As I posted earlier in my blog. My running addiction came about due to weight loss, and finding an efficient exercise method to burn calories. My research always came to running. It works better than walking because you can simply get more miles in during a work out. I have heard that a mile is a mile when it comes to calorie burn, although, I feel running up hills burns more calories than running on flat.
So I hover around 115 on my weight, at least I did for a long time. I figured the weight increase from 110 to 115 was normal for someone running 30 miles to 40 miles per week due to muscle gain and needing to have more calories to run.
Recently I got on a scale that said 123....yes....123...Ok, I never ever ever approved a 123....
How did this happen? This can't happen. I'm not liking this at all!
This was yesterday...and I will not forget this because I wanted to cry.
So I have decided to, for the next two weeks put forth a concerted effort to reduce my calorie intake as much as possible and still maintain my running. I want to lose 5 lbs before the end of October.
I plan to go high protein because that seems to keep me satisfied longer. I purchased a carton of Egg Beaters, some fat free cheese and bacon bits and that was my breakfast this morning. I got a head start by keeping my calorie intake under 1500, today I hope to be around 1200....
I'm pulling out all the stops, using all the tricks and playing all my cards. I cannot let the weight creep back on me. Cannot....I have worked too hard and done too much to get to where I am.
I will win this battle....
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Monday, September 10, 2012
The Do Wacka Do
My alarm went off at 3:30am on Saturday morning. Yes, this is normal for me.
I got up and turned on the weather channel to get a sense of things outside. It was 65 degrees in Western OK, I got up, showered and got dressed in my LuLulemon Pacesetter skirt, and swiftly running shirt, packed my gear and luggage into the car, chatting with the early morning cleaning staff and desk attendant at the hotel. Fortunately it was not to windy outside.
I checked out of my hotel and drove the half hour to Erick's Sandy Sanders Wildlife management area. Of course I was there way ahead of schedule and the organizers had not yet come out with the bibs yet. I could tell this was going to be a laid back event since the start finish was not even assembled yet. I talked to a few volunteers who had arrived early and since I had gotten there before any body else, I had my pick of the parking. Some runners had driven out the night before and slept in their cars, and they had not begun to stir yet.
The temperature was dropping, a cold front was moving in and the mercury had dropped three degrees in the last hour and I was shivering standing out side so I decided to wait in my car for more activity to develop.
I ate half of a peanut butter sandwich while I waited, I had my camel back ready and an back-up bladder in my ice chest, and tried not to fall asleep!
Finally more cars started to pile in and as 6:30 approached I was seeing people congregate around the port-a- johns. I decided to go and take advantage of one of those before getting in line.
Finally 6:50 rolls around and I decide to mosey to the start line and the organizers were just setting up the start line area, I gave a little chuckle at how completely laid back this event was. Volunteers were in good spirits and not in any hurry at all. Everybody was friendly and having a good time. I chatted with a girl who was doing the 25K as we waited and finally the race director made is announcements. A humorous course description, warnings about snakes and wildlife and then the customary shooting of the rifle. The person who comes from the farthest location gets to shoot the start rifle. Then we were off.
The course started nice enough. The usual crowding and adrenaline induced way-to-optimistic pace setting. I took the opportunity on a couple up hills to walk and let the speedys go around me. Don't want to be around the chatty speedy folks and was finally running in peace on the red and silver colored trail. The trails were some-what smooth with occasional crevasse, no large rocks to speak of. all in all very runnable. There were some places the gypsum layer was exposed and revealed an almost smooth covering on the road that looked like it was laid in by hand. There was a lot of dust, cactus, short scruffy trees, but no shade. After about 30 minutes of running the sun blazed over the bluffs and I slipped my sunglasses off my head and over my eyes.
We ran on into the bluffs and canyons, there were large outcrops of gypsum and mica that streaked within the layers of red dirt and dust. One patch of trail glittered with mica as we ran over it.
There were about 3 significant climbs that lead up the sides of canyons we navigated, with the reward of expansive mountain views of the western Oklahoma landscape. We were exhausted, but it was well worth the effort.
The second loop was way more challenging than the first. Of course. The hills seemed hillier, the ground seemed looser and the cacti seemed pricklier! But I was helped out at the end by a runner who was no more eager to bound up the hills than I was and we walked, ran and talked together for the last 8 miles or so.
I also created a lot of new friends, Dianne Bolton, the sparkle skirt woman, Chris , and Mouhmed, a very enthusiastic Palestine transplant from Minnesota/Jacksonville. It was a Lot of Fun!
