1/2 Marathon

This weekend I had the opportunity to run in the Waddell & Reed KC Marathon, I participated in the 1/2 Marathon which consisted of 7,000 people. The entire event had about 12,000 people! I LOVE running, it is a passion that I can't help but talk about. I am one of those crazy people that would rather run 10 miles than 3 miles, I love distance and I love the feeling of finishing a long run!
Lets talk shoes! I run in Vibrams, they are AMAZING! Let's be honest....They are not the most attractive shoe out there and when I run a race I get the funniest looks and I LOVE to hear people talk about them! I got started with Vibrams when I started seeing my Wellness Coach who introduced me to my Fitness/Running Coach, and he is the one who introduced me to Vibrams! I love my shoes and can't imagine running in anything else!
My race this weekend was an amazing experience for me! 7 months ago I would have never thought that I would be this far into my weight loss and this far into my running! When I started running again back in May, it was a real struggle for me. I was barely able to run for 10 minutes without having to stop and walk, I talked to my fitness coach and he reminded me that I was starting over completely and that it was going to take hard work and dedication to get my running built back up to where it was before I got pregnant. He coached, trained, and encouraged me for months, he was always a positive voice in my head reminding me that I was great and that I could do anything I wanted! He gave me workouts to do and stretches to help me to become a better/faster runner, he helped me to overcome every obstacle that fell in my way. When I finished my race on Saturday he was standing there at the Finish Line waiting for me with a big smile on his face! I felt so much joy and satisfaction in completing this race, I felt proud of myself, but more than ANYTHING...I felt blessed. Blessed that God has given me the gift of running, blessed that God placed amazing people in my life to push me, encourage me, teach me, train me, coach me, and love me; blessed that God allowed me to finish my race better than I imagined.
My results :
Finishing time : 2:15
Pace : 10:21
Place : 3375 out of 7,000

My mom and I

7 months after baby #2, 75 lbs lost, size 14 to a size 4, first 1/2 Marathon Completed!

Sorry this post is so short! Next post I will be talking more about my 1/2 Marathon training, food, and why I am Gluten Free! :-)

A Little About Me

Hi! This is my first blog post and I thought I would share a little bit about myself! My name is Mandi, I am 24 years old I have been married for 3 1/2 years, my husband and I have a 2 year old daughter and a 7 month old daughter. I am starting this blog in hopes that maybe  I can help other women to realize that they can achieve their health/fitness goals, and to be an inspiration!! When my husband Luke and i got married in May 2010 I weighed 155 pounds, when i got pregnant with our first daughter in October I weighed 169 pounds :-( When I went into labor i weighed 198 pounds. I lost 22 pounds in the first 2 weeks after she was born, but the rest I struggled with and eventually gave up trying to lose weight and decided to just maintain the weight.
 I got pregnant with baby #2 in June 2012...I weighed 170 pounds at this time. My second pregnancy was very emotional, my parents were going through a very difficult and emotional divorce, my husband was starting a new job, and we had a toddler. The weight just kept coming and coming, I felt like I was getting fatter by the day, my self image was not good. My husband would tell me how beautiful I was and I would just cry because i DID NOT feel beautiful. I was stressed and emotional and I turned to food. The day I went into labor with baby #2, I weighed 211 pounds!! This number on the scale was devastating to me, this was a number I had never seen on a scale before.
My mom and sister had been seeing a Wellness Coach for several years and I had decided that after Baby was born i was going  to go see him too, so that is exactly what i did. I have been seeing my Wellness Coach for less than 7 months and I now weigh 137 pounds, I am a size 4 in pants, I wear a small in most shirts -- depending on the length because I am 5 foot 10 inches tall; and in 3 days I will be running in my first 1/2 Marathon (13.1 miles).
This blog is my personal journey to emotional, physical, and mental health, my journey to a healthier me and a healthier family. I have a few more pounds to lose and I am still "journey-ing" (pretty sure that is not even a word :-/ ), but i hope i can offer hope and be an inspiration to those who need it.