Welcome 2014, starting the year the right way!

Happy New Year everyone.  I hope you all had a fun, safe New Year's eve!  My husband and I had a great night having dinner with some friends and playing games with them and their two teenagers.  we all knew we were getting old when at 11pm, we decided to call it a night.  My hubby and I had been up since 5am as we both worked and it was just too long a day.  It was not fun to realize that not only are we getting old, but we were feeling old as well!

I don't like to make resolutions as to me they are never realistic or defined. ie.  I want to lose weight,  want to exercise more, etc. They are good for some people but I need to be able to set parameters around it so that's what I have done instead.   For my birthday in December my husband got me a medal holder to hold the medals I have been earning from my races, as well as a gift certificate to a local run store.

It reads "Pain is Temporary, Pride is Forever"

This past week, I redeemed that gift certificate for a running clinic.  I have joined the learning to run 10K clinic. 

That's right a 10K clinic!  Besides continuing on my weight loss journey in 2014.  I also set the goal to participate in 14 races. I know crazy!  But that's the goal I have set and barring any injuries I should be able to do it.  So why a 10K Clinic and not a 5k?  I have signed up to do the BMO 8K in May.  With that goal in mind the man at the running store suggested I do the 10K so that I would be completely ready to do it.  Training for a 5k is different then going out there and doing 8K so that's the reasoning behind it.  Whether or not I actually sign up for any 10k races is yet to be seen :)

For the 1st time in my life, January 1st dawned and I was up bright and early and joined about 300 other crazy people for a 5k race in a local park.  It was a cold and foggy morning when I first arrived but before long the fog was rolling out and it was just cold and damp.  But it was a beautiful run!

Motivational sign on the path :D

                                          

Crossing onto the docs that go over the water connecting the paths.

Not quite a full 5K but I'll take it!

I  am so excited to see what 2014 has in store for me.

Reflections on 2013

As the year comes to a close; I've taken some time to reflect on 2013 and how my life is so vastly different today than it was a year ago.  If someone had told me this time last year, that I would be learning how to run, I would honestly have scoffed at them.    This time last year I wasn't even walking more than a few blocks at a time let alone running them.  To think that I would have lost over 70 pounds was impossible.  To think that I would have completed 5 5km races was unthinkable!
However, I've done all of that and so much more.

I picked up a Success Handbook at my Weight Watchers meeting a couple of weeks ago and I've just started making my way through it.  On page 18 there is an Inspiration Collage, the instructions were to fill the page with images and sayings that inspire you to reach for your best.

This is what I have written down.
My two favorite quotes
"Of course it's hard.  It's supposed to be.  If it were easy everyone would do it!" unknown
"If you're going through hell, keep on going." Winston Churchill

I then listed my comparisons:

Jan 1,2013 more than 330 pounds
December 28th, 2013, lost 74.6 pounds

Clothing Jan 2013- Size 5-6x  Only shopping in 1 plus size store.
December 2013 size 20-22 or 1x  Can shop pretty much anywhere!

Jan 2013 medications: 2xBacoflen, 2x Diclofenac, 1xAllipurinal, 1x Metformin, blood sugar average 9.2
Dec 2013 medications: 1/2 Metformin, blood sugar average 4.8

5km Races in 2012...are you kidding me????
5km Races in 2013, Abby Police Challenge, Rock the Rock 5k, Dani Holmes Kirk virtual 5k, Rubber Ducky 5k, Boundary Bay 5k, Santa Shuffle.

2014 Races already signed up for: Resolution Run Jan 1st, Chilly Chase Jan 26, Vancouver Hot Chocolate 5K March 1st, Shamrock Green Sock 5K March 16th, BMO 8K May 4th.

..and to think, this is just the beginning!!!

I have a long way to go on this journey, but I know that my list of accomplishments will continue to grow and grow.  I can't wait to see what 2014 has in store for me!  I do know that it's going to continue to be an awesome ride! 

Hanging in and Hanging on!

It's been a couple of weeks since I blogged.  Life has been hectic!  Getting back into the swing of working full time after being off work for almost 4 months has taken some getting used to.  I am back to getting up at 5am ish (awake at 5, but not always up and at 'em at 5) out the door by 615 and arriving back home at 630 is taking some getting used to again. 

I'm glad to be back to work, glad to see my train friends again and glad to be back to a routine.  Packing my breakfast and lunch is a great way for me to be accountable and keep on track.  I'm still learning my new job and the weather hasn't been great so I haven't been going for my noon time walks. 

