"Mommy,this is taking FOREVER"

Omgosh,LOL,i wish i had a camera to capture the look of shock on my face when my sweet,wonderful,beautiful, sassafras 3 yr old daughter told me this WHILE i was RUNNING,and pushing her in the one-seater stroller...omgosh!! i could not help but stop and laugh at this cute little booger turning her little piggy-tail haired head at me,with hand on her hips...geez..the sad thing is is that i thought i was going at a good pace bc it feels so much easier pushing a 40lb one-seater than a 90 lb two-seater...... (son weighs 50lb,daughter weighs 40lbs)
wow-nothing like the brutal honest thought of a child for an ego crusher first thing in the AM...LOL!!!! but despite her thoughts on me being a slow runner,we ended up doing 50 minutes and i even added 8 hill sprints at the end-talk a bout a triceps workout pushing that baby up those hills!
we decided to skip the gym today bc daddy is off from work today--good idea bc i started feeling bad a few hours ago-don't know what my deal is but just not feeling 100%
hopefully tomorrow will be a better day for workouts-i need to get in a LONG run and bike ride this weekend!!

OFB mission #5-comfort food!!

So our mission for Operation Fat Blaster (http://www.operationfatblaster.ning.com/)

was to take our favorite recipes and make a healthier version of them. i am using plurals here because i have 2 of my many many many favorites modified.

Being the health nut mommy i am,i have modified and revamped about every recipe you can think of for the common comfort foods as well as common kid pleasers (pizza,chicken nuggets,corn dogs,mac and cheese,etc etc).



so my two i have picked:

the first one-grilled cheese sandwich!



now,most restaurant grill cheese sandwiches macros average to this:

440 calories

25g fat

50 carbs

15g protein

i took averages from the nutrition information listed from Apple bees,Chili's,Denny's,Cracker Barrel,etc...



My recipe cuts the macros into a fraction of this!!!

"5 minute Grilled Cheese"

you will need

2 pieces 100% whole wheat bread (Sara lees 45 calories per slice or low carb bread)

1 or 2 slices 2% cheese

Parkay butter spray

Instructions:

place oven on "Broil"

toast bread and spray with fat free butter spray

place cheese on top of toast

place in oven for 1-2 minutes or until cheese is melted

can cut bread with cookie cutters for the kids if desired and serve with Campbell's tomato soup..



now here is the macros for my healthy version...

180 calories (130 with 1 slice)

6g Fat (3.5 with 1 slice cheese)

20 carbs (18 with 1 slice cheese)

12g protien (9 with 1 slice cheese)



so as you can see,calories and fat are cut by 3/4 and carbs by 1/2!!! GREAT lunch idea for kids or for just a cold winter afternoon



NOW time for my second favorite-chocolate chip cookies!!! well i call them choc-oat-chip cookies-a much much much healthier version of the real thing!!!



Now most refrigerated cookie dough will average about this for macros:

135 calories

7g fat

17g carbs

1g protein



My version cuts back fat and calories and kids wont even know they are the healthier version...

my recipe there are 2 versions,the "healthy"(better for you than the real thing) and the "healthier"...the healthier version is a little dry and if your not used to baking with sugar alternatives,then its noticeable that they are the health-nut kind...lol!so here it is,my favorite little treat i make with my kids:(**= health nut version)
pre-heat oven to 375
1/3c light margarine (***can substitute 6oz plain fat free yogurt)
2/3c brown sugar (** splenda brown sugar)
1/2c applesauce1 egg (**2 egg whites)
1 and 1/2 c flour (**wheat flour,but can go half white and half wheat)
1 and 1/2c quick oats
1tsp baking soda
1tsp cinnamon
1 package chocolate chips (**can use carob chips or sugar free chocolate chips or raisins or any other fruit of choice)

mix butter and brown sugar until blended,add applesauce,egg,baking powder and Cinnamon,add dry ingredients and mix well,stir in chocolate chips,if batter seems too dry,add in 1tbs water ,if too wet,add more oats...drop by level tbsp on lightly sprayed cookie sheet-bake 8-11min or until golden brown on edges,remove from pan and let cool.
yields around 30 cookies
MACROS
Calories 117
Carbs 18g
Protien 2.5
Fat 3.5g
**Health nut version**
Calories 97
Carbs 15g
Protien 4g
Fat 2.5g
if you make more than 30,the calorie/macro content goes down of course!!i typically follow the health-nut version but use half white and half whole wheat flour,use fat free butte spray,and i do use real chocolate chips or raisins..

SO there is my LONG post about the healthier versions of some of my favorites (and my kids too!) if you made it through this far,you must really enjoy reading up on my post!lol!

thursday workout

"i have missed AM cardio all week this week,even though i have great intentions to wake up early and get it done...Ive just been too tired to get my lazy booty out of bed. its about time i stopped talking about it and start being about it....

having said all that-today's workout was OK-bis/tris/abs followed by 4 miles on the TM-short and to the point today-my time frame is shorter since my son started school-i only have about an hour or so to get everything in-
so far today:
4 x 18's
4x15 kick backs
4x12 Russian twists
4x15 prone curls
4x15 triceps overhead extensions
4x20 v-ups
4x12 concentration curls
4x15 incline lying french press
3x15 weighted crunch downs
4x12 roll outs on ex ball
3x15 reverse pulldowns
3x15 hammer curls
30 min TM

i wasnt really "feeling it" in the weight room today,but did have a pretty good little 4 mile run-i just wish i had more time to get in a LONG run! i have a 1/2 marathon in 2 weeks and my highest milage day has been only 8 miles-eeek! time for me to start picking things up!

finally,a good HIIT!

Today's HIIT was GREAT.......30 minutes of 1 min on/1min off-mini ladders from 9.5mph,10.0,10.5 up to 11.1mph then back down,then back up.....much better than last HIIT,my legs and lungs felt good-maybe bc of the 30 min "warm up" on the elliptical beforehand? lol! i really did not feel like doing a HIIT today so i told myself i would "warm up" until i felt like i wanted to do it...30 minutes later i talked myself into it,KNOWING i needed to get it done,so that's what i did,got it done and was glad i was able to get up to 11.1-still not as fast as usual,but I'm slowly getting it back.....and im also slowly getting my softball skills back too....
even though we lost the game last night,i was able to field pretty well-not a single ball got past me! and for the first time in YEARS i was not afraid of the ball.....
tomorrow is another game and Thursday night as well...hopefully everything will come along so i can be the athlete again!!!!

now its off to the dentist with my son and more errand to run,fun fun fun....

is monday over yet?

