Thanksgivng

With Thanksgiving coming up soon, I've been reflecting a lot.

So many of my friends have lost someone, human or animal, that they are so close to this year. It's heartbreaking. It made me realize that this will be our second Thanksgiving without my mom. That...makes me very, very sad.

It seems that during all of the holidays last year, all of the "first without mom", my attitude was "You just have to get through today".  This year, especially with Mother's Day, it was "Well, I don't have any Grandmothers or even a mom to send a card to or even call!". The other holidays as a whole, weren't too difficult for me.

When I was sewing a costume for my oldest, I had a couple of tough days because sewing was TOTALLY my mom's thing. I could actually hear her voice advising me on a better way to do things. Hearing her voice was tough, as it just made me miss her more.

My youngest wanted to do a Thanksgiving Tree like we did a couple of years ago, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. Probably because it was one of the last things I remember showing to my mother.

I'm considering putting it up for the day, making leaves & having everyone write 4 things their thankful for this year. This way she still gets to do the tree, but I don't have to look at it for a month. Then next year we can return to the daily adding of the leaves. 

This was also the year I showed the kids how to make hand turkeys. It wasn't the prettiest of trees but it was more important to the kids than I had realized.
The oldest one has her hand turkey from this picture hanging on her bedroom door.


I have much to be thankful for.

Here goes my list in no particular order. It won't be as long as a novel, but it may be lengthy.

I'm thankful:

I married an amazing man that is such a wonderful father & is so very supportive of me. One who understands my struggles & knows when I need that extra "push" or that extra "hug".

For two smart, sassy, honest, loving & strong willed girls. They push my buttons. They support my efforts in health & they love me always...as I love them.

For that fact that my Dad is still on earth with us. Ultimately, he didn't just give up as I had feared he might after losing his wife of 48 years. I cherish him even more than I did before.

For my siblings. They may not always be physically close to me, but they are always in my heart.

For a couple of pretty fabulous sisters in law & an awesome brother in law. My spouse & siblings are fortunate to have you in their lives.

For my mother-in-law. I know she loves me & always has my back...even if it's from 1500 or so miles away.

For Weight Watchers & my leaders Gail & Sue. They gave me some tools. These tools I use daily on this journey I started. Sometimes it was a talk, sometimes a bravo star & sometimes it was just a hug. It was always just what I needed.

For a local gym with a monthly meeting with a trainer included. My trainers Kelly & Brad are fabulous. Their workouts challenge me, without being impossible. I know with their guidance I'll to get to a healthy BMI, weight & body fat percentage eventually.

For my friends that do these fun runs with me. Holly, Twyla & Kelsie,  I haven't forgotten you guys telling me to go ahead & go at my own pace when I was getting ahead of you because I was in a rhythm. I also didn't forget that you didn't leave me in the dust when you easily could have. It made the Color Run more fun for me & it forced me to push myself. You guys are awesome!  

For the usual things, like having a home, food on the table, clothes on my back & a van to drive. These are things I was reminded that I take for granted when that tornado hit Washington, Illinois.

That my Aunt Lora & my cousins Sarah & Erin were spared & were safe during that same tornado. I'm not super close to them, but they are still family, no matter what.

For Aunt Beth & Lisa, you two have ALWAYS been amazing to me for as long as I can remember. Thank you.

For my ladies on the LC board. I've been "talking" to them for nearly 12 years now but I've only met three of them. We as a board have shared so much with each other & we're always there for each other. It's hard to explain to someone that isn't involved with the board, but it's such a special group of women that I've grown to care about deeply over the years. I'm thankful each & every one of them.

For my two 14 year old sister cats. They came into our family shortly after my 21 year old Adagio left this earth. They needed a new family & we had the space in our home & our hearts for them.

There are plenty more, but these are the ones I've chosen to list this year.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday & remember to keep those that are less fortunate than you in your thoughts (& prayers).

Have a blessed Thanksgiving




 

Who I Run 4

I've been waiting to be matched with a special needs child & on Halloween night as I was finishing up trick or treating with my kids & friends, I got the e-mail I'd been waiting on. I had FINALLY been matched!

I don't have permission to share details here, just know that I'm excited & that I can hardly wait to get to know this precious child & her family. I'm PROUD to be running for her!

I  posted this picture on the I RUN 4 Facebook page & was shocked by the positive response I received. 

I'm aware the form on my plank probably sucks. When I tried to do them in may 2013., I couldn't hold a plank position at all! As I continue to get stronger, my hope is that my form will improve as well. I AM holding up the weight of 2 adults after all!

Imagine my surprise when the fonder of I Run 4 asked if he could use the picture of my workout in his first promotional video!?!?! I was both surprised & honored that he asked. Even if my picture had not been included, I'd still be including the link to this wonderful organization on my page. 

