Monday Motivation: Drive Thru Closed

Ice cream is exquisite. 

What a pity it isn't illegal. 

~Voltaire

Tonight was my second weigh in for the 90 day challenge at the gym. It's day 27, I have only lost one pound and I am calling it success! The middle of this month I actually had started gaining mad amounts of weight. Staying up late and eating late were the prime factors there. I am happy to report I pulled it together these last two weeks and started drinking more water, eating healthier snacks at work and not eating after 8:00PM. Overall good, but just doesn't seem like enough. The problem with easing into a solid health routine is that the results are also going to ease on. I wish I could just wake up skinny, strong, well rested and energized. I wish. I wish. I wish. Damn it, my wishing thingamajig is broken.

After the gym weigh in where I lost my one pound and wait for it.... gained .3 on my body fat percentage (lame), I decided I needed an ice cream sundae. I went straight to the Mc Donald's drive through where my emotional eating plans were foiled by a sign that the drive thru was closed during construction. Annoyed, I drove away as I am far to lazy to park the car, go into the dining room and order a sundae. Instead, I went home, did a little Insanity warm up and a weights and core routine. Oh and to top it off I drank my one of my Amazing Grass Samples.

Have you tried Amazing Grass? I just started on Saturday and I have a week's worth of samples. On Saturday I tried the Lemon Lime Energy one and really felt a boost, Sunday was the berry flavored superfood, not really noticeable feeling that day and tonight was the regular superfood. So far I have just had them with water and they are pretty... um... interesting? The powder doesn't dissolve and while I don't mind the flavor, I can't say most would be able to tolerate drinking this mixed with water or juice. I plan to blend the chocolate flavored one into a smoothie tomorrow and see how that goes. I like the product, but don't envision myself mixing with water in the future, it may become a smoothy only supplement. I am looking forward to trying the "amazing meal" versions of the powder which pack a bigger nutritional punch.

Why I Kick A$$: Because I hit the gym yesterday morning when I realized I had an unexpected break in my morning when I was out of town. Gotta love having a gym bag in the car and a "all club" 24 hr fitness membership.

The Big Picture: I still have 63 days to to achieve more noticeable results in the 90 day challenge.

Thankful Three

1. For the health and well being of my family
2. For the wonderful French Toast Muffin Recipe from pinterst, it made for a great treat today
3. For my bag of gala apples Super Hubby surprised me with today, I love him

Friday Five: Scratch that and make it Eleven

Thank you Christi for the tag! Here's what we've got for the 11 Random Things:

1. Post these rules
2. You must post 11 random things about yourself
3. Answer the questions set for you in their post
4. Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer
5. Go to their blog and tell them you’ve tagged them
6. No stuff in the tagging section about you are tagged if you are reading this. You legitimately have to tag 11 people! (This has made it's way around quite a bit, so I am willing to look the other way if you accidentally don't tag folks in your post)

Now here are my questions from Christi:
1. Which actor played James Bond the best? Is this even a question? Sean Connery
2. Are you a cat person or a dog person? Both
3. What is your favorite race to date? Pirates Cove by Pacific Coast Trail Runs
4. Do you prefer beer or wine? Both
5. What is the first race that you ever completed? Shamrock 180 Run in Baltimore 2005
6. Do you have a coach to help you with your training? No, but some day
7. If you could compete in any long distance triathlon and race fees were not a factor would you choose IM or Rev 3 races? IM Kona
8. How many blogging friends have you met in person? 3
9. Who is going to win the Superbowl, New England Patriots or New York Giants? Patriots
10. If you could meet one person alive or dead, who would it be? My grandma Carmen
11. And finally the big question, do you prefer Star Wars or Star Trek? LOL, why Star Wars of course

Now here are my questions for those that I tagged:

1. What is your favorite TV show?
2. What is your favorite cheese?
3. What is your favorite post race body restoration type activity?
4. If you had to jump right now would you prefer side-to-side or up and down?
5. FroYo or Ice Cream?
6. Sticking with the James Bond question I got, Martini: shaken or stirred?
7. What is your worst chaffing area on a long distance run?
8. Do you barefoot run as part of your training?
9. What is your favorite book of all time?
10. Now for the fun stuff, forget what you are doing now, if salary wasn't an issue what would your dream job be?
11. Oops, forgot #11-surprise me (updated 01/27/12 at 2:58 PM)
    

Tagged:
Jamoosh
P
Andrew
Amanda
Misty
2Slow4Boston
AJH
Amanda
Michelle
MCM Mama
Molly

The Turn Around: Fake It 'til You Make it

Don't be afraid to give your best 

to what seemingly are small jobs.  

Every time you conquer one 

it makes you that much stronger.  

If you do the little jobs well, 

the big ones will tend to take care of themselves. 

~Dale Carnegie

I am not progressing as quickly as I'd like, but I am moving forward. Saturday I started having a 8:00 PM cut off time for eating and I am down 2lbs. It is a small step and it's only been a few days, but I know it makes a big difference. I have also been really good about drinking water. I need to be more consistent with the gym, but I am struggling with working as much as I need to lately and still hitting the gym. I find that those two things don't quite fit into the schedule at the same time. Must find balance.

I went shopping last week with some friends from work and was completely sold on the idea of Spanx. I bought my first pair and they are pretty fantastic. While I won't use them as suggested below, I will go ahead and fake fitting into my pants until I actually do.

Why I Kick A$$: Not eating after 8:00 is way harder than one might think, yay me for each day I can stick to it!

