Making Changes: My Running Story

First things first: This past month (4/8-5/8) I lost 8 lbs. This put me at a total of 24 lbs since January 8th. 24 down....16 to go!
I was pretty happy with this number ESPECIALLY since I didn't lose any last month. I still haven't measured to see how many inches I've lost. Maybe when I find that tape measure thing, I will be blown away! :)

A short version of my running story, because honestly the ONLY reason I am losing any weight is because of the running. My diet is still all over the place and I still have big plans to change it. lol

Let's see....on April 20th, I ran a 5k. It was my 3rd ever, but my 1st since having Eva. I did it in 31:47. If you're not a runner or don't run races anyway, what that time means is that I finished about right in the middle of everyone. It's not a bad time but it definitely can and will improve. More importantly I did NOT walk at all--and I never do in a 5k. That is always my ultimate goal. And then this past weekend (May 4th) I ran another 5k and my time was 31:30. Okay, that was an improvement, but what you need to know is that well before the race ever started I had allll of these people with gps watches telling me that the course was too long. Some friends of mine used their 5k app and showed me where the end should've been and it was WAY away from the finish line. I have no idea how this happened, but of course, when I hit that mark I looked at my time to see where I was: 29:00! Would have been a PR, but I'm not bitter or anything!!!!!!! (my fastest thus far is 29:52 from back in 2011)

Moving on....
Being a runner is a relative term I think. If you were to ask my friends and family who don't run if I am a "runner" I think they would say yes. If you were to ask my husband and some of my friends who are EXTREME runners, they might say yes, but they'd be rolling their eyes, I'm sure of it!
I didn't start running because I love it, I started because I had just had a baby (Isabel) and I needed to shed the weight. I did it because I am surrounded by runners and I wanted to relate. And you know what? The training is about as much fun as plucking my eyelashes out one by one. I have to force myself to get up in the mornings and go run. I'm always happier when I do and I always feel better about myself, but getting there is a chore. Standing at a start line waiting on a gun to go off so I can start running a 5k with hundreds of people all around me is nervewracking but exciting and halfway through the race I am always like "whyyyyy??????", but immediately after I finish I feel great and I am looking for another one to sign up for! And now because I have been making myself get up off of my butt and go run, I am sitting here today at 9 lbs under my pre baby weight (with Eva) and waiting on my husband and kids to wake up so that I can see them before I go shopping for a new pair of jeans because folks--there is nothing better than bagging up all of your fat jeans and taking them to the resale store!!!! And that's what I am going to do on this rainy Thursday (and yes I ran at 6 a.m. this morning.) :)

My goal for the year was to run four 5k's. I have 2 under my belt and I am registered for 2 more coming up in June and then August. Looks like for once I am actually going to stick to a fitness related goal! Ha! There are 2 more in the Fall that I plan to run, so here's to blowing my 5k goal out of the water!