Pics

I borrowed my mom's camera and finally was able to upload some pics. I've still got a lot of work to go, I know and these aren't traditional progress pics, just pics that were taken of me. I notice I'm still very critical of myself in photos and I'm almost always behind the camera. . . making it a little challenging to get a pic of me! ha ha

Mariyn took this picture of me yesterday at Cherry Lake. Self portrait earlier in the month. Total boob shot, I know wasn't intended but I really do like the way my top half is shaping up, notice you can see my muscle tone and bones. I'm hoping to get a full body swim suit pic up as a better progress picture soon!

First Big Ride

I hopped on my bike this morning and set out on my first biking adventure, a ride to my sister's house and back. She lives about 10 miles away in a different city. A nice distance, fairly flat ride with a few rolling hills along the river. I was pretty sure I could ride the 10 miles because I do spin 1-2 times a week. Then I figured I would evaluate how I felt and either ride home or at worse have someone take me home.

Rich and I got in an argument this morning, to be honest we've been fighting a lot lately. I'm not going to go into our personal business here but I will say, I left the house very angry. I straped on my helmet, grabbed a bottle of water and left. I forgot my sunglasses at home, not a smart thing to do when your planning on riding any sort of distance.

It's a beautiful day, perfect for a bike ride. Sunny and warm, but not too warm and a little breezy. To get to my sister's I had to ride a long highway 108 for about 4 miles. While most of the route is flat, the distance along the highway has some rolling hills as it's next to the river. There is very little shoulder on the road and at one point no shoulder on the way to my sisters. A little intimidating for my first time out. I made it to my sister's house in a little more than 45 minutes. She and the kids were outside and seemed very surprised that I made the ride. Relaxed a little, got a drink of water (I lost my water bottle on the dangerous part of the highway and didn't think it was worth getting in the road to retrieve it) and ate a protein bar. Then I rode back home. I had enough energy that I knew I could easily make the ride back, I was tired but not as bad as I thought I would be.

The route was nice. It made me appreciate the beauty of where I live and to be honest, I've never thought this area was that beautiful before. But today it was gorgeous. I wish I had a camera to take pictures. On the ride I seen several cyclists, mostly going the opposite direction. But on the way back two were going the same direction as me and even talked to me a bit and gave me pointers. So cool. He said I got a really good deal on my bike and that my gear seemed perfect for my skill level. That was reassuring. Things that I can improve upon is my riding technique, looking out a greater distance as I ride (will get better in time I'm sure and with glasses) , I'd like a new seat or some sort of padding (my bum hurts), biking clothes including shoes (in time) and a water bottle that fits better. Today I just lost a bottled water, I don't have an actual water bottle for my bike, but I'd like to get one.

I asked the other cyclist about my helmet, I just bought one off the shelf from Target. I don't know if there really is a difference between that and one at a bike store, or if there were features I should have looked for. He said, not to worry about it so much as long as if was comfortable and had good air flow, which it does. Specialty helmets come lighter but he said that isn't always a good thing for a new-bie who might fall down a lot. Good to know!

Anyways, I'm back home feeling very accomplished and I can't wait for my next big ride :)

great day

We had a great day. I babysat my niece and nephew today. I admit, I was super sleepy this morning so I didn't get up and run. My niece and nephew got here at 7 am and Rich had several calls in the middle of the night, didn't make for the best sleep. So, I'm going to begin my morning mile on Monday.

We went to the gym this morning around 9:30, I worked out for about an hour. Ran about 2 miles on the treadmill then did weights. I'm feeling pretty burnt out with my gym routine. I enjoy going to the gym, I see the benefits and feel them too but I'm getting a little bored and my body feels tired day after day like I need some time off. I don't want to delay my weight loss anymore though.

After the gym the kids had lunch. Then I took them on a bike ride to the park. We went to a different park today, still around the corner but not our usual because I didn't want the kids to have to ride down the hill. I pulled Amelia and Victoria in the bike trailer. They loved it; while Ryan and Mariyn rode their bikes. Ryan is just learning to ride, so it took us a long time to get to the park. After we came back, the kids took their nap and then I let them ride their bikes out front until my sister picked up her kids.

Mariyn wanted to go on a bigger bike ride, so she, Amelia and I took off again. Mariyn rode down the hill today and didn't fall. She felt so accomplished. As we rode past the neighborhood park, she seen a few of her friends there so we stopped and played. A few of their parents commented on how much weight I've lost. It's a great feeling to be able to be active with the kids. Riding our bikes back up the hill was a challenge, especially with the trailer. Mariyn still can't make it and I was breathless at the top. So glad I can do it though and I'm thankful that I can utilize this small but steep hill to train with. Tomorrow, I plan on riding to my sister's house, about 10 miles away in a different city. I figure I can rest there and ride home. If not, someone can give me a ride. It's a far ride but close enough that I think it will be a good first distance ride. After that, I will build on what I can do.

The night is ending now and Amelia seems to have a stomach virus. Rich was sick on Monday. I really hope she is feeling better tomorrow. Poor girl, I hate to see her sick.

