I stepped on a scale. I had to call my mother over to make sure that the scale wasn't broken. It wasn't. She stood on it and she still weighed a perfect 100 lbs. I stepped back on and the number went right back to what it was. 170. I was in serious trouble.
The hardest thing about dieting when you hit that weight at my height (5'2") is that it's really, really discouraging. Because no matter how much you starve yourself and sweat for hours, you're still fat. And you have to live with it day after day after day. Because losing weight the right way takes time.
First thing I had to do was cut out juice and soda. I lost the first ten pounds in one week from cutting out all sugary drinks. Next were sweets. No more cookies, chocolate, ice cream, cake, candy. I had the worst sweet tooth. I lost another ten pounds in the next couple of weeks from cutting out sweets.
The work started kicking in at 150 lbs. I had to journal what I was eating to see what my problem was. In my case, it was carbs. Rice, bread, pasta, pizza. And at what time I was eating all of these things, at all hours of the day. So I had to "systemize" everything. Meaning, I had to figure out what to eat, at precisely what time.
Your body has a clock, and it digests your food faster and slower at certain times throughout the day. It truly is a science and you have to figure out when your body burns most to know when you should consume which nutrients. So, for example, you want to consume carbs earlier in the day, rather than later, because you're more likely to burn more energy at the beginning and middle of the day, than you are closer to bedtime. So, with that logic, you don't want to be eating a big ole' hunk of bread right before going to bed, because your body won't be able to burn it off as energy- so it will become stored. In your thigh.
Also, you have to figure out your metabolism rate and find out what accelerates the rate at which your metabolism burns. If you starve, your metabolism will slow down because it thinks you are starving, so your body will do what it must to hold on to whatever fat you have in your body to sustain yourself. Not a good idea, since you're not really stranded on a deserted island, and you will eat. At which point, you will overeat, if you've been starving.
Little meals throughout the day will keep your metabolism rate up. This is not to say you pig out all day long. You take portions the size of your palm and make sure to select foods from different food groups to keep your meals balanced and healthy.
Eating well truly is key, and this point is made in my cooking entry (and will be reiterated in more of my cooking entries), but although eating is 90%, you can speed up the weight loss process by 10 times if you incorporate in the right amount of exercise. This includes a good mix of cardio and strength training. Cardio to burn the fat, and strength training to sculpt your body.
But this entry isn't really about tips on weight loss. It's about running, and how it truly is the secret to happiness in life.
Ok, so I started running to lose weight. And yes, the weight came off. But really, running has become something more to me. It truly is the key to my own happiness and I am so very happy to have discovered it. I am an early morning runner. It's harder for me to run after work because I am so drained and tired after a long day. So I like to jump start the day by getting the running out of the way, and I feel fresh and invigorated for the rest of the day.
Running in the morning is also great because the air is cooler, and I really like to feel the coolness on my skin, because believe me, I am not a pretty sight when I sweat. I think I have abnormal sweat glands or something because I sweat like a stuck pig. It's crazy. So the cool air helps. It's also great because the world is just waking up. I used to get up at 5:30 am to beat the sunrise, and see the stars fade away as the sky gradually lightens to welcome the dawn of a new day. I'd run out for as far as I could (3.5 miles) and then run right back. I don't like running in circles. I like to run to a certain point, so that I'd have no choice but to run back. It's a good way to keep the miles going. Now I don't wake up that early, mainly because sleep has become a precious commodity since starting law school, but also because we were held up at gunpoint last year and I will no longer run by myself in the dark.
I started off with short walks, because I was not a runner. I was the kind of person that would run for about 30 seconds and be out of breath and would need to stop. So I "walked fast" for about 2-3 miles until I gradually worked up to light jogs. I felt like King Kong when I ran the whole way all 3 miles. I was at about 135 lbs or so, and was getting really excited because I had lost 35 lbs already. It was such an accomplishment, but I still had a goal weight to hit, and I knew I had to do more to get to my goal.
So I kept plugging along, running every chance I got, sometimes even running twice a day to burn the extra calories. It really became a game to me. And I was winning.
I'll never forget the day I ran 7 miles. It felt so good. It was about 7 months into my running. That was a pivotal turning point in my entire running career, because I began to really realize my potential. That was the summer I eventually hit 113 lbs with 2 pack abs. That was mainly to prove to myself I could do it, and then I gained back about 10 lbs, and I'm at my "happy weight" now, meaning I'm not cut like I used to be but I'm ok with my body. There's no such thing as a perfect body in real life.
But anyway, this running business was really symbolic about the turning point in my life. It wasn't just a turning point in my running career, it was the point in my life when everything changed. It was when I finally believed I can do anything and that I was in full control of my own life. It was a rebirth, and I celebrated this by running.
