Seven Marathons on Seven Continents

I don’t know about you, but occassionally I get myself into a familiar pickle. I get so excited about something that I jump on a bandwagon and sign up for that thing (whatever it is). Then the next week the same thing happens with another thing. Eventually, I’m flying in several different interesting directions, fascinated by all I’m doing, but a little tired.

Today I’m having an “inside day.” This is a day for not running, not grocery shopping, not meeting friends for happy hour, and not getting the air in my tires checked. It’s a day to sit inside with a little Boston Terrier and a Pug on the end of my sofa. It’s a day for the fire to roar and for the homemade Americanos to keep me toasty warm.

In the past few weeks I’ve participated in a 5K, facilitated an online course, co-organized a “Catch Your Second Wind” workshop, taken part in the GBRC trail running series, prepared for a Red Wheelbarrow Writers Workshop, written a grant for the sister city association, and worked out with the Fit School walking/running program twice a week (oh, plus, I’ve been writing and seeing clients). I love my life! It’s full of things I’m passionate about and interested in.

Still, an inside day with the dogs sure feels good for the soul!

The end of summer is always so bitter for me. I thought to write that it was “bittersweet” because that’s what you say at the end of something really wonderful–like a youthful love affair–but there’s nothing sweet about the end of summer for me. Oh, there’s the turning of the leaves and the gorgeous reds and golds of fall; and there’s the mysterious morning fog that inspires the writing of angsty poetry. Nonetheless, the end of summer is the beginning of a very long winter in my part of the world, and winter is hard for me every year.

I’m giving some serious thought about how to navigate the dark days and still keep my energy up. Running is a part of that, of course. When I first started running several years ago, I wasn’t a naturally outdoorsy person by any stretch. I’ve always been a sit-inside-with-a-book-on-a-rainy-day kind of person. But when I started training for marathons, I made a commitment to myself that I was going to run come snow or fog, rain or shine, hell or high-water. I’ve kept that promise.

This morning we have the first hard rain we’ve had in several weeks. I’m up early to walk the Bellingham Bay Marathon 5K with my friend, Colleen Haggerty. Yes, I want to support the cause of the Prosthetic Outreach Foundation. And yes, I want to enjoy the energy always present at the start of a marathon (particularly one in which I know so many runners). But getting out in the rain to move my body when my heart wants to be inside with coffee and a book is medicine for my winter-resistant soul.

What do you do to get through the winter?

Yesterday we put on our first Wind Horse Half-Marathon and Half Marathon Run for Education. I was excited and terrified as I awoke early to set up for the race to steady rain. Any run in Bellingham is likely to be punctuated by rain, but we usually think of mid-July as a fairly safe time to plan for clear skies.

                Nonetheless, over 50 runners showed up to participate and we had an amazing time in the warm downpour and the mud. Many of those who participated were members of the local running community who deserve a special shout out for supporting us. Thank you all for joining in! Others traveled to Bellingham from out of town (like my long-standing, dear friend Charlie – it was awesome to see him and I only wish we’d had more time together) and we appreciate your effort in getting here and your participation, as well.

A few moments stand out for me. Here’s an abbreviated list:

• Rachel coming over the finish line, 8 months pregnant, carrying Bryan’s bib number!
• Bolor presenting the traditional, ceremonial scarf to runners at the finish line.
• Logan (number 51, age 12) and Charlie (number 50, age 12) receiving their relay race medals. Great job, you two.
  

  Charlie and Logan, runners and champions!

   

• And the crazy, awesome help from Bellingham’s Team in Training group and numerous other individuals who volunteered to take care of our runners.

I was not alone in the planning of this event. Our directorial group (Andrea, Bolor and myself and our supportive partners/pals Janna, Eric and Bill) are already looking forward to next year!!

As promised, below is my recent interview with Colleen Haggerty, friend and fellow writer. Colleen has a fascinating and inspiring story to tell. She also has a cause she is very passionate about. I hope you’ll take the time to read our interview and to visit Colleen’s site.

I understand you’re about to begin your second annual campaign to raise money for the Prosthetics Outreach Foundation. Can you tell readers what this is, exactly? Where does the money go? Why is this so important to you?

I am walking 100 miles in 100 days to raise money for 100 prosthetic legs for amputees in developing countries.  I’m volunteering for the Prosthetics Outreach Foundation whose mission is to improve the mobility and independence of disabled folks in developing countries. 

