Be Brave

My sister Jenna bought me this shirt awhile ago

I love this shirt one because I love the saying behind it of no excuses. Many runners say we don't need to know the weather forecast we just go run. I suppose to some extent this is true. I think the key to me is being brave and not making an excuses.... which leads me to today

100 Day challenge May 31st Day 32
5.10 Miles
55 Minutes

My group started at the Ogden Dunes train station and did two separate loops which lead to just over 5 miles. It was raining, windy and even worse we went on the beach. The rain was painful coming off the lake. The best part... I was laughing/crying the entire time. If you are unfamiliar with the Ogden Dunes subdivision around here it is a great place to find some major hills. In fact an older runner told me the reason one of the roads is called ski hill is that it actually used to be a ski hill a long time ago. Afterward I was exhausted, cold and ready to get home. However the run was completed and no excuses were made.

What are you going to brave this week?

Be Proud

There are so many times when we don't realize what a big step we have taken. Almost everyday throughout our journeys we do something we should be proud of. Be proud of every mile, pound, meal, day, week, month, year. They are all steps that lead us to ultimate success.
100 Day Challenge Update
Wednesday May 30th
Day 31: 3.38 miles 30 minutes... A super fast pace with some really great runners


What will you be proud of today?

Race Prep Again

So if you are an avid reader you know I run a lot of races.

This weekend I am running this one:

Sunburst Half Marathon South Bend, IN

I am excited for a couple of reasons.

1. I have never run this race before and I love trying new races.

2. I love college football and even though I am not a Notre Dame fan this is a classic stadium and the finish line is inside the stadium.

3. Some of my favorite running friends are running in the event as well. In fact my friend Tim and I plan to try to finish together. 

I am also excited because it appears as though the weather is going to cooperate which I was not planning on.

The race prep has begun...

Drinking lots of water to begin to feel hydrated... 

And of course some additional carbs during the day... Although I really need to start finding some new ideas with marathon training season coming.

I am also really trying to get more sleep this week and get everything ready in advance. My friend Nora and I are setting out to South Bend Friday night.

Also some small easy runs: (100 day Challenge fully completed today)
Today: 3.30 Miles on the bike trail in Griffith 31:00 Minutes
There was a lot of sun, some annoying wind and very rude drivers with made for some traffic issues. I also felt pretty sluggish. I plan a slightly longer run tomorrow and shorter run Thursdays in prep for Saturday mornings race.

What are your favorite carbs?

I love long weekends!

I love to celebrate all these fun long weekends.

We started off Saturday heading to my friend Hilary's wedding...It really wasn't a bad drive down the toll road and we arrive in plenty of time to get ready and head to the wedding. Hilary arranged for the hotel to transport us to the reception so no one would have to drink and drive...These are all her friends that live here in Northwest Indiana.

We had a blast and I am so happy for my friend Hilary. Although the "free" alcohol really got the best of me...
100 Day Challenge
I am pretty sure I accomplished it by dancing my butt off...




Sunday we made a pit stop on our way home and hung out in Michigan City on my boyfriend's bosses boat. As you can tell from the picture... I was hanging pretty rough from the open bar wedding. However it was a great day to be out on the lake and we had a great time on the boat getting some sun.
100 Day challenge... unless you count the small amount of swimming or extreme amount of sweating I did it was a fail..







Monday... Memorial day! Today I went one of my favorite races the 12K Xtreme Trail Run in Portage, IN at Imagination Glenn. I love this race. I never go for pace or speed.... I go to finish. Parts of the race look like this...Check out about minute 4:11 and 4:48 and you can see me running it the first time I ever ran it.


All in all I had a great time running with my friends. My buddy Tim and I stuck together almost the entire race and our shoes took the worst of it... 12K in 1:26... I would say this completes my 100 day challenge for today!

What was the best part of your weekend?

Ready for the weekend

Are you ready?

Holidays like this weekend can get crazy... We often tend to do a lot of this... Cooking on the grill

And sometimes drinking too much of this...

Today I start the weekend off with this girl's wedding...

Congrats to my friend Hilary and her fiance Julian.










Being prepared is the best way to survive a busy weekend. Check back as the weekend develops for more updates on my busy weekend.

100 Day Challenge update:
Friday... hour long sprint to clean up my house before the busy weekend begins... this counts right??

Do you have an action plan this weekend? 

