"I can never be a runner"...and other lies you tell yourself...

Today I completed my second half marathon. I had signed up for the Louisiana Marathon last March, having never even run a 5K. Today, not only did I complete it running the entire route, but I blew away my last half time by 22 minutes! Today I finished in 2:09:48. The route was on/near LSU's campus and it was ABSOLUTELY beautiful. I wish I could have stopped to take pics. It of course was insanely cold, with race time temp at 29 degrees. I decided to brave the cold and run with no long-sleeved shirts or jackets. It was a wise move as I got warm fairly quickly and apparently everyone else did as well. People started shredding clothes, gloves and hats about 2 miles in. It blew my mind that they just threw them on the ground. If someone followed the pack in a golf cart, they could have had quite an extensive athletic wardrobe. 


One of the most fun things about doing a race like this is the signs you see along the way that the people cheering on their fave runners are holding. Here are a few of the memorable ones:


"Chuck Norris never ran a marathon."
"Pain is temporary, pride is forever!"
"Most of LSU is still hungover and you are running a marathon - #winning"
"Free Hurricanes"
"Stop reading this sign and run!"
And here was by far my favorite -

Here is a pic of the Louisiana Capitol (the start line), seconds before the gun...

And here is a pic I snapped after I got cleaned up after the race:

I cannot state enough that I NEVER could have imagined that I would be here this time last year. I also cannot recommend "Couch 2 5K" enough. It really, really, really works! Oh, and I also think that if you want to get started running and want to make a goal for yourself, sign up for the 2013 Louisiana Marathon. They have a great early bird deal going on for next year. The race date for 2013 is Jan 20th. I am probably going to sign up this week! It's a truly beautiful course and the race is incredibly organized. Challenge yourself!


Janel

It only takes a spark!

Happy New Year! I can't believe that 2012 is already here. So much has happened over the past 12 months and 2011 seems to have flown by! It was an exciting year of a new job, new healthy lifestyle, new adventures (1/2 marathons, Morgan started Kindergarten, etc!). 


I first want to start by posting a pic from 12/31/10 and 12/31/11. It's amazing that when I was asked for "before" pics I realized that I never really had one for 2 reasons: 1) I am the family photographer and 2) If there was a pic of me, I usually deleted it because it disgusted me. However, my mother-in-law had pics from our Christmas get-together from last year. When we were in Florida last week, we spent some time going through them to see how much the kids have grown...and how much I've shrank! Here is a pic from last year on New Year's Eve and this year on New Year's Eve. 

Wow, right? It even amazed me and I see me everyday!


So, I wanted to spend this blog highlighting some AMAZING people. It's funny, because one of the things I hear most often about my weight loss is: "wow, I thought if you could do it, I could do it too." And I was thinking the other day, how I've seen so many people also make awesome changes in 2011. Now, I know by doing this I might leave someone out, but it's not intentional! Be sure to comment below if I forgot to mention you! Rest assured, I'm proud of you too!!!


I have to start with my own MOM and DAD. In 2011, they joined their local YMCA and are doing ZUMBA a few times a week! Cool, right? I am so proud of them!


Jonathan - it took a few months for Jonathan to get on board with the gym, running and healthy eating, but by April, he was on his way! Since he started, he's lost over 50 lbs and can still beat me in every race we do...well, almost. ;)


Jonathan's family - It's not often that we get to see/spend time with Jonathan's family because they are in Florida, but we get daily Facebook updates! Many of his family members (Mom, aunts, uncles, grandmother, cousins) joined MyFitnessPal to track their calories. They have lost over hundreds of lbs combined! They've also started running and many of them competed in their first 5Ks in 2011. I introduced Jon's mom (Judy) to "Couch to 5K" over the summer and Judy will compete in her first 1/2 Marathon this weekend! So proud of all of you! Here is a pic from a 5K that his family organized while we were down there last week so that we could all run together! 

Dustin Hinton - Dustin is a friend of ours that started to run races with us back in June. Since then, he's lost over 50 lbs and is currently training for his first IronMan 140.6 later this year! You can follow his progress HERE. 

Co-worker Jeff - Jeff not only works in my office, but he was also my teammate in our PoolCorp Biggest Loser Contest. We went on to take the title, but Jeff was able to win "Overall Biggest Loser" as well! He's lost over 50 lbs since joining Star Fitness Center and was the key to helping me win that iPad back in April for the recruiting contest! Thanks, Jeff!!!

