Getting Faster

I still sometimes have a hard time believing that I'm actually improving with my running, but today I had an epiphany and had to document.

The collage above are two screenshots from MapMyRun, the app I use to track my running. At the end of your run, it gives you a synopsis of your run, including total distance, average pace per mile, elevation, and splits. It's the best way to compare apples to apples, since a longer run will usually mean running slower and all that.

The left screenshot is from a timed 5K race in April 2016. It was around this time that I was just barely starting to think that mmmmaybe I kinda-sorta liked this whole running idea, and mmmmmaybe I might do it more often. I wasn't able to run that whole 5K, but I went as hard as I could and I walked when I couldn't keep up with the running any longer. I was overall pretty happy with my time for that race. 

The right screenshot is from what I thought was a "short, easy run" before work this morning. I ran the whole time and never once felt like I needed to stop and walk, even on the inclines. To be honest, I didn't even feel like I was pushing all that hard. If it had been a race, I'm sure I would have gone much faster, especially at the end.

These two runs were not on the same course, but they are similar enough that looking at them side by side was eye-opening. Very similar distance. Almost exact same elevation gain. But the overall time and average pace per mile? That's where you can really see how much faster I've gotten in five months. I'm stronger and have more stamina. I've lose weight and gained even better heart health. I've grown to really enjoy running, and have since done a 10K and signed up for a half marathon. 

Running is awesome.

PR!!!!

I ran another 5K this past Monday, and I am SUPER excited to say that I blew my previous time completely out of the water! Previous record was 37:14. This time? 30:05! Yeah, baby! And I placed 6th in my division, at least for those who actually got a timing chip (it was a free race but you could pay for a timing chip if you wanted). The entire course was downhill, instead of making a loop back to near the starting line, but I still had a sub-10 minute pace overall, which is the fastest I've ever recorded. Seriously, it feels so, so good. Next stop, 10K in just over two weeks! And a special thanks to my husband for all his support :) 

Holy cows!

Had to document this! I went on a 3.3-mile run on my lunch break today (I was planning to go this morning before work, but when my alarm went off at 6:10am I just knew I couldn't do it. Fortunately today is much cooler than it's been so a mid-day run was doable). I just ran around campus, and of course I started off the run with tripping and scraping up my knee, elbow, and hands :P But I got up and went on, that's what's important. Anyway, I managed to run ALL the hills! I only stopped when I had to wait to cross a street. Overall time: 37:38, and average pace: 11:31. That's the best I've EVER documented on the MapMyRun app. And I didn't even feel like I was pushing myself all that hard--to be honest, I was probably going a little easy due to my little fall earlier. I'm improving!

Face to Face Friday

Last month, I posted a "Face to Face" before/after picture in one of my bariatric support groups on Facebook. The response I got was incredible. Everyone was just so amazingly supportive that I knew I needed to save screenshots of all their comments for the future, for those days when I just don't want to follow my plan anymore or when I have trouble remembering where I used to be. Just remember this, Carina. Remember what you fought against, what you still fight against every single day, and how much better you feel today.

Baby, we were born to ruuuunnnnnn...

I never, ever thought I would say this, but...

I like to run!

I've been running 3-4 times a week for the past couple months and I think it's safe to say I'm becoming addicted. I admit that I'm not able to keep a running pace during the entire duration (farthest I've ever run without stopping to walk was a little over two miles, which I did this past week), and sometimes I'm running not much faster than I walk, but I'm still going. I use the MapMyRun app, so I can just step out onto the driveway and take off wherever I feel like. I especially like trail running up in the mountains behind our neighborhood. It's just such good exercise and I feel so good when I'm done.

My last post talked about the 5K I ran in March. I did another 5K in April. I'm now getting ready for a 10K and planning to hike a mountain (nearly 12,000 feet high and 15 miles round-trip), both in August. 'm also 99% sure I will do a half-marathon early next year. Say WHAT????? What have I become???? I'm not even sure anymore. I'm certainly leagues away from where I was 6-7 years ago--even one year ago, if I'm being honest.

