27 Pounds Heavier and Two Minutes Faster!

 
  We participated in the Columbus Day Runabout again this year- one or two laps around the island at dawn.  When we did it last year, we only had Sky in the BabyJogger stroller and were regularly doing 4.5- and 5-mile runs. We finished in 1 hour and 12 minutes and felt like rockstars. We have had a really hard time getting in long runs since Fire's been home so we weren't even sure we'd be up to doing it this year but I'm so glad we did. It was a beautiful morning and both kids slept until just after the race started.  Sky munched on graham crackers and drank her juice while D and I made our way around Kwaj.  We took turns pushing our 50 pounds of babies (27 more than last year!)  and as we approached the finish line, Sky started asking to get out and run, so we popped her out and she and I crossed the finish line together.  I was shocked when I saw our time: 1 hour  and 10 minutes!  Without training, and with a heavier stroller and an extra baby, we'd finished two minutes faster than last year.  Go Team!

After the run

Sky wore the number on her jammies for the rest of the morning

Our race certificate


  In high school and college, I was a thrower, one of the "big girls".  We had team shirts that said, "I'm fat but you're ugly, and I can always go on a diet".  I trained hard, lifted a lot of weight, but never ran very much.  And when I did, I didn't go very fast or very far.  It just wasn't my thing.  Then I landed in Antarctica, eating more than I liked, weighing more than I liked.  Palmer has a small gym and I decided to get back into it.  I started out walking for 20 minutes with a short, slow jog in the middle and worked up from there.  The treadmills were right in front of a old, giant television and I would loose myself in movies while I ran.  I was able to get control of my eating and with the extra exercise, the weight came off.  I was proud of myself and wanted to keep it up.
  I haven't stopped running since I left Antarctica.  I have a two-mile loop here that I run 3 or 4 mornings week.  I'll listen to the news on my radio and watch the sun come up.  Sky has been coming with me since she came home and now I bring both kids.  I still don't go fast but I definitely go and every time I come to the end of my run, I'm proud of myself.  It's a great way to start the day.

Comments

Popular Posts