I ran my 2nd marathon...a year ago.

I recently met with a colleague to discuss some research ideas with which I've been toiling, and she advised that I pursue my research aspirations, but why not I start a blog in the meantime. I replied that I did have a blog! A long-neglected blog! One that I seemed to lose track of when I started teaching. Teaching has a way of doing that. Of taking over your life. I was warned, and I wouldn't change my decision to be a teacher, but I've noticed that in the last four years, since I went back to grad school, got my Master's and started my job as a first grade teacher, a lot of my interests have fallen by the wayside. I am hoping I can make a comeback this year. Not only with my neglected blog, but with my relationship with food and exercise habits. I realized that it was a year ago this weekend that I ran my second marathon.

It wasn't an easy race for me. I had grand aspirations of breaking my first marathon time, and instead, it took me about an hour longer to complete the 26.2 miles. Somewhere in our training my husband and I decided that we would be better off doing a run/walk combination. It got us through training and it got us through the race. I highly recommend it if you're considering. It just meant letting go of my goal. Although I didn't achieve my marathon goal last year, the race did help me reach a health and fitness goal that I had since college. I wanted to get my weight back down to 140lbs. Somewhere in between college, study abroad, living it up in Los Angeles, a second move across the country, and a career change, my weight and fitness level went through so many ups and downs and hovered around the 155 - 160 mark. With our wedding on the horizon, and a marathon two months before the wedding, it seemed like the perfect time to finally get rid of that extra weight. Through the marathon training, eating something similar to the Paleo diet, and lots of Core Fusion classes at Exhale, I got my weight down to 138lbs. I was so proud of myself! I expected to gain a little weight after the wedding. I was able to fit in my dress, so the pressure was off. We went on our honeymoon, sold our house, moved, and from February to June, we ate far too much fast food. The weight seemed to come back on a lot faster than it came off and before I knew it, I was back at 160. Our trip to Iceland and Germany in July packed on another 10lbs, and by August 2014, I weighed over 170lbs. The most I've ever weighed in my life. So on this anniversary of running my second marathon, it is hard to believe I was able to run or even run/walk that distance just a year ago.

I am hoping to reclaim this blog and visit at least once per week. I am hoping that writing about my progress will hold me accountable. I'm trying once again to eliminate grains, legumes, and limit dairy in my diet and I joined a Crossfit gym. My tiny victory today was not reaching for the danish sitting in front of me at Professional Development. Here is to many more tiny victories and achieving my goal again. I can do this. Baby steps.