Trust Me, Just Do This Race!

Seriously, if The C0lor Run comes to your area or close to it, GO! It's not about racing. It's not even timed. It's about getting covered in color with your friends!

We arrived early to beat traffic and sat and chatted in the car. We knew there would be a lot of racers and we were meeting about fifteen people. It's pretty hard finding people in a sea of white!

Like I said, this race isn't timed, so there really isn't much of a start. We were in the first wave which was awesome later in the race to be able to look back on the course and see all the people. Up first, yellow!

Our goal, get coated as much as possible! We twirled our way past the people throwing the color. Not going to lie, it was awesome. Up next, pink!

It was a bit chilly, but it was a sunny day and everyone was just smiling and laughing! Up next, purple!

I thought there was supposed to be five colors, but I swear there were only four. No matter, that's one more to enjoy next year. Up next, green!

Then it was to the finish line. Where we waited for the finale. Each racer was provided with a free packet of color for the end. About every 15 minutes, people threw the color up in the air. It was amazing.

Our shoes really took a beating, but I'm going to put mine in my obstacle pile to be used for that.

Oh, and while my car didn't have on a white shirt, it did participate! Yeah, that really is my car covered in the paint. Once I was done, people's reactions were priceless. There were many team photos taken while we were packing up.

Change of Plans

**In the huh, I never hit Publish category, I bring you this post...**

I'm sure many can relate to this: sometimes when I've planned a workout, I just don't feel like doing it. I know, shocker right?

I have what are best described as my "must" workouts and my "if I feel like it" workouts. My M-F ones are my "must" workouts. I just suck it up and go when I have the "don't wannas". My "if I feel like it" are the weekends. Races get done (cause they are fun...well, and I've paid for them!) and on the weekends that I don't have races I generally get in a long run. But sometimes on non-race weekends my run may be what I planned, a bit shorter, a lot shorter, rarely longer, or *gasp* not at all.

I run because it has evolved into something that I enjoy (and yes, it took time to get to this point!). I get dressed and head out and plod along thinking about "stuff". Sure, sometimes along the way I have the mental whines that pop up during a run like how much farther, I've been doing this how long, this hurts / that hurts, etc. But for the most part I am thinking about things that are going on, totally random stuff, or at times not much of anything.

Compared to serious runners, I don't consider myself one at all. My goals for races are: (1) have fun (2) finish (3) have a decent time / pace and (4) no recovery downtime (so that I don't miss any of those "must" workouts!). So what I'm doing works for me to meet those goals and maintain my base. If I decide that I want to PR a 5K or a half, then I will need to alter what I'm doing and do some training. But with training for me comes stress. The running becomes prescribed and must be done. That doesn't sound fun to me right now and I have plenty of stress at the moment without adding to it from choices that are within my control.

Anyway, last Saturday I bailed on the 15K to do the 5K because it was just too cold for me. I said that I'd do 9 miles Sunday, but I wasn't feeling it. I needed a mental break and some movement from sitting at a desk all day though, so I decided I'd go out and go with the flow. My 9 ended up at 5 miles.

I guess the point of this post is that my quarterly wellness goals which are a bunch of stats may make it seem like I workout a lot, I think there's a lot of balance in the details. I workout because of how much it helps me manage my stress, make better food choices, and how it makes me look and feel (healthy and strong) which all goes into helping me maintain my overall health and wellness.

Thank you for taking the time to read these posts---especially as my blog is far from band related at this point. (I really do still have a band!) Hopefully a nugget here and there is something to think about or at a minimum provides some insight at what things are like for me at about 6.5 years out.

Running for Chocolate

My alarm went off and I see the clock says 430am. At first I don't remember, and I'm trying to figure out why I set my alarm so early. Then it hits me. It's a race day.

Don't get me wrong. Originally my buddy and I were hell ya! Swag is a running jacket and there's a CHOCOLATE after party. Until I saw the weather. Winter seriously came to Texas overnight. With wind chill, 17 out. Between that and the pain of getting there (get up at 430 for a 730 race) my excitement had greatly diminished. And ya, I'm whining. I just wanted Scotty to beam me there.

I started off with my breakfast of champions. Strong coffee followed by a chunk of banana bread. A couple long races ago I figured out that a homemade muffin or banana bread fueled me really well. Ever since then, it's my go to meal.

Then out the door with more coffee, 12 pounds of gear options (unfortunately not too much of an exaggeration), and we're off. We have come up with three alternate routes after taking the same route multiple times with the same result to this popular large race location in Dallas. Sitting in stopped traffic each and every time. We decided we'd rather be early sitting in the parking lot this time and our fingers were crossed we wouldn't get lost.

