Losing It!

Back in the Saddle...Again

noreply@blogger.com (Deanne) — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 01:05:00 +0000

A few months back I decided to have all my posts on this blog bound (thank you Blog2Print!) and call it done.

Let's face it, I hadn't written since February 2014, a lot of the weight I had lost had been "found", and my last effort at a triathlon had been an abysmal DNF. Not only was it a Did Not Finish but it was almost a Didn't Even Start.

A DNF is still trumped by a DNS.

In the months since that November morning when I allowed a big, fat, bloated, DEAD alligator gar to turn my triathlon into a duathlon, which later ceased at a 26 mile bike ride, I have done some soul searching.

Training for these events takes time. Time, effort, dedication, desire.

I wasn't ready that day. I wasn't even close to being ready. Billy told me so. A good coach is supportive, and honest. I had used every excuse in the book to not put in the time I needed. I arrogantly believed I could rest on the work I had put in and complete a half Ironman distance, 70.3 miles, triathlon.

So, I hit the reset button.

I could stop training and find something else to fill my time, or I could start back over. Fortunately for me, busy season was just around the corner so I had some time to think about it. I had finished my weekend of running for the inaugural Natchez Half (three races in two days - 1 mile fun run, 5K, and half marathon) and had no future events scheduled. If I never competed in anything again, who would know?

Me, that's who.

Part of bring a Type A personality is finishing what you start.

But I was still hesitant.

In March I rode in our annual Belles on Bikes event. I only did the 16 mile route but I did it without training. And I realized how much I missed riding.

I missed the beauty of the Natchez Trace, the peace, the tranquility, the wonders of God's creation. Just me and my bike, rolling through the countryside. I truly wanted to get back out there and ride; ride like the wind.

The very first triathlon I ever did was Rocketchix. (You can read about it here http://deanneislosingit.blogspot.com/2013/11/youll-never-know-until-you-tri.html
I enjoy all the events sponsored by the RFK Foundation, and wanted to support them in a venue change this year. LSU couldn't accommodate the race and I wanted to be a part of it in the new location.

Even if it meant breaking my personal vow to never compete in an open water swim again.

So, I signed up, and training began this weekend. It is a Sprint distance - 300 m swim, 12 mile ride, 2 mile run. Race Day - July 29.

Not trying to please anyone other than myself. Not trying to prove anything. Still trying to achieve the perfect balance between work, life and training. If my only mission in life was to prove to myself that I actually could complete a triathlon I could have stopped trying years ago after I crossed that finish line.

But something inside was left undone. Triathlons can be an addictive sport. I don't know how far I'll go; how much I'll push myself. I know I will stop one day, but it will be on my own terms. Not because a dead fish got into my head.

Moving the Bar

noreply@blogger.com (Deanne) — Sun, 23 Feb 2014 21:19:00 +0000

Today, I thought of Daddy.

I have two major biking events planned this year. Belles on Bikes on May 3 and the Big Dam Bridge 100 on September 27. Last year was the first time I did the Belles on Bikes and I rode 16 miles. I did 50 miles in last year's Big Dam Bridge 100. This year I want to do the maximums in both - 62 and 100 miles, respectively.

So, this morning I strike out to train. Last Sunday I did an easy 9 miles to try and get back into the groove, as they say. I drive out the Natchez Trace and get started . Round about mile marker 6, I started an internal dialogue with myself . "How far did I want to go today? 20 miles seemed good, but that would be double last week. Would I pay for that later in the week? Maybe, but I feel good right now. No, 20 is too far."

I finally decided to turn around at the 8 mile marker. That was a good spot. I would give me 16 miles on the day. Not quite double last week, but a good push. And then I started thinking about next week, and the next. I could go from 16 miles to 22, then to 30. Push to 35 and then 42. Working up the 62 since I felt like I had plenty of time to do it. In my brain I said, "just gotta keep moving that bar."

Out of nowhere, literally, I had a very vivid visual memory of swimming in the "big pool" towards Daddy. And him stepping back. He wouldn't wait until you'd almost reach him, he'd start easing back after you started towards him. I remember reaching him and sputtering "You moved! You aren't supposed to move! I want to do it again and DON'T MOVE this time!"

And of course, he did. Never much. Only a step or two. "See how far you've come! You can do it!"

"But, Daddy, I don't want you to move!"

While pushing me, he also allowed me to push myself. Because I don't remember quitting. Maybe I did, but I don't remember ever getting out of the pool and stomping off with a "if you aren't going to play right then I'm not going to play!" kind of attitude. I just kept swimming out to him.

I know when you're a child, you don't really understand words like faith and trust but you know your daddy isn't going to stand there and let you drown just because you couldn't put in two more strokes. He's going to scoop you up and hold you until you catch your breath, take a step or two up, and send you back on your way to the steps.

Today, I was mentally moving my own bar. Not intimidated by 62 miles, or 100 miles, but figuring out a plan of how to get there. My plan. My terms.

Moving that bar.

I actually think of Daddy pretty much every day, but rarely do I see him they way I did this morning. I could see the water in my line of sight and Daddy's big chest as the target. I like to think that was his way of getting on my bandwagon and showing me that I can do. I will do it. May end up in the Baptist Hospital mobile unit again in September like I did after the 50, but I will reach my targets.

And set more goals. And move more bars.

You'll Never Know Until You "Tri"!

noreply@blogger.com (Deanne) — Fri, 29 Nov 2013 22:46:00 +0000

July 27, 2013.

A day that will live on in my personal infamy.

The alarm "brinngggeedd" at 3 AM. Who sets an alarm for 3 AM on a Saturday morning?

I did. I had an almost 2 hour drive to my first triathlon, and it started at 7, packet pickup and transition closed at 6:45. We needed to be on the road by 4. Fortunately, "getting ready" only involved pulling on a swimsuit, shorts, a ballcap and brushing my teeth.

We hit the door at 4:12 for the drive to Baton Rouge in a slight drizzly rain. I silently whispered for the whole 90+ miles that is would stop. I don't do "wet" well. At all.

5:50 AM and the parking lot at LSU's Natatorium was filling. Prior to signing up for this triathlon I had never even heard the term "natatorium". Ladies everywhere.

I just stood there for a minute. I honestly had no idea where to start. Billy asks what he can do to help. No answer from me. I watched and saw others dressed as I headed up to the registration tables. Some pushing bikes and carrying gear, others not. So I asked him to just get my bike out and put together while I went to get the lay of the land.

As luck would have it, my number (personalized bibs, mind you) had been inadvertently passed out the day before during the early packet pick up. But they felt certain that it would be returned as it had my name on it. In the meantime, I could get set up in transition and just check back later.

I headed back to the car. It seemed so far away. Billy had "Bella", as I named my bike, up and ready to go. Riley was quietly sleeping in the backseat. The rain seemed to trying to hold off, just misty. I gathered my "tri bag" and we started walking toward the transition area. Again, I had no idea what to expect when I got there. I found a friend from Natchez who had been here before and she gave me direction. I got my ankle cuff with the timing device. I got marked with my number on my arms and legs. I found the bike rack assigned to my number. Staked a claim on what I thought was a good spot. Another friend that is a triathlete (and an Ironwoman now!) had been giving me tips, both in response to my direct questions and through her Facebook postings, so I spread my towel under Bella and started laying out my equipment, in the order I would need it.

I thought it looked good. Time to go see about getting my bib and numbers. Billy would head back to the car with the bag and check on Riley. No number yet.

I walked to the pool (natatorium - indoor pool), stomach tightening. I probably had not been this quiet in a long time. I was just trying to take it all in. Ladies were swimming laps. I wanted to, but I was more concerned with my numbers. Registration was getting close to closing.