LOL!! today started off OK,everything went smooth this AM getting my son to school,i was heading to the gym when my daughter started to cry for her brother,which is pretty normal. i helped distract her by singing her favorite songs and playing "i spy".all was good until we pulled into the gym..THEN she started crying and said her belly hurt-great.i knew what was coming. i parked the car,ran out and unbuckled her and tried to get her in the grass before she puked....well she didn't make it to the grass and she got SICK all in the car,everywhere.
gross!!!!!

i didn't pack any extra clothes for her and all i had in the car to clean things up were some wet wipes and a blankie.
without a shirt (blankie around shoulders) but with clean hands and mouth,i left the car with the mess in it,and walked Alex down by the lake to help calm her belly down. she is VERY prone to getting motion sickness and today was one of those mornings.we saw some ducks and decided to feed them her would have been snack of goldfish crackers. this made her really happy and i think she laughed for the next 30minutes.
we got back the car and i wiped her seat off but didn't have enough things to clean the floors and other seats,so it was a 20 minute ride with all the windows down in order to help decrease the vomit smell. so when we got home,she was watching her "Dr show" and i was cleaning out the car. augh! i really really really really really really can not stand/tolerate vomit very well. give me a broken leg,blood and guts,I'm OK with it...vomit on the other hand..augh,bleh,aaack!!!
I guess this is gods way of helping me get past my phobia with it-by giving me a child who has been a puker all her life! LOL!!!

oh well, she has been fine all day,no fever,no weird behavior,just got car sick...we had lots of errands to get done today after i picked up my son from school,and she was fine in the car ride. no motion sickness-whoo-hoo!

i hate it i had to miss the gym today,and I'm not sure if i can go tonight. ball game later tonight and i think hubby and i will be going to the batting cages when he gets home. i really want to get my power being my swing back...this is killing me i have become so "girly".....
lets just hopes the rest of my day gets better and tomorrow will not be a repeat of this AM!!

BRICK+lactic acid build up= what was i thinking!

Duh,i knew today i would be sore,so what made me think a BRICK session would be a good idea? probably the awesome weather here-60's and partly cloudy with a light breeze-perfect weather for running,and a bike ride!
i got in 18 miles and then went right into a 5k...
I was planning a moderate to slow pace,nothing crazy bc i knew i would be sore (and holy cow,sore is an understatement-it hurts to just even touch my quads right now!)
so the first 9 miles 35:30,2nd 9 miles 36:30 ish...total time was 1:12 something,and then i JOGGED a 5k loop around the neighborhood,and i mean i was just moving my jello legs subconscious or something-24:40...it felt i was going a lot slower than that though,my legs didn't feel heavy,but just weird,like i was moving without thinking about it...weird,but at least i got it done-even though it was a slow pace...
next time i will try this on fresh legs,and try to go as fast as i can....i finally found a good gear in ol'bessy!!

OFB mission #4. M.E.L.I.S.S.A

Special Ops mission for OFB (http://www.operationfatblaster.ning.com/) was to come up with a poem for my name that embraces the qualities/character i possess,positive things that i see in me.....

and quite honestly,this was a hard thing to do!! sometimes its hard to take a step back and look at yourself and see all the good. Me being me,my own worst critic,had to think a long time before i came up with something-and even though i enjoy writing poems,this was tough! i kept telling myself that this doesn't have to be majestic,glorious,radiant,the best thing in the world,but just a few words that sums me up......

so here is part 1 of the mission:

(part 2 is create a vision board,with the poem and kindof like a collage that gives a visual motivation -which i don't own a camera,so that part wont be up for a while!)

Mediocrity does not exist in my vocabulary,but
Exceeding my expectations does.
Loving soul
Intrinsic desire to accomplish all my goals and to be my personal best in all aspects of life,physically,mentally and spiritually
Sexy,classy Supermom (every word used to sum up all that mothers ARE)
Stronger than what i think,both inside and out
Aiming high,reaching high,dreaming BIG



Compassionate
Uniquely made
Never gives up without a fight
Noony
Inspiring others to make a change as well as myself
Notorious for crazy workouts and a always seeking a challenge!
Giving
Happy to help others with helping hands
Athletic minded
Mature beyond my years

Heavy leg day + HIIT =i must be a crazy head

ok, I've gone heavy on legs and followed it up with a HIIT plenty of times in my life,but not very often,and i now i realize why....it just isn't "fun"-well is was not very fun TODAY (yes there have been some days i actually enjoyed it,and thrived off it--today was exception)......

the workout:

front squats 4x 15,12,10,8
SLDL 4x15,12,10,8
side lunges 4x15,12,10,10
deep sumo squats 3x 15,12,10,10
leg curl 4x15,12,10,8
single leg leg extensions 4x15,12,12,12
walking lunges 2x fatigue,1x failure

followed by a 20 minute HIIT of 1 min on/30 sec off and immediately into 20 min moderate/fast pace
I was planning a 30 minute HIIT but decided the shorter rest on top of going heavy,didn't feel very good on my quads or my lungs-i don't know what my deal was today but i had the hardest time keeping my breathing in check-even though my legs were shot and they didn't want to move very fast until my mind forced them too,it was much easier for me today to keep my legs moving,than my lungs-i felt more winded than normal and had a harder time catching my breath during the sprints (yeah yeah i know you are supposed to be winded during sprints,but you know what i mean)

anyways, after the workout it was time to get my son from school and we have had so much fun outside today- too pretty to eat lunch inside,so we had a picnic in the yard.kickball and bubbles with the neighbors,a little science lesson in the yard about locust,acorns and living/nonliving things...totally got the kids interest sparked,even though i felt like a little geek explaining all this stuff-lol!!
oh well, now my youngest is exhausted and asleep on the coach and i think my son is about to drift off as well? we had a late softball game last night (which we lost) and he was TIRED, i don't think he got his rest out though....maybe we can lay down and watch a movie together uninterrupted by little sister being mean...lol!
and hopefully i can get another BRICK in tomorrow,didn't feel very well last night in order to get it done,even though as soon as i made my mind up i was feeling better,it was too late to do it-gotta love those girly hormones that make me feel BLEH and just sick.....which that is what ended up making me feel so weird this week-feeling nauseated then hungry,then hot flashes,then back to feeling sick...geez i used to NEVER feel that way,but here in the past year it has been getting worse...
just hope i can feel better on a consistent basis so i can get in these workouts and that DOMS wont thwart my attempt for a great BRICK session.....

