A New Year's Challenge you can do TODAY!

Tomorrow is the new year and I was trying to think of what I could do TODAY that would make next year better. You know what I did?

I registered for the 2010 Iron Girl 10 mile run!!!

It feels great to know that I am leaving this year behind with plans already made for a great new year!!

So, I'm challenging you to step it up today and sign up for a race for 2010! Even if its a walking event, 5K, 10K, 1/2 or full marathon! Make the last day of 2009 a step in the right direction!!!!

(oh, and don't say you're already signed up for something. So am I, but I KNOW you can do more then ONE event a year!!!)

Goodbye 2009

Its that time again. We all do it. We sit down and think of all the possibilities lying in the new year. Today I wanted to sit down and look at the year that has passed. This was my first entry of 2009:

Its a new year, what are you going to do
with it?
I can tell you what I am going to do with it. I am going to lose the
last 40 pounds. In fact, since that should only take me 6 months, I will also
add on that I will train to run a marathon in 2010 with my friend.
Scratch
that.... I am going to focus on one day at a time. I am going to focus on eating
right everyday and getting in at least 30 minutes of cardio in a day. I am going
to focus on drinking my water. I am going to focus on pushing myself to be a
better runner. If all of that brings me to 145 pounds then grrrrrrrreat! But if
I only lose 10 more pounds this year, that will be just as great. As long as I
am going down the right path, trying to do the right thing... then that will
mean I am succeeding.. and I will be happy with that.
Remember.... Its the
journey that brings you happiness, not the destination!

Its funny because this past year I did not lose the last 40 lbs. I lost 15 lbs...err, 10 if you count my Christmas gain..... I did not exercise EVERYDAY, but I did do better then last year! I DID become a better runner!! In fact, I ran a 5K and a 10K this year... and will be doing a half marathon in 3 weeks!!!

"As long as I am going down the right path, trying to do the right thing... then that will mean I am succeeding.. and I will be happy with that."

I definitely feel like I succeeded in bettering myself this year. I found a new path that has sent me down a whole new direction. I sometimes strayed from that path, but somehow always found the on-ramp to get back on!

This year I do have a couple of resolutions to make. They wont have anything to do with reaching my goal weight. They won't have to do with running marathons... eating clean... or even staying on track. My resolutions this year are simple...

LIVE
LAUGH
LOVE

.... and I know exactly how to make that possible!

Find Joy in the Journey... NOW

(5 A.M. Christmas morning!!)

180


No, its not a typo. I have gained weight the past couple of days like no body's business. Sure I have 'excuses' but we all know that making up excuses is a bunch of dog doodie. The truth is, its been a rough couple of days and I haven't handled them as well as I should have.


On Tuesday, December 22 my grandmother suffered a stroke. She was rushed to the hospital where they decided to air lift her to the city. (remember, I live in the mountains... crappy hospital) This was the first time in 60 years this amazing woman has been in a hospital. The last time was when she was giving birth to my mom's OLDER sister... yep, after the first one she popped the other two out at home.


To say the least, she is against taking medication of any kind. This includes aspirin. You can imagine the fit she was throwing in the ER when they were poking and probing her!!


She recovered well from her 'mini' stroke and was flown back home on Christmas Eve.... only because she left the hospital AMA (against medical advice) after they told her she should get a stint. They gave her some meds too... but I don't think she has even filled the prescriptions yet. You can't force a woman who has lived 83 years to do something she doesn't believe in!



Anyway, that was the start of my bad 'couple' of days. Ok, so its been almost a week. Cookies, chocolates, bread galore!!! (oh, and tamales, as you can see!)


Just thinking about what I ate is making me feel nauseous again. Yes, again.

I did have an "AH HA" moment though. I lost focus of one of the major reasons I started this healthy living journey. I wanted to be healthy so I could be happy! I have spent so many days worrying about how many tenths of a pound down my scale will show in the morning that my sight was blocked by the scale.

Yes, there is a weight I want to reach. Yes, goals are awesome to make.... but holy crud, don't miss out on everything in between!!! Enjoy wearing a size 16, 14 and 12. So, they're not the numbers your aiming for... but they are still YOUR numbers. Its still you. Have fun with it.

I am putting my scale in the closet and will be bringing it out once a month... you heard me, once a MONTH (the 1st of the month) to weigh myself. The rest of the month will be spent waking up to a beautiful day... and NOT worrying what my numbers will be that day.

Don't be fooled. I am still on a mission. Just one that is a little less controlled by the number on the scale. It will be a mission fueled by life....adventure.... kids.... running.... and eating the way God intended us to eat. Healthy.

Day 4

176.4

1500 calories

128 oz of water

Rest Day (Gonna take the girls to see Princess and the Frog!)

Day 3 - Sprint Triathlon

178

1500 calories ( went to a Christmas party... my guess is around 1800)

128 oz of water (barely got in my 64 oz)

Sprint Triathlon (Today)

Swimming : 20 min (20)

Bike 12 : 60 min (54)

Run 5k: 36:20 min (33:04)

Day 2

177.8 (-1 lb)

GOALS:

1500 calories (1023 calories: Missed my afternoon snack because I was Christmas Shopping)

128 oz of water (96 oz: forgot my water too!)

2 miles (DONE!!)

I'm feeling good. Yesterday went smoothly. I am using an awesome (FREE) website to keep track of my calories in/calories out... Check it out: My Fitness Pal

Notice the weight loss? Yep, I think y'all were right. If I just focus on running, the rest will follow. Tomorrow I have a Sprint Triathlon at 6 a.m!!

I'll come back tonight with todays number results!

On your mark, get set....

30 days from today I will be standing in the streets of Phx waiting for the whistle to blow. 13.1 miles is a little intimidating to me. Mentally I know I can do it, physically I'm scared to death.

I'm going to change it up a little bit on my blog for the next 30 days. I will simply be posting my weight, my calories, my water, my workout and my mood. (OH, and I will be posting at night so I can give you a more accurate account) Why? Because the next 30 days are going to be busy and I don't want to waste a minute of them. I need to be out running, not on the computer!! At the same time though I want to document how I'm doing. Not only so that you can follow along with me, but so that I can look back and see how I did when this is all said and done!

So, until day 31, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year... and keep up if you can!!!!

178 lbs (morning)

(My goal for the day)
1500 calories (1228 calories)
128 oz of water (DONE!!)
4 miles (3 miles, 20 minutes Tae Bo)


I will post my final numbers tonight.

Why can I have one without the other??

"Should I just concentrate on losing the weight or should I concentrate on running?"