They gave me handwritten numbers and the rain was washing them off. Billy and I ran to transition to put the numbers on my bike and helmet, as required. Transition was closing. The lady with the microphone kept saying that "all participants should be out of transition unless the transition coordinator knew why". We were the only two there so there was no question as to whom the comments were directed. It was hard to pull the backing off the adhesive numbers with shacking hands. My nerves were now full blown. But we did it. As we were running out of the area one of the registrars came to us with my packet. There was no time to pin on the bib but she agreed to change out the bike tag. There was nothing left of the numbers they had written so it was important from an identification standpoint.

I headed to the group of participants to hear the instructions. They were starting to stretch and warm up. Billy just looked at me. Where was he to go? How did he get there? What did I need him to do? I showed him how to get inside the natatorium and explained how I believed the flow of the event would unfold. He was videotaping this moment in time and didn't want to miss anything.

I stood there as they explained the swim seeding. We would seed ourselves based on how quickly we could swim the distance. I saw them hold up a sign for 6 minutes. To my great amazement, ladies actually started heading that way and lining up. Who swims 350 meters in 6 minutes or less?? First group went in. I found my voice and started talking to some of others who, like me, seemed to swim at a more leisurely pace, shall we say.

Groups continued to go in. 7 minutes. 8 minutes.

The first athlete comes running out of the natatorium and into transition. We all cheered. My stomach tightened some more.

What in the world was I doing here!?!

They finally got to my time - the last and final group. We made our way inside. I simultaneously scanned the bleachers for Billy and the water for all the other participants. I needed to see how this was going to work. I had been thinking that I would swim as I had trained - all up and back in one lane - but it wasn't. We swam up one lane and then back down in the adjacent one. Zig zagging our way across seven lanes until we reached the exit ladder. Swimmers only starting seconds apart so there were multiple swimmers in each lane. Looked crowded to me.

I spotted Billy. Video camera trained right on me. Big smile on his face. Waving to me. Some quieting inside as I knew he was there. I get closer to the front.

I hear the instructions. Goggles on. Getting closer. "You're next. Ready?"

No, but here I go!

I slide in the water and find my way. I start out pretty well in the freestyle, until I get to the crowd. I decide the breaststroke is going to be my friend at this point. I can keep my head above water, see better and adjust quicker for other swimmers. At the end of the first lane I realize I am not going to like going under the ropes to the next lane but it is what it is, so I do it. Down the next one. Under again. Back up.

I'm doing it!

I pass a couple of ladies. For some reason that makes me feel a little better. Not that I want to "beat" anyone, but that I'm staying within myself, doing what I had trained to do and focusing only on me and my swim.

I reach the final lane. I see Billy right there. He follows me all the way up the side. I want to smile I'm so happy but I have to focus on swimming. There are two young men at the ladder to help everyone out. They grab my arms and I'm off!

The floor is slick and the mat isn't much better but I'm out of the building and headed into transition. I had left a towel hanging on the fence and I grab it as I run by. The transition area is freshly cut grass on wet feet and I hate that. I'm trying not to obsess about getting my feet clean before shoving them in my socks. Shoes on. Jersey on. Helmet on. Bike off the rack.

Off I go!

The ride had to be the longest 12 miles of my life. It felt as if we were riding into the wind in both directions. I pedaled and pedaled and pedaled. Riders headed back in tossed out words of encouragement. "you're almost there! gets easier on this side! keep up the good work! you can do it!"

I made it a point to do the same when I had made the turn and was headed in.

Then the rain started. And it was hard.

But I pedaled, and pedaled. Finally, I can see the turn back towards the main LSU campus. The policeman directing traffic shouts encouragement. I turn. Headed back to the main road. Pedaling. Looking for Billy. I see him. Standing in the rain, watching for me. (Side note, he told me later that one lady yelled out to him that he was the best husband EVER for standing out there in the rain. I agreed wholeheartedly). He turned for a minute and almost missed me, but the video does show me riding in front of him and then off to the dismount line.

I try to follow the directions but one thing I don't do well is dismount off the bike. But that is another story for another day. I do manage to get off the bike in the proper area and head back into transition for the final leg.

Being a novice in all areas, I don't have special biking shoes - no clips or cages for this gal! So all really had to do is rack my bike and change the helmet to a ballcap and I was off. Slowly.

Yes, I did walk a little during the run. As my friend the Ironwoman as said, no shame in my game. I walk very quickly. My time ended up being almost the same as if I'd run the entire 2 miles.

I am, however, determined to RUN across that finish line. I told myself that. I would swim the whole thing, bike the distance and run across the finish line - even if that was the only time I actually ran.

And I did.

As I came around the corner and headed across the parking lot, I could see the finish line. That big, beautiful finish line.

And there came the emotions.

I willed myself to keep them in check, if only for a few more minutes. I was afraid I'd fall if I allowed my eyes to fill with tears. I can see Billy off to the side. Running with the camera.

And then I hear my name. Deanne Tanksley of Natchez, Mississippi. I had done it.

My first triathlon, completed.

And then the tears fell.

Again, no shame. Only pride. Pride like I'd not known before. Billy "interviewed" me and I came out of the finish area. There were no words I could get out.

We had to wait until a specific time before we could go back into the transition area and retrieve our belongings so we walked around. Eating my snack. Waiting on times to be posted. And then the announcement came.

Coming across the field toward the finish line was the physically challenged participant. There was absolutely nothing handicapped about this young woman. I had seen her in the bike portion, and again during the run. Her teammate was nothing short of extraordinary either. There behind her the whole way. Amazing. The music played Alicia Keyes' "This Girl is On Fire!" as she (they) crossed the line and the crowd roared. More tears. She'd been in a car accident the previous year and was told she wouldn't be able to walk. But that didn't stop her from participating in a triathlon. Her specially-designed wheelchair gave her all the freedom she needed to get it done.

The sponsoring organization for this triathlon is the RocketKidz Foundation. We participants - Rocketchix. This event is for ladies only - all shapes, sizes, ages and abilities. On that day, we are all triathletes.

We are Rocketchix.

(Official time: Swim 13:16 T1 4:39 Bike 1:09:55 T2 1:48 Run 26:56. Finished 32 in my class, 280 overall.)

What Will 47 Bring?

noreply@blogger.com (Deanne) — Mon, 20 May 2013 01:53:00 +0000

This time last year I was basking in the knowledge that I had done something new and challenging that day. I had run a 5K. I had run the whole way. I had finished, and not in last place. That day, I opened doors of which I was, and still am in a sense, totally unaware. I was pumped up and not long after laid out that I would also run a half marathon in October 2012.

OK, that part didn't happen. I managed to find any number of excuses - too hot, too humid, etc. But I did run 3 more 5K races before the new year. Each time I bettered myself and tried harder than before. I almost reached my goal time of finishing in 30 minutes.

Then winter set in. Billy bought me a treadmill so I could keep running and not have to do it in the cold and dark. Busy season - long hours and it was tough to even stay awake night, much less train with any regularity, but I kept trying to do what I could do.

So, let me tell you about my April, 2012. I went through one of those opened doors. I decided in March to participate in our local Belles on Bikes event. Cycling. Hadn't done that in a long time, other than just to work and back, or to pick up the newspaper on Sunday mornings. The event had four distances - 16, 30, 52 and 60 miles. I only did the 16 miles, but I was so proud of myself! I was only able to train on Sundays since we were still working weekends and I pushed myself and finished with a very respectable time.

Two weeks later, I ran another 5K. First of the season. I posted a decent time. Not my best, but not bad considering the timing.

So, thinking I had two legs of a triathlon, I decided to try one of those. Now, having learned my lesson last year of speaking with no follow up, I know I have to pay my registration and make it real. Not just a dream. If I pay for something, I will do it. Don't want to look back next year and see that I had, once again, tossed out a declarative without giving it a whirl.