The Big Picture: Like Carnegie, if I focus on the little things the big ones will fall into place. Drink water, don't eat after 8:00, feel good in my clothes even if it takes Spanx...it's all in the little things.

Thankful Three

1. For my chiropractor
2. For my sweet kids who are having a great week at school
3. For The Duder having a great first trip to the dentist today.

Saturday Sampler: Habit Forming

The easier it is to do, 

the harder it is to change. 

~Eng's Principle

A few weeks ago I decided I would move slowly into building some good habits. I thought the first one to tackle would be working out consistently. I wasn't going to go any where near diet or food restriction figuring it would be harder to do. While compartmentalizing can be a successful method, I am three weeks into this and realizing while I have increased my workouts (still far from consistent), but I have moved from regular eating to irregular eating, normal sleep to irregular sleep. I have been working a ton, and the bad habits were almost formed out of my one good one. I had gone to the gym a few times at 8:45 PM which lead to eating late and being up late. Super Hubby is a late bird. He can stay up past 11PM or 12PM without a problem. I on the other hand can be in bed by 8:30 with the kids. Back to the story, ok so these few occasions of eating and watching TV after a night work out made me realize I could stay up late and that I enjoyed hanging out watching the Parenthood TV series on Netflix with my hubby. Next thing you know I am skipping the workout and just staying up late watching TV and around 10 or 11 deciding it is snack time, or full on 2nd dinner time. Screech! Time to put the breaks on that one. In my mini defense my shoulder thing has prevented me from feeling up to any kind of workout lately, but I digress.

Now in addition to trying to make working out a more consistent part of my life I will also add not eating late. What does that mean exactly? Most days it is not a problem to not eat after 8PM. I know there are different schools of thought regarding when to stop eating, but I think 8PM is very reasonable for me. On a great day I'll decide that I won't eat after dinner and that may push the time to closer to 7PM. I will deviate from time to time say for example if I go to the gym late or am out late with friends (rare occasion). This should help as the last 2 weeks have been filled with any thing from Weinerschnitzel at 10PM to chocolate-chocolate chip cheesecake at midnight or a bowl of cereal at 11PM.

At my chiropractor this week I got a nice little lecture on hydrating and a really nice tip. He said, attach drinking water to something you already do. A specific action. He chooses meals. He drinks a glass of water before he eats and a glass of water after. It may not be his daily goal in take, but it helps. This activity usually provides him with support via friends and family who know that is what he wants to accomplish at each meal. I am pretty consistent about having lunch with Superhubby so I am going to try and have a glass of water before and after lunch. I already just drink water at dinner, but as it turns out, it is usually the only time of day I drink water. I keep a water bottle at my desk at work, but rarely use it. I may shift to trying to drink a glass of water before I leave the house for work each morning. Maybe fill it the night before and set my car keys next to the glass, something like that.

On a positive note I am doing well taking my multivitamin and B complex everyday and recently added a probiotic. While I have a jug of Keifer in the fridge, a little probiotic boost has helped. The vitamins I am not so consistent with are my Omega-3s and my Calcium. Both are in chewy form and don't fit into my pill box. I 100% understand and agree that nutrients should come from a clean and natural food source, but I am not there yet and vitamins help bridge that gap.

Why I Kick A$$: Because I keep trying.

The Big Picture: Health is work, it takes effort and re-evaluation to be successful.

Thankful Three:

1. For FB friends and family who encourage me to active
2. For my kids who are being so cooperative today
3. For waking up feeling ready to add to my healthy habits by not eating late

Thoughtful Thursday: Krispy Kreme is not diet food

Bigger snacks mean bigger slacks. 

~Author Unknown

I have been on pause for the last few days. I got treatment for my shoulder Wednesday and it is getting better. I wish it was just 100% already. I am hoping for a good weekend of workouts, but have a sneaking suspicion that if I don't turn my week day work out schedule around next week I will slowly be going down the path of the weekend warrior. Not a good idea.

Why I Kick A$$: I made a pretty fantastic mushroom barley soup tonight.

The Big Picture: It is the 3rd week of the year I am not freaking out about my schedule...but I reserve the right to freak out about my pants being too tight.

Thankful Three

1. For tickle time with my munchkins
2. For decaf and doughnuts
3. For finishing a project that has been nagging at me

Saturday Sampler: Another Epic Weekend

A good friend is cheaper than therapy. 

~Author Unknown

I had to use Epic, because my husband was recently entertained by how frequently this term is thrown around. This weekend is epic in that I have a lot of friend time built into one weekend. It is no secret that being social is not my strong suit, nor is having enough time to really do many of the things I'd like to do. With this three day weekend again babysitter, a lot is going down:

Friday Night: Started the weekend off right by leaving work relatively on time, getting McDonald's Happy Meals and watching Tangled with munchkins.

Saturday: Leisurely wake up with my very cooperative kiddos, laundry, Noah's bagels and then off to the office for a couple hours of catch up. Phew, I definitely needed that. Then a trip out to Knights Ferry for a run, that turned into a dip in the freezing cold river. Lovely place to visit, great covered bridge and behind the house in the photo you can see a trail. That trail is only .9 up, but is a 100 ft elevation gain in that .9 on sandy, rocky trail. Great hill workout if you can make it up. I made it up twice, coming down was another story. After a short run and hike my cousins and I took a nice refreshing "recovery" dip in the Stansislaus River.....BRRRRR. Very, super duper, like a lot, cold.

