Half Marathon Madness!!!

Hey kids!  Happy Thursday!!!!  I hope this finds everyone well and that everyone is enjoying the warm weather that seems to have struck our lovely nation!  I don't ever remember it being 80+ in the middle of March, but I am NOT complaining!  I am SO happy warm weather has finally graced me with it's presence!  

So you may be able to tell from the title of this post that I accomplished a HUGE goal on Sunday!!!!  I ran (and finished) my first half marathon!!!!  The Publix Georgia Marathon and Half Marathon is one of the premiere running events in Georgia and I can VERY proudly say that I crossed that finish line!  My official finish time was 2:02:19 which is even more of an accomplishment for me considering I did not train outside; I'd been training indoors on the treadmill.  I was very nervous about the hills I'd be running Sunday morning as I only did a few outdoor runs over the course of my training plan.  My "training" plan consisted of runs ranging from 4 miles up to 12 miles.  After deciding to run a half marathon, I knew I needed a training plan to follow.  Because I also knew the Publix Half was less than 12 weeks away, I had to slightly tweak my plan and actually entered on Week 7 of the program.  After printing my training program and comparing it to the runs I'd logged from my official start date (Dec 27, 11), I realized my runs pretty closely correlated to those of the training program which made me feel better about training for the half marathon.  The weekend before the Big Race calls for a 12 mile run and because I wasn't planning to run the Publix Half Marathon this past weekend, I never logged the 12 mile run, only got up to 10, which also made me a little nervous.  After thinking about it though, when you've run 10 miles, what's another 5K, right?!  So I didn't do the long run as the training program suggested, but nonetheless, I completed 13.1 miles, something I never EVER thought I'd be able to do!!

Hubs met me at the finish line with  a big wave and a HUGE smile on his face!

When I decided at the beginning of 2012 to run a half marathon, I initially chose the Publix Georgia Half Marathon as my goal.  I didn't think I was going to be able to run it though because the registration fees had become very expensive ($100+) so until the end of last week, I'd pretty much written off my chances of running this event.  Until my great friend Shannon came through to the rescue!  She forwarded me an email from a coworker who was selling her bib for the early registration fee ($55, MUCH more doable for us!) and next thing I knew, I committed to buying her bib!  Thank you thank you thank you Shannon for thinking of me in that moment!  (On the same day, I also managed to register for an entry into the Atlanta Color Run which has been sold out for months- that's next weekend- stay tuned for fun pictures and commentary!)  After I committed to buying the bib and as the next few days progressed, I got more and more anxious, more excited, just READY for Sunday to get here!!  

To prepare myself for the Big Race, I skipped my strength training class on Thursday and Saturday (did do the abs portion on Saturday though), but did an easy 4 mile run.  Friday, I did my usual 5 mile run and on Saturday, did another easy 4 mile run.  After my run and class, I went straight to the Race Expo at the Georgia World Congress Center and for lack of better words, it was one of the coolest things I've ever attended!  There were vendors everywhere, ranging from running companies to representatives for other races (local and far away) to food and nutrition companies, the list goes on!  I did end up buying a few things- a few running shirts that were on a closeout sale from One More Mile Running (including the shirt I wore for the race) and of course my 13.1 sticker for my car (it's tie dye awesomeness) as well as a few magnets!  I also bought some Gu- a nicely packaged gel with a consistency I cannot even begin to describe but contains the perfect burst of energy needed to finish a long run!  I tried it on Saturday to determine if my stomach would accept it's oozing thickness of terrible flavor.  My stomach reacted like normal- no complications!  I then relaxed by the pool with a good book for the rest of the afternoon, ate a nice, healthy dinner with some good carbs, and Tom and I watched movies the rest of the night.  I was so incredibly anxious for the race that I needed distractions throughout the day and sleeping was difficult.  I did finally manage to contain my excitement though and fell asleep but was wide awake after the first alarm went off!  No snooze button needed whatsoever!

