Anyone can cook, but can anyone be a runner?

Here I am a week in to my latest fitness goal and I haven't said anything. Shame on me!

I made the official Facebook announcement on Wednesday that I am officially training for the Denver Rock and Roll Half Marathon in October. That's right, I said HALF MARATHON. 13.1 miles of running/jogging/( and realistically) walking. After being in training for five days and having run 5 miles during two different sessions, I have a few thoughts to share:

1. A good sports bra is a must. Thanks to the Title Nine store in Cherry Creek for getting me all set up today!

2. Pushing a jogging stroller is WAY harder than it looks. I ran 15:00 miles last week pushing both kids in the Rockies 5K. Thursday, I ran without them and ran 12:00 miles. Ummm. Check. Lesson learned. 

3. Training session are way easier and more fun when the family is involved. Mitch and the kids have been out with me once and it was a blast! Mitch is even thinking about running the half with me. He'll have done all the training, so I guess he'll be ready!

4. A great cheering section is a must. To all my friends who have liked my posts or given me positive messages - THANK YOU! Knowing that I've got friends who have done this, are trying to do this, or know they'll NEVER do this but think that I can run this half is extremely motivating. I know that you're watching the progress as I train as well. And keeping me on track. :o)

5. As for the original question? I'm still on the fence there, but I'm thinking Ratatouille could teach me something about running. 

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

Do you have a pair of magical pants? You know, those pants that seem to fit all the time? Even though nothing else in that size fits? Yup. You know which pair I'm talking about don't you?

So last week I started my week with the weigh in and I'd lost another pound (WOOT!) I tried on a skirt in a size 12 and it fit! I wasn't too overcome with emotion, since we all know that skirts fit a little bigger, right ladies? But later that day I put on a pair of denim capris (also a size 12) and they fit too! This was the spark for my muffintop post last week. There. You're all caught up.

The problem arose when I went looking for some more 12s. Umm. Nope, that one doesn't fit. Nope, not that one either. Sigh. Damn! I happened to start with the magical, mystical, special pants. (They're similar to the magical, mystical 4th Aaron - probably hang out in the same 4th dimension...)

Don't get me wrong. I'm still pretty darn excited to be in real pants again. But people are going to start to wonder about me once I wear the same pair of pants every day. Plus, even though they're capris, they  don't really cut it in this 100+ degree heat. So in the meantime, I'm wash n' wearing these bad boys as best I can and interchanging them with the preggo pants. One day at a time my mom keeps saying. I hate it when she's right. :o)

Yes Virginia, It's Called a Muffin Top.

That's right. The correct term for the pudge at the top of my pants is called a muffin top. I have a muffin top and I'm proud of it. Why am I proud of a muffin top? Go back to the second sentence and reread it. That's right! I SAID PANTS!

I've got REAL PANTS ON! Woo Hoo!


Some people say that it's the little things in life. I know this to be the case. Some days it's making it to Target and back without a meltdown from Jack, Ginny, or myself. Some days it's getting the laundry into the dryer while it's still wet. Today, it's the fact that I got my size 12s on! It's gonna be a good day tator.

Here We Go Again!

 Well folks, they say all good things must come to an end. My days of being fat and happy are over and the time has come to start shedding this baby weight.

The cons? Not being able to eat anything I want. Not that I should have done that to begin with. If I hadn't, I wouldn't have so much weight to lose. :o) But again, I was fat and happy. Happy being the operative word.

The pros? I'm already three weeks into the Weight Watchers program. I started at 185, which was 20 pounds of baby weight gone! In the last three weeks I'm down to 180. Not a bad start.

Since my major motivation last time was how I felt and looked, here's my before picture. Not as bad as where I started last time!

My first goal is to lose about 5 more pounds so I can get back to wearing regular pants. These maternity pants are killing me! I'm so sick of stretchy pants. Hmmm... Mommy problems...

That Warm Fuzzy Feeling

Today's realization was quick and to the point: Everyone needs help. (Hear that God? I'm finally catching on!)

