If at first you don't succeed

Well I tried street running again today. I went a different route. . .one without so much incline. My knee is still aching a bit, but not as bad as last week. My calves feel fine, my shins are hurting some but that is nothing new ~ they are pretty much always painful to touch. I was able to jog the entire stretch I set out to do. I thought it was 1.5 miles but just used mapmyrun and turns out it is only 1.37 ~ close but no cigar. When soccer season would start and we had to run 3 miles I used to have a 'jog as slow as you want, just don't walk' rule which I did today. Some stretches were VERY slow jogging, but I didn't walk the entire 1.37 miles (I walk to warm-up/cool-down so entire thing was 1.95 mi). Running is as much of a mental game as it is physical. 

Then I came home and did 30 minutes (7 miles) on the recumbent bike. Off to shower then head to church. . . I slept in this morning :)

Baby bump

Ugh, waiting to spill the beans until the second trimester is torture!! But alas, the word is out. 

YAY

Ack, two close friends are pregnant ~ I better be careful ;) 

(As a funny coincidence, we are all celebrating our 10th wedding anniversaries this year.) 

WoW-20

I think next week I am going to start over with the week counting. So far no one has made it consistently to the week 20 mark (and you are all dropping like flies). I will go back and see when I started being serious and go from there (making next week week 7).

Like I said yesterday, a weekend of eating chips with chile con queso, brats, ice cream, etc. does not do a weight loss goal good! The scale being its wishy-washy self doesn't help much either. The first time I got on it showed +1.5, the next three times it showed ±0 so I will go with the zero and consider it a victory!!

I think this week I will cut back down to 1hr 15 min cardio (instead of 1hr 45 min) consisting of 30 min treadmill and 45 min recumbent bike.  

STATS: 

Regina: 0

Renee:

Amy: - 0.2

Laura: 0

Christine:

Sarah:

Keri: 0

Paula: -1

Relief, you know how to spell it

t.r.e.a.d.m.i.l.l.

ahhhhh, today the kids were back in classes at the Y and I did my jogging there (walk 5 min, jog 8 min, walk 5 min, jog 8 min is the actual training. . . i walked 5, jog 8, walk 3, jog 8, walk 2, jog 2, walk 2) and BOY did it feel much better than the street jogging I did on Saturday. 

Thanks for all the recommendations (and the suggestion that it was just muscle soreness). I actually used to run (even did sub-8 minute miles) but that was back in the day and the running was forced - I played soccer from age 8 until roughly 22. About 5 years ago I started getting back into it and worked my way up to running 4 miles (yes, in a row), then I got plantar fasciitis and stopped. Now I am trying to work my way back into it with this 5k training. It currently takes me 30 minutes with the walk/jog combo (which changes weekly) to go 2.20 miles. 

Point of this post??? Oh yeah, it was to say that the treadmill jogging today was much easier than street jogging (and yes, I know treadmills are easier in general since there is no hill/wind resistance), but I am talking in terms of my body. My knee was aching for the past 2 days, but today, after the treadmill, no pain at all. 

With all that being said, I must also say I don't think tomorrow is going to be a good WOW day. . . a weekend of gorge eating doesn't help in the weight loss department, no matter how much you exercise!

Lesson learned

Usually I do my 5k training on a treadmill at the YMCA. Friday, Saturday and Sunday are hard because I don't have a reason to go to the Y (no kid classes) so I usually just do the bike at home and skip the running.

ok, so it is more of a jog. 

alright, more like the pace of someone walking fast but for me and my short legs it is jogging.

Today I decided to head out on the streets and get my training in. Yeah, I won't be doing that again. . . or at least not until I lose much more weight. I need the cushioning of the treadmill!! My knees and calves and shins hurt like hell, assuming hell hurts A LOT.

Faith restored

in humanity!! 

Every season (that we watch, which is not exactly every season) Tug watches the finale of American Idol and says "I am not watching this stupid show ever again" because he doesn't like the winner. NOT THIS YEAR BABY. 

WHOOOOO HOOOOO, GO KRIS!!

WoW-19

The world no longer makes sense. I was having shakes for breakfast and lunch, a snack then dinner. Weight loss was VERY slow to nonexistent. This week I started eating real food figuring what the hell, I am not losing anyway (and I am hungry). I guess eating is good for you. 

STATS:

Regina: -3.5

Renee: +2

Amy:

Laura: 0

Christine: +2

Lena:

Sarah: -2

Keri: 0

Paula:

A Simple Thanks

A few weeks ago we were coming home late from somewhere (don't remember where) and saw our neighbor outside mowing her grass. As we pulled into the driveway she ran over and asked if we were putting the kids to bed and wanted to know if the mower was too loud and, if so, she would stop. How courteous is that!! She mentioned that she was the one mowing because her fiance was on deployment but would be coming home soon. A few days ago we noticed a "Welcome Home" banner on their garage and figured he was home, and we wanted to do something. 

