tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-164112962024-03-13T11:59:40.560-05:00Wendy's Not-So-Race-y ReportsWhat started as a way to lose weight and regain health turned into an addiction to racing.Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05150435117867908289noreply@blogger.comBlogger83125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16411296.post-52581682026097307122018-07-02T08:03:00.001-05:002018-07-02T08:03:23.559-05:00Capturing My DietBet Blog PostsMuch to my dismay, this morning I learned that DietBet has disabled the blogging function, so all my old blog posts on that site are soon to be inaccessible.<br />
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I have no illusions that I have thousands of readers hanging on my every word -- Instead I treat my blog posts like a diary, and I often read back over them to "see where my head was at" when I was doing well, and when I wasn't.<br />
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For those of you who use the notification feature, forgive the landslide of notifications you'll get today as I capture those posts and plug them in here so I will have access to them when I need them.<br />
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I don't think there were that many, but they mean something to me. :)Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05150435117867908289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16411296.post-54250591358790383772018-04-16T07:17:00.000-05:002018-07-02T07:18:22.054-05:00The Bugs Are Back<div style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; font-family: MuseoSans-300; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
A recent wave of Spring weather has meant the return of some unwelcome residents: bugs. Dealing with ticks, mosquitoes, and those other buggy worrisome insects reflects the sudden unwelcome return of some of my recently lost pounds.</div>
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To wit... My husband and I are fortunate that we can occasionally work remotely from some of our favorite vacation locations, where we can sneak in some short visits to favorite spots after our work hours. Last week we hurriedly pack and headed to the beach -- working to meet deadlines during the days and visiting our favorite parks, aquariums, and restaurants at night; skipping daytime meals in favor of "snacky food" that my husband packed -- foods I rarely choose to spend my caloric budget on. Eating those foods with abandon, coupled with high-calorie evening meals was a recipe for diet disaster and, as one might expect, those buggy pounds are back.</div>
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But, like the seasonal bugs, I know how to deal with these unwelcome pounds. I'm relieved to be back home and back to a normal dietary routine. Yes, I have some lost ground to make up, but I can do it. </div>
Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05150435117867908289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16411296.post-64711419352066155902018-04-08T07:19:00.000-05:002018-07-02T07:20:04.104-05:00Lessons Learned From Capturing Pokemon Mew<div style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; font-family: MuseoSans-300; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
"Everything old is new again" as the saying goes. I remember starting to increase my Step count and using Pokemon Go to keep boredom at bay. Searching for and capturing Pokemon and all the walking required to hatch eggs lessened the monotony of walking... and walking... and walking!</div>
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This weekend was Easter, which in my house means candy galore for the fam, and a mine field for me. I needed to get away and keep my mind occupied. Enter Pokemon Go and the multi-stage quest to find "the mythical Pokemon Mew." (I know, right? GEEK ALERT!)</div>
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For anyone not familiar with the game, it requires a LOT of walking -- both to specific locations and to accumulate mileage. I was on my feet almost the entire weekend, collapsing into bed at night only to rise, shower, and do it again.</div>
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I got my Mew -- and I lost weight! Not just water weight from limiting carbs or sweating it out, but actual fat loss from calories burned.</div>
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Yes!</div>
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I just have to keep after it -- I've got a lot to lose to catch up to my Transformer goals.</div>
Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05150435117867908289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16411296.post-74376962437020824542018-03-22T07:21:00.000-05:002018-07-02T07:22:03.532-05:00Spring Renewal, Head Games, and Weight Loss! (again, finally)<div style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; font-family: MuseoSans-300; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
I've had a GREAT week this week. Have you had that experience yet that, for some unknown reason, the switch in your brain flips and you get your mojo back and suddenly you're eating right and exercising regularly and getting excited about hopping on the scale and seeing where you stand?</div>
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As a lifetime dieter, I have felt this before -- and have wished I could capture it. I know I made some changes in my actions (digging up recipes for veggies that I love, doing more prep work so eating healthier was more convenient, etc) but for me the flipped switch always seems to start with something psychological.</div>
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Last week I began looking for inspirational books, tv shows, and web posts about living a healthier lifestyle. There are statistics galore out there that tell us that long-term successful weight loss is virtually impossible -- and an equal number of articles telling us what failures we are for not doing what we know we should be doing to live healthier lives. My fragile psyche doesn't find those encouraging, as I'm far too likely to buy into how "impossible" changing my lifestyle is, what a complete failure I am, and resigning myself to certain defeat. I realize I must cultivate hope and better self-esteem -- and that's what I set out to do in my search: find books, journals, movies, whatever that illustrated that there are ways of overcoming obstacles to permanent healthy lifestyle changes.</div>
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As an example, last night while I walked on the treadmill, I watched 2 episodes of "Eat Yourself Sexy, Australia". I don't know that I'd recommend this series to everyone, but <em style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">because I was ready to hear it</em>, I picked up on the truth that my problems are no different from most folks who desire to weigh less but work long hours, deal with stress, don't care to take time to cook (and shop, chop, and clean up afterwards), don't feel they have time to exercise, and so on. The bottom line, as someone once told me, is that you don't have to LIKE exercising and eating right, but you <em style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">do</em> have to <em style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">do</em> it.</div>
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<span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: underline; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">My</em></span> truth, though, is that to have long-term success, I <em style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">do</em> need to like it -- or more precisely, find reasons to like it! To be successful, I need to make exercise and eating right more FUN. I know this -- but sometimes I forget it. And I think that unwillingness to "find the fun" is the most important factor in my recent season of weight gain. I have been so focused on how difficult it is to make time to shop for produce, prepare healthy foods, make time for exercise, and so on; that I simply could not will myself to start what I was only seeing as a life sentence of deprivation and drudgery. But it doesn’t have to be!</div>
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This week, I found hope! Hope through the stories of success that others have experienced, and hope through the success I’ve had in making a few small changes and finding I’m happier (and lighter!) for having made them.</div>
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And hope is what Spring is all about, isn’t it?</div>
Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05150435117867908289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16411296.post-25838981710284145822018-03-17T07:22:00.000-05:002018-07-02T07:23:18.698-05:00To Everything... (Turn, turn, turn): Seasons of Weight Loss<div style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; font-family: MuseoSans-300; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
I don't want to dwell on failure, but there is some value in drawing that line in the sand and proclaiming, "Here! But no farther!"</div>
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There are "good" seasons and "bad" seasons in my weight loss history. 2016 was a fantastically good season marked by a steady stream of small losses, and ultimately, reaching a goal weight that I did not imagine I'd ever reach. I can hardly beleive I saw that magical number on my scales. In my 60s!!! It defied all odds. I did what all the research studies say just isn't possible. It was amazing in 2017 to start the year thinking "For the first time in my life, my New Years resolution can be something BESIDES 'lose weight'!"</div>
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Now my total weight history looks like a huge smile -- a high point followed by a dip, then a string of quick gains followed by small losses. I haven't quite regained it all, but I am devastatingly close.</div>
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Every time I say I'm going to quit, give up, resign myself to a fat life; the voice in my head says, "No way! You are not going to live life in *this* body -- filled with shame and regret! It's just not YOU! Have you forgotten who you are?!?!?"</div>
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Let this be the new season. The continuation of the lifestyle changes that brought that string of losses. This cannot be the end.</div>
Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05150435117867908289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16411296.post-91275469972317157342018-01-28T07:48:00.000-05:002018-07-02T07:48:59.686-05:00Looking Back for Proof<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsFtleWimrhUY-89hjRuh65RDKWLqjAGn55VbyoIkOP513XRJFXYCSWrPSu_2WFTpE6lE8Mw0-5Zm7UEHtXwP6fDmKxVDYgLeOhIX8421C5bu8ihudQOQwo61ds2JlOQRnMGRo/s1600/humil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsFtleWimrhUY-89hjRuh65RDKWLqjAGn55VbyoIkOP513XRJFXYCSWrPSu_2WFTpE6lE8Mw0-5Zm7UEHtXwP6fDmKxVDYgLeOhIX8421C5bu8ihudQOQwo61ds2JlOQRnMGRo/s1600/humil.jpg" /></a></div>