I asked my husband this question a couple of days ago. Knowing that I only had a month before my half-marathon and knowing that I can't focus on both (yes, I know, that weird) I asked him which he thought would benefit me more.

If I just concentrated on dropping weight, I could be a healthy 156 lbs for the race and just pray my body kicks it into gear when its time...

or

I could continue my training and not worry about the weight. Just get my body ready to run for 13.1 miles.

I know most of you are wondering why I can't do both... well, for a couple of reasons. First, my body is a pain in the ass when it comes to losing weight. I have to keep my calories down to about 1000 a day to drop weight. (yes, even my doc said it) We all know that you can't train for a half marathon on a 1000 calories a day...

My husband told me to stick to the running and that the weight should follow.

The only thing I have noticed while training is that, although my weight is not dropping, my body is getting more aerodynamic! Its changing, moving around, flattening out and toning up. But this morning I weighed in at 180. Talk about a punch to the gut. From 176 to 180... yikes.
I'm really praying that its all water retention in the new muscles I'm making!!!!

I am doing another Sprint Tri this weekend. I'm addicted. The feeling I got afterwards was amazing. EVERY muscle in my body was screaming out for more. I can't stop! I think I need a coach and a nutritionist.... I can totally see myself succeeding.

Another Day

I'm not sure if it was the 30 laps or the 12 miles on the bike... but since my little Sprint Tri I did on Saturday my abs having been killing me. Its a good kinda hurt though... the kind that reminds me I'm actually doing something positive for myself!

Yesterday I had planned to do a run outside when Hubby got home from work. The snow and ice have melted and although its not a warm 50 degrees outside it has warmed up out of the freezing range. Anyway, I spent the day cleaning the house and by the time he was home I was exhausted. He gave me the disappointed shake of the head... but I just couldn't.

Today I have a few things I need to get done around the house, but then I will be ready to dash out the door the second Hubby gets in. That's the plan anyway!

I talked to my running partner, Roni, and she wants to do the Sprint Tri again this weekend. I am excited to see if I can beat my time now! I am hoping my muscles will be recovered enough by then...

Well, it's another day... and another chance to make it what you want!

I Did A Sprint Triathlon!!!

Not an official one. I was the only one competing in this little challenge at my gym. I went online and found out all the distances for doing a Sprint Tri and here are my results:

750 meter swim: 20 minutes

(10 minutes to change into my workout clothes)

12 miles on the bike : 60 minutes

(took 5 minutes to get the funny feeling out of my legs)

3 miles run : 36:20

Total for my Sprint Triathlon (excluding in between stuff) : 1:56:20

I am very happy with this. I actually beat a record with my running... by 4 MINUTES!!

The swimming was easy for me. I can swim for hours and not tire. My only complaint was the guy doing laps next to me who was making bigger waves then God. I kept getting water in my nose every time he went by. :P

Then on to the bikes where I realized just how much I had used my legs for swimming. Yikes. I had to rotate between the regular bike and the chair-like bike after 6 miles because I was hurtin' so bad. The last 4 miles of the ride they finally stopped hurting and I pounded out the miles as fast as I could.

I was a little worried about the run. I was walking on the treadmill at first but realised I would never get done like that and increased my speed to an easy jog. My legs felt GREAT! You must use totally different muscles biking then running, because I felt like I had just started my workout... other then the other muscles making me walk all jiggly and wiggly. LOL I ran for a 1.5 before stopping to walk a little. Then picked it back up and jogged the rest. I beat my all time record of 40 minutes for 3 miles by 4 whole minutes coming in at 36:20. This AFTER doing my swim and bike ride. Too cool!

I think this may be my workout every Saturday. Being that it was snowing today I did it in the gym and enjoyed the sweat pouring off of me!!! When I walked outside I had steam rising off of me. :) I'm totally hooked and feel much more confident about my half marathon next month!!

Page 2

Page 2

Some people are saying I'm too hard on myself (*ehem* Michelle and Hanlie)... and in a way, I know they are right... Hell, I'm WISHING they are right so that I can back off and just enjoy the experience. But I know that it's not true. My words may seem harsh on this blog, but in all reality I have to be that way. I know myself better then anyone and unfortunately the one person I lie to the most is myself. If I wasn't hard on myself I would be walking all over myself.

Don't think that I don't enjoy life... I do! I just know that when it comes to dieting, working out and making the right choices I know that I am the first person I will try to talk out of it all.

So, yes, I am hard on myself... because I would be nowhere if I wasn't. I do hope, some day in the future, I will be able to relax a little more and just set myself on cruise control... but until that day comes I'm gonna have to kick my a$$ every step of the way. Only because I love myself that much.

(Michelle and Hanlie... I love you guys and you are the best bloggy friends I could ask for. No hard feelings... <3)

30 Pages, 30 Days

"Its time to break down these walls"

Page 1

Dear Journal,

How hard is it to change? You would think it would be as easy as dawning a new hat or a shiny new pair of shoes. Instead I am finding it harder then any other challenge I've faced. I'm not looking to change my whole self... just the part of me in charge of my physique. I dream of being slender, yet strong. Of having arms and legs that are long and sleek, yet curved in just the right places. Of having a stomach that is tight and flat. Of being the perfect weight.

I know the only thing stopping me is my lack of discipline. In my head I can see myself doing months of workout, clean eating and perfect days. In reality I face agonizing days of disappointment and despair. Why does my mind tell me one thing only to push me the other way in reality?

I must find a way of breaking through the barriers. Of facing my fear of succeeding and turning my back on the old way of thinking.

30 days. I'm giving myself 30 days to break open the flood gates. I need to find out what I'm really made of. Journal, its a good thing you have way more then 30 pages.

A Moment In Time

The winds are blowing, sometimes up to 73 mph, and snow is everywhere. Luckily we still have power, but we built fires in both fireplaces to help the electric heater to keep the house warm. My Hubby has not worked in days and I just sent him out the door to assist my Godfather in the next town over who got snowed in, power is out and has no heat.

This time of year is always a two sided coin. On one side its the holidays where families gather together and children are giddy. The snow makes the Christmas lights shine even brighter and the fire crackling always makes a home seem more, homey. But the other side creeps up on me too. The freezing cold that you can't seem to shake. The sad stories of people with no money for food, heat or Christmas. The clouds that keep a constant gloom on my house. The stress of bills, work, food and Christmas presents.

I hate this time of year.. all but the one day of Christmas where I watch my children with awe and wish I could once again see Christmas through innocent eyes.