Summer

Summer officially starts today in this household! So excited for all it has in store. Mariyn had a half day today. My plan was to get her and then go directly to the gym for an hour workout. Well, that was until I couldn't find my keys! I spent a long while looking for them and ended up being a bit late to get Mariyn and even later to get to the gym. I still got to workout but not as long as I would have liked. Clare and I did about 40 - 45 minutes of weights.

I bought a bike trailer for Amelia from craigslist today. I'm hoping to get it all hooked up tomorrow and try it out. I'm sure Amelia is going to LOVE it and it will give me a great workout pulling her along. The lady I bought it from was very over weight. I felt the urge to share my story with her. I feel so bad seeing people that over weight because I know exactly how helpless they feel.

I went to the grocery store tonight and bought stuff for dinner -- Stir Frye. Yumm yumm... Of course, I had to walk through the bakery. My biggest weakness. I made it through with out buying anything. Well, until they had a display of two bite brownies in the middle of the store! AHhh... my weakness. I bought them and of course, ate a few too many. They're all gone now but I shard them with the family. After I ate more than my fair share! Opps! :-X Guess I should do better tomorrow!

Running Goals

Yesterday, I ran at the gym with Clare and worked on abs. Unless I'm having a bad knee day (old injury), I can easily run for the entire 30 mintues! Amazing for me, I know. I want to increase my running speed and distance. My plan to do this is seems easy. Mariyn's last day of school is today so now that I don't have to worry and rush to get the girls ready every morning, I am going to still get up in the morning and run 1 mile while Richard is home and getting ready for work. I can work on my speed at this time, plus getting active first thing (before breakfast) will help burn fat. The longest I can spend running is 10 minutes (which should be plenty of time to do a mile) because Richard is often on call and can have to leave at any time. Wednesdays are my running days with Clare currently we run for 30 mintues. We have an about an hour we can workout together because of the time daycare closes, so I am going to gradually increase our running time and gain endurance. Since I can run for 30 minutes already, next week I am going to shoot for 35 minutes. This fall, I am going to look for a longer running event, 10K or half marathon. I see a cute slogan today that said, "If you can run a mile, you can run a marathon." I'm not so sure but I think I would like to try - someday :)

Being Active

Since I've started getting in shape, I've really enjoyed life so much more. I love being active. Don't get me wrong, I really do not love working out but I love the way working out makes me feel. The tougher the workout, the more likely I'm going to love it. It's a hate me now, love me later sort of thing!

Now that I can be active because I am physically fit, still over weight but capable of you know umm. . . - running, I keep finding different activities I would have never dreamt of doing before that I want to do now. It's hard to decided what to do because there are SO many possibilities and SO many things that sound fun. Of course, the problem is time and money! Errr...

I just found this other great triathlon event, See Jane Run Triathlon. It's a lot closer to home than Tahoe. About an hour away, maybe hour and a half in traffic. Elevation wouldn't be an issue. It's the week after the Tahoe Tri though. I really want to do the Tahoe tri, it's my birthday weekend and it's the inaugural event and it just seems really cool. The See Jane Triathlon is going on my to do list. Right now, it's a back up plan if I can't afford Tahoe.

I've also found two duathlon that sound fun and interesting and the bonus, one is local!
The first event is in August in Cresent City. It kid friendly and host both a triathlon and duathlon for adults. I think I would choose the duathlon because I want my first tri to be the Tahoe one and I think it would be good preparation. The other duathlon event in in November in Knights Ferry. It would be an ideal event to stay in shape, more than 1 year after I decided to change my life last October 5th.

So much fun and exciting possibilities. I think I need a calendar just to keep track of all the events I want to do. :D

Next Adventures

I went ahead and registered for my next adventure. The Nike Women's Fitness Festival. I'm excited. I know this is going to have a big race feel. Plus the details of the event look great! My only dilemma is it's on a weekend Rich is on call. It's early in the morning and nearly an hour and half away. I'm probably not going to have any family there supporting me, which is fine, I guess and I'm going to have to secure a sitter. I'm thinking this is my "trial" type of 5K. Obviously, I know I can do a 5K now, where do I go from here? Should I try a longer distance like a 10 k? Am I capable of that? Should I start other type of events? Training for my triathlon?

My goal is to be able to do 1 event per month. Triathlon is in Sept so really, I need a July and August event. So I got on active.com and started looking. I've looked up swimming events but really none of them spoke to me. I'm still on hunt for a good swimming event. . Now that I've got a bike, I can look up biking events. I Not even a possibility before. I found a great looking fun event in Cambria, 4 hours away from home a coastal family friendly event. I WANT to do it! The California coast is breathtaking! It's put on by the YMCA in the area and looks promising enough to be a little competitive to feel the race like experience but family friendly enough that I won't feel out of place. Oh you want a link of the event... of course! Here it is :)

Father's day is coming up and Rich loves to camp but we don't have a tent big enough for the family. We have most of the other camping supplies so Mariyn and I have decided to get daddy a tent for father's day. He is working father's day weekend so we won't be able to camp then but Rich and I have talked about going camping on the central california coast before. So I think this is going to be the perfect opportunity to register for the event and camp with the family! I haven't registered for the event yet, I need to wait I get another check but I did book reservations to camp there that weekend! Shhh! Don't tell Rich. It's going to be a surprise. I think I will be getting the tent soon, and print out an itinerary of reservations for this summer's camping trips. I want to pick places Rich would like to go too... I always prefer the coast but his preferences are sometimes different. I'm excited!

