Exciting Stuff Coming

Hey, everyone!

I have been a little out of the blogging world the last few weeks.  The holidays and starting this new job has thrown everything out of place.  Things are about to calm down, and my new work schedule is going to kick in next week.  So I will be back to my normal blogging routine.  Sorry for all of you who missed me.  I know you all have.

So, I have some really exciting things coming up starting this year.  I cannot give too many details out, but you will love it, and it does involve giving something away.  You will want to check this out; it is very cool.  I am also going to do more video logs.  I have started a youtube profile.  Heavysteps5k.  Feel free to follow me.  I only have one video right now, but I will get more!

You also need to follow me on Twitter if you do not already.  @cajacrosby DO IT!

So my goal for this week is to add up all the miles I have ran for the year!  I am thinking I will be around 800, but I am hoping for more. That will be fun to add up.

I do have some bad news.  I know I will not make my 100 lbs goal for the year, but that is okay.  I may or may not have to run one day with a tutu.  I have changed my life for the best, and I have lost a lot of weight.  A lot like you all, I am going to take a look at the new year and kick butt and get back on track.  I wish I could tell you more about what I am doing the start of this new year, but it will for sure get me on track and the weight will fall off.  Just stay tuned... I am so excited!!! 

I am going to go run in the morning. Got 4 miles planned, and it will be great!  Oh, and did I mention that I ran 18 miles last Saturday!  18 MILES!  That is the furthest I have ever ran in my LIFE!  Those last three were killer.  Also, I am on track for a 6 hour marathon time.  I am just wanting to finish!  A faster time would be amazing, but just finishing my first will be great. Then, getting faster for my other races will be better. So far I have two marathons planned for 2012.  Little Rock and Chicago.  I am sure I will be talked into doing another! 

You all have a great rest of the week, and I will check in Wednesday!

Run For The Ranch

Hey everyone, it has been a crazy month.  A new job, sickness, and a half marathon.

I started a new job this month working at Hotels.com as a sales associate.  This is my first sales job to earn any commission.  I have worked the phones and sales, but it was a base pay.  I really like where I work and all the benefits we get.  We even get $400 a year to use on anything health related.  I am using mine for races next year.  I am just getting used to the new job and want to be good at it already.  I know there is a learning curve, but I want to be good at it now, so I can make the money my family needs to survive.  I took a big risk taking this job.  Soooo, it has been stressful.  I used to make my blog posts after my run in the morning, but I have been going into work at 7 am and have not had time to blog, so I am working on making time at night.  I have still been waking up early and running, so no worries there. I have been missing my cross training because of my 7 am work.  That sucks, but I will get back into it next year when my shift changes.

My son decided to bring home some sickness from school.  I was sick for about 2 weeks, and I am still feeling it.  He, of course, was really only sick a day and is 100% again.  I missed about 5 runs and had to leave early on one of my long runs.  Jenn is sick now, so we have been a house of sickness.  Really hoping to be better before Christmas.

Last Sunday, I ran my second half marathon.  It was the Run For the Ranch here in Springfield, Missouri.  It had a large amount of 50 State Runners and Marathon Maniacs.  Camille Herron was even going to run it, but backed out the last minute because of the course.  She didn't want to get hurt so close to the Olympics. Very nice person! It was a 8 lap marathon, 4 for the half.  Wasn't the safest route and had us running on some busy roads and hazardous sidewalks, but the people at the aid stations were great.  One of my running clubs, OMRR, really took care of the people who ran.

It was not my best run ever.  I had ran only once that week and was still a little sick from bronchitis, but I still wanted to run.  I went out way too fast and really bonked the last three miles.  My friend Mike was a God-send and was there with me for most of the race, keeping me motivated.  I should've slowed down, but I didn't.  The last lap was one of the hardest things I have ever done.  Running laps is hard, but doing them while kind of sick and just out of energy was horrible. I did it, though, and was very proud of myself.  I didn't get a PR but treated this run like one of my training runs for my full. 

Still smiles at this point, Mike wanted to kill me though

Jenn on the other hand had an amazing race. She won first in her age group and was the 8th female overall for the half.  She is a rock star.  Ran it in 1:40:41. It was a PR, and she even said she felt really good at the end and possible could've done a few more laps if she wanted to.  She is a natural runner, and I wonder what kind of runner she will be as she keeps getting better.  I am going to make a video about the race later.

She is super cute.   I will keep her.

Life is good.  Remember to start planning your goals right now for the new year.  Start now, and let's make 2012 a healthy, great year!