thursday morning off to a rough start

well, so far today has not been my day and its only 8:30 AM? trying to get my son ready for school took longer than it should have thanks to some distractions from toys and baby sister.fights were in full swing just minutes before we had to leave...after things were resolved it was still a mad rush to get teeth brushed,shoes tied,backpack on and off to school....i was prepared to walk my son in his class room just so i knew that he knew where he was going and how to get to his class....well turns out he DIDNT want me to walk him in,so i just walked him to the main entrance of the school. our neighbors showed up just then and he was like "c-ya mom!" i gave hime a hug and told him his room number,he kindof rolled his eyes and said,"i know how to get there mom" i gave him another quick hug and held back my tears...... and off he went, all by himself,to his class and didnt need or want mommys help. *sigh*. i knew it was going to happen,i knew this day would come,and wow......

and THEN my daughter pitched a FIT...she wanted to go in class with her brother and she screamed and cried like she was dying.even though i wanted to cry with her,i just picked her up gave her a kiss and told her what a big kid her brother was and that soon she will be a big kid like bailey and will start going to her preschool-well i guess this little talke made her feel better bc then she started smiling and said she was a big kid too.....i agreed but had to throw in the whole not throwing a fit thing when things dont go as expected....i know she isnt liking her brother going to the big school and just hope preschool will be the thing that makes her feel better,like she is a big kid too?

anyways, we are home now and i WAS going to go to the gym,but alex is grumpy and so am i, and im really not feeling like going today-i DO plan to get in another BRICK after hubby gets home from work...i am really looking forward to that and to see if i can drop my time even more!!!
OH on a more positive note,we won the ball game last night even though it was called early due to the bad weather...
will post the BRICK later tonight....just hope the rest of day goes better than first thing this AM!!!

I'm a BRICK house......

ahhhhh yeah-after yesterdays workout and HIIT i decided to do a BRICK training session....Bike+Run=ICK!!!!! omgosh!! i LOVED doing this!! even though it was probably not the best idea to do this workout 30 minutes after dinner...my belly was full and bleh but i had an awesome bike ride and run ....
i timed myself in the 9 mile loop again....last time i was at 42 minutes....last night i did 36 minutes, down by 6 minutes!would have been faster if i didn't have obstacles such as skateboarding children,crazy toddler tricyclers and walkers who would not move out of my way.....
oh well,i know i can get faster than that once i get the hang of the gears and a better feel for the bike itself..ol bessy has definitely seen many many many miles,and I'm hoping she can hold together for hills and hills and more hills-which I'm sure she can,but not too sure how fast..LOL!!!

anyways,so after playing dodge ball with pedestrians and having a faster time than last time biking,i jumped off the bike and went immediately into a run-omgosh! that is harder than it sounds! it feels SO different than doing bike in the gym and then jumping on a TM....way harder and how my legs felt is indescribable...very wobbly and it felt like i was running in molasses... i felt like i was doing like a 10 min mile pace,but was surprised when my stop watch clicked at 7:39 for first mile....(which is slow compared to what i do for a 5k first mile)...but considering i had a huge side stitch on my left side and was feeling the chicken i had for dinner setting in my belly like 10 lbs of led,i think i did OK...

always room for improvement though and tomorrow if i am able,i am planning on another BRICK,but will run a 5k after the bike..and this weekend i will shoot for an 18-20 mile bike ride,slow of course and then the next day at least a 10 or more mile run,LSD of course....

moving along to today's workout...a great back and biceps day followed by 4.5 miles on the TM
4x15 high cable lat pulldown
4x15's biceps curls (5 reps standard,5 resp lateral,5 reps hammer
4x15 incline prone reverse flys
4x 15 prone reverse biceps curls
4x15 wood chops
4x15 straight arm lat pull
4x21's
4x10 pullups
ended with 4.5 miles running......
short and to the point workout and wish i had more time to run..again,no knee pain today,just tightness,but could be the rain,i am aching in my hips and shoulders and ankles...bleh! how am i going to be when i am 60,if i am so sensitive to weather changes NOW....ikes,i don't even want to think about it...

anyways,
now its time to get kids ready and out the door to do some light grocery shopping and to try to find some fun things to do before tonight's ball game! :)

Kindergarten and HIIT.......

what a combo for today! lol! All was good so far toady-My son did GREAT on hid first day of kindergarten,and so did my husband and i-no tears,just excitement!!...baby sister didn't handle it very well though,but she will be starting her preschool soon enough...

While my son was at school my husband and i decided to go to the gym-got in an OK workout and finished up with a great HIIT
workout so far:
(limited on time so cut sets to 3 instead of 4)
3x15 pushpress flys
3x15 lying single french press
3x15 incline press
3x15 overhead triceps extensions
4x15 cable crossovers
4x20 cable triceps pressdowns
30 min HIIT 1 min on/1 min off....my fastest speed was only 10.6mph,but it felt GOOD-no knee pain but can tell my speed endurance has decreased...... i have to bump up HIIT to 2-3x a week now,as well as swim practice....

anyways,after the gym it was time to pick up my son-he ended up having the funnest time ever i think,bc all he could say when i asked him what he did at school,was "I just cant tell bc we had so much FUN" lol!!! i am very glad he had a good first day of school experience and i hope it continues...

i couldn't help but worry and think about him all day,and was hoping he would make some new friends. he is a lot like me in the sense that he can be very very shy. i cant help but have flashbacks to my days in kindergarten and first grade and beyond,where i was made fun of and picked on,and i was too shy and quiet to ever defend myself,i just let it happen,let the kids run over me and cried about it later...

My husband and I are trying to instill values and integrity and everything in between,but we also stress the importance of standing up for himself and his family.....all i can do is just hope and pray he will not have the same issues i did. i hope he is able to stand up for himself if he's ever in the situation where he is made fun of,and i hope his good hearted spirit and loving countenance is not taken advantage of,which i think most parents worry about as well...

so hopefully this week will go well for my son,(and that i don't worry too much)but i think all will be good...

i am hoping also that this week i can hit the pool 2x and get in HIIT 1-2 more times and of course bike at least 4x....planning to time myself again in the 9 mile loop and see where i am at. the triathlon bike portion is 16 miles of HILLS...eeeeeeeeek!!! www.lakelemontri.com check out the course!!
i had to pick a challenging course my first one out-lol!!!
oh well, more fun i guess knowing it will be hard,and knowing that training has to be kicked up a notch or two.....let the good times roll!!!!!
:)

Monday.Monday!

