2 miles? No way!

Yup! I ran 2 W H O L E miles with out stopping last night! I am amazed at what I can do, when I really had no clue I could. I wish I would have known this before the 5K at Tri Carson. I now know, that I can run a whole 5K. Last night I felt great after the 2. I could have done more. I was glad to stop, don't get me wrong. I did the 2 miles in 27 minuets. Faster than Thursday's run. But still very very slow. Thats a 13:30 mile. S L O W. Davey ran 3 miles in 28:30. He's so fast! And he was pushing a stroller. Let's just say he's really sore today. Me, I feel good. I will ice my knees just to be safe though.
We decided to go to the track as a family. It was so much fun. The boys L O V E it. They run with us until they are tired then go in the stroller, and Shane yells "Go Mommy!!" the whole time. :) Then on our cool down lap after we finished running, they run the lap. Shane did 1/2 mile total and Cody did 1/4 mile. Shane says, "Mommy, I run too!". It's so cute.
I just find it amazing that when I am at the gym on the treadmill (let's say last week) I am dying for my 3 mins to be up so I can walk. That's why I didn't think I could run far. But during Tri Carson, I ran the last leg of the run (a little less than a mile) and was surprised I could do it with out dying. So it sparked my curiosity. I am not one to think "It's all in your head" like Davey does. BUT I set my mind up that I was going to run two laps around my neighborhood Thursday night and I did and last night I just determined to do 2 miles, and I did. There is a mental aspect, being confident and knowing you can, really makes your body able. I was under estimating myself on running. I am so glad I stopped enabling myself to do less than what I can! I was really stressed about being behind on C25K, but now I'm ahead.. yay :)
Thursday and Friday I did cycle in the morning and ran at night. Confession: I have N O T been tracking my points :/ but I have not been eating a lot.. I hope.
I don't want to make this a super long post, but there are many things going on in our lives I have not posted about yet. So many burdens, blessings, and growth.
About a month ago now, Davey got laid off. There is just no more work for his company right now, and in the near future. He was one of the last one's to be laid off. I won't bore you all with all our details and goals for career/ministry/finances ect. but I will say, looks like Davey is going to get on with the Union with his Dad and work on a 2 month project, 2 hours away from home. This job would be a huge blessing seeing it's government paid job and Davey has not worked in 4 weeks. It would also be very hard because he will be gone 6 days a week, only home Saturday nights and Sunday days. He worked a job far away for a few months last year and it was so horrible being apart. I dreaded it so much. I miss him, get so depressed, feel unprotected, and lonely. I will have so much work just for myself, i.e: boys, house, puppies, big dogs, yard work, selling the puppies, bills, ect. Of course, I am thinking about how I won't be able to work out as much either. If I want to take the boys to the gym, it cost $6 for 2 hours. If I only go 3 times a week that's $18 a week, and $72 a month. Plus I am just getting certified in a week, and how will I pursue that with him gone? What if I get a chance to sub? I won't have the time or ability to work on my songs and rides to have prepared in case I get a chance.
What about running outside? Do you know how hard it is to run with a double stroller that is not a jogging stroller? Really hard. It's doable though, I know. And how bout riding bikes outside? Nope. I don't have a bike trailer, and even if I do, there really aren't roads here safe enough or bike paths I would pull my boys on. I will say, I have already pleaded my argument for a bike trailer and a jogging stroller though for while he is gone. Enough complaining. I am just going to suck it up and try not be a baby, and do what I need to do.
What's the big deal you might ask? Well, I have a schedule all written out for 4 months, Dec-March to train for an Olympic distant triathlon for next season. I don't have one in mind yet, but was hoping to do a few sprints and maybe an Olympic, then I want a baby. [:)] So in my head I have it all planned out, but why am I getting so upset? I already know, God's plans are different then our own sometimes! I'll just train the best I can while Davey is gone. That's all I can really do. If you have not noticed, I am always a worry wart. I stress about things I can't control. I need the Lord's help in this area.
Anyone have any ideas on how to train with the boys I'd love to hear them! :)

1.67 miles ran!!

Yes it's my second post of the day. I just got back from running 1.67 miles without stopping!!
I looked at my race schedule and realized that only a few weeks after the 5K is the 10K. So I just decided I wanted to run tonight. I got on my running shoes and left to run around my neighborhood. I know a route that is 1.32 miles, and I wanted to do that loop but was too scared to go so far from home since it's dark and well.... I live in Lancaster. I decided to just run two big laps around my neighborhood. I was hoping it would equal a mile.
I looked at my watch to see I had been running 12 minuets at one loop. I was shocked! It only felt like 5 minuets. Then I did the second lap, and finished at my house. I checked to see my time was 25 minuets total running!! That is the LONGEST I have ran since I was little and would run with my Dad. I knew I was going slow, I wanted to pace myself so I could run the whole two laps. I couldn't wait to get on mapmyrun.com and find out how far it was.
I was shocked to see I had ran 1.67 miles with out stopping!! This is huge for me!!! I felt good and could have gone more (but not too much more, lol). This may seem like nothing to some people, but for me, an overweight asthmatic, it's huge! And I only used my inhaler once during the run and no side stitches! I know I got this 5K in less than a month now. Can't wait to run tomorrow! :)

Nothing Really..

