A New Year, New Racing Schedule and New Challenges

So who is tired of hearing about the fad diets, the newest weight loss pill, the newest workout craze or even how you can get off the couch and run a 5K in just 30 days?  Well, I must admit, this time of year is to the health industry as red meat is too a pack of hungry, rabid wolves.  I watch television and see all the ads and infomercials about these weight loss pills and the newest piece of equipment that "takes inches off your waste in just two weeks."  Well, I am 100% percent sure that for a lot of overweight people in this world, those things are just window dressing for the real truth.  The real truth is what everyone already knows.  It takes hard work, guts, sweat, humility, sacrifice and even sometimes, a little pain to get to a certain weight loss or nutrition goal.  Sure these other things may help your body in some way, but other than surgery, nothing has shown to have a more lasting effect than exercising and eating right.  I am not just talking from my own experiences, but this also comes from people that I meet that had their own weight loss issues and there is usually one constant among them all - HARD WORK!  

People get so frustrated when the weight doesn't just fall off like it seems on other people, but we have got to remember that our weight gains did not just happen in two weeks, it took time to add the weight on and it will more than likely take at least TWICE as long to get off.  I also talk to people who are so frustrated that they haven't lost one single pound after two or three weeks of eating well and starting to incorporate exercise.  Well, I state and ask, so you haven't lost weight YET, but besides that, "how do you FEEL?" After three weeks, we may be so focused on the weight loss that we forget that we may not have that indigestion anymore or we sleep more sound and wake up more refreshed.  We may not notice that we have a little more "pep in our step" and more energy throughout the day.  Those changes are the ones that we need to focus on rather than the weight.  

Also, one thing we focus on is the exercise or the eating right part, but we forget that to get completely healthy, we must incorporate both.  I will admit it, I have spent the last two months gaining some weight.  Why? Was it because I stopped exercising? Nope, I slowed down a little, but didn't stop.  Was it because I started eating chocolates, ice cream, pizza and fast food? Nope, I stayed with a fairly clean diet.  Well, how did I gain that weight?  I gained it because I forgot one BIG rule.  I forgot that when I am not in full training mode, I don't need to eat like I am in full training mode.  But that is exactly what I did, even though my training didn't stop, but decreased, I still kept eating like I was in full training.  I didn't realize that even though the food was pretty healthy, I didn't need to eat that much to stay nourished.  I know reading this you probably say that I should know that and it is common sense.  But then I also ask that if it is common sense that exercise and healthy eating is the quickest way to a better "you," then why did I weigh so much two years ago?  It's because I became numb, lazy and stopped noticing the signs of my problems.  That may not be the reason or case for anyone reading this, but for me, I admit, that is and was the reason for my weight gain and my original morbidly obese weight.  I  became so HUGE because I chose NOT to "see" it. I was also shown these past couple of months that I am still not immune to weight gain or the problem of "not seeing it."  It's apparently something I have to learn and work on in the future or else it wont be 15 pounds of weight that I add, but more like 50, 60 or even a 100 lbs.

Fortunately, I have very limited time to stay in a "minimal" lethargic state as I have to get ready to train for a marathon at the end of April 2013.  This leads me to my other point of keeping the weight off, it's about keeping yourself accountable.  Scheduling a race or some sort of event months in advance will help you maintain your weight better.  Especially if you are as "cheap" as I am, you will not want to waste money on a race because you didn't "train" for it.  It's as simple as that.  Schedule a race that is manageable within a time frame after a certain "break" period and that will get you back in the gym, pushing away form the brownies and striving to do your best.

So anyway, I stated that I would put up my tentative race calendar in this post so here it is in all its glory:

April 20th - Heart and Sole Triathlon - Sprint Distance

April 28th - Kentucky Derby Full Marathon

June 2nd - Southern Indiana Triathlon - Olympic Distance

July 4th - Bluegrass 10K

August 11th - REV 3 Triathlon Wisconsin Dells - Half Iron Distance

October 18-19th - Bourbon Chase 200-mile Team Relay

December 7th - Tecumseh Trail Full Marathon

I am starting to try to focus on longer distance, endurance races to prepare myself for a Full Ironman in 2014.

