Whoa...I've come a loooong way!

Hello Dear Reader,

I feel like I just had a 'whoa' moment. Do you know what I mean? Let me explain: Earlier this week, I was Skyping with my dad about saving and organizing pictures and videos into iPhotos. Since I was looking at photos anyway, I decided to look in the search section of my 'All Images" file and started browsing photos I had not seen in a while. One of those photos, or rather a series of them, stopped me in my tracks. It was a photo of me at my brother's wedding in 2009. OMG...how far I've come! My experience reminds me of the gazillions of 'before' and 'after' photos of someone who has completed some amazing new 6 week weight loss program and, as a result, dropped 97598375298 pounds. The stunning new hard body in the picture recounts how they saw a picture of their self at a company picnic/child's school play/sister's wedding/family vacation and realized that they were too big for their liking. This single image served as a catalyst for them to get off of the couch and shake a tail feather.

When I made the decision to run, it was more about doing something 'radical' for my 30th birthday (OMG...5 months until I'm 31!!!). "Getting my body right" was an added plus. Sure, I'd always joked with my friends that I was going to 'get it right, get it tight' this month, but 'this month' turned to 'that month' and then to 'another month'. Yes, I knew that I was gaining weight as time went on, but I was still comfortable with how I looked and figured I had a little more time until I reached epic proportions. Luckily for me, I didn't wait to reach that "catalyst photo" before I did something to get back on track (but whatever works for you...works for you...so if it's that photo...get moving!!!). I'm happy I can look back at that photo, and say that, 'I'm in a much better space."

It's funny, I never thought I'd ever be in a position to have one of those weight loss infomercial-type before and after photos, but now that I do...you know I have to share. I hope that in sharing, you won't have to wait to have your own 'before' and 'after' photo. You can do something to manage your weight, your health, and body image by finding ways to incorporate exercise and healthy eating into your life. No, I'm not saying that you have to run like a maniac or go full force in the gym. Make small, manageable, realistic changes that fit into your lifestyle so that you won't crash and burn after 2 months, but rather go for sustainability. Instead of taking the elevator, take the stairs. Go outside and play with the kids. Take a morning/lunchtime/evening stroll with your Boo. Whatever it is...put one foot in front of the other and keep it moving (yes, I'm going to say this one more time in this post).

So you ready for it? You sure? Ok.... Here we go:

Before: Me at 147 lbs/67 kg

After: Me at the Two Oceans Marathon in
April 2011 at 125 lbs/ 56 kg (and I'm still there)

Yeah, so do you see what I'm talking about now? Yep, I look different, huh? In case you didn't do the math, I've dropped about 11 kg or about 22 lbs. Exercise and a few changes to your diet work!

So to not belabor the point, I'll end it right here! Like I said before, you don't have to take the train to your destination like I did...heck, you might want to boogie board/skip/ankle express/'do the Dougie' to get there. It's not a matter of 'how' you get there (as long as it is in a healthy way), it's that you get there! Now get off of that well-worn couch and put one foot in front of the other...keep it movin'!!!!!

Yours in (still 'training' for Soweto) training,

Dani

Weight a minute!

Hello Dear Reader,

One Saturday morning in August 2010, I was in my office taking care of a few work-related things, as well as re-subscribing to my Skype account. Part of re-subscribing included filling in the my birthday. At that moment, I realized that there were only 7 months until I was slated to hit the BIG 3-Ohhhh, which would also mean that my driver's license would need renewal...and FINALLY a new picture.

I don't know but something about the age "30" hit me and, as if in concert, the combined voices of all of the 30 and over women in my life said, "You can't keep eating like that forever. Do something about your body now, because when you reach 30, it all gets harder." Ok, so maybe it wasn't that dramatic, but the message was clear...I'm getting older and need to start taking more responsibility for my health and fitness habits, which included losing weight.


As many of my friends in Lesotho will tell you, I used to talk all day about..."Yep, this is the year I'm gonna get my body so right." Relatively little, however, changed about the way I ate (eating is my hobby!) and exercises habits (as in no exercise). Living in Southern Africa also doesn't allow you to be in denial about weight loss or gain, because there is always someone to remind you that your pants are slowly and visibly squeezing you in half.

Back to that fateful day in August...without thinking of what exactly I was doing...an email was sent out to 50 or more of my friends and family letting them in on what I was planning to do...get it right for 30 by running a marathon. Next, I did a quick Google search, found a race (the Publix Georgia Marathon), and paid my entry fee. Done and done! Signed up for the gym and a personal trainer...done and done. Danielle is getting her body right, will fit in those too tight jeans, and run a marathon!

