NSV!!! I can run a full mile!!!!

I have been working towards a 5k for some time now. When I first started to prepare it was a year before I actually trying to loose weight. Where I work, they had just put in a gym and started sponsoring a 5k to benifit 9/11 victims. I started using the treadmill but a month into that an old injury came back to bite me in the butt. I ended up having to have donor cartlidge and metal screws and a bar put into my ankle. Needless to say I was out of commision for a while. I also gained a good bit of weight durring that time. So a little over a year after my surgery I was ready to not only get ready for a 5k but loose the weight and be healthy for the first time in my life.

So back to the gym I went and I made great progress and I signed up for my first 5k back in March. However, around the same time I started having chest pains and spent some time in the hospital with that. Ultimatly I was diagnosed with a congential heart defect with back flow from my aortic valve. I was released from the hospital the day before the 5k and even though I knew I shouldn't I went and attempted to complete it. I was only able to do the 1k part and did get 1st place in my age group in that however I felt like I was going to die doing it. The sad thing is I didn't even run it all I walked a good part of it.

So now its June and I have kept trying to improve and with guidence from my cardiologist and a great work out partner I have. For the first time EVER I ran a full mile without stopping or walking. Its a small win but for me its huge!!!! The best part is I could have kept going but I am doing what the doc said is reaching a goal then working towards the next one. He doesn't want me to push myself too hard...a little bit a time!!!