AM: 3/9/15

Good morning, y'all!

It's been an interesting week on a number of levels but especially concerning the weather. Thursday brought eight inches of snow and ice but by Sunday, the sun was shining and temperatures reached almost 50 degrees! Finally!

We both enjoyed the sunshine!

Matthew left on Tuesday for a 12 day trip for work. It's just been me and the pup.... and a whole lot of emotional eating. I haven't lived by myself in over seven years and I forgot that loneliness is a huge trigger for me: when I'm lonely, I eat. This usually doesn't affect me but I guess since I knew Matthew would be out of town for so long, it made me a little sad. And the cure for sadness is food, right?!

Luckily, being able to recognize this habit is the first step in changing it. I had a few rough days but once I realized why I was feeling unsettled/lonely, it was easier to turn away from emotional eating and do something else. Taking a cue from Authentically Emmie and repeating "food will not fix this" over and over helps too.

Thankfully, Matthew will be home on Saturday. I can keep it together until then :-)

Training:
Monday- Rest day
Tuesday- Rest day
Wednesday- 30 minute hill workout on the bike, strength training circuit
Thursday- 30 minutes, elliptical
Friday- Rest day
Saturday- Rest day: Volunteered at the Chambersburg Half Marathon
Sunday- 6.2 miles, 12:01 pace

6.2 total miles

Since deciding to back off on my weekly runs, my weekend run has become so much more enjoyable. Yesterday, I set out to run two to three miles. But I felt so good, that I just kept going for the full 10k distance. And I did it without music and by myself! I got so lost in the run and the beautiful weather that I was never bored or tired; it was easily one of the top five runs of my life. It was simply awesome.

Runner's high.

Nutrition:
I seriously have been loving my new Weight Watcher's cookbook: Easy Mains and Sides. Each meal is less than 8 PPV and takes less than 30 minutes to prepare. This week, I made beef stir-fry and potato salad- both were easy and really tasty. I also snuck in a dinner with my dad. He made these little chinese appetizers filled with shrimp and pork- so yummy. After the last few weeks of some less-than-stellar food choices, I felt much more in control this week. Meal planning and cooking at home really helps to give me the overall sense of control and confidence in my choices.

Beef and veggie stir fry, potato salad with shallots and whole grain mustard, goodness in a wonton wrapper.

Weight-loss:
143 as of 3/5/15
+2 from last week
-47.4 from January 2013
-59 from HW

And there it is- the gain I was expecting. It was just a few weeks late :-) As I've said many times before, gains happen. But the most important thing for me to do is not let this gain become another intentional gain. As long as I stay the course, I'll end up where I want to be- at goal weight.


What's the story behind one of your best training runs?

Treadmill Tips for the Long Run

Most runners I know are pretty bad-ass, they run hundreds of miles in the heat, cold, wind, snow. And they usually have a common enemy: the treadmill, also known as the "dreadmill." It's not hard to see why- running in place, mile after mile, like a hamster on a wheel? Yuck, no thank you!

Except when you don't have a choice. Freezing rain, ice/hail, and temperatures above 90 degrees are all conditions that will force me to either skip my scheduled run or get the miles in on the treadmill. Which is usually fine for a 30-45 minute run. But this past weekend, with 15 on the Pittsburgh Marathon training schedule, skipping the long run wasn't an option. And neither was running outside- it was hovering in the low-30's with freezing rain and snow- not the kind of weather you want to be spending 3+ hours in.

So onto the treadmill Matthew and I went! For three hours and twenty two minutes. And three seconds :-) Honestly, I didn't think it was that bad but as I was chatting with other runner friends, I realized that there's a lot of hatred out there for the treadmill. While I will always prefer to run outside, there are times that the treadmill is a must. So let's try to hate it less- here are my tips for surviving a long (or any!) run on a treadmill!

