December 31, 2012

Top 12 of 2012

With only hours left of 2012, I wanted to go through my old photos and see the highlights of my year. :)  In no particular order:

1. In January, I turned the big 3-0. I was dreading that number, and not at all happy about starting a new decade. But 30 has turned out to be quite a great year for me!
2. I registered for my first full marathon. Still not sure what possessed me to do that, but it was lots of fun training with Jessica. We were more "acquaintances" than we were "friends" prior to that, but training together made us much closer, and now I consider her a great friend. I don't think I could have done those long miles without her keeping me company!
3. I knocked about seven minutes off of my half-marathon PR when I ran the Rock CF Rivers Half-Marathon in March, finishing in 2:02:57. I didn't go into it with the mindset to PR, because it was "just" a training run, but I was very happy with my time!
4. Jennifer and Angela, producers of the documentary From Fat to Finish Line, came to Michigan to interview me for the film. They were so much fun, and I feel so lucky to know them and call them friends. The interview was just a minor part of the trip--I loved getting to chat with them most of all!
5. I was selected by Fitness Magazine as "Best Weight Loss Blog of 2012", which named me a Fitterati, featured my blog in their magazine, and allowed me to write blog posts on their website. I was very honored to have been selected among all the great blogs out there!
6. I met Mary on a side trip to Chicago. Mary was originally going to be in the From Fat to Finish Line film as well, but she discovered she's pregnant. We had been getting to know each other for about six months, and when I went to Illinois, I really wanted to meet her in person. Jerry and I took the train to Chicago for a few hours to meet up with her.
7. I went on a fun trip to Minnesota with Renee to run the Women Rock MN Half-Marathon. We were only there for a couple of days, but it was nice to get away!
8. I ran the Detroit Free Press Marathon with my Ragnar Relay team captain, Rik--and we had never met each other in person before he came out here to do the race with me! I trained for the whole thing by myself, which was tough; but Rik came out here to run along with me and keep me company during the race. I had a goal to finish under five hours, and I did :)

Also, I loved that my family and friends celebrated with us afterward. My older brother Brian even flew in from Minnesota and surprised me. It was a perfect day!
9. I joined Weight Watchers Online, and started the program September 9th. My last binge of 2012 was on September 8th, so I have gone over 16 weeks (and counting) without a binge! After about three months on program, I'd lost the summer weight I gained, and I reached my WW goal weight. I joined the meetings for the last 5 pounds, so that I can achieve "Lifetime" status.

10. I met Pete Thomas, at-home winner of Season 2 of The Biggest Loser, and attended his boot camp class (which totally kicked my ass!). After the class, he stayed and chatted with me for over an hour, and I learned SO MUCH from him. His book, and his advice, helped me to get back on track with my weight.
11. I finally hit my long-sought-after goal of a sub-26:00 5K time! I registered for a very small race and ran my butt off to finish in 25:44. I was thrilled :)
12. Lastly, and most exciting of all for me, I reached my ultimate GOAL WEIGHT!! This was the first time in my life I have ever reached goal weight. It was so very exciting to officially be in "maintenance" mode.


Some fun facts about 2012:
  • I ran 1186.5 miles in 2012--a total of 200 hours, 5 minutes, and 42 seconds. 
  • My longest run was 26.74 miles (the Cleveland marathon).
  • The month that I had the highest mileage was April, with 137.3 miles.
  • My average pace in January was 10:08/mi; in December, it's 8:58/mi.
  • My average pace for the whole year was 10:08/mi.
  • I burned 121,000 calories from running... that's equivalent to nearly 35 pounds of fat!
  • The food I consumed the most of was probably peanut butter, once again; followed closely by grapes.
  • My most memorable meal was an amazing sandwich called the Turtle Pizza Roll Melt at Melt restaurant in Cleveland.
  • My current favorite breakfast is oatmeal with caramel, coconut, chocolate chips, and peanut butter.
  • My current favorite lunch is an omelet with bacon and cheese, with a ton of grapes on the side.
  • My current favorite evening snack is a glass of red wine and a Dove Promise (dark chocolate).
  • The thing I am most looking forward to in 2013? Meeting my Ragnar Relay team in Miami, THIS THURSDAY!
Want some motivation going into 2013? Make sure you read the comments on this Facebook post! I'm going to start a series on Mondays, called Motivational Monday, where I will post all of the accomplishments/bragging rights of anyone who'd like to share ;)

17 comments:

  1. You ran an amazing amount of miles!! What was the difference between 2011 and 2012 (because I KNOW you know!)?
    See you in 2 days!!

