Wow. Time flies!!! I can't believe that I haven't posted a blog since Thanksgiving...yikes. Well the good news is, I have still been working away at my goal. I'm very pleased to say that through the holidays I've maintained my weight loss. I'm still hovering around the 25 lbs lost mark. I admit that once the Fleet Feet No Boundaries running program ended mid-December that I really backed off of running for a while.
I ran only a couple times during the whole month of January. I had some foot pain so part of that was just resting my foot but part of it was just that it was so dang cold outside! ;)
NoBo started back up a few weeks ago and I'm proud to say that I've been able to make most of the training sessions so far. I'm also very happy that my times are steadily hovering around the 14 minute a mile mark. I'm hopeful that in the next couple weeks that I can push myself to go up a little bit to the 13's group. I'm still in the process of picking my races for the year but I'm excited to say that 11 months after I first went out for a run that I'm still running all these months later!!!
I've been putting together some goals for the year (I know, I know...it's already almost March) and I plan to share those in the next few days. I'm just a few days away from the 2nd anniversary of my mom's passing. It seems fitting that I unveil these goals for the year as I get ready for that day. Thanks for all the wonderful support...it really means the world to me!
Showing posts with label mom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mom. Show all posts
Monday, February 25, 2013
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Happy Thanksgiving Mom!
Dear Mom,
It's hard to believe it's been a year and eight months since you passed. I miss you every day. Today is Thanksgiving and I'm so thankful that I had a wonderful mother like you. I think you would be pretty proud of how I am (finally) starting to fulfill my promise to you, mom. At this point I've lost about 27 lbs since the spring. It took me a while to get going but I don't think I've ever been more committed to exercise than I am right now. Beyond the weight loss, I just feel good!
This morning I ran the Race with Grace 10K! It was by far the longest I've ever run and I am so excited to tell you that I ran the whole thing. Dad came out to cheer me on. As I ran through the finish line I thought of you and what you would be thinking of this whole thing. I know you would be proud and perhaps a little surprised. I know I am surprised. There have been a few things in my life that I have really set my mind to and accomplished something amazing. This is one of those times.
Whenever I get tired or discouraged and think I can't keep going, I think of you mom. Not only how doggedly you fought your disease, but also just how doggedly you lived your life. You had a lot of loss and tough things happen and you just kept going, picking yourself up and moving on. You left us all a wonderful example to follow.
I miss you tons and wish more than anything I could drive to your house and tell you this in person, but I guess I'll have to rely on the heavenly internet.
Happy Thanksgiving Mom!
It's hard to believe it's been a year and eight months since you passed. I miss you every day. Today is Thanksgiving and I'm so thankful that I had a wonderful mother like you. I think you would be pretty proud of how I am (finally) starting to fulfill my promise to you, mom. At this point I've lost about 27 lbs since the spring. It took me a while to get going but I don't think I've ever been more committed to exercise than I am right now. Beyond the weight loss, I just feel good!
This morning I ran the Race with Grace 10K! It was by far the longest I've ever run and I am so excited to tell you that I ran the whole thing. Dad came out to cheer me on. As I ran through the finish line I thought of you and what you would be thinking of this whole thing. I know you would be proud and perhaps a little surprised. I know I am surprised. There have been a few things in my life that I have really set my mind to and accomplished something amazing. This is one of those times.
Whenever I get tired or discouraged and think I can't keep going, I think of you mom. Not only how doggedly you fought your disease, but also just how doggedly you lived your life. You had a lot of loss and tough things happen and you just kept going, picking yourself up and moving on. You left us all a wonderful example to follow.
I miss you tons and wish more than anything I could drive to your house and tell you this in person, but I guess I'll have to rely on the heavenly internet.
Happy Thanksgiving Mom!
