The Runner Within

Well, I’m sorry I haven’t written lately. I had a very dramatic week with finals and some personal turmoil. I will recover (from the finals, at least). So, I am going into surgery bright and early Tuesday morning, so I will not be posting, probably for a few days minimum… I think there’s some kind of “no typing” rule for a bit at least. I’m sad that I won’t be able to resume my training until the end of May, but tearing a stitch would be a bad idea. It’s all part of a process, though, and hopefully this will be the final step, and I won’t have to go through this again. I have all sorts of great running reading material to get me through the next couple of weeks, and then school will be starting up again, and then I’ll be running and training before I know it. I have to start searching for a race in FL during the summer. I’m registered for a 10k in October, but I want to run a race before then, at least a 5k. I might be able to do another 10k earlier, because I’m sure I’ll be back up to speed fairly quick in June (crosses fingers), but I haven’t found one I’m particularly interested in yet.

My trainer is also supposed to be teaching a summer class on personal training, and hopfully I can attend that. I think the knowledge will be extremely beneficial for the future. Also, I am considering joining an intramural indoor soccer team through my school and looking for some sort of martial art to take up. So, I’m sure that I’ll be fit and exhausted in no time. I will have to keep myself busy, or I’ll just wallow, and that’s no good!

I bet you’ve never heard of procrastinating by running… well, in an effort to put off the hard part of studying for my constitutional law final (the part where I catch up on some reading that I never did), I decided to go for a run. The weather was extremely nice (for Florida). It was 72 degrees and partially cloudy. Normally at this time of the year it would already be in the mid-80s… so I guess this bizarre weather is helping me out in some ways, although having to wear a jacket in the evenings in late April seems unsettling. I managed to beat my personal best, not that I have much of a benchmark to exceed, but I did feel a bit run down at the end, and I think it’s because I’m still not getting enough calories during the day. I should probably look into some kind of meal bars or some kind of ucky carb beverages. If anyone has any suggestions for stuff that doesn’t taste nasty, I’m all ears. I also need to be sure and up my water intake, because I think I am getting dehyrated as well. Ahhhhh… so many poor habits to change at once… it’s overwhelming.

Well, I guess I’ve put off reading Casey and Grutter for long enough!

Distance: 3.13 mi (5k)
Time: 32:02
Pace: 10:13/mi
Previous Best: 3.11 mi in 33:20 at 10:42/mi

Well, I read a blog today by a guy who was over 300lbs and ran the Boston Marathon (after the registered racers had already started). It really impressed me that this guy, Jacob, had the guts to take on a challenge like that. Not only did he take on the physical challenge, but he was willing to face possible public humiliation to change for the better. That is the kind of inspiration we all need. I’ve already battled my demons with weight, but we all have sources of weakness and potential shame, and they can be overcome, just as weight can. So, even though I may have already been where Jacob was and gotten through that part of my life, he is an inspiration to tackle future challenges and better myself in other ways. It never ceases to amaze me what people will do to overcome obstacles. I commend you, Jacob, for facing those elite runners and the throngs of people there watching. Even in my small form, I would not have had the guts to run after them, for fear of humiliating myself. You’re a true hero, not just to the obese, but to everyone! Here is his story: What Would Jacob Do?

Well, I finall took my nike+ ipod setup out on the open road and logged a 5k. I ran around my neighborhood, which ended up being surprisingly hilly. It didn’t compare to Coachman Park, but it gave me a run for my money (no pun intended). I didn’t run the whole way, which I was fine with. I haven’t been training regularly since I’ve been gearing up for finals, and, if my ipod setup was at all accurate, which I think it was, since I have gauged the area I ran at around 3 miles, then my pace was way down from what it normally is, which explains the huffing, puffing, and feelings of imminent doom. Additionally, after loading the data into NikePlus.com, I was proudly informed that my fasted 1-mile was a little under 10 minutes… lemme tell you, I have NEVER run a ten-minute mile before. I’m sure seasoned runners aren’t impressed, but I sure am, considering I was routinely the last person still on the track when we were forced to run the one and two mile distances in P.E. Here are the stats:

