Goodbye February, Hello March

February was a pretty decent month for me, but I am glad to see it go. Only because it takes us one month closer to Spring! Im so over this winter. While we havent seen the amount of snow the east coast has...its been enough for me. Warmer temps, sunshine, melted snow, no ice...sounds just about perfect to me!

So want to hear some results on my fantastic February? Of course you do! Now exercise wise I had a fabulous month! I ended up with 24 workouts! Can I get a Woot! Woot! Here is the breakdown:

Not to shabby. I died out the last week due to these nasty sinus infection Ive been fighting. I felt it hitting on Tuesday night and Wednesday and Thursday I was down for the count. Friday I tried to pull it out and felt decent, but Saturday and today I felt like absolute crap while running! Im hoping that this is the last of it. I feel better...but its all that phlegm that is keeping me down!

Now for weight and measurements. I took them this morning...so here is my 30 day update:

Weight: Down 4.5 lbs
Waist: Down 0.5 inch
Mid Belly: Down 2 inches (this is where most of my weight is)
Bust: Down 0.5 inch
Under Bust: Down 1 inch

Am I happy with this? Im always happy with a loss. But its a little frustrating. If I had a healthy thyroid I have no doubt the numbers would have been a bit higher. But slow and steady wins the race I suppose. I just have to keep at it, and stay consistent. Eventually Ill get where I want to be. Now that I feel comfortable with my workout schedule, I will try more this month to work on the diet aspect. It can always use some work!

I am very happy with the way I feel these days. I feel strong again, fit, and my moods have been great. That alone is such an amazing thing!

So lets see what March brings. I know a St. Pattys 5k is on the agenda :)

Its All About Finding Something You Love

And I LOVE cycling class!!!! I would always hear people say, when you find an exercise you really love, than working out will be fun! I use to think that was to good to be true. :p

Ive been dealing with some difficult times at work, that have resulted in my stress levels being out of control. Ive heard some rumors that the 5:30 cycling class is more intense than the 6:45 class I currently attend. I was a little intimidated to try it, but after one of my oh so stressful days at work I decided I needed to get my ass kicked. And that I did! I have now moved this class up as a high priority on my weekly workout schedule :) So much I even got up at 8am on Saturday to go to this instructors class! Now that is really out of character for me. Who is this girl? And what did you do with Melissa? LOL

I really felt like I was going to keel over in this workout. This class is a whole different ballgame than what Im use to! At one point I thought to myself..I may need to walk out! But I took it one song at a time, and tried to keep up with the resistance she had us at. As challenging as that was! Now I may not as been as fast as everyone, but I did what I could. Definitely an A for effort, IMO! No worries though, Ill get there someday. We all need goals to strive for ;) I LOVED her song selections to. It really helps you get into the workout. The best part of the workout was the very end...right when I felt like I didnt have anything left in me. We were doing sprints to the song, Best of You by the Foo Fighters. This song was perfect for the work day I had. I closed my eyes, and just let the music sprint me away.





Dont you love moments like that? Its like that moment is just speaking to you and helping you push through one of the million things clouding up your head!

I really like the way she runs her class to. She pushes us with the moves rather than screaming in her headset. There would be a few times she would vocally push us but it always felt like it was right at the moment I needed it. I really prefer that. I hate being screamed at...it pierces my ears!

Im so excited, and looking forward to each class. I love being pushed to my limits, and have fun while doing it! I didnt think I would ever say that! Im loving the growth and changes Im making. LOVING IT!

Happy Valentines Day!

My day started off wonderful. I slept a good 10 hours! Grant got up with the dogs, and I got a few extra hours of beauty sleep. I guess I got my Valentines wish eh? LOL

We than exchanged our first Husband and Wife Valentines Day Cards. Awww, I love my husband. He picks out the sweetest, most perfect cards ever! Married life is wonderful!

Grant went to run some errands, so I went and got my run out of the way. Today on the training plan was 4 miles. I was a little worried about how the run would go because of how bad my knees have been aching. But I wore some nice cushion socks, and took my pace down a bit. Not the best time, but Im not so worried about time right now. More like just getting through the runs! My first week of half marathon training went pretty good. It feels great to be in a routine again. Something about training for an event really changes your outlooks on your workouts. I know there were a few days when I would of skipped the workout...but since Im training now it wasnt even a possibility to me. I cant believe Im in training again...and that Im going to run a half again. Exciting, and nerve wrecking at the same time! When I got back home I decided I would head out to the grocery store and pick up something to make for desert. Grant is cooking dinner and its half a surprise. So I wanted to make our desert a surprise to. We thought we would see if there was a movie we could rent while out, so stopped at the video store. But there wasnt anything we saw at the video store, so decided to come home and download a few episodes of Big Love. We only got through one episode since we lost track of time...so looking forward to catching up on more Big Love this week! Grant was on dinner duty, and boy did he bring it! I think he really outdid himself this time. It was absolutely delicious. We had steaks, redskin mashed potatoes, green beans w/ ham and garlic, and a very yummie arugla salad.
See Bandito trying to get my meal? Sneaky bastard! My belly is VERY full! Will we have room for my desert? Im sure we can make room for a small piece. I made peanut butter cheesecake...hope it turned out good!