Getting ready for Easter services, and my first church service in over two months because I'm a lazy piece of poo, was mind boggling. No longer bound by my "safe" outfits, I pulled out a pair of pants that hasn't seen light in years. Fit like a glove. And not the OJ Simpson glove that didn't fit because it had shrunk from the blood.... Like the original meaning - I was no longer pouring myself into them! Then I pulled out a shirt that I've never been able to get rid of, even though I haven't worn it since I left the Netherlands 7 years ago. I couldn't believe it. I was fabulous!

Even though I did the "girl thing" and changed outfits three times to find a better one (turns out it was too cold for that original outfit) I still kept thinking about how good it felt. Sometimes what motivates me is positive thinking. I know I look better and feel better than I did when I started 12 weeks ago. However, that's not where this message is going...

Needing the help of others refers to the comment that my friend Holly said to me, "You look GREAT!" Thank Holly! Sometimes it's the recognition from friends and family that keep me going. We're all human. We love it when people notice the good in us - the power of positive reinforcement!

Asking for help is no weakness. It might be what someone needs. Don't be afraid of being that voice for someone. I know Holly's comment will keep me going through the week. Who will you help? :o)

No picture of the awesome outfit, but here's my cute kid!

Welcome Back!

So, it's been a while since I last posted, and a lot has happened!

At the top of St. Paul's Cathedral

Mitch, Jack and I left our house on March 26th at 3:30AM to start our Spring Break trip. We flew to Chicago where we met mom and dad for lunch, and left them with a sweet little present named Jack. After 6 more hours of waiting in the airport, we were off to London. Laura, Mike, and Deb met us at the airport Sunday morning and we promptly crashed for a nap before dinner. Have to say that the risotto that night may have been the best meal we ate on the entire trip. :o)

At Jameson's. Clearly.

Laura participating in a whiskey tasting

Easily the best place we ate in Ireland

Over the next five days, we explored London and Dublin, while constantly checking the pedometer to see how far we'd walked. Our best day was just over 21,000 steps, which we calculated to be about 9 miles. Not too shabby! We saw the Tower of London, St. Paul's Cathedral, and the Imperial War museum in London (just to name a few) and St. Patrick's Cathedral, the Jameson distillery, and the Guinness storehouse in Dublin (again, just to name a few).It was so amazing to see all the sights, but especially fun to see them with Laura. It's been a while since we've been able to hang out and it was nice to have quality time.

I know Mom, Dad, and Megan felt the same way about their quality time with Jack. He had a BLAST with "Mama", "Boppi", and "Miggie". But by the time the week was over, I was pretty ecstatic to see him again. Though, it makes me understand how important it is for Mitch and I to leave him with others and take time for ourselves. Definitely don't do that often enough.

The best news out of the last three weeks is that even being away from Weight Watchers meetings for three weeks, and not even counting points for one of those weeks, I still lost 4.4 pounds! That brings the total up to 12.6 which is just over 5% of my starting weight. I'm pretty exited about that, too!

In the next few weeks I'm planning on training to RUN a 5K (hopefully by Mother's Day) and keep the forward momentum. Here we go!

A Girl on the Run

So, tonight I headed back to Runner's Roost - this time for a fundraising event. If you've never heard of Girls on the Run, you need to look around in your area. This program is so beneficial for young girls and I can't help be proud of or ladies at Lyn Knoll that sponsor it and participate!

GOTR was designed to allow girls to gain self-esteem while learning healthy behaviors that will hopefully stay with them for life. Last November, Jack and I did our first 5K (while at this point, our ONLY official 5K) as part of a GOTR event. Tonight, the awesome people at Runner's Roost hosted a meet and greet with a Denver Council candidate and took in donations at the same time.

Jack and I walked about 2.5 miles of the route and ended just after the first wave of runners. We ate pippa (pizza to Jack) and Fig Newtons, and Jack even tried several times to drink a Coors Light. He is a Rocky Mountain child after all, right? I digress... The event was awesome and I think Jack and I have found a new Wednesday night event! Yay!

Check out the GOTR website and see how you can help:

http://www.girlsontherun.org/

In other news, got a new pair of shoes since the New Balances were making my toes go numb. Trying out a pair of Asics now. Already feel a difference in the toe box. :o) Thanks to RR who let me exchange the old pair even after Jack ate (literally ate) my receipt.

