My Soul Is INSPIRED!

We ran for peace this weekend in Portland, Vallejo, Savannah and other Places. We ran for justice this weekend. We ran because others cannot run. Although we did not come to lots of solutions, we did come to one solution, that we're going to continue to seek a solution. #ICantBreathe run felt like a success. There were at least 100 people all over the country who got up out of their warm beds to run with me. Not just run with me on my regular Saturday run walk.  But to run with me in a dialogue. A dialogue about peace, justice, and equality. We also ran for those who have been victims of violence. For civilian on civilian violence, and police on police violence, and police on civilian violence, and civilian on police violence.  All acts of violence never end good.  Someone is always the aggressor and someone is always the victim. We've got to work on this culture of violence in our country. I'm not sure I have the answer, however I know there is an answer out there! And we will find it on a run.

Here in Portland Oregon we had a really nice turnout. Our run started around 8 o'clock as people begin to assemble, we talked about the reason why we came together, then talked about the loop, and let everyone go to walk/run around the waterfront. We assembled back at the water fountain on Salmon Street at about 9:05 AM. Everyone came back with smiles on their faces, the good feeling of burning in their chest from the fresh air, and just an attitude of gratitude of being awake on a day when it could be no more. We assembled in a really beautiful circle full of people of all races, ethnicities, cultures, background, age, education, love, and and hope. We took a minute, not a moment, to just stand in silence, reflecting on the unjust system that we live in and how 30 or so people could meet at 8 o'clock in the morning who are also very different seeking the same solution.  Honestly, I was overtaken with so much emotion I didn't really know how to explain it! However we talked about ways that we could continue this dialogue without being hateful or causing pain to anyone.  Solutions came forth like bringing positive stories to the second Saturday run to share with our youth, bringing more used to our second Saturday runs to just share and know that they are safe and people love them, to bring more men to our second Saturday run to show that we care about them and we're here for them, and to finds forums within our own communities that already exists that we can bring this message to as we strive for a more peaceful society. There was total agreement with each and every comment made and suggestion given. No one was willing to let's Saturday be the end of our push towards a just society.  

We all left by hugging three people that we did not know. Just to show love and hope to each other and to each other's children. The smiles on the faces of the children present was exciting. I hope I get to see those smiles again and that those smiles are not taken from us senselessly.

I'm going to continue my runs on the second Saturday of each month through June 2015.  I plan to meet at the same place, the same time, rain or shine, and make it know that I'm willing not only to use my mind to come up with a solution but I'm willing to use my body in a constructive way.  I guess when I say use my mind, I am putting myself out there to think of ways that we can stop the violence and really work on community relationships and getting people ready to relate to each other. I am also ready to use my body, meaning preparing it, for the task that is coming forth through exercise, healthy eating, and healthy meditation.

I am still overwhelmed by what happened on Saturday. I know I went along my day with other things in mind that were seemed more important in the moment that they happen. However the reflection in my mind all weekend, was the thought of The PEOPLE that came out to 8 AM run around the Portland waterfront all for justice, all for peace, all because they can't breathe.  I'm hoping, through my little gesture of organizing people to prepare themselves physically for the task towards reconciliation and peace that we have at hand in front of us, I am able to make a difference for at least one life in this United States of America. 

In Peace!

PhatAthlete

Look Back At It

Ha ha ha! The title of this blog post could've gone wrong. No I'm not talking about the two chainz song but rather I'm back at it!

Oh it feels good to get inside the gym. Especially, after you've been out with an illness. Today was my second day of personal training this week. Due to the high winds and crazy traffic I almost went home! However, I see that working out at night is my forte.

Getting back to working out after an illness can be really tough. I don't know about you, but I find being hydrated is the most important part to get it back to working out. And starting slow is just as important! Many think that just because they've been out of the gym, but don't gain weight, their fitness doesn't suffer. Well, I'm sure most of us can prove you wrong.

We started off pretty slow today. A short walk and then some extensive leg workouts.  But getting back in the gym was actually very therapeutic for me! Being able to sweat out the cares of the day, versus sweat before there are any cares for the day, is very liberating, cleansing, and feels really good!

I am grateful for the ability to move every day. I hope you are too!

Look Back...I'm at IT!

Best,

Phat Athlete

Vena Ford

Great Find!!!

I found it!

I have looked high and low. Check website after website. And all it took was to go pick up some laundry detergent to find it! I knew #Target has a profile for me and knows what I'm looking for. They know so well they put new things in the store just for me to look at. But today, on the clearance rack, I found it! Yes I did!

