13.1 v5

Hi everyone! I'm freshly back from my FIFTH half marathon and I must have desperately needed some sun and a good race because I feel amazing!!

I drove down on Friday and came back on Monday so it was a quick trip but it couldn't have been much better. Traveling for a race can be stressful for me but it was so nice to just grab a few things and hit the road. I didn't need 6 layers or a jacket or neckwarmer or hat or gloves or any of that crap!!

The race was Sunday so I got to spend the whole morning on Saturday with my sister out in the bay stand-up paddle boarding. That is one of those things that as a fat girl could have NEVER imagined doing and now I do it every chance I get! Saturday night I ate dinner by myself then unashamedly walked down the street eating ice cream. Another former fat girl victory!! Sometimes it's the big things, sometimes it's the little things.

The race was early and sunrise was gorgeous.

I promised myself I wasn't going to try to break any records overdo it so I kept my comfortable 10:15 pace most of the way - I got a little fast when a good song came on but I paid attention and dialed it back a little. I'm glad I did because miles 11 and 12 were really hot and really hard. That's when the brain has to take over and try to get those little legs to make it the rest of the way. It was 85 degrees at the finish!!

 

Finishing was awesome with friends and family waiting - usually my races are too big for anyone to get near the finish line but this time I saw and heard everyone cheering!

  

I got to spend the rest of day doing what I love.....boating with my friends and eating oysters!

 

That same day, I got to announce to everyone that my design for the Peachtree Road Race t-shirt was picked for the final five! For those of you that don't know, it's the worlds largest 10k and there are over 60,000 shirts printed. It would be a HUGE honor for me to win this and I encourage you to vote for your favorite (hopefully mine!!!) You can vote every day for the next month! http://www.ajc.com/2015-ajc-peachtree-tshirt/ or click on the banner on the side bar.

Believe it or not my next half marathon is THIS SUNDAY. 2 half marathons in 7 days. I'm also coaching this week and doing a course run for the women's 5k so it's going to be a week full of running. I'm so incredibly grateful for my new life and all that my new love for running is teaching me about myself!

Have a happy, healthy week everyone!

Friday weigh in

Happy Friday!

Not much excitement to report on the weight loss front this week - it's my second zero loss week but I have a feeling that's going to start happening more and more as I get closer to my goal.

Jan 14 - Start of liquid diet - 250
Jan 29 - Surgery weight - 237 -13
Feb 8 - 231 -6
Feb 15 - 222 -9
Feb 22 - 220  -2
Mar 1 - 218  -2
Mar 8 - 216  -2
Mar 15 - 213 -3
Mar 22 - 209 -4
Mar 28 - 208 -1
Apr 5 - 206 -2
Apr 12 - 199 -7
Apr 26 - 196 -3
May 3 - 193 -3 
May 10 - 190 -3
May 17 - 187 -3
May 24 - 186 -1
May 31 - 184 -2
June 7 - 177 -7  
June 14 - 177 -0   
June 21 - 175 -2
June 28 - 171 -4
July 5 - 167 -4
July 12 - 167 -0
83 pounds total!
  
I will just keep looking at my photos I just got back from MarathonFoto. This makes me happy! 

 
 have a great weekend!!

Friday weigh in and Peachtree Road Race Recap

I'm so confused - today seems like Sunday but it's only Friday! Hope everyone had a great 4th! I ate and drank more calories than I ever have post-surgery but then again I burned 1336 which cancelled it all out :)

Let's start with the weigh in:
Jan 14 - Start of liquid diet - 250
Jan 29 - Surgery weight - 237 -13
Feb 8 - 231 -6
Feb 15 - 222 -9
Feb 22 - 220  -2
Mar 1 - 218  -2
Mar 8 - 216  -2
Mar 15 - 213 -3
Mar 22 - 209 -4
Mar 28 - 208 -1
Apr 5 - 206 -2
Apr 12 - 199 -7
Apr 26 - 196 -3
May 3 - 193 -3 
May 10 - 190 -3
May 17 - 187 -3
May 24 - 186 -1
May 31 - 184 -2
June 7 - 177 -7  
June 14 - 177 -0   
June 21 - 175 -2
June 28 - 171 -4
July 5 - 167 -4
83 pounds total!