Distance: 3.11 mi (5k)
Time: 33:20
Pace: 10:42/mi
Previous Best: Iron Girl 5k, 38:26 at 12:24/mi

So, yay! Really, what it comes down to, however, is that I need to be able to modulate my running better so that I can run longer at a slower pace, rather than run at a faster pace and then have to walk. I guess on the treadmill, things are easier, because the machine regulates my pace for me. However, I doubt any marathons were ever run on the treadmill (not counting that crazy astronaut). Of course, I can never seem to run faster than a 12:15 pace on the treadmill, and that was for one mile, and I felt like I was going to die.

This brings me to my next topic…

Nutrition… and other concerns

I really have to try and muddle through this nutrition thing. I know that seems vague. What you eat to lose weight seems to be radically different than what you eat to train for distance running. I know this may seem obvious to those of you who are seasoned runners, but it’s causing a lot of confusion for me.

Obviously, as someone who has lost a significant amount of weight, I am used to eating a fairly calorie-restricted diet. However, I think I’m probably not getting enough calories to give my body the fuel it needs for longer runs. It’s just become a habit, I guess, to not eat too much. Also, I don’t eat a lot, but frequently, I’m not the healthiest eater. I’ll sometimes forgo a larger, healthy meal for a caloric cookie or some ice cream. *hides from the judgmental glares*

Really, though, I have a terrible sweet tooth, and red meat is often hard on my stomach, which makes for an unfortunate combination of not enough iron and too much sugar. I can start taking a vitamin for iron, and I bought some yogurts and other more healthful snacks, but, really, I guess it is just going to end up being trial and error that determines what I should eat and how much of it. I have some books, but as usual, they just quote the food pyramid to me, so I’ll just have to wing it I guess! Sugestions are welcome!

So, I wanted to post one last time before I hunker down and study my property book. I have a few playlists that I use when I run, so I thought I would post my general playlist to solicit comments. I also have one for oldies, dance music, strictly They Might Be Giants, and even some of the nike ones. Anyway, they are by no means perfected… and I’ll probably be adding and deleting songs fairly regularly. Anyway, here is what I have for now. The ones that are hyperlinks lead to iTunes. If you haven’t noticed by now, I’m a huge Apple fan, and I’m writing this on a mac, and I like my mac. So, anyway… here it is:

• Fly Me Away — Goldfrapp
• Doctor Jones — Aqua
• Higher Ground — Red Hot Chili Peppers
• Ooh La La — Goldfrapp
• Get Over It — Ok Go
• Suddenly I See — KT Tunstall
• Goodnight Goodnight — Hot Hot Heat
• Social — Squirt Gun
• Build Me Up Buttercup — The Goops
• Virtual Insanity — Jamiroquai
• Till the End of Time — DeVotchka
• Take Me Out — Franz Ferdinand
• Fever For the Flava — Hot Action Cop (This song… and entire album are like a guilty pleasure! :D)
• Here it Goes Again — Ok Go
• The Distance — Cake (probably on every runner’s playlist)
• Are You Gonna Be My Girl — Jet
• Hey Jealousy — Gin Blossoms
• Feel Good Inc. — Gorillaz
• A Million Ways — Ok Go
• You’re so Damn Hot — Ok Go
• I Was Wrong — Social Distortion
• Ants Marching — Dave Matthews Band
• Do You Want To — Franz Ferdinand

If anyone has any suggestions for additions, I’m always game to hear them!

Well, I had intended to go running today, but I screwed around too much early in the day, and now it’s raining like nuts… so I will either have to suck it up and go to the gym or wait until tomorrow. Either way, I’m stuck at home for the moment, so I thought I would post a list about the benefits and drawbacks to weightloss. I was thinking about it today, because I mentioned my upcoming surgery to a friend of mine, and he replied that he would likely have to be doing something similar in the future, when he lost weight. So, here’s my list:

Benefits!