We essentially drove from the door to the best race parking lot with reasonable traffic. Things are starting off well and we are hanging out in the car. We see that the race has officially announced that because of the weather we could switch to the 5K with no penalty.

We had survived the cold and rain from another race and were thinking that we'd still do the 15K. Until we got out of the car that is. It felt way colder than 17 and the wind was horrible. We're still debating, but we are feeling our toes and hands getting cold. So the pro/con debate started. The intent of the run for us was to get our long run in, but we could do that tomorrow when it warms up. Then the final straw for me----no medal at the finish. I'm out, onto the 5K.

The race was very well organized. The start went smoothly and the course was good and well marked. When we finished, they had made the after party a one entry / one exit affair which made it move very smoothly. I had some hot chocolate to warm up, said hi to a few people we knew, hit the road to get breakfast at a toasty warm restaurant, and then home for a hot shower.

Since the race was 1/3 of what I had planned to run, I had a great-fast race. My toes did warm up about 1.5 miles in, but I was honestly glad that I didn't do the longer one. I don't regret my decision at all and will do a 9 mile tomorrow.

Super Bowl Recap

I had to work through the weekend, which ended up being OK because my husband was out of town anyway. You'd think it'd be easy to escape the Super Bowl snacks, right? Well I didn't know I was going to have to work or that my husband wasn't going to be here and bought a bag of caramel and cheddar corn mix for us to eat....which is honestly pretty much crack!

There I was working and watching the game and snacking on the crack. I had put five servings into a bowl and proceeded to snarf on it from noon until the game was over. Sure, there's a bunch of "could-a's" that I could insert here, but nope this is maintenance for me. I strive for overall balance - which means crap and healthy. Yesterday was more of a crap day (but, it's also all natural crap!), but there was also a bit of healthy stuff.

I thought the halftime show was OK, but dated with the super old songs. I don't like Madonna's new song either. It strikes me as something more suited to a much younger pop singer and I hated her with the pom poms. 53 and pom poms? I just thought it was cheesy. Maybe I'm just over Madonna?

My favorite commercial goes to M*&*M's because I remember it and also because at the time it made me smile. I needed a smile again today and it worked like a charm. Go check it out: here's a link.

Orange Smiles

I pack lunch for my husband so he gets a nutritious and healthy breakfast, lunch, and snacks. I've been on an orange kick lately because the ones around here have been so good. I'm a peeler, but he prefers his cut up into "orange smiles".

Have you ever thought of all the people that have handle an orange? It really doesn't matter if it's organic or not, there have been a lot of hands on it. My thought: Eewwwwwww!

I doubt that my husband is sitting in the office rocking the orange smile the way it is supposed to be done, but just in case I wash the orange before I cut it up.

I was supposed to go for a run with a buddy this morning, but she bailed. I decided to get some work done and then was planning on heading out for a break. Well, then it was lunch time and I was starving. Then I had this very important service announcement that I had to share about orange smiles (you're welcome). Then there might have been an chocolate chip oatmeal cookie that had to be eaten, which now needs to digest. Don't want to be getting a cramp!

Procrastinate much? It's quite possible that I'm just not going to make it out for that run today and you know what? That's OK...cause I think I really need to go get a pedicure now!

Speed in a Pack

I have a couple friends that take the winter off from their fitness routine. They figure that when "spring has sprung" that they will pick up their fitness routine again hard core in preparation for summer. But there's 49 days between now and that first day of spring...imagine the progress that can be made in 7 weeks...

So, I might have been going a bit over the speed limit...within two blocks of my )*(*@#)($* house when I got pulled over along with three other cars. The other cars were told to continue while I'm left sitting there.

The policeman comes up to the car and I hand him my paperwork, but I was pretty miffed by what happened. I said, "Sir, I'm not sure why you pulled me over or why..." He interrupts: "Ma'am, I am not going to argue with you." And he goes back to his car. I'm angry at this point.

While he's writing up the citation, I attempt to talk myself off the ledge and when he comes back to the car I say to him as calmly as I can: "Excuse me, sir, I believe I have a right to ask why I am being pulled over and I am extremely upset that you interrupted me and disregarded that right. I was being polite and you interrupted me before I could even finish what I was asking and assumed I was arguing."

He got a dude look. The one where it's almost like their eyes roll back in their head and they realize something. Because I could tell that he realized that there might be some truth in what I said.