Hello 160s! Happy to see you. What's almost scary is that I'm only 17 pounds away from reaching 100. Again! This time, I swear I'm NEVER going back - mark my words as my grandma would say!

If you haven't already, Watch me sweat on TV.

Me watching me on TV! Such a weird thing.

Now on to the RACE!!

I was one of 60,000 runners that woke up to POURING rain. My stomach was in knots over the weather but I was holding out hope that it would stop as daylight came. I got on the train and was smashed up against some young, cool twenty something kid who wasn't going to the race. Poor thing had no idea he would be in an intimate relationship with a 43 year old married lady by the time he went 4 stops to work! By the time I got to the start, the rain had miraculously ended and the Twitter told me the winner had already crossed the finish line in 28:07. You can't drive a car that far in this city that fast :)

On my way to the start a woman stopped me and said "aren't you the lady on TV?? I love you take your picture with me!" How cool is that?? I so badly want to inspire people and it's working!!

photo from ajc.com

The race is so well organized and all the start waves were moving through flawlessly. I was crossing the start exactly when I was supposed to and the temperature was almost 20 degrees cooler than last year. Doesn't get much better than that!

Because of the weather, I knew I was going to have an easier run so I took the time to look around and enjoy the view along the way. Watching the Peachtree is as big of a deal as running it. People go all out with the side of the road and balcony parties. Definitely lots of entertainment! I was even tempted to grab a beer at one of the many beer stops but I hadn't had any beer while training so I wasn't going to take the risk :)

I was blown away by how different it was from last year. Last year I suffered through it and couldn't wait for it to be over. This time I was flying down Peachtree, enjoying the view and having a BLAST. This is what living is.

This was SO fast for me. 12'11 was my fastest mile. No wonder my heart rate was up. I knew it was too fast and I just couldn't slow down. It was just too much fun. About a hundred yards from the finish line I had to stop to walk for a second when I passed a breakfast place and the smell of food almost made me hurl! Other than that there was no damage done by running overly fast and finishing 30 MINUTES FASTER THAN LAST YEAR!!!

My feet stayed pretty dry until we had to go into the park to get our shirts and our water and our FRESH PEACHES! 

Luckily I was at the end of my shoe mileage.

Friends and husband at the finish.

Hopefully Marathon Photo got a better shot of me than my husband and his thumb! For now this will have to do!

Our attempt to re-create last years picture - with my friend, neighbor and running inspiration. 55 minute finisher!

Side by side with last years pic. XL tshirt 2012, M tshirt 2013! Loved walking up to the Medium table :)

Just a few of the many calories consumed and the best friends a girl could ever have! Do I have the best looking entourage or what??

I'm STILL smiling today after such an amazing day. I feel great and will probably be back at yoga tonight already. I'm not going to stop running - in fact, I THINK I'm going to attempt my first half Marathon in Savannah in November. That's like finishing the Peachtree then running back to the start which is mind blowing to me but definitely not impossible. I will never say never again!

Have a happy, healthy week everyone!!

Monday mix tape

Another great weekend here in the ATL! I can't get over how awesome life is at the moment. Long may it continue!!!

Friday was the start of the "Tina Tait media blitz" :) The hospital where I had my surgery released my article on their website and social media. I read it over and over and I love it. I'm so honored to be representing their bariatric program and I vow to continue to be a success story! Click here to read the article >

Saturday it was time for the last of my on-course training runs for the race which is THURSDAY already! I was meeting some friends and I was running late already at 5:30am. I skipped breakfast (big mistake) and had only a few sips of coffee (another big mistake) but was running by 7:15. First 3 miles were pretty good. My legs felt heavy and my heart rate was way up and I didn't realize why until my Nike app said "1 mile completed - 11 minutes and 42 seconds". Ummm no wonder I felt worn out. That's WAY too fast for me and I didn't realize how much I was trying to keep up with my friends. I like to settle in at about 13:30 pace these days (which is something I could never have imagined in my past life!). The last 3 miles are the hardest due to the hills and I had already done myself in. I chugged way too much water which made me really nauseous so I walked cardiac hill then ran in spurts the last 3 miles - desperately out of water and getting the chills. Finally we got to the car and went for breakfast. Whew, that was a tough one.

