Be back soon.

Promise.

12 Miles and Other Running Things

"Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go." 

-T. S. Eliot

This Saturday I ran 12 miles. It's a good thing I don't have to do those long runs on my own because I really don't know what I would think about for 2 hours while I run, run, run. What do I usually think about? I think about finishing. I have to convince myself to keep going (ok trick myself, is closer to the truth).

"Only one more minute; only to the end of the road; just till you've been running for an hour; think of all the skinny cow ice cream/pancakes/potato chip you can eat after burning 1100 calories...etc."

But luckily I only have to do one long run in the week by myself, so I only have to bribe my brain a few times.

So I'm going press pause and talk about how much Team In Training has changed my running.

• I went from thinking I HAD to just run all the time, and that walking was weak, but now I know walking makes me stronger. 
• Running went from a very independent, solo action for me, to a social, group activity. Don't get me wrong... I still really like running on my own. A lot of the time I prefer it, but I also love having a pace partner. Even if there is no talking, just having someone there makes a big difference when it comes to how far you can push your legs.
• I've gotten a lot faster, even though I run slower on long runs (I credit my determination + having a great training schedule on that).
• I've started to actually enjoy running.

Wait, huh? You mean to say this girl has been running for 9 months and didn't like it? Yes. Yes, that's correct. Running was torturous for the first 3 months. The only reason I've kept up with it (until recently) is because I like the way it makes me feel after and I like the results. Now? I like it a bit more. I like the people. I like the accomplishment. I like seeing my surroundings in ways I never would have before. I like pushing myself. (I like the clothes.)

The lesson here is if you hate running, maybe you should join a running group (in Savannah there are all of the C.R.E.W. groups and the Savannah Striders, but nationally check your local running stores or meetup.com) or you should raise money for cancer and join Team In Training or DetirmiNation. I mean stop being so selfish while you hate running, geez.

p.s. Check out my post over at GeekChic: The Blog! It's the first of many! And look out for more posts every once and a while from my girl, Caity.

Amazing Fall Smoothie Recipe

Hello everyone! My name is Caitlyn. Katie and I decided to do some blog collaboration. Like her, I am a member of Weight Watchers. I love cooking and have been adapting some recipes to fit my new lifestyle a little better.

One of my favorite new discoveries is an adaptation of a smoothie I found on Pinterest, the Pumpkin Pie Smoothie. The original recipe calls for greek yogurt and since I try not to eat a lot of dairy I changed it a little bit.

Here's what you need:

• 1/2 a banana
• 1/3 cup pure pumpkin (canned)
• 1 cup soy/almond/hazelnut milk (preferably vanilla)
• 5 ice cubes
• 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon

 Put all ingredients into a blender and enjoy! The best thing about this recipe is it's only 1-3 points depending on what kind of milk you use. I used original almond milk and added a few teaspoons of vanilla and it ended up being only one point!

This is just a preview of some other healthy recipes you can find on my blog, GeekChic: The Blog. I'll also be posting recipes here every now and then!

Until next time,

Caitlyn

I am a Runner.....?

I've struggled with this for a long time. I feel weird calling myself a runner! 

That probably sounds cray-cray to some of y'all. If you don't run, surely you'd look at me, a girl who runs 3-5 days a week, and say "Of course she's a runner!" But I look at all these people I've met through the running community and I just pale in comparison. They run faster, or the run longer, or they are more active in the community. 

On top of that I never in a million years thought I'd come close to calling myself a runner, so I guess it's taking longer than a few months to get used to it.

A week or so ago a customer at work (kind of creepily) said I had muscular legs (haha that's so creepy) and I said "Oh, well I'm a runner." And it felt so weird! 

When does one become a "runner"? 

Did I become a runner the moment I decided to do couch to 5k? Or was it after I ran a 5K? Or maybe it was when I got my first pair of running shoes? Or was it when I joined Team in Training... or when I actually completed C25K and then kept running without the program? 

I don't know! What are your opinions on becoming a "runner"?

Getting back on the train after having a bad week

I find it really challenging to get back to my healthy habits after having a few days of not following my plan. I end up trashing the whole week because I'm already behind. Starting over at the beginning of the week (a Wednesday for me) always seems to be the way it works for me. 

