Saturday, May 19, 2007

My new read...a must read

It is ironic that I happened to stumble upon this book the very same day I spoke with my gp. We had been discussing the Mini, when I mentioned that I didn't finish because I couldn't breathe. He totally went into doctor mode. I just kept rambling about little non sensical things and he was totally in statistician mode.

The book is called HOW DOCTORS THINK by Dr Jerome Groopman.

It is so completely interesting. I am sure that "the sisters" will really enjoy it. Let me know what you think. I just picked it up at the library so I am unable to tell you what it actually sells for.

Enjoy your weekend! I gotta beat feet to a race! Woohoo!

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Weight Loss Mentor to the Rescue


Once I completed the Mini and comitted to becoming a runner girl I knew that major changes had to take place w/ my diet. Although I have made attempts on my own I cannot seem to find much success. Unfortunately, I cannot afford to pay for a weight loss program.

A couple days after the Mini I left a message for one of the trainers to contact me. It was time to become educated on facts--not assumptions, perceptions, or myths.

The trainer that I chose was one that I know to have lost an extreme amount of weight. There was an article in the paper about him several years ago--he is a police officer who had lost over 100 lbs. He has since become formally educated in matters of nutrition and weight loss.

For a brief amount of time last year I switched gyms. Although I really admired the trainer at the second gym I was very self conscious. He was always very polite, and maybe this was my own skewed perception, but I felt uncomfortable w/ someone who obviously hadn't been overweight a day in their life.

Today I received the return phone call from the trainer (who had lost lotsa weight)--I was grateful to be able to be straightforward with him. Grateful that he can relate to where I am. Unfortunately, he is unable to accept any new clients; however, he has offered to review my diet and excercise regiment to see if he can help me to tweak it in the right places.

For the next several weeks I need to keep track of everything that I am eating/drinking and an activity log. Weekly I will place this info in his mailbox and he will make his suggestions. He seemed thrilled to help in this capacity b/c he said there were so many that helped him.

The light at the end of the tunnel seems to be getting brighter.

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

...Poor Babies....

A blogging friend of mine shared this link. I had not heard anything about it on the national news. It is so shocking. What on earth could these "adults" be thinking?

When I was a teenager I went through a couple of years with what they would call an anxiety disorder these days. It was not possible for me to go out to dinner w/ my family w/o having a nervous breakdown about "impending doom". I cannot even imagine growing up in today's climate! To think that they have to actually have drill's for "scary person/person w/ a gun" situation.

These teachers s/b punished to the fullest extent. They should have to pay for all future therapy for these children and their parents. As well as, they should be deprived of every bit of sleep that each of these kids and their parents is going to experience in the years to come.

Why do people have to be so thoughtless?

My heart goes out to these poor babies!

Monday, May 07, 2007

Esther, I'm a coming!

Saturday morning I boarded a private bus to make the trek to Indpls at 4:15 a.m. (mind you I had only had 3 hrs of sleep that night--Fri, from 7:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m.).

It was still very dark and the moon was very bright. I took the opportunity to thank God for the changes he had made in my life physically. Although he transformed my spirit and mind 12 yrs ago I had never even been willing to work on my physical well being until Jan 2006.

Entering into the Circle City at that hour was bittersweet. It was like my life had come full circle. (I had moved to Indpls in my late teens, early twenties) During that period of my life I became a person I most certainly didn't love and the shame of those days has haunted me all the days of my life since.

That shame has caused me to self medicate w/ food ever since. I have used my extra weight as a means to keep others at a distance and to avoid participating in life. (OK, as if you hadn't already realized, I HAVE ISSUES! Too much info I am sure! LOL)

Now to the race details. We arrived w/ a little over an hour to get into place. We had about a mile or so to walk to get to the street where we lined up (see pic in previous post).

The starting line is arranged in corrals according to your skill level. The fastest are in the front and the slower taper back farther in line. If you refer to pic in previous post--the corrals are labeled A-Z. My level was "Y", yeah, that's right, next to last. I signed up anticipating finishing the race w/in 3.5 hrs. In the pic I would have been all the way back by the glass walk way over the street.

From the time the crowd started moving (around 7:30 a.m.) until I actually stepped on the starting matt was 38 minutes. The chip that tracks the race did not actually begin counting until I stepped on the matt, thank God. The 38 minutes were a blast. So full of energy and anticipation.

