We're Half Way There

Week 6 of half marathon training.

"Whoooaa we're half way there, whoooaa livin' on a prayer

Take my hand and we'll make it I swear, whoooaa livin' on a prayer." - Bon Jovi

I have reached a place I never thought I would be. Simple as that. If you would have told me a year ago that I would be training for a half marathon, I'd run over 8 miles, I'd drop around 60 pounds, or really anything associated with what the first half of my half marathon training has been, I would have called you a cotton headed ninny muggins (Elf anyone?). I would have laughed in your face. But these last 6 weeks have been incredible. Watching the distance grow and grow, and simply getting out and running 4 times per week consistently... I have done things that are normally tough for me to do. And that makes me excited for what's to come. So as I look back on these past 6 weeks, I smile. For what has been, and what the next 6 weeks have in store. Bring it on.

Monday - Rest

Tuesday - 3 Miles

3.01 miles - 29:27 - 9:47 pace

This run was awful. I almost tripped over a gap in the sidewalk and ended up tweaking my calf a bit. I think being back at a mile high after the weekend away made it tougher. I had to stop and wait for traffic twice (cost me probably 30 seconds), had to stop for a second and catch my breath. Felt sluggish. Overall, a run to forget.

Wednesday - 4 Miles Pace

3.13 miles - 30:04 - 9:36 pace

A long, tiring, and exhausting day... and it hit 9:30 PM and I still hadn't made it out - so I mad to squeeze in a few miles before bed. I like running at night, but not this late. Also, I normally run clockwise around my neighborhood but tonight on a whim went counterclockwise, only to find that just about the entire loop. My calf still hurts from gracefully catching myself after almost tripping yesterday. I am talented. It's been a pretty rough start to this week - let's hope for a good run tomorrow gearing up for my 8 miler this weekend.

Thursday - 3 Miles

3.11 miles - 28:23 - 9:07 pace

I was secretly hoping for a good run to make up for the not so good last two. I got it! The fastest pace of any of my training runs over 3 miles. Splits were 8:53, 9:13, 9:18. My best pace of a training run was 9:27 and I beat that easily. I know I've said it before, but I love seeing the week to week progress. But now is when I start looking at overall progress. When I first started training, I was averaging somewhere between 10:20-30 pace. I have dropped another 10ish pounds during training. I am falling in love with running A LOT. Let's keep this momentum going this weekend - I'll need it.

Friday - Rest

Saturday - 8 Miles

6.25 miles - 1:03:11 - 10:06 pace, Volleyball

Decent run, but one of the stupidest moves I've made during training. I wanted to find a new place to do my long runs just to throw some variety in my life. I was aiming to do this earlier in the morning, but before I got to the place and started it was 11:30 AM. I couldn't find my handheld water bottle, so I brought my jug to keep in the car for before and after. So I set out on my run. It was already about 75 degrees and the sun was brutal. The first 4 were good, but then I started feeling super tired. Mile 5 was brutal. I kept telling myself to push through, but by the time I hit 6 it was bad. So I decided to listen to my body and walk the almost 2 miles back to my car - I simply ran out of gas. I haven't felt that dehydrated in years. I took a lot of things away from this run that will help moving forward. At the end of the day, when I am slightly disappointed with a 6+ mile run, life is pretty good. After I rested for a little bit and got something to eat and drink, I played about 3 hours of volleyball at Wash Park. I've never seen so many people there! What a beautiful Saturday :)

Sunday - Cross

Rest

Yesterday, I thought Sunday would consist of running the remaining 1.75 I was short from my long run. I woke up today and every muscle in my body is sore. Like if-I-move-3-inches-I-am-in-pain sore. Running isn't going to happen. Doing anything for cross training isn't going to happen. Taking the day off and going to the zoo. :)

You Have a Choice

Week 5 of half marathon training.

