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!