I am here

I haven't gone away, just struggling to get out of the hole my work has so kindly dug for me over the last 2 weeks or so. I took off about a week and a half in May to just focus on sleep. It wasn't a great decision, but it was what I needed at the moment. I didn't go crazy with food, tried to keep the stress eating in check. Memorial day weekend was pretty much a free for all, but in the end I came out weighing what I went in with. So all and all, not too bad.

June is going to be about me. (again) It is a crazy time of year with school ending, spring sports winding down and swim team ramping up FAST. So I am working hard to get back to the exercise habit. June will be about squeezing in what I can whenever I can. I have a bikini to feel sexy in (goal) and the pool is open damn it! (how did that happen btw?)

So I ran Saturday and Sunday to kick the month off right. Tonight I ran a fast mile on the mill, just to convince myself I can kick up the pace and then took a 2 mile or so walk after dinner. I am playing with joining a challenge to see if I can kick things up a notch and get through this plateau I have been at for months. I am not unhappy with my weight, but a goal of losing 6 pounds over the course of the year didn't seem that daunting until I got to the 6th month of the year with very little movement.

Anyways, just wanted to let you know I am here, working out and trying to figure out my next race.

Hope you are well.

Keeping at It

Nothing very earth shattering to report today.

Rain today, bagged on bootcamp. I had an early presentation to give to the Leadership Team and I didn't sleep well at all last night, so it may have been for the best.

After a successful presentation and a long day at work, I was/am tired. Like putting off working out tired. I helped the teacher pack up her room and them came home to help with homework. I had a short workout window, but decided I wanted a whole hour on the treadmill. It was a risky proposition, because after dinner  is well, after dinner.

Runkeeper sent me an email saying it tracks other activities besides running. Guess after 7 days, it gave up on me. :(

I did it. Took advantage of a boy scout meeting and got it done. I used to work out at night all the time, but it has gotten harder! I didn't give myself a ton of time after dinner and didn't feel so great when I was done.

Here are a few other fun picture from the weekend.

Smores in the chiminea

So beautiful

The first time the lavendar has bloomed! Was an impulse Costco purchase a few years ago.

Racing for the Bling

The crowd moved towards the start line much faster then I expected considering the number of racers. I crossed the startline about 11 minutes after the start. The 15,000 women and 500 men headed towards the capital before we made a right turn to head towards the water.

We did an out and back across the Arlington Bridge and I was still with the 2:50 pacer. The group slowed considerably as we made our way onto the ramp down to through a tunnel and towards the Kennedy Center. There were great bands on the course and it was so fun to see the sights from up close.  I was starting to lose the pacer more often, and spent quite a bit of time wondering how much her arm hurt holding that sign. I would catch up at water stops and then start to fall further behind. I was ok with that, since I wasn't seeing any indication of the 3 hour pacer.

After the Kennedy Center we headed towards Haines point. We crossed over a bridge around 5.5 and there were groups of spectators there. I wondered if I would see the family, but it was too early based on what we had talked about. It should be close to mile 6.5 or 7. I was still feeling ok, having had some honey stinger chews around mile 5 and catching Nuun water or water at most of the water stations. The lines for the bathrooms were long, easily could have added 5 minutes to time, so I was happy I was feeling good and hoping it would continue.

We moved onto Haines point and it seemed a lot more deserted then I remembered it from the Navy 5 miler last year. There is a golf course on the penisula, so there is a lot of fenced off area. There were some cheer stations and a lot more signs posted from the race organizers along the path. They were appreciated as I didn't find my family and it was getting LONG. We entered in Mile 6 and headed out on Mile 10.

I finally found my family around after the 15k mark headed towards the mile 10 marker. I was so happy!

I am in orange in a sea of purple

so happy to see and be seen

I gave everyone a kiss and whispered to my husband "This is so hard." He said "I know, but keep going." So I did.

We went back through the tunnel and it smelled bad to me. I don't know why, but I wanted to get out of there more then anything. We were headed uphill to get back to Pennsylvania.

Nike official picture - isn't DC beautiful?!

