BOOYAH!

So, I haven't written my 13.1 Atlanta race report because I had conflicting feelings about the race but after tonight's run, I've decided that as soon as I get back to Atlanta, I'll get it posted. In case you didn't know, Patrick and I brought B to South Georgia to the Okefenokee swamp. Plus, I wanted to see some gators, and did I ever see some gators today. On a side note, I am slightly disappointed that I didn't get to wrestle a gator, maybe I watched one too many episodes of Swamp People. I guess, gator wrasslin' is best left to the professionals.

Tonight's run, in one word was INCREDIBLE. After today's long car trip and swamp exploring, imagine my surprise when my legs felt great. I got to the hotel after dinner, got my gear on, left Patrick and B watching the UGA game in our room and I got to it. I got on the tread and started it on a 15:00 pace, started flipping through the channels and found Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 1 on tv. SCORE!! The time on treadmill flew by and I even sped up and held a pace that I felt I could be proud of and before I knew it, my run was over. My legs felt great and I couldn't believe how great I felt. After beating myself up this week, about my runs and marathon training, this was just what I needed.

The site of the AWESOME run.

The Treadmill Doesn't Always Suck

This morning I had 5 miles on the schedule, Patrick was working, and I didn't want to pay for a sitter, so off to the gym I went to get the miles in on the treadmill. I had been reading my Mental Training For Runners book before I headed out, and decided to use a few of the tricks that the chapter I was reading had just started to touch on. Plus, before I even walked into the gym I made the conscious decision that I was going to have a good run. This run wasn't good, it was great! I normally dread the treadmill, and when on the actual treadmill, staring at the numbers and praying for it to be over as quickly as possible. Well, this time was different. I had a movie loaded on my phone, I had good music, I had a plan to make this run work. I started out and I felt a little achy but as soon as I got warmed up all that went away. I felt great during the run, I watched the people in the Zumba toning class and listened to my music. For the first time ever, the treadmill did not feel like a chore. To add to the general awesomeness, the ankle felt great and so did the knees. EPIC WIN!

Disney's Princess Half Marathon Weekend Race Report - My First Half

The race report... FINALLY! *Warnings- Picture heavy post and a bit of TMI*


All the Garmin stats are HERE


So, I had set my alarm for 2 am, and I woke up before that. Only I would take my phone and take a picture of the alarm clock when I got up.

I got myself dressed, and made my breakfast, but sadly my breakfast exploded. See, the evidence of said explosion. We ate, and headed out to meet the driver from the car service that took us to Epcot for the race.

We got to Epcot and were pretty sure that we were the first people there. We actually weren't that wrong, we were some of the first people there, but I felt a lot better knowing that we were there, even if it was ridiculously early.

This pic cracks me up because it looks like I'm droppin' it like it's hot.

In case you didn't know, Saturday was the Day of Dance and we had to celebrate, even if it was a day late. There was a DJ, music and lights, so we had to dance. We requested a few songs, and I started teaching a little impromptu Zumba class. Ok, so it was more like me dancing but eventually I got a couple of princesses to join in. Someone was recording it, and I would love to see it. After a few songs, I decided that it was time for a potty break, so in the ever growing lines we went. You'll never guess who I happened to run into while I was waiting.... none other than RR and Lesley! It was a meeting none of us will ever forget. 

So, before I forget, I wrote on my arm to remind me of a few things during the race. First of all, was a reminder to STICK TO THE PLAN. Sadly, I didn't stick to the plan, I let me brain get the better of me towards the end, but I will definitely do a million times better next time. I am going to win this mental battle I seem to have every race. The other stuff I wrote on my arm was inspired by Kelly, ok, I totally stole her idea and dedicated each mile to someone. My first mile was dedicated to God, and each mile after that was dedicated to people who have been influential in my weight loss and running journey. Just so you know, I ran a mile for all of you, you guys were mile 8. Sadly, there weren't enough miles for every person that I wanted to run for, but there will be more races.

