Have you ever . . .

while running, scraped up your dog's poop off the sidewalk with a rock and flipped it inhe air toward the dirt onl to have it land on the im of your hat?  I have.  Happy New Year, Sophie. 

New Blog!

I am going to be blogging over here from now on should you wish to continue to follow my almost unbelievably boring exercise life.

"I thought you were going for a WALK"

So said my husband, as I walked in the house after going 3 miles outside. I was all "I did walk, how do you know I didn't walk?" and he goes "because I saw you". He apparently just happened to be looking outside and there is this one spot where you can see the street that I run down, and he saw me. I did run some, but also walked, probably half and half. Maybe more walking.

Anyways, I was just going to do two miles, but after going through the long process of getting ready to go outside, because the stupid gym has the gall to be closed on Christmas day, (two bottoms, two tops, hat and these things Chris calls 'yak tracks' that slip over my shoes and allow me to run and walk over the inch of packed snow and ice that is all along my route right now), I decided it was all too much effort to go to for less than three miles, so that is what the dog and I did. It was about 25 degrees outside, but no wind, so it was okay.

It was definitely a happy and joyful time, very quiet (although incredibly slow). For the last half mile I turned off my ipod and just listened to the sound of crunching snow under my feet. It was nice.

Merry Christmas (or Happy Christmas for all our British Janathon friends)!

Weight Loss Observation of the Day

the more weight i lose, the more people try to sell me stuff.

also, i have been running on the treadmill this week. terrible weather and going in to work early prevents me from going to my home gym for the elliptical, and i dislike the ones at my work gym. but i do plan on doing 5.5 or six on the elliptical tomorrow. christmas day seems iffy at this point, the gym will be closed and too icy to go outside. maybe i'll try my home treadmill. or maybe i will behave like a sane person and just let it go for that day, you never can tell!

The ones you don't want to do are the ones that are best for you

So said the rather handsome gentleman who was in the work gym with me yesterday. I did 2.5 miles and he was holding the door for me when we were both leaving together and he goes "it's good to just get that over with" and I said "yeah, and today especially, I wasn't really feeling good about it today". I think what he said is just something people tell themselves, though. Maybe not, I guess. I mean, it is true that you just have to sort of slog through the times when you are hating on the exercise and count on the fact that it always gets better.

Anyways, I didn't want to tell him that part of the reason I think I wasn't feeling good about it is because I had a hard time focusing because him and his personal trainer were yakking loudly the entire time I was in there. It was annoying.

I have to go again today, even though I really don't want to, but tomorrow is Solstice, and I will be at Red Rocks drumming up the sun, so I'm really not going to feel like running after having to get up so early. At least, that is my reasoning right now. But in truth, I am just not feeling well this week. It's a typical December, full of illness. Both kids have some kind of stomach virus and we are all just hoping we feel better by Christmas.

3 Miles, Outside!

I ran in what might be the last of the decent weather around here for a while. Of course, I think that every time, which is why you really can't waste an opportunity around here, you never know when it might be your last for a good month or so. I took the dog, who was very happy, as this is his first run post-injury (he was probably ready before this, but the weather did not cooperate and he didn't fit in with my training there for a while). He did fine, we took it nice and slow.

Where the hell is everyone? I hereby threaten to change this blog's name to "Marianne's Boring Exercise Blog" if nobody else shows up soon.

I dreamt a dark on the horizon, I dreamt a desert where the dead lay down

but i don't plan to be one of those, i plan to live.

him: i was going to go to the gym, but my foot is hurting, so i don't think i am going to

me: that's all good, but i must tell you that i did go running today

him: i stopped comparing myself to you a long time ago.

:)

I'm not in the big girl club anymore

Or at the very least, I can no longer just assume membership. Yesterday I was meeting with a woman I know very casually, I don't know her well, and she is a very big girl, and she was telling me that she had asked her boss for some flexibility in her schedule so that she could go to some physical trainer appointments at her gym, and so we were talking about that, and I said something along the lines of "oh, yeah, I know what you mean", and she got this look on her face.... a look I recognized. It was the look that said "sure... sure you know what I mean. you spend your life THINKING you are fat, I spend my life KNOWING I am fat and being hated on every day for it". I used to give that look to people when they would say similar things to me. I still find it to be one of the most annoying things ever to have to listen to what I consider to be pretty skinny people talk about how fat they are and how they just really need to stop with the cookies. It bugs the shit out of me. And now I am one of them, at least sometimes. Because this girl, she didn't know me before, so my comment to her would not have made sense in the same context in which I meant it. She has only known me looking like I do now, so to her, I must sound like one of those people.

