Run. Run. Run.
Posted in My Weight-Loss Journey by RachelStarting weight: 271 lbs
Current weight: 176.5 lbs
Loss last week: 2 lbs
Total Loss: -94.5 lbs
I considered not weighing myself this week due to the overabundance of goose-eggs lately, but my commitment to the cause out-weighed my rebellion. Or it just might be the fact that I’m still riding the high of completing my longest distance jog to date and could pretty much care less what the scale says at this point. I will continue to lose weight and continue to inch toward that ‘magic number’, but I’m just so extremely stoked about my fitness level and new found mental and emotional freedom from fatness that the scale is losing its charm.
It really is.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad the scale has finally decided to move. A two-pound loss is great and I welcome it with open arms, but I guess I’ve just hit that point in our relationship where I’m interested in seeing other people. Sorry Scale. I’m just not that into you.
The Girl and I spent much of our morning finishing up some last minute Christmas shopping before the ‘winter wallop’ of a storm was slated to infest New England. We made it a point to hit the road early enough to give me plenty of time to bust out my weekly 5-miler without having to worry about white-out conditions and slippery roads. Props to The Girl for taking one for the team! I rolled up to the gym around 3pm and quickly settled into my jog. Let it be known that I love tackling my weekly distance jog at Planet Fitness. The atmosphere simply cannot be beat. Unlike most gyms, 80% of my fellow cardio comrades are overweight and working hard to better themselves and fight the good fight. For those who are maybe a little self conscious about hitting the gym because you’re overweight — don’t be! Your journey is inspirational to those around you.
I was a few minutes into my workout when a gentleman and his two lady friends took up occupancy next to me and subsequently spent the next sixty-minutes exploring every topic known to man. Listening to people bullshit about relationships and the meaning of life between the sick beats pouring from my headphones was interesting to say the least. The girls finished up just as I hit the 4.5 mile mark, but the guy stayed behind. That’s when Vin Diesel turned to me and asked how I was doing.
‘I’m doing pretty good. How’s it going over there?’ I replied.
Our conversation continued…
‘Good, good. I’ve been watching you bust ass over there. You’re doing great!’
‘Thanks!’
‘A couple more month of this and you will be in amazing shape…’
‘Actually, I’ve been at this for a couple of months already.’
‘Oh yeah? Have you seen any results?’
‘Uhh, 93 lbs worth!’
‘Wow! That’s great. You’re are doing fantastic! You know, there will come a time when you start to plateau, but don’t let that affect you. Just keep going.’
‘I’m actually there right now.’
‘Oh yeah? How does that make you feel?’
‘Eh, it’s annoying, but hey.. I can run five miles so is it really a big deal?’
‘Exactly! I do some personal training on the side. I used to do it full time, but I found that it’s much more rewarding if I do it part time. Anyway. You need to switch things up once in a while because your body gets immune to this type of stuff. Do you do any incline training at all?’
‘Eh, not much.’
‘Well, try adding incline training into your workout. Pump the incline to 100% and walk on a 3.0-3.5 for an hour and your body will wonder what the hell you’re trying to do to it!’
‘That sounds intense! I’ll have to give it a try.’
‘Well, you’re doing great so keep up the good work. I don’t say that to just anyone either.’
And then he left.
Did that really happen? Did I really just hold a five minute conversation with someone after jogging 4.8 miles at a steady speed of 5.1 mph without a problem? Did this total stranger just take five minutes out of his day to praise my efforts and to offer me advice? I was in awe.
His kindness inspired me to push myself just a little harder. When I was done my 5 miles, I decided to go for the 10K. Going for the 10K meant restarting the treadmill due to the ridiculous 60 minute cap. Why the ‘mill maxes out at 60 minutes is beyond me. I quickly started a new session and bumped the speed up to 5.5 mph for the last mile. Once I hit the 6.2 mile mark, I dropped the speed back down to 5.1 mph and decided to try for 7 miles. Once I edged closer to that goal, I decided to end my workout at mile 8. Why 8? Well, jogging 8 consecutive miles just sounds bad-ass. I was feeling great and was confident I’d hit that goal without a problem.
Unfortunately, that was not the case. I threw the towel in at 7.2 miles.
Ooops.
I didn’t stop because I was in pain. I wasn’t. I didn’t stop because I was out of breath. I wasn’t. I stopped because I honestly thought I was going to shit my pants if I stayed on that treadmill any longer. At the 7th mile, I started to suffer from horrible stomach cramps. I normally experience some discomfort around the 4-mile mark, but I have grown accustomed to pushing through it. However, the cramps that plagued my Mission to 8 Miles were just too intense to ignore. I probably could have finished out the remaining .8 miles, but I started to have visions of explosive diarrhea and I just couldn’t do it.
I COULD NOT JUSTIFY SHITTING MY PANTS IN PUBLIC IN AN ATTEMPT TO JOG 8 GLORIOUS MILES.
Sometimes you just need to listen to your body. At that moment, my body was screaming ‘I am going to blow!’ Of course, it never happened, but I couldn’t chance it. No way, no how. I spent the following two hours nursing my abdomen back to health with a few slices of delicious pizza (brilliant, right?). I’m confident that my body will get accustomed to longer distances, but it’s definitely something I will have to work my way up to. And I will. And I will love every minute of it. Especially since I am going to be participating in the Willow Tree Half Marathon on May 2nd in Providence, RI alongside my friend Cassie and virtually alongside Kim over at Watermelon Waistline who will be participating in the Pittsburgh Half Marathon on May 2nd as well.
By typing that, I just made it real.
Unbelievable.
