Getting Ready

Its race week again!  I'm excited! Its a 5 miler and with my paces being so much better, I'm excited to see how well I can do.  I know I am far from getting any prizes, but I love (after the race) the feeling of accomplishment.  For some reason, during the race, I HATE running.  I think its the pressure.  Hopefully this time I will enjoy it a lot more because I'm running with friends.  We're making shirts and everything.  I always get jealous of the teams running with shirts encouraging each other along the way!  So I am SUPER excited this time to get to be part of a team!

Good run yesterday!  9:43 pace!  I love it.  Really, I don't set out hardly ever to get an amazing pace.  They seem to be just happening lately!  I should (after the race) try to run a 5k and see how fast I can do it.  Actually makes my stomach turn just thinking about it :)  I love to run with no pressure.  Just out there. Me and the road.  (and occasionally a running friend)  Being a mom of 2, it is a great escape!  After a long day, its nice to get out there and just put one foot in front of the other.  Yesterday was one of those days!  I could have run for a long long time.  The weather was amazing, the company was amazing and I just really enjoyed it! 

Today's workout consisted of The Biggest Loser's Cardio Max dvd.  I did level 1&2.  Bob and Jillian.  I have done this workout many times before, but I killed this one!  Did EVERYTHING!  Even a couple man pushups :)  It feels so good to get stronger and more in shape!  Esp after a disappointed 1lb loss last week. But last week was rough eating and workout wise.  I need to lose 5lbs in the next two weeks to hit a weight loss goal, and I am SUPER committed!  I REALLY want to do this!  Right now though I am the lowest I have seen the scale since before Wyatt was born.  Honestly, I never got on the scale.  I went by how my clothes fit, which is fine with me once I get to an acceptable weight again.  Anyway, feels good to be at this point and can't wait to hit my goal. 

Ok, I bored you enough!  Happy Week!!

Wow

I talked with a friend today a little bit about perspective.  In my life, its, don't complain about how much you don't like your house because, at least you have one, I live in a basement.  Don't complain about having to drive a minivan or a crummy car because at least you have 2.  I get to stay in my basement all day, every day with no car.  But I have to say to myself, at least I have a basement to live in...a roof over my head.  At least my kids are healthy and happy, they could be sick!  That perspective today came for me from here. 

What an amazing example this couple is!  An example of how to trust God in every circumstance.  I keep asking myself, would I have this same kind of faith! 

There is a lot of tragedy around us recently and it is easy to get overwhelmed and want to curl up in a blanket and cry, but our God is GREATER!!!  I read this yesterday and what a challenge, to "talk to your tears" Take a minute and read it!  Our God is GREATER, He can help you get up and take the next step and the next and the next!  Cody and his wife are missionaries to Haiti and have had to take a leave becuase of Susana's health.  But they returned for a small trip recently.  He wrote this on his blog the other day.

On one final note…We are in Haiti right now!  We came down yesterday to surprise the team that was scheduled to come.  They were totally surprised to see us greet them at the airport in Port au Prince.  We will be here for about 10 days.  We are still grieving and we will always be grieving to some degree, so it is better for us to grieve and still go.  We are sad, but we are not hopeless.  We hurt, but we are not paralyzed.  God is able to move us forward in His kingdom work even amidst our grief and pain.  We will take our grief and pain and allow the Lord to turn it into worship, sacrifice, and giving.  May He use us to continue to touch the lives of the broken.  And so, we press on knowing that He still has a plan for us to do while we are here on this earth.  God bless you.

 Today I am challenging myself to keep faith!  To continue building my faith in my Savior!  He is truly a strength and comfort!!

Well Hello There

We are finally all healthy!  Except for maybe a cough here and there, but feeling MUCH better!

I knew I had jinxed myself a few weeks ago when I said we had had a pretty healthy winter.  We were due.  Ha ha, wouldn't you know it, practically the next day Wyatt came down with a fever.  After a complete week we were at least healthy enough to go in public.  Yuck.  Stuck in a house (read: basement) for a whole week is not fun!

At least last week brought us some gorgeous weather and I could open the windows and let out any lingering germs and we could get outside and play play play, which we did with great joy!

Beautiful weather also allowed for amazing runs!  I got in 10 miles again last week!  Love that!  Once of which was 4.4 mi at a 9:05 pace! Holy cow yay for me!  The next day though (yes, stupid me went running less than 24 hours later) I went running with a friend I have been wanting to run with FOREVER!  I was so excited, I didn't even think about the toll my 9mi mile 4 mile run had on my body.  I proceeded to complain through the whole run. 

