Platinum Award

On February 14, I earned my second Platinum Award from The President's Challenge. I earned my first Platinum Award back on March 13, 2012.

Since 2012, I have earned another Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards in three months. To earn a Platinum Award, you must accumulate 1,000,000 points. I earned those points by running, doing aerobics, walking, doing household tasks and shoveling snow.

It took me 23 months to earn my second Platinum Award. I hope to have another in just under two years.

Platinum

I joined the President's Challenge back in 2010. Since that time I have earned enough points to win a Presidential Champions bronze, silver and gold awards. To earn points, you just have to be active. It can be anything from running, aerobics, household chores, walking and shoveling. It is basically anything you do. Those are five activities that have earned me points in the Presidential Challenge.

After I accumulated the 160,000 points to earn my Gold Award, I learned that there was another award after gold. That was the Platinum Award. You need to earn 1 million points to win this. When I logged in my 22.3 mile run on Tuesday, I earned enough points to win my first Platinum Award. I have been working towards the platinum since August 29, 2010. It has taken a lot of work, but now I'm working towards my second Platinum award. I will keep going for as long as this program is around. I'm hoping to earn many more in my lifetime.

Weekend plans

Compared to last weekend, this weekend will be so much different. I was in Battle Creek last weekend working crazy, long hours. Sunday was my only day off and I needed it. I completely took the day off from running and exercise. When Monday rolled around, I said to my husband that I needed another day off.

On the schedule this weekend are a few items. I'm excited for a dinner date with my husband, running, reading and finishing Season 1 of Downton Abbey.

Displine

I made a choice in January 2010 to improve my health. I ended up losing 80 pounds in ten months. I've been pretty good about my eating choices. But I have slipped from time to time. And those slips have led me to gain a few pounds back.

Those pounds that I gained, helped me make a decision over the weekend. I decided until I lose the extra weight, I will be give up eating some items. Those items are cookies and ice cream. Besides giving those up, I also need to watch what I eat. I need to stop overeating at meals and snacking. Those calories do add up and pack on the pounds.

I want to lose the weight before the holidays start. When it is the holiday time, I need to really watch my intake. I know last year between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I gained a couple of pounds. So many desserts and extra plates of food. I worked hard and lost most of them at the start of the year. I don't want to do that this year. I would like to maintain a healthy weight through the rest of the year.

I love cookies and ice cream. I gave them up for almost an entire year back in 2010. I think I should be able to go without for a month or two. The new journey begins and I know I can achieve my short term goal.

Weekend update

I had a very relaxing weekend. I woke up with my husband's alarm at 5 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. He had to work this weekend. It felt so good to sleep past 3:25 or 4 a.m. My normal sleep pattern will return tomorrow. Boo.

Besides waking up later, I did finish reading The Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. Even though it is a series for young adult readers, I really enjoyed it. I first heard about the book series on twitter. Many people that I follow mentioned how much they liked it. After reading more praise for the series, I decided to get the first book and read it. I read it in two days. I read Catching Fire in a day. I was surprised that I liked these science fiction books. Usually that is not my type of book that I like to read. I have already started reading the final book of the series, Mockingjay. It shouldn't take me long to finish that one either.

Besides reading, I did run over the weekend. I ran 26.2 miles Sunday morning. That was my longest run since April 11. I cut back my mileage to be ready for all of the races I had registered for. I have ten races left in 2011. I still have three half marathons, two 50Ks, two half marathons and 3 5Ks. The only times I will reduce my mileage again this year is the weeks of the half marathons and 50Ks. My weekly mileage will be above 100 miles the rest of the time. Besides training for the two 50Ks, next year I want to start running longer distances like a 50 miler and 100K. I just want to get prepared for those. I want to have as much time on my feet as possible.

After my running and reading, I spent time watching some sports on the television. The start of the Tour de France was Saturday. I have been thrilled with Versus channel's coverage of the tour. I have watched both stages so far and will end up watching them all. Either live or recorded on my DVR.

The other sport I've been watching is the FIFA Women's World Cup. I'm usually not a fan of soccer. I've been photographing soccer games for the paper I work at for 12 years and I still don't know the rules of the game. But when it is a major event, like the World Cup or National Championship, I will watch it. I enjoy the high level of play and teams. So far the United States is 2-0. They will play again on Wednesday against Sweden. If the US wins Wednesday, they will move on to the quarterfinals.