Anyway, that's my schedule as it stands for now. If anyone has any suggestions on other good races, please feel free to let me know. I would love to hear about any other experiences in weight loss, races, injuries, etc. Again, I am by no means an expert at anything, just one person trying to share my experiences, both good and bad, with whoever takes the time to read these silly little blog posts   If it helps anyone, then I am extremely happy.  If anyone would care to share any of their experiences or stories, let me know so I can listen and learn.

It may sound like this post has a little frustrating tone to it, but that is because I am somewhat frustrated with myself.  I worked VERY hard for two years and then I stop paying attention? Well, it doesn't and didn't sit well with me, so I want to explain my missteps and/or mistakes in this blog to hopefully help someone else not make the same error. 

So now, I am off to lose the weight that I put on and guess how I am going to start doing it? Yep you guessed it ~ by running...

A New Year and a New You ~ Right?

It has been over a month since my last posting.  I doubt anyone follows my blog close enough for that to even matter but I thought I would post something related to, yep you guessed it, the New Year!!! Why do we wait until the end of the previous year or the very beginning to look at how we need to change our lives or the way we go about each day?  Why don't we do that on March 8th, or May 15th, or October 5th or some other random date? What is so special about waiting until the end of the year to figure out what we need to change in and about our lives and then try to apply it to the beginning of the next? Is it because we eat a lot during the holidays, feel bad about it and decide to lose weight? Is it because we have had some time off and a chance to reflect on the past year and determine the things that need to be changed? Why do we do it? I admit, I do it just like the rest of the world does it; I was just curious as to why?

At the end of this year, I actually took some time off from training and exercising and decided that I needed to spend some time with my family and shore up a lot of things at work rather than off somewhere doing some off-season trail run, swimming endless laps, or biking endless hours in spinning class. I must admit that it was nice and I enjoyed the time off, but guess what? I told my family that I would be starting to up my training again as the New Year approached. Well, here it is the New Year and I have kept to my word; I have started increasing the running and swimming, not so much with the biking just yet, but that will be ramping up soon too. I actually gained some weight which was expected, but because I didn't gorge myself this Holiday and stayed smart and really focused on trying to eat good foods, I actually maintained quite well. To me, losing ten pounds or so is so much easier after losing the large amount from before.  Ten pounds is manageable and even justifiable with my eating habits (clean eating or not).  The thing that doesn't let me worry is that I still love exercising, and I know that ten pounds is not the most overwhelming weight loss challenge I have ever attempted and as long as I don't let it get anything more than that.

Now to get back to the New Year's Resolution thing.  Yes, I put together a list of races and other goals that I want to accomplish in 2013 (I will add that list to the next posting this month).  I even cleaned up my office (only a little), did some organizing of old papers at the house, donated some old stuff to Goodwill and even bought a new 8-pack of underwear (really going all out in 2013!)

So, in a sense, we always try to find a way to start fresh, to start new, and the New Year always seems like a perfect time to do this.  We even do it during the week. For example, we usually organize our schedules from Monday-Sunday or maybe Sunday-Saturday, but almost never Wednesday-Tuesday.  Why is that? I think we have to have a designated beginning and end for something to feel absolutely complete. If we start back to work on a Monday, maybe that is the right start of the week, just like when we start a New Year, that is the time to start fresh.

Heck, I even started my weight loss journey as a New Year's Resolution so, two years later, I am still doing the same thing, starting off fresh at the New Year, trying to figure out what I need to do to become a better husband, dad, son, friend and colleague. I am simply doing what a lot of people do at the beginning of each year, trying to figure out how in the world to become a better person for those around us and ourselves. So, to close out 2012, I will say goodbye to last year, I've learned a lot, both good and bad (like when swimming in the nasty, disease and bacteria laden Ohio River, try to keep your mouth closed when turning your head upstream ~ ya think?)

