LAST DAY TO SUBMIT ENTRIES FOR THE MARCH MADNESS CONTEST

In case you missed it here's the link and the rules March Madness Contest !

I hate have SWAG that I can't give away!

Life, and three months of non running......

It's been a really weird year. I haven't really felt my self. Well it has finally come full circle. Seems like I've been out of step all year. Just not quite my self.

I just couldn't quite figure it out. For many years I have tried to not take any non essential medications. Treating things naturally if possible. If your body it sick it's built to fight off some illnesses. If you have a stomach bug let your body get rid of it. If you have a cold, rest and vitamin C and mom's chicken noodle soup.

There are things that you need to get medications for but our bodies are amazing machines. When fed well and tuned up it will tell you what it needs.

A couple of weeks ago I started having lower back pain that could not be relieved via chiropractic care, so I went to the doctor. I ended up having an upper UTI still up in the kidneys, more liking just festering there and not getting better. It has probably been a systemic problem for most of this year, causing me to feel off.

The doctor put me on a really strong antibiotic to get rid of the infection. Unfortunately I had a sever life threatening allergic reaction to the antibiotic. My face and lips swelled up and had trouble swallowing. It was terrifying. We got to the ER and they gave me an epinephrin shot, a quick acting steroid shot, and another antihistamine.

Let me tell you the epi shot was NO joke. It seemed to fire up every muscle in my entire body at the same time. The purpose is to move what ever it is causing the reaction out of your body as quickly as possible. It speeds up your heart and makes your system work hard. For the next three days I felt like I had run a full marathon TWICE! I slept and and slept and rested.

Monday I went in for a follow up and also found out that I am B12 deficient. This from lack of feeding the body correctly. So today is Wednesday and I am finally feeling amazing.

The kidney infection and other problems lingering in my system from the infection cause a significant weight gain of almost 15 pounds in just a few days of water weight. I have now lost all the sick weight and feel so much better.

I am not released yet to return to Art of Strength  or running. I am feeling, and looking so much better.

When all is said and done.

When all is said and done, what is the purpose of Diary of a Fat Chick Running? 

It's a question that has been on my mind recently. Is it more than just a place to motivate myself and others and help to keep me accountable for my weight loss and fitness level? 

I've been thinking about what it really could be. As someone that has battled weight issues most of my life, and endured the bullying and teasing that comes with it, I want this to be more. 

The one thing in my life that I never saw myself as was an athlete even playing tennis in high school I never really felt like I was part of that group. 

After spending the last year working with Hendersonville Running Club and the great people there and of course Swiftwick and all my friends there. Not once have I ever been looked at as something OTHER than an athlete. It's a really nice feeling, it's a really nice defining point. Not being defined by size, style or weight but being defined by the effort that you give. 

I was having a hard time at the end of the 2010 races season. I had put a ton of pressure on my self to compete in 4 long races my very first year of running. Afraid if I didn't have that carrot out in front of me I might just fall of the road and never return. 

What I ended up doing was pushing myself and my body beyond what it was capable of.  But even when that happen the group of people I surrounded my self with never said I shouldn't have done it. Nope they said well next year modify your plan do something different. Never once did someone say well your just not cut out for endurance running. Not once did someone say your too heavy.

Through out the year towards the end you could hear me calling out during a race "Big girls do it better" and "Big girls eat hills for breakfast"  I truly mean that. I think it takes even more effort and stamina to move a body that is 200+ pounds 13.1 miles then it does to move an "average" runners body that far.

We have to train differently our fluid and fuel needs are greater. We tackle a race differently, and we run for different reasons. Some to lose weight, some to get motivated to lose weight, some to support friends and family in their endeavor to get fit and healthy. Now mind you I'm not a dietician, or a trainer or a health professional. I just have a good team behind me that helps me to and be better. 

I'd like to hear your stories. I'd like to give you a forum where your story can be heard and listened to with out stigma. Having a hard time lacing up and getting out the door? Need some extra support? I hope to make this space and soon the new website a place where you can do so. I'd like to connect the community and the world together so that not one FCR or FDR (fat dude running) is doing it alone. 

FCR 

One More Step, One More Mile, One More Finish. ©