Run For The Cure 2011

Yesterday was my 4th year participating in the CIBC Run For the Cure and as you all know because I've been begging and pleading I annually fund raise for this event.  Not only did I participate and fund raise this year but I started a team as well at my Taekwon-Do School!

 The Almonte Taekwon-Do Run For The Cure Team 2011

For our first Almonte Taekwon-Do team we were 16 strong made up of family, friends, and students!  As a team we fund raised $2,845.00!  I am so proud of my team and how my friends and classmates supported me this year!

Me & Tracey waiting to start the race

Personally this year I raised $1,600.00 for Breast Cancer Research!  I have many of you to thank for surpassing my goal this year!

Some of the 9,000 participants crossing the finish line

On Sunday we ran with 9,000 other people and helped raise 1.64 million in Ottawa alone!  Last year nation wide 33 million was raised for Breast Cancer Research through this event.  This year I crossed the finish line of the 5K course in 31 minutes, and it was just wonderful running with my teammates!

Not only is this event run across Canada simultaneously, this year a run also took place on the Canadian Forces base in Kandahar, Afghanistan.  Is that not just the coolest thing ever?

 Greeted by the Ottawa 67 Cheerleaders after crossing the finish line

 Keeping warm, waiting to start the race!

 Father & son running together

 Mother & Son running as well!  A great event for 

families.

Lots of fun outfits!

We ended off the morning with hot beverages and breakfast!

One Last Run For the Cure Plug

Hey everyone!  I sat down and added up my online donations (which you can see on the right there) and my "old fashioned on paper donations" and you know what?  I am only $139 shy of raising $1,500!!!!

That's only 14 donations of $10 each!

Last year I raised just over $1,400 so please if you have the means, help me blow last year's total out of the water by hitting that $1,500 mark!

To donate online at anytime, from anywhere in the world, simply click on "donate now" on the right or click HERE

GOOD News and Getting Ready to Run for the Cure

I got the best phone call ever this afternoon, it was my Mum... from HOME!  After four weeks of being in hospital she finally got discharged!  It has been a long road to get to this point and its still a long road ahead of us.  But its good to know that she's feeling well enough and strong enough to be at home!

I feel like 200 lbs have been lifted off of my shoulders!  What a ride this has been!  For about the first three weeks I struggled to keep my weight under control on top of dealing with this family crisis.  I struggled with it quite nicely for awhile.  I managed to drop a few pounds but the last week I have become more and more tired and more and more careless so my weight moved back up to where it was before this all started.  Sigh, a little disappointing seeing the number on the scale the last few days.  No place like the present to start fresh right?

This Sunday I'll be running again!  Sunday October 2nd across Canada is the CIBC Run For the Cure, its a very moving 5K run/walk to raise money for Breast Cancer Research.  I had a very close call back in 2007 and this is my 3rd year participating and fundraising in this event.  My first year I raised over $600, last year I raised almost $1,500, so far this year I've raised just over $1,000.  I was hoping to beat last year's total but life's circumstances got in the way, and I think I've done very well under the circumstances!  There is still time to make a donation!  If you'd like to make a donation towards my run please go here to donate online, its not too late!!!

If you have already donated, thank you very much!

I think 5K is going to be a piece of cake ;-)

Running To Save Boobies

Hi everyone, I'm sorry I haven't blogged all summer... months actually.  I am going to go into that in my next post because I do intend to resume this blog and let you know how I've been (not) doing since I last blogged.

I wanted to let you know about a worthy cause that is very close to my heart.  For the last three years I've participated in the CIBC Run For the Cure.  This is a charity run/walk that takes place across Canada on the first Sunday in October, which happens to be October 2nd this year.  The point of this 5K run/walk is to raise money to support Breast Cancer research and education programs.

Every participant gets a race bib that says "Who Are You Running For?" its very emotional to read the messages that people wear proudly that day.  Who Am I Running For? you may ask.  I'm running to help create a future without Cancer, because back in the spring of 2007 I had a Breast Cancer scare.

