Fat or obese?

Should I be offended by the above image?

Maybe at one point in my life this may have offended me, but it’s all in the “delivery”. Ok at the use of the phrase "Fat Person" 

 If you’re talking to someone and they bring up health and you comment about how unhealthy being overweight is 1) news flash they already know since they have a scale and mirrors. There is a difference between someone being unhealthy due to smoking and those who are overweight and there for unhealthy.

Your smoking affects my health as well…bottom line

Yes, I hear the argument already that overweight parents or partners “could” effect the health of their partners or children if its genetics, poor portion control and consuming the wrong foods all together. I am not referring to that. I am saying me being overweight does NOT directly affect your health by standing right next to you and eating.

If you want to smoke it’s on you, really I won’t tell you otherwise (unless you’re my child). But I just prefer not to have someone smoke in my house or vehicle.

Health insurance comments are moot since both smoking and being overweight is affecting our health premiums.

You can pinpoint why a smoker is unhealthy, you cannot always pinpoint why someone is overweight.

You don’t know my full story; you don’t know why I am overweight. Just like I don’t know why a vast majority of Americans are overweight. None of us have the same back ground that will result in our conditions. It could be genetics, medical conditions, emotional issues, poor diet and exercise.

I also don’t see being overweight as a disease.

Notice I am using the word overweight, I hate the word FAT I just do. It has been used in such a horrible derogatory manner my whole life I find it offensive. I have accepted that at this point in my journey I am still obese. Besides the word fat just makes me think of blubbery substances. The icky stuff you strip off of meat. Yes I said icky.

Granted “Fat” has not been the only term used towards me or to describe my overweight persona over the years. Obviously I have been referred to as the “Big girl”, “Fat Chick”, “Extra Large Chick” and a few R-rated terms used to describe a female dog just put “big” or “fat” in front of it.

I have been called (and yes these have been said directly to me):

·       Big Beckie

·       Lard

·       She who blocks the sun if walking behind you

·       Lumpy (family nickname)

·       Pooh Bear (I don’t like being referred to a dumb chubby bear) (another family nickname)

·       Chubby

·       Chunk (yet another family nickname)

·       Hungry Hippo (Junior High was AWESOME right?)

·       Cow

How many derogatory nicknames do think a person who smokes has?

Yes people who smoke get a lot of grief, but so do those who are overweight. I was once told by a family member not to screw up my marriage because “when you’re fat you can’t be picky” since they were amazed my husband was good looking. Gee, Thanks!

I am lucky I can reverse the health effects causes by being obese, can smokers?

For now I am obese, but my changing lifestyle is changing my health and my weight.

I really cannot provide any advice on how to approach someone who is a friend or family that is obese or in my case morbidly obese, about their health. It really is in the approach on how they will take it and honestly if they bring up the subject use that to voice your concerns. There are different factors to why an individual is overweight so you should assume people will react differently when talking about their weight.

When I saw the above image I was conflicted on the responses. I do see the humor in it but I also know a few years ago I would have been offended.

America does have a problem with obesity. Portion sizes, quality of food being put into bodies and lack of exersise is causing the deteration of health.  Bullying or embarsing people into become healthy does not work.  At some point people need to take control of their health and make the nessisary changes to save themselves. 

Inspiration and Motivation

 It doesn't matter if you had WLS or just are at a turning point in our life where you know you need to get a handle on your health.  We all have those great ideas of "I am going to loss X pounds" or " I a going to run a marathon" but in reality its very hard to stay motived.

Shortly after my Lap Band surgery in 2012 rang in a new year. So of course caught up in the moment I made a sudden proclamation to one of my co-workers (and close friend) that I was going to participate in twelve 5ks in 2012. Mind you I said "participate".