I finished the 4th female out of 6 female finishers, 7 hours and 36 minutes, 15 or so minutes better than my War Eagle performance. I got 2nd in my age division!
My trip was a success. I thoroughly enjoyed the town, the run, the after party, and my traveling and shopping before and after. It was a wonderful and peaceful trip,
I drove back to OKC after the race, checked into my hotel there, showered and located a sushi restaurant. Scarfed some tuna, salmon and rice, sipped hot tea and updated my Facebook page.
After that I slept really really well, and headed home the next day. I'm so happy to be a runner!
The Do Wacka Do
I got up and turned on the weather channel to get a sense of things outside. It was 65 degrees in Western OK, I got up, showered and got dressed in my LuLulemon Pacesetter skirt, and swiftly running shirt, packed my gear and luggage into the car, chatting with the early morning cleaning staff and desk attendant at the hotel. Fortunately it was not to windy outside.
I checked out of my hotel and drove the half hour to Erick's Sandy Sanders Wildlife management area. Of course I was there way ahead of schedule and the organizers had not yet come out with the bibs yet. I could tell this was going to be a laid back event since the start finish was not even assembled yet. I talked to a few volunteers who had arrived early and since I had gotten there before any body else, I had my pick of the parking. Some runners had driven out the night before and slept in their cars, and they had not begun to stir yet.
The temperature was dropping, a cold front was moving in and the mercury had dropped three degrees in the last hour and I was shivering standing out side so I decided to wait in my car for more activity to develop.
I ate half of a peanut butter sandwich while I waited, I had my camel back ready and an back-up bladder in my ice chest, and tried not to fall asleep!
Finally more cars started to pile in and as 6:30 approached I was seeing people congregate around the port-a- johns. I decided to go and take advantage of one of those before getting in line.
Finally 6:50 rolls around and I decide to mosey to the start line and the organizers were just setting up the start line area, I gave a little chuckle at how completely laid back this event was. Volunteers were in good spirits and not in any hurry at all. Everybody was friendly and having a good time. I chatted with a girl who was doing the 25K as we waited and finally the race director made is announcements. A humorous course description, warnings about snakes and wildlife and then the customary shooting of the rifle. The person who comes from the farthest location gets to shoot the start rifle. Then we were off.
The course started nice enough. The usual crowding and adrenaline induced way-to-optimistic pace setting. I took the opportunity on a couple up hills to walk and let the speedys go around me. Don't want to be around the chatty speedy folks and was finally running in peace on the red and silver colored trail. The trails were some-what smooth with occasional crevasse, no large rocks to speak of. all in all very runnable. There were some places the gypsum layer was exposed and revealed an almost smooth covering on the road that looked like it was laid in by hand. There was a lot of dust, cactus, short scruffy trees, but no shade. After about 30 minutes of running the sun blazed over the bluffs and I slipped my sunglasses off my head and over my eyes.
We ran on into the bluffs and canyons, there were large outcrops of gypsum and mica that streaked within the layers of red dirt and dust. One patch of trail glittered with mica as we ran over it.
There were about 3 significant climbs that lead up the sides of canyons we navigated, with the reward of expansive mountain views of the western Oklahoma landscape. We were exhausted, but it was well worth the effort.
The second loop was way more challenging than the first. Of course. The hills seemed hillier, the ground seemed looser and the cacti seemed pricklier! But I was helped out at the end by a runner who was no more eager to bound up the hills than I was and we walked, ran and talked together for the last 8 miles or so.
I also created a lot of new friends, Dianne Bolton, the sparkle skirt woman, Chris , and Mouhmed, a very enthusiastic Palestine transplant from Minnesota/Jacksonville. It was a Lot of Fun!
I finished the 4th female out of 6 female finishers, 7 hours and 36 minutes, 15 or so minutes better than my War Eagle performance. I got 2nd in my age division!
My trip was a success. I thoroughly enjoyed the town, the run, the after party, and my traveling and shopping before and after. It was a wonderful and peaceful trip,
I drove back to OKC after the race, checked into my hotel there, showered and located a sushi restaurant. Scarfed some tuna, salmon and rice, sipped hot tea and updated my Facebook page.
After that I slept really really well, and headed home the next day. I'm so happy to be a runner!
The Do Wacka Do
Wow! Great Weekend!
I have to hand it to the folks in Erick Oklahoma, they put on a really nice race! I also have to completely rejoice in the fact that two days post run, I'm having no knee pain and hardly no PF pain. I can say that after running and climbing over 31 miles of gravely, fragmented bluffs and buttes in the Breaks of OK I'm healed. Now I just need to stay this way.
