Manderz Road to a new life

Check me out!

2011-06-13T14:46:00.001-04:00

I’m a success story in the July/August issue of Weight Watchers magazine!!!

1 Year Ago Today

2011-05-26T15:32:00.001-04:00

On May 26, 2010 I reached the point in my weight loss journey that I dreamed about for 2 years. I achieved what I felt was the unattainable goal of LIFETIME status with Weight Watchers. I had successfully lost over 100lbs! I was on top of the world!

Earlier in the week when I realized my 1 year LIFETIME anniversary was almost here I felt disappointment. I picked the high end of my weight range so I could become lifetime sooner but I had (and still have) a personal goal weight that I wanted to reach. I imagined that a year later I would be at that goal.

Truth is I’m not at that personal weight. In fact I struggled most of the year. At one point I was 10+lbs above my WW goal weight. As of right now I am 3lbs above my WW goal weight. I don't think I’ve seen my WW goal weight since May 26, 2010.

I started thinking about the year and I realized that instead of beating myself up for not achieving something I should embrace the fact that I’ve maintained an 100 lb loss for a year. That my friends is HARD.

This journey is for life. Hence me being a LIFETIME member. I’ve got the tools I need to continue to be successful and I will eventually reach my personal goal. Maybe it will be May 26, 2012 or it could be May 26, 2014. Does it really matter if I’ve continued to live a healthy lifestyle?

This year I’ve accomplished the following:

Maintained a 100 lb loss
Became a Weight Watchers receptionist
Ran my first marathon
Ran my 6th half marathon and PR’d by 5 minutes
Helped a friend reach weight loss success
Inspired strangers to lose weight
Going to be featured in the WW July/Aug magazine as a Success Story

Sometimes I need a reminder of what I’ve accomplished …..

Achilles Update & Useless Info

2011-04-20T11:13:00.001-04:00

I took 9 incredibly long days off of running after the half marathon. My achilles was not happy with me. I began to get worried after a few days of no relief so I went to see a podiatrist. He took an xray and told me that I have a bone spur due to the achilles being tight and pulling on the bone. Note the spur is not on my heel. He showed me some stretches (which I was already doing) and said I needed orthotics (shocker). I was given the ok to start running (slowly) and see how I feel. If I felt any pain I was to stop running immediately.

I went home and ordered a pair of my new ‘old’ sneakers. I switched from Mizuno Wave Inspire which is a moderate stability sneaker to a pair of Mizuno NEUTRAL sneakers. I am almost 100% positive that this change is what caused my achilles issues. Mizuno is now on version #7 of the wave inspire (I’ve worn 5 & 6). I am not really happy with the change – they come up higher on my ankle and I fear it will rub my achilles. So far, so good – let’s hope it stays this way.

Anyway, I went out for an easy 2 mile run and I had no pain. It was 81 degrees and humid and I was the happiest I’ve been in 9 days. It’s crazy how much I rely on running to keep me sane. I was in such a funk when I couldn't run!! I ran a whopping 9 miles last week with no pain during or after – yay! So far this week I’ve run 3 miles. I am slowly building my mileage back up and laying off of the hills for now. I am focusing on stretching my calves/achilles every day and I need to strength my calves. Anyone have suggestions on how I can do this?

I am on the fence regarding the orthotics. I don’t want to rely on them. What are your thoughts on orthotics?

ABC’s of Me!

A. Age: 30

B. Bed size: Full

C. Chore you hate: I only get to pick 1? I’m not very domesticated. I guess I’ll go with cleaning the bathroom – geeeross.

D. Dogs: I just became a dog owner 2 weeks ago! I am now responsible for my moms dog – Snowy. He is a 10 year old Westie.

E. Essential start to your day: Venti Skinny Cinnamon Dolce Latte

F. Favorite color: Purple

G. Gold or silver: White gold

H. Height: 5’9

I. Instruments you play: Does the recorder count?

J. Job title: “I do everything” officer

K. Kids: One 12 year old daughter

L. Live: Troy, NY

M. Mom’s name: Alice

N. Nicknames: ‘Lady’, ‘Manda’, ‘Manderz’

O. Overnight hospital stays: Just for baby

P. Pet peeve: Driving really really slow

Q. Quote from a movie: Stupid is as Stupid does

R. Right or left handed: Right.

S. Siblings: 1 brother and 1 half brother & 1 half sister

T. Time you wake up: 6:45am

U. Underwear: Absolutely

V. Vegetables you dislike: I dont like beets at all. I pretty much like all veggies. Fruits are another story

W. What makes you run late: Hmmm, not getting up at 6:45am like I’m supposed to

X. X-Rays you’ve had: one too many

Y. Yummy food you make: Chocolate chip cookies

Z. Zoo – favorite animal: PENGUINS!!

13.1 NYC in Pictures

2011-04-14T10:16:00.001-04:00

Dinner the night before

Doesn’t everyone take a limo to the start of a half marathon?

Group photo! Let’s do this!!!

Me & Suzy waiting for the race to get started. It was cold.

And we’re off!

No time to talk..We’ve got a race to run! (Mile 4ish – maybe?)

Mile 11 – Ready to be done!

Love this picture. Running a 1/2 Marathon sometimes makes you frown

The most unflattering picture ever. I see the finish!

And I’m done 2:11:21

We DID IT!!!

13.1 NYC

2011-04-07T10:17:00.001-04:00

I did it! I PR’d!!!

My official time is 2:11:21. I took 5 minutes off my best time! I wanted 2:10 and according to my garmin I got it but the course ended up being long because of flooding which resulted running in the grass – yea lets not talk about that ha. I am so thrilled. I trained really hard and I was worried that getting strep a week before the race was going to ruin my chances of getting a PR.