Since you've been running along side me during this whole process, I'll spare you the details, but I do remember the first time Mad-dog Trainer proudly announced that I lost 6 lbs. Up to that point in my life, I'd never actually done anything intentionally to lose weight. Weight loss was also not the primary focus, but rather to be able to run a marathon on my feet...no matter what size I happened to be.

For a while after losing those first 6 lbs, nothing else about my body and weight seemed to change other than making more fitness strides. Fast forward a little and I cut the tether keeping me attached to the treadmill to focus on the freedom of pavement pounding. That, My Dear, took my fitness (and subsequently weight loss) to a whole new level. As my mileage increased, the more and more I started to notice things that I've never seen before (or at least not in a while): my collar bone (what?!), muscles around my knee (oh my!), my watch spinning around my wrist, clothes that used to fit well to snug became too loose, and my already big glasses (yes, I like them that way) looking much bigger on my shrinking face. With respect to my glasses, at least three different people in three completely different countries like to point out how huge my glasses are every time we speak.

During this whole process of getting in shape, I'v managed to go from about 67kg when Mad-dog first weighed me in August to my current weight of 56kg. If you're counting with me, that's 11kg (24.2lbs). 11kg lighter but a whole hellova lot more toned, which is the most exciting part. Finally, my grandma arms don't wave back at me! Woohoo!

Yesterday morning, I was standing around with several of the ladies in my office...the ones who always used to point out that my pants were bursting at the seams...talking about my birthday and final marathon preparations. One woman blurted out, "Your parents may not want you to come back to Lesotho because they think we're not taking care of you. You're too thin! When this race is over, you need to stop running and eat more." The peanut gallery began to chime in with their weight-related remarks. No matter how much I tried to tell them that I actually shovel food down my throat because I'm so hungry all of the time...they didn't want to believe me. I wanted to say, "Wait a minute, aren't you the ones who told me I was fat?" Meh...Oh well, can't please the crowd! Either way, I'm so proud of myself for making the strides that I have. I'm more than determined than ever before....and come March 20th, I'll run proudly across the "Finish Line" and know that I did it!

On another note, this will officially be the last post I write you from the Mountain Kingdom of Lesotho...because I'm taking a 16 hour flight headed to ATLANTA, GEORGIA tomorrow!!!! So next time we speak, I'll be a much more wise, beautiful, smart, self-fulfilled, self-assured, got-it-going-on 3o year old!!!!!! Woohooo!!!!

...and the countdown begins (continues)...only 10 more days until the Publix Georgia Marathon!!!!


Yours in (so close I can feel it) training,

Dani

4 Things

Hello Dear Reader,

I've got four things on my mind:

1) Something I've noticed: when the goal is to run a 5k (which takes about 33 minutes), I feel super tired and I'm ready to call it a day. When the plan is to run for about an hour or so, I get tired initially, but seem to get a second wind and feel like I can go for days. My conclusion is that a mental and physical warm-up (for me) takes a good 20 to 30 minutes.

2) Rain, rain go away! For almost the past five days, it has rained every day! Several months ago, Lesotho was desperate for rain. The King of Lesotho, at one point, called for every person in Lesotho to pray for the rain to come. Clearly, the heavens were listening and now it just won't stop. On one hand, I'm loving the rain because it cools everything down (me included) making a nice morning run very comfortable and I don't come back home sweating like a pig on the spit! On the other hand...dang...can we get a light rain instead of the big grape sized drops? And mud is not exactly my favorite thing to run through either. You win some and you lose some, I guess!

3) Because the rain let up this evening, I decided to run 5k after work. Although it was interesting to run through the pulsing city- people knocking off of work, people heading home, cars zooming past, a setting sun- I definitely prefer to run in the calm of the early morning hours. At 5 am, the city is refreshed, people slowly trickle into the city, there is a slight chill in the air, and most importantly- all of the riffraff have yet to arrive. Simply put, I feel much safer running in spandex pants when there aren't groups of men standing around/staring/commenting...you get the point.

4) I'm happy to announce that I've reached a milestone. Somehow, I don't think I'm the only person who has outgrown a pair of pants, and not because they shrunk in the dryer (ps, I haven't had a dryer for over4 years). Furthermore, some of you may be able to relate to keeping said pants in hopes that one day, you'll be able to pull them up past your ankles (jokes, but really!). Yesterday, I was in the midst of changing out of my work clothes when my "when my body is RIGHT pants" caught my eye. If all calculations are right (although I'm super suspicious of the gym scale I used in the beginning and don't really trust the one I bought a month ago), since the beginning of this whole running thing to now, I've lost a little more than 17 lbs. With that information, accurate or not, I figured that I could give the pants a shot. As I said to a couple of people yesterday, the picture can speak for itself:

Well, that's all I have for now! Until next time...one foot in front of the other...keep it movin'!

