10 Pretty Random Thoughts....

1. The weight loss competition at work is DONE. OVER. FINISHED. Not that it wasn't motivating I did manage to lose about 7 pounds total but the pressure was getting to me and it was tiring weighing in knowing that my weight wasn't going to change all that much.

2. The last time I had my measurements taken at the gym I'd lost yet another 1/2 inch...in my neck LOL I still think that is a hoot. I also found out one of my thighs is more muscular than the other - need to work on that lol

3. Managed to beat last year's time in the Corporate 5k - finished in a blistering 36:08 - ok so I won't win any awards for that but it is an improvement and really that is all I care about

4.  A coworker told me yesterday that they wish they had the same positive body image that I do - really some of these women really just need to get over themselves and they will be ok. Heck I know I have a few extra pounds here and there but so what? I also know that I am capable of running a half marathon, heck THREE of them in 3 months! 

5. OMG race pictures are the WORST!!! Check these puppies out:

<---- ok this one isn't SO bad...this was from the Corp Run in 2009

 
SO this one isn't a bad picture - I actually love this one of me and my daughter heading for the finish line 

<---- Why are my eyes closed??? I think I was still laughing at the guy that had just told me I looked like I was 19 LOL

On a positive note though - Look at those huge muscular legs I'm a BEAST!!!!! :)






6. I haven't been to the gym AT ALL this week UGH!!!!! This is not like me - I did zumba at home on Monday, ran with the work group yesterday and I should be able to make bootcamp Friday after work so it is not a TOTAL wash out but still I really miss my Tuesday and Thursday classes :(

7. I have 3 or 4 pair of jeans and a skirt that I can take off without unbuttoning/unzipping!

8. I had a really weird/awesome dream that President Obama came to my grandmother's house for a visit - yes odd, but OMG how cool would that be??

9. My hair has grown SO much since I got it cut last year is and it so healthy. Its funny/sweet when Jason uses it like a pillow because it is so soft

10. I will be in total, complete bliss this time next month! Relaxin and chillin

Progress WhooHooo!

As I've said many times before it is the little things that excite me :) 

So yesterday was the 3rd meeting of our 5k@5 running group here at work...the first run was tough, hard and grueling - I was pretty saddened by my time - 46 minutes YIKES! The second week, ok got a little better, was able to finish in 42 minutes - an improvement over week one but still really far from what I know I am capable of. So yesterday week three - all I wanted to do was finish in less than 40 minutes that's all, not too much to ask for. 

I was really worried when I had to stop for a walk break before I even hit the first mile..I didn't have on my Garmin watch so I wasn't sure what my pace was I just knew my left calf was hurting along with my right shin and running on the sidewalk was NOT helping my cause. 

My goal was to keep the two guys that were behind me from passing me, I wanted to finish in front of two people (last week I finished in front of one so I figured I could shoot for two people this week right). So I took the walk break, saw them catching up and decided I had to push myself...I was able to do so for quite a while, I decided to count my steps until I got to 300 hoping it would take my mind off the pain and keep me at a steady pace. I counted each time my left foot landed and when I was winded it told me I was going too fast and to slow down. I worked I was able to keep going and was still ahead of those two guys.

I gave up that lead a little around mile 2 one of the guys passed me, then he got to a place where he walked a little and I thought that would be my chance to pass him, but he started running again before I caught up. I just kept at it, pushing a little harder when I could, slowing down when I needed. 

The sidewalks really are not run-friendly to me so for the last 3/4 mile I decided to run in the bike lane on the road...It was exactly what my legs needed. Not sure where it came from but I had a burst of energy that allowed me not to just catch up to the guy, I passed and put a really good space between us, honestly the only thing that slowed me down was a traffic light. I was still cutting it close to that 40 minute mark - at the light I was at 38:15 and still had quite a few feet to go. 

