It's a Numbers Game

MONDAY: Every year, my bosses (Trisha & Judy of RE/MAX Associates) host their annual Community Easter Egg Hunt the Saturday before Easter. And 9 out of the last 10 years, I have stuffed said eggs for this event. This year was no exception. 1500 Easter Eggs have been stuffed with chocolate eggs, tootsie rolls, jelly beans, and Mike & Ikes! :0) Even when I am dieting, and am resisting the urge to eat the candy, I absolutely love this project!!! I love all the beautiful colors and the sweet fragrance! MMMMMMMMMMM....







On Monday I made good food choices, and I ran 3 miles, then did 30 minutes of cardio on the treadmill, and then 30 minutes of circuit training.

TUESDAY: This was a Tuesday that I didn't have to work, which meant I could do my run in the morning...all so I could do Zumba at night. But sometimes, real fun calls, and I answer the phone. ;0) It's no secret how much I adore my sister Jenni. The unfortunate part about our relationship (for me, at least) is that we don't live next door to each other. :0( We are both busy girls, and we would get to see more of each other if we were neighbors. :0) Soooo, when the rare opportunity arrives when we are both available on the same day...at the same time...and we are both willing to meet somewhere in between the East County and the North County...I jump at the chance! On Tuesday we met at My Kids Clubhouse in Poway for a playdate...



After that, we joined my mom, and my brother-in-law (Shout-out to Desmon!) at the nearby Denny's. I knew we were going out to lunch after our morning adventure, and in an effort to stay true to my healthy eating plan, I packed a separate lunch for myself. It was extremely difficult to not eat the "Blueberry & White Chocolate Pancake Puppies" that were sitting at my table. And it was so tempting to sneak a french fry or ask to take a bite out of this...





But I didn't indulge...not a single bite! Instead, I ate my sack lunch, drank a diet coke, and then ran my 6 miles at the gym that night. And my efforts were GREATLY rewarded, because...

WEDNESDAY: I broke through my weight barrier that had been at a stand still for a couple of days! And not only did I break through it, but I crushed it! And more importantly, on the scale that day I achieved a milestone...I had lost 50+ pounds since I started this journey back in September. I had been so close to the 50 pound marker many times, but it just would never get there! But FINALLY it did! :0) And a success like that made it bearable to resist the beautiful breakfast and desserts that were offered at our Annual MOPS Tea Party.

I didn't eat the AMAZING breakfast casserole...



I didn't eat the tempting Cheesecake Pops (and oh were they tempting!)...



I didn't eat the delicious cream puffs...



I didn't eat any of it...



I was strong on my diet all day, and then went to the gym and did an hour of cardio on the treadmill before volunteering at Awana that night.

THURSDAY: The previous morning's success on the scale was empowering, and the 50 pound achievement propelled my motivation immensely. I have the "eye of the tiger". I am focused. I still need to lose an additional 40+ pounds, and even though 40 pounds is a considerable amount of weight, my goal seems attainable now. I am over the hump, and the scary numbers are far enough off into the distance that if I should blow my diet one day (or even a week) I won't be in danger of seeing those numbers again on the scale.

On Thursday, I wasn't able to hit the gym in the morning...I had a sugar cookie order due...12 Mickey & Minnie themed cookies...











But in the evening, I went to the gym and completed my 3 mile run, 20 additional minutes of cardio on the treadmill, and then an hour of Zumba.

FRIDAY: I worked in the office in the morning, so no morning workout for me. But after work, and after we completed school, went grocery shopping for the week, and had dinner, I headed to the gym. Friday's are my rest day from the run, so I planned to cardio-it-up big time on the treadmill. I powered through the first hour, and then planned to do another 30 minutes. But after 72 minutes on the treadmill my left knee started bugging a bit, and the inside portion of my left ankle was feeling interesting. My first thought was, "SHUT UP! Just get get through it!" But then I remembered how all of my marathon training books went on and on about "Listening to your body." So, I did. I was running my 2nd half marathon the next day, and I had no business stressing my body out before the run. I hopped off the treadmill, and then did 30 minutes of upper body circuits. At this point in the marathon training, I really should be completely resting my body the day before a long run. So new rule: If I am too busy or have to work in the office on the morning before a long run, then there is no working out in the evening. It's a morning workout or no workout at all...must.rest.my.body.for.24.hours.before.a.long.run.