Photo Credit for US Soccer: Getty Images
Photo Credit for Chris Horner: Chris Clasen

Dexter-Ann Arbor Half Marathon

Another week, another half marathon.

I felt pretty good going into it. I waited until race time to decide what I was going to do. I didn't think the humidity was too high and it was very warm. I decided to try to give it my best.

The race started out well. I was running 9 minute and change miles, which is pretty good for me for longer races. After the experience of last week's water stops in Boston, I thought I would hit the last tables of the water stops. I was surprised when I saw that there was a total of two tables. It was another race of stopping and fighting others for cups of water or Gatorade. With it being really warm, I did get a drink at all of the water stops. During the middle of the race, it did cause some minor cramping. I slowed down my breathing and the cramps eventually went away.

After passing the 12 mile mark, I knew what was coming. I was told that the race ended on two hills. As we were going up the first hill, a woman next to me said "And so it begins." Yes, the hills. Someone ahead of me said, "Why couldn't we have had these hills at mile 2?" I tried not to slow down, but I did. I did my best running up the long hills. I'm still very thankful to have added hill workouts and trails into my running. It always comes in handy.

I finished in 2:02:36. That time was 1:23 better then the half marathon I ran in Boston on May 29. I was happy with my effort out on the very warm course today.

Chip time: 2:02:36
Overall Place: 1487/3133
Gender Place: 470/1457
Division Place: 92/275
Pace: 9:22

Trails

I joined my friends Eric, Pam, Josephine, Julie and Kendra early Monday morning to run trails. We started running at 6:30 a.m. We ran early so that everyone could celebrate Memorial Day with their families. With everyone covered from head-to-toe with mosquito repellent, we were off.

I bought a CamelBak Octane 18X hydration pack while in Boston. I bought it to use when I run my ultras later this year. I wore it Monday while running the trails because I want to train with it. I will be carrying it with me for 5-7 hours, I need to prepare for that. Everyone was asking me about it. They asked if it was heavy: not really. They asked if it was hurting my back: it didn't. I really like the pack. It is easy to reach items in the pockets and I really love the water tube. I love how I can grab it, suck on the end of the PureFlow tube and get a drink. No bottles to open or lose trying to put it back on a belt.

The trails were really fun. Even though my legs were a little tired from Sunday's half marathon, I did as best as I could. During the run, I incorporated the run/walk method for the first time. Usually I try to run the entire time, but I decided to save my legs and walk up the bigger hills. Walking is something I know I will be doing during my ultras, might as well start practicing now. Walking up the hills really did help my legs. If I ran up all of those hills, I doubt that I would have ran 11 miles.

At the end of the run, Eric told me I did a great job on the trails. Especially with just running a half marathon the day before. He said it was good to run on tired legs to train for the ultras. I hope to hit the trails with the group again soon. It was fun to run with other people that are also training for upcoming ultras.

First marathon

So I ran my first marathon Sunday. It was on my treadmill. And it was fun.

When people hear how many miles I run a week, they are surprised that I have never run a marathon. Up until recently, I never wanted to run one. I only started to change my mind when I received many notes and comments on dailymile saying that I could run one.

Two weeks ago, I ran 23.1 miles on my treadmill. That by far was the longest that I have ever run. When I finished running, I knew that I could have gone another 3.1 miles without any problems. I decided since that was my longest run ever, it was best to stop. I felt that that I shouldn't chance increasing my mileage too quickly.

I decided that day, that on Super Bowl Sunday I would run a marathon on my treadmill. The run started out alright. It just felt like any other run. After running over 13 miles, my legs started to fell really good. My run just got better as I went along. Along the way, there was a couple of moments I was thinking, 'What am I doing?' or 'Am I going to finish this?' Those moments and thoughts passed.

As the miles started to add up, I was really pleased with my time. I was very surprised that I finished running 26.2 miles in 3 hours and 50 minutes. It was a great time for a "first" marathon. I know if I actually ran it outside, my time would be different. When I do run my first official marathon outside, at least I will know my approximate finishing time. I could probably add 10-15 minutes to my inside time. Outside a belt isn't helping you with your leg turnover. But the treadmill belt does help me keep running, even when my legs aren't feeling too good.