We made the seemly endless trek to the start, but not without two more stops at the porta potties. I was so scared to lose time stopping to pee during the race, little did I know that I would have to stop during the race regardless. Once we finally made it to Corral F (F for F***ing FAR), we tried to shimmy our way to the front, or at least as far to the front as we could manage. We watched the faster waves go, and each time the Fairy Godmother sent them off, I got chills. Finally, they got to us, she said her little spiel but it seemed a little lack lustre compared to the others, she might have been out of magic by then, or maybe I was being overly critical, both of which are completely possible. We were off like a herd of turtles....

We started strong, but sadly spent a LOT of time at the beginning just trying to get through the crowds. People were walking more than 2 deep, and taking up a ton of space. I ended up running on the grass a few times just to be able to pass. K and I called when we were passing on the left or right, but some people just wouldn't budge and some looked at us like we were insane. In case you were on the course in our general area, we were the loud broads talking about a few inappropriate things, and randomly yelling things like "woohoo", "go us", and "we're all so bad ass". Karen and I were in a great mood but a lot of the people around us were grumpy/serious princesses. I get that they were there to get it done, but I just thought that we would have fun getting done. We did find a few people along the way who were super awesome and tons of fun. I guess I thought that the super happy vibe that I expected and heard about would trickle all the way down to the back of the pack. We even ran into Sarah, and a friend of Shannon's, but we didn't end up running with them. So, we did end up stopping to use the bathroom right by the Richard Petty thing, we lost almost 10 minutes there. Can you believe that?! When we were done, K and I "sprinted" to try and make up some time and we managed to catch up to some of the people we had left when we broke off to pee. Anyways, not too far from the Contemporary, there were some pretty gymnast boys doing their thing, and we sped up and tried to look all cool when we passed them but not before yelling out something about how hot they were. We made one of them blush. 

This was the last picture my phone took before I couldn't get to the screen anymore
from the salt from my face. I was trying to post on Facebook along the way.

There were four of these along the way.

Before we knew it, we were heading into the Magic Kingdom. Where was the time going? It was all I could do to keep it together as we were making our way through Main Street. I know it seems silly that I cry or get all misty eyed at so many races, but I think it just hits me that I have come so far in the past year. In February, of 2010, I had started the weight loss thing but running wasn't even on my radar, I was just a different person. Back to the race, we made our way through Tomorrowland and made our way into Fantasyland, and there it was, the castle. We stopped for a picture in front of the castle, but when we looked for it through ASI's site, it was no where to be found. It was the only picture stopped to take.... go figure. In MK, K and I were chatting and somehow decided that February 27th is New Lucy's birthday. Old Lucy, who was weighing me down is dead and gone, and we buried her just outside of the Magic Kingdom. All of that is silly, I know, but there was something about finally mentally letting go of the 200+ pounds that have still been weighing me down that was very empowering.

This was a surreal moment, I had been looking forward to
this moment for so long.

Woohoo!!! GO US!!! 

So, let's get down to some knitty gritty of the race. I was doing well sticking to the hydration plan, I was alternating powerade and water. Plus I was also making it a point to pour some water on my head at water stops so I wouldn't get too hot. Unfortunately, the fuel plan sort of back fired on me, and I had no issues with it during training. I ingested entirely too much caffeine with the GU and blocks, FATAL error. I had some awful GI issues during the race but I refused to stop, because I didn't want to lose any time. Had I stopped, I probably wouldn't have slowed down as much as I had towards the end. Stupid move on my part....lesson learned. I didn't even finish the fuel I had left in my spibelts because I just didn't know if my stomach could take it. Also, learned a valuable lesson about chafing. I won't go into detail but I just didn't know that there were certain things that needed to be hit with glide. Yowzers!

Best sign I saw on the run

Nine miles in!! 

