10K and a Birthday

Disclaimer: There is a lot of non-running stuff in this post. Just lettin' you know.


Over the weekend Bex and I had planned to run in the Move it Memphis 10K on Saturday. Unfortunately, Bex came down with something and was way under the weather (don't worry, she's better now). I ran by my little 'ole self. My little 'ole self and about 749 other people. It was really fun, though! The weather was PERFECT. I had been waiting for a good sunny morning like this and FINALLY it came on Saturday.



The route was awesome...started on Beale Street at Handy Park, and went through the city, by the homes on the Bluffs, along the river, and back to Beale Street. I finished in 1:05:04. Under an 11 minute mile. Gotta love that. It was a great race and I hope to do it again next year. I am looking for another 10K (or longer) to do this coming Saturday. If anyone knows of one in the Memphis/North Mississippi area please let me know.


If you are thinking of taking up running, or taking your runs to the next level, there are three things you need to do:

1. Find a 5K near you. If you are past the point of running a 5K, find a race distance you have not done before. 10K is the next step up, and 15K after that. Just Google '5K in Nashville,' or 'Half-Marathon in Little Rock' and find all sorts of race calendars in your area.
2. Sign up and PAY THE RACE FEE. Now you have at least $25 invested in it.
3. Tell 10 friends or family members your plan and try to recuit one person to come along with you to either run along side you, or wait for you at the finish line.

By doing these three things you will be invested financially and emotionally, thus becoming more likely to actually do it. While you're at it, why not treat yourself to a new running shirt or pants or something? Running while feeling cute never hurt!

Once you do one race, you will be addicted, trust me. You will get the FEVER and want to do more! Especially now that the weather seems to be cooperating. So if the Winter Blues have got you stuck in a rut, do a short fun race to get a jump-start on your bikini-ready bod. :)

After the 10K, I went home to shower and get ready for my neice Lilly's First Birthday!! We had such a fun time.My husband's youngest sister Myra aka my BFF and my SISTAFRIEND came in town for the occasion and we had a great time catching up! It was great to see her but I wish we could have had even MORE time together because I love her and she makes me laugh so hard. Here are a few pics of the day.

Don't you want to steal this child and claim her as your own?!?! She is too cute.

Lilly (standing) in her Pink Princess Tent from Aunt My. Her BFF Anna Lauren just had her 1st B'day, too!

Lovin' that smash cake!

A lady in Senatobia did the cakes...they turned out too cute and were DELISH

I thought I had more pictures but that's all for now. I am so bad about posting pics on the blog, aren't I? Sorry, guys.


On Sunday after church it was another gorgeous day! I needed a swim, but didn't want to be inside since the sun was shining so wonderfully! So I decided to try a bike/run combo. Bex and I have done this once before but I needed to do it again, as I feel as though we've been neglecting the bike lately.


So I did 8.5 miles on the bike and ran a 2 miler. Not too shabby. It took me about 50-55 minutes for the full workout. It was great! I am ready to increase distance as the weeks go by, in preparation for May 23.

Speaking of which...I have decided to do three small triathlons leading up to the Big Day at Memphis in May. Don't be too impressed, this is not as hard as it sounds. When I say 'do' three small tri's I mean like, do them by myself as a part of my training. Just to make sure I can combine all three sports and have my endurance level where it should be.


When training for the Half-Marathon, we planned out our long runs, increasing each long run in preparation for THE long run. So I am doing the same thing....sort of....with the Tri training. Here's the plan:

• March 20: Swim 1/4 mile, Bike 12, Run 3.1
• April 10: Swim 1/2 mile, Bike 16, Run 4
• May 15: Swim 1 mile, Bike 20, Run 5
• May 23 - RACE DAY!: Swim 1 mile, Bike 25, Run 6.2

I think that setting these small goals will work well for me. I was just feeling like the Olympic distance which I am working towards was feeling so daunting. So right now my goal is to get to March 20 with this mini-tri in mind.



One last thing...when I came in from my workout on Sunday I was welcomed by these two cuties. As most of you know, Tom and I do not have human children, but we do have two beautiful four-legged daughters, Reba and Dolly.We got Reba when she was 8 weeks old, right after we got married. She is a red-colored Golden Retriever. I just really wanted a Red Retriever named Reba (after who else...only the most beautiful and talented red head in country music) and Tom loved the idea. She is the sweetest girl and LOVES her daddy. When Tom is around she doesn't want to have anything to do with anyone else! She knows how the sit, lay down, speak, shake, give 5, and give love. If you sing "Fancy" to her she will bark with joy! This picture was taken when she was about 10 weeks old. She now weighs about 70 pounds.
We are actually foster parents to Dolly Parton. We got Dolly this winter when the temps were dangerously low, and our little Tunica Humane Society needed help. When we met Dolly, she did not have a name. She was adorable, petite, and blonde, so naturally the only name that was suitable was Dolly Parton. She knows how to sit and get on the couch. That's about it. She is a good sweet girl but we are looking for a 'forever home' for her.
Have a great week everyone!

