Just a Little Scare...

A few weeks ago I started having what I call "attacks". Basically it was a horribly-intense, burning pain/pressure around my sternum area (where my pouch is). The pain would wrap all the way around to my back, and it hurt to even breathe sometimes. I tried to tough it out because I figured it was just bad heartburn, but it finally concerned me enough to call my surgeon. He scheduled me for a gall-bladder ultra sound at the Riverton Hospital the very next day. My husband could tell I was a little nervous, so he and my little girl came with me.

In the meantime, my surgeon had me start taking some probiotic used for ulcers. It took almost five days to the get the results back, but I stopped having the "attacks" as soon as I started taking the medication. So, I wasn't surprised when the results came back negative. More than likely it's just an ulcer. We're kind of playing it by ear, and I have an appointment with my surgeon in October if I'm still having problems. So far so good. I was not liking the idea of having to have another surgery to get my gall-bladder out, so I am very happy with the way things turned out!!!

Running a Half-Marathon - Check!!!

I did it!!! I finished my very first half-marathon. And, Wow! What an experience it was! Honestly, it was miserable. Absolutely miserable. The race was described as being "a fun and fast course" and I totally call BS on that one! It was uphill almost the entire time. It wasn't really steep, it was just a constant upgrade. It was tough. Really tough. In fact when I ran across the finish line everything was pretty much a blur. I remember seeing my family there, but all I could think about was that I couldn't stop walking. I honestly felt if I stopped I would have dropped right there and wouldn't have been able to get back up. I was nauseated and exhausted beyond all description. So much so I didn't even get any pictures which makes me sad now, but at the time I didn't care. I was just thankful to be alive!

Even though the course was tough, I still finished with a 10.24 minute mile, and I ran the entire thing!!! The last three miles were brutal, and a lot of runners just gave up (I've never seen DFNs in any of my races before), but I kept on running and every runner I passed gave me a little boost of energy. Can I say it was fun??? Mmmm.... not really, but I can say now that I'm glad I did it. It really was worth all the months of training, the 5 AM runs, the injuries, the ice baths, the limping, the shear PAIN!!! Do I want to run another one? Absolutely! And here are my reasons why...

Why Run a Half-Marathon???

1. You get to become part of something larger than yourself. You become a member of the "Marathon" family.
2. You get to be a part of something that is inspiring and challenging. You push your body beyond its physical and mental limits and finish in spite of that fact.
3. You get to blow past people on the course who didn't train as hard or as long as you.
3. You get a cool medal and tech shirt to show off to friends and family proving that you did it.
4. It forces you to get off your butt and get outside and run!
5. You get to know your neighborhood really, really, really well.
6. You set a good example for your children (and husband) about the importance of being active and healthy.
7. It's a goal you can set for yourself and actually accomplish. It makes me proud of me!!!
8. You get toned, sexy legs!
9. You get to see a lot of sunrises.
10. I want to do it because I CAN do it! I spent years and years abusing and taking my body for granted, and it feels fantastic to be able use my body in a way that it was designed to be used!

A Pain in the Skin

Loosing over 150 pounds has been incredible, but it has it down sides too - namely, extra skin, and lots of it!!! Ninety percent of the time I throw on some cute clothes, smile at my new self in the mirror and head out of the door not thinking twice about it. But, there are times when I stare in the mirror with disgust at my shriveled-up, raisin-looking skin hanging grotesquely all over my body. This problem has come to head since I’ve been trying to find a swim suit.

I thought buying a swim suit at 150 pounds instead of 300 pounds would be a lot more fun, but if anything, it’s the complete opposite.  I was so excited to buy a new swim suit that didn’t look like an old lady that I was completely caught off guard by what happened. I selected a super cute tankini (in a size 8 and not a size 26) and headed to the dressing room only to realize that the skin around my belly hung over the bottoms completely covering them! It was horrifying and I just sat there and cried and cried.

Even when I was heavy I never let that stop me from going to the beach or water parks, but for the first time in my life I actually turned down a water park trip because I didn’t have a swimsuit. It was really devastating, and even more so because I knew that plastic surgery just wasn’t in the cards for several reasons: 1) I’m not done having kids yet. 2) I don’t have $30,000 lying around, and even if I did I couldn’t in good conscience use it for plastic surgery when I could use it for a family vacation or something – it seems selfish to me. 3) I don’t like pain. Everyone who I know who has had it done says it’s the most painful thing they’ve ever done. 4) I still tend to think that people who have plastic surgery are fake, vain and shallow. and 5) There is a big part of me that feels like I don’t deserve it. I mean – I did this to myself, so I should have to live with the consequences, right?

Anyway, there is a happy ending to this sad, sad story. I found some swim suits!!! My husband was out of town on a guy trip, so I decided to try just a few more stores. No pressure. If I found something, great. If not, I’d accept it. I went to JC Penny and gave up the whole size 8 and medium mentality, and just started trying on random suits that I liked. Some were larges or extra large or sizes 10 and 12, but I started to realize that the larger the suit, the more coverage! I guess I’m a slow one! Anyway, I finally ended up buying 3 pretty cute swim suits that made me feel a lot better about myself. I even went to the swimming pool the other day! Whew! Another dilemma diverted – well, at least for the time being! J  

Pretty in Purple! I ordered some spanx swim briefs to go under this which will hold everything in nice and tight! :)

My little girl saw me getting into my swim suit and getting my picture taken, so she had to get on her Minnie Mouse swim suit and pose with me. She's such a Cutie!



I wasn't a big fan of this one on the rack, but it's one of my favorites on!



My little girl's idea -- not mine! :)

Celebrating Pioneer Day with a 10K

I ran the Deseret 10K on Pioneer Day in downtown Salt Lake City this year. There were A LOT of runners, and even though I shaved 3 minutes off my last 10K time, I actually finished further down in my division, but I'm totally fine with that. For me, it's all about improving my PR (Personal Record) and finishing 6.4 miles in under an hour makes me all smiles!!! Plus, my husband surprised me and got a hotel room at the Little America downtown the night before the race. That meant only a 4 am wake up time instead of a 3 am wake up time! So, we got to spend the evening before eating pasta and swimming in the hotel pool. Lots of fun!!!

The actual run was pretty hot and muggy, and I was really struggling that last half mile, but that's when I saw my family cheering me on. It felt so amazing to see them there. I still can't believe they dragged their kids out of bed at 5 in the morning, drove all the way downtown, and sat in the hot sun (and rain) to watch me run by for 30 seconds. I have the best family in the whole world. I love them sooooo much!!!  

This was my last race before I run my first half marathon in a couple weeks. And even though I doubt I'll finish with my usual 10 minute mile, I'm hopeful I'll finish in a respectable time! Well... actually... I forgot about my stupid hip. Grrrrr! I did something weird to my hip doing belly dancing a couple days ago, and even after taking a few days off, it hurt really bad on my run this morning. I have to try to figure out to get it healed up before next Saturday or else I'll be walking my first marathon... :(