2009 Goals

I've been thinking so much lately about what goals I can set for 2009. It's like doing my objectives at work, I can never think of anything to write!! But I dug deep and this is what I came up with...

• Run another marathon
• Be a "fund-racer" for Back On My Feet (PLEASE check this site out)
• Attend track workouts when they start up in the Spring (so I can PR at all future races)
• Learn how to use my Garmin (more than just for pace, distance, time)
• Run at least 100 miles a month
• Complete the 100 push up challenge, successfully
• Do at least 100 sit ups 5 times a week
• Finish studying, pass the exam and officially be a Personal Trainer
• While I already eat really well and very natural, improve wherever I can (but I will still treat myself to the occassional Crunch n Munch because I just can't live without that)

Aside from the health/running goals, I have some personal goals, too. While some are too personal, there are a few I'm going to list so I can be held accountable. Andy is so great about making it a point to hug me every day. But usually, I'm in the middle of making dinner or something, and rather than appreciating how great of a guy he is, I'll give a half azz hug back and keep on going. Well, not anymore.

• I am going to make it a point to give Andy a one minute hug every single day.

I'm also not very good with money. Well, it's not that I'm not good, I just don't know what's going on. Andy is the finance guy in the family and takes care of it all. I mean, I don't even know if I get paid every month because I just don't pay attention! I could be working for free right now and wouldn't even know! So,

• I'm going to start to check my paycheck each month
• I'm going to actually look at the bills when they come in each month
• I'm going to learn the on line bill pay and actually pay some bills

That's all I came up with for right now. Looking back at my list, I'm pretty happy with it. Along with everything listed, I am also going to make more time for Andy, my family and most importantly, myself.

I Need Some Goals

I'm reading everyone's goals and races for 2009 and I really need to set some things up for myself! I've been thinking about some goals and I'm going to post them soon so I keep myself accountable. I swear, blogging has been the best thing for my working out. It really keeps me on track and everyone keeps me so motivated with their posts!

Yesterday's workout could have been better, but I was exhausted (and a little hungover) from the wedding the night before. But the important thing is that I made it there! Also started week 3 of the 100 push up challenge. Based on my assessment after week 2, I had to switch my difficulty level and go down a column. At this point, I really can't see how doing 100 push ups in a row is possible, but I'm going to stick with it and see what happens.

I woke up today and wasn't really in the mood to work out, but I have a few more days to earn some points for HBBC so I ventured to the gym. I actually had a great work out and ran 5 miles, lifted (since I didn't do all my lifting yesterday due to hangover) and then rode the bike for a half hour. I'm planning a 10 mile run on New Years Eve to make sure I'm going to be ok for the New Orleans half...which I am really looking forward to!!

HBBC - 137.6

Oh, is anyone doing this virtual run across America? I want to do it but not sure I get it. Here's the link to it: http://virtualrunamerica.blogspot.com/2008/12/journey-begins-thursday.html

A Flock of Chicks

I hope everyone had a great Holiday. We had a really nice Christmas day with my family at my sisters house. I received one of the coolest gifts ever!! Mich and Lisa made a donation in my name to Heifer International. It's a nonprofit organization which helps struggling people from around the world become self-reliant for food and income. The donation they made bought a flock of chicks for a family! I'm always sending my sisters Humane Society emails, petitions, recycling info, etc so Mich and Lisa knew I would love this. If you're interested, check out http://www.heifer.org/. Now if I could just get Mich to stop drinking bottled water...

Now for running...I realized today that the New Orleans half is only 5 weeks away. I haven't run more than 8 miles since the marathon. I'm starting to get a little nervous. I ran 7 miles today and think I have to get a 10 miler in next weekend. I could have done more today but we have a wedding in the city tonight so I need to save some energy for dancing!!!

Here's a picture from Christmas day. I had to put this up because I'm sporting my new t-shirt from Pumpkin. I have a feeling this will get a lot of wear!! Under the 26.2 is says, "I did it."

Challenge Updates:

HBBC = 123.10

100 Push Up Challenge = week 2 complete, assessment tomorrow

Burning Logs and a Christmas Run

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

It's a quiet morning here at home, which is actually really nice. We had a great Christmas Eve with all my family and will be heading to my sisters soon with just my immediate family. We're going casual and will spend the day eating, drinking and of course, playing Wii!!

I went out for a run this morning, which was probably the most peaceful run I've ever had. There were no cars on the road, the temperature was perfect and it was so sunny out. I went on a new route and only did 4 miles, but it was the most refreshing 4 miles I ever ran. I'm feeling really good this holiday and the stress level around all the food has been less than normal. I've managed to try some new things lately and have even had my share of treats. This is a very big step for me and shows me that I am making progress...even if it is just baby steps.