I don't think I will be able to squeeze in a an official marathon into my 2011 racing schedule. I think my first marathon ever will be the 2012 Glass City Marathon in Toledo, Ohio. This year I'm running the half marathon. I have heard great things about the GCM. The best thing I heard about the race is that the course is extremely flat. I know that will help me finish in the best time possible. Until then, I know I will be running many more marathons on my treadmill.

USA 25K Open Championships

On May 14, 2011, I will be running in the USA 25K Open Championships in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The USA 25K race is apart of the Fifth Third River Bank Run. On that Saturday, besides featuring the largest 25K road race in the country, they will also have a 10K, 5K run/walk and Junior races. While the Fifth Third River Bank Run has a 25K race, they also will be hosting the USA 25K Open Championships. As a member of the USATF, I will be participating in the Open Championship run.

I decided to run this race for a couple of reasons. First, because it is part of the USATF National Championships. I think it is neat that any USATF member can participate in the many national championship races around the country. The second reason is that I wanted to do something different. I love running 5Ks, 10Ks and half marathons, but now I'm looking a new challenge. A 25K race is just a little longer then a half marathon. It is 15.625 miles. I know that a 25K is very doable and I will be able to run it without changing my training. Even though I run so many miles a week, I don't have the desire yet to run a marathon. Maybe someday, but not right now.

I'm looking forward to the new race distance. I just tried trail running Sunday and liked it. I hope that I like the 25K just as much as the other race distances.

Fitness profile

Back in December, I was featured in our newspaper's health magazine. The fitness profile was about me losing 80 pounds over the course of a year.

Since the magazine has come out, many people have been talking to me about it. I have heard from so many of them that I'm an inspiration to them. My fitness profile has made them want to better themselves and lose weight also. If my story can help others, I think it is great.

Soon the complements will die down and stop, but that is alright with me. I will continue to run and eat better. I hope that the people that I inspired will keep up with what they start and reach their goal like I did.

Read the article.

Left photo: Christmas 2009 with my husband, Mike

Right photo by Lad Strayer: November 2010

New Year's goals

1. Run over 2800 miles - I had a great running year in 2010. My final mileage count was 2764.6. I want to continue to run 80 mile weeks. I hope to push myself and increase to 90 or 100 mile week(s) during the year. Maybe hit that mark a couple of times over the year.

2. Lose a few more pounds - Over the Christmas season I gained a few pounds. I want to lose those and lose the remaining 8 pounds. I would like to reach my goal weight this year. I missed it in 2010 but I still had a great year losing 80 pounds. To help lose weight, I'm going to limit my baking to once a month. I loved the cakes, breads and muffins I made last year. Having them less and not always having them in the fridge will be good for me.

3. Continue reading - Last year I read 105 books. Quite of few of them were young adult novels that weren't very long. I'm not going to write a certain number of books I want to read because it really doesn't matter. I know I will at least pick up a book and read every day this year. That is good enough for me.

4. Shoot photos for myself - I have this on my list every year. Somehow I never complete it. I want to photograph the things that I enjoy more:cemeteries, cemetery statues, decaying structures/industry and graffiti. I really need to complete this goal this year. I will be participating in a group gallery show at my Alma mater in November. I want many photos to choose from to include in the show.

5. Run a new race - I tend to run the same 5K, 10K and half marathon races every year. I would like to break out of my comfort zone and run a new race in the state of Michigan this year. When I say different I mean that the race could be in a different city or maybe a trail race. I think it is time to try something new in the race department and have fun doing it.

Miles run in 2010 - final count

What a year! I can't believe I ran 2764.6 miles this year. This is probably my best year since high school. I didn't run that many miles in high school, but I weighed about the same as I do now. Everything good that has happened to me running wise is because of my weight loss. I lost 80 pounds in 2010. Dropping the weight has helped me run more miles and lower all of my PR times in the 5K, 10K and half marathon. A couple of weeks ago I ran a timed mile with the Ann Arbor Track Club in 7:35. Just shy of my best high school time. I thought I would never run that time ever again.