So, July 27, LSU campus, women only. Swim 350 meters, bike 12 miles and then run 2. The only fly in my ointment right now is finding a training place to swim, but I'm working on it.

Also in the works, December 12, half marathon, Jackson. I usually work in Jackson that week so maybe all I have to do is spend one more night to make that one happen. Still looking for one that is sooner, just to keep to pushing myself.

Now, my really good news from all of this is my cholesterol finally dropped below 200 - without medication. I had tried it for a while but stopped taking it. My last test showed 194. I was pretty darn proud of that number, too!

So, ready to step through two doors this year. Pushing myself and trying new things. Who knows what else is out there? I just know I need to get these things off my list before I hit 50.

December

noreply@blogger.com (Deanne) — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 02:48:00 +0000

Day One: Ran 35 minutes. Covered 3.1 miles.
Day Two: Cleaned house - about an hour and a half
Day Three: Recovery day
Day Four: Nothing - Chamber After Hours function after work
Day Five: Nothing
Day Six: Nothing - Company Christmas party after work
Day Seven: Nothing
Day Eight: Ran 43 minutes and covered 3.71 miles.
Day Nine: Cleaned house for an hour
Day Ten: Ran 35 minutes - VERY obvious I haven't exercised in a week! Ran on a treadmill and didn't track how far I ran.
Day Eleven: Recovery day.
Day Twelve: Ran 35 minutes on the treadmill - noted 3.1 miles.
Day Thirteen: 32 minutes on an elliptical trainer. THAT is a workout!
Day Fourteen: Nothing. After being in hotels all week and driving 4 hours from Alabama to home I was beat.
Day Fifteen: RACE DAY! Ran 32 minutes and covered 3.12 miles! PERSONAL BEST!!
Day Sixteen: Nothing
Day Seventeen: Nothing. I rarely run on Mondays.
Day Eighteen: Ran 31 minutes. Not a good night at all. Only covered 2.55 miles.
Day Nineteen: Nothing - working an hour and half away from Natchez. Driving back and forth every day.
Day Twenty: Nothing. Still have the hour and half commute.
Day Twenty-one: Nothing. Friday night and packing for the holiday!
Day Twenty-two: Rode my bike 32 minutes - covered a 3.76 miles.
Day Twenty-three: Nothing. VERY full day of visiting family and friends!
Day Twenty-four: Walked 40 minutes.
Day Twenty-five: MERRY CHRISTMAS! IT SNOWED 12 INCHES! But the weather was really miserable all day.
Day Twenty-six: Nothing. Enjoyed the snow from the inside.
Day Twenty-seven: Nothing. Took 8 hours and two tow trucks to get back to Natchez.
Day Twenty-eight: Nothing. Just glad to be home.
Day Twenty-nine: Ran 43 minutes. FELT GREAT! Covered only 3.51 miles but I enjoyed the feel of being outside again.
Day Thirty: Rode my bike for 34 minutes. Covered 4.31 miles.
Day Thirty-one: Nothing. Started getting a cold yesterday. Was miserable all day. Came home from work and crawled in bed.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I have to say, 2012 was one of my most proud years. I did something I never thought I could do - and then I did it 4 times! I RAN a 5k. RAN one! And each time I ran, except for the one with the busted knee, I ran it about 3 minutes faster than the previous one. I could not be more proud. This is almost as good as when the scales at HealthQuest hit the 50 pounds lost mark. It just goes to show you CAN do anything you set your mind, and your heart, to. ANYTHING. Next on my list - moving up to at least a 10k this year. I really think I can do it. I ran 4 miles twice in November and I think I can build back up to that and then past it. I'd like to aim for a half marathon but I did learn this year that I have to go slowly. I'm not a spring chicken anymore and it just takes me a little longer to progress than someone half my age but I do progress.

My heart will thank me for it.

May your 2013 be your best ever!

Day Thirty-one: Home, in the bed, with a cold. Happy New Year!

November

noreply@blogger.com (Deanne) — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 15:20:00 +0000

Day One: Knee getting better, walked around downtown.
Day Two: nothing.
Day Three: Walked 35 minutes.
Day Four: Walked 67 minutes. Cleaned the house for about an hour. It counts!
Day Five: Recovery day. Also, got my knee X-rayed - doctor says it could be cracked.
Day Six: Doctor said yesterday I wasn't ready to be working out yet.
Day Seven: nothing.
Day Eight: Still waiting on X-ray results.
Day Nine: Still waiting.
Day Ten: 5K fundraiser race for the Ellis Malone Foundation. I wasn't supposed to run it, but I couldn't help myself and ran part of it. It felt so good to run! I did the run/walk in about 38 minutes - within a minute of my first run.
Day Eleven: Worked out in the yard and cleaned house.
Day Twelve: recovery day, Billy out of town and running is hard when he's gone. Fixed food for a friend's party tomorrow night and had a board meeting.
Day Thirteen: nothing - Billy came home today.
Day Fourteen: nothing. Had to prepare for another board meeting tomorrow night.
Day Fifteen: Had one board meeting, a Chamber After Hours and a SW Chapter of the MSCPA meeting. There was really no time for exercise - unless you count running from event to event!
Day Sixteen: Friday night - family night.
Day Seventeen: Ran with Doozer, 47 minutes. We're trying to get to 4 miles!
Day Eighteen: Walked to get the Sunday newspaper, took about 40 minutes. Knee still doesn't bend right for riding the bike. Then Dooze and I went out for 55 minutes. We hit 4 miles, but we couldn't run the whole thing. I wasn't dress correctly and we left at the height of the afternoon instead of waiting for it to cool off a little bit.
Day Nineteen: recovery day. Two runs over the weekend was a lot for me.
Day Twenty: missed it - had a long annual meeting and then I had to take care of something after the fact.
Day Twenty-one: getting ready for Thanksgiving!
Day Twenty-two: Ran/walked for 51 minutes with Doozer.
Day Twenty-three: Worked out in the yard with Billy
Day Twenty-four: 39 minute run - closing in on 4 miles!
Day Twenty-five: Rode my bike to pick up the newspaper, worked out in the yard with Billy
Day Twenty-six: recovery day
Day Twenty-seven: missed it - very cold and wet and rainy outside.
Day Twenty-eight: I DID IT! Doozer and I hit the 4 mile mark without stopping or walking!
Day Twenty-nine: REPEAT PERFORMANCE! Hit 4 miles again, a little slower tonight, but it counts!
Day Thirty: family night at home.

Love, love, love that I have gotten over one of my humps! I didn't think I would EVER break the 4 mile mark. Now that I have, I'm convinced I can do anything!

