It’s been exactly one year since I started Half of Jess. And boy has it been a learning experience.

I went from barely being able to run a mile to running my first 5K race ever. The Carlsbad 5000 will forever be remembered as the day I conquered 3.1 miles. And having my entire family there to support me meant the world to me.

I switched from running with shoes to running almost barefoot with my gorilla feet.

I created a Life & Body Tournament bracket with goals I hope to accomplish. I’m glad to say that I’ve achieved a good chunk of them.

I ran my first half marathon, cried like a baby at the finish line, and learned a bunch of lessons about running. Do I absolutely love running? Yes, because I believe we were born to run.

I’ve accepted the fact that I run at a snail’s pace but am running intervals right now to crank up my speed. I finally managed to run a sub-8:30 mile but I’m currently a bit slower right now. Actually, a lot slower.

I finally reached the 170s but my poor balance between life and law school resulted in a temporary hiatus that caused me to regain some weight.

This morning, I weighed in at 181.0. This is my first official weigh-in on the blog since September. I’ve realized that I need to start doing weekly weigh-ins again to keep myself accountable, and so that I can view healthy living as a bigger picture.

Blogging has helped me learn so much about myself. I am a binge eater when I cannot cope with stress, but I’ve learned that exercise and training is a huge, natural stress-reliever. When I blog, I stay accountable, not only to others, but to myself. I force myself to think about my problems, to analyze why I am the way I am, and only then can I attempt to improve and change myself.

Has the year been filled with lots of glorious achievements? Sure. But it has also been riddled with some disappointments.

Disappointment that I’ve let myself slip. Disappointment that I’ve experienced some weight gain. Disappointment that I may yo-yo diet again, which is something I refuse to do. Disappointment that I no longer think a 10K is a short distance.

But the beauty is, these disappointments are not permanent, because I control my destiny. I make changes for the better. I create my own future.

This next year on Half of Jess, I want to…

Run a half marathon in March.
Run a full marathon by the end of 2011.
Race in a sprint triathlon.
Run a sub-30 5K.
Reach 100 pounds total loss.
Maintain that loss for at least a month minimum.
And, raise my GPA.

 
Thank you. Thank you for supporting me through this year. Thank you for listening to me whine, brag, complain, share about my experiences. Thank you for giving me advice, for sympathizing with my joys and pains. Thank you for being my reliable supporters and fans. Thank you for everything.

This journey has been so much easier, so much happier, because of you all. You who cheer me along, you who inspire me, you who advise me, you who call me out on my crap. Thank you.