What's Up With My Life?

CHANGE. It's a big word and one I have become increasingly familiar with over the past three months or so. Some of it has been unintended, but most of it is good, and wonderful. How has my life changed, you ask?

My job. I am no longer a classroom teacher. After seven years of working in a classroom with kids sitting in desks, teaching curriculum with a white board and looking into those sweet faces on a daily basis, I have changed to now work from home. I teach kiddos online, over the computer, in a virtual classroom. I cannot see their sweet faces, but I speak to many of them daily and I get to impact their lives from home. Why did I change so drastically? Well, there are many reasons, but one is the most important.

I want to start a family. I was "on" all the time, every day, with little to no breaks in my life. My body was so stressed out that it didn't know what to do with itself. I told myself that the school year of 2011-2012 was going to be the "Year of Me." It started with me getting healthy. I dropped about 45 pounds in that year, ran three 1/2 marathons and one full marathon. I cut sugar, went to boot camps, made friends and looked for something that would reduce my stress. I found my new job and decided to give it a shot. This was all so that my body would even itself out and allow my husband and I to try to have a family.

My husband and I have been trying to have a family for going on eight years now with no luck. I have had some issues with my body since I was 16 years old. (Obviously before I decided to start having a family) and no doctors could figure it out. They just put me on birth control to regulate things until I was ready to have kids. Once I was ready and off of birth control, the issues continued. Every doctor I talked to looked at me like I had three heads. I even had one doctor say "You are just a medical anomaly, I have no idea what is wrong with you. You just don't ovulate." REALLY!? What kind of investigative doctoring is that? Isn't it a doctor's job to figure out what is wrong with a patient and help them fix it? It would be like me, as a teacher, saying, "I don't know what is wrong with your child's ability to read. They just can't read and there is nothing I can do about it." NOT acceptable! It is my job as a teacher to HELP a child in any way possible. It is a doctor's job to help a patient know what is wrong with them so that they can fix the issue. OBVIOUSLY.

By the grace of God, I had a mixed-up appointment date and they had to schedule me with a different doctor for one of my more recent visits. I saw this doctor and she was like, "It has been far too long for you to not know. We are going to figure this out and get you pregnant!" How long did it take her? One visit. ONE! She took some blood, saw my hormone levels were slightly off in a couple of areas, sent me to an endocrinologist, had more blood work done, saw what I had and diagnosed me. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). Why had they never found it before? I had had multiple ultrasounds, blood tests, unnecessary exams and more with no results in the past. They had never asked the right questions. She asked me questions I had never been asked before. I had never had the cysts, which makes it really hard to diagnose, but she asked me about my weight, my acne, my cycles, everything. It turns out that weight stays on patients with PCOS, often no matter what they do. Acne is a part of the package, so it is like puberty never goes away. AND, a side effect of this lovely condition is that I don't ovulate.

I made it my goal to have a baby. They said that they would not put me on Clomid (A fertility medication) unless I was healthier. At the weight that I was, I would have been considered a high risk pregnancy. The other day I went back into the doctor's office and she was blown away with my progress. She was stunned that I had lost so much weight and she said I was ready. We are ready! The year of me is over (which doesn't mean I will stop taking care of myself!) and now it is the "Year of My Family." In order to start my family I still need to care for myself. I need to be healthy for my future child and for myself.

I guess that I can say that I am asking for prayers for my family. We want to be parents so badly. I have worked so hard to get to where I am and now it is time for our family to be complete. I know that it will be a stressful journey, and I know that there will be a lot of tears and anxiety, but the final outcome is a joy that we will have that is so great, that it will trump any of the emotions that come along the way.

We can't wait for our family to go from two to three. God is blessing us in ways that I cannot even come close to describing. He has shown us the way and now it is time for us to take it.

The Big 3-0

Post Marathon. I'm 30! 

It's true. I am no longer a "young" lady and have officially entered just being a lady. I am now 30. It really hit me when I was talking to my mom about the Tetanus shot I had received recently and said that I wouldn't have to get another one for ten more years, or until I was forty. Forty!? It's only ten years away! *gasp* I'm THIRTY!

I hadn't planned on doing anything huge until around Christmas 2011. I was tossing around ideas with my personal trainer and my husband as to what to do for my thirtieth birthday. I wanted to do something that represented how hard I worked to get to where I am today. 58 pounds lighter than I was two years ago, fitter than I have ever been in my life, and excited about new possibilities.

I decided to run a FULL marathon.

