Choosing to make a change.

I like to eat. There, I said it. I like to eat and if I don't pay attention to what I'm putting into my mouth and I don't exercise, I gain weight. So simple yet so difficult to manage. 

This was me in the summer of 2008. I think this was at my heaviest but I've gone up and down on the scale so much through the years that it's hard to remember!

Being heavy and approaching my 50's, I choose to make a change in my lifestyle. I started running using a very conservative Couch to 5K program. This was a great program to get me moving. Run for a bit, walk for a bit, run.....etc. Even with the short runs segments, I still wouldn't say I was having fun but I stuck to it. Running and being overweight is hard on your joints but it helps the pounds come off if you're also watching what you're eating. I have found that the best part of running are the races! I love races. I love the energy, the getting ready, the nerves and racing (or at least starting with) family and friends!

This was one of the first 5K's I did with Laura and Dave (he had to be the photographer).

Our first 1/2 marathon! I was so not ready for this but I finished.

Dave, my friend Diane, Laura and I after we finished our first Disney 1/2 Marathon. 

After I had been running for a while, I got a hybrid bike. A road bike was a little intimidating and I wanted to make sure I liked biking before I made the investment. I also thought it would be good to add a different type of exercise to my routine. 

Since I'm a race junkie, a friend and I signed up for a duathlon. It's a run/bike/run race. It was lots of fun!

Choosing to be active has opened a lot of doors for me. When Kathleen was living in Tempe we climbed Camelback a couple of times. It was encouraging to feel the difference from my first climb to my second when I was lighter and in better shape :)

Fast forward to January 2010. Running was going well and I still liked the bike. I have family and friends that race in triathlons so I started thinking........why not? I knew how to not drown but I didn't know how to swim with my face in the water. I went to a local community pool and spent 2 weeks practicing breathing and swimming. I could barely make it across the pool and when I did, I had to rest for a while to catch my breath. I found a sprint triathlon I wanted to do at the end of March so at the beginning of February, I joined our local masters swim club. Chris, our coach, was very patient with me and worked with me to build some endurance. By the end of March I felt like I could at least 'get through' the swim which I think is how most people feel for their first race.

Swimming in open water was scary! I wasn't the last out of the water but it was close. I did have my own personal escort to the shore :)

I still only had my hybrid bike but it got me through the race.

Headed to the finish line and always happy to smile for the camera!

My support crew at my first tri, Dave, Stephen and Laura.

After my first tri, Dave decided to train with me. Yea! We finished our 2010 race season with an Olympic Tri at Pacific Grove with our friend Mike.

I'm a planner so when I looked at my 2011 calendar, I wanted to come up with some new challenges for myself and to help me keep losing weight. I planned more tri's and runs.

Finishing my first marathon in Napa.

Silicon Valley Olympic Tri with Molly, Mary and Dave.

Racing my first 1/2 Ironman, Vineman!

Pacific Grove again with Mike and Dave.

Done with my second 1/2 Ironman of the year, SOMA in Tempe.

It's been a great year. I love racing. I love that I've lost weight. I love that I get to train with Dave. I love that we can be active as a family. I love that my niece, Molly and my nephew, Robert started racing tri's before me so I can ask them all sorts of questions. I love surrounding myself with friends that I can go on a leisurely ride with or go hard. I love that I've met so many new people that also love to race.

Since I've chosen to make a change I've lost 55 pounds. I still want to lose about 20 more so training goes a little easier for next years big race, Ironman Arizona!

Thanksgiving: family, turkey trot, a puppy and more running.

Dave's parents come up for the weekend and brought their new puppy, Charley, with them. My father in law surprised my mother in law with Charley last May for her birthday. Let's just say, initially, the surprise did not make her very happy. It didn't take long for Charley to win her over.

Who could resist this face? He is a very sweet puppy and he's perfect for them.

Thanksgiving morning, Dave, Kathleen, Laura, our friend Cindy and I headed to downtown San Jose for our local Turkey Trot. I ran the 10K and the rest of the crew ran the 5K. This is a big race, I think 21,000 people who walk, stroll, run, race, push strollers, bring dogs, dress in costume and everything in between. It's quite festive and you just have to go with the flow.

Cindy, Dave, me, Kathleen and Laura

The good part about this race is the 10K starts 25 min before the 5K so we would all be done about the same time. I'm not sure who started it but Kathleen and I challenged each other to finish first.  I'm competitive enough to like a little challenge so I worked my way towards the front of the start line to bypass some of the 'social' 10K folks and then tried to maintain a good pace throughout the race to try to finish before my 5K girls. I knew Cindy and Dave could finish ahead of me :) I was trying to get in under an hour and just missed it! I stopped my Garmin when I hit the mass of people (did I mention there were 21,000 people racing?) at the finish line but I think I only had about 5 seconds to go before I would of crossed the finish line. My unofficial time was 1:00:13, my best 10K time so far! 

