Official race photos

I swore I wouldn't purchase any, but I couldn't resist.  It was my first race for Pete's sake!  So here are some official pictures from the Chocolate Race.  Trust me, these are the cream of the crop.  The other dozen or so, not so flattering.  But seeing those unflattering photos, definitely makes me wanna keep running!  Talk about an instant motivator.  I may look decent in street clothes, but compression wear, not so much!

Me on the left, Beverly, Enz, Pauline and Tanya.
It was the first race for Bev, Tanya and I, the first Canadian race for Pauline.
Pauline's a Mathematics student from Paris, France working towards her PhD.
She's freakishly smart and scares the Bejeezus our of me!

This is the beginning of the race.  My running girls are behind me.
Tanya on the left (checking out my shoes, or my butt), I'm blocking Enz, and Bev (#214) to the right.
I look like a strong runner with good form here but looks are deceiving.
Bev and Tanya finished almost three minutes ahead of me!

Me and Enz coming to the finish line.
It's a shame they didn't get my arms pumping into the air as I passed the finish line shot!

So there you have it!  My first race is now recorded in the Chocolate Race picture archives.  If you want a fun race to do, I highly recommend this one.  It's probably the most fun I've had in a long time!  And all the chocolate!  There is lots of chocolate to eat during and after.  Well worth the registration fee.

I'm hoping to post some new recipes soon.  I've put them on the back burner for a couple of reasons.  I don't have a working camera, and I've been obsessed about running.  How boring for those of you who don't care about running!  I have a very yummy pickled onion and arugula salad I want to post about.  I adapted it from a recipe in the latest Running Room magazine.  Hopefully, I'll get it posted within the week.

Note to self...never let your 4 year old take pictures with your digital camera lest he drop it and damage the lens.  $190 to fix it?  Ummm, no thanks.  I'll just get one of those funky new android phones.  I haven't upgraded my phone in three years!  When it comes to technology, I'm sooooooo old school.  I thought it was cool enough to have a qwerty keyboard phone, but apparently not.  My adolescent clients tell me I have a "ghetto" phone.  I need to remedy this tout de suite!  The last thing I want to be is ghetto! I really can't pull that off, nor my qwerty phone apparently.

The Chocolate Race - Port Dalhousie

Enz and I on the shuttle bus before the race.  That's Bev in the back...and Tanya's pearly whites!
And I would be remiss if I didn't mention that Bev kicked ass!
She broke her tail bone 5 weeks ago and completed her 1st 5k a good 2:20 ahead of me!

Well, I made it through my very first race...and I LOVED it!  It is completely addicting and I can't wait to do it again.  My next race is already this Saturday, the Hazel 5k in Mississauga.  I don't know what I loved more.  The overall energy of the race, or just the fact that I completed it without dying.  There was a pretty long incline and a very steep hill that had a sharp turn.  So there was a good chance of cardiac arrest during the run.  But I did not falter, I finished!

Me, Bev, Pauline, Willy Wonka, Enz and Tanya before the race.

I was waiting all last night for my official chip time, since I was given a chip for my shoe.  They didn't record chip times.  My gun time was 45:28, but we were in back and didn't cross the start line until about 1:40 after the gun time.  Enz worked out our race time to be about 43:49.  Which I'm very happy with. It's better than any of the practice runs we did.  And really not bad for someone who could barely run a minute 8 weeks ago.  If I can learn to run and compete in a 5k eight weeks after my first running clinic, anyone can! Don't forget, I'm the person who swore I hated all forms of exercise only two months ago.

Just before gun time.

We had such a fun day on Sunday.  There was tons of chocolate!  Chocolate croissants and milk for recovery...and water/Gatorade and chocolate covered marshmallows and strawberries at the aid station.  And with your medal, you were given three coupons you could redeem in the village for truffles, a brownie and a chocolate martini.  Needless to say, no chocolate of any kind touched my lips.  My running girls were more than happy to eat my share.

I think the absolute most exhilarating moment was crossing the finish line.  People are lined up along the route, cheering you on, and they announce your name when you cross.  Just before Enz and I crossed, this 10 year old girl, just flew by us.  Unfortunately for us, the official photographer shot her and missed us.  I'm not too sad about that.  I do not make pleasant facial expression when I run.

The swag.  Medal and t-shirt after the race.
I came in 77/103 for my age group and 334/441 overall.  I wasn't last!!!!!!!!!

Enz and I ran again tonight, in the rain.  We almost ran 4k and did pretty good time.  Not bad for an after race run.  Running in the rain chills me right to my bones.  I can't seem to get warm afterwards.  Enz is such a supportive and inspirational friend.  If it wasn't for her, and my good luck of meeting her through the blogging world, I would never have begun running.  Running has really become a part of my life and I'm so blessed that I found something that I love to do.  I'm not the best, or fastest runner, but I don't care.  I will get stronger and lighter which will make me faster.  I have accomplished so much in the past 7 1/2 months, that nothing is going to stop me now.

My good friend and inspiration!

I'm back in the Poon groove

Sunday's race day!  I'm super excited and just a tinge nervous.  I ran 5k again last night, so I know I can complete the race.  We even ran up and down a pretty steep hill, twice.  So I definitely have confidence that I will finish.  I'm just picturing myself placing last.  I'm not the fastest runner, and I just hope that walkers don't pass me.  But seriously, have you seen some of those speed walkers?  They're freakishly fast!  Tomorrow's our last run before the race and we're moving up to 8:1 intervals.  New intervals always make me nervous, but I know I'll do fine.  I just like to build myself up into a lather before trying something new.  It works out to be very anti-climactic in the end, so I don't know why I bother!