I don't have much to report today. It's that time again so I am waiting to weigh until it's over. I did use my new cycle shoes today in Spin and loved them. My inner thighs are already sore. I needed Jessica and a lady in class to show me how to get them clipped in though! I practiced after class and I got it now.
There was a girl in the class that's also going to be doing the certification. When Jessica told us we were both going to be there is was nice to "know" someone, but a little competition too. Man, who am I? I think all these tri's and races are getting to me :0
So I am upset about the race results for Tri Carson... yeah they have me listed as second to last!!! 194 out of 195!! They put me down for 1 hour 17 mins on the bike.. which is so boohaggy!! I watched my watch and it was 60 mins (and only because I got confused on the course) so she is trying to work it out. Good news is I'm up there with my swim time (6 mins). And my run was a PR which they say was 43 min (my time according to start and finish run was 41 something) either way still beat last time. It just stinks cause if I didn't get lost on the course I would have done really well and maybe been in the average 50/50 area. Oh well.. lesson learned. Memorize bike description and don't listen to unknowing volunteers!! :/
Yesterday was my first work out all week. We've all been sick with a cold. I got up at 6:30am and swam 1/2 mile at the gym in 25 mins. Not too bad. Then went to a street I heard on mapmyride.com was a good ride, and rode 7 miles. My goal was to ride 10-15.... my 25 mile race is coming up!! But the road was cold (so cold, with wet hair.. not good) and scary (no bike lanes) with cars zooming past you and I pray they scoot over and are not texting, I headed back after 3.5 miles or so to my car. Oh well..
I found out a cycle group meets at 7am on Saturdays and rides together. I am debating showing up. I don't know them, or their levels, and don't want to slow them down.
Other news, I have been really watching my fats due to the gallbladder issues.. good I guess. Cause even when I crave something fatty I won't eat it! Well that's all for now....

This far....

I have been thinking a lot about our future. Our goals as a family, spiritually, financially, and my own goals physically. There is so much we want to do, so much to achieve. God is a good God, and I know that only what's done for Christ will last into eternity...which makes the accomplishments we want seem so insignificant... BUT we serve a good God! He does care and wants us to have life abundant, not just surviving...thriving. Side note: results still are not posted from Tri Carson! :(
I've come really far...met goals I thought I would be to scared to reach. I feel like nothing is impossible now, because I've come this far.
I want to accomplish my physical goals more than ever now. With the support of my husband, and God behind me, I can. There are many goals I want to achieve. But for now, I want to be able to run the whole 5K coming up next month. I also want to get into the 180's. It's nice to have goals.
I have come this far.....
An overweight unhealthy Mom with no fitness goals....
To -50 pounds, healthier Mom, 3 triathlon finisher, obsessed with Spin, and TONS of fitness goals, including my ULTIMATE goal, an Ironman, and yes I will finish Ironman one day. And it's only by God's grace I've come this far, and I will go even further.

Tri Carson Finisher!

The day started off early, at 3:30am. We got on the freeway by 5:15am. We got to Carson at 6:40, so really not bad time. It was raining hard and still very dark. I didn't have a good feeling about this! From the time we pulled in to the college I knew it was unorganized. No direction leading you to the right area, no parking instructions, nothing. I knew it was the first year for this event, so I just brushed it off.
When we found the area, I went and got my packet, and set up my bike in transition. It was set on a small patch of grass on a slight hill... sound awkward? It was. And muddy!! This race turned out to be a mud run. 3 porta potties for 300+ people as well.. nice. Okay so I am complaining a bit.
So we started the race. The 5K first. I'll just say, there were pros to running first, such as, don't have to worry about changing and being wet.. except I was wet due to the rain. And it's nice to get my weakest thing done first, but.. it also wore me out more than a swim would.

Run- I believe I did manage a PR. I am pretty sure, according to my watch, I finished the run in about 41 minuets. Didn't make my goal (39:50)... but still beat my last time. I ran quite a bit of it! On the last mile I ran about 2/3 the mile straight with out stopping and felt strong!! Starting out on the other hand was hard. I was cold and wet and my asthma was really bothering me. Thank God Jocelyn gave me an inhaler. And due to the porta potty issue, I was at the back, so really was in the kaboose the whole time. It's okay, I know I will do well on the bike... or so I thought.

Bike- Well, I finished in about 60 minuets, and did probably 3 extra miles, but spent a lot of time trying to find my way, stopping to ask the volunteers and CHP if I was going the right way. UGH! So at the "Meeting" before the race, no bike description was given except it's wet, and go slow. So when me and a several of us on the course see a turn, but no one tells us to turn and everyone else is going straight, we go straight. You follow the people. So that turn, was actually the way we were suppose to go. Right, and then do that loop 3 times THEN go straight, making your way back to the college. Again, no signs, no one saying "First lap turn Right!" nothing. And yes, of course they had a timing sensor at the right turn so they knew if you did 3 laps or not.
So a few of us made it back to the college and they were telling us to dismount at the cones. I'm thinking, "What? It's only been twenty minuets. That can't be right." Then I ask someone, "Do we do two laps?" "No you do four!" "Four?? What!! Where?!" And FYI it was 3 laps and the several miles when you go straight. No one knew anything. So we ask what to do, he points that we go across the campus, (where no one on bike are) and get back on the street and do the laps. Okay, so I find the street and the other bikers. The guy and girl I was with cut across the street, missing the timing sensor, and cut into the bike crowd and I didn't see them again. I see the sensor, go opposite way everyone is going to make a U Turn and go through sensor. A CHP stops me and asks me what I am doing. I tell him we got off track and what ask what we do and where we go. He said, make a u turn, you have to do 3 laps. By now it's been a good 3o mins into the bike leg of the race.... I am thinking, "If I do 3 lasp now it will take me at least 40 mins!" Ugh again. So I do the loop. On the way back to the TURN the same CHP saw me and said "Go straight this time!" I am like, "what? I have to do three laps!" "This is the 3rd time I have seen you!" as a volunteer agrees with him. Okay I know buddy but I got messed up! So I say, "can I just go through the sensor then turn around and go back?" He says, "Sure! I don't care." But I didn't want to give up. I would do one more lap, knowing I would be doing more than the 12 miles, but at least I could finish knowing I did the required amount. So now I am ALONE. All alone. Very lonely and discouraged. I wanted to just get to the college and give up. But I passed the CHP again and went all the way back to the college to transition area. I am not sure how far I went, all I know is I got messed up, along with MANY others, and they did not do any laps. So, I was upset.
The course was tough, several long gradual hills, nothing too extreme though. Oh and at one point my front brakes weren't working down hill (and it was wet). I managed to stop real quick to look and realized it wasn't connected :/ Yikes. I fixed it and was on my way.
It seemed I was last when I was coming in to T2. People were already leaving the event. I see Davey and Karissa and her friend and the boys, I express my frustration and they already knew I got off course, because many others came back and told everyone they messed up.

