9 Months Ago

Nine months ago yesterday, on February 22, 2010, I started a journey that would change my life forever! I started the workout program called Insanity! I took before, during, and after pictures throughout the program. When I saw the before pictures, I could not believe I had let myself get to where I was. The first two pictures below were taken the morning I started Insanity. I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but at this point I didn't really care because I knew I needed to get healthy again! Here are my before pictures:

My starting weight was 168.5 pounds. My body fat percentage was 42%. My chest was 36 inches, my waist 39 inches, and my hips 42 inches. I was so disgusted and felt the same way! Insanity is a 60 day program (well, really 63 days) and I was amazed at how much my body changed in those 63 days! Below are my 63 day progress pictures, after one round of Insanity:

In just 63 days, I lost 9.5 pounds and went from 168.5 to 159 pounds. My body fat percentage decreased 5 percent, 42 percent to 37 percent. I lost 1 inch off my chest, 3.25 inches off my waist, and 1.75 inches off my hips! I was so happy with the results that I was seeing that I decided to put myself through another round of Insanity for even better results. So, I completed another 63 days of Insanity. Below are my results from round 2:

My starting weight for round 2 was 159 pounds. After two rounds of Insanity, I loved the person I was becoming. I was eating healthy and working out, just like I had started and stopped many times before. The difference this time? I was NOT dieting! Yes, I was counting calories and working out, but I was not starving myself, instead, I was making healthy choices and eating 5 smaller meals a day. So what were my results like after two rounds of Insanity...well...Insane would be a good way to put it. I was shocked at how much my body continued to change with another round. At the end of round 2, I had lost another 8.5 pounds putting me at 150.5 pounds. My body fat percentage went from 37 percent to 29 percent! My chest went from 35 inches to 33 inches. My waist went from 35.75 inches to 32 inches, and my hips went from 40.25 inches to 38 inches!

To say the least I was super happy and I was feeling great! Better than I had felt in years! After two rounds of Insanity, which I did with the hubby who had great success as well, we decided we wanted to take a break from Insanity. Part way through our first round of Insanity, we decided we wanted to finally do something the both of us had always wanted to do....run a marathon! So, we started marathon training on July 12th, 2010, just two days after finishing our second round of Insanity! Marathon training was not easy, and provided us both with yet another great way to continue our weight loss and fitness journey! We trained for 3 months and ran our first marathon on October 16, 2010 in Baltimore. We have continued running, even after the marathon.

Below are my current pictures taken this morning:

After two rounds of Insanity, marathon training, and continued running...I am at my second goal weight that I set for myself months ago.

As of this morning my current weight is 135 pounds for a total weight loss of 33.5 pounds in 9 months!

I still need to do my new measurements (hopefully tomorrow morning, I need the hubby to measure, kind of hard to measure yourself), so for right now I will post my latest measurements taken on October 10, 2010:

Waist: 31 inches

Hips: 36.25 inches

Chest: 31.75 inches

Body Fat: 20.9 percent

Here is a comparison between February 22, 2010 and October 10, 2010 (until I get new measurements):

February 22, 2010 October 10, 2010

Weight: 168.5 pounds Weight: 135 pounds (11-23-10)

Waist: 39 inches Waist: 31 inches

Hips: 42 inches Hips: 36.25 inches

Chest: 36 inches Chest: 31.75 inches

Body Fat: 42% Body Fat: 20.9%

I am so happy for the lifestyle change I have made! I feel like a brand new person. I am happier, have more energy, and enjoy working out. I don't see it as a chore any more, but rather, just another part of my day!

A BIG thank you to all of you for your continued support over the last 9 months! Thank you!!

Update on November's Challenge

I am still running towards my goal of 85 miles in November! As of right now, I have 26 more miles to run this month with only 8 days left in the month. This leaves me an average of 3.25 miles per day to complete this challenge. Yesterday set me back just a little bit. I didn't run yesterday because I was not feeling very well and I didn't want to push it. I am feeling somewhat better today, so I am going to get out there and get in at least 3 miles. They might not be fast miles, but miles nonetheless! This challenge is mine! :)

Thanks for reading!

I Am a Runner!

