The post about running, running and more running

Around 230 pounds                               Around 165 pounds

• Besides what I eat day to day and whether or not I've had weight loss/skin removal surgery, the next most common question I get asked is about running. I have answered this in the past, but it's been a while since I dedicated a post to running, so for those of you wondering, here is my running history, in abbreviated form.
• I started my weight loss journey at around 300 pounds. Two hundred and ninety-seven to be exact. I lost 67 pounds in 7 months and my weight loss began to slow. I knew I had to start doing some form of exercise to kick start things again. Enter the Learn to Run program through the Running Room. That is how I started running. I ran 3x per week for 10 weeks and started by running for 1 minute and walking for 2 minutes. The next week we ran for 1 minute and walked for 1 minute, then ran for 2 minutes and walked for 1 minute. The running time increased each week, the minute walk always stayed the same. By the end of the 10 weeks, I could run for 10 minutes straight and run 5K. Honest to God, I could barely run for a whole minute without feeling like I was going to expire when I first started running. I'm not going to sugar coat things. Learning to run was one of the hardest things I've ever done. 
• If it wasn't for the constant encouragement of my clinic instructor Carol, I likely would have given up. But Carol believed in me which made me believe in myself. Prior to taking the LTR clinic, I never did any kind of physical activity. I lived the majority of my life morbidly obese and avoided exercise at all costs. Building up the cardio to run was uncomfortable and challenging. But I promised myself I'd see the LTR clinic to fruition. I told myself that if running wasn't my thing once the 10 weeks was over, I'd move onto something else.
• By the end of the 10 weeks I lost 25 pounds and was hooked on running. I joined the 5K clinic and by the time that clinic was done, I lost another 25 pounds. So my weight loss certainly kick started again and I had the running bug. Even though it was hard to begin with, I became more confident as a runner and started setting all kinds of running goals for myself. I even started teaching other new runners the Learn to Run Clinic. 
• Running has not come without it's challenges. I have been running for 2.5 years now. During that time, I have never run pain free. I noticed discomfort in my feet about 3 months in. After ignoring it for a spell, I finally got assessed by a podiatrist. I was referred to many specialists, and I was eventually diagnosed with Morton's Neuroma. This condition makes it painful for me to run long distance (10k+). And I have been told that there is no treatment for my condition. The steroid shots and surgery would put an end my running. So I choose to run with pain. I've gotten used to it. And you likely think I'm nuts, unless you are a runner. And just to clarify, running does not make the condition worse. It's just painful.
• Running has also changed my body in a way that surprised me. It firmed me up in a way I wasn't expecting. I still have my problem areas, but my legs are strong and I have little loose skin on my stomach. You actually use 4 stomach muscles when you run. Who knew? I will perpetually have a weak ass though unless I work my glutes at the gym. Runners are known for their weak asses.
• I am a distance runner. I run half marathons (21.1K). My furthest distance was 30K last March in a local road race. I start training for that again next month. I'd like to run a marathon one day, but may not be able to run the whole thing due to the Morton's Neuroma. I have to try though. I'd like to say I did at least one marathon.
• Right now I am not my healthiest. I am dealing with a lot of injuries. Aside from the Morton's Neuroma which is chronic, I also have an old hamstring injury that is nagging me again, neck and back pain from weight training at the gym, and just a week ago I was diagnosed with the early stages of Plantar Fasciitis on my right foot. On Halloween morning, I fell down the stairs and twisted my left ankle. The swelling is almost gone and it caused me to rest for 4 days in a row. Today I run though. I need to. I'm feeling no worse at this moment than I usually do when I run, but emotionally, I need to run. It's been too long. 
• Running is not for everyone. I didn't know it would be for me until I tried. And now that I'm running 5 days a week (when I'm not injured), it has become part of me and my daily routine. I plan my days around running. I'm a morning runner which means that I get up early to run when the streets are still empty and quiet. It's my time and something I actually look forward to. I am also blessed because I have a team of professionals that keep me running. A physiotherapist, chiropodist, and massage therapist all make it possible for me to run, as do great work benefits. 
• Why so much effort you ask? Because I'm a runner and it's something I'm passionate about. It's a part of my identity and it's an important addition to my lifestyle and my maintenance plan. You don't have to be a runner, but it's worth your while to find an activity you enjoy. The endorphins I get from a good workout is more addictive than anything I could eat. That's the honest to God truth and why I run outdoors all year round. Even when it's -25C. So find your sport. Any physical activity is good for the heart and I promise, you'll never feel bad after a work out. But the turmoil I feel from missing runs can be soul breaking. And that is why I make running a priority in my life.

