More wreaths

Here are some things I have been up to lately. The Wacky Witch wreath was created for my front door. And I just got started making up some Fabulous Fall creations. This one is gold with glittered leaves,berry, pumpkin and gourds. The plaid ribbon colors tie in all the all the great colors of the season. 

My Thoughts

This week has been a step in the right direction. I finally seem to have my head on straight ,with new goals mapped out I am looking forward to new things and reaching new milestones.

I have found myself missing being in group  situation to workout. My Wednesday night spin class does help with that some. Since the Biggest Loser's newest season just started up it makes me miss that kind of workout intensity pretty bad. I think I will look for more classes to include in my weekly workouts.

The biggest light bulb moment I had this week was realizing I have been eating with entitlement. For instance training for the triathlon all summer lead to me eating without as much caution. I didn't focus as much on my portions and calories because I was working hard at the pool,on the bike and running. I figured I was entitled to brownies and cookies more often than I normally would. With all my training I didn't really lose any weight, I did change shape in some area. I have lost a couple inches on some places but as far as the scale number it has been within the same 5 pounds all summer long. I have read alot that being able to maintain for awhile after losing a decent amount of weight is good for your body.  So maybe my body just needed that break too but Break time is OVER!

With the holidays fast approaching I must get this ball rolling now.I want that ball rolling downhill and see some payoff by time my birthday rolls around in January.  I am being more aware of what goes in my mouth. I am cracking down on night time eating again (Man, I  keep falling into that bad habit). Pushing water and pushing away bread (Again!). Loading up on veggies and trying hard to eat a protein filled breakfast everyday.

Also after doing some reading I am going to start limiting my running to 3-4 day max each week. The other days I will do spin class or work with weights and bootcamp exercises. I will do some running sprints on the track or running for a 10 minute warm up but running long distances will be saved for those running days each week.Oh I will continue doing the stair master too. My favorite new exercise.


I am trying to focus on other things other than the awful saggy skin that hangs and rubs on my arms. It is the biggest disappointment of my journey . When I run long distances it literally creates raw places so I run with my arms in such a way it makes my shoulders and back ache. I hate the skin, people notice it , clothes fit weird, and it is the one thing I seem to focus on in the mirror.  It's hard for me to see the forest for the trees . I know I have some muscle in my arms but I don't notice it due to the flag waving on the underside of each arm, with my right side hanging even more than the left just to add insult to injury. But because I lost my weight with good ol' fashion diet and exercise insurance will pay nothing to correct this saggy baggy skin issue. Only thing to do right now is distract myself from thinking about it , experiment with tuck tape and find a winning lottery ticket. I am joking, I think.

To wrap up on a good note Brian got a bicycle. It is a pretty nice road bike and he is going to be riding with me. This is also a exercise he can do that doesn't hurt his knee that he had operated in the Spring. We went on an almost 3 mile ride last night and had a really nice ride. It is good for me to be able to ask him which gear I should be in if I am in doubt. I already learn some things and look forward to more rides in the future. Maybe we could even do a bike race together , I bet he would beat me!

Lesson to Learn

This week a has been a bit of an off week for me. With the high of the triathlon behind me , with no training schedule popping up on my phone everyday I felt very out of sorts. I did go to the gym a few times. I went and introduced myself to the stair climber machine at the gym. I enjoyed it so much that I stuck it out a whole 30 minutes. Here is my stats after my first meeting with this machine 1891 steps with 126 flights of stairs.Woohoo!

I went to my usually Wednesday night spin class. The core group was there along with some new people. Really enjoy this class and look forward to it each week. But this week I didn't do any running at all. And  felt pretty guilty about it.

Toward the middle of the week our child who rarely gets in trouble became grounded for a few days. The next day she spent a good bit of time deep cleaning the kitchen. I had been gone and came home and didn't really notice her hard work. It wasn't till she mentioned it that it dawned on me it did look alot better. Now if I had come home to it a mess I would have noticed right away and not been happy at all. I did thank her and apologize for not noticing because that happens to me all the time. I know how disheartening it can be.

