Latest Before and After Pictures

It's so important in my journey to take pictures of my body. I forget how far I've come, or how much I really did weigh before. I, like all of us sometimes just don't have a realistic view day to day of my body. Pictures help me see the outside reality.

What I see now, I've done a lot of work that I would hate to undo. I have what I've worked for so I don't need or want to blow it now!

I've come along way baby!

Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot!

Yeah, I'm back! I feels so good to be back with my challenge.

Way back on October 19 my hubby experienced a serious car accident. After 2 surgeries and a 2 week stay in the hospital he is now in a rehab facility until his bones are all healed.

Needless to say my time to meet my challenge has been cut down to nothing. Lucky for me and my challenge I'd already done the October 5k (I had a second on planned but missed that one). When I started my challenge really all I wanted was a Turkey Trot to do! but then got this hairbrained idea about one every month to stay in shape!

Today was my Turkey Trot! I had been talking to all of my family about joining me since the entire name of the is "Thanksgiving Turkey Trot 5k/Family stroll" but when the accident came around I realized that it was just going to be my youngest son and me!

Here is our before .....

it was a chilly breezy 43ish when we started the race

but warmed right up as the breeze stopped and it got to 50.

Our after picture ....

Notice son's bib number?

We were not alone!

I couldn't believe the mass I crossed the finish line with!

We were both pleased with our unofficial times ~

son somewhere around 35 minutes

Me stuck right where I left off with the last race (6 1/2 weeks ago) with 40 minutes!

and that's with not training, or working out for the past 5 weeks!

yeah me!

it was crazy, it was fun

There were customes, there were turkey hats, there were feathers, there were tutus?, there were kids, grandmas and pa, parents walking with their kids, Young adults running with their parents. There were generations strolling together!

it was a blast!

we'll be doing this again next year!

My story ~ part 2

if you missed part 1 you can find it here !

I went into that Slim Down with a focus and a drive! I learned to eat healthy and how to workout. Over the next few weeks of that challenge I lost 15 pounds. I didn't win the challenge I came in 3rd place! That was a great challenge for alot of us!

When I finished that Slim Down, my personal trainer (provided in the Slim down) pulled me into her office and asked "What is your next goal?" I can remember telling her that I'd just keep going with what I was doing. She pressed alittle more about a specific goal and I kept telling her I was fine and I didn't really have a goal, "I'd just keep doing what I was doing."

She was firm on that I really needed a goal, and left it at that!

I ended up losing another 15 pounds last summer, but I think I only saw that number for a day!

My oldest son moved back home from college for the summer. He and I have the same food weaknesses, that means that we love the same sorts of food. I used him being home as an excuse to bring some of my favorite foods back into my home. Not only did I bring them back into my home but I started enjoying them also .... it was a slow progression but I fell back into my old ways of eating.

My workouts began to be effected also. I hurt my shoulder in a couple of minor incidents (non workout related) that started the process of it freezing up! I began to be consumed with the pain and my arm last fall. By this time last year, my shoulder was almost totally frozen, I wasn't working out and I was eating everything and anything I wanted. Gaining weight again.

I can remember attending a church meeting last November 13 wearing a skirt that I'd wore all summer that night .

this skirt in the summer

I just knew I was going to bust when I sat down! funny (aka sad) thing was I stopped by a fast food place on the way home and got a burger, as if my skirt wasn't already tight enough.

By Christmas I was up about 15 pounds, and by Spring I'd gained 20 pounds of the 30 I'd lost!

I had surgery on my shoulder and switched physical therapist and things began to look up with my arm. I started working out again slowly! BUT I couldn't get a grip on my eating. I knew I had to be accountable to someone with my eating.

About that time the Y put up notices about their next Slim Down! I signed up. During the Slim downs you have a personal trainer that works out with you and you submit your daily food journal to them! AH, there was my accountable.

Fortunately, it all fall right back into place......
I lost 14 pounds and won this challenge, but when it was over, I remembered those words of my personal trainer from last year's challenge.... "What my goal?" I knew she was right and I had to keep a goal in mind this time.

Stay tuned for the Healthy Adventure challenge.....

Before and Current pictures!

what's gone ... in numbers!

Since May 2, 2011 I no longer have .....