After a hot shower, I got a chance to meet up with my friend W who is seriously a ray of sunshine. We had dinner a pub, had some Starbucks where I may or may not have eaten a birthday cake cake pop and watched The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo movie at the theater. Dark movie, some creative liberties, but not too distracting if you take it for a movie.

Tomorrow is a day in San Francisco with W and my other friend AW. What's on the docket, walking and eating. LOL we are simple girls, it doesn't take much. Monday I get to head East Bay and do a little shopping and eating with some friends from work and I am really looking forward to that too. Have I completely abandoned my family you ask? No, my hubby is up north fishing, but will be home tomorrow and get his one on one time with the kids Monday. My kiddos today and tomorrow are having an amazing time with their grandparents and I can't wait to see them tomorrow tonight. A quiet house while lovely just seems a bit too quiet for my liking.

On the training front, I obviously got my workout in today. Earlier this week I laid off the efforts to give my shoulder some down time. If I don't sleep too late tomorrow, I may hit the gym before we head to SF. Monday is also a gym day for me and I am feeling good with my running mileage. Slow and steady.

The Big Picture: Friendships require time and I am very fortunate for the time this weekend to reconnect with some amazing people.

Why I Kick A$$: I dunked completely underwater in freezing cold water....well I thought that kicked A$$.

Thankful Three

1. My Husband...I love him to pieces
2. My Kids...they are just so wonderful
3. A three day weekend

Thoughful Thursday: It takes effort

Success is dependent on effort.

~Sophocles

I am not ready to start watching what I eat. I figure I need to start with one thing at a time and a fitness routine is my primary goal...eating is a much harder thing to tackle. That being said, at some point in the near future I need to have a jump start and plan for maintaining.  

Why do these things take so much effort?

 

The Big Picture: The weight didn't come on overnight and it sure as heck ain't going away overnight. 

Why I Kick A$$: Because I left work on time today. Major accomplishment.

Thankful Three:

1. For my new chiropractor
2. For my Duder who survived his Kindergarten wellness check and vaccinations
3. For no wanting Oreos tonigh.

Tuesday Tidbit: Two at a Time

Happiness lies, first of all, in health. 

~George William Curtis, Lotus-Eating

I think two workout days in a row is my max right now. High five for me for recognizing it early and reacting. While I wanted to go to the gym tonight, I started to feel tired and my left shoulder was acting up again. Instead of feeling lame for not hitting the gym and sitting on the couch watching TV, I attempted some CORE but only survived a couple planks. I got in 2x20 sec reg. planks, but my shoulders couldn't stand much more and I skipped the side planks.

I get "relax the shoulders" as a theory, but how do you do that during planks?

 

I busted out the foam roller and tried to open up my shoulders...good, but not great. I really need to figure this one out. Feels yucky. Tomorrow is chiropractor day....YAY!! I might need to get a massage in there this week too.

The Big Picture: A routine doesn't have to be everyday, just consistent.
Why I Kick A$$: Because I am excellent at playing ice cream store...I had a great time having some one on one time with my Bug tonight.

Thankful Three:

1. For my foam roller
2. For reduced price registration Survivor Mud Run
3. For Super Hubby-he agreed to do the mud run with me!

Monday Motivation: Perfect Intentions

There are no perfect men in this world, 

only perfect intentions. 

~Pen Densham, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves

This weekend I had every intention of working out Saturday and Sunday, but Saturday I was hurting. I must have pinched a nerve or something, my left neck shoulder area was killing me. I tried to suck it up, but by 4:00 I was frantically calling massage therapists to no avail. I put out a plea on FB for a chiropractor and got a great lead from my TRI Club. I have an appt on Wednesday and I am so hopeful that with some progressive treatments I will be back to my old self. So what did I do Saturday instead? Well we had a fabulous family day at the Sacramento Zoo. Then spent lots of time stretching, using the foam roller to regain some mobility and a little yoga. My little Bug tired to get in on the action too. Yes I know my form is bad in this picture, but I was trying give my baby some room on my mat.

Sunday was pretty close to a dream day. I woke up pretty leisurely, dropped my son off at Temple preschool and went with one of the preschool moms to the gym. The Bug stayed home for Sunday football with Super Hubby. We finished our workouts, hit up Peets for a latte and ran into another set of parents from preschool. It was so fun! Then it was time for a little Costco run with my munchkins while my hubby slept off his headache.

Today was a great scheduled day. I took a couple hours off work this AM, dropped the kids off at school, met with our loan officer after work, hit the gym, had another meeting, Top Ramen and grilled cheese for dinner and play time with the kids. I even added the side planks to my routine, from the Hard Core workout regime.

The Big Picture: A little bit everyday really adds up.

Why I Kick A$$: Because I am still on track with the gym workouts

Thankful Three

1. For homemade trailmix
2. For Parenthood on Netflix
3. For the treadmill...I kind of like it!

Friday Five: Selfish

Selfish: I run for me.

~me

A late night five, but five!

1. I put out a plea on Facebook and totally scored. My son goes to religious pre-school on Sunday's and one of the mom's has a member ship at the same gym I go to and we will be hitting the gym together on Sunday's while our kids are in school. Super excited!
2. While I took Thursday off for a family night with my aunts & uncles from out of town and tonight to hang out with my husband, I am not at all feeling like I am derailed because I am so excited that I have plans to work out both Saturday and Sunday.
3. I talked with my cousin who is just getting into the workout scene and we both registered for a half marathon in March. Shamrock'n. I am so excited, and I got to personalize my bib too! iRun4Me. Since this is her fist it is going to be all about the experience and I am so excited I get to run her first half with her.
4. Discovered a new flavor of tamale! The local market made cherry flavor masa and my family added sweeten dried coconut, pineapple and raisin. The freak'n bomb! Yes I just said the bomb.
5. I am going to try for a sitter tomorrow so hubby and I can go on a date. I am thinking matinee and sushi lunch.

