Friday Five: 10K, Fitness Check and Food

The belly rules the mind. 

~Spanish Proverb

1. Last week's 10K was spectacular! My body handled it well. I didn't run for time, but confident if I did that both my legs and lungs were up for the challenged. I stuck with my buddy.  She let me fly on the downhills, but I'd wait for on the flats and she was kind to me when she tackled the uphills.

I really love my new hot pink arm sleeves.

2. So while my legs and lungs were ready for that 10K, they were not ready for a Kettle Kore workout I did the day before. I thought a little core cross training wouldn't hurt the day before. I was wrong. The squat twists, obliques while in a squat and the single leg dead lifts made recovering from the 10K brutal. So far eating and running has not been completely effective in regaining a fitter version of myself and it is time to incorporate for strength to my routine. Super Hubby scored a great group on to a newish fitness studio in town, so my hope is to hit a kettle bell work out 1x per week for the next 10 weeks and see how that helps. Ideally, this will supplement what I should be doing at home in terms of core and general strength training.

3. This week was supposed to be an easy week with only 2 miles on the schedule for both Tuesday and Thursday and 2.5 tomorrow and an easy 25-30 minutes Sunday. So far I have done nothing. Zero. Zip. Zilch. I am ok with that. My next 8 week training cycle starts on Monday and it is easy with my week day runs at 2-2.5 miles and my long run at 3.5 miles. I am training for another 10K and I am really happy about the time that 10K training affords me and my family. It is a great distance, not too imposing on life, work, family etc..

4. Um, ok...silly question. How do I eat right? Plant based? Whole food? Organic? Yeah, those answers are no brainers, right? My body is normally very responsive. Cutting out fast food, fried food and sweets are normally a great way to drop those nagging pounds. Well it hasn't been working for me lately. (People who know me personally ignore the way you have seen me eat these last three days)

So now I venture into details. I hated detailed eating, I wish I could mindlessly eat exactly what I need when I needed it and only what I need. Now I am listening curiously to people not eating bread more than one meal a day, cutting out dairy to lower inflammation, eating 35 + grams of fiber, eating within an hour of waking, topping off glycogen stores every two hours and taking every vitamin known to man. I have juice fasted for 2.5 days once. It was funny. Not hard, no immediate results and no desire to do it longer. I know there are 1 day, 3 day and week long fasts and versions of others that last much longer than that. I am not a fan of fad diets because I have very little drive or committment for that kind of thing. I am not into meal replacement shakes because it is not a sustainable idea for me. Right now I am just trying to figure out how to get all I need, easily and within my 1200 calorie weight loss budget. I only want to lose about 10 pounds. Yes I said only, but damn it it is tough!

5. Good news! The new fitness studio I am visiting for Kettle bell also gave me a fitness assessment including a calipers body fat test. I actually have less body fat than where I was last year mid season. It is obvious that aside from my top heaviness, I am carrying my weight in my middle like most and I know I can overcome this with a little effort. Ugh, effort, bleh!

The Big Picture: Long term, I understand eating well and nourishing my body is a life long commitment, short term I know weight loss will take effort.
Why I Kick A$$: For working hard enough to be able to take a couple days off guilt free.

How I enjoy down time to myself...sitting in the sun.

Thankful Three:

1. For a night away in SF with Super Hubby.
2. For Duder having a great first sleep over with his uncle and aunt.
3. For so much time off work lately to recharge.

Thoughtful Thursday: Happy Mexican Mother's Day

God could not be everywhere, 

so he created mothers.

~Jewish Proverb

"Hot Mexican Mama"

"Happy Mother's Day to my Wife- Nothing could ever come between us, Dear."

"Well, except the kids. 'There's a monster under my bed.'"

I loved this card Super Hubby gave me this morning. There was also a special note inside that I am keeping to myself, but he was mushy, husband-y and father-y. I am a lucky girl.

The Big Picture: Family is everything.

Why I Kick A$$: I married the most amazing man and he gave me the most beautiful children.

Thankful Three:

1. For my own mother, she is an amazing woman
2. For a lunch date with Super Hubby
3. For time to myself today

The Turn Around: Finding Happiness, a Diary Entry

Most folks are about as happy 

as they make up their minds to be. 

~Abraham Lincoln

Wednesday "Hump Day" sounds funny, but like an out and back run it marks the turn around to the work week. Today is an exception to the rule in that I am off Thursday and Friday. An amazing thing has evolved...happiness, effortless happiness. Now don't get me wrong, I am happy and have been happy for a long time. I have always wanted and worked towards having happiness in my life. What I am talking about is the routine of making sure I have a balance of things in my life. Like working hard, but not taking myself to seriously. Like staying fit, but not obsessing. Like being with my family, but not neglecting myself. Spending time on me, but keeping my distance from being selfish. My goodness, it is this balance I have sought out for so long and I almost missed that it has arrived. I am riding a wave of balance...well almost. My weight is still a battle, but it is strictly for vanity. I am healthy, my weight does not prevent me from being active and I have no ailments. I just really want to feel better in my clothes. Moving on, here is a recap of the lovely life I've gotten to live since last time I posted. It is in diary format and long, but hey it's my blog and I am pretty sure I can do that, right?