K and I were briefly separated when she raced ahead to use the restroom. I put my headphones in and jammed out. I had my hands up, I was randomly hooting and hollering, and probably annoying the crap out of the people around me but I was having fun. When K and I reunited, we even ran into a lady I know from the gym. As we went along, I slowly started to wilt, mentally speaking, I was turning to mush. You can look at the garmin stats and watch me fall apart. When the pace really slowed, is when the plan went out the window. Around mile 10, K ran ahead, we had agreed that if one of us needed to speed ahead, we would let the other go, so I let her go. Although, it made me a bit sad because I was already teetering on the edge of losing it mentally, I knew that I had to prove to myself that I could finish this out on my own without K. I dug deep and tried to keep going, so I kept telling myself something that Amy had said to me the night before... "finish the drill". I knew that I had one thing to do and it was finish the drill, and part of shedding old Lucy meant finishing the drill. I was beating myself up about how slow I was, and not even thinking that I was doing the damn thing. Then it happened, we were coming into Epcot, we were in the area right before we went into the park when I started wheezing. I couldn't get a handle on it, so I got my inhaler out and took two hits. I started feeling some relief, but I wasn't 100%, I struggled with it until the end. Why did this come on? It hit me that I was going to finish this thing, and I had a bit of a panic issue. At that point there wasn't any other option than to finish. I also cried during all of this because I just couldn't believe that I was going to finish it. Darn it, I'm crying writing this out. Anyways, a lady beside me started chatting with me when I was tearing up, and I told her my story and she told me all about her husband who has started his own weight loss journey. Thank heavens for her! Then, right at mile 12, there was a girl who was looking like she was going to fall apart, so I chatted with her for a bit, and maybe help her like the other lady had done for me. Then, we turned to leave Epcot and what do I hear... the gospel choir. I completely lost it, it just touched me so much. The lady who helped me earlier and I stopped to take pics at mile 13, and then she said "you know we have to run the rest of the way in". That's just what we did. I ran past Mickey and Minnie, and I wish I hadn't, I just finished. I stopped to take a picture for some people and then K found me. Somehow she managed to stick around the finish line and wait for me. As soon as I saw her, I broke down into the ugly cry yet again. We hugged, and I told her that I still didn't have a handle on my breathing. She said that I needed to get to the medical tent, I told her no. Why you ask?! I needed to get my medal first, I didn't go through that and not get my bling. So, I leaned on a guard rail thing while I waited for my medal. As soon as I got it, I had her walk with me over to the medical tent.

Only one mile to go. Can you tell that there were tears involved?

My new friend was kind enough to take this picture for me.

Not sure where this was taken.

Again, there were tears just before this picture was taken.

I got it done! 

Had to get a pic of the medal before getting medical attention 

The medical team they had on had was awesome. They got me checked in and taken care of incredibly quickly. I had a team of doctors checking me out within minutes of getting there. They did hear some wheezing but we managed to get a handle on the breathing and I stayed in the tent until everything was back to normal. Can I tell you what the sad part about being part of the penguin crew? When we cross the finish line, the party is pretty much over. Everyone has scattered, even picking up my bag after they discharged me was sad because I had to go to a completely different tent where they had the last bags waiting on pick up.

Can't believe I forgot to take the ice pack off my back! Who does that?

We headed over to the taxi pick up place to meet the car that was picking us up. We stunk like we had just finished 13.1 miles, I felt so bad for the driver because we smelled so bad. Then when we pulled up to the Mona Lisa, I yelled something out of the car window which was so stupid on my part. Ugh, I stuck my foot in my mouth yet again. We got ourselves showered up, put on our "I Did It" tees that we bought at the expo, packed up and headed to Golden Corral. Sadly, Foodmaggedon which we had planned was a total flop, but the intent for it was there. We got an A for effort.

You may have to click on this one to see what the signs say

Monday's post.. only a day late

Just overlook the fact that I look like a hobo... I don't know why the hobo look hasn't caught on.

The Bad & The Bad Ass

Before I get to my post, go to this blog and make a donation here. 

At least the view from yesterday's run was pretty....

So, I went for a little run by myself yesterday afternoon before picking Bella up from school. Karen is on a set working on a commercial, oh the life of a super cool make up artist. Great for her, sucky for my running situation. Anyways, I sucked it up, got myself dressed and headed out. First and foremost, let me just say that I had some issues with the running skirt/capri combo from runningskirts.com. My particular issue with this outfit is that I am still too big to rock this look, it'll be a little while before I can fit into it properly. Bummer because the skirt/capri combo is cute, and the capris under the skirt were super comfy.  So, walking at first was fine, but as soon as I started running, the skirt started riding up and it wasn't pretty. Had I not had the capris underneath, I would have given the others on the paths a free show, Momma has bills to pay, I can't be showing it all for free. Then, to add to the suck fest that was Wednesday's run, I had to pee the entire time, and I had gone to the bathroom right before I ran... WTF?!  Of course, there had to be more, I was having some knee pain and some calf discomfort. I know the knee pain is due to the arthritis, so that wasn't a surprise, just an annoyance and a reminder of the permanent damage I have done to my joints with the extra weight.

