Happity Holidays

Happy Holidays Everyone! :)

Hope your holiday season has been going well. A very big Thank You to everyone who voted for me for the 12th Turbulence Training Contest - I got Second Place! There is a new rule now that once you place, you are ineligible to win again, so no more TT Contest finals for me. But I still may join a contest in the future, just for the accountability and camaraderie.

If you are thinking about getting into shape in the new year, I do recommend a contest to increase accountability and motivation. The 13th TT Contest has recently begun - you can read the rules here: TT Contest Rules

I typically like to start on a Sunday or Monday so that I finish on a weekend. This Sunday (tomorrow!) is January 1st - what a perfect day to start! If you start on January 1, the end of the 12 weeks (Day 84) would then be Saturday, March 24.

If you interested in checking out Turbulence Training without joining the contest, you can do so here: Turbulence Training Trial

It's amazing to see how different people look in their Before and After pictures. For a little inspiration, here are some of the past winners: TT Contest Winners

Don't forget you can win up to $1000! But the real prize is the Platinum TT Membership.

It seems like it wasn't that long ago that I was debating about joining the 1st TT Contest, but it was 4 whole years ago! That has turned out to be one great decision. I have remained a member of the TT forums and have access to tons of different TT workouts. In addition, the Forums provide answers to questions and a place to "meet" with other like-minded TT lovers. And with a new workout coming out every month, it's like the gift that keeps on giving. :)

This year has been up and down for me (or should I say down and then up?) and I am looking forward to hippity hopping into the new year.

Happy New Year and here's to a Happy New You! :)


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TT Voting And New Pull Up Goals

Hello! Seems like so many things have been going on that I don't know where to begin! I'll start with an update on the current TT Contest (#12). Finalists have been announced for the 12-week contest and you can vote here: TT Contest #12 Voting

Thank you to everyone who voted for me during the 6 week mini-contest. It was super exciting to win First Place! The next TT Contest will start December 26. You can read all the rules here: TT Contest Rules

Currently I am using the TT Metabolic Resistance Training Finishers workout. I like the first 2 workouts, but am a bit ambivalent about the 3rd. It's a good workout, but the exercises are by time instead of reps. I typically don't like doing workouts by time. I'm usually not standing near a clock with a second hand, and looking at my watch mid-exercise is annoying. So I counted the number of reps I did in the allotted time, and will just count reps in future workouts.

In a few weeks, after I finish that workout, I am going to start a new Pull Up Challenge Workout that I just bought. I was drawn to it 1) because it is a female trainer 2) with a program to improve pull ups. Her name is Shawna Kaminski and she can do more than 25 pull ups and 100 pushups straight. I am pretty impressed by that! So I am excited to start this workout in early January. Currently, I can do a couple pull ups in a row with a jumping start, but I would love to be able to do a lot more from a full hang. New Goal = 5 perfect pull ups after the first 4 weeks.

I typically don't buy other programs because historically, they haven't worked as well for me. TT always seems to work the best so I am hesitant to start something new. But, I feel like I am in a good place physically and mentally. I don't plan on entering TT Contest #13 because I don't think I have big changes to make. So this seems like a good time to embark on a new 4-week Pull Up Adventure. If it goes well, I'll move on to Phase 2 of the Challenge Workout; if not, I'll be back with a good TT Workout. I'll keep you updated!

Now go vote!! TT Contest #12 Voting

:)

Have a great day and Happy Holidays!!


Please see my Disclaimer/Disclosure Statement.

End of Week 8 and Mini Contest Voting

Weeelllllll, I meant to post more often!

I just finished Week 8 and am feeling pretty good, although my nutrition has begun to wander and I need to reign it back in a bit. I just began a new workout - TT for Buff Guys and Hot Gals. :) I used TT for Buff Dudes and Hot Chicks a few years ago and really liked it so I think I will like this newer workout. I've done 2 of the 4 days so far - Day 1 left me pretty exhausted and Day 2 really worked my arms.

