Monday, June 7, 2010

Fitness Coach

Check out my video blog about my journey through weight loss since January 1st of this year. What a great journey so far and I am still on that journey! I am feeling fantastic and enjoying the process! I have also recently become a fitness coach. You can find out more about coaching by e-mailing me, or checking me out on Facebook at www.facebook.com/kamiblakeman or follow me on twitter at Coach_Kami or at my beachbody website http://beachbodycoach.com/esuite/home/CoachKami .



Keep checking back to my blog weekly for more video blogs of my journey! And, I'm working towards a Tri-athalon in August! Whoop whoop! :)

Sunday, April 25, 2010

THANK YOU!!!

****2010****
****GLASS***
****CITY****
***HALF*****
MARATHON*









I completed 13.1 miles in 2 hours and 16 minutes, on April 25, 2010! Brian and I finished the race despite the cold, misty, foggy conditions. My wonderful husband completed the race in 2 hours and 2 minutes, and I followed 14 minutes later! I am pleased with my time for many reasons. First, I shaved 35 MINUTES off of last years time of 2 hours and 50 minutes!!! Second, once again, I did not walk at all, I ran the entire 13.1 miles. And I just feel GREAT! My body feels so much stronger and faster than last year, and also LIGHTER (20 pounds lighter to be exact!) Thanks to my wonderful friends (Kristen) who get up with me at 5am to work out, the AWESOME exercise class instructors at Urban (Jenelle, Tony, Angie and James!), and the AMAZING people and leaders at Weight Watchers! And of course my running buddy, and my husband Brian! Thank you ALL for being so wonderful and supportive.

Before this race, I swore this would be my last because I haven't seen weight loss results from running as I do with the exercise classes at Urban active, and because of the physical wear and tear on the body. HOWEVER, this race went so smoothly, and I started wondering...if I can reach my weight loss goal (25 more pounds) how much more time can I shave off next year? And how much better will my body feel during/after the race? So, we will just have to wait and see if this girl will make another showing at the Glass City Marathon in 2011!

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

11 Weeks, 11 Pounds, and 12 Inches...


I'm drinking hot tea looking out my back window from the comfort of my couch. It's snow day number two, and we've got an incredible 12" of snow on the ground. I'm feeling great for many reasons, number one being school has been called off for the second day in a row, number two being that the snow hasn't stopped me from getting in my workouts, and number three I've lost 11 pounds in five weeks. Then the sense of accomplishment fades and a slow panic sweeps across me as I remember there are only 11 weeks left until race day!

In the short amount of time since January 1st so much has happened. I've made working out and eating healthy my number one priority and I feel excellent. It just so happens that when you commit yourself 100% to making those two things your number one priority, everything else seems to fall into place and everything becomes even better than before. Let me explain. I've always been one to workout and eat healthy, but I would say I did it when it was "convenient" for me, and could fit into my schedule. Well now, it is my first priority and it IS my schedule. I used to workout after work here and there, and eat healthy as often as possible and so forth. Now, I'm getting up at 5am, working out harder than ever, counting my calories more strict than ever, making sure I am prepared and planning meals ahead of time and following my Weight Watchers program to the tee. No excuses! When I do that, I not only see results weight wise, but I have so much more energy. I feel like I am a better teacher, a better wife, a better friend, and a better person. I just hope and pray that I can and do keep this up!

Now, when I say I've been working out like crazy, let me elaborate. I've been going to 6am classes Monday through Friday at Urban, which consist of three days of spin and two days weight lifting. On Saturdays I've been doing three classes at Urban and on Sundays I do my own work out. And then there's running...almost forgot, I'm 11 weeks away from the half marathon right? When do I fit in running you say? That's an excellent question I've been asking myself too...you see, I'm in LOVE with these new workout classes and they are yielding results! I didn't lose weight last year through the whole marathon training process, and I'm not sold on giving up the new classes for that reason. So there in lies my dilemma. What I've been trying to to do is fit in my runs either after school (yes, that means working out 2x per day), on snow days or delays (which total three thus far) and on Saturdays and Sundays.

It's a 12 week training program and I'm already behind...but I'll find someway to do it...it just looks like working out twice a day is going to have to be the answer for me until the race is over. It can't hurt, right?

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Back in the saddle, again...


