A year ago today....

This very date last year I began running for the first time. I had been in training to walk the 3 Day and my team mate, who I thought was my best friend, decided we were not friends anymore. It was one month away from our walk in DC. She went. I stayed home. I just couldn't imagine going with her, sleeping in the same tent, when she had decided to hate me. I am still not sure what brought it on. I know she was unhappy. Our training walks were filled with her complaints and nasty comments about her other 'friends', and I tried to change the subject as often as I could. She would later tell me that this was selfish and bragging. I weighed 181 pounds on this day. All that walking and I weighed that much! I never realized how unhappy this person made me until she was no longer around!

I felt so free once she was gone. No longer stressed, unhappy, angry. I started doing the Couch to 5K Plan, so that I could run the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure that October. My average mile on August 19, 2011 was 16:03. I finished the race that October in 37:31. Since that day last year, I have managed to knock my best 5K time down to 31:10, I completed a 10  mile race, a Half Marathon, 3 mud runs, and countless 5K and 5 milers. I am unstressed, happy, and no longer angry all the time. I go to plays with friends, race with friends, party with friends. Since January I have raised over $3000 for Komen, Damon Runyon Cancer Foundation, and Cancer Concern Center combined. My goal is to raise over $5000 by December 31.

Today I completed Week 7 of my Marathon training. Today was 4 miles, I averaged about 12 minutes per mile, a little slower than my usual 11-11:30 but still a time I am happy with! I have 10 burpees to do today to hit my week-long goal of 150 for the Burpee BOOM Challenge run by RoadRunnerGirl. Today I weigh 164.2 which is almost 2 pounds below my Spark People goal of 166. My goal is to lose a marathon of pounds by the day of my marathon, January 13.

I look back on the last year, and I am proud of what I have accomplished, for my self and for others. I am showing my kids how fun it is to be healthy. They are doing 5Ks with me this coming weekend and the next weekend, and they both want to try Mud Runs next year. My daughter will do the 5K in Disney with me in January. I think I have come a long way in the last year, and definitely a better way. I am almost embarrassed at the person I was last year, and look forward to becoming a better person in the next year to come. I cannot wait until next August 19, 2013 when I look back again!