Other Priorfatgirls

New Shoes

by Elle, another PriorFatGirl on May 24, 2012

The last pair of sneakers I got weren’t exactly selected by a scientific process… I walked into Dick’s Sporting Goods and picked the prettiest pair of shoes I could find in the clearance section. They felt pretty good, but then, I didn’t really know what I was looking for, so I wasn’t too terribly picky. They’ve served me well for me for the last four years, but the time had come for an upgrade.

I wrote a post a few weeks ago asking for advice on the topic, and several people suggested going to a store where they could do a fitting.

So that’s what I did.

Enter Luke’s Locker – a local store that specializes in helping athletes select shoes that will be best suited for their particular activity. When I walked in, I immediately was greeted by someone who took my name and assigned me to a Luke’s Locker Team Member, Sam. Sam took a few minutes to ask me about my activity level and what kind of workouts I’d be doing in my shoes. I told him I planned to run short distances (1 to 2 miles) several times a week and do Crossfit 3-5 times a week.

Sam wrote all this down and then asked me to take off my current socks and shoes and walk around a little bit so he could watch my feet. It turns out I have a high arch and my right foot tends to point out a little bit. These are things we can worth with, Sam told me.

He brought me several different styles to try. One pair was specifically made for CrossFit. It had almost no sole, and was made to be flexible front to back and side to side. They felt good, but we decided they probably didn’t have the arch support I needed for running.

In the end, these are the pair we decided on – the Nike Free 4.0

Nike Frees

Bonus that they happen to be really cute in addition to feeling great. And, even more importantly, Sam solved a problem for me. I told him that when I run lately, I’ve been experiencing numbness in my toes. He took a look at my foot and was able to diagnose the problem pretty quickly: a bone spur on the top of my foot.

Easy Solution

Notice how there’s a gap in between the laces in the center of the tongue of the shoe. By skipping some of the loops, the pressure over the bone spur is eliminated, thus allowing me to run without getting numb toes. Hooray!

So thank you Sam, and thank you Luke’s Locker!

P.S. This is what I get to come home to every night. What a face.

Dawwwwww....

You can follow me on Twitter @PFG_Elle

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Three Little Words

by Dawn on May 23, 2012

Last Sunday, I decided to run at the local track instead of going to the gym. It was a gorgeous morning – sunny blue skies and a slight breeze – and I just couldn’t bear the thought of being indoors. I wasn’t sure how long I wanted to run, so after my warmup lap, I just ran. I felt pretty good for the first two miles, but by the time I got into the third mile, I started to think up any excuse to quit. My legs started to hurt, my right knee felt a little wobbly, it was getting hot…cry cry cry. Honestly, I had to give myself a little mental slap in the face to snap myself out of the funk. I had just run a 5k the week before for goodness sake…I could do this, right? I wasn’t sure. But I didn’t stop.

Then I thought about some of the blog posts I had read that talked about pushing through. I remembered tweets that said if running was easy, everyone would do it. I remembered all of my blog and twitter friends who have run 5ks and 10ks and half marathons and full marathons and ultra marathons. Many of their posts talked about wanting to quit at some point during a training run…but I felt there was a big difference between me and them. They’re all runners. Real runners. And then I started to question my own negative talk that I wasn’t a runner. And then these three little words popped into my head.

Why not me?

Why can’t I call myself a runner? Why can’t I push through like so many of my runner friends? Just because they are much more experienced, extremely fast, and could probably lap me twice does not mean that I should sell myself short! I work hard, I sweat buckets, and you know what? I love it.

It turns out that those three little words have stayed with me all week. I had been talking to my friend Alison (and anyone else who wanted to listen on Twitter) about trying a half-marathon. Alison and her husband had just ran their first half a few weeks ago so I told her I’d be bugging her with questions and for training info. I had thought about and talked about attempting a half for months, but wasn’t sure if I could do it. Only elite runners run things with the word ‘marathon’ in the title, right? But once again, those three little words popped into my head like the New York Stock Exchange ticker and haven’t gone away since!

Why not me?

Alison’s encouragement and training plan information helped push me over the edge. I have finally decided that I will run a half in early 2013. I’m leaning towards the Austin 3M half in January 2013; I’ve discussed it with my husband, with my friends in Austin (who will hopefully let us crash at their house ), and if it all comes together, I plan to register by the end of the week. I’m excited to push myself more than I ever have, to focus on a real goal and achieve it, and to do something so huge for myself.