• Bring a Friend. Having a buddy to slog out the miles with on the treadmill is a God-send! It truly does help the time go by faster when you can chat with a friend.
• Split the run into time, not miles. This little mental trick is instrumental in helping me wrap my head around the run. For last week's 15 miler, I knew it would take at least three hours so I focused on getting through each hour; rather than each mile. 
• Find something good to watch- or listen to. I'm lucky enough to have access to a small gym with a TV and a treadmill. I prefer to watch something inspiring, usually an athletic event. Movies, TV shows, and podcasts are also helpful in keeping your mind distracted. You can even use your phone to watch/listen if you don't have access to a common TV. 
• Reach out to your social media tweeps. Several times during last weekend's run I shared my progress on twitter- and got lots of encouraging tweets back. It was really helpful to know that I had support from all over the interwebs. 
• Use the Speed Interval function. I just learned about this a few weeks ago. Most treadmills have a "speed interval" button or something similar. It allows you to alternate between two different speeds with the push of a button- one for walking and one for running. It makes using the Galloway run/walk method ten times easier on the treadmill. 
• Visualize your goal race. Remembering WHY you're on the treadmill can help you stick to it. Visualizing the course, the finish line, how you'll feel on race day- all of those thoughts can power you through the boredom that often accompanies the human hamster wheel. 

So during this seemingly endless winter for most parts of the country, make friends with the treadmill and use it to help you reach your running and fitness goals!



What other tips do you have for the treadmill?

AM: 3/2/15

Welcome to March! Springtime weather is just around the corner!- Maybe :-)

Before we get to the regular check-in, here's a fun announcement from Enell! They've got a brand new, limited-edition color that just released this morning:

Because I'm an Enell Ambassador, they sent me one of these beauties last week and let me tell you, this color is simply gorgeous in person! This is the only multi-color Enell that has been made for mass production- the bra is a beautiful pink trimmed in tangerine orange. We had a snowstorm this weekend and I jumped (literally) at the chance to try it out. It shows up more pink in person, like the photo below. If you want this amazing new color in your collection, check out Enell.com for local retailers or instructions on how to purchase one online. These are limited edition so once they're gone, they're gone!

Yes, it was FREEZING. But also kinda fun!

Ok, let's get down to business-

Training:
Monday- Rest day
Tuesday- Rest day
Wednesday- 20 minute elliptical workout
Thursday- Rest day
Friday- Rest day
Saturday- Rest day
Sunday- 15 mile training run on the treadmill. 3:22:03 total time, 13:28 pace

15 total miles

It was another busy week at work- I was there late (like 11 pm late) four of the five work days and I was still trying to rest my toe. As I planned with my ortho, I am going to replace 1-2 runs a week with the elliptical and keep the long run for the weekend. However, this week it was really tough to even get in small workouts.

But, I am happy to report that I rocked those 15 miles on the treadmill with very little pain in my stress fracture foot or in my left big toe. My feet did really hurt for the first two miles- I don't know what that's about- but eventually it went away. Weird. I did have some struggles with my breathing, leg and hip pain, and just mentally getting through 3+ hours running again. But, I hope those issues will get better the more I get back into marathon training.

Nutrition:
After last week's train wreck, I was determined to turn it around this week. Even though I had late nights at work, I still cooked and meal-prepped almost every night for the next day. Favorites this week include egg whites and ground turkey (4 PPV per serving) ; Zattaran's Jambalaya Rice and turkey kielbasa (12 PPV per serving the way I make it).

Breakfasts and lunches ready for the week. I spy a not-so-hidden Mickey!

Another win for this week was the discovery of Torani Sugar-Free Syrups. A few weeks ago, Torani reached out to me and offered to send some of their sugar-free syrups for review on my blog. I expected them to send a few small samples, however they sent three full-sized bottles: Vanilla, Caramel, and Raspberry. At first, I would just try each one in my coffee. Then I wondered, "what if I tried raspberry and vanilla TOGETHER in my coffee?!" This was life-changing, y'all. Then I discovered that I could put two pumps (equal to two tablespoons) of caramel into my Weight Watchers Chocolate Smoothie with some PB2 and I just about lost my mind. So delicious! I can't wait to find more ways to include these yummy, 0 PPV per serving syrups into my weekly routine.

