My first 10k!

I know it's been a while since I've checked in with my running goals, but I promise there will be a 1/2 marathon update soon! Last weekend I accomplished a huge running goal of mine by completing my first 10k! The day was just so amazing I need to make sure I get everything down before I forget :)

Leading up to the race
The last few days leading up to the race I was pretty nervous. I had just started the 21 day fix workouts and meal plan (which I love by the way) so I was pretty sore. Leg day ended up being skipped so I could feel fully recovered before my race.  One of my biggest concerns was that I  hadn't trained enough. To be honest, the first few weeks of half marathon training were going GREAT until I started my long term sub job. After that my workouts were sporadic at best, hence the lack of organized training posts. The weather also wasn't in my favor. The below freezing temps and FEET of snow meant the majority of my training runs were done on the treadmill. However, I was really feeling good when I did get around to my runs so that did give me some confidence. As the date got closer I started to make my race plans. I knew I could run at least 5 miles because I did that during one of my training runs, so I wasn't going to allow myself to walk until that point. I told myself if I needed a break at mile 5 to take it and not be disappointed that I didn't run the whole thing.

The day of 
I woke Micah up at 5:30 (with much difficulty) and we were on the road by 6am. I had my bags packed the night before so the only thing I had to focus on was grabbing my breakfast and getting my husband moving. My breakfast consisted of coffee, 1/2 banana, and Ezekiel toast with almond butter. Soon enough we were on the road towards Marquette, which was a little over 2 hours away.

We arrived at the Marquette YMCA where I picked up my shirt and race bib. I was SUPER stoked to find out that my race bib happened to be my birthday. Since I'm born on St. Patty's day that had to be a good luck sign right?! I got dressed and decided to throw on the event shirt on top of my planned outfit because at that time it was only around 34 degrees. The hubby and I walked around a bit while I made sure everything was exactly the way I wanted it.

It begins! 
It was still super cold when we lined up and I quickly was grateful for that extra layer. I hate running with gloves but the event shirt long enough to pull over my hands while we were waiting. Then we were off!

The first mile was great. I found my groove and finally started to warm up. Then I saw that mile two was on (muddy) grass. Holy crap was that hard!!!! I hadn't really done any grass running before and it was a struggle. I started to doubt weather I could make it to my 5 mile goal at that point.

At the end of the grass section Micah was actually waiting there for me to cheer me on! He set up GPS tracking on my phone before the race so he could follow my progress the whole time. The combination of seeing him + moving back to pavement gave me the willpower to keep pushing though. The next mile or so was just enjoyable (<--- did I really use that word?!). The sun was out and I was running along Lake Superior which was just gorgeous. I took this time for some prayer. I didn't realize how much was on my heart and the next few miles just flew by.

Before I knew it I was on the grass section again (it was an out and back course) and I snapped back into reality. I just hit the 5 mile point where I told myself I was allowed to walk, but I hated that grass SO MUCH! I convinced myself that I had to keep running to get out of it faster. Somehow that mental game worked because I made it out and was headed towards the finish!

I completed my first 10k and ran the whole time!!! I finished with a time of 1:23 which, considering my PR for the 5k is 40 minutes, I was quite happy with. **you don't have to be fast to run, you compete against yourself!

After celebrations! 
Right after the run I wasn't quite ready to eat yet, so I made Micah take me to PetSmart where we miraculously didn't purchase anything. Then we headed out to lunch at Buffalo Wild Wings where I had a Southwest grilled chicken wrap. It was a beautiful day so we ended up exploring around Marquette for a while. First we went waterfalling and found this beauty

I was still pretty good at this point so we went to another Marquette favorite and hiked up Sugarloaf mountain! The view was AMAZING but at this point my legs decided they were done :) It was totally worth it ! 

We ended this near perfect day with some Froyo and a very sleepy ride back home listening to Harry Potter on audio book!

Thank you everybody for all your encouragement and well wishes! Next race is my 1/2 marathon in Eagle River, WI! Eeek!!

Transformation Tuesday

My transformation so far..

I'm feeling stronger, I'm feeling healthier, I'm feeling happier. I now know that my body is capable of so much more than I ever gave it credit for. I am learning to take care of myself properly, eat for fuel, and become more active in my everyday life. The gym is no longer a place of dread, and I am starting to call myself a runner.

Loving life and looking forward to what the future has to hold.

Love, 

Sarah

6th month surgiversary

Yesterday marked the half-year mark since my surgery. These last 6 months have been some of the most frustrating, rewarding, and hardest months of my life. I've worked my butt off (quite literally!) I could probably go on and on for hours about the qazillion emotions, struggles, and successes of the last 6 months, but instead I am just going to share a few pictures.

I have come so far and I can't stop now. Thank you all so much for supporting me in my journey. This hasn't been easy and all you all have helped me so much!

With love,
Sarah

Month 3 updates: Blood tests and a new diet!

I'd like to start by saying re-commitment week was a real success! The biggest thing that I got out of this week was consistent exercise. I am really starting to enjoy my time at the gym and have started to fall into a semi-consistent routine. Though I didn't quite reach my 300 minute goal I think that it will be a great number to keep striving for! My weight loss had been stalling for a while but it is amazing how much getting back on track with your plan can get that scale moving again! I also recently had my 3 month check-up with the doctor and nutritionist! Here are the updates!

Weight Update:
I'm down about 54lbs from my highest weight and have put some distance between me and that morbidly obese category. I'm continuing to feel great. I am over half way to 100 and about 44% of the way to my (potential) ultimate goal weight of 150. At this point I'm shooting for around 10lbs a month and have started dreaming of Onederland!

Nutrition Update:
As part of my 3 month appointment I got some blood work done. They checked things like my cholesterol, iron, vitamin levels, and glucose. This was to check how I have been doing with my nutrition and to see if my vitamin supplements need to be adjusted. My doc told me that it is pretty typical to see deficiencies in B12, Vitamin D, and Iron so he was more than pleased when my results showed everything in the normal levels! My B12 was actually creeping into the above normal category. Long story short, I'm doing well with my nutrition!

My diet was also advanced to my 'lifelong' diet. This means I can pretty much eat anything now but I am expected to make smart choices. The additions of breads and pastas back into my diet has sure been a welcome change!

Fitness Update:
Since the start of student teaching I have been struggling a lot more with getting to the gym. I've been averaging around 2-3x a week but would like to get that up to around 5x. I have been continuing with my zombies C25K program and have just started week 4. This week included a 15 minute run and I was able to complete the whole segment without walking! I also am able to do some strength training once a week and am really starting to feel myself getting stronger! Looking forward to finding a 5K race to sign up for and getting back into the pool!

God Bless!

The 40lb difference

It's incredible what 40 lbs can do for your body. My resting heart rate has decreased about 10 bpm, my body has WAY less aches and pains, and I am less out of breath walking up flights of stairs. To be honest the best thing about the 40 lb difference is that I am so much more confident in myself. This confidence boost has perfectly coincided with the start of student teaching. I was able to go shopping for 'teacher clothes' and fit into sizes that I haven't been able to fit into for years!

If you're going through this journey with me, just keep pushing! It's amazing how your own body can motivate you once you start seeing results. 

~Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.

-Lou Holtz