Being prone to depression, this month is the worst. I often find myself wanting to hide in my house with the blanket drawn over my head.... if it weren't for being a mother of two very lively little girls who talked their father into hanging Christmas lights from every corner of this house... inside and out.... I would be having a very rough month. Instead I am surrounded by laughter, lights, giddy girls and warm hugs.

I may have seen a glimpse into the secret of seeing Christmas the way a child does.... its not about EVERYTHING. Its about the moment. The one moment you are in right now. The moment the lights come on and shed rainbows across the walls. The moment you hear the bells on the door knob telling you Daddy is home. The moment you open the curtains and see an ocean of pure white. The moment your locked in an embrace with warm arms. At those moments, nothing else matters.

Enjoy your moment.

-2 lbs.... +2 feet of snow

It will be a very long week. We are supposed to get 2 feet of snow today... and the blizzard is supposed to last until NEXT Saturday. This makes me very sad. I hate snow and it always makes me feel a little bit depressed. Today I am staying busy getting my house back in order after a long weekend celebrating birthdays, an early Christmas, and a late Thanksgiving. *phew*

Now I have 10 loads of laundry to do and a floor that desperately needs a mopping.

HAIR CUT

On to good news... I am loving my hair cut.(you can see my tattoo on my neck now!) It makes me feel so much more put together. I have a real 'style' now! The only down side is that I have no hair on my neck and it is VERY cold back there! I have been wearing a scarf inside and outside for three days now...

If anyone has some scarves they no longer want... please email me and I will give you my address!!! I have two... and not everything looks good with a green or black scarf. LOL

WEIGHT

I am down 2 lbs this week. THAT is a very good feeling!!

I did it... I chopped my hair!!

Keeping my hands busy...

Obviously I did not make 4 hours the other day. I think it is impossible for me to workout out that much in one day. I physically, and mentally, could not get 'in the groove' for my second hour of working out and just gave up. I think one hour a day is just right for me!

Yesterday I spent the day knitting. ALL DAY knitting. Talk about addictive. Mostly because once I started the project I could not wait to see the finished product! I also made the mistake of telling the kids I was making a teddy bear... any time they saw me doing something other then knitting they yelled at me.

So, here is the first teddy bear I made:

The second one ( I have two kids, whether I wanted to, or not, I had to make TWO) I decided to make it a bunny rabbit. It came out a little bit more 'even' in places and was much cuter. I think if I kept making them they would eventually come out perfect... I just don't think my hands, back, butt and neck could handle another 14 hour knit session! LOL Maybe in another month.

If you have any easy knitting suggestions.. send them this way!!!

This weekend is full of more threatening dinners... family is coming into town and we are having yet ANOTHER Thanksgiving dinner to make up for them not being at the first one. Aye! Then we are celebrating TWO birthdays in the family on Saturday and on Sunday we are having an early Christmas with said family.

If I make it through the weekend without gaining a pound, I will be extremely happy!!

See you Monday

How many HOURS a day do YOU workout??

Watching the Biggest Loser last night I was surprised to hear Amanda say she was supposed to be working out 4 hours a day while at home. FOUR HOURS??? No wonder they are losing baffling amounts of weight at the ranch... but how are you supposed to get that kind of time in at home?

Being a stay home mom I have an opportunity to workout a lot at home. I have a treadmill, weights and workout DVD's galore. As long as I stay away from my computer... tv... books... and anything else that sucks me in for hours at a time I should have plenty of time to do some workouts. But is it physically possible... or healthy??

Today I decided to add a little more to my workouts. I want to see how many times, and how many hours, I can get in a good workout today.

I will update this as the day goes on... (maybe, if I actually get more done!)

1:10 (2 mile run + Tae Bo cardio workout)

To cut or not to cut, that is the question of the week.

Yesterday rocked. I ran 5K on the treadmill... which actually sucked, but there was ice all over the roads so the treadmill was my only choice. I ate fairly well... does anyone else get nasty munchies around 3 pm?? I usually eat something around that time anyway, but man its like I just can't eat ENOUGH. Any ideas?

Ok, so I am feeling like I need a change. I took the girls to the salon last week to get their hair trimmed. Baby ended up getting a really short bob that is absolutely adorable (not to mention SO much easier to handle)... and Angel got her hair feathered in the front.. kind of like a Farah do! It looks great on her.

Anyway, that sparked a little something in my head. I am so tired of my hair. Its long and naturally curly and as much as I love it some days... it doesn't always look as nice as I would like it to. Its also getting REALLY thin at the ends so it just doesn't look healthy. I'm thinking I need to chop it all off.... to the chin. Maybe that will thicken it up a little and maybe get it healthy again. I could also spend less time on it... even if I straightened it everyday, it would take less time!

So, because I am on the edge... I need some of your thoughts on it. There is a poll up on top... let me know what you think! If I do decide to cut it, it will be on Friday night when my awesome aunt is coming to visit (who is also the best hairdresser in the world! oh, and free!!).

How to survive the holidays...

If your reading this because you read the title and thought I had all the answers... then you ate as bad as I did this past weekend. :)

I'm not going to 'boo hoo' about the crap I ate because I ate it, and that's that. Now its time to just work it all off. I have two hours of cardio planned today... along with a huge thermos of water I will be drinking all day.

Food will consist of fresh fruit, veggies and clean protein.

I'm feeling it....

Discipline over Desire!!

A Thanksgiving Menu

Hubby told me YESTERDAY that he wanted to stay home this Thanksgiving, instead of going to families house, and just be the 4 of us. I don't mind that really. I love spending holidays with just our little family.

I already had a turkey in the fridge defrosting (I was planning on making one on Saturday so that we had sandwich meat all week!) so that wasn't a big deal. The big deal comes when you start writing down all the side dishes you want. With a little help from the midgets (my girls) and my Hubby, this is what our menu looks like for tomorrow.

Turkey
stuffing
gravy
green bean casserole
sweet potato casserole (made with lots of brown sugar and marshmallows)
homemade rolls (I can eat 20 of these and still want more)
mushroom risotto
chocolate chip cookies
caramel chip cookies
pumpkin pie
cherry pie
whip cream

Small portions, or not, I'm gonna be stuffed tomorrow. Good thing I have a couple of long runs already planned this weekend. I'm gonna need to burn off a LOT of food.

Happy Thanksgiving !!

