Lunar Rendezvous 5K Recap

This race is special for me.  When I did Couch 2 5K in 2009, this was the first 5K I ran.  You can read my race recap from 2009 right here.  I finished my first 5K and lost to a 3 year old.  I read it again for the first time in a long time a week ago.  I am so glad I wrote it down because there were so many things I forgot and so many things that haven't changed.

• I still just hope that I am not last.  I have to say I am a bit disappointed in my time of 50:17. It is 1:09 slower that my last race that was about 6 weeks ago with a at time of 49:09. I was really pushing for a 45 to 46.  I set my Nike plus to tell me my pace every minute...but it malfunctioned when I paused the music...for a reason I cannot remember.  Then I stopped to try to fix it, well not a complete stop but I really slowed down.  That is what I LOVE about Nikeplus, the ability to see my run and my pace along the whole route.  I slowed down to 19:57 pace when I was trying to fix my Nike (and that is one of my downfalls about Nike...it has glitches).  There is only one run a month I worry about pace and that is my timed one for the FattyMustRunMarathonChallenge. The rest of the time I just love being out there. Did I mention that I forgot my armband for my phone? yeah...so I had to hold it in my hand the hold time...not comfortable.
• I still don't know how to drink from a cup and run at the same time.  I have no problem grabbing the water from the volunteer, and by the way, thank you to all the volunteers.  But once it is in my hand I fill like I am all thumbs and water just goes everywhere but my mouth.  I still feel guilty about throwing my cups on the ground and apparently so are other people because there was a tower of upside down cups on the ground. I decided I would add to the tower.
• I cannot verify it but I think my three year old nemesis was there.  He would be about seven now and there was a seven year old there running along with me...mocking me.  He has a younger brother that is about 5 (Of course he was not there in 2009 because he would have been about 1...not even walking) But this year, this year they both mocked me.  They would run past me just laughing and smiling and giggling.  Then they would wait for their mother and me to get near them again and then they were off again.  One day I am going to beat this child and I better do it soon because once he becomes a preteen...my chance is gone.
• I still don't like people to come back for me.  Last time my daughter ran with me.  She came back on the route to look for me and cheer me on.  She kept her distance. She could tell that I appreciated it but that I needed to do this on my own. however, this time my husband ran with me. It was his first 5K. Kelly and Diane were there again (and yes they one their age groups).  All three came back to look for me.  While I love the fact they came back, to cheer me on, I lose my concentration.  So as they walked up towards me, I waved them to turn around and go back to finish line.  And they did.  Maybe that is why I don't know team sports...I don't want anyone to depend on me. If I fail, it only affects me.  
• I wasn't nervous about the race.  Unfortunately, I had a 14 hour event that I was hosting at my house for 15 women from 10 am to midnight...that same day. So I spent the day before cleaning and decorating until 3 AM and then I was up at 5 for the race.  I love hosting these events and I love the 5Ks but I realized I don't love doing them on the same day.  
• That being said, I was ill prepared.  Last time I worrying about tapering and hydration before the race. This time I just worried about showing up.  

My  hopes is that my next race will have a better time. I am still looking for 45 or sub 45.  I'll get there. I know it.

Fatty Must Run Marathon June recap

I knew it was going to be hard month for me.  What's the saying? "If you think you can, you will. If you think you won't, you're right." ?  Well I think I thought I couldn't. Now if you don't remember what the challenge items were for June, you can see them here.

And if you are new to my blog, first WELCOME! and second you may not be aware of the Fatty Must Run Marathon Challenge that I am doing. If you want to know  more about it, go to Fatty Must Run , and Julie will explain it.  She is hosting the challenge.  Over the course of a year she will guide 14 women  through the challenge that will end with a marathon.

Again, I can't believe all the changes in my life.

Eating:    I am more conscious about what I eat.  Things I use to love to eat, sorta gross me out. But I still love chocolate and Ice tea. I am not sure if that will change.  But I am eating so many more vegetables and I have a juicer now. Ok, so it is still boxed up but I plan to use it starting this week.

My running group: Last time I mentioned my running group grew by 14. This month it grew by 20 more?  I joined a running group in Galveston two weeks ago.  I am officially a member of USA Fit Galveston   I also joined a running group.  I am a part of the Beginners Half Marathon training.  My sister is leading the Saturday morning runs for our pace.  I think it prepares us for our first half in October which meets my needs.

Energy   I feel better.  I don't get tired too early. Well I do get sleepy because I am getting up earlier but at the same time, when I am awake, I feel more energized.

Non Scale Victories:   My body is changing.  My calves are getting muscular and feel toned.  My bum is lifting and while the scale isn't moving much, my clothes are fitting better in some cases and in others, well they are just getting too baggy to wear.


