Feeling great!

My plan for today's run was to go 5 miles...but I hoped for more like 7.  I took it easy.  I started slow.  I listened to what my body was saying.  I walked when I needed to walk.  I ran when I was feeling good.

The first 5 miles flew by and I was feeling great.  Cold, but great.  Once I hit between mile 7 and 8 the wind was blowing so hard.  I was freezing.  I thought about giving up.  I mean, after all...I had hit my 7.  But I knew my body felt good, so I pushed on through the weather.

I took water with me this time.  I didn't want to get dehydrated.  It helped.  I ate my sports beans again.  That also helped.

By the time I hit mile 9 I was feeling great.  It had even warmed up (now that the wind was on my back, rather than blowing into my face).

I ended up going 10 miles in 2:02.  (average pace 12:13 min/mile)  Not too shabby considering my last long run (9 miles) was on November 30th.  3 weeks ago!  Between then and now, I've tried to get out on a few runs but have felt so lousy that most times it didn't happen.  So to be able to go 10 miles AND feel great doing it....HUGE BLESSING!  (Did I mention that today I feel better than I have in weeks?!?)

A while back I talked about pushing for a sub-2 hour half marathon.  Just for your information....THAT IS NOT HAPPENING!  I'll be happy to finish in 2:45, and I mean it when I say I'll be happy!  You see, I have re-evaluated my priorities.  And right now my priority is to take it easy, don't get injured....but most importantly:  LISTEN TO MY BODY!

I want to complete this half marathon and feel great crossing the finish line.  I want to finish it and not strain my body in any way.  And as long as I'm on track to do that, I'll feel successful no matter what my time ends up being.

One day, when I'm able, I'll focus more on the time.  But this time, I'm all about focusing on how I feel...

Alive again...

Yes, I am back and functioning again.  FINALLY!  I wouldn't say I'm 100%, but probably 90% and that is great by me!

What does this mean?  It means I need to re-focus on my movement.  It means I need to take my overall weekly steps from the pathetic 11,012 back up into the 70,000 range.

I guess that's how you can tell how sick a person has been...based on their steps.  And mine have been averaging 1500 per day.  If I hadn't been so sick, that would be pathetic.

I have great plans the next few days to be active.  We are going to spend the holiday surrounded by those we love most.  I have plans to see beautiful Christmas lights, people watch as I wander through the mall, attend multiple family parties, and frankly just enjoy the season with loved ones and great food.

I am also going to try my legs out this weekend.  I'm not going to do anything crazy!!!  But I am going to listen to my body and lungs and head out for a run.  I'll let you know how that goes.  (After all, it's been 8 days since my legs have pounded the pavement...)

So back on the wagon again, only this time I am looking at the wagon a little differently!

Eleven days.

Eleven LONG days!

That's how many days I've been sick!  Coughing, sneezing, chills, fever, body aches, more coughing.

It's been a very long eleven days!!!

And because of that, I haven't been able to keep up with my training.  :(  I've only ran one day in the last 11.  One.  I'm gonna pay for that in January during the race!

Honestly, I'm starting to wonder if I'm every going to be healthy again...........

Babe before Baby

Post edit:  I had this blog post scheduled in advance, knowing I had written the post over at babe before baby.  Then, today something terrible and tragic happened.  My heart is aching.  I have tear stained cheeks.  And I am squeezing my babies all a little tighter today.  Please take a moment, pause, and send a prayer to all those suffering after the tragic losses in Connecticut today.  

Today I have a very special treat for you!  My sweet friend Karri from Babe before Baby asked me to do a blog guest post for her today.  This was my very first guest post, and I was a little nervous about it!  I met Karri through the blogging world, and she has quickly become a dear friend!  She's absolutely gorgeous, funny, witty, honest, with just the right amount of snarkiness!  So do me a favor...head over to her blog and check it out.  And while you are there....send some love her way, and let her know I sent you!

Change

Yesterday was a good day...mostly.  I won't go into the "mostly" details because no one likes a downer!

