Very Inspiring Blogger {An Award}

One of the things I’ve been loving about blogging is finding other blogs to read. I’m not sure if it was because Colby and Tina commented on a post I wrote or if they commented on my fave, Salt’s blog at one point, but the girls that are It’s A Marathon AND A Sprint are one of my favorite finds.

Last week when I wrote about the awesomeness that is Janji, it was because I had discovered the company through their blog. I love blogs that are informative, honest, humorous, and written by people who care about what they write. You see this in every post Tina and Colby publish.

So it was such a great surprise to find out they nominated me for a Very Inspiring Blogger Award! Surprising because they’re the ones that inspirenot only with their running talents but with the way they write. I’m an English teacher and writing is my thing, so when I read good stuff from good people it makes me want to be a better writer. Thank you Colby and Tina for being such awesome people and considering me for this award.

veryinspiringblogger The Rules:

  • Thank and link to the person who nominated you
  • List the rules and display the award
  • Share seven facts about yourself (I know, I know. MORE stuff about Helly???)
  • Nominate 15 other amazing blogs and comment on their posts to let them know they have been nominated
  • Optional: display the award logo on your blog and follow the blogger who nominated you

Alright, I’ll try and make this short and sweet 🙂

1. I don’t like the distance number stickers people put on cars. Nothing against people who do, it’s just not my style. And it’s not just the distance stickers, I’m not a fan of putting any type of bumper sticker thing on my car. You won’t find a stick figure family on the back of my Chevy.

2. I also don’t snot rocket. Again, it’s just not style. Most of the time, I carry a small hand towel or a Runningluv type thing to wipe snot from nose and if all else fails, I’m okay with using my shirt. Gross maybe, but I think snot rockets are grosser.

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3. I loved wrestling growing up. My brother and I were huge fans of the World Wrestling Federation (now known as WWEntertainment). I grew up watching Ravishing Rick Rude, The Million Dollar Man, The Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels, Bret the Hitman Hart, the Ulimate Warrior, Mr. Perfect, and of course Hulk Hogan. I even went to a few live ones and let me tell you, it was pretty amazing.

I stopped watching shortly after the Stone Cold Steve Austin era ended and when I no longer could smell what The Rock was cooking.

4. My high school job was working at a saddle shop. I wore boots and Wranglers and sold western clothing and cowboy hats. I listened to country music all day and hung out with the the guy who made saddles. It was so cool to see something beautifully handmade begin from just a scrap of leather.

If I ever do a 50 mile race it would be this one only because of the awesome buckle you get when/if you finish.

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5. I don’t like soft ice cream. Ice cream from Dairy Queen just doesn’t do it for me. I’m more of a Baskin Robins or Cold Stone type of gal. My favorite flavors are chocolate, chocolate chip, and sherbet. I may even get all three together 🙂

6. Getting lost is my thing. When I was young, I’d always somehow stray away. On summer vacations, it became a running joke that my family would lose me. I got lost at Disneyland one year, at the beach another year, and at our State Fair one October. Luckily all three times I was found pretty quickly.

One time, in my sleep, I rolled off the bed and then somehow ended underneath it! All while still asleep! My parents freaked and even called the police but there I was, snoozing under my bed.

7. I love American history. I know that a lot of people like traveling abroad because of so many historical attractions and don’t get me wrong, I love to do that too, but I love learning about our own country’s beginnings. I’m so pumped for the Marine Corps Marathon because it will be my first time in D.C.

As a teacher, I teach freshman, sophomores, and juniors and I love teaching juniors the best because it’s all American literature. I get to read the The Crucible, Edgar Allan Poe, and The Great Gatsby all day. Heaven.

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My nominees (in no particular order):

1. Confessions of an Amateur Athlete
2. The Running Schlub
3. Blog About Running
4. Run Away With Me
5. So Very Slightly Mad
6. This Mama Runs For Cupcakes
7. Black Dog Runs Disney
8. PB&PRs
9. Little Green Running Shoes
10. The Little GSP
11. Life Between the Miles
12. Piper’s Run
13. Running on Healthy
14. Slacker Runner
15. Running Vegetarian

Please check out these awesome blogs!

–What are some good blogs you’re following nowadays?

–Thoughts on my random facts? Wanna share one?

If you’re in the states, I hope you have a great 4th of July tomorrow!!

Grand Canyon Rim 2 Rim 2 Rim Recap Part II

If you missed day one of the Canyon in which I crossed the South Rim to the North Rim, check it out here.