Also, the finalists have just been announced for the 6-Week TT Mini Contest! Congratulations to all the finalists!

If you would like to vote, here's where to go: TT Mini Contest Voting

Here's my 6-Week Mini Contest Photos and Essay:

After gaining a lot of weight during my depression this past year, I knew I needed to do something to get back into shape. I finally decided to join TTC12, and for the last 6 weeks, I have felt fantastic! I love the 2 workouts I have used: TT Metabolic Resistance Training and TT for Hard Core Fat Loss. My nutrition has been pretty straightforward: eat well 85-90% of the time.

One of the best benefits is that my energy has skyrocketed! I've finally gotten to projects that have been sitting around for months. And I'm a better mom and wife. Unfortunately, my family had been on the receiving end of my grouchy side for quite some time, but now I feel like a better person. I nearly cried when my daughter gave me a picture she drew with the words "I love you very much" written on it. Then, I really felt like I was "back".

During the past 6 weeks I lost 10.2 lbs and a total of 11.5", including 3" off of my abdomen. My bodyfat dropped 2.3% and I just FEEL better physically, mentally and emotionally. I lost more weight in the past 6 weeks than I did while I was training to run a marathon!

I knew joining this contest would be good for me, but it really has exceeded my expectations. Thank you to all my TT friends for your support! I look forward to the next 6 weeks and seeing everyone's continued success!


Have a great day!!

Please see my Disclaimer/Disclosure Statement.

End of Week 2 Update

Week 2 is in the books!

This week has gone well. I've really been liking my workout, TT Metabolic Resistance Training. I'm down 5 lbs and about 1% bodyfat since Day 1 of the contest. Whoo-hoo!!

The best part is that I feel like I've been eating "real food". What I mean by that is I've been eating yummy, healthy food (a lot of recipes from Clean Eating magazine), and not, for example, carrot sticks wrapped in a lettuce leaf. Because that would make me cranky. :)

Here's my workout week in a nutshell:

Sunday: TT Metabolic Resistance Training, Workout A (about 30 minutes)
Monday: 25 minutes Warrior Yoga
Tuesday: OFF
Wednesday: TT Metabolic Resistance Training, Workout B (about 20 minutes)
Thursday: OFF
Friday: TT Metabolic Resistance Training, Workout C (about 35 minutes)
Saturday: TT Metabolic Resistance Training, Workout D (about 20 minutes)


Have a great day!

Please see my Disclaimer/Disclosure Statement.

New TT Contest and Jedi Mind Tricks

Well, I did it. I signed up for TT Transformation Contest #12. My start date was Sunday, September 11 and my son took my Before pictures. As a photographer, he's as good as (if not better than) his father! Haha. :)

I meant to post this earlier because the last day to enter for a full 12 week transformation was September 17. You can still enter, but you won't get the full 12 weeks because you have to submit your final pictures and essay by Saturday, December 10.

The first week went pretty well for me. One of my first tasks was to remove alcohol from my diet. For the past several months I've been through a bit of a depression and I became best friends with a certain boozy pirate. This contest has been a great way for me to "get my act together". Being back on the forums and seeing old friends really has given me a boost.

The workout that I chose to start with is TT Metabolic Resistance Training. It's 4 days a week, but I really needed something that was going to help me get back on track. This workout has been perfect for me. There are 2 days that are strength training in supersets and 2 days that are more of a circuit. So it's been a nice variety.

Yesterday my daughter attempted to use her Jedi Mind Tricks on me. Instead of asking for a yellow straw for her glass of milk, she said to me, "You will give me a yellow straw." Maybe she's the one who finally made me commit to the TT Contest, "You will join the TT Contest." ;) Now I just need to get my mindset focused - Get into shape, we will!!

Have a great day!

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Summer Vacation

That's what I've been up to! After the spring marathon, I took some time off, caught some fish


and then trained for a half marathon. Did OK - finished 4 minutes slower than last year. But I will confess to not training as hard as I should have.



