Race For The Cure

On October 23rd I will be running the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in honor of a family friend, Sheila Menezes, who is in the process of kicking breast cancer's butt! If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation to help find a cure for this disease, click here. Every little bit helps! If you would like to register to run or walk for this amazing cause, click here. Thank you all for your support and hope to see you all out there!

Yay For Eating!

I posted yesterday about the effects that eating had on my energy during my run. Just a quick update: In one day I lost 1.6 pounds! Needless to say, I will be continuing my new eating habits. :)

Alright, Alright! You Were Right!

I would like to start off by saying that I am a woman. Therefore, I don't like to admit when I'm wrong. But, I can't deny it now. Old habits die hard. Really hard. My eating has been less than ideal for the last week. I had kinda hit a plateau in my weight loss and thought what better than to just about stop eating all together. I will admit that for the last week, I ate one meal a day. Which, according to all the experts (aka: runner friends, trainers, and just about anyone with common sense) is not the way to do it. But I, being the know-it-all that I am, know better. Right? Ha! Hello weight gain last week! I was not a happy camper. So, today I consumed three small meals and 1 small snack. My stomach has been thanking me all day! As was my body during my run.

I had been getting quite frustrated during my runs because I just could not seem to decrease my finish time, no matter how hard I tried. I was still averaging about an 11:45 mile, which after 9 weeks of training is just pathetic. Today was a completely different story!

Mile 1: 10:12 Heck yeah! Fastest mile...ever!
Mile 2: 10:18
Mile 3: 12:00 Apparently I take my cool down miles very seriously.


That makes for a 3-mile finish time of 32:30! I couldn't be happier, and I'm hoping it has something to do with my change in eating habits. We'll see what the scale thinks on Friday.

Warning: TMI Post!

Let me start by saying this: The women in my family are chesty women. And I'm definitely not lacking in the "cup runneth over" area. One thing I am lacking in? The "my boobs still look cute" area. I have nursed two little boys suck-the-life-out-of-mommy's-breasts-monsters. And I know that currently being 56 pounds lighter than I was when I delivered CJ doesn't help with the lack of volume. Add on top of that the fact that I'm on my way to losing another 25 pounds...well suffice it to say I am coming to terms with the fact that it's not gonna be a pretty picture.

I also inherited another wonderful trait from the women in my family. Stretch marks. And for everyone out there that's about to tell me that their mother's best friend's hair stylist's dog-walker swears by some cream that costs $90 for half-an-ounce...bite your tongue. I. Tried. It. All. None of it works!

I can accept the fact that my body is a different shape after having children. I can accept the fact that I will always have dark circles under my eyes from lack of sleep. And I can also accept the fact that 6 out of 7 days of the week, my hair will be in a ponytail. But...there are ways to fix my other two problems, and I'm not against going to those extreme measures. Here's where I run into a bit of a snag: I'm a Christian and I get tired of hearing people telling me that my body is a temple of God and He created me the way I am so I should just accept it. No, God didn't make me this way. I abused this temple and now I just want to fix it so that it's back to the way he created it. I look at it like this. If you had a bunch of tattoos all over your body (and please don't go there about tattoos being bad too, because I have 4) and decided you really didn't want them anymore, would you be against removing them?

Now, I'm not saying I want some ridiculous Heidi Montague-esque twins, in fact I wouldn't mind them being a little smaller. I just want them back where they belong! And my tummy? Yeah let's tuck that too while we're at it.

So that's that. I'm a heathen who's facing eternal damnation because of the choices that I'm making. What do you all think?

I Think I Can...I Think I Can!

Tonight I had one of my best, if not the best, solo runs to date. I was just mentioning to one of my runner friends that I get frustrated when I'm running by myself because I can't seem to decrease my time. I guess it's true what they say...talking about your problems really does help! Because tonight, my first two miles of my 3-mile run were each under 11 minutes and my last was under 12. Not great by other runners' standards, but darn good for me!

