A 'non' Runners Story

I've been meaning to share my story with you and just haven't found the time until now. I'm going to do my best to share every detail with you and I hope you find inspiration to move forward with something that has always seemed unreachable to you, because the truth is...NOTHING is unreachable!

To give you a little background, in the past several years I've put on some pounds, okay, more like a LOT of pounds, about 50 to be exact. I ate things I shouldn't and just became complacent with where I was in life, including my health/fitness routine. I've always been active and considered myself fit but a few years went by and I had completely let go of myself. As 2012 began I realized I needed to make some serious life changes and some of those included changing my eating habits and once again pick up a fitness routine. Thus begins part 1 of my story...I have NEVER been a runner. I've always respected the sport and wished I could do it I just didn't think I had it in me. Well, I vowed to give it a try anyway. Deep inside I had always wanted to run a marathon but I felt that was definitely a bite to big to chew on this new journey. I chose to shoot for a half-marathon instead! Crazy you say? Perhaps! Once I had made my decision I immediately consulted one of my close friends to find out if she would be interested in training and ultimately running the half with me. She of course was all in from the beginning! We began training in April. I found a 12 week training schedule to get us ready which you can find here, we started with the beginners plan. I also ran my first 5K in April and had a blast but didn't do well at all! I walked most of it...good thing is was all for fun! The Color Run is one you don't want to miss!

A couple of weeks into our training I began to have some physical issues. Knee pain, back stiffness and  moderate fatigue. I attributed my knee and back issues to my shoes. And, that brings us to part 2 of my story. My husband and I had bought each other new running shoes for Christmas with the intention of helping each other get back in shape. After running in them for several weeks I was disappointed with how uncomfortable they had become and they clearly were not the kind of support I needed. I began to research shoes for runners training for long distance races. The more research I did the more interested I became in what are known as barefoot running shoes.  You know the funny looking toe shoes. Like the ones below:

                     

Adidas Adipure

Fila Skele-toes

Vibram Five Fingers

There are so many studies to back up the technology of these shoes.  Here are a couple of articles I read while doing my research Barefoot Running Shoes and Should you be Running Barefoot?. After compiling my notes I came to the conclusion that all my problems really did have to do with my shoes and I was desperate to try out these barefoot running shoes and what I now affectionately call 'monkey feet'. I made a trip to one of our local sporting good stores. Amazingly, they had just started selling the Fila Skeletoes and Adidas Adipure. I tried them both on and sided with the Fila's. I ran in them for the first time the next day and I felt like a new person. Granted, there was some leg soreness due to the fact that when you wear a minimalist show you use all of your leg muscles. I went through two pair of Fila's and just recently had to replace my second pair. I wanted to branch out and try a different brand this time around and came across a clearance on Adipures. I grabbed them up and and I absolutely love them! I run even better! My Fila's were a good launching pad but I definitely feel like I've graduated.

                

In September I ran in our local Labor Day Road Race, my first 10k. My goal was to run the entire race...I almost succeeded. Except for a few MAJOR hills where I took a break to walk, I did run the entire time. It was a great way to find out how close I was to being ready for running a half marathon. As you see in the photo below I was absolutely exhausted! It took me a few days to recover but I felt great knowing that I gave it all I had and wasn't the last person to cross the finish line. At the time I didn't notice the guy next to me but he was obviously filled with exuberance to finish, mine was being expressed on the inside. :) My official finish time was 1 hour 18 min 20.57 seconds.

Amy & I awaiting the start of the race

Just passed the half way mark!

Part 3 of my story - I'm now a vegetarian. How is it possible to be an athlete and vegetarian you ask? Quite possible actually and you would be surprised at how many athletes, some well known, are going the no meat route. My reasons for becoming a no meat athlete are very simple. 1. I wanted to be as healthy as I could be when I started my training 2. I wasn't feeling well most of the time after I ate a meal that included meat. 3. Every now and then your body just needs a good cleansing. Other than my love for BBQ I probably would have given up meat a long time ago. But back in June I made it official and feel better than I ever have. I've tried to stay away from processed foods as much as possible and cook/make most of my food at home now. I still love to eat out but am extra careful about what I order and sometimes have to get creative with dishes especially if the restaurant isn't 'veg' friendly. These are good resources if you're looking to turn vegetarian or vegan and are concerned about being able to perform as an athlete: No Meat Athlete and Thrive Diet.
Here are some of my favorite dishes!

Here we are at the end of October and it is officially race week. Oh, yeah, I haven't told you which half I'm running. This coming Saturday, November 3rd, I'm running the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon in Savannah! I'm a little nervous but more excited than anything. I feel ready, rested and energized. I'll be posting updates throughout the day when I can. You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram (I'm vintagejosephine) to keep up with the excitement. Though I feel prepared I could still use your thoughts and prayers for strength and endurance to cross the finish line.  Here's a preview of my route...crazy, huh!

The purple route is what Amy & I will be running

I know that was a lot of information and maybe more than was needed but I wanted to share every little detail with you to show that if one process doesn't work, try another and if that doesn't work keep trying until you find something that does. Find what works for you. Whatever you're trying to accomplish in life is a process and sometimes it takes a while to find the 'perfect' way. Running has taught me a lot about patience and believing that you really can do anything you set your mind to. It takes determination and disciple to stick with a sport like running but it's worth it all in the end when you complete those goals you set out to achieve. I want to thank my friend Amy for always supporting me and helping to push me toward my goals. We've worked through many life 'situations' during our training and I'm grateful to have her as a running partner. It wouldn't be the same without you!

I'll share more of my weight loss story with you next week while I'm recovering from the half. I might even share some of my recipes with you and give you a play by play of the weekend.
I'll leave you with these words.