Blog Award!

I'm still smiling from the Half Marathon! Thank you so much for all the kind words, I appreciate it so much. I would never think that anyone one would find inspiration in me. All of you out there who WANT to run, try it! You can do it. It is not about speed or distance. Start on a Couch to 5K (C25K) and try it for a few days a week. It will not be easy but the benefits are AMAZING!

I would like to thank the three ladies that gave me this award: Dee, Erin and Healthier Me.  If you are not following them or read their blogs, please take a moment to do so.  They are inspirational and always have my back!  THANK YOU!

The rules of the award:

• Thank the person who gave you this award, and link back to them in your post. (Thanks again, see above)
• Tell us 10 things about yourself.
• Nominate your bloggers. (This will be hard since most of my nominees either gave me the award or have received it already)
• Contact these bloggers, and let them know they received this award.**For some reason I cannot post comments right now, I am so sorry!

10 Things about me:

1. I have never had braces.  I am often asked, but I am blessed to have straight teeth.  My smile is my best asset.
2. I am obsessed with key chains.  I have about 10 key chains and 2 keys.  People always comment on how many I have!  All I can say is that I never loss my keys.  Whenever I go anywhere, I have to get a key chain, I find that they are the perfect souvenir.  I have one that is a bug preserved in glass, whenever I go anywhere I am always asked about it.
3. I would love to own a pet snake one day, since I was young I have always thought they were beautiful.
4. Since everyone is talking about baby names I love Adara for a girl and Isaiah, Elijah or Noah for a boy.
5. I am a jack of all trades, but master of none. I can cook a bit, sing a bit, dance a bit, paint a bit.  I do not excel at one thing but I am OK at everything.
6. I love the show Ghost Whisperer, I don't know what it is , but I find it so interesting.
7. I get along with everyone, I am the most easy going person you will ever meet.
8. I love beaches, I am lucky to have been to some on the best in the world, my favorite is Ko Phi Phi, Thailand.
9. I love to travel, hopefully this December I will get to go to Ghana with a friend
10. I love languages, if I was rich I would learn every language I could.  I have French down, can get by in Japanese and took a bit of German.

Nominees

Tim
Cupcake Quandary

This Saturday, I am running a 5K, I know, I know but I really love to race and I haven't run one in a long time....

P.S.  If your legs are soar from working out or running  (or kicking so much ass!) take a bath with Epsom salts (I know that you have read this already), the NEW tip that was given to me by my masseuse (I had to have a massage after the race) was to add a few drops of peppermint essential oil to the bath.  I did it last night and it gives that lovely cooling sensation.  I felt so wonderful!

Have a great night!

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Your Legs Are Soar, From Kicking So Much Ass!!!!!!!

     Yesterday, was the best day of my 30 years on this planet.  I finished my first Half Marathon in Ottawa. Considering I started running last year, I cannot believe I made it to this moment. I ran 21.1 K (13 miles) in 2 hours and 31 minutes.  I finished strong, I was am so happy.  I am so proud of myself. I cannot believe it.  Every time I think about what I have accomplished, I smile.  Part of me thinks that I can actually run a marathon one day.  Maybe by the time that I am 35 it can be done.  I think that I need to have a few more halves under my belt. I wore my medal to work today like a loser, but I didn't care! 

We went down to Ottawa on Saturday and we headed to the Convention Center to pick up our race kits. 

   

Line of cars heading to the Convention Center to pick up their kits

My bib number, the longest number I have ever received.

We received a shirt with our registration, by the time we got there only L and XL were left, luckily they were made small

  

The shirt

I ran into another Running Room buddy at the pick up, all smiles, we didn't know what we were in for.

There was an expo with various running booths.  One of them was for a race in the Cayman Islands, I wish! One day, one day...

Got this great pin

That night we went to a lovely Italian restaurant (carb loading baby!) and had a lovely dinner.

The next morning we were up at 5:45 am (the race was at 9 a.m).  I had my healthy oatmeal breakfast and we headed out.  We knew that many streets would be closed because the marathon started at 7 am.  We had to pay 16$ to park the car and I was down impressed with  that.

I am so excited!  Can you tell?

Jen and I, co worker, running buddy, friend.

This was the crowd at the race, over 9300 people ran/walk the half marathon!  Isn't that crazy?

Getting ready to start. As you can see the weather was crappy, but it was great for running. The rain cut the humidity.