Monday, October 10, 2011
My best inspiration
Losing weight is hard. I guess if it were easy, everyone would do it. It's not a hard concept to grasp (eat less calories than you are using) but so often the execution goes awry. I'll be honest, there are days when I just don't want to deal with this. I am tempted to just say "forget it" and eat whatever I want -- and sometimes I do.
But as I recently traveled back from an overseas trip I meditated a bit on my journey and why I am trying to do this. I thought about all the obstacles I have come up against (the biggest one being myself) and a thought occurred to me that hasn't before. I have to be strong and tackle this just as my mom had to be strong and tackle her disease.
I'm reminded of that resolve because as I write this my aunt is currently in the final stages in her own battle with cancer. It's hard for me to make sense of all of this right now, but I can tell you this: my mom & her sister have both inspired me in the way they faced down their disease and fought back.
I had a front row seat in my mom's battle and let me share with you what I saw. From the moment of her diagnosis my mom was an inspiration. There were no "woe is me" moments, but a clear resolve to do everything she could to fight back. She had treatments with at least four different kinds of chemo (and all the various side-effects they caused), went through 2 major rounds of radiation, fought of an infection that nearly killed her, spent nearly 6 weeks (not consecutive) in the hospital, walked around with an oxygen tank, took more pills than she knew what to do with, gained and lost weight and had countless blood transfusions. There was no 'time off' from having cancer. She dealt with nausea, digestive issues, hives, weakness, sores, hairloss, confusion and more. Cancer doesn't fight fair.
And through it all, my mom dealt with it with grace. My aunt has also battled just as hard with her disease. I wish with all my heart that I didn't have to have this type of inspiration but watching both of them tells me that I come from tough stock. If they can go through all of this, literally feeling like hell, then I can suck it up and accomplish this task.
I only hope that I can do it with as much grace and dignity as they have. Love you two...
But as I recently traveled back from an overseas trip I meditated a bit on my journey and why I am trying to do this. I thought about all the obstacles I have come up against (the biggest one being myself) and a thought occurred to me that hasn't before. I have to be strong and tackle this just as my mom had to be strong and tackle her disease.
I'm reminded of that resolve because as I write this my aunt is currently in the final stages in her own battle with cancer. It's hard for me to make sense of all of this right now, but I can tell you this: my mom & her sister have both inspired me in the way they faced down their disease and fought back.
I had a front row seat in my mom's battle and let me share with you what I saw. From the moment of her diagnosis my mom was an inspiration. There were no "woe is me" moments, but a clear resolve to do everything she could to fight back. She had treatments with at least four different kinds of chemo (and all the various side-effects they caused), went through 2 major rounds of radiation, fought of an infection that nearly killed her, spent nearly 6 weeks (not consecutive) in the hospital, walked around with an oxygen tank, took more pills than she knew what to do with, gained and lost weight and had countless blood transfusions. There was no 'time off' from having cancer. She dealt with nausea, digestive issues, hives, weakness, sores, hairloss, confusion and more. Cancer doesn't fight fair.
And through it all, my mom dealt with it with grace. My aunt has also battled just as hard with her disease. I wish with all my heart that I didn't have to have this type of inspiration but watching both of them tells me that I come from tough stock. If they can go through all of this, literally feeling like hell, then I can suck it up and accomplish this task.
I only hope that I can do it with as much grace and dignity as they have. Love you two...
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
A Fun Story
It's hard to believe that it's been almost seven months since my mom passed away. In some ways it feels like just yesterday and in other ways it feels like a lifetime ago. Tonight I want to share a great story about my mom that really captures her essence, and hopefully helps you to understand just why exactly I am willing to undertake this crazy idea.
About 5 years ago my mom's youngest sister turned 50. She decided for her birthday that she wanted to climb the tallest mountain in NYS - Mt. Marcy. Standing at 5,344 ft. Mt. Marcy is in the High Peak region of the Adirondack Park. It's a strenuous hike from my understanding and not something typically to be done on a whim but on the other hand it isn't technical mountain climbing either.