He did say he was sorry and what would I like to ask. So, I clarified why I was pulled over - speeding. But also asked why I was the only car that was being cited. He then told me that I was going the fastest of all the cars. This didn't make sense to me---write us ALL a ticket, but I'll give it to him because the fastest car of those three was going 5 over the speed limit and I don't want to be pulled over and cited for going 5 over.

He says: "Ma'am I am giving you a warning."

Me: *OMG, happy dance in my head!*

Him: "I see you have XX on your car. Thanks for your service."

Me: *OMG, still happy dancing* --- "Thank you officer for the warning and also the recognition of service. That's my husband."

So remember, if you are going to speed, do it in a pack and don't be the fastest speeder.

Oh and also, consider getting a concealed handgun license with your spouse/partner. You have to give it to the officer along with your license. Since this happened to me before my husband, all he seemed to be able to focus on was the fact that I got to handover my license first. Even if I had been cited, I do think he would have been stuck on this more than the ticket. *eye roll*

It's just a free cookie, right?

While I was getting some things from the deli counter over the weekend, I heard a mom arguing with her child about whether or not she could have a free cookie. The mom must have said no to the kid at one point, but the "debate" was ongoing. I didn't think much of it until I heard the little girl say to her mom, "But I always have one when I come to the store."

Now that got me thinking. Not about this mom and her little girl, but whether or not that free cookie is potentially creating a long term association (trigger) that each time a kid enters the store that a cookie or some sort of "goody" should be eaten?

I don't think every kid that has a cookie every time s/he goes to the store is at risk, but I do think that there are likely some. And, sure, I'm putting my own frame of reference on this, but if I put myself in the place of one of these kids, I could see it happening to me. Heck, there are places that I go to today as an adult and I sometimes have the same urge to order what I always did years ago.

Sure it's balance and it's only a cookie and all that sorta stuff, but I try to imagine myself as a parent and think about how challenging it would be now with all the fast food and free cookies out there to help guide and teach children good choices and balance. Personally, I'd like to see the store stop the free cookie entirely or replace it with something healthy. My hat is off to parents that have figured this out!

On the band front - maintenance just continues. I had mentioned that my crap intake had gone up during the holidays while my husband was gone and my jeans were feeling a little snug, but after I gave myself a good swift kick I pulled back on my crap mix to about 90/10 and am plugging along with boot camp and running and feeling much better.

Joining a Gym?

The  27 Rules of Conquering the Gym 

Below are some of the ones that made me giggle... 

1. A gym is not designed to make you feel instantly better about yourself. If a gym wanted to make you feel instantly better about yourself, it would be a bar.
2. No one in the history of gyms has ever lost a pound while reading "The New Yorker" and slowly pedaling a recumbent bicycle. No one.
3. Don't fall for gimmicks. The only tried-and-true method to lose 10 pounds in 48 hours is food poisoning.
4. You can take 10 Minute Abs, 20 Minute Abs, and 30 Minute Abs. There is also Stop Eating Pizza and Eating Sheet Cake Abs—but that's super tough!
5. If you're motivated to buy an expensive home exercise machine, consider a "wooden coat rack." It costs $40, uses no electricity and does the exact same thing. 
6. If a gym class is going to be effective, it's hard. If you're relaxed and enjoying yourself, you're at brunch. 
7. Fact: Thinking about going to the gym burns between 0 and 0 calories. 
8. A successful gym membership is like a marriage: If it's good, you show up committed and ready for hard work. If it's not good, you show up in sweatpants and watch a lot of bad TV.
9. There is no secret. Exercise and lay off the fries. The end.

Shout out to Grace who hit Onderland, but I can't comment on her blog...or other blogs either! Congratulations Grace!!!

Pancakes!

I did a 10K today. I've found recently that I wear my iPod, but I am not turning it on. I'm not sure why, I just  find myself zoning out and thinking about this and that. So, I was plodding along trying to remember if I have ever run a 10K and I don't think I ever have. Weird, 5K, 15K, 8 mile, half, but I cannot remember a 10. Best news - that makes this a PR!

I'm using some longer races in place of long training runs in preparation for an upcoming half. Plus I think I get more out of these runs than a training run because I push my pace a bit. They are definitely a lot more fun! I've figured out I'm a medal whore though. I missed getting the bling at the end. :)

They were serving pancakes after the race, but the line was over a block long! Thankfully my buddies didn't want to wait in line either. So we went for breakfast and coffee someplace warm. We talked about new gear we've been trying out which I'll have to cover in another post because I need to get cleaning! I want the house sparkling because my husband is coming home tomorrow night! I am so excited! Happy Weekend!

