Fitness & Healthy Eating: 10K

Another month of fitness has come and gone, time flies y’all! June marks SIX MONTHS since I started on this journey. And I cannot believe it’s been that long already. I’ve seen slow progress. I wrote on my Twitter a while ago that I haven’t seen the pounds fall off the scale. In fact, I avoid the scale because for me it isn’t a form of progress, it’s a number that becomes ingrained in my brain. A number that I focus on, dwell on, and start to define my body by that number. Most importantly, it is a number that does not reflect how “fit” I am as I am gaining muscle which doesn’t reflect weight loss.

So I may not have seen the numbers fly off my scale, but I have seen numbers drop in my measurements. I have been digging to the back of my closet finding those “someday” pants. I have been surprised when I put on pants that prior gave me a muffin top. And I think my husband has seen more of my butt crack than I care to admit. Some of my bras have also been fitting better. I finally see some definition in my waist, I HAVE AN HOURGLASS you guys! 

I also have seen the numbers on my workouts change. The reps and rounds increase, the weight on my bar increases, and my times decrease. I’ve seen my mile times on my runs slowly decrease and my distance increases. These are all solid numbers I can be proud of, numbers I need to remember. Not that number on the scale. It is easy to quickly forget how far you’ve come. It is easy to look in the mirror and hate that body you see. It is easy to look in the mirror and overlook all that hard work you’ve put in. 

So I try and delight in the little things. I try and love my body for who I am now with full knowledge that I am on a journey. A journey that will hopefully mean my body is ever changing. Two months from now it won’t be the same. Sure my shape may have changed a little more, but I will also be stronger and have more endurance. Those are the things I need to focus on. And it is one of the reasons I have chosen to share my journey here on my blog. Not only to inspire others to get moving, but also to have a recorded log of how far I’ve come. If you are also on a fitness journey, don’t forget to lose sight of how far you’ve come. Enjoy the moment where you are right now. And don’t get caught up in the “where you want to be”. 

So what’s been going on in my fitness journey this month? Well, I hit a HUGE milestone. Last month (was it last month?) I posted about how I was planning to run a 10K. I will be honest I was nervous about this ever since I announced it. But I stuck to my training schedule and I did run 6 miles one day so at least I knew I could do it. I wasn’t the fastest by any means, but I still did it. 

So, back to the race. The race was in our small town. It was a 5K and 10K race put on in order to raise money and awareness for West Nile Virus. If you missed my post about last year’s race, check it out. And if West Nile isn’t something on your radar, it should be. I was only 1 of 4 people running the 10k race. I not only ran the race, I KILLED IT! I ran some of the fastest times of my life, finishing in 1 hour 1 minute with an average pace of 9:42. A whole minute and several seconds under ANY pace I’d ever run. AMAZING. I still can’t believe that is right! 

I will admit, it did not come easy to me. I don’t enjoy running all that much. But I set a goal for myself and I knocked it out of the park. And THAT felt good. A friend of my advised me the night before the race to pick a thing to think about each mile and before you know it, the race will be over. She was right. I had never knew that running could be so powerful, so emotional, and have me walking away from the race feeling so blessed. 

As I was running, I was thinking. I tried not to think about how many miles I had left or how quickly I was breathing or about my pace. I made it a point to think about all the things I am thankful for. Each mile I tried to really focus on one thing I was thankful for in my life. And then as I moved onto the next mile, I thanked God for each and every one. Wouldn’t you know it, those six miles FLEW by. I wasn’t emotional after I finished, but when I got home and I let it all soak in. I cried. Tears of joy and happiness about achieving my goal and allowing my run to refresh how blessed my life really is. So here’s what I thought about.…

I thought about how North Dakota has changed my life. There aren’t many people who can say that something changed their life. Sure things maybe have an impact for a while. But meeting this man changed my life. Moving to North Dakota changed my life. I will never ever forget the day I became a North Dakotan. The day I left my old life in California and I moved into the unknown. So what did the unknown have in store for me…?

• I have found a partner in this life. One who stands beside me always. Who makes me laugh, encourages me. Sometimes he makes me cry, we argue, and he annoys me from time to time. But at the end of the day we choose to love. 
• I have found some of the best friends a girl could ask for. No BS friendships, no drama. We love one another, we empower one another, and most importantly we never judge when one another’s house is a disaster.
• I have received a whole new family who accepts and loves me as their own even from the very beginning. They support me, encourage me, and give well needed advice on how to manage this farm lifestyle.
• I have found a community that isn’t perfect by any means. But one who comes together in the time of need, who supports those who need it, and who has encouraged me in more ways than they will ever know. Having the support of my community behind me means the world to me, especially since I was not born and raised here.
• And finally, through fitness, I have found friends and a whole new meaning to community: one who helps me achieve things I never thought possible. I have come to learn that the journey to fitness is so much more than just “going to the gym” or “posting your workouts on social media”… It is having a whole community of people behind you who root for you, who push you, and who help you achieve the goals you set for yourself. Every single member in my fitness community, both online and offline, is proof that you don’t have to be an athlete and you can’t let intimidation or fear stop you. 

So with all that said, here’s the future and whatever it holds. More runs, more goals, more accomplishments. But most importantly, more stepping into the unknown. It’s been a heck of a ride my friends and it’s just the beginning! Thank you, my fitness “community”, for the words of encouragement and walking alongside me in this journey!