I’m really passionate about this organization and this cause because I, too, am an amputee.  I live a privileged life in a privileged country which means I have access to the latest technology in prosthetics.  When I visited thePOF they had home-made prosthetic legs people in Vietnam had made.  One was made from bamboo and another was made out of metal.  When I looked at those home-made legs, all I could see was pain.  I fought back the tears when I saw how desperate people were to walk.  They looked so uncomfortable.  It’s important to me that, no matter where people live, they should be able to do the most basic human function: walk.

These amputees are victims of landmines, war, natural disasters and accidents.  They do not have access to health care like we do here in America.  What’s most distressing to me is that in most developing countries, people with disabilities often cannot go to school or hold down a job.  If they are not able to contribute to their families or their communities they simply end up becoming a burden.  Just a $300 leg allows someone to go from beggar on the street to a bike mechanic earning money for his family.

I’ve known you for a few years now, Colleen, and I know you can speak to how important it is to have a prosthetic that fits your body. Can you explain to readers how a good prosthetic can change someone’s life?

Well, like I say, those legs at the POF office looked so painful. I couldn’t imagine walking on a metal leg!  Part of the reason I decided to walk for the POF was because a couple of years ago, when I was getting a new leg made, my prosthetist and I decided to try a new style of socket.  It took two years of trying, but we just couldn’t get it to fit right.  I lost a lot of function in those two years when I didn’t have a proper fitting leg.  Each socket is made to each specific person.  I would never be able to slip on another person’s prosthetic leg and be able to walk in it.

Without a good fit, walking is simply painful.  Without a good fit, there can be skin breakdown which is not only painful, but can lead to more serious problems.  For an above the knee amputee, such as myself, I say that making a leg is part science and part art.  The knee unit – the technology – is the science and making the socket – the part the residual limb fits into – is the art. 

You walked 100 miles in 100 days last year and are about to start your 100-mile journey again. What were the challenges for you last year? The victories? Is there anything you’ll do differently this year?

The challenges last year were twofold.  First, it was hard to walk on hot days.  Since I’m a natural red head, I have sensitive skin.  The rubbing and chaffing on hot days made for some painful walking.  And secondly, some days it was hard to find the time, the half hour I need, to walk a mile.  There are days when I am going from morning to night and I had to fit my walk in at 10:00 or 11:00 at night.

It was a true victory just to finish the 100 miles.  And while I didn’t reach my financial goal, it was a victory to raise $13,500.00 for the Prosthetics Outreach Foundation.  That’s enough for 45 people to get a prosthetic leg. 

All the money I raised last year was from individual donations – which blows me away.  I am so grateful to the many people who stepped up and supported me.  This year I want to find some corporate sponsors.  I’ll be walking my 100^th mile at the POF’s 2^nd annual Walk-a-thon at Marymoor Park, so this is a great opportunity for sponsors to show their support.

What is so special about the Prosthetics Outreach Foundation? How are they different from other providers of prosthetics?

What I appreciate about the POF is that they teach people in developing countries how to make the legs – they aren’t creating jobs for Americans there.  So, for instance, when I spoke with POF’s Director of Programs, Ray Pye, he talked me through each step of how they make the legs in Vietnam.  They learned that they had to vulcanize the rubber for the foot differently so that the rubber could withstand the extreme humidity of that country.  They make every part of the leg in Vietnam, down to the screws, which keeps the costs low.  Each leg costs just $300.  When you compare that to my leg, which cost $50,000.00, you can see what a deal that is!  And they are currently working with agencies in Haiti to create a similar program there for all the people who became amputees as a result of the earthquake.

When we had coffee together the other day, you mentioned that much of the media focuses on individuals who have lost limbs in combat and, while that is certainly a worthy focus, there are many average people who have lost limbs in accidents or through diseases. Can you talk about your concern for people who fly under the radar in terms of getting the treatment/ equipment they need?

Like I said, my leg cost $50,000.00.  Part of the reason it was so expensive is because  I switched to the “Mercedes” of all knee units, but even so, legs in this country cost an “arm and a leg!”  For the people we see on the news, many of them have corporate sponsors who pick up the tab, but for the average Joe and Jane with a simple medical plan, even paying 80% of the cost of a leg is a lot of money, especially when you consider that prosthetic legs only last about 5 years.