So January 1 2012, just 3 weeks after my Lap Band surgery I walked (and ran maybe 2 yards) the first 5k. January 1, 2013 I ran/walked the thirteenth 5k. Now what?
 I had some amazing friends who were with me at the start and the end of that year. My hubby even did all of the 5ks with me. But after that last 5k my motivation fizzled. I had set my goal and accomplished it. I needed to find a new one.

So we tried P90X, then murphy struck with months of sickness in the house and an insane work schedule. If that sounds like a veiled excuse for not continuing exercise well, your right it is. At one point I almost got my motivation back, then murphy again. This time gallbladder surgery. Nothing like the fact you cant work out putting thing in perspective. 

So in the meanwhile I have been following a few pages on Facebook and even seeing some friends make so pretty significant transformations. It started to feed the motivation. There are a few pages in particular that caught my attention and have been the fuel to my new found motivation. I want to share brief insights on them. Because their are a few I kept my overviews of them pretty short but if you want to read further on their stories I provided their web and Facebook pages, with the exception of Kelly and Cat.


Kelly and Cat are a mother and daughter team who decided to turn over a new leaf and following a healthy diet and exercise regiment. When this photo was taken they has lost a combined weight of 120 pounds

 

 

While researching how common gallbladder surgery was with Lap Band patients I found this woman. Ok I googled the information and she was one of the top websites listed. She has great blog and Facebook page where she is very candid about her lifestyle since being banded in October of 2009 She has lost at least 120 pounds .

 

 

Lap Band Girls

 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lap-Band-Gal

 

 

Amazing right? I had to look twice when reading her page. She had the Lap Band as well. I didn't know it was possible to have six pack abs with a band, obviously this woman shows you can. Just the amount of dedication she has is invigorating. Who wouldn't be motived?

 

 

Barifit

 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Barifit-Weight-LossFitnessWellness-Coaching

 

 

I first saw Drew's story on the CNN web page last years. He is a fitness trainer and until 2011 had never been unhealthy or overweight. He never could "relate" to his clients that actually struggled with their weight and health, so he decided to find out first hand. He had unrestricted diet full of high fat foods and no exercise for six months then he followed his own fitness program to regain his physique. Publicity gimmick? I am sure of it, but it worked he can relate to his clients now.

 

 

Fit2Fat2Fit

https://www.facebook.com/fit2fat2fit



 

Andrea is amazing I wish I could post more of her pictures and videos. She is such a bundle of energy. In 14 months she has lost 180+ pounds and ran her first 10k just a few days ago. She is candid and refreshing on her updates. She did NOT have weight loss surgery. I really can not express the amount of admiration I have for this woman.

 

 

 

 



https://www.facebook.com/FindingTheFitGirlWithinAndreaMaeMarkham

 



I came across Jeremy when he promoted on one of the fitness threads I follow on Facebook. He had an amazing transformation by losing 110 pounds of fat and found a new addiction: body building. He now is a fitness trainer helping clients reach their goals in a new "lifestyle"

 

 

 

Jeremy Reid

https://www.facebook.com/JeremyReidFitness

 

 

Now I noticed all of these remarkable people have something else in common, they not only have web pages but they created a page on Facebook. With the exception of Drew I contacted every one of them and asked their permission to post their stories. All of them had extremely positive responses to my requests.

 

 

 I have thought about creating a page on Facebook when I lost all the weight I wanted to lose. Really? That was my train of thought? Put a page out there "after" the struggles? I have rethought this and realized that maybe being vulnerable is one of things that will keep me motived. I guess it goes along the lines of "Really you don't think I can do this? Watch me".

 

I know I could have been a lot more successful in the past 18 months. Sixty pounds is still not bad but I know I have a lot longer to go to get where I am truly healthy. I have built my confidence over the last year or so just posting my blog to my friends. Now it is time to expand the network (hopefully).

