Army Ten Miler ~ AMAZING

WOW, I did it!  I completed a TEN MILE RACE!!!  Don't know my official time yet but according to my phone it was 2 hours and 2 minutes!!  I had orginially said I wanted to do it in 2 hour 15 mins but was hoping for 2 hour flat but it's all good!  I got out there and ran and Loved/Hated it!! LOL
My training for this race wasn't what I wanted it to be but life gets in the way sometimes so I am so thrilled that I was able to get out there and do it today!
I headed into DC to stay with my friend Sylvia so I didn't have to deal with traveling down there so early in the morning before the race.  We went to the expo and I bought a pair of running sunglasses and I was SO HAPPY I did!  I Love them and will continue to use them while I run.
We hung out the rest of the day and went to bed about 10pm last night.  Of course my nerves got the best of me and I was awake on and off all night long and when the alarm went off at 445am I was NOT happy!  But I was excited so up I went and ready we got!  Out the door at 525am and headed to the Metro.  We got to the Pentagon at about 6am and go figure had to wait.  We waited to get in the coral area and the potties!  We ended up hulded around a light that the exhust was putting out heat for like an hour!  It was SO COLD!  Finally about 710am we went to our coral area (PURPLE!) After watching some Army Parachuters come out the planes and the signing of the National Anthem it was Race Time!  The Wounded Warriors got to start first but since we were at the last coral we couldn't actually see anything :( We started to move from our area at about 815-820 and made it to the start line very close to our "real" start time of 825am!  OFF WE WENT!  UGH!  I was dying very quickly!  After standing around in the COLD for hours my feet already hurt :(  But I pushed through.  I made it to to the second mile before I had to put my headphones on and get my music going.  I needed that extra push from the songs!  I walked A LOT but kept catching up to Sylvia which was good!  I think the worst part of the whole thing for me was between mile 7 and 8.  Don't know why but it SUCKED! LOL Think I totally "tweaked" something in my BUTT and it hurt and was cramping so bad - just the right cheek! LOL
When we were close to the end I pushed and pushed but it was uphill for a good bit and I just couldn't push anymore :(  Sylvia took off and I ended up walking a bit more.  Saw the finish line and tried to run as best as I could but there was NOTHING left in me to sprint it out like I normally would :( But I FINISHED!! YAY!!!!!!!!!!

Ended up running into all my friends before the race - Amanda I saw at Packet Pick Up, Tuyen and Kate found me before the race and Anne walked by in the coral so we got a change to chat!! Tuyen and Kate we saw again after the race too so that was Awesome!
I allowed Sylvia to talk me into eating some breakfast before the race since it was So Many Hours until race time - Bad Idea! LOL  I was bleching PB throughout most of the race! LOL  I know my body and I CANNOT eat before I run!
Race was over and we went through the HOOAH tents looking for people we knew and it was neat.  I didn't get all up into the tents and get the swag because I'll be going to the AUSA conference this week so I'll get swag there!  Had to walk about 3 miles back to the Metro when it was done though :(  That was NOT Fun! LOL  Butt cheek hurts, legs hurting, feet Crazy Sore but feel AMAZING for getting out there and doing it!

To top off my Race Day and I got a Great Text Message from a friend of mine who I look up to So Much telling me how proud she was that I accomplished the 10 Miler and how her heart is full for me!  Meant a lot to me to hear this as I know she KNOWS what it's like to struggle with weight, weight loss and Running all the while being a mom and a professional in the workforce!  She's AMAZING!!

Now I'm home chilling in my own chair (after showering of course) and just hurting the rest of the day away! LOL I still sometimes can't believe that the girl who said she would NEVER run (or pay someone to allow her to run) just ran 10 miles!!! 


 

Running

I ran last night, FIVE MILES in about 54 mins!!  Why - Because I felt like RUNNING!!!  WOW, that is just such a wierd thing for me to say.  I wasn't running a race with friends, I just WANTED to go out and RUN!  Had the feeling all day long that I wanted to run so even though it was raining when I got home I said, nope, I'm still going to run! 

Got my phone all set up with a few new songs and off I went.  Started out feeling GREAT and thought I was going at a slower - but decent pace.  It's always in the back of my mind to not push to hard because when it comes time to run the Army Ten Miler I'll want to pace myself good to get through the whole thing! 

So when I hit the 1 mile mark - per the GPS on mapmyrun, it said I did it in like 9:45! WHAT?  WOW!  Thats Awesome but I was Trying to go SLOWER!!! LOL  So then I did slow down a bit.  Texted a quick minute with the neighbor to see if she wanted to join me and then started to run again.  I did a lot of walk/run/walk and it felt Great!!

When I hit the 3 mile mark I said I'm going to watch my miles/time and take a picture of when I hit 3.1 because I knew I was at a GREAT time for me.  Sure enough, 3.1 in 32something minutes!!  WHY Can't I do that IN a RACE??!!! LOL

I was still feeling great so I said I'm going to keep going and see if I can do 5 miles!  By the time 5 miles hit, it was raining harder, I was soaking wet and I felt bad that I hadn't cooked dinner for the family yet so I called it good.  I could have kept going, oh yes, I could have!!  I can't even put into words what that felt like to know I could Keep Going!!!

