A Time of Refelection

It seems as though the marathon training had hit a plateau. In the previous 5 weeks (on our long runs) I had ran 10 miles, 13 miles, 12 miles, 13 miles, and then 10 miles again. It all seemed so familiar. But this weekend we had to progress a bit. We launched ourselves to a 15 mile run! And even though it was only a progression of 2 miles on my longest distance I had previously achieved, it felt big. I had great excitement, and some anxiety about the run. The combination of those 2 emotions are thrilling! It had been 4 weeks since I felt those same butterflies (before the half marathon).

The Friday before the big run, I gave carb-loading my best shot, LOL!





Now keep in mind, I have done a lot of research about marathon training...I know the difference between "good carbs" and "bad carbs". My whole-grain spaghetti lunch above is a fuel-rich-meal...where as the giant slice of chocolate cake is empty and mostly useless carbs. But when you are (supposed to be) dieting, but have the green light to eat carbohydrates, AND you are at a birthday party where someone places a piece of cake in front of you...you are gonna eat (most of) it...at least I did!

With the progression of these runs, I am starting to have scheduling conflicts. :0( Rick only has every-other weekend off...and now my runs exceed the time limit (2 hours) that I can have the kiddos in the childcare at the gym. For the remaining 8 weeks, 2 of them I am going to have to rely on grandparents to watch the kids, and on the actual marathon itself, I have a dear friend of the family (shout out to Grammy Barb!) that will be caring for the kids.

When I signed up for this marathon, I IGNORANTLY went into it thinking it was a personal decision I was making for myself. I was going to be the one running it...it would only affect me. I have literally never been more wrong about anything in my entire life. This marathon is not just about casually running through your neighborhood!

I have spent SO MUCH MORE money than I ever expected...more than just the fee of the marathon itself. I bought a gym membership, 2 pairs of shoes, and other clothing/accessories. Some of these expenses were covered by gift cards for my birthday, but we had to budget for the rest...and God has been faithful to provide. :0)

I never thought this decision would inconvenience my husband...but on his days off, or even on the days that he is not off...but feels awake enough to watch the kids so I can go run outside, he has sacrificially put his desires aside so I can accomplish this goal. He has been supportive, encouraging, and has never made me feel bad or guilty for making this decision that most definitely affects him also.

I knew the marathon training would shake up our schedule a bit, but I never thought the kids would be affected as much as they have!!! But by the grace of Our Lord, it has only been for good! While the gym is supposed to be a cool thing for me, I had much anxiety about putting my kids in the childcare while I worked out. For as long as we have been parents, Rick and I have taken care of our children. We have never put them in a daycare, a pre-school, we have elected to home school our children, and only on 2 occasions have we hired a non-family member to babysit our children. This has been my greatest mental obstacle in this marathon process. Fortunately, my children (especially Beatrice!) LOVE the childcare program at the YMCA. They ask to go. God is so good to have made that a seamless transition. But in addition to the gym situation, is all the running in general...all that running equals time away from the kiddos. Some days its nice to have a break, and other days I feel guilty for spending that time away from them. Especially as these runs get longer.

This was not a personal decision. It turns out, this was a decision I had made for my whole family.

Anyway, not sure why I got side-tracked. Oh that's right...Saturday's run...I had 2 obstacles...Rick had to work, so he couldn't watch the kids...AND, Wyatt's drum class is at 11:15am on Saturday mornings...so no matter the distance of the run, I need to be done in time to take him to that.

It turns out that my step-mom was able to watch the kids this weekend, and since it's less than 5 minutes from their house, my dad and I did our 15 mile run at Lake Miramar.



The location of this run increased my anxiety. My dad and I have only ran together on two occasions. On both occasions we ran at Lake Miramar...and on both occasions we did not complete the runs without issue. The first time we ran together it was just a 5 mile run. My dad and I had independent seamless runs up until this point, but on this day, my dad was having heart rate issues, and we had to stop multiple times for him to catch his breath and re-group. We completed the 5 miles that day, but I did not feel good about it. The second occasion was the Saturday we were supposed to run 7 miles, and I had gotten sick the night before. I decided to do the run despite not feeling well, and the experience was a complete failure! Lake Miramar has been a mental block for me since. I have had zero interest in going back.

But none-the-less, that is the location that was most convenient, and we set out at 7am...





Just a couple of miles into the run, we met up with my sister Jenni.



She had started at 6:30am, and was running in the opposite direction from us. She finds the run to be easier if she runs the course backwards. I'm telling you, this marathon journey is every bit as mental as it is physical...you do what you gotta do!!!

