T-Minus 12 hours 'til my First Triathlon

What. Was. I. Thinking? This short question has been running through my head since March 1st.

What happened on March 1st?

I took a leap waaayy out of my comfort zone and signed up for The Boston Triathlon - my first.

Maybe I was delusional from training for The Boston Marathon or something. But, here's the full story of how the registration came to be.

It took me awhile to really get into the training since well a lot of stuff happened around the Marathon. And I just couldn't find a training plan that I could relate to.

So finally on June 24, I attempted my own personal sprint triathlon at the gym with the same distances as the Boston Tri (0.5 mile swim, 9 mile bike and 4 mile run) and here were the results.

I survived!!

After that I finally found a training plan I liked and got to serious work. As I mentioned the ride for the race is 9 miles, but by far the bike is my weakest area so I wanted to get as much practice on the bike as I could. So I actually attempted a 2 hour bike ride on Saturday, July 13th and I made it 1:42:30 into the ride (24+ miles) before getting a flat tire. Yay! Third time on the bike and my first flat tire. I figured it was better then especially with my wife just minutes away to rescue me than on race day!!

But, with just two weeks to go until the race I realized I still had YET to do an open-water swim. Now, I have read many people who never did an open-water swim before their triathlon and lived to tell the tale. I couldn't do that. I needed to see how swimming in the pool differed from open-water ... with a wetsuit!

So finally, this past Wednesday, I met a group of ZOOM Multisport Triathlon members and fellow Tedy's Team members and met them at Carson Beach - the site of the race - and finally bit the bullet. It was AWESOME!! I love swimming anyway, but the wetsuit really adds some great buoyancy to the experience. We actually swam the 1/2 mile which would be used for the actual race, which was great exposure.

(Thank you to my friend Darcie who is letting me borrow her wetsuit)

I even managed two BRICK workouts - once I looked up what that meant. :P I did get out and bike then immediately run twice and felt great. It was interesting how alive the legs felt coming off the bike. Hopefully that sticks tomorrow. :)

And Friday marked the end of my #runstreak at Day 18. How did I finish the streak? With a solid 4-mile run to test out the race belt I would be using for the race because I didn't want ANY surprises on Sunday morning.

What was left for me to do? Why channel all of the amazing positivity, love and encouragement from all of you - my amazing blog readers. It also helped to get me out of my own mindset.

Every time I try something new I immediately zip back to the 230 lb me and freak out. Well, this time I will be using the amazing words from Tedy Bruschi to push me through the race ... see how amazing they are yourself here.

But, today was race packet pick-up day. Eek! Races ALWAYS get real when the bib is in hand.

They were just setting things up because you know me - I was there right as they opened. But, I did do a lap of the transition area to see where my bike would be.

Sooo this whole thing is much more complicated than a normal race. :P There are numbers for you and your bike and tattoos to adhere to your arms, hand and legs. Oh and you also have a special swim cap based on which wave you will be in. They seem to be based on gender and age. I will be in Wave 5. The race starts at 8am and it looks like my wave will head out around 8:12am.

As I munch on some wheat pasta (yum!), I am all tatted up, I've watched transition videos on Youtube, my swim/bike/run stuff is all packed in my bag, the bike rack is on the car, Roxie is primed and ready to go, the alarm is set for 5am and I realize I have done all I could do.

I'm also trying not to think about how this race does NOT have a Finisher's Medal (BIG BOO!!) and the post-race beer sponsor is Michelob Ultra. Ummm no thanks!! I definitely went and purchased some Slumbrew so that I can have my own celebration at home!! :)

For now, I leave you all with this. The preparation is done. The accessories are organized. Now all there is left to do is freakin' enjoy it!!

Tomorrow I, Dani Holmes-Kirk, will complete an actual triathlon. It doesn't matter that it is the smallest triathlon they have in terms of length because all that matters is crossing that Finish Line.

With one HUGE smile on my face!