The Big Picture: A new take on fitness this year is going to be great for me. Less about successes and "failures" and more about moving forward.

Why I Kick A$$: Because I feel pretty great about myself this week. It is amazing what a couple workouts can do for my week... maybe it was the tamales.

Thankful Three

1. For time to blog
2. For the tamale I am about to eat
3. For the weekend

The Turn Around: 90 Days

Goals are dreams with deadlines.  

~Diana Scharf Hunt

Wednesday Hump Day sounds funny. Like an out and back run, Wednesday marks the turn around to the work week. This week it is even better since I had Monday off. Yesterday I wrote about the new fitness challenge I am doing at the gym. I'll have to admit that I am a little disappointed at the organization of the event at my first weigh in today. I am optimistic though and realize that I am not going to win any prizes so need to be too annoyed. I went to "weigh" in which consisted of a stand in trainer who asked me how much I weighed. There was no scale. Then had me hold the hand held body fat percentage machine. He also measured my neck, waist at the belly button and hips. They didn't have the gym camera available so he said I could come back to another weigh in or email a photo. I opted to email a photo. OMG, my hubby took the photo and when I looked, I really felt bad. It was a bit worse than I had realized. All the more reason I need to do this.

Today is DAY 1 of the 90 Day Challenge. I went to the gym again tonight and took it easy on the treadmill, 5 minute walk, 25 minute jog, 10 minute walk. I did a few step ups and 3 sets of planks. Not a big work out, but a work out nonetheless. Tonight I struggled, as I did last night, with not pushing myself. I need to take this Challenge slow and not burn out. I want to complete the 90 days and not give up in a week or two. I don't want to go so overboard that I am awesome 1 week and back on the couch the next. What I find difficult is that I know how to do all the exercises everyone else is doing at the gym, I have run faster and longer than I am doing now and used to spend more time in the gym than I am now. It is tough to block those things out and stay focused on just rebuilding a routine and rebuilding my body.

The Big Picture: Who cares if the weigh in was less than organized, I went and having that motivation to participate is really key for me right now.

Why I Kick A$$: I hit the gym for the 2nd day in a row.

Thankful Three:

1. For Chobani being on sale
2. For a nice visit with my niece
3. For a short work week

Tuesday Tidbit: Biggest Winner?

When you want something, 

all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.

~Paulo Coelho

Today seemed to be the day I wanted to make a change. Sometime after 3:00 I took a walk during my break. This is the first time I have done this in months. I talked to a friend over the phone during this 15 minute break and I walked about 10 minutes of it. I told her I really wanted to do something, but couldn't figure out what. I left the office around 6:00 and thought I would hit the gym....uh, so did everyone else in town with New Year's Resolutions. I drove into the parking lot, did a u-turn and headed home. While at home I received a call on my cell from an unknown number. It was the customer service rep for one of my gym memberships. He called to tell me that our gym was holding a "Biggest Winner" contest. It is free to sign up. All I had to do was register, take a before picture, weigh in and commit to weighing in 2x per month. The challenge runs 90 days from the first weigh in date and all contestants must weigh in by 1/31/12. A game player might pack on pounds before their weigh in, me, I have enough packed on already that I don't need anymore. The challenge is based on body fat percentage which is different than percent of weight loss. I have an athletic build, am a bit top heavy and pounds lost on the scale do not always accurately reflect my fitness level. I have no delusions that I'll win anything, but I am pretty excited about the challenge. Talk about timing!

I couldn't shake wanting to do something and so I did what I almost never do. I went to the gym. I went to gym alone. I went to the gym at 8:45 PM. The timing couldn't have been better. The Biggest Loser was on TV and I just trucked along. I started with a 5 minute walk and was hoping to do 30 minutes total of a walk/run combination. I looked down and realized I had been jogging for 10 minutes straight, so I challenged myself to run 5 more minutes. Then 5 more and 5 more until at some point I felt too uncomfortable. The result? A 5 minute warm up, 45 minutes jogging and a 10 minute walking cool down. I didn't run fast. Most wouldn't call it running. Whatever label you slap on it, I moved for 1 hour then did a nice round of strength training exercises including 3x 20 second planks as recommended by The Hard Core Club.

I am so excited I was motivated to do this today, I sure hope I am as motivated tomorrow. Goals for now:

1. Get to the gym as often as possible
2. Drink more water

I am fighting the urge to tack on too many goals like a daily calorie limit, food restrictions and specific training goals. I do have a half marathon training plan that I am following starting today. It is very basic and designed for a novice runner. On the schedule today was 2 miles. Having run my fair share of half marathons I know that this plan is too simple for me, but I also know that I am not running this half for time, I am running it to complete it with my cousin who is running her first half. I am treating this plan as a "minimum" training commitment. My plan is to see how I feel each workout and not up my mileage more than is incrementally appropriate to avoid injury. Depending on this "Biggest Winner" commitment I may re-evaluate my training plan in a month and modify.

The Big Picture: I am excited to weigh in tomorrow and start my 90 days. This is just a small challenge, but one that can set the tone for the remainder of the year and I appreciate the free accountability.

Why I Kick A$$: Today I got it done.