In the 33 years I’ve been an amputee, the trend has been to portray amputees in the media in a positive light, which I sincerely appreciate.  And I notice that the amputees portrayed are doing something grand and extreme, like biking across the country or scaling a mountain.  The vast majority of amputees can’t fathom doing those things, just like the vast majority of the able-bodied population can’t.  It’s a strange and unrealistic barometer for us to have for “amputee role models.”  I think it’s enough, in fact it’s a lot, that I walk a mile a day.  I’m proud of that. 

How can we help?

Spread the word.  I’d love more people to know that there are a lot of hidden people in developing countries who are ostracized from their communities because those cultures do not have the same acceptance of disabled folks than we do.  If those folks can get a prosthetic leg and contribute to their families and communities, it’s good for everyone.

Donate.  Even a gift of $25.00 is a significant portion of a $300.00 leg. 

What else would you like readers to know?

This year I am asking other amputees, or anyone for that matter, to start their own walking campaign in their own communities.  ThePOF and I have developed a tool kit that helps people through the simple steps of creating their own 100 miles in 100 days campaign.  If your readers know of an amputee or anyone who wants to tackle walking a mile a day, please send them my way.  I am here to act as a support to anyone who wants to walk with me. 

People can also read about my walking campaign last year on my blog at http://mymilewalk.wordpress.com.

Thank you, Cami.  It’s been great talking with you!

 Thanks to you, Colleen. I appreciate your commitment and ability to bring awareness to this topic. I mentioned to you when we met that I visited Haiti more than 20 years ago, and even at that time, before the earthquake which devestated the country, it was hard for anyone with a disability to get around. The roads were uneven—not set up for wheelchairs or crutches—and full of obstacles (in fact, most people I saw who were missing legs got around on thier hands with a piece of cardboard under their bodies to prevent chafing to their lower extremities). Now that so many have been injured from the recent tragedies there, your campain is more critical than ever.

For those who want to contact Colleen or find out about her fund-raising took kit, she can be reached through her blog, mymilewalk.com, or I can certainly get a message to her as well.

I invited Julie to have dinner with me on Monday night. We were joined by my friend, Steph, whom I wrote about briefly in my chapter on South Africa (I would be happy to interview her, too, if readers are interested—just let me know). We talked to Julie about her journey to drop 130 pounds. Here is her candid  interview, almost in its entirety. I only cut out the parts where we went off track. Julie is honest about the things she grapples with and still in awe of the changes in her life. Enjoy.

 

Cami: So when did you reach your goal exactly?

Julie: I had my surgery in July of 2008. So by the next July I believe I was very close to goal.

Cami: And you lost a total of about 130 pounds.

Julie: Right.

Cami: And so, Julie, you mentioned the surgery. What would you want people to know about the surgery you had? What did it take for you to come to the decision to do that?

Julie: I used to think that I would never resort to surgery—that I should be strong enough, have enough will power to diet it all away, but after 49 years of struggling with my weight… and it literally was 49 years… I’d been heavy all of my life. I finally decided that surgery was a valid option. And then I had to worry about if I would ever be normal after I had the surgery. So would I only be able to eat little tiny portions, and would people look at me and wonder why I was eating that way? It was a struggle to figure it out, but I finally decided it was worth it—trying to find a balance between weight loss and health.

Cami: What kind of surgery did you have?

Julie: I had a proximal gastric bypass. So they made my stomach smaller and bypassed part of my intestines, so that the food enters lower than it normally does. “Proximal” means that they bypassed a fairly short section, whereas they can also do “medial” which bypasses more or “distal” which bypasses a whole lot more. And the more you bypass, the less you absorb of the food you eat. I do have some malabsorption that can be a factor in my diet from now on. I got the shortest distance bypassed.

Cami: And how do you make up for that malabsorption?

Julie: My doctor has me take protein supplements three times a day. That’s what he believes I need. And I take heavy duty vitamins and minerals, which I stick to fairly religiously.

Cami: And you told me once what the statistics were of people who have success with the surgery verses those who don’t make adequate life-style changes. Do you remember what they are?

Julie: I worked with a nutritionist, which my doctor didn’t insist on, but she said that fewer than 20 percent of people reach their goal weight even after the surgery. So it was exceptional for me to go down as low as I did.

Cami: So, you know, I’ve watched you through this process, and I know that you didn’t just have a surgery. I know you worked extremely hard. What did you change in terms of your lifestyle?