I've also had some minor conflicts with people that I am close to in my life that I believe stem from this same issue.... in that when I am speaking, I am still speaking as the very large woman that I was, and I assume people are going to take what I say in that context, and I don't realize that people obviously can't read my mind and know exactly where I am coming from, they only know what they see, which is a person who is clearly doing very well with weight and fitness, and who continues to talk as if she is not. It really is annoying, I can understand that. So, I'm glad for this insight, so that I can try and be more sensitive to others. I don't really want to be one of those people.

Anyways, I did three miles on the elliptical this morning and my weight is still going down, I am doing quite well in that department right now, even though I had to get some fluid removed from my lap band on Monday because I had a reflux flare up that was so bad that it inflamed my lungs and every other damn thing. The doc who did the unfill said that she has another patient who does triathlons who says the same thing, that every time his training reaches a certain point he starts having issues with the band and has to have fluid removed, so apparently this is something that happens, although nobody seems to know exactly why. I just chalk it up to basic inflammation, which makes sense when you are pushing your body hard.

Back on Track

three miles on the tready, and i am with sandy, i don't know what it is with running that you take a few days off and it feels like you haven't gone for a year.

i'm planning to get up tomorrow and hit the home gym elliptical, but that requires a 5:00 am wake up time, and sometimes i end up going with a plan b on those days, so we'll see.

All good, no hate

I got this video from RW Daily, and I initially thought it was going to be another big fat hate fest, but it really isn't. I found it to be really a good video, I love that all the research focuses on nothing more than walking (I love me some walking), and I think it is just a very valuable message. One of my biggest and hardest lessons to learn throughout my weight loss/surgery/exercise/running journey has been how to decouple exercise from weight loss. I think one of the saddest things I see is people joining gyms hoping to lose weight, and if there was one thing I could change about our current culture surrounding weight/obesity/exercise, it would be this idea that if we just exercise we can lose weight. Exercise should be about feeling good, relieving depression, anxiety, boosting good brain activity, reducing stress and all those other good things that the guy on this video describes... it should not be used as a prescription for weight loss, since it will inevitably fail for the most part at that task, leading people to stop doing it before they can really see the other benefits.

Anyways, watch and give it some thought.

I was victimized by lack of preparation

LOL that's what our fellow green hat said and I agree!! Plus, I read that there was contaminated water given out on the course, and that several people got sick. So, many reasons for my piss poor race last weekend.

Anyhoodle, on to recovery. I did yoga on Wed night and woke up really sore on Fri. I did 2.5 miles yesterday, and was incredibly sore this morning. So I did 2 today, ran one and walked one.

I'm really sick....

Sick enough to not go this weekend. On a WEEKEND! I'm taking myself off to urgent care and I'm sure hoping next week will be better than this one.

Elliptical Winter

It has started, people. Four miles. Aching hips rejoice!!

also, janathon is coming... just sayin'.

Vegas Baby!

Good things about this race:

1. Altitude. I might never do another race unless it is at lower altitude. It's not that it made me go faster, I don't believe it did, but I was so happy during this race, it was like some kind of drug.... and I am totally attributing that to the lower altitude. It wasn't even hard until mile ten, and at the end of the race I was still happy enough to sort of hop and jump on the finish line, which has never happened to me before. Usually I limp and piss and moan through finish lines. Also, I ran through one of my walk intervals at the 10K mark, another thing that has never happened to me before.

2. I accomplished my goal, and that is a good thing.

3. I was able to banish negative self talk throughout the race, I was able to just keep telling myself I was doing well and I did not give up or give in to negativity at any point, which was a real victory for me.

4. I was not cold, because I trained up here in Denver, and had run in so much more colder weather than what was going on in Vegas, it was really no big deal for me, but I know other people really struggled with that.

What was crappy about this race:

1. There were so. many. people. It was absolutely crazy and it really did slow me down for the first three miles (my 5K split was the slowest 5K I have done in a while, and I know that is the reason), and according to my Garmin, I actually ran 13.21 miles, which I know is due to all the weaving and dodging that I had to do the entire race. So bottom line, I probably would have been a good two or three minutes faster at the finish if it weren't for how crowded the race was.

2. Because the race was at night, I really did not get much sleep that night because my feet were hurting (along with everything else), which makes it difficult to sleep. Plus, it is just difficult to wind down after such a lot of physical activity, so that kind of sucked.

