Thanks again and good night... Let's see what tomorrow brings!
In the final hours, I just wanted to take the opportunity to thank everyone for their support! The last few weeks have a whirlwind of emotions. I've been amazed time and time again by people reaching out, all the individuals passing on my posts and the daily voters. I can't believe it's time for the final 10! I feel like running has given me so much... Obviously it's helped me lose weight and become healthier, but there's so much more! I've made some great friends and really have become a part of the running community! The running community is an amazing thing. The people are all so supportive and friendly. Whether it's just as simple as always getting a smile, wave or a hello when running past another runner... Or, finishing a race and having everyone congratulate you on your finish. There are so many things that make it such an amazing community to be a part of! No matter what happens in a few hours, I still feel like I've won so much... New friends, new hobbies and overall a new lease on life...
Thanks again and good night... Let's see what tomorrow brings!
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I never thought turning 39 would be so exciting!
When I turned 37, I was 300+ lbs, I had recently quit smoking and was exhausted all the time. I was dealing with sleep apnea that was being treated by a CPAP machine, managing anxiety with medications and was on the verge of needing blood pressure meds. In the past 2 years, I've obviously lost a lot of weight and gotten in much better shape. I've completed 2 half marathons (improving my time on the second by almost 30 minutes), Ran a 10k, ran a tough 10 miler in an awesome pace, raced my first 5k (and placed 2nd for my age group), traced the Chase Corporate Challenge (where I've walked or walk/run in the past) and most recently completed my first Sprint Triathlon. Most of these things weren't even things I could imagine saying that I've accomplished at 37. At 39, I'm probably in the best overall health I've been at in my life! How many people get to say that at 29, let alone 39! Well this guy can and if I can, anyone can do it! Believe in yourself and amazing things can happen! Bring on the new adventures at 39, including 2 marathons! Can't wait for this year will bring! Losing almost 130 lbs wasn't easy... Keeping it off isn't any easier... But the hardest part is constantly seeing myself and not critiquing every flaw.
When I'm dressed, I realize how thin I've gotten. I just had to buy a new belt. A size 32 belt and I'm on the second hole. My pants are all a size 34 and they are all too big. Most of my workout clothes are a size small or medium. But even with all of these clear indications that I'm thin, I look in the mirror and find the flaws. My chest is still flabby. My lower stomach hangs. I have stretch marks EVERYWHERE! I can't consistently see the thinner me. Others look at me and see what I don't see. They see this fit and thin person. While there are moments I see that too, most times I just see the flaws. This is something I've been working hard at... Not nit picking every little thing that's wrong with my body. There are days where I am at peace with it and am very happy in my skin (excess and all). Those days are becoming more common than. I hope someday I can be entirely at peace with my body and appreciate it! Working on the mental aspects of weight loss ate almost as hard as the physical ones. I found out tonight that voting has ended, so I wanted to take a few minutes to thank all of you who have been following and supporting me in my quest! In just 5 days we will find out if I've made it to the top 10! While I'd like to continue progressing and ultimately end up on the cover, I feel like I've already won! I've seen my friends, family, co-workers and employer show me an amazing amount of support. These last few weeks have been amazing and it's been great to share my story, things I've learned and accomplished. I'll continue keeping you updated on any further information on the contest and sharing more information on my transformation.
Love you all! Frank Running shoes are a funny thing. Every runner has them and every runner has an opinion on them. "You don't need that much cushion", "That brand is terrible", " You need a stability shoe" and it keeps on going. Also most runners have a favorite brand that they stick with. When I started running, I had no idea what I needed. When I was morbidly obese, I had an evaluation done to determine what kind of shoes I needed. I never thought I would need to be reevaluated after losing weight! My first good pair of running shoes were Nike Lunar glide. A nice shoe, but later I found out it was the wrong one for me. Sizing is also a factor. I knew what size shoe I wear, so I obviously knew what to ask for. So I walked out of the store with my size 11 Nikes, which I was very proud of and used them to train for my first half marathon. Once I got close to the end of life on those shoes, I decided I would have my feet evaluated. What I found out was shocking! I no longer needed a stability shoe. A neutral would work just fine. I also found out that in most running shoes you should go up a half size to give you appropriate room in the toe box. One thing I did have right was the amount of cushioning. I have osteoarthritis in my knees, so I know I need more cushion. After I learned all of this, I tried on a number of brands and shoes that met the criteria. My favorite brands immediately were Asics and Saucony. Asics were too rich for my blood, so I tried out Saucony. My first three pair'a of saucony were Triumph ISO and I loved them! My size 11 1/2 Saucony's have taken me through all of my Races so far this year.
Another difficult thing is when your favorite shoe is replaced our discontinued. After taking my last pair of new shoes out of the closet, I went back online to restock. Triumph ISO were now too expensive, even more expensive than the newer model. I started researching what's different about the Triumph ISO 2's. Some times it's an all around redo. Sometimes it's a minor change. Luckily for me, it was a change to the sole material. All the reports seemed like it was a positive change, so I'm hopeful and optimistic. So if you've learned anything today, don't just go out and buy Saucony Triumph ISO because I like them. I recommend going to a reputable shoe store that will do a gait analysis and go from there. Find out what your body likes and what is comfortable for you! Happy shoe shopping! I'm a technology freak! When I first started running, I relied heavily on my phone and the Couch to 5k app. That was what helped me get started. Listening to the app tell me "start running"and "start walking" over and over again for 12 weeks. I think back now and it was so basic, but that's what I needed at the time. The following spring when I restarted my run training, I brought back that same app, but started up further along in the program to springboard me back into running. A few weeks in and I was good to go!
