Holiday MIA

I have been missing in action, I know. But you know that the holidays are never my best time for blogging. I'm always a little busy, visiting family, baking, wrapping presents, etc., etc. I did do a few things differently this year.

Usually once the weather turns chilly, I hang up my running shoes for the season. This year I bought some cold weather gear and I have done a few cold, winter runs. They are still not my favorite thing, but I will admit that they aren't AS horrible as I always thought. With my lupus the cold weather is not my friend and often times causes me to have some really bad, painful days filled with swelling and stiffness. I had a few of those but they seemed to be more easily managed. Oh, and a few 70 degree days in December didn't hurt. Gotta love that Oklahoma weather. I had every intention of getting a few more winter runs in while Christmas vacation, but two things happened that wrecked that plan. The first is the amazing present that I received on the day after Christmas. My favorite Aussie arrived. I just wanted to spend as many minutes with her as I could. After spending over a day traveling to get here, she was completely exhausted and we still stayed up late talking until we almost fell asleep in the floor.

We did some shopping, some more shopping, lots of talking, and a little bit of eating Mexican food. We had even intended to do a little running. However, the second thing disrupted all the plans that I had. I got the flu. : ( And it sucked!  We had a whole weekend of shopping and talking and running and shopping all planned out. Instead I spend it and most the next week lying on the couch in a cough syrup coma. I even had to spend New Year's Eve all by myself. The hubs and kids were sent away si that they wouldn't get it.Two of the three ended up getting it anyway. We are all starting to get better, thank goodness. It's gonna take more than a few days to get my house back in order, take down the Christmas stuff, and kick this nasty cough that the flu left me as a parting gift. I also have to try to spend as much time with Aussie as possible before she leaves again. I am just adding it all to the long list of things that I have planned for 2013. And I do mean, LONG list. 2013 should be a spectacular year and I can't wait to share it with you all.

 

Peace, Love, and Winter Runs (post-flu)!

 

New PR, Hanson, & A Cool Medal...Oh MY!

 

The Route 66 Half Marathon was a great experience for so many reasons. I hardly know where to start. I got to roadtrip with my geektwin, which made me happy. Met tons of new people which is always an adventure in itself. The expo was cool and I bought some great stuff, including a new runhers tee. But the race...I'll be honest now.  I was kinda dreading it. It was supposed to be super cold that morning...and you know how I feel about morning runs. I seriously considered staying in the bed for half a millisecond. But I didn't! I got up, got dressed, and headed out to face the race. 

I got to meet up with my runhers ladies and my favorite neighbors before the race. We walked around warming up, using HotHands, and taking pictures. You know before we are a sweaty hot mess. (Sidebar: yes I did put HotHands in my bra. And yes, a friend commented, "You really do put everything in there". Yes, yes, I do. Safest place on earth. No ones getting in unless I say so. ) It was cold, but it could've been so much colder. I was so thankful that the racing gods smiled on us and gave us such a gorgeous day.  Since I wasn't completely miserable, I started to get excited. I'm kinda like a kid at Christmas waking her parents up every few hours, asking if it's time to open presents. "Can we go yet? Are we running soon? Is it time to start?"

The race started and I was shocked at how easy it was for me to start. Normally, it takes about 3 to 5 miles to shake the rust off. I was going from beat one. I did my run-walk method with a ratio of 10:1 but it wasn't feeling right, so I just trusted my body and my instincts and ran what felt comfortable. There was even a couple miles in the middle that I didn't stop at all. I know, I know. I had a training plan, I should've stuck with it. But it felt really good, so I did it. My playlist was a dead on for the race. It hit all the points right when I needed it to. And my powersong fittingly enough was Give A Little by Hanson. I know, right?! Local boys to the rescue.

I honestly don't remember  a whole lot of details of this race. I was in the moment a lot more than I usually am. I do know that I ran with my phone to use as an iPod and a GPS. This was my first time doing this. I know that when my music softens it means that someone is calling or texting me. I got several texts at the beginning of the race and I knew that I didn't want to look at them. 1. It would throw off my stride and 2. there was a good chance someone was going to make me cry. I continued getting texts all throughout the race (which made me feel very loved, but I was running a race here people). Finally about Mile 9 I snuck a peak at my phone and it was my husband. He made me cry. : /
I did not look my phone again until I was well past finished.