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Now that the close of the January Kickstarter DietBets that I have entered is only hours away, I proudly pulled out my entering photos, expecting to see a difference -- proof that my weight loss mattered. At first, I was disappointed. Frankly, I don't see a big difference (well, much of <em style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">any</em> difference!).</div>
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Then I remembered that I've been at this for a while. It certainly took me much longer than 4 weeks to gain this weight -- and losing it has taken me quite a while too. I have taken the baby steps approach -- first giving up a Southern staple, sweet tea; then, swapping milk in my coffee for sugarfree cocoa; and this year committing to 30 minutes a day of intentional movement (based on an annual challenge from John Bingham, the "Penguin" of Runners World fame).</div>
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Those little changes add up -- as evidenced by these photos.</div>
Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05150435117867908289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16411296.post-65797152506721669072018-01-15T08:12:00.000-05:002019-01-27T06:01:23.109-05:00Taking Stock of 2017<div style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; font-family: MuseoSans-300; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
I just joined three Transformers and three Kickstarters. Based on last year's winnings, that might not seem a fiscally sound decision -- but based on 2016... Well, it's done, and I feel good about choosing to believe in myself. Now I need to make good on that investment.</div>
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2017 was a tough year. However, looking back on the numbers, I think I gave up on myself far too quickly. I knew some weight gain was inevitable. My last DietBet goal was too low for me to maintain without some pretty severe caloric and exercise extremes, which was not the "lifestyle change" I was looking for; but I thought I could hover pretty happily around my chosen maintenance weight and still live my life on my own terms. After all, I think “normal” folks lose and gain some small number of pounds over the course of a year.</div>
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Sadly, I did not count on the long weeks without exercise due to my hip and knee issues, or the weeks of long, exhausting, stressful work days sitting at a desk from Thanksgiving through the New Year. Stress and choosing stress-eating during the highest calorie food offerings of the year really set my goals back.</div>
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I’m better equipped to handle that now. I have come to terms with using the elliptical for my daily exercise (to give my knees a break from running), but I still need to come up with a reliable way to handle the stresses of work – because they will always be there. I think the bottom line is that my health (therefore an hour or more set aside to exercise) has to come first. In 2016, when I reached my DietBet goal weight, I did a much better job of making my health a priority, so I know I can do that.</div>
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I love a new year and a series of managable goals -- and I see these as quite managable! This is a process, and I intend to see better results this year, as I have more experience at what it takes to maintain a lower weight. Looking forward to learning more through this year's DietBets. Onward and... downward (on the scales)!</div>
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The primary goal I set for myself in 2017, though, was completing a 4-day race series known as the Dopey Challenge at Walt Disney World: a 5k, 10K, half marathon, and full marathon in 4 successive race days.</div>
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Even though I'm in my 60's and struggled with joint issues (and physical therapy, and a continually revised training plan), I still finished all four races -- and the 16-miler, 18-miler, and 20-miler that the training called for. That was a seemingly impossible goal (based on what my orthopedist told me anyway :) ) and I did it -- so the year was not a loss.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzuL3xyK4gh9WyydURLumJAm6QxK5WNpZwhnGJCqFhZC6KdafF0tvAQ4dOFJNU03KDeIG6IlR-i01vrtrvagP21BE46NvGyp30e8Yj2HdS4ouYOculbdv16Fsbxe19WTVGXo2p/s1600/PhotoPass_Visiting_WDWRESORTSANDMORE_407901752215+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzuL3xyK4gh9WyydURLumJAm6QxK5WNpZwhnGJCqFhZC6KdafF0tvAQ4dOFJNU03KDeIG6IlR-i01vrtrvagP21BE46NvGyp30e8Yj2HdS4ouYOculbdv16Fsbxe19WTVGXo2p/s320/PhotoPass_Visiting_WDWRESORTSANDMORE_407901752215+%25281%2529.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
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Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05150435117867908289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16411296.post-18187872694874959262017-10-27T07:56:00.000-05:002018-07-02T07:56:54.155-05:00Coach Said "Don't Ever Give Up"<div style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; font-family: MuseoSans-300; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
As an NCSU alumnus, I'm very familiar with Jim Valvano's ESPY Awards speech given less than two months before he lost his fight to metastatic cancer. Even then, after battling cancer for almost a year, he advised us all to never give up.</div>
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We are all fighting a fight right now.</div>
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For some, it may be a fight against the very real and dangerous longterm effects of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure -- effects we push from our minds daily as we go about making our mundane-seeming food choices.</div>
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For others, it's a battle to protect our self-esteem and to feel comfortable in our own skins -- a battle of wills (to satisfy the cravings NOW or to tame those cravings and keep striving towards the distant goal of our best selves).</div>
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Last year, I successfully acheived my weight loss goal. I bought new clothes. I took tons of photos of the thinner me. I revelled in faster half marathon finishes.</div>
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This year, I have struggled. I have lost DietBets, joined others, and lost them too.</div>
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But I laid down my money yet again. I can't give up on myself despite the odds.</div>
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I will thank the website "The Quote Investigator" for sharing the following:</div>
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A good player never stops until he’s actually out, running as hard for first base on the almost-certain-to-be-caught fly or grounder as he would if he were sprinting the 100-yard dash.</div>
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If Henry Ford hadn’t kept going in the early days despite ridicule, we would never have seen the Ford car. It’s been much the same with almost every great man you could name. He kept plugging when everybody said his chances of making first base were nil. You just can’t beat the person who never gives up.</div>
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George Herman ‘Babe’ Ruth. “The Rotarian” magazine</div>
Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05150435117867908289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16411296.post-57638945744666812692017-04-26T08:16:00.000-05:002019-01-27T05:39:30.243-05:00Get Your Head in the Game(s)<div style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; font-family: MuseoSans-300; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
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Sometimes, as they say, one must "fish or cut bait." I'm going fishing. Yup, I said it right out loud.</div>
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Today my employer has announced a major reorg and I am directly affected by the changes. My team members have changed. My manager has changed. My job responsibilities are changing. Major daily stresses are coming. I'd like to say it is an opportunity for growth. It feels more like a fight for survival.</div>
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When these things happened in the past, food was always my greatest comfort. I can't let that happen this time. Wisdom would say I should aim to sit tight and try to maintain my weight. Instead, in a moment of madness, perhaps; I just signed up for 3 Kickstarters.</div>
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Kickstarters aren't easy for me, and because they are not, they demand a certain amount of focus and energy -- and a lot of commitment. I can't coast through a Kickstarter and win.</div>
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But there is something about my goal weight for this Kickstarter -- something about seeing the scale read in a 10LB range that I have not seen but once before in my adult lifetime -- that is empowering. And today as I face a situation at work in which I feel completely powerless, I need to feel I have power over <em style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">something</em>.</div>
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The photo of me in this blog entry is from my trip to Hawaii in January of this year (2017). I was there to complete a half marathon in my 50th state (meaning, I have now finished a half marathon in each of the 50 United States, plus DC). It was a life goal -- and it took several years of careful budgeting and training and travel to pull off. It was very empowering to reach that very-long-term goal.</div>
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At the start line in Hawaii, I truly felt any goal was within my reach -- well, <em style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">any goal was within anyone's</em> <em style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">reach</em>. It takes planning (and being willing to make adjustments to that plan), commitment, dealing with setbacks -- but it is amazing what can be accomplished if you simply won't give up on achieving your goals.</div>
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Don't give up, friends. Don't let circumstances sway you. Get your head in the DietBet games you have entered. Encourage those around you. If you commit to your absolute best effort, you're a winner; regardless of what the scale says. But I'd wager the scale will likely proclaim you're a winner too.</div>
Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05150435117867908289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16411296.post-18816611078617955542017-04-06T08:18:00.000-05:002018-07-02T08:19:56.073-05:00Note to Self: Don't Let Bloat Make You Blow It!<div style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; font-family: MuseoSans-300; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
I learned a long time ago that I'm pretty easily discouraged where weight management is concerned. I try not to weigh myself too often, because one "bad" weigh-in -- even a minor gain -- can send me into a defeatist spiral of self-talk that can resort in a junk food bender. I am capable of very positive self-talk in almost every other situation, but I can resort to some horrible (and completely unreasonable) condemnations when I gain weight.</div>
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Last weekend I had one of those crazy weight gains -- so crazy that I kept checking and rechecking my weight throughout the evening. My original reaction was "Surely this is wrong! I can't possibly have gained this much!" -- but that quickly devolved into "Face it! You're fat, and you're <span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">always</span> going to be fat!"</div>
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Fortunately, I talked through my irrational reaction with my husband. I told him all the things I knew were true intellectually: there's no way I could have gained that much <span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; font-family: MuseoSans-500; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">fat</span> in a single day (so it was most likely water weight); quick weight gains are frequently also quickly lost if I monitor my eating a little more closely, drink plenty of water, and avoid salty foods (prepared foods and soups, typically loaded with sodium); and, most importantly, that one bad weigh-in is no reason to throw in the towel. Period.</div>
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We have an allegory that we use to illustrate that last important truth -- one my husband created especially for me several years ago. First a bit of background: I am a lover of Disney races, and have finished lots of marathons, half marathons, and other races there over the last 15+ years. That means I frequently make the long drive from our home in North Carolina to Orlando (and back again). That's pretty remarkable considering I completely lack <em style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">any</em> sense of direction -- and must constantly monitor my navigation system (even though the path to Disney World basically involves heading south and making two turns).</div>
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Now to the allegory... After one of my "I might as well give up! This is never going to work!" weight-gain tirades, he turned to me and asked, "Dear, if you took the wrong on-ramp in Jacksonville FL on your way to Disney World and realized you were headed in the wrong direction, would you say, 'Just forget it! I'll never make it to Disney! I'm going home!'?"</div>
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He's a smart guy, because I have indeed taken the wrong on-ramp, heading north -- after a gas stop near Savannah -- realized almost immediately what I'd done, then taken the next exit and turned toward Disney again. Nope, I didn't enjoy my little detour and the time I'd wasted, or the miles I needed to travel AGAIN, but it never -- NEVER -- occurred to me to go back home. It's a substantial drive to Savannah from my house. I've invested HOURS of drive time. Jacksonville is even farther -- heck, I'm practically <em style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">there</em> by then -- would I give one moment's thought to abandoning my goal and heading home? Oh, HECK no!</div>
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After a pause, I laughed and answered, "Nope." And that's what I try to remember when I have one of those get-outta-here weigh-in experiences on my scales. I've invested a lot of energy and time in this new lifestyle -- a lifestyle that results in lower weight, lower blood sugar, and (frankly) a lot cuter wardrobe. Throwing all that effort away because of one pound -- or 6 pounds! -- gained is... well, stupid. And I'm <em style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">not</em> stupid.</div>
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So this week I've practiced all my healthiest habits and, as predicted, those mysteriously gained pounds have almost completely evaporated. I'm heading in the right direction again -- and I intend to keep on truckin'.</div>
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Hope you do too!</div>
Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05150435117867908289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16411296.post-54895637940936328032017-03-26T08:29:00.000-05:002018-07-02T08:29:59.068-05:00Saying Goodbye to Mom<div style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; font-family: MuseoSans-300; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
I'm not going to lie. It's been an unbelievably tough week. My 88-year-old mom was hospitalized, and while surrounded by family, she passed away on Friday. This last week, that we lived knowing she was dying, was surreal. From the time we were told there was no "treatment" for her, and no hope for improvement; there was just waiting with her as her body slowly shut down. It was heartwrenching. But I am happy that we were with her, and relieved that she did not linger long or suffer, but simply slept until her breathing stopped. </div>
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The important thing, though, is not her death, but the life she lived.</div>
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My mom prepared hundreds of meals for me, but the recipes I have from her are almost all sweets: cookies (especially her Scottish Tea Cakes), fluffy congealed salads, fancy cakes, rich candies, etc. These were family favorites served on holidays or special occasions that are associated with so many precious memories.</div>
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But as I sat yesterday remembering her, it wasn't those meals that came to mind so much as the sight of her standing in front of the stove, or washing up in the sink, and singing. Singing! Hymns. Christmas carols. Swing favorites. The Andrews Sisters. Bing. Sinatra. And silly songs from her childhood that she passed on to us. And whistling -- "Whistling girls and crowing hens, both will come to some bad end" she used to say -- but she could whistle like no one else I know -- complex warbling, trilling, lilting melodies. I could never whistle the way that she did.</div>
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It does not surprise me then that on Friday and Saturday, I did not want to walk. I wanted to take a timeout from life. I wanted to stop everything. I dread tomorrow's funeral. I dread the commentary from people who want to convey some comfort by saying things like "She looks so lifelike!" My mother was a shy person with a lively sense of humor. That is what gives me comfort, not the way her body is preserved. It's just an empty vessel, now devoid of its treasured and much-loved contents. I understand those who need to see her body and say goodbye to have a sense of closure. I am not among them.</div>
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In the church community of the Southern US, funerals almost always mean food. Meals shared with the family, where all the attendees reminisce and tell stories and share memories, laughing and comforting each other. The memories shared will be where I'll take my nourishment; not from the plates of food.</div>
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What does all this have to do with DietBet or StepBet? Well, nothing directly, I suppose. But I will say my experiences over the last year gave me a different way to cope. I cannot count the times I walked up and down the long hallway off my Mom's room. Or the times I circled the block around the hospital. Or the times I looked at snack foods others passed around and thought, "Those may taste good, but they are not really going to make me feel better," and politely declined those offers. </div>
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And while I am counting the many blessings of these last few days: that my mom was lucid and able to live in her own home until the end, that her children, grandchildren, and great grandchild were with her as she faded away, that she was not in pain or frightened, that she and my dad were happily married until his death -- and that she still spoke lovingly of him -- so many, many blessings... I will add to the end of the list that I am able to celebrate my mother's life without numbing myself by endlessly stuffing myself with food.</div>
Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05150435117867908289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16411296.post-37755308561891882122017-01-22T07:31:00.000-05:002018-07-02T07:32:07.442-05:00Can't Lose Faith and Expect to Lose Pounds<div style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; font-family: MuseoSans-300; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
I have learned a hard lesson since Thanksgiving. I was doing quite well with my weight loss. It almost seemed easy. Then, I made a conscious decision to not feel guilty about eating some traditional goodies while on a special Thanksgiving vacation, then during Christmas weekend. I honestly don't think that decision and the accompanying small weight gain was/is the problem.</div>
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Instead, I think the problem is the self-destructive tape that keeps replaying in my head. The one that says, "See? I knew you were always going to be fat! I knew you'd gain all the weight back! You've been fat all your life -- that's not going to change. YOU'RE not going to change! Now you're going to lose all that money, too!"</div>
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Now, I know that over-the-top self-criticism is simply <em style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; font-family: MuseoSans-500; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">not true</span></em>. I have not gained <em style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">all</em> the weight back. Moreover, it should be entirely possible for me to reach my goal weight in my Transformers and KickStarters and <em style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">not lose any money</em>. That hateful dialog is a LIE!</div>
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The worst consequence of the condemnation-that-won't-quit is that it nearly always results in a crazy compulsion to overeat -- or to eat things I've had no desire for since last January when I started using DietBet!</div>