Let’s not mention that I woke up on Thursday with pain in my Achilles! The pain persisted for 2 days. Saturday (race day) I had ZERO pain. I ran the entire race with ZERO pain. A few hours after the race – Achilles soreness returned. I haven't run since Saturday and I am still dealing with off and on soreness in my Achilles. I am freaking out. I want to run so bad and I cant. I’ve been reading up on Achilles issues and it can be and a very long recovery time.

Yesterday I had no soreness and I even contemplated going for a run. I was smart and decided to give myself another day of rest. I took my dog for a mile walk (in my running sneakers). This morning when I woke up the soreness was back and actually is worse then it has been. I am icing again and taking ibuprofen. I JUST WANT TO RUN.

Anyone have experience with Achilles injuries? I don't think it’s ruptured or torn (the pain isn't that severe). The pain is in the tendon – not in my heel.

I’ll be back in a few days with a better recap and some pictures! Head over to Felice &Suzy's blog to read their recaps!

Freaking Out!

2011-03-24T09:19:00.001-04:00

Of all things … I have strep throat. Again. 2nd time in 2 months.

The half marathon is in 9 days. I’ve run 3.5 miles this week and I have no clue when I’ll be able to run again. I was supposed to run 5 yesterday – didn't happen (hello 103 degree fever). I still feel like crud today – my entire body aches and I don't think it would be in my best interest to attempt a run.

Needless to say I’m freaking! I guess I will be extra rested? That’s a good thing –right?

It Was Meant To Be

2011-03-15T12:49:00.001-04:00

I am going to type and make believe that I haven’t been M.I.A. for another month. I doubt anyone is actually reading anymore. I read your blogs daily but I’m not much of a commenter – sucky I know.

Hmmm, where to start. I guess I will recap February. I ran 100 miles!! This is big news. The only other time I ran 100 miles in a month was during the summer when I was at peak training for the marathon. I’m not sure if I mentioned this before but I am training for 13.1 NYC on April 2nd. It will be my 6th half marathon and I am hoping for a PR (2:15 or better)! My usual training plans had me running 3x a week but I decided to kick my game up a notch and I’ve been running 4x a week! It was hard to fit in the extra day – especially in the middle of the suckiest winter ever but I did it. I borrowed Felice’s training plan – THANKS!

WINTER MARATHON 3 PERSON RELAY

I ran a 3 person marathon relay race in February. Last year Felice, Suzy & I ran and finished in 4:22:59. This year we finished in 4:06:40!! How is that for improvement. I ran the 11.2 mile leg again. I felt awesome despite the ridiculous wind. Here is my recap from dailymile:

Felice, Suzy & I ran the marathon relay for the 2nd year in a row. We finished in 4:06:40 and shaved 16 mins off of our time! My pace last year was 10:12. This year 10:09. I'll take it. The wind was brutal and my legs were tight the entire time.

9:44, 9:40, 9:51, 10:15, 10:05, 10:28, 10:18, 10:05, 11:01, 10:03, 10:26, 9:05 (.22)

A NEW DECADE

March started off with me turning the big 3-0!!! Eeeek. I’ve been dreading this birthday for years but it actually wasn’t that bad. I am in the best shape of my life. I was obese for most of my 20’s! I’m hoping for great things in the years to come :)

GREEN ISLAND 4 MILER

Last weekend I ran the Green Island 4 Miler. This is one of the few local races that I have never done before. My training plan called for 13 miles so I decided to run TO the race (4 miles). I proceeded to run 4 miles before the start of the race. So my legs had 8 miles on them by the time the race started. My friend (who is 6.5 months pregnant) and I talked about our strategy and we were going to take it ‘easy’. She wanted to finish under 45 mins and I just wanted to finish :)

I probably don’t have to tell you this but I don't really know how to take it ‘easy’. Especially during a race. Tami and I eventually decided we would just run. If we needed to stop or slow down at the end we would. I felt surprisingly good – I couldn't believe that I was running as fast as I was. Mile 3 I really got a surge and Tami told me to go ahead. I would glance at my watch and see 8:55 – that’s super fast for me! With 1/2 a mile to go I felt a tap on my shoulder and it was Tami!! She had caught up to me and finished ahead if me. I got a killer side stitch and I couldn't keep up. I am so impressed with her running abilities!

I finished the 4 miles in 37:15 (9:18 pace) which was a total of 12 miles. Tami and I finished another 1.22 miles. So in total I ran 13.22 miles in 2:11 which is a 9:54 pace. I felt on top of the world during and after this run. It was the confidence booster that I needed! I have hopes that I can PR come April 2nd.

Splits:

Mile 1 - 10:18
Mile 2 - 9:50
Mile 3 - 10:09
Mile 4 - 10:00
Mile 5 - 9:58
Mile 6 - 9:58
Mile 7 - 10:00
Mile 8 - 10:24

4 MILES OF THE RACE
Mile 9 - 9:24
Mile 10 - 9:30
Mile 11 - 9:02
Mile 12 - 9:13

Mile 13 - 10:49
Mile .22 - 11:23

Here is my “I am going to puke face”

WEIGHT LOSS UPDATE

In January I was up to 181 lbs (my WW goal is 169). I’ve been diligently following the Simply Filling Technique and I’ve lost 8 lbs! It’s been an interesting couple of months. I don't know why for weeks I was half-assing. I knew that I wasn't happy with the extra weight but I also didn't care. I was so comfortable and I would tell myself that I wasn't going to gain 100lbs back eating this or eating that. The reality is that if I would have stayed on the path I was on I could have easily put it all back on. Shit – I have lost 70 lbs before and gained it all back. I can 100% say that if it wasn't for running I would probably be in a bad place right now. I owe my life to running and I’m thankful I can run.

