Has it really been this long?

I am so thankful I decided not to delete this blog. I feel off the blogging wagon for awhile... actually a LONG while. I even started up another blog but just like this one- I ran out of hours in the day and didn't have time to blog! But, I want to try it again! Please stick with me! 

I'm still running.. I've completed two 5ks. I would like to complete a 10k before the end of the year. I'm having a hard time finding an official one, plus money is a bit tight. So, I think I'm just going to map one out and do it myself.  I also have plans to participate in a HALF MARATHON next year. I can't believe I just typed that.. but yes. I'm going to do it. 

Here's a quick update for ya. This is what I posted on Facebook today. I thought it would be better to just copy/paste that post instead of trying to explain everything all over again. 


Good Morning friends and family. Happy November 1st and more importantly, Happy Friday! Every year many of us participate in the "Thankful Challenge" where you post something you are thankful for everyday for the month of November. This year, I am not participating. My lack of participation is not because I have nothing to be thankful for- it's just the opposite. I have so much to be thankful for, that instead of simply posting a FB status stating it, I want to show it. I want to give back for everything I am thankful for.

Last November, we were in a car accident. It wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been but after ending up in a ditch with your children- it really makes you realize how fast your life can change. In February of this year, just after finishing my first 5k, N went missing. He was only missing for maybe 5 minutes but those 5 minutes still haunt both J and I to this day. Those were the scariest and longest 5 minutes of our lives. Over the summer J's Dad was in the ICU and we didn't know if he would ever come out. A few weeks ago, my Mom was in the hospital and I didn't know if she would make it either. These are just a few of the "highlights" (for lack of a better word) that make you really take a step back and think about everything you have in your life that you should be thankful for. So, with this not only being the month of Thanksgiving but also the month I turn 32- I want go out of my way to give back. I want to do more than letting someone in front of me in traffic, more than leaving an extra few bucks for a tip, more than donating my change to whatever fundraiser bucket is sitting on the clerk's counter.

Today- Day 1. I want to bring your attention to a group that I joined a few months ago that has brought such joy into my life. K joined as well and it has been a very humbling experience. If you are a runner, walker, or someone that is just willing to dedicate your exercises to those who can't- then please consider joining IRun4. If you, or someone you know, has a special needs child- please tell them about the group as well. As it has been said many times, God gave me the gift of mobility- but what about those who don't have it?

I Run 4 Bridget. Her Mom, K, has welcomed me and my family with open arms, and we have welcomed her and her family, including Bridget's sister M who's son is also a part of the group and has his own runner. On my down days, I remember Bridget and how she is able to find joy in everything. If you want to know more about the group, visit www.whoirun4.com. 

Bridget- My first act this month is to dedicate 100 miles to you! K gave me a funny look when I told her I was going to run (with probably lots of walking) 100 miles this month but as my favorite saying goes "If your dreams don't scare you, they're not big enough".

So there ya have it! Those are my plans. I'll fill you in on more tomorrow. I need to get my munchkin in bed before the new Undercover Boss comes on!

Happy Fall Ya'll! 

Shin Splints Suck

My title says it all... they suck! I ran the 3 miles on Tuesday, yesterday I was sore but had planned to at least walk on the treadmill. That lasted all of maybe 10 minutes. So I decided to try some weights. There were a couple of muscular guys  there and I just felt so out of place. I was having to read the directions on all of the machines. I just felt like an idiot. So I left feeling defeated.

Last night, my legs were really sore. I grabbed a football to try rolling my leg (I was desperate) and it felt good but I needed something that rolled easier. I found one of son's legos. It was long and round and worked awesome! It hurt but felt great all at the same time. I might seriously consider investing in a real roller.

I was telling my husband yesterday morning that I would really like to participate in a Mud Run one day- hopefully within the next year. Fast forward a few hours and a friend that I did the Color Run with tagged me on Facebook. She found a mud run in April and wants all of us to get together and do it. It's a women's only run. Talk about timing! I'm so excited.