My first organized run was the Disneyland Half Marathon. It takes place every year on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend. The feeling I got from running with the crowds cheering you on is a high I can never fully describe. It's just one of those things you have to experience, at least once in your life. And it's addicting. As I run, I think about all the hardships I've overcome and how I can run it off now. As I run through a crowd, they don't know the pain and suffering I went through, but they're cheering me on. The clapping and the cheering are music to my ears, and the emotions that come over me makes me cry tears of happiness inside. As I approach that finish line, I am flying. I feel weightless. The fatigue dissipates as all of the life and energy within me explodes and I speed like a bullet to the finish. As I cross that line, I feel like a winner. I am a winner. The triumph and feeling of accomplishment is overwhelming and it swells deep in my chest. I can't stop smiling. You must experience this at least once in your life.
Here's a picture of me running at the Disneyland Half Marathon in 2007 and high-fiving Goofy and Minnie Mouse as I was coming in to the finish line:
So I've moved on to doing 3 full marathons, a half, two 10 milers, a 7 miler, 2 full century rides, and I'm currently registered for my 4th full marathon. I also climb mountains, but that's yet again, a whole another entry... I'm also considering doing a half marathon in the next month or so, the Stinson Beach Half. It has become a lifestyle. And a key to happiness for me. No matter what is going on in my life, I have that to fall back on. It keeps me healthy, full of energy, and happy.
Also, running has helped me to travel and see the country a little bit. You learn about all these cool races in different states, and it's really cool to go and run in a whole new place. Here's a picture of me running in New Orleans for the Rock'n Roll Marathon in Louisiana and in a redwood forest at the Avenue of the Giants Marathon in Humboldt County:
It's really not about weight loss anymore, it's just about staying healthy and being happy. And using it as an excuse to travel and get out of the area to sight-see other great locations to run...
When I'm not traveling to run, I am perfectly content to run around town. There are a few routes I like to run, and I like to change it up.
Sometimes I'll run to West Sac because I can run across the I St bridge, and then run to the Tower Bridge, and then all the way down to hwy 50, and back to midtown. I call this the "Bridge to Bridge to Bridge" run. It's fun because I work on the 17th floor in the Emerald Tower downtown, so when I look down from the window, I can see a bird's eye view of the distance I cover. It's pretty amazing. Not to toot my own horn, but just what a human being is capable of doing is amazing. Another variation is running to McKinley Park. I enjoy that run because there is a soft, dirt trail to run on that is easy on the knees and ankles, and there are lots of ducks there. I love ducks. Also, if I really want a change of scenery, I can run to Curtis Park and back, which from midtown is a good 7 miles round trip. I just recently discovered a new route that takes me to McGeorge and back and that's a 6 mile loop. A decent distance.
Anyway, so when you run around town, there's plenty to see, so no need to travel far and wide. Here are some scenes around town:
So I had some fun this past weekend, taking these shots for this blog. :) It was fun running around looking for murals to use as a background. Normally, I enjoy views of the river and the bridge, and stop to pet random kitties.
You can be a bad ass and do some of these side exercises like Paul to up the ante a bit:
He set the all-time record at his college as hurdler for track and field, so I wouldn't try what he does. You could hurt yourself.
So anyway, that's what I have to say about running. If you aren't already a runner, I highly suggest you give it a try. Because I swear, if I can do it, ANYONE can do it.
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A few months back, a girlfriend asked me for tips on how to keep from injuring our knees as runners, and here was my answer to her question:
Things We Can Do to Prevent Knee Injury
-Making sure we're not running too often on pavement. Try to switch it up by finding a park with dirt roads because it's less impact on your knees and ankles. -Switching out your old shoes for new ones every few months, depending on how many miles you're putting in, is very important, because as much as I love my Asics Gels, they don't last forever, and the first marathon I ran, I forgot to get new shoes a few weeks before the actual race day, and my knee ached pretty bad for months after the marathon. I know good running shoes aren't cheap, but they're way cheaper than knee surgery.
-The recommended number of miles to determine when to switch out your shoes is after about 300-400 miles, depending on your weight and size, and level of impact based on where you're running. So.. for me, I run about 3-7 miles a day, 4-5 times a week, so that averages out to 5 miles times 4= 20 miles a week. So in a month, I'm averaging about 80 miles. So I'm supposed to get new shoes every 5-6 months, but I'm terrible about getting new shoes. I go for about a year, and I really shouldn't go that long.
But so far, for the times I've had knee or ankle pain, getting new shoes with excellent shock absorption like a good pair of Asics Gels have made a difference.
-On that note, I don't really like my Nike Frees. They are stylish, but don't offer the cushion and support that Asics provide. After these wear out, I'm going back to Asics.
i love how active you are. honestly inspiring
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