Day 762 or Day 4

Whatever day you want to call it... its all the same. Waking up to numbers on the scale (177.2 by the way), serving myself a huge cup of Pero non-coffee, sitting in front of the computer and digging deep to find the right words for what is swishing around in my brain. All of this to keep me on track with what I need to do for the rest of the day which is:

A) clean house
B) Homeschooling the kids
C) laundry
D) run at least 2 miles, but hopefully 3
E) keep my food simple and clean
F) drink lots of water
G) do this all with a smile on my face

That list hardly ever changes during the week. Some days I do all of it... some days I only get 2 or 3 done. Its a simple fact that , whether you do them all or none, today will turn into tomorrow. There is no catching up, no 'give me one more hour'. What you get done today is what you get done. No one can be 100% one hundred percent of the time. Its ok to be 75%, 50% or even 25%. sometimes. As long as the majority of the time you are striving for that 100%.

Today I'm striving for 100!

Finding The Path Again.

Its amazing how a bad week can mess you up.

I am on day 3 of keeping it healthy... so no worries there.... but let me tell you how much of a funk I fell in on Day 1.

I was depressed. I had gained at least 5 lbs back over that bad week. Looking at it now I'm pretty sure a majority was water weight... but none the less, I was inching my way back up to the 180's. Friday I was at 179.... and I wanted to cry. I felt like a complete failure. I hated my body. I hated food. I hated everything. At one point I was arguing with myself about just giving up. Part of me wanted to just eat everything in sight and get fat again without a care in the world. The other part of me wanted to never eat a bite of food again. I was considering every eating disorder there was... starvation being my number one choice.

I couldn't get any more messed up in the head then I was on Friday. To make it worse, I felt like I looked worse then I had at 220 lbs. I didn't want my husband to touch me or look at me. Poor guy wanted some affection and I felt too ugly to give it to him. So I went to my closet to put on some sweat pants and a t-shirt. He followed me in the closet and gave me a big hug.

"Don't you see how far you've come?" he said. "Don't you remember the rolls of fat that used to be behind you?" He slid his hand down my back. "They're not there anymore. You look amazing. You just had an off week. We all do. You'll be ok."

He left me alone in the closet. I am so scared of gaining it all back that a bad week seems like the end of the world. The thought of being 180 again made me sick. I cried. Why couldn't I see how far I had come?

Some how I pulled myself together. I made the two voices in my head come to an agreement. I would not starve myself... but I would not eat too much either. I started running through all the little things I needed to do to get back on track. Drinking water, smaller portions, no sugar, no bread, more veggies, 3 meals a day, vitamins, running.... running. I have a half marathon in less then 2 months. If I focus on that I can make it.

Saturday was Day 1 for me... luckily it was my daughters birthday party so I was busy all day. I ate healthy... even having a slice of her birthday cake. Sunday morning I was down to 178. I kept fighting my emotions and just tried to remember how to eat. Healthy choices, healthy portions...

This morning I am at 177.4. I still feel like I'm walking on the edge... but I see the path I'm supposed to take and I'm going the right way. Having a breakdown is part of the experience I guess.... but I'm still worried. Is this what its going to be like when I reach my goal weight of 155? Will I feel fat and drop into a depression if I see 158 on the scale one morning?

I'm going running.

"The best thing about straying from the path is knowing there IS a path to get back on"

words to remember

"Get used to feeling hungry... it means your doing this right."

Its Never Easy ... Day 2

No matter how long you've been doing this... for me, 2 years... getting back on track is never easy. The worst part is the sugar withdrawals/cravings. I am trying to use a little trick I learned back in the day.... whenever you start craving a snack that your not supposed to have take 10 gulps of water and wait 5 minutes. Guaranteed the water will fill your stomach and in 5 minutes you will lose the craving!

I have a strained muscle in the right side of my neck that runs all the way down to my shoulder and back. It reinforces my thoughts of not working out again until Monday.

Tomorrow is my daughters birthday party. There will be cake... but not for me. I will grab a Luna bar and indulge in the fact that I am close to losing my last 20 lbs!

Time to focus in on health...

Ok. So the past couple of days have been a little crazy. Coming back from the race I needed a couple of days to relax. Apparently, in my head, that meant eat what you want and be lazy. So, no surprise that my stomach is killing me and I am bloated and retaining water like crazy.

Yesterday was worse with it being my daughters birthday. For my kids, and me, this means getting to have your favorites all day. Like a really HUGE cheat day! She wanted bacon, eggs, biscuits and gravy for breakfast (and so did I)... she wanted pizza for lunch (and so did I)... she wanted lasagna for dinner (and so did I) .. catching on yet? Yep, I'm pretty sure I gained 5 pounds over the last four days.

I sometimes think its good for us to do this. Four days of eating like crap and I am back to my old self , having no energy... bad mood swings... stomach pains and just all around crappy feeling. I've had my binge, time to focus in again and get healthy.

Today is Day 1 of 60 before the half marathon. I have a lot of work to do, but my main goal this weekend is to stick to clean eating and get all this crap out of my system. Next week I will start my running again.

I haven't weighed myself in a couple of days... and I wont again until November 30th. I want to see a good number to keep me motivated! My goal for the half marathon is 160 lbs. If I drop below that, great... but for now, that is a good goal to reach for.

A Birthday Girl

Six years ago today, at 7:11 a.m., I had a brand new baby girl in my arms. She was everything I could have dreamed of. Holding her for the first time I knew that I loved her with every cell in my body.

Now I have a little lady who I love more now then I did back then. She reads me bedtime stories, she laughs all the time and she is one of my best friends. I can only imagine how wonderful the next 6 years will be. Happy Birthday Angel.... I love you.

Race Day Recap!

What a wonderful trip!

Saturday Morning: was up at 5 a.m. to shower and dress. After a slight delay trying to calm down baby (she hates when I go out of town) I was on my way to pick up Roni at her house. It was FREEZING. There was rain and snow falling for the first half of the trip. We double checked the forecast for the city and it was still supposed to be 70 and sunny down there... so that made us feel a little better. We just hoped we weren't going to come home to 3 feet of snow.

After 3 1/2 hours of talking and laughing we made it to the city. Now, you have to picture two country girls that only go to the city once a year... and even then our husbands do the driving. So we get off our little road and merge onto a 8 lane highway crowded with millions of cars going 100 miles an hour. (a little exaggeration, but not by much) Luckily I had studied the map on the computer and had the major roads we had to take memorized. We found the hotel and parked the car. I think that may have been the first breath I had taken since arriving in the city.

We were 5 hours early to the hotel (check in was at 3) but they had a room for us and we made our way to a very hip, trendy and clean room. I stretched on the bed... immediately after visiting the bathroom! We were getting hungry and decided to go out for lunch. I DID NOT want to get back in the car... so we asked the hotel guy where the closest street was with restaurants and he said the next major street over.