In late March of 2007 I went into my (awesome) Doctor for my annual physical exam, during that exam she found a good sized lump in my right breast.  I can't explain to you the emotions that went through me at that time.  I was scheduled for a Mammogram and Ultrasound which happened in mid April (Mammogram = not fun, imagine putting your boob in the fridge door and trying to close it shut).  The very next day my Doctor, not the receptionist, not a nurse, not the lab called me AT WORK.  When that happened that's when I became scared, Doctors don't call you personally at work.  She wanted to see me that day... the next at the latest.  I am very proactive about my health care and I went to the doctor's that afternoon.  The news wasn't good, I had to be scheduled for a biopsy.

I cried while I drove home.  Cancer is VERY scary!

It was a few rough weeks between the ultrasound, biopsy and results... weeks that drove me crazy, trying to be patient.

I am one of the lucky ones my lump was not Cancer

I'd like to ask you to help me meet my fundraising goal!  This year I'd like to raise $1,000 towards Breast Cancer Research by making an online donation no amount is too small.  Anyone from anywhere in the world can donate online.

Click HERE to go to my personal donation page.

Help me work towards a future with no Cancer!

Getting My Act Together

I've been bad in more ways than one, I've been feeding my emotions and I've been hopping on the scale daily lately.  Since Friday I have watched my weight creep up from 145 to 148 as of this morning and I have I really been doing much about it???  I'm slowly starting to try to turn myself around, I'm having moments of success and failure I'm hoping the successes will slowly outweigh the moments of failure.

As you see from my above chart from my Nike+ sensor I got in a good run tonight at the gym I also got in a run on Sunday!  It felt good, and I ran a little longer than usual.  You can tell from this chart that I'm doing intervals, running 5 minutes, walking one minute.  This seems to be my way of coping with the treadmill boredom lately, I am dying to run outside but there is still no sign of spring (my hair which was still damp after my shower at the gym was frozen after my short walk to the car!).  I downloaded a great free app on my iPhone that I use to time my intervals instead of doing the math in my head looking at the treadmill timer its pretty much called Interval timer it allowes you to set different times for low/medium/high intensity.  I'm using this in conjunction with my Nike+ app but this Interval Timer will also play you music as well.  Did I mention its free?

I got a fun surprise in the mail tonight!  There are incentives when fundraising for Run For the Cure, last year I raised enough money to get a brand spankin' new pair of New Balance runners.  Of course they're pink with the pink ribbon on them.  I'll have to slowly break in these new shoes!  (Excuse my pasty white legs they should be nicely tanned when I head to the DR next Friday for a week!).  I've been wearing a Brooks Dyad for years now so we'll see what my body thinks of New Balance.

Run For The Cure 2010

Christin, Todd (my partner), & myself after the run/walk

Today myself, my partner Todd, and my best friend Christin participated in the CIBC Run For The Cure at the Ottawa run site.  This is an event that is run across Canada every year in the hopes of raising awareness and money for Breast Cancer Research.  This year there were 9,000 participants in Ottawa who raised 1.6M dollars, my final total this year is $1,430!  I surpassed my goal of $1,000 and would like to thank each and every one of you who as supported me both financially and with well wishes!

For Todd and I, this is our 3rd year participating, and we'll be at the same place, same time next year!

At the start line waiting to go!

We were very lucky the morning started out very cold at 2 Celsius here at home!  As 9am started to roll around things started to warm up, it was a clear, beautiful day to go for a run along the Ottawa Valley Parkway.  Todd and I ran together this year, the last 2 years he ran ahead of me.  This year he was fantastic pushing me to try and make the time goal my friend Judie had challenged me with.  Judie had doubled her donation, challenging me to complete 5K in 25 minutes.  Thanks for sticking it out with me this year hon!

Unfortunately I didn't make that 25 minute timeline that I was challenged with, but I tried!  I used my new Nike+ sensor to get stats on my run and here's the chart on how I did.  You can tell when I hit the hills!  I really like the Nike+ sensor and I'll write a separate post about that in the near future!  Judie a homemade lasagna will be coming your way! 

Walkers/runners heading for the finish line (Parliament Hill in the distance)

The Walkers starting to head to the finish line (beautiful morning on the Ottawa River Parkway)

Run For The Cure is a great and emotional event and I'll keep doing it until I can't walk anymore!