Our first married Valentines has been fabulous! I hope your enjoying yours as well!

Happy Valentines Day!

Widgets Galore!

After Meg's suggestion on tracking my workouts on my blog, I decided to revisit a site where I use to do just that. I was pleasantly surprised by the makeover that daily mile had! Although I can say I enjoyed the site before the upgrades, and now its just an extra bonus!

When I started using the Run Keeper App on my phone I didnt really need to use daily mile anymore. So I thought. The run keeper can track runs and walks, but it didnt track other types of exercise. So I think Ill use both :) I added the "workouts", widget. This shows my latest workout, miles ran this week, and total miles ran. I wish I could start the counter back to zero for total miles ran. Id prefer to just track this year. But to do that I think I would have to delete my previous workouts, which I dont want to do. I did add a section to track my miles ran this year, along with my PR's. I started the yearly count from when I started using the run keeper app, which was mid January. I think most workouts done before that were just a mile here or there anyways. I figure losing 2 weeks in January isnt that many lost miles anyways. ;-) Guess this is where I learn my lesson of why I should of kept up with daily mile. LOL

There was this widget on daily mile that had a countdown to your race, but its in blue and I couldnt get the color changed..or get it to fit right on my blog. So I used the race schedule widget instead. Than I added a countdown, so two widgets in the place of what the one widget did. Im not to crazy about the orange on the daily mile widgets...but I cant change the color. And I need to stop being so anal. LOL

Than the most fun widget...the donut meter! Daily mile tracks the calories I burn, and it shows how many donuts Ive earned, or could of burned off with those calories! Love it!

Dont you just love widgets? I know I can be such a dork.

Hello Weekend!!!

The weekend is upon us again. Can I get a woooohooo?! Getting through the work week is always a challenge for me these days. So I fully embrace my weekends :) Even if its sitting in my recliner watching TV. Anything is better than being at my job these days!

Ive been really exhausted this week so thought maybe I would come home and take a nap. By the time Grant got home from work I could get a 1.5 hour nap in, and still get some stuff done. Well that didnt work out as planned. But does it ever? I started doing some things around the house, and before I knew it Grant was home. So much for that nap!

We were planning on going out tonight so I had to speed things up. I had to get my run in, stopped by the grocery store, and cook up some chili and corn muffins...all before going out! Phew! Never time to rest eh? My run was meh. I really need new shoes. I can feel it in my knees. I wont be able to get any for another week so wondering what I should do. I really dont know if my knees can handle another 3-4 mile run in these shoes. They are shot! When I got home I tried to multitask by watching Opening Ceremonies and cook up this chili, but it just seemed to take twice as long. So I had to DVR it, and am now catching up on Opening Ceremonies as I blog :) Always a multitasker. LOL

My chili doesnt look very chili like. Its for a soup kitchen that Im volunteering at tomorrow. Hopefully no one tells me its nasty...that would be a little embarrassing. I made corn muffins to...and I hope they are cooked all the way through. I couldnt really tell.....as you can Im a horrible cook. I really could use some lessons...I should look into that one day.

I feel so domesticated tonight! I cleaned the living room, vacuumed, got two loads of laundry done, dishes done, chili cooked, corn muffins baked, and even squeezed in a workout! I will admit Im exhausted now. I dont think I would of made it very long if we went out...and our friend called us to tell us it was cancelled anyways. They double booked the bar. Looks like Ill get to bed at a decent hour. Grant already fell asleep on the couch...does this mean he will get up with the dogs like he did last weekend? That was like heaven last weekend. I think it would be the best Valentines present ever this weekend...hint! hint! LOL

Happy Weekend Bloggers!

Going Strong

Despite feeling a little off physically this week, Im still going strong! I usually can tell when my thyroid level is low, and usually Ill just sleep, sleep, and sleep some more. But Ive decided to do just the opposite. Regardless of how tired or exhausted I am, I still am trying to stick to my workout plan. So far, so good. Im right on schedule.

It feels good to be on a regular active schedule. Not only does it help my moods and release stress, but I can feel myself getting more fit. Sure not every workout feels top notch, but every workout gives me more confidence! Im half looking at myself in the mirror these days. :) Im experiencing, one again, the ups and downs of workouts. I love that great workout where I feel I can conquer the world. And those struggling workouts are just as great to. When I push through those barriers, I again feel on top of the world. My run today was like that. My legs have been achy, especially my knees. And it felt like I could feel every step through my entire body. When I got to 2 miles I just didnt know how Id make it another mile. Than the music carried me through once again. I was listening to some techno, Beckers and Hatfield....a track called Excuses (Weekend Heros Remix), and it just picked me up.