Purple Bathing Suit and WW Update

I have had a great week of workouts and eating well. I am writing this portion of the post on Tuesday night, and putting out good vibes for the scale tomorrow. I am DETERMINED....I said DETERMINED do you hear me?....to get in the 150s this week at WW weigh-in. If it means I have to cut off a limb to will be 159 or lower I will do it!

Just kidding of course. I want yall to know it's not 100% vanity pushing me towards my weight loss goal. This week it's the principal and the fact that I've gone two weeks with no change. I'm annoyed and frustrated and ready to see some good numbers! I have a goal to meet and I'm tired of it being just that...only a goal and not a REALITY!

*****

Speaking of vanity....

I have a funny story to share.

Have you ever wondered how other people see you?

Last night Tom and I were in the kitchen. He was piddling around, I was reading a new Victoria's Secret catalog (one of oh, about three hundred that I have gotten this month...you order one set of flannel pajamas and you'd think I owned stock in the place), we were just talking about our upcoming week. He peered over my shoulder and said (well, it was more like EXCLAIMED),

"Hunny, you look like HER!"

And pointed to this picture:

Hmmmm.....

Me: "Tom, I will still cook you dinner, you don't have to lie to me."

Tom: "No seriously, I think you look like her."

Me, pointing at the magazine: "Her. In this purple bathing suit. Her, with the hair and the sex pot eyes and the abs of steel."

Tom, thinks for a second then says: "Well, I mean, your hair's shorter. But you have curves in all the right places, hunny. Like her."

What a sweet, sweet soul he is!

To be clear, I in no wayshapeorform am under the impression that I remotely resemble this lovely lady.

This is what I look like about 80% of the time:

This is what I look like on a good day:

But it is just nice to know that after working all day, with pony-tail, smeared make-up, and dog hair all over my sweat pants, that my husband tells me I look like Purple Bathing Suit Girl.

Sigh. I knew I married him for a reason.

I think I'm gonna have to treat myself to that purple bathing suit. In a size Large. ahahahaha!

*****

Weight Watchers Update: Okay so I just got back from weigh-in. Are you ready for this? Erica and Jennifer, just brace yourselves because you are gonna be JEALOUS CITY.

I lost 3.5 pounds this week. Victory at last!!!!!!!!!! Current weight if 157.5. Total weight lost to date is 14 pounds my friends. 14 pounds. So excited. All the hard work is paying off and I can feel it! Not for nothin', though. I worked out really hard this week and only used 18 flex points as opposed to my usual 35. My once-close friendship with Chardonnay is quickly deteriorating.

Next week is the final weigh-in for this 10-week session. I am in good shape with my weight loss so unless I GAIN a ton, I won't have to pay again. Thank you, Boyd Gaming.

The next session begins on March 10th. I am going to commit to one more 10-week session in hopes to get to my goal weight of 150. I am confident that I can do it, and I'm looking forward to it. The weight loss is great, but I've also made some fun new friends at work, and it is a great support system.

Today is a good day. :)

At-Home Workouts and WW Update

Most of you 'followers' live within 200 miles of me in the Mid-South area and I know you must be as tired of this weather as I am. TIRED. OF. IT. I tell you!!!!

It was been doom and gloom weather in North Mississippi for what seems like weeks! It makes it sooooooo hard to get out of bed in the morning.

Even if I'm going to the gym and will be out of the gloomy cold weather, just the thought of driving the two-and-a-half long minutes to our gym is enough to make a girl want to snuggle deeper down in the covers.

HOWEVER I am thrilled to see that the days are getting longer, and it's not getting dark at 4:30pm. That's a good thing, at least.

But until Daylight Savings Time, by the time I get off work it's simply too dark to run outside so a few nights I have resorted to working out indoors, at home.

Many people think it is impossible to get a good workout via a DVD in your living room, but if you put your mind to it, concentrate on form, and keep up with the instructor, it can really be a great workout.

Some of the indoor workouts I have liked are:
Sidenote: All of the items listed below except the DVD can be bought on the cheap at places like Marshall's and T.J. Maxx.

Resistance Bands

Resistance bands are great for a number of reasons. If you travel a lot, they take up practically no room in your bag, and they weigh next to nothing, too! Most resistance band kits come with a little booklet of suggested exercises as well. Or if you know how to use Google, you can find plenty on the good ole internet. When I was living in a tiny house in Nashville with not much room for working out in front of the TV, I used these bands often.

Dumbbells and Stability Ball

Also, the strength workout I mentioned a few posts back can be done at home. All you need is a set of dumbells, the weight of your choice. I recommend 2.5-10 pounds for these exercises, depending on your strength level. I use 8 pounders. I also use a stability ball because I *love* the stability ball, but it's not necessary for these exercises.

And last but not least.....the ultimate at-home workout....

JILLIAN

Raise your hand if you'd like your abs to look like that.

