Weeks 23 to 27

Do you ever sit and wonder where the time goes? Where the days disappear to? Why life happens so fast? It's going to be December in a few days. Carson is going to be TWO YEARS OLD in 6 days. I'm going to have another newborn in about 12 to 14 weeks. What in the world?!

I thought that by working part time and having more time at home with Carson, things would slow down a little bit because I wouldn't be constantly working, AND making a home. Nope, still goes by just as fast only working four days a week five hours at a time. I am super happy still, don't get me wrong, I just cannot believe how quickly the days still go by.

I mean.... LOOK AT THIS GUY

He's a little man now. He's not a baby anymore. WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN!? He is doing really well and we will have his two year check up the day after his birthday. He is crazy smart but being super stubborn about talking. He understands everything you say, he knows what he wants, he is just refusing to actually say words. Brat. No, I am not concerned about it. People get all crazy and paranoid because he's not talking yet.... guess what? Kids go at their own pace. Some kids talk before two and some kids don't talk until almost three years old. I refuse to be that mother that freaks out because my kid isn't comparing to other people's kids. He's FINE.

Pregnancy Weeks 23 to 27:

Feeling: I have had a couple of bad days recently topped off with some lovely head colds, and bronchitis. I even threw up a couple of times.... on Thanksgiving no less! I'm usually able to battle the nausea without taking Zofran, but if it gets really bad I make sure to take something or else I can't even function. It's hard to just lay around the house when you have an active toddler and you're trying to nest for baby number two. I'm also very tired. I get worn out easily. I'm not sleeping the greatest at night because I cannot get comfortable so I try and nap whenever I get the chance. Luckily Carson still does really well with naps so I sleep when he does.

Cravings: Juice!! And all the carbs. Potatoes, rice, pasta, bread.... I do my best to make sure to eat brown rice, whole wheat pasta, and Dave's Killer Bread.... but sometimes you just have to reach for the enriched white flour bad stuff. Ha! I also still have my normal Christmas time peppermint addiction. This time of year makes me so happy! Peppermint EVERYTHING! I'm still doing fairly well on my plant based diet. I still am having dairy from time to time, usually in the form of cheese, and I did make cookies which required butter and eggs. I also had a small serving of turkey on Thanksgiving.... but we all noticed the vomiting I did that day as well. Coincidence? I think not. Again, it's not easy to overhaul your eating habits after 30 years of doing things a certain way, but I'm getting there and am having more triumphs than let downs. Tonight we are having Gardein "chicken" tenders and homemade fries. It is possible to do comfort foods. Promise!

Aversions: I'm actually not having horrible aversions. Andrew did have scrambled eggs at the hotel when we were in Wisconsin and that made me a little queasy, but I don't make scrambled eggs at home so I don't think about it much. Sometimes even looking at sweets gives me heartburn (haha) but other than that I'm doing OK!

Belly/Weight Update: Belly is getting bigger and harder and getting more difficult to work around. Putting shoes on, getting dressed, bathing.... everything is getting a tad more difficult. I know it's going to get worse before it gets better though. I think I've gained two pounds back. Other than that I am holding steady with a pretty good loss and people keep telling me I look great so I'll go with that!

We still have not picked out a name. We are tossing a couple around.... I can only hope one day it just clicks. Sooner rather than later. I hate being a last minute person.

Belly Pictures!! 

Week 23

Week 25

Week 26 - Wedding Day!!

Week 27

Weeks 17 to 22

Life is still happening. Hahahaha.

We got our floors done last week and they are GORGEOUS. I'm almost thrilled that we had water damage.

LOVE LOVE LOVE.

They did such an amazing job with the installation. I could not be happier. They took less time than anticipated too, so we didn't have to stay elsewhere while they were working. We used Neike's Flooring out of Taylorville. Great, great place to work with!

We are going to do the same as last time and lump the last 6 weeks together.

Pregnancy Weeks 17 to 22:

Feeling: I've still been feeling really good except for this last week when I got a sinus infection on top of bronchitis. Holy yuck. I've been a coughing, sneezing, snotty mess this last week. Add on being tired from pregnancy AND from sickness and I've been a zombie. I've been very blessed that my parent's took Carson and I have been able to just rest and relax these last few days. Plus, my amazing job has been totally understanding. Makes sense since my job requires me to be around and handle food......

