March Is Gone...Moving On Into April

March is over. We're now in April. I am happy to announce that I actually COMPLETED my March challenge. I logged every speck of food into MyFitnessPal. I was over on some days, under on some others, but I made a conscious effort to log in every day and keep track of it. It did make me more aware of what I was eating. Of course, not holding myself accountable to a certain number did not stop me from eating a ton of crap.

This month, my goal is to stay under 1600 calories every day. The good thing is, we don't have a lot of money to eat out or anything this month, so hopefully, I can keep this in check. It seems like this past month, no matter what I have eaten or how much I have run or moved around, I just can't seem to get the scale to budge. In fact, I feel enormous!

Oh, I almost forgot. I wanted to update everyone on the running. Jenni and I have been running every single Saturday...yay! Also, we have signed up for the Noteworthy 5K and Area 13.1. This means that I am in half marathon training mode...again. This time, I am in it to seriously PR. I want to do this half in under 3 hours. It's going to happen. I am following a training plan and with Jenni to keep me accountable on Saturdays for my long runs, there should be no issues. I don't forsee us going on vacation or anything like that this year and the Peachtree is right before. I'm excited!!!

Winning the Lottery

I imagine the title of this post is a little misleading. No, I did not win THE lottery. I did, however, win A lottery. Last week, I entered the lottery to be selected to run in the coveted Peachtree Road Race. It is a very famous race with 60,000 participant slots. Many of those slots are filled with previous racers and Atlanta Track Club members and then the rest are selected by a random lottery. After patiently waiting all week and weekend long, at 7 o'clock this morning I checked my gmail to find that I have been selected...I am running the Peachtree on July 4th, 2013 with 59,999 others! 

I will be running with several of my friends/running buddies. Our entries were actually all tied together in a team and our team was selected to run. I know that at the very least, my usual partner in running crime, Jessica, will be running with me. You may recognize her from such events as: The Hot Chocolate 5K, Area 13.1, and the Spooktacular Chase. In fact, she has run every race with me except the Noteworthy 5K and I am so grateful that she has. I look forward to many more runs with her!

Anyway, I just thought I'd pass on the news. My very first 10K will be one of the most coveted races in the Southeast!!

Jogging AND Logging

Today was a good day (once I was off from work). I arrived home and piddled around, helping Gabriel with his homework. Kindergarten homework...LOTS of it!! Thank goodness they are on spring break in a couple of weeks and they *hopefully* won't have any homework. Anyway, I printed off a few worksheets for the "family binder" that I am working on. It includes a weekly schedule sheet for activities/things to do and then some pages with menus and grocery lists. I already prepare menus and grocery lists, but it will be nice to have everything in one place. Plus, you can never go wrong with more organization or calendars!!

I had texted my friend, Jenni, yesterday to see if she wanted to run with me today. I was worried about the weather because it was pouring down rain on my way to work. I even passes a 5K going on and the people running looked miserable and soaked. We planned on running at 5pm and I was just certain that we would be rained out, but it stopped raining around 11am and it didn't start back up at all.

Jenni just had a baby in January, so now is the first time that she has been willing able to run with me postpartum. That being said, we did a run/walk combo. I think she did a great job for her first heavy exercise in almost a year. We ended up totaling two and a half miles in under an hour and I'm pretty sure that today was the start of weekly long runs for us for now on. She signed up for the Peachtree Road Race lottery with me and some other friends and she is planning on running the half with me in August, so we will need those long runs under our belts!

The Atlanta 5K in Paradise

So sorry! I have been so busy lately that sitting down to blog has just not been a possibility! I have been logging my food every single day this month and it is officially half over, so I'm doing GREAT with this "challenge."

Last Saturday, when the time changed, I ran the 5K in Paradise. It was sponsored by the same folks that brought us the fun race, The Anything is Possible 5K. Same(ish) course, same start time. I have to tell you, for some reason, running through time forward is a lot more tiring than running through time and gaining an hour! Of course, that could be because my friends and I decided to pass the time by playing Just Dance on the XBox Kinnect! It was so much fun and it was actually a great warm up for the race. I never had any problems with my legs or feet while I was running.