This applies to more than just the kitchen. This applies to my "off" week too. I didn't really give myself credit for what I did right this week. I did just do a triathlon on Sunday, I kicked tail on the stair master and spin class. I made good food choices and drank plenty of water. I only focused on what I didn't do. I need to remember to not only see the bad but praise the good in many situations.


So with the triathlon behind me I need to find me something else to work on. I spent some time  looking online and decided I wanted to do an 8k race. Right now I am thinking  my next event will be the Run Away from Domestic Violence 8k on October 22. Great cause and great motivation to work on my running. This might seem like a step down from a triathlon but it is something I haven't done yet and it will help me build up for the bigger events I am planning for 2012.

In other family news. The 5 school kids had great A-B progress reports. Yippee! Molly was honored to be asked to be a school ambassador at the National SGA conference coming up in October . We are pleased with how well she has stepped up to becoming a leader in middle school and doing so well on her school work. Logan is ROCKING Spanish and really loves it. Parker's teachers raved on his great behavior and manners. Macy has several play auditions coming up this fall, one of which is private invitation audition. Collin loves school and is soaking it up like a sponge. Hudson is going to school 2 days a week and loves being with his cousin Blaze and Phoenix. We are starting to settle into the new routine and looking forward to the months ahead.

I have been using some of my free time making wreaths. Here are the 2 I made this week. I have alot of ideas and supplies for more Halloween, Fall/Harvest and Christmas wreaths.

I did it!

If you would have told me 3 years ago I would be apart of a triathlon I would have busted out laughing. But yesterday I sprinted across the finish line of my very first one. I had a blast and really can't wait to do it again! Maybe that seems alittle crazy to immediately think that but it was the first thought I had.These were the thoughts running through my mind....Wow I did it!!!! Wow!!! It was so fun!! Man, it's already over?? I wonder when I can do another one?

Let's back up to getting there----

We left Birmingham a little after 10 with Mom and Dad in caravan behind us. Us being Brian,Logan,Macy and myself with my trusty bike on the back of Brian's car. With a stop for lunch and gas we made it into Knoxville, TN around 4 to pick up my race packet, just having my race number in hand started my excitement. It was off to the hotel to check in and we wasted no time checking out the location of the pool, the bike course and the run path. I really wanted to go see where all this would be happening. With the pool just 1 1/2 miles away and knowing I have not really exercised since Wednesday we decided to just walk over and check it out. Mom and Macy went along too. It was nice to stroll the campus and just get out and move after the long car ride. We made it to the pool area, we discussed the bike path but decided to come back and travel it by car later on the way to dinner. Time to head back to the hotel to cleaned up for dinner. On our way to the restaurant  we traveled the bike course by car , and there it was the 2 dreaded hills at the end. I knew this would be the hardest part of the race for me but I knew I had it in me to overcome.

The morning of-----

I actually went to sleep pretty easily before everyone else. I had not slept well the night before and I made sure to have no caffeine so that I was not wired. With a prime rib and baked potato filling (pre race treat) my belly coupled being tired from traveling I was off to dreamland . I woke up to Logan's school alarm going off on his phone and laid there a minute. I was excited to get up and get this day started so I made my way to the shower. I thought the others would get moving as I showered but when I returned they were all still nestled in their beds. With 30 minutes till our set leave time I got everyone up and hurried them along. We got to the race area and unloaded and set up.  Brian and I went over my bike making sure the air and gears were where I needed them. I had my things all laid out ready for a smooth transition. I was marked with my race number on my arms and my age on the back my right leg. My race anklet on my left leg and I was starting to get even more excited. I did get in the pool for some warm up. Brian and I discussed possibly doing a flip-turn lane change that I saw some other people practicing. I did a few laps and even practiced the flip-turn. I could do it but it did take more thought and breath. I decided to just do what felt right in the moment. Time passed quickly and before I knew it the racers were moving to the pool deck to begin.


*The start -Swim 12 laps with lane changes*

 The staggered swim start seemed to take forever. Basically it was left to the racers to figure out who started where based on time. With over 200 people you just do the best you can and get into a jumbled line and hope for the best. While we waited I chit-chatted with another group of women who have each done several triathlons and road races . They all admitted biking was their strong point and swimming their least favorite. Out of the group I went first on the swim as it is a strong point for me.  My nerves  about the swim were calmed as I looked toward the pool I saw some people struggling with the swim. The swim that I considered easy. As I inched closer and closer to the start I was just excited and ready to get my race going. I gave my family one last thumbs up and it was RACE TIME!