Milestone

I got a great workout today in body pump and cycle. Woke up early made it to the gym by 8 am. Even though I've been doing this routine for months, getting up and getting out of the house is still a challenge for me. Every Tuesday morning I try to convince myself I don't need to get up and it's ok if I don't make it to body pump. But as soon as I start with the excuses, I know it's time to get up and out of bed. I'm so glad I did today.

Weigh in today was a milestone! 2 pound loss this week not a huge loss but a loss again! So what's the milestone you ask? I'm no longer a two hundred pounder! Today I weighed in at One hundred ninty-nine pounds! Yep ONE HUNDRED you see that! LOL

I am really starting to see my bone structure, muscle tone. It's been a long time since I was under 200 lbs. I got down to 180 lbs in 2005 because I was sick (gallstones) not because I was dieting and exercising. I lost the weight really quickly and gained it back really quickly too. Really, that is the smallest I've been since I've had children. Want to know what? I still have some of the clothes I wore then and I was trying them on the other day and they FIT! Snug I must admit but they did fit! A couple more weeks and I'll be able to wear them in public! I've noticed my gym clothes are getting big on me again -- yeah the size medium ones that I blogged about a while back are starting to sag and I'm in dire need of new tank tops and new bras. You can actually place your entire hand in the cup of my bra. The same cup that runnith over with boobage just a few months ago.

One of the biggest changes I've noticed late is I have a lot more noticeable bone structure. My bones are petitie, not medium not large. I am definitely not a big boned girl. On the other hand, my muscle mass is very large. Which creates beautiful curves. I've had so many women come up and compliment me on my curves and shape from behind. Yeah the front still needs some work. I've got to bust the rest of this gut and my thighs.

Officially, I've lost 59 lbs. 41 lbs more to go to hit my goal of losing 100 lbs. Then I plan on re-evaluating my shape, my fitness level and possible goal.

Riding Riding Riding

Mariyn really wanted to ride her bike to school today, so I got up a little bit earlier than normal. We rode our bikes together to school for the first time and when we got there Mariyn's face was full of joy. You could really tell she was proud as a peacock and all her friends noticed she rode her bike. Mariyn showed me where the bike rack was and I helped lock her bike up.

I noticed that the bike rack was small and virtually empty. Her school probably has 600 kids and maybe 10 rode their bike today. I recall the bike rack in elementary school ALWAYS being full. Mariyn was probably the youngest kid to have ridden their bike today. Most of the bikes were boy bikes and two other girls road today. To be honest, it is probably just as fast for us to ride to school as it is to drive and fight the traffic that backs up in front of the school.

This afternoon, Amelia rode her trike to pick up Mariyn. She did so good. We live close to the school but not THAT close. It's about a half mile each way. Amelia made it to the school without any major problems. She got a little tired just before we got there but was easily motivated again at the sight of the school. She and I parked our bikes in the front then walked to the bike rack. I know Mariyn doesn't know how to unlock her bike. She still needs practice. So we got her bike and met her in front of her classroom. You could see how happy she was to ride her bike home. On the other hand, Amelia was worn out and easily distracted. Getting her to ride her trike home was a challenge! I think I walked my bike more than I rode it on the way back but Amelia's learning. She is determined she isn't going to be left behind! I'm sure she will be able to keep up in no time. We still have the bike Mariyn learned on. Rich needs to put the training wheels back on it but I'm sure Amelia is going to love it and will be riding around in no time.

After we got Amelia home, Mariyn and I rode to Subway. Rich is home sick today, stomach virus kept him up all night last night and he really wanted Subway today. It's not exactly what I would have thought of for lunch but he's spoiled and can NEVER find anything at home to eat. Whatever - he's lucky he's sick. Mariyn enjoyed the extra bike time and I think she is learning her way around a bit more. She didn't fall down at all today.

Since Rich was home tonight, I decided to leave the kids with him and ride my bike to the gym for Cardio Kickboxing. It's all the way across town, but our town is small and I rarely get the opportunity to go to the gym alone, why not take advantage of it and ride my bike. The ride to the gym wasn't bad but the ride home was killer. I got a great workout, both at the gym and on my bike and my legs are extremely tired but in a good way.

Don't worry, I'm sure the new-ness of bike riding will eventually wear off and not be so blog worthy. But man, I'm really glad I got a bike. Riding has been so much fun, I wish I would have tried this long ago!

Morning trip to the school and back = 1 mile

Afternoon trip to the school and back = 1 mile

Trip to Subway and back = 1 mile

Gym and back =3.5 miles

My heart is so FULL. . . .

As soon as we were up and out of bed, Mariyn asked me to take her on a bike ride. Let me remind you, she fell yesterday at least 4 -5 times skinned her knee but got back up. She is so excited about being able to ride around the neighborhood on her bike. She said she felt like a scientist observing and exploring everything around us as she rides. Soon after breakfast, I got both girls dressed.

