An Update...on Yours Truly

Alright... it's officially August.  Since diets/fitness etc can only start on Mondays or first days of the month I suppose it's time to start.  Joking.  Kinda.

ACTUALLY, one of the facebook groups I'm a part of is hosting a Biggest Loser-esque challenge starting Aug 1st and so I jumped on board.  Is it odd that I'm not worried/concerned about winning, but its the whole posting my pics weekly that will keep me accountable and I'm excited to watch the number go down.  I'm not ready yet to post my "before" pics on here...too many people that actually know me read this.  Once there is progress then I'll post some :)  But I can post my weekly weigh-in picture.  It's just a number...that's gonna go down.  It has to. And with the half training it will.  AND I'm taking part in another "challenge", sorta.  Here's my weigh-in pic for last Wednesday, the 1st of August. .

I've had tons of people on the facebook group talk about AdvoCare. I don't know enough to tell you about it at all but I can tell you my experience as I go through the 10 day cleanse.  Yeah....it's a cleanse.  It's suppose to just "clean everything out" so that your body can better absorb nutrients like it's suppose to.  I should be able to eat normal healthy things and not so many restrictions.  It's 10 days. I figure I can do 10 days.
The distributor that I am working with is also training for a half marathon and is a believer in the products and how they have been beneficial for her (duh, or else she wouldn't be a distributor, lol.) I mean, she feels the products help her train/run.   So I ordered the package for the 10 day cleanse and we'll see how that goes.  There is a 24 day challenge too that extends for 14 days after the cleanse that really boosts your metabolism and all that good stuff. See, I have no idea what I'm talking about - no pride issues in typing that either, haha.  Anyways, so once that comes in I'll be happy to post how that's working for me.

Monday I start going back to the classroom every day...all day. I'm hoping my blogs don't suffer but honestly, in the grand scheme of things......being a wife/mommy and then a teacher take priority over my blogs, sorry.  Hang in there and hopefully I'll get back into the habit of things soon.



In the mean time...I dug through facebook and found a face shot from 2010, 3 years ago and my 4 year old had just turned one....and I think I can do a side-by-side shot for a  possible Transformation Tuesday pic (my first ever! wooop).  Let me know if you can see any difference! I think I can!

Blogger Mentor

Confession...I have another blog.  Don't get upset, it's my "professional" blog. Being a teacher, I've started my site Cantrell's Got Class and have really connected with other teacher bloggers.   Yet my blogging adventure is just beginning and I have lots of questions.   I posted some of my questions here and here but figured I'd repost here and see if I could get any answers from different readers. 

Here are some questions that have me stumped. 

1. How do y'all get items for giveaways? Like Target giftcards, or race gear, or even products like Scentsy?  Are ya buying the items and then raffling them off?  I'd love to have a giveaway (to celebrate newbie blogger moments) but not sure how to get that ball rolling. 
2. Fonts.  I want to use some different fonts on the blog. But all my posts are boring Times.  In the writing part, there are maybe 7 options, all of which are boring.  Suggestions? 
3. What's the best way to grow my "fan base"?  
4. Lastly (for now at least), I know how to show a blog roll of favorite blogs. Do you know if there is anyway to connect my blog to BlogLovin to pull the blogs I actually follow over to my blog roll instead of me typing every single URL into the widget? 

Thanks for any feedback you can give me! Feel free to email me or put the answer in the comments...I LOVE comments.  

Where do YOU turn when you have blogger questions??? 

Reality Check

I love SkinnyMeg.  Have you heard of her? Yeah..she's great and also going by "PregMeg" for the next few months.  Absolutely love her blog and how true she is.  If you don't know her, go check her out.  She's also on Facebook.  That's where I noticed she posted a link to a site that talks a bit about body image.  It's a clothing site in the UK: Marisota but they have a neat visual that helps assess where you are and compare it to where you think you are. Trust me, it makes more sense once you do it.

You click which picture mostly looks like you, then fill in some measurements.