My running goals for 2011 is to continue running strong. I want to keep running 80 mile weeks, do more speed work, keep running 6 or 7 days a week and keep improving on my times. I am confident I can do it.

Total miles run for the year:
2004: 318.6
2005: 350.8
2006: 470
2007: 573.7
2008: 960.2
2009: 1257.9
2010: 2764.6

One year ago

So much has changed in one year. Last year at this time, I was overweight. I didn't think that there was anything I could do about it. I wanted to lose weight, but I didn't know how.

The second week of January 2010, I was looking at Christmas photos. It was then I saw what I really looked like. I didn't like what I was seeing. It was then I decided that I had to lose weight. No more wishing that I could. It was then I took control of my eating habits and changed my running routine. I didn't know how much I would loose. I know I just had to do it.

Almost a year later, I have lost 80 pounds. Everyday I try to watch what I eat. Sometimes I do go overboard and gain a couple of pounds. When I do gain a few extra pounds, I know that over the following days, I really have to watch what I eat. I do have a goal of losing another 8 pounds. In the new year, I'm really going to focus on that goal. I'm going to go back to how I lost my weight. Really following portion control. I want those last 8 pounds gone. If all goes well, by the end of January they will be gone.

Top Photo: Christmas 2009. This is the photo that helped me change my life.

Middle Photo by Lad Strayer: November 2010

Bottom Photo: December 19, 2010

AATC Mini Meet

I participated in the Ann Arbor Track Club's Winter Mini Meet Tuesday evening at the University of Michigan Indoor Track Building. The events contested were the 1 mile, 400m, 800m, 60m, 3200m, 200m plus a track hexathon, which required runners to compete in each of the the six events. Participants could run in as many events as they wanted. I ran all of the events: 1 mile, 400m, 800m, 60m, 3200m and the 200m.



I had a great time. Most of my times were consistent with what I ran in high school. My mile time was 7:35. My best time in high school was 7:29. I accidentally ran an extra lap in the 3200m and finished 17:26. My estimated finishing time probably was 16:26. I think my best in high school was right around 16:30. My 400m time was slower then high school. My best in high school was 1:23. Last night I ran a 1:45.



I'm glad I joined the Ann Arbor Track Club. So many nice runners. Everyone cheered and clapped for all runners. Just a great environment to improve your running. My goal is to my speed and beat all of the times from Tuesday's mini meet during the summer mini-meet.

Thanksgiving Day Half Marathon

I didn't run an official Turkey Trot this year. But I did run on Thanksgiving morning. I ran 13.1 miles this morning. It was my own personal half marathon.

Besides the fact that I love running. I love running on holidays. It makes me feel good knowing that I already got my exercise done for the day. Also, later I won't feel as bad when I eat a couple of sweets.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Random things

All week I have been looking forward to Saturday. My husband and I will be traveling to Toledo, Ohio to do some shopping and eat dinner. Lately my husband has been so busy with projects, we haven't been able to spend as much time together. I'm really forward to spending the evening with him.

I mentioned on my blog before that I wanted to run an out of state half marathon starting in 2012. If you are a regular reader, you know that I will be running Boston's Run to Remember Half Marathon on Memorial Day weekend 2011. My out of state half marathon goal for 2012 in the New York City Half Marathon. I would really love to run in New York. I started to register for the 2011 NYC Half Marathon, but didn't finish the application. I want to give it some time and I want to lower my half marathon time again before entering for 2012. Not everyone who applies for the race gets in. I hope when I do apply for 2012 that I will get in and I can say "I'm In!"

Kind words

Before and after the Souper Run Sunday, two different runners approached me and said a few words to me.

Before the race, a woman with her daughter said that I have been an inspiration to her. She was apart of the Couch to 5K running group that I gave a talk to during the summer. My story has inspired her to continue running.

After the race, a girl who I passed during the first two miles said that I was her inspiration during the race. Her goal was to catch me and pass me during the race. She fell a little short. She said that she was about 50 feet behind me for the entire race. I was happy to hear that from her. During races I do the same thing. I will pick out a runner ahead of me and work the entire race to catch that runner. I'm glad that I can help someone try to achieve their goals during a race or just running.

Souper Run 10K

I never thought I would have run this 10K Sunday. My husband and I were out of town and I expected to drive home Sunday morning. Our plans changed Saturday night. We hit the road around 11:30 p.m. We made it home finally after the time change.