Amelia was bound and determined she wasn't going to be left behind and wanted to go on a bike ride too. Not to leave Amelia out, we took a quick trip around the block. It was the longest trip I thought Amelia could make and I knew if she couldn't it would be the shortest walk back. All I was worried about was her giving up, and me walking my bike, Amelia and her trike back to the house. You know what though, she made it all around the block. I didn't realize the street behind us didn't have a side walk, so she ended up riding her trike in the street a lot and the street was full of pot holes! It was no easy task. I pretty much had to walk my bike and push her out of a pot hole every few feet. Next time, we will pick a different route. But she made it and has greatly improved on her riding abilities. She has had her trike for about a year but just recently started to actually RIDE it. Before, she would just push with her feet. Since she can actually petal now, I've asked Rich to find Mariyn's old training wheels so we can put that bike back together for Amelia.

On our way back around our block, I noticed a yard sale sign. I'm still on hunt for a trailer to pull Amelia so I decided to go. Mariyn and I rode down there to check it out. We ended up spending $11. I bought my sister a few things for her baby boy due in July. She got a bouncer that matches the theme she was using, used but in REALLY good shape, a brand new fitted sheet same theme (can you ever have too many sheets? No, I didn't think so), and 2 brand new baby boy outfits. I was so excited to give them to her and I know she was appreciative. I probably looked pretty funny riding my bike carrying a baby bouncer. HaHa Oh well ;-)

Mariyn earned a free ticket to the Modesto Nuts Baseball game today as a reading reward from school. I've been wanting to take her to a real game for some time. The girls and I had a blast. Rich is on call this weekend, so he couldn't come along. He really missed out!

Of course, as soon as we got home Mariyn was asking to go on a bike ride again. She is so proud that she can ride. It's cute; plus I know she is holding me accountable to get use out of my bike. We rode a similar path to yesterday but I changed it up a bit so we won't get too bored. Today she only fell once. We were coming down the hill she fell twice yesterday. She made it all the way to the bottom made the turn AND turned to me and said mom I did it! Looking behind her, she turned her handle bars and ran RIGHT into a curb and fell. :-/ She skinned her knee up good. Crying she couldn't go on anymore, I helped her up and reminded her at this point she has only 2 options: get up and ride home or walk because there isn't much I can do about a fall. She wiped away the tears and got back on her bike. We made it the rest of the way home without incident AND she's asked to ride her bike to school. She is so proud of her new skill and I am so proud of her! I'm so glad I got this bike and can take her ridding now. I actually feel bad that I didn't do this sooner. :-/

Rich has an old cruiser style bike at his shop. We're going to get it down see what it needs and hopefully get it on the road so he can ride along too. I really love that my family is able to be active and healthy. I love that my children are going to grow up loving exercise and just being fit. Simple things, like ridding a bike, running and playing sports. are a normal part of their lives that they enjoy! My heart is really so full... We are so blessed

Bike

I've been watching craigslist and ebay for a while now looking for a bike. I needed a bike for the triathlon. I know participating in the triathlon is going to be a bit expensive. Equipment I need: Bike, Wet Suit, Appropriate Clothes and Shoes. Plus Registration costs and other expenses like hotel, food, etc. I know participating can be costly so I'm thinking of it as a birthday present since it's the day after I turn 29 and trying to get my family to pitch instead of buying me a gift. The bike, was a late mother's day gift.

I'm super excited about the bike though, it's a Trek 3700 white, pink and grey. I don't know a lot about bikes but from what I researched it's a good bike MSRP around $400 I bought it off craigslist for $100. It's in really good shape a few small scratches on the handle bars but nothing bad at all, just not brand new! But it is probably less than 1 year old... it's the 2009 model! It looks just like this:

and if you're really interested here are the specs:

I feel like I got a fantastic deal, it's not a road bike, it's an entry level mountain bike. Triathletes typically use road bikes but from what I've read is for the novice it doesn't really matter as long as if you can ride the bike the distance required and considering the triathlon I plan on doing is in Tahoe, I think this is going to work great.

The girls and I are super excited to go on bike rides together. I bought all of us girls new helmets today, cost almost as much a bike but they were necessary. I'm going to start looking for a used trailer to pull Amelia. She isn't really ready to ride herself yet and I think a trailer might be more practical than a seat. Mariyn and I rode together today, around my sister's block. She is in there cleaning her room now so we can go ride again. I love that my kids are active and learning a healthy lifestyle. :)

Thank you, heavenly father for knowing exactly what I needed and wanted and providing me with this bike. We are truly blessed!

ETA: Mariyn was so excited to go on a bike ride. I told her if she cleaned her room, we could go. It was a mess, her little cousins have been over all week and of course the room was very out of control. She got her room clean in enough time to go for a ride around the neighborhood. While she has had a bike for a while, she hasn't really been on a true bike ride ( I didn't have a bike to go with her and couldn't have kept an eye on her w/o riding along). Kinda sad, I know. Tonight we road around our neighborhood, approximately 2 miles. She crashed 4 times but handled it well. Good thing I bought those helmets! When we got home she asked if we could go again tomorrow and said that she had SO much fun! My heart is so full!!

Double Duty

Clare and I decided to run today. We got in a good 30 minute run on the treadmill. Today, I actually out ran Clare, imagine that! Not in distance though but she had to stop and take a breather before I did. I'm not sure what distance I ran, I think about 2.5 miles because I have a bad habit of accidentally hitting the emergency stop button. Darn it!

