runners runners everywhere!

Well, I am officially a c25k graduate...a couple weeks ago, technically, but nevertheless, just now posting about it!  I have said it before, but I still truly can't believe I can now run 3 miles in just over 30 minutes!

Just two months ago, I thought I may die when I was running for 60 seconds.  I must say, almost as much as the running itself feels awesome, the even better part is that somehow I am inspiring other to join in too??  I think what's the most baffling and humbling of that is I was so out of shape, the LAST person to want to exercise, and certainly never one to enjoy it....but maybe that's why people have been encouraged by me?  Who knows. Anyway, it truly warms my heart and makes me excited to know at least 3 or 4 people I know are now starting c25k too or are in the process since I have started.  All I have to say is, If I can do it....YOU CAN TOO!  Get moving! :)  Looking forward to running with some of you at the Race for the Cure in October!

I think I will start the Bridge to 10k tomorrow.  What do I have to lose, right?

Oh...and Matt got picked in the lotto so he has a spot in the half marathon in January.  Go Matt!! :)

Let's....Go to....The Mooovies...

Let's go see....the Staaaa-aaarss!

If you haven't heard...Cars 2 comes out on Friday.  We have been talking about this in our house for months now...with the promise that a certain little 3 yr old would get to go on a date by himself with mommy and daddy for his first trip to the "movie center."  Gotta find time for Grammy and popsie to watch Markey so we can go to the movies!  I must say, I am quite excited.  The last movie Matt and I saw in the theatre was Couples Retreat the week before Mark was born.  It's about darn time to go again! ;-)

Anyone have tips for the first time you take your kiddo the movies??

Happy Father's Day!

Hope everyone had a wonderful father's day with their dads, hubbies, sons, father in laws, etc!!

Matt had his dream day....golf with his sons....

I love my friends

sometimes they just really make me smile and it reminds me how blessed I am to have such a great group of women in my life.  we are all different and unique, but we truly LOVE each other, quirkiness and all...and that is pretty cool. 

we had book club last night, more people didn't read the book than did (oops...we used to be SO much better!).  Life has gotten busy as we have all become wives and mothers, etc.  We so very are thankful to our husbands or siblings or parents who watch our children so we can get together one night a month to just be together.  As much as I love all of our children, it is nice to be able to actually hold a conversation with one another without a million interruptions and distractions. 

We support each other, encourage each other, listen, advise, hug cry, and laugh.  Such a special bond!  Love you friends!!!  You are the sisters I never had

And make NKOTB shirts for concerts...good times ladies, good times!  :)

rise and shine

I guess posting it on the blog does make me a little more accountable.  I stumbled out of bed for my 30 minute run and was home the same time I normally am crawling out of bed.  Not too bad.  Was a little nervous being out in the dark, but I saw one other person and a few cars...had my cell phone in case of a crazy! :)

Got me to thinking, this isn't so bad!  I have had more energy than I think I normally do during the day.  Workout is over.  It is DEFINITELY less hot.  And now I won't have to worry about leaving the boys for an hour at night to get it done.  May have to try this out again.

So I am coming to the end of my c25k program.  Am finishing week 8 tomorrow out of the 9 weeks.  I really want to find a race to do to commemorate but there are not too many options.  In my hunting around today....I found there is a 1/2 marathon at the end of October....would I be crazy to try??  I have been pestering my friend Jenny about it today, to see if she thinks I could be ready by then.  I have found a 12 week training program.  If I started that at the beginning of August, 12 weeks would get me to the race.  Would I be ready??  I really didn't think I would be running 3.1 miles in 9 weeks....so maybe I could be running 13.1 miles in 12 weeks?

Any advice on taking the plunge to try a half?  I would love to be one of those cool people driving around with a "13.1" sticker on my car :)

in the morning

worked late, had to go to grocery store for food, missed the boys a lot, said youngest child has extreme separation anxiety these days= first missed tuesday workout in 9 weeks (except for bon jovi night)

think I will call it a night and maybe, JUST MAYBE, get up and run in the morning...my head needs it! :)

They say Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery...

7 years

Happy Anniversary to my hubby....my best friend, great daddy, wonderful husband....we may not be perfect but we are perfect for each other! :)

Couldn't ask for a better person to go through this journey called life with.  You encourage me, challenge me, inspire me, and love me for who I am.

Love you so much honey, looking forward to many many more years to come!!

June 11, 2011

 June 12, 2004

I did it!!

8 weeks ago...the mere THOUGHT of running 3.1 miles at one time....without stopping...made me wince. There is NO way I could do that...I am "not a runner"!!  But I decided to give the couch to 5k program a try anyway.  If nothing else, for the first time I can remember, I would have a set exercise program and a goal to get there.  So, I dug out the running shoes I bought probably 6 years ago that had been worn MAYBE a handful of times, bought a couple new sports bras and shirts and downloaded some crazy app that was going to turn me into a runner...and off I went.