Seriously. Jillian is a freak of nature and I have resigned myself to the fact that I will most likely never have her abs, but a girl can try, right? As yall know, I am big fan of The Biggest Loser. NBC Tuesdays at 8pm/7pm Central. DVR it. TiVo it. Do what you have to do to watch it because it's awesome. It is a great motivator for me.

After falling in love with Biggest Loser, I thought, what better than to have Jillian in my home as my very own trainer?

Enter The 30-Day Shred

I am in love with this workout DVD. Wait, I take that back. We have a love/hate relationship. I hate it when I'm doing it but I love the way it makes me feel afterwards.

A few things about it:

• All you need for this DVD is a pair of dumbbells and flat smooth surface on which to do the ab exercises.
• The cover says, "Lose up to 20 pounds in 30 days!" Don't kid yourself, ladies. Unless you are morbidly overweight you are not going to lose 20 pounds in 30 days by doing a daily 20-minute workout. Not gonna happen.
• You will, however, increase endurance, burn calories, tone muscles, increase your heart-health, sweat a lot, be sore, sleep better, make your husband laugh at you as he watches from the kitchen (when Tom does this I usually yell out, "You won't be laughing when I'm hotter than YOU!"), and maybe lose 7 pounds.
• There are three levels, with three circuits per level. The circuits of Strength, Cardio, and Abs really pump up your level of intensity and burn calories quickly.
• A good idea might be to try Level 1 for ten days, Level 2 for ten days, and Level 3 for ten days. You don't have to do your 30 days consecutively, maybe just committ to doing it 4 or 5 days a week.
• I did Jillian the other night for the first time since last summer. My fitness level has increased, so I was able to to Level 1 and Level 2 back-to-back. Oh. My. Gosh. I was so wonderfully sweaty by the end of it. And my legs and abs are still sore (in a good way)!
• Do a Google search of "30 Day Shred DVD" to find the cheapest way to buy it on the internet. I got mine for $7.90 on Tower.com.

Good luck to you with your at-home or on-the-road workouts! Come On Spring!!!! We are ready for you!!!

Weight Watchers Update: Well, I can't complain today because I did lose 1/2 pound. Current weight is 161. I know yall are probably thinking, "Why are we following this girl? This is supposed to be a blog about fitness and her weight loss and she doesn't even lose any weight!"

I know, I know, I know. I am as annoyed as you are. With the 1/2 pound gain last week, and now to have lost it again, it puts me where I was two weeks ago. Two weeks of working out, counting points, making sacrifices, and here I am. Just hangin out at 161.

Oh, 150 pounds, why do you elude me so? I know we would be friends and I would keep you around for a long time I promise!!!!

I have identified the problem, though. It's the weekends. Since weekends are sabotaging my weight loss goals I will not participate in them anymore (on that note, I also can't be besties with Erin anymore because she force fed me Shrimp Corn Chowder, The Best Spinach Dip on Planet Earth, and King Cake last night. Oh, and champagne too. Erin, why must you be such a good cook, and live only 100 feet from me?).

Just Kidding.

I will still 'participate' in weekends, but need to work harder on making good choices EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK, and not just Monday-Friday (okay who am I kidding I treat Thursday night like it's the weekend, too).

Fingers crossed we'll see some more exciting changes on the scale next week. Sorry to disappoint, people.

Gold Medals: Laura's Cheesy Motivational Moment

Have yall been watching the Olympics this year? I usually think the Olympics are so boring. I realize that sounds unpatriotic but it's true.

However, now that I am an Ultimate Athlete myself (insert sarcasim here), I have become more interested in the Olympics.

In all seriousness, I have been watching the Olympics for the past few days with a different outlook than I have in the past. Normally I would be completely uninterested in the Olympics, mainly because I didn't have one athlete to 'root' for. Sure, of course I would cheer for Team USA but it just seemed unpersonal for some reason.

Now I feel like I view these athletes differently. Since I have been watching what I eat and exercising regularly, I have a totally new respect for these people.

I thought that giving up my weekly trip to the Mexican restaurant was a huge sacrifice. Every morning when my alarm goes off and I have to don three layers of clothes to get my exercise I am annoyed. I spend hours researching the internet on where I can find the cheapest, yet most effective pair of swim goggles. It hurts my heart to have to 'just say no' to chicken fingers and french fries and instead choose salad and cottage cheese for lunch.

For me, it is a daily stuggle to simply maintain a healthy lifestyle.

This is why I have a whole new respect for our Olympians. They spend their lives, every day, 24/7, EVERY WAKING MOMENT preparing for their sport. Everything they do, everything that passes through their lips, effects their JOB. Their job being to represent our country at a competition against the rest of the world.

Constantly, they prepare for their sport so they can adequately represent the strength that is The United States of America.

Some of the Olympians that I've been following include:

Apollo Ohno

won the silver medal last night in the Men's 1500 Short Track Speed Skating.

J. R. Celski

was right behind him and took home the bronze.