Swim- I grunted all the way to the pool through the muddy grass, as Davey and everyone came with me. I got in the water, surprised to see people still swimming. The pool was very warm. I was in and out in 5-6 min. No one was there to keep track of how many laps people did, and a volunteer kept telling me to move over which slowed me down. The exit was across the pool so I had to wait for swimmers to go by, then out of the pool and cross the finish line. I was happy to see that people were still coming in the pool sometime after me. So I wasn't dead last like I thought.

I spoke with someone right away, but got no answers. Then Davey showed me the lady running the event, I told her what happened, and she seemed real nice, but busy. So oh well. They results were up, and I wasn't on there, guessing it was because I didn't get scanned 3 times on the bike course. About an hour later I saw a Twitter message from her and she asked how I liked it, and I told her what happened and she said they will work on the timing. Oh Well, what can you do?! I guess every triathlete has a race like this once in their lives right? Below: About to start.

Below: Finishing the run

Starting the bike.
Here I am asking why I am back at the college so soon...

Finishing the bike.
Onto the swim now.

and here is my motivation..........

The end.

Gallstones??

At about 11:00 am this morning I got a sudden, acute pain in my lower stomach. I rushed to the bathroom, and was in worse pain than childbirth! The pain were like contractions, coming and going, but very severe. I thought I was going to need an ambulance! Bad time not to have medical insurance. :/
I tried to lay down but was in so much pain. I took 2 Benadryl and 1 Vicodin for the pain and to go to sleep. As I drifted off to sleep I would awake in pain again. My friend Alex text me and said it sounded like the Salmanilla poisoning she had a few weeks ago. She brought me medicine, so sweet.
The pain finally subsided and I feel asleep. Thank God Davey was home. I thought, "Lord, why do I always get really sick before a triathlon?" then it dawned on my it must be something I am eating. Every time I don't track my points (sadly hasn't been much this week, especially yesterday) my stomach gets very upset.
Last night at Walmart (getting milk of course), I was craving a Lemon Cake, and I broke down and bought one. I swear between last night and this morning I ate 2/3 of the cake :/ bad!!! I kept taking bites here and there... till.... whoa where did it go?? Then the pain came.
Sara (weightless) said it sounded like Gallstones, she has suffered from. Others on Facebook suggested Appendicitis, Kidney Stones, and more. Yikes! But the pain was in the lower abdomen, so I ruled out all of those. When I woke I was determined to find out what it was. Maybe food allergy? Well after much research and hearing from my Mother-in-law and her sister that it sounded like Gallstones, I figured it was. Right around that time I began to get a small pain in my back in between my shoulders... symptom.
I was confused though because I was reading everywhere that Gallstones are commonly caused by weight loss, or having a baby. I researched the weight loss part, and it said due to the lack of fat, you get Gallstones. But what's puzzling to me is, when I eat TOO MUCH FAT at once, it seems to trigger it. But I found over and over, that eating greasy foods, or dessert can set off an attack... dessert... 2/3 of a cake...?? Hmmm. So really only God knows, but I will not be eating too little or too much fat, and lay off eating junk. One more reason to eat healthy.
I was upset because here I am 50 pounds lighter and I get an obesity related sickness, caused by losing weight. But I read people that don't gain weight and gain/lose weight over and over don't have as much of a chance to get them. So by gaining all this weight, and working my tail off to lose it.. I reach a consequence from being obese. It was a reality check for me, and thank God it wasn't diabetes or something worse.
Excited about Saturday and praying I am %100 better by then.

Weigh IN - -BIG 5-0!

Weighed in today! Hit -50 baby! Yay!! At first it read 195, then 194, then 193 (5 times in a row) then 194 (4 times in a row)... yeah my scale is being funky. Anyways, so I decided to just go with 194. So yay! If I saw this day 15 months ago, I would be so happy and excited. I am very happy, but I am still very aware that I have 54 pounds to go to reach my goal. Hopefully it won't take me as long to lose the second half, but I am not going to put a "goal date" on this journey any more. I'll get there eventually. I do hope it is by next summer so we can start trying for another baby. But if not, that's okay. I have my whole life to get there.
Yesterday in Coach's class he kept commenting me on my form and telling me how good I looked. It felt so nice, but I kept looking in the mirror and saw my side, and realized I am still really big.
I'm all set for the tri on Saturday! I am starting to stress about the 25 mile ride I registered for. I am sure I can do it, but that's roughly 2 hours or 1 hour 40 minuets on a bike. It's a long time! I have to think of a strategy to prepare.

Tri-Carson-4 days!

