Accomplished the 20 miler

This morning started off very early for me.  It’s the day in every marathon training plan people look at and think…”20 miles is a long way to go without someone cheering you on.”  Well today was my day.  Honestly, I was skeptical about completing all 20 miles in the Texas heat and humidity but I was going to give it a try. I have a couple of marathons coming up and the first one is Revel Rockies Denver.  I’m trying to run myself back into shape.

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I planned on being out of the door at 4am, but that didn’t happen. I was still tired so a slept a bit more and then I was slow moving. I think the slow moving part happened because I was skeptical about running those miles. I decided I would do the miles in my neighborhood which meant I would probably have to make 17 loops. I thought this was a good idea so I could stay close to home and get my water without having to carry it with me. When I started running, it was already 77 degrees.

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That was a great idea until the sun came up and I decided I needed a change in venue. So I drove to the local trail to run which was a good idea until the sun started peaking through and ruined my run. I made it about 7 miles before I decided I needed to finish the run in the shade. At this point I was already thinking I’ve done 17 miles so I could stop and call it day. But I pressed on.

I pressed on because lately I’ve been lacking that mental toughness. It’s been easy for me to just quit or sit down and that’s really just not who I was. Willie told me that he thinks I just needed a reboot and I think he was right. I did A LOT of marathon running at the front half of the year and it takes a toll on you. And then the heat set in and I really wasn’t interested in running long miles so I became complacent. TODAY was the day I was going to work through it. I wanted to stop many times because it was too hot but I knew that was wrong. As long as I followed the hot running rules of hydration, taking a slower pace and taking rest breaks, I knew I could and would conquer this 20 mile run. I needed to finish the run.

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I was so happy when I finished! It felt good. I felt accomplished. I didn’t give up and I didn’t give in. I pushed through. It takes me back in time where I knew I could beat anything. I think I arrived back at that place this morning; running in the heat. When I finished it was 84 degrees and the humidity was KICKING.

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Long runs mean overnight oats in peanut butter jars. I was excited for this at the end.

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Let’s just say I’m enjoying the recovery. I’ve got my Pro Compression marathon socks, a nice glass of lowfat chocolate milk and now I’m blogging. Today is going to be a great day.

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Oh, I forgot about the ice bath. I haven’t done one in a long time but I knew it was going to be needed today. I think Willie enjoys dumping the bags of ice in the tub and watching me cringe.

It’s almost noon, what have you done today? What do you have planned?

Five steps to become more proactive

Five steps to become more proactive

Proactive, that’s the word of the week.  Last night I posted about the perks of being proactive and I’m sure a lot of you missed that post.  Here’s your chance to go back and read it before you continue with this post. Are you a proactive or reactive person? Do you let situations control your life? I like to think I’m a proactive person NOW but I spent many years being reactive.  That wasn’t a good place to be.  I didn’t realize this until later in life but that is when I decided to make a change.  A few years…

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Do you like t-shirts with motivation words?

Do you like t-shirts with motivation words?

Today is your lucky day if you do!  Remember last year when Willie and I were raising money for St. Jude’s Children Hospital to run in the canceled marathon?  Well we are doing it again!  Last year, Team We Beat Fat raised $2500 for the the children at hospital.  This year we want to raise money again. Together, Willie and I, will run the St. Jude Marathon in December and we would love to be able to sport a heroes singlet as we run through the St. Jude campus.  Every dollar counts and helps a child fight their battle with…

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Happy National Running Day

Happy National Running Day

It’s a day to celebrate running and we all know how much I love running! I thought I would start off the day the right way by working out. I went to Group Power and then I came home to put on a running shirt. I had too many decisions. I didn’t know which one to wear. I chose The Louisiana Marathon shirt because it was my first marathon and it’s my favorite race of the entire year! This is the part why I tell you why I love to run. I run because it makes me believe what I…

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The deal with changes

The deal with changes

Change is a part of life that we can’t really avoid.  Things change on a constant basis, including the weather.  I can’t believe we were hit with two ice events in 6 days here in southeast Texas.  I was cooped up in the house for a couple of days which really gave me a chance to think about the message I want to send out to the world.  Things changed for us a when we decided to lose the weight, our appearance changed,  our life changed, our activities changed and all of the sudden people are asking us to speak about…

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The importance of being you

The importance of being you

I guess today is a little inspirational post. Over the course of my marathon training, I’ve struggled with doing things for myself. I’m sure a lot of you struggle with this too, especially when others who are dependent on you. I don’t have any children but I’ve been left to task of caring for my mother as she battled cancer along with many other responsibilities. I declared this time in my life as a time to do something for myself…and I got flack for it. The most important thing to realize is that NO ONE is going to be 100%…

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Counting the blessings

Counting the blessings

Being in the public eye comes with lots of benefits like being about to share our story and inspire others but it also comes with haters! There’s been a huge surge in coverage on us and the haters are out and I’ve been the focus of some of their hate. I am blessed that our story is out there so that we can inspire and motivate others. I thought this would be the perfect time to count my blessings for everyone to see. So here I go: 1. I am blessed to have a wonderful husband who is MY BEST…

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Wait, do you think you’re special?

Wait, do you think you’re special?

I’m sitting here at Starbucks with my iced coffee prepping the blog for the week.  I wanted to take a minute to talk about the issue of being special after receiving an e-mail from a reader a couple of weeks ago.  The e-mail basically told me that I thought I was above everyone and I don’t offer any help to anyone.  It ended with a simple question, why do I think I’m so much more special than everyone else? The simple answer to this questions is no.  I don’t think I’m special and I don’t think Willie and I are…

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A day of (state) resolutions

A day of (state) resolutions

After running the Austin 10/20, Willie and I were honored with state resolutions on the floor of the Texas State Capitol.  Our weight loss achievements are now a part of Texas state history!  This is/was such a honor for us and definitely a moment we won’t forget.  We were honored alongside our friend Richard and Amie James (for creating a healthier community by creating The Gusher Marathon), Iram Leon (for winning the Gusher Marathon while pushing his daughter and just plain winning at life), and Felix Lugo (who ran his 50th marathon holding the American flag at The Gusher).  We…

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Everything Is New Again

Everything Is New Again

Losing the weight has been one of the biggest accomplishments in life. Everything seems so attainable and there is nothing I feel like I can’t do. I’m opening up more to people which means I’m making new friends. I’m trying new things, so I am developing new interests. Most importantly, I’m taking risks that I never would have taken before when I was larger. It’s amazing just how different I am from before. Losing the weight was just not a physical change, it was a mental and emotional change also. People look up to me as this great inspiring force…

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