Half Mararthon Personal Record

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....

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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:


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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?

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!

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

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

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

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'

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.