I chose that picture to show off my husband's amazing picture-taking skills. :)

You may notice that I have a poncho tucked into the back of my belt. Because I had to run another race in the rain! For the first 3 or so miles of the half marathon it was pouring rain. Then the sun came out and it was beautiful for the rest of the race.

There's a 5K race coming up that I want to run, and then another half marathon around Halloween, but I'm going to hold off on signing up until I am absolutely sure that I want to commit to the training.

I should be posting more often later this summer or early fall. Hope you are enjoying your summer!

I Am A Marathon Runner

A slow marathon runner, but I finished! And it was a PR! ;)

The first 15 miles went great. This picture was taken just after the 15 mile mark. Still smiling! I was right on pace, averaging a little over 12:00 per mile.

Then it started to rain. And it rained for the next couple hours, during which I finished the remaining 11 miles. I'm not going to lie, I was feeling pretty miserable. I would run a bit, then walk. And when I would walk, my left knee would pop with each step, so I would run. Repeat.

And then it started to lightening and thunder. I had about a mile to go when a woman walked by and said, "You better hurry, they are thinking about closing the course."

Hurry?!?

Well, I decided I wasn't going to get that near to the finish and have the course close on me! I gave that last mile everything that I had left (uphill!)

I felt so proud crossing the finish line, even though my time was 5:43:22. (Thanks to everyone who stood in the rain to cheer for me!!)

A co-worker (who is a marathon runner) hinted to me that since I am a beginner, the next marathon I run will undoubtedly be faster.

NEXT MARATHON?!?!

20 Miles Or Bust

I did it! I ran 20 miles! For the first time ever. I was determined to complete it even if I had to crawl the last mile. I was a little worried because my feet started hurting earlier in the run than I anticipated, but after a while I think I got used to it (or maybe my feet just went numb, lol). The temperature was 38 degrees when I started and 68 degrees (F) when I finished! The only major problem was that I wore new shorts (stupid! stupid! stupid!) These shorts rubbed me the wrong way for nearly all 20 miles. I was sure I would be bleeding at the end but it ended up looking not nearly as bad as it felt (I guess I was hoping for a bigger battle scar!) Nice Mothers' Day gift to myself, right? ;)

At the end of the run, "Everybody Hurts" by Avril Lavigne started playing on my mp3 player. I recently bought the Goodbye Lullaby album so I hadn't listened to it a lot yet, but all I heard as I was finishing my last mile was "Everybody hurts some days, it's okay to be afraid, everybody hurts, everybody screams, everybody feels this way, and it's okay..." and it just seem to fit. Because I hurt. And I'm terrified of running the marathon.

Today I am happy to report that I am sore, but walking upright. :)

Here's my training for the rest of the week:

Week 15
Monday: TT 2K3, workout A (upper body workout)
Tuesday: 2.22 miles, 27:00
Wednesday: pace workout, 3.83 miles, 45:00
Thursday: 3.28 miles, 40:00
Friday: stride workout, 2.41 miles, 30:00
Saturday: OFF
Sunday: 20 miles, 4:19:12 (12:58/mile average)

Totals: 31.74 miles, TT 2k3 workout A

Have a great week!
(And Belated Happy Mothers' Day!)

Squirrels Do Not Like Jelly Beans

OK, I'm a little late, but I have a cute Easter story. Early on Easter morning, the (ahem) Easter Bunny left a number of candy-filled plastic eggs in our backyard. I went out for a long run while the kids were still sleeping. A couple of hours later I called home to see if the kids had collected the eggs. They hadn't, so I asked my husband if he could hold them off a little longer since I was 2 miles from home. When I got home, the kids started putting the eggs in their bags and my husband and I noticed that we seemed to be missing a quite few! We had 2 neighbors report that they saw squirrels with Easter eggs. We also found stray eggs under the neighbor's car, behind the neighbor's garage, in their flower bed, in their window well, half buried in my flowerbed, behind our shed and under our garbage cart. I think there ended being about 20 or so that just disappeared. Although I have found 3 empty ones since then. But apparently squirrels don't like jelly beans because we found several opened eggs with the jelly beans lying there next to the egg. :)

So anyway, here's my training for the past 2 weeks. I can't remember if I mentioned this before or not, but most of my treadmill workouts include 3-5 minutes of walking at the end.