This time, the course was a repeated loop around the mall. That part wasn't so bad. The only things I would change about this race are: 1) the shirt. I love technical shirts and this one was a plain tee 2) the after-party was not as much fun as the last race and the food vendors were not as great.

Overall, it was a good race and I enjoyed running it. If I know these sponsors, it will be a great race in years to come!

I'm Still Logging...Wish I Was Jogging

Five days in to March and I'm still logging my food!!! I went a tiny bit over my calories yesterday, but I'm OK with that. I'm not letting the number on the scale which hasn't moved AT ALL bother me. I know it takes time for the body to start showing that change. In the meantime, I could really help myself out by getting in some stinkin exercise, but that just isn't happening right now.

I will, however, be running 3.1 miles on Saturday night/Sunday morning as the time "springs forward." This is race weekend. The 5K in Paradise is here!!! Yay!!! I really, really, REALLY love the course of this race. I have never run a better course and for that reason, I will continue to run these races for as long as they offer them!

The new job is going great. I am really starting to get the hang of the computer and the way they do things. I'm still just enjoying how laid back everything is!

Sorry that this post is both choppy and brief, but I am sleepy and cold. Time for a shower and bed!!

March Logging

I would like to start this post by saying, "Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!" His stories live on in the hearts of children and adults alike. I don't know a single person who doesn't enjoy a Seuss rhyme.

Now, on to other things. I'm really enjoying my new job. I still miss some of my old co-workers, but I don't dislike any of my new ones. They all seem to be good people. Also, it is a MUCH more laid back environment, so my stress level has dropped tremendously. I hope it continues to go well. I am very optimistic!

I did not accomplish my February goal of 20 Zumba workouts. I really didn't beat myself up over it. I had, as usual, a lot going on in my life and, yet again, working out went on the back burner. I did begin my March challenge of logging all food on MyFitnessPal yesterday and I am happy to report that I have continued to log even today! I have to say that logging all of my food again has caused me to be a little more accountable of what is going in my mouth and I have managed to stay under my calorie goal for the past two days. Perhaps this is the month that I will get back on track mentally and perhaps I will also lose some pounds along the way!

The 5K in Paradise is one week from today. I have run on the treadmill a couple of times and I have to say that I am REALLY out of shape and I am hoping and praying that I don't have a longer time than my last time on this course. I am hoping to get my act together soon because I want to repeat the half marathon again this August with proper training and hydration. I have to decide soon if I am up for it as registration has already begun and there are a limited number of spots open.

Work Week Over

I have just completed my first week of work at my new job. The computer system is Linux based rather than the Windows based system I am used to, but I am learning more on it every day that I'm there. The volume is a lot lower than I am used to (like that's a bad thing), but I feel a lot more appreciated and a lot less stressed (with the exception of trying to learn everything). So far, the people have all been patient and nice. I do still miss some of my old co-workers and I have stopped by on a couple of occasions to visit.

On the fitness route, I have not had much chance to workout. I have been pretty tired when I have gotten home lately, just from being mentally exhausted. I was, however, down two pounds when I weighed in last week, so we'll call that a win!

Next week should be challenging because my kids will be back in school and now I will have to get up earlier and get them ready and myself and still get across town in time!

First Day Jitters

Today was my first day at my new job! I have been SO anxious and this morning was no different. I made sure to eat breakfast because, even though I knew my stomach would be upset, I also knew that being hungry AND nervous was not an option! I actually arrived nearly 20 minutes early and just sat in my car. I finally worked up enough will to walk in 5 minutes early and I was greeted by a friendly face (whew!).

I'm still doing the same work I did before, but the techniques are all different. It's going to take some time to learn an entirely different computer system and all of the little things that come with something different, but I think I will catch on quickly. And, so far, I like it!

My Weekend of Unemployment

Wow. Those two weeks just flew by! I start my new job tomorrow. I'd like to take this opportunity to say that having anxiety issues kinda sucks because I have spent the past two days scratching at the anxiety-induced hives that continue to pop up on my neck, back and arms. NOT. FUN.