• Clothes Fit better — Yes, I know this is obvious, but it really makes a huge impact on how you feel and how you perceive yourself. I always thought I had a badly shaped body (which, it’s most certainly not perfect), but really, being fat just accentuates the parts of you that aren’t great. And when you’re not, clothes mask a lot of that… so, here’s to well-fitting clothes! Hurrah!
• Exercising and Moving is Easier — This actually kind of surprised me… I used to exercise when I was fat, and then I took a really long hiatus from it while I lost weight (odd, I know!), and when I went back to it after I had lost the weight, it was like I was a totally different person. Thigns that had once been so hard were fairly painless, and it wasn’t like I’d just trained a lot. It was really just from the weight loss. Also, dancing has gotten so much easier. It’s like you’re more in touch with your body.
• Lower Blood Pressure — I was fairly lucky to be in pretty good health while I was heavy, but my blood pressure was elevated, although not outside of normal range. It was borderline. Now, it’s excellent! Woo hoo!
• Less Back Aches — I still get them on mega shopping days, but really, they are mostly gone.
• Better Vision! — I know this one is going to sound weird, but it is true. Not too long ago, I started getting headaches, and since they seemed to get better when I stopped wearing my glasses, I went to my optometrist for a check up. I expected to learn that my eyes had once again gotten worse, but no… they had actually gotten better! My prescription is now half of what it was a year ago.
• More Attention — As I approached my current weight, I began to notice people looking at me. Sometimes they would even smile. Sometimes guys would hold the door open for me. It was very, very weird… As a fat person, I was pretty much ignored, except by people who I already knew. I never caught people randomly looking at me or smiling at me. And I certainly wasn’t asked if I wanted drinks at bars, etc. It’s nice to get the attention, but it makes me sad that I was really treated that differently when I was fat. I really am the same person I was before.

Costs!

• Hair Loss — Part of this is from the surgeries, but part of it is just from calorie restriction. Either way, my once-thick main of hair is pretty thin these days. I’ll take it and not complain, though, unless I start getting weird bald spots. Then I’m going to be ticked!
• Loose Skin — This is a huge problem if you lose a significant amount of weight. At my heaviest, I wore a size 22 or 24, and now I wear a size 2 or 4… there’s just no way the skin can bounce back from that, especially not at the age of 29 (I’m 30 now, but I was 28 and 29 when I lost the weight). I’m really lucky to have a person in my life that can help me with this, but if you plan to lose a significant amount of weight, mentally prepare yourself to deal with the possibility of looking like someone deflated you and scampered off leaving you in your old skin.
• Replacing Your Wardrobe — Okay… so maybe this should be listed as benefit, but I’ve pretty much had to replace everything I own, except my shoes (and even some of them have become too big)… that includes bras, undies, stockings, pjs, robes, etc. It take a lot of money, and it’s frustrating when you’re a poor student like me. Before, I couldn’t shop in any of the stores, and now I can shop in any one of them I want, but I can’t afford anything! *smacks forehead*
• Confrontations with Excited People — It’s nice to have people notice you’ve lost weight, but it’s also kind of embarrassing to have people make a huge scene in front of others and ask you how you did it, and exclaim that you used to be so heavy, and now you look so amazing. I suppose it is better than the people who walk right past you because they didn’t recognize you, which has also happened to me. I guess it’s a no-win situation.

Well, there you have it I guess… a short list of the personal benefits and costs that I have come across since losing the weight. I’m sure others would have stuff to add, so feel free to leave a comment.

