So if there is one thing I have learned that I appreciate and am learning to appreciate in myself and trying to do more of is keeping it real. I can't believe that I'm writing this post, but I feel that I need to just to answer and shed some light on my actual journey.
I have had several people come up to me lately and say how inspired they are by me and my running and all. I am very humbled that people would even notice let alone even take the time to make a comment. I don't think what I do is anything special or amazing...but it has been work, and work that I've chosen not to give up on.
If you will, let me digress for a moment....
The photo above is me in the summer of 2006....Colton was almost 4....and though I was able to lose most of the weight I gained from having Austin and Brennan, I had a much harder time losing the weight after Colton.
This photo is me pretty much at my heaviest in the summer of 2007. When I saw this photo I honestly was horrified. I can't tell you exactly what I weighed back then but I know it was at least in the 170s or more....more than what I weighed when I was pregnant for Colton, but I wasn't pregnant!! I was very unhappy that I let myself get like this...I'm sure many of you have been there right?!?! But let me tell you....I didn't do something about it right away....oh no....I had to sulk and wallow for a few months...probably enjoying some ice cream and chocolate along the way to drown my sorrows thinking I would never see my size 8 jeans again.
Then came the winter of 2008....that's when my loving, and very brave husband saw these workout videos...yes on an infomercial...and went out on a limb and ordered them for me. I decided to swallow my pride and I tried them...I did the first video which was only 20 minutes. With three little ones at the time under my feet, sometimes it was a struggle, but I found those 20 minutes (and yes sometimes it was really late at night)...but I sucked it up and did it. I went on to do the other videos in the series and really enjoyed them and liked the way I felt afterwards...and yes I lost some weight....not a lot...not as much as I wanted...but some. I used the workout videos for about a year or so and found they weren't really doing it for me anymore...I had kind of platued, wasn't losing any more weight and honestly was kind of getting bored with the videos. I did P90X for a little while, but found it hard to carve out the 45 minutes to an hour it took to do those workouts. About this time I was following the journey of a scrapbooking friend I met on line and she was having a similar struggle with her weight and she decided to take up running. I watched for several months as she worked herself up to her first 5K...I was amazed and inspired. So finally in August 2010 I decided to lace up my shoes and start....walking. Hey, Rome wasn't built in a day after all. I used to walk all the time when I was a kid and even into my twenties so why not get back into it??. I started slow...a few months later that walking moved up to jogging, and eventually into running. In March of 2011 I finally was able to run 3 miles straight without stopping for a walk break!! That was an exciting day I remember well! I felt so empowered that day! In August 2011 I ran my first 5K race....and I'll be honest...after that race I thought I was going to die! I came in at 31:13. However, despite the feelings of impending death...I was hooked! After running several other 5K races a young lady at church challenged me and talked me into running my first half marathon....yep, totally bypassed that 10K....went from the 5K to 13.1 miles. Let me tell you....that journey wasn't easy. Training in the winter is hard...training for any race is hard. But I stuck with it. So on a chilly morning in May of 2013 I ran my first half marathon. I came in at a time of 2:21:42....better than my predicted 2:30...yet I again felt like I was going to die at the end....and again I was hooked!! Total since August 2011 I have run many 5K races, two 10K races, and 4 half marathons...oh and 2 mud runs. I have another half scheduled for May 2015, the Indian Mud Run again in June and a 4 miler in July. I have also started to do strength training and have been doing PiYo yoga for about a year now. Overall....I feel the best I have ever felt and I'm so much happier in my skin. However....you need to know that this didn't happen overnight....I've been doing some form of exercise since 2008....it has taken me 7 years to get to where I am today. There is no magic pill...there is no magic formula. Trust me, it is hard work. There are great workouts...there are those workouts where things just aren't going right. It's a process. As far as diet...I watch somewhat what I eat. After a bout in the hospital in 2009 with my gall bladder (and no I did not choose to have it removed) I changed my diet...I don't eat a lot of dairy and gave up fried foods. Since then I haven't had any trouble with my gall bladder. I am not strict on my diet....if I want a piece of chocolate cake I'm going to eat a piece of cake...my thought is you shouldn't deprive yourself of something you want....because you'll just want it that much more and then eventually overindulge...anyone know what I mean?? So I allow myself to have what I want, in moderation of course. I eat a few more fruits and veggies and nuts than I ever used to. And if I have that chocolate cake and decide to run an extra mile or two to cover it, I do...not that I'm really that strict about it. I think the magic key to weight loss is balance, patience and not being so rigid and hard on yourself. On those days that you find that you overdid it a little on last night's lasagna...just dust yourself off and start again. The object is to never ever give up and just keep moving forward, because looking back is not an option...or at least not a good one.
