so this morning i hit -60 lbs. i’m holding off on a huge post when i hit sub-200 lbs, but here’s an update in a couple photos. i started taking them when i’d already lost 30 lbs, so this is just -30 through -60 in 10-lb increments.
BEWARE – flabby fat pictures of kate in her underwear!
from the side
from the front
i personally don’t see a huge difference from the front, but i see it from the side!
let’s talk about bad runs.
there are some days i do not want to run, but i do anyway. maybe i didn’t get enough sleep, maybe i ate not too long ago and feel blarg, maybe i haven’t eaten enough, maybe my bra is newly washed and i just put it on and it feels like it’s constricting my breathing, or maybe my muscles just don’t want to work today. i get out there, plug in my earbuds, turn on the music, and take off, but i’m just not feeling it. some days i get in a groove right away, others it takes me a mile to finally get going, and some days i just can’t get it at all. i cruise into my driveway after a run and want to fall over because it was that bad. on days like that, my time drops about a minute or more per mile.
when i signed up for a 10k, i wanted it to be awesome, so i did everything right beforehand. i had eaten some m&ms at noon,had a sandwich at 2:30, took a little nap, drank a loooot of caffeine, put on my bra 2 hours pre-race. i didn’t run the day before, but stretched a ton before the race, and my adrenaline was pumping. it was probably 60-65 degrees out and a little humid, so it wouldn’t be too warm, but not cool either. we took off.
the run was great for the first 4 miles – i was really kicking my time in the butt. then came the hills.
i don’t know who decided it would be an awesome thing to put 2 large hills and an incline at the end of a 10k. obviously they had never run a race. one hill i could deal with, but after the second i was so worn out, it probably would have made more sense for me to walk. i wanted to run the entire thing, so i kept plugging away.
what really amazed me was the final incline. usually at the end of a race, you want to give yourself one last burst of running energy to get over the finish line, but when it’s on an incline, that just doesn’t happen. my muscles were so worn out, i don’t know if i couldn’ve done it even if it were even.
i came in last at that 10k, and it really annoyed me, even though everyone was really nice about it. sure, i knew i could do it, but as i ran in to the end, everyone was cheering me on and giving high fives, so much so that it was almost patronizing because i was last. yeah yeah i know i’m coming in faster than those who aren’t running it at all, but still, it would’ve been nice to at least come in somewhat close to the others.
what was really amazing was my time: 12:57/mile. which meant i was really booking it up until the last 2 miles. it was the fastest 6 miles i’ve run yet.
this morning i woke up and my legs were screaming at me, my stomach and back muscles were sore (from uphill crouching maybe?) and i had rashes on my back from my bra, even though i’ve never had that happen before.
i won’t be running that one again unless they change the course. meanwhile, i’ll keep plugging away at my bad runs, even though they really do suck. but a bad run is better than no run.
5 days til my timed 10k! i ran 6.4 miles last week in 1 hr 23 mins, so a little over a 13-min mile. i was lagging pretty good there at the end, as my foot had gone numb. not sure how to remedy that one. anyway, weather’s supposed to be decent – isolated thunderstorms though. but it should be good, and even if i come in last, i will have finished.
i bought some fancy sandals today – i needed something for work that wasn’t flipflops, so found these. they are pretty reminiscent of the early 2000s, which i am a-ok with. as long as we avoid the 80s, i am fine.
speaking of 80s fashion, OMG i saw a couple weirdos today at walmart. this one woman was wearing leopard print leggings, a short sweatshirt, mid-calf height converses and stupid hipster glasses, along with an almost side ponytail. wtf people. w. t. f.
