STAND Fit for 5K

So I just ran my second 5K today!  It was the Stand Fit for 5K, and it was a lot of fun and really hard.

I am not used to hills, and this race had many hills.  I really think I need to start finding a route to run with more hills.  The only way to get better at hills is to run hills.  I did it in 40:53; that is 3 minutes faster than last time!  Jenn finished third overall for the females and third in her division.  Two young pups decided to run a little faster than she did.  Jenn feels like she is developing a talent she didn't know she had.

We had most of the same group as last time: Katie, Jenn, Steven, Paul and me.

Waiting at the starting line, my favorite part about this picture is the girl to the left of me picking at a wedgie.  Good picture, Dad!

Jenn finished really strong with 26:42 and was third overall for the ladies.  She is a super hero.

 Steven was not far behind Jenn.  He said, "I don't think I would of went as fast if it wasn't for Jenn."  I think he didn't want her to leave him in the dust.  I will miss running with you, Bro, but you better not stop when you go out to Idaho...  I will kick you.

Paul and I finishing.  He can do these races a whole lot faster, and he stuck back with me.  I am really appreciative of his support!  I also look like I am dying. Well, it's because I was.  That was freaking hard! 

All my girls.  They are so cute.

Thanks again, Coach!

I might be slow, but I am out doing it.  I am changing my life and working hard.  I will get faster, and I will be able to go further.  Right now, I am still changing and still living.  I know if I can do it, so can you!  It doesn't have to be running, just get up and make yourself better.

I Cannot Wait

Today, Steven and I decided to take it easy before our 5K on Saturday.  We walked on the track and saw some people playing basketball.  I asked Steven, "You wanna play some basketball?"  So we went down and shot for teams. Because we were the new guys, we had that pressure to perform.  Of course, we both missed badly when we took our first shots, but then we fell into a good rhythm and had some fun.  They play every Friday.

Towards the end of our game, in rolls Mom to say good-bye.  Steven and I were on the other end of the court and she yells to us, "Chris! Steven! Have a great day. I love you!"  Oh man, if I was still back in high school, I would've died!  It's a good thing I don't care about that anymore.  I smiled and waved, "See you Saturday, Mom!"

Then I hear from one of the guys, "Thanks for letting them play with us!" That was funny.  All of this reminded me of conversations with my wife.  I cannot wait to embarrass the crap out of my kids in the same way.  I know my wife is going to be the best at it and not even try.  I have already seen her in action when I was a softball coach, and they were not even my kids. 

Just goes to show, it doesn't matter how old you are.  Moms and dads are going to love to embarrass their kids, and I am sooo excited to do that to mine!

5K on Saturday! Time to kill it!

Panera Bread = Love

Okay... Lots of stuff to cover today.

As you all know, I killed a bird yesterday. I should've known that was a sign of how the rest of my day would be.  I got to work, and it was credit application insanity.  I processed almost 40 applications yesterday.  That is a lot.  I normally do about 15-20.  I also had a supervisor freaking out, because she wanted me to set up a new user for her right then! 

I was so stressed with work and assisting the death of a bird, I decided to go eat at Panera Bread.  Let me tell you why that place is amazing.  It has the calories next to each of the items on the menu.  HOW FREAKING COOL IS THAT!  So Katie (one of my friends from work who has been running 5K's with me) and I ordered the "You Pick Two." I got the Garden Vegetable w/ Pesto soup and Greek Salad.  The total calories were 300!  Let me tell you.  It was amazing, and it felt like I ate way too much when I was done.

I used to hate places like Panera. It is pricey, and I never felt like I got enough food.  I felt like for the price I should have been able to pick 5 not 2.  Now the meal fills me up.  So that is how healthy people eat.  I get it now!  I understand why my mom loves eating there so much.

I had an appointment with the trainer I met with back in January to do a follow-up visit.  I have only talked to this guy once, and he measured my fat and showed me 8 machines that could help me with running.  It was a basic visit, and I was grateful for what he showed me, because I wasn't sure what to do on my non-running days.  I now go to boot camp and strength training, so I don't follow the program he set up for me. 