I am very coddled having someone to run with even on the treadmill. I had a huge hit reality when I went out on my own yesterday. I think that mentally, it put me in a bad head space and I didn't put on my big girl panties like I should have. Even my music made me mad, and I was being a huge baby. I finished my 3 miles and stomped off to my car and sulked. I thought that going to Zumba in the afternoon would help me shake it off, but all it did was make me extra tired and slightly irritable.

Today on the other hand was going to be my redemption run and was it ever. After Groove, I went and changed out of my stinky Groove stuff, put on all my running gear and headed over to the lake. As I was leaving the gym, it was sprinkling but nothing that was going to keep me from the redemption run. The sprinkles turned into full on rain. I started out, my music was right, I felt great, and I was determined to get in 4 miles by myself. I tried to stick to the 4:1 interval plan but that part didn't work out exactly as planned, I walked a little more than I would have liked. I am motoring along and at about 1.75 miles into the run, it hit me that I was already doing so much better than yesterday. Then that rain turned into sleet, by the time I hit mile two, it really started coming down and I started feeling pretty BAD ASS! I was smiling to myself the whole time. The only issue with my bad ass moment was the slick conditions it caused on parts of the paths, but I managed. By mile three, I just felt such a sense of accomplishment even though the Garmin was reminding me that I was SLOW. I passed a doggy show down, and some guy who may or may not have been a crackhead (don't see too many of those in Peachtree City), just to keep things interesting. By the time I got back to the car I was so happy. I was buzzing because I finished, and finished the run on my own, and because I ran in the rain and sleet. This one is going down in the Book of Bad Assery!

If You Like Piña Coladas...

... and getting caught in the rain.... (can't get this darn cheesy song out of my head)



Alright, the song comes to mind because we got caught in the rain during our long run this afternoon. Everyone knows that inclement weather always makes one think of cheesy music... duh! Due to the fact that the kiddos were out of school today, we had to get creative in terms of babysitting and the time we headed out for our run. Karen's daughter (aka babysitter extraordinaire) came to the rescue and stayed with Bella so we could head out on our 10 mile trek. Karen and I had a plan for this run, our route was planned, we planned to run 4:1 intervals and we had a fuel plan in place. The only thing that could have used better planning was our hydration plan, but we managed to make it work, but we will definitely have a better plan in place for our next long run. We were even ready for the rain that had been forecasted, and you know my thoughts on running in the rain.... BAD A**. As you might have guess, we did get caught in the rain, but it really wasn't that bad at all. Anyways, we were just chugging along nicely, but we were slower than we had hoped. We chatted about everything, we were having fun and waiting for that euphoric moment like we had on our 9 miler. Then this weird thing happened... that super high and giddy moment we felt last time never came. I wasn't trying to high five strangers or anything like that. It really kind of bummed us both out, and then by mile 8, I was just ready for it all to be over. Somewhere between 8 and 9, my calf started cramping, it was very frustrating and it just felt amplified because I wasn't feeling that awesome high that I feel when we go long. We got it done, but it wasn't that same feeling. Even after we got home, it was just so anti-climatic. So, we came to the consensus that 11 will bring that feeling back, and we were just having an off day. Shaking off the disappointment and trying to focus on the general bad assery that comes with knowing that we finished 10 miles!

Now, it's time to get to bed because I have Bosu class in the morning. Karen and I signed up for a bosu belly blast class that Amy is having at the gym. Should be interesting...

Frostbite 5K Race Report

Diana, Karen and I after the race. I looked rough after the finish.

Can I just start out by saying that this has been the best day ever?! I have to tell you that I took 4 minutes off my best 5K time clocked in at the Girls On The Run 5K in November. Just keep in mind that my fast is most people's slow. I finished today in 41:26 minutes according to the trusty Garmin, oh I love me some Garmin.