The first week you don't jog more than 60 seconds at a time, and that was actually very challenging.  You think to yourself, no WAY I can improve in 9 weeks to run for 30 minutes at a time!!  But each time, it felt a little better.  Matt showed me a path in our neighborhood that from our house to the opposite pool and back was 3.1 miles.  Sometimes I just do the time it takes to get it all done, sometimes I push it further to get in the mileage.  After recovering from memorial weekend I repeated 2 days to get back into the swing of things.  Before, I would have just given up.  But that bad run just made me more determined to get back into it.

Well, this morning....all dressed up in my new gear, I headed out for w8d1...the 28 minute run.  I put myself on course to do the 3.1 miles, even if I had to walk after the 28 minutes ended.  As the bell rang to indicate I survived completed the 28 minutes, I thought about walking the rest of the way home...and Eminem's Collapse came on...

'Cause sometimes you feel tired,

feel weak, and when you feel weak, you feel like you wanna just give up.

But you gotta search within you, you gotta find that inner strength

and just pull that $hit out of you and get that motivation to not give up

and not be a quitter, no matter how bad you wanna just fall flat on your face and collapse.

How can you quit when that comes on? ;-)  (another one of my push through songs is Brittany's Stronger...yeah, I am cool)  I felt good, and just kept going.  And I completed my first 5k.  

It wasn't on an official race, no fan fare, just me pumping my fists and grinning ear to ear in my neighborhood.  And I still can't believe I did it.  I love what it is doing for my health, my body, my energy, my relationship with my hubby (its encouraging him too and helps us both to be better!) and I find myself keeping up with my boys better.  

I am really excited about running my first race here soon.  I will probably cry when I cross the finish line.      I really hope this is just the beginning of my new relationship with exercise and running...and excited to see what else this old body can do!! :)

If you have EVER thought about learning to run, you can do it.  Give it a try, stick with it...and before you know it, you will be fist pumping in your neighborhood too!

Meal Planning

I usually cook about 3-4 times a week.  The other 3-4 nights we eat our leftovers and Fridays...well, that's pizza night!  I have a pretty good selection of go-to meals, but eventually, those get old too.

I got an email today from a Groupon type service and today's buy was 50% off a meal planning service.  It was about $20 for 6 months of the service.  Every Thursday you would get a list of meals that you could chose from.  After selecting your meals, you get a print out of the grocery list, recipe, etc. It is supposed to cut down on the guess work of meals, costs, time, etc.

Do you or anyone you know use this kind of service? Does it really help you with your grocery costs and meal planning?  I am kind of interested since it is only $20 but curious how it actually works!

If the Academy dressing rooms had video cameras....

they MAY have seen me do a happy dance in front of the mirror!

I popped in for some new running pants.  It is TOO.DANG.HOT. to be running in long pants in this Texas summer heat and as Zachary so nicely pointed out, the one pair of capris I have has a hole in them...in a not very good spot!

I bought 2 new pairs of pants and a couple of dry-fit shirts at the beginning of April when I started my exercising, both in XL.  I was happily suprised when today...I bought all Larges.  Yes, it is a BIG non-scale victory for me today people!! Perhaps Ill even grace you with a picture of me modeling new said L pants :)

Happy Friday everyone!

About the Boys

Mark, aka Markey:

beautiful big brown eyes

NO FEAR

obsessed loves matchbox cars :)

great sleeper

easy going go with the flow kinda fella

great independent player....very content to sit and play with ALL his cars

favorite books are Good Night Moon and Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb

favorite snack is goldfish

favorite show is Curious George

enjoys coloring

favorite dance move is spinning in circles till he falls over dizzy

infectious laugh!

ladies man...he loves to flirt and bat those big brown eyes!

can count to 20, knows his ABCs, loves to say his animal sounds, and sing tons of songs!

another favorite toy is the old cell phone....he has imaginary conversations all the time

a little fishie in the water

Esther(our dog) is one of his BEST buddies

loves to do what big brother does

TOTAL mommy's boy right now

learning to exert his...ahem....personality!

and still loves to snuggle with his mommy in his chair every night before bed <3

Zachary, aka The Z Man:

sweetest little freckled face evah

shy at first around new people and situations

obsessed loves matchbox cars :)

my happy early riser

favorite book is the A&M picture finding book

fav bedtime activity is watching basketball trick shots on Daddy's phone

favorite snack is superman fruit snacks

favorite show is Little Einsteins

enjoys play dough

favorite dance moves are splits, leaps, jumps, kicks, everything!!

has a memory like an elephant...if you say it, better be prepared to do it

can count and say his colors in spanish, recite the pledge, and sing tons of songs!

another favorite toy is ANY ball, this kid loves any and ALL sports!

can run super fast and loves to race...around the house, to the bathroom, to finish eating...

always wants to be the "winner"

equally loves mommy and daddy these days

loves his little brother, they are very good buds

enjoys racing around the house on his motorcycle, prob the longest lasting loved toy *thanks Simonds!*

LOVES hiding in his Cars tent with Mark and whatever else they can fit in it!!

and gives great hugs, kisses, and "I love yous" that can melt any heart

That was more for me than anyone else....I want to remember these times because I know before we know it, they will be gone! Love these boys!!

