GUEST POST: AMY DAY FROM THEAMYDAY.COM, THIS IS HER STORY....

Hi! I'm Amy from www.TheAmyDay.com

This is my beginning and where I consider my life to have really began. It's when the magic started to happen.  You know, the beginning of the wonder years, prime time, I was 29, I had lost some weight by doing a lot of Zumba, I was feeling good about myself and life was moving right along. I was at a dinner party giving a toast about goals, living life to the fullest, yada, yada, yada, when two of my dearest friends stood up, raised their glasses, looked at me and said "I think you should run Double Bridge 15k with us"  I could have ripped their heads off their runner bodies.  I was in front of 20 people, glass in hand, people excited and waiting with anticipation to hear my answer- the pressure was insane and of course I had to say yes.  I was not a runner and I was very seriously considering not being their friend anymore either.

I trained for 4 months, 2 short runs in the week and one long one each weekend. I gave it my best effort. With each week I gained confidence and built endurance. It was hard. It was cold, it was hot, it was rainy, it was dangerous, it was dark. It required time that I had to find, it required accountability, it wasn't a fly by the seat of my pants type thing- it required preparation.

Race day came and I was going to give it all I got- no matter what I'd finish my goal and cross the finish line. My only goal was to finish and not be picked up by the bus at the end of the race (AKA Dream crusher- a big loud yellow bus). I had to mentally prepare that I would stay the course even if my pride was bruised being at the end. Well by mile 2 we were the last people in front of the bus- like a sick game of chicken, I could hear the roar of the engine behind me which caused me to sprint until I couldn't hear it anymore. 

It was lonely out there. I don't run with electronics so there was no music or entertainment- just me trying not to be distracted by the bus. One foot in front of the other, eyes straight forward, keep going.  The first bridge seemed to go on forever. There were occasional cheerleaders screaming, "Go Amy Day" after we got off the bridge and then in sight was my mom and brother with signs and cheering I sprinted past them and held back tears. 

Then I heard "Go Mom Go" my husband and children had come to cheer too. I lost it- I was full on ugly crying while running. They were my reason to run and they were there to see me do it. I continued on to the last bridge, battled a cramp around mile 7 and just had to run it out. There were more cheerleaders at the foot of the second bridge and again I could hear the bus behind me. I was almost to the finish line and thought I couldn't move any further.  The finish line seemed so close but so far. I was walking by this point and having to pep talk myself with each step. I finally made it to the the foot of the barricades for the finish line and there was my family again- it gave me a renewed strength. 

My daughter was so proud- she ran along side the gate and through the finish line with me. There was a roar of cheers from the crowd, there were supporters everywhere, everyone cheering for me. 

It was a proud moment. I loved being last. I loved finishing something that I thought was impossible. I became a runner that day. The odds were against me, I was the only one that could do it for me, and I couldn't have had a greater sense of accomplishment.  

I'm a runner because two friends chose to challenge me at a dinner party and I couldn't be more grateful.

Amy Day

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks Amy!

This group of ladies are amazing. I was lucky enough to meet them at the Biggest Loser Run Walk and just hanging out with them made me feel renewed. They are so motivating. 

HAVE YOU HAD SOMEONE OR A GROUP MOTIVATE YOU IN A WAY THAT CHANGED YOUR LIFE?

Ironman New Orleans Recap (guest post)

Hey guys I have a guest post today by the awesome George Melichar other wise known as Geo. He is such an amazing person and doesn't dare meet a stranger. Right now he is training for the Eurogames in Stockholm.

This past weekend he participated in the Ironman New Orleans relay. Here is his experience of the race...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The first time I had ever attended a Triathlon event was at the Gay Games 9, 2014 to cheer for participants and my Louisiana teammates. My friends Julie and Michele were competing in the TRI event in Cleveland and I was just amazed.

I had been interested in the concept of attempting a 70.3 triathlon but not ready for the swim category. In March I joined my friend Berty (also a #GG9 athlete) in Paris or a serious swimming lesson.

I feel like a pro dog-paddling swimmer; but after the instruction given I felt empowered in my training. 

Michele reached out through Facebook for IRONMAN 70.3 relay participants and I joined the TRI Club Steel MagNOLA's as Team Mohawk MagNOLA's runner.

