Day 53 - 30 days to go...SEVEN MILES

OMG, people!  I ran for 7 miles today!  SEVEN miles!!  That's like 2 5k's back to back, that's for real -- no fooling, no doubt about it, some hard core running!!  I did it in 1:44 which averages a little over 4mph... respectable in my opinion as the amount of miles to run felt like forever...

The calorie burner said I burnt off 998 calories! LOL

I broke it up into two parts, the first 3 miles I ran in 44 mins and the next 4 miles I ran in exactly 59:28.  It was very tough and it seemed like I wasn't going to make my self imposed 4 miles in the hour.  after running 5 miles I was getting really tired and my legs were burning but once that treadmill got to around 50 mins, I let it rip and I dug deep to run the last ten minutes between 5.0 -5.5 to get 'er done.  There was nothing sweeter than making that goal.  I literally gave the double finger salute to the treadmill, as to say -- "ef" you I win!!  I think I might have done a Jersey fist pump in there too.  I'm pretty sure I looked absolutely insane, all red faced, hair frizzed, sweat dripping off every inch of my body, laughing and flipping off the treadmill but i don't care.  I did it.  And no one can take it away.

It was a souper moment for a souper gal... Don't forget to vote if you haven't today:  Jen's SOUPER and ran SEVEN MILES! VOTE HERE

Here's a picture of me post run.  Good thing Shoprite had that sale on frozen veggies - 7 miles required 6 bags of various mixed veggies to help get me iced down.

XO
Jen

day 52 - 31 days to go... On the run

OK...  first of all, don't forget to vote in this Progresso soup contest for me:  vote for Jen

I'm still behind in the voting but it's not over til the last drop of soup is gone.

I am gearing up for the big 7 mile run tomorrow... I'm feeling a little intimidated about it as the 3 miler I did on Tuesday felt pretty tough and this is more than double (I know, you are blown away by my mad math skills, just call me captain obvious.)

So you runners -- do you have good advice for the "long run day" now that I'm actually entering into legitimate long running territory?  I'm thinking of powering up with my favorite power breakfast (recipe below) and I actually bought some low cal gatorade to give me a little shot of sugar around the 4 mile mark (I'll also be toting along water...)

So is there anything else that might help me get prepared for the long haul to keep energy up and performance at peak?  Should I try a slower pace to get through it even when I want to run faster or is that counter productive?  Any advice would be welcomed.

Thanks!!
XO
Jen

Jen's power pancakes:

These are high in fiber, protein and complex carbs, low in fat.  They are very tasty and filling.  I invented this recipe because while on Weight Watchers and doing the "simply filling" program, I was looking for a good, healthy, pancake alternative.

1/2 cup of quick oats (finely ground in food processor (I use the magic bullet thing)
1 large egg beaten
1/4 cup of skim milk
pinch of salt, pinch of splenda, 1/2 tsp. of baking powder

combine all ingredients into batter - pour two medium sized pancakes into a non-stick pan sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.  Flip when edges get dry and bubbles pop thru top.

I top with a little zero calorie butter spray and a little sugar free pancake syrup.  Sometimes I serve with a piece of canadian bacon.  These would be great with blue berries or bananas added to the batter or used as a topping.

The pancakes = 5 points on the Weight Watchers program.

Day 51 - 32 days to go... Crabby

I'm feeling much more souper today, thank you for asking... :)  by the way, if you haven't voted today then please go here and hook a sister up:

Make Jen Souper She needs a new haircut!

Anyway, thank you for the support on yesterday's blog.  It was a tough thing and I woke up thinking about it.  I felt so attacked and they embarrassed me into thinking I was doing something wrong.  My sister checked out the thread and was appalled and shocked by the things going on there... I didn't go back after the first really mean things but Cheryl did say that many people came to my defense and voted for me.  That's good at least.

I am remembering to let my star shine :)

A new friend reminded me of the "crab mentality." (Thank you Ulla's friend Tricia!)  The crab mentality is an interesting concept.  They say that when you catch a crab and put one crab in a bucket or bowl, the crab can easily escape.  The best way to keep the crab in the bucket is to put another crab in there.  When a crab tries to escape, the other crab will reach up and pull him back in every time, without fail. Thus causing both crabs to be caught.  Of course, if the crab's were generous to "boost" their little crab friend up and out of the bucket, then the other crab could easily escape... But crabs want to keep each other in the same boat - and their "crab mentality" limits all the little crabs in the long run.