October

noreply@blogger.com (Deanne) — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 13:24:00 +0000

Day One: nothing. Mondays are my recovery days.
Day Two: missed it.
Day Three: missed it. 11 hour car trip to Jonesborough, Tennessee. Not much time or energy left.
Day Four: Took Riley on a walk in Persimmon Ridge Park. Beautiful day to be outside!
Day Five: Storytelling festival - walking around the grounds all day.
Day Six: Storytelling festival - walking around the grounds all day.
Day Seven: Last day at the Storytelling Festival. Cold, wet and rainy. Spent most of the time in one tent.
Day Eight: 11 hour car trip back to Natchez.
Day Nine: Recovery day.
Day Ten: Missed it. Billy left town and there was too much to take care of.
Day Eleven: All my time spent holding down the fort.
Day Twelve: Ran 38 minutes.
Day Thirteen: Ran 46 minutes.
Day Fourteen: Cleaned the house (it counts!) and rode my bike to pick up the Sunday newspaper.
Day Fifteen: Recovery day.
Day Sixteen: Ran 50 minutes.
Day Seventeen: Night off.
Day Eighteen: Ran 45 minutes. Almost race day!
Day Nineteen: Billy's birthday! We went out to eat and I got ready for tomorrow.
Day Twenty: Race Day! 3.1 miles in 35 minutes!
Day Twenty-one: Walked for 20 minutes. I forgot to be somewhere and Billy dropped me off when we remembered and I had to walk home.
Day Twenty-two: Drove back to Natchez from Monroe and attended board meeting. No time to run.
Day Twenty-three: Ran 41 minutes on the hotel treadmill.
Day Twenty-four: Missed it. Working out of town and we worked later.
Day Twenty-five: Ran 30 minutes on the hotel treadmill.
Day Twenty-six: Nothing tonight. Just got home after being gone all week.
Day Twenty-seven: Chili cook-off and board function. Got some walking in between activities.
Day Twenty-eight: Face plant on the sidewalk after running, hard, for 25 minutes. In pain and so disappointed.
Day Twenty-nine: Nothing. Knee still doesn't bend and is swollen considerably.
Day Thirty: Nothing. Knee still swollen.
Day Thirty-one: Nothing. Can maneuver some upstairs, but still not downstairs.

Injuries are the pits! But you have to take them seriously or you'll end up doing more damage, possibly permanently.

35:24

noreply@blogger.com (Deanne) — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 00:47:00 +0000

Two of over 4,300 pairs of feet ready to run in Alexandria, Louisiana on October 20, 2012.

My friend, Kathy, and I left Natchez at 5:30 in the morning to make the 2 hour drive. Opening ceremonies were at 7:30. It was dark and it was COLD!

But what a celebration we found when we got there!

The streets were packed with people! Walkers, runners, all colors, shapes and sizes! And all there for one purpose. To shed light and support on breast cancer research.

We "Zumba'd" in the middle of the street to warm up.

We stretched and walked and paced.

We cheered as the promoters pumped up the crowd.

And then we lined up.

The "competitive" runners got to get in the front. We will be competitive runners next year. And we wiggled in not far behind them. Just the two of us. No pets or strollers or anything like that.

And then the longest 30 minutes of our lives started. We waited. And waited, and waited.

Finally, countdown,

5....4....3....2...1 Go!

We had agreed earlier that we would each run our own race and meet up at the finish line. And so we took off.

I ran to my music. Not really ordered like I would prefer, but good, fast tunes. I started working my way through the other runners. Some would pass me, and I'd pass others.

Before the first mile mark, there was a group of young cheerleaders on the street corner. Probably 6th grade or junior high school. And as I and the others ran past we heard " YOU'RE. AWESOME. YOU'RE. AWESOME".

I admit, I had tears in my eyes at that point. I don't know why.

I guess because I didn't feel awesome. The awesome ones are the ladies fighting the fight everyday. Chemo. Radiation. Doctor's appointments. Surgeries. And still getting up every day and living their lives.

That's awesome.

But Alexandria certainly did make me feel special. The high school band drum corp was there along with more cheerleaders as you made the final turn before the finish line. The residents of the neighborhood through which we ran had their homes decorated and stood outside and cheered, some even passing out water.

And the finish line was festooned with pink balloons and surrounded by supporters. The local television station even streamed the entire run live.

As I approached the finish line, I could see the official time clock. From my angle, all I could see was the last three numbers - basically the seconds and the second number of the minutes. I could see a 5. Well, I thought, that must be a 45. I felt like I'd been running slower than normal. I usually run with Doozer and without him to set the pace, I was sure I'd been lagging.

Imagine my shock and surprise to see it was a 35!

Almost 3 full minutes faster than my last race. Such a proud accomplishment!

It was Kathy's first run. She finished in about the same time as I did on my first one - 38 minutes and change. I waited for her at the finish line and cheered as she crossed over.

We had our bananas and water and grabbed our freebies and recovered. Then started the two hour journey back home. On our drive, we were already planning what we'd do differently next year.

I like running for causes. I'm learning to love running in general, but knowing that I'm helping someone while doing something good for me, makes it all a no brainer.

Now, my goal every time is just to finish. If I can do better than the last one, then so much the better. My only competition is me.

And that always makes me a winner.

Why I Run

noreply@blogger.com (Deanne) — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 19:41:00 +0000

This Saturday is a Susan G. Komen breast cancer run. I am really looking forward to it, and for a lot of different reasons.

First off, I believe Susan G. Komen for the Cure does, and supports, good work. And I want to know that if I ever need them, I can benefit from that work. And that, hopefully, the funds I'm helping to raise now will go towards even better treatments, diagnostics, and prevention.

If I remember my family history correctly, my grandmother was a breast cancer survivor. She survived it twice, as a matter of fact. And since she passed away in 1980, you know that when she received her diagnoses, it was at a time when the word Cancer carried much more ominous tones.

Not that cancer is any walk in the park now, but not all types of cancers carry the same Death Sentence toll that they used to. Many have good diagnostic tests that can catch cancers early, and early detection often leads to more treatment options and better results.

In my own case, because of the family history, I started getting my mammograms at age 35. A couple of years ago, they saw something. So we tested again. It wasn't there anymore. So I went to a different doctor for another opinion. Some people thought I should just leave well enough alone and if the spot wasn't there anymore just be glad and just move on. I'm not wired that way. The spot had been there the year before as well. I needed to know for sure.

I'm proactive.

I'm also one of the lucky ones. Turns out I just have a sensitivity to caffeine and that was making me "lumpy". All I had to do was a couple more tests and drop my morning coffee for 6 months and all was better. Some of my friends, and friends of friends, are not so lucky. Some are younger than me. A friend had her own double mastectomy less than a year ago. And how many people do I pass every day on the street, or have lunch with in Kiwanis, or sit next to at a show that have dealt with breast or other cancers?

Too many.

Billy and I recently went back to the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, Tennessee. On Sunday afternoon they have a longer session and have probably 7 or 8 tellers come in and do 10 to 15 minute stories. Well, one of the ladies we'd heard a couple of times over the festival came in and did a "bit" about exercises you could do to get ready for your annual mammogram. "Grab two metal bookends, place them in the freezer, then have a total stranger come over and slam them together with you in the middle." And so on, and so on. All of the ladies in the audience were rolling with laughter. The next teller even found a way to incorporate her story into his story and eventually everyone in the tent was laughing so hard we were crying! But as we left and got back to our car Billy turned and looked at me and asked "Is is really that bad?". "Worse" I replied. And then I explained to him, in great detail, what it is like to get a mammogram. And how grateful I am to only have to get once a year.

It is because people before me ran in races like the ones going on all over the country this month that we have the technology we have. And I run so that my niece, Brett, and my younger second cousins, Caroline, Brittany, Savannah, Adi, Natalie, Ashley, Lily Beth and Mary Mason, and all their friends and the ones I can't even think of right now (it's always a mistake for me to try to name people because I forget folks, but never intentionally) may benefit from even more advancements 20 and 30 years from now.

It is for them that I run.

I continue to hope that I'll never need it.