A Week Filled With Lots of Running

I ran a total of 13.3 miles over 4 runs this week! I can feel myself getting stronger, and it's so nice to come home after a 4-mile run and know that I actually did it! I'm beginning to really love not only the physical changes I'm seeing, but the mental changes as well. I know I can do this, when at one point I doubted myself. I'm going to keep going and not let anything get in my way!

Nikki and I after our 3-mile run.

To Run or Not to Run?

I just got back from my first run (3.2 miles!) with my new iPod. Thank you so much to my amazing friends! :) And it dawned on me how much easier it is for me to run now. Being the over-achiever, and basically crazy person that I am, I'm beginning to toy with the idea of running my first half in November. By the time of the race, I'll be 15 weeks into my 18-week training schedule, so I won't be quite there, but I know if I push myself hard enough I can do it. What do you guys think?

Birthday 5k!

(Five points to me for rhyming.)

Disclaimer: This is a post-run picture!

Megan, Me, Nikki, Caitlin, and Cindy

We did it! We ran a 5k on Saturday to celebrate the beginning of my healthy 25th year of life. I was not at all prepared for how hard this run would be, I'll be honest. There were hills throughout the whole run that I just knew were there for the sole purpose of torturing me, but I showed them who was boss with a finish time of 33:29! I would like to take this opportunity, however, to thank Caitlin and Cindy for being so patient with me and slowing down your paces just to listen to me complain about my inability to breathe. I had a blast and have already started planning my 10k run for my 26th birthday. So start training people!

That Woman's A Beast!

Tonight Stephanie and I did a Soiree Soul Groove Dancefitness class which is the perfect combination of hip hop, booty shakin', and some moves that could rival the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders for the youknowwhat-ttiest moves I've ever seen. And it was amazing! Take a look...

I wish I had started this class earlier. The instructor was amazing and had more energy than any woman I have ever met in real life. I can't even explain her accept to say that she's a lot better at it than I was. I can pretty much admit that when my health and BMI went out the window, so did my sexiness and rhythm. I'm pretty sure I looked like something along the lines of a beached whale trying to roll myself back into the ocean. And trust me, after the class, I looked like I had just gone for a nice long swim in the ocean....I was dripping! I'm not sure what to expect tomorrow; I have a feeling I won't be able to walk. But that's just all the more reason to go next week. :)

Let's Do This!

Tonight was my last run before Saturday. I ran 3 miles in 35:51. I'm not as happy with my time as I'd like to be, but I couldn't be happier about the distance considering only 5 and a half weeks ago, I couldn't even run a quarter mile. I'm convinced that running with people will motivate me and increase my speed. Right? Please tell me I'm right. Two of the people running with me run 10 minute miles or better, and another girl has 6-foot long legs, so her strides are twice as long as mine (yes, I'm talking about you, Megan) so I'm really going to have to pick it up if I don't want to be left in their dust. I have plans to go to the gym two more times this week, but I'll be taking it easy other than that. Wish me luck!

Well, hello sore muscles...

...nice to see you again! I went back to the gym last night for the first time in a week. I had a lot going on at home that needed my attention more than my training schedule did. I did run twice, though, so I didn't completely fall off the wagon. I have to say, I didn't realize how much I enjoyed waking up sore every morning! I truly missed it. I worked my butt off (and both of my sisters' :)) in hopes of having a difficult time walking today. :)

I had mentioned a couple of posts ago that I'm going to be running this Saturday and would like some people to join me. I'm happy to say that quite a few people have accepted the challenge. Yeah, right! Haha! I'm sure this will be more of a challenge for me than anyone else, but I'm going to take it head on. Anyway, we would like to begin the run at 7:30, so we're going to be meeting a little before that at the Starbucks across the street from Woodward at Friant and Fort Washington. Hope to see you all there!

My Very Own Jillian Michaels!!

