2016 The Year of Everything and Nothing -- A retrospective

So you are probably thinking I forgot all about this blog, my promise to my mom and my goals, right? The answer is both yes and no. I never forgot but life got in the way, as life tends to do! It's the beginning of 2017 and it's been four years (!!) since I last blogged but I thought I would dust this account off and start tracking my progress on some different goals.

2016 was one of the most interesting years in recent memory. On a national level it was filled with divisiveness, anger, loss, change, and confusion. For me personally it's hard to really to classify. It was the year I turned 40. Society says I should struggle with this age, but in truth I feel more comfortable in my own skin than I ever have. It was a year of immense changes at work that necessitated a lot of long hours handing multiple jobs. Yet, it was also a year filled with many professional successes such as chairing a national association board, presenting at a national conference and seeing much success locally.

It was also a year that I decided to get out of credit card debt. That debt was an albatross around my neck and I felt deep shame and an overwhelming powerlessness to change it. Then I sat down with a friend who is a financial planner and we put a plan in place to try to tackle it. My original goal was to pay it off in 18 months and truthfully that seemed like wishful thinking at the time. Yet, I'm very blessed to say that if all holds I should be paid off sometime in the next 6 weeks, just about 13 months after I started!!! (No secrets, just doing the cash envelope budget system and putting all available $$ towards my debt.)

In March 2016, buoyed by my success with my debt and after several months of just overwhelming stress and pressure, I felt convicted to try to find something to be thankful for everyday. I started with a goal of 3 things but almost immediately every day had 4-5 different things. Truthfully, there were some very difficult days where I had to think really big picture about thankful things. But most days were filled with individual blessings, normal, humble and mundane (and a few extraordinary ones). I started to notice how this act started to change my attitude and outlook during stressful times. It's a habit I'm keeping in 2017.

2016 had one last gut punch for me -- learning that my beloved dog, Ginger, had terminal lymphoma and our days together were numbered. I had adopted Ginger just a little over a year after losing mom. She has been my faithful companion and best friend through some of the most trying days of my life. To say the diagnosis was devastating is probably an understatement. But after my initial despair I pulled it together to try to make Ginger's last months filled with lots of love, kisses, snuggles, treats, walks, rides in the car with her head out the window and all the things she loves.

I started this blog post to write about 2017 but I guess I needed to write about 2016. So tomorrow I'll fill you in on what I'm planning for this upcoming year! Happy New Year!

A beautiful day for a run...

Wow...we've had sort of a miracle happen here in Rochester lately.  The sun. Shining. In March.  It was day 2 of gorgeous blue skies and sun.  I had to miss my morning group run with Fleet Feet due to a Rotary meeting but after having lunch with my Gram, I headed out for a run!  I decided to leave my pup at home today. I wanted the luxury of being able to run without having to worry about what she was doing or if we would see any other dogs.  I ran a little over 3 miles at about a 14:30 pace (averaged). I started faster but slowed a bit at the end. But I felt good the whole way.

In two weeks it will be my one-year anniversary of running!  It was a beautiful day, much like today, a year ago that I decided to start the Couch 2 5K program. I readily admit that I had no idea a year later that I'd still be running, but I am thrilled about it!

So I guess it's time to share one of my goals for the year: run a half marathon.  Yep, 13.1 here I come!  That seems crazy to even type, but after I did the Race with Grace 10K (6.2) at Thanksgiving I started to believe that with time and the proper training, I too can join the ranks of half marathoners.  Will a full marathon be in my future....who knows? I don't have any plans to run one now but if I continue to train and lose weight...the sky is the limit! :)

I have a couple other goals for the year...I'll try to share those in a separate blog post.  Thanks for all the lovely comments and notes of encouragement.  This is a long, slow process (much like my running...haha) but it's been most worthwhile. I wholeheartedly believe my mom is up in heaven cheering me on to success.

Happy Saturday!

It's about time for an update...

Wow.  Time flies!!! I can't believe that I haven't posted a blog since Thanksgiving...yikes.  Well the good news is, I have still been working away at my goal.  I'm very pleased to say that through the holidays I've maintained my weight loss. I'm still hovering around the 25 lbs lost mark.  I admit that once the Fleet Feet No Boundaries running program ended mid-December that I really backed off of running for a while.

I ran only a couple times during the whole month of January. I had some foot pain so part of that was just resting my foot but part of it was just that it was so dang cold outside! ;)

NoBo started back up a few weeks ago and I'm proud to say that I've been able to make most of the training sessions so far.  I'm also very happy that my times are steadily hovering around the 14 minute a mile mark.  I'm hopeful that in the next couple weeks that I can push myself to go up a little bit to the 13's group.  I'm still in the process of picking my races for the year but I'm excited to say that 11 months after I first went out for a run that I'm still running all these months later!!!

I've been putting together some goals for the year (I know, I know...it's already almost March) and I plan to share those in the next few days.  I'm just a few days away from the 2nd anniversary of my mom's passing.  It seems fitting that I unveil these goals for the year as I get ready for that day.  Thanks for all the wonderful support...it really means the world to me!

