A Saturday to Remember

 

Saturday's Race Day Recap

My official stats from the Competitor.com website:

 

Finished In:

03:14:01

Overall: 19048 out of 22277

• Division: 1770 out of 2098
• Gender: 11611 out of 14189

My Garmin was a bit different on timing (3:11) because (in all the excitement) I had forgotten to touch START as I crossed the line. I remembered about 0.15 miles into the course (based on when we passed the 1 mile marker at 0.85 on my watch).





Me and the girls just before making our way to the corrals





 

Cathy (the reason I ever signed up for this craziness) and me



After reviewing my splits, I averaged a 14:41 minute mile along the course. My average heart rate was 169 with a max of 178. No doubt that I was pushing hard based on that rate for sure. I have to giggle in that my starting heart rate just within the first quarter mile was 160 but the last minute of the run shows me at 155. One might say I was quite relieved that it was nearing the end and that I could see the finish line :) By 1/2 mile into the race, my left hip reminded me ever so kindly that it was not completely recovered. By 6 miles in, I was beginning to wonder if a hip replacement was necessary. I failed to  mention that if I could have stripped that long sleeved white shirt off while keeping pace then I would have stripped it off in a heart beat and tossed it to the side of the road....I was so damn hot!!! Dannah and I both agreed that by mile 10 1/2, our silent thoughts were screaming "What the H#!! were we thinking when we even considered the 1/2 marathon?"  We both seemed to hit the proverbial "wall" at about mile 11. She had pressed thru like a real champ up until that point. Of course, I was hating life by about 9 miles but persevered. Luckily, I felt like I got my last burst of energy about the time she was dog tired so at least we were not both running dead on our feet at the same time. As usual, we pulled one another thru until the end. If I had to guesstimate, I think we actually jogged a total of 4 of the 13 miles.

After we met up with David at the finish line (yes, he surprised me and came to meet us despite his terrible back pain), we walked another mile or so back to the Jeep.  If he hadn't shown up, we would have been facing the walk from downtown back to Vandy's campus...aka The Green Mile (about 3 miles uphill). Considering that I felt like I had grown another toe in between my big toe and 2nd toe on my right foot I was so glad to see his smile at the end. When we finally made it back to my car parked on Vandy's campus, I took a sec to check my foot for any anomalies. Yep, just as I had suspected...I had earned myself another blister or two but not in the usual places on the side of my feet. I managed to develop a nice size one along the inner edge of my big toe nail and along the side of that toe as well (as it presses up against the next toe). Of course, my 2nd and 3rd toes had apparently taken a beaten again because they had blisters on the tips of them as well. Can't quite figure this out since my shoes are seemingly big enough. I think it must be that I am squeezing all those toes together when I run since the left foot looks unscathed. :) Guess I will read up on possible causes and solutions before the next long run.

According to my Garmin, I managed to knock out 1,568 calories from this 13.1 miles of manual labor. However, I made up several of those by enjoying a ice cold chocolate milk and some frozen fruit at the finish line followed by lunch with the girls and David. Lunch at Chuy's was a nice finale to the 1/2 marathon experience no doubt. I was so tired, thirsty, and hungry that I could barely think straight. However, I did have enough wits about me to order a salt loaded margarita. All runners need to replenish their fluids and sodium...so I thought this would be the best option...hahaha. Never mind that I didn't need the ETOH on an empty stomach. The belly was quite stuffed after the bucket of chips and salsa followed by the little piece of heaven that the menu called Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. I did drink a ton of water and Gatorade along the course plus had a couple of nice tall glasses of H2O following the rita so hopefully it all balanced out in the end.

After feeding my face at Chuy's, we headed home to shower and rest a bit before the After Race Party back at Gilda's along with the concert to follow at the Bridgestone Arena. David didn't feel up to going since he had walked way too much to unite with us after the race so I invited my friend, Amy, to tag along to keep from wasting the extra ticket. The gathering at Gilda's was great! Had a chance to see all of the gang all dressed in real clothes. The ladies actually had makeup on and their hair presentable...unlike all those Saturday mornings that we were facing mileage with sweat and tears at 8am. "The Gazelle" had made it back from the Louisville 1/2 Marathon that he was running just in time for the party. I was excited to see all of the folks that I had worked so hard with over the past 15 weeks all in one room gathered to celebrate our accomplishments. An honorable mention would be that we had raised $113,000 for Gilda's Club as a total sum with all of the fundraising.