Anyway, here is to a great 2013!  I hope everyone reaches their goals, challenges and dreams this year! You   have to start somewhere right?

Starting 2013 off right, by running, just running...




 

The Holidays are Here!! Somebody Help Me!!

Well, it's official, this is the first week of the start of the Holiday season.  I am extremely excited about this (not really, not so much). 

With the Holidays just around the corner, I start to think about the big turkey dinners with stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, pumpkin pie, green bean and broccoli casserole, rolls so small and light that you can make little dough balls and pop ten of them in your mouth like they were Tic-tacs.

However, those memories are from at least two years ago when I indulged in food like that.  Now, I have to adjust, adapt and change the entire way I eat, especially during the Holidays. It can be difficult because even though I have certain foods that I stay away from, that doesn't mean my family does.  Since I am the cook in the house, I have to cook different things for the Holidays.  I try new things like roasted brussel sprouts and vegetables galore.  I limit the amount of boxed items I use and try to make things from scratch.  Mashed potatoes are not russet, they are now redskin new potatoes. Little changes like that in big meals can make a big difference in the quality and healthy nature of the meal.

Just because the Holidays are here doesn't mean I have to overindulge but on the other hand, it doesn't mean that I have to miss out on awesome food either. I just (try) to use some sense and hold myself accountable when going for that second (and uh...maybe third) helping of food.

So what is everyone doing this Thanksgiving? Spending time with Family? Friends? Travelling?

Also, what is your favorite Holiday staple, healthy or not? I know my family would probably not speak to me if I didn't fix my Oreo crumb /pudding pie.  It sounds (and tastes) like something that would be so fattening, but I use sugar free pudding, low-fat oreos, fat free cool whip and dark chocolate chips, so it's not all that bad. 

Anyway, I would like to hear something that you MUST have every Holiday no matter what. Is it Grandma's Famous mashed potatoes? Buttermilk biscuits or green bean casserole?  I would like to hear!!

The Marathon - A VERY humbling and painful experience

Well, my marathon is complete, finished, and done.  This one was a definite learning experience for me.  I had more issues in this race than my first marathon in April.  I could go on and on with excuse after excuse of what went wrong, but the main point is that I finished and finished without injuring myself and for that I am happy.  I felt I trained enough to do the race, but it all goes to show that on any given day, something unexpected can go wrong.  That's just what happened, something unexpected happened.

For those of you who are interested in the details, I will be brief.  I have a problem during long runs where about mile 17-19, I have some kind pain pulling on or near my groin muscle that feels like I am repeatedly getting hit in the family jewels.  Well, I can usually stand the pain long enough to finish the remaining mileage, but on Sunday, I started to feel the pulling about mile 9.  Anyway, I pushed through it, slowed down a little to decrease the pain, and carried on until cramping hit me at mile 25 (yes better than mile 24 last time!). I stretched until the cramping had left enough to run, and then ran the rest of the way into the finish. Anyway, it's just something I need to figure out how to get past, but I ended up finishing about 15 minutes slower than my last marathon at around 4 hours and 32 minutes.  Although I was not happy with my time, I was certainly glad that I could to push through and finish strong. 

When things go a little weird during a race, I have always been told to look back at my training.  What were my long runs like, how fast were my tempo runs, did I do enough speedwork?  Those are questions that I immediately started asking myself after I finished the race.  During this training, due to time conflicts, I tended to break up a lot of my long runs into two seprate runs in the same day.  Yes, I did a couple of long runs straight through, but obviously not enough.  Also, maybe I needed to run longer tempo runs than what I did during training.  Lastly, I could have probably done more speedwork during my training.  There is always something to learn from any race, especially the ones that don't go so well.