The last 2 miles were the worst. We turned onto Pennsylvania and headed towards the capital again. In other races I have run downtown they add all sorts of jogs into the courses, so I was scared. I had no idea what was still ahead of me and I was starting to not feel good at all. I didn't want to stop this close to the finish and my stomach felt too sugar sweet to take in any more fuel. I was stuck just the way I was and had to take it one step at a time. The best part of this endless walk (yes I was walking) was the tourists who where taking pictures of the themselves in front of the race.

About a half mile from the end of the race one of my new mom buddies came up from behind me. She had been moving all weekend, but even so I was shocked to see her. Then we began to hear the 3 hour pacer behind us. I had kind of forgotten about the pacers since it had been so long since I had seen one. He was loud and working on motivating the purple runners in his group.

What I did was kick it into gear. No damn way was I going to go over three hours if I didn't need to. Of course I didn't have much left, so it was a short burst, but I keep moving forward. Any way I could to stay in front of him.

I did it! Finish was 2:59:21. That still seems a little off based on my start time and the time on the clock, but whatever I did it.

Love how you can see my orange shirt from anywhere

We were met at the finish by a great announcer and Howard University ROTC students. Not the Marines I was hoping for, but let's face it, cute is cute.

The necklace and fantastic finishers shirt was mine. I walked through the various stations and was met by my family a short distance into the crowd. I am so used to being at races by myself, I almost forgot to look for them. I turned off runkeeper and it read 13.9 miles. Gives you some idea of the bobbing and weaving that was had on the course.

We found my bagcheck - super easy drop off and pick up by the way and meandered towards the car. The kids wanted food, but we couldn't think of where to go, so we decided to get something when we got back to Fairfax.

We headed to Coyote Grill after picking up my car. Goodness was had all around.

Happy to have another race in the bag. I am going to be looking for some smaller races for awhile.

I need to leave you with this classic picture. I look like I am sleep walking through this race!!

Taper Time

I am running the Nike Women's Half in DC next weekend. It is the first running of this race. Nike runs a marathon in San Francisco each year. So far I have mixed feelings about this race. The registration was a mess. It was a lottery, so MANY months ago we entered into the lottery and gave our ccard. This is pretty standard stuff, so no big deal. When the day of announcements came the  facebook page started to light up. Some folks posting that they got emails, others were checking their credit card statements for charges. And so it went for HOURS. I am somewhat of a scatterbrain, so I had no idea what ccard I had used weeks before. I never did get an email, but eventually there was a listing posted to the website with all the names of the registered runners. I was on it, so had to assume I was good. Frankly, I had registered for this race on a whim, with no one else. I was happier with the Cherry Blossom experience and I didn't even get in that race!

Anyways I am running. I would say my training has been sporadic at best. I ran a few long runs as the weather warmed up. So more outside running, which I think prepares me better for races.  But as you know, I have had a few weird knee issues and bouts with non-motivated weeks.

I ran twice today. The first 3 miles were for the local VisionWalk. I took my kids to the walk with me. I was meeting a few other DGs and a few of us were planning to run the route. My running partners in crime weren't able to make it, but I knew my kids would fill in - if I could keep up with them.

Stretching is very important!

Ready for some fun

We were at a local outdoor shopping mall. One of the many town centers that have cropped up over the years in the area. The last race my son and I ran together was at this same place, so I was pretty sure we would be following the 5k route. We were off. Another DG mom offered to come with us and helped me keep close to the kids. We were off and ran the first mile in 11 minutes! I knew we wouldn't be able to keep up that pace, and indeed I was right. We slowed to closer to 15 minute miles for the last two. I was very proud of my daughter for sticking with it and finishing the run/walk. She was so cute crossing the finish line with everyone cheering. I very well could be in trouble with this one! My son loves it when I talk about how he is such a good coach. He was prompting us to "run to the corner" or to that light. So great! The last quarter mile or so I let him go ahead. 

We ended with some bounce house fun and yummy sandwiches. 

