W21: D1 (100th post!!)

Yay for Ashley's intro!  Yay for this being the 100th post!  Yay for finishing a 5K today!!!

Pre-Race!



Post-Race

 Whew.  It was f-u-n!  A tough run for me...passing people was awesome, being passed not so much.  I really felt good running.  I feel like I maintained my pace throughout.  My personal goal was the same as Ashley's - between 28 and 30 minutes.  I really didn't know what to expect since I'm more of an "indoor wus runner"!  I do want to say first - Ashley, awesome job!!!  You had mentioned averaging 10 minute miles, so you beat your own typical time AND after an off week!!  I am thoroughly impressed.  You totally smoked your guess of an hour!  Ha, ha.

Well, my official chip time was 28:20.  I am very pleased.  I was 141st overall for the women, 448th overall for everyone, and 22nd in my age group.  I really thought I had a chance to place in the "Athena" division, but I guess I didn't?  They didn't announce the 1st-3rd place times, just the women's names, so I don't have anything to compare it to.  Regardless, I am happy with my first time out there and I do still have a goal for a better time on the next run.

Ashley, that Dam Bridge run sounds tough!  I have my next 6 weeks of training all "mapped out", but I checked to see if there were any other runs that I could do in the next couple weeks and nothing sparked my interest.  There is one on July 16th, but that is supposed to be my off day and I really want to do this training schedule.  I've already written it - IN PEN - on my calendar, so there's no point trying to change anything.  Ha, ha, ha.  I will just have to settle for waiting till August 13th's Tomato Fest Run to check my "new time".  I think I will set a goal of finishing in 27 minutes or less. 

Did I already mention the stakes on here?  Based on today's time we will both choose our own goal for a mid-August 5K.  (Have you found one yet, Ash?)  Whoever doesn't meet their goal will pay the other's registration fee for the Cotton Pickin' Festival 5K we are meeting at in September! 

Well, we had a really big fun-packed weekend over here and I am feeling the effects.  I do want to say, the run was really exciting.  I loved the change from my usual routine of running alone...running in a pack was cool!  I enjoyed hearing others breathing heavy (I am forever worried I breathe "weird"), I let out a little cheer at Mile 1, and it was super cool to see all those people at the finish line cheering for everyone.  I am looking forward to getting more of these races "under my belt".  A sweet friend of mine ran, too, and she actually placed first in her age group, 6th overall!!  I was so impressed and it was really motivating and encouraging for me to know she was there, running the same route I was on, and would be smiling at the finish line.  I think I will have to ask more people to come to the next one to cheer me on! 

Quick food note - I allowed myself to enjoy the birthday weekend, but I am still under my allotted points.  Yay! 

Have a great night!

xoxo

Happy HOLLAday!

Hey gang!

Audrey has dropped a couple of gentle, subtle hints asking if I've had any trouble logging onto the blog, have I checked my email, and so on, leading me to believe she wants me to get on with it already and post my introduction (haha). So, without further adieu...(ado? A dooo?)

Hi!

I'm Ashley, I'm a thirtysomething (actual numbers aren't necessary, right?), and I live in Little Rock, Arkansas with my awesome husband Cliff and my two awesome kids - Lucy who just turned 3 and Sadie who is rapidly approaching the big 5....months. As soon as I figure out how to post pictures of these two adorable munchkins, I will do so, but until then, take my word for it that these girls are cutie patooties. I'm an attorney and work in a little firm with my dad and two other lawyers. Keepin' it all in the family.

I have also recently taken up running again since having Sadie. I finished up the C25K program the week of my thirtysomething birthday in mid-June and still kind of find it hard to believe I can actually run more than a few feet all at once still. Seriously, if you have seen the program but haven't tried it, do. If I can get going on it, if Audrey can get going on it, then it works. Hands down. Here's the link:
http://http//www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

There are also several ipod apps to sync up your music to the interval cues. Very cool.

