2 1/2 cups chocolate rice crisp cereal (we're big fans of Nature's Path cereal around here)
6 candy canes, crushed into small pieces
1 cup sliced almonds
22 ounces white chocolate chips  (or a block, if you chop)

Combine the chocolate cereal, crushed candy canes, and almonds into a large bowl. Toss around the ingredients until they are well combined.

Melt the white chocolate until it is entirely smooth, using one of the methods described above.

Pour the melted white chocolate into a large bowl. Pour the chocolate-candy cane-almond mixture into the melted chocolate. Using a rubber spatula, and moving quickly, combine all the ingredients together until everything is coated well.

Drop rounded spoonfuls of the mixture in little mounds onto a parchment-paper covered baking sheet. (Don't worry about being too careful about how they look. The more splattered, the more real, I think.) You can put a lot of these spoonfuls onto the baking sheet because you're not baking them. You don't need to leave room for spreading. Put the baking sheet in the refrigerator (you'll probably have another one filled too) to allow the treats to harden, about 30 minutes. Store the snowflakes in the refrigerator in a covered container.

Makes about 40 snowflakes.

--
-Melissa-
"Hope sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible."

Reverb11 - Day 2 - Surprise!

Prompt 2: What was the most surprising thing that happened to you this past year? What did you learn from that surprise?

Well anyone that knows me probably knows the answer to this one. This year I embarked on one of the most amazing journeys ever. Something that felt unspeakable at the beginning of this year, but 10 months later I ran my first full marathon!

My running history was lacking some prior to this year. I did run one half marathon, and handful 5k's and 10ks. But inconsistent was my game! A couple months going strong, than maybe a couple miles here or there if I was lucky. So when I decided I was going to run a full marathon I begin to question my sanity. But with the support of Team In Training it seemed possible! And what better way to motivate myself than to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I poured my heart into fundraising and training. And after 5 months, over 500 miles trained, and $24o0 raised...I completed my first marathon. Amazing. Anything is possible my friends.

And that is exactly what I learned. If you put your mind to it, put in the work, and trust the process...you are capable of doing absolutely anything! Having faith in yourself is such a powerful thing. I am proof of this! After completing my marathon I really saw how strong I was - mind, body, and spirit! And I can remember the exact moment this year when I really embodied this...when I really saw who I was becoming. And of course I had a facebook status about it. And it went something like this...(as you will see the bonus of training for a marathon is losing weight :) )

Well Ill be damned....lets pull out those skinny clothes! Im fitting into clothes I wore in my early 20's! Me in a small? Hell yeah! In 25 days I will be running a marathon! Me run a marathon? Double Hell yeah! Anything is possible my friends, anything at all! Quit thinking about it and do it! Let go of the coulda, should, woulda's and thrive in this journey called life! Climb and knock down those mountains because I know you can! These are the moments of our lives friends...YOU determine your journey..and it has amazing written all over it! <3

Now if you would of asked me if running a marathon would have brought out this inspiring, athletic self...I would of said, did you say marathon...your crazy!! Isnt it amazing how life unfolds when you just let go? :)

Reverb11 - Day 1 - One Word

Well hello there. Its been a minute eh? :)

I cant believe its been almost an entire year since I blogged. Ive missed you! Ive thought about getting back into blogging...but just didnt find the right way to get my fingers moving again. So many thoughts...where do I start? That was the common question in my mind. So I would tell myself, Ill just start tomorrow. Well here I am 12 months later! LOL

I recently came across a fun little writing prompt project that screamed, perfect opportunity to start blogging again. Life is better when you blog, Mel. :) Go for it!

The project I found is called Reverb 11. The purpose of Reverb11 is to reflect on the past year and manifest whats to come in the new year. Now I know what your thinking....this could feel like a lot of pressure right? That was my thoughts exactly! But as I read on I felt more at ease. For the entire month of December there will be daily prompts that will allow me to focus on different areas of my life. Definitely makes it a little less scary, and little bit more exciting! A little push to get me going :)

So here we go!

Prompt #1: One Word

Imagine its one year from today, what would you like the word to be that captures 2012 for you?

I really had a hard time just picking one word...and I think after this month is over it may change quite a few times. But the word I am picking now is Be-YOU-tiful!