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Time to learn something new -- or to put into practice a "trick" I learned long ago. I've got to "fake it 'til I make it." I've got to counter every internal criticism with a calmer, rational counter-argument. "Seriously? Get out of here! I've lost a ton of weight and kept it off! I'm eating healthier now than I have before, and I have a new wardrobe of smaller clothes that FIT! Yes, I gained a bit -- but MOST AMERICANS DO during the holidays. It may not be healthy, but it is certainly NORMAL -- and dropping those few pounds is completely doable. I will not tolerate your condemnation. I'm reversing this weight gain -- one ounce at the time if I need to. I'm not quitting. I'm not giving up just because <em style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">you</em> want to give up on me!"</div>
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I read an article that said one of qualities essential to ensuring longterm weight loss was <em style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; font-family: MuseoSans-500; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">self-efficacy</span></em> -- that is, the belief that one could succeed. When I stop believing in myself, I stop trying. (Why would you try if you thought your efforts were in vain?) The answer for me is to continue to talk/act as though I do believe -- to rekindle that spark of belief that says "Look at what you have done! At how much weight you have lost! Absolutely you can do this!"</div>
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And yes, friend, you can too. </div>
Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05150435117867908289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16411296.post-11081878432263651722017-01-21T07:28:00.000-05:002018-07-02T07:30:39.551-05:00Getting My Groove Back<div style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; font-family: MuseoSans-300; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
My last blog post may have seemed a bit negative, but I think from time to time we all struggle with doubts about our ability to succeed. Maybe voicing those doubts gives them more power -- I'm not sure -- but I can report a victory this morning as I have a string of "healthy habit" days now (after getting a bit lax during the holidays) and I feel far more confident of hitting my goal for my final Transformer (well, final for now!) weigh in.</div>
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I'm joining a Maintainer this year. I like the idea of settling into my new lower weight without the pressure of continually losing more. My mission for several years has been to learn to eat "like a normal person." In my mind, normal people do not endlessly track calories, have rigid rules about foods they can and cannot eat, live through endless binge-and-starve cycles -- they enjoy their food, but recognize that it is just one of a myriad list of things to enjoy about life. </div>
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I'm slowly, slowly, slowly adopting that "normal" approach to food as a lifestyle. It has taken me years of experimenting and practice -- but this last year, as my DietBet goals encouraged me to consistently focus on how I dealt with food; I have had great success. When my coworkers or friends ask me how I did it, I tell them I used two approaches:</div>
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If I really want a food, I choose between:</div>
<ol>
<li>How to eat a portion of that food as part of my "normal" diet. Want ______? What do you need to cut back on today or tomorrow so that "treat" doesn't tip the scales? Or can you save it for a day when you will be on a long hike, or finishing a half marathon -- when calories expended will make up for the calories consumed?</li>
<li>Finding an equally satisfying (or nearly equally satisfying) substitute. I hate naming names, but there are some very good ice cream substitutes out there that I can eat weekly (if I choose -- or I suppose even daily, although I can't imagine that!) rather than the high-fat stuff. And instead of my favorite name-brand coffee shop, I can make perfectly wonderful coffee at home with flavored coffees and/or SF syrups. I can custom-blend flavors that appeal to me -- Mexican Spice Chocolate ground coffee, with a diet hot chocolate packet (25 calories!), SF chocolate coffee syrup, and SF German Chocolate Cake coffee syrup is my current favorite. And there are dozens of flavor varieties so I'm never bored. The visits to the coffee shop, then, are saved for social times or special occasions -- and honestly, many times I find myself thinking I actually like my own homemade coffee better.</li>
</ol>
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I never feel deprived that way. I feel normal! In fact, now I make those choices pretty much without thinking about them.</div>
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And that's the way I've always wanted it to be!</div>
Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05150435117867908289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16411296.post-22799167999285076262016-10-12T07:33:00.000-05:002018-07-02T07:34:11.994-05:00Break on Through to the Other Side (of 170)<div style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; font-family: MuseoSans-300; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Thank you, Jim Morrison and The Doors, for the song on continual replay in my head this morning. :)</div>
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Today was a weigh-in day for one of my Transformer bets. This monthly goal had been a BIG intimidator for me because it was a number I had not seen on the scales in... many, many years.</div>
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There's a great Disney song (that is a favorite of mine on my treadmill playlist) and the lyrics go:</div>
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Here comes a breakthrough<br />Here comes a day<br />Here comes a moment that you gotta go for it<br />So don't let it get away<br />It's all about a breakthrough<br />Just turn the page<br />'Cause every day I'm getting closer<br />Life is just a rollercoaster </div>
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Who can't relate to the rollercoaster that is weight loss? I suppose for some folks the weight just melts off, creating a perfect downward arc in their weight tracker; but for me, my weight loss tracker looks much more like a ball ricocheting inside a pinball machine.</div>
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I've often had to remind myself that I cannot control how quickly my body releases the weight, I can ONLY control the choices I make about food and exercise -- and trust that the weight loss will happen in its own time. This morning I was really sweating my weigh-in because... well, that number seemed unattainable. Certainly I would not have dreamed that I would reach this weight when I first started DietBetting in January.</div>
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I stepped on the scales this morning like they were made of egg shells... and (HOLY MOLEY!) I was under 170 lbs by the skin of my teeth!</div>
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Of course, next month presents another impossible-seeming goal weight. Sigh. One day at the time, right? And today, I'm going to bask in the blue glow of that magic number. </div>
Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05150435117867908289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16411296.post-85851510691584031402016-09-23T07:35:00.000-05:002018-07-02T07:36:13.352-05:00Have Scales, Will Travel<div style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; font-family: MuseoSans-300; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Probably the vast majority of my readers are too young to remember Paladin, the gun for hire in an old TV Western. His sales pitch was "Have gun, will travel." Every time I have prepared for a trip this year, it seems I have had a weigh-in due, so I have become all too familiar with the "have scales, will travel" lifestyle -- packing up our family's scale and carrying it with me.</div>
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Whether it's because I'm a tiny bit superstitious, or just because a part of me only trusts the scale from home, I have monitored my Dietbet weigh-ins with my old faithful scale in hotel rooms, my daughter's home, and during visits with friends. (By the way, hotel lighting does not always make for the best progress photos. :D ) </div>
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Why is this worth a blog post? Because it is one more excuse I have voided from the long list of excuses that I used in the past for not being able to lose weight: "Oh, I'm traveling. I might as well give up. There's no way I can lose weight when I have no idea how my food is prepared," or "...when I'm dining in restaurants that have selections I may never get to try again," or similar LIES that I told myself. No, I can't be that hard on myself. I actually believed them at the time. But the funny thing is, when I had a weigh-in coming, and I knew my scale was waiting, I was able to lose weight wherever I found myself. And you can believe I ate well too; I was simply a LOT more conscious of serving sizes and food preparation.</div>
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So, I'm headed off to spend this weekend with a friend and do a half marathon. And my scale is looking forward to the trip. :) </div>
Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05150435117867908289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16411296.post-41289021452290685732016-07-10T08:45:00.000-05:002018-07-02T08:46:40.747-05:00Being the Runner Up -- Without Giving Up<div style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; font-family: MuseoSans-300; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
At the beginning of my last three (yep, I joined three at once) KickStarters, I posted that I'd just won an incredibly difficult KickStarter (for me) and had vowed to "never do THAT again." For some reason, losing 4% in a month has been crazy-difficult for me.</div>
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Now, I've <em style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; font-family: MuseoSans-500; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">never</span> </em>lost a DietBet. (Full disclosure: I did lose one round of a Transformer because the weigh-in date meant I had to weigh in late at night after a long day of travel -- and not, surprisingly, I weighed quite a bit heavier than I had in my morning weigh-ins. But ultimately I won the Transformer and got a share of the pot, so it didn't feel like a loss at all. But I digress...)</div>
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I'm about to lose my THREE latest KickStarters -- all on the same day. But I'm feeling surprisingly philosophical about it -- and here's why.</div>
<ul>
