Merry Christmas! And Look What December Has Brought...

My last post was on December 11th...  So busy...  yesterday was the first day to slow down a bit, and it felt great!   Naps, catching up on reading... feels so good.  Today I slept in.  I woke up at 6:00 AM, but didn't get out of bed until 7:30.  I read, and then watched an episode of Chopped. 

I'm rereading Natalia Rose's Detox for Women, because I've had a relapse of candida.  You know my last post on the 11th?  After that point I was pretty lax on the sweets I ate- I was more lenient with chocolate, and homemade sweets (like carmel) that came our way.  I did buy some dark chocolate to eat instead, but it didn't work.  I ate that AND the sweets.  And now, over two weeks later, I'm already having some female yeast issues.  I've also felt more bloated and gassy.  Not cool.

One good thing that has come from all of this is that now I know what I was doing WAS working (besides the weight loss), and that it is important to stay with it.  I love rereading things that I read at the beginning of my journey, because now different things stand out to me.  It's very motivating, and I'm ready to give it a go again (starting January 1st!!! :)  For one month I'm going to be really strict, like I was in August.  No fruit, honey, or maple syrup (as well as sugar of course).  And I'm going back to JUICING!  That will replace my breakfast, like before.   My next doctor's appointment is the first part of February, and we'll be doing blood work again.  Hopefully I'll be able to see a difference in my results, compared to August.

On Christmas Eve I decided to go to a Santa Hat fun run.  I didn't know anyone who was going, but it sounded like fun.  When I got there it turned out I knew a couple of gals, and it was fun to run with them.  The best thing of all:  They run together every Mon-Wed-Fri at 5 AM!  And they invited me to join them!!  And they're about my speed (a bit slower, but that's okay)!!!  And they're going about as far as I want to go! (5 miles)  I've been wanting to find someone to run with for YEARS, so I hope this works out.  They're training for the Utah Valley Marathon in June, and I'm a bit torn.  I REALLY want to do it, but I think I'll wait & see how my training goes in January and see if I have enough energy while I'm doing this stricter diet.  Maybe I'll go with the half marathon.

In Mourning Tonight

Yes, I'm being a bit melodramatic about being in mourning.  But it just hit me.  Tears.  I won't be running my race tomorrow. 

I  signed up for the Top of Utah Marathon, and was really excited to be working on getting a sub-4 hr marathon.  I created a training plan on Runner's World.com that told me how fast to train each time, and it was much different than how I trained for my first marathon in May.  I was staying right on track (even with the speed workouts!), and then my stupid appendicitis hit on the 4th of July. 

I was planning to get back on track after 4-weeks off, but then I met with a different doctor & found out about my candida issues (which I'm sure had something to do with the appendicitis!).  I knew that it was time to take care of the problem, and in doing that I would have to cut out most carbs, which are a main source of fueling when you're running long distances.  I knew that I'd have to cut back my distances, and that my running would be affected. 

Right now I'm in "maintain" mode, where I'm doing Monday/Wed/Friday/Saturday:  4 miles/4 miles/4 miles/6 miles, because I don't want to lose my running base.  At first even that amount was terrible, but it's starting to feel better.  It's such a high for me to be outside running in the crisp morning air.  I LOVE fall running!

I thought I had come to terms with my running situation, but I just read a Facebook post from a friend who is running the TOU tomorrow.  I wished her luck, and then she wrote back and said she wished I was there.  That little comment made the tears come.  Man, I love to run.  I wish I was there, too.  Hopefully next year I'll have my body in order and I'll be lighter, stronger, and faster, running my next marathon.  Can't wait!

First Social Event- Arrrrrrrghhhhhh!

Tonight we fed the missionaries.  I kept it simple- rice, grilled chicken, orange dream salad (cottage cheese, cool whip, orange jellow, and mandarin oranges-  NO, I did not eat!!), and green salad.  I cooked regular rice for everyone else, and cooked brown rice for myself.  Yum- with butter & salt & pepper.  I can have unsalted butter... not sure why, but the Dr. said.

The kicker was dessert.  I'm still struggling a bit.  No, make that a lot.  I let Janessa make Spice cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, and they also had vanilla ice cream.  Talk about WILL POWER.  Holy cow.  I keep telling myself how many thousands of people choose to eat the way I am right now, but it doesn't make it any easier.  It's simply torture.  I want to make healthy eating a new way of life, but it's hard to imagine getting over my love of sweets.

Journaling like this helps, though.  I know that I have to report back, and I'm determined to succeed.

Another excitement to report about-  I was able to run 8-miles today!!!  I wasn't sure if I would have enough energy because I've cut out so many carbs, but I just took it nice & slow & I did fine!  Phew.  That is a stress to me.  I'm not going to be able to do the Top of Utah marathon that I planned to do in September, but I'm grateful for my health & ability to still run for health.  I just invision myself running my races next year feeling lighter, stronger, and with more energy.  All this agony will pay off!  (right?:)