I’ve got to be honest, I’m a little hesitant to participate in this specific race because they strictly prohibit the use of headphones. I literally cannot imagine spending nearly three hours in transit without music. That’s borderline abuse and totally FUBAR. I’m going to get in touch with the fine folks running this event to see how lenient they are with this rule. I think it would be really great to run on the same day as Kim, but honestly, the headphone-thing does not sit well with me at all. I’m pretty sure Cassie will feel the same.
Might have to do the Boston Run to Remember on May 30th instead.
We’ll see.
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11 Comments to “Run. Run. Run.”
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This is my journey to lose 121 lbs one calorie, one blog post, one tweet, and one workout at a time! No foods are off limits, moderation is a must, and calorie intake/expenditure is key.
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Kimberly says:
Holy shit – This post made me laugh out loud! Not the whole thing, just the part about having to cut your run short in order to prevent pooping in public. Hilarious.
Other parts of your post elicited different reactions. I’m SO impressed by your 7.2 mile run (and a little envious… I still haven’t surpassed 6.2, but I’ll get there!). And I’m thrilled that you’re committing to doing the half! I hope it works out that you can do it on May 2 with me, but if not, later that month is good too – you can think of me and how much I kicked ass as motivation!
Less than 6 pounds to the elusive 100! You’re so close… I’m a little envious of that, too, lol.
Rachel says:
Please woman. You can jog circles around me! Have you attempted to surpass the 6.2 mile mark? I am asking because I never tried until Saturday. I usually stop at 5 miles because it’s the ‘norm’ for me. I’ve done two Tread 10Ks in the past few weeks, but always stopped. I am 99.999999% sure you have the stamina to go above and beyond that 6.2 marker. I know this because your 10K time blew mine out of the water! Slow your pace a bit and just go for it. Reaching a new distance is like jogging for the first time. Incredible!
Monica says:
LMAO…Im glad you didnt shit your pants in public.
Dude, I was so proud of my itty bitty 3.7 and Im laughing now because youre all “I took it back down to 5.1″ Im like WTF?! LMAO Oh well. That guys seems totally cool!
Anyways, as to your comment, Im eating crap! And healthy crap, too! Watermelon, cantelope, honey dew, ummmm….one night I had oatmeal for dinner, some nights I have a salad or scrambled eggs w/toast.
I weigh myself every day because Ive been logging it. I want to see how long I stay at one weight before I drop pounds & I feel more relaxed now than I have in awhile. Im not stuffing myself with crappy foods anymore and at the same time, Im not eating in a way thats unrealistic for me. Its all good.
Rachel says:
Heeeeeey. 3.7 miles is NOTHING to gawk at. When I first started, I threw a party every time I jogged for a half mile during my C25K training. It doesn’t matter how far or fast you go, it just matters that you’re going. 3.7 miles is actually pretty incredible and I am so glad to hear that you’re doing well!
Sounds like you are eating well for sure. I wouldn’t worry about the quesadillas. You’ve got to eat real food sometime. Salads and eggs and fruit will eventually lose its charm. I love that you went with Red Baron and cut your portion into smaller pieces to make it seem like you were eating more. That is a really great trick that I am going to start incorporating.
Good to hear that you’re relaxing a bit though. If weighing yourself every day is working then keep doing it. You’ve definitely got to do what works for you. That is probably the most important thing when it comes to weight-loss. GO GIRL.
amanda says:
Congrats on your weight loss and your 8 mile run. I also got hit with the eastcoast blizzard (18 plus inches!!!). I had to run on a threadmill (haven’t done this in months!!) instead of outside. I was able to manage 7 miles and quit. I hate hate hate running on that damn machine. Ick!
Ryan Sullivan says:
Ok, this is my first time reading your blog and I seriously about died!
“I COULD NOT JUSTIFY SHITTING MY PANTS IN PUBLIC IN AN ATTEMPT TO JOG 8 GLORIOUS MILES.”
That is seriously priceless! I’ve been working on losing weight since July and I’ve dropped about 90 pounds. I’ve been doing almost all of my cardio on a stationary bike but I decided to switch it up and start running. I started a C25K last week and it’s going pretty well. Any advice for a running n00b like myself?
Rachel says:
Buahaha. You like that? It’s funny because it’s real! Anyways… congrats on your weight-loss thus far! I love that you’ve decided to step it up with the C25K program. I did the same thing back in April and I’ve got to say, after my first race, I became hooked. My advice to you is to stick with it and to keep going. When the going gets tough, just remind yourself that every second you spend beyond your comfort zone means your getting an inch closer to becoming an athlete.
Thanks for stopping by!
Jack Sh*t, Gettin' Fit says:
Crapping your pants in public isn’t so bad… or so I’m told…
Kudos on the nice loss.
cari says:
Yay for the loss!!!!!!!!!!! Stalk. Stalk.
Gregg says:
I ran into your page while scanning Craig’s blog. I have always found your post very inspiring. Yesterday apparently you touched a nerve and I just had to put in a comment to make sure you were aware of it.
After reading this post on Monday night I woke up to do my normal morning walk. When I got to my normal stopping point I just kept thinking push your comfort zone and so I did. I kept going and going and going. At the very end my pedometer showed 9.4 miles (walking). Which is about 4 miles longer than I have ever done all at once.
I don’t think it’s as impressive as your 7.2 mile poopy pants run, but it really felt great. In additon to my daily walks I am also starting the C25K with the goal of a half marathon in July.
Keep up the awesome work, you never know who you will accidentally inspire one day.
Louisa says:
I love listening to other people’s conversations at the gym! I love people watching too actually, my partner and I met a friend on 27th but we spent time watching a couple on a date and watching it go from great to sour!
Talking about crapping pants, professional runner Paula Radcliffe stopped to answer a call of nature in the street in a televised marathon back in 2005. Proof there is no point in pushing yourself the point where you do make a mess!