So here is how I did with this month's challenges:

1. Run Everyday  Well it is hot in Texas and I couldn't bring myself to get up at 5 AM to run.  I did manage to run FunFest Run the Bay on the 8th and during the second half of the month, I started to run with my sister and just got over myself and got up.  On the days that I didn't run, I continued to do my squats and I did the elliptical.  So I would have the say the first half of the month was rough for me but I am starting to get the hang of it.
2. Eat Clean  Yeah, epic fail.  I didn't even know what clean was much less how to prepare for it.  But I have started to do it and I have found some great recipes that I will share.  My daughter is on board with me on this one.  We eat quite a bit of zucchini, bell pepper with eggs.  We also tried spaghetti squash and we are making healthy smoothies that contain Kale and flax seed.  ( I promise I will either video tape or blog the recipes. )  I cut down on red meat and drink more water. So I am getting there but I still have a long way to go. 
3. Run a timed 5K.  I ran my timed 5K yesterday.  My first one this month was on 6/8 at the FunFest was 49:08. I was 12th for my gender, 90th for my gender and 211 overall.  There were 226 runners and 100 of them were female.  My last timed 5K was 47:48.  Races are harder to come by so I had to time it myself.  So I was first, last and overall number one!  LOL
4. Complete squat challenge  I did finish my challenge but I did skip a few days.  I want to do it again.  I may start again July 1st.  I really loved the way it felt.

Tomorrow I will share our July challenge.  

Stay cool and stay running.

Kemah Bridge

Well I did it!  This past week, I did my first Kemah bridge run.  I liked it so much that I did it twice!  My daughter and I met my sister at the bridge at 6 AM.  I have driven over this bridge hundreds, if not thousands of times. It is the bridge between me and the nearest sign of box store civilization (Walmart, Target, Office Depot and Home Depot). Why am I running a bridge?  Well, I live in flat SE Texas. We have no hills.  When I say we are flat...I mean we are flat  The Houston Marathon is a great place to qualify for Boston because the run is soo easy...no hills.  But every runner needs to do hill work so us in SE Texas run in parking garages or on high arching bridges.  I happen to live very near to a high arching bridge.  It crosses the waterway that links Clear Lake to the bay.

This waterway is heavily utilized by boaters.  You see Clear lake is home to the third largest fleet of recreational boats in the United States.  Because of all the boat traffic seen, a steep and extreme high bridge was built.   And until my run, I did not realize that the south side is steeper than the north side.  I also didn't realize that cars whizzing by at 50 mph, that are less than 3 feet from you, cause alot of hot wind.  But I loved it.  I loved the way my thighs burned on the incline and the reward of going downhill immediately after the burn.  My sister and I took a picture at the top of the bridge from my phone, which in turn caused my Nike+ to stop recording and my wireless headphones to unlink.  So I am smiling in this picture but moments later I was just frustrated.

Now the bridge is less than two miles from my place but at least 30 miles from my sister's house.  Again, I am truly blessed to have a sister that would drive that far, that early so that she can run the bridge with me.  Isn't she awesome?  There are no words to describe my gratitude.  I am just truly blessed.

Warning: Cheeks appear larger than normal

Two days later I decided to do it again.  Because I was doing it by myself, I decided to go a bit earlier.  The second picture was taken as I was leaving the bridge to go home.  The bridge is 1.9 miles round trip.  I think next week I will try to do it twice which is....3.8 miles.

Non-Scale Victories

It wasn't until Weight Watchers that I learned the term NSV.  It stands for Non Scale Victory.  It's when something changes besides the numbers on the scale.  I have had quite a few of those these past few weeks.  I love it when I discover a new NSV.  It's like finding little nuggets of gold as you pan for it.  They may seem small but the are worth so much more. That is the way I see NSVs.  They are these grand moments of  "Oh my goodness, I dropped 5 dress sizes in 2 weeks! "  We all know that if you drop 5 dress sizes in two weeks, you 'll probably add 6 dress sizes in three.  No, I am not looking for those kind of sucesses.  I want the long term ones.

I think one of the first ones was the walk to the church office.  It was on the second floor of the youth building.  Every week I volunteer at the church and have to climb these stairs. Because this is in the youth building, the doors are locked and you must hit the buzzard and someoen will come open the door for you.  This is where I panic.  I am left so winded that I usually wait a bit before I hit the buzzard.  I didn't want to have to speak before I had time to catch my breadth. Pathetic, I know.  Well, these past few weeks have been great.  I no longer get winded going up the stairs.

Then I noticed something that may make others cringe but I love.  I mentioned in another post that I gain muscle pretty quickly.  Well I have been doing squats for three weeks and the muscles are starting to make their debut.  The fluff around them is not subsiding as fast as the muscle is being gained so they make me seem a bit more bulky in areas but my body is changing.  The bum sits alittle higher.  There is a nice shape forming on the legs and the calves feel stronger (more because of the running than the squatting). So crops feel a little tighter in the legs and bum but I am swimming everywhere else. I know that in time, as the fluff leaves, the crops will also fit differently.

