found my groove!

Today is beautiful!  The sun isn't exactly out but the clouds are sparse and the mountain is showing itself.  That's something to smile about!  So I got the tater tots ready {which took nearly 2 hours, oi!} and we headed outside for a jaunt around post!

It was great.  The weather was PERFECT for a run.  And about a mile in I realized that I wasn't hating life!  I wasn't just willing the time to pass so I could be done!  I was EXCITED to keep going!!  My GROOVE!  I found my GROOVE!!  Granted that groove is WAY slower than it used to be but it was so good to be reunited!  The clouds have parted and the angels are singing AHHHHHHH!!!!!!

We ran around post and had to stop every now and then to pick up a toy that was dropped or refill the snacks or wait for cars.  Such is the life of a Mom trying to get in a workout despite having two kids at home with her.  The baby slept the whole time, so at least I had that going for me!  I am so glad we got outside and enjoyed the good weather before another storm hits this weekend. 

I signed us up for our first race of the year!  A St. Patty's day run.  We are all running!  The man in camo is going to wear his ruck sack and make it a ruck run in training for a 12 mile ruck march he has coming up in a few weeks.  The three big kids are going to run with me while I push the two little kids in the stroller!  It will be J-man's first race!  We are going to accessorize in all kinds of fun and crazy green things!  I am so excited.  Races motivate me.  They are so fun and exciting.  It's a great way to help me REALLY get into training again. 

Awesome Motivation... Promise!

I just read a couple posts on a blog that I REALLY liked!!  And I think you will to.  READ them!!!  They are short, full of pictures and will get you thinking about a lot of things. 

Start Here

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

They aren't long.  I promise.  But they are worth every word.  I was so impressed with Andie.  You really should read ALL her posts on the left side bar.  Learning to Cook, The Journey, Maintenance, Peace with Food... all of them.   AHHH, go.  do it now!

Hot Mamacitas

This is THE workout group!  The one I've been talking about so much lately!  We are missing a couple of us but I am so glad that we got a picture!  These are TOUGH chicas!  They are AMAZING women; despite the fact that I have given them REALLY bad nicknames for this blog.  But they have influenced my life in ways they may never comprehend.  I SO look forward to these workouts!   

K-Lo.  She ALWAYS knows when I need a little boost.  She compliments me and encourages me.  I look up to her SO much! 

Foxy.  This chica is amazing!  She is a certified personal trainer and she makes sure that we are doing things correctly and helps modify moves to be either easier or more difficult!  YAY!!  She's also 20 weeks pregnant and looks flippin awesome!

Hibiscus. My beautiful Hawaiian friend!  She loves pink as much as I do!  She is so accepting of EVERYONE and always has the most beautiful smile on her gorgeous face!

Fashionista.  Fast friends this girl and me are!  She is so sweet and she makes THEE YUMMIEST TREATS!!!  {she brought my favorite tomato mozzarella & basil "salad" to a bbq just cause she knows I LOVE it!!}

Idahomie.  We "Idahomies" stick together out here in the sticks of Missouri!  I wish I was able to go workout with her and K-Lo in the mornings, but they workout RIGHT when Travis is at PT!  BUMMER! 

Rock & Ruler.  This Mama is urban chic and has ALL the cool gadgets!!!  She knows ALL about any baby/family/home related product you can think of and my go to girl when I need to know the run down!

Eskimo.  Not sure she loves the cold as much as I do but I have high hopes of the two of us in Alaska someday!  I envy this girlie.  She's got one heck of a food storage

Cali Queen.  My beautiful neighbor, who just had a baby 4 weeks ago but could strut her stuff at the beach and have heads turning!  She is so sweet and lets me ooh and aah over her sweet girl to my hearts content!

Wonder Woman.  I'm pretty sure she's one of the toughest girls around.  Former military and has some real grit!  She works out a lot and takes her kids right along with her every step of the way!  I need some of her strength, I think she has some extra she could spare me!

Xena Warrior Princess.  The ruler at the cross fit gym!  This girl puts us to shame!  She knocks out pushups {not the sissy girlie ones that I do} like it's child's play.  She in seriously. one. hot. mama!  Someday I'll be just like her. ... someday.