So in my journey I have been able to lose almost 40 lbs. and keep it off for the last 7 years. Again it didn't fall off overnight...it was little by little. So please, don't be discouraged at losing only a pound or two...or maybe for not losing any. Be happy that you are trying to better yourself, no matter what the result. Any exercise is better than no exercise I always say. And a good food choice is always better than a bad one. But most of all...just be good to yourself...hug yourself and let yourself know it's ok no matter what...don't make it difficult and just enjoy the journey. That's what I did and I am so much happier for it.
Again thanks to those who have come up and said such nice things to me lately. And I hope you enjoyed this little snippet of my journey. It hasn't been always easy, but it sure does beat where I was....after all...wallowing isn't much fun even if there is chocolate :)
Have a great week everyone!!
Happy New Year everyone!! Hoping 2015 has been good to you so far! As I reflect on the year that has past and look forward to 2015, 2014 was a good year...running wise anyway. Overall it was good. Some of my running highlights were running 2 half marathons, running the Hot Chocolate 15K and running part of that with my aunt and my niece. I also did the Indian Mud Run and several 5Ks as well.
So as we head into 2015, I don't know what it's doing in your neck of the woods, but here in Ohio winter has finally arrived. And though I appreciate the beauty of Winter...I am not a fan of it. It wrecks havoc on the running schedule. Now I can tolerate running in the colder temps...ran the other day in 17 degree weather (with the wind chill of -3) and though it wasn't the most pleasant, I got it done. However....today I finally had to bite the bullet and move my runs to the indoor track at Kids America. And no offense to Kids America...they have a nice track...very clean...and usually at the time I go it's hardly crowded at all...but honestly.....even with the track being empty....there is just something incredibly mind numbing about running in a circle...kind of like running on a treadmill....which is just as bad...running and going NOWHERE!!! I think that is the part that I have a problem with...feeling like you're going nowhere...ugh....kind of like life some days right??? Can I get a witness here?? Sigh....so as I sit here with my hot coffee counting down the days on my calendar until Spring gets here, I am thinking about running season and what plans I have for running in 2015. So far the only things I have definitely on my calendar of course is the Capital City Half Marathon in Columbus in May and of course the local obstacle race the Indian Mud Run which I actually talked my hubby into doing with me this year...woohoo!! The only other race so far that I have my eye on is the Shawshank Hustle which will be held in Mansfield in July. I love the movie and I guess the course goes past many of the places they filmed to movie...so sounds like fun :) .....Oh and to start off the new year, I did sign up to do the Run The Edge 2,015 Miles in 2015. Now I'm not doing all 2,015 miles myself. I signed up with another runner and we are splitting the miles between us...so yes I have plans to do just a little over 1,000 miles in 2015. It's going to be a slight stretch considering I only did about 940 miles in 2014...so it is possible...just going to be a challenge to get those extra miles in....and you know I'm not one to shy away from a challenge ;)
So that's it for now...I know, not much but.......every year since 2011 I have chosen a word as my "Word of the Year"....and as I pondered about what my word for this year would be, I finally came to rest on the word "LESS". This year I just feel the need to purge, organize and declutter my life. To do more with less...to have less things bogging me down...to enjoy more people and less things. To spend more time with God and less time with things that don't matter. This year is going to be a year of change for our family...my oldest will be going off to college in the fall...I want to spend as much time with him this year before he leaves the nest. If that means less time doing races, then so be it....races will come and go...family is what matters. So on that note....happy 2015 and we shall see what the year brings us!!
