I Am a 5k Runner! A week of firsts.

I did it! I ran it! I have worked hard over the last year to be able to run a whole 5k without stopping. You all may or may not remember that I had a specific 5k I wanted to run without stopping. My tiny tot has Down syndrome and our wonderful support group puts on a 5k to raise funds for all of the wonderful things they do for us. This group sponsors families to go to the National Congress, National Buddy Walk, seminars, and they hold parent education sessions, maintain a lending library, among other things. We do everything we can to help raise money.

Last year when I started running, I did so with the intention of being able to run this race nonstop. I began by using the C25K app by Zen Labs! When I started the app, I couldn't even complete Day 1. I needed a Bed to Couch app, or something hahaha. Eventually I could run 8x 1 minute. Then I could run 1.5 minutes, and 5 minutes, and so forth. I repeated weeks. I stopped and started over. I went back a week or two after not running for a week or so. I battled injuries. I just kept trying.

I learned a good pair of running shoes is cheaper than physical therapy. I learned that fit is more important than thin. Full disclosure, I weigh more than I did three months ago, but my size is the same. Muscle weighs more than fat inch for inch.

Saturday was the 3.21 Dash for Down Syndrome.  I had never run 3.1 miles non stop. I am not sure that I had done 2 full miles, as I run REALLY slowly. #teamturtle is real! I started running and did not stop. I ran until I crossed the first finish line. After the traditional 3.1 miles, there was an extra .11 mile run for that little something extra that our friends with Down syndrome have. 3 copies of the 21st chromosome 3.21. I ran to the second finish line. I am pretty sure I was dying by the time I finished, but I did it. I felt like I was dying at least. I really wasn't. I was cold, and proud.  I ran in the coldest run of my life. It wasn't the fastest, but I don't care. The week before, I did a faster 5k, but I walked a little. I purposely slowed my pace this week. I wanted to finish without walking. I did. I cannot be prouder.

I have to say that I am also proud of my son. He ran the same race and came in second in his age group! He rocked it for his sister!

I did another thing this week. I got my first tattoo. It is also to honor my sassy pants. It is called the lucky few tattoo. The tattoo consists of 3 arrows, my middle arrow is blue and yellow for Down syndrome. I am lucky that sassy pants calls me mom! Or my my mamamama as it may be. My husband also got the same tattoo. We love our girl!

Thank You to My Motivators

The other day I was talking to a friend of mine. She too has been on a journey to get healthier. She told me that she was super proud of me, but what she didn't know, at that time, that she was my inspiration.

Sometimes we watch others and we want to do well, too. We don't always tell those people that they were an influence. It's not easy to express gratitude. I am eternally grateful to the three influences who have inspired me to be a better me.

First, I want to thank my mom! If you know me personally, and have known me since elementary/ middle school, you know my mom used to be significantly overweight. Now, I was a kid, so I don't know what her weight was or what her "obesity" category was, but I know she was heavy. When I was in the 7th grade, my mom was a "resolutioner" and succeeded. She started to lose weight in January of my 7th grade year. By September, she had met her goal weight. I was 12 in January of 1991. I will be 40 this March. My mom is still at an optimal weight. As  a matter of fact, at a recent doctor's visit she was told her BMI was perfect. Now, don't put too much stock in BMI, but it is fairly accurate for her. She is average height and medium build. The chart was designed for people of her height and frame. Twenty-eight years, y'all! She is an inspiration. She is my mom; she taught me about life; if she can, I can.

Second, there is my sister. Lots of family influence here. Last year she completed my goal 5K. She didn't run it. She walked and ran some. She did fantastic! She completed a 5K with little to no training. She did it for my tiny one. I can't remember if I have mentioned it before but the littlest one has Down syndrome. She is amazing in and of herself, but that's for another post. The 5K that my sister completed raises funds for Little Got to Eat's Down syndrome group locally. She did it without fanfare and just because it benefits Little. When she told me, after she finished, that she did it, I was amaze, proud, and inspired. I knew that I had to do it for Little too. I knew that if she could, I could. I didn't think this because I am better than her, but because we were both out of shape, and she was no more of an athlete than I was. Surely if she could put her fears and insecurities aside for my daughter, I could too. I had, though, begun a journey of weight loss at this point and was feeling great. I had more energy and was looking for a way to exercise. I was trying to find something that I would enjoy and not give up. I decided I would run the entire 5K. For Little. Next year (oh my! it is next year). I actually enjoy running. I never would've tried it if Sister Got to Eat had not stepped outside her comfort zone first.

Last, but certainly not least, is the friend I was telling you about in the beginning of this post! Friend Got to Eat was eating a low carb diet last year and doing great. My dad had a recent high A1C and I was scared I was next. She was eating great and working out. I saw her and her progress and wanted in on the action! Without her inspiration, I would still be fat and sassy. Now, I am just sassy. Hahaha. She is an amazing mom to two beautiful girls, and she is a great friend. She is always there with an encouraging word, and she is my friend. I am very lucky. She would post recipes, gym tips, and general low carb information. I knew that if she could do it, I could too. Again, I don't think I am better, but we have similar home situations. Both of us have a small child and a school age one, recent marriages (I have been married 4 years now, but that's no time at all), and have busy schedules. If she could find a way, then, yes, I could too. I watched her in awe for a little bit, and then I jumped on in. A year later and I am almost at goal weight. This has been my goal weight for almost 20 years. Thank you dear friend. You may have saved my life. Without you, I wouldn't have lost the weight, felt good enough to run, or had the confidence to try any of it. You are amazing my dear friend.

