Beautiful 2010

This year has truly been amazing. Besides getting saved, getting married, and having my boys, this year held some of the most amazing things of my life. Life changing things. My first triathlon in May, changed me. It transformed me into an athlete and I discovered a passion I didn't know I had. The two other triathlons, the two 5K's, the 26.1 mile Bike the Coast, and the 10K all gave me fuel to the fire for a healthy life. And the fact that I can run 7+ miles straight with out walking?!! Is right up there next to my first Triathlon.

I am really trying not to sound like a cheese ball right now.

But my life has changed so much this year, and I am so ready and excited for 2011. I am totally confident that I will reach goal this year. I am ready to blast this fat and be done with it.

Dear last fifty pounds,
You have been with me through thick and thin thick. You've kept me warm, helped me nourish my babies when they were in growing inside me, kept my husband warm, gave me thankfulness for my health I do have, and the journey to shedding you has changed my life. To be honest I wouldn't want a life with out the lessons learned while trying to lose you. I am ready for you to let go now. It's time for us to part. My husband is anxious to hug me and not feel rolls. I am anxious for a healthier heart, gallbladder, knees, hips, neck and back...all which you are hurting at the moment. You have taught me so much about life, love, marriage, health, fitness, and the abilities any normal Curvy Housewife can do. I mean, with out you would I have tried to run? To finish a trithlon? to eat healthy and to provide healthy food for my family? Probably not. So that I thank you for, but I am done with you. Thanks for stopping by for a few years. I won't miss you. Buh-bye.
Sincerely,
The Curvy Housewife

My "fresh start" starts tomorrow. This break has been exactly what I needed to re-focus, consider my desires and goals, and plan ahead. I feel refreshed mentally and ready to lose this weight. Triathlon training gets more intense this month. I have laid it all out on two calendars. Yes I really need two. Here's what January will look like for the most part.

Sunday: 5:00 am Long Run 8,9,10, 11 & 12 miles. Followed by an at home Yoga session.
Monday: 9:00 am 1/2 mile swim~speed work, Yoga at gym at 10:00am, Cycle at gym at 5 or 6:30 pm
Tuesday: Abs & Arms early morning before boys wake up. Yoga at gym at 4:30 pm Cycle at gym at 5:30 pm.
Wednesday: 11:00 am long Swim~1 mile, followed by a short run on treadmill~2 mile fartlek.
Thursday: 10:30 am Medium Bike ride with boys in trailer~10-12 miles. Yoga at gym 6:30 pm.
Friday: OFF [a yoga video at home before boys wake to stretch and relax]... deep clean house.
Saturday: Long Bike ride early morning~15-20 miles.

Oh can you tell I fell in love with Yoga? I stretched muscles I didn't know I could stretch..like my ankles, sides of calf, middle of back, and more. Oh my it was JUST what I needed. Glad I bought my own Yoga mat at Target the other day. :)

I am kicking off the new year with a little detox. I feel I need it. My gallbladder needs it. Tomorrow all I am going to eat is fruit and veggies all day. Banana's and mangoes for breakfast, snack apple, lunch tomato soup and salad, snack, orange and banana and carrots, dinner tomato soup and cooked veggies with a bowl of frozen fruit for dessert.
Sounds a little crazy right? I use to work at LA Weight Loss and the program started with a "Fast Forward" which is similar to what I am doing except you can eat meat and drink a juice they give you and it's for two days. It helps get all the gunk out and bloating gone.
Then I am all ready to start resume WW. Going grocery shopping today.

I've decided... weigh in's will be on Saturday's. Yes. I know I know this is like the 20th time I've changed it. But tomorrow is Saturday and I am starting resuming, and it's a good day to use weekly points allowance.
Here is my year in pictures. I am so thankful to God for this beautiful year, and even though we had hard times, like Davey only working 8 months in 2010, He provided for us the whole time. And when we lost our baby, His grace was sufficient and real. 2010 was a year of blessings.

Beautiful 2010
Cody and I, January 2010
I just gave that jacket [size xxl] to a pregnant friend :) Now happily rocking size L pea coat Davey got me for Christmas.
April, in Hawaii, my great Grandfather's grave in the Punchbowl.
Finished my first Triathlon! May 1
My Mom got married :) May 8
Finished first 5K
My wonderful husband graduated with his Bachelor's degree! May 13
Our 4th wedding Anniversary! August 4
I turned 25 and we went to Disneyland just like I wanted **:)**
Finished my 2nd Triathlon!! September 25
Finished 3rd Triathlon! October 23Finished 26.1 mile Bike the Coast, November 6
After the 26.1 bike ride.. yes I always have to write 2-6-point 1 :)
Thanksgiving day Turkey Trot 5k, Nov 25
Thanksgiving time, November
10K R U N N E R. December 11
Christmas day, December 25. Best gift ever. (p.s that's not even all my bibs:)

Cheers with water & a lemon wedge to a happy, healthy and blessed 2011!!
Love,
The Curvy Housewife
(yes, new year..new end to every blog:)

Yoga

I wanted to name this post "Rejected" or "Discouraged", but I'm not letting myself be either one of those. I got a call from Jackie at 24 Hour Fitness and she said my audition was really good, my technique was nearly perfect, had room for improvement, but I lacked "essence" with connecting with the class. She said they hired 2 out of 13 people that auditioned, and I am not even sure if either of them were for cycle. If they were no doubt the girl that already works at 24 got a class, but I don't see any new names on the schedule. The "essence" she was talking about is hard to see in a 3 minuet audition to a fake class with a microphone that wasn't working. I am not upset or angry in any way at her or anyone, it's just one of those things.. how can you really see someone connect to a class when it's not a class?
She said to work on that and call her when I am ready and I can try again. Right away I thought, "Oh well. Not meant to be. It's done." But Davey said, "Adrienne! Teaching in the gym is not something they just give to someone have their first try. She wants you to try again. So try again!" So, okay, I will keep trying.
I called all the gyms in our area to apply as well.
Also feeling very down right now because my home church just got hit with some huge turmoil. I'm not going to mention right now what happened out of respect for the family, but it's a huge trial for some dear friends of mine, our pastor and our church.
Right, moving right along to today's topic. Y O G A. I am going in 20 mins to a class. Yup. thought I need to take some time to relax, stretch, and try something to help my headaches. I have taken it before but not in a long time. I know I am really going to hate seeing my body trying to maneuver in ways it normally doesn't and having to see all the fat I don't normally see. Should be fun.
I'll be back tonight with a follow up post. Lot's on my mind and new years is almost here.