Katie and Dannah appeasing me for pictures



Amy and me as we got up close and personal with Rodney



 Rodney Atkins was the main act for the night. The concert was free to the Marathon participants so we went ahead and made the trip back downtown because we wanted to have the full experience of the event. With no assigned seating, we didn't have a great view but had fun singing along with the songs that we remembered.



Dannah's best pose with her cotton candy while Katie appears scared to death.



You can't help but giggle at this one.

To Summarize my first 1/2 Marathon experience ...I wouldn't have missed it for the world!

Weigh Day (Friday)

In all the craziness on Friday, I forgot to divulge the verdict from Weigh Day (Friday). Yes, I am happy to say that I have successfully lost a few pounds this past week. My Grand total: 195.5 as of Friday AM. I think this places me about 3.4 lbs down for the last 7 days. The only change I have made that might have worked in my favor was that I drank more water and no ETOH (yes, I had avoided the ritas) along with increased my protein intake. Overall, I feel a bit thinner but I realize that I must push harder toward leaving those 190s behind. Now that I have this 1/2 marathon behind me, I am heading back to the gym 5 days a week...3 heavy days (consisting of run/walk) alternating with 2 days of cross training. That was the magic formula before so I will drink from that same cup again to see if it works for me. Increasing exercise not only burns more of those calories but also kills my appetite.

'Twas the night before...

What is today? Some may say Finally Friday. I say...It's the evening prior to the Country Music 1/2 Marathon!" I am so excited that I can barely contain myself. I have been working off nervous energy all day. Thankfully, this was my scheduled Friday off this week, and I am off on Monday as well. In addition, I took off from the part-time job as well so I could rest up after the 13.1 miles tomorrow. Yikes! I don't quite know how to act with 4 full days off from all employment.

This week has been packed full of after-work activities including meetings on Monday and Tuesday for the girls school/sports related stuff. Wednesday was supposed to be somewhat low key with sports physicals being the only item on the evening agenda. Unfortunately, David hurt his back at work in the late afternoon on Wednesday so I ended up spending the evening in the Vandy ED with him. Poor fella...he is trying to be a "patient" patient but being sick is not his strong suit.

Today was filled full of house cleaning, yard work, and laundry. The yard work is usually David's job but he is trying to recuperate. So...I started the Mommy Do list about 730am and am just settling down to blog a few lines now at 7pm. Ugh! This "not-so-small" stack of laundry is just about 5 days worth. I do need to admit that I hit the road in the late afternoon to run a few errands so I wasn't completely locked in at home all day. Needless to say, mowing/trimming/weed eating was the best part of the morning because I so needed to smell the cool breeze and feel the sun shine on my head. Refreshing!

I am super excited to get my wedding band back from Zales today. I had to get it sized down from 8.25 to a 6.5 due to my weight loss. WOW! That feels good. Weird how your fingers shrink faster than your bootie though. I am holding off on getting my diamond set (solitaire and wrap) sized until I reach my goal weight. Rewarding myself with diamonds rather than food...hahaha.



Getting ready for tomorrow AM is the highlight of this evening. Most importantly...the race number. But next in line is my Garmin. Yes, I rate this above my water and snacks for the course. I am addicted to knowing how many miles I have gone and how many are remaining. The calorie count and heart rate info is like my true medal at the end of this journey.

Almost forgot to share my Gilda's Gang shirt with the world outside of the "gang members". As you can see, I had a few names added. These are some of the most special people that have blessed my life along the way. My fond memories of them will surely carry me another mile tomorrow when my 'ole muscles and bones are screaming to give up. Just to recap: Daniel (the step-father that I remember as "dad" who lost his battle to lung cancer after 2 1/2 years of struggle), Sherry (one of my best friends from high school that lost her life to an unknown primary cancer), Bobby (my uncle currently battling kidney cancer), and Terry (my father-in-law that is a head/neck cancer survivor)

My plan is to wear my black exercise pants and a white long sleeved T-shirt underneath this shirt tomorrow morning. It is supposed to be about 60 degrees at 6am so I don't want to start out too cold. Of course, my Bondi-Band Headband "Make Time Not Excuses" will be a must.

OH! Almost forgot to mention...tomorrow's agenda at a glance.