This morning, I woke up feeling kind of icky. My kids have been sick and I woke up with a sore throat and a cough. But, I have a mud run to prepare for so off to the gym I went. I was determined to get my 3 miles in. I stretched in the locker room before heading out to the gym. I walked for about 4 minutes as a warm up then started jogging. I was feeling great but after about 2 minutes I started getting out of breath so I tried slowing down to walk and that's when they started.... the evil shin splint! I couldn't stand to walk.. so I ran. When I ran they didn't hurt at all but I couldn't breathe. So I tried walking to catch my breath and couldn't stand the pain. I tried pausing and stretching it out then walking again and nothing helped. After a mile I had to stop.

The lady on the treadmill next to me asked if I was ok and I told her I had terrible shin splints. She said she used to get them too so she had a runner friend watch her run. The friend told her that she was looking down when she ran and had her chin almost to her chest. Once she straightened her posture and made sure she was looking straight- her shin splints disappeared.

I posted on facebook page about my problem this morning and I have had several people offer suggestions. I think I'm going to start with compression socks as well as try out some new stretches.

In the meantime, I'm trying to gather enough courage to try out a spin class at the gym. Oh.. and I've recruited my niece to hopefully run/walk a 5k with me in March that my oldest daughter is also participating in. (it will be a first for both of them!)

I'm also still working on trying to change the blog around a bit. But I think I want to change the name and I can't come up with anything cute...

Have a great Thursday!

Weigh In Wednesday & Gym Time

So it's Weigh In Wednesday and I have come to a few conclusions over today's weigh in. First- I lost weight. Not much.. only 0.2 lbs. But, we ended up back down at my parents' house this weekend which meant lots of eating out and no exercise so to see any kind of a loss is a huge win in my book. However, since I started weighing in on Wednesdays (December 27th) for a challenge I was participating in, I've been taping my weekly weights on the wall. I counted them this morning- 10 weights. 10 weights/weeks times a 2 lb loss means I should have lost if not 20 lbs at least close to 20 lbs by now. Guess what I've lost since December 27th? 4.4 lbs. That's it. 4.4 lbs. That's unacceptable. I need to realize this weight isn't going to come off as easily as it did 10 years ago. I have to commit myself and STAY committed.

So with that said, my husband and I rearranged our schedule a bit. Before, he would take our daughter to school, hit the gym and then go to work. Then if I wanted to go to the gym, I could go in the evenings when he got home. The problem with that is- he gets off at 4. Guess what I'm doing at 4? I'm cooking dinner. After cooking dinner comes eating dinner. Then showers/homework. He can do the showers/homework part but I don't want to go workout right after eating dinner. I have before and it sucked. Nor do I want to go workout at 4 and then not even start cooking dinner until after 5. Yes we do crockpot meals but I can't do them every single day. So, now I take my daughter to school in the mornings and go workout while he stays home with our son. I finish before he has to leave and he's going to go to the gym straight from work. 

Today's the first day of the new schedule. We'll see how it works. 

I did go to the gym yesterday (he was off work). I did a 5k on the treadmill. My time wasn't nearly as good as my Color Run but it was the first time I had ran since then. (sad isn't it?!) So just the fact that I went and ran/walked it makes me super proud, I hit the gym again this morning but was only able to do 10 minutes on the treadmill. My legs were just too sore from yesterday and my shin splints were killing me. I'm thinking of investing in some compression socks. I think I've mentioned that before? Either way.. I need to research them a bit. I don't know anything about them other than that they are supposed to help with shin splints. 

Depending on how my day goes and what time my husband gets home, I might go to the zumba or yoga class tonight at the gym. I went to the zumba classes before my surgery in October and I really enjoyed them. But I don't care for the tot drop there and my son hates it as well. So it's hard to enjoy my workout when I'm stressing over my son. 

I'm thinking of changing my blog around a bit too and actually set up a domain so stay tuned for some changes. Still researching how I want to do that. 