After we exchanged "hello's" (and a QUICK snapshot, lol) we were off running again! It was incredibly cold outside, but felt great! I felt like I was icing my knees during the run so I wouldn't have to do it post-run, LOL! (That was not the case.)

My dad and I run at the same pace, and although we are listening to our individual ipods, it's still nice to have him by my side...bumping fists at each of the mile markers.

I felt strong. I felt fast.

But it wouldn't be a "Dad & Cheech run at Lake Miramar" without imperfection. :0( At mile 8 my dad was in great discomfort. His hip flexor had been an issue all week, and it was wreaking havoc on him during our run. In addition to that, he was wearing new shoes, and he was getting crazy blisters (which I saw post-race) on his feet. He ran an additional mile, but at the 9 mile marker he had to call it quits. :0( Lake Miramar is a 5 mile loop, so at the 9 mile marker, he still had to walk 1 mile to the truck. He told me to go on ahead, and I did.

I was concerned for my dad, but I stayed focused. I was able to pass my sister a few more times (which was GREAT fun and excitement) and I took in God's beautiful creation..



During those final (solo) 6 miles, I kept contemplating how far I have come, and how much farther I still have to go. Both sides of the coin are CRAZY to think about. On that day I had to run around the lake 3 times, and in just 5-1/2 weeks (2 weeks before the marathon) I will need to run 4 laps around the lake...20 miles. That's insanity! ;0)

After all of my pondering of different scenarios, I eventually made it back to the "Start"...also known as the "Finish"!!!



I was elated. I was on a high. I ran the entire 15 miles in 2 hours and 32 minutes. That's an incredible time for me! Considering that I ran the half marathon (13 miles) in 2 hours 22 minutes, this was like flying...I was shocked with my timing! :0)

The high lasted for a quite awhile, and then the physical exhaustion eventually set in. I was pretty sore by the end of the day. I napped when the kids napped, and iced my knees a couple of times.

But by Sunday, I felt 98% normal, and hit the gym for an hour of cardio.

Things increase again this week. I have a 4 mile, an 8 mile (that I have to do on a treadmill, booooo!), another 4 mile, and then a 16 mile run this weekend. The thought of these runs are exciting and tiring all at the same time. :0)

Guest Blogger Follow-Up

I wanted to take a moment to let you all know how Medifast went. As a reminder you eat 5 of their "meals" a day, and then 1 lean and green meal a day that you provide. The first week was GREAT!!! I had way more energy, and even though I was hungry, I was still motivated to keep going and NOT cheat. Because this is the "chubby diary" it's all about the numbers, right?!?! First week I lost 7 lbs.!!! Week 2...still had lot's of energy, but the food was getting boring. We were hosting a Superbowl party at the end of the week and all I could think about was CHEATING. So, after 2 weeks of dedication to Medifast, and dreaming about all the yummy foods I would eat on Superbowl Sunday, I took a day off of Medifast and ate the party treats. Unfortunately, prior to my cheat day I had only lost 1 lb. for the week, and when I weighed myself the following Monday morning, I had gained 2 lbs. :( Even though it was nice to take a break from the diet food, I must admit that the pancakes, guacamole, pizza, etc. that I ate on Sunday didn't taste nearly as good as I thought they would...I knew I was cheating, and not really changing my habits that got me fat in the first place. My Grandma used to have a magnet that read "Nothing tastes as good as being thin feels"...it's SO true! Week 3...I spent the first 3 days losing the 2 lbs, and then lost another 5 lbs. woohoo!!! Week 4...was AWFUL!!!!!! Hungry was an understatement! All I could think about was food. I was short with my kids, husband, co-workers, family, didn't answer my phone for friends or family. I wanted to grab a box of cereal and some milk and hide in the closet. I hated that I was fat and even had to lose weight, I was going through some serious mental head games...aaaaand the scale was doing nothing for my motivation, I only lost 1lb. Come to find out that also during week 4 I was PMSing...so that was no help. My grand total weight loss on Medifast in 4 weeks was 14lbs.! Not bad at all. :) It's been about 6 weeks since I stopped Medifast, and here's my take...It's a great plan! Since being on it I no longer crave sugar, soda, or fast food. I have kept the weight off, and would ABSOLUTELY do Medifast again (and probably will very soon).

Jenni

Keeping Up with THIS Kardashian!