3. I woke up this morning with approximately ten thousand cold sores, I am certain this is due to just the stress I put my body through.

But it was overall a good race, I had fun, which is something I have never been able to say about a previous half marathon.

All props and honor to my blista sista!!!!

She rocked it. Met her goal and beat my ass to boot!!! So proud and happy for u sista. Hard work pays off. Me, I didn't fare so well. 3:02. Turns out one needs to train for these things!!!

You can feel sore tomorrow or sorry tomorrow

Which is it fellow blistas?? I did 2.5 just now and it was ok. I was worried at first because it felt harder than it should. I mean, I should be floating by now right?

Here's an entertaining convo from today:
he: will you go through my back and make sure I packed appropriately?
me: are you kidding?
he: ?
me: what is it you think you may have forgotten?
he: shoes and socks
me . . . ?
A match made in heaven, this is.

On a final note, I can't decide what to wear on Sunday night because it has to match my medal. Cause yeah, I'm gonna wear that bad boy Lionel Ritchie style - all . . . night . . LONG!!!!

SEE YOU IN VEGAS!!!!

An unexpectedly bad one

Tonight I went to the gym almost giddy with happiness that this is my last run before the half. Granted, I should have gone last night but it wasn't in the cards. So I hopped on my old faithful treadmill tonight (because it was freesing outside - 55 degrees!) And set my level 2 incline incline. But it was hideously difficult! I took a walk break after .63 miles and I called it quits after 1.5. Stupid treadmill. So, I decided I will do my 3.5 mi route after work tomorrow cause the office closes at 4 and we're not leaving til 7 and I need to end on a high note.

Running and Acid Reflux Disease

So my blista sista and I had a long chat about this because I’ve been increasingly convinced I have it, and after her coughing/gagging session following 11 miles, I’m convinced she has it.  I actually talked to my Dr about it a couple years ago when I was training for the marathon and it had become a problem resulting in a constant coughing and clearing of the throat.  She gave me a prescription I can’t recall and I took it for a month, problem solved.  Now I’m trying to figure out what it was.  We decided on a regimen of Prilosec OTC.

 

Running & Acid Reflux Disease

Aug 11, 2011 | By Kevin Beck

Acid reflux disease--often called gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD--is a condition in which stomach acids move in a retrograde direction, rising above the level of the junction of the esophagus and stomach and sometimes into the mouth. Runners who do not otherwise experience reflux often fall victim to its symptoms during their workouts.

Features

The chief symptom of GERD is "heartburn," the painful sensation that arises in the chest when stomach acid comes into contact with the tender lining of the esophagus; others include belching, nausea and bloating. Not everyone who experiences reflux has GERD; those with chronic reflux may experience it in any situation, including lying down to sleep, whereas others require certain triggers. As explained on HealthCentral.com, exercise--and running in particular--can be one of those triggers.

Causes

Factors that precipitate reflux in active, otherwise asymptomatic people include a high body-mass index (BMI), the most significant risk factor; the type of exercise performed, with running posing a greater likelihood of reflux than either cycling or lifting weights; and the time elapsed between the last meal and the onset of the run, with two or more hours being the recommendation for avoiding reflux problems. In addition, certain sports drinks, unlike water, can trigger a reflux episode.  (This is interesting because I definitely notice that sports drinks cause me problems.)

Effects

According to the American Medical Athletic Association, the increase in running's popularity has spelled an increase in reflux-related problems. These include damage to the mucosa, or lining, of the esophagus; chronic cough; laryngitis; damage to the teeth owing to erosion of enamel by stomach acids reaching the mouth; and sinusitis. More acutely, a runner in competition who experiences reflux is clearly not going to be able to perform up to her capabilities.

Considerations

According to Runner's World, pre-race nervousness alone may predispose people to reflux once the gun goes off. Carbonated beverages, chewing gum, coffee, tea and spicy foods are other common culprits. Less common but still frequently encountered precipitators of reflux and associated problems such as bloating include broccoli, bell peppers, sports drinks and onions.

Prevention/Solution

Eating too much, too soon before a workout or race is by far the surest way to trigger a reflux episode, so eating frequent small meals is a better choice than consuming widely spaced feasts. A lot of runners have a serious coffee or caffeine habit; those who experience reflux should be careful to moderate their intake. A variety of common medications can induce reflux as well, so runners taking prescription drugs are advised to consult with their physicians to determine whether a change in their medication regimen may be in order.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/153803-running-acid-reflux-disease/#ixzz1fJycvEsN