Of Old Ladies ,Teenagers and er Thirty Somethings.

I started the training for this today.

I. am. beat.

Due to the freezing cold temperatures here in my hometown, I have had to resort to getting a membership to our local family fitness center.
I ran on an indoor track today.

One mile is 11 times around the track.

That is 33 laps.

Thirty. Three.

My mind is still numb.

There has to be a better way.
Pedometer.

Until then, it will be me, my iPod, and the numbers going through my head...
lap 1...lap 2...lap 3...etc...

While I am certainly tired, I am excited to be on this journey again.
I had forgotten how much I love running for the sheer ME time it allows.

There is something about spending an hour or more with yourself,
meditating and conversing.
(Is it possible to meditate while running?)

I was able to release a lot of pent up frustration and problem solve a few things.

When I wasn't problem solving, I kept my eye on the random
mop buckets strewn about the track.
Three to be exact.
They were red.
Were they there because the roof happens to have leaks at those particular points?
Or perhaps they were there in case someone needed to puke?
(I would be lying if I said the thought hadn't crossed my mind that I may have to puke in them...I actually have been feeling all day the need to puke since my three miles this morning.)

Random.

Other thoughts?

How come that girl who looked to be about 13 was out lapping me repeatedly?
Every time she would pass me, I just kept thinking...
"I am almost 30." "I don't got it anymore."
PROOF I am getting...eek O-L-D

Then...toward lap 25 an older lady with silver hair pushing a walker got on the track...and for the next 8 laps, it felt SO good to pass her repeatedly.

Pathetic
is having 13 year old pass BOTH me and the old lady at the same time.
I'm just going to pretend that didn't happen.

What are you all up to after all the holiday goodness?

Back to Work--

--ing Out.

I had about two weeks to work out hard between having Millz and before my surgery,
which put me out from almost no exercise for another six weeks.

It has been hard on me.

The last four months have just been one lazy, messy, day after another. Last week was the week when the red light turned to green, which meant I needed to get my lazy ars off of the couch...
(not that it spends much time there anyway with three little ones.)

So, Friday I started my exercise routine, three weeks before I start training for THIS.
(still waiting on word if I got in though, cross your fingers.)
It is not too late to get in on it too...sign up for the lottery...training starts Dec 27!
Get your super fab shirts here.

Anyway, today I tried the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred.

Holy Bananas.

I got this DVD for a STEAL only $10 on a Target sale (my fave store) and holy mother.

I hurt.

I never realized 20 minutes could hurt so good.

I think I just might be able to get back into this work--ing out thing again.

As for 'real' work?
Ya I've been doing that too.

Check it out here.

Huggs.

2:49:50

So the race was on Saturday. My friend Shannon and I woke up DARK and EARLY Saturday morning, at 3:45 a.m. to drive to Providence, Utah where the race ended. We got on the bus at about 6:15 a.m. after we found mrs. r at the last second! YAY. And there we were, driven 13.1 miles away from the finish line, 13.1 miles away from our cars, our families, with the only solution, to run/walk/crawl back...

Here is Shannon crossing first. She had only ever run a 10K...so that is six miles, she kept saying that she would have to walk, have to walk...as I as walking/limping...I never ever spotted her...she smoked us and crossed the line first in our group. Way to go Shannon!
Next to cross was mrs. r she is STELLAR...I was so proud of her for finishing...and watching for me to finish...she ran up to me and made me bawl a little...saying, "You did it!" "Look at your family, look at your kiddies!" That did it...
So, here we all are...tired, beat...but done! And alive.Our hott matching tanks...

And the discrace that all there was at the finish line for those left over runners...(almost three hours) were orange slices, water, and some gatorade. Seriously. I almost bawled, I was SO hungry.

My little family went to Einstein Brothers for breakfast before the long and tiring drive home. I just wanted food, and my bed the rest of the day. I jacked up my ankle somehow...hope it gets feeling better soon...ow.

It was so great to spend the day with people that I love, people that I care about, doing something that is important...something I thought I could never do, so happy I did it.

As for that marathon? Gosh darn it, I forgot all about this wonderful workshop I signed up for that is the same day. I'll have to think about doing another one...

All the training comes down to this...

We had our annual physical exams. Don't get all excited...LUCKILY for me I didn't have to complete "the" exam...I got lucky and get to wait a few more months...YAY!

But it was an exam complete with blood work and urinalysis to make sure I don't have cancer, thyroid problems (dang it...wish there was some excuse this weight is sticking), or high cholesterol. Luckily (again) for me everything is A-OK! For this I am thankful. Our doctor was SUPER kind to me. He was VERY encouraging, he said my weight is great, my blood workup is great, and to just keep up the RUNNING! He encouraged me to try to run a marathon...he is just so impressed with what I have been accomplishing, he just said I need to drag Hubbs out with me more often...

So, anyway, tomorrow is THE BIG DAY!

Got my amphipod, my gu, and my new running shoes...and of course my HOTT homemade tank...ready to go. Pictures to follow.

Love you all, thanks for the encouragement, can't wait to see how many hours it takes me. (Pretty sure it will be at least three!) That is my goal anyway.

See you at the finish line!

Training...really righteous and totally gnarly.

So someone asked what the training for this "half marathon" was. Well, I have been following

THIS PLAN

It is for a novice. Considering I am a novice, meaning I have NEVER EVER EVER ran more than a mile WILLINGLY...this was the perfect way to start.

If I can survive this...I may attempt this. I figure I am halfway there, so I might as well try, even if I have to crawl my way down.

But that means I will need to do this. And well, to be honest, that 20 mile run on my own is a little freaky.