The first hour and a half was very overcast and slightly chilly. They had been forecasting showers. Unfortunately the ideal weather did not last long. It became a beautifally, clear day.
All along the route there are entertainment acts set up to entertain. There was a guy playing bag pipes, country, rock, gospel groups. Ska bands, tap dancing troupes, drum corps, rappers, and tons of cheerleaders. It was a hoot. There were even teen girls dressed in formals with signs reading, "HEY STUD, PROM DATE NEEDED".

Just prior to entering into the Indpls Motor Speedway I stopped under a big shade tree to change my socks and put more Bodyglide on my feet. I was in a lot of pain in my hips and lower back--hello, having a big bottom will do that for ya! LOL

Fortunately, I grabbed a couple of cups of water on the way in b/c they did not want cups on the track. The full sun beating down on the black tar of the track was not pleasant. I definitely lost the slight time gain I had had up to that point. By the time I got to turn 3, just past the official Indy finish line for the motor races, I thought I was either going to pass out and die or spontaneously human combust.

We exited the track just past turn 4--where the racing suites are. I had just hung up my cell phone w/ my mom giving her an update as to my location. Golf carts were making rounds checking on people--the track apparently can be treacherous. A golf cart went by. About 3 minutes later I kept hearing this weird sound. I started kind of spinning around trying to figure out what it was or where it was coming from--it was kinda muffled.

I realized it was ME! I was gasping for air! Something was cutting off my air. I reached out and grabbed a fence next to me and bent over trying to catch my breath. A lady (an angel from Heaven) came out of no where and asked me if I was OK? I couldn't even answer her question. Fortunately she had a walkie talkie and called for help.

The fastest golf cart on the face of the earth took me to an ambulance sitting on the 9 mile marker just around the corner from where she found me. They immediately placed oxygen on me. Yeah, I thought my time had come! Esther, I'm a coming!

I sat in the back of the ambulance on oxygen for about 15 minutes. The EMT's were wonderful. Apparently my "allergies" had caught up to me. I should have taken the meds that my doc prescribed the day before! I had started to take them prior to the race but I was afraid that it was too soon and they would wear off. By the time the race was under way and h20 was available, I was so hot, I was afraid to.

Never in my life have I had that sensation. It was totally freaky! Now I know how my son must feel as he has excercise induced asthma. Who knows, maybe I have had it all my life also--I just never took the time to excercise and find out!

The EMTs were kind enough to allow me to transfer to a 'lag van' rather than show up at the FINISH line in an ambulance. Needless to say this was not my year to complete the MINI. But I WILL be there next year!

When I got to the FINISH line, well after the completion of the race, I had to have the tracking chip cut off my shoe. The gentleman who did so said, "I will get you a ribbon". I told him that I had not actually completed it and he said, "Let me get you a ribbon". So I do actually have a ribbon. I am calling it my sympathy ribbon.

This year has been a time to learn what I am actually capable of. I CAN DO IT! I AM STRONG! I AM HEALED!

Thanks for your encouragement during this journey. I know we haven't been together long but it has meant the world to me. I have truly been blessed by each and everyone of you!

Friday, May 04, 2007

My Day Has Come!

The last several of days have been kinda rough. I have managed to keep myself well for the past year. In my 40 yrs I have never experienced weather related allergies. Yep, you guessed it. Three days before the race my ears are full of fluid, my eyes are watering, my nose fluctuates between congestion and running.

Pretty much I have ignored it b/c there was no way I was going to miss this day. Friday was the worst. I was feeling crummy enough that I started to panic. I called my gp to see what I should do. He has done the Mini before so I knew he would be empathetic. All of my race materials stressed that you should not introduce anything new into your life the week of the race. Be sure to eat and drink the same as how you have been training. I was too paranoid to take anything, over the counter for the first time, the morning of the race.

Fortunately the RX did not make me feel anxious or jittery.

During the last several days I have felt like I had something in my left eye. I have scratched it excessively. The corner of my eye kept feeling like there was a needle poking it. Eventually it became very red. By the end of the day one of the nurses at work had me convinced that I had "pink eye" (highly contagious). I was totally freaking out. I haven't come this far to have something that lame take me down. I could accept it if it was appendisitis or organ donation, for crying out loud. Not Pink Eye!

I was in bed by 7:30 p.m. Friday. Wide awake at 10:30 p.m. It is now an hour and a half before my alarm is going to go off. Fortunately my eye is not showing any signs of oozing or matting.
All is packed in my fannie pack:

Jelly Belly Sport Beans , cell phone, digital camera, protein bar, cashews, gum, drivers license, Mini tips for post race, hand sanitizer, & tissues.