You had to jump into the water feet first when you were told to start. I was in and swimming feeling great. I went with the lane change of touch and dip under the rope. It worked out just fine and I quickly found myself passing people. Passing people felt pretty weird but empowering too. Before I knew it I was on my last lap and swimming toward the pool exit. I did my swim in 6:01 which was better that we had thought I would do. Once you left the pool you ran up to the bike station.

*The bike-7 miles with 2 hills to conquer twice*

I did my transition as quickly as I could and got on my bike and out on the course. I was feeling good and ready to get the dreaded bike part behind me. The start of the bike went well. It was fairly flat and I was doing just fine. I did good on the downhill portions , not feeling the need to brake too much on the turns all in all I was doing well feeling confident . The camelback water pack was a lifesaver and I was very happy I had it. I passed a few people and I was being passed too, by  1/2 way thru the first lap I was passed by some of the girls I had been talking with before the swim. Then came the big hill. I think I was in the wrong gears and I was really struggling. I was about half way up the hill when my left calve cramped up. I tried to keep peddling but it wasn't helping. I jumped off my bike and pushed it up the hill a few feet. I was talking to myself saying get the cramp out and get back on and ride it out! Before I crested the hill I got on and peddled to the top and the it was the smaller hill next. I made it up the smaller hill to complete my first lap. I saw and heard my family cheering me on and it gave me a bit of a boost.I knew the next few miles were the easy part of the bike so I relaxed alittle. I enjoyed this part of the ride. I knew I had lost some ground on that hill but I was just doing the best I could. I told myself this is about doing not winning, get your head right. I found myself smiling as I was riding past the river front and just feeling happy I really was half way done with my first triathlon! Before I knew it there was the dreaded hill AGAIN! I started up feeling better this time, probably in a better gear for a hill too. Around half way up I was struggling but digging deep. I put my foot down to the ground and pushed myself a for a few pushes. And I said aloud Okay, you are almost there DIG, come on almost done. And I did just that I peddled for all I had in me and I made it without getting off the bike at all. I took the smaller hill to the bike transition and then it was time to get running. My bike time was 38.13.

*The Run-3 miles with several hills*

After the bike I was almost thrilled to be running. I know running, running is familiar. I didn't have any  fear  about the run and needed it to stretch out the cramp I got on the bike. I threw on my running hat and grabbed my water and was on my way. I was jogging at first when I found my breathing too fast. I took a short walk break and calmed my breathing and took in some water. Then it was back to running. I passed a few people. I heard words of encouragement from other racers such as looking strong and doing good. I don't recall responding to any of these except with a smile or nod.  I just keep running, I wish I had more indication of time or my distance. I felt alittle out of sorts just following the path signs with no idea where I was or what my pace was (it felt really slow to me). I did take a few small walk breaks but they were short and then I was off running again. When running I felt like I was running so very slow, when I wanted so badly to sprint but with no real idea how much further I didn't want to go all in too quickly. Then finally I heard someone say 1/2 a mile left . I was surrounded by a few people and we all turned it up a notch knowing the finish was closer. I ran as quickly as my tired jello legs would let me. I saw my kids on my right side and it was the push I needed to sprint up the small hill to the finish. My Dad was in sight when I made my way up the hill and  it fueled me as I kept running all the way in to the finish line. I crossed the finish line and my name and my hometown was announced over a loud speaker. It was such a cool feeling almost surreal! My run time was 31.43.

I hugged my family, kissed my coach and downed a bottle of water. I had just done something that I at one point in my life I could not have done. I had stared down my fear (the bike), I had built up my endurance and rocked one portion (the swim) and I had pretty much just kept moving forward without too much thought on the last leg (the run).  The event I had trained for and looked forward to for so long was over and done . Wow, what a great feeling!