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  2. Sounds like a fabulous 2012! I hope 2013 is just as great!

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  3. I *love* this recap!! Wow, 10:08 to 8:58?! Did you strive to decrease your pace this much or did it just happen with the crazy amount of miles you ran this year? I usually run shorter runs around 10:00-10:15, but long runs are around 10:45, I'd love to get into the 9's, you are proof it is possible, thank you! And because of you, I bought chia seeds and almond milk at Trader Joe's the other day to try and make cold oatmeal! Now I'm going to go back and read all the links you posted above. Thanks so much for another year of motivation and inspiration to so many people! I've run 4 half marathons, but in 2013 I will be training for my first marathon (Chicago on 10/13/13) and am so excited and inspired by your marathons this year! I'll be rereading your blog posts about both of them many times as my marathon approaches, I'm sure! Have fun at Ragnar! I ran a 44 relay with a group of 9 friends last spring, it was so much fun, I'd love to run a Ragnar (and/or Hood to Coast) someday! I love reading your blog each evening, Happy New Year to you and your family!

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  4. Just imagine what 2013 will bring! Happy New year, Katie!

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  5. Love this post! Not only has running given you back your health, it has also added so many new friends into your life. Very cool.

    It's been so enjoyable reading your blog in 2012, looking forward to another year of reading about your experiences :)

    Happy New Year to you & the family!

    Sus :)

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  6. A great year full of goals achieved. May 2013 bring you many more!

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  7. Happy New Year! Congrats on a great 2012 and hope 2013 is even better!

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  8. You're so inspiring. Happy New Year and here's to a great 2013. Good Luck in the Ragner!!

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  9. Awesome year for you, Katie! Congrats, you are (& continue to be) an inspiration to all!) So, glad I found SP, & your page there! I have a question, I was looking to find the name of your scale... I SO need to get a new one. Thanks!
    My accomplishment? FINALLY learning to put myself first & exercising for me, because I can enjoy it & it doesn't have to be torture!!! Happy New Year, Katie!!

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  10. Happy New Year Katie.
    I will be reaching Miami on Fri eve and be in Keywest on Sunday. Wish could meet u &Jen.
    You have ALWAYS been an inspiration.
    Tryng not to binge.
    When I was offered chocolate today, on my flight to Venice I took it and kept it away for a later snack maybe.
    I thought....Thats what you would do.
    Thumbs up to u girl.

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  11. Ahh I just love your blog and who you are on it! I'm so glad I stumbled across it in February...I'm being honest when I say you help people more than you know with just being who you are. Thank you Katie! Happy new year :)

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  12. Thanks for the recap, Katie! I feel like I missed so much in 2012 as I slinked away to have my baby. lol. Now I'm back and plan on keeping up with all my old fave bloggers and hopefully some new ones. I am so proud of all that you've achieved this past year though and can't help but be a little jealous, too. :)Congrats on making goal weight, and getting an award for blogging from a fitness magazine seems like an astonishing accomplishment to me! So awesome that you got to meet up with Mary, too. :D

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  13. Fantastic post!! What a great year :-) and on a personal note, I feel so honored I made the top 12!

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  14. Oh my gosh, you are adorable and inspirational. So many accomplishments this year. You definitely should feel proud of yourself.
    Congratulations!

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  15. Kudos!!! You are so inspiring! I'm glad to have become a reader.

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  16. What an awesome year!! Congrats Katie! 121,000 calories...holy moly!

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