Coffee and Sugar-Free Torani Syrups: a match made in heaven.

Weight-loss:
141 as of 2/25/15
-1.2 from last week
- 49.4 since January 2013
- 61 since HW

Weight loss is a funny thing. Last week, I had one of the toughest weeks I've had in a long time and somehow I lost 1.2 pounds. Other weeks I do everything right- eat well, earn activity points, get plenty of sleep- and I gain. It's a total mystery sometimes. However, I'm at the lowest weight I've ever been in my adult life. The last time I was in the 140 range, I was 13 years old. Insanity.



That was my week- how was yours? Any new food or products you're loving these days?



Disclaimer: Torani and Enell sent me products in exchange for a review on my blog; I did not receive any additional compensation.  As always, all opinions are my own.

OA and My Left Big Toe: A Love Story

Hi, friends!

It's been another crazy busy week at work and I haven't been able to post as frequently as I'd like but I wanted to give you a quick update on my left big toe.

As mentioned before, my big toe on my left foot has been giving me some issues lately. I was diagnosed with pseudo gout, but my primary care physician and orthopedic doctor were skeptical after reviewing my presenting symptoms and medical history. After some blood work, all things gout-related were ruled out.

So that left the orthopedic angle- I met with my ortho last week and he ordered an MRI to confirm what he suspected: Osteoarthritis, also known as OA. From the Mayo Clinic's website:

"Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, affecting millions of people worldwide. It occurs when the protective cartilage on the ends of your bones wears down over time.

Although osteoarthritis can damage any joint in your body, the disorder most commonly affects joints in your hands, knees, hips and spine.

Osteoarthritis often gradually worsens, and no cure exists. But staying active, maintaining a healthy weight and other treatments may slow progression of the disease and help improve pain and joint function."

So basically, plain, old arthritis. At my ortho appointment on Wednesday, my ortho took lots of time explaining what this means for me. He believes that there are two things that helped to create OA in my left big toe: a genetic bone deformity (bunion deformity or hallux valgus) coupled with use- i.e., walking, running, kneeling, etc. In short, this was bound to be a problem for me at some point.

On the MRI and x-rays, there is some damage visible. Mainly, the development of subchondral cysts, narrowing of the joint space, and some osteophyte formation (bone spurs). The plan is to avoid surgery as long as possible- hopefully this joint will last another 30 years before we need to intervene at that level :-)

Images from my latest MRI.

What does that mean for my running? Not too much at this point. My doc says to back off when the pain flares up; keep swimming/cycling/strength training; and visit a podiatrist to talk about footwear and inserts. An important point he made was that I should absolutely keep moving and being active. One of the worst things a person with OA can do is to stop moving the affected joint: "If you don't use it, you lose it."

I've got an appointment with a local sports medicine podiatrist scheduled for the 16th to discuss shoes best fit for OA in the big toe and possibly getting new inserts for my shoes. I'm also going to check out some alternative therapies including acupuncture, yoga/tai chi, glucosamine and chondroitin supplements. 

After a lot of thought, I'm also going to back off on the amount of running I am doing each week- instead of three runs a week, it may just be one or two. I am hopeful that I can still continue to train for half and full marathons by running less and doing cross-training a bit more.

That's the plan for now- as always, I'll let you know how and when it changes :-)




Anyone else have OA? What pain-relief strategies have worked for you?

AM: 2/24/15

Good morning! I hope your Tuesday is off to a great start! This is a longer, non-traditional Accountability Monday post. So grab a cup of coffee and settle in :-)

So, let's just start by saying this- last week did not go as planned. I ate all of my APs, all of my Weeklies, and maybe even dipped into the negative- and still felt ravenous, crappy, and out of control. I had a ton of stuff going on; both professionally and personally.