***

If you would like to track me tomorrow, I am Bib #339 and you can enter it on this site. They have "auto refresh" available as well. It looks like my wave starts the swim around 8:12am EST.

Weekly Workout Wind Up (7/25-31/13)

Well in case you didn't know, this was the last week before my first triathlon (Sprint) on Sunday, August 4. So I thought it time to FINALLY try a BRICK workout (which means you do two different types of workouts with minimal time in between). I was actually surprised how strong my legs felt after getting off the bike and heading into my run. This week I also jumped out of my comfort zone trying a couple different workouts, while also extending my #runstreak to 16 days! I have NEVER gone that long before. I think my body is getting tired so I think August 3 may be a complete REST DAY before the tri! We will see.

Overall, I am REALLY proud of how I was able to turn my workouts around in July and really refocus by the end. I am ready to bring that intensity into August when full on Dopey Challenge training goes into effect.

Thursday, July 25: 2-Mile Run

Friday, July 26: 4-Mile Run

Saturday, July 27: Urban RAID 5k

Sunday, July 28: 55-Min Spin and BRICK workout (9.43 mile bike+3.1 mile run)

Monday, July 29: 1-Hour Personal Training Session, 2-Mile Run and Spin

Tuesday, July 30: Harvard Stadium Stairs and 2-Mile Run with the pup

Wednesday, July 31: 1/2-Mile Open-Water Swim and 3-plus Mile Run

GAH bring on the tri! :P

Urban RAID Boston

An obstacle course race without mud, color, electric or any of the other messy stuff. :P Nope. Urban RAID Boston used history as its backdrop - it's WOW factor.

That's right.

On Saturday, I participated in RAID Series inaugural Urban RAID race in Boston.

Not gonna lie - I LOVE being a part of a race during the first year. I like to see the highs and lows and offer the race committee my personal thoughts on how it went. Not that many care, but I like to offer them anyway. ;)

Let's back up.

In May, through social media channels, I got ahold of someone at RAID Series who after some emails back and forth offered me the chance to run the event in Boston for free ($65 value) AND create my own team (3 other folks).

OH HECK YES!!

All I had to do was share my thoughts on the race - good or bad.

Well that sounds like a deal I could go for.

So in June, I worked on building my team. The goal of participating in the run and having a team was to 1) relay the joy or running this type of race with friends and 2) to prove that people of all fitness levels could participate.

On to picking a team I went. I was able to wrangle up: Becki from FightingForWellness.com, Erin from CreativeSoulInMotion.com and my friend Mark who is a member of Team Slumbrew with me.

Our team was set and we were looking forward to it - as you can tell in my post a month before the run.

Shortly before race day, Mark had to back out due to a prior commitment so I went to my blog and thankfully a reader - Jacqueline - was happy enough to sub in.

Now as we have all learned by reading this blog - I love a good running outfit. Well an obstacle course gives me even more reason for a fun outfit. Why? Because I have very poor upper body strength (working on it) so I can distract the crowd with sparkles or good socks. :)

I had to come up with a team name for us quickly to get us registered so I panicked and called us: "Blog-bastic." Like Boombastic, but with Blog (since 3 of us were bloggers). Yes I told you it was bad.

Thankfully Erin decided to rename us Team Peanut Butter ... and we went with it! :)

Photo Courtesy FightingForWellness.com

I was lucky enough to pick up all of our bibs the afternoon before so we coordinated to meet in front of Anthem in Faneuil Hall at 8:30am on Saturday.

Oh did I not mention that the race was taking place in Boston's historic Faneuil Hall. Yeah, pretty badass if you ask me. Running, jumping and climbing through one of the most historic parts of the country is pretty sweet.