Week 13
Monday: off
Tuesday: TT 12 Minute Workouts (x2), Intervals - 1.22 miles, 15:00
Wednesday: TT 12 Minute Workouts (x2)
Thursday: pace workout: 3.46 miles, 41:00
Friday: tempo workout, 2.51 miles, 30:00
Saturday: off
Sunday: 12 miles, 2:25:04 (this run went really well!)

Total: 19.19 miles, TT 12 Minute Workouts
(This week got a little messed up because I woke up late on Wednesday. I didn't actually plan to do TT workouts 2 days in a row.)

Week 14
Monday: 10 Minutes Yoga Solution
Tuesday: TT 12 Minute Workouts (x2), Intervals - 1.53 miles, 20:00
Wednesday: tempo workout, 2.54 miles, 30:00
Thursday: TT 12 Minute Workouts (x2)
Friday: pace workout, 5.05 miles, 60:00
Saturday: off
Sunday: 15.31 miles, 3:07:57 (windy day!)

Total: 24.43 miles, TT 12 Minute Workouts, 10 minutes yoga


And finally, TT Transformation Contest #11 has begun! If you are interested, you can check it out here ==> TT Transformation Contest

I've been thinking about joining this one, but not until later this month. You have until Memorial Day to sign up.

Have a great day!


Please see my Disclaimer/Disclosure Statement.

Week 12 Workouts

This week's training went pretty well. Here's a brief run down (no pun intended):

Monday: OFF

Tuesday: TT for Amazing Lower Abs, Workout A, with Intervals

Wednesday: Tempo run, 45 minutes total, 3.76 miles

Thursday: TT for Amazing Lower Abs, Workout B, no intervals

Friday: Pace workout, 40 minutes total, 3.4 miles

Saturday: 20 minutes AM Yoga, hip focus

Sunday: 17.75 miles, 3:45:16

Total: 26.24 miles, TT for Amazing Lower Abs - Workouts A & B, 20 minutes Yoga

I felt pretty good during Sunday's run. Much better than last week! During the last 2 miles I started to feel like I was running on bone. I mean, it felt like my feet had zero padding. Do I just have to run through this until my feet get used to the miles, or is there something I can do now? I just got new shoes - Brooks Ghost 3. (The store didn't have the Saucony style I was looking for in stock, so they talked me into the Brooks.) I just started taking a new Glucosamine/Chondroitin supplement so I'm hoping that will help. I've been taking it for about a week. Usually my feet hurt earlier in the run so either my feet ARE getting used to the miles, or the supplement did help a little this week.

Also, after my long runs, I feel like I have the flu for the rest of the day. I get the chills and feel achy and generally icky. I assume it's from the exertion and maybe from a bit of dehydration, although this week I took extra water with me. Does this happen to anyone else??

Aside from that, the long run felt pretty good. Maybe it was the yoga, or the massive amount of carbs I had on Saturday, or maybe it was the "perfect" weather (mid-30's and mostly sunny), but my overall average per mile was much faster than my usual long runs. Even the last couple miles were faster even though my feet really hurt. So, I'm pretty happy about that! We'll see how things go next week...

Have a great week!

Playing Catch Up

First, if you haven't voted for your favorite finalists in the 10th Turbulence Training Contest, you can do so here ==> TT Contest Voting Go on, vote and come back, we'll wait. :) Voting ends on Friday.

