2011 Seattle Half Marathon - a Dedicated Race

Yesterday I walked the Seattle Half Marathon. It was my first time to walk an event in Seattle and I have to say, it is my new favorite course and I will most definitely do it again! The course started near Seattle Center at 5th and Harrison. We went though downtown streets, along the shores of Lake Washington, through the Arboretum and back to the Seattle Center. It was a beautiful route. If I wasn't viewing the world through millions of raindrops, it would have been even prettier! There were lots of hills on this course but I'm crazy and love hills! My GPS watch tells me our total elevation gain was 1,806 feet so it is no wonder why my thighs are complaining a bit today.

My friend, Sue, and I drove up to Seattle on Saturday and went to the expo to get our bibs and to do a little shopping. We found a couple "must haves" such as this Spibelt and Fitsok's socks printed with 13.1 and 26.2 around the ankle. (very cool)

We also gathered lots of information on various upcoming marathons throughout the region. It's always good to have something to work towards!

After the expo, we went to Lynnwood where we were spending the night with my sister-in-law, Edith. We went to Red Robin for burgers and fries for dinner and I don't know if that's what did it or not but I was FULL OF ENERGY for the entire half marathon and NEVER ran out of steam. I think I will try that meal again the night before my next half, which happens to be in two weeks.

There were cars backed up on the freeway going into Seattle early Sunday morning. With 17,000 participants, it wasn't a big surprise. We parked about a mile from the starting line and got to the event right when they were announcing the half marathon walkers needed to line up. We literally waited 7 minutes and it was time to start! The nice thing was, there was no time to stand around and get cold(er).  It was raining and windy, ooooooof course.

Sue, Edith and Me at the starting line

We walked through downtown Seattle and then onto the onramp to I-90. It certainly gives you a different perspective when you are walking on a freeway rather than riding in a vehicle. We went through the Mercer Island tunnel, which was nice because we were out of the rain but not so nice because it was pretty humid in there and it made us sweat. At the end of the tunnel, the half marathoners turned along the shoreline and the full marathoners continued across the I-90 bridge. Walking along the shoreline meant walking along some really big homes, which I totally enjoyed looking at. There were cheering people along the route and one long lineup of military people holding large flags and telling us we were looking good. We were thanking them for their service. I couldn't help but think that walking a marathon is such a small task when considering what those men and women do on a daily basis... what they go through and sacrifice - and here they were cheering us on. It was very meaningful to me.


Edith ROCKING her first Half Marathon

Throughout the race I was thinking of my very special friend, Sally, who has fought cancer and has continued to fight the terrible results of her radiation for the past four years. I learned on Friday that Sally was once again in the hospital fighting yet another issue. She has had it very rough and is tired of having to fight so hard. I dedicated my race to Sally and wore her name on my leg. I knew that any struggle I might have encountered would be nothing compared to her struggles. For a moment in time, I wanted to "fight for" Sally and let her take a break. On my way home, I received a text message saying she was doing a little bit better. Just maybe .... hopefully... Sally felt the positive vibes coming her way.  I love you, Sally. Mucho.

Walking for Sally

Rain soaked...

The race ended at the Memorial Stadium, which is where our closing ceremony is held for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day event. It was pretty exciting running into that stadium of cheering people and across the field like a football player does!  haha Running on that astroturf felt great after pounding the payment for the past three hours.

Edith and I crossed the finish line in 3 hours 5 minutes 24 seconds, averaging 14:08 minute miles. It was Edith's very first timed event and she rocked it! I would look behind me if she fell back a few feet and I would see her face full of concentration and her arms pumping like there was no tomorrow! She pushed herself HARD the entire race. She has something to be very proud of herself for because she finished in excellent time even with the RAIN, the WIND, and the HILLS. Sue finished just a couple minutes after us and I will always remember the size of her grin when she crossed that finish line! A job well done ladies!! I really enjoyed sharing the experience with both of you! xoxo

Going through the finish line!



We did it!

After eating bagels and bananas, drinking chocolate protein milk (damn, no wonder I don't lose weight while walking!), stretching, etc., we had to walk the mile back to our car but at least it was downhill all the way. We were limping with tired muscles and shivering cold in the wind and rain but none of that mattered because we were on a high from finishing the race. We stopped at a restaurant on the way back to Lynnwood, sat by a warm fireplace and had B52 coffee drinks to top off the day.  (pure bliss...)