I will do it again! I will become better at the bike. I want to do the same race next year and laugh at those hills as I soar up them on my bike. This was just a beginning and I think it was a GREAT beginning. I am happy with the fact I set my mind to it, I overcame obstacles and I completed it . I wasn't the fastest or the slowest. I wasn't the most in shape or the most out of shape competitor. I wasn't the best swimmer,biker or runner. But I am a TRIATHLETE and nothing or no one can take that away from me.

I encourage everyone to make a goal and work hard to achieve it. It is the best feeling in the world!

Thank you all for the encouragement, the love and support has been more than I could ever dream of. All of you who sent me a text , email and facebook comment helped fuel me when I had any small moment of doubt. I am so grateful for each and every one of you guys. I am so very blessed!

Birthday Boy turns 6

Collin had his birthday yesterday and his party on Sunday. What a fun time we had going on a hike at Ruffner Mountain for his party. We are also shown and learned about some of the rescue animals. Collin got to hold a real live snake! I couldn't watch but Macy did get a good picture of him. If you are local and want to go on a adventure make sure you check out http://www.ruffnermountain.org/ they have recently renovated and it is SO nice. The trails are very well marked and good for beginner hikers and kids.There is no fee they just ask for donations to keep the place running.  I really look forward to going back with the family.

His presents included a nerf fun, transformer toy, moon sand, skateboard and helmet, Lincoln logs , skateboard ramp, Alabama football, a scooter and some legos. He really racked up and loved it all!

We always let the birthday person pick a meal. Collin picked Japanese for dinner so we tried out a new place in town called Mizu. He had the best time and we sat with the nicest couple. The food was really good and we really enjoyed our family time.

It's hard to believe my baby boy is six years old. He is such a bright spot in my life. He is funny and helpful and so smart. I love to see his brain work, he is learning to read and you can see those light bulb moments in his eyes when he figures out a word, it's priceless. I couldn't be any prouder of him!

The Journey

 

What a powerful statement in the picture. This really is what the kind of mentality I strive for. Do I succeed everyday? No I do not. As a person who has been overweight most of her life it's no secret emotional eating was just what I did and I still battle it everyday.  Wow, so much to blog about today I will have to make it 2 post. My birthday boy deserves a post of his own to celebrate his 6th birthday. This post is about my journey and the upcoming big event, in just 5 days. 

This weeks training schedule is ridiculously light such today's schedule is 15 minutes of running. That seems almost laughable and not worth the effort of getting dressed to go run. I am going to do that 15 minutes of running and then work on my lap swimming and changing lanes . My weekend workouts were non existent and I am missing my me/music/ sweating time. Yesterday I did chores at the house and just felt drained. I really had intended to make it to workout but it didn't happen so today it will happen. 

As for the triathlon I feel ready. I have everything I need or what I think I need and I feel confident. This is a learning experience, and I am sure next week I will have learned even more about myself and how triathlons work. I will be able to review my training schedule and give it an honest look if I could have improved it. And share with you my next big goal.

Weight and fitness is such a weird thing. I always thought it only involved me . When I didn't take care of myself I was convinced then it was only hurting me and I was okay with that. When I started to improve my fitness and health it too only involved me. I was of the mindset  my effort, my time, my sweat, my commitment. But that is untrue it effects those who are apart of your life too. There are good points and bad to both and that is tricky to deal with. I promise you I must have missed this message in every weight loss and fitness article I have ever read. I do try to be considerate of other people feelings and personal struggles. I do not want to come across braggy and a know it all . Having a hey, look at me I'm awesome attitude that people roll their eyes at. It's just not me. So I pretty much have done my thing. Not broadcasting it to the world not really feeling like it needed any attention still thinking my body, my sweat , my business. Sometimes people would ask and inquire and I'd share just enough to answer then drop the topic. Sometimes people would make comments in a negative tone about my change of  priorities, jokes about me "being a runner" and that did sting a little. I'm still not sure how is the best way to handle this but I tried to do it as delicately as I could and it still hurt people I care about. Like I said it's tricky.

But there has been some great family support too.  I am a lucky one that my Husband has been my #1 cheerleader. He has listen to my struggles , he has offered a shoulder to cry on and often practiced some tough love to push me. When I brought up the idea of triathlon he was willing to do whatever I needed . He has coached me , timed me, helped me order everything I have needed, and reassured me 1,000 times that I can do this.  I am lucky to have him in my corner cheering me on and words can never express how grateful I am just knowing he is there.