Well, so much for me getting in a long bike ride or a long run in this weekend-my daughter has been sick the past few days and was attached to my hip/legs/arms/any part of me she could cling to......

now i probably could have snuck away and gotten in an hour or so,but she would have screamed her head off the entire time and i didn't think that would be fair to my husband or son--when she gets upset,she can cry so hard she will make herself puke...she has yet another respiratory issue,and breathing treatments were in order every 2-3 hours.....she has ran a small fever over the past 2 days and thankfully is feeling better today with no fever,but still having some breathing issues/congestion....poor thing-she has been sick like this her entire life and i am getting tired of it. every time she gets sick like this,it starts off as a runny nose,then a cough,then respiratory issues,then a fever,then vomiting......good news is that this time she only got sick once,which is rare......

needles to say i will not be in the gym again today,which makes it 4 days now i haven't been-and i feel like a slug....oh well, she is worth it though--taking care of my babies are way more important than getting in a bike ride or a run any day....my husband was so sweet though and when he felt there was an opportune moment he would ask me,"do you need to get your bike ride in? i think she will be ok if your gone right now"...as tempting as it sounded,i declined bc i knew what would happen if i left.....when this child is not feeling good,she is a complete mommy's girl!!!

BUT she did,however have a GREAT "Daddy and Alex day" when me and my son had a "Bailey and Mommy Day".......my husband said she did so good for him and was so excited to have that one on one time!!! me and my son had a great day as well,even though he wasn't thrilled about going clothes shopping for school-he hated trying stuff on and was eye rolling and the entire time-LOL!! but he did have fun getting school supplies though,he is getting very excited about going to school!!! we had fun spending time together,toy shopping and playing games and going where he wanted to go for lunch (sonic??) we enjoyed a picnic on the outdoor benches and tables and i could really tell my son has missed days like that---and so have I!!!!

tonight is a parents meeting at his school,and although i am excited to attend this and excited my son is starting kindergarten,i can help but feel sad..and i have been sad the past few days as the time is drawing closer and closer to when he goes off to school..*sigh*
i just hope i can keep it together tomorrow!!!! i have a feeling i will be OK though,hubby is taking a half day off of work to be there as well and of course to hold my hand and wipe away the tears if they choose to pour out of me like buckets...lol!!!

anyways, enough with my school daze,its time to get this house clean and to try to find some creative fun things to do with the kids that don't involve getting my daughter over exerted or hot...hmmmm maybe some finger paint,coloring,cutting and pasting shapes?? sticker art?
we will think of something-MAYBE tonight after the meeting i can get something active in,bike ride,run....tired of feeling like a slug!lol!

my first bike ride

well, first one on my new/old bike that is......
after another long and hectic day yesterday,no time for the gym and i wasn't feeling well...(the past few days i have been fluctuating between nauseated and just plain starving--weird!!)
BUT i was able to get in 9 miles on the bike....whoo-hoo!! now granted i was going at a leisurely pace but i felt i got a decent workout in,i wanted to run 5 miles afterwards but was running out of day light...42 minutes for 9 miles,pretty slow i think,but i wasn't going full throttle....tomorrow i am planning on at least 16 miles or longer to get my endurance built up and my speed.....i also plan to get in at least 6 miles running in the AM,depending on how I'm feeling....

this mornings run went GREAT,an easy morning run at around 8 min mile pace.....got in over 6 miles before heading back home--it was a very peaceful run around the neighborhood,the smell of fresh cut grass and fallen leaves reminds me that cross country weather is fast approaching!! (well my husband claims it is always that same smell that reminds him of football season...lol!)

my knee actually felt really good this morning-i was braced up of course but even now,after the run i don't feel any pain,just a tightness but its minimal-and even yesterday riding the bike,everything felt good...maybe i can sneak some more bike in later today..i swear i think i can get addicted to this triathlon training....my fear is that i need to upgrade bikes after this race though...after yesterdays ride,i can tell the bike i have has seen many many many miles....i feel like i need to give a really good name for that old bike..I'm thinking of "ol bessy"?? (same name as i what i called my first truck i ever owned-lol!) ol jalopy is another one I'm thinking about..hmmmm any thoughts??

anyways,now its time to get things ready for a "bailey and mommy day"....we are going school shopping and to wherever else he wants to go and do what he wants to do-just me and him......*sigh* this will be our last bailey and mommy day as him being a "little kid"-now he thinks he is soo BIG bc he will be starting kindergarten at the "big kid school"......i will be a basket case on Tuesday on his first day...the good news is that my daughter wont start her very first day of preschool until a week later,so at least i have a week to recoup before she starts school,then i will be a mess again.....

we went by her preschool yesterday and she got a tour of the place..she was nervous and excited at the same time,but i really don't know how she will handle being at preschool....guess we will find out soon though!!!

just kindof sad realizing my children are growing up so FAST,and now life will speed up even more that they are in school.....I'm glad i have running, biking , swimming and the gym as an outlet though and i am really looking forward to the next road race bc my children will be doing the 1 mile fun run with me and my husband!!!! so excited about getting them involved in my world of running and fitness!!!!

anyways,time to get ready for this special day of school shopping and bailey and mommy fun!!

back/biceps/abs and bike

what a workout! and no i didnt have time to hit the pool,and i ended up forgetting the knee brace again so i made the best of my time in the gym and cranked out an awesome workout:

4x15 straight arm lat pull down
4x12 reverse grip pulldowns
4x15 kneeling lat pulldowns
4x20 seated low cable rows (2x20 underhand,2x20 overhand)
4x15 high cable curls
4x12 woodchops
4x18 barbell curls with 3 diff grips (6 narrow,6 shoulder width,6 wide)
4x12 reverse flys on incline
4x12 prone hammer/standard curls
4x12 roll outs on ex ball
4x12 knee tucks on ex ball
4x20 weighted cable crunch down
3x10 roman chair
ended the workout with 16 miles on the bike....level 9 @ 90-100rpm 55:47 at a moderate pace...my knee is still tight but loosend up some after about 5 miles.....i really need to get in some HIIT sessions in ASAP bc i have 2 weeks until next 5k, 4 weeks until the half marathon and 5 weeks until the triathlon...i need to get my speed work in as well as LSD.....this next month will FLY by!!! time to get on my horse and start cranking out more days like today (with the addition to HIIT and LSD--(long slow distance)....
now its off for more adventures in the life of supermom.......

ball games,dentist and knee pain-oh my!

talk about a hectic day yesterday!! non stop all day until midnight--didn't do AM cardio due to knee pain,struggled to wake up,got kids out the door a little later than i wanted,got to the gym and had a crappy leg workout,pain in knee is with flexion,not extension,wasn't able to do sprints on TM (forgot knee brace) but i did get in 4 miles of running,just not really fast) THEN it was off to get my sons hair cut and do grocery shopping before taking both kids to dentist-well, i had to wait an hour to get baileys hair cut and did a 15 minute mini grocery shop-and of course i forgot the list of the main things i needed to get and had to rely on the one i store in my head (which isnt that reliable anymore-augh!)