My mom and their other sister accompanied her as well as various other family and friends, all women, on this hike. (I knew my limits and sat it out! :) My mom at the time was just a couple years shy of 60 and had no intention of hiking to the top. She went out on the trail with the group that day wearing her cheap discount store windpants and some plain walking-type sneakers. She had no trekking poles but having been told by the others that it would be helpful she creatively made one out of a broomstick handle. :) And she set out without a drop of water and only some grapes in a cooler backpack that she had.
She had no intention of going more than a mile or two along the path but one thing led to another and as the story goes, before they knew it my mom was out ahead of some of the more experienced climbers. Eventually one of my cousins did give her a set of trekking poles so she could do the thing properly. As you might guess, she made it to the top (GO MOM!) and the picture here is her on top of the mountain. I cropped the others out since I didn't ask their permission to post this but the full picture tells the story. Everyone else in their hiking boots and gear and my mom looking like she just ran out to go to the corner grocery store and accidentally climbed a mountain.
My aunt said that when they reached to the top my mom looked at her and said "so where is the ride down?" We laughed about that for a while. Not sure now if she really thought there was (similar to Whiteface Mountain) or she was just pulling my aunts leg.
So they all climbed down. My mom outstripped them all again some of the time. She ate her refreshing and trusty grapes along the way (I'm guessing someone took pity and gave her water). And when they got down to the bottom and my 20-something cousin could absolutely walk no more without her legs seizing up, my mother volunteered to go get the car and pick them up.
I love that story because it's so representative of how awesome my mom is. She was 'plucky' and I love a plucky heroine in a good story. Only she could accidentally climb a mountain. That's why I hope to climb Mt. Marcy next summer and eventually climb to Mt. Everest Base Camp. My mom was incredible and it was an honor to be her daughter!
About 5 years ago my mom's youngest sister turned 50. She decided for her birthday that she wanted to climb the tallest mountain in NYS - Mt. Marcy. Standing at 5,344 ft. Mt. Marcy is in the High Peak region of the Adirondack Park. It's a strenuous hike from my understanding and not something typically to be done on a whim but on the other hand it isn't technical mountain climbing either.
My mom and their other sister accompanied her as well as various other family and friends, all women, on this hike. (I knew my limits and sat it out! :) My mom at the time was just a couple years shy of 60 and had no intention of hiking to the top. She went out on the trail with the group that day wearing her cheap discount store windpants and some plain walking-type sneakers. She had no trekking poles but having been told by the others that it would be helpful she creatively made one out of a broomstick handle. :) And she set out without a drop of water and only some grapes in a cooler backpack that she had.
She had no intention of going more than a mile or two along the path but one thing led to another and as the story goes, before they knew it my mom was out ahead of some of the more experienced climbers. Eventually one of my cousins did give her a set of trekking poles so she could do the thing properly. As you might guess, she made it to the top (GO MOM!) and the picture here is her on top of the mountain. I cropped the others out since I didn't ask their permission to post this but the full picture tells the story. Everyone else in their hiking boots and gear and my mom looking like she just ran out to go to the corner grocery store and accidentally climbed a mountain.
My aunt said that when they reached to the top my mom looked at her and said "so where is the ride down?" We laughed about that for a while. Not sure now if she really thought there was (similar to Whiteface Mountain) or she was just pulling my aunts leg.
So they all climbed down. My mom outstripped them all again some of the time. She ate her refreshing and trusty grapes along the way (I'm guessing someone took pity and gave her water). And when they got down to the bottom and my 20-something cousin could absolutely walk no more without her legs seizing up, my mother volunteered to go get the car and pick them up.
I love that story because it's so representative of how awesome my mom is. She was 'plucky' and I love a plucky heroine in a good story. Only she could accidentally climb a mountain. That's why I hope to climb Mt. Marcy next summer and eventually climb to Mt. Everest Base Camp. My mom was incredible and it was an honor to be her daughter!
Sunday, July 24, 2011
A nice confirmation...