05/02
I didn't have to work more than an 8 hour day, I got to run after work and took the kids on a bike and tricycle ride while my amazing husband prepared a delicious dinner. My man is a manly man and knows his way around the kitchen.

05/03
Another straight forward, 8 hour day at work. I am blessed to have steady employment and a supportive boss who has graciously approved my time off without question. I zipped into San Francisco this night to watch Don Quixote at the ballet with my sister-in-law. I feel weird saying in law, because the closer we become the more it truly feels like we are siblings. The night was wonderful, started with Sushi, then the ballet filled with gorgeous costumes and flawless choreography and if we weren't feeling fancy enough, we headed over to NOPA a trendy restaurant for 2nd "dinner." We had amazing deep fried Fava beans and serious cocktails. Strongly recommend the place to anyone wanting a quality food experience in a positive atmosphere. Bonus, one can actually go to dinner at 11 PM and have a great time.

05/04
I truly am blessed to live where I do. I ended up staying over in SF since my boss gave me Friday off. We woke up early, headed to the Embarcadero, ran-walked to Chrissy field and back, about 7 miles. I even got to stop into the Ferry Building for a croissant and Kefir and OJ. Seriously one of my favorite drinks. My morning was perfect and my afternoon was equally great. I got lots of house work done, then visited with my cousins who just had a baby boy, picked up kids from school and then went to our Uncle's house for Friday night dinner. Family is beautiful and time to spend with them, precious.

05/05
Just me and the kids today since Super Hubby was at an over night golf tournament (Fri-Sat). What better thing to do than to visit my BFF and her daughters who are the same age as my rug rats. Who needs therapy when you have best friends. D always grounds me, makes me feel confident in myself and in doing so makes me sad that I don't get to sit in her living room everyday...she lives out of town. Time with friends always rejuvenates me. At the end of our time I headed home, did all my house work chores and when Super Hubby came home to be with the kids, I walked to our neighborhood trendy restaurant for dinner and drinks with some of the local girls.

05/06
Super Hubs had to work a little and Duder had Temple pre-school. The arrangement allowed me and my Bug to have little girls day. We had breakfast then headed to farmer's market and then had time for the street fair with my mom and aunt. I can't wait for more of these little outings as she grows. After nap, we hosted some friends from school for dinner and a play date. The bonus about hosting a play date? I did all my house work on Saturday and Super Hubs did all the yard work. Our house is the cleanest when we are having company.

05/07
Monday was mellow, beautifully mellow and our little family got some swim time in after work and BBQ'd outside. I even hit the grocery before all this happened. I love how late it stays sunny. These types of afternoons scream weekend time, but this was my Monday!

05/08
Again with an easy day at work, I had time for short 3 mile run in the blazing heat then more swimming for the kids before a yummy dinner.

05/08
Work. Got EVERYTHING done. Seriously, every single thing on my to-do-list done. Dinner with my family and time for my hubby to head out for some afternoon fishing. Guess what, I have tomorrow and Friday off.

While I feel like I am taking a lot of time off from work lately, I also think it is an important component to maintain this sense of balance. Whether it is taking an half hour off to go run or a day off to relax. I understand not many people can do this. I know I am lucky to work for someone so flexible, but I also credit myself for positioning myself to afford the time off. I work my A$$ off to make sure I am not skipping out on my team or not pulling my weight. I instill confidence in my team and my boss that I can leave and that I have done what I need to do.

The Big Picture: There are times I will love every minute of my life and others where I will have to remind myself to love every minute. I am just enjoying how effortless that is for me right now.

Why I Kick A$$: Because I am working my training plan, it is not working me. Can't wait for Saturday's Trail 10K.

Thankful Three:

1. For life, for living, breathing and having my family with me.
2. For sunny days
3. For some mother-daughter time with my Bug this past weekend.

Tuesday Tidbit: Running and Fun, what more could a girl ask for

A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous.

~Coco Chanel 

Training got a little weird last week. I wanted to run on non run days so I did. I wanted to run further than was scheduled do I did. It has been great, eating last week was great, the scale was great, then the weekend arrived.