So now, other than the Thanksgiving 5K race, I am officially done for the year 2012.  I am excited that the fall/winter season is here so I can get more into the gym, the pool, and on my bike trainer so I can get stronger, faster, and most of all, just a little wiser than this year.

Like I always have said, I started doing this exercise thing because I had hoped to lose some weight, but I really found something I truly enjoy doing.  I enjoy pushing and testing myself to see what else I can do.  I am not an expert at weight loss, exercise, triathlons, running, biking or really anything, I just like doing it all. 

With that said, if anyone has any advice they wish to share, please feel free.  I am also looking to fill my racing schedule for next year, so if anyone has suggestions or would care to share their racing, weight loss, or exercise experiences, I would really enjoy hearing them!!

Starting to finish up 2012, getting ready for the off-season, but always, painfully or not, still running...

What is your Reason for Running?

For the first time ever, I got a chance to see the Rocky Mountains.  I went to Boulder Colorado for work last week. Yeah, I know poor Jason, had to go to Boulder, Colorado at the end of September.  Haha, but trust me, I am not complaining one single bit.  I had a chance to go to the Triathlon/Cycling/Running/Endurance Training capitol of the US.  I mean, i got to run in places that Craig Alexander, Greg Bennet, and hundreds of other professional athletes have probably run before.  Sorry, I was "geeking" there for a minute, but its true, Boulder Colorado is definitely a special place.

Well, I will tell you, it was everything I imagined.  There were cyclists and runners everywhere.  I will
say it was hard to stay focused on work while there.  It seemed as though every time I turned around, there was a running trail, bike lane, or something that was calling my name.  But, I stayed true to my work and focused in and got the job done (with plenty of time to spare for running!!).  I got a chance to run an evening run with Boulder Running Company. I ended up getting lost with some other runners and turned a simple 7 miles run into an almost 14 mile run.  I got to run through the University of Colorado Campus, so no regrets on getting lost at all.  I ran to the Newton Running store with the hopes to meet Danny Abshire (founder) again.  I met him once at the Bluegrass Half Marathon that I volunteered for.  I didn't get to meet him, but I went to the store just to say I had been there. 

I also ran a couple of trails in the base of the foothills.  It was awesome, but what I didn't expect was a warning sign for mountain lions and bears in the area.  This Kentucky/Georgia transplant is not really used to going to parks and seeing warning signs for Mountain Lions. Sure made me look at the area I was running in.  haha.  Also, made me nervous a couple of times when people were running the opposite way on the trails and a very fast pace.  I had hoped they were just doing a training run.  The thing that really made me chuckle was the last tip for what to do when a mountain lion attacks you.  The sign said to "fight back."  Are you serious? No, I think a better idea would be to just let him chew on my leg a little and not do a thing about it.  He a example of the sign I saw. One word - Awesome!!

It was a great experience, but I did have to do work, so it wasn't all about fun and games. Great place and would love to go again and see more and of course, run more.  Here are a few photos I took while out there. Apparently, one of the first snowfalls occured at higher elevations while I was there.  Really cool seeing this kind of stuff for the first time!

Well, after I got back from Colorado, I had about three weeks to finish up my training to get ready for this Sunday.  Yes, this Sunday, October 21st, is my second marathon, the Columbus, Ohio Marathon! I am nervous about the marathon, maybe even more than my first one.  I think the nerves come from knowing what may happen in the last few miles of it. 

Just to bring everyone up to speed, my first marathon was great and I was so close to getting in under that 4 hour time, but at mile 24, my leg seized up and I had to walk and stretch for almost a mile which pushed me over the 4 hour time.  I was excited to say I finished a marathon, but on the other hand, I really wanted to finish under 4 hours.  It's just one of my many goals. Hopefully I have done enough training to get under 4 hours and achieve another one of my goals.  Either way, I will still be happy to say that I finished two marathons in year! 