And in case you didn't know, you can watch a burning log on TV today, with Christmas carols playing in the background. Andy is watching this now and is fascinated. He wants to know what happens when the log burns out. I'm not sure I can take all this excitement.

Festivus For the Rest Of Us

HAPPY FESTIVUS!!

I wanted to make sure I wished everyone a Happy Festivus since I most likely won't have a chance to do so tomorrow. For those of you who are not Seinfeld fans and don't know what the heck I'm talking about, please click here. I'd hate for you to go another year missing out on the Festivus pole, airing of grievances, feats of strength and most importantly...FESTIVUS MIRACLES! We'll be celebrating, like we do every year, with some close friends. Out for lunch and cocktails and then back to The Woods to watch "The Strike" episode.

I have a big day ahead of me so I have to be sure to get a good night sleep tonight. Even though vacation officially started today, and I'm fired up, I'm treating tonight like a "school" night. I want to get up at my normal time (5am!) to get a nice long workout in before a day of debauchery.

And remember...Festivus YES! Bagels NO!

Love the Bubbly

We went to a champagne party last night, which by the way, is now my favorite kind of party! There were a gazillion different kinds of appetizers, which Andy made sure to sample them all, and an endless amount of champagne and desserts! I ate a small dinner before we went but I did treat myself to a few crackers with brie and some shrimp. Oh, and of course, copious amounts of champagne. With that being said, I relaxed a little and did eat some sweets. I hate when I let my guard down after I had a few drinks, but if that's what it takes to treat myself...then I guess I better keep drinking the bubbly!!

Went for a 7.75 mile run yesterday with the club. It was really cold out, but it felt great to be outside running. I didn't lift lower body last week because of my knee and thought it was doing better, but after the run yesterday it was pretty sore. The pain is on the outside of the knee and almost feels like it needs to crack. Any doctors out there??

Had a GREAT workout today, even after the champagne last night! I started week 2 of the 100 push up challenge, lifted for an hour, did the elliptical for an hour (really pushed myself on this since I rarely feel like I worked out after the elliptical) and then did some stretching and abs. Total points for HBBC today was 8.5.

One more day of work until Jan. 5th!! I'm really looking forward to 2 weeks of non-rushed workouts!! And one more thing, thanks for all the nice comments on my last post. :-)

NEVER AGAIN!

Today is Photo Friday so I thought I'd do the unthinkable. A friend of mine recently posted some old pictures on facebook, which included a ton of me. Needless to say, I was mortified when I saw the pictures. I recognize that I'm not that size anymore, but I still feel like I am. If that makes any sense. I still struggle when I go shopping and feel like I should pick up a size 14 or a XL. When in fact the other day I bought a size 4 pair of pants and an XS shirt. It's crazy how I refuse to see the smaller me and still deal with the scars of being overweight. I was talking about this with Pumpkin and she told me that I should be really proud of myself for what I accomplished. While it's hard not to be embarrassed, I know she's right so that's why I'm posting these pictures. I am proud of what I accomplished and I know I'll never let myself go back to that again.

Me and Andy in 2003

Me and Andy summer 2008


Me and KT 2003

Me and KT winter 2008

I lost the majority of my weight right after Andy and I got married in 2004 (I'm the only woman who loses weight after she gets married!). I started September 1, 2004 and by Christmas of that year I was down 20 lbs. I have continued to lose over the years and as of today, I weigh 40 lbs less.

And finally, as for HBBC, had a GREAT workout! Earned 9 points today which brings me to 66.35. Also finished week 1 of the 100 push up challenge. Woo hoo!!

TIaRT - A Year In Review

The topic for this week's TIaRT is to write a summary of your running year in 52 words or less. So here you go...

I started 2008 wanting to be a runner, but I didn't think I had it in me.
I finished 2008 as a marathoner.
Turns out, I am a runner.
It's been a good year.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ran 6 miles today and it was a great run. I'm looking forward to having tomorrow off and spending as much time as I want earning HBBC points!! The most I've earned in a day is 8.5 so I'm shooting to beat that tomorrow. So far my total is 57.35

Pumpkin Oatmeal Review

Well, I did it. I was wild and crazy and actually changed up my breakfast for the first time in what probably was, well, years! I mixed some oats with some skim milk and water, microwaved for a minute, then added a scoop of pumpkin. I cooked it a little longer then added some pumpkin spice, a few raisins and a half packet of splenda. It was so good!! I made it again today but this time I also added a few chopped walnuts. They didn't do much for me so I think I'll keep eating my 6 walnuts in the afternoon with my banana instead. And yes, I actually count out 6 walnuts. I also count out the 12 almonds I eat every day with my morning fruit. I wonder what would happen to me if I ate 13 almonds...maybe some day I'll be brave enough to try.

