Honestly

Honestly, I think about updating this blog often, but you know, things like time and energy get in the way. Here's the latest on the training front: Better late than never!

I am 20 days away from my Triathlon. I am nervous but excited (pun intended). Nervous could easily be replace with terrified if we are being honest. I still feel confident that I will be one of the top women out of the water, my swimming is as good as it is going to get. I am freaking out a little bit that I don't have a road bike, and of course (this hasn't changed) I am still a bad runner.

As far as my body goes I have relented to the fact that it will never be what it was. I have managed to put on 20 pounds since January while dropping my body fat % during that time. I guess all those days in the gym are paying off huh? The extra weight has not hindered my swimming, in fact I think the muscle mass has made me significantly faster in the water. My arms and legs have progressed as well as I could have hoped. My 'problem area' remain my stomach. I have seen improvements, definitely, but the realization that a 6 pack, or even a 4 pack will not show has become a fact. And don't get me started on my chest..... It is such a double edged sword for me. My pec muscles and shoulders look great; probably from all the swimming. The flip side of that is the 'deflated little baggies' and someone once said......

Training is becoming harder and harder as school is out and life has gotten summer busy. Vacations, baseball, work, play...... I don't want to miss anything, but I think that is just my wiring. Lifting has gotten quicker, bike rides are being combined with swimming, runs are a little shorter. I don't want to slack, but I also want to enjoy my summer. Blah blah blah.....

There's the scoop. Stay tuned as the race gets closer!

Still plugging away!

It has been a while, but I have been busy. Seriously. The little guy has a big birthday in a few days and I have spent a lot of time planning nothing. I did however buy him a fish. It died 4 hours later from being pet too much. Honestly.

I biked to the pool, swam, then biked home. I am pretty tired right now. I haven't lifted since Thursday of last week, I am going to try to lift tomorrow but I don't know, time seems to be evaporating so quickly these days. I blink and it is bed time!

This week brings B's birthday on Thursday and then we leave Friday for a long weekend in Saugatuck with our friends. Maybe I will brave the waters of Lake Michigan for an ice cold swim in preparation for the race?? Brrrr.......

One month and 3 days until the TRI.

Inside all of us is HOPE.

Fun and Mental is Fundamental

Ok, wow. So, let me give you you quick little s'up date. I am really loving lifting again. I mean loving it. I am in a great routine, I feel amazing, and am lifting more than I have since college. My protein intake is high so I am building decent muscles, and that feels wonderful. I am enjoying it so much that even if I only have a half hour to spare I go down to the FC real quick to lift. My goal is to wear a whitey tighty v-neck T-shirt and have my bicep definition noticeable, and my pec definition a little noticeable. Yeah, I am working on it.

I swam tonight in my tri shorts and under armour. About half way through I took off my UA long sleever and couldn't believe how much faster I was in the water with out it. Great drag! My shorts were perfect, the seal held tight and the pad never got water logged. I am pretty exhausted today, but Mondays are like that. I lift, run, and swim, and it is a Monday after all.

I am beat, and have been trying to get to bed early as of late. My plate is pretty full and I am terrified of getting sick due to lack of sleep. Good night!

Inside all of us is HOPE.

It must be this weather

I am feeling overwhelmingly lazy. LA-ZEEEEY. I have a million excuses to go along with my laziness too; It is too cold to run. I am lacking sleep. I have to get the house in order. Well, okay, the last one is so true it's not even funny. Re-doing the family room has been one problem after the other, from the paint to the furniture. But I digress.....

I need to lift and swim tonight but at 1:15 I know I am not doing both. My goal is to do one or the other, I hope I can motivate myself to do one thing today! The main thing on my to do list is nap, and I am not even joking. I have a ton of work to do, a ton of housework to do, and I want to nap. It must be the weather!!

One thing I have been thinking a lot about is shoes. I have enjoyed running in my vibram fivefingers, but they take a few minutes to put on. Will I want to use that time during the Tri to put shoes on? Should I just bike and run in my Nike's? I don't know.... I just don't know. With the fivefingers if you don't thread your toes just right they can be a little painful, so you need to take your time and get your toes in perfectly. I ordered some running shoes today, they are call dual lights, they are very light weight, and have the creases for extra bending. I am going to give them a try and see if I like them. Anything to save 5 minutes, right??

Inside all of us is HOPE.

Shakes, Football, Ice Cream and Micro Brews. Not in that order.

As with everything (everything I do anyways) I have ebbs and flows. Moments I am extremely proud of and moments I would rather forget ever happened. The bottom line is that I am working my butt off. It hurts, and I love it, then I hate it, I often feel as though I am starving, then I over indulge, then I go out and have too many micro brews, then I work out too hard. I mean really as we all know balance has never been my strong suit. But I know that, and I am working at it. *Surprise* I am not perfect. One of the things I have been consistent with is drinking my protein shakes. I have invented some wonderful recipes, and actually have grown to love them. Seriously, I do. The best part right now is that I am using fresh farm milk. What do I mean by fresh farm milk? Non-pasteurized, right out of the cow's boobie milk is what I mean. Why is that so great? WELL.... because there is a bit of fat in it, when I use my magic bullet knock off to make my shakes and blend it for a long time, it turns into almost like a whipped cream. Seriously. Imagine this; Chocolate protein powder, SP complete powder, a few ice cubes, a banana, and a scoop of natural peanut butter. Add 1/4 pint of Farmer John's milk, and viola! It is like ice cream? Like iced whipped cream? I don't have the words for it, but it is SO yummy. So that, that is what I am indulging in these days.

2 weeks before the big race I think I am going to do the Michigan Women's Football Camp, it sounds like fun, good exercise, and a little healthy competition! My first thought is, CRAP, I hope I don't hurt. My second thought was CRAP that's the same day as Michigan PRIDE! Football beats PRIDE (considering I am going to MotorCity Pride the weekend before). So, that's that. I think I need to raise some $$ in donations along with my entry fee. The money all goes to the Cancer Center, so think about donating some money to the event: The 2010 Women's Football Academy will support initiatives within the Patient and Family Support Services Program at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Swimming and lifting and biking tomorrow. I hope to swim with drag again tomorrow, either tomorrow or Wednesday, probably not both days though. I need to have my body fat % taken again soon, my weight is down a little, so I am interested to see where my % is at. But I try not to get too wrapped up in all that, even though it interests me.

That's that. I am still plugging away. Working harder at this than I ever thought I have the guts to do.

Inside all of us is HOPE. (Inside of me is a protein shake that was like ice cream!)

Ouch!

Where to start, where to start? Let me begin this story with swimming Wednesday evening at the community pool. It was a night like many other nights, well, actually, like all other nights. I am, remember a creature of habit. I decided to swim with some drag Wednesday night and wore some Under Armour. It was a great idea because it definitely made swimming more difficult. I see the same people when I swim, give or take a few here or there, but Wednesday night brought 2 new girls to the pool. At most 15 years old and there to goof around not so much swim. I like to swim in the same lane every night, I find comfort in that and see no reason to move lanes. Does that sound crazy? It's not actually. Everyone I swim with swims in the same exact lane every night. It is just how it is, and I love it. But these young girls start monkeying around in my lane with their masks and flippers on. I crash into them once, and they crash into me once before I stop and glare at the lifeguard with smoke coming out of my ears, waiting for her to do something. Just as I am about the flip out one of the guys I swim with says, real cool and casual, "Before you get upset, just think of it as practice for your Tri. You are going to be dodging people left and right, getting kicked and pushed under. This is nothing!" Dang, he was right on the money, wasn't he? Then I just felt silly and selfish for freaking out. Swimming is supposed to be my fun exercise and almost let it stress me out! And God forbid I would just move to a different lane, right?

So, I pulled my self together and ended up rocking almost 2 miles with drag. Not a bad night. My body definitely felt the extra pull of the drag, my shoulders more so than anything.

I spent my Friday night at the Fitness Connection lifting and stretching and stretching, and STRETCHING! And lifting some more. I bought milk from John the Farmer to combine with my protein mix in hope his milk will give me a little boost. I need a little boost. My legs hurt, my arms hurt, I hurt tonight. It is 8:00 and I am heading to bed so I can refresh and hit the soccer fields bright and early. I love spring soccer, but I love spring soccer even more when it is nice out. 8-2 you can find me on the fields, B plays at 10:15, P plays at 12:15. Stop by.

Inside all of us is HOPE.

This is me, following through.....

Second day in a row of blogging!! What is consuming my thoughts right now is the new ant farm. I am pretty uneasy about it to be honest, and it is completely distracting me from getting anything done. As soon as I sit down to write or work or anything I hear "Oh no, the ants are loose...." I made the rule that the ant farm HAS to stay outside. I just can't handle it, my anxiety is through the roof, and I am ant paranoid.

