My journey in photos

 



January - Frozen Foot Series, Race #1 -
The event that started it all!



February's Frozen Foot Race!

 

 

Progress!

April's 10K in Hershey, with my boss.

Ben and Tim Day in August
-starting to feel like a HOT MAMA!-

NFL Run Series - Back to Football Run!
Had some of my best "stats," as far as my time compared to other runners.

Jingle Bell Run - just shy of 15 weeks pregnant.



All my race bibs for the year!

 

Mission Completed!

 

What an incredible year it has been! After realizing I would not be able to complete my goal of participating in the Hershey Half Marathon due to a schedule conflict, I became super determined to complete at least one race each month. With the completion of the Jingle Bell Run on December 15, I met my goal for the year with some absolutely huge milestones along the way!

Here is the chart showing all of my results, including time, overall place, age group place, and, when possible, my placing out of all the female participants:

Some areas to highlight:

1) I had been doing "couch to 5K" in the early part of the year, which really resulted in my improvement between the January and February races.

2) Ben and Tim Day was a HUGE highlight in the year because I felt I had not been performing well in May, June, and July. Then, all of a sudden, I had a PR with a HUGE improvement over my previous best time.

3) Warrior Dash... Wow. What a huge accomplishment. It has its own tribute post in this blog so I won't go into lots of detail again, but I am still so pleased with the fact that I did each and every obstacle! I also found out 3 days after the race that I was pregnant, which helps explain why I felt so incredibly tired the whole time!

4) The Lititz Fall Blast was my first race after finding out I was pregnant. It was a HOT October day, and I thought my PR was 32:06, so when I saw my time was just under 32 minutes with 1/10 of a mile left, I did not push myself. I was upset when I looked back and saw that I really had a PR of 32:46 and totally could have beaten my time. So the following Saturday, after a rainy week, I woke up early to sunny skies and decided to go to a 5K some runners on Facebook had mentioned. I left Jeff and Landon asleep at the house and drove out on my own to try to PR, and I did!

5) Sticks and Biscuits and the Jingle Bell Run were two of the biggest races I did this whole year, and, although well-organized, lacked the space for the number of runners they had. At each of these races, there was absolutely zero opportunity to pass people until you were 3/4 of a mile into the race. There were lots of walkers for the whole race, and lots of kids, and it was impossible to get around others, which is why the time for S&B is quite slow.

6) The Jingle Bell Run's course was adjusted due to the 4 inches of snow we had received the day prior to the race. Instead of being 3.1 miles, it was approximately 2.85. As noted in #5, I couldn't get around ANYONE for the first mile in this race, and there were parts where the course was on a sidewalk that a snow-blower had made one path down, making it just wide enough for one person - no passing. This was incredibly frustrating, however it was also nice because it helped pace me at the start of the race. This led to my favorite moment of the entire year: RUNNING THE WHOLE RACE! This was the first time in my entire life I had ever run a full race, but it was one of my goals for the year, so I was thrilled when I accomplished it!


I am so incredibly proud of meeting some of my goals this year and look forward to meeting them again over the next two years!

 

It's official... I. am. a. WARRIOR!

September 28, 2013. A day that I will remember as the day I overcame my fears and failures and conquered what I had at one time imagined to be impossible for me to complete.

September 28, 2013 - Warrior Dash in New Kent, Virginia.

Jeff and I were in the car and on the road at 5 AM, headed to Virginia for a weekend getaway that would begin with 4 hours in the car and would lead us to be - quite literally - dragged through the mud.

Warrior Dash has the potential to be a 3.1 mile trail run. It has the potential to take you through a semi-cleared trail in the woods, encountering some logs across your path, thick mud, and tall, prickly grasses. It has the potential to be nothing more than a 5K in the woods. It also has the potential to blow your mind and make you do things you truly believe you are not capable of doing.

Warrior Dash gives you the option to skip obstacles if you do not feel comfortable completing them. It allows you to bypass the "deep water" obstacles, climbing, and fire-jumping. It allows you to skip all the obstacles, if you so choose, and just run 3.1 miles.

