My Journey to a Half Marathon

This has definitely been a journey. Saturday, Oct 11th, I completed my 2nd half marathon. The first one was 6 years prior, of which I VOWED I would NEVER do another half marathon. Then this year happened. 

This year has been a year of transformation (such an overused word, but it's true). In January, I hit a body weight that I had never seen before. (Now, I am pretty sure I wasn't near prego weight, but my awesome Dr. never told me my weight while pregnant. She said it was her job to monitor my weight and not mine. To this day I praise her for that because so many women still remember that number and base their daily weight on that number. It's not your normal weight, it's the weight God gave you to create a wonderful child you have now. But, it's always used as a negative and women become hung up on it). And I digress...anywho, I hit a weight that made me realize I had to do something. I was turning 37 and if I didn't do something, it was just going to get harder or worse. A friend told me about a weight loss clinic and I went. Some people find these sketchy. I won't lie, some are. But the one I visited, others I knew had gone and it's run by a Physician's Assistant. They took my blood for testing, checked all vitals, had my history, etc. I went in weekly. They put me on a medicine and I elected to take their b-12 shots. 

Let me add, I have PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome). This "disease" is different for everyone. Mine has really screwed up my reproductive system, makes my body think it's diabetic when it's not and can make me almost lethargic somedays. The fake diabetic part was my main weight problem. Most of the time I could eat my arm and leg and still be hungry. Also, PCOS can adjust to any "FAD" diet. The year I was training for my first marathon, I gained 14 lbs in 2 weeks. I freaked. I went to my lady Dr. That's when she ran tests on me and concluded I had PCOS. At that point she told me it could change with my diet and wind up counteracting it. Also, very little study had been done and it's a hard disease to manage at times. 

Ok, boohoo, whoa is me, is over. The meds helped me control my cravings, did not make me jittery, and worked very well for me. After 3 months I lost 30 lbs without exercise. Now, my Dr. pushed my calorie counting and to increase water intake. While doing this, I found out I had asthma. Who finds this out at 36 years old? Me. I was so tired of getting bronchitis and pneumonia every other month in the winter. I went to the lung Dr. and got those fixed too. 

So, after those 3 months my neighbor had been after me to exercise. I thought, yes, if I'm going to do this, see more change, I need an accountability partner. Plus, I can breathe without gasping and there is less of me to carry around. 

So the run/walking began. We have worn out the Couch to 5k app! Up to week 3. We weren't necessarily needing to complete a 5k we just wanted a run/walking strategy. 

All during training my friend was telling me she was running the Middle Half Marathon with her dad. At this point the most we ran/walked was 4 miles. So I kinda dreaded future training with her. I didn't need to though. We did one run of 4 miles and walked the last two for a total of 6 miles. That was the most we ever did. Two weeks before the half marathon another friend couldn't attend. So I texted my friend. She encouraged me to do it saying she was never in as good a shape the last time she ran it. So, I signed up. 

Talk about dread. All I could think about was the last time I ran a half marathon. Oh, the pain. Oh, the agony. Blisters. Ugh. What had I done?

The day came for packet pick-up. My friend and I went with her dad and brother. On the way her brother was quizzing us on our time pace. Let me start with our goal was 3 hours. This is 26 min faster than my first time. My mindset was ready to not actually meet this time. He starts doing the math quickly in his head and says I think you guys can finish in 2 hours and 45 min. I said, "uh, NO.  We are doing 3 hours. He keeps talking about it. I was like Hush, you are giving your sister ideas! She will kill me the day of the run! He was hell bent on the fact we could do it. I said, but we WALK and RUN. There's no way. Then our next conversation struck me. He said how fast are you running. I said, "not fast like a marathon runner". These next words lit a light bulb. 

If you aren't walking then you are running.

Well, duh. But made perfect sense. I'm not out to break records. Just go the distance. And based on what we had been doing, it was possible. The distance was our big obstacle. 

The day came. Early rise of 5:00 am. We get down to the starting line. Nerves begin. It's chilly, misty, we had 4 hours before rain would start. Winds up to be the perfect weather.  We start. We run slow, conserve. No where near the speed we normally run. But we are moving, we are passing people, breathing is good. Yay! People are cheering. Then before we know it we are at Mile 1. WTH?!? 