I took my bike in for a tune up and the guy called today; she is ready to be picked up!! Yeay!! The downside of this story is when I dropped her off his reaction was, "You're going to ride THIS in a TRI??" She is a hybrid, but still heavy for a road race. I am choosing not to spend hundreds, maybe a thousand dollars on a road bike, so yeah, I am riding her in a tri. He fixed her up for me, so hopefully she is a little faster and smoother.

I went for a little run after work today and felt pretty darn good. No aches or pains today, impressive! I will hit the pool after soccer practice tonight, I still love the pool, love love love the pool. I am focusing more on stretching before, during, and after I swim. It has made all the difference.

Happy Hump Day, Happy Cinco De Mayo, Happy everything!

Inside all of us is HOPE.

Haaaaave you missed me??

Seriously, I am sorry. My dad called the other day and reminded me that I have this blog, and maybe, just maybe I might want to update it. Then this morning Rach reminded me that I haven't posted anything..... Gotcha Gotcha. Then my friend Ethan shared a blog, so I did the ever famous blog stalking and was inspired to blog. There you have it, it's me. I'm back. Let me fill you in....

Okay, I left you over a month ago. In that month I have had some highs and lows, but mostly highs. The lows I faced began with my hip. It is always my hip isn't it? I am in recovery, and I phrase it like that because in all honesty I am months away from being fully recovered. Between the Chiropractor, The Body Sculpture, and the friendly advice from the P.A. Ryan that I swim with I do believe I am moving forward. Most importantly I have had to take it easy. By that I mean I have laid off the running, and that my 'bleaders' (blogers+readers) is a huge problem. For me, because as all know I am a bad runner. What I managed to do was EFX, Bike, and Swim. I started running again just recently and am a little behind where I should be. Okay, a lot behind where I should be. My saving grace is that my swimming is beyond where I hoped it would be. My biking? Eh, of average. I have 6 ish weeks, and need to continue to move forward but not over do it.

The other major low I was hit with has been a shoulder injury. Brent (my body sculpture) fixed me up pretty well, so I only missed one night of swimming from that. I believe it is one of my 4 rotator cuffs, and probably needs to be rested to fully heal! . But onward I press.

The highs? The biggest high is not how far I can push myself though maybe it should be??? but rather the current changes I have seen in my physique. I have not lost any weight, but rather gained close to 8 pounds. How is that a high? Well, my body fat % has dropped quite a bit. I am shaving off fat and building muscles. Ahhh, yeah, this is what I have been desiring. Best part? I can see the definition, and it feels good. I though about taking some photos to show you guys, but changed my mind. Not yet. You will see more of my body than your eyes can handle on June 27th at the Tri. I promise you that. Or just ask, I am not modest. Most of you can attest to that already.

So, things are good. Moving forward and that is better than stagnant, or backwards, so I will take it.

And of course, Thank You. What do I mean by that? I mean I couldn't do it with you. Who is that directed at? Everyone. This journey has improved so many aspects of my life. And everyone has been part of it. You all have pushed me, encouraged me, called me out on my bullshit, loved me, hated me, hugged me, and bought me presents. Thank You.

More to come, I will try to be better about blogging. I will put up some pictures. My crazy fivefinger shoes, maybe even my calves..... Nothing makes me smile or blush like someone complimenting me on them.

Inside all of us is HOPE.

Finally, a running partner.

I found a running partner, after months of searching. Yesterday we ran a mile together, and today we ran almost two. Here's today's story.....

This story takes place in the trails along Globe Mill Pond behind the community center. They are very very beautiful if you have never been there. The trail is 1 miles out, and then one mile back, the entire time along the water.

Bren: "Okay, when I clap my hands that means run, and you need to run until I clap them again. That means stop."

Me..... running.....

Bren: "Did you hear my hands? Did you hear them clap? Do you have your listening ears on?"

Me..... running.....

Bren walking with a walking stick: "Now, you run when I wave my stick"

Me......running.......

Truth of the matter is, I think my new running partner, yeah, my 4 year old running partner just out ran me. And yelled at me the entire time.

And that is how the story went. But at least I have someone to run with. And he is cute. And charming. And my boy.

Happy Spring!

I am lovin this beautiful weather, that I promise you! I have been doing a bit of biking since the warm front came through, and it has reminded me how much I enjoy riding a bike. I am also promoting for my work Nation Ride you Bike to Work Day and the combination of the two has gotten me motivated to bike more. I remember the summer we tried to drive as little as possible. Does anyone remember this? Chris was home from work all summer with a shoulder injury so we decided to track our gas usage and bike to as many places as possible. Every Saturday we biked downtown to market, we biked the bikes to and from school, we biked to the grocery store even. It was pretty amazing, and this was back in the day when Bren was in bike trailer so we were hauling him around. Granted it was nice to have the trailer because you could put your groceries right in the trunk of it, but it was heavy!

I want to try something similar this spring. It isn't feasible to bike Bren to school because it is in a different town, and there is a time frame to consider there, but perhaps we need to go back to biking instead of driving on all the little trips. I'm game. I just need to drop my bike off for a spring tune up and I am ready to roll.

*Ride your bike to work day is Friday May 21, 2010 by the way!

I swam 2600 meters Monday night and it was killer, but in a good way. I need to lift real quick tonight after soccer and I should be set on lifting for the week. I am not going to swim tonight because we have soccer for B and volleyball for P, and that is enough for me. The pool is closed all next week so I am going to try to get to the Christian Family Center to swim a few night, any takers on joining me? It might actually be fun.

I am headed out to run in a few minutes, the day is too pretty to not to, right?

The Acres 5K is coming up..... The question is, will I be ready to NOT embarrass myself??

Ouch!

Yes, ouch. I am hurting. Hurt-in-g. I think, perhaps, just maybe, I over did it last night. The story of my life, right? Wow. I struggled to even put on a shirt today my shoulders hurt so bad. Don't worry, I managed to dress myself before going to work, thank you.

I met Trina and Joan at the gym to work out. I needed someone to push me, hold me accountable, bribe me, anything really. I hadn't lifted in 12 days. I did both arms and legs. Thankfully my legs feel great. On the flip side of that, my arms, mostly just my shoulders, are killing me. It was, I am certain, a combination of lifting and the busting my butt swimming.

I tried to keep pace with Mr. Carlson again, and he is so fast. Instead of counting how many meters I was swimming I just counted how many ahead of me he was. He always swims 1500 meters and leave at 8:45. I am usually far enough behind that I can finished my 1500 by 8:55. With out him I would need an abacus set up at the each end. For the life of me I can not count how many laps I do. My mind races and darts around from topic to topic, losing track of all things other than my breathing. And trying to remember to kick. I can't believe how often I forget to kick. That is probably why my shoulders hurt so bad, they do most of the pulling.

I, of course, swam with Teresa and Ashley. What would I ever do with out them? My breaks are so boring when I swim alone.

Today I went for a quick little run through the 'hood with the little man ahead of me on his bike. Encouraging me Screaming at me to hurry up. It was a good run, I am glad I did it, but it was not fast. Not at all fast. I have so much work ahead of me....

Apologies all around...

When I started this blog I apologized, knowing full well that I was a bad blogger. I am sorry for not updating since my vacation. But seriously folks, I just got back 5 days ago, and had to spend my weekend with my friends. I did nothing that resembled exercise until yesterday.

My motivation for all this training has dwindled, but I am working on getting it back. Yesterday I biked even though it was a little chilly. I forgot how much I like to bike, and THAT I believe has motivated me.

The UNDY 500 is in less than a month and aside from being a bad runner and not having the stamina to run a 5k at this point, I DON'T HAVE ANY COOL UNDERPANTS TO RUN IN. My focus should be on the training, but you know it is not.

My plan this week is to rock the gym every day except for Tuesday. Tuesday I am going to get a little body sculpting done (I hope), and detox from the most amazing vacation ever, and in all honestly, the most amazing weekend in a long time. Detoxing.

Tonight? Lifting and pool. I can't wait to lift again. I haven't lifted in 2 weeks, and the thought of lifting has me motivated to the point where I want to sneak down to the Fitness Connection RIGHT NOW!! I could lift in my khaki's right? Tempting, but no. After the big Math Club show at the High School the rest of my night will be lifting and swimming.

Here is my vacation movie. I can't help it, I like to make movies, and had such a good time.

I'm trying to put together a workout plan for Spring Break at the Christian Family Centre, anyone interested in putting the kids in day care and working out?

A quickie

Hey folks! Greeting from the Virgin Islands! I see many of you are checking this daily, so I apologize for the lack of posting while on vacay, but ya know, I'm on vacation!

