Rocked a 5K

I did it! I actually ran in my first official 5K Saturday, July 28th, 2012 in my hometown of Rockford, Iowa. I wasn't fast by any means, but I didn't stop to walk, either. I finished in 40:29. Hey, that leaves me plenty of room to improve! I ran with my 16 year old niece. It was her first 5K, too.

I felt pretty good going into the race. I'd managed to squeeze in a couple long workouts on the elliptical and recumbent bike the week leading up to the run/walk. Plus, I did a mock 5K two days prior just so I'd feel confident about the distance. I was actually faster during practice by two minutes.

About an hour before the race I ate a banana and Chobani yogurt. A good friend of mine swears by this pre-workout combo, and it definitely seems to work. I didn't feel overly full, and it gave me enough energy to get through the race.

Nice swag at this event.

Now I just have to figure out how to pickup some speed. I've been keeping my pace fairly consistent, but it's time to start pushing and increasing my fitness level. I am going to start out by doing some block long sprints during my regular jogs.

Since the Rockford 5K, I've completed longer distances. Last night I jogged six miles. Remarkably, once I hit mile four I felt exhilarated.  So, I  increased my pace and fell into a more comfortable breathing rhythm and longer stride.

It was such a beautiful night, and the temperature was perfect with a soft, cool breeze. If I could hold onto one moment during my journey to wellness,  it was last night as I bounded the boardwalk at Harriet Alexander Nature Center with the sun setting. By improving my physical strength I've bolstered my mental confidence to cross the finish line. With 79.2 pounds down and 59.8 more to go, I think I've caught my second wind.

First 5K 7/28/12 - Rockford, Iowa

I Wish You Were Skinny

My grandma definitely speaks her mind, and I've been scorned and shamed by her on more than one occasion. However, one striking blow cut me to the quick. Just thinking about it pains me to this very day. Grandma probably doesn't even remember it. An adult can crush a kid's confidence so effortlessly.

Grandma was staying with my sister and I while Mom and Dad were away. A preteen,  I rode the bus home from school and made a box of mac and cheese as an afternoon snack. My grandmother returned from an errand and found me eating in front of the television. She was disgusted and immediately began chastising me. "What are you eating? You're going to ruin your dinner."

I really didn't know what to say. I came home from school hungry and made something to eat. I'd done it before, and no one ever seemed to care. Perhaps, a box of mac and cheese wasn't the healthiest choice, but it was tasty.

Then came the words that hurt, "Why can't you just be skinny like the rest of my grandchildren?"

Dumbstruck I put the fork down, went to the kitchen and left my nearly full bowl of mac on the counter. I was absolutely devastated, embarrassed and stunned. It suddenly dawned on me that until I was "skinny" I would never measure up. Being compared to the perfection of others was an inescapable fate. My body shape was my ultimate failure and no amount of personal success or achievement in other areas could compensate. Clearly, until I was physically thinner I'd never be a winner.

Now Departing

Hello!


A good friend encouraged me to start blogging about my weight loss journey to keep me motivated and provide encouragement to others paddling the same boat. This is my very first blog, and I have no idea how faithful I'll be in my posts.


I went to my doctor on January 6th, 2012 and was horrified as I watched the nurse slide the counterweight on the scale to the 300 hash. "Ouch!" I thought, "Am I really that heavy? I definitely don't see a 300 pound woman when I look in the mirror." Boy, did I feel like I dodged a bullet when the scale tipped and the nurse moved its counterweight back to 250 adding 39 - 289 pounds. Woah! How did I let myself get this fat? I'm only 5'6". Ideally, I'd weigh 150.


I made the appointment to get my prescriptions refilled and have an A1C, a blood test that averages blood glucose levels over 2-3 months. A couple years ago I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. Of course, the warning signs were present a few years prior when my doctor called me borderline or prediabetic and began closely monitoring my blood pressure.


I kept telling myself I needed to lose the excess baggage, but weight loss just never became a priority. I continued with my poor eating habits and failed to exercise on a regular basis. I was busy with two kids and running my own business. I didn't have the time to workout or eat breakfast every morning. In fact, some days I only made time for one meal.


Who am I kidding? I've been skipping meals since childhood rarely eating breakfast and missing lunch to hangout with friends in the band room. I was part of the "no lunch club" in high school. One of the guys cut weight for wrestling while I hoarded my lunch money to buy soft serve ice-cream cones at the Buy Low after school. At home dinner served as the main meal of the day and was commonly meat and potatoes. I always had seconds.


I grew up on an acreage in Iowa attending school in a small town nearby. Several towns merged into one school district resulting in my high school class size of 64. I went out for nearly every sport and filled my mornings and evenings with extracurricular activities that included band, jazz band, choir, swing choir, speech, theater and other clubs. I wasn't obese by any means, but I always felt like my weight was an albatross.


Once I got into college, my physical activity level dropped significantly. No longer playing sports on a regular basis, I spent a large majority of my time sitting in class and studying. Of course, there was also the obligatory college drinking and partying, too. My eating habits continued to decline, more skipped breakfasts and lunches followed by high fat and calorie late night meals. With college culinary staples like deep fried french fries and cheese curds, burgers and pizza how could I not gain the freshman 15 plus some? I couldn't fit into my clothes anymore. I didn't have any money so my cost effective solution was to buy men's boxers and wear those to class with an oversize tee or sweatshirt.


The summer between my freshman and sophomore year at college I returned home for a summer job at a thermopane window factory. I lost 40 pounds that summer by limiting myself to beef broth and Diet Coke for nearly a month. The sweltering heat at the factory and physical demands helped get me back into my jeans. Alas, the return to campus and continued bad habits meant the rebirth of my muffin top.