Don't forget to check out Erin & Alex and join in on Weigh in Wednesday. Erin is setting up a dietbet for a $15 buy in. Check out her page if you'd like more information.

Please leave me a comment and let me know you stopped by! I'd love to hear how you did this week as well as any advice you may have for me!

Time for a Change

Let's get started with Weigh In Wednesday! I'm up a little bit and I'm ok with that. The kids had a super long weekend (SIX DAYS) and my husband got deployed. So me and the kids loaded up and headed out to visit my parents'. I usually over indulge by a lot but I didn't this weekend (although I know I went over my calories). I also didn't get any exercise in because the weather was horrible. When I got home I was up 3 lbs and as of this morning I'm down 2 of those 3 (so overall up 1).

Don't forget to check out the other bloggers that link up with Erin & Alex .

So last night I came across Hungry for Change on Netflix. It was definitely eye opening and led me to follow up by watching Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead. My husband watched it along with me and we were both in awe of the transformations. The movies were inspiring to say the least and had me looking up their websites as soon as it was over. We have both decided to try the 3 day juicing detox. I actually just finished making out of our grocery list. I have to admit that I have never eaten many of the vegetables on this list which is in itself inspiring to me. I know I need to eat more vegetables and if the only way for me to get the nutrition from them is by juicing- then so be it. I also hope to incorporate juicing into my children's daily lives. Let me add in the disclaimer that I am NOT in anyway having my children participate in the detox. But I think adding in a daily juice will be of great benefit to them. I'm very excited to see if it will improve my daughter's vitiligo. 

If you're interested in the different plans you can visit reboot with Joe.  I really encourage you to watch the movies (especially Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead) to understand the process. You can sign up for a free one month trial of Netflix and watch it for free.

I'm looking forward to sharing the results with all of you.. as well as blogging more but my husband and son are horse-playing next to me and they keep side tracking me!

Happy Wednesday!

My First 5K

It's over and I did it! I had hoped to post everything yesterday afternoon- right after getting home from the run- but when you hear how my day went, I hope you'll understand why there was a delay.

Friday night my son decided he didn't want to go to sleep until around 11:00 p.m. then turn around and wake up at 3:00 am Saturday morning- for the day. Not just a wake up, take a sip of drink and then go back to sleep. Nope- he was up FOR THE DAY! My husband and I tried everything to get him back to sleep and nothing worked. Our alarm was set for 6:00 a.m. and at 5:30 I told my husband- if you get him back to sleep I'll turn the alarm off and we'll skip the race. I was serious too! I was so incredibly nervous the day/night before that I was coming up with every possible reason not to go through with it. Then, with my son being up so early I thought that would be a good excuse too. 

But he didn't go back to sleep. We got up (and started functioning) at 6, got ready and headed out the door at 7. The race started at 9 and it was about an hour away so our goal was to get there around 8- which we did. 

Of course my son fell asleep on the way so my husband was sitting in the van with him while I was getting ready. He snapped this picture of me trying to position my number.

And here we go... all ready!

Our team made tutu's in Coast Guard colors because we were all either a CG wife or a member. Yes- I know they are also the colors of the Florida Gators and although my husband is a die hard fan- I am not. Let me tell you here in case I forget to tell you later- I will never run in a tutu again. I had been warned that the tulle would bother you when you were running (getting in between your legs) but I didn't have that problem. My issue was my arms rubbing against it when I was walking/running. There were several times during the run that I considered ripping the thing off and throwing it in the grass. But there were cops everywhere blocking the streets and I was afraid I'd get yelled at. So I suffered through.

This was the starting line. The announcer said they had over 3000 runners! That's a lot of people! 

Here's a picture of the 1st wave making their way around while we were still waiting to be let go. 

And when it's all over... you usually look a lot messier than me. I joked with a few people and said that I was just running so fast that the color didn't stick to me. But I really don't know how I ended up being so clean. My face was really dirty (although you can't tell from the picture) but my clothes were almost spotless compared to others. 

