JeddoMom (Monica)

See those monkeys?  The one lying down was me at 200+ pounds.  Now I'm swinging from vines and feeling great!!!!!

I am very proud of my 50 lb.+ weight-loss and would like to share my before and after pictures with you.  I lost my weight following the Weight Watchers program.  I also run about 15 miles a week and have completely fallen in love with running!  On Nov. 2, 2004 I ran my first 10K (6.2 miles) and became hooked on running races.  Check out my race times and thoughts below!!

The WW Core program is the most livable, long-term, and FUN weight-loss program that I've ever been on!!  Core got me to goal and will allow me to stay at my goal weight FOREVER!!  Check out the links on my website to find out more about Core!

 

I RAN THE DETROIT MARATHON!!!  SEE THE MARATHON PAGE FOR DETAILS!!!

I have ran many 10 and 5K races and one marathon (26.2 miles) as of March 2008.  I LOVE to run!!!!!!!  Here are my results:

1.  Thanksgiving 10K Turkey Trot~Nov. 25, 2004 This was a "fun run" that started at my gym.  There was ice and snow on the ground that morning!!  I ran with my 13 year old son and 19 year old niece.  These cross-country runners put me to shame, but it made me realize that my love of running is shared by others in my family and it made the run FUN!!!  There were no times recorded and for this run, I was just happy to finish and not slip on the ice!!!

2.  Blue Water Hospice 10K River Run~June 4, 2005  I really trained hard for this run!!  It was my first "real" race and they had numbers and official times and everything!!  It was so exciting to be there with all the other runners!!  Time:  1:40:55 (one hour, 40 sec, etc...)

3.  YMCA/CHOK 10K Blue Water Bridge Run~June 26, 2005  This run was really special because we actually got to run up and over the Blue Water Bridge and into Sarnia, Canada.  It was a hard run, with the heat and uphill getting to and over the bridge, but I actually improved my time and had a GREAT run!!!  Time:  1:01:09

4.  Fort Gratiot Rotary Trail Trek III~August 6, 2005  My first 5k!!  It was a fundraiser for the local Girl Scouts and there was no 10K, just a 5K.  Doing a 5K was harder than I thought it would be because I was trying so hard to run fast that I found myself getting tired much sooner than I expected.  My goal was to run the 3.1 miles in less than 30 minutes and I did it!!!  Time:  28:37

5.  Village of Lexington, MI 5K Race~August 20, 2005  This local 5K run was a fundraiser for the Cros-Lex high school athletic department (our local high school).  My son, Josh (13) ran this race too, with his cross-country team.  This race was the best ever, because I knew so many people who were there watching the race.  Time:   27:30  I beat my last 5K time!!!!!!!!

I was supposed to run the Turkey Trot 10K on Thanksgiving morning (Nov. 24, 2005) but was sidelined with a horrible case of bronchitis and a bloodclot in my left leg.  I also missed the YMCA Jingle Bell Run on Dec. 2, 2005.  GGGRRR!!!!!  The good news is that I'm ok now and am back running!!  I'm looking forward to the Spring races in my area!!   

6.  YMCA of Port Huron Leprechaun Loop 10K Run~March 11, 2006  OMG, OMG, OMG!!!!  Josh and I ran the 10K this morning and check-out my time:  56:41!!!!!!!!!!  I ran to end this disturbing chapter of my life with the bloodclot and all that other crazy stuff.  I DIDN'T run to beat my previous times, BUT I DID!!!!!!!!!  Wow, I couldn't believe it when I saw my time at the finishline!!!  I'm all better!!!!!!!!  Oh, by the way, Josh ran the 10K in 43 minutes and 29 seconds.  He got FIRST place in his age division!!!  (he's 14)  Today was an AWESOME day!!!!  :o)   (disclaimer:  I found out in March of 2007 that the course was 1/2 mile short for this 10k, so my time was NOT as good as I had thought.  Oh well, it sure was exciting to think it was.....)

7.  Blue Water Hospice 10K River Run~June 3, 2006 (Marysville, MI)  This was a GREAT race, but for some reason my time was a bit slower than last year.  I ran it in 1 hour and 3 minutes.  The exciting thing about this race was the fact that I didn't run alone!!!  My son Josh ran too and got FIRST in his age group and 7th overall.  Also, my friend Theresa ran the 5K!!  It was her first race ever and she did GREAT!!!!  The weather was perfect and it was so FUN!!!

8.  YMCA/CHOK 10K Blue Water Bridge Run~June 25, 2006 (Port Huron, MI to Sarnia, Ontario)  Josh ran this race with me and it was wonderful!!!  Ok, I lied.  It was HARD HARD HARD!!!  That bridge is killer and even Josh admitted that it was the hardest race that he had ever ran.  I was not too happy with my time, 1 hour 2 minutes, but I was really happy when I saw the finish line!!

