About 13 months ago I had a bet with my friend Tania over at Chicky Chicky Baby to see who could lose the most weight before Thanksgiving. In those 6 weeks, I lost 15.5 pounds but STILL LOST! But the one thing it did do was inspire me to continue to get down to a weight that I could be proud of. In order to do that I had to lose another 10 pounds.

So over the last year I’ve continued to run. I’m training for a half-marathon now and the running has become easier and easier. Five mile runs are an easy 42 minutes and I’m feeling better than I have in a long time. In fact, this week I got on the scale and I weighed 165 – my goal weight. Booya! I’ve lost 25 pounds now. Picking up the 25 pound dumbell in my living room and feeling how much weight I was carrying around amazes me.

I now only weigh 10 pounds more than I did when I graduated from college (I was a sprinter on the track team so I was in good shape then). Granted, the fat to muscle ratio isn’t what it used to be but I’ll take it. Now my goal is to maintain this. I had to buy some new pants and my suits have to be altered – so maybe that will be my motivation for keeping the weight off. I’m fairly frugal when it comes to clothes buying so staying in the size 32′s will be motivation enough.

After next week’s half-marathon I’ll try and maintain a 20-25 mile a week running schedule and run in a 5k or 10k every couple of months. One of the best things that has come through all of this is that Swee’Pea and TheMonk have been seeing Mommy and Daddy exercising regularly. In fact, whenever we go to the park they want to go running just like Mommy and Daddy. It makes me proud and happy that my habits are rubbing off on those two. Maybe they won’t ever get to the point where they have to lose 25 pounds.