I was still trying to catch my breath and I was in desperate need of water. They were handing out bottles of water at the starting line but they said there would be water along the race so I figured I would just wait and get water later. Well, I was wrong (technically they were wrong). They didn't offer water until after about 2 miles in and it was a little cup that had maybe 3 sips in it (although I was grateful for those 3 sips). But the powder/cornstarch that you run through to get colored really hit me harder than I thought it would. It was hard to breathe through. I heard parents telling their kids to hold their breath when running (being pushed in a stroller) through it. But I was already running (and out of breath) so there was no way I could hold my breath while running through the clouds of color. (although I tried) So then I was even more out of breath after getting colored. Then I would walk to recover and try and catch my breath. 

While reuniting with my family and catching my breath (and drinking water), they call everyone into the middle of the area (I didn't go) and everyone throws their color packets that were included in their race packets. It looked like this:

Then while we were taking pictures, my son unbeknownst to me- followed me around that gate that you see. My husband thought I had him, I thought he had him. Pictures were done and my son was gone. He's 2. A worker walked up to me asking if I was looking for water and I told her I was looking for my son and that I needed her to have the DJ make an announcement. She didn't know what to do but asked what he was wearing. I told her then made my way to the stage and asked everyone I could along the way. I ran up to the stage and started pounding on it to get the DJ's attention. He didn't hear me. There was a lady on stage who acknowledged me and I told her- she also tried getting his attention and he didn't hear her either. So I jumped on stage and got in face. I told him I needed him to make an announcement because my son was 2 and he was missing. The DJ looked at me and said, "Really?". I yelled back, "No fakely!" so as I was giving him my son's description a runner walked up carrying my son. She said she found him walking around and he looked lost. I grabbed him from her and just started bawling. The term "Your legs go weak" yup- I know what that's like. If there had not been a railing there, I probably would have collapsed. I was so overcome with emotion that it was nothing like I have never experienced and pray I never do again. The whole ordeal probably lasted maybe 2 minutes- but it felt like it went on for hours. 

After that- we were ready to go. There was a lot of music and color being thrown around but we were so shaken from what had happened and plus there was so many people (remember the 3000 runners- now add in their family and friends) so we headed back towards home. There was a Mardi Gras festival here in our town that we walked through for a few minutes (small town=small festivals). Then came home and took a nap (finally!). Well, actually my son wouldn't lay down again so we put him back in the truck and took the kids for ice cream. My son fell asleep on the way home from that and THEN we got a nap which was much needed for obvious reasons but also because my husband had planned a date night for us. This is more special than you may realize. We've been together for almost 8 years and he's never planned anything like that for us. He set up the babysitter and everything! (and wouldn't tell me where we were going). 

This is where he took me:

It was lots of fun! We definitely need to have date nights more often than every 8 years. 

I'm told I clean up pretty good. 

So if you've made it this far... 1. Thank you for reading this insanely long blog post but as you can see, we packed a lot into one day. and 2. I hope my first 5k inspires you to sign up for your first 5k. I definitely plan to do more and the best thing about it- is my 2 girls (age 11 and 6) now want to sign up for one!

Pre- Race

Picking up the race packet this afternoon for tomorrow's 5k. I'm so nervous!

Weigh-In Wednesday

Hey all! It's Weigh In Wednesday AND the results of my "hiding the scale" challenge. First, let me say that I was so excited for today's weigh in. My dogs got me up a few times last night and I was so tempted to go sneak on the scale. I just KNEW I would have at least a 2 lb weight loss if not 3. I've worked out every day since last weigh-in except Saturday. Even if it was only a 20 minute workout- I made sure to get some type of work out in.  ***drumroll plrease***

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I gained a pound! 

yup. I gained. To say I was heartbroken, dumbfounded, and pissed are all understatements. I actually asked my scale if it was serious. Yup- I was talking to my scale at 6:00 a.m.! That's me! The crazy one that talks to her scale! I think I weighed myself 4 or 5 or maybe even 6 times. I seriously could not believe it.