so then it was off to the house,me grabbing a quick shower,the kids fighting the entire time i was in there,rushing to get them dressed and teeth brushed,out the door a little later than planned-BUT we did get to the dentist on time...a 30 minute wait, and they had a playroom for the kids . as soon as i got onto my son about going down the slide the wrong way,a group of bigger kids (10-12iish)got in there and were doing crazy stuff and flips down the slide--now granted,i don't mind kids having fun,but when there are younger kids around (2,3,4) i don't like for my kids to do that type of stuff bc the smaller ones will try to imitate that-well these older kids kept telling bailey to do try what they were trying and bless his little heart the conversation i overheard:
"come on,try going down this way! it is so FUN! come on,do it!" and then my son says to the big kids in a sad voice.. "I cant,my mom said no"
ahh man,on one hand i felt bad bc i knew he wanted to be like the bigger kids and to play with them,but on the other hand i was like whoo-hoo! my son listens and respects his mamma! lets pray this last throughout the teen years as well??

anyways,since this was the kids first trip ever to the dentist it took longer than usual-my daughter freaked out and screamed her head off the entire time and my son did great--turns out we are going back tomorrow bc he has 2 cavities!!!! whaaa? yup and they say he will need caps due to the location of the cavities...oh what fun that should be...

after the dentist it was rushing back home to play a double header for softball-soon as stepped in the door hubby had the kids bag packed with snacks and drinks and was trying to get us out the door-we made it to the ball field just minutes before game started @ 7.....lost the first game and won the second--my fielding still needs work,but my hitting is improving-i was out at the plate once for crossing over the plate when i hit the ball,and i think i was out at first a few times over the course of both games,but i also was able to make it to base more times than not and got a couple really good hits in.....

the kids did great while hubby and i played,there was a small playground there they played on and other kids to play with-they had fun and it was almost 10PM before we left the ball park....still had to get the kids in the bath and bedtime routine so it was almost 11 before they hit the sack-and then hubby and i had to watch ghost hunters-so after midnight before we called it a night....WHEW!!!

and now it is time to get the kids ready and get going to the gym and to run errands--i will try to get in a pool workout today if i have the time, and i will also try to get a HIIT in-bringing my knee barce and keeping fingers crossed for minimal pain-so far this morning is off to a late start-no AM cardio bc i overslept and i am waiting on workout clothes to dry bc i forgot to put them in the dryer last night....and another game tonight-a late one so it will be yet another late night for the kids-should be interesting to try waking them up early tommorrow for the dentist....
anyways,time to get off here and get things done while i have the time...

swim practice today!

wow,today's workout was good-chest and triceps followed by 1000M swim

so far today:
30 min AM running
4x15 push press fly
4x14 over head tricep extensions
4x12 DB press with twist at top
4x15 lying french press
3x failure
pushups
dirty 30's
3x15 rope crunches
1000M swim....28:45

i think my counting was off on my laps last time,either that or having no lane dividers set up in the pool and having to stagger my laps about every 40-60 seconds for the first 5 laps threw my time off?? i don't know,but there was only 1 other woman in the pool and i tried to pace off of her after i moved lanes...to my surprise she slowed her pace down and i was by the time she was on lap 12,i was on 16........yeah I'm not competitive-lol!!!
BUT did feel good in the pool,i am feeling lungs starting to adapt better than last time,the only thing I'm having trouble with is keeping my shoulders from aching so much-i still had to alternate laps with breast stroke and free style in order to get pressure off my shoulders---i may end up doing the breast stoke most of the way during the triathlon if i don't get my shoulders on the same page.... we will see,i will try to get some bike riding or running in later today....

right now it is time for lunch for me and the babies......

The best compliment ever.....

and it has NOTHING to do with physical appearances.....

After a pretty hectic day yesterday and some frustrations,my husband,children and I went out to dinner on our way home from a forfeited ball game (due to lack of enough players on our side,,grrrrr)

during the dinner,i was hoping the kids wouldn't be acting out,they had had a long day as well with lots of other kids to play with that afternoon,and my youngest did not have a nap...not a really good combination-lol!

anyways they did fine during dinner and on our way out,an older women said this to my husband and I:
"it is so nice to see such well behaved children. Thank you!"

We both smiled and and thanked her for the compliment!
after that,i think i smiled for the next hour-funny how just those simple words can make someone feel better.......
especially after the LONG day I had with the kids......

anywhoo-now its time to get ready for the gym and round the kids up-got in 30 min running so far and plan on chest/tri/bike and swim today.....fun fun fun!

finally got a bike!

yup,got a used red road bike today-75$ and it rides great!!!(well at least in the parking lot) whoo-hoo! now its time to get my wheels spinning and see what i can do on this thing!!!
so far today has been non stop go go go-woke up and got in 30 min AM running then to the gym-back and abs and a 6 mile run-
4x15 rope rows w
woodchops
4x15
straight arm lat pulldowns ss w
high cable lat pulldowns
4x15 DB pullovers
3x15 pikes
4x15 rollouts on ex ball
4x10 pullups
3x12 reverse flys
3x15 roman chairs
running......
then a half hour drive to look at the bike,ride it and then buy it-then quick run by the house,10 second tidy and went to pick up a friends daughter for a play date with my daughter-they are here now and soooooo loving to play-as of now they are getting along nicely lying here next by me and the computer playing tea party with baby dolls and stuffed animals-too cute! and my son is rolling his eyes and just wants to to do boy stuff---- so I'm off to join in the fun
wish me luck i don't crash on my first day on my new/old red road bike....lol!

Frappacino and a 5k-- recap of this mornings run!!

