retrospect 2011

the word for my 2011 has been "POSSIBLE"
 making the seemingly impossible,possible
making what seems so hard to do,possible
making things happen when you need them to possible
learning life lessons are possible...daily.

this time last year,
 this was my list of to-dos:

*compete on the pro stage in the next 18 weeks,and make a name for myself on the pro circuit
*compete in my first triathlon
*PR in a half marathon
*break 20 minutes for a 5k
*get my kids involved in every sport they want to do over the next 12 months
*strive to be and do my personal best each and everyday
*reach and exceed all of the above....
things i WANT to do this year:
*PR in a marathon
*run as many local road races as possible
*get my kids involved in road races as well
*never settle for mediocrity
*reach and exceed all of the above.....

the only things i didn't do was PR in a 1/2 and full marathon,and i didn't break 20minutes for a 5k. everything else,i reached and in a few,i exceeded my own expectations!

lessons learned this year:
its possible to train for a triathlon and figure event. however,in the end,something has to give-and in this situation it was triathlon training. sure i did the work,but if not training for figure,I'm sure my results of the tri would have better.

its possible to train for speed for 5ks and a figure event.while i didn't PR in 5ks this year,i did shave over 4 minutes off my 5k times from the first race i ran after having M (7 weeks) and to the last 5k i ran this year.
HIIT,400 repeats and hill repeats(3x per week) did the trick.

its possible to train for a figure event while pregnant. totally not advisable,(obviously not after the 2nd trimester!!)but it can be done!!!

however,ALL the training,all the prep,all the hard work put in for a figure event did not prepare me for an unexpected and heartbreaking placing.
the biggest lesson i have learned in regards to Figure comps this year is that
i learned that its just as important to be humble in the face of a heartbreaking loss,as is a stunning victory.

i learned that although i am a Pro,i am still a rookie.......
and its a long way to the top.sometimes,when you are thrown at the very bottom of a deep well,you are merely being forced to travel in the only direction left to go,which is straight back UP,right to the top.

i learned that just when i think my body can physically do no more,just when i think i cant lift heavier,cant run further or faster....

it can,
and it does,
even when every fiber in my being tells me it cant.
i learned that i have true grit and am unbreakable!

life lessons i learned this year?
Being a mom is the hardest "job" in the world,yet the most rewarding,challenging and fun thing God could ever ask me to do.
life is 10%  what happens to you and 90% about how you react to it.
Home is where the heart is. Home is your family,whether blood relatives or not.
Family is family,whether you always like them or not.
Life is fleeting,so make the most of it.
Time is irreversible,spend it wisely.
Life is what you make it,so make it awesome!


"Life is too short to wake up with regrets. So love the people who treat you right. Love the ones who don't just because you can. Believe everything happens for a reason. If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands. If it changes your life, let it. Kiss slowly. Forgive quickly. God never said life would be easy. He just promised it would be worth it...."


so whats in store for my 2012??
i have to think about that one.
that's a whole new post!
 
So what are YOUR 2012 resolutions or goals?
 
hope all have a very happy and safe new years eve!!!
here's to nothing but great things for the upcoming year!!!

2011 part 2 july-december

OK here's the other half of 2011!

July-my husbands birthday,our 9th wedding anniversary,5ks in full swing,2 very exciting moments i will remember forever 1) lil M took her first steps!!! and 2) one of the best days of my life happened. my son ran his very first ever 5k! and the whole family raced that day.what could be better than finally living a day i have been dreaming of for almost 8 years? nothing really,but winning overall female and a $100 gift certificate to the local running store was just more icing on the cake! this was also the first overall win i had made not only
in a new state,but first overall win after having M.

august-a very busy month!! my little baby's first birthday!!! fall sports for the kids started-3 sports and one busy mommy!!full prep mode for the world cup!which proved to be the hardest prep ever to date!! family trip to Busch Gardens. first time kids went to an amusement park. they only rode 1 big kid ride and 2 little kid rides. $300 down the drain! highlight was M meeting the love of her life,Elmo! she ran up and hugged him and loved on him!!school started up for B and A. second grade for B at a new school was hard on him,he missed his old school and all his friends. he learned that re-zoning without moving stinks! on the other hand,A started kindergarten,a big step for her and she has loved every minute so far!!