Well, like I said, the marathon is less than a week away.  I am getting nervous and very antsy because i am tapering my running volume in prep for this weekend.  It's hard and I am definitely not used to having to taper for more than a week, but I have been told that it WILL help.

A couple of weeks ago, I sat down at my computer and watched the Chicago Marathon.  It was the marathon that I originally wanted to do, but because it was just too expensive to swing this year, I had to move to something closer to home. Well, it was amazing seeing the elites, age groupers, and charity runners run the race.  I knew of a few people who ran the race and I hope they had a great time.  I am sure they did.  There is really no way to run a marathon, finish it, and feel badly about it.  Sure, you may not finish in the time you wanted, but when you run a marathon, you are doing it for more than just a time on a clock.  Elite runners do it to support their families, age groupers may do it to stay in shape or to check off a "bucket list" item.  Charity runners may do it for a passed away friend or family member, a sick child, to raise money to fight a disease, or something else. Either way, time is not the entire reason a person runs a marathon, there just is too much training, dedication, and commitment to let that alone be the reason for doing it. 

As I said before, I am not just looking for a time under 4 hours, I am looking for more.  I am looking to see what I am made of; if I can do it one more time.  I am also doing it for my family. When I was in high school, my father had cancer in one of his vocal chords and had to have it removed, he has been cancer free for years!! Recently though, my mother was diagnosed this year with Breast Cancer (her Fourth Cancer) and she had to have a complete double mastectomy.  Also, during the surgery, the doctor's found the cancer had spread to one side of her lymph nodes. They ended up removing the lymph system on her right side. Since then, she has been going through chemotherapy and even had two more rounds of chemo added on to her initial chemo plan.  She has been the sickest I have every seen her and she even lost her hair and voice for a period of time. There were times she wanted to give up and I asked her not to.  She has never given up and still hasn't.  So she has finished the chemo treatment and has her scan this Wednesday, October 17th to see if the treatment took care of the cancer this time. Regardless of the outcome, she has been diagnosed with cancer four times and never given up.  To me that is strength, absolute strength.  If my parents can fight cancer and essentially fight for their lives, surely I can run a 26.2 mile race in their Honor. So that is another reason I run and why I run a marathon, for my parents, from which I know what true STRENGTH is. And at this marathon, I will be wearing the pink ribbon for my mother and also my dad and the millions before them that have fought cancer.

Another reason I run the marathon is pretty simple. I want my kids to say that their dad has run not one marathon, but two, and next year, maybe they will be able to say three and four.  I remember the look on my kid's eyes when I couldn't even fit in an amusement park ride two years ago. It was not a sight that I ever want to see again.  It was the look of surprise and disappointment that I was asked to step off the ride.  It wasn't the embarrassment from others looking at me that helped fuel my weight loss, it was the embarrassment that I felt that I put on my kids.  They didn't have a choice of who their Dad was, only I did.  I knew I had to change, not just for myself, but for my kids.  So, running a marathon, and pushing myself to finish at whatever time I finish, doesn't concern me as much as seeing the reaction of my family when they know that their Dad just did something that not everyone can or will do.

So there, those are the reasons for my motivation for getting up everyday and training and losing weight and just trying to become a better person.  I know I am not the best Dad in the world, or the most in shape, or even the best person in the world, but I am trying to take it one day at a time.  I guess being a better "me" is kind of like a marathon; you just take it one step at a time, you put just one foot in front of the other.

This journey I am am on seems to be focused around me realizing that I have a life and want to make it the best that I possibly can. 

It took weight loss to realize that I have a great family and great friends, and it makes me happy that I now am starting to realize how important those are in my life.

Thanks to all who have supported me thus far and those who continue to support me everyday.

Just humbled, not running, just humbled...

What is with this Training?

