One Year -- 5K with Photo -- I think!

Well, I think I have posted a photo!  This is me and the mutt finishing my first 5K on Sunday I only ran across the finish line --  mostly I walked!  My surgery was on Nov. 14, 2012, and I've lost 89 pounds!  I am 12 pounds away from my initial goal of hitting 159, which puts me at the top of the "normal" BMI range.  I'm still plugging along and each pound is begging to stay!  There is a before photo and a few progress photos on my profile page -- I lack the patience to try to post a before photo too!  LOL!

Thanks to you all for the many, many months of support and good advice!  And yes -- I truly believe that I could be at goal now if I had worked a little harder -- so for you newbies out there, I cannot stress how important it is to be compliant with your eating program, especially the first six months.  

I will get there!  But just like my 5K -- it looks like I'm "walking" toward my goal, instead of "running" toward it!  But in the end, I will get there!

Well done! You look amazing and I love your optimism. You will, indeed, get there! 

I think it's very cool that you did the 5K! I fantasize about doing one, but have great fear. You've accomplished something truly amazing!

Congrats, congrats, congrats!

I was so afraid too!  So the first one I signed up for was a Run or Dye, which was un-timed, and loads of fun because people throw powdered dye at you along the course, and then there's a dance party at the finish line.  

Why was I afraid?  1) At the time I didn't run so thought I'd look stupid.  2) I thought I would finish last. 3) I didn't think I could finish. 4) I thought I looked stupid.

Guess what - I was nowhere close to the last person to cross the finish line, I did finish, and in the photos taken of me that day, I didn't look stupid!  Since then I've done a "beer run" (walk a mile, have a beer, walk a mile, have a beer for 5K), the Dick Beardsley 5K (this was my first timed race, and I would run for 30 seconds at a time, walk for 2 or 3 minutes), the Monster Dash in Fort Worth (ran just a little bit more this time, but still mostly walking), and I'm doing a 5K on Thanksgiving Day, the Polar Dash in January, a Women Rock run in March, and the Fargo Marathon 5K in May.  

Take a leap of faith and sign up for one.  Then start training for it.  You don't have to run; train so that you can consistently walk 3.1 miles and you've got it!  The atmosphere is electrifying at a race, and you'll see all shapes and sizes there.  Plus, many have great swag for the entrance fee!  I'm especially excited about the Women Rock event coming up - they meet you at the finish line with a bunch of hunky men, a glass of champagne, and a medal with a ruby in it!  Check out the site Active.com for a list of events in your area - there's nothing like the pride you feel when you set a goal and then do it! 

Love it, you look so great and I love how happy you are.  Congratulations!

Brandy

Love the photo! You look great! Congratulations on your losses and I know you'll get to goal, one step at a time...Great job!

Deb

You look awesome, and did a 5K great work!

Yay!  Congrats!

Awesome! Your little ****er looks far more tired than you! Isn't that great!

Nothing wrong with walking your way to goal. You're still traveling the same distance, but just taking your time to get there. Like a nice drive in the country - something to be enjoyed!

You'll be at goal in no time!

And a big congrats on your one year "surgiversary"!!!!!!

Thanks for your encouragement (throughout!).  Heinz looks more tired because he had already run the course with my husband!  I was taking photos (my excuse for being slow!  LOL!).   So when I finished lap 2 (in this course 4 laps around the trail = 5K), they told me that the finishers would probably be there in 10 minutes -- so I stopped to take photos of the finishers.  

My husband and Heinz were the second place finishers -- then I handed the camera off to my husband, and Heinz did two more laps with me.  So he was a tired ****er!

You look so happy! I love it!