Then, based on your measurements it tells you what your true body shape is.  It is pretty neat.  From what I'm seeing from other people posting in response to her post, I'm not the only one that has a better body than I expected.

The site says I'm the "Perfect Hourglass" ahh..to hear something about my body is "perfect"!  I also am 12.5% smaller than what I view myself.  Interesting! Guess I need to change up my self-view, yay!

So here's the link to see your body image vs measurements.

I'm interested to see how your body image compares to the truth with your numbers.   Comment back and let me know what you think!

Let's Talk Food

School lunches, to be more exact.
Next week I start back full time and the kids will be at the sitter's.  My students start the 14th and then HooBear starts preK on the 15th. This info is crucial because starting the 14th I'm restricted to 30 min lunch, which consists of taking kids to/from lunch, personal bathroom break and doing whatever needs to get done before the next lesson. So figure about 13-15minutes for lunch. I do not kid. And HooBear got a lunchbox for school and thinks she will use it every day.

All this made me start thinking "Oh crap, I gotta start planning to take my lunch in everyday. Ack, and HooBear doesn't exactly eat sandwhiches!"   Last year I ended up doing WeightWatchers shakes for lunch for Healthy Choices frozen dinner, which worked pretty well. I had to make sure I ate a protein packed breakfast and had snacks towards the end of the day. This was usually almonds, cheese sticks or yogurt.  I ofcourse can't snack in front of the kids so whatever I take needs to be eaten quickly or else I would eat it while they were  at Music or Computers.

So I started looking online.  I actually didn't have to look far because I happened to be on Pinterest and saw 2 intriguing pins for school lunches.  The first one was 20 lunches that were gluten and allergy free over at Keeley McGuire's blog. I'm not concerned with either of those but I loved the simplicity of the meals and saw how easy it (seemingly) is to come up with creative yet healthy and balance lunches for kids. It also inspired me to realize that my lunches don't have to have HUGE amounts of food, but it's all about balanced meals.   This site also made me go on the hunt for some Bento items. Check out the little Bento cups she uses to hold the carrots or dips to keep them from touching the other items.

Another great way to compartmentalize and make use of all those Gladware containers that don't exactly fit what we need.

The second site, Once a Month Mom, is one that I used to follow a lot, before baby #2.  It's for Once a Month Cooking...you know, you spend one day a month shopping and preparing several meals that can go in the freezer and last your family of 4 through the entire month.  I tried a few recipes with great success but once AbbDabs got here, all extra time went out the window - even though this technically saves time in the long run, I just couldn't cut it.   So I was excited to see some freezer ideas for lunch box lunches.

I haven't dug too deep into these recipes but I'm thinking I can afford to try a few of them and get the family's feedback.  (Forgot to mention that the Hubs is the only leftover eater in the house, and he does it out of the fact that if he doesnt then we're wasting food....taking one for the team! Atta boy!)  But anyways, check out the recipe for Pizza in a Sleeping Bag, or Cheesy Ham Biscuits.  YUM and totally doable for the kids or me (remember the less picky Hubs, he'll be happy too!).


So what exactly do you take to eat on your lunches? Do you pack lunches for you kids (especially non-sandwhich meals)??   Where do you get your meal ideas? 
I'd love to hear!

Single Momma

Soooo I'm fortunate to be married to one amazing guy (93% of the time he's amazing, the other 7% he's pure male, haha).  However his job, that we both love, occasionally takes him out of the state. This time he's actually out of the country! This usually wouldn't be an issue, especiallly since I"m still on summer break and can just take it easy with the kiddos until he returns.  (Last time he left, it was the first full week of school, I had a 10week old and a crazy clingy 3 year old, AND they had just started at a new baby sitter....yeah, I can handle this time).