Merry Christmas!

A Christmas Card from the Crosby's

 

As the year closes during this wonderful Christmas season, we want to share with our family and friends all that has happened this year. It has been a year of many positive changes and accomplishments.

In January 2011, Chris started something simple; he started running. He trained for his first 5k using the Couch to 5k Program. It was a program that lasted for 9 weeks, and it really helped him prepare for the race. In the beginning of March, Chris and Jenn (with the help of his brother Steven and some friends) finished their first 5k. Jenn finished it in just under 30 minutes, and Chris finished at a time of 43:50. Both were extremely proud of each other, and both continued to train and run in different races throughout the year.

After the Couch to 5k Program ended, Chris joined the Jeff Galloway group to keep him motivated in his training. His next big goal was to finish the Bass Pro Marathon. Because he missed a few major long runs in his training due to illness, he decided after his recovery to train for the half-marathon. He continued to push forward all the while fundraising for the American Cancer Society. Chris ran the race in honor of his Papa Crosby and Uncle Drew. He ended up finishing the race in a time of 2 hrs. and 37 min.! Jenn also ran the half-marathon and finished it in 1 hr. 45 min.! Since she decided to support Chris in his running by doing the same thing herself, she has found a talent she never knew she had before. For her most recent race, she won First Overall Female in the Shelby’s Run 10k. The improvements Chris has made are amazing. In November, Chris ran a 5k in 31:07! That’s almost 13 minutes faster than his first race! He has lost almost 90 lbs. since the start of this year and is a much healthier and active person. He continues to improve and is training with Nixa Running Group (one of his biggest support groups) for the Little Rock Marathon in March 2012!

The decision he made to run had an enormous effect on our family. We eat healthier as a family, and we are much more active together. Micah ran his first race with his mom and dad in June. He finished a mile run in 13 minutes! He jogged the whole way, and his parents were so proud of him! Paige and Devon are great cheerleaders as they (as well as Micah) are the major reasons why Chris decided to get healthy in the first place. His success story is inspiring family and friends to find a more active lifestyle, too. For his complete story, you can check out his blog, Heavy Steps. (http://heavysteps5k.blogspot.com)

In others news, Chris (finally) got a new job! He started at the end of November working for Expedia, Inc., Hotels.com division. He’s a sales agent, booking reservations for hotels and receiving commission for those reservations he finalizes. He’s had ups and downs learning his new position. But knowing Chris, he is going to be amazing once he gets the hang of it. We feel blessed that he has found something that he enjoys and is apart of a company that can give him the opportunity to move up in his career.

Jenn is a stay-at-home mother and is still loving it! There is no other place she would rather be than at home with her children. She loves teaching them and making sure they have a safe and nurturing environment as they grow. She loves to support her husband in his career and activities that involve him in the community. Jenn is also a homeroom mom for Micah’s kindergarten class. Her responsibility is to plan (with the help of another homeroom mom) an activity for the PTA’s annual fall fundraiser, 3 holiday parties (Halloween, Christmas, and Valentine’s Day), and Teacher Appreciation Week. Being a homeroom mom has helped her meet lots of other moms involved in the school, too, which she has enjoyed.

Micah turned 5 this year, and we celebrated at our house with family and friends. He also started kindergarten last August! So far, he has done really well. His teacher said he listens well to instructions, is progressing in his learning, and plays well with his classmates. He’s even been to a couple of birthday parties hosted by his new friends. Micah is definitely a social person. Almost every day after school, he will ask to play outside with his friends across the street. If they aren’t outside yet, he will knock on their doors to see if they can play. What a go-getter!

Paige is not the social butterfly, but she is very smart. She already knows the whole alphabet, upper- and lowercase letters, can count to 10, and knows several shapes and colors. Chris and Jenn are planning on enrolling her in Preschool for next year. She is still potty training, but for some, the process is longer than for others. She is truly a special and sweet child (notwithstanding the occasional temper tantrum.)

Devon is everywhere! She may be more active than Micah was at her age. If you blink, you might miss her. You may also chase after her before she goes somewhere she shouldn’t. Her vocabulary is growing; she really tries to say the different words that her mother tells her. Oh, and she loves to eat! There is no problem getting her to chow down on what is in front of her. Ever. Just recently, her parents found a cuddly side to her. Both her and her sister love to read books, which is something her mother is very happy about.

The Crosby’s are a happy, healthy and blessed family. We hope you enjoyed reading glimpses of our adventure this year, and we look forward to hearing about yours. We wish you a merry Christmas! May the new year bring you hope, love, and many blessings!