How many???

I went to boot camp this morning and...burned 40 calories! That's right. An hour of camp and that's what my Polar FT7 said. Yippee? It's been driving me nuts. It displayed "Check your heart rate transmitter" so many times that it kinda put me in a bad mood...OK, I wanted to throw it across the lot! Don't get me wrong, I think it's a great heart rate monitor (related post), but I've only had it for 1 year and 7 months. Here's what I've tried:

• Changed battery in watch.
• Changed battery in doo-hickey that clicks into the band (ya, that's what Polar calls it, really)
• Washed band - which I do once periodically .
• Made sure the contact things on the strap are wet when wearing.
• Pulled and tugged and altered the dang strap while wearing to get it to track.
• Paused and restarted.
• Stopped and restarted.

Bottom line: frustrated. : | I do have an average that I burn for camp that I'll use for today, but I'd like to get this dang thing working! *sigh* Suggestions welcome.

Dear Fluffy: You did a lot of running , boot camps, and ended the year strong on your fitness goals in December, BUT what you stuff in your face is important. Since your husband has been gone you have been eating too much crap. Yes, you are missing him and the holidays were super hard with him gone, but GET OVER IT and quit eating your feelings! Your jeans are a bit tighter than they were and it could have been a lot worse (noticeable to people other than just you...and will be if you do not quit it!). Continue to get your teeter totter back where it's supposed to be and balance your stool.

"No Fluffy, to step on the scale you need not." - Y0da

"To quit stuffing your pie hole with crap you need, feeling, identify what you are, and acknowledge them."   - Y0da

"Try not. Do. Or do not. There is no try." - Y0da

New Year's Day & The Winner!

On New Year's Day, I had my 5K to finish out the double race. I really liked ending the year with a half and starting the new year with the 5K. I was surprisingly loose and had a really good run. Best news, it was a 5K PR for the year (get it? HA) and I made a dent in my 2012 Wellness goals !

It's running season for me, so I have already registered for a few races: 10K, 15K, 5K (2), and a Half. If I can find a few more 10-15K races that are close, I might add them as a fun way to knock out a longer run.

And the winner is...
Manda Panda of Candyland to Bandland! Congratulations! Please email me (fluffyDOTbandsterATgmailDOTcom) and provide me with your mailing address.

Closing Out Wellness Goals 2011

I. RAN. A. HALF. MARATHON. TODAY! Yippeeeeeee!!!

Right after I finished the race today, I had a bit of a revelation. While I don't recommend it, I did this race with little running training and a not so good running base (I was running some outside of camp and still doing camps). I had some fear this morning prior to the race about my ability, but finishing the race triggered a bigger feeling in me. While I'm embarrassed to say this, I am truly amazed and proud of my fitness level and where I am today. I'm ending the year happy and healthy, which makes me smile. Wishing everyone a happy and healthy 2012!


Wellness Goals - Year End Results

1. Boot camps. Goal: 200 camps. Stretch Goal: 240.

• 240 camps! Achieved stretch goal.
• There were a couple days that I didn't want to go, but this goal got me out of bed and to camp. I just couldn't miss it by only a couple! I was just too dang close!

2. Training/Race Total Miles. Goal: 416 miles. Stretch Goal: 520 miles. Revised: 208 miles.

• 229.12 miles. Achieved revised goal.
• My lack of summer running definitely hurt my base. I had to kick it up to be able to make it through the half and didn't know where I was going to land against this goal until I created this post. I'm very happy!

3. Half Marathon(s). Goal: 1. Stretch Goal: 2.

• 2! Achieved stretch goal.

4. 5K or other races such as obstacle races. Goal: 3. Stretch Goal: 5.

• 4. Achieved mid goal/stretch goal.

5. Calorie Burn. Goal: 130,000 Stretch Goal: 150,000 (note: this is only "dedicated" exercise)

• 158,596! Achieved stretch goal.

Related:
3rd Quarter Results

2nd Quarter Results
1st Quarter Results
2011 Wellness Goals

Wellness Goals – 2012 Plan is Drafted!

I talked about Wellness Goals early in 2011, but then I didn't actually draft them until sometime in March. Procrastination, I'm good at it, don't be jealous. So, this post is already a win for me! ::cabbage patch::

I'm looking for some year-end entertainment and excitement which will be at your expense. Well, really no expense to you, it will be expense to me, but it will hopefully provide the winner with a little fitness motivation.