So, let's back it up to the beginning. Karen picked me up and we talked strategy and talked about making this race our best. We went through our usual pre race routine and met up with a friend of mine from the gym, Diana. This was her first race ever, and we invited her to stick with us and run 5:1 intervals. I was feeling so good about this race, and knew that I was going to PR. We started and started pretty strong, dodged little kids, and walkers for the first half mile or so. We were sticking to the plan and ready to rock it out. We hit the mile 1 marker in 13:(something) minutes, as soon as I saw the time I knew it was going to go well. This course is notoriously hilly, and I was prepared or so I thought. My thighs (my IT bands I think) tightened up going up the hill, and I had to walk before the walk interval. Karen and Diana were still going strong so I told them to go on without me, plus, I just wanted to prove to myself that I was mentally tough enough to do it on my own. Let me just tell you that I only finished 3 minutes behind them, not too bad in my eyes. Anyways, I was on my own, and I kept repeating something that Shannon had said to me about running. I repeated my mantra, talked to myself, pushed myself and I even think I said some of these things out loud so anyone within ear shot probably heard my ramblings. I would look at the Garmin and see the time and I knew that I had to push, I had to PR. When I saw that I was not too far from the finish, and I looked down to see my time I knew I had to push through and resist the urge to walk. Granted, I did end up walking just a little but it was less than 30 seconds because I had to beat that time, and I knew that I could get it done. I saw the finish and made the final push with Karen standing at the finish line cheering me on. Could not have asked for a better way to finish.

I learned a few things in this race, I will not go to Zumba in the even before my race ever again. Did I forget to mention that I went to class last night, and I taught Friday morning? I over did it and learned a valuable lesson about REST, and how important it is. I also learned that I am capable of getting it done on my own, I am tough enough. The difference between this race and the Peachtree Classic where I ran on my own was that I had Shannon's little saying in my head, and I was mentally prepared to wave Karen and Diana on. To be honest, I used them being ahead of me to pull me through and work harder. Lastly, I learned that staying for the awards is well worth it, more on that in just a second.

Alright, so we decided to stay for the awards and door prizes, to be honest, mainly because they were giving away Road ID gift certificates and we wanted to win them. Diana, Karen and I were there ready to claim our prizes, because we were sure we were going to win. Diana was pulling for the TCBY gift certificate, we were pulling for the Road ID gift certificates. So, they are announcing the age group awards, and Diana's little boy won an award. We waited, cheered on the winners and then they announced Karen's age group and guess what?! Karen got 3rd place in her age group! She was shocked, I was so proud and happy for her. Then, she won a door prize, an umbrella, which was highly amusing. I was still hoping for the gift certificate but I did end up winning something too. I won a super cute hat from a local boutique.

I am going to proclaim this the BEST DAY EVER of 2011!!!! (so far)

This race was my first for the Run For The Bling Of It Challenge.

Ok, So Second Doesn't Suck That Much

My ILIATC Jamie,  Me, my trainer Amy

Weigh Cool, the ILIATC winning team!!

So, as the title implies, I didn't win. I came in second, but we already knew that and I was prepared to deal with it. What I was not prepared for was what else going to happen last night, which just blew me away. Ok, the little shindig started with stats about the program, and there were over 800 pounds lost between all the teams involved this go around. Try and picture that... it's insane! GO ALL OF US ILIATC PEEPS! Then, the team winners were announced. Amy's team (the team that the thorn in my side was on) won third place, and Jamie's teams won first and second. When they announced that the team that everyone thought was going to win actually came in second, I was floored and so excited all at the same time. We were the underdogs of her two teams because we were the all female team, but we pulled it out and won!!! Weigh Cool really was WAY COOL! Then we got the individual results and they announced the third place chick and gave her stats, and we all cheered for her. Then the dude in charge of all the trainers started his little speech about the second place person, and as soon as he said it was someone working with two of his trainers, I started welling up. No, there's no crying at "Lost It"! So I started singing "Here Comes Santa Claus" to myself, because who can cry with that song?! *that was a little trick I learned on my wedding day* He had some of the sweetest things to say about me and my progress, even he was tearing up. I just sat there shaking and my team kept telling me to stand up but I couldn't bring myself to do it because then I would for sure cry... and it would be the ugly cry. Then, he surprised me with the sweetest gift, he said he was so impressed with what I have done over since January that he gave me a $150 gift certificate to spend on anything at the gym. Then he moved on to announce the over all winner... the dude. I actually felt bad for the guy because it was so anti-climatic. Even the speech that Amy had to give about him was sort of lack lustre. The kicker was that dude had no idea that the prize was a free year at the gym, and he didn't seem to care about it that much. Seriously?! So, there you have it... it all actually worked out pretty well. Not exactly the way I would have hoped it would but it was still pretty frickin' awesome. To top off a great night, Amy, A and myself went out for chips, salsa and margaritas afterwards to celebrate. Just so you know, my stomach still feels like it's on fire from eating and drinking all that. Isn't that sad?