Sunday I got to go back to the W Hotel in Midtown for a roof-top yoga class. There were 75 people in this gorgeous room overlooking the whole city and it was one of the best classes yet! I did wheel pose for the first time ever.

Never could have imagined doing this but I tried it and there it was!

After we got a vodka and lemonade and some pool time. Even better? My amazing and beautiful instructor for the last 3 years Astrid handed me a bag from #lululemon along with a huge hug saying how proud of me she was! She is (rightly so!) an ambassador for them and told them about my journey.

In the bag were the most awesome pants I've been coveting! Lord almighty do I need free pants right now!

and also one of the most awesome cards ever!

LOVE the "Keep on goal crushing". This is SO motivating and I'm feeling more inspired than ever. It chokes me up a bit!!

Because I never got in the water at the W, my husband and I decided to brave the public pool with a hundred million kids just so I could wear my new bathing suit. It's my first tankini (no you're not getting any pictures of me in it) but I will give you a shot from the neck up :)

It was weird and wonderful to wear a bathing suit that wasn't a black one piece for the first time since I was a toddler!

Today started off with a great run - my usual 5k route and my usual pace of 13:30. Glad my training has ended on a high note. I think it's interesting how I had two crappy course runs and two fabulous ones. I think the crappy ones have to happen so we learn what not to do and also to touch base with our egos. 

Tonight is the big night - my story airs tonight on Fox 5 news news at 5. I'm nervous about seeing myself on TV but excited too. I will be with a group of friends in my local bar trying hard not to have more than one drink!!

I will make sure to post the link as soon as it's available. I will also have a race update on Friday along with the weigh in which is already looking pretty good! Happy 4th of July everyone!

Monday mix tape

 

How is it Monday again already!?!? Another exciting weekend and it FLEW by!!

Friday was the big day - Fox 5 was coming to my house to film at noon! I woke up early and spent most of the morning cleaning up the house and myself. Thankfully, my hair stylist was kind enough to squeeze me in for some emergency highlights! I was more nervous than I thought I would be and started sweating the second they arrived.

 

They set up a little spot in my back yard for the interview - it was a bit of a mess back there after storms but hopefully that won't show up on TV! It was strange being in front of the camera but I think I did okay - I love telling my story and I got more comfortable after talking a while. I wanted to keep my answers short but at the same time I wanted to make sure I said everything I wanted to say.

  

Beth Galvin is the reporter doing the story - LOVED her! She immediately put me at ease and is the kind of person I would totally hang out with.

After the interview I ran on camera up and down my street. I tried to smile and not sweat too much. SO WEIRD running with a camera in your face. Luckily, I also loved the camera man so it got (a little) less weird as we went along.

After the run we went to my trainer Karen's studio to film us working out together. We did some kicking on the bag, planks, pushups, butt lifts, etc.  - all exercises we thought would look both bad-ass and figure flattering at the same time :) At that point I just gave up on trying not to sweat. People want reality and it doesn't get much more real than me dripping wet - it's how I spend most days. One of the most beautiful girls I know once said "sweat is body fat crying". I try to remind myself of that when I'm feeling miserable!!

They interviewed Karen after our workout which made me all verklempt - Hearing her say such wonderful things about me is as great as all the pounds I've lost! I wish I had taken a few pictures there but we were going on 2 and a half hours and I was about to drop!

The segment will air Monday, July 1st at 5:45 pm. I will post a link here the second it's available!!

What a fabulous day I will NEVER forget. I had to go to yoga to calm down and come back to earth! I dedicated my practice to my father - who art in heaven - and smiled the whole time knowing that he would be so proud of what I've done.

