LosingForLife - WOW Moments

Full Push-ups For The First Time!

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 06:21:00 -0700

Since I've been working out regulary with my trainer I've been doing modified push-ups (on my knees). Last night I did 5 full push-ups! I was so excited, I've never done a full push-up in my life. My form wasn't fanstastic, but I did them and I will continue to get stronger and be able to do more and do them better! One of my goals has been to do full push-ups!! It is so exciting to see the improvements in my strength.

Today Versus Three Years Ago.

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 18:52:00 -0700

Three years ago, on July 26, 2005, I did my first race, the Corporate Challenge. It is a 3.5 mile race and I was thrilled to finish in 52 minutes (my goal was 55 minutes). Today I did the same race and finished in 36:30, which is a 10:26 pace. This is a PR for me - my fastest race to date!! I guess all the sweat and training has paid off. It really means a lot to be able to go to an event like this with my co-workers and to be able to run at a respectable pace.

Flying

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 19:47:00 -0700

Flying is certainly not pleasurable these days, but it is so much better than it was before my gastric bypass surgery. I just got back from a work trip to Boulder, CO. I had to book the dreaded middle seat for the return trip. While the middle seat would never be my first choice, I was relieved that I didn't have to worry about fitting in the seat. I knew as I would as comfortable as one could possibly be in the middle seat on an airplane. It is so wonderful not to have to worry whether or not I will fit into a seat!

First Duathlon

Sun, 01 Jun 2008 15:03:00 -0700

Today I did my first duathlon, which consisted of a 2 mile run, 12 mile bike ride, 2 mile run. It took place on the campus of SUNY Old Wesbury. I was so nervous this morning, I had butterflies in my stomach. I was hoping to get out of doing the race somehow, but that just wasn't happening. Rodney came to the race with me and helped me get everything situated. It was a very well organized race. Here I am with my bike in the transition area before the start of the race: Here is a picture Rodney took of all the bikes in the transition area: Before I knew it we were off running. The run was brutal and started with a hill. Actually, never mind started with a hill, just about the entire course was uphill, or at least it seemed that way. I started out too fast, but it was ok and I got through the first run without too much difficulty. I finished the 2 miles and was faced with the transition area. This is the part I was nervous about, but it went fairly smoothly and before I knew it I was headed out for the 12 mile bike portion of the race. I was hoping the bike portion wasn't as hilly as the run, but that hope was short lived. It was a very hilly course and I worked really hard to finish. The course consisted of 3 4 miles loops. One good thing was that the loop seemed to go faster each time as I became more familiar with the course. On the first loop, I did a bad job of shifing my gears on a hill and my chain fell off, so I lost a little time there. Other my chain falling off, the day getting hotter by the minute and screaming quads, I made it through the biking portion of the race. Now I had to face the 2 mile run again before I would be finished. The run was harder than the first time around. It takes a while to get your running legs back after biking. Knowing that it wouldn't be much longer before I was done with the race kept me going! It wasn't long before I was crossing the finish line. I finished the race in 1:48:24, placed 114 out of 124 and 4th in my age division. I even won a medal for the Athena division, which just make me laugh. The Athena division is for the heavy weight women, over 150 pounds. I placed first in this division. I find it funny that I placed first in the heavy weight division after losing so much weight! So, I conquered this new challenge. I was really nervous about the race, and I did it and finished. It was a lot of fun and I would definitely do a duathlon again. Here are the complete results from the race:

Interval	Time	Total Time	Overall Place	Gender Place	Pace
Run 1	00:20:35.812	00:20:35.812	116	37	00:10:17.9 min/mi
T1	00:01:43.462	00:22:19.274	113	39	none
Bike	01:00:33.376	01:22:52.650	112	36	11.9 MPH
T2	00:01:33.572	01:24:26.222	113	41	none
Run 2	00:23:58.269	01:48:24.491	108	33	00:11:59.1 min/mi

Still Amazed By My Gastric Bypass Surgery

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 09:06:00 -0700

Yesterday, after work, I went shopping at Trader Joe's for a few things. They had packages for sliced apples that looked really good. I bought them thinking that a couple of slices would be a nice snack for the ride home. As I was eating my apple slices, it occurred to me that prior to my surgery I would have gotten a couple of candy bars for the ride home. WOW! I am so thankful for this surgery; it has made such a difference in my life! It is wonderful not to have the food demon hanging over my head all the time. I am also happy that I still have these moments where I stop and think about the difference the surgery has made, I think it helps to keep me focused.