<li>I didn't "put all my eggs into one basket." I love competing with myself, but honestly, to stay motivated, I need to win --<span style="font-family: MuseoSans-300; font-size: 14px;"> </span><em style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; font-family: MuseoSans-300; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">often</em><span style="font-family: MuseoSans-300; font-size: 14px;">. My DietBet participation this month has me not only finishing these KickStarter bets, I am also finishing -- and winning -- three Transformers. Those winnings help cushion the blow -- financially and psychologically -- of losing 3 KickStarters. I am still</span><span style="font-family: MuseoSans-300; font-size: 14px;"> </span><em style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; font-family: MuseoSans-300; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">so far ahead</em><span style="font-family: MuseoSans-300; font-size: 14px;"> -- in terms of both my winnings and pounds lost than where I was in January. And I'm okay with that.</span></li>
<li>I didn't lose "real money." Admittedly, this is simply my perspective, but I played these KickStarters with previous winnings, so I felt it was money I could risk losing. I'm not happy I lost it, but I'm happy that I was courageous enough to take a risk on me, and at least I can comfort myself that someone who worked hard to lose weight this month is enjoying it, and it didn't really cost me anything out-of-pocket. And I'm okay with that.</li>
<li>I've been showered with NSV (non-scale victories) in the 4 weeks of these KickStarters. A 5K PR; and coming within a whisker of a half marathon PR. (Not bad for someone approaching 60!) An award for hiking in all 43 North Carolina State Parks. Slipping into a "normal" size (buh-bye PLUS sizes) that I have not worn in years. All those things tell me that despite what the scale says, what I am doing is working. And I'm okay with that.</li>
<li>Most importantly, I have not broken my agreement with myself. I decided when I started DietBetting in January that "this time" I was not going to lose weight by coming up with a list of restricted foods and forcing myself to live with that. Instead, I was going to find a way to figure out how to enjoy foods I absolutely love<span style="font-family: MuseoSans-300; font-size: 14px;"> </span><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; font-family: MuseoSans-300; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">in moderation</span><span style="font-family: MuseoSans-300; font-size: 14px;">. Doing that, I have been</span><span style="font-family: MuseoSans-300; font-size: 14px;"> </span><em style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; font-family: MuseoSans-300; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">steadily</em><span style="font-family: MuseoSans-300; font-size: 14px;"> </span><span style="font-family: MuseoSans-300; font-size: 14px;">losing weight, but not</span><span style="font-family: MuseoSans-300; font-size: 14px;"> </span><em style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; font-family: MuseoSans-300; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">quickly</em><span style="font-family: MuseoSans-300; font-size: 14px;">. And I'm okay with that.</span></li>
</ul>
Now I have to decide if I want to join another Transformer, or choose to maintain this weight for a while. I'll need to give that some thought.<br /><div style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; font-family: MuseoSans-300; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
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And I'm okay with that. :)</div>
Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05150435117867908289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16411296.post-84438894510450701392016-04-01T08:48:00.000-05:002018-07-02T08:49:11.142-05:00Anger and Hunger Are NOT Related<div style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; font-family: MuseoSans-300; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Look at that. A-N-G-E-R has a lot of letters in common with H-U-N-G-E-R. But they are nothing alike, and I don't know why when I'm angry about something, my previous method of coping (and the first thing that crosses my mind, frankly) is binge eating. I am not certain if it is self-comforting or self-loathing that triggers it (probably some of both).</div>
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Yesterday was different. I think God was watching out for me. I wasn't able to leave work on time (when the trigger occurred), and I knew I had at least an hour and a half of walking to do, so I came straight in from work and hopped on the treadmill. (I am in a StepBet with some pretty challenging step goals, and it takes me a while to get those steps in.)</div>
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I was still angry when I got off the treadmill, but I was making some progress about reframing what had happened. I can't live in a perpetual state of anger, after all -- it's just not me. I tried to find what positive consequences might come from the circumstances I found myself in, and acknowledged that while I felt wronged in this situation; there were in fact many, many, many things that I appreciated about my job. Bottom line: It's all small stuff.</div>
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And I went to bed early.</div>
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This morning was the end of a round in my Transformer. I'd forgotten it until I got the email reminder. And because I had not binged, I "won" this round.</div>
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So by the grace of God, this time I was not an April Fool. </div>
Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05150435117867908289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16411296.post-38617739453924416762016-03-03T08:50:00.000-05:002018-07-02T08:50:51.133-05:00A Day Without Dieting<div style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; font-family: MuseoSans-300; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
I've been crazy busy lately. This year I'm doing all that I can to save money for a January trip to finish a half marathon in my 50th state -- Hawaii. (I have finished a half marathon in the other 49, although it has taken me 4 years to do it!) Who knows if I'll make that dream come true, but I have been scrimping, saving, yard-selling, etc. to pull together the dollars, nickels, and dimes I need.</div>
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I am also taking on the Smokies Centennial Challenge -- a celebration of the 100th birthday of the National Parks system that requires that you hike 100 miles on any trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. </div>
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Oh! And it's the 100th birthday of the NC State Parks system as well, so I have hikes scheduled with various meetup groups in as many different state parks as I can visit this year, although I don't know that I will be able to find time to visit them all.</div>
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Busy, busy, busy.</div>
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And you know what? I've been losing weight -- not rapidly -- but steadily enough to eek out victories in all my DietBets thus far.</div>
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I realized this morning that when I started DietBetting in January, all I did was focus on the food I was eating, my calorie count, my step count, and the calories I burned through "non-exercise" activities like yard work or painting. I was <em style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">dieting</em>. Now I think I'm on auto-pilot a little bit. I don't need to talk myself out of cravings as often. I no longer fight the urge to stop at fast food joints, because I just don't have those urges anymore.</div>
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Something <em style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">besides</em> the number on the scale has changed. I am not <span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; font-family: MuseoSans-500; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">dieting</span> -- I am living in a new way.</div>
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Wow.</div>
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I hope this magic lasts! I'm going to do all that I can to see that it does. :)</div>
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Keep kicking that fat to the curb, my friends.</div>
Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05150435117867908289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16411296.post-81469516962824365822016-02-05T08:40:00.000-05:002018-07-02T08:40:28.229-05:00Tomorrow, Tomorrow, Only One Weigh Away...(Apologies, Annie)<div style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; font-family: MuseoSans-300; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
So... I'm anticipating the BIG CLUNK. You know what I mean, right? When the number on the scale slides from 2NN to 1NN. Forget Y2K -- this is no silly <em style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">millennium </em>-- this is a major life accomplishment! I should get a Leg Lamp!</div>
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I was sure, certain, NO QUESTION that today would be the day. I postponed my weekly weigh-in for the last possible moment. Lights, camera, ACTION!!!! "I'm ready for my closeup, Mister DeMille."</div>
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What?!?! 200.4! 200.FOUR! What the HECK?!?!?!</div>
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I guess I'll wait a little longer -- and in the meantime, I'll relish a few of my recent NSVs. Seeing my A1C drop from 10.1 to 7.7 in 3 months. (My endocrinologist practically held a parade in my honor!) Buttoning and zipping those new size 16 trail pants. NOT "Womens" size 16's -- just "normal" size 16's.</div>
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Life is good! </div>
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But when the big clunk happens, I promise you'll hear about it!</div>
Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05150435117867908289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16411296.post-2301865069483738802016-02-02T06:30:00.000-05:002018-07-02T08:43:19.777-05:00What if... the Weight-ing Game<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I am a planner. I can't help it. I discovered long ago that anticipation extended any happiness associated with an event, so trips are planned far in advance -- even three-day weekends merit agendas of places to see, things to do, and new foods to try. (Hummmmm... I may see a new correlation here. ;) )</div>
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It would not surprise you, then, to know that I plot my weight targets for each Kickstarter and Transformer DietBet on my calendar. "By this date, I need to weigh NNN, and by this date, I need to weigh NNN," and so forth. My weigh-in days are noted through the end of my bets.</div>