I have a bunch of pictures that I make into a movie, probably while chilling in the airport on my way home. But none the less, expect some pictures late next week. If you are dying for some pics, you can go here and see some.... http://www.flickr.com/photos/featherweatherk/sets/72157623607126626/

I have found a wonderful work out while here on Charlotte Amalie. Aside from the insane amount of hill walking we do that is. (seriouslt INSANE amount of walking daily mostly on steep inclines while toting my 4 year old!) I have been swimming in the ocean with a 60 pound 4 year old on my back. Seriously. He hold onto my bathing suit straps llike they are reigns, wears his water wings and bosses me around. I pretty much can only do the breast stroke in this condition, but that is a wonderful shoulder workout! The bouyency in the salt water makes having a kid on your back a lot easier that fresh water, a lot! We have been eating and a drinking a lot of fruit. Fresh fruit! Yum! Papayas grown rampandly here and taste wonderful blended with local bananas and local rum. You can get this mixture all over. With out the rum for a kid, of course!

I have done a little running, a little swimming, and a lot fo walking. And honestly a lot fo relaxing, but again, that's what vacations are for!

I will catch you up soon, I promise!

Leavin' on a Jet Plane

I am reffing my last games of the season tonight! A little sad about that I think..... I have loved this basketball season, and really enjoyed reffing. Funny huh? I used to ref 10-15 games on any given Saturday during college and now reffing 2 games a night is 'a work out'. Funny? Maybe scary is a better word for that.

I am getting on a plane in 16 hours with my 4 year old and traveling to the Virgin Islands for 9 days of relaxing. I plan on running and swimming as much as I can, but my main goal is relaxing. It is, after all, a vacation!

I will check in (I'm sure more than once!) but I want to leave you with what I am listening to these days....

Said and Done - Nervous But Ex...

I hope you enjoy it. Ex's and Oh's to all those we are leaving behind. I will see you next Thursday. Our plane gets in very very early in the morning, and the ribbon cutting at Parks and Rec is at 9:30. Perhaps I will see you there?? Make it a plan! There will be snacks and coffee so why not, right? So, 9:30 at Parks on Thursday the 18th. Love.

Instead of hitting the gym....

I made this. My beautiful little girl turns 8 this weekend. Each year I make the kids a birthday video of pictures from the year, going through all of them helps me realize how blessed we truely are.

Happy Birthday Peyton! No gym for me tonight or tomorrow, spending time with my girl! Well, girls... I am so lucky to have you here with me this weekend enjoying her birthday together as a family.

Realize your goal is to figure out your role within the context of the whole.

I Like Giants - Kimya Dawson

I like this song for many reasons, but I have been singing it a lot lately, especially this part, "So I swim for all salvation and I swim to save my soul
But my soul is just a whisper trapped inside a tornado
So I flip to my back and I float and I sing
I am grounded, I am humbled, I am one with everything
I am grounded, I am humbled, I am one with everything"

My arms are sore. How sore? Sore sore. My shoulders mostly. I raced Mr. Carlson at the pool last night and it was killer. Before I tell the story of the race, I guess I should explain who Mr. CArlson is.... His daughter played basketball at the high school for me years and years, and even years ago. I saw him at the gym a while back and while chit chatting he mentioned that he swims in the mornings. I told him I swam at night, he didn't know people were swimming at night, so since then he has been swimming Mondays and Wednesdays. But unlike me, he swims hard for one mile then leaves. I swim, stop, talk, swim, stop, adjust my goggles, etc. etc. Last night We stopped around the same time, me to catch my breath, him because he was done with his mile. We talked for a few minutes and then I challenged him to a race. He is tall and strong, and a really good swimmer. But you know me, I am uber competitive.... Let's Race! He laughed but agreed. Seriously folks, we swam so fast! I have never swam that fast my whole life. I swam like a was being chased by the mythical pool shark. When we finished in what he calls a victory for me, but I think was a tie, we both were so amazed at how fast we just swam. Even my friend Teresa couldn't believe how fast we zoomed. We then decided to race one more time and that was an easy victory for him, but again, we swam SO fast.

It was nice to re-charge my competitive spirit. The fuel of competition, my favorite fuel!

It all brings me back to this small town. I love it here. I love it for many reasons, but I love that my 8 years here have brought some of the most fantastic people into my life. I love that I am getting to know the people I work out with, the people at the pool, and the people in this community. I love that my work enables me to build relationships within the community, it is a wonderful feeling.

*Deep breath* I am lucky. I am so lucky. I have the most amazing family and the best friends a girl could ask for.

That being said, Rachel; I think it is time we started, to kind of sort of run. I was thinking we run the shorts walk the longs of the 'hood and see how that goes. When I get home from vacay. In the evenings now that my evening programs are all over. I could do it on my own, but I don't want to. I think we should do it together. It will be more fun that way. Plus we can spend more time together like that.

Steps in the right direction.....

Last night I reffed 2 games then suck it up and went to the gym after. Yup. I pushed myself, I know that the only way I am going to see the results I want is if I do this. I HAVE to. Yeah, I was tired. And yeah, it was not fun, but I did it. I think if I can just push through right now it will be fun again, I will make it fun again. I will.

Elizabeth Gilbert wrote that she is better with less on her plate. Maybe I am too. Right now my plate feels so full, a scramble to make it. A sick boy, planning for a vacation, packing for said vacation, household duties, work, trying not to get pink eye through it all.... I am going to relax on my vacation and hit the gym hard when I get back. I am rewarding myself with this vacation so to speak. Right now my focus needs to be on getting everything together, spending some time with my family, and figuring out how I can leave for 10 days and not leave everything in chaos. I am better with less on my plate.

I did, however, ref tonight and then swim for an hour. I feel pretty good! Tired, but good. Steps. But I am exhausted, so good night. Keep taking steps.

Inside all of us is HOPE.

Breakdown

Breakdown - Jack Johnson

I had my first big breakdown. What do I mean by big? And what do I mean by break? Working out is hard work. Training is hard work. This is hard work, and I am tired, and I am not seeing the results I want, and blah blah blah. For so long working out was fun and I loved it. Now I feel like it is just work. My sister put it into perspective for me when she said, "Working out sucks, that why people don't do it." Good point Sister, good point.
I am frustrated. I thought I would be further along than I am. I am frustrated and tired. I need some motivation. I did, however, swim last night. After hours of mind games with myself. "I can't go, I'm too tired" "I have too much work to do to swim" "My arms hurt" And so on and so on and so on. But, I swam and I swam hard for 50 minutes. I need to get excited about this again. I want to get excited about this again. I NEED to get excited about this again.
I am not going to the gym today, and I should , but I can't. I got a call from preschool and they think he has pink eye. Yuck. We have a 1:30 Dr. appt. At least this is now and not while on vacation.
I am reffing 2 basketball games tonight, it is a higher level so I should get a little exercise in. Reffing this age group I tend to sweat and get into int he flow of the game. So, I have that going for me. Now? Now I am in my sweat pants in bed with a boy with possible pink eye. Grrr.

Another Weekend? Afraid so....

We weekend of better choices began with good intentions. It always does, right? Rach and I went to Evans Street for a lovely dinner. The good choices lasted until then. Dinner was, as always, delicious. The drinks, especially the "Mary Anne" were, as always, delicious. The Mary Ann is a mango infused martini. It was as delightful as it sounds. And then some. And then some more.

Today is Sunday. I have not been to the Fitness Connection since Wednesday, oh no wait, Tuesday? Yeah. I have a million reason why, but do they really matter? The bottom line is that I have not been to work out in days. Tomorrow evening I will be there. I don't have any programs running, and even if you called me and begged me to go out with you, I still feel a little 'mango-ed' out from Friday night.

My food intake was fairly responsible this weekend. Better than the last two, that's for sure. So, the weekend wasn't a total loss training wise. And in all honesty, training schmraing, when it comes to Evans Street my favorite. Ya know?

Tomorrow is also SWIMMING! My goal for the week is to take it slow. I have a million things to do, one of them being baking 30 cupcakes for a pretty girl's 8th birthday! Slow and steady will win this race.

Inside all of us is HOPE. I would rather be full of HOPE than jelly beans.

Weekend Warrior?

I believe the weekend is beginning now. Why? Well, apparently the public schools are not in session tomorrow? Why? Who knows. I really don't know. These kids never go to school anymore. Hello 3 day week; Monday was a snow day, and Friday is a whatever day. I'll take it. 3 day week, bring it on. The problem of course is that the weekends destroy me, and now we are making an extra long weekend. I have to stay strong, "Make a habit of staying strong." Do you know what book that is from? Take a guess.

I think it might have pulled my hip flexor last night reffing basketball, but never fear, a trip to the chiropractor this morning fixed me right up. Swimming was good last night. I found my self out of breath on a few occasions, and that felt wonderful. (notice in the pic above, I have a fancy new swim cap. It is great! Plus I look cute in it) I took the day off from the gym simply because it was chaos here. See photo below.

She is fine, no surgery required, but will remain in a cast for 4-6 weeks. A nice Sparty cast for Abby.