I'm back

I hope you didn't miss the blog too much... life can get crazy. The one thing that I have learned since I joined weight watchers though this something like this...

So what have I been up to...
100 Day Challenge Upate
Thursday I set out for a 32 minute walk before we went out of town
Friday I had a 40 minute walk with my mom
Saturday I ran in part of a 5K for Diabetes (see below)
Sunday I ran 7.4 miles and thought I was going to die from the heat
Monday I walked for 32 minutes
Tuesday... ZERO... but I got to see my brother (see below)
Wednesday... 10 mile run
Thursday... 3 mile run in a lot of sand
Last weekend started with a wedding... I am really happy for my Lyndsey and her new husband Steve. They had a really hot but beautiful wedding ceremony.

Then bright and early Saturday Morning I went to a 5K with my Uncle Shawn, Mom, sisters and niece for the JDRF... please support Juvenile diabetes research in anyway you can. My Uncle Shawn has now lived over 36 years with it and without support of research that probably wouldn't be possible.

I also got to spend an evening having some good old fashion fun downtown Cincinnati with my sister Jenna, her fiance and Jason.

Jenna and I at Toby Keith's... Beer in Mason Jars... awesome

 We finished off the amazing weekend with Jason's nephews 5th birthday party. Watching kids have that much fun reminds me of how simple life really is.

So far this week has been pretty typical except that my younger brother Jimmy had a four hour layover in Chicago Tuesday so I took him to Giordano's for his first deep dish pizza.

Now I am just preparing for a long holiday weekend...

What are your plans this weekend?

What's not to love...

100 Day Challenge
Day 16 (May 15) Yesterday I did 3 miles through the woods with my friend Bryan since the heat was such a killer. I am just glad I got it done

Day 17 (Today May 16) Today I set out for a shorter run before my Wednesday night group run. I managed a total of 8.72 miles. I was trying to combine two days of running since we are traveling to Ohio tomorrow. This run actually was a great run. Not my best but I really did feel good for the most part. Even got some great hill running tips from a fellow runner.

Are you keeping up with the 100 day challenge? Remember the purpose is to challenge yourself.... How many days are you going to complete?

May Photo Challenge Day 15: Love

Recently with the weather changes I have been eating this as my new lunch. HUGE SALADS.  In warmer weather salads are so good. I really like to change them up as much as I can. I recently read about some new fun stuff to try on my salads another blog by a vegetarian. Huge pieces of broccoli and even pickles really bulk up a salad. This one also has crushed red pepper and salsa for flavoring. No salad dressing though as that adds many needless points plus values/calories.

Combine this with a cup of Greek yogurt and it makes a really good satisfying lunch.

May Photo Challenge Day 16: Snack

Also my new favorite snack has really become Vanilla Yogurt with fiber one cereal and a tough of cinnamon. The perfect little evening snack that is low in points. If I have extra points I even throw in a few raisins.... Really makes for a great treat.


Have you tried anything new lately?

Keep Pushing

"When you truly believe in what you are doing, it shows. And it pays. Winners in life are those who are excited about where they're going."


Day 15: 100 Day Challenge: 
26 minute walk
5 Minutes of Abs/Stretching

Today was a really great day to be outside. Just before I  headed into my weight watchers meeting I went for a beautiful walk. The weather was perfect today. I often say that something is better than nothing. 26 minutes of walking is much better than just sitting doing nothing at all. I also believe that you don't have to spend money on a gym to get in a good workout. Google is an amazing way to find workouts Today I typed in Ab Exercises... I found this on fitness magazines website... and it was free. Ever looking for a quick workout this is a great way to find workouts you can do from home....








 All you need is a mat or sometimes some furniture and weights. I also love my balance ball. An easy way to do some exercises and not put too much stress on your body especially if you have injuries. 


What are some of your favorite quick workouts?

I love my Mom!

Today we celebrate all the Mom's. "Mother's hold their children's hands for a short awhile, but their hearts forever." Unknown Author

My mom (in case you have never read about her on my blog) is simply amazing. Although I have been teased since I was a young girl how much I look like her as an adult I am glad. My mom is one of the most beautiful women I know inside and out. She is funny, smart, crazy and caring. She has supported me every step in my life. As I grow older I really realize how amazing she is. One of the biggest lessons I learned from my mom is to never tell yourself you can't do something. She always tells me if you want it go after it....