I'm not an expert but I have learned alot. I do read a good bit on weight loss and fitness and try out different things myself. I have gone from an obese person to normal bmi. I have gone from huffing and puffing just walking 1 mile to attempting and God willing completing a triathlon . It's not a miracle, it's all about just making changes and goals that I can live with for the rest of my life. I still have things I want to work on , I still have things I do not like about my body that I want to tone up. There are goals I still want to reach for myself . I have accepted this journey never ends it will be this way for as long as I live. 

My future plans involve helping others just like me. I have already been asked to make a video for my Boot camp with my before pictures and now wearing my old size 22 jeans. I have been contacted about possibility of leading a beginner boot camp for those just starting out .Also a small local gym has told me they would love to have me come train for them and to let them know when I am ready.  I am looking into becoming a certified personal trainer . Not only will I have my own experience to help others but I will have book knowledge to back it up. This is all in addition to keeping up my own goals and workouts but things are starting to fall in place for this future career.

Exciting yet scary. I'm not a perfect person and I don't have every answer but I have a compassion for those who want to live a healthy life. Those people who see the big picture, the ones not about a number on the scale or dress size but those are great victories too . The people who get real and own up to their excuses and know that working hard does pay off. It won't be instant and there will be bad days but you pick yourself up and keep moving forward.  All of it done with a pay it forward mentality. Anything worth having is worth working for!

"I choose to be healthy, to grow stronger, to be alive as long as I possibly can"

Brace Yourself

Today was the day Molly has been waiting for. The day she got her top braces put on. She is our 3rd child to go down the road of braces . The boys didn't seem to be all to thrilled with the braces but Molly has been counting down the days for awhile. We have learned a few tricks over the years and I made sure she went ahead and took some Tylenol before dropping her off at school after her appointment. Also I checked the pantry for chicken noodle soup and supplies for grill cheese for her dinner. Check Check!

This weeks workouts have been pretty good. I am feeling over all soreness which is reassuring that I am working hard. Next week will be an easy week to save my body for the big race on Sunday. I was eager to get back to the gym Tuesday. Taking those few days off were good for me to miss it and look forward my gym time. On Tuesday I ran a 5k on the treadmill with hill intervals in under 30 minutes. I then did a series of boot camp exercises with weights and then rode the bike on a high resistance for 3 miles. I woke up Wednesday very sore but I made it to spin class. This class is becoming a favorite, I am getting familiar with some of the regulars and with it being a small class it is very interactive which helps the hour pass quickly. Considering my thighs were already so sore from the day before the hills we did in spin class seemed like mountains but I pushed through . I was drenched with sweat and worn out but I made it and never quit. I might have moaned and groaned a good bit but everyone ones so I was with good company.

I was noticing last night just in the last few months since taking up cycling and spin class my legs have changed. The biggest difference is the bulge above my knee. I thought to myself what is that as I felt it. And it dawned on me its a MUSCLE! A muscle I never really knew I had till now. I tried to take a picture and this is the best I could do, you can kinda see the right above my knee.

Today's training is a 30 minute run and I plan on doing that in the neighborhood this afternoon. My eating this week had been perfect. I haven't been tempted and was happy to fill my grocery cart with lots of veggies and fruits this week. I have either had eggs or a Cliff protein bar every morning too. Just 10 days away till my big day and I feel excited and READY!

Same Place New Look

I bet you are wondering what happen to the wild and crazy look of the blog. It was time for a big change and I was wanting to get away from using the trendy free backgrounds. A few months back I asked Brian what sort of layout he could make for me. He moaned and he groaned about how he is NOT a designer and basically put me off hoping I would give up on the idea. I think he had a memory lapse thinking I would ever give up.  Yesterday Macy pointed out how old the pictures in my blog banner were and I recruited her on the task of getting Brian to get moving on my new look. So today he created me this and I like it , it still needs a few extra touches but I am  getting used to it and will add some things as I go.