WHY do I do this? Watch the video & see. We dedicate our workouts & runs to our matches. We run & workout for those that cannot. We do it for those that are struggling...in some cases just ...to survive. In return, they push us & inspire us to work more often, to work harder & not to take our abilities for granted.

If you have a special needs child or special needs adult that you think could benefit from a buddy...then check it out. If you're interested in becoming a runner for a child, then check it out.

http://animoto.com/play/Tt16E5zANPMo5oiWh15N2Q

 

Join the most inspiring group on facebook @ www.whoirun4.com and www.facebook.com/groups/irunformichael

I'm back!!!!

I've been having major computer issues the past few weeks, but just because I've been absent from my blog, doesn't mean I've been absent from my workouts!

In the past couple of weeks I've had a MAJOR personal breakthrough as far as fitness goes.

I actually JOGGED THREE HILLS for the first time EVER!

I was on a fast walk when I turned a corner & saw a hill that I previously had to walk up slowly & zig-zag up it to reach the top...being completely winded when I got there.

This day I jogged up & down the first hill, only stopping to take these 2 pictures. On the third hill the GREEN dot was the starting point. The YELLOW & ORANGE dots were my 2 minute breath catching breaks & the PINK dot was the finishing point. I JOGGED it! It was HARD for me, but I did it!

I was very, very proud of myself because I didn't give up. I just deceided I was going to do it, so I did! 6 months ago I had looked at those hills & KNEW I wasn't in good enough shape to tackle them. This time I looked at them thought " I'm jogging up those, no matter how many times I have t stop & catch my breath dam it!"

I've gone to the gym 3 times per week & as of this post, I'm bumping it up to 4 times per week. 

What does 5 pounds of fat look like?

This is what 5 pounds of fat looks like, as well as 10 pounds, 15 pounds & 20 pounds. I don't remember WHO took this picture, but I do know WHERE I saw it. I saw this picture on a Facebook Weight Watchers group months ago.

 



Runnin4Rainbows Grand Opening Sale

 

 

Do you do fun runs like The Color Run, Color Me Rad, Run or Dye or The Graffitti Run? I know there are others out there that throw colored power at the runners but there are too many to list! If you do, you may want to check out my friends site Runnin4Rainbows! Right now she is having a grand opening sale that YOU can take advantage of !!!

 

 

 

Painting your own or team shirts can become a tedious & can be a real pain. I know as I've done it on a few occasions. Now...you don't have to put yourself through that if you want a custom shirt! 
Your custom shirt starts out being plain white & ends up colorful with your custom design emerging for all of the happy color covered runners to see! It happens as you progress through all of the different color stations.

She does shirts for adults & children! Go check out her page on Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/Runnin4Rainbows

As well as her Etsy page!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/Runnin4Rainbows?ref=ss_profile

She also has a blog!
http://runnin4rainbows.blogspot.com/You'll have a colorful reminder of your happy, color covered day!

You must order BEFORE November 1st, 2013 to take advantage of her Grand Opening Sale!
 

A new circuit, a new age & renewed attitude

Monday was my birthday. I celebrated the start of my 44th year by meeting up with my trainer for our monthly consultation. My usual trainer wasn't at work so I met with a young pup who served in Afghanistan. He said many of the same things my usual trainer said to me. Things like "Your body gives out before your mind gives up. You have great control & I love training clients like you. I can show you once, you do it & I don't have to remind you to breathe!"  He loves my gym for many of same reasons I do. The friendly, supportive staff  & the people working out in the gym give encouragement as well.

As far as my circuit goes, I got to keep the Bosu Ball & the box steps with a modification. He has me getting on & off of the Plyo Box from the back instead of from the sides...holding a 4 pound medicine ball. The rest he changed. I'm doing the Dorsi Flex machine at 30 pounds. It seems light but I won't up the weight until I can do the front, side dumb bell lifts with ease. Now I'm struggling with 5 pound weights on the last set. Planks & bench push ups are new for me & both are very, very difficult. I can plank for 5-10 seconds, but I can do the push ups on my knees...with difficulty. The final new exercise is the leg press machine at 80 pounds. he wanted me to do 40 pounds but I told him it was too light. He doubled it to 80 & it felt pretty good. It's still not really a challenge, but I didn't want to overdo it in combination with my box steps. I did the circuit twice today before Zumba for old people started. I did the Zumba class, even though it's hard on my ankles...which is why I do Zumba for old people, or as the gym calls it "Zumba Gold". After the class I finished my 3rd round on the circuit, followed up by 30 minutes on the recumbent bike, weight loss cycle, level 4.