Here I am at the beginning of the race, why am I so cheesy, I am sure I do not sound like what you thought:

The race it self was fantastic, I started of fast and strong, I think it was the energy of the crowd.  The great thing about Ottawa was along the route there were people cheering, high fiving and encouraging us along the route. Many people had told me that running the Ottawa Half was amazing because of the crowd but this is something that you have to experience yourself.  Everything they say about this race is true and more.

The signs along the race route were HILARIOUS! 

You are NOT almost done.  ---> This sign was at the 5K mark

This seemed like a good idea in January

Run? I thought it said RUM!



Go Go, Gadget Legs

This is the worst parade EVER!

My favorite--> Your legs are soar from kicking so much ASS!

    I took a one minute walk every ten minutes (except for the first one) and this really helped me stay strong during the race.  I really didn't feel tired until about 14K.  The back of my ankles started to hurt.  Funny at 17K a women said, "You are almost done".  Sorry Lady, 4K means another half an hour that is NOT almost done.

It wasn't all roses and chocolate.  Along the route I saw at least 4 people who needed medical attention with ambulances, one young lady was on a stretcher, I said a little prayer for her.  A man passed out 2K before the end of the race.  Her was shaking and blue.  Some people were vomiting along the route.

When I saw 1K I got my Usian Bolt injection, I saw the finish line and I was ready.  I sprinted like a bat out of hell. People must of thought I had just smoked crack, because I was going so fast.  I had my hands up like I had won the lottery, I was ecstatic.

When I crossed the finish, I saw the guy in front of me get on one knee and propose to his girlfriend that he has run the race with.  She was like, "What are you doing?"  He replied, "We did this together, will you marry me?"  She accepted.  My question is, did he run with the ring in his pocket the whole time?

That silver cape was given to us to stay warm.

When I get my official pics I will post them.  I went for a much needed massage today, surprisingly my legs are not too bad, they have been in worse shape.

Thanks for reading, more to come soon!

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Bad Blogger

   I know that I have been a bad blogger.  I have been reading, just not commenting.  I am so busy with the end of the school year on its way.  THANK YOU for the awards I will address those in a bit.

MY FIRST HALF MARATHON IN 4 days!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! CRAZAY! #homealoneface

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From The Heart

It always seems impossible until its done.

Nelson Mandela

20 kilometers, 12.4 miles, that is how much I ran yesterday.  If you had told me this a year ago, I would have called you crazy and asked what you were smoking.  I still cannot believe it.  Last year I started running (read the post where it all started), and in two weeks I will be running my first HALF MARATHON, that is fucking BANANAS!  I went from running for 1 minute and walking for 1 minute (similar to a Couch to 5K program) and not I can run for 3 hours.  I cannot believe it, I have come so far.  I remember the days when I could not run on the treadmill, my back would hurt because of my breasts, my shins would burn.  Since I have lost weight that is all gone.  Granted when I reach 13K, my knees and ankles begin to cry a bit, but that is normal.  I am so proud of myself, I really cannot believe it.  I look at myself in the mirror and although I have gained weigh since my recent low of 209, I am fit, I am healthy, I am beautiful.  I often get asked if I ran track in high school (no), because I just have that shape.  I am very lucky that I am proportional enough that I do not look my weight (217), I guess that I am also blessed with a nice height also (5'9'').  I am happy that I am living a healthy lifestyle and I am also happy that I inspire others to do so also (at least I hope I do).

Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to read this little old blog and comment, it means the world to me.  Those of you that are struggling (I am there too), remember that you are doing this for you, you will see changes and you will not regret them.  Your family,  your future family, you have the opportunity to change their outlook on eating and activity.  You can change your family history, you can lower your blood pressure, you can lower your cholesterol.  You can be the size you were before you got pregnant.

Let me tell you a story about a pink and black shirt...

Once a time there was a cute pink and black shirt at a plus size store.  The only size they had let was X (smaller than 1X), at the time I wore 2X, but I loved the shirt so much that I bought it even thought it was tight and I said to myself one day this shirt would fit me.  As I began to lose weight pink and black shirt fit.  Last week I put on said shirt and I am now swimming in it.  I smiled to myself and remembered the feeling I felt when I paid for it and prayed that one day it would fit.

Everyone has a "pink and black shirt" in their wardrobe, something they want to fit into, YOU CAN DO IT.  Trust me it might take you 2 months or it might take 2 years, but you can do it.  Forget the nay sayers and the haters, let them hate, haters only hate what they cannot imitate.

