18 miles and holy freezing ice bath!!!!

So I love love love my Galloway group!! They are amazing!  I'm also loving that the temps and humidity is easing up here. We had a 16 miler 3 weeks ago that killed me! I had to walk the last mile in, today with the cooler weather 18 miles didn't seem too bad. We did 30:30, so run/walk 30 seconds each, I used to do 1:1 (1 mins) but I found with longer distance I am digging the 30 seconds. It's great running (helping) with others and hit distances they never have ran before. Today marks for me the distance I have ran one time before, so when we go up to 20 that'll be a new one for me eeekkk.

Tonight I have a 12 shift so I've decided to take a ice bath. I'm currently sitting in it and blogging to keep my mind off how frozen my legs are. They say it speeds recovery, can't I just take a Motrin? Lol 

Many of my friends ran races today! Did you? Are you training for one? Do you reward yourself? We did with a nice, last non paleo lunch yummy. 

   (That's a baked potato filled with yum)

Broken record

So I've had a hiatus from blogging for a couple of reason. First one, I'm just not an attention grabbing type if writer. Secondly, I've had so many fresh starts, so many cheat days, so many firsts that my pounds or pant sizes aren't going down!

Well Todd and I have declared ourselves paleo eaters. We subscribed to emeals, specifically paleo for two. We will be cooking two seperate dinners each night. I've spent the day making homemade beef jerky, scotch eggs, devilied eggs and currently have cinnamon sweet potatoes in the dehydrator and bone broth in the crock pot. 

Now update time!

- officially registered for 26.2 with Donna eeekk 

- off orientation at work and hoping to transfer to the closer campus

- had my breast implants removed

- started some weight lifting

- made an appointment to start therapy!

I'll be back sooner than later :) I miss my blog :) I'm ready to stop being a broken record! 

Wednesday Weigh In (on time!!!)

Sigh up 0.6lbs this week but its because I didn't track hmph

Today Ari had to go to the plastic surgeon to get her mole/freckle cut out to send for patho since its been atypical both times dermatology has shaved it. After that she wanted to go to Sonic or FroYo. She was driving and froyo was closer so we went there.
                                                                        Holy goodness!!!!

I had to divert my attention to this instead!

I topped it with some chocolate chips, candy corn, wheat germ & whey protein (that makes it healthy right?) 

After trading my Diet Dr pepper craving for a chilled glass of wine I've decided I need to get my head out of my butt and lose some weight this week!

Soggy socks

Yes I did it! Ran in the rain!!! I usually avoid rain at all costs but recently Katie from runsforcookies did a blog post giving 50 running tips which you can find here. She said running in the rain is fun. I had woke up early to get a run in before work so I headed out hoping to best the rain but I felt the first drop as my garmin located satellites :-/ it wasn't bad, I think I improved my pace a bit. I think it was because the weather was cooler but I was totally running in flooded area. Here's the aftermath (side note I shouldn't have ran in glasses or without a visor.

You can see the water in the streets!

I really need to upload my garmin and look at my paces and see how I'm doing! I'm ready to get back into the 10 min/mile range.

I came in and stripped down!

Depression

I am overall a very happy go lucky person but I have noticed since I moved and have just a few friends that I seem to fall into having the blues.  I have debated back and forth about going to the doctor for a mild antidepressant but then I usually hit the gym and guess what I am all smiles again. With that knowledge you would think that I would hit the gym on a regular basis but I don’t FAIL! I am really struggling with working 3 night shifts straight and then wanting to get back to the gym. I just feel so tired and lazy. Tomorrow is running group so hopefully I can start getting back into some type of routine, I do not like what I see in pictures taken of me.

On to other news my son took his behind the wheel test today! He passed and due to some rules in GA he will get it on his 17th bday which is in 13 days! I can’t believe at the end of this year Todd and I have 3 kids old enough to drive!

Weds weigh in a day late again!

Down 2.6!!! And yes I need a pedicure badly!

Saturday Long Run

11 miles in the books today!!! Our 30sec/30sec coach has a knee injury so her husband (my 1:1 coach) led both groups in a 30/30 pace. That ratio is nice because 30 seconds goes by fast! What is not nice is this heat and humidity! After we finished our run I was shocked to see Todd not waiting for me, since he is Mr. Fast Pants. He ran with the other runners who were doing a virtual half marathon. So two weekends in a row he ran a half! Show Off Amazing Stuff!

