I'M BACK!

Well, I figured I had better blog to prove that I am still alive. It is that procrastination syndrome of not doing something for so long that it then becomes harder to do because you feel like such an idiot!

The last few months in a nutshell: we moved, I ate out of stress, I didn't work out, I gained about 15 pounds. In August, I started eating a bit better and working out a bit, dropped 8 lbs. Finally started running again about a week ago, FEELS GOOD!

Also, I want to change the name of my blog. I know I need to lose weight, but referring to myself as "fat" in my blog title just doesn't settle well with me. I don't really like telling people my blogger address, so that is a problem.

I have a pretty good idea for a new address, but can't tell you yet! I will figure out how to make the change over and you can see it then.

Till then!
Michelle

Spirit of the Marathon - Movie Review

Last January while at Mom & Dad's, Jeff and I caught part of a show about the marathon, and I remember it being really good, moving and motivational. But I couldn't remember what it was called. Well, Jeff came across a documentary about marathons on Netflix instant watch that we just viewed online called Spirit of the Marathon that turned out to be the same show! So, I thought I would do a review.

First, let me say, if the tiniest idea of running a marathon has ever crossed your mind, then you need to watch this movie. It follows different groups of runners as the prepare for the 2005 Chicago Marathon. The groups include first time marathon runners, repeat runners trying to PR and qualify for Boston, an elderly marathoner and his daughter, and also a couple of elite runners who hope to win. So, basically something for everybody.

Each of their stories are personal to them, yet you can find something in all them that inspires or that you can relate to. Parallels are drawn between the marathon and life and the challenges that we each face. The movie takes you through all the preparation and then finally the actual race. It is very touching to watch these people run and finally cross the finish line to a very momentous event in their life, and it makes me want to complete my own marathon.

So, it even just the glimmer of thought has crossed your mind about your own marathon experience, this is the movie for you!

p.s - don't forget the tissues.

Online Trainer

At the Palouse Sprint Triathlon last September, I won a free month of personal training with an online trainer out of Spokane. Well, I started using the trainer a couple of weeks ago, and it has really shaken up my work out routine.

I have been swimming, biking and running. To compensate for the plantar facitis, I have been on the eliptical trainer, and doing some aqua jogging. Though my foot has been feeling a lot better, and last Saturday I went on my first regular run. It was just 15 minutes out, and then running back at a faster pace than on the way back. It went well, and my heel seems to be doing ok. I only feel a little pain when the area is massaged.

Starting to swim has been good, it is a really great workout, though the first time it made my arms feel like rubber.

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It is a week later and I just realized that I never came back and finished this post, so I will just end it by saying that my trainer had me record all my food last week, so talk about being paranoid every time I ate something! But, I did lose weight, so I know that recording my food is important.

Only one more week left with the trainer, then I will be on my own. But it has been really good to see what type of things I should be doing.

Pursue Your Dream!

I started out this year with great ideas of running a half marathon in March and a full marathon in May, but when I was struck with platar faciaitis in Frebruary and find myself still not running a couple of months later because of the twinge in my heal, it is rather depressing.

I keep thinking that I should search the internet for something else that I can do, a new goal. But I keep putting it off because of the uncertainties that I feel.

But I came across a YouTube video lately (embedding not allowed) that made me realize that regardless of the obstacles, we should always continue to pursue our dreams.

Though I have not been running, I have been going to spin class three to five times a week, so that is good. Hopefully that will make a difference when I start running again to not have to start at the beginning. I believe that if I am careful, I can still complete a marathon this year!

So, that is my dream, and here is to Susan Boyle for being brave enough to pursue her dreams!

Book Review: Marathoning for Mortals by John "The Penguin" Bingham

I first heard of John "The Penguin" Bingham through Runner's World magazine, where he writes a monthly column. About John from his website:

Once an overweight couch potato with a glut of bad habits, including smoking and drinking, at the age of 43 Bingham looked mid-life in the face—and started running. Since then, he has completed 40 marathons and hundreds of 5K and 10K races—and developed a whole new outlook.

So he is a great example to look to for what anybody can accomplish with running if they make the decision to do so.