We decided to walk. Not thinking we were going to go far, I kept on my cowboy boots and jeans on. It was still a little chilly in the city, but nothing like home. Cars flew past us... crossing at busy intersections was very thrilling... and a little bit like playing chicken. Two miles later we were walking down a very busy street. It was right next to the college, so there were more people walking then driving. Thank God. We found a cute little Greek restaurant where we ordered felafel's and three huge glasses of water. I was dripping sweat.. and a little worried about the blister building on the back of my ankle from my boots.

We ate, slowly, and enjoyed watching the hustle and bustle of city life. It really made me appreciate the stress free living of country life.

We walked back to the hotel... this time going much slower thanks to the 10 added pounds of food we ate. I tried to step differently so that my boots didn't rub the same spot. About half way back to the hotel a car slowed down and was pacing us. A white Lincoln with windows so black we couldn't see the driver. At this point I had flash backs of movies with city gangsters doing drive bys on innocent people.

The window rolled down and a young man stuck his head out. "Do you know where the mall is?"

I had to laugh. I shook my head and told him we were from out of town too and had no idea where it was. He smiled, waved and they sped off. At this point we walked a little faster.

That evening we got back in the car and drove to the expo to pick up our bib numbers, shirts and grab bags. We found out that there were over 1800 women running the next morning! My bib number was 11 and yellow. This signified that I was a cancer survivor. Anyone with the numbers 1-18 were survivors. I only saw one other yellow bib the whole time... she ran the 10 miles and looked awesome!

We grabbed a sandwich and headed back to the hotel. We were in bed and asleep by 8:30. The alarm was set for 4:30.... I woke up at 3.

Sunday: RACE DAY!!

There is nothing more exciting then being surrounded by hundreds of women wanting to run!! I was signed up for the 5K... Roni was running the 10 miles. The great thing was we all started together. The bad thing was we all started together. Seriously, I'm not a fast runner but it is very annoying to start a race and have to dodge and duck around walkers and slow joggers. The path was narrow too, so you had to wait for an opening to happen before you could shove past.

The good part of this was that it kept me from sprinting out of the starting line.... I did that in my 10K race and was exhausted by my 3rd mile.... I kept a slow and steady pace that allowed me to pass people safely and still keep momentum.

I ran for 2 miles before stopping to walk... and that was only because it was a water stop. Looking back I should have ignored it and just kept on going. I didn't really need it.... and trying to keep running after that little walk was impossible. So I checked my watch and kept to a walk 2/run 2 program.

The route was fantastic. We ran next to the lake and over two bridges. I came in to the finish line at 40:01 .... an average of a 13 minute mile pace!!

The worst part...... I could have done the 10 miler. When I ran across the finish line, I could have kept going. I could have done it again!!! Being down in the lower elevation made my breathing so much easier. I live at 6200 ft... the race was at 1200 ft... that's a huge difference, and I could feel it in my lungs. I cooled down and then went to cheer on Roni as she made her second pass by the park to finish out the last of the 10 miles. She made it in 1:46:53. She rocks!

So, once again I learned some valuable information for the next race.

1) I don't NEED to stop for water at the first water table.... and if I do, don't STOP... keep running!

2) Don't sell myself short. I KNOW I can run a 5K easily... next time go for the gold!!

This is good advice, since my next scheduled race is the PF Chang Half marathon in January! The best thing about that is the finish line is in the exact same spot as this race was. I'm excited. I have a lot of training to do... but I'm ready now. Physically and mentally.

******SIDE NOTE*****

I noticed that people there don't cheer for you unless they know you. I didn't have anyone there to cheer me on, and that made me sad..... but as soon as I was done I went to the side lines and cheered for every lady that ran by. Running a race is hard.... we should ALL have cheerleaders on the sidelines, whether they know us or not. I'm cheering for you.... please go out and cheer for somebody else!!!

A Personal Hall of Fame

I'm off.... see you on Monday!!!

I couldn't have picked a better weekend to run a race in the city. Its supposed to drop below freezing up here on the mountain... while down in the city we will be running in a warm 70 degrees!

Thanks for all the advice... its pretty obvious that everyone is different when it comes to pre-race food. Some carb load, some don't change a thing. I think what I will do is stick to my healthy choices. Being in the city I know we will be going out to eat somewhere... so I will just pick a healthy meal. Hopefully afterwards we will find a good place to dance off some calories!!

I plan on getting up around 5 on race day and eating a Cliff Bar and getting in a really good stretch.... I'll be sure to write it all down so I can share all the details with you on Monday!

Today I am doing laundry and cleaning house in hopes that it won't be too much of a disaster when I get back on Sunday night. I need to start packing my clothes... but am feeling a little bit apprehensive about it.

Packing for a trip was always the worst part for me. I would pack all my super cute outfits... only to find, once I was there, that they were too small and no longer fit. I would end up buying some cheap t-shirts and looking blah the whole trip. I learned then to try everything on before I packed. Even though I am MUCH smaller then I was then... the thought of trying on clothes makes my stomach turn.

I'll be sure to take TONS of pictures of my girls weekend... I know I will be meeting some of you down there too!! I leave at 6:30 tomorrow morning...... see you on Monday!!!

I need your help! What do YOU eat the night before a race?

Getting ready for the race this weekend. My number one goal for the next 3 days is too stay hydrated. The worst thing you can do is go into a race already lacking water. So... I will be keeping my water bottle next to me at all times!

I am making my checklist of things to take with me... the number one thing I need to take is a good watch that gives me the seconds too. My strategy for this race is to run for 2.5 minutes and walk for 2.5 minutes. With my speed, it keeps me at a 15 minute mile. My ultimate goal is to run the entire first mile and the entire last mile!! That would make me very happy!!

So... I need your help. What kind of running watch do you use, if you use one? What is your strategy when your headed to a race. Keep in mind, this one is only a 5K !!!

I am going to go through my closet today and start picking out clothes. It is very rare that I get a chance to dress up for the city life!! I'm thinking about taking down those size 9's and seeing how they look! I think Roni and I may go out for a little while on Saturday night... probably just for dinner... but that's more then this mommy has seen in years!! LOL

OOOH!!!! Another question!! What do you eat the night before a race????

I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready

I am super excited for this weekend. I need a little 'me' time. The kids will be staying with Hubby and I will get a chance to have some girl time with my friend Roni. We booked our hotel, and it is awesome. Right on the lake... about a mile from the starting line. Its also only about a block from some of the best shops in the city!! Whoooop!