"You have a choice. You can throw in the towel, or you can use it to wipe the sweat off of your face." - Gatorade

This training is getting to the point where it's getting real. I am now over a month into it and I am nearing the half way point. I am running more and more every week. I am running farther and farther. Do I want to get up off of my couch all the time? Absolutely not. There are so many days where the last thing that I want to do is to go run. There are so many times where it is simply not fun. It would be so easy to just stop - to call it quits. But I have never really been one to just take the easy way out. So when I am forced to make a decision of whether to quit or not, I look at the benefit and the accomplishment. And this one's a big one. So I will trek on until May 6th. But I won't stop there. This is just the beginning...

Monday - Rest

And rest I did!

Tuesday - 3 Miles

3.15 miles - 30:09 - 9:34 pace

Tonight's run was pretty good minus the TERRIBLE mistake of eating a bunch of peanut butter desserts this afternoon and therefore skipping dinner. Big mistake. Toward 1.5-2 I felt like I might throw up. I didn't. However, I felt strong during this run. I am noticing the progress even from week to week - although I am constantly sore, each run seems to get easier and easier.

Wednesday - 4 Miles

4.26 miles - 40:19 - 9:27 pace

I spent most of the day in pain because of my lower back. Uh oh. But I went to the chiropractor after work and that helped a lot! I tried a new strategy tonight. My normal route is fairly flat but has a slight slope the entire way. Just enough to make an impact. So normally I start downhill and then turn around and end uphill. I decided to flip it tonight - so started uphill then half way through it switched to downhill. My splits were: 9:41, 9:31, 9:36, 9:14 - ended very strong.

Thursday - 3 Miles

3.01 miles - 28:54 - 9:36 pace

The first mile was good, but then I tanked. This run was pretty miserable. I felt sluggish and tired the entire way. Pretty disappointing feeling going into a rest day. On the plus side, just 3 weeks ago I couldn't run under a 10:00 pace - now, I can have a terrible run and still be well below. Very promising, and I love seeing the progress. After this run, more soreness, and being in more pain this week I am looking forward to this off day tomorrow and a super epic 5 mile race in Moab, UT.

Friday - Off

Saturday - 5 Mile Race

5 miles - 47:47 - 9:33 pace

What an amazingly beautiful race! After a beautiful drive into Moab, UT, we got settled for the night. Woke up bright and early, boarded the shuttle, and made my way to the starting area of the 5 mile race. The view was unbelievable, as we were wedged in the canyon on the border of Arches National Park. After waiting a while for the race to start, we took our positions and ran through the canyon. Words can't even describe how beautiful the first half of this run was. Then we rounded the corner and the last 2.5 miles were into and through the town. What I started noticing at this point was how I was passing so many people! Usually there are a few. And a few that pass me. But for a couple miles, I was passing everybody! I started picking out a few of the people I HAD to beat and kept trekking my way toward the finish. I rounded the final corner, had a decent finish, but not my usual sprint. I knew I had a decent time and was excited to lay low for a bit, watching the rest of the finishers of the 5 mile and the first several of the half marathon. On the way out, we decided to check out the finish area that had music and other activities. They had already posted the results of the 5 mile race - "cool, let's see what my official time was." I look on the sheet - find my time - and I see 48:38. Cool, not a bad time - and I know that's gun time so I know my chip time is a bit faster than that. I glance at the sheet - "Wow - I finished in the first 1/3ish of everybody - that never happens." Pause for a few seconds. "Just for s's and g's, let's see how many people finished ahead of me in my age group..." Look. Look. One. Look. Two. Look. Look. Wait, what? Were there just two? Looked again. Ummm... So I went over to the awards table and caught a glimpse of their official sheet. 3rd place: Jeff Parker. No freaking way! This is something that would have been a goal in my life, but I basically gave myself a 0% chance of ever placing in my age group. I am still in shock. What I find funny is I originally signed up for this to be my first half marathon. I chickened out a bit but also realized that they don't have finishers medals for the races- even the half (except for top 3 in each age group), which I found odd, so I decided to switch to the 5 miler. And at the end of the day, I came home with my medal!

