I heart New York

Goal # 2 on my original goals -- scratched off my list!!  We headed to NYC earrrrly on Sunday morning - I'm talking we left the house around 4:45am.  It didn't feel like an insane time to Jerry & I though because we normally get up for the gym at 3:50 anyway.  lol

Here is Stephen Siller, the hero we were running in honor of and whose steps we were retracing....what a privilege.  It humbles you to think about what he did. 

The Tunnel to Towers Foundation had sent about 20,000 emails leading up to the race encouraging people to arrive early because they were expecting record crowds with it being the 10th anniversary of 9/11. So we heeded their advice and arrived around 6:30am or so....by the time we parked in the garage and got to the shuttle buses it was close to 7.  Jerry & I got on the shuttle bus which took us to Brooklyn while Sarah, Isaiah, and Sarah's friend Kate hung out close to the finish line in Manhattan.  Thankfully Sarah, Zay and I have done this a number of times while Jerry ran so they were used to it.  Kate went with us last year and loved it so it's a new tradition for her to go with us.  :)

Jerry and I hung out in Brookln; after signing in and getting our bibs, we had time to have a snack - I came prepared with PB&J sandwiches and protein bars and waters.  We just mingled with the other runners since the race didn't start until 9:30am.

Meanwhile, Sarah, Kate, & Isaiah went to Dunkin Donuts for breakfast and spent their time planking and meandering around Manhattan. 



 As far as the race itself, we did great!  That being said, we couldn't push ourselves too much because of the sheer number of people - over 30,000 people ran or walked this year!  It was insane, to say the least. We couldn't even get going running until after the start line and once you did get going, then you would have big slowdowns, particularly in the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel.  Of course there's only so much space and cramming all those people in is not easy!  Plus the walkers were not very cooperative (at least some of them) and they were spread out instead of staying to the right (hello, this is fitness etiquette, people!)  lol  It was a good thing though, because with Jerry wearing his turnout gear, he couldn't go too fast anyway and it kept me at a manageable pace.  I felt GREAT - though it was extremely humid and I was sweating buckets (okay -- who are we kidding -- I'm always sweating!), I felt awesome.  I barely felt winded even when the tunnel started the upward grade towards Manhattan.  I was SO proud of Jerry - he plugged right along, passing other younger firefighters running in their gear who had slowed down to walk - he ran the entire time.  We crossed the finish line holding hands, he was just as excited as I was for me to accomplish such a huge goal.  Surprisingly, I didn't bawl!  Though I came close to it a couple times.  lol 

After the race we fought the crowds to get our t-shirts and got some food and hung out for a while.  We had promised Isaiah we would get pizza at the same pizza place right by Ground Zero that we had gone to with Cheryl and the girls in July....so we did that!  It was yummy -- how can you go wrong with New York pizza! 

By that time, we were ready to head home....a bit more walking back to the garage and then home.  Everybody was exhausted!

Looking forward to next year's!  Isaiah said he wants to run it with us. We're also going to try to stay overnight in NYC the night before; we've always said that would be fun to do the night before the race and make it easier....I'm already planning it and wrote it in my planner at work so I don't book any parties on the night before!  (like this year -- heehee). 

So what's next?  We're heading to Florida in the next week (Jerry on Monday, Zay and I on next Thursday) so what could be better than running a 5k in Florida!?  That's what Jerry and I are planning to do Saturday morning the 8th - we found one in Tampa.  :)  I am officially a running fanatic!  Haha

Almost forgot!

I did weigh in this morning, lost 2 more pounds -- 75 total.  :) 

It's almost time!!

The Tunnel to Towers Run is coming up very quickly!!  Sunday, Sept. 25th is the day I'll run it with Jerry (who, by the way, is running with his turnout gear on).  Is he trying to make me blubber all the way to the finish line?  Not that I'm an emotional person in the first place.  (Hahahahahaha!!) 