We have never run a complete mile yet. Not once. We fist bump. Look at us! Oh crap! We have to walk. We need to conserve. So we do, we continue to run and walk. We meet her brother and dad earlier than expected. So we were ahead of our 3 hour track. Whoop! Fist bump. 

We hit Mile 6. Fist bump, this is the most we have ran a majority of the time. 
Mile 7. Fist bump, it's the most we have run/walked period and it was now more than half way. 
Mile 8, I figure I might need to potty because I don't want to get stuck. (Later I realize I didnt need to do it) 
Mile 9 we start stopping to stretch just to be safe. And continue to do this. 
Then we hit mile 11.5 and I start to feel my legs hurt. But it's not horrible. 
Mile 12. Only 1 more! A little into mile 12 my friend's run keeper says we are at 12:35. I say, "we have 10 min". We just half laugh. Cause we needed to conserve our air intake and lungs. 

We had already vowed to cross together. We make the turn into the track at a nice jog. We always finish with a sprint. As we make the last turn we start getting faster and cross together in a dead heat. We did it! I can stand up! I'm not dead! I can still walk! What's happening?!? 

Our official time per her run keeper was 2:45 and some change. 

My fitbit tracker was close:

But also had me at 13.5 miles. 

The marathon's official time:

2:48:08

What? If you minus out the potty break and our stretching, we totally did the 2:45. I couldn't believe it. I thought we wouldn't make the 3 hour time much less 12 min less. 

Now we come to today. I'm in a new phase, job change, trial stay at home mom, launch my own thing, etc. a new version of transformation. 

Fall break is over and my friends are back to work. So I go for a run by myself. I think back to what my friend's brother said.  If you aren't walking then you are running. So start out on my run. I run as long as I can, but not at the pace we "trained" at the pace we ran the marathon. When I stop I look down. 1.56 miles. Fist bump myself. A new distance. 

Why write all of this. Because once upon a time, I told myself I couldn't do it. I had asthma. I couldn't lose weight and keep it off. But I know this time was different. And it's so cliche was the change was. 

It was my mindset. Now. I'm not gonna lie, the medicine helped me see change and see it fast enough that I didn't lose hope. This is a problem for today's woman. We don't have the time to to lose maybe a lb a week. I know it's what is recommended but at a certain size, you don't have that patience. It's just fact. 

Here are the things I did:

Set a plan. Even if it's just in your head and just with you. 

Stick to it.  But don't make it so difficult to keep up with it. 

Don't punish yourself. You can't be 100% all of the time. No one can. If they say they can they are lying. 

Don't give up the foods you love. No one said to torture yourself. 

When you are ready, get an accountability partner. Find someone at your speed and knows when to push or knows when you need your time. 

The main triggers (outside meds) that helped me:

Calorie count - download an app, and find out what the count is you need to maintain daily. I got the fitbit and I love it. It acts as your 24/7 accountability partner.

Water- reg person needs 64 oz. if you want to lose weight double it. Or drink half your body weight in oz. 

Cut out carbonated drinks except beer. (It's one of my 2 vices, I can't have pizza without it) pizza is my other vice. 

Exercise - not in the beginning but it's true. It makes a difference. And when your body isn't overly overweight and your lungs get fixed, it's amazing how much easier it is. 

Now, the proverbial, if I can do it, so can you. And here's how I will help you. I'll give you my numbers. If I can't put up, then this post is useless and I might as well shut up. 

Jan 2014:

I'm 5'9" tall

I was 211 lbs

I was a size 14, but begging to be a busted can of biscuits in that size. 

Today:

I'm still 5'9"

I am fluctuating between 153-156. Sucks being a woman. Stupid water weight and hormones. 

I'm a 6-8 in size. 

I'm only using the pill when I travel or when it's that pre-time of month. Ladies, we all know what I'm talking about. 

I haven't seen this since college. I am just shy of fitting in my wedding dress. 

So yes. You too can do it. Cliche and all. Any tips you want to give others on your weight loss experience?