I think I live in constant fear that I will just slip back into my old ways. I've done the dieting and weight loss before. Sure, I haven't ever made it this far but I can still remember all those times I just started to forget about living a healthy life. I turned off the side of me that cares. I've done it a few times during this trip down the Weight Watchers journey but I've always restarted at the end of the week. That's the important part! I can't forget to get back into my routine.

I had a great weekend at the beach and stuck to my VEGGIETARIAN ways! I've had a few bites of meat here and there over the last two months but I've tried my hardest not too. Some days it's easy, other days it feels like all I want is a piece of bacon. Everyone seems to be really supportive of it though and that makes it easier.

It's a new month so I'm trying to come up with some new goals, but right now the only two I have are continuing to get all of my weekly miles and work on my core strength. 

Oops! I did it AGAIN!

Well once again it's been over a month since I posted. I guess I just run out of things to say for a while. But here I am again... for an update on maintenance (BTW I have a hard time spelling that word).

Beginning of August

Beginning of July

Not much changed measurement wise in July (I've switched my picture outfit to something that fits now that I'm in maintenance), my weight only changed by a pound or two so I wasn't expecting much. I'm hoping to really get back on the exercise train and see some tone start to develop. I really just want to feel stronger though, the visual aspect is an added benefit. So far I've really been at it this week, in the last 7 days I've run about 24 miles and gone to two yoga classes. I just gotta KEEP at it.

The first few weeks have been challenging for sure, but it's so freeing. I love not feeling that pressure to see the numbers go down on the scale! Since I had my week long eat-whatever-I-want-fest I haven't been above (or at) my goal weight. 

But all this is boring, and mostly for my sake. Next post I'll find something a little more interesting to blab about.

GOOAAALLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In honor of making maintenance this morning, I'm making a before and after post!

before, 2009 (I was actually at a pretty good weight here for me)

after, 2012

before, 2011

after, 2012

before, new years eve 2009

2012!

 

 2010

 2011

Race picture progression! 34 min, 30 min, 29 min!

Finding bathing suit befores are quite impossible.

In the middle, and after...there is about a twelve pound difference here.

I can't believe I made it! When I started this in January 155 seemed so far away, and now I'm sitting at 149, 40 pounds lost! I want to walk around with a t-shirt that says "I lost 40 pounds! If I can do it, anyone can!" Because I was one lazy Pansy before I started the couch to 5K program. Now I work out 5 days a week, I'm training for a half marathon, I go to yoga classes and I bought pita chips, hummus and dried fruit for my road trip! Hahahaha, that's so weird.

I'm excited to continue on though! I know that I'm only going to get stronger and leaner, even if the number doesn't change. Hopefully I'll fit WW meetings into my schedule soon so I can get to lifetime, I'm tired of paying them!

 Weight Watchers, Couch to 5K, Team in Training, bananas, splenda (yeah I still use splenda, suck it), zucchini, Subway, I love you all! You changed my life. Forever! 

I would post a big happy smiley picture here but I just got home from a 4.5 mile run and I'm look rough! Thank you for all of your support :).

A Productive Monday? Weird.

This morning I got up at 7AM and headed to a yoga class... I really didn't think I was gonna make it based off of how much I didn't want to wake up early the night before, but I got there with time to spare! The class went well. I learned a lot today about where everything goes and all that. My first class was taught by someone different and I kinda just flew threw poses, but since then the classes have really taught me a lot.

After yoga I came home and made the "heart healthy" serving of some quick oats. Let me tell you how much oatmeal that is. IT'S A WHOLE LOT! I added a bit of lite maple syrup and my normal olive oil of course. Whew it was a lot, but I ate it all. It was a lot of points too, but I worked so hard today it didn't matter much. After breakfast I started on my room... my room is in real bad shape. It hasn't been cleaned in forever! I did about 4 loads of laundry through out the day and really just picked up in my room. I've still got some work to do.

For lunch I made an over-stuffed with veggies quesodilla. It was delicious! I don't think I mentioned it here but I've been on a no meat diet this past week. I'm just trying it out, but so far it's been really easy! I haven't had meat since Wednesday at lunch! I'm going to try it out till the end of my WW week (Wednesday) and then see what happens from there while I'm on vacation.