September- went by lightning fast. sports activities almost every night and games every weekend. didn't give me much time to sit down and breath. training was super intense,still raced a few 5k's and continued to make top 3 and win $$!yet my body was feeling effects of being over trained over the past 9 months.

October-another busy crazy month!!! sports ending for the kids,my big boy's 8th birthday! the big World cup! the end of the hardest prep ever.a heartbreaking placing,life lessons learned,the very very unexpected news about finding out i was pregnant again so soon after the 3rd baby (4 weeks before the show,the day i turned in my entry fee actually!) a great Halloween with all the kiddos,and of course feeling all day sickness for the entire month.


November-thanksgiving road trip to TN,telling family on both sides the big news they already suspected....and still feeling sick. dealt with respiratory issues with A which left me out of the gym,and then we travel for 2 weeks,which also made gym time scarce.


December-busy month gearing up for holidays,getting through another bout of pneumonia with A,Christmas fun with family(without travel and no hitting deers!!),and not running the half marathon i had planned on account of still feeling like dog poo with intermittent all day sickness.
gearing up for 2012!!

so that was the year in summery!did i reach the goals i had made?
what did i learn from all of the adventures?
will save for another post
what did YOU accomplish,big or small the last half of 2011???
what was the single best thing that happened for you in 2011?

2011 recap part 1-january-june

last day of the year???
2011 has flown by!!
going to break this up to save on a really long post.
lots has gone on in Melissa's world this year! writing this more for myself than anything,i guess. something written so i can see what all this year has brought. but feel free to read on!
a brief summery of January-June

January- wanted to kick off the new year on the right foot and started to get myself in prep mode.signed up for my first ever triathlon. my big girls adventure in preschool in a new state started (5 month waiting list)

February-a challenging month.my big girls 5th birthday!! first big birthday party for her where she got to invite lots of new friends from school.dealt with lil M's first bout of being hospitalized with pneumonia in conjunction with the death of my husbands grandfather,spent valentines alone with a sick baby,and by months end added triathlon training in the mix of prep (after 2 weeks off to take care of M.)

March- a good month in regards to the kids health,ran the first 5k of the year,made top 3 and won $20! first ever cash prize for running!went to my very first posing clinic,started to find my inner cheetah/athlete again,and the kids started spring sports. training started to get super intense.

April- WOW! now this was a crazy month!!!! prepping through Easter,prepping through triathlon training,shoulder injury, completing a huge goal i set for myself by surviving my first ever triathlon without drowning! a day i Will NEVER forget! and then after the tri it was crazy mode training for first show of the year.peak week traditions included the baby fracturing her femur and being in a full leg cast,then having respiratory issues the night before my "come back" show..
i did however,accomplish another big goal-to get back on stage only 8 months after giving birth.... then winning overall and a 3rd Pro card in Figure! not expected,but a much needed boost to carry me to the first Pro show of the year.

May-another crazy month! trained like a mad woman for my first pro show of the year,2 weeks after a triathlon i barely made top half to qualify for the World Cup.peak week theme included hubs getting violently ill the day of the show.turned out to be food poisoning..also trained and ran through an IT/hip injury,and still ran a 1/2 marathon a week after the show. i loved running that race even though i didn't race at all! towards the end of the month,my adventure in 5k's started! also thought it would be a good idea to try an NPC show.