Tomorrow I don't imagine I will make it to gym at all. One kid has a half day of school, the other kid has no school, I think I will be playing taxi driver most of the day. Then I am heading out to the Museum tomorrow night for a lecture. I would love to say I might learn something fantastic and amazing, but they will have beer and wine. And we all know what that means......

So, Saturday. Saturday I will head to the FC in the morning. Hit me up if you want company. After taking 2 days off I will NEED to push myself on Saturday. See? See what the weekends do me?

Even with all this chaos, I am feeling fairly balanced this week. Yes, it has been non stop, but it has been controlled and smooth. Deep breath and take it all in. Happy 3 day weekend.

Swimming tonight!

Runnin' Down A Dream - Tom Pet...

I have been listening to this song almost every day at the gym. I feel like a I running down a dream, except for, you know, I don't like to run. At all. Yeah, there, I said it. I don't like to run. I dread it even. I don't mean to complain, I'm just being honest. I look at this group of women, Teresa included, and they like to run. Maybe even love to run. I guess I'm just not that girl. I like to EFX, and I love to row, but run? My eyes roll at the thought of it. Maybe as I become a better runner I will enjoy it more? Maybe I was just bread for contact sports? Regardless, I am making headway. I am improving my times, and let's face it, they could only go down.

I was planning on getting a quick work out in this morning, but no such luck. I am not that worried about it seeing as though I am reffing 2 games tonight plus swimming. Swimming! Yeay! I have been excited all day at thought of swimming.

Tomorrow I need to hit the gym and lift hard. I will. It is in my plan! Jane is visiting tomorrow and bringing stories from her trip to the Olympics. and presents I can't wait. We all know I love the Olympics and I love presents.

I am still processing through the movie FOOD, INC. I have been doing a lot of thinking. Maybe too much thinking? Maybe. I made some carrot spinich muffins, and as awful as they sound, they are yummy. Organic, honey instead of much sugar, with lots of spices. I think I might have discovered my new 'this is what I bake the best'. We all know my best thing is my mac and cheese, but that really goeas against everything I am trying to do here, doesn't it? These muffins fill the void of missing carbs. At least they are whole grain carbs!

It is almost the weekend! My weekend of better choices I will call it. I am going to stick with my workout plan and stick with my eating plan. Except for Friday night when I go to the Museum. Other than that.... I have less than 2 weeks until St. Thomas, and if I am going to stray it will be then, while on vacation. Not now. There is no excuse for straying from the plan now. Other than laziness.

Inside all of us is HOPE. inside of me are two carrot spinich muffins!

I need the consistency of my week!!!

The weekends are the hardest for me, I tend to fall apart each and every weekend. I don't make it to the gym for long enough periods of time, if at all, and I eat crappy food, and way too much crappy food at that. I look forward to Monday because I know what to expect. I know I work a long day on Mondays, I always work out on Mondays, and I swim on Monday nights. Pretty simple, right?

Well, today is a snow day. As much as I am trying to 'work' from home, I can honestly admit that the only thing I HAVE completed is Peyton's 8 year movie for her birthday. In all reality I would not have gotten that done if this snow storm didn't bombard us, so yeay??

We talk about balance consistently. Regardless of the dynamics or gender roles of our relationships, some of us are the ones who stay home and some of us are the ones who work. I placed a phone call today asking my partner in parenting to come home early so I could go into work for a bit. The basic answer was, "I can't. I am swamped. I have this due and that due and and and and....( and yes, there were I'm sorry's thrown in!)" I get it, don't get me wrong, I get it. The problem for those of you like me is this; now what? Will I make it to the gym tonight? Will I make it to work at all? Swimming tonight is cancelled due to weather, so my fingers are crossed I can at least hit the gym for my lower body work out. It's all about balance, and I suppose we are only as strong as our weakest spoke on the wheel of balance is. (Like the wellness wheel!) My goal this week is to identify my weakest spoke and start rebuilding it. It's a start, right?

In other news, shoveling the driveway was a great upper body work out. This snow is crazy heavy and wet. Also, lifting big heavy balls made from wet heavy snow is a great work out! =)

Tomorrow I can only hope routine returns. Swimming Wednesday? I have hope.

Inside all of us is HOPE!

Another Saturday night....

I have been meaning to blog all day, really I have. But things kept coming up and blah blah blah we all know how that goes. Just like I was going to go to the gym today, but things came up and in the end I never made it. I know, blah blah blah. I am going tomorrow, I promise!

Today I had steak. Yup, you read that right, steak. It was cooked perfectly, of course NOT by me remember when I lost eye lashes and eye brows lighting the grill? . I ate no more than 4 oz, but it tasted amazing. I savored every bite! BUT, as I imagined, it did not settle well with me. I made sure I took a digestive enzyme to help my body break it down, but had no luck with that. I am feeling pretty sluggish. I need to get to bed, sleep this off, and hit the gym in the morning.

I tend to slack off of the working out routine during the weekend. I get so lazy, or maybe just so consumed with life. My work week routine works so much better for me. The same goes for my eating habits, it is much easier to stay on track during the week. I feel as though I undo everything on the weekends that I work so hard to restart during the week. I need to get into a better weekend routine! I will. In due time.

As for now I am going to sleep off this steak hangover, and hope to feel less sluggish in the morning!

Inside all of us is HOPE.

Exhausted...

Exhausted? Very much so, thanks. Last night's swimming was amazing, I love to swim and I love the company I keep when I swim, Teresa made me laugh the entire time! Thank you for that!

I worked out this morning at The Christian Family Centre with Rach, and had a wonderful time. It wasn't busy, and we were able to play around, chat a little, and even get some exercise done. Imagine that? I did not get on The WAVE today, and I probably needed it after yesterday's double workout. Perhaps my weekend will provide some time to get back to the Centre for some WAVE time? One can hope. I don't think I have to ref tonight so my body will have a good 24 hours to recover before I hit the gym again. Whew, I need it.

I am still craving meat. Not just meat, STEAK. I big ginormous steak. I don't think I will actually eat one for a few reasons. Even if I could make a quick trip to Whole Foods to get a nice steak, the last time I started up the grill I burned off my eye lashes and most of my eye brows, and I have no desire to do that again. I might head over to the Blvd. Market for some local cheese in hopes that satisfies my craving? If not, Tilapia is our dinner plan, I hope that fulfills some of my neediness.

I am still tired. I blame it on the Olympics. It is SO hard to go to bed at a reason time when you are addicted to them. I am loving, as before, Anton Apolo Ono (who isn't?) and so many others. Women's skiing has become a fav! I have a super relaxed day tomorrow so perhaps I can squeeze in a little nap? (again) One can hope, right?

I think I am done weighing in on a scale. My goal is to track my body fat % instead of pounds. Why not change it up a little bit? I need stay motivated and on the right track.

My balancing act is going well knock on wood these days. I do not feel deficient in any aspect other than laundry. But laundry is laundry and will always be backed up. And since no one can figure out how to find/buy/borrow/invent a laundry fairy I have come to terms with this. I bought everyone another package of underpants, undershirts, and socks. Jeans can be worn more than once or twice , so moving on.....

Basketball tonight, and you know how much I love basketball!

Inside all of us is HOPE.

Petty Brought me Home Today! Thanks

I just got home from the gym with hopes of talking, kissing, and snuggling with my little boy; but he was playing batman with the dog and I am a girl and girls can't play. So there I have it. I guess I will blog.....

I had a decent work out today. I ran 2 miles, but they were a fast 2 miles. Faster than the 3 miles I ran yesterday. How fast? I have no idea. I just ran. I need to keep my focus more and chart my times better, but those of you who know me, know my brain doesn't work like that. I have an app on my phone that charts everything but sadly enough I only use it about 25% of the time. I need to be better about that. I WILL be better about that. So, I ran 2 miles, EFX'd 2 miles and the light lifted. Why light lifting? Because I am swimming tonight and I want to swim hard. My goal tonight is 1500m bilateral breathing the whole time. I go so much faster breathing that way. I also go faster when I remember to use my legs more.....

Tomorrow morning I have a hott date at The Christian Family Centre. Oh wait, I think it's a not date.... Whatevzies. I am calling it a hott date! RBH and BPE are my fav's and I shall date them both tomorrow morning! So, just finished one work out, swimming tonight, workout tomorrow am at the CFC. Yeah, I got this!

Here is my challenge to all of you... I need some new music to work out to. Burn me your best workout mix. Today Petty got me through, and I rely on Petty a lot, but we all know he is not a work out master! PINK has been good to me, along with OUTKAST, BLACK EYES PEAS, GOOD CHARLOTTE, and a few others. I need something new! Help me out, please?

"I rolled on as the sky grew dark...I put the pedal down to make some time...There’s something good waitin’ down this road....I’m pickin’ up whatever is mine" Yes, Petty kept me going, as I was running down MY dream.