This is Nikki, Ashley's sister. Today I came to Merced to visit with Ash and the boys. Little did I know, my "relaxing" visit ended with a trip to the gym! Thanks, Jillian!!....I mean, Ashley! While she wasn't as mean as Jillian, she did push both me and Stephanie to do the workout the way the trainer taught her. Which meant lots of squats, sit ups, push ups, weird knee bend things and so much sweating!! But she was a great movitator and didn't let me give up! My body may feel totally sore tomorrow, but I know that if I continue this with her I'll kiss her feet for the end results! :)

Wanna Run (or Walk) With Me?

Next Saturday, the 4th, is my 25th birthday. I'm having a hard time saying that, seriously. I'm almost 25? When the heck did that happen? Anyway. My schedule calls for a 5k race that day. Well, there's no way I'm going to waste my money on a race right now when my finishing time would be a humiliatingly high number. So, to celebrate the fact that at 25 I have the endurance and stamina of a 90-year-old woman with osteoporosis, I want to get together with some friends and run a leisurely 3.1 miles. I have one person committed to joining me so far (Thank you, Cindy!) and would like to add to our little twosome. So if you, or anyone you know, is interested, let me know. Even if I don't know you, I'd like to meet you! I'm thinking Woodward Park, but if anyone has any better ideas, feel free to share. Happy running!

I'm Gonna Pay For This Tomorrow...

Tonight I met my friend, Cindy, at her gym for a half-hour run. I was a little apprehensive because I have only run with her once before and she.kicked.my.butt! No, seriously. It was the first time I had run since high school and we ran almost three miles. Not to mention the fact that she's the friend I mentioned in my first post that runs halfs. But, I was excited to show her the progress I made and figured it would be good to have someone else there to motivate me since it was going to be another treadmill run. Blah! Wait, I told another runner friend I wouldn't complain about treadmill running anymore considering the alternative is running in 100 degree weather. So I take that "blah" back. Anyway, after all is said and run (you like that little pun, huh? :)) I'm happy with it. I did stop and walk for about 60 seconds, but despite the serious case of chub rub I have going on I'm feeling great! I am however meeting with the trainer at 9 in the morning, so I'm sure I'll be nice and sore half way through the leg curls, lunges, and calf workouts he'll undoubtedly have me doing. So, with that, goodnight and please pray that I'll still be able to walk after tomorrow morning!

A Trainer for Training?

My training schedule today called for strength training. And I'll be honest, when it comes to machines I'm pretty clueless. I pretty much just use any machine that looks easy enough and that I can easily mimic the drawing of the skinless muscle man on the side. I try to stick with specific areas each day, i.e. arms, legs, etc., but figured that since today I was doing only strength training I would just work them all. No problem with that, right? Well, apparently I'm totally wrong.

After about twenty minutes of wandering around the equipment and doing what I thought would work, a trainer walked up to me and said, "You seem to be kinda all over the place. Do you need some help?" Am I really that obvious?! Surprisingly enough, I wasn't at all embarrassed and being aimlessly rambling about my goals and how I've never been athletic and pretty much admitting that I didn't have a clue about what I was doing. He (how did I not get his name?) was amazing and patient and knew exactly what I need to do to get to where I want to be. Needless to say, he worked my butt off and I felt amazing! I'm meeting with him again on Friday, at which time I'm sure he'll hand me a list of his out-of-this-world prices that I'll never be able to afford and I'll have to admit that my cheapskate frugal husband won't go for it. (I love you babe, and your tight wallet!) But, I figure I'll just take everything that I can learn from him and go with it.

On my way towards the day care area he told me that if I was planning on doing any cardio before I left, the stair stepper would be best for me. I wasn't planning on it, but I just took that as, "I know your BMI and body fat percentage. Your fat butt needs to get on that stair stepper." So, I got to stepping.

Who Was it That Said She Couldn't Do This?