Me and the OAMA Panther, when Todd does Brazilian Jujitsu this is his school

(some of the photos were taken with my iPhone so they're not the best)

Weekly Meeting Topic : Outsmart the Supermarket

This week, I finally made it to my regular Tuesday meeting.  Its nice to be welcomed with a "here she is" when you walk in the room, nice to know you're presence is noticed/missed!

This week's topic was about the Supermarket game and how to win!  When shopping since we all love food (how else would we of gotten ourselves into the situation we're in : being overweight?) we are the ones who have to take control to avoid temptation and make wise choices.

If you don't feel like you're in control while at the grocery store, sit down and think about what you can change that you're doing right now when at the store.

• Do you shop the perimeter?  If you want to live a healthier lifestyle and eat properly this really is the key!  If you haven't thought about it or really noticed the perimeter is where all the good, fresh, healthy food is!  This is where you find the dairy, fruits and veggies, meats, breads/grains, deli.  Its in the aisles where you find a lot of the preservative filled packaged foods!  I do most of my shopping in the perimeter, I think all I buy from the aisles are things like cereals, rice, pasta, and a few snacks.
• Do you make a list and stick to it?  Sitting down and making a list, going through your fridge and cupboards to decide what good for you snacks you need to buy. While you're in the store its important to do your best to stick to that list, not to be swayed by special displays, end caps, sales, and the checkout "danger zone".  I always get what is on my list, sometimes I do veer from the list but its most of the time seeing a food I regularly have in the house on sale, or see a fruit or veggie I'd love to have.
• Don't go into the grocery store HUNGRY!  Oh boy if there's any time I find myself with treats/junky food in the house is when I've gone into the store very hungry.  That's when a lot of impulse buys happen.  If I find myself hungry while in the store I'll grab a small bag of baby carrots in the veggie aisle and start eating them while I shop.  I do always pay for them in the end... I find it just helps me manage my impulses because I'm busy eating those carrots!
• Avoid the snack/treat/candy/chip aisles at the store.  If you have a hard time staying away from that one treat that's your Achilles heel, try not to go down that aisle if you don't have to.  If you're not standing there in front of it you're not tempted to put it in your basket.
• Educate yourself!  Either take your points finder or look up the points value of your foods before heading out to the store.  If you know that full sized chocolate bar is 5pts and you only get 20 for the day, you think twice about that buy at the checkout.
• If you do give into that temptation/craving buy the smallest portion you can buy.  Sometimes its cheaper in the long run to buy the "supersize/family pack" but its not practical when you're trying to loose weight.  I almost always do this, or I'll go to the bulk food store then I control the amount of that treat I buy.  If its a pre-packaged item that doesn't come in a smaller size I make sure there's someone to share it with.

I normally do my shop on Fridays after work (I hate going into the city on the weekend, all the crazy people with their badly behaved children are out and about), I meet up with my best friend Christin and we hit the gym for about an hour first.  The location of my gym that I often go to just happens to be on the 2nd level of the grocery store.  So after working out and showering we hit the grocery store.  From the store its off to Costco, I buy most of my veggies here because I eat so many that it makes sense to buy the larger packages (oh and clothes... love getting cheap brand name clothing now that I can fit their sizes!).  Christin and I turn grocery shopping into a social event and we follow this up with dinner out.

Tuesday morning I stepped on the scale here at home, I pretty much stepped on it in dread as I am often up every 3-4 weeks and Monday I went a little out of control!  Saturday night around 8PM started craving CANDY (jujubes, twizzlers and the like), decided not to go get any.  Saturday/Sunday midnight, I'm suddenly craving CHOCOLATE worse than the candy craving.  So bad I almost ate one of Todd's 6pt tasteless yet chocolate coated protein bars!  But I didn't.  Sunday while I was out having dinner with some friends on my way home I picked up my favourite, a Chunky Kit-Kat but I waited until I got home so I could go halfsies with Todd (my other half).  Normally that's the end of the craving, then and there.  Monday I woke up craving jujubes, I mean who wakes up wanting jujubes for breakfast?  I guess this girl does.  Before my work day was out I had eaten 3 mini Hershey bars out of S's candy dish at work.  Then while at my Mum's she had some Swedish Berries, I had a good sized handful of those.  Then she had a big bag of Mini Rolos she wanted to get rid of... I was too weak to resist.  I had a couple while I was there... a number more while I drove down to the Dojang to teach Taekwon-Do, then quite a few more through the evening.  I'm sure I must of consumed about 20pts worth of chocolate and candy.

