Where you at?

Well, here I am!  After a short hiatus, I have re-entered reality.  I haven't posted since Mother's Day because we have been just SO busy!  My husband and I take a trip each year down to Charlotte, NC and we just got back.  The trip serves two purposes: first to see one of my sisters and second to attend the NASCAR All-Star Race.  Yes, I do have a little redneck in me (but please don't tell anyone).  The truth is that I love NASCAR and my in-laws buy us tickets to go down to Charlotte every year to see the race.  It's an awesome time of relaxation and extended family time.  See, as proof, here we are:

And yes, I also got my hair did last week.  I have wanted to grow it out for some time, but since my hair is quite fine, the only way I could do it was by getting a perm.  So far so good!  My son took one look at me and said, "Mommy, why is your hair so silly?"  :-)

I was a pretty good girl when we were out of town.  I did indulge a little, but I am now past it and back on track.  I even ran 2 miles on the morning of the race!  And here's the proof of that:

I plan to weigh-in this Friday.  Fingers crossed for a "WooHoo Weigh-In!"

I'm melting...

Or at least that's what I thought!  Tonight was my sort of re-entry into running/walking, except this time I ran.  And I was sweating buckets.  I walked twice last week, but that celebration is over.  If I am considering a Half-Marathon, it's time to get busy!  But more on that later...

My Mother's Day was awesome!  My son made some things for me at pre-school and he was SO proud to give them to me.  Honestly, there are no better presents than the ones that come from your child's heart.  And the sappy little poem that was attached to the picture of his hand print was absolutely amazing!  He was just gleaming, and I couldn't have asked for a better gift.  Having said that...my husband "helped" my son buy me an awesome Mother's Day gift.  I have been toying around with buying an iPod for quite some time.  At the same time, it was time for me to buy a new cell phone.  Mine was quite outdated.  I didn't even have texting capabilities!  Mostly because I have been resistant, and not because I'm not "hip."  So, my gift was the new iPhone 4 from Verizon.  And can I say, it is unbelievable!  The funny part is that I didn't even know how to answer a call at first.  I work in technology for a living, but have sworn against modern technology for some time.  Nonetheless, I now have a sweet phone. 

One of my friends from work just finished the C25K program, and she told me about a podcast that she downloaded for free.  So, Terri, meet Podrunner:Intervals.  And let me just say, this program is amazing!  It keeps your stride, bpm's (beats per minute), and breathing totally under control.  Because I just finished a 10k, I decided to start with Week 4.  I want to be able to run most of the Half, so I really thought it would be wise for me to go back and re-visit a running training program to get my running under control.  I just loved it.  And 3 miles was done and over in no time!  I'm a dance-party music type of girl, and the music for this program is techno-like.  Honestly, I didn't think about my breathing patterns one time.  I was so focused on getting in sync with the beat of the music that it just flowed naturally.  I am really looking forward to doing it again on Thursday!

As for Mother's Day, I wanted to share a pic of me and my baby boy!

Just a quick check-in...

I don't know why I felt compelled to weigh myself this morning, but I did it anyway.  And no, it wasn't bad news, but it wasn't great news.  It has been 10 days and I have only lost .8 pounds.  I mean, GOOD GRIEF, can a girl get an extra .2 pounds for an even 1 pound???

I swear I stepped on that thing and it actually giggled.  I know that  I haven't done as well as I should this week because I have had this mentality that consisted of rewarding myself with food since I did so well at the 10k last week.

Nonetheless, it's time to get over it and move on.  Onto the next thing...trying to figure out how I'm actually going to train for this Half-Marathon!  Please help me!

Rockin' the 10k!

The 10k build up finally ended on Saturday.  We woke up bright and early and headed out for the 8am race.  I was really excited and nervous all at the same time.  I ended up running a lot of the first mile, just to get away from the pack of people.  And right around mile two we had to cross a huge bridge into Kentucky and that's when I thought I could totally quit!  Road races seem so LONG compared to exercising near known courses and paths close to home.  But, I continued on, with the help of my sister.  Honestly, I have no idea how much we ran.  She was pacing me the entire time and would tell me when to go and when to stop.  Thank goodness for her, because otherwise I don't think I would have done nearly as good as I did.  In the end, my goal was to finish in 1:30, which would have been close to a 15 minute mile.  Heck, I could walk that.  But I did beat my goal and I finished in 1:25!  ROCKSTAR!

But to speak of the build-up...it is so exciting to train and actually do the race.  But once it was over I felt a little empty.  Proud, but empty.  What's next for me?  Will I keep going?  I certainly can't give up at this point?

My cousin ran in the Half Marathon the following day, and she began her training last September.  She is a full-time working mother just like myself, yet she didn't let excuses get in the way of her goals.  So, she started the C25K program in September, ran her first 5k in January, and rocked it all the way to the Half in May!  When she was done, she sent me a very simple message through Facebook..."Want to run the Columbus Half in October?"  Um...YES!

So, here I am.  Wondering what on earth I am thinking.  Trying to figure out how I am ever going to fit in this training.  Why I am even considering such a thing?  Well, it's because I'm not finished yet!  I CAN do this!  I WILL do this!  I am a ROCKSTAR!!!

Just before "GO" time

Heading to the Finish

The "Finish Swine!"

  

T-Minus 5 days and counting...