Over the last year I have really been coming into my own. Peeling off the layers and finding out who my true authentic self is. Through this process I have seen inner beauty I never knew was there. Its such a great relationship Im building with myself. Learning, growing, accepting, and loving. Its been a wonderful journey, and I can not wait to continue to explore my authentic self in 2012! So my word is about just that, being me, beauty inside and out!

Holiday Workout Challenge

Hiatuses are overrated dont you think? Ive missed my blog! :)

So a friend of mine invited me to join a Holiday Workout Challenge on Facebook. Its an 8 week challenge from November 1st to December 26th. Each participant made individual goals they would like to meet, and we also committed to 30 minute workouts, 5 days a week. And if you follow all the rules there is even an drawing to win some fitness prizes. And its FREE to participate. Pretty cool eh?

I wasnt sure how I would do with 5 days of workouts. That is a large commitment especially with my school and work schedule. Not to mention that before the challenge my workouts were very inconsistent. But I was up for the challenge. Especially anything that keeps me motivated through the holidays!

Here are the goals I made:

• I am committing to 5 days of workouts, with 3 of those running.
• Drop one size, and stay off the scale!
• Scale down my pop intake! Im going to start off with one 20 ounce every other day, and hope to be at zero by the end of the challenge!

I have to admit I got off to a rocky start. Than again I was on vacation that first week of the challenge. So tried not to stress to much about it. When I got back it did take a couple of weeks, but once I said enough is enough, I gave it everything I could. I finally had some motivation to get to those 5:45am cycling classes! And now I cant see starting off my Monday and Wednesday mornings any other way! On other days I have been running or doing a circuit/strength training DVD at home. I'm happy to say that I am now in my fourth week of 5 day workouts! It really does feel like part of my day now. Its a habit! I never thought I would be saying that. I just feel healthier. I haven't dropped much weight, but that's okay. Because I feel thinner. I feel stronger. I feel like I'm making better choices. And that's what its all about!

Now that pop goal...yeah that hasn't been going so great. So I think for these last few weeks Ill really try to focus on that a little bit better ;)

Battery Low!

Oh the ups and downs of running....how Ive missed you. Im trying so so hard to get back into running, as challenging as it is! Ill dont think Ill every truly understand how one day it feels so effortless, and another day it feels so hard! All part of the love/hate relationship I suppose.

Today I went out for a run, and was hoping to push out a 5k. Its a beautiful day here in Michigan. Near 70's, sun is shining, wind is low....you dont get many of these days in late October! Perfect running weather right? Not exactly. My legs were feeling a little sore from my strength training session yesterday....so I wasn't sure how far Id be able to go. Once I started running my legs were definitely feeling a bit fatigued. I could barely get out 1.3 miles before I chose to walk. And wouldnt you know at that moment my Garmin than beeps at me, battery low. I thought...you aren't kidding! lol The next mile was a combination of walking and running. Which Im okay with. Not my favorite runs, but I know these days happen. It isnt the first time, and it wont be the last!

You win some you lose some. I pushed through it, and gave it what I got...sometimes thats all you can do! Next time I have one of those effortless runs...Ill appreciate it more than ever!

Sabotage? Fear? Insecurity?

My behavior this week has left a lot of questions running through my head. My plan was to start a running regime this week. Id like to try to run a 5k in October or September. I know its doable since Ive done a few runs on the treadmill in the last few weeks and was able to push out a 2-2.5 mile base. I love how I feel when I run. From the challenge to the strength. So how come I found every excuse possible to get out of it? I need to just get out there and do it. Sure my schedule is INSANE right now, but running will be a great stress reliever.

Another thing this week is I have been a gluten eating machine. I have been experimenting in the gluten free world long enough to know that eating gluten effects me in ways that are not pleasant. It makes me depressed, extreme mood swings, and literally sick to my stomach just to name a few! Yet I keep putting more poison in my mouth meal after meal, snack after snack.

So what am I doing? Sabotaging myself? I know sabotage well. I have done it many, many times. So why do I do it? I think its so much deeper than just making bad decisions. Could it be fear? Fear of what the end result could be. I could be successful and/or happy. Maybe I feel Im not worth happiness....or success....instead I like to punish myself. I think I deserve to feel miserable. Like Im not worthy of goodness. Which leads me to believe this is linked to my insecurities. Oh insecurities how Ive worked so hard to beat you! But you seem to still pop up from time to time.

