My Runniversary

Another Healthy Lifestyle and Runniversary!

In honor of my journey.. I like to look back and see the consistency and dedication to making myself a priority in the craziness of life.

In May of 2012 I decided that enough was enough, but it took me a month to get in the right mind frame for a complete lifestyle overhaul. I consider the Tuesday after Memorial Day to be my anniversary of a healthy life!

May 29 2012

• Weight.. over 170 maybe 180... 
• Clothing Size: 14/16 pants, large/xlarge shirt
• 1.96 miles at a 14:17 pace.

May 27 2013

• Weight:  145
• Clothing Size: 6/8 pants, medium shirt
• 4.69 miles at 11:06 pace.

May 24 2014

• Weight: 143
• Clothing Size: 6 pants, medium shirt 
• 4.3 miles at 10:46.

May 25 2015

• Weight: 140
• Clothing Size: 6 pants, medium shirt
• 4.5 miles at a 9:50 pace. 

May 28-31 2016

• Weight: 137
• Clothing Size: 4-6 pants, small shirt
• Saturday: 9 miles at an 11:05 easy pace
• Sunday:  11 miles on the bike and 30 minutes of heavy weight training
• Tuesday: 3.14 miles at a 10:07 pace

I have to remind myself is that the difference between last year's pace and this year's pace is negligible due to the humidity and that I am stronger and leaner than I have ever been. Even when I was "skinnier" (in high school and college) I was starving myself and had little muscle tone.

My goals for this year? I'd like to lose another 10 pounds and I'd like to run a 25 minute 5k. I guess the question is, do I want it bad enough?

Finishing the year with a little reflection

I have no regrets for 2014. Sure there are things I would do differently. But I am so thankful that this has been a year lived well!

I was thinking of doing a recap or something, but there is just no way. Not with my very full life and three kids. I know I would end up leaving out something super important.. so instead, I'm going to highlight a couple things that really spoke to me about our year.

2014 was a year of reflection and figuring out who I am. Something about turning 40 will do that to you I guess. I realized that I can be a runner and really fit and STILL LOVE DONUTS! I also realized that I am never going to overcome the anxiety of thinking that I'm not going to be able to wear whatever pair of pants that I have in my hand, that have been in my closet for a long time and that I have worn more than a dozen times. I have accepted that part of my food issues will always be my internal struggle of thinking I am fat; whatever the size of pants I am wearing or whatever the scale says.

This year I started acknowledging that I am an artist. Something about oil painting freed my soul and allowed me to let go of all of the fear and doubt and just create.

This year I also started competing in triathlons. I am going to continue this! I had to realize that my running goal was going to suffer because of the training for tri's, but my overall fitness improved. I ended 2014 with 767 running miles but almost 1000 cardio miles.

One of the things that I enjoyed the most this year was running with my sisters

and my friends! We celebrated the end of the year with 5k this morning in 21 degrees! For these central Texas bodies, that is COLD!

This year was also a year of vacations. Doug and I went to Mexico and then we had our big family trip to Disney World.

There was just something extra special during these moments of togetherness. We live life in such a rush that taking these vacations together let us recharge and reconnect.

My 2015 plans are to simply keep doing what I am doing.

I have some fitness goals.

I'd really, really like to run a sub 2 hour half marathon, a 57 minute 10k and a 25 minute 5k. In order to get to these goals, I am going to have to eat better. I think that focusing on the goal and what it takes to get there is more helpful for me than trying to deny myself the occasional donut.

I started taking this to heart this morning.  I drank a smoothie. Actually I drank almost 2 of them. INSANE. I found out that smoothies that are made from just fruits and veggies are fine, it's the dairy in them that I don't like.

Proof..

I even got my girls to drink some. That's part of my 2015 plan. More fresh, less processed!

I have some art goals.. like create a piece a month. As I sit here looking at my bag of supplies that I bought home to work with over Christmas break, I realize that this is not going to be easy. In reality I'll probably create a little here, a lot over summer and hopefully finish the year with a dozen new pieces.

I even have some eductional and work related goals, but those are boring. So I'll move on.

In the end this year was a big year.

I turned 40.
Doug returned to pastoring a church after 12 years. (I realize as I type this that I don't know if I ever blogged about that!)
Maddie started high school.
Lexi showed rabbits.
Kylie started kindergarten.

And boy were we busy!

Don't think it's going to slow down in 2015. Better grab your running shoes and a smoothie if you want to keep up!

7 years? Really. That makes me super excited!

I follow a runner, mom of 12... really fast superwoman blog.  This week she posted about how most runners peak at 7 years of training.  
"Most runners race their best times and set their PR's seven years after they start (and continue) training consistently. Most runners, whatever their age or ability, will improve for about seven years."

So, I have to say, I am pumped!! Given that I've been running for a year now... I have at least 6 more years to improve and set PR's! I'm thinking really I can say that I'm just starting the 7 year zone given that I wasn't a runner at all until a year ago.

So how do I plan to use these next 6+ years? 

Well... I'm going to do what I do best.. plan, organize and race.

But not today. Today, I slept in and missed my long run with the group. I'll make it up either tomorrow or Monday morning with a middle distance run. I'm still at 85% and as Doug reminded me, I can keep pushing and stay at 85% or get a little more rest and let myself get over this icky bronchitis completely.

I have to say, if Erin can take off running for an injury and she is training for the Olympic Marathon trials and running a sub 3 hour marathon, I guess taking a little more time to get well won't hurt my "to finish my first marathon" goal!

50% DONE!

When I set my 2013 running goal, I new it was an ambitious one.

But as we all know, I'm all about setting goals and making them!

And it's no fun if the goal is too easy!

Well this morning, after our scheduled run, I saw that I was at 497.4 miles and that would just NOT do!! So while I hadn't originally planned to keep going and run with our short distance group, I quickly changed my mind and headed back out.

Today was GOING to be the day I hit 500 miles!

And I did!!

I am really pumped. I slacked off in April after the Big D and allowed my body some shorter miles for a month, so I was really behind in my goal. But I knew that when fall came, the miles would be ramped back up running 1/2 marathon races and marathon training miles. So I really didn't think I'd hit the 500 mile mark until later this summer.

Now I am DETERMINED that I am GOING to get all 1000 running miles in 2013.