Bucket List

This week I had a conversation about having a "Bucket List." Not in regards to growing old but in regards to weight loss.

Therefore, I present to you, my Bucket List:

• Be able to cross my legs, comfortably
• Run a 5K
• Wear smaller size than JH
• Fit back into ATs hand-me-downs
• Able to see collarbone bone while standing normal
• Fit into single digit jeans
• Thigh stop rubbing together
• No "back fat"
• Weight less than my husband
• See abdominal muscles
• Wear a bikini, proudly
• Run an 8K
• Run a 10K
• Run a 15K
• Run a half-marathon
• Lose "Muffin Top"
• Wear smaller size than AT
• Goal weight
• Do at least one pull-up
• Maintain goal weight
• Become Weight Watcher Leader

I've made a good dent in my "Bucket List." I'm still working on getting to and maintaining my goal weight of 120 lbs. I'm also working on my running. I've completed multiple 5K races this year with my very first (since losing weight) being the Naperville Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving of last year. My time was 34:02 and my aunt & uncle ran the entire thing with me, supporting me the whole way. Even as I dry heaved at the end. The most recent 5K I completed was this past Sunday, the Plainfield Harvest 5K, with a time of 29:45. A significant difference from almost a year ago. I've improved immensely and I'm very happy with my time of 29:45 and would be okay with keeping that my personal best. In October, I plan on running another 5K, Dick Pond Cocoa 5K Run and in November I will have my first 8K, Joliet RedEye 8K followed by going full circle back to the Naperville Turkey Trot 5K on Thanksgiving morning. 

I've never been a distance runner. I am quick but my endurance is less than exceptional. I am taking it slow in increasing my distances but I feel as though I am ready to move on to a few 8K races and then on to 10K races. Eventually I will work my way to a half-marathon. I don't have a time set to complete that bullet point on my "Bucket List" but I'm thinking possibly around summer/fall 2013. I am in no rush and the longer it takes to get to a half-marathon, the more races I do to prepare myself and improve on my personal times and my endurance. Looking forward to the 8K race in November, my goal is to run the 5 miles in under 60 minutes. Keeping less than a 12 minute mile average will be sufficient for my first 8K. It's a goal I know I can achieve and the harder I work the further I'll stay from 60 minutes. 

On another note, here is last weeks progress:

My husband was on vacation all week which can either make for a perfectly perfect week of eating...or...a terrible disaster. Luckily, it made for a perfectly perfect week. Well, until he got home and we had no food in the house and ordered pizza Saturday night...and Sunday night, thanks to the neighbors. No big thing though. I was perfectly perfect Monday-Friday, I ran, I ate well, etc. This is why I love this lifestyle. I can still eat pizza (two days in a row) and enjoy more than a few beers on football Sunday and I still lost weight. Sure it was only .2lbs but imagine how much water I was retaining from the weekend. I'm sure I was down much more than that. Although I don't count it, I was down 2 lbs this morning from yesterday morning. Because Sunday I ran the Plainfield Harvest 5K and ran it really hard, I took yesterday as my day off to recover. It was a really gloomy day out anyhow, so it worked out well. Today I ran 3.42 miles, working my way up to 5 miles. I learned that I need to work on finding a good pace from the beginning. Typically I take off out of the gate at top speed and shortly die out. I ran the entire 5K on Sunday, not stopping once and today I ran the entire 3.42 miles without stopping. That is a big milestone for me.

On to another great week of healthy eating and daily exercise. It's amazing how good it makes you feel!

What's on your "Bucket List?"