My mom is in the process of moving and came across some pictures that make me smile every time I look at them. I was about 6 years old in these pictures. I was obviously always meant to be a runner :) I love that my mom is running with me and I love that I finished the mile race in 9:38!

I am ALIVE!

2011-02-02T10:59:00.001-05:00

I’ve started to blog so many times in the last 2 weeks but I didn’t know where to start. I took some time off and then I was sick with the stomach flu & strep throat (a week apart!). Around the time that I was sick Yahoo picked up an article I was featured in about 8 Bloggers that used blogging for weight loss. I have received so many emails in response to the article and I wanted to tell everyone that emailed me to be patient – I am making my way through the emails. I will respond to you!! I am so sorry it has taken so long.

Here is a quick run down of my month:

January 1st I ran a Half Marathon with Suzy. It was so hard and the kick in the ass I needed. Despite having such a hard time we finished in 2:21. I am so thankful that Suzy stayed by my side the entire time.
The following week I ran the 3rd winter series race. It was a 10k and I ran with 2 friends that were part of Felice’s running group. One friend was having a difficult time and kept telling me to go ahead. The week earlier Suzy wouldn’t leave my side when I was having a touch time so I wasn’t leaving my friends side. We finished in 1:04 despite having a hard time!
I signed up to run the 13.1 NYC on April 2nd. Felice, Suzy and 2 (possibly 3) ladies from Felice’s running group are running it also! It’s going to be a blast. I can’t wait to run on my home turf!
I’ve mentioned putting on some weight. The beginning of January I was 181lbs! I’ve been following WW and tracking and as of last week I weighed in at 175 lbs. I really hope to get down to 165 this year. I plan to blog more about weight loss going forward.
I ran 80.9 miles in January!! November was 48 and December was 56 so I’m really excited to be back.

I’m sorry for being gone so long and I promise to post more often!

Here is something fun I decided to do – what do you think, Do I sound like a New YAWKA?!

My Accent Vlog

If you wanted to follow along, here is the list of words/questions for The Accent Vlog: Aunt, Route, Wash, Oil, Theater, Iron, Salmon, Caramel, Fire, Water, Sure, Data, Ruin, Crayon, Toilet, New Orleans, Pecan, Both, Again, Probably, Spitting image, Alabama, Lawyer, Coupon, Mayonnaise, Syrup, Pajamas, Caught

What is it called when you throw toilet paper on a house?
What is the bug that when you touch it, it curls into a ball?
What is the bubbly carbonated drink called?
What do you call gym shoes?
What do you say to address a group of people?
What do you call the kind of spider that has an oval-shaped
body and extremely long legs?
What do you call your grandparents?
What do you call the wheeled contraption in which you carry
groceries at the supermarket?
What do you call it when rain falls while the sun is shining?
What is the thing you change the TV channel with?

It’s been fun

2011-01-05T11:45:00.001-05:00

See ya 2010, it’s been fun but I’ve got a new year to conquer!

Looking back on 2010 I am exhausted. I did a lot! I had so many fantastic opportunities and accomplished so much. Here is a quick breakdown:

Lost 107 pounds and reached LIFETIME at weight watchers
On the cover of WW Weekly
Featured in my local newspaper!
Made a ton of new friends
Participated in 23 races (ran 22, volunteered at 1)
Ran 3 half marathons. PR’d at the Disney Princess
Ran a 3 person relay Marathon with 2 fantastic bloggers
Did the NY Ragnar Relay and had an amazing time
Won the Progresso Souper You contest & had a makeover!!
Started working for weight watchers
Reached a new 5k PR (28:23)
Came in 3rd place in my age group!
Mentored at the No Boundaries Program
RAN MY FIRST MARATHON!!

I ran 875.13 miles in 2010! My goal was 1000 miles for the year but I’ll gladly take 875. For reference I ran less then 600 miles in 2009.

I cannot wait to see what 2011 has to offer me!

Pssssssssssssssst

2010-12-29T15:31:00.001-05:00

I’m running a half marathon on Saturday. It’s called the Hangover Half. While I am certain I wont be hungover I have a feeling the race wont be pretty. The longest I have have run since the marathon is 9 miles. There is an option to run 3.5 miles but I figured I should start 2011 off big! My only goal is to finish but it would be nice to finish around 2:15 ::fingers crossed::

I wanted to thank everyone for the support on my last post. It’s comforting to see that I am not alone and my feelings are normal. It’s time to stop being comfortable and get my act together. The holidays are over and I have no more excuses.

I signed up for my 2nd Half Marathon for 2011 today. I didn't get into the NYC 1/2 Marathon so I decided to run through my home borough of Queens. On April 2nd I will be running 13.1 NYC through Flushing Meadows Park. Best part is that Suzy & Felice are both running the half. Along with several runners that were part of Felice’s running group – it is going to be so much fun!

I cannot believe that 2010 is coming to an end. This was a great year for me – filled with many firsts. I will have a 2010 recap up early next week. I am hopeful that 2011 will be even better.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Repeat after me

2010-12-22T10:51:00.001-05:00

It’s a HoliDAY not a HoliWEEK.

I’m pretty sure if you’ve been to a WeightWatchers meeting around the holidays you have heard this statement. It’s so true and such an easy concept but why is it so hard to follow?!

I’ve been on WeightWatchers since January 2008. I have successfully lost over 100lbs but I continue to struggle everyday. I have mentioned that the number on the scale has gone up and I just cannot get my act together.

I work for WW so I had the chance to get a sneak peak at the new PointsPlus program. I’ve been following it since Mid August and I absolutely adore it. I feel that it nudges people to make healthier choices. Not having to count points for fruit is genius! (Please remember everything in moderation – including fruit). But for some reason I tell myself everyday that today will be the day I get back on track 100% and something happens that throws me off track.