 

Here's new the next chapter in my new health lifestyle.

https://www.facebook.com/beautybeyondsizezero

 



On The Mend

Surprisingly it has been over  a month since my gallbladder surgery. I recovered fairly quickly, with an exception of one incision that still has not healed (keeping and eye on it). I really expected it to be "life altering" and it really has not been.  Gallbladder removal effects people so different. I was amazed to find out how many people I know that have had the surgery. Some (like myself) had little or no effects to cause a change in their dietary habits. Yet others had combination of not being able to eat:

• Chicken
• Beans
• Red meat
• Broccoli
• Nuts
• Spicy food
• Fried food
• Milk products

As I stated there really have not been any changes since the surgery. When I had my follow up the surgeon I found out possibly why, seems my gallbladder may have pretty much none functional. Enlarged, (inflamed) full of stones and cholesterol. The cholesterol part kind of surprised me since only one blood test I have had indicated I had borderline high cholesterol. Even more surprising since in the past 18 months I have eaten better than I have in years. Guess the damage had already been done. Granted I would not be where I am if I had been taking better care of myself for years. Can't change that but I am taking better care of myself now.

But my gallbladder removal is not the only medical fun I had. When I have my scope prior to surgery the gastrologist did other tests. I was a bit surprised that 48 hours after the procedure he wanted to seem me again. I couldn't figure out why since I had already had my gallbladder surgery scheduled. So I had a follow up with the gastrologist as well. Lucky me I also have GERD.

Yes it is as icky as it sounds.  GERD: Gastroesophageal reflux disease. It is a chronic digestive disease. Apparently caused by acid reflux and heart burn I didn't know I was experiencing. Pretty sure  I can thank the Lap Band for this one. Thankfully it is something that can be further controlled with diet (seeing a pattern?) and medication. Granted the medication they started me on I may be allergic to it. Swelled up and had bit of a rash, but I was taking it at the same time as the pain meds from the Gallbladder surgery and after my Lap Band surgery I started to have a reaction to the meds after about 4 days so pretty sure it was case this time as well.

I am not it pain so that is a huge bonus. Over the past month I have had plenty of time to reflect and decided how I was going to further change my lifestyle with nutrition and exercise. Have to say that it was frustrating not to be able to work out for three weeks. But I was cleared a week ago and started up with the exercise again.

This surgery and being diagnosed with GERD just further motivates me to make more changes. I am refocused and am excited to move forward in changing myself for the better. After all that is why I endured the Lap Band surgery 18 months ago.

The Gallbladder: Its Coming Out!

The blog updates have not been happening on the regular intervals as I have initially intended. What else has not happened? The hubby and I didn’t keep up with the P90X. Between the two of us we were sick for about a month and a half and then life got in the way. Let’s face it, we are truly our biggest obstacles that stand in our way of accomplishing our goals.

I have all the excuses from work being hectic, which means getting home very late. As much as I wanted to I could not get myself to roll out my warm bed in the mornings to actually work out since I seemed to be drawn to the couch as soon as I arrive home. 

When I suddenly got motivated to actually start exercising again (ok and eating right again). I got sick. Not a cold or a flu type of illness. I felt like I had been kicked by a mule in my stomach. I was in excruciating amount of pain for days. The first thought I had was there being an issue with my Lap band.  But when I called to make an appointment I was told that I didn’t have the symptoms for a band slip so to see my primary doctor. Since I was not experiencing nausea or vomiting it couldn’t be a slippage.

The doctor I ended up seeing was at the urgent care for my primary’s office. Due to location and my pain and my urine test coming back with blood, protein and liver enzimes I was given a referral to have an abdominal ultra sound. I the ultrasound a few days later and the pain was still off and on. I didn’t hear back from the doctor’s office so I just assumed a very bad bout of the flu. Not the case. They had called; I just didn’t get the message.