25.3 pounds and 18 inches
-4 chest -5.5 waist
-4.5 hips -4 thing

there are GONE, GONE, GONE!

there was alot of
work, effort, planning, and sweat
to get rid of them but it has all paid off!

My story ~ part 1

I'm sorry for the funky spacing, gotta love blogger ??

What made me decide it was time to

become healthy!

I'm not athletic, I've never been but then a couple of years ago I found myself in the middle of an athletic family.

My husband was a wheelchair sport athlete, until his body said "no more"! Now he still works out by lifting weights, and riding his bike.

I had a naturally athletic son. Everything he decided he wanted try, he worked until he succeeded at, physically. After High School (the time of the picture) he was working out with the goal of setting records in Powerlifting!

Then my youngest son was taking off in swimming. He was a fish! thankfully he was taking after his father and brother and not his Mother!

Just a few days before this picture I had decided that I needed to just love where I was at, size wise, health wise, and look wise. So I was 'enjoying' life with the attitude of "this is who I am"

When I got these picture back (along with all the Christmas pictures) I realized I was the weakest link in my family. weakest athlete, weakest in being healthy, I was not setting a good example in fitness, or healthy eating

and I was not really enjoying my life at this size,

I was just making an excuse.

I didn't really want to look like this

This was not who I wanted to be!

So I needed to change it!

On February 14, 2010 I signed up for my Y's

Slim Down Contest.

this was my BEFORE picture that I took that day!

that day when I walked into the Y,

I remember saying to my self ....

I'm going to do something about my health so

BODY DON'T FAIL ME NOW!

and the adventure began.....

Jared Coones 13 Memorial Pumpkin 5k Run

This morning was my 15th 5k,

and my 5 5k race since starting my Challenge.

This was the biggest so far, there had been alot of communication about parking that I was nervous and didn't sleep well last night worrying about the distance parking. I got up and out the door early (6:30am) and was able to park in the parking lot I wanted to ... yea for small blessings. Instead of riding the bus shuttles I walked the just under 1/2 mile to the race start. I really didn't understand the need to ride the bus, I mean PEOPLE if you're able to walk, jog, or run the 5k you could surely walk the 1/2 mile to get there! I will give credit to some they had small children and that may have been too much.

I knew that walking would be an option yesterday when I went to pick up my packet. I drove from the startline to the parking places and knew I could walk it!
My before picture

It was a great morning, 68ish, sunny, but strong winds.

This race takes place in the subdivision, Jared Coones subdivision. It starts at the school he attended and winds around this community. When I say Winds around that's just what I mean. Have you ever been lost in a subdivision?? I have! just winding around and around not ever finding a way out! I felt like this was happening as I was wogging! the great thing was I was with 4000 others winding around too! They even had a drum line for us at one corner! Oh there were plenty of corners ... hence all the winding!

My after picture by the course Map!

Yes, you read it right there were just under 4000 participants for this race. This was my biggest thus far! We started in 2 waves. Depending on your pace time you choose your wave. I was in the second wave by choice.... well I don't wog a 9 minute mile (slowest time for the 1st wave) so it really wasn't be choice was it!?!

Start line ... Wave 2

I was in the wave with the slower joggers, walkers, strollers, and the kid's running clubs. I appreciate that all were included BUT it did take some getting use to wogging with kids around. They are all over the place! I believe some of them ran several more miles since they were zig zagging all over the place. It was wild! I don't believe the zig zaggers were in running clubs. Those kids knew how to run straight lines and pace themselves. They were impressive!

Once again I went into today without much time to work out this week. I worked 4 out of the 5 days this week, it was frustrating for me! My new CardioTracker says that my pace was 12.11 and that would make my time a bit quicker than the last race. I started at a nice pace and was able to jog much longer than usual.

Then I walked the 1/2 miles back to my car!

Official time is 38.54.1

Not my overall best but it was my best for this race!

Cerner Slim Down weight out!

This morning I checked out of my Cerner Slim Down weight challenge.

WOW this 10 weeks went fast.
I'm so pleased with the outcome.

so here it is by the numbers.....

I weighted out at 14 pounds lighter
at a weight of 168.2!

chest -1.5"
Waist -1.25"
Hip -1.0"
thigh .75"

it was 7.7% of a weight loss.

Rockin' workout #2 for ROCKTOBER!

This month I'm going to ROCK my health, by taking my diet up a level and making every workout ROCK! it's so easy to get into a rut, and I'm bustin' out this month of ROCKTOBER!

