I DID IT!

Yes, I did it.  I am a triathlete and it is the most GLORIOUS feeling in the entire world.  I feel proud, I feel accomplished, I just feel plain old AWESOME!

I won't lie and say it was easy - it wasn't, there were some hills on the course that were awful and the run was hot, but heck, it was sure worth it.  The swimming, as I thought was the easiest.  I have learned however, that I am a stronger swimmer than I thought! I finished 39th in the swim out of 1100 competitors :)

When I crossed the finish line, the announcer said, "Emily Hare, congrats you are a TRIATHLETE!"  I don't think words can describe the feeling I had when I heard those words.  As I ran towards my husband and mother, who both were proudly beaming, I broke down and cried.  I did it.  I had trained hard.  I had worked my backside off for 4 months.  I had finished and I had done it with a great time.  I honestly couldn't believe it.  I've never given so much of myself to one project, that to actually finish through with it, I couldn't believe it.

I now am addicted.  I am doing another tri in August and then a third in October in my hometown.  And - I cannot wait.  I wish I could race again tomorrow.  The high you get throughout the entire thing is incredible.  If you ever have thought about it - TRI it.  It is WORTH IT.


So, as I look forward to my next one, I know where to tweak my training and where I am weak, where I am strong.  I have a new time to beat and I'm ready to take down my competition!

Here I am after completing my triathlon!

I'm nervous.

First of all, I apologize for another post on the triathlon, but that is ALL that is on my mind right now.  I have 5 days until the "big day" and I honestly cannot describe the emotions I am going through!  It is an up and down roller coaster and I am trying hard to hold on tightly.

These emotions aren't just because I am nervous about it.  These feelings stem all the way back to college and when I first got it in my head that I wanted to do one someday.  I tried to "train" but, alas, I was never serious about it enough to ever even sign up for a race.  When I finally bit the bullet and did sign up for the Ramblin' Rose tri... I knew I finally was serious.

Throughout all of my training, I've experienced a wide variety of emotions.  Highs, lows, you name it.  I've been motivated more than words can describe.  I've had days when the last thing I wanted to do was bike.  I've been so sore that it hurt to move.  However, I've developed muscles I never knew existed!  I've been so happy, I've been so scared.  I've been pushed to my limits and challenged in ways that took me to the next level.  I've actually cried while running thinking about crossing that finish line this Sunday.  Yes, I cried.

So, come Sunday morning, I am not sure how I am going to feel.  I'm sure I will be nervous and pumped up at the same time.  I have worked EXTREMELY hard on training for this event for four solid months now.  I cannot wait to see my results.  So, yes, there will be tears - tears of joy for finally completing a life long dream.

Discipline your dedication

As my alarm clock went off this morning, I rolled over in frustration.  Gah, I just want to sleep a little more.  I thought about skipping my pool workout and putting it off until later.  However, I knew if I did that, I'd never do that.  So, grudgingly, I climbed out of bed, threw on my swimsuit and was off to the pool.  An hour later, I felt better and stronger.  I felt HAPPY because I went.  I overcame my tiredness and decided that I was worth it to get up and go.

Throughout this process of becoming healthy and fit, there have been numerous times when the last thing I wanted to do was drag myself to the gym.  Or when I really wanted to have fried chicken and mashed potatoes instead of the grilled chicken and green beans.   As I read in the Fighter Diet blog, you have to "discipline your dedication".  You have to make the choices you need to make sure your body and mind stay together on the process of getting healthy.

Its definitely hard to make the right choices in today's society.  There is bad food everywhere and the obesity rate is rising, but if you want it badly enough, you can have a healthy and fit lifestyle.  But, you have to discipline yourself. You have to find the drive that is hidden DEEP, DEEP down inside yourself to push through those moments when you really don't want to keep going or when you really want to indulge.  You have to discover a whole other person who is inside of you.  Its not thinking of it as a diet, its choosing yourself well, and doing what is right for you.  You have to make the change mentally first though.  If you aren't mentally tough and mentally ready to handle everything life is going to throw out at you to derail you, you will struggle with this process.  Commitment is the key and you have to give it more than 110%. 

It gets hard sometimes, I know this for a fact.  I'm not always perfect in my quest to stay healthy and fit.  I've skipped workouts or eaten wrong and I have to continue to remember to learn the lessons from it.


When you start on this journey, you are dedicated and determined.  However, in six months, where will you be?  Will you still want to go to the gym at 5:30 every morning?  Will that veggie sub be as good as a slice of pizza?  Its an uphill battle, there is no doubt about it there.  But, here is the bottom line.  YOU CAN DO IT.  Yes, YOU CAN!  Stick to your guns.  Take a second to walk away before you eat the pizza.  Push yourself on the days you can't stand the thought of the gym.  Discipline your dedication.  You've got what it takes - so go do it!

I think I can. I think I can. I know I can!

I was going to write on something else today, but I decided to do an update about my tri training.  Come Sunday, there are only two more weeks left until I take the plunge at the Ramblin' Rose.  Sometimes when I am training, I wonder why in the world am I doing this to my body?  Other times, I get the most incredible "high" feeling... like I am totally unstoppable.  It is those feelings and those moments when I realize, you know what - I can do this!  It just makes me realize that I can accomplish anything I set my mind to... and when I cross that finish line on May 22, I will 100 % affirm this to myself.