Tri-Carson is in 4 days now! I am excited! I am not nearly as organized as I was the last one. This one is a reverse triathlon, Run 3.1 miles, Bike 12 miles, swim 200 meters. The swim is short, thank God. Swimming after all that is really hard, no doubt. I am really hoping to beat my last time, but I have to admit, I have not been focusing on "training" for this one. Yes I have been working on my running, and I have been doing Spin, but I have not ridden my bike outside at all, or swam very much. So to beat my last triathlon time, I must reach these goals:

Run: Beat 45:50 (See Jane Run Triathlon)-[15.3 min mile]
Run Goal- 39:50-[13.3 min mile]
Bike: Beat 49:20 (SJR Tri)- [4.5 min mile]
Bike Goal- (bike is 12 miles, 1 more mile than SJR)- 48:30 [4.05 min mile]
Swim: Beat 10:34 (SJR Tri)-[2.6 min per 100 meter]
Swim Goal- (Swim is half the distance)- 5:10-[2.55 min per 100 meter]

It's going to be tricky, we have to wake up at 4:00am to leave by 4:45am to get my sis in law and her friend by 5:00am, to get there by 6:30am. That only gives me 30 minuets to set up transition area, stretch, warm up and to get my bib and packet. :/ I might need to leave earlier.

Good thing is, I have left over nutrition from SJR Tri. I have 2 Ensure, 1 package Shot Blocks (not really enough, but will do), and 2 power bars.

More good news is, I don't need a wet suit because it's in a pool (which will be very interesting), and I will be quick hopefully in T1 and T2 since I am wearing the clothes I am going to swim in for the run and bike. I really hope it is well organized and well marked.

Bad news, I don't have a bib belt, still can't ever figure out what to do with the bib because of the swim. And more bad news, I am almost out of my inhaler, and I have no medical insurance anymore. I have been needing it most days a few times a day since the pups were born. Not good. It will be a real struggle to finish strong if it runs out. I will do my best though, and I have been praying God will provide one. Maybe I can borrow a friends....

Training this week: Monday I did Cycle and accidentally half my c25k (missed where it said repeat).
Tuesday-C25K, Cycle with Coach, Body Sculpt with Jessica, but take it easy.
Wednesday- Swim 800 meters (or 25 minuets) and bike outside a few miles just to feel my bike.
Thursday & Friday- Rest

Chocolate

I have been craving chocolate. We have had none. Not even chocolate chips like we usually do. I ran into Walmart last night for milk (FYI Walmart's Great Value milk is hormone free.. did I mention that already?) and I really wanted chocolate. So I got a few candy bars. I ate one Scor last night, and the rest are taunting me in my cupboard. I didn't weigh in today due to the chocolate... I think I'll weigh in on Wednesday [a week from last weigh in]. Maybe I'll give the boys the candy bars... hmmm... but then they will be bouncing off the walls. Maybe I will try to forget about them.....mmmm... chocolate.
Okay anyways,enough about chocolate. The other day at church my sister in law and her friend came up to us after church. Her friend put her finger on me and said, "tssssss! Hot!!". They both told me how good I looked and my sister in law told me I looked like "The old me". I said it was because I can fit in to some of my old clothes now, and I can actually wear my heels again! Before I weighed too much to wear them, my feet would die.
After that, two ladies from our Sunday school class came up to us and told Davey how good I looked. The little Filipino one said "She look sexy Debby!" (her pronunciation of Davey) lol she cracks me up. The other lady just got gastric by-pass and had lost 45 pounds since the surgery 3 weeks ago. Whoa! I said "I've lose 49 and it's taken over a year!" she will be passing me very quickly. It was amazing to get compliments and people to notice all the hard work. But at the same time I feel uncomfortable, and almost like I don't want anyone to notice because I don't want any attention. Even though I can fit into some of my old clothes now, I find myself trying on my clothes that are too big. Weird??!! I guess it's a fat girl mind game. For 3+ years now I've tried to hide my body and my shape. It's gonna take some time to feel mentally like I am almost 50 pounds lighter.
Motivated by Minding my Weigh, I cleaned out my closet and I am lending (giving) my friend my 18-20's. I tried on my old clothes and fit into most of the 14's! Wow.
I did run 3 times last week, but feel behind on C25K, I should be starting week 4, but am really at week 3 since I totally skipped a week.
Davey and I watched shows for a few hours on Saturday. A nice lazy day. But then we felt too lazy, so we decided to run/walk to the store for milk (yes we drink a lot of milk in our home). The last leg of our trip, Davey wanted me to run our whole street, 2 blocks. So reluctantly I said Ok. I ran with him, then the second half of our street I sprinted all the way home. Davey and the boys were shouting for me, "Go Mommy!!" so cute. On mapmyrun.com I looked up our street and it was .33 miles, exactly 1/3 of a mile I ran straight! Yay. And at a good pace too.
Tri Carson is on Saturday! I have not been thinking about it at all..:/ but I am excited. I feel like it's laid back and more for fun. I will definitely try to beat my time of course. Today Jackie's spin class and a swim?? Well see. Boys in their room suppose to be sleeping but they are playing.. better go now! :)

Preparing and 10 things you don't know...

Sad news, Lucky (the runt of the litter) died the other night :( I feel terrible! We saw that she wasn't growing at all and that she wasn't eating well, so we bought puppy formula and a puppy bottle to supplement it. It still wouldn't suck well, so I had to feed it with a dropper. It got full and fell asleep, but next time when Davey fed it, it seemed in pain, and I could tell it wasn't doing well. In the middle of the night it died. :( But good news is the rest are doing well and getting really big!

I know I wanted to start preparing for my certification class coming up on 11-7. I was advised to take as cycle classes as possible to see the different style of each teacher. This week Davey has had no work so I was able to go to a couple morning classes. Jessica teaches Thursday's at 10 am so I went. It was a good class. It is challenging to go do a different instructor when you are use to one.
Friday morning I went to Jackie's class (she is in charge of who gets hired to teach). She was good also. I do like her riding style. She was in Jessica's class Thursday morning, on Friday she said she was watching me. She also told me how to get ready to audition, which is with just her (hoping it would be with a whole class to make it less awkward). She said it's much more than being able to cycle, it's being a motivator and a coach. She suggested I google ways to be a motivator in the gym. I am nervous, but I do feel like hopefully people will like me simply because they can relate. I am not skinny, I have lost almost 50 pounds, I went from fat and totally not fit, to a work out addict. Maybe?? It's all up to the Lord, so we'll see.