Cravings: Still juice. I make 6 mason jars full of green juice at the start of every week and have to start my morning with one! I have also been craving Thai food. We've had it twice this week. If I tell Andrew I want it again he might slap me. Hahaha. I think mostly it's the noodles and the tofu. Taste of Thai cooks really good tofu. So does Little Saigon. Mmmmm. I've also been craving grilled cheese sandwiches which I have successfully found a way to make them vegan and still have them be just as delicious, if not more. Chao "cheese" slices are the BOMB and Earth Balance buttery spread is spot on. I love that I can make Andrew grilled "cheese" and not have his stomach bother him too. I'm sure he appreciates it as well!

Aversions: Still eggs and meat. One day I thought I wanted Orange Chicken from Hy Vee... got it.... ate half of one piece.... thought I was going to be sick. So, haven't done that again. Also, a random one is sugar. Like, super sugary foods... mostly candy. Not a bad thing to not want, eh?

Belly/Weight Update: I've lost a total of 17 pounds during this pregnancy. How fun! It's still TOTALLY healthy and my OB is super OK with it. Me and baby are super healthy and doing just fine. I'm still eating almost all day, every day, just making much better choices. Almost makes me wish I would have been more vegan with Carson.... maybe I wouldn't have been as sick.....
Belly is still looking bigger every week. Little by little this man is taking up more room!

It's a BOY! 
This is so funny to me because deep down I knew it was a boy. As soon as the tech said it I went "Told you!" to Andrew. Now to find another boy name. Most of the boy names I like start with a C. We are probably going to have 2 little cuties with C names and I'm totally OK with that.

Belly Pictures! 

Week 17

Week 19

Week 20 - Day we found out it was a boy!

Week 21

Week 22

Weeks 11 to 16

All the things are happening right now. All.of.the.things.

I've been having people in and out of the house like crazy to give me estimates, file claims for my water damage, look at my electrical, and fix my AC/Furnace. I swear there is an appointment almost every day of my life. Plus, all of the estimates I get for Grandma's house too. Plus, between her doctor appointments and mine, we are always running somewhere. Throw in work, a husband, and an almost two year old.... I'm pooped!

But I'm happy. Life is full and busy. Hectic to the point I want to scream sometimes, but everything is wonderful.

Ok, pregnancy updates:

We are going to lump the last 6 weeks together into one big 'ol update. Pictures will be at the end.

Pregnancy Weeks 11 to 16:

Feeling: Fabulous. I'm not going to lie. Ever since I changed my diet/eating habits I have felt fantastic. I am 99% percent vegan at this point and it has definitely been treating me well! Been going strong for about 3 months now and I don't plan on stopping. The only real pregnancy symptoms I still have are the fatigue, mood swings, and random skin issues. I'm very itchy. It is super annoying.

Cravings: Still craving juice! More fruit juices now than the green juices. I still drink both though. Also, smoothies! I have a smoothie made with almond milk, bananas, strawberries, dates, chia seeds, and flaxseed meal every day. It is so refreshing and SO good. I freeze my bananas overnight so they are super cold when I blend them with everything else. I have also been wanting lots of potatoes. I buy the baby gold and purple potatoes from Hy Vee and boil them. After they're nice and tender, I smash them, season them, and roast them for a little bit.

Aversions: Now that I have overhauled my eating, meat is a SUPER strong aversion now and the thought of eating eggs makes me want to throw up.

Belly/Weight Update: After my last belly "pop" I have mostly evened out. I think this last week it popped out some more, but the OB said my uterus is about even with my belly button now which makes sense as to the belly getting bigger. I have also lost another 4 pounds and my OB is thrilled. She said "Whatever you are doing, keep doing it!" Only when you are overweight will your OB be thrilled about weight loss.

We got to hear baby's heartbeat at this last appointment and it was STRONG and PERFECT. I am so happy.

Feeling Boy or Girl?: I am still on the fence. Dr. Stone thinks its a girl because I have felt so great lately and haven't been as sick... but we both also know that has to do with my diet. Andrew is dead set on girl and so is mom. We should (fingers crossed) find out on October 12th!