I have spent this three day weekend of unemployment cleaning up my house. Yes, it takes three days (actually more since I'm STILL not finished) to clean up my house. It's the problem with working full time and leaving your part-timer husband to fend for the kids and the house. If I have to pick which one I want to receive more attention from him, the kids win and the house gets cleaned when I can get to it.

I haven't worked out (officially) this weekend due to the insane amount of cleaning I have been doing, but I think, since it's out of my norm, there has to be a substantial calorie burn involved in all of the activity. I mean, I have carried full laundry baskets up and down the stairs at least six times each. I have sorted laundry and cleaned up counters and floors. I did so much bending and stretching on Friday night that when I woke up on Saturday, my abs hurt (and still do!). If I have some time left this evening, I will hop on the treadmill for a half hour. May not happen as I do want to squeeze some "me" time in, which always involves catching up on past episodes of The Vampire Diaries. I'm finally up to the current season and I'd like to get to the ones that I can pull up on Hulu.com instead of whatever backwoods place I can find that takes forever to download!

The kids are on winter break this week and they are already driving me crazy! I think we'll have a frozen pizza for dinner and go to bed early. I'd like to give myself plenty of time in the morning to get to work! (fingers crossed)

Valentines

Happy Valentines Day!!!

That being said, it was a bittersweet day for me. Today was my last day at work. It was a surreal two weeks and I don't think it has even still all settled in. Goodbyes are terribly awkward for me!

I spent the evening after dinner last night making valentines for the kids to take to school and I am proud  to say that I did NOT use Pinterest for inspiration!!

Here is a sample of the teacher's valentines:

And here are the ones for the Kindergartners:

And last, here are the Valentines for the 3 year olds:

When I arrived home tonight after work, I was going through the kids' bags and I am so surprised at all of the crap stuff that parents feel compelled to send for kids. When I was a kid, you got the normal, character cards and you were lucky if it came with stickers, a tattoo or a pencil. Sometimes, there was even candy involved! Now, there are little bags FULL of candy and junky toys. As you can see by the pictures, I still try to keep it simple, but my goodness! It's INSANE!!!

Tomorrow is the hubby's birthday and we have a busy day ahead. Hopefully, I'll take some pictures. I also hope to get a workout in tomorrow!

Mardi Gras Fairy

Today is Fat Tuesday. Really makes me want to go back to New Orleans. I haven't been since before Hurricane Katrina and I loved it. Definitely one of my favorite vacations. That being said, I haven't been back because I have children now and I just don't think that New Orleans is a great place to vacation with small children (older children, maybe). Anyway, I put a status on my FB page saying, "Happy Mardi Gras! I really want a King Cake!" I thought about that King Cake all the way to work.

Apparently, one of my co-workers was checking FB on her phone, because when I arrived, there, on the counter was a KING CAKE!!!

It was super fresh, in fact, just out of the oven at Publix! Now, this isn't a real King Cake, but in Georgia we take what we can get on Fat Tuesday!

It's a good thing I ran a mile on the treadmill today, because I think I ate those calories back with that cake! Now, I just have to decide what to give up for Lent before tomorrow!

Looking Forward

There hasn't been much of interest to post lately. I have done a few Zumba workouts, but mostly none at all. It's kinda funny, but not. When I am doing Zumba, I wish I was running and when I am running, I wish I was doing Zumba. I'm about ready to throw in the towel and try to alternate the two. I suppose it would work out for the best, since I am running a race in a few weeks and heaven knows I need to train.  I certainly have not gotten any smaller in nearly two months!

I thought that my next challenge/goal was to do the Yourself! Fit workouts, but I am pleased to see that March is for logging all of the food I eat. I'm glad that I did it that way. I know at the time I was trying to establish a workout routine and scoot back into the frequency, but I think I was also inadvertently saving myself from exercise burnout. (I know, how can you have burn out over something that you aren't even really doing?) I guess what I'm thinking is that it took me a long time to break my healthy habits, just like it takes a long time to build up weight gain and, like weight loss, it will take a while to build those habits up again. When I did this before, I was in the right frame of mind, I wasn't busy dealing with school and activities for two children, and I was determined to look good decent in a bridesmaid's dress. Unfortunately, almost all of my close friends are married now, so that isn't a possibility for a motivator. Hopefully, once I establish a routine with my new work schedule, things will start to get easier.

