Last Saturday, I had a beautiful 5.9 mile run. (It was supposed to be 5.5 as a memorium for Ryan Shay, but I added a little extra just to make sure I was getting the amount I wanted.) I slept in, then headed out at 8:50, knowing I needed to make sure to keep my pace steady in order to make it back by 10, when Ash was coming over. The sky was bright blue, the air was balmy and I was feeling good. The relentless forward motion was exactly what I needed in order to release the frustration and stress of the previous week. Usually, it takes a good hour to an hour-and-a-half to get really warmed up and for the endorphins to flow (the runner’s “O”), but this day it only took me about 45 minutes. It was gorgeous. After running around the park a bit, I took off for the U, where I wound my way around high school kids in uniform preparing for Band Day (was I really that young in high school? I felt sooooo grown-up back then). I made it back home at 10 on the nose. It was perfect. The rest of the day was wonderful as well, with Ash and Chris and I playing games on the living room floor for hours (Hi-Ho Cherry-O, Battleship, Sequence for Kids).
Sunday, I headed to the gym for a little recumbent bike exercise and wow, did that hurt. Made me realize that it wasn’t yoga last time that made my hamstrings hurt so bad – it was the bike! I was grumpy and didn’t last longer than 30 minutes.
I rested Monday and declined Paki’s offer to run that night, since I had planned to run Tuesday morning. But my morning running partner cancelled, and I don’t like to run along in the dark, which meant I had to figure out how to get my 3 miles in for the day. A field visit along a potential linear park gave me about 1.5 miles during the work day, and I headed back to the gym for about 20 minutes on the elliptical to round out the day. Today I’m resting again, before my big Thanksgiving/running weekend – Thanksgiving day itself is the race that includes jumping over hay bales and running through water puddles (I did last year as part of a team), possibly a soccer kick-around (maybe? I’d like to learn how to play…), dinner at Chris’s family’s house with the possibility of a short hike after dinner. Friday will either be a hike with Chris or a run (and working on the first of a friend’s two-part custom art order); Saturday is resting as Chris and I visit my family for their Thanksgiving day celebration; and Sunday brings 9 miles. Yay! I’m looking forward to this weekend.
Awhile back (eleven days ago!), I was tagged by Karin, a blogger I had not yet discovered. The rules:
• Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.
• Share 5 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
• Tag 5 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
• Let them know they are TAGGED by leaving a comment on their blog.
1. I used to weigh 215 pounds (at nine months pregnant (my top weight ever), I weighed 235 pounds). When I was in high school, the lowest weight I achieved (via starving myself), was 118. I gained the weight of an entire (small) adult in about seven years.
2. I lost 70 pounds because of gallbladder disease (unable to eat saturated or trans fats), and got down to 128 right before my second ultra. Now that my gallbladder is gone, I’ve gained 24 pounds back. The first 10 pounds I was grateful to gain back – I didn’t like how bony I got at 128. I liked the softness and curves those 10 pounds brought. But now, I’m scared I’m going to gain another 50 pounds, and go right back up to where I was before, which is why I’m desperate to train for ZG this winter – to make sure I stay healthy. I REFUSE to be unhealthy again. (Tell that to my brain when I start stress-eating, wouldja please?!)
3. I am a high-school dropout. A few years later, I took the test to get my GED and scored in the top 1%, garnering myself a scholarship to the local community college, where I took one class, Western Civ 101, during the fall semester of 2001. Let me tell you, having history happen during the class (9/11) made for an interesting look back on how we got to where we are today.
4. I lucked into my career – I started at my firm as a temporary receptionist four years ago. Soon I became a permanent receptionist, then I was promoted to support staff in the department I’m in now. For the last year, I’ve been a project manager. Next up: department manager (my current department manager is aware of my ambitions and has promised to do everything in his power to help me learn and grow). I love my job.
5. I got married at age 17 and stayed married for 11 years, 4 days. This is the first time I’ve ever lived on my own, and so far, it’s been good.
Is there an expiration date on my custom art? I'm having a hard time getting my act together!
On the eating thing...do it one day at a time. Just for today, I will eat healthy and fuel my body with needed nutrients. I can do this for one day. Renew that promise each day. It's kind of reverse what we tend to tell ourselves now - the old "this one meal, I can splurge" or "I'll just have what I want today and fix it tomorrow". We keep giving ourselves that day or that meal and they stack up. So, it is figuring out how to give our selves the good stuff instead.
Have a great Thanksgiving weekend!
I like when these question things go around it gives more of an insight into the lives of us bloggers, Happy Thanksgiving Angie! :)
Have a great weekend! Sounds like you have fun plans with family and friends! :>)
Doll, I already had been tagged with that:)
It was great talking to you! I hope the mad dash of a race was fun, and you survived dinner with Chris' parents in flying colors. Been alone is scary, indeed, and needs adjustment. Yet it is excilirating and fulfilling as you make your own decisions, ones the resonate to you. Right? I am looking forward to it:)
I like your list. Really shows what a strong person you are, and everything you've had to overcome in such a short time (in the grand scheme of things).