My skin is changing also. I don't know anyway to explain it but my skin seems more radiant and healthy.  It feels smoother.  I think all the sweating and drinking water has really cleaned out my pours and I can feel and see the difference. I just can't stop touching my face.

These are just a few of the changes I have seen in the past few weeks.  I am excited to see what NSVs I'll discover at the end of the month with more running and clean eating.  Have you had any NSVs lately?

It's me not you

Dear John,

Let me start by saying that I have always loved you.  You have been there since the beginning.  You are known as comforter and used as an reward.   Have a birthday to celebrate?  You'll be there.  Getting married?  You are one of the most important things at the wedding celebration.  Gathering with fellow Christians for a prayer session, committee meeting, retreat, seminar...heck anytime we gather as a congregation, you are there.  End of school year party for the elementary kids?   Teachers are sure to send a note home with little Tommy or Sally reminding us to bring you to school that day. We would die without you....literally we would die with out you.  But your importance for living has become an obsession and people are dying a slow death because of you.  What was meant for good, has somehow turned to bad.  And that is becoming more apparent now than ever in my life.  

Please don't cry.  It's me not you.  I took advantage of you.  I used you and abused you in my times of need.    I was too clingy.  I wanted you to be my everything.  If I was stressed out during the day, I ran to you to comfort me.  If I was celebrating any occasion, I wanted to do it with you.  I wanted you so much that I found reasons to celebrate.  I smothered you and put you on a pedestal.  It is for that reason that I have to distance myself from you.  We will still see eachother and be good friends but I can't let you consume me.  I want us to have a healthy relationship.  

I can't let you be my joy and my sorrow. I hope you understand. I will always care for you and need you but in a different way.  I hope you understand.

Love,

Rozette

When I read this months challenge for the Fatty Must Run Marathon Challenge, my heart just sank.  I knew  I would have to have the most difficult conversation with my food.  I had to admit that my emotional attachment to food can be unhealthy.  It's not that I don't like healthy food, that's not the issue.  I love vegetables, fruits, chicken etc but I obsess over chocolate, whip cream, flour tortillas.   Remember that song from the 70's Torn Between Two Lovers?  There is a line in there, "torn between two lovers, feeling like a fool.  Loving both of you is breaking every rule"  Well that is me. I don't mind eating healthy food but I want my bad also. And it isn't a hunger thing, its a "I want ______" thing.  No amount of filling health foods is going to satisfy my desire for chocolate.

So this weekend I went to Penzeys's Spice and picked up Fox Point, an amazing blend of herbs and spices that make everything yummy.

Last night we had chicken with a baby spring salad that consisted of Baby Spring mix of lettuce, celery mandarin oranges, cranberries, strawberries, pecans and a raspberry vinaigrette. 

Next time I will probably leave out the strawberries but may put apples. For lunch, I had more chicken on organic corn tortillas, with beans and lettuce.  I really enjoyed that and can't wait to eat more of that.  

I had cherries and grapes for a snack.  They were meh.  I didn't really satisfy my desire for something sweet but they satisfied my need to chew.  I have to come up with something clean to eat that will help with my sweet tooth.  Any suggestion?

I keep telling myself it is only for 30 days but in reality, I am hoping that this 30 day challenge will give me a new perspective on food.  It's fuel...nothing more, nothing less.  I need to grasp that concept. 

June's Challenge

Our June challenge has been posted. Please feel free to play along.

1. Run Everyday.  Ok this one hits on my lack of time management skills when it comes to personal goals. I have a tendency to put everyone ahead of me.  If I have time left at the end of the day to do my things, then I do them.  But this month I must put myself first everyday.
2. Eat Clean.  Well at first I thought this was going to be easy.  Wash your food and you can't eat anything that fell on the floor and was not picked up within 5 seconds.  I'm kidding.  I had no idea what is considered clean eating. I have heard those buzz words alot these past few months but had no idea.  I still don't know since googling it pulls up several interpretations of it.
3. Run a  timed 5K  We will do another 5K this month. We have been encouraged to run the whole thing.  I am interval training so that is how I will run it.  It will be interesting to see if I shave off any more time this month.  I would love to be in the high 30's at the end of this month.
4. Complete 30 day squat challenge.  I am really loving this challenge and may redo again when this 30 days is over. 

As always, please feel free to play along and let me know how you are doing.  If you want to see how everyone else is holding up in the challenge, you can click a link to their blogs on the right.

Fatty Must Run Marathon Challenge Monthly recap

Before I started writing this post, I decided to review my previous posts I have written since starting the challenge and I realized two things:

1.  I thought I blogged more than I actually did, which means all those times I thought I was sharing with you guys, I was only sharing with myself...in my head and
2.  I have no concept of time. It seems like just yesterday that I received the email stating I was accepted and at the same time, so much has changed in that time that it seems so long ago.

