Perseverance

Good Friday Morning

I felt the urge to just get it out there that whatever your goal is, whatever your starting point. If you stick with it and stay the course you will get there.
Weather that is a weight loss goal, a fitness goal, a career or financial goal. Stick with it and you wont be sorry. With that said let me share my running perseverance and this is no different than anything else. Up until last May I never ran a day in my life. Even when I was "fit" in High School I played team sports and I cycled ( pretty long distance w my dad) but never ran. I can remember leaving the house saying I am GOING to run, and not even making it to the end of the road. As a grown up  I am a studier if I decide I want to do something I read and research like a crazy person before I even start. So last spring when I had a light bulb moment and decided I would be a runner, I quickly learned that running does not come natural to most. There is more to it than making sure you have your tennis shoes on and leaving the house.. LIKE.. did you realize there are different shoes for different people depending on how  your foot hits the ground. Or that you have to train yourself how to breath when you run. Or that certain foods can cause distress when you run even if they don't normally in your everyday life.. and I can go on and on. I quickly understood OHHH I had not thought of any of this stuff the couple times in HS I attempted to make it around the block. And I became certain that there are probably a lot of people that feel like they cant run bc they tried and could not but that they didn't realize all of the above, just like I hadn't. So last June  I ran my first 5K, well it was more like a run/walk there was some running but there was more walking. IT took me about 43 min and I was THRILLED. 3 miles 43 min and I loved every min. I then signed up for my second in Aug and went on a signed up for a 5 miler for OCT which at the time I didn't know what I was thinking but I am glad I did. After that second my time had gone down by about 5 mins and I actually ran the whole thing this time.. averaging just a little over 12 1/2 min a mile. I remember thinking wow how crazy would it be if one day I can run my long distance runs and HOLD a 12 min mile pace the WHOLE time. In Oct when I ran my 5 miler I did so in 55 min flat ( thats a 11 min mile the whole time) Never in my wildest dreams 6 mnths prior if asked if that was possible would I have said yes. I probably would have laughed when asked. Now with 3 half marathons under me and another on the books for fall along with a 33 mile charity run in November I am realize I can train my body to do whatever as long as I stick with it.. and for the record sometimes that is hard. In April I ran a hard race and most of my issues where self induced like the fact I had eaten about half of what I needed to the day before so I didn't have the energy strength going in to the run to run the way I tried which made recovery absolutely awful or that I had only gotten just over an hour of sleep the night before. I felt so discouraged and I DIDNT RUN FOR 2 WEEKS following this event I sulked and did other work out things when I could and I walked a couple times but I felt defeated. When I finally got the nerve to lace up my shoes I then wanted to kick myself bc the defeat and poor self feelings were all CHRISTY made and they all fell away as soon as I was back on track. ( so much of my journey is mental for me)
Last night I took my daughter out to the greenway, we ran ( she rode her bike) a section I had never run before from the car the greenway was UP HILL for 2.5 miles, I am not sure where it leveled off bc 2.5 is where we did our turn around. I kept telling her don't worry you can do it, it will all be down hill once we turn around. When I checked my GPS when I got back to the car the 5 miles we ran I kept a 9 min 51 sec per mile pace.  CRAZINESS!!!
So whatever your goals are stick with it. If you are someone that finds it hard to stayed focus on a goal, find an accountability partner.I have one and she is the one that called me out and forced me back in my running shoes. She said look how far you have come, really you are going to let a bad race, a bad mood and scheduling conflicts undo it all. I think not. Sometimes in life I think we all need someone to call us out when we are having issues and she had let me sulk 2 wks ( she had given me time to work through it on my own) and said she wasn't letting me sulk anymore.
I dont share any of this to say look at what I have done. Not in anyway! But to hopefuly encourage someone that may be struggling with this. Our journeys are all differnt and most have no end date ( I know mine will never be over) we just have to keep at it.

Happy Friday All!

 

 

 

Tbt

So here is a TBT pic. First was June 22 2013 after my first 5k. Second was April 13 2014 before my 3rd half marathon. Persistence and dedication does pay off:)

Happy Thursday All!

I DID IT!

OK FOR REAL .. I did it. I got my sleepy tail out of bed and did my short work out this morning. I am planning a good run after work( 6-8 miles) too so I am one happy momma.
I was able to work in 3 runs last week.  Mondays was REALLY short, like pitiful short. It is amazing how much you loose just taking a couple weeks off. But by Thursday I was able to get a decent 4 miles in and then Saturday it was absolutely fabulous weather here and I got 8.25 miles on the Greenway. I have also got my hands/head around our dinner meal plan for the next 2 weeks so that makes me feel better about that aspect too . Mikaela is down to 3 wks left of school and that includes a day off next week for Memorial Day. So things are just chugging right along.
I hope you all are having a WONDERFUL Monday!