Yep, you guessed it.  Still training for the Columbus Marathon! It seems harder this time to get into a groove and it has me asking myself "what is with this training?"  It seems like the days I run, I have to be more concerned with hydration and humidity readings than how long or fast my runs are.  When training for the Louisville Derby Marathon, I didn't really have to worry hydration or humidity because I trained during the mild winter of 2011-2012.  All I really had to focus on was getting stronger and gaining endurance. Now, all I can think of is c'mon Fall 2012, because I am tired of finishing runs where I sweat so much it looks like I just got finished swimming with all my clothes on. Anyone know any tips for dealing with humidity and not letting it affect your running during long endurance runs?  If so, I would greatly appreciate any advice or information.

Yes, as you guessed, I sweat a lot and it doesn't matter what time of day, as long as the humidity is high, I am always sweating my butt off (literally).  Anyway, I know towards the end of the Winter, I will be glad to see Spring and Summer 2013.  That s what is so mice about living in Kentucky, you actually do get to see all four seasons each year.  It seems this year though, Fall cannot get here fast enough.

It has been an extremely busy August and Spetember doesn't look like it will slow down much either.  Between training for Columbus, Work, and all my husbandly and fatherly duties, it looks like I have a full monthload of fun...and just think, it is only just a few more months until Christmas.  Awesome! (sarcasm, of course).  Other than the training, I did run a new 5K PR during the Midsummer's Night Run in Downtown Lexington, Ky.  I ran a 24:10 which was 2:16 better than the 5K I ran last November and about 12 minutes faster than the same race in 2011.  I wanted to break 24 minutes but I will just have to wait until later this year to try that. 

I also volunteered for the Louisville Ironman.  I will tell you, I had a blast! I was there about 16 hours and it seemed to fly by.  I met all kinds of people (even a pretty well known ultra marathoner!) that volunteered and the athletes were just amazing!  It really made me want to do an Ironman next year, but I know I will have to keep myself in check and just take it all in and decide with my head rather than the "fly by the seat of my pants" methodology.  I really enjoy triathlons, and I know I will do more, but I have come to realization that I really LOVE running and I may still do an Ironman next year or the year after that, I want to focus on trying to get the most out of my running. After all, running is what really helped me to lose the weight and that is important to me to keep doing it to maintain my goals. 

Another big moment for me this August was getting my braces off.  I have had my braces (for the 2nd time in my life) since I started this weight loss and it seemed like the turning of another chapter in my life of making myself a better "ME." I have attached before and after photos below so everyone could see the difference. I was really blown away at the difference, especially when looking at the photos side by side.
Even one photo (bottom left), I cannot even fit my head all the way in the picture because it was so big. Either way you look at it, neither of the photos are the prettiest pictures, but there is definitely a difference between the left and the right photos (besides the shirt - haha). One thing I noticed is that I don't always look like I am squinting as much (must have been the fat rolls weighing on my eyelids.)

Anyone have any races or events coming up? If so, I would really like to know what kind of training you are doing.

Also, for any readers out there that don't mind sharing some helpful hints or recipes on fruit smoothies.  As I have stated before, I really am not a fruit person, so the only real way I can eat fruit is by making a smoothie.  I have been using blueberries, strawberries, and bananas with orange juce since last year and I haven't tried anything else, so any ideas or recipes would be awesome!

Thanks everyone!

So anyway, I am still running, still training, and right now, sweating like crazy...

A Year in Retrospect

Well, it definitely has been a while since my last posting.  Hopefully everyone that reads my blog has enjoyed the heart of summer 2012.  The pools are open, roads are hot, and bike routes are endless in Kentucky right now.  Well, since my last posting I have been VERY busy with training, work, and just life in general.  Not to bore anyone with the work or general life part of things, I will elaborate on the past few races.

