(Photo note: Jinny is in the black, Anna is in the pink).
For the first few years of my mommyhood, I believed that being a "good mom" meant giving everything to my daughter. The more I did for her the better. I don't believe this anymore. Being only five years into being a mom, I still have much to figure out, but one thing that I have learned is that if mommy doesn't take care of herself, everyone suffers. I still know a lot of moms that believe they need to give everything to their kids. But that mentality bears a heavy price. It costs different things to different moms; personal dreams, mental and physical health, and even marriages. The old cliché is true," If mama ain't happy, nobody's happy."
I am greatly blessed to have my friend Jinny as an amazing example to me, of how a mom can achieve a huge personal goal and in the meantime become an even better mother and wife to her family. Jinny is a wonderful mom to two childre, ages 6 and 4. She and her husband Jason have been married for 10 years. She is currently a full time mom. I asked her to share her story with The Celebrated Family. I hope you are as encouraged and inspired by Jinny as I always am!
My journey started with a long hard look at myself in the fall of 2006, I was 30 years old, and 65 pounds overweight at least. I had spent the last 10 years of my life packing on the added cushioning for various reasons. I was a decent athlete in high school and my freshman year of college, not great, but definitely an identity I enjoyed about myself. For the next 10 years I pretended that part of my life was over. Then in August 2006 I took a really good look in a mirror (sans clothes) ick! Here I was, I had a GREAT life, a wonderful husband, wonderful children, and so many excuses why I couldn't be healthy. I had one last Wednesday fling with food, the next day I went to my first Weight Watcher's meeting. At the same time my friend Anna, who was had just had a baby got to talking to me. She wanted to do a triathlon that coming summer. I decided that I would train with her. Anna became my training partner, support and very close friend.
In mid February, having lost 30 pounds, my life changed drastically, my mother was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer. I had to sit down and evaluate if I now had time to meet the goal of completing a triathlon. What would my mom now need from me? This was a huge personal test of my commitment to the new me. Exercise ended up being up the answer to dealing with the stress of my mom's cancer. I ran my heart out and in doing I found the old Jinny. The one who could compete. The one who touted herself "The Fastest KID in the third, fourth, and almost all of fifth grade". My husband figured what I needed, he would say "Go run and I will do the dishes" and he actually would do it. Through running I endured my mom's mastectomies, and other procedures and treatments.
By summer 2007, I had lost 45 lbs and six sizes. I looked better than I had in 10 years. I had lost my fat suit and found the Jinny that was in there the entire time. I really, really liked her! I vowed out loud, I will never ever lose her again, she is my best friend and I treasure her. I thanked myself for finally laying the excuses aside, for counting my calories, for making tough eating decisions, and for working out as much as possible. I had great support, but they were always there really, my husband and friends would always have supported me, I was the one to make my decision to change my life.
Triathlon day arrived for Anna and I. Before we dive into the water, I grabbed Anna and thanked her for taking this amazing journey with me. We swam through cold water, biked through bike issues and ran in sweltering heat. With my husband, kids, parents and 80 year old grandmother watching, I finished. I literally leapt for joy. I was broken in half by my smile. I was Jinny again. Finally. Yes, I was tired, but not that tired, labor was more difficult!
I am Jinny, the triathlete, NO ONE can take that away from me.
I still look at my medal every day. Now I take the time to workout frequently and I eat better most of the time. I just ran my fastest 5k time since high school. My son says I have bubble muscles, which I like. With spring finally arriving in Colorado, triathlon season is just around the corner. Anna and I have been training with three other newbie triathlon mom's this winter, helping them along the same path we traveled last winter. I am striving to push myself to the next level and lose the last 20 lbs that I need to lose – man, imagine how fast I will be then!