See why I wasn't looking forward to my weigh in?  I was quite surprised to find that my weight had stayed the same!  The cravings are now gone (thank goodness) my self control has been pretty darned good.

Well tomorrow is the BIG day!  People across Canada will be participating in CIBC's Run For the Cure in sites across the country!  This year is my 3rd year participating as a runner.  I have more than surpassed my fundraising goal this year!  As of this moment I'm standing at $1,385.00 raised for Breast Cancer Research!  Remember, there's still time to donate online HERE.

For tomorrow's run I bought myself a "gadget" a Nike+ sensor and little case to clip it onto my current running shoe so I don't have to buy new shoes as well!  I'll be able to totally track my runs and progress/pace/etc and see how I'm progressing as a runner.

Hopefully I'll have the ooomph to put together a post about the day tomorrow!

Meeting Topic : Asking for Help

Well I'm a week behind with meeting topics, I'm typing this out shortly before I head out to this week's Weight Watchers meeting!  I went to my meeting on Saturday, the fun meeting, the one where we talk and laugh a lot (maybe too much).

This week's topic was all about asking for help, a tall order for a lot of people!  (especially me)

Learn to accept help whenever its offered.  Give help whenever its needed.

First of all you need to know what kind of help you need?

Do you need advice?

• for meeting members you can attend a meeting (you are allowed to attend more than one a week).  At your meeting you can talk to your leader one on one, bring up your problem in front of the whole group, or you can talk to your fellow Weight Watchers members.  I LOVE being asked questions because I feel like I have so much to share (e-mail me, comment me I'm happy to answer)
• if you're not already a member, join the Weight Watchers online communities and ask your questions there!  For me its been a huge tool, a big help, and a great sounding board.  I also love to help and answer people's questions.  I personally like to hang out in the Newbies Get Acquainted forum.
• the blogging community is also an awesome place!  Sometimes its nice to read about someone in a similar situation as you.

Do you need support?

• I think any of the points above can apply in this area
• Also you can seek the support of your family/partner. Perhaps you need emotional support?  Do you need support when it comes to keeping those danger foods out of the house.  Do you need your partner to please eat their treats outside the home?
• Is exercise a problem?  Ask a friend/partner to become your exercise/walking buddy.  If you have a date to meet someone you often pressure each other to "just do it"

Asking for support is scary and is not a sign of weakness.  Sometimes you don't get the support you need from your family, friends and loved ones.  Often the reason is because they are afraid to see your success because they think you're going to change and be a different person.  Yes this is a big change, physically and psychologically but you are still going to be that same person deep down inside.  Sometimes we have to re-assure the people around us that this is a change for you, for your health and for the better.

For me, my biggest step was admitting I needed help!  I knew how to eat properly, I knew I needed to be more active but I just couldn't get my act together.  I couldn't do it on my own.  That was a very hard pill to swallow.  Once I had decided I was going to join Weight Watchers to try to loose weight, it still took me three months to walk through that door and attend my first meeting.  To me it was admitting that I was weak.

Boy I was so wrong on that account, I wasn't weak... I just had to learn how to put my hand out and ask for help.  Now I'm not afraid to ask anyone (my meeting leader, my family and friends, or even the online community) for help.  Everything I have learnt has just made me a stronger and better person.

Now an update on my fundraising for Breast Cancer Research!  The run is now 5 days away and I've surpassed my fundraising goal for this year!  I've now raised over $1100.00 I am still accepting donations as I would love to blow my goal out of the water.  Click here to donate ONLINE.

Weekly Meeting Topic : Visualize Your Weight Loss

This past week I went to the Saturday morning meeting, one of three that I can go to in my area through the week.  Wow this group is quite lively and chatty, I always have a good time when I visit.