So what is it? A copy of Jil1ian Michae1s' 3O Day Shred. All you have to do is leave a comment and state for everyone to see that if you win it you will take on the challenge! I'll let people comment here or on my upcoming 2011 Wellness Goal post and pick a winner on the 2nd.

Disclaimer: While Ji11ian is my bff in my head. She sadly does not know me and did not provide me with the prize. It will come from the "fluffy's husband is outta town and I was told to do something fun" fund (I think this counts).  

Excited????? I know I am. 

2012 Wellness Goals

1. Boot camps. Goal: 200 camps. Stretch Goal: 240.

• Keeping this one the same as 2011. It's a lot of camps!

2. Training/Race Total Miles. Goal: 225 miles. Stretch Goal: 250 miles.

• Going with my revised 2011 goal.

3. Half Marathons. Goal: 2. Stretch Goal: 3.

• Increasing by 1. Scary.

4. 5K, 10K, 15K or other races such as obstacle races. Goal: 5. Stretch Goal: 7.

• Increasing 2011 goal by 2!

5. Calorie Burn. Goal: 150,000 Stretch Goal: 170,000 (note: this is only "dedicated" exercise)

• I don't really know how meaningful this one is as it seriously seems like a lot, but I'm going to keep it again at least initially in 2012.

Related:
3rd Quarter Results **warning: this one is the one with the creepy bunny!

2nd Quarter Results
1st Quarter Results
2011 Wellness Goals 

(Nothing to do with post, but I couldn't pass up a bunny with pancakes on its head!)

Reflection

This time of year always makes me think about the year before. Last year our house was all decked out and we had a big holiday party. This year the holidays didn't turn out as we hoped and my husband left early in December to go overseas and won't return until mid-January. Our separation and limited contact has definitely put a damper on my holiday spirit, but compared to so many others we are extremely fortunate. So not to sound trite, I have been focusing on my blessings.

One thing I have noticed year after year on this journey is that I no longer look back on the prior year with regret. 7ish years ago that was not the case. I'd find myself wishing:

• I had started eating better, exercising, or losing weight the prior year.
• I had continued on some progress that I had made the year before.

While the band is a tool that helped me get to where I am today, it is by no means the sole reason for my success. When I made the decision to get banded, I was at a crossroads. I was done. My life had to change and it was the first step of many in making permanent changes. The band was definitely a catalyst, but eating well most of the time and exercising are also required. I think that's the key to my success. Amy wrote a really good post that I totally agree with. Go check it out here.

I am currently drafting my wellness goals ƒor 2012 and will close 2011's wellness goals around the new year. I am finishing the year strong and am excited about it!

So, I challenge anyone that happens to read this post: What will you find yourself thinking at this time next year? What will you do to ensure your success in 2012?

Thanks for reading and Happy Holidays!

Worth the Read

Please consider going and reading this article:

Weight: Why One Size Doesn't Fit All

The author of the article and her mindset on where she is does a great job of describing where I am trying to be in my personal journey at this point, but I think there are nuggets in there for anyone! I loved this:

Just remember that weight is subjective. One person's idea of overweight is another's person's idea of just right. You decide what is good for you. I've always been happy with my body and never wanted to weigh a number that I have to constantly struggle to maintain. Life is for enjoying. I'm happy with me. No one should set rules for how I should feel. 

This is exactly where I am striving to be: "Life is for enjoying. I'm happy with me."

It's Started!

During the summer (that never seemed to end!), I can remember thinking at camp (1) it was hot; (2) I'll be glad when it is cold (I prefer cold over the brutal heat & humidity personally) and (3) the whinefest would shortly switch gears from hot to cold. Thursday:

And, yes, it's started! It was mild whining early in the week, but it increased as the week progressed. It got a bit on my nerves *sigh*, but I think the holiday season is contributing to that. It's early in the morning and dark, I'd rather be snuggled in my bed and warm too. We all know it's cold and I don't think there is one of us that is really *glad* to be there. (Just glad when we're done!) So, put a sock in it!

In other news, I recently had a birthday...and need to update my sidebar to 43!!!! Not that I know what 43 is *supposed* to feel like, but I just don't feel 43. I got a few new clothes and had mentioned to my husband that I wanted a ceramic watch, and tada:

Instead of cake on my birthday, I decided I wanted an ENTIRE bag of D0ve milk chocolate squares. I divided them into 7 bags and ate a bag for 7 days straight.