Yours in (staying focused) training,

Dani

New Look! New iPod!

Hello Dear Reader,

It's here! It's here! Call me a "kid in a candy store" and you'll be more than correct...my jazzy pink iPod nano is here! Finally, no more driving around the city course mapping! No more guessing what my actual pace is! With a simple plug, click and another click, my running stats will be compiled into a pretty little chart for me (and you) to see! At last...my musical Bible (my 120 GB iPod Classic) will no longer have to endure being shuffled from sweaty arm strap to car to house to everywhere. A little rest for the weary!

Aaand, to commemorate a new era...along with a new iPod comes a new (blog) look!

Isn't she a looker?!!!

In other news...my wheels were a'spinning and my legs were a'lunging this morning!

The best news, however, is that all of this working out/marathon training business is...working out (no pun intended)... in more ways than one! This past weekend, I took a trip to my local blue jeans store and selected a few of the cutest styles in the size I've been wearing for the past couple of years. As I headed back to the dressing room, the sales clerk handed me a smaller size..."it might fit better" she said. Low and behold, the smaller size actually fit! Preferring to believe that Levi's decided to change their size models...I convinced myself that this smaller pants size was just a fluke...until last night! In preparation for my attendance at a formal work function yesterday evening, I pulled out a couple of dresses that I bought right after I moved back home post-Peace Corps...2 years ago. Not thinking they would fit (a girl can try, right?), I was more than pleasantly surprised to find that I could actually zip them up...and not lose circulation in my lower half! Woohoo!!!

Dear Reader, since that's too much excitement for one post already (I really just want to play with my new toy!), I'll leave it there for now!

Until next time...one foot in front of the other...keep it movin'!

Yours in (Nike + iPod) training,

Dani

3 kg (appoximately 6 pound) dumbbell

Hello Dear Reader,

I have a little exercise for you to do. Pick up something that weighs about 6 to 7 pounds. If you're using the metric system, pick up something that weighs about 3 kg.

Not that heavy, right? Right! But just think about that 6.6 pounds (3 kg) as fat. I was trying to find a picture of 3 kg worth of fat. The best I could come up with was this picture (5 pounds):

The picture of 5 pounds of fat is not too cute...ew!

Today was my assessment day...time to measure the results (inches & pounds lost) of my daily workouts. Mad-dog trainer used two scales and made me step on each one of them three times each, without looking at the numbers. She even covered my eyes as I got on and off, "Don't cheat!". As she wrote down the numbers, she said, "the scales are lying!" I made sure to tell her (in jest...not really) that if the scales didn't show any positive results, I'm quitting and reclaiming my lost 1.5 hours worth of sleep each morning. Mad-dog Trainer promptly stuck out her hand and said, "congratulations, your hard work is paying off!" I've lost 3 kg (6.6 lbs) worth of fat in the last three weeks...and that's from zero pounds in the first four weeks! Woohoo! Haha...maybe my body is making up for lost time...the current weight loss averages about one pound per week that I've been training.

When I got home, I sent an sms (text message) to my mother, father and my BFF Jami to share in the good news! (***waves to Jami***) I know that 3 kg is not a lot of weight, but it is a big accomplishment for me...perhaps more so than I imagine any future weight loss. I say that because this is the very first time in my life that I've actually done something (intentionally) physical that resulted in weight loss. ***All of this keeping in mind that weight loss has never been a primary focus in the journey.*** Among other things (running longer, increased metabolism, sleeping better, chipper mood, stronger drive), these missing pounds are a result of my "stick to it-ness". In the past two years that I've had the access/financial ability to hit the gym, I'd always quit before I saw/felt any results. Last year, I would have probably stopped three weeks ago when the scale said that nothing had changed. With my strong support base and a shift in focus, from weight loss to performance, I pushed through...and 3 kg later...I'm reaping the benefits (with many more to come)!

Just as I was arriving to work, my dad called to discuss my sms message. One of the first things he asked was, "Are you eating?" I laughed, but appreciated where that question was coming from. He knew that I was a bit bummed by the lack of results a few weeks ago. To answer his question (and possibly yours), absolutely. I eat. ALL. of. the. time! In fact, running/working out has increased my drive to eat. Rarely in thee past 7 weeks have I missed a meal. Snacks have been incorporated into my diet where they were missing before. My favorite snack is an apple with a spoonful of peanut butter. Yummy! Or a small bowl of raisins with bran flakes. I probably snack three to four times a day. Additionally, a bottle of water is glued to my hip (although I can stand to be much more aggressive with hydrating).