The three hour drive back home to Vancouver with Sue was full of excitement as we talked about the event and how proud we were of our latest accomplishment. We have a common goal of completing a half in under 3 hours and plan to have that happen in 2012. Edith now has the bug of marathoning and I bet she will be right there with us whenever she can.

Project No. 2

Mom and I set up another fundraising table, this time at an elementary school bazaar. It was a four-hour commitment instead of eight like our previous one so that was nice. The "shoppers" here were mostly children with four or five dollars in their pockets so sells weren't large but we had many. Luckily we were offering pencils, lip gloss, pink notepads, pink bracelets and other little items that young girls wanted to spend a little money on. We made $85 on this project and I have happily added it to my Susan G. Komen fundraising page. The donations are adding up and it isn't even 2012 yet!  :)

November 16, 2011 - Honesty and Accountability

Today is the day to be totally honest and hold myself 100% accountable.  How am I doing that? By posting it here for the world to see. Full disclosure. It is easy to hide the facts and not be accountable to anyone. It is easy to move up and down the scale in private. However, taking the EASY route isn't accomplishing anything and I have a lot ahead of me that I still need to accomplish.

Here it is - Day 17,011.  haha  For easier reference, we will just start with Day 1 (I know... AGAIN!). That's the beauty of our lives, right? If we don't get it right, we can always start again! We all have our struggles - losing weight is just ONE of mine. It isn't easy. By being accountable to someone besides myself and the scale (which obviously isn't working well right now), I will do better. I have come too far on this quest to not finish it. I need this "push". I always hear that the last 10-20 pounds are the hardest to lose. I could not agree more.

Weigh Day 1 -  170.6  (ooooh the honesty hurts....)

I no longer have just 20 pounds to lose. I now have 30 to lose! I have gained 10 pounds! GAINED, not lost. I put these 10 extra pounds on since the beginning of October and it started when I was "eating for a marathon." It didn't help that I had two half marathons the following two weekends either. I just never got out of that eating phase. I enjoyed it too much to leave it!  An excuse...

Reaching my goal of walking 1000 miles slowed down my walking.  It is like weight loss... you hit the goal and then stop doing it. Unfortunately that's a very real problem. Reaching the weight loss goal will start a whole new set of challenges for me. Once I am there, I will have to learn to stay there. The key will be to not stop paying attention. I will ALWAYS have to work at it. I know that.

I have been suffering with back and nerve pain since October. Pain slowed me down. Pain made me depressed. Depression made me SIT DOWN.  But yet another excuse.  I can no longer let pain be an excuse. Pain does not control me. Not again. Not now. Not ever.

The REAL reason I gained 10 pounds is because of eating WHATEVER and WHENEVER  I wanted: candy, chocolate, fried chicken, salad dressing, holiday coffee drinks, desserts, etc. ... the list goes on! I quit paying attention - okay, that's not true, I knew exactly what I was eating - I simply quit caring. I gave up.  I. GAVE. UP.  (very detrimental words when said together)

Today I am refocusing and starting over. Again. There is no room in my life to GIVE UP. I am counting calories to get a very tight grip on my intake. (Remember: calories in MUST be less than calories out! It is a S.I.M.P.L.E. FACT and the ONLY way to lose weight.)  Just watching what I eat has been successful in the past to maintain my weight but it hasn't helped me lose weight. (I was able to maintain my 99-pound loss for a very long time and that's a positive thing! Hitting that 100-pound-down mark seemed to be absolutely impossible for me though. No more!) I have played in this same ten-pound range for a year or more. Hitting 170 again this morning has been an eye opener ... and I don't like what I see!  Not at all.  It is time to get very serious. I read about too many people losing weight... losing focus... regaining it all. I REFUSE to let that happen to me.

So as much as it hurts to post this little "post-of-honesty", I am posting it. I am going to be accountable and I am going to lose this weight. I AM going to reach my goals.

Anyone care to join me on this honesty train and lose those unwanted pounds? Working together is far more effective than going at it alone. Having a support system is ALWAYS helpful.

My two favorite helpful tools...

