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I DID IT!! 13.2 miles! And I wasn't last! (I am ALWAYS last on stuff like this). It was so incredibly fun, although I'm paying the price right now. My body from the waist down is hating me right now. I did this with the Weber State walking group--simply great people, and I'm proud of all of us. We got our group shirts just this morning--Weber purple of course. Yesterday we all had to go to a big expo downtown to pick up our numbers. It was packed with people and vendors selling all kinds of mysterious stuff. What I don't know about running would fill an encyclopedia.
I don't know where in the world you'd find a more beautiful site for a marathon--they bussed us all up to Eden (well named) at 5:30 a.m. There were thousands of people---the full marathoners who started an additional 13 miles farther up the canyon, us, some relay teams and a 5K that began near the bottom. The start was exciting--we had quite a wait, but there was a live band, and barrels with fire to keep warm and snacks. Most people looked pretty normal, but there was one lady in a pink tutu and tiara (that-a girl!) We began near the back of the pack so we wouldn't get run over--but our numbers came equipped with an electronic device to measure our time from when we crossed the starting line. The support for this marathon is AMAZING!! First off the clean-up crew is there not only to pick up trash, but to allow runners to dress in "throw-away" layers that they can strip off as they go. I came with 2 throw away shirts and a sweater. It felt weird just to toss them aside--but how cool that I didn't have to carry them! Every mile or so there were stations with porta-potties, bananas, oranges, water, powerade, goo, cliff-bars (love the chocolate mint), and best of all, people cheering us the whole way! In between the stations were people too with cow bells and good wishes. It was a perfect May day---a real relief after what feels like a solid month of rain (flooding is going on everywhere in the US just now). About 1/2 way down the marathoners began to catch up with us and it felt great to cheer them on---and they cheered for us just as much. I used to watch documentaries about marathoning when I was little and it was like hundred of personal heroes were with me as we went down. The friends I walked with made the miles fly by---and indeed I WAS flying (comparitively anyway) I was hoping to maintain a rather slow 20 minute mile, but I beat it and finished with a 3:58:17. To my astonishment, my knees didn't bother me at all---and are still feeling okay! My FEET however are something else. They began to heat up about 1/2 way down. Nothing terribly painful at the time, but a sensation as though my shoes had vanished and I was walking on bare ground sanding off the bottoms. At the end of the canyon they routed us behind the Dinosaur park---I haven't been there since I was about 8 years old. But we could see and even hear some of the dinosaurs. Now we were getting close to the end. Many more marathoners passing us and many more people cheering. At about the 10 mile mark I suddenly noticed I had fat fingers--I guess swollen hands are a common problem. The last mile came complete with a brass band and Dave was at the finish line looking all proud of me. As we crossed, there were mighty cheers, water bottles pressed on us (they even opened them) and people putting medals around our necks. Maybe I'll make the effort to actually post a picture---but the ribbon is thick and the medal is HEAVY and says Ogden 1/2 marathon 2011 with a mountain cut-out backdrop. It is beautiful.
I couldn't stay long in the winners enclosure--Catherine's graduation party was starting in just a little while. Thank goodness she had a great day for her party. My sister made the most amazing cake and my family and ward members came over. To my great relief, it was a good party. After we broke the party down, I took some more ibuprofin, a hot bath, a snack and a nap. Right now I'm wearing the official marathon shirt and the medal and I'm hobbling around like I'm 95 years old. I'm completely happy.
Losing weight in spite of myself.
I began this blog in February 2011 as a way to help me not quit trying to lose weight, and to learn a few things. It's been an interesting and powerful experience. It certainly confirms what I've long suspected--that although I am a genuinely happy cheery person in the main, I am NOT a happy cheery dieter. I DETEST losing weight. I resent being overweight in the first place and I am a virtuoso in the art of self-sabotage. And YET--I'm doing it! I'm fighting and kicking and EATING all the way down, but the weight is finally going down. The plan I was following in February was a half-baked one largely based on wishful thinking. I gained a little weight and decided to get real. I knew I couldn't just join weightwatchers or count calories or do any one plan and expect to be successful. I decided if I was going to bother to make the effort to lose weight I was going to throw everything I could think of at the problem. And so I do. My real "Day One" for this blog is April 1, 2011. I joined weight watchers, I joined caloriecount.com (awesome website), I read the blog losingweighteveryday.blogspot.com religiously, I keep this blog faithfully, I joined the health programs sponsored by my insurance, I use the principles from overeater's anonymous, I use my church's 12 step program as well, I subscribe--and use--Healthy Cooking Magazine.
The result of all this? Painfully slow progress (About 20 lbs in 10 months). But it IS progress and like the little engine that could I keep on trying in my rebellious way. I have no intention of quitting. This is by far the longest sustained weight loss effort I've ever made in my life. Successful I think, because for the first in my life I've done this MY way--which I've discovered, involves a lot of pizza and restaraunt food. I'm convinced this is the only way to lose weight. For me it must be MY way. For you it MUST be YOUR way. Not weight watcher's way, not your doctor's way, but YOUR way. Any plan or idea I use is only a tool.
The latest plan to lose weight my way began on Oct 29, 2013. It really is my own crazy plan. As you'll see if you read that post. I've implemented the best ideas of all sorts of eating plans and thrown out the scale. A couple of months in and I'm definitely healthier. I'm actually enjoying myself. I won't weigh until April 1, 2014, so I'll see then if this works the way I hope it will.
There is no magic weight loss bullet. But there IS a great deal of magic in the discovery of what I can happily live with (very different from what weight watchers tells me I can happily live with) and still have the body and health I want.
Good luck to all of us on this journey. It's quite a trip!
The result of all this? Painfully slow progress (About 20 lbs in 10 months). But it IS progress and like the little engine that could I keep on trying in my rebellious way. I have no intention of quitting. This is by far the longest sustained weight loss effort I've ever made in my life. Successful I think, because for the first in my life I've done this MY way--which I've discovered, involves a lot of pizza and restaraunt food. I'm convinced this is the only way to lose weight. For me it must be MY way. For you it MUST be YOUR way. Not weight watcher's way, not your doctor's way, but YOUR way. Any plan or idea I use is only a tool.
The latest plan to lose weight my way began on Oct 29, 2013. It really is my own crazy plan. As you'll see if you read that post. I've implemented the best ideas of all sorts of eating plans and thrown out the scale. A couple of months in and I'm definitely healthier. I'm actually enjoying myself. I won't weigh until April 1, 2014, so I'll see then if this works the way I hope it will.
There is no magic weight loss bullet. But there IS a great deal of magic in the discovery of what I can happily live with (very different from what weight watchers tells me I can happily live with) and still have the body and health I want.
Good luck to all of us on this journey. It's quite a trip!
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