About I’m not a skinny girl in a fat girl’s body. I’m a fat girl in a fat girl’s body. These are my thoughts. I'm not a doctor, so don't take my thoughts as medical fact. I won't be held accountable if you do.
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Amy posted this in Races on August 1st, 2010
I’m in Chicago cheering friends at the Rock n Roll half marathon. This is what happens when you ring your cowbell for an hour straight. I’ll be switching to the right hand for the finish [...]
Amy posted this in Emotions, Funny, Races on July 27th, 2010
Last weekend, I completed my first half marathon. I wasn’t first, and I wasn’t last. My time was, well, twice that of some of my friends, but in the end it didn’t matter. I checked the ol’ half marathon off my bucket list. I also learned some valuable lessons throughout training and the race itself. Oh, and I got a kick-arse medal. Let’s not forget about the medal.
Before the race:
 Pee. Trust me on this.- Drink lots of water all week long, especially the day before and morning of the race. This is why #1 is important.
- Don’t drink four margaritas 18 hours pre-race, even if you tell yourself it’s okay because you’re getting top-shelf margaritas on the rocks with extra lime and salt on the rim. Margarita salt is not an acceptable substitute for an electrolyte sports drink.
- Go to the race expo. Pick up your packet. Make some impulse purchases you will later regret because everyone else is buying that balance bracelet. Stare at your race bib. Smack yourself in the head for thinking you could actually do a half marathon.
- Follow a training plan. There are so many plans out there – find one that works for you and your schedule. Mine included 3 days/week of walking and/or running, 1-2 cross training or strength training days and 1 active recovery/yoga/pilates/easy walk day.
- Don’t be afraid to modify the plan. I suffered many setbacks due to knee problems and a sprained foot/ankle. I made adjustments (like biking or doing the elliptical instead of walking or running because they were low-impact). I had to cut one long “run” short because my foot hurt so bad.
» Continue reading Lessons I learned from my first endurance race
Amy posted this in Emotions, Races, Team Challenge WI, injury, milestones on July 25th, 2010
“The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.”
- John Bingham
It started out like any normal Sunday. Well, any normal Sunday where you get up at 4 a.m. to get ready and catch a bus at 5 a.m. to your first half marathon. You know, the usual. My first half marathon experience was nothing short of amazing. God spoke to me through Freddy Mercury, I never stopped to use the bathroom, I ran about 3 miles, I kept smiling and joking throughout and got to see almost every single teammate along the way. I am so grateful for this experience.
 Me and Coach Anne – the cool kids in the back of the bus.Team Challenge Wisconsin met for one last team cheer before the walkers nervously boarded our fancy bus to Napa. I was a ball of nerves. Yes, I’m smiling in the photos above, but my stomach was in knots. What had I done? Did I really sign up for this? What the hell was I thinking? Who in their right mind – at 249 lbs – would do a half marathon? I mean, really…
Well, I guess I’m that crazy fool.
Shortly after we boarded the bus, Dave, one of my teammates, said to me, “You look nervous.” Duh. Of course I was nervous. I had been dealing with an upset stomach all week leading up to this moment.
» Continue reading Race Report: Starting (and finishing) my first half marathon
Amy posted this in Fotos, Races, Team Challenge WI, goals, injury, milestones on July 18th, 2010
Amy posted this in Fotos, Races, Team Challenge WI, goals on July 18th, 2010
Amy posted this in Inspiration, Races on July 5th, 2010
I know many of you have some favorite running tunes, and I’m hoping you’ll share some of those with me. I am currently working on my race day playlist for my iPod. I need about 4 hours of music (just incase something happens and it takes me longer than my 3:30-3:45 goal). Yes, I know many of you more advanced runners can do a half marathon in 1:50-2:30, but I am being realistic. I haven’t been able to run as much as I want to and with this screwed up foot (I sprained it from overuse and apparently did all my long training run/walks on a sprained foot, so yes, I am badass)… I know that anything below a 3:00 is unrealistic, especially with how much I’ll likely be walking.
So, I need some music suggestions. I’m looking for a variety of musical genres (but please, please no country. It’s not my thing). Something with a good beat or theme… basically something that is going to keep me going when someone knocks some sense into me at mile 11 or 12… you know, that this whole doing-a-half-marathon-when-you-weigh-249-pounds-was-a-bad-idea kind of sense…
Here’s my list so far* (and yes, I think I’ll be spending a [...]
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