I'm so exhausted from babysitting. I love my niece and nephew and they are great kids but taking care of a 2, 3, and 4 year old most of the day is tiring let alone all week. They seem to be enjoying it here though and all of them have fun at the gym. I just keep trying to keep them busy.

This evening I went back to the gym and did weights with Richard. I got in a good session and hit the weights hard on my legs. Watching myself in the mirror, I feel like I look totally different than before. I have noticeable collar bones and my face is thinning. I have a more distinct jaw line. A lot of people keep saying I look very trim and thin from behind. Not really sure what that is supposed to mean about the front. LOL but I think they are trying to compliment me. I know I've got major boob issues and a baby pouch, like a kangaroo for the tummy. That is my biggest problem area. Some of it seems like extra skin but a lot of it seems like fat. I did 100 crunches on the ab machine tonight, keep trying to isolate the area in hopes the fat goes away... Someday, right?

5K update

My official 5K time is in..... 34 minutes 32 seconds, not bad but not great it's an 11 minute mile. I placed 8th in my age division out of 14 runners and 130 out of 173 runners...Not too shabby for 200 lbs gal who has always loathed running!

I had my sister's kids again today but we didn't make it to the gym this morning. :/ Unfortunately, my sister forgot to leave the car seats so we were stuck at home. I took the kids to the park for about an hour and they had a blast. You could see the excitement and joy on their faces. We also walked to pick up Mariyn from school. I justified missing my mid-morning run with Clare though because I made it to the gym tonight. Clare has been trying to get me to go to Cardio Kickboxing at another Gold's gym on Weds nights. Now that softball is over, I was able to make it out. I pushed myself extra hard to get a good workout. It was my first time going to this other location and I felt a little out of place. I really do love our instructors though, they are great! My legs are tired and achy... not sure if I'm going to do weights tomorrow or running with Clare. Guess we'll worry about that tomorrow ;-)

Weigh In

Yeah, Tuesday Weigh in....what to say what to say. I'm so tired of hovering around the 200lbs mark. It's frustrating! I want to be in 100's already! I thought for sure I'd be there this weigh in. I was proud of myself for being able to not weigh in last week and continue on with diet and exercise. I thought I did well with food and working out last week but I guess I could have done better. That's the thing though, we can always do better, right? Or at least that's my perspective and probably part of my problem!

I did weigh in at 201 today, so I lost 1 pound in the last too weeks. Good that it's a loss not enough to satisfy me though. Guess I'm gonna have to try harder because I WANT to LOSE this weight not maintain it.

I'm watching my niece and nephew for a while, so this morning I had 4 kids to get ready: Mariyn for school, Amelia, Victoria and Ryan for the gym. I signed them up for unlimited child care at the gym so I can continue to go even though I'm babysitting. I was pretty proud of myself for getting them all out of the house before 8 am to make it in time for class this morning. Not an easy feet and really not easy for a non-morning person like myself. :)

At the gym, I did body pump and cycle. We have a new instructor for body pump and I worked it hard! The class was completely full and very challenging. I pushed myself to do cycle afterward. It was rough. This afternoon, I walked the kids to get Mariyn from school, it's about 1 mile round trip. Every little bit of exercise counts right?

I've Got a Feeling

I've got a feelin' Woo hooo... I've got a feelin' ... that tonight's gonna be a good nite...

Tomorrow will make 2 weeks since I've weighed myself. I am SO excited to go to the gym in the morning and step on that scale. I really hope that I see a big change -- I've stayed on track for 2 weeks now with diet and exercise. Plus, I haven't cheated and watched the scale I've just been focusing on my fitness goals.

Speaking of, my body was SO SO sore after the 5K. I had a hard time getting out of bed yesterday, it was THAT sore! My legs were swollen yesterday, and my feet. Today my left knee is still sore and a little inflamed. I had a hard time giving cardio kickboxing 100% tonight but I made it through! I'm hoping my knee is better tomorrow.

This morning I had a job interview! Yes, me an interview! I desperately needed new shoes so I went to Kohl's found a super cute pair for like $16. Even my feet were swollen from the run so I had a hard time fitting into shoes. I am hoping that when the swelling goes down, my shoes will still fit. :-/ If not one of my sisters will love them. I also could use some new slacks or a skirt as mine are really pretty big and I would just feel more confident if my clothes FIT me properly. I'm not into wasting money right now , funds are VERY tight, so I was a little afraid to venture into the women's section. Right away I spotted a cute black A-line skirt about knee length on the clearance rack with one of those thick belts. I said to myself, I'll take a look but I seriously DOUBT it's my size and out of my price range. What are the chances really? Last time I shopped for clothing at Kohl's for myself I left crying because EVERYTHING was too small. It's been a while since that day, but I just couldn't imagine being able to fit into anything in a regular department store. So
I picked up the skirt, noticing it was a size 12 and only $13 and some change. Not bad price. But the burning question was, will it fit? I didn't bother looking around much, it was getting late the skirt was EXACTLY what I would want in an interview. So I quickly went to the dressing room. Tried on the skirt and it FIT and it FIT WELL! I decided that I would splurg and buy both the shoes and the skirt for my interview today. Just my luck, it rained this morning and wasn't skirt weather. I had to wear my "too big" old slacks but I grabbed the belt of the skirt and wore it with my new pumps. Darn weather- had to go and ruin my outfit ;-)

I've got a good feeling about the interview and job opportunity and I've prayed putting it in God's hands to make this decision for me. If it is the right opportunity, to please present it. If it's not the right opportunity, I'd rather the job not be offered to me. I want HIM to make the decision for me. Does prayer really work that way? If the position isn't offered to me, I won't be too disappointed I really feel God working in my life and want HIS will.

