146.62

So far, as of February 28, I have gone 146.62 miles this year.  I really love the challenge of the challenge, and it helps me want to get in more miles every week.  I have gotten into the thick of my half marathon training, so miles are harder to come by with the plan I am on. (which is really hard for me to no do more than I am supposed to)I have long runs on Saturdays and Wednesdays and Sundays off, so those days really eat into my mileage potential, but I am really excited about the race.  I have a 6 mile run scheduled for this weekemd, and the weather is supposed to be gorgeous, so I am hopeful.  I have really been enjoying running outside even though it is chilly here.  I hate the treadmill, but am thankful I have it as an option.  Soon, when it is lighter later, there will be no need for it anymore, Yay! 

Monday January 11 and Tuesday January 12

Monday I did the stairmaster for one hour and 12 minutes, I went 6.26 miles.  Tuesday I did the treadmill for an hour and 28 minutes (I got sucked in by the Biggest Loser) I walked 5 minutes, then ran 3.1 miles and then walked a while at 4.0 and then ran another 5  minutes.  I ended up walking at 3.8 at 5 incline for all but the last 5 minutes.  I did 6.41 miles when all was said and done.  I did the 5k of my workout in 36 minutes.  I wasn't going for speed, I am not fast, but it took me a while to warm up and the run didn't feel good until about half way through.  so my total miles for the year are 33.87.  Miles for the week, 12.67 and it's only been two days.  Challenge weeks go from Monday to Sunday.  I have been going to the gym about 8 pm because it is so packed with New Year's Resolution people all other times.  It is so hard to go that late, but I hate going and having to wait.  I am aiming for 6 miles a day, which may be high, but I will see if I can keep it up.

Motivation is an odd thing

I was going to wait to post this until I was finished the losing, but with the new 500 in 2010 challenge http://500in2010.blogspot.com/, I thought this would be as good a time as any. I have been working hard over the past year to lose some weight. Not a little weight. A. Lot. Of. Weight. I was always an athletic kid, and through college as well, and then life sort of happened and I had three kids and found myself extremely overweight. I tried hard many times to lose it, but I always regressed to my former ways. It is so much easier to give in to temptation with yummy things than to eat things that will fuel me well. Last January, Will's Dad died, and something clicked in my head. I saw all of the sadness that it brought to the entire family, and couldn't bear to think of leaving my family. I decided at the end of January to start hitting the gym regularly and happily, and I started eating whole foods and really thinking of food as fuel. Now, I still eat things I love occasionally, just not pounds of chocolate or serving bowls full of cereal. I can't really believe I let myself eat like that for so long. I was so tired and sluggish all the time. I didn't have any clothes that weren't elastic waist pants, and I never felt good about myself. I figured out that if I wanted the girls to be healthy and exercise I would have to be their role model. I have succeeded. Now when I am not home, they assume I am at the gym. Even if I have already been there earlier that day. I am not a food nazi, or an exercise lunatic, I try to do everything in moderation. I was starting to get really bored at the gym and was startimg to lose the excitement of going until LauraC threwdown the 500 in 2010 challenge. Now I am happy to go to the gym and am pushing myself harder than I ever have when I go. I think the challenge was just what I needed at just the right time, so I thank her for that. I also decided to train for the WIllow Tree Half Marathon In Providence, RI in May, which is about a week after my 32nd birthday. I feel better than I ever have. I have lost 80 pounds through eating (mostly) clean and exercising. I still would like to lose 30ish more pounds, but I am getting there and I am proud to be healthy and a good influence for my girls. I know they will be healthy and know how to take care of themselves, and now, so do I. I have very few pictures of me from before, because who wants fat pictures around? I didn't, and now this is my before picture. Now, I love to be in pictures, but I am usually taking the picture. In this one, it was Christmas, eleven months after I started the weightloss. Yes, I have all of my family piled on me (just the way I love to be), but you can get an idea. I will definitely post better pictures when I take some.