I was able to make it up my mountain...slowly.  But when I got to the top, I sat and reflected for a while.  You see, just over 3 years ago we were basically the first ones out in our subdivision to buy a lot.  We've waited and waited for neighbors to come.  And over the years, we've been happy with our little neighborhood.  But, within the last 6 months the area has BLOWN UP!  (And there are another 90 homes under contract to be built shortly!)  Yes.  Blown up!  It was amazing to me to look at the difference 3 years can bring.  And then it made me sad.  Sad, because I know we won't be living in our cute little house for very much longer.

I couldn't be happier for Jason and his career!  He's really found an amazing company to work for!  One who values him, and rewards him for all his hard work!  I feel so blessed.  But my heart aches knowing what we are going to have to leave behind in a few short months to become a family under the same roof again.

My heart aches for the friendships I've built and will have to say good-bye to.

My heart aches every time I see my girls heading out the door to play with neighborhood friends!  They really have it good here.  There are so many little girls their ages, they always have someone to play with.  Who knows if we will ever be able to find something even remotely similar!

My heart ached yesterday when I scheduled Connor's 2 year old check up, knowing this would be the last doctor visit we have with the best pediatrician.  I tear up every time I think about having to find another doctor for my kids.  If you could only see the way he treats his little patients!  If you could only see how much he loves what he does!

My heart aches for so many things in relation to what is to come for our family.

And while change is necessary, and can be great....today, change is hard.

12*12*12

Never again in my life time will I see another awesome day like today.  Today would be the day I chose to have a baby...or get married...or do something AMAZING.  But because I'm already married, and I'm definitely not pregnant, I'll have to find something else amazing to do.

It's going to start with walking my mountain!

Thank you for the advice and support I was given yesterday through FB, emails, blog comments, and texts!  You all are great!!!  I decided to take a hard close look at how I was feeling.  I mean, sure, I had no voice.  But how was I really feeling.  I had a cough, I wanted to stay in my PJs...but really, part of that was just because I wanted to be lazy.  So I decided to try out a quick run.  And run I did.  No, I didn't get in the full 5 miles that I was scheduled.  But, I got in 4 of them!  Tomorrow, I'm planning to do the same thing...go out for a run, but listen to my body.  And when it says stop, I stop.  But if it's being a wimp, I push on.

So to make the most of today, what are you going to do?  Eat 12 donuts?  Go on a 12 mile walk?  Do 12 jumping jacks?  Seriously, do something cool today.  Me?  I plan to do 12 random acts of kindness for strangers today and I'm going to include my kids in the project!!!  (I'll give you the full run down later...)

I'm off to walk my mountain with my Bubba.  He loves the mommy/son time...actually, he just loves being outdoors!  Watch my Instagram for pictures from our adventure...

Lastly, I leave you with my prized possessions!  Last night I let them stay up later because they were getting along so well!  Man, I love them.  Sometimes I get exhausted from being their mother, but I sure love my kiddos...

Needing advice.

I'm bummed.  Real bummed!

And I need some advice!

I've been ridiculously sick the last few days.  I was going to push through yesterday and run my scheduled 2-3 miles, but I just wasn't feeling up to it.

I missed last weeks 9 mile run.  I opted to repeat my week of running this week.  

Only.  I feel like crizap and don't wanna run.

Today I have absolutely NO VOICE.  It is seriously gone.

So that brings me to my dilemma.

I'm afraid I'm going to fall too far behind for January.

I've been hit and miss on the runs I've been able to do the last little bit.

So here's what my running schedule was SUPPOSED to look like for December:

Because I was sick I didn't do the 9 miles on the 7th.  My last long run was on the 30th of November.  I went 9 miles in 1:44 that day.

Here's what my ideal schedule looks like heading into January:

As you can see I have very little wiggle room before the 19th when the 1/2 is.

So now I have to decide what to do!

If I skip another long run this week....that would be bad, right?

So do I run while I'm sick?

Do I just go as far as I can?

Do I throw the whole schedule out and just push myself the best I can?

How far was your longest run before running a 1/2 marathon?