As a refresher of what I had just done, I started at the South Rim and ended at North Kaibab. The following day, our plans were to cross the Canyon and finish at Bright Angel.

Day 1: South Kaibab to North Kaibab. Day 2: North Kaibab to Bright Angel.

Day 1: South Kaibab to North Kaibab. Day 2: North Kaibab to Bright Angel.

When I got to the top of the North Rim, I was a zombie. No really, I was a walking zombie. I was so exhausted, dirty, hungry, sore, exhausted, and exhausted. And sore. Really, really sore. Luckily, I didn’t have to wait long for a ride back to the lodge where I could shower, eat, and collapse into bed.

Any place you touched me, you’d inflict pain. I really couldn’t think of any place that did not hurt. Walking hurt. Sitting hurt. Eating hurt. I think even blinking hurt. I ate my dinner chatting with my buddies but in my head I was thinking about what I was going to do. Would I cross again the next day?

I called my husband.

I gave him a brief overview of the day and described how I felt. All things considering, I had done well. I had finished around the time I’d expected. I had had enough food. I didn’t injure myself. I was just normally fatigued. What was expected after crossing a huge canyon in the Arizona heat.

I really wanted to do it. Really, really wanted to do it. I knew mentally, I was capable of crossing again. I knew, or hoped, I was in good enough shape to cross again. The soreness I felt couldn’t get any worse the second time right? Ja!

Once I was back in my room, I re-packed my hydration pack and took out my clothes for the next day. I had made my decision.

Sleeping wasn’t happening. You’d think that after all I’d done, I would immediately pass out but nope. Too sore. In addition, you could hear the winds howling outside. The windows whistling with each gust. My roommate got out of her bed and pulled the curtains to take a look outside. The trees were moving. This definitely was not making us feel better about the next day. A few minutes passed when I whispered to her, “If you just close your eyes, you can make it seem like you’re hearing–”

“A tornado?”

“Well, I was going to say the ocean,” I said, laughing.

We woke up earlier than usual, I think because we hadn’t really slept anyway. On the bus, our leader took a head count of those making the second trek. About half of us were giving it another go.

Jill, Angel, and I decided we’d go across again together. I was so happy that it worked out that way.

If you recall Day 1, towards the end is where we had to really ride the inside of the trail because of the wind. This was what we started with on Day 2. It wasn’t as windy, thankfully, but we still made sure to take our time as the cliffs were pretty scary.

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Drop off to the left.

It was a little past this major danger zone where I’d lost my hat the day before. We joked about how funny it would be if I found it along the trail. But with the winds, I knew there was no way I’d ever see it again.

And then I hear Angel exclaim, “I see it!”

I couldn’t believe it, but there it was, lodged between stones a ways up a cliff. It seemed climbable, and I started to give it a go, but then I decided it was too risky. If I lost my footing, I would slide down and keep on going–it wasn’t worth it.

If you look closely, you can see my black hat with the tiny, white Nike symbol

If you look closely below the dark hole, you can see my black hat with the tiny, white Nike symbol. (Click to enlarge pictures)

We kept moving. Surprisingly, the soreness I had felt before had actually dissipated. As I continued to walk, I wondered if adrenaline or wanting to get to the other side as fast as possible was what was keeping me going. It did seem like we were going faster. To be honest, I think we all just wanted to get the hell out of there at that point. Beautiful views be damned. Lol!

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See that mountain waaaaay over there? All we wanted to do was get there.

There wasn’t a whole lot of talking or picture taking. We stopped to refill our water packs, ate, and moved on. Before I knew it, we were at Phantom Ranch, almost 7 miles in.

I decided another lemonade was in order and I drank every last drop of it. While I really wanted to rest, sitting actually made me feel worse and we all agreed it was best to just keep going. Even though stops after this one would be longer in coming with the next big one 4.7 miles away, I knew the faster we walked, the faster we’d get there.

While Day 1 we battled winds, Day 2 we battled heat. We could feel it as soon as we stepped out of the shade onto the trail. Going the opposite way this time around also meant being exposed more. We knew this but again, nothing can really prepare you for it.

At an open creek, we stopped to dip our shirts to cool off. By this time, we were at the bottom and I told Jill and Angel that it felt like we were in the middle of nowhere. Like if someone had just dropped us off in the desert and were were trying to find our way out. I might have been hallucinating at that point lol.

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Relishing the shade.

We kept walking and then we reached one of top spots I’d been excited for–the see through bridge that takes you over the river.

