Why hello there! I realize that it has been a really long time....ummmm....a month...since I've last posted on here and I apologize for that. To be honest....I was kinda avoiding it. I have been doing good on working out, ok on eating good, but not so great on the weight loss. I've lost here and there but it has been fluctuating a lot!! I didn't even step on the scale for 2 weeks because I was getting discouraged. I recently got a Planet Fitness membership so I can get up EARLY with my friend and do some weight workouts. That has been so great! This week hasn't been so good because both of us have "phoned it in" a day but tomorrow we will be back at it! I have seen a lot of improvements physically which is super encouraging but....I have not seen improvements on the scale and little in the inch department....sad day! I am seeing tricep muscles for the first time in forever!!! And....I ran 4 miles without stopping for the first time in my life last week! I'm really encouraged by those things but I keep getting caught up by the lack of movement on the scale. I know a lot of people will say that you shouldn't pay attention to the scale, that you should pay attention to the positives and how you feel. And I do feel better, I will say that. But....let's be honest...I have the weight to lose.
I think what is really bothering me is how carrying all this weight now is going to hurt me in the future. Now...before anyone gets upset about thinking too far ahead....hear me out. I think it is perfectly ok...if not wise....to think about how the choices you are making today affect your future. I realize that I am not in control of my future, the Lord has that taken care of, but I am still called to be a good steward of my resources. And not taking care of my body now is not being a good steward. It can't be good on my heart muscle to be carrying around all these pounds. So that is why I have been trying to increase my running, my cardio, and my weights. I think the key to all of this is going to be following a more consistent plan. That's where I fail....in consistency. However....there is a solution to that dilemma. (here is where my BREAKING NEWS comes in)
About a month or so ago, my coworker convinced me to apply for this thing called the "Local Joe." For those of you who have never heard of this....let me explain it a bit. In Wichita, there is Spring and Fall marathon and half marathon called the Prairie Fire Marathon. For the fall race they have this thing called the Local Joe. They choose a certain number of "average" people in Wichita and work with them and give them the tools necessary to complete either the half marathon or the full marathon. By "average" I mean people that either don't run at all or those that do run but aren't necessarily Boston Marathon runners. This year they decided to take applicants. Due to some HEAVY encouragement from two of my coworkers....SARAH & ANJI.....I decided to apply. A month had gone by and I didn't hear anything about it. Then...about 2 weeks ago I received a call from the sports commissioner here in Wichita saying that I had been selected as a finalist for the Local Joe. I was to attend a meeting....which "just so happened" to be on my day off....to find out if I was chosen. Long story short....I was. So now I am one of the "average" Wichitans chosen to complete the Prairie Fire half marathon on October 12th, 2014. Now....I am going to be completely honest here....when I got that phone call....excitement was not what I was feeling. Terror and dread would be more fitting of a term. HAHAHAHA...my coworkers and friends however made up for it with their excitement. All I could think was that I was going to HAVE to run 13.1 miles!!!!!!!!!! Am I crazy?! Yes.....the answer is yes. Dumb peer pressure! I will say though that as a few days have gone by, and the official announcement has been made, and I have gotten so much encouragement from friends and family, it has gotten me pretty excited! So let me give you some of the details.
Prairie Fire has teamed up with Go Run here in Wichita and will supply us with not only a new pair of running shoes, shirts, and registration for the half marathon, they are also giving us the training we need. They will be using the Start2Finish program that Go Run uses to train ANYONE for whatever race they are wishing to accomplish. They will design the proper program for us to accomplish our goals, whether it be to just finish a distance, or to get faster and improve our time. The program I will be using will be an 18 week program!!! However, they are really smart and are only going to give us the first 9 weeks so we don't get discouraged looking at week 14 or 15. Genius! Because I would be one of those that would look ahead like that and wanna cry. HAHAHAHA!
You might be asking "why do you keep saying us?" That is because there are 9 of us Local Joes this year. Some are like me and are running a half marathon for the first time, others are trying to improve their times, and some are running the full marathon for the first time. I am excited to see the progress all of us will make and I am really glad to have fellow Joes to get encouragement from when I'm ready to give up! I will post some links at the bottom of this post to give you a little more information on all of it.
Becoming a Local Joe is something that I feel like is going to change my life. I know that sounds a little dramatic but I'm serious. I think the Lord is going to use this to show me a lot and grow me in ways I would never expect. Completing this program is going to show me that I am able to accomplish things I never thought possible! And it is also going to help me to get in shape. I am 100% honest when I say that I am going to be in better shape in my mid twenties....yes that hurt to just say mid instead of early....than I was in highschool. I am super excited to get this thing started! I will definitely not be taking a hiatus from blogging for a month anymore because I know I am going to have a range of things to talk about and I am also excited to share with you my progress! If you want you can follow me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Runkeeper. I will post my handles below. Also, if you go to the Prairie Fire website that I will be posting below, you can find out who my fellow Joes are! I will also post a link to the Start2Finish program if you are interested in more information on that! I hope you will follow me and be as excited to see the progress of this journey I am about to embark on as I am! Have a great day!!! (FYI....if you follow me on any of these sites you will probably see lots of pictures of my dog Riggins. I am a proud mama when it comes to him.)
Prairie Fire Site: http://www.prairiefiremarathon.com/
Start2Finish: http://gorunwichita.com/start2finish-2/
Twitter: @bethany535
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bbuczinski
Instagram: @bethb06
Runkeeper: Bethany Buczinski
You're awesome! So excited to Joe it up with you!!!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on getting picked! I think your blog is about to get a lot more traffic soon! ;) Just four more weeks and the real "fun" begins.
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