Not Quite A Half Marathon

One of my goals for the year was to complete a half-marathon. I was all signed up for the Red White and Boom half-marathon on July 4 in Minneapolis.


The weather leading up to the event was quite hot - upper 90's and triple digits with heat indexes to 115 and higher. The event organizers made the decision to  shorten the event to 5 miles rather than risk health issues of the runners. At first I was very disappointed because I had been training and really wanted to knock this off my bucket list. As the week progressed and I tried running outside, I began to come to terms with the decision.
I went to pick up my packet the night before, and was happy to learn that at random, every bib number ending in a 7 would win a free pair of Fit Sox! Yay!

All prepped and ready for the race, I headed to bed around 9:00 as I needed to get up at 4:30. Needless to say, it was hot, and because of being the 4th of July fireworks were going off around the neighborhood all night. I fell asleep sometime after 12:30.

I awoke at 4:30, and checked the temperature. Here is what I saw:

What? 4:30 am and it's already 81 degrees? And to top it off, I looked out my window and learned that it had rained as the streets were wet. That sure wouldn't help the humidity at all! Time for a cold shower and I got ready... boy, I looked tired!

Off to the race! As we were waiting in line to start, I was already sweating. I could see those around me with sweat dripping off their faces already. The horn sounded, and we were off.  I kept a decent pace for the heat, but it was still quite difficult. I couldn't have properly prepared for these conditions. Around mile 4 I was getting tired, but kept plugging away. I crossed the finish line at 54:01.  Clearly not my best time, but I didn't want to go out so hard to put my health at risk in the heat.

Here I am after cooling off a bit after the race - the race ended by running across this Stone Arch bridge.

So although I didn't get to run the full half marathon, I did complete another race which is always a good experience. On Friday this week, I learned from a co-worker that I was on the NBC Nightly News! Just a quick clip of me walking by, but none the less, I'll take that one second of fame!  Don't blink or you'll miss me!

Click here to watch the news clip.

Measurements: Month Seven

So here we go, another month has passed and it's time for my measurements and pictures!  As I go each week, changes are less noticeable as there just isn't as much to lose. Overall I'm pleased with how training is going. I feel stronger, and I'm looking good.  I purchased my first fitted shirts this week at Express, and also fit into their slim fit pants and jeans!  Good feelings for sure.


Here's the results for the month (total change listed):


Weight:  222 (lost 59 pounds)
Neck: 17.5" (lost 2")
Right arm: 13.5" (lost 2")
Left arm: 13.5" (lost 2")
Chest:  46" (lost 5")
Waist:  42.75" (lost 8.75")
Hips:  42" (lost 5")
Right thigh:  24.25" (lost 4.75")
Left thigh:  24.25" (lost 4.25")


Here are my pics for this month:

And here's this month's random pose picture:

So there you have it.  Off to another month of training!  Just a few days and I'll be competing in the Red White and Boom Half Marathon on July 4!