I went to the event exposition straight from the airport after running the IOA Corporate 5k in Orlando, Florida the day before. I knew I was going to get my packet and race number; but TRI's were all new territory for me. I was impressed by the volunteer organization and loyalty they had to come back year after year. Susan McManus-Ellis was at the Solutions to help athletes. The vendors booths and the event merchandise was cool!

I had to work that night and by the time I laid down to sleep I was anxious. I got-up and wanted to do my dishes. By the time I got ready for the day and arrived at the bus transportation going to the transition area; I needed to nap on the bus. When I arrived to the bus drop-off I just followed the other athletes.

I saw people getting marked with their participation #'s and age before the entry and did it too. I walked through the entry point and went to the teams transition area number. Ooohhhhhh let me just say the term Transition Area is the place where athletes change gear between swimming, cycling, and running. Their are strict event rules online and emailed to the participants. When I got to the 70.3 event, what I read starting making more sense. I saw my friends Melissa and Jay and I felt so much better.

My team mates arrived, we set-up our equipment, and headed to the start line.

The opening ceremonies started and the next thing I knew the starting horn blew. The elite swimmers began and my heart pounded with excitement. My teammate Cindy got in the water and I moved to the outer shore. 

My comrade Vivek and I walked back quickly to the transition area and we waited for our swimmers. Everything happens fast in the exchange of the participants chip in the relay going from the swimmer to the biker... and then my team biker Michele was gone. I cheered for all the athletes and tried not to get run over by everything going-on. I meet so many cool people in the relay participants area. I enjoyed talking with Sasha from Denver about her passion ensuring athletes with disabilities can participate in sporting events.

2+ hours later it was about the time Michele was to arrive back to the transition area... I got anxious... their was a line at the clean portable toilet :) Next thing I knew Michele crossed into transition, I removed the chip from her ankle, I put the chip on my ankle, and I was running.  I crossed the BIG bridge on Leon C. Simon Drive to Lakeshore Drive. The miles were going fast from excitement. Around mile 4 an elite runner cheered me on... "You've Got This" he said! The on course motivational energy between athletes was high. At the turn-around I was looking forward to some of the wind I was running against to push me to the Finish Line. I took the turn-around and their was no breeze. The temperature and afternoon sun felt like I was in an oven. The volunteers were giving 100% of their energy at the water stations. Around mile 8 my contact flipped into my eye I was squinting to see. When people said my name I am sure my facial expression must have been memorable. I was so happy to be in the IRONMAN relay as a runner and I wanted to do the best I could for my teammates so I never stopped. Near the end I saw my friends Keith, Kurt, and Rod. We motivated one another, I crossed the BIG bridge and the next thing I knew I was near the Finish Line. I was soooo heat exhausted! Everything was happening even faster! My teammates cheered so loud I could hear them a half mile from the Finish Line... and then I crossed! 

The athlete village was a celebration of families, TRI clubs, and friendship.

I had a great time participating in the IRONMAN 70.3 New Orleans 2015 Relay as Team Mohawk MagNOLA's runner. I am grateful for the friendships I made through the Gay Games and how those friendships have pushed me to attempt new athletic challenges. If you have not participated in a Triathlon event and know how to confidently swim, bike, or run; I encourage you to participate in a TRI Relay event. It was great to see how the "machine" worked and gave me the additional confidence to go the next step...

#RunLoveRock! Geo

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks George! You rock as always. If you want to read my Ironman Augusta relay recap Part 1 and Part 2 !

Have you ever done a Tri relay?

The Biggest Loser Half Marathon Race Recap Part 2

You can read Part 1 HERE of my Biggest Loser Run/Walk Half Marathon recap. I left you guys yesterday at race morning. To catch you guys up, I was telling you why this race was so important to me and why I HAD to finish it...