Once again THANK YOU!  Keep doing what you are doing, I promise it will pay off!

p.s

Thirteenlbs these are burpees, they were invented by the Devil :o)

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Sweatshop

I wish that I was talking about making 2.25$ an hour sewing soccer balls. But I am talking about a class at the gym I went to last night. This was the most I have sweat in a long time, I will definitely be attending this class again. We did lunges across the room floor in different variation (with weights over our heads, while doing bicep curls) My legs were shaking by the end. Then we had to do donkey kicks.

A few times and I swear , I was crying out in pain. That wasn't the end, no, we think did a little step routine and some burpees. He then told us to go down on the mat. I was so happy, until he said to getup, then go back down! I thought I was going to die. Although my body is in pain, I love it!

Tomorrow is my last long run before the half marathon in two weeks! 20k baby!!

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Weight loss is a funny thing.

      Once again I am not seeing any movement on the scale, but my clothes are fitting better and I am wearing a smaller size.  I tracking my food and drinking water.  I know that you have heard this many a time from me before and I am thinking of going to see a dietitian to help me, I am eating a lot more fish and last night make a breaded tilapia that was delicious, I made a little sauce out of mustard, honey and scotch bonnet sauce (super hot sauce) to go on the side.  I am not sure why things are no longer working.
    The weather in Montreal is finally nice and it really helps with running outside, the 19.5K  on Sunday was actually better than the 18K the week before, but I think that also had to do with the flatter terrain.  I will be doing speed work again tomorrow and I am going to try and head to the gym today, I have been slacking on the weights.  I hate when I go to the gym and they have changed the teacher for a class, because I never know what the intensity that teacher will have and when I do not have time to waste, I do not want to go to a class with a stranger teacher that I will not enjoy.

     Read this quote on twitter the other day (@MissHaneefa) and I really like it.  I really think that it can apply to weight loss, you can work really hard in a week and the scale will not show much but those habits will stay with you for life!

"Not everything that is counted counts and not everything that counts is counted"

--Albert Einstein

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19.5

     That is how many kilometers I ran today!  It is hard to believe that I started running a year ago and now I am almost done a half marathon distance. 1.5 more and I am at the half marathon distance. To all those of you running, if you like it stick with it.  This activity makes me feel so good, so free.

This my mom Icis on her wedding day in 1978. Happy Mother's Day Mom!  I love you more than anything, if I can one day be half the mother you are, I will consider my job done.  I love you.

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Are You Some Kind Of Health Nut?

This is what I was asked today. I went to a group interview and had lunch with one of the fellow candidates. We went to a place that was serving breakfast, I ordered a cheddar and bacon omelette with brown toast, I then asked to replace the home fries with fruit, they said they do not do that, but could replace it with tomato slices. I agreed to this. The girl I was with then said, "What are you some kind of health nut?". I explained a bit about my weight loss journey and that seemed to intrigue her. She congratulated me and that was the end of that. Has anything like this ever happened to you? Do people make comments about your healthy meal choices?"

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Bringing Back The Stars

I went back in time, no silly, not literally, I went back and read my posts from last year at this time. I read and reflected on what worked at what didn't and you know what? It is time to bring back the YES YOU CAN STARS! When I was on this system I lost 9 pounds in a month and I need to get back to where I was when I came back from Trinidad. I have been eating well for the last 3 days and it is working out. Unfortunately, I have a brunch on Sunday for Mother's Day and it is a West Indian Brunch, you know what that means? Bake and salt fish yummy!



I did speed work on Wednesday, it was a bitch in sheep's clothing.

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18K and Positive Self Talk

I did it. I ran 18K. It took 2 hours and 27 minutes but I did it! The weather Sunday was great, perfect running weather. The first 12 K were good, I was running with this great girl and we had tons of laughs along the way. When I reached the 13th kilometer things started to go downhill, my legs started to hurt and I felt that I could no longer continue. Then I remembered my first 5K race and I remembered how happy I was when I finished, I could do it. I did it! I finished. Today is another story my legs are in pain but it is a good pain. The race is in less than 3 weeks, all I have to add is 3k to my distance and then I am done!



This week we are working on speed work. Someone will run as fast as they can on the track and we will have to catch them for 1 -2 minutes, in essence we are playing tag.



Running Room puts out a magazine each month this month there is an article on POSITIVE SELF TALK, here are a few phrases to think of when you are having trouble:

• I am in control of my own thinking, my own life and emotions and direct the pattern of my performance, health and life.
• I am fully capable of achieving the goals I set today, they are within my reach
• I learn from my problems and setbacks, and through them I see room for improvements and opportunities for personal growth.
• Everyday in some way I am better, wiser, more focused, more confident and more in control

Have a great week!

P.S this was my Royal Wedding swag from last Friday;

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