Tonight I'm going to be full of hope for a good weigh in tomorrow and a new opportunity. I'm excited for the future. :)

Chocolate Festival 5K

Complete Success!

My niece and nephew spent the night last night, their mom had to work today and needed a sitter. We already had a busy day planned but I figured they could tag along. Mariyn enjoyed having them here, but boy was that a lot of work for me. I got up early, cooked breakfast and got 4 kids and myself out of the house before 7:30 am. Hey, I did all that and ran Three miles by 9 AM! Impressive I tell you, God was on my side today!

Before our runs!

It's funny all the anxiety I felt about my first 5K was non-existent today! I knew I was capable of completeing the whole 3.1 miles. My heart was full because Mariyn wanted to run and I knew she could do it. She was so excited too! She found a friend along the way and ran/walked with her. I love that my seven year old daughter WANTS to be active. Such a blessing. To be honest though, I was more worried for her than for me. She did great though and of course, I'm a proud momma.

Mariyn running the final stretch to the finish line!

Just crossed the finish line - look past the guy in the blue jacket...

Nicole, one of my sister's friends wanted to run it too. It was her first 5K and as she crossed the finish line she swore it will be her last. I'm willing to bet she does it again. ;-) I'm trying to get her to join me in Sacramento for the Nike Women's festival. I ran into friends of mine too, Jill and Bryan. Bryan did great, probably one of the first 15 runners. It was Jill's first 5K and her goal was to finish - she did! So proud of her and Nicole.


My goal, well, my goal was to finish running. Yeah RUN the entire 3.1 miles. I want progress, ya know. I knew I could complete it, but I wanted to complete it running. I'm in better shape than I was a month and a half ago. I've been running more and more. Today, I'm happy to report, I completed the 5K running! It was rough, I wanted to make sure I paced myself. This course was a fast out and back, I wasn't really sure WHERE the course went out too, there was a turn in there but I knew once I hit half way, I would just turn and run back. A lot easier to pace with this style course. Once I made half way, I bargained with myself to keep pushing til certain marks... then I would just change the mark. I told myself I was going to run it, the entire time. I knew I would be disappointed if I had to stop and walk. There were some challenges though, this course had no water and less spectators cheering along the course and no water stops. I also knew people running and wanted to push myself even harder to finish my goals and encourage them!

When you're runnning it feels like you're a breath or so away from being breathless. You're lungs are fully open, pumping oxygen through your entire body. Inhaling and exhaling deeply because your body needs the oxygen to run. Twice along the run, I took in a deep breath of second hand smoke - GROSS GROSS GROSS!!! The first was probably a 1/4 a mile through, cigar smoke. The second was probaly 3/4 some nursing staff was on a smoke break and we ran past them. DISGUSTING, I tell you, DISGUSTING!! I will never understand how anyone in health care can smoke. But to breath in their second hand smoke while running - so not fun! I wanted to gag!

The best part, I had enough energy left in me to Sprint in at the end! YEP! I passed up a good 5-7 women because I sprinted in at the end. Although, Rich said it didn't look like I was sprinting at all, lol. I'm sure he is right, my sprint couldn't have been super fast at the end but I felt it! My legs are so sore now!


After I finished I waited to cheer Nicole and Jill as they crossed the finish line! Then, I had to run off to Mariyn's last softball game. I got a bloody nose in the car... kinda weird. She played awesome, as did my whole team. I'm really going to miss coaching this group of girls. My legs were killing me as soon as our game started! The season always feels too short. I'm already looking forward to next year.







I still have my niece and nephew over, so after softball, I let them swim. Busy, busy day, I tell you. I made them come inside and watch a movie around 4:30 - 5 o'clock. I'm exhausted, my legs are dead... and now that I'm finally almost done with this blog I think the movie is over... I've got a bit over an hour left on baby sitting duty...

Have I mentioned we are so incredibly blessed! Glory to God for all the things he allows us to do! <3

Random Running

Clare and I had a running date at the gym. Since they changed the childcare hours, I've noticed our workouts are also getting shorter. Well, they really just have to. We ran today, or I should say Clare did. I attempted but my knee kept getting sore. So I walked a bit. I should take some ibuprofen, I don't want it to be sore on Saturday.

I'm really looking forward to Saturday's run. Mariyn is ready to do her mile and I'm really proud of how active she is in general, she wants to participate in EVERYTHING: softball, soccer, dance, you name it, my kid wants to do it! But probably like a lot of 7 year olds, she says she wants to do things and then whines about it later. I was hesitant in signing her up for the run, it's $20 and I didn't want it to be something she whines about come race day. I made her prove to me that she would run and could run the full mile and she has. I can't wait to see her run on Saturday. As for myself, I don't have any jitters that I had at my last 5K. I'm confident that I can finish, I've been training at the gym and am pleased with my progress overall. Hopefully, I can attain my goal, run the entire 5K. The course is a straight out and back, fairly flat too so I think I will be better able to pace myself. I'll be able to see the whole 3.1 miles. I probably won't run much more this week until Saturday. Especially because of my knees bothering me a bit.