Each of those 30 minutes on the bike were a struggle, but I pushed through & finished them. After all, how am I supposed to regain my health if I don't push myself?!! 

The end result of my workout was that I was sweaty, sore & had noodle legs for the next 30 minutes.

As for my first set of measurements goes...here are the results. 
                             Start          goal        October (month 1)
 Bust                     44               43           43

Waist                    58               56           57

Hips                      55               54           55

Thigh                    25.5            25           26

R. Arm                  14.25         13.75       14.5

L. Arm                  14.25         13.75       13.5

BF%                      49.8           25.6         49.9

Weight                  240.2         TBD         245 

I was a little disappointed with my progress but when I take into consideration that I was out of the gym for 2 weeks due to the Achilles & Vegas, in addition to my feeling sorry myself eating binge...I can't complain.

Today I went to the gym with a renewed attitude...basically I was going to kick my work outs ASS! I felt like I did that!

Vegas Baby!

Before I start this post, if you don't agree with taking kids to Las Vegas then don't bother to read this post. Negative comments in relation to kids in Vegas will NOT be posted...period!

That being said...here we go.

The hubby & I went to Las Vegas in August for an adults only get away. I believe our marriage NEEDS that once per year so we do our best to make sure that happens. We ended up receiving 2 nights COMPED at Mandalay Bay so the Mr. surprised our family with 3 nights at Mandalay Bay over the kids Fall Break from school. We've been wanting to take the kiddos here to play in the wave pool & lazy river & our 2 comped nights made it feasible for us to do so. We also play MyVegas on Facebook & scored some goodies that way as well.

The first night we took it easy. Just checked into our room & walked up to the Luxor to redeem our 3 free buffets that we scored by playing the MyVegas game on Facebook. In the past I would have literally stuffed myself. This time I didn't. I started with a lettuce salad, moved on to ONE meat entrée with a side of sautéed veggies & spinach as well as a bowl of butternut squash soup. I DID have ONE desert but not until AFTER I ate a bowl of mixed fruit...watermelon, cantaloupe & honeydew.

Then we walked to M &M's World & back to our room.

 

Red SAID he'd do anything for love in the commercial....LIAR!

 The following morning we headed to the wave pool & spent nearly FIVE hours there. We played in the waves, floated on the lazy river. I actually RAN in the lazy river for a few laps playing with kids by chasing them on their tubes. The Mr & kids got floating down the river before I did, so I chased them.  We had lunch at the poolside Beach Bar & Grill...splitting our entrees. It's a good thing we did because they were pretty good size portions! 


I took these pics from one of the bridges spanning the lazy river.



The last time I'll wear this suit





As far as not wearing this suit again it's not because of the way I think it looks or makes me feel. I think it looks great & it makes me feel the same way. it's because it's getting too big through the legs & bust area. It bums me out because I've come to LOVE this suit, but it becoming too big is problem I'm HAPPY to have!



After our poolside adventures we used the rest of our $100 food & beverage credit at the Bayside (?) Buffet at Mandalay Bay & then we walked down to the iconic Welcome to Las Vegas sign & back. Since I hadn't done any real walking since the shopping cart incendent, this was a good test for my Achilles. We went after dark...obviously, but we went about 7 pm. Surprisingly, the walk was fairly well lit the entire way on both sides of the street. I wouldn't recommend walking it at night after about 10 though, nor would I walk it alone. It's just my humble opinion. With the kids, it took us about 20 minutes in each direction to walk it.

 

             Yes, THIS iconic sign!

The following day it was overcast & drizzling so that nixed the pool. Instead we drove down to South Pointe with the intention of bowling, but they had leagues that weren't on the website & a 45 minute wait for the few available open bowling lanes. Instead we went to eat at Steak n' Shake. Then headed to The Shoppes at Mandalay Bay..specifically The Las Vegas Sock Market. After that we used our free tickets to Shark Reef that we scored playing MyVegas. Then it was off to begin walking the strip. We took our time stopping to take pictures with two Incredible Me Minions in front of Ballys, stopping at The Sugar Factory..Paris & not buying candy. Instead we bought Shwings!


Shwing-tastic!

 

 

We watched the Volcano eruption at The Mirage from across the street at The Venetian. Eventually we made it all the way up to The Wynn where we crossed the pedestrian walkway & began heading back to The Excalibur. We took in the end of the Sirens of TI show...we've seen it before. We cruised past the Mirage volcano & into America at New York New York for a very late dinner.



Pedestrian Bridge at The Wynn





 

By the time we returned to our room, we had logged 5 miles on our walk on the LV strip. Surprisingly, I wasn't sore the way I had feared the day after. The Mr & kids were in good shape as well.