I gave it pretty much all I had, ran across the street hoping there was no crazy drivers making turns and running me over, I sprinted to the finish area - meeting the cheers of all the much faster runners who were waiting for us as usual - and looked down at my watch...I DID IT!!! I'd finished in 39:39 a very respectable time - ok it is an OK time, all that matters is that it was less than 40:00 AND I finished before those other two guys.

After that...I just wanted to go home take a shower and relax...but being the good mom I am I went to watch the end of Taylor's softball game - yeah they play like the bad news bears but she's my kid and I have to support her :)  - besides who else was going to give her a ride home?

Today is supposed to be TRX, Zumba and Boot Camp...I am seriously dreading it, any/all of it. I am running in an 8k Saturday so I think I deserve to take today and tomorrow off - heck even if I don't deserve it I am taking them off. I am whipped and just want to go home and chill....

Man I Can't Run!!!

So last night was the inaugural Beeline 5k at 5 giving us a chance to get some exercise and raise money for some deserving kids (at least I hope they are deserving LOL)...Now a 5k shouldn't be that big of a deal to me so although I knew I wasn't going to be the first person back I felt pretty good in my ability to run the entire distance....um yeah WRONG LOL...I struggled from the very beginning and it only got worse from there, took me 46 minutes to WALK yes WALK to the finish. 

My excuse is the workout I had at the gym on Monday (and I'm sticking to it HA). The way I look at it is I can take what happened yesterday and improve on it...I can't do any worse - good Lord I HOPE I don't do any worse next week! 

I've decided to reward myself if I can finish in under 35 minutes - I get to buy a big 32 oz bottle of Baby Grace lotion...my goal is to eventually be able to do a 30 min or less 5k - gotta think of how I will reward myself when I hit that goal!

Here's me goofing around at the finish last night... yeah when you run, jog ok mostly walk 3.1 miles you have plenty of energy to goof off for the camera

Wednesday March 31st....

Couldn't come up with a snappy title....

So it is Wednesday that means that it is weigh-in day here at work...wasn't really sure what to expect, was hoping for a loss of course because I hate parting with my money, but knowing that the weekend was pretty much a 'free for all' regarding food I thought I may be the same weight as last week. I was however pleasantly surprised to be DOWN whoohooo! Today's weight was 165.8 lbs - that's 1.90% and 3.2 pounds since last week. 

Of course I need to thank the really hard work I put in - went to the gym everyday (ok every WEEK day) last week, three of those days was working out with Lewis and when I say working out I mean him kicking my butt like nobody's business. Plus there was the 'Play Day' we had on Saturday - I think I laughed off about 1,000 calories out there and had a complete blast! 

So today starts the Beeline 5k at 5 - where a bunch of us co-workers are getting together to run a 5k so we can raise money for the Win4Youth project where our corporation donates $5 for every 5 kilometers to underprivileged youth...pretty cool huh? So I am doing something good for a kid somewhere AND getting in some running (hopefully non-stop running lol) with a group of people which should be a lot of fun. 

So today has been a good day so far, lost some weight and didn't have to pay - I am looking forward to running tonight even though I am feeling a little of yesterday's workout...thankfully we worked whole body instead of just legs - I was informed that if I would have worked legs yesterday I wouldn't be able to run today - yeah I PAY to be treated like this...man I better have one AWESOME body when this is over with!!!!

A little catch-up...

So at last post I was getting ready for the River Run: done and over with - check..did not beat my under 2 hours goal, but then again I didn't train so hey what do I expect? I did run a lot more than I did last year and I'm pretty proud of that.

So we've had a few weigh-ins since last post...I was down now I'm up - back at 169 whoohoo LOL...still trying to focus on the bigger picture that I am losing inches - whoohooo! I even got a few new clothes, sort of a reward, sort of a - my jeans are falling off my behind and I need more options...either way it felt good to go to another size

So what is up with me now? Well Monday and today was personal trainer beat up on me day - he warned me that I would have a love/hate relationship with him...I'm still waiting on the love part :) Truly I was amazed at how hard he made me work the first day...I usually can push myself through 2 and a half hours of classes including high-energy non stop zumba and boot camp but the first day - I wanted to quit like 20 minutes into our session! Realized two things:
1. I'm obviously not eating the right thing at the right time or I would have had more energy 2. I am not pushing myself as hard as I can in classes 
So I asked Lewis what/when to eat - he suggested a complex carb and protein about 2 hours before our session. So something like regular oatmeal and a boiled egg (no yolk thought booo!!! lol). So I did that before my class today and while it totally kicked my butt I did last for 50 minutes without wanting to curl up in a ball and cry. 


