The Biggest Loser Connection

For those that know me well, they know that I used to be a fat girl. I used to live my life eating all the wrong things and not being active beyond walking to and from my car to where I was going. The worst part about it all is that I knew I was fat and unhealthy. I knew that I was doing myself no good in living my life in that way. Days, weeks, months and even years went by when I would say I was going to "diet" and drop the weight, but nothing ever really stuck. I would just put the weight right back on again. I hated who I was and would do any and everything that I could to hide behind bigger clothes and put a smile on my face. All that I was doing was grinning and bearing through life.

I was overweight for most of my life, my gain beginning probably around my middle school years. I was never skinny even before that, was merely running around enough to keep things fairly equal so to speak. Memories will always stick with me of being made fun of in school for being overweight. I felt as though others were judging me for anything I put in my mouth, no matter what it was. I even recall one time when my mom searched for a bag of chips to pack with my lunch that didn't say words like, "big" on it. Didn't want to give the mean kids any more leverage in their taunting.

In high school, I did my best to blend in for the most part. I hid behind the lens of a camera, both video and still through those awkward teenage years. I didn't even go to homecoming or prom because I couldn't see beyond that fat girl. I thought, "who wants to see me in a dress?" Besides, it wasn't as though I had a date, never got asked out, so why bother? My college years just continued the struggle with my weight and social life. Sure, I had some close girlfriends, but I always thought that they were so pretty and I was more like the ugly and fat hanger-on of the group.

Life of course had its ups and downs, some days I thought that I was alright and wasn't so bad looking. I even got the nerve to ask a guy friend out at one point (it went sour, but hey, I tried!). I thought that my weight was the center of all of my woes in life. If only I could find a way to lose the weight and look like all those "skinny and hot girls," my life would be oh so much better. Surely, that one thing, was holding me back from ultimate success in all things. Of course, that's not true, but hold on to that line of thinking, as I will come back to it, promise!

In September of 2008, my life would be forever changed. At the time, I was living in Western North Carolina and was planning on driving down to Florida to spend a few vacation days with my parents and family. One of the days that I was visiting, my dad and I went to EPCOT Center. We both spent the day enjoying the park and taking pictures with his DSLRs. My dad gave me a CD with all of the photos taken from both cameras and when I got back home to North Carolina, I popped it into my computer. As I was going through the images, I realized that my father had taken some candid photos of me as I also took photos in the theme park. I sat at my desk in stunned shock at the images that were on the screen. Was that truly me? Was I really that big? Those pictures really hit me hard with a realization I had never had before. I just didn't believe that I was that fat. But, there I was, the photos were proof. It was a real life changing moment for me. I knew at that moment that I had to change, I had to drop the weight.

Now, I was already a fan of the reality television show, The Biggest Loser. I even attended a mall event in Miami a year or so before and met Suzy Hoover and Mark Wyle. I swore back then that I was going to stop making excuses and get healthy. Ironically, the show even interviewed me on camera. But, I had yet to have that "life changing moment" that I so dearly needed. So, in September 2008, everything just clicked for me. I would not have known what to do or how to do it without The Biggest Loser. Having tried dozens of fad weight-loss drugs and so-called solutions in the past, I knew thanks to The Biggest Loser that it would take hard work to really lose the weight and keep it off.

At first, it wasn't easy, not even close. I would do well some days, and then have a day where I would buy that bag of chips and a jar of salsa like the old days and sit in front of my TV just eating. And then, it got even harder that November. I learned that I was going to be laid off from my job at the beginning of December and would no longer have a way to pay my rent or other bills. Not exactly good news for my weight loss journey. The ups and downs continued until I moved back home to Florida on December 5th. Once I was back in Florida and could breath again, those downs began to dwindle. Well, for the most part anyway. I was now an unemployed adult back home with very little money to my name. The good in that was I had plenty of time to workout. I made working out and looking for work my job until I had an actual one. I got lucky with one of The Biggest Loser workout DVDs I had bought and had a 30-day pass to 24Hour Fitness. I couldn't go there everyday since it was about a 30-minute drive, but I went 3-4 days a week of my month long membership in addition to working out on my own at home.

By early February 2009, my life was looking up. I had again joined the workforce and was succeeding in my weight loss journey. I continued my healthy eating through calorie counting and of course working out. At the end of the summer of that year, I had lost 75lbs! Those last five pounds were a struggle, but one I was not willing to give up on. In October, I went vegetarian for health reasons and then by Thanksgiving, going vegan for both health and compassionate reasons. The veg way worked though, those stubborn last pounds fairly quickly came off within a couple of months of giving up meat.

