Time for CELEBRATION!!!!!!!!!!

I cannot believe it .. but today .. is a day that I need to celebrate!

You see.. it all started (over) TWO Years ago today.

STARTING OVER posted June 18, 2006!
Starting over.. seems like I have done this a thousand times.. Tomorrow is Day 1 ... I will complete this challenge in September just a few days short of my birthday.. a gift to myself.. I want to complete this 12 weeks this time.. I have no excuses... no good reasons for stopping my last go round.. i just quit. so... heres to not giving up and for getting back up after been knocked down! -------------------- I went shopping today.. took 2 hours.. but I have meals planned out for a whole week.. I will have a section on here devoted to free day meals, and plan to post my meals and workout everyday.. I dont know how much i weigh.. or what my measurements are.. I will do that in the AM... before I workout..

DAY ONE SUCCESS June 19th 2006

Said many times today.. "They wouldnt call it a challenge if it was easy!" The day started off by going to bed the night before REALLY late (due to husband having to go to work late).. The plumber showed up this morning around the time I was getting ready to workout.. surprise surprise.. we went expecting him until tomorrow! .. so it was off to lowes and home depot to get the tub and shower stuff .. Long story short.. as I stood at the fridge thinking about breakfast and that I couldnt workout this morning.. I SOOOOO wanted to grab a coke and head to McDonalds.. but NO.. this was the first time I thought.. NO>. That is why they call it a challenge" .. So with success of my first day behind me.. 6 meals down.. a clean and organized workout garage.. and a leg workout that came at 9PM instead of 9 AM... I am thrilled that I made it through without cheating (no cokes) and feeling GREAT!.. I will post meals later.. I MUST get to bed so I can get up and run in the Morning before the plumber gets here! :) Ahhh.. I LOVE a challenge!


If I let myself sit and really think about this.. to let it really soak in.. i would become an emotional wreck. When I began this journey two years ago today.. did i honestly believe i would still be working out and trying to be healthy? Deep down inside i hoped and dreamed that i would be incredibly fit ... but i dont think i honestly believed i could do it. The only way i have gotten this far is because of this blog, because of the support and encouragement, the "virtual kick in the pants" that i needed from time to time. The friends i have made here are so important to my sticking with it for two years! Josha, you were the one .. in the early stages that kept me going. Knowing that you were doing this too left me with no good reason to quit. If you "kept on truckin" then i knew i could.


I remember two years ago looking at a magazine and pointing out this amazingly fit woman who had lost weight and gotten in great shape. I said to my sweet husband, "look at her! she looks amazing!" and he said.. yeah.. and all it took was two years of work! ......two years seemed like an eternity back then. I was 40lbs over weight, and couldn't walk a flight of stairs with out pain. Shoot.. i couldn't walk without pain! .. But i gave it a shot, i decided.. after all.. it was only time.



Two years later I am training for a half marathon!, my kids are "into running", i rarely eat ice cream (which use to be a daily occurrence), I look forward to my workouts and long runs. I am a completely different person.



I honestly feel like I did just "start over" on a workout plan.. but my LIFE started over! I am a completely different person, and so thankful.


Two Years ago.. it all started with a prayer, late in the night, laying in bed in the silence of my home. A prayer that God would give me the strength to become the person, the wife, the mother and the friend he wanted me to be. A prayer asking for help and guidance, for courage to face my fears. Many prayers later, I am amazed and humbled by the blessings God has given to me. Avenues of friendship, women of faith and courage to spur me on when i wanted to quit. God IS amazing! God is faithful! I was never ever alone.



If you are thinking of starting over.. do it today. 2 years will be here before you know it.. (its going to get here anyway) and you might as well be fit, happy, full of energy, and amazed at what you have accomplished!

Remember.. you are never alone.

You can do it!

blessings
ruthie (now i must go lift weights:)

UPDATE:
ok. i just finished lifting
i did bis, shoulders, squats, back, leg extensions, and finished it all of with some supermans to help my hip issue. i have pics but will have to post those later tonight when hubby gets home with his fancy mac lap top.
its sounds like a lot... but i actually did just one or two sets of each, since its been forever since i have lifted.
AND
I just figured out that if I start a 12 week program on July 3rd I will end it on my 40th birthday Sept 24th.
anyone care to join me in the "final stretch" of my 39s to get to 40 fit and strong? I am thinking of most definitely a weight lifting program, and focusing on a fast time for a 5k or 10k.