Final time : Gun time: 48:38 - Chip time: 47:47

147/717 Overall

3/16 Age group

Side note: The only other 5 mile race I've done was a month ago. I beat that time by 3 1/2 minutes.

Sunday - Rest/Hike

Tried to spend the day in Canyonlands National Park, but it was rainy/snowy/windy, so not the greatest day to explore. So we had a nice lunch and made the drive back to Denver.

The Distance You Traveled

Week 4 of half marathon training.

“Success isn't how far you got, but the distance you traveled from where you started.” - Steve Prefontaine

The more I run, the more I realize that I am not doing this for 13.1 - that's a small part of it. I am looking forward to seeing if I can accomplish it. But more than that, I realize that with every mile and every run I am stepping closer to where I want to be in my life. To the weight I want to be. To the goals I have. Seeing where I will be from where I've started - from a health, confidence, goal setting, and motivational standpoint - no matter what it will be a success. It's not about a single race. It's about the journey that I have been on and where it will take me.

Monday - Rest

Tuesday -3 Miles

2.64 - 25:41 - 9:43 pace
This is the latest I've gone out on a run since I started training. It was a busy day, and I was on my way home from a DetermiNation info meeting and I knew I still had to get out. I started getting a stomach ache since my eating has been a little off the last couple days and I had not had dinner yet and it was pushing 8:30. So I got home, laced up the shoes, and took off. It felt amazing! I honestly feltlike I was gliding across the pavement. Although I'm sure it wasn't as graceful as I imagined...

Whatever the guy version of this is, welcome to my life.

Wednesday - 4 Miles Pace

4.00 miles - 38:06 - 9:31 pace

Probably my best overall run of training thus far. First run with iPhone - used Nike+ - found out fastest was just before 1 mile, slowest was about 1.75, then picked it back up. I think I backed off a bit when I saw my 9:14 mile 1. Not sure how I feel about running with the iPhone - has its pros and cons. Biggest pro was being able to see where I was at and my pacing so I could adjust on the fly. Biggest con was over-checking... seemed to take away some of the joy of the run - but I think this will be perfect for the days like today when I am supposed to push the pace a bit. And I just realized that I beat last Wed's 4 miler by over a minute and a half.

Thursday - 3 Miles

3.11 miles - 29:58 - 9:38 pace

I was a little nervous that I wasn't going to get this one in tonight, but I managed to squeeze it in. Was across town so I had the pleasure of trying out a new path - it was a lot more hilly than I am used to. Had a 9:52 pace at the halfway point so I was glad I could pick it up a bit in the 2nd half. I'm noticing a couple things - The 3rd day in a row is always tough - I'm usually still sore, but it feels great leading up to a rest day. I am floored by the progress week to week. Times get a little faster and the runs get a little bit easier. This is making me very optimistic - hopefully this trend keeps up.

Friday - Rest

Saturday - Cross

Skiing, Volleyball

I am aware that today is going to kill my legs for tomorrow, but it is worth it! Such a gorgeous day out, so I decided to hit the slopes at Breckenridge. After a handful of great runs and conquering a couple of my first Colorado black diamonds I came back and played a few hours of volleyball. It felt amazing getting out with our group of friends, laughing, joking around, and getting some quality games in. Is it summer yet??