4am: Rise and Shine

5am: Meeting up with my buddy, Cathy, at the local gas station and hitting the road toward Nashville.

6am: Picture time with The Gang followed by making our way to the designated corral. I am set to be in Corral 30. As you can see...I am 32, 672 out of approx 35,000 participants.

7am: The race begins!

10am: Hoping to be crossing the Finish Line! (3 hours or less is my goal)

Lunch somewhere followed by a nap (hopefully)    :)

5-7pm: After Race Party at Gilda's Club (Massages and snacks are enough to draw me there for sure.)

7-10pm: Concert at the Bridgestone Arena with Gloriana and Rodney Atkins

Tomorrow starts with the alarm at 4am so I better get busy folding a load of clothes and hit the sack. Sweet Dreams! Definitely more to come...

Weekends Rock!

 Saturday Training and a little R&R



Gilda's Gang 2012

 Saturday AM training started with drizzle but ended with the sun peaking out from behind a few clouds. Keeping mindful of my hip pain and allowing it to recover a bit more before Race Day, I chose to jog/walk at a little slower pace for this 6 miles. Dannah and I pushed thru the out-and-back track with Gilda's Gang along 17th to Belmont Blvd. and back to Gilda's Club in about 1 hour 21 minutes. This time is about 3 minutes greater than our previous 6 mile time. The best part...burning over 800 calories :)



We rushed out of there in time to meet up with Dannah's dad at the Downtown YMCA since I had lunch plans with the PH Support Group downtown. I spent the lunch hour with patients and their caregivers at Logans along with my sweetheart. I ended up taking the evening off work. David and I enjoyed a quick dinner at Rosepepper Cantina and returned home for an evening  to rest, relax, and snuggle.
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Sunday...Earth Day

After spending the morning at 24 Church, David and I celebrated Earth Day by spending time in the early afternoon along the Greenway in Springfield. Actually, we called in celebrating Earth Day but it was really more about spending some good quality time together before the busy week ahead. The paved path on the greenway stretches approximately 3 miles one way and leads you thru a beautiful piece of Springfield as you pass over streams and along side farmland to one side and baseball diamonds on the other. We only covered about 1 1/2 miles walking before we turned back toward the car. For one, the skies were looking pretty gloomy and we were afraid of getting drenched. Second, David's shoes were killing his shins so we didn't want to push it too hard. After burning a little over 300 calories (327 according to Garmin), we made our way to Smoothie King. I treated myself to a Peach Skinny Smoothie...YUMMY!

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I wanted to share a great recipe with my friends and followers. I cooked this in the crockpot on Friday while I worked from home. My plan was to have it for dinner Friday, but we ended up eating Subway instead. So, before it made it to the frig for later, I managed to pick it apart and eat a couple of forks full. It was a nice blend of sweet and spicy. I plan to have it with some red potatoes, corn, and green beans on Monday eve since the hard part is already done...the meat :)
 Here goes it...Crockpot Cranberry Pork Loin

3 lb Boneless Pork Loin
16 oz. can Whole Cranberry Sauce
1/4 Cup Worcestorshire sauce
1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
1 Tsp. Yellow Mustard

Mix all ingredients except pork loin together in a bowl. Place pork loin in crockpot sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Pour liquid mixture over top of the pork loin. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

No Blame with this Gain!

Today, like many working Friday's, had started out quite crazy. Working from home is not always "a cup of tea" since it's all about the ringing phone/voicemail and fulfilling the patient's needs before the weekend. Best intentions end up falling to the way side, such as eating and bathroom breaks. Yes, I admit that I tend to stay put in my kitchen chair for the majority of the work day only to realize that I have not eaten nor taken a potty break since awakening. Thankfully, I have realized that the headache that was looming over me for the past 2 days was most likely related to DEHYDRATION so I have made it a point to DRINK today. That being said...the bathroom break is destined to come soon :)