Sass-a-Frass.  She is so much of what I  hope I am or am trying to be!  She is so confident and spunky and fun.  She makes me laugh and is so amazingly strong. 

Who do you workout with?  Getting a group started is easy peesey!  Start telling your friends, talking to people at church.  Set a date and time and start showing up.  Some days it may be just a couple people {we have those days} and then there are days when there are TWELVE of you!!  It's a perfect way to make friends and get great workouts!

Making Headlines

For the past few weeks, every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, we have been meeting at the track on post to walk.  This group is the same group originally started months ago as a circuit group led by K-Lo {she's seriously awesome}.  But she's been SO busy the past few weeks and hasn't been able to come {she's not slacking though, the girl still works out TWICE a day}.  The weather is MUCH warmer now {today we should hit 90°+} so we decided to start meeting at the track on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays!  I put together some awesome running workouts but I realized that more people were interested in walking.  So the workouts I've been putting together are mainly walking workouts with different body weight moves {lunges, high knees...} alternated with walking every 100M.  Occasionally I will have jogging or running sections too. Then at the end we do a bonus round of legs, core or arms.  It takes us about 1.5-2 hours to get through everything since we have a bunch of kids with us!  But we get a good workout and everyone can work at THEIR level and still get a good workout!

We have had more and more people coming!!  Today we had the most show up at the track.  There were 7 of us!  It is seriously so great to have friends to work out with and I KNOW that you all can find a group of friends to workout with!!  It is so good physically and socially!!  Take the initiative and be the one to coordinate a group, don't wait for someone else to do it!!

Today I was approached by Jena Goldberg.  She is a columnist for The Guidon, the newspaper here on post.  She is working on an article about working out as a group and motivation.  She is going to come to our next session {Wednesday} and take pictures and talk to us about our little workout group!!  I am SO excited!  I am REALLY hoping that we can get ALL of us there!!!  Seriously!  How COOL is this?!!!  HERE is a link for one of her previous articles.

I have to give kudos to EVERYONE in our group.  This is not put on by just one person!  We have all taken turns putting workouts together.  We all motivate and push each other.  I am so excited to be part of a group like this.  Some of my dearest friendships have developed through miles of walking/running with amazing women.  This is no exception.  I have made some GREAT friends here and I am loving our workouts together!

One Word

I have a word.  I have a couple words actually.  Words that motivate and inspire me. 

S-T-R-O-N-G.

This became my word in December 2009.  That month we found out that Travis got in to the Army.  That month I started training for my first marathon. 

It helped me while Travis was gone for 5 months training.
when I had to step up and play role of Mom & Dad
when I laid in bed at night feeling so lonely, sobbing myself to sleep
when Angela & Wylie passed away 
when we had to move away from family

It helped me train to run 26.2 miles!
when my feet were covered in blisters
when my toenails turned black and fell off
when my toes would bleed and bleed, through my shoes, every run
when I had to get up SO EARLY for those long Saturday runs
when I had to run that beast of a hill {training and race day}

I have realized that I am SO much stronger than I EVER realized.  I can do harder things than I ever though I could do. 

I rely on Travis so much and I always looked at people who's husbands traveled for work and I would say, "I could NEVER do that", "I need Travis too much to have him gone for a week at a time", "I would fall apart".  Well.  I did that, in spades!  And I didn't fall apart.  He was gone for a long time; and he'll be gone for even longer!  And everything will be okay.  Because I am STRONG and I can do hard things!

I ran not one, but TWO marathons last summer!  I logged HUNDREDS of miles training up for them.  I ran 2 half marathons, and I lost count of how many 10K & 5Ks!  I ran my guts out last year.  And I have NEVER felt SO GOOD!  I felt like a MILLION BUCKS!  I felt SO STRONG!  I KNEW I was STRONG!  And it's only just begun!  I have some GREAT races planned this summer!  I may not run THAT much every year but I will always be a runner.


