Shan Thinks She Can

(Formerly Known As: ShanDoesLife) I decided to start running one day after a lifetime of thinking it was impossible...multiple half marathons and one full marathon later I discovered I was actually an athlete at heart... now I'm active and love trying all kinds of new things. Highest Weight: 277 lb. Current Weight: Below that and constantly moving towards my goal of being a lean mean happy human

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Did my first real class at crossfit last night.  Now today every time I sit for more than five seconds then walk I feel like I have to really concentrate on walking “normal.”  I am Bernie.

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xfitlibrarian and shan-thinks-she-can… you guys know that flattery will get you everywhere with me.

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Hmmm... is this where I negotiate for Rusty? ;)

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Is it weird that I immediately wondered what they were discussing?

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Signed up for half marathon training that begins the second week of October so I figured I should probably at least start to get my groove back. Could've been a lot slower after not running regularly since May. And now I have a decent starting place to get faster from. So excited to train for my favorite distance again. :)

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Saturday morning adventure with Rowdy dog. (at Baby Beach Dana Point Harbor)

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If only Jared had turned around when he was so SO CLOSE!! :-) super fun night regardless! Yay for adventures!

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First 3 miler in too long...feels so good!! :-)

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Rowdy and I decided to go explore this morning at Yorba Regional Park :)

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Made it to the gym tonight wherein I got in an hour and a half of cardio on two different machines I've never tried before...then I went to the store and picked up some healthy options for future meals... I forgot how much I love being proud of what I am buying at the store...I was literally standing in line thinking "why yes, these healthy choices you see before you are mine!" ... I'm a nerd...but a nerd that made good choices and followed through on making it to the gym!! WOOHOO!

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New morning mantra...

You are powerful when you believe in yourself – when you know that you are capable of anything you put your mind to.  You are beautiful when your strength and determination shines as you follow your own path – when you are not disheveled by the obstacles along the way.  You are unstoppable when you let your mistakes educate you, as your confidence builds from experiences – when you know you can fall down, pick yourself up, and move forward.

Well, my two previous proclamations and plans to get back on track, have just not worked out.  I've finally come to terms with/admitted to myself that I am not currently in the necessary mental space to do it all on my own right now... I need more accountability...so next week I'm going to give Weight Watchers a try again...it's been ages since the last time I tried it.  The best part is that it's a meeting at A Snail's Pace which means I'll get to see some of my fellow snails from marathon training.  The training, and people I trained with, were my favorite part of the marathon.  I miss them!  This seems like the perfect storm. I'm even contemplating signing up for another running program, just so I have an excuse to make some new friends!  

Very excited about a new potential path to get back on track.

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Life has changed immensely for me in the past several weeks. My seven year relationship came to an end.  I saw it coming, but it didn't stop me from hoping that it could be miraculously saved.  However, now that I've been able to digest it for a few weeks, I feel like I'm coming out of an underground bunker and breathing fresh air again for the first time in a very long time.  The moments of sadness and loss come and go but overwhelmingly I feel like a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders. There is no more wondering or living in limbo, that chapter is done.

I've been working really hard on being constructive with my thoughts and reflections on what happened.  The best part is having so much time to focus on myself. Now that I'm doing that, it's time to face the reality of where my recent stress has ended up...back on my body.  Luckily for me, I have the power to make this a temporary issue.  Just need some hard work and commitment to doing what's in my best interest.  

I'm setting a goal to do 30 minutes of exercise for 30 days starting tomorrow...hopefully, this will be the spark I need to start this ball rolling.  :) Fingers crossed.  

[shan-thinks-she-can]

Reset button...Time for a reboot

After WAY longer than I’d hoped, I finally mustered enough motivation to make some actual changes to my food choices. Previously, I’ve had the most success following the You on a Diet food plan from Dr. Oz’s book.  So I’m going back to what I know I can live my life doing.  I’m going to make the transition as simple as possible by following the initial 14 day food plan.  It’s so much simpler when I can transition with direction. Today is day 1 and so far my food planning over the weekend is working out.  I have all my meals and snacks set for my work hours and plan on cooking the suggested dinner for tonight. 

I’m also hoping to step up my activity levels.  The aftermath of the marathon was pretty much a sabbatical from exercise.  I was pretty good last week getting in a couple runs and boot camp session.  I want to repeat that and add in at least 30 minutes of activity the remaining 4 days.

Recently, I have not been in a place mentally where I feel empowered by my choices, but rather debilitated—such a terrible mental space to be in. I’m done. I’m so thankful that I know how much happiness awaits me once I am on track.  Just got to put my head down and do some work.  It will be worth it.

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This made me laugh harder than it probably should have...

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Injured and blistered but I got there eventually... I'm a marathoner.

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The Marathon

The Marathon is not about running, it is about salvation. We spend so much of our lives doubting ourselves, thinking that we’re not good enough, not strong enough, not made of the right stuff. The Marathon is an opportunity for redemption. Opportunity, because the outcome is uncertain. Opportunity, because it is up to you, and only you, to make it happen.

I'm not sure how Runner's World did it, but the timing of this article is incredible...it made me teary eyed just thinking about what's going to happen on Sunday.  

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Yesterday was our last training run before the marathon next week and it was a really fun one. We had a pot luck after and had a chance to discuss anything we were concerned about. My coach gave us tips and wise words of wisdom. He said the moment the half marathoners break off there's a serenity and feeling of being with people who are all in it for another 13 miles...I am excited to finally have this experience and make him proud. I'm so glad I didn't give up during training. I was so close! In the beginning I was so concerned because of how slow I am. But negativity is very counter productive. After all, the caboose still travels the same distance as the rest of the train, right? :-) I'm excited and strangely very at peace with what's coming.

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Coolest part of my run today was seeing these sled dogs out on the trail. They're rescue dogs and this is how they exercise them. The people who were with them were super friendly and sweet. The second best part of my run was that I got to run the second half with one of my fellow marathoners today abd we only had to do a very pleasant 10 miles!! It was great...also there were a TON of runners running to support those who were injured or killed in the Boston marathon last year. I seriously love the running community's spirit, I don't think any other sport comes close. The only downside to this glorious run was the part where my pants got a hole in between my thighs--who are very close friends-one might even say inseparable-- and it led to carnage... :-\ it's never good when you chafe starts bleeding...or is exposed to air or hot shower water. But I'm sure I'll be fine by later today.