I want to say, "J.R., are you sure Mommy and Daddy will let you stay up late enough to watch yourself on the Olympics?"


He looks so young, yes?


In September, J. R. was competing at the World Championship (or something like that...it was a really big deal) and had a bad wipe-out on the ice. The blade of his own skate cut his leg just inches from his femoral artery. Officials say he was in danger of bleeding to death on the ice.


Last week The Biggest Loser contestants spent a week at the US Olympic Training Facility in Colorado. J. R. helped with one of the challenges and showed everyone the scar on his leg. It looked like a huge football stitch.


And here he is, six months later, winning a bronze medal at the Olympics. Amazing!


And then there are these two awesome ladies:

Shannon Bahrke

bronze medalist in the Womens Downhill Moguls.

And here's her buddy, Hannah Kearney.

As the last of 20 finalists to ski last night, Hannah won the gold in the Womens Downhill Moguls, beating the defending champion, Canadian Jenn Heil on her own turf.

Tonight Bob Costa did a follow-up interview with Hannah on her story, and her road to the Gold.

He asked her, "When you began that final run, were you prepared to take home anything less than the gold?"

Without hesitation she replied, "No. Absolutely not. I had decided days ago that this was my time and the gold was MINE."

I loved that.

I loved that the thought of failure did not even cross her mind. To her, the silver or bronze medal would have been a failure. She came to play and boy did she make a statement within her sport.

It got me thinking about gold medals and everyone's different versions of victory. For these athletes at this time in their lives, the ultimate victory is a gold medal.

What is YOUR gold medal at this time in YOUR life?

Is it running a 1/2 marathon?

Is it running a 5K?

Is it running a mile?

Is it losing 20 pounds?

Is it losing five pounds?

Whatever it is, whatever your goal may be right now, don't be afraid to accept nothing less.

My gold medal is finishing this triathlon I am working towards. No time to beat, not another competitor to finish in front of, just me.

Just me crossing the finish line. For me, that is worth a gold medal.

Right now, that is.

Who's to say what will come after that but for now I have my sights set on this triathlon, and that's all I'll try for.

No need to think about what comes after that. Just take one step at a time.

So whatever your gold medal might be, just go for it. For lack of a better phrase, just do it. If you want it badly enough you WILL do it. You WILL get your gold medal.

Whether it's being crowned as a first-class-best-in-the-world-athlete, or simply gaining enough strength to walk a mile, everyone has their own gold medal.

Go get yours!

Show Us Your Life Friday: Valentines

Today on Kelly's Korner Show Us Your Life Friday is Valentines Day ideas and memories.

Honeymoon in SanFransico August 2008

Since this topic can definitely in no way be tied into exercise, I'm just going to share some sweet Valentines Day memories that I have.

When I was growing up, my mom always gave me a huge heart-shaped box of chocolates. She told me once that when she was a little girl she always hoped that someone would give her a huge box of chocolates for Valentines Day, and that rarely happened. So she always gave them to me and I'll always remember that. Isn't that a sweet/sad story? :)

In 2008, Tom and I has been engaged for about three months when Valentines Day rolled around. He was living in Tunica and I was still in Nashville. He had a huge bouquet of flowers sent to my office. It was such a sweet gesture, but the card what what I remember the most. It said, "Happy Valentines Day. I can't wait to be married to you! Love, Tom." He told me he felt a little silly telling the lady at the flower shop to write such a cheesy message, but he wanted to make me happy. All together now:

"Awwwwww."

Honeymoon in Napa, August 2008

I still have that tiny card tucked in a picture frame on my bedside table.

Christmas 2008

This year for Valentines Day I told him I just want to spend time together doing something other than sitting around the house. So we'll see what we decided to do.

Christmas 2009

What are you doing for Valentines Day?

If you don't have a sweetie, do something sweet for yourself because you deserve it! Go get a pedicure or buy a new purse. Spend an extra 30 minutes at the gym making yourself feel good and accomplished! Just because you don't have a 'Valentine' doesn't mean you shouldn't do somthing nice for YOU!

When I was single and living in Nashville, a group of single girlfriends would get together on Valentines Night, wear all black, and go out on the town. Sort-of an anti-Valentines Date.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Updates, Updates...

So I've come to a decision about something.

After careful consideration, I've decided to go for the Memphis in May Olympic Tri I had originally mentioned. While one person has told me not to try an Olympic distance for the my first triathlon, others have said they definitly think I could handle it. So I'm just gonna go for it.

I mean, it's not like I have money riding on it or I'm representing anything other than little ole me so what have I got to lose?

My pride.

That's about it.

Oh, and hopfully about 11 more pounds.

The only way I'll lose my pride and dignity is if I flat out don't finish. And I'll finish. If it takes me 6 hours I'll do it.

Unfortunatly Bex and I won't be able to do it together, though. She is going on vacay with the fam that week so we are planning on doing another one together later in the summer. That is, if I live through the first one. Bex is planning to do a sprint in late March that I cannot attend so she will already have one under her belt. Busy girls, I tell ya. At least we have each other as we train to encourage each other and hold each other accountable.