OK, apparently I don't write on my blog very often, according to an old friend who ran into my sister at the bank and said "Abby hasn't written on her blog in over a month!" LOL - I know you're out there HT! ;)

So here I am to say "I'm Here!" and I've been training for the marathon, although I've been a bit frustrated. I feel like I'm not at the level I should be by now. I don't necessarily feel like I should be really fast, I just feel like I shouldn't be really slow. And right now, I'm feeling really slow!

This weekend is scheduled to be one of my longest runs ever, 18-20 miles. Luckily, it is not supposed to be HOT like it was last Sunday. It was a fluke hot spring day and I had to quit 2 miles too soon because I was overheating and out of water.

So here's a brief look at what I've been doing the past few weeks. The miles listed are a mix of long runs, intervals, pace and tempo workouts. It's been a real slow process. It's only been the last few weeks that I have started feeling less tired and more like myself!

Week 7: 6.13 miles, 10 minutes yoga (ran a 5K race instead of a long run)
Week 8: 15.96 miles, 60 minutes P90X Stretch
Week 9: 15.33 miles, TT 2K3 Workouts A & B (I have been missing TT!)
Week 10: 17.24 miles, TT 2K3 Workouts A & B
Week 11: 20.18 miles, TT Amazing Abs Workout B

Now I am in Week 12 and I'll post more details on that soon.

That's about it! I promise to be back sooner next time! :)


Please see my Disclaimer/Disclosure Statement.

So...I Took Some Time Off...But Now I'm Back!

So...OK...I took a little time off from marathon training. I'm not sure what happened. I was sick, and then I had lingering fatigue, and never did find out what was wrong. I've only been running here and there for the last few weeks. But now I have been feeling better and will begin training more consistently. Yesterday I ran about 10 miles, and I am definitely feeling sore today! :)

I'll be back with more training updates, but I wanted to point you to the winners of the 6 Week Turbulence Training Mini Contest. (You may recall I didn't join the 10th TT Contest because I wanted to focus on running.) But here's the winners of the Mini Contest: TT 6 Week Mini Contest

Very impressive 6 week transformations!! Congratulations!


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Week 2: Feeling Like A Wimp

During week 2 I was still feeling pretty tired. I went to see the doctor and I had a mono test done. The results came back inconclusive; the nurse basically told me that I might have mono, but I might not. I had mono years and years ago and that was much worse than this. But it would explain why I am so tired.

Monday was the day that I forgot my running shoes when I went to the gym and so I only ran about 2 miles.

Tuesday was a 30 minute tempo run.

Wednesday was a snow day! It was a blizzard outside and I wasn't going anywhere.

Thursday and Friday just didn't happen. I didn't work out at all - too tired. I know, I sound like such a wimp!

Saturday I was feeling a little more energetic. I was supposed to run 5 miles - I ran only 3.

Sunday I was supposed to run 11 miles (according to my master plan) but I'm just not ready for that so I planned to run 8 miles. The first 4 felt pretty good, but during the 5th mile I got really tired. I decided to take a short cut home and ended up running about 7.5 miles. My pace was super slow, but I didn't care. I think I would have been able to run 8 (or even more) if it hadn't been snowing for the entire run. I had to run in about 1/2" to 1" of snow and it was a little bit like running in sand. I was absolutely exhausted when I got home.

So, 3 days off this week, but not quite a total bust.

Week 2 totals: 15.3 miles
Week 1 totals: 11.6 miles, 25 minutes Warrior Yoga

Days 4-8: A Recap

Thursday morning I was supposed to run 2 miles, but I woke up too late to get to the gym. I might have been able to run outside, but it's still pretty dark at that time of the morning, and on top of that, it was snowing pretty good. So I decided to throw in a 20 minute yoga DVD. I turned on the TV and DVD player and put in the DVD. Then I proceeded to putz around the house doing "this and that". If I don't take care of "this and that" before the workout, then I will think about it during the whole workout (see previous post RE: brain chatter). So by the time I got done with "this and that" it was too late for yoga because I had to go to work.