He's been telling me that this training would push me to a whole 'nother level..and good grief it has. My legs are still angry with me for the lunges and squats and dead-lifts I submitted them to on Monday, then decided to follow up with TRX on Tuesday - yes I am a glutton for punishment.


Today was upper body work, lots of push ups (and not the girly "knees down" type) into side plank, flys, rows, chest presses all that good stuff that I will be feeling in the morning no doubt. He also suggested that I take a before picture and that I get my measurements taken every two weeks...I also decided to join the 60 day challenge at the gym that will start on March 29 and run through June 7th. Just in time for bikini season! (What is it with me and challenges?) I think I am going for the body mass loss..there is also the option for muscle gained...I don't know but maybe I should go for that one?...whatever one, it will be fun to see my progress. I'll hopefully be able to get my measurements and before pic taken on Thursday.


I still want to train to run, and eventually be able to do a 5k in 30 minutes or less but with the way my legs are hurting right now I'm lucky I can make it up and down the stairs lol...I will work on that after my personal training sessions are over and my body has forgiven me

What a difference a week makes....

I AM the Biggest Loser - at least for this week....so along with the satisfaction of not gaining any weight I got $3 and some change from those contestants that gained and most importantly:

 Yes that is Optimus Prime at MY desk!! He's all mine for the week whoooohoooooooooo
The results were so close this week, I won by .001% - whew! So now I am back down to 167.2 and I am going to fight like a mad woman to not get back in the 170s -why my body is so fond of the 170s is a mystery to me!


Made a decision yesterday that I am going to do some personal training - I am going to start off with 8 - 30 min sessions and am going to see a nutritionist about the food side. I figure that will be enough to keep me on the weight loss wagon through the end of this competition. Then it will be summer and I'll be all extra fine and stuff!!!


Three more days until the River Run!!!!

 

Its Been a While...

So the plan to be down 10 pounds by River Run time..yeah that's not going to happen, BUT I have managed to keep about 4-5 pounds off in the 6 weeks since we started the 'Biggest Loser' competition here at work. This week I'm concentrating on just getting ready for the River Run- it is SATURDAY!! Yikes it snuck right up on me lol...

So am I ready? Mentally sure, physically yeah, emotionally...heck I am halfway finished and preparing to run up the Hart - whoohoo that bridge is a butt-kicker and you know what I am so feeling like - bring it on! Will I be able to run up it all the way? Probably not, will I TRY to run up it all the way - you better believe it! Will I kick it into high gear and run over anyone in my path on the way down and towards the finish line? Um YES!!! 

So back to the weight loss thing...I've managed to gain a few pounds in the past few weeks, not going to stress about it now, can't change what has already happened and I'm still managing to lose inches (I swear this makes NO sense) so my pants are loose - some I can take off without unbuttoning LOL..I still need a new belt and that is enough to keep me feeling good. I also feel like I am running better and that is really motivating. 

I'm thinking about signing up for a few personal training sessions at the gym and talking to a nutritionist so I can be extra fine this summer - bring it ON swimsuit season!!! 

Anywhoooo...going to make it through this week, maybe lose a pound or two, and come Saturday morning I will be well rested and ready to run like the wind...the goal - finish in less than two hours and not feel like I want to die afterward - not sure how I am going to accomplish that second part but hey its worth noting....



 

I Owe .80!