Running Buddies

Sat, 15 Dec 2007 22:07:00 -0700

The New York Road Runners Foundation establishes and supports running-based physical education programs for children in underserved communities across the United States. They offer various volunteer activities included the opportunity to be a "running buddy" during a race with a child. Today was my first opporunity to participate as a running buddy. The kids participate in a running program sponsored by the NYRR Foundation. I was assigned to one school and ran with 2 12 year old girls. My goal was to help encourage them through the race. It was a 4 mile race and the longest they had run previously was 2 miles. It was so much fun! Not only is it amazing to be able to run, but it is so satisfying to be able to help others with their running. I can't wait to do it again!

3 Year Anniversary

Fri, 07 Dec 2007 16:04:00 -0700

What an amazing journey the last 3 years has been. I've lost 150 pounds and I've kept it off 16 months. For the last 16 months my weight has been fairly stable. I don't think I've ever maintained a weight for such a long period of time. I worried whether or not the surgery would work for me, I was sure I would be the one person who wouldn't lose weight. So, that wasn't true. Now my struggle is with worrying about regaining weight. It is a constant battle. Now that I am three years out from surgery, it is so much easier to eat. I can understand how easy it is to gain weight. While I can't eat large quantities at one time, I could certainly graze my way through the day. This is why I would emphasize the importance of developing good habits in the early days after surgery. The success of the last three years is not measured just in pounds. There are so many other measures such as:

my diabetes being under control. This is the number one, most important result of my weight loss!
I can move with ease
I can run. I ran in the NYC Marathon a month ago, fulfilling a dream I had for a long time.
I don't have to worry about fitting into plane seats. Just this week I traveled to Texas for a class. Coming home I had to sit in the middle seat. Now, I would still prefer not to sit in the middle, but I didn't have to worry about fitting or being able to get out of the row when the person on the inside needs to get up.
Taking dance lessons.
Taking the stairs, just because I can.

As important as all my successes and WOW moments are, it is also important to me that I remember the pain. I don't want to forget how miserable I was, as I believe it helps me not to allow myself to go back there. I know it could be all too easy to slip back into old habits. It is easier to eat now, and I can eat more than I've been able to. I have to watch that I don't allow myself to start picking up bad habits along the way. There are so many people to thank for their support thoughout this journey, but I have to give special mention my amazingly supportive husband, Rodney. Here is a recent pic of me, my marthon medal :) and my dear hubby:

15k run and qualifying for 2008 NYC Marathon

Sun, 02 Dec 2007 18:08:00 -0700

Yesterday I did a 15k run. I haven't been running a lot since the marathon. First it was due to my recovery schedule and then because I had a cold. It was a tough run for me since I haven't been running much. The positive, I was able to go out and run a 15k without doing a lot of running before hand, that says a lot about my fitness level now. The other good news - it was the last race I needed to qualify for the 2008 NYC Marathon. So, I am good to go for next year!