June-my birthday!! no cake due to being in prep mode,(or so i thought) but still had a good time with family.on the last day of the month i did something i have never done. i backed out of a show,the NPC show i had planned for in August. as it turns out,this was a very good decision.

so there is the first half of 2011!
major things accomplished:
competed in triathlon
won 3rd pro card 8 months after a baby
finished a 1/2 marathon (didn't PR though,heck,didn't even "race" but it was still good fun run!)
did all of the above within a 4 week time frame (albeit training had been 12 weeks)


July-October get busy so will save for part 2.
so what things did YOU accomplish Jan-June of 2011??
was is what you planned or expected?
tell me about it!

"you'll shoot your eye out,kid"

Christmas recap/highlights in pictures:



yes,this is a real Red Ryder BB gun.....

 Thankfully he hasn't shot his eye out!
Squirrels,birds,tin cans----watch out!!!!

and this princess got Taylor Swift everything...

this little tired princess got a Scout pal

  the commotion of it all made her even more tired,so after a nap....

more presents-her first ever baby running stroller for her dolls

and then later big brother taught her how to play Wii bowling

watch close...

was it a strike? how many pins down?

 yes,it was a touchdown!!! (er,strike!)

and then after Wii,it was dress up time for the lil princess

wish i had a video of the kids on the trampoline Santa brought them. lil M thought it was a track and literally ran circles all over the place!

all in all Christmas was a fun day for us all.
now we are gearing up for a brand new year hopefully full of just as many adventures and fun!!

more on 2011 in next post (will do a highlight recap in sections,inspired by EMZ,a very amazing superwoman--check out her blog asap!)
as well as goals and belly pics!
over 4 months along now! still not feeling well,and since i dont look pregnant yet,i just look like I've gained a lot of weight! gah! bleh! thats one of the hardest parts to get past through out pregnancy (...aside from all the other body changes of course,and lets not mention L&D and what happens during and after.....but its SO worth it all!!!)

,feeling preggo but not looking it and to others who dont know,well i just look like the typical college gal with a beer gut,or to those who see me in the gym and dont know..well im sure it looks like i went way way over board after the show and just ate myself into looking like how i look,LOL!

happy Thursday yall!

Merry Christmas!!!

Just a quick note to wish every one here in blogland a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!!!
although we aren't traveling out of state this year (thank goodness! last year packed enough stress to last a while!) things will be busy as we get ready for the new year and everything in between!

in the midst of the hustle and bustle this time of year brings,please be sure to take more than a moment to remember the true meaning of Christmas this year.
I know its hard to not get caught up in the middle off the craziness,but try to spend more time with family,friends and loved ones,
get back to old traditions,or even start some of your very own.
Christmas is what we make of it.there is still time to embrace the spirit and meaning of it all!!

Happy Holidays yall!

2012 plans to be posted soon,as with more belly pics...
this pregnancy is going by really fast so far,perhaps due to keeping up with the 8 year old who has suddenly forgotten what "inside voice" means and thinks its not cool to take a bath anymore,the sassafras 5 and 3/4yr old(,NOT just 5,mom!) who loves to inform me that she KNOWS Santa is watching and i don't have to remind her 100,432,072 times to be good. (if she knows this then why does she still fight with her brother and not clean her room the first time i ask?)
of yeah and the cutest little almost 17 month old who just learned to climb OVER the safety gates in the house..the stairs are no longer off limits in her world (or so she thinks)
she also has a very curiuos mind which translates into mommy having to grow an extra pair of eyes in the back of my head. out of the 3 kids so far,she is the most active one,the daredevil,the escape artist...but golly miss molly, she is so stinkin cute and goofy, and the most fun loving cuddle baby!!! cant help but love all of my babies for who they are!
looking forward to this weekend!!!