Inside all of us is HOPE.

Staying Sharp!

I love to people watch, and the gym is exception to this. Probably my favorite thing about the way The Fitness Connection is set up is that the EFX machines are in the back, so you can see everyone when you use one of them. I play mind games with myself about all the people in front of me. Weather they are running, stretching, biking, whatever, I create a story in my head about them. Sometimes I watch people run and think about the way they run, if they are really smooth I try to copy their moves. I think my favorite game to play other than check out every one's shoes and clothes is what I call "I wonder what your face looks like". I play this game when I can watch a person work out, look at their body, but have no idea what their face looks like. It keeps me entertained. I was telling Shelley about this the other day and she told me that she had just read an article that said playing games with people at the gym is a great way to stay motivated. And I just thought I was creepy, turns out I am staying motivated. How 'bout that?

Today I rocked the EFX and ran. I hate running. On the tredmill that is. I feel so obnoxious and awkward. I can't wait to get outside and run! I am so excited Rach
offered to be my running partner this morning. I think this spring has great things in store for us! Tomorrow is my swim night, after Wellness University that is. I can't explain how much I love swimming. But I just love it. Love it.

My goal this week is sleep. I have been staying up too late lately and that needs to stop. Granted I have read some amazing books, but I need to limit my reading time at night. My goal is to be in bed by 9:00 each night. I am currently reading White Tiger, but I am not far enough into it to review it for you. In time. In other news on trying to keep my mind sharp; Rach and I are attending Inside Stories: Desperate Housewives at the Toledo Museum of Art next Friday night. If it is good we might put a monthly museum night on our calenders. Seeing as though they will have beer and wine who can turn that down?

Three weeks from today, at almost this very moment I will getting off of a plane with my boy on my arm in St. Thomas. I am beyond excited. I need to work hard in the gym these next weeks to make sure I look good on the beach! Short term goal: Beach body. Long term goal: Tri-training. Check and check.

If you need some perspective on balance, check out this blog: www.beccasbalancingact.blogspot.com
She is an amazing writer, you will not disappointed in her Wit.

Inside all of us is HOPE.

What are you reading?

These last few days I have focused a lot on health and wellness, but not the physical aspect of it. I love to read, most people know that about me. I go in phases though, and crave new books, something to open my eyes a little. I am still in love with Pat Conroy, and each time I place an Amazon order I want to add one more Conroy book. I have finished COMMITTED, the new Elizabeth Gilbert book, and must admit I loved it. Not loved it like I loved Eat Pray Love, but loved it none the less. Now I am pushing through the book PUSH. Wow is all I can say so far. Just wow.

What do all of these books have in common? Probably nothing except the company I keep when I read them. My sister, Rach, and I all read both Gilbert books at around the same time. Rach and I read Conroy together, and now PUSH. I love having wonderful women in my life that I can read with and then discuss the books with. I need to discuss books. I need that intellectual stimulation! We have tried in the past to start a book club. Nothing ever worked. I think we all could use a good book club, don't you? Who's in? A book club that meets once a month at Evans Street to discuss books over a few Obies. That is my proposal to keep our mental health and intellectual health in the right spot. Please don't knock each other to join this book club, I have a feeling it might just be the two of us. That's fine, but the more the merrier.

So cheers. Here is to your intellectual health and wellness. If you need something, I will recommend these: TWEAK by Nic Scheff and South of Broad by Pat Conroy.

Inside all of us is HOPE. Happy President's Day tomorrow. My day is jam packed, I am hoping for a good work out, I don't think it will happen though. Tuesday FO SHO!

Home Tomorrow. Gym tomorrow!

Swimming! Yeah! I made it to the pool today, unfortunately not the lap pool, but the pool none the less. Mom and I took the kids swimming and the Community Center. I had hopes of sneaking over to the lap pool for a bit, but it was closed. Just the OASIS was open. Yeah, the OASIS. Funny huh? We had a blast, and I managed a semi decent pool workout in. Kind of. We rode the water slide, played in the mushroom, and I drug the kids around the deep end. Better than nothing!

I had a massage this afternoon and it was amazing. A.maz.ing. Thank to mom for getting me one as my Valentine's Day present. I am so lucky. This massage therapist stretched out my arms, and rolled me around, doing what felt like lifting up my scapula and working on the muscles underneath. It was divine.

I hope to be home in time tomorrow to hit the gym. I am dying to get back in the gym. It has been since Thursday afternoon!

Happy Valentine's Day tomorrow. Happy Valentine's Eve tonight. I plan on indulging in one piece of very nice chocolate. I figure the better the chocolate is, the less I will need to satisfy my cravings!

Inside all of us is HOPE.

1, 2 ready, go!!

I was supposed to lift my lower body today, but while at the gym I remembered that I am reffing 2 games tonight so I stopped myself. Just in time. Whhhew. Remember the last time I lifted lower body and then reffed? It was horrible.

My food intake has been interesting this week. I am still eating lentils every single day. I think that is funny because I never liked them much before, now they are a staple. I am back on peanut butter and almond butter and I use them both with my protein shakes. I haven't introduced whole nuts yet, and haven't felt an urge for anything other than perhaps some raw almonds. They are on my list to get this weekend. Tomorrow I am going to splurge and stop by The Boulevard Market and buy some cheese to nibble on for the drive up north. I have been thinking about getting some good cheese for days, but have held off until tomorrow. I could eat a block of cheese, but will settle for a few slices.

It is warm enough for an outside jog today....... I jogged to my car to get my Ipod, does that count?

Inside all of us is HOPE. The rest of that goes like this.... Inside all of us is FEAR, Inside all of us is ADVENTURE, Inside all of us is a WILD THING. Enjoy this song.

Rumpus - Karen O and the Kids

Irrational Fear: A phobia, or morbid fear, is an irrational, intense, persistent fear of certain situations or activities.

I had to freak out for a minute at work this afternoon because of all the 'treats' all over the office. I couldn't handle the temptations. I told Cathy and Heather that they had to take home the lemon cookies. And all the cookies. Cookies everywhere! Lots of treats were left over from the Daddy/Daughter dance this year, and they all sat in my office tempting me with their sweetness. But I'm okay now. I promise. No more freak outs over cookies, I'm good.

A friend of mine was telling me that she swims in Ypsi in a pool that has salt water. I might venture that way one night and give it a try. I have been thinking a lot about swimming lately. I have also been thinking a lot about my up and coming vacation. I am excited to run on the beach and in theory swim in the ocean. I say in theory because I have an irrational fear of sharks. I don't think it will be possible for me to swim in an ocean in open water, though I dream about swimming in a calm bay almost every night. What do I mean by irrational fear of sharks? Ask my dad, he has it too. (It must be genetic.) I think if I jump off a boat in open water a shark will eat me. I don't even think I can be in the ocean where I can't see my surroundings, including the bottom. And to be honest, I am afraid of sharks in Michigan Lakes as well. Yeah I know. Keep laughing, I said it was an irrational shark fear. Of course it doesn't make any sense. So now here I am with these grandiose dreams of swimming in open water to improve my times, knowing full well I will go into a sheer panic and never be able to swim like that. Thanks Dad. Thanks for the irrational fear of sharks! How is it that we are like this, but my sister is in love with sharks? Interesting. Put the three of us on an island together and I guess she will be the one swimming with the sharks, while Dad and I wade with the toddlers!

Tonight we have a lecture at The John W. Smith House called WELLNESS; The JOURNEY OF A LIFETIME. The presentation is going to be fantastic, I can't wait. I hope to see many of you there tonight, bring your gym clothes, we can go work out afterwards!

I can be the Bell of the Ball

I am watching the snow roll in and keep thinking I should go for a run. I have NO idea why I feel an urge to run in the snow, but I do. I would hate to ruin my shoes, so I won't be doing any running. I thought about shoveling the driveway, a nice cardio workout that could be, then decided I might have better luck making a pouty face at me neighbor in hopes he will just do it for me. It might work? If not, I do have 2 children who were bred for speed and athletic ability, they are a wonderful snow removal system!

I am banking on no school for tomorrow. I am thinking about spending the morning at the Christian Family Centre working out while they are in day care, then we can all go swimming together and rock wall climbing! Then coming home having lunch and heading to The Pit for some sledding. They should sleep well if we can pack it all in.

Tonight is the first night of Wellness University. My goal is to have a computerized body fat composition program in place. I am excited to have a program that can monitor body fat on a weekly basis for those of us that are not seeing results on the scale, but know we are working out hard turning our fat into muscle. If you need more info on Wellness University, click on it and give us a call. All the cool kids are doing it! I love seeing this community become invested in their health and wellness, and being a part of that process.