By Thursday afternoon, my "sniffle" had become a full blown cold. I didn't work out on Friday, and I stayed home from work. I ended up sleeping most of the day - I hadn't realized how exhausted I was! By Friday night, aside from some sneezing, a runny nose, and a few lingering body aches, I was feeling a bit better.

On Saturday morning I decided to give running a try. I was supposed to run 10 miles, but I just didn't see that happening. I started out slowly, and the first mile felt pretty good. The second mile was mostly uphill, so it was a bit slower. The third mile was mostly downhill, and it was a bit faster. :) During the fourth mile, I was still feeling good, so I decided to turn away from home instead of toward home. I finished with 5.84 miles at about an average 12:00/mile pace. And I was pretty tired.

Sunday was a day off.

Which brings us to today. I was going to run 3 miles this morning. And so I drove to the gym. And then realized I forgot my tennis shoes. Grrrrrr. So I went back home and got my shoes and went back to the gym and ran 2 miles.

After my workouts I've been drinking the Lemon-Lime Recovery Drink from Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life. It looks like the "sludge test" from freshman year science class, but actually tastes great. Although I don't think my husband would try it in a million years. :)


Week 1 totals: 11.6 miles, 25 minutes Warrior Yoga

Days 2 and 3: Yoga and Pacing

Yesterday morning I did a 25 minute yoga workout (told you I was starting slow).

Recently, I've been doing yoga a lot more often. I used to be very anti-yoga, but by forcing myself to do it, I've found that it's made me much more flexible. Sometimes I struggle with getting rid of the chatter in my head. You would think that yoga would help clear the noise, but it doesn't work that way for me. If I don't start with a clear head, I have a lot of trouble finishing the workout.

Today's workout was a 40 minute pace workout. A pretty slow pace, but a pace workout nonetheless. After a mile warm up, I did 2x400, and then 2x800, followed by a half mile cool down. I haven't been running a lot recently and just feel like I need to start slowly to build up my "running confidence". On top of that, I've got a little sniffle, so my breathing isn't quite at 100% capacity. :)

I recently read an article about age, sex and finish time compared to pacing in a marathon. The authors found that older, female and faster runners were better at pacing than younger, male and slower runners, respectively. (March DS, et al, J Strength Cond Res 25(2): 386-391, 2011) So I have the female going for me, but the younger and slower I think is going to trump that! I'm really going to have to learn to concentrate on pacing in my long runs so that I don't burn out.

Have a great day!

Marathon Training, Day One

I ran 2 miles.

I'm starting slowly. ;)

And I still got a blister. I just got my running shoes not that long ago so I'm not sure it's my shoes.

Also, I bought one of those braces for plantar fasciitis that you put on your foot while you are sleeping. It basically holds your foot so that it is flexed. I'm still not sure that's what is wrong with my foot, but this morning my foot pain was diminished. However, my calf was sore. I was not amused. I'll give the brace a week or two at the most before I make my final decision on whether or not it's working.

Finally, rest in peace Jack LaLanne. What a guy! The fitness icon died yesterday at 96 years old from respiratory failure due to pneumonia. I have his Juicer collecting dust in my basement. I bought it from my sister at her moving sale years ago. I should get that out and take it for a spin!

Have a great day!

My Vegan Challenge

All this week I've had "We've got the power, so can yoooooooooooouuuuuuu" stuck in my head. My husband got me She-Ra, Season 1, Volume 1 for Christmas. The kids are loving it, especially my daughter. She is totally into "Princess" and go-go Girl Power! :)

This week I've been undergoing a "vegan challenge". I had joined the 21-Day Vegan Kickstart (free to join), which began on January 3, but I didn't follow a vegan plan for the entire first week. Then I learned about a "vegan challenge" where I work. They were doing a 7-day challenge, and I was determined to give it a try. (A vegan diet contains no animal products - so no meat, dairy, eggs, honey.)