This week's topic was Visualizing Your Weight Loss, the main point the leader wanted to get across this week was that we need to learn to appreciate every weight loss no matter how small.  She wanted to remind us that weight loss is a slow but its part of the journey we're on.

She came up with some great ways to help us "see" how much weight we've lost.  She had several different items in pillow cases and asked us to guess how much they weighed.  We pretty much over estimated on each item.  There was a 1lb jar of peanut butter, 3lbs of butter, and 10lbs of potatoes.  Just imagine I've lost 6 bags of potatoes and 3 sticks of butter!  That's a lot when you look at it in terms of "real" things.

The way we need to stay on this highway to goal is to keep positive and she shared with us four points for positive self-talking (a Weight Watchers tool for living):

1. Be aware of negative thoughts (can't/shouldn't/must never)
2. Challenge these thoughts
3. Replace negative language with positive (can/will/am)
4. Repeat positive thoughts and phrases

WORDS are powerful!  With Positive Self-Talking you can talk yourself in and out of anything.  She suggested we write down each day the positive things we do even down no matter how big, small or simple.

The leader had some great little quotes I want to share with you :

"The door is always open to come back" - she wanted us to know that Weight Watchers will always be there for us.

As Tom Chochrane's song says : "Life is a Highway" - she wanted us to know that weight loss is the same way that it is full of bumps, detours, roadblocks that "If you stay between the yellow lines you'll get there"

"Don't get discouraged all 1/2 lbs add up"

"Success is 80% mental 20% skill"

If you keep trying... eventually you'll make it to the top of the podium!

Run for The Cure Update : I've been running a couple of times a week, trying to increase my speed since I have been challenged to do the 5K in 25 minutes.  I will certainly try my best.  I've just passed the half way mark on my fundraising goal!  I hope to raise $1000 this year and I'm currently at $570.  If you're planning on making an online donation there's only 13 days left to do so!  Please click HERE to make your online donation today!

My Weekend Challenge

This past weekend, I went out to Brighton for the Knowledge and Needles open house an event I look forward to every year!  The last two years I've had a new challenge to face at this particular day/weekend because its a potluck event!  Oh boy!

As a Weight Watcher we have talked about at meetings about how to deal with situations like potlucks and buffets!  But knowing how to deal with one and actually standing there in front of all this wonderful, tempting foods are two different things.  How should one deal with a !wonderful array of food that you help yourself to?

First of all never arrive hungry!  I have been known to have a salad at home, a piece of fruit or cut up veggies about 30 minutes before leaving the house.  Does it spoil my dinner?  No, but I'm not so hungry that I could devour everything in sight and make poor decisions doing it.  I find I'm more likely to make poor food choices when I'm starving because you want that taste and instant satisfaction, not the healhty salad or dish.

Second survey the terrain, so to speak.  Without a plate in hand walk the buffet/food area from one end to the other.  Decide what foods you're going to eat before you serve up your plate.  Is there that one dish that you can't pass up?  Have that one dish, have a reasonable sized serving, not the serving size you'd like to have.  My favourite tactic which often saves me a lot of points (calories) and fills me up is to fill at least half of my plate with vegetables/salads/fruit, a quarter of my plate is some sort of starch (roll/potatoes/rice/pasta) and protein (aka meat). 

Third, remember how Mom always told you to eat your veggies?  You've got it!  Eat those veggies first!  If you fill yourself up on those veggies, lower point foods on your plate you will be less likely to eat as much of the higher point food(s) on your plate.  If you find yourself becoming full, don't force yourself to finish what's on your plate.  It may sound awful, but don't be afraid to throw out food!  Yes there are starving children in country x,y,z but do we really need to be obese because we were taught to clean off our plates?  I have always taken small servings of foods, because there's no law that says you can't go back for more if its really good and you're still hungry!  Also if something doesn't taste good, again don't eat it to be polite.  There's nothing I resent more than eating calories that don't taste good.