It is something that I will get back into as soon as I can.  It's part of the plan and I need to have that plan in place to be successful.  I am getting my exercise in as I have to walk about one and a half kilometer's from the train to the office.  I also walk up the stairs when I get off the train as I have to hustle to get from the train to the skytrain so that I can get to work on time.  The timing is key in both directions as I am not someone who likes to be late, so I have to hurry to get off the train, up the stairs, across the train station and then down to the Canada Line.  Once I get off the Canada Line it takes about 12 minutes to walk to the office.  The going home is key, the timing has been a little tight a few times and if I miss my train home I have to wait almost an hour for the next.  If that doesn't keep me motivated to move it, then nothing will :)

I'm quite happy with how I've handled all the temptations at work this week. I've stayed on plan, by passed the cookies, the chocolates, the candy and all of the other treats. :)

I'm looking forward to spending Christmas with my family, we celebrate at my parent's home on Christmas Eve and then we host both sides of the family here on Boxing Day for Brunch.  I have a great plan in place and I'm looking forward to getting on that scale next week and maintaining my weight.  I'm not going to expect a loss, not with it being Christmas week, but I certainly don't want to see a gain.

Have a very Merry Christmas everyone!

Santa Shuffle recap.

It was my birthday this weekend and when my husband asked me if I would like to have a party I told him no.  I would rather have him and as many friends as possible join me for the Santa Shuffle 5K and then meet up for brunch afterwards.  I sent out a facebook message to all of my friends in the area and started an event page.  There were a few people who did sign up for the Santa Shuffle, but in different cities.  It turned out to be just me and my hubby for the race although there were 10 of us for brunch.

We had a cold front move down into the Lower Mainland/Fraser Valley area during the week and when we got up on Saturday morning it was -9 before the windchill.  Considering we had winds of about 20kph I'm sure the wind chill was significant.  We did talk about perhaps not doing it, but this would be the first race that I've signed up for that I didn't complete, and I just didn't want that.  I bundled up as best as I could, leggings under the pants, long sleeve shirt under a short sleeve shirt with the warmest jacket I own, a toque and mittens and we were off.

I knew as soon as we got out of the car that I was under dressed.  I should have brought a scarf as well and maybe worn another pair of pants!  It was so cold that by the time we walked across the parking lot to the race start line, my toes were numb and my legs were stinging from the cold.  We did a lot of bouncing up and down in an attempt to keep warm, the speeches at the beginning were kept as short as possible and it was time to start the 5K Santa Shuffle and the 1K Elf Walk.    I knew while doing the warm up, there was no way that I would be running this event.  It was going to be walking only.  I was already so cold it wasn't funny and by the time we were ready to start my feet and legs up to my knees were completely numb and stinging from the cold. (I guess that's what happens when you wear summer weight pants as that's all that you have)

I guided my husband towards the back of the pack as I didn't want to be responsible for slowing down any of the runners and we started off.  As we were walking we were talking about getting to the restaurant to get a table for our group as the restaurant doesn't take reservations.  Although the race was scheduled to start at 10am, it was 1020 by the time we started.  It normally takes me an hour to walk 5k, add in how cold we were and we knew that there was no way we would be able to walk the whole 5K, and be across town to meet up with everyone by 1130.

When we came to the split for the 1K to head to the finish line and the 5K to head to the road, we agreed that we would just do the 1K this year for times sake.  I was delighted to find out that even though we did the 1K we still got a medal!

I was so cold, this was the biggest smile I could manage.

 Although I was disappointed to not do the actual 5K distance, it just wasn't feasible, and we know for next year we will make it a 1230 lunch instead of an 1130 brunch.  That way we can do the 5K, without being worried about the time.  I will also be investing in some cold weather gear for next year so I don't freeze my butt off again!

New Job, New Challenges.

I started my new job this week,  I've been interviewing for different positions since my contract ended back in August and this week I started my new job with the Alzheimer's Society of B.C.   It's a little further out from my old job so the one thing that I do have to do is hustle.  Depending on when my train gets into the waterfront station, I have 20 minutes to make the trip to my new office.  I have to grab the Canada Line Skytrain, go 4 exits and then get off, come above ground walk one block down and then 5 blocks across.  Getting to work is all right.  I'm not really concerned if I end up being a minute or two late every now and then.  However, when I'm heading home at night, I only have that 20 minute window.  If I end up missing my regular train, I have to wait almost an hour for the next one, which will suck.

I was proud of my self today, when I left the office, I decided to walk a block and run a block, alternating until I reached the street where the sky train station is located.  Yes, I ran!  This time last year I wasn't walking the few blocks to my office because of the effort, and today I ran!  What a difference 11 months and almost 75 pounds make! 

Although I'm now working back in Vancouver, my new office is too far away from my old meeting place.  I also can no longer go to the Friday morning meetings in Abbotsford.  I've really enjoyed the people and the leader at those meetings and I'm going to miss them.  There may be the occasional Friday that I can drop in on, but it looks as though I'll now be attending Saturday morning meetings.