Techno never lets me down! Seriously its like it knew I needed to hear it at that point. A light bulb clicked, and I picked up the pace. At one point I wanted to just start pumping my fists in the air. Ahhh, dont you just love music?! It got me through that last mile...and I felt fanfuckingtastic when I was done. Now Im really exhausted...guess who will be getting a good nights sleep tonight?! Im sure Ill sleep like a baby :)

Weigh in was yesterday, and I was down 1.5 lbs. Not to shabby. I was happy to see a loss, after last weeks weigh in.

But still only 1.5 lbs in two weeks isnt anything to scream off the top of the mountain. My food needs some serious improvement. That combined with my workouts...I could seem some great results! I need to get a plan in place to work on that....

Well thats all she wrote folks. Time for bed.

Mind Over Matter

Running that is. I would say that after you get a base of a 3 mile run going...it truly is a game of mind over matter.

Today I had my last "practice run". Ive been working on building up a base so I could jump into my half marathon training. The first week of the training plan has me running 2 as my shortest run, and 4 as my longest. Ive worked myself up to 3 miles, and running 3 times a week. So I think Im ready to start the training program. EEK!

So today I decided you better take it outside girl. You cant train every run on a treadmill so get use to the freezing temps now! The sun was shining, and when I was outside earlier in the day it felt decent out. So I layered up and headed to my running spot, a bike path about 10 minutes from my house. Its the safest spot for me. When I started my warm up I thought...hot damn its a lot colder than I thought it was! My lungs felt like they were frozen there for a little bit. After I got into my groove, my body warmed up, and my breathing fell into place. I set my runkeeper app for 3.5 miles. (Which by the way..this app rocks!) Jumping from 3 to 4 miles next week seems scary to me, so I thought Id go half way to see how it felt. It was hard. Just an extra half mile was a lot hard than I thought. When it was time to stop I was SOOO ready to stop. Heres where the mind over matter thing comes into play. If I HAD to go another half mile...I probably could have. I would of just kept the mind games going that I always have. It goes something like this:

Just run to the tree. That was to easy...how about that bench? Damn girl....I bet you cant make it to that building? Look your half way around now. And you thought you werent a runner? You are making Forest Gump look like a chump now! Than the runkeeper lady would update me on where I was...and Id start the game over. You only have .60 miles left...that means you ran almost 2 miles. Piece of cake...oh wait cake...you cant have a piece unless you go all the way girl!

LOL. Does anyone else do this? Whatever works right? :)

Sometimes I also like to visualize myself to. Running the last mile of a race. My dad cheering me at the finish line. Or someone Im not to fond of is running up ahead, and I pass them. LOL

Mind over matter, people. Mind over matter.

And when your done...your like damn that felt good. That is one of the reasons I love running. I can reach strides I didnt think I could. And when I do reach that stride...the confidence soars.

Running is good for the body and the soul. The End.

Hell Yeah!

To say Im excited is an understatement. Im flipping ecstatic!!!! I love Ben Sims. Usually hes here around the time of DEMF, Detroit Electronic Music Festival. He always plays at after parties and goes on at like 4 or 5 am. Well Grant and I can never make it that late so always miss him.

So its on this time :) Can.Not.Wait!

Can I Have A Do-Over?

Ever have one of those days when you wish you could just go back to bed? Its like a snowball effect...and you think what else?! Please stop! That was the kind of day I had. Damn I hate those days.

This picture is perfect. And it made me laugh, which is a good thing after the day I had!

Lets just rehash my day and see how bad it really is. Or lets just get it out so I can move forward. Whatever makes me sleep better at night, eh? I went to bed at a decent time last night...right around 9:30. So that gives me a good 8 hours of sleep. Well I woke up around 5, and had to pee really bad, so got up to take care of that. And of course had an hour till I had to get up, so by the time I fell asleep I had to get right back up. I think that screwed with me. See with my thyroid issues...I need a minimum of 8 hours of sleep or its hard to function. I got up around 6:15, and started my morning ritual. Prepare the dogs food, shower, flat iron my hair....and I was dragging butt. While flat ironing my hair I burned my finger..twice. I clamped my whole hand actually. Lovely.

Next up was the scale. Dun Dun Dun. It is weigh in day for my Biggest Loser Challenge. I was a little anxious about this weigh in. I was afraid the drinking I had done over the weekend might deter my weigh in..but I really pushed it out the last few days. Sadly, it wasn't enough.

