Starlight Run

Yesterday was the year anniversary of my first 5K, the starlight run.  The emotions were high, it was most nostalgic.  Although my time for the run was not as good as last year, I was within my personal goal.  The run is suppose to be 3.1 miles but last year and this I clocked it at 3.4, so I finished in 36 min, with minimal walking.
Reflecting on this past year running habits, the mileage is not what I wanted it to be.  However, with that being said my runs are much longer on average so by that fact I am proud.  May wasn't too bad, my total mileage was 30.68, and its a brand new month to knock out some good runs.
Never give up, never back down.  Take it day by day.

Ape caves hike

This week wasn't too bad :-) ran three days this week for a total of 11.58 miles. Yesterday a couple friends and myself went to Mt Saint Helens for a hike in the ape caves. The lower part of the hike is easy...minus walking in complete darkness. It's only 1.5 miles total to the end in back. Then you can walk the upper cave which include multiple challenges climbing over piles of rocks, some easier than others a 2 mile hike through the cave and 2 miles back to the car. Then comes the hard parts...walls. I was so terrified! You have to step in a hole and pull yourself up...it was super hard and it took me a while to decide I could do it. Afterward it felt great! Worth all the hard work and scary trama. Makes you realize how much you can accomplish just trying. Afterward we did have s burger though...we earned it lol :-)

Run run run

Finished my third day of running this week which puts my mileage at 11.58. I want to make it 16 miles total. Wish my luck!

Back on it

Ran 4.25 miles yesterday, slow run, but a run none the less.  Trying to eat healthy this week.  Bought a couple lite salad kits, a roasted chicken and vegetables.  Also, a full case of greek yogurt that was on sale at Costco.  My goal this week is yogurt in the morning, maybe something healthy from breakfast at work like turkey bacon or english muffin with peanut butter.  Then salad, chicken and vegetable for lunch or dinner.  Ya know, start with the right materials,take it day by day.

Hangover from hell...

Let's face it, hangover's are no fun, and they are diet trouble!  You don't want to do anything but eat eat eat, and nothing good for you.  Drank a little too much on Friday, which led to a wicked hangover the following afternoon.

 After four hours of sleep I got my ass up at 7am to get ready for the doggie dash.  The event was HUGE and was suppose to be a 2.5 mile loop across two bridges, so many dogs there.  I've prepped the puppy for the last couple weeks to be able to walk that far, after all he's only 3 1/2 months old :)  They did soooo great!  And we definitely walked more than 2.5 miles, it was more like 4.  After feeling so good after the walk we had breakfast.  I was good!  Chicken turkey sausage, potatoes, two eggs, and biscuits (well the biscuit part wasn't great but it wasn't biscuits and gravy!)

Then I made the mistake of taking a nap.  We were so tired!  We all passed out for close to three hours, the weather got muggy and by the time I woke up I felt like shit!  Nauseated, hungover, and gross.  This lead to a trip to the grocery store for powerade, ice cream  and a burger/fries from the place next door.  It's sad but true...I did feel better!  Damn hangovers!

Run it

Felt good to run today. My running buddy and I did 4 miles, and although the time wasn't great we went and we sweat. Small steps....good choices daily.

Caved in

I made it through the horrific time of the month. And I didn't do horribly! Today however...is a different story. Stressed at work I let the poor decisions get the best of me and I ordered Dominoes. Those parm bites are good but oily and I should have ordered tomato sauce vs the white but what's done is done.

On the bright side I went to zumba yesterday and have time scheduled to run with a friend tomorrow.  One day at a time.

The Worst!

The worst time of the month... the time the universe likes to remind you that you are a woman.  We're talking red tide season.  The usual stuff comes... you feel fat...EVERYDAY.  You trrrryyyyyy to eat well, but all you want to do is stuff your face with every possible thing in sight.  And finally, you want to sleep.

How do you overcome these circumstances?  For me its a small chocolate instead of a huge candy bar.  Today I talked myself out of every possible fast food restaurant on my way home, as well as Panda Express and pizza.  Instead I had tuna on rice cakes, and will probably eat a piece of pound cake that is left over from the other day.

Walking helps too, when cramps are the worse I take the dogs out and I moan and groan but we walk.  Tomorrow I am suppose to run with a couple friends, and I think it will be good for me to get out.  Since it hasn't actually started yet, I'm just in the pre-stages, I gotta get it in while I can.  Also I haven't exercised all week due to being busy at work, and just plain not wanting to.  Boo!