FAT

FAT sums up how I am feeling. And I am okay with it. Sort of. Even my blunt honest sweet husband mentioned I look and feel a little swollen. Ha! Well... It's amazing how fast weight will come on... even if %90 of it is water retention and being constipated from eating deliciously un-nutritious food. I am up a pound and a half. Not too bad, and I am actually surprised it's not more. But I FEEL awful.
I indulged WAY to much on Christmas Eve, Christmas, and the day after. I didn't even want most half of the food I ate. I was no longer hungry yet kept eating, I wasn't totally in love with the treats I was eating, they were not 10's. Weird right? To not have a 10 option on these days? Well I didn't make most of the treats I do enjoy out of fear of eating too much and having a gallbladder attack, so I was eating things others made or treats I made for my family. Like fudge. I made fudge, and really wasn't doing anything for me. But I kept eating it! A 10 for me is a warm melty chocolate chip cookie with milk. That's why I didn't make any.
We went to a friends for on Christmas and she made this amazing Almond Rocca. That was a 10, but I was satisfied after 1 or 2. But I kept eating it and eating it until I felt sick. I was eating like I was never going to eat again! But there is a silver lining to this fiasco. I was very aware of what I was doing and how my body didn't want more. So I may have not listened, but I would have felt totally satisfied and not deprived if I would have just listened and ate only what I really wanted.
I have been getting bad headaches and nausea, along with back pain and neck pain. I went to the chiro yesterday and felt better for a little while after but last night and today headache and nausea again. Maybe it's my eating? I don't know but I don't want any food for days. Just kidding. Hours.

Merry Christmas!

My husband is awesome. The End.

Large

That's the size I am now. Last Christmas I was size XXL. Now I am L! Whoo hoo. I tried on Pea Coats at Target to see what size I am so my husband knew what size to buy, and the L fit perfect! I was surprised because I am big chested so usually tops are hard to fit in that area so I have to buy a bigger size.
Then I went to Sports Chalet because my awesome Mom gave me a gift card there. I needed padded bike shorts, with this new bike... man oh man does it hurt your bum! [and I am ticked I left my bike seat cover on one of the bikes at the gym and someone stole it...grrr]. Anyways, I grabbed an XL just out of habit, and they were too big! L fit me perfectly. Yippee!
I always say things in my head like, "Oh well this size must run big." or "this stores sizes are off.", but really.. maybe I just am a L A R G E now everywhere!
This may seem very insignificant, but I use to always be a Medium in high school. I am only one size away from that! Hurray. :0
I am so excited for Christmas!!!! More than the boys I think. ;) I can't wait until they open their Buzz Light Year's! They will jump up and down for days. Shane keeps saying to everyone, "Buzz is coming on Christmas!" it's so cute.
Shane burned his hand today on the stove, poor little guy. He's been in pain all day. It's not a horrible burn but all burns are very painful. I think he learned to not touch the stove. Hard lesson. :(
Our church is so amazing here. We have received many blessings from church family this Christmas. Groceries on our doorstep, gift cards, toys for the boys, such a blessing! God is so good. God always knows too, because Davey doesn't have work until mid-January again. Merry Christmas everyone! I am thankful for Jesus' birth!

Fresh Start

A "fresh start" to my dieting or eating plan use to be a regular thing. I use to have this thing where I couldn't start again if I blew it unless it was a Monday or a 1st of the month. I would binge guiltlessly until then. I haven't had any "fresh starts" in a while, even though I haven't been tracking my points (sad to say). But I have been watching fat intake due to gallbladder, and I still train and exercise, and certainly no binging.

I have been struggling with tracking for almost 2 months now. I know this is why I have not been losing, because when I track and really stick to my points, or calories, I lose! YOU can lose weight with out exercise, and you can't lose weight with out keeping track of your food. You must read it here: I absolutely love this post from Kelly, It's about the Food. Of course, with Christmas coming, I have been very busy shopping, hosting family, ect. I can specifically remember the last several New Years eves, eating and celebrating, and excited what the next year would hold, always in hopes of me reaching my goal weight.

I've decided to give myself a new fresh start. I am taking this last 10 days of December and enjoying the season and NOT feeling guilty. I'm going to refocus and refresh my desire to track. I look forward to starting resuming WW again on the 1st, and my weigh in's on Fridays. I've always liked weigh in on Friday because then Friday or Saturday I can use my weekly points and it doesn't effect the scale.

I look forward to 2011 and all it holds. I will I hope to reach goal. But I will not put a stamped due date on 140 like I have so many times in the past. But I will say I am focused and ready to track and stay faithful and keep training and being active and see what results I will reap.

I am proud that though this season is busy, I have still been active. In fact.... today I RAN 7.03 miles!! No that's not a typo.. I really ran that far!! 7.03! Whoo! I had to stop to pee twice, and once to cut my toenail because it was cutting my other toe and making it bleed. Other than that, no stops and no walking! 1 hour 34 mins. I put that run off all weekend, but finally did it this morning.

I consistently hit a wall at mile 5, and I want to walk so bad. I push through and it gets a little better. My knees and my legs H U R T like no one's business. Next weekend is 7 miles again, the weekend after is 8, then 9 and so on until the half marathon.

In case your wondering... my running schedule looks like this [this is what I TRY for anyways],
Wednesday- short run- 2-3 miles
Friday- Medium run- 4-5 miles
Sunday- Long run-7 miles, 8 miles, 9 miles, until 13 miles.

Last week I only ran the 1/2 mile on the treadmill [in 5 mins :)]. I felt like I really needed to rest after the 12 miles I did on foot in Santa Monica. I am still hurting... I need a hot Epsom salt bath! Oh and I will still work hard towards my December goals :)

Cycle Auditions & Christmas Challenge Update

Cycle auditions were yesterday at 1:00 pm. My goal was to get to gym by 12:15 pm to practice. My five audition song playlist:
1. Half Way by Black Eyed Peas- Flat Combo (in & out of saddle)
2. Pump It by Black Eyed Peas- Sprints
3. In the Air Tonight by Phil Collins- Long steep hill Slow in and out of saddle. (Yes I will rock this song when I teach.)
4. Only Girl in the World by Rihanna- Jumps
5. Fallen by Sarah McLachlan- Cool down

Let me just say how music disabled I am at the moment. I usually only listen to Christian and sometimes Country. So to find lyrics that weren't talking about getting drunk or doing the deed was hard. Some songs I picked may talk about that and I just don't understand the song.. anyways...so I thought these songs may be older and was worried everyone would have already heard them in cycle class or taught them before.

Auditions were a group thing. Everyone did everyone's audition while Jackie watched and took notes. It started with Turbo Kick Boxing, then dance, then Zumba.. then cycle. I went first.

Of course...their plug for my iPod on my iPhone was not working. The music kept skipping in and out and I just continued to go and give my intro..but Jackie stopped me and said she didn't want me to have to audition like that. So she said I could go burn a CD and come back at 2:30 with the other group, or reschedule a one on one with her. I choose the 2:30. I grabbed my things and Jessica gave me a big hug and said she was sorry.

I drove fast to Walmart.. literally ran in the store, ran and found blank CD's... and I may have grabbed the first chocolate thing I saw, which happened to be a huge candy cane thing with Hersey's kisses in it. Of which I shoved several in my mouth in the car. Chocolate relieves stress. Didn't you know that?