Race morning couldn't have come soon enough for me!  After soliciting a few friends in the running community over the previous days, I made a mental note of everything I needed to do.  I ate a protein bar first thing in the morning to give me some energy, drank some G2 for electrolytes and hydration.  I made sure my bag was packed with everything I needed both pre- and post-race.  I made sure I was 100% ready for this race.  On the way to Centennial Olympic Park, Tom and I enjoyed a nice morning car ride together where he offered many words of encouragement to calm me down.  I was just ready to be at the starting line!  After Tom dropped me off, I made that last minute potty break, warmed up a little by running around Centennial Park to the gear check tent, then made my way to my start corral!

View from the Starting Line- 18000+ participants

When the starting gun sounded, I turned on my music (which somehow managed to change playlists and turn off the shuffle- put it back on the correct playlist but didn't care about fixing the shuffle at that point) and when I crossed the start line, it was on!  I paced myself nicely and enjoyed the scenery, volunteers, and spectators along the sidelines.  I ran through parts of the city I'd never been able to enjoy because we passed too quickly in the car.  I ran through 13.1 miles of neighborhoods within the city and some of the architecture I've never been able to appreciate was truly breathtaking.  The course started at Centennial Olympic Park, went through Five Points, Midtown, Little Five Points, Virginia Highlands, on to Midtown and Georgia Tech, finishing back at Centennial Olympic Park!  The crowds were encouraging, especially within the last mile!  I tried to sprint to the finish line and I may have very well been sprinting but I at that point, my legs were the consistency of Jello, so I'm not sure how much of a "sprint" I got in, but I pushed as hard as I possibly could to get across that finish line!  

After finishing, I continued down the finish lane where I found the most wonderful "sprinkler" spraying cold water on anyone that wanted it!  I stood under it for a good 30 seconds before moving on to where I found Tom, beaming with pride and waving like a little kid to get my attention!  He watched me cross the finish line but I was too focused on not trying to trip over the plastic casing that covers all of the cords and timing equipment that I didn't even notice him cheering me on!  After getting all of my things together and meeting up with a few friends that also ran the half marathon, we made our way back to the car to spend the rest of the day in relaxation!

Showing off my finisher's medal post-race!

I love shiny things!

The rest of the day proved to be very relaxing.  Tom and I got home, I took a LONG bath full of Epsom salts!  After that much-needed soak and cleanse, Tom took me to brunch to my FAVE brunch spot- Marlow's Tavern where I felt I could have eaten the entire menu 3 times (I was quite hungry after burning 1600+ calories).  Later that day, I relaxed by the pool with a friend and because my legs were still sore, I got in the icy cold water up to my thighs, which actually helped a LOT!  The rest of my day was 100% dedicated to getting in some R&R- I didn't feel like doing much of anything, just wanted to have a low-key afternoon.

Words cannot begin to describe the sense of pride I still feel about accomplishing such a huge goal.  Until recently, if you asked me if I'd ever run a half marathon, I would've laughed in your face, said something along the lines of "Do you see this body?  No way in HELL it could ever run 13.1 miles!", but look at me now!  I am an almost daily runner, somewhat of a gym rat, and because health and fitness have become such a big part of my life, I look back and laugh at my old sedentary attitude.  I'm still amazed that I was able to finish a half marathon and now that my legs have recovered, I can't WAIT to run another one and hopefully set a new PR!  Hopefully the next course won't have so many hills!  I plan to keep my current "training" schedule and run 4-5 times a week, 5+ miles at a time (4 miles on some days) so that I'm still in half-marathon condition when the next one rolls around!  I also plan to run more organized races this year.  I'm running a 5K Fitness Challenge in Roswell this Saturday (I got a free entry thanks to my Active.com Advantage membership- yesssssssssss!), doing the Atlanta Color Run (5K) next weekend, and plan to run the Historic Roswell Kiwanis Spring K Classic (10K) in support of a good friend's organization mid-April and hopefully will be able to make it to San Francisco for the Bay to Breakers 12K late-May for which my mom signed me up!  I've registered for the lottery for the Peachtree Road Race and should find out soon if our group is selected for that huge event!  I had a goal awhile back to do one race per month but when it got cold, that goal fell off the map- I'm not partial to outdoor cold-weather runs.  I'm hoping to reinstate that for at least the warm months!  I do love races as they are energetic and fun and they support the local community and charities!  Hopefully I can accomplish this goal and be able to check it off my Goal List when winter rolls around!  More to follow on that!

