24 Before 24: Run a Half-Marathon

I think I already mentioned this on the blog once, but in case you missed it: I ran my first half-marathon last month! In fact, this was my first "real" race ever. (Unless you count the two-mile "Friendly Frolic" run at my grandma's practically-retirement-community lake every Fourth of July. I don't.) Anyway, running a half-marathon was #1 on my 24 Before 24 list and also #7 on my Life List, so that was pretty exciting to cross it off both lists. (To be completely honest, my Life List originally said "run a marathon" because I wanted to do one with my sister, but then she saw it and told me she never planned to run a marathon again. So I was perfectly happy downgrading to a half-marathon haha.)

Why did I decide to run a half-marathon? I have never been a runner. I enjoy being active and working out, if that means: playing sports, cycling, lifting weights, doing sit-ups, hiking, swimming or skiing. I do not enjoy running. My mom and sister, on the other hand, have run numerous half-marathons, and my sister, Abby, also ran the Chicago Marathon a few years ago. Abby has been wanting me to run a race with her for quite some time, so when I got engaged, she finally convinced me to train for a half-marathon as a way to get in shape for my wedding.

How I lost 20+ pounds (almost) without trying.

Note: I wouldn't normally talk about my weight, especially on such a public forum, but I figured one of my blog's main focuses is post-grad life, and I attribute the great majority of my weight loss to simply graduating college. I think if you're going to make the lifestyle changes like the ones I describe below, the transition between college and "grown-up" life is the perfect time, so hopefully any recent grads out there will find my experience helpful.

Well, it finally happened. I looked at the scale yesterday morning and it started with “12” for the first time since I was a senior in high school. Toward the end of my college days, that number was more apt to start with a “15.” As I said in the title of this post, I lost this weight (almost) without trying. Let me explain the “almost” part....

I think there were three main things that contributed to my weight loss, but of these three, only one was a deliberate choice with the intent of losing weight. Here are the first two:

Photo via ADPi Mizzou

1. Moving out of the sorority house: I didn't really have a choice with this one. You graduate; you have to move out. Obviously, living on my own came with some necessary lifestyle changes. Instead of having a delicious buffet of unlimited food offered to me three times a day in the sorority house, I had to buy and cook my own food. I am fortunate to have a paid internship, but my monthly stipend isn't even enough to cover my rent. Therefore, I'm on a very strict budget, which means I am very careful about what type of food I buy, and I typically don't waste money on junk food. Also, when I make a meal and realize I am full before I finish, I just put the leftovers back in the fridge. In college, I felt bad about wasting food and didn't have anywhere to store leftovers, so I would eat everything on my plate, even if I was full. My budget also limits the number of times I can go out to eat. When I do, I only eat half the dish and save half for later. This isn't even a way to cut calories; I do it because it makes my money go further.

On My Own: Play

Welcome to the second-to-last installment of my "On My Own" series! I've already shown you my living necessities, my eating areas and my comfy bed. Now, it's time to share how I entertain myself:

1. I'm not sure what that strange circle of light is in the photograph, but here is my futon! I like to sit here to eat on my TV tray or read a book after work. It's also where I do most of my blogging and/or television watching. Which brings me to ...
2. My television! I haven't had a television with cable since the 7th grade, so this is pretty exciting. The only things I really watch on cable are college basketball and the new episodes of Law & Order: SVU on Wednesday evenings, but my Netflix account is also hooked up to the set, which is wonderful. Underneath the TV, you can see all my books (mostly writing books, but also a few novels I haven't gotten to yet) and my scrapbooks and photo boxes. I bought the lion bookends at T.J. Maxx my first weekend in Santa Fe for less than $20 (together). I think they're pretty nifty!
3. My apartment also came with this wicker chair (kind of random?), but I don't usually host company so I never use it. Instead, it has ended up being my storage chair for the few pieces of exercise equipment I bought at Target (and have since used approximately three times).

Stay tuned for the final installment in the series: Work!