Well, today was Weigh-Day. The official scale (in the kitchen) screamed out in agony as it displayed the numbers 198.8. Ugh...0.7 gain from last Friday. I would love to blame it on training or normal variance of the scale but that would be a fib. I can most likely thank the margaritas x2 last night and one mid-week for those so-not-needed calories. Those damn things get me every time! I shoulda and coulda but didn't pass up on an invite to hang out with some old friends from my previous job right after finishing the workday at Vandy yesterday. Laughter along with LOTS of peanuts and a couple of Ritas later...the "Fluid and Electrolyte Conference" was a success. That "F and E Conference" saying dates back to several years ago when we felt we needed to put a positive slant on stopping for drinks after work...so we tried to make it sound official and work-related by calling it a Fluid and Electrolyte Conference...I know it sounds cheezy but who the heck cares now...right?!
Mother Nature visited me this week and decided that she would punish me just before the marathon. Back cramps and moodiness is never welcome but glad to see it now rather than on race day.  In addition, I have been whimpering over my left hip pain since last week's run/walk (10 miles). Today is the first day that it has felt almost back to normal. In addition, that sore toe that I mentioned last week has managed to survive but has a pretty nasty bruised look under the nail. Just might end up losing that nail after all but if that's all that is lost in this training experience...I'll take it! I managed to walk briskly a couple of times this week (about 3 miles each time) and added more steps into my "every day" at work, but YMCA time has not existed. Honestly, I am surprised that I was not up more than 0.7 lbs this AM considering my lack of initiative and overindulgence in ritas. Here's to a better week!

More on a positive note...I need to boast a little! On myself...NOT...but on my not-so baby girl, Dannah. You remember her...the motivation behind every step I take on Saturday mornings :) Well, she was invited to the Junior/Senior Formal by her friend, Mark. She got all dolled up yesterday (thanks to my mom's help because I had to work) and was escorted off to the formal and bonfire. Tears rolled down my face when mom texted me this pic. My little girl is no longer little anymore!

 

Tomorrow is the last official training day with Gilda's Gang before the 1/2 Marathon next Saturday (28th). Along with the 6 miles plotted for the morning, I am excited to get my team shirt back with a few names added. We had the option of adding "In Memory of" and "In Honor of" names to represent why we are participating in the 1/2 Marathon with Gilda's. I could have decorated the entire shirt with special people that I have cared for and either lost or healed over the years during my Oncology nurse days but I felt that I needed to keep it more personal (and simple). I included my step-dad (that raised me thru those growing up years but lost his life to metastatic lung cancer), one of my best friends from high school (who lost her life way too early to an unknown primary cancer), my father-in-law ( that battled throat cancer and has remained in remission for a couple of years now), and my uncle (that is currently battling kidney cancer). I will be sure to post a pic of my shirt tomorrow once I get it back from the printer.

More to come tomorrow....

10 Miles and Counting

This morning started just as most Saturdays have since February...Training Day with Gilda's Gang. We had an option of knocking out 10 miles or 11 miles. When I first set out on foot, I had thought 11 sounded do-able. By mile 5, I had  to rethink my plan...10 miles seemed more my speed for today considering I have a 12 hour night shift facing me at 7pm this evening. Katie was pumped for training as usual. Mom (aka..me) was not overly excited given that Dannah was obligated to take the ACT this AM so she wouldn't be able to train by my side as I have become so used to since we began this process about 13 weeks ago.


The Essentials

 I had my water belt in place and my energy snacks planned about every couple of miles. I had great success with the Watermelon and Mixed Fruit Beans a couple of weeks ago so I wanted to try some alternates to see how I would tolerate them on Race Day. Result...loved the Mocha Gu and enjoyed the Tangerine Beans and Watermelon Blocks as I had hoped. The Mocha Gu was like chocolate icing...thought about a nice giant piece of pound cake to make it complete...haha.

The mileage was long so I didn't hesitate to walk a steady, fast pace when I felt more winded or more intense muscle fatigue with the run pace. In addition to pacing myself, I must have had a homing pigeon on my back because I missed 1 turn and ended up almost back to Gilda's Club by mile 8.25. Knowing that I needed the experience of the 10 miles, I simply back tracked and covered a few blocks about 4 more times to get the final 9.8 on the Garmin. Oh, almost forgot to detail that the Garmin was having trouble finding satellites due to the overcast skies. I had already run about 0.25 before it found me so I reset the system and started fresh. All total...probably completed a smidge over 10 miles but whose counting?..hahaha.
I must add the Katie was able to secure her all time high mileage at 11 1/2 miles today. She got lost as well (it must run in the family) but made it back on track and completed it as planned. So proud of her!


1228 calories, 9.8 miles in 2 hour, 15 min.