To be honest I am sick of worrying about what I put in my mouth. I am sick of weighing everything I eat. I am sick of tracking. I am sick of counting points. But most of all I am sick of being scared that I will gain all the weight back.

Not sure if I mentioned this before but approx 10 years ago I lost 70lbs on WW. The weight came off so quickly (7 months). The holidays came around, I stopped going to WW and I gained back all of the weight (plus some). I will not gain back the 100+ pounds I have lost. I won’t allow it.

Winter Series #1 and Albany Last Run 5k

2010-12-20T15:59:00.001-05:00

I’m sorry for the lack of posts. I don’t even know if anyone is reading my blog anymore! I am going to make blogging more of a priority in 2011.

My running club puts on a series of Winter races that are free for club members. I participated in all 5 last year and had a great time. There are 2 or 3 distances to choose from. The first race was held on 12/12. I woke up to freezing rain and ice covered roads. I thought about skipping the race but in the end I couldn’t stay away. I originally signed up for the 15k but dropped down to the 3 mile – better then nothing! I was nervous about slipping on the roads so I took it easy and focused on negative splits. I finished soaking wet in 29:07.

Mile 1 – 9:52
Mile 2 – 9:36
Mile 3 – 9:21

This past weekend I headed out to Albany to participate in the Last Run 5k. I wanted to do this race last year but it sold out. The race is held at night and runs through Washington Park which is decorated with Holiday Lights. Tami (my training partner) was going to try and help me get a PR. She is super speedy but stayed with me the entire race. The first mile goes up a hill and I spent a bunch of time & energy weaving around people. Once in the park there are a serious of rolling hills. I wasn't feeling that great come mile 2 and I kept telling Tami to go ahead but she wouldn't leave me – such a good friend. The last mile you pretty much get to run down the hill you ran up. I tried to push but my chest hurt so bad from sucking in the cold air. Once the finish line was in sight I sprinted and I thought I was going to tumble down the hill. I stopped my garmin and saw 28:24. My PR is 28:23!!! Sooooooo close. The official time is 28:29.

Mile 1 – 9:11
Mile 2 – 9:36
Mile 3 – 8:56
.10 – 0:39

Can someone explain the point of a race being ‘chip timed’ if there is only a mat at the end?! It really is pointless; no?

The Last Run 5k was my 35th race . 23 of those races were completed in 2010!! What will 2011 bring?

If you have a minute – check out this article posted on Woman’sDay which includes yours truly.

Jingle Bell Run 5k Recap

2010-12-10T10:12:00.001-05:00

Last Sunday my TB (training buddy) and I met up to run a local 5k. I have been dying for a new 5k PR (28:23) so my goal for this race was to come in at 28:22 or better. The race was held at a local park that I run often so I knew there weren't any real hills so a PR was possible.

The race starts and I get caught up with the excitement. My plan was to keep my TB in sight for as long as I could. I realized about a half mile in that I started the race too fast and there was no way I could sustain that pace for much longer. Mile 2 came and I felt like crap. I was pushing so hard and sucking in the cold air. I was hurting and I honestly thought about stopping!

Mile 2 is also when my IT Band decided to remind me that it’s been sore for a few weeks and I probably shouldn't have been racing. I made the decision to slow down. The last mile felt like an eternity. A little before the 3 mile mark my TB jumps out and helps me to cross the finish line strong. I crossed the finish line with a dry heave. I guess that means I left it all on the course but it wasn't enough for a PR…

Garmin time – 3.11 miles 28:36 Avg Pace 9:11/mi

Mile 1 – 8:51
Mile 2 – 9:18
Mile 3 – 9:35
Mile .11 – 0:52 (7:25!!!)

The official time is 28:57

I did not enjoy the race at all. I was so uncomfortable. I’ve realized that I would much rather run 13.1 miles then 3.1 miles any day.

Turkey Raffle 1 Hr Run Recap

2010-12-02T14:02:00.001-05:00

On November 21^st I met up with Suzy to run a very fun race! The race was called the Turkey Raffle run. Basically you run for 1 hour around a 1 mile loop. Every time you complete the mile you are handed a raffle ticket. At the end you put your tickets into a drawing for a bunch of fun prizes (mostly food and frozen turkeys).

It was a cold morning and I was surprised by the number of people that showed up for the race. This was the first year I heard of it! I love running with Suzy – we always have stuff to chat about. At one point I asked her if we could slow down and she said she was trying to keep up with me and I said I’ve been trying to keep up with you! HA.

We ended up running 5.3 miles in 53 minutes:

mile 1: 10:11/mi
mile 2: 9:45/mi
mile 3: 9:46/mi
mile 4: 10:45/mi
mile 5: 10:12/mi
mile .3: 3:14

I bet you are wondering what I won? Yup, that my friends is a box of donuts. Exactly what I need :)

November Stats & Turkey Trot Recap

2010-12-01T16:15:00.001-05:00

Total miles: 48
Average Pace: 9:55
Total miles for the year: 820

As you can see November was an easy month. I am a full month out from my very first marathon and I feel fantastic. I am still in shock at how well I recovered (knock on wood). I’ve been enjoying the lower mileage weeks but I definitely am feeling the itch to rack up the miles.

This past Saturday I ran my longest distance since the marathon. I headed out with my training partner. She is dealing with some IT Band issues and I’m still being ~~overly~~ cautious. Our original plan was to run 8 miles. From the very start I wasn’t feeling the run. It was cold and I felt like I was putting in so much effort and not going anywhere. About 2 miles in I decided I would be ok if we only ran 6 miles – better then nothing, right? Well, we ended up running 9 miles! The 2^nd half was run much faster then the first – YAY for negative splits. It ended up being a great run and I can’t wait to get back into double digits.