I encourage you to think about these three words when you doubt yourself. During those last five minutes on the elliptical when you feel like you’ve already given your all. When you’re rounding the corner on the track and don’t know if you’ll make it to the end. When you need that last little boost of energy during spin class or body pump or your first walk around your block. When you’re trying something for the first time and are scared out of your mind. Why not you? Why not?

{ 17 comments }

Week 20

by Liz, a priorfatgirl on May 23, 2012

I’m at 20 weeks of Weight Watchers. That is half a pregnancy (or 2/3 of a pregnancy if you are like me). 20 weeks of tracking everyday. 20 weeks of working out. 20 weeks of watching what I eat and counting points. There were good days and bad ones. Days I wanted to give up and days that I felt strong. But here I am 20 weeks in and I have a major milestone to show for it! Here are this week’s results!

-1.4 Pounds

-50.8 lbs Lost to Date!

That’s right I hit the 50lb mark this week. I am thrilled! If you had told me in January that I could be so determined and successful I might have laughed at you. Seriously, 50 lbs in 5 months is impressive I think. Ironically it feels so slow when you are going about it day to day but it adds up quickly. I know that 50 lbs is just the start of my journey. I have a good 125lbs at least to go, but it is a significant start and I am not about to take that away from me. I am proud of me…not necessarily because I’ve lost the weight, but because I’ve put the WORK in to lose the weight. It takes my effort and it is so affirming to see my hard work pay off on the scale.

So here are some pictures I think we need:

What 50.8 pounds looks like!

My weight loss chart – it goes faster than it feels!

And last but not least – Me at 50lbs down!

Please forgive the sweater – it really is a little big now, but it is a nice weight for the warm weather/ cool indoors thing that is going on during this season! But regardless, I think I’ve come a long way don’t you?

A before photo:

I think I have. And I have more places to get to next! I’m excited to get there but also thankful to be here as well. 50lbs down is a worthy celebration and I want to make sure to sit and feel this pride and success without looking forward to fast to the next milestone. I want to live in this present while keeping moving toward a future even healthier me. And I’ll get there.

My only remaining big question for the day: How shall I reward my 50lb lost? Pedicure? Shoes? New bag? Something else? Or just the satisfaction of a job well done (certainly cheaper!). What do you think makes for a worthy 50lb reward?

{ 33 comments }

Rumble Roller

by Elle, another PriorFatGirl on May 23, 2012

So a few rounds of CrossFit and guess what? My muscles are so achy I can’t sit without wincing in pain. Don’t get me wrong – I sort of love it. I feel strong, and even though they aren’t exactly visible yet, I can tell I’m starting to develop muscles.

Ok, but back to the pain.

So after about the third day of feeling like I’d been body checked by Team Canada and realizing it wasn’t getting any better, I sent out an SOS via Twitter. Thankfully, fellow-Crossfitter Ashley, of Ash & Diz, heard my plea for help and offered a solution: the Rumble Roller. My gosh, that Rumble Roller has most assuredly saved lives.

Ready to Rumble!

Basically, it’s a foam-roller with little nubs all over it. According to my research (the sum of which I have gathered entirely from the pamphlet that came with the rollers) the little nubs are supposed to resemble a masseur’s thumbs, working out the kinks and knots in your muscles. The usage itself is pretty self-explanatory. Well, I should clarify that. Even though you understand what you’re doing (I’m rolling over this thing to try and restore mobility to my otherwise destroyed body, obvs), others may think you’ve lost your mind. All three of my roommates looked at me like I’d grown a third eye when they saw me in the living room.

“Uh… what are you doing?”

“Surviving. Don’t judge me.”

Ok, here’s the only downside. The Rumble Roller ain’t exactly cheap, but I’m sure if you’re a savvy shopper you can find it cheaper than the retail price of $75. (I know, I know). Still, for muscles sore from a grueling workout – I highly recommend this thing.

Love it!

And there is good news. Crossfit, like any workout regimen, gets easier. Well, easier probably isn’t the word. But your body starts to adjust to the punishment. I’m three weeks in, and even though I still wonder whether my coaches are teaching me to exercise or secretly preparing me for a full-contact cage match, I can truthfully say I’m enjoying the challenge.

You can follow me on Twitter @PFG_Elle

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