But what I didn't realize is how it affects my Half training.  Typically Tues/Thurs/Sun are my running days. Once he gets home and we have dinner one of us will go for a run. Thankfully he runs on my off days - it works best that way, for some reason we feel that an adult needs to be here with the kids.  Silly parenting, I know... haha.   It just dawned on me though....that I can't get out and run tomorrow. That is a problem. I dread the ol' treadmill.  Seriously. I can find so many excuses while I'm on it that I neeeeeed to get off. Wait, let me rephrase... that I NEED to get off.  Sometimes it's because I forgot to turn on the dishwasher. Or maybe because one of the girls needs a snack.  And sometimes it's because I have gotten off too many times to go pee and feel "what's the point?"  I'm not kidding. It seems I ALWAYS have to pee more when running inside.  Don't get me wrong, I almost always have to pee while outside but not 5 times in one mile.  Maybe I hit the floor harder on the dreadmill, or my mind knows the bathroom is super close. Either way, it happens.

What I'm getting at is that I don't know how single mommas do it?  Do you run/workout before you pick up the kiddos? I imagine most SAHMs aren't single and so the issue of being single and the kids not at the sitter is never a problem...or am I assuming...or did that even make sense?  Either way....I'm doomed to the treadmill this week. Gonna have tos uck it up and do it. No there's no one around to watch the kiddos for me.  Luckily it's only 2.5miles but it's 1.5 mile more than I'd ever like to do on the machine. Did I mention I hate the treadmill?  ughhhh.

Someone hold me accountable! Check in with me tomorrow on my running day and make sure I ran.   Shoot, someone check in with me on off days too to see if I did my strength or XTrain because I'm a slacker there too!

How do you fit in your workouts if you have kids, are a SAHM,, are single, both or well....what keeps you accountable??

Link-Up: Top Ten Running Songs

Yay for my first linky party!! Wooohooo!!   We're sharing our TOP TEN songs on our running playlists.  So hang in there and then check out the other bloggers' sites for their best songs!

So, here are my TOP TEN songs on the playlist right now, in no particular order:

1. Eminem: Cinderella Man
2. Katy Perry: Fireworks
3. Feist: I Feel It All
4. Katy Perry: Wide Awake
5. Afrojack: Take Over Control
6. David Guetta: Sweat
7. Pink: Raise Your Glass
8. Ludacris: My Chick Bad
9. Linkin Park: Burn It Down
10. Pink: Blow Me

So it's time to link up. Here's how it works. Grab the picture/button and put it in your post, linking it back to this blog.  Then once you finish your post, come back here and "link up" by clicking on the blue button below! Be sure to check out everyone else's blog posts as well!!

Thanks everyone!!

More Rambling: Music This Time

While I'm running I have started talking to myself, in a good way.  (See the previous 2 posts for more details if you're brave enough).  But it intrigues me to hear that some people listen to audio books or podcasts.  Right now I listen to music but have recently found a blog that lists ideas for songs and Pandora stations! Stay tuned for that one.

When I started running, I quickly downloaded several songs to listen to.  I found myself listening to Black Eyed Peas, Pink, Kelly Clarkson, Eminem, Ludacris, Pitbull and other random songs I hadn't heard of but were recommended.  I quickly learned what songs worked for me and which ones I consistently skipped.  I can't do songs that I would typically listen to and sing along with.  but instead found powerhouse songs or songs with a heavy beat with rap that would allow me to drown out everything.  That's what I love about music.  I fall back to it when I just want to consumed.  Sometimes it's at work and I need to power through some deep lessons. Sometimes it's in the car -- stressful day or emotions running high.  Other times I'm cleaning (rarely) at home and need to forget about what I'm doing and let the music carry me through the dreaded task.

When people were talking about podcasts so I downloaded PodRunner and listened to techno music that was set to so many beats per minute.  That lasted a few months, then I was bored.  I've gone back to listening to music from my playlist and I'm ready to find more songs.

But I saw this blog post that lists "12 Secret Pandora Workout" stations.  I have Pandora but haven't bought the ad-free (I REALLY hate the ads.  Definitely planning to buy the adfree Pandora sooooon) but the possibility of listening to Pandora while running is intriguing.   Pop over to her blog to see what stations she recommends!  I'll try them on the next run.