July, August and September

noreply@blogger.com (Deanne) — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 18:34:00 +0000

So, anyone been wondering where those months went? Me too! I swear, I looked up and it was October. So, I must have been busy, huh. Well, yes I was. Too much to list it all here like I had been doing, but I will share. First, July was the hottest month on record, ever. So the running slowed up considerably. I can't take the humidity with my asthma. Not a good combination. But I did exercise. As a matter of fact, I burned up 4,180 calories in the month of July alone. August saw another 6,300 burn up, with only 3,300 in September. So, not sedentary! The biggest issue was consistency. I could run some nights, but I'd have to wait until 8 or 8:30 (still light outside) and that isn't good for sleeping, and sometimes it would still be way too humid to make it a good run. But running wasn't all. Mom, Andrea, Brett and I had a wonderful long weekend in Chicago where we walked the Miracle Mile many times over - usually carrying packages! In August, Billy and I took our annual trip to New York City where we walked mile after mile after mile. Sometimes even on purpose! September, the weather change made me a little under the weather so I didn't make much progress on anything. But I didn't lose any ground either so I was proud of myself. So, what did I miss? The half-marathon I wanted to do this past weekend in Mandeville. I'm not even quite up to 4 miles yet so 13.1 was out of this question. This time. It is still on my list and there are some in November, December and January that I might actually be able to make. The training programs, which I'm working, just not progressing quickly, are all well within that timeframe. So, my dream didn't die, it just got pushed back a little. And that happens to all of us from time to time. I am running in another 5K this weekend and again in November. I find that I have to have a goal. Once the half-marathon wasn't feasible, I filled in two more. They may not be pushing my limits right now, but they are pushing me to get out there and keep moving. Hopefully my absence from the blog didn't slow YOU down! And I will get back to regular reporting since it makes me feel better and helps keep me accountable. You know us CPAs, all about being accountable. So, I hope everyone had a fantastic summer and a great start to fall! It is starting to really feel nice outside and I'm going to do all I can to enjoy it!

June

noreply@blogger.com (Deanne) — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 01:52:00 +0000

Day One: nothing today.
Day Two: got my run on! 35 minutes, broke the 13/mile pace.
Day Three: 45 minutes walk/run. Way too humid!
Day Four: 45 minute walk/run.
Day Five: hit the streets again! 45 minutes walk/run in the heat.
Day Six: 50 minute walk/run
Day Seven: still hot, but I got my 45 minutes in!
Day Eight: missed it. Work got in the way.
Day Nine: 45 minute walk/run
Day Ten: got my 45 minutes out on the streets
Day Eleven: missed it
Day Twelve: missed it - work is ratcheting up!
Day Thirteen: 35 minutes walk/run
Day Fourteen: missed it
Day Fifteen: missed it
Day Sixteen: got in a double! Did my run and then took Doozer for a walk
Day Seventeen: 35 minute walk/run
Day Eighteen: missed it
Day Nineteen: missed it
Day Twenty: missed it
Day Twenty-one: missed it
Day Twenty-two: missed it
Day Twenty-three: missed it
Day Twenty-four: 45 minute walk/run. Humid, but good to be out there
Day Twenty-five: missed it
Day Twenty-six: missed it
Day Twenty-seven: missed it
Day Twenty-eight: missed if
Day Twenty-nine: missed it
Day Thirty: me and The Dooze hit the bricks! I have missed it!

So, June was not my best month. The weather is brutally, and dangerously, hot. Way too humid! And work was brutal. Busy season hours in a traditionally non- busy season month. Too much stress. Odd thing is, I know that exercise would be helpful for my stress, but when I take the time to exercise I stress that I should be, or need to be, working. June 30 deadlines are a pain! But I met them. Hopefully things will smooth out and I can get back to normal.

May

noreply@blogger.com (Deanne) — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 00:57:00 +0000

Day One: Ran 30 minutes. Covered over 2 miles. Had to walk to the office first to find my phone so I could track it!
Day Two: Home sick. Been feeling it coming, but hoped it would pass. I thought maybe my throat was hurting because I've been running with my mouth open.
Day Three: Miracle shot has me back on the road! Got my 30 minutes in. Also got bad news this morning - Naunie passed away overnight.
Day Four: Ran my 30 minutes this morning before heading to Carlisle. I had a good pace. I seem to run better in the mornings.
Day Five: Got my 30 minutes in tonight. Felt good after such an emotional day. Good to get all the good endorphins working.
Day Six: Break day. Drove back to Natchez after spending most of the day with Mom. I needed a rest.
Day Seven: Back on track. Ran 30 minutes. Each day I cover a little more ground.
Day Eight: A little slow, but I got my 30 minutes in. Feeling a little sluggish.
Day Nine: Making up for lost time! Ran my 30 minutes, well over 2 miles, AND came home and grabbed Doozer for a 20 minute, 1.25 mile, walk.
Day Ten: In Jackson all day. I got home at 6:30 and had dinner. It was way too close to being dark by the time I could get ready to run.
Day Eleven: Headed to Atlanta, but I ran my 30 minutes before I got on the road!
Day Twelve: Started with a run through Heather's neighborhood. Broke through the 13 minute/mile pace. And then she and I shopped and walked a lot today. Very active.
Day Thirteen: Followed up 7.5 hours in the car with a 30 minute run AND walking Doozer for another 25 minutes. Covered a lot of ground today!
Day Fourteen: Another double! Doozer hates to be left behind but I can't run with him. Lord knows the extra walking won't kill me.
Day Fifteen: Just did the 30 minute run tonight. Felt a little sluggish again so it wasn't my best work.
Day Sixteen: halfway through my run I twisted my ankle and had to walk home. Stupid curbs. But I still got in over two miles, altogether.
Day Seventeen: Resting the ankle.
Day Eighteen: Resting the ankle. And it was my birthday so I ate too much today. Trying to run would have been like slogging through mud.
Day Nineteen: ran my first 5K! What a way to start my 46th year!
Day Twenty: a well-earned day of rest! My ankle is none to pleased with my victory yesterday, giving it a break.
Day Twenty-one: got a little walk in after work. Ankle still pretty swollen, but Doozer was happy.
Day Twenty-two: tried to run, had to walk home. Ankle is not going to let me push myself any more this week. Stupid curbs.
Day Twenty-three: rest and recovery.
Day Twenty-four: rest and recovery. hate it, but we're having good family time.
Day Twenty-five: found an alternative - or remembered I should say. Billy's van is in the shop and he needed the car so I rode my bike to work, home at lunch, back to work, home at day's end. Felt good!
Day Twenty-six: worked out in the yard - staking tomatoes. Went to Bayou Country Superfest in Baton Rouge so there was a pretty good hike from the parking to the stadium and back. Ankle started swelling, though. Wore the wrong shoes.
Day Twenty-seven: got a little walking in, still taking it a little easy.
Day Twenty-eight: left out on my run this morning, realized I forgot my inhaler and the humidity was awful so I turned and ran on home. Went back out this evening. Tried to do the whole 3+ miles but I could only do a little over half. Going to have to build back up.
Day Twenty-nine: rested. realize after all this that you do have to listen to your body and give it a break and time to heal.
Day Thirty: learned I cannot outrun the rain! headed out, could see the storm clouds. 25 minutes into the 35 minute minute run (which I did run most all of this time! yea me!), the clouds opened up! I was soaked and had to take shelter until it passed, at which time I ran home and into a hot shower.
Day Thirty-one: Just walked 1.43 miles with The Dooze. I promised him a walk after my run last night and he was cheated by the rain. Billy headed to Arkansas today so running, with my "track" record didn't seem like a good idea.

All in all, a pretty darn good month!

I Did It!! Amended

noreply@blogger.com (Deanne) — Wed, 23 May 2012 19:07:00 +0000

Here's the postscript to last Saturday's Cancer Fun Run.

That morning, I did get up a little early. A few nerves. Couldn't eat. That kind of thing. And I wanted to get there early. Registration and packet pickup started at 7:30 and the Run was 8:30. Billy asked if he was supposed to go with me, since he wasn't ready and I was starting to bounce off the walls by 7:15. I told him he could bring his own car. (Side note: most everywhere we go together we take separate vehicles. He doesn't want to be there and I'm never ready to leave. So this was not unusual on this day.) I waited and finally decided I couldn't wait any longer so I went upstairs to tell him I was leaving. He was almost dressed since he'd decided to go with me, on the provision that I had him back home a little after 9. I had already done the math and told him at 13 minute miles that I needed about 40 minutes and then we could come home.