But, at one point while I was waiting for the scale to reset to zero so I could weigh yet again I looked in the mirror. I looked at my stomach which is what I hate dislike the most about myself (2 c-sections, 5 other surgeries that involved cutting my stomach- yup it's been through the ringer). And I tightened my abs. I noticed a difference. Not a huge picture worthy difference- but *I* noticed a difference. I stood there looking at myself and realized how  sore  much stronger I feel from my workouts. I feel good. 

Looking back over the past week, I didn't eat super healthy for every single meal. Yes, the kids and I had pizza one night and Monday we ended up at Wendys for dinner after a late rehearsal. But, I worked out 6 out of 7 days and I logged everything I ate into My Fitness Pal. Then, yesterday, after leaving the doctor with my son I wanted to go through McDonalds and grab lunch. (yes, I like McDonalds- sue me) I didn't. I came home and had tuna salad for lunch. That's a NSV (Non-Scale Victory) in my book! It's a small step but it's a step in the right direction.

Am I upset over the gain? Yes. I would be lying if I said No. I broke my losing streak. I have consecutively lost weight (or stayed the same) every week since I started keeping track on December 27th.. until now. But, this was also the most I've worked out in all of those weeks.

For those that are probably going to ask/tell me/recommend I take my measurements. I did a few weeks ago. I didn't measure myself today because I know I did good this week. While I hate the scale right now- I like the mirror and that's a huge step.

My goal is to drop clothing sizes. I want to see a size 6. Maybe even a 4 one day but I would be thrilled to see a size 6 and I don't care if the scale reads 120 or 150. I want to see a size 6!

Thanks for stopping by! Don't forget my FIRST 5K is this Saturday! I'm so nervous I could puke. If I hadn't signed up with some friends I would probably chicken out. Stay tuned for pictures!

Also don't forget to stop by Erin and Alex's page to check out the other bloggers who have linked up today.

Hiding the Scale

Hey all! Super quick post for you today. I'm sorry I missed Weigh In Wednesday yesterday. With my husband being gone, it's hard to find a quiet moment to sit down and blog. My son is napping now and I have about 5 minutes before I have to run outside to get my daughter off the bus so I thought I'd spend those 5 minutes with all of you!

I lost 1.2 lbs this past week. The week before I stayed the same. Overall- since I started logging my weight and set a goal to lose every week- I've lost 5.4 lbs (since December 27th). Not a great number but I would much rather have lost it than gained. Also- I've stuck to my goal in losing (or at least staying the same) every week.

Still no runs in with the husband being gone. But, I've been Turbo Jamming it up! I'm thinking tomorrow I might switch things around and do some Cardio Max with Bob.. we'll see.

In the meantime, I decided to pack up the scale for a week. I am a weigh in freak. I weigh myself every.single.day. and I have for many, MANY years. Some say that's horrible and others say it helps keep them accountable. I'm a part of the 2nd group. But I wanted to try and surprise myself this week.

Stay tuned..... (5 minutes are up!)

Just...keep...running

This is an extremely overdue post and I apologize. Because it is so long overdue, it's going to be all over the place. Every day since my last post I have been mentally preparing what I'm going to say but haven't had time to actually sit down and type it out. So here goes- grab your coffee and get comfy....

After my last post, I felt pretty defeated for having such a crappy running time. And then I remembered this and it made me feel a lot better.

Even if I can't run a 12 minute mile, at least I'm moving and that's more than I can say I was doing this time last year!

My daughter and I did walk a longer path a few days later. I think it only ended up being about 2.5 miles. I need to find a new path though because it was along a busy highway and the wind from passing cars and the exhaust fumes were terrible. Definitely not an ideal, peaceful running place!