I know it's been a while since I updated. I already mentioned why on my other blog so I'll just give you all a quick breakdown. Super busy...hubby's been home...spending time with kiddos...and working my butt off! My training is going great. I'm enjoying working out and still haven't missed a single day. Yay me!

I was scheduled to run two miles on Saturday and had a goal of completing it in 25 minutes. And I did it...

...with .32 seconds to spare! Haha!

My hubby left for Pennsylvania this morning for a week-and-a-half so we wanted to take the kiddos out for dinner last night. I had planned on pushing my training back one day and taking my rest day yesterday instead of Friday. But, God had other plans for me. He knew I needed motivation, so what did he throw my way? Stress! Funny how he works sometimes. But, I'm more than proud of myself because when I got some kinda disappointing news, instead of sitting down with a carton of Phish Food I actually wanted to run. I'm so happy about that! After running my first mile, I decided to just keep going because my mind was still running to much to just go home and try to relax. After I completed my second mile, here's what my stopwatch said...

What?! I just shaved 56 seconds off of my two-mile run!

Even more than that, I had checked my time after my first mile, just under 12-and-a-half minutes. Which means my second mile was just over 11-and-a-half minutes. Are you kidding me?! What the heck am I doing running slower than that? No more 12-and-a-half minute miles for this runner (Can I call myself that yet?)! So, if you happen to see me running down the street at a slower pace than you deem necessary feel free to yell out any form of motivation you think will help. Seriously. 

During my cool down, I realized that there's no reason for me to stress. God is in complete control and will meet all of our needs. I wait quietly before God for my victory comes from Him.He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will never be shaken. (Psalm 62: 1-2 NLT) I was thanking God for always remaining faithful and got the sudden urge to sing some old worship songs. I'm sure my neighbors thought I looked like an idiot walking the streets at 10:00 at night, singing at the top of my lungs. But, it felt good so I don't care what they think. :)

Let's Up the Ante

Lately I feel like I need more. Remember when I mentioned my ADD when it comes to exercising? I get bored doing the same things over and over. So, we got a 30-day pass to a local gym. They have an amazing child care center that will only cost $15 per month so that I don't have to rely on family to watch the boys for me. FYI: I have a very difficult time asking people to watch my boys for me. I don't know why, I just feel like I'm being a burden. Anyway, today was my first day and so far, so good. The boys did amazing and could care less that I left them in the child care area, all they cared about was the fact that there were about a hundred toys that they had never seen before, and only about five kiddos, including them, to go around! Heaven! Today was my half-hour run (yeah, it's now 30 minutes, instead of 25!) but I didn't want to just run, so I did some strength-training. Which I loved! So much better than standing in front of my TV and screaming at Jillian in my head (and not out loud) so that people won't think I'm crazy. Then, I moved onto my run. This was my first time ever running on a treadmill. It was not easy hard! It's going to take some getting used to, but I know that if I hang in there, I'll get used to it. :)

Oh, and this is my third week of training! Yeah for committing to, and sticking to (that's the big part!), getting healthy!

Yardwork = Major Calorie Burn!

I am not going to lie. I do not have a green thumb. What's the opposite of a green thumb? Because that's what I have. I killed a cactus one time. Yes, a cactus. For this reason, I have never done any type of yardwork beyond pulling weeds. Because those are supposed to die anyway, right? Well, today I decided to take my boredom out on our seriously overgrown backyard which probably wasn't a great idea since the hubby was bite by this disgusting creature in the backyard last night.

Surprisingly enough, I actually kinda enjoyed myself. And, according to this calories-burned calculator, I burned around 313 calories. Not bad for only 45 minutes of trimming bushes! Another plus: In the process of my over-zealous bush-killing (let's be honest here!) I found a baseball, a bowling ball, a batman, a screwdriver, and a drumstick. I am so not joking, I couldn't make that stuff up if I wanted to.

I even got a nice little blister to commemorate all of my hard work.

