Here’s what he said…

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My husband, Al, who is the editor of the Echo Press newspaper, wrote about his experience running the half-marathon in Las Vegas. The story, along with a picture of him running the race, ran in the Opinion section of the newspaper last Friday.

His story is very vivid and almost makes it feel as if you could have been running right beside him. I would love for all of you to read it, so here is a link to the story from the newspaper’s website: Highs and lows of a half-marathon.

Check it out and let me know your thoughts!

Thanks!

Number one!

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I have a confession to make…I am a magazine junkie. One in particular that I absolutely love is Consumer Reports. I know, not what you expected was it?

I have purchased many items based on how something was rated in Consumer Reports. Weird? Maybe. But I don’t care. I figure, “Why not let someone else do the research for me!”

Well, we received our February 2013 issue recently and as my husband was perusing through it, he was quick to point out an article he knew I would be interested in…VERY interested in, as a matter of fact.

It’s just another example of why I am so thrilled/excited/blessed to work for such an awesome company – Weight Watchers – the best weight loss/healthy living plan around (at least in my opinion!).

Not only are we rated the number one weight loss program by U.S. News and World Report, we also now received the highest score in the commercial weight loss plans in Consumer Reports. Yeah!

I know, I am probably not supposed to do what I am about to do, but I am super excited about the article, so I am sharing all with you! I tried highlighting some of it, but when I scanned it in, the highlighted part doesn’t really show up. If you don’t want to take the time to read the whole article, at least look at page four, where the headline reads: “Get the most out of Weight Watchers.”

It’s AWESOME information!

So, without further ado, here’s the article (all four pages of it!):

Page 1

Page 2

Page 3

Page 4

So, that’s it. Pretty cool, huh?

Why wait?

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I over did it.

With food, not exercise. Unfortunately.

And…fortunately!

This holiday season, I kind of let myself slip a little. Okay, maybe more than a little.

But, you want to know what? I’m okay with it. And you want to know another thing? I think my husband is, too. The last few Christmas seasons, I’ve been, well, let’s just say, a little tense. Okay, maybe a little more than just a little. And truthfully, I think it had to do with food.

Both my husband and I commented this year about how much more calm I’ve been and how much less stressed I’ve been. I didn’t really think anything about it, until this morning – this really, really early morning, like 5 a.m. when I couldn’t sleep because my mind wouldn’t shut off. I came to the realization that the last couple of Christmases, I was so freaked out about gaining weight and not overeating that it kind of made me a little too tense and a little too stressed. And unfortunately, I took it out on my poor husband and my poor son. Sorry, guys!

I realized this year, that I didn’t want to be SO concerned about the food and just enjoy the holiday and you wanna know what? I am so glad I did. So what if I gained a little weight? I thoroughly enjoyed my Christmas Eve dinner. I mean, REALLY enjoyed it. But, who wouldn’t with these super delicious, super cheesy, super creamy, super awesome potatoes that my mom made – at, MY request!

Yummy goodness. (I know the picture isn’t the best and I know it doesn’t really do the potatoes any justice, but rest assured, they were THAT good!)

I also enjoyed the delicious ham, the delicious lettuce salad, the delicious strawberry tapioca pudding salad, the cookies, the caramel marshmallow treats, the chips and dip, the rice Krispie bars, the peanut brittle, the pretzel Rolo treats, the cheese and crackers, the wine and THE EVERYTHING else I am forgetting about.

But here’s the cool part. I don’t have to wait until January 1 to get back on track. I don’t have to wait until the New Year, the new day, the new whatever! I don’t have to wait for anything. I can get back on track TODAY. I get to make that decision. And that makes me happy. That makes me less stressed and able to enjoy the holiday season even more.

But now, here’s the biggest question…will I?

The results are in…

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I completed my first half-marathon. I actually did it.

And here’s my medal to prove it:

My medal!

So, I suppose you’re wondering how it went. Well, let me tell you…

First of all, I finished and I am extremely proud of myself for doing so…despite what it may sound like when you read this. I am happy I did it. I don’t have any regrets. And, despite the fact that I said I was only going to do one in my life, my husband and I have already decided to do another one. We are planning on signing up for another Rock ‘n’ Roll series one, but this time, it’s going to be in San Jose, California. We are going to Napa, California next October to celebrate our 5-year anniversary and San Jose just happens to be a host city for a Rock ‘n’ Roll half-marathon. And, San Jose is somewhat close to Napa. Logistically, it just seemed to work out!