Julie: When I decided to have the surgery, I knew I was going to have to change my life dramatically. A box of crackers could not make dinner anymore. It wouldn’t do it. Slimfast and candy wouldn’t do it anymore. So I knew I would have to change a lot.  At first, I had to devote myself to my instructions—making myself drink the protein even when I didn’t feel like it. Then when I worked with the nutritionist to find foods I liked that could make smaller but nutritious meals, I began eating regularly. Now I have given up most of the calorie rich foods I used to love, but I don’t miss them terribly.

Cami: What do you think your caloric intake was when you first started losing weight?

Julie: When I first started, my caloric intake was probably 900 to 1200 calories a day. I was doing three protein drinks a day plus small meals. And I’ve always exercised religiously.

Cami: “Always” meaning your whole life, or “always” meaning once you made the commitment to lose the weight?

Julie: Actually, my whole life I’ve walked and been fairly active, but once I started this, I was really committed to becoming fit. I started doing a walk video that I could do in my home right in front of my TV, and so I was expending those calories, which meant I had to keep up with the nutritional intake for that expenditure, too.

Cami: When did you start running?

Julie: I started running… well I’ve had multiple attempts at running in my life. I always wanted to run. I would run and then I would get hip pain or sinus pain or back pain and have to stop, and I’d be back to walking. So it was probably… Bellingham Fit began their running program in April or May of 2009, and that’s when I started running in earnest.

Cami: And you were training for… what was your goal?

Julie: The Bellingham Bay Marathon of 2009.

Cami: And that race was in October of that year.

Julie: Yes. So I knew I had wanted to do that. In the year 2000 my family all got together at a cabin at my sister-in-law’s place and we all talked about our goals for the next 10 years, from 2000 to 2010. And I told everyone I wanted to run the marathon. I was between 190 to 230—I don’t know what I was at the time. I know they all thought I was totally crazy.

Cami: Did they laugh at you?

Julie: No. They didn’t laugh. My family is very supportive, but I’m sure they were kind of going, “Sure. Right.” So it was very cool to have done that in my time frame. By 2010 I had done my first marathon.

Steph: That’s so great.

Cami: Congratulations. I know your family was very proud of you. I got to see that.

Julie: My family is always supportive, but when I ran my 20-mile training run, my mother told my younger brother I was running 20 miles that day, and he said, “Oh mom, you must be mistaken. You didn’t hear her right. She’s running two miles.” And so he was blown away when he saw me running the marathon, and he was actually in tears watching me – which is pretty amazing, ‘cuz he’s a lovely guy but you wouldn’t think of your brother crying because you’re running.

Cami: Nowadays how often are you working out?

Julie: I work out at least five or six days a week, mostly six. At least 45 minutes of cardio each time, and weight lifting two days a week.

Cami: You told me the other day while we were running that you had an epiphany. What was your epiphany?

Julie: My epiphany was that now I am at the weight I should be at. I don’t really know how much I weigh because I have all this extra skin. So the scale shows 130, which I’m OK with. One-twenty-five has always been my ultimate goal weight, and I actually think if you took off all this skin I’d be below that. But it finally clicked that I wasn’t trying to lose weight anymore! I don’t have to have a calorie deficit. For so long, I’ve been trying to exercise off whatever I ate, and I realized I don’t have to do that now. I just have to work out for my health and I’ll maintain.

Cami: What does that epiphany mean for you now as you go forward?

Julie: It helps me ease up on myself. I tend to be quite hard on myself in the way I treat myself. And it’s like, you know, it’s OK to take days off and it’s OK to eat something extra. I don’t have to pay for it with extra exercise like I did before when I was still losing. I don’t have to be perfect.

Cami: You said that you were always heavy, always overweight, but your family isn’t—at least not your siblings and your parents. What do you think contributed to your weight gain in the first place?

Julie: Well, food is an issue in my family. Everyone works on it. My mom is very controlled, and my sisters think a lot about it. So it is an issue. I had a health thing when I was a baby where I was told I couldn’t keep food down. I was quite underweight for a seven-month-old until I had surgery that fixed the problem. They finally figured it out. I personally think that period of starvation, or less intake, affected me. From then on I ate. And it was a lot of sneak eating because somehow I always knew I wasn’t supposed to be eating as much as I was wanting to because the family valued being thin. But I still always wanted to eat. So I would sneak eat a lot when I was little, which caused my weight gain, but I think the early surgery had something to do with it. I was basically malnourished for the first few months of my life.

Cami: Do you think that perfectionism you mentioned contributed to your weight at all?

