Blubber To Runner

Happy 2012, Kids… 🙂

So, as the title suggests, I – like many of you – started 2K12 with a Hangover.  So did 7 of my friends.  However, this hangover was pretty damn awesome because it was the 30th Annual Hangover Run – a 5K at Tamaques Park in Westfield.  And, not only did 8 of us run it, we even had 4 others come out just to support – 1 of which had a REAL hangover… 🙂

So here’s the #’s – I ran the 5K in 44:10… and came in first in my weight class – WOO HOO!

*Rimshot!* *Cymbal Crash!*

In all seriousness, it was a perfect day.  I knew it was gonna be good even before we started when I got handed #199, which is the number for only one of the greatest athletes in the world – Travis Pastrana.  Plus, I was running in shorts on New Years Day… a far cry from last year when this is what it looked like around New Years:

And of course – there’s the REAL reason we run – GOODIES.  We not only got a race sweatshirt, but also a winter hat to run in!  Now, not surprisingly, I was last out of all of my friends.  That’s OK though… that was certainly expected.  I have a long way to go!  But with that come ‘the spoils’ – like having a nice little entourage of 5 runners finish the race with me as I chugged it home.  Plus, the later you finish, the more people waiting at the end to cheer you on… it’s all part of the master plan!  🙂

Physically, I only had 1 issue – leg pain due to that damn pinched nerve in my back.  And it only hurt when I stopped to get water at the halfway mark… which told me I wasn’t about to stop the rest of the way hahaha!  As the weight disappears, the pain will become less because there will be less stress on my back – I know this to be true from the last time I dropped the weight, so I just need to fight through it until that happens.

Speaking on that topic – it’s time to step THAT game up as well.  The weight loss has been steady and consistent over the last 6 weeks, but for me to finish a half marathon in 4 months I need to get really focused on not just portion control, but clean eating as well.

This is going to require a lot of research.

So, if you’re reading this and have any resources or advice that I can use – PLEASE shoot it over.  I wanna research this week, figure out what is the best route for me to take, then start it next week.  I’ve had some amazing people help me out with this before, but I am open to hearing about anything you can think of that may help!

Lastly – before I wrap up, I want to make sure I thank the people that came out for the race.  Regardless of why you were there, it meant a lot to ME to see so many familiar faces.  So to Nancy, Brian, Martin, Laz, Mai, Hiba, Courtney, Amanda, Joe B., Dan and Jenn – THANK YOU.