He has written two other books on his own: The Courage to Start and No Need for Speed. Marathoning for Mortals is co-authored with his wife Jenny Hadfield, M.A, C.P.T and they both have another book out called Running for Mortals, as well as an inspirational training log called Training for Mortals.

If you are just thinking about running, and wondering if it is something you could do, I would say read The Courage to Start. I was just looking for any of his books to read, and the only one I could find through our library system was Marathoning for Mortals, but this seemed appropriate since I had already done a half marathon and was planning on doing a full marathon this year. From what I have seen, much of the information in his various books is very similar, but from different angles, and then some things are different based on the purpose of the book.

Marathoning for Mortals is broken into four parts:

1. Getting Started
2. Training
3. The Toolbox
4. Game Face

The main purpose of this book is to get you from wherever you are now, to completing a half or whole marathon. John and Jenny will help you accomplish this through walking, walk/run, run/walk or running either of these two events. Including full training plans in the back.

Overall, I really liked this book and thought that it had a lot of good advice. Starting how to recognize who you are and how to set up a training plan that will best help YOU succeed.

The section about training was fairly good, but I felt that there were parts where they could have delivered more in the aspect of details, which I expected them to do, but I felt a bit let down because I still had some questions when I was finished with this section. Though there were definately other questions that they answered.

In the Toolbox section I felt similar. A lof of good information, but it just skims the surface. But perhaps that is the purpose of the book, not a lot of detail because they know that can be found elsewhere. I was most frustrated with their Injury Prevention chapter where they discussed the three most common running injuries. Though I am biased because I am still currently enjoying one of these common injuries, plantar facitis. For this they basically said that this condition often responds well to getting special inserts for your shoes. Not very helpful, especially since I have seen Jeff suffer with PF for years, and he wears inserts! Inserts can make a difference, but even through this isn't the book for going into detail on injuries, I felt that they could have addressed this better than they did. This part of the book also briefly discusses nutrition, gear, and cross training.

The last part of the book discusses the race day itself and strategies all the way down to the start of the race through to the end of the race, as well as the emotions you go through the weeks following your big run. This was well done and made me realize the many things I probably wouldn't think of on my own.

One thing I liked about the book were the small inserts from real people, and how running has affected their life. I find that there is always someone who anyone can relate to when these types of inserts are included, and they help me realize that there are many people who were worse off than I who have accomplished great personal triumphs through running.

One thing I did not like about the book was the recommendation to wait a year after you start running before you start training for either a half or whole marathon. Perhaps that is because I started running last June and completed a half marathon at the end of November. I felt that I built up my training slowly, though quicker than what is recommended by many in the sport. I did many things right, but also a lot wrong. But I tend to be the type of person who decides to do something, and then learn enough to get it done and figure I will worry about the details as I go or when something comes up. Though this has served me well in many areas, it also gets in my way at times. I learned this the hard way with my current injury. I knew I needed new shoes, but figured I was fine for a few more weeks. I knew that I was pushing my training distances a bit hard, but figured that I would be fine because I had a plan and I had goals.

One of the most important things I learned from this book was to listen to your body. I wish I was running again, but I still feel a twinge in my heel and I do not want to aggravate it by running to far too soon. So I need to realize that I have to start slower than I wish, but by doing so will get where I need to quicker than if I do the wrong thing by pushing myself too hard too fast.

So overall, I would say the book was worth reading. The way they address the mental aspect of running was stronger, the details of the nitty gritty is better found elsewhere. If you are thinking about running your first half or whole marathon, this book will give you the courage and basic information to get started and do it.

If you are just starting to run, read his first book, The Courage to Start. Jeff bought this off eBay recently, and it looks really good for someone who is thinking about running, to realize that you can do it! And even though I have been running a little while, I plan on reading this book because I think it will be helpful.

"The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start."
John "The Penguin" Bingham

Movie Review: Run, Fat Boy, Run

I got to thinking about all the running books and movies out there, and thought that I would start reviewing one every now and again. I decided to start with a movie because, lets face it, you can watch one in less than two hours!

Besides being a running movie, Run, Fat Boy Run, (PG-13) is a British movie with British humor. My mother is English, so I grew up exposed regularly to British humor and quite enjoy it, so I liked the movie (expect a little bit of crudeness and, of course, the bare bum!). Overall, I would give it 7 out of 10 stars.