Here's what my backyard looks like now. Please ignore the embarrassing number of toys. I had to keep the boys occupied somehow! I know that I am not a professional by any means. And that that bush in the middle looks a little ridiculous. But, see all of those clippings on the ground? Now imagine those sticking out everywhere. Yeah, that's right, my version is better. And if we're being completely honest here, I'm going to admit that I did all of that work with my kitchen shears. In my pajamas. At 2:00 in the afternoon.

Now, if only I could convince my neighbors behind us to prune theirs a little.

Why Didn't I Do This Earlier?!

This is my amazingly supportive hubby. He's pretty much amazing because just five weeks ago he had knee surgery and he's been keeping up with me when we run together. I decided not to edit this picture at all because we just came back from a twenty-five minute run. Yes, run. Notice there's no /walk after the word run? That's because there was no walking! We ran two miles in twenty-five minutes. Which means that in a very short eleven day period I have decreased my mile time by two-and-a-half minutes! (I feel like there's a lot of hyphens in this post. Yeah?) Anyway, I'm super excited and proud of those rosy cheeks and shiny forehead up there...I worked stinkin' hard for them!

Hold it Right There!

Yesterday was my long run for the week, another three miles. And my body had finally had it and completely quit on me. I did two miles and had to stop. I know exactly why, too. Ready to take a peak into my analytical mind?

a) I'm tired. Beyond tired. CJ has had croup since Friday and I've been up with him since Sunday night. I took him to the doctor, but even the steroids they gave him aren't helping.

b) I also have whatever virus caused CJ's croup. I've been trying to push through it and have been taking Vitamin C twice a day, but my body is screaming at me to rest.

c) It was my very first running day without a partner. And I don't have an iPod, either. Can anyone tell me why the heck I'm sitting in front of $2,400 worth of Apple equipment and I still don't own a stinkin' $200 iPod? Note to self: Competition is a great motivator!

d) I haven't taken a single rest day. Yesterday was my ninth day in a row on this training schedule. It calls for two rest days a week, but I haven't taken them. This may not be a difficult task for some people, but for someone who has spent the last 4 years in the same way I have, it just isn't possible! I now know that I need my rest days.

e) And finally, I consumed maybe 500 calories yesterday, if I'm lucky. There's that nasty habit rearing it's ugly head again.

Fridays and Sundays are my rest days, but I'm going to relax today and just move my training up one day in hopes of undoing all of the damage I've done. And, I'm going to eat three healthy meals today. I knew something like this would happen, but my stubborn will told me otherwise.

Week 1

Sorry for the lack of pictures lately, I'll fix that soon. I promise. Yesterday completed my first week of training and I couldn't be happier with myself. I ate healthy, ran 8.65 miles, used my elliptical, and faced off against Jillian Michaels (the DVD version). Even better, I started running (if you can even call it that!) a mile in about 15 minutes. I'm telling you, it was pathetic! And yesterday I ran a mile-and-a-half in 19 minutes, which is a 12 minute, 45 second mile. Not bad in just a few days. I'm going into the second week with just as much motivation, if not more, as I started with and am actually looking forward to running! Go figure. :)

Success!

My first week of training was amazing. I ran/walked a total of 7.15 miles. That's huge for me! I do know that I need to be cautious, though. I haven't taken a "rest day" like I'm supposed to. I tend to do that when I have my sights set on something; I'll work myself until I have nothing left to give. I don't want to become all manic and panicky when I'm taking a day to recoup, but it's difficult because success has definitely been my motivator!

5K!

That's right. My sister Stephanie and I just ran/walked 3.27 miles, which is technically more than 5k, but for simplicity's sake, we'll just leave it at that. And even more than that, we ran one, full mile! Which is farther than either of us has run without stopping in our entire lives. I'm patting myself on the back right now.

