It was over four months ago that I began my most recent battle of the bulge. First, it was a wager among friends as to who could lose the most weight in a month. I won (though I have yet to cash in my prize – dinner on them). Then, a slightly larger competition amongst other blogging types, Biggest Loser rules (% of weight lost in 6 weeks). I came in second.
And then, in October, I became a Shredhead. In addition to the ass-kicking provided by Jillian, I found a great support system via Twitter, and that has really helped carry me and push me throughout the fall. Exercise became a routine. Weekly weight loss became the norm. If it weren’t for that pesky 2 weeks in Chicago, I might have even made my weight loss goal (I’m close, just a few weeks later than I hoped).
I’ve started to get into a rut, though. A little bored with my exercise routine. A lot of Shredheads, I noticed, took up running. Oy, running. I have always hated it. I have always sucked at it. I’ve even tried the Couch-to-5K (C25K) program once or twice, and failed miserably. I’m not sure I made it to the second week.
But that Jillian, she gets into your head. While still overweight, I’m getting a lot more fit. I started to think about running again. A 5K is 3.1 miles. I can do that. I can do that. So I decided to shake it up and do the C25K again. Treadmill, this time, to control my pace. Not that I planned on becoming a runner, but more as a straight physical accomplishment. Something I should be able to do. Something I will do.
Well, I don’t know about you, but I do better if I have a goal in mind. A fixed point towards which to move. Clearly, I need a race. One in the vicinity of the end of this training program. Except, well, how many 5Ks are there in Massachusetts in March? Seriously, it could be 75 or it could be a blizzard, there’s just no telling.
Enter the Shredheads, several of whom are running the Disney Princess Half Marathon in March. In Orlando. Oh… would you look at that… there’s also a 5K as a part of those festivities! Florida in March is nice, not cold but not too warm…. And would you believe it, kids under 3 don’t need a ticket to get into the parks…?
Last night, I signed up.
I don’t yet know how exactly we’re getting there, where we’ll stay, or any of those other pesky details.
But I signed up for a 5K. In Disney World. On March 6. Nine weeks from today.
I’m on week 4 of C25K, and that five whole minutes of running is kicking my ass. Did I mention that there was ONE time, in high school, that I ran a whole mile? ONE TIME. EVER.
I have lost my mind. But, hey, I’ve also lost nearly all of my baby weight. Might be an acceptable trade off.
Proud of you, Dudette. This is very hard work. Can’t wait to see pics of you crossing that finish line!!
.-= Emily´s last blog ..Words =-.
Liz, that is wonderful! Really, really wonderful! I am so glad for you that you are reaching your goals-how satisfying that must be!
My mom gave me the Shred dvd tonight (we celebrated a belated Christmas with them) and she said she has been using it for a month and really has noticed a difference. Can’t say that I am anxious to try it, but I am glad to have it in my arsenal!
Well done, and keep going!
Congratulations, Liz — that’s awesome!
I’m going to have to take a look at the C25K plan — sounds interesting!
I think it’s awesome! Are you going to wear a tiara or a princess costume? Now that would be crazy!
Hopefully you will enjoy running at some point. I always hated running, I mean ALWAYS hated it even though I was in sports my entire life. Playing tennis and volleyball meant I could exercise without long runs. But the first time I hit a runner’s high, I was hooked.
I think running is about 90% mental and your attitude is going to get you there!
.-= LauraC´s last blog ..Good bye 2009 =-.
HA! What a wonderful idea! I joined the cross country team in college (small liberal arts college desperate for participants) and did something very similar!! Before I knew it I was buying special running shoes and getting up at 5 AM to run before classes…followed by icing down my shin splints! Granted I was essentially the RUDY of the team…always last!! But I made it. At our first race, my sole goal was not to be last…and I was so amped up on adrenaline that I made somewhere in the lower 1/3
Our new house is located on a really popular running route…and even now with snow coming down I see runners passing by (I am still in my PJs and drinking coffee)…I call them “fitness freaks” but secretly I would love to be back in that kind of shape again!! Go You!
.-= Kristen´s last blog ..What’s new with you…?? =-.
I think t’s great. I really want to try the whole CT5K. Maybe I’ll get there.