People are like crabs.  When one is getting out of the bucket, they are afraid of being left alone in the bucket... If they are going to have to get seasoned with old bay and served with a lovely salad, well you're going down too.  It's a crab eat crab world...

Which reminds me that crab makes a lovely soup... And speaking of lovely soups -- did you remember to go here:  Don't be a crab vote for Jen and pass it on!   LOL...

Anyhoo.  It is what it is and to be honest, I posted a request for votes at a couponing web-site that I love: A full cup - Great couponing community  as well as Spark People and while I didn't get tons of votes - there wasn't one crab.  Not one nasty comment, not one snide remark. Sometimes people can be lovely.

Today I ran 3 miles.  I ran hard between 5.0 -5.5 for most of the time.  My overall pace probably averaged out to what I've been running because I had to do a little more recovery walking - that speed really challenged me.  I sweated a lot and walked out feeling accomplished and souper.

XO

Jen

day 50 - 33 days to go... Well that's just "souper"... or is it?

Fifty freakin' days into training!  Can you believe how far we've come!?  Yay!!

So, since you guys who follow this blog are my closest friends and are probably on my facebook page and e-mail list - you probably all know about my good news:  That's right.  According to the good people at Progresso Soup & General Mills, I am SOUPER!  LOL

Somehow out of thousands of entrants I had the good fortune to place in the top ten of the Progresso "Souper" new you contest.  Only the top 3 win -- So please vote once a day, everyday until April 12th.  You can vote for me here:

Jennifer is SOUPER! Progresso Soup Vote here

I wrote a short blurb about my weight loss and marathon training and voila, here I am.  If I never signed up for the marathon, It probably would not have happened.  It's really so exciting! 

I was walking around on cloud nine and then my bubble bursted.  I was reminded there's always going to be the "haters."  I almost didn't post this because this is a bit embarrassing but there's something to be learned here.

There will always be people threatened by your good moments.  I remember when I quit smoking, I got a few half assed "you'll be back" type responses and even when I lose weight, some people act less than thrilled for you but never did I expect the response I got on my weight watcher website.

I have been a long-time member of Weight Watchers.  I love the program, my meeting, so much about it works for me.  I faithfully pay my dues and I contribute to the on-line community.  I decided to do a little campaigning for the soup contest because certainly, my weight watcher peers would be excited and supportive... no?   Well some of them.

Many were kind, excited and voting for me but there were a few who were down right mean.  It was stunning, upsetting and strange.

"Why would I vote for, you?"  "Stick to your 'home' board" (whatever that means?)  "This kind of  thing is just annoying, now I'm going to vote for Amanda everyday just out of spite."  

Huh?  And there was a bunch of other BS that I just stopped reading because it started to (annoyingly -- there's that f'ing sensitivity thing again.) really hurt my feelings.  It got me really bummed out.  I mean, over the course of my Weight Watching, I had posted over 2000 messages there.  Recipes, support, feedback, challenges - you name it.  I felt part of that community and to have these "cliquey" and catty responses was just strange.  But there they were, the haters - and they were even worse because it was done under the cloak of internet anonymity.  There's a million threads and posts.  I mean, if you didn't want to vote, you could ignore the thread but these women went out of there way to find ways to tear me down.

And the embarrassing part is - I let it upset me.  More than I'd care to admit.  Not sure what my problem is but I need to figure out why I get hurt (by complete strangers, no less!) so much.  I'm better, I've shaken it off, but still - that's something to work out in therapy someday, I guess.

I can only assume it's as my mother says, there are people who can't be happy for someone else because they aren't happy with themselves.  Whether it be their own depression, disappointment, jealousy or insecurity - when some people hear good news about someone else or someone else is doing something positive, they have to undercut it.

So I did what I do.  Second guessed myself for being "so bold" to actually want people to vote for me.  Second guessed myself for letting me feel a little proud.  Second guessed whether I even deserved to be in the top ten of that contest... and then I stopped. I reminded myself that I'm a runner now.  I'm proving that I deserve good things because I'm a good person who works hard and tries to do the right thing.  

A friend posted on her Facebook page last week, "I will not dim my star for anybody."  And you know what - she's right.  None of us should "dim our stars."  I've dimmed mine my whole freakin' life in an effort to "hope" people would like me.  "ef" it.  no matter what you do, not everybody is going to like you.  The people who love you, love you for the good, the bad and the ugly.  They jump up and down when your star's shining bright and bask in it's glow and if you're a good friend to them, you support them and bask in their glow!  All of that star power makes for a cozy, supportive, warm and nurturing relationship.


