I'm back after 4 months....

Wow- It has been almost 4 months since I’ve emailed everyone! I don’t know where time has gone but I have some updates:

•  I have not stopped my challenge/journey, nor have I quit. I just took a nice long pause. 
• During this pause I have been traveling almost every week (for work & fun)… happily seeing a lot of you…in San Antonio, New York, Boston, Hilton Head, Atlanta, and San Francisco (did I miss anywhere?) 
• I want to give a shout out to my AMAZING 4 month coach – Kim! She was a true inspiration and an AWESOME coach. During the last 4 months I've been working really hard and dealing with a lot of last minute obstacles. And during this time I didn't gain weight. She made that happen with 4 months of inspiration and support. Thank you Kim! 
• I just returned from 2 weeks of Vacation at Hilton Head Health where I started my weight loss journey again. 

So I am down over 31 pounds in total and have 20 friends on this list who haven’t had the change to coach me yet. Lets get started!

Yo so I continued to A1A Beachfront Avenue

Ice Ice Baby!!!  OK - this post isn't about Vanilla Ice but instead about my Half Marathon Race on February 19th. I just couldn't help the 80's pop culture.            

I am so excited to report that I ran the race in 2 hours and 28 minutes - beating my goal of 2 hours and 30 minutes.  I stuck to the 12 week training program right up until week 12 when I started getting hip pain.  At that point I substituted biking and elliptical for running.  So I hadn't run for about 8 days up until the race.  But I had previously completed 11 miles and was still physically active.  The race started at 6am so Shannon & I awoke around 4am.  We had a snack and lots of water.  Shannon found the 2:15 pace group and I put on my headphones. For the first hour of the race we ran in the dark. There were plenty of people running & along the course that the dark didn't bother me. What bothered me was the humidity.  I had trained in 30/40 degrees in Chicago - no humidity.  So I got in a groove and just went.  I told myself just get to the next water stop.  That was my mantra.  Each water stop was 1 - 1.5 miles apart.  And at each stop I slowed to a walk and drank a minimum of 2 cups.  My hip was a bit sore but not bad throughout the race. 

And it wasn't until mile 11 that I slowed down to walk a bit and looked at my watch.  At this point I was just over 2 hours in and knew I could make my time goal. 

So I started running/jogging again.  And I kept going. Slow and Steady.

Running down the chute at the end was painful and glorious.  I was so excited to beat my time but I was beat.  Shannon & I met up at the finish and were both happy with our time. We celebrated by finding a bar on A1A to enjoy mimosas and omelets. The race was a half and a full so we were there for about 2 hours cheering on the other runners/walkers that were coming in.  It was the highlight of my day - knowing I had done it and could help others cross the finish line. 

I spent the next 2 days nursing my sore legs and thirst by the pool and at the beach.  I believe I will make a February warm - half a new tradition. 

Below are some more pictures from the day:



At the start line



Crossing the Finish Line



Showing off our medals

At the Bar afterwards, joined by Wade



Coach 15: Emily Elliott

Emily is my awesome friend in Chicago.  Emily & I met when we both moved into Grace Court about 8 years ago.  She is also from Michigan!  Emily went to Western Michigan and then moved to Chicago.  She is married to Ryan - who is from Ann Arbor and happens to be the brother of my brother Geoff's best friend.  Small world.  And they have 2 adorable pugs - Pete & Parker.  Emily is a Nurse Practitioner at Children's in Chicago and is amazingly smart and beautiful.

Every summer Emily, Ryan, Shannon & I go up to her family's cabin in Canada for a week of R&R.  Last year was this was my last week of indulgence because when I came back to Chicago from Basswood I started this amazing journey.  I'm looking forward to Basswood 2012 - healthier & happier!  Plus it won't hurt to look hot in my bathing suit.

Thanks Emily for being an awesome friend and inspiring me to lose another pound.

Coach 14: Kristin Hartmann Burda

I have known Kristin since kindergarten.  She is Kristin Beth, I am Kristin Elizabeth.  We were born 2 days apart (I'm older).  My brother is 2 days older than her sister.  (Then my mom had a 3rd and her's stopped).  We have grown up so much together and learned so many important lessons over the years.  Our childhood was very active with swimming, biking, climbing trees, sleepovers, etc.  Every summer we went to camp for a week away from our families where we found independence.  We didn't always attend the same school but our lives have stayed very much intertwined and now we are both in Chicago (well she is in the suburbs but close enough).  Kristin & I have in the past done weight watchers together and therefore I was excited to ask her to be my coach because she knows what it is like to make healthy decisions. 

Kristin offered a lot of support during her weeks as my coach.  There were cold winter days where I didn't want to get off the coach and she said just go walk around the block.  And before I knew it I had exercised for 30 minutes.  She pushed me when I needed it.  And I enjoyed texting and pushing her to get in her weekly work out.  Thank you!!!

What is your favorite workout wear?

My workout pants are all larges and now officially are falling down while running.  It is time to get new workout wear.  And I LOVE IT!!!  Please share with me your favorite brands/ styles.  Thank you.

Vision in the A1A Half

My Vision - Run a 2:30 Half Marathon!

Why?  I've always said time doesn't matter -it is just doing the event that counts.  And most of you know that 2:30 is a slow pace (11:28/mile).  But having a goal for this race I believe has pushed me in my training?  I have run many half marathons in the past and my time has gone up every one since the start:

• April 29, 2006 - Derby Festival - 2:28:25
• August 10, 2008 - The Chicago Distance Classic Half Marathon - 2:41:16
• October 12, 2008 - Bank of America Chicago Marathon - MARATHON - Time at Half:  2:44:08
• January 18, 2009 - Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona - 2:49:34
• August 1, 2010 - Rock 'n' Roll Chicago - 2:46:29 (ok - this one went down by 3 mins)

So the REASON I have a time goal is because it reflects my journey.  Since 2006 my heath has decreased and my weight has increased.  By making 2:30 a goal I'm making my health a goal.  And if I don't meet 2:30 I will not let it get me down.

Because I have come so far....  But I really do hope I beat that number!

Now that I've lost 20+ pounds...

...do I think I can do anything?  I DO!

For the past couple years I've been thinking about doing a Ironman 70.3.  And tonight I signed up for Cozumel 70.3 on September 23, 2012.  This gives me plenty of time to train and prepare.  My dear friend Erica has agreed to make the trip to Mexico with me to cheer me on and then drink with me on the beach for a couple of days afterwards.  It is going to be so awesome (I hope) - so think about joining me for the race and or the drinks!  I would appreciate all the support.

Distance:
1.2 mi. swim • 56 mi. bike • 13.1 mi. run

With a Mexican heart and a Caribbean soul, Cozumel is a paradise where tradition, flavor and joy come together. You will always find a friendly face and a warm welcome to make your stay an unforgettable one.