Once home I took care of lunch and then headed out to my local trail for 4 more miles. I felt like I was back in business, running 11:30-13:15 miles. Great place for me to be a week out from my race! 

Last week I exercised all 5 days during the week. I am not sure I will do the same this week, as I should be tapering, but I do want to get to Boot camp at least twice. 

Have a great week!

Together Tuesday

This morning started out with my alarm going and my motivation getting me out of bed. Its funny sometimes I just do what is right, other times I have to talk myself into getting up and still others I know no amount of self-talk is getting me moving. Today I was up and at 'em. Headed over to GMU for bootcamp and was pleasantly surprised at how warm it felt. I was not pleasant when I was the only one there for warm up. Soon others started coming and all was good again. I am scared to do a workout with Edye by myself! Not really, as I have before, but I know it would be HARD to have her focused on me for an hour!

Today we broke up class into 2 parts. First was strength and then we did intervals. I did ok with most everything, except the push ups. (must practice - really) She estimated we went 2 miles for the 30/30 intervals. I think it was closer to 1.5, but what do I know. What I do know was I kept with it and felt good at the end.

I typically wear semi dressy clothes to work, but today I had on my Woodrow Wilson half shirt on. No one else at work was wearing a race shirt, but lots of my friends on FB were. It was a small thing to do, but made me feel better. Lots of folks were also running for Boston.  2.62 miles, silent miles or some other amount of time or mileage. I didn't end up running again today for various reasons, but will think of Boston when I run tomorrow. I am feeling much better this week, more energized (even though my eyes are about to shut on me right now) and back in the business of getting healthy.

Tomorrow is another day and I plan to carry on with my momentum.

Hello Burke Lake

Saturday was sports day. Opening day for Little League, first soccer game and then baseball game. It was COLD with a game start time of 7 pm. Everyone had great games! I even managed to get the family to help me do some yard work and we are making progress shaking off the winter debris from the yard. We topped off the afternoon with cake to celebrate the birthday party of a young neighbor. Oh how I wish I had more self control.

Sunday was my long run day. I was slated to do 11 miles and didn't have any plans to run with anyone. I needed the motivation, but turns out I am just as bad at scheduling rundates for myself as I am playdates for my kids! I was all motivated to get up early and get going, but the reality of needing sleep was to great.

I got up about 9 and threw on my clothes. It was supposed to be warmer on Sunday, so I dressed in a skirt, short sleeved shirt and a light jacket. I grabbed my phone and shuffle. I was hoping to listen to the Another Mother Runner podcast, which usually published on Saturday night and then move over to my shuffle. Well I had updated my phone a few days ago and couldn't figure out how to get the newest podcast. I didn't want to waste time figuring it out, so off I went.

I drove down to Burke Lake park, where the trail around the park is just under 5 miles. I knew I would have to do some out and back to make up the last mile, but it was worth it for the scenery and the company. Burke Lake always has busy trails of runners, families and bikers. On a Sunday some of the other trails I use can be a little more deserted, and I wanted to be safe and this fit the bill.

I headed out on the trail about 9:30 knowing I had hours before me. This is why I think I may not do a marathon. It isn't the event itself, but the training before hand. I could be out for 4 hours or more to complete a marathon training run! Back to my half marathon training. 11 miles means a little more then 2.5 hours. I started with a run/walk to get myself started. I wanted to warm up slowly and give myself some room to get going. Mentally this run started out hard, so I was trying to ease into it.

who can argue with this beauty?

I eventually got my rhythm and continued to work my way around the lake. I entertained myself with various thoughts, one being to smile at folks I pass. SBS from Another Mother Runner had talked about acknowledging others and smiling during runs. I did my best to greet walkers and runners alike. Some I got responses from, some not. On this trail you inevitably see folks more then once, so I found those that I greeted the first time were more likely to greet me the 2nd or 3rd time around. 