Now, here I am two years after losing and keeping off those 75lbs and I feel great. It was the best decision I have ever made in my life. No regrets in the slightest, in fact I think I will always remember the turning point, that spark that made me want to get healthy. As far as being a thinner girl solving all of my problems? Not even close. Being overweight is not why I was unhappy or why I was insecure with myself and didn't go to prom. I just didn't love myself enough. I could not look in the mirror at myself and see what an amazing human being was looking back at me.

Today, I'm still working on that girl in the mirror. I know that I am beautiful and healthy, but honestly, it's a day by day work in progress. I became fat as a result of something inside of me. I may have made others believe that I was this happy person, but in all truthfulness, I was not. Deep inside, I was hurt and broken. Losing the weight has helped me become a better person and discover how awesome I am. You have to love yourself first and foremost before someone else can love you. It sounds cliche and is often said, but it's true. I'm learning to love myself as well as seeing how much I am capable of doing when I put my mind to it. If you would had told me three years ago that I would love running, I would have laughed. But, I love it and all of my fitness activities as much as I love writing and taking pictures. I can't imagine living my life without my training sessions despite how much I may hurt later on. They make me who I am. And, I never want to go back to that girl who was unhealthy and always feeling down on herself. I wish I could climb into Doc's delorean and tell that younger me that you are so great, that she is capable of such strength and willpower. Alas, there isn't such a thing as time travel, at least not outside of the movies. All that we can do is take it one day at a time and make the best of those hours. For me, that day involves a good workout and getting my sweat on. :)

1/2 Marathon Training: Week One

Last week, I started my training for my first 1/2 marathon. My goal race in mind is the Space Coast 1/2 Marathon in November here in Florida. After looking around a bit online for a good walking training program, I ended up settling with one from the www.marathonwalking.com website. The training plan is 14 weeks long and incorporates cross-training into the mix. Since the Space Coast 1/2 is 20 weeks out, I figured that I would repeat some of the weeks so my training would be longer. That works out fine for me considering it would take into account any issues that might crop up along the way. So, each week would consist of walking on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Saturday being the long mileage day. My cross-training days would be on Sunday & Wednesday. Friday will always be a rest day, and Monday I figured I would play with between it being a rest day or a cross-training day.

Sunday started off well, with a nice bike ride in the morning. I love cycling, so that is more than likely going to be my primary cross-training workout. Since I felt so good after that workout, I decided that I didn't need Monday off, so I would again do a cycling session. Tuesday was my first power walk workout on the plan and called for 3 miles which went pretty well. I didn't hit the pacing I wanted, but I was around the 15 minute per mile mark which is still good. Wednesday was another cycling workout. This is when I started to feel some exhaustion coming on. Alas, I thought I'd be okay and didn't hesitate to head out the door and onto my bike. By Thursday's 3-mile walk, I knew my energy was lacking. I really felt it the moment I woke up that morning. And, this showed in my 15:51 per mile pacing. My body was telling me that it needed to rest. Thankfully, I did just that on Friday.

I have come to the conclusion that I really might need those two rest days during my marathon training. So, despite the fact that I'd like to be working out six days a week, I'm going to more in tune with what my body is telling me. Friends told me that marathon training takes a lot more out of you than just standard workouts, but of course, I had to learn that for myself. Guess that's the way things are sometimes.

This week, I'm taking Monday and Friday off per the training schedule. If there are weeks down the line where I have the energy and can workout on Monday, that's great and I'll do it, but if not, that is okay. Our bodies need rest to succeed just as much as the actual training miles we put in.

Also, I have a goal set for before my first 1/2 in November. I'm going to be doing the Miracle Miles 15k on September 24th in Orlando. This is a great in between race as recommended by some dailymile/facebook running friends. I am already looking forward to it as it’s going to be my next race event.

Goals & Aspirations

It's now more than half-way into 2011, and I thought it would be a good time to put pen to paper (so to speak) on what my fitness goals and aspirations are for the rest of the year. As of this writing, I've put in 373 miles in between power walking and cycling thus far. I have daily mile to thank for keeping my tally up as otherwise, I certainly couldn't even begin to guess that I've pounded the pavement that much.