What do you listen to? 

Free Therapy - Part 2

Here's the riveting part 2 of my mental breakdown...not a breakdown breakdown, but a breaking down of my mental thoughts :)  I'm not THAT crazy.  But if you didnt' read part one (it was a doooozy) you can find it here.

I've kinda gotten through all that, now that I'm training for my first half. Yes, I had to create my own modification because I can't run 3 miles yet. But dang it I'm doing it!  Well, havent' been doing the cross training etc but I'm gonna run this half in Nov!  I'm realizing I have new struggles.  I guess not new, but still frustrating.  And running is definitely my free therapy.  The husband is also running the half and I get confused with his training and try to block out his speed.  But I still think about it.  I'm running a 12 min mile and that's AWESOME for me.  I keep thinking I'm super slow but the more I read others' times Im' not feeling so slow. I also find myself frustrated when I need to walk.  I find myself wanting to run with perfection, not stop if I'm not supposed to.  Or finding myself thinking that walking is cheating...or setting goals for myself on when it's okay to walk but then thinking I set my goals too low.  Am I rambling, probably.  But oh well.  You can stop reading anytime you want, haha.

Last night's run was probably the first time I treated it as a therapy session.
My friend is training for her first marathon and running the Galloway method, a run/walk. So I tried running my 2 miles by running 2 minutes and walking 1 minute.  I didn't really enjoy it and I think it hurt more.  I've always thought that walking was more of a nuisance than running.  Don't get me wrong. The walk is needed but it works different muscles and then I dread starting back up the run.  It definitely slowed down my total time (duh) but at the end of the 2 miles I didn't feel any less tired like I thought I might. Maybe that method works better for longer runs.

But as I ran I used that time to think. Think. Think. Think. I thought about how far I'd come. I thought about how it will feel to finish the half. I thought about how hard it was and that I was doing it. Finally, I was doing it.  I thought about how one of my friends is running the same race, only she's doing the half and how I'm feeling overshadowed by it. Thankfully for my #RockingtheRoute group, I got over that and focused on me accomplishing my goal.  (thanks girls!)  I thought about my breathing and learned that thinking about my breathing made me breath funny, so I stopped...thinking, not breathing.  I thought about how I tried something new and learned I dont like it (the run/walk) and now I know...  I thought about how hard I am on myself and how that is just negativity that I don't need right now.  And then I thought about it more.



I was only out there for 24 minutes, running/walking 2 miles.  By the end of it though, I wasn't really done with the therapy session and found myself somewhat ticked when I walked in the house.  I felt that I had just started digging deep and frustrated.  (I'm seeing a pattern...me always frustrated...which is frustrating).   I showered, still ticked for some reason, grabbed my laptop and started typing.  Somehow between blogging and messaging a local runner for some insight into the half I calmed down ... a lot. Enough to where I forget exactly what the deal was, but eager to hit the road again and work out some more "issues" .  I guess running does that for ya too...leaves ya wanting more (once the pain is gone, like childbirth, haha).





Thanks for sticking through all this muck of a mess that was supposed to make sense.  I'm not going back to reread and see if it makes sense, too late in the day for that and as Sweet Brown would say "Aint Nobody Got Time fo Dat!"

Free Therapy

So I know I don't post much...life gets in the way. Same excuse I use for working out and getting fit.  With school starting back in 3 weeks my life this past month has slowly become more consumed with my classroom and decorating. I soooo wish I could spend a fortune on my room and decorate it the way I want.
However, teaching at the same building with the same teachers has it's benefits.   I've learned soooo much about myself in the past 6 years teaching.  And some of the teachers have helped me realize some deep stuff about myself, through my reflective teaching.