I had thoughts about giving up in the week prior to this trip. I think it's normal to have those thoughts from time to time. This trip only proved to me that my work at the gym before the shopping cart incident has helped. When we went for the Fourth of July, I had rolled my ankle the day before we left. I walked part of the strip with the family but not nearly as far & I was walking with an ankle wrapped. In August with the Mr, the hubby & I walked a bit further but I was in agony. it was also BEFORE I joined the gym. This time I had a little pain, but nothing that required a wrap or even an ankle support. Also the bathing suit in the picture fit pretty well in July but now I'm retiring it for good. Again, it's due to my work at the gym.



A week of ups & downs

I called my trainer & talked to her after re-scheduling my appointment with her. I told her what happened & she said " The Achilles takes a long time to heal...even a bruised one. Stay off of it for at least a week. Don't come to the gym if you'll be tempted to do legwork because just walking could make it take longer to heal".

 

Ugh! Just what I DIDN'T want to hear. I've been on my butt as much as I could tolerate. I put off making cupcakes for my kids classroom parties for as long as I could because I knew I'd be standing for hours on end making them.

 

A few of the mini Smores cupcakes I made.

 

I was correct. 120 mini Smores cupcakes & 8 hours later, they were finished completely. I managed to only eat 2 to taste test them. They were a big hit with the kids, teachers & the parents. I also had volunteered BEFORE the shopping cart incident. So I went in with the kids & got an additional 3.5 hours of time in toward my yearly requirement of 14 hours. I'm only 2 hours short now of fulfilling that requirement. It always feels good to get it out of the way early.

 

 

As far as my leg goes, it's still sore but nothing like it has been. My friend recommended a natural product called Arnicare. I picked some up at Walgreen's & I do believe it's helped a bit. I've also been sleeping with my leg elevated & for the first 72 hours I was icing it as well. My ankle & top of my foot became a little discolored & swollen but didn't hurt at all. Surprisingly, my leg isn't very sore after standing on it all day Thursday & half of the day Friday. It's a little tender to the touch & my ankle hurts a bit, but it's much better than it was earlier in the week.

 

 

Arnicare, sweet Arnicare.

I was eating crap food more often than not this week. I've been comforting myself self with crap food & it must stop. It's that whole battle I've had for many years now with food. I've admitted it. I've come clean & now it's time to change it again.

Cheerios & Almond Milk

 It's time to return to better choices like Multigrain Cheerios with Almond Milk. It was actually pretty darn tasty!

 

You hurt your Achilles how?

I was injured during a shopping trip at JC Penny. I didn't fall, nor did anything fall on me. I was attacked by a shopping cart.

Ok, not exactly attacked. My 8 year old was pushing an empty shopping cart behind me while the hubby & oldest child were in front of me. I didn't stop or anything but I guess she wasn't paying attention & pushed the cart into the back of my leg. The pain was massive & instant. I didn't go down but I let out big, loud "Fffffffff", quickly closing my mouth to keep the "uck" from escaping. The tears were instant also, as was the hobbling. Never the less, I thought I could walk it off. Until a few minutes later there was a sharp pain & an "Ouch! Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow!" Followed by more extreme hobbling out of the store coupled with constant silent tears.

The hubby & kids went to the check out line while I continued to hobble my way to the front door. I had to stop at the front of the store to stretch, stop in front of the store to stretch & stop across the street to stretch before I could make it to the van. Countless people stopped asking if I needed help. I didn't. I was just in pain & very, very angry. No, not angry at my 8 year old. It was truly an accident after all. I was just ANGRY!

We went to Culver's for lunch & then went to Target because I wanted to snag a deeply discounted gym bag. My friend Twyla had told me they a bunch of workout equipment on clearance. We went & I didn't have much pain at all. This was my Target Haul!

Target Clearance Haul

We scored $118 of workout equipment & paraphernalia for a total of $38! I got a nice big PUMA gym bag, yoga capris, wrist sweat bands, Reebok lateral resistor, a Giam elastic double headband & an adjustable ankle brace.

 

We headed home with full bellies & our loot. Then we had to head out again for groceries. We were there for almost 2 hours & my leg was bugging me again, not to the point of needing to be stretched, but I HAD to get off of it. We got home & I went straight to bed, grabbing a pair of ice packs & a towel on my way there. I sat there watching the season premiere of Grey's Anatomy with my foot propped up on pillows, contemplating how I could still get to the gym for upper body work.