Alicia Edwards - Alicia is an amazing friend that I made my first year out of college when I was working at Fox in Alexandria! Even though we only knew each other a few months before she moved to Iowa, we've remained friends since 1999. She started Couch to 5K this past summer and is now running as well! She has inspired one of my goals for 2012 - to complete my first full marathon in Chicago in October! I can't wait to cross the finish line with you, Alicia!


Now, I don't know everyone's story and stats, but here are a few more that I wanted to mention by name that I know have had an amazing 2011 - Jason and Stacy Lindsey, Jen Gibson, Laura Fricke, Celeste Haar, Debbie O'Connor... again, sorry if I forgot anyone! So proud of ALL of you!!


I mentioned one of my goals/resolutions for 2012 above but here is a short list of things that I have committed to for 2012, in no particular order...

• I want to log 1000 miles of running this year. That's about 83 a month, 19 a week or 2.75 a day. I am keeping a log, and so far for the first 3 days in 2012, I've logged 10.3 miles - so far so good!
• I want to be home to bathe the kids and put them to bed every night that I can. Working across the lake in the past and working out last year put that on the back-burner for Jonathan to do, but it's something that's a priority this year. We're off to a great start with that as well! 3 for 3!
• Make my own coffee and lunch. It's been easy to swing by Starbucks everyday and not realize that I spend $2.66 each morning. In 2012, I am going to make my own coffee at work. I will save over $700 this year doing it! That's 1/2 of a trip to Disneyworld!!! I've also been going home for lunch (when I can) and grilling fish and chicken on the George Foreman grill and steaming veggies. That will also save a ton of $$ (and calories) this year!
• I have also committed to having a cleaner house and keeping the laundry up to date! It's so easy to let it get away when there is no time, but going home for lunch actually lets me get caught up a bit because I can clean when I'm not chasing after kids!!
• And as mentioned above, my ultimate fitness goal for 2012 is to complete the Chicago Marathon. I am doing at least four 1/2 marathons in 2012 (2 in January, one in April and one in October), but I want to complete a 26.2! 

So that's it! And just remember, as I learned from a song that we sang wayyyy back in youth choir, "It only takes a spark, to get a fire going"...you never know who you will inspire when you make changes...even the little ones. Make even the little things count in 2012!

Janel

2 months?? Really???

So, it's been 2 months since I've posted! My first question is "Man, where has that time gone???" My second is "how can I possibly condense all of the events of the past 2 months in one post???" I will do my best!


We took our first vacation as a family of 4 in late October to Walt Disney World! We had a blast! Though over 1000 pics were taken, I will just post one iconic family pic!

We are planning our next Disney trip for November 2012 with my sister and her family! So excited!


I've been keeping up with races most weekends. Since October, I've run in The Covington Classic, A race sponsored by the U of Florida Vet School down in Gainesville, Keeping up with the Jones' Race, 3 Rivers Art Festival Race, Turkey Day Race at City Park and St. Paul's Christmas Run. We'll be doing the Celebration in the Oaks Run/Walk this weekend and maybe one or two more in December. I have two, yes TWO 1/2 Marathons in January, so I am really trying to keep my miles up during the week. 


Another exciting thing to happen since I last posted was that we were featured as a local success story in Louisiana Health and Fitness Magazine! You can read it on their website or check out the PDF here. We've received lots of feedback, and even a few people that have told us that our story has inspired their family, so that's awesome! 


We've been really busy with holiday events, shopping, etc! We were able to spend time with my sister and her family for Thanksgiving and it was really fun having my girls and my nieces together. Here's a pic of the 3 oldest girls playing on the lawn at Loyola!

Here's Maddie at Cracker Barrel on the Evans' Family Shopping day to Baton Rouge:

And here are Morgan and Maddie with friend Ryann at the Hammond Christmas Parade!

We also took family pics a few weeks ago for our Christmas Card. I will preview one pic now and add others later after I get the card out!

As far as the weight loss goes, I'm about 5 (or less) pounds from my ultimate goal weight. To date, I've lost 135 total. It's pretty exciting but I will continue to stay challenged as I strive to maintain. I'm still running all the time, so that helps, but my willpower with food has been somewhat down lately. In my head, I know that I can eat most anything now and lose it in a day or 2 because of my workout routine. That's a really bad approach, so I need to change that. So the journey continues!