I got to the appointment, and he was Captain Negative from the start.  I am sorry, but if I was a trainer and someone I worked with lost over 50 pounds, I would be ecstatic.  He measured my weight and my fat and really didn't have anything good to say.  He said that I shouldn't just run, because I will lose weight but not fat.  I did not understand that. What would I be losing?  I am lifting weights and doing other things in my classes. 

Needless to say, I left that meeting feeling really dejected and frustrated.  I felt like I wasn't doing good enough.  If you are moving in the right direction, you should never feel that way.  I understand I still have a long way to go.  I was really fat, but come on!  I will not be going back to you, Mr. Trainer. I hope you have a good life, but you will not be talking to me about mine ever again.

SO I TOOK ALL MY FRUSTRATION AND KILLED IT IN BOOT CAMP THIS MORNING!  Best workout in a long time. I loved it!

I Killed A Bird

I killed a bird. Not on purpose, though.  I was about a mile into my run this morning, and I saw a bird in the grass by the sidewalk.  I was surprised it didn't fly off when I got closer.  I think it didn't realize I was there until I was about 2 feet from it.  He flew off in a panic when he saw me.  He flew into the street and was t-boned by a big, old truck.

I felt horrible.  Here I was, out running, enjoying the morning, and I saw a bird commit suicide scared to death by me!  I think I have a complex now, and if you see a person out running and yelling at birds, do not judge them.  They are just giving a warning so the bird does not fly off in a panic and get smashed by a truck.

I Faced My Crossroad

This weekend was one of those make or break moments in my life change.  I stood at a crossroad and could either quit or keep going.  I have already faced moments like it this year and have kept going.  This one snuck up on me, and I was having a hard time and a lot of self doubt, but I still got up and ran.  I still went to the gym this morning and kick my butt at boot camp. 

One of the main differences this time is that I have been able to face these crossroads and take the harder route and keep going.  Before, I had always quit when I was discouraged or when it got too hard.  I know I did it right this time.  I surrounded myself with a great support system and started this blog.  Thank you to everyone who reads this!  It really does help me get out of bed in the morning.  Another difference is how I approached my eating.  I knew what to do, so I did it.  I didn't call it a diet, because diets end.  I just started eating healthier and eating less, and I stopped eating late at night.  It's amazing how that works.  Eat right and eat smart. 

Thanks again for everyone's support!  Keep working hard and pushing through those hard times.  Do not give up on your goals whatever they are.

What In The World Am I Doing

I had one of those moments this morning.  As I was sitting out in my car getting ready to go out in the wind and cold to run, I thought, "What the heck am I doing!"  I really love what running is doing for my health, and I love the feeling I get when I finish a run, but do I really love running? 

I think I would enjoy it more if I had someone to run with.  My brother is a lot faster than I am, and I do not want to hold him back.  I would love to have someone who runs just a little bit faster than me, and we could get better together.  I have some friends at the fitness center who said they would run with me on Wednesdays, but they normally run faster than my brother. The whole time I would be worried about slowing them down.

I guess it was just a frustrating day.  I didn't get my full run in.  I had to stop and find a bathroom (I guess this happens a lot for runners), and I tweeked my knee a little.  So I just walked the last half mile back to the fitness center.  I know I have to stay positive, and I know running will get easier as the weight comes off and my aerobic capacity increases. I am allowed to have bad days, and today is one of them.

90 Day Weigh-In

It's been 90 days!! I weighed myself this morning, and I now weigh 278.7!  That is 54.3 pounds total!  It feels great!  I am losing about 2-3 pounds a week, and that is a healthy weight loss.  I am glad I am doing it the healthy way. 

Even though I am still big, I will reach my goal and take this weight off! 

Thanks again for everyone's support. I would not be as successful if it wasn't for you all!  Keep reading and subscribe if you have not already!

Job interview today at 4pm.  I will keep you posted!