I almost succumbed to temptation. I almost let Warrior Dash allow me to skip an obstacle, but I knew I would not be able to proudly and honestly say I completed Warrior Dash if I skipped anything, which is why I climbed 3 different 15- to 20-foot walls, relying on my non-existent upper-body strength to do it. It's why I stood halfway up The Great Warrior Wall and decided to keep climbing upwards, instead of giving in to fear and sliding back down the 8 feet I had already put below me.

I know The Great Warrior Wall doesn't look like much, but when you stand at the bottom of a vertical wall that towers 10 feet over your head and you have to find a way to climb it with a  rope and a few 1.5" ledges that are spaced 3 feet apart, it looks quite daunting. In my first attempt, I reached the first ledge. I clung tightly to the rope and thought there was no way I could do this. After just coming from a similar obstacle that had a slanted wall that you scaled with the help of ropes, my muscles were burning and I didn't trust myself to not fall off this wall. A few girls ran by and yelled to their friends who were already perched on the top of the wall, "I am so sorry... I can't do this... I am too scared." I thought about those words and realized it's not a matter of can vs. can't - it is will vs. won't, did vs. didn't. And I was going to get over that wall somehow.

I had reached the halfway point when I absolutely froze. I looked up at Jeff, who was straddling the top, his hand outstretched to me, waiting to help me up and over. I looked down at the line of other runners approaching, waiting to take my rope so they could climb and finish the event in a timely manner. I realized at that moment that I had to make a choice - go up, further from the ground, and risk a fall from a greater height, or go down, and give up. Both options scared me, so I figured "what the hey" and climbed upwards. At the very top, Jeff grabbed my hand and I swung over to the other side, which is just a ladder you climb down. I don't think I've ever gone down a ladder so quickly in my life. In talking about the event, I asked Jeff if he thought I would give up on the obstacle. He admitted that he thought I was going to give up, but was so proud that I had kept going. I confessed that I truly was paralyzed with fear and that I really thought about skipping the obstacle, but I knew I wouldn't be happy if I skipped anything.

Hard Rain - Water shoots down at you when you climb one side, and shoots up at you as you slide down the other.
This angle shows the back-side on the left and the ladder side on the right.

Cargo Climb! My favorite of the climbing walls because I had the most control and felt the most secure.
It looks pretty tiny until you see the people that are on it.

Pre-race; Jeff wanted a shot of me with the helmet on.

The helmets are a big part of the event... some people race in theirs the entire way!

This is after the "shower" at the end of the race. Hoses can only do so much.
Needless to say, this shirt was left behind in a trash can in the Warrior Dash parking lot.
Also, the medal doubles as a bottle opener.
And you can see Cargo Climb in the background.

 

I am so glad I went through with completing Warrior Dash. I tried talking myself out of it before I signed up, and then realized that I have overcome so much, and I wanted to do something that would require even more strength, energy, drive, and confidence than anything else I have done. So I went through with the registration and I am so incredibly happy that I have completed Warrior Dash! I look forward to many, many more in the future!

The Anthem

In my last post, I talked about Katy Perry's song "Roar," and how it really affects me as a person. I've been thinking a lot recently about how every person, runner or not runner, seems to have an anthem - a song that really represents them and inspires them. I know we typically think of anthems as being reserved for nations or pews on Sunday mornings, but why shouldn't we all have our own personal anthem that drives us to be our very best self?

I grew up with music - listening to it, performing it, writing lyrics for it - and it means so much in my life. I just read the other day that every book that exists is just a different combination of the same 26 letters, and the lyrics to our favorite songs are no different. But when those 26 letters are combined just right, magic happens.

I thought I'd share a few of my recent anthems and some of the lyrics that really speak to me!