That was my last walk/run though. My husband got deployed so now I have no babysitter for my 2 younger ones. I could go to the gym and run on the treadmill and leave my son in the tot drop while the 2 older ones are at school. BUT- my son hates the tot drop. He cries when I leave him and just stands there the whole time I'm working out. I can't have a good workout if I'm worried about him.

With that said- I've been reading a lot of workout blogs discussing "Mommy Guilt" and thought I'd throw in my 2 cents. I suffer from Mommy Guilt and I'm a stay at home Mom. Don't get me wrong- when my husband comes home from work and I go for a run- I do not suffer then. But, leaving my son crying in the tot drop while I work out- yup definite Mommy Guilt. When I was a single Mom and was trying to lose weight (and was very successful at it!)- I woke up before my daughter did and worked out. So my solution while my husband is gone- I've been doing the Turbo Jam DVDs. Today is Saturday so I'm planning to take the kids over to the base here and let them ride their bikes while I walk/run. There's a nice long path that is straight with no worry of traffic. (unlike our neighborhood). Win/Win!

I don't remember if I've told you yet or not but I've joined the My Fitness Pal community. I have been on sparkpeople for years and loved it. But I heard that on MFP, after you complete your diary for the day, it tells you how much you *should* weigh in 5 weeks. I LOVE that feature. It also makes me motivated to work out to take care of those extra calories I slipped in so that I'm under my calories for the day. My user name is RunTiffanyRun. Look me up.

While browsing the other features of MFP last night, I came across a blog about a woman who has lost 300 pounds. Inspiring is an understatement. Check her out here.  From her blog, I found this one too. I spent a lot of time reading through both blogs last night. If they can do it- I can do it.

Have a great weekend!

It's official

I signed up for my first 5k today! I'm doing the Color Run on February 9th. I literally had a hard time catching my breath after I hit that final submit button to register. I don't know what I was thinking! Everyone keeps telling me how accomplished I will feel and I really REALLY hope they're right!

So now that it's official- I laced up my shoes and went for a run when my husband got home from work today. It sucked. and it ruined my day. It was hot. It's FREAKING HOT here for January. It's in the 80's! Now I admit if it was anything below the 50's I would be complaining it's cold. But, come on? 80's? I only managed a mile and my pace was terrible. I think I ended up with around 14 minutes and some change. I'm too embarrassed to even check my log. My shin splints kicked in too. I'm really going to have to figure out how to prevent them if I'm going to knock out 3 miles. I stretched before I left and I made sure I was hydrated. I've been seriously contemplating getting the compression socks.

Last week I ran 2 days in a row and then on Day 3 I did Jillian's 30 day shred. My body did not appreciate it. So I haven't done anything until today and I felt like my body was still punishing me! I'm planning to walk 3 miles on Wednesday. I want to make sure I'm comfortable with that distance and then I'll work on increasing my running. But right now I'm only doing around a mile (give or take) and I need to be doing 3 miles. Tomorrow I'm planning a Turbo Jam workout! Although I wonder if I should back off on the double cardio sessions. Should I let my running satisfy the cardio and then on the days I'm not running just concentrate on weights? What do you think?

I really hope to offer a more upbeat post on Wednesday for our weigh in. But for now I'm feeling a bit defeated.

Weigh In Wednesday- Week 2

It's baaccckkkk! How'd you do? I didn't do nearly as hot as last week but if the scale goes down- I'm happy and it did! I lost 0.4 this week. Considering I haven't been working out- I'm ok with that. I have given myself a pretty hefty goal to lose 3 lbs this week though.

I have a box of clothes that don't fit me anymore- and haven't fit me in several years- that I've packed up. I gave myself a deadline that if I can't wear them before we move in May- then I'm donating them. I WANT to wear those cute clothes again and I will!

Don't forget to stop by Erin and Alex's  page and check out their journey's... as well as everyone that has linked up with the Weigh in Wednesday group! I love the motivation I get from reading other blogs as well as the motivation that you all are holding me accountable!

I haven't been running like I wanted to because.. well because I suck. I could list all of my excuses but that's just what they are- EXCUSES! 

