Challenge Accepted

One year later…

Today marks the one year anniversary of one of the scariest days of my life.  A year ago right now I was sitting in a hotel lobby after helping my parents evacuate their home while the worst wildfire in Texas history threatened to destroy it.  Luckily, the fire only came within half a mile of their home, but they were displaced for over a week, and people had come in and looted. So many people lost everything, and that weekend and the months that followed I will not soon forget.  Here is the long story:
http://maxandamandawimmer.blogspot.com/2011/09/bastrop-complex-fire.html 

This weekend, we all came back together at my parents’ home.  It was a great weekend that included the Burning Pine 10k in Bastrop State Park, 96% of which was destroyed by the fire.  It was bittersweet and emotional.  So much of the greenery is back, but the pines will never be the same.  Parts of the run felt like there had been a bomb that went off a year ago.  There were so many people there!  The race had a limit of 1000 people, and it sold out on Saturday.  I was reminded this weekend of what an amazing community Bastrop, TX really is.  

Here is a link to a video of the fire burning in the park where I ran.  It was taken a year ago today.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhJeDYQVtdQ  The photo I posted was taken (not by me) about a quarter of a mile from the turn off to my parents’ home.  Their neighborhood is to the right of all that fire and black smoke.

I was also in my best friend’s wedding, which has been a long time coming! I’m here to tell you, standing and walking in high heels all afternoon after running the hardest 10k course I have ever seen…not an easy task.  But it was so much fun!  I hope everyone had a great Labor Day.  Mine was very blessed…and I have to send a special shout out to my buddy Real Deal.  Congrats on finishing your second half!

Stomach bug + LapBand = Rough

All this week I have been battling a stomach bug.  I have a LapBand and learned this week that any stomach virus symptoms tend to irritate the band, causing me even more discomfort and stress.  I have been worried all week about the band slipping, or being too tight…anyway, it has made for a rough-ish week.  Silver lining-WEIGHT LOSS!!!  Isn’t that terrible?!?! 

Despite the bug and band issues, I powered through each day this week by working in my classroom, which started out a disaster, and is now looking like something off of my Pinterest boards.  I’m pretty proud and super excited about the coming year.  I don’t actually have to go into work until the 20th, so this early planning and organizing will really jump start my year.

The one thing I am not proud of this week is my lack of exercise.  I guess you can sort of count my classroom…moving furniture and boxes from one end of the campus to another (most of which was done for me by the amazing custodians), climbing on top of desk and hanging things on the walls, covering chairs…etc.  I am determined to get out of bed at five tomorrow morning and run for 30 minutes. I have a seven mile run scheduled for this weekend, and after my awesome showing last week, I can’t let that momentum die down.

I am ready for whatever is next…teaching 9th graders, running (a lot more), and making new friends since many of my co-workers left at the end of last year.  There is something so refreshing about a fresh start!

I can’t stop eating everything in sight…

…and what is 5 miles down the road with an easily accessible drive-through window.  This is bad.  This is really bad.  I have slipped back into some old, disgusting, shameful habits.  The only difference is that I am actually still working out, which is helpful.  I actually am holding myself accountable for my lunch (Taco Cabana) which is why I’m putting this out there into the interwebs.  Part of this slip is that I’m stuck in my summer laziness and I desperately need to go back to work, where I am on a schedule and cannot leave my classroom all day.  There, I am forced to eat what I brought for breakfast and lunch.  Don’t get me wrong, I love having the time off, but I am so much better off working.  I also think that this past weekend, which was a rollercoaster, has not quite worn off.  

Okay party people, don’t let me eat junk food anymore.  Alright, alright, that’s not y’all’s job, it is mine.  I feel better now that I have vented on my tumblr blog.