9.14 miles 1:37 (10:38 pace)

Splits: 10:53, 11:04, 10:34, 10:54, 10:30, 10:33, 10:50, 10:29, 10:01, 1:26

Thanksgiving morning I ran my third Turkey Trot 5k. This race is absolutely insane. There was something like 5000 people that ran the 5k. That is a lot of people for a local 5k! Going into the race my plan was to PR. I don’t know why I thought I could with a race of that size. Once the race started and I realized that there was really no where for me to go my goal to PR was crushed. My next goal was to run negative splits and beat last years time.

1^st Turkey Trot November 2008 – 39:02

2^nd Turkey Trot November 2009 – 29:57

3^rd Turkey Trot November 2010 – 29:25 (Splits: 9:59, 9:13, 8:53, 1:20)

I didn’t PR but I met both of my secondary goals so I was happy! I then proceeded to run a 2 mile cool-down.

1st 5k Anniversary!

2010-11-24T20:10:00.001-05:00

Tomorrow I will be running my local Turkey Trot for the 3rd time! The Turkey Trot was my first 5k. I finished in 39:02 and I was so incredibly proud of myself that day.

It’s hard to believe that since November 2008 I have run 29 races - numerous 5ks, a few 10ks, 4 half marathons, 2 relay races & a full marathon!!

I hope each and everyone of you have a wonderful thanksgiving!

Refocusing

2010-11-18T16:29:00.001-05:00

I realized that since reaching Lifetime at WW I have not not talked about my weight. I started this blog to document my weight loss and hopefully help others. My passion for running and training has completely taken over the blog. This is about to change. I need the focus to become about weight loss again because you see; I have put on a few pounds.

I reached lifetime May 2010. The very next week I found out that my hours were being cut at work. This lead me to become extremely emotional and I ate my feelings. By the time my June weigh in came around I was up 2 lbs. I worked hard to get things under control. I was doing great and then I started Marathon training in July.

Have you heard people say that when you train for a marathon it’s common to gain weight? I know this isn't true for everyone but it happened to me. There were 2 reasons why I feel I gained weight:

I was hungry. Running 18 miles burns a lot of calories and in return left me ravenous.
I justified some not so good choices with the fact that I had just run 18 miles.

In the beginning of my training program I was following the WW program and the number on the scale kept going up. I was so frustrated. I talked to my WW co-workers and got some suggestions but nothing seemed to work. I was up 7 lbs! How in the world was I gaining weight on a weekly basis when I was running 25+ miles a week?!

In August I was introduced to the new WW plan (sorry can’t give details just yet). I was beyond excited. I was hoping that the new plan was what I needed. I started following the new plan and while the scale didn't go down, it didn't go up either. I figured if I could get through the rest of the training without putting on anymore weight I would be happy.

The week before the marathon I didn't count points. I knew I had to fuel my body for 26.2 miles and I felt that restricting myself within my points would hurt me come race day. I may have taken the whole carb-loading thing overboard. I weighed myself 2 days before the marathon and I weighed 180 lbs! 11 LBS OVER MY GOAL WEIGHT.

It has been 18 days since the marathon and I’m happy to say that I weigh 174.2 lbs. I am just 5.2 lbs above my goal weight. My goal is to get down to 169 lbs by the beginning of the year. After that I would eventually like to lose an additional 20 lbs. I have lost 102.6 lbs what’s another 25.2!

I should mention that even when the number on the scale was up my pants fit better. When I saw my dad in October he commented that I looked so much thinner then when he saw me in July. Little did he know my weight was actually more!

Gone Running

2010-11-10T13:45:00.001-05:00

I am slowly making my way back into the running game. I took a full week off because of the pain in my foot. I was really concerned and started to think I seriously injured myself! Thankfully by Sunday morning my foot felt 100 percent better.

Of course I had to go for a run to test out the foot. I ran 2.78 miles and felt fantastic. I purposely left the garmin (hence why I ran such a strange distance) at home so I wouldn't worry about pace.. I made it a point to run slow and pay attention to my body. I ended up running a 9:55 average pace.

I ran again on Tuesday. I didn't have time after work so I went to the gym on my lunch break. I did 2.4 miles. My legs and foot felt great. It’s hard to believe I ran 26.2 miles 10 days ago! $

I decided to keep the doctors appointment with the podiatrist. There is obviously something going on with my foot that needs to get figured out. My appt is on 11/22 so I’ll keep you updated.

I entered the lottery for the NYC Marathon. I’ve mentioned before why the NYC marathon holds such a special place in my heart. I wanted it to be my first marathon but I’m glad I ran MCM first. If I don't get into the marathon through the lottery I am going to look into running for a charity or doing the 9 plus 1 program with the NYRRC. I have to run NYC in 2011!

October Recap & Marathon Pictures

2010-11-05T09:32:00.001-04:00

Total for the month: 114 miles
Average Pace – 11:01
Total for the Year – 772 miles

My goal was to run 1010 miles in 2010. I need to run 238 miles from now until December 31st. That’s an average of approx 29 miles a week. I barely ran that many miles a week when I was marathon training. Chances of me hitting 1010 are slim but I’m up for the challenge.

I wanted to take a minute to thank each and every one of you for your support and advice. I don’t think I could have gotten through the training & marathon without it. I’ve been a flaky person the past 2 months. My life and thoughts have been consumed with the marathon. I even forgot to buy my daughters birthday present and had to run out to the store the day before we left! I am looking forward to getting back to normal (whatever that is).

My left foot is still giving me grief. The pain is localized to the ball of my foot. There is a red bruise – look! Figure if we can talk about poop you won’t mind pictures of the bottom of my foot.

I made an appointment with a Podiatrist for Monday. Hopefully its nothing too serious. My legs feel GREAT and I am itching to go for a run (an easy one). Any thoughts about my foot?