Which is what we did. I ran, ate a banana and drank some water, visited a minute or two with some people I knew, and we left.

At the office, we start every Monday morning with staff meeting. We go around the table and discuss anything going on that week, work out of the office, sports scores, etc. My partner is always first and he announced to the room that I had completed my first 5K that weekend. Lots of "yea"s from around the table. Then he picked up an envelope and said "But what she doesn't know, because she left too soon on Saturday, is that she won this in her age group" and he pulled out a 3rd place medal.

Could have knocked me over with a feather!

Of course then the jokes started about were there even three people in my age group (yes, my partner - pointing out that he is about 3 months younger than me - got second in our age group and a friend of ours was first).

So yes, the bar is now set high, and hard work is its own reward.

But a medal sure is cool.

I Did It!!

noreply@blogger.com (Deanne) — Sun, 20 May 2012 16:23:00 +0000

First 5K in the books!

I know what some of you are thinking, big deal, 3.1 miles. Not like it's a marathon or anything (maybe next year!). But for me, it was huge.

When I was growing up, with asthma, sometimes just going outside was a death sentence. I didn't even have to do anything to have an attack - just be standing in the grass or the beanfield. If I actually tried to run or play too hard, there I'd go. Off to Dr. Stroop's office! I truly owe that man my life.

I've written about it before, but I would get so upset by things that I physically couldn't do, but that were expected. Everyone had to go out at recess. Everyone had to participate in Field Day in elementary school. In the sixth grade we played softball and it was hard for them to find a position for me. But Daddy came and watched anyway. I couldn't hit, run, field the ball or anything else. In the fifth grade, there was the President's Challenge, or some such thing. The Challenge was to be able to do a specific set of exercises within a given time frame. Daddy and I worked and worked and worked on it. I think I might have earned the White patch - which was the lowest level - but it was hard. I still can't throw a softball. But I also remember thinking that it wasn't "fair" that I had to run and stuff like the other kids when my body wouldn't let me.

"Fair" is where you go to ride rides and eat cotton candy. Life is not fair.

But it is what you make it.

I did learn that with hard work I could achieve my goals.

And I hit one yesterday. Yes, I ran with my inhaler in my hand, just in case. Was going to leave it in the car but Billy just looked at me and asked if I was insane. And I ran knowing that there was no shame in walking if I needed to. Ladies around me were doing it. But I wanted to push as far and as hard as I could.

And that was to the finish line. 37 minutes, 55 seconds.

I checked my log last night. I started training on March 27. At that time, running for one minute straight was a big deal to me. Then a minute and a half. Two minutes. Five minutes. When I ran eight straight minutes I was so excited you would have thought I'd won an Olympic gold medal! And it built and built and built and now I can run over thirty minutes. Straight.

And no, I'm not done. I want to keep moving up the ladder and pushing myself.

Because there is a half-marathon in Mandeville in October with my name on it.

April

noreply@blogger.com (Deanne) — Wed, 02 May 2012 13:51:00 +0000

Well, apparently the blog ate my April! And I am so ticked about that! I updated it on Sunday through Sunday night. Realized yesterday I needed to add Monday and publish it and now it's gone. This does not make me happy. Especially since it was a kick-booty kind of month! I only missed one day of exercise - April 1. I was driving back from Carlisle that day and everyone was so happy to see me when I got home that I didn't want to spend one more minute on myself. I signed up for a 5K in May so I'm in training. Many days I got in over 2 miles walking/running. Some days I even took Doozer so there was a lot of pulling and tugging and moving faster than planned! Now I go run first, then take him for a walk. I also found out my cholesterol did drop from 240 to 204. So the medication is helping, but I'm having trouble tolerating it. That is still a work in process. The good news there is that my good cholesterol is better than my bad cholesterol is bad, so I have a good ratio even with a bad number. Apparently the ratio is the most important of all those numbers. So April had a lot of plusses! I just wish I could share them all here. Maybe this new format won't eat my May.

March

noreply@blogger.com (Deanne) — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Day One: Excuses, excuses, excuses! Spent to much time getting Billy on the road this morning and then too much time dealing with him not being home tonight.
Day Two: Thought about it, several time, but didn't follow through. It really is a challenge to find "me" time when Billy is out of town, especially during busy season.
Day Three:ZUMBA! Only about 15 minutes but it was so much fun!
Day Four: Cleaned the house, shopping, planted outside - very active today. Gorgeous weather to be out!
Day Five: Nothing more than caring for the animals - which I'm convinced must count for something when Billy is out of town. I'm home two or three times during the day - up the stairs and down the stairs over and over and over again.
Day Six: Nothing I could really count - just the same as yesterday - except I did do some last minute cleaning before Billy gets home tomorrow - dusting and vacuuming, but not a ton of it.
Day Seven: Was so happy Billy was home that was all that mattered!
Day Eight: Missed it.
Day Nine: Missed it.
Day Ten: Walked to work and back. Wanted to ride my bike but I had a flat!
Day Eleven: Worked outside - planting flowers, carrying plants and so forth and I spent a ton of time in the kitchen. I'm always moving a lot when I cook - grabbing stuff, washing stuff and so on. Then I walked up the street to do some volunteer accounting work. Pretty active day!
Day Twelve: Did a little Zumba dancing in the wee hours this morning!
Day Thirteen: board meeting that lasted 2 hours killed it all. My thighs were still hurting this morning after all of Sunday's planting so I skipped the morning with the plan to do it after my meeting. I didn't get home until 9 o'clock and was too aggravated at that point to be productive.
Day Fourteen: started off with the best of intentions - standing on the Wii deciding whether I wanted to cycle or obstacle course and all the batteries died. Decided that was an omen that I needed to go back to bed and drink coffee with Billy. I go to work so early we don't get to do that very often during the week, especially in busy season. But all was not lost! I salvaged the day with a 30 minute walk after after dinner with Doozer. It was a beautiful night but we did more than just stroll.
Day Fifteen: I replaced all the batteries in the Wii and started my day off with about 10 mintues - while the coffee was brewing. Thought I would do more when I got home but it was not to be.
Day Sixteen: rode my bike to work and home, including lunch, so that was about 2.5 miles - even if it was spread out over 4 "rides". Also walked from the office to the bank to take care of some business and back after lunch.
Day Seventeen: Started with joining the Kiwanis Club to pick up trash this morning. Spent about 45 minutes out there. We didn't walk too terribly far or very fast, but there was a lot of bending and stretching so it was all good.
Day Eighteen: Worked out in the yard - scrubbing mold and mildew off the front porch and the garden wall. Went through 3 bottles of Clorox Clean-up. Then I gave Sadie a bath. Pretty active day.
Day Nineteen: 10 minutes on the Wii. My back and upper arms are killing me after yesterday!
Day Twenty: Started with 10 minutes on the Wii. Jog/walked 2 miles after dinner. Felt good!
Day Twenty-one: Jog/walked 2 miles after dinner. 3 minutes faster than yesterday so hopefully that means I jogged more than I walked the night before.
Day Twenty-two: according to the Wii, I'm down a few pounds this week. So nice to see the arrow heading in that direction again! I skipped my morning routine thinking I could walk after dinner but the deluge hit at work and it was already dark. Hate that I missed it!
Day Twenty-three: Took off with Doozer after dinner for the 2 mile jog/walk. Only made 1.6 miles. We ran into a friend walking her dog and stopped to visit. It was too dark to keep going and Doozer was beat. He was beat because I ran over half of the route! Yea me!
Day Twenty-four: Wasn't feeling it, but took Doozer out for our jog/walk anyway, and covered the whole miles. I still did it in about 30 minutes so even though I didn't run as much as I walked, I walked very quickly.
Day Twenty-five: Like the Sundays before, we worked outside. We expanded our patio and all with repurposed bricks from elsewhere around the house. Lots of bending and stooping and carrying and moving. Overall, about 3 hours outside. Felt good and the day was just too beautiful to not be outside enjoying it.
Day Twenty-six: Recovery day. And that is what it is! My thighs hurt from all the lifting yesterday, my back is sore. Going to crawl in bed early and "exercise" my right to rest.
Day Twenty-seven: Started off with 10 minutes on the Wii while I waited for the coffee to brew. Finished the day with 2.12 miles walk/jog.
Day Twenty-eight: 10 minutes on the Wii while the coffee brewed and the puppies ran around outside. I did have to laugh. Doozer came in and rested his paws on the balance board while I was exercising. The Wii told me my weight was very different - did I want to proceed? Glad to know it's watching out for me. Finished the night with a 2 mile walk with Doozer. He is loving it! But he's still a handful on the leash so we can't do it every night. At least not yet.
Day Twenty-nine: Little bit of time on the Wii this morning, but not much. The work hours are getting to me and I slept a little longer. Started out on my run but it go called on account of rain after a mile. I can take heat and I can bear cold but I HATE getting wet.
Day Thirty: few minutes on the Wii. Mostly focused on getting things done so I can leave early in the morning.
Day Thirty-One: had more important things to do today. Drove to Carlisle to spend the day with my grandmother. Most likely will not have another chance.