After I registered for the class, I got an email listing things I need to bring. #1 Cycle shoes. Uh-oh. It's in two weeks! If I was going to order some I needed to do it. And they are all so expensive! I told Davey and he said to order them with our credit card. We already put the certification class on credit.. hoping this will all be an investment. But Davey hasn't worked all week and now it's scary. So we are praying the puppies sell asap so we don't get far behind. I searched online for 3 hours for the right shoes! I tried to get the cheapest ones with out being a cheap brand. I found some on sale for $60! Bummer they only had a size 6 though. So I really wanted these:
I saw them for $120-130 on different websites, then I found them on Amazon for $89! So those were the ones. Horray. Eventually I can were them in triathlons. They are triathlon shoes, but I need pedals for my bike, and those are pricey! And I know I will fall a lot while riding with them at first.. I mean your feet are stuck on the pedals!

I have seen on a few of my blogger friends blogs questions and answers. I thought it would be fun to list 10 things you didn't know about me! I ask all you to do it as well if you haven't already!

1. I was raised speaking Spanish
2. I started dating my husband at age 14
3. I use to work in fashion at Nordstroms and that is what I was going to school for before I went to bible college
4. We want 5-8 kids
5. In 2004 I tried out for the Oakland Raiderettes
6. In high school one thing I was known for was hip hop dancing even though I am a white girl
7. I was in a movie when I was little (as an extra)
8. My parents divorced when I was 12
9. My first car was a BMW M3, stick shift, now I drive a Mini Van
10. I became a Christian at age 17
:)

195 :)

I weighed 195.6 today!!!! Yippeeeeeeeeeeeee!! I weighed myself after breakfast and a snack too. Hooray! I forgot to weigh Monday and Tuesday..so I weighed today, and didn't expect much loss. But yay! 195 is a very meaningful number for me. When I worked at LA Weight Loss, I started the program and when I started I weighed 195. I lost 15 pounds, then gained back 7, and got pregnant with Shane. I weighed 187 when I got pregnant with Shane, so close to pre-babies weight! But I have looked forward to weighing 195 for some time now just because now, I am at a weight I was at before kids.
Yesterday's work out was brutal. I did my couch to 5K on the treadmill, started cycle class on my own before class, did the 60 min class, then did 60 min Body Sculpt. Today I did couch to 5K on the treadmill, 10 min Spin bike, and 250 meter swim. Total about 40 min workout. Not too bad considering how sore I am. Davey has not been working so things are crazy around here. He doesn't like me on the computer that much :/ lol although I could be on it a bit less! 10 more days until Tri Carson triathlon. I am not nervous about it at all. I am thinking of it as fun and laid back. Davey's war 5K was canceled :( although he was relieved. LOL! He hasn't been running very much. Oh and great news.... I can now say Shane is offically potty trained! Whoo hoo! He goes poop in the potty every time now. Yay! I guess he just needed to be ready. =)
-49 pounds now.. almost 50!!! Hopefully next weeks weigh in I'll be at -50 or more!

Wedding, Puppies, Life

I have been so incredibly busy since I got home at 1:00am Monday. So sorry I am so behind on all my blog lists. Can't wait to catch up.
The wedding went amazing. Very loving easy couple to photograph.
Our dog Molly went into labor right as I had to leave Saturday. She had 12, but 1 didn't make it :( They are all chocolate.. and sooo cute!!! I just love them.
As soon as I got home from Morgan Hill, I went and hugged my husband, and sleeping boys who I missed terribly, then I went and spent time with Molly and her babies.
Davey has not had any work yet this week, so he has been home, and you all know how much more work that is.
So on top of my husband and two boys needing me all the time, I have 11 puppies and Molly to care for. I have to check on them often because sometimes a couple of them will be missing and they crawled under the blankets and are sleeping under there or lost. It's so cute. Then I have to make sure the runt is eating enough. Davey came out and saw she had one in the middle of the night, and it was dead. He was so sad. Then he heard crying over in the dirt where she went and had another one. It was freezing and covered in dirt. Davey cleaned it and warmed it up, and brought it to Molly to eat where she finally made her way into her whelping box in the garage. The little one is doing very well, but needs a lot of attention. There are some fatty's that bully their way to eat 24/7. Molly is a great Mommy now. She didn't need any help cutting the cord or tearing the sack, and she is caring for them all the time. She actually will pick up a smaller one and bring it to her to eat. It's amazing. She was trying to move them all to her dog house, so we have to keep watching her so she will stay in the box where there are lots of blankets and a heater and warm lights above it.
So to sum it up, I am busy, Davey is looking for a job so he is online all the time, and I have much house work to catch up on. :/ I am really looking forward to running today on the treadmill at the gym, then taking Coaches spin class, and Body Sculpt class. I need to relive some stress. My next triathlon is in less than 2 weeks now!! Yikes. I need to swim! I didn't get to the gym yesterday :( but I am making it up today. Here are some photos of my busy last few days! =)

Sick

Finally yesterday we were able to get groceries! Hooray!! We decided to get a Costco pizza while there. Not long after, I wasn't feeling to good. We went to Costco, Trader Joes, Winco, and Davey went to Walmart! Wow.. busy day. I researched and found out Walmart's Great Value milk is hormone free. So I won't settle for Winco Milk any more for our WIC checks.
Anyways.. short and sweet blog. I was nauseated all night long, thought I was going to throw up, and feeling horrible. I really think it was the pizza. What is going on?? Every time I eat something that's not healthy, I get sick now!!??
Feeling a little better today. Scale said 197.6 so down .2 from the other day so yay!
I am leaving for Morgan Hill today by myself ;( to do a wedding. It's my first fully paid, by myself, 8 hour wedding! She booked me about a year ago. I am so excited.. very nervous.. and sad to leave my 3 guys. Molly [our dog] is due today so Davey can't come with. Pray for me if you get a chance.. I am scared of falling asleep while driving tomorrow night. Leaving Morgan Hill after the wedding at 8:30 pm and driving 5 hours home.