That's how winning is done!

Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place, and I don't care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done! Now, if you know what you're worth, then go out and get what you're worth. But you gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain't where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody. Cowards do that and that ain't you. You're better than that!

- Rocky Balboa

Keep moving forward.  Attitude is everything!

My First Video

I am going to start making videos as well.  I had a lot of fun making one and think I will be doing a lot more.

Take a look and let me know what you think.

 
I have been feeling sick this week and took a few days off.  I am going to see how I feel Saturday.  I felt really good all day today at work, but when I got home, my throat started feeling scratchy again.  I am going to get some sleep tonight, and I hope to get my run in the morning!

A Different Perspective

As a wife of a formerly obese man, I will tell you how grateful I am that Chris made the decision to change certain habits in order to get his life back. He asked me to create a guest post, so here is my experience.

There were at least a few things that hurt me as I watched Chris slowly spiral down into depression. It was hard for me to see him not do anything to take care of himself. He was eating fatty, unhealthy foods all the time and a lot of it. He wouldn't participate in any physical activity. He wasn't really trying to move forward or in a positive direction. He had no goals. His job was mentally driving him nuts, but playing video games all night wasn't helping him find a better one. And when I say all night, he played until 1 or 2 am, only to get a few hours of sleep and start his insane cycle all over again. It was very frustrating.

Those habits also prevented him from being with the family. He had no time to play with our children or to help me with them after dinner. We really didn't spend much time as a couple except for the occasional date. I had hopes and prayers that he would decide to do something to change. I remember telling my sister-in-law once my thoughts on how taking care of your body is connected to improving your emotional and mental health as well. I was speaking in reference to Chris. I knew that if he starting working out or even just walking 30 minutes everyday, it would help him physically and in other areas as well. I'm not saying running would get him a new job. But, being physically fit and staying active would help him stay positive during times when he felt trapped and hopeless. I hoped and prayed...

And then, a miracle happened. In November 2010, Chris decided to change his life. All he did was decide to run to lose weight and get healthy. But so much more came from that decision...

Besides becoming more physically active, Chris is also very active with the community. He has been a huge help for Nixa Running Group and volunteering for races. With his blog, he has helped several people find motivation to keep working toward their goals or to start new ones.

Besides losing almost 90 pounds, he lost an addiction to video games that took up his family time. He now spends more time with the kids. He'll play with them on the floor and sing silly songs. We even ran a mile race with our son last summer after he trained in a running class. Because Chris decided to eat healthier, now the whole family eats healthier. Since I thought I would support him in running by running myself, I found a talent I never knew I had. We've found something else that we can do together. What he does impacts those around him, especially his family.

Besides getting healthier, he has also created goals for himself. I believe that's a major part of life, working towards something better to improve oneself. It gives us a sense of purpose. Chris has found more purpose in life striving to improve himself and help others.

My husband is my best friend. I have looked back at the "depressed days" (marveling at the improvements I have seen in his, my, and our family's life) and wondered if there was something I could have done to help him make this life change sooner. I knew, though, that this was a decision he needed to make on his own, for himself. If you are close to someone whom you think is in a similar situation as Chris was, please love them by inviting them to do (with you) whatever may be good for them. No matter their response, still love them. They may see their potential in the love that you give and decide to do something for the better.

I love you, Chris.

Hard Work = Working Hard

Sometimes I fall into the trap of thinking about why something isn't easy.  Why is eating healthy so hard? Why is getting up at 4 am so hard? Especially when you think about how really simple something like not eating extra food is.  Just don't do it, but it is not easy (for me).

Now that I have a lot more people reading my blog, I really have been trying to keep up the positive posts.  Today has been one of those really hard days. I want to be honest and show people who have just started their journey that we all have those hard days, too. Everyone has bad days.

Today, I have wanted to eat everything in site.  I had way too much to eat at dinner.  Why is it so hard?  I guess that is why it's called hard work, because you have to work hard at it.  Truly if it was easy, everyone would be healthy and working out everyday.  It is hard to start; it is hard to eat healthy.

I know some people will disagree and say it is easy. Well good for them.  It is easy for you, and God has blessed you with the ability to be better than most of the world, because I have to work at this.  Daily... Give me a box of Special K, and I will destroy that thing...  It is healthy right?!?!?

I am not alone in this process; you are not alone.  We need to continue to work hard at this hard work of living healthy.  The people out there who make it look easy really work hard at making it look easy!