Thankful Three

1. For the call from the gym rep
2. For a supportive hubby who told me he was proud of me
3. For The Hard Core club

Saturday Sampler: Bye Bye 2011

Year's end is neither an end 

nor a beginning but a going on, 

with all the wisdom 

that experience can instill in us.  

~Hal Borland

I have been loving everyone's year end recaps and goals for 2012 posts. Really so motivational. Taking off from my last post about being unoriginal, I am going to go ahead and follow suit.

Here are some highlights on what I planned to do and what I actually did:

For Mental Me: Be more confident. How?

1. Take a self defense class. CHECK
2. Start including at the end of every blog post (along with the regular thankful three) a self esteem booster. Why I kick a$$: CHECK

I had a "For Physical Me: Maintain and Build. How?" category. I didn't put the effort in to achieve those so I'll spare you the bullet by bullet recap. I will say, despite my 10 lb. weight gain this year, that the measurements I posted about my belly in 2011 stayed the same....must have gone straight to my a$$ LOL.

I noticed folks recapping their race years and so I headed over to my Athlinks account to check out what I had done? I have 7 events on there and 1 that didn't post. 6 of my 8 events were done January to May. Then 1 in October and 1 in November. I had a great start to the year last year. I PR'd my 10K, I PR'd my half marathon and was very excited about each because I had actually worked hard for each of those events. It was pretty down hill from there. I had way too much life happening last year.

2011 Life Cycle Event Recap

• Lost my 18 yr old cousin to cancer
• Lost my grandmother and last living grandparent
• Was promoted at my job
• My kids turned 4 and 2 and boy is it awesome at this age
• Celebrated our cousin's son's Bar Mitzvah, the first in this generation of kids
• Celebrated 7 years with my husband
• Gain a sister-in-law

What are my rock'n plans for New Year's Eve? Well my new SIL convinced me that we needed to drive to LA (don't ask how long it took, we were flying down, not literally either) and go to Disneyland. So last night we drove, got to her BFF's, had a few hours of sleep and now we are off to the Happiest Place on Earth! We should be in Disneyland shortly. I will miss being with Super Hubby and the kids tonight, but I know I'll have a great time and don't really get this opportunity often.

The Big Picture: Life is a work in progress, it will have many successes and failures. My main goal in life and resolution every year is to keep moving forward, life is meant to be lived.

Why I Kick A$$: Deciding last minute to go to Disneyland is a pretty spontaneous thing, I am not so spontaneous, so this is awesome.

Thankful Three:

1. For my amazing family
2. For a weekend with my SIL and her super awesome BFF
3. For having Monday off to recover from my spontaneity

Tuesday Tidbit: Totally unorginal

Insist upon yourself. Be original.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

I can be so unoriginal. It is kinda funny. When I read about peoples goals and aspirations I am not only inspired, but moved to act. You want a promotion? OMG me too. Actually that is how I got my job! A guy in one of my Master's classes said he was applying for the Presidential Management Fellows Program run through OPM. I thought...wow, that is really cool, I should apply for fellowships! I got in, he didn't. You are on a diet? I need to start one too. You're training for a half marathon? I should too. I am not a totally copy cat, but I sure do like easy ideas that float into my path. In addition to riding the wave of inspiration around me, I am creating some of my own.

I have been having trouble getting motivated lately, but the clouds have parted and the sun is shining in my life. Where is the sunshine coming from? A decluttered house, a decluttered email inbox, having had 5 days off work, finally researching my son's kindergarten application process and seeing everyone's amazing new years goals on FB. I feel like I have it together and I am ready to add in the things I need to maintain my physical and mental health. What I have going so far:

• Choosing a week in the summer for our family vacation
• Deciding on a new investment to help build our future and plan for the kids college education
• Picking a couple races I would like to do in the spring-hopefully hitting some trail runs
• Rearranging my living room

Not amazingly exciting, but exciting for me. We already know vacation will be in Mammoth Lakes, so it is just a matter of picking the right week. As for races, I have actually found that it is difficult to commit to a race date too far in the future. I am never confident in what will happen between now and then so I hesitate and rarely follow through. I figure planning something for Jan-March shouldn't take too much out of me commitment wise. I like refocusing on finances a few times a year too. While the furniture rearranging is a necessary evil, I am enjoying mixing things up around here. Coming up...training plans, New Years Resolutions and other fun stuff.

Questions for you:

1. Do you plan you races far out into the future?
2. Are you an investor? Conservative, Day Trader or IDK my adviser handles that? LOL my hubby is my adviser so I would normally say, IDK he does it all, but I am taking the reigns and picking one that I will personally contribute to every pay period and follow on my SmartPhone for fun.

Why I Kick A$$: Walked into work 115 email, left work 4 left in the inbox and I didn't just hit delete.

The Big Picture: Motivation will ebb and flow, but at the end of the day I usually break even or better yet, often times I end up ahead in physical and mental accomplishments. Why? Because I do such a good job when I do try and don't stay in a slump long enough to seriously undo my efforts.

Thankful Three:

1. For our last night of Chanukah, I love the glow of a fully lit Chanukiah
2. For financial discussions with my hubby, it makes me feel like we are a good team
3. For a great day at work

Monday Motivation: Vacation is Over...when is the next?

No man needs a vacation so much 

as the person who has just had one.  

