Before & After

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June 13, 2012

Tone It Up: I was feeling down about my body progress…

Posted by Marathon Sweetheart under Before & After, iPhone, iWorkout, MOTIVATION, Photos, Training
[5] Comments 

Today was full of stressors – at work and in life.  I went for a 3 mile run this morning to try and combat the stress.  But those endorphins only lasted so long, and then I began to internalize the stress.  Instead of realizing I was feeling down because of work related issues, I distracted myself from all of that by feeling bad about my body.  It’s been rather difficult keeping up with priorities while still preparing all of my vegan meals in advance.  Some days I am travelling hours between cities for work, and my workouts haven’t been as intense as I’d like.  I’ve gained weight.  My energy is so low.

I kept thinking these negative thoughts instead of positive ones!  Such as:

- I’ve noticed my HIIT sessions on the treadmill are now ranging from 6.2 – 10.0 MPH.  

- And I’m able to run during HIIT longer before having to stop and walk.  

- I can curl more weight than ever.  

- I exercise every single day, because it’s truly my sanity.  

- And then, I went to the gym today – and truly saw myself in the mirror.  I looked myself in the eyes, and said “YOU ARE REALLY DOING THIS!  THERE IS SO MUCH POWER IN YOU.”

I started going through my iPhone in between reps and noticed a little difference in the tone of my muscles.  It made me feel so proud and realize all of the positive things about my training!  THIS IS WHY TAKING PROGRESS PHOTOS IS SO IMPORTANT!  They are like an instant reminder of how far you have come.

March 2012

June 2012

I’m going to be posting better progress photos later this week!  And hopefully my exercise schedule will soon follow.  I’m working on getting someone to take some photos of me during my workout to show what moves I do!  Thanks again for all of the support and encouragement.  It means the WORLD to me.  God bless!

xoxo

 

May 1, 2012

Tone It Up: My Progress Photos!

Posted by Marathon Sweetheart under Abs, Before & After, MOTIVATION, MY LIFE, Photos, running, weightloss, WINNING
[13] Comments 

Because summer has already arrived in Texas, I am in my “off season” of marathon training.  I needed to find something to supplement my runs with, and lifting weights (along with the elliptical & HIIT on the treadmill) has been that thing.  In the last month, I have reduced the amount of miles that I run outdoors and increased the strength training sessions at the gym.  I’m so very proud of the progress that I’ve made.

March 2012:

April 2012: 

Now that I know I’m toning up, I promise better quality photos next month!

Strength training has brought out some kind of beast in me.  I love the late Friday nights spent lifting heavy weights with the big guys in the gym.  I love smelling God awful and dripping sweat.  I can’t get enough of the soreness and the boost in metabolism.  Running has done wonderful things for my spirit, but strength training makes me feel like some kind of warrior.

My only goal is to be healthy and feel strong!  I have no idea what my body is capable of doing, but I can’t wait to see it get stronger every week.

xoxo

 

March 10, 2012

Before & After: Me at the 2009 vs. 2012 Houston Rodeo

Posted by Marathon Sweetheart under Before & After, family, MOTIVATION, MY LIFE, Photos, weightloss
[10] Comments 

Three years ago, my family and I went to the Houston Rodeo to see Taylor Swift.  I was 20 years old.  My little sister was 5, and my nephew was 4. Wow!  So young.


I had just begun running in January 2009, and the rodeo was in March of that year.

(Keep Reading & See More Before/Afters!)

 

March 6, 2012

Photo: The heaviest man in the world in 1903

Posted by Marathon Sweetheart under Before & After, health, Photos
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What’s normal in society does not equal health.

xoxo

 

February 29, 2012

Before & After: Me at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium 2010/2012

Posted by Marathon Sweetheart under Before & After, MOTIVATION, MY LIFE, Photos, weightloss
[2] Comments 

I was in the middle of posting a big blog about my run in Dallas, and noticed how different I looked 2 years ago before my marathon training picked up in intensity.  I’m so inspired!!!