 

The 8 year old came in with a get well card she'd made for me & very tearful "I'm sorry". Again, as I had many times throughout the day, repeated that I wasn't mad at her because I knew it was an accident.  I KNOW it was. She curled up in bed with my propped up foot & I as we just talked about whatever she wanted to talk about. Then she brought up my foot. She told me she was worried that I had a major injury & she didn't want that because I was working so hard at losing weight. I had her feel  both of my Achilles, one has a bump you can feel but not see. The other is smooth as can be. Then she started crying...again. I was in "Mom Mode" & I told her I hope it isn't anything major either. No matter what, I wasn't going to give up & I'd get to the gym as soon as I could, even if I could only work on my arms for awhile. I told her we won't really know much of anything until I get up Monday morning & that I needed to stay in bed Sunday. I had to keep ice on my foot & keep my foot on pillows. Then we hugged & she went off to bed.

Isn't she lovely?

 

I'm hoping for the best because I REALLY don't like this sitting around crap.

Meanwhile, I'm trying to decide if I go ahead & meet up with my trainer tomorrow as scheduled & tell her what happened? Do I reschedule for next Monday & THEN tell what happened & stay out of the gym completely until then? I just don't think I'll know until Monday morning. One thing at a time...right? 

All I know that I'm a little bit down, I'm pissed off & I'm honestly...kind of worried.

 

The October 5K is definitely out. I'm hoping the Hot Chocolate Run in December isn't out as well because I've working toward this run for over a year now. I'm incredibly frustrated & disappointed at the moment!

 

 

 





Push it! push it REAL good!

I went to the gym today & did my circuit twice instead of three times. I was still feeling the Zumba class from Wednesday in my ankles while I was completing my box steps. I decided NOT to push my ankles. I don't want to regress in the recovery that I HAVE made since June 28th in that department.

Instead of pushing myself to injury...or RE-injury, I chose to drive to the local track & walk. My goal was just to walk one mile...for post workout recovery purposes. Once I got going, I was feeling good so one mile turned into two. Two miles turned into 3.14 miles. My cool down was .46 miles. 



Total Miles Walked Today 



I PUSHED myself to complete mile one(17.27) because I didn't feel like walking...I wanted to JOG some but my ankles won't allow it yet. Mile two I PUSHED myself to go faster (17.18). Mile 3 I pushed myself to keep up the pace (17.48) so I could do a separate Run Keeper entry for my cool down (22). I was TRYING to achieve a negative split on two of the three miles. It didn't happen, but it WILL eventually!

During my cool down it occurred to me that in August of 2012, I was PUSHING myself HARD to walk a 22 minute mile. Now that 22 minute mile pace was a cool down pace for me!

 In October 2012 I was literally doing the happy dance when I made a 17 minute mile while walking the strip on vacation!

October 7th, 2012 PR 17 minute mile

Yes, I literally stopped right there on the strip in front of Fashion Show Mall, took the picture, posted it on Facebook & did a happy dance while shouting YES! YES! YES! I didn't care what anyone thought of me either.

Today I AVERAGED 17 minute miles & change AFTER my workout AND not having been able to walk much this summer. I'm NOT happy with that, but I'm not truly disappointed either. How COULD I be disappointed when I look back over the past year?!?! It was all because I keep  pushing myself & I refuse to give up on myself.

I'm so very fortunate to be surrounded with supportive family & friends...friends both in the flesh & via Facebook. I'm grateful for their kind & encouraging words every single day. I don't think I could have come this far without them.

Please never under estimate the power of encouragement from your family & friends. If you have them, use them. It could mean the difference between success & failure. If you fail one day, DON'T give up. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, draw from your support base & keep on going!



Do you do colorful 5ks?

Do you do some of those crazy colorful 5Ks...like the one I did in Tucson recently?

If you do & want a unique shirt, check out my buddies new site.

It is Runnin4Rainbows! Her shirts are white, with white decals that can be seen after you get covered with color!

                   Here is an example of her work!

 

 

Runnin4Rainbows

As you can see, the white decals really POP after you're bathed in a rainbow of colored powder!

 

No, she's not affiliated with any 5ks, this is just an example of her shirts that she wore with her sister this year.

You can check her out on her Facebook page:

https://facebook.com/Runnin4Rainbows

Her etsy page

http://www.etsy.com/shop/Runnin4Rainbows?ref=shop_sugg#

 

As well as her blog!

 

http://runnin4rainbows.blogspot.com/

 

I have yet to order a white decal shirt from her, as she just started this business but I CAN say that she did neon decals for our Color Run in January. I've worn that shirt many times since & the decals have worn well. These are some pictures of the shirt (for me) & hoodies for the rest of our team, that she did for our run in January.

 

 Across the lower back area

 Down the arm

 On the lower left front

 Before the run

 during the run

After the run!

Go ahead & check out her site! You'll have a unique keepsake of your color filled experience!

!!! SUCCESS !!!