So Audrey and I have decided to embark on a little challenge this summer to keep each other motivated and tap into some of that friendly competiveness we both share. Today was ground zero for us - we both ran our first 5ks! Hers in Nashville and mine here in Little Rock. Gotta tell you a secret.

She smoked me.

I'm sure she'll post shortly, but she totally kicked my behind. I could blame taking a week off for a little injury or that damned hill at the very end, but in the end, she just outran me today, although I'm pleased with my starting time: 29:58, which put me thisclose to the outside limits of my goal for the day - to finish between 28 and 30 minutes. My pace was about a 9:40 mile. A little tight, but I made it. I finished 30th in my age division and 615 overall in the field (shoutout to my Nashville years?).

SO - to wrap up a rambling post - I've got some work to do, but I'm glad to know where I stand. I think our next checkpoint is sometime in mid-August (right Aud?), but I may run the "Big Dam Bridge Twilight 5k" next Saturday just to get another under my belt in between. It'll be a bear of a race - 7:30 at night (so hot hot hot) and across a bridge with a pretty steady incline up on both ends...and you run across it twice. Think I'm up for it?

Finally, as the wife of a Marine, I would be remiss in closing without wishing everyone a very, very happy and safe Fourth of July holiday! I hope you all enjoy celebrating our Independence Day, and remember freedom isn't free! (Neither are DUIs, so easy does it tonight, ok?)

Anyhoo - that's where I'm at! I'll leave it to the pro to wrap up her day!


Oh-and Audrey. You know I HAAATE losing...It's on like Donkey Kong! ;)
Ashley

NEW CHALLENGE!!

Remember that little running plan called the Couch to 5K program?  Well, the good friend who recommended it to me has stepped up to make July more exciting!  She promises to be a stronger competitor for me.  Haha!

Ashley and I will be in a friendly little competition on bettering our 5K times over the next 6 weeks.  We are both signed up to run in our first 5K on Monday, July 4th.  We will post our times and I will figure out a way to fairly come up with a goal for our next 5K run.  I am planning to do the East Nashville Tomato Fest 5K on August 13th, and I believe Ashley is still looking for one to do around then in her "neck of the woods" (Little Rock, AR).  We have been friends for many years and have always had a fun rapport, so the blog posts should be funny at the very least.  :)  We will document our training plans and how each workout goes (or doesn't)...you already know I will be quite blunt and honest about my struggles.  I feel confident in saying she will do the same!

We have found a mutual 5K to run together in Somerville, TN, in September, and the "loser" who doesn't meet their goal will be paying the registration fee for the "winner"!  I guess, if we both meet our goal, we'll have to figure out a different way of judging.  Possibly allow the audience to judge based on the 6 week struggles, obstacles, other accomplishments?  We'll cross that bridge when/if we come to it.

Ashley, I would ask you to tell a bit about yourself and your running history...and maybe clarify any points we have discussed about our challenge that I didn't mention?  Also, we totally need a catchy name!  I'll be thinking...you be thinking...we can also take suggestions.

Okay, all, good night!!

W20: D5 (July 1)

GOOOOD MORNING!!!  This will be super short for now because it is my big boy, Conner's, 5th birthday!!!!

This boy should be so much older than five at this point.  He has all the height of an older boy, the eye rolling of a teenager, and the smarts of his daddy!  (Ha, ha, ha)  He is a lot of fun and a lot of work, but I love that kid so much it hurts.  I am so excited for him to begin this next chapter in his (and my!) life...kindergarten doesn't know what they are in for!  This morning we (not me) are having cupcakes for breakfast and anxiously waiting for Conner to open his pogo stick present.  :)

This morning I weighed and managed to maintain over this past week.  I shouldn't be "happy" about this, but I totally am.  The run down for the Skinny Dippin' Rally is as follows:

Starting Weight (Audrey):  195.5
Mid-month Weight (Audrey):  191.5
End of the month Weight (Audrey):  188.5

TOTAL LOSS: 7 pounds

I haven't heard from my sister yet (it is awfully early), so I will ask her to post or I will post her results later.  I did not meet my goal, but I am still pleased.  After almost 20 weeks, I have lost 50 pounds.  This has me on track to meet my ultimate goal, which is why I am not discouraged.