If you are not familiar with the Fatty Must Run Marathon Challenge, just click here for information about it. Over the course of a year, Julie, the leader of this challenge, will guide us through marathon training. Some would consider training for a 26.2 miles run as torture but I consider it a privilege to do so with these women.  Ok side note here: Julie is from the UK and I am obsessed with anything from across the pond, so when I read her blog posts, I read them out loud with my very bad British accent.

Julie gives us a new set of challenges each month.  We are to keep her updated at least once a month via email or blog post. But most of us have also updated eachother daily via Twitter.  If you would like to follow us, just search #FMRMC or #Fattymustrunmarathonchallenge.  For the first month, May, we were given three tasks run 2 miles, start 30 day squat challenge and run a timed 5K.

1. Run 2 miles and report back to Julie on how it felt. Because I was already running two miles each run, this one was natural for me.  The only comment I have is that it is getting hot in Texas so I have to change the time of day I run.
2. Start a 30 day squat challenge I had never heard of this but I googled it and discovered it is a 30 day challenge that increases the amount of squats each day. You start at 50 on day 1 and by the time you are on day 30, you are doing 250 squats in one day.  I love squats.   I build muscle extremely fast, genetics, so I can really see the difference and feel the difference in my legs and buttocks.
3. Run a timed 5K to get a base time.  Of all three, this one concerned me the most. I had not run a 5K in a very long time so I was worried.  I always hovered around 54-56 minute 5Ks.  I didn't want to time a 5K so soon after restarting C25K only to discover I am slower than before or not be able to finish.  My new time was a pleasant surprise 43:15.  I know, I know...I can't believe it myself but I took a picture just to prove it.

Yeah Baby!!!

If you had told me a month ago that I would have had so many changes in the first few weeks, I probably would have not believed you.  No, I know I would believe you.  As a matter of fact, I probably would have contemplating dropping out for fear of failing.  But I didn't quit. I just went one step at a time, one day at a time.  And things just happened.

• Pace  When I restarted C25K I was ecstatic that I ran my fastest mile at 15: 48. Years ago when I trained for my first 5K, my average pace was in the 17's and even 19's.  Yesterday I broke my own 5K time by doing it 43:15 and my average pace for my total 4 miles was 14:12.  By the way, the only reason I mention pace is not because I think I was going too slow before, but because it means I am improving. It means I am getting stronger. You guys know how I feel about pace.
• Distance:  My first few runs in April were 2 miles or less.  By mid May I was consistently doing 2 miles and as of last Saturday, I have increased my mileage to 4 miles.  My plan is to increase my mileage for my during the week runs to 4 miles and 6 miles on the weekend.
• Strength:  All I can say is that before this challenge, my legs just moved me forward.  Now, I can actually feel my muscles working and I love it.  There is a feeling of control or power...I haven't quite found the right word for it but all I know is that it is good.
• Community:  My running group has grown by 14.  We live hundreds, even thousands of miles, away from each other but this common goal is the thread that binds us together.  We encourage eachother and hold each other accountable.  On my own, I probably would have become bored the first week and moved on to a new challenge.  I am here to stay.

We have been given our new challenges for June.  I'll share more on those tomorrow.  All I can say is that it is going to be hard....mentally.  But in the meantime, check out the girls and how they viewed the first month. A link to their blogs is on the right.

Memorize the good

I wish I could say that I always felt like running.  I read these articles and see these posts on other blogs where people just don't feel right until they get their run in for the day.  Yeah, I am not one of those people.  I like programs and I like completing task (I guess that is why I like things like ( C25K and the FattyMustRunMarathonChallenge) but I rarely get the urge to go for a run to clear my head nor do I  feel out of whack because I missed a run.  Sure, I have loathed myself for not meeting my goal of doing something I said I was going to do or missing a day in a program.... but feel mentally off because I didn't run?  Nope, not here and not today.  No today was more of a mental challenge that became more of a mental workout than anything else.  Which I guess I could consider marathon training.  I heard of this wall that people encounter and this wall is mentally challenging.  Now I am not comparing my feelings with this wall...remember I am doing this training one 5K at a time.  So my exercise yesterday was a baby step.

Looking back, I  think I tried to sabotage my run yesterday.  The day before was my daughter's 17th birthday so we stayed up talking late into the night.  So yesterday morning I did not wake up early enough to go for a run.  By the time lunch came, it was too hot. (Seriously, the "feels like" temperature was 99) So I talked myself into waiting until the evening and besides I only had a pair of new fitted running capris clean and I can't wear that with a fitted tech shirt and my large, looks like a potato sack tech shirt was dirty...see the excuses just building? I had convinced myself to delay my run until the evening.

After struggling with my attire, the apps on my phone and seeking encouragement from my fellow FMRMCers, I hit the trails.  I would love to say that 5 minutes into my run, that "I WANT" showed up but he didn't.  Doubt showed up and consumed me.  Why am I out here? I must look ridiculous. This has to be worse than the slow motion video of me on Saturday.  Is that chafing I am feeling under my arms?  I am not going to make it.  Which is worse, running with the traffic on a trail that runs along a busy road or running against traffic on that same trail?  I mean, if I am running with traffic, all drivers and passengers are watching my big butt run...very slowly and awkwardly.  If I run against traffic, people will see the stress I wear on my  face and I will see their reactions to seeing fluffy run.  My thoughts were not pretty or positive.