Yesterday I ran 1.5 miles. I was supposed to get in 2 miles but stopped short... how stupid is that? I don't know why I didn't finish that last half mile. Well, I will make up for it today. I've got to get in 3 miles. I was going to go to the track this morning, but its cold... and the last thing I want to do is get sick before my trip! So, the treadmill it will be. :P

I wanted to share with you some before and afters.... these are what I look at when I feel like I'm going nowhere and want to give up on it all.

I may not be the model thin person that I want to be... but I'm a hell of a lot healthier now then I was then. I would have never thought of running back then.... now, I wake up craving it!!

Countdown to Race

Its time to start the countdown to this weekends race! I'll be running the Iron Girl in Tempe on Sunday morning. I can't wait.

It will also be a little mini girls weekend out! Roni, my training partner, is running the race with me. So we are heading down Saturday morning... leaving all the kids with the Hubbys!! There will be a lot of gossiping, cackling, crying and laughing going on that night. If there are any of you in the Phx area that want to get together, let me know!!

So, on to the race training. This weekend I went to the gym on Saturday. I wanted to do a little sprint triathlon... but forgot my swimsuit... so I did a mini biathlon. I biked 6 miles and then ran 3 miles. It was an awesome workout. THEN.... I went downstairs into the stinky 'MAN ROOM' where I picked up some weights and started working on my arms.

At first I was a little nervous. Having all those guys looking at you like your crazy and that you don't know what your doing....pfffft.... Let me tell you, guys... I did 61 days of P90X, I know some stuff!!

That's exactly what I did. I hit play in my head and worked out my shoulder, bi's and tri's!! With the stress of being watched, I may have over worked them. Yesterday and today I am feeling serious pain. My hair may have to go unwashed for one more day.

My weight this morning was 174.6. I'm ok with that... for now. But I want to see 170 by next Monday.

:)

Its the little things that help....

I thought I would share with you something that helps get me through the day!

Being allergic to coffee sucks. Especially when it is a fairly new allergy. As of 4 years ago I could no longer drink coffee. Decaf or regular. The acidity caused me serious stomach pains. So for years I just enjoyed the smell from afar and accepted the fact that my winter morning would have to go without. Until I found Pero....

This little jar of goodness is AWESOME! From the website:

Looking for a natural alternative to caffeinated coffee or
tea?Your search is over. PERO is a 100% natural beverage with a coffee-like
taste. It’s 100% naturally caffeine free and blended from select all natural
ingredients --- malted barley, barley, chicory and rye. And because PERO
contains no stimulants it will not elevate heart rate or blood pressure, cause
sleeplessness or create any adverse physical ailments typically associated with
caffeine consumption. Plus, the low acidity of this natural beverage makes it
easy to enjoy morning, noon or night without fear of stomach upset.

NO SNACKS!

I had to sit down yesterday and figure out what I've been doing wrong. I was dropping weight like crazy for a couple of weeks back in August... but since then only 1.5 lbs. So, what am I doing now that I wasn't doing then?

I'm eating.

Back then I had myself on a schedule. I ate 3 meals a day and that was it. No snacking in between.... no '5 little meals' .... NO SNACKS!

Yesterday I ate a protein shake for breakfast, then crackers, apple w/ peanut butter.... then I had some roasted veggies for lunch, then popcorn, candy corn and toast with butter..... then I had spaghetti for dinner, followed by a second helping.

HMMMMMMM... I think I know why I'm not dropping weight.

So today's menu will look something like this:

BF: Protein Shake
L: Roasted Veggies
D: Chili with 5 crackers.

That's it. The whole "5 meals a day" thing doesn't work for me. I've got to stick with what works. I have to remember my old trick too.... when you start feeling like snacking, make yourself a cup of tea!!

It's never too late (or too early) to recommit

“Character gets you out of bed. Commitment moves you to action. Faith, hope, and discipline enable you to follow through to completion.” - Zig Ziglar

Things happen in our lives that cause us to stray from our path of healthy living. For example, this week it was Halloween and my daughter getting the flu... and then passing it to me. Yesterday I felt the farthest off track, mentally, that I have been in a while. Not so much feeling like giving up on the whole thing, but wondering how I was going to get back to where I was.

Its not like its been months since I've worked out. Only five days, in fact. And its not like I've eaten so much candy that I've gained all the weight back. I'm holding steady at 174.0.

Its more like the worry that I wont be as good as I was. I wont be as good a runner... I wont be able to wake up at 5 a.m and get on that track again. Seriously, I'm worried about not being good enough.

I forgot that its not about how good your doing it... but that your getting up and doing it in the first place. Eventually all that practice will pay off and you will get good at it... but nobody just wakes up and is a pro football player... or an instant marathon runner. It takes practice.

Yesterday I was laying in bed with my daughter... I knew that whatever she had had made its way into my body. This morning we are both doing better. She is back to her old self. I am getting there. I'm not going to run today... but I am going to get on the treadmill and walk a couple of miles. Just to remind myself how much I really do LOVE it.


Its time to recommit.

A long night of puking, crying and mumbling... and there wasn't a drop of alcohol to be seen.

My baby has the flu. She tried so hard yesterday to make it to the bathroom each time she had to puke... but never did. I gave her some good meds and laid her in my bed. She had a 100.4 fever and was shivering. So I cuddled up next to her and we watched cartoons together. She would mumble a comment about something, but she was trying so hard to stay awake that it was impossible to understand her.

All night she tossed and turned. She would hang her head off the foot of the bed (where I had a towel ready in case she had to throw up) and fall asleep like that. She never did actually throw up last night, which I'm grateful for. At one point she was on top of me.... at another time she was waking me up to rub her tummy. Needless to say I didn't sleep last night.

This morning she doesn't have a fever anymore and is sitting up eating an apple. I hope its over....

Halloween, a new baby and my weigh in....

This was a very busy weekend. I'll start with Saturday.

Halloween:

Living in a small country town, it is impossible to take your kids door to door trick or treating. Thankfully the churches in the area ALL have Trunk or Treat events. We went to two before the girls baskets were full to the brim.

The Witch.....

The Witches Black Cat...

I indulged in chocolate. More then I care to really admit today. In fact, it makes me a little sick thinking about it.

New Baby:

Sunday morning Hubbys little sister was in the hospital having her baby! I had offered to help since I used to work in Labor and Delivery. She was the strongest 19 year old I've ever seen. She handled those monster contractions like a pro. 13.5 hours later she delivered a beautiful 6 lb, 15 oz, baby girl!! She is just beautiful.