I have to say driving to Erick OK was a snap. I started very early from Little Rock, so I could get the bulk of the driving in before the sun got really high in the sky. I was in Ft Smith before I knew it and stopped for gas. I was apprehensive about keeping my car fueled because I had never driven I-40 that far west before. I know what to expect driving on I-30, but this one was newer to me. It was a welcome change however. I crossed the OK border and onto OK City. I stopped for another bathroom/gas break before I went into OK City and navigated the highway interchanges and traffic I had to pass by pretty easily. Before I knew it I was back in open country again west of OK City.
At this point I was expecting it to get really long and boring, but I was pleasantly surprised by the towns and interesting landscape, massive windmills, pasture land and geology. I also absolutely had to stop at the Cherokee trading post to shop. I pulled in and of course took photos of the 40 foot wooden Indian statue towering over the parking lot, posted to Facebook. of course....
The store was impressive, feasting me to beautiful handmade pottery that was wayyy to expensive and lovely silver hand inlaid jewelry. I finally settle on an adorable pair of coral stone and silver turtle earrings made by the Zuni tribe.
After my shopping I was off to Sayre, where my hotel was. I took an early exit and ended up driving through downtown Sayre, saw City Hall and the court house. I continued on through the town and found the hotel, checked in, dumped my bags in my room, and immediately sought out food. Since I saw nothing of culinary interest in Sayre, I just went across the street to the Denny's for lunch., so I could get on the road to Erick fairly quickly.
In Erick, I took the Roger Miller Memorial Highway to downtown and ran smack dab into Historic Route 66, found the Museum and went inside. The ladies at the packet pick up were extremely nice and I looked around the museum. After that (on the suggestion of the organizers at the museum) I decided to drive down to the Sandy Sanders WMA to see where I would be going in the morning and I'm glad I did. I got an idea of exactly how far it was going to be and how long it was going to take me. It was quite a drive, I'm happy I did it and only made one wrong turn. After viewing the start finish location I stopped at an old cemetery I saw on the way down and took some photos. It was peaceful and sunny, with a brisk breeze, I love days like this! I spent about an hour in the cemetery just reading headstones and wondering what life was like and what those individuals saw during their years. One ladies life spanned almost 100 years from the late 1800's to 1979. Many headstones were of lives cut very short,as either infants or small children, a reminder of how harsh life could be in the Mid west in the late 1800's .
After spending some time with the dead, I went onto to visit the living! I was told about a shop in Erick that was a locally owned staple of the community. Oleta's , was a small yet overly stuffed gift shop with everything from beannie babies to cooking appliances. purses candles, scarves, jewelry, pot holders, pots and pans, and dishes. She was wedding shower central and had one in the works with gifts to choose from and gifts chosen and already gift wrapped waiting to be delivered to the shower. As I was shopping two ladies walked in for shower gifts. Oleta pointed them to the table stating that it was not mandatory they choose from the table, but those were on the regestry. A UPS man came and delivered packages and Oleta was buzzing on the phone about incoming orders. I'm sure if there was anything you needed in Erick Oklahoma, Oleta could get it for you. She lead me around the store, modeled a scarf, and told me about new and sale items. I purchased a scarf and a candle.
After that I headed back to Sayre to get a good nights rest before the Do Wacka Do!.....
I have to say driving to Erick OK was a snap. I started very early from Little Rock, so I could get the bulk of the driving in before the sun got really high in the sky. I was in Ft Smith before I knew it and stopped for gas. I was apprehensive about keeping my car fueled because I had never driven I-40 that far west before. I know what to expect driving on I-30, but this one was newer to me. It was a welcome change however. I crossed the OK border and onto OK City. I stopped for another bathroom/gas break before I went into OK City and navigated the highway interchanges and traffic I had to pass by pretty easily. Before I knew it I was back in open country again west of OK City.
At this point I was expecting it to get really long and boring, but I was pleasantly surprised by the towns and interesting landscape, massive windmills, pasture land and geology. I also absolutely had to stop at the Cherokee trading post to shop. I pulled in and of course took photos of the 40 foot wooden Indian statue towering over the parking lot, posted to Facebook. of course....
The store was impressive, feasting me to beautiful handmade pottery that was wayyy to expensive and lovely silver hand inlaid jewelry. I finally settle on an adorable pair of coral stone and silver turtle earrings made by the Zuni tribe.