On anther note, I've been elected to be a board member for our local softball league. I'm excited, I absolutely love softball and I have a lot of ideas. I have a big responsibility, registrar but I know I can handle it. Plus, I love being an involved parent. I love being able to be physically active in softball, coaching my girls and helping others learn to love the game like I do. Softball has been a major part of my life in shaping me to who I am. It coaching last season when I really realized I had a big weight problem. Don't get me wrong, I've known I was over weight for a while but a year ago I seen first hand how it was impacting my life and my physical capabilities. This year, I don't feel limited by my size. Yeah sure I'm still overweight BUT I'm willing to beat I have more endurance than most of my parents! I've come so far since October, and from where I was last year. I can't wait to see where I am next year. I'm excited to spread my love of the sport and fitness to the kids.

Wants Vs Needs

I really want a bike. I need one for the triathlon coming up in September and I would really like to go on family outings sooner than that. I don't know much about bikes, other than how to ride one but I know I want a quality bike. I've been doing a little research and for a novice I've read that it doesn't really matter what kind of bike you ride, you will learn what you prefer/need as you advance. However, I don't have a bike at all. If I did, I probably would be content with what I have and since I am going to have to buy something, I want to make sure I get a good value on a quality bike. Bikes seem so expensive $500 for an entry level road bike and they go way up from there... like to the price of a car! WOW! Yeah there is no way, I am paying that for a bike - but part of me the really impractical part always thinks I need the best! Yeah, I'm learning my needs and WANTS aren't really the same thing. . . Have I told you that I can be a bit stubborn and can be a very impulsive buyer. Case in point, my car an Acura TSX not exactly a family sedan but I HAD to have it. I know this about me, so I'm actually a little afraid to go into a REAL bike store. I don't want to come home with a $500 (or more) bike just because I was convinced that I needed it or even worse, I convinced myself.

So I've spent several hours a day scouring ebay and craigslist looking for a bike. I've been watching several listings and really wanting to bid (the competitive part in me doesn't like to lose, even if it's just an online auction). But I figured since I just started looking that it would be better to wait it out. Watch longer, read more bike reviews so I really know that I am getting a good deal. Craigslist in my area doesn't have a lot of traffic and well, I don't think there are a lot of cyclist here in general but I'm watching it and the bay area. I have to figure that if I buy out of the bay area it's going to cost me at least an addition $40 in gas.... AT least and consider that into the cost of the bike.

I'm really trying to stick to $100-200 for a bike. Dream bike $300 max. That's a lot of money and even more money to us right now. I'm justifying it as mother's day gift and an investment into our family time and my health-fitness goals.

Today was weigh in Tuesday and I didn't weigh in. I know, I know. I put in the effort all week with exercise. I ate better BUT it was my monthly bible study so I didn't go to the gym this morning and I didn't think it would be fair to weigh myself at night. I figure I'll either weigh myself later this week or next week.

We had a great bible study today. It's the last one of this school year. Gave me a few things to think about, cleaning house and a clean heart. Since it was our last one of the year, we had a little brunch. I brought watermelon and there were all kinds of goodies. I had my fair share today! Which was another reason I decided not to weigh in today. I didn't over eat but I want to be fair to myself too.

Also, I talked to an older man, Buck, who was walking this morning around my neighborhood when I was leaving for bible study. He was a Christian too and just gave me a lot of food for thought. It's funny sometimes we humans think things are random BUT to God nothing is random. It serves a purpose and I believe he intended me to talk to that man today, just as he intended me to hear that message at bible study. I'm going to start spending more time with God, praying and learning. I need to, I know it's what God wants and I just have to make some changes. I love driving by churches and reading their marquee, one I recently read said, "You are important in the purpose of God." Powerful stuff I tell you because I've felt so much lately that I've been living without purpose, without direction. Yet, I've been comforted and my needs have been met. Glory to God, I've enjoyed being a stay at home mom so much more than I ever anticipated. I really feel like there is a purpose to this and Buck (the older man I talked to today) said that whenever I do go back to counseling, I will probably be a better counselor because of it. And you know what . . . I have a feeling he is right. Is it possible that God has used my unemployment to show me the difference between wants and needs? Whatever the reason, I'm sure I've learned a lesson or two . . . or more!

A new kind of compliment

My cabinets are were nearly empty. Nothing left in my fridge except leftovers that were probably growing stuff. I needed to go grocery shopping, in a bad way. I've been procrastinating it and we've been eating out more and more. Not a good habit if you're trying to lose weight or save money. Finally, I broke down and went to Costco. I stocked up on all my favorites: raspberry, blackberry, watermelon, pineapple, spinach, pistachios, almonds etc. The girls and I sampled and looked around. Carefully, I tried to remember all the things we needed while trying to still make it out of the store without breaking the bank. Finally, I get to the checkout and as I'm unloading my cart I feel like I am being watched. I noticed an elderly lady was staring at me a long stare too. She was watching me unload and staring at my food. Finally, when I'm all done unloading my cart, she says, "You really feed your family well!"