When you are a family that has "Basic Cable", one of the cool things about going to the gym, is walking on a treadmill and browsing through their 500 channels! I have reconnected with my love of "Food Network", and "A Baby Story" (cry EVERY time!). And in the last 5 +/- months I have been introduced for the first time to "Cake Boss", "DC Cupcakes", Joan River's "Fashion Police", and on 2 occasions I have been at the gym when "The Kardashian's" were on! I knoooooow this show adds nothing positive (or negative) to my life, but certainly it is entertaining. This family is extreme, but the connection between the 3 sisters and their mother, on many levels, reminds me of my own relationships with my 2 sisters and our mother. Within 24 hours of watching this show, I had seen the invitation for my sister Jenni's Mother-In-Law's Hollywood-Themed-50th-Birthday-Party (did you follow that?). Even though I wasn't initially invited, I knew that I had to be at that party...and that I wanted to go as Kim Kardashian! (Ummmm...who wouldn't want to look like her for a night!?)

Within a few days I had gotten my "clearance" to go to the party, and I was on Cloud 9! Like Kim (becuase I know her so well, LOL) I love a good party! Jenni's in-laws have a BEAUTIFUL home, and they know how to have a good time!

Within a few days, I was doubting my ability to be Kim K., and instead I switched my costume to "Snookie" from Jersey Shore (never seen it, but if a girl that never has time to listen to the radio, and only has basic cable has heard of "Snookie", I was certain that the other party guests would recognize the costume.)

I later found out that another (important) guest was going to be Snookie, and even I assumed that 1 Snookie at a party was 1 too many! ;0) Snookie was out, and Kim Kardashian was back as the front runner!

I had been working hard in the gym, and had been dedicated to my diet in the weeks leading up to this party. However, in the most previous week, I had not been so strict on my diet. I had enjoyed my final Meatball Pepperoni Sub at Subway before it left the $5 Dollar menu come April, and I had indulged in a large piece of my mom's German Chocolate Cake with the Coconut frosting 100% from scratch...best dessert you have EVER tasted! I was feeling like Kim Kardashian was fleeing from my veins and Ricky Lake was knocking on my door! :0/

But even with all of my eating, my weight gain wasn't too detrimental, and I stayed true to Kim Kardashian!





I had so much fun playing the part. I talked trash about my ex-boyfriend "Jerry Busch" (sorry I forgot your name "Reggie Busch"!), I loved owning my own clothing store "Dash" for the night, and it was fun explaining why my sisters Kourtney & Kloe couldn't be with me that night. ;0) My sister Jenni, and my brother-in-law (shout out to Desmon!) picked me up for the party (Kim prefers to be chauffeured, LOL!), and when we arrived, I got to walk a red carpet with my peeps and have our picture taken by the "TMZ Paparazzi" out in front of the party house. We didn't take any photos of our own during that moment (becuase we are dumb???), but here are some pictures of Kim getting her party on with her close friends (ahem, relatives) Lady Gaga, and Superbowl Champ Aaron Rodgers!





This isn't the best picture of Kim, but Lady Gaga was FUN-NY on the dance floor, and it's just too good not to post!



We had a wonderful evening getting our dance on with a cool DJ, and enjoying AMAZING eats! They had tray passed horse-devours, and then we were served Paella (a Spanish dish) that was cooked right in front of us, with a delicious salad, and bread.







For dessert, the birthday girl (a.k.a. Katie Perry) cut into "The Motherload" cake from Claim Jumper. I have always wanted to try this rich chocolaty cake, and it was IN.CRED.IBLE!





Here are some more/better pictures of Lady Gaga and her "Poker Face" (she cracks me up!)...







And Kim Kardashian being escorted home after a fun night...



SO glad I wasn't too bashful to invite myself! :0)

I ran to my mom's house and back.

This week in our training, our long run took a step backward...I LOVE those weeks! ;0) The past 3 weeks have been 13 miles, 12 miles, and then another 13 miles. In the training's defense I was only supposed to run 7 miles on that first run I just mentioned, but that was the week of the half-marathon at Safari Park.

This week, we just had a 10 mile run! Who knew 10 miles would seem like a short distance!? :0)

Over the past week during our mid-week runs, I got to thinking how fun it would be to switch things up again. Take my outdoor running to a new level. Branch out from the 3 mile loop around my neighborhood. I wanted to run to a destination. The first place I thought of was my mom's house. The path doesn't involve the freeway, and it takes us about 10 minutes in the car to get to her house on Mt. Helix.