Merry Christmas!!

nothing new

nothing new or wildly fascinating to discuss.
my blogging has been slacking,i know!
my only reason?
 last week was a long week.
my daughter is still sick.
yesterday was a long day.
to sum it up quickly:
dr visit,puking up meds...twice(in the dr office-first time fast acting nurses had a bucket-second time,not so lucky-gah!!!),shot of antibiotics in the leg,lots of screaming,chest xray @ hospital,in the process was a mixup between inpatient and outpatient. we were supposed to be outpatient-it was a big mess but husband made sure to get that fixed today.then there was a shortage of supply for daughters much needed prescription meds...and to top it all off,when i picked up dinner,my grilled chicken was fried chicken.
given the past 4 hours i had spent dealing with the above mentioned,i pulled the skin off and had my chicken anyways...yeah it was one of those days!
 the diagnosis for my middle baby?
severe bronchitis.
thank goodness it hasn't progress to pneumonia yet!
follow up with dr tomorrow
so far she seems like she is on the mend..
poor girl has had it rough and has missed a full week of school. she is home today,and maybe,just maybe she will be feeling well enough to go to her class party tomorrow? that's the last day of school before the break,so we will see how she feels.

so that's how it went down last week.
taking care of a sick child,trying to keep the rest of the family healthy, running on little sleep,trying to keep the baby out of the Christmas tree and trying to teach her what is appropriate to throw away in the trash can.
mommy's shoes,her sisters baby dolls,her brothers legos and daddy's socks are NOT on the list!!!!

in other news-
i haven't made it to the gym or for another naptime workout.
i am one tired mamma right now to say the least.
one day soon i will be back to being the fitness super mom,but making sure my middle baby is healthy comes first!

hang with me yall, i will be back at it soon enough..
the adventures of Melissa's fit pregnancy will resume eventually!
in the meantime i will be trying to avoid giving in to the latest cravings of cupcakes (the good kind,like wedding/baby shower cake kind with uber gobs of sweet icing) Chinese food and mayonnaise...
not all together of course!!
but man..... I'm sure i would look something like this after a trip to a Chinese restaurant and dessert at the bakery!

happy Monday yall!

nap time workout

so my middle baby has been sick all week and i haven't been in the gym in 5 days.
to keep me from going crazy i was able to sneak in a 30 min TM session and a shoulder/triceps workout in the living room during nap time and after Alex's breathing treatments and such....

didn't get that much in,but still...something is better than nothing,right????
here's hoping next week i can finally start resuming a regular workout and nutrition plan!!!!!

curse these ramen noodle cravings!!!!

lol!
happy Thursday yall!!!

14wks along-belly pics and rambles

so I'm a few days late posting a belly picture,but here it is...

14wks along,and am officially in the 2nd trimester!!!

and i so dont look how did at 17wks preggo with M

http://melissacunninghamifpapro.blogspot.com/2010/03/belly-picsdo-you-see-twins.html

ahhh well. im trying not to focus on that.trying is the operative word.

now that im feeling slightly better i am hoping to be more consistent in the gym. i did get manage to be in there 3x last week,and was able to run,which felt great! and now today my middle baby is sick so i have to take today and tomorrow off...hoping i can get in 5 days this week and get my miles back up to at least 40+, i really want to aim for 50+,60-70 sounds better,maybe i can get those miles in if maybe 20 or so are from elliptical?

we will see how i feel. one of my goals,aside from a healthy baby and pregnancy,is to stay active and be in the gym at least5x a week if not more.and be active all the way up until d-day.

i don't want to gain a million pounds and will try to keep the gain between 20-25,although it feels i have gained at least half of that already!!! lol!!!

in other other news...

i MISSED a 5k race yesterday. i had my alarm set,and when it went off,i shut the alarm off instead of hitting snooze. i was disappointed i didn't race for a few reasons...

i ran this race last year,except i did the 1/2marathon (yeah 16wks post baby!) instead of the 5k

i really wanted to run!

i wanted top race at least a few races early in this pregnancy,and still do well and win,just how i did last time

and when i looked at the the results from this race,i totally kicked myself in the arse because i so could have made top 3 female,if not overall...

ahh well. next race is on January 1rst.

lets see if i can make an AG award or better!!

anyways,in other news...