"My Fitness Pal" - a great place to keep track of your calories and weight. We can be 'friends' on there. It has a very thorough list of food. As an app, you can scan in the bar code on your food so you don't have to look it up (that feature doesn't work on my iPad though - darn it).

"Dailymile" - a place to keep track of various types of exercise, not just walking/running. You can also have 'friends' on there as well.

Hopefully I will see some of you jumping aboard!

November 23, 2011 - Weigh Day 2.   The day BEFORE Thanksgiving! That worked out well!  ;)

Lengthy back update

Instead of going to Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation, my doctor sent me to a Physiatrist last week. A Physiatrist is a nerve, muscle and bone expert. Upon hearing this, I became quite interested and hopeful that someone could actually help me get past this latest back crap.

The first thing the doctor asked was what I wanted out of my visit. My answer: "Make it all go away and give me my pain free life back!".  If only...

The exam showed I have no reflexes in my right knee or ankle and no feeling at all in my right heel or big toe (I didn't realize that before the needle prick testing but it makes sense now why my blisters from the marathon didn't hurt!).  Weird. I was told I walk with one shoulder higher than the other, which I knew 20 years ago but it never seemed to matter. My lower spine is curved enough to cause a slight twist in my pelvis, causing one leg to act as if it is shorter than the other.

Doc left the room and returned with a cane - a cane so sturdy it had four feet at the bottom of it! I immediately said I wasn't going to use that THING. (I'm stubborn like that.) She had me walk with it and asked how it made me feel? "Like an old lady!" Looking past my own self-image issue, I had to admit it made me feel more stable and took pressure I didn't know I had off of the opposite leg. But no, I am not having any part of it. NO WAY. I don't need it and don't want it. I distance walk all the time and I DON'T NEED A CANE.

I ended up getting a "lift" put in my left shoe. (I was much more agreeable to using this than a flippin cane!) It actually makes me feel more... what should I say... EVEN. I had no clue being "uneven" was an issue of mine. It feels a bit weird but I think I will get used to it. It is supposed to take some pressure off of my back. I walked 6 miles this morning and it hurt my knees in the beginning but after that went away, I really think it made me walk smoother.  Amazing.

As far as the rest of it goes, there is no solution. Doc said if I didn't have a history of multiple surgeries and nerve damage issues, she would send me in for surgery immediately (no reflexes + no feelings = no good!). However, since I have all that history, surgery is the last thing they want to do. She reconfirmed that further surgery would only cause me more problems, which definitely translates to MORE PAIN and I certainly don't want or need that.

Having an epidural injection is risky too and we have decided against it at this time.  It is also invasive and could result in more pain.

The "spells" are coming back and that's my biggest fear. "Spells" are what I call the episodes of severe nerve pain in my hips and legs. It is excruciating and debilitating. It scares me to think I might be going back THERE again.

I have exercises to do to build more core strength and I'm supposed to take Yoga classes. I am going to my first class on Wednesday. I know the instructor and she wants me up front with her so she can be sure I am not hurting my back.  Up front?! In front of the whole class?! I will surely die of embarrassment! 

I am considering taking Neurontin again - as much as I don't want to do it. Doc suggests I take it to help with the nerve pain. I also want to do acupuncture again but I have a different insurance than before so it is a matter of whether or not they will cover it. Hopefully they will.

The exam and discussion took over an hour and I honestly do not think I walked out of there any better off (but maybe a little taller?! haha). I learned a few things I didn't know about my body, nerves, fusions, etc. but I gained nothing as far as a solution. Obviously there isn't one. Other than medication, there is nothing they can do that I would for sure benefit from. I can no longer "be fixed" and honestly I guess I never was. It is all about managing it now and that's a pretty damn scary situation to be in.

Fundraising Booth a Big Success!

Thank you to everyone - especially to my very supportive friends - who came to the holiday bazaar today! We were able to raise a total of $530.00!

I will be adding the money to my 3-Day Walk for the Cure fundraising page on Monday. It will be divided out into three groups: $40 donation written directly to Susan G. Komen - which will show up in a week or two; $90 added to the already established "Knitted Baby Blankets made by Mom" title; and $400 put under the title of "Project No. 1 - November 12".