Morning work outs

OK OK I AM STILL ON THIS! LOL

I know I talked about this last blogg but I have been in the worse funk ever for about a month now.. like the kind where I am on my own nerves... A lot has changed over the last couple months and my work outs are all out of whack. And as you all know exercise is my anti depressant I believe this with my WHOLE HEART.
OK so a little back ground... My husband came home from Iraq with some injury's and while recovering for the last almost 3 years did not work. This allowed me to be a bit spoiled when it came to when and how I worked out. He was available to pick up our daughter from school EVERY DAY and cook dinner EVERY DAY. And I had the luxury of going running or to the gym for hours after work EVERY DAY.. So he finally went back to work in March, we needed this, mentally he needed this. But boy was I not prepared for how it would effect me, in no way shape or form am I upset he is working I just really had no idea how much would change. A) I have no one to unload my day to in the evenings anymore bc most days I am asleep when he gets home.. B) OM GOODNESS I have to feed myself..lol I know that sounds silly but the whole time we've been together ( 9 yrs) with the exception of deployment, HE HAS BEEN THE COOK, he enjoys it, he knows a TON of fabulous recipes and why rock that right... C) I take my lunch to pick up Mikaela from school so no lunch runs... @ 5 I go home start dinner and do the animal chores( remember we got about a million chickens ok thats an exaggeration but well over 100) afterwork. By time I get all that done, I am pretty much done for the day. Like I said I was spoiled I haven't had to mess with any of this sort of stuff in years. So I have been horrible about taking care of me and my health needs. OK this pic is perfect of my conversation with a girlfriend at least once a week.

 

SO I have a new game plan.. I have 2 Beach Body Programs.. CheLean which is weight training and Brazilian Butt Lift which is basically a TON of squats but thats ok I enjoy it. My goal since I cant seem to do the whole get up an whole hour plus early to do a full work out is... To do the 10 min B. Butt video.. its just a short work out but means Id only have to get up 15 min early, I mean there is NO EXCUSE to not get up 15 min early. Once ( hopefully with in just a couple weeks) I get used to the new wake up time I will get up another 10 min earlier to do the 10 min Chaleans ab work out. Even though both are short they are both very effective, um if I actually do them :). I am hoping getting up and getting my blood flowing first thing will help with my absolutely awful outlook recently and hopefully provide more energy to get a full work out done most evenings.

Also I had to fess up to a girlfriend and ask for some cooking tips, How terrible is that 34 years old and cant cook squat... until last night myself and Mikaela hadn't eaten a regular meal (healthy) in about 2 weeks. Which is not good for either of us.

So here's to being honest about what I have going on.. CANT COOK AND LAZY BY NATURE WITH AN AWFUL ATTITUDE and heres to changing that ASAP!

 

HOT HOT HOT

Thats right it is HOT now.. and up untill last night I forgot how much it sucks to run in the heat and NC humidity. But I did it. Not as many miles as I had wanted to but I got out there and ran. I think in the heat I will have to build my miles back up so I dont hurt myself.

         Post Run it was HOT HOT HOT out there yesterday

While we are on the subject of working out. Does anyone out there get up early to do your work outs?? IF SO... How the heck do you make yourself get out of bed.. I would love to run in the morning but I swear I just cant do the whole 5:30 am thing and I dont stay up late so that is really not a valid excuse. I say constantly ok tomorrow I will get up early drive to the park and do my run... NEVER HAPPENS... Especially this time of year when its hot, I think it would be a better idea to do a moring run if I can just get up to do it.

 

This week is an exciting week! My Brother and his family finally make the move back home. YAY! I am so excited to get to have them close again.

OK lastly  do any of you do the whole "Clean Eating" thing?? If so can you leave me your email ?? I got some questions..LOL

 

Wishbone Day!

So this post is in no way shape or form weightloss related but on a subject so near and dear to my heart. Today May 6 the is Wishbone Day.

Osteogenesis Imperfecta effects my sister, my brother and 2 of my nephews.

Most people that know about this disorder think of it as brittle bones. In fact it effects so much more than their bones. 

With OI one whole strain of collagen is missing from their body's. Collagen is in everything, their bones , their teeth , skin, blood vessels etc. Outwardly we notice their bones, they break they are casted (a  LOT) they heal and it happens again.

What we don't see it the teeth or the vessels ...the interior stuff. My brothers OI is what lead to his aortic aneurysm.  

So with all that said it's OI awareness day.  Enjoy your day and if u know someone w OI give them a hug, just be gentle... Lol

Been MIA but I'm back!

Oh my goodness what a crazy 3-4 wks it's been. I am still hanging out between 160 and 162. 

I was able to go visit my brother over spring break for a whole week. He was still doing pretty ruff at the time so I was very glad I could be there to help out.

     This is my nephew (brothers son)

He is such a sweet boy, wide open all the time but sweet boy. While I was there they made the final decision to move back to NC, they will be living w my mom while they get back on their feet. And I am super excited to have him close again. They will be all moved in 2 wks.

I also ran the Rock n Roll Raleigh half marathon. It was my best time yet, 13.1 miles in 2 hrs 14 min 8 sec.  ( my goal was 2 hr 15 min)

            Day prior to race at packet pick up

              Day of race (pre- race)

Then 2 wks after I ran that I ran the Tarheel 10 miler. This one was a struggle I didn't have near enough calories the day before as well as only about an hour sleep so I was dragging big time. 10 miles 1 hr 46 min.. 

          Me and my new running buddy prior to race.

I am trying to maintain my running until June 6th when Mikaela gets out of school for the summer then I will start a pretty intense training plan in prep for the Fall racing session.

This past week my brother was in town, looking for a local surgeon and storage  etc so I got to see him and his son a couple more times which was such a nice treat.

       My bro and he looks so much better now:)

      My daughter and my nephew!

And last but not least I think I am starting the 5 day pouch test tomorrow, I am not having any issues but I need a reset too much stress, and too much travel over the last mnth I need to get back to basics.

Sorry for the radio silence over the last month, and I am glad to be back at my blog!