Team S.J.G.R. Thursday Huddle #1

Do it for the story, man! And for the HEART!

Happy Firecracker Day, Team!

Man. So everyone knows that the 4th of July is a day of major temptation when it comes to the food balance thing. But summer months in general can be tricky because of the whole social-barbeque-imbibing vibe of it all. And seriously--who doesn't like cookout food?

Answer: Everyone likes cook out food when it's good.

And so, since we know that this time of year can knock us off of our mindful balance, we put our game faces on. Even during backyard barbeque season, heart disease does not go away. Since for all of us we know that S.J.G.R. we won't pretend like it does go away.

No, ma'am. No, sir.

But never fear, people! I'm not trying to be a wet blanket. I'm just suggesting that this be a day that we put our mindfulness in overdrive. Enjoy the cookouts but keep your S.J.G.R. awareness turned all the way UP!

In Atlanta, Independence Day is synonymous not only with food glorious food--it's especially the day we all associate with The Peachtree Road Race. The Peachtree Road Race has the distinction of being the world's largest 10K. It's super hard to get a number, but something about the Peachtree Road Race makes people want to get moving whether they're running it or not.

Guess what, you guys? This morning I was one of the lucky people with a number for 2013 Peachtree Road Race. Not because I had my act together enough to have made it in by the deadline but instead because my brother Will was kind enough to give me his! (Thanks, bro!)  

I was so, so happy. Happy because I'd get to tell you guys about it, happy because I'd get to do something nice for my heart,  and also super-happy because this would be my first official race of any kind--EVER.

Races make you a bona fide runner, y'all!

But then came the rain. Oh, the rain! Yesterday it started coming down and WOULD. NOT. STOP. In the forty-something years in the history of the Peachtree Road Race, never had there been this kind of rain forecasted for the start of the race. I kept checking the news and looking out of my window hoping and praying that "100% chance of thundershowers" meant something different than thundershowers.

I woke up this morning and--you guessed it--there were thundershowers. Booooo!!! Hisssss!!!!! I stood at the window staring at it coming down feeling myself feeling sad. I mean, first a stress fracture derails my half marathon training back in the winter and now rain sabotages my first race ever? 

Damn, universe.

I logged onto the race website and saw that, rain or shine, the show would go on. I looked on Twitter and saw all of the folks saying they were in no matter what. That kind of amped me up!

I sent a text to my race partner/sisterfriend Frieda early this morning. Frieda trained in Internal Medicine at Emory and was one of our Grady Chief Residents when I was in my second year on faculty. She stayed on for a few years as faculty and then moved on to be in a thriving private practice group in town. That move didn't stop the show for us, either. We've remained good friends ever since and had planned to run today's race together.

But that was before the rain. Grrrr.

One of the things I love about Frieda (who I affectionately call Free-Free) is that she's always down for an adventure. So my text to her said this:

"Hey Free-Free! It's raining cats and dogs! Here's the million dollar question--do we do it for the story? I say we DO IT FOR THE STORY, man!"

And guess what? Frieda aka Free-Free the free spirit was 100% game.

Frieda and I coincidentally had the same shoes--we took at as a sign to go for it!

And so. We met up at Frieda's house, walked the mile and a half to the start line, and away we went!

6.2 miles of heart-loving excitement. We laughed, sang and danced for almost the whole time. At one point we were singing John Cougar Mellencamp's "Jack and Diane" at the TOPS of our lungs. (Yes, cougars singing Cougar.)

We averaged an 11.5 minute mile the whole way--I was super proud of that for my first race ever. Woo hoo! We didn't give up--even on the notorious "heartbreak hill."

Even better? The rain let up--literally--from the start of the race until about 45 minutes after we crossed the finish. The monsoon restarted after we were cozy inside and rubbing our sore muscles and tootsies.

All of it was awesome. I did my best to focus on my heart the entire time. I also thought a lot about my sissy and all of you guys, too. I looked at her picture before I started and felt super charged up. This picture was taken exactly one year ago today on July 4, 2012.

I was also so, so happy to run into my sorority sister, Tamika W. at the finish line. Tamika and I both pledged at Tuskegee University and we are currently in the same alumnae chapter. AND she personally knew my sissy. I totally would have texted Deanna this photo which she would have promptly put on Facebook. Ha ha.

Gamma Tau Girls finished strong!

 Also one of Deanna's closest friends (also our sorority sister) did the race, too. Her name is Crystal H. and last week she texted me and told me that she was Team S.J.G.R. all the way! Here she is after the race. Look how strong she looks!

 

I sort of cried when I saw this picture of Crystal. And I'm sort of crying now just looking at it again. Deanna loved Crystal so so much. And she's been doing so many amazing things for her heart this year. This year Crystal ran THIRTEEN half marathons in 79 days. YES, y'all! S.J.G.R.!!! 

Sure, her body looks great but think about how happy this makes her coronary arteries! I'm so inspired by her--she's older than me and has an adult daughter, too.  Take that, heart disease! In yo' face!

But I deserve to eat WHATEVER I want, don't I?

After the race, I wanted FOOD! It's so tempting to want to eat everything in sight after a hard workout. You trick yourself into thinking that because you DESERVE IT that the realness has somehow gone on hiatus.

 It doesn't.

But thinking about my commitment to Team S.J.G.R. got my mind in the right place. I did indulge in some good food but I went through the process of balancing the treats with restraint. Harry and I had lunch at Houston's and we both turned down the spinach and artichoke dip which, if you have had that dip, is a very difficult thing to turn down. I knew that I wanted a glass of wine and that my favorite super-sized salad that I was ordering is covered with a peanut-based dressing that's fattening. I chose the wine and the salad. 

Another option could have been to have no wine, to eat half of the salad to allow some space for a dessert. But I wanted the whole salad and the wine. So that meant no to dessert. As for the dip? Hmmm. I guess I'll just say that I'm not sure for the amount of damage it would do that it made my worth-it list.

The BHE and I were talking about how we have to reprogram ourselves to stop eating at "satisfied." Neither of us were full after our meal so dessert was tempting. Since Harry is on the team, he was the one who helped nudge us away from the brownie/ice cream yumminess while I was the one who shut down the dip. The no's were gentle ones. Not guilty-smug-healthy-person ones. Gentle no-thank-yous.

THIS is what it's all about.

It's a rainy mess here so no cook outs or fireworks for us tonight. But I can say I remembered the fact that, even on 4th of July, SHIT IS STILL REAL.

How you guys doing so far? Check in TEAM S.J.G.R.!!  What did y'all do? How did it go? Successful? Epic Fail? Remember--failures are okay -- just dust yourself off and regroup. It's a work in progress.

***
Happy Birthday, America!


Now playing on my mental iPod. . . . Bab's Funny Girl classic was my anthem this morning.


And just picture two forty-something year-old moms running and singing this VERY loud and without a single drop of liquid courage! We were TURNED UP!