Exciting and Surprising News!!!!

I was trying to hold this in.. but I am just too excited, and I can't. No I am not pregnant, and no we are not moving. Ready................. drum roll please...........
I am getting certified to become a SPIN instructor!!!!!! Yes you heard right. I have been thinking about it for some time now, and talked to Davey about it last week and he was surprisingly excited bout the idea. We prayed about it and feel like it would be a great thing. I go to cycle about 2-4 times a week, and I just love it. I have posted before how I passionate I am about my cycle classes. Jessica my gym teacher has been helping me prepare and find a class to get certified. I was concerned how I am not skinny mini yet, and she said people that have lost weight and are still working towards goals make the best teachers sometimes. We discovered that they are having one at MY gym on 11-7-10!! That hardly ever happens... usually you have to drive down to Santa Monica... which I was totally willing to do since that's my favorite city ever. But wow it's meant to be! Then Tuesday in cycle, another cycle teacher, Jackie came in to check something and Coach said "Hey everyone this is Jackie my supervisor!" So I realized she is the one that hires the teachers. She teaches Monday nights, and from now on I will be there. I have done her class once before, she's good.
When I was walking into Body Sculpt she was coming out of the room, so I introduced myself and asked her all about the class to get certified, and she told me the next steps after that. She said it's really hard to get a class to teach.. I have to take the 8 hour cycle certification class, then audition with her. She said it takes more than good cycling but motivation and encouragement and the ability to be a coach. She said not many people that get certified teach. Well, I am upbeat, not scared to audition.. even though it would be awkward. I was a cheerleader for many years so I know how to motivate people even if they feel uncomfortable doing what you want them to.. I would most likely just start subbing for people until people request for me to have a class (if that happens). =)
There are 3 24 hour Fitness in our area, 1 YMCA, and 1 Ladies First, all which I hope to apply. The pay is not great, but who cares, I would be doing the class anyways. I debated about it because what if Davey's work schedule changes and I can't work around it, and the fact that we want to have more children. But if it's God's will He will work it all out. Excited and motivated for this next huge goal.

Healing my Body

I am overwhelmed with God's grace, as I did this to my body and He allows me to get healthy and heal myself. Weightless wrote a blog similar some time ago... but I really didn't get it then. But I do now! No doubt with much hard work, blood, sweat and tears, literally... but all so worth it. [Okay so maybe not the blood! Hopefully never..] Side note: Speaking of blood, Monday morning during an early cycle class, a lady's pedal came off the bike, and the bike sliced her leg open.. literally. Blood everywhere. My gym buddy Lisa was there, and she is a nurse [thank God] and she thought she hit an artery because blood was squirting out. Yikes!! She needed many stitches. Lisa said it was a 2 inch gash in width and long in length. She had metal stuck in her leg. So awful! Needless to say I was scared to Spin on Tuesday. Just make sure your peddles are tight.
AND a week ago Tuesday the ambulance had to come to our gym because someone passed out while playing basketball.. THEN this last Tuesday during Body Sculpt, a lady fell over and was shaking.. someone shouted she was having a seizure, and Jessica yelled for someone to run to the front desk to have them call an ambulance..I was closest to the door so it was me that went. Shoving through people waiting for the next class, yelled to the workers at the desk.."Call 911 there's a lady having a seizure!!" As they all scrambled and yelled, call 911 code blue!" As we ran and led him to the lady.. By now she was sitting up right and people were surrounding her, Lisa again to the rescue. We all cleared the room for the paramedics, so I never found out if she just fainted, but when I looked over at her before running out of the room she was on her face and shaking.. SCARY. So anyways, back to the subject.......
I get frustrated with how far I let my body go... especially considering the fact that I use to weigh 140, and had a desirable body. I am amazed at how my body is changing though. I see changes I thought I would never see after having two babies. My belly has no more stretch marks, actually most of them are gone through out my body. I am getting my old shape back.. even though I know it won't be exactly the same.
More than the way I look though, is how much I am undoing the damage I did. Being educated on health and the risks obesity have are very motivating. I read this article the other night and it amazed me.. here is a clip from it:

2. Your heart, which is the size of your closed fist, is a small, overworked muscle, pumping 24/7. And for every extra pound of fat you carry, your body has to grow seven new miles of blood vessels -- primarily capillaries but also small arteries (arterioles) and small veins (venules) -- and your heart has to work that much harder. Put on two pounds and that’s fourteen new miles of blood vessels; fifty extra pounds requires 350 miles of new blood vessels. On and on...

But good news: the opposite is true. For every pound of fat you lose, your body sheds seven miles of blood vessels. They just re-absorb, break down, and get excreted. Lose two pounds and that’s fourteen miles of blood vessels gone, lightening your heart and body’s load. -http://www.cardiologist-wife.com

Isn't that amazing!?? My heart was working so much harder than it needed to be! Still has many miles of extra blood vessels, but so far I've shed 329 miles of excess blood vessels! Wow. Also, your heart working that hard does put "Wear and Tear" on it. Not good.
On the Biggest Loser, they showed 2 contestants who lost loved ones from obesity. This hit home.. a young man's Mother, who had a heart attack around age 50 caused by diabetes. Her two sons found her on the floor in her bedroom, already passed. Another girl, lost her brother, in his twenties, who auditioned to the BL show, and 5 days later died in his sleep! Probably from sleep apnea caused by obesity. To hear real stories like that really opened my eyes even more.