Katy Perry - ROAR

Now I'm floating like a butterfly  -  Stinging like a bee, I earned my stripes

I went from zero to my own hero

You held me down but I got up, already brushing off the dust

You hear my voice, you hear that sound, like thunder gonna shake the ground

You held me down but I got up, get ready 'cause I've had enough

I see it all, I see it now

I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter, dancing through the fire

'Cause I am a champion and you're gonna hear me roar

Louder, louder than a lion, 'cause I am a champion

And you're gonna hear me roar

 

 

Lemonade Mouth - DETERMINATE

Gotta turn the world into your dance floor

Determinate, determinate

Push until you can't and then demand more

Determinate, determinate

You and me together, we can make it better

Gotta turn the world into your dance floor

Determinate, determinate

 

 

 

Lemonade Mouth - BREAKTHROUGH

Stop still take another breath, road block move it to the left

Get around whatever's in your way

Heartbreak pick up all the pieces, don't stop dancing in the bleachers

It's gonna be your turn to play, gonna be your turn to play

Sometimes it's raising your voice, sometimes it's making some noise

Sometimes it's proving to the world it was wrong

Whenever you can't see the light, whenever there's no end in sight

Keep on keep on moving on, keep on moving on

Here comes a breakthrough, here comes a day

Here comes a moment that you gotta go for it, so don't let it get away

It's all a breakthrough, just turn the page

'Cause everyday I'm getting closer, life is just a rollercoaster

 

 

 

Papa Roach - STILL SWINGING

Non-stop, devastating everything, on top, never coming down

I've got, my hands in everything, non-stop, I'm never coming down

We're just living for today, keep our light on in the haze

Yeah forever we will stay, we are the ones still swinging

We are a beacon in the dark, the lighthouse risen from the heart

We've been here from the start, we are the ones still swinging
 

Yes, I have teeny-bopper Disney Channel movie music and Papa Roach all on the same soundtrack. I love listening to music that encourages me to keep going, and each of these does that for me. The Papa Roach song has a driving beat that is great for running and reminds me that I am still swinging, not backing down from the fight of improving myself each and every day.


I hope everyone out there has an anthem that inspires and drives you. If not, keep your ears peeled - you may find one that motivates you very, very soon!

You're gonna hear me ROAR

Jeff and I just got back from the NFL Run Series Back to Football 5K. What a great event! Since one of our goals in life (hello, Bucket List!) is to see all the NFL stadiums in person, we decided to visit FedEx Field, home of the Washington Redskins, for the 5K since it was cheaper than buying tickets to a game.

The event was preceded by a week of 5 hours of sleep each night. I worked until 6:30 on Friday, came home, finished packing, and Jeff and I drove down to Rockville, MD. We got to the hotel after 10 PM, and because we checked in so late the only rooms they had left were upgraded rooms on the Club level. Free breakfast was even included (though we had to leave at 5 AM and breakfast wasn't served until 6:30). It was a great night's sleep, if only for 5 hours. We were up at 4:45 and on the road to Landover at 5 AM.

View from the elevator... The Club Lounge at the Sheraton. Gotta love a comp upgrade!

When we arrived at FedEx Field at 5:45, it was still dark out and about 55 degrees. My teeth were chattering on the long walk from the van to packet pickup, but we warmed up in the car for an hour then (yeah, we were early) before the race started.

FedEx Field at 5:45 AM on a Saturday morning.

Pre-race, they had people leading stretches to music and even had the Redskins Cheerleaders there to cheer us on! The course wound through the parking lot, which ended up being much hillier than we expected, but not terrible! We finished the race in the Bud Light Party Pavilion with the cheerleaders once again cheering for us! Results were posted almost immediately on a wall at the stadium and we were THRILLED when we saw that Jeff came in 7th place overall! I started looking for my name on the last column of results but Jeff was the first to find my name, which was in the middle column. The MIDDLE column... as in, not the very last page like where I typically find myself. Little victories...

Even though we finished outside the stadium, we were able to go into the stands to get photos of the field. I love being in stadiums and feeling the hugeness of the atmosphere. It's generally better when the stands are packed with fans all cheering for the same team, but it's great to be there at all!

 

This was my best race yet! I had my personal best time (by a whopping 6 seconds!) of 32:46. I placed 347 overall, out of 918 runners. It was the first time I've ever finished in the top 50%! I was in the top 25% of all women, and the top third of my age group! Normally I finish in the top 75-90% in those categories, so today I was blown away.