Training  miles planned/miles actually run
Mon rest/4 miles
Tues 3 mile run/rest a.k.a. Happy Hour
Wed CT/ 5 miles
Thurs 2.5 mile run/rest
Fri rest/2 mile run
Sat 4.5 mile run/2 mile since I ran 5 Wed
Sun CT/rest

This week is off to the exact right start, a rest day! On the horizon:

Mon- rest

Tues- 3.5

Wed- CT

Thurs- 3

Fri- rest

Sat- 5

Sun- 40 min EZ run or CT

This weekend I partially hosted a Bachelorette weekend. The sister of the bride arranged an amazing spa day with a delicious brunch. Mimosa's, Sangria, a chicken salad with curry in it that rocked my world and fruit salad etc. Then it was my part of the trip, a couple little "get to know you" games, went to a fancy restaurant TASTE and the next day hit a few wineries for some tasting. I had such a relaxing weekend. I also got to pick the brains of a personal trainer in training and a registered dietician. Fitness, health and girl talk all in one weekend. It was pretty awesome.

Saturday night dinner drinks

Filet, greens and that little tart is a Pt. Reyes blue cheese tart

I just had fruit and toast, but these eggs Benedict for everyone else were picture perfect

Such a beautiful group of girls on a beautiful day drinking beautiful wine

The Big Picture: As I reconnect with a running, a schedule is just a guide... kind of a minimum if you will. So when I was feeling a like a little more last week, I was ok with going for it.
Why I kick A$$: I have entered a fitness world that has some semblance of consistency.

Thankful Three:

1. For a girls weekend
2. For making another successful batch of my white chocolate cashew fudge
3. For mapping a wine tasting run, 6 miles, 4 wineries...should be fun!

The Turn Around: Wordless and Wonderful

Friday Five: HOT Baby!

Sunshine on my shoulders 

makes me happy. 

~John Denver

You can't tell, but my shirt is completely soaked through and had it not been for the 15 minute drive with the A/C blowing, you would have gotten a picture with my face as red as my tank top!

HOT? Yeah you read right, HOT in more ways than one.

1. HOT- Running this week has been perfect. Nailed my Tuesday and Thursday run and despite planning to count tomorrow's 3.47 mile obstacle course mud run as my scheduled 4 miler, I felt like I needed a consecutive 4 miles *sans obstacle course* so I decided to run after work. Smart, no? 
2. HOT-HOT- I worked my regular 8 hour day, dropped off snacks at the pre-school since I would be running late and headed out for a 4 mile loop. First I misread the route and was finishing too soon, then about mile 2 I just could not stand the heat any longer and had to walk. I get that I live in California and people love the California sunshine as I did for my Tuesday and Thursday run, but today was ridiculous! 89 degrees of sunshine without shade--ridiculous! I know it doesn't sound bad, but there was no weather transition to acclimate to this HOT weather so it literally felt like a scorcher today. I planned to finish in 45 minutes, but with so much walking in miles 3 and 4 I finished drenched with sweat, skin on fire and energy zapped 47:45 minutes later.
3. HOT-HOT-HOT- Tomorrow is my mud run and I'm counting it toward my scheduled 35-40 minute easy run. It will take me longer than 40 minutes for sure and I am not sure how easy it will be. FUN yes, EASY? Maybe not so much. Sunday and Monday are consecutive rest days now and I think I'll appreciate that *schedule subject to change.
4. Woo Hoo I am on FIRE- My hydration has been so much better since I refocused a week or two ago which helped on today's surprisingly hot run.
5. UH, NOT SO HOT- The eating, my goodness, I am so not there yet. I am eating mostly good things, most of the time. My problem is volume. There is such a thing as too much good stuff. Calories in and calories out--tough concept I know. My weight is unnerving, but mostly I just want to fit in my pants...at that point I would care much less about the number on the scale. Unfortunately, I punish myself by stepping on the scale knowing what it is going to say and then sadly wiggle my way into some SPANX so I can try and fit into my work clothes. P.S. Some how I forgot how spandex-y running clothes don't quite make me feel like a rock star when I am not fit enough to be wearing them. I laughed when I saw a SPANX advertisement with people wearing them under work out clothes. While I refuse to do that simply because it is too damn HOT, I do get it now. I get it.

The Big Picture: Getting back to fit is a process. REPEAT, getting back to "FIT" is an ongoing process.

Why I Kick A$$: I gritted out the 4 blazing HOT miles today like a idiot trooper!

Thankful Three:

1. For tomorrow's mud run with Super Hubby.
2. For Sunday's family day.
3. For making it through my first full week of work in 4 weeks...I got away with several 3 day weekends these last few weeks for fun times, now it's is back to reality.

Monday Motivation: Kitchen Help!

Health and cheerfulness 

naturally beget each other. 

~Joseph Addison

I have stumbled upon some successful food methods for my household. I am not brilliant, I am not a genius and yes many of you have been doing this kind of stuff since forever, but here is a little of what has worked for us and plea for your fabulous ideas

Make large batches and refrigerate for easy use throughout the week.