Got home, burned my playlist, ran back to gym in time for next group cycle. When I got back Jackie gave me a big hug and asked if I was okay, and said she would have cried if that was her. Which I almost did. She gave me the option to go first or last, and I decided to go in the middle. I gave my same introduction.. "Hi my name is Adrienne. I have been cycling for...... I have lost.......I have done 3 triathlons... I am training for a half Ironman... I love cycling!! Let's go!!" I really didn't have an intro prepared. So halfway through Half Way she asked me to give people some cues on form. Not really sure what she wanted I started directing the people to keep upper body relaxed, hands relaxed not gripping the bars super tight, you want it to be all legs, make sure your bum is right above the seat and you should tap the seat with your bum while ridding out of saddle.. Then she said, "Okay great! Thanks Adrienne!!" and it was someone else's turn.

After, Jackie asked me if I felt okay with my audition and I said yes, it was just a little short, and asked her if she saw enough. She said in a whisper, "Yes I saw enough, and if I needed to see more I would have asked you for more." So I hope that's was a good thing. At the end of it all she said it is a short audition because people decide in your intro weather of not they like you. I hope people would like me. I am right there with them, still needing to lose weight.

But you never know! So Jessica, Jackie and the gym manager all took notes, and will be discussing it all and Jackie will call us before Christmas. She said to us all, don't be surprised if she says, "I want you to work on... then come back". So we'll see!!

Christmas Challenge Update:
1. Bike- 48 miles of 150
2. Run- 22 miles of 75
3. Swim-.6 miles of 5
4. Gospel's- In Mark now
5. Plank- Held for 1 whole minuet! check!
6. Tracking food- Not so good. :/
7. Lose 10 pounds- Lost 1 of 10 pounds.. down 1 from last week! yay.

Behind on everything, but still really good for me to have a goal to work towards! I'll see how close I can get. Davey is on his way home.. hurray!! Missed him so much this week.

PointsPlus

I've heard some people say, Weight Watchers is for weak people, really over weight people, that it's the same as counting your calories but you pay for it, ect, ect. Let me just say, that's all
R U B B I S H.
I lost the first 35 pounds counting my calories myself. I grew up very aware and able to count calories. That's what happens when your Dad is a competitive body builder. My Mom was awesome. She was so supportive and always made low fat low calorie foods for my Dad (and us). It's not hard for me. It's just a little boring. WW is fun to me. There is this community of people that are in the same boat. There are millions of recipes, ideas, tips, books, ect, for WW.

I went to Weight Watchers today to buy a new 3 month journal and to find out about the PointsPlus. Pleased that I am down 15 pounds from when I started at the end of July. Obviously I should have lost a lot more in that amount of time, but it's better than -0 or gain!

After we lost the baby in July, I really needed something to distract me. And WW did just that. Learning the program and getting hooked to it. By the way, today is exactly 1 month shy from when the baby was due. So on Jan 15, it's gonna be a real tough day. I can't believe it. Seeing my friends that were pregnant at the same time get ready to deliver is hard. In some weird way I feel even worse because I have only lost 15 pounds since then. I feel like I would be less sad if I at least lost 25+. Silly I know.

Anyways, the new program seems a bit confusing. I am all for eating real, whole foods, and it makes sense to plan the program like that. But I will get use to it. I'm gonna give myself a sticker for losing %7 of my body weight on WW.

I am excited to start the new PointsPlus tomorrow and to see how it goes. My new weigh in days will be Thursday.

Cheers to tracking! (with a big cup of lemon water:)

Oh and tomorrow is my AUDITIONS FOR CYCLE! At 1pm. Praying I'll do good and be able to teach soon! I practiced today at gym for an hour. And how could I forget to mention... I ran 1/2 mile in 5 minuets on the treadmill! I just wanted to see how far I could go at that pace. It was tough but great to work on speed.

Who Fartleked?

I saw this bumper sticker that said, "Who Fartleked?" and I laughed because I understood. A few months ago I would have said, "HUH?". I have been working hard to get myself scheduled. I need a schedule for EVERYTHING, so I can stick to training for 70.3. I keep looking and searching for a schedule online that has terms I understand for training.. but I couldn't. So.. I had to work extra hard to find the meanings, then make MY own schedule since none fit into my life. I got this cool huge desk calendar at Target (my other home), and love it. I wrote out my entire January schedule. Meals, training, chores, events, ect. It's a lot of work, but man will Davey be so proud. :) Here are some terms and definitions I found, so you don't have to. Who knows maybe soon you'll be training for something you never thought you would!

Fartlek- (Speed Play in Swedish) a method of athletic training (especially for runners) in which strenuous effort and normal effort alternate in a continuous exercise. [Sprinting, jogging or Sprinting, walking].
Brick work- Doing 2 of the 3 activities back to back. [Swim, bike..ect]
PRE-Perceived rate of exertion scale.... Do 60 minuets on bike at RPE 5, ect.
1-2: Very easy; you can converse with no effort
3: Easy; converse with almost no effort
4: Moderately easy; converse comfortably with little effort
5: Moderate; conversation requires some effort
6: Moderately hard; conversation requires quite a bit of effort
7: Difficult; conversation requires a lot of effort
8: Very difficult; conversation requires maximal effort
9-10: Peak Effort; No talking zone
Cadence- On the bike it refers to revolutions per minute (RPMs) with regards to how fast you’re turning the cranks. As your training progresses, monitoring cadence can play a huge role in improving cycling technique, fitness and speed. Cadence can also refer to steps per minute in running. (I'm still confused about this one, so don't ask me.)
Drills- In swimming, using foam weights, doing different strokes not natural to swim, i.e- swimming with fists tight, only using one arm, ect.

There are many more but I am just going to use these.

• 

Of course my speed and distances will increase every month. Today I am going to the gym to practice cycle [AUDITIONS ARE ON THURSDAY!!], finally got my playlist.. then swim 1000 meters. Hopefully boys will be good so I can get a nice long work out in.
My eating is finally on track, and I pray God will help me to stay on. I feel good, like I'm back in it. My new motivation for weight loss (besides all my other and obvious ones) is the lighter I am the faster I will be and the easier everything will be on my body.
Right now for lunch, I am enjoying a Smart One Swedish Meatball and an Orange for lunch. I may go in to WW today to see about the new PointsPlus system and get a new journal.

Merry Christmas Babe. Love Davey & Dad!

God is so good. Been praying for a new bike for a while. Davey and my Dad split the cost of this bike. It's used, off Craigslist. Very affordable. I found it and it was love at first site. It was my exact size (according to investigation online), 52 cm. I prayed, if it wasn't God's will he wouldn't allow me to get it. But He did.
This is a Centurion Ironman Triathlon Bike.
It is going to take some getting use too. Very rough on my bum. VERY fast and super sensitive steering. Clip in pedals. Have not manged to accumulate enough courage to try it with my cycle shoes.. I am not ready to crash yet. He had different pedals on it, white ones, but they didn't fit my cycle shoes. He happened to have extra pedals that fit my cleats, so he swapped them! Saved $40-50 there.
Learning the bike mechanics. Very different to ride, to turn, to climb hills, to change gears (gears are on on top tube, not handle bars). I'm already getting the hang of it though. I see bright successful races in this bikes future. I'm gonna name it.... have any ideas of good names?