Anyway, back to the Las Vega Rock ‘n’ Roll half-marathon.

At the expo the day before the race, which is where we picked up our race packets and swag bag, we both ended up changing our estimated times, which also meant changing corrals. At this race, runners lined up in corrals according to their estimated finish time. At first, we estimated that Al would finish in two and half hours and I would finish in three hours. But, based on previous races, we decided to up our times to Al finishing in two hours and myself finishing in two and a half hours.

This meant that Al changed from corral number 24 to corral 14 and I changed from corral 36 to corral 27. There was a two-minute delay between the start of each corral, which helped immensely with not having a crowded course. This was greatly appreciated. Neither of us felt like squished sardines when we started out.

The race started at 4:30 p.m. Al crossed the starting line shortly before 5 p.m. – official time was 4:51 p.m. I crossed the starting line a little after 5 p.m. – official time was 5:16 p.m. We know our times because I was getting text message updates on Al (which I didn’t look at until after the race was done), and my son, Brandon, was getting updates on me. A couple of other people were following me also, which was really cool because I got messages from them immediately after the race was done.

Here are some messages from my son – before the race and after the race:

Text messages from my son

Loved the thumbs up from him when I finished. It made my heart melt and eyes fill with tears.

The start of the race was okay. The wind started to pick up and it almost looked as if a storm was heading our way. I checked my phone for weather details while waiting in the start line and learned that there were wind advisories – wind was blowing anywhere from 20 to 25 miles per hour with gusts up to 35 mph.

Yep. It was just a tish windy. And I think it played a factor in my running. When the wind wasn’t at my back, it was tough to push through.

I started the race out at a nice even tempo. At the advice of several friends and other runners, I took in the sites and the sounds. I knew I wasn’t going for a win, so I decided to take it easy. Too easy maybe.

I kept a pretty even pace – about an 11 minute mile – until mile seven. It’s here I hit the wall. Not sure what happened. But the wall was big and I hit it hard. For miles seven, eight, nine and 10, my pace was closer to a 12.5 minute mile. At mile 11 and 12, it was jumped to a 16 minute mile – yes, I was pretty close to walking, but yet I kept plugging along, one foot in front of another – VERY slowly. I stopped at every single water/Gatorade stop between miles 10 and the finish line. There was a GU energy stop, but I didn’t grab any. I should have.

The last mile to mile and a half, I basically walked, albeit a brisk, fast-paced walk, which seemed, at the time, way faster than my slow jog. At this point, I just wanted the race to be done. I wanted – NEEDED – to be done. I was crabby because I walked. I was crabby because my stomach was churning over and over and over and all I wanted to do was hurl. I was crabby because every ounce of my body ached. I was crabby because I was thirsty – despite all the water/Gatorade I had. I was crabby because I felt alone – yes, despite the mass amounts of runners and spectators around me. This was the first time ever I felt so alone in a race. Not sure why.

I just wanted to be done and I just wanted my husband. I wanted to curl up in his arms and have him tell me it was all going to be okay. I felt defeated. I felt disappointed. I felt…everything.

Here’s a picture that pretty much sums everything up:

Near the finish line.

Quite a contrast from a picture that was from the start of the race:

At the beginning of the race.

Well, after I crossed the finish line, which I did run across, I guess I was fairly happy because the photographer got this photo:

And I finished!

Truthfully, I don’t even remember this photo begin taken. At this point, I just wanted to find my husband and make our way back to our hotel. Well, I eventually found him, cold, shaking and also very ready to be back at our hotel. Apparently, he ended up in the medical tent with the shakes and shivers and was extremely nauseous. Eventually, he ended up throwing up. Sure wish I had.

Al ended up finishing the race in two hours and five minutes. I finished it in just under three hours – my first predicated finish time (guess I should have just kept it, huh!). My official time was two hours, 59 minutes and 56 seconds!

