Progress and Pictures- No laughing!

I say no laughing because it takes a lot to bear your heart and soul in "public".   You just don't realize how horrible (unhealthy) you look until you really start paying attention.  My hope is to inspire someone, not leave you in a heap, laughing at my before pictures! 

I survived another week of CrossFit.  This week is the first week that I don't have a job, and will add 3 days of running back into my routine.  The big race (Sawtooth Relay) is in 15 days!  Yesterday I did a 6.8 mile loop, but only ran about ½ of it.  I will do the same thing again tomorrow, and see how it compares.  I used "Map my Run", and WOW is that thing cool!  It runs off of GPS, so how much more accurate could it be?  It keeps track of exactly where I am and how fast I am going at all times.  It even displays elevation!  The only problem is I had to run with my phone, which was annoying.   But so far I am thinking totally worth it.  I ran my first mile in under 11 minutes.  What?  Yeah, seriously a PR for me.

CrossFit is amazing and fun and I just love love love it.  You should seriously try it.  I just finished week six.  

Now here are some pictures.  Very embarrassing and not pretty, but the point is to see the transformation.  Keep in mind, I had been counting calories and running (a little) since March, so I had a head start, but I just LOVE the way my body is shaping up.  Its amazing.  The results are HUGE, especially considering the time I put in…which is only 3 hours a week right now.  (Plus the time I spend prepping meals and shopping for real food, but hey…you have to do that anyway) :)

I don't know why I always look so angry….

Everyone loves the rear view…don't laugh.  Have you ever taken a direct from the rear shot of yourself?  You should try it.  It is very eye-opening.

 

Stay tuned!  Maybe tomorrow I will be crying, you never know.  Oh, and speaking of crying, yes I do that sometimes during workouts.  Today I cried when Kevin was helping me roll out my calves.  Yep…very embarrassing!  But whatever.

Running

I already forgot that I meant to start blogging again.  See, Im a real ding dong sometimes.  Anyway, I just got back from running with some of my PEEPs out at Lake Lowel.  Not a long run, but I pushed myself.  I did "walk-running" and really ran hard for 2 minutes, then walked for two minutes.  Alexa was with me, and she was really sore and crying like a baby the whole time.  (Ok, that was me, LOL).  She did great!  Then we went to Karcher Ranch Market trying to find rasperries but NO!  Keep waiting....

Crossfit has been AWESOME and I love the box and the trainers and everyone.  Well not everyone, there is one guy there who scares me but that's just cuz I'm a weirdo.  We are at the end of the 4th week of the weight loss challenge, and the diet has been EASY for me to stick to.  Can you belive I have not had one drop of alcohol in 4 WEEKS!  Yep, its true.  Really looking forward to that Coors Light after Sawtooth on June 8.  Anywhoo, I think on Monday we are having measurements taken.  I am looking forward to that.  I feel great, and people are starting to say I look great too...that is such an amazing feeling.  Add it all up and I am one happy gal.  OH, and I quit my stupid job-just one more week to go, and so that hasnt been too bad for my mood, either. ;)

Ok, gotta get to work.  I'm trying to finish my projects to submit to Stampin' Up! for a big contest, the Artisan Design Team...don't laugh, grand prize is $1000!  Th'ats nothing to sneeze at.  Have a nice day!

My CrossFit Adventures

I have decided that it is time to revive this blog.  I am still a runner, in fact I am training for the Sawtooth Relay again.  BUT, I decided to also try CrossFit, and so when our local box (thats what they call a CrossFit gym) starting a "Weight Loss Challenge", I decided to join NOW.  Thats kinda how I do things.  I just make a decision and go for it.

My DH (darling husband) has been CFing for couple months, and he hasn't died yet, so I guess it will be ok.  Oh, and I should probably also mention that our friends Tony and Roxanne are in amazing shape, and that is one of their fav things too.  I guess the gym is pretty special.

So....I went today for the first time.  My quads were already pretty sore from running a 5K on Saturday that I was only about 70% prepared for.  My biggest fear is that my legs will be so sore that it will interfere with my ability to do my job.  (Working 12 hour night shifts at a BUSY rehab/nursing home...those hallways are LONG and I never seem to stop moving...those senior citizens can really keep a girl hoppin'!)  The trainers were super nice, and had very good ideas about how to minimize this pain and potential complication.  I will be fine in a week or two, but I am just so scared right now.  You  should check out the box, and come join the fun!

Pretty much the very first thing I did there, I fell right on my butt.  OMG, really?  I literally fell on my butt!  Oh well, I just laughed and got up and tried harder not to fall the next time.  I think maybe I need a "CrossFit for dummies book"  Does anyone know if that exists?  Im pretty sure something like that MUST exist, because there are likely a lot of dummies out there, just like me, who WANT to be in shape and WANT to do the right stuff, but just dont KNOW how.  

I came home and planned my meals for the rest of the day, and now I am going to take a nap.  Just kidding.  No, I am serious after all.  Nap it is.  

Hello again

I can't believe that I have not posted since JUNE!  Oh well, here I am now.  A lot has happened to me in that time, some good, some bad, and running took a back seat for a while.  I just got home from running a 10K, in record time I might add, and thought I would write about it.