We had some of the family over for Thanksgiving dinner and afterwards went to my sisters for dessert. Friday we decided to buck tradition and made margaritas. 

Yum!

Saturday we celebrated Stephen's birthday with a sushi dinner. I can't believe my baby boy is 25!

Tomorrow, I'll wrap up the weekend with my long run of the week. I'm in the middle of a lot of run training which leads me to another thing that takes up a lot of my time........

Spectating IMAZ 2011

Dave and I went to Arizona this past weekend to volunteer for Ironman Arizona and watch my niece, Molly and our friends Linda, Jeff, Catherine and Don race. What an amazing weekend!

We met some blog friends, Ironmoms 2012, Kate, Kim, Annette and Melinda (TriGranny) for breakfast. I've had a super, secret plan all year to sign up for IMAZ 2012 if my body held up to training this year. I think mostly I needed all year to convince myself I wanted to commit to the training! So far so good :) It was great meeting these ladies and I'm looking forward to taking this year to get ready for our big race together.

Kim, me, Kate, Melinda and Annette

After breakfast we headed to Tempe Beach Park to volunteer. Our assignment was to register this years athletes for next years race if they were interested. The best perk of this job was getting to practice! I officially registered myself :)

Later we met our friends, Kris and Paul for some tailgating before the ASU/UofA football game. They are old friends from San Jose and we attended church together at St. Timothy's. It was great meeting up with them!

Sunday morning we headed over to the race early so we could watch the swim start.

The safety crew is out on the water ready for the swim.

These are the pro's starting their swim. The guy on the stand up board led the lead racers for the whole 2.4 miles. He deserves more then his volunteer t-shirt!

Age groupers getting ready for the swim start. 

Some athletes took advantage of the ledge on the side of the lake to wait for the swim start. One of the rules was that you couldn't 'walk' your swim so when the cannon blew they had to jump off.

The mosh pit. 

Bags ready for the athletes.

Bikes in transition. 

Jeff spotting a friendly face after the swim.

I think Linda spotted the same person.

Molly coming out strong after the swim.

Molly heading out on the first of three bike loops.

Jeff coming in off the bike.

Linda looks happy to be getting off the bike :)

Catherine still looking strong after 112 miles!

These guys were part of the run course entertainment. They were having a great time cheering the runners on. 

This guy biked and ran all in blue. 

Catherine running strong.

Jeff on his way to a STRONG finish.

Linda kept that smile on her face while racing hard.

Batman came to the party.

Linda rocking it at the finish!

Molly coming in strong with a BIG PR!

Over the weekend, a lot of people told me that I've caught the Ironman fever. Watching this race I felt like I caught it, then I'd see someone really struggling and that fever broke! Then I'd see athletes running down the finish chute, high fiving and just living the moment and the fever came back. I think that will be typical of getting ready for this race but I have a whole year and I know I can get it done.

I think adding training for an Ironman will certainly keep me busy and I'm looking forward to!

Dogs, cats, birds and a tortoise.

Animals have been a part of my life since I was a little girl. We always had a dog growing up, I raised rabbits as my 4-H project and my sister and I had pet ducks. My Dad also had aviaries with quail, pheasants and chickens.

Fast forward to my adult life and the animals have just kept coming. Dave and I got our first dog, a yellow lab we named Steamer, as soon as we got our first house. Steamer was followed by his friend Bugly, perhaps the ugliest boxer you've ever met but he had a heart of gold. When Steamer died of old age we rescued a harlequin Great Dane named Sheba. She was already middle aged and had a comfortable last couple of years with us. By this time, Bugly also passed away. 

Our next dog was Jack. I found him at my barn as a stray. 

He was about 4 months old and was with us for about 10 years. When Jack was about 2 we went to the shelter and adopted Buddy. 

Buddy loved and bonded with Jack until Jack died and then he totally bonded with me. He's my right hand dog and loves to go everywhere with me. He's now 12, in pretty good health and living the life!

Most of the cats we've had have been rescued bottle fed babies. We're down to one old cat, Tiger. We've had her since she was orphaned when she and her siblings were hours old and now she's now 16 and going strong.

Our easiest pet is our tortoise. She's really only half a pet since she's in the garage hibernating almost half the year!

For my last birthday, I asked Dave for an outdoor aviary and I got one! My Dad, Mom and I built it in a week and it's been lots of fun finding the right mix of birds.

I also foster kittens for our local animal shelter, http://www.countypet.org. Most of them just need to either grow up a bit or get socialized so they make good pets. Who could pass these guys up???

I couldn't imagine not having all these animals in my life. So, horses, dogs, cats, birds and a tortoise, what else keeps me busy?