Despite the fact that I felt disappointed and let down, I will reiterate that I AM VERY PROUD of myself for finishing. I am thankful for the opportunity to be able to run this race. And if truth be told, I am looking forward to the next one!

I’m. Not. Tracking.

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I am on vacation in Las Vegas, Nevada and I am not tracking.

There, I said it.

I made a plan before I left where I gave myself a 5-pound leeway. I am okay if I end up gaining five (5) pounds. Really, truly, I am.

On Friday, which is when we left, I weighed myself at home and I was at 144.4, which was actually pretty good considering I have been maintaining at about 148. I was actually pretty happy with what the scale said. So, I decided that I was okay if….and I mean IF….I end up gaining five pounds while we are vacationing in Vegas.

And, I have absolutely no intentions of tracking. None. At all. Nada.

For those of you who are Weight Watchers members, you will know what a big deal this is. For those of you who aren’t, in WW, we track everything. And, I mean EVERYTHING. Or at least I usually track everything.

By that, I mean that everything I eat – every last morsel – gets recorded and assigned what we call a PointsPlus Value. But, while on this vacation, I have absolutely no intentions of tracking. Anything. At. All.

HOWEVER….and this is a pretty big however. I plan on keeping my portions in check. I plan to not go overboard (except for maybe a few more beverages than I usually have!). I plan on getting in lots of activity (of course, I will be wearing my ActiveLink! And I can’t wait to see what kind of activity points I will be getting!), and I plan on taking photos of everything I eat, which will help in keeping my portions and my choices in check.

I know this is not usually the ideal situation, but, when it comes to vacations, my philosophy is that I want to have fun, but at the same time, I don’t want to go overboard. I don’t want to be consumed by Weight Watchers. I want to have fun, indulge and yet, still have a plan. By setting myself up for a five-pound gain, I am not setting myself up to fail; I am setting myself up to succeed. I know I won’t actually gain those five pounds – or at least I really don’t think I will – but, by allowing myself to do will not make me feel upset or guilty or bad if I actually do.

I hope this makes sense. It makes perfect sense in my mind.

So, my dear readers, wish me luck on this vacation as I am about to embark on my biggest quest so far…running a half-marathon down Las Vegas Boulevard!

Stay tuned for an update after Sunday evening’s race!

 

It’s happening, one week from today…

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I am hoping that at this time next Sunday, I am at some restaurant eating a deliciously high-caloric meal, drinking a large glass of wine and celebrating one of the biggest successes of the past year.

Next Sunday, my husband and I are going to be partaking in our biggest race of the year, of our lifetimes – the Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vega Marathon and Half-Marathon. Yes, we will be running down Las Vegas Boulevard!

But, we are not doing the marathon, we are only doing the half-marathon! But it’s big enough in my book. And I am just going to say that even though I am excited as hell, I am also scared to death. Although, truthfully, I am not sure why. I guess I have been preparing and training. Well, kind of. Maybe. Okay, I didn’t follow a training plan. At. All. And the farthest I’ve run is only 10 miles. So, am I really ready? Did I really train enough?

I have no idea.

I guess time will tell.

So why a half-marathon in Las Vegas? Because I said if I was going to do a half-marathon, I wanted to do it up big because I have no intentions of ever doing another one. And I guess 35,000+ runners is pretty big!

I like running. Well, okay, I guess I kinda of love it (when I actually get out there and I am doing it!). But, I don’t particularily care for the long distance races. To be honest, I’m really kind of digging the 10K (6.2 miles) distance. It truly is my favorite. I honestly don’t ever see myself doing a full marathon. I really, truly don’t. Why? Not sure. Maybe it’s the training. Maybe it’s because I don’t want to push myself THAT hard.

I think it’s cool that people run full marathons. Those people are inspirations to me. Those types of runners are true athletes, true stars in my book. But I just have no desire to do one – a full marathon, that is.

I am psyched for our half-marathon. I truly am. But will I ever do another one? I guess we’ll just have to see how this one goes!

If you want to check out the Las Vegas run, here’s the website!

November 19, 2008…when it all began!