I felt like....well, you know.

So mad, I didn't even finish 3 miles.  I did force myself to do the hill in the park 2times.  30 sec between.  Should have been 5times, but I felt awful!

So that behind me I am looking forward to some great runs this week!  Hopefully the weather cooperates!

P.S. I also lost almost 4lbs last week!!!

Sick = MIA

This has been a sick sick week for our family.  My poor kids have been through the ringer.  Fever, stuffy, cough, runny noses, aches.  Full out flu!  I feel so bad for them.  I have also gotten a touch of it but not nearly as bad as them!  So that is the reason for being MIA.

The good news.  I've gotten in 10 miles this week thanks to my 5.3 mi freezing cold run today.  My lungs were NOT happy with me. But it feels good to have it done!

Ok, back to tending to my sickies!

Would This be Your Prayer?

I have never met this family but today I sat at my desk and cried many tears for their anguish and sat in amazement at their worship! 

And I ask myself, would this be my prayer? 

This only comes from knowing God, knowing His heart and trusting Him!

So I ask, would this be your prayer?

Please read Susanna's story here

New Shoes!!!

Mamma gotta new pair of shoes!!!  A beautiful pair!  A pair I am SO happy about!  You'd think with all this joy I would be talking about a beautiful pair of pumps.  But no...these are my new beautiful babies!

Brooks Adrenaline GTS11 Support Shoes!  Ran in them today and LOVE them.  I need to adjust the laces a bit because my baby toes kept falling asleep but other than that I LOVED them!  Nice and supportive, very cushy!  I couldn't feel the road and that was so nice!  

Good run today!  4.5mi in 41 minutes.  My brother in law keeps making fun of me that I am so shocked by my times, but literally, every time I get a great time, like today, I am just dumbfounded!  I never thought I would be running so fast.  SO great!  I could have gone farther (and I really wanted to...it was 48 degrees out!) but my toes were bothering me a little too much...so I cut it short.  My goal is to do a 7 mile run this week!  Just to bring up my distance again!  I haven't run that long since the half, so I'm excited to try it!

****side note, my poor little boy is pretty sick.  Can't tell what's wrong, other than a little cold or the flu.  He's been running a high fever, his throat is hurting him and he is starting to get a nasty cough.  He's miserable!  Poor kid!****

Weigh in

Bad news people.  I gained .8oz.  Not a negative.  A +.

Ugh!!  I HATE weeks like this!  Especially when it comes after working harder than I have been...didn't go over my calories (except Sunday) and worked HARDER!!  That is super irritating and super frustrating!!!

So, please tell me, what am I doing wrong?  And don't tell me I am gaining more muscle....because I should still be losing SOMETHING!  Ugh!

So, not cheat day for me this week.  Also, to make my mother happy, I have stopped drinking Diet Soda.  Haven't seen a change really, but hey, maybe something will help.  I have also stopped eating sugar.  If it is listed in the first 3 ingredients I am only allowed to have 15g and no desserts (maybe a small cheat here and there, but for now nothing)  A small detox if you will.

I did this to jump start my weight loss after losing nothing for MONTHS.  Hopefully it will work again!

I feel like I have better control these days.  Portion control, actual calorie count, etc. I'm not eating mindlessly anymore which is nice.  Its nice to be in control.

I had a nice run today with my friend Leah, just a quick 2.6 and I made her run fast.  Pretty sure she hates me :)  Another run is planned for tomorrow, I'm thinking 4-5 which should get me to my goal of 10mi this week and a little over! (as long as the weather plays nice).  So that will make 6 workouts this week.  3 days of running and 3 of some other cardio/strength training.  Using the other muscles!

If "you" have any words of advice I'd love to hear them....or words of encouragement would be nice too!  I just need some help!  I've gotta get rid of this weight!

Say What?

We all know kids say the darndest things right! 

Well, this is a conversation with Wy-man this morning....upon waking up at 5:15am!!

Me: "Wy, I want you to go get in bed with daddy and try to go back to sleep"

Wy: "Momma, I just don't have enough energy to go to sleep!"

Oh this child! 

Lovely quality of my phone camera!

*****I'd like to make this a regular type of post, so I'll start keeping a log of what he says (and they say) and hopefully bring some laughs to your day!****

Love/Hate

I have a Love/Hate relationship with Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels.

Hate - the during

Love- the after effect!

Today was the Biggest Loser Cardio Max, levels 1-2

Oy Vey

Bob says a phrase about season three's Pam. "Sweating like a man, Breathing like a man"

That was me! 

But its another one down!