• Steamed cubed sweet potatoes: great for a side dish or addition to our smoothies
• Baby spinach: great for sauteing into omelets, add to home made pizza or smoothies
• Couscous: great side dish, yummy made breakfast style
• Quinoa: great side dish, yummy made breakfast style
• Fruit: We always have apples and bananas, but we also have a seasonal fruit of the week that we can buy in bulk at an affordable price. So far this year we have had weeks featuring- Bartlette Pears, Ruby Red Grapefruit, Strawberries, Blueberries, Kiwis, Papaya, Pineapple, Mangoes... I can't remember them all, but with apples and bananas to mix up the daily serving of fruit, these feature fruits have been great for our budget while giving our kids much needed variety.
• Eggs: we boil 6-12 eggs and use them throughout the week for breakfast, snacks and sandwiches.
• Nuts: Cashews and Almonds are always in the house.
• Raisins: plain and yogurt covered. We use the plain raisins not only in oatmeal, but to make rice dishes more dynamic.
• Veges: We're boring. We are heavy broccoli, carrot and asparagus people. It is why we use spinach so much... to fill the green void. I personally love Brussel sprouts, beets and squashes, but my family doesn't. Any easy staples out there? 

So what do you do? 

I am looking for ideas. We are not great crock pot people, we have a few meat recipes we like, but it is not really a good fit for us. How do you cook and use beans or lentils? What planning methods do you employee? Any kid friendly tips?

The Big Picture: Healthy living is science, but not rocket science. Every good choice keeps us on a good path and every bad choice is nothing to dwell upon.

Why I Kick A$$: When I account for my actions, current waistline aside, I am not doing so bad. In fact I make plenty of good food and exercise choices for me and my family. I am proud of this.

Thankful Three:

1. For getting some rest this past weekend.
2. For my beautiful family.
3. For feeling refocused (again).

Sunday Summary: Playing Catch Up

Exercise should be regarded 

as tribute to the heart. 

~Gene Tunney

Goodness, I have had such a wonderful time since I last posted. Here's a mini-recap of what has happened and what will be happening in the next few days. Hope everyone is have a fabulous weekend especially all our very special BOSTON friends...pretty exciting!!

04/05 skipped my run in favor of running on my off day tomorrow
04/06 sub 10 minute miles for the 2 miles on my schedule, plus another 45 minutes on an elliptical, weights and abs since I had a gym date. I wish I had a gym date everyday, I am not the most self motivated person ever. Then I treated myself to some down time.

04/07 Family Vacation! Ok so not a long vacation, we just got a hotel in SF for the night, but look at how fun that turned out to be:

04/08 SF Zoo anyone? We started our day with another swim in the hotel pool, hours at the zoo and as you can see very tired babies 5 minutes after getting into the car for the drive home.

I got home and knocked out my short 3.5 miles on the schedule. Felt awesome, consistent pace and since I was so energized after my run I did some yard work before dinner. I love productive days.

04/09-04/12 boring, no workouts and lots of work. I hate when the week escapes me that way. I need to be better at not staying late up watching MADMEN on Netflix so I can wake up early instead and workout before my work day starts.

04/13 Disneyland! Yup, I went from one weekend in SF to another in LA. I must say, living in California has it's perks. The upside to it pouring rain? We got on every ride we wanted and there were hardly any lines.

04/14 Today we opted out of our plan A: More Disneyland and B: Hermosa Beach and went with plan C: 2.6 mile to The Grove, had a lovely lunch and walked the 2.6 miles back to the apartment before we embarked on our 5.5 hour drive home. Yes we came home early, but Friday went so well, we didn't NEED Saturday more than we needed today as a rest day. To top it off I came home to a new jacket, so super cute! I got a sweet jacket and I brought my husband a Jawa Star Wars car...fair trading of gifts, no?

04/15 Oh gosh I needed today. I missed a few invitations for a confirmation, two different gym date invites, volunteering at my synagogue etc...but I needed to sleep. I needed to spend time with my family taking my son to religious pre-school then enjoying Noah's Bagels and Starbucks with Super Hubby and the Bug. I needed to feel good buying fresh fruits and veges on a quick trip to Trader Joe's. I am hoping that with this beautiful day I will muster up the energy to knock out my 3.5 mile run before Super Hubby sets out for a round of golf. Right now I am a little tired. Too tired to push, but I hope in an hour or so I'll be ready to get going.

What is going on this week? My simple 10K training continues with week 4:

Week	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
4	Rest	3 m run	CT or Rest	2.5 m run	Rest	4 m run	35-40 min EZ run or CT

Saturday's 4 miles is actually going to be replaced with our local "Survivor Run." It is only 3.1 miles, but I figure the mud and obstacles will more than make up for the .9 I am shorting myself. If I feel like I have enough energy Sunday, I may run the full 4 that is on the schedule, but we'll play that by ear.