OK, if you know me very well, you know my "record time" is still quite "slow" by some standards, but at least I DID IT, and I feel good about it.  If you have ever thought about becoming a runner, but feel that running sucks, let me tell you...IT DOES!  But the way you feel when you are done is the good part.

Today I ran with some of my favorite running buddies, MY DAD, Roxanne, and Kathy.  I also met a new friend....lets just call her "D" until I have permission to tell you all who she is!  Ha!

How many people do you know that got out of bed today (Saturday) at 6am, just so they could run 10K? (6.2 miles, for those of you who keep wondering)  Well, I did.  And so did those I just mentioned. (And 9, 996 others)  That is one of my favorite things about "being a runner"...I get to do it with great friends, who encourage me every step of the way.  YOU CAN DO IT TOO!

I laced 'em up today!

Today I woke up feeling like I should go for a run....so I decided I had better get going, before I changed my mind!  So I got dressed and laced up my kicks, and decided to run to my mom and dad's house.  That is just 3 miles away.  My legs felt ok, except some pain in my right shin. (the same one that has been giving me trouble.)  It usually calms down after 1/2 a mile or so, and did again this morning.  My plan was to run home again after chatting with Mom a bit, but I decided not too....my leg was hurting again by the time I got there.  All in all, not a bad run, considering what I had just put my poor body through.  The most surprising part is that I wanted to run! 

Please sign up to "follow" my blog.  I adjusted the template so that it should be easier now....I had it hiding at the very end.  Thanks!

Error Correction

I made a huge mistake!  Kathy ran leg 4, and I originally posted that it was "moderate".  It was classified as "hard".  I know that is a HUGE difference.  Kathy, please accept my public apology! :)  I corrected it on the original post.

Sawtooth Relay: Team Sofa to Sawtooth: Part 2

So here is the rest of the race.  We are starting over with runner number one, Michele.

Leg 7: "very hard" 6.02 miles DOWN the hill!  Completed in 51 minutes!  We don't have very any pictures of this (or the next couple) legs, due to the fact that Janine (photographer) had to leave the course and rendezvous with Kevin, so that she didn't have to keep driving herself around. 

Sorry Michele, we still love you just as much!  So here is the hand off  (with obligatory high-five) again, and some scenery.

Leg 8:  "moderate" 5.09 miles.  Heather ran this one, very well I might add, in an hour flat!  Here is a beautiful picture of Heather, from the starting line.

Leg 9: "Moderate" 4.64 miles.  Roxanne.  45 minutes.  She really makes the rest of us look bad...Janine made it back just in time to catch the end of her leg.

Leg 10:  Me again!  Get ready for way to many pictures of me!  This one was "moderate" for 6.13 miles.  I had no idea what to expect from myself on this one.  I had never run more than 5 miles at once, and I for sure had never done it 5 hours after running 4 1/2 miles up a (small) hill!  I just kept going...and I made it!  (except for a 5 second stop to remove a rock from inside the back of my shoe!....little bugger)  Took me an hour and 23 minutes.

I added this one for the scenery, not for the beautiful view of my butt.

See me?  The little speck in black?

This photo should be in Runner's World....because I look like a model. 

(Seriously though, see how hard I am working for this last mile?)  Sweaty.  Sexy.

Here is my husband, Kevin, after giving me a big hug. 

He said "I am SO proud of you!"  Kinda makes it all worthwhile. ;)

Glug.....so- thirsty-  glug-glug.

Look at my dad, behind me!  How sweet.

Leg 11:  "Moderate" for 4.97 miles.  Kathy ran this in 54 minutes.  She had a MUCH better run, emotionally.  (She is too hard on herself, in my opinion, anyway.)  She got her iPod to behave.

Awesome form.

Beautiful scenery!

Look!  Kathy is smiling!

Approaching the hand off...

12th (AND FINAL) leg: John (remember, my awesome dad?) 2.64 "very easy" miles on the greenbelt.  This is the reward for having to run the summit in the first half!  We had to send him off and then book to the finish line to meet him....he is a speedy little son of a gun!  There is a staging area arranged so that the whole team can cross the finish line together....we knew we couldn't dilly-dally, or he would beat us!

He hasn't even started yet, and look how FAST he looks?

Here we are!  You can barely see Roxanne, but she is there....see her feet mixed in with Heather's?

AFTER PARTY!

We picked up our (awesome) race t-shirts and a goodie bag.  The bag contained coupons for food.....beer, sausages, trout, red potatoes, coleslaw (but they ran out of that before we got there! What-ever!) and strawberry shortcake!  Here we are, all re-assembled as a team.

We weren't organized enough to have brought chairs, so we lounged in the grass. (next year we might remember!)  Check out the awesome Falls Brand polish sausage dog that Dad is eating!

My husband, Kevin and Kathy's husband, Lee.

Roxanne (official team captain) made 2 rules for this race: 1-have fun and 2-no injuries.  It is very safe to say that we all followed both rules!  I am looking forward to doing it again next year!  With that being said, here is our "crazy face" team pic, and our fashionable "sunglasses" team photo. 

Thanks for letting me share all of this with you!