For my first dinner I had a protein meal replacement bar right before my workout. Strides and Strength went fabulous then I picked up my second dinner on the way home! I had veggies and rice with some tofu. The tofu was alright, nothing to brag about, but the veggies were delicious!

Tomorrow I have got to finish my TNT letters, finish packing, finish cleaning my room, run a few miles and hopefully have energy to go to yoga too.

How did I forget to tell you guys I surpassed the furthest distance I've ever run this weekend?! I ran 6.8 miles (my nike + app actually said 6.94, but I don't know about that accuracy...) and DANG it was hot. And I really regretted those fried pickles I had a few hours before I ran...but I did it! Now I just got to stay motivated while I'm camping.

Camping, camping, camping. I can't stop thinking about camping.

Motivation? Maitenence?

Where has my motivation gone?! My discipline? The past two weeks have been lacking in that department... seriously lacking! I can't seem to wake up early enough to run and I always have things to do at sun down so I can't seem to get out and run during the week. Eating wise I've been doing really well this week, but I have only gone to yoga once, and I've only run once! That's no good. 

In other news, I'm seriously lacking on the fundraising portion of my summer! I've got to get some letters and emails out. So don't be shy about clicking that link over in the corner :). Any amount is better than nothing!

Also! I'm going camping next week!! Every year a group of my friends and family meet in the same campground in the middle of the smoky mountains in Tennessee for 5 days and it's something I look forward to from the moment we pull out of that little campground. 

 BUT if all goes accordingly this week I should be going into maintenance mode next week! Talk about jumping head first into maintenance for sure. I'm not sure what to expect but with Weight Watchers we have a 2lb leeway so I think I should manage. 

Are any of you out there in maintenance? Tips?

Being Bendy

Let's talk about yoga.

I've never been flexible, at least not when it comes to my body. Seriously, touching my toes has never been possible for me. But then... I lost 40 pounds. Things that were hard or impossible or uncomfortable for me then, are now a different story! I conquered running (or I'm working on it) and I conquered weight loss, so now what? When I started to think of what I wanted to conquer next the first thing that came to mind was core strength. I played softball for ten years so my arm strength seemed to bounce back once I started working on it, and my legs have been becoming stronger from running, but what about my core? It was being left out! I tried doing sit ups and planks and push ups. It just wasn't working. 

In comes yoga, something I always wanted to try, but always scared to make that leap and join a class. I looked around at a lot of studios and DVDs but it was all expensive or intimidating. Then a few of my friends suggested Savannah Power Yoga, ok they didn't just suggest, they raved about it. I decided to check it out. I was... pretty nervous, but that all went away after the first class. I told my friends that I don't think I could have done it before I started losing weight. Is that true for everyone? No, I don't think so. It's all mental! But I didn't just lose 40lbs, I lost all that inhibition that was stopping me from running and working out for fear of being inferior. And like I said before, things that were hard for me then, aren't now. I mean... crossing my legs! That was uncomfortable.

The best part of the few classes I've been to is that it's just an hour of doing yoga. You focus on nothing but the practice. An hour (or an hour and a half) of being present and not worrying about any of the other BS things floating around in your mind. An hour of me time! So for all you people that don't think you can do yoga, give it a try! You might be surprised at what you can do! And I say all this after only 3 classes, who knows what's going to happen in 3 months.

July Already?!?

I can't believe another month has gone by. That means it's time for me to recap June... and well, I'm a little ashamed at myself! Although I haven't been very bad when it comes to eating healthy and exercising I really didn't do anything I wanted to last month. 

June goals:

1. Lose 5 pounds (I've already lost 3 this month). I sort of did this one. I've lost 5.8lbs since May 30th, as of this morning but it's technically July, not June.
2. Join a fitness class (Yoga, Bootcamp, or Zumba). Nope.
   
3. Work on posture and core strength.
4. Do sprints. Did this once...
   
5. Drink my weight in water every day by ounces (literally, 150+ ounces of water a day). Not even close. Although I have been a little better by doing at leas 64 ounces the past week or so.

Now for measurements. I like to do my measurements once a month but now that I'm so close to maintenance I'm not expecting to see those drastic numbers I did when I first started. I lost an inch and a half off each thigh in the first month! But I have heard other girls lose up to two sizes after reaching maintenance. I feel like the last 10 pounds have made such a huge visual difference, but on top of that I feel like a much better runner.