February

noreply@blogger.com (Deanne) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 01:46:00 +0000

Day one: missed it
Day two: missed it
Day three: missed it
Day four: Dancing at a party!
Day five: missed it
Day six: board meeting right after work, missed exercising
Day seven: board meeting at 7, got home from work at 6, returned from board meeting at 8:30 and went to bed
Day eight: working late, missed it
Day nine: working late, so tired and not feeling well
Day ten: parade at 6, dancing on the float!
Day eleven: worked all day, had a party that night, missed getting any real exercise
Day twelve: squeezed in 10 minutes on the Wii
Day thirteen: at work from 6 to 6
Day fourteen: at work from 6 to 6
Day fifteen: at work from 6 to 6
Day sixteen: at work from 6 to 6
Day seventeen: dancing on the parade float!
Day eighteen: dancing, dancing, dancing at the Grand Ball
Day nineteen: gave myself a well-deserved break mentally and physically
Day twenty: got to work at 6:20 in the morning left and drove 4 hours to Clarksdale, worked until 5:30. Fell asleep after dinner.
Day twenty-one: got up early and did 15 minutes on the bike in the hotel fitness center
Day twenty-two: Ash Wednesday. Attended services at 6:30 this morning and fasted.
Day twenty-three: walking, about 20 minutes
Day twenty-four: about 15 minutes on the Wii
Day twenty-five: walked around town, up and down the street between work and the literary conference
Day twenty-six: thirty minutes on the Wii, plus a went grocery shopping with Billy and we were all over the store
Day twenty-seven: started the day with 15 minutes on the Wii
Day twenty-eight: long day at work then had to prepare a report for a board meeting. Sounds like excuses to me.
Day twenty-nine: left for New Orleans at 6:30 this morning but still cycled on the Wii for 15 minutes while the coffee was brewing.

Not my best month, but I'm trying to keep in mind that right now I'm working on re-establishing my habits. Anything is better than nothing. And some days are just better than others.

Timing Is Everything

noreply@blogger.com (Deanne) — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 21:10:00 +0000

Can I just go on record by saying that the height of Mardi Gras season was NOT the time to try to get myself back on track!

And not for the reasons you might suspect.

I did not overindulge at the parties. One, I really am not big on most party foods since they involve dips (I don't do dips at all) or appetizers with onions or other foods I don't care for and two, I knew I had to drive myself home so drinking was limited as well.

No, the problem was the sheer volume of activities! Since the first week of January through last weekend not one week went by without at least one party, and most had two or three, including work nights.

It got hard to figure out a routine when you're trying to plan how to get everything done, and no day is the same as the next. I sometimes envy those who have set work hours at a set location. I don't have that. The week of the Mardi Gras parade and Grand Ball I hit the 60 hour mark by 3:30 Friday afternoon. That didn't leave a lot of extra time for exercising, or even worrying about what I was eating. I was concerned a couple of those days that I'd even get to eat, period.

But I did get exercise - mostly dancing on the float and at the balls. I do love to dance! Don't do it well, but I enjoy it.

So, with that behind me I did do better this week. I worked out of town but used their fitness room and have tried to get my days planned a little better since I should only be leaving one more time for a long while. Still will have some crazy hours, but at least one major activity is off my plate.

And don't misunderstand. I was definitely "Mardi-Grased" out by February 18 but I would not have missed the opportunity for anything. I think I only missed 3 functions during the whole time (the royalty handbook said we were to attend all functions to which we were invited and I am a rule-follower, you know) and I was worn out with everything else going on, but I met some wonderful people and made terrific new friends and enjoyed myself immensely!

So, time to try again to get my "house" in order and get back to my game plan.

January

noreply@blogger.com (Deanne) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 06:01:00 +0000

Day One: 52 minutes on the Wii
Day Two: did things around the house, including giving a wiggling dog a haircut! That should count for something.
Day Three: missed today. Didn't get home from work and meetings until 8 and Billy is out of town
Day Four: about 10 minutes on the Wii
Day Five: about 10 minutes on the Wii
Day Six: about 10 minutes on the Wii
Day Seven: danced, danced, danced at a Mardi Gras party
Day Eight: mostly rested but also worked on my dance routine for the Call-Out Ball. Not strenuous but I was up and moving
Day Nine: missed today. Billy's been sick and last night was the first in several that either of us slept so I didn't get up early and after work there was a board meeting and a football game.
Day Ten: about 10 minutes on the Wii
Day Eleven: 31 minutes on the Wii (hard minutes!) and I walked from one client to another for a presentation and then back. Felt get to get outside, if only for a few minutes
Day Twelve: sore muscles from boxing last night. Just got in a few balancing games on the Wii.
Day Thirteen: missed but totally worth it! Had a Mardi Gras duchess party tonight so no time to exercise. Better yet, barely had time to eat.
Day Fourteen: had to work, but that included moving and setting up new computers and walking around the office and so forth, not as sedentary as usual. Nothing I can quantify, but I did stretch some muscles.
Day Fifteen: kind of a rest day, but not entirely. I had to finish up with the computers this morning, still moving and stuff. Then I did a few things around the house and did some grocery shopping. So, again, nothing I can quantify but better than just sitting around.
Day 16 to Day 20: rough week. Worked out of town. Went to work early and stayed late at the client to maximize our time on-site and we ate out every meal. Tried to do okay with the meals but got very little exercise until Friday night rehearsing for the Call-Out Ball.
Day 21: Dancing at the Call-Out Ball! Tons of fun and good exercise!
Day 22: Had to go clean up the City Auditorium after the Ball. Carried furniture, walked up and down the stairs in the sections. Maybe nothing quanitifiable, but still moving and working the muscles.
Day 23 to 27: Another rough week. Was home, but Billy left on Thursday and it seemed that being gone for a week everything in the office piled up. Too much stress this week.
Day 28: Decorate the Community Center for the Dukes and Duchess' party and then danced at the party itself. No small feat in 6 inch platform boots.
Day 29: A few minutes on the Wii - balance games, some aerobics. Trying to stay in the habit before it leaves me completely.
Day 30: Needed a break. Mentally and physically. Being a "single" mom of 7 when Billy is out of town, in busy season, is draining.
Day 31: Not feeling well. Nothing major, mostly tired. Had to prepare for board meeting tonight so not much exercise other than climbing the stairs several times today - but that still counts for something!