9.  Village of Lexington 5K~August 19, 2006  Man I ran hard for this race, but my time was 28:38, not a PR (personal record), but I felt GREAT during and after the run.  Josh kicked butt again with a time of 21:05!!!

10.  Detroit Free Press Marathon (26.2 miles)~October 29, 2006  This race deserved it's own page, see "Marathon Memories" for details!!  Time: 5 hours, 19 minutes

11.  YMCA of Port Huron Jingle Bell 5K Run~December 3, 2006  We FROZE, but it was FUN!!!  My time 27:45, Josh's time 20:09!!!!

12.  YMCA of Port Huron Leprechaun Loop 10K~March 17, 2007  WOOHOO!!!!  We were literally blown away by the cold wind, but I ran my fastest 10K EVER!!!!  My time 60:13, Josh's time 43:46!!!!

13.  Unlucky race #13???  Yale 5K~July 28, 2007  Well, Josh kicked butt on this race with a time of 18:28.  He was AWESOME!!!  I ran the 5k in 29:14.  My first race since my surgery, and my slowest one in a long time.  Oh well, now I need to focus on getting FASTER. (and to remember that I run these races for the FUN of being around other runners, the many calories burned, and to help keep me in shape.  Hey, I'm 40 now.  I'm allowed to slow down a bit, right???  NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!) 

14.  Fort Gratiot Trail Trek V, 10K and 5K Run~August 4, 2007  PR PR PR for me!!!!  YES!!!  I ran the 10K in 59 minutes and 28 seconds!!!!  I came in 2nd place for my age division and came home with a medal!!!  Josh also had a GREAT race and came in third for the 5K!!!  His time was 18 minutes, 18 seconds!!  It was a beautiful day for a race and we had so much fun!!!

15.  Village of Lexington 5K~August 18, 2007   Another PR for me!!!  WOOHOO!!!  This was my fastest 5K yet!!!  27 minutes, 22 seconds!!!!  It was an incredible race and Josh came in 4th overall with a time of 18:02!!!  My middle son, Timmy, ran the one mile fun run and had a GREAT time of  7 minutes, 26 seconds.  I got a medal for coming in 3rd in my age division and Josh got FIRST in his age division.  What an awesome day for the Matthews' runners!!!

16.  YMCA of Port Huron Jingle Bell Run 5K~December 2, 2007   Wow, I PR'D AGAIN!!!!  I am smokin'!!!! (and it's free and legal!!!) Time 27:01!!  I really pushed myself in the last half of this run.  Josh came in SECOND place for the whole race!!!  I got 4th in my age division and another medal.  WOOHOO!!!!

You all know what this means, don't you?  I am so TOTALLY going for under 27 minutes for my next 5K!!

17.  YMCA Leprechaun Loop 5 and 10K~March 15, 2008   ANOTHER PR!!!!!!!  I ran the 10K in 58 minutes and 5 seconds!!!!!!!!!!  That's over a minute faster than my last 10K!!!  Wow, I was SO excited!!!  I was also SO proud of my two oldest sons, Josh and Timmy, for running the 5K and BOTH earning medals.  Josh(16) came in 3rd place for the whole race of over 300 runners with a time of 18:50.  Timmy ran his very FIRST 5K and had an awesome time of 24:30.  We ALL earned medals and came in the top 3 for our age groups!!!!  It was a perfect day, in the high 20's, but NO wind.  We did have ICE to deal with, but we still all did an incredible job!!!!!

Next race?  I'm not sure.  I think we'll tackle the Blue Water Bridge 10K in June!!!!!!!  We'll see.... 

After the race is the BEST part of the race for me!!  LOL!!  I feel so good about myself and what I've done.  I'm sweaty, smelly, and tired, BUT who cares?  I'm also pumped, excited, and so proud of myself!!  This picture was taken after the 5k race on August 6, 2005.

Ok, call my crazy, but I have to share (brag) about what I did on Oct. 5, 2005.  It started out as a normal day when I dropped my kids off at school.  I drove to the local bike/fitness trail where I love to run.  It was an incredible day, clear and sunny, but not hot.  The perfect morning for a run.   I decided to just run for as long as I could just to see how long I could run without stopping.  So, I ran and ran and ran and ran.........

FOR 9 MILES!!!!!  I RAN FOR 1 HOUR AND 37 MINUTES!!!!!!!!

OMG, what an incredible feeling!!!  When I got close to the 9 mile mark, my back started to ache.  I realized that I had run far enough and needed to stop.  I stopped at exactly 9 miles (900 calories!) and walked for awhile to cool down and think about what I had just done.  I could hardly believe that I could run so far!!  Me, who weighed over 200 lbs. a few short years ago!!!!  I have come so far and feel so FREE when I run.  I think I am officially addicted now!!!!!!!!!!  :o) Monica

(Although it's been over 2 years since I wrote this, I am keeping it on my website.  This moment was like a lightbulb moment for me in that I realized that I had so much more I could do with my love to run.  Since I wrote this I have found the courage and strength to do things that I never thought possible.)