I wouldn't even say that my overall diet has changed, but rather I am a lot more "aware" of what I consume than ever before. I am more "present" when making my food choices. For example, I've never really hesitated to eat something sweet when my body expressed a craving. Anyone who knows me knows that I love chocolate...Reese's buttercups to be exact. First of all, they are not available in Lesotho and super scarce in South Africa. Buttercups: 0; Dani: Score! Snickers and peanut M&M's, however, are everywhere. In the past, my first call of action would be to eat a Snickers bar when I wanted something sweet. Trust me, I've definitely not cut that out of my "diet", but more often than not, substitute a Snickers bar for a fruit smoothie or apple w/peanut butter. Small and conscious food decisions that will make a difference in the long run.

No, I am not resting on my laurels...3 kg is a start. My goal has not yet been met...so much farther to go (no pun intended)...but I'm getting there...kilometer by kilometer...pound by pound!

Well, clearly I've been rambling on and on about a mere 3 kg, but I thought I'd share. Hopefully, if you're in my place (wanting to live a healthier lifestyle and need all the help you can get) or have been...you can draw from my experiences (highs and lows) to keep/motivate yourself.

So, my Dear Reader, until next time...keep it movin'!

Yours in (body, mind and soul) training,

Dani

Darn!

Hello Dear Reader,

My cold from a couple of weeks back has trailed off for the most part, but there's a slight (yet annoying) cough lingering. It's irritating enough to still take a bit of cough syrup every couple of days, right before bedtime. Last night was one of those nights, plus I stayed up several hours past my now normal bedtime of 9:30 pm on Tuesday. Having said all of that, I was super drained and sleepy! Last night, my head hit the feathers around 7:30 pm and I woke up SUPER refreshed this morning for my gym appointment with mad-dog trainer.

Time on the treadmill was set for 50 minutes. The aim was to warm up for about 3 minutes and see if I could get 7k (4.35 miles) for the remaining time. About 15 minutes into the run, I let my arms drop, hit the emergency stop button by accident, and reset my program. Dang! I didn't even know how many kilometers I ran. Mad-dog trainer gave me the side eye while resetting the time to 30 minutes. Within that time, I managed to get 4.3K.

So, let's do the math: 4.3K/30 minutes= 6.97 minutes per kilometers (6.97 x 1.6= 11.15 minute/mile). If I continued at that pace, it would have taken me (6.97 x 7K= ) about 48.79 minutes to run 7k. So, I would have been about 7 minutes short of my goal.

Hmm...with an 11.15 minute mile, that means that it would take me about 1hr and 9 minutes to complete a 10 k; 2 hr and 42 minutes to complete a half marathon (13.1 miles); and about 5 hr and 26 minutes to complete a marathon. (For the sake of my entire elementary school education, I hope my math is correct). I understand that this time may shift as I progress (I might run at a turtle's pace or that of a slow hare). At this point, I'm not preoccupied with time. I really just want to accomplish my distance goals, and in the end, (as mentioned in a previous post) cross the finish line before the sweeper bus gets me!

Following the run, I worked on my bu-bye arms. Using 2 3kg dumbbells, I did 3 sets of 12 bicep curls, and 3 sets of 12 (what I like to call) Sunday morning newspaper curls. Imagine opening up a newspaper...elbows down and to the side...make the motion you would to open a news paper...only with dumbbells. I also used two different machines to work on my triceps. Lastly, I worked out my triceps by sitting on the side of a step and lifting myself...3 sets of 15 reps.

After the workout routine was complete, mad-dog trainer weighed me and took my measurements. My weight has not changed, however, I've lost an inch or two here and there. A bit disappointed by these results, I must admit, but I've definitely improved in other ways: running longer and faster than I ever have, going to the gym just about 5 days a week for the past 5 weeks, more motivation to workout than ever, and a digestive system that could put a 20 year old's to shame (tmi?)! Also, I can definitely notice the increased definition in my legs and stomach. Mad-dog trainer told me not to fret or get discouraged, as it is not uncommon to not see drastic physical changes/weight loss for months. I'm holding her to her word! My primary goal, after all, is to run and complete a marathon by March 20th. Since I'm nowhere close to running 26.2 miles, I'll be "up in the gym, just workin' on my fitness" (Fergalicious) for the next 6 months!

I'm not going to push myself too hard, but I'd definitely like to hit the gym on Saturday morning to check out my 7k time. Hmm...can I fit 7k into a 50 minute run? I'll let you know tomorrow, for sure!

Until next time, one foot in front of the other. Keep it movin'!

Yours in (perseverance) training,

Dani