Our weekend was rather low key even sorta boring. I decided to take the whole weekend off from the gym . I needed a break I was feeling alittle burnt out . We had 2 more kids come down with the virus so we are still waiting to see who may be next. I am gearing up for my next 2 weeks devoted to my triathlon and I am very excited!! I already have my next event on my radar too. :)

We watched Alabama play some football on Saturday. It was just us at home but we had a great football feast. We had make your own subs . I offered ham,turkey,salami,meatball, chicken salad with a variety of cheeses. We had 2 different chips and dips, veggie tray,chili cheese fries, party nuts, and banana pudding. Everyone really enjoyed it. The boys watched about 12 hours of football on Saturday and I taught myself a new craft. In my boredom I started looking on the internet how to make these decorative yo-yo flowers and within the day I had created this embellished top for myself. I have lots of ideas of other things to do with them too.

Sunday we did some errands and visited with my Dad for his upcoming birthday. Monday was Labor Day and was pouring rain all day long thanks to the tropical storm. I did some cleaning and laundry most of the day. We worked on cleaning out a closet and piddle here at the house. With everyone being home there seemed to be one mess after another all day. But it was a good day to stay in with the weather being so nasty.

Both pics found on Pinterest both so true!

I am hoping the sickies are over and life can go back to normal. I am excited to get in some workout time tomorrow. I am going to be more mindful of my eating I feel like last week I slipped up a little too much for my liking.I didn't eat regularly then ended up very hungry and overeating at meal time. I needed to refocused and I am ready to tackle this coming week.

Hair Update: I am still not liking it one single bit. In this picture I have it in a tiny ponytail covered with a big flower. Yay it is growing ever so slowly but Boo that this color is just NOT me.

The week in review

What a busy week it has been. But just like the picture of Woody below we are still hanging on by a string.I found this in Huddy's room this week and thought it was pretty cute.

On to the workouts on Monday I rested. I did not sleep well at all the night before so I took my off day on Monday rather than Tuesday . I just managed to do the chores I needed to do around here and called it an early night to get some better sleep.*Edit* I posted this and went on my way then it dawned on me. I didn't really REST Monday!  I cleaned out the dining room top to bottom,rearranged the furniture,straightened the closet and cooked a big yummy meal of BBQ chicken,scallop cheesy potatoes, man n cheese, and beans and muffins to celebrate Molly being voted 6th grade Secretary. So not so much rest on Monday just no gym time.

Tuesday was another jam packed day. Hudson begged to go to the gym so I loaded him up and off we went. I had just gotten ready for my swim when the power at the gym went out . Gym rules are that you must leave the gym if the power is out so within 30 minutes we were headed back home. We stopped by the grocery store to get stuff for dinner. Three of the kids had dentist appointments after school so I knew if I precooked dinner the night would be less hectic. I decided to make both chili and crock pot potato soup with cornbread. By time I got all the cooking done it was a rush to the shower so I was ready when the kids came home on the bus. I wore my gym clothes to the dentist with the plan for Brian to meet me at the gym to get the school kids so I could get in my daily workout.

I made up for my Monday off with a hard workout Tuesday night. I did an 5k interval run where at some point I was running a 7.0 elevation on the treadmill. I finished my run  in 29 minutes even with the hills. I did some strength exercise using kettle bells , crunches and squats. I then knocked out 3 miles on level 10 resistance on the bike. I was drench with sweat but it was nice to get in such a hard workout.

Wednesday night was spin class with Dee. This is becoming one of my favorite classes. I love this lady's attitude . She is a bigger girl but really has a great positive attitude . I pushed myself hard during class and my legs were screaming at me but I was able to finish strong and that felt great.

Thursday was my 2nd day off this week. I had a hair appointment and errands to run. For the hair I went with a dark blonde for fall no major cut just a trim as I am growing it out again. The color is a big change for me and I am not sure I like it yet. Maybe it will grow on my over time but for now I am not sure.

I won't be getting another day off this weekend since I already took these. Today (Fridays) workout will be a swim and run when the kids get home from school. Our day started early with Hudson getting sick in my bed . He's been feeling bad all day so we have been home hanging out . He hasn't thrown up again since this morning but has a upset tummy now. I hope this is something that ends quickly and doesn't spread. I don't want my weekend to be all about laundry and sick folks. Wish us luck. Oh and you can beat we will be saying ROLL TIDE on Saturday.:)