The first wave went off at 9am. When we arrived at the race, we had no idea what wave we would be in. They weren't pre-announced. Instead the DJ/MC announced who was eligible for each corral as they were decided. They ended up being broken up by sex then age. So all males from 16-29 say went in Wave 1 then Wave 2 was females from 16-19, etc. Well our team had a mix of ages so we had no idea which wave to join. It seemed as if most people felt the confusion - especially co-ed teams - so most people just seemed to go whenever they wanted to. So that was a little confusing at the beginning.

We decided to go in one of the last corrals for no particular reason besides allowing us to really stick to our own pace.

I let the group know before we started that our goal was to start together, make it through all the obstacles as a group and finish strong as one. This 5k race was about pushing each other, finding each other's strengths and completing the course.

As I said over and over - we didn't need any heroes that day.

If someone was unable to complete an obstacle, it was stated on the website that the person would do 5 burpees in place of the obstacle.

Once we crossed the Start Line, we were in the zone and all nerves were gone. We kept a nice even pace and really got into a nice rhythm and conversation - since we were basically all meeting for the first time that morning.

Thankfully chemistry was instant.

There was a preview of obstacles online, which you can check out here.

But the course had to be changed at the last minute due to a conflicting event happening in Downtown Boston as well.

I give the RAID group credit for thinking on their feet and really using the best of the space they were given.

Water Barriers

Marine Hurdles (twice)

Saddlebags (20 or 40 lbs)

Monkey Bars (which Jacqueline is OWNING in the front & Erin in the back)

And the final obstacles heading to the Finish were: rope/ladder, climbing down the wall backwards and heading over the wall.

That was a glimpse of about 90% of the obstacles.

I am proud of myself for completing each obstacle on the course, but walking down the wall backwards gave me the biggest shock. I felt like I would just tumble down to the cobblestone. Thankfully a fellow runner took pity on me and walked down the wall slowly next to me, encouraging me the whole way and offering a huge high five when we hit ground! I owe that man a lot.

In the end, we finished in about 36 minutes ...

... and looked AWESOME doing it! :)

The race was well-organized (whereas good number of volunteers, course was well laid out, etc). The wave situation was confusing at the Start, but that is easily fixed. 

There was also a course issue where you had to cross two streets which were open to traffic twice during the run. An odd layout, but understandable given their lack of space situation. RAID did handle this little hiccup well. They had timing mats on both sides of the street so if you were stuck at a red light - it wouldn't compromise your overall time. Additionally, they put the water stop in the median between the streets so you could walk and drink water/dump it on your head without worrying about your time. Brilliant use of technology folks. I found it a great break as it was hot on the course.

It was super cool to be running and doing obstacles while tourists were just going about their business enjoying Boston. I'm sure we ended up in a lot of their vacation albums.

There was a sweet tech shirt, which we were lucky enough to get with our entry, but most people had to pay $20 for it.

The only other confusion came at the post-race party. RAID was nice enough to partner with Ned Devine's to offer the runners an air-conditioned space to meet up with family and friends after the run. Now we were under the impression that each racer would receive 3 complimentary beers courtesy of Shipyard Brewing since there were 3 BEER tear-off tabs on our bib. 

But, when we got to Ned Devine's, they informed us it was one beer per person then $3.50 a beer after that.

Hmmm...

So I went in search of my contact to inquire about what was actually owed to racers. She said she was working with her managers to figure that out and to check back.

Well, I had to get back to my patient so we decided to head out after our one brew. I did not have a chance to follow-up to see what ended up happening with the beer situation, but would be interested to see what did occur.

(Note: when I went home after the race to search through race emails - the emails from RAID did have one beer per person from the get go.)

Would I do this race again? For sure -- if either price was reduced, a Finisher's Medal was included and more than one beer. It was challenging enough, but was still doable by each member of Team Peanut Butter. Plus, having the burpee option put many people's minds at ease.

***

Have you ever done a RAID Series event?

The Words Of Tedy Bruschi Stuck...

Words can strike you at any time. Occasionally a person will say something and it means nothing in the exact moment, but days or weeks later the words come flooding back with full force and meaning.

