My story

Hi! My name is Maria and I have lost 100 lbs and still on my journey. My journey started about a few years ago, I wasn't happy about myself, I didn't like the way that I looked. I was over weight, but at te same time, I was  in denial. I wanted to get in shape but I didn't know how.
I knew that I was unhealthily, I went back to the martial arts. I found myself again; I knew that being a martial artist would change my life. At the time, I really didn't realize how it would change me. It was all do to my instructor Sensei Wayne. Right before, my black belt test, I knew that I needed to get into shape because if I didn't then I would failed my black belt test. I had a gym membership but I wasn't focus cause of working so many hours and then I just stopped going to the gym after I completed the Arnold and that put my bank account in the whole. One of my friends got me started on coach to 5k and thats when I started to run.


I started running with an app called coach to 5k. It was difficult at first, my shins hurt cause my legs weren't used to running. I also didn't really stick with the coach to 5k program. My first 5k, I walked it and ran it. My time was horrible it was around 40 minutes. I had class and yes, we did do exercises but I still wasn't losing the weight because of all the junk, I was eating. I didn't realize what I was doing! Like anyone who has seen the Insanity commercial, I was hooked because of using your own body weight and no weights. I was felt that I could do the workout.

The more I watched the commercial, the more I wanted to do Insanity. I had a wii and the wii fit but of course I fell off track. It also wasn't going as good. It took me a year to buy Insanity, yes the program is expensive but its really worth it. When I got my tax return, thats when I bought Insanity. I was so excited when Insanity had come, I knew that this program would change my life and it did. During that same year, I got a job at Honda.

The hours were from 6:30am to 3:00pm Monday through Thursday and on Fridays 6am to 2:30pm. I started the program on a Saturday or Sunday. I did the fit test and it was horrible. I could barely make it through. When I started Honda, I started to workout. I start my workouts at 3am then get ready and go to work. On Friday, I would get up at 2:30am. When people use the excuse "I don't have time to workout." I say that is crap because we all have the time to workout. You have to find the time. I did that for a couple of months. I was still going to Karate but at the same time we had moved with another instructor. So I started going 4 days out of the week instead of two days. My schedule was crazy get up at 3am and then go to bed around 9:30pm or 10pm depending on how long I talked.

With that schedule, I was starting to feel tired. I wasn't getting enough sleep. I started to break down at work; people were worried about me. It a fight between me and my instructor to realize that I needed a break and I also hurt my groin area. So, I had to put Insanity on hold. Plus, it was getting warm and I could get outside and start running again. Running for me, is about getting outside and being outside. Getting to see the beauty of the world and plus I get out of the house. In the spring, I started the 5k plan again and I stuck with it.

All of that summer, I ran about two or three 5k's. The one 5k that I ran was called the Dayton Celtic Festival 5k. That was my first 5k and it holds a special meaning to me because that was the first 5k. My time went from around 40 minutes to about 30 minutes. I was excited my time was coming down and then I thought about marathon running. That little Insanity that I did, helped me with my running.

I as got more involved in running, I could see the more weight I was losing. I also had problems with my work pants. They were getting to big and I was stubborn about getting new pants. I had too cause it was getting annoyed. I noticed that my clothes were getting to big as well. Its a good feeling to know when that happens cause it makes you feel good.

That whole year was a good year for me. That December, I wanted to start back up with Insanity. I did during my shutdown. Right after, Christmas, I took the fit test again and did better then the last time. During the shutdown, I worked out. For me, it was a lot of fun because working is a get away from life. It's you and yourself working either against or with you. It depends on the day. On New Year's Eve, I stayed up to midnight and I signed up for a marathon. The Wright Patterson Air force Marathon. For me, that was scary but I knew if I signed up then  I would not back out. Also, the Air force marathon is the biggest around me, you kind of have to sign up in advance. Plus, its only $80! I started training with Insanity and then with a marathon app.

From Jan. to Feb., I was doing Insanity and running, plus Karate. After, I completed Insanity, I was wondering what to do next, so I bout P90X and I did it for a bit but I could not stick with it. I was burning out on working out. That happened a lot last year. You have to understand burnouts are horrible because you regret in not working out and you feel guilty about not working out. I was doing to much. I ran most of the time. I found 5k's and a 10k, my first 5k was in March in Columbus and I went from 30 minutes to 27 minutes. I was under 30 minutes and it felt great. I ran as many 5k's as possible. My times were around the 27 minute but they also felt shorter.

It was because I was running longer and the more you run the better your times get. I love running with people because they can help motivate you. My first 10k, I ran it under 60 minutes and I felt good because it was my first long distance run. I ran all throughout my summer. My favorite race from this past year was a 5k in my Grandmother's hometown. It was for a girl named Ellie Herdman who has a bone cancer and she is only 16 years old. That 5k started late because they ran out of bibe numbers. They only had 500 and over 500 runners had came. That was amazing race and plus it was on grass and it felt more like trail running then a road race. I had my ups and downs but that race was amazing to run and got me back to where, I needed to be.

That was in August. By the time, September had happened, I was getting nervous, more nervous then usual. I was running when I could. My training was very lacking. My training time was running out. When the marathon day came, I used the stretching dvd of P90x. I got up early, eat breakfast, stretched, took a shower, made my shake, packed my gels and everything else that I needed. My parents were going with me because they wanted to see me run and I would not have wanted it any other way. We left about 6am to 6:30am. The race started at 7am. I was nervous, we got there, I got on the bus to go to the start line. The weather was rainy and we all went under the tent. I didn't want to take off my sweatshirt or jacket but I had too. I went to the bathroom then I saw my Aunt and Uncle. My Uncle and his step son were running the half marathon. I said hi to them. Ate, a gel pack to get my energy up.

It was time for the race to start. It was long we ran up onto a on ramp, pass the Nutercenter, on base, off base, through downtown Fairborn back on base, back off base, onto a on ramp, onto the highway back to the air force museum. It was a long run but it was fun because most of the run, I was talking not focusing on the distance. It wasn't until the last 6 miles that I started to feel the pain. I was in pain in my shines, my quads, every where but at the same time, I kept going. I knew there would be a hill but the hill wasn't that bad. It really wasn't a hill. When I got to the last mile, I was having issues in breathing but I knew I was toward the last mile. That last mile was tough. Then I saw the finish line, I was almost done. It took me 5hrs. 01min and 37 secs. I found my parents and I started to cry because I was tired but also because of how far I have came with my weight loss. That day was a day of celebrating. I couldn't cause I was sore. I could not sleep that day. I could barely walk but in the end, it was worth that run.
Starting off, 2014 with running that same marathon but this time, I want to qualify for the Boston marathon. So I need, to get my run time under 3hrs. I know 2hrs off my time, its going to be hard but that is my goal.