Until then, I will continue to let Zumba kick my butt for the rest of the month. I do think that I will alternate it with running on the treadmill so that I am prepared for this race. I would like to beat my last time on this course and that isn't going to happen if I don't train. So, look forward to me not completing the February goal, but know that I am OK with it. I shouldn't be OK with failure, but I know that if I get too hung up on the terminology of it all, I will get discouraged and that would be worse.

Source

A New Start

February 3rd and I am just doing my first Zumba workout. I didn't actually make it through the entire workout. I had to stop 16 minutes in because my legs were hurting SO bad, in an even different way than they hurt when I run too much. On a brighter note, that's not the first time Zumba has kicked my ass and I'm sure it won't be the last. I am hoping to finish an entire workout tomorrow morning. 

I have a full morning planned for tomorrow. I have to wake up and get the kids ready for school and pack their lunches. I have to drop them off at school and then drive to work. Not because I actually have to work, but because I have to talk to my boss. You see, I am doing something I have never done before. I am handing in my two week notice and I am really nervous as to how it's going to go. I have had the same job for 15 years and the same boss for 13 of those years. I know that I am making a good decision, but I am going to miss most of my co-workers. It's really hard to leave when you have so many good relationships with so many people. These are people that I vent to when I am sad, mad and frustrated. They are people who understand me when no one else seems to. They joke with me, they cry with me and they RUN with me. I wish I could take them with me. (And believe me, I will try). Everyone keeps saying that I am making a good choice and that I have to do these things for me. While half of me believes that it's true, the other half is begging me not to do this. I hate goodbyes and I hate that feeling that sometimes friendships, even with the best intentions, drift and fade and I don't want that!!

So, with a heavy and anxious heart, I will head off to do that tomorrow and then I will go to the grocery store and pick up the kids and do all those things I normally do on Mondays, plus a Zumba workout.

 

The Flop of January

I hate to be negative, but my January goal of running 26.2 miles, the equivalent of a marathon, is just not going to happen. I have beat myself up over it a little bit lately, but when it boils down to it, I just have to accept that it isn't going to happen. Call it poor planning, poor time management, too much going on in my life/on my mind, etc...but it is what it is.

This setback doesn't mean that I'm giving up. I am really looking forward to my February challenge: 20 Zumba workouts! Since I started running, I have really missed Zumba. It's a high calorie burner, so maybe that will get me motivated with some sort of scale movement. I think that was what actually slowed down my running this month. I was going strong the first week and most of the second week, but then I hopped on the scale for my Tuesday weigh-in two weeks in a row, only to find that the scale went up BOTH TIMES!!! I was actually eating less food and even better food, plus the running. I should know full and well that those things happen, especially when you start back exercising, but it was just too big of a disappointment.

So, it's time to pick myself up off the ground, dust myself off and just keep going. I'm going to try to incorporate that philosophy into my life just a little bit more. I focus too much on the negative a lot of times and forget to look at the positive. Tomorrow is a new day and this is a new week! Who knows? Maybe I can still get in a few miles before Friday!

The Atlanta Hot Chocolate 15K & 5K

Sunday was race day! I woke up at 4:50 in the morning and we left the house around 5:20am to drive from my house to Atlanta. The traffic was pretty good until we got to Turner Field, then it was a little backed up, but we had plenty of time.

After parking the car and gearing up, we walked from our parking lot to the race site and did a quick sweep of the area. There was a place to check bags and a few vendors and merchandise tents. I actually did look at merchandise, but there weren't any shirts left that I like. (I have since learned on Facebook that there will be an online store soon!)