 

On the long drive home we were listening to my running playlist, which now features Katy Perry's "Roar." I played the song 3 times in a row, trying to get Jeff to learn the words. I was singing at the top of my lungs and all of a sudden got a little choked up in the chorus. The entire song is about overcoming someone who holds you back, but in my case, that person has never been anyone other than myself. Reflecting on the past year just really made me proud of how far I've come. I know so many people have done so much more than I have (think Biggest Loser contestants), but I am still thrilled with my progress since November, and today's race just made me realize how much it's all paying off. I also get so excited for other people who are clearly challenging themselves. I saw at least three people crying when they crossed the finish line, and I can only imagine their stories of triumph and victory. We are all overcoming obstacles, whether they are injuries, others, or ourselves, and I am so proud of EACH of us for this. And I am hooked on screaming at the top of my lungs that I am a champion, and you're gonna hear me roar!

Updates!

And I'm back! (I know... so soon?!?) This is a post and run, do don't get too comfy!

Just wanted to share updated measurements because I said I would. The old ones are from January 2013 when I was 185 pounds so they don't even reflect me at my heaviest.

THEN:
Weight: 185 lbs
Bust: 39"
Chest: 35"
Waist at belly button: 39.5"
Thinnest part of waist: 35"
Hips: 43"
Left thigh: 24"
Left calf: 15.75"
Left upper arm: 13"
Left forearm: 11"

NOW:
Weight: 160 lbs
Bust: 36.5"
Chest: 32"
Waist at belly button: 35.5"
Thinnest part of waist: 31"
Hips: 40"
Left thigh: 22.5"
Left calf: 15.5"
Left upper arm: 11.5"
Left forearm: 10.25"
Some pretty big changes! WOOT WOOT! I'll have some more updates soon...

Holy crap - it's July.

Yeah, you heard me. It's JULY! And not regular July. The END of July. As in, August is less than 26 hours away. This is RIDICULOUS. This year is flying by and I have not posted an update in six. whole. months. (sorry).

So some updates:

My goal was to be back down to my wedding weight of 165 by my 5 year anniversary. It would require a 37 pound weight loss from November 12 when I started this journey until my anniversary on June 28. When I stepped on the scale on "Judgment Day," it was marvelous - I weighed in at 163.8 pounds!

Reaching that goal helped me set a new one. I decided that I should go for a total weight loss of 50 pounds in 1 year. That gives me until 11/12/13 (bonus because it's an awesome date) to drop 12 more pounds.

Also, after my Frozen Foot Series races in January, February, and March, I decided to set a new fitness goal - 1 race every month for the entire year! So far I am sticking with that goal (six 5K races and one 10K!) and have another 5K lined up for August and Warrior Dash in September.



So much has changed in my life since I started this journey last fall... Mostly, I just feel awesome. Like freaking Wonder Woman. Like I can do anything, be anything, conquer anything. I think about life last fall and life now, and it brings to mind the awesome Special K slogan:

 

I can say that in the past 8 months (the past 4 especially, since everyone I know has started to see the difference in me) I have gained:
-Confidence
-Style
-Personality
-Energy
-Self-respect*
-Confidence
-Health
-Value*
-Knowledge
-Fitness
-Confidence.

Oh, I'm sorry... did I repeat one? That's OK, it's a HUGE one. Confidence is so important. I have always been a non-confrontational person, but that does not work in my job. However, since I have lost weight, I have developed confidence, and it's not just in a "oh, I'm skinny, people will like me more now" way. It's confidence in knowing that I am awesome, not just in my body but in my talent, my skills, my perseverance, my drive. I have taken control of my life and I have overcome excuses, fears, and pain. I have done what others said was impossible and I have proven others wrong. I can do anything. I have done SO FREAKING MUCH.

*Please also note - I am not trying to say that a person does not have value if they are overweight, or that they cannot possibly respect themselves. I am just saying that I did not always consider myself valuable and I was often ashamed of who I was and HOW I was and did not have much self-worth or self-respect because I KNEW I had let myself go and hadn't had the 'nads to suck it up, ignore the pain of exercising, and stick with a healthy lifestyle. I knew my issues were due to my laziness and I had to let go of my excuses.

