One year ago today, I ran my first 5K. Clear blue skies, the perfect race temperature, and a gentle breeze all combined to make my first race a gorgeous one.
Fast forward to today.
The temperature gauge in my car claimed a crisp 32 degrees when I pulled away from my house. The sky was grey, and there were definitely some ominous clouds on the horizon. As a bonus, the wind picked up nicely while I was waiting on my race buddy outside of the parking garage. When he arrived, he was horrified to realize that I had no hat. Or gloves. Because he's a gentleman, he argued with me the whole way to the starting line about borrowing his gloves, and because I am stubborn, I refused.
We parted ways at the line up, because we have vastly different racing strategies. He likes to start out in a pace group a little faster than his normal pace, because it motivates him to push himself harder. I like to start out with the walkers, because my top goal during any physical activity is "don't die."
So with Alanis blasting in my ear, I crossed the starting line at 4:17. The race course was the same as last year's, and I was determined not to let the hill in the first quarter mile intimidate me like it did last year. I even ran up most of it! After the first mile, the course doubles back on itself for most of the second mile, and it's awfully humbling to pass the half-mile mark while the top runners are already on their way back.
I wound up in a really great bunching this time around. For starters, there were no stroller runners around me, which greatly reduced my chances of getting run over by/tripping over a stroller. Secondly, there were a lot of first time runners, complete with awesome support teams. Friends running backwards to offer encouragement, husbands running sideways, and one amazing team just behind me encouraging their friend with "Come on! Two more miles AND WE GET SUNDAES!" I am fully behind the use of food as a motivating tool.
The first mile felt pretty good, even if I was colder than I have ever willingly been in my life. I managed a pretty respectable 14-minute pace, and found myself abandoning my usual "run for the chorus, walk for the verse" pacing plan. The second mile was a little boring--same route, less to look at, and my playlist threw "Adia" at me. A lovely song, but maybe not a great choice for a running mix. But I totally felt like a real, live, capital R Runner when I managed the water stop without stopping! (And I even hit the garbage can when I tossed my cup. I hate how much litter a race seems to generate.)
The last mile or so goes through downtown, so there were a lot more spectators than in the first two miles, and those spectators were amazing. Running high fives, shouting encouragement, ringing cowbells--a bunch of people got up early and stood out in the cold to cheer us on. And then it started to snow. Right about the time that I realized that the fuzzy stuff in the air was not me having a stroke, a really adorable four-year old rang a cowbell and said "Run fast! Run fast! Almost done!!" so I was too overwhelmed by cute to worry much about the fact that it was snowing.
That hill at the beginning of the race? The thing about hills is that going up them is draining. Going back down them? Terrifying. I fall down on flat ground for no reason. Throw in a hill, running, and slick ground, and I find myself in danger of violating that whole "don't die" goal in a big, dramatic way. But at the bottom of the hill, we rounded a corner, and there it was. The finish line. Less than a quarter of a mile away. Just past the thee-mile marker, there was my running buddy. Craning his neck, looking for me.
Bless his heart, when he saw me waving like a crazy person, he ran up and fell into step beside me. Now I had my own little encouragement team. "Come on, Anne! Two hundred more yards! You're doing so good. Let's go! There's bananas at the end!" And I found myself running just a little bit faster than I would have if it was just me, because my buddy waited in the snow, and added another tenth of a mile to his own run for the day. No way was I letting him down!
My final chip time was 42:15, and I didn't die. GOALS MET!
And the post-run banana was almost as delicious as the post-run beer, which washed down the complimentary post-run cheesesteak nicely. Then we warmed up at Barnes and Noble, and met friends for a late breakfast. Like I said, I'm in full support of using food as a motivational tool, and I'm not above rewarding myself with bacon.
Do you have any race day strategies? What about post-run rewards?
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Let's Talk About Clothes, Baby
One of the biggest hurdles I've faced with this whole "trying to be more active" journey is getting myself dressed. The clothes may not make the girl, but they sure can make the girl more comfortable.