I estimated that it was about 10 miles from my house to her house. As I envisioned this run, I figured that once I got to her house, I could chillax...she could pour me a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice and then get some pancake batter on the griddle. We could chat for a few minutes, talk about how great life is, and then she could shuttle me back to my house. Minus running up the side of a mountain, this run sounded wonderful! ;0)

But once I snapped back into reality, I knew I needed to turn my "estimation" into "fact". I drove the distance from my house to my mom's house to track the mileage. No surprise...I was WAY off, LOL!

It turns out that my mom only lives 4.5 miles from my house...which is kind of cool to realize, but it crushes my "dream run". :0(

New plan: Run from my house to her house, literally give her a high-five as I'm passing by, run back to my house, and then do the smaller one mile loop around my neighborhood to equal the 10 miles needed.

This week I had my iTouch charged, and the only head-tripping incident that occurred was getting the GU down. I bought my GU this week at "Big 5", and they didn't have my new best of the worst flavor "Mandarin Orange." Instead they only had the vanilla and tri-berry. I bought them. But I am having the hardest time getting the vanilla down. :0( To empty the packet it takes about 6 good-size gulps. And each gulp equaled gagging. And this week brought with it a belch on two of the gagging incidents...I was SO SURE it was all gonna come back up! But it didn't. Whew. (wiping brow)

I set out at 7:55am. Usually my 3 mile loop starts out with a downhill path, but this week I was going in the opposite direction which meant I was starting out with an uphill run. :0( Within 5 seconds I was already contemplating walking, LOL! But I didn't. After a while I got warmed up, and as I exited my neighborhood, I hit the busy street of Avocado BLVD. I have driven this road every.single.day. for the last 8 years+ and yet running it is totally different than driving it. I never noticed how loooooong the street was...and I'm guessing it felt long, becuase I had also never noticed that this long street is pretty much at a significant incline the entire time. :0( I had psyched myself up for the crazy run up the mountain when I reached that point in my journey, but I hadn't mentally prepared myself for the challenge of Avocado BLVD. I just kept telling myself that "incline" equaled calories burned, and that since I was going to be Kim Kardashian that night, calories burned was in my favor!

I eventually turned on to Fuerte Rd, and met my mountain...



The good news is, it was every bit as difficult as I imagined it would be...but no more than what I had imagined. I was able to conquer it...just one foot in front of the other. Do.not.stop.running. The scariest part was...



I had to bring my "A"-game. There was no room for error. I only had 12 inches in between the white traffic line to my left and the steep rocky ditch to my left. I couldn't allow myself to get lost in my thoughts.

It was a great run, and by the time I made it up to my mom's I felt accomplished. I realize most people don't live just 4.5 miles away from their parent's house, but it was still neat for me to say that "I ran all the way to my mom's house." The cloud cover was intact, but it's still a gorgeous view from Mt. Helix...



When I arrived at my mom's house the reality of our visit was a blend of my 2 previous ideas of what that moment would entail. I definitely wasn't staying for breakfast and a 30 minute chit-chat, but nor did I blow past her on her driveway. I did something I never do on my long runs. I stopped. :0) I went in, had a SHORT 5-10 minute visit, admired the treats that were coming out of her oven (she made these cupcakes!!!...)



...I used the facilities, and then I was off again! Lucky for me, all of the mountains and hills I had to run up on the way to her house, I got to run down on my way home.

This really was a fun experience!

Just Beachy

I have been waiting for and craving a solid a beach day!!! My schedule is usually pretty packed, and the weather isn't always sunny during this season...but this week afforded the opportunity for some chill time, and GORGEOUS HOT DAYS!

Now that my figure is slimming down, adventures in the water are a lot more appealing.

Don't get me wrong, I have never let my "chubbiness" stop me from bringing the kids to our community pool. Nor have I hesitated in packing up our gear and heading to the beach when the moment presented itself. However, in the midst of looking forward to an afternoon in the sun, I would ponder how much I did not want to have to wear a bathing suit in front of others in that size.

And again, I must state, I'm not delusional. I know I'm currently not thin. I know I have quite a bit more weight to lose. BUT, I am greatly improved. :0) And with that comes the confidence to wear a bathing suit at the beach without something covering it.

And what was equally as fun as rocking the suit, was buying it! :0) This is usually a dreaded feat. In the past, I first had to find (a minimal) selection of suits that actually fit. And then I had to narrow those suits down to "the best of the worst". And even then, I would feel most comfortable wearing clothes over my suit until the very last minute that I was about ready to enter the water.

My new suit is still modest, and I will not be posting swim suit pics on my blog, but as soon as I got to the beach I took off my cover-up-dress and sported the suit for the next 4+ hours. Little milestones.

We spent the day with Katie's family. The kiddos played perfectly together!