About two weeks ago called the doctor’s office back; they gave me a referral to a gastroenterologist and was told to make the appointment soon since I appeared to have gallstones. When I called to make the appointment they wanted to see me the same day, but due to my commute to work I could not make a same day appointment, so I went in the next day. Which was a Wednesday; I had a scope done two days later (Yes that would be a Friday). Oh let’s not forget that at the end of the Wednesday appointment the doctor advised me to contact my surgical group that did my band and set up gallbladder surgery the next week.

Just imagine how much my head was spinning after my Wednesday appointment I called the surgical group and was given a tentative consult appointment with a surgeon on the following Tuesday. Yes the office who said there was no need for me to come in due to a band slip, I still had to see because of gallbladder issues.  I had no idea what to expect from the surgery so like most of people in our generation, I Googled it.

Great so I could be out 3 days or up to a few weeks. Nice. And yet it’s not the surgery that had me edgy, it was taking time off of work and the potential of having to say overnight at the same hospital that I had my band surgery at. Not the best experience I have ever had at a hospital, surgical team was great, after care not so much.

But I am jumping ahead.

After my scope I was advised to still have my gallbladder removed and that I had possible band slippage. Really? After all this I still might have a band slip? But I didn’t have the symptoms remember, no nausea or vomiting. Well those are symptoms of gallbladder issues too and yet I needed surgery to have it removed. I called the office where I had my tentative Tuesday appointment with and told them the results of the scope over the phone. I was put on a hold then informed I needed to be seen that day. Now mind you I can’t drive for 12 hours since I just had a scope done. My two older daughters swapped taking me to appointments. One got up at the crack of dawn to drive me two hours up to an appointment and then the other took me to my other appointment (after her own dilemma of having her car die on her) so fun day all around right?

This is still Friday afternoon and I see the surgeon who will be taking my gallbladder out. He looks at the scope results and gives me a referral for an upper GI. I ask him if he wanted me to keep my Tuesday appointment. No, he wants me to come back Monday. It’s late Friday afternoon, yet somehow I was able to make an appointment for Monday morning for an upper GI.

Nothing like spending the whole weekend worried about not just going into surgery again but the impact it would have on work if I was gone suddenly for multiple weeks. Yes that is what stressed me out, not the surgery. Like I have stated before the surgical group is great. Honestly gallbladder surgery is pretty common (or so I found out).  To add to the stress my husband had been on travel weeks and was not due back until midweek.

It did cross my mind on the “what if” of the possible band slip and depending on how severe it was. What would I do if I had to have it removed? Simple I would have had the gastric sleeve surgery. I would not have hesitated. Granted feeling this was may have been prompted by the fact I have stopped losing weight and I found out I had gained 10 pounds in a week.

I had my small pity party. But I got over myself; the weight gain was true water weight. I had not taken certain medication in a few weeks that actually kept that under control.  I have since started to take it again and down 10 pounds.

Getting the upper GI was pretty uneventful. Ok have to admit seeing the images were pretty cool. If I do have a slip it is very minor. Phew. One less thing I have to worry about. Unfortunately the gallbladder is still coming out.

Thursday May 23^rd I will be having the outpatient procedure of having my gallbladder removed. In retrospect if I had known the percentage of band patients that have their gallbladder removed I would have opted to have it removed when I got my band. The statistics are higher with gastric bypass patience so I just assumed they were the ones who had most of the not so fun after effects of surgery. Yay me for proving that wrong.

There are so many factors that contribute to people getting gallstones, take your pick I fall under a few such as:

• Being female
• Obesity
• Losing a large amount of weight
• Pregnancy
• Pre-diabetic
• Vitamin D deficient
• Native American heritage (this one surprised me)

This was just another event to put things in perspective. I had this surgery to take control of my health. I did well for a while then I slipped. No longer having the 5ks to motivate me on a regular basis I lost sight of any further health goals.  Some people don’t need to set goals to keep themselves on track. I am beginning to understand that I am not that type of person. I need to those goals to provide myself the checks and balance my health needs.

Here’s hoping for a quick recovery so I can get my health back on track.