Today, I did NOT want to go to the gym. Not  At All, but I sucked it up & went. I made a yummy smoothie for breakfast of 7 strawberries, 1/2 cup of blueberries, 1/2 cup cantaloupe, 1 banana, one 5.3 ounce serving of  Yoplait vanilla Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup of almond milk & 1/2 of oats. Oats you say? Yes. Oats. I was looking for something to help keep me full longer, since I had decided to hit the gym AND attempt Zumba after my circuit.  Made my smoothie a bit thicker, which is fine with me, but I wasn't hungry for3 1/2 hours after drinking it...even after working out. I will definitely keep adding plain old fashioned oats to my smoothies from now on!

As far as my success on the circuit goes, I am STOKED & feeling STRONG! Not physically strong, because I'm not...yet. The gym was pretty busy this morning. It was busy enough that I couldn't perform my box steps in front of the machine with the bar. Since I KNEW I could do TWO complete sets without the bar, I did them not near ANY machine in the middle of the floor. I wasn't so confident about the third set & since the gym wasn't so busy, I put that metal devil in front of the machine with "The Bar". The first 5 steps were pretty easy. The second five were a little harder but the final five I had to fight for. I had to stick my arms out to my sides to pull those off, but I had just decided I was GOING to nail those final five box steps. When I finished I was like "Yes!" complete with the Rocky pose when he hits the tops of the steps.  A fellow gym member came up to me & said "I remember when you were struggling to finish ONE set of those! Now look, at, you!" Then the old man (he's about 65 & does 20 box JUMPS mind you) gave me a high five!

My gym is FILLED with these kind of people & I love this gym.

As far as the chest press, I'm not having as much success with that. I do think I found the right weight to complete all three sets without changing the weight. It's probably 35 pounds instead of 40. Friday, I'll do all three sets with 35 pounds & take it from there. Since I'm meeting with my trainer Monday morning, I'd like to be able to actually complete all three sets without changing the weight! Of course, I'll discuss it with her & explain that my shoulders feel like they will explode when I hit 10 reps...even on the first set when I attempt 40 pounds.

As for Zumba, I did the oldsters class today. Yes, I was the youngest as every other member was 65 or older. I was also the heaviest in the class. Was it challenging for me? It was pretty challenging, but the thing that was giving me fits was one ankle. I rolled them at the end of June & they are improving, but I didn't really expect Zumba to bother them. Now I know that when I take part in Zumba class, I need to wear my ankle support. It was the lateral motion that was getting to my ankle I think.

I dedicated my successes to my future match over on the FaceBook page "I Run for Michael" & the comments I've received there made me tear up. They were all good. Nothing negative. They really, really touched me.


 

Run Or Dye, the Gym & Body Sculpt Class

Since my last post, I took part in a Body Sculpt class at the gym. Let me just say it was H.A.R.D. !!! It kicked my butt! The hardest thing for me was putting both hands on an aerobic step, then taking one hand off the step & placing it on the floor & lowering myself, then putting that hand back on the step & doing the same thing with the other hand....over & over & over again. I have almost no upper body strength. I had PLANNED on doing my circuit after the class, but that just wasn't going to happen without injuring myself.

We did some work with aerobic steps, floor work on the yoga mats & work with handheld weights. Yes, I had "baby" weights of 1 pound each. oh well, at least I still did SOME weight!

I had fun & would love to go to that class again, but they moved it to 6 am. :-( It's sad because I get my kids out of bed at 6am to get ready for school. I'll just have to find a different class that instructor does & take part in it!

!!! Now it's time for Run Or Dye pictures !!!

Before & After

All of these pictures were taken Saturday.

I'll see YOU in the DYE zone!
 

Double Duck Face!



Virtual Running for the camera!



Lots of rainbow hair!



My hubby at the end of his first 5K!

Some of my friends called me Tinkerbell in this picture! LOL!



Blasted by COLOR! 

                     As you can probably tell, we had a fantastic time!

As for the gym this morning, I did my entire circuit 3 times. For the first time I was able to finish two complete sets of box steps WITHOUT using the dam bar to catch myself! WOO HOO! Box steps I'm putting you ON NOTICE! I WILL kick your metal ass & it will be soon!

I took it upon myself to up my reps on the BOSU ball from 15 to 17. I also upped my reps on the ball squats from 15 to 17. I didn't tell my trainer that but I'm pretty sure when we meet toward the end of this month, she'll do the same thing anyway.

On the Chest press I'm still struggling to do all of the reps without lowering the weight from 40 to 20. The maximum she has that machine set for on the card is 55 pounds.  

On the Seated Row, I upped the weight from 60 to 62 pounds & kept the reps the same. She has the maximum at 75 pounds for that machine.

I know I'll get there, it will just take time. I'm not in my Twenties anymore so everything will take longer. The trick is to listen to my body & push myself, but not push myself to the point of injury.