I performed in our university's version of The Vagina Monologues three nights (and had rehearsal three additional nights), hosted two different family members at two different times, had two doctor's appointments- including an early-morning MRI, and had a flat tire. And I ran ten miles. I was stressed- mostly for good reasons- but I'm learning that stress and anxiety bring out my emotional/binge eating habits unlike any other emotion/situation.

I was stressed about the show. I was stressed about my feet and the pain they were causing me. I was stressed about training. I was stressed about making sure the house was clean and we had enough to feed all our guests. So, I did what I used to do daily; I sought out food for comfort.

These past two years had been so full of growth for me. Finally, I felt like I had confronted my disordered eating habits; that I'd finally figured out a way to eat that wasn't connected with my emotions. I was able to eat like a "normal" person- only when I was hungry. I was making good choices 90% of the time. I had achieved what I thought was true balance.

But this week, I quickly felt like I was spinning out of control. I kept finding myself craving certain foods and then fulfilling (and overfilling!) those cravings- and they had nothing to do with my hunger level. Being busy and stressed and tired makes it easy to make the quick/easy/unhealthy choice. And then I feel like crap about not making good choices so I make more unhealthy choices. It's a vicious, sucky cycle that feels impossible to get out of. That's how I ended up over 200 pounds. I just stayed in that circle of crappiness and kept eating and eating and eating.

So, in order to pull myself out of this crappy cycle before it goes too far, I want to focus on the non-scale/non-eating things that did go well last week:

I got to spend time with my dad and his girlfriend and see an awesome Beatles tribute band, RAIN, in concert.

I was able to sneak three runs and a strength training workout into a very busy week.

My brother Adam came to visit for the weekend and we ran 10 miles together!

I performed on a stage for the first time in 13 years. And I didn't forget my lines once! :-)

I also gained last week- .8 pounds. I'm pretty confident I'll gain again this week. Not a big deal. It's happened before and I'm sure it will happen again. Here's the good thing- it's not 49 pounds. I can't undo all the hard work I've put in in just a week. I have control over what and how I eat. I know how to right this ship before I've sailed far, far away from the eventual destination.

That doesn't mean it isn't difficult. Knowing what to do and actually doing it are two different things. I'll always be an emotional eater. My first response when things are crappy will always be to eat. But I do have a choice. I can choose to keep my long-term goals in mind rather than succumbing to the instant gratification of unhealthy/large amounts of food. I can choose to remember that it's just food and that it doesn't have power over me. I can choose health over addiction. I can choose to deal with negative emotions in a healthy, healing way.  I can do this.

Today is a brand new day. And I can totally do this. :-)

Jeff Galloway Says: Training & Motivation Tips Round II

Hi, friends! We're back with round two of Jeff Galloway's training and motivation tips! This time, I've included my two cents after each of his tidbits of wisdom. So, please enjoy this second "Jeff Galloway Says" post:

Motivation:

JG: The training journey for a marathon or half marathon raises your body's physical performance capability and your sense of what you can do in life.

SR: YES! Seriously, my confidence was boosted 1000% after completing my first marathon. Completing a distance race changes your whole idea of what you are capable of doing- in all aspects of your life.

JG: Running helps to bring body, mind and spirit together in a unique and wonderful way.

SR: I worship at the Church of the Long Run each week :-)

JG: In researching my book MENTAL TRAINING I discovered that running turns on brain circuits for a better attitude more vitality and empowerment better than other activities studied.

SR: I'd have to agree, running is the best mood booster I've found.

JG: In researching my book RUNNING UNTIL YOU'RE 100 I found numerous studies showing that runners have healthier orthopedic units than non runners even after decades of running.

SR: My wonky feet excluded- my knees, hips, back, and everything else are very happy with me for run- walking. 