Wow! What a compliment, I replied "Thank you and said I've been dieting and trying to teach my family healthy eating habits. " I know it's really important to model good eating and a healthy lifestyle. Her comment really made my day. There are so many families, young families especially, whose diet is made up of junk foods, boxed foods or fast foods because it's often easier, cheaper or faster than making a nutritious meal. I know, I was one of those families. I've started to pay attention at the grocery store and what the person in front of me buys. You can really tell a lot about their eating habits by what is in their shopping cart. Not to say I don't have a treat every now and then heck, I even bought skinny cow ice cream while I was at Costco. But the bulk of my food was fresh and healthy. And well that just made me feel good.

Training Day

This morning, I got up and went to cycle. It was a good class, I pushed myself hard. When I heard the change of music come on for the cool down, I said, "That's it?" I wasn't "done". Funny how not too long ago, I was barely able to make it through a class and some days, I still feel that way. Immediately after class, I took a potty break then hit the treadmill running for 20 minutes. I started out thinking, I would just do 10 minutes as a good start for my triathlon training. After about 5 minutes I was done. Then someone came on to the treadmill next to me and needed help. We started chatting and the next thing I knew I had been running for nearly 15 minutes. At that point, I decided I would do 20 minutes and be done. Clare and I had a date to do weights at noon. It was already almost 11 and I didn't want to be too worn out. Amelia and I came left the gym, went to the store bought stuff for PB&J and 2 big bunches of bananas. She and I ate a whole bunch of bananas ourselves today. :X I guess, we could have chosen worse ;-) We had a quick lunch and then back to the gym for weights with Clare. By the time I was done, I was almost too tired to leave. After Amelia and I got Mariyn from school, we came home and napped the lounged outside by the pool. Soaking up the sun was great and relaxing. The water is still too cold for me but Mariyn swam. It was a great day!

Crazy

Really that's all I can say is life has been crazy lately. Every day seems busy. Yesterday, I got up early got Mariyn ready for school and drove Amelia to my mom's. Which is a good 45 miles and made it back to Mariyn's school for her walking field trip before 9:30. We walked to the science fair as her field trip about a mile and a half round trip. My brother was at my house putting in a new double oven we found last weekend at a garage sale. Then, I went to the gym ran 2.5 miles with Clare. Next thing I knew, it was time to pick up Mariyn from school. Mariyn and I picked Amelia up from my mom's, then softball practice, a meeting with roofer and a board meeting for softball. I didn't get home until after 10pm! Crazy, at which time, I gave in and ate Mountain Mike's Pizza. I was starving and I know it wasn't the best choice but it was food and I was so hungry. I admit it, I ate Pizza. Sinful, I know but I am doing better with diet and exercise overall this week.

Torture Tuesday

Daycare hours are changing at the gym. They're closing from 1-3, which probably doesn't affect many people but me and Clare. Since she gets off of work at 12, we usually workout between noon and two. I've heard a few other parents complain and I know it's not the daycare staff's decision. I wrote a note and put it in the suggestion box. The schools let out on May 27th and I really think it will affect more people then. Until then, Clare and I are going to modify our workouts and see what works best for us.

Last night, Kelly substituted for cardio kick. I've been wanting to try her class but it conflicts with the rest of my schedule and I love Tick's so much already. Kelly just had a fun look about her so when others were disappointed we had a sub, I was actually a little excited. I did miss Ticka though. Kelly's class was great. I was really challenged. Not that she is harder than Ticka but it was equally as challenging and DIFFERENT! Man my butt was blasted. My thighs were toned and my core was tightened! I can still feel it today. So glad I went! It's nice to mix things up every once in a while makes you feel like you're still working.

Today I thought I was going to go back to the regular grind, body pump and cycle. I'm starting to think of it as Torture Tuesday. My most challenging workout plus weighing in. It's really not that bad. I feel so good when I'm done. I finished body pump lifting a bit more than the last couple weeks. I felt stronger and my endurance a little bit higher. Notice I said I thought I was going back to the regular grind. Once I completed body pump, I went to get a cycle ticket and they were all out. DARN! Not a huge deal, I have a love hate relationship with cycle I love the results but the class is so challenging. Ok, maybe it really is a a love relationship because I love to be challenged!

I figured I could use some time running anyways. I registered Mariyn and I for our runs yesterday. I really want to finish this 5K running - that is my goal. Beat my previous time and build my endurance. Since I couldn't get into cycle, I ran for 15 minutes on the treadmill, then I cycled for 15 minutes. I got about a mile and a half of running and 3.5 miles cycling. The cycle I used was a video game type where we cycled with a pacer. It was my first time using this machine but I figure since I'm used to class that I could do an intermediate level. WOW! It was so much more challenging than I thought. When I got off, my legs were tired! Today was a great workout.

I feel bloated today but decided to weigh myself anyways. It is part of my Tuesday torture after all. I'm back down those 2 lbs. I'm getting back on track with eating, slowly but I'm doing it. I'm so close to the One hundreds I can feel it. Stay focused, I'll be there soon!