The movie stars Simon Pegg, who is starting to be recognized more in the US (he is "Scottie" in the new Star Trek movie this year). Pegg plays Dennis Doyle, a down and out security guard at a womens clothing store in London. He is known for not finishing anything, for being a failure and a quitter. This is best shown in the opening scene of the movie where he panics and runs out on his pregnant fiance (Libby) on their wedding day. He has been running from life and responsibility ever since.

It is about 6 years later, he is involved in his sons life, but often a disappointment. You can tell that he loves his son very much, as well as Libby. But she has moved on, has her own business, and is dating a successful and wealthy American business man, who runs marathons for charity.

When Dennis goes to talk to Libby about her current boyfriend, she tells Dennis that he has never finished anything in his life, and he responds by telling her that he will prove her wrong by running and finishing the upcoming marathon.

Unrealistically, the marathon is in 3 weeks, but you can't let small details like that ruin a good story! Just enjoy Dennis as he trains (you gotta love the shorts!) and his experiences as he tries to find a charity to represent (registration closed months ago for the marathon, so it is his only hope to get in).

As any good movie, he almost doesn't run because of various circumstances, but then he is talking to his son who is having some problems. He tells him, "You can't just run away," and his son asks him "Why not?" Like any good father, he knows the right words to say. He tells him, "Because it doesn't solve the problem. You start running, the problem is still there. You've gotta stick at it and then figure out a way to solve the problem, even if its really, really hard." Then his son says the type of thing that any child can say to make you really evaluate your life, he says, "Is that what you do Dad?" How can Dennis not run?

Without giving away the detail, Dennis ends up injured, but he will not quit. It is hours later, and for most the marathon is over, and that is when people notice that there is still a lone runner on the course: Dennis. He has a crowd of supporters following him as well as the media, and that is when it happens: he hits THE WALL.

I would have to say that the representation of Dennis and the wall is great! Though he is in the middle of a park with a lot of people, when he hits the wall, the movie shows him standing all alone with a 20 foot wall in front of him that extends forever in both directions. Breaking through a wall is personal, you have to do it yourself, and it is mental. For Dennis, breaking through his wall is not just about finishing the race, but a way to put behind him a lifetime of failures, of never finishing, of being known as a quitter. In his mind, he backs up and charges through the wall and his past, then the camera cuts to reality with all the people standing behind him, and he just places on foot in front of the other and starts running again.

It makes me think of life in so many ways, not just hitting THE WALL when running. People see you going through life and problems, one step at a time, but the internal struggle: mentally, emotionally and spiritually, is much greater and the part that people don't see. Though others may have a degree of empathy, they can never fully understand your situation because we are all unique individuals influenced by our own personal history.

So, does he finish the race or not? Well, it is a feel good running movie that brought a few tears to my eyes, so of course he finishes! But I will not tell you the details of the climatic crossing of the finish line. But after almost 14 hours, he crosses the finish line, his son his there and says, "Dad, You won!"

Such is life and running. We win and become hero's to ourselves, to our children and families and to others around us who we don't even know, by persevering and finishing; of not giving up when the going gets tough!

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Running!

Now, we all know what the good is of running, we can list many things, and it can mean different things for different people. Some good things are: getting or staying in shape, private time to do something for myself, a sense of accomplishment, camaraderie with others etc.

The bad of running, I would say, is injuries, something I am getting over right now with my heel pain. Injuries are not fun!

So what is the ugly? CHAFING! If you have never experienced this, you may not understand, but if you have, then I think that you will agree.

Merriam-Webster defines chafing as: to make sore by or as if by rubbing. I have also heard of this referred to as the chub-rub, and though I believe more fit athletes experience chafing also, the chub definitely contributes to the rub (at least in my case)!

Now, though I had heard of chafing, I never experienced it until last fall when my runs started getting longer, around 8 miles. It is very uncomfortable,but what can you do when you feel it starting to form and you are still miles from home? You just keep running and it just keeps getting worse! My chafing happens high up on my legs where my leg joins my buttocks. :-)

So, I would get home, treat the chafing with some bacitrin ointment, and everything would be fine in two day for my next run (shorter, thank goodness ;-).

But chafing affects all that you do for the rest of the day! Walking is just painful if not done carefully!

