My Journey…. plus a Giveaway!

Some of you may already know this about me, for those of you who are new to my site I will be sharing one of my “loves” with you all today. RUNNING! I may not look like the typical runner, I am not a size 3 or have arms of steel. I’m a Mother, I’ve have given birth. (lol)  I am not a fast runner by any means. Slow and Steady that’s ME! Let me give Y’all a little background on how I started to love running. I was 100 + lbs. over weight. I knew I needed something to change if I wanted to play an active part in my new born daughters life. So I signed up for Weight Watchers. I promised myself I would go to the meeting and pay their fee for 1 year. During this time I started walking….and Walking…and Walking. At first it was just around the block. Then it was twice around the block, that turned into a mile, then three miles. Until one day  after I had taken a longer walk than usual, I had my husband drive my route in the car to see just how far I had walked…….and guess what? I did 5 miles EASILY! I cried I was so proud of myself. So 5 miles a day became my minimum I would walk.  (Now I am shortening this story because if I didn’t it could turn into a book) After many high’s & low’s of doing the points program for a year, and  loosing 40 lbs. I was on my own. I wanted to see and prove to myself just how much I had learned. So I turned into a self promoting W.W. guru. 🙂
I cooked all my favorite meals and just substituted with healthier options/ ingredients. *To this day I still cook this way. All my recipes I make When cooking them for my family I am always substituting fat free, broth, sugar free, low sodium, options. ~ Now I am sure you are asking WHY do I not post that in my recipes? Well because I didn’t want to “specialize” in that. I am NO dietician and did not feel as if I am qualified to tell you what a healthier substitution would be. Now back to my journey. During this time I started signing up for 5k’s as a way to push myself. My husband and daughter also signed up along with me. It was a family affair. I think my  turning point for me was when at a 5k I won an award for the fastest pace in my age/weight division…..I won The Filly award (No kidding, that is what they called it!~ UGH!)  something kicked in.
I knew I could run longer than a 5k, so I signed up for a 10k. No I did not win an award. I finished! What a Rush! Of course I cried, I seem to do that at the finish line of every race. I was hooked! So I started looking for a Half Marathon (13.1 Miles) to sign up for. Well one day as I read my Prevention Magazine I saw an advertisement to join their “Team Prevention” at the 1st Las Vegas Rock -N- Roll Marathon. Of course I thought what better way to do my first half marathon than with a National Team cheering me on, and in my home State! So I signed up! Along with signing up with a personal trainer to get me in shape, I was on a running schedule  for 16 weeks, walk/running 6 days a week Plus weight lifting, Yoga, Cross Training. I started walking the miles adding in a little jogging if I felt I had something left in the tank so to say. It was the hardest thing I have ever done. I never missed a day. I made sure I ran my miles no matter where I was. I even got up early on Thanksgiving day at my parents to go put in my 12 miles required for that day.  I was not going to put in all that hard work to just skip out because of holidays. Well half way through my training I was jogging all my miles. I was going further than the 13.1 miles, so I changed my goal. I then signed up to run the FULL MARATHON (26.2 Miles) I told myself that if I couldn’t jog the whole 26.2 miles I would walk it.  I just wanted to Finish. December 2009 I crossed the finish line of the Las Vegas Rock-N-Roll Marathon….I  run the whole 26.2 Miles! That is when I knew I was addicted! The feeling of accomplishment was worth every ounce of sweat, every blister, every mile, every workout.  During this 2 year long process, I also dropped 107 lbs. 🙂  I may have lost the weight, but I gained so much more. Self Confidence, Self Worth, Dedication, Determination, Energy. (And some dang nice looking calve muscles if I do say so myself 😉 This past December 2013~ I just ran /finished my 15th Marathon!
I don’t tell my “journey” very often, because I am still on my journey. It is something I work at every single day. I am not a picture perfect runner. I am still not a fast runner. I am still am not a size 3 (and will never will be) HOWEVER, I AM STRONG! I am so much more than a number on the scale. If my story will help just 1 person show that “if she can do it, I can”  I am willing to tell more people about my journey. BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE!

Now that I have talked your ear off, what do you say we get to this FABULOUS GIVEAWAY?! I have teamed up with some AWESOME Bloggers to get you all excited to start your own journey to better health.  Along with some great prizes, you can win an $250.00 Amazon gift card to buy yourself all the “bell’s & whistles” to get you up and off that couch.
All you need to do to enter is click on the entry below. GOOD LUCK!! ~Lark
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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