The majority of my meals this week came from Brendan Brazier's Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life and from Robin Robertson's Vegan Planet. In some ways, it was nice (lots of fruits and veggies, new recipes to try), but my food processor definitely got a workout, and so did my digestive tract. Let's just say I had a lot of fiber and flax. :)

Here's my menu so far this week (in somewhat random order, not necessarily by meal):

*Denotes Thrive Diet recipe, or at least derived from a Thrive Diet recipe ;)

Monday:
Quinoa and Sweet Potato Pancakes*
Salad with cukes, tomatoes, nutritional yeast, sesame seeds*
Dressing made with tomatoes, oil, vinegar, and agave nectar*
Homemade vegetable crackers*
Clementine, banana
Energy bar*
Tofu & Kale Spanakopita (Vegan Planet recipe)

Tuesday:
almonds, date, flax, carob powder, Vega powder, almond milk*
Tofu & Kale Spanakopita leftovers
pear, apple
Energy bar*
potatoes/onion
Boca burger
applesauce
prunes, peanut butter, almonds
popcorn with nutritional yeast

Wednesday:
Quinoa and Sweet Potato Pancakes*
lentil soup with quinoa
clementines, banana, pineapple
Energy bar*
Polenta Chili Casserole (Vegan Planet recipe)
almonds, raisins, peanut butter

Thursday:
Oatmeal with pumpkin, walnuts, almond milk
Salad with cukes, tomatoes, nutritional yeast, sesame seeds*
Dressing made with tomatoes, oil, vinegar, and agave nectar*
Clementines, pear, almonds
Homemade vegetable crackers*
Energy bar*
Mac and "Cheese" (Vegan Planet recipe - pictured below)
Chocolatey Peanut Butter Brownie (Vegan Planet recipe - pictured below)

Friday:
Tortilla with peanut butter, banana and strawberries
Mac and "Cheese" leftovers (lunch and dinner)
Homemade vegetable crackers*
almonds, pineapple, carrots
Chocolatey Peanut Butter Brownie











Quite frankly, I miss eggs. I don't really miss meat, but I miss eggs. Thursday night I had a dream that I ate something with egg in it and after I ate it I thought, "Wait, eggs aren't vegan!" and then I woke up. One of my son's favorite meals is "eggs and toast" and we usually have that for dinner a few times a month, so I think those dinners will stay. :)

Energy-wise, for the first 3 days I was kind of tired (probably sugar withdrawal) but by Thursday, I had tons of energy. Basement painting here I come! We are turning part of the basement into a playroom for the kids. I let the kids choose the colors - one wall will be pink, and the other will be green.

Have a great weekend!

New Year, New Goals

This year has gotten off to a pretty good start, and I wanted to share a few goals/resolutions that I have for the year. You are already familiar with some of these. :)

1. Post on the blog more often.
I've been a little neglectful.

2. Run a marathon.
Or even jog one. :) I haven't been running as much as I would like to be. I confess, I've been a bit of a wimp. The weather has been really cold, and even though I bought some cold weather running gear, I haven't run outside. I also have a nagging pain in my foot. It actually started around the time I ran the half marathon. I thought it might be plantar fasciitis, but I don't have any heel pain, which seems to be a common symptom. It's more in the ball of my foot. I feel it in the morning when I first wake up, and also after sitting for a while, like when I'm in a meeting and then stand up afterward. I'm concerned because I haven't even started training yet!

3. Be more personable.
I am horrible at small talk. I've been accused of not being "effusive". So this year, I will "effuse". :)

4. Spend more time with my husband and kids, separately and together.
I always feel like I'm telling my kids, "In a minute." I want to spend more quality time with my kids. And a "date night" with my husband every once in a while wouldn't hurt either. :)

And, of course, eat right, exercise, and get more sleep. All of which will help me achieve my goals!

Happy New Year everyone!