There were a lot of hills. Not ginormous hills, but there were enough of them to make them feel ginormous. My bum is paying the price for those hills today. Though wind was the biggest issue I had. Fortunately, it was only an issue for part of the race. I have to say I felt really good about this race. I even had enough oomph left to sprint across the finish line. A far cry from barely walking across the finish at my first half-marathon. I didn't shatter any records by any means. My time isn't even impressive on it's own. But it's my new PR and I love it. I had set a goal of 3:30. I finished in 3:17:26. I know that I couldn't have done it without the love an support of those around me. My family, my friends, my runhers group. You all helped me in ways you may never know. I thank you. Today I am sore, but I'm already thinking that maybe I can get my time down to 3:00 by next year. I'm gonna need you all to get there. I hope that everyone had an amazing time at the race. Now take this upcoming holiday to rest, relax, spend time with your loved ones, and remember to be thankful for the many blessings in your life, especially if it includes a new PR and a cool new medal like this one.

Peace, love, and joy this holiday season for everyone!

66 Songs for Route 66

I feel like I'm running behind about a week in my life lately. There just don't seem to be enough hours in a day. I don't know if it's because the time change has thrown off my mojo. (It gets dark at 6:30
pm! What's that about?!) Or it's the upcoming holidays and birthdays that I have this time of year. Or if it's because work is unexplainably CRAZY this time of year. Perhaps it's a combination of all of the above.

But I took a time out tonight. I needed to pack up my gear for the race this weekend. While packing, I decided I have been training sooooo hard that I have completely worn out the my playlists. I need some freshness for this race. So I sat down and built a new playlist. There are some oldies, some newbies, and all goodies. I wish that I could take credit for 66 songs that I ended up with, but it just sort of happened (which in Cyndiland means that it is kismet). Now as usual I do not intend to use all of the songs. There is about 4 hours worth of music in this list. I am aiming to finish the race in 3:30 or less. But there is always a song or two that sounds good at home but just doesn't fit the moment. So I always bring extra. :)

1. All My Life - Foo Fighters 
2. Call Me Maybe - Carly Rae Jepsen 
3. B.O.B. - OutKast 
4. Ho Hey - The Lumineers 
5. Bang a Gong (Get It On) - T. Rex 
6. Champion - The Chevin 
7. Billie Jean - Michael Jackson 
8. A-Punk -Vampire Weekend 
9. Clocks - Coldplay 
10. Firestarter - The Prodigy 
11. 18 Wheeler - P!nk 
12. We Come Running - Youngblood Hawke 
13. Don't Stop Believin' - Journey 
14. Cherry Bomb - The Runaways 
15. Beverly Hills - Weezer 
16. Rock and Roll - Led Zeppelin 
17. Everybody Talks - Neon Trees 
18. Mercy - Duffy 
19. Excuse Me Mr. -No Doubt 
20. Black or White - Michael Jackson 
21. Fighter - Christina Aguilera 
22. Bad Reputation - Joan Jett 
23. Firework - Katy Perry 
24. Born Alone - Wilco Born
25. Fluorescent Adolescent 2- Arctic Monkeys 
26. Give a Little - Hanson 
27. Dog Days Are Over - Florence + The Machine 
28. The Kids Aren't Alright - The Offspring 
29. Gunpowder & Lead - Miranda Lambert 
30. I Will Wait - Mumford & Sons 
31. The Longer I Run -Peter Bradley Adams 
32. Hash Pipe - Weezer 
33. Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)- Eurythmics 
34. Without You (feat. Usher) - David Guetta & Usher 
35. Hey Now Now - The Cloud Room 
36. Sleeping Aides & Razorblades - The Exploding Hearts 
37. I Gotta Feeling - Black Eyed Peas 
38. Gold On the Ceiling - The Black Keys 
39. O.P.P. - Naughty By Nature 
40. Seven Nation Army -The White Stripes 
41. Lonely Boy -The Black Keys 
42. You Can't Hurry Love - Phil Collins 
43. Run Riot - Def Leppard 
44. My Body - Young the Giant 
45. One Way or Another - Blondie 
46. Places to Go - Leftover Cuties 
47. Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You) - Kelly Clarkson 
48. Use Somebody - Kings of Leon 
49. Hazy Shade of Winter - The Bangles 
50. Kerosene - Miranda Lambert 
51. Runaway Baby - Bruno Mars
52. Search And Destroy - Iggy Pop
53. Wide Awake - Katy Perry 
54. Good Life -OneRepublic 
55. Too Close - Alex Clare 
56. Spirit In the Sky - Norman Greenbaum 
57. Sabotage - Beastie Boys 
58. Gone Tomorrow - The Gossip 
59. We Are Young (feat. Janelle Monáe) - Fun.
60. Shake It Out - Florence + The Machine 
61. Take Off Your Shirt -Bibio 
62. Thinking 'Bout Somethin' -Hanson 
63. Thinking- Ke$ha 
64. Salute Your Solution-The Raconteurs 
65. What Makes You Beautiful -One Direction 
66. It's Time - Imagine Dragons  