At the end of the first lap I came upon the cutest little girl being carried by her dad. She was looking back over her dad's shoulder, and as I approached I waved and was rewarded with the sweetest smile and wave. That carried me for quite awhile until I managed to trip over a root. My body surged forward almost into a lady walking.(she had no idea what almost hit her). I heard the audible gasp of another girl running in the opposite direction. I managed to pull myself back up with about 12 inches to go before the ground and I connected. After that I focused a little more on the ground then the smiling. 

I also spent quite a bit of time passing and being passed by a couple. They were doing a run walk and he was clearly the one in charge of the clock. At one point I passed and said "me again." she gave me a look of death or desperation, not sure which! I thought about what advice I would give her if I passed again. I think I would have told her to run her own run and not worry about his pace. It was clearly making her miserable and I have had more success slowing down and gaining stamina to run longer. Sometimes the run then slow to walk can be jolting, better to run through. 

Any rate, I finished in about 2:43 with a good attitude and hungry. I have continued to eat ever since. So much for the weight loss I saw over the weekend! Finally some progress! Hopefully I haven't strayed too far as I am typically hungry after my long runs and it does wear off by Tuesday. 

Later in the afternoon we went on a hike with the kids. It was so fun to explore a new area with them. We only went about a mile, but a steep elevation change the whole way. 

We were treated to some great views and even found a river of sorts. Rock skipping and talking to some floating kayakers was a nice break to the hike.

Adorable! 

 I wore my compression socks during the hike and it was a good idea I think. I could really feel my legs aching and I think it helped a little bit. I also foam rolled. I have had a few knee twinges, but so far have pretty much ignored them. A great patient, right?

We topped off the weekend with a good dinner and some frozen yogurt! Yea! 

Back in Action

So I may have mentioned that I haven't really laid out a training plan for the Nike Half Marathon. They have been posting a weekly training plan and I have a pretty good idea of what I need to get done. Last weekend was a done deal with the 17.75 race. Then I had that horrible run of 2.5 miles, which was cut into 2. Then on Wednesday I didn't run as planned, but took time to get the house cleaned up before my MIL arrived.

I wanted to run on Saturday since I wasn't sure what the Easter festivities would bring us. The day was warm and my son had a baseball practice. So I decided to leave the house an hour before practice started and ran to the field. Then there is a great trail from the field that I ran for about 4 miles and then back. The trail was full of bikers, runners and folks walking with strollers.

The start of my run was more difficult as there are quite a few steep hills. I walked uphill and ran downhill. I was feeling stiff, but my knee wasn't hurting, so I kept plugging along. I was thinking the family would pass me on the road, but I ended up getting to the field and on the trail before them. Yea! 5k done and at least 8 more miles to go. I headed off on the trail which is nice and flat and a combination of gravel and pavement. I ran and ran and ran. No walking!! I just kept plugging along at my slow but steady pace. I was getting a little faster in my splits and feeling good.

I stopped at mile 5 and tried some Honey Stinger chews. They tasted like fruit snacks and were yummy. At this point the trail was pretty empty and I just kept moving.

Empty except for these guys. 

 I changed from my iphone to my shuffle to get some different music and my kissmyblackass podcasts came on. She had a long run of a half hour going and I just kept running. At mile 7 I turned around and headed back to the field. I was faster then the strollers and slower then everyone else. :) At about mile 9 the week 2 of the coach to 5k came on. Run for 90 seconds, walk for 1:00. I did the 5 minute warm up walking and then got right back into it. I ran the first interval and then decided to run the walk section, and so on. I was feeling like I was just floating along.

I came back to the field for a short stretch and this happy face.

The best part was kicking this run - just shy of 10.5 wearing my Finishing = Winning shirt. Indeed!

What an awesome way to spend a (finally!) warm day!

Signs All Around

So I think I need to open my eyes more. I know I told you all how bummed out about my run yesterday. And to be fair, I haven't had a good run in 2 weeks. Remember, I consider a good run one where I can string 2 miles or so together adding in breaks for a 4-6 mile run. I want to feel strong and be able to keep my turtle speed steady. Remember how I raised the speed on that last good run? I was up to 4.9. Getting so close to 5. (I know this is where many people start - including on the Biggest Loser - but I mostly embrace how slow I am, most days anyways)

The world doesn't seem to be agreeing with my attitude. And it let me know in several ways.