You have to understand that I HAVE to take walking breaks. Which means that I am not "running" the ENTIRE time I am out. I do however try to beat my times from the previous day or week, which means that as time goes on, I am running more and more. I have a longer endurance, when really all I could run at first was MAYBE half a mile without feeling like I was going to die when I first started this journey.

Also, I hate to keep hashing this...but I have not lost a SINGLE pound or a SINGLE inch. Haven't. Really. I have actually gained...ready for this? FOUR pounds. Muscle? Maybe. Am I happy about it? Not one bit. It is quite discouraging for me. I started this journey with the hopes of shedding a few inches...and it has been almost two months and I am just feeling yucko when I look in the mirror.

BUT, I am happy with the person I have become. I happy that my body is doing something that I never gave it credit for. And for that...I am SMILING!

Good luck you guys...you should try it. I think you'll digg it. And it is radical.

Dood, seriously...some stuff:

The dreams? They won't quit. Seriously? SERIOUSLY!!!

I could start an ENTIRE blog about the dreams I am having. Maybe I should...maybe I could make money off of them and people could theif them and make them into made for tv movies or something.

For instance, the other night, I SWEAR I was dreaming for hours. I had this dream that this birth mother Ami...yes in my dream her name was AMI with an "I" had chosen our little family. Upon meeting Ami and her incredibly well to do family, she informs me that she cannot stand my "1985" lingo...of "Dude" and she asked me to never say "Dudette" or anything from the eighties era ever again. She was really nice about it. I just felt really, really sad. Ami was six months pregnant, and we went with her to the ultrasound. She was having a boy...but for the life of me now I can't remember what we decided to name him. We went through the motions of meeting her family...etc...etc...I got the feeling that she really couldn't stand us...yet she loved us all at the same time. Then, I was awakened and who knows what happened after that.

So strange...and so funny. I am going to write them down for all of you to enjoy.

Also...WHY after I make the decision to quit photographing weddings, do I feel I just shot one of my best weddings EVER? Um, ya I hope that the bride and groom think so...cause there is some amazing stuff I've had to make myself STOP editing. LOL!

And quit already with the RUNNING compliments. I don't post for you to compliment. (Although I WILL admit that it keeps me going...because I HAVE to finish this race...because you are all counting on me to do it!) Seriously, I am a strong believer that almost anyone can do it. You just have to work up to it. It IS mental...and it sucks. I basically hate it...don't know WHY the heck I am doing it...right now it is just working for me....so I keep at it...maybe not forever...but for now it is a part of me.

8 Mile

Photograph Courtesy of Heather. Thanks Heather!

Eight mile. Isn't that the name of a movie starring Eminen? Ya, ya it was.

What else is it? How about the number I ran today. 8. Eight. Oito...as in I ran eight friggin' miles today.

I know, I know, I can hardly believe it myself. My legs and knees are feeling it. My tired self is feeling it.

Long about mile six I was wondering what the "H" I was doing to myself by running? Who does this to themselves? Well, apparently I am, and I do.

When I hit mile three this morning, this song came on my iPod. The words just struck a cord in me. I began bawling on my run this morning. Yep, as I ran through the ghetto...I was crying. Here is the song:

I love Alanis Morissette.

I have heard this song almost everyday for the last month, today I just listened to the words, and I felt like this is how my life is. I'm just plugging along, hoping and wishing that the next step I take gets me where I want to go. Don't we all kind of "fake it til we make it"?

I know I do...and just like with so many things in my life, I am going to keep on doing it...until I am really doing it, until I am all that I want and hope to become.

Maybe even a runner.

Hopefully all the other things that brought me to my weeping knees today. Ya those things especially.

Changing our Style!

(Too bad these photos suck! They were shot on ISO 100,000,000! I wondered why I was getting such great shutter speeds.)

So, while I was in Chicago, I read this FANTASTIC article in LDS Living Magazine. (Another Guilty Pleasure of mine) Anyway, in the mag it talked about ways to change your life, to change how you feel about your body, about YOU! One of the topics of this article was asking a lot of questions like, "Do you make a list of healthy foods and meals before you go to the grocery store? Do you buy and then prepare the meals for your family?" I thought this was BRILLIANT! I talk until I am BLUE in the face about how I wish I was thinner...how I wish we ate better. Well, I realized it wasn't going to happen unless I MADE IT HAPPEN! I was bound and determined when I got home I would do this with my family.

So, since I was so FREAKING sick last week, I'll admit we ate out a lot and my kids survived on snacks a lot...it was all I could do for a few days to lift my head off the pillow! Last Saturday I went to the grocery store and stocked up on all stuff GOOD. And I have been making meals! Then, low and behold I read this on Tara Whitney's blog! Now, my photos DO NOTHING in comparison with hers...but I have had these "school" trays around forever...wondering what the "H" I was going to use them for. Tara...you are a GENIUS!

Yes...that IS Emmaree eating a carrot! And she ate BROCCOLI. Now, if I can just convince Joth to do the same, we'd be good. Anyway...we totally snacked while we made dinner, and I felt no guilt at only having carbs and protein on our plates. We're rockin' it over here at our house!

By the way...I began training today again for that half marathon that is coming up. Hubby expressed an interest...and now I have him on board! We ran 2 miles...and almost died...but we did it!

Today was a great day.

Please note this is ONLY the HALF marathon.

Even if it kills me, and more than likely it will. Mrs. R will be there to carry me to the finish line (or to at least tell them where to find my body).

Why? Because I am crazy.

Why? Because I need a better outlet than Baskin Robbins.

Why? Because I want to photograph my children's weddings.

Why? Because I need to lose some weight.

Why? Because I am TIRED of telling myself I could NEVER do that, because I CAN!