I had to get back to reality quickly because, Saturday was another big training run. In fact it was the "official" training run at 7:30am and I knew there would be a thousand people on the sidewalks so I was determined to get ahead of them and have some space. The alarm went off at 5:30 (this is how you know when you've become a real runner) and I was on the train speeding north by 6:20. I stopped to pee at my favorite Marriott and held the door for two ladies in VERY short skirts and VERY tall shoes stumbling out of the hotel at 6:45 am. Just then someone I knew from my yoga studio was also coming in to use the bathroom so luckily I had someone to laugh about those girls with :)

I was running by 7am and was flying! I felt even better than last week, there was water every mile and it was (dare I say) fun!?!

When I look at this I can't quite believe it. I've never run this fast in my life! The best part? It's only going to get better!!

Sunday I did a full 90 minute super sweaty Bikram class to "stretch out" after Saturday. After all that work over the weekend we had a fun night out and a cocktail or two.

I love my husband and my NEW collar bones!

And then it was Monday. Running every other day is difficult because when I woke up this morning it was time to do it again! I rocked my super hilly Monday morning 5k with a little soreness left over in my quads and sweat dripping from my elbows.

Now that I've written another super-extended Monday mix tape I should probably get back to my real job. Weigh-in this Friday will be 5 months post-surgery so look for updated progress pics and measurements!

Have a happy, healthy week everyone!

Friday weigh in

Happy Friday!! Where is the summer going?!?! I can't believe it's almost July and my race is a week and a half away.

This is going to be brief because I have some BIG NEWS to share but first the weigh in....

Jan 14 - Start of liquid diet - 250
Jan 29 - Surgery weight - 237 -13
Feb 8 - 231 -6
Feb 15 - 222 -9
Feb 22 - 220  -2
Mar 1 - 218  -2
Mar 8 - 216  -2
Mar 15 - 213 -3
Mar 22 - 209 -4
Mar 28 - 208 -1
Apr 5 - 206 -2
Apr 12 - 199 -7
Apr 26 - 196 -3
May 3 - 193 -3 
May 10 - 190 -3
May 17 - 187 -3
May 24 - 186 -1
May 31 - 184 -2
June 7 - 177 -7  
June 14 - 177 -0   
June 21 - 175 -2           
 
75 pounds total! 

Yay for 75 pounds!!

Okay so now for the BIG NEWS. Fox 5 Atlanta is coming to MY house TODAY to film ME for a story on inspiring people running the Peachtree. I'm totally honored, nervous and excited. My heart is filled with a desire to inspire others and this is a great opportunity to share my story. Of course I will keep you all posted on when it will air etc. and I'm hoping to have a clip to share on the blog.

In the meantime, I still have to do my 6.2 course run tomorrow. It's the official training run day and it's open to everyone so I expect some crowded sidewalks but I'm excited for it. Let's hope I do as well as last week!!

Have a great weekend everyone!!!

Monday mix tape

Hey y'all! I'm happy to report I had a great weekend after my not-so-great week.

Friday (after my zero pounds lost weigh in) I decided I was going to return a top I bought at lululemon and treat myself to a new tank top. Of course I'm never going to make it out of there with just one thing and I couldn't resist these

These pants have 5 pockets! My phone fits in the side pocket, the cord for my headphones is long enough to come up under my shirt, money, ID and MARTA card in the back zipper pocket.

The best part? Size 10?!??!?!

Do not judge me for how much money I spent on these. Focus on the size! :)

Saturday morning I was up at 6am determined to get to the train by 7:15 for my 6.2 mile run back. The weather was SO much better than last week, I made sure to remember my water, I didn't drink (much) the night before and I really worked hard on my attitude.

The train was early so I was at the start and ready to run by 7:30. I even found the nicest public bathroom on the way from the train station to the start which will come in handy over the next couple weeks! I set out feeling great and stayed that way for the entire 6.2. I even ran about 1/4 mile of cardiac hill but had to walk the 2nd 1/4 mile. The rest of the time I ran and ran and ran.  

[Funny story: I was LOVING my new running pants and I kept thinking "people in size 10 lululemon pants can make it up these hills." My $90 pants kept me going. Whatever works right!?!?]

1:32 was my time!! 20 minutes ahead of last years time. It almost seems like a "normal" amount of time for a 10k.