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It was during this exercise of marking my calendar that I realized, as my goals stretched out into July, "Hey, I can't even <em style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">remember</em> the last time I weighed that. Oh my gosh! Is that even <em style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">possible</em>?!?!" Now, don't misunderstand. "That weight" is still well within what the insurance chart says I should weigh. It is nearly 10 pounds MORE than even the more generous goal weight that my GP and endocrinologist would like for me to weigh. But for me... Holy moley! "That weight" is almost inconceivable.</div>
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I was thinking about the last time I felt I looked pretty good. It was in 2011 at the Route 66 half marathon. My friend snapped this photo before the race started. "That weight" is roughly more than 30 pounds LESS than what I weighed in this photo.</div>
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Then, I started to imagine an uncharacteristically optimistic weight-loss scenario... What if I <em style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; font-family: MuseoSans-500; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">actually</span></em> reached "that weight" -- and in our 2016 family Christmas photos, I looked even thinner than I was in that photo from 2011? What if I no longer needed to take medication for diabetes or high blood pressure? What if I wasn't the fattest one in the office anymore? How different would my life be?</div>
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I'd like to think I'm well liked by many, and that my coworkers recognize that I'm competent, but we know that some folks simply can't see past what we weigh, and make all sorts of assumptions about us based on that. What if instead of "fat assumptions," they were making skinny ones?</div>
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We have a lot more than new wardrobes to look forward to, my friends. Enjoy the journey! </div>
Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05150435117867908289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16411296.post-32759145674092485822016-02-01T07:41:00.000-05:002018-07-02T07:41:38.686-05:00As Any Hitchhiker Knows, Don't Panic!<div style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; font-family: MuseoSans-300; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams in its first editions had "Don't Panic" printed in large type on its cover. Every hitchhiker knows how invaluable that one piece of advice can be.</div>
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I'm reminding myself of that this morning. I awoke on this weigh-in day with a slight headache -- "Ahhhh, blood sugar is a bit low -- I'll probably finally break 200 today!"</div>
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Ummmmmm... No.</div>
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I actually gained weight. TWO pounds. Not due to cheating or eating salty foods or blowing off my exercise. Nope. I actually have NO idea why.</div>
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So, how will this blip on the perfectly downward track that my weight has taken to this point be different than similar blips in my past weight loss attempts? This time, my brothers and sisters in weight loss, I will NOT panic. I will not use it as the excuse to shovel food in my mouth, lamenting to all who will listen, "See! I told you! I'm meant to be fat. I do everything right and I GAIN weight. It's no use! It's fate! I give up!"</div>
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No, I will not do that. Even though what we put in our mouths and how much we exercise is TOTALLY under our control, how quickly our body releases the weight is not. We'd like to think it is a simple matter of "calories in - calorie burn = pounds lost" but I know -- and have proven -- that that is not always the case. Sometimes we need to be patient, and stick with the program. Good things come to those who wait -- as long as they keep doing the work.</div>
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I'm reminded of the story of a sailboat trying to reach a distant point on the shore. If the sailor plots his course in a direct line, he's likely to sit stalled, or worse lose ground. Why? Because the sails rely on wind, and the wind changes direction -- so the fastest way to shore is not necessarily a straight line, but may instead be a counter-intuitive zig-zag that catches the wind and propells him to shore.</div>
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All is not lost. Stay the course. Do NOT panic. (Keep repeating that.) </div>
Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05150435117867908289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16411296.post-2805662190212264032016-01-17T08:22:00.000-05:002016-01-28T09:33:13.683-05:00Social Change, Wendy-StyleIt occurred to me today that 2016 was going to be a year of “social change” for me -- or, more accurately socially-<i>inspired</i> change, or maybe... socially-<i>supported</i> change. It started in December when I began sorting out my goals for the New Year. I needed to save money, or earn more, or both; if I hoped to make the trip to Hawaii in January 2017 for a half marathon finish in my 50th state. And I needed to lose weight to stop my steadily-rising blood sugar, and to make finishing that “last” half marathon a bit easier.<br />
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Typically, I’d turn to Weight Watchers (a great weight loss program, by the way) to lose 15-20 pounds, but it costs money -- and I was trying not to spend. I’d heard about the DietBet and HealthyWage websites, and the notion that I could get paid to lose weight -- instead of paying someone else -- had a strong appeal. One of the benefits I’ve gained from a lifetime of diets and diet programs is a pretty good understanding of what I need to do for healthy weight loss (although I have not mastered keeping off the weight). These two websites also provide “social support” -- that is, a network of dieting buddies who cheer you on and share what has worked for them (recipes, strategies, motivational quotations, exercise options, and so forth). I settled on using those sites as my solution for the weight loss, but I was certain finding a solution for free, enjoyable exercise would be much tougher.<br />
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Don’t get me wrong, I still love my half marathons -- and I signed up for a couple of race series in NC while the lower “early entry” fees were available. But races are not cheap, especially at the pace (pardon the pun) that I’ve been doing them over the last 10 years. And, frankly, I have a lot of half marathon medals already. A LOT. Doing fewer races for a couple of years seems a pretty reasonable swap for a trip to Hawaii, but I can’t spend the next year sitting around the house and expect to be fit next January. I’m also well aware that regular exercise works wonders for high blood sugar, and doesn’t hurt weight loss, either. So... regular, enjoyable, cheap-if-not-free exercise. Is there a social solution for that?<br />
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Turns out that finding a steady stream of group exercise options was incredibly easy, via the social site meetup.com. All I had to do was search for “walking” and “hiking” within xx miles of my home zipcode, and bingo -- a half-dozen “meetup groups” popped up with walks and hikes scheduled for the next several weeks! I’ve been on 4 hikes thus far, and have enjoyed both the camaraderie and the visits to parks and trails that I would have been reluctant to try on my own. I hope I enjoy as much good fortune in the months to come.<br />
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Bottom line: Despite the potential hazards of social media, connections facilitated through the Web’s “social networks” can also afford some wonderful opportunities for positive personal change. Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05150435117867908289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16411296.post-52469114262484519432015-12-27T07:51:00.000-05:002018-07-02T07:51:57.884-05:00Success Foreseen in 2016<div style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px none; font-family: MuseoSans-300; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Each year we have the gift of the week following Christmas to take stock of the ending year and make plans for the next one. I'll admit last year was not a stellar one for my family, as both my husband and I faced some health issues.</div>
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One of the minor issues I've faced of late is flagging energy -- and I am fairly certain losing weight and taking control of my blood sugar will help. This lack of energy is particularly troublesome because my favorite "hobby" is walking half marathons, and dragging myself to the finish line is not much fun. Not so long ago I could finish a half, shower and have a good meal, then be ready to sightsee. Recently it's all I can do to make it across the finish line and back to my room for a nap.</div>
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I think addressing this lack of energy is going to require a 2-pronged approach: losing weight (so I don't have all that excess weight to carry for 13.1 miles) and being more consistent in my training (because building endurance doesn't happen overnight, or with the occasional brisk walk).</div>
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Sadly, even though my 2016 race schedule is carefully planned to entice me to train, I have been having a bit of trouble getting motivated. Enter DietBet. I'm hoping the possibility of "winning", combined with the accountibility and the reasonable weightloss goals, will give me the jumpstart in motivation that I need.</div>
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Now I have a plan. All that is left is to put it into practice. Then this time next year, I'll have a more satisfying year to review, right?</div>
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Keep kickin' that fat to the curb, kids. :)</div>
Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05150435117867908289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16411296.post-68774004591929613412013-06-16T18:44:00.001-05:002013-06-20T20:02:15.454-05:00Happy Days Are Here Again: Bear Lake Half Marathons in ID/UTThis is a long blog entry, but in my own defense, it was a jam-packed week-long trip. I needed to include all these details for my own reminiscing, but I realize the two or three of you that read this blog may only want to know about the race. Feel free to skip to the sections that interest you. :)<br />
<a href="#Background">Background</a><br />
<a href="#ThePlanforBack-to-Back">The Plan for Back-to-Back Idaho/Utah Halfs</a> <br />