Well, that happened to me today.

During my brief 2-mile run Monday afternoon, Tedy Bruschi popped into my head.

(Note: Tedy was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame on Monday night! YAY! Go Tedy!)

During one of the few times I was in the presence of Tedy during the Boston Marathon events with Tedy's Team, Tedy made a great speech.

He went on to talk about how the Boston Marathon itself was our party. That everything leading up to the Start Line was the work. We put in the blood, sweat and tears to make it to the Start Line.

So all that is left is to enjoy it - to soak up every moment of the run and PARTY!!

It meant something the moment he said it - so much that I started crying - but it truly didn't click until yesterday.

As I fret and worry about the upcoming Sprint Triathlon on Sunday and the Dopey Challenge in January, I need to let go of all of that when I hit the Start Line.

And it's freakin' spot on! I mean seriously ... and in all parts of life not just fitness-wise!

There have been races in the past where I can't tell you what the course was like or the spectators. Why? Because I was too focused on time to take in the experience.

Now as I push myself to new limits it's time to stop and smell the roses. During races it's time to ENJOY what I've spent so much time prepping for.

The hours of training are done and all that's left is the fun part - the event itself.

Which brings us to Sunday aka my first Sprint Triathlon.

I've been freaking out about it for awhile now. Why? Not so sure. I know I can do all of the elements and have been working on doing them in a row with minimal rest (aka BRICK workout).

But I think it is the unknown that really gets me. I don't know what to expect in a triathlon because I've never done one.

Well, that is the EXACT reason to "take it all in" on Sunday!

You only have one first triathlon, right?

Well, I won't have any rockin' music during the race or party favors, but I will have Tedy's words reminding me to PARTY LIKE IT'S 1999!!

(Okay, I paraphrased that last part!)

***

Do you agree with Tedy's thought process? Is your race your party?

Dani Dishes 7-29-13

On this episode of Dani Dishes, I talk about planning and how important it is for my weight loss, weight maintenance and fitness journeys!! Product Of The Week: Alex and Ani Bracelets

Three Things Thursday

Three new products I've tried out recently and am digging: 1) Arctic Ease (Value $15.95 per wrap)

What is it?

ARCTIC EASE® WRAPS ARE AN EASY EFFECTIVE TREATMENT THAT PROVIDES HOURS OF COOL RELIEF FROM PAIN AND INFLAMMATION WITHOUT THE DISCOMFORT OF ICE OR FROZEN GEL PACKS. IN ADDITION TO ELIMINATING THE IRRITATION AND ODOR FROM MENTHOL PATCHES.

I first heard about these wraps from Colleen at TheFitBee.com in April 2012 at her virtual run.

I LOVED being able to ice my knee without being tied down to a bed or couch. I wrapped it up and continued about my day as normal. It was awesome! PLUS, it is reusable (4-8 times per wrap). Say wha? I know!! :)

You just return the wrap to the pouch or plastic container, add 2 tbsps of water, reseal keep at room temperature and it will be good to use multiple times! It makes the $15.95 per wrap price tag a little easier to swallow when you know you can reuse it.

A couple of months back I reached out to Arctic Ease to see if I could score a sample so I could try them again and tell you all about them.

They were nice enough to send me 2 wraps - blue and red. At first I thought they were different types of wraps, but I think one was old packaging and one was new because everything else on the bottles read exactly the same.

The nice things about these wraps is that they can be used on ankles, knees, elbows, shoulders, wrists, feet and lower backs. Additionally, their website gives you step by step instructions on how to apply the wrap depending on the area of the body and the pain.

As the package states:

ARCTIC EASE administers therapeutic cold compression while conforming to the affected site. It'll stay in one place, even if you don't. It's suitable for sprains, arthritis, minor burns, bruises and muscle craps.

And besides being functional, it comes in six colors so you can coordinate with your outfit. ;)

(Note: I am wearing the red one on my right knee as I type this!)