When I started my weight loss journey she was always there for me no matter what. She was truly one of my biggest cheerleaders. She was always waiting every week to hear how I did at my weigh in. She was there when I crossed the finish line of my first half marathon and even my very first full marathon. She always tells me how proud she is of me and she has no idea how much that really means... "A mom's hug last long after she lets go." Author Unknown

Today I don't get to spend the day pampering my mom or spending time with her since she is in Ohio however I like to believe I am always there in spirit. So in honor of my mom... drink some ice tea, dance, smile, laugh until it hurts, shop, drive with your top down on your car, go for a walk, eat some pecan pie, drink some hot chocolate, watch a good movie, make yourself look nice or do something beyond amazing...

Tell me what makes your mom special?

Little things can mean the most...

This week has been more than exhausting... I am glad tomorrow is Friday.

100 Day Challenge Day 11:
A Beautiful run through Ogden Dunes with great running people.

I always say the support of others can mean the world of difference today I got this text from my best friend Amanda. I really don't think she can know in words how awesome this made me feel. I truly feel so blessed to have her as a friend. We have been through so much as friends even this little text can make a very long day better. Many times we forget how something this simple can make someone feel good..

What's even better... the other day another really good friend of mine Sherry sent me this message. Sherry has been such a great friend to me since I moved to Northwest Indiana.













I feel so blessed to have two amazingly good friends. I am so lucky they support me and are always there when I need them.

What is something that seemed so small but mattered to you lately?

Nike said it best... Every Damn Day...

Long Days...


3:40AM

Get up for work... yes this is when some people go to bed... 

4:00

May Photo Challenge day 9: Something you do every day

Pack lunch... something I never leave home with out doing... I work long hours and I need to feel prepared so that I am not tempted during the day to make poor choices... most days I stay fully on track with with I pack... I often say this is a key essential to my weight loss and maintenance. Planning the day makes it much easier to stick with once you have made a decision.


 I then made coffee and ate my traditional egg beaters with salsa and spinach before running out the door

5:00 Arrive at work and eat Oatmeal since I don't get up early enough to eat both my protein and carb to keep me going through the day


At some point in between I had a few orange slices... 

10:00 Eat some Yogurt with blackberries and banana

1:00 Finally LUNCH. Starved... which is never a good thing... oh and my boss bought Mexican... my favorite... OK!!! I don't normally go away from my packed lunch but today that Mexican sounded really good... I ordered something Vegetarian and it was a very small portion and I didn't go over board on anything else. I also made myself eat my yogurt and strawberries...

4:00ish... crap I should eat something before I run... and now I over eat on wheat thins... Which is so frustrating... I hardly ever do this... this box might end up in the garbage tomorrow... oh and these two pieces of candy look good.

5:00 Out of work... head to meet running group

6:00... 5 awesome miles with awesome running people (100 Day Challenge Day 10: Completed) My commitment to the 100 Day challenge and staying well prepared for my next half marathon has made running during a really busy time at work much easier. 

7:00... Crap you forgot laundry needs changed over.... 

7:15... Only 3 points left.... Oh Salad you look amazing

Yawn... Yawn... Yawn.... 

"You have brains in your head. Your feet in our shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction." Dr. Seuss 




What is something you do everyday?

Smells good..

How I spent the few hours I was free from work today...

Started the afternoon off by completing day #8 of my 100 day challenge 5 mile run after work... I met a good running buddy Bryan. Bryan is a really awesome running buddy and we always seem to chat away any run....He has done some really awesome events that I hope to someday be able to do. Today even though I was practically falling asleep driving the run felt great. It was a beautiful day to be outside.

May Photo Challenge Day 7: Someone who inspires you

Between a tiring day at work and then my run I decided dinner needed to be easy to make. What's better than using your grill to do most of the work.

May Photo Challenge day 8: A smell you adore

Foil
Cooking Spray
Piece of Tilapia
Cajun Seasonings
Steamed some Brussels Sprouts to go with...






Easy and taste good.

I love how fish is low in points
Easy to change how you make it.










How did you spend this beautiful Tuesday?

Life

Sometime life is
Crazy
Fun
Busy
Hard
Easy

However... "The meaning to life... to life meaning." Unknown

This weekend was almost all of those words in one for me. Work is crazy busy with Mother's Day only one week away now. It was busy because I spent most of it working and running errands.