So there you have it. I've said it out loud so it's final. It's on the blog so it's got to be done.

*****

I just got back from a great swim tonight. I swam my first full mile! I was happy because this is a personal best distance-wise. Now that I know I am physically able to swim a mile, I need to work on my time.

Here's what I'm thinking:

After looking at results from the Memphis in May Olympic-distance triathlon (1 mile swim distance), I found that females in my age group finish the swim leg in anywhere from 18 to 46 minutes. The girl that finished in 18 minutes came in 2nd overall, so clearly I am not making an 18 minute mile my goal.

What I found is that the middle-of-the-road female swimmer 25-30 years old finished the mile in about 35-37 minutes. This is a number I can live with.

Tonight I did my mile in 42.5 minutes. Obviously I have some work to do. It would *amazing* if I could knock 10 minutes off of that time, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. My goal will be to bring the time down to 35 minutes by the end of April. I figure this is sufficient time to meet this goal, and add on the biking and running by May 23.

*****

Disclaimer: for some reason this paragraph will not format right. So it looks like one big long run on paragraph and it is driving me crazy. No matter how many times I've tried to fix it, it won't save with any spaces between paragraphs. Damn you blogger, why are you not cooperating with me? Does anyone know why this happens? Sooooooo annoying.

I realize I have been talking a lot about swimming lately and some you may be thinking, "What else are you doing Ariel? Are you still biking and running?"

The answer to that question is yes.

Over the past couple of weeks I have had some new developments on the biking front.

First of all, Bex and I bouthg our padded cycling shorts ($40 at Sports Authority) and helmets (also $40 at Sports Authority). Keep in mind that at the time we bought these two things we didn not have bikes but we are working on it. One thing at a time now, one thing at a time.

So these shorts. Let me just tell you about these shorts. They are a God send because without them you have one sore hiney. But with them you honest to goodness feel like you are simply wearing spandex and a giant (and when I say giant I mean diaper-esque) maxi pad. At first they are soooooo uncomfortable and make you walk like you ahve been riding a horse for a week. But you just have to get past the Cowboy Syndrome and weigh your options.

Silly Shorts vs. Sore Hiney for a Full Week

I think I'll take the maxi shorts.

So we tried out our Maxi Shorts for the first time on the stationary bikes at the gym. After our 'ride' we ran on the treadmill. Sure, it took some getting used to, but while ont he bike I could tell a difference immediatly, and it only took about 1/4 of a mile to get used to running in them.

As for the bike, I have a plan. Sort of.

In doing a little research, we found that you can spend a minimum of $750 on a brand new road bike. This is an investment I am not quite ready to make since I might do this MIM Tri and decided I hate it.

So we asked around and Tom found a perfect solution for us. Our cousin Will is a cyclist and has gone on ridees as long as 100 miles in his day. He suggested I simply get new road tires and put them on Tom's mountain bike. This "hybrid" is not ideal for a hard-core triathlete but it will do for my first experience. This way, I am only out like $75 instead of $750 if I decide I hate it.

I have to give a shout-out to Tom for figureing out the whole bike thing. He was sweet enough to do some research and make some phone calls to figure out the best possible solution for me. What a sweet cheerleader he is. :) Love him.

*****

Weight Watchers Update: Okay, okay, okay, so after my big pity party on Monday, the Weight Watchers weigh-in did not go has horrible as I had geared myself up for. I gained .5 pound. That's eight itty-bitty teeny tiny ounces. So I was actually happy.

After a week of breakfast casserole, buffalo wings, and birthday cake I managed to basically maintain. Now back to business this week to get into the 150's!!! I am ready for ya, 159! :)

Hmph.

Disclaimer: after writing this post and then re-reading it I realize that I sound like a spoiled brat and I understand that I come across this way (because, let's face it, I am sort of a spoiled brat). Please only read this post if you are prepared to listen to my rantings and thinking out loud. I just had to get it out of my system.

I know you have seen this post title before: Hmph.

Hmph is how I feel when I just don't feel like I have anything to bring to the table, or when I am feeling defeated and bogged down by this athletic training and healthy journey (I guess you could call it) that I've embarked on.

While I am SO FREAKIN' EXCITED that I lost 3 pounds last week, and have passed the 10 pound mark, I am feeling so exhausted and fat the last few days. Let's recap, shall we?

• Thursday: Pizza and Wine girl date with Jen. Ate too much. Drank too much. Jen, we must do better. :)
• Friday: Home alone because Tom was at annual Cold Weather Campout. Watched a movie and (again) had wine.
• Saturday: Brunch baby shower and sushi feast and three beers with Bex. Went to bed feeling bloated and gross, like my body was rejecting all the breakfast casserole, cake, and sugar I had eaten during the day.
• Sunday: Superbowl Sunday. 'Nuff said.
• Monday Lunch: it's snowing like crazy here, therefore the casino is understaffed and they have shut down the employee dining room where I usually get a beautiful salad and cottage cheese for lunch. Instead, we ate at the buffet and I totally over did it. I feel like there is a rock in my stomach and I'm so pissed because I can tell that those three glorious pounds are sneaking back one scoop of ice cream at a time. Sitting at my desk feeling fat and gross....and....pale.
• Monday Night: Tom's birthday dinner tonight and I'm dreading it.