***

2) Shower Pill (Value - $10 for a 10 pack)

What is it?

ShowerPill™ is the hygiene supplement designed to keep you fresh and clean while on-the-go. This large premium antibacterial body wipe is individually packaged to be discrete, yet versatile and big on performance.

So I had no idea what a hygiene supplement is so thankfully they explained it further on their website:

Just touched that doorknob? You should run to the sink, but grab hand sanitizer instead. Finished that tuna sandwich and forgot your toothbrush? Better pop a breath mint. Worked up a sweat during your midday workout? The ShowerPill™ Athletic Body Wipe™ will keep you fresh so that you can stay at your best all day long.

I was scrolling through Twitter the other night and all of a sudden the twitter handle - @ShowerPill - and was instantly intrigued. Many of you know I usually work out in between Weight Watchers meetings and I am always rushing to squeeze a rinse off before interacting with people. :P So I thought I had to give this a shot.

Shower Pill sent me a couple wipes to try and we IMMEDIATELY put them to good use. Why? Well, my wife couldn't shower for at least 48 hours after knee surgery last week and it was about 100 degrees out so we needed to help her sweaty self out. We used a Shower Pill wipe and it worked like a charm. Since she gave it a positive review, it was my turn.

On Tuesday, I had to fit in a run between meetings and was running late (shocker!) so it was Shower Pill to the rescue. I was pleasantly surprised. I didn't smell at all like I had just been covered in sweat a mere five minutes earlier.

Would I use them after every single workout, probably not. But, I will be keeping them on hand in my house and gym bag for emergencies. I'd rather use one of these than show up smelly. You never want to be the smelly kid. :P

Also, read how Shower Pill was invented - I found it entertaining! :)

***

3) ROAD ID App (Value - free)

To all my readers here that exercise outside (walking, jogging, prancercising, cycling, etc): I highly recommend you download the FREE Road ID iPhone app! It is still in BETA, but I downloaded it last weekend (find it here).

We all know I never leave home without my ROAD ID bracelet, which has contact information on it as well. BUT, the app will contact people FOR you.

Stock Photo From ROAD ID

You input up to 5 phone numbers into the app and the app will contact those people when you head out on a workout AND if you stop in one place for too long.

So on Saturday when I headed out for a run, I had to try it out. So the main screen allows you to note how long you will be going out for, which type of activity you are doing, etc.

Stock Photo From ROAD ID

I inputted just my wife's information and as I hit "start" on the app she received the following text:

Cool!

So on Sunday, we wanted to text the "alert" feature so I went out for a run and told my wife that at the end I would keep my phone in one place for 5 minutes while I stretched - just so she didn't get worried something really happened. (Especially since she is laid up with a bum knee :P)

And here is what happened:

Once I was in one spot for 4 minutes, this timer started going off saying I had 1 minute left. It was LOUD. I could hear the alarm going off even with my headphones on, but I had to let it countdown. Once the timer hit zero, my wife received the text on the right.

I think this can be one amazing app and something I will definitely use in the future. Someone online mentioned theirs stopped running when they took a picture, but I took 3 pictures during the run and ROAD ID kept counting away. :)

Unfortunately it is just available for the iPhone, but I'm sure it will expand once it is out of BETA.

***

Have a Happy Thursday!! :)

Weekly Workout Wind Up (7/18-24/13)

Unfortunately this has been a mainly running focused week. With my wife's knee surgery on Friday, I have been on nurse duty so trying to sneak in what I can when I can. But I can say that I ran every day this week - I can't remember the last time I did that! :) Bring on the Dopey Challenge!! BUT I did cross a huge running milestone: I passed the 600-mile run mark for 2013. My goal for this year is to run 1,000 miles and I think I will do it, especially if I keep on this rate! :)

*Knock on wood* No injuries ... Ain't no one got time for that! :P

Thursday, July 18: 5k-Run

Friday, July 19: 5.19-Mile Run

Saturday, July 20: 5-Mile Run

Sunday, July 21: 55-Min Spin and 4-Mile Run

Monday, July 22: 4-Mile Run

Tuesday, July 23: 3-Mile Run

Wednesday, July 24: 3-Mile Run and 1,800-Meter Swim

This has been one tough week with high temperatures and tons of humidity in Boston, but you just have to keep pushing through. Why? Because you never know what weather conditions will be like on race day!