I am very much a reflective teacher and often first assume that the problem lies within me. Which is a good thing, to an extent.  It's always best to first look within when confronted with a problem instead of automatically thinking there's something wrong with the kids or that they just weren't listening (unless it's a full moon ... then it HAS to be the kids' fault.  I kid...kinda, haha).   But it also backfires on me and that's where my coworkers step in.  I often use them as resources or sound boards when I'm stumped or have a new idea.  One of my coworkers knows me well and knows when I'm being too hard on myself. She reminds me to stop and look at the situation from a "different lens" or she'll flat out tell me that my self-expectations are unrealistic.  I think everyone needs someone like that.   I'm getting off track - oops.

I know they say running is a mental sport.  80% mental, 20% training..or something like that.  I feel for me it is definitely a mental game.  I find it a good therapy session ... although I'm kinda leery of what is going to happen when I get to longer runs because just within the 30 minutes I'm on the road now, I come home with my mind reeling and confused and set and ready for new goals and frustrated and makes me want to run more (or drink).   I know I'm hard on myself. When I was running more consistently to prep for my first 5k, I was on fire.  And it lasted a little bit.  When I started running again, I was disappointed in how hard it was again. I was frustrated that I couldn't run what I was running.  I'm not talking about running an 8min mile like I did in high school. I'm talking about not being able to run a mile, like I did a month prior.  I would get mentally defeated and hate running because I knew I wouldnt be as successful as I was.  Yeah, lame, but it's true.  I started c25k again and even THAT frustrated me.  Again, just being hard on myself and unrealistic expectations. I would even get upset that it was making me upset.  I'd be frustrated that I mentally wasn't willing to push through it all when I knew I could at the time.


Stay tuned for Part 2 where I delve into where I'm at now...will post it in the AM. I know you're dieing to hear the rest of my head-drama.

Lesson learned

 So I learned a lesson today.  73 degrees is great.  If you are spending time in the shade, going for a leisurely walk, or even for a BBQ.  It's great weather for July or October.  But it's not great in mid-July, at 9:30Am when you have to run.  The number is a trick.  

Saturday I did my long run for the week....two miles (everyone cheers: wooooo).  It was rough.  Ethan ran the first mile with me and I think that was part of it too. We ran his route which included hills. I also felt the need to show-off and go fast at the beginning, which kicked my butt later on. But I did it.  Lesson learned.  Felt amazing afterwards. 

This Girl Got Her Run On

Guess what...I got in TWO workouts today. Not sure I've ever been able to say that!

Today during Abbie's naptime I did the BikiniBodyMommy's Day 2 challenge. WOW - I'm sooo outta shape.  I thought it was tough. It was 7 different activities (I think) and I did 3 reps...took about 30 minutes and I had HooBear beside me the whole time.  She supported me by sitting on the computer chair, eating Cheez-its, and calling me out when I slacked.  At one point while I was doing planks (let it be known that I hate planks) she told me she thought I was actually laying on the ground, crying. Yeah, thanks babe.

But I also went ahead and ran tonight.  I'm in week 1 of my 20week half marathon training and this is my 2nd run this week, 1.5miles.  I'm managing to run with an average of 11:45-12:00 min mile both times and tonight I really didn't mind the run.  So does that mean I'm getting better?   I looked back on past mile runs and noticed that I'd been doing 13-14min miles back in January.  You BET I'm getting better!  Although I'm not too concerned with my time/speed but more of maintaining my pace.  Tonight I ran without my watch (okay, i had it with me but the battery was dead) and still managed to keep my pace.  And when I ran, I wasn't dieing this time. I'd like to think of that as progress for sure.   Last time I ran with gum, didn't this time, and think I'll chew it next time - gave my mind a good distraction.

So this gives me motivation. I love seeing progress. It's this "high" that I need to remember when I'm dreading going...which was me tonight. Thankfully E made me go.  *thanks E*

Tomorrow it's a rest day...Sat is 30 min of cross training and then 2miles on Sunday.  Sleep and repeat next week.

Wednesday Weigh-In

Nothing fancy here...just checking in for Wednesday Weigh-In

198.4

ta-da!