Sunday - 7 Miles

7.11 miles - 1:13:12 - 10:17 pace

This was the farthest I have ever ran in my life - I have done a couple 10Ks, but now as I move forward with my training, I am reaching uncharted territory - and that's exciting! It's tough not to think about the 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 mile training runs I'll have to do before my half marathon, but for now, I am just going to be excited about this 7. I was SUPER sore from yesterday and now I'm even worse, but it's done! And went fairly well too. The first 2 miles were mostly trying to get into a rhythm because of the soreness and morning running adjustment. Then, I had a solid few miles. But around mile 5.5 I started to crash. Not only was this a long run, but it was getting warmer, but most of all, my route was uphill for the entire second half of the run. Note to self: make the second half easier! But I didn't rest, I didn't stop, and 7 miles is in the books. Although I am now only 1/3 of the way done with my training program, I am over 1/2 way there distance-wise. I am super excited about this past week, and I'm looking forward to seeing how the next few go. No turning back now... only forward!

Conquering the Plateau

In weight loss, you always hear stories of the plateaus - when the weight just seems to stop and stay fixed on a certain number for an extended time.

Ask anyone who has lost or is trying to lose, and you'll hear the same stories: everyone faces them, and they can be some of the most disheartening parts of the journey.

This picture was taken on September 25 immediately following my Fans on the Field race - my first 10K.

After the race, I took it easy for a bit, basking in my accomplishment and patting myself on the back. 235. 239.

Once I started hitting numbers I wasn't happy with, I started doing something about it again. 237. 234.

October. November. December.

233. 231. 236. 232. 238.

January. February.

230. 235. 232.

Then, one day in late February, it happened.

229.6.

Not convinced.

233. 230. 232. 231.

My biggest plateau I have ever faced is 230.

Then, this week I've been seeing these numbers consistently.

227. 229. 228. 226.

I can finally say after 5 1/2 months, I have conquered the plateau!

This has taught me some valuable things:

I need to have the patience to let things happen when they're supposed to. When things are going well, I am ecstatic. But if they don't go as planned or take longer than expected, then I tend to get discouraged and let things slip a little. Or a lot. So when I get close to getting over the hump and it doesn't happen, it's tough to take. The other side of it is patting myself on the back when things go well and getting complacent. If I have a really good week or especially a good race, I am quick to take a little time off - and sometimes that turns into a lot of time off. This training is making me learn how to stay focused and motivated because I don't have any time to take off- it's 12 weeks of being on my A-game and getting out on the road 4 days a week. Every week. So as I continue to get toward my goal, I am learning how to do some amazing things that I have failed to do over and over again. As you can see, it is making a huge difference. And it feels.... amazing!

The Greatest Pleasure in Life

Week 3 of half marathon training.

"The greatest pleasure in life, is doing the things people say we cannot do." - Walter Bagehot

It goes back to my letter from the beginning of this journey. Throughout my life, I have been labeled, judged, and criticized because of my weight. When people find out I am actually athletic, they are usually surprised. But for me, I get a satisfaction out of it - when someone doubts me, it usually drives me - to try harder, give more, and be better. So hearing the things I can't do makes me want to show people that I can and will do it. Granted, I haven't accomplished a lot yet on this journey, but it is week 3 and I haven't given up. I won't give up.

Monday - Rest

Tuesday - 3 Miles

3.14 miles - 30:14 - 9:37 pace

I am slightly astonished by this time - I was hoping for around a 10:00 pace, but started out not feeling stellar. I wasn't sure how fast I was going until I checked my split at mile 1. Faster than I thought. Mile 2ish. Faster than I thought. I've ran faster before, but not in a while - when I started this half marathon training, I essentially had to start over. To see the improvement just from Week 1 to Week 3 is awesome. Great way to start week 3!

Wednesday - 4 Miles

4.01 miles - 39:52 - 9:56 pace

Today started out a little rocky... mile 1 was ok... mile 2 was crap.... I had to walk and take a quick breather. When I started up again, I felt pretty strong and made it the rest of the way without a hiccup. Pace was good the whole way. Wednesdays are tough...

Thursday - 3 Miles

1.51 miles - 13:32 - 8:57 pace

I tried a different strategy tonight... I made a goal to see how quickly I could run a mile, and I needed to find a time to test it out. So that's what tonight was. About .75 I started feeling the dinner I ate, but other than that, it was good! 8:22. After a quick breather, added another half mile and called it a night.