Janel

1/2 the person, twice the heart!

If you've been following my blog since March, you've walked with me through this journey. You've seen me break the 200lb mark, you've seen me hit a 100 lb weight loss...Well, yesterday, 10/9/11, was a VERY important step in that journey. I COMPLETED A 1/2 MARATHON. In a few short months, I've blown away every expectation I've had for myself. If you would had told me on 1/1/11 that in 10 months I would lose 125 lbs., complete over 30 5Ks, ride in 30-mile bike tours and RUN a 1/2 marathon, I would have NEVER believed it. But yesterday, I realized that "CAN'T" is just a 4-letter word. I am proof that you can do ANYTHING that you set your mind to. Not to get into details, but this whole journey began when someone pointed out my weaknesses and then told me that I would/could never change my behavior. And if you know me very well, you pretty much know that I am also one of the most stubborn/determined people you've ever met. Let's just say: Challenge Met - Challenge exceeded. :)

Here are a few pics from the 1/2 Marathon Yesterday:

Jonathan and I after completing the 1/2 Marathon

Me with Jon and Dustin before the 1/2 Marathon - since training for this race beginning in March, the three of us have lost a combined 227 lbs!

A few other updates since my last post: I spent last week in Dallas at the POOLCORP International Sales Conference and Vendor Showcase. It was extremely educational! The Hilton Anatole was beautiful, and having a 1/2 mile walk from my hotel room to the conference site was extremely helpful in my prep for the 1/2 marathon.

The POOLCORP Internet Strategies Team

Sarah and I at the Vendor Showcase

We've also been extremely busy with Fall events. Last weekend, the girls were in the St. Tammany Parish Fair Parade after being crowned Queens in the pageant. We also went to the Southern Miss game last weekend. Jon and I also attended Morgan's first field trip to Red Bluff Farm and we took the girls to the Pumpkin Patch in Hammond after the 1/2 Marathon.

Maddie and Morgan in the St. Tammany Parish Fair Parade

At the Southern Miss/Rice game - 10-1-11

Morgan at Red Bluff Farm

Hayride at Red Bluff Farm

Peek - A- Boo!

We're headed into more exciting times...Disney World in a few weeks, then the holidays! As usual, more pics and adventures to come!

Janel

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Happy Fall! I LOVE Fall. My fave month of the year is definitely October...not only is the weather in Southeast Louisiana beautiful, but the area is full of fairs, festivals, and lots of other outdoor activities! That also means it's a really busy time of year!

The kids have been into the swing of school now for the past 6 weeks. Morgan is adjusting to a whole new world of Kindergarten, and Maddie is her usual laid-back self, adjusting to whatever. 

We've been staying very active - since my last post (August 5th), we've participated in 7 more races and continue to train during the week for our upcoming 1/2 Marathon on October 9th.

I also participated in a 30 mile Bike Tour of Tangipahoa Parish last weekend. It was beautiful!

I'm down 22 more lbs. since my last post bringing my total weight loss to 122 lbs. I'm less than 15 lbs from my goal, so factoring in a few cushion pounds for Disney and the holidays, I should hopefully reach that by Christmas with no problem.

Since the last post, I am also happy to say that my team won the Biggest Loser - POOLCORP! We lost a combined total of 67 lbs as a group in 6 weeks (6.61%).

Here are a few picture highlights from the past few weeks:

Morgan's First Day of Kindergarten - August 2011

Morgan was flower girl in Dustin and Melanie Lively's Wedding - September 2011

Maddie was crowned "Baby Miss St. Tammany Parish" - September 2011

Morgan was crowned "Petite Miss St. Tammany Parish" - September 2011

Because they were both crowned "Queen" of their divisions, they will ride in the St. Tammany Parish Fair Parade this Friday, kicking off a busy few weeks: we're heading to Hattiesburg for the USM Game on Saturday, I'm headed to Dallas on Sunday for a few days for work, next week is Homecoming at Northlake Christian with a TON of daily activities, Morgan has a field trip, we have the 1/2 Marathon and then recover for a week or 2 before heading to Disneyworld! Then Halloween...then Thanksgiving...then Christmas.... where has the year gone???