I will definitely be posting later because I believe I will have some fun news about a July Challenge!!  It has not yet been named and the terms/goals have not been completely determined, but it will be a fitness challenge instead of a weight challenge.  Yay!!  I promise to stick to Weight Watchers perfectly for at least the next two weeks, but I am considering trying something different at some point.  It should be easier for me to just focus on the marathon training for the next several weeks...we'll see.  I am planning to just follow WW. 

Have a great day!

xoxo

W20: D4 (June 30)

Good morning!!

Final day of the Skinny Dippin' Rally!!  I honestly have NO idea how this will turn out...it's exciting for the "wrong" reasons.  :)  I expected this month to be full of witty banter between two sisters.  Back and forth taunting and bragging on the blog!  Teases of how much weight was lost!  Threats of fat pants being mailed to the other!  Pictures of the "Prize Sign" posted!

What a let down, right?  Sigh.  Sorry, folks!!  I think any future challenges will have to be with a more willing and available partner.  :)  Truthfully, Joann may have lost 20 pounds this month.  She may send me a picture tomorrow of a scale showing a great loss, but I really had hoped for more on the blog front.  Her telling us what she was doing for diet, struggles she met with her schedule, that kind of stuff...

Anyway, I am actually excited to weigh tomorrow morning.  This is not because I've had a good and easy week.  Opposite of that!  It has been a struggle.  Giving me numbers (points) rather than foods I should/shouldn't or can/can't eat has proven to be a lot different.  When I open the refrigerator and know I could eat anything in there, but I have to track it and check the points value...that is just flat intimidating to me!  Not to mention this week's strange obstacles and changes in my life.  Well, my Weight Watcher's point tally shows me at a -2 as of last night.  Yep, not only did I blow my flex points and my activity points, but I am even NEGATIVE for the week!  Crazy.  I will fix that today and plan to end even, but I don't know how that is going to translate at tomorrow's weigh in.  I have been doing a couple of things in addition to the diet that I think of as my "little tricks".  Hopefully to counteract the few indulgences I allowed myself the past couple of days. 

This week's challenges involved Vacation Bible School for the boys, a broken computer cord, and a new attitude being displayed by my 20 month old daughter.  Yeeeehaw.  The VBS was awesome.  The boys were excited from day one and they came home singing songs and talking about new friends.  We had the opportunity to go last night for a performance of their songs and a nice dinner with the other families involved.  We met some really nice people!  The only reason this was a "challenge" is the timing.  They were to arrive between 8:30 and 9:00 each morning.  This should be no problem for the family that wakes at 6:30, right?  Well, Zoe's new attitude comes into play...she has been "sleep training" (crying it out) and not going to sleep until 9:00 pm!  Then she sleeps in until at least 8:00.  Let me say this..."sleeping in" is supposed to be awesome.  Unfortunately, when only 25% are doing it, it is not a treat.  It becomes a nuisance. 

We will skip ahead to discuss this attitude problem.  Now, Zoe is my first girl AND she is the youngest of 4.  I don't know what I expected, but this is a whole new "terrible two's" for me!  She is very defiant and strong-willed and stubborn and LOUD.  The LOUD is the worst part, truly.  Even when she says "no" I can write it off as cute.  When she gets to screaming and yelling, particularly when it involves "MOMMA"...well, I can barely think let alone expect myself to stay out of the kitchen!  What is it about that stress that just makes me want to stuff my face?  The funny thing is how much I've trained my brain to still want to stay somewhat "healthy".  So, I just overeat fruit.  Ha, ha, ha.  Or, my biggest blunder of the week, peanut butter and honey sandwiches!  I know that is not healthy, but let's be honest it is kind of weak in the grand scheme of "junk food".  Now, you may be wondering how on earth those two things got me to my negative 2 score on Weight Watchers?  Well, I made a fruit salad and used some canned peaches and pineapple which DO have a point value on WW.  Peanut butter and honey have values, plus bread, bread, bread...so yummy. 