Crazy, I know. I had run four 1/2 marathons in the past year so I was fairly confident in myself. If you would have told me three years ago that I would run a full marathon on my thirtieth birthday I would have laughed at you. Ridiculous! What planet are you from!? But, despite what I would have thought three years ago, I decided to find a run that was somewhere near my birthday.

After spending a little time online, I discovered that my favorite marathon series (Rock 'N' Roll Marathons and 1/2 Marathons) was holding a marathon, one of the ONLY Saturday marathons they offer, in Seattle ON my birthday. It was meant to be. Most marathons are on Sundays, so it was a miracle in itself that I would get to run one ON my birthday. Before I could change my mind, my husband signed me up as a surprise. I was in it now! No time to change my mind. It was on!

Anxiously I awaited February 17th, the first day of my training. I started out slow, running only a few miles, but throughout the training I had time trials, tempo runs, intervals and LSD's (Long Slow Distances) to run, slowly gaining strength. I cannot thank my husband and loved ones enough for the tolerance and support they had for my schedule and my needs. Everyone was supportive of my goal. Dates with my husband, outings with friends, and any other social obligations.  were planned around my runs. It was going to be a long 18 weeks.

I would be out running sometimes up to 4 or 5 hours on a Saturday or Sunday, often starting around 3:30 or 4:00 AM. I was tired, but supported and encouraged every step of the way. The hardest runs were the ones that were over 13 miles. Once my long slow distances were above that, I would get discouraged, emotional and my mind would get in the way of my body's capabilities. Another difficulty was the weather. As my training progressed into those longer runs, my dehydration issues kicked in even harder. We bought a Camelback backpack, gatorade powder, energy gels, protein bars, protein powders and more. I still suffered at times, but my training was able to progress.

Once I hit some longer runs I had a friend talk to me and ask if I wanted someone to meet me in the last 10 miles or so of my long runs to finish them out with me. She had done a marathon in the past and understood how much it became a mental game toward the end. She was a godsend. I am not kidding. Without her, and the three other friends who joined me on my few remaining, long, tiring runs, I would not have made it through nearly as successfully. They brought laughter, support and distraction from the aches, pains and mental breakdowns. I will forever be thankful to the four AMAZING ladies who helped me pull through the hardest training miles.

As the weeks progressed and the race was only a few weeks away, I hit some setbacks with an achy foot. The pain would not go away. One day my hubby took a look at the bottom of my shoes and was shocked at how worn out they were. We realized I had run over 500 miles on them since mid-March! It was only the end of May! Three months and over 500 miles. I am still not sure today, but I believe that my foot problems stemmed from those shoes. Evidence:

Left: 500 mile shoes  Right: New shoes

The new shoes were like night and day. I was amazed at how much cushion and support had broken down in my old ones. My training runs felt so much better. I had heard a million times not to get new shoes so close to the race, but I had to. I did it anyway and I do not regret it for one second. It made my last runs bearable and I didn't once get a blister or ache from any of it.

The day arrived. We were in Seattle and my parents, my hubby's parents, my husband and I were all making sure I was in bed on time, proper dinner in my belly and all of my clothes and supplies prepared the night before. I think I was asleep by 9:30. I woke up at 4:30, took a shower (I know, weird, right?) and put a Lidocaine patch on my foot for the awkward pain, got dressed and choked down half a bagel with peanut butter and a bottle of water. I was as ready as I was ever going to get. I had everyone ready and out the door at 6:45 so that we could be at the start line, (1/10 of a mile from the hotel) and the waiting began. 

My husband and I pre-race

My nerves were on high, but that is why it was so important I was there early because my nerves had settled by the time the gun fired. I was off. 43 minutes after the official first gun, my corral crossed the start line. I felt great, no foot pain, fresh legs, good mindset and support along the course. I had parents, in-laws and husband at mile 13.1, friends from the area at mile 17/18 and my family again at mile 23. The hardest moments? Miles 15-23, the best moments? Miles 6-10. The worst section? The hill at mile 5. The best part of the entire race? Crossing the finish line.

Mile 13.1 came and my mom and dad fueled me with orange slices and my entire family with cheers and support. Miles 17/18 my friends were there with signs and cheers, urging me to pick myself up and run again after a walking stint through a rather rough patch. They brought me out of my frustration to look like this: 

Between miles 16 and 17. Look at that smile! 