Highs and Lows

Okay, so apparently you CAN stay the same weight even though you worked your A$$ off during a 7K earlier in the week. I'm going to blame this on a mix of (1) more muscles (I WISH!) and (2) too much snacking during work. Damn those Mid Month Motivators! When will I learn that grazing is not for me!?

However, there's hope. Though the weight loss was a stale mate this week, I have DEFINITELY lost some inches. I did some fitness shopping this weekend, consisting of new running shoes and a cute little outfit. And I don't say little lightly. I bought a size large pants instead of XL. (For those wondering, no, the shirt is still an XL - it's the boobs, okay?) I pulled all my size 14s out of the Goodwill pile and was able to get a pair on! I was getting a little worried for the Weight Loss Challenge at work. Between the slight weight loss over the last three weeks and the four inches lost, I feel like I'm BACK IN THE GAME! :o)

 Took that new gear for a test run (sorry, walk) around City Park this afternoon. Clothes were great, shoes made my toes go numb. A little searching online turns up that maybe I laced them too tight. Well, there's a little four miler on Wednesday, so we'll try them again!

And for a little added bonus, here's a look at the new outfit. And Jack eating his breakfast out of a bag. That's how we roll.

Weird Tip #1

One thing I've done is to label everything in my kitchen with the WW point values. Mitch humors me on this one, but agrees that looking up point values on the same items over and over is ridiculous! Making dinner is much easier and also quicker too! I've gotten through most of the older items and every time we bring food into the house, I take a few minutes and label all those items as well.

So there you are.... hope that helps you on your own losing journeys!

What Motivates Me....

This picture motivates me.







As well as this one. If you can't get a good view, that's my stomach that's holding Jack up. Not my arms.




 I'm thinking about putting these on the fridge to motivate me even more...

Two Weeks of Work

So, I've been meaning to write more often. As I love to say, "We all know where the road paved with good intentions goes...." But after two weeks of state testing, I've taken the Skittles out of my classroom. Apparently, I'm not strong enough to withhold myself from nervous eating. Oops.

However, I was extremely nervous going to the scale Saturday morning, and I still lost 1.4 pounds!  That's an 8.2 total loss since I started Feb. 4th. I leave for London in a week and a half which makes me a little nervous. I couldn't even let my husband take me to our favorite buffet because I didn't think I was ready. I hope I'm okay! People say to not worry about it, but it's hard when this is my main goal right now. Sure, my larger goals of being a good person, raising my son, being a good wife... there always there. But this weight loss is a large part of my life right now and I don't want to lose the momentum that I have. I won't have my phone with me and I'm freaking out about not having Weight Watchers Mobile with me at all times to check points.


Oh well. The best part of this week BY FAR, though, has been finishing the Runnin' of the Green 7K in 1 hour 5 minutes. I'm still feeling a little sore from that all, but oddly enough it makes me want to get out and move more. I feel great! I think 10 more pounds and I won't blow out a knee trying to play soccer! Yay!

One Month In!

So, I'm starting this a few weeks after I started my Weight Watchers journey, but better late than never, right? (I'm going to go with this for my late car payment today too - oops!) So far, I've lost 6.8 pounds and a couple of inches. My pants are already starting to notice the difference! So are my knees. Earlier this week I ran up the stairs. Then stopped, looked down the stairs and realized that the last time I RAN up stairs was several years ago. Yeesh.

But this all, just makes me realize that I'm on the right track. Has it been hard? Yes. Have I made sacrifices? Yes. Will it get harder? Yes. Will I need even more willpower? Yes. I am in this for the long run and that means sticking with it. My leader this morning said one lady had told her, "I have two options: Lose the weight or lose the weight." There are no other options! That's how I feel. This is working and it has to work or things get a lot uglier. My wish is to have more kids and be able to keep up with them. That's a lot to ask this body - in it's current state - to handle.

At class today I heard a girl talk about her soccer team. Perhaps that's a goal as well. To lose enough pressure off my knees to be able to play soccer again. As for a more short term goal: 4 more pounds and to kick some butt in the March Weight Loss Challenge with the girls at work. :o)