Danskin 2008

I finished my first triatalon!!! I am so excited. I was hoping to complete it in under 3 hours and I finished in 2:33:30!

We had gone the the park the day before to check out the transistion area and take team pictures.... When I saw that lake and how far the buoys were apart I was feeling sick to my stomach.... But I also knew I did not do all this training for nothing and I was going to complete this huge goal I had set for myself!



RACE DAY!!

5 am- getting up and ready to go....

6 am- stop at safeway to get some fuel for my body

7 am- get the the park walk to the trasisition area to put my stuff with my bike ( we left our bikes there the day before)

7:10- start feeling like I may not be able to do this... Have Leonard call my mom, she could not be there so I knew hearing her voice would remind me why I'm doing this again!

7:13- Have pep talk from Emily- She was still wondering if I wanted to kill her! LOL

7:17- Start walking to swim area

7:20- Got lost in sea of women in all different color swim caps- red, blue,red,green,yellow,purple,pink ect....

7:30 enter the water- ok feeling good... water is warm... Getting pep talk from Sally Edwards(she started the Danskin)

7:34- RACE STARTS! I'm off and swimming with all the women in my wave..... I am in the back feeling ok.....other than being kicked a couple of times and being splashed. Half way to the first buoy I start thinking... WHAT THE HELL WAS I THINKING! I'm not an athlete..I'm overweight....and then the little voice... come on Julia you can do this.... Your amazing... look what you've accomplished! So I keep kicking.

There are people in the water called swim angles, people in canoes and kayaks and on surf boards.... if case you get tired and need to rest. My goal was to do the entire swim without taking a break... I did it! I just keep going... It took me awhile but I did it....
1/2 mile
Swim time: 35:21

off to the bike: I put my shoes one.. grab my bike and walk to the mounting station.
on my bike feeling good.... get to the first Hill... walk my bike up.... Hit I-90... we are riding in the express lanes..... I see Emily as she is passing me in the opposite direction..... She is shouting.... Your looking good. I make it to the turn around.... I start back... Starting feeling like I need to quit... But then I starting hearing that little voice.. but this time its everyone who has been with me on the journey.... Leonard, My mom, Emily, Mel, My team, My weight watcher meeting group.
Your can do this, we are so proud of you, your doing great, you have been such a inspiration to us! I was not only going to accomplish this for them... I was going to accomplish this for myself!

I finally make it back to the transition area.. I see Loraine(one of my team mates) sitting there at the timing area... all she says is.... Your doing great Julia!

I load my bike, grab my hat and ipod...
20K- 12 miles
Bike time: 54:04

Hit the road jogging... Make it about 100 meters and have to start walking... I'm tired and sore.... Melissa comes up beside me.... we pretty much did the whole walk/run together..... We make it the the top of the big hill with less that a mile to go... people are standing on the side lines cheering... We start jogging. We are so close the finish line.... I'm running in, I hear the cheering and see the red finish sign.. I hear Derrick (Emily's husband) saying "Way to go Julia!" Then I hear my kids.... Yeah Mom! I look up and see my husband standing there taking pictures.. I have to stop to get my medal and for my timing chip to be removed.... I am crying at this point.. I walk right into Leonard's arms....I see my team mates and my kids...

I finished....I did it! I feel incredible!
5K- 3.1 miles
51:47

Tryin

So I have trying to get back on track with the training... I have less the 30 days until Danskin.... so I called my good friend Emily and asked it she wanted to get together for a bike ride.... We rode from her house the Lake Washington which was about 4 1/2 miles one way..... We got to the lake and took a dip... we swam from one dock to another but nothing major then we rode back to her house... It was a great ride and a fun way to spend a Friday evening...

I am still on track with the weight loss.. I had a couple gains but it was less that a pound.. so total weight loss since January.... 41 pounds.

I have registered to do the Portland 10k (6.2 miles)some of the ladies on my team will be doing the full marathon. I think it will be a fun weekend!

Well I just wanted to give you a quick update.... See you soon
.. I will update with a picture soon!

Out to the Darkness!!

I know its been awhile since I have posted anything new....but I finally have the time to sit and breath for minute..... Well as of this week I have lost 40lbs. I am walking a average of 20 miles a week..... and starting to train on my bike and swim... I will start a series of these at Lake Meridian next week..... I will be working out with the big kids :)! (the people who do this all the time) I am really excited to get going.

