Albert Lea woman loses 120 pounds, prepares for half marathon

Exercise paired with an improved diet and portion control paved the way to the starting line for Amanda Schavey.

After dropping 120 pounds over two years, Schavey began training for the April Sorensen Memorial Half Marathon.

“It’s been an up-and-down challenge,” she said. “You start losing weight, then you start to gain weight and you’ll plateau for a while. You’ve just got to keep it in your mind that it’s worth it.”

The weight-loss journey began with walking and graduated to running in longer and longer intervals. She said she couldn’t have lost the weight without positive thinking and support from her family.

“They helped me believe that if I put my mind to it I could do it,” she said.

Although Schavey is down from 245 pounds to 125, she said the challenge continues.

“There are mornings where I get up and absolutely don’t want to (work out),” she said. “I want to hit the snooze. I want to roll over. But you’ve got to do it. You’ll feel so much better and have a lot more energy.”

Along with running outside and a routine of working out on the treadmill and elliptical machines at Anytime Fitness, a change in diet paid dividends. Schavey said she replaced regular pop and snacks with fresh vegetables, fruit, chicken and yogurt.

“Don’t think of it like you’re giving up all your favorite foods,” she said. “Give yourself one day where you can have a treat or a special food that is your all-time favorite. That way you’ll have something to look forward to.”

Schavey is a member of Anytime Fitness, and the idea to train for the April Sorensen Memorial Half Marathon came from Shawn Bromeland, who is part-owner of the gym.

“Sometimes I feel like a concierge,” said Bromeland. “I hear about these events and can recommend them to certain people who I think they’ll fit for.”

Bromeland and her husband, Bill, became owners of Anytime Fitness in March of 2013.

“It’s been a wild ride, but I feel like we’ve finally settled,” Bromeland said. “My favorite part of the job is helping people get motivated and excited about moving and getting fit.”

Schavey and Bromeland are both originally from Blue Earth, and the two had an instant connection when Bromeland signed up for a gym membership.

“I felt like we were friends right away,” Bromeland said. “That’s the atmosphere we like to create here at the club.”

When she’s not training, Schavey is an infant-room teacher at Albert Lea Children’s Center. She helps children with motor skills and teaches colors and letters, she said.

The April Sorensen Memorial Half Marathon will be July 11 at 7:30 a.m. Registration is from 5 to 9 p.m. July 10 and from 6 a.m. to 6:45 a.m. July 11 at Country Inn & Suites. It honors the memory of April Sorensen, who was murdered in her home on April 17, 2007, in Rochester.

According to the event’s website, Sorensen loved all sports, especially volleyball and basketball, and would “go the extra mile” to be kind to everyone.

“My heart goes out the her family, and I just had to do the race to help bring awareness to her story,” Schavey said.