 

Sunday Workout, Saturday Stretch Class & Yoga Equipment

Saturday I went to my first ever class at the gym I joined. It was a Deep Stretch Class. I learned a few things but mainly that I'm not as flexible as I thought I was. I couldn't even get my thighs to stretch out & using the yoga block didn't help. It DID help with many other stretches so I just invested $10 in a pair of them.

 According to the Spark People website, September is National Yoga Month. Here is the link to that article.

 http://sparkpeople.com/blog/blog.asp?post=national_yoga_month_lets_celebrate
 I own Yoga blocks, a Yoga mat & a Yoga strap. It's time I learn how to use them!



Anything that will help me avoid injury I'm all for.

Sunday I worked out at the gym because I need this Friday to be a rest day instead of a workout day. I went even though I was still sore from the Deep Stretch class Saturday. I was sore enough that I could only complete my circuit twice instead of the three times I'm supposed to. I figure that since my body was screaming at me to stop, I'd better listen to my body...no matter how much I wanted to complete the circuit three times.


The lovely pictures were taken using the 10 second timer on my phone. I took them to use a comparison further down the road on this journey I'm on. For the record, one year & one month ago, these pants were skin tight down to the knees.

NSV for ME !!!!

For those of you who don't know what an NSV is, it is a Non-Scale Victory.

My day started today with "quality time" in the morning with my dear husband before the kids woke up. It puts a smile on his face...and mine.

Next, I went to a Deep Stretch class at the gym I'm a member of for the first time. It is billed as a cross between stretching & yoga. I thought I'd give it a shot, especially since my right hip is still bugging me. Some of, well many actually, of those stretches were difficult for me. Mainly because my fat was getting in the way big time! I was in the front so I could see the instructor easily & assess the position & figure out how I was going to get there. I figured out a modification that worked for each time I needed to with the exception of once. She did have to tell me how to use the yoga block on a few of the positions that I had to modify, but it's okay. I'd never used a yoga lock before!

The thigh stretch she had the class do did not work for me at all. When she had me try to sit back on my calves & lean backward, it put too much pressure on the tops of my feet. She showed me an alternative stretch to do on my belly. I just did it on my living room floor a few minutes ago, but my husband had to hand me my left foot in order to do the stretch. Once I was in it, it felt WONDERFUL! Again, it was mainly the fat that got in my way. I figure that if I just keep doing these stretches daily, they will get easier. I will also become more flexible & less prone to injury...right?

The old me would have gotten extremely frustrated, had of felt judged & just wouldn't return to the class. The current new & improved me is planning on returning to the class in 2 weeks. I have plans next Saturday & won't be able to attend. 

In this gym, I have yet to feel judged by anyone. Everyone has been so kind & friendly. The Mr. said I don't feel judged because of my own attitude. Also it's because people are there to workout & improve themselves. It's an actual gym instead of a meat market.

Again, I am SOOOO happy I made the switch from paying for WW to paying for a gym. I honestly believe in my heart that it was the right move at the right time for me.

As for the NSV, I was able to wear size XL shirts today at Old Navy! In January of 2013, I couldn't even THINK of shopping at ON. It was Wal-Mart, K-mart or Lane Bryant...or the thrift store mainly. ON didn't have clothes to fit me!

In April? 2013, I was thrilled because I was able to wear a XXL sized shirt from OL! In May I scored a XXL ON loose fitting tank , XL sports bras & XL yoga capris!

Today I was swimming in many XXL ON shirts & came home with snug XL ON shirts, as well as another pair of XL ON yoga capris & some ON compression footies.  As a bonus, I got the capris at 50% with an e-mail coupon! The rest was all on clearance! WOO HOO!

I Run 4

A couple of days ago I was informed about a group called  I Run 4. It pairs up runners, or people like me, with people who cannot run. My FB friend Stacey Becker "told" me about it & I signed up.

I figure any motivation I can get is good, because there have been many, many days that I've been frustrated & wanted to quit. I just simply refused to do so. The only way I can relate to these people is that I was unable to run, due to the condition I let myself decline into. The person I Run 4 matches me up with wasn't given the choice not to be able to run.  They just can not run due to conditions beyond their control!

I know that I probably won't be matched up by the time we do our 5K as a family in Tucson. It's ok. I'll probably be matched up by the time I do the Hot Chocolate Run in December. Until then, I post to "My Future Match" on the Facebook page they have created. It is encouraged to do so. 

If my simple message makes a difference in my matches day, then it was time well spent.

To find out more information or to take part, here is the link to their website.http://www.whoirun4.com/

Check it out!