Being a plus size athlete is sometimes very difficult. Not only do you have to deal with learning your body, learning your instruments, and learning how to perform in the world that's built for svelte skinny fast people, you also have the problem of finding the right gear in the right size at the right time. I've tried brands like #Nike, #Adidas, #Athleta, #Champion, #OldNavy, and sought other brands like #TYR and others to find items I need to perform as an athlete.  However most of the gear is not made for someone who is over an American size 10. Maybe I should clarify, most of the gear it's not design for someone over an American size 10. However, many items are made up to American size 20 but don't allow for extra room in areas that someone at that size would have compared to someone at an American size 10 what have. That being said, someone like me who may now be an American size 18 still has some attributes that are larger than the normal athletic cut. Yes… I am talking about the booty, the hips, and the breast. In my case I also have shoulders which prevent me from fitting in narrowly cut items. Even with stretch and materials that move with you, it is really difficult to find items that fit well so they perform well. And finding items for someone who's under 5'7 is also very difficult. So when one in my size and my height find an item that fits well, that moves well, and the price is well… Well you get it!  So… I bought it!

Today I found a jacket that is water resistant enough to run in the rain in Portland, Oregon.  Though it is a black jacket, with minimal reflection, I am smart enough to have reflective items to keep me visible in a dark area.  This #champion jacket that I purchased at #target is wonderful! It moves with my body, fits very well in the shoulders (Yay!), and was a good price for the type of jacket it was. Most jackets I see it this quality with this type of make cost between $89 and $150. And at that price most jackets don't even go pass an extra large, or American size 12-14. I paid $44 for this jacket. Yes I will have to find some reflections that keep me extra visible and coordinate with my outfit, however that should not cost me more than an additional $10. I purchased this jacket and an XXL and I feel like I have plenty of room in the jacket to pile on the clothes on really cold days.

I wish sportswear makers would consider size in clothes to fit people of all sizes. Besides, in a country that is morbidly obese is, why only market to a segment of the population who is pretty fit? I know fitness is in the eye of the beholder are, however can't someone that is not a smaller size also be fit, and look good while working out? Just a question. I'm not getting any deeper. Not today!

So here's my jacket! Let me know if you see any great workout gear finds for people who are larger than an American size 12! I would love to hear your review!

Let's get it!

PhatAthlete!

And... We're Off!

Wow!  A lot has happened since the last time I blogged.  I had two surgeries, move to a new city, started a new running group, and totally change the way that I eat.  After speaking with a friend, it is time to start blogging again.  It is time to share all the things that are good and bad about a healthy lifestyle. Sometimes I wonder, if I am the only one who experiences these things.  Then I have conversations with my sister friends who tell me they go through the same things!

Being healthy and fit is definitely a lot of work. Yes… it is so easy to go and eat fast food, prepared meals, or just crap and general.  But investing in oneself by creating a lifestyle that encourages fitness and well-being is really hard. But… It is not impossible.

Most people don't know that at the beginning of 2014 I decided to become a vegan. Really, I've decided to become a Nutritarian.  Changing my eating happen it's really affected my body drastically. I found almonds I didn't know I had due to being hidden by the effects of horrible food.  Since that time, I can probably count on three fingers how many times I've eaten meat that has feet. Understanding how food affects our body is really important.  One's bodyweight, I guess, is important but also being fit and healthy and understanding how your body is affected by food is probably more important. Many people live in sickness every single day because they don't understand how food is processed in the body. Until one feels the feeling of wellness, no one really knows what sickness feels like. After my gallbladder surgery, I couldn't believe just how my body was rejecting bad food. But by paying attention to what one's body has gone through, and what one's body is going through, we can figure out that fine line between sickness and wellness.

For 2015, PhatAthlete is not going to focus on weight loss but rather Wellness!  We're going to have good conversations about physical activity, food, lifestyles, meditation, clothing, music, and just being one with the earth that we live in. I will invite some guest writers, guest speakers, and just people who were interested in living a full life. We will share great Facebook pages, great blogs, and great websites that offer opportunities for us to explore and enjoy a healthy lifestyle.  We will also explore this idea of veganism and begin to see how we could take foods that come to us in its natural state and make amazing meals that not only satisfy her body but nourish our bodies. Now I'm not going to ask you to give up your meat, but, I am going to ask you to try something new!

So look for my new blogs coming beginning today and throughout all of 2015.  I have some really great stuff to share with you and I hope you have some great things to share with me.

Let's get it!

PhatAthlete

And the Journey Continues...

"If you run, you are a runner.  It doesn't matter how fast or how far. It doesn't matter if today is your first day or if you've been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run."

Today, I did my first organized 5K since October 2011. It was the first annual Running of the Elk in Elk Grove.  It was nice. More than 2300 people completed a 5K, Relay, or 13.1 mile half marathon.  Amazing.

While walk/jogging (I did more walking than jogging) and listening to my Soul Sanctuary Mike Mix (All Michael Jackson for 45 minutes), I wonder what goes through people mind when running or walking these events.  Is it to keep in shape? Is it to prove someone wrong? Is it personal sacrifice? Or physical torture? Does is make them happy?  Does is make them mad? Is is just about the feeling of accomplishment?  I wonder?