Waist: -.5 in

Hips: -.5 in

Bust: -.5 in

Arms: 0.0

Thighs: -.5 in

So weird! I had the same amount of loss all over (with the exception of my arms). I'm definitely happy with it!

So now for July goals!

1. Reach maintenance!
2. Go to Yoga. 
3. Drink more water! It's so hot outside.
4. Run my furthest distance (over 5 miles).
5. Finish my TNT letters and emails.
6. Start going to WW meetings so I can get lifetime.
7. Core strength, core strength, core strength.

I'm looking forward to this month! Camping comes in a few weeks, I should reach maintenance soon, I'm going to my first yoga class today, I'm running better than ever and TNT looks to have an amazing month! Remember to donate! I need to get a lot more money by August. Just for some motivation one of the girls in our group mentioned this at our group training session this weekend: 

Every 4 minutes someone is diagnosed with blood cancer, so while we're out there running for 45 minutes 11 people have their lives changed.

Making Stupid Mistakes... And Then Learning to Move On

One thing I learned in the beginning of my server training way back in 2006 (wink wink, waaayy back) was that if you make a mistake with a table, ya gotta move on and forget about it. If you dwell it just keeps messing you up, over and over. Then you go home, finally fall asleep and you dream about it!! I usually don't have control over the dreaming part but if I make a mistake while I'm at work, it's gone and out of my head in minutes.  But in my real life it's a little harder to let go, especially when that mistake costs hundreds of your hard earned dollars.

Today I woke up all excited (ok, I didn't wake up, I technically never went to sleep) to go on my trip to Baltimore to see my cousins and aunts and uncles and run a 5K tomorrow. My flight was supposed to leave at 6:24AM so I left the house when it was still dark out (a typical Saturday for me now, I guess) and made my way to the airport to find out that my flight... was YESTERDAY! I totally booked the wrong day. Way to go Katie... NOT! With some help (MAJOR help) from my cousin I was able to pay for my ticket to be moved to a later flight today, but I tell you what, I sure felt defeated this morning.

Making a big mistake like that, on top of getting an email rejection from a job I really want yesterday, and not having any money, really just hit me! I haven't felt like the world was working against me like that in quite a long time. My life outlook is relatively positive, especially since I started WW in January. Today was just a little harder. Hopefully everything else goes the way it's supposed to.

Handy Dandy Nail Polish Strips

I don't usually talk about beauty products here but I had to make a little post about this! 

I've always seen the Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips in drug stores and Target and whatnot and have always wanted to try them, and I finally did! I was afraid they would be hard to put on but they were super easy and looked like normal polish. The best part is that they're made to last for a long period of time and come off with normal nail polish remover.

I got an air bubble in the first one, but the rest were easy peasy! So go check 'em out because I'm definitely getting more! I think they'd especially be good for a vacation so you don't have to take nail polish with you for touch ups. They come with extras in different sizes in case you mess up or one peels off (like my right pointer finger nail did, I just use it so much).

On a different note, go check out my friend Victoria's blog, @ victoriaruns.com. She has a Transformation Tuesday series on her blog and today she featured little old ME :)!

June Goals

At the beginning of every month I like to take a second and write down my goals for the month. I didn't do this last month so I think it's important to do it this month!

1. Lose 5 pounds (I've already lost 3 this month).
2. Join a fitness class (Yoga, Bootcamp, or Zumba).
3. Work on posture and core strength.
4. Do sprints.
5. Drink my weight in water every day by ounces (literally, 150+ ounces of water a day).

There are my 5 goals for this month! I'm also trying to focus more on my job hunt and waking up earlier in the day, but those are things I'm always working on. I'm just not a morning person... and I hate cover letters!

Today, I woke up to rain for the second day in row, the third rainy day this week! I miss the pool. But I LOVE running in the rain, and to top it off it was only 70 degrees! On Wednesdays I usually eat whatever I feel like eating when I go out for dinner, let's call it my cheat day. Last night I had a heavy duty (aaaamazing) pasta. So when I got outside, anticipating a 2 mile run, I realized I could go a lot further since I had all this energy from those carbs and the extra two hours of sleep I let myself have. I basically kicked my Thursday run in the ass. Averaged a 9:40 min/mile for 4 and a half miles (I wish I had a way of knowing my individual mile times)... woo that's fast for me! I'm so used to heat and humidity slowing me down that the rain really did wonders for me.

