Laid Up With No Answers

Take a look at these pictures.  They are from when I was healthy...as in I could run and teach Zumba and do all the activities that I LOVE to do!

My sister Sammy, Me, my momma, my girl Holly, and my sister Heather at The Color Run on Mother's Day 2012

After the first mud crawl at the Survivor Mud Run at Carnation Farms in June 2012

My momma and me after we survived the Survivor Mud Run



Just about to hit the streets for a run

In all these pictures you can kinda sorta see my legs.  You cannot fully see all the muscle or the muscle definition that I had but I did.  Not to toot my own horn but I had some damn fine and sexy legs.  It was my definition that made me feel confident in shorts...not my weight loss...knowing what I do and how much effort I put into my work outs to get the results that I could be proud of.

When I finally noticed my weight loss, I noticed it in my thighs.  I remember taking a shower and shaving my legs and thinking "Hmmm...my calves look thinner...and so do my thighs...wait a second!!!"  It hit me like a ton of bricks and when I stepped out of the shower I saw it in my face and my waist and my hips.  Did you read my blog about my weight loss?  Check it out here.

A couple weeks while I was taking a shower, I noticed my right thigh looked thinner.  Normally I would be proud of that except that it is NOT something I was trying to do.  I compared it to my left leg and I almost fell over and started crying.  I have lost so much muscle that it hurts.  Physically...it hurts like hell!

My left leg is bigger than my right but this picture does NOT show the significant muscle loss

I had my first Physical Therapy appointment on the 15th (just over two months after hurting my knee).  Unfortunately, the physical therapist said that I have lost so much muscle that it is actually causing MORE knee pain and that I need to build up that muscle first to alleviate some of that knee pain before physical therapy can actually help any.  I thought to myself All exercises that one would do to build up their thigh muscles involves BENDING YOUR KNEES.  I am not sure what she thinks these sissy exercises are going to do but they are NOT going to build up my muscle enough to actually relieve some of this knee pain.

She put in a referral for me to see Orthopedics and I heard from them last week...and they cannot get me in until November 27th...WHAT?!?  ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?  That is just straight up unacceptable!  I have been in pain for over two months now and still have no answers and these people expect me to just sit and wait around.  I do not think so.  I called my doctor and asked for him to call me back because this is just crazy...and I still have not heard from him.  I am off on Tuesday and Friday this week and if I have to I will drive down to the clinic and wait for the doc if I have to!

I am going to try and crash since I have to dress all nice for work tomorrow!  Until next time!

Time To Make A Change

I have decided to kick my own butt into gear and get myself healthier and fit!  Here is my plan (at least my rough draft...I am sure I will make changes as I think of them):

Quit smoking (last cigarette was June 2, 2012...yeah)
Pack my lunch every day for work
Go to the gym Monday/Wednesday/Friday for strength training
Run at least five days a week (Monday through Friday is ideal)
Cut back on the junk food
Keep track of my calories and exercise using the Lose It app on my phone and/or Nook Color

I generally work Wednesday through Sunday.  On Wednesdays, I will plan on running in the morning before work and then driving STRAIGHT to the gym after work to do my strength training.  On Fridays I work half days right now so I will drive straight to the gym, do my strength training and then do my run.  However if I start my run after I workout, I will just leave from the gym because every route that I have created has me running pass my gym.  I could make that my start/end point.

Besides wanting to get into better shape and be healthier, I want to work towards running a half marathon.  I do not want to do it for time, I just want to be able to complete one.  I want to be able to run the whole thing without stopping.  Even if I have to slow my pace just to be able to complete it, I will!  I have signed myself up for another 5K...and it is a color run!  It is August 12, 2012 at 9am in Seattle.  I know two people who have also signed up.  I cannot wait!  It is going to be a blast.  Now as for the half marathon, I am thinking that I will either aim for the half in Eugene or the Rock and Roll half in Seattle next Summer.

I plan on at least starting the running before work thing tomorrow morning so I am going to hit the sack and try and get some sleep!  Until next time!