Many fit athletes (especially men) experience chafing on the nipples from their shirt rubbing, and I have read that becoming a member of the CNS (Chafed Nipple Society) is not really desirable. But, there are ways to prevent chafing. Two well known products on the market are SportShield and Body Glide. I just purchased some Body Glide, it comes in a stick form (like deodorant) and you just rub it on your body wherever you may chafe.

Well, I am 4 - 6 weeks away from long runs, but when I get there, I will blog and let you know if Body Glide is a success, or if I am again walking funny for a day!

Too Much, Too Soon

Well, this is the post I should have written last Wednesday! I decided that even though I still felt a twinge in my foot, that I was ready to start running again. So I went out for a short run of 4 miles. Though I felt fine during the run (I was aware of the twinge in my foot), the plantar fasciitis really bothered me for the rest of the day. Every time I walked, I was just gimping around! Luckily it wasn't as bad as the first time round, and by the next day it was back to a twinge. I realized that I had tried running too soon.

So, my new plan is to not run until I feel no twinge in my foot, probably 2 -3 weeks (I was off running for about 10 days before, but I was doing some quick walking). Instead, I will be going to the 9:00 a.m spin class 4 days per week (that is how often it is offered) and revisit weight training (something I have not been doing but know that I should).

This means that there is no way that I can do the Snake River Half Marathon on March 7, especially since there is a good chance that I will just barely be back into my running by then. It also means, that when it comes to the Spokane marathon, that I will probably have to settle on doing the half instead of the whole 26.2 miles.

This is tough, I want to somehow justify doing the full marathon, but realize that my injury was from a combination of too many miles too soon, and bad shoes. I have new shoes, but if I train too hard to do the full marathon, I may find myself injured again and not doing anything! (Though, to be honest, I am still wondering if I can do the full 26.2 miles if I do a run/walk program!)

Correctly Fitted Running Shoes - What a Surprise!

Well, I finally did it. I went to a specialty running store and got fitted for the running shoes that are best for my feet.

The last time I bought running shoes, I went to Tri-State and bought comfortable shoes, though I had it in mind that I wanted Nike Plus shoes for my Nike Plus system, though I was willing to get other shoes and just use my shoe pouch. But, I did find a pair of Nike Plus shoes that were really comfortable that I bought. They are Nike Plus Air Pegasus. I put about 400 miles on them and knew it was time to get a new pair (evidenced by my heel pain).

We went to Blaine, Washington this past weekend to visit my parents, plus it was my birthday. Before going I searched and discovered a running store in Bellingham, WA called Fairhaven Runners and Walkers. My Mom and I went there on Saturday where I was helped by an extremely friendly clerk named Jeva.

She had me walk back and forth a few times so she could see how I walk. She said that I was a fairly neutral walker with a slight over pronation, which she confirmed with another clerk and the store manager. Total I tried on about 10 pairs of shoes, slowly narrowing them down. Some were obviously not good, others were borderline. I finally got it down to two pairs, and I wore them outside for a short jog. And guess what type of shoe I ended up with?

NIKE+ AIR PEGASUS RUNNING SHOES! The same pair I had purchased previously just based on comfort.

This is highly unusual. I would still definitely recommend going to a specialty running store. If nothing else, I now know that I am in the best shoes for me.

And for the shoes, I would like to say, "Thanks Mom & Dad!"

So close and yet so far ... & Heel Pain - Plantar Fasciitis?

I ran 5 miles yesterday, and felt really good as I pushed to finish it in under 44 minutes. As I listened to my final stats, I was hoping to hear a "Congratulations! You have just completed your fasted 5 miles ever" blip. But it did not happen. I checked my stats, and missed beating my fastest five miles by 3 seconds! I finished in 43 min. 53 sec, and my best time was 43 min. 51 secs! Man, what a bummer! It wouldn't have taken too much to push just a little bit harder, if I had only been aware of the time to beat.

Also, towards the end of my run yesterday, I felt a little pain in my heel. This got worse towards the end of the day, and this morning it feels like plantar fasciitis, which I read can be caused by over pronation. I know that I do have too much movement in my feet while running and that I do over pronate, I think it is time to get new running shoes ;-) and make sure that I get some specially designed for over pronation. I was reading too that some good insoles can also make a difference. Meanwhile, I guess I just need to ice it, take some ibuprofin and take it easy (i.e - minimal - if any- running) for a week or so. :-(

Where's Dad?