I felt awesome ALL day - plus, I burned 800 calories! We piled the dogs in the car and headed up to North Carolina to visit my mom and step-dad for fathers day. The weather was gorgeous and it was nice to see my girls enjoying the creek.

We spent the night up there and it was a little difficult to control my wine and Rice Krispie Treat intake but luckily I have the sweetest and most supportive mother who made sure I had organic chicken and plenty of fresh fruit and veggies. 

Sunday I took the day off except for a couple of miles of walking. My quads were so sore after powering up those hills the day before and I knew I needed a recovery day. We ended up spending the afternoon in our local bar eating and drinking and watching golf. I ate grilled buffalo chicken so aside from the tequila, I did pretty well.

This morning, I woke up to rain and quickly realized my Monday morning 5k was going to have to be on the treadmill. I wasn't really sore at all anymore except for some tightness in my hips. Again I had an AMAZING run. Dare I say it was easy? I even cranked up the incline and my speed for the last 3/4 mile. I wanted to keep going after I got to 3.1 but I really needed to stop and get some work done. I felt totally unstoppable. Yep, my mojo is back!

Have a happy, healthy week! Thanks for all the support on Fridays post. I thought about every one of your comments as I was out there on the route. I feel so lucky to have so much support!

 

Friday weigh in

Happy Friday everyone!


Heat, hills, humidity and hormones - it's been a little bit of a rough week.


I knew it was coming - the humidity came on quick and it was tough to handle. I thought I was a bad-ass runner and suddenly I'm not! I've been dragging all week and can't seem to shake it. It's been hard to get up, even harder to get myself out for a run and then even harder to move through the thick, rainforest air. I tried the treadmill and I still wasn't feeling it.

Though my bad weeks are very rare, I feel like it's important to share them so nobody thinks it's all rainbows and unicorns in my world. I ate more chocolate than usual, I had a few drinks during the week, I only ran 25 minutes of my long run yesterday.

The scale was not kind either. I got down to 176 then popped right back up to 177 just in time for my weigh in today.


Jan 14 - Start of liquid diet - 250
Jan 29 - Surgery weight - 237 -13
Feb 8 - 231 -6
Feb 15 - 222 -9
Feb 22 - 220  -2
Mar 1 - 218  -2
Mar 8 - 216  -2
Mar 15 - 213 -3
Mar 22 - 209 -4
Mar 28 - 208 -1
Apr 5 - 206 -2
Apr 12 - 199 -7
Apr 26 - 196 -3
May 3 - 193 -3 
May 10 - 190 -3
May 17 - 187 -3
May 24 - 186 -1
May 31 - 184 -2
June 7 - 177 -7  
June 7 - 177 -0             
 
73 pounds total! 

This is my first "zero" week it doesn't really bother me (well maybe a little). Last week was a ridiculous loss and I certainly wasn't expecting a repeat of that.

Tomorrow is my 6.2 course run (again, already???) and I would really like to shake this before then. I'm hydrating all day today, NOT going to hot yoga tonight, NOT drinking bourbon tonight. NOT forgetting my water bottle tomorrow. Hoping that will all contribute to a more successful run than last week. God willing.

On a positive note, my number for the race came in the mail yesterday...

I moved up from starting corral X all the way to R! I will start 53 minutes earlier than I did last year - 8:37am. That will make a HUGE difference in the heat and I will take every bit of help I can get!

I'm done complaining now and off to enjoy my Friday. I'm going to go get a new running tank at Lululemon. Surely spending $50 or more on a tank top will make me a bad ass runner again!!

Monday Mix Tape

Weekend Wrap-Up
----------------------------
Like most of the nation, we had crappy weather all weekend which always makes me stir crazy. Luckily we had a few events to go to and it ended up being really fun. Thursday night we went to a film festival and Friday I went to see one of my favorite singer/songwriters at a great little venue. I live in such a cool city with so much to do and I finally feel like going out and taking advantage of it. I feel good in my clothes. I don't dread having to park far away and walk. I don't feel like I take up more than one seat in a small bar. I love it!