SATURDAY: In my previous blog post I went on and on about how I love running outside. I said how I loved listening to music instead of watching the TV on a treadmill, how I loved feeling the sun on my skin, and how I loved the time I get to spend just thinking. But like almost anything in life, as soon as I declare something publicly, it comes back to bite me in the rear. I was SO looking forward to my 13 mile run...outside...around my neighborhood. That is, until I was 1 minute away from heading out the door, and I realized my iPod was out of juice! :0( I forgot to charge it! As Napoleon Dynamite would say, "Idiot!"

Believe it or not, my first thought was, "well then the run is off." If the run wasn't going to be just as I had imagined it in my mind, then I wasn't going to do it. But then I shook myself out of lala-land, and hit the pavement. I was doing the run, and it was just going to be me and my personal thoughts that I supposedly treasured so dearly.

It turns out...I don't have that many interesting thoughts. :0( And the sun shining on my skin!? There was NO sun! It was a gloomy morning, and instead of the sun shining on my skin, I had the occasional rain drizzle falling on my skin. And even worse than that...was I had fear. Because I didn't have music in my ears, and melodies distracting my thoughts, I could hear everything. Ev.ery.thing. Every time I would hear a crackle sound in the pavement, I would turn around to see if someone was following me. And even when I realized that no one was following me, my thoughts took my fear to greater depths. Several months ago there was a police/news report about 2 men driving in a large white passenger van who would stalk female runners in my area (but not in my immediate neighborhood) and on 1 occasion the men attempted to take one of their prey...but were unsuccessful when the woman fled their grasp. And on this Saturday, every time I saw a white passenger van (and you wouldn't believe how many there were!!...It's Saturday..."everyone" is taking their white passenger vans out to go to the garage sales) my head and my heart were gripped with fear. I would stare down the driver and passenger...just so I could then identify them in a line-up...which I KNEW would be necessary. I would then take a mental picture of the license plate, so I could report the information to the C.S.I. Unit that would be necessary for the case. I was all drama in my head.

I missed the simplicity of Taylor Swift singing sweetly into my ear buds, LOL.

But after a couple of laps around my neighborhood, I was in running-mode. I focused less on the fear, and more on "How am I going to make it up this hill?" I completed my 2nd Half Marathon (13.1 miles) in 2 hours and 26 minutes...about 4 minutes slower than my first and official Half Marathon about 2 weeks ago.

After a long run, I am starving the remainder of the day, and I usually feel the need to indulge in everything that crosses my path. But on this Saturday, I was hungry, and I did eat when I was hungry, but I chose to eat healthy things, and more importantly I resisted my most recent weight gain trap...



SUNDAY: We went to church in the morning, then I did an hour of cardio on the treadmill, and then I rested the remainder of the day. It was nice. :0)

So here are some more numbers...

* 5.5 is my total weight loss for the week.

* 53 is the total pounds I have lost since September 11, 2010.

* 4 is the number of inches I have lost in my right thigh (I'm assuming my left thigh would report the same info, LOL) since October 31, 2010 (I sure wish I would have taken my starting measurements back on September 11th)

* 3.5 is the number of inches I have lost in my chest since October 31, 2010.

* 6 is the number of inches I have lost in my waist since October 31, 2010.

* 4.5 is the number of inches I have lost in my hips since October 31, 2010.

* 291 is the number of miles I have ran for my marathon training.

* 10 is the number of weeks we have left until the big race! :0)