After my shopping I was off to Sayre, where my hotel was. I took an early exit and ended up driving through downtown Sayre, saw City Hall and the court house. I continued on through the town and found the hotel, checked in, dumped my bags in my room, and immediately sought out food. Since I saw nothing of culinary interest in Sayre, I just went across the street to the Denny's for lunch., so I could get on the road to Erick fairly quickly.
In Erick, I took the Roger Miller Memorial Highway to downtown and ran smack dab into Historic Route 66, found the Museum and went inside. The ladies at the packet pick up were extremely nice and I looked around the museum. After that (on the suggestion of the organizers at the museum) I decided to drive down to the Sandy Sanders WMA to see where I would be going in the morning and I'm glad I did. I got an idea of exactly how far it was going to be and how long it was going to take me. It was quite a drive, I'm happy I did it and only made one wrong turn. After viewing the start finish location I stopped at an old cemetery I saw on the way down and took some photos. It was peaceful and sunny, with a brisk breeze, I love days like this! I spent about an hour in the cemetery just reading headstones and wondering what life was like and what those individuals saw during their years. One ladies life spanned almost 100 years from the late 1800's to 1979. Many headstones were of lives cut very short,as either infants or small children, a reminder of how harsh life could be in the Mid west in the late 1800's .
After spending some time with the dead, I went onto to visit the living! I was told about a shop in Erick that was a locally owned staple of the community. Oleta's , was a small yet overly stuffed gift shop with everything from beannie babies to cooking appliances. purses candles, scarves, jewelry, pot holders, pots and pans, and dishes. She was wedding shower central and had one in the works with gifts to choose from and gifts chosen and already gift wrapped waiting to be delivered to the shower. As I was shopping two ladies walked in for shower gifts. Oleta pointed them to the table stating that it was not mandatory they choose from the table, but those were on the regestry. A UPS man came and delivered packages and Oleta was buzzing on the phone about incoming orders. I'm sure if there was anything you needed in Erick Oklahoma, Oleta could get it for you. She lead me around the store, modeled a scarf, and told me about new and sale items. I purchased a scarf and a candle.
After that I headed back to Sayre to get a good nights rest before the Do Wacka Do!.....
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
On another new product!
Its called ZipFizz and its great for promoting hydration on the every day. I would not recommend it for race day as it has fizz in it! :)
http://zipfizz.com/ml/http://zipfizz.com/ml/
Yes and you will totally look like the guy on the webpage if you drink it. lol! It's tasty, I have had the orange and grape and mixed them with 32 oz of water for day to day hydration.
enjoy!
http://zipfizz.com/ml/http://zipfizz.com/ml/
Yes and you will totally look like the guy on the webpage if you drink it. lol! It's tasty, I have had the orange and grape and mixed them with 32 oz of water for day to day hydration.
enjoy!
So its not long until I embark...
on my next running adventure. The drive will not be bad. Just about 7 hours or so, two hours past OK city. I'm excited about it. I'm taking a mini vacation to run a 50K.
I will be sure and post along the way and hopefully keep my blog updated. Since it wont be a long trip I don't know how much posting I'll do. Right now I'm in preparation, mental that is. Making shopping lists and deciding what I'm going to wear. What food I'm going to take for pre race. Looking for good places to eat post race.
I'm not getting into specifics because it's too close to the event and I don't want to jinx myself! :)
Loves!
I will be sure and post along the way and hopefully keep my blog updated. Since it wont be a long trip I don't know how much posting I'll do. Right now I'm in preparation, mental that is. Making shopping lists and deciding what I'm going to wear. What food I'm going to take for pre race. Looking for good places to eat post race.
I'm not getting into specifics because it's too close to the event and I don't want to jinx myself! :)
Loves!
Monday, August 27, 2012
Running in Wichita Falls
So I traveled to Wichita Falls TX to hang out with my brother while he rides in the Hotter n Hell bike race. I'm not a bike rider so I initially registered for the half marathon on Sunday. After reconsidering the steep drops and climbs on the bicycle course we were going to be running on I decided to not run it and focus on getting back to Little Rock in time to pick up Frisco.
So I did however manage to get in two really decent runs in Wichita Falls while I was there. The first day, Friday morning I went out and found a really quaint subdivision behind the hotel. I ran down the main frontage road to 82 until I met with a road that took me back into the neighborhoods. The homes were newish, about late 90's all brick with enough variation in the architecture to not make them look cookie cutter. There were sculptured bushes and manicured lawns, the streets were wide and flat which made for good running. I worked myself into the south eastern corner of the neighborhood and I noticed one house had a two foot white cross made out of wood stuck in the ground in the mulch. I was like "hmmm, that's strange..." . I continued running and saw another white cross in another lawn. My though was..." Well at least they are not on fire"...I continued to run and noticed that EVERY house on this street had white crosses stuck in the ground in front of the homes.