NYC Marathon

Wed, 07 Nov 2007 04:42:00 -0700

My first NYC Marathon experience was phenomenal! I'm warning anyone who is reading this that it is a very detailed report. I got to the start on the team bus. Rodney walked me to the bus and we got there about 6:15am. I picked up breakfast (a yogurt, fruit and granola parfait) on the walk and a Starbuck's coffee. The bus left for Staten Island around 6:45. After that I really have so sense of time throughout the day ? it was a blur, the day went really fast. Staten Island ? One of the things I have to comment on first is the amazing job that is done putting this event on. There were close to 40,000 runners and it was a smooth operation as far as I was concerned. In Staten Island we are organized into groups based on our bib color; mine was blue. I went to area, hung out a little while, put in my contacts and handed over my bag of stuff that I brought for after the race (clothes, etc). Then it was time to wait ? which went very fast. I sat for a while, trying to preserve my legs, I had a power bar, took a little walk, and sat some more. Before I knew it we were lining up to head to the start of the race. I was very excited. Before I knew it, I crossed the mat and I was running across the Verrazano Bridge. There was no delay; I was able to start running right from the beginning. It was so exciting to run across the bridge. I believe it is the biggest hill in the race, but I really didn't notice the hill at all (not much of a surprise there). Brooklyn - Once we got across the bridge, we entered Brooklyn and there were the famous NY spectators! The spectators were all I've heard about and more ? they were fantastic! There were also 120 bands along the route. The bands were really amazing and helped to keep the mood up. It was like a 26.2 mile block party. I realized early on I needed to try and check my time, I was afraid of burning myself out too early in the race. It was really hard to slow down with all the enthusiasm around. My first group of supporters (Rodney, Nancy and Rick) was at the 3 mile mark. It was so exciting to see them. I had to stop and give everyone a hug. By the time I was closing in on mile 8, I realized that I hadn't heard from Rodney and I wasn't sure where I was going to see him next. When I looked at my phone, I saw that I had a lot of missed calls. When I got in touch with Rodney I found out that they were at mile 6 and we missed each other. So, I was on my own until the next group, which would be around mile 14. My name was on the front of my shirt, so I had lots of encouragement along the way. It was great to hear everyone yelling, "Mary", "Go Mary, you can do it" and other variations of the same theme. The support from the spectators was beyond anything I could imagine. There were water/Gatorade stations every mile. I had some Gatorade (mixed with water) early in the race, but I stopped around mile 10 as I thought it was making me a little queasy. I did Gu gels about every 5 miles. Queens ? We left Brooklyn and headed into Queens. It was exactly like everyone said; there were fewer spectators in Queens. Luckily for me, I had a group of my neighbors waiting for me at mile 14. It was super to see them there! I gave everyone a hug (do you see a theme developing) and got a banana. I think that banana came at just the right time. I was still feeling strong and continued running through Queens. We came to the 59th street Bridge and we were on our own. There are no spectators on the bridge. It is quite and everyone seems focused on the effort. It is a long stretch at that point to have so much quiet. Before too long, we are over the bridge and into Manhattan! Manhattan ? Wow, what a rush coming into Manhattan after the quiet of the bridge. It was fantastic. I knew I had a lot of people to see in Manhattan, so I was really excited. I was my first group (friends from my support group) at 66th street. Here is a picture of the back of the shirt everyone wore, the shirt I wore had the same saying on the back: It was great to see them; they really understand how important this run was to me! Of course, I stopped to hug everyone. Then it was off to see my next group at 71st street. At this point I'm at around mile 16 or 17. I was really feeling good. My cheeks, from all the smiling, were the only thing that really bothered me. Actually, I did take some Tylenol during the run because my hips were hurting. I think the Tylenol really helped because I wasn't focusing on any pains. Some of the runners dressed in costumes, here is a picture of "bugs" running: Waiting at 71st street was Rodney, Nancy, Rick, Nancy's friend Nancy and Dr. Sterry. They thought I was still looking fresh at that point; and I was still feeling pretty good then. Here is a picture at this point in the race: I left them (after more hugs) and headed off to the 90s to see some more people. Things were still pretty good at this point. I saw my Aunt and two cousins and then about ten feet down from them were my parents and another cousin. They didn't even know that they were that close to each other, that is how crowded it was! My Mother had tears in her eyes. She said it was from the cold, but I think it was because she was excited to see me! I found my brother a couple of blocks down from the rest of the family. I missed seeing some people in this stretch of road, it was so crowded it was really hard to spot people and it was just about impossible for a spectator to spot a runner. I continued up First Avenue and it was getting a little bit hard, especially as First Avenue is a small incline and I wasn't sure where I would see somebody again. I didn't have too long to wait until I saw Maribeth and Pedro. After that I was on my own until the Bronx. Bronx ? My longest training run was 20 miles, and after you cross the bridge into the Bronx you cross the 20 mile mark. Everything was such a blur that I didn't really have a lot of time to focus on the new mile markers I was reaching. I saw my friend Sarah in the Bronx and she had another banana for me. In hindsight I realized having the bananas was a little risky as I never did that in a training run. Luckily for me they did not cause any problems; in fact, as I mentioned I believe they helped me quite a bit. The Bronx was great, I heard the spectators weren't that great in the Bronx, but I didn't find that to be the case. I was nervous about getting to this point in the race because of the infamous wall. So far, so good; I kept on running. Manhattan (again) ? We crossed over the bridge and entered Manhattan again. At the end of the bridge was my friend Mary. I got a big hug and headed on down Fifth Avenue. I was definitely getting tired at this point, but I was still feeling good and I was at mile 21. I kept on going, and a couple of walk breaks worked their way into the routine. Fifth Avenue is a slight incline, and I felt it at this point in the race. I had a few more people to see before heading into the Park at 90th Street. I saw my friend Sejal at 112th Street and Maribeth and Pedro. I knew my coach, Mindy would be at mile 23.1 and my brother was around 91st. I headed on down Fifth Avenue and as the miles ticked by I knew I was going to finish. I saw Mindy and then I saw James and I headed into Central Park. I was in very familiar territory now as I've done lots of running in Central Park. The spectators in Central Park were absolutely fantastic! I started to put my head down and they started yelling "Go Mary", "You've got it now" etc. Nobody would let you quit at that point; so I perked right back up. We exited Central Park and ran across Central Park South. I was within a mile of the finish at this point. I decided to do a fast walk on Central Park South and save myself for a strong finish! I did it; I ran up the hill to Tavern on the Green and crossed the finish line with my arms in the air. I was fortunate that the weather was good; I had wonderful friends and family supporting me and I didn't suffer from cramps, etc. Everything lined up perfectly for me! I am amazed at my transformation over the last three years. Not only did I run the NYC marathon, but I wasn't even that sore after the race. I don't think the full impact has hit me yet!