The first 30 minute workout today was this .....

from the FitChicks' Blog

I love these girls and they have some great workouts

that I'm excited to try!

Next I headed to a quiet corner of the Y for a GREAt KettleBall workout out that I've already raved about from ...Womens Health Magazine.
(Sorry I can't get the link to work!)

WOW it really wore out my shoulders, must mean that I needed it!

then I head back to the treadmill for another 30 minutes. This time I followed the Couch to 5k treadmill training. I know I've already conquered the 5k, but there is always room to improve!

After a Month of this kind of workout, this body will be ROCKin'

10k training ....

I've decided that there won't be anymore Y5k there will only be Y10ks on Saturday! I mean business about getting ready for this 1/2 marathon in April and sticking to a Y5k just wasn't going to get there.

So today I ROCK a 10k training at the Y.

1st 5k 41.36 minutes wogging at a 3.5 incline
2nd 5k 43.11 minutes just walking but used the interval training button on the treadmill to go from a 1 incline at 4.5 mph to a 3 incline at 4.3 mph.

I was getting tired for the second and my arms/shoulders were aching. I just wanted to hang on to the treadmill arms, then I would hear the Biggest Loser trainers screaming at me "Let go of MY treadmill" that was hard, I was tired!

I can now see how walking at this pace is a whole body workout. I thought about how if I'd strengthen my core and my shoulders this 10k would become easier. That's what I'll work at in this month!

Monday's Motivation!

Taking it facebook ....

A couple of weeks ago I moved this blog to Facebook. I'll still post here so you don't need to move but I'm there everyday! Just search for "Body Don't Fail Me Now"

Kade Meyers Celebration Run 5k ~ literally from the Couch to this 5k!

There is a fitness/running program that helps you go from sitting on the couch to running a 5k called obviously "Couch to 5k" hey go check it out here. But this week I was sick! So sick that I would just move from the bed, get my youngest son out the door to meet the bus, watch to make sure he got on the bus and lay down on the couch for my morning nap! Which for a couple of days it would turn into an afternoon nap. AND then turn in around 8:30pm. It was a mess in my head that was horrible and pounding.

When I started to recover I recovered quickly, each day was so much better than the day before that I was beginning to think that could actually be able to keep with my challenge of doing a 5k every Saturday.

It was late last night that I decided that if I simply needed to 'do' a 5k to keep with my challenge then why not go to the race and simply just 'do' a 5k vs going to the Y and doing a 5k there. I didn't need to over do this 5k, I just need to finish it!

So I got my things ready .....

Pinned my bib on

(which had my chip attached, a first for me!)

and got my old wogging shoes.

They are the most comfortable,

it was like taking my favorite blanket with me!

Got my arm band for my phone ready and went to bed.

I got there early

Got a stranger in the parking lot to take my 'before' picture.

Oh and wait, let chat about the shirt.

When I went to get my race packet and shirt, they handed me my shirt.

as I walked to the car I was checking the shirt out and immediately thought, "Oh, this is WAY too small, I'll have to pass it down to my youngest son" tossed it in the seat and drove home.

When I got home it was laying across the back of a chair, so I paused to look at it again and decided to slip it on. I'm a fool for trying on the impossibly small things then finding that I can't get back out of them. Oh, don't laugh you've done it too!

But when I slipped this on, it FIT! perfectly!

Something else I realized was that I've always hated to wear crew neck anything, they just choked me ... well, that was because my neck was too fat! a couple of weeks ago I realized that crew necks were just fine. Isn't it funny how and where our bodies store FAT!??

Ok back to the race ... sorry got side tracked there.

this was family oriented event,

it was the Kade Meyer Celebration run

Kade Meyer was a little boy (2nd grade) that was tragically killed last September when he ran out in front of car. He was just getting out of school, walking to his Dad's office (asst HS principal) when he was stuck and killed. Even though this was not our school district (it is the one just north of us) we, as mother's knew the pain. Boy we were a basket case of emotion this week.

They are doing scholarships for Kade's memorial through the year he would have graduated. The receiptant must emcompass compassion, because in 1st grade Kade had earned the Compassion Award for his class.