Now I don't know about you, but when I see this I think of 1) The KKK - cross burning, segregation, white hooded figures terrorizing their neighbors who happen to be a different color or religion from them. and 2) Nazi Germany. Christian/white dominance and discrimination. When I saw streets lined with white crosses a streak of fear ran through me as if they were trying to intimidate. It felt freak'n scary! I felt like I was being told that only Christians live here and every body else better get the hell out or at least pretend to be Christian by sticking a cross outside your home, cause if you ain't got a cross in front of your home folks are gonna talk.
Discrimination comes in many forms. While these folks with the crosses never probably out-right though of their crosses as coming across as hateful or discriminatory, to a Hindu or Muslim family perhaps looking to purchase a home in that area, it is a clear and loud statement. Christians Live Here...be warned...
I am not of any faith and I felt threatened, imagine how somebody feels who is of a different faith, one that is not of the cross bearers...
Perhaps they did know it was scary to outsiders, maybe there was a reason for the crosses and they wanted to make a subtle....ha...not so subtle statement.
From my limited knowledge of history, the Nazi movement began very subtly also.
What do you think? I certainly did not run that way again I got the heck out and did not go back.
So I did however manage to get in two really decent runs in Wichita Falls while I was there. The first day, Friday morning I went out and found a really quaint subdivision behind the hotel. I ran down the main frontage road to 82 until I met with a road that took me back into the neighborhoods. The homes were newish, about late 90's all brick with enough variation in the architecture to not make them look cookie cutter. There were sculptured bushes and manicured lawns, the streets were wide and flat which made for good running. I worked myself into the south eastern corner of the neighborhood and I noticed one house had a two foot white cross made out of wood stuck in the ground in the mulch. I was like "hmmm, that's strange..." . I continued running and saw another white cross in another lawn. My though was..." Well at least they are not on fire"...I continued to run and noticed that EVERY house on this street had white crosses stuck in the ground in front of the homes.
Now I don't know about you, but when I see this I think of 1) The KKK - cross burning, segregation, white hooded figures terrorizing their neighbors who happen to be a different color or religion from them. and 2) Nazi Germany. Christian/white dominance and discrimination. When I saw streets lined with white crosses a streak of fear ran through me as if they were trying to intimidate. It felt freak'n scary! I felt like I was being told that only Christians live here and every body else better get the hell out or at least pretend to be Christian by sticking a cross outside your home, cause if you ain't got a cross in front of your home folks are gonna talk.
Discrimination comes in many forms. While these folks with the crosses never probably out-right though of their crosses as coming across as hateful or discriminatory, to a Hindu or Muslim family perhaps looking to purchase a home in that area, it is a clear and loud statement. Christians Live Here...be warned...
I am not of any faith and I felt threatened, imagine how somebody feels who is of a different faith, one that is not of the cross bearers...
Perhaps they did know it was scary to outsiders, maybe there was a reason for the crosses and they wanted to make a subtle....ha...not so subtle statement.
From my limited knowledge of history, the Nazi movement began very subtly also.
What do you think? I certainly did not run that way again I got the heck out and did not go back.
Friday, August 17, 2012
Ugh! Earbud Hell!!!
Ok, The Yur buds failed me this morning.
One issue right now is that the R and L have worn off them and It's hard to tell which goes in which ear. And ever since the left yur bud blue thingie fell off, I cant get it back on properly to stay in my ear. So this morning I went out for my normal two rivers run and it started to rain on me. The left yurbud, not having a good seal immediately separated from my ear and began to loosen. By the time I was three miles in, it was falling completely out of my ear. I got so annoyed by it I finally had to take it out and tuck it into my shirt and go single eared.
I was so angry, I mean for what I payed for them they should perform better. So I'm on the hunt for something new...
One issue right now is that the R and L have worn off them and It's hard to tell which goes in which ear. And ever since the left yur bud blue thingie fell off, I cant get it back on properly to stay in my ear. So this morning I went out for my normal two rivers run and it started to rain on me. The left yurbud, not having a good seal immediately separated from my ear and began to loosen. By the time I was three miles in, it was falling completely out of my ear. I got so annoyed by it I finally had to take it out and tuck it into my shirt and go single eared.
I was so angry, I mean for what I payed for them they should perform better. So I'm on the hunt for something new...
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