Running in 2011

A little over a year ago I took a look at myself and was disturbed at everything I saw.  High blood pressure, high cholesterol, over weight, tired, and unable to keep up with my active kids.  I was a far cry from the soccer player I had been growing up.  I was not the mother that I wanted to be.  I could not wear the clothes that I loved.  I needed to make a change.

I tend to make goals and work hard to conquer them.  But goals regarding health and fitness were un-chartered territory for me.  Fitness was never something that I had to work on.  I did what I did and ate what I wanted to eat.  But that was when I was playing sports and active.  Eating whatever I wanted to was not something that a tired couch potato could do day after day without repercussions.  Fueled with results from tests that my doctor did I set out to challenge myself.  In 2011 I would get fit.  I would lose 19 pounds and that would take me to a BMI of 23.6 and within the normal range.

I had no idea how I was going to set out to do this but I figured that I would begin with the familiar.  I put on my shoes and ran out the door and up the hill that my house is at the bottom of.  .10 miles later and at the top of the hill I was out of breath.  This was going to be much harder than I thought.  But I pushed on to distance markers that I knew of from earlier running days.  That first 1 mile run was discouraging, humiliating, painful and ugly.  It would have been really easy to stop there but I didn't.  I vowed to run a little farther with each day and not to give up.  I also realized that running at this weight wasn't going to cut it and I began strategizing my weight loss.

Because I was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes with my last pregnancy I worked with a Dietician to cut back on my calories.  I accessed all the knowledge that I had learned and began to cut back on my carbohydrates and boost up my protein and fiber.  I created an account with loseit.com and began tracking my calories.  I set a goal to consume no more than 1400 calories a day.

The diet was the key as the weight started dropping off immediately and enabled me to run with less pain.  By the end of January I had lost 9 pounds and was able to run 4 miles.  Hard work and determination was winning and the success fueled my fire.  For the first time I believed that I might be able to reach my goal.

At this time I became part of a Fitness Group and it is my belief that the positive role models, support, encouragement, and group peer pressure is what led to my ultimate success.  I had virtual training partners that inspired me and motivated me and they would not let me let myself down.  I also began posting my workouts on Facebook for accountability, joining other virtual groups, and reading everything I could about running and fitness.  I learned that I needed to add weight training and began doing workouts by P90x and Jillian Michaels.  I had never been one to like weight training but I noticed a huge difference in my strength and definition once I started.  The weight also began to drop off much faster, to about a pound a week.  I had set to reach my goal at the end of May when I turned 39 and in fact, I hit my target weight two weeks early.  I really never intended to actually reach my goal so when I did was shocked.  And that got me thinking.  If I could lose 19, why not add a few more and go for 24?

And so I set out to lose more weight.  But, at the end of May I ended up in the Emergency Room with a medical emergency that resulted in Emergency Surgery.  In truth, I could have lost my life had I not made it to the surgery.  I credit the fact that I was in tip-top shape for being alive today.  There was no way I would have survived the ordeal had I been overweight with high blood pressure at the time of the emergency.

The surgery set me back in my training.  Due to a large amount of blood loss I was anemic and exhausted.  Although my doctor cleared me to run after a week I was scared.  But with new resolve and first hand experience of the benefits of healthy living  I eventually got back on track.

Today it is January 3, 2012 and I am amazed when I look back at year 2011.  I've lost a total of 27 pounds (give or take 4 pounds due to the Holiday feasts) and earlier today I ran 9 miles in about 1.5 hours--my longest run to date.  I logged a total of 1040.28 miles in 2011 and am feeling happy, healthy, and the strongest physically and mentally that I have ever felt in my life.  Somewhere along the way I have become a runner.  Not sure where it happened but it did.  I, AP am a fashionista, a mommy, and a RUNNER.  :)  My ugly feet tell the true story and now battle with my mommy pouch for ugliest body part.  Oh, and I also just bought my first pair of skinny jeans in a very small size.

I have set many lofty goals for myself this year.  One is to run at least a mile every day this year, the next is to run 1212 miles in 2012, and the last is to run the Honolulu Marathon on December 9, 2012.  If you had told me a year ago that I would be setting such achievable goals I would have told you that you were crazy.

In the past year I have worked hard and learned a lot about myself.  I have achieved dreams I never would have thought possible.  I have surrounded myself with a circle of friends and family that help me lead this active lifestyle.  I am happy, content, and I am flying.  Never underestimate the power of human resolve.  Anything is possible with hard work, determination and if you just believe in yourself.

Happy New Year and may you all reach your goals in 2012.

I am staring 40 in the face and giving it the bird!!!!  Pretty soon you can call me SKINNY BITCH!