I am beginning to become passionate about health and preventing diseases, especially cancer. Too many people are diagnosed with it these days. It seems crazy to me. I know God is ultimately in control, but he gave us our temples to care for it, not destroy them and expect Him to give us long life. I understand that He does allow some healthy, young, fit people to get cancer. But I want to do my part and take care of what He has given me. I am amazed at His mercy that He would create the human body allowing us to undo damage we have done. It's not the case with say.. alcohol abuse, or drug abuse, and possibly there will always be some consequences from letting myself get so unhealthy, but He is so good to give us the control and help to heal our bodies from obesity.

I have already worked out 210+ hours this week, and I have not worked out yet today or tomorrow! I weighed last night.. I know.. I know.. have you noticed I am not very consistent with just weighing on Monday's? Well I was just curious, and I gave in.. and it read 197.8!! Whoo hoo! I got on a few times just to be sure. I Never weigh at night.. so I was so shocked! I have been very right on with my points this week, and working out. That's -47 now! Yay! I am weighing on Saturday before I leave for Morgan Hill as well.. Hopefully it will be the same or less and I wasn't just fluctuating at that moment. Better go clean now and play with the boys a bit before lunch and nap time! =)

Going Organic & Why

I have been wanting to start buying more Organic produce, dairy and meats. I am having a hard time settling for chicken I know is pumped full of hormones, and giving it to my family for dinner. A year ago would I ever think of going Organic?? NOOOO! But once I got a little knowledge of health, what we should be eating, and how God intended it, I feel that it's what we want to do as a family.

I know there are many people that don't eat Organic, and some are against it. That's okay, I know not all people will agree with our choice. I really want to grow our own fruits and veggies.. one day.

Why Organic?
1. Well first, nutrition. At my grandma's we had lunch the day of the tri, and she served us tomatoes from my aunts garden.... WOW! I have never tasted tomatoes like that! So juicy and full of flavor. I thought about the tomatoes from our store, and realized how unflavored they are, almost like they are watery. Davey heard on the radio that a tomato now has 1/3 the nutrients tomatoes did in 1920, why... mass production. They concentrate on quantity not quality. Organic produce is grown with healthy rich soil. "Organic farmers build healthy soil Soil is the foundation of the food chain. The primary focus of organic farming is to use practices that build healthy soils." -Organic Trade Association
2. Chemicals. Pesticides, toxins, and hormones.
"Organic production reduces health risks Many EPA-approved pesticides were registered long before extensive research linked these chemicals to cancer and other diseases. Organic agriculture is one way to prevent any more of these chemicals from getting into the air, earth and water that sustain us." -Organic Trade Association
Poultry- 3 reasons why:
A. Non organic chickens are injected with hormones, antibiotics, and pesticides, all poison for the human body. "Fewer Toxins Nobody likes to think of food that's poisonous, but commercially-raised poultry often contains hormones, antibiotics and trace amounts of pesticides, all of which can be a potential health hazard. Antibiotics used in commercially-raised chicken may be one of the factors that causes germ resistance in some people, and even small amounts of hormones can have a big effect, according to "Consumer Reports," possibly increasing the risk of cancer and early-onset of puberty. Commercially-raised chicken may also be exposed to other contaminants, like heavy metals that appear in some commercial chicken food." -Livestong.com
B. Less fat
C. Taste's better- more flavor
D. Meat you eat are eating what they should be!!

1. Free of antibiotics, added hormones, GMO feed and other drugs; no GMO animals

Animals raised organically are not allowed to be fed antibiotics, the bovine human growth hormone (rbGH), or other artificial drugs. Animals are also not allowed to eat genetically modified foods. Further, animal products certified as organic can not have their genes modified (for example, a scorpion gene cannot be spliced into a cow gene). How: The animals are raised in a healthier environment, fed organic feed, and often eat a wider range of nutrients than those raised in factory farms (such as would be the case of free-range chickens and ranch cattle). The animals are not from a test tube. Highlights: Organically raised animals have been shown to be significantly healthier than their factory-raised counterparts.

This is scary!!

2. Mad cow safeguard: Animals aren’t forced to be cannibals The practice of feeding cattle the ground up remains of their same species appears to cause bovine spongiform encephalopathy, a horrific disease that destroys the central nervous system and brain, can be given to humans who eat the cows. The disease in humans has a very long latency period, and is called Creutzfeld-Jakob disease. How: Animals are fed 100 percent organic feed without ground up animal parts. Highlights: By eating 100 percent organic meat you are protected by a label insuring the cow has only been fed 100 percent organic feed.- Care2 favorite by Annie B. Bond

3. The way God intended it. By buying Organic I am supporting those farmers that still use plain old God intended hard work to grow healthy food.

4. Better for environment. I am not a "Green" person, but these days so many people have cancer, at such a young age. I am beginning to become passionate about learning how to prevent it as best as possible.

Not all things need to be Organic.. Bananas, Watermelon, Oranges, anything you don't eat the skin. I found all this information very interesting and am working hard to find great prices on these new foods we will be eating.

