16 weeks of training...and it was totally worth It!

Half Marathon has been checked off the bucket list!  I'm super duper proud of myself and really tired :)

I was so nervous leading up to today.  I did my best to fuel, hydrate and rest this week.  And last night we went out for pasta (yum-o) and I came home and was in bed by 9:30.  My alarm went off at 4:45 am and I was not ready to get up but I had an hour drive ahead of me.

I finally got there a few minutes before it started, used a disgusting port a potty and got in my corral.  The Cowtown is a ginormous race and there were 6870 half marathon finishers.  I did this race 100% solo...it was me and my music (which explains the lack of pictures).  The weather was perfect for a race...40 degrees, sunny and no wind.

I started off at the back of the pack (Corral 4 out of 5) which was a 2:30 finishing time.  Even though I said I just wanted to finish I really wanted to make it under 2:30.

The first few miles were weaving and bobbing through the crowd.  It spread out around mile 3 and I was able to get into a groove and just run.   And I also did a ton of people watching...and I have to make a PSA.  Ladies-not all tights are created equal, please check out your ass before running in them in public.  I saw WAY too many cheeks peeking through tights that were waaaay to thin.

I hit mile 6 through which took us through the Fort Worth Stockyards.  Sorry for the picture quality I tried to take it with my iPhone armband camera.  And I passed the 2:30 pace leader...score!

Right before mile 9 and a ginormous hill there was a refueling station with goo and fruit.  I grabbed some goo and decided to walk the hill instead of run which was the only time I actually walked the entire race.I hit mile 11 and heard all the people around me saying the huge tower is the finish line.  I could finally see the end!  I decided to take a quick selfie.

Mile 12 is where I had to really stay focused and talk my way to the end.  Everyone else around me started walking.  I was dodging walkers left and right and I just kept telling myself "Just don't stop"  "Just don't stop."

Thank god for the finish line crowd and all the crafty signs.  I knew I was close when I saw finishers with their medals walking to their cars (which was also discouraging).  I finally hit mile 13 and the final straight away which was a glorious feeling!!!  I went total dork mode hands in the air crossing the finish line.I gulped down some water and was rewarded with this awesome medal.  

Then I got this text...

I finished in under 2:30!!!!  I forwarded this to my husband and was almost in tears.  The 16 weeks of training all led up to this amazing moment!!!  I can't even explain the pride I felt.

I stretched, grabbed a banana and my finishers shirt and headed home on Cloud 9.Not sure if I will ever run a half again but I'm so glad I completed it.  This had always been on my bucket list and it can now be checked off.

The rest of the day was filled with Gatorade (I didn't want this to happen again), relaxation and eating way to much. 

Hope everyone had a great weekend and thanks to everyone for the support and sweet messages.

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Lesson Learned

The Friday before my birthday I started feeling really yucky...low grade fever, back pain, dizziness and just exhaustion!  I rode it out Friday thinking I just had a bug but when Saturday rolled around (my Birthday) and I wasn't feeling any better I decided to do what every sick person does...google my symptoms.  My insurance is horrible so I didn't want to make a trip to the doctor for something I could treat at home.  And after reading through several websites I realized that I was . . .

DEHYDRATED

Seriously, no one ever told me that being dehydrated could make you feel that bad.

My hubby and I had run on Thursday night and I was off Friday so instead of hitting the water when we got home I had a glass of wine (or 2 or 4) instead.  This on top of the fact that I'm not a water drinker to start with just made things worse.  On Saturday once I figured out what was wrong, I pumped myself full of G2 Gatorade and Water.  I felt mediocre that night so we continued our plans to go to dinner with my family but I only had one {Skinny}Margarita (that is a shame on your birthday) and headed home to bed at 9:00 pm.

Soapapillas - Yum O

I am finally better now and drinking water like CRAZY and replenishing after long runs with Gatorade.  And I figured out that not drinking water has affected me more than I knew it was.  I had been getting really, really dizzy all the time and especially when going from kneeling down to standing quickly.  One day to the point that I had to pull my car over.  I thought it was blood sugar but found out it is a side effect of dehydration.  This has not happened to me in over a week now and I've actually been able to run faster...check out this time last night (compared to my normal 11 min pace).  It was a short distance but I was flying!

So...lesson learned body - I NEED and MUST drink water!  This is my PSA for the week...drink water!  

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And not to forget the 10 lbs in 10 weeks - I'm on Week 8 and 2.6 pounds away from my goal.  I can't say enough good things about My Fitness Pal (merewoody).  It has been a huge part of this challenge and I literally look up everything before it goes in my mouth.

And this week I'm doing so carb loading instead of no carbing since my half marathon is on Sunday.  EEEEK!  I don't want to hit a wall on Sunday and I have every expectation of gaining a pound or two doing this but it is going to be worth it when I cross that finish line.

Hope everyone is having a good week!


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Quickie

Wow...I have been sooooooooo busy!  It's been a whirlwind 2 weeks and I have so much to write but tonight I'm gonna make it quick.

10 Pounds in 10 Weeks - Weeks 5 & 6

Weight Loss the past 2 weeks:

-2.0 LB

I keep taking off the pounds...thank you My Fitness Pal!  And I joined Courtney's Diet Bet and this girl hates losing money so I will be down 4% by March 4!

Here were my goals for Week 5 (Jan 28 - Feb 3)

• Drink lots and lots of water
• No eating after 7 pm at night
• Run Tuesday (3 miles), Thursday (3 miles), Saturday (11 miles)
• Track my calories in My Fitness Pal (merewoody) and stay between 1400-1500 calories
• Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred Monday & Wednesday
• Add a fresh fruit or veggie to every meal
• No Carb Day on Tuesday and Thursday

Eating

I think I've finally found my magic calorie number and as long as I stay within that I'm pretty consistently losing 1 pound a week.  My Net Calories have between 1400-1500 calories per day and it's actually pretty manageable.

I have done some splurging - this past weekend was my birthday and we did go out to eat and get dessert :)

Moving

I have been running 3 to 4 days a week and doing a Sweatshop Class at work on Wednesdays.

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So what's in store for the next few weeks?

I am going to keep on tracking with My Fitness Pal and continue to do No Carb Days on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

And my Half Marathon is February 24th!!!!  I am super excited and so ready :)

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In other news...have you guys seen that cruise ship that caught fire?  Well that just happens to be the one that I am supposed to board with my hubby and two other couples in 23 Days.  I feel horrible for all the people that are stuck onboard right now, I can't imagine the feeling of being stuck out at sea in those conditions.  But we are crossing our fingers that the boat will be fixed quickly so we can go on vacation.

Okay bloggy blog friends - I am heading to bed.  Good night!

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