Felt that I would debut one of the other Gilda Gang Team members that we have trained with since the beginning. He earned the nickname "Gazelle" based on his stride when he really decides to kick it into high gear. I gave him that nickname after he smoked me and Dannah one Saturday morning on a 4 mile run. The history behind his "story" is that he runs "for all those that can't. " He became involved with Gilda's Gang when his mom was battling breast cancer. She has beat the diagnosis and is doing well thus far. Found out today that he has completed 5 or 6 -1/2 Marathons, a Full Marathon, and several 5K/10K races over the past 3 years or so. The Gazelle has been training with our team but will be running a 1/2 in Louisville on our Race Day as part of "running 1/2 marathons in every state before he leaves this earth." He said that he just focuses on one of his friends/family and their struggles when he even thinks about giving up. Initially, he started his training back in 2008 with a "stranger" from church. As time and common interest have it, they are planning a wedding in August. What an amazing individual to have the privilege of meeting along this journey!

By the end of today's training, I only had a few areas of concern. Blisters x2 on the feet...the left foot took the brunt of the work today. Somehow I ended up with blisters around my toenail on the right foot. I know sharing pics of my feet on here might be a little creepy so I will spare you. :) However, I feel the need to share my pain...NO PAIN, NO GAIN. I think I will secure a nice Sport Band-aid on the left foot for race day since this blister seems to be recurrent for about 3 weeks now. The hip pain is still present but tolerable since I dosed up with Ibuprofen 800mg last eve and again this morning. I wish I understood why just the left hip is so tender. It seems to resolve within a day after these runs. From what I read on others blogs and websites, a little hip discomfort is normal. Therefore, I will keep going I reckon :)

Now...I am off to eat lunch and nap before the night shift begins.

From then til now...

                                      What a difference a year makes! 7/2010 to 7/2011

Still not to goal but getting there pound by pound.

Felt that I should throw in a pic of my "high school skinny" even though I have no real intention to look like this again. :) Big hair...1990

Today is the big day! Weigh-In Day...

                             Friday the 13th. 

Unraveling the past 18 months...

October 25, 2010 = 249

November 14, 2010 = 241.2

December 4, 2010 = 230.4

January 9, 2011 = 220.2

February 24, 2011 = 217.2 

March 24, 2011 = 208.5

April 7, 2011 = 205

May 5, 2011 = 201.5

June 2, 2011 = 197.5

July 7, 2011 = 195.5

August 11, 2011 = 193.1

September 15, 2011 = 197.0

October 25, 2011 = 198.2

December 6, 2011 = 199

February 6, 2012 = 201

As you can see, the trend is up rather than continuing down since last August. I have worked too hard NOT to do this right. Hence, that is why I am blogging my way thru this experience rather than sitting back on my hind quarters and waiting to collect all those pounds back again.

   
 Only Gracie (my kitty) should be allowed to just lay back and show her belly rolls like this :)

Today...Friday, April 13th = 198.1 pounds

Heading to the gym to make a difference for today!



Good health & a desired physique is no accident.

It is created with strategy.

With determination.

With commitment.

With purpose.

  

Weight loss; the fight to become healthier.
How bad do you want it;

Perhaps so bad you can taste it?  

Perhaps so bad; you've decided it taste better than your favorite dish.

  

Admiration

Settled into Routine

I am realizing how truly "routine" my Tuesday thru Thursday schedule has become. Nothing wrong with routine when it includes EXERCISE and EATING RIGHT, I guess. Started this morning at the gym by 5:30am...seems like I have progressively moved to the 5:30 arrival time at the Y from the original 5:15am. Not that 15 minutes really matters; however, I am having trouble with the **Snooze** button. In fact, the hubby mans the alarm, and I seem to keep asking for "just 5 more minutes" more than ever before. He sure is persistent though, because he knows how much starting my day at the gym means to me so keeps me nudged until I roll out of the bed. Love him for that :) Solution: Earlier to bed, early to rise!



Calorie burn and Distance on the Elliptical this AM

Today was set to be my lighter day so I spent about 30 minutes or so on the Elliptical instead of running. The downside is that my Garmin foot pod does not like the Elliptical so I have to depend on the machine to give me a rough estimate of calorie burn. I followed up by walking on the treadmill for about 10 minutes for the cool down.

In the vein of "routine", I have to share my newest find for a breakfast that is a little slice of heaven. In fact, I have enjoyed this for the last 3 mornings.