20week Half Training ... Begun

So I created my own hodge-podge mix for a training plan to get me ready for my first half this fall.  I'm planning on using Hal Higdon's novice plan but it is a 16 week plan and it expects you to be comfortably running 3-4 miles at least 3 times a week. And I can't.  So I created a plan that mimics his routine only starts with 1.5 mile runs and slowly builds to the 3 mile runs.  Mondays are stretch and strengthen (which I didn't do) and Tues/Thurs/Sun are runs with cross-training every other day.  Whew. I should just upload the doc, that would have been much easier. Oh well.

Did I mention that E got me a Garmin???!?  I am excited and have found how to use it to better my runs while in midst of running.

Anyways, so when I've gone running up til now, it was one mile runs. I typically run 12-12:30min/mile.  Lately though they've been right under 12.   Today I ran 1.5miles in 18minutes.  The first mile I ran straight then walked 30 sec, ran 2 min, walked 1 min, ran 2 min.  I like the idea of run/walk as needed. I could definitely see the benefits of giving my body a break. I think I'll continue the 2/1 at the one mile mark until I feel at one mile that I don't need that break, and keep building endurance until my mileage grows.  But who knows.

For now though...2.5miles in for the week! Woohoo. Tomorrow is weigh day and to be honest I haven't thought abt the scale in a whole, uh oh.   We'll see how that worked.

Outside Run .... Denied

All dressed up an nowhere to run :-(

Was excited to go out and run a virtual holiday 5k...got dressed...Abbie asleep...E and H occupied... Watch and music ready....headed outside to see massive lightning coming over the hill.

I stood there for ten minutes debating with E whether it would be safe to wait it out.  We finally decided I would have to opt for the ol dreadmill.  Ugh.
So here I go....putting in the miles on the machine. 

Here's to hoping I can find something on TV to watch.

Show Me Some Bloglovin

Alright..so I started this blog just for me, with no intentions of ever sharing it. BUT I shared it, for the accountability.   With Google Reader gone (sad face supposedly...i never used it so I have no sadness there..) but everyone has jumped over to Bloglovin, including me.  I <heart> bloglovin for all the blogs I follow, whether they are fitness, family or school blogs.  I follow them all via bloglovin.

So if anyone is out there, watching this boring blog, and wants to keep updated to posts via bloglovin, here's my link!


                                  Follow my blog with Bloglovin

And of course, I LOVE comments...who's gonna be the first to leave a little comment??!?!?!

Checking in on Wednesday Weigh-in

So, by the looks of this blog (and my scales) fitness hasn't been a priority this summer. And I  will admit I've been more focused on the girls and now that it's July I'm focusing on work more.  I've kept up my work blog more too, but probably since it's easier. It seems every time I post here, it's blah blah blah I'm not doing anything and not losing blah blah blah.   I keep thinking of game plans but they don't work because as soon as I get up from  here I don't do them.  (womp womp womp). 

I didn't even weigh-in this morning, that's how focused I've been! 

However, I have started back up running.  Monday was to be my 1st day back of training in prep of training for my half this fall, #fail. Mon and Tues was a bust, nothing done. But today.....ahhh today...I did the fittest for teh Bikini Body Mommy Challenge (and nearly died).  Wow what a test! I'm excited to see changes and progress but that means commitment. 
But here's my stats for the test:

1.  SPEED SQUATS:  34
2.   HIGH KNEES:  85 
3. PUSH UPS:25 (modified)
4. SQUAT JUMPS:  22
5. TRICEP DIPS: 17
6. BURPEES:8
7. ALTERNATING LUNGES: 15
8. ELBOW PLANK:20sec

Trust me, it was H.A.R.D.  I plan to do workout day #2 tonight then 3 tomorrow before the festivities for the 4th.  And even plan on taking them home to do during the camping weekend.  It seems a few days I'll be doing cardio/running so guess I'll be taking home my shoes and sports bra! Woohoo. 

No food goals...just focusing on my running plan and the BBM 90 Day challenge. 

