One foot in front of the other...

Wow, Jamie, that's terrific for you! That's proof that our 12-week challenge wasn't something that began and ended "and that was that"...it certainly was the fresh start I needed in, and for my life! I'm up to walking-jogging-running at a pace of 4 miles per hour...that's a sad 15-minute-mile, but I figure I'm going 0 mph at my desk job.

Jaime, you're very inspiring...if I end up walking the whole 5K, so be it. I'll be in good company!

5K

Well, I am still training. This is the most I have exercised and this intensely for SEVERAL years. This is week five. I am now running 5 days a week at least a half an hour each session. It is actually running and walking intervals, but I can run the majority of the time. Yesterday I did a test 5K. It took me 52 minutes, but I did it. I have lost 16 pounds in the last 5 weeks and I feel terrific. I just woke up one morning after paying for the Irvin 5K for 5 people (4 in my family and 1 friend from out of state) and had this feeling that I wanted to make my boys proud and not look like a fool for either backing out of the race or not being able to finish it. That is now my driving force and it is the oned thing I have to get done in my day. Yay me! I am doing a 5K this Saturday for a fundraiser and then one next weekend in honor of my mom for mother's day. She would be so proud of me for making these steps. It is amazing how much better I feel about life, myself, my future, and everything about life in general just from doing a simple thing like running. I can't believe I have been doing this for 5 weeks. That is huge. I can't wait to go to my cardiology follow-up in August to see where my numbers and everything are then. Who all is running the Irvin 5K? Please let me know.

Checking In

Hello everyone!
I seen Marcia this last weekend, WOW! she looks soo great, even my husband made a comment about how great she looks. WAY TO GO Marcia!

I have met with my dietician again. We are going over my meal plans again. I have not gained any weight, but also have not lost any. I have however lost a few more inches. I am still lifting some weights (trying to tone things up)

Jaime, I saw you are still going to train for the marathon. Good for you! I wish I had that ambition. Keep up the great work. Sorry I haven't had a chance to email you the email addresses. I will do that this week.

I hope we all can get together sometime soon.

New Week

Hello to all who check in! Mary, I have not got a new outfit. I have tried to contact Marti about shopping, but got no response. I have bought my first pair of shorts in years though.
To your comment about looking good....we all looked sooo great at the end. We all had a new outlook on life...just look at the blogs..so uplifting and cheerful now!

Jaime, I will email you the email addresses when I get a chance.

I have been so busy lately since Mason(my grandson) was born. He and Krystal(my daughter) take up so much of my time right now.

I really need to concentrate on me again because I can feel the neglect. I am starting a new challenge as well. "The biggest loser" at my friends bar. She is having a contest, there is a small registration fee, but they pay out is high. She is also offering the tools to use, gyms, equipment, and so on.

I'm here

Hi everyone,

I checked in a couple of times to see if anyone had blogged and didn't see anything so didn't write. Shame on me. LIfe is going well here. I am just starting week 2 of my ultimate personal challenge and really enjoying it. I do kickboxing 5 days a week and band toning three days a week. Very busy program but with just me and the hubby a good time to be doing it. I am sore like you would not believe. I love feeling that way. Eating is going well. The scale is staying close to the same but I know if I stay on track the numbers will start showing. I am eating more protein than ever. I am convinced more than ever that carbs are what has been my downfall all along. My husband is on the bandwagon now which is nice. He just bought a new bike yesterday so you will see us riding the hills of Duluth. Yesterday I just marveled at how alive I feel. Makes me think of all the miserable time I spent on my behind wishing I was doing rather than doing. I agree a get together would be nice. I am still planning on hosting in June at my place. If others want to get together sooner let me know. Tina, have you got your new outfit yet? If so I bet you look stunning darling.

Keep in touch you all. Mary

Yay Rose and Tina are here!

I'm so glad to see you two on here. I hope others will get back on and post how life is. I miss reading about you ladies and all you have going on. It helps me stay on track. Rose, I am training for the 5K because you reminded me about signing up for it and I don't want to talk myself out of it because I am so scared to run publicly. I am feeling so good right now running that today I got on and ran 1 1/2 miles straight. That was awesome. So I read this quote on a forum somewhere, but it didn't have an author, "The difference between try and triumph is a little umph." That is my new mantra. Can't wait to hear from everyone else. I wish I had everyone's email addresses.

Shamed into Blogging!

Hi Ladies,

I plead guilty...I have severe email burnout and haven't blogged for a while. Congratulations, Tina - your handsome little grandpup is just beautiful. I hope baby, mother and mother's mother are all doing well!

Good for you, Jaime, for making a comeback...we all need a vacation of sorts, and resuming your training/personal challenge is proof of positive change. I'm not doing so hot with training for the Irvin 5K but now have extra incentive because my son got a spot in the race, too! He said, "Sorry, Mom, I think I'll be running faster than you and won't be waiting for you" - which is how it should be, anyway.

I'm seriously thinking about buying a treadmill. Although having free use of the CPF was wonderful, I'm just not a gym person. In retrospect, the only way I was able to go as much as I did during the Challenge was that I virtually ignored Christina (albeit with her blessing). Jaime, I don't know how you even have to go to the bathroom by yourself!

I agree, Way too Long!

I agree, it has been way to long. I understand that our lives get in the way of getting on the computer. With everything I have gone through in the last week, I even forgot to do my homework! But here I am, checking on everyone, and I see Jaimie has made comment. Dont get down on yourself, we all fall off once in awhile. It is bound to happen, we are human. I have been off for a couple weeks also, have not gained any, but my eating habits have been horrible!

Maybe we all need a re-group meeting to get back on track!

Let me know your thoughts on this.

Way too long

I hope you ladies are still out there. I haven't visited the site in a while and noticed that Mary's last post was March 25. I fell off the bandwagon the first few weeks after the challenge. I got down on myself for gaining everything back that last week during that time of the month. But I decided that I really owed it to myself and everyone at the challenge to keep going, so...three weeks ago I started training for the 5K we are running. I then joined weight watchers last Tuesday. Today I weighed in for my second time and I have lost 9.5 pounds. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!! I have been training 3x per week for the 5K. Today I went to my very first spinning class. I hated it. It was awful and my butt hurts sooooooooooooooooooooo bad, but I will totally do it again because when I walked in with my friend the instructor said, "You ladies know that this is an intense cardio workout, right?" As if to say that I was wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy to big to be here in this type of class. Of course I am not going to let that stop me and I will be back, but man am I sore. I have been tracking everything I am eating and I am not going over my points for the most part. I feel so great and my body is loving this. I hope you are all doing well. Tina, congrats on the new grandbaby. So cute! I miss you guys. Lets get together. Is anyone else training for the 5K? Mary, what program are you doing? Take care everyone. Please post updates so I can see them.

Grandson, Mason Joseph