Here is a little evidence of my progress. The first picture is from November 28, the middle shot is from April and the last picture is from July 17.

Not too shabby, eh? Today I picked up a 24 pound kettle bell at Target and almost dropped it. I couldn't find a 14 pound one to go with it but really wanted to feel just how much weight I'd lost. The fact that the 24 pound kettle bell was a little heavy was good enough and I had a perma-smile on my face since then. I have accomplished a lot and I'm really freakin' proud of myself.

Also, I feel a lot happier to be able to keep up with my hubby. He is super in shape and always does races and physical activities. Now I can actually ride bike with him, and in June we had a really odd switch-a-roo where I was in a 5K and he sat in the grass cheering me on! We also have Family Fit Time when we do some sort of exercising with our son to promote a physical lifestyle that doesn't feel like work. Maybe that will be the topic of the next post (which will NOT be in another 6 months!)

Sorry to post so much... It's been a while and there has been so much happening and I wanted to share it ALL. I will post more frequently but with less info each time. I just wanted to get an update out there in the universe because I feel too good to NOT share it. I also know that a lot of people think it's impossible to lose weight, but truthfully I know that at least what I've done so far is going to STAY OFF and it wasn't really difficult to lose the weight, and 8 months has flown by in the process! I will be sure to post again soon with some different topics to hopefully motivate and encourage... but feel free to ask questions too, because it makes me happy.

Have a MARVELOUS day!!!

The results are in...

Well, my first 5K has come and gone. I think I checked the sponsor's site about 80 times to find out the official results.

Seriously, who doesn't look at the time when they cross the finish line?!?!

My goal for this race was 45 minutes, but I knew that I finished in about 41:00, because my hubby looked at the clock when I finished. Then I got to thinking, 'I started in the back of the pack of about 750 people. If my "gun time" is about 41, my chip time is probably closer to 40!"

This was thrilling to me. I never would have imagined that I could do my first 5K on a decently hilly course in under 40! I thought 45 was a stretch.

I was on my way out to the gym tonight when I decided to check for the results one more time, and lo and behold, they were posted! My official time was 39:48.9!

::cue dance party::

The results of this race really helped me push it at the gym. My goal for February's race (less than 4 weeks away!) is to run it in under 35. Tonight, my C25K plan was to just run for 25 straight minutes, or 2.5 miles. I really didn't think I would be able to do it, but I ran 11 minutes at 6.0 MPH, walked for a minute and a half to get some water and straighten my knee-brace, and then ran the remainder between 6.0-9.0 MPH. I pushed hard and ended up doing this...

It's official... that is a 5K in under 35 minutes! Now I just need to be able to do that outside, with hills, in the cold.

Here is my awesome hubby, who really motivated me and has been telling me how proud he is of me.  Hearing that is so much better than nachos and ice cream.

I know the day is coming when I run the entire thing and don't stop to fix the knee-brace... I think that day might be this weekend, but we will see!!!

I know I was driving Jeff nuts by checking my phone so frequently today, but I told him when I got home that knowing my time was the best thing for me. I know I didn't do very well in the actual race, because I walked the majority of the time. BUT, if I could walk it, with the hills, in the cold, in under 40 minutes, I had BETTER be able to do it on a level treadmill in the gym in far less than that.

My goal is to keep improving. For February, I have a few goals:
1) Run the entire race
2) Finish in under 35
3) Weigh less than 182
4) Be able to run a 5K on a treadmill in under 30.


So that's what I'm working on... I'll be around to give updates!!!

Let's get naked... Part 2

Because I feel that accountability is a HUGE part of making a life change, I am sharing numbers. Just the weight and clothing size, because that's all I've got right now.

I will be very honest... I'm not just trying to lose weight. If I can lose a few dozen pounds, great. I try not to put too much emphasis on weight and clothing sizes. Especially clothing. Every brand has its own sizing structure for women's clothing, and I've stopped trying to fit into one thing across the board.

That being said, I still want to share those sizes.