The resulting weight loss isn't bad, either. I've lost nearly 80 lbs since last summer, and I'm now less than 30 lbs away from my dream goal weight that I never got to right after my WLS because I got pregnant. I'm just so excited to see all my hard work paying off! Here's an updated picture:

I did it again!!!

I ran the Rex Lee Run again this past Saturday, which is the same 5K I wrote about on this blog four years ago. Back then, my time was 39:19. This year? 37:17! Yeah, baby! Such a surprise that I went that fast, as I don't feel like I trained nearly enough like I did last time. I've just been doing 30 minutes of elliptical 3x a week, as well as 4-5 mile walk/jogs around the neighborhood on Saturdays. I guess it's all paid off. I originally thought that was my fastest 5K time ever...turns out it was 3 seconds slower than my time in 2005. D'oh. But I'm going to chalk that up to the fact that I'm now 11 years older and have given birth twice, so my body is much different. However, I am quite tempted to do another 5K this summer and see if I can really get my fastest time ever. Maybe I will.

Here's me after the race. I'm glad it was pretty nice weather.

And here's my awesome family, who came to support me and cheered me on. I couldn't have done it without them!

Online Support Communities

I realized this weekend that I need to mention here the importance of having support through the whole losing weight process, whether it be a specific community for those that have had WLS or just losing weight in general. My surgeon's office has a support group that meets...monthly, I think? But it's hard to get to those meetings because of my job and family responsibilities. So, I turned to the internet. Fortunately, I found plenty there. Recently, I have had the privilege of participating in three online communities, each one with a different purpose, and I'm becoming a better person because of it. Allow me to explain based on each group. I'll keep them all anonymous just because I feel like it.

I joined the first group last Fall. It is a closed Facebook group for individuals who have had or will soon have weight loss surgery. It currently has nearly 30,000 members, so it can get pretty crazy. I've had some positive and some not-so-positive feelings with this group. Obviously, with as large a group as that, you'll come across extremes, and I've felt sorry for those that have been talked down to and badgered for making less-than-perfect choices. But it's a great group for celebrating victories, both weight and NSV (non-scale-victories), and I appreciate the recipes and other good finds people have shared. I'll stay in it because it gives me a little confidence booster when I can post an update or a recent picture and get a bunch of "awesome job!" and "way to go!"-type comments.

The second community is through MyFitnessPal. It is a group of MFP users that came together at the beginning of January to do a weight loss competition, with several teams of around 40 people each. We have weekly weigh-ins and other challenges each week, like adding time to your daily workout or swapping recipe ingredients to make something more healthy. I had hoped to participate a little bit more actively, but it's hard to keep track of everyone based on screen names and having to keep our conversation all in one thread. However, it has given me motivation and support for weight loss overall. I'm happy to say I've lost over 11 pounds in this challenge, so yay! The challenge will end soon, though. At least I'm still "friends" with several people in my group, so we can check in on each other as we continue to record exercise and our food diaries each day through the app.

The final one is another Facebook group. This one is much smaller than the first group, with a little over 450 members, but it is also for those of us in the WLS crowd. The difference with this group is it was set up as a short-term group focused on helping us set goals and accomplish them each week, almost like a hybrid of the other two groups I've already mentioned. There were also random prizes drawings for participants, thanks to generous sponsors in the bariatric community. I have found so much support with this group and really appreciate all the positive, encouraging notes as well as requests for help that everyone has been posting there. This group will be going away since the challenge is now over, but fortunately many of the members are going over to another group so we can keep this same support up. I'm looking forward to participating there on a regular basis.

Honestly, losing weight is HARD. Getting healthy is HARD. I've discovered that it's much easier to do both when you have a support group that is there to understand your challenges, commiserate with you when you slip, lift you up when you fall down, and encourage you in all areas. If you're reading this for advice, find one that works for you and your success will be that much sweeter.