Comanche Park Training Run 5 Miles

This five miles came a little easier, even though I didn’t do it on a flat track and added in quite a few hills, than last week.  I had fun today!  I love running at Comanche Park.  There are some really easy trails, and then some tougher, steeper ones, and just kind of mixed it up.  My favorite thing about this park is that there are always groups of military people out running there, in combat boots.  That’s always so inspiring to me!  If they can do it in combat boots then I can freaking do it in my Brooks.  An added bonus, they usually encourage me, “You’re doing great!  Keep it up!”  Happens almost every time I go out there.  Today there were also about 10 or so old white guys with little white yappy dogs.  I just think that’s funny.

Even though this was a good run, I still find myself thinking that I can’t do 13.1.  I start thinking, “If I am doing this bad after just 5 miles, how in the Hades am I going to pull of a half marathon?”  Why do I do this to myself, instead of just saying to myself, “Holy crapola!  You just ran 5 miles!  You’re a beast!”  Constant struggle.

Here is my new inspiration:

And, this is pay week!!!  NEW RUNNING CLOTHES TIME!!!!!!!!!

5 Mile Training Run

Oh goodness.  Last weekend I pushed myself to run 4 miles without walking…I couldn’t do 5 without walking.  We have had so much rain here in the last week, which is super great, but running in the humidity SUCKS!  I was sweating so much that my Sweaty Band hair thing-a-ma-jig fell off!  My hair was so wet from sweating, that my band couldn’t gain traction and stay on!  Anyway, I’m still proud that I stuck to my mileage today, even though I walked more today.  

I was really uncomfortable today.  I need some new running gear if I’m going to keep adding mileage.  My shoes are fine, but my pants are no good, my hair was in my face, and worst of all (TMI Moment!!) my sports bra has little metal hooks on the sides and they were digging into my skin.  I can’t wait for my next paycheck!!  I’m going to get some new stuff!

Next week is 6 miles…I’m getting pumped!

Question

How do you make a comment on your own post, like, in reply to someone else’s comment?  I want to make comments to others, but I can’t do it!!!  I’m somewhat technologically incapable!!!  HELP!

4 Mile Training Run

I woke up in a crappy mood this morning because I didn’t sleep very well, it is like a sauna here all the time in the summer, and I didn’t want to do 4 miles today because I was scared. 

I am now to a point where doing 3 miles is really not difficult for me, which is great.  But, pushing past 3.25 is mentally daunting to me.  I know, though, that if I don’t push past that, I won’t complete my goal of running a half.  So today I did it.  I ran 4 miles without walking (much, other than little 20 second water breaks), for the first time in my life!  IN MY LIFE!!  I am typing this and not really believing that I did it.  And I feel good…scratch that, I feel GREAT!

I am gearing up for the Do Life Summer Weight Loss Challenge.  Thank God for it, because I need it badly right now.  Remember when I posted that I was below 200 pounds for the first time in 10 years?  Yeah, I’m 205 again :(  Oh well, no more wallowing!  I have even talked a friend into joining Do Life and doing the challenge with me.  I will be posting about it beginning on Monday.

Hello again!

I decided to start posting here again.  The last time I lost any weight was when I was posting on Tumblr.  I feel that, even if no one is reading this, people are reading this!  I can’t let anyone down!  I like feeling that I am being held accountable by some one other than myself.  I will work harder.

Anyway, I “started” training for my first half marathon.  It has not been going well.  I have had some mental block issues.  My school year sucked, bad.  And now many of my good friends are leaving and I can’t find a job at another school, so I feel stuck.  That’s what I do…look for the absolute negative aspects of any situation and dwell.  This morning when my alarm clock went off, I hit snooze and then something inside me said, “NO! Not today…go run!”  Here is what I thought about on my run:

1. The fact that there will be many new replacements at work, therefore, many new friends to be made.

2. I can’t control the fact that I’m not even being called in for interviews, but I can control the planning of my lessons for next year.  I’m going to focus on planning excellent lessons for my kids.

3. I can also control the cleanliness and organization of my household.  I’m going to focus on keeping a clean, orderly home.

In short, I’m going to focus on the positives and the things I can control, and pray that the things I can’t control don’t break me.  That is the best I can do. 

My run was really nice this morning, despite the sticky heat (which I also can’t control, LOL!).