Ramblings of a soon-to-be Half Marathoner!

It's late Thursday night, and I am sitting up waiting for my Mom and Sister to get into town for the weekend.  What better to do than write a blog post about what crazy things are going through  my head?   Warning: I ramble and this may not make any sense!

It's been almost 12 months since I started my journey to a healthier me.  I started out making some big changes to my diet: eliminating processed/pre-made food, eliminating pop and adding water, limiting sodium, eating lean protein, portion control, and making healthy low fat meals that weren't necessarily just salads.  The first few weeks were awesome, the weight just flew off - 5 lbs a week for the first 6 weeks!  It was great to see the results that quickly because it helped me stay motivated.  I remember at the time I was swimming as my main form of exercise.  I love swimming and can't wait to add some swimming back into my schedule.

One day late in the fall while scrapbooking with friends we got into a discussion about running.  I was FULL of excuses  - plenty of reasons why I would NEVER be able to run.  First of all was the fact that I had two knee surgeries and the biggest problem for me was that I had a VERY large chest and my excuse for not running?  I couldn't find a sports bra that would work.  Really....pathetic excuse!  The runner in the group assured me that there were indeed bras out there that could be effective. Somehow between that conversation and talk of new year's resolutions I decided I would take up running.  At first it was pathetic... I couldn't run more than a few steps without being out of breath.  The same person who made me knowledgeable about sports bras gave me some breathing tips that made running possible.  I am forever in debt to her.  Who knew that less than 12 months later I would be readying myself to run a half marathon.

13.1 miles.  That's a hell of a lot of miles, especially for someone who not a year ago weighed over 300 pounds. 125 pounds lighter, that's approximately a tenth of a mile per pound I have lost.  Or, another way to look at it - each mile I run will signify approximately 9.5 pounds I have lost.  Totally crazy.  I can't imagine going back to the way I was living before.

I do still struggle with my food choices sometimes - but what I have found is that when I do make poor choices I am doing MUCH better about getting back on the band wagon.  I might have a couple days where I eat whatever, but its so easy to get back to healthy eating because I genuinely feel better when I watch what I am eating.  And, most importantly, I love the feeling that I get when I run.  It's a sense of utter and complete satisfaction - every time I put on my tennis shoes I am accomplishing something I never thought I would.

Soon it will be all over, that doesn't seem humanly possible.  But, in a little less than 36 hours all my training will come to head and I will be running 13.1 miles with an estimated 3000-4000 people!  I am super excited, albeit a bit nervous.  I just have to have faith in training and all the work I have put in.  No matter the results of Saturday's half marathon, I am a winner.  I've lost 125 pounds, gained an appreciation for a healthy lifestyle, and gained years of happiness with my children as they grow up.

So proud to be "Running 4 my life"

Note:  I would like to wish good luck to the following people who are running in the races here in town this weekend:
Beth (10k), Kimberly (4 mile), "L" (half), "C" (half), April and Tia (half), and "J" (half)

And of course, good luck to any of you who may be running races outside of my local area.  Without your support I wouldn't be where I am today - so THANK YOU.

I have this problem, its called "OCD" - I get a little overwhelmed by even the smallest things sometimes.  Not that it ever stops me from actually doing things, but sometimes I get so wrapped up in things that I forget to enjoy the moments I am "planning for."

Right now I have a million and one things I am stressing about for the half:
 - What time do I need to get there?
 - Will I be able to time a bathroom stop with a port-a-john with no line?
 - Should I switch from the "walk" corral to a corral with a more appropriate time goal?
 - Do I eat breakfast or skip it hoping to avoid tummy issues?
 - Where should I station my "cheerleaders"?
 - Will they be able to get from "point a to point b" or will they be held up due to traffic, etc
 - How do we handle needing another car seat for kiddo? (I think I have this one figured out?)
 - Am I going to be able to actually run this whole thing?
 - Please God don't let me forget anything.
 - Do I wear my new longer skirt or my old "tried and true" one knowing pictures will be unflattering?
 - How is my stomach going to behave?  How many potty breaks will I need?
 - If I run at x:xx pace, I only have x minutes to spare if I want to reach my goal time.
 - Will I run into my friends before hand?  I am going to need some reassurance!
 - How do I make sure I go out smart and don't overexert in the first 5 miles like I did at PCT?
 - What is the weather going to be like?
 - I am afraid that I am going to be too concerned about time, I really just want to go out there and enjoy myself.

And last (at least on this list, but not in my head) but not least:
 - What do I put on my shirt?!?!

I have been kicking around alot of ideas for the back of my shirt:
 1.  simply a before and after shot of me with my blog address (I vetoed this because I dont think the iron transfer would hold up to 13.1 miles of sweat - though I love the idea)
 2.  Something along the lines of "125 pounds lost" and then below that "running4mylife.net"
 3.  Something more vague along the lines of "if you can dream it you can achieve it" with my blog addy
 4. "You don't know who you are until you see what you are capable of." with my blog addy
 5.  "Reclaiming my life mile by mile" with my blog addy
  ---- OR, I am open to better ideas?!?!  Please help!

Now, I would also love to have something small/short on the front... HELP!?!?!?