Only 3 ingredients...1 of my favorites (White Chocolate PB) coupled with a small banana and 100 cal flat bread. Toast the Thins and then spread with a thin layer (approx 2 tbsp or less) of White Choc PB followed by sliced nana. A hearty, stick-to-your ribs breakfast for about 350 calories.



  

 Counting down the days until race day now! I am getting more excited as the days roll by...April 28th can't come soon enough. Saturday will be a long run/walk...10 miles with Gilda's Gang. Not looking foward to it simply because Dannah is not going to be able to go. She has to take the ACT that AM so she will miss this training day (only 2 out of 14...not bad for dedication). This is the last big training day before the 1/2 marathon. Next week (21st) is a lighter 6 miles...hahaha...I can't believe I am thinking that 6 miles is "lighter". Power of positive thinking!

My Training Buddy ...right by my side the whole way...encouraging and pushing me!





Lessons Learned

Mornings that start like this should be added to the category of  "lesson learned". I made the huge mistake of eating and drinking Mexican last night with the family and following it up with a 2 mile walk/jog with David. All was well with the brisk walking but the jogging caused the Margarita to attack the chips and pico de gallo while just hanging out in my gut. Therefore, I spent the better part of the late evening making peace with them as I lay moaning and groaning with gas pangs. Of course, the yuck feeling carried over into this AM as the alarm sounded at 4:15. Dragging myself out of bed and to the gym was the best feeling ever...NOT! However, I allowed my will to overtake my body and knocked out 3.4 miles on the treadmill in about 38 minutes. Ranging from 4.4 to 5.0 miles per hour for the entire time...whoop! whoop! Not bad for the fluffy girl...easiest run on the treadmill in quite a while. The 475 calories didn't hurt my feelings either considering I needed to work that margarita off. The shower at the Y was much needed to say the least and then off to work I went. The day started out well despite my gut's best efforts to ruin a good workout.

  +   +    

                          =

On our walk back to the parking lot today after the workday was complete, my office mate/ bestest work buddy (Ames) and I made our way to the Smoothie King there on campus. I have walked past there many mornings and afternoons on my way to the office but never made it a point to stop. Too many choices on their menu but I managed to settle on the Strawberry Kiwi Breeze this trip. The super nice fella at the counter told me that I could have the medium (32oz) for about 400 calories since I could make it "skinny" which leaves the extra sugar out of the equation. I substituted 2 Splenda out of fear that it would be too tart with no extra sweetener. The drink was awesome until I slurped down the last bit and thought to look it up on the website to see the Nutritional Facts in writing. The site said plainly that "Since this smoothie does not contain turbinado, it can not be made skinny." Well, that just sucked since the calorie count for the medium ended up being 564 calories instead of 400. Guess I will have to work extra hard at the gym tomorrow thanks to my over-indulgence and poor advice. Just another "lesson learned".

Strawberries, Kiwi, Papaya, Protein Blend       

My stop at Smoothie King was not a complete bust though. I ran across a GREAT high protein and low calorie snack that is quite yummy! Have you ever had Jerky made of Beef and Ostrich? Well, I will tell you that I have enjoyed beef, turkey, and deer jerky over the years but NEVER ostrich until today. I could buy a case of this and enjoy every last chew :)

Ostrim Beef & Ostrich Meat Jerkee - Pepper/Teriyaki

Calories 60, Protein 10 grams
Total Fat 1.5 grams

Planning ahead...Friday will be my official "Back on Track" weigh in. Friday the 13th...should be an easy day to remember. Now that doesn't mean that I am going hog wild until then. I just wanted to have a starting date for documented weekly weigh-in and Friday just seems logical. Long story short...I have been struggling with eating in moderation for months now.Thank goodness I have been able to maintain my weight loss with all of the moderately intense exercise that I have endured. I can't seem to shake that over-indulgent tendency with my portions. Therefore, I will reveal my official weight on Friday in hopes of holding myself accountable to someone besides myself and the scale.

My Crazy Week in Retro

Wow! What a crazy week and a half this has been. My intentions to post every couple of days got totally ransacked by too many obstacles in my path. Quiet time dedicated to just sitting down with my puter and laying down a few lines was nearly obsolete. So...needless to say...here I sit trying to recap. Well, I do I have some pretty exciting news to share so here is a brief timeline of this past week...