I was at the hospital all day yesterday helping her. My food consisted of SoyJoy bars, a fruit cup from Wally World and a salad my sister in law made for me.

Which leads to this mornings weigh in of ..................... 173.4

Down -1.6 lbs!

Unbelievable. This is my lowest weight to date.

All I needed was a little more *umph*

Yesterdays snow got me down in the dumps. I spent most of the day sitting in front of the computer and tv. Not my proudest moments. I took it as a rest day, seeing that I wasn't going to do anything anyway, and left it at that.

I must have just needed to veg... because this morning I woke up with a little extra *umph* and was ready to get my ass in gear. I ran my 3 miles (that I was supposed to do yesterday) and left the treadmill in a pool of sweat.

My focus for the next two weeks will be split between getting my miles in for training... and staying 100% on track with my food.

I also noticed that its been awhile since I took my measurements... lets update them!

Feb 25th / Today:

Chest: 39 / 37.75
Waist: 33.5 / 33
Hips: 41 / 40.5
---------
-2.25 inches!!

Behind the Scenes.

This is what I woke up to this morning. We are supposed to get more today. YUCK!

I ran 2 miles yesterday at a 13:30 pace. That is the fastest so far! It killed me though. I sprinted the straights and walked the curves... but my legs were shaking the whole time. I loved it.

Today I am supposed to get in 3 miles. Obviously running outside is out... so it will be another long one on the treadmill. I have very little motivation to get going today. I'm not going to push my time today... even if I have to walk them, I will get 3 miles in today.

So, I finally got my CD reader fixed on my computer and downloaded all 500 pics we got done. Some of the best ones were the candid pics... the ones where the camera was still going even though we were no longer posing. Take a look:

Snow.... Before and After 50 lbs pics..

I ran 3 miles yesterday on the treadmill. It was hell, but I tuffed it out and finished 'em. Today I have to get 2 miles in. I really should have gotten up early today and done it outside.. today is that warm day before a snow. We are supposed to get pounded tomorrow and Thursday. I am just not ready to deal with snow yet. YUCK!

Whenever it snows here before Halloween it usually means a really cold and harsh winter. Its been 6 years since its done that... so I guess we were due. I'm glad the girls costumes for Saturday night are bulky enough to fit 3 or 4 layers of clothing underneath!

Ok, so I thought I would share with you a little before and after.... this makes me happy!

Notice the stretch marks have nearly disappeared... and my surgical scar that runs from my bellybutton down is no longer pink! Oh... and I had to hold my pants on because they are 4 sizes too big.. but they are may favorite winter PJ's and can't bare to throw them out! LOL

Its nice to have lady like curves again and not just the rolly polly ones!

So, this is what 50 lbs lost looks like. Time for my run....

A weekend of pictures!

I had a good weekend. Friday we got out of the house and went for a hike up the rim walk. The girls, the puppy and me. It was great. We ended up hiking 2 miles, which was a lot for my Baby and the puppy, so at one time or another I ended up caring Baby on my shoulders and puppy in my arms. It was quite the workout for me! LOL

Then on Saturday morning we met with a friend from church, who is also a very good photographer, and she did our family pictures! I was so excited. It has been 4 years since I have been able to get Hubby in front of the camera with us! She took 500 pictures!!! Here are just a sample...

I love them!

I did not run all weekend. But I think I needed the break. I woke up this morning to 26 degrees outside. Way too cold for me. So I am going to hop on the treadmill when the kids wake up and pound out 3 miles.

I need to focus on my food again. Calories, quantity and quality. I have a race to run in less then a month and I want to be 10 lbs lighter for it!

Everyone is entitled to a bad day...

Yesterday was a flashback to the old days. Eating whatever I could find and never feeling full. I'm sure it had to do with the funk I was in. I had a lot of mixed feelings going on yesterday and they just got more jumbled as the day went on. By the afternoon I recognized what I was doing and it made me feel even worse. I felt like a failure.

To go from feeling at the top of the world to feeling less then scum... in one week... is quite the roller coaster ride. I don't know where my head is this morning. I know that I don't want a repeat of yesterdays food.... but I do know that I'm not out of this funk yet. So, what to do?

I'm going to have to find another way of stuffing my emotions. Something that doesn't involve food. The only way I can do that is by getting out of the house. It's freezing again today... but that's what jackets are for, right? I am taking the kids on a trail hike up on the mountain this morning. By the time we get back it will be lunch time... then we will go to the library and get our books for the next week!

The trick to getting me through these funks without gaining 10 lbs will be keeping me out of the house.

Jack Frost was nipping at my heels...

My motivation this morning was ole' Jack Frost. It was 32 degrees outside this morning when I went for my run. As I stepped outside and took a deep breath my entire body went into shock. Brrrrrrrrr!

I usually run the bleacher stairs after my run, but this morning I needed to warm up my legs and get the blood flowing... and fast. So I sprinted up 6 times and then ran 1 mile. At this point I could no longer feel my nose and decided that was enough.

I could have run more.... I could have done more... but I just can't do it in this cold weather. I'm going to have to find another way to train this winter. Suggestions??

But it's cold outside.

The temperature is dropping and winter is getting closer. This morning I had to go out and let my car warm up a little bit to get rid of the frost on the windows before I could go to the track. I can already tell that it is going to be harder to venture out in the wee early hours of the morning when it gets colder.

Once out there I warmed up fast. I ran week 5 of the C25K program and felt pretty good. Then I went to the big bleachers and ran up the stairs 6 times. When I got home my undershirts were drenched with sweat. I love to see that!

I noticed yesterday that I only went pee twice all day. (I know, weird subject, but crucial!) I am not getting my water in like I need to be. This is another common problem for me in the winter time. When I'm cold, I just don't get thirsty. The last thing I want to do is drink cold water. Any suggestions? I am going to get my water in today... cold or otherwise. I can't go getting dehydrated!

Oh yeah, and go leave a comment on 344 lbs and make him workout for an extra 20 seconds!!

Finding My Happy Place.

Wt: 175.6

I'm in a very happy spot right now. I love the way I look and feel these days. I am wearing ALL of my old skinny clothes now and have actually bought and worn a size smaller. I feel healthy, fit and sexy. I don't feel the stress of having to lose more weight...... but yet I'm not wanting to stop either. My running is keeping me on track and focused during the day on what I eat. It gives me that mental challenge every morning of 'can I do it?'.... and when I finish I feel stronger then when I started.

This is a new feeling for me. I'm on a track that I feel I can stick to. I'm not worried about what the scale will say every morning because I feel good in my clothes. I know that if I keep going I will lose the last 20 lbs, but instead of dreading every workout and every weigh in... I am going to enjoy the journey.