 

The 90 Day Renovation

The P90X is a 90 Day Renovation for the hubby and I. There are no false expectations here, we are very well aware that the product is geared at already fit individuals who just want to go the extra mile to get toned. I have talked to my doctors prior to starting the program and the only caution they had was for me not to perform the exercises on the Plyometrics CD due to a high amount of jumping and it could cause stress on my back and joints. The interesting thing is of the three program schedules my husband and I opted to do the "Lean" and it does not call for us to use the Plyometerics CD.

 

Of the two of us, I am the one obvious that is less fit. There will be changes in our physic but I firmly believe the hubby's will be closer to the pictures advertising the P90X product. Me on the other hand, I just want down to single digits not looking to show off any beach body any time soon.

 

You usually hear the term "transformation" when you see pictures posted about individual who have taken control of their health and have re-sculptured their lives and in turn their bodies. I don't see the next 90 days as a transformation. I will be the same person, just some of the parts will be renovated. Lets face it, just because someone has become a smaller  or more toned person doesn't mean they are a different person. The world just sees them differently. If they are a good person they will always be one, and if they were an asshole before odds are they are still an asshole (I know a few of these).

 

By making the blog posts about my 5ks it kept me motivated so I am planning to do weekly updates to this post. Thank you to all our wonderful friends who are motivating us along the way!

 

 

Week 1

Day 1: Synergistics:

 Or should we say "get on the floor and flop like a fish" that what it felt like with most of the exercises. Lots of down on the floor and up and wow the exercises look simplistic but really they are not and I figured out real quick I have minimal muscles. everywhere. Some things I had seen before and do, others have seen but couldn't do but tried and then others I had not seen before was able to do them

Day 2:Cardio X:

First of all, would like to know when I rode out on a pose, because really felt like I had been riding a horse for hours. Hurting in muscles where I didn't realize there were muscles. But I was not alone in my discomfort. Hubby was just as sore.

 

CardioX; the warm up exercises (which consisted of some Yoga) was a bit more difficult than the. Banana roll hurt my port so I need to roll the other way

Day 3: Shoulders & Arms + Ab Ripper X:

 

 Not as stiff as I thought i would be but still a bit sore. Left thigh most of all but by mid day was just to the basic aches of a work out

Arms& shoulders & Ab Ripper

We did the arm and shoulder exercises first using bands. Focused more on getting the forms, next cycle I will need to go up on band tension

Ab Ripper: no kidding. wow I knew my ab muscles were severely lacking but didn't realize how much of a hole I have dug myself into. I couldn't do one sit up! I was literally in tears. ONE sit up! Just makes me angry. Not the type of angry where I am going to quit because I cant do it, angry that I will be able to do sit ups .

 

Day 4: Yoga:

 Arms and from of shoulders ache a little. But other than that feel fine OK with the exception of the aches on inner thigh.

 

Yoga, an hour and half! We were puddles of sweat within ten (10) minutes. What a workout, even though it was low impact it was one of the hardest workouts. I am just not flexible enough (yet) to do or hold a lot of the poses. The most difficult part was doing the transitions between the poses. They make it look so fluid. So twelve more weeks to work on it.

 

Day 5: Legs & Back, Ab Ripper X

 

We really could only do the legs part of the first CD because we didn't have a proper way to rig up the use of the bands and pull up bar upstairs. Good news on the Ab RipperX, was actually able to do some sit ups. Not sure what made today different than two days ago. But I will take a few over none!

 

Day 6: Kenpo X

 

For the most part felt pretty good. Legs were sore, exceptionally the calves. Going to have some great muscle tone in a few months. Then again isn't that the idea?

Now kenpo. Yeah not a fan of it at the moment. I was OK with doing the punching and kicking motions individually but combined multiple styles of each, yeah not so great at it. And the hubby tried to show me how. It was a good thing he was a few inches out of reach because as frustrated as I was there would not have been "mock" punches. Worst part was once I thought I had the rhythm down I would see him out of the corner of my eye and we were out of sync and it would just mess me up further. Well I have twelve more weeks to get it down.