Shelley told me about wheat meat the other day. She said she saw a program where it was used a 'meat' for chili. Interesting huh? I am still sticking with my lentils. They are giving me protein and I feel good! Though tonight the kids are begging for calzones. I am thinking spinach, fresh mozz, grape tomatoes, and some basil? Could be worse, right? So, calzones it is for dinner tonight, and probably lunch tomorrow. Yum!

I can't wait to get my massage on Saturday. My shoulders hurt from swimming so hard. Thank you Mommy for setting one up for me while we are visiting you over the weekend. I am counting down the days. I am also going to try to do some swimming at The Midland Community Center while I am there. Imagine; a pool that is open every single day? I talked to the boy who works at the Middle School pool for a bit last night. He is so nice. We talked a lot about my swimming, my goals, and he offered lots of help. That is the nice thing about a small town, the individuals are still individuals. Maybe he will be my swim coach? Maybe he can push me to the next level? Maybe. I am working hard on my bilateral breathing. I swim faster when I breathe every 3 strokes, but for whatever reason it hurts my ears to breath on my left side. Seriously. Maybe I need ear plugs? Ear plugs and a killer cool swim cap, I will be the Bell of the Ball! Not as cool as you are in that picture, but I can try!

Inside all of us is HOPE.

Swimming!! Finally!

As Monday rolls around it always brings comments from people about their progress from the week prior. I love hearing the comments, hearing your stories. I find it remarkable that it is common language for some of us to discuss our weekly progress on Mondays. I have no idea where you watched the Super Bowl, but I know how hard you worked out last week, where you slacked, and what your numbers are.

As for me, I swam hard tonight. Harder than I did last week, and I didn't think that was possible. I kept getting cramps in the arches of my left foot, does this happen to anyone else? It was horrible, and painful. I spent my last 15 minutes using mostly just my arms because every time I kicked I got a cramp. Not to be gross, but the cramps were the cool kind that you can see. I stopped to rub a few of them out and could see the muscle knot up and move. It was freakishly cool.

If this storm storm is half as strong as they are predicting I am plan on playing a little hooky and taking the kids to the Pit. I can't think of better cardio that hauling 2 small children up a hill on a sled over and over again. If you haven't been to the Pit lately, the trees are padded and there are bales of hay set up to keep everyone safe!

I have not lifted since Friday, and need to get into the gym. I think Wednesday might be my best bet. I miss lifting, I want to go so bad today but there just wasn't enough time. And of course last Monday I lifted, refereed, and swam and it killed me. So tonight I ref'd two games then swam for an hour. I think I did okay today considering I never made it to the gym!

Tomorrow is another day. It is not the hours you put in, but what you put in the hours.

Inside all of us is HOPE.

My Village. I am so lucky to be right where I am. Thank You.

I can't express often enough how lucky I am to have wonderful people in my life. For me, staying focused and on the right course is so important to me, and the truth is, I can't do it alone. The African proverd- "It takes a village to raise a child" is true in more than just child rearing. I need this village of amazing people to push me, encourage me, and call me out when I slip. I also need this village to help watch the amazing 4 year old boy that needs his Mommy to find balance in this world and create the healthiest possible life for him and his sister to thrive in. A round of thanks goes out to all the wonderful people who do these things for me, or have offered to do these things. I couldn't devote as much time to training with out you, I would not have the resources to pull from with out you, and would not find success with out you. Thank you.

I consider myself an audio processor, I love to talk things out. I will talk your ear off if you can put up with me. Rach and I have made it weekly tradition to head to A2 for the best opportunity we can find to buy organically, and support the Michigan economy by buying as much local products as we can find. I cherish these trips for many reasons, aside from the company shopping, I love the 2 hours of conversation this provides. We talk. Really talk. We talk about the kids, the challenges, their eating habits, their growth, their favorite foods of the week. We exchange ideas, bounce around thoughts and dreams, and best of all, she keeps me in check. (I hope I keep her in check too) I need to process things out loud, it helps me organize my brain. From books to movies to magazine articles. I need people in my life that I can talk to about all the mixed information out there.

I did not work out today. I have been feeling a little on the horrible side, and it is all my own doing. I introduced my body to beer last night, and let's just say that was not my best choice. Today my body is making sure my brain realizes what a poor decision I made. So far, coffee and beer are on my list on enemies.

Tomorrow is typical Monday. A quick workout, reff 2 basketball games, and then swim. I can't wait to swim! I love swimming with Teresa and Ashley. I think I am going to bring my camera and give it to Ash to take pictures since she always finishes before Teresa and myself, I am trying to document as much as possible from this journey.

I am excited to begin a new week and see what possibilities await. Inside all of us is HOPE,

"Your life is an occasion. Rise to it." Mr. Magorium

Friday came and went in flash, leaving me no time to blog about my adventures. So today I will catch up. Work was busy, and my life was in constant motion all day long. I managed to get at least one key thing done; I interviewed a new cleaning lady (!) she starts Monday. I am beyond excited about this, I think she is perfect for what I need help with. It's all about balance, and I think in order for me to find the perfect balance I need help. Delegation so to speak. Done. And done.

It was after 7 by the time I finally made it to the gym. Friday nights at the gym might be my favorite time there. Carnie Wilson Unstapled plays on the TV instead of The Young and the Restless, and everyone there minds their own business. A head nod or half smile might be exchanged from time to time, but for the most part it is quiet on Friday nights. I did 4 miles on the EFX, ran/walked 3, 10 minutes on the rower, then lifted upper body. I left feeling amazing, I still feel amazing from it. It was the hardest workout I have put myself through since the Body Purification, and much needed. I am not working out today, I need a day off. plus I have all kinds of cool plans for the day and evening to keep me uber busy!

I want to blog/discuss how I feel after watching the movie FOOD, INC., but I don't think I can yet. I am still digesting a lot of the information, and deciding where and how I am going to make changes. Because, this I promise you, I am going to make changes. I am done with soy milk, I do know that, I will never buy meat from a chain store again, I do know that. I am not even certain I am going to eat red meat again, but that might change. . My plan today is buy milk, eggs, cheese, and veggies from John the Farmer when he comes today. (Everything he has he grows himself on his farm with his family. He animals are treated fairly, and NOT fed corn) Other than that for today, I don't know where else I am going to make food changes. I feel motivated to take action. I will blog on this more and more and more and even more as I wrap my head around my action steps. I want to put my money where my mouth is before I open my mouth too wide. So, for today, I am buying what I can from John the Farmer, Rach and I are going to Whole Foods for everything else. It's someplace. Someplace better than Wal-Mart. (though we all know I never really shopped at Wal-Mart before, it is a metaphor)

I would love to swim today. My arms are aching to swim. Monday. Monday. Monday.

Have a wonderful weekend. Inside all of us is HOPE.

You make it look so easy. I'm sorry, I don't mean to deceive you.

I seek advice from others, but in the end I make my own choices. Sometimes I make good choices, but sometimes, I make not so good choices. In the end they are my choices, I reap what I sew. I am trying to make better life choices, but defining that, understanding exactly what that means, and then putting into practice are 3 totally different things. I am still on the learning curve, I imagine it is a lifelong curve at that.

Rachel told me yesterday that she had her first cup of coffee in almost 30 days. I thought about stopping at The Grind for a cup myself yesterday morning but didn't have time. She then told me it wasn't worth it and she felt horrible. I told myself at that moment that I was going to stay away from coffee because she is right, it is not worth it. Easier said than done. Today I was in Adrian for some work stuff and couldn't help but swing through Starbucks. Yummy, delicious Starbucks. Ohh sweet coffee. I couldn't have been more wrong on that call. Let's just say it has taken me 3 hours to blog this because my tummy is cramping up and I keep running to the bathroom, I have a headache from the caffeine, and my brain is scrambled ADD eggs. Coffee you are my new enemy. Yes Rachel, you were right, it was SO not worth it.

I am drinking enough water and eating enough green veggies to support a small elephant, so I can only hope it can repair the damage one cup of Joe did to my system. If I am going to feel sick I would rather have a beer, ya know?

I worked out pretty hard yesterday, it felt amazing. I need that endorphin rush to push me through the rest of my day. I lifted moderately hard, just my upper body though(legs are today). I ran, I rowed, and I EFX'd. Basketball was a success last night as well. I didn't have to ref, but I was able to play around a little bit and was pulled aside by 2 different parents at 2 different time to tell me what an awesome job I did Monday night referring. They were impressed by my knowledge of the game, and my desire to teach the kids as much as officiate. I laughed on the inside, if they only knew my credentials. If they only knew what kind of player/coach I was in my glory days.... But compliments always feel good, and are always welcome!