Belly Pictures!

Week 12

Week 13

Week 14

Week 15

Week 16

Almost There

We are almost to the second trimester people. Yes!


Pregnancy Week 9 & 10:

Feeling: Better! For the last month I have cut meat completely out of my diet and I couldn't be happier with the result. My nausea is almost nonexistent. I still have my moments because, hello, I'm pregnant but it isn't nearly as bad as it was. I also have cut way back on dairy products which makes Andrew happy since he's lactose intolerant anyway. We are 90% vegetarian 10% vegan at the moment and I feel great about it. We have also cut back on grocery costs. Score!

Cravings: Green juice! Last month I dusted off the ol' Breville juicer and have had a green juice every day for breakfast. (sometimes with a bagel & peanut butter). At night I will make carrot, apple, ginger juice sometimes, too. I forgot how wonderful and fabulously inexpensive juicing is. Yum yum! The most random craving I have had recently is chili. Last week I made a 4 bean chili and have been eating the leftovers every day. I am going to make some Pumpkin Chili out of my Thug Kitchen cookbook next week.

Aversions: All meat, eggs, and the smell by the bakery at Hy Vee makes me kind of nauseous (sad face!!!)

Belly/Weight Update: They really were NOT kidding when they say you pop out a lot faster/more after your first pregnancy. I went from "aw, I see a small bump" to "Holy f*ck you exploded". It's insane to me. However, I'm super excited to have a bump again. I have also lost 10 pounds. No worries, the doctor is totally cool with my weight loss since I am a big girl to begin with and am not starving myself - just eating cleaner.

Feeling Boy or Girl?: Again, no idea. Andrew, my mom, my grandma, and almost everyone at work says girl. All I can say is this pregnancy is 100% different so far and I will be happy either way!

And, here are Week 9 and 10 pictures - you will see the HUGE belly difference!

Week 9

Week 10

It's July & I'm Pregnant

Sheesh. The last time I blogged it was April and I wanted to know where that month went! Now we are heading into the end of July and it almost makes my head spin.

Instead of doing a long, drawn out, boring post about everything going on in my life... we will just give the bullet points.

Since my last post:

I got a tattoo and I adore it

Andrew and I celebrated FIVE wonderful years of marriage

Face Swap!

Carson had is 18 month check up and is perfect and healthy in every way

Grandma moved to Springfield, right up the street from me

We saved a stray kitten who was mangled, starving, and needed many surgeries. We named her Clarabelle but I call her Little Miss.... or crazy bitch

She's all better now! Etheridge Animal Hospital in Taylorville is the best.

I have been working as an online shopper for Hy Vee and I enjoy it (most days)

Still loving and selling Jamberry. (Check out my site here!)

I reached 50 pounds lost on my weight loss journey

Andrew and I have been kicking ass with our Dave Ramsey plan and budgeting

Hmm.... feels like I'm forgetting something. Oh yeah! THIS!

We are so happy that Baby Cowan #2 will be joining us in February of next year! I am currently 8 weeks pregnant and feeling wonderful as every woman does during the first trimester shitty as can be. I have not thrown up nearly as much as I did with Carson, however, I still have thrown up and I am incredibly nauseous starting around 4pm every.single.day. It's super awesome. Andrew loves that dinner is no longer existent in this house. I just can't fathom eating or cooking anything. 

Pregnancy Week 8: 

Feeling: Nauseous, exhausted, crabby as fuck (just ask my family)

Cravings: Any carb I can get my hands on, chocolate milk, salad with Olive Garden dressing. Really, it HAS to be Olive Garden's Italian dressing

Aversions: Any and all meat, eggs, most fruits and veggies (sad face)

Belly/Weight Update: Definitely popped out WAY sooner with this nugget. I was a lower starting weight than I was with Carson and I still haven't gained anything. 

Feeling Boy or Girl?: No idea. Everyone around me keeps saying girl. I, however, don't have a strong feeling with this one at all yet. I keep telling everyone since they are hoping it's a girl that it will be another boy and I am TOTALLY ok with that. :)

Where Did April Go?

I mean really. What happened?