Thanks again for making this fundraising day such a great success! You are all very much appreciated! xoxo

A Supporting Booth

Firstenburg Community Center is having their annual bazaar tomorrow from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Free Admission! Mom and I are setting up a booth to raise awareness AND FUNDS for breast cancer. For the third year in a row I will be walking 60 miles in September at the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk for the Cure and I MUST raise $2,300. ALL money made tomorrow will be donated to my 3-Day Walk site in support of this great cause. If you live in Vancouver or near, come on by! We have lots of yummy desserts (donated by Husband's bakery people), plenty of Pink items (calendars, planners, lapel pins, pencils, etc., etc.), handmade items by Mom (crocheted dish cloths, pot scrubbers, and knitted baby blankets), and much more!  I hope to see you there!

Repeating the Repeated Day One ... AGAIN

Changed things up a bit today and had cereal for breakfast instead of my usual fruit/protein shake. I need to do SOMETHING different to get rid of this remaining extra baggage from around my middle! [I know I have one in there - a waist - I just need to find it!] The year is rapidly coming to an end and I still have the same song and dance going on here... I need to lose these last 20 pounds! La la la la laaaaaa  (Shouldn't all this dancing be burning the fat reserve?!)
  
I had coffee with a bit of creamer today. I snacked on two chocolate rice cakes, a mozzarella string cheese and a Clif bar.

Lunch was L-A-T-E in the day so it basically was dinner too. I know... I know. Skipping meals is not the answer. It wasn't on purpose, that's for sure. I had a turkey sandwich made on whole grain bread with tomatoes, avocado and mustard with a cup of yogurt on the side.

Sounds like I didn't eat enough, right? Certainly feels like I didn't eat enough. Truth of the matter is, I actually consumed about 1353 calories today. If I had exercised (which I didn't) or walked (didn't do that either), I could have consumed more calories, and would have happily done so!  It is amazing how the calories add up. We think we are eating so little and can't understand why we aren't skin and bones. Reality is that we consume a lot more than we ever realize. Easily, Quickly, and Mindlessly.

I got stressed and wanted fast food. I NEVER want nor eat fast food! Blah! But I wanted it. I got bored and I wanted a milkshake. I never have those either. I got tired and wanted chips (I do have those occasionally!). CLEARLY I eat for all the wrong reasons! I was all over the place with cravings. It was Tough - with a capital T - but I can proudly say I didn't give in. I watched what I ate today and limited my consumption. Calories in must be less than calories out - it is that simple. Too bad the process isn't as simple as the fact!

Day 1 of DIETING: BREAKING THE POUND BARRIER is behind me. Whew. I think I'm hungry now from all the effort it took.  ;)

Back Update

I am going to have an epidural steroid injection (or two... or three...) and I am going to go to Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation. After all, walking is my sport and I am unwilling to give it up! Hopefully they can cure the sleeping foot problem. Rehabilitation greatly improved my life in the past and it is obviously time to refocus on my back and do it all over again.

The surgeons don't want to do another surgery on my spine... unless we have tried everything else first.  I don't WANT them to do another surgery on my spine AT ALL... even if we have tried everything else first.

It is unknown which is causing me the most problems - the herniated discs or the built up scar tissue.

Surgery on my discs would help for the time being but later down the road I could potentially be right back here where I am today. OBVIOUSLY, I am here AGAIN.  "Potentially" has already become an "actuality" so why bother?! I already know what happens.

Surgery doesn't sound like a very good option to me.

Surgery would cause the scar tissue to increase.  Scar tissue clumping nerve roots together cannot be removed.  It is a spinal disease - Arachnoiditis - and I have had it for several years, causing me problems such as severe nerve pain, major muscle cramps and an inability to completely straighten my legs. It has been a "sleeping giant" and not caused me pain for the past three years, after several months of acupuncture treatments put it to bed. Clearly the giant is awake again but still a bit groggy.  Let's hope he goes back to sleep.

Surgery doesn't sound like an option that's worth the risk.

Surgery would also greatly increase my chances of getting MRSA again.  I beat it twice. Would I come out the winner at our third match up ... or would It?

Surgery doesn't sound like an option at all.

I will go for the injections (somewhat reluctantly) and rehabilitation.  Hopefully it works.  It's imperative.

I am very determined to continue moving forward.

For me, that is the ONLY option.