Food cravings

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 01:51:00 -0700

I don't really find that I have strong food cravings now. It is so nice to be freed from the constant cravings. When I do get a craving now, I remember how powerful my food craving used to be. Not only the frequency of my cravings stopped, but the type of food I crave has changed. Lately, I've had a craving for an apple and peanut butter. Never would I have a craving for something as healthy as an apple. I finally got to the supermarket tonight and bought some apples to satifsy my craving. I can't wait for snack time! :)

Happy Birthday - Turning 46

Wed, 26 Sep 2007 16:03:00 -0700

Last week I turned 46! Yikes - where has the time gone - LOL! I was in Dublin on vacation with a friend for my birthday. I went to do the Dublin Half-Marathon (more on that in a later entry). On my birthday I went for a 5 mile run in the morning. It struck me how absolutely amazing it was that I was running 5 miles on my birthday and I was thrilled to be able to do it! Three years ago I don't think I would have been able to walk 5 miles. I continued to be amazed by how life changing the gastric bypass surgery was for me!

A running inspiration...me????

Sun, 19 Aug 2007 19:41:00 -0700

I forget a major WOW moment when I posted about my race yesterday. A woman from my training group came in just behind me. After the race she told me how I was her inspiration during the race. She was trying to keep up with me and that kept her going. Who would ever imagine that I would inspire somebody during a race?! This is truly one of the most amazing wow moments of all.

A Dress for the wedding

Sat, 16 Jun 2007 08:56:00 -0700

A couple of weeks ago we had a family wedding to attend. I planned to wear the dress I wore on the cruise at the beginning of February. After the wedding I realized that I had a great dress in my closet that I didn't have to worry whether or not it fit me still after 5 months. I didn't even try the dress on before the wedding to see how it looked or if it still fit. I don't think I have ever done that before in my life! It is an amazing feeling not to stress out over getting a dress for an event.

Funny Hubby

Sat, 16 Jun 2007 08:53:00 -0700

Poor Rodney, with the hot weather coming in he wants to run the air conditioner (24/7 if I'd let him). I don't like the ac so much, it is more the noise than the cold that bothers me. But I can't tell Rodney that, he thinks itis the cold. The other day he said he didn't think a side effect of my surgery and weight loss was that he would have to do without air conditioning since his wife lost weight and doesn't need the ac - LOL!

I have a runner's heart

Sat, 24 Feb 2007 17:05:00 -0700

I went to the doctor for my annual check-up on Monday and during the examination he commented that I have a runner's heart. I wasn't sure what he meant, and I wanted to be sure it was a good thing, so I asked him what he meant. It said I had a slow and steady heart rate. How amazing is it to go from an out of shape 302 pounds to having a runner's heart? I was thrilled!