I swam last night. My goal was 1500m. My friend Teresa wasn't there so I had to swim alone. Since I didn't have anyone to chat with I figured why stop swimming? So I swam. And I swam. And I swam some more. I swan until I could no longer swim. Secretly I was racing an older gentleman who was in the lane next to me. He was fast and smooth, and kept going strong. He beat me by at least 200 if not 300 meters. He asked if I was a competitive swimmer, seriously. I laughed to myself. I guess my swimming is improving! I feel as though I am on the right path as far as my swimming is going, so his compliment was nice to hear. The running on the other hand is a slow process. I need to improve my times, improve my stamina, and improve my form. Oh yeah, and probably buy new shoes.

Today I am hitting the gym, lifting lower body and cardio. Basketball tonight. My energy is still high, as are my hopes. I know my life is good because I have 2 problems. My first problem is that too many people have bought me a massage for Valentine's Day. Having too many Valentine's is a wonderful problem, as is having too many massages scheduled. My other problem is that I bought a kick ass bracelet. I am in love with it. It was black and light blue when I bought it, now the chlorine has turned it navy blue and white.

http://www.lala.com/#search/lifestyles%20of%20the%20rich%20and%20the%20famous

In honor of those 2 things being my problems, listen to this song. (Yes, this is a play on yesterday's post when I wrote about all the complaining people do.) I am not complaining. Things are going well for me, or maybe I am just seeing things through my rose colored glasses. But please, don't be fooled by my optimism. This is not easy. I would hate for my anti-misanthropic way to leave you believing that any of this is easy. It is actually some of the hardest things I have ever done in my entire life. I am just living on my endorphin high, having hope, and trying as hard as I can to be better. Believe you me, I could tell you about how bad I want a pizza, a whole pizza, not just a slice. I could tell you about how tired I am, how sore I am, and many other things, but what's the point. You are all intelligent enough to know that this is not easy, right? Meredith Grey once said, (or Harvey McKay once said) "Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so love the people who treat you right, forget about the ones who don't, and believe that everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would be worth it."

Inside all of us is HOPE.

What color are your glasses?

Many of you follow this blog through links on facebook (Thank you!), therefore, many of you have heard me talk about Phil Brabbs and his battle with multiple myeloma. I was reading his blog this morning, I am completely inspired by him. He is on cycle 6 of chemo, raising 2 small children with one on the way, and imagine this; wasn't feeling too well the other day. To get out of his funk he ran three, yes, THREE miles. My hero.

I have listened to people complain a lot as of late. I think about how blessed so many of us are, and how different our lives would be if we could spend a little more time looking through these (photo courtesy of Phil's blog) Rose Colored Glasses. My goal is to look through these as often as I can, and feel blessed everyday for what I have, including my health. Maybe I will tint my goggles rose as I head back to the pool tonight for another work out. Yeah, that's right, tonight, even though it is not MY swim night I am going swimming. 1500 is my goal. Bring it! Lisa said she is looking for a swim cap for me. I hope it is obnoxious!

Since I didn't work out yesterday, and have not lifted since Sunday, I am heading to the gym when I get out of work at 2 today. Cardio and weights, cardio and weights, cardio and weights. I could write about song about my love affair with cardio and weights. I am grateful that I am not refereeing any basketball games tonight, just overseeing the action, so I don't plan on being a hott mess like I was Monday night.

The Body Purification is officially over. I feel amazing! I am so glad that I did it, as yes, I am glad that it is over, but in a way, it isn't really over. The purification was an opportunity to detox from carbs and sugars and basic crap. Now that I have done that, why go back? I said it before, and I will say it again, I am not looking backwards I am moving forwards. Fish and chicken, lentils and wild rice, lots of veggies, that's about it for me. It has to be if I am going to rock this triathlon! And of course my SP complete. When you click on that, look at the ingredients. Then do me a favor compare it with your protein shakes. Many powders are filled with sugars and crap. Seriously. Don't believe me? Check it out for your self.

Inside all of us is HOPE.

But, I wanted you to work out today....

I am determined to be the best swimmer I possibly can be. Better yet, I am determined to have swimming be my strongest leg of the Tri. My sister is swimming every day for the month of February, I so wish I could join in the fun. One of the many hurdles I am facing is that the pool here is only open for lap swim 2 nights a week. Both nights I have programs running for my job at the REC, so making it to the pool one night a week is hard enough. I think this week I am going to shoot for swimming both nights, in spirit of my sister who is finding the time to do more than her share of the swimming.

I am pretty sore today. The last time I swam my obliques were sore, but not today. Today my legs are tight. And by tight I mean absolutely killing me. I think it was more so refereeing basketball than the swimming to be honest. Who knew 2 hours of constant reffing would hurt so bad? Is this an age thing? I used to be able to ref for 8 hours on any given Saturday for a tournament, now look at me.

Today is Tuesday and my plan is to go to the Christian Family Centre every Tuesday to work out, put Bren in the day care there, use the WAVE machine, and all in all enjoy the afternoon. I can't today. I am too sore. I thought, no problem, I will just take a day off to recover and my world will right itself. Little did I know a giant 4 year old boy would be the one who lays into me for not working out today. I guess he really want to go to the day care and play the Wii. Silly me, what was I thinking? Even with his persuasion I have decided to take the day off from any activity. I have the afternoon off of work!! Lunch with boy, and then my attempt to tackle the mountain of laundry that never diminishes no matter how many loads I do.

This is what I am working out to this week, Black Eyes Peas, I Gotta Feeling. Check it out!

http://www.lala.com/#artist/Black_Eyed_Peas

Tomorrow the plan is to hit The Fitness Connection after I am done working. Between 1:30 and 2 assuming all the stars align and I have no issues to tackle! Meet me there. We can race on the EFX.

I am not a super hero. Noted. Never again will I try to be.

The next time I think I am super woman please, please put me in check. I worked out at the gym today, refereed TWO basketball games tonight, then swam for an hour. I am so hungry and so tired. My legs are like jello. I would give you a witty, intelligent, super funny blog post, but I can't. I am exhausted beyond anything I can put to words.

One thing I do want to share is this; I think I should invent a water proof Ipod. I think it would be awesome to swim and listen to music. Thank God I have Teresa to chat with when we take our little breaks.

Good night, I will blog tomorrow.

"Every time you shine, I'll shine for you"

Today brought my weekly jaunt to A2 for some Whole Foods groceries and some Trader Joe's yummies. Though no beer nor wine were purchased *tears*, I splurged on some wonderful goodies. My Dear Sweet Rachel suggested golden beets, I have never tried a golden beet, but to my surprise they were delicious. I plan on taking one to work tomorrow to enjoy, since being a golden it won't stain my fingers! I also bought a chocolate bar. A really really good chocolate bar. I just wanted to have it, so, ya know, come the end of the week I could have a little bite for being such a good girl. Amazingly enough, now that I have it, I don't really want it. I am sure I will have a little bite Friday as present to myself, but I am not feigning it, like I was . Is that considered a Jedi Mind Trick? Fooling myself like that, fooling my own weaker mind? Maybe. But please, if you had grandiose plans of surprising me with some Godiva's for Valentine's day I would welcome your chocolates with open arms!

I managed to make it to the Fitness connection for some cardio and weights this afternoon thanks to their longer hours on Sundays now. In 3 weeks the 56 participants in the Tecumseh Community Weight Loss Challenge have lost over 137 pounds. That is great! It feels amazing to be one of the creative minds behind an effort that is getting people in this community healthier.

I hate to go all teenage girl on you, but...... Taylor Swift has a song out called Jump Then Fall. It is in the movie Valentine's Day due out this month. You can check it out here http://www.lala.com/#search/taylor%20swift%20jump%20then%20fall if you are not familiar with it. (lala is my favorite way of sharing music. Register, it is free, and I can share my favs with you!) Most of her songs are about heart break and what not, but I love this part of the song: "every time you smile, I smile....and every time you shine, I'll shine for you." We talk about bringing the community together with this challenge, and yeah, there is a little smack talk going on fo' sho, BUT we are all rooting for each other. I love seeing how successful everyone is, and how fantastically their journeys are going. It is the way we are all pushing each other, picking one another up along the way. The path to health and wellness can be bumpy, I am grateful I have you in my life. Thanks to all of you who keep me strong and on the right path. I appreciate you.

I had a friend tell me the other day that she was not going to go to the gym the day before. She was tired and had too much to do. She then got on facebook, (what we all do when we have too much to do, right???) and saw my foursquare update that I was at the gym. She then changed her clothes and went to work out. She said I motivated her. I hope I did! The other night I told my friend Teresa I was scared to swim so many laps; I didn't know if I could do it. She looked me dead in the eye after she left me in a locker rooms with 25 middle school girls! and said, "Jesus Ehrika, if Ashley can do it you can do it!" That was her way of saying get your ass out there and stop worrying! Noted. I think we need little nudges, sometimes perhaps big nudges from people to keep us going. Some people nudge us unintentionally, and some know that we need a little nudge. Either way, we are in this together, and "every time you shine, I'll shine for you."