Sign #1

So I turned to my friends. The funny/comforting thing was not one of them said I was being silly, of course I was a runner. They all granted that it was hard, but I needed to keep at it.

Sign #2

In a little less then 3 months I have hit 25% of my goal for the year. Sounds just about perfect doesn't it? *sigh* Not failing, but rather hitting my goals. Hrumph. How about that.

Sign #3

EXCITING!! I am published. Well not my, but my quotes. I had communicated with Dorothy Beal, who writes at www.mile-posts.com, a few months ago on Twitter to help her with this article and a tight deadline. She was writing an article about running with moms and dads. Well, my dad is a big runner and I was so excited to share.

The latest Run Washington magazine came out and there we were! I am so excited to send my dad a copy of the article. Check it out on page 68! I haven't told anyone, so you are the first to hear my big news!!

Guess I can't give up now. Plus I have a race to run in April, the Nike Women's Half Marathon. It is the first time it is being run in DC and I was able to get a spot in the lottery. More about this race soon, I promise.

Redemption Run

Last week didn't turn out quite the way I had planned. I failed at many of my workouts and didn't replace them with anything. Not sure what my problem was, but I was definitely low energy and high eating. In the end the damage wasn't too terribly bad, but I needed something to kick me back in gear. 

This weekend was incredibly busy schedule wise, so I was struggling with when I was going to find 2 hours to get a run in. In the end I decided that Saturday afternoon made the most sense. We got through TKD and swim practice, I had lunch and then set off. I had in my head I wanted to do 8 miles. I had done 7 last weekend and have the 17.75 (km) race coming up in two weeks. I can't slack off on my mileage now! 

Lonely left over snow rock. 

Due to our non-snow/but still precipitation event I wasn't sure how muddy the trails would be. Being as I was game to run with as few hills as possible, I decided to set out that way. It has been quite awhile since I have run outside, but the weather was treating us to a springlike day and I didn't want to miss out! 

I started the path and felt good. I haven't been having such great runs since the Princess, so I was a little nervous. I felt strong, maybe missing those workouts was a good rest! 

I had purchased new earphones at Target this morning as my old ones had gone through the wash. I had tried them out and they seemed to be shorting. My original pair, that I love go over my ears and I picked them up in the checkout line at TJ Maxx. You know where they stuff all the candy/food from who knows when and other odd assortments. Yup. Just sitting there. Any rate, due to this, I know I will never find them again. The new ones from Target seem way to big. I didn't have time to fiddle with them, so I plugged in the old ones hoping they would at least be on for most of the run. Of course, they worked perfectly the whole time! Why didn't I try them before I ripped open the other package?? 

Anyways, I set off on the trail. I was pretty sure I had a 7 mile loop I had run in preparation for Woodrow Wilson, but wasn't exactly sure. I decided to wing it. My extended neighborhood has enough loops that you can pretty much do as little or long as you want. I followed the trail from our park to another park, which is about 2.5 miles. Felt good and I had hit upon the 5k to 10k podcast from kissmyblackass.org. She was running me 12 minutes with 1 minute walks. Feeling strong I headed onto the sidewalk, which is where the hills begin to come into play. I walked up the first big one and then started another 12 minute cycle, still going well. Jogged into a few cul de sacs to add to my distance and then finally headed towards the school my kids go to. Got up a big hill by the school (running!) and then took streets to get from the front of the school to the back. Headed down the street a little further and I found an entry to the trail I hadn't taken before. 

So headed back and then I was at about 7 miles. I had taken a few walk breaks, but the sun and the perfect air temp were pushing me on. I ran past the playground my kids and I have spent many an hour at and grinned at how many people were there. Love when folks take advantage of good weather. Looped through my neighborhood proper and headed home. 

In the end I finished my 8 miles about 1 hour 40 mins. SO much better! That is a pace of about 12:45, which is where I have been for the most part. Redemption for the 16:10 pace at Disney! 

