Hot As H*LL Summer Is Finally Over

This summer was ridiculous - over 100 degrees how many days? Just stupid, stupid hot. I made "rule" when I started running 2 years ago, that I wouldn't even start running if it was over 80F at the beginning. Let's just say.....that many a morning went by and I never even looked at the clock, alarm , nothing, because I knew from the weather forecast the night before, that it wasn't going to even COOL DOWN to 80F.

So....bye May, June....July.....and August too. We're back at mid-September running, that right - 1-2 miles at a time. I am faster though - I am lighter again too. Over the summer, even with no running/working out/yoga, I lost a bit more weight - 127-129 now. I am trying to maintain, no more losing, no more gaining. I like having clothes that fit when I go to the closet, and everything has just not looked "right" for far too long. The wardrobe must be rebuilt.

I didn't do the Full Moon Run back in May and I was a little disappointed in myself, but to be honest - I hardly knew it came and went. Life is so busy, especially on Fridays and Saturdays - and I was okay with not doing the race. I'm sure part of me just didn't want to come to terms with the fact that I would NOT have beat my time from last year - but still.

The same thing is going to come about with the Tulsa Run this year. It shall fall on Halloween weekend again, and I shall not be joining the running ranks. Work in the salon has been incredibly busy, for which I am happy, but that is the first weekend that my partner, Don will not be awake at 3:45AM to put barricades up for the Cherry Street Farmer's Market. Hence = vacation weekend, out of Tulsa = no run.

And you know what? That's okay. There are seasons in running just like there are seasons in life. When I began running, I was so terribly lonely and it bonded me to new friends, new people, and let me out of my shell that I have created around myself. It helped me to feel stronger, more confident and be able to stand up and know that YES, I can do what I set my mind to. (You realize this at mile 26 of 26.2.)

I know I still need to run - the anxiety and stress come down on me sometimes, and honestly, just putting my hair into a ponytail, slipping into a pair of shorts and a sports bra and my favorite ASICS - is the best medicine. Time is still an issue but I will steal the 10, 15, 20 minutes here and there - where ever I can.

Long Time No Run

It's been a while - a long long while.

Well - first news worthy note: I finally weigh less than I did in high school!

Graduating, I weighed 145, now, most days, I weigh 132. I get to wear a size 4 and finally feel small enough to be beautiful.

The good or bad side: I see my clients, friends, family, and everything tells me how much smaller I am - which I THINK is a good thing - but they are all saying it. And asking me how, what did I do, what did I change, is everything okay?

I say "I don't run, I don't workout. I eat bacon, eggs, and toast every morning and ice cream at night."
So what did change? I know I'm in a relationship now, and I know that typically, for me, that is when I'm smallest. Perhaps because I don't sit and just snack all night long. Plus, when you're in a relationship, you get those "other" feel good feelings that you don't need to get from food. And....I suppose we don't eat out very often. My partner is an amazing cook, and as I've come to learn, that cooking at home, WITH oil and butter tastes good and STILL has less calories than most restaurant food. Plus, I don't feel deprived, which is one of the worst feelings ever, at least for me.

I do want to start running again, doing yoga, working out. I feel "soft". I want to be a strong, sexy woman. Instead, I'm still working for myself in the salon, and now I've also taken another job, as a "office girl" and stressing far more than I need to aka not exercising = more stress and anxiety. I know it's just time set away, importance for myself. Part of it may be that I know that just a year ago, I finished running 26.2 miles, and now.....I can run about a mile, maybe 2. And that's only because I MAKE myself. My knees hurt, my breathing is not amazing, and my sides ache. I'm a beginner again and it makes me sad.

It's strange to me though, that I was able to lose all the weight and not run. That's the whole reason I started to run, to exercise. Yes, it also made me feel good, feel strong, feel healthy, but the ONLY real thing I desired was to be smaller, thinner, sexier. Now I have that, but now I to be strong - will I be able to have both? Or will my quest for strength add back more size than I desire?

Fitness Goals for 2011

For Running-
I want to speed up. This last year I did a 27:30 for my 5K and like 1:27 for the 15K. My half marathon time was disappointment to me, so I would very much like to improve that.

5K - 27:00
half marathon - 2:07, preferably under 2:00

I'm not really sure if a marathon is on my goal for this year. I was supposed to run that in Houston this month, but I have just not been as dedicated and hence, we're doing the half. I need to improve my time from the Route 66's 2:13 that I believe I had, specifically because I added 5 minutes from the previous year's time.

Be healthy -
If losing weight is continued to be in the cards, then so shall it be. I made a chart of my weight from last year, and it's very strange. When I was training for marathons, I actually GAINED weight, and then lost it right after I quit Ihloff and continued. This is the least amount that I have weighed, almost since high school, while still being healthy and strong. I like it. I'd like to continue. :-)