Ok, I had to add a video because RR from http://littlefruitfly.blogspot.com/ posted a video of Boyz 2 Men on her facebook and now I can't get the song out of my head. I'm even doing the little dance that I had made up for this when I was a kid.

I Can Almost See The Finish Line!

Before I even tell you about the insane days I've had, I want to send a shout out to Shannon who wasn't mentioned in the vlog entry. She changes her tennis schedule to come to contortion on Tuesday mornings and she's one of my Zumba peeps. Shannon, you're awesome!!!

I forgot to mention in the vlog entry that I went shopping with my dear friend, she was shopping for a dress for a wedding. While she was trying on clothes, I found a dress that I just had to try on. I didn't know what size to pick so, I picked multiple sizes and started from the biggest size and moved down. I put on a dress in a size I haven't worn in a LONG time. I was so excited that I walked out of the dressing room and started singing and even did a little dance. It was a sight to see... If I had a super nice occasion to go to, I'd go back and buy the dress. 

So, after I got my Housewives fix Wednesday morning, I headed to the gym and trained with Amy. SHE KICKED MY BUTT! I am thoroughly grateful though because it was some good therapy thrown in there for good measure, and heaven knows I needed the therapy.  After that, I got in a short run on the treadmill before I went to cycle class, I really cannot stand the treadmill. Anyways, I went to cycle and would you believe that the instructor played "Cheeseburger In Paradise", that is simply cruelty to fatties. I was so hungry and the song nearly sent me over the edge. I went to Zumba that afternoon and got to see Sarah and Shannon which is always fun, I love those girls. I was so ramped up after class, I felt like a bit of a crack head. I finally managed to tire myself out after going to Groove class later that evening. 

Thursday, I went to Amy's pilates class, and it was awesome. Her class is challenging but we also had a lot of laughs which helped the class simply fly by. I did not go to Groove, I needed the rest. Instead, I went to help my friend Christina find some accessories to go with the dress she bought on Tuesday's shopping adventure. Let me tell you, I learned a valuable lesson, I cannot be left alone in Charming Charlie's. I was picking accessories left and right, and I would have spent a small fortune had I not just put my basket down and walked out of the store. I had to laugh at myself a little because I get a little crazed when it comes to accessories of any kind. Then Thursday evening, I went to Group Active for the first time in a long time, and I stayed for Zumba immediately after that.

This morning K, Sarah and I went to for our long run. Thank goodness for Sarah because K and I were dragging. Sarah pulled us through today.... thank you! It was a different dynamic and a ton of fun to have more of us running together... it just worked out so well. Plus, it was nice to have a third for when we have to face off with the Stroller Mafia who will not budge and take up the entire golf cart path. After we finished our 7 miles, we all headed to lunch together. What could be better?! K and I went to Groove this evening, and I am so glad that she came because I was struggling and I don't know if I would have worked as hard had she not been there. 

So, tomorrow is the big weigh in and then I have to wait until Wednesday night to find out if I won. At this point, I still want to win but I am also ready for this to be over because I'm ready to get my head out of Crazy Town. As much as I enjoy being Mayor McCheese, the mayor of Crazy Town, I am ready to have my brain back to Normalville. Wish me luck! I saw the dude who's in second as I was leaving the gym tonight, I hope he only puts in a half as*ed effort. 

