From 300 lbs to 21k

A few years ago, back in 2005 or so, I stepped on a scale one night and it showed me that I weighed 300 lbs. I had been avoiding the scale for a while deciding after a few yoyo attempts at weight loss that I would start trying to lose weight again only if I was really serious at making the efforts it required. That night, I decided it was time. The next day was my birthday and I decided to give myself a gift. I went to the gym and got myself a private coach. It was a program that was meant to last only a few weeks and I managed to lose 15 lbs that I never gained back. Since then, I have tried many things to figure out what would work for me in terms of exercise and eating right. And I have slowly lost some weight without gaining it back.

Then back in December 2010, I started working with my current coach. A month later I was running and swimming and eventually biking. In 2011, I ran five 5ks and one 10k and lost 70 lbs. One of my goals this year was to run a half-marathon (21k). This is happening TOMORROW!!! I have trained for it and I’m ready, but I have had a hard time this week getting myself in the right mind for it. Work has been busy, I’m also back in school to finish a class that was put on hold because of the student strike. I have been exhausted all week and the fact that I will be running it alone, that I will probably finish last and that I gained some weight back is making hard to see it as a success, BUT IT IS!!! I know that I can run it and that I can finish it. I know that there will be people waiting for me at the end. Also, the fact that this is something I wasn’t even dreaming of 2 years ago and that not that many people do makes it a success. So I will do this with my head high tomorrow and be proud of myself no matter what. Stay tuned for my first official race  report...