                   (On our way home)

Normally on the way home we stop at Target but we are trying to stop shopping so much. I felt nauseaous which helped me avoid a Starbucks run as well. I napped on the way home, it was great! I decided that I should get a small treat, I am counting calories honestly so I got something I could be accountable with. I tried a Campbell’s Slow Kettle soup, not bad.

I have made my first change to my blog as I said you’d see coming! I changed the name. I have been toying with the idea of going back in the military. My goal was always to be a military nurse. There are some things I miss about the military and obviously things I do not miss. Todd has just under 6 years left in till he is eligible to retire, so I may go in once he is out to keep our home environment stable. But as of right now I am 50 lbs over weight standards, so I have time to think about it while I watch the scale go down!

 In the next half hour my soon to be 16 yr old is having a guy come over to meet us before they go out bowling. We decided that in order for our children to go out, we have to meet them first. This may be interesting :)

Wednesday Weigh In

A day late... 

Three night shifts done!

As a nurse I only work three 12 hour shifts a week, but sometimes it feels like all I do is work. During nursing school I lost 100 lbs after having twins (as a surrogate) then quickly gained back 40 lbs my first year as a night shift nurse, last month I hit my 3rd year as a night shift nurse and I still am weighing over 200 lbs and it really stinks.

This week I ran a half Sunday, traveled home Monday, ran 30 mins and did some weights Tuesday, and then worked t-th bringing me to today. After watching breaking bad I feel asleep on the couch and woke up a few times and thought I'd share what I saw!

After napping off and on, I started reviewing my week and deciding if I needed to run today. According to my Galloway group if you do two 30-40 min runs during the week the long runs on Saturday will be easier. As I decided to skip my run tonight in preparation for 11 miles in the morning I receive a text from the hubsters. I still haven't decided where he is sleeping tonight :)

So if any one has advice on how to work 3 nights straight, commute 45 mins each way, raise 5 kids, and find time to work out more and eat less PLEASE share!!! I've requested to work 2 nights in a row and another night each week so maybe I can hit the road/gym 4-5 times a week! Well time to hit the sack 5am comes early!

Virginia Beach Rock n Roll Half Marathon

Well I did it...enough said lol jk. It was HOT and HUMID and the race started at 7am, I really wish it could have started at 630, sunrise was 635 why not? I did most of the race at 1:1 intervals. I finished in 3:04:09 which was my “C” goal, but hey I did it and have major room to improve. My amazing husband ran it in 1:50:09 a PR for him! Up next is the Marine Corps Half Marathon in Jacksonville, FL Oct 5th! I hope it is cooler and less humid! By the way that was state #6 for me!

Sadly someone did pass away, he was down at mile 1, Todd passed him while he was getting CPR. Very scary! Prayers to his family and to the runners who were traumatized as well.

I know I haven’t been the best blogger, which should give you all a heads up that the scale isn’t moving in the right direction either. I have been deciding between rejoining Weight Watchers or just staying with my fitness pal. I think i am staying with MFP because I really like the way it scans so much better. I am trying to refind the success I have had before and what is missing now. I have decided I will have Todd start tracking my weight and that may be motivating. So Wednesday Weigh ins start tomorrow. Since I work nights, I will weigh in the afternoon before work just like if I worked days and got up for work. I will be making some changes to my blog here soon, so if you are still will me THANKS!

Accountability partners

Have you ever had an accountability partner before? Have you seen them move on to another one and become more successful? I am a military wife and this has happened to me. My friend Molly is kicking ass on her pace while training for her first full. I ran with her during her first half, now she is surpassing me and has great running buddies. Oh and she has a killer bod now too. My friend Dee knocked 26 mins off a race she has done for 4 years in a row now! 26 whole mins off an 8 mile beach run. Dee and I would hit the Y together, was in a running group together but we also loved eating and/or drinking wine together. Sometimes we talked each other out of working out and having breakfast at Denny's or going there after 1-2 hours at the gym. Sometimes we make better friends than accountability partners.

It is intimidating finding a workout buddy, what if they are stronger/faster/have a better endurance than you. I recently started being envious of a gym buddy's facebook post at 8 am, she had already did 6-7.5 miles by the time I was crawling out of bed and logging on to FB. Ok time to reach out, I stepped out of my comfort zone and self invited myself to hit the pavement with her. First day I set my alarm for 530 and got to her house at the butt crack of 6 o clock (for a night shift worker, mornings aren't always fun for me anymore. I was a former early riser). She admitted if it weren't for me she would have slept in! Score that is the type of person you need to pair up with. I have ran/walked with her 3 times now. I love it. We are out there while it is quiet, still somewhat cool, and by 8am my fit bit flex has told me I have hit my goal. YAY!!! My goal is to drag my butt out of bed and be at her house to hit the road whenever I am not working!