The Flying Pig 10k is looming.  My goal is to finish it in 1:30, and I really think that's an attainable goal.  Lately, my average pace has been right around 14 minutes, and that's with some jogging thrown in.  I'm hopeful that the adrenaline and excitement of the race atmosphere combined with my sister pushing me along will make me prosper.  I'm really excited, and yet my stomach has a pit just thinking about it.  I tend to psyche myself out about this stuff for some reason (a little OCD perhaps?)  I don't know why it is such a big deal to me mentally...it isn't going to be the first time that I go 6.2 miles.  I guess the whole goal part is what has me freaked out.  So...we shall see.  I walked 3 miles last night and Thursday night I'm supposed to walk 1 mile. 

So many things have transpired since my last post.  Easter came and went.  The rain has washed away many parts of Dayton.  Oh, and I've lost another 2.6 pounds, pushing me into a new decade in this journey.  I couldn't have been more shocked when I stepped on the scale a few days ago.  I don't know if it is the new eating habits or the new exercise or what?  But, I'll take it.  One question remains, "When am I going to physically feel the change?"  I still feel heavier.  Even though people have given me compliments and even though one of my best friends told me, "Wow, you totally have saggy butt!"  (Um...thanks?)  I just can't wrap my head around the fact that I have done this, I have won the good fight, and I am almost to my first mini goal of a 20 pound weight loss.  Even my husband gave me a very back-handed compliment last night.  (Again...um...thanks?)

Here is a side-by side comparison of me at Christmas 2010 and me on Easter Sunday (no, I didn't slim myself down for the sake of the photo):

 

And, of course, there's this guy (YUM!):

At any rate, I am looking forward to the weekend.  Looking forward to the race and looking forward to the race being over!  I know that after the race, I want to go back and revisit the C25K program and I also plan to take up some Zumba classes at my church.  It's free, so why not?

Enjoy the rest of the week everyone!

Another one bites the dust!

Another weekend that is...

My weekend was kind of hectic, but I did manage to get my walk in on Saturday morning.  But two adventures happened while I was out.  At about 2 miles in, I came to an intersection on the bike trail and look to my right to see about a dozen police officers in swat uniforms with big guns and shields, heading into the woods.  I say, "Self?  Am I going to be shot...or better yet, murdered?"  Turns out it was a police training exercise, but still.  It was creepy scary.  Once I got over that, I headed onward for what I thought would be another 4 miles.  I was shooting for 6 miles (no pun intended).  But of course, another hassle had to interrupt me.  At around mile 4, the rain began to come down.  And it POURED!  Of course before I left, I asked my husband if we had a waterproof jacket I could wear just in case it started to rain, and he gave me one, assuring me it was indeed waterproof.  He could not have been more wrong!  I got soaked from head to toe and my shoes were then rubbing my feet.  So...I gave up at 5 miles.  I was cold, drenched, and mad.  I guess the good news is that I was more mad about not finishing than I was about the downpour!

Sunday lent itself to more adventure when my husband ended up having to go to work.  So, no walk.  BOO!

I hope to get it together this week and get back on track.  Less than two weeks until the Flying Pig 10k!  My original hope was to be able to jog, but at this point, I just don't think it is going to happen.  I can walk very fast, but honestly my jogging capabilities are slower than my fastest walk.  And when I say jogging, I mean hopping really because I am certainly not a very good runner. 

After the Pig is over, I am going back to the basics.  I plan to use the Couch-to-5K ® Running Plan so that I can get it together by September.  I am hoping to be able to run the entire Air Force 5k by that time.  I have a few friends who are registering for that one and I REFUSE to let these smaller girls take me down!

TGIF!

Ah, it's Friday, and I have the Spring itchies like no other!  I feel like I need to take a day off work and clean my house from top to bottom.  I have been so thrilled that I have been able to open my windows in the evening and let the breeze freshen up my house.  What a wonderful feeling!

I'm kind of bummed because tomorrow is my 6 mile day and it is supposed to rain.  Honestly, I'll be really irritated if I can't go.  I suppose I could just suck it up and exercise in the rain, but that doesn't really sound like my idea of a good time...

Other than that, things have been going along relatively smoothly.  Work is steady and the kiddo is doing wonderful after his surgery.  He has been such a trooper.  He had his follow-up appointment with the ENT yesterday and the ENT told me that everything looked clear.  And pretty much, that's all he said.  (It's pretty obvious that those folks don't attend any kind of bedside manner classes in med school.)

I decided to weigh myself yesterday and I am down another 1.2 pounds.  And while that sounds great, it really isn't that good to me because that is only a .6 pound loss per week.  I've really had some struggles over the past few weeks with all  of the Easter candy laying around and just a general need to snack due to stress.  You see, it never stops.  I don't think I will ever have a point in my life where the temptation goes away.  I suppose it is an addiction like any other addiction.  I understand, to a very small degree, why people continuously "fall off the wagon" when it comes to drugs and alcohol.  And for that matter, I have suffered a different addiction in my own personal life that I also continue to struggle with everyday.  Vices and habits are VERY hard to break!

So, I think it's time for me to really kick it up a notch.  I still have yet to sit down and really think about what my goals are.  Both in the short-term and the long-term.  I think it's a good time to start dealing with this since I feel pretty comfortable in my workout and weight-loss routine.  I just don't want to be unrealistic with my new journey.

I do want to share one of the new little products that I found that really helps me with my water consumption.  Why someone didn't think of this before, I'll never know.  MiO liquid water enhancer has been one of the greatest little creations I have seen lately.  This stuff is mega concentrated so it really one takes a squirt or two to make your beverage a delightful fruity concoction!  I love it! 

I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!