Mondays...My Saturdays!

I feel great today!  Ran 3.34 miles this morning with my mom...well the first half mile or so and then I took off and left her in the dust.  I am just stoked that I did not get a side cramp this time!  Took me about 33 minutes this time.  I have got to get consistent since I have that 3.47 mile obstacle course on Saturday.

I started using this new app that I have on my Nook and my Droid called "Lose It".  It is a great app to track your food and exercise and the calories you consume and burn.  I have not really played around with it much so I am not sure if you can keep track of your water consumption.  It is pretty awesome that you can actually scan the barcode of the food you are eating and it will pull up all the nutritional information and then you do not have to insert it yourself!

Until next time!

Exhaustion Just Cannot Take Over

I am so tired but my mind just cannot seem to stop.  I am not really thinking about anything particular...oh wait...yes I am.  I smashed my head, right behind my ear, on a step on a plane this afternoon and somehow managed to not cry or vomit (but I really wanted to).  My boss told me to close up and clock out early so I did and managed to even get myself to the gym.  I was still seeing stars by the way.

I went for three reasons.

Reason #1:  I have only been to the gym three times and it was for my training sessions.  I am paying for it and I really need to start using it!

Reason #2:  I got this gym membership because my boss put the idea in my head.  I signed up.  Got him to sign up and I had not even gone to the gym at the same time as him (not my fault though because he goes when I am normally working).  Needless to say when he told me to close up and when he was going to the gym I had to go.

Reason #3:  I have to get some upper body strength and my running stamina back up because I have the Survivor Mud Run obstacle course in 10 DAYS!!!  Here was my little rant about it.

I really need to get into the gym at least three days a week to do strength training and then I seriously need to run on my own.  I have to run on the street because I run slower and not as far on the treadmill.  What I really need is to find some kind of practice obstacle course and work on it.

I think I am finally going to give in and try to get some sleep.  My head still hurts like crazy so I do not think I will be reading tonight even though I want to.  I guess I will just have to stick with watching "Daria".

Until next time!

Training for a Run from Hell!

I had initially planned on writing this blog post about the 5K I ran on Mother's Day but I cannot find my mom's camera which has the pictures from race day. No idea what I am talking about? Play catch up here!

So I am training for this run from hell. By "training" I mean I am just running and trying to get my time quicker. This run is going to require MORE than just fast running. It is an obstacle course. 22 obstacles over the course of 3.47 hellish miles (and that is exactly what the website called it)! Want to read more about it or see if you can survive? Check out the Survivor Mud Run website.

After I convinced my mom and my sisters to run in the 5K on Mother's Day, my mom comes into my room one night and tells me to google "Survivor Mud Run". After taking a look at it and clicking through the photos of the obstacles I tell her that it looks like fun. Then she proceeds to tell me, "Good...because I signed us up."

A few days later when the initial shock has kind of worn off, I asked her how long is the race. She says, "Just under three and a half miles." I can handle that. I have not ran that far in years but I have total faith in myself and my legs to carry me through. After she prints off our confirmation emails I ask her exactly how far the run is and she says 3.47 miles. Dang...she was not kidding when she said just under three and a half.

Of the 22 obstacles, only 21 pictures are shown. One of the obstacles is a "mystery". If it is one of the pictures I saw online from another race it will be jumping through a line of fire. It does not look scary at all. In fact I believe the fire in my backyard fire pit was about ten times bigger and some of my drunken friends jumped through that no problem.

Anyway, I have been running a few times and can complete 3.34 miles in less than 35 minutes. Now I just need to get into the gym and work on this lack of upper body strength. I mean I have muscles but I have never been able to climb a rope or anything. I know that there is a wall to scale and I think I can handle it but my mom signed us up for the earliest time she could...11:45am. I just have my fingers crossed that I can get it all done in an hour or less so I can be hosed off and get my work clothes on so my mom can drop me off at work...and that I start work at 3pm otherwise I do not know what I am going to do.

Hopefully I will be able to post some pictures later of the race on Mother's Day! Until next time!