As a big lady, I've had plenty of time to get used to the idea that I can't just run into any old store and pick up an outfit. Shopping for an occasion is a process. Shopping for workout clothes, though, that's an endurance test.
I'll just get this out of the way up front. I'm not looking for the latest fashions, here. I am looking for clothes that do the job I need them to do. Pants and tops that wick away the sweat, don't chafe, and don't get in my way when I'm already struggling enough as it is. I want to be able to run and not constantly worry about if my shirt is riding up, or my pants are falling down, or my boob is about to pop out of my top and smack me in the face. From what I can tell, this is what everyone is looking for in workout clothes, regardless of their size or fitness level.
One would think that the stores that cater to the plus sized crowd would be the logical place to find basic workout wear. Based on the limited floor space given to "active wear" in these stores, and the high percentage of that floor space that is taken up by matching velour hoodies and relaxed fit sweat pants, I can only come to one conclusion: Lane Bryant has a vested interest in keeping me fat. I guess I can see their point. As long as the most active thing I do in any given day is walk from my couch to the fridge to get a refill on my French Onion Dip, they've got a customer for life.
Sporting goods stores, Target, Old Navy, lululemon--I can only gather that these stores are still in denial about the fact that big girls need to get their work out on, too. Some of these stores will sell bigger sizes, but online only. Listen, I don't want to hear another salesperson try to explain this away as a business decision because they can't devote floor space to stuff they won't sell much of. Take out a wall of flip flops, add a "Fat Girl Fit Wear" section, and I promise you'll make money.
So where's a girl to go? Are we really relegated to shopping online for clothes we can't get a sense of before we buy? Playing the endless game of "not in stock" or "cut funny, gotta send it back, and in the meantime, I still don't have a good pair of pants?" Shopping the men's section?
We are not! On the advice of my stepmom, I very reluctantly hit up JC Penney. Where they have actual plus sized active wear. In their actual stores. That you can actually try on. The selection isn't huge, and there are definitely some color schemes that will make you say "Whuck?" but it's a start. As a bonus, the pricing seems about on par with Target, as opposed to Lane Bryant, so you're not going to break the bank there, either.
As for sports bras, if you're a big chested girl, you already know that there are just not that many options out there, especially if you want to be able to try it before you buy it. And if you're just getting started, I hate to say it, but you're going to need help. (Possibly a lot of help. I really should have instituted a buddy system before I tried on that sports bra at the sporting goods store. I thought I was going to have to call in the jaws of life to get me back out.) This is the one area where I would not recommend trying to bargain hunt. Luckily, the nice people at Title Nine have the most comprehensive selection I have ever seen. I happily drove 100 miles round trip to suffer the indignity of getting trussed up by the world's fittest, cutest salesperson, in a dressing room that only had a passing acquaintance with the concept of "privacy" and I'll do it again. The women there knew their stuff, and didn't make me feel like a giant, even as I browsed the racks of XS running skirts.
Where are you shopping? What works for you, and where are you finding it?
As a big lady, I've had plenty of time to get used to the idea that I can't just run into any old store and pick up an outfit. Shopping for an occasion is a process. Shopping for workout clothes, though, that's an endurance test.
I'll just get this out of the way up front. I'm not looking for the latest fashions, here. I am looking for clothes that do the job I need them to do. Pants and tops that wick away the sweat, don't chafe, and don't get in my way when I'm already struggling enough as it is. I want to be able to run and not constantly worry about if my shirt is riding up, or my pants are falling down, or my boob is about to pop out of my top and smack me in the face. From what I can tell, this is what everyone is looking for in workout clothes, regardless of their size or fitness level.
