From the Beginning

The Beginning

 

I guess this has been a long time coming. I promise my next posts will not be this long but I need to catch you up on where I started and where I currently am.

My weight loss journey began May of 2012 with a little something called Insanity by Beachbody. I am not quite sure what got me started on Insanity; a little was the infomercials, partly my husband, but mostly, I was convinced that I could do this. Little did I know, that would be the beginning of the most challenging, yet rewarding journey of my life.

If you don't know anything about Insanity, the name speaks for itself! It is a 60 day program that comes on DVD. The workouts vary from day to day but require you to work out for 6 days a week. The program requires no free weights, just using your body weight as resistance. And when you start the program weighing in at 261 lbs, that's a lot of weight to work with! By the end of 60 days, I was down 30 lbs! Not too bad! That's an average of 1/2 lb a day! I heard a quote on their infomercial that stated "the only way this program doesn't work is if you don't push play". It's SO true! I would recommend it to anyone that needs to lose weight, whether it's 20+ lbs like me or the last 5 or 10 lbs! This program will do it!

After the completion of Insanity, I shifted my focus to running. For quite a long time, I have yearned to be a runner but have had a hard time starting or keeping with it. I used to run in high school as a way to keep up my athleticism but haven't really taken up the sport. It was much easier to transition into running after Insanity. At that point, I was doing the Insanity workouts for about 60 minutes each day...so how hard can running 20 minute be? HARD!

It's amazing the muscle groups you use to run. You'd think you just need to propel forward with your legs right? Wrong. You use your legs, your core and even some of your upper body. Since I have a history with painful shin splints, I decided to start slow. The first program I started was Ease into 5K. This program is 8 weeks that start with interval workouts (walk then run then walk etc.). I finished this program in September 2012; I don't think I considered myself at runner yet at this point. I had only ran 30 minutes straight and running at a slug pace. I did run the Tour de Pee Vee in Prescott Valley, AZ in September with a finish time of 36:07. I didn't have a PR (personal record) at this point though I had done prior 5k's. This was however the first one that I was able to complete that I wasn't dead at the end of it. I was truly ready for it.

Tour de Pee Vee September 2012

 

The next step was to continue my running with the Bridge to 10k program by the same company as the Ease into 5k (Both of these programs are available on the app store). I liked them because they have a built in GPS, allows you to use music from your current library and it talks to you when to run or walk or half way done. The Bridge to 10k program was a total of 6 weeks; takes you from running 30 to 60 minutes straight. This was the point in my training that I started to consider myself a runner; maybe a recreational runner but a runner none the less. My workouts started getting longer and I started shifting away from listening to your typically 'gym' music of rock and hip hop and transitioned more towards alternative rock. something with a slightly slower BMP (beats per minute) but this allowed me to enjoy the journey. This is why I started all of this in the first place, to enjoy the journey.

After completing the 10k training program, the step towards a half marathon was only natural. I convinced myself to sign up for the Rock'n'Roll Arizona half marathon. If I've learned anything about myself over the course of this is that I am goal driven. I have to set a goal for myself and the best way to keep myself focused on that goal is to sign up for something. In this case it was the half marathon. I had found the Hal Higdon Novice 1 Half Marathon training program online. It was a twelve week program that would prepare you for your first 1/2 marathon. This program was the first mileage based program compared to my prior workouts that were time driven. Now I would have to complete the mileage regardless of how long it took me. The first week was quite easy with running about 3 miles twice during the week and 4 miles on the weekend. This program also included cross training (mostly I did walking and elliptical work) and stretching. This program was 6 days a week. The 5k and 10k programs were only 3. This was a big step up. No excuses I told myself. You are already registered for this race! You have to do it no matter what!

I started my half marathon training in October. If you know anything about Northern Arizona it is most common for us to receive our first snow around Halloween every year. This was the time of the year you have to transition from your fall light jacket to bringing out the down and wool jackets. All I could think of is that it's going to be a LONG winter! I have to run in this stuff! By now I had been doing at least 95% of my running outside. The treadmill is just boring after about 30 minutes! My running gear had changed from a workout tank and capris to ColdGear tights and long sleeves. I also found that a good pair of gloves and a beanie are life savers! In December, my husband and I ran another 5k race as part of my 1/2 marathon training. We shattered our PRs! I ran the 5k in 31:58! This was the fastest I had ever ran a 5k and the first time ever I was able to complete it without walking even a step!

Hot Chocolate 5k December 2012

About half way through these twelve weeks I finally started to consider myself a runner. I think that came to me when I went for a run on vacation, Thanksgiving and mostly when the weather is just plain crappy but you head out for a run anyway. Last weekend was the longest run of the program, 10 miles. On that run I had on two tops, two bottoms, gloves and a hat. I think the high that day was in the 20s with a wind chill in the single digits. Brr!

As I write to you, I am one day away from my very first half marathon race! I have completed all twelve weeks of the half marathon training as well as the eight and six weeks of the 5k and 10k programs! That's a total of 26 weeks! I have been training for this race for 1/2 of a year! If you include Insanity into that its nine weeks longer than that! This journey has been hard! It was gallons of sweat (I found they make special laundry detergent for all that sweat), lots of time on the sofa with an ice pack and more ibuprofen than I'd like to admit. It has all been worth it!

At this point I am down a total of 57.3 lbs! I am the thinnest I have been since at least my first year in college, if not high school (I pathologically lied about my weight in high school to the point that I don't even remember the real number), and in the best shape of my life (including high school). I want to thank those who have inspired and encouraged me along the way! Firstly my husband (who has lost over 35 lbs together with me) for being the motivation I required and the support I needed! I love you! To my Mom, your concern for my health and your pride in my hard work is why I keep going! Also to Billy Burnett, you sir have shown me what all your hard work can do! Keep it up! I look forward to racing alongside you some day!

I look forward to the next step in this journey! Come visit this blog frequently as this will be my diary of my journey. Please feel free to leave comments along the way! I would love to hear from all of you!