life is rolling along pretty fast these days,with Christmas around the corner and chasing after a VERY active 16month old on top of a feisty 5 yr old and a sometimes rambunctious 8yr old...
yeah its always interesting in this house!
we wont talk about how housework seems to never end.
why cant i ever get caught up on laundry???
lol!

so thats about sums things up. i get in the gym when i am feeling good,and hopefully this afternoon/evening sickness fades completely instead of being hit or miss.
i still have heartburn all the time.
still having crazy (for me) cravings,
still planning on being a (big bellied) running fool
and i am really trying to enjoy every last bit of this pregnancy,even the not so fun parts.
this is my last baby,and i know i will miss being pregnant eventually.
OH i almost forgot!!! (yeah major pregnancy brain here)
Terry felt the baby kick last night!!! i have been feeling him for the past few week but last night daddy was able to feel that little kick!

anyways,dinner time here-will leave yall with some pics over thanksgiving!

the holidays arent the holidays unless granny shoots her gun!

 M's first xmas present! (we celebrated xmas and thanksgiving at my MIL)

 happy M!

 out in the country,letting the kids run in the fresh air. lots of acres for the kids to play here!!!!

view on the front porch.
i sure do miss TN!!

happy Monday yall!!!
will try to get to get back to fitness blogging again asap!!!!

ahhhhhh,back at the gym today!

as much as i procrastinated this afternoon about going,i finally just told myself i HAD to get in the gym today. no excuses today aside from rainy weather and a slightly queasy belly.
grabbed a quick snack and wrestled lil M into the car seat and
so glad i got back in the gym!
got in a leg workout and 5 miles on the elliptical.
i am planning on running again this week. 3 weeks without being on a TM.......yeah just doesn't feel normal!

have check up tomorrow.
i am moving into the 2nd trimester this weekend!
so far things are going along OK.
still feel sick at night,and lots of heartburn,i am having crazy cravings,and just generally feel tired.
hoping the 2nd trimester brings more energy and less raw-nee-nee-naw feelings!!

BUT,my main goal here is to have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby.
as long as this little peanut stays healthy,i could care less how i feel!!!

here's hoping to a good day tomorrow and a great workout week!
belly pics this weekend!!

my big fat secret...

hey yall! im back from thanksgiving travel!!! it was a good time in TN,the kids had a blast with thier cousins,we got to see family on both sides,we had AWESOME food (thanks dad!!!!),we didnt want to come back,
but,you gotta do what you gotta do-school and work continues here....
 and of course workouts and such! i have been out of the gym for almost 2 weeks!!!!!
eeeeek!
being out in the middle of nowhereville has its setbacks! (but also tons of perks!will share some pics next post)
i am looking forward to getting back on track and get the kids back on thier schedule and get things going again!
i can not wait to workout today!!!

SOOOOOO
about his secret...
i have been dying to share this a lot sooner. it totally explains why my contest prep was the HARDEST thing to get through! it explains my reason for doing a marathon and taking a year off from competing. it explains why my 2012 plans have to change drastically,it explains why I'm adding a lot more craziness in my life.

some of you may have guessed it,my family sure did,even after i denied it and hid it for about 7 weeks,lol!
so the big fat secret?
the big unexpected event in my life i was NOT expecting?
yup.....
BABY #4 is on the way!!!!!!!!!!!!

and yes,this means i was pregnant on show day. a very sick, pregnant lady was gracing the stage at the World Cup! i was 8 weeks along then,and i am 12 weeks along now.
i found out about this little miracle the same day i turned in my entry fee.
4 weeks before the show.

 i was torn about what to do,BUT in the end,i decided that i had worked too hard for this to just stop so close to the biggest show of my life.the worst that could happen is that i would come in the show looking softer than normal,which i did...i just wasn't planning on feeling so sick and my tan being jacked,lol!