The Big Picture: I am doing it. I may not hit my mileage on the scheduled day, but I am committed to flexibility and catching up when my miles don't fit in on the scheduled day. Playing catch up is better than giving up.

Why I Kick A$$: The fact that I am still going into week 4 with my 10K training is a big deal... I have been struggling with commitment lately. Exercise has been so critical to my heart and soul that I really am just so happy to be moving again.

Thankful Three:

1. For my life, I don't know what I did to deserve it, but I sure am thankful.
2. For my new purple jacket.
3. For affordable tropical fruit at the grocery.

One Thing At A Time

It is not enough to be busy. So are the ants. 

The question is: 

What are we busy about?

~Henry David Thoreau

I have had some difficulty multitasking lately. Actually, I was on multitask overload checking my phone, FB on the laptop, open magazine and TV on...I was absorbing NOTHING. I feel like I can get that way with fitness thinking too much about my weight, what will I eat, how will I work out, what will be enough, what the weather is like, what my schedule will look like....and on and on. After a few days, weeks, months ....who can count anymore I finally realized the error of my ways. 

Last Friday I slowed down. I volunteered my time and didn't think about work or how the second day of my volunteering would look like. I had lunch with my hubby and a friend and limited checking my iPhone, went to a movie, enjoyed quality time with a friend for dinner and slept soundly. Saturday my volunteering went perfectly, I had a lovely lunch with my SIL and finally ran some errands like getting new make up. I had been thinking, really dreading the two day volunteering thing. I felt pressured to buy make-up as I had run out like 3 weeks ago. Make-up is not really my thing, but a necessary evil for work. My brain was multitasking by thinking about these tiny little things, making them bigger than they actually were and feeling weighed down. Do you do this? 

Well I finally crashed. I napped all day Saturday, slept in Sunday and hit the gym. Aaaahhhh, sweet relief. Monday, one thing at a time, one work out at a time. Tuesday, I made the decision that if I was going to work extra it would be on a significant project, if I wasn't really going to focus on it, then I should do something for me. I laced up my sneakers ran out of our building. I had an amazing 2.5 mile run and I did it at a pretty fast pace too! I picked up the kids, volunteered again for about 45 minutes and still had dinner on time with my family. Doing one thing at a time is much more effective than maybe a Type A personality person like myself is willing to accept, but it is tried and true. 

So don't trouble yourself with the entire laundry list of things and just start with number one on the list. Decided to take action and do it, it is amazing what you can accomplish.

Why I Kick A$$: Week 2 of 10K training and I am feeling focused knocking out 10:20 min miles and hoping to break 10 on my short distances since the plan is so basic with pretty low mileage.

The Big Picture: There are a million things to do, but only one you and 24 hours. Plan, budget and execute. Stop thinking and wasting time and just do.

Thankful Three:

1. For spending more time these past few days feeling happy instead of stressed.
2. For sunny days and sneakers.
3. For cinnamon raisin bread, delicious!

Monday Motivation: Small Things and Great Ambitions

Most people would succeed 

in small things 

if they were not troubled 

with great ambitions. 

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

One of my favorite quotes and it really sums me up... also could contribute to my tendency toward procrastination. I can sit all day thinking about the things I want to do and at the end of the day realize I did not accomplish anything. Sometimes it is good, other times bad. For example, when I want to write something for work I can think about it for a day or two and when I sit down to type an elaborate review or workflow my move effortlessly to creation a masterpiece. My peers think that it comes easy, they don't realize that I can casually compose in my mind for hours or days before I even start to type so what they see are only the finishing touches. When it comes to workouts and being fit, I think I day dream about the fitness model I could be if all I had to do in life was focus on being a fitness model and then not workout at all.

Last week I decided it was time to take action and went to the gym 2-days in a row! On day one I just worked out on one of those glider things. My gym partner was late so my planned 30 minutes, turned in to 1:20 and about 6 miles done. The next day I decided I would hit the treadmill and to my shock and amazement, I could not run a mile without stopping. Ok, let me qualify that, I am sure under pressure or stress I could manage to run a full mile, but in a casual starting to go-back-to-the-gym kind of way, there was no way it was happening. How does one fall so far behind??? Well, I think I am ready to try and give consistency another go with one of my favorite carrots dangling at the end, a 10K trail run! It's slated for mother's day weekend at that. It is a simple plan. No speed work, no fancy fartleks, tempo runs etc. This little plan will be difficult for me to follow since I struggle with consistency. I have no delusions that I will nail every workout. I do however plan to enjoy a lovely trail course, one I have done before and one I will not be able to fully enjoy unless I can cover the distance at least at a jogging pace. So for that I will train. Believe it or not these 7 weeks will be my success with something small so that I can stop spending so much brain time on my great ambition of getting my weight down. All things in due time.