Not really sure where Im going with this. Just thinking out loud I suppose. I guess its good that Im recognizing that I do the things I do because of an underlying issue. Now what I do about that is what matters....break the cycle....something I also have tried many times before. So what am I going to do different this time? Thoughts for me to ponder on......

Gluten Free Journey

Ive mentioned a little bit in here about my new gluten free lifestyle. Well its been challenging to say the least, and Ive been falling off the wagon more often than I like. I have decided to create a blog on this journey, to keep myself accountable...as well as keep record of whats working for me and whats not! A lot of gluten free blogs that I have fell upon have been helping me tremendously, so maybe blogging about my journey could help others to!

Check it out: www.guiltfreeglutenfree.blogspot.com

Not to worry, I will still be posting here to. Im sure some gluten free posts will get cross posted on both blogs. But I didnt want this one to get override with gluten gluten gluten! :p

Brainstorming Next Tattoo Idea!

Now this is a subject that I love! Another tattoo is something that has been on my mind for quite sometime. The one that has been sitting on my mind is one that represents my amazing experience with the Breast Cancer 3-Day. I was so blessed to participate in my sixth walk this year. It is an event that has truly changed my life, and I want to express that creatively. I dont necessarily want a pink ribbon, but something that represents hope, awareness, and strength.

So as I was browsing thyroid and gluten free blogs this week, I fell upon a an artist. Her name is Allyson Averell. Ally suffers from thyroid disease, and has expressed her awareness through her art. This was taking from her fan page:

I painted this on myself last night because the other day I got fed up with people only seeing my illness when they look at me. Why have you gained so much weight? Why is your face breaking out so bad? Why are you so tired all of the time? Why are you in such a bad mood? Trust me, I deal with these symptoms on an everyday basis. I do not need any reminding. Maybe, just maybe, if there was much more awareness out there, there would not be so many questions. Thyroidism comes in many shapes and sizes, but there is one common denominator that we all share. Every single day we all fight a physical, mental, and emotional battle with ourselves.So through this trying time lets support each other, for we truly are the only ones who understand how we feel. And most importantly, we must raise up together to make ourselves known.

Here is another picture of Ally painting her own artwork on herself. So talented!.

Ally also developed a "Fighter Flies" series of artwork. A thyroid fighting series. These pieces are custom to each person fighting this horrible disease. Love these pieces, and will be placing an order for one of my own! Looking at it everyday will remind me of the struggles I go through day after day, but still I remain strong! Check out the series here!

So this has got the wheels turning.....now first Im going to contact Ally and see if she minds if I branch off her idea. And I never thought I would get a butterfly. The butterfly is the shape of the thyroid. And when I think of butterflies....I see so much. How it feels the butterflies have been released from protecting my thyroid gland....but instead butterflies fly through my systems at all times creating havoc on all hormones, systems, and functions! So Im thinking I could wrap in my 3 day tattoo with my thyroid awareness tattoo. A combined awareness, strength, hope tattoo.

Exciting stuff!!!! Now to research an artist. While I absolutely love the artist that did my half sleeve....I think for this one Im looking for a little bit of a different style. I have some time on my hands...I probably wont dive into this one until late next year anyways.

Did I mention how much I love tattoos? Expressing my growth and strengths through art is so inspirational!

Choices...

Everything we do is a choice. Good Choice. Bad Choice. Sooner or later we get sick of making bad choices right? I think Ive finally reached that point.

I have had a pretty rough emotional day. Some personal stuff going on. That of course reflects into my daily life. So many thoughts going through my head. So many scenarios. So many questions. Its overwhelming to say the least. Today I started to get a migraine around lunchtime. I was eating through out the day, and drinking lots of water....so Im assuming it was stress. Once the migraine hit, my energy felt zapped. It was a little warm in the office today so that may have added to my blah feeling. Its frustrating that Im taking these steps to a healthier me, and Im feeling anything but healthy. I know it will take a few weeks to "detox", but geez these withdrawals are rough.

As I was leaving work I had a choice to make. Go to the gym or go home. The gym is now literally on the way home, so no excuses. I said well this migraine is really rough....but I could at least go and do 30 minutes. Or I could just stop, get a Slurpee, and go home to take a nap. As I was playing these mind games with myself....I found myself getting off the freeway exit to the gym. So my choice was to go to gym. I decided I would jog on the treadmill. Right when I started I could feel my feet getting very heavy. I promised myself to just push through a mile and I would stop. Some days you just dont have it in you...but you still push through it. You give it all you got. And that is exactly what I did. I made it 15 minutes on the treadmill, and than did another 20 on the elliptical. Phew, I made it. Good choice today. Ill take it.