~Elbert Hubbard

How was everyone's holiday(s)? We are on night 7 of Chanukah, 1 more day to go! It has been busy since last Tuesday. I worked crazy late Wednesday and had dinner with the in-laws and took last Thursday off to "help" with my brother-in-laws wedding. They were getting married in my in-laws house and I was going to help set up, but the tables didn't arrive on time so I had a leisurely breakfast of Noah's bagels and Starbucks. I wanted a sourdough bagel, but they were out so I got a potato peppercorn toasted with butter. So yummy. When I was pregnant with my daughter I lost my taste for cream cheese and now rarely have it. I digress. So after my leisurely breakfast I dropped off gifts and cards at my work, then exchanged a pair of shorts I had gotten my dad as a gift at Old Navy. I still had time so cleaned up at home, gave the cat a bath, then had a friend over for girl talk over some yummy wine. Then the "bridal party" picked me up for our spa day. Fortunately there was champagne and we had a great time getting our nails and toes done. Afterward, we hit Starbucks. Yes, two trips to Starbucks in one day. It is still Thursday at this point.

As if wine and champagne in one day weren't enough, the "rehearsal dinner" was also Thursday night. There was no real wedding party, so the event was really just a party. My BIL rented out a pub for a few hours, there were endless drinks, amazing food and pub quiz. It was great fun...I probably should have eaten a real meal sometime that day and had more water throughout the day, but great fun. Wine, Champagne and Beer in one day. LOL In case you are wondering, I am not as young as I once was and am pretty glad "rehearsal dinners" aren't regularly scheduled events.

Friday was the wedding, a lovely affair indeed. Then Saturday family lunch with the in-laws and Saturday night Family dinner at my parents. Goodness gracious, it was a very full weekend. I was very lucky to have NOTHING to do on Sunday, we barely made it out of the house to take the kids to the park. Today was another much needed hang out day. While I am not Christian, I am pretty glad the Federal Govt took Monday off in observance of Christmas and I have a short week ahead of me. 

Today we spent the whole day at home, save for a short trip to the park. My BFF came over and brought her two young'ns and it was like having built in babysitters. Our kids played so well together, we actually got to have adult conversation. My kids had fun, I had fun, our husbands had a great golf day and we all had a nice dinner before lighting our Chanukiahs. Great hang out day! So 5 non-work days and I think I need a little vacation from this vacation. Our weekend was full, although these last two days were relaxing. I would like a little vacation for myself. I would like to send my kids to day care, sleep in, work out and read all day. I think 3-5 days of this schedule would be rejuvenating.

Speaking of vacation, we are currently planning our summer vacation to Mammoth Lakes. Super excited, this year our BFF family is going to go at the same time so we can all hang out. How cool is that? I have read books and watched movies about families that vacation together, this will be our first and I think everyone is going to love it!

Why I Kick A$$: I had a 4, 3, 2 and 1 year old in my house today and my house is still clean!

The Big Picture: I shouldn't wait until the govt takes days off or family is getting married to take time off. I need to start schedule days for me, ALL about me, then enjoy them guilt free.

Thankful Three:

1. For amazing friends
2. For The Girl Who Played With Fire -Stieg Larsson
3. For a short week this week...and next!!!

Tuesday Tidbit: I am a slacker

Success consists of going from failure to failure 

without loss of enthusiasm.

~Winston Churchill

Me after a 6 mile crazy hill run in my favorite dress. I am very happy in this picture. Very happy, feeling very successful.

While the blog name should send a clear message, you have to be a reader to really understand. This past year I have blogged more about getting on track vs. how well I am doing staying on track. Over the last few months I have blog mostly 1x per week than more frequently. Today I am breaking the mold, this is my first Tuesday Tidbit since...well...uh....looks like October 4th. Yeah, it's been awhile. So today's Tuesday's Tidbit is that I am slow on the up take. I have been struggling for a month or so trying to define where I am with my fitness. Have I fallen off the wagon? Was I on a wagon? Do I work out sporadically? I know I am not training for anything. Geez, I get why people don't like labels. Today I am in a place where I am happy to admit, I don't know. I.DON'T.KNOW! It is true.

I love to workout. I love lifting weights, doing core work and I even like the treadmill. Going to the gym is enjoyable, that is if I am not too tired. My predicament over the last few months has been making time. The best times for workouts continue to be early mornings 5:30AM or late night 9:00PM. Unfortunately my body is going through so adjustments with what it needs to recover. When I was working out a bunch I was only sleeping about 6 hours. These days 8 hours is hardly enough. I am working my brain out hard core at work and the few intermittent work out days these past few months have resulted in longer recovery. The average person is sore for a day or two after a work out. I have needed sometimes a full week to shake the post workout fatigue. This happens with light workouts too, totally lame.

So I am labeling the rest of December as a vacation. Not necessarily vacation from working out, I might do it, who knows. Really it is just a vacation from thinking about it. I may not be cranking out the miles, putting in the gym time or blogging about my commitment to fitness, but rest assured, I punish myself everyday by feeling bad that I am not running more, hitting the gym or blogging. Today starts a little vacation from myself. I am calling myself successful, moving from one "failure" to the next and not losing enthusiasm. LOL I love this quote.

In more thrilling news, tonight is the first night of Chanukah and it was really nice to light our Chanukiah read some holiday books with the kids before bed. This Friday my brother in law is getting married, so that should be a fun night. Since there is no wedding party, they are having a fake rehearsal dinner. They rented out a pub, are serving food, drinks and hosting a pub quiz for the younger elements in the friends and family group. Should be fun.

Do you celebrate holidays this time of year? 

Chanukah, Christmas, Kwanza, Hmong New Year is coming up in addition to the secular New Year. Whether you celebrate or not, hope you are staying warm and enjoying some time with family and friends.