 

Day 7: REST

 

Oh good lord! I feel like I was in a real fight yesterday. My whole body hurts. I am not the only one hurting, the hubby got out of bed and he did more than a little groan and cursing. Once we got moving for the day the soreness and stiffness subsided.

 

We survived the first week! Truly an amazing workout week. The hubby usually has pretty bad back pain through out the week stated that his normal back and shoulders pains had subsided by day 3 or 4 of the work out. He has amazing determination during the work outs. I can only do about 80% of most of the work outs but I am trying to do them and I know that eventually I will be doing the whole work out.

 

Eleven weeks to go!

 

 

 Week 2

 

 Due to the plague that has hit the household Week 2 has been delayed.........

 

2013...What Resolution? P90X, Why Not?

I met my goal for 2012 now what?  I am really not where I want to be weight wise it is time for another challenge/goal. Since my husband completed my 5K challenges with me why not continue his torment into the new year? He claims he has found some of the pounds I lost. Lets me honest, I didn't  lose them, I got RID of them. When you say you lost something it implies you want it back. Nope. No Thank You!

Last year the hubby made it a point to say that the 5K challenge was my goal. Even though he did all twelve with me. This year the focus is on "our" goal. In the last few years, like myself, his medical aliments have increased: High cholesterol, sleep apnea, back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain and his knees and ankles. These aliments are due to lifestyle, military and sports injuries and the extra weight is only making it worse as he gets older. I have never really been a fit, but he was extremely fit. He was very active when he was growing up and early in is military career.

Now as we have aged and bad habits have accumulated he is starting to suffer the consequences. I know he would like to be able to do the water sports and other activities he did when he was younger, at first I was the deterrent because I was not fit enough to do them and I was the catalyse to his fitness downfall. Time for me to be the catalyse to him being fit again.

What could will the 2013 challenge be? Why not P90X? Since we see all the cheesy infomercials with showing before and after pictures we did them...awww you wont be seeing them for a while. They are quite scary! Down 50 some pounds and I am still a pile of flub. Eww. The hubby? He has a body of a god, granted at this point it's Buddha. Yes rubbing it for luck. Funny thing is if he called me that he would get a black eye among other things. I love him no matter what he looks like, but like me getting a little more fit will help with some if not all of our ailments.

P90X is intense we realize that but we also know the limits of our bodies. The first 12 weeks will be low-key,  then we reboot again in 13 weeks and do the program as its designed. Looking over the suggested menu plans they are very similar to what I am already doing so that part will be fairly simple to follow.

We also did our measurements, here they are:

Him:

Neck: 17.5 inches
Waist:40
Belly:43
Thigh: 24
Chest 42
Biceps: 15


Me
Neck: 16
Waist: 47
Base hips/belly: 52
Chest: 52
Thigh: 27
Biceps: 14.5

It's bad enough posting measurements I really can't upload the pictures. I know I have come a long way, being down 50 some pounds, but the journey is not over yet. I have almost 100 pounds to go but at least I know I am not doing it alone.

DID IT!! Twelve 5Ks in 2012

"I am going to do Twelve 5ks in 2012" OK I admit it my co-worker and dear friend kind of looked at me as if I really needed to be medicated. I had made this announcement at the end of 2011. Funny I can't remember if it was before or after my bariatric surgery. I emailed my husband and told him the plan, the response. OK. I know what was going through his mind. "Yeah right. Another of her great "ideas" but like so many others she won’t follow through".

On January 1, 2012 just three weeks after my bariatric surgery I participated in the first 5K. In addition to my husband four friends were also participated to support me. Motivational is an understatement. I mean to realize that you have set this goal for yourself and others are there too. Well it was great gesture and I wish they had completed all the 5Ks with me. But life takes us down unexpected paths. Along the way I lost motivation, but I found it again.