Between daily life, quitting my job, helping my grandma find a house in Springfield, and getting ready to start a new chapter in life.... April kind of disappeared on me.

I had posted on Facebook last week that my last day at Springfield Van & Storage will be this Friday, April 29th. I am going to finally be able to be home with Carson during the day and I am thrilled about that! I will then start working at Hy Vee a few evenings a week just for something to do and a little extra income. It will be a nice change for our family and I cannot even being to tell you how excited I am about it.

My grandma is moving to Springfield very soon and she will be moving in up the street from me. We are going to be super busy getting her house all fixed up the way she wants it but it is going to be nice to have her closer and be able to help her out more. And when I say up the street from me, that's no joke. Her new house is on my street and within walking distance.

I really don't have much else to update other than the fact that I decided to not be a Beachbody coach anymore. That was short lived, huh? The reason I made that decision is because I had a really good couple of weeks staying on track and then the inevitable happened..... I binged and I binged BAD. That is what happens to me every time I restrict my diet and have foods that are "bad" and "off limits". It triggers something inside of me that makes me crazy and I always snap and go off the deep end.

Recently I read two AMAZING books that have helped me tremendously and the past week and a half I have never been happier or felt better. I am eating what I want, when I want it, and ONLY when I'm hungry. Crazy thought huh? I stop eating when I'm full too. NO WAY! Alert the press! The new diet fad is in! Hahahaha. I have successfully been losing weight and feeling the changes in my body and I am not depriving myself of anything. It's amazing that when you listen to your body's hunger signals and cravings and eat what you want that you don't feel depressed, angry, deprived, upset, or guilty when you eat something you're "not supposed to".

You would think all I crave is sweets and junk, right? Wrong. The first two days I probably did go a little heavy on the baked goods and chips - but that's stopped now. I want fresh foods, salads, whole avocados, fruit, nuts, whole grains...... I'm eating better now than I have on any "diet" I've done.

The best part about this? I have rekindled my love of baking. Oh how I love to bake. I have missed it. I stopped baking so much because those were "no-no" foods and bad for me and if I made them I'd surely binge. I have made two huge batches of chocolate chips cookies and an amazing layer fudge cake with chocolate butter cream frosting and have controlled myself with ease. It's amazing.

If you're curious about the books I've read, here they are:

Josie Spinardi's Thinside Out

Kathryn Hansen's Brain Over Binge

Both of these books were insanely eye opening to me and I am so glad I read them. They have officially changed the way I think about food and my relationship with it.

Back At It

So, it's been 5 days since the half marathon and I feel great. The day after my feet were a tad sore (I had a few small blisters) and my hips didn't like to function after I had been sitting for too long, but otherwise I felt fantastic. I felt empowered, and super accomplished.

Sunday was also really nice because I got to enjoy Amber's company until the afternoon. We went to a couple stores to stock me up on some loose leaf tea, and healthy stuffs to eat, and then we visited the Lincoln Museum Gift Shop and the Lincoln Tomb. After that we had a nice lunch at Noodles & Co. and then she headed home. We had some amazing conversations and it was truly motivating to me. Amber has helped me so much to get back on track with my health. It's not just a vanity thing, people. It is about my overall health and wellness and trying to live a long life so I can be there for my child. Hopefully one day there will be another child as well. Again, I want to get healthy before even attempting to get pregnant again. I mean, I've said it before.... my blood pressure is fine, my overall health is technically good.... but extra weight on anyone is a bad deal!

As I mentioned at the end of my last post I decided to become a Beachbody coach and am loving it so far. I have my Vegan Chocolate Shakeology that I love. I normally don't buy into the hype of things like that but I notice a HUGE difference when I drink that every morning. Plus, it's like a delicious chocolate milkshake. Yum. I make mine with almond milk, ice, and a banana. I cannot even begin to describe how it curbs my cravings AND gives me energy. I have had more energy at work this past week than I have had in a LONG time. I am following through with tasks and reaching goals I have set at work AND at home. It's an amazing feeling.