Friday - Rest

Saturday - Cross

Rest

Yea, I gotta get on that...

Sunday - 6 Miles

5.92 miles - 1:00:14 - 10:10 pace

First "spring" run - shorts & t-shirt, no layers - it felt so amazing! I expanded on my normal routine and took a quick loop through City Park, a park in the heart of Denver. The trees, the fresh air, and the people enjoying the beautiful day made it so much better than the usual boring run through my neighborhood streets. The first 3 felt amazing. Had to take about a 30 second breather at 4.5, and the last mile was a struggle. But I'm getting there.

Yea, it was pretty much like this outside...

And with that, I am officially a quarter of the way done with my half marathon training.

Propel Yourself Forward

Week 2 of half marathon training.

“You cannot propel yourself forward by patting yourself on the back.” - Steve Prefontaine

I often struggle with this. There have been so many times where I start something ambitious, but the journey to the finish line is rocky. I see this feeling a lot when it comes to fitness. I start P90X, make it to day 8ish, start losing the determination, then slowly quit. I lose 20 lbs, get so excited when I see the number on the scale that I take it easy for a little while. That usually turns into a longer period of time than I hope, and before I know it, I gain 5-10 back even though I am still so far away from my goal. I ran my first 10K and took some time off after because I had this "I just ran farther than I ever have in my life" mentality. When I finally ran again, I could barely run 2 miles. I essentially had to start over and get it all back. This is going to be my biggest challenge of this journey. Not week 1, not getting out of bed on May 6th and running the race, but finding the motivation and drive within to see the entire process through. I usually get so excited about jumping over a minor hurdle that it causes me to trip up. I am a big believer in celebrating the small successes, but not at an expense of losing the finish line.

Monday - Rest

Rest

Tuesday - 3 Miles

3.15 miles - 31:52 - 10:06 pace

Slightly built on the time, but the best thing about today was how I felt. For the entire way, the legs felt really good. I think the 5 miler over the weekend helped. Slowly but surely, I am optimistic that I will see progress :)

Wednesday - 3 Miles - Pace

2.14 miles - 22:10 - 10:21 pace

Today's run was absolutely terrible. It was my first morning run of training (besides my race) and it followed an evening run last night. At about .5 I started to feel weird - almost as if I wasn't acclimated to the altitude. by 1 I was ready to be done. At 1.5 I stopped to walk for a while, then ran again at the end. Now I'm sore, my back hurts, and I'm exhausted. Physically and emotionally. Here's hoping tomorrow is a better day.

Thursday - 3 Miles

3.15 miles - 32:15 - 10:14 pace

Tonight was pretty solid, and it definitely made up for yesterday's train wreck. My calf and back hurt as a result of the fiasco, but it still felt strong. I find it interesting how both Thursdays were the best I've felt... since it is the 3rd day in a row and my body can definitely feel it. Slightly confusing, but I'll definitely take it!

Friday - Rest

Yes please!

Saturday - Cross

Volleyball

First time playing in over 3 months. It felt so good!

Sunday - 5 Miles

5.09 miles - 54:29 - 10:42 pace

I meant to do this run in the morning, but it ended up happening at night. It was pretty cold... the first 2 miles felt strong, but then the next 1.5 was pretty brutal. I caught a second wind, but still less than stellar. I am not too pleased with the time, but happy that I made it the full 5 - during my run I wasn't so sure it was going to happen. Overall, not a bad way to end week 2.

A Single Step

As I embark on this half marathon journey, I want to be able to chart my progress and see how it goes - share the good and the bad. When I see it in front of me, I can see my successes as well as my failures. It can serve as a source of kudos as well as a wake up call. So here we go - the first chance to document my training.

Week One

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."