After thinking about it this afternoon, I had to ask myself the same questions. As I think about it more and more, I really don't have an answer except that doing this gives me a feeling like no other.  I feel free!  Free to go as far as my body will take me and then stop.  Free to enjoy everything around me including the flowers, the feeling of the sun on my face, the smell of the grass or ocean, the smiles I give and get as you past fellow participants and volunteers and they past you, the feeling I feel when I feel every inch of my body as I move towards an end.  It is a sense of freedom for me.  I don't have to talk to anyone, I don't have to work with anyone, I don't have to negotiate my time or my pace or my willingness to jog fast or slow.  I just feel free to do what I need and want to do to get to the proposed end, only negotiating with one person... me.

Today was a little hard at the end and my negotiation with my self went a little bit like this.  "Ow! My ankle hurts.  Stop jogging (slowing down).  Do I stop or just keep going?  I am almost 3 miles in.  DANG IT!  Michael Jackson went off.  Oh well, new song.  Wait, now my knee hurts.  Awe, suck it up.  You will be OK. Just keep going.  It is just around the corner! You can do it! Besides, you still need to get to your car.  OH BOY!  That man is fast!  I wish I could run almost that fast.  Wait, I can, I would just have to keep trying.  Awe whatever.  I he can't be anymore than 23 years old. Why didn't I start running when I was in my 20's? Good question.  Keep going... There is the chute!"  As you can see, there were many things going through my head but the remaining theme for me despite the pain and the bouncy little boy running past me to finish the 13.1 miles,  I kept my mind on finishing.  Despite how slow or fast, how long or short, how many people past me, I kept going.

Now 3 miles is not really that much but for some reason, my mind was ready but my body felt different. But despite the difference, I kept going.  I believe I am a runner.  Not a fast runner, a mostly walking runner, but I will keep going despite the challenge! I will get there soon.

I am excited about the triathlon in June and still have a lot of training to go.  I even got some personal training to help strengthen the areas I am the most weak (knees and ankles).  Last week was an interesting week of training as I kicked it up a lot and even got in two (ok... 1 and a half) brick workouts.   This week is going to be interesting as I will be kicking it up again and doing my walk/jog training outside now that the rain is gone. We are going to rock this TRI and I hope that you are here with me!

I want to also give a shot out to the Black Girls Run! Sacramento group.  I felt like everyone was at an event this Sunday representing.  Keep running girls!  Maybe it is time for me to start a group called Phat Girls Run? What you think?

Peace, Blessings, and happy MOVEMENT!

PhatAthlete

I'm BACK! And I promise regularly!

"That which matters most, should never give way to that which matters least!" (From a poster in my house)

Hey Phat Athletes all around the world! I am back, the PhatAthlete herself.  And ready to get this going.  It has been an interesting three months for 2012.  Some great things, I lost 31 pounds (woo hoo Paleo!), I have learn to reduce stress, I purchase my new bike (photo below!!!) and I have started on the next 31 pounds.  Some not so great things, I could not sign up for the Maui Triathlon (Boo!!!), I got a slight injury yesterday (same ankle... yeah I know, wear my brace), and it is going to rain ALL WEEK!  WAAAHHHH!  I want to ride my bike.  Now all this time with no rain and we get rain as soon as I get a new bike (I have not named it yet).  Oh well, maybe I will pick up a trainer this week!!!

So, despite not being able to do Maui, I did sign up for the Mermaid Series Triathlon in Alameda (yes, cold bay water... burrrr) (http://www.mermaidseries.com/alameda#!__alameda).  Join me if you can.  I am determined to complete 3 triathlons this year; maybe four!  I have been swimming, treadmill walking, stationary bike, and yoga!  I think the yoga is what is making me stronger.  I hope I do well.  I am doing it the same weekend I should be in Maui so I am definitely gonna have some mixed feeling on the swim. I miss my Team in Training folks in the Bay Area but the drive at $4.20 a gallon is CRAZY!

I have also joined a great group of women in Sacramento with the Black Girls Run! Sacramento Chapter.  (http://www.blackgirlsrun.com/)  What a great group of women!  I had the opportunity to go to the Shamrock 1/2 Marathon and see these ladies run.  WOW!  I must say they were AWESOME!  I am so proud of all of them and many I met just the night before.  I will have to keep up with this group as I need to keep moving (walking/running) and I need motivation (I hate the running/walking part).


Well, look forward to hearing from me frequently as I blog my next Triathlon experience.  This should be great!  Only 3 months away... Time to kick it in GEAR!


Until next time....


Be the best you you can be!


PhatAthlete!

The Last Day of the Last Days!

So I signed up to do the South Maui Triathlon with Team In Training. Wow what was I thinking? I committed to getting my butt up twice a day to workout, giving up BACON, no more junk food, and no more soda. Boooooo! Such a boring diet. I have committed to eating blue, green, yellow, and red foods and also eating whole foods for most of my diet (90%). And blogging... Oh will you get tired of me!

I am going to the Gym on Sunday to bring in the new year. Will you join me?