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So, I guess it’s been awhile, huh? Wow! I guess I let life get in the way. Or, maybe it’s because I’ve been lazy. Or, maybe it’s because I didn’t feel like I had anything else to say. Or, maybe I did’t think anyone was really interested anymore. Whatever the reason, I decided to come back. At least for now. :-)

Although I really don’t want to make any promises, I am going to try – really, really hard – to post at least once a week. Okay? Sound like a plan? Tell you what, I’ll make you a deal…I’ll post once a week if you, my dear readers, promise to check in on me and read what I write and maybe, just maybe, comment once in awhile. Provide me with some feedback. Is it a deal? Yes? Good.

Then, let’s begin.

November 19, 2008. Four years ago today.

Who knew back then how much my life would change? Who knew that walking through the door of my very first Weight Watchers meeting would make that big of a difference? I mean, really, it was supposed to be “just another diet.” Because, let’s face it, I had tried just about every other diet under the sun, why would this one be any different?

Let’s just say, it was different. WAY different.

For starters, it isn’t a diet. I repeat…IT IS NOT A DIET! It is one hundred percent – 100% – a lifestyle change. And if anybody thinks any differently, they don’t want/need it bad enough. That, my dear friends, is the difference.

A DIET. This is where you just want to lose weight as quickly and as effortlessly as possible. No change, really. No learning. No adapting. Not long term. No work. No effort. No desire. Nothing, really. Just get the weight off…fast and with very little effort. Truly, I don’t think I have met one person who has “dieted” and kept the weight off that they lost. Really. Truly. We’ve all been there. We’ve all done that.

A LIFESTYLE CHANGE. This one, on the other hand, takes work – HARD WORK, determination, desire, dedication, a willingness to change, much effort, support, trust and oh-so-much more. Truly, it is one of the hardest things to do short term, let along long term.

I can’t even begin to explain how grateful I am that I decided – FINALLY – to do the lifestyle change and not “just another diet.” It has been one of the most rewarding journeys I have ever taken. Truly. Honestly.

CHANGES over the last four years:

  • No more high blood pressure.
  • No more high blood pressure medication.
  • No more high cholesterol.
  • No more yelling stern talks from my doctor.
  • No more diabetes lingering.
  • No more obesity – yes, I was in the obese category.
  • A healthier body mass index (BMI).
  • Less fat and more muscle.
  • More energy.
  • An expanded, healthier diet – as in the foods I eat on regular basis. (Don’t get me wrong, I still eat my favs – cake, ice cream, cheese, crackers, cookies, chips, etc. Just not on a regular basis.)
  • A more active lifestyle – I am now a runner. (In 2012, my husband and I will have competed in 27 races, ranging from a 1-mile sprint to 5K races, to 10K races, to a 10-mile race, to our first half-marathon!)
  • A new career – I quit my job of 12 years as a newspaper reporter to becoming a leader with Weight Watchers. I now try and do what my leader did for me – give me a life, a much better life.
  • A different and better attitude.
  • More confidence.
  • A better relationship with my husband. (Not that it really could have gotten better as we have a pretty awesome relationship the way it is.)
  • A better outlook on life.
  • An active YMCA membership.

I know I could go on and on with all the changes that have taken place, but I won’t bore you any longer. All I know is that I am glad I walked through that door the very first time and I’m glad I kept walking through it, week after week, year after year. As cliché as it sounds, Weight Watchers truly changed my life. And I know, it’s only going to get better.

 

 

Hitting home

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Wow, this week’s topic in my Weight Watchers meeting sure hit home…not just for my members, but for me as well.

The topic was being kind to ourselves and how easy it is to beat ourselves up when we think we have failed. We talked about how we tend to turn to food when things turn ugly…we skipped the gym, we made a bad decision, we’re feeling depressed, we’re celebrating, etc.

I have to say it was my best meeting so far. It was the kind of meeting that really made my members – and myself – think, dig deep into the heart of our feelings and so much more. Yes, some of my meeting rooms were awfully quiet this week, but I didn’t mind. I could almost see the wheels turning inside my members’ brains.

I loved it. Sometimes, we touch on the surface of our eating problems or we just give tips on what we can do to pump up our exercise or change up our food, but sometimes, we got to get down and dirty, we have to get to the nitty gritty of our food issues. And that’s what they are. Issues.

