The Woman I was Meant to Be

Well folks... remember this post? Check out the date on that. We are 15 days away from the 1 year mark. I am proud to say that I have come so far since then. I wish I had a better representation of a "before" shot but these are the best I have:

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And some after shots:

It has been an amazing year full of growth and realizing that I can achieve the impossible. I have reached far beyond my wildest dreams and I am still reaching. I have come from doing a few simple stretching exercises for just 15 minutes a day to this is what my exercise day looked like yesterday:

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14 push-ups, 2 minute horizontal elevated leg raise, 3 minute bridge with pulses, 30 second pendulum plank, 30 second up-down plank, 50 crunches (with my baby laying on my rib cage, LOL!), 25 In-N-Outs

The Short Shorts Workout

Tank Top Arms Workout (5 lb weights used for everything except 3 lbs on lateral raises and tricep kickbacks)

1 mile treadmill run with walking warm up and cool down

Elliptical (Aerobic Program 1, Distance 1200, Up to resistance 5, tried to maintain speed 60 consistently through higher resistance)

14 push-ups, 2 minute horizontal elevated leg raise, 1 minute glute bridge with dips, 1 minute pulses in bridge, 1 minute bridge hold, 30 second (each side) plank, 1 minute normal plank, 50 crunches, 25 In-N-Outs

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I am so grateful for the continual support of family and friends who have cheered me on and supported me. I am especially grateful to my wonderful husband, mother and my "Bikini Boot Camp" group who have been my ultimate cheering sections and motivation. I feel that I have successfully changed this into a lifestyle and I absolutely love living it. It has made my quality of life so much better and I am so much happier with life and with myself than I have ever been. 

My friend, Amy, decided to start training for a half marathon next year. It is definitely one thing for me to say that my ultimate fitness goal is to run a marathon and it is entirely another thing to do it. I am scared to death of running. Really. Sound stupid? Well I am. Nothing triggers my asthma worse than running and I am terrified to find out that this goal is unattainable. But after a great pep talk from my mom and counseling with my cute hubby I have decided to go for it. I have put together a training schedule based on the Hal Higdon training programs. It is based on his Novice 1 program but I have drawn it out even further to give my body and lungs time to adjust properly. I will almost certainly have to readjust it and tailor it as I need to but I feel like I have a good starting base. I also have more confidence since starting a segment of a Dulera inhaler that has allowed me to almost never have to use my rescue inhaler. 

The big day is April 20, 2013. I have already registered and paid the fee and there are no refunds so there is no backing out now. I feel excited and absolutely terrified all at the same time. I am very glad that it is 8 months away and that I will have lots of time to plan and prepare. I am so new to this and want to be as ready as I can be.

Part of the training program includes doing 5k and 10k races. Amy and I have also signed up for the Racing with Passion 5k in September and the Operation61 10k in October. We are hoping to do another 10k next March right before the half. The winter will be hard and I am going to have to learn to not hate my treadmill but I will try to persevere. 

I am going to need lots of encouragement and motivation as I go into this. Any tips from experienced runners would be greatly appreciated. I want to prove to myself that I can achieve ANYTHING that I set my mind to... I believe that this is a huge step in doing that.

What an amazing year it has been. I am so grateful to the Lord in starting me on this path. I start school to become a certified personal trainer in 18 days and I am so excited. This is the life I was meant to live and the person I was meant to be. 

Anyone out there who is thinking about changing your life I will just tell you straight up - it is possible and you can do it. Yes it is hard but it is soooo worth it in every single way. I cannot stress that enough. Do you know that saying, "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels"? It is way more than that. It isn't about being skinny. It is about the fact that nothing feels better than achieving what you once believed to be impossible -  to be strong and confident and joyful. It is worth every single sacrifice. I have biked miles, I have logged countless workout hours, I have climbed rock walls, I have hiked mountains, I have swam laps, I have run and, overall, I have learned and become truly free. My new favorite quote:

I am so grateful for the journey that this year has been and the woman that it has allowed me to become. I look forward with great joy and anticipation for the year to come and for all of the years after that. And when I finally run that full marathon someday I will fall to my knees and say I am truly the Captain of my Fate and the Master of my Soul. 

Much love always, Shayla