Call me vain, but I want to brag!!!

So I've been trying to be more healthy for a few years now. I lose, then gain some back, lose again, gain again, you know the drill. Right now I'm certainly on a great losing streak. I've been running. Last year my husband and I signed up for a half marathon as our first ever run. Hey if you're gonna do it, do it big, right? So we finished in just under 2:15. Not too shabby. Then winter came and we hibernated. I gained back almost everything! So we signed up for another half marathon next month. We've been training harder than ever. I've lost almost all the weight again. I'm finally down to a healthy BMI. This time we're going to make sure to have another half marathon paid for waiting in the wings to prevent us from hibernating again.

So that is the back story. This is the brag. Last weekend we decided to take the kids and mother in law for a run. There was a local 5/10K that was giving out medals to all finishers, and my 5 year old was wanting his own medal so bad. My 5 year old, 13 year old, and mother in law ran the 5K. My 5 year old was the youngest registered runner! He absolutely loved it. He said he wanted to go to every race with us and get more medals than us. I think I created a monster :smile:

My husband and I ran the 10K. Our goal was to run the 10K in under 60 minutes. We started so fast, we've never run like that before. The first mile when my app said our split it was 8minutes and 45 seconds. We were floored. The next mile was 8:35, the next was 8:45 again. At that point my husband kept going a little faster than me. We ended up finishing 14th, and 17th place out of every person at the race! In my bracket (30-39 year old women) I was 4th place. My husband was 3rd.

We were not runners. Like ever. I had never been in sports as a kid. We started out with the couch 2 5K app. I couldn't run for 30 seconds without feeling like I was going to die. I am not hardcore. I don't like pain. I'm a total wimp. I know for a fact that if I am capable of these amazing feats, that anyone is capable. I truly enjoy running now. I ran ten miles yesterday and felt amazing. I'm enjoying catching a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I'm starting to like the way I look in running clothes. And my husband keeps telling me he likes the look of me in my running pants, and I love hearing that. Thanks for letting me brag, and I hope that this can help someone else realize that they can do it too!

Replies

  • :) That's not a brag! That's a well deserved success story!! Well done!
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    That's awesome.

    nothing wrong with being proud of your accomplishments and getting your family involved. I think its' awesome!!!
  • bergpa
    bergpa Posts: 148 Member
    That's great!!!
  • Alluminati
    Alluminati Posts: 6,208 Member
    You did good!! I'm happy for you :)
  • onionparsleysage
    onionparsleysage Posts: 103 Member
    Big thumbs up!

    (And a hint: treat yourself to some nice compression tights for your next run & your husband will be absolutely drooling over your legs! )
  • blossomingbutterfly
    blossomingbutterfly Posts: 743 Member
    As others have said, that's a wonderful success story! Congrats!
  • psmd
    psmd Posts: 764 Member
    That's amazing. Great work!
  • gary241069
    gary241069 Posts: 255 Member
    edited October 2014
    .
  • Well it was a most inspirational bit of bragging so thanks for being such a braggart. :)

    Well done.
  • Kcinnamon
    Kcinnamon Posts: 26 Member
    Thanks all! That is why I love this site.
  • MrsKGrady
    MrsKGrady Posts: 276 Member
    Way to go!
  • eldamiano
    eldamiano Posts: 2,667 Member
    I could do better than that......
  • Kate7294
    Kate7294 Posts: 783 Member
    Congrats!
  • deviiv
    deviiv Posts: 12 Member
    Great story :) it's making me want to do all those charity runs for the medals alone, haha!
  • caramelgyrlk
    caramelgyrlk Posts: 1,112 Member
    You have earned your bragging rights. The best part is you have opened up a door for your kids to follow. YOU ROCK!!!! Thanks for sharing.
  • InsanityForMe
    InsanityForMe Posts: 73 Member
    That is fantastic!! So Happy for you!
  • iamuniqueiam
    iamuniqueiam Posts: 68 Member
    Bragging is allowed! Great accomplishments! Congrats to the whole family!
  • Icandoityayme
    Icandoityayme Posts: 312 Member
    Brag away! You deserve it.
  • Dancing_Laeti
    Dancing_Laeti Posts: 752 Member
    You so totally deserve to be proud of yourself!! Well done and a round of applause from me!
  • JenToms80
    JenToms80 Posts: 373 Member
    Brag away - well done you! :D
  • GrammyPeachy
    GrammyPeachy Posts: 1,723 Member
    You are an inspiration! One of my goals is to get small enough to try running.
  • GulfcoastAL
    GulfcoastAL Posts: 74 Member
    Wow, that's so encouraging! Thanks for sharing!
  • Deipneus
    Deipneus Posts: 1,861 Member
    "It's not bragging if you can do it." - Dizzy Dean, Major League Baseball pitcher (b. 1910-d. 1974)
  • aneciarobinson
    aneciarobinson Posts: 60 Member
    That is an awesome success story! Way to go and thanks for sharing!!
  • Hophead43
    Hophead43 Posts: 1,634 Member
    Good for you!! I also took up running this year. I started back in Feb. and ran my first race ( a 5k, not a motivated as you) just this month and finished in 33:53. I was very pleased! Back in 2011 I had a heart attack and double by-pass. To go from DEAD to 5K has been an accomplishment for me. I look forward to increasing my distances and becoming a real runner. Thanks for sharing your story!
  • It is good to feel good about accomplishments...and don't dwell on the setbacks. I recommend highly counting calories...say at 1200 cal budget and stick to it...lots of veggies, but splurges, too, so that nothing is off limits. I like an occasional donut...so I indulge, but I still keep to my 1000 cal budget, 30 min. cardio exercising, 30 min. strength training 3X a week, and have lost 22 lbs....40 to go...so you know I've been obese, but nearing the right BMI mark soon I hope....Oh, and I'm 82. yrs
  • JustSomeEm
    JustSomeEm Posts: 20,269 MFP Moderator
    Awesome! Way to go!
  • chachadeb
    chachadeb Posts: 275 Member
    You had a great finish time on your half! Congratulations...
  • mgcarrillo
    mgcarrillo Posts: 20 Member
    That's wonderful! And it's not just a well-deserved brag; it's encouragement to people like me who hate sweating that we can do it too!
  • You earned it, brag away!