1. i finally made it to the running room downtown. since i had a long weekend, and it was sunny, and it wasn’t -31 outside, i decided to unhermit myself and get out. i stopped at the running store while on my quest for corn-syrup-free mini eggs (which, sadly, resulted in NOTHING…i may have to spend an arm and a leg on amazon) and was pleasantly surprised! i got a poly wicking long-sleeved high-collared shirt for $10, and, the biggest coup of them all, a city bike trail map! promptly went home and input a bunch of maps on mapmyrun. nothing quite at 6 miles yet, but when the time comes when i can run outside without threat of biffing it on the ice, i will find a way. april 10k here i come! (…in last place, according to previous years’ results, but oh well…)
2. remember michael perry? the author from wisconsin who writes things that make me want to cry, they’re so beautifully written? well, he does tours throughout the area of WI and eastern MN, and since i’m actually more in the area than before, i checked out his schedule. he has a “clodhopper” tour that only costs $12 and is in northfield next weekend. alas i would be going alone, so i passed in hopes that when i have more peeps in the area, he would tour again. then i saw a WRITING WORKSHOP. omg, i nearly peed myself from excitement. so, i signed up, and the weekend before i run a chip-timed 10k, i will be in zumbrota listening to MP talk about writing processes and publishing tips. maybe he’ll sign something and i can brag to my father.
3. remember when i mentioned participating in a move it campaign through work? it’s the beginning of week 4, at which time i should be running 70 mins once this week. bleah! but that’s not why i mention it. they have extra credit stuff each week, and this week’s was, try a fruit or vegetable you haven’t eaten before. easy enough. i got a papaya, minneola and pummelo.
(i’m actually thinking i’ve probably had papaya before in some weird canned fruit salad, but i’ve never had fresh.)
ok, so papaya is boring, minneola is an orange and a pummelo is a grapefruit. not very exciting! but i also got some bok choy hanging out in the fridge so we’ll see how that goes when i cook it. maybe with some bacon. you can’t go wrong with bacon. too bad the extra credit activity isn’t “eat more bacon.” i would excel.
4. peace out!
at the school i work at, the health services dept. is sponsoring a program called ‘move it’. students pay $10, make themselves fitness goals, and track them over a 6-week period. after they’re finished, they get a tshirt.
they opened it up to staff/faculty yesterday for $20, and i signed up pronto! i figured, i’m running anyway, why not get a shirt out of the deal? plus it was give me a good kick in the rear about getting in shape for a 10k at the end of april.
so i had to set my goals, and since i’m back to speed this week (ran 40 mins twice this week and maybe tonight too if i feel so inclined), i decided to bump up my speed by 10 mins each week for 6 weeks, but only one day a week, with the rest being at least 20 mins.
by the end of the 6 weeks, i should be up to 80 mins of running once a week, which is about 10k for me. after i get the distance down, i’ll concentrate the rest of march and april to bumping up my speed. and hopefully by that time, i’ll be running outside regularly!
now, the good news. they took blood pressure, height, weight, and cholesterol and blood sugar readings to compare. my BP was awesome like always, height was shrinking and weight – somehow i gained 5 lbs in the past week >:( but, my triglycerides were so low they couldn’t even take a bad cholesterol reading! woo! last time i had bloodwork, my triglycerides were nasty high. thanks, c2-5k! you made me healthy!!
i started running again today after almost 2 months of not doing anything. i lost some of my breathing, and i think i’ll hurt tomorrow, but it was good to be back on the track. this week i’ll do 20-minute runs, next week 30 and hopefully the week after that i’ll be back up to speed. there’s a 10k at the end of april here in town that i’d like to try but my speed needs to kick up a notch.
food for thought: hey lady power walker. before you give me a patronizing look whilst i lace up my running shoes, maybe see what i can do first. i could just see her train of thought: oh look, another new-years-resolutioner – how sweet.
i frequent /r/loseit quite a bit to look at pictures mostly, but sometimes i find a gem, such as this: Hey Fat Girl
there’s a reason i was going to st. ben’s to run at 11 p.m.! the track was empty! now i don’t really care, but i still prefer a track to myself since i’m still a slow runner (compared to the athletes who run occasionally). but what i find oddly both encouraging and discouraging at the same time are the people who cheer me on while i run (not at an actual race). i had a couple instances where people i passed on the road or trail said “nice job!” you can do it!”
it’s weirdly both because on the one hand, hey, thanks for the unironic cheers! you’re awesome! on the other hand, i KNOW i can do. i’m only on mile 1.2 and i can go for 4 times that, maybe 5 times that if i wanted to and 7 times that if i were being chased! it’s also weirdly discouraging because i have to wonder if they would be saying the same thing to a gal who’s size 6 and running. i don’t know.