I'm thankful that this year has been better health-wise than 2010 was. While I have dealt with some back woes, it's not really been too bad. I completed my first-ever 10k just about a year after my back injury this past March, and that success still excites and motivates me. That said, I haven't been as active with my power walks as much as I should be. Since getting back into cycling, I've been more than anxious about riding my bike than walking as of late. Having a new "fitness toy" has really been great and I love being able to get my "speed" on with it. The feeling I get from being on my bike is so accelerating and the new-found confidence that I've gained from Cycling Savvy has empowered me to want to get out there more than ever. I don't want that feeling to fade away, but I also don't want to neglect my other fitness goals.

This week, I've been seriously starting to again consider training for a 1/2 marathon. I've been looking at the Hal Higdon training chart for walkers and I just know that I can do it. Now that I've conquered the 10k distance, doing 13.1 miles doesn't seem so intimidating. Sure, it's not easy, but definitely not impossible. With that in mind, I'm going to start the 1/2 marathon training next week. The program is a 12-week long one, which would put me ready to go for my first 1/2 in October. I think that's plenty of time to do it. The Space Coast Marathon & 1/2 Marathon are in late November, so I'm going to shoot for doing that 1/2 if I'm still in Central Florida then. If not, I'm sure I can find a 1/2 in the Asheville area to complete by the holidays.

My other goals are to do a duathlon this year and of course some more 5k events. I don't think I'm going to do any races until September, but that could change. I definitely want to do the Autumn Rock'N Run 5k with Track Shack on September 10th. I've never done that race and it sounds like a lot of fun with all the music. As far as my cycling goes, besides my duathlon goal, I will be participating in as many group rides as I can with the Commute Orlando group. And, I plan upon riding my bike on some local trails like Cady Way soon.

Question for those who have already conquered the 1/2 marathon and the full marathons, do you think it's best to have a race goal in mind when you are training for a marathon? I may need to find something in October to shoot for as maybe having a goal race in mind is best. I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Cycling Savvy

Tomorrow, I take the final session of the 3-part Cycling Savvy course. Cycling Savvy teaches you how to not only control your bike better, but be a safer and more effective cyclist. Sure, we all think that riding a bike is something you don't forget how to do, and while we can all more than likely hop on that old bike in the garage, to be a better cyclist, there's a bit more to it. You will definitely learn more than you might think you would taking these courses.

 

The first course I took was the bike handling session called, 'Train Your Bike.' This particular portion takes place in a big parking lot giving you plenty of room for maneuvering. The instructors teach you how to properly stop and then get back going again without "hopping" around (sound like a familiar tactic you might do? Sure was for me). Other techniques learned during this three-hour class include: shoulder checks, object avoidance, turning, riding straight and emergency stopping. If you don't already know what a "power pedal" is, you will after taking Train Your Bike. I really came out of Train Your Bike feeling that I had a lot more control over my biking than before. I could stop much easier and just overall felt more comfortable on my two-wheeler.

 

The second session was a classroom one, also three hours long. 'Truth & Techniques' consists of videos, animations and the instructors going through not only the laws, but problem solving techniques and traffic dynamics of the road. You get a chance to see some great videos showing actual examples of folks on the road thanks to Cycling Savvy creators, Keri Caffrey and Mighk Wilson. It's an invaluable class for anyone wanted to snap on their helmet and get on the road on their bike. I really came out of it feeling that not was it a valuable use of my time, but that I knew the laws of the road a lot better as well as that I knew some techniques for my rides.

 

That brings me to tomorrow, which is when I'll be taking the 'Tour of Orlando' session. This will put me on actual "main" roads of Orlando. I am looking forward to it, but admit that I am a bit nervous. I know that I can do it, but until I get on the roads with the instructors near me, I won't fully be rid of that feeling. I do look forward to riding with the local cycling groups as often as I can so that I can continue to build my confidence for riding. I have accomplished a lot in the last couple of years for myself in health and fitness and this is just another step in my journey. 

 

 

 

**If you are interested in finding out more about Cycling Savvy, please check out their website: http://cyclingsavvy.org/ **

 

 

Increasing Workouts

In preparation for my vacation in a couple of weeks, I've decided to increase my workouts a bit. Hopefully, I can keep up with this longer than just this month. I have gotten so into just my power walking that I need to change things up a bit. It will also help in case of boredom as well as toning up which is what I'd like to do.