Kickin' Butt

Day three was another success! My training schedule called for cross training or rest. Being the over-achiever I am I chose to use my elliptical. I was kickin' butt and taking names! Actually, if you had seen me afterward you would probably say I was on the receiving end of the butt-kicking, but I'll take it! No one ever said this would be easy, right? :)

476 calories in 30 minutes...not bad!

Just Chuggin' Along

So, it's day two of my new exercise routine and I don't want to jinx myself, but I'm feeling great! I know I'm still riding the first-week-high, but I'm really hoping this feeling sticks around. :) Anyway, my sister, Nikki, and I went to see Eclipse tonight. Finally, I saw it! Being the Twilight Fanatic that she is, it was Nichole's third (and probably not her last!) time.

On our way

Nikki is trying out this heathyier lifestyle thing too so I convinced her to do my 25-minute run with me after the movie. We ran/walked 1.7 miles in the 25 minutes. Which is so far from my personal best that I thought about fibbing a little on here, but I want to be completely honest so there it is. Ugh!

And, the picture from after our run

On The Agenda

Tonight I will begin the Jillian Michael's 30-Day Shred work out (for the second time, nonetheless!). However, I won't be doing it daily like she recommends. I know she's just trying to kill me. I will be combining the 30-Day Shred, running and walking, and using my elliptical. I think I have exercise ADD because I get bored very easily so I'm hoping that doing multiple workouts will help that. If anyone has any suggestions to keep me motivated, I'm very open to receiving them!

Just The Start

I. Have. FAILED! Several months ago I announced that on July 25, 2010 I would be running my first half marathon in San Francisco. Well, today is July 25th, and I have run exactly two times since my announcement. I'm not kidding...twice! It's kinda a sucky day for me, because I have a friend (Way to go, Cindy!) that did run the race, so when I look at her pictures it's just a reminder that I didn't follow-through...yet again!

A few weeks ago on our flight home from North Carolina, the skinniest, cutest flight attendant asked if I would like a SELF magazine that I know she wanted me to believe a fellow passenger left on the plane, but I know that she actually pulled it out of the drawer labeled "Fat Girl Motivators". I read a couple of articles on the plane, felt guilty, and put it into my carry-on with the intent of burning it when I got home along with the memory of that obnoxious pretty smile on the face of that beautiful, metabolism-blessed, attendant. Well, it somehow ended up on my nightstand and I picked it up to read it last night, and this is what I opened to:

Thanks a lot, God! I know I'm fat, but do you really need to rub it in the night before my big failure?! So, I settled into my pity party and started reading. And I was surprised by my reaction. I fully expected to read the article and then head to the store for some ice cream to make myself feel better. I know, I know...ridiculous right? Must be how I gained so much weight. Instead, it reminded me of how badly I want to be in shape and how much I want to stop this cycle so that my boys don't struggle with their weight.

My weight has been a yo-yo a la Kirstie Alley my entire adult life. It's depressing to look back at my teen years and remember the body image I had of myself. I know that every teenage girl looks at herself and sees her flaws, but let me explain to you what I thought of myself. I hated my body. I thought my stomach was huge, my thighs were cellulite-infested, and my arms jiggled with every move. So, what did I do? I joined cheer.

Me in all of my cheerleading glory (or is it just all the glitter?!)

I look at that 115-pound version of myself and am determined to find a time machine to go back in time and smack the crap outta myself. And possibly show young-self a picture of adult-self and then smack said self a few more times. 

So here's what I'm going to do. I will not set a ridiculous goal for myself that I will not be able to meet. That's just setting myself up for failure. I am going to get healthy. I will exercise, I will eat better, and I will use this blog as a way of motivating and holding myself accountable. My scale broke, and I have no intention of purchasing a new one. I am going to go solely off of how I feel and how my clothes are fitting.

So, internet world - bring it on! Ask me multiple times each week if I'm staying true to my promise to myself and give me heck if I say no! I'm open to suggestions, the things that didn't work for you, and some encouragement. :)