Sigh....I gained weight from last week...I knew it would happen - probably will happen again - but still it is a hard thing to deal with seeing as how much time I put in at the gym. But I will not dwell..it was only 1.6 pounds (I'm back up to 169.2) and I know I can take that off by next weigh in. 

I have lost inches and my clothing size is decreasing and that is a good thing. I want to say that is all that matters and believe it but honestly I want to see the numbers on the scale go down. I doubt if I will ever be able to get down under 150 and honestly I am not sure I want to but I would like to lose at least 10-15 pounds and with about 100 more weeks to go I should see the number go down as long as I can keep up with my eating changes. 

So other than that still tearing it up at the gym...Tuesdays and Thursdays I'm doing 30 min TRX then either Yoga or Zumba then an hour of Boot Camp...I don't always make it to Boot Camp some days I am just too whipped to get my butt kicked in that class. As a matter of fact I didn't make either TRX or Boot Camp on Thursday...maybe that is the reason for my weight gain? 

We did manage to run the bridges downtown Saturday morning, it was such a beautiful day all I wanted to do was stop and gaze out at the river but I kept my little legs a moving and even made it without stopping to the top of the Acosta bridge. I promised myself if I could run without stopping to the sign at the top of the bridge that I could walk for a few minutes and I made it...it was hard, I was huffing and puffing but it felt really good to make it there. 

We are hoping to go again this Saturday, the weather is supposed to be cooler but as long as it is not freezing we will be there...hopefully with a couple of family members and friends that are also running in SIXTEEN YIKES!!! days...wow it will be here before I know it!

Back of the Closet Jeans and Wednesday Weigh In

Ok yeah I'm doing two two two posts in one :) 

Over the weekend I was doing some searching for jeans to wear, just something to throw on and run to the store, maybe go outside and play with the dogs in. Didn't want to put on work jeans so started rummaging back in the back of the closet, you know the place where you put those pants that you will be able to wear 'one day'...well I pulled out 2 pair, one from Old Navy - anyone who has shopped there before know their pants are sized at least 1 if not 1.5 sizes smaller than the tag says (not sure how pants can be 1.5 sizes smaller but trust me on this fact). 

So they are a size 10 but knowing I haven't been able to wear them since I was like 140 really says to me they are a size 6 LOL...so I tried them on for kicks ya know...got them up to mid thigh which really is an accomplishment so I put them back on the hanger and returned them to the closet. 

The other are a pair of Levi's also a size 10 - fit perfectly...there was no wiggling, jumping or laying on the bed praying to the jeans God to fasten them...I was so happy I ran out in the family room and started dancing (ok first I danced alone in my room...) and singing to the kids about my 'back of the closet pants'...they looked at me like I'd completely lost it - which of course made it funnier. I guess when you are a size 1 or 2 - BOTH OF THEM (scary but Jordan can fit into Taylor's jeans)!!!  You just can't appreciate being able to fit into jeans that have been spending years in the back of the closet.

The funniest thing was a few days later Jordan was like 'Mom what did you call those pants again?'...he thought my little saying was funny...ok maybe you had to be there, or maybe you just have to be kind of off like me to think that was funny. 

So onto today - Wednesday weigh-in day whoohooo..I've still been working hard at the gym, was able to make my long days Tuesday and Thursday of last week and even went to boot camp on Saturday. I also had my measurements taken since I hadn't done that since I first started back in October. The first measurement was my neck..and I lost half an inch LOL...overall I lost anywhere from 1/4 to over 1 inches not too shabby! I only lost one pound though so Clayton gave me 'the look'...he said I better be glad I lost inches or he would have kicked my butt. 

Inches lost are nice and all and do show in clothes but the competition at work is all about pounds lost so I was a little worried about where I would be today. But at the same time I knew I didn't gain which of course is always good. So after the successes with the back of the closet jeans and that whole neck fat loss (lol) I was really hoping I would have a good number on the scale...the verdict? I lost 2.5 pounds that's 1.44% so now I am 167.7 pounds as of today whoohooo...I've managed to drop 6.26 pounds since we started!! I am so on my way to my goal of being 10 pounds lighter for the River Run...I just need to keep up a 2 pound loss for the next few weeks and I will be there. 