Along this journey I have realized that this is my life style change... I was asked the other day.... WHY are you doing this? It took me a few minutes but I said I do this for me! I want to be there when my childrens graduation, go to college, get married and at the rate I was going I was not going to make it that far.... at 33 I had high blood pressure, high cholesterol, pre-diabetes and per the doctor Morbidly obese...... I had to take a hard look at myself! I had to make the decision to change my life.... and I did it!

Out the Darkness walk
My proud moment this week was Saturday night/Sunday morning...... My cousin Jennifer walked 17 miles in a overnight walk to raise money for suicide prevention....We got up at 4 in the morning to meet her at the finish line at the Seattle Center! We get to the center and there is no one around.. we finally see a crew member and they said the walk was over and they were doing the closing ceremony in the pavilion... I was so disappointed not to be there when she crossed..... She was just excited and surprised to see us there....

This walk meant alot not only to Jenn but to everyone in our family... Our family has been plagued by suicide and when my Aunt Shelley(Jenns Mom) died I was devastated... in all I have had 5 family member commit suicide....But I know that she is in heaven with Jesus and that gives me peace..... And she was smiling today as her daughter walked in her honor!





The Seattle Center walk way was lined with paper sacks with names of family and friends of people who have lost someone to suicide... I was very humbling to walk down the center of these!

















Here is Jenn and I at 5:30am! after 17 miles and the standing around for the closing ceremony she still looks like a rock star!



Jenn you are truly amazing and I love you!!

Mothers Day

Well Mothers day is only 3 days away..... I am doing my first 5k that day to celebrate.... Myself! I am also walking to honor my mother (with her knee problems) cannot walk it but will be cheering me on, from the side lines along with my husband, dad and kids....

The devil has set out to try to stop me this week by bringing sickness upon me and my family... However I will get the last laugh when I cross that finish line!!!

So in other news... I reached my first goal with weight wathchers..... 10% of ugly fat off my body! Yeah!

So total pounds lost since 1/08.....34 pounds..... I had to buy a couple of pair of pants.... IN a smaller size.....

Well just a update! Will posted more later after my race!

Its been awhile!

I guess I need to update you on my progress......

I am doing good... staying on track and have to date lost 26.4 pounds. I have 4 pounds away from my 10% goal with weight watchers! I feel great and I have added jogging into my exercise regiment! I know crazy huh.... I haven't jogged since junior high!

I have noticed that all my clothes are starting to sag....I actually had to pull a couple of jeans out of a "goodwill" bag that I had given up on wearing because they were to small!

Well that's it for now! I will post again soon!

Biggest Loser

Well today was week 4 of weight watchers... I have been consistenly losing 3 pounds a week..... I also had a Raise the Hope Meeting (my triathalon team) and I am pround to say the I was the biggest looser! Total weight lose since 1/24/08......17 pounds... I couldn't tell you how proud I was.....I even got a prize from our Leader!



Also I am excited to announce that I have offically signed up for my first Triathalon... Danskin 2008.. Its coming in August... 5 months to prepare for a 1/2 mile swin, 12 mile bike ride and a 3 mile walk/run.... If you see me out there training make sure you honk and waiver or feel free to come join me!

I have signed up for my very first 5k (3.1 miles) on Mothers Day..... (I got the hint Emily... but Im starting out slow!) (Not doing the Portland just yet) :)

Well just wanted to update ya! See you at the track!

Weigt Watchers

So I joined Weight Watchers 2 weeks ago with my mom..... In the first week I lost 4.8pounds....... So since my journey so far I have lost 10 pounds in all...... I think the most difficult thing that I gave up was soda... Im drinking 120 oz a day of water.... I start craving it....its my bladder that is fighting me...LOL....

Well Saturday I walked 5 miles on a pretty intense trail..... I was proud to make it without stopping..

I was so enthusiastic, I got up Sunday morning before church and walked 3 miles.... I feel great (except for my calves) I have so much energy and loving it..

Well I'm off to the gym......

The beginning

Well I have decided to join a triathalon team. My good fried Emily invited me to a Raise the Hope meeting last week. I went, and meet this wonderful ladies! I was at first intimidated because I am not an athlete and I thought to be apart of this sort of team you had to be. I was amazed to go to this meeting and there are women of all shapes and sizes. After taking with some of the women that were on the team last year, I was aww struck by their stories. I went home that night and prayed that this was the right fit for me, I prayed for the finances to be able to going this team.... Well all I can say is God is good! So here is the start of my training. My goal is to do the Danskin Trialthon in August...... So join me in my journey as I start a new chapter in my life.