Laura Gets Shit Done

This is long - very long - grab a glass of water, put your feet up and come along on a run with me! Race report- rock and Roll Half Marathon Seattle – June 26, 2010 It all started 3 or so months ago. My son, out of boredom, went for a run. Athletic booger that he is, ran about 6 miles in under an hour “just for fun”. He came home and asked if he could do a half marathon and invited me along. Foolishly, I agreed. I went online, found a summer half marathon, and signed us both up. Then I went searching for training plans. I found plenty of couch to 5K programs – but I needed MORE! I needed a couch to half marathon and I had 15 weeks to train. I found something that would work – it was intervals, walking/running. Seemed doable. I downloaded it, made a calendar with training runs on it – amped it up just a little (3 days a week of running wasn’t going to cut it for me – I wanted 6), and set my mind to run. March 22, 2010 - The first training run was 2 minutes of running, 1 minut...

One foot in front of the other. Repeat over and over and over.... Yes, I finished! Yes, I ran the entire 13.1 miles! And, praise God, I finished in under three hours. I'm still in disbelief. 2:59:31. But that IS under three hours which was my "wouldn't it be spectacular if..." goal! Mentally, it was an awesome race, we're off to grab dinner so I'll blog the mental race later!! Thanks everyone for the cheers and support, I thought of you all often!! One of a precious few pictures I took... TTFN, LauraLynne

That I would be getting out of bed at 3 am to line up for a half marathon, I would have laughed long and hard. And counted that as my exercise for the month. But here I am, at 5am, in a shuttle headed for the start line over 13 miles away. Am although there are tears and I'm terrified and nervous, I am ready. See you at the finish line!!

The downward spiral is nearly under control - if you don't count the heavy pasta meal I ate last night (which I don't...).  I've got  work fridge stocked with 4 more lunches (yesterday was fresh zuchinni, fresh mushrooms, covered in spaghetti sauce).  I've planned out meals I'm looking forward to, I've successfully avoided snacking in the last 2 days.  I finally feel like I've put the brakes on and am back on track.  There's also rumors of SUNSHINE today...so I'm opptimistically riding my motorcycle to work with the hopes that although it's about 45 or so outside now, there will be sun and 70 for my ride home.  And tonight is a social picnic for our car club.  And I plan to stay under control there - I have a summer full of social eating that I plan to conquer with grace and forthought.  Today I CAN do this! TTFN, LauraLynne

So - usually when I see a picture of myself, it's at an event.  So I am usually dressed in an outfit that took some thought at least and not just whatever's clean.  And in most cases, when I go back and see pictures of myself, it doesn't match the image of what I FELT like.  I feel thinner than I look - and so often I really can't identify with the "fat girl" in the photo.  Today I saw a picture of myself that I didn't recognize.  I was glancing through 100's of photos taken at a graduation party I went to.  I was in jeans and a tank top.  And in looking through the thumbnails, I was egocentrically only looking for photos of me, hubby, and/or my son.  I spotted a series with my son, husband, and a infant cousin.  And someone else.  Curiously, I enlarged the photo.  It was ME!  I looked thinner than I felt that day, than I feel today!  I'm going to try and capture that feeling as I continue to work at getting back on...

First of all - thank you everyone for the comments and support and words of wisdom - they mean the world to me and truly help me feel accountable!!  What a great support system So - an update - and a shameful weigh in...201.4.  Ok - not bad considering that at one point in the last week it was 205 (water retention anyone?!).  And I'm running again - with a race in one week.  And I'm slowly getting the eating back under control.  And starting to like the body looking back in the mirror more often.  Work is getting busier which helps a lot - I have a lot of my self worth wrapped up in my value at work.  It's been very slow there and there's been several weeks when I haven't felt the least bit productive.  I hate that!  I sit there idle wishing for something to do!  Now I might regret wishing that - but I LIKE being busy, I hate sitting idle!  As of Monday, we'll also have no internet at work - GASP!!  But I work for a fedra...

it's raining again.  In Seattle.  I know - I should be used to it by now.  But I'm not.  I still hate it.  It's grey.  And cold.  And I'm tired of gray and cold.  I want sunshine.  I want blue skies and green grass.  I feel like 50's TV looked.  Shades of gray.  And while it's not the weather's fault - I blame it on the weather.  My eating...it's not horrible, but it's not planned and there's WAY too much impulsive (no - let's be honest - COMPULSIVE) eating going on.  I'm in a downward spiral - and I feel bad posting that.  I want to be proud of my actions, I want to brag about my progress, I want to see the scale and inches go DOWN.  I want to inspire. Instead - I'm admitting weakness and owning up to all of it.  I need to make a plan - and stick to it!!  I need to look at my goals and get serious.  I need to re-read my blog from the beginning and tap into THAT part of me that was going ga...

My eating isn't great - but I've still got the wagon under me...I'm still running, I have a race in under 2 weeks that I have to finish - for my own sake.  The weather here is finally turning, great weekend of sunshine, long weekend of baseball and other commitments.  And - if mother nature is listening, I'm NOT whining - too much sun.  It knocked me out!  I'm a little sunburnt, but not bad.  And Sunday I managed an 8.5 mile run!  It was heavenly!  I feel so acomplished when I run.  And it relates to my eating... Somehow, in running, I manage to push through the hard parts.  The first mile or 2 is excruciating for me.  I want to quit with every step. Turn around, go home.  But at some point, I push through that and then it's just mechanics - one foot after the other, let the mind wander, let the body work.  Today I'm going to try that with my eating.  When I want to binge, I'll set the clock and push through WITHOUT bing...