The boys kept ruffing each other up while playing "King of the Mountain" with pool noodles on the huge mound of sand at the lifeguard tower.

The girls were perfectly content to build sandcastles, snack with their mamas, and jump over the mini-waves. :0)

I got to lay out and catch a few rays that were imperative to my Kim Kardashian costume. ;0) I rode a few solid waves on the boogie board, and Katie and I were able to have great conversation that didn't involve the use of our cell phones...so foreign, LOL! :0)

The day was perfect.

(Until that night when Wyatt vomited in our van, and 3+ days later I'm still trying to get the smell out...GAG! Thursday offered me the highest high, and the lowest low, LOL!)



Before...


After...

Guest Blogger #2

Hi, my name is Anna F. and I'm a compulsive eater. Food and I have a very dysfunctional relationship! I need food to survive, however, I over indulge in any situation that offers food. I'm an emotional eater...happy :0), sad :0( or whenever I act (because it is just that...an "act" aka procrastinating on chores) bored I'll eat.

I joined the wave of friends and family losing weight at the end of October. People have been doing it for decades but for me, this is a NEW experience! I'm 31 years old and have still been carrying the weight of my 3 pregnancies...dating back a whole 7 1/2 years ago! I never lost the weight before the next pregnancy so it was weight piling up and piling up (to be exact...piling up on my butt, boobs, hips, arms, face...OK, easier yet...where ever fat cells live! lol). After our youngest Nathan (who is now 4 1/2 yrs), was born with heart and liver failure at birth and spent the first 5 weeks in the NICU and then in and out of the hospital up until age 2, I turned to food for comfort like I had never done before. By then for sure it was truly a habit and my body craved the sugar, caffeine, carbs, salt, etc. I was officially an addict of junk food! Nathan has done a remarkable job in the last 18 months and for the 1st time in the last 6 years (because again, I was prego so I was eating for two during those 6 years...but I think more like eating for 5 at a time! lol), I feel like I can let down some of my guards, I am NOT having anymore babies ;0) and I can actually squeeze in some time for myself. Ideally, that "me time" would be spent getting a mani/pedi, getting my hair did or getting a full body massage...BUT NOPE, my reality of "me time" is at the YMCA where childcare is included in my membership price. Hahahaha...

At first it was my mentality starting to change. Logically, I knew that if I wanted a good quality of life when my grandkids are born one day, then I couldn't keep going down my destructive path of eating like a mad woman. In 1 week I had seen 3 VERY obese people in electric wheelchairs and who knows why they were initially in need of those chairs but I kept picturing myself in one of those chairs in 10-15 yrs (at most) because I was so large that I couldn't comfortably walk. I didn't and don't want that lifestyle for myself or my family. My oh so loving and kind Uncle Marc passed away in Sept 2010. He died from cancer...this particular cancer that could have been prevented had he never been a smoker (I am in no way trying to be insensitive, it's just a fact). More and more real life situations were happening all around me (some were of my own) that had a background of people (and me) getting to a point (good or bad) of rewards or consequences based on their choices in life. I have/had let Nathan's health and delays dictate my moods and self medicate with food. After a couple of months of brewing on the idea of making a lifestyle change, I did it. I ACTUALLY DID IT!!! I realized I wasn't helping Nathan in any way, shape or form by eating that way. I realized that my guilt of thinking that if I only focus on Nathan (all my kids really) and not at all on myself, then I was being a "good" and "loving" mommy because I was putting them first. My problem and crazy mentality was, I was doing the opposite! They are young so they DO come first in MANY components of my day BUT not to the point of sacrificing my health.

Since October 2010 I have lost 23 lbs, and have gone down 2 pants sizes. I follow (not strictly) the Weight Watchers program, work out 3-4 times a week and follow my best tip...not eating past 7 p.m. (but try not to eat past 6 p.m. since I go to bed earlier lately). Even on my best days/week I lose weight S-U-P-E-R slow but my body is also forgiving if I have a bbq pulled pork sandwich and fries at Chili's the night before. ;0) I enjoy good food so I am learning moderation and not depriving myself of the "extras" that I do want to enjoy...just not at every meal or between meals for that matter.

I must humbly say that I have a LOOOOOONG road of weight loss ahead of me...but seriously, it's just 1 day at a time. I have to put blinders on and remind myself that this is my journey and do not get discouraged (easier said than done!) by the speedier (is that even a word?! lol) weight loss of others around me.

-Anna (the FAVORITE sister of Elizabeth)

P.S. These are my favorite 100 Calorie Snacks...

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)