I decided on the drive home that I would run in the Souper Run Sunday morning. I didn't care how tired I was, I was going to do it. After only four hours of sleep, I put on my running clothes, hit the ATM and registered for the race.

The race time temperature was very cold, hovering in the 30s. Only the windy conditions made it worse. When the race started, I thought my pace was very slow. I only realized it wasn't after I passed mile one and the time was called out. My time was 8:30 or something like that. I was surprised.

My goal for the race was to set a brand new personal record. My goal during the race was to catch and pass a woman about 100 meters ahead of me. I noticed her around the second or third mile. I passed three miles in 24 minutes, passed four miles in 33 minutes. During the third and fourth mile, the distance between the woman ahead of me was shrinking.

The last 1.5 miles were the worst of the race. The course took us up a slight incline and straight into a strong headwind. It was awful. I continued and kept gaining on the woman ahead of me. I passed the fifth mile in 42 or 43 minutes. After I passed the mile marker, I decided to pick up the pace. I don't know if I really picked it up or not. The wind made it so difficult. I continued getting closer to the woman in front of me.

I was so happy when with about a .10 of a mile to go, I passed the woman I was chasing for most of the race. Just to make sure she didn't try to pass me back, I started to sprint toward the finish. I was thrilled with my time and my race. I ran a great race on less then four hours of sleep. I finished the 10K in 53:33:61. I beat my 10K PR by 6:26. Besides having a great time, I finished third in my age division and brought home another medal.

My 2010 racing schedule will end on November 21. I can't believe how much I achieved this year. I dropped all of my PR's in the 5K, 10K and half marathon. I hope to continue that success in 2011 also.

Haunted Graveyard 5K

Over the weekend, I ran the Haunted Graveyard 5K. The race was held at the city's largest cemetery at dusk. The course is nice. It is a looping two lap course that is very challenging. It is challenging because it has many hills.

I wasn't expecting too much going into the race. Usually when I run this race, I have run the Detroit Free Press Half Marathon the week before. I know from running this race in the past, my time would be slow and my legs would be tired. This year was different. My time wasn't slow and my legs felt really good.

I was pleasantly surprised that I ran as fast as I did. The hills really didn't bother me until the very end. When I turned the corner to run to the finish line, the first thing I saw was the clock. The clock was helping me sprint to the end. I checked my watch after crossing the finish line. My watch read 25:50:10. I couldn't believe it. That time was only six seconds off of my PR that I set the first weekend in October. I was thrilled.

With that being said, this was the third year I have run the race. I have never placed in the top two of my age group. That changed Saturday. I placed second in my age group. Instead of medals, glass mugs were handed out. The mugs were very cool. It has the race logo on it. I wouldn't be able to hang it with my medals, but every time I drink out of it, I will remember the great time I had.

Weekend update

I did it! I totally smashed my PR from last year's Detroit Free Press Half Marathon. I ran a 2:03:14 Sunday. My goal was to improve my time by 15 minutes to a half hour. I didn't know I would beat my old PR by 44 minutes.

I trusted my training and knew I would do well. The weather was perfect and my legs felt great. For the first six miles, it felt like I was passing everyone. I was still running really fast to make up for lost time leading up to and on the Ambassador Bridge. The road leading up to the bridge got backed up. We came to a standstill three times. I was very mad. I'm sure most of the other runners and walkers were too. On the bridge, we only had one lane to run in. Can you image 20,000 runners/walking all sharing one lane? It was awful. I just kept thinking to myself, "Once I get off the bridge I can make up some time." I did my best to make up time. I was doing well until I hit the incline coming out of the underwater mile. My quads were dying from the incline. I still did well. I think I made it out of the tunnel in 9 minutes. It took me about 1/2 mile to get back into a nice running rhythm.

With less then a 5K to go, I picked up my speed. I gave all that I had and finished just over two hours. What I ran this year is an incredible time, but I was thinking what could have been. If we didn't have to stop so many times on the bridge, would I have gotten under two hours? Who knows. That gives me motivation for my next half marathon. I'm going to be training hard during the fall and winter to reach that goal. I hope on April 17, 2011, I will reach my goal.