Today I will send an email.  It will be full of encouragement, inspiration, uplifting comments and praise.  I will tell this person how much I love them, how worthy are, and how great they're doing.  I will try and motivate them and let them know how proud of their progress I am.  I will point out their great qualities and highlight their accomplishments.  I will be their #1 cheerleader - I can DO that. And I will send one email a day to this person - because they deserve it.  That email - that person - it's me.  Thanks to anti-Jared for the inspiration and idea! In other news - last night was our first training for the triathlon in September.  It's a group through my church.  We met on the waterfront in Kirkland, introduced ourselves and then went for a run.  During the "meeting" part of it, I let everyone know that I was a slow runner, determined and able - but slow.  And I asked them to NOT worry if they felt like they w...

Not literally...but I read a great quote (and if I didn't have the memory of a 101 year old I would credit the person who said it!) She (I think it was a she) said: If you fall halfway down the stairs do you stand up and throw yourself the rest of the way down?  Or do you pick up, dust off, and head back up. Well, I fell half way down the stairs.  And was throwing myself down the rest of them one stair at a time.  But I've picked myself up.  And I'm dusting myself off.  And I'm headed back UP the stairs - to my goal.  Exercise: I've got less than 3 weeks before my half marathon so training for that has GOT to be in full swing.  My eating is getting back under control - life has been busy and I've used that as an excuse to eat crap.  I KNOW better!!  My life is always going to be busy.  I see myself as a 90 year old world traveler someday.  Busy isn't going to change.  I've managed that in the past, I will get control aga...

One more 5K in the bag - I fininshed in about 38 minutes, slower than I wanted but the demons were weighing me down.  I want my self doubt removed - please?!  My brain was YELLING at me: "you can't do this" "why are you here" "stop this non sense now, you don't belong" "who do you think you're kidding?" I heard the voices loud and clear and I fought them with all my might.  To the point of tears in a few locations.  I CAN do this - I HAVE done it - I'm capable, worthy and able!!  It feels like someone is running along side me, tugging at my sleeve, slowing me down.  I feel like I'm walking a very fine line of sanity.  I'm just not sure which side I'm on.  Eating...the voices have won there today.  But I will continue to fight them.  I've got a birthday lunch for my sister, a graduation party for my cousins, and then an adoption party for our friends.  I feel like I'm walking on a field of landmines wi...

There's a strange yellow light coming from the sky - the locals are worried, they're running for cover!! This local will just be running - soaking it all in until it goes away again! In other news - measurements were taken last night: Arms - 14.5 (-1") Bust - 42 (-1") Waist - 34.5 (-1") Hips - 46" (no change) thighs - 26" (-1") calves - 18" (no change) so slowly things are starting to change - I haven't lost many pounds...but the inches are changing! And in final news - tomorrow is a 5K - the Susan G. Komen Run here in Seattle. I'm running with a team from my work which after this week's layoffs, is slightly ironic. I know that several from out team are now laid off. Hopefully they still come run with us! Most of the team is doing the walk - I'm hoping to break through 35 minutes for a 5K. Someday I want to run a sub 30 minute 5K but without more speed training (well - ANY speed training truth be told) it won'...

my weight - a little - but mostly my mood.  We've had rain and grey here for what seems like way too long.  I KNOW it's Seattle and that we're famous for rain - but this rain has gone on too long this year.  It's June 4.  We haven't hit 70 degrees ONCE yet this year.  And it's raining - a lot - even for Seattle.  I don't want to run.  I dont' want to walk.  I don't want to ride, swim, move.  I want to hang out in bed with a book and sleep/read/sleep/repeat. And Eat.  Yesterday was massive layoffs at my job.  I'm safe - for now.  The mood here is dark though.  And I'm staring binging in the face and losing.  I had a bagel w/ a smear of cream cheese - a whole bagel - not a bagel THIN like I'd planned.  And I ate my oatmeal too.  So now, to get back on track, I will NOT eat my snacks today, I WILL eat a healthy lunch and dinner and I WILL run. Meanwhile - the funk has settled.  I need some sunshi...

well - even after 6 months "practice" this is still hard!  I grazed a little last night but stayed under my counts.  I still haven't gone out for a run.  Tonight - come hell or high water.  I have a half marathon in less than 4 weeks!!  24 days!!  I'm disappointed because it's the same day as a huge car show so my husband won't be able to come watch me - this is half marathon #2 that he's missing - how many do I have to run before he can see me cross the finish line?!  It doesn't seem like much to some people and it's true that I'm running this race for myself - but going to a race alone and finishing alone while people around me have lots of in person support - well, it does make me a lot sad.  But it's not like I can ask him to NOT do the car show - it's crucial he do the car show.  It also means I have to find a way - after running 13.1 miles - to get to the car show and help with the booth and the cars.  He's happy to just leav...