I finally feel like a runner! I never, ever thought I would enjoy running, but I can honestly say that I LOVE running now. I started running seriously on July 12th, 2010 when my DH and I started training for our first marathon in October. I can't imaging my life without running now. Running has changing my life in so many ways! I feel that I have come a long way with my running in just 4 short months, and I can't wait to see what else I can accomplish in the months to come. My next goal is to run a 5K (3.1 miles) in under 30 minutes!

Thanks for reading!

A Little Bit of Insanity!

Tuesday, November 16---Insanity Fast and Furious---I drove back to Maryland today, so I spent another 7 plus hours in the car. It was a long drive as most of it was in the rain and it was off and on raining when I got home this afternoon. So, I decided to stay home and get at least a quick workout in today. Since I just happened to get my copy of Insanity's Fast and Furious in the mail yesterday, and it was here waiting for me, I did that for my workout today. It is a 20 minute insane workout! 45 minutes of a workout in only about 20 minutes. Great workout! I didn't burn as many calories as I would have liked (259 calories burned), so that means I just need to dig deeper tomorrow to burn a few more calories. :) It was my first time doing the workout, so not too bad for my first time. Now I know what to expect tomorrow! However, I did miss running today, so back at that tomorrow too!

Wednesday, November 17----Insanity Fast and Furious----Felt pretty good considering I did it yesterday as well. Great workout! Dug a little deeper and burned 266 calories today!

Wednesday, November 17----5 miles---Today's run went surprisingly well! I had many reasons why I wasn't going to go out and do this run: 1. too windy, 2. worked out this morning, 3. hungry, 4. legs are sore, etc...but I am SO glad that I did. Best 5 mile run I have ever had! It was very windy out, but I pushed through it and had a great run. I didn't keep track of the splits today, but feel like I was pretty consistent. I was only going to run 4 miles, but decided to run 5, since it would take me longer to walk the last mile home than it would to just run. Finished strong! Ended today with a nice 10 minute cool down! Today's run pace was 9:15 and finished in just over 46 minutes!

Thursday, November 18---2.52 miles---I REALLY wanted to run today, but after two days of Insanity's Fast and Furious and a 5 mile run yesterday afternoon, my hamstrings were really tight, so I decided to just do a walk to stretch them out. The DH and I had a really nice walk this evening. It was nice to spend some time together and talk. It is amazing what working out together can do for the both of you mentally, emotionally, and physically. It is such a stress reliever. I always feel good after a run, but even tonight after the walk I just felt so much better. The walk has helped my hamstrings and they are feeling better, still a little tight, but better. Finished our walk in about 41 minutes for a 16:16 pace!

Friday, November 19---Insanity Fast and Furious---It went pretty well. I didn't burn as many calories as the other days, but considering I am working out WAY earlier (5 am) than I am used to I will take it. I still burned 252 calories and that is the important part. I am definitely not used to working out this early, but I am wide awake now and feel great! Great way to get the day started.

Friday, November 19----4.21 miles---SO PROUD of this RUN! Wow! This was a fast, cold run, and a race against time! I got a late start since I had to work today, so I was trying to get a run in before dark. I did and boy was it cold and fast. I guess the fall weather is finally here to stay. This was the first time I ever ran at Centennial Park, so I didn't know where the mile markers were exactly, therefore, I had no idea where I really was pace-wise. I definitely did not think I was running this fast. It was a nice out-and-back run, even though when I was done I didn't even feel like I had even gone for a run. It was so fast and I was worried about getting back before dark, so I didn't think about much else. I am super happy with the pace, as this is my first sub-9 pace for more than one mile! :) And, definitely a new PR! I thought it was only 4 miles, but it ended up being just a little bit over. Besides being cold (mainly my hands), it was a great run and felt great after a day of subbing. It was nice to get outside and enjoy the cold weather, even if it was for a quick run. Since I was short on time, cool down was cut shorter than I would have liked, but got a short 12 minute cool down in and got the heart rate down quickly. I think I might be ready for a 5K! Finished in about 37 minutes! Today's pace 8:51!!!! :)

Saturday and Sunday were rest days this week!

Thanks for reading!