But somewhere along the trail in the middle of my long run in C25K I found my stride and I don't mean physically.  Just like I had been taught at the running clinic to reset my posture during my run, I decided to do a mental reset. And Ephesians 4:29 came to mind.

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."


Now normally when I think of this verse I think of it in reference to how I treat other people and what I either say to them or about them. I try to say things that will build people up and not tear them down. Well, why don't those rules apply to me?  They should.  I wrote about remembering what "I Want" tells you about yourself.  And yet here I am in the middle of the Seabrook park and all I hear is garbage.  So I stopped my run and hit the reset button.  And when I drew a blank on good things to say, I started to quote verses that had helped me in the past...I can do all things through Christ that gives me strength, if He be for me, who dare be against, He gave me the oil of gladness instead of mourning, Ask and you shall receive....etc

And then Bang Bang followed by Bon Bon  played on my playlist and my run felt better.  I think I even held my head higher and sang out loud on a few parts of the song Bon Bon.  All of a sudden new great tapes were playing in my head.  Somewhere during that run I even decided I liked the way I looked and will wear this outfit again...in public.

Now I am not saying go find a Bible and memorize some verses. If that is what you got out of this you are missing the point.  What I am saying is this.  When you decide to write those letters to yourself about why you are doing this and why you deserve this, make sure you store them away in your mind and in your heart. You may be far from home when the need arises to hear them.  For me, the truths I know about myself come from these verses.  They roll off my tongue with little effort and absolutely no thinking. (It was thinking that got me in trouble in the first place.)   You need to be able to do the same thing with whatever you choose.  So practice saying them even when you feel great so that they come out naturally when you don't.
Remember, don't let anything that will tear you down, come out of your mouth or your mind.  Only say and think things that will build you up. 4:29

My friend I Want

I have written and rewritten this post several times in the past two days.  But each time I did, well I just wasn't "feelin' it".  But a fellow fluffy runner wrote something the other day that just stuck in my head. He said sometimes he doesn't want to go out and run and his friend told him, "Hey if you are waiting for "I Want" he ain't coming so just get out there and do it."  Wow! That got me thinking about my I Want.  We all  have one.  And I realized my  I Want  can be a pretty flaky friend. Sometimes he shows up everyday no matter what.  The baby kept us up all night with a cough...he doesn't mind.  He reminds us why we are doing this and encourages us to get out of bed.  We have a horrible day at work, boyfriend hurts our feelings, husband doesn't understand, teenager is being difficult...doesn't matter to I Want, he picks us up and takes us for a run.

But I Want isn't dependable.  Sometimes he leaves for the day, the week or even the month with no explanation.  (Truth be known, I think he has another woman).  I can't verify it but sometimes I see them out on the trails running together.  And of course, I get jealous. Why does she have him? She must be special. She must be better than me.  She must have it all together and I am just a loser and that is why I am stuck here with I Want's evil twin I Don't Want.  My mother warned me about guys like I Don't Want.  They are selfish, degrading and never want what is best for you.

Fortunately, I Want has been pretty faithful.  He has been late a few times but by the time I finish my 5 minute warm up, he comes in and runs alongside me.  He never runs ahead.  He sticks by my side cheering me on...yeah that's just the kind of guy that he is.  He's a real playa.  When he is with you, he makes you feel like you are the only one but when he is gone...well he is gone.

So I love I Want and if I had it my way, he would be around for my whole Fatty Must Run Marathon Challenge.  But I know he won't be. I know there will be some days that I will be alone on my run.  I know that I Don't Want will  throw sticks at me and run circles around me and mock me.  That's okay.  I am preparing for that day.  I had I Want write me love notes while he was around.  I had him write down why I am going on this journey and why I am worth it.  So every time he goes MIA and I Don't Want shows up, I'll pull out his love notes to me.  I'll read them and run anyway.  Nothing I Don't Want says will deter me because I have these reminders.  And when those don't work, I have 14 women that will remind me of why I am doing this and vice versa.

So if your I Want is around, do me a favor and have him write you some love notes.  If he is MIA, find some fellow runners to share theirs.  You'll be glad you did. And eventually, your I Want will show up again.  He always does.

Fatty Must Run Marathon Challenge Update
Our Marathon Challenge has started.  We were given our first assignments.  Sometime this week we are to run 2 miles and report how it felt.  I did this challenge today.  It was H O T!  I am going to have to change up my schedule and start running in the am and blog at lunch.  I am not looking forward to summer training.