In almost four years of running/racing, I had never DNF'd (Did Not Finish) a race until I signed up for The Biggest Loser Half Marathon last year in Mobile AL. I remember not feeling real well that morning, my hip was on fire, and my mind was out of it. I lined up at the start line with my best friend Melanie and knew it was not going to be pretty. I was right, at mile 2 I dropped out and did the walk of shame back to the Finish line. Not only had I felt like I had just gave up but it was in my home town and I literally felt like a BIG LOSER. OH WELL, right? We just have to keep our head up and keep going. SOOOOOOOOO when I heard that the Biggest Loser was coming back to Mobile, I was SUPER excited for a little vengeance on that half marathon.

Race Day...

I arrived at the Civic Center around 6:45. The half marathon started at 7:30, so I had a little while to walk around and check out all the booths. They had Fleet Feet Sports, One Fit Mobile, Bodies by Cindy, and the medal engraving people set up. 



They also had booths for the different running groups that were there. This is my friend Amy and her Savvy Biggest Loser group sign. I'll tell you more about her group later. They are an amazing group of women.



At 7:25 it was time to line up for the National Anthem...



And at 7:30 it was time to go...



Before I go any further let me tell you what my goal was for this race. I have not ran much in the past 6 months. I have been training but its been mostly in the pool, open water, and the gym. Of course my fitness level is great so I wasn't worried about my body physically. I was more worried about the mental aspect of just finishing this half marathon. Now as you can probably figure out, I was blogging for the Biggest Loser and so I wanted to be more of a course cheerleader for people. So I started in the back to stay out of the faster runners way and I am soooo glad I did.

I knew I wasn't going to PR and I wasn't really trying. I started out walking really FAST with these 2 crazy people, Ray and Mary...



This was Mary's first half marathon and she basically didn't tell too many people she was doing it. Not sure why but there was a reason for Ray and I to meet her she is a wonderful woman. Ray and I have known each other forever. We always manage to connect at races. This was Ray's first half in a couple years. When I tell you guys we walked FAST it was around a 14:30 pace.

We ran into Amy with the Savvy group on course. She is so cute always at races. I'm talking hair done, makeup, jewelry, LOVE it! Some people may think that's crazy, but I feel like if it makes you feel good, do it.



These 2 ladies were running their first also. they were loving the Mobile streets.



Around mile 5, these 2 came up on us. We did a double take. They were super cute. Whats funny is when they started running they had the exact same stride. It was great.



Around mile 7, I saw my friends Lori and Walter handing out water to the racers. Every water station had plenty of volunteers handing out water and Gatorade.



I had noticed there were a lot of the ladies from the Black Girls Run group there. I couldn't resist not taking a picture with these 2 ladies. They were motivating a couple other ladies that were doing their first half to keep going. The Black Girls Run group is amazing. I think they have done wonderful things to get African American girls to start running. And if you are wondering they allow any race to join there group, I actually ordered a black girls run t shirt to support them. Wonderful women's group.



I ran into the awesome Liz on course...



The course was beautiful running under these huge oak trees.



By about 9, I decided to start running to pick up the pace. I felt great and knew I only had a little over a 5k left, so I took off. At mile 12 I saw my husband and kids, and my little mini me decided to jump in and run the rest of the race with me. She soooo funny and made the last mile go by quick.



We crossed the finish line together at 2 hours and 57 minutes. She is one of my biggest cheerleaders and one of the reasons I do what I do... To show my kids they can do ANYTHING!



So the moral of the story of my epic redemption run was...

Sometimes its not about our training, or our PR, or even ourselves. Sometimes its about inspiring yourself by motivating others.

I actually surprised myself with my time. Coming in under 3 hours was not planned but made me feel really good that I wasn't too out of shape to run long distance. 

Now I didn't plan on "racing" this half. All I wanted to do was finish. this was my race to kind of gauge where I am at in my recovery from running. Now the next half will be a race for time. I really want to get back to setting PR's and running fast. But I was so motivated to be around such an amazing group of runners, most of them first timers.

And of course seeing these people at the finish line...



I wanted to share with you guys 4 of my favorite parts of The Biggest Loser Run/Walk besides the actual race...

1. Watching my little girl run in the Kids Fit Foundation 1 mile fun run. she didn't come ready to run but decided at the last minute she wanted to do it. She loved it and now wants to do more. And she got bling, which was probably the deciding factor.



2. Hanging out with these super awesome people. My BLENDS!

Mindy, Jenn, Kristin, and Gina. Love these ladies...