More than anything, I want to finish the 1/2 feeling strong.

NOT feeling like I had to crawl across the finish line.

Please!  Any advice you have, I need!  I'm down and out today...worried I won't successfully be ready for my 1/2 in just over a month.

Eighty.

Side note...I have updated "My Story" above.  I thought it would be a good way to give new readers an idea of who I was/am/and am still becoming along this journey.  Feel free to read it, it puts the main parts of my story all in one place.

I have officially hit the 80 pounds lost mark!

To celebrate,

let's talk a little bit about how heavy 80 pounds really is...

I lost 267 iPhones

I lost the equivalent of 10.5 average newborn babies.

(The average newborn weighs in at 7.5 pounds)

I lost 53 loaves of bread.

I lost 160 pairs of my running shoes (or 320 individual shoes).

I lost a total of 540 DVDs and their cases.

Eighty pounds is 80 pounds!

And I tried really hard to pick up the large sacks of flour equivalent to 80 pounds to get a picture representation.

I couldn't do it.

I got to 40 pounds and almost dropped the sacks in Costco.

I am amazed that I used to walk around EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. with all that added extra weight!

It is absolutely powerful to look back and FEEL how heavy that number really is!

Weekend Round Up

How was your weekend?

Mine was spent mostly in bed.  Sicker than sick.

I did not get in my 9 mile run.  I did not leave the house basically at all.

I drank lots of fluids, took lots of DayQuil. 

Today I'm finally starting to feel better.

How are you starting this week?

I'm planning on repeating last weeks running schedule.

That means:

Monday:  2-3 mile run

Tuesday:  5 mile run

Wednesday:  walk my mountain twice

Thursday:  6 mile run

Friday:  walk my mountain once

Saturday:  9 mile run

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.....so what's your plan???

Bubba's plan is to look stinking handsome....

Like what you read?  Then please SHARE IT!  Pin it, post it, link it...spread the love.

Gimme a break!

Wednesday I finished my last final for the semester.  Not only did I finish it....but I CRUSHED it!  I, Alisha, aced that test!  100% baby!  I felt amazing for ending the semester with a big fat A!  I may have over celebrated.  (Yes, I said over celebrated!)

(Cafe Rio is my ultimate weakness!)

(Mmmmmmm.  Pork Salad.....Mmmmmmm)

Thursday rolled in and I did nothing.  Absolutely nothing.  I may or may not have been in my PJs most of the day.  I bummed around and didn't feel even the least bit guilty about it.  I messed around with my blog...did you notice?  :)  I'm still working on changing a few things...and updating my story.  I've shared it in bits and pieces through my posts but I want to get it all out there.  Then when I pick up new readers, they can click the "My Story" to understand where I came from.  Like I've always said...I'm a work in progress (in every aspect of my life)!

That brings us to today.  Friday.  I decided that I was going to make the most of my Christmas-6-week-school-break.  I got Bubba all bundled...socks mittens and all!

And up my mountain I went.  (My mountain = the large mountain directly in front of my house...it is steep.  Real steep.)  Only today I decided instead of making one trip up my mountain I would shoot high and get two in.  

Along the walk I noticed Bubba had fallen asleep.  He absolutely loves our walks.  He is so good while I'm out there, and today he actually relaxed enough to fall asleep.  (Good thing after two...TWO...4:45am wake-ups.)

I ended up walking 7.28 miles and it took me 1:44 to finish.  

By the end, I was tired.  And my legs were sore.  (I'm telling you, big incline!!!)  But I was glad I did it!  

Isn't that how all workouts are?

We dread them.

We put them off.

They are painful.

They make us tired.

And when they are done, we feel amazing for finishing it!

As for the scale...

right now we are BFFs!  I love Friday's.  My body hangs on to weight, hangs on to weight.  Then between Thursday and Friday that weight finally comes off and the scale drops!  This week it was BIG!

Last Thursday I weighed in at 159.4

Yesterday I weighed in at 156.0

Today...TODAY I weighed in at 154.9!

SHAZAM!