After Couch to 5k, I started tracking with Map my Run and Map my Fitness. This helped me to track all of my workouts and holds me accountable. After a while, I noticed issues with the GPS cutting off during my run and I was made aware of Strava. This app seemed to be more stable and it also had some cool end of year report out features. I was hooked! While I felt Strava was effective, for Christmas I received my Apple Watch and I was so excited to use it to track my Fitness and calorie burn. It did a great job of capturing the calorie burn, but didn't have some of the features I enjoyed about Strava. I ended up using both! Fast forward a few months and my friend George said "Real runners use a watch like a Garmin" and in true technology whore style (which I know it's a strong statement, but it's true) I researched and found a great deal on my Garmin 620. So I immediately made the purchase and that's what I primarily use fit taking my biking and running. While I've talked a lot about the technology I use, there's something to be said for those that truly run by feel. I like having the data, because I'm a nerd. But, I do hope at some point I can rely less on the technology and just feel the run. I'm sure that's not coming any time soon, but I think it would be fun! We shall see what the future holds! As we get closer to the Fox Valley Marathon, it's crazy to see the distance increase on the long runs. With this being my first marathon season, each time it's a new achievement for me.
Thinking back 2 years, I couldn't even imagine running 13.1 miles let alone preparing for a full marathon. It's been an interesting period of time. Each accomplishment helps me to build more confidence and believe in myself. I finally feel like I'm truly ready to run the marathon. This weekend we will run 21 miles. I can't wait to finish and add this next notch to my running belt! I can't wait to finally get the 26.2 accomplished and see how I do. Once we see how Fox Valley goes, we'll determine strategy for Chicago. It's going to be an epic year of major accomplishments! When trying to lose weight, some people are adamant that you cannot cheat... I'm not one of those folks and I don't really call it cheating. I call it living!
During my weight loss process, yes I was pretty strict. No, I didn't allow myself "cheats" very often. But when I wanted to live, I did (but the key is living in moderation). Last night, we were at a friend's house celebrating back to school (well, at least the adults were celebrating). There were lots of items that really didn't fall on plan for me (ok maybe most of them... Lol) and I had to decide how I was handling that. Appetizers... Had very little, but did allow myself the opportunity to sample. Dinner was burgers and hot dogs. I had burgers with jalapenos, guacamole and salsa(no buns). There was a 7 layer salad that was awesome and I actually splurged and had extra of that's. Some watermelon to fill in... Beverages... This is where I really splurged (deciding where you are going to use your calories is key). Some adult raspberry lemonade was had and one glass (albeit a large one) of cherry vodka on the rocks (yum )... Desserts I skipped all together, but I was ok with that and had already decided that beverages was my major splurge for the evening. The key part was knowing my limits and putting the brakes on. When I was full, I was done eating. I set a limit of one large drink and immediately switched to water once it was done. Remembering that food truly is just to nourish our bodies is really what helps me to stay on track. Don't get me wrong, I'm human and for 37 years I didn't think about food this way my whole life so I have my moments. But, I also think a lot about how food makes me feel and is it worth not feeling well just to eat something. It's taken me almost 39 years to get this right, but I finally think I've got it! So if you are trying to lose weight, you need to on occasion allow yourself to live. The biggest part is remembering to do it in moderation... This whole magazine cover thing has been a whirlwind... I'm still in amazement the amount of support I've received from family, friends, co-workers and even strangers! We're getting down to the wire now and I'm still hopeful that with all the effort everyone has put in, that we can make it to the next stage.
It's been very emotional thinking about where I've been and what I've accomplished. Each day, I wake up and surprise myself with what I can do. Whether it's a fast run, a crazy class at the gym or just something as simple as running after the kids and not being breathless, it's all amazing to me! No matter what happens at the end of this next 10 days, I know I've already won! Getting my life back and having such amazing experiences during the past two years is worth all of the effort (but I still do kinda hope I make it to the cover... LOL ) So yesterday with the heat and humidity, I really pushed my body hard. 13.5 bike to work, 6.5 with hill work and 13.5 home. I was pretty spent and think was a bit dehydrated. My legs were weak, muscles quivery and pulsating. Today was my normal track speed work day with the Molex Running Team. I woke up and still felt pretty much the same.... So what did I do? Listened to my body!
This morning instead of a total body strength training session, I did chest and back. Trying to avoid straining the legs. In the afternoon I did Indo Row, which is straining on the legs but I took it easy. Earlier in the season, I probably would have just pushed through and did the speed without. As I continue to run, I'm learning how important it is to take a break if you need it. This deep into marathon training an injury could end my season. Being smart about your training and listening to your body make all the difference! My legs have had a chance to recover and I've worked hard on hydrating, so I'll be back at it tomorrow... But... I'll continue to listen to my body and train in a way that makes me feel good! |
AuthorTipping the scales at 302lbs was the turning point for me. Running has been a key contributor to my weight loss success and improving my overall health and well being. Starting in August of 2014, I worked through a couch to 5k program. The following spring, I decided I wanted to train for and complete a 10k in 2015. My training went so well, I ran my first half instead in September of 2015 finishing in 2:14:00. In October, I volunteered at the Chicago Marathon which was an amazing experience and made me decide to train for a marathon. I trained through winter and completed my second half marathon April of 2016 improving my time to 1:47:00! With the help of friends, co-workers and most recently a running group, I will actually run 2 marathons this fall. Special thanks to my friend George, the Molex Running Team and Glen Ellyn Running club for your support! By the way, in the process I've lost almost 130 lbs. Running saved my life! Archives |