January 2017 is Complete

Today is the last day of January and I have to admit that this month flew by. Looking back on the month I was amazed at what I had accomplished. 31 days in January and I completed 29 workouts. The three days that are highlighted were actual scheduled rest days. These three particular rest days were travel days for work My coach and I decided that it was best to rest on these particular travel days since I had so much going on.

This was a great start to 2017. I feel great and I look forward to my morning workouts...I know, who have I become?? When I finish my daily workout I feel like I can accomplish anything that day. By completing them in the morning, I let nothing get in my way. Those early morning hours are all about me and I decide how the day is going to go moving forward.

A friend of mine and I text each other early in the morning to get each other moving. It is a great way to be accountable for your workouts...no sleeping in if the other person is working out too. I will admit it isn't easy to get up early, when it is cold and dark outside. Often times we are up two hours before the sun even rises, asking ourselves why?? I answered that question recently with this ..."the things we do for greatness"!!

In a short period of time I have seen a difference in my abilities. I feel stronger and more confident in myself! Bring on February and let the journey continue!

6 Months and counting

6 months ago I had a procedure that changed my life and I will never look back. Every day is a new adventure and some are more fun than others. After having bariatic surgery, I learned very quickly there is nothing easy about this. I had to learn to eat and drink all over again. Although days were not always easy, I would not change my decision. As part of the post-op procedures, you have to learn to eat very slowly. If you eat too fast it can hurt and believe me that is not fun. Funny thing I discovered, when out in restaurants, the thing that makes people uncomfortable is when you put your fork down. You are not actually done with your meal but you are eating slowly. When restaurant staff see this, they think that something is wrong. You explain that everything is fine and that your dinner is great but you can see they are uncomfortable. Try putting your fork down and you will see it too!

Prior to the surgery I had three goals; get rid of my diabetic medication, lower my blood pressure and become a faster runner. So far so good. I have not taken any medication for my diabetes since July and my blood pressure is down. I am also happy to report that I have fallen in love with running again. I actually look forward to my workouts. And yes, I am a faster runner today...but I think I can get faster. This past Sunday I had a long run workout, 7 miles total. I wasn't feeling great and I had to push myself out the door. I started off slow but was determined to finish. when I checked my time and looked at my mileage, I ended up having negative splits! My second half of this run was faster than my first half. I have never accomplished that before!! That made my day!

I am not finished, I still have more miles to go on this journey but I am stronger and ready to face it all. Where will I be in another six months? Where will this journey take me?

Updated numbers:

Down 67 pounds
I have lost 70.6% of my body weight
112/68 blood pressure
90 - blood sugar level (fasting)

375 days ago...

I am sorry for the delay in posting again but I was traveling for work and was on the road for 9 days. Day one of this work roadshow, was Wednesday, January 4th and it was an anniversary. An anniversary that very few would even know was happening. Exactly one year earlier I had my first visit with the surgeon who did my bariatric surgery. I had agreed to make this visit and at least hear him out. As I had discussed in previous posts it was my diabetes coach that encouraged me to make this appointment. I can say that after the first visit I wasn't 100% convinced to have the surgery, not even close. However, I was convinced to at least do some more research.

Well in less than a week, I will be going back to see that same surgeon for my 6 month follow-up. In the last 6 months I have not regretted having the surgery once. And I can also say I have not regretted taking the time to do the research and question whether this surgery was right for me. I am not upset that it took me 5 months to make this decision to say yes to the surgery...since July 26th there has been no looking back ... only forward!

The following pictures were taken January 9th and 10th to commemorate the 1 year anniversary!!

January 9, 2017

January 10, 2017

January 10, 2017

Strength in 2017

Every year I put together my resolutions for the new year. And like many others, at the end of the year I look back on the things I didn’t achieve. Even though I did a lot this year, and made some major changes, I still didn’t do it all. When looking at my resolutions from last year I came up with a “word” and a “phrase” to follow for the year. My “word” was Balance and my “phrase” was medication free. Based on just the words, I think I accomplished a lot. I am medication free and although not perfect I have worked very hard at being balanced. 

So 2017…what will be my phrase and what will be my word to carry me through the year?? My phrase is “The Year of Mo”. This is not to be looked at as a self-centered phrase but instead an opportunity to remember to take care of myself. It is a phrase to use to continue what I started in 2016 but also a year to do so much of what I want to do and continue the things I didn’t accomplish in 2016. 

My word for 2017 is “Strength”. It took me several days and a few runs to decide on this one word. However, to me this one word is a combination of so many others. When I started this process of coming up with my word, I kept coming back to “Spirit Mind and Body”. Under each of these words I have things I would like to accomplish and if all stay in sync you can create BALANCE. When you are balanced you have good HEALTH. Good health leads to feeling STRONG and with this STRENGTH you can accomplish anything!

Tri-ing to continue the journey!  Happy New Year Everyone!!