Comfort Food

Sometimes you just want some meat and potatoes after a hard day at work! ;-)

I found a ww recipe online for a meatloaf and decided to give it a try tonight!  I remember growing up and thinking meatloaf was yucky, but for some reason now that I am older....I like it??  Weird, I know.

It was super easy, I had all the ingredients on hand, and was very tasty.  Another success!!  I served it with some instant potatoes and brussel sprouts for 10.5 points (6pts-1/4 meatloaf, 3pts-1/2c potatoes, 1.5pt- brussel sprouts in butter sauce).  Delicious!

WW BBQ meatloaf
1lb 93/7% ground beef
1/3 seasoned bread crumbs
1/4c low fat shredded cheddar cheese
1/4c minced onion
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Sauce
2 Tbsp ketchup
2 tsp worcestershire sauce
2 tsp packed brown sugar
1 tsp spicy brown mustard

Mix all ingredients  for meatloaf together in a bowl, combine with hands.  Shape into a loaf (About 8x4) and place in a baking dish.  (It called for loaf pan but I didn't have one and this worked just fine).  Bake uncovered for 35 minutes @ 350 F.  Mix together sauce ingredients.  Cover meatloaf with sauce and bake another 5-7 minutes.  Let sit for about 10 minutes and then serve!

Hair Fashion

I had to post this link because over our Memorial Weekend trip...I was informed that feather hair extensions are the new "it" fashion accessory....Ladies, you failed to mention they are fish bait!!  I am SO glad I am not hip! ;-)

High fashion or bait? Fly ties now hair extensions

You say it's your birthday....

Well, it's my birthday too (on Sunday that is...taken me 3 days to finish the darn post...ahem)...

So Sunday I turned 33 (although when discussing it my husband the night before he argued that I was turning 34, LOL!)...I had a delightful day of church, lunch with dad, pedicure and grocery shopping alone!  (ahhhh...I think I heard angels singing as I walked the aisle in a NON-CAR cart NOT running over people, picking up and reading labels, etc...good times people, good times)  I have never been too bothered by age.  Perhaps because I am younger than most of my friends. heehee!  Having a summer birthday does have SOME advantages once you are past the 16, 18 and 21 milestones! :)

My friend Theresa shared a post on her blog this week by Pretty in Orange.  I have never read Angela's blog before but I enjoyed reading the post and some of her thoughts on getting older.  It started an email chain among my friends about how hip or not hip we are at our mid 30s, who felt old...and who didn't, what the young people who may babysit think of us, etc.  Generally speaking, I am not bothered by aging at all (except for when the checker at Kroger's when he saw my reusable A&M grocery bags asked if I had a son or daughter that goes to A&M....OUCH!)  But when not being carded for beer, being called ma'am, or other general things that prove I am not in my 20s anymore occur, I really don't care.  I guess having small children still, I just don't FEEL old.  I look at my friends who are in the later 30s or some of my younger co-workers and still think we are all about the same age. Maybe I am just oblivious in denial but I still feel young and always subscribe to the belief that you are only as young as you feel!!  :)  I am choosing to feel young still!!  40 is the new 30 and that's still a long way away!

So...tell me, do you feel old, feel your age?  Do birthdays bother you or do you agree with me...birthdays are like wine, they only get better with time!

*On a workout aside....I ran 2.7miles tonight in 30 minutes.  It is by far the best run I have had yet.  It may sound silly but I think I....dare I say it....I may have found that runner's high!!  Hoping for a loss tomorrow on the scale and that the good runs continue, even in the 95 degree heat! Time to wake up early instead??

Back in the saddle again....

That's what I have been singing to myself all this week!  After a long kid-less weekend of adult fun at the beach, a really crappy run on Tuesday after 4 days off, and gaining 0.8lbs this week, I am fully back on track.  Times before I would have let a small setback like that really get me down.  But not this time.  Celebrations and setbacks are just a part of life. And since I am not just "dieting" this time and really wanting to make a lifestyle change, I have to learn to get through weeks like this.

Am I bummed that I totally failed my run for the first time in nearly 7 weeks and that I had a gain this week?  Of course!!  But did I totally have a great weekend with my friends, managed to make some good choices in a house full of bad snacks and food, and ONLY gain 0.8lbs after 4 days at the beach and no exercising??  FOR SURE!!


I hope all of you out in bloggyland had a fabulous Memorial weekend.  I am thankful to my parents who watched the boys ALL WEEKEND and survived (although I don't think they will be beating down my door to babysit that long anytime again soon!).  We really are so lucky to have such great parents in our lives who give up their holiday weekend so we could have fun with our friends.  And of course thankful for all the men and women who serve in our military who allow us to enjoy all the freedoms we have!

We are working on de-programming the boys from their weekend away from home too.  Z seems to have recovered quickly (which the irony is not lost on since he was the more....challenging one shall we say??) but Mark is taking a bit longer.  My usually very easy going boy has been VERY clingy and a real bear to put to bed.  I am praying it is just a phase...please Lord just be a short phase! ;-)

And of course, a couple of recent pictures of the stinkers princes!!  Craziness and all, I sure did miss them after 3 nights away and was glad to have them back home in my arms! :)