First Day Back

First day back at the GYM! Let me say that I was a little nervous when I gave up paying for Weight Watchers on my one year anniversary of joining. I am certain that it was the best choice for me. The weekly weigh-in's were beginning to stress me out & I was obsessed with the scale. Sometimes I'd weigh myself two or three times per day. It wasn't healthy. I'm still following the plan, I'm just no longer paying for it.

I chose 24/7 Fitness as my gym. My monthly dues include a monthly meeting with a trainer as well as nutritional consultation(s). I went today after not being able to go for a week due to balance issues & ringing in the ears. It just isn't safe to do box steps while dizzy! It felt SOOOO good to workout today, even though I could only manage 1.5 minutes on the elliptical today after working out. I DID do 15/15, 12/12 & 10/10 on my box steps & my legs never completely gave out this time.  The compound row, Bosu ball crunches & ball squats are going very well! I'm struggling a bit with the incline chest press but I got through the first set without any problems. The second set I had to switch for 40 to 20 pounds at press ten & the same thing at press seven on set number three.

 I know it will take time, but I'll get to where I need to be with hard work, sore muscles & lots of sweat. When the trainers see regulars they say hi. When they see anyone doing an exercise wrong or using a machine incorrectly, they stop what they are doing & correct the gym member. So far, I haven't needed correction!

When I joined the Gym on 8/28/2013 my measurements were as follows.

Bust----------44                        Goal 43
Waist---------58                       Goal 56 
Hips----------55                       Goal  54
Thigh--------25.5                     Goal 25
R. Arm------14.25                   Goal 13.75
L. Arm------14.25                   Goal  13.75
Body Fat----49.8%                  Final Goal 25.6%
Weight------240.2 pounds       TBD

She wants me to aim for less than 12 grams of sugar per meal/snack.  Also less than 12 grams of saturated fat per day. Of course switch from simple (enriched) carbs to complex (whole wheat & whole grain) carbs instead. We are focused on building muscle & reducing body fat. I've been doing SOME of that on Weight Watchers, but I had a few questions that she was able to answer for me. 
She also said that I am the only  person she's seen smiling while working out. She said that she can tell I'm really working, but I'm still smiling! I told her I was happy to be there working out. I was & I still am.

Forgive the HUGE picture of myself at the top, I'm new to this blogging thing & I have to figure out how to fix it!

I began THIS leg of my final journey to regain my health in January of 2012. I had started walking & paying attention to portion sizes shortly before my mom passed away. After she passed, I had to focus on dealing with my grief & helping my two elementary aged girls with their grief. It took all I had to be able to do that.  Needless to say, my journey got put on hold.

Last year when they started school, I started Weight Watchers. I spent a year going to meetings, even when I was on vacation I'd face the scale & weigh in at a meeting. I walk like I'd normally do before the family woke up...even on vacation & track my food. For my efforts I lost a grand total of 23 pounds. After that year was up just last month, I traded the cost of Weight Watchers for a gym membership that included monthly consultations with a trainer. I'm still following the WW plan, just on my own.

Some would say that since I started with a total of 125 pounds to lose, that Weight Watchers was a failure. I don't see it that way at all. Those 23 pounds are gone for good. It was nearly 10% of my body weight!  I learned tools to help me on this journey & I can do things I haven't been able to do in YEARS!

For example, In August 2012 I could not walk 3 miles without being exhausted for a day or two after. I also couldn't jog 10 seconds without being winded for 5-10 minutes after my jog. Now I can walk 3 miles easily, I've done five 5K's, in addition to a virtual 5K & a 1.23 mile fun run at my kids school. I can jog up to 10 minutes now in one minute walk/jog intervals AND I can even jump off the ground & do a 180 degree turn. Yes, I let myself get THAT far out of shape. I couldn't even bend over at the waist & tie my own shoes without getting out of breath because my belly restricted my breathing when I did so. 

The group shot in this post does not have my child pictured. She belongs to a very good friend of mine.  These are just a few of the runs I've done. For me they have mostly been walks though.

The picture on the left was from my first "run", The Neon Splash Dash. The remainder from top to bottom were The Color Run, The Neon Run & The Firefly Run. The only run that wasn't what it was represented to be was The Neon Run. They worked with me & refunded one of my two entry fees.
Toward the end of the month I'll be doing Run or Dye with my family. I'm looking forward to it, as it will be my husbands first 5k & our first 5k as a family! 

I have plans in the works to take part in our state fairs 5K, providing the Mr. doesn't have the emergency pager. I also am also planning on taking part in The Hot Chocolate 5K as well as the Jingle Run my kids school is having the week after. I'm also planning on doing the Neon Splash dash again next Spring. There are SOOOO many I'd love to do, but I'm not made of $$$ so I have to be selective.