I grew up in El Paso which is home to Ft. Bliss. I also lived in Albuquerque which is home to Kirtland Air Force Base. Both times, however, I lived on the other side of town from the bases and very rarely actually saw people in uniform. Now we live very close to both McCord AFB and Ft. Lewis so I see people in uniform all the time. I always have an internal dialogue, "Go say thanks. Go say thanks!!"; then I keep walking and say, "You big chicken!" 

When we saw the banner though I knew I wanted to tell our neighbor thanks so I went and bought a pie (you know, I don't cook for people) and a very low amount gift certificate to Olive Garden. The kids and I took it over to our neighbors yesterday and told the soldier thanks for keeping us safe. 

Today the doorbell rang and I opened the door to see about 10 men including my neighbor. He informed me that these men were members of his team and they wanted to say thanks for the pie. He had a thank you card that they all signed, and I just thought that was so cute. Something he said really struck me though. He said, "Thanks for the appreciation."

Thanks for the appreciation!!

There was a time in our country when service members were looked up to, not looked to as someone to spit upon. We need to get back to the old days. If you see someone in uniform, give them a simple thanks. . .I bet they could use the appreciation. 

Lucky number siete

happy birthday to my cutiepie niece claire. . . visit her family here

Win a Rosetta Stone Latin Program!

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This is a $259 program (and believe me it’s worth every penny!)This is a computer based curriculum and Rosetta Stone will also include a headset with microphone, and a supplementary “Audio Companion” CD so you can practice lessons in the car, on the go, or where-ever! Students participate in life-like conversations and actually produce language to advance through the program. Rosetta Stone incorporates listening, reading, grammar, vocabulary and writing along with speaking and pronunciation lessons. For parents, the new Parent Administrative Tools are integrated into the program to allow parents to easily enroll up to ten students in any of 12 predetermined lesson plans, monitor student progress, grade completed work (the program grades the work automatically as the students progress- I love that!), and you can view and print reports for transcripts. Homeschooling a lot of kids at your house? This program is designed to enroll and track up to ten students (five users on two computers) and will work for nearly all ages — from beginning readers up to college students.

To win this most excellent Latin program copy these paragraphs and post them in (or as) your next blog post, and/OR link to the contest from your facebook page and/OR email the information to your homeschool support group – Then go to the original pagehttp://Jeneralities.com and leave a comment saying that you’ve posted about, or have linked to, the contest. Please make sure the link works to get back to the original contest page when you post.

And good luck (but not really for you because I want to win)!

Wow-18

Not looking so hot this week, dammit. I have done my cardio daily (except Sunday) and I don't think I have lost anything. I have even upped my cardio to 1 hr 45 min now. On Sunday I didn't work out and we ate lunch at Red Robin and Tug made ribeyes for dinner and, go figure, I was down a pound on Monday morning. This morning I was back up that pound after eating clean yesterday. So I decided, since Tug wasn't home for dinner, to have McDonald's (hey, it worked on Sunday) but I am thinking that wasn't such a good idea. . .besides the fact that I feel like crap now. 

Any of you Biggest Loser watchers? Man Jerry showed me up. 65 year old losing that much weight, geez (though someone should have told his fans that on their sign it is LOSER not LOOSER. . .though his skin is much looser now). And boy was I annoyed that Helen won. I really don't like her. 

Alright, this week FOR THE REALS I am going to eat 'right'; and by right I mean I am going to count my calories everyday, keeping them between 1300-1500, and continue with the cardio.

I think next week I will start to incorporate weights. 

STATS: 

Regina: -0.5 (-1.5 but 1 was the gain from last week) 

Renee: -1

Amy:

Laura: -3

Christine:

Lena:

Sarah: 0

Keri: 0

Paula: 0

Calling all melancholics

My goodness gracious, I cannot believe it has taken me this long to review The Temperament God Gave Your Spouse for The Catholic Company. I finished this book eons ago. It was a quick read and relatively informative. While the first book The Temperament God Gave You isn't required to understand temperaments, I would recommend it. I have not read that book, so I was hoping the Spouse book would give a little more information about the temperaments (it does give overviews). 

I pegged Tug's dominate temperament immediately. I think I would need the other book to figure out his secondary temperament. I also think I would need the other book to pin myself down better. 

Overall I would highly recommend this book, if nothing more than for the laugh of finding out more about who your husband is. There are recommendations within the book of dealing with each temperament which can be helpful. 

I do recommend, however, also reading their first book to get a better understanding of temperaments. 