New hair!

Yesterday, I got a hair cut. It was an amazing hour of me-time. It was also a celebration of the fact that I haven't dyed my hair in 10 months! No more crazy money and chemicals are going into my hair. 

On a side note. I've been watching Boy Meets World a lot. It comes on MTV2 during the day and I just need to say that I love Mr. Feeny. That's all.

Took a Little Break...

It's been a little over a month since I wrote a post, and it's mirrored in my weight loss. I was pretty slack at the end of April and most of May. I've cracked back down the last two weeks, so I figured I should get back to the blogging. 

The last 10 pounds have really made a huge visual difference for me, and apparently every one else. I get lots of compliments, and at times it's embarrassing but I appreciate people noticing my hard work.

At 167

At 157

I've changed my goal from 154 to 149. I'll maintain there for a few months, probably till after the half, then re-evaluate to see if I want to lose more.

Eating right and working is still hard. I don't have time to eat when I'm there, plus my options are really limited, so if I forget to bring something or I don't eat before hand I end up not eating or I stuff french fries and a turkey sandwich in my mouth. Between Friday and today I lost 3 pounds... which I  think a lot of you would say, "That's a good thing!" but losing weight because I'm not eating or not eating right, in my eyes, is a bad thing. So I'm happy to have some time off to get back to my routine.

This week marks the kick off for my half marathon training! I'm stoked. I've never run with a group before so I can't wait to experience that (plus I'm a little nervous). We have our kick off on Thursday. That means I'm going to start really annoying the heck out of you guys for some money. I set my goal high, and it'd be AWESOME to reach it. I'm trying to think of a fundraiser I could do through work and maybe some other bars/restaurants on River Street so if you have any ideas, pass 'em along!

http://pages.teamintraining.org/ga/rnrsav12/kkerkhoff

Race for The Cure!

This week I worked my little fingers as quick as I could to pump out some tutus in about a days time. They got finished just in time, but there wasn't enough time to make my own! Mostly because I had to work on Friday night, when I'd anticipated having it off. 

I also played softball twice! I joined a team called the Ballbusters, which has been kind of awesome. I played softball for years and years but I was never really in shape or really put my best efforts into being a full on athlete. I haven't played in a looooong time so I can't say I'm very good anymore but it's definitely nice to get out there on the bases and enjoy the sprinting.

On Wednesday I made the last minute (and I mean last minute, I decided with 3 hours left to register haha) to run the Susan G. Komen race in Savannah on Saturday. I originally decided not to because I was in the middle of training for a 10K and had to work at 10:30 on Saturday. Then I said screw it! I've never participated in this event, even though it's pretty big in Savannah because I didn't just want to walk it, and honestly ... I didn't want to walk that far haha. So since I had such huge success at my first 5k in March (a little over a month before this one),  and I'd been working on running longer distances, I was excited to shave some time off of my 5K time. 

But I wasn't as restful this week as I'd like to be. I was super sore from some squats I did Tuesday, plus I ran 3 miles Wednesday, and of course the two softball games I played. On top of that I had to work Friday night which means a lot of walking and standing. And because I always chose fashion over functionality I wore shoes with no support. Going into the race I was still confident, even with the humidity!

Pre-Race with Mindy and Ann.

That being said, I think I was over confident and let my mind fall by the way side. I started up front mostly because that's where I ended up! So being up at the beginning was a little discouraging since everyone (and I mean everyone) was passing me! I cannot believe I let it bother me, but it definitely did. My mind just wasn't where it should have been. I've run this distance numerous times since my first race and at the end I felt like I could have gone further, but this time either because of my mindset, tired legs or the heat, I was EXHAUSTED afterwards. 

Post-race with Ann, a Breast Cancer Survivor, and my all important post race (free) beer.

But in the end I finished with an unofficial time of 30:21 (no chip!)! Which I think is pretty bad ass. But now I'm going to start back on the 10K program and do week 4 over again. Instead of relying on my GPS app I've mapped out various routes with my car in hopes of getting something a little more accuracy.

Here's to a new week!