The post about #sunroofselfies, sports nutrition and running to Mississauga

My #sunroofselfies from last week.

• Almost everyday I do a little feature on Instagram and Twitter called #sunroofselfie. It's actually a legit hashtag and my photos often get liked or favorited by an account called Sunroof Selfie from Istanbul. That's sorta cool. And I like showing off my frugal fashion sense. If you've been following me for a while you know that I love a good bargain. Especially when it comes to clothing. It all started when I began losing weight and my size was changing so frequently. I couldn't bring myself to pay full price for clothes that I would only be wearing for a month or two. Desperation and lack of funds brought me to my very first Value Village. 
• I know some people have reservations about wearing other people's clothing. Me, not so much. It does have that special VV smell when you get it home. Nothing a couple spins in the washer won't fix. So necessity brought me there. Cheap clothes that are name brand kept me there. I have rules when it comes to clothing and accessories. I don't play more than $10 for anything unless it's genuine leather. So pants, tops, sweaters, bags, shoes...everything. And that rule goes for new or used. I will make a few exceptions on new if it's a few bucks more, but I try to stick to my rule. Anything I see new that I love will be a fraction of the price at the end of season and I am patient. And I'm confident that even if I buy a summer dress in November, it will fit me when summer rolls around again. It has to because I refuse to gain any weight back. 
• So in the #sunrooselfies above, I am wearing my frugal fashion finds. To be fair, some of it was bought with my $1000 gift card I got from being on the Steven and Chris show a couple years ago. But even then I waited until things went on sale because I could buy more. And I still stuck to my rule with the exception of a few pieces of clothing. That gift card lasted me more than a year. And the leather? The brown jacket was gifted to me, the black grommet one was $12 at VV, the red Danier leather one was $12 at VV. 
• When I weighed 300+ pounds, I wore what was comfortable and could fit. That is all. Now I can actually purchase clothes I like. And part of the fun for me is spending hours in VV looking for treasures. It takes time for sure and I only go a couple times a month. I'll spend $50 and come out with 5 pieces of clothing. But it's worth it because they will be five really nice pieces of clothing from labels I can't afford new.

Meals from last week...and $70 worth of sports nutrition.

• I ate well last week. Made some crock pot meals, stir-fries, and an old favorite...salmon cakes. Haven't had those in a while and they were delish. Recipe is under the recipe tab of my blog in the Paleo section. Big cans of salmon were on sale at Freshco this week. So I stocked up. A great goto meal and easy to do. 
• A week ago I swore off fruit, nuts and wine. Still on my never ending quest to get a touch leaner in my hip and ass area. The nuts can especially be a problem for me. In reflection I have altered my edict. I will not have fruit or nuts over the next month or more, and I will only drink wine on the weekend. I need something for the love of Pete. Yeah, I'm weak. And human. And maybe I should purchase a scale so I can actually see numbers instead of going by how my smallest jeans fit. Now there's a thought.
• Since I'm getting into long distance again for my weekend runs (15+K), I needed to buy some sports nutrition. Sportive and electrolyte gummies (or gels work too). I can't eat before I run. Even if it is a long run. That's when I drink the sportive. Right before I leave. Two scoops actually gives me the energy I need to run for a couple hours. And if I'm feeling peckish, the gels come in handy and help me finish. I'm famished afterwards, but the very expensive sports nutrition is worth the money so I can get it done. And to be fair, the $70 I spent, should last me a couple months of long runs at least!

Last weeks runs equals the distance from Hamilton to Mississauga...47+K.

