety
10) lessens depression
11) gives you superior memory and thinking skills
12) lowers your risk for Alzheimer's disease
13) improves self-esteem
14) helps you get a good night's sleep
15) helps you maintain an ideal body weight

All these benefits and the "American College of Sports Medicine reports that" only "3 to 5 workouts weekly, of 30 to 60 minutes each, deliver the vast majority of health benefits." Even just walking that amount delivers some of the benefits above. And the more you put into it the more of the benefits you get.

One fitness nut for 90 years has been Jack La Lanne and he puts it this way, "Your health account is like your bank account. The more you put in, the more you can take out. The only way you can hurt the body is don't use it." listen to some of his inspiration videos...http://www.jacklalanne.com/multimed.html

Thanks Jack! I think I will invest in that account. It pays good dividends.

Heal Injury

2007-09-01T19:58:00.000-07:00

Not sure if I'm moaned and groaned about my endless heal injury which has left me just swimming this summer. I miss running. I miss how easy it is to just get out the door and run, without having to plan a drive to the gym. All the doctors and friends who have given me ideas on how to fix this, haven't fixed it yet. I'm so tired of it aching whenever I push myself. So today I went and bought brand new running shoes just in case I get better and perhaps to help it get better. I ran one mile on the treadmill before my heal started to hurt. i'm pouting.