What a way to start a morning!!! it is rare that i indulge in a Starbucks frappacino,and i got in 1/2 of a small one and 1/2 a protein bar this AM before heading off to race in a 5k...
got up at 6:30 am,had my mini power breakfast listed above :),i had to throw a sports bra in the dryer bc for some reason,it didn't get tossed in there last night when i did laundry-got dressed and was out the door at 7:15-registration started at 7,and race began at 8 AM.......
It took me a few minutes to find the race start and registration,but by 7:40 i had my bib number and chip timer--looking around i didn't see a lot of other runners like the last race-as i was pinning my number on,i heard an older couple whisper about me saying "that girl right over there is fast!!" i looked up and gave a grin and waved...lol! what a compliment!

anyways,7:50 rolls around,i still don't see many ppl,maybe 40 or so?less? hmmmm,no HS kids around,i may have a shot of redeemng myself from last race!! i look around and don't see anyone really warming up,so i take of jogging-7:57, a little more ppl are out-i start doing sprints and drills and felt likea dork bc i was the only one doing those...lol! i braced up my left knee (yup still tight today!) and then all runners were called to start line- i looking around and don't see much competition for my age group-i am worried about "granny" next to me-she just looks fast and you could tell she has been a runner for along time-you know the look,long lean legs and arm,runners racer shirt and shorts-she just looked fierce...better keep an eye on her...(and yes Michelle,i thought about you here and your granny relentless at your 1/2-lol!)

anyways,2 part command and gun fire-we all start out and granny is out in front behind "r Iron Man"...geez,i cant let a granny beat me,so i catch up to her and pass her up and try to catch 2 guys in front of me-i pace off of these guys for the first mile,and then they turn their jets on-i keep in them sight though...the whole time i am hearing footsteps behind me...Granny relentless right on my heels-i pick up my pace and try to close the gap between me and the guys ahead of me,i make some progress,and with every corner i turn,i look behind me and still see granny,she has fallen behind some so i m thinking,ok good,as long as she doesn't pick up her pace,ill be fine-ill be first female across the line!

mile 2 rolls around and i hear footsteps again...guess who is on my tail?? well, i pick it up and try to close the even bigger gap between me and the boys ahead-i find a good pace,i feel good and when i turn the corner granny has fallen behind again a little bit more than last time-so no worries there i had this.....so i put myself on cruise control and try to keep the boys ahead of me in sight,which i do-and then i see the "Mr Iron Man" jogging along the side of the road-he was already done!! and was now cooling down..whaa?? i still had a 1/2 mile left-lol!!! anyways, i think i hear footsteps behind me so i pick up my pace-man,this was a long last 1/2 mile! i keep thinking granny is behind me so i tried to speed things up, but i didn't feel like i was going very fast....but i just kept things steady and crossed the finish line feeling like i still had a lot of energy left and feeling like i could have gone faster....ahh well,i made it and a 10 year old kid didn't beat me this time! LOL! redemption had been made! i was first feamle to cross the line!whoo-hoo!! and about 1 minute later,here comes granny relentless,coming across the line strong as ever but not winded at all-wow she was amazing, being in her late 60's ithink-i want to be like her when I'm her age-still cranking out 5k races!!!

anyways, i waited around the finish line cheering for all the others coming across the line,and then waited around for awards-in the meantime i spoke with a few other runners and that older couple came over and chatted with me a few,i had knew i had seen these ppl before and then when the man asked me if i was "out of my element" here,i finally recognized him from the gym-he had seen me lift and train for figure shows and i guess he didn't know i used to be a runner-i just had to laugh and let him know that i wasn't out of my element,but rather getting back into the swing of things with running again...so for the next few minutes it was just a good time hanging out and talking with other runners---

again,i was pretty impressed that so many ppl would come together and run,and so many different stories these women had!! most of the gals there had only started to run and only had a couple races under their belt,and it was so neat to hear their excitement when the times and placements were posted..they were all like OMG i was faster than last race-whoo-hoo!!!! high fives everywhere! it was fun to see their excitement and their love of this sport grow.....
and wow,they were so thrilled to receive their awards!!

the cool think about this race was that no trophies were awarded,but rather gift certificates and small medal for the younger kids (all 2 of them)
and yes, idid walk away with a $25 gift certificate and a smile- i was 1 minute faster this race than the last one!!

anyways,so that is how my morning started-winning a very small local 5k and ow its time to get the kids calmed down a bit and to try to give the dog a bath-oh and maybe a supermom playground workout today?
:)

Operation Fat Blaster-Mission #2

This weeks mission on operation fat blaster (www.operationfatblaster.ning.com) was to do something different,to try something new,and to break out of your comfort zone,whether it was to try a new food,tackle a new piece of equipment in the gym,try a new exercise,etc etc-and you had to do this 3 times during the course of this week...

well,this week i did get out of my comfort zone in the worst way,3 times,but not with the same activity-so this was a semi mission accomplished,and a semi mission failed? not too sure about that one but one thing i know for sure is that this week was hard for me,going outside my little world of comfort,but i so needed this this mission to help break through a mental block i have been facing for quite some time....

the activities i did to break free from my comfort:
training for the swim portion of the triathlon and playing softball again....

why was it so hard?
having to go into the pool without a ball cap on,and having to lose my fear of what other people may think of me.
By going into the pool, i didn't have the security of big baggy clothes to "hide" behind,i didn't have my ball cap on to just duck my head and push forward....and this was hard,losing the ball cap and the security of it! BUT i did break free from it and was able to have a pretty decent workout and my fear of others pointing and laughing or judging me based on my appearance or athletic ability/inability diminished.....

why was playing ball so hard?
last time i played competitive,i was good,last time i played ball,i caught the ball with my face and broke my nose....but that was 7 yrs ago,and since then,my athletic skills had decreased and my fear of the ball increased. i didn't have any desire to play again,until my husband was short a girl for his coed team and needed somebody-i refused the first time bc 1) still had fear of being hit with ball, 2)i didn't think i could play anymore and 3) i didn't want to be made fun of if all my skills had left me completely,so it was fear of what other ppl would think..BUT as with swimming,i did break free from my comfort and went ahead and played--and i had FUN..now granted i did lose a LOT of the athletic skill i had,but not ALL-still need to work on some things,but I'm proud of myself for pushing past those negative thoughts in my mind and just doing it,and then being proud of myself for doing it.......

so thank you Michelle,for this mission,one i thought wouldn't be a challenge,but turned out to be one,and a mission i am proud to have experienced bc it has made me realize 2 things-1)i worry WAY to much about what other ppl may think or expect of me
and 2) i am in the process of overcoming my fears and conquering them head on!!!! at the end of the day,its not about what other ppl say or think about me,it is about what i have done to make me a better stronger person from the inside out...so what i cant crank out Olympic times in the pool-so what I'm not on team USA for softball......i am simply me,the overachiever at times,overcompetative,hypercritical me,but i am doing things to improve my abilities to the best of my capacity.......and that is something to be happy about :)!

another ball game,another 5k coming up!

well, we won the ball game last night-19-4 and called the game early due to the run rule...i was able to make contact with the ball and even hit a (semi) line drive down first-was able to get on base and cross the plate every time... :) also i was put in RF-bleh-my fielding skills are way off-still have that fear in the back of my head that I'll catch the ball with my face again,so i was a little girly girl in the outfield-LOL!!! but again,i had fun playing ball with my husband-i really cant wait to go to the batting cages soon and practice getting my timing back-i really want to be able to hit like i used to,and outfield as well-gotta get past the fear of the ball though first....

anyways,today's workout was a light one-chest and triceps and light cardio (i did get a HIIT in last night-and boy oh boy,i felt that 4 week hiatus from the HIIT on the TM!)