Happy Thanksgiving Mom!

Dear Mom,

It's hard to believe it's been a year and eight months since you passed. I miss you every day.  Today is Thanksgiving and I'm so thankful that I had a wonderful mother like you.  I think you would be pretty proud of how I am (finally) starting to fulfill my promise to you, mom.  At this point I've lost about 27 lbs since the spring.  It took me a while to get going but I don't think I've ever been more committed to exercise than I am right now. Beyond the weight loss, I just feel good!

This morning I ran the Race with Grace 10K!  It was by far the longest I've ever run and I am so excited to tell you that I ran the whole thing.  Dad came out to cheer me on. As I ran through the finish line I thought of you and what you would be thinking of this whole thing.  I know you would be proud and perhaps a little surprised.  I know I am surprised.  There have been a few things in my life that I have really set my mind to and accomplished something amazing. This is one of those times. 

Whenever I get tired or discouraged and think I can't keep going, I think of you mom.  Not only how doggedly you fought your disease, but also just how doggedly you lived your life. You had a lot of loss and tough things happen and you just kept going, picking yourself up and moving on.  You left us all a wonderful example to follow.

I miss you tons and wish more than anything I could drive to your house and tell you this in person, but I guess I'll have to rely on the heavenly internet. 

Happy Thanksgiving Mom!

One year ago...

I'm all packed up and ready to head out to the cottage (see photo below) for our week of vacation. I'm pretty excited for a week off from my busy job.  This week marks an important anniversary though.  It was one year ago when I was on vacation at the cottage that I decided to embark on this journey of weight loss and getting healthy.  While I haven't achieved everything I had hoped for I thought it would be good to give an update on where I have been.

First, I started last year with great intentions and motivation.  But as with everything else, life got in the way.  I never gave up, but I cannot deny that I have had some really tough and trying times in the last 12 months.  So this goal sort of took a back seat.  Understandable but disappointing nonetheless. I originally hoped that I would have lost a lot more weight by now.  Oh well...

Second, the good news is that I have not given up and I am making real progress!  One of my goals for 2012 was to run a 5K (in fact a few of them).  As you may know, I'm nearing completion of the Couch 2 5K running program. I started and stopped it a few times before late April when it finally took hold.  I was reflecting the other day and realized that I've been doing this running 'thing' for over 60 days now...so I believe it's officially a habit! :)  I'm only a couple weeks away from finishing and then to try my first 5K.  I'm still deciding which one but I hope to run a few before the year ends...including the one I am in charge of "Race on the Ridge" in the fall!

Third, I have started to lose weight again.  I find that the exercise I am doing makes me want to eat healthier.  I'm trying to listen to that voice inside which says 'eat healthier' and I think it's finally starting to come together.  I'm not doing anything organized (such as weight watchers). I will need to eventually, but I'm trying this for now.

Finally, I have had several people ask me if I still plan to do my trek to the Himalayas.  The answer is both yes and no.  Realistically, I cannot commit to the trek that is going next November because I don't know that I have the time to get in shape the way I need to.  However, YES I do still plan to do this.  The group I was going to go with also leads yearly treks to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro.  That would been a pretty cool alternative and I wouldn't have to wait as long.  In fact, my Aunt Donna, who passed away in October, had planned to climb 'Kili' so if I do this, it would be very fitting.

That's the long and short of the situation. I'm not where I had hoped to be but I am moving in the right direction.  Thanks for all the great support this year.  Let's see what the next year brings, shall we?

Working out on vacation

I am up at our family cottage for the Fourth. Almost the whole family is here (not everyone though) so it is quite hectic. This morning I woke up and decided that I needed to continue my training. I was worried if I took too many days off I might not get back. That is a pretty momentous decision in and of itself for me. Usually when I am on vacation I take a break from working out. So not only was I breaking from tradition this would involve a bit of a drive. See the cottage is set amongst a really hilly part of NY. Though I have seen vast improvement in my endurance I knew I wouldn't be able to run those hills. So I drove out to the nearest high school track. Thanks to North Rose- Wolcott I was able to get my run in! Now I can get back to relaxing. Have a great day! :)

An Update of Sorts...

Wow, so it's apparently been 3 months since I've updated my blog.  Shame on me!

The good news is that I have been busy in that time.  After starting and stopping the Couch 2 5K program three times I am pleased to report I just finished Week 5.  In fact, today was a big milestone. Every other day so far has had running and walking intervals interchanging.  Today I just had to run 20 minutes. I say 'just' but that is a BIG deal for me.

I could never do the mile run in high school gym class. I was actually an athlete in high school, playing tennis and softball, but running was not my thing.  As I've worked through these weeks of training I have definitely noticed the change in my running ability.  I have lost a few pounds, not a lot yet though. That will come.  Once I can run the 5K I plan to make running a regular part of my routine!

So today was a pretty big deal.  The girl who couldn't do the mile just ran more than a mile.  The best part was that I felt good at the end, not like I was going to die. Haha!

I promise to keep better tabs on the blog, especially as I train for my first 5K.  It's only weeks away it seems! :)