Right now, I am in a 14, depending on the brand and article of clothing. Pretty much all my pants are 14, and a skirt or two might be 16. (Worthington from JCP seems to fit a little tighter than every other brand out there.) Shirts are pretty much all Larges. Every once in a while, I come across a medium that is perfect, or will be in a week or two.

Where I want to be, is a size 8-10. I would be super content with that. I know most women strive for size 4, or 6 (or maybe a 2?), but I know my body and I am not meant to be a 4.

When I first resumed exercise and healthier eating on November 12, I weighed 202.6 pounds. Let's be real, November is NOT a good time to try to change your eating habits, unless your goal is to consume more. I had lost 11 pounds in the six weeks before Christmas. Between 5 family Christmas gatherings and a New Years Feast, and all the leftover cookies and mashed potatoes and starches, I had gained 5 of them back. It took me until January 8 to find the courage to log the number in my tracker. On that date I was 196.2. I had successfully managed to undo 6 weeks of work in 2 weeks. I got back on track and was down to 194.4 on January 10 (see what can happen in 2 days when you go from really bad habits to really good habits?) On January 13, I was down to 193.1, and January 17, 191.6. So it's official! I have lost 11 pounds!

202.6 is the heaviest weight I ever reached, if you exclude pregnancy. The bad thing is, I had been 193 for a few months. I did a "3 day diet" and lost 9 pounds, to get down into the 180's. Somehow I thought I was suddenly free and clear and that I would be able to start eating what I wanted again. I ended up gaining almost 20 pounds after having such "success" with this diet. It showed me that I needed to make a real change to my lifestyle and not just look for a quick fix.

My goal is to weigh no more than 165 when all is said and done. I was 135 in high school, but since graduating in 2004 three things have happened: 1) I had a baby. 2) My body grew up. 3) I developed boobs. I totally want to keep the boobs, so I'll be happy with 165. Or maybe 155. I will have to evaluate.

I don't want to set the number too strictly, because it has been almost 5 years since I was under 190 (for more than a week) and I have no idea what my body SHOULD weigh. It's a guessing game, and we'll figure it out when we get closer to that point.

Now you know my numbers. I am so excited about the 11 pound loss in just a few short weeks... It has me feeling great about my progress and it encourages me to stick with it, because I can see the results on the scale, and on me! I feel so much better too, and tonight I RAN A MILE! I have not done that in about 3 years, so this is a HUGE deal.

Let me share with you the great tools that have helped me accomplish that:

This is what www.mynetdiary.com looks like. I used to use Sparkpeople but they wanted $3.99 for their app.
MyNetDiary lets me scan barcodes from my foods, and I can enter info online OR in the app on my phone, which means I can do it at my desk at work when I can't have my cell phone out, and I can check nutrition information at a restaurant so I know what to (or what not to) order. I tested a bunch of calorie counting apps, but loved this one best.

 

 

 

 

 

Part of the reason I love this one so much is because of all the options you have. It is so easy to use, and the home screen (seen here) lets you track all the important information. To start, you just enter your weight, your goal weight, and how many pounds you think you can lose per week. I went with a realistic 1.5 pounds, so my app customized my timeline and predicts I'll reach my goal weight in June, just in time for bikini season. You can also take Before and After photos on the app on your phone, so you can see your progress. It is my most-used app!!! (Also... please note, the information above is from the interwebz, not my own personal account.)

HERE is a link to the Couch to 5K app I use. It gets you ready in 8 weeks, instead of the traditional 9. C25K has helped me out by giving me those really short-term goals... as in, what should I do at the gym tonight? I came into this whole running thing with bad knee pains and no endurance... 6 weeks into the program, I can run a mile, walk 3 minutes, and run another one. It's a miracle worker.  The best part? They also have a Couch to 10K app. AND they are free. AND you can play your iTunes through this app, so you don't have to close this app to switch tracks and hear the music that gets you moving. I love, love, LOVE this app, too!


And last, but not least... something that helps motivate me to get to the gym? Clothes.

Activewear is ADORABLE these days. I just got these compression capris from Old Navy and LOVE them. They are comfy and slimming. Old me would not wear tight clothes, especially tight pants, but these fit and look great. Super lightweight and easy to move in!