Wk	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat	Sun
1	R	2 m	CT or R	2 m	R	2.5 m	25-30 min EZ run or CT
2	R	2.5 m	CT or R	2 m	R	3.5 m	30-35 min EZ run or CT
3	R	2.5 m	CT or R	2 m	R	3.5 m	35 min EZ run or CT
4	R	3 m	CT or R	2.5 m	R	4 m	35-40 min EZ run or CT
5	R	3 m	CT	2.5 m	R	4.5 m	35-40 min EZ run or CT
6	R	3.5 m	CT	3 m	R	5 m	40 min EZ run or CT
7	R	3 m	CT or R	2 m	R	10K	Yay Me!!!

The Big Picture: I have learned I need to set my self up for success. What else to make a young mother feel strong than a trail run on mother's day weekend. I am all about feeling a sense of accomplishment.

Why I Kick A$$: I made a delicious southern style meal for the family tonight including home made biscuits. Yummy!!

Thankful Three:

1. For several invitations to the gym this week
2. For finding a simple 10K plan
3. For making time to create this post in advance

Friday Five: Happy Trails

Everybody needs beauty as well as bread,

places to play in and pray in,

where nature may heal and 

give strength to body and soul.

~John Muir

10 Km
Elevation Gain: 1,090'
(Per Avocet Altimeter)

1. I need to find my way toward nature to heal my body and soul. I struggled at the beginning of the year with a shoulder issue. Didn't do much in January because of it, February too. The MRI came back ok, I just need to be diligent with rehab and I should be fine with 6 weeks of a focused effort. I am struggling with focus at the moment. Some quality fresh air, maybe a little mud and some ups and downs that aren't at all emotional might be right up my alley. Bring on the trail and bring back the passion for running.
2. I bailed on the 90 day challenge at the gym because I missed my weigh in for February which voided my participation. I am not sure where February went, but it is gone and it appears March is almost gone too.
3. I am flirting with the junky eating again and there is good news and bad news. Bad News: I still think I want to eat that crap. Good News: I have yet to have a satisfying french fry or burger. Next Step: Stop trying to satisfy the memory of a yummy dish and just start enjoying really yummy food. Hiccups: Hydration and vitamins have needed a reminder lately and my strict no eating after 8:00PM has faltered a bit. What's going well is that I mostly have kept things up, just getting use to making healthy a full lifestyle change.
4. I am trying to find my passion and I am having a difficult time. I think it happens to be contributing to the stagnant feeling in my life with body image, fitness and even blogging. I love to blog, but am not carving out enough time to grow this blog into what I want it be, so instead you all get the sporadic posts about the ups and downs in my life both multi-sport and family. I also love to run. While I know I prefer trails, I think I may only like trails. This would be quite the dilemmonade because we don't have trails here and it is unrealistic for me to only trail run based on where I live. To help I have decided to integrate a few scheduled trail runs and see if that motivates me to enjoy pounding the pavement and surviving more consistent efforts on the treadmill.
5. Too treat myself I got these new shnazzy Salomon Trail Tights IV. Spandexy on top, mesh knee backs and tear resistant fabric from the knee down. I will wear them on a mothers day weekend trail run hopefully a few pounds like, much fitter and ready from the 10K training plan I will start soon.

The Big Picture: Consistency is continuing to try. Maybe someday it won't take as much effort to stay motivated and for now I thank you blog world for giving me an outlet.

Why I Kick A$$: Because last night I started "officially" teaching my son to read, night number 2 and I am already so proud of him. Only 98 more days to go. How to Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons

Thankful Three

1. For a short work week
2. For lot's of sleeping in
3. For catching up with great friends.

Saturday Sampler: Something has to change

To exist is to change, 

to change is to mature,

to mature is to go on 

creating oneself endlessly.

~Henri Bergson

Ok, I admit it, I have been slacking. I have been hiding behind my good food choices, more consistent sleep patterns and heavy work schedule to make my inactivity excusable. I have been embracing these excuses. At some point I have to take ownership and just do something different. Last week I decided I would air up my bike tires and use my bike trainer. Apparently I am not proficient with a bike pump and I may have bent my metal thingy that the air goes into. Bummer. I can ramble on for days about my laziness, but instead you get a Saturday Sampler, previously a Friday Five, but was too much of a slacker to post last night:

1. I make awesome smoothies. It is amazing that my kids will drink their fruits and vegetables and know they are doing it. My son loves to guess what goes in them. I regularly use Trader Joe's Beet and Purple Carrot juice as the liquid part and then add lots of spinach, frozen fruit like pineapple, peaches and berries, bananas, flax seed and then some wild cards. Wild cards are whatever else we have in the refrigerator and have included cubed steamed sweet potato, broccoli and cauliflower. Note: plain white cauliflower has a pretty distinct flavor and doesn't totally puree.
2. HIGH: I made fantastic white chocolate butter cream frosting. LOW: my from scratch chocolate cupcakes came out a little dense and didn't rise because I used whole grain unbleached wheat flour. I am pretty proud of myself for baking from scratch and I really ended up liking the wheat flavor of my chocolate cupcakes, very bread like.
3. I am taking a few days off. Yup it has gotten to the point that if I don't take time for me I might implode, wait, explode... whatever, I need a day off and I need to workout. I will hopefully have a work out partner tomorrow, but either way I am going. I have plans to sleep in, get up leisurely and hit the gym at 10AM. It will be glorious.
4.  We had two play dates this week. Pretty crazy stuff, we aren't really into the whole making friends thing (introvert family). Both went amazingly well. Both provided delicious dinners, kid friendly house holds and adult conversation. I may be able to get into this. Did I mention some of our best friends came to town for dinner last night? It is two weeks in a row that they made the trek and being around so many wonderful families this week has truly boosted our families already very high morale. We are definitely riding the happiness wave right now.
5. I have Monday through Wednesday off, I know I mentioned that with the exercise thing in mind but I get see my friends from Seattle. I am super excited because they are such fun, wonderful, smart and creative people. I wish they lived closer.

The Big Picture: Who cares if it is liquid, my kiddos will drink their veges and it is not a secret, I am not sneaking it in, they know what is in them and love them!

Why I Kick A$$: I take time for my friends and am smart enough to decide to get in some workouts too. Who knows, maybe working out 4 days in a row will get me back on track.

Thankful Three

1. For new friends
2. For time off
3. For my a chance to sleep in tomorrow

Monday Motivation: Another 1/2 in the books

The difference between a jogger 

and a runner 

is an entry blank. 

~George Sheehan

So yesterday's half was unlike any half I have ever done. I mentored someone on their first half. Oops, have done that before. I did this half without training. Oops, I do that too often. I did this half with my super amazing cousin who 6 weeks ago had emergency surgery to remove her gallbladder. Yup, this was definitely a first. WOW! For her first half she was completely derailed when her long run had only hit 4 miles. My sweet cousin was also engaged at the time and had planned to get married later in the year. Well taking 6 weeks off from work really threw off her plans to take time off later in the year to get married. So she and her sweetie decided to make the best of her 6 week set back and tied the knot. This is us walking on her wedding night, a very different picture from our half picture. I love that she makes the best of every situation.

After 6 weeks off she went back to the gym and was up to 3 miles. She called me and to my surprise said she still wanted to try the half. I on the other hand had stopped training completely thinking she probably wouldn't run it. I had no interest in a half this spring, I have been lazy busy with work-life and only decided to do this run to support my cousin. C decided she needed to take a more active role in her health when her brother had a heart attack earlier this year. This was a HUGE way of showing herself and her family that her health was important to her for herself and her family. This is us with our game faces on.

We didn't have a plan. She is new to running so I packed the fuel belt, where it didn't even occur to her we would need anything. Having not trained, I was inclined to walk in the first mile and assumed we'd walk the whole thing. Nope, not C, she said I at least want to run the first mile and we did it in 11:50, her fast mile ever! From that point forward we ran and we walked in increments. When we were fresh we'd run half mile at a time and sometime that "run" only lasted about a quarter mile. But mile by mile we concurred the course. It wasn't until mile 10.5 that C truly hit her physical wall and the decision to walk and finish injury free. We ran a bit in the 13th mile and certainly that last .1 which was pretty awesome.

I am so proud of C and her commitment to show up, push her limits each mile and finish. For me it was like reliving my first time to be with her and witness the pain, the achievement and the sheer pride she felt for herself knowing she was doing something so great and so individual. To accomplish something that only you can own is pretty tremendous. Now don't get me wrong, yes I respect family support etc to get the miles in, but at the end of the day the person who puts one foot in front of the other and cross that line gets the glory, and a glorious moment it was. We went to one of my favorite restaurants The Tower Cafe for breakfast after. Way too much food, we both had to pack doggy bags. She had the Denver Omlette and their famous french toast. I had the Oaxacan eggs (corn tortilla, refried beans, corn tortilla, two eggs, mole and cotija cheese. My pancake was made from cornmeal and blueberries and complete rocked my world there and as left overs for me and my two kids this morning. It was a lot of pancake LOL.

After a hot shower and short nap my hubby made me this fantastic dinner: filet mignon, asparagus, grilled mushrooms and onion with garlic, sweet potatoes and Israeli pesto couscous. I couldn't finish this meal either.

The Big Picture: It doesn't matter why I went out there, I too got out there and I too get to be proud of me.

Why I Kick A$$: Despite limited physical activity, my body still remembers what 13.1 feels like and that is why I kick a$$. Thank you legs!