I got home last night after picking up Erika, and Jeff was nowhere to be found. None of the kids knew where he was, so William and I went all over the house looking for him. Was he playing hide and seek? Something he may have done when the kids were really little, but now? Not likely! To confirm our bafflement, I even looked in the small front closet and William hollered out the back door. Finally, I told Will, "he must have gone for a walk."

So I went out to the front porch to watch for him and immediately saw a dark figure come jogging down the cul-de-sac. It was Jeff! On a whim, Jeff decided to go out and see how far he could run, and said that he turned around at the point where he figured he could make it back. He had gone a mile! Now, for those of you who do not know Jeff, this is a guy who has not run in years (like 20), and has perpetual feet and back problems. Sometimes just walking is painful.

Now I would like to say I am just total inspiration, but I think it was watching The Biggest Loser. Seeing people in way worse condition, people in pain, just push through it and endure for the hopes of a healthier life, people like Dan.

So, kudos and three huzzahs for Jeff:

HUZZAH! HUZZAH! HUZZAH!
I am proud of you honey!

To end this blog with the words of John "The Penguin" Bingham, "The miracle isn't that I finished, it's that I had the courage to start."

Personal Trainer Watching

Personal Trainer watching is similar to bird watching, but, in my opinion, a bit more entertaining. Like birds, personal trainers tend to flock in small groups of 3 or 4 in the corner of the gym. There they chit-chat and lift weights and just generally look cool.

Then comes a client and one breaks away. She commences to inflict pain upon another human being, walking casually along as the woman is doing walking lunges across the gym while holding a bar over her head. Back and forth, then to a machine, and then back to lunges. And all the while she is charging about $60.00 and hour. That is my kind of job!

Now, I have to admit, that client handled everything fine, is obviously used to working with a personal trainer, and didn't seem in too much pain. About 45 minutes later the same trainer was putting another lady through the same paces, and she was having a tough time: red in the face and struggling to hold up the bar. The P.T's grin was just that much bigger!

In between clients, the trainer returns to her corner with the rest of the flock. Most are there every morning, not only is it their job, but it is there identity. Most are women, some are young, others are thirty something with kids, they are all in great shape. I wished my arms looked so good!

Now, I wasn't just sitting around watching the flock of P.T's, but I was on the balcony doing my 9 mile long run. The balcony overlooks the weight floor, so Personal Trainer watching is a great thing to do for over an hour and a half.

The next morning as I left spin, I saw a lady in her early sixties on a row machine with her trainer. You could tell that lifting weights was a recent endeavor in her life. The personal trainer said "just one more" as she leaned over and helped with the last rep. The client was grinning ear to ear with her new accomplishment! It must be those small moments that make being a personal trainer rewarding.

Last day of the month - Again!

Yes, I am continuing my bad habit of blogging on the last day of the month. I have had some good ideas of stuff to blog, but have not made the time to write. But I don't want a month to go by without an entry, so I find myself blogging on the last day of the month. This seems to have been my pattern over the last few months, and is NOT a good one! So, I will try to do better. After all, with the infrequent entries so far, it wouldn't be too hard to double my efforts ;-)

Brief monthly overview: my eating still stinks and my weight is still stalled.

Good news: I am feeling more confident in doing better on my eating habits. I have started my training program for the May marathon (hence, one result is better eating, so the next should be some weight loss!).

I Just completed my first week of training. Overall, I run Mon/Wed/Fri, with my long run being on Monday. Last week, I ran 9/3/5 miles, all on a treadmill which is not exactly great for the scenery! And on Tuesday and Thursday I went to spin class, I have really enjoyed starting to spin again, it is a lot of fun and a great workout.

Well, that is it for today, in the future you can look forward to some different type of posts rather than just the hum drum update. Things such as hairy legs, chaffing, spinning and my favorite health & motivation magazine! Now, I know you are curious, but you will just have to check back later, I promise it will be in less than a month!

Ciao for Now!
Michelle

p.s - I will get a link up soon with my full marathon training program so that you can see at a glance what I am doing.