H-A-P-P-Y

It was August of 2005 when this became "my" word.  I was at one of my lowest points mentally.  I was struggling with postpartum depression.  Our dear friend, Jeb, was getting married to Ann.  We made the drive, with three very small children, to the Washington coast.  The wedding was one of the most beautiful I've been to but that's not where my word came to me. 

My dear husband was doing EVERYTHING he could to help me. 
He suggested I take a walk on the beach. 

It was a typical overcast Washington day with a gentle breeze. 
I ditched my shoes and at first just walked on the wet sand, just on the edge of the water. 
Something changed in me. 
I was so tired of the horrible thoughts and images in my head. 
I wanted to get far away from them! 
I started running. 
I ran and ran
until they all went away 
on my walk back I felt peace 
I felt HAPPY!  

That moment changed my life. 
I am still running 
I am still happy
And I love it that way!

Do YOU have a "word"?  What is it?        

Dirty Thirty

30.  I haven't ever really liked that number.  I like numbers in the 20's.  2, 20 & 22 are my favorite numbers.  I like BEING in my 20's.  I like WEIGHING in the 120's.  Both are slipping away between my fingers and it makes me anxious.

I turn 30 in 39 days.  I never though turning 30 would bother me.  I hated being a teen and wanted to grow up so bad.  But now that it's here it feels like a big dark rain cloud rather than the beginning of a new and exciting part of life.

I am not going to complain &/or dwell on scale numbers.  You all KNOW I hate the number on a scale.  But I will admit that I sure love being in the LOW 120's.  I've slipped back up in to the low 130's and I have been STUCK there for months!  I am haunted by thoughts that with my new "AGE" it will only be harder for me to lose weight. 

SO.  I had to get that CRAP out of the way to make way for bigger and better things!  We are going to do something great for my 30th.  VOTE on what you think I should do on the sidebar or suggest more!  We've tossed around some fun ideas {could possibly combine}:

* A steamboat cruise on the Mississippi River
* Skydive
* Zipline above the Ozarks
* Tim McGraw Concert
* Dinner at the Melting Pot {fondue restaurant}
* Dinner at Benihana {OUR restaurant for special occasions}

Pretty fun right?!  If I'm going to be turning 30.  I might as well make it something to be happy about!


Now for fitness in my 30's.  Things are going to be different.  But this is what I've learned:

{from Runners World complete runner's guide}
* The average marathoner is 38.  Fast-twitch muscle fibers {used for sprinting} are in the decline, slow-twitch fibers are still strong making it easier to go for distance rather than speed. 
* On average those people in their 30's need 120 fewer calories per day {based on age 35 vs age 25}
* What really causes a slower metabolism is less lean body mass {caused by lack of strength training & less activity}.
* STRENGTH TRAINING!!!  Prevents sprains and strains by building up connective tissues around joints.  Resistance training also increases your running economy {you need less oxygen to attain a certain speed}  
* DO NOT SKIP MEALS. 

Some I already knew but these are things that are specific to runner's in their 30's. 

So is turning 30 going to be all that bad?  Nah.  We'll make the event itself something worth remembering.  I might even like being Sexy Thirty Fine & Flirty!

Non-Runners

Yesterday we went to a BBQ with friends.  One of them had just ran a marathon that morning!  I was SO JEALOUS!!!  Actually, when we first moved here I considered training up for it... until I realized it was on a Sunday.  BUMMER cause it would have been SO AWESOME!!  The finisher's medals were SWEET!!  I was TOTALLY living vicariously through him as he talked about it!  Obviously I'm not done running marathons!

But there was a certain someone present that I wanted to punch in the face.  He's in the Army.  He's fit.  He hates running.  He made no bones about it and was sure to tell the runners in the group how stupid they are for loving it and subjecting themselves to running TWENTY SIX point TWO miles {I was the only other one in attendance who had ran a marathon before}.

Now don't get me wrong, not everyone loves running and that is PERFECTLY fine with me.  I don't think any less of a person because they don't run.  But oh boy does it make my blood boil when people put others down because they DO!!!  Are you serious?!  You're really saying someone is STUPID because they love to RUN?!  Since WHEN is running STUPID?  And running 26.2 miles is something to be proud of, NOT something to mock someone about!

