Tonight I wait

Tomorrow is the 1st of April - or otherwise known, as the day I found out whether or not I got into the Nike Women's Marathon to be run October 19th in San Francisco.

The event is so popular that entry into the race will be determined by a random lottery. According to the Nike website over 30,000 people entered the lottery. Unfortunately, there are only spots for 20,000 people in the race. This, if I get in (oh pretty please can't someone just let me in!) will be my first road race. And I have to say it just boggles my mind that so many people are willing to fly to San Francisco, pay for a hotel, and volunteer (even pay!) to run many kilometers. One thing is for sure, runners are a strange breed!

I have to admit I'm really hoping to get into this race; it is just the motivation I need to train myself to my ideal weight/fitness/shape just in time for my 28th birthday on November 15th (approximately a month after the race).

Here's to hoping! I'll let you know how it all turns out in the morning . . .

Joy

Why?

Yesterday I hit the gym and for the first time in a long time I ran 10km.
In the past two months I've lost 17lbs.
Yesterday I weighed myself and lost 2 more lbs since the previous time I'd weighed in.
I've been eating healthy.
This week I realized that I've sufficiently changed my body and as a result I can now wear a strapless dress.
I've been eating well.
I feel good.

And today..........today..........a very dear person in my life flies back into the city after a very long absence.

Today is just one of those days when the sun shines a little brighter, my steps are a little springier, and life is just that much better!

It's like they took my crack away!

Today I went to go get ready for a run on the treadmill at my gym, when lo-and-behold......my trusty Nike+ system could not find my sensor.

Nooooooooooo.........I knew what this meant. My iPod had warned me last week that I should replace my sensor soon. But I decided to take my chances and ignore the warning. And so this morning I found myself without my Nike+ system.

How was I to run without Lance's voice congratulating me on achieving new records at the end of my run? How about my obsessive need to press the center button and get updated stats (including my pace and distance completed)? And how was I to make it through the hard parts of my run without my trusted power song (a song I pre-select to motivate me that can be accessed at any point)? It was rough boys and girls. It was rough.

And that's when I realized something - taking my Nike+ system away is like taking away my crack (or something akin to that).

Now if you excuse me I have to go hound Apple to send me a replacement sensor lest I perish in it's absence.


NOTE: picture credit to culture buzz

The Measure of Success - my way

This weekend I went shopping for jeans. Previously this had been a horrible experience that I completely dreaded. Not anymore!

For starters I had to take a gajillion (yes, that's a word) jeans in the change room with me because I no longer know what size I am in anything. In fact I'm convinced my suits for work are about 6 sizes too big. Not cute - frankly I think I look like a bit of a hobo.

The same could be said for my jeans. Up until this weekend they were ridiculously saggy in the butt region. Surely, I decided, I was small enough to fit into tight fitting jeans that were flattering to my figure (including the buttocular area)!

Instantly I started trying jeans on, And to my delight I discovered that I had to keep on trying smaller jeans. It was brilliant! If ever retail therapy offered anyone a boost in self-esteem, it was this past Saturday at my local mall.

Eventually I discovered my new size. When I first started working out I was a size 16 (border line plus size - eeek!). Eventually I dropped down to a 14 and just before Christmas I would say I was a size 12. Over the Holidays I purchased a size 10 pair but I was aware that it was a generous cut (as I was reminded when I went to my local American Eagle and discovered that I couldn't fit into their size 10). Now I know my size.............I purchased a size 28 Guess jeans in a low-cut that was flattering (and a size 8 jeans at American Eagle). Something even months ago I would have never imagined wearing!

These are the first pairs of really great jeans I've owned in my adult life. First non-saggy butt jeans I daresay. And I'm thrilled - so much so that I have to admit I have an urge to admire myself in every reflection! lol That will pass - but for now it's pretty awesome!

Note: Picture courtesy of the Guess website

Goals - Including a before and after

Quite a few moons ago I was a big girl. Not anymore though - not anymore! :o) Today's post is all about celebrating a milestone for me. Several years ago I had allowed my health to spiral somewhat out of control - and somehow I got up to 215lbs. Clearly something had to be done about it......so I started working out. And now I look way different!

But in order for you to appreciate how far I've come (60lbs!!!!!) I think you need to see a before and after.

Let's start with my horrifying before, shall we? It's traumatizing to be sure but it's the way I USED to look. And thankfully not the way I look today. Hence the before and after. But enough delaying the horror.....here is my before:

I am the rather large girl at the very front of the group. Sure this is a particularly unflattering outfit but this doesn't change the fact that I let myself get to be a big girl. Not that it was completely my fault - I ended up that way after some illnesses and really rough times. But whatever caused me to get there the fact remains that I was big. Bigger than I ever wanted to be.

And so it was that when I was about to turn 25 I decided it was time to start loosing weight. And now (several years later) I'm 60lbs lighter. And instead of looking big - I look something like this:

And now instead of being the big girl in the group, I'm the rather normal looking girl on the left. I daresay I feel proud! REALLY proud!!!

Now that I'm what I originally thought my goal weight would be I've turned my mind to something else. My next big challenge! I need to keep myself going so I've entered the lottery to run the Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco on October 19th, 2008. I would run the half (not the full - I'm crazy but not that crazy) and would somehow find a way to get myself to San Francisco that weekend.

Crazy huh? Yeah, but I love the thought of it. I relish it even. Too bad the event is so popular that entrance is by lottery. I won't know until April 1st if I got in. But here's to hoping!

And in the meantime I'm going to relish my weight-loss a little more!!! :o)