Before: 

Feb 14, 2010 at the NBA All-Star Game

(Keep Reading to see the AFTER!)

 

February 14, 2012

Valentine’s Day Confessions & Sweat.

Posted by Marathon Sweetheart under Before & After, family, Food, Garmin, Issues, Love, MOTIVATION, MY LIFE, Photos, running, vegan, WINNING
[8] Comments 

I probably should have rested,

since I ran almost 7 miles in the last two days.  But, with all the Valentine’s Day craziness going on around me, my body needed to run FAST today.  I left my knee brace at home, ran fast to the nearest track, and sprinted my ass off.  I did 1.75 miles of half mile/quarter mile sprints.  Every lap around the track was faster than the previous one.  Mainly because there were these creepy Mexicans there smoking and watching me, and I wanted to get it over with.  Ugh, what the hell is wrong with people?!  Anywho, my pace got as low as 7:15 and as high as 8:15, with an average of about 7:49/mile.

For a recovering injured runner, I’m all too thrilled with that.

When I came home from the run,

I strength trained for 30 minutes with my ball.  I took some amazing BEFORE shots in December while using my medicine ball that I will show y’all in the coming months when I get to my AFTER phase.  You will be shocked what love chub, too much salt, and not running looks like on me.  

(Keep Reading & See More Photos!)

 

February 7, 2012

Photo: Do some squats, girl.

Posted by Marathon Sweetheart under Before & After, body image, MOTIVATION, Photos
[3] Comments 

The bum is a muscle.  It’s quite simple…. if you work on strengthening a muscle, it will be firm, toned and larger.

Both body types are beautiful.  I’m just showing that with strength training, you can enhance what the good Lord has already given you, GIRL!

xoxo

 

December 15, 2011

What I Did During 4 Years of College

Posted by Marathon Sweetheart under Before & After, friends, Love, MOTIVATION, MY LIFE, Photos, running, Taco Runner, Texas A&M
[15] Comments 

Today, I took my last final exam

as an undergraduate at Texas A&M University, where I had to write a 5 page long essay on strippers and polygamists.  Oh yes.  Not my ideal way to end a semester, much less my college career.  But an end to a semester is an end to a semester!  So it’s party time.  And by party time, I mean a full night of sleep.

I would describe my experience at Texas A&M

as a transformation – inside and out.  I learned much about the world, myself, my health, and what I wanted out of life.  This is not to say that I have anything about anything figured out, but I’m getting there.

A Few Little Things: 

I was not at party person.  Except for that time my friends & I had studied so hard and needed to have fun.  But I don’t dance, so I just awkwardly stood there.

I never lived on campus.  Those dorms are like prison cells.

I never had a roommate either.  I fart way too much.

I can count on one hand how many football games and trips to Northgate (the strip of bars and clubs) I attended.

Freshman Year

The summer before I came to college, I was selected to advance to the national level in the Youth of The Year program for Boys & Girls Clubs of America.  I was to represent 8 states in the Southwest region of the U.S.  Read more about my story and BGCA here.

(Keep Reading & See Many More Photos!)

 

November 14, 2011

I’m a marathoner. I can eat whatever I want. NOT!

Posted by Marathon Sweetheart under Before & After, Food, health, MOTIVATION, MY LIFE, Photos, weightloss
[2] Comments 

This is the point of my training season,

right after a successful full marathon, when I begin to crave chocolate and simple carbs.  I basically want all of the things I’ve been boycotting during training.  After my marathon yesterday, I ate garlic butter bread, girl scout cookies, and a bit of chocolate ice cream.  I’m not a junk food head, so I definitely ate a LOT more good things than bad.

But, I ran 26.5 miles yesterday and it flippin’ hurt.  Why throw all this hard work away for a damn cookie?  Normally, I would use the marathon as an excuse to think of my stomach as a bottomless pit for sugar.  But I gained 5 pounds last year within a few months of my first marathon by doing just that.

1st Full (December 4, 2010)

Five pounds later….

(Keep Reading & See More Photos!)

 

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