Tuesday - 3 Miles

3.23 miles

Not the great start I was looking for. I've taken a couple of weeks off, and I mean from a running and nutrition standpoint. Usually the first run back is 1.5-2 to "cleanse," but that wouldn't be good enough for my day 1. So am I glad I pushed through and made it the 3 miles? Yes. But did it feel good? No. But it was a successful day 1. The journey has started, and that feels great. I realized mid way through that I should probably time my runs so I can adjust speed as well as see progression. But oh well! Next time...

Wednesday - 3 Miles

3.22 miles - 32:58 - 10:14 pace

Today was pretty cold, so I was more bundled than I usually am. It was my chance to test out my new athletic jacket I got for Christmas. I'll be honest. Today hurt - just as I was a little surprised I made it the whole way yesterday, I was equally surprised today. I kept wanting to go faster and faster, but my legs didn't want to keep up. They were pretty dead, which was a little disheartening. Granted, this is only day 2 and I haven't been running that frequently recently, but if I struggle this much the 2nd day in a row, will I make it 3 months? I actually thought the pacing would have been slower, so I'll take it. I'm going to be sore tomorrow...

Thursday - 3 Miles

3.34 miles - 34:34 - 10:20 pace

This one was the hardest to get off of the couch. I didn't want to. At all. But what a beautiful night! Chilly, but not quite cold. I started off feeling amazing! I hit a nice stride, and my legs felt great. Until about 2.5 - that's when I started feeling this whole running 3 days in a row thing. I haven't run 3 days straight in a long time. If I would have guessed, I would have thought the time would have been a little faster. Not a thoroughly impressive run, but very solid. Now that I'm getting into a routine again, I can start cutting down the time.

Friday - Rest

Yes! I made it through the first trifecta, and now I can relax. Grabbed dinner, watched a movie. Life is good :)

Saturday - 4 Miles

5 mile race - Snowman Stampede - 51:10 - 10:14 pace

February race is in the books. The first mile was a little frustrating because of the amount of people putzing along. I felt strong until about mile 3.5, then I just started getting tired. And chafing. Then it just became about finishing. This is the first 5 mile run in a few months, so I wasn't expecting a whole lot out of today. All things considered, I'm pretty happy with my time. I'm also excited that the running portion of week 1 is completed, and I exceeded the mileage on every run.

Sunday - Cross

Rest

Still a little sore from yesterdays race. Let's take it easy and gear up for week 2!

Mama Lou

I met my friend Linsey 2 years ago at a NACA conference - and from the moment we met, I knew she was someone incredibly special. She is a professional strongwoman, going by the name of Mama Lou. She was challenging people to different feats of strengths, and I reluctantly decided to embarrass myself. I walk up to her and choose a challenge. She tells me I have to bend a nail in half with my hands. Ok, I get the trick. I attempt something that I can't do. I struggle and make a fool of myself. She does it without really trying. I get it. I keep telling her how I don't think I can do it. She hands me the nail and cloth to protect my hands. I try. I feel it bending, but I'm convinced it's just in my head. Keep going. Keep going. When I'm done, and take the cloth away, the nail is almost at a 90 degree angle. I'm shocked. She pulls me in closer and says "This is why you never doubt yourself. You never know what you're capable of until you try."

In that moment, Mama Lou changed my life.

Throughout the rest of the weekend, the chaos of the conference was apparent, but I found myself always stopping by and chatting with ML every time I saw her. She challenged me to blow up a whoopie cushion until it exploded. Challenge accepted. After a handful of minutes and getting extremely light headed, challenge completed. In her shows, she always picks on a "villain." For the conference, she chose me. She made me put on a sparkly orange leotard and try to rip a phone book in half. Not a chance. I tried, and tried... nothing. Mama Lou to the rescue. She grabs the phone book and with a few bursts of strength, there lies the phone book in 2 pieces.