It convinced me that the dude doing the mocking was definitely more brawn than brain!  And proud that I'm in the marathon finisher crowd!  Excited to go running today!  Excited for my next marathon {next year maybe?}.  Excited for my next race {in JUNE}!  Excited to be a RUNNER!!!

ultramarathon

Sound Mind Sound Body

AHH!!  After yesterday's FIRST post I thought this was TOO PERFECT!  Sorry to post yet another video but THIS is what running {working out in general actually} does people!  All that stress, fear, self doubt, exhaustion {seems like an oxymoron but it isn't}... they're replaced by victories, pride, relief, happiness, energy, confidence... I LOVE IT!!!!

Mind Games

There are a lot of days that I wake up and I DON'T want to work out.   The excuses start rolling in.  My mind starts going through all the things I need to get done that day.  Or maybe I ate breakfast and I hate working out on a full stomach so I put it off... but when I put it off it gets even harder to get in a good workout.  Maybe I'm sick and I'm convinced that I can't run with a runny nose {so not true}.  Or my muscles are sore and I think I need to have a recovery day.  I'm telling you... this is only the beginning of the excuse train!

I think that the excuses are even more dominant when I haven't worked out for awhile.  When I'm trying to establish the habit all over again {like right now}.  Once it's a habit, it's SO MUCH EASIER to push those thoughts aside and say, "Shut Up.  I'm Doin It!".  And then those thoughts GO AWAY!  That's when the fun begins!  That's when I get SO EXCITED to work out every day!  That's when I get amped to break a REAL sweat!  I'm not going to lie and say those thoughts are gone for good, because even then I'll struggle occasionally.  But that's when your body is screaming so loud for your workout that it drowns out your whining mind!

Right now I feel like I'm starting from square one.  I haven't completely lost all I gained the last two years.  But I haven't been going in the right direction.  I am a MARATHONER for crying out loud!  I have won races and ran farther than most people will ever dream of.  I accomplished more than I thought possible.  And I did it one day at a time.  One workout at a time.

Our bodies are not weak.  I have learned that you can push yourself so much harder than you imagined and your body will step up to the challenge!  My man in camo put his body through SO MUCH more than he thought possible during BCT & OCS and guess what, his body rose to the challenge!  It does not mean that our minds won't whine and complain and beg for the "pain" to stop... but it does mean that we are STRONGER and that we can OVERCOME our challenges and we can SUCCEED.

I've missed that.  I've missed my body screaming for me to Get Off My Butt.  I've missed that giddy feeling in my bones and in my veins that makes me just want to grab my Asics and start running just to see how far I can go or how fast.  I've missed race day morning and standing at the start line with so much pent up energy waiting to hit the pavement.  I've missed that good sore feeling at night when you know you've worked hard.

We all have excuses that keep holding us back.  We all have our reasons that we can't...WON'T!  And that's why each person has to make the decision themselves.  We all have to put our feet down and push those excuses aside.  Enough of the mind games.  It's time to show ourselves who's in charge!

I don't know about you.  But I'm going to go RUN!           

Success is getting what you want, and happiness is wanting what you get!

Nike Women

I was exploring the Nike website, messing around with Nike+ stuff and I came across THIS page called Nike Women. I think I'm in LOVE!!!



It is so STINKIN SWEET I can't get over it!! You sign up {free of course}. You make a cute little Mini Me. You pick some workout routines and how often you want to workout. Then you simply go in and it has a series of workout video clips all organized and ready to go. You check off which ones you did. It's AWESOME!!

So now you don't have to buy a bunch of workout dvd's! You can also hook up with buddies and cheer each other on. You can join the same workout if you want. I am so excited! I love my Jillian workouts but I'm wanting variety too!!

So go check it out. Look me up. I love cool stuff like this!!

Be Your Own Valentine!

A big part of taking care of yourself is loving yourself. It's HUGE! If you love yourself you have more confidence. You are happier. You are more able to GIVE to others, which in turn makes you even HAPPIER. This Valentines Day I want you to think about all the reasons that you love YOURSELF!