So that's the wrap up so far...notice I still didn't comment on any running? Yeah about that...hopefully I will get in some miles today :) 

It Is The Little Things...

The weather outside is absolutely horrendous, rainy, cold, raw...there's snow expected in the state what?!?!?! I live in FLORIDA - we don't do snow! But regardless of that mess...I am happy and in a cheerful mood...why you ponder? 

I have come to the last hole on my belt!!! A little history...I don't remember exactly when I purchased this belt, I know I was single so it had to have been more than 5 years ago (it's a leather Coach belt and still looks new - that's what you get with good leather) and when I bought it I could only fasten it to the second hole. Wasn't all that happy with that, but I loved the belt and it is basic black so knew I would be able to wear it with anything. 

So now I find myself in need of a new belt - already have my eyes on another Coach belt - it's reversible so like hubby pointed out I'm actually getting two belts for the price of one - like I said it is the little things :)

Wednesday Weigh-In Results and Unconfirmed Sightings

Just now realized I haven't written since last Wednesday...I am slacking...anywho yeah I didn't win the weigh in last week, it seems that quite a few people were able to lose anywhere from 4-2% of their body weight in one week....can you say water-boarding? I can. But whatever, that sort of weight loss will be hard to keep up for 13 weeks, and knowing that I lost instead of gaining was more than enough for me - ok Optimus would have looked awesome on my desk but whatever...

So today was week 2 weigh in and I still lost (according to the scale 1.05% /1.8 pounds) since last week putting me at 170.2 and I am very happy with that. I am curious to see what those people that dropped a lot of weight the first week did this time around. 

Writing down what I eat has proven to be a BIG help, its like people say it makes you 1. accountable for what you put in your mouth and can 2. make you disgusted by what you put in your mouth. Knowing that I have to write it down and that there is the possibility that one day if I can't fit into my pants I can go back and look at why is a very strong motivator. 

So along with eating better, I have been keeping up with my 2.5 hour gym session as my schedule allows. Thursday of last week was high school night at Tay's school so that took precedence, the gym was closed on Sat due to TRX training. This week is looking much better though, ok Sunday I didn't do anything but I did manage a runish (ha) on Monday, Tuesday did TRX, Yoga (new teacher - Daniel is no longer there BOOOO!!!!!) and I even managed NOT to pass out while kicking butt in Boot Camp...that was where the unconfirmed (hahaha) sighting happened. 


Ok so I know that technically everyone HAS abs I just like to tell my trainers I don't when they are yelling at me to tighten them (like during the TRX torture sessions - man I love that class!!). So last night in boot camp I was on the front row, right at the mirrors and as we were grunting, huffing and puffing our way through class I caught a glimpse of something. It seemed odd, out of place even but I was SURE I saw it...it was ...an ab muscle on ME!!! LOL I have ab...not abs...just ab...its so cute too I'm going to have to take a picture of it LOL...as I said it is still unconfirmed so I need to document its existence. 


So that is the update...hopefully I won't take another week to write about what is going on. I am hoping to have some positive posts about running - but I guess that means I'm going to need to run huh? Well as I stated above I did run (ish) on Monday even though my foot pod battery was TOTALLY dead so my pace was crap and I almost didn't go...I sucked it up and went, and it was hard and my shins hurt, and afterward my foot hurt but of course I am happy I did it and will do it again - and again cause there's only like 31 days until the River Run, I've talked Stephanie into running it and Taylor is going to run also so I need to step it up so I can represent!

I'm saying it here and now - I want to ...no I PLAN to finish the River Run in under 2 hours which means I have to keep up at least a 12:45 pace per min mile...heck I can do that in my sleep LMAO!!!!