I'm rambling and getting distracted.  Well, I really just wanted to talk about my "little tricks"!  Very little, actually.  Number one is the old standby of drinking 100 ounces of water a day.  Every time I feel myself gravitating towards the kitchen or putting something extra in my mouth, I fill up my 20 ounce water cup and drink it.  All of it.  This has likely resulted in more than 100 ounces of water on a couple days, but I know I got at least that amount every day.  Number two is that I have stopped eating by 6:30 each night.  I read somewhere (sorry, should cite my source) that your body needs 12 hours of "fasting" in order to start burning fat overnight.  This does contradict some of my other diets which recommend (and even encourage) a late snack.  Either way, this week, I have made it a point to eat nothing beyond 6:30.  It's actually not hard for me to do that...night time is NOT my favorite snacking time.  The chaos of getting the kids in pajamas and to bed has been enough to keep me out of the kitchen and consequently crash as soon as the quiet settles over the house.  Number three is my "early breakfast" every day.  6:30 or 7:00 am, I have an apple and a cup of coffee.  I call this my own version of the Activia Challenge.  :)  Ha, ha.  It helps me to curb my appetite long enough to get the kids fed and dressed and allows me time to consider my breakfast options.  I love breakfast, and always have.  When you wake up as early as we do, it can be super easy to just get in the kitchen and eat, eat, eat.  Then, once the kids are up and ready to eat, it makes me want to eat again.  I think breakfast is not only important to eat, but it is also a good chance to set up your day right!  If you eat well in the morning, you may want to stay "good" all day.  Either way, it's been working for me!  Also, an apple a day keeps the doctor away, right?  Well...it's can't hurt!

So, a quick note about exercise.  I'm loving it.  I start the final week of Couch to 5K on Friday, even though I would not call yesterday's run a "success".  I think I got very overzealous and came out of the gate too strong.  I had mapped out a route around my friend's house who agreed to watch Zoe while I ran.  As I was running, I got SO hot and my legs were burning and I just kept thinking, I'm going to quit, I'm going to quit.  Now, these thoughts are nothing new, but I finally hit a wall and just couldn't keep going.  Just couldn't.  I was very angry with myself and managed to hold back the tears somehow.  I didn't complete the route, so when I got home I mapped out what I did complete and discovered I finished 2.34 miles in 23.5 minutes.  Conclusion: I was running too fast in the beginning.  For me to be able to walk about .4 mile and still average a 10 minute mile?  Outdoors?  Yeah...I need a pace car to follow me, apparently!  I am going to rest my sore legs today and get back to it tomorrow.  I will move on to Week 9 and begin my full 30 minute runs. 

I do want to share how God used my frustrations and turned it around quickly.  As I mentioned, I was very upset and mentally yelling at myself for quitting.  I tried to begin running again, but my legs had truly had it.  I got back to my friend's house and stretched on her porch while asking God what I was to learn from this, what had I done wrong?  Why had the other runs seemed to be going so well?  Just when I was feeling confident about Monday's 5K, I get hit with this?  WHY?  Well, my friend had already left for our Bible study group, so nobody was home and I assumed the door was locked.  Needless to say, I was pretty sweaty and gross...not exactly wanting to join my group looking like that!  I went into her backyard which is surrounded by a tall privacy fence and decided to change clothes back there.  As I looked around to find a spot that was hidden from any neighbors who may have been looking out their 2nd floor window, I found myself in the corner outside of her bedroom window.  As I changed tops, I had a vision of her husband being home and peeking out his window at a most inopportune moment!  Not wanting this to become a reality, once I changed my shirt, I decided to get in the backseat of my minivan for the pants changing.  If any of you has children and a mini-van, I am hoping you will understand this next part.  I moved the booster seat over and peeled off my pants...then I accidentally sat down.  On potato chips and stickers and sucker sticks and something unidentifiable!  EEEEWWWWW.  Yeah.  Sweaty butt and legs.  It was disgusting, but got me laughing!  Hard!  Then I finally get my pants on and try to open the door...only to remember I had put the childproof lock on, so the kids couldn't get out of the backseat without me opening the door for them.  Awesome. 

