strep throat

So this week has been good, I was doing my running on schedule and playing softball at work. Then bam, I woke up with a terribly sore throat yesterday morning and by last night I could even move. I still feel terrible and dont expect to feel great anytime soon, since I have no insurance and am 99% sure this is strep and and will require antibiotics for a quick recovery. We will see how this week goes but it doesn't look very bright.

6 miles!?

This past week has been a good one for me. I did have a few days of intense water retention (urg...being a girl) but as of this morning that is all gone and I am back to weight in. I also did some pretty amazing things this week on the treadmill. I ran 13 miles in one week! That is a personnal record! One of these runs was 6mi which I did with a 12min mile pace, another personal first. I think this training for the half will be really interesting. Until now I have focused on things I was good at or have done before but running is all new for me and I am learning so much about my focus and patience as well as dedication. I really am hopeful...

Then and now pics

So this month for me has really been about realizing how far I have come in life, not just weight loss, but everything. In the past 3 years I have gone from being an overweight mom of 2 and an unhappy/unhealthy, depressed, stressed person to a very Healthy happy mother of 4 gorgeous children, as well as an incredibly PROUD of who I have become and where I am going. Since this comp started I have lost 23lbs and gained more self confidence than I ever knew was possible. Today I took my kids swimming and I proudly wore a bikini! Well a tankini but still I was in a public place and wore a 2 piece suit. It was huge!

In light of that I wanted to share a little peek at the last few years and the difference this comp has made...

This is me three years ago...

This is me 7 years ago...

And this is me now...

I know these are bad pictures but I didn't really get in that many by choice and even fewer had my face so it was slim pickins'. Karilynn is creating a collage for me and that I think will show the changes over this comp much better, but I just needed to see it and share it while it was fresh and I was feeling brave. If you would have asked me last December if I thought I would actually lose weight in this comp my answer would certainly have been no but as we all know the force and motivation Karilynn brings are forces to be reckoned with!

March is OVER!!

So march is over and I reached my goal weight! Now I just have to keep it off, that will be the hard part. Yesterday I was in the car all day and salt is definitely not my friend. I love it way to much! This will be an interesting transition...maintainence...a whole new challenge! Today is a very busy day so this will be short but I will post more later.