The Big Picture: Life is a training cycle. Less focus on events, training etc and more emphasis on lifestyle and how to make healthy a habit.
Why I Kick A$$: I got so much work done at work today and adding sweeping and mopping at home to my list of accomplishments.

Thankful Three

1. Tomorrow is my Friday
2. Monday is a Federal Holiday in observance of Christmas
3. I have monkey bread waiting for me in the kitchen

Saturday Sampler: Girls Weekend!

Lead me not into temptation; 

I can find the way myself.  

~Rita Mae Brown

I have had a fantastic weekend so far, I am not so sure tomorrow is looking the same. I am not as young as I once was. Check out this weekend's itinerary:

Friday:

• Left town for the cabin house. I love getting out of town.
• Ate German chocolate cake, drank a great bottle of wine from Michael David called Rapture and watched Love Actually. Then moved on to Bridget Jone's Diary while still drinking and snacking on brie and crackers.

Saturday:

• Woke up pretty leisurely.
•  Popped in the movie Chocolat, cut a slice of German chocolate cake for breakfast and a little brie and crackers too

• Headed out to the nearest Starbucks
• Hit winery No. 1 Toscano
• Winery No. 2 Brays-Bought the 2007 Table Red and 2008 Barbera
• Fantastic lunch at TASTE
• Cheese plate
• Borscht
• Butternut Squash gnocci with pearl onions, bacon, kale, and toasted pine nuts
• Sweet Fall Dessert
• Persimmon cake with pumpkin gelato, and an array of other fantastic pumpkin stuff

•  Winery No. 3 Sobon Estates-bought the 2009 Tannat and 2009 Primitivo

Now that I am home, I am tired and ready to relax, but instead I am stressing on the itinerary for tomorrow.

Sunday:

• Option 1:
• wake up at 4am drive 40 minutes to meet a friend at 5:15 to drive another 30 minutes to meet a larger group of girls, then drive another 1.5 hours to a Raider vs. Lions game
•  Option 2:
•  wake up at 7:30, leave at 8:00, drive 45 minutes, jump on a train for 20 minutes and meet up with the girls at the game around 9:00.

Pro for option 1 is fun girl time in the car, Con to option 1 is that they might tailgate after the game too and that means I may not get home until 10PM. 4AM to 10PM does not sound at all appealing, I am too old for that.

Pro to option 2 I get to sleep in and I have the option to stay after to tailgate or go home if I am not up for it. Option 2 sounds like the way to go, but I just don't know. I forgot to mention, I don't even watch football, so this event is entirely social. Actually my friends birthday is at the end of the month so this is our celebration day!

Why I Kick A$$: I have some great friends and fun options for my weekends.

Thankful Three

1. For my family who is supportive of me getting girl time
2. For my friends who come up with such fun adventures
3. For the upcoming 3 day work week

Saturday Sampler: Sleep, Balance and Goals

He who fails to plan, plans to fail.

~unknown

I am not sure why this only occurred to me today, but it appears the majority of my posts for the last three months have been done on a Saturday. A passing thought was to rename my blog to Saturday Sampler, but I am far to ambitious to limit my thoughts to one day a week, but you may have to deal with my slacker style for a while longer until I get back in the groove of posting more frequently.

Moving on. This week was particularly difficult for me. I had two separate dates with my niece to hit the gym and canceled both times! I was just too tired. The first time I cancelled becuase I had fallen asleep at 8:15 PM and our date was for about 8:45 PM and the second time, again our date was for 8:45 PM and I couldn't possibly stay awake. So what is this sleep phenomenon? I have been sleeping 8 plus hours per night. Last night I slept 10.5 glorious hours!

In talking with a co-worker yesterday, we discovered it is our job. The last three months I have personally stepped up my game at work. I wrote or reviewed 40 performance evaluations in September and October...really the drafts were coming in way earlier than that. Reading reviews and going through the exercise of writing a few myself made me realize I had even more capacity to improve than I was opening my mind to. Then I got my performance evaluation. Sure I was doing plenty of things right, but I have been in this new position less than a year and still have a lot to learn. I am also feeling quite driven to accomplish my daily tasks in an 8 hour day. Some days I work more than that, but I want balance. I do not want to HAVE to work 10+ hr days to get the work done or to be good at my job. I would be better at my job with more time in, but I have a family and want to have a life. Life however has been tough. The mental energy I expend at work has resulted in one tired momma! We do dinner, bath time, wind down a bit, then I barely make it through the kids bed time before it is my turn. That means no time lately for workouts, hardly any time for the hubby and net result: unbalanced. Need to get it all back in to balance. FAST!

Ok, I am painting a dire picture here, Super Hubby called and got a sitter and we went out dinner this week, last weekend I helped through a shower for my future SIL and next weekend I have a girls weekend planned. But it is the daily routine that seems to escape me. I wish I only needed 6 hours sleep. I wish I was a genius and then my brain wouldn't have to work so hard at work. Better yet, since we're wishing, let's go ahead a win the lottery and not work and have all the time in the world to be a wife, mother and professional fitness gal. A girl can dream...