I got my bike back out yesterday and I enjoyed riding it. On Saturday after my workout, I installed the Cateye bike computer I had gotten from my job for my Christmas gift back in December. I had been procrastinating in getting it on the bike and with the weather being the way it is, it's a great time to be out there cycling. Unfortunately, I must have set the magnetic sensor wrong on the front wheel because it's not reading anything. I messed with it a bit, but ended up giving up until later in the week when I had more time. Meanwhile, I utilized an app called Cardio Trainer on my phone which tracks my workouts via GPS. That worked out okay despite it not providing info on my speed of course.

Today, I got up at a quarter to six planning to head out for a power walk. I knew it would be dark out at 6am, but I wasn't prepared for how truly dark it is with daylight savings time and all. Seeing as how I wasn't so sure that going out in the dark was the best idea safety-wise, I opted to do a workout DVD instead. Since my back injury last March, I hadn't really done much in the fitness DVD area. I used to do them all the time, the DVDs were a big part of my fitness regime when I was losing weight. So, I was both excited and a bit nervous about the workout. I hoped for the best and put in a Jillian Micheals workout recalling that I could most likely do most of the Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism DVD without too much of a problem. I did pretty well, only skipping two of the circuits that didn't seem to be the best moves for my injury. I also modified a few of the other sets to ease into the workouts.

During my lunch break today, I was feeling good so I decided to use part of that time to take a power walk since I hadn't this morning. I ended up doing about 1.7 miles in 26 minutes. I do enjoy walking on my break, but it's a bit more challenging not only due to the terrain around work, but due to the fact that I do my walks in whatever I'm wearing to work that day (running shoes of course though). It was pretty warm out and my legs were a bit sore from yesterday's bike ride, so I didn't do a full two miles which I normally would shoot for mileage-wise. Otherwise, it was a nice walk.

Race Report: 2011 Winter Park Road Race 10k

I was excited about this race, as it was my first-ever 10k and longest race beyond a 5k. Unfortunately, I had been battling a bad cold with congestion all week, so I knew that it might make race day a bit more of a challenge. I was thankful though to have gotten somewhat better by the end of the week. The coughing and congestion still lingered though, the former of the two kept me from getting as much sleep as I would have liked the night before the race (of course the excitement of the race prevents some of that as well). 

Race morning, I awoke at a quarter to 5am, revving to go. My stomach was a flutter with a mixture of nervousness and joy at what the morning might bring. I ate my oatmeal breakfast and got showered and ready to go. After a struggle the evening before as to what to wear, I was glad that I settled on the capris as the weather was a bit cool out that early in the day. I would have preferred a better top, but a previous race shirt is always a comfort for me during training, so I went with the one from my last 5k.

My dad came along to this race as my photographer and support and I was more than glad to have him along. He had never been to one of my race events before, so I was looking forward to sharing this big accomplishment with him. Mom would have come along too, but since she had to work later in the day, I didn't want to ask her to lose sleep. Anyway, dad would get pictures that she could see later.

At about 6:15am, dad and I were off in the car enroute to Winter Park. It's about a 45-minute drive from my parents house, so I wanted to ensure that I arrived at the race location with enough time to find parking and to of course make a pre-race port-o-let stop. I cut down on my water intake a bit before leaving home so as to ensure that I wouldn't have to worry about mid-race urgings. 

 

I got to the starting line area about 10 or so minutes before the horn went off which was good. I ended up striking up a conversation with a guy who had just completed the 2-miler and was doing the Distance Dare challenge. I told him that was something I'll definitely be aiming for in the future as I continue to increase my mileage. One step at a time though.

Before I knew it, the horn blared and we were off. As I hit the starting line, I started my iPod with my 10k playlist. While I love music podcasts like Motion Traxx and Podrunner, I wanted some actual songs for the race. I ended up with a variety of upbeat rock and pop tunes that spanned from the 1980s up until current stuff.

The first couple of miles of the route were pretty easy, less for the brick surface that adorned some of the streets of Winter Park. That's the one thing I wasn't looking forward to, the brick road portions. I'm definitely not a fan of brick roads. They are harder on your legs and back. My preference is simple black asphalt like most roads which is primarily what I train and workout upon. When possible during the race, I opted for the sidewalk as it was a bit more comfortable and consistent.

I ended up downing most of my Gu gel around mile two. This was a bit earlier than planned, but I wasn't sure if there was a water stop at the halfway point (forgot to check). I'm still not a big fan of the gels, but I'm getting more used to them. They do seem to help out enough to make them worth carrying along.