As I move into this healthier lifestyle, a move I have made many times before, I have to remind myself that everything is a choice. Every thing I chose to eat, everything I chose to drink, every activity I chose to do. All of it are factors in this lifestyle. So do I chose to keep making the same mistakes, or do I chose to make me a healthier happier me?

I have a obsession with quotes these days...and this one sums this post up perfect.

"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." - Albert Einstein

Boy is that true.....I think Im ready to be sane :) And on that note, Im making another great choice. Heading to bed early so I can get a good nights sleep. Night blogger friends :)

Baked Parmesan Garlic Chicken Wings

I have officially started my new gluten free, casein free lifestyle. Its been EXTREMELY overwhelming. So to make things a little bit easier on me, I decided that I would only try to make one gluten free recipe per week. When I was looking through recipes there are so many ingredients in all of them. Of course to spice up the food so it taste good. Makes sense. Well for a cook on training wheels like myself, some of these recipes seem nearly impossible. Or Ill attempt them and the end result will just not taste good. And in this day and age that would just be horror wouldnt it? All that time wasted. lol So instead of taking on many new recipes, I would just focus on what new recipe a week. Thats completely do able, dont you think? And less food wasted. Win win for me!

I fell upn this yummie recipe in my google searches, Baked Parmesan Garlic Chicken Wings. It looked delicious! So I ventured out to the grocery store, and tackled the spices section. I will admit it was pretty exciting :) Maybe Ill treat myself to a spice rack in the new future! Now that is the picture from the recipe, sorry cant take credit for that one! lol And I didnt use wings, instead I did Chicken Tenderloins, and it was quite tasty!

This recipe is from Chef Jesse Thomas from PizzaAmore in Mount Dora, FL.

http://blogs.discovery.com/tlc-steamy-kitchen/2010/01/baked-parmesan-garlic-chicken-wings.html

Baked Parmesan Garlic Chicken Wings Recipe
Recipe from PizzAmore, Mount Dora, Florida

Serves 4

1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt (1/2 tsp table salt)
2 1/2 pounds chicken wings
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (or melted butter)
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt (like Lawry's)
1 cup blue cheese dressing
1-2 teaspoons Dijon mustard (or to taste)

1. Preheat oven to 425F. In a small bowl, mix together the oregano, rosemary, cumin and salt. Lay the chicken wings on a baking sheet and season the chicken wings with this mixture.

2. Bake the chicken wings for 20-25 minutes. While the chicken is baking, mix together the oil, fresh basil, garlic, Parmesan cheese and seasoning salt.

3. In a separate bowl, mix together the blue cheese dressing with the mustard (this is your dipping sauce)

3. When the chicken is cooked through, toss the wings with the garlic/cheese/butter sauce. Serve with the blue cheese/mustard dressing.

First gluten free recipe a success! Wooohoo! Im hoping for a much smoother second week. Hopefully less headaches, and a little bit more energy. Enjoying the process as much as I can. Everyday is a new experience!

Anyone Home?

Wow, has it really been 5 months? Shame on me! I have been pretty busy though......summer classes, work, 3 day training, fundraising, and trying to enjoy summer where I can! But definitely still need the outlet of blog writing! Oh boy do I need that!

Blogger has updated their templates to...so I updated and cleaned things up a bit :) Fancy schmancy :)

My best friend was in town for the weekend, and it was wayyyy to short. I miss her so much already! I cant wait till she moves back next year. Life will feel so much more complete! I dont remember the last time I laughed so much. Unfortunately we had a few wrenches thrown in our weekend...and I didnt handle it as well as Id like. But every experience gives us a chance to learn, and as long I can learn and grow from it than not all is lost. Still doesnt make me feel any less disappointed in myself. It took away some of the limited time with my company, and I shouldnt have let it.

Enough of that. Tomorrow is a new day. We got new PC's at work over the weekend, so it wont take an hour to get mine up and running. Its a 4 day work week. And the 3 day starts on Friday! Its going to be a fantastic week!