I want to thank these three ladies. I have had other influences and supporters, and will blog about them soon, but today is a special thank you to my friends and family to whom I owe the most gratitude. I love you all.

***I didn't use anyone's real name because I didn't tell them I was writing it. I may tag them when I link it to Facebook, but if you know me personally, you already know who they are.

Goals and dreams

I mentioned the other day that I don't want to set resolutions, since I seem to drop them all. I don't hate resolutioners, nor do I resent them. I just feel like we should make life changes as necessary. Don't get me wrong, I understand why people create resolutions. A new year signifies a new beginning. Starting fresh. Starting over. Lord Jesus, I have started over 1,235,939 times. I just don't see to have that "resolution function" turned on in my brain. I cannot view it as a New Year's Resolution. I think part of it, for me, at least, is that I see each new year as a new beginning again. A 2018 resolution to do something is just for that year. I want to make permanent changes. I want to set goals, not chase dreams.

A goal is something that is attainable and may have smaller goals to reach before ultimately reaching the end goal. Take my weight loss adventure, for instance. I ultimately had the goal to lose 77.5 pounds. I knew that I did not gain that 77.5 overnight. I knew that it would take time to reach that goal. My first goal was to try to maintain my new way of eating for a month. Simple recipes only. My next goal was to incorporate more foods. Then, I wanted to begin exercising. I didn't know what or how, but I knew I had more energy and needed to work it out somehow. Notice, none of these goals had hard and fast timelines other than maintaining my new habit for a month. Why a month? Years ago I read something that said if you could do something for 3 weeks (21 days exactly) you could do it basically forever. A month would provide that 21 days and then some. I didn't start out with a goal to run a marathon. That would be stupid. I can't even run a mile yet. Well, I can, I think, but not when the goal of exercising started. Then I found couch 2 5k. There are a million C25K apps out there so, I picked the one I liked the functionality of. The basic premise of C25k is the same everywhere, so the timing doesn't matter. Sometimes, I fail at a goal. What I realize, now, is that I set a goal too soon or too high. Mostly too soon. I say too soon, because I would like to completely run a 5k already. I have had roadblocks to stop my progress, and I didn't consider the consequences when setting my goal. This semester is going to be particularly hard, but I am determined to make it. My husband is taking 20 credit hours and working, and I work,  chauffeur children, and do the mommy thing. Don't get me wrong. Mr. Got to Eat is a great dad and stepdad, but he's going to have to primarily focus on school from this coming Monday through the first week in May. Then he will graduate. That's his current life goal.

Here's the thing about goals. Each person has one or more. Each person has to find what they need to do in order to reach those goals. We are working it out so that he can reach his educational goals. We worked it out when I was working on BOTH of my masters. It's his turn. He was a great stepdad when I was busy with school things. It's my turn to repay him. Actually with my first masters, we'd just begun dating as I was in my final classes. He was super patient. He even encouraged my second masters. Set goals. Adapt them when you realize they were too lofty. Don't give up on goals because they are hard. Find what you need to do in order to achieve them. Only you can do that.

Dreams are another beast. Dreams are things that are sometimes unattainable. At almost 40, it is unreasonable for me to believe I will be an Olympic gymnast such as Mary Lou Retton or Nadia Comaneci. Yes, I could have said Simone Biles or Gabby Douglas, but they aren't my heroes. Mary Lou was the best in the history of the Olympics. I don't care what you say. Now, I could take up gymnastics and learn to flip and tumble, maybe even quite well. I am built like a gymnast. I may even do that one day, but I will never be them. First, there is only one Mary Lou. Second, I should've started about 35 years ago, and kept up with it, in order to achieve that. That doesn't mean that I am not capable of greatness. I am. I am just not capable of being an Olympic gymnast, and that's okay.

Are dreams useless? Nope. I want to be able to run a 5k. Then, maybe, a 10k. After that, maybe even a half marathon. All of that is useless, though, without goals. I first had to learn to run a minute without stopping. Then, I had to learn to run more and more. Qualifying for Boston would be a dream. It's not realistic. Running the Disney Princess Half Marathon, now that I may be able to work up to. Use your dreams to set goals. I would like to one day run a Disney half-marathon. I can't do it today, but I can start learning how today.

The best thing I can teach you is don't be afraid to fail. Don't be afraid to make choices. I made a choice to eat cheesecake, magic cookie bars, and pie at Christmas. Did it completely derail all of my progress? Nope, I gained 2 pounds. I also ate popcorn on New Year's Eve. Gained 2 pounds then too. Popcorn kills me. The salt makes me puff up like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. I love it though. I make choices to eat it on occasion. I know the consequences and what I have to do to reverse them. They don't destroy my whole goal, but they do make it take longer. Adjust your goals, but not too much. If you begin a new eating plan wanting to lose 100 pounds, and a year later you have to adjust that to 120 pounds, you're doing it wrong. If your goal is to lose it in 1 year and it takes 16 months, so what? Be human. Fall down. GET BACK UP. Set goals, reset goals, adjust goals, repeat.