I am also doing 21 Day Fix again. If you haven't heard of that, check it out here. This is also my personal coaching page. The first time I did 21 Day Fix it was on a whim. I lasted a week, had GREAT results, but then stopped. Why? Because that's how people work. Hahaha. I am doing much better this time around because I have, once again, cut meat out of my diet. I did use up what was left in the house which was some salmon and Andrew will continue to eat chicken breast, but I am enjoying 21 Day Fix even more now that I cut out meat. I feel like I have more options which might not make sense to some. I love beans. When you do 21 Day Fix, the regular eating plan, you don't get to eat a lot of beans or whole grains. When you follow the Vegan/Vegetarian plan, you get lots of beans and whole grains. I have yet to use ALL of my containers in a day. I am giving my body the fuel it needs and I feel fantastic because of it.

I also like the 21 Day Fix workouts. They are 30 minutes and require little to no equipment. I do it in the morning before Carson gets up and before getting ready for work. I still go for walks/jogs in the afternoon sometimes too because I am trying to continuously build up my endurance for running again.

This was an afternoon workout while the baby slept! 

This is my "I don't like Pilates" face. Haha. It made muscles I didn't even know I had hurt. But I got it done this morning! 

I have lost 46.5 pounds since the beginning of 2015 and that is awesome. I honestly feel great and can't wait to feel even better! If you need some motivation or want to ask questions about what I am doing... please reach out to me! Everyone knows I am an open book about my weight loss journey and my dream to be a fit mom!

Half Marathon Number 4: Recap

Well, we did it! Remember how I said I would be sad because mom wasn't dong it with me. Well guess what? SHE DID IT WITH ME! We were sitting on the couch Friday and I said "It won't be the same without you." and then she told me she would do it. So when Amber and I went to get our packets, we registered mom! I was so happy! That evening we had a delicious dinner of whole wheat pasta with lots of veggies and then called it a night. We were going to have to be out the door by 6:30am.

Minutes before Race

The cold doesn't bother you so much as the wind does. The wind for this race was horrific. There would be times that it was calm and it was perfect.... then a gust of wind would come and mom and I would walk like we were drunk. Ha!

We finished faster than we did in 2013 and I am very proud of that! I would still like to do this race in 3 hours or less. That is my ultimate goal. Oh! And we weren't second to last this year. We finished ahead of 12 people! Woo!

The absolute BEST PART of this race was the fact that Mary Todd and Abe crossed the finish line with mom! I finished, got my medal, and turned around to see mom crossing with them and I just laughed. It was amazing!

I now have 3 penny medals and hope that collection continues to grow! My next race is a Virtual 13K that Amber signed me up for and I have until April 16th to complete that. I miss running races. I really want to make sure I don't forget this feeling and all I have to do is continue to find races and sign up for as many as I can.

Also, I hope to be an inspiration to people out that that no matter what size you are, how old you are, what pains you have; if you set your mind on something you CAN and WILL accomplish it.

Annnnnd because I am a data junkie, here are my Garmin times/splits:

2 Days Left

Well, there are officially only 2 days left until the Half Marathon. I am both nervous AND excited. Those are two completely normal feelings to have before a race. Thankfully excitement is winning over the nervous/scared feelings.

I once again have to send out a HUGE thank you to my cousin Amber for being so amazingly supportive to me these last few months. She asks the right questions and really gets me to honestly evaluate how I feel and what I truly want to do. ♥you, cuz!

My current goal for this race is to finish (obviously) but I want to try an average 16 minute miles. I think that is 100% doable. I might have a few 14 or 15 minute miles in there too. But again, an average of 16 over the whole race would be just peachy.

Let's recap 2012 and 2013 real quick.

2012 Lincoln Presidential Half Marathon

In 2012 I ran this with my mom and finished in 3:18:35 and I was around 180 pounds. What I mostly remember about this race is that my socks were WAY too thin and my shoes were too big. I ended up with some nasty blisters. Lesson learned. We also did this race within a month of doing the Disney Princess Half Marathon in Orlando! 

2013 Lincoln Presidential Half Marathon

In 2013 I ran it again with my mom and was completely unprepared. I finished in 3:45:59 and was over 250 pounds. What I remember about this race is I wore the wrong shoes (AGAIN - notice them in my hand) but my socks were perfect. They were toe socks and I didn't get any blisters! My feet just hurt because it was a minimalist shoe and I was way too heavy to wear a shoe like that for that long of a distance with NO training. 