 BUT- my daughter and I went running tonight without the dogs (sorry pooches). It felt incredible. I ran so much more than I have ran in years! I'm nowhere near where I want to be but I can already feel a huge difference. I love it! 

Then I came home- showered- and ate a snack inspired by something Mama Laughlin  posted on Instagram. Mine is a bit different than her's because I used what I had on hand but I LOVED it. I put some pumpkin flax seed granola in a bowl with 2 TBSP creamy peanut butter and some fat free milk. OH. MY. LORD! It was awesome. It is my new favorite meal/snack/whatever. Both my kids and my husband said it looked gross. Good because this snack is ALL MINE!

Here's a snapshot of my recent runs/walks. As you can see it took me awhile to realize I needed to change my workout from walk to run. But don't pay attention to that- pay attention to my times and how much I've already improved!

Stay tuned.. I'm looking into getting a guest blog from a friend of mine that is much farther in her running and is training for a half marathon! (Hi Becky! I hope you're reading this!!)

Running in the Rain

Sometimes when you really don't want to do something, it's easier to just do it and get it over with. You'll feel better afterwards.  Yesterday was a dreary, miserable day. But I knew I needed to run. I kept telling myself it was raining and it would be OK to skip it. But, then the other side of my brain asked how I can tell my readers that I want to be a runner if I let a little bit of rain stop me. I'm going to sweat and get wet anyway, right?!

When I say it was cold- it was cold for SE Georgia. It was 50 degrees and the sun wasn't out. But I kept remembering people I'd seen in various groups I'm in that posted about running when it's snowing or in the 20's out. If they can run- I CAN RUN!

So after dinner (lesson learned! Do not run immediately after eating- even if it was just a salad it WILL try to make it's way back up), my daughter and I changed, grabbed the dogs, and headed out. The temperature had dropped dramatically since I'd been outside earlier in the day- but I kept going. The cold gave me the initiative to run even more to warm my legs up.. and guess what? IT WORKED!

Here's a picture my daughter took of me and the dog. It wasn't raining hard (as you can see). It would sprinkle in spurts. But it was cold and nasty out.. and I ran anyway! I ran more yesterday than I did the day before and it felt great. I felt accomplished!

I'm going to try running tomorrow without the dog. (Sorry Zoey!) She slowed me down quite a bit last night wanting to sniff and pee and I'd like to see what I can do on my own. I'm also planning to increase my distance.

I can't wait to tell you how it goes!

Weigh In Wednesday

It's Wednesday! Some call it Hump Day. Some call it the middle of the week. Some call it too close to Monday and yet still too far from Friday. Today, my husband returns to work after being on holiday routine for the better part of December and I will be here with the kids trying to make sense of the chaos that has taken over our house this month!

Before I fill you in on Weigh In Wednesday- let me update you on my day yesterday. I went for a walk/jog on my usual route (around my neighborhood). It's right at 1 mile. I walked/jogged with my husband. He has to run PT tests in the military so he was very sweet to take it down to my level and jog with me when I could. I finished my route in 15 minutes 20 seconds. Slow but faster than I've finished it... ever! I usually walk it in 18-20 minutes (with 3 kids and 2 dogs). But this time it was just me and The Husband and the 2 dogs. I jogged more yesterday than I have in a long time... like years!

Then we took the kids to the zoo. Last time we went (right after we moved here) it was $2 day in July. Everyone in our state and the next state over was there. Think - New Years Eve in Times Square! We vowed to never return again. But the kids asked to go one more time before we move this summer so we gave in. We were very impressed! It actually took us about 3 hours to walk the whole thing (last time we were done in about an hour). According to my Fit Bit , I walked a total of 12,080 steps yesterday and by last night- I was feeling it! 

Mama Laughlin  has blogged about taking ice baths after her long runs. I don't think I will ever be brave enough to do that but I did see some things at the running store that look like really high socks and you put ice packs in them. That was very appealing last night!