I woke up again today really sore. I'm just not recovering quickly like I usually do. But I couldn't not work out so I did the elliptical for an hour then some stretching and abs. This is not the time of year to be slacking off!! Starting tomorrow, we have lots going on straight through the New Year (just like everyone else, I'm sure) and I'm determined to not let the Holiday junk get the best of me. Even if I can only fit in a short workout, my goal is to do something every day for the rest of the year. Since December 5th (when I was finally better and able to workout), I've taken 2 days off. No more being lazy! And besides, there's a competition to be won!!

And can anyone else not believe Christmas is in a week?

Creature of Habit

I eat the same exact thing every day. It might change a little on the weekends, but every day is pretty much exactly the same...breakfast through dinner. I do this by choice because, well, I'm crazy. I'm not comfortable eating things outside of my "safe" foods and I know what I eat is healthy, and more importantly won't make me gain weight. But over the past few months I've come across some really inspiring blogs that include some delicious sounding recipes. As I've read them, I thought, "that is something I actually want to try!" I'm embarrassed to admit that I'm scared of eating anything other than my normal choices (which consists mostly of grains, fruits, veggies, chicken, fish, beans and almonds), but these blogs are making me want to be a little more adventurous. I think it helps to see that people are eating these things and are still in incredible shape and look great. Geesh, had I known the blogging world would be so helpful, I would have saved all the money I've been spending at the nutritionist and just read more blogs! Oh, one of my favorite blogs for food ideas is nhershoes if you're interested in checking her site out.

While I want to try some new things, it's very overwhelming and causes me a lot of anxiety. But I did buy something new today to try...pumpkin and pumpkin spice. My all time favorite food is oatmeal and I've come across a lot of recipes which include pumpkin. So tomorrow morning I'm going to try something new. SHOCKER! I'm going to put some pumpkin and pumpkin spice, along with some raisins, into my oatmeal. It will be a change from my plain old oats made with skim milk. This may not seem like a big deal, but I'll probably lose sleep worrying about this tonight!

Had great intentions of doing a killer leg workout at the gym today for my squat Sunday, but the side of my knee is not getting any better. I was doing some squats and the pain was so sharp and intense that I had to stop. I still had a great workout, but I'm really worried about this pain. I hope nothing is seriously wrong. Managed to earn 8.5 points though for HBBC! My total for week one is 35.85 (yes, every minute counts so I'm keeping track of them all!).

Also started week one of my 100 push up challenge today. Not much to report, though. Did some push ups, that's about it.

Resting Up

We are taking my nephews to Dave and Busters tonight and I'm so excited!! They are 6 and 8 and at a great age. Right now it's ok to be seen with their aunt and uncle...one day we won't be cool and we'll just get to see them when they are forced to be at home for family functions. :-( So to gear up for tonight, I took a nice nap which I desperately needed after a few too many glasses of wine last night.

Even though I had a late night, I woke up early and headed to the gym. I'm telling you, the HBBC is really what got me moving today. I'm disappointed with myself because I couldn't run very far between the dehydration/headache and my sore knee, but I managed to get 6.5 points in for today. We had a kitchen design appointment an hour away that forced me to end my workout, but I'm hoping to spend a few hours there tomorrow racking up the points. You know, I honestly think I could live at the gym. I absolutely love it there and lose track of time. There are only 2 other things I can do for extended periods of time without going crazy.
1) sleeping/napping
2) playing cards and drinking wine (which is exactly why I feel crappy today)

Ahhh, Jamaica

So, today is Photo Friday (check out Nike Mom at Adventure Seeker) and since I've been thinking a lot about vacation lately, I decided to post a this picture. We've been to Jamaica a few times (we were married there!) and I can't seem to get enough of it. I absolutely love the island and hope to one day have a vacation house (hut, shack, whatever) there...oh, and enough money to travel there each weekend. Wishful thinking. Anyway, we usually take a Caribbean trip each winter but with the house, renovations, furniture purchases, etc we are thinking of pushing it back this year. Maybe in the summer, which would be good timing for our 5 year anniversary.

As for the HBBC, I had to take yesterday off because I was soooo sore from lifting on Wednesday. I was going to go after work to do some light cardio to loosen up but we had a ton of stuff to do and by the time we finished running around, it was bed time and my legs were shot! Even though I'm still really sore, I ran 5.5 miles today and felt great while running. It was the walking and getting on/off the treadmill that hurt the most!

I'm really looking forward to the weekend, even though we have a TON to do. We're babysitting my nephews tomorrow night and taking them to Dave and Busters. Should be a lot of fun!!

