Walk against hunger

After my 5K high- I was quickly onto my next adventure. Just days before my 5K I signed up for a 4 mile  “walk for hunger.” I did this event alone, because it was sort of last minute, but I did not mind. I was able to go at my own pace and there was way more room to move around get going.

I made it to the finishing line in 1hr. I was ecstatic. Then I pulled out my phone to make sure it was 4.0miles and my phone said 3.79. You bet your ass I walked through the finish line out and around the park until my phone said 4.0. I completed in 1:02. J  I am very happy with that. I averaged a 15 minute mile and I helped raise money for less fortunate woop woop!

Tomorrow I am going to check out the cross country root for my next 5k happening on June 20^th. I am loving this stuff!

 

Unfortunately I do not have any pictures from my walk for hunger because I was alone but I took a picture of the t-shirt I scored to prove I really did it! Haha.

 

heck yes

walk against hunger

 

First 5k ever!

Thursday was my first 5k. It was at 6pm in a town about 20 minutes North of where I live.  I woke up early, packed my work out cloths, packed a high protein lunch, and made sure I had everything I would need.  I went in the bathroom at work to change before heading up north only to discover I had forgotten socks! Luckily a girl at work had an extra pair, but it was not a good way to start the evening.

I had plans to meet my friend at 4:30pm and we would head down to the race to get situated and settled. At 4:33pm I get a text from her saying she is running late and cannot meet till 5:30pm (remember the race starts at 6pm). We decide to just meet at the event and I walk .80 down to the race. Thankfully she got there to meet me at about 5:50pm. There were opening announcements and moments of silence and we discovered 6,500 people were participating.

After all the runners had passed, the walkers could start. There were so many people I was immediately frustrated that I could not go at the pace I wanted to. During mile one I was able to run a few times, and I felt bad blowing by people, but overall it was very annoying. All I kept thinking about was I had looked forward to this for so long and now I am having the worst time ever. When we finally got to mile 1 the woman yelled out “twenty one minutes good job guys!”TWENTY ONE MINUTES?!!!?? I have been working my ass off since March and I average a 17 minute mile at most!

Mile two was much more tolerable. I was able to run more and the crowdedness thinned out. I had way more space and I could move a lot faster. My friend stuck by my side the entire time. She ran when I ran and she was right there with me every time I did a quick move around someone slower. At about 2.5 miles I was feeling great. My mood had improved and my motivation was in full gear.

I finished the race in 54.14 minutes and honestly I am okay with that. I am very happy with that. When I first started training I had it in my head I wanted to complete the race in under an hour. Since my training has improved so much over the past couple months, I somehow got the number of 46 minutes in my head as a finish time. Considering how slow my start was -which was totally unavoidable, I am more than fine with 54 minutes.

Overall the experience was great. Between the socks, my friend being late, and my frustrating start, it was still awesome. We ran to the finish line and I could not believe I had completed this goal.

We hung out for a little while and walked around the event. The amount of unhealthy food being served was insane. There was an entire tent of just cookies and brownies. I was shocked. My friend and I got these cool new waters called Karma and chose not to eat.

I made the decision I was going to walk back to my car to burn some extra calories. So I hiked uphill .80 miles back to my car. At the end of it all I burned 682 calories and I felt like I was hit by a small train.

I am absolutely blown away by all the positive comments on my facebook after I had a post about completing my first 5k. So many people wrote about how amazing I look and that they cant believe I did a 5k. So many people told me how proud they are of me, even some people I never thought I would say hear say it. I am still in shock over the amount of support I have received and I am the happiest I have ever been in my life right now. I have a four mile walk on Sunday to fight against hunger and I can not wait!! J

 

 

 

After my first 5k

 

As the walkers start

Passed A Cop And Two More 5ks

Sunday I went to the track for my normal 3 mile walk/run. As soon as I pulled in I noticed there were a few off duty police officers doing some sort of training. “Oh great how embarrassing is this going to be” is what I am thinking as soon as I see them. One man in particular looked more athletic than all of them with muscular calves and broad buff arms. I got in my lane and started my walk. Now I am on a track so things get boring walking in a big circle for 12 laps, so I am just watching these cops warm up and chit chat. Then they start running. Two men running and one man was running with them acting as a coach. Each time they pass me I try to stay out of the way and I notice the “coach” encouraging the particularly large athletic man. At one point I caught up to the small group and notice the athletic man stops. He starts walking, he can’t run anymore and is completely out of breath. (Mind you they have only gone .75 miles while I am at about 2.8 miles.) The coach is yelling at the man “no way you are not stopping we are almost done, lets go don’t stop come on!!!” I was unsure if I should say something or not but before I could stop myself I blurted out, “come on man the fat girls doing it you can finish this!” That gave everyone a good chuckle and ultimately the man finished. Haha. I just could not believe how in shape these guys looked only to find out I was more capable then they were. Seeing these guys at the track when I first pulled in was such a kick in the confidence, but I will tell you when that large man couldn’t keep up it built me back up by ten. That just goes to prove looks are not everything!

I have been walking every day this week because my 5K is tomorrow!!! I am very excited for the atmosphere and completing something I never dreamed I would do.

I just found out the homeless shelter in my city is putting on a 4 mile walk next Sunday May 19^th and I plan to do that for sure. I used to work for the shelter, and I normally do my long walks on Sundays anyways, so why not join the town!