Wednesday Weigh-In

Well, here is today.....Wednesday.

Which means weigh-in Wednesday.
I'm feeling discouraged...or something... I'm not making an effort I suppose, which is leading to not seeing any change, which then leads to more disappointment.  I'm kinda just blah about it now and only doing the blog because I set out to do it (and not ready to fail at something else).

I feel like everytime I blog though, I'm just reporting back the same thing...."no workout" "no scale going down" ... nothing positive.

So today's weigh-in is 198 even.

My eating hasn't been too bad (probably because we need to get groceries).  I ran 1 mile earlier this week.  I still lneed to begin the 90 day bikini body challenge. Not sure why I haven't.  Granted night times have been rought with Hayden lately, getting her to bed at a decent time. I suppose I need to do the workout during the day, while Abbie's sleeping.
I really need an accountability partner that is driven to losing weight and keeping me accountable.  How do you go about getting one of those?

*Sigh.

E is out on a 2 mile run tonight.  Last time he ran, he over did it and then was super light headed afterwards (slightly concerned) and so I'm kinda wondering how this one will be.    My plan is to run a mile when he gets back (and is breathing normal).

Where Have I Been?!?!?!

Eeeeek - I've fallen off the bloggin' wagon!

Let's list excuses:
1) We just got back from Cozumel...6 day trip, all inclusive.  Has me a little fearful of the scale but we'll get to that in a bit.
2) RIGHT before Cozumel we celebrated AbbDabs 1st birthday, whew...
3) Thinking I had a stress fracture in my foot, couldnt do a whole lot of exercising.

So now what...
Here I am.  Back at it.  Determined to get a body that can wear that bikini next time we're in Mexico.  With Ethan's full support I know it can happen too.  Also have that Half Marathon looming over my head. Eeek.  I did go for a mile run last night with no foot problems so hopefully it's back in full action.

So here's the plan:
1: Starting up running again.  E got me a Garmin Forerunner (woohoo) although I reallly need to read up on all the crazy stuff it does.  Ran with it last night and I'm also thinking that getting new running goodies definitely makes running more enjoyable. I was excited to get out and run.
2:  Working Out.  I found out about Bikini Body Mommy last month and just haven't done much with it.  Last night I decided to do the 90 day challenge and started the fit test, but had to stop it so I'll start that up tonight and begin the 90 day challenge!  By October there should be significant difference.  Hoping to stay on track with it....SOMEONE keep me in check. I'll post my fit test results tomorrow...
3:  Weighing in...this one is iffy.  Daily weigh-ins frustrate me but I feel I need them to help me stay in line.

Until Then.....

Wednesday Weigh-In

Well here it is. Wednesday. Which means weigh-in Wednesday. 

Today I was excited to see what a difference this past week has been. I knew it wouldn't be huge but at least was expecting a pound, making that slow move outta the 190s.  I've been trying to consciously watch what I'm eating. AND I got in a few miles on the road here in town.

So I'm not going to lie, once I saw the number I got on the scale 3 times!! Surprised by the number that was on there . 

This is the lowest I have been since having Abbie. 

Hopefully every weigh-in Wednesday I'll be able to say that!

Seeing 195 will keep me motivated this week, even though it's just 0.2 pounds from 196. Hopefully next week I can see 194, even better would be 193 to send me on my way to Mexico for a week!!  Which also means I won't get the weigh in next week...but will do it when we get back on Friday to help keep me in check.  Guacamole and Liquor will not undo what I've been doing!!

I've also gone for a run 3 times this past week. Started up c25k and tryin to figure out which week I need to be on.  It's a pride thing...i'll save that for another post. Which, by the way, I'm due for a deep post soon -- one that goes into my history and explains a few things. 

On a happier note, Abbie's FIRST birthday and party is this Saturday.  Then we leave for Cozumel next Thursday! Wow!

Here's to Wednesday!!

Tonight I ran...

Tonight I ran, and I enjoyed it.