4x15 DB flat bench ss with 4x12 triceps extension
4x15 DB flys ss with lying french press
4x15 staggard pushups ss with dirty 30's
30 minutes on bike @95RPM followed by 30 in on TM @6.2mph-

kept it slow today for 2 reasons,1-race in the AM and 2,
my left knee and ankle are tight as ever today,and i feel like it is about to rain-hate it i can predict weather that way,my hips aren't as tight so i know this wont be a long stretch of rainy day weather.....i did get a knee brace and running watch and some swim goggles finally!!! so now i wont look like the dork face with the ones i was using-LOL!!

looking forward to a 5k road race in the AM....not too sure how i will do,my goal is to just have a faster time than last race,(and of course be first female to cross the line or first in age group-- but its hard competing against these young athletes!!!!) but again,don't know how big or small this race will be and don't know who will show up.....but regardless,my goal is to just be faster than last time,and to just have fun with this---there are 3 other 5ks i will do before the 1/2 marathon AND i found a later date to do a triathlon---September 19th-the weekend after the half! i need a little bit more time to train for this,as my swimming lungs have not been broken in yet... :)

anyways,playing ball again tonight with hubby i think-i am actually looking forward to this--so glad i finally broke out of my comfort zone and finally stepped up and played in a game-i was very nervous at first bc i hadn't played in so long (and of course the last time i did play,my nose was broken) and its sad to say but i was scared at being laughed at by my husband and the other team mates if i had completely lost all my athletic skill-which i have lost a LOT of it,but not all, and i think i will get it back quick...geez,cant believe I'm getting excited about softball,biking,long runs and yes,even swimming...just call me a dork.

i have a busy month planned ahead-between road races, triathlon training, distance running,softball games and now flag football(signed my son up today!) and wow,now kindergarten!!!!OMG! 11 more days until my little man starts school-I'm excited and very sad at the same time! my first baby is growing up soooo fast and this is just his first step of many,closer to being more independent,closer to more outside influences i cant control.....wow,this will be hard on me,but its just part of the growing up process,one i have to accept and do the best i can...*sigh*
anywhoo,gotta get the finger paints ready and the "restaurant" put together for some fun time play...will do a recap tomorrow about the 5k,wish me luck i will be better than the last race!!!

Ball game and my decision

So we won the ball game last night 11-15! i am a bit rusty playing to say the very least,but i made contact with the ball every time at bat....i was placed as catcher so not much fielding there,i may play outfield or 2nd tonight,depending on how many gals we have show up.....even though i didn't want to be catcher,it was neat watching my husband pitch and i was really trying to figure out his pitching style,and by games end i was simply amazed at how much he controlled the game-i knew pitchers could throw curve balls,sliders,knuckles,spins,drops,etc,but i always thought that was in baseball or fast pitch-well, let me get on my brag spot and just brag my head off about what an awesome pitcher terry is--so much fun seeing him trick out the batters and me trying to guess what he would throw next made catcher a little bit more interesting...

ok, off the brag box now, BUT now that i have a game under my belt,(after a 7 year hiatus)it is SO game on about getting my "athletic prowess" back!! My husband actually told me i looked "girly" playing last night...Grrrrrrr those are some fighting words-LOL! ahhhh but really,i am really determined to get better at this,i and i know it just takes practice until i get my groove back-and besides,its fun playing on a team with my husband-we are both very competitive,even on a rec league-lol!

anyways, moving along to what i have finally decided to do about competing this year or not--after speaking with my sponsor,we think that it is best that i take my time deciding to do the Yorton Cup. I will know by next month if i will do it or not,plenty of time to get some "active rest" and let my body heal up before another show. Since i will be taking longer to decide about competing, i have chosen not to be a guest performer due to the simple fact that this would not be fair to the promoter of the event if i agreed to be there and then later decide not too. In order for him to have a well ran and smooth running event,he needs to have everything lined up NOW for the event in November,and i cannot provide a solid answer within that time frame.
so what now? what next? where do i go from here?

well, two things i know for sure is that i WILL do the half Marathon on September 12th and a 5k this weekend. MAYBE the triathlon on Aug 29th- still trying to get a good bike! if I'm not able to get one by next week,then i will just look for another (later)date to do a triathlon-i WILL do one of these events and SOON.....

My plan of action for the rest of this month is to focus on racing and triathlon training. I plan on getting HIIT in the pool and on land,plan on going on long bike rides and long runs,and also plan on losing the 5lbs i gained after my last show... i still plan on keeping my workouts in the gym,but not going as heavy or hard-not until September,my body needs some time to heal(so the pool will be beneficial here!!!)

i will start posting my workouts again tonight-i wasn't able to get to the gym this morning so i have to get in in tonight and then right after the workout,head on over to the ball park...again,this should be a fun night-between the pool workout (i did get a tankini at walmart today-will do in a pinch until a better one comes along-at least everything will be in place now-lol!) and HIIT and ball game,this should make things interesting!lol!

Honest Scrap Blog Award

So i received my first blog award today from the one and only superwoman Michelle!!!(http://www.sectrestofaformerfatgirl.com/) (Thank you!!!) I am a tickled pink and honored about this one yall!

So, what is this Honest Scap Award you ask?

I had to go over Michelle's blog (http://www.secretsofaformerfatgirl.com/) to figure out the meaning behind this award and the details,and from what i gathered,this award is :

"bestowed upon a fellow blogger who's blog content or design, the givers opinion, is brilliant. This award is about bloggers who post from thier heart,who often times put their heart on display as they write from the depths of their soul".

So,in acceptance of this award, there are a few rules i must complete first:
1)Brag about it
2)select 7 blogs you find brilliant and link them to the post
3) list 10 honest things about self

Since the first is already complete, now to the second rule-
the 7 blogs i find brilliant and love to follow along (in no particular order) are:

Michelle @ http://www.secretsofaformerfatgirl.com/
Tina @ http://www.ilovemylifestyle.blogspot.com/
Lizzie @ http://www.fitlizio.blogspot.com/
Genie @ http://www.third-wish.blogspot.com/
Michelle Berger @ http://www.blog.buffmother.com/
Rebecca @ http://www.rebeccastaggs.blogspot.com/
Marie @ http://www.mtclosetowin.blogspot.com/

stop by and check these gals out and you will see why i find them so inspiring!