Always running (literally and figuratively) - 

Janel

Today is a GREAT DAY!

Today is an amazing day. In fact, if you had told me 6+ months ago that on August 5, 2011 I would be celebrating an AMAZING accomplishment, I would for sure never have believed it.

Today I celebrate the loss of 100 pounds. I started on this journey by joining Star Fitness Center on January 25, 2011. On February 5th, I started making healthy eating choices. And today, I have had a 100 lb weight loss.

Here is a pic of Then and Now:

There is SO much that I've accomplished over the past several months and if you've been following my blog, you know most of them. Here are a few highlights:

• I've participated in 22 5K or 2 mile races, including the Spillway Run through mud (so fun!). 
• I started running in April no more than 60 seconds at a time. I can now run 4 miles/45 minutes straight without stopping.
• I am training for my first 1/2 marathon on October 9, 2011. 
• I have more energy than I could have ever imagined. 
• I take no less than 4 classes at the gym a week. Those include Boot Camp, Body Pump, Spinning, and Zumba. I have done Boot Camp EVERY Monday and Thursday since April 4th and have only missed ONE class.
• In April there was a competition at the gym to recruit the most members. I won and won an iPad2.
• In April there was also a competition for 6 weeks of the Boot Camp class to see who lost the most body fat. I won.
• In May there was another 6 week Boot Camp competition to lose the most body fat. I won again. Although I am still enrolled in the class, I am no longer eligible to compete so someone else could get a chance. :)
• Someone that had not seen me in months actually accused me of having gastric bypass surgery. I wanted to punch them in the face. If they only knew how many fries I've passed up, how I didn't have a piece of my own kids' birthday cake, how many times I've replaced my contacts because the sweat had ruined them, how many times I've climbed up to the 5th floor at work to use the restroom even though I work on the 2nd floor, how many times I've got out of bed at 5am on a Saturday for a race...the list goes on and on. This is ALL HARD WORK. NO SHORTCUTS. And I've earned every ounce of happiness.

Here are a few pics of the journey:

My driver's license pic - January 2011

My first 5K - March 2011 - Covington Spring Stomp

American Heart Association Heart Walk - April 2011

Stone Creek 5K - May 2011

Money Hill 5K in Abita Springs - June 2011

4 on the 4th - July 2011

Spillway Classic - July 2011

After a very intense run (I know it's gross!) - July 2011

And celebrating 100!!! - August 2011

Thanks to everyone that's offered encouragement and support along the journey...the co-workers that listen to my diet and exercise rants daily, my husband that has watched kids so I could hit the gym or brought kids to races so I could compete, my parents for their un-ending support....and all friends and family. I love you all. 

And the journey continues...I'm in a Biggest Loser Contest with a team of co-workers that concludes late August...and I will NOT let them down. So far in those 3 weeks I've lost 12 lbs! 

As always, more later!

Janel

85...it's not just the speed I drive on the interstate...

JUST JOKING, MOM! I think it's funny that I am married with kids and I still can make my mom crazy with statements like that. But seriously, 85 is a great number this week! Since Feb 1, 2011, I have lost 85 pounds. I am so proud of that. People have asked me for Before/After pics. Well, I refuse to call it "after" because it's Before and "Now". I still have more to lose and am SUPER close to my goal of feeling awesome. So here is a "Before". It was taken in August 2009, before I was pregnant with Maddie (about exactly what I was when I started this journey). 

Here is a "Now":

This was taken yesterday at the "4 Mile on the 4th" Race in Covington.


And here is a pic of my patriotic princesses:

And here is one from Father's Day. 

As you can see, Jonathan has also made an amazing transformation! I'm so proud of him. We are really enjoying being active all the time, running in races, going to the gym, chasing the kids, etc. 


Be sure to keep following us! I just ran in my 16th and 17th races this past weekend and have another tomorrow night. I am taking this weekend off from running to do some Habitat for Humanity work and then I hit it hard again the following week in what proves to be the MOST FUN YET: The 24th Annual Spillway Classic Trail Run.  I am SOOOOO looking forward to this one. I'm flying solo with this one as it's not really kid-friendly. My friend Ronnie promises to run with me, but here's a personal invite (ahem...challenge) for anyone else that wants to join us! 


Stay tuned! 


Janel