Santa Monica Christmas Run 10K RUNNER!

So I finished the 10K, and ran the W H O L E thing. Yay! And...and...and!!!!!! I ran it in 1 hour 20 mins even (according to my watch which I set right as I crossed "Start"). That's 12.54 min mile people!
Cool thing, I saw Sunshine Hampton from the Biggest Loser there! She ran it too. On the turn around she ran past me and looked right at me, so I shouted her name and waved to her and she smiled, said hi and waved back! So cool. I wanted a picture with her after, but unfortunately my husband wasn't at the finish line because I ran so much faster than he thought I would, and he missed me finishing, so I didn't have the camera to take a picture with her. :( But I tweeted her after the run and she tweeted me back. Really cool. Yes. I am a Biggest Loser fanatic.
Sum up yesterday, S O R E.
I RAN 6.2 miles, than couldn't find Davey, walked 2 miles (1 mile to pier and back) borrowed a cell phone, found him, than walked all over Santa Monica. Mapmyrun.com said a total of 6.14 walked after running 6.2. Total of 12.34 miles on foot people! My hips, knees, and legs hurt.
Shane and Davey ran the kids fun run, he's so proud of his ribbon. I have a feeling that was his first race of many.

Christmas Challenge Week 1

Bike- 33 of 150 miles.
Run- 15 of 75 miles.
Swim- 0 of 5 miles.
Lose 10 lbs-0 of 10 lbs gone.
Gospels-Halfway through Matthew.
Track food- Good the first couple days... than... came Cody's surgery.. needed groceries.. excuses, excuses. Right now I am baking cookies! It's Christmas. I can't let my boys miss out on all the Christmas traditions. Ok. Ok. So they are too little to know. The cookies are for me.
Plank-Can hold for 30 seconds now :)

So I am not wear I hoped I would be by now. But I also forgot about Cody's surgery. You are probably thinking, okay that's one day! Right? Wrong. 4 days spent in Hollywood in December so far due to his surgery. It's the 9th. That's 4 whole days gone.. so 5 days to accomplish what I've accomplished. Not too bad! But I can do better.
My knees are still feeling achy. I've been standing up a lot running errands and cleaning. Time to stretch them.. but HOW?
Like this.

Thunder Thighs

My friend Michelle tagged me in this photo on FB tonight. Look what I am doing. Of course! And I am the only one doing it. My fat issues had already started long before this, but as you can see.... I WAS NOT FAT!! So why did I think I was?! [Me.. the one with the chips].
It was about this time, or a few months from now, that a guy that went to school with me would start calling me "Thunder Thighs". As you can see I am a normal size girl, with great gymnast legs (because I was a gymnast then). This offender and I actually became good friends in high school and he said he called me that because he liked my big thighs. Thanks buddy.

I'll never say "I CAN'T" again

Last year my friend Chelsea asked me if I wanted to do the Wharf to Wharf 10K race. When she told me how far a 10K was I immediately said, "No way. I CAN'T run that far." She kept telling me I could, but I really believed I COULDN'T. Now here I am, about to run my first 10K. Last night I ran... wait for it... 6.16 miles!!! And I ran the W H O L E 6.16. Can you believe it?? Because I can't!! I wanted to prove to myself I can run the whole 10K. After mile 5, my knees, hips, and body were begging me to stop, but I only had 1 of 7 laps left to go!! I will never say, "I can't" again. Maybe, "I don't want to", but not "I can't".
Who knows whats in my future, maybe like my grandpa, several marathons? Maybe Boston one day. Future is so hopeful!
My friend Chelsea broke her hip running. I always admired her running. She had pain but didn't know why until she went to the doctor and he told her it was broken. She has had to take a lot of time recovering. My friend Tori has been really sick for 2+ weeks and hasn't been able to train. Now Sara is injured and can't run for a while. All these ladies have inspired me to run! I understand not being able to run because of injury or sickness. But me, I just didn't think I could ever run that far. All these inspiring ladies will be back at it in no time. If you ever talk to serious runners, they all face this. Injury. It's part of the running life.
I really need to be careful not to over do the running and get injured. I can feel my knees aching. I will run a short run tomorrow then rest until Saturday. Ice my knees, take hot bath, IBProfan, and maybe some Icy Hot?

Faido

Faido in Japanese means "to fight". In Japanese "to fight" or Faido, means to fight against yourself, the part of you that prevents you from doing your best. - Sally Edwards, Triathlons for Women.
I read that while waiting for Cody's surgery to be over. At first I thought, "how cheesy". Then I began to think about it and that is something I often have, and need to do! Fight against myself to be strong and not cry while Cody is getting operated on, fight and go running, fight and go to the gym, and fight to eat right!
Cody's surgery was a long 4+ hours. The doctor told me there was quit a bit more work that needed to be done than he thought, but he is very happy with the out come and really thinks he won't need a second surgery. Cody is doing very well. Playing with his toys, being happy, wants to go outside! But he does have quit a bit of pain when the pain medicine wear off. His throat is also very sore from having a tube down his throat for 4 hours.
I was doing really well [considering I was by myself], until they took him and I could no longer be by his side. I lost it a bit. Even though his surgery was not on a major organ like his heart, or kidney's, anything can happen in there from anesthesia, the epidural he needed, or a malfunction in the surgery. My Sunday school teacher came with another pastor from church and prayed over Cody then waited with me the 4 hours. It was a blessing.
Cody was such a trooper. I thank God for such a sweet son. He couldn't eat or drink anything before the surgery, so while waiting for 3 hours before he went in, you could imagine a hungry and thirsty 18 month old. But he was really good. They gave him "happy meds" 15 mins before he went back and he got so funny! He was laughing and slurring his words. He really seemed drunk...:-D
After the surgery it took him a while to wake up. Once he woke, had some pedialite and nursed, we were able to go home.
Yesterday the boys and Davey were sleeping so I sneaked off and went to Coaches 8:30 am cycle class. It was H A R D. Let me tell you. I am not missing 2+ weeks again! Felt really good though to sweat so much. I rode for 70 minuets, and counted it as 10 miles in my challenge.
Last night I wanted to run, and Davey didn't, so I went alone. 10K is on Saturday! I wanted to run 5 miles, and I ran exactly that! I felt good, my legs hurt some, but my asthma was no problem, and it was great. It took me 1 hour 11 minuets. Pretty slow, but I didn't stop running. I started saying Faido in my head because I really had to pee when I had about 1.6 miles left to go. ;)
When I was almost done, this guy passed me on his bike, and said "Hi". I kept going, then heard his bike approaching me. He started asking me how old I was, my name, how I was doing, ect then asked me if I had a boyfriend! Ha. When I told him I was married he apologized and turned around, and actually fell off his bike while turning around. LOL I use to get hit on a lot before I got fat, but it's been years. Even though a very creepy experience, nice to know I look pretty good, in the dark! Haha.
Last night we went to Chili's, and I got Margarita Grilled Chicken, delicous and healthy. It was a very nice family night.
I feel ready for the 10K on Saturday. I want to run 6 miles on Monday, than taper... I'll run 2-3 on Tuesday, than take Thursday and Friday off. I am S O R E today.
I am litterally amazed, that me, ME!? can run 5 miles with out stopping. I honestly never thought I could. It wasn't that long ago I ran 1.67 miles, remember?? wow. I thank God for giving me this gift. Out of all 3 sports right now, I am enjoying the running the most. I just love pushing myself and seeing what I can do, amazed that I C A N.