I'm not worried about completeing the Army Ten Miler now in the time frame but I am concered about not being able to have my music!  Music is what Keeps me GOING through it all!  I've had SO MUCH on my mind lately (losing job is at the top! and then my weight gain and a lot more) that I just tried as hard as I could to clear my head and just Get Lost in the Music! It felt GREAT!  So I guess I, Dawn LaBay, can I say I am a runner!

Weight Gain

I haven't wanted to admit this to myself but I have to. I Have GAINED WEIGHT :(  It SUCKS! but there is No one to blame but myself!  I have been lazy in my eating habits and haven't been as good with workouts as I should.  Yes, I am still getting at least one good workout in a week but I should ALWAYS be getting AT LEAST 3 in a week, preferably 5 a week!

Here and NOW I am going to focus and do more, do better!  No ONE is going to do this BUT me so I must make myself!  Work is crazy busy with me doing two jobs in one now, going to school full time and having Paxtons schedule to deal with, I still must MAKE the Time FOR ME!

Yes, most of my clothes still fit, but that might be because I've stretched them out! LOL 

Again, it's time to get back on track and get it going again!!

Bottomless Pit

This was me yesterday!  I mean All I did was EAT and EAT and EAT some More :(  I think that I consumed the most calories yesterday then I have since before Surgery!  NOT GOOD!  I guess we will always have our good and bad days but I really don't like bad days!  I haven't been to the gym in two weeks and I won't be able to go for awhile.  We are leaving town tomorrow morning and won't be back until Sunday night.  Maybe I can still make it to a spin class on Monday, I miss Spin! 
So there isn't really much of a point in this post but I haven't wrote in here for a while and I needed to "confess" how awful yesterday was!  So today is going to be better, right?

Two Piece

I can NOT believe I actually did it!  I bought a TWO PIECE Swim Suit!  Like a full two pieces where my entire stomach is exposed! LOL  I have wore tankini's for years because they are more flattering then a one piece suit but they still cover everything!
I said once that I was convinced by a friend (Brooke) to buy the suit but really she didn't say much, it was ME who bought it! 
I do not feel 100% "Awesome" in it, but I'm not so uncomfortable that I won't wear it!  I'm sure I'll have a cover-up on a lot except when laying out or in the water but I WILL wear it in Public and I'm showing it here too!!
I know what I still need to do to help me be more happy with my body but I haven't found the motivation to do it yet! Hoping the more I'm wanting to be in this suit the more it will motivate me to be happier in it!!

Body Image

How do you 'SEE' yourself? I do not see myself in the correct light, that is for sure!  I can SEE the weight loss.  I SEE the small number (and no W behind it) on my clothes but when I look in the mirror I still see fat roll here and fat roll there.

I went shopping last night looking for an Easter Dress and after trying on 7 different dresses I decided to give up for the night because I found something very wrong, not with the dress, but with ME in each dress.  I am NOT a good judge of what looks good on me.

I have been pretty down on myself lately because I am not where I thought I would be by now but I have no one to blame but myself.  I really thought I would be much more toned then I am. Yes, I'm pretty much at goal weight (scale this morning read 153) but I still have ALOT of 'fat' on my body. I really try to tell myself over and over that I am HEALTHY and that is really what matters but I just can't seem to get it out of my head that I want to put clothes on and NOT see a fat roll.

I need to do A LOT more shopping because I have little to no summer clothes for work because what I had last year was all way to big!  Again, that plays into I KNOW I have lost the weight.  My brain does register that I do not weigh 250lbs anymore but I am still not comfortable in my own skin :(

15 Months

15 Months! WOW, where has the time gone!  It almost past me by without me thinking about it but I remembered!  Took some photos today for comparison.  I don't really want to look at the last pictures I took compared to these ones because I have been SO BAD over the last couple of months! Eeekk!!  BUT I am back on track or at least trying!  I have to really start focusing on both my food and my exercise again.  I've fallen back into some pretty bad habits of snacking on candy :(  It's always been a "problem" of mine and I am always working on it.  I'm pretty good at my water intake but haven't done very good on my protein intake so I'll need to focus on that again as well!  Exercise! UGH!  My love/hate relationship with exercise.  I LOVE it because it makes me feel great but I'm so tired and without the motivation to go and do it!  Today I did it though!  Ran a 5K around the parade field across from the office and did it in GREAT time which I was shocked about since it's been MONTHS since I ran! LOL 

Over all though, I'm doing Great!  Still holding steady right around 153ish (more then 150 but less then 155)  I am still fighting anemia but I'm trying hard to remember to take my meds everyday.  Otherwise my health is FAN FREAKING TASTIC and I am still So Happy that I made this choice for me!