Reset progress...

Well, it's been 2 weeks since I "started over," and it's working! I'm down 2 pounds - a considerably larger weight loss than I've had since May. Being vigilant, going into the weekends with a plan, running a little more, and weight lifting seem to be working. Labor day will be a good test - can I stay on track? I'll be heading to the River armed with fruit, carrots, and greek yogurt.

Speaking of the River, we are fortunate that it fared pretty well during the storm. We went down Sunday to assess the damage and start the clean up.

Here's a before shot.

Those are big granite rocks that washed up onto the shore, and a big branch fell on my mom's swing. Lots of overwash, but hey, we were seriously lucky.



And, we got it all cleaned up! (at least the front yards!) Here's an after shot...

There was a lot of raking involved and some serious chainsaw action. We worked really hard for about 6 hours and felt great about our progress. We also heard that whole houses were lost down the way. We got lucky. Really, really, lucky.

Running group continues to go well - I do so love hanging out with my ladies. If only there were job called "professional encourager." I love this stuff! My favorite part is dropping back with the folks that are struggling and getting them to keep up with their intervals - even if we go very slowly. I remember when folks did that for me last year - it made all the difference. That probably was about half of the reason that I kept going.

My next race is a 10k with Alisha. I haven't run more than about 4 miles since the half-marathon, so we're going to start training on the weekends. I imagine we'll get up to about 7 miles. The race is Oct. 1, so we've got some time.

I don't think I'll do a fall half-marathon. Frankly, I don't have the time to devote to training right now. I'm thinking I'll do American Tobacco or Wrightsville Beach in early-spring.

Hope everyone fared well during the hurricane! Let's hope they stay far off the coast the rest of the year...

Sarah

I remember...

That just a year ago I could barely run two miles.

How hard running for 2 minutes straight was.

That volunteers saved my run more than once.

That I started from scratch, and didn't think I could do it. (And with the exception of some awesome volunteers and my husband, neither did anyone else)

And this year, I hope I don't sound crazy telling the ladies in the NCRC program how far you can go even when you don't know you want to. Trust me, last summer, I didn't even know I wanted to run a half-marathon. It's pretty wild to look back on.

This year, as a volunteer, I have a totally different perspective. This year, I'm the expert. People ask me questions and, as it turns out, I usually know the answer.

Best socks? Smart Wool PhD. If I could wear them to work, I would.
How's my time? Awesome. Get off it. You're running. That makes you awesome.
Am I going too slow? Seriously. You're fine. You're awesome.
What if Zombies are the fast, chase you down kind? Well, then we're all screwed. Hope for the slow, moaning types.
Why am I not losing weight? Because you're probably overcompensating by eating more. No biggie. Fuel your body, learn to run, then work on weight later. For reference, you burn about 100 calories/mile - I wish I could tell you it was more!
Where do I get an awesome headband like that? Stay tuned. I've been known to get crafty.
Does it get easier? Not really, because once you get into it, you'll spend a lot of time challenging yourself, so you're always working on the next thing - next race, better time, further distance, whatever. But, that's OK.
How can you have so much energy? I run. Which means I sleep really well, and the running really helps my stress level. You'll get there.
How do you stay motivated? For me, blogging helped. Also, telling everyone I know. And my family is amazing. Besides, there was this whole, "I didn't think I could do it, but I'm stubborn, so damn it, I'm going to" thing.

So, to my ladies out there, you're killing it. You are doing an AMAZING job. I hope you are as proud of yourselves as we are of you. We've literally been there - and recently. If you stick with this, and continue to challenge yourself, running can open all kinds of doors to challenges you don't even know you want to do.

Sarah

Reset!

Today I reset my weight watchers tracker. My current weight is now my "starting weight."

I'm trying to look at this as starting over. Being more vigilant about weighing and measuring food. Being honest about what I'm eating (hello - coffee creamer counts!) and how I'm tracking it. And trying hard not to go ape on the weekends. I'm going to take new measurements (something I wish I'd done the first time around.)

My next goal weight is 153. If I get here, I'll be beneath the "obese" line. For the first time in a while.

My final goal weight is 125. That's a long way away, and it will probably take a while. But, when I get there, I'll be at a "normal" weight. Not overweight. For the first time, well, ever.

So, here's to a fresh start. Here's to starting over, but not starting from scratch. I have the tools, support, and knowledge to kill this. So, I'm gonna.

Sarah

oh, hai!

I've whined about board meetings here before - well last week we had another one. It feels like they're every other week! And, my godfather passed away last week so we had the funeral on Monday. Plus, we had the Association of Fundraising Professionals conference and my boss' new assistant started Friday!

So. I'm taking today off.

Tomorrow, too.

Because I need a nap!

I ignored weight watchers last week pretty much, but I did say "no" to some easily accessible goodies, so it was still a WIN in my book. I hit the gym pretty hard Friday and Sunday, so I think I got a little boost - hopefully Wednesday's weigh in won't be so bad.

Also, we got another kitten this weekend! This is Lucy! Not a great picture, but she doesn't sit still very long. Wheezy is still a little bit unsure, but in the grand scheme of things, they've been pretty chill around each other. Where Wheezy is on wide open ALL THE TIME, Lucy LOVES to snuggle. It's a fun balance if you ask me!

The beginners group is still doing really well - they are up to 2:30/1 intervals and 2.5 miles. This morning, the ladies in group C killed it! (Bonus that it was 66 degrees - the coolest it has been in a while!)

I've got some pain in the side of my foot - same I had during half-marathon training. I'm probably going to see a doc just in case. It could be nothing, or it could be something. Who knows. It took a few weeks after the half for it to feel better, so I'd rather learn how to prevent it from happening than to keep having to rest. (which is irritating! I probably shouldn't have gone today, but I'm stubborn!)

Off to play with kitties!
Sarah

Oh weekends.

Y'all. I'm totally struggling on the weekends. Using up all of my weekly points in 2-3 days. UGH. Going crazy. During the week, I do so well, and then BAM. Hello Friday Funday. And Saturday Funday. And Sunday Funday.

We end up out with friends, and even though I make pretty good choices (I mean, for restaurants), I still end up eating WAY more than I would on a normal day. Also, drinking doesn't help. Not necessarily because of the calories, but because then I don't have any willpower, and want food!

(But in the summer, what is better than sangria? What, I ask you???)

(OK, maybe ice cream.)

(or beer.)

Anyways. I need some strategies, STAT for getting through these fun-filled, "special occasion" weekends.

Sarah