I'm guessing there's someone that might be thinking something along the line of that's a lot of calories, she's gaining weight, that's maintenance? an entire bag? etc. While the chocolate isn't necessarily quality calories, it was less than an extra 200 calories per day. Hell, the slice of carrot cake I like from ch33secake factory has more calories than the entire bag of chocolates anyway! So, as an isolated week it may seem like a lot--or potentially a slippery slope, but in the big picture it's not. And, I also don't plan to make it a regular occurrence!....until my next birthday! : )

Unplanned Race!

In discussing the NYE/NY double with a friend a few weeks ago, I mentioned that I was going to stretch myself and do the half vs. the relay. Which led to this conversation on Thursday:

Friend: Hey, you've been training for the half at the end of the year, right?

Fluffy: *Snort* "Training" is probably a big stretch of the word for what I have been doing, but I have set my race goals accordingly...low and slow.

Friend: Well, we just had someone drop out of our relay team. Can you fill in and do the 6.5 leg?

Fluffy: Uh, you mean as in this Sunday?

Friend: Yep.

Fluffy:  If you can live with me wrecking the team's time, then sure.

Friend: The team doesn't care.

Fluffy: OK, but you need to let them know that I'm a turtle.

Friend: *laughing* Ya whatever.

So, on Sunday, I joined 25,000 of my closest friends at the:

We decided to take the transit down to the race site to avoid the traffic. We got down there, used the portas and then I went to my bus to get to my leg. I got on the bus and since I can get lost pretty much anywhere, I got on and asked if it was for my mile distance. Some people looked at me like I'm an idiot, but oh well. I wanted to be sure. Then off we went to the transition point.

Everyone started getting off the bus. I said to the dude next to me, you getting off? He says to me, aren't you? I said, ya, when they kick me off! It's cold and wet. Where they going anyway? It wasn't an issue and we stayed nice and warm...and most importantly dry! The temp was somewhere in the very low 40's, but it was raining big time!

The two gals before me are fast. So, I did some calculations and knew I needed to get my butt outside at a certain point. I went out and my teeth seriously were chattering. I couldn't get them to stop. This guy next to me said that I could sit on the bus and I said believe me I would but my team will be here soon. He looked at me like I was crazy and he said is your team that fast? I said yep and no sooner had I said it that I said oh there she is now. His face was priceless!

I got the ankle thingy on and took off for my 6.5 mile leg. To give you an idea of just how fast the previous two girls were I was constantly being passed (I'm a turtle and proud of it!). Eventually the 3:05 marathon pace group passed me to give you an idea!

I just kept going. My pace was much faster than I planned, but I felt good and honestly energized by all these speedies around me. I just kept repeating in my head a story my husband told me about a Navy Sea1 (NS). When asked about the training and the speed you have to run, the NS was asked what if you can't run that fast, the response was "you just run faster". Well what if you can't, "you just do". Then when the NS was asked about distance, the response was "you just keep running". So, that's exactly what I did. I just kept running.

The 6.5 mile leg turned out to be SEVEN! But I felt good and still had plenty of gas in the tank! I was seriously proud of myself since my base is far from what it was. It was also a great confidence builder for half at the end of the month. I'd love to post a bunch of pics, but I don't have any! I wanted to be sure I had battery charge the entire time and the camera sucks it up, but I can share a pic of the medal.

Our team did great. We were shocked to find out that we placed 18th! Cracks me up even now and my buddy pointed out that I held onto 4th place throughout my leg. I wasn't a turtle, but a rurtle!

I liked this race, but I don't think I'd do the relay again. There was too much waiting before and after my leg. I'd rather just do the half next time (get there, do it, and done). Uh, did I just say that?!?

Six Years, Six Posts: Post 6 - Year End Plans

As long as I have goals in mind, I'll strive to meet them. I created my wellness goals this year to ensure my focus. I set goals I could achieve with some work and stretch goals that would require more effort. You can see all the scoop on these posts:

3rd Quarter Results
2nd Quarter Results
1st Quarter Results
2011 Wellness Goals

I realized earlier this year that I h.a.t.e.d running in the Texas heat. It was huge for me to admit it and revise my goals, but  running was a beating and I just didn't enjoy it. Problem is that in my 3rd quarter results I talked about how my revised mileage goal may be a stretch. Honestly, it has been bugging me ever since! So recently I decided to go for it, kick it into gear, and end the year strong.

