Checking In!

Hi everyone! I'm checking in again!

I have finally broken through my weight loss plateau! I couldn't be happier! A couple of weeks ago, I spent the weekend researching how to break through a plateau and the only thing that I could come up with that I wasn't already doing is calorie cycling. So I checked out a calorie cycling calculator and made out a three week plan to try.

Well, it just so happens that on the Monday I was to start my calorie cycling, I woke up in the middle of the night coughing, fever, and body aches. Ugh! I went to the doctor tested positive for Influenza A. (Side note: the way they test for that is by sticking a cotton swab up your nose. Like WAY WAY WAY up your nose! It was awful! I may have been upset if I hadn't tested positive for the flu and they stuck that thing way up my nose for no reason!) So, I was out of commission for a few days, but still went ahead with the calorie cycling (CC) anyway. The first week, I lost 3.2lbs. That is HUGE for me! I wasn't sure if it was from the CC or from the flu, but I was happy to have reached a new low weight!

I continued the CC for the next week, seeing what would happen. I was sure that the weight loss was just a FLUke (haha! Get it? Flu-ke! Like, the flu! Okay, I'm done!) But I weighed in this morning at 181.4 which gave me a 2.8lb