.-= Amy´s last blog ..Our 2009 In Review =-.
YOU GO GIRL!!! That’s awesome
.-= Nancy´s last blog ..Saturday Snapshot: Jump on In =-.
I think it’s aweseome! My SIL did the Goofy Challenge a few years ago – a full marathon on one day & a 1/2 marathon on the second.
We did Disney when the kids were just shy of their 3rd birthday. They can also EAT off your plate – even in the buffet places. So, it makes those “Princess lunches” an ok deal. They are running some deals right now where you get a Visa gift card if you stay on property.
.-= Stacy´s last blog ..Morganism =-.
you go liz! what better goal than to accomplish your first 5k in the land where anything is possible and dreams come true!
Omigosh, Goddess! You GO! Can hardly wait to see the blog post that follows that accomplishment!
.-= Cheryl´s last blog ..Makes My Monday: Pageant Postponed =-.
Talk about a Goddess in Progress! What an apt title for this blog. You can do it! Do it for me, because I still have a hard time walking across the living room most days. I’ll cheer you on from the sidelines.
.-= threeundertwo´s last blog ..Makes My Monday: New Beginnings =-.
Good for you! I’ve never considered myself a real runner, but I ran the 3.5-mile Chase Corporate Challenge last May and was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. You’ll be running in a setting you love, and you might be surprised by how inspiring it can be to run with a bunch of other people.
I think it’s great that you did it! You’re clearly determined to keep going with your exercise and weight loss goals, and I often find that a goal or a reward (Disney should satisfy both of those, right?) can be great for providing new motivation when you start feeling stuck in an exercise/diet rut.
I so wish I could swing a trip to Disney in March, but it’s just not happening. However you have definitely put the 5K bug in my head and I may look into something more local this coming spring/summer. Thanks for the inspiration!
.-= reanbean´s last blog ..A Healthier Me =-.
Congrats on taking the first step! I wish you lots of luck! I need to work on getting back into shape too.
.-= Heather´s last blog ..The Joy of Cooking =-.
I admire you for lots of things, but this? This change in attitude about yourself and what you are capable of is the thing about you I admire the most
I started running almost 10 years ago and it started when I was walking at the gym on the treadmill. I was walking so fast I wondered if I could run, so I glanced around to see who could see me and with no one looking, I started to run. I didn’t go far, but I did it again the next day, and the next. I thought I would cough up a lung each time I ran, and I clearly remember the moment when I was breathing hard, red-faced, and was about to stop when all-of-a-sudden I was able to breath–easily while I continued to run. I was hooked after that. I realized all that wheezing and sputtering actually goes away and you can relax and run after the initial 10 minutes or so.
I have no doubt you will be well prepared to run a 5k by March, and if you want to do more, there will be tons of races in your area to do in the warmer months. You just might get hooked because the endorphins released by running are pretty special and you always want more of them
i made it exactly 7 days on the shred and then i died…in fact the ghost of someone who used to eat cookies and be fat is actually typing this since jillian michaels killed her
That is awesome! I haven’t been doing any running lately – so jealous of Disney in March too!!!!!
.-= Sarah´s last blog ..Anna’s Baby =-.
You can so do this Goddess! And the Disney World part is just the icing on the cake. Way back when my boyfriend at the time (now my hubby), said to me, ‘ANYONE can run a mile’. Just one mile. Okay, there are of course some exceptions to this…but for whatever reason it clicked for me. And, you know what? Once you do a mile, it’s not so hard…
[...] treadmill workouts than I’d ever expected. And lately, I’ve felt so inspired by others (here, here, here, here, and here) who’ve set and or accomplished running goals, that I felt the [...]
Fellow Loser Mom catching up! Your side by side pictures are amazing! And I just finished week 1 of Couch to 5 K! I’ve never liked running, never been a runner, but my SIL challenged me to a race in April and darnit I am going to DO IT. I won’t win, and I might come in last, but I will run it!
Good for you! I would totally love to do the Disney one, except none of my kids are under 3! It would be the most expensive 5K on earth!
Awesome progress!! You inspire me. (I may even go take my own “before” picture.)
.-= Sue @ Laundry for Six´s last blog ..brilliant or crazy, you get to decide! =-.