See, isn't that terrible? I'm dreading my own beautiful perfect husband's birthday dinner because I'm afraid I'll eat too much and then I'll feel bad about myself.

Wait, as I typed that sentance I just realized I used 'I' three times and 'myself' once.

That's not what Tom's birthday is about! It is about celebrating HIM and having fun with HIM and loving on HIM all day and night! Not sitting in a corner like a pouty baby worrying about myself and saying, "Oh no, sorry, I can't eat that."

But that's how I feel. Defeated. Angry. Just in a MOOD, you know? I am mad at myself because I had such a good thing going and I feel like I've ruined it all in a few short days. I would go exercise to clear my head a little but I am stuck HERE in this stupid windowless office working all day. Plus the gym is closed because of the bad weather and I can't run outside because of said bad weather.

Sigggghhhhhhh....I am just mad at the world can you tell?

And I am dreading the weigh-in on Wednesday because I'm certain the scales will not tip in my favor. And then I'll have to do a blog post about how I didn't lose weight and that will piss me off. All because of bad choices I've made the last few days.

Hmph.

*****

I need to change my attitude.

Lord, please lay your healing hands on my and change my attitude for me. Thanks.

Okay that didn't work. Prayer and conversation with God is therapeutic for me, but God cannot wave his magic Godly wand and make my bad attitude disappear.

Instead I must re-program my way of thinking today.

Instead of focusing on this bad week of eating, focus on the good.

Good that I lost three pounds last week.

Good that I can now run for an hour and a half without stopping.

Good that I can swim 3/4 of a mile when just a week ago I could only do 1/4.

Good that it is snowing in Mississippi today. Even though I am stuck at work, I know that in a few hours my hun will come pick me up and we will drive through this little Delta Winter Wonderland to get home to our warm house and doggies.

While I don't love this windowless office, I am thankful to have a job and an income during a time when most people do not. Awww...as I typed that I heard this outside my office:

Boss Man: "Hey Felecia?"

Felecia the Admin: "Yes sir?"

Boss Man: "Thanks for helping out today."

Felecia the Admin: "Oh, you're welcome."

It's the little things, you know?

I can make it through the birthday dinner. I am so thankful my husband was born and we are celebrating that day today. What my life would be like if Tom had never been born....something I don't even want to think about!

*****

So while it is easy to get bogged down with the bad, I have so many things to be thankful for and to be proud of. A few bad days of eating and a few (hundred) extra calories consumed will not break me, and will not let me fall back into bad habits of eating and no exercise.

No siree, that devil on my shoulder telling me I can't do it, that I'm too weak and too fat and too busy for 'me time' can just get on outta here because I can make my own good decisions.

Okay thank you for the vent session I feel better now.

Show Us Your Life Friday

Okay so.

I love doing Kelly's Korner 'Show Us Your Life Friday,' and I usually try to somehow tie it into running or exercise because, after all, that is the whole purpose of this blog. However, today's topic is Beauty Tips and Products.

How am I supposed to tie that into running? The only beauty tip I have for that is to wear chapstick. So I am going to stray from my usual topics of all things exercise and share some more girlie beauty tips and products.

Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! Running in the cold winter air, and swimming twice a week can cause really dry skin. I use Ponds on my face and Oil of Olay Quench on the rest of my body. Tom says I should buy stock in Oil of Olay because I put it all over my body every single time I get out of the shower. I just love it as an every day lotion because it smells great and gives you a little shimmer.

Yesterday I posted that I was looking forward to getting a TAN. Back in college the tanning bed was a girl's best friend but now that I am older and wiser I know that the beds can be really damaging to your skin. So, on my sister Myra's recommendation I used this to get ready for summer, plus get sprayed a few times if I have an event coming up or something. It is great, and if you put your regular lotion on first, it doesn't streak at all. Be sure to wash your hands afterwards or you'll wind up with orange palms!I am obsessed with my pressed-powder bronzer. I use it year-round. Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess. It works on all skin tones, just apply it on over your favorite foundation with a large brush to give you a healthy glow. Another favorite is this Sephora blush. Just simple and rosey, gives the look as if you just walked in from a cold windy day outside. And I LURVE my perfume. I have lots but I get the most compliments on this one. Even from strangers. Men, women, everyone. Ann Taylor Possibilities. And Tom gave me this new perfume for Christmas, Givency Very Irresistable. I love it, too. Last but not least, I have a lip gloss addiction. I just counted and I have 11 tubes of lipgloss on my person as we speak. Ridiculous but I girl's gotta have choices, yes? My all-time favorite is Smashbox.