What To Do With My Boston Marathon Space Blanket?

I was sooo looking forward to getting my first space blanket on April 15 following completion of the Boston Marathon. Now for those that don't know the space blanket as many people refer to it is the low-weight, low-bulk blanket made of heat-reflective thin plastic sheeting that many races give out to runners once completing a race.

Before Boston, I had run two marathons and a number of other races and NEVER gotten a blanket. I don't really know what my fixation was on the blanket, but I wanted in on the action. :P

So on the morning of April 15, I thought how I was just hours away from FINALLY being in the cool space blanket club.

But, as many know, the events of April 15 changed the normal post-race jubilation.

And that space blanket that I longed for because more like a life vest.

When I finally reconnected my family and we made our way home, it took me hours to remove the blanket from my shoulders. Once I finally did, I set up my little Boston Marathon corner of the living room so I could keep an eye on it.

This little memorial if you will stayed in tact in the corner of my living room until the roses died three weeks later.

But for some reason, I still couldn't move the blanket. So yes, three months later and the blanket still adorns a TV tray in my living room.

Now I need to move on. I need to remove the blanket from the TV tray. But, what do I do with it?

I CAN'T throw it away. Okay, I can physically throw it away, but emotionally I cannot.

So who has suggestions for me? What can I do to keep this space blanket around?

I may not PR again in 2013...

... and that okay with me. But why?

And how am I oddly okay with that?

In case you are new to my blog, I haven't always been a runner. In fact, for most of my life I loathed running and tried to avoid it at all costs.

I finally gave it a go in January 2005 and long story short: got hooked, made it from running 1/2 a mile to completing my first marathon in September 2006 then got injured and stopped running until probably 2010.

In December 2010, I got a herniated disc and had back surgery in January 2012. I was sidelined from running (just after picking it back up) until June 2011.

And then...

... I was hooked.

I started signing up for as many races as I could and as my body healed and the weight came off. It seemed as if I PR'ed race after race.

It quickly became an addiction - the sweet taste of a shiny PR at the end of a race was all I could think about.

But, I was out on a training run for the upcoming Dopey Challenge in January 2014...

(For those that don't know that is running 4 races in 4 days for a total of 48.6 miles in Disneyworld)

... I thought about my training plan. How I am now incorporating five races (four half marathons and one full marathon) into the plan.

(Who the heck ever saw that coming - that I would use a half or full marathon race as a training run!)

I realized I may or may not run those races at full speed because they are going to be training runs.

Will I see how I feel on those days? Sure.

Can I change my mind and go hard at any point in time? Of course.

But, now my goal isn't to get a new shiny PR each race out. It is thinking about the long-term prize: completing the Dopey Challenge and proudly wearing the six race medals it brings around my neck.

I need to re-frame and instead of looking in the short term - taking each race on their own - I need to look at the long term - how will this race get me closer to my goal.

It's weird for me to say that.

But for the girl who once struggled to run 1/2 a mile ... this is an un-freakin-believable post to write! :)

***

Have you had to re-frame your race goals to keep your eye on a long-term prize?

An Interview With The Biggest Loser's Fa Cousins (Part 1)

"If I could just get on the Biggest Loser, my life would begin and I would finally lose the weight" - me on numerous occasions while watching The Biggest Loser and eating pizza/french fries. Please tell me I wasn't alone in this vision?

Well, there have now been 14 seasons of The Biggest Loser and hundreds of people who were lucky enough to make the show and have their lives filmed and changed forever.