Wednesday Weigh In

Ok so it is Wednesday and that means weighing in for the competition we have here amongst several co-workers. 
What's at stake? Well 
1. there is the great feeling of knowing any hard work you've put in the past week has paid off favorably - of course there is also the possibility that the hard work was negated by a weekend filled with pizza and wings - but hey we are all human.
2. there is the possibility that you will have to part with some $$ if you gained
3. most importantly there is the chance you will be the lucky parent to the Optimus Prime pinata for a whole week!!! 
Now looking at those who wouldn't want to push themselves the sheer exhaustion a few times a week to drop a few lbs AND have the pinata (not to mention bragging rights)!!

So as the time (9am) approached to weigh in I began thinking back to the past week...mostly smoothies for breakfast and sensible lunches and dinners, then there was the doughnut and cupcake celebration after the run on Saturday...would that be my undoing? Only one way to find out....

Of course I tried to make sure I wore the lightest clothing possible - wrap dress no excessive jewelery LOL...I practiced positive thinking because let's just face it that scale in my bathroom is about as useful as snow tires here in FL. 

The verdict? I'm down 2 pounds !!! That's 1.15% w00t!! Don't know if that is enough to win Optimus, but I don't care, I didn't have to part with any money so it's all good to me! I knew I'd lost some, I can feel it in my clothes...the hard part about this will be continually dropping. Hopefully with the small changes I've made in my diet and the varying workouts I've been doing I'll be able to keep this up. I have a spreadsheet showing that if I can consistently lose 2 pounds throughout the competition I'll be down to ~148 or ~25 pounds lighter than I am now. 

Another motivator is that I have 5 weeks until the River Run and if I can lose 2 pounds every week until then I'll  be down 10 pounds which will be my lightest running weight. That would be a wonderful feeling and I know will help my little legs run that much faster - it is a dream :) 

 

Monday Morning Reflections....

Well it is Monday, looking back to last week and the weekend I have to say I have put it quite a bit of work, its a good start! I didn't run as much as I should have, still need to work on that. But I didn't do a terrible job at the 5 mile run this weekend...a little over an hour, not too terrible but I am capable of doing better. I did too much walking, gotta think that if I'd been doing more running that wouldn't have happened :) 

Its all good though, I see where I am and where I need to be to get a decent River Run time (less than 2 hours). The neighbors down the street invited me and Jason to their Thursday night training runs which is over the bridges which will be a HUGE help. The Acosta is TOUGH and even though that isn't on the River Run route I will feel like I've made a huge accomplishment if I can run all the way up that puppy. 

So here's a pic of me and Tay coming to the finish line at the run Saturday. She's such a little trooper, had a toenail digging into one of her toes but she kept on going!

So the plan for this week is to make sure to get more running time in, Monday and Wednesday and hopefully we'll be able to make the group run on Thursday and the other days will be at the gym days. Let's see how that goes!

 

Musta Lost My Mind For a Minute....

For some reason yesterday I was feeling exceptionally energetic...maybe it was the super hot and sour soup I had for lunch (I was SWEATING while I was eating it...but I couldn't stop!)..maybe I'm just getting better sleep but for whatever reason I decided yesterday not to just double up classes but to TRIPLE UP...yes three classes...I know...insane LOL

 So first TRX - yes I felt the need to be tortured - er challenged again, and I am really glad I did because I able to get into this position and stay in it long enough to do one set of leg exercises...it is a LOT harder than it looks, I have to keep in mind that I am working against my own body weight when using this wonderful device and I'm not 120 lbs- because I'm not 17...

That was a huge improvement just from Tuesday because that class I couldn't even hold myself up much less do the legwork


So I made it through those 30 minutes, and it was really a great class there were only two of us in there so I wasn't able to slack off because Noha was able to make sure I was doing my sets. 


Next was Zumba..I.LOVE.ZUMBA...I mean no I can't dance, and trying to follow the instructors moves was like watching a hippo lean how to do ballet, but I laughed (and sweat) and had a blast (and sweat) and I burned a ton of calories doing it and afterward I wasn't tired so I decided to stay for boot camp. Heck why not only another hour of fun :) 


According to my heart rate monitor I burned more than 1200 calories, I don't know exactly what it was because like the goof I am, I forgot to turn it on when we first started TRX class. I do think I burned more calories in Zumba than I did in boot camp, but I have to keep in mind that in boot camp we do take our heart rate down when we are lifting weights and doing ab work. 