The day was beautiful and I am so glad I was able to clear the decks of responsibility for my run. I am also happy because I used to allow myself 15 minutes per mile when scheduling my runs. While it isn't a big difference finishing 8 miles under 1:45 seems like a big win to me! 

Friday night we celebrated my son bridging over to Boy Scouts, I am so proud of him! 

One out of Two Isn't Bad

Well, all I can say is the snow was a big bust. It started out promising. School was cancelled, Governments closed, snow coming down from the sky. However, the weather goddesses weren't cooperating and the temperatures just couldn't come down far enough to keep the snow from being a big slushfest. The kids made it work by sledding and generally run around in the rain/sleet/snow.

Even though my office was technically closed, I had calls scheduled with a vendor, so the show must go on.

I did get a 3 mile run in and bumped up the speed just a notch the last .25 mile. This is my pattern before I move up to a new speed for my weekday runs. Its a slow progress, but I seem to be able to make it work for me so far. Afterwards I took time to stretch. This is so important, but I don't always do it. (see all the entries where I am running up to the minute before I need to go someplace)

After that I decided all was not lost on the arm workout and I went to clear our sidewalks of the remaining slush. It was heavy, but with a corner lot, we get a lot of traffic. I wanted to make sure it was clear so tomorrow it will just be wet rather then iced over.

I now have the kids in bed, a fire in the fireplace and a glass of wine in hand. Relaxation is on deck for me and then some heavenly sleep. 2 more days of this hectic week to get through!

A Weekend of Building Blocks

I went to bed on Friday knowing I was beat. Just mentally and physically exhausted. The local Moms Run This Town group was planning a run around Burke Lake and several folks needed to go the same distance as me. (10 miles) I knew as soon as my head hit the pillow that I wasn't going to make it. I will be honest and  admit that the crazy cold weather had something to do with it too. I am not yet outfitted to run in the cold and if you told me I would be out in 32 degrees, I would have laughed. Facebook has evidence that these ladies are heartier then I and about 14 showed up to run in the 14 degree weather!

Oh and while we are being honest - my eating has SUCKED the past few days. I really need to get back to consistent meals made up of good stuff. I have had more pizza this week then in the last 2 months! Moving on, just wanted to be transparent. :)

I put my focus towards the Birthday Bonanza for Boy Wonder. Saturday was his lego/robot party at a local place and I had a cake to make. I have turned out some crazy cakes for this boy - Rock climbers, Angry birds, but I didn't kick into creative gear with this cake until Friday afternoon about 3 pm. The local cake store saved me with a chocolate mold for bricks.

Fun was had by all and Mom was able to wrap up the day with a star next to her name. I found out later my mother in law was telling my son how lucky he is to have a mom that makes cakes for his birthday and he informed her this one was just a rectangle, so not complicated at all. Ha!

Once I collapsed, I focused on my run. I was daunted by the mileage and really didn't want to do it on the treadmill. That is a long time (about 2.5 hours) and the reality is, it is just asking for kid drama while I am trying to keep moving. However, the trails are much more sparsely populated this time of year. Then a posting from another mother asking if folks were interested in a run - and not at the crack of dawn! Double yea! So I met several runners at the famed Vienna Caboose for a run.

Courtesy of Kelli Wright

Turtles like me never know if there is going to be someone at my pace. People say they are slow, but they often aren't. Sure enough after our introductions and photo the group was off and it quickly was one other mom and I. She had 11 on the books, so I knew at least we were in for the long haul. I could tell she was a strong runner - meaning she doesn't just stop and walk every time the going gets a little tough.

We started up the WO&D towards Reston and after a few miles met the others coming back. One mom that lived in the area peeled off and offered to show us some trails to keep things a little more exciting. The W0&D is essentially a highway for runners, walkers, bikers and horses - complete with a bright yellow strip down the center. So off we went.

This picture was better before she ducked behind the tree.

It was a really nice portion of the CCT and Kelli kept up a good pace and conversation to keep us going. She clearly could have blown us out of the water, so it was so nice to have her lead us. It got me thinking that I can see the value of training with a pace group. They push you to stay steady and keep moving! My running schedule is too all over the place at the moment, but let's face it, I continue to redefine what I think makes sense on this little adventure of mine!