Well, I wanted to add that I’m pretty excited to have received all my equipment to use my new iPod Nano with the Nike+ sensor. I don’t own Nike shoes, as I have a very nice pair of Asics Gel-Nimbus VIII shoes, which are excellent quality and pretty much the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever owned. So, I purchased a pouch made by Marware, which can attach to any running shoe and make it compatible with the Nike+ sensor. I have only had a brief opportunity to try it out since receiving it yesterday, but I plan to go for a nice run tomorrow (or later today as it were). I used to run with no music at all, but when I’m on a treadmill, I find it to be too monotonous without music. So, since I was going to invest in a Nano anyway, I chose to also pick up the Nike+ sensor, so that I could track my distance easily, even when outside. Supposedly, the sensor has a 90% accuracy out of the box which improves when you calibrate it. I will have to do some testing at some point to see how true that is, but, until I get it calibrated, I’ll just be using it as is. Still, I think it will be a welcome addition. I’ve also picked up some new tunes to get me through my runs, so maybe I’ll post my running playlists one of these days. I totally snagged the Pirates of Penzance for marathon day. Although, I really want the version with the movie cast. If that can’t take my mind off of the pain, nothing can!

Well, I figured that I should post my experience with the Iron Girl 5k, since it was my very first race of any kind. My mother and stepfather decided at the last minute to watch me race, so we all got up exceptionally early and drove over to Clearwater’s Coachman Park for the race. It was actually pretty chilly out. I met a friend there, and we stood around, waiting nervously for the announcer to call the start. I never realized that they sang the national anthem before a footrace. I commented on this to my mom and added that I guessed it was a sport. She replied that, yes, it was a sport, and I was now an athlete. I sure didn’t feel like one! And I still don’t, but I imagine that some day, I will.

Start/Finish Line

I got pretty lucky for my first race. It was all ladies, and everyone was very supportive. Also, they honored each finisher with a medal, even for just a 5k and a very nice technical t-shirt. However, I was surprised by the fact that we would have to be running over a 90 foot bridge near the park, twice. It was pretty daunting. I had not trained for such steep inclines, and it made me nervous. When the race began, my friend and I stayed at a steady pace together. Going over the bridge the first time, I felt a stitch in my side, which I had never gotten in training before (must have been pretty lucky), so I was in a lot of pain for almost half of the first time over the bridge.

The Bridge

I made it over the first time without walking, but right at about the second mile marker, I just kind of lost it. It was probably mental. My friend went on ahead of me and walked part of bridge the second time. I didn’t walk far, though, before I picked up the pace again.

Crossing the Finish Line

I finished the race 264/388 over all in my event, and I was 30th in my age group. But frankly, I had never even completed the two mile run required in high school, so I was pretty proud of myself. My finishing time was 00:38:24, which is hardly impressive for a 5k, but it is now the time to beat. Also, I maintained a 12:22 pace, which is actually faster than I usually manage on the treadmill, and that was with some serious uphill running. Overall, the experience was fantastic, and I’m looking forward to future races. I have already registered for the Race for the Taste 10k in October, and I’m currently training for a full marathon. I really have to up my training if I’m going to finish a marathon. My goal at this point is just to finish. Even if I have to walk a bit (or a lot)! I’m not attempting to qualify for the Boston Marathon or anything.

Hello there! I know that there is no one reading this yet, but I figured I should have something written. I’m starting up this blog with the hopes of tracking my running and training for a marathon. I’d eventually love to have a whole bit of the site where I could show graphs of my progress and schedules for runs, etc. Right now, however, it is a simple blog with a template design, and not much going on. I’m running this on Wordpress, which I have no experience with, so as I learn more, hopefully this will get more interesting. I also feel the need to tell you that I will be taking a month-long hiatus from running starting May 1, and probably lasting through the end of May… this is because I have a surgery scheduled that will preclude me from running for a while. It is part of my on-going transformation from a morbidly obese individual to a slim, althletic runner. Luckily, I’m almost there! Hopefully, this will be the last disruption to my life as far as surgery goes, so, until May 1, I will be running as often as my law school finals preparation allows.