3 Miles, Leg Warmers, and Cement Bags

Okay, so can I just say the first day of 2010 was absolutely wonderful!

I ran, without stopping:

3 Miles!

Me and my sister Sam went to Galveston and ran on the seawall. We started by this McDonalds on the East End and ran all the way to this pier that has an old hotel on it called the Flagship. Sam ran on the beach. It was nice that she was running 'with' me, but not. ((Sam is in her late 30s, perfect size, and pretty in shape btw. She has always encouraged me by exercising with me and trying out any new little sport that I want to try, and sometimes she encourages me to try sports I would NEVER try, as you will see later in this post.)) The whole time I was running I could see the Flagship in the distance, so the first part was really easy (well, not easy, but certainly doable). I kept telling myself that when I got there I'd walk like a block and turn around and then run the other 1.5 miles.

But you know what I did!? I DIDN'T stop! :) I looped around a light post ((probably hoping the loop would act as a sling and give me more energy, lol)) and kept a going. I would be lying if seeing Sam down there on the beach, all skinny and pretty, wasn't motivating. But more than being jealous of the way she looked, the thing that motivated me most was that sometimes I was ahead of her! She also had to stop and walk a couple of times. Now, I know that she is in good shape, but it felt good to be good at something, you know?

Running back I couldn't see the McDonald's we started at. So, I just kept challenging myself...alright run for two more songs, then you can walk. Alright, run until that stop light. And then, when I turned this slight corner on seawall and saw the golden arches I almost started crying. I was beginning to realize I was going to make it. I was going to run 3 miles, much further than I have ever run in the 26 years I've been living. I don't ever want to not be able to run 3 miles again (if that makes sense, lol, that sentence feels like it was jumbled.)

You know, I always say "When I started I could barely do 5 minutes on the elliptical." You know what? That really isn't the truth. I couldn't do 60 seconds! I am so proud of myself, and I am usually one of those who really needs someone to pat them on the back. But yesterday, running towards those golden arches for something other than chicken nuggets...well, I realized that I was doing it all for me, and that I deserved it.

Okay, getting teary eyed at 6:30 a.m. is not really a good thing, so I'm gonna move on :)

So.....remember how I said my sister Sam encourages me to try new sports? Well she got me two really cool gifts for Christmas. The first is a day by day runners log. It was so great to start on the first day of that calendar and enter my first 3 miles run.

Well, the next thing she got me is something we've talked about before, but if I am honesty...I don't think it would have every happened if she wouldn't have just bought them for me.....ROLLERBLADES! I know you all do not know me as well as some, but let me tell you, I am usually very afraid of falling. My first instinct when seeing these rollerblades was to throw them away, literally. But you know what? I really DO want to rollerblade. I don't care how 80s & dorky it is! :) So I am not going to let the fear of a bruised butt stop me. Last night I strapped them on in the garage, lol, and gave myself a mini-lesson. I was able to stand up and move around a little bit. This morning Sam and I are meeting at a park at 8:30 to try them out together. ((She is lucky and just has regular skates, btw)) I know I'm gonna fall, and that is okay. I'll be alright, just hopefully won't twist an ankle or anything, because I really wanna keep running regularly.

So, be looking for a picture tomorrow of me in all the necessary equipment; helmet, wrist guards, elbow pads, knee pads, rollerblades...and I am seriously thinking of tracking down some leg warmers to finish it off :)

Another great thing that happened yesterday is my husband started working on our back fence which has been down since Hurricane Ike! Poor baby, I know it was some really hard work. At one time he asked me to help him haul bags of cement from the garage to the back yard. Me, being the awesome wife that I am, lol, said, "Sure sweetie!" I went into the garage, squated in front of the bags of cement and......couldn't lift one up. Not at all! That thing was sooooooooooooo heavy. Like, break your back heavy. I had to do what I hate to do and tell him I couldn't help. He was understanding, because he is almost as awesome as I am :)...

But a few minutes later he came into the house and randomly said, "Babe, how much pain were you in?" I was a bit perplexed, but he proceeded to explain, "You've lost like 70 lbs right?"

"Yes," I replied.

"Those bags of cement were 80 lbs a piece. You couldn't even lift one up. When I carried them everything hurt; my joints, my back. I couldn't imagine what kind of pain you were in carrying 70 extra pounds around."

This made my eyes get big with amazement, because he was right. I can't really remember any pain, but I know that 70 pounds must have caused my body some major major stress. This sounds so stupid, but I'd love to organize a walk/run where people who have lost considerable amounts of weight challenge themselves to walk even a 1/4 of a mile carrying something comparable to the weight they have lost. And then, in the end throw it down and run a mile. Maybe I'll do it myself when I'm all done.

Food wise yesterday I did okay. I am pretty sure I was right at my 1500 calorie mark:

Sandwich, chips, dessert - 555 Calories

Sm. Orange - 20 Calories

Microwave Dinner & dessert - 330 Calories

Microwave Dinner - 375 Calories

Dessert - 50 Calories

Chips - 150 Calories

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Total: 1480

Ran for 45 minutes - 450 Calories

BMI +2200

Exercise +450

Calories - 1480

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Total Deficit: 1170

I'm happy with that :) as long as my deficit is at least 1000 calories.

Today I'm meeting Sam at a park at 8:30 to rollerblade. I'm actually going to head up there early and do a short run. I'm not going to push myself to do 3 miles again until probably Tuesday or Wednesday. But next Saturday is my first 5K! :)

I hope everyone has a WONDERFUL DAY!