Mile 21 brought me out of a tunnel and into pouring rain, which lasted the rest of the run. Mile 23 hit and I was suffering. My husband ran up the hill at this point with me and encouraged me throughout the rest of the run, keeping me positive and uplifted. As I came around the final corner, I all but shouted at a poor lady "HOW MUCH FARTHER?" Her response was a quarter mile and you are done! I came around the corner, saw the horrible hill ahead of me at mile 26 (seriously!? Who plans these things?) and the finish line just beyond. The tears began. Crying ensued from that point on for about the next two hours. On the run up the hill I saw my husband running along the sidewalk. Thinking he wanted me to run it in, I sprinted (which means I ran a smidge faster than the previous shuffle-run) across the finish line. "Up next is Cory Flagg from Goodyear" the announcer proclaimed as I approached. Sobbing commenced. They handed me a foil blanket, which I wrapped around my quaking body. I was crying so hard I was hyperventilating and wheezing a little bit. I couldn't speak, and as I approached one of the ladies holding the medals, it took her a while to realize what I was doing. "Oh, you don't have a medal yet, do you?" All I could do was shake my head. She congratulated me and placed the medal around my neck. I headed to the exit to find Matt. I could barely speak as I hugged him. I was wet, cold, and could barely stand. I had to keep moving.

Done and barely standing. Proud and emotional moment!

We headed back to the hotel where I promptly took a hot shower. I was so cold that when the hot water hit me, it was cold by the time it hit my feet. Within an hour, I was dressed, warm, walking again and on my way to dinner with family and friends. 

I had done it. 

My once far-fetched dream was a reality. I was a marathon finisher. In a time of 5:54:05, I had run, walked, trotted, persevered, suffered, triumphed, inspired others, and finished a 26.2 mile marathon. 

Someone in my favorite running documentary "The Spirit of the Marathon" said, "Once you cross that finish line, your life has changed forever." Absolutely, without a doubt, 100% true.

I am in my prime. 30 feels good. Not just good, GREAT. Bring it, 30! 

Now, what am I going to do when I turn 40?

Why I am Rocking Seattle in June

Today I got an email from the Rock 'N' Roll marathon people asking their runners to share why they are running their upcoming races. If our stories "rocked" enough, they would possibly use it in a media piece. I had to put in my story. What did I say was my reason for rocking this race, you ask?

Rock ‘N’ Roll Seattle “Reason Why I Run” story: 

Three years ago, I weighed 216 pounds and couldn't climb a flight of stairs or run to the end of the driveway without having to double over for breath. I was also told that I would not be able to be healthy enough to get pregnant unless I lost weight. My husband and I had been trying for a family for four years with no luck. I didn't know what to do. I had been battling my weight my entire life. I had friends who were runners and I was finally ready to give it a try, no matter what. My knees were hurting and I could barely move, but I used the Couch to 5K program and ran my first 5K in 2009 with a time of 49 minutes. I continued to run, began to lose weight and was amazing my doctors at my progress. 

As of January of 2012, I have run four Rock 'N' Roll 1/2 marathons (AZ twice, Vegas and San Diego) and multiple 5K's. June 23, 2012, the Seattle marathon date, is my 30th birthday. I have lost 60 pounds and can run farther than I ever imagined. Running literally changed my life and I am ringing in my 30th year running my first FULL marathon, more fit than I have ever been in my life and healthy enough to have a family. 

I know a lot of you have heard this story a lot, but it always makes me emotional to write it, talk about it, or even think about it. My life has changed so drastically over the past three years that it is unimaginable to believe what my life was like back then. I am so much happier and more fulfilled now than I ever believed I could be. 

To review:                              

Before (216 pounds or more)

(Still 15 pounds heavier than I currently am, but drastic difference!)

I seek health, I seek to inspire others to succeed in their goals and dreams. I run because God gave me the ability to do so and I am ever so thankful.

The Training Begins

Those that follow this blog know that I have decided to run the P.F. Chang's Seattle full marathon in June to celebrate my 30th birthday. Well... Training started this past Thursday!

It started out pretty simple. 3 miles at a moderate pace. I could do this! Due to an open house night at school I got home really late, so I headed to the gym and ran 3.2 miles on the treadmill. This is TORTURE for me. I hate treadmills! I feel like I am running nowhere, which, technically, is true. I hopped on and set the pace at my normal 5 mph and began. It felt too easy. I ramped it up to 6mph and felt great! I ran three miles at this pace and then decided I wanted to run across the "finish line" a bit faster, so I pushed it up to 7mph for the last 0.2 miles. What a great feeling! 31:50 was my time. I believe that is the fastest 5k I have ever run!