And now 10 things about me (that most people don't know):

1) I am painfully shy by nature. When i was younger,i would never speak to someone i didn't know unless i was spoken to first. What helped me come out of my shell was my very first job as a waitress. I was 14 and scared to death. I remember it took every fiber in my being to walk up to my first table and introduce myself. I am still an extremely shy person and often times people receive the wrong first impression. They mistake my shyness for being "stuck up" or a total B****....lol! if they only knew i was never more the opposite! :)

2) I am addicted to FoodNetwork. I love Paula Dean, Rachel Ray, The Next Foodnetwork Star,and of course all the foodnetwork challenges...since i am a self proclaimed health nut chef,i like to modify the recipes i see on this network and make them healthier and kid-friendly!

3) I was born with extra bones in feet,so it looks like i have 2 ankle bones instead of just one. This extra bone restricts normal movement of the foot in regards to stability and inversion/eversion. My freshman year in college i had surgery to remove the extra bone in my left foot and reconstruct the ligament/tendon attachment zone. i am still an over pronator and i refuse to have the other foot "fixed" until absolutely necessary. no major problems with it until i put in over 80 miles a week,after that it just aches.

4) I am of German descent. My father was born and raised in Germany. He is still fluent in the language and spoke it frequently while i was child- yet I understand the language better than i can speak it.

5)I have a tattoo

6) I have never been drunk

7)I have a phobia of crickets and vomit.

8) I dress my daughter in pink,even though i SWORE i would never do that. I am so not a girly girl (on most days) and i didn't want my daughter to be one.....well, turns out that not only do i have a complete DRAMA queen on my hands (who LOVES pink,btw-and all things princess) she can also be the rough and tumble tomboy who beats up her big brother on an hourly basis...

9) I LOVE shoes and to shoe shop!! (see,I'm a little bit girly sometimes!)

10) Even though I have been an athlete my entire life,i have always been self conscious about my athletic frame. i have always tried to "hide" behind big baggy workout clothes and a ball cap. (yeah,I'm that type of girl who will change outfits at least 4 times before going anywhere!lol!). Most of my life,i have struggled with body image and i am still facing those battles today. HOWEVER, this whole journey to the figure stage is helping me so much more by helping me embrace my athletic frame and see it as a form of beauty. I have come so far in this journey and wouldn't trade it for anything!



SO there it is fellow bloggers. Thanks again Michelle for the vote!

its up to you.....

Theres more to being fit than just going to the gym every day. You need to balance your mind,body and spirit as well. what inspires you? what challenges you? what do you need to do to get to that next level?take a few moments,sit in a quiet place and start to answer those questions.(or a great way to occupy your mind during cardio!) also,write about your definition of fitness. are you living it? what habits and attitudes do you need to change?sometimes you have to make mistakes before you realize what works for you. list some mistakes you've made while trying to achieve your fitness goals-what went wrong and what did you learn?

(so that was fitness tip of the day for yesterday-those on operation fat blaster have already read this one)
anyways,just a mini quiz that may be thought provoking to some,and hopefully little bit helpful to others as well.....

todays workout

finally,i had someone to workout with! my husband joined me at the gym today and we did chest and triceps together! we have two completely different styles of working out,but he did a routine similar to mine today-he just did a lot lot lot heavier weight-LOL! and he also threw in some biceps work while i was doing cardio....it felt nice to have someone workout with me today,made me miss my workout partner though......hopefully she will switch back gyms soon and we can be the crazy heads again!

ahh well-todays workout was good,and i plan on getting in more cardio today-only got in 3 miles at the gym and want to do at least 6 more-gotta get back in running shape-didn't go to the gym this weekend,didn't run at all,so i need to make up for that time-BUT i did however have a great day with kids yesterday at the playground and later we had a neighborhood game of kickball in our front yard,wow talk about some competetaive kids! the rules were followed by slow pitch softball rules and not baseball-and the boys called out and clarified them them all-lol!.....the good thing about this neighborhood is that it is full of children,and usually half of them end up at our house---which is just fine by me--i would much rather have a yard full of kids than to wonder where mine are at--and i do hope this trend continues into the teenage years,my husband and i want our house to be the place to be for our children and their friends....but we have some time to worry about that right now-in just 2 short weeks my son will start kindergarten so we are trying to enjoy the rest of the summer before school starts!

now its time to get the house clean, help hubby with the yard work and hopefully get in some playground time and more running.... :)

sunday thoughts-the last time i raced a 1/2

so the good news is that i have a little bit more time to make my mind up about competing-
the bad news: i still havent made my decision yet...
i flip flop with what i want to do
The good news:
tomorrow starts the new fitness regime in the weight room. it is totally GAME ON for everything-
me trying to figure out what i was going wear for church this morning was my breaking point of deciding that "taking it easy" after a show is now done...my clothes are a little bit tighter on me now,and i refuse to gain a lot of weight back from a show-so now i know its time to really really start it back up again, with nutrition,with cardio,with workouts......
6 weeks out from a 1/2 marathon.
last time i raced in a 1/2 i was pregnant with my first child-but early pregnant-10 weeks along i think-no wonder why i felt nauseated the entire week before that race-i didnt run at ALL the whole week prior due to a constant upset belly-back then,a day without running for me was like a day without breathing,so even though i felt like poo,i got up and decided to run that dern race! i didnt hit my goal time of 1:30, but i did cross the line at 1:47......
i remember feeling sick that morning and didnt eat breakfast,i felt bad until the 6 mile marker and i came across a group of older gentlemen (late 50's i think) and a few others-they were keeping a good pace so i hung in there with them, and it was that small pack of people that helped carry me through the rest of the race. these guys were keeping my mind off of not feeling well, and made me laugh the rest of the way-we became the cheerleaders you could say and met so many people and heard so many inspiring stories along the way...then at the 13 mile marker,the guys stopped at the beer station (yeah,beer station THERE and not at the 13.1 marker-LOL!!!) and said,"well,we'll see ya in a few minutes-you just keep on going and finish strong".....and i sprinted my way across the finish line at the titans stadium in Nashville TN .as i crossed i saw myself come across the jumbo screen...... i felt better soon after i stopped running and ate.....

but anyways,that was the last time i "raced" a 1/2, about 6 years ago.....not too sure how i will do at this one coming up-goal will be faster time than 1:47-LOL!
i am looking forward to the LSD and HIIT crazy speed days!
OH and just a GOOD LUCK wish to Michelle,who is racing her first 1/2 marathon today!!!! i cant wait to see how she does!
AND one more thing.....
i joined OPERATION FAT BLASTER (www.operationfatblaster.ning.com) last week-
a very great site created by michelle...so stop by,join the club and take on your mission!