70.3

Let me start with Day 1 Christmas challenge. Weigh in: 194.2. (Down 2 pounds from last weigh in on new scale). Feedback please, my old scale that does not work anymore said my starting weight was 244. Last time I weighed on that scale before I got a new one it was 190. Please tell me, was the scale just more generous than my new accurate one? Or was it going bonkers and I probably weighed around 193-192 not 190 (assuming I gained a couple of pounds last week). I am thinking I am going to stick with my starting weight as 244 because my scale then was probably accurate.

Anyways, my week has been insane, stressful, busy, involved lots of hard work, and many time consuming tasks. Cody's surgery is in the morning, for those who would ask, he isn't sick, he just has something he was born with needing correction. He will be put under and it's a 2-3 hour procedure. Please pray for him. Shane is spending the night with a friend tonight so Cody and I can leave for the hospital in Hollywood at 4:30am. God give me grace! I will be alone because Davey is out of town for work.

Yesterday I attempted to assemble the jogger myself, because the husband of the family I bought it from took it apart and packed it in my car for me. I was getting frustrated, and had no clue how it went. But I did it! I figured it out all by myself. My husband is amazing, he fixes anything and everything and I never have to do any thing like that. But wow! I can! But I couldn't fix our garage door when it got stuck opened the other night. Neither could my neighbor. I was in tears! Doesn't sound huge, but man it was a H U G E problem. 12 dogs sleep in the garage, there is a doggy door to go in and out of it, so how would I keep them out of it so they didn't get out? Not to mention we live backed up to an ally way were there are drunks and bums. Our garage goes to the ally, so all Davey's tools, our bikes, baby things, lawn mower, ladder, ect ect I had to move out so it wouldn't get stolen. All 12 dogs in the house, an invitation for weirdos to come into our backyard through the garage. I was scared. I called some friends and they came right over and he was able to fix it. Praise God. But that was very time consuming stressful event!
I think it's fair to say I miss my husband being home very much.

Now to the subject of training. Training with the boys is difficult. I have not been to the gym in weeks. But yesterday I used our new (used) jogger, and I ended up running 3.77 miles pushing the boys! It felt fantastic. The boys loved it too. It was so much easier to run with it. I've noticed, the first mile is very hard, boys with me or not. My calves burn, I want to stop the whole time, then just after a mile too a mile and a half, I feel amazing! Effortless almost. I feel I can run for hours. I would have kept going, but the boys were getting cold and we had to get ready for church. My knees are sore though. I need to run ever other day if possible to give them a brake. Today I am going to bike with them after I do a photo shot at a park for a family.

Now the big news. 2011 RACE'S. Yup. I've started training for 2011 races! I have mentioned an Olympic distance triathlon, which is in April. But I have been keeping something to myself. A HALF IRONMAN. July 30, 2011 I will be doing my first 70.3 Half Ironman [1.2 mile swim, 56 mile Bike, 13.1 mile run]. I am so excited!! I have been thinking if I could do it, if I can be ready, should I wait until 2012, ect. Like I have mentioned before, we want to try for another baby at the end of next summer. I don't want to wait that long before I do a 70.3 because after having a baby there is a lot of recovery, then training from square 1.
I know I can do it. I have 8 months to train. I am already training for my first half marathon in February. Once I do that, I know I can finish the 13.1 mile run leg of the 70.3. I am actually most concered with the swim. That is about an hour to an hour and a half swim. Two plus for slow swimmers. The whole 70.3 is about 8+ hours of racing. When I first started doing Triathlons, I thought swimming would be my strongest, but I've discovered biking actually is. I have so much room to improve on all 3. I need to be focused and planned. Now I have resources to train with the boys, so no excuses.
Started tracking again yesterday. Feels so good. Last night for dinner I made grilled chicken on top of brown rice and black beans topped with fresh tomatoes, cilantro, and onions with lemon. It was so good! Wish I took a picture.

Thanksgiving Turkey Trot 5K

We had a great time visiting family over the holiday weekend. Wednesday night we got to Sara's, Weightless, house around 10:00 pm. We had a good time visiting then we all went to bed. We got up bright and early and Sara made us Oatmeal (yum). We got to the Turkey Trot and it was 28 degrees! So cold it hurt just thinking about running.
This was the first race Davey and I have ever done together! In fact it was his first race ever. And guess what? He did it in 22 minuets!! That's a 7:20 mile. Amazing! Faster than Marines have to run a mile (7:30). He placed 123 out of 1400 people who raced.
I on the other hand, didn't meet my goal of 38 minuets, or my goal of running the whole thing. I feel like I was not mentally prepared, I was not thinking about the race prior to it, encouraging myself in my head that I can do this. I ran the whole first mile and I ran it fast for me, 12 minuets. Then mile 2 came and my asthma got so bad. I felt like there was something in my throat not letting air in. The cold whether didn't help much either. I had an inhaler, but it wasn't my normal one, and come to find out, my Mom said she thinks it's a preventative one, so it doesn't help for emergencies. Really there are no excuses. I should have just ran slower and pushed through. I finished 1250 out of 1400. I see a pattern in my running, some are amazing, some totally bomb. I won't give up though.
On a positive note, I finished in 40:40, but since we didn't start right away I think I might have finished in less than 40 minuets, so even though I walked half of mile 2, I managed to finish with my personal record for speed. Yay!
Me and Davey before the race.Me crossing the finish line, and Shane running towards me, I carried him across the finish line after I passed him and he ran after me crying because he couldn't catch up. Davey, I, turkey man, and Sara.
On another positive note, today I got a jogger for $25! I hope it works well. I had to take Cody to his last pre-op appointment before his surgery on Friday (please be in prayer for Cody! His little body being put under and worked on scares me so much!). His appointments are in Hollywood. We left early and went to Santa Monica so I could test out the bike trailer we picked up from Sara's house. It is really easy to set up, and a G R E A T workout. Going against the wind was very tough. On our way back was easier. We did 5.5 miles. I could have done much more but was pressed for time. At Cody's appointment I went to the wrong building and ended up walking 5 blocks one way to find the right building, so 10 blocks total.
I looked on Craigslist while waiting in the dr's and found a jogger I had called on a couple weeks ago for $30. I emailed and offered her $25 and she said yes. It was on the way home in Los Angeles, so I stopped and got it. So happy! Another answer to prayer.
We had a great Thanksgiving at my Grandma's. God has been gracious to us! So many things I am thankful for. My great grandmother is one of them. She usually comments on my weight (being heavy), and this time she said, "You've lost a lot of weight!". It was encouraging because she is so honest. My grandparents are always so hospitable, and it's very nice visiting them. The next day we ate at my Aunt's and she took us shopping and bought us many things we need. Was such a blessing. Then Saturday we went to my brother in laws (who is 14) football game which they won, now going to championship. At the game I saw two of my good guy friends from high school. One I saw last thanksgiving and was much heavier. I was glad to see him again and be much smaller! Even though I am not at goal, I am glad I am not totally mortified at the thought of seeing old friends like I use too.
My great Grandma and Cody.
You know what I always say, picture is worth a thousand words. So here are some of our week.
Us in Pismo. Christmas in the park in San Jose.