Well... I think I have given you more than enough to read... I promise I won't overwhelm you with posts the next few days, but expect something on Sunday or Monday. I have my first 5K on Sunday and my goal is to complete it in under 45 minutes. The forecast says windy with a high of 38 degrees, so wish me luck! I'm excited to share the results!!!

Let's get naked... Part one.

Gotcha! Maybe that title brought you in because you'd think that after a year of having this blog, I'd be super fit by now.

FALSE!

It is time for transparency... time to strip away the excuses and just be real; be naked: I have failed.

The past year, I just didn't do it.

I could give you some story about how I switched jobs and now I sit at a desk 42 hours a week, sit in my car 10 hours a week, don't have time for the gym, blah blah blah. While it's all true, it's no reason to NOT get to the gym. The truth is, when I am done at work, I want to come home and sit on my butt, eat food that is so far from healthy, and watch TV.

That is what I WANT to do, but that has led me to a size, weight, and lifestyle that I do not want to have.

I think there comes a turning point for all of us, when we realize something needs to change. For a lot of us, it might happen when we see photos of how we are now, and then look at photos of how we used to be.

I have known for a while that I needed to make a change, especially now that I am a mom. I need to be a good role model for my son and encourage and inspire him to make healthy choices. I also want to inspire my incredibly fit husband. Sure, he can wake up and decide to run a marathon without having to practice running marathons first, but he eats like crap. I'm talking double cheeseburger, large fries, and large soda crap. And pizza, and pasta, and very rarely, green beans. The bad foods are never eaten in moderation in our house... and the good foods are about as common as Lindsay Lohan's good life choices.

In October, I had the great honor of waking up at 5:30 AM on a frigid Sunday to watch my husband run a half-marathon. He had done triathlons, Tough Mudder, 5Ks, 10Ks... but this was his first Half Marathon. He hadn't been feeling well and his goal of finishing in under 90 minutes (top 1%, based on the previous year's finishing times) quickly left his mind. The cold air did not help matters much, and the hills also proved to be a challenge. But one hour and 42 minutes after he started the race, he finished. In the top 5%.

I watched 5000 people run in that race. Many were clearly people who loved to run and did it frequently. Others were larger than me. Many walked the entire 13.1 miles. And there I stood, on the stagnant side of a metal barrier, watching people experience this great event... taking part in the action and not just cheering from the sidelines. I decided at that moment that my goal would be to compete in the same race in 2013.

I devised a plan: 5K in the winter, 10K in the spring, and half marathon in the fall. I figured that running would be a great way to burn calories and get in shape, and it would give me a tangible goal to work toward. With the event dates already set for 2013, I had set-in-stone deadlines to meet. And so the work began.

As soon as Planet Fitness announced their $10 enrollment fee, I was there. $10 to sign up, $10 a month. Absolutely perfect deal when you're on a budget. Let me tell you right now, Planet Fitness is amazing. I absolutely love it there. The gym I go to is never too busy, and they have doubled in size since the hubs and I had been members in 2010. It. is. awesome.

Previous posts talk about enjoying your workout. For me, I needed to enjoy it and have goals for each workout. I knew I would be signing up for a 5K in the winter, so I decided to get a Couch to 5K app for my iPhone. My phone has been my biggest helper for fitness... More to come on that later.

With the app, I had goals to meet in every workout. I found another app where I can track my calories, exercise, weight, and take notes on what I'm doing, how I'm feeling, etc, to help me better understand how my life affects my eating and exercise habits. Again, more to come later.

I can happily report that I am now back on track. I am so angry that I let myself become so relaxed about my health and fitness. However, I can't expect to undo those habits overnight. Truthfully, I have been this way since 2004, when I went to college and stopped participating in activities that required, well, activity.

While it scares the crap out of me, I want to get naked with you. No, not like that. I just want to be totally exposed and reveal the numbers... the old numbers, the current numbers, the goal numbers. I want to share my thoughts and fears, my triumphs and failures. I'm so excited to do all of that with you, through this blog.

Now... let's get naked!