At the end of the meeting, I read a saying – the author was unknown – about what food CAN do for us and basically what it can’t. It was AWESOME! Which, is the reason I am sharing it with all of you. My hope is that it hits home for all of you, like it did for me…especially the last one!

Here it is:

Please take this to heart!

A simple, but delicious date night dinner

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My husband and I discovered that we really love tuna steaks – ahi tuna, albacore tuna, yellowfin tuna – you name it, we love it. However, unlike much of the world, we don’t like tuna tar-tar, which is pretty much raw tuna. We love it grilled – all the way through. When cooked all the way, tuna really can be compared to eating a pork chop – or at least that’s what we think!

Last night (Saturday, April 21), we dined on a wonderfully simple recipe my husband found on the Internet called Grilled Mediterranean Ahi Tuna. Although it didn’t have very many ingredients, it had a lot of flavor. We paired it with a Weight Watchers recipe, roasted asparagus and red peppers. Again, simple, but oh-so-flavorful!

Below are pictures of our meal and the recipes. Enjoy!

The meal!

Close up of the tuna

Close up of the veggies

The tuna recipe

The veggie recipe

What did I do?

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As the weather warms up, I finally realized it’s time to buckle down and get back on track. Before we know it, summer will be here and that means just one thing – swimsuits!

I am not sure what kind of slump/funk I was in, but I think I have finally snapped out of it. I do blame the weather for putting me there in the first place, which I guess is kind of weird considering we – those of us living in central Minnesota – have had a very pleasant winter. But it seems like the older I get, the more I despise winter. It truly gets me in a bad funk. I need the fresh air – WARM, fresh air. I need the sunshine – the warm, bright sunshine. I just feel better, eat better (as in healthier!), sleep better, exercise better – well, pretty much do everything better in every other season, but winter.

Well, spring is here apparently and I am loving the weather we’ve been having. It has been gorgeous! Summer IS right around the corner, I can smell it and taste it and feel it.

This past weekend, the hubby and I were in Minneapolis. We had a 7K race on Saturday morning and decided to spend the entire weekend in the cities. We had a blast. We ate, we raced, we visited with my brothers and families, we ate, we walked around downtown Minneapolis, we ate and we shopped. We didn’t do a lot of shopping, but enough to please both of us.

There is one purchase I made that SHOCKED me. I. Bought. A. Swimsuit.

Yep, I did it. I went ahead and purchased a new swimsuit. Why? Not entirely sure, but I did. And not just any ‘ol swimsuit. I. Bought. A. (insert throat clear here) BIKINI!

Yep, me. I did it!

First off, keep in mind, that I don’t even wear shorts in the summer. Ever. Yes, even though I have lost 50 pounds, I still don’t wear shorts. I will wear capris. But never shorts. Even when running, I don’t wear shorts. EVER. Second thing to keep in mind, I don’t think I wore a swimsuit once last year. And my husband’s family has a summer cabin on Lake Ida, a beautiful lake near where we live.

So, what possessed me to purchase a new swimsuit, let alone a bikini? I can’t even tell you. I have no idea. I haven’t worn a bikini since I was probably 19 years old. But, I guess I just thought it was time. I still may not like my body, well, it’s more that I despise all the disgusting stretch marks I have. But I also don’t hate it anymore. Yes, just like everyone else, I have flaws, but I’m okay with it. My flaws are me. They make me who I am. They give me character. Plus, really, who am I trying to impress? My husband loves me. ME – not anyone else! And, he loves every last one of my stinking stretch marks.

So, will I wear my new two-piece bathing suit? Maybe. Probably. Hopefully.

Will it be at a public beach? Doubtful. Unless, by chance, I am on vacation somewhere where no one knows me!

If you are wondering what this new swimsuit looks like, I am sorry to disappoint you, but I will not be posting pictures of me in it. I am an open and honest person as many of you know. I will tell you what I weigh (143.8 as of this morning!). I will share my struggles and my triumphs. I will tell what I eat if you ask. I will let you know when I have eaten half a container of ice cream. But there are just some things that can be left alone.

But in case you are really, really wondering what kind of bikini it is, here are pictures I copied from JCP, which is the store I bought it from.

My new bikini top

My new bikini bottom (keep in mind that it actually goes over MY belly button!)