<a href="#Pre-RaceSightseeing">Pre-Race Sightseeing</a><br />
<a href="#TheBearLakeIdahoHalf">The Bear Lake Idaho Half</a><br />
<a href="#TheBearLakeUtahHalf">The Bear Lake Utah Half</a><br />
<a href="#yellowstone">Yellowstone National Park</a><br />
<a href="#grandt">Grand Teton National Park</a><br />
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<td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQIux_B9T-T7TNEGANTqWrGuLC0PaCzMAxQSEyCLbUdUlQSlP6daybVc7GLZgZwIDRcMUAL21ZtT3gj_zs6X9Xg63GrxTLXKm5KGDurV_DxWnq_U92vPc-lWEddjGHNtHtjIgR/s1600/IMG_0923-resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-bottom: 1em;"><img border="0" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQIux_B9T-T7TNEGANTqWrGuLC0PaCzMAxQSEyCLbUdUlQSlP6daybVc7GLZgZwIDRcMUAL21ZtT3gj_zs6X9Xg63GrxTLXKm5KGDurV_DxWnq_U92vPc-lWEddjGHNtHtjIgR/s200/IMG_0923-resized.jpg" width="200" /></a></td>
<td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMPZO-oEZ_mUmrq6SopSU-tcKkNeTFqfMQVc4WowYPmvoAYIX9dlsQhtW2DchhOoNyJ6t6GeIbFj-Ee3eCo05c9NAkKZ2Bsv0oXFbUIyYpUQ5QadMVdqudwE3UIgvfK3yY1Dze/s1600/IMG_0924-resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-bottom: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMPZO-oEZ_mUmrq6SopSU-tcKkNeTFqfMQVc4WowYPmvoAYIX9dlsQhtW2DchhOoNyJ6t6GeIbFj-Ee3eCo05c9NAkKZ2Bsv0oXFbUIyYpUQ5QadMVdqudwE3UIgvfK3yY1Dze/s200/IMG_0924-resized.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="182" /></a></td>
<td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifXt3lM_b7MbNGnLqbeEgfvxK86txt3PG2lfGO-KrKBwX3s0ibicKl6Rq7EWqpsDLdnV8JeKIbKzzv3J0yOEF3Dgnk0BKDYrci9uuYOtcUc5xy5Fkg9ScomohuXVdcD_H9q7eX/s1600/IMG_0925-resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-bottom: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifXt3lM_b7MbNGnLqbeEgfvxK86txt3PG2lfGO-KrKBwX3s0ibicKl6Rq7EWqpsDLdnV8JeKIbKzzv3J0yOEF3Dgnk0BKDYrci9uuYOtcUc5xy5Fkg9ScomohuXVdcD_H9q7eX/s200/IMG_0925-resized.jpg" width="191" /></a></td>
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</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz1SYgleuQK-4s9XCsmp9_TlHVlJa7T6_5tJJaSA0_5mv6MpUh65IK8hLbYvC6VGY-kX7y9HP4izywCpE__J9Vi3FcYhpIe5hCtM_pU2M_nDH_SCc_QV3aR0kDZkwrQ3mESJ-g/s1600/IMG_0503.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz1SYgleuQK-4s9XCsmp9_TlHVlJa7T6_5tJJaSA0_5mv6MpUh65IK8hLbYvC6VGY-kX7y9HP4izywCpE__J9Vi3FcYhpIe5hCtM_pU2M_nDH_SCc_QV3aR0kDZkwrQ3mESJ-g/s400/IMG_0503.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bear Lake, UT/ID, Caribbean of the Rockies</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a id="Background" name="Background"></a><b>Background</b>
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You can't imagine how much I've looked forward to writing this blog post. In the time that has passed since the bone bruise in my knee, and the weeks spent in physical therapy and slowly regaining my endurance, I have missed distance racing, and I have missed writing about it! Like most of us who use training and races as recreation, I treasure time on the road as a priceless retreat from whatever is worrying me at the moment. Walking has the extra benefit of being good for my blood pressure and blood sugar, as well as for my mental health. And who doesn't appreciate adding to their half marathon medal collection or visiting a new state? The icing on the cake? For the first time in months, I was joining my half marathon traveling buddies. These are folks who love half marathons, sightseeing, photos, and new restaurants as much as I do. Most importantly, they accept me as I am -- and spending time with them is always an uplifting and enriching experience.<br />
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<a id="ThePlanforBack-to-Back" name="ThePlanforBack-to-Back"></a>
<b>The Plan for Back-to-Back Idaho/Utah Halfs</b> <br />
This trip to <a href="http://www.bearlake.org/" target="_blank">Bear Lake on the Idaho/Utah border</a> was a brainchild of one of my friends, and it offered the chance to claim half marathon finishes in two states in one weekend. Often called the "Caribbean of the Rockies" because of its stunning turquoise water, Bear Lake offered scenic and mostly flat courses with the opportunity to enjoy lots of waterfowl sightings during a couple of low-key, friendly events. The races were perfectly suited for my return to distance events after my knee injury and rehabilitation because neither had a time limit. Because several members of my group were either injured or recovering from injury, the plan was to enjoy the days and the pleasant company during our 13.1 mile walking tours.<br />
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One of the challenges of completing races in all 50 states is working
out the logistics, and this one had its share of complications. We'd be flying into Salt Lake City UT and traveling by rental car about an hour-and-a-half to our hotel in Logan, UT. <span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[7614762].[1][1][1]{comment513047448742537_513054712075144}.[0].[0:1].[0].[0:1].[0].[0:0].[0][2]"><span id=".reactRoot[7614762].[1][1][1]{comment513047448742537_513054712075144}.[0].[0:1].[0].[0:1].[0].[0:0].[0][2].[0]"><span id=".reactRoot[7614762].[1][1][1]{comment513047448742537_513054712075144}.[0].[0:1].[0].[0:1].[0].[0:0].[0][2].[0].[0:0]">Each morning </span></span></span>from Logan, we'd travel <span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[7614762].[1][1][1]{comment513047448742537_513054712075144}.[0].[0:1].[0].[0:1].[0].[0:0].[0][2]"><span id=".reactRoot[7614762].[1][1][1]{comment513047448742537_513054712075144}.[0].[0:1].[0].[0:1].[0].[0:0].[0][2].[0]"><span id=".reactRoot[7614762].[1][1][1]{comment513047448742537_513054712075144}.[0].[0:1].[0].[0:1].[0].[0:0].[0][2].[0].[0:0]">US 89 (the Logan Canyon National Scenic Byway) </span></span></span><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[7614762].[1][1][1]{comment513047448742537_513054712075144}.[0].[0:1].[0].[0:1].[0].[0:0].[0][2]"><span id=".reactRoot[7614762].[1][1][1]{comment513047448742537_513054712075144}.[0].[0:1].[0].[0:1].[0].[0:0].[0][2].[0]"><span id=".reactRoot[7614762].[1][1][1]{comment513047448742537_513054712075144}.[0].[0:1].[0].[0:1].[0].[0:0].[0][2].[0].[0:0]"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[7614762].[1][1][1]{comment513047448742537_513054712075144}.[0].[0:1].[0].[0:1].[0].[0:0].[0][2]"><span id=".reactRoot[7614762].[1][1][1]{comment513047448742537_513054712075144}.[0].[0:1].[0].[0:1].[0].[0:0].[0][2].[0]"><span id=".reactRoot[7614762].[1][1][1]{comment513047448742537_513054712075144}.[0].[0:1].[0].[0:1].[0].[0:0].[0][2].[0].[0:0]">for an hour </span></span></span>to the race start.</span></span></span><br />
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To top off the races, a few of us planned to travel 4 hours further to West Yellowstone MT and visit Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks to conclude our visit to the area. After a couple of days of sightseeing, we'd make the long drive back (13 hours, including stops) through Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Jackson, returning to Salt Lake City and our flights home.<br />
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<a id="Pre-RaceSightseeing" name="Pre-RaceSightseeing"></a>
<b>Pre-Race Sightseeing</b><br />
I didn't arrive at the goal of completing a half in 50 states as a means of finishing 50 races. Instead, becoming a 50-stater provided an excuse to see the US -- something I've always wanted to do.<br />
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In Salt Lake City, we observed our group's tradition of eating at a restaurant featured on Guy Fieri's show, "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives". There were a number of SLC restaurants that had been featured on the show, and we chose <a href="http://theblueplatediner.com/" target="_blank">The Blue Plate Diner</a>. Yummy! Lots of choices, including a vegetarian menu. We ate on their pleasantly breezy shaded patio. Very nice for our large talkative group. It was also conveniently located near a geocache, another group tradition. :)<br />
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After lunch, we did a drive-by tour of <a href="http://www.visittemplesquare.com/" target="_blank">Temple Square</a> (the temple and Mormon Tabernacle Choir's cathedral) and made a brief visit to...<br />
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<a href="http://www.thisistheplace.org/general_info/about_us.html" target="_blank">"This is the Place" Heritage Park</a>, with monuments depicting the moment when <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_Is_the_Place_Heritage_Park" target="_blank">a very ill Brigham Young was propped up to see the valley and declared "This is the right place. Drive on."</a><br />
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...as well as <a href="http://www.xphomestation.com/utstatue.html" target="_blank">the Pony Express Memorial statue</a>.<br />
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<a id="TheBearLakeIdahoHalf" name="TheBearLakeIdahoHalf"></a>
<b>The Bear Lake Idaho Half (Friday, June 7, 2013)</b> <br />
Because of the growing population of "50 staters" (race participants whose goal is to complete a marathon or half marathon in all 50 states), <a href="http://mammothmarathons.org/bear-lake-marathon-idaho/" target="_blank">Mammoth Marathons</a> offered a race on the Idaho side of Bear Lake on Friday before the main event, which is the marathon and half marathon on the Utah side of the lake on Saturday. <br />
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Friday's race was a simple out-and-back on a road that skirted the lakeside. Race morning began with packet pickup, which was much appreciated since our hotel was over an hour away. Due to road construction, a last minute change to the race route meant the race started and ended in St Charles, ID. (St Charles is the birthplace of Gutzon Borglum, the sculptor of Mount Rushmore, and the race started a few feet from his <a href="http://stcharlesidaho.org/borglum.html" target="_blank">memorial</a>.) Cones marked the race start and the turnaround, and volunteers from a nearby military base manned tables with water and Gatorade as well as sunscreen, bug spray, Gu, and more "extras." Because there was no time limit, there was plenty of time for photos.<br />
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The flooded grassy fields on one side of the road were home to lots of talkative birds and frogs. The lake was every bit as beautiful as advertised.<br />
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After the race, on the way back to the hotel, we saw why the drive was called scenic, as the lake views were incredible! A great background for our medal photos -- Bonus!<br />
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<a id="TheBearLakeUtahHalf" name="TheBearLakeUtahHalf"></a>
<b>The Bear Lake Utah Half (Saturday, June 8, 2013)</b> <br />