I went to church today and the sermon was on a passage in Ephesians 6. Verses 2 & 3 jumped out at me:
“Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3 “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” It seemed like a nice confirmation that the path that I am on is correct. Part of what I am doing is honoring my mom by keeping this promise and I believe God will bless the effort if I stay faithful.
It's been a good week for making smart choices. In some cases I've even surprised myself. Thanks for all the wonderful support this week. And thank you to my mom for being my best inspiration!
“Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3 “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” It seemed like a nice confirmation that the path that I am on is correct. Part of what I am doing is honoring my mom by keeping this promise and I believe God will bless the effort if I stay faithful.
It's been a good week for making smart choices. In some cases I've even surprised myself. Thanks for all the wonderful support this week. And thank you to my mom for being my best inspiration!
Friday, July 22, 2011
Goal #1
I promise I will share what my second goal is soon. I'm trying to be deliberate in how I tell this story so you will know that this decision isn't just a whim. That one will be a bit of a surprise for people...so I want to make sure I share my thought pattern behind it.
My first BHAG is to lose weight. Well actually to 'lose weight' isn't really a BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal). My BHAG is how much I want to lose. I have a number, which I'll share at the end but to put it into a percentage, I am trying to lose 50% of my current body weight. Yikes! Yes, that's a lot of weight but it wouldn't be a BHAG if it wasn't Big, right?
I've given this a lot of thought and want to make sure that the process is healthy, realistic and attainable. I've been tripped up many times in the past by trying to do too much at once. My goal is about 6 lbs. per month or 18 lbs. per quarter. It will probably come off faster than that at the beginning and much slower than that at the end. I'm not too concerned with the exact timing as long as I trend that way over many months.
I want to say right now that I'm NOT ON A DIET! :) I'm making a healthy lifestyle change. A diet is a short-term thing and this is something that I'm doing that will impact me for a much longer term. As such, nothing is off limits (so please...no food police - "are you supposed to be eating that?") as long as the portions are in reason. Of course, over time I will naturally start to select healthier eating options but I'm not making any drastic cuts. I am trying to limit my intake of some things (ie. mochas only on special occassions-drink hot tea instead, and severely cutting down on pop). In mid-August I plan to go back to Weight Watchers with my dad who is also joining me on this journey of weight loss. I've had success with their plan before and they follow my theory of nothing being off limits as long as you account for it.
I do have some exercise goals as well but those are more related to my other idea so more on that later. Since I'm doing this in honor of my mom, I've decided that every quarter that I reach my goal I will donate some $$ the American Cancer Society to help find a cure for that nasty, nasty disease.
So friends, I have a much more detailed plan, but I'll be weighing in on Wednesdays and plan to keep you updated. I'm pleased to report that the first week of this (which started before the blog) I lost 2 lbs! :) Making healthy choices, taking one step at a time and having an undiminished faith that with God's blessing I can accomplish this I believe will bring me success. Thanks for all the wonderful support. More to come soon!
My first BHAG is to lose weight. Well actually to 'lose weight' isn't really a BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal). My BHAG is how much I want to lose. I have a number, which I'll share at the end but to put it into a percentage, I am trying to lose 50% of my current body weight. Yikes! Yes, that's a lot of weight but it wouldn't be a BHAG if it wasn't Big, right?
I've given this a lot of thought and want to make sure that the process is healthy, realistic and attainable. I've been tripped up many times in the past by trying to do too much at once. My goal is about 6 lbs. per month or 18 lbs. per quarter. It will probably come off faster than that at the beginning and much slower than that at the end. I'm not too concerned with the exact timing as long as I trend that way over many months.