I hope this helped you laugh today!  It was a fantastic reminder yesterday to not be so overly confident with myself that I don't credit God for my running success, but also to realize He loves me and would rather see me laugh (even at my own expense!) than be sad.  It was a whirlwind of emotions.  :)

Have a great day!  I plan to, as well.

xoxo

W20: D1 (June 27)

HEY!  The end of this week will be my halfway point!  How awesome is that???  I wish I had written down where I hoped to be at this point when I first started...truthfully, I think I would have said I just hope I am still working on it!  I never would have predicted 50 pounds by now.  Seriously.  Never would have predicted the running going well, either, I'm sure!  Man...just thinking back is crazy.  What a different person I have become in a short 19 weeks.  I am here to tell you ALL that it can be done!  Whatever goal you hope to accomplish, you have to believe it.  You just have to!  Make it happen, because there is absolutely nothing holding you back other than yourself. 

I'm not going to allow myself to ramble right now...I'm sure I'll get sentimental on Sunday, and I will allow myself to go on and on at that point.  So - you've been warned!

Well, today has been a great day.  Yesterday was pretty darn good, too!  I signed the boys up for a VBS at St. Paul Community Church that runs Monday through Thursday of this week, so I dropped them off there this morning.  Zoe and I went to the Maryland Farms YMCA.  I had been told over the phone I could drop her in the "YPlay" and then run the 5K route outdoors...turns out that information was incorrect.  You are allowed to run in the parking lot, if you want, but they have no distances measured.  They have an indoor track around a tennis court, but you have to run 14 laps to equal a mile and I was looking to do at least 3 miles today!  So, to keep myself from getting dizzy, I went to the Cardio Theater room and got on the dreaded treadmill.  They were showing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles today.  Yes, seriously.  5 minute warm up walk, 28 minute run...all to the tune of Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo fighting crime.  Those brave turtles!  Eating pizza, too.  Well, I'm not going to say it was easy, but I did complete my 28 minutes of running and even completed the distance of 3.2 (over 5K!) miles!!  Yeeee-HAW.  It felt good.  When I was done.  Ha, ha!

Happy with Weight Watchers.  I blew all my "flex" points over the weekend, and I am totally fine with that.  I allowed myself to have some fun and not obsess and just made sure to keep track of ev-er-y-thing.  I get extra points when I track my exercise, too, but I am trying to ignore those extras during the week.  The weekends are harder (I'm sure lots of people find this to be true) because we are all home and trying to relax and that is when the need to snack comes in to play.  Plus, I usually do all my grocery shopping over the weekend and having a full fridge and pantry just seems to make me hungrier!  Luckily, my husband is still being extra-supportive, so I feel like he's always watching me whenever I am in the kitchen...it works. 

Well, that's all I have for today.  I haven't heard from my sister in a while, but I will be ON her about texting me a picture of the scale Friday!  She and my parents will be here this weekend (Conner is turning 5 Friday!), so at the latest I will make her get on mine Saturday, but I'm sure she will comply with getting up there Friday.  This month has flown by!  I really hope I am at my goal of 10 pounds....I have put the scale up so I am not tempted to peek this week. 

Have a great rest of the day!

xoxo

W19: D6 (June 25)

Hello!  I am sitting outside enjoying the sun while the kiddos play, figured I could give a quick update.