Monthly Reports

noreply@blogger.com (Deanne) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 03:36:00 +0000

One of the things that helped me the most when I first started this journey was the weekly meetings of HealthQuest.

The weekly weigh-ins, I should say.

In typical, Deanne-the-perfectionist-fashion, I didn't want to somehow "disappoint" the lady recording my weekly weight in my log so I was always certain to make sure it went down a little each week. Some weeks were, obviously, better than others but it was the knowledge that someone other than me would know how I did that helped keep me focused.

Have no fear, I am not ABOUT to tell you how much I weigh. No way, no how. But I am going to give you my exercise "journal" each month. It will post at midnight on the first of the following month.

Which means I have to keep it current or you'll know I've failed at even the most basic of tasks. I don't expect comments or that you'll even read them but it is ME knowing I'm putting something out there PUBLICALLY that I HOPE will keep my focus on the exercise.

Because for me it is all about the exercise.

I can eat a lot or little but if I don't do something physical it just sits on me the same way.

So, you all are my public watchers. You will know if I tried or made excuses; if I stayed on task or wandered off the path; if I cared enough to try.

Be kind.

The Small Victories

noreply@blogger.com (Deanne) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 20:58:00 +0000

I want to share this picture with you.

Not because I want to name drop (Duece McAllister), and not because a friend saw it and thought I'd dropped 10 pounds (but who wouldn't when standing next to that brick wall of a man!) but because of the jacket. Yes, I think it is lovely and all Mardi Gras-ish and festive, but more importantly because I purchased it in the early 1990s.

For those that, like me, don't realize it, it is 2012 and the early 1990s were almost 20 years ago.

I share it because I needed the reminder of how far I've come. There were many, many years that I couldn't wear that jacket. I know because I tried. A few times I managed to get my arms into the sleeves but it was nowhere close to closing in the front.

It fastened when I wore it on Thursday night. Easily, and with room to spare.

So, to myself, good job on not losing faith in yourself and continuing to focus! Despite the crazy schedules and traveling and stresses. It would be so easy at this point to just give in to all the comfort foods and bad habits and all that accompanies those. But I won't.

I am too important to me.

I am valued, and valuable, and my health is the most important thing. Without it, nothing else will matter. I wouldn't be able to enjoy whatever Life was handing me.

So, if you find yourself in a rut or feeling discouraged or just down about it all, find your small victory. That mile that comes easily now that you couldn't walk a year ago. Or that dress you'd thought you'd never wear again but hadn't donated to charity yet because you loved it. Or playing with your children or grandchildren or puppies or whatever that maybe you couldn't enjoy a few years, or even a few months, ago.

It is the small victories that truly count the most. They are what keep us motivated and moving in the right direction. The small victories are what add up to the bigger ones, which ultimately culminate in our overall goals.

So celebrate them!

Do Over

noreply@blogger.com (Deanne) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 01:24:00 +0000

Perhaps I should have read my post from last May after I wrote it. Like, several times so it would have taken root.

Doctor's office called today. I didn't want to take that call. You know when everything turns out well you get a letter. Phone calls mean something.

Now, with all the testing that was done, I did get the best of the not so good news. My cholesterol clocked in at 240.

240.

I'm supposed to be under 180.

I'm nowhere close.

So, it's back to another doctor, another plan, a real goal this time. A true mission.

Wish me luck!

Thought for this Tuesday

noreply@blogger.com (Deanne) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 11:38:00 +0000

Saw this in my Denise Austin newsletter this morning: make peace with your past - so it won't spoil the present!

What a great thought! The past is just that, past. Over. Gone. Done with. Every day is chance for a new beginning. A fresh start.

If you're not where you want to be, get there. Get started. There's no time like now.

The Best of Intentions

noreply@blogger.com (Deanne) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 23:30:00 +0000

I never intended for a post on May 1, 2011 to be the last one of the year. With this one, it won't be.

I became the "poster child" for what stress can do to you - physically, emotionally, all the "ally"s - this past year. For those that don't read the Random Thoughts blogs, my brother-in-law was killed in an accident on June 7, 2011. That single-second event changed our world in so many ways. Because Billy was gone so much helping his family, I had more to do here at home. Which meant less time for me. And once I got really out of my routine, that was it. And as the stress and strain of Life continued to mount, getting back into my routine was almost lost forever.

I checked my Wii calendar the other day and you could see it. Right before your eyes, in living color. January, February, March - never missed a day. The height of busy season but I was dedicated. At least to weighing myself and monitoring when I did get to exercise. In April, the only days I missed were those when I was in Washington DC becoming a certified fraud examiner and then one more that I can't figure out what I as going that day.

Missed a few more in May, but not many. In June, I missed the day of Dale's funeral, and then more towards the end of the month as Billy became busier.

In July, it was obvious. I barely made it at all. I never missed an entire month in the last six, but it got awfully close a couple of times. It appeared I turned on the Wii more out of guilt, or as an afterthought.

And it shows. I have a long road to hoe to get back where I was.

On the plus side, I have gotten healthy before and I can do it again. This time, though, the reasons are a little different. I will admit to a mild case of depression this summer and fall. I wasn't getting up and exercising because I was barely getting up in time to get to work. I didn't let it completely take over my life, but I did let it get to a very big part of it. Thing is, if I could have exercised, I know I would have felt better and helped combat some of that depression. But depression is very real and has its own agenda.

But I'm better. I'm doing the things I enjoy again, like writing and exercising and reading and so forth, but still not to the same level as before. But at least I'm not sitting and staring off into space. I am doing something.

As I tend to do, I look for opportunities for fresh starts. I've been on the Wii every day but one since last Sunday. Wanted to start again and come up with a new plan so I started on a Sunday - beginning of a new week.

And tomorrow is a new week, new month, new year.

An excellent opportunity to get on track and start working towards getthing healthier - both mentally and physically.

And I'll be looking to you all for support. Those are my intentions for the new year!

Happy, healthy, 2012!

197

noreply@blogger.com (Deanne) — Sun, 01 May 2011 16:32:00 +0000

Fortunately that was my last cholesterol count, not my weight. Although there are days....

No, really, I am pleased to report that my last cholesterol check was 197. Only a slim hair under 200 but still better than 231. Wish I could say I contributed to the decrease, but I don't really think I did much. I think it was the difference between a fasting draw and one right after lunch. The other good news, at least for now, is that even though my internist had a note in my file to discuss Plavimox with me after receiving the 231 count from another doctor, he said my good cholesterol was really very good and that was a mitigating factor so we could hold off on a medication for right now.

And we all know what boosts our good cholesterol, right? Right? EXERCISE!

I didn't get a whole lot of that in the last few months. Very little in fact. But, today is a new day, a new week, and new month and you know how I feel about starting things on the 1st of something.

I have renewed my commitment to myself. The sixty plus work hours will be back down to 45 to 50, which is still a lot but saving 10 hours a week actually saves me a week over the course of the month. I went from 280 hours in March to only 220 in April. I played in a kickball tournament yesterday, although my participation was mostly organizational. I did kick the ball three times though, no strike outs, and got to at least run halfway to 1st base before getting out.

It was a start. And a start and a spark can sometimes be all we need to get things back blazing! I didn't even let my sprained ankle, that is still the size of an orange, get in the way of having a great time.

Nor am I using it as a complete excuse to put off what needs to be done.

So, today I'm firing up the Wii again for an hour(ish) long session - not too strenuous but getting all the parts moving again. I still want to be able to walk tomorrow!

Will today be the day you renew your commitment to yourself? It's the perfect day.