Fitness Friday-2015 Aramco Houston Half Marathon

2015 has already started challenging me, like 2014 was not challenging enough.  Challenging yourself to complete a race motivates you to get closer to your fitness goals, at least it does for me. I love to run and it has become a big part of my year.  Unfortunately life does happen.  I was so happy when I decided to sign up for the 2015 Aramco Houston Half Marathon.  It was my opportunity to run it under my name.  But like I told you on my Motivational Monday-Never Quit on Yourself, I almost quit before I even got started.

So in order to complete the mileage I was going to run, you need training.  Last year, I did not train and I could have done serious damage to my knees.  This year I decided to train.  I did.  I started the year training with my husband.  Then I had bumps on the road, and stopped consistent training on a weekly basis.  I did something here or there.  I did not clean my eating either.  All the stress I have been under has me stress eating.  Not only that some medication I had started taking, made me gain weight as well.  But I blame it all on me and take full responsibility.  Ultimately we make our choices. 

So on January 1, 2015 with only 17 days before the race, I started training and eating healthier options than I had been.  I went to the gym and my goal-my goal was to keep my knees moving.  I remembered the doctor saying that in January 2014 I shocked my knees from doing nothing to running 13.1 miles.  I did not want to get injured.  All this weight on my poor knees was too much.  I would go to the gym and get on the treadmill for at least 1 hour.  I consistently added more miles.  When I did not do the treadmill, I did the bike.  On weekends, we walked the malls. 

On January 18, 2015, I actually showed up.  I got to the start line and I crossed it.  I had music playing in my ears, the crowds cheering away, and my legs just going at it.  I bought some goo to give me energy along the race, and had some at every 3 miles.  I got a banana from a person in the crowd at mile 9 and saved it for mile 12.  I stopped at every Gatorade and water station.  I walked it out in between, you do not want to slip and fall.  When I saw the finish line, I bolted with a burst of energy that came out of the sky.  I crossed that finish line and never felt better.  I can't believe I almost took this away from myself. 

This are pictures of me, thanks to the Marathon photographers all along the race.  I won't tell you that it was easy to finish.  I won't even tell you it was easy to start.  But I will tell you, that when I did IT FELT GREAT!  I may not look like a runner.  I may be overweight.  I may have asthma and breath hard every time.  I may look like I am walking when I think I am running.  But no one can take this away from me now. 

What are you talking yourself out of?  What have you wanted to try and are not giving yourself a chance to do?  It will not be easy.  It will be hard but that is why it is a challenge.  I am not only a finisher but I am a starter.  Finish that one thing you started. 

I did!  I love the slogan, 13.1, cause I'm only half crazy!  One day, I might go all the way crazy, and go for the 26.2 miles but for now I am enjoying this victory.