First was the Warrior Dash held in Lebanon, Kentucky.  Considering it was my first Mud/Obstacle Course run, I had no idea what to expect. Man, I was surprised! First of all, the run was a nice up and down cross-country type of trail and every 1/2 to 1/4 mile there was some sort of obstacle that included either running through tires, crawling through ditches, swimming in muddy creeks, jumping over logs, climbing cargo net ropes or walls, or just running down a zigzagging wooded trail, it was great!  I never really intended to do the race, but a woman at work told me she always wanted to do a race like that and didn’t know if she wanted to do it because she had no one to run with her. I quickly volunteered and the next thing I knew, I was registered for a Warrior Dash! Well, anyway, it was her very first race and what a way to start.  I stuck by her and we finished at the same time (well, actually she beat me by 0.01 sec).  I must say, had it not been for her wanting to do the race, I never would have done it. Thanks Sharon!! A lot of times, I hear people ask if you really do get muddy, and the answer is simply "Yes, Yes, and Yes Again!" Just to show you how muddy you can get, I have included a few pictures from that race.

Ok, my next race was o the Fourth of July and this race had a special meaning to me.  The race is called the Bluegrass 10,000 and it is the very first race that I ever participated.  It was, in some sense, the stepping stone for me last year, and I haven’t stopped since. Anyway, it is a 10km (approx. 6.2 miles) and my main goal was to stomp, no crush, my time from last year.  It's amazing because last year my goal was to run the entire race and not stop running.  It's amazing how much difference one year can make. 

On July 4th, 2011, I toed the starting line of the Bluegrass 10,000 alongside the walkers and little kids. I weighed approximately 295-300lbs and was really starting to feel good about running and even myself. I was scared that I bit off more than I could do for my first race and nervous about running the entire thing. I finished the race that day in 1:12:18, with one thing in my mind, "Do not stop running!!"  I had just run something that just six months before that, I wouldn’t have even watched on TV. I was proud of myself, and I really think that day gave me the ability and motivation to believe in myself.

Now, one year later on July 4th, 2012, I toed the starting line of the Bluegrass 10,000 near the front of the pack, alongside the runners. I weighed in roughly at 211 lbs. and felt nervous and once again, a little scared. However, this time, I had one thing in mind, last year’s time - 1:12:18.  I had to beat it, I knew I could, but didn’t just want to beat, I wanted to CRUSH IT! Within one year, I ran a couple 5Ks, a half marathon, a marathon, two triathlons, and an obstacle run.  I knew I had it in me, but still was nervous. This race meant a lot to me and it helped start everything I had become over the past year, so I had to give it a hell of a shot.  Well, as you might have guessed, I didn't cross the finish line at 1:11:00 or 1:10:00; I crossed it at 51:30.  I felt that I hadn't pushed enough but I still felt good about where I stood. I cut about 21 minutes from the same race one year ago! Again, I was happy, but mostly I was proud.  Of course, I didn't go home with an age group or overall award, and I doubt I ever will, but I went home with so much more, motivation and accomplishment.

The next event brings us to full circle and up-to-date with my last triathlon for the 2012 season.  It was named the Buckhead Border Challenge.  It was an Olympic distance triathlon and was essentially the same route (a couple little tweaks) as I raced the month before in the Southern Indiana Triathlon. The biggest difference in the route was that before, on my first open water swim, I swam in the Ohio River along the shoreline, but in this event, I had to swim across the damn river!! Ok, so needless to say, with how I feel about swimming (see multiple, multiple previous posts), I wasn't looking forward to that. Well, I will make this short or else this post will turn into a book, and no one needs that.

First of all, the morning of the race, I woke up at 4am to a text from the race stating that the bacteria in the water of the Ohio River was higher than normal and that triathletes were welcome to switch to a duathlon rather than have to swim in the river.  Of course, as you guessed, I took a deep breath and packed my swim cap and goggles to take with me that morning because I am crazy and was going to swim anyway.  Well, apparently I wasn't the only crazy person, because there were many more that decided to swim that day.