So far in 2012, I've accomplished 2 of my goals and the first quarter isn't even over!  I started my blog (thanks for reading) and I finished a half marathon!  I'm going to start looking into triathlons and hopefully can find a good training program for a good triathlon in late summer/early fall.  If anyone has suggestions, I welcome them!  Hope everyone is having a wonderful week!  Be back soon!

xoxo

Britt!

2012 Goal Wrap Up!

GOAL #5- The last initial goal for 2012!

As many of you know, the Lenten season in the Anglican/Episcopal church is now upon us.  To me, this means making sacrifices just as Jesus made sacrifices for those 40 days spent in the wilderness.  This year, I've decided to give up all things sweet!  I have a HUGE sweet tooth and generally eat a little something sweet every day.  Well, that won't be the case for the next 40 days.  Technically I can eat whatever I've given up on Sunday's Feast Day but I'd rather not.  I want to make it 40 days without a single cookie, pastry, chunk of chocolate, piece of cake, etc.  I've made it almost a week and I've actually found great substitutes for my sweet tooth: fruit, yogurt, a small spoonful of peanut butter, and Costco trail mix (dried cranberries and cherries, walnuts, almonds, and pistachios- no chocolate) to name a few.  Tom has given up not only sweets but breads and most high-carb items as well.  So that means no more delicious fresh-baked Panera bread will be entering our house anytime soon.  Because he's given up bread, I will essentially be giving it up as well.  I'm not an overly big bread person anyway unless it comes in the form of toast or a vehicle for dipping (hummus and dips) so it shouldn't be too difficult of a feat for me.  Giving up bread and sweets will be MUCH harder for Tom than for me anyhow considering his work environment.  He's doing well so far!  The way that our Lenten sacrifices tie into my final 2012 goal is that I want us to grow our faith in God even stronger than it currently is.

This goal is something that is very personal to me.  I've always grown up in the church, got married in the church, but recently haven't been able to attend church as frequently as I should.  I don't feel this has any bearing on my faith and belief in God or Christianity as that is something I've never doubted; I just want to be closer to God.  I pray multiple times a day, a LOT when I'm running because that's my "me" time where I have no one to really distract me and no dog or house to tend to.  It's a time where I reflect on my day (or morning) and I pray as I run.  I also say my blessings before each meal and I always try to say my bedtime prayers but sometimes sleep encroaches before I can finish.  After we move, I want to become more involved in the church (also part of my overall health and wellness goal).  I want to start singing in the choir again.  I want to be more involved with church functions and events.  Tom has now requested Sundays off so we can start going again every week which I am VERY excited about!  I love listening to our services and sermons and hearing God's message delivered through our clergy!  I know this may sound super cheesy, but I always leave church in a lighter mood and feel as if I've learned something.  And I LOVE that feeling!

In college and for a few years thereafter, I didn't go to church, but still always believed in God.  Now that I'm past the party phase of my life and into the settled-down phase, I want us to get back into our regular church routine.  I want to raise our family in the church and I want to show God's love through our actions.  I want to continue my spiritual growth as I think it as essential part of my overall well-being.  My faith in God always brightens my days and lifts my spirits and I can only hope that I can show God's love to others and especially to our future babies.  

2012 GOALS!!

So as I've already said, I'm done setting New Years Resolutions.  For the past few years (and for the first time EVER), I've actually stuck with my New Years Resolutions (to get healthy and get back into shape) so I think it's time to start goal-setting.  Because I have multiple goals, you will get to read multiple posts!