Saturday I did not work out for the first time in 8 days. There were streets closed for a race and it was pouring rain and there was no way I was going to make it to Bikram and stay sane. I knew that decision left me only one option 75 minute hot Vinyasa - by far the hardest class. I had to set my alarm on a Sunday but I did it and it was awesome. I even had energy left to plan all our meals for the week which helps so much.

59,999 + 1
----------------------------

I, along with 59,999 other lucky lottery enterers, rushed to my inbox this morning to find that got into the Peachtree again! For those that don't know, the Peachtree Road Race is the worlds largest (and hottest, and hilly-est, and crowded-est) 10K. Last year was tough. I'm not gonna lie. I trained plenty but my start time was 9:30 and it was HOT-lanta hot. This year I will move up a bit - from X to T. If I run it even faster this year I can start even earlier next year. Eventually I will be behind the Kenyans with my neighbor. Ha! Not with my short legs :)

So I guess it's time I add a little running back in the mix and get ready for another hot summer running down Peachtree. I'm so excited to see what a difference my weight loss will make in this years race. I can't even imagine!

Have a happy, healthy week everyone!

6.2...

is in the books! Frankly, I'm a little relieved I don't have to stress about it anymore. I managed to do it in well under 2 hours which was my goal! The winner? 27 minutes if you can imagine!

I slept pretty well the night before which is rare. I had my clothes laid out 3 days ahead of time so I felt prepared but I was still so nervous! My husband came with me on the train which was an experience - it was packed like a New York subway at rush hour but the people were fantastic and the atmosphere was electric.

Excited but trying not to have an anxiety attack to due to being 5 feet tall on a packed train. It was a sea of men's armpits above me holding on to the rails. blech!

It took so long to get out of the station and I had to pee! The porta-potty line was out of control and this is where being a local has it's advantages - I just cut around the block and went into Publix. The manager was even welcoming people in to use the facilities which were clean, air-conditioned and had no wait at all. Thanks fine people at Publix.

By this time it was start time. I just couldn't imagine what 60,000 people looked like on one of the most familiar roads in my city. It was a sight to behold!

I did not take this picture but I'm down there somewhere!

I had practiced this route a few times but I was so much faster being able to run down the middle of the road and not worry about the sidewalks and curbs. My goal was to run all the way to cardiac hill, which was a 4 mile stretch. About half way, I was getting really hot. I hadn't practiced this late in the morning and the sun being overhead was difficult. I stopped at all the water stops which were mostly warm water stops at this point and I went through all the misters and fire hydrants.

The streets are lined with spectators the whole way. People have elaborate parties, all the bars are open and it really helps with motivation to keep going. I passed a guy who had a shirt on that said "I'm 91. Eat my Dust" I had to give him a high-five.

The ONLY thing that pissed me off is when I started to see the elite runners RUNNING back UP the course after finishing. I'm sorry if 6.2 miles on a 90 degree day isn't enough for you but do you have to show off that much??? Seriously?

After cardiac hill, I was struggling to get back to running again but I managed to get my legs going and knew I only had two miles left. The crowds got even bigger toward the finish and I just kept going.

The finish was a blessing. I was struggling by then but I did it.

Seriously hot in that sun but proud!

I met my husband then walked the LOOOONG walk to our ride. All the streets are closed and the closest our friends could get was another mile up-hill. By this point I thought I was going to pass out but finally got in the car and was given a fresh, hot Krispy Kreme. That jolt of sugar was exactly what I needed and I didn't feel dizzy or sick anymore.

When I got home, My front door was decorated by my amazing neighbors. What a surprise!

I'm so lucky to have all this support!

They also had brunch ready and after my shower, I ate an entire bagel and then basically ate and drank whatever I wanted the rest of the day!

Me, my neighbor and my delicious (and patriotic) strawberry, lemonade vodka cocktail in a mason jar.
He finished in 57 minutes which is amazing!

So now what??? I guess it's some hard-core training for the 3-day coming up in October. Beyond that, maybe half-marathon in March? Stay tuned....

Thank you all SO much for all your support. This was a lofty goal and I couldn't have done it without all of you cheering me on.