Saturday morning's race start allowed us to sleep in until 5:30AM before starting the drive to Garden City to board the buses for the point-to-point race on the Utah side of Bear Lake. The course for this half started by the lake, then steered farther away, but I enjoyed the views of farms, horses, sheep, and more that led to the finish.<br />
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Often we saw glimpses of the lake, which seemed even more vividly turquoise than the previous day.<br />
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Unfortunately, a problem with the shirt order meant we didn't get our Utah shirt, but the race director promises to make good on the promised shirt. In the meantime, we can enjoy our Utah medal and the memories of the spectacular scenery of Bear Lake.<br />
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We celebrated our halfs with one of the area's famous raspberry shakes (made with frozen raspberries) and I was even able to sample another regional "delicacy": fry sauce (a mixture of mayonnaise, ketchup, buttermilk, and some other ingredients) that is used as a dipping sauce for french fries. Sampling new foods is always part of the fun of traveling across the country.<br />
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<a id="yellowstone" name="yellowstone"></a>
<b>Yellowstone National Park (June 9-11, 2013)</b> <br />
When you fly from NC to Utah to do a half marathon (or two), traveling four hours further to visit Yellowstone does not seem like such a terrible detour. When you are fortunate enough to share a car and the journey with friends, the travel just prolongs the fun.<br />
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Yellowstone offers not only an abundance of geologic rarities (geysers, steam vents, mud pots, hot springs, and more) but also an incredible variety of wildlife. I took too many photos to include here, but I hope this sampling will make you want to visit our country's first national park.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bison were everywhere!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old Faithful (<a href="http://www.nps.gov/features/yell/live/live4.htm" target="_blank">view live web cam</a>)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hot springs</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mystic Falls</td></tr>
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<a id="grandt" name="grandt"></a>
<b>Grand Teton National Park (June 11, 2013)</b> <br />
Finally, our hurried schedule and lengthy journey meant we could not give the Grand Teton National Park the leisurely tour it deserved, but in the time we had, we were enchanted by the majestic Teton range. I may not have seen all the sights I hoped to see, but I can at least say I have visited there -- and did so in the company of some of the kindest, most generous people I know. I am well and truly blessed!<br />
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Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05150435117867908289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16411296.post-44901469993507907342013-04-20T09:04:00.001-05:002013-05-04T19:04:17.345-05:00Take the Long Way Home (Again): Dealing with Recovery from Injury<h3>
Background </h3>
I started this blog as an online diary of my racing adventures. Before it began, often friends and acquaintances would ask me questions about a race I'd done and I couldn't for the life of me remember specific things I did or didn't like about it. All my race photos were scattered across multiple computers. The turning point for me was when I realized that all the emailed race reports of my year 2000 marathon-a-month adventure (on a long-dead computer) were lost, and I had no record of the things I loved (and feared) about that once-in-a-lifetime year of marathon madness.<br />
<br />
Still, I think of this as a personal journal, written mostly because I enjoy writing about races as much as I enjoy doing them. The only real "benefit" (and I use that term loosely) to others was that if some back-of-the-packer was contemplating a race, they could pull up the blog entry and take a look at the course photos and perhaps get some ideas for places to eat or things to see. My small attempt at a public service.<br />
<br />
So, when I stopped racing after re-injuring my knee during the Tybee Island Runfest, I stopped writing. It's been almost 6 months since my initial bone bruise of my knee in December, and 12 weeks since re-injuring it on Tybee Island. Who wants to hear about months of rest, physical therapy, trials and setbacks? In fact, after dealing with a minor flare-up a few days ago after completing a 5k, I was beginning to resign myself to living with pain every time I walked.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Things to Remember About Injury and Recovery</h3>
Yesterday while relating this "walking=pain" revelation to my very patient physical therapist, I realized there might be a reason to have at least one entry about not racing. After announcing my "I'm going to hurt when I walk; that's just the way it is" philosophy to my PT, she started to remind me of the realities of loving and participating in a sport for <u>years</u>. In her case, it's softball. She chronicled her series of softball-related injuries, explained that each injury meant that she’d had to back off (sometimes for an entire season), or switch things up, or work on stretching and strengthening – until she had recovered. And each time she <i><b>did </b></i>recover, not always as quickly as she wanted, and sometimes with a lot of “babying” of her shoulder, or elbow, or whatever was hurting – but she <i><b>did </b></i>recover.<br />
<br />
She said (what I already knew) that anyone who plays a sport for a long time is going to have injuries and setbacks – I think the phrase I frequently use is “That’s just part of it.” And if we behave ourselves and do what is required, our bodies are pretty good at coming back. Bottom line being <b>there is no reason to believe that I would not come back too</b> and walk half marathons with no pain, but she emphasized that <b>while we could control the treatment, we cannot control how fast our bodies heal</b>. We simply must do the right things, and wait. And sometimes that means trying different things to figure out what the “right thing” is. And that takes time too.<br />
<br />
The first part of recovery is awareness -- and I need to keep
reminding myself that I am soooo much better now than I was 12 weeks ago. I
am not confined to a chair rotating ice packs from the fridge (that I limped to every 20 minutes) and taking regular doses of anti-inflammatory meds. I can stand in place with no pain at all.
I can walk freely without pain throughout the course of my normal daily activities. I take the stairs at work with no pain. I garden and do housework. No knee pain.<br />
<br />
The
final stage of my complete recovery will be to walk long
distances at my former race pace without pain. I'm not there yet; but
there is no reason to doubt that there's a complete recovery in my future.<br />
<br />
That's what I
need to remember.<br />
<br />
<h3>
My Personal* "Walking Without Pain" Prescription </h3>
* My "personal prescription" means this advice was for me and my injury. I'm not a doctor and don't play one on TV, so do NOT take this as medical advice. See your own doctor for that.<br />
<br />
My PT's suggestion for the next couple of weeks is keep my training walks short, sticking with 5k-4miles a few times a week until there was no more resulting pain, and to work on my endurance by lengthening the time of my cross-training activities (activities that don’t seem to cause pain – the bike and the elliptical). <br />
<br />
<br />
Long-term recommendations are:<br />
<ul>
<li>Improve my diet. (Surprise, surprise.) I heard a DJ joke once that if he complained about the weather, his doc would say, "Well, if you lost about 60 pounds, maybe the weather would change!" His point was that weight seems to be the first thing the medical community targets as the cause of any health issue. When my PT brought it up, though, it made perfect sense. High blood sugar slows healing. That means that the estimate (that I took to heart) about how long it would take my knee to heal (6-8 weeks) was just an estimate, and that the effect of my high blood sugar on healing probably meant I should have waited longer to go back to marathoning because my knee was not completely healed. </li>
<li>Alternate exercises daily (that is, rather than walking all the time, [really] use cross-training activities every other day to avoid overuse injuries)</li>
<li>When walking/running, vary surfaces (treadmill, trail, college track – less pavement and concrete) </li>
<li>Stretch to improve flexibility, but also to help joints “track better” – in other words, making sure the knee joint works “just right,” reducing the scrubbing or grinding that is sometimes worsened by tightness that causes misalignment </li>
<li>Incorporate at least two days/week of mild strengthening exercises.
One thing that may have caused problems with my knees is that one hip is
weaker than the other. (Who knew?) Rather than joining a gym that I probably won't
have time to use, I have a series of basic leg lifts (side, front, and
back) that will aid my muscle balance. </li>
<li>In the future, add intervals to my walking (to improve weight loss
efforts) and to reduce the "doing the same thing in the same way"
pattern linked to overuse injuries</li>
<li>Reduce (okay, she said eliminate) the back-to-back events, although I told her that I was fairly certain the injury happened initially because I was increasing my mileage as part of training for the full marathon, not as a result of the halfs I was ticking off virtually every weekend. <br /><br />I do think there is something to the whole “overuse injury” idea, but I think I have developed a top-end mileage limit (at least as long as I’m overweight) that makes full marathons a bad idea. She laughed and said she could only give me the benefit of her advice – and then be there to deal with the damage I did when I didn’t follow it.</li>
</ul>
And the “switching up” that we are trying in our treatment this week is
kinesiology taping. While my quads are getting “stretchier”, my
hamstrings are really tight – especially the one on the left (the site
of my original knee injury). She tried taping my quads to encourage my
hamstrings to “release” – I’m to leave the tape on 2-3 days, and see if
it improves the stretchiness of my hamstrings. If it does, we'll use it
as another part of my therapy. I'm also to work on quad stretches,
because balance is everything.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Conclusion </h3>
Does this blog entry contain any Earth-shattering information? Well, no. But sometimes we need to be reminded of those things we already know. And just like all those notes about the races I've done, chances are that one day I'll need to be reminded of this again too. Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05150435117867908289noreply@blogger.com1