welp, i’m running in another 5k this weekend and the low is 27 degrees the night before, so it’ll be a chilly one. hopefully it’ll make it a fast one, too.
the gay race was so fun! megan and i ran a little, walked a little, ran a little, walked a little, ran a little. i was hoping or some drag queens, but no such luck. there was someone dressed up as a unicorn (running in the 10-minute mile group…).
there were so many people there, most people wearing the orange race shirts, which have become the official colors of the vote no brigade.
we saw some bennies! and some interesting outfits! and a couple klondike kates!
and i got to use my new panorama features on ios6!
megan hadn’t run in a month! she thought she would do some running, so we stood in the back of the 12-minute mile runners, before the fast walkers.
then afterward, after getting a granola bar, cupcake, cookie and some water, we went to eat at aster, which was really good!
i drive through rochester and i think, man, am i ever going to become familiarized with this town? it’s got to be easier to navigate than st. cloud, which is a mess due to the river. and i could probably get you to any place in st cloud (besides the east side…that place is scary).
so i’m in the middle of a week off of running. i got back to austin early enough on sunday so that i could take a run. i had plotted out my route and wanted to try a new road, since the run along 570th is one boring run. i took the first right i could and encountered a rather bucolic gravel road with a cute little stream and a scary looking river animal and a few farms with very possessive dogs. it was nice! i was on my way to a 4-mile+ run, the first in a while. i got to my halfway point and turned around.
but first, let me tell you about my weekend shopping trip. i stopped at the endurance shop in st cloud, which is a running store. i asked the dude how often i should be changing out my shoes. every 6 months or 400-500 miles. i needed new shoes. he asked me what element i normally ran on: asphalt, track or gravel. he showed me a couple shoes, one of which was a high-traction shoe.
all that to say, i didn’t get new shoes that day. i ordered some, but i don’t think they’re high-traction.
which i could’ve used! ack! i was heading back when suddenly, boom! my ankle rolled over, i heard a huge crack in my foot and i landed on my opposite knee. first thought: OMG health insurance, do i have it? second: OMG would nate come see me?? third: OMG i want my mom!!!
oh man, it hurt. but i knew if i could get up and put weight on it, chances were it wasn’t broken. so i got up and put weight on it. it hurt, but i was able to walk. but i wasn’t able to run, which meant i wasn’t able to get back before dark. i called finnegans – no one there. ok, called ann and erin. erin picked up, and came and got me. saved!
ice, elevation, ace bandage, all that jazz. but the next morning i got up and it hurt even worse. i could barely walk on it. so i called the clinic i had insurance through (hadn’t found a dr yet, wasn’t in the system). they were booked, so i went to urgent care where they took X-rays and gave me a foot brace and crutches (didn’t use the crutches…oh well). but not broken, thank goodness.
so i’m on a break from running. and by the time i get back to it, i might have my new shoes. which, i think, have better traction than the ones i have. but, never again gravel. never again.
there seem to be a lot of people on my facebook feed who are doing couch 2 5k or equivalent. does correlation equal causation? not sure…i know i inspired megan for sure, but other than that, maybe my age group has suddenly gotten health conscious?
i’m slowly but surely getting through nikki’s pics. i’m always so impressed with myself! especially since i’ve never done indoor photos before. some are a little harsh from the flash, but nothing a little p-shop can’t fix. makes me wonder if i should do more weddings — maybe if i had a wrangler. i need a loud cohort.
i love summertime. i love being able to sit outside comfortably. the birdsongs. the frogs in the pond. the sound of traffic. citronella. the smell of lake. freshly cut grass. even sweating i like. i love my deck! i’d prefer a rental with a deck, and hopefully nate’s and my next home (in the country with acreage) will have a deck (and if i’m lucky, a porch, too!). mmmm summer. i think i’ve come to the conclusion that every season but winter is awesome. they are equally awesome in what they best represent and i love them all. and i really hate winter.