I just finished binging big time.  I wonder if you can call eating an entire head of iceberg lettuce a binge.  Since I'm allowed to eat it until I'm full, I guess I didn't do anything too wrong.  It's gotta be better than eating a bag of chips...which I'm not gonna lie, I really wanted to do instead.  But I chose the lettuce (mainly for the crunch), and I'll be better for it in the long run.  It was just one of those nights when I wanted to keep eating even after I finished my dinner.  Iceberg lettuce gone, crisis averted.

I had a moment of nostalgia today.  I was driving out to Peterborough to see a client and I had a few minutes to spare, so I stopped into Dr. Poon's new Pickering clinic.  It was really so I could buy some Chocolite bars, 'cos I was hankering for a sweet.  I saw Dr. Stephen in the parking lot heading out for lunch and I truly missed the man.  True we have not always seen eye to eye, but absolutely everything he's ever said to me has stayed with me.  I know that he was supporting me the best way he knew how.  And it's not until you're without something in your life that you really begin to miss it.

Before I even knew what I was doing, I went into the clinic and made an appointment for the next time I will be driving out to Peterborough.  I'm sooooooooooo excited to be back.  Not only is the clinic beautiful, but I always liked the regular visits with Dr. Stephen because it made everything official.  And I really want the certificate when I reach my goal. I've seen a picture of someone else's and it's a nice looking piece of paper!

I haven't been to the clinic since it was at the old location.  February 3rd was my last appointment with Dr. Stephen.  That was 19 pounds ago.  I have followed the diet on my own and been successful, but I miss the whole Dr. Poon vibe I get by going to the clinic.  Also, although I love Dr. Pitt, he knows very little about Dr. Poon's diet and I'm constantly explaining it to him.  I suggested he purchase the book!  I think it's better for me to be monitored by doctors who are knowledgeable about this diet.  I'm glad that I swung by and got an appointment for May 10th.  Unfortunately Dr. Stephen will be on vacation, but I'll get to see him in a month and I'm looking forward to it!

While I was in the clinic store purchasing my Chocolite bars, a lovely young woman said my name.  I look up and she says, "You're from Facebook.  I read your blog".  She went on to tell me that she enjoyed my blog and thought I had a lot of guts to do it.  She also wished me well in my race on Sunday.  It was a huge shock to be recognized.  I was so humbled by her kind words, that in all my nervousness, I forgot to ask her what her name is.  If you read this post, please message me so I can also acknowledge who you are and thank you for completely making my day.  The support I get from everyone in my life, whether it be via the web world, or my real life, is not lost on me.  I appreciate each and every kind word, message, comment and only hope that I am supporting others in much the same way.  Thanks once again to all for reading!

Breaking up is hard to do

That looks nothing like Dr. Stephen or Jillian Michaels!
If only either one had such a prominent chin, or blue hair.

So, it's official.  Dr. Stephen and I have decided to part ways.  And not because of issues I have had with him in the past, but because the clinic I go to is closing.  It's the closest clinic for me, and the other 4 are waaaaaay out of my way.  So we are breaking up at the end of February on amicable terms.  I'm not sure how I feel about this.

On the one hand, he's made me angry more than once because I felt criticized and not supported a whole lot.  We did have a heart to heart today and he knows how he made me feel and I know that he was just trying to be supportive.  He called me a mystery because I loose the same amount of weight every visit and the amount of fat vs. water weight always fluctuates which confuses the hell out of him.  Even though I never change my eating habits or do anything different week to week.  I told him today and I told him before, I don't care if the 5 pounds I loose is fat or water.  It's five pounds lost!  Since starting the diet, I have not ever gained, which I think is testament to the fact that I have in fact, not cheated.

On the other hand, I like going in for "official" weigh-ins because it keeps me accountable.  So what to do?  Well we discussed and decided that I would see him 2 more times, then I would continue to be monitored monthly by my family physician Dr. Pitt.  I love Dr. Pitt.  He got excited if I lost a pound a month.  He's gonna wet himself when I visit him in March having lost 55+ pounds!  The only thing I'm not looking forward to is having the LONG wait.  Sometimes it takes over an hour to see him.

Well regardless, I feel good about being able to continue this diet on my own.  Dr. Stephen did build up my confidence today and told me that he knows I can do this on my own.  He was very sweet to me today.  And if I start to falter, I can go back to the clinic, I just have to drive farther.  When I go to the clinic every other week, I just get weighed, get yelled at for not bringing my urine (I always forget it on the back of my toilet-gross), get my blood pressure taken (which is normal by the way and I'm no longer taking meds), and sometimes get into heated discussions with Dr. Stephen about how I'm not cheating.  I think I can give that up:)

I've also broken up with Jillian Michaels.  This was a more abrupt and "I'll call you when I'm ready" kind of break-up.  I learned three things last night:

1. That Jillian Michaels is a sadist.
2. That I am the least flexible person I know.
3. That yoga should not be attempted by novices.

I still really want to learn yoga...properly.  I will take a "gentle" yoga class this spring when it's offered through my local Parks and Rec centre.  Gentle yoga is pre-beginner yoga.  The beginner yoga tape that Jillian Michaels put out is for the beginner with 5 years experience type of beginner.  I will use her tape, 5 years down the road.

So that's my update.  I lost another 5 pounds, joined the Running Room, and will be signing up for the Chocolate Race this weekend with my pal Enz.  I was texting my sister-in-law earlier today.  She's been a HUGE support to me and just wanted to wish me luck for my weigh-in.  She mentioned that she couldn't believe I joined the Running Room (and neither can I).  I told her about the marathon too and I said that I was either really motivated or really stupid.  I'm gonna stick with motivated:)