Christmas Challenge

I've been looking for a Christmas challenge to do for the month of December to help keep me on track. I couldn't find one I liked, so I decided to make one up of my own! I invite you to do it also if you want to, and you can modify it to your own challenge, or just do one of the challenges.
Challenge details:
Run: 75 miles in the month of December.
Sounds like a lot right!? It's part of my training for Surf City half marathon. It will be very challenging keeping my schedule. I made a chart, but as long as I reach the goal of 75 miles, I will be happy.
Bike: 150 miles in the month of December.
This is actually about 50 miles short of the beginning Olympic distance bike training. I am going to account every Spin class 8 miles, and do the rest on the road (yay for my new bike trailer thanks to Sara!). Since I have already done over 26 miles at Bike the Coast, I know I can do the bike leg of the Olympic Distance Triathlon, but I need to stay conditioned.
Swim: 5 miles in the month of December. Olympic distance tri is a 1 mile swim in open water. That is 4 x's what I've done other triathlons. In January I will really kick up my swimming miles.
Track & stick to points: Track and plan meals, stick to allowed WW points.
Starting December 1, I will track all my points, and plan my meals ahead of time. I am giving myself Christmas Eve and Christmas day to slack a little on points.
Weight loss: Lose 10 pounds.
I hope that with all the running, and tracking this will be easy.
Plank: Minding my Weigh challenged her readers to do a Plank Challenge and I committed but have not followed through. I am going to challenge myself to hold the plank for 1 minuet before this month is over!
And my final challenge is...
Read all 4 Gospels: Read Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John through, in the month of December. That's 2-3 chapters a day. Considering He was born this month, to die for me, this is a reasonable goal for me to accomplish! I love spending extra time with Him this month, next to my Christmas tree, with a hot cocoa or a tea.

These are some very high goals I have challenged myself too. I am very bad at sticking to plans. So to say the least, I have my work cut out for myself. My biggest enemy is time. I have scheduled most of this, and will work hard to stick to it!
p.s. I realized I have not posted my goal for Thanksgiving day Turkey Trot 5K in Modesto. My goal time is 38 minuets. :)
p.s.s Happy birthday to my wonderful, beautiful mother! Thank you for having me :) You don't look 52 at all. xoxo

One Run

One run was what it took to gain my confidence back in the training and working out aspect.
Last night I started to run at 8:15 pm. I didn't want to go. The only reason I did was because of the 5K on Thanksgiving. I am in a dangerous mind set. My eating is out of control... well, not binging, but not in control either.
So I started running. Cold, windy, dark, quiet, creepy. There was a man in dark clothing "following me" (probably just on his way home, but my Dad, a police chief, has taught me very well to be very aware and what to do if someone is following you). So I turn down a street that is half of the big lap I normally run. I ran behind parked cars so he couldn't see me clearly. I thought, "I'm done already. I want to go home. I lost it, I lost the running mojo, the spinning mojo (because I only did one class last week), definitley lost my dieting mojo. To be honest I can't believe I haven't had a Gallbladder attack!" I was down. I get to my beautifully decorated house with tons of Christmas lights (which I did all by myself!) and I wanted to go in. But instead I said just one more half lap. Then I decided to do a whole lap. Then I started calculating how far I'd have to go to do 3 miles. 3 big laps, 1 half lap. Then I decided to go for four miles. I wasn't even at 2 miles when I decided. I felt better, stronger, warmed up. Not as cold or scared. I prayed and talked with the Lord.
1 hour and 3 minuets later I stopped running. I finished 4 big laps, and 2 half laps. I wanted to be sure I hit my goal of 4 miles. When I got to the end of my run, I quoted Forest Gump to myself, the famous line when he finally stopped running... "I just didn't feel like runnin any more." Ha. I chuckled out loud a little.
My legs were hurting. My hips were sore. My knee was aching. There is just something about 4 miles. Sounds so much further than 3. A lot of people can run 3. But not many can run 4! Plus 4 is my favorite number. So mapmyrun.com ...2 times I mapped it. 4.75 MILES!! I was shocked. That is 1/4 mile away from 5!! Now I know I can run the 10K in a few weeks (with more training). Today I am feeling good. And S O R E.
I must get back on track with eating though. Seriously! Once you fall, it's hard to get back up. Especially with traveling (leaving tomorrow), Thanksgiving, family, ect. I need to whip my eating in shape asap.
I'm excited to stay with Davey in near the beach while he works these few days. Running by the beach will be fun! Then off to Sara's, then Grandma's, then in-laws, then home. Happy holidays to everyone!!

Registered

Yesterday I registered Davey and I for the Modesto Turkey Trot 5k. We will be doing it with Sara over at Weightless. Very exciting! But I am not gonna lie, I am extremely nervous. I ran with the boys last night and I felt like I totally lost my running Mojo. Seriously. I don't know if it's in my head, or if it was really hard because I was pushing the boys, but I am not feeling as confident. My asthma again, was really bothering me. Maybe I will use my nebulizer before runs. I only did one small lap, and didn't even run the whole thing. Tonight Davey is coming home. Yay! I plan to run tonight, tomorrow, and Sunday. I am going to take full advantage of him being home!

And.... I just registered for my 10K! I'm excited, and very nervous. Nervous for reasons I just stated, and because I have not even ran a full 3 miles yet. I am trying to tell myself, it's okay, you can walk part of the 10K. But I have this mentality that if I do it doesn't count. I registered so I would keep my race schedule, and continue to challenge myself. I CAN and I WILL finish it!

Davey is coming home tonight. I am really soooo happy! I have Chicken and Dumplings in the Crockpot, and have a lot of cleaning to do. Yesterday I put up all the Christmas lights on the house all by myself! It looks great and I hope I surprise Davey. I told him about the money I spent, and he was mad. Hopefully he's over it tonight! :/ I think he will be :)
Sara found this bike trailer on Craigslist where she lives, and so sweet, she went and picked it up for me! So excited! But Davey told me not to get the jogger I was going to get, which was only $30! Hopefully I can talk him into it.