So I've packed my iPhone and my iPod (as I have yet to decide which one I want to use), couple of pairs of tights, a tee, a long sleeve tee, my favorite hoody, two pairs of socks, my favorite hat, and of course my Brooks. I wish everyone running this weekend the best of luck and the best of times. If you are in the Tulsa area, I hope to see you at the race Sunday, cheering, volunteering, racing, living. We are going to have a blast. My geek-twin, my bestest neighbors, and all my runHers ladies will be hanging out with me this weekend.

And I run3rd this weekend for all those children who are going without during this holiday season. Times are tough for everyone, but every little bit helps. Donate what you can: money, goods, or time. All are appreciated. Every child deserves to have a happy holiday season. I can't think of any greater joy than giving joy to a child in need.

Peace, Love, and Getting my Kicks on Route 66

Running Tights and Other Clothing Tribulations

Okay, here's the deal. Running isn't easy for me. I have to work at running. So I use every tool at my disposal to help make it easier, including running tights, compression pants, and tight tanks. Now as you know (and my blog name clearly states) the words: small, tiny, petite, thin, skinny, non-jiggly are not used to describe me. So..... While I know that spandex is a privilege, not a right, I wear running tights and I don't care what you think.

There are two main reasons why I wear them (and a few sub-reasons) and I am going to share them with you now.

Reason #1: I swell. A LOT. Like a lot lot. I swell up like a Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade balloon. I am the giant Snoopy floating down the street, trying to take out some of my handlers down below. It's a symptom of my lupus. I've done it for years. It's a year-round thing, but gets worse in the winter and....when I longer distances. So I have found that compression running tights helps keep the swelling to a minimum and that feels awesome.

Sub-reason #1: Because they are so tight. They keep some of the jiggle out of my wiggle. ; ) Which also feels awesome.

Reason #2: When running longer distances, I really don't want loose clothes flopping around, creeping up, riding way up, digging in, rubbing raw, or doing any other thing that they should never do. I have tried just about every different type of running gear style out there, except those tiny lycra running shorts (because no body wants to see that and I don't wanna have to dig lycra shorts out of unmentionable places). I have tried sweats, windpants, loose capris, flared pants, tight capris, running skirts, shorts, you name it. I really have tried them all. I found that for me the bigger the clothing, the more flopping it does, the more it annoys me. I can't concentrate on my stride or breathing or tempo or anything else that I should be focused on. A few times all I could think about was wanting nothing more than to strip off whatever article of clothing that was irritating me. So I wear tighter clothing to help eliminate some of the problem/distraction. I won't wear shorts or a skirt over the tights because the flopping/riding up is again an issue.

Sub-reason #2: Big women want to look cute too! Big floppy ill-fitted clothes are not flattering on anyone. Why would bigger women be any different?! I'm not a pretty runner. I wish that I looked more like the people in running magazines that look like running is fun and easy, but I don't. I look like I am in pain and want to cry and/or puke all at the same time. So the least I can do is wear some cute running clothes.

Now cute running clothes in bigger sizes are difficult to find, but there are out there. Although, it would be nice if there were more options out there that would accommodate bigger hips and chest areas. **hint, hint, wink, wink** In the end, it really comes down to what are you comfortable in. Everyone is different. Some are more modest, others (like me) not so much. You should always be comfortable and confident in whatever you choose to wear, whether it be running or in general. You are beautiful!

That being said, you should always dress appropriately for the weather, climate, and time of day. And I insist that you invest in a good pair of running shoes and a really great running bra. The rest is up to you.

Peace, Love, and compression tights.

P.S. I  even incorporated them into my Halloween costume. Somewhere under all that tulle is an awesome pair of tights.