Friday was a 5 miler. After work I got together with my friend and we took off. It was much, much tougher than the treadmill. It was reality. Running outside is extremely different than running on the treadmill. Treadmills are smooth and consistent. Outside you have hills, uneven pavement, rock or dirt and you have the elements. The sun was brutal! AZ is a state where the sun does not go easy on you. My run took quite a bit longer than I was planning. About 1:10:00 or so. I was hoping for about one hour. You take what you can get, right? At least I ran the whole thing!

Today I went in for my 1-on-1 with my trainer and we sat down and planned out the rest of February and all of March. There will be Sundays where I will run 14 miles. Weeks where I will run over 30 miles! My longest week will be 38 miles! Am I intimidated? Yep! Absolutely! I am terrified. But, ultimately, I am excited.

If you want to follow my progress, take a look underneath the "about me" section to the right of this post and you will see a pretty nifty widget that tracks my miles and it says miles run in 2012, which I have run more than it says, but I am using it solely for my marathon training, so it will only have that recorded on it. Basically, it shows you how many miles I have run all together. Even if I don't post on here every day, I will be updating that widget on a daily basis when I run! So, if you are interested, stop by and take a look! The only days it most likely will stay stagnant are Tuesdays and Thursdays. If you are a member of dailymile.com, I am on there as well and if you 'friend' me you can see my runs as well.

Now it is all about nutrition! I need to make sure I am keeping away from sugars on all days except Saturdays and that my diet is 40% protein, 40% complex carbs, and 20% healthy fats. This is going to be hard! If you have any protein ideas that do not include pork or eggs, please let me know! I need some pretty amazing creative ideas in order for me to be interested. I even love tofu and soy, so those are great as well!

I will leave you with a yummy smoothie recipe:

2/3 C orange juice
1/2 to 1 C spinach
8 or 9 large strawberries
1/2 C blueberries
1/2 C grapes (I prefer red)
1/2 C mango
1/2 C peaches
1/4 C blackberries
1/2 C ice (water if your fruit is frozen)

Blend it all up in the blender and enjoy! You can't even taste the spinach. An alternative to spinach is kale. We have even used both and it still tastes yummy. You can add yogurt (greek is best and is delicious!) or protein powder (vanilla tastes yummiest) and/or banana. I can't stand bananas, so they generally don't enter the mix.

Well, wish me luck! I am going to rock my 30th birthday! Bring it on! 

Getting Back On The No-Sugar Wagon

Today's post is long, but I have a huge weight on me, telling me I need to share. Hopefully it speaks to you in the way it spoke to me! 

Now that the holidays are over, I need to refocus my life around what is truly important. I worked so hard, focused with all I had and lost thirty pounds and ran four 1/2 marathons in one year. Impressive? Sure, but I still have some major weaknesses when it comes to food. It will be haunting me forever. I love food. I desire it, I love to cook it, serve it, smell it, and EAT it! That will be with me forever, no matter what. Especially when it comes to sweet things. Sugar is my kryptonite. 

Between August and December I had lost 30 pounds. After a year or so of a plateau, this is just what I needed. I was on a roll! Then the holidays hit. I didn't pay too much attention to what I was eating. I still didn't go hog-wild, but I did introduce sugars back into my diet. That was my first mistake. When I was home I still ran because I needed to train for the P.F. Chang's 1/2 in Phoenix, but once that was over, my exercise all but stopped. Why? I got sick. I have had three sinus problems in three months. Two of them knocked me out for a couple of weeks! When this last one hit meds weren't even working! 

What's the point to that story? I have gained back five pounds! FIVE! That is 1/6 of my weight loss that came back! I never thought I would be as upset about five pounds as I was when I stepped back on that scale. Immediately I told myself I needed to go back off of sugar. So, Monday, I did. Was it so bad? Monday through Thursday were torture. Today, however, wasn't so bad! I just need to work on finding more creative recipes that don't have nearly as many carbs within them. (If anyone has any suggestions, let me know!) My trainer tried to give me ideas, but he was talking to the pickiest girl on earth. My diet needs to be 40% protein, 40% complex carbs and 20% healthy fats. The problem with protein is that I don't really like meat. Some chicken, turkey or beef is good, but I would rather not. I don't like eggs and I really won't eat anything processed, so sandwich meats and all of that are out. Frustration central. 

