Healthy Living in Connecticut Blog

A few months ago, I did an email interview with Derek Mitchell. He made the national news as he is doing a 5K race every month and plans to lose 175 pounds by the end of this year. He started out at about 570 pounds but he's doing an awesome job and inspiring thousands of others! I wanted to update on how Derek was doing, as he just announced he completed his ninth race. Great job Derek! If you're ever in CT, let us know... I'm sure many of your fans here would do a race with you!

1. How many races you've participated in so far?

9 - 8 live 5k's and 1 virtual 5k.

You know you've accomplished something when you have to buy new clothes!

I kept a few pairs of my size 44 pants, just as a reminder of how obese I really was just a few short years ago. To put it in perspective, I went from size 44 waist down to size 34.

It seems hard to believe that at one time I actually fit into these pants. Some of the shirts I've saved went half way down my legs, many being XXL. Now medium shirts fit me... I never thought I would fit into a medium.

I love doing cardio! After all, the treadmill helped me lose most of my weight. I've been trying to cut down on cardio but this week has really been different. I did not use the treadmill for a whole week. I don't want to keep losing weight... I'm so active that it seems like by using the treadmill, I would keep losing weight.

I still get my steps in. According to my pedometer, I do get well over 10,000 steps each day. So what do I need to use the treadmill for when I'm already active enough? I'm focusing on my muscle and I think the results are getting more noticeable each day. Also, I did run for 5 minutes yesterday around a track as a warmup.

I'm really getting into strength training. I have decided that I no longer need the treadmill. I still will do my walking and get my steps in, but I don't need to lose more weight.

During the past few months, I was using the treadmill for about 5 to 10 minutes for 5 days a week. It's not too much, but the weight tends to fall off me so easily now. I want my body to build muscle and using the treadmill might confuse my goals... my body might still think it needs to lose weight. A trainer was talking to me about cardio today, that it could actually hurt my efforts. I don't want it to get in the way of my goals!

Well, I did it. I finished in an upright position,  didn't finish last and I didn't "hurl" at the finish line!! These three things are important to me when I'm in a race. (Ok it's not really, but it is on my mind)

As I mentioned in a previous blog, this was my third LHRR. I experienced the  hottest sun I've ever felt while running. I ran the first 3 1/2 miles at my normal 15 minute mile; I was feeling good. Thankfully I was still running when the other runners were passing me, (since they all ran three times faster than me). For a split second I was embarrassed ~ but in true runner fashion, the high fives, shout outs, and thumbs up from those passing me by gave me the push I needed to keep going. Runners are courteous, kind, supportive and only in competition with themselves ~ my size didn't matter, my speed, or lack of, didn't matter, my being four to five miles behind them didn't matter. All that mattered to them was I was there; giving it my all. I embraced not only the shout outs and high fives of the other runners, but the spectators as well.