I’m not sure if I mentioned this before but I love race photographers and I search for them when running. I like to get as many pictures taken of me and I make a point to pose for the paparazzi. With that being said there are a bunch of great pictures from the marathon and I cant decide if I should purchase them. To get all of the digital pictures it will cost me $84.95 – ouch! Thoughts? Did you buy pictures from your first marathon?

It’s PICTURE TIIIIIME

My dad & I leaving his house at 5:45am

My favorite picture. Crossing the finish line with tears rolling down my face

Love this picture too. Becky, me & my dad after the race.

Marine Corp Marathon Recap

2010-11-03T14:14:00.001-04:00

I did it. I ran a Marathon and it was hard. But you know what? It’s supposed to be hard.

I am having a hard time writing this recap. My mind was going in a million directions during the marathon. Sit back and grab some popcorn because this is going to be LONG.

My daughter and I arrived in Baltimore Friday morning. My dad picked us up and we headed straight to the expo. The Jon Stewart Rally was going on Saturday so we knew it would be absolute chaos trying to get into DC on Saturday. The expo was huge – much like the Disney Princess ½ Marathon but instead of Princesses there were Marines. I was a little disappointed in the shirt. It was a heavy black long sleeve crew neck cotton shirt. The logo was beautiful embroidered but it’s a men’s shirt and looks like it was designed for Marines ;) I decided before I got there that I was going to purchase something from the expo. Brooks was the sponsor and there were so many great items to choose from. I debated on a couple running tops but ended up buying a red brooks jacket. It cost me $80 but it’s beautiful! I can’t wait to run in it!

Saturday was spent relaxing. We watched a bunch of horror movies & I rested my legs. I ate the obligatory bowl of pasta (which I think I ate too late which resulted in my issues that you will read later on). Everyone told me that I would not be able to sleep the night before the marathon. Well, let me tell you I slept like a rock. I woke up at 4:30 and it was time to get ready! My dad drove me into crystal city and I hopped on the shuttle bus to take me to the runner’s village. The line for the shuttle was insane! It took me a full 35 minutes to get on a bus. I was surprisingly calm. Don’t get me wrong I was nervous but I never doubted my ability. I knew I was going to finish the marathon come hell or high water.

While I was online for the bus I was texting with my friend Becky. I met Becky 2 years ago on the WW message board. She has lost 120lbs and MCM was her 2^nd marathon. We had never met in person until Sunday morning! What a story – 2 people from opposite sides of the country, meet online, both have lost over 100lbs end up in DC to run 26.2 miles! Even with the 30,000 people around Becky and I were able to find each other. We jumped on the line for the bathroom and pretty much decided that we would run together. I felt such relief knowing that I was going to be with someone especially someone that has already run a marathon. After the bathrooms we headed to the start and lined up by the 5 hour marker. The cannons went off at 8am and nothing happened. It took us 24 minutes to get across the start. I was amazed with the number of people!

Finally it was time to run my first marathon!! Immediately something didn’t feel right. My IT Band on my right leg had shooting pain. I freaked out a little bit. We weren’t even half mile into the race and I was hurting. I kept on running and it finally loosened up around the 2^nd mile (thank god!). Many people describe MCM as a flat course. I’m not really sure if those people ran the same marathon as I did? Personally the hills didn’t bother me since I trained on them. The biggest hill was between mile 2 & 3. It went on for quite awhile. It certainly was a killer hill and I feel bad for those that don’t train on hills. The majority of the course is flat and the 2 big hills are in the beginning which I think is a good thing. I feel that I started way to fast. I told myself I was going to average 11:30-11:45 pace and all of my early miles are around 11:00-11:20. I guess the excitement plus running with someone else got the best of me.

There was another hill around mile 7. At this point I felt like I had to use the bathroom. I was unable to umm “go” before the race started and by “go” I mean poop (sorry if this is TMI but this is a story about running a marathon). Becky & I stopped right at the mile 7 marker to use the portapotty. There were about 10 portapotties and we waited what felt like an eternity. I get in the potty and nothing. I can’t go. 5 minutes earlier I felt like I was going to crap my pants. WTF! Nothing I can do but keep on running and hope I don’t crap on myself. We continued on and there was another hill around mile 8. I believe this was the hill that brought us into Georgetown. I became overwhelmed with emotions. The local running store had a huge sign that draped the building that read ‘Run like you stole your shoes’. There were so many people cheering, music was blasting and my eyes filled with tears.

I remember an awesome downhill shortly after Georgetown. We ran along the river for awhile and around mile 11 or 12 I felt the need to use the bathroom. There was an actual bathroom on the path and a good 15 people on line ahead of us. We stood there for awhile and found out there wasn’t any toilet paper. SERIOUSLY?! Luckily Becky had some tissue in her pocket. We waited approx 10 minutes to use the bathroom. I watched the 5:30 pace group pass by while we were in line and I felt really upset. This time I was able to go!! I never felt so happy to poop in my life. At this point the sun was out. The temperature was relatively cool; mid 50’s – low 60’s. I prefer low 50’s and no sun. The sun drains my energy and I knew that the sun was going to get to me. It was hard getting back into a groove after stopping so long at the stupid bathroom. Getting to the half marathon point felt like it was taking forever.

Half marathon done and another to go. Have I ever mentioned how much I love the half marathon distance? Things were going relatively smooth at this point. We even passed the 5:30 pace group! We got off the path by the river and headed to the mall. There were so many people cheering. I loved having my name on my shirt. Every time I heard my name it made me smile. I’ll be perfectly honest and say that I didn’t really take in the sights of DC. Yea I saw the white house, Lincoln memorial etc… but I was focusing on putting one foot in front of the next.