Bad Habits

Not tracking my food.

Spending money when I shouldn't.

Not staying on top of housework.

Eating too much with the hubby is gone.

Not brushing our teeth twice a day.

Not making my bed first thing in the morning (or at all).

Procrastinating.

Giving in to the boys when they want something, even when my better judgment says no.

Forgetting to get the things the hubby asks me to do done.

Not putting the laundry away asap.

Not waking up before the boys to pray and read my bible.

Right now I am feeling down, unmotivated, guilty for spending money and tired. I can't remember the last time I didn't want to go work out. But right now I have no motivation at all. I gave into some candy last night and right now don't feel like tracking. I know I have so much to work on as a wife, mother, Christian, and an "athlete". But right now I just don't want to. I want to sit with the boys and watch movies all day and eat popcorn and candy. Maybe I will just quickly pack up the boys and go to the beach. That would be nice. I know I will feel better once I run. I need to RUN!
I didn't get that bike trailer yesterday, my Walmart didn't have it. But it's waiting for me at another Walmart. I have been thinking I might wait on it though.
Okay enough excuses!! I will work on one bad habit at a time.

The Scale

As you all know I've been having issues with my scale. Now it doesn't even read a number anymore. A couple weeks ago I went and dug my old dial scale out of a box in the garage. That one read about the same or a pound or two more than my digital one was reading (after 5-10 times on the scale to get a consistent number). So I have not weighed myself in a few days, and last time I did it was on the dial scale, and it read 190 (or maybe even 189, but I just said 190 too be sure).
Last night I was feeling lonely and down, and I wanted to get out of the house. I should have gone to the gym, but Coaches class is insane to get into these days and I didn't feel like fighting for a spot.
So the boys and I went to Target. Yup. Specifically for a scale. I ended up buying a WW scale on sale for $20. I also bought the boys each a pair of PJ's (Superman & Spiderman) on sale as well. They need so many things, clothes, shoes (!!), sippy cups, undies, socks, jackets, everything. They are grown out of so much and Cody is wearing out all of Shane's hami-downs quick. Cody can't wear all Shane's hami-downs because when Shane was wearing 18 months clothes it was summer, and now Cody is and it's winter. You get the picture. They need things, and we have not been able to buy them anything for a long time. I am not complaining, I am so thankful for all we have, and the boys seriously could care less (except they really love their pj's i got last night :). Now that Davey is working I know we can get a few things. I admit it, I spoiled them a bit. They love Toy Story, so I got Shane some Toy Story Undies, got them Toy Story 2 the movie, I got Shane a big Woody doll for Christmas (it's in my closet until Christmas), Cody a little Buzz (only $7!), and a Mr. Potato head for them to share. And of course, we got some Licorice. I didn't feel lonely anymore, but I felt guilty! Oh boy.
Back to the scale, this morning I got on, and it said 195.1. Yikes!! Is it the scale? So I went and weighed my self on the cheap dial one, and it was in between 193-194. Oh no! Did I gain weight!? I wouldn't be surprised. I have not been tracking, or exercising much the last few days. I did run on Saturday, and went to Cycle on Monday.
So here it is. I have a beautiful working scale now. Motivation to see 189. Today, I am tracking, and tomorrow I am running. I am determined to keep losing.
Update on teaching Cycle: I filled out a 24 application and Jackie emailed me that with in a week or two she would invite me to do a group audition. Which means, the people in my class that live here will be auditioning too. Yikes! She said, and I quote, "Practice, Practice, Practice!" and she's right. I really need to practice, and I need my song list together. I need to be ready for her to email tomorrow.
Training update: I am hoping to purchase a used double jogger of craigslist tomorrow. I found one not too far from me for $50!! That's cheap, and the best part is, I listed one of my Graco strollers I used with Shane on Craigslist and someone is suppose to be by to pick it up in an hour or so, so that pays for the jogger. Hopefully it all works out, she comes here, and I go get the jogger. Sometimes people are flaky.
I am also planning on going to Walmart today and purchasing this Bike Trailer, $69 brand new and many many 5 star reviews.
Davey may be a little upset about the money spent at Target and the Bike Trailer, but really he'll be happy. ;) At least I keep telling myself that! Ha. That's all I'm spending and then it's time to save save save. We need to pay off our debt, then save for our future, not to mention big things we need (dryer, lawn mower,) but I'll let Davey get that stuff. And Christmas!
Race updates: It's looking like I might not be able to do the Santa Monica Gobble Wobble 5K. We will be out of town with family. So we are probably going to go stay the night with Sara on Wednesday night, and do a 5K with her on Thanksgiving morning. It is a very reasonable price! $10 per adult, $20 if you want a shirt. I think Davey and I are both going to do it! Will be a lot of fun to visit with Sara, my husbands cousin (Weightless), and her family.
After the 5K we will be going to my grandma's and staying there for a few days. I still plan on doing the Santa Monica-Venice Christmas Run 10K on 12-11-10, and I believe Sara will be doing that one as well! Fun! I LOVE CHRISTMAS! I am putting up our Christmas lights today. :)

Week Re-cap, Family Visit, & Changes

Davey's Mom, Shane and Ameila

Shane and his cousin Amelia sleeping together. So precious.

Well, I'll try my best not to make this a super long post.
At the last minuet last Tuesday night we went to Morgan Hill (our home town). Davey had to go to Vacaville to turn in some papers (yes he had to go in person, not allowed to fax. Weird.) so he could get on the books with the Union. I didn't want to stay home alone again, because I knew he would be leaving for work weeks soon.
We had a great visit, and stayed until Friday. My mother in law and I went on a 10.5 mile bike ride on Thursday, it's such a perfect town to ride in. We took a beautiful country road. Took us 55 minuets, and we did a hill twice.
Later that day Sara [also known as Weightless] came over to spend the night. The boys and I went to lunch with my Mom at Erik's Deli. While we were eating a group of cyclist rode up. I got to show my Mom the type of bike I want and how their shoes clip in. She kept telling me how proud she was of me and what an athlete I've become. It was so nice to hear, you always want your parents to be proud of you. She said she would never attempt to do the things I do.
After lunch she took us shopping at TJ Maxx. She bought me a nice workout/running jacket. I also got a size L sports bra, and a pair of nice work out pants for $12 each! I love finding deals.
My mom also gave me a few pairs of pants, size 14. They fit but were a little tight, but one of the three fit perfect and they were all a size 14. Every brand is so different and it bothers me! What size am I??
My mother in law, Sara, and I went on the same bike ride on Friday. It was really fun. We came home and Sara made homemade salsa, black beans, and a salad. It was delicious and very healthy! Definitely putting it on our menu.. in fact I made it last night. :)
Davey got hired by the union. Praise the Lord!! Almost 6 weeks he has been unemployed. Wow. And the Lord is so good to us. I enjoyed having him home so much. We are so thankful for this job though. It's a great company, great pay, and benefits after 3 months. The only down side is he is working a few hours away. I miss him so much already! But again, I am so thankful for this job. With him gone I have to find a way to work out and to train. My 5K is in less than 2 weeks now. I need to run! I desperately need a jogging stroller. Running with our regular double stroller is horrible. Davey always does it, but I don't know how. I am also looking for a bike trailer. These things are not cheap! I am trying to find things to sell to be able to purchase them.
I will need extra determination to clean, cook, work out, go out, eat healthy and take care of everything while Davey is gone. Two toddlers, ten puppies, two dogs, a house, cooking, gym, training, bills, shopping, church, all by myself. I know I can and will do it, it will just be challenging. Oh yeah, and I am going to be auditioning soon to teach cycle! I need my playlist and to practice it over and over on the bike just like I would teach.
We just came inside from playing (boys were playing with puppies while I cleaned out their beds, poop, ect.). They are so cute! Shane has a favorite puppy and he named him Shane. Cody just grabs the first one that comes to him. I looked to see Cody rocking one and kissing it on the mouth, then putting it down the slide. Hilarious! The Shane put his puppy Shane into his trick or treat pumpkin. I got it on video. It might be an America's funniest Video.
I gave the boys a shower, now I need to give them lunch and a nap and eat and clean and do laundry, and then go to Target. I am so thankful for my boys, my husband, and his new job. I am determined to take full advantage of this time, though it will be hard. I want to do fun things and not just feel sorry for myself.
Okay I really gotta go now. I got two naked boys running around. :)
Cody, Amelia, Shane and Mariyn Me and Sara ( I look really horrible!!)