I'll go first:*I am talented. I love music and play a number of instruments. I love to act and sing. I am fairly crafty. I love to take pictures. And I love to learn new things all the time.
*I am loved. I have a great support group of family and friends who all love me. It doesn't get better than that.
*I am strong. I workout 6 days a week and though I won't be winning any body building competitions {nor entering them} I am getting stronger every day.
*I love my little red popped blood vessel located just below my eye. I've had it as long as I can remember. My Dr. think I should have it removed. I don't think I will though. Weird, I know, but I love it!
*I love my stretch marks. They remind me of the 4 perfect babies I helped create.
*I love my blue eyes*I am a fiercely loyal friend. *I am beautiful. Not necessarily the way the world would consider beautiful but I could give a rats *^%@* what the world thinks!
*I am thrifty. I've managed to feed my little family of 6 on a pretty skimpy paycheck!
*I am smart. I love learning, reading and having intelligent conversations.

What do you love about YOURSELF?!!

Operation Beautiful

I came across this website today and I spent the last 15 minutes looking at all the photos and crying. Oh My HECK!! Go to www.operationbeautiful.com; its seriously so AWESOME!

This is an amazing idea and I am SO on board! I could imagine myself in high school, walking into the locker room and seeing a note pasted on the mirror saying that I'm beautiful inside and out; I'm pretty sure that I could have used that a time or two! Or walking up to the treadmill at the gym and seeing a note telling me that I'm strong and beautiful... I can guarantee that I would have a killer run; proving to myself that I AM strong AND beautiful!

Post-It notes has just been added to my shopping list.

Fad Vs. Forever

I have BIG issues with Fad diets. I have issues with "diets" in general. There are SO MANY who will jump on the newest fad diet; taking pills or shots, drinking special mixes, cutting out food groups entirely... you've heard of them... I'm not going to name names... yet.

THEY DON'T WORK!! Yeah, maybe you'll lose weight. Maybe you'll lose A LOT of weight. But these "diets" mess with your metabolism! And once you get to your ideal weight, you quit the program and guess what... you put all that weight right back on!

The ONLY {in my HUMBLE opinion} sure fire way to do this is to make healthier choices in EVERY aspect of your life.

* Exercise. Make the time to do something physically active EVERY day {okay, I take Sunday OFF}. Park your car farther away from work or the store. Take the stairs. Go on a hike. Try a new sport. Remember to let your muscles rest... don't work the same muscles day after day! Trust me. You will have MORE energy, you'll SLEEP better, you'll FEEL better!

* Eat Healthy. Eat a balanced diet; rich in fruits, vegetables & whole grains. Get plenty of protein to replenish those worked muscles. Check out the links on the side: My Pyramid is a great place to start. If applicable: quit smoking &/or drinking. Ditch the soda... completely {I am happy to say that I've finally done this! All but on rare occasions anyway}. Opt out of chips, and other "junk" food. Don't buy any of it... you can't eat it if it isn't there!!! You'll be GLAD that you did!!

* Mental Health. Relax and take time for yourself. Learn something new. One of my favorite quotes is, "There must be quite a few things a hot bath won't cure, but I don't know many of them. ~Sylvia Plath". Think positive thoughts and let go of negativity. Surround yourself with positive & motivating people. Be HAPPY! This is a huge part that people overlook. It goes a long way, I promise!

There. That's it. I know there can be extenuating circumstances but these changes should be made regardless! There is no quick fix. There is no final destination. It's a constant journey and process. So even if you've made it to that magic # {I'll delve into my opinion on THAT later}, that doesn't mean you're done! You will ALWAYS have to make choices for a better life, a healthy life.

But the good new is... it get's EASIER to make those choices!! If you listen to your body, you'll know what it needs and wants... and it ISN'T CRAP!!! Your body WANTS to be pushed physically. Your body NEEDS good foods for fuel. Your mind CRAVES happiness. So what are you waiting for?! GET OFF YOUR BUTT & give your body what it wants, needs & craves!!!

**off my soap box... for now °Ü°

Ah Yeah Baby!