Training:

JG: When a runner takes walk breaks early and often enough for the individual the muscles are strong to the end.  See RUN WALK RUN at www.jeffgalloway.com for recommendations by pace per mile.

SR: My muscles are never "screaming" at me when I run, primarily because of run, walk, run.

JG: The "exhaustion wall" can be avoided by running longer long runs up to or beyond race distance-using the appropriate run-walk-run strategy.

SR: Yes, yes, yes! One of my mantras when I'm having a tough run is "you can do anything for a minute." Knowing I have a walk break coming up helps me get through the running sections and keeps me from getting too tired.

JG: Marathoners tend to improve time by an average of more than 15 minutes when they increase their longest run from 20 miles to 26 miles.

SR: I only have one marathon training cycle under my belt but I'll have a better idea of this after Pittsburgh in May. 

JG: To recover fast, run the long runs at least 2 min/mi slower than you could currently run in a marathon.

SR: Running the long runs at a slower pace really helps me to mentally prepare for the race. Giving myself permission to go at a slow pace takes some of the pressure and anxiety off and helps me enjoy the run a little more.

JG: The right run-walk-run strategy from the beginning of each run, gives any runner control over fatigue, injury-elimination, and recovery.

SR: Yup :-)

JG: In numerous surveys, runners improved over 13 minutes when they shifted from running continuously to use of the right run-walk-run strategy.

SR: Absolutely! When I started doing the run/walk, I was amazed at how much faster- and how much better I felt- than just straight running. 

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What's your favorite training tip?

AM: 2/16/15

Happy President's Day! And, it's my dad's birthday- so happy birthday, Pops!

I have to say- this week/weekend was tough. With both Valentine's Day and a birthday celebration, I used more weekly PPVs than I wanted to. Couple that with a pretty light workout week (trying to rest my toe) and I'm just feeling crummy about how the week went. But, the good news is- it's a brand new week and I can set the tone today for how I want the next seven days to go.

Training:
Monday- MOGA (kinda like yoga) class at Appalachian Running Company's Ladies Night Out. Loved it so much I signed up for four more classes!
Tuesday- 30 minute treadmill run- in Hokas! (more on that below), 1:1 intervals, 12:33 pace
Wednesday- Rest day
Thursday- Runner's World core workout
Friday- 30 minute treadmill run- 1:1 intervals, 12:30 pace
Saturday- 2 mile Love Run race, 30:30 intervals, 12:01 pace

6.79 total miles

So yeah, about the Hokas. As you may know, my PT thinks that the Hokas are NOT a good shoe for my foot. In fact, he thinks they led to my stress fracture. However, because of what I think I have in my left toe (Hallux Limitus), the best running/athletic shoe for that condition is a rocker bottom- just what the Hokas offer. I recently bought a pair of Altras (also with a rocker bottom) and will be taking them to both my PT and my Ortho to see what their thoughts are on how I might be able to wear these shoes without getting another stress fracture. Ugh. I just want to run pain-free in shoes that I know are helping me, not hurting me. Can't a girl catch a break?!

Nutrition:
This week, my food intake consisted of chocolate-covered strawberries, Mexican AND Chinese takeout, and multiple, delicious raspberry cupcakes. To quote a favorite runner, Forrest Gump: "And that's all I have to say about that."

Who could resist these?

Weight-loss:
141.4 as of 2/11/15 weigh-in
-.6 from last week
-49 since January 2013
-60.6 from HW

Seeing another loss was such a blessing last week; here's hoping the downward trend continues.

I have an insane week coming up so I may not be blogging as much as usual though I'll try to update y'all on my toe situation as I can. Fingers (and toes!) crossed that I don't need surgery just yet or have gout/pseudo gout. I'll let you know as soon as I know.

Make it a great week! We're almost to spring! :-)


What's your favorite type of cupcake? If cupcakes aren't your thing, what's your go-to birthday treat?