Over the last two years, I'm so glad we've been able to keep in touch. We had her perform at our campus in Florida, we've met up when she was in town, we saw each other again at the conference, and have kept in touch over facebook. She is also a Words With Friends extraordinaire.

Linsey is without a doubt one of the most uplifting people you will ever meet. She believes in you and encourages you whether she's known you her whole life or even just a day. She is such a pleasure to talk to - whether it's our passions, running, life, or our shared love of pancakes. She also has some of those qualities that so many people are missing. I feel that people get so caught up in the future that they lose sight of the here and now. People set limits on each other and themselves, and they make decisions based on a track that they may or may not ever make it to. Linsey is different. She has told me that she wants to be a college professor. She would be amazing. This is her future path, but not her current one. She looks at her life and says "Yes, this is what I want to do, but not right now." She feels she can do that later in life. For now, she is more than happy with and feels inspired the path she has chosen. A street performer turned professional strongwoman who challenges people to find new strength. An aerialist who teaches so many people to soar to new heights. Linsey's path is touching the hearts and lives of everyone around her.

Mama Lou has a blog that I find inspirational. Along with some updates in her life, most of her posts are about challenging yourself to do things you thought were impossible, pushing yourself and expanding your comfort zone, accepting yourself, and the beauty that every person has, and thinking differently about the world around you. If moms want a role model for their daughters, look no further - Linsey is simply one of the best people you will ever come accross. The other day, I wrote a letter to myself for when I cross the finish line of my first half marathon in May. Linsey let me know that she wanted to include it in her blog, so she made a post about me.

So this is my rebuttal post to one of the most amazing and awe inspiring people I know. She even met her husband while traveling on a bus. Two strangers sitting by each other struck up conversation, and the rest is history. How cool is that?

I am so proud of who Linsey. Above all else, one of the things I have taken away from her is she lives, encourages, and inspires one of my favorite quotes in the world:

"When you want something in life, you just gotta reach out and grab it." - Into the Wild

Dear Jeff

Today, I started a journey.

Today was day 1 of training for a half marathon.

I'm not the greatest with recognizing my own accomplishments, giving myself credit, or feeling proud of myself, so this is my attempt at putting some thoughts down - in the style of a letter that I am writing to myself.

To be read on May 6th

Dear Jeff,

I want you to take a few minutes and reflect on what you just accomplished.

Over the past 3 months, you ran over 200 miles. Put that in perspective. You ran from Chicago to Indianapolis. From NYC to DC. From Seattle to Portland. You went out running 48 times - in snow, in rain, in cold, in heat - and the pavement became your best friend.

You thought about your future, you thought about your past. You shared stories you've never told anyone. You've recalled memories you've long forgotten. You've spent countless hours pushing yourself so you can reach a goal you set for yourself, but never knew you'd obtain.

You just crossed the finish line of your first half marathon!

There have been so many people in your life that have said you can't do it. People have put you into categories because of your weight, and they placed limits on you. Doctors have told you that you shouldn't be running. Time and time again, you have been told to quit. But you didn't listen.

Instead, you listened to your friends and family that always believed in you. You clung onto the words of inspiration. You turned to them when you wanted to give up on yourself. They wouldn't let you quit. They wouldn't let you fail.

Now, every time you look at your medal, I want you to think of the journey you just had - all of the pain, anxiety, joy, and success - and I want you to smile. Because when it was looking like you wanted to throw in the towel, sit on the couch, take a day off, and take the easy way out... you didn't. You earned this, and nobody can take it away from you.

...and I am SO proud of you.

Hitting the slopes

I finally had my first experience of skiing in the mountains. I learned a few things from the experience.

-The mountains of Colorado are slightly bigger than anything in Minnesota.

-I thought I had leg muscles, but I was mistaken. Not even half way through the first run, my legs were throbbing.

-If I want to be any good at skiing, I have to go more than once every 6 years.

-There is no way to look cool when you are walking in ski boots.

-I love everything about Colorado.