 

For those of you who don't understand what is so great about running, let me try and explain and maybe, just maybe, I can sway some of you to give it a try.

For me, running is the ultimate solo sport, but it's done around other runners who share the love of running. I run because I CAN. Someday, I may be like others here who, for various reasons, cannot run, but at this time in my life I can run, so I do. Sometimes it is the build-up and anticipation of a good run that gets me really excited about running. Other times, like today, it is the intense feelings AFTER the run that keeps me signing up for more races. I cried after I ran today (again)! I just have these feelings inside of me that are so dang proud that I can run 6.2 miles, without stopping, in the company of other runners. Some are very fit, some are in-between like me, and some are overweight, but obviously doing what they can to get healthier. During the run, I sometimes question why the heck I do these things to myself, but I just keep running and thinking of how much better I feel just being outside running and free. Towards the end of a race, I run my heart out. It's times like that when I feel like I'm flying and I feel no pain, no fatigue, just FREEDOM. It's almost indescribable, but it's GREAT.

Whatever you do for your exercise, find something that you like. Have fun with working out!!! Enjoy the sweat and know that you are doing something wonderful for your mind AND your body. :o) Monica

A Bump in the road.........

On May 4th, 2007 I had surgery to remove the neuroma in my foot that had caused me a lot of pain, especially during all my marathon training.  I thought it would be a simple, out-patient surgery, with me running again in no time.  Well...............I was wrong.  The surgery was simple and out-patient, but the recovery was WAY harder than I ever expected and I am just now (6 weeks post-surgery) able to run again, but not without some pain.  I am sad that I am missing the early summer races that I run each year.  I am frustrated that I can't run like I was running a year ago.  I turn 40 in a few short weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  This time next year, I will be STRONG and HEALED and FAST. 

My son Josh is training for his up-coming cross-country season and those high school runners had better watch-out!!!  I am so proud of him and in awe of the discipline that he is showing.  He is running every day and keeping track of his miles and times.  He is truly amazing and I am so darn proud to be his mom.  I wish I could be out with him, logging the miles!!!!  I can't wait to see how much faster he will be in those 5K's next cross season!!!!!!

Sigh..............first, I AM A RUNNER.  For my own sanity I had to say that.  Second, I recently found out that I have a tumor (yes, tumor) in my left heel.  <sniff>  It has become so painful for me to run that I have had to stop running FOR NOW.  Don't worry (and how sweet of you to worry), it is benign.  The doctor said that "tumor" is really just a medical buzzword for something in your body that does not belong there.  So, I have a 2 cm tumor in my heel that hurts like <insert colorful swear word here> after I run.  It doesn't really hurt WHEN I run, but I pay for it ALL DAY after I run.  I will be having surgery sometime in the middle of July to have it removed.  With 3 very active kids (sports, school, etc...), and three trips planned in the next 6 weeks, I just can't take the time for the surgery and recovery right now.  I'm mostly bummed because the nice weather is FINALLY here and I can't run.  I'm also bummed that I am going to miss all of the summer local 5 and 10K's.  Oh well, there's always next year and I WILL RUN THEM ALL NEXT YEAR.  Stay tuned for my surgery and recovery reports and thanks for stopping by my website!!!!!

I need to take a few minutes here and share (brag!) about how proud I am of my son, Josh.  He is just finishing up an incredible high school cross-country season (he's a junior).  TODAY (10/27/07) he qualified for the state cross-country meet!!  He finished 15th in a HUGE race and the top 15 runners qualified for states.  I am SO darn proud of him that I could just cry.  Oh yeah, I did.  I got so emotional when he finished that I just couldn't help losing it a bit.  Josh has worked so hard to become a stronger and faster runner this year.  He started training on his own early this summer.  He followed the training/mileage schedule of a very successful former teammate and that training has paid off 100%.  He ran all summer long, setting his alarm to run early on hot days and many times running again at night.  He gave up his favorite thing (sleeping till noon) on Saturday mornings to get those miles in when school started.  He had an awesome cross-country season this year and was the #1 runner on his team in all but one meet.  Watching him today qualify for the state meet was such a proud moment for me!!!!  I am a proud runner mom and not afraid to admit it!!!!

OMG, I'M 40!!!!!!  (7-7-67!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

This wacky sign was delivered to my house as a surprise by my former college roomies and BEST buds, Heidi and Dee:

 

ANNOUNCEMENT #2!!!

There are now THREE runners in our household!!  On August 18, 2007, my middle son, Timmy, ran the one mile fun run before the Lexington 5K that Josh and I ran.  He had a fantastic time of  7 minutes and 26 seconds!!!  He is going to join the middle school cross-country team and I'm completely looking forward to watching both my boys run this season!!!! (yep, I pretty much have "proud mom" written all over my face at the moment)