Catching Up

I know I have not been very good about blogging after every run, so once again I am playing catch up. Here is a summary of my runs since last Wednesday:

Wednesday, November 10---10 miles---Today's run went better than I expected. My goal when I set out was 10 miles at a 10 minute a mile pace, so I would finish in 100 minutes. Sounded good to me, but I guess once I got going my body decided differently. I will definitely take 96-ish minutes though! :) Definitely a new PR for 10 miles! I wore a long-sleeve shirt, but between miles 6 and 7, I wished I would have worn a short-sleeve shirt as it was a little warmer out today than it had been the last couple of days. Although, once I was doing my cool down walk I was glad to have the long-sleeves on. Beautiful day for a long run and really enjoyed being out in the fresh air. Here are my splits for today's run:

Mile 1: 9:54:48
Mile 2: 9:47:03
Mile 3: 9:44:79
Mile 4: 9:55:63
Mile 5: 10:01:14
Mile 6: 9:36:05
Mile 7: 9:33:36
Mile 8: 9:37:50
Mile 9: 9:38:46
Mile 10: 9:10:67

Total time: 1:36:59---which is a 9:41 pace!

Can you tell where that hill I really dislike is? :) Oh, and not sure how I finished that strong. I think I just wanted to be done! Ha, ha!

Then a 15 minute cool down walk home, which was just under a mile.

Total time for workout today: 1:52:00

Thursday, November 11---4 miles----Today's run was faster than I was expecting, considering I ran 10 miles yesterday. The plan was to run these 4 miles pretty slow, and I ended up setting a new PR. :) The weather was beautiful once again, and I just felt really good. I am finding it very hard to stay too much slower, but I guess if I feel alright I should just go with it, right?! Have I said that I LOVE running, yet? Well, I do! I don't know how I never ran before! Great run today! Finished today's run with a 9:26 pace!

Friday, November 12---3 miles---After driving 7 plus hours to New York to my parent's house, I still got in a short 3 mile run. I really expected it to be at least a 10 minute a mile pace because I was tired, and I have also ran every day this week. This is the first time I have ever ran 5 days in a row and considering that, I am happy with today's run. The elevation is a lot different here than back in Maryland, but the weather was just as nice, which I was happy about. In November, in New York, you can't really ask for much better weather! :) It was a nice quite country run, except for the occasional horse and buggy. It was nice not to have to worry about getting hit crossing the street for once. Overall, a really good run! Tomorrow is a much need rest day! Finished today's run with a 9:33 pace!

Saturday, November 13 and Sunday, November 14 were rest days this week!

Thanks for reading!

Official Marathon Photos

We finally ordered and received our official marathon photos. Here are a few of our favorites! Enjoy!

Thanks for reading!

Just Getting The Miles In

Tuesday, November 9---4 miles

Today was one of those rare days where I just didn't feel like running (yes, I do have those days), however, as soon as I got outside and started running I felt 110% better. That is why I still got my butt out there and ran. We took it pretty easy today and felt really good at this 10 minute a mile pace. We finished our 4 mile run in 40:05. We probably could have ran another 4 mile or so at this pace, but only had time, due to the setting sun, to get in 4 miles today. It was nice to run with the DH again today.

Tomorrow is my long run. Not sure how far I am going yet, but going to plan out a new route to run. I am getting bored with the ones we have been running. Time for a change! :)

Decent run and felt good once I finally got out there and got started. So glad I did it because it sure was a beautiful evening out there!

Thanks for reading!

New PR

Monday, November 8---4 miles

Today's run was another great run and a new PR, only by 8 total seconds, but a new PR nonetheless. :) Got to run with the hubby today, which made the run even better. I had been running by myself, which gets very lonely, but I still wanted to get the miles in.

We had a super strong finish today to get the new PR, but still felt great throughout that final push. I didn't check our splits today, as I was busy talking with the hubby instead. Another good pace for this 4 mile run! We finished today's run in 38:06 which is a 9:31 pace!

Super happy with how our running is progressing.

Thanks for reading!

So Cool

Since this marathon was our first, we ordered a copy of us crossing the finish line. I received the link in my email the other day. It was so cool to see ourselves crossing that finish line, and doing it together! As I was watching it all those emotions I was feeling that day came flooding back. What a great experience! Here is the video! Enjoy!