View from afar

View from afar

 

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It was pretty cool. Scary too because as you walked, the bridge would squeak with each step. Def not for anyone who fears heights. In fact, R2R2R is absolutely not for someone afraid of heights. I’m not, and there were still moments where I thought I’d have a panic attack. Mostly the day before when we had cliffs + 30 mph winds.

Like I mentioned earlier, we didn’t stop a whole lot to take pictures. We were seriously on a mission to get to the other side. Plus, it was so stinkin’ hot that we just wanted to keep moving. Stopping meant melting.

Before I knew it, we reached Devil’s Corkscrew–the winding uphill of switchbacks. Basically, hell.

I had no idea where my energy was coming from, but I was attacking that Devil with each step. I might have actually been snailing, but in my head I was in an intense battle with that trail–and I was winning.

At the top. Looking down at the Devil.

At the top. Looking down at the Devil.

We were getting close to Indian Gardens which was our next big stop where we’d eat, use the bathroom, refill our packs, and rest. Finally.

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The sign under the temperature reads, “This is your brain on sun.” (click to enlarge picture)

Indian Gardens meant that we were 4.8 miles away. But we knew that that really didn’t mean much. We were still hours til the end.

But we kept trucking. We had a steady pace and I felt good. I was hot, and that was my biggest complaint, but my body was cooperating with me and I was able to keep up with Angel and Jill. Since the day before, Jill kept reminding us to eat, drink, and take salt. I think it made her feel better to take care of us and by the end of the trip, she was Mama Jill to us 🙂

Unlike last time, we stayed together to the end. When we were near the top, we turned around and there was the other side. The other side, the starting point, where that morning we had taken a picture of the mountain we were now standing on. Our goal–reached 23.5 miles and 10 hours later.

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We started the last climb and could hear our group cheering us on. Angel said from behind, “Let’s run it in!” And we did.

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Jill in front, me in pink, and Angel in red–finishing strong.

I did it!

I did it!

Accomplishing something you never knew you were capable of doing is life-changing. My life is changed having crossed the canyon. R2R2R is definitely the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I was tested in so many ways, physically, mentally, emotionally–and it was those tests that made me climb up the mountain a different person. Many times during the hike, I would become emotional at the fact that I was doing something so incredible, seriously, something hard to believe. But I did it. I did it twice. I don’t know if it’s a 5k, a marathon, an ultra, or whatever, but doing something challenging, something you’re scared of, something you say you’ll never do–those are the things that you need to be doing.

 

Thank you so much for reading and following my running journey! Your interest and comments make this experience even more special.

❤ helly

Losing Weight, Gaining Perspective {a guest post}

So I mentioned yesterday that my good friend Amy would be guest blogging today. (She’s a part of that healthy moms group I’ve mentioned a few times.) Amy is in the midst of a lifestyle change and….
Well, I’m just going to let her share her story with you
: )

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Hi, friends of Helly! I am so honored to be here sharing my story with you. Helly and I are internet-turned-real-life friends. Our daughters are about a week apart in age and she inspires me daily with her infectious positive attitude and her commitment to her health and her family. It’s great to “meet” you all! This is a little slice of my life, and the journey I’ve been on the past couple months to lose weight and reclaim my confidence and self-worth.

Helly and my daugher M, October 2013

Helly and my daugher M, October 2013

First, a little background. Unlike most of you, my default state is sedentary. While I like endorphins (who doesn’t?!), I can’t stand to exercise. I’ve searched high and low and I haven’t found one type that I truly enjoy. It takes a huge extrinsic motivation for me to get up off the couch and move. At the same time, I love food. Cooking and baking (especially baking!) are my passions, but most of all I love to eat. A lot. It’s so extreme that I’ve sometimes wondered if I have a food addiction. I have gone very long stretches of time where I have absolutely no regulation over what and how much I’m eating. Plus the whiter the carb, the better.

The most recent post from my currently dormant food blog of 6 years

The most recent post from my currently dormant food blog of 6 years

Because of all this couch-sitting and food-over-enjoying, I’ve struggled with my weight for most of my adult life. Along with that has come a lot of depression and shame. In 2010, after recovering from a herniated disc, I finally decided to do something about it. Together with my husband, I trained for and ran the 1st Annual Wine and Dine Half Marathon at Disney World—very fitting for my foodie self! I still consider that one of my proudest moments ever.

At Epcot after our race

At Epcot after our race

My healthy momentum from the race carried me for a while, but over the past few years I have slowly slipped back into my mega-eating, non-exercising ways. Since then, I’ve been yo-yo-ing, and have been up and down within a 25 pound range.