PS:I am not listing my resolutions here but please know I have a list. And of course on the list is to be more committed to my strength training...no pun intended ;-)

Holiday Eating

I have found the last two days of my holiday break to be hard, when it comes to eating. I was prepared for Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas day. However, the last two days of eating out and having left overs and cookies everywhere have been tough.

I have not made the wisest of decisions when choosing meals. I thought I was doing ok but after wards I didn't feel well. I have eaten not because I was hungry but because it was in front of me. Which as we all know the absolute worst thing to do!

I haven't neglected my workouts, thank God, that has helped. In fact my run workouts have been long, fast and strong. Today I changed it up a bit and met a lifelong friend for a long 70 minute walk, in order to catch up with each other. I haven't even second guessed my workouts, they have come automatically. It's the eating where I have fallen...

I needed to write about it, in order to nip it in the butt! The mindless eating has scared me...I love the holidays but the amount of food is overwhelming!

Always an adventure on this new journey!  The running shoes are by the door and ready to be put in motion tomorrow morning!!

Merry Christmas!!

June 18th was the 6 month Anniversary of my niece's marriage. On June 18th I wore the dress on the left to her rehearsal dinner. When my niece commented on social media that she had already been married for 6 months I thought of that dress and what it would look like now?!?! So I got it out of the closet and tried it on. I am happy to say that it is huge on me now!

It hasn't even been 5 months since my surgery but I am seeing a such a change. Recently I went to dinner with some friends who I had not seen in quite some time and it took them a few minutes to recognize me. That is always fun. As I walk through this adventure, sometimes it is hard to the changes myself but it helps to see them through the expressions on the faces of friends.

Last night I went to dinner with another group of friends who have been so supportive of this entire journey. They were some of the first that I shared my decision with. I was excited to to be with them and to share my updates.

Just yesterday I stepped on the scale again and it had gone down. I am now down 63 pounds since July and a total of 90 pounds from my heaviest weight 2 1/2 years ago. I am only 20 pounds away from my goal weight! I feel great and I am so happy with my decision to have this surgery.

2016 has been quite the adventure. Some days have been overwhelming and even scary. However, I wouldn't change a thing. I was the person who needed to be convinced the most when making the decision to have the surgery. Not my friends or family, they saw this as the best decision I could have made and saw that it was important for me. So many days I still can't believe that I did it; that my clothes are getting smaller and more importantly that I am getting smaller. It wasn't an easy decision and neither has been the journey. However, through life, I have learned that taking the easy route isn't always the best way.

As we celebrate the Christmas holiday and the end of 2016 I look back and see this year as a new beginning! I am excited for what lies ahead in 2017!!

Merry Christmas everyone!!

It's A Wonderful Run!

Saturday afternoon I ran in the annual, It’s A Wonderful Run, in Seneca Falls, NY. It’s a play on words from the classic holiday movie, It’s A Wonderful Life. A wonderful story about George Baily a beloved man in the town of Bedford Falls, NY. Rumor has it that the man who wrote the story of It’s a Wonderful Life stopped through Seneca Falls, NY on his way to New York City and started writing the story after spending a few days. There are many similarities to the two towns and the people of Seneca Falls love this claim to fame. 

Seneca Falls is also home to the National Women’s Hall of Fame and is the home of the women’s suffragist movement. Something that is near and dear to my heart. A few years ago before the race a friend of mine and I arrived early so we could tour the Hall of Fame. Taking the tour and reading about some incredible women can empower you in so many ways…but I digress.

This past Saturday was the annual 5k which starts after sun down at 4:40 pm on the bridge, where George Baily jumped in the icy cold river to save Clarence. The only lights that guide you on the course are the street lamps and the holiday lights that decorate the homes along the course. The citizens of Seneca Falls come out and line the streets to cheer the runners as they pass by on the course. There are parties on front lawns with fire pits, music and fun. Everyone, runners and walkers included are having a great time.

This year Saturday was a very cold day with temperatures not even hitting 30 degrees. However, that didn’t stop over 4000 runners from wanting to run the 3.1-mile distance many dressed up in costume (I wore my usual running clothes, but did add a snowman headband to be festive. It has been four years since the last time I ran this race and this year I wasn’t going to miss it. As soon as I knew the date I marked it on my calendar, registered and made sure keep the weekend free (A special shout out and thank you to a few co-workers who traveled to some work events for me).

As I stated earlier I was one of 4058 runners who crossed the bridge to start the race. I recently checked out my official time and I was so excited. I finished the course in 35:48, which was four minutes faster than my time in 2012. I finished 1,842 overall which is in the top 45% of the running field. In my age group I finished 127 out of 291, which is the top 43.6% of that group. And finally out of the 2,558 women who completed the race I finished 1113^th which is the top 45.5% of the group.

To some this may not seem like a big deal but when I have finished dead last on some courses finishing in the top half of the field and feeling like I could keep running is incredible! Every day is a new adventure. This journey has not been easy but seeing these results it has been worth it!!