There have been a lot of doubters throughout these past 4 months since I started seriously training.  So many people have said - why in the world? Can you really do this?  Why would you even think about doing something?  Are you sure you won't fall off your bike?  Even people extremely close to me questioned my ability.  I was never the "athlete" in our family... yes, I was athletic and I did play three sports in high school (golf, swimming and soccer), I was the "brain".  Stephanie, my extremely talented little sister, was the "athlete".  If it was a sport - she could manage it and was incredible at every single thing she played.  I, on the other hand, stuck to sports where it didn't get hurt if you got hit by the ball!

Over the past 4 months, however, I have been pretty determined to change that stereotyped that I had.  I have succeeded as well and proven to EVERYONE that questioned my abilities or my dedication to the training.  I have put in the sweat, tears and time.  I am mentally and physically prepared.  I AM READY!

Wish me luck... these next two weeks are jammed pack with some pretty tough workouts.  LET'S DO THIS!

New Year's Resolutions... where are you now?

It is the beginning of May, why in the world am I thinking about the resolutions I made on New Year's?  Hmm... maybe because these were promises I made to myself that I would actually do this year.  I've never been faithful to them and for the first year in my 27 years... I can say that at this five month check-in, I'm doing really well!

I have not had a drop of soda since January 1 and while I thought I would miss it.  I honestly don't.  I find myself drinking so much more water and it not only helped me lose another 7 pounds to hit my WW goal weight, it has made me overall feel so much better.  I feel cleaner and not so "bloated" as I used to with soda. So far, so good with that resolution.

I have completed a 5k which I loved and I found it fueled my need for a "goal", however, I knew I needed to continue to step it up.  I have just about 2.5 weeks until my triathlon.  While I am BEYOND nervous, I am so excited to complete this goal.  When I cross that finish line, I know I am going to be overwhelmed with emotions and I cannot wait.  I still have a 10K and a half to run this year... I am planning on doing this.  There are a few races this summer and several this fall I am entertaining the idea of entering.  I also plan on doing another tri before the summer is over.

This whole competing bug is ADDICTING!  Yes, it takes time and effort, but it is time and effort WELL spent.  My body has completely transformed since February when I started training.  It is almost amazing what my body can do now.  I have abs and triceps that I have ALWAYS wanted.

I still struggle with healthy eating.  While I am good 80% of the time, 20% of the time, it is still hard.  I am getting better each day with the choices, but I know this is a life long battle.

Other than that... I am happy!  How are your resolutions holding up?  What challenges can you present to yourself?  What can you change to still make them happen?

Just do it.

Yes, that is the Nike slogan, but hey - I think it summarizes this post pretty nicely.  I used to sit around looking at pictures in SELF, Cosmo, Glamour - all of those magazines that you see on the shelves at the store.  I would see pictures of incredible fit women with a so-called "perfect" body.  I remember watching the Biggest Loser and thinking - man, I'd love to look like Jillian Michaels.  Now, here's the funny part - I remember watching tv or reading the magazines while eating ice cream with hot fudge or a whole bag of cheetos.  In my mind, isn't that a little backward?  Wanting a healthy, fit body while stuffing yourself with bad foods?  Looking back, I think one word could describe how I was - LAZY!!!  How in the world did I think I could get that body by eating like crud and not working out.

Yes, so I then started to work out, but you know what - I really didn't notice a difference in my body at all.  I lost a little, but I wanted those toned abs and those killer triceps.  I wanted legs that muscles showed with every step I took.  I thought I could miraculously just wish I had it and wham after 30 minutes on the elliptical they would show up.  HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA  I was just kidding myself.

I now know what it takes to have that kind of body.  I finally have abs I'm proud of and yes, I'm starting to see that tricep line.  But you know what - it wasn't easy to get here.  I still eat healthy, but I also have considerably upped my time in the gym.  I spend six days a week doing tri cardio and two days a week are spent with my coach working on weights.  WEIGHTS can be your BEST friend. 

I also have realized that if you want it - you can get it.  You just have to get off of the couch and just do it.  Stop making excuses.  Stop saying you can't.  ANYONE can do it.  Just get moving!

Becoming "Fit from Within"

Thanks to two very good friends from Lutheridge, I have had the opportunity to share in their quests to get healthy along with having them influence my own quest.  I give lots of credit to these two women - both are beyond inspirational and motivating.  I look up to them and respect them for their ability to be strong in an unhealthy world and to also want the desire to just make themselves better.  So to my M & M - THANK YOU!

In regards to the two of them, one has let me adopt her slogan - "Chose yourself well."  It is a VERY difficult thing to do when you are used to everything in your life somehow revolving around food, mostly unhealthy.  Instead, thanks to her guidance, I am now on the path to chose myself well.  It affects big choices, but also every day small choices.  You can live your life however you want to, that is definitely up to you.  I've found however, that by choosing myself well, that I feel better.  I feel stronger, I have more energy to be the woman I want to be.  Yes, it means I get up and workout for several hours before work.  Yes, it means I'd rather eat steamed veggies and fruit than french fries.  Yes, it means I've undergone a life change.  But the best  part is this - I feel better than I ever have in my entire life.  Everyone has the option to chose - so do you chose yourself well?

The second friend recommended to me a book she was reading - Fit from Within.  I wasn't sure about it at first, but now that I have become immersed - I am hooked!  I know I am fit physically - I weigh around 138-140 pounds with a BMI of 22 and a body fat percentage of 14% - all of which I have worked EXTREMELY hard for and I am BEYOND proud of myself.  However, I knew that I'd changed my outside, and was still working on changing my inside.  In pairing the book with my new life slogan, I found wham!  This book was exactly what I needed to be reading!  The two compliment each other and I look forward to what the rest of the book holds.

So, as I wrap this up, I am about to head out for a 15 mile bike ride and a healthy lunch.  How will you chose yourself well today?  How can you become fit from within?