The holidays are tough though. Surrounded by food, family stress, my own personal family baggage, holiday stress, etc. it can make keeping an exercise routine and mainly healthy choices rough for pretty much everyone. My husband is also going to be out of the country for a military detachment for over 4 weeks that includes Christmas/Eve and NYE/NY which leaves me more vulnerable than normal. So, I needed a plan and some focus that would help me with preventing excuses. Enter:

That's right a double race! It will be the first time for this race and seemed like a good way to end the year and start the next. So, what's a double? These were the options:

Essentially you can pick anything from a 5K on NYE and a 5K on NY to TWO marathons. I originally thought I'd do a half relay on each day. I ended up registering for:

That's right a HALF on NYE and a 5K on NY. Since my base is definitely not what it was, I will not focus at all on time for the half (hear that Fluffy?). My focus is "fun & finish". I went back and forth on whether or not to do the half, but if I did a relay, I knew that I could just go run the 6.5 miles which wouldn't help me with preventing holiday excuses. And, while the bling always attracts me to the race originally, this one is no exception. Check this out:

You get a half medal for each race (reflects the race you ran), but upon completing the 2nd, you also get the magnetic back plate. And look at the size! (That's right, everything is bigger in TX!). What's your plan for making it through the holiday season on track with your personal goals?

Man, writing 6 posts in 6 days seemed like such a good idea at first! Then I realized, heck I'm lucky if I post 6 times in a month!!! Thank you to each and every one of you that have read through these posts and for all the very kind comments. I truly appreciate it.

Six Years, Six Posts: Post 5 - Uhhhhh...

Man, I made it all the way to post 5, but I can't really think of anything *aaaaarrrrrrrrgggggggghhhhhhh*. So, I bring to you bullets of random nuggets, which unfortunately seem to me to be a bit repetitive to the other posts in the series (oops!)...

• The band is only a tool. I can remember when I was just starting out that one of the things I read on one of the boards somewhere was "unfortunately it doesn't band your head". This is so true. So for those of us that struggle with disordered eating, the band may not help you in that regard. If you want to, you can "eat around the band". For me, I took the cliche route to addressing this challenge - shrink, books, and a helluva lot of practice that still continues to this day, but that path worked for me.


• Healthy choices and exercise will lead to loss. The scale may not reflect hard work/healthy choices immediately, but it eventually will. It's science, there is just no way eating well and exercising will not lead to loss. Unfortunately, our bodies can kinda suck at times and seem to fight back. If this happens, while it's frustrating, hang in there. Perseverance is your friend. There were plenty of times that I was questioning the process and wondering if it was going to work for me, but I just pushed my way through and hung in there. I should also mention that there was also a time that it turned out that I wasn't eating enough! Go figure, my body actually needed more food (healthy stuff) and weight loss started again.


• Exercise is key in my book. Without exercising, I believe that maintenance would be a cycle of gaining/losing/gaining/losing and for me, this cycle was one of the main things I was trying to leave behind! I'm sure there are people that get to goal without exercising, but for me I want to be thin and fit. Read this post skinny fat for more.  


• Eat your meals, don't drink them. I think I should and like to be able to eat most foods. If you look back through my blog you will see that there were times that I wasn't doing this, but in hindsight I was too tight.When I eat non soft food, I get full and stay full for a pretty decent amount of time even now. Soft food (sliders) / liquids don't do that for me. Also, I generally eat at least some of my protein first, but I love me some veggies! The million dollar question is what is the right restriction? Check out this post that contains an article that I think does an excellent job of covering restriction.


• Practice has led to improvement on not eating for the sake of eating. I've beaten the emotional part to death, this is really about is the food good? I have really grown in this area. If food isn't good, I don't eat it and while it can be wastefule, I've gotten over that. Food snob? Foodie? Whatever label that goes with this, this was a definite growth item for me.


• One bad day does not wreck the journey. It's one day, seriously get over it and don't beat yourself up. What purpose does that really serve other than making yourself feel bad and at times leading to thoughts of giving up? And no, I'm not saying to deny what happened or not analyze why it happened. I think that's important. It's the mean negative self talk that which I think can actually lead to another bad day. For those old enough to have VCRs, it's kinda like that slogan, be kind rewind. Be kind to yourself and yes rewind, review, and try to learn from it. Then move on. 


• As a bandster, I think everyone starts out with this hope and excitement to get going on this journey and motivation is 110%. Many people lose initially (some the entire time - lucky!) without a lot of effort. Then there are others that have to work hard to get every stinking pound off---I fell into this category, but now I think it was good. It allowed me to slowly work on myself and the things I needed to address to ensure my personal success. Regardless of whether the journey is "easy" or "hard", changes have to be made. You can't (and shouldn't) eat the amount you used to, are encouraged to change your eating habits, and encouraged to exercise.