So my question for the more seasoned runners:

1. Should I ice right after a run or wait until the pain starts (if it starts)?

2. Should I work on increasing my distance first or my endurance? For example: Should I stick with my 1 mile route and keep at it until I'm able to jog the entire thing and then add distance in 1/2 - 1 mile increments? Or should I go ahead and increase to 2 miles and then 3 and walk/jog that until I'm able to jog the entire thing?


Now... it's what you've all been waiting for!

 It's Weigh In Wednesday!

I'm linking up with several other bloggers who are on the same journey to become healthier. We will be weighing in every Wednesday and sharing our ups and downs with all of you. I'm ecstatic to say I've lost 3.2 lbs this week! I know there's room for improvement and I know a portion of  my loss can be attributed to all of the walk we did yesterday and the fact that my lunch/dinner was combined at 3:00. But, I'll take it. 

In the meantime, I also know that meal planning and not eating out helps weight loss. I gained about 4 lbs over the holidays and I can't blame it on holiday eating- it was due to us being on the go and eating out.. a LOT! But, our wallet nor our bellies (or butts) appreciate it. Right now I'm working on eating through what we have- which includes 2 refrigerators, a deep freezer (containing what's left of 1/2 a cow we bought back in September) and an overflowing pantry. We're moving in a few months anyway so we need to eat up what's here!

I'm not going for a jog today. I think my legs need to rest after yesterday. But, I will be playing the Wii with my kids, running around our backyard, and either going to play tennis or taking the kids for a bike ride so while I won't be doing a scheduled workout- I will be moving!

Here's a weekly challenge to go along with Weigh In Wednesdays! Try it out and come back and tell me about it

Please leave a comment and let me know you stopped by. Knowing I have readers gives me motivation to keep pushing forward and hopefully continue to motivate you!

Also, don't forget to share the love to the other bloggers participating in Weigh In Wednesdays. We're all in this together!

Hello 2013

Happy New Year!

Today is the start of the new year, the start of my blog, and who knows what else?! I actually created this blog a few days ago but haven't had time to set it up.. so here we are. What better day to launch it than January 1st?

I won't bore you with my details because you can find them in the About Me section. So I'll just jump right in.

We went to a specialty running store Friday night where me and The Husband were fitted for running shoes. It was pretty weird- especially when the guy asked me to roll my pant legs up and I hadn't shaved my legs in a week! He had me stand on one leg (each leg), then on my tip toes. Then he brought out a few different pairs of shoes. For each pair I had to run/jog down a stretch of the store where he watched how I landed. I ended up with some bright blue Mizunos. The hubby got a pair for himself too.

Then we hit Target to get some running pants. The last pair I bought (a LONG time ago) ended up as sleep pants. Also grabbed a running shirt and jacket that were on clearance and some duo dry socks. Love them!

Saturday, my oldest and I grabbed the dogs and headed out for a run/jog/walk... let's face it. There was lots of walking (on my part- my daughter will very quickly correct me and say that she ran which she did but she's also 11 not 31 and out of shape). I tried following the C25k w1d1 on the app. It was going really well but then I wouldn't hear the prompts anymore. It would vibrate like a message and I would have to fight with my armband to see what it was saying- it was just a mess. I felt like I spent more time fighting with the app than I did enjoying the run/walk. So as much I love the C25k program and as much as I firmly believe in it- I think I'm going to try it on my own for awhile. Just by increasing my distance to build up my endurance. If that doesn't work- I'll revisit the C25k.

And I leave you with a picture of me before my run on Saturday. It's not a pretty one but I keep telling myself that you're not supposed to look pretty when you run..unless of course you're on Baywatch. (Wow! That's showing my age!) I just realized I wasn't wearing my wedding ring in this picture (the husband is going to flip). My fingers have been swelling lately and I'm not sure why so I've been taking them off at night. BUT- I do NOT leave my house without them on. There husband- happy now?

What are your goals for 2013?