Rebecca on the stepping stones

Kelli led us through the beautiful woods, off the trail into a neighborhood with some nice hills. I totally walked them knowing we still had miles to go. She peeled off at her house and we easily found the WO&D again. The snow started coming down a little harder and I certainly felt like it was getting colder. Some of my accessories like gloves came back out. We walked some, but over all I was so happy to have finished 11 miles in just over 2 hours, 30 minutes. I suck at pausing runkeeper, so that includes most of our breaks.

I was hurting the rest of the day, luckily I just needed to pull out the leftovers from the party to head to my friends house for the first half of the Super Bowl. They are currently making a real game of it as we speak and then I need to head to bed.

So what have you done that you never thought you would? How have you redefined what you consider crazy?

A Weekend of Goodness

This weekend wasn't terribly eventful, but I managed to get quite a bit done and it was WARM. Not warm for January, but Springtime Warm. I completely missed the boat on Saturday, spent too much time at the computer trying to figure out summer camps for the kids. Yes, I know that is crazy, but it is true. This is the life in suburban DC. We were supposed to get together with some friends on Saturday night, but the sickness that has been going around hit their family and we ended up staying home. The plus side was I had decided to make a fancy salad with red potatoes, corn, red pepper, feta and tomatoes. It was yummy and I had it again for lunch on Sunday.

Sunday was a record of balancing for me. I had 9 miles on the calendar and an invite from my friend Irma to run. The weather was great again and I couldn't turn down a buddy run as I spend so many miles by myself. She seemed a little daunted by the 9 miles, so I got up to run 4, raced to get my daughter to a playdate, met Irma and ran just over 5 and then raced back to pick up from the playdate. Somehow the timing all worked out and I didn't end up missing anything. I don't want to do that with my workouts every week, but it was worth it. Irma kept me moving for the most part and I feel like it was a successful day. The afternoon was spent soaking up the sun at the park.

Tonight I had booked a babysitter, as it is restaurant week in Alexandria. DH and I had a great dinner at Morrison House. So needless to say I have watched my weight creep up each day as I drink and eat myself through the weekend.

Tomorrow - back at it!

Getting it Done and Letting Go

Friday - a good day by any estimation as it is the beginning of the weekend. In our case a 3 day weekend to celebrate MLK and the Inauguration of Barack Obama. I feel somewhat bad that I have lived here for so long and still have not attended an inauguration parade or ball. That is one of my long term goals. It seems no matter how nice it is leading up to the day, the actual day itself is typically freezing. It is DC after all. And me? I am just a weather wimp. I am getting better - see the Christmas Eve when I hauled my family to the National Christmas Tree and beyond for holiday bonding time. No engraved invitation to Ball arrived in the mail either. Perhaps because I don't donate to political parties? Anyways, this year doesn't seem to be the year. :)

I went to boot camp, which was awesome because she spent quite a bit of time on stretching. Based on my run on Thursday, I needed it, so win-win! I then had a telecommute day, which I spent throwing laundry in, answering emails and even got some returns done over lunch. I was feeling good about my to do list, but hovering in the back of my mind was the 5 mile run I hadn't done on Thursday. Because I skipped my long run last weekend, I needed to be extra good about this week leading up to my 9 miler scheduled for Sunday.  Time was short though, I volunteer for a school club on Friday evenings and needed to be out to door close to 5 pm. 5 miles takes over an hour for me, so I can't just pound it out like some runners. I made a deal with myself that I would cut away from the computer at 3 and get moving. 3:00 came and went and I hadn't made my big move to change clothes.

In the end I got down there. It stresses me out to be running against this big clock on the wall. I usually have such a tight window to run and being a turtle like me means I need to be right on the mark with my pace. It all worked out, but I would prefer to have a bigger window - especially when a shower is so necessary!