If any of you have been keeping up with what is "hot" on the internet lately, you have seen that there is a website called Pinterest. This has been my recent addiction and savior at the same time. Pinterest not only lets me look at and 'pin' recipes, it has also given me a ton of ideas for my picky self. If you have not seen it before, take a look: www.pinterest.com Make sure that you ask a friend to give you an invite if you are not already involved! You have to be invited to join. Another reason it has been a savior to me is that I can look at all the yummy, sugary foods and pin them to my boards and it seems to satiate my need for sugar. And all I feasted on them with was my eyes! Totally worth it. 

Now that I am working toward a full marathon, my diet changes, my exercise patterns are changing and all kids of things are going to be different in the future. Right now my trainer and I are working on gaining muscle. When I stood on the scale after four days of no sugar, I had gained a couple of pounds. My first thought was "WHAT!?" Then I remembered, I am doing muscle BUILDING activities, which will make me weigh MORE. Relief flooded through me. I have to gain muscle first in order to prepare for my run. Muscle building can often cause you to gain weight before you lose it. Something not understood by many. 

On a similar note to the last thought, something that had to be burned into my brain was the fact that skinny doesn't necessarily mean healthy. By building muscle, I was adding weight, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. I would rather weigh 135 pounds and be completely fit and healthy than 125 pounds and unhealthy. I want to be toned, in great health and prepared for anything. If that means that I have to cut sugar, pump up my workout methods and stay focused on the goal... I will do it! I have never in my life been more focused on a goal. I have always been focused on goals, but this one goes above and beyond any that I have ever done before. It means amazing things in my life, and I am willing to make the sacrifices I have to in order to get there. So, no-sugar wagon, wait for me! 

Before and After: Progress 2/3 of the Way There!

A couple of days ago Matt and I were looking at pictures from about five years ago, Christmas of 2006. He called me over to the computer because he wanted me to realize something amazing. When I looked at the computer I saw someone on the screen that I didn't recognize. Someone I had forgotten about. When you see yourself every day, everything seems normal, the same... unchanging.

Reality slaps when the past comes for a visit.

This is what I saw:

216 lbs. At least. 

When you are in the thick of it, you don't even realize what is going on. I was so unhealthy. Yes, I have a medical condition that helps me keep the weight on when I want to let it go, and I am working on reversing the condition through working out and eating right, but I can't deny that my eating habits and laziness at the time contributed to it. Running? I couldn't even run to the end of the block without feeling like I was going to die. I was bursting from the seams and in denial that I needed a larger pants size. Isn't that one of the stages of dealing with an issue? Denial? 

Another dramatic view of the past: 

2006 on a hike with friends

The shock when I saw these floored me. 

Then I looked at pictures now. 45 pounds down from my largest recorded weight. Not only 45 pounds down, but also about 25% body fat is gone with it. Four pants sizes since the days of the pictures above. Four 1/2 marathons under my belt, and training for a full marathon under way. 

After? 

November, 2011, Las Vegas Rock 'N' Roll 1/2 Marathon

Personal best time: 2:46:34

Me on the far left, January 15th, P.F. Chang's Rock 'N' Roll Arizona

Personal best time: 2:39:55

I was astounded. Sometimes you need to take a trip down memory lane to really tell where you have traveled. Hard work, healthy habits and strong support from those you love and trust get you a long way. I am forever grateful for everyone who has been so encouraging to me on my long journey. I am not done yet. I still have about 35-40 pounds to go, but I am proud of myself.

I am headed for Seattle on June 23 for the Seattle Rock 'N' Roll FULL marathon this year. For those who know me well, you know that this is a VERY significant date to me. This is my 30th birthday. On this day,  plan to not only be at my goal weight and clothing size, I plan to complete my first ever full marathon. Crazy? Maybe. Exciting? Absolutely. A fitting celebration for ringing in the big Three-oh? ABSOLUTELY! I am going to dress up in a tutu, wear a funny tiara and strut my stuff up and down the insane hills of the Seattle marathon. I am eagerly anticipating it, looking forward to waving to my amazing friends and family who will be there to support me along the way, and coming home with the bling I will pick up at the end. I will go into my 30th year of life healthier, stronger and even better than I have ever been. It is a great feeling knowing that I will check into the next chapter of my life as who I truly want to be. 

Is my running journey over after this? NO! Once I have met my Rock 'N' Roll goals, I am going to take on DISNEY! Tinkerbell Run, Disney World 1/2 (or full!), Disneyland 1/2, Princess Run and MORE! Bring it on. My running journey has just begun, but it is important to stop and celebrate the milestones as they come up. 

Thank you to my husband, family and friends. I could not have made it to where I am without any of you. I love you.