Dee sent me this in a text message this week LOL. The benefit to having a running buddy that has lived in my little town for so many years she knows where the bathrooms are so we don't even up like this lady on MSN! Lawn vs toilet...

Have you had an accountability partner? Did it help or hurt?

Getting it right!

Well it's Thursday night and I can say I have successfully worked out 4 days in a row! I worked mon-weds (night shift) and worked out after each shift. My eating was well until tonight when we ate out mexican.  But back to calorie counting in the am. For now I'll enjoy a glass of cupcake moscato!

How's everyone's summer going? Our family went tubing Sunday it was a relaxing trip. This weekend we are planning a trip to a indoor trampoline place. Have you been?

Forming a Habit

Each day I wake up and start off good then somewhere after 2 I blow it. I think some of this is blame on the lack of a hard work out (or any work out for that matter). I need to change, I need to stop telling myself I am okay at this weight. I am not okay at this weight, I am in the obese category and need to focus on getting to the normal category (or whatever it is called). Today, July 8th I am making changes. I will for the rest of July do a photo food log, work out 5 days a week, and work on being honest to my fitness pal! No more uncounted spoons of peanut butter, slices of cheese, etc. It may be a boring month for everyone, but I am hoping that come August my mind and body are in the game! Last year I did Whole30 and did not cheat on it and was in onderland.  My short term goal is to get out of the 200s!  I know I am not alone in these struggles, what helps you form a habit and stick to it? 

Running in Southeast Georgia

equals mosquito bites, lost gps signal on rantastic, humidity, and frizzy hair!!! But I did it SIXTY minutes of 1:1 run walk intervals. And get this AFTER a 12 hour night shift. It wasn't a bad night so that might have helped my motivation today. Usually I go to work with all the intentions of getting off work and hitting the road or the gym and somehow on my 45 min commute home I deem that I am too tired to work out. I hope I can keep my motivation up, I do have vet appts and orthodontic appts after my shifts this week before heading to my dad's house in Panama City to see my 2 sisters that I haven't seen since Feb 2000. They have 9 kiddos between them and my kids are excited to meet their cousins.

Big news I found a Galloway training group! They currently are doing a 4 week free session and July 20th officially start half or full training. For those near Amelia Island here is the link. By the way I heard Jeff Galloway will be here July 19th!  I have met him once before in San Diego. Other news, I bought a new running skirt to try out. It is from skirtsports and they have an amazing sale going on right now! And they have men shorts and shirts too, super cute and fun! I bought two lengths the ones with 5 inch compression and the other with 7 inch compression shorts in them.

For another idea of life in S.E. GA I had to stop the other day while driving, not for traffic but for geese!

motivation

Hmmm I sat down with my Hal Hidgon’s novice half marathon training plan and rearranged the week(s) to fit my work schedule and then what happened? That week I only ran ONE time! One big fat X and the rest empty days. Well I got this in my email today and hope it is enough to get my butt training!

Father’s day was spent at the Jacksonville Zoo, we ended up getting season passes and we plan to  spend some of our free time there. We were there for about 4 hours and spent the entire day with our Navy friends that we were stationed with in Hawaii. Our kids all get along well. I would have to say our favorite part of the zoo was the Stingray Bay. It cost $1 per person to get in but it was so awesome! Next time we go I want to feed the giraffes! What is your favorite part of your local zoo         Berkley would have probably swam with them if she could! The sting rays were a huge hit with everyone in the family!

When will tomorrow get here?

AND STAY??

Have you ever started a diet aka a new way of eating? And you know how it is so amazing the first week and you see a loss so you do it again and see a loss again... Well dammit I can not get past one day of counting my calories! I make it 1/2 the day or 3/4 of the day then all hell breaks lose and I tell myself well I can start tomorrow.

I read amazing bloggers who have lost a lot of weigh and are in single digit pant sizes (my goal!) and yet I just can NOT get with the program. I wonder why? Why am I self sabotaging myself? Why can I not stick to a calorie limit, a planned menu, a training schedule?

I just want to pull my hair OUT!

Monday oh Monday!