I can tell my pace is picking up, so that is a big bonus I still plan for 15 minute miles even though I am closer to 13:30. I always need to stop to go to the bathroom or drink water. If I tried to drink full speed on the mill I am sure I would hurt something!

I mentioned I am doing a dietbet, I will talk about it more once it is over, but suffice to say, it is stressing me out. I am super close to my "goal weight" but the fact is that in 2012 it took me 12 months to lose 6 lbs. I am completely ok with that, as it is about feeling good and working in the right direction. The fact is that I am a working mother of 2 ES aged kids. I don't have time for Biggest Loser sized workouts. But I am doing the best I can for now. So I embraced pizza night with gusto and had 2 glasses of wine last night. Yes, my weight jumped up this morning, but its ok. I am letting go of the stress and doing what I have spent the last year doing - working towards my goals and living a healthy and fun life. I worked out twice in one day for goodness sakes - that is not something I would have been doing even a year ago!

4%

I am at 4% of my goal! I have run 29 miles this month. Considering that I didn't do anything at all from Thursday to Tuesday. Wednesday is usually my rest day, so I am pretty proud of the fact that I got back on the treadmill and did another 4 miles today.

I will admit it bothers me somewhat that my week is all turned around, but I couldn't honestly take a rest day after having 4. I am just happy I got back to it and did what I needed to.

I joined dietbet at the beginning at the month through runwithjess. I started at 154.5 - which I want to state was clothed and in the middle of the day. :)  Today I weighed in at 149 (granted morning and naked), but I am still a pound away from my goal. This allows me to get my $10 back and apparently a share of the pot from anyone who didn't meet their 4%. I lost 6 pounds in 2012, which just speaks to how much I drink perhaps? I specifically am working on strength with my boot camp, but am not sure how that will impact my weight. I want to lose inches more - for sure. It is about feeling great and great in my clothes - that is what I am striving for.

So far the dietbet has been interesting as many folks reached their goal in 1 or 2 days. For others, that seemed to be very discouraging. I am much more competitive with myself in that, perhaps that comes with being the turtle on the course. Some folks aren't updating their weights, so it is hard to know how they are doing. There are also 749 people in this game! It is somewhat difficult to determine what the trends are with so many people involved, but the pot should be encouraging, regardless of what other people are doing.

Anyways, I am pretty sure I am going to meet my goal this time, due to post Christmas loss. I mean just cutting out the cookies and not drinking was worth 3 pounds. I have 12 days to complete my challenge - cheer me on!

Have you ever done dietbet or gympact? Was it motivating to you?

Back At It!

I went to bed last night ready to conquer this week and whatever cloud I had hanging over my head. It was past time and I did it!

This morning I woke up and made it to boot camp. We were 6 strong this morning and everyone seemed a little sluggish to me, but perhaps that was just my sleepy eyes. I didn't go all out, because I definitely was still feeling the effects of whatever cold I had. I just knew if I didn't go today (Tuesday) then I would have my long run on Thursday to balance, and, and and. Basically it wasn't going to be easy to get back to it after a week, but the only way to start was to get there. As always, once I am there, I just do what I am told and the hour goes by quickly. The sprints at the end almost put me over the edge energy wise, but luckily the clock was on my side and we were stretching before I had to call Uncle.

My lunch time was productive with a trip to get the car estimate done, 10k! Wow!! That seems like a lot for a bumper and the underlying fender. Guess when I do something, I really go for the gusto.

So thankful for the insurance! Then I grabbed lunch and filled up the car with gas (yes, the light was on - a pet peeve of mine) For 40 minutes, I felt like I crossed several things off the list.

After work I was able to sneak in just over 2 miles on the treadmill. I felt good and it was an even 30 minutes. A nice re-entry into running, with my last run being 5 miles on Thursday.

The boys went off to a scout event and DD and I did out thing. Lice check and game.

I am still finding those nits! UGH. It is definitely much less each day though. Another few days and we will be washing with the Killing Shampoo again. Yes, it actually says that on the bottle.

The rest of the week is looking good and I am feeling better! I think I have turned the corner. Perhaps January 15th should be the start of every year!