Hi friends! It’s been three weeks since my last update, so let’s hop to it!
Weigh-in:
I have lost 5.5 pounds since my last update for a total of 86.5 pounds lost. I thought I was going to gain on this week’s weigh-in because of Thanksgiving, plus some other bad eating that week, but I actually lost 2 pounds this week, so holla! Because I’ve become a runner, which requires a lot of energy and burns a lot of calories, I think my body appreciated the extra food that week, so I’ve decided to up my calories by 100 a day. I’m going to try this out for a couple of weeks and hope my weight loss continues. My new routine has become gym two days a week for cardio and strength training, and run three days a week, with a nice, long run on Sunday mornings.
Running:
I’ve got sooo many exciting updates here!
As of my last update, I was up to two miles. Since then, I’ve killed it! I ran a personal best on Sunday, with 5.04 miles!!! In the snow and cold, no less. BOOYAH, two miles, take that! The Sunday before, I ran 4 miles with my aunt, who rode her bike next to me. Yeah, just call me Rocky. Haha! That 4-miler was a real struggle, as all of my runs have been. However, my 5-miler this past Sunday was AMAZING. I feel like something just clicked, and my running became smooth and comfortable. It was the first time I didn’t really struggle with my run, and I actually felt like I could have kept going after the 5 mile mark. Well, as one of my favorite quotes goes, “it doesn’t get easier, you just get better.” My legs did hurt that night and the next day, but it was so worth it!
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| With Jerry and Scott before the race! |
Even more exciting, I ran my very first race, the Turkey Trot, on Thanksgiving morning! I guess you could say I am officially a runner now. It was 2.5 miles on a gorgeous, sunny (but slightly chilly) day. I ran with Jerry and Scott, my fiancé and trainer. All in all, we had a ball! There were a couple of unforeseen challenges, such as several hills, and narrow, tight spaces through a trail and over a bridge (at which point, everyone had to stop and walk for a few seconds to fit through), but all in all, it was a great run. My mom and dad came to watch and saw us cross the finish line, and my aunt, her friend, and dog came to watch, and saw us pass through the woods. I can’t even begin to describe how much this support from everyone means to me. The fellas who ran with me, my family who came to watch and support me… I couldn’t have done any of this without their support and constant motivation.
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| The people who motivate me! |
Standing at the starting line and hearing the announcer yell “ready, set, GOOOOOOOOOOO!” had to have been one of the coolest moments of my life, as was crossing the finish line. 5,272 people ran this race. About half ran the 2.5 mile and half ran the 4.4 mile. People were dressed (and running) in full costume. What a sight! We also ran by a lot of houses, where people were standing outside or sitting at tables they had set up to cheer us on. One little girl was even handing out treats. A couple of people ran with their dogs, and people in wheelchairs too! All along the race path, people were shouting, “keep going,” “looking great,” “you’re almost there!,” “are you hungry?!” This was just so incredibly cool and encouraging. Runners are an awesome group of people and I am glad to be joining this community. I finished in 33:44 and 1,459/2,108 for the 2.5 mile race, so not too bad considering it was my first race (but it won’t be my last)! For my age group of females, I was 103/121, so there’s definitely room for improvement there… but you know what matters? I finished. I crossed that damn line and I ran the whole way and I had two of the coolest people in the world running beside me. Nothing gets better than that!
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| About to cross the finish line! |
Crossing the finish line was one of the proudest moments of my life. One year ago, I would have laughed if you told me I’d be running in races. Funny how things change. I will remember and cherish that day and those moments for the rest of my life.
And now? Now I’m training for a half-marathon. My friend, Missy, a marathoner, encouraged me to do it. There’s a local half-marathon at the end of April. I WILL be running in it, and I WILL cross the finish line. I wasn’t sure I could train for it in just a few months, but she says I can, and the fact that she (and countless others) believe in me, makes me believe in myself. Eventually, I will even run a marathon, you can mark my words! Until the half in April, I will keep running each week, and I will try and do as many 5Ks and 10Ks as possible! I can’t wait and I will keep on dreaming big!
Wedding:
We’ve been talking to some travel agents about our honeymoon! We wanted to go to the Bahamas, but it appears to be very much out of our price range. We’ve gotten quotes on the Dominican Republic, but my brother went there for his, as well as Jamaica and Mexico. We are also looking into Florida and possibly Disney. We’re just not sure yet. Traveling is so expensive, but this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, so we want to pick the perfect place! Stay tuned, and we’ll let you know where we decide!
My bridesmaids also got their cowboy boots for the wedding! They were a great deal! My friend was looking at the Black Friday ads early and saw these adorable black cowboy boots would be on sale at Kohl’s Wednesday through Friday for $20.00! I also had a 15% off coupon, so two of the girls and I went and they tried them on. We grabbed two more pairs for the other girls, and now they all have them, and they came to $17.67 each! What a great deal. They’re going to look so cute with their dresses, I can already tell. As I mentioned in my last update, I already got my boots as well.
That’s all the updating I have for now! I’ll be back with more updates in a few weeks!
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