Hubby took this picture of me this morning when I got back from running 2 miles. I had just shed my shirt, jacket, hat and gloves and felt light as a feather. Its the first time I've seen my stomach so flat. Yay!

Treadmill VS Pavement

I could not get up this morning. No matter how many times Hubby tried, he could not get me up. Waking up at 4:15 every morning with him is great. He does his workout, I go out to the track and do my run, and the kids are still sleeping when we are done. It also gives us a little bit of alone time before the day explodes.

Today, though, I needed my sleep. I curled up next to Baby, who has relapsed into sleeping in our bed again, and slept for 2 more hours. I didn't even hear Hubby leave for work. When I did finally crawl out of bed I felt guilty and a little sad that I had missed my early morning run.

So I put on my running clothes and got on the treadmill. Because I have such a hard time getting motivated on the treadmill to run I put on week 4 of C25K on my IPod and pounded out 2 miles. I swear, running on the treadmill is so much harder then running on pavement. Maybe its just the scenery. Which do you prefer??

I feel better now and am ready for the rest of my day.

I am really considering getting that Insanity workout. Has anyone tried it??

Mind Over Body.... or.... Body Over Mind??

Yesterday I took the morning off from running and did a 45 min Tae Bo workout. I was so sore this morning I could barely get out of bed . Putting my shirt on was a whole different kind of pain.

I was out on the high school track by 5 a.m. and started my warm up by walking once around the track. My body was protesting every move. Every step was in agony. But I took a deep breath and pushed to go a little faster. Once the blood was flowing I stopped and stretched a little bit before starting my run.

Being able to run a whole mile without stopping on Monday morning really showed me that the boundaries I have set up in my head really control what I do in my life. I have never been a runner. That mile was the first mile I have ever done IN MY LIFE without stopping. Why? Because in my head I always said I couldn't do it. That I was never, and will never be, a runner.

Well, guess what.... I'm a runner. This morning, through the cold and the pain, I ran another mile without stopping. Even when that voice in my head was saying "STOP... you can't do this" ... I kept reminding it that "YES, yes, I can".

Now that I have lost a majority of the weight, my body is ready to move ahead. To get stronger and healthier... but being heavy for the majority of my life has caused my brain to stay in the 'I'm too fat' box. Doubting that I can really do anything as crazy as being a runner. I have to keep reminding it that I'm no longer the fat girl. I have to keep telling myself : Yes, I can.

Becoming healthy is a battle of the body and mind... we have to remember to work on both.

Fun at the Pumpkin Patch.

Yesterday we took the kids to the pumpkin farm to pick out their pumpkins. It was hilarious. Angel wanted the biggest one... and insisted on carrying it... at least for a few steps before quickly putting it back in the wagon! Baby took forever trying to find the 'perfect' one. She was picky too.

Finally everyone was happy with their choices and we all came home and got to work cleaning and carving. I know they wont last until Halloween... but try telling the kids they have to wait 2 weeks. HA! It just means we may have to do it all over again in 2 weeks.

I didn't have a run this morning, but am off to do a Tae Bo workout right now!!!

I DID IT....

I ran a whole mile without stopping.

This is a huge accomplishment for me. I don't think I have ever done this in my life. Not even as a young teenager in high school could I make it 4 times around the track without having to stop and walk.

This morning, is 40 degree weather, I headed out to do my 5 a.m run. I had to stop at the gas station on the way to buy a pair of gloves because my fingers were already numb from the cold. I got to the track and found it empty. The once crowded lanes were now all mine thanks to winter! I walked one lap around the track to warm up... and to try and psych myself up to running a whole mile without stopping. The psyching up part didn't really help, it just made me more nervous and doubtful. So I quit with that and just started jogging.

The first lap was easy... surprising, since I usually have to stop and walk the curves. The second lap is when my head was trying to get in the way.

"This is my second lap... I can't do two laps... I can't even do one... but, I did... huh... maybe I can do two... ok.. lets keep going... but there is no way I can do three."

With two laps done I was really starting to doubt my third lap.

"I'm gonna drop dead... I can't breath... I'm not breathing... no wait, I hear the wheezing... I'm ok."

On the fourth lap it was just sheer determination to run 1 mile with out stopping that got me to finish it. I wanted to jump for joy, but by then some people had started to come out and walk the track, so I just smiled and said a little 'yay'.

And now for the rest of the story:

I walked another lap around to 'cool down'. By then I realized I was at 1.5 miles. I can't stop there... so I decided to take Hubby's advice and do some sprints. For two laps around I walked the curves and sprinted the straight away.

Mile 1: 12 minutes

Mile 2: 14 minutes

I came home feeling fantastic. Hubby was in the middle of a P90X Plyo workout so I took my own picture and then did the cool down and stretch with him.

What a great day!

Over the Top

Thanks to Bulge to Bump who gave me this award!!

To accept this award I have to: Copy these 35 questions and change the answers to suit you then pass it on. Once you have filled it out ~~~ be sure to pass it on to 6 of your favorite bloggers and alert them that they have been awarded!

1. Where is your cell phone? On my computer desk

2. Your hair? wet

3. Your mother? Amazing

4. Your father? Strong

5. Your favorite food? soup

6. Your dream last night? no dream

7. Your favorite drink? tea

8. Your dream/goal? to be/look healthy

9. What room are you in? livingroom

10. Your hobby? reading

11. Your fear? something happening to my kids

12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? a bigger house

13. Where were you last night? Home

14. Something that you aren’t? A drinker

15. Muffins? any

16. Wish list item? A new bedroom set

17. Where did you grow up? All over

18. Last thing you did? ran 6 miles

19. What are you wearing? jeans and a sweater

20. Your TV? On...

21. Your pets? Stormy, a mini Aussie... Woodroe, a basset hound... Ruger, a chocolate lab... Shorty, a miniature horse... Salt and Pepper, parakeets.

22. Friends? amazing

23. Your life? blessed

24. Your mood? productive

25. Missing someone? My dad

26. Vehicle? Santa Fe

27. Something you’re not wearing? shoes

28. Your favorite store? any thrift store

29. Your favorite color? red

30. When was the last time you laughed? this morning when i was watching my baby beat up her daddy. She really missed him! LOL

31. Last time you cried? Last night

32. Your best friend? My Husband... and JJ!

33. One place that I go to over and over? the bathroom

34. One person who emails me regularly? Prevention

35. Favorite place to eat? Red Lobster