Saturday, March 31st:

Training with Gilda's Gang was a personal all-time high mileage for these 'ole bones and muscles. We managed to knock out 9.97 miles (expected 9.1) on Nashville terrain...aka lots of uphills both ways and very few straights (seemingly). Unfortunately, my left hip was paining me something fierce, so I struggled to jog as much as usual due to the discomfort. It felt something like a dagger jabbing into my flesh so I figured I would listen to it rather than ignore the obvious. Knowing that pushing thru til the end was important, I kept pace with walking and slow jogging to finish in 2 hours 21 minutes (plus or minus a minute or two due to stop lights). The best part was the 1235 calories that I burned (according to my Garmin). All in all...I felt great after it was said and done (with a little Ibuprofen). I finished the day with working my first night shift in almost 15 years. As a nurse, I have worked in many different areas along my career path but this is one that makes my heart melt by the minute. I am providing care for an 11 year old cerebral palsy patient with no ability to walk, talk, and eat on his own. After only a few hours of being with him, I have realized that I am blessed to have the opportunity to care for him. The irony of this assignment is that I am training hard and on my feet by morning and caring for a patient that has never walked a day in his life that same evening. I am so thankful for my health and for three healthy children of my own.

Monday, April 2nd:

Spent the morning stressing over the clothes that I "ruined" since I washed a gel pen with a load of laundry. Jumping ahead...problem solved with some intense prayer and OxyClean. In addition to my laundry Oops!, I had the opportunity to be part of filming a commercial for my grandmother's Assisted Living residence. I made some great memories as I sat next to her and my mom with a video camera pointed at us. My "Mamie" has declined mentally and physically over the past couple of years, so every opportunity to make a good memory ends up being worth every minute despite her not remembering it from one day to the next. I will try to share the video link when it goes LIVE on Fox News, Lifetime, and TLC.

My hubby has made a 120 degree turn toward health and fitness. I had to share this most recent 5K photo of me and my sweetheart. This depicts his personality and humor regarding exercise...race number pinned upside down and the lucky Irish beer shirt. Yes, I intended to say 120 degree...and not 180. He is learning how to eat in moderation (or starve to hear him put it) while thinking about being motivated to move his limbs and feel his heart pump. Knowing how much I love him and want to share the rocking years together, all he had to say was "I could use your help." Without delay, I took him up on the offer to "help out" and ran with it...no pun intended. Therefore, I conveniently signed us up for a 10K on May 19th (2nd Annual Nashville Hell or High Water Flood Run). He has walked (with the occasional jog) a few 5Ks in the past year; he has a few race T-Shirts to show for it but no real training progress.

No better time than the present so we are stepping it up a notch. Besides...this is just part of the grand plan since he made the mistake of mentioning that he might like to run/walk a half marathon by November 2012. I am feeling (not looking) like Jillian Michaels now...I can be his "pretend trainer" that pushes him a little harder each time...hahaha. If I bring him to tears, I will just stand by with a box of tissues and say, "You need to find your OWN purpose. I cannot BUILD desire." This quote is one of my all time favorites from The Biggest Loser.

I am proud to say that a few of my buddies have drank from the endorphin cup as well, and they are looking for more 5Ks and challenges. We started St. Patty's Day at Opry Mills with some of these good friends (Shelly, Kirsten, Linda, Kevin) and our youngest daughter, Katie (aka..the gazelle).
She is stinkin' amazing when she sets her mind to it. On Saturday mornings with Gilda's Gang training, she is about 8-10 minutes ahead of me the whole way. This 5K was no different!

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To summarize April 1st-April 7th: Completed 12.85 miles total according to the Garmin plus about 1 hour on the elliptical at the YMCA. I am still trying to figure out this Garmin Foot Pod so my mileage is not the most accurate when I spend the early AMs in the gym on anything but the treadmill. I think I am going to have to do a little research on that little gadget so that I feel like I am getting my monies worth.This week was supposed to be my "rest" week with training. I guess I took that seriously since I needed to get in about 6 more miles according to the training schedule. In fact, my FB post before the Gilda's Gang training on Saturday summarized my thoughts: "Still trying to decide whether "rest" is defined as (1) Less mileage so that my body recuperates and "rests"...or (2) The week that the "rest" of my body figures out I am 1/2 crazy. Either way, it is behind me and I am one week closer to RACE DAY.