ONEder Woman in the Blue Dress

I did it!! 199.4!! Down .6 pounds from last week.. Yay! I don't really pay that much attention to the .4 or .2... I drive my self crazy if I do. So I just say -1 :] I can't believe it.. I am sooo happy!! I feel so much smaller :)

I haven't been under 200 since I was in my first trimester with Shane.. so almost 3 years! I am so thankful to God for helping me! I already look forward to the 180's.
I don't ever want to see 200 again.. and that might be tricky cause I am so close to it.
I didn't even want to weigh in today because it's that time again and I feel fat and bloated. I was surprised to see a loss. I am so proud of myself for eating right or trying to because we have hardly any groceries left, so it's been a challenge to get creative and make meals and stick to my points. Not to mention the outrageous sweet tooth I get this time of month. *Which I couldn't fulfill because we have no sweets... so that worked out good! Can't wait till Friday when we can get groceries.. fun stuff.
This blue dress has been hanging in my closet for a couple years. It's a size Large! Even when I bought it, it was a little too tight, but I loved it. The other day I was trying to find something to wear to church and I decided to try it on, even though I hated the picture of it in my head being too tight on me. But it wasn't!! It fit perfect!! Maybe even a smidge too big.. just a smidge. I've been getting more compliments on people noticing my weight loss. I feel like the inches are moving faster than the scale.. I must be gaining muscle.

I ran with Davey and the boys on Saturday evening. Davey was hard to keep up with.. and he doesn't go easy on me. I would have to sprint to him to catch up during our walk time. We did 1.72 miles in about 27 minuets. A little better than my last run. Today I plan to go to the gym to run on the treadmill then do TKB or swim.. I'm not sure yet. I need to ride my bike! It's been over a week and I have that 25 mile Bike the Coast coming up in a month! Yes I registered. =] That's all I am paying for, for now. I swear! Yikes. But it was cheap and I got %20 off coupon code, and it seems like a lot of fun. There is a Taste the Coast we get free tickets too as well. I love the beach.. did I already mention that? ;)
I really can't wait till the 5K on 11-27. I hope that I won't just be able to run the whole 5K, but that it won't be like torture the whole time. I want to feel strong and able.

And more progress reports.. my legs are strong and in such better shape. My tummy is smaller and flatter and my waist is well defined now.. it doesn't just blend into my hips anymore. I am wearing shorts around the house when it's warm.. something I would never do just 6 months ago. I actually want to do physically activity for family time!
I convinced Davey to run the other night.. he has to get ready for his WAR 5K! He can run the whole thing probably, but he has to climb walls, climb muddy hills with ropes, go under obstacles.. ect. He's gonna have so much fun! I would love to do it with him, but I know he would be so much faster than me and he would have to heave me over the walls, which would take all his strength away :/ so better leave this one to him!

I have a wedding in Morgan Hill on Sunday, and it's just me going on the trip. Davey has to stay home cause our dog is due on Saturday. They boys are staying with him because the wedding is 8-10 hours long and that's a long time for someone to watch the boys! So I am not sure if I will drive up Sunday morning and leave Sunday night after the wedding (worried about falling asleep while driving home) or go Saturday and stay with my Mom for the night. Usually on a road trip by myself I would binge in the car to entertain myself. Not this time! I don't want an upset tummy, so I'll bring healthy snacks =)
Thanks and glory to God for all He has helped me do.

Couch to 5K Week 1

Yesterday was the first day of C25K training for me. It was brisk walk for 5 minuets, run 90 seconds, walk 2 minuets for 20 minuets (anyone do c25K? Does that mean 20 min including the 5 min walk?). I did a total of 27 minuets. I only went about 1.7 miles in that time!! Slow slow slow I am. Hopefully my speed with increase with time. I am really excited about this and the fact that in 9 weeks I will be able to run a whole 5K!!! I have never been good at running. EVER!

When I was little my sister and I did Karate. My sister loved it, but I did not! I would cry every time a boy hit me. I am such a girl. I had my red-black belt.. the belt right before black.. and right before our black belt test I finally wore my Dad down and I QUIT!! All because I didn't want to RUN the 2 [or 3?] miles for the test! When we would run on the track with our class I would day dream about pretending to faint. I have asthma and always wanted to fall over and act like I was having an asthma attack.. yeah.. than my mean instructors would really feel bad for torturing me with these runs! OH boy.. I am dramatic. I was probably about 8-9 years old than. P.S. did I mention how I always regret quitting so close to the goal?? To this day I wish I could say.."I have a black belt" like my sister can or my Dad who has a few in different types of Martial Arts. From then on I did gymnastics, cheer and dance and was a totally happy girl. So it turned out okay. :)

It didn't always hate to run though.. I use to run with my Dad a lot at the track around ages 2-8. I loved the Dad and me time. We would do sprints, and at the end of our 2-3 mile run we'd say, "One more lap!!" and really go for it. I always remember my Dad saying.. "It's all down hill from here!"

And yes, even though I have done 2 triathlons, and 1 5K, the furthest I've run with out stopping is 1 mile (and that was last winter/spring time). I WANT to be a runner. I WANT to be able to run the whole 5k or 10k leg of the triathlon. I WANT to be able to get up early and go on a 5-8 mile run with out stopping. I WANT to run the whole Gobble Wobble 5K!! And with God's help, I WILL. Period.
Just like many of you like running because it's cheap and you can do it anywhere, I like that too. I went to Ross yesterday.. wasn't really looking for shoes but found these awesomely adorable $20 Adidas cycle shoes.. or so I thought!! I was so excited. When I got home Davey said, "those aren't cycle shoes I don't think.." So I pull out the actual Adidas tag.. and sure enough they said Track and Field! Ah Man!! I wanted to keep them so bad, but you can't run with them on the road, they have wholes for spikes on the bottom. They look just like cycle shoes.. well sort of.. they have shoe laces instead of buckles, so anyways, I returned them. ;( I was frustrated and the gazillion people in line at Walmart while picking up diapers didn't help, I couldn't wait to run. Here are the shoes.. on Adidas website for $50! Ugh. I should have just kept them and pretended they were cycle shoes. ;)


Last night felt great to run in my neighborhood while it sprinkled on me, and as I breathed the fresh air. So here's to my beginning as a runner!