This year, I will be doing the race about 30 pounds lighter and with SOME training. I feel more ready for this one than I did for the one in 2013. Mom and I were not going to do it but then the night before I went "You know what? We signed up for this damn thing are we are doing it if it kills us." Funny how we didn't die and we got the satisfaction of running our third half marathon together. 

I will be sad this year though because mom is not doing it with me. This will be the first half marathon I have done "alone". Amber is running this race as well - but she is MUCH faster than me and will be patiently waiting for me at the finish line. Hopefully she will scream something obnoxious at me when I am crossing the finish line. Ha! 

I have one more thing to add to this blog. I am now officially a BeachBody coach. I decided that I wanted to mostly be a discount coach for the products and BeachBody On Demand is AMAZE-BALLS.However, I am hoping that my journey on this will inspire others and get people motivated to have their own awesome weight loss journeys. Click here to visit my website and feel free to ask me anything! 

Even if it Kills Me

I am going to do this half marathon on Saturday even if it kills me. I know it won't though because I have done it two times before and the second time I was 30 pounds heavier than I am now. So, why do I think I can't do it? Well, because of that nagging and annoying nay-sayer in my head that never seems to go away. I actually had a dream last night that I did this race and even though I was dead last, I did it. That's more than people who don't do it can say, right? It'll be my fourth half marathon and my third penny medal.

And can I just say that I hope the shirts are a better color this year? The past two years they have been hideous! Like, tan poo color and ugly yellow. Blech.

I am going to leave you all with The Blerch. Because this is what lives in my head. Thank you to The Oatmeal for this amazing realization and proof that every runner has this in their mind.

Half Marathon Training: Day 16

I hate treadmills.

Not only that, but my Garmin Foot Pod has a low battery and decided to quit working. So, I did do a half an hour on that damn machine in the garage. 

Now, I'm going to go do some strength training and yoga.... because I'm frustrated.... because treadmills are dumb. 

☺

Half Marathon Training: Days 8 - 16

Sorry for the delay in posting. Life has happened people. Life happens a lot.

For those of you that weren't aware, Andrew's grandmother passed away last week. I very much enjoyed Marilyn and knowing she is gone definitely hurts my heart. I got derailed with my training a little bit, but still managed to either do Yoga or go for a leisurely walk with the dogs. I wanted to keep myself moving even if it wasn't an actual training walk/jog/shuffle/run. Anything I do is going to help prepare me for this half marathon.

Today is Day 16. There are 3 miles on the schedule. It is snowy/icy out and the wind is terrible. So, I will attempt the treadmill in the garage and hope this time it doesn't smell like burnt plastic. Ha! I want to do at least 30 minutes on the treadmill and then do a round of circuit training which would be:

• 5 push ups
• 20 second plank
• 10 mountain climber
• 8 tricep dips
• 10 squat presses
• 10 plank jacks

I would do that circuit at least 2 times.... 3 if I am feeling feisty. 

I have also recently been doing a new 28 Day Jump Start Challenge through FitGirls and it has made a HUGE difference in my relationship with food, tracking, counting, measuring, etc. Anyone who has ever done WeightWatchers or even counted calories knows how ANNOYINGLY TEDIOUS it gets. You just get tired of it. You hate it. You wish you didn't have to think about every piece of food that goes in your mouth, every tsp or tbsp of something. You get burnt out. This 28 Day Jump Start plans all of my food. All of it. Gives me a grocery list, meals, how to do the meal prep and when and requires absolutely no thinking on my part. Best part? The food is delicious! They even give you substitutions if you hate something. Being the food lover that I am.... I don't have that problem. 

You can check out the book here.

Roasted Veggie Power Bowl - Brown rice, roasted veg (of your choice), chicken breast with hot sauce, and steamed kale. *drool*

Sweet Potato Street Tacos (sweet potatoes, mushrooms, spinach, onion, mozzarella cheese on corn tortillas, 2 slices of avocado, strawberries. *drool some more*

It is a repetitive menu for the week, however, that's OK with me. It makes my life so much easier. Both of those meals pictured above were delicious AND filling and I will have no problem eating them the rest of this week. Plus, you alternate dinners. Tonight will be Pita Pizza. YUM. 