Here comes the most aggravating part of the race for me. Becky had to use the bathroom and we finally came up on 3 portapotties. Yes, THREE! As in 1, 2, 3. A race of 30,000 people and they actually put out only 3 portatpotties. It gets better. 1 porta-tpotty had a lock on it and 1 was FULL (yuck!). So we waited a good 10+ minutes in line for the bathroom. There was no way she could have made it to another bathroom so we had no choice but to wait. I feel that with the number of people doing this race there should have been a minimum of at least 10 portapotties at each section (if not more).

Around mile 18 my left foot really started to hurt. Remember the pain I mentioned on the ball of my foot when I was training? Yea, it came back with a vengeance. Every step was like I was being stabbed. Becky stopped to walk and it hurt more to walk so I told her I was going to keep jogging. Unfortunately we got separated. I felt horrible. I had no intentions of leaving her. The pain was so intense. I continued running because I knew I had to get to the bridge at mile 20. Before the race started I didn’t even think I would have an issue beating the bridge and here I was worrying. All because of the freaking lines at the bathrooms.

I finally reached the bridge and it felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. Running on the bridge sucked. There weren’t any spectators. Everyone around me looked like the life had been sucked out of them (including myself). I stopped to walk a few times. I kept telling myself that my dad has 2 artificial hips and he wishes he could be running so I need to deal with the pain and just run. When we exited the bridge I kept reminding myself only 5 more miles to go. Little did I know it would be the longest 5 miles of my life.

I wasn’t tired. My breathing was perfect. My legs felt good. My stupid foot was holding me back. If I tried to speed up the pain intensified. I was quickly falling apart and doubted that I would finish. All I wanted to do was sit down on the curb and cry. I was allowing myself to walk even though it hurt more. Then out of nowhere I felt a hand on my shoulder and it was BECKY!!! I broke down into tears and apologized for leaving her. She was like an angel sent to me at mile 23. She told me that she was hurting pretty bad and was doing a 1:1 and I joined right along. The last 3 miles were brutal. We ran as fast as we could for just 1 minute at a time. Finally mile 25 was in sight! We ran through where we started the race and I knew the finish was getting close.

I had been warned about the brutal incline at the finish. I said from day one that I would not walk up that hill. I don’t care how slow I had to go I was not going to stop and I didn’t! I rounded the corner and saw the finish line. I immediately felt a wave of emotions and started to cry. I was practically hyperventilating! I FINISHED MY FIRST MARATHON.

My official time is 5:47:11 (13:15 pace). My garmin time is 5:16 (I stopped it at every bathroom break). 30 freaking minutes wasted on line for the bathroom. I won’t lie – I was very disappointed. Now that a few days have passed and I’ve had time to think I am over the disappointed. How could I be disappointed that I ran 26.2 (actually 26.43) miles? 5:47 is just as good as 5:16. I know that I am capable of a 5:16 marathon and that is my goal for the next one. Yes, I said the next one :)

Garmin Splits:

1-11:16
2-11:15
3-11:04
4-10:44
5-11:38
6-11:01
7-11:41
8-11:36
9-11:17
10-12:01
11-11:45
12-11:24
13-11:11
14-11:54
15-11:26
16-12:03
17-12:41
18-11:38
19-12:18
20-11:50
21-12:31
22-13:37
23-12:18
24-13:51
25-13:16
26-12:58
.43-13:03

I AM A MARATHONER!!!

2010-11-01T22:34:00.000-04:00

A marathon finish is more than just something you earn; a marathon finisher is someone you become!

Just Breathe

2010-10-22T12:24:00.001-04:00

MCM is 9 days away (well, 8 days, 19 hours, 56 minutes).

It is getting harder and harder to remain calm. My thoughts are consumed with the marathon. I am doubting my training and hoping I did ‘enough’. I was supposed to run 6 miles on Tuesday and I ran 3. I was supposed to run 4.5 miles on Thursday and I ran 3. No excuse other then I didn't have the time (but I COULD have made time). My training plan calls for 8-10 miles this weekend. I am going to run a 10k with a new runner and my plan is to run 2 miles before the race and 2 miles after.

I’m also stressing about not having all the logistics planned. Destination racing is tricky. I wanted to get a hotel room near the start so I could roll out of bed and walk to the start. I procrastinated and every damn hotel in VA & DC is sold out or will cost a fortune. So, I am going to stay with my dad and take the METRO from Vienna, VA to the Pentagon station. Do I know anything about the Metro or these train stops – NOPE. I was born & raised in NYC so I should be able to figure out the metro, right?! I figure there will be 9850948539085 runners around and I will follow them. Let’s hope I follow someone doing the marathon & not the 10k! I have no idea what time I should arrive at the start – I think they are asking for runners to be there by 6am?!

How many times of me checking the weather would be considered obsessive and borderline crazy? I think I’m walking a thin line. I have no idea what I am wearing race day. Well, I have a clue; I know I will be wearing:

Pink Compression calf sleeves
Black knee length shorts (same pair of shorts I have run EVERY race in!)

I wanted to get a custom shirt but again I procrastinated. Is it possible to iron on dri fit material? I definitely need my name on my shirt.

Should I carry my own water? I trained with my hand held and I have no problem running with it. In fact I like to run with it b/c I hate getting caught up in the congestion of water stops. But on the other hand my water bottle will only last until about mile 10 and then I will need to refill it which I feel may be a pain in the ass. A part of me would love to have my hands free but I’m scared that I will need something to drink and the water stop will be 2 miles away.I think the water stops are approx every 2-3 miles. I am planning on bringing Clif Shot Bloks for fuel and eating 1 every 2 miles. Then there is the issue of where am I going to store said Shot Bloks and my cell phone. I have a spi-belt that I ran every long run with and it chaffed me so bad every time.