Don't get me wrong. I will always remember those awesome people for being there when my journey began, and a few ran additional 5Ks with me. I really do understand that things change. But what is amazing, my husband participated in everyone with me. A few I knew he didn’t want to, but he kept saying “I will not be the reason you didn't reach your goal."

Your goal...he never said Our Goal. It made it all about me. What you need to understand the significant of this. In the twenty years of marriage, this may have been one of the hardest for him, but he was always by my side for the 5Ks. No matter how angry he was at me or vice a versa. He always said he supported me with things over the years, but it was the little things that tore down that support. He is not a saint, nor am I by any means, But in 2012 he showed his support for his wife on her insanity quest of completing twelve 5Ks over the year. Not sure there are many men that would do that for their wives.
Now that my husband has been placed on the pedestal, I need to reflect on the other people. The runners and walkers we encountered over the past year.

To say I was intimidated by the 5K athletes is an understatement, it was unneeded. What an amazing array of people. Yes there were the fit competitive runners but there were more of the middle of the road athletes. They were amazingly supportive and positive. The whole year I can only remember one negative incident and it was not aimed at me.

The incident happened during one of the 5Ks in the Fall (when I regained my motivation). A family was running, the “father” was goading his son as we came up a hill. “Come on keep running don’t you dare stop. Are you a quitter, not my son? Don’t you dare quit, all the fat people will out run of you. You should be ashamed of yourself”.  Wow really? The boy was maybe eleven years old. You could see the agony on his face and the blood running down his knee from a fall. You could also see the mother and younger sister’s painful expression of embarrassment. The mother took her son to the side and dabbed her son’s bloody knee with her shirt.  We didn’t hear the rest, but the father soon passed us in a gust of furry. A few minutes later the boy, his sister and mother passed us. He could be proud that at least this fat person didn’t pass him.  As I stated, this was the only negative incident we encountered. OK other than the 10 people who cheated in one race when they didn’t do a final mile loop.

It was amazing to see how supportive people were and how others accomplishing goals alongside us. Such as the woman who ran her first 5K on New Year’s Eve. She ran the whole thing, didn’t walk once and her sister was alongside her the whole way cheering her on. No matter the race you would hear jovial comments and encouragement.  “Almost done” “You’re doing great”  “Keep going” . Perfect strangers becoming your personal cheerleaders, not something you would expect.  It was a key reminder that you were not doing it alone.
Of the twelve…ok thirteen races; there were a handful we would not d again if we had a choice. The ones we will do again: The Color Run (so much fun), the Breast Cancer fundraisers (great cause that is very personal for us) and the theme races like the Jingle Bell run.
Before each race I would tell my husband “We are only going to walk this”. Never walked a full 5K, we always ran at the beginning and finished running, depending on the race we ran/walked at various points in between. It’s a bit frustrating that I didn’t run a full 5K yet. If I had not lost my motivation for 6 months I think it would have been easily accomplished. But the goal I set out was to participate in twelve 5Ks and I did that as well as an extra tacked on at the end. I am pretty sure more are in the future and this time next year I should be writing about finally running a whole 5K (or more).

I know this, I didn’t do it alone. Not only was my husband by my side during each race. But there was tremendous support from my fellow racers. I cannot forget the wonderful friends that have blessed my life. I would have faltered again and again. But knowing so many people we supporting me and sending words of encouragement it was the little push I needed to keep going. At some points the encouragements were not just a push, they dragged me to the races. In an odd way it kept me accountable.  I thank you all.

And with parting words let’s not forget: I SURVIVED TWELVE 5KS IN 2O12!!

“Encouragement from any source is like a drop of rain upon a parched desert. Thanks to all the many others who rained on me when I needed it, and even when I foolishly thought I didn't. (Acknowledgements in The P.U.R.E.)” ― Claire Gillian