So happy Friday, everyone! Now go out, get yourself some great beauty products, and get purdy for your weekend!

Work Out Schedules and WW Update

*Well* our email is down at work (gasp...how shall we get through the day? God forbid I have to CALL SOMEONE ON THE PHONE!), and since 90% of my job is answering angry emails from disgruntled employees, here I am. Blogging instead of working.

I wanted to share with yall the workout schedule that Bex and I have made up for ourselves, and have stuck to over the past two weeks....the past two weeks also known as the first two torturous weeks of Tri Training.

Obviously every week is not exactly the same, things come up. But this is the general idea of what we're doing to build a good base of fitness to complete the Tri in a few months (which, by the way, we have not 100% decided which one we're going to do, so if you know of any in the Mid-South area, please let me know).

So here is what we're doing these days:

Disclaimer: Bex and I are in no way doctors, physical therapists, or athletic trainers. We are simply fat white girls who want to have rock-hard bods. So we are not responsible for you if you do this workout schedule and hurtchosef. Just lettin' you know.

• Monday: Swim
• Tuesday: Bike/Short Run/Strength Workout*
• Wednesday: Medium Run
• Thursday: Swim
• Friday: Bike/Short Run
• Saturday: Long Run

*Hoping to add in one more strength workout per week at some point soon...probably next week.

And here are the distances that we do each activity (at this time. over the coming weeks, distances will increase):

• Swim: 1/2 mile, or 30-40 minutes
• Bike: 30 minutes, about 7.5 miles
• Short Run: 3 miles
• Medium Run: 5-6 miles
• Long Run: 7-8 miles

The Strength workout is a little more involved so it gets it's own bulleted list. I found this workout in a book I got for Christmas called The 12-Week Triathlon by Tom Holland:

• Dumbell Chest Press
• Dumbell Bent-Over Rows
• Dumbell Overhead Press
• Bicep Curls
• Dumbell Kick-Backs
• Stability Ball Squats
• Stationary Lunges
• Stability Ball Ham String Curls
• Calf Raises
• Dumbell Toe Raises
• Calf Raises
• Regular Crunches (25)
• Oblique Twists (25 per side)
• Reverse Crunches (25)
• Superman (25)
• Plank (1 minute)

*Note: Unless otherwise noted, I do 2 sets of 12 for each exercise. For the dumbell exercises, I use an eight-pound dumbell.

So that's it. What about you? I would love to hear if you have a workout or running schedule that you have found works for you. Share, share with the group, please!

In doing these strength workouts I am hopeful that I will 'firm up' a little more. While I have lost weight I still feel a little softer than I'd prefer. I was looking at myself in the mirror last night and thought,

"All this work...and still...this?"

The 'this' being my Flab City mid-section and Sausage Arms. But like I say, practice makes perfect.

And you know what else makes perfect? A tan. Tan fat looks better than white fat. So once this weather warms up and I can get some color I am CERTAIN that I'll feel and look better. :)

Weight Watchers Update: I just got back from weigh-in and lost 3 pounds this week! Current weight is 161 pounds. I swear I think it's the swimming. That's the only thing I've done differently. Also, I had a Biggest-Loser-Style-Last-Chance-Workout this morning so that probably helped.

I mean, I lost 2.5 the week I ran the half marathon and now 3 pounds this week?!!!??! Awesome, I'm so excited. Now off to eat a huge lunch because I'm starving. :)

Running Tips and a Gooooooood Recipe!

I just feel the need to say that I love this blog. I love it because a.) it gives me somthing to do when I'm bored, b.) I have made some new friends and I LOVE IT! So nerdy but I feel like we are friends in real life even if I have never seen your purdy face, and c.) it broadens my circle beyond the tiny town of Tunica. I love Tunica, but it is tiny. And having this blog kind of gives me an outlet to the World Beyond Tunica....

That being said, I have never given a shout-out to the man that made this blog a reality! Y'all might remember little 'ole Caitlin, who started blogging with me but had to bow out gracefully due to scheduling conflicts. She is busy, living the city life of a student, girlfriend, and part-time Banana Republic employee.

But back in August, when we started to officially train for the half-marathon, I had mentioned in passing (in passing, mind you) that it would be cool if Caitlin and I had a blog to keep up with each other's progress. Well, the next thing I know...literally like ten minutes later...., her boyfriend Ben had just whipped one up for us!

Thus, a new blog was born. I love it that we just mentioned it one time and --- VOILA --- Ben to the rescue. Isn't it nice to have a man around who listens to what you say?!?! Lovely! So thank you, Ben for being a sweetcutenerdy IT guy who made this blog for me. :)

Speaking of Ben....he sent me this great link. It's got "101 greatest tips of all time for beginners, vetrans, marathoners, and everyone in between." You can check it out by Clicking Here.

My favorite is #23 from Bob Greene, Oprah's trainer:
"I believe in using races as motivators. It's hard to keep on an exercise program if you don't have a significant goal in sight"

Good stuff. Thanks, Ben!