Next, my garmin has been acting funky and my worst fear is that it doesn't work race day. I am going to test it out tomorrow at the 10k. If its still not acting right I am going to purchase a new one. The one I have is refurbished and I bought it off of ebay so I have no warranty information etc…

I cant even get into pace and when I want to finish right now! I get so nervous thinking about it. I’ll be back early next week to discuss my goals.

Lastly- I need music suggestions! Also, any suggestions for first time marathoners is welcome!

Progresso Souper You Photos

2010-10-21T09:26:00.001-04:00

Some of you may remember me winning the Progresso Souper You contest back in May. For those new to my blog; I was voted one of the winners and received a makeover in NYC. I was put up in a beautiful hotel, had my hair & makeup done and $1000 for shopping. It was such an amazing experience and I am so grateful for everyone that voted for me! I just received a copy of the pictures and I wanted to share with you! Please keep in mind that I never ever ever wear makeup and it was probably 4 years since I cut my hair so the ‘AFTER’ was a bit of a shock to me!

My daughter & I. So happy that she was able to share this experience with me!

BEFORE of the 3 winners

BIG BIG THANKS to General Mills for allowing me this experience. It’s truly something that I will never forget.

Just a 1/2 Marathon …

2010-10-18T11:41:00.001-04:00

Can you believe those words came out of my mouth this weekend? Weeks ago 13.1 miles was the longest I’ve ever ran and on Saturday it was my last long run before the marathon! It’s crazy how your perspective on a distance changes as you log longer miles. Don’t get me wrong – running “just a 1/2 marathon” is not easy. I truly respect the distance – in fact I think I love 13.1 miles.

You don’t understand how good it felt sleeping until 7:40 on a Saturday!! I’ve been getting up at 5am since training started and its really the part that I hated most about training. Weather.com said the rain would stop by 10am so I arranged to meet with my training buddy at 9am (I should mention there was no rain when I woke up). Before I left, my mother (she was visiting for the weekend) asked me how many miles I had to do and I answered; “just a half marathon today”.

My training buddy ran a marathon last weekend. She said she felt good enough to run all 13 but after 8 miles her legs were screaming at her to stop. I didn't want her to get injured so I told her I would finish the 5 on my own. I think running the last 5.3 miles on my own was good for me. I was thinking about the marathon & my training. I reflected on how 16 weeks prior my longest distance was a half marathon. I ended up running much faster then planned – my last mile clocked in at 9:56!

TOTAL: 13.35 miles in 2:23 (10:45/pace)

So here I am in the middle of tapering and all I can think about is the marathon. I still have 13 more days to obsess. I really think I may drive myself crazy!

The feared 20 Miler – WEEK 15

2010-10-11T12:23:00.001-04:00

Saturday was every first time marathoners scariest moment (besides marathon morning). I woke up wondering how in the world was I going to run 20 miles. Was I ready? Did I fuel properly the days leading? Was I hydrated? Will my calves cramp? Since my training partner was running her marathon the following day I ran with a friend that is training for Philly. It helps so much knowing you have someone waiting for you. There’s no way I could not show up!

I ate a piece of bread with PB and half a Pumpkin Spice Cliff bar. For some strange reason I wasn’t hungry and couldn't eat. My stomach felt off. I watched the sun come up and the sky was a beautiful pink. I wish I took a picture. Around 7:15 we were off. I told my friend that I wanted to run at 11:30 pace. Sound familiar? I said the same thing on the 18 miler 2 weeks ago. Let’s just say we ran 13 miles at 11:15/pace. I tried to slow down but it’s hard when running with someone else.

We ran out 7 and turned around. At mile 14 we stopped at our cars to refuel and use the bathroom. Deja vu? Did the same thing 2 weeks ago and had a hard time getting back into a groove. Why did I think this week would be any different? I had to stop though. I was out of water & needed the bathroom. I switched to Fruit Punch Powerade (MCM drink of choice – boo). Less then 5 minutes later we were off again. All we had to do was run 3 miles and turn around.

It seems that Mile 15 is when I really start to slow down. Surprisingly I felt pretty good. I wore my calf compression sleeves and I had ZERO calf cramping – PRAISE THE LORD. My legs just didn't want to move. At one point I thought I was going fast and I looked at my garmin and my pace was 11:55 – ha. I focused on putting one foot in front of the next. I decided to run for .90 and walk for .10.

At some point my garmin started acting strange. At mile 19 it didn't show my split time and then at 19.47 it beeped for Lap 20 and showed me my split time?! At this point I wanted the run to be over so I picked up the pace and saw 10:00 on my garmin! I finished 20 miles with a smile on my face and feeling good. My feet hurt but that’s to be expected when you run for almost 4 hours! I didn't have any sharp pains, I wasn't light headed, my stomach felt good – I say I finished 20 miles the right way!

Splits (which seem to be a little off but who cares):

11:10
11:09
10:58
11:09
11:26
11:13
10:50
11:45
11:09
11:22
12:34
11:26
11:36
11:55
12:37
12:53
13:42
12:24
12:53
12:12
Total: 3 hours 55 minutes Pace: 11:45

I got home around 12:30 and spent most of the day on the couch relaxing with my legs up. I went to bed early b/c I had to be up bright and early the following day for the local marathon & half marathon. What the hell was I thinking?! My alarm went off at 7am and I just wanted to sleep. But there was no way I was missing my training partners first marathon. Cheering for a marathon a few weeks before your own is so invigorating!!! I am pumped for MCM.

I was on my feet for 8 hours AND I ran with my training partner a little and my legs felt great. I couldn't walk for days after I ran 16 & 18 miles. Must mean I am doing something right with my training? I am running 13 miles this weekend and I plan to run it alone. I feel its necessary to run another long run alone and I want to reflect on my training.

19 DAYS AND COUNTING

PS – My training partner rocked the marathon. She finished in 4:35!