No Pain, No Gain

I lifted today, the first time in several weeks because of the marathon training, and I think I'm going to be really sorry tomorrow. Convinced I hadn't lost any strength, I continued right where I left off. I did however only do 12 reps instead of 15, but I don't think that was playing it safe enough. I just sat down for the first time tonight and my legs are killing me!!! Darn walking lunges...UGH. My favorite, but oh so painful. Tomorrow is really going to suck because I'm sure I won't be able to sit down normally. Instead it will be a fast drop to get through the pain as quickly as possible!! (That's always fun when you have to go to the bathroom). But with that being said, it's nice to know I worked out hard and made it worth my while! No pain, no gain.

HBBC is going well but man, I don't think I stand a chance! Everyone is doing so well! Hopefully I can make up some points when I go out on vacation for the rest of the year. 7 days and counting...

I Loooove My Challenges

So today kicked off the Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge. To keep track of my progress, because we all know how I like to keep track of everything, I created a new blog (on my side bar) for this challenge and all my future ones...

Which brings me to my next topic!! I found the 100 push up challenge on Landy's blog and think I'm going to give it a try. It's really weird that I found this today because as I was working out this morning, I was thinking of adding more push ups and pull ups to my lifting routine. Shape magazine recently had a pull up training program that I wanted to try but never got around to it with the marathon training. Since I stumbled upon the push ups program today, I'll start with that one. Check out this site if you're interested. It will also help add up the points for HBBC!!

New blog is nothing fancy, I'm just going to tally up my points within the same post each day. I love seeing the miles, etc grow as time goes by.

Like the show says...

It's always sunny in Philadelphia. We're back home safe and sound from our trip to Michigan this weekend. Upon arriving in Detroit, meaning the second we came below the cloud cover, it was grey and dreary. What a shocker. The entire 3 days we were there, no sun. Not once. On top of that, it was freezing cold. The kind of cold that hurts. Burrrr. Anyway, as soon as the pilot said we were cleared for landing in Philly, I opened the window shade, smirked and pointed out to Andy how sunny it was! Have I mentioned recently how happy I am to be living back in Pa? I have? Well, too bad. I'm saying it again.

So, the Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge starts tomorrow. Could not be better timing. I'm feeling MUCH better and have had too long of a break from working out since the marathon. I miss my routine and am looking forward to getting back on track. Since it's time to get serious again tomorrow, I let Andy talk me into pizza for dinner. Or I might have suggested it. But that's not really important.

I'll be keeping track of the points I earn daily on the side of the page. Good luck to everyone. Looks like a lot of people are up for the challenge!

Congrats to...

BROOKE!!!

The tattoo says "Happiness, One mile at at time."

Once it heals up, I'll post a better picture. Ok, back to spend some time with the in-laws. I just saw the confusion over what the tattoo said, so I thought I'd give an explanation. :-)

Happiness...One mile at a time

First of all, I feel like a slug. I haven't done a thing since last Saturday because of this cold turned flu business and I feel like atrophy is setting in. I can't wait to feel better and get back to my routine. Especially during this time of year, I can't afford to not be working out. I must be feeling better though because I decided to eat something other than soup and bread today and made a pretty good dent in some trail mix. Yum.

Oh, and I had a bit of a breakdown this morning and made Andy tell me where he hid the scale. Made meaning I whined REALLY bad and since it was first thing in the morning, I knew he wouldn't be able to take it. If the whining didn't work, I had the tears ready to go. Luckily, I didn't have to take it that far. I haven't weighed myself since he took it away and I just wanted to see how things were going. I have resisted the urge to find it myself, which would have been easy, so I think pulling it out once in a while is acceptable. Thankfully, considering the lack of working out, the scale was nice to me and I didn't have to smash it.

And now, for my newest addition and the reason behind the title of this post. My treat to myself for successfully KICKING ASPHALT! It's hard to see in this picture, but there are little purple stars all around the foot symbol.

So, I'm off to Michigan tomorrow. Hopefully I'll be able to sneak away to check in at some point...Have a good week!

Blogging From Bed

So my cold turned into the flu on Sunday. I was up all night puking and was home in bed miserable yesterday. I am even staying home today because I'm still not feeling great and everything on me hurts. Why does the flu have to hurt? Ugh. Anyway, I'm starting to think this is a blessing in disguise. A lot running club runners who ran the marathon are in bad shape and injured. I know if I wasn't sick I'd be out there running, or trying to, so I'm thinking it's a good thing that I'm giving my body the time it needs to recover. We're heading to Michigan for our holiday visit on Thursday and I'm hoping Andy doesn't come down with this right as we get on the plane. *fingers crossed*

I would normally run while we're out there, but I might just take it easy and gear up for Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge which starts on Monday. Check this out, it will be a fun competition to keep us on track through a month filled with cookies and cocktails!