Crystal: Running

Don't act like you're not impressed!

Born and raised in Peoria, AZ I was fairly active as a child; active in the sense that I played on the playground at school and would ride my bike around the neighborhood…mayyybe even play a game of soccer here and there (but only if I was the goalie of course, I mean who wants to run up and down a field? Not this kid!) Overall, I was a healthy kid, I ate protein and veggies every meal (thanks ma!) and I LOVED fruits but don’t get me wrong, I certainly had my fair share of Rice Krispie Treats and Cheez-Its! Like most kids that age, I never really had to work at staying thin. 

I still have ridiculous dressing habits.

When high school rolled around I joined dance because a) it was free and b) that’s what all the cool kids did! Not really. There were a lot of annoying bitches but I did make some friends. Junior year I joined the tennis team and senior year I started taking a weight training class. Between dance, tennis and weight training senior year I went from 120 lbs to 113 lbs, dropping 3% in body fat. This is about the time I cut soda from my diet and was looking and feeling good! Despite being involved in these activities, I never really ran. We would do the occasional sprints for warmups, but that was it. In weight training we had to run a mile at the beginning of the year and at the end of the year and my time did not improve whatsoever. I walked most of the way, cursing under my breath. I’m really not exaggerating when I say that I HATED running.

Everyone puts ribbon on their rackets, right?

Let’s fast forward a few years. I got a job at Costco in the food court, preparing and serving pizzas all day..aaaand also eating pizza every day. I think my max weight here was 125 lbs but I was okay with that. I started dating someone from Costco as well, only to break up a little over a year later. I dropped weight like that (snaps fingers)! I was back down to 117 lbs. I started eating normally again and put on a few pounds and was feeling healthy but it really started to occur to me that I was not a happy person. I had always been an anxious and moody person but I couldn’t admit to myself, let alone other people. I would just write off my anger and sadness. Not too long after breaking up with my Costco boyfriend I started dating Kyle and we have been together ever since!

Look at this skinny bitch! Ugh, to be 20 again!

Shortly after Kyle and I started dating, we moved to Flagstaff, AZ. It's pretty small college town where there wasn't much to do other than get wasted. Looking back at it though, there were TONS of things to do; I really did miss out on all of the amazing outdoorsy things that Flagstaff had to offer. Now Flagstaff is known for their snowy winters and snow was fucking new to me. We avoided it at all costs. One winter later and countless nights spent in bed, under the covers eating cookies and drinking hot cocoa takes a toll on one’s body. I gained 15 pounds like that (snaps fingers, again…I just really like snapping, ok?)! I was 135 pounds and hated it, but I did nothing to change it. This is when I became a vegetarian but a half ass one. Who has time or money to prepare healthy, produce rich food? Not this broke ass college student! Cheese pizza and subbing rice for beef at Taco Bell is being a vegetarian, right? Wrong. Here comes more weight gain, hello 140 pounds, UGH. At this point I am starting to hate myself. I hate the way I look. I hate the way my clothes don’t fit. I hate shopping for new clothes (and I worked at the cutest fucking boutique in Flagstaff too) I was surrounded by cute clothes all day and I did not want to squeeze my chunky ass into any of it. I became more and more depressed, more and more angry and less and less interested in sex because I felt so insecure (TMI, but hey, it’s the truth). I finally admitted that there was something wrong with me and that there always had been. I had some things I needed to workout with myself. We decided to move back to Phoenix to buy a house and settle down, hoping things would get better if we had our own place and got away from a few negative things in Flagstaff.

Sometimes we can be cute, sometimes.

Being back in Phoenix didn’t really change things and I continued to gain weight. January 2012 I weighed in at 150 pounds. My all time high. I was devastated. I felt like awful. I felt insecure every second of every day. Our vacation to Mexico with a couple of our friends was my nightmare. I would sneak out of my cover-up and into the water like a goddamned ninja for fear of anyone seeing my jiggly thighs and bloated belly. I decided that things had to change, no ifs ands or buts about it. About this time I saw a documentary about juicing called, “Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead.” It motivated me to juice fast for 2 weeks, I was shooting for a month but fuck, that shit is hard when you work a strenuous job. After the fast we made it a point to keep juicing in our diet. We started eating way better but we still weren’t working out much. I got into yoga a bit, and I liked it and all but it wasn’t enough. I tried weight lifting again, I hated it. I tried spin class, I fucking hated that more than anything. 

Thanksgiving Day 5K Classic!

Then one day I came across a running/weight loss blog. She was JUST like me (except she was married and had two kids now) but everything else was dead on. We were the same height, with the same build and she had even spiked up to 150 pounds and was battling depression and anger. One day she decided to try running and something just clicked and she has been running ever since. She lost a bunch of weight and gained a life of happiness again. THAT is what I ultimately wanted back, happiness…and if I lost a few pounds along the way, even better! I started by running around the block with Kyle and our two dogs. I thought I was dying after a quarter of a mile. I was out of breath. I had sharp pains in my lungs. It was pretty awful but it made me happy to be doing something as a family. (Yes, I think of my dogs as my children) We continued to run two to three times a week, I still didn’t love it and it was still really hard but it was rewarding. I almost quit because of my bum knee it but instead I bought a knee brace and some glucosamine chondrotin supplements and kept at it. Even with my legs getting stronger and my knee hurting less, I would always get winded and it would cause me to stop and walk. One day Kyle simply told me to run slower and that was it; I slowed my pace would last twice as long. Half a mile turned into a mile, a mile turned into two and before you knew it, I was ready for my first 5k. I felt on top of the world! Then my 5k came, I was terrified. I wanted to cry from fear, and I almost did but Kyle helped talked me down. I ended up walking a few times (it was fucking hot out there!) but finished in 31:38 for a 10:12 pace. Not too shabby! And that was it. I was hooked. My days turned into reading Runner’s World articles and scouting the next race to run. I set a goal to run a half marathon in the fall but had to postpone it due to starting a new job and opening a new store. I didn’t let the dream die and signed up for the next half marathon. I am proud to say I completed the IMS Arizona Half Marathon in Glendale, AZ on February 17th, 2013 in 02:19:01 for a 10:36 pace. I was really, really hoping for a 02:11:00 time but a foot injury from training severely slowed me down. It didn’t matter though because I did it, I actually did it. I cried like a fucking baby at the finish line and hugged Kyle with all my might. It is my greatest accomplishment, but now I want more. I signed up for the Tucson Marathon that will take place December 8th, 2013. Eek!

IMS Arizona Half Marathon, woot woot! 

I’m not a pro. Hell, I’m not even fast and I have to force myself out the door 90% of the time, but I like it. I never thought I would be the person to say that, but for me, it’s helped me with a lot of things in my life. When I am running regularly, I feel calmer, more relaxed, more thankful for the things I have in my life. I appreciate my body and what it does. It may not be a size 2 anymore, but these thunder thighs of mine have carried me 13.1 miles and that’s pretty awesome. I have lost a 10 pounds through running and dropped 5% body fat. I am now 140 pounds and at a body fat of 25%. I hoped to be down to 125 pounds and at a 21% body fat percentage come marathon time.