April Photo Challenge Day 5: Fish

Fun because I got to see this girl... Her name is Miranda. She is practically a "niece" to me. I have known her since she was a very small baby. Its hard to believe she is growing up so fast. Her family came to Chicago yesterday and I met them for dinner. They spent the day at the aquarium... Check out the head of her awesome pink octopus... I met them for dinner at the Rainforest Cafe. They have a pretty "Natural" Burger made from garbanzo beans that I enjoyed. A great place for kids...

Another good part about meeting them Downtown Chicago was I went up a little bit early and was able to complete Day # 6 of my 100 day challenge by walking around the city for a little bit.

April Photo Challenge Day 6: YOU

However this wasn't the easiest weekend to get my long run. Some great running friends however made it much easier by agreeing to meet me this afternoon out at a shaded trail in Chesterton. It was really peaceful out there. At first I kept thinking this is going to be really hard. Then I set out and I felt amazing during this run. Although I had a horrible headache the run felt really good. 10.26 miles in 1:44.. Done and Done.

What are you going to do with your life to make it meaningful today?

My Kind of FUN

I think we all have different ideas of fun... I am not sure how many people spend their Friday night doing this... Enjoying a nice cold beverage and following a baseball game on their computer...

April Photo Challenge Day 4: FUN!

This might not be everyone's favorite way to spend Friday night but for me this is reality. I have a very busy weekend and week coming up. So a relaxing Friday night with a cold drink and a baseball game is my kind of fun.

What was your idea of fun on this Friday?

Train Hard Win Easy...

This is one of my favorite running shirts because in believe in this mantra in my ways...

April Photo Challenge Day 3: Something you wore today

 Today I read a quote that said "Keep your dream in front of you. Never let go no matter how far fetched it might seem." Hal Higdon 

The thing is it doesn't matter if you are training for a 5K, half marathon or even a marathon... or maybe you are just training for 1 mile or something totally unrelated... Train hard and you will win. You just have to have faith in yourself. The reason I love the mantra on this shirt is for many reasons... Winning can mean so many things. Winning can mean crossing the finish line, completing a difficult task or accomplishing a major goal. It can also be really small. 

I had a member send me a note last week that she went to one of my favorite pizza establishments and ordered salad and water. This ia a WIN!!!!! Winning doesn't mean you were the first person to cross the finish line. Winning is finding pride in yourself. 

Set a goal, train hard, win easy. Training is not always easy but it is the key to being a winner. 

100 Day Challenge Day 4: 3 mile run! What did you do today?

What goal will you accomplish even today?

Oh Its May already...

Welcome to May!!!


I can't say we are going to get in all 31 this month but this helps me find some ideas to post on my blog...

May photo challenge day 2: Skyline

Well this is my favorite skyline anyway... Click here for recipe!











How did we do in April ?
Goals for April
~Finish yet another daily blogging challenge.... Well I think I did pretty good. 
~Complete my first half marathon on April 15th. Last year I finished the Crossroads of Indiana in just over two hours. This year I feel better prepared to finish in under two hours. Done and Done well 
~15 minutes of minimum exercise every day Only missed two days!
~I gave up pop/soda in March. I am going to continue to challenge myself with ore water in April. Well I have had a few however still doing really well..


May Goals
~Survive another Mother's Day in the floral industry.
~Continue my 15 minutes of exercise my 100 day challenge has begun.
~Prepare for my next half marathon June 2nd.

Oh and May=Weddings for this girl...


I am really excited to see these two get married.

What are your goals for May? How will you complete the 100 day challenge?

Sometimes you need some fun...

These last few days have been crazy...

I left work on Saturday at 10:00am... Hit the road to Cincinnati to celebrate a bachlorette party for my friend Hilary. I am so happy for her. I do miss her since her fiancee was placed at his job in Louisville but I am so glad I got to go to her party. Her wedding will also be a really good time.

The other good part about Hilary trying to find a central location was that she picked Cincinnati. So I got to see my family. My sister Jenna was even kind enough to drive me.

It was really great to be able to spend a small amount of time at home. My sister and I always seem to have fun together.

Then I got up ran my eight miles, had lunch with my family and hit the road back to Indiana.

Mothers Day has set in at work and I am exhausted already...

What was the last really fun thing you did?