Monday here in Saint Mary’s, GA means 2 things to me this summer, spin and pool closed for cleaning.  Well today it meant a couple other things like joining another diet bet and half marathon training. Since I work 3 (12 hour) days a week I have to rearrange the Hal Hidgon schedule to fit my needs. I ran on the treadmill while waiting for spin to start, and sadly spin was cancelled since the AC was broke. I don’t understand our gym, we have this amazing spin class with about 50 bikes but they only teach 4 classes a WEEK! I am used to over 4 classes a day, but what is worse they lock the spin room up. anyhow no spin. but I had an awesome run.

I had asked Todd to take at least Austin for a hair cut about 3 weeks ago and yet he still was shaggy today. So after picking him up from summer school I came home and fed the kids leftover spaghetti. Then we headed to get hair cuts, three of the kids got cuts today. As a treat we were going to head to fro yo which we love but it usually costs us about $20 so we headed to McDonalds for cones!

Not really the best start to my diet bet. but here is today’s starting weight... not the best weight ever but wasn’t my card with my word so cute??? Our sunny day ended in a tornado! Yes I now live in a town that has tornados, eeekkkkk

It’s almost June 15th

and I will be able to relax and have some more free time.  I may have mentioned on here before I started a Lactation Educator course April 1st. It was an attempt to fatten up my resume so I could look for a job in women’s health. Well I started my new job April 6th, so I didn’t need it for my resume but it is a HUGE bonus for working with new families (yes families, everyone can help a mom nurse her baby). The problem is the class is online with no deadlines, for someone who loves to procrastinate, well that is just a bad combo.

Onto my weight and fitness...well I debated never blogging again. I feel like a broken record when it comes to the scale, my “new” way of eating etc. I mean I have tried almost every diet plan out there starting with Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, medifast, medical weight loss center with prescription meds, you name it I have probably done it.  I have not tried nutrisystem though. Anyhow about a month ago I went to my doctor for a podiatry consult and had a laundry list of things to discuss with him. I raised the question of getting a lapband, his reply was how many carbs are you eating on paleo. I started rattling off my go to paleo foods. He said stop eating bananas, he went on to tell me he had lost 60 lbs on southbeach in order to join the navy. My next step was research.

I joined southbeach diet online and started researching, I was overwhelmed. So I bought the book, and my friend Dee sent me 2 books. One had a inspirational message, I love and miss my friends from Cali! Finally I felt I could do it, I did the 2 weeks of phase 1 and lost about 8 lbs. In the mean time my 2nd diet bet finished and I lost out on the pot by 1.4 lbs. Todd thinks I should join another one, but I feel like I am just throwing my money away and he thinks it’s motivational.

So here I am, supposed to be on phase 2 of southbeach but I am feeling very blah about it and thinking I should just eat healthy and stay in my calorie range of 1550 calories and be more active and lift weights!

What do you think? Diet bet round 3? Southbeach vs calorie counting? Well I am off to meet a friend for a walk, tonight I will get my run in because it is officially Half marathon training!!!!

Failure

Lately I have been feeling down, there are many things that have contributed to it. There is the monthly PMS, missing my thursday night girls from back in the day, irregular sleep routine that comes with working nights, and the endless rain we had this weekend.

I glanced over to the wall that holds my race medals and bibs and questioned if that was now my history and not my future. Have I lost the drive and motivation to be a runner? Very depressing thought.

I just feel this deep sense of failure like I don’t finish anything. I am failing at logging my food intake into my fitness pal, failing at keeping my workout plans, failing at maintaining my 100 lb weight loss, failing at reaching my diet bet goal.

I know people have faith in me, but where is my faith? Sigh, I hope I can find it.  My friend Dee recommended starting a journal and each morning put my daily goal (s). I started today and hope to use this to aid myself in daily challenges and rewards.

the last 2 days...

of my diet bet game! I have seen the winning number on the scale this week! Today it is up but that is after 2 nights of work, I know I can hit that $$$ winning number by the time my weigh in pic is due Sunday! Means I might be missing Cinco de Mayo margaritas, booo!!!! The little bit of mexican I have in my might seep out of my blood with the lack of a margarita, I may have to give this thought :)

It has been raining buckets here in Southeast Georgia, much to my sadness! We were planning on visiting the shrimp fest and fencing our backyard so our new addition, Grady, can go outside more often! I will now be spending my weekend planning out half marathons for the rest of this year and next! Have a good one in your state that me and the hubs can run to mark off a state?

For now I will be educating myself on how to help mommy's breastfeed their baby! :) My online class has no deadlines, EEEKK not good for me!

An All Around Update!

So I have been missing! I know my last post was supposed to be about the half I did in Clearwater, FL.
Well I ran walked the first 10 miles with a ratio of 2:1 then walked the last 3, my feet were killing me (I hate my feet right now, they are requiring motrin, ice, rolling, and rest). Finished in 3:07:40 not too bad for no training.

