I Can Run for Miles and Miles and Miles

Okay, so I'm a little sore in the back of my thighs. I figure it's punishment for pushing my body to its limit today. I actually managed to run 10.2 miles. As most of you reading my blog know, I am NOT a fast runner by any means. That 10.2 mile was 2:15:00 of pure loco motion.

Every year the nonpublic school my daughter attends holds a "marathon" to raise money for new computers, sporting equipment and other things deemed necessary to educate and enrich the lives of its students. When we left the house this morning I didn't intend on running a full 10 miles. The furthest distance I'd run up until today was a little over 6 miles.

When we arrived my daughter checked in receiving her punch card to track her laps. One lap around the lake is approximately one mile. I bumped into an old family friend I hadn't seen in some time. She was shocked at my appearance. I have to admit that I have been getting this reaction a lot over the past couple weeks, and it feels SOOO good! I've worked really hard since January, and while I see it paying off on the scale and my clothing size is shrinking, it's so rewarding to have my weight loss recognized by other people.

My daughter decided to roller blade this morning, and we agreed to meet in the playground area after the event. Since I'm all about safety she wore a helmet, knee pads and wrist guards. I wasn't worried about her getting hurt with all the protective gear in place, and honestly, she was looking forward to ditching mom and hanging out with her friends. There was a lot of adult supervision since other nonpublic schools were also using the lake and park today for their own marathons. I felt completely comfortable splitting up. After all, I would probably lap her every ten minutes. She's not a speed skater, by any means.

With everything all squared away, I took off noticing right away that I was one of the only people actually running. Most were walking while chatting with friends, drinking hot coffee or eating hot dogs. Oh, well. I just felt the need to get in a good workout so I wouldn't have to take away from my family's weekend time. Although, that coffee looked good especially since it was barely 40 degrees out.

The first mile started a bit slow. I'm having a little pain in my right hip. A couple days ago, I was running at night with my headlamp and tripped over a heave in the sidewalk nearly crashing and burning. Miraculously, I was able to stumble out of the fall, but I tweaked my hip. That was a six mile run, and my graceless trip happened about mile three. I was able to finish that run, but I've definitely been a little sore ever since. Today, I figured if I just stretched the leg out a bit the pain would subside, and I was right. After the second mile, I was feeling really good and stronger than ever.

As I started on the third mile, I decided it was time to push myself a little further. I've been considering training for a triathlon. I've done a few 5K runs combined with a 12-mile bike ride. Today, I just wanted to gain some running distance. In my head, I set the goal at ten miles, but I didn't share that with my daughter until I saw her hanging out at the rest area after my ninth mile. As I ran past, I told her, "Only .9 mile left, baby." She had taken her roller blades and safety gear off. Excitedly, she fell into step behind me and ran/walked that final mile, too.

There were a couple women punching lap tickets for the kids that stopped me afterwards to ask me how I managed to run for so long. I told them that when I began my journey in January of this year I could barely jog one minute. One of the women immediately interrupted with a knowing nod, "Oh, you had a gastric bypass didn't you?" She was quite surprised when I replied, "No, it's been a lot of running, biking, exercising and believe it or not good old fashioned calorie counting." I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the look on people's faces when I say that!

Tonight, as I sit by a warm fire writing this entry I feel so happy. Believe me as I walked to the car and my muscles started tightening along the back of my legs I wondered if I had lost all sense. By the way, my car seat has a butt heater, and that was a lifesaver. I also had a long, hot bath after we arrived home.

I was really hungry all day, but I watched my calorie intake. I didn't want to blow the entire 1300 calorie deficit created by the run. Besides, this morning before we left for the marathon I ate pumpkin donut holes. I really try not to eat high calorie, low nutrition food. However, I'm going to credit them for giving me an extra boost.

Overall, I feel awesome both physically and mentally. This was definitely a confidence boost, and I'm looking forward to testing my new improved self to see what else I can accomplish.

The Wear and Tear on My Family

Well, it's been a pretty good week for exercise and calorie counting. I've managed to get in a couple great workouts. Monday night I worked an hour on the elliptical, followed by 30 minutes on the recumbent bike plus 20 minutes for dumbbell work on my arms. Last night, I took a 12 mile bike ride, and tonight I managed to run 3.1 miles and bike a little over 6 miles. Yay!

I've been pushing pretty hard lately because I'm just a few pounds away from leaving the 200s behind me FOREVER. I'm creating a significant calorie deficit, but it's still not showing on the scale. I know I've hit another plateau, and that's why I'm upping my game with harder workouts, weight training and an increase in water consumption.

When I think back to where I began on this journey, I can't believe how far I've traveled in such a short amount of time. That doesn't mean I'm 100% satisfied with my progress, and I am definitely impatient to reach my destination. "How much further is it? How many more hours?" I feel like a little kid nagging my parents from the backseat during a long road trip.

Physically and emotionally I'm healthier. In fact, I never expected the dramatic impact an 80 pound weight loss would have on my attitude and outlook on life. I am regaining my confidence, recognizing my personal strength and am enjoying a strong sense of well-being.

My weight loss journey is rather tiresome to my immediate family. No one wants to hear about it anymore, and to be fair I've been warned the topic is hopelessly boring. Apparently talking about exercise is equivalent to discussing daily toiletry habits. Needless to say, I have very little support at home. It makes me sad, but I'm not ready to throw in the towel, yet.

My husband teases me about the running. He finds it ridiculous. I've found that while I'm not the fastest runner it does really help shed the pounds, and my leg muscles are now rock solid. Running is cheap, it makes me feel good and I'm actually starting to like it. Did I just say that? My high school physical education teacher would fall to the floor in a fit of hysterical laughter if he ever read that I actually LIKE running.

I have tried unsuccessfully to get my son, daughter and/or husband to go for a walk, ride bike or hike with me. Frankly, no one in this house is interested. I want to keep moving and losing, but I am beginning to feel really guilty about the time I'm spending exercising. Before I started my focus was always on my family, and my wants and needs usually took a backseat to everyone else's. Now, I take the time to exercise, blog and read. I feel healthier, but my family seems to be drifting apart. The wear and tear is showing.

Am I being selfish? They are content with trotting along the same path, and I'm straining at the bit. I want to run, swim, bike and play. Too busy with their iPads, computers, video games and tv shows I leave them behind. There's a definite disconnect, and it's time we all rewire.