Motivational tunes downloaded:

Somewhere Over the Rainbow (50 First Dates version), Suddenly I See (KT Tunstall), Proud (theme to Biggest Loser reality show), Unwritten(Natasha Beddingfield), Fat Bottom Girls(Queen), Shackles (Mary Mary), ?(Nicole C Mullen), You Spin Me Round (Jessica Simpson), Me and my Gang & Life is a Highway (Rascal Flatts), there are more, but my brain is giving out on me.

Have a great weekend all! See ya at the FINISH LINE!

CLICK HERE
LESS THAN 6 HRS....

Check out this crowd! I am sooooo excited!

Thursday, May 03, 2007

Nerves are setting in.....

I just checked the TNT website. Woohoo, I get to pick up my race packet today. The time is just flying by. Putting the count day clock on this blog has turned into a Doomsday clock for me. Every time I pull it up I have a bit of an anxiety attack.....Aack! I haven't done enough, have I really given it my all?, ugh, breathe, breathe, breathe...

Fortunately I made out a list last week of necessities. This week I am so adhd I can't seem to focus on what needs to be done.

Last night was spent trying to download the music that I want to walk to--all up lifting and encouraging of course. Very upbeat.

Tonight is going to be a shopping night. Last minute stuff for the Mini and some clothing for Jason's wedding on Saturday for Nate. Nate is at least six foot now and 150-155 lbs--clothes from Matt's wedding aren't going to cut it. Nate got all of his shaggy hair cut off! Woohoo! He is such a handsome dude (of course, he gets his looks from his mom--she is not a handsome dude, lol).

I am hoping to find a disposable digital camera to take to the Mini. When I checked at Walmart last week they said they didn't have them and they don't develop them. Hmmmm, I guess I never took into consideration that I wouldn't be able to go into just any store w/ a digital camera setup and print them out. Once again my simple little mind cannot wrap itself around that.

Better get ready for my trip to the gym. Unfortunately, there are only two more days to my complimentary membership at the THFY. As much as I hate to admit it, I think I will continue with the membership--I will actually shell out the money. It is so nice now with all the new machinery.

Looking forward to seeing all my fam this weekend. Praying for safe travel for all. Get ready to do the Chicken Dance!

Thursday, April 26, 2007

So I am really not going insane!

This past week I have not worked out a lick. I have eaten anything that struck my fancy. True to form this has all been followed up by lotsa self berating, "What are you thinking? the Mini is only less than 2 wks away--you have come too far to just give up". When I was mentioning this to my life coach she said this is a phenomenon called "tapering"--I had never heard of it. Lo and behold I came home to an email tip from the Mini:

Taper Madness
By your e-Training Coach Jenny Hadfield
“Taper Madness” is a condition known to runners and it usually hits as we begin to decline our mileage 2-3 weeks before the race. It is a condition induced by less training, race nerves and more time on our hands. It is also a time when we are both excited about the upcoming race but equally nervous about the outcome.

The Madness can strike at any moment and rear its ugly head in a variety of ways. Some of us may shop for unusual things while others may drive our friends and family crazy talking only about the race ahead....

...The madness will strike you and will smile when it happens. You may not know it until you reach finish the race. You may realize it while it is happening. You may begin to question your sanity on the plane or in the car, wonder if you trained enough or should add more to the schedule, or even purchase some crazy item at the Expo thinking you must have this to run! In either case, stay calm, review your preparation and have faith. You are well trained and adding anything to the schedule will only take away from your performance on race day!

The more rested you are, the stronger your race performance will be. As counter-intuitive as this may sound, it really works! So, take the time to rest, eat well and spend a little more time with the folks in your life you’ve ignored due to training. Consider this the official "Chill" time of your training.


Knowing that this is "normal" actually gives me the gumption to get back to the gym in the morning. I was beginning to worry that I might chicken out of the race.

Picked my racing singlet up Tues night at TNT. It is pretty awesome. Maybe I will get pics on here before the race--the folks are coming in town this weekend! Woohoo! Mom knows how to do the digital camera thing. If not, I am planning on carrying a disposable digital camera the day of the race.

A lot has been going on with Nate lately. It has not been pleasant. Trying to remember to do something for myself or putting myself ahead of him has been hard. Please keep us in your prayers. He is very hurt right now and is lashing out any way he can think of. I am trusting God that it'll all be good again in the near future but keeping my sanity during that wait is a whole different story.

Love and Hugs to All!