- And the haters - they don't matter anyway.  They don't even like themselves, burned out little stars, looking to steal your light.  They can't have it from me anymore.  Even if it takes me a little while to keep it bright, I'm not dimming for no one.


XO

Jen


Sorry for such a long post!

Day 49 - 34 days to go... 3 miles and running

Nothing exciting to tell ya about today.  Nothing gushy or philosophical...   I was to do a 3 miler today and I did.  I ran for the longest I ever had - I did my 5 minute "fast walk" warm up and then ran until I hit 3 miles!  I think that was running for around 38 minutes or so.  I ran between 4.2 - 5.2 depending on how fatigued I was feeling and how fast the song on my i-pod was.  I'm looking forward to better weather this week and getting outside again.  The treadmill is getting OLD!

The Jersey Shore marathon people ask that you do not use headphones for this marathon.  I'm hoping that's a rule I can kind of break.  My music is super important to me and I'm not sure I could comfortably run for 13 minutes without my i-pod, never mind 13 miles!  Do you know if this is a standard rule or is it unique to this race?  Do you think they enforce this kind of thing?   I am not afraid to be a little bit of a rebel on this one because I need all the help I can get but I also do not want to disqualify myself.  ugh.  could you imagine?   Thoughts on this?  Ang, what are you gonna do?

XO
Jen

Day 48 - 35 days to go... weight watcher meeting

Today was a rest day, didn't even get to the gym to cross train - just kinda putted around town doing errands and wound up attending my weekly weight watcher meeting.

Weight Watchers has been a big part of my life.  I joined over 2 years ago a few months after having my son Ben and have consistently gone every single Saturday since.  (I may have missed 4 or 5 Saturdays - and I don't think it's even been that many.)  It's a constant in my life.

It's been a slow go but I'm down around 63 pounds now (.6 this week - right direction and I'm happy!)

I made a commitment when I went back to WW back then that no matter what kind of week I had (good, bad or ugly,) I would attend that meeting and I have.  I've learned a lot and have made some excellent lifestyle changes that I believe will stick.

Today, my leader who's great at what she does, told us that she thinks of me all week.  That my journey with pushing myself outside of my comfort zone to run has inspired her (after 20 years of being a leader and maintaining her weight loss!) to push herself out of her own comfort zone.  She's pushing herself to work out harder and go further.  She had tears in her eyes as she said this, as in my own perseverance inspired her to do more.  And it made me really feel great.  Because the truth is, without her guidance, advice, support and encouragement during the weeks my weight loss was crappy, I wouldn't be here.

Without friends like you guys that bother to read this thing and root me on - I wouldn't have the right songs, sneakers, socks, nutrition, training programs - even running partners!  

I think what I've learned here is that each of our own personal growth moments are so important because when we grow, you never know who grows with you.  It's corny but when you think of it, we are all connected.  Your good day, habits, thoughts, energy does influence those around you, even when you have no idea it's happening.  That's pretty cool, don't you think?

XO
Jen

day 47 - 36 days to go... running for miles

First of all - are you all digging the new blog layout?  I thought it was really cute for a running blog.  I like to switch it up.

Today was a five mile run.  Wow that's hard.  I am proud to say that I did it in 1:15 which is 1 minute quicker than last week and works out to a 4.0 mph.  I know this isn't great speed.  I'll admit I'm a little worried about the marathon.  I can increase distance or speed but increasing both seems to be pretty tough. We'll see.  My goal is to do it under the 3:30 required to get that fricken medal!  Maybe when I take it outside again, things will get better.  It gets dull inside on the treadmill!

Next week I'll need to go SEVEN miles!!  OMG!  It's so nerve racking but I guess the only way to be able to run 13 is to run seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven and twelve first. Yee haw!

Question to you runners.  I warmed up, cooled down, stretched prior and after the run.  Came home and iced down.  Mid ice, my feet curled up like the wicked witch of east into awful cramps.  My entire foot felt a "charlie horse" grip of pain - what the hell is that from!?  If that's happening after only 5 miles, I shudder to think about what's going to happen after 7,10, 13 miles!!  Anyone have experience with this? My dad thinks i might need potassium.  I have an allergy to banana's so any alternative suggestions might be good?

Tomorrow I weigh in.  I'm feeling slender this week and hope for another good weigh in (I wore a pair of size 12's yesterday - the smallest size I've worn for years and years!)  :)

By the way, my friend wrote this awesome cookbook - if you like healthy, low fat cooking with lots of taste, check it out:

Secrets of a Skinny Chef: 100 Decadent, Guilt-Free Recipes

XO
Jen