3. Medaling this amazing woman, Tiffany, who ran the half marathon 30 weeks pregnant. I passed her around mile 4 when she was searching for a restroom on course, thank goodness for the Shell gas station, lol!



The awesome Biggest Loser Peeps gave her a kids race medal for her sweet baby girl also.



4. And last but not least meeting and hanging out with this group of ladies till the very last person came across the finish line. I had decided that I was going to hang out with them till their friend came across.



The friendship and the love that was felt with this group was amazing. It was very inspiring to me. Its something that I think I needed that day.

A special thanks to the Biggest Loser crew that kept the music pumping and the finish line up till the very last person crossed the finish line even though it was well past the time they had allotted. They were a true class act. And to the volunteer that stayed to pass out that last medal, thank you!

It was such a fun day and I am so happy I got to experience it. Thanks Biggest Loser!

You can see if the Biggest Loser Run/Walk is coming to a city near you HERE!

Sometimes being there for someone can have an impact on someones live including your own.

Now I am ready to race so bring on fall race season...

If you ever get a chance to run a race from the back, you will be surprised who all you meet back there. It can change your life.

Disclaimer: I was given a race entry, VIP pass, and VIP parking in exchange for my honest review. No other compensation was given. As always all opinions are my own.

Have you ever ran a Biggest Loser race?

The Biggest Loser Run/Walk Part 1

Congrats to all the Boston Marathon Finishers!
I will have that feeling of crossing that epic finish line one day.

On Sunday I did cross an epic finish line for me. Why was it so epic?

In almost four years of running/racing, I had never DNF'd (Did Not Finish) a race until I signed up for The Biggest Loser Half Marathon last year in Mobile AL. I remember not feeling real well that morning, my hip was on fire, and my mind was out of it. I lined up at the start line with my best friend Melanie and knew it was not going to be pretty. I was right, at mile 2 I dropped out and did the walk of shame back to the Finish line. Not only had I felt like I had just gave up but it was in my home town and I literally felt like a BIG LOSER. OH WELL, right? We just have to keep our head up and keep going. SOOOOOOOOO when I heard that the Biggest Loser was coming back to Mobile, I was SUPER excited for a little vengeance on that half marathon.

This was my weekend with The Biggest Loser...



Saturday I headed down to the Holiday Inn in downtown Mobile with one of my great friends Marjorie, who is opening up the FLEET FEET running specialty store here in June. Super excited! I was there to help her set up for the expo...



She also had her friends Helena and Elisa of  www.healblade.com there to help out. Loved these ladies. Also LOVED the Heal Blade....



More on the Hb soon. Stay Tuned!

They had a couple speakers talking at the expo including my girl Gina McDonald from Season 14 and J.J O'Malley of Season 16 pictured here with the Savvy Biggest Loser group from Pensacola Florida...



Packet pick up was super easy and very organized. You picked up your bib number and grabbed your tech shirt and they put it all in a really cute pull string bag...



The expo was small but a lot of fun. It included local businesses Run-N-Tri, Fit Plus Wear compression pants, medal engraving and stickers, and of course Fleet Feet. One Fit Mobile was also represented well by Amber and I had the pleasure of talking at the expo about the mission of One Fit Mobile...



It was great that One Fit Mobile partnered up with The Biggest Loser Run/Walk. Mobile needs this race.

Speaking of race, let me tell you about race day now and why it was epic for me...


On Sunday, I drove to the Civic Center in downtown Mobile around 7 am. The half marathon started at 7:30 and the 5k at 8. When I walked into the start line festival I noticed my Fat To Fit Radio Show co host Cindy Lane Ross of Bodies by Cindy leading the prerace stretch dance party.



It was finally 7:30 start time and they had previous contestant Dan Evans sing the National Anthem. And then it was time to get this 13.1 rolling...



I'll have the complete race recap up for you guys tomorrow, stay tuned...

Boston Marathon

It is Boston Marathon Day!



A day the whole country will be watching and thinking about the runners, spectators, volunteers, and officials out on that 26.2 mile stretch of greatness that is Boston.

I hope you tune in on your computers (www.baa.org) or televisions as the finish line gets packed with lots of emotion and inspiration.