Well, if you read my previous post, my first open water swim wasn't the best it could have been, I got kicked in the chest and hit in the shoulder and swam from boat dock to boat dock just to stop from snapping due to anxiety in the water.  Well, I will tell you, it's amazing what you learn in just one event.  My swim wave was directed to get into the water which I nervously did, but this time, instead of treading water and staying close to the back of the pack, I hung on to the boat dock until the horn sounded and even then I counted to ten to let everyone go ahead, and then I went. I got out of the water without having to stop, without really freaking out, and without much more than some extra bacteria that day. I would later find out, I was out of the water a full 12 minutes faster than the month before!

Next, came the bike; I hopped on proceeded down essentially the same route as before, but they changed the route to a slightly flatter and faster route than in the Southern Indiana Triathlon.  I got off the bike later to find out that I had averaged approximately 24.5 mph compared to last month's 20.5 mph average.  Now came the run, I was especially nervous about the run because the previous month, I actually had to walk a little just to try to get my legs back from being on the bike.  Not this time though. I finished strong and although not at a blistering pace of around 9 min per mile.

After all was said and done, I finished the same distance, understanding the bike route wasn't as hilly; I finished approximately 22 minutes faster than the triathlon just one month before.  I was pleased and it was a good way to finish off my first triathlon season.

Now, you may ask why I decided to end my triathlon season right in the heart of the summer. Well, that is because I am starting to gear up for my final event of the season. I had originally hoped to run the Chicago Marathon in the first week of October but finances and poor planning on my part didn't allow things to work out that way.  Well, I still wanted to run (or should I say attempt) one more marathon this year and through the recommendation of a couple of friends, I decided to run the Columbus Ohio Marathon on October 21st, 2012!  I have already registered and have signed up for a pace group (hopefully this time I can keep up past mile 18).  Anyway, I am in full training mode and need to have more focus on endurance running rather than just endurance training for triathlons.  I will still get workouts on the bike and spinning classes and yes, I will even still do swimming because all are GREAT exercises to build endurance in any sport, but I need to focus on speed work, tempo running, and long distance running.

I don't know how I will feel after this marathon, but I know I LOVE running.  It's what started me believing in myself and it’s the only place that I can be by myself and even within myself. I get more satisfaction from a difficult, hot run, than any mile long swim, or 30, 40, or 50 mile bike ride. We all have something that we enjoy doing more than others, and for me, it is running. I have done three triathlons to one marathon, and I can say while triathlons are mentally and physically challenging, the marathon was the most physically challenging. Now, don't get me wrong, I haven't competed in a half or full ironman and I am sure that those are even more physically challenging, but for me, the marathon gave me the best feeling of accomplishment so far.  Now I plan to do an Ironman and a half-Ironman next year, so my tune may change a little, but I also plan to do two more marathons and maybe even an ultra next year too. Anyway, there is more to come, much, much more!!

Writing in this blog and thinking about how this all began for me with just a simple New Year’s Resolution, I have found that sometimes the event that you are training for sometimes gets to be the only reason why you go and run, bike, swim, or exercise, but running the Bluegrass 10,000 for a second time and seeing how things have changed for me over the past year; it helped me remember what it is really all about.  It's not about how many miles you can run or how far fast you can pedal a bike, what the pace that your GPS watch says, or even how fast your 400 meter swim time is; it’s about being "able" to do it. Over a year ago, I wasn’t "able" to do it, and now I am. That's really why I started on this crazy journey; I started on this journey because I wanted to lose weight and get healthy, well, I think I can say I am accomplishing that, but now I need to remember that I never want to go back, never...

So while I sit here writing in this blog, I think about how much my life has changed. I think about where I would be if I had never decided to do this, if I never lost a pound.  Would I be happy, would I be over 400 lbs.?  The answer is I really don’t care anymore.  I am where I am because I made a decision for myself and in the end, that’s all we have, that’s what makes up our lives, the decisions we make throughout, and for me, this is one of mine…

Living and loving life, no longer dictated by the size of my waistline, but by the motivation that lies within, but of course… Always running