20 Lbs Challenge!

This summer has been life changing! I am totally aware that I say that a lot, but I want you to understand that I really mean that. Lana and my friends at the Ridge have helped me save my life. I have been blessed to lose 30+ pounds so far with so much more to go.

I understand that there are some of you that would also like the chance to change your life also. Right now the Ridge is starting the 20 Pound Challenge. It starts on the 13^th of September and you train with Josh. He’s pretty good at what he does so expect your butt to get kicked. The program is 8 weeks long, meeting with Josh twice a week with the goal being to lose 20 pounds. If you achieve that goal you will receive 3 months of free membership at the gym! This is an opportunity for members and non members. (More info at www.ridgeathletics.com)

The best part about this is YOU have the opportunity to WIN a FREE 20 Pound Challenge! All you need to do is post a comment here on my blog saying why you deserve to win and some contact information. The winner will be drawn on September 1^st! If you don’t win I hope you seriously consider taking the 20 pound challenge any way. I can promise you will NOT regret taking the first step to changing your life. 

Catch 22

Have you ever felt like you ruled the world? Well, on Saturday after finishing my first ever 5K, I felt like I was ruling the world. I used to say that only two things would make me run: the cops and an all you can eat buffet. Well, now I have conquered that first step and completed the longest 3.1 miles of my life so far. But, the joy of finishing in almost 42 minutes flat was followed by an ample amount of pain.

In April 2010, I injured my hip skiing or playing hockey. It wasn’t until that October that I started looking into the constant pain in my leg and found out that I had torn the labrum in my hip. There was no question about what had to be done, and surgery was scheduled for September 2011 in Vail, CO. Because it was so far away, I asked to be on the waiting list if something opened up earlier. The Tuesday before finals in May, I received the unexpected call asking me to come for surgery. I was ecstatic, nervous, and running around like a chicken with my head cut off rearranging my life to fit. I would be taking two exams and finishing my five classes by Friday. Everything was going well, and I thought it was the perfect plan until that Thursday morning at 7:45AM. The nurse called to chat about their biggest concern with me having surgery the next week. It had little to do with my actual hip and all to do with my weight. In order for the doctor to operate, I needed to lose at least 50 pounds. That was the first time I can really remember where my weight has held me back. So, Tuesday I was sky high ready for a new hip, and by Thursday, I was feeling hopeless.

Surgery is inevitable with my injury, and truth be told, the pain has been unbearable these past few months. After recently seeking the wisdom of a Billings doctor, I have now been limited to what type of exercise I will be able to do: little to no impact, bending, squatting, or twisting. They have limited me because of the possibility of hurting myself to the point of hip replacement.Although it is nice to have some answers to the reason for the pain I feel constantly, it is also very frustrating to have to completely change my work out routine. I just am trying to remind myself that there is more to weight loss than running and lunges. It is also frustrating having to deal with the pain every day. It’s a total Catch 22. In order to have a pain free hip, I must lose a substantial amount of weight, yet some days my hip holds me back from losing the weight.

One Less Day

The Year of the Mud

5:30AM came way too quickly because I was so nervous and totally unsure about the upcoming day! But, when I rolled out of bed with the sun rising above the Bridgers, I could not help but have a fire in my belly for my first 5K race. The car was full of three of my closest friends, hillbilly outfits, old running shoes, body wash and three dresses for a wedding. Only two of us were running in the race, but all four of us were attending the wedding. From one extreme to the next...Saturday was a dirty day! Two hours from Bozeman to Billings is a lot longer with a pit in my stomach. But, nothing cures my nerves like singing at the top of my lungs to Train, Garth Brooks and a little bit of GaGa. Arriving in Billings with plenty of time, G and I dressed for the occasion. Our team name was Team Swamp Ass, and no better way to embrace it than to dress like a bunch of red necks. Cut-off jeans and sleeveless flannels with homemade suspenders made for a good looking bunch! Let me tell you, if we didn’t have suspenders we would have been absolutely SOL. Our pants would have never stayed up, and it would have been a full moon of fun for everyone. Well, some people on our team had that problem even with suspenders!

Thankfully, the jitters went away once I noticed how relaxed and low key the race was going to be. Almost every team was in costume, and one team even wore adult diapers! Team Soggy Bottom was totally appropriate for the diaper team. (Way to go Team Ridge!). It has been so fun to be working out with the same people all summer, and then to run my first race with a few of them was a blast! I could not have been more pleased with my team members. Getting over the straw bales would have been impossible if it weren’t their help in hoisting me over each of them. Thank you ladies (and G) for helping me get over and through each obstacle. It was so fun to run together, and thank you for sticking with me making my first 5K totally enjoyable and memorable. It’s going to be hard for me to run any other race because it won’t be nearly as fun!

My first real 5K is Saturday, and what can I say, I’m still a little nervous but more excited. Lots of people are running with me again, and I think that’s going to make the difference! Look for me crossing the finish line! I SHOULD come in under 45 minutes, but even if I don’t that’s okay too, right?

One Less Day