Ever wonder what it was like to be ON the Biggest Loser Ranch?

Well, I was lucky enough to interview a pair of cousins who had that honor ... Sione and Filipe Fa.

Do you remember them? If you know anything about the Biggest Loser how could you not?

The Fa cousins joined the cast of Season 7 of the Biggest Loser not to "save their lives," but to inspire people - especially members of their Polynesian community. The duo combined to shed 281 pounds.

I wanted to break this interview into a couple parts and for me, the most important was: once the cameras stopped rolling (aka THE AFTER)!

For any of us that have embarked on a weight loss journey, we find that maintenance ends up being a whole beast of its own. After getting rid of the weight, we sometimes think it will be all rainbows and unicorns, but it isn't always that way.

And even past Biggest Loser contestants are susceptible to that.

Within eight months of the Season 7 finale, Sione had gained back 60 lbs and used it as a wake-up call.

"After the show, I think we were coming off that 6-8 hour workout day and trying to go back to normal life. You can't workout 6-8 hours and you can't work out that strict regiment. You have to work and get time with family. It's just not realistic," Sione said. "We were messed up in the head. I remember the first time we got a workout in after coming home it was 1.5 hour long and we felt like we were failures because we didn’t do the right amount."

So how did Sione take charge of his life and take the weight back off? By NOT stressing about being a certain number on the scale or a certain pant size. He took the focus off of a number and he dropped about 80% of the weight again. But this time he the weight loss was slow and steady.

"I'm just gonna take it each day at a time because I know what I need to do today. I reminded myself that I am working towards long-term goal," Sione remarked. "What can I do to get myself there? Stop stressing where I would be in a week or a month ... I can eat right today and get my workout in today ... and wherever I am going to be will be."

Besides inspiring thousands of people by sharing his story, Sione became a trainer at the Biggest Loser Resort in Utah. Instead of keeping the focus on the number of pounds a guest wants to lose, Sione helps them change the focus to the long-term health/fitness goals.

But, what happened to Filipe?

Filipe didn't have his wake-up call after a 60-pound weight gain. His came after he put back 119 of the 135 lbs he lost on the show.

Many wonder how could this happen?

"Maintenance was so difficult, especially maintaining the finale weight," Filipe revealed. "The biggest misconception after the Finale was I got here and now deserve to treat myself, but not just for a meal but for a full week. I think people can relate the thought of getting in a good workout meant that we deserve something good and delicious. That good is not often a healthy choice."

After starting to back out of Biggest Loser alumni events and Finales and hearing how worried his son was that he would die early, Filipe decided it was time to make a change.

And there was Sione and the Biggest Loser Resort waiting to lend him a helping hand. This time he would be on a Biggest Loser Ranch without the cameras and without the pressure to stay another week.

Longtime Biggest Loser sponsor Walgreens heard of the Fa cousins planned and offered yet another avenue of help.

Walgreen’s dedication to helping people “get, stay, and live well” through their Way to Well Commitment program inspired an eight episode web series on NBC.com centered on you guessed it - the Fa cousins.

During the 3.5 months the series covered (which aired in early 2013), Filipe lost 49 lbs and said goodbye to the 300's - which was his goal for the series. From recent pictures it looks as if he is continuing on a path of healthy eating and exercise, while I do not know his exact weight at this moment. But as Sione says, this journey is about more than a number on the scale.

“The biggest difference in Filipe is that he’s got his confidence back,” Sione said. “It’s OK to mess up and admit you’ve fallen off. You don’t have to hide.”

It just goes to show that we can all stumble, we can all fall, we can all gain some of the weight back, but it's what you do when you pick yourself back up that truly defines us.

You can find Filipe and Sione on Twitter constantly motivating the community at large!!

***

Stay tuned for Part 2 where Filipe and Sione share more about life on the Biggest Loser Ranch.