My 5K Is Almost Here

The only thing that matters now is my mission.  Nothing will stand in the way anymore.

Seventeen weeks ago I started a journey to get healthy, it started because of one person and something they said, something that made me think I NEED to change my life NOW... Right NOW, not next week, not next month but Right NOW!!!  It was an urgency that I could not let go of... finally something that moved me to move me.  The first thing I had to do before I could do anything else was I had to quit smoking.  I never liked it, I knew I would not be able to exercise if I smoked, I knew I would not be successful unless I were to finally quit.  I quit cold turkey, I just stopped... was it hard?  The first week was hard but each day got easier, I am SO grateful that I finally quit, I am seventeen weeks free today.

Next I found something to get excited about to keep me successful, the contest was offered at work.  As everyone who reads my blog or knows me, knows I am highly competitive... it is really borderline obsessive. Truthfully no one had a chance, when I am competing I am focused.  Once I was focused, there was nothing to stop me, nothing but me and the more involved I became with eating healthy and walking, the more I wanted to excel.

Then I received an offer to train for a 5k through the internet, at first I thought whoa... could I actually handle a 5k?  My first mile that I walked took me a little over 22 minutes to complete... I was red, hot, breathing unevenly and actually wondering what I had got myself into?  However; I am competitive and I couldn't stop, so I continued walking... In the past 16 weeks I have almost always mapped my walk with the app Map My Walk and as of today I have walked over 311 miles (which is over 500 kilometers) ... I have recently walked a few miles under the 15 minute mark, I have shaved 7 minutes off my time in less than 16 weeks.  I am even able to jog and run a little but mostly I love to speed walk.

This week has been tough for me as I have been dealing with some very emotional incidents in the past two weeks... usually I immerse myself in walking even more, this week I have not been able to sleep.  Each night I lay my head down, the thoughts and feelings I am dealing with are forever jumping around in my brain and I end up having the most restless sleep if any... Last night was a breaking point for me and instead of exercising, I came home, took a sleeping pill and I was in bed at 7:00 pm... I slept until a little after 5:00 am... Not all through the night though, I woke up many times over... so even the pills are not helping.

Tomorrow I am going out for one last training for my 5k as I am walking/running it early Sunday morning.  I know I will be successful, I have done many of them over the past 16 weeks... I knew practicing them was the only way that I would succeed, each and every walk that I took, even the ones that took 15 minutes has helped me to gain the endurance that I will need to cross the finish line.  That first week that I walked, I never envisioned that I could or would do a 5k... my next goal will be a 10k... For me, always making new goals is what keeps me motivated these days.

I am looking forward to crossing the finish line of my first 5k, I know it will motivate me to go even farther and faster the next time.  Before I get into any other competitions, I have to sit down, write a letter and explain to the person that started all this, how they started it and also to explain why I cannot sleep these days... This lack of sleep is for a reason, I have known why, I have just not figured out how to get passed it... I realized the only way was telling this person why, then maybe... just maybe I will be able to sleep again.

First and foremost though, I will do what I need to get to the beginning of the 5k and to cross the finish line... one of the things we were told that made me smile was the trainers didn't care if we ran, walked or cartwheeled across that finish line, they just wanted us to get across it for the first time. I don't know if I will ever be a runner but I will always challenge myself to walk faster, jog a little and even run a little.  I never want to just settle and for this reason I will make more and more goals for myself as the years go by.

I am grateful that although the decision to become healthy came the way it did... maybe it came the only way I would listen... maybe it came the perfect way for me.  However it came, I cannot be more thankful, 53 pounds gone and I feel more alive physically than I have in years ... sometimes the emotional things are hard to deal with but I am taking them one day at a time, one emotional issue at a time... my first issue will be dealt with Sunday after my 5k has been completed.
I cherish my past, I accept my present and I dream for my future  

27 comments :

  1. Good one, Launna. Yes, consistency and perseverance matters. Though we start enthusiastically, but we stops over a period of time. Its amazing you continued and keep continuing your efforts. All the very best...