I have to admit, this was a very well organized event! They had corral letters on our bibs based on the pace that we entered at sign up which matched ordered gates to stand in. The only thing that took a while was actually starting the race. We were in corral F, which was five from the front. Once they corralled us, we had to wait for the race to actually begin (about 15 minutes). First, was corral A. The horn sounded for them and they took off. Then, we all moved forward in 3 minute intervals, so it was about 30 minutes of standing around waiting to actually race.

The course was hilly, and by hilly, I mean steep hills! The very first one had my calves on fire!! There was a point when my toes actually went numb and I couldn't feel them at all! Once we got to the finish line, we were given Gatorade and then a bottle of water. Then, off to the after party...

There was a tear-off strip on the bottom of the race bib for our "finisher's mug," which consisted of a brown coffee mug with dividers in it. There was a spot for a cup of Ghiardelli hot cocoa, a packet of sugar wafers, two marshmallows, some pretzels, a Rice Krispy Treat and a banana. There was a DJ and SO many people. In fact, there were just over 19,000 (yes, thousand) people signed up for this race.

Here I am with my finisher's mug!

And, Jessica with hers.

It was a great experience and I will definitely repeat it next year. It was well worth the 5am wake up. I had to work right after the race and I didn't get to bed until later last night, so I am super tired. I have logged nearly 8 miles so far this month. I still have a lot to go!

   

Hot Chocolate 5K Atlanta Expo and Swag!!

Today, after work and watching martial arts, the fam and I drove to Atlanta to the GA World Congress Center for the Hot Chocolate 15K/5K Expo and packet pick-up. The race is on Sunday at Turner Field at an insane time of morning!

I have to say, the pick up was extremely smooth moving. There were lots of vendors there. I refrained from purchasing everything I wanted, but I have had issues with my ears being cold a lot, so I splurged and spent 10 bucks on an ear warmer band. I already love it!! I don't know if I'll use it on Sunday, though, because the weather here in Georgia has taken a turn for the crazy and it's 70 degrees outside right now!

Who wouldn't love this?

I met up with my running buddy, Jessica while I was there and we walked around for a few minutes together. We even stopped for a picture:

Yep, this is us, standing in front of a marshmallow man's crotch!

Right next to the "marshmallow man," was a table full of deliciousness:

If you've never tried this before, it's available at a lot of stores and it is like CRACK! You will eat it with a spoon!

After I left the expo, we took the kids through downtown Atlanta to eat at one of the greasiest, yummiest little treasures of the city, The Varsity! They serve hamburgers, hotdogs, chili/slaw dogs and burgers, fries, onion rings, ice cream and the beloved Frosted Orange! It was delicious and I think the kids really enjoyed themselves!

Here is one last pic of all the swag from the Expo. I'll post again after the race on Sunday!

A hoodie instead of a shirt, a hat, a cute bib, a  bag, the headband and the biscoff spread

One Week In and A Little Disappointed

I am one week into my January challenge. So far, I have run 4.36 miles. Not too shabby since I hadn't run at all since last month and that was only a mile! Of course, when I woke up this morning, I was eager to see if the scale had moved. I haven't been logging or really working hard to reduce my calories or even change my eating habits all that much. I don't want to take on too much at once and end up getting burned out, so I have just tried to be more aware of the snacking and how much I am eating. You know, no pressure. So, I hopped on the scale and prepared for success.

Epic. Fail.

I am UP 1.5 pounds from last week! I am hoping hoping hoping that it is due to extra water retention in my muscles from starting to run again. I mean, I have stopped nibbling on chocolate at night. I even started drinking a cup of tea in the evenings to curb that craving all together (and it's been working!) I have been choosing to eat more salads and fewer sandwiches/chips!! What the frig???

I'm not going to let it really get me down. It's only one week. It takes 12 weeks to really notice a change and I'm just working up to a real routine. I am, however, going to try to increase my water intake a bit more from here out. I am usually dehydrated because I just don't think to drink water. (I am currently sipping on a glass of water with a splash of lemon juice in it as I type this.)

Less than one week until the Hot Chocolate 5K. I ran 2 miles on the treadmill this morning after I dropped the kids off at school. I'm really glad they are back in school now. It helps me get things accomplished easier, both with housework and working out.