My daughter, Ari, is now behind the wheel! Lord help me, she has her permit but drives like crap! Thankfully Todd is willing to teach her because I don’t have enough hair in my head  patience to take her often.

We added to our family! Meet Grady, he is a dofus, but we love him! He was adopted from the Brunswick Humane Society!

I went to Prescott, Arizona for BOW camp, it is basically Hunger Games tamed down for women! You can find info and the closest one to you here! I took sausage making, backpacking/hiking 101, stand up paddleboarding, and archery.

 Oh and best of all I am working again! I started beginning of April with hospital orientation but now I am on the floor! My dream job! I am a maternity care center nurse, which means I will work postpartum and Labor & Delivery!!! Back to the grind, trying to figure out weight loss, working out, and being a night shift nurse.  That is my update!

Tears and Prayers

Today I was going to write my update on the half I ran yesterday but on my way home I received a text from Todd that brought me to tears. He asked if I had heard about the explosions at the Boston Marathon. This hits close to home as I think about my babies that were cheering me on at the finish line yesterday. It could have been me, my husband, or my children just because we were out improving our health.

My prayers today will include all those who were involved in today’s tragedy.

Week One!

WOOT WOOT 210.0!!! Just now I realized that is not really my diet bet weight since I have to be dressed for that one opps! I did good all week, till today :-/ Sigh there are alot of yummy foods here in the south. For lunch today I went to Twin Oaks in Brunswick and had a pulled pork and cabbage. I learned I should ask for inside cut so I don’t get all the grissel (sp) and fat. Then for dinner I needed to have a date night so Todd and I went to OPS in Kingsland/St Marys (I really never know what town I am in yet). They have moscato YUM. We shared fried mushrooms, a BLT personal sub, and have some beighnets (sp).  Tomorrow morning we are getting up super early (I really would love to sleep in, I am so not used to waking up early every day anymore since I work nights!) and heading to Clearwater, FL so I can pick up my race packet! EEKKKK

Is this shirt not super cute or what??? Well guess what she has a bunch more motivational type shirts that can be personalized! Don’t you just love etsy? You can find her shop here at strongconfidentyou.

I will be sporting a super cute tank for my run/walk half on Sunday! 

Let’s Talk about Girl Scout Cookies

Who doesn’t love Girl Scout cookies? I sold them when I was a brownie and my beautiful daughter has sold them and this momma has been the one to have a MILLION I mean a MILLION boxes of Girl Scout cookies in my house, since I was that mom. Yes the crazy mom who said I have a van and yes I know where the girl scout hut is and yes I can go pick up our troop’s preordered cookies. 

What is your favorite cookie? I love love love Samoas and thin mints are good too, or the one that is pb and chocolate. Anyhow, yes I know cookie season is over AND I am proud to say I did NOT eat a single girl scout cookie this season!!! Holy cow, not only did I save my hips from growing I kept some extra cash in my pocket.  A win win situation in my opinion. It did help that neither of my daughters were in a troop this cookie season either. whew! 

Jacob’s ladder and working out with the kids!

I was excited that I was able to get home by 4 today and relax a little bit work on my lactation educator course. We made the kids shepard’s pie for dinner and spaghetti squash (in the microwave) with chorizo and black bean soup over it, so delish. Tonight as I headed to the gym both of my teens wanted to come! Score mom is making a difference in her kiddos! So off we went and on the drive to the gym I decided today would be the day I tackled it got over my fear of the jacob’s ladder!

Have you done this before? As seen on biggest loser! OMG I read the directions and climbed on up. After two minutes I thought I was going to DIE, it was so so hard!!! I talked to myself, yes sometimes I have to be my own cheerleader. I convinced myself to get to 5 mins and I could get off. At minute 4 I talked myself into 10 minutes. I was able to do it, as I was trying to do positive self talk I started letting negative talk in too. I started telling myself well if you only do 5 minutes today you can do 6 tomorrow and work up to 10 minutes. But I kept on with it and man those 10 mins were tough! I will try to work on it more in the future.  Lots of sweat and calories burnt!

                                                
After cardio we have been hitting up the machine room to do the inner/outer thighs and next to the machine was a bosu. My daughter, Ari, asked what the bosu can be used for. So I demonstrated squats on it and had her do some. It was kinda funny to watch her get on a bosu for the first time, probably about the same way I looked the first time I got on one, but I was able to capture her firsts :) isn’t that what moms are for?