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    1. Thank you Weekend, I am going to persevere..I won't give up... I have finally found something inside me that desires to be healthy and I am going to feed that...

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  2. I hope you are able to get it all figured out and get your emotions back on track. You need rest! I don't know how you go without sleep so much. I bet the 5K will be fun. As much as you've been walking it should be pretty easy.

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    1. Thank you Betty, I wrote the letter... I am trying to find the strength to send it... I need to send it so that I can move forward...

      I am sure I will do well with the 5k, I may be one of the last people to come in but all I want to do is get to the finish line and show myself that I can begin and finish something... I am on this path for the rest of my life now :)

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  3. Congrats on your nearly 5K Launna! Thanks for your also! Me too I am so tired this week, but I can sleep though at least. I hope you will be able to sleep yourself instead of pills. Keep up the great job, you are incredible person!

    Take it easy weekend (Sunday) Launna!

    http://www.attraction2fashion.com

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    1. Thank you Tanya, I am going to figure out a way to sleep without the pills, they only leave me feeling hung over which is not a great way to feel. Thank you for all your lovely, kind and encouraging comments... you always make me smile.

      Have an awesome weekend Tanya :)

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  4. All the best for your 5k on Sunday Launna. Make sure you try to get a good amount of rest before and I really hope you manage to work through your issues. It can take time but I know you're a fighter and won't give up.
    GO LAUNNA GO :)

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    1. Thank you Rum-Punch (wish I knew your first name), I am a fighter and I will figure out a way to get passed the issues. Thank you for your encouragement :)

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  5. Immense congratulations maim. You are doing great and inspiring.

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    1. Thank you Sangay, I appreciate every kind and encouraging word from you :)

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  6. Hi what a cute nice blog honey you have.....My name is Paola I am a Blogger based in italy and I was wandering if we could follow each other GFC and bloglovin.
    Let me know I will follow you back!!!

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    1. Hi Paola, I visited your blog and I am now following you on GFC and Bloglovin... as well as Twitter and FB :)

      Thank you for your comment :)

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  7. Omg!! U did so much fir your health, leaving a lot of habits at first is very difficult, i gave up coffee ,. I use to have 10-14 cups a day and suddenly just gave up.. It was difficult but worth it....
    Congrats doll, 500 km is a lot.. :)
    Keep in touch,
    www.beingbeautifulandpretty.com

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    1. Thank you Pooja, giving up things is never easy but it always ends up being worth is ultimately... Congratulations on giving up coffee... that is a very hard one from what I have been told :)

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  8. How do you get the ideas for such a sensational posts!
    Great! Definitely will use this knowledge in the near future!


    Regards,
    Katherine Unique


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    1. Thank you Katherine, you are a doll and you always leave such sweet comments :)

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  9. I hope the letter helps. Sometimes getting our feelings out is just what it takes to move on.

    Good luck with your race!!

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    1. Thank you Rosey, I wrote the letter... I am trying to get the strength to send it... it was a hard letter to write... harder to send.

      Thank you for the good luck for the race :)

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  10. This is an amazing journey you've been on and I am so excited for you that you are about to do a 5K. You really inspire me more and more every single day.

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    1. Thank you Keith, I am grateful that I am inspiring people... truthfully we have to dig down deep to find it in ourselves... :)

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  11. Much good luck on your walk -- although you obviously don't need it! And congrats on not smoking -- that is a hard one! I quit many years ago with the help of the patch and because I just finally had my head in the right place but I do miss it -- daily -- and I know I can never have one - not one. I am weak!

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    1. Thank you Kc... I don't miss smoking... I never enjoyed it. I used it as a stress mechanism... now I walk. I am REALLY weak too...that's why I walk when I'm stressed:-D

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  12. Hi darling! I'm following you back now... keep in touch!!!!

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  13. Best of luck with the 5K, Launna! I'll be thinking of you tomorrow. I hope it goes well for you. You have come a long way, and you have much to be proud of. I hope you can get the sleep problems worked out. I know how exhausting it can be having insomnia.

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    1. Thank you SO much Daisy.. I'll let you know how it goes. I really look forward to a new post from you ;-)

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