Happy New (I'm-Going-To-Get-My-Body-Back) Year!

Ah, New Year!  A time for reflection, a time for new hope, a time for realizing you have fallen off of the wagon...and it ran you over, then backed up over you and ran you over again.  Oh, wait, that was just me!  Sorry.  A little confusing from down here in "What the Heck Happened-Ville."  So, I have always enjoyed working out, but never really been an "athlete."  I really hit rock bottom right before I got pregnant with my oldest (who is now 4 1/2) and was over 200 lbs. (I'm 5'6" and have a short torso so that looks really bad, folks!)  As soon as my hubby and I decided it was time, after 5 years of marriage and my obtaining my degree in Cardiovascular Sonography, we got pregnant.  No prep time, no losing a few pounds, getting healthy or anything.  So after having my sweet little girl, I was post-c-section and not any better off in the weight department.  I saw my aunt, who has always exercised and has the best personality EVER, at a family reunion a year after baby and we were on a walk (I was dying, BTW) and she looked wonderful and wasn't even sweating.  I said "Ressha, you just look amazing.  What have you been doing?"  She said "Oh, well, I got a personal trainer and have been running half marathons.  I actually feel really good!"  I immediately adopted a sour attitude.  "Oh, that's nice.  I don't run."  Her reply (with a smile) was "You will."  I laughed right then and there.  She just smiled even wider and said "You will!  I challenge you to train up THE RIGHT WAY and run a 5K.  Then you just try and stop running.  You'll be hooked."  Now, I have always been a sucker for a challenge, especially when it comes to my body.  I accepted.  I did train up for a 5K (in the heat of the Texas summer at 5am) and ran it.  I cried at the finish line.  Then, I kept running.  To this day I still love running...and I love Ressha even more.  I even ran until I was 7 1/2 months pregnant (in the heat of the Texas summer at 5am!) with my second.  Felt great!  Had my baby (another c-section) and then...complications.  The drugs they gave me post-surgery...don't worry, I'm allergic to them!  Then, the medicine they put on my incision to make the steri-strips stick after removing my staples...allergic to that, too!  So, I find myself having reactions left and right, feeling horrible and losing my fitness daily.  I tried getting back out there after 6 weeks and just felt like death warmed over in the gym and on my runs.  Then, I started not feeling  well when I ate.  Turns out, I have a metabolic disorder that prevents me from processing carbs correctly, so when I overload on carbs (which doesn't take much for me), it's like taking a sleeping pill and wearing a lead body-suit.  Excellent!  Is that all, then?  All because I had a baby!  So, I'm trying to re-invent myself.  I am a 6 time 1/2 marathoner (5 of them within a 12 month period of each other) with numerous 5k and 10Ks under my belt and used to be within 20 pounds of my goal weight for my height.  I WANT IT BACK!  I have 2  1/2 marathons and a 15K coming up in the next 5 months, so I want this.  BAD!  I am a mother of 2 precious little girls, 4 1/2 and 16 months and I work hard at being healthy for them.  To teach them what it's like to love your body and show Heavenly Father you are grateful by taking care of what He's given you.  I ran my first race of the year last Saturday.  I'm on the right below.  My name is Ashley and I AM IN!