Seven Miles?! Piece Of Cake

... and no, I don't mean a real piece of delicious post run cake. :( Although, cake does sound mighty tasty right about now. If it weren't for "Lost It" I would tear up some cake right about now, but I digress. Friday morning, K and I set out on what would be a most epic day for us. We started with a plan and we did not back down, we finished those seven miles and I could not be prouder of us. *TMI warning* So, I think that I can now join the ranks of the hard core because I ran the last mile and a half with something not feeling quite right. I had a feeling it was my toenail that had gone, low and behold when we were done and I took my shoe off my sock was bloody and my one of my toenails was almost completely gone. Who needs those toenail things anyways?! The toenail had also cut up one of the adjacent toes, it was not a pretty picture. The good thing is that I was riding the high of the seven miles that a little blood didn't bother me. This is going to sound crazy but between the seven miles and the toenail thing, I felt pretty bad ass.

K and I decided that the best way to celebrate the run was to make a little road trip to a running store in town called Big Peach Running Company to properly get fitted for new shoes and to spend some money. Ok, really we just needed an excuse to go shopping. I cannot tell you how much I loved this store, the staff was great, the fit process was wonderful and they had some of the coolest things in-store. I spent a bit more than I wanted to but I got a new bra, new shoes, and some more KT tape. I needed that stuff... right?! K and I considered getting shirts that said Run ATL on them, I might have to go back and pick them up because they were too cool. Now, I'm going to start breaking the new shoes in so I don't have a toenail incident repeat.

This morning I had my weigh in and workout for ILIATC, and the results were awesome!!! I lost 6.2 pounds, I couldn't be happier. There is only one issue, because there are only two weeks of "Lost It" left my focus is going to have to shift a little away from running just until the last weigh in on the 6th. That's not to say I won't run, it just means that I am just going to try and maintain what I've got going on. My trainer was giving me some strategies and tips so that I can win this thing. I am going to win this, because I have busted my butt and I could really use the free year at the gym. Send me good weight loss vibes.... Mama's gotta win!

What A Weekend!

This was a super fun weekend! It started on Friday when I spent the morning getting a mani/pedi with my friend A, plus we also had a chance to hit up DSW... I didn't find any shoes but she did.   Then Friday evening, Patrick, Bella and I headed to the Braves game along with Patrick's parents, grandmother, sister and her kids. Patrick, Bella and I had a the best time, I can't speak for everyone that was with us, but I think they enjoyed it too. Patrick bought Bella a Chipper Jones jersey because she just adores Chipper and cried when she found out he was out for the season. Then, he tells me that he's going to take her to get her face painted. I thought nothing of it, assuming that she would something small airbrushed on her cheek. Nope, I was wrong, she got the full on face paint complete with designs and glitter on each cheek. She was so happy with it and so proud of her paint job, it was beyond cute. Just watching her at the game was a trip because she just was so into it.

Here's a picture of Bella in full Braves regalia. It was taken with my cell, so pardon the poor quality. 

Saturday morning, I had our team orientation for the "I Lost It At The Club" program. Just a quick side note, from now on for the sake of my typing fingers I'll refer to this program as ILIATC. We had our little orientation, and we were told what is expected of us and the team during the next few weeks. We officially start on Saturday, and life is going to change, but I really want to win this thing. Last time I did ILIATC in the Spring, I came so close to winning and I'll just be honest I like winning and winning a free gym membership for a year is pretty darn awesome. So, this trainer that I'm with is no joke, and she expects a lot. You know what, I like her approach and I think it's going to be tough but super good for me.

Then, Saturday evening I went to a Zumba party at a friend's house. Guess what?! I got to teach my first two songs ever. I think I did pretty well, but then again we'd all been drinking so I am not sure if I have a good frame of reference. Anyways, getting up there was a rush and I really can't wait to teach some more because it was so much fun. I really am so thankful that I had that opportunity. Also, let me go on record and say that drinking and Zumba sounds like a good idea, but it's really not so much the best. Ok, let me rephrase that; a drink before Zumba is probably ok, but multiple drinks isn't so good. I didn't get sick, but I didn't feel the best either. The party was a ton of fun and I was so glad to get out and just relax for a while. Let me tell you what the best part was.... I got cupcakes! Isn't that awesome?! My Contortion class date, Sarah, brought me some delicious and healthier pumpkin spice cupcakes which her mom made for me. Oh they were so good... yum!