Our next challenge is to start the 30 day squat challenge.  I had never heard of it but Julie said to just google it and we will find it.  And I did.  Basically you start out with 50 squats the first day and on day 30 you will do 250.  I have pretty muscular legs and buns under all this fluffy so right now it is pretty easy and I build muscle extremely quickly so I know I will also bulk up this month because of it.  But it is for our benefit. The stronger the legs the easier the run.

The last challenge is to run a timed 5K by May 31st.  This will be our baseline. We can either do an actual 5K event or map out a route ourselves and time it.  I will probably map it out on Mapmyrun and run it.  My first 5k event isn't until June 8th.

If you want to read more about the FattyMustRunMarathonChallenge. Just click the link.  This will tell you what the challenge entails.  If you want to meet all the gals who were picked read this post.  And for all the women that are doing this challenge that have blogs, I have added links to their blogs to the right.

Can I encourage you to visit their blogs, follow and comment?  Sometimes when I Want is MIA, it's nice to know others are there for us.

Marathon?

Ever did something that you regretted but at the same time you are glad you did?  Well that is how I am feeling right now.  I have filled out an application to be part of a one year marathon challenge. Julie at Fatty Must Run, is in the process of starting a one year training program for a marathon.  So what, you say?  Ok, well here is the catch...you have to have a BMI of 25 or more in order to be even considered.

I subscribed to her blog about a month ago and when I read the entry from 4/22 that discusses the challenge, I read it and thought to myself, "That's nice. Crazy but nice."  She wanted us to share the challenge with friends. So being an abiding reader, I went to the Active Community forums and posted a new thread.  Then went to my Facebook and shared it with my friends on Facebook.  I made it known that I was not interested but someone out there might be.  DONE!

But I kept going back to that post and rereading it. And every time I read it, the shock value of it lessened just a bit.  On Friday, I decided to submit my application.  Yikes!  Ever since then I have been on this crazy roller coaster of "gosh I hope I am picked" and "I hope I don't get picked so that I have an excuse to not do it."

There is a huge side of me that wants to be picked.  Somehow I have rationalized that if I am picked that not only will I get a training plan but I would also get super powers.  With these super powers I would be able to train for a marathon and actually run one.  I fantasize about spending my mornings training on the trails. These super powers would give me the ability to cook healthy meals, organize my day to fit in all the training that I would need and my super powers would rub off on my family and they would love the new meal plans and help more around the house so that I would have more time to train.  Man the more I think about these super powers, the greater they become.

Then there is this tiny part of me called fear.  Fear tells me that I am not ready.  That I will lose my enthusiasm early into my training and I will have to hide from everyone out of shame.  Fears says my family will look at me and say, "See we told you, you are trying to do too much."  Fear says that this will just end up in failure and when I think about that failure, it is an infinite thing.  It reaches into all areas of my life.  My home would become messy, I would eat horrible food everyday, stop running and just sit on the couch each day and regret quitting and never forgiving myself for doing so. Fear is horrible and never nice.

I don't let myself stay in that head space for long...too sad.  So I fall back on "Where there is faith, there is no fear."  And faith is belief.  So I have decided to Believe.  My mantra will be She Believed she could, so she did. I'll remind myself that I have walked 20 miles three days in a row, if I can do that, then I can run 26.2 miles in one day.  I will believe that I can do this and remind myself it is not just saying yes and then the next day going out to run 26.2 miles.  No, it means I will start out small and build up miles over time. It is the same concept as couch to 5K and I believe in that concept.

When I received my application, it came with a note about the timeline for training.  She set out dates to run certain types of races. When I compare that to what I have already signed up for, I realize that I am already doing that part.  I am already building my mileage over the next few months.  I am doing a 5K this coming weekend and will sign up for more between now and August.  In September and October I am doing two 10Ks and in December I am doing a half marathon.  All of a sudden this huge task of running a marathon seems attainable.

So the big goal of doing a marathon will be at the back of my mind but I will focus on the task at hand and when it is done, I will check it off and move to the next.  So I will run a marathon, 5K at a time.

Run the Red Carpet

I am in my last days of treating my heel and plantar fasciitis.  I must say, I have a new appreciation for stretching and doing the maintenance when it comes to physical activities.  But I am really anxious to start running again.  I want to be out in the sun. Well that's not the only reason.  It gets hot in my little town.  But not only hot, it also gets really humid.  I had hoped that I could get out there while it was still cool and low humidity and allow my body to acclimate to the increasing heat and humidity while I increased my mileage.

I am also contemplating joining a running clinic.  TriFit Galveston runs a clinic for different levels of runners.  My sister started last year and fell in love with running.  Are you getting a little anxious?  Did you just tell yourself "Oh I am not ready for that."  or "Running in front of people? No sir, I will stick to my treadmill in my basement where I can run in secret?"  Well if you did STOP IT!  If you desire to run, don't do it in the dark, it is nothing to be ashamed of desiring.  It is something to be proud of.  Most people that don't run, don't run because they think they can't.  The fact that your are even contemplating running means you already have more confidence than they do.  So put on your running shoes and get out there!