Goal #1: Start and Maintain a Blog and/or Write My Book

So as you can see, I've already completed part of this goal.  I've started my blog.  Now I just have to maintain it, but I don't foresee that being an issue.  Just in writing this post, I get excited about keeping a blog!  It's such a great way for me to focus my thoughts and get them written without having to go at a snail's pace of manually writing in a journal.  I enjoy being able to document my life through words.  Although Tom did mention that he wasn't a huge fan of being mentioned in my blog.  I told him that because he's involved in 99% of everything I do, he has to be involved and pretty much didn't have a choice.  I reassured him that I'm not putting our entire lives on display, just the major events!

I'm writing this blog with the intention of sharing life's trials and tribulations, our joys and happiness, the blessings bestowed upon us, basically the milestones of my life.  It is a fun way for me to document my experiences and share them with my readers.  I also am trying to reinvent recipes to make them  healthier.  I want to share any of my health and fitness tips as that has become such a huge part of my life.  I'm looking forward to maintaining my blog and welcoming readers into my life.  Thank you for your support!

Now about my book.  I have a concept for my book and I have ideas.  I just have to get them organized and in writing.  SO.  Here's the background behind my hopeful book.  For those that know me, I used to be VERY overweight (like 80+ lbs over the heavier end of a healthy weight range for my height).  Until recently, I've been heavy essentially my entire life.  I've battled weight loss, done the crash and fad diets, tried to change my life, was always too busy, blah blah blah, excuses, excuses, excuses. I was never overly concerned (I've always been self-conscious, just not over-the-top) about my actual weight until I stepped on the scale in October 2008 at the lady doc and saw the number.  It.was.TERRIFYING!  It was probably the first time I'd stepped on a scale since I graduated college on Cindo de Mayo '07.  I'm still ashamed of that number, ashamed I let myself gain that much weight and get so big.  Fortunately for me though, I am 5'10" so I could hide my weight pretty well.  But still.  I wasn't thin nor did anything about me appear thin.  I didn't truly realize my size until I stepped on that scale on that fateful Autumn day.  In hindsight, I should've applied for one of my fave shows ever, The Biggest Loser, but I'm proud of myself for what I've accomplished on my own.  Now that you know a little bit about my lifelong weight battle, here's a brief update: I'm now 100+ lbs lighter (never thought I could accomplish that), 6 sizes smaller, I am in the best shape of my life, I've never felt better physically, mentally, or emotionally, and I'm still living a healthy lifestyle! I want my book to go through the journey of growing up heavy and what I've done to change my life.  I want it to expose my vulnerabilities and offer insight to others of what it's like to grow up heavy.  Sadly, I hated myself for being fat and was envious of skinny people.  Of course I never let those emotions show but instead decided to harbor those feelings; I didn't want to appear vulnerable and unhappy.  Over my weight loss journey, I have cried and had emotional breakdowns but I kept going; I was NOT going to lose this battle again!  I learned discipline and self-control.  I retaught myself how to eat healthy (portion control played a HUGE factor).  I started working out 5+ days a week for at least an hour a day.  I completely changed the way I was living.  Before this journey, I could barely run half a mile.  Now, I run 4-6 miles at a time EVERY time I put on my running gear.  I can do military-style push ups as well as other, more difficult types of push ups, something I was never able to do growing up.  I LOVE being so much healthier and feel SO much better about myself!  I want my book to expose everything about my journey from childhood to present in dealing with my body image, self esteem, weight loss, etc.  And if it ends up being a manuscript that never gets published, at least I can say I wrote a book.  I will say that I have already started it.  So far, I've completed the title page, Acknowledgments, and Introduction and I've started Chapter 1.  It will be a year-long process as books simply don't get written overnight.  I will keep you updated as I go!  I'm very excited about the idea of being a "novelist" and publishing a book.  I hope I have enough content to make this dream become a reality!

I will post more goals in subsequent posts, so be on the look out!

Hasta la pasta!

xoxo
Britt!