Milestones

I was a little afraid to talk about this on here because when I weighed in on Wednesday morning I thought it might be a fluke. And so far I've been correct, but I've decided to write anyway (I've also been pretty sore which I've read somewhere could mean I'm retaining more water than usual).

As of 9AM Wednesday morning I have lost 25 pounds on Weight Watchers! 

Wait... huh? WHAT?! I've lost 25 pounds?! It certainly doesn't feel that way. And as much as I brag about myself and the success I've had so far, I don't honestly feel like I've done that much. Yes, I am amazed every time I go out and run 3 miles, and I am able to push myself harder during work out, but other than that and the way my pants fit, I don't feel that different. Why is that? People freak out when they lose 5 pounds, and I've lost that PLUS 20 more. All I can think about is that I have a long way to go. And I don't mean LIKE OMG I'M SO FAT! I HAVE SO MUCH MORE WEIGHT TO LOSE! OMG! I mean that I have a long ways to go before I feel accomplished. 

I've had a few people ask me how much more I'm going to lose and I don't really have an answer. There is a goal that I have on the Weight Watchers site, but it's just a number. What I want to reach is so much more. I want to finish a half marathon... and who knows maybe finish a WHOLE marathon one day. I want to be able to do push ups. I want to be strong. I don't care if I never weigh under 160 pounds. I'm happy at the weight I am, I'm just not happy with the level of fitness that I'm at. I have so much more that I want to do, and that's what I mean when I say I have a long ways to go.

A lot of people on WW seem to think celebrating milestones is important, and in WW land they give you stars for percentages lost and some other increments. Well last month I ran a 5K when I didn't think I could, this weekend I will run a 5K with CONFIDENCE! Hoping to improve my time, not just run the whole thing without stopping. That's a milestone. I'll celebrate that. Today I decided to join the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training to train for a half marathon (and raise $1,250!) this summer (the race is in November). That's a milestone. For a late night snack I had an apple and peanut butter instead of ice cream. That's a milestone, let's celebrate that!

So next time you see me and notice I've lost weight (or have read this), don't say "When are you going to stop?", ask me why I started.

The weight is just a number. The size of my pants is just a number. 

13.1 miles is soooo much more than a number.

Gotta Get Movin'!

This weekend was a pretty big fail on the healthy lifestyle for me. I drank too much and didn't eat enough. Normally I would say that's not a terrible thing but I just felt absolutely terrible all day Sunday and therefore didn't do my long run until Monday. It's just thrown my whole schedule out of wack.

I was scheduled to run 4 miles this weekend, the longest I've ever run (once again) and it went really well! I was 150% sure that my free app on my phone was tracking me wrong and that I wasn't really running as far as I should but I know I'm running further than I was before, which is something. To double check my route I mapped it out and it turned out to be about 3 miles. So it's waaaay off and it's got me thinking I need to invest in a new way of tracking my distance. My heart rate monitor's chest strap recently snapped so I need to replace that, so why not just invest in something nice that has a GPS? The biggest reason not to, obviously, is the cost! I'm trying to make a decision soon because I rely heavily on my HRM to motivate me. Plus it tracks my calories. Calories burned = Weight Watcher Activity Points!

Do any of you out there use a GPS watch or iPhone App that you love? Let me know!

Out With the Old

Yesterday I took a whole laundry basket full of clothes to Plato's Closet to try to get some money for some of my clothes that will never fit again. They took 5 things! They're pretty picky so I thought that was spectacular ;). I took the rest over to Goodwill. It felt amazing! For one, there is a lot more space in my small closet/room and two, it's nice to get rid of all those clothes I refuse to wear again. I don't ever want to go back to a size like that unless I'm pregnant or something.

I lost a pound this week. I'm trying to be really happy that I've lost one pound two weeks in a row. My weight loss should naturally be slowing down at this point, and if I lose a pound a week for 10 weeks then I'll have reached my goal. And I know that WW preaches slow loss and focusing on a lifestyle change, but that doesn't help me get into the right frame of mind. It's definitely the latest of my challenges. It certainly doesn't help that I don't feel like I've really been committing the way I used to since I moved back to Savannah. My goal this week is to crack down on the fitness portion of weight loss. 

In the end I'm not really here to lose weight, I'm here to get in shape, the losing weight is just an added benefit.