A couple months ago, I found myself at my highest weight ever. Despite adding in a bike commute to work (something I’m so proud of!), I hated how my clothes fit and I hated looking in the mirror. I hated my obese BMI and I hated looking like I was 5 months pregnant. It was time to make a real, permanent change. I wanted to hold my head up high, have more energy, and set an example of good health for my daughter.

This is one of my favorite pictures ever but I will always regret how heavy I look; Halloween 2013

This is one of my favorite pictures ever but I will always regret how heavy I look; Halloween 2013

This change needed to be sustainable, given my yo-yo tendencies. This time I’m committed to setting myself up for success instead of expecting that I’ll fail. There are a million diets and methods and clubs out there to lose weight, but I started out simple. In early January of this year, I started a Dietbet (something that’s helped motivate me in the past). I bet $25 that I could lose 4% of my body weight in 4 weeks. My husband and about 75 friends and friends of friends joined us, and those of us who reached their goal (spoiler alert: including me and my husband!) split the pot.

To reach my Dietbet goal, I started logging every single thing I ate with My Fitness Pal. This has been so key to my success. There have been days when I’ve overeaten or slipped up, but logging it has helped me realize that I’m so very hard on myself. I’m allowed to mess up, and messing up doesn’t mean that I’m a total failure. AT ALL. It’s also helped with this sustainability thing. I can have a cookie for an afternoon snack once in a while or my beloved Chinese food in small doses and I can still stay on a downward trend of weight loss.

Now, about that pesky exercise. I’m about to share my dirty little secret with you, are you ready? Promise not to laugh at me. A friend gave me a series of workout videos by trainer Leslie Sansone. Her thing is “Walk at Home.” Yes, I said walk. At home. I know it sounds ridiculously low-impact and I’m mildly embarrassed to share this on a running blog. But as out of shape as I was, it started out hard! She has a wide variety of workouts and I was quickly able to increase difficulty. I still find the harder ones extremely challenging, and I’m in much better shape now. I took her 30-day challenge to work out 6 days a week, alternating days of cardio and strength. I successfully finished that challenge a few weeks ago and have continued with her videos since. I couldn’t have done this without Leslie!

My favorite 4-mile "walk"

My favorite 4-mile “walk”

I also got a Fitbit since I walk a lot at work, and these Leslie workouts have helped catapult me past my 10k step goal every day. I picked the Flex model; the fun interchangeable colored bands was a must for me! Orange and Teal are my favorites. Fitbit’s “gamification” of working out has definitely won me over.

I have started plateauing a bit with my weight in the past couple of weeks and have been ready for a new challenge, so I just started the Focus T25 program. I’m only 1 day in but WOW, that is a workout. I can’t believe I did that voluntarily. I’m really excited to see what kind of new results this adventure brings.

Now, for the punchline: Since I started in early January, I’ve lost 7.3% of my body weight and one pant size, and am no longer in the Obese BMI category!

Before and after my 4-week Dietbet. I've lost another 5 more pounds since then

Before and after my 4-week Dietbet. I’ve lost another 5 more pounds since then

That brings me to why Helly asked me to write this post. It’s been SO satisfying checking off my daily exercise and watching the scale tick down. But I have a lot of work to do on my mind and spirit. I still feel like the fat kid. When I look in the mirror, it’s hard for me to see what I’ve accomplished. I have some hard-wired patterns of self-doubt that are going to take a lot of hard work to undo. What I’m starting to realize is that this part is going to be as hard, if not harder, than exercising or counting calories.

Please don’t get me wrong, I’m so proud of my progress, and I know the numbers don’t lie. I have accomplished so much. I can do more reps with more weight now, my endurance is so much better, and I really am holding my head up higher just like I had hoped. But this is just the beginning of the journey for me. As I continue to creep down towards my goal weight, my biggest challenge will be treating myself kindly. Yes, that means treating my body with respect, but also allowing forgiveness when I mess up, and knowing that I am strong and I am capable and I can do this.

Thanks so much to Helly and all of you for letting me be vulnerable for a few minutes. Writing out my story really helped me gain some insight, and I hope maybe you got something out of it too. If you’d like to stay connected and follow my progress (and see lots of pictures of my kid!), I’m amy_i on Instagram.

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Isn’t she awesome?? I’m so proud and honored that Amy shared her story on my blog. She’s been such an inspiration to me and I know that many of us can relate to the struggle that is weight loss and being good to ourselves. Thank you for visiting my page today and I’ll try my best to get Amy back here for a follow-up post soon : )

Have you struggled with weight loss before?

Why do you think that even after losing weight we are still hard on ourselves?