Baby steps .....

I have been working on gathering the courage to publish this blog for weeks now.  I don't like attention on my but I know there are people who may benefit from my story.  It seems like we are so programmed to expect everything to happen right away. The funny thing is that life doesn't work that way. After I had kids I struggled with my weight. I would go on diets, get frustrated when the results were not quick enough and go back to my old habits. That isn't the answer to lasting success though. About 14 months ago I embarked on a journey that has changed me in ways I could have never expected. My success has stemmed from baby steps, patience, and being ok with taking a few steps back before moving forward again. 

On May 5th, 2013  I woke up and decided I wanted to run a marathon. This is comical because I have never run more than a few blocks at a time.  I found some clothes that would serve as workout clothes and laced up my shoes. My youngest daughter came along with me and we took a walk. We walked about 2.5 miles that day and it took me almost an hour. I was sore for days. The old me would have decided that was enough and given up. But this time I didn't.  I kept pushing and trying. Eventually I was able to cover that same distance in 30 minutes. I set small goals for myself and worked myself towards my first half marathon in November. Since then I have 4 half marathons under my belt and am registered for two full marathons. I will be participating in Chicago in October and the Walt Disney Marathon in January. I am so completely nervous about covering 26.2 miles but a year ago 13.1 seemed completely overwhelming. 

A little more than 6 months ago I started added strength training to my routine. I faithfully got myself out of bed at 4:45 every morning to either get my run in or take a class at my local gym.  I didn't enjoy getting up early and missing out on sleep but I also didn't want to take time away from my family to get the workout done after work.

I started to eat healthier but didn't cut out everything I liked. I just started practicing moderation. Eventually I started cutting out some of the junk. Now, our entire family is on a path to clean eating and getting healthy.  My kids are not completely on board with this but I think over time they will realize they are not being deprived of anything and will enjoy the benefits of less processed food. In 6 months I had dropped several sizes and almost 50 pounds.

Recently I also started adding p90x3 to my routine. It has been tough but I continue to push myself past my comfort zone and do the workouts faithfully. I am feeling so great lately and only wish I had done this sooner. My running has improved in a few weeks of this workout and ran the 5k distance 6 minutes faster than what I could run it a year ago at this time.

The bottom line here is that success isn't given, it is earned. Figure out what you want to accomplish, write down your goals and take small steps working towards them.  Don't give up when you have setbacks because inevitably you will encounter road blocks. How you deal with road blocks will determine your success. Keep dreaming big, pushing yourself and realize that the sky is the limit.

This photo is me about a year ago (left) and a few weeks ago (right). 

These are photos from my four half marathons.