Auntie Em! Auntie Em! It's a Twister!

My sister Jackie completed her very first 5K race today! I am so incredibly proud of her.

Me and my sis...I am so proud of her!

She really loved it and wants to do another one! Ahhhh, she is getting sucked into the Running Vortex. I named that need to keep running faster and further the Running Vortex. It's a slippery little slope for me because last time I got sucked into it, I did the Indianapolis 1/2 Marathon in 2004 and had such a horrible time of it that I came shooting out the other end of that Vortex and landed firmly in the Land of Couch, on top of the Runner in me with my great big house and she shriveled up and died. And there I stayed for 7 years (and didn't even get any cute shoes out of it, mind you!).

Well, I woke up from my 7 year trip to the Land of Couch and started running/training again last year.
I have been very careful to keep an eye on the Running Vortex radar. I've stuck pretty much to 5Ks and a little longer races (8K, 10K) and have recently begun training for the Fox Valley 1/2 Marathon in September. Oh God, those winds are kicking up and the sky is turning a little green. Tommy Skilling's voice is getting higher. Okay, I'm in the f*cking Vortex.

But I really, really want to stay here. I don't want to click my running shoe heels together and wake up 265 pounds again. I am scared shitless about this 1/2 Marathon and don't want to start hating running like I did last time. My head is in such a better place this time around and I am actually training properly, but I am still scared. I have been overeating the last couple of days and need to get my head back in the game. I had a horrible run this morning at the 5K and am feeling blue. Granted, it was 89 degrees at 8:00 a.m. and about 100 percent humidity and I still did the race in around 36 minutes, as opposed to the 56 minutes it took me this time last year.

Left: Windmill Whirl 5K 2011 (finished in 56-ish minutes). Right: Windmill Whirl 2012 (finished in 36-ish minutes)

I'm just letting the Vortex get to my head and all of my running demons are flying by on broomsticks past my window, right? Where the hell is Glinda when I need her?

LAST DAY - Weight Loss Diary Blog - Birth Day

It's my last day of my DAILY weight loss diary blog. My weight - 203.7. I didn't reach my goal of getting below 200 by my birthday and that...well, that sucks.

I have to say, though, while I am feeling a little blue today because I didn't reach this goal, I don't have the birthday blues. Some people get depressed on their birthdays because they are getting older. I, however, feel better than I have in many, many years. So on this, my 38th birthday, I am proud, excited, reflective and nervous about the upcoming year.

What a difference a year makes!

In the last year I've done almost 10 races (5K - 8K, triathlon), lost 60 pounds, was on the Food Network, will celebrate my 5 year wedding anniversary, became President of the Chicago Chapter of Les Dames d'Escoffier, changed jobs, celebrated my 20 year high school reunion, am going in to my 8th year of having my monthly Dinner Club, celebrated 25 and 27 years of friendship with my two best friends and have had more fun and worked harder than I have in a long, long time.

I'm nervous about the upcoming year because I have some big demands on me professionally that I will have to balance with getting these last 40 pounds off and trying to have a family. I hope I can have it all.

Thanks for sticking with me on this (mostly) daily weight loss journal. I am going to go back to blogging weekly. This daily thing was too much for me and I think I will be much better off talking weekly about my training, weight loss, diet and exercise plans and the crazy stuff that always seems to happen along the way. Your support and encouragement means more to me that I could ever express in this blog. Thanks for pulling for me and believing in me. I couldn't do this without you! xo