I had a 2lb gain, which takes me back to square one. VERY disappointing, and put me in a foul mood. I know Im having a few mishaps here and there. But my workouts are really being pushed....and its frustrating. If I had a normal working thyroid Im almost sure Id drop weight.

The next few events happened once I got to work. I started to put my things up, change out of my boots and realized that I had Grants debit card in my purse. DAMN IT! I call him and sure enough he doesnt have any cash on him. So I had to head out to meet him. The drive there wasnt to bad actually...given it was middle of rush hour. The drive back was horrid. HORRID! So it took me twice as long to get back. By the time I got to work it was 8:30...an hour and a half after I usually get there. I would be there so late which really annoyed me. What can you do?

I continued on with my workday, and soon realized that one of the hems in my pant leg came unraveled. Lovely one leg was now longer than the other. UGH! Seriously? Everyone and anyone at work really just got under my skin from that point on. Especially one coworker who keeps asking me how to do the same thing day in and day out. Around lunchtime I decided it was time to call it a day. I took a half day. On the way home I just kept replaying how crappy my day was, and decided eating would only make me feel better. Im not losing weight anyways, so whats it matter? So I stopped at Qdoba and got my 1000+ calorie chicken nachos, with a big Coke.

The only happy part of my day was coming home to my furbabies, eating my chicken nachos, and watching Biggest Loser. How ironic to be stuffing my face while watching a weight loss show? Can we say pitiful? Did I feel better? For about 10 minutes. Than the stomach ache started. It felt like I had a ton of bricks in my stomach? So than I felt like crap again. Not just physically, but mentally. Why do I do this? Why do I let food comfort me, when that comfort is oh so short? I know better than this! The best thing would have been to go to the gym!

So the rest of the day/night I just lounged around feeling sorry for myself. Im so lame.

And on that note..tomorrow is a new day. I will make it better than my last.

Reaching For The Stars

Last night I was searching the interweb for info on Jillian Michaels book, Master Your Metabolism. Someone recently told me she suffered from hypothyroid. I am intrigued.

For the record, I heart Jillian Michaels. <3

I found quite a few reviews on the book, and they all had one thing in common. This book is a must read! Some even said its one of the best health books out there. This is Jillians way of getting out what worked best for her, and if I ever get to that point I think I would want to do the same thing! Im open to reading about anyone with thyroid disease. And it really feels like you have to listen to all the stories out there! Hypothyroidism is such a perplexed disease. Its safe to say that a treatment that works for one person, doesnt always work for the next. Nonetheless, what works for one person could be a step into the right direction to your own healthy being. It can never hurt to try new things to help with your own thyroid disease! Im really interested in hearing her thoughts on hormonal imbalance. This is the part that endocrinologists dont really touch on (at least all the ones Ive been to). And its such a huge part of hypothyroidism, and definitely makes my own journey very complex.

When reading this interview with Jillian Michaels, I had a wonderful aha! moment. I love when I have those! I found this interview in Health magazine's, November issue. This is the question/answer that stuck out to me:

Q: In terms of our fitness efforts, where do we go wrong?

A: We sell ourselves short when it comes to capability and potential. We read on the treadmill. We walk. People will be like, “I’ve been walking.” And I’m like, “Really? Really?” [Laughs.] “OK, you walked to the car, and then to the door at the mall, and then you took the stairs, too? Come on, man.”

If I can take a 66-year-old man and train him six hours a day, six days a week, you can do more than just take the stairs! People have no concept of what the human body is really designed to do. They have no concept of their strength! And they function in a zone that is well below what their potential really is.

This is so true. Ive been at the gym so many times, jump on a piece of equipment for 30 minutes and pat myself on the back like I just completed a marathon. And was that 30 minutes everything I could give it? Was it high intensity? Or was it just a leisure workout? More than likely it was somewhere around leisurely. I am selling myself short. I am not reaching my FULL potential. I'm only cheating myself! (As you can tell Jillian is in my head. ha!)

Go big or go home, right?

I have the odds against me with my thyroid disease in the first place, so yes sir I need to go BIG! Im putting in the time for the workout, so why not push myself to get the most out of my workout? Seems like common sense doesnt it? Than why do we so often NOT do it? Because we think we can't do it? Or maybe because we think simply working out is an accomplishment by itself. But who wants to be mediocre? Not me! Making strides in my workouts gives me confidence. I know this from experience. And I want that feeling back again!

With all that being said, today (dont you love first day of the months?), was my first 60 minute cardio session. I did a 3 mile run and than jumped on the elliptical for 15 minutes. During my run I got all the way up to 5.7mph! Lately Im lucky if I get up to 5 mph. I just kept pushing myself and it felt great! And guess what? I didnt die. I didnt fly off the treadmill. I adapted to it. Amazing what you can do when you just try!

So excited to see where I am at the end of this month!