Tick, Tick, Boom and A Run

My next race, the Hot Chocolate 5K, is in one week. My "training," thus far, has been atrocious. Today, I had one of my "de-stress" runs. I had less than 30 minutes to squeeze in a run and I ran nearly a mile and a half. The first mile was at my comfortable pace of 5mph and for the remainder of the run, I turned it up to 6mph and ran until I was tired. It wasn't too far, but it was sufficient.

I'm not sure how the race on Sunday will go. I am, of course, extremely nervous about it. You'd think after completing a half marathon last year I would be more comfortable with the short races. I think this one has me all wound up because it starts at 7:30 in the morning. That is EARLY for me! That's what time I wake up on the mornings I have to get the kids to school. To even get to the location for this race, I will have to leave my house at 5am and I'll be running at 7:30!! Then....then there is the post party which is an expo of chocolate!!! Not too sure how my body will be handling chocolate that early in the morning.

Moving on to the not so fun part of this post. The car I drive to work, which is a clunker, has been acting up as of late. We have been trying to brainstorm as to what the problem was with it. On Friday evening, I drove from work over to the martial arts studio to watch my son. After that was over, the four of us went over to Walmart and purchased a few small groceries and parts for the car. We decided to change the spark plugs, the air filter and the oil filter/oil. Then, we grabbed a bite to eat and headed home. I was almost home, driving the kids in the family car, when my cell rang. It was my husband calling to tell me that I needed to turn around because the car quit running and wouldn't start back up. Great. Just great. Here we are on the way home with parts. Just our luck, right? We decided to have the car towed home the following morning and he would look at it then.

Well, he jacks the car up and comes into the house to get me. "It can't be fixed," he says. Yeah.  I go outside and peer under the car and into a hole about the size of my fist in the engine block. So, needless to say, I don't know what in the world we are going to do. We just spent nearly 500 dollars putting new tires on that car! Happy New Year!!!! It's always something, isn't it?

Goals and Lists

Looking back on 2012, I logged on to My Fitness Pal today after I took my measurements and weighed in. I also looked at where I am today as opposed to where I was a year ago. I regret to inform that I am 6.5 pounds heavier and I have gained 11.5 inches all over my body. However, I think I am in the right mindset to start back on the road to a healthier me and I am sure that my monthly goals will help me get there. At the very least, the first few will help tone me back up and take care of some of those nasty little inches that have creeped up!

I've seen this picture going around on Facebook all day today:

I think it couldn't be more appropriate. So, on page one of 365 in chapter 2013 of MY story, I ran (more or less) a mile on the treadmill. I say more or less because I set the treadmill for the "weight loss" program that I used to do when I first started losing weight a couple of years ago. It used to kick my butt on a regular basis, but today I just found the program to be super boring. I think, in the future, I will just do the manual program at whatever speed I'm up to. Either way, I got my first mile of the month down. Only 25.2 to go!

I titled this post, "Goals and Lists" for a reason. I thought that on this day 1, I would jot down some lists of races I want to run and books I want to read this year. So, without further ado, here are some lists for 2013:

Races To Run in 2013 

The Hot Chocolate Atlanta 5K

Runs for Cookies Virtual 5K

5K in Paradise Atlanta

GSO Noteworthy 5K

Area 13.1 (hopefully I'll be more prepared and so will they!)

The Spooktacular Chase 5K

The Anything Is Possible 5K

I may add more as time progresses if I see a race I'm really interested in, but these are the definites. 

Books To Read in 2013

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick 

Dead Ever After by Charlaine Harris (this one is bitter sweet for me)

Cold Days by Jim Butcher

Lover At Last by JR Ward (comes out on my BIRTHDAY!!!)

Rapture by JR Ward

Gabriel's Inferno by Sylvain Reynard

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Again, I may add more or there may be less as time progresses. I know for sure I'll be reading the ones from Charlaine Harris, JR Ward and Jim Butcher!

Oh, and there is one last goal. Just a little something I thought would be fun. I think it would be awesome if I could run at least 365 miles this year! One a day can't be a bad thing, right?