I Need Some Accountablity

Ive gotten a little off track. Shortly after my 5k, back on the 14th, I got another sinus infection. Actually I think it was the same one just never went away. This time I decided that I would rest. I took that a bit to far by taking off practically a week from working out. Its so hard to get back into the swing of things. I was so bad that I was satisfied and considered a workout when I walked the dogs. No where close to a workout. Trust me. This past week I did get in a two Jillian Michaels workouts, a run, and cycling class. So not to bad for getting back into the swing of things.

Now my eating is out of control. I have always struggled with my eating, but lately its nothing but lots of sugar, processed food, and carbs. I need an intervention. Seriously. I just cant stop putting crap in my mouth! And the pop Im consuming is ridiculous. I need some accountability. I think if I really buckled down on this eating gig than I could see some of these pounds drop. But until I do all those workouts are doing is helping me maintain. Why do I participate in this vicious, unhealthy cycle?

I know that I should make some small goals this week. Just focus on those. Because I cant do everything at once, and maybe thats exactly what Im trying to do. When I fail at the all or nothing mentality, than I think well everything is downhill from here so I myswell go back to my old unhealthy habits. Something Ive always struggled with. I need to figure out how to break those thoughts. Realize that everything is not always black and white.

Tomorrow is a new day. And everyday is a new beginning my friends. With that thought in mind I will make two goals this week. The first one which I feel is the biggest issue is decreasing my pop intake. Ill say that one 20 ounce every other day is feasible. I also want to eat a fruit or vegetable with every meal. These two things are completely doable. If I slip up on other areas I will not go back to the all or nothing mentality. I will acknowledge the slip up, learn from it, and move on. I will also celebrate daily my success with my two weekly goals.

Heres to refocusing, and holding myself accountable!

Why Is Change So Hard?

I have been working on change. Its a work in progress, and while Id like to think that Im moving forward...Im beginning to think Im just standing in place.

I know what I want. I know what I need to do to get there. Im even doing some of those things. But than I go back to old habits, and sabotage the change. So much like this picture I bounce between old and new, old and new, old and new. Its like Im in a game of ping pong. So why am I doing this? Why am I resisting? What am I scared of?

These are questions that have been racing through my mind for the last week. Change looks so promising. So pleasant. So where I want to be. But taking that leap feels like jumping into on coming traffic. I look at the old me and like the safety. Its comforting, and what I know. But at the same time its everything I dont want to be. It has this dark cloud surrounding it. I can see the pain and negativity smothering me. Why would I want to stay like that? Theres a part of me that is scared of taking the steps to a changed me and leaving all that "safeness" behind. Can I survive that in between period? What if its lonely? What if I feel like I made the wrong choices? What if I fail at change?

Isnt this crazy? Obviously Im unhappy with where or what I am, or I wouldnt even be thinking of change. I should want the best for me. To bring out the greatness in me. To become that person I know I can be. How do I get through this? How to I stop thinking, and start doing? When is enough? When do I finally say, this is it! I am taking the risk to becoming a happier me. If that means leaving things behind, than so be it. If that means feeling uncomfortable for a little bit, than so be it. Because I have to trust that when I get to that change...it will be so worth it.

I hope Im to that point soon. Because I dont want to play ping pong anymore.

Corktown St. Patrick 5K

Well I did it! I ran in my first race since my half marathon in 2008. And it felt great!!!! It was exactly what I needed :)

The weather all week was beautiful! Than the weekend came and the rain started. Bleh. The day of the race was exactly that. Cold, wet, and windy! All the elements you dont want. But I didnt let it stop me, I still headed downtown. I got there a little early so just chilled in my car for a bit. Entertained myself with some bejeweled blitz. Im so addicted to that! About 45 minutes before the race started I ventured out. I tried to find my friend, Lynette, but didnt have much luck.

When everyone started to line up it was a bit of a cluster. I ended up about 3/4 back which is a perfect spot for me. I bounced in spot for awhile as I froze my butt off. My hands were numb with gloves on! I started to get a little anxious for those 10 minutes before the race started. Next thing I knew we were off. It took me a few minutes to get across the start line....I think there was around 4000 runners/walkers. I got a little excited in the moment and started off to fast. I could feel it about a quarter mile in. Oops! I adjusted after that, and felt like I fell into a good stride. Shortly after that I really started to sweat it out. So I attempted to take off my jacket, but than realized my iphone was zipped in my coat pocket and it pulled out my head phones. I fought with my jacket for a bit and than gave in and just had one head phone in. lol Than I ran into quite a few walkers that must have started in the middle of the pack. That was a bit annoying because I had to stop and walk to get around them. I wish they would of stayed to the side. There were also a few people running with big dogs and really big strollers. So that was a bit of an obstacle to. I just weaved in and out where I could, but was careful of the uneven road. The last thing I needed was a sprained ankle!