while i don't recommend anyone to ever compete while pregnant,
its possible,and
i am proud of myself for making it through this prep,for modifying things i needed to-although to be honest i didn't modify much. i did have to slow down with sprinting,and i did modify nutrition. i cut carbs sooner in order to combat my body's natural need to hold on to fat while pregnant.
At 4 wks out,i still had an inch to loose in my waist,and 1/2 inch to go in my hips.
trying to loose when your body is programmed to GAIN? ugh!!!!! very hard to do!

the positive is that since i was only 8 weeks along on show day,my body was still in the early stages of pregnancy,so even though it was hard to lose,it was still possible and safe to do so.
(but trust me,if i was further along,i would have chosen not to compete)
i talked about this with my Dr,and since she knows i am not like the average person,she gave me the green light to go for it. My body is conditioned and used to the vigorous regime of exercise,so she assured me no harm was being done to the baby.
The baby is like a parasite,and what it doesn't get from outside sources,he will take from the mommy-
which means i felt like dog poo!!!!!
and boy did I!
waking up to do cardio when feeling nauseated and exhausted,making myself eat chicken which made me literally gag and dry heave.
trying to drink water,which made me feel even sicker..
making myself get through a workout when i barely had the energy,attempting to sprint like a mad woman on my speed days,even when i felt like i was going to puke,
telling myself the entire time that i really must be crazy for doing this....

yeah the list could go on,but ill spare the details...
all in all, all though I'm glad i followed through with my plans to compete,i have never been more relieved to have a prep over in my life!!!
i feel i can finally sit back now and enjoy the pregnancy!

so,there it is,the big secret is finally out!
whoooo!
and no worries,I've been making plans for 2012 and 2013.
my main focus after the baby gets here (June!) is to run,to build my base and then in late October or early November of 2012 run my first full marathon. I've done plenty of half marathons before and my training runs have been comparable to Marathon training,but i have never committed myself for a full 26.2!!

I'm excited about it. the good news is that i can still run while pregnant and even though i cant run fast,i can still build my mileage.

i am planning on several 5ks throughout 2012 as well,
perhaps a possible triathlon or 2,there are a few local sprint triathlons in November.
and then 2013 will be my year to get back on the stage.
i do plan to change organizations. I will be trying to climb ranks through NGA and WNBF.
the IFPA World Cup has changed locations to AZ next year,and even if did qualify for it,i wouldn't be able to make the travel.
and for me to qualify i would have to compete about 8-12 weeks after the baby is born.
to be honest,i want to give myself a full year to get ready to be on stage again. i don't want to settle for top 5. next time i am on stage i want to WIN. next time i am on stage,it will be for my personal redemption,it will to be take home the gold,and it will be to prove to myself that i can do this at the pro level,and do it well.
i want to make my comeback show nothing less than awesome!
sure,in the grand scheme of things placement does not matter,this is such a subjective sport that placings are no big deal....its the journey that matters,
BUT a win at the pro level would sure help validate things even more!

while I'm patiently waiting for summer to arrive so i can meet the new addition to the family,you can bet i will still be in the gym,still running,still lifting,and of course i will use this blog as a pregnancy journal. i will give monthly belly pictures like i did last time and plan on listing workouts and such.

one thing i have learned through my last pregnancy is that pregnancy is NOT an illness. you can still workout and do everything you did before,but with modifications after the second trimester.
(which reminds me,next week i will hit the 2nd trimester!! really???)
and you can still get your body back after having children....I'm living proof!
looking back at pictures i still cant believe i looked like that so soon after having a baby...
but its totally possible!!!
 guess i learned a lot this year about what is possible,but I've rambled on long enough so will save that for a different post.
the big question I'm getting now (aside from how many more kids are you having?and btw i am done at 4,this is my last baby!!)
is this:

 am I going to add size/mass for my next show??

at this point i am undecided.
so yall just have to follow me along and find out what i finally decide!
 anyways,hope yall have a great rest of the week-i need to catch up blogger and see what everyone was up to over the holidays!

Happy Thursday!