Happy 2010 everyone! I cannot believe that a year has gone by since I last updated my blog! My apologies to all my followers as I have been slacking in the writing department. Let me update you on my adventures since I've last written (pay special attention to #2):

1) completed student teaching (January '09 - May '09)

2) completed my FIRST half marathon (April '09)
3) received teaching license (June '09)

4) accepted teaching position with Maumee City Schools (July '09)

5) been crazy busy teaching K-1 students with special needs ( August '09-current)

6) back to training for 2nd half marathon (December '09- current)

One of my (many) New Year's resolutions is to be faithful to this blog and update often. Girl Scout's honor.
Last year my sister-in-law, Kristen, and I trained for the Glass City Half Marathon and finished in just under 3 hours. It was one of the most amazing experiences I have had in my life, and I am hooked! This year, my husband (after hearing me go on-and-on about how AMAZING the race was) signed up to run the Glass City Half Marathon as well. We are starting to train, so here comes the pain!!!

Before I get to the pain part, let's talk about the half marathon Kristen and I completed in April. We trained. We trained more. And we trained, and trained and trained. We were running on our own during the week. If I wasn't running at least 4 miles each day, I wasn't happy with myself. My time stayed right around 9'30" per mile (which I hope to improve this year). On the weekends Kristen and I would run our "long" run, which started off at 5 miles, then 6, then 7...you get the picture. The most we ever ran (and the most that was recommended before the race) was 10 miles (that day I was sick all day after running- shaky and throwing up- YUCK!) and the half marathon was the following week. I started to think, if this is what 10 miles does, then how am I going to do 13?

The day of the race I ate what I normally do (and still do) one egg and one english muffin (only three points on weight watchers by the way), and carpooled with Kristen to the race. We were nervous and thinking "What did we get ourselves into?", "Did I hydrate enough yesterday?", "Are we gonna make it?", and thinking to ourselves "Holy crap, everyone here is really thin and buff! Why doesn't running do that to my body?"
The day before the race I had picked up my race packet my number and my tracker. We attached our numbers to our backs, and the time trackers to our shoe laces. The time trackers have a microchip in them that keeps track of the time you cross the start line, and cross the finish line. I also used a saftey pin to attach a small ziplock baggie to my back with the following enclosed: asprin, lip balm and "goo".

We approched the starting line with thousands of other racers, all giddy and rearin' to go! And slowly but surely (like a heard of cattle) the race began. It was awesome to see all of these people with the same goal: to FINISH. The race took us through some really beautiful parts of Toledo and Maumee (right by my future place of employment- little did I know at the time), and some not so great parts of Toledo. Kristen and I kept a good pace and were running on pure race day adrenaline which got us through about mile 6. After that I had to stop and use the port-a-potty so I found myself running pretty much by myself, all alone, through the "bad" parts of Toledo. I wasn't sure I was even in the right place until I saw the policemen and women guiding us through the route. It was starting to get hot and at one point I ran by a guy who was washing his car, I asked him to spray me down, and he happily did so.
I was getting very tired and my legs felt like lead. I remembered I had purchased some "goo" (basically liquid energy) the day before and really needed to take it around miles 7, and 9, 11, and 12. The "goo" would give me instant energy and I would feel great, but I could definately tell when it would wear off, at which I would feel the need to take more "goo", I guess it's just as addicting as narcotics. But thank goodness there were nice cheery volunteers who had water and gatorade waiting at every mile (which I gladly drank) along with much needed words of encouragement.

At mile 11 I started to see crowds of people cheering us on, and this is about the time I started to cry, out of joy, and then I thought, "you can't cry yet, you have two miles left!", so I sucked it up. At this point my body was so exhausted I think people walking could have passed me, but I still kept my "running" stride. The whole race I kept around a 10 minute mile give or take (the best miles after I took the "goo" but then the next mile would be horrendous until I took more "goo") but the last two miles were about a 22 minute mile (seriously, walkers could have passed me) but I was determined to keep a "running" stride and to not walk.
The last half mile I picked up the pace as more and more people were cheering, and I could see the finish line. This was pure adrenaline, it's amazing what your body can do even when you think you can't do anymore. This is when I told myself it was okay to cry, but I think I was so dehydrated that the tears wouldn't come! Plus I was too excited and happy to see my wonderful husband at the finish line video taping the finish. At last, I reached the finish line! I immediately gave my husband a hug and said "water, please!"

What an amazing experience. To train, and to put your body through the fatigue and pain, but in the end, you can do anything you put your mind to, and your body will follow suit. It is an amazing feeling to accomplish this feat, something that not everyone can say that they accomplished. It takes dedication, mental strength, and determination, and I cannot wait to do it again. This time right beside my husband, experiencing it together.