• I ran 18K this past Sunday. A good run overall. I'm always, ALWAYS anxious before a long run because I know my toes are going to cramp. And Sunday did not disappoint. My toes cramped badly at 13K. And I know the drill. Once they cramp, I run through the cramps until the pain becomes numb. It's still there, but I guess I just get used to it. I've run 30K with cramped toes from the 7K mark (this past March). Yeah, I'm a glutton for punishment. And maybe I shouldn't be running long distance. But I can still do it, so I will. I'd love to run pain free just once though to see how that would feel at the end. Imagine just having tired muscles instead of tired muscles with feet that feel like I just ran over open switch blades. That would be awesome. And those of you that don't run probably think I'm stupid. The only way I can justify my actions is, I need to run. Not just for maintenance, but for my mental health. Running is my time. And I run alone. I can run with someone, but I like to run alone. Helps me organize my thoughts and is my best therapy, hands down!
• My physio is going well. I definitely have better movement in my neck. As soon as that's sorted, we get to move onto my rotator cuff. And once that's done, back to the gym I go. I'll use some machines again, but I think I'm gonna focus on the pilates and yoga more. A stronger core means I won't tire as quickly during runs, which means I can hold my form longer, which means I can run pain free longer. My toes will cramp earlier if I tire quickly. Now I just have to figure out how I'll fit class times into my already busy schedule. 
• Health and fitness is work. Weight loss and maintenance is work. Preparing, scheduling, executing, it's all work. It's still worth it though. Truth is I never feel badly after completing a workout or eating a good meal. But the mental anguish I feel from skipping a run or eating off my plan can be soul breaking and something I try to avoid at all costs. In the end, it's just not worth it to me. And something I have learned over the past few years? I am worth all the effort I put into my lifestyle. Cheers:-)

The post about fallen soldiers, RIP Corporal Nathan Cirillo & Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent

Saluting our nation's fallen soldier as he returns home to Hamilton, Ontario.

• It's been a tough week for our great country. The events that unfolded last week has left us speechless and in shock. Our nation is in mourning. We lost two Canadian soldiers in what appears to be terrorist attacks. Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent was run down in Quebec a eight days ago, and two days later Corporal Nathan Cirillo was shot down at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Ottawa while standing guard. Corporal Cirillo was from Hamilton.
• Friday morning I took my regular running route in the east end of Hamilton. I normally run this route 2x per week. As I ran down a street I frequent regularly, I noticed Canadian flags draped on the light posts. I figured I was in a very patriotic stretch of neighbourhood, considering what had just happened. Then I saw the flowers and balloons and noticed the police cars and realized where I was. I was running by Cpl. Cirillo's family home. It was before dawn and the neighborhood was very quiet. Just me and the two police cars. I recognized the house from pictures on the internet. Such a stab of pain to my heart. I could not even imagine the pain and despair the people in that house were feeling. I continued my run lost in thought.
• I thought about a time 3 years ago when I was visiting my family in Scarborough. Just after we left on a Sunday evening in the summer to head home, we noticed a crowd of people on the 401 McCowan Road overpass. They were holding Canadian flags and there were emergency vehicles parked there as well. It took me a moment to figure out what was happening. One of our fallen soldiers was returning from Afghanistan and taking the trip from CFB Trenton to the coroner's office in central Toronto. I remember looking back at Julien and feeling such a stab of pain, just imagining what that young soldier's mother must have felt like. One of the images of this past week that was hardest for me to see, was Cpl. Cirillo's mother following her son's casket from the funeral home in Ottawa to the hearse which would bring him home to Hamilton along the Highway of Heroes. 
• On Friday night, my small family walked to the foot of our street in Hamilton to watch the motorcade that transported Cpl. Cirillo to the funeral home where he would rest in state less than a kilometer from my home. It was an incredibly somber moment. So many unanswerable questions from a 7-year-old. And it was quiet. Hundreds of people lined the streets with Canadian flags, but it was so quiet. A Hamilton fire truck waited with it's lights flashing. As the procession passed the firefighters saluted and applause broke out. Not the joyful applause of a celebration, but sad applause, if you can imagine that. No one spoke. And once the motorcade passed, the crowd dispersed and everyone walked away with heavy hearts.
• A difficult time for sure. For Canada, for the world. Our pain is felt internationally and the world is in disbelief right along with us. I still shake my head over these unbelievable events. Today Cpl. Cirillo was laid to rest in a full regimental funeral service in Hamilton. Looking at the press pictures just now, my heart is again in shreds seeing the pain and despair on his mother's face. This blog has taken me days to write because I wasn't sure if I could accurately express my feelings. The events of last week has changed our country forever. God bless the Cirillo and Vincent families. God bless us all.