It's 3AM I must be lonely

That is what time I finally went to bed last night ~ 3AM. All caught up on Survivor now. I had to go back and make sure that Taj was alright, and I think she is. I also like her alliance (J.T. and Steve I think) but due to her marriage ties I am definitely going to Taj.

Coach's face the last 2 eliminations has been AWESOME. I think he finally realizes control is not his. 

Coach is a douchebag. 

Why didn't anyone tell me??

Helloooooooo you Survivor watchers ~ why didn't anyone tell me Eddie George's wife is on the show?? 

Heisman trophy winning Eddie George. 

#27 running back Eddie George.  

#27 former running back who won a Heisman trophy for THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY Eddie George. Come on guys. Keep me in the loop. 

You have truly let me down. 

Back to CBS.com to continue getting caught up. 

Love is

your kids using their birthday money to buy themselves something. . .
. . . that will keep them outside for hours, leaving mom ALONE.





until, of course, someone breaks their arm.

WoW-17

Soooooo, I am writing this on Tues. night. As I said before, this week wasn't the best in terms of eating. I did get my exercise in though. Well, some exercise in. The girls got her on Thursday so I went to the Y earlier than usual to get my full workout in (1.5 hours cardio). Friday I did 30 minutes on the bike before going to the homeschool conference (and dinner/dessert/drinks at The Cheesecake Factory). Saturday I did not exercise, instead I started feeling a head cold coming on. Unfortunately that didn't stop lunch and dinner/dessert/drinks at The Cheesecake Factory again. Sunday I did 30 minutes on the bike and started to regain control of my eating. Monday and Tuesday were mostly back on track with 1 hr. 15 min. on the bike and mostly controlled eating (if you don't count chips with my Subway sandwich). Unfortunately I haven't gotten my running in since the start of this head cold so I haven't been on a treadmill since Thursday. I am planning to walk on the one I have at home (which is a total beast) and not start running again until I am feeling at least a little better. I am soooo glad Tug bought this exercise bike because the girls have no classes at the Y this week and I know I would not have exercised had it not been sitting in our living room. 

I haven't had any Dr Pepper since Easter. I have been brewing a big pitcher of green tea daily and have been drinking a lot of it iced and COMPLETELY unsweetened. . . it is an acquired taste. Honestly though it isn't so bad anymore. Jessica left some Chai tea mix here that I LOVED drinking while in Oregon. I made myself some tonight and had to throw it out, it was just way too sweet.  

I think I am finally making some progress. I don't think the scale will show me down any, this morning I was up 0.5, but based on my eating this weekend I am not too disappointed. But, I am doing better (not great) on my eating and am really enjoying getting back to exercising. 

STATS:

Regina: ugh, + 1

Renee:

Amy:

Laura:

Christine: -1 yay

Lena: + 0.4

Sarah: 0

Keri:

Paula:

GNO

Some of you were (okay one of you was) sweet enough to ask how the weekend went with my girly girls.  It was a grand time, though we didn't really do much. They got into town on Thursday and while Jessica went to dinner with family, Erica, Marci and I stayed at my house. Friday we went to the conference then to dinner at The Cheesecake Factory. DOUBLE YUM!! I had never been there and was afraid it might be like Marie Callender's, but oh no, it was delish. Saturday the girls went to the conference while I went to {l}'s judo tournament (she lost a match and won a match so took 2nd again). We were at the tournament until around 2 then we went to lunch at The Cheesecake Factory. After, Tug took me back to the conference around 4. . .which meant the conference was basically done for the day. Once it was entirely done, Erica, Jessica, Marci and I went to get dinner at, dum dah dum, The Cheesecake Factory (I only had a Margarita and some dessert this time). YUP, within 2 days I went to The Cheesecake Factory three times. . . I am thinking WOW isn't going to be so fun this week!!

Here is a picture from Friday night.

don't bother clicking, you can't make it bigger ;)

From L-R we have Marci, me, Jessica, Angela, Erica, Kim and Heather. Two more wonderful ladies (Trina and Christie) were with us too but had already left by this time. In my hand is an awesome body scrub sweetie pie Heather gave me for my birthday. I can't speak for everyone, but I had an awesome time!! 

Crazy is a relative term

Over at Sarah's blog I saw her ask for votes because she was nominated for a blog award (vote for her here, I did).

While looking through the categories and nominees I saw that Laura was nominated in the 'bat shit crazy' category. HUH? Her blog isn't crazy in the least, but it turns out if you just title your blog something people will think you are it. (Though the new blog design she had me do is a bit odd, maybe she figures it will up her crazy factor[laura's blog].)

So, from here on out this blog shall be called "Best blog on the internet"

or

"It's an honor just to not be nominated"

(vote for Laura here, I did)