So today is Friday and it is my much needed rest day, my arms are sore but not even as sore as they were yesterday and I thought they would be much worse but I'm able to move them around without too much pain. 


Tomorrow is the 5 mile run for Wolfson Children's hopsital and hopefully my cousins Kevin and his wife Stephanie will be running with me, Jason and Taylor..I'm really looking forward to it since I haven't really run this year. Its going to be a boo-ty kicker going over two bridges and on the riverwalk, but we should have some nice scenery and I really think it will be a lot of fun. 

TRX!!!

Well I had a most interesting session at the gym last night...decided to try the TRX Training class, I'd seen the people doing it before and said 'oh that looks challenging, maybe I'll give it a go'. So I race my way there yesterday since class is at 5:30, get prepared, let the trainer know I'm a first timer then...OMG!!!! Who knew two dangling straps could work my body like that?? I mean yeah it is your own body weight that you are working against but I guess I didn't realize how much tougher that makes it WOW! 

So this morning I am feeling it a bit, my arms are a bit tired and I can feel my biceps and triceps which is a really good thing. The hardest part of the workout (and it was only 30 mins so it was pretty much go, go, go without a break) was being suspended by me feet only and doing the leg exercises. Imagine your feet in a swing on the playground, you are facing the ground supporting yourself with only your arms. That's hard enough but add in the leg exercises and you REALLY feel it.  

After TRX I stayed for yoga, my mind was like hey we can do this, my body was like...you are on your own sucka!!! I was sooo off balance, and felt weak so I was not happy with my performance..but I made it through so I'll chalk it up a a small victory.

Today starts our weight loss challenge at work, I'm excited about it, but at the same time of course stressing because my weight seems to hover around these same 2-3 pounds. I know I HAVE to pay closer attention to my diet, but I DON'T WANNA LOL....then again there is a big fat cash payout to the person that loses the most so I gotta keep that bit of motivation in mind. 

So today's starting weight is (I can't believe I am posting this) is 171.5 (174 with clothes on) I'll post a before pic later and every Wednesday will update my weight and pic. The contest  is going on until April 28th - 13 weeks so hopefully I can look back at the pictures and see my transformation. My goal is to lose 20 pounds in that time, which is 1.5 pounds a week and doable. Of course I'd be happy to lose more than that but that is the goal I will strive for. 

Also I've still got a few runs to get through: 5 miler this weekend and a little thing called a 15k River Run creeping up on me - 1 month and 2 weeks to go for that one!

What's Next for This Crazy Chickie....

Well it is time to get in gear for the Gate River Run (ok I should have been in gear but hey I'm working on it!) I proved to myself that I could run not one, not two but THREE half marathons in 3 months, and I even managed to do one of them in under 3 hours (whoohoo) - not to mention get my medal AT the finish line (ha)

So I figure heck I did that last year, and I've done the River Run before so let's see if I can do a better job of it this year. Last year it took me a snail-paced time of more than 2 hours - I KNOW I can do better than that! 

With the knowledge of the course and what it took to run (ok walk) over the Hart bridge I know what to look forward to. Of course my problem is not the course..its my lack of training thus far. I probably need to kick that in gear huh? Soooooo it looks like the drivers on San Jose and Beauclerc will once again be graced (or terrified HA) with the sight of me huffing and puffing my way through my training runs. 

I have a new view on my running abilities: I am running faster than the people sitting on the sofa...I think that is enough motivation to at least get me started...

Oh and if training for this run isn't enough, I decided to sign up for a weight loss challenge at work starting Wednesday January 27th. So I have 45 days to train while at the same time trying to lose or at least not gain any weight for 12 weeks - no pressure right :)