Thanks for reading and watching!

Saturday Morning Run

Saturday, November 6---4 miles

Pretty good run this morning. It was a little chilly out, but I warmed up pretty quickly. Took today's run pretty easy today, since I ran almost 7 miles yesterday, and still ended up with a 9:37 pace. I felt so much slower than that at times. Not a bad run, considering my stomach was not feeling too good. Made it through the 4 miles and glad I was able to get a quick run in today. Feels good to be running over 20 miles a week again! Finished today's run in 38:30, which is a 9:37 pace! Not a new PR, but still a good run!

Thanks for reading!

We Did It and Here Is The Proof

We finally got the link for our finisher certificates. There is just something about seeing it in writing that makes it more official. Here are our certificates:


Thanks for reading!

One of My Best Runs Ever

Friday, November 5----6.82 miles

WOW! I can't believe this! I felt amazing once I finally got out the door and running! I didn't know the exact mileage until I mapped it out, and man, I wish I would have went just a little bit further to hit that 7 mile mark. But, I am super happy with this run for a couple of reasons. First, I did not look at my watch until I got to the spot where I decided to stop running. This is a big deal for me because I am usually always looking at my watch. I wanted to just try running without being worried about how fast I was going. Secondly, I didn't know exactly where my mile markers were, so I was only guessing how far I had gone. I am surprised that I was this close to 7 miles. I figured by the time on my watch when I stopped running that it was just a little over 6 miles. I am still in shock with this pace! I felt really good throughout the run and so happy that I got out of the house and did it! I always feel better when I do, but sometimes just getting out of the house and doing it is half the battle. ;) Beautiful weather and a great run, what else can you ask for! Oh, and another new PR...crazy, but I love setting new PR's! It feels great! I finished this 6.82 miles in 1:02 and had an average pace of 9:09 per mile!

Thanks for reading!

Lucky 7

Wednesday, November 3---7 miles

Today's run felt pretty good again! It was a little rough the first couple of miles, but then I found my groove and just went with it. I didn't know how far I was going to run today, as I just wanted to enjoy my run and not worry about how far I was going to go. After having a set marathon training schedule, it was kind of nice to just be able to go and run however far I wanted to!

I decided after about 5 miles that I was going to stop at 7 miles today. I don't know why I decided on 7 miles at that point, but just felt like 7 was a good number for today. I was running a decent pace again today, which makes me super happy. I never thought I would be able to run this far at this pace! Same pace as yesterday's 4 miles, with another 3 added on today. I felt good at this pace most of the time, except right on or after a hill, but heart rate came right back down easily and I was able to continue at this pace. Love it and this nice cool weather. 50 degrees for my run today!

I ran with music today, which I normally don't do, and actually would rather not run with music. I am not sure why, but I did all of my marathon training without music and prefer to run without. I just like running and not having to worry about anything...just running! :) I thought at times that the music was actually slowing me down because I was paying attention to that more than running. I like just being able to run and enjoy nature!

Here are my splits for today's run:

Mile 1: 10:13:11
Mile 2: 9:59:77
Mile 3: 9:15:75
Mile 4: 9:22:98
Mile 5: 9:50:81---darn hill!
Mile 6: 9:15:87
Mile 7: 8:54:20

Overall, great run and a new PR for 7 miles!

Thanks for reading!

Fitness Tip #1--Set Goals

If you have a hard time staying motivated to workout, try setting some goals for yourself! The key is to make them realistic and achievable, otherwise you will get discouraged. Write your goals down and refer back to them often. Try sharing your goals with others doing the same thing, so you will be able to help each other stay accountable for your workouts.

November's Goal

Now that the marathon is over, which makes me very sad, I needed to find something else to help keep me motivated and accountable for my workouts, besides blogging about them.

I was reading posts on www.dailymile.com last night, a site that I absolutely LOVE in case you didn't know that already, and came across a challenge. The challenge is to run 85 miles in the month of November, so I decided to join it! Even though I ran 4 miles yesterday, those miles will not count towards it because I had already ran those miles before I joined the challenge. So, my 85 miles in November challenge starts today! I am really excited about this challenge because it will help me to get to 500 total miles before the end of the year! We are just over 400 miles now!