I want to say right now that I'm NOT ON A DIET! :) I'm making a healthy lifestyle change. A diet is a short-term thing and this is something that I'm doing that will impact me for a much longer term. As such, nothing is off limits (so please...no food police - "are you supposed to be eating that?") as long as the portions are in reason. Of course, over time I will naturally start to select healthier eating options but I'm not making any drastic cuts. I am trying to limit my intake of some things (ie. mochas only on special occassions-drink hot tea instead, and severely cutting down on pop). In mid-August I plan to go back to Weight Watchers with my dad who is also joining me on this journey of weight loss. I've had success with their plan before and they follow my theory of nothing being off limits as long as you account for it.
I do have some exercise goals as well but those are more related to my other idea so more on that later. Since I'm doing this in honor of my mom, I've decided that every quarter that I reach my goal I will donate some $$ the American Cancer Society to help find a cure for that nasty, nasty disease.
So friends, I have a much more detailed plan, but I'll be weighing in on Wednesdays and plan to keep you updated. I'm pleased to report that the first week of this (which started before the blog) I lost 2 lbs! :) Making healthy choices, taking one step at a time and having an undiminished faith that with God's blessing I can accomplish this I believe will bring me success. Thanks for all the wonderful support. More to come soon!
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Ch, ch, ch, changes...
Sometimes the dichotomy of your personal and professional life can be startling. For instance, I am a "change agent" at work. When I take over a new project or program I immediately begin evaluating it for potential changes. It's not that I change things just for the sake of it, but more that I subscribe to the idea of 'continual improvement.' Many times, there are better ways of doing something and I'm the type of person that is keen to try those out.
You could argue that even in my personal life at times I've been unafraid of change (or at least unwilling to let fear of change get in the way). I went two states away to college, then moved to a major east coast city by myself, and I've moved three times since then for my profession. I have had people tell me before that they admire my courage to do all of these things and to be honest I've always had a hard time understanding that. To me it hasn't been courage that has led me to these choices but my faith in God to provide in these situations and a strong belief that I can accomplish something when I really set my mind to it (which sometimes works out and sometimes does not).
Even when you choose change it isn't always easy, but oftentimes the hardest change to accept and adapt to is what is forced on you. These professional changes were of my own choosing, but losing my mom was not a change I would have chosen at this age and stage of my life. There was too much life left to be lived with her, too much to be done and said. But that change was out of my control -- no matter how much I believed.
Most of the time I cannot forget what happened four months ago. But there are moments in the day when perhaps I'm caught up in something at work or watching a tv show when it feels like life is as it always was. And then in the next moment I remember that it isn't at all the same. It's a different life now. That doesn't mean it has to be bad but it has to be different. Sometimes its tempting to pretend that everything is the same but I know that can only last for a while...change this big is inescapable.
So, with so much change out of my control, it's time for me to change something within my sphere of influence. My life is different already and I guess its time that I reflect that.
You could argue that even in my personal life at times I've been unafraid of change (or at least unwilling to let fear of change get in the way). I went two states away to college, then moved to a major east coast city by myself, and I've moved three times since then for my profession. I have had people tell me before that they admire my courage to do all of these things and to be honest I've always had a hard time understanding that. To me it hasn't been courage that has led me to these choices but my faith in God to provide in these situations and a strong belief that I can accomplish something when I really set my mind to it (which sometimes works out and sometimes does not).
Even when you choose change it isn't always easy, but oftentimes the hardest change to accept and adapt to is what is forced on you. These professional changes were of my own choosing, but losing my mom was not a change I would have chosen at this age and stage of my life. There was too much life left to be lived with her, too much to be done and said. But that change was out of my control -- no matter how much I believed.
Most of the time I cannot forget what happened four months ago. But there are moments in the day when perhaps I'm caught up in something at work or watching a tv show when it feels like life is as it always was. And then in the next moment I remember that it isn't at all the same. It's a different life now. That doesn't mean it has to be bad but it has to be different. Sometimes its tempting to pretend that everything is the same but I know that can only last for a while...change this big is inescapable.
So, with so much change out of my control, it's time for me to change something within my sphere of influence. My life is different already and I guess its time that I reflect that.
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