I'll be going to my first Saturday morning weigh in tomorrow, however I can't stay for the meeting.  My husband and I are participating in the Santa Shuffle 5k walk/run to support the Salvation Army.

When we registered for the race, our only hope was that it not be raining as hard as it was last year.  Last year it was so wet, and raining so hard that we both decided to stay home.  Turns out that rain isn't going to be a problem for us this year.  It's supposed to be a clear beautiful day, with only one little hiccup.  The temperature.  We've had an arctic cold front move down into the lower mainland in the past 24 hours and the temperature tomorrow morning without the wind chill is supposed to be around -6.  I realize for some people, that's not cold, but for us, that is frigging freezing! 

I'm a little nervous about doing the 5k in this cold temperatures.  I don't really have any cold weather gear, and considering how cold I was at the Boundary Bay 5K back in November when it was a good 15 degrees warmer, I may be in trouble.

I'm sure I'll get it figured out in the morning, and maybe, just maybe (all right I'm dreaming)  the pineapple express will make a sudden three hour appearance and warm everything up in time for the race!

Fear of chairs.

I've had what I consider to be a slight fear of unknown chairs.  I know to some it sounds dumb, you see a chair, you sit in it what's the problem.  But when you're 300+ pounds, it isn't always that simple.   I have to be thankful that I have never broken a chair that I've sat on.  There are those who have and I think I've come close a time or two, you feel the legs spreading a little bit and I jump up and say I've been sitting all day, thanks I'd rather stand!

Often at outdoor events, barbecue's, gatherings that sort of thing I would often stand, or lean against something rather than sit.  I didn't want to be responsible for breaking someones lawn chair.  I would be mortified to do so!  Those little canvas chairs that push together and you carry around like a back pack, yeah, I've never sat in one of those, although I figured if it didn't break, it would take a crane to get me up and out of the darned thing.  I've felt uncomfortable sitting on some chairs in restaurants, and at other peoples houses

I have a severe fear of folding chairs.  You know the type that most rec centres have, the grey or blue ones that fold out and and you can stack them 50 high.   I've always been afraid to use them, a girl in high school who wasn't heavy had one break on her and I felt her pain and mortification.  I could imagine that happening to me and being teased mercilessly for it.

I sat down in a folding chair recently while volunteering at a trade show without even thinking about it.  Until I was sitting down, then I remembered when I was volunteering at the same event last year, I wanted to sit, I was tired, my feet hurt, my back was aching and I was miserable.  I sat in the chair for all of 30 seconds, because I could feel how wobbly the legs were and I was afraid of the chair going down, taking me with it. 

It seems like such a little thing, being able to have a seat when and where you want to doesn't it.  I'm so glad that I can now do that without thinking about it.  Without being worried about whether or not the chair would hold me. 

Closet Purge and Shopping.

A few weeks ago, I had to go shopping for a dress that I could wear to an interview, all of my work clothes have gotten too big and I had nothing to wear.  Well, I got a bee in my bonnet to do a closet purge, try everything on, and whatever didn't fit was going to the Women's Resource Centre here in town.  So I spent the morning purging the closet.  Clothes were gone through, sorted and bagged up.  When I was done this was what my closet now looks like.

A lot of empty hangers

A few pants, a couple of sweaters a dress and some shirts is all that is left!

The closet has slim pickings these days and I have had to pick a couple of thing up, including new work style clothes.

I went shopping today with my mom and for the first time that I can honestly recall, shopping was a pleasant experience.  I went into a store called Laura in Langley and the salespeople there made my day.  They were helpful, polite, and made an experience that I normally hate into one of the best experiences I've ever had.   Part of it was that I had clothes to choose from.  Everything I picked up either fit or was a little too big.  I had a large amount of clothes in my hands as I was going around the store.  I do like to keep the clothes I"m selecting with me so that I can see what I have and try to coordinate outfits as I go.  Usually it's a struggle with the sales people wanting to get a room started and take the clothes off of you, but when I explained I would rather keep the clothes with me the sales person went to get a rolling clothes rack so that I wouldn't have to carry the clothes with me. Wow! 

When I was ready to go back to try things on, the salesperson rolled the rack right into the change room for me, settled my mom down in a chair to wait for me and came back a few times to see how we were making out.    The customer service level there was fantastic!

I loved my shopping experience today, I felt a little spoiled by the level of customer service and I am so grateful that I can now go into a regular store and have a great selection of clothes to choose from.  That I'm able to put basic pieces together that look and feel fabulous.  I loved the fact that I was able to purchase a skirt, blouse, jacket and dress that are all coordinated, made of beautiful fabrics, are great quality and best of all reasonably priced!

Today's experience may just have made me into a clothes shopper!