No?  Nothing? Still not doing it? Ok, then do me a favor.  Find the next 5K in your area and don't sign up.  Mark it on your calendar.  Get up that morning and go cheer on the runners. Sit on the side lines and cheer on the runner that runs like a gazelle with their fit "runner's" body.  Cheer on the preteen that is running their tenth 5K and just loves getting out there.  Cheer on the mom that runs most days with their child in a stroller. Cheer on the senior that has ran their whole life and never stopped. Cheer on the senior that discovered running a few months ago and are running their first 5K. But most importantly, cheer on the gal that is fluffy, like me.  The girl that can't buy clothes from the regular clothing section of most stores.  She shops Lane Bryant, not only for their cute styles but because they have styles she can actually fit into.  Cheer her on!  What am I saying?  There will not be just one gal that meets that criteria. There will be several gals just like her, just like you, just like me.  They are beautiful and they are strong and they are free.

 She isn't worried about people laughing at her or judging her.  She doesn't have time for that nonsense.  She is in awe of the strength in her body.  She has pushed it and it responded.  She rewards herself with a run down the red carpet.  Only this isn't just any red carpet.  This carpet comes in many colors and forms.  Sometimes it is a trail through the woods but most of the time it is a gray path that winds through the streets.  Her attire is not a little black dress and heels. No, she is dressed in fitted running shoes, wicking top and bottom and a number across her chest.  Oh how she loves her fans.  They line up for miles (3.1 to be exact) to cheer her to the finish.  She can hear them yelling, "we are proud of you" and "you can do it"!  She is the star and they are her fans and nothing else feels as good as this moment for her.

So if you are in your basement or guest room or living room and running on a treadmill, get out there and run with the other runners.  Go run your red carpet.  You are a star and stars are meant to shine, not flicker in the dark.  So if you aren't ready or don't believe me, be a cheerleader at the next 5K, you'll be glad that you did.

We Boob Troop, Why don't you?

So this weekend I ran in the Race for the Cure in Houston. Let me just start out by saying if you have not signed up for one in your area, leave my blog and go find one in your area and sign up. Here, I'll even make it easy for you: Click this Race for the Cure and find one in your area.

I don't care if you are a runner, a walker or just starting out. Sign up for the race. You wanna know why? Not just because I am a survivor, though that is a good selfish reason. Sign up because so many people run, walk or wog. There is no way you will feel out of place. There were over 30,000 people at the event here in Houston. That's right, 30K. Most people never run 5Ks except this one. They had a group of friends from work, church, school or some other organized group that said "hey you want to run with me in the Race for the Cure?" And they said, yes.

Now did they run? Well most of them walked, and I mean most of them. Why is that great? Because you won't feel pressured to run the whole thing. So you get the experience of a first 5K without the pressure of running the whole thing. Now, I am not going to get on my soap box about how your goal for the first 5K is to just finish. But you know how I feel.

So what better way to get the first 5K under your belt than to do one that is so unique and big that there is no way you will feel out of place. You know why? Because you will see all walks of life out there. Young kids, teenagers, moms, survivors, those still fighting, old men, old women, pink hair, no hair, size 2, size 22, tall, short, running, walking, skipping, walking with their dog, running with funny hats...you name it. There is no way you will feel "different".

Look I am fluffy. I totally can relate to being embarrassed by running in public. I have been there. I have been the one tugging at my shirt when someone past by or letting out a huge sigh when I thought I was alone on the trail and someone passes me or someone drives by me and they have to slow down to make a turn and in the back of my head I am thinking they are slowing down to get a better look at the fluffy gal that is running. Again, read my older posts.... don't worry about that. But if you still want to, then sign up for the Race for the Cure. You will never feel more accepted and loved than you will at this.

Every bridge you run under, every turn you make, heck every 10 yards, there are people cheering you on. There is loud music playing and people just having a good time. When you get your race bib, memorize your number. Every once and a while, turn the Ipod down and listen to them chant your number, "Go 264! You're doing great 264! You are amazing 264!" I even gave some of them my princess wave ( you know closed hand, just a slight twist of the wrist).

Now with 30K of people, it can take up to 30 to 45 minutes before you even pass the starting line from the time the gun goes off. That is okay. If you have a chip, then as soon as you touch the mat that runs across the starting line, your personal time will start counting. Then when you cross the finish line, it will calculate your personal time.

Oh and if you think it is too hard. There is so much activity going on around you, bands playing, people handing out goodies, different organizations performing, that you will forget you are running and just have fun....and running should be fun.

So on a personal note: my Nike+ failed me again and found myself running in silence at the end of the race. Of my team of 12, I was the last one in. I was about 7 minutes behind the person before me....so what? My finish time was 54:19. I finished in 3135 place out of 4142 competetive runners. And I am proud of it!! The longest time for the run? 2 hours and 24 minutes for the competitive runners. YOU CAN DO THIS!!!!