 

Sooooo Many Good Vibes

Sometimes, for very brief moments, I wonder, "Why in the world did I put myself and my story out there?" I've made my journey so public and sometimes it is embarassing to know that so many people out there hear, read, or see me struggle. I have a bad running day and everybody knows. I get cranky because of a lupus flare up and everybody knows. I have gastrointestinal issues on a run and everybody knows. While most people have been nothing but supportive, I do get the occasional parade poopoo'er. It's then that I begin to think, "Maybe I should stop being so open about my journey". But then I have days like today. Today, I have been blessed with a mulitude of encouragement and positive reenforcement. Multiple individuals have told me that my story has inspired them. I have inspired someone! Me! I had a friend tell me that I was the reason that she began running and that she continues to run. She asked me to continue to challenge/motivate her. And she LOVES this blog! ; )
I had another friend call me and leave a voice mail saying that she wanted to ask me some running questions. She has decided to start living a healthier lifestyle, wanted some advice, and she thought of me. : )
But the best was an email I received from a friend's husband. He began by saying, "I just wanted to thank you for a gift that you don't even know you gave me". Okay, you have my attention. He preceded to tell me that I have helped him fall in love with running all over again. The struggles and trials that I have documented in this blog have lead him to believe that if I can do it, he can do it. Or as he so eloquently put it: "You made me realize that with your family obligations, and most of all your lupus, you still run and love it. I thought to myself, "she has lupus; all you have is a case of fatassness. You can do it!".  I want you to realize, though, that I like that you give me too much credit. I may have inspired you, it is YOU that gets out and gets it done everyday. It's not all because of me. It's  all because of you! And I know that my wonderful friend, your wife, is super proud of you. : ) But Thank you, R! Your email made my day and reminded me of why I started putting my story out there in the first place. To encourage others to try to live healthier, happier lives. I just never really thought it would work. I honestly thought it would never make a difference. I'm glad that I was wrong. : )

Peace, Love, and New Running Buddies!

OMG! I'm so excited!

Below is my very first guest blog on the runhers website. I was so excited and so honored when runhers asked to write some pieces for them. So of course I immediately developed a severe case of writer's block. : / But persistance and preseverance won out, and I finished up this little gem. So enjoy! If you're looking for a running group, please go and check one out. If you would like to check out runhers, you can go to www.runhers.com. We'd love to have you on one of our runs.

editor’s note: Our guest blogger from Moore, Oklahoma, is Cyndi Bates. She is one fabulous woman, who’s not afraid to ‘tell it like it is’. We are so happy to have her here guest blogging and sharing her personal experiences! You can find her blog at http://www.cyndi-fatgirlrunning.blogspot.com
By: Cyndi Bates

I may not look like the type of person who belongs to a running club. I may not even look like someone who runs enough to even consider belonging to a running club. Guess what? I am! I know that most people are intimidated by the idea of a running group. I wanted to join one looooong before I actually did. I visited a few of the groups around the city, but never felt like I connected with any of them. I am not ultra-fit or uber-competitive. As a matter of fact, I was usually the slowest person there. Ok, I was always the slowest person there. No one ever said that I didn’t belong there. Everyone was friendly and encouraging, but I always felt a little awkward and out of place. I imagine that many of you may feel the same way when contemplating a running group. You think, “I’m not very fast. What if I’m the slowest one there?” You fear being the last person to finish. You worry, “What if everyone there looks like a fitness model and they look at me like, ‘What are YOU doing here?’”.

So why with that kind of fear did I keep looking for a group?! Well, let me tell you why. I began my training in a group setting and found that it really worked for me. I was joined by people on the same journey as myself, surrounded by encouraging and supportive faces, and had access to people with way more experience than myself who were happy to answer even the silliest of my questions. I have tried to train on my own. It just didn’t get the job done. It was just too easy for me to talk myself out of runs or to get off track in my training. Once you are off track, it is really hard to get back, especially when you have no one to motivate you. So I kept looking and finally found what I was looking for with my current running group, runHers.

I’m here to tell you that none of that stuff that I was (and you are) afraid of matters. Within the group, there are so many different levels of ability. There are fast runners, slow runners, medium runners, and backward runners. Backward runners? Yes, backward runners. My friend and fellow member, Amanda, has a much faster pace than me. I can keep up with her for a time and then she leaves me in the dust. If we are in the middle of a conversation, she will run backwards to a) slow herself down and b) face me while we finish our convo. So please don’t be intimidated by the other runners. If you are a new runner, just remember that everyone had to start somewhere. The only difference between you and them is that they started sooner. Many still remember what it was like and are more than happy to help and encourage someone just beginning their journey. We are all there to build camaraderie and encourage each other. So what if some are faster than you. There’s probably someone slower than you too. We are all women in my group. Who understands women better than other women?! We all juggle different things in life, work, kids, spouses and home. We know the time and effort you put in your day and still try to find time to exercise and be healthy. We understand what it’s like to watch your husband say the word “run” and lose three pounds, while you run three miles and gain four pounds. We get it! Why?! Because we do it too.