My jump start will be slightly off for Week 2 since Andrew and I leave for Chicago on Sunday, but as usual, I will do the best I can and we will do lots and lots of walking! 

Half Marathon Training: Day 7

Day 7 called for an easy 2-3 miles. Since I had just done 4 miles less than 24 hours ago, I decided that 2 miles would probably be my better option. It was. My quads and shins were not happy with me today. However, I made the best of the run that I could. The weather was crazy nice (I wore a tank top!) and it really was a great day for an easy run. 

Actually, even though my legs were hurting I had my best pace yet. I didn't push it either. I just went with what my body wanted to do and was able to handle with some walk breaks. It was really shocking when I uploaded my data and saw some of my best paces. If you remember from Training Day 2 I was doing a 16:34 Average Pace. In just a short amount of time I've gotten down to 15:28. It just goes to show that you won't be slow forever and you WILL improve the more you stick with it. 

The plan for the rest of the day is to finish up some cleaning/organizing, Financial Peace University from 3pm-5pm, and then rest and relaxation with the hubby and the kiddo. Very much looking forward to that. 

Happy Sunday, everyone.

Half Marathon Training: Days 4, 5, & 6

Day 4:
Was supposed to run. Didn't. Planned on doing it on Day 5.

Day 5: 
Was supposed to run. Didn't.

Why? Excuses. Thursday was understandable because the day didn't quite work out how I planned. So, I said I would run Friday instead. But I didn't. And Amber sure called me out on my BS. (Thanks, Amber) I NEED someone to call me out on my BS. My excuses got me to where I am in the first place: overweight and slow.

Day 6:
Saturday's are designated to long runs. Majority of people have Saturday off from work (like me) so it is easier to set aside time to do a longer run. I had a plan for the day and I sent it to Amber in the morning so that she could, as usual, keep me accountable. My morning was going to be consumed by helping Andrew replace all 88 elbows on a piano (yes, pianos have elbows) and it is a hell of a job. Very physically demanding and time consuming. It took us 4 hours to do.

See? Elbows!!! 

After we were done, we headed to my parent's house to get the kiddo and I planned on doing my long run in Taylorville. After we ate, I played with Carson in his ball pit, and then we laid on the couch and watched some Mickey Mouse. All I could think in my head was "I don't want to go run. I don't want to go run." Soon followed by "Amber will kill me if I don't. I'LL kill me if I don't. I committed to this so get up and do it." So, I went into the other room to change into my running stuff and headed out the door.

My first quarter mile was done at a very easy pace because my 85 year old grandmother went with me. (Go Grandma!!) We walked a little loop around the house and then she went inside. I had my mom's dog Fiona with me because Lord knows she needs the exercise. That dog made it 0.75 of a mile and then started to DRAG behind me. So, I took her into the house and grabbed Mia instead. Nope. That didn't work either. I said "Screw you dogs, you suck at walking" and went back out on my own.

I ran a couple loops around my parent's house to get up to a mile and a half and then I decided to venture out a bit. I ran to the bike path, ran it to Highway 48, turned around and went back, decided to do it again, and then hopped on 48 to go back to my parent's house. By that point I was at 3.75 miles and I was NOT going to stop with only a quarter mile to make it 4 miles, so.... I did the loops around my parent's house again until I got to 4.

Mile 2 was at 14:46 Pace. WOO!!!

I.did.NOT.want.to.run.

I am SO glad that I did. 

Those are the runs that are usually the best. Your breathing is spot on. You don't have any aches or pains. You feel in the zone. The weather was perfect. It was the best run I've had so far and I'm hoping I have more like it. When I was finished I was in the best mood. That's what I've missed about running. I always finish and feel wonderful. Refreshed. Empowered knowing that I did something to better myself.

You can all see from days 4 & 5, however, that it is incredibly easy to get off track and just stop all together. That's what happened to me. One day I didn't run. Then another day passed... and another.... and another..... until I ended up here...... back at my heavy weight and back at square one of running.

I am back at it though and that is all that matters. Looking forward to Day 7.