There is also a 5k right next to my house happening in June. It supports mental health and it looks really fun. The only thing I am concerned with is the cross country course. Since the course it right next to my house I plan to start practicing on it before the actual race in June. I think it will be a good way to switch things up a bit, and it will be supporting a great cause. 

 

Needless to say I am doing great. I went to a bridal shower this past weekend and got many compliments on how I was looking. Most these girls only see me three times a year so I knew someone would notice (at least I was hoping!) Thankfully they did.

I will defiantly be writing about my 5k experience a.s.a.p.   Till then…….

Bridal shower in the A.M

After Party in the P.M.

 

In shock!

I can not believe I made a debut on Katie’s (runs for cookies) blog.  I had such an amazing week last week and I was feeling so proud that when I saw her post on Facebook I decided to share. I almost wet myself when I opened my reader list this morning and saw MY picture on HER blog. I know she has tons of readers and so many of their stories have inspired me. I really hope my baggie shirt can inspire someone to keep going in their journey.

Thank you Katie!!

Alison was spring cleaning when she came across this shirt she used to wear 80 pounds ago. You can see on the right how tight it was, and now it just hangs on her! She's training for a 5K, and has stuck with her goal of walking a mile every single day until her race.

Who Needs Drugs?

Saturday after work I hit the gym and I ran three separate times for one minute each time. I completed one mile on the treadmill.  I have NEVER ran for a full minute three separate times. I am lucky to run one minute once.  It is so amazing to see how I am slowly building up my abilities. I also hit the crazy machine for 20 minutes and the bike for 15 minutes.

Sunday morning’s weigh in was 256, putting me at the lowest recorded weight since I have started keeping track last June. I had THE biggest smile on my face. I was so happy and proud to write down that number and have it be “official”. It has been a year of hovering around the same numbers, to finally break it was awesome.

After an egg white omelet I hit the track determined to not have a technology malfunction like I did last weekend. I started my tracking app on my phone and did my walk/run on the inside lane of the track so I would know exactly how far I had gone. I completed one mile is 15minutes. I completed 3.1 miles in 46 minutes. I completed a total of 3.22 miles under 50 minutes. Who needs drugs when you can accomplish goals and be high off life. Seriously. It was such an amazing weekend as far as weight loss and goal accomplishments.  I am loving life today and I can not believe how great I feel after such a successful week!

Happy Monday everyone!

 

Bring on the 5K

429 calories burned before noon :-)

 

Proud with a capitol P.

Lets start with Thursday. I was supposed to meet my friend for a walk at the track at 5pm. I did not get out of work till 5:30. Normally I would have said “it is too late to exercise”, but I reminded myself of my goal to walk every day until my 5K, even if it is just one mile.  I get outside and it is cold and grey and not very nice out and I realize I did not have a jacket.  (Just go home whispered in my ear)  I went to the track only to discover the students were having lacrosse practice so the track was closed for public use. At this point all signs point to go home.

 I drove home grabbed a jacket and did 1.3 miles in my neighborhood. I have had Katie W ‘s guest post in my head for days now and it just reminds me you have to work hard. You have to keep going. Things are going to get in your way but YOU have to decide to keep pushing forward! I felt great after my walk and I am so proud of how far I have come.

Last year when I started my blog I created a “goals” page. I have not touched nor thought about that page in months. One of the goals I made when I first started running was to “jog down Ohio Ave without stopping.”  Friday on my walk I turned down Ohio Ave just like I always do, and once again Katie W’s inspiring post came to mind, and I just started running. I decided today was going to be the day I completed that goal. There was no reason today could not be THE DAY. I ran passing a man working outside (normally I would have stopped because I get embarrassed running in front of people) I ran passed an unleashed dog who was barking at me, I ran up a few minor inclines on Ohio Ave all the way to the very end.

I thought of stopping every third step. I realized this was the farthest I have ever run on this street and if I stop now it will be good enough, but I didn’t stop running. I ran until I hit the dead end of Ohio Ave. I felt like I was going to die, but I didn’t. My legs tingled with pins and needles but I walked it off. My heart was racing, I was dripping sweat, and I was so proud I could have cried.  Two things dawned on me after completing this goal. One: Holey shit I just completed a goal, I can’t believe how far I have come and how awesome I am. Two: Shit, now that I have done it once there is no reason I can’t do it every time.  Ha ha. That is okay though. To be honest I cannot wait to do it again.

Two years ago weighing well over 300lbs I was miserable. Mentally, psychically, emotionally I was in the lowest place I had ever been. Today I am joining 5k’s and counting Weight Watchers points, and I am the happiest I have ever been.

The boy kept telling me how skinny I looked yesterday so I made him take a pic so I could post it on here. My pants are too big and I am not a fan of the shirt but here it is anyways.

 

June 2010 300+ LBS

May 2013 257lbs

 

May Day

Make it count May? Many as you can May? I still am not sure what my motto for this month will be, but I sure do know what my approach will be. WORK MY ASS OFF!

I plan to walk every day until May 16^th (the day of my 5k). It will be at least one mile and does not need to be more than three miles. Any other exercise added is fine the more the better, but I want to walk walk walk.

That is all.