*****

I also wanted to share the AWESOME recipe my WW team leader sent me. I made it last night and it is delish. You would never know that one serving is only 5 Weight Watchers Points! Make it tonight and your husband will love you extra.

Chicken Spaghetti

Ingredients:

• 2 cooked chicken breasts, chopped
• 2 cups cooked whole wheat spaghetti
• 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1 packet of Turkey Gravy mix
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 4-oz can sliced button mushrooms
• 1 15-oz can Rotel
• 4 oz Light Velveeta cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400. Cook chicken and cut into cubes or shred it. Set aside. Reserve broth for a future recipe if you want.
2. While spaghetti is cooking, saute garlic, celery, onion, and bell pepper in olive oil until vegetables and fragrant and tender.
3. Put 1 cup of water in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for about 3 minutes or until water is bubbling. Whisk in Turkey Gravy mix until lumps are gone. Add to onion mixture.
4. Add musrooms, Rotel, cheese, and chicken to onion mixture and stir well. Heat through until cheese is melted.
5. In an 8x8 greased dish, layer cooked spaghetti on the bottom, then top with chicken mixture (I guess you could do it the other way around...it really doesn't matter). Cook at 400 for 25 minutes.

One extra note I'd like to make....

It always bugs me when a recipe calls for 1/4 cup chopped onion. What are you supposed to do with the rest of that big 'ole onion? Put it in the frige and let it dry up and go to waste? Well, on Amanda's recipe blog, she offers a solution to this problem:

No matter what quantity a recipe calls for, she chopps up the entire vegetable (onion, celery, pepper, whatever it may be), uses what the recipe calls for, and freezes the rest in a ZipLoc bag. That way she's not wasteful and she always has some extra chopped vegetables on hand for her next recipe. Is this something everyone has been doing for a long time and I am just now catching on? Such a simple tip I can't believe I had never heard of it or thought of it myself...

We Be Jammin'

Grrrrrrr....Mondays. I hate Mondays. They're my LEAST favorite. Hopefully it'll be a semi-good Monday because I am having lunch with my hunny and then a good, strong, swim workout tonight!

We had a great weekend in Tunica. Yesterday was a beautiful day after quite a few days of gloomy 'wintery mix.' Tom and I slept L A T E (which I love, but we never get to do), then around 1pm I went for a run. Starting out I wasn't sure how far I wanted to go, but the sun was shining and the ice was falling from the trees like tiny little toothpicks and it was such a beautiful afternoon. Since we had slept through church, I just had my own little worship service thanking God for such a beautiful end to a nice weekend (among many other things. I have lots to thank God for). Before I knew it, I was finishing up 7 miles and it felt soooooo good.

After my run I cleaned out my chest of drawers and formed a big 'ole pile of clothes to send to Haiti. Do you think they need pany hose and thong underware in Haiti? I figure they need a little bit of everything so I'll just send it all.

One reader commented on my Friday post, asking what I listen to when I run. I thought it'd be a great idea to reach out to my *millions* of readers to see what YOU listen to when you workout! So here is a list of my 'Running Mix #1.' Please try to refrain from laughing, it is a really random, old, mix of songs but I love them.

1. "Gunpowder and Lead" by Miranda Lambert
2. "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" by Miranda Lambert
3. "Run This Town" by Kanye, Jay-Z, and Rihanna
4. "Party in the USA" by Miley Cyrus
5. "Single Ladies" by Beyonce
6. "Survivor" by Destiny's Child (see what I mean...OLD. SCHOOL.)
7. "Crazy in Love" by Beyonce
8. "Eye of the Tiger" Rocky Soundtrack
9. "The Final Countdown" by Europe
10. "Come on Over Baby" by Christina Aguilera
11. "I Gotta Feeling" by Black-Eyed-Peas
12. "So What" by Pink
13. "Wide Open Spaces" by Dixie Chicks
14. "Ready to Run" by Dixie Chicks
15. "Not Ready to Make Nice" by Dixie Chicks
16. "How Will I Know" by who else....that's right....Whitney Houston
17. "I'm Every Woman" by Whitney circa 1980
18. "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" by Whitney pre-Bobby Brown
19. "Pieces of Me" by Ashlee Simpson
20. "The Story" by Brandi Carille
21. "Bug A Boo" by Destiny's Child (ahahahahah!)
22. "Waking Up in Vegas" by Katie Perry
23. "My Life Would Suck Without You" by Kelly Clarkson
24. "Poker Face" by Lady Ga Ga
25. "The Climb" by Miley Cyrus
26. "The Zephyr Song" by Red Hot Chili Peppers
27. "Snow (Hey Oh)" by Red Hot Chili Peppers
28. "Womanizer" by Britney Spears
29. "Pump It" by Black-Eyed-Peas
30. "Beautiful Girls" by Sean Kingston

Please leave a comment and tell us a couple of your favorite motivating work-out songs! Thanks for giving me this idea, Maranda!

Have a great week, everyone....