I'm getting really excited but also nervous.  I'm nervous that I won't be able to finish - which is kinda silly in the first place because I've run 4 miles no problem, I've run 50 minutes at the gym no problem (on Sunday, actually).  I'm nervous that I'll be too emotional - this is a legitimate concern, knowing me. lol   As I said in this post, it's always very moving to be a bystander at the finish line -- watching firefighters run for their fallen brothers, watching firefighters from around the world, including Australia, England, and more, watching Wounded Warriors run, many times with prosthetic legs, all in honor of these heroes who gave the ultimate sacrifice on Sept. 11th.  During the run, the course takes you through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, retracing Stephen Siller's footsteps, up to where the Twin Towers stood.  In the Tunnel, people are chanting, "USA! USA!" and there are firefighters from the FDNY lining the tunnel wearing banners, 343 of them, to be exact, each one with a big picture and name of a firefighter who died that day.  After the race, there is a brief parade as well and the banners are worn through the parade route.  That is difficult enough to watch -- it gives you goosebumps.  For me even imagining seeing them line the tunnel makes me get choked up -- I'm hoping I can hold it together during the run!  My best defense may turn out to be my iPod....if I can keep music going in my ears, hopefully it will keep my brain just enough distracted so I don't have a meltdown during the run.  I'll give a full report afterward with pictures!

Hand-in-hand with me running this 5k is the fact that I will have reached 2 out of the 3 goals I laid forth in that post I linked above.  Goal # 1 was to wear 'average' size clothing....while I'm not to my goal weight yet, I am officially in 'average' clothes.  I haven't bought anything in the plus-size section in a WHILE.  In fact, I bought a new shirt at Target last weekend that was a regular Large!  (I could never even fit a XXL from the regular women's section -- only something from the Plus Size section).   Goal # 2 was to run this 5k....so I'm almost there!  Goal # 3 was to lose 80-90 pounds....I'm almost there too!  I am currently at 73 pounds lost with an updated overall goal of 100 pounds.

I can see the finish line, friends!  Or at least the ribbon across it...then I have to keep running because once I reach all my goals there's this whole business of maintaining.  lol

Confession (no, not the Priestly type) lol

So I wasn't going to weigh in today.....I've had a rough few weeks or month.  Between going to Mass for Isaiah's tournament, going home to Ohio and being 'bloated and moody', I haven't been too confident in my workouts or weigh-ins.  I was going to push my weigh-in to next week - like Jerry said, it's not like I have a deadline to weigh-in, there's no absolute rule that I have to weigh in today. 

But then I got into my new workout routine of doing weights on Mondays, Weds., and Fri., and running on Tuesdays & Thursdays (and the weekends) and I noticed this past Monday that I felt REALLY good during & after my weight workout.  I already felt stronger, I didn't have a bad attitude about doing weights instead of running, I feel like something clicked.  Like hey, maybe Jerry does actually know what he's talking about!  lol

I did well again yesterday with my legs/back workout - and that was without Jerry being there -- he had to go to the firehouse.  I pushed myself, raised some of my weights when I needed and just had a great overall workout.  On Monday, when I did my arms workout, I had enough time that I was able to throw 10 minutes in on the elliptical as well.  Since yesterday was legs I didn't do elliptical so I could rest them; plus, I knew I'd be running today.

Soooo....needless to say, I went ahead & weighed in this morning and lost 3 pounds!  73 total, only 27 to my overall goal!  And probably 2 pounds until I officially and definitely weigh less than Jerry.  :)  I will confess though....if I hadn't lost, I probably would've pushed my weigh-in to next week.  Haha!  That wouldn't really be fair....but it's how I felt!  lol

Had a great run again this morning, ran for 40 minutes on the treadmill then did 8 on the elliptical.  Over 600 calories burned supposedly. 

As for my overall goals, I think it's safe to say I've reached one of them officially - to not have to shop in the plus size section or stores anymore.  I bought jeans last week that were in a 'normal' size (3 sizes down from my old ones) and bought a skirt in Ohio that was 4 sizes smaller than I used to wear.  I'm more excited about shopping now than I've ever been....but not excited about spending too much money - I'm stingy.  lol  I am going to shop for a new dress for a baby shower I'm going to in September so I can't wait to do that!  What a difference 10 months makes.  lol