Look, I am not trying to tell you what to do, well actually I am. If you are just starting C25K or any running program or maybe you are about to finish, sign up for a 5K. If you can sign up for the Race for the Cure, please do so. This race is unique because it attracts more than just runners and even avid walkers. It attracts all different levels of fitness or lack of fitness and you are guaranteed to feel comfortable and welcome.

If you sign up for one, let me know when you will be running and I will make sure to cheer you one and see how you did.

I finished my first 5K and lost to a three year old.

What a rush! I never had a moment that I didn't want to do this. I just wanted to get it over and wow what an amazing experience. I don't know if I ever shared but I am not a morning person so not only was this my first 5K but I was running earlier than I ever had in the past. My daughter ran this with me. If you ever read my very first post, this is why I am doing this. I want to build memories with her. After years of pushing her in a stroller when I went walking, years of having her next to me while I did walking on a treadmill, in these teenage years, I had become unfit and couldn't run to my neighbor's house. I had to change that. She was becoming a runner and I am too big for a stroller, so I had to get moving.

When we get to the Johnson Space Center we meet up with our friends from Bible Study, Dianne and her husband Kelly. They give us some more tips. We are runners in completely differently leagues. This is my first 5K and they have qualified and run the Boston Marathon. So I really value the time and attention they have given me and their words of encouragement. I get teary eyed just thinking about how wonderful they have been.

While they were doing a 20 minute warm up, I hear my name being called. My best friend in the world,Julissa,was there. She started running about 2-3 months ago. She started doing 5Ks about two months ago. So we are both new runners but she jumped in before me. I was so glad she was there. We have never run together. I have a confession. Some people have drinking buddies. People that for whatever reason, when they gather, they drink. Well she was my eating buddy. When we got together, it was an eating experience. For years it was Johnny Tamales. They knew us coming in the door and probably knew our order before we did. When she moved out of the area, we made it a point to find a new place to eat and chat. We knew we had a problem when my daughter became Pavlov's dog. As soon as she saw Julissa, she was hungry. We have decided to meet on the weekends, for 5Ks. Speak it into your life and act if you do, even when you don't and it will happen. We said that for years and here we were today at a 5K and in two weeks we will do another one.

So I didn't do a warm up walk and I should have. People were running as they past the Start line. I forgot that this was a race. I kept a pretty even pace. My goal: make sure there is someone always behind you and I succeeded. There were 70 year old women and another girl like me, fluffy that were behind me. I think for the first mile and half, there were 15 people behind me but at mile 2 this group of seniors passed me and the EMT guys were riding along side of me. Seriously, they rode next to me for all of mile 2. But none of that mattered. What mattered was the three year old that I spotted in the middle of mile two.

There he was walking along side his father. So cute, so young, so much my nemesis. You have got to be kidding me!?!?! He has been ahead of me this whole time? Oh no, I am picking up the pace. And that is how mile two and three went. I didn't focus on the seniors passing me or the water people shutting down near me. I focused on him. When he sped up, so did I. When he slowed down, I thanked God and slowed down. And then the unthinkable happened. His daddy picked him up and put him on his shoulders. Not fair!!! No one was here to pick me up and give me a rest. For 10 yards his father carried him. Sure it was only 10 yards but apparently that was all he needed because when his father put him down, he took off. And in a matter of minutes he was fleeting speck in front of me until I couldn't see them anymore.

So I was left to my own devices to push on. I listened to Lose Yourself about 4 times to push through the last mile. About 1/4 of mile from the finish I saw my daughter coming back for me. I wanted to cry but I learned from W5D3 that crying takes my breath away and I needed all the oxygen I could get. She smiled and stayed back. Somehow she knew that I loved the support but this was something that I needed to do alone. In one of the pictures, you see me in the tunnel and she is hanging back. As I rounded through the tunnel to the finish, they were all there: Dianne, Kelly, Julissa, Jan (her boyfriend) and my husband. As I passed them, I yelled, "If this was an endurance race....I would be the winner!!!

I have truly been bitten by the running bug. I can't wait to do my next one. Well, there is one in two weeks on the trails in front of my house but August is the hottest month for us. Julissa says she is doing it and that if I don't, I'll have to make breakfast for them. As much as I love food, I hate to cook. So looks like I am running. So my goal, find that three year old and beat him!! LOL

One a side note: The 1/2 mary here in January is closed. It hit max within hours of opening the registration. So we are thinking of doing the 1/2 mary in Austin....hills. hmmmm

Addedum to original post:

These are things I fogot to mention in my original post:

• I find it very hard to drink from a cup while I am running. Most of the water ended up on my shirt.
• I hate litter so I found it even harder to throw my cup down onto the ground after trying to drink from it
• Tuesday was the firt time I ever walked/run 5K, on Saturday, during my 5K in the heat, outside, Joan Benoit Samuelson came over my Nike plus to congratulate me on my fasted mile ever!! so I recorded my best pace time...Can you believe it?