Week 1

This week wasn't too bad. Ran five days for a total of 16.2 miles. Toward the end of the week the running got tough...legs were tired ect. But overall I was proud I kept with it.

As far as eating habits were concerned the weekends are always a challenge but this weekend has been better than past. I talked myself out of fried chicken strips and Jack in the box to settle for soup and salad.

Goals for next week include more running and maybe a class. Along with good eating :-)

Goals this year

Last year I ran two 5k races, the starlight run and the color run.  The starlight was my first ever race, and I prepared for weeks, and the work paid off.  I ran it at a 9:45 pace, way better than I had run in training, and I was on cloud 9!  So I signed up for another run, the color run.  Every kilometer of this run they throw a different "color" on you and you end up with these crazy colors all mixed up.  It was fun, but I wasn't as prepared and ran it at a 12:15 pace.

Already this year I've already completed my first race, the Shamrock run.  My first 8k which is just under five miles.  I tried to train for this race, but the week prior was on vacation in LA so didn't train as hard as I could.  My goal was to run it in under an hour and came in at 56 mins.  I was super stoked.

I'm signed up for the Doggie Dash (05/11) a 2.5 mile run/walk with my dogs, which I'll probably walk since my puppy will only be 4 months old.  I'm also signed up for the starlight run again (06/01) so I'm excited to do that run again.  My ultimate goal for races this year is Pints to Pasta which is a 10k (09/08).  Although I don't really want to run more than a 10k I just want to reach my goals and go from there.

Meet Me

Hello!  I'm a 29 year old female, this year I will turn the big 3-0!  My story begins the way most do, I've been heavy my whole life.  Grew up in a family of 6, with wonderful parents who bought us what we wanted.          I was wearing adult sizes by the time I was in middle school.  As I went through high school it got worse.  I believe I was a size 18 at my graduation in 2001.

Also in 2001 I started working at McDonald's   You know what the perk is of working there?  You get a free meal.  Not having ate a lot of McDonald's growing up I ate it all the time, addicted to the taste.  When you become a manager you can eat as much as you want, whenever you want.  I moved out of my parents house the winter of 2001 so we lived off the food I got there.  It was astounding when I think of it how much shit I ate, and how much weight I gained.  Went up to a size 22/24.

When it didn't work out with the apartment I moved back into my parents house, and my eating habits got worse.  I remember ordering a large pizza from Pizza Hut and eating the whole thing.  Stopping at Taco Bell on the way home and getting those grade meals with a mixture of 12 tacos or burritos, I would consume them all.  This is on top of still eating at McDonald's.  Remembering these facts is embarrassing and I cannot believe how self indulgent I was.

One day my friend and I were talking about her mom wanting her to loose weight, and about this group called T.O.P.S. Stands for "take of pounds sensibly".  I was in this group with old ladies 50 and above, we were the youngest ones there at 20.  That group saved my life.  I lost 75lbs, joined a gym and was super motivated.  It was after I thought I was ok to leave the group I stopped working so hard.  Starting partying and going out.  Drinking and smoking, I went back to my bad habits, and it only took me a matter of years to regain all the weight I lost.

Looking back at pictures I couldn't believe what I had become.  I thought, yeah I'm fat, but I'm also pretty so it doesn't matter.  I hated taking pictures, but couldn't avoid all pictures.  Finally I had another opportunity, in 2010 we had a "biggest loser" contact at my work.  Fourteen people entered and $20/person the person with the highest percentage of weight loss wins the whole pot.  Dedication was my name!

Within 3 months I lost 30lbs, and by the end of that year I was down 75lbs, the lowest I've ever been at 200lbs.  My goal set by the doctor was 180 since I'm 5'8".  I started running and felt amazing.  Even after gallbladder surgery I recovered and continued running through 2011.  I tried to start another "biggest loser" in 2012 but it never worked out, everyone ended up dropping out.  Over the last year and a half I've gained 20lbs and am determined to loose that and the additional 20 to put me at my goal weight.  The purpose of this blog is to make me check in and finally take responsibility for my daily actions.  I want to talk about my motivations, mood, exercise habits  and most important food habits.  I want my dedication and motivation back!