Fourth, bring a Weight Watchers friendly dish!  Make something you like that's low in points.  This way you know there's a go to dish there amongst all the higher point foods at the table.  This is also a tactic you can use when going to a dinner party, offer to bring something.  Your hostess may think you're being sweet, helping out but in reality... you're being smart!

Fifth, don't forget this is a social event!  If its a potluck you're at a party, with friends, or family.  Hang out in a different room from all the food (especially that dessert table or table of nuts/chips/cheese & crackers).  Be a social butterfly visiting and talking with the other guests.  Have a drink in your hand (diet pop/wine spritzer/light beer) at all times, this way your hands are full and you can't mindlessly pop food into your mouth.

For me the hardest part is dessert!  As I've said in the past, sweets are my weakness I'll eat them even when I'm not hungry.  Especially if there is something paticuarly tasty to be had.  I do my best to stay away from the sweets table, I try to be in a separate room.  I do survey what's there and if there's something I like I have a small portion, enough for a taste that will satisfy me.  Sometimes its really good and I have a little more.  Another tactic I use is what I call my "deal breaker", for example I like cake... I mean really like cake.  I'll tell myself before I leave (Weight Watcher's Tool For Living : Mental Rehearsing) that if there is fruit for dessert that's what I will have unless there is cake.  If there is cake I can have one small slice.

So there, you go!  My tactics and ones I have learnt to deal with a self serve situation where there may be many temptations.

Potluck aftermath!

How did I do this past Saturday?  In terms of the main dishes I did really well there were a lot of fantastic salad/veggie dishes on hand this year.  I have found over the years (I've been going to this event for 8 years now) we have become a healthier eating group as a whole.  I filled my plate with veggies and salad, I even got a fantastic new recipe for a couscous salad that has hits of lime and ginger.  I also brought a tossed salad and several choices of low calorie dressings to add to the mix.  At first I handled the dessert table really well, I surveyed it had small servings of a few sweets that I knew or looked good.  I also made sure I put them on a small plate!  My downfall for the day?  Well the dessert table was on the way to the washroom, you couldn't go pee without walking past that darned table.  This is where I consumed more points than I should of, and ate when I wasn't hungry.  Then one of my old habits reared its ugly head, there was a big bag of Mrs. Vicky's chips.  I opened the bag (really shouldn't of done that) and had a hand full, which led to about 4 hand fulls in a row.  When I realized what I was doing I left the room, mentioned that I opened the bag of chips.  In short order... they were gone, thank goodness!  Also when "dinner time" came around I didn't bother getting anything to eat, because in all honesty I wasn't hungry.

What was the result of my slight loss of control at the scale this week?  I think all my exercise helped to balance things out, I had a stay the same week!  Yay!

Now on the other hand, I've not been as saintly as I should be this week after being away, and eating potluck.  I'm really tired, I've not had an evening at home for a week (until tonight).  I've worked out 4 days in a row and I really over did it last night, biting off a little more than I could chew when going out for a run before my Taekwon-Do class.  Being this tired and practically burnt out I have made bad food choices.  I'm craving chocolate and sweets.  I've had some chocolate every day this week!  I've been pretty good for awhile now, I just have to get myself back on the straight and narrow soon.  Starting with getting some rest and sleep!

I've got a good, active weekend coming up we're doing some outdoor Taekwon-Do training on Saturday and earn myself some more activity points!

Run for the Cure update : there's 38 days until the run!  I've raised $195.00 out of the $1000 I'd like to raise.  Click HERE if you'd wish to donate!

I'd Like To Raise $1000 This Year! Please Help

Some of my long -time readers may remember the breast cancer scare I had back in April of 2007.

I am one of the lucky people the lump in my breast turned out not to be cancer. Since then I've wanted to be able to do something to give back.

For the third year in a row I'll be participating in CIBC's Run for the Cure (5K charity run) on Sunday October 3rd. I would like to surpass last year's effort of $955.00 and raise at least $1000. If you wish to sponsor me and make an online donation click HERE to go to my personal fundraising page and make a donation (anyone from anywhere in the world can donate).

I'll also be out and about with sponsorship forms on me at almost all times. So if you live in my area or at a stitching get together with me and wish to donate using cash or cheque, just let me know!

Please let me know if the link doesn't work.