With that understanding comes that sense of camaraderie that I mentioned before and … tada, friendship. I have made some truly wonderful friends in my group. Some women I talk to on a daily basis, some I only see at runs. But we all have a sense of connection that we wouldn’t have otherwise. These women are there for me when I have a bad run day and cheer for me when I am shooting for a pace or mileage that I have never done before. They also hold me accountable for my runs. They know when I miss a run or when I don’t push myself as hard as I could. They may not even say anything, but knowing that they know is often enough to get me up and moving. Yet, you can’t always meet your goals. It happens to the best of us. My teammates are there for the bad times too.

Whether it’s a good run day or a bad run day, my running group makes my runs more fun. Some of my longer miles have only been possible because of the company that I had on them. Running groups aren’t for everyone, but don’t discard the idea of one because you are intimidated. They sure have made things easier for me, and we all know that running should be easy. ; )

You'll Have to Excuse me...

I have been a little bit busy as of late. A couple of races.... LOTS and LOTS of training. I have averaged 17.8 miles a week for the last 5 weeks. I have ran at least one that represented each season, summer heat, spring rainshowers, fall perfection, and winter cold. We kicked off Wednesday group runs in addition to Saturday morning group runs. I have been in a competition of high miles with my friend, A. I have ran in the Hot Mamas 5K. I even got to mark something of my running bucket list: Run a race in a tutu. The tutu ended up around my armpits, but I did it. The Hot Mamas was actually kind of fun. Not the greatest route. I personally don't care for the park that they held it in, but at least they had hot fireman handing out water.

I even got the opportunity to hang out with good friend, contact with an old friend, AND meet a new one.  So it's always a good time with friends around.

My running buddy/partner in crime, A, has even had me planking. Yes, planking. Not lets climb on weird objects and lay flat planking, but I scream out obscenities while "exercising" planking.

 

And today... well, today I faced perhaps what is my biggest irrational fear. Zombies! (I said it was an irrational fear, but that doesn't make it any less real. : / )I ran the Dirty 30 Zombie Edition.

 

The closest that I ever wanted to get to a zombie.

 

 

Trying to psyche myself up

 

I always have fun at the Dirty 30, but today was hard on several different levels. It was dead of winter cold today with a crazy, wild wind out of the north. The minute you hit the water you were chilled to the bone. The very first obstacle was a giant mud pit, so of course I fell in. As I'm drudging across it, I find a Cyndi-size hole right in the middle. I sank up to my chest and if it hadn't been for my friend, J, I would probably still be there...and frozen solid. As I came off of the mud hill, I came across my first zombie. I had to take a minute because I almost freaked. The look on J's face let me know that the look on my face said, "I'm about to bolt" and not in a good way. I took a deep breathe, told myself that they are people in makeup, and started moving again. I got swarmed and lost a flag almost immediately. I skipped the wall because I fall off of it on a good day and today, I couldn't even feel my fingers. I was soooooooo cold. Losing my second flag was kind of a blur. There was yelling, a few expletives, sprinting, dodging, and a flipping of the bird in there somewhere. My last flag went to a jerk that was hiding in the bushes. He jumped out and almost got drop kicked in the nads. We weren't allowed to touch or harm the zombies, but when you jump out at people from a hiding place, I believe that you are doing so at your own risk. He caught the tail end of my flag and ripped it off. : /

After that most zombies, left me alone. There were a few tools who took their job too seriously and still chased me even though I had no flags to take and had a terrified look on my face the whole time.

There was one zombie, who was very nice and was trying to be helpful, but really didn't help me any. He saw that I was flagless and terrified and he gave me a little pep talk. You know, "you're doing great. Keep going. Good job". and then he said, "I'll run with you a little bit". While he waved off some other zombies, his being RIGHT THERE pratically touching shoulders with me was not helping. I just kept my eyes forward, said thank you, and keep going. The one really awesome thing abou the race was the giant slip-n-slide. I approached it like you would slide into a base and took off like a shot. I almost took a poor girl out and had to a roll to my left to keep from running her over. I pray that they have that next summer Dirty 30. By the end of the race, I couldn't feel my hands or my legs, so I kind of just stumbled through the finish line, much like a zombie. There were my friends to cheer me on, J, and A, and A.

 

I wouldn't say that I have conquered my fear, but I now know that I can see a zombie and NOT curl up into a fetal position and cry. So that's a plus. I did have a fun day, but it probably had more to do with the company than the activity. J & A are awesome! Now I'm going to drink some hot tea and cuddle under a blanket with a few other little monsters.

 

Peace, Love, and Zombies!