I really think hitting both of these goals is possible and I am ready for the challenge! I have created a separate ticker to keep track of these 85 miles. It is on the right side of the blog page! Keep track of me as I run 85 miles this month! :)

Thanks for reading!

Getting Back on Track

This is a new week and it is time to get back on track with working out and healthy eating. I was feeling under the weather the first two days of last week, so I did not get my work outs in. :( I really wanted to at least do a little bit, but I also knew that I needed to give my body some rest, as the week before was very hectic. After the marathon it seemed like we were going nonstop from Saturday to Saturday and everything finally caught up to me. By Wednesday I was feeling better and I was able to get a work out in the next 3 days.

My workouts looked like this:

Wednesday, October 27---Elliptical Trainer---Really wanted to run today, but the weather just was not going to cooperate. I decided to at least get a workout in today, since I am feeling better, and opted for using my elliptical trainer. I really do not like using it, but kind of enjoyed it today. Although, I can't wait to go out and run tomorrow. There is just something about working out outside that makes you feel so refreshed! Good workout and was able to burn some much needed calories! :) Oh, and I don't know the miles, but probably between 3 and 4?! Since I don't know for sure, I didn't put it in, plus I only like to count actual running miles. :)

Thursday, October 28---6 Mile Run---Felt amazing to finally get out and get some miles in again! Wasn't sure how I was going to feel, since I haven't ran since Saturday, but felt really good! It was a little warmer than I would have liked for an afternoon run in October, but I will take it. This is a new PR for me. First time I have ran more than 3 miles at a sub 10 minute a mile pace, and it was 6! So happy about that. I was shooting for 6 in 60, but I will definitely take less than 60. Finished the run with a nice 1.1 mile walk back home. Beautiful day! I even did pretty good with the hills this time through. I think running every hill in Baltimore a week and a half ago might have helped with that! ;) Here are my splits for today's run:

Mile 1: 10:29:56

Mile 2: 10:06:99

Mile 3: 9:34:74---Wow! This even surprised me!

Mile 4: 9:43:20---Same with this, since between miles 3 and 4 is where I usually slow down a lot for some of the hills.

Mile 5: 9:54:31---This mile has a longer hill at about 4.5 miles into the run, so I am definitely happy with this time as well.

Mile 6: 9:04:13---Sweet! :) Didn't realize I finished this strong!

Cool Down: 21:07:53---but felt so good.

Total Time: 1:20:00

One of my best runs ever! The funny thing is...some of it I felt like I was slow. Guess not! :)

Friday, October 29---3 Mile Run---Great! Quick, short run...all I had time for today! Was hoping it was 3.1, but really close. Wanted to see how my timing would be for a 5k. A little bit windy, but ran through it! Just happy I could get a run in today.

We had company coming that afternoon, so I wanted to make sure I would have time to get in at least a short run. I knew I wouldn't be able to run on Saturday and Sunday, so I needed to get a few more miles in for the week.

I was so looking forward to getting back on track on Monday, especially since I was not very good with my eating over the weekend. I wasn't horrible, just not as good as I could have been! ;) However, Monday did not go as planned, which led to not getting my run in, so I will be using Monday as my rest day this week. No more time to slack this week!

Which brings me to yesterday, November 2...and I was finally able to get back out there and get a run in! When Rob got home, even though we had a few other things we needed to get done last night, we got a 4 mile run in. Here is a review of yesterday's run:

Tuesday, November 2---4 Mile Run---Felt great! So happy to finally get back out there and run! I had been feeling so blah and this run made me feel so much better. :) Another run under10 minutes a mile! :) Love that feeling! A little chilly out there this afternoon/evening, but definitely much better running weather than we had been having. Ended up with a 9:33 pace for this run! A new PR for us...4 miles in 38 minutes and 15 seconds! I love setting new PR's.

Glad to be getting back on track! I can definitely feel the difference in my body when I get off and I don't want to ever go back to where I was. I have worked way too hard for that!

Thanks for reading!