Update

This is just a pre-blog about my trip home with a quick update. I have been really busy and I have photos I want to upload and lots to write about our trip, I'll so that asap. But for now here's all weight loss related updates.
Weighed today: 190 -54 pounds total.
Exercise: Spin once this week, biked 10.5 miles once with my mother-in-law, biked 10.5 miles again with her and Weightless (my husbands cousin). Was a blast! Tonight- ran 1.67 miles in 21 minuets. I was shooting for 3+ but my asthma was awful! My inhaler was not helping, I couldn't breath at all. Very frustrating. I will run +3 tomorrow! Davey ran 3.02 while pushing boys in 26 minuets! He's too fast. The End.
Food/Tracking: Forgot my WW booklets since we left very suddenly, but I had myfitnesspal on my iPhone so I kept track with that and ate under or just slightly over everyday (slightly over just once). Hopefully I can shop this week and I will plan my meals again. Tonight for dinner I made Cheeseburger pie made with ground Turkey, Scallop Potatoes w fat free milk, and a diet chocolate cake (cake mix mixed with a can of diet soda).
Training: 5k in 2 weeks from today! 10K in one month! Need to focus on running.

Certified

The class on Sunday was great. It was suppose to be 8 hours-9-5, but we got out around 3:30. We had a handbook we went over. It was very informative. There is so much to know about Spinning! But Schwinn does not call it Spin, it's indoor cycling. Which I like. The certification was through Schwinn. I loved there approach. It's AUTHENTIC CYCLING. Meaning, they don't teach or do, anything that you wouldn't do on your bike outside. Which I love because.. I bike outdoors! Isn't it crazy to think, most Spin instructors don't even own a bike?
I have gone to some classes where they do crazy things with your arms, standing straight up and down with a straight back (acting like the bike is a stair master), hovers (which I do), and the biggest things.... Sprints always seem to be done incorrectly.
When you are on the road on your bike, if you want to go faster what do you do? [Confession, when he asked this I wasn't really listening..oops]. I answered, "you pedal". Wrong. You "Gear up". Duh! I just rode my bike for 26.1 miles the day before and I know if you want to go faster you go into higher gear. I did most of the ride in gear 5 and 6 (mountain bike) unless going up hill. Most classes I've done sprints in is on low resistance and pedal fast. That's not doing anything except hurting your knees he said. Makes sense.
He showed a clip from Tour De France [which by the way is 2,000 miles in 21 days, averaging 95 miles a day!], he told us to match our leg speed to theirs. We did. He said most of our legs were going faster, but they were really going faster. Why? They ride in high gears. It was interesting.
I have always tried to ride just like I would my bike outside because that's what I am training for. I don't put my head down, I don't rest my elbows on the bars when we are going up a hill, I don't stand straight up and down. Maybe that is why people comment on my form? I really didn't know much about it, I just knew if I cycled indoors differently than that's not helping me outdoors.
I got there about 40 minuets early because Davey had to drop me off before him and the boys went to church. Skip (the instructor) who is from Hollywood, and teaches at Crunch where Bob Harper teaches, was there and asked me how long I had been cycling. I told him 8 months, and that I have lost 53 pounds, and done 3 triathlons and other events. (I just have to tell anyone I can you know), and he gave me a huge high ten. During the first part of class we all went around the room and told about how we got into spinning. Everyone was shocked when I said how much I've lost and how many event I've done (only 5, not many). Felt good though. There were 4 people there that already teach, 2 from Bakersfield, 2 from LA, (they needed a Schwinn certificate), a personal trainer from my gym ( which I thought, "oh great, she will definitely get a class before me!") another guy from my gym who is a serious cyclist, another girl from my gym (who seemed to be struggling a bit during the rides and wasn't prepared for the day), and an older guy that travels all over So Cal and goes to different gyms.
Skip kept referring to me as his athlete. Ha! I'm such an amateur it's not even funny. It was fun though. He even brought me up on his bike to show proper bike set up. He pulled up my pant leg above my knee so he could show my knee, I was so thankful I shaved! ;)
I know Jackie, the manager of Group X for 24 all over So Cal. I like her a lot. She is Christian, Republican, and sweet. She lives here and teaches here so we've talked quit a bit and we are friends on FB. I wrote on her wall right after class was done that I was ready to audition :) Really I have to get my ride planned out and music together (which is sooo much more complicated than what I thought.. knowing beats per minuet to find revolutions per minuet.. yeah confusing). I will keep bugging her until I can audition. In the mean time I am going to go to Ladies First and the YMCA.
Weigh in was okay, down 1 pound... I think! My scale is being soooo silly. One high number, then an E for error, then a low number, then a number that looks about right, and I have to try it about 10 times. Ugh. I need a new one but don't have the funds right now! I was going to weigh at the gym but the scale is gone! :/
Really looking forward to running this week, and I can't wait for Coaches class tonight! It's been 2 weeks!
I realize all my posts are about the fitness part of this journey. I will talk some about my food.
I have not been tracking, but really want to. I just need to do it. Today I had 1 cup Oatmeal with 1 tbsp brown sugar, coffee with fat free Coffee-mate. Bite of boys toast, a piece of toast with Margarine (horrible I know), and a couple of table spoons of chocolate chips. Bad too.
Okay.. I determine... starting right now... I will T R A C K my P O I N T S. I mean it. I have not been counting calories, on WW at all, just burning a lot and not eating much fat. I can do better. Only 2 1/2 more weeks until Santa Monica Gobble Wobble!