I opted to start up the C25K program again...although I hate the stop/go aspect of it, I loved it tonight...for a while. I realized that the forced walking time was good for my pride. I was like "oh, I HAVE to stop because she told me to start walking" instead of "Dang it Krista....why are you stopping already!?!?"  I was content to walk instead of beating myself up this time. However, it was frustrating int he sense that I could run longer than she had me running. And at the end of it, I did it for 30 min which included 10 min of warm up and cool down and then interval running.   The frustrating part is that I did my last 5k in 37 min....so I'm tryin to wrap my head aroudn the fact of why didn't I just run that 30 min and be done with it?  Still not sure. 

Ethan and  I decided that I should probably jump a head a week or 2 in the training so the intervals are longer.  Tomorrow, no runs but on Monday I'll do week 3 or 4 and see how that treats me. I just don't get the running for 3 minutes bit...I can run for about 10 without feeling like I'm going to die.  Where's the week where they hold your hand over that?!? So should I skip ahead a few weeks and get to where I feel the workout or do I trust the process and stick to week 2.....   either way I'm skipping ahead.  :)

But here's to getting in a run today (Ethan ran 2miles this morning....atta boy!)

 

Setting Goals

So here it is....50 minutes before June 1st. 

Time to set some goals for the month.

BUT before that, let's be realistic and look at what hurdles are set before me.

• June 8th my sweet little AbbDabs will turn ONE (sidestep here...holy moly my little baby is going to be ONE!!  Time just flew with her! I am soo blessed that she chose our family to join and excited to see what the rest of her craziness will bring to us!)  Anyways....usually this means stress which then leads to eating.  Not a good combo.  Not to mention the birthday yummies. 
• June 15-20 we will be the amazingly beautiful and warm Cozumel (can't wait!!).  As excited as I am, I realize that means all-inclusive....guacamole...liquor...but it also means hiking, swimsuit, and pictures to hold those memories, all things that are going to make me sweat and look horrible I'm sure.  
• July 4th and the Rufenacht Campout is just around the corner!  You can read that to mean: hot dogs, chips, soda, chips, no exercise (sweating from heat..that burns calories, right?).  

So now that that's outta the way, here's some BIG news!

(insert drum roll) 

Ethan and I have officially signed up for the 

Bass Pro Shops Half Marathon here in Springfield on Nov 3rd.  

YAY!  

Although I'm nervous about it because I can't even complete a 5k without walking ... and this is 13.1 miles!  I'm definitely going to earn that 13.1 sticker, no doubt. I'm nervous about the training, wanting to make sure I can do it and stick to it.  Worried that i'll lose the momentum - not motivation, because i HAVE to do the 13.1 now, no questions there.

Sounds like it's goal setting time.  FIVE months away from the 13.1....2 weeks away from Mexico. Time to get back on track and set some reasonable goals.  I feel like in the past I've set monthly goals and they always focus on weight.  Well this week my weight has fluctuated sooooo much (thank you TOM) and that it's honestly not that great of a measuring tool of success that I don't want to solely rely on that as a means to see that I met my goal.    These are goals that I think are measurable and attainable:

1. Track (and stay under) calories on MFP at least 5 of 7 days of the week. 
2. Get in 2-3 runs each week...building up to a 3-4mile long run
3. Do at least 2 days of a Jillian DVD (I'd like to say do more, but I know I can't commit to it yet) 
4. Get up and run at least one day before Ethan leaves for work 

I don't think those are unreasonable.   And if I was going to through my weight around (as in my numbers) I would like to see me get to 190 although 10 pounds in a month is ridiculous for me right now.  Maybe 5 pounds if I'm really strict.    

On the non-fitness side of things, here's my June goals

1. embrace the time home with the girls
2. An outing at least once a week with the girls
3. Be IN the pictures...and not just a selfie or a self-taken headshot of me and one of the girls. 

Here's to June! (I have 3 minutes left to post before it's June! woohoo I'm good)