Priorities...

Just Having a Clean House or Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle or Being a Good Mom , Saving Money, etc are not powerful enough goals for me. They don't have that draw to reel me in and keep me on target with good, strong focus. It's not that they're not important to me, really, those are some of THE most important things in my daily life.
So the question is, how do I put the regular effort into these things as I did with my race training? Maybe if I put my water bottle in my waistband and put my tennis shoes on I'll get there? Suppose if I put a 'training' plan together and a 'race' day sort of short-term end goal in place then that would help to keep me on target?? They don't really have "ends" do they?
Any suggestions on what has worked well for you in keeping up with your priorities?? Anyone else ever get into this sort of a slump? Your thoughts and suggestions are much appreciated! :)

Before and After

Okay, so I've been dragging my feet on publishing bikini pictures... Not so much because of the bumps and rolls that I'm a bit insecure about...(really!)..but more because this is open to anyone and that includes my kids and their friends. And if you would've seen them blushing when I picked that tiny two-piece off the rack at Pac Sun and heard them whine, "Mo-o-om! Modest is hottest!", then you'd understand my dilemma.


----- Before- Easter 2010 --- and ---After-Easter 2011
So for now, just settle for these Easter pics 1 year apart. There's a 30+ pound difference. I managed to wear the same shoes and cardigan and I really still have the same good-looking guy too!

Bikini ready? Ready or not....

Taking a quick break from my first cruise ever with my most amazing husband to update you on my most recent goal.... Did I make it into a bikini?
Well for the first time in my adult life... I did! I enjoyed the grown-ups hot tub with my lucky hubby last night ;)
I'm so happy that all the months of hard work are paying off! Pictures to follow soon...
Again, IF I CAN DO IT, SO CAN YOU!!!
Daylight in Cozumel will be my next bikini adventure (so I'd better lay off all this yummy cruise food!)

Endurance Test-- PASSED!!!

Just over a year ago I was nearly 170 pounds... I could barely jog a block. This past Sunday, 30 pounds lighter, I ran a half-marathon (13.1 miles!) race. And FINISHED!



I have to say, I'm pretty happy to have surpassed the time goal I had set for myself. That was even after quite a hang-up before mile 1 was even complete!

My newly adjusted fuel belt decided to completely loosen and fall off, sending my phone and water bottle flying amidst a sea of people. I weaved through runners to gather my things and scurried off to the side. Darn! What a way to start the race! I fidgeted with it a bit and contemplated leaving it behind. Do I really want to hold my phone the whole way, and my water bottle?- I had inspiring quotes written on it and my kids even cheered me on in sharpie too. Quickly, I cinched up the belt and tied a knot in it and joined back in the swarm of people. Mile 1 was done and my watch said 7:20... phooey. The race started at 7.
My Pandora station was set to Louis Armstrong for the first few miles and I changed it a couple more times. I was so happy to have a watch. I'm new to that. And I set a couple of mini goals that I wrote on the bottle 5 X 8 and 10 X 9 to say that I needed to reach mile 5 by 8 and mile 10 by 9 o'clock. I know 12 minute miles may not sound terribly ambitious but that's what I've got! I wanted to complete it! It was tough.
Originally, my time goal was a hope to complete it all within 2 hours and 40 minutes and my actual time (even with the delay) was better than that: 2 hrs 31 min !!
So what if I'm in the slowest 40% for my age, I finished!
My sister-in-law did great at 2hrs and 14min! I now have a PR that I intend to break! That is, after I heal up and lose my sanity again :P Gotta keep on adding goals to my plate!
"All endeavor calls for the ability to tramp the last mile, shape the last plan, endure the last hours toil. The fight to the finish spirit is the one characteristic we must posses if we are to face the future as finishers." ~Henry David Thoreau

Goals, goals, goals.... FiNiSh.

This morning I geared up to run at 7am. Just a short 30 min run but I semi-pretended it was race day (only 4 days away!). I rolled on the foot pain reliever, took some ibuprofen, had a smoothie and then harnessed my fuel belt around my waist and I was off!
As I was running, I had the thoughts of all kinds of current goals in my head. I've never been too good at juggling so I've got to choose the order of importance and not let my focus get all muddled. See, on the heels of this Half Marathon thing, I have a romantic trip to take with my husband. We'll be taking a cruise to Cozumel and I'd like to wear a bikini with some amount of confidence. Is there any way I can get six-pack abs in just a couple of weeks? With hard work maybe??? We'll see. :P
For now though, let's get this half marathon completed. Gotta take care of it nice and strong. Push through the pain and endure a few hours of excitement, agony, pressure, pain and joy! Why am I doing this?? Because I don't want to be a wimp anymore! There's an athlete in me! She's strong! She's a champion! and she can do it!
"What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals." ~Zig Ziglar
Here's a video reminder of the finish line at Hospital Hill:

Lucky 13

A nice speedy visit back 'home' to Council Bluffs, Iowa and Omaha included a lovely blessing ceremony for my friend's twins as they turned 13, and a 13 mile practice run with my sister-in-law. The birthday celebration was great and it was so nice to see old friends.
Now about that practice run: First off, if it weren't for the determination of my strong sis, Marie (aka Myrtle), it would NOT have happened. I don't know how I could've mustered up the strength to press through the pain and complete what we set out to do. I'm pretty sure I would've talked myself into an easier goal before my feet even hit the ground. I would've taken frequent walking breaks. I would've taken short cuts. I would've taken 4 hours (instead of less than 3). And.. I wouldn't have felt very confident on race day!! 21km...13 miles..DONE! I did it!
Having a friend that has the focus to get things done and includes you in the process is a blessing. Just so you know, that last mile, Marie barreled up the hill and I barely chugged... the agony I was in could nearly rival childbirth! But with 5 days left until the Omaha Half Marathon, I'm happy to know that I really CAN DO IT!! Yay!
Accomplishments like these are what will help to strengthen that flabby motivator muscle on the inside of me. I'm starting to see that the Comfortable Zone is NOT a Safe Place.. Let's not get stuck in that sad, isolated box called Comfort.
"Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men."
~John F. Kennedy



Me and Marie- July 3, 2011. Psycho Wyco 5k Trail Race. Thank you so much Marie for being such a great motivator and encouragement! You RoCk!!!

So Long Summer...Good-bye Flip-flops...

Farewell summer, my friend... :( Please don't stay away too long this time!
I ran around shutting windows today as fall made its presence known. I was happy to put on a new favorite sweater that I'd just picked up at the thrift store (my daughter even said she'd like to borrow it sometime! Points for ME!) I even had to slip a jacket on over it! My outfit was complete with cold piggies in my pretty white sandals. As difficult as it is to say good-bye to summer, I think packing away my flip-flops might be even tougher. I may just wait til there's snow on the ground!

I do love the beautiful autumn season but it poses a brand-new dilemma... What the heck am I supposed to wear for running now?! This has all been a learn-as-you-go process for me and so I just hadn't thought of that yet. I've only got a drawer full of shorts and tanks...well, and those bell-bottom type sweat pants from my larger days... Guess that's what I'll be slipping into for my 3 mile run bright and early in the freezing cold morning.

The race is only just over a week away and I may have to go shopping for a new running outfit. I'm not even sure what I'll be comfortable in. (Though who am I kidding? Who is ever comfortable when they're running 13 miles?!) I guess I should just shop for something that will look nice. There will be cameras there you know!

If I could afford such things, I'd shop here:
www.lucy.com
I like the running tights! But i can't figure out how to insert the link right! Thanks for your patience as i try to navigate the blog world!

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again! :D