Conclusion of.. my life in fitness!!

I had entered a 5 mile race in Ky back in 1999.  I thought well this will be easy - I have been "working out" for awhile.  HAHA!  I had NEVER run before!  I had the worst running shoes on - too tight, no padding, a cotton t-shirt, and of course some cool shades.  Let's just say that after an hour my parents started getting worried - finally I came across the finish line (little did everyone know that a golf cart picked me up half way back and dropped me off right before the finish line) PITIFUL!!!!

So when I moved to FL - I thought I am going to become a runner.  I got better shoes, ordered some running clothes from Runner's World...and starting running.  That is from mailbox to mailbox....b/c that was all I could do.  It was soo hard!  I then started going from light pole to light pole.  Then I joined a gym - started using a few free weights and I would run outside on the track around the gym.  After months and months I had gotten up to a mile without stopping.  Let's just say I am not genetically blessed with good cardio genes.  

I decided it was time for my first 5k as a more prepared runner.  It was on the beach - I had never run on sand before.  I had to stop a few times because of a horrible side cramp (at this point I still had not figured out the food part of running).  I finished about 35 minutes later. Hysterical - I won my age group... but there were only 3 of us in my group!!  

I was hooked - I started signing up for race after race.  I started running 3 miles at a time (4 days a week)...I got to be a pretty good runner.  I knocked minutes off of my time while training in FL heat.  I had lost a lot of weight and had gotten pretty thin without adding any muscle at all.  I probably weighted about 115 or so.  I was 27/28.

I then moved to Nashville.  I continued running after work on a treadmill in my apartment complex. Scrapping up enough money I joined a gym (who knew that years later this decision was the best I could have ever made - I met my husband at this gym) - it was 2002.  

I signed up for the Country Music Half-Marathon.  I trained like crazy and finished with a good time.  I then did another one the following year as well as several 10k's and 5k's.  

In 2004, I met Brad.  I was thin .....actually pretty darn skinny.  I remember having a discussion with him about weight training and running.  The comment he made to me changed my way of thinking.  He said "Mindy you can be a runner or you can be fit".  I remember thinking - whatever I can be both!!  

It took awhile for me to understand what he meant by this.  

I was a runner but that was it!!

 I could not bike, do the stairmaster, or lift anything  over 10 pounds.  

In mid 2004 - I started strength training and lifting heavier weights, I kept running but added biking, sprints, doing squats, lunges, abs, chest, and back.......

After about 20 years I feel that I have finally figured it out.  

I have it down to a science now.  

I run a couple of days a week.  Looking at caloric burn instead of mileage.  I do the "beast"  (the large rolling stairmaster) and I spin.  I typically do 4 days a week of cardio now.  Burning from 425-550 calories per workout. Followed with 2 days of challenging weight lifting and strength training. I also have my diet pretty clean as well.  I usually eat about 1200-1600 calories per day - I drink at least 100 ounces of H2o a day.  I have not eaten a bean burrito in almost a decade.  I have not had a drop of alcohol in over 4 years.  I feel strong, confident, not frail and weak like I did when all I did was run.  I have muscles I never knew I could have and I actually think I look better now at 35 then I did when I was 20, 25, or 30!!  I have the body I have always wanted - I just needed the tools to help me get there.  

Thank you Brad Reese for giving me those tools and for your constant motivation!!  You are my biggest fan and I love you!  Here's to many more years of fitness the right way.