Thankful Three

1. For the amazing breakfast we had after the run
2. For the amazing dinner I had that night
3. For family who inspires me

Monday Motivation: Soccer Mom

Being a mother is learning about 

strengths you didn't know you had, 

and dealing with fears 

you didn't know existed.  

~Linda Wooten

Warning: I do not talk about anything exercise or health food related in this blog post.

I will spare you my nightmares about The Duder going to kindergarten....good lord if this is bad, I do not think I'll be ready to send him off to college. Instead I will proudly announce that it is official:

I am a soccer mom! 

I know I am so excited I already want to go shopping for a small SUV. How did this happen you ask? Well my 4-year old came home from school one day and said, "Mama, I think it's time I learn to play soccer." The quotes are there for a reason folks, this is actually how he said it. As it happens, registration for Tot Soccer had just started so I signed him up. His first game was Saturday and my son did AWESOME! I don't mean to brag, yes I do, but he is a natural. He scored a goal and everything. This is what he looks like when he is not in the game.

Now if you didn't think my son was awesome enough, try seeing the world through his eyes. Actual quote from Saturday's lunch, "Papa look, its the Millennium Falcon!"

 So you got to read about Treat Yo'self, but I am not completely selfish. Last weekend I treated the kids to a trip to Build-A-Bear. We had gotten a gift card at The Bug's first birthday, but she was far to young to enjoy it. She is older now and figure it was time spend that card and a bit more so The Duder could partake. Yeah, she was still too young, but Duder really loved it. I am lame and didn't capture the cool in the store Bear Building, Washing and Dressing, but these faces capture their happiness with their new treats. A bunny named Bunny and a camo bear named Fuzzy.

Apparently the boxes are wicked awesome.

The Bug is all about dressing herself these days. Let me just remind my non-tribe friends here that Chanukah was over in December.

Why I Kick A$$: I raise awesome children....ok Super Hubby helps does it all and I his wife so I kick a$$ for that LOL

The Big Picture: Who cares if it is not Chanukah, my daughter if self confident enough that she wears what makes her feel happy. I am sure one day we will be living in a Halloween costume in summer, and I am ready.

Thankful Three

1. For kids educated in all things Star Wars
2. For a happy family
3. For a break from health food, workout blogging today

Sunday Summary: Treat Yo'self

In December I left my iPhone on top of the car and drove away. An hour and a half later I realized my mistake. It was gone. Lost forever. I reactivated my iPhone3 and thought I could make due until the iPhone5 came out. I could not. Going from the iPhone4 to the iPhone3 is like going from high speed internet to dial-up. So I am now the proud owner of an iPhone4S....thankful for upgrades.

A few weeks back I ordered some clothes off of the GoLite online store. I can sometimes be an emotional shopper. They were clearance items and I felt like I needed to treat myself at the time. As it turns out, the day they arrived is also the same day SuperHubs felt like he needed to treat me to some REI clearance stuff. And so begins my very expensive week in photos...totally worth it by the way. At least that is what I need to tell myself when I am paying the credit card bill LOL

The GoLite convertible skirt can be a long skirt, strapless dress or halter.

I already have a dress made of the same material, so when I saw the GoLite skirt I had to have it. I am not as big of a fan of the lime green side (it is reversable), but the teal side is so pretty. Great for hiking, dry wicking, wrinkle free and wonderful.

Ok, so I got these GoLite Capris in tan, I love the girly cut. The knees have a side split and both the knee trim and inner waist liner are brown. Very cute and under $20. I will be living in these pants on warm days and hikes.

So this color is a little outrageous for me, but I love how soft and fluffy it is. The picture doesn't do the true color justice. The cut and fit is perfect, Patagonia has done good and so did my hubby for snagging this for me. I wear it all too often now.

I broke the rules. I went to the grocery store at night wearing this. A pretty electric blue pullover, gray sweats and bright green crocs. There were actually sirens when the fashion police were coming after me LOL

My son calls this my secret agent jacket. Yes, this comment by my 4 year old made me feel bad a$$ and makes me want to wear it every.single.day.

Why I Kick A$$: The scale is being nicer to me, we're still not BFFs, but I am not scared it's going to be mean to me anymore. Scale Confidence, Get Some.

The Big Picture: Yesterday I gave away the last of my children's baby items. Somethings went to a family member and others to Goodwill. I was really sad at the idea that we would not use these things again. When I handed them over to our cousin, I just loved the idea that another family would get to enjoy babyhood. Happiness is best shared.

Thankful Three:

1. For treats from Super Hubby, it really does make me feel special to get presents
2. For my 4-year old who can boost my self-esteem like a professional charmer
3. For my iPhone...who needs all that extra time to go to the gym. Time is best spent on FB, Pinterest and other mind numbing activities, right?