I reached the halfway point at a pace that Ive been managing the last couple months, so was pretty happy with that, considering the weather conditions! When the buildings got sparse I could start to feel the wind more. Speaking of weather conditions, I than realized it wasn't raining anymore :) The turn around point was really small, it could only fit about 5 people wide, so it could a bit congested. Im not sure if it was the turn around or the runners though... After the turn around I just took everything in. The race, the people, the costumes, the crowd, the sights, the energy! I love running in races. I was getting a bit winded, and had a really bad side stitch, so focused a bit on my breathing for the last mile. I rounded the last corner with a second wind, and crossed the finish line around 34 minutes. I wanted to come in under 35 so was pretty excited :)

A few minutes later I ran into Grants coworker, so chatted with her a bit. Than grabbed some water, which was a short line since everyone was in line for a beer. Ha! I went back to wait for Lynette to come across the finish line. I saw her after the turn around so knew she wasnt that far behind me. Ended up that I missed her. LOL But we met up at the results board. I was so proud of her! It was her first 5k, and she did awesome!

I checked the board and my time was 31:17! I was ecstatic! Only 3o seconds away from a PR. Not bad at all. My best 5k pace this year! It felt great to be around other runners, and definitely has me motivated to keep running. Even with the love/hate relationship I have with running, the feeling after a race is all worth it! To be accomplishing things I never thought I could is priceless.

I think Ill sign up for my next race in April. Maybe find one on my birthday :)

Doubts

I will admit that I dont have much self confidence. Its something I have always struggled with. That is why I love running...it gives me confidence. I can remember specific moments after a race where I literally felt on top of the world. It didnt matter what time I ran in, or what place I came in....just completing the race was enough for me. The self growth is amazing. At times when I feel like Im in situations where maybe I dont have complete faith in myself..Ill go back to those running moments. And think damn girl, if you could do that...than this is a cake walk!

Now with all that being said, Im going through a running rut. Ive been through these before, so I know its not forever. But its giving me doubts. Im not that confident that Ill be ready for a half marathon by May. For the last week Ive struggled to get through a 5k. I am just getting over a cold and still trying to get completely healthy again...so maybe I should cut myself a little bit of slack. But it still has lots of doubts in my head. Like maybe I need to give myself a little bit more time. Or maybe I should just aim to run a 10k rather than a half marathon.

Its just that I have been consistently running 3-4 days a week for 2 months now...and I just feel like 3 miles shouldnt be a struggle for me at this point. It really doesnt feel like the lower miles are getting any easier..and my pace has actually slowed down. But than maybe Im just having a bad week. I remember my 4 miler a two weekends ago was awesome! I think another thing is Im no where near the pace I use to run. So maybe that is putting some fears in my head. Like when I run my next half marathon I will be disappointed if I dont at least run it in the pace I did my last one. Im always so competitive and self critical of myself.

Another thing is Im having more physical issues this time around. My knees are achy, swollen and need to be iced often. I think this has to do with the fact that I have 35lbs more weight than I did last time. I also keep getting all kinds of blisters. Which is annoying, and a little painful!

Ugh. What to do? What to do? Am I throwing the towel in to early?

Ill let you in on a little insecurity Im having. I was planning on running the Flying Pig in Cincinnati. My friend lives there so I would crash with her. Well shes running a marathon the weekend before, so she said she would love to come down with me and run a few miles of the pig with me. She is fast, like under 10 minute miles...where I can barely push out a 12 minute mile. That makes me feel so insecure! Not that she would even care...but that would be like a walk for her. Geez am I ridiculous or what?

I need to make a decision soon. Especially since the rates are going up on the Flying Pig. Im running a St. Pattys 5k...so maybe I should just stop stressing till than. Maybe running in a race will help me make a decision. Or better yet...push away those doubts and realize I can do whatever I put my mind to :)

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!