Not much really to tell, truthfully.  I really enjoy the Weight Watcher's plan.  I like the online service being so easy to use and the points being already tallied for almost everything I eat.  I was having an issue with using up my points, but that hasn't been a problem yesterday and today.  Ha, ha.  I have decided Friday's will be perfect for my "splurge" days since I weigh that morning...it also was nice last night to eat hot dogs with the kids at the church's screening of Veggie Tales. 

Today was a new stage in my workout routine!!  I intended to start my Week 8 workouts (three 28 minute runs) by heading out to the 5K route Shaun and I will be running on the 4th of July.  However, on my way there, I turned into Percy Warner park instead.  A friend of mine has been running the Harpeth Woods trail for a couple (few?) weeks now, and I figured I could give that a shot.  Wow.  Whoa.  The trail is 2.5 miles with a "moderate" rating.  I decided to walk down to the sign as my 5 minute warm up, then turn around and run the loop during my 28 minutes of music.  I didn't have anything else to use as a "tracker" for time or distance beyond just completing one or the other...I prayed continuously that I would reach the end before the music ended.  As I ran through the relatively flat parts, I felt good.  A few limbs to hurdle and some rocks to jump over...way more entertaining of a run than my usual flat track!  Then I hit the uphill.  The most ridiculous incline I have ever attempted.  In the woods.  Trees in the way.  Up, up, up.  I thought it would never end.  I started getting nervous about my time!  What if I finish my music before the loop ends??  What if I lose sight of the blue marks on the trees??  Aaaahhhh!!  :)  Well, then I got some more flat terrain.  Flatter, anyways.  I got back to my usual pace.  It felt good, I started feeling a little more optimistic.  A few more inclines and then the beautiful downhill.  I was flying!  It felt so good and freeing (and maybe a little scary) and I just kept praying for the music not to end.  Would you believe I saw the final step down at my starting point sign and the music ended when I turned in front of it!!!  Perfect timing.  I am quite proud of a 28 minute trail run with an average of just over an 11 minute mile.  VERY pleased.  I truly owe it to God's grace...He was there for every step.  Pushing me forward when I really didn't think I could do it.  Giving me sweet breezes when I started to get overheated. 

After my nature wake up, I headed to the grocery store with one of my twins.  We had just a few more things to get at Harris Teeter (Super Doubles Week!), but it somehow ended up taking me an hour and a half!  Whew.  By the time we got home and put those groceries away, we had to leave yet again for a birthday party.  The sky was kind of dark, but I packed everyone's swimsuits just in case...the party was in the clubhouse of an apartment community and the pool is right outside.  I knew the kids would see it, and if the sky was clear, we would be swimming.  Sure enough, when I thought I was in the clear - somebody looked outside and noticed the pool.  I couldn't say "no"!!  We swam for about an hour, then began the fight to get the kids to leave.  We always have such a great time going places and playing, but leaving any activity is SUCH a struggle!  No matter how long we have been somewhere, how much fun we have had there, how many bribing "treats" we use...there is always some yelling, some tears, and major frustration involved.  Anyway, we eventually got home and enjoyed a good 3 hours of quiet time. 

My plan for this week is to do the three 28 minute runs on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.  I have decided today's run can't count because it wasn't 28 straight minutes of running.  On Monday and Wednesday, the boys will be going to a VBS at St. Paul Community Church, so I will probably take Zoe to the Y and run there.  I found out I can do our 5K route at the Maryland Farms Y while the kids are in the daycare.  Awesome.

I have been sharing the word about my blog quite a bit lately...I guess 50 pounds is pretty noticeable.  :)  I want to welcome anybody who has recently begun reading!!  Thank you for visiting the blog, please click "follow"!  You can do it either anonymously or by using a name of your choosing.  I would love to see that number get higher...it truly does help my motivation.  The accountability here is what keeps me going.  I am sort of thinking it is what keeps my sister, Jo, away??

Where are you, Jo Bean???  You did so great during the first half of the month and I want to hear about this second half!!

Okay, time to make dinner.

xoxo