Today begins a new week, let's make it a good one. Inside all of us is HOPE.

"I'm not that girl" ohh wait..... Maybe I am. (wicked)

I was that person. No wait; I was that girl. I roll my eyes because it is true, embarrassingly true. I went out to dinner hott date! and this is what I ordered.... (Let me first remind you that I am still on my body purification program.) A salad. No egg, no croutons, no cheese, and no dressing. But a lemon on the side please. Then for the main course I ordered a double order of the steamed veggies. Please and Thank You.

Yes, I can eat chicken now, but I have to admit, chicken tastes horrible to me. I have no desire to eat it. I also have no desire to eat red meat, even though I can't yet. I can't even prepare meat right now, it makes me sick. Fish on the other hand, YUM! I bought some pesto tilapia last week at Whole Foods and can only pray they have it again this week! It was amazing. The only thing my body keeps telling me it needs is a small piece of dark dark chocolate. The kind of chocolate that is expensive and dark and bitter, the kind you can only have one nibble, maybe two before it overwhelms you. That is what I need. I write need, not want. I feel like I need this chocolate. My body has completely detoxed from sugar cravings, I have no desire to eat lifesavers or tic tacs or skittles or any of the old favorites. But chocolate.....dear sweet chocolate. It's almost Valentine's Day, right? One piece of amazing chocolate is all I want....

I did not make it to the gym today, I did not have the time. I thought about going to The Christian Family Centre tonight, but decided I was too lazy. I have a book I really want to highlight though tonight, and as much as I would love to be that girl on the EFX reading her book, I can't be. I don't work like that, I think I am too competitive. My friend Jonathon burned 1,036 calories the other night at the gym, seriously. I am not sure how he did it, other than "just working out hard". What is your record for an evening (or morning) at the gym? Do you pay attention to that stuff? I have an app on my phone that tracks workouts and calories for me, so I try to use as much as possible. I like seeing what progress I have (or have not) made. Do you chart your progress? Does it help?

Tomorrow, Fitness Connection. Join me. I'm thinking 1 or 2. You bring the water, I'll bring the conversation. Chances are I'm the funny one in our relationship.

Inside all of us is HOPE.

Time is of Value.

I went to Dunham's today and bought some goggles, I don't think I could swim again without some. I placed them in my swim bag as to remember them Monday night. Monday night swimming might be my new favorite thing, seriously, I totally love it!

Today is one of those days where I really want to work out, but I don't know if it will happen. I am booked with kids (mine and others), leaving my only feasible option to work out late tonight, like 7:30 or maybe even 8. As tempting as it is to just stay home and go to bed, I think I have to work out because I can't tomorrow, and who knows about Sunday. The downside of living in a small town is the gym I go to, the only gym in town does not have a day care, is only open for a few hours on Saturdays, and a few hours on Sundays. I feel limited in that respect. Granted, it is not like I had any great elaborate plans for a Friday night, but still, sleep counts as great plans, right??

Those of you with small children, how do you find the time to work out? Better yet, those of you who are SAHM's (stay at home mom's) how do you find the time to work out? My best days are when I just add time for a work out into my work day. Benefiting of course from the fact that the gym in right below my office and I can take 'the secret stairs' down to the gym. But I think that goes with the mind set that I feel a responsibility to be fit for my job. I feel as though I can't talk about health and wellness and not be healthy and well myself. Makes sense, right?

The hardest part is not the actual working out, the hardest part is finding the time to get there. I was talking with a lady today and she said her husband would get upset with her for driving 20 min to work out. He said she was gone for too long. I am so glad that that is not one of my problems... for SO many reasons. It does, however, prove my point; weather it be children or spouses, time is so valuable. Everyone wants a piece of you, working out at the gym means you have to give yourself a piece of you. That is not always easy, is it?

Enjoy your Friday night, I will see many of you tomorrow for pictures at the REC. Look pretty, smile big. Feel free to bring me a snack when it is your photo time. Fresh veggies, maybe a fruit? Lentils? I will probably see a handful of you tonight at the gym. Remember when we used to meet up at bars for beer? Now we meet up at the Fitness Connection for some light gossiping, EFX-ing, and perhaps a stimulating conversation that DOESN'T include the words, booger, poop, or butt. Maybe......

Inside all of us is HOPE.

I blogged 2 days ago about balance, and I know we understand how hard it is to balance. But this kid sure makes it look easy, doesn't he? This is Kyle, he works for me at the Rec. He is one of the many reason I love my job, I love working with these high school students. They keep things in perspective.

I worked out at the Fitness Connection this morning. I did my cardio and then some light lifting, and lots and lots of stretching. I have been sticking with the EFX machine and the concept rower for a while now, so I should really look into switching things up. I need to spend more time running, but I must be honest, I HATE running on the treadmill. I feel like an elephant, and sound like a heard of them. I know, I just need to get over myself and run. I keep trying to convince myself that the running will increase once the weather gets warmer.... In truth it has to or I will never survive running 5k's and then doing my first ever triathlon. In the spirit of the Tri, I also need to spend more time on the bikes, but I am a creature of habit. Breaking the habit of the EFX and the concept rower will be tough, so maybe I just add some bike time into my work out? Maybe.

Spending so much time on the EFX has done away with what little fannie I had. I am at the point with my work outs where I am about to need new shorts. I spend half my time pulling up my shorts as I EFX my way to health and wellness. Of all the places I wanted to drop inches, my fannie was the least of my worries. It will all even out in the end, right? That's what I keep telling myself. So I guess I will visit come College websites and order some new gym shorts. I might as well start with Dartmouth since I have already have my T.

"I like your Dartmouth shirt, who do you know that went there?" "My friend Meredith did her undergrad there." "Meredith Grey? From Grey's Anatomy?" "Yeah, uhh huh."

If I was braver I would use this blog to chronicle my weight loss and weight gain, and inches, and all the nitty gritty stuff. While researching other blogs before I began this I noticed that is what a lot of bloggers do. I'm not there yet. Maybe some day, maybe in a private conversation I will share those things. Maybe. BUT, if you would like to share your success and setback, do tell. We all can relate. I might start a photo journal of some things that are coming along nicely for me. Nooo, not my fannie, though that would be an interesting photo journal. My biceps and triceps are developing nicely, as are my legs. The best photos would probably be of what is not coming along as I had hoped, but again, it is that stuff that I am not yet brave enough to share.

Inside all of us is HOPE.

Lentils, I curse you. But I kind of love you. But I hate you.

When I got home from work last night I was starving. Before I even took my scarf off I started a pot of lentils. Before I could even change my clothes this happened to my pot of lentils.
The pot cracked all the way around, spilling half cooked french lentils all over my stove. Starving, I cleaned up my mess, doing the math in my head that to prepare another pot was not going to happen because it had gotten so late. In turn, I settled for a plate of raw spinach that I ate pretending each leaf was a potato chip. Dinner served. (protein shake and other veggies included)

I made lentils for breakfast. Breakfast of champions. For those of you wondering why I didn't just have a bowl of cereal or some other reasonable easy fix for dinner or even breakfast for those of us to eat dinner at 8 pm when we get home from work I am doing a body purification program. I am limited as to what I put in my body, and also limited to the amount of exercise my body can handle. So, lentils are my staple. Yeay Lentils!

As for now my obliques are still sore from swimming Monday night. That is a good thing I guess. I never realized how much I under-utilized those muscles. Other than that I am not hurting today anyplace else. I plan on going to The Fitness Connection at 3 when I get out of work for a mild to moderate work out, not enough time for weights today, so perhaps tomorrow I will re-introduce them into my work out plan. I finally feel as though my body is getting enough protein to repair the muscle tears from light lifting.

How are you with getting enough protein in your diet? Are you supplementing with shakes? I think eating healthier would much easier if I had a personal chef. Take last night for instance, if I had a chef to cook my lentils they would have been ready when I got home and I could have avoided the grouchiness that followed the Great Lentil Spill of '10. Did I say grouchiness? You bet I did. I was hungry. Lesson learned though, lentils are cooked in my refrigerator waiting to be warmed up with some fresh veggies for a post work out treat this afternoon. Yum!

I was able to squeeze in a few minutes this morning to see my Chiropractor for an adjustment. I am trying to get adjusted 2 times a week right now as my body is going through all of these changes. Today, all in all, I feel amazing. My energy is high, my mood is pleasant, I am ready for anything.

I am please with the traffic this blog has generated over the course of ONE day. I had 81 hits yesterday, an inbox flooded with comments, and lots of positive responses. Perhaps a few negative ones, but who listens to the negative anyways? Adding a comment to the bottom of the page is very easy, but it is your choice. I understand not all of us like to put our business out there...... E-mail me, inbox me, or leave a comment. I appreciate your feedback. Together we can do great things.

Inside all of us is HOPE.