Moving on. Some INSPIRATION from blogs this week:

• Michelle over at Michelle Does Germany is doing 12 Dates of Christmas with her Hubs, Awesome idea and some thing I might try to do with my hubs in 2012 but over the course of the year. We see each other every day for lunch, so don't feel bad for us that we don't spend so much couples time the evening with me going to bed at 9:00 PM.
• Amanda at Run To The Finish posted about Coach Andrew Kastor's Mammoth Running Camp. This would be a dream for me! I love mammoth, believe it or not with my inconsistency, I really do love running and I love being coached. Some day when I feel like my running is in a good place and I would get more out of the camp, I would totally throw down the cash for this one. Check it out HERE.
• Anne Marie at Goals For The Week writes down her weekly goals on book mark she uses in her organizer. Love this idea. Earlier in the year I wrote down my goals, stuffed them in my wallet and took a peak every now and then. All those goals were achieved. I have fallen off that wagon and needed this reminder, thanks AM!

I am feeling more motivated between yesterday and today so I am going to try and build on that. I swept and mopped the floors, did the laundry, did the dishes and wiped down all the counters. I have a master plan for going through our stuff and making lots of donations over the next week or so. Step one is to write down my plan. My first goal is to de-clutter as much as I can before the new year. It helps not to feel weighed down and my family will appreciate this as much, if not more, than I will. My second goal, which permeates everything else is to figure out how to squeeze it all in. I know I can't do everything, but I can do enough of the things I need and love to feel more balanced overall.

Big Picture: Goals aren't firm all the time, they need to be adjusted and re-evaluated. With a 4 yr old, a 2 yr old and a new job...I just needed more adjustments this year than before.

Why I Kick A$$: Did you miss the part when I totally cleaned house last night? Yeah, totally felt like I was nesting. Happy to wake up to a clean space.

Thankful Three

1. For my hubby being on his 4 day fishing trip. He needs the break and apparently it makes me want to the clean house.
2. For a niece who called and asked again this morning for a gym date. Yay! don't give up on me.
3. For a sitter today to run some necessary errands.

Saturday Sampler: Positive and Glamorous

 Though no one can go back and 

make a brand new start, 

anyone can start from now and 

make a brand new ending.  

 ~Author Unknown

Oh where have I been?! Well we had a nice day in New York on Monday. Coincidentally Monday was our 7 year anniversary. We woke up, had a lovely breakfast, walked through Central Park, hit the Jewish Museum then did some window shopping at FAO Schwartz  before catching a flight back to California at 7:00 PM, at Terminal 7, Gate 7. Totally not kidding, how cool is that? Lucky day right? Well I didn't get a lottery ticket, but I did get a text from my boss as soon as we landed in San Francisco that if I needed to rest, I should take the day off Tuesday. Uh, yes please! Tuesday was great, I woke up with energy, went to the Berkeley-Oakland area, did some shopping, had pizza at Zachary's on College Avenue then stopped by Bittersweet for a slice of hot chocolate cake and a chocolate chai over ice. Delish! I got home around 2:30 and it happened...THE WALL. Good lord, I was a mess. I laid on the couch, watched MTV I used to be fat and dosed off a little. I did not dose enough. It was Tuesday how was I going to survive the week?

I had already pre-planned a dinner out with friends for Wednesday, so while I was tired and worked a long day, I went out any way. I am so glad I did. We talked babies, kids, husbands, home renovations, Brazilian waxing and hot fresh donuts. I tell you what, girlfriends are the best. What I got most out of this outting was some rejuvenation. I have been in a funk. First it was one thing, then PMS, then stress eating because I was afraid of leaving my kids for our east coast weekend...SHEESH a girl can only stand so much. So when I woke up Thursday morning and was about to post to Facebook that I was exhausted, I stopped myself. If I want to be happy, I need to act happy. So I decided to reframe my thought and instead posted that I was glad it was Thursday and that it wasn't too cold outside. Pretty simple huh? Well let me tell you, it made all the difference in the world. I had a great day, then that night my brother in-law and future SIL came over and we gave them their wedding present early. It was a really nice night. Thursday was December 1st. I love the first of anything. First of the month, Monday's, first of the year etc. It is an opportunity to start fresh. So I decided for the month of December, I am going to try not to complain so much and re-frame negative thoughts and statements into more manageable and if at all possible, POSITIVE thoughts. This little 31 day exercise should prime me quite nicely for starting 2012 off on the right foot.

Anyone have there New Year's Resolutions or 

Goals lined up yet?

Friday, OMG, it was supposed to be easy, but it was crazy! In a good way. Work was long, but super productive. Then I got to have dinner with my mom, two nieces, two aunts and family friend for my nieces birthday. We went to Tower Cafe in Sacramento and it is such a great place, highly recommended. Then on the way home my cousin texted that I should stop by so I got even more fun family time, this time over Champagne with pomegranate arils in them. Lovely!

Then for the big one, today. Yes I was exhausted. Yes I kinda woke up sick. BUT. I woke up and made chocolate-white chocolate swirl fudge, rice krispie treats died with food coloring, cut into squares and tied with a white bow so they looked like Tiffany's boxes and picked up balloons for my future SIL's bridal shower today. The theme was Breakfast at Tiffany's and the guests got to take home pearl bracelet's with a little bling bead as a party favor and my MIL made fake cigarettes with dowel rods, painted black, white and with red glitter on the end for effect. It was such a GLAMOROUS party and hopefully my future SIL felt loved.

Big Picture: Sleep Deprivation is temporary, friends, family and memories are forever.

Why I Kick A$$: While I wasn't officially the hostess, I think I pulled off my part of the shower in a positive way despite being completely drained.
Thankful Three:

1. For friends who bake. ER you made gorgeous and amazingly delicious cupcakes for today's event. Fabulous!!
2. For Pinterest...it now occupies all my free time
3. For an invite to the gym, I am way over due.