Sunday was low key and exactly what I needed because I wasn't feeling it on Sunday. Which I am sure comes as no big surprise, based the aforementioned party on Saturday. I hung out with the family and didn't do a whole lot except going to Groove in the evening.

As for today, I just had a pretty uneventful training session... nothing to get excited about. Then tonight, I didn't make it Zumba because I had a photo shoot. Tomorrow is MRI day, one step closer to some answers about the knee. Keeping everything crossed for good news.

SPIbelt Review

I ordered one of these belts on Monday and I added the expedited shipping. Plus, I had to order the larger belt size. Let me start by raving about my dealing with the company themselves. Someone from the company contacted me on Tuesday and offered me the free shipping instead of the expedited shipping because the larger belts take a day or two to make. That in itself was pretty impressive, and spoke volumes about the company and the way they run it. Then, I informed the gentleman that I needed it by Friday so I could use it for the race on Saturday. He replied by telling me that I could be assured that I would have it by Friday. Low and behold, FedEx showed up at my door on Friday with my package from SPIbelt.

Now, to the belt itself. I cannot say enough good things about it. It really does not bounce when you run, and I was honestly shocked when I didn't feel it budge when I ran. Although the belt looks small, it expands and fit my large phone, my friend's keys, and a few other odds and ends. I will make a video this week so you can see for yourself how much can fit in this thing. During the race, I actually forgot that I had it on. The material isn't waterproof, so I put my phone in a ziploc bag so it wouldn't get wet if I was overly sweaty. The SPIbelt gets two thumbs up! Great product that delivers on it's promise at a great price.

Check them out at www.spibelt.com

Like A Virgin...

... running a 5K for the very first time....

Took this picture a little while ago, after I realized that I didn't take any pictures pre or post race. 

I can now say that I am no longer a race virgin. This morning I ran my very first 5K, and I am still alive so that's always a good thing. The day began early this morning because I was so worried that I would oversleep that I woke up disgustingly early. I got ready and thankfully already had everything I needed packed so I didn't have to worry about that. I also drank a Slam to get some energy, I did get a jolt but I should have saved it and drank it right before the race started. My friend came by to pick me up and we headed down to Newnan for the race. We had a great time just gossiping and sharing stories, it really did help put me in a good mind set for the race. We got there, got our numbers, and got ready to go. We tried to line up in the middle of the pack, and took it from there. 

We got off to a really good start, but I started to fade quickly. I was just a tad overly eager at the start, had I just paced myself a little better it would have been a LOT better. We were rockin' it out when the course turned we saw that we weren't the last ones. Something must have happened at some point because next thing we knew there was a cop car trailing us.... we were the last two. After a while the cop car stopped following us, which was good because it was really wigging me out. Anyways, we pushed on, and finished the 5K in 52:15 minutes which means our pace was 16:51 minutes per mile. Which in my mind is not too shabby. We are going to try and run another 5K towards the end of the month or beginning of October, and we are aiming for a finish in 45 minutes. We've got this covered!

And because now the song is stuck in my head, I give you none other than Madonna from a 1984 performance.

What A Day!

Today began with an attempt to run this morning with a friend. It quickly turned into a walk because my knees were so sore and I couldn't handle it today. The only bright spot was having such great company this morning. Afterwards, I went to the gym to train with Amy. She and I had one of our world famous "therapy sessions" and a good work out in the process to boot. This afternoon, I went to Zumba and tried out my new shoes, I loved them.

After the morning's workout sessions, I headed to buy some new shoes for Zumba. I couldn't be happier with the shoes, they were great during this afternoon's class. Sarah, thank you so much for your help! I went shopping for an outfit to wear to my cousin's wedding in San Francisco next week, and it was such a great experience. I'll explain, I went in thinking that I was going to need a certain size in the clothes, and after I went into the change room and started trying the stuff on, it turns out I was wrong. I had to ask for smaller sizes, what a great feeling! I've been smiling since then!