"If you want others to be Happy,

Practice Compassion,

If you want to be Happy,

Practice Compassion"

(see emotional, huh?)
Oh and look I had friends there, too!

this is my workout partner from this summer and her son.

as well as others that we couldn't always find

(there were 1000 participants in the 1st annual, Yay!)


and another Personal Record for me!

so it was really a Couch to 5k for me this week...

chip time was 38.22.7

that's 23 seconds off last week's time

hey, I'm old, I'll take every second I can shave off!

September's 5k "Dot to Dot"

This morning I was up early and left early for

Paulina Cooper Dot to Dot 5k

There weren't too many cars out with me this early on a Saturday morning!

All of my races are attached to a charity,

but this one was the first where they talked about their experience.

Paulina Cooper died 7 years ago from a brain tumor.

(before race pic)

This race is to raise funds for pediatric brain tumor research. Paulina's mother spoke, then they awarded a couple of families that have been effected by brain tumors. It was emotional for me. New experience for me at a race.





Always a pleasurable first stop for me!










course was a mixture of tall buildings and tree lined streets....

there was even a fountain!

I finished with a new personal best

Official time ...

chip time 38.45.9 Under 40 minutes.

UPDATED now that I know what gun time is and chip time.

Chip time is what really counts, but the gun time should be longer than the chip time

sooo, I rechecked and they are backwards ... I did much better than I thought!

The weather was chilly

55ish, cloudy but the rain held off!

no breeze!

I really could have pulled off a better time.

I decided to try a new phone app that worked off my phone's GPS

to track my progress, time and speed.

it also had a music feature.

in the last 1/2 miles my music tuned down,

so I thought it would be a quick adjustment

to just turn it back up.... no the volume shot up to full blast!

I didn't stop wogging, but I was distracted with trying to get it fixed.

Looking back there was just 1/2 mile left! goodness I should have just yanked my

ear phones out and wogged on!

I'll know next time!

Bad Good News and Just Plain Good news!

Ok the Bad Good News first ... This past July I ordered a clearance sweater from Lands End. I ordered a couple of different styles in sizes XL and L. I finally decided to keep the Large. I tucked it away until it was cool enough to wear it! Today was the day, it was chilly I got it out to wear, it's TOO BIG! :0) YAY me!

Good News, I had a meeting at a local dress shop. When I got there the owners were busy so I started looking around (they have really cute things and pretty good prices a combination that I like), and slipping a couple of jackets on, much to my surprise (even through I'd just discovered Larges were too big) they were MEDIUMS!

I really didn't think I'd ever really be able to wear Mediums, due the way my body is made. I have a larger top than bottom (if you get my drift) and I'm a pear shape when heavy. But after all my hard work and effort this summer I was able to slip into Mediums and they looked good. Yeah, you know sometimes we can slip a smaller size on but it doesn't look good! Don't cha??

HAPPY happy ME!

How I eat ... Part 1

Earlier this summer when I was really searching and researching what and how to eat I came across this article by Cheryl Forberg;

Now I didn't know who Cheryl Forberg was until I read it,

she's the nutritionist on the Reality Show
I took this article to heart and started to think before I ate!

I looked at what she documented when talking with the in-coming contestants about their eating habits. I was basically living the same things they were saying!

Go ahead take the time to read it!

Think about it!

Can it help you eat better?

weigh in ......

today I weighed in at 173.85

chest ... 35.50
waist ... 33.50
hips.... 29.25
thigh... 21.00

I'm down 2.25 inches since Sept 1 and down 1.2 pounds!

Choose our Calories wisely .....

Always remember Veggies are our get Healthy friends!

Monday's Motivation!

10 years ago....9/11/01

‎10 years ago today I was getting ready for an upcoming 5k, my sciatica was acting up, I was limping. **

Turned on the tv just in time see the report that plane had hit the first tower, & watched in horror as the 2nd hit. Later I took my oldest (10 at the time) to my dad for a fishing trip. To reassure him of his safety I told him that we lived & he'd be in a very low populated area& that it seemed that the terrorist were going for highly populated areas. I also remember telling him that 'our world would never be the same'.

The next Saturday was my 5k, I remember wondering if I should go, was I safe?? We started with a moment of silence.

That race was across a local dam. That Dam had a walk way where you could go out over the water, also where the controls of the dam are. Later that week, the walk way was closed due to safety issues and it's not ever reopened.


** this was a prelude to my ruptured disc acting up and my back "going out" was down for several weeks after the race ***