The route for the Road Race passed along a lot of nice, upscale houses in the city. I found myself thinking that these folks must be professionals like doctors and lawyers to afford such large homes. A bit more to look at than my usual fairly mundane neighborhood back at my parents home. There were a few spectators and supporters along the way which always makes you feel good when you are out there pounding the pavement. 

Miles three and four came pretty easy for the most part. I did have some slight numbness starting up in my left leg when I was in the fourth mile, but I did a few stretches as I walked and thankfully, it eased up. By the time I hit the five and a half mark, I admit I was anxious to see the finish line. Also, my Nike+ was telling me that I was almost done when I truly wasn't. It ended up being a full 1k off from the actual race route for some reason. Talk about deceptive motivation. The Nike+ voice was telling me I was 400 feet from the finish line when I was not.

As I hit mile six, I started to do a few running sprints. I did two or three of them before my final sprint at about 300 or so feet from the finish line. It's not advisable for me to run, but I do run across the street during my workouts and I find myself inspired to push a bit to do some sprints at the races like this. It makes me feel good to finish strong like that. My dad and friends, Kitzzy and Jason were at the finish line and both dad and Jason got a few great shots of my victory which is appreciated. I love being able to have photos documenting my accomplishment. I did it, I conquered the 10k! My final d-chip time was 93 minutes, which is a bit slower than I wanted (I had wanted to finish in 90 minutes or less), but I'm still happy with that. Now, I've got a time to beat when I take on my next 10k race. 

As an added note, I injured my back almost exactly a year before this race. The last race I ran before getting hurt was the Winter Park Road Race 2-Miler which took place a couple of weeks earlier in March 2010. I was hurt on March 31st. So, this accomplishment, being about to stay strong and get back out there even power walking is something I am thankful for. Being active is a part of my life now. I can't imagine life without walks, bike rides, hiking and other fun outdoor activities.

Race Report: 2011 Florida Hospital Lady Track Shack 5k

This was my first race event for 2011 and I couldn't have been more excited about doing it. The Lady Track Shack 5k was my first Track Shack race last year and I had such a great time and experience that doing that event got me into doing the local races as much as possible.

The difference this year was that I was a walker and not a runner/walker which was how I approached the 5k in 2010. Funny thing is, I did better time this year power walking than I did last year rotating the walking and running. I attribute that to being in slightly better shape and that fact that I'm now more accustomed to the races.

Since I was so looking forward to the event, when I woke up the Wednesday morning prior in a lot of pain in my right foot, I was concerned. Apparently, I had some tendinitis going on. I found myself limping at times both that day and the next. I prayed and did everything I could in hopes that the foot would be better before the race. I was very thankful that when I woke up Friday, it was about 80% better and I could walk without much pain. I was even happier and more thankful that by Friday evening and upon waking race morning that I felt even better. Nothing worse than being injured and not being able to do a race because of it (happened to me once last year with the back injury).

The weather on race morning was beautiful. It was in the mid-60s which felt great. I wore my No Excuses Wear, 'Shut Up and Sweat' t-shirt and black running pants. A number of ladies were wearing shorts and I came to the realization that I could have worn shorts myself or at least capris. In the end though, I was fairly comfortable, and that is what's important.

Start of the race ended up being a few minutes behind schedule, but not too bad. With almost 2,000 women doing the event, the beginning was a bottleneck. Definitely not like it was at the Turkey Trot in November thankfully though. Once I was able to get some space, I was able to really start moving into my fast power walking pace. I hit the first mile at under 14 minutes which shocked me, I was hauling some butt! I pretty much kept up that pacing through mile two which was nice.

My only real complaint with the route was that Winter Park has a lot of brick roads. This is not the friendliest surface for backs, legs and feet. I found myself thankful when we were back on regular black asphalt. About 2.5 miles or so in, there was an area where you pass side by side with the faster runners who are about a half mile or so ahead of you. It was at that point where I saw a friend, Kitzzy Aviles and we both waved at one another. Kitzzy is an extremely active gal who bikes just about everywhere in Orlando and runs her tail off to boot. It's always nice to see familiar faces during the racing events.

I finished the race at 44:41 which is my best time for a 5k ever. That means I PRed, despite the tendinitis that week! I was all smiles when I crossed that finish line. Every race, it still feels great to me. You need to celebrate your accomplishments in life. Set challenges and goals for yourself and get out there and do them. It's amazing how good you feel pushing yourself to do things that you never thought possible.