"A lot of people run a race to see who's the fastest. I run to see who has the most guts." -Steve Prefontaine

Sentimental

Okay, I admit it. I am a sentimental sap! This year is going to be FULL of sentimental events and I can't wait!! Here are a few of the things I am looking forward to this year:

February - 10 years ago I got engaged to my best friend at Grand Targhee Ski Resort. We will be going back to celebrate. Two/three days of snowboarding, snowshoeing, sitting in the hot tub, relaxing at the spa... It's going to be AWESOME!

March - My sweet little girl will be turning 8 years old and will be getting baptized! It's going to be a very special day for our family! Click HERE if you'd like to learn more about what we believe.

June - 10 year anniversary with said man of my dreams! Not sure exactly what we're doing but I'm sure we'll be going to Benihana's SOMEWHERE. We ate there on our honeymoon and go there for a lot of special occasions.

June - First marathon EVER. I will be running with my man. It is just a couple weeks before he leaves for boot camp. It's going to be a COOL experience for us.

July - Marathon #2. Me and my sister-in-law will be running this one together. It's a race that winds around my old stomping grounds. I am SO excited for this race. It's going to be beautiful. Two mom's getting back in shape and having a great time.

August - I will be running in the Tacoma Narrows Half Marathon. I have a cousin who I am hoping to run with. She is my HERO!! She's been working hard to be healthy and get in shape. I can not begin to tell you how proud I am of this girl!!! I am trying to work my magic on a few other cousins too.

December - A brief reunion with Stonewall for Christmas. I am planning on an Army Christmas. Lots of projects and crafts will need to be done. It's going to be SWEET!

When it comes to running and races, I am NOT focusing on time AT ALL. I am in it for the experience and the sentimentality of it all. AND I am looking forward to toning up this hot bod and enjoying the ride. This is going to be a GREAT year!!

1 YEAR

One year ago I started the wee little blog. I just wanted to keep track of my goals and progress. My personal fitness journal. It morphed as I learned things along the way. Thank you all for visiting... for your comments... for your support. I'm excited to see what this next year will bring!! BRING IT!!!

My Story

All this 2010... New Year... Resolution... Goals... talk has got me thinking. I have thought a lot lately about being healthy and what holds people back from actually DOING what they NEED to do to get what they ultimately WANT. I've thought about my own health history and the journey I'm on.

WAY back in high school I was VERY active. I participated in basketball, track & drill team. I had always been small but I still struggled with my self esteem {as most/all teens do} and I experimented with anorexia & bulimia for a couple years.

I got married young, 2 weeks after my 19th birthday. A year later I was pregnant with my first child. 17 months after she was born, our first son joined our family. 22 months later, another son. 3 1/2 years later we had our fourth child, another son. Four kids in 6 1/2 years. I wanted that and I defy anyone to criticize me for it.

This brings us to December 2008. My baby was 3 months old and I decided that I was going to change my LIFESTYLE. I have ALWAYS hated diets, I even HATE the WORD {in my opinion it's a four letter word for FAILURE}. I didn't have a lot to change, mostly I just needed to get off my butt and be more active; even chasing 4 kids around isn't enough! That and I needed to learn some portion control with my eating {a complete 180 from my teens}. I started this blog one year ago {TOMORROW} at first as a fitness journal; over 3000 hits later I can't help but hope that in helping myself, I may be helping others too.

My husband made the choice too and it has been AWESOME. We helped keep each other focused & motivated. We did this together and now we're both enjoying all the benefits! I also got my parents, siblings & their spouses/girlfriends to run a 5K with me last June. It was the start of a fun racing year with at least one race every month during the summer and fall. That continues to be a great motivator for me.

I continue workout regularly and I LOVE it. I eat healthy {yes I indulge but I deserve it too} but I'm not fanatical about it; I am trying to feed a family of 6 on a tight budget {thank you very much crappy economy}. I think more positively; I surround myself with positive, encouraging, supportive and happy people {that makes ALL the difference}.

So that was it, I changed the way I live.

What's YOUR story?

Motivation to RUN

In an effort to help get motivated {I've been sick} I found a few videos that I thought I'd share. You go ahead and watch these, I'm going to go RUN!