Julie: Totally! All or nothing thinking is a major, major roadblock, like in thinking, “Okay, I blew the diet totally, so I can go ahead and eat what I want.” Or if I’m not being good than it doesn’t count, but now I’ve been able to moderate that so I don’t have to do all or nothing. I’m still struggling with, “Okay I ate a little extra or I’m going to go out to dinner, so maybe I should do a little extra workout.” But I’m working on it.

Cami: Talk about your struggle with changing your body image even though you’ve lost 130 pounds.

Julie: It’s hard because when I get a glimpse of myself, I know that it’s me, but I still see myself as bigger. I’m not as big as I used to be in my brain, but when I look down I see extra skin, and I think it’s a roll of fat. Intellectually I know I can slide into places I didn’t used to be able to be, and I can move more easily, but if I don’t think about it, I still get surprised when I see myself. My last driver’s license picture, I’m thinking, “That doesn’t even look like me.” I reminded myself of my teenage nephew—angular. I’m still trying to figure out who I am.

Cami: I remember when we were flying together to go to the marathon in Las Vegas. You were saying, “Look at me! I fit in this seat.”

Julie: There are things that you take for granted as a thin person that you can’t do as a heavy person. And I always did my best to go and do, but you’re limited. You can’t touch your toes because your belly hits your thighs. You run into yourself. Or you travel and you fill up the seat. Now I don’t have to think, “Will the chair hold me?” I still marvel every time I can do something.

Steph: Have you noticed a difference in the way other people look at or perceive you?

Julie: Yeah. That was one of the really difficult things, because intellectually I know that people should value me the way I am, and I’m the same person fat or thin. But, especially with men I think, “If you don’t like me fat, why would you like me thin?” But people do treat me differently. There is in some ways more respect especially with people who knew me heavy.  It’s interesting because being heavy gives you power in some ways; it gives you anonymity but also power of being present because people can’t run you over. When you’re littler, though, it’s harder because you can do more, but people kind of respect you more.

Steph: That’s kind of sad.

Julie: It really is. There are heavy people who are wonderful people.

Steph: Like you, for years, right?

Julie: That’s exactly right. I’m still me. I’ve done more things now, and I feel more powerful, but there is a power in being heavy, too. I was afraid of being smaller.

Cami: Like would you be allowed to take up space in the world? Is that what it was about?

Julie: It was actually more about security for me. You know, no one could grab me and carry me off when I weighed 260 pounds. At my weight now, someone could pick me up if they wanted to. I had to say, “OK, I can handle things. I’m a grown up and it’s okay to have that vulnerability.”

Steph: Do you feel a difference in respect from people who knew you and from those who didn’t know you?

Julie: There is a huge segment of the population that thinks heavy people are just slobs who don’t deserve respect. I was always a strong person who wouldn’t let people run over me, but yes the respect thing is weird.

Cami: I know you’ve told me that you’re sometimes hesitant to tell people you had the surgery, as if you get fewer points for having lost this weight helped by a surgery instead of doing it all the conventional way. What would you say to people who are trying to make a decision about how they’re going to go about changing their life in terms of weight loss?

Julie: Some people think the surgery is a bit of a cop out, and I used to think that, too. But you still have to totally change. And thank God the surgery did something for me the first six months to a year; I really didn’t care about food for the first time in forty-nine years. I didn’t wake up thinking about the food I wanted to eat that day or about the food I couldn’t, shouldn’t, wouldn’t eat. So it helped for me, but I still needed to make the good choices about eating the right things, taking my protein, exercising, drinking my fluids. It was hard work either way.

Cami: What would you say to others who have struggled with their weight their whole lives and haven’t ever been able to achieve their goals? What kind of encouragement would you offer them?

Julie: Number one is you have to do it for the right reasons. You have to do it to be healthy and to be able to move and to do. I was tired of my body holding me back. In deciding how you’re going to lose the weight you have to weigh out the benefits of a method with the consequences.  I learned that… there’s a saying that “nothing tastes as good as being thin feels.” Most heavy people have heard that. And I’d heard it but never believed it. When you have a hundred pounds to lose by denying yourself, it takes forever. You have to get to the point where you believe that it is true. I feel so wonderful being able to move and to do. It was not worth eating a whole box of crackers. I can eat normally.

Cami: Thanks Julie.

Steph: Thanks for letting me a part of this.

Julie: Thank you.