If you are at a point that your are hitting a rough patch in your journey (been there on multiple times myself!), then I encourage you to not look at how far you have to go, but how far you have come. Consider making a list of all the positive changes that have occurred. I think you'll be amazed at how many you come up with. Consider posting that list on your bathroom mirror. Read it every morning and add to it as it grows. Avoid falling into the trap of: "but", "shoulda", "coulda", etc. What you list are accomplishments and you should be dang proud!

Six Years, Six Posts: Post 4 - Band Secrets Revealed!

Dear Bandster,

Please find below the secrets to band success...

Oh fine, these are just the things I'd recommend considering for a successful journey, but I thought you might read it with the "secrets to success". Ultimately your journey is your journey. You need to figure out what works for you and go with it. As much as I wish there was a magic band fairy, I've spent 6 years looking and darn it, there just isn't one!!

Portion size = bandster portions. Bottom line for me eating the right band size portions was and still remains a "must do". I had a dilated pouch at one point and I also self-diagnosed myself with portion distortion (ya, I coined the term too, but it has a ring to it). While I think I'm better at visualizing portions than I used to be,  I do tend to measure while I'm at home. (I have these serving spoons that my best friend got from WW and they are 1/2 cup, 1 cup, etc., so while I'm measuring it isn't get the measuring cups out, etc.) While there is hardly any fluid in my band, the band is still there and I believe that my pouch can be stretched by eating too much or too quickly. So, if I don't get full before finishing, I just eat what I'm supposed to and I'm done. If/when I get hungry again. I just eat again.

Eat healthier. While the band doesn't have any mal absorption concerns, I owe it to myself to eat a well balanced diet that includes fruits and vegetables. I find that a balanced diet makes me have more energy and reduces my cravings as an added bonus!

Exercise. I'm sure there's someone with a band somewhere that didn't and doesn't exercise and made it to goal, but I've exercised throughout my entire journey. My exercise has evolved and continues to evolve with my fitness improving. I encourage everyone to make exercise part of the journey if you haven't already. It's good for you!

Find an exercise you enjoy and works with your schedule and commitments. It's important because consistency is key . If you hate your exercise you aren't going to do it long term. But also remember, when you start something new, it will likely be hard. Don't think hard = hate. Give a new exercise a chance, you might find that you love it.

Stop the diet mentality / step away from the scale. I think regardless of what you eat, do, etc., you are "on a diet". It's just what makes up your diet. For me what this meant was to stop looking at food based on calories and can I or should I eat this. This was part of my personal retraining and changing my relationship with food. I look at the quality of the food and do I want it. Because if I really want to eat crap, and it's not for emotional reasons, then I do. Ironically, giving myself permission was empowering. Food lost its power and more often than not I gravitate toward healthy food.

The number on the scale is only one measurement, yet it's one that seems to consume most of us and I think it is a key measurement while losing (me = guilty). Personally, I recommend once a week, but there are many successful bandsters that weigh every day. It's whatever works for you. I would strongly encourage body measurements as well though. It is something that I wish I would have done and likely would have helped me through the tough times with the scale---when the *(#&$#* wasn't moving, which I'm sure plenty of people can relate to!

Figure out what makes you feel good. What makes me feel good isn't going to necessarily make someone else feel good, but what I figured out is that I need to exercise during the week and first thing in the morning. It helps me manage a stressful job and just makes me feel good! And honestly, I eat better without even thinking about it on the days I have exercised. Go figure!
 
Continue to assess and re-assess. I check in with myself periodically. It may sound stupid, but I find that if I don't consciously check in (self talk) that I just keep going on auto pilot and then I project something is wrong some other way. For example, I realized at one point I was returning home from morning camp grumpy. Unfortunately, I was taking it out on my husband now and then (boo me). I sat myself down and had a talk with myself (funny picture, huh?). I realized that my trainer's style was no longer meeting my needs. So I switched to another camp.

Blogging. The intent of my blog was to document my journey as I was asked to "journal" by my shrink, but I had also hoped that it might be helpful to others from a long-term historical perspective as I had wanted to find such people in the beginning and couldn't. This many years later my blog may not be specifically "all about the band", but I'd be a freak if at this point day in and day out it was about it, right?! I've also found it helpful at times to be able to go back and look at past posts. Plus there's nothing like some perspective or opinion from another bandster and opportunity to connect and make friends. I highly recommend blogging about your journey....and please don't blog and then disappear leaving everyone wondering!

In summary, it's a personal journey. Just like the decision to get a band, it's very personal and you have to figure out what works for you. Try not to compare yourself to others, but do try to learn from others or appreciate what they are doing as you might find little nuggets that may also work for you!