One would think that the stores that cater to the plus sized crowd would be the logical place to find basic workout wear. Based on the limited floor space given to "active wear" in these stores, and the high percentage of that floor space that is taken up by matching velour hoodies and relaxed fit sweat pants, I can only come to one conclusion: Lane Bryant has a vested interest in keeping me fat. I guess I can see their point. As long as the most active thing I do in any given day is walk from my couch to the fridge to get a refill on my French Onion Dip, they've got a customer for life.
Sporting goods stores, Target, Old Navy, lululemon--I can only gather that these stores are still in denial about the fact that big girls need to get their work out on, too. Some of these stores will sell bigger sizes, but online only. Listen, I don't want to hear another salesperson try to explain this away as a business decision because they can't devote floor space to stuff they won't sell much of. Take out a wall of flip flops, add a "Fat Girl Fit Wear" section, and I promise you'll make money.
So where's a girl to go? Are we really relegated to shopping online for clothes we can't get a sense of before we buy? Playing the endless game of "not in stock" or "cut funny, gotta send it back, and in the meantime, I still don't have a good pair of pants?" Shopping the men's section?
We are not! On the advice of my stepmom, I very reluctantly hit up JC Penney. Where they have actual plus sized active wear. In their actual stores. That you can actually try on. The selection isn't huge, and there are definitely some color schemes that will make you say "Whuck?" but it's a start. As a bonus, the pricing seems about on par with Target, as opposed to Lane Bryant, so you're not going to break the bank there, either.
As for sports bras, if you're a big chested girl, you already know that there are just not that many options out there, especially if you want to be able to try it before you buy it. And if you're just getting started, I hate to say it, but you're going to need help. (Possibly a lot of help. I really should have instituted a buddy system before I tried on that sports bra at the sporting goods store. I thought I was going to have to call in the jaws of life to get me back out.) This is the one area where I would not recommend trying to bargain hunt. Luckily, the nice people at Title Nine have the most comprehensive selection I have ever seen. I happily drove 100 miles round trip to suffer the indignity of getting trussed up by the world's fittest, cutest salesperson, in a dressing room that only had a passing acquaintance with the concept of "privacy" and I'll do it again. The women there knew their stuff, and didn't make me feel like a giant, even as I browsed the racks of XS running skirts.
Where are you shopping? What works for you, and where are you finding it?
Well Hello There
I decided that, rather than flood my facebook status updates with a bunch of rants about how much I hate exercise, why not start a blog? This way, the people who want to laugh with me (or at me, I'm not picky) have the option, and the people who don't want to, don't have to.
So what's this blog going to be about? Knowing me, it'll be about long-winded musings/rants. About my nemesis the treadmill, exercise in general, how much I miss some of the foods I've given up on my quest to fit into clothes sold at regular stores, and anything else that tickles my fancy.
It probably won't be a great place to come and get anything resembling advice about diet, or fitness, because I'm basically the worst person on earth to be doling out that kind of advice. I ran two miles today on the treadmill, and then ate the better part of a box of cookies for dinner, if that gives you any insight into how successful my journey is on any given day.
But if you're ever in the mood for a rant on why people can't be a little less naked in the locker room at the gym, this is so the place for you. (The short version? You can be as naked as you like, but please don't talk to me if your bits are uncovered. And I would really appreciate it if the exuberant lotion appliers of the world would do so in the privacy of the showers.)
There will be swearing, and self-deprecating humor, and some days, just plain old self-deprecation. That's how I roll. If the swearing offends you, I'm sorry. Yes, my mama and daddy know that's how I talk. No, they probably aren't particularly thrilled about it.
If you somehow stumbled over here without already knowing me, I suppose I should introduce myself. I'm Anne, a 30-something, half-Southern single girl living in the suburbs of Chicago. I love books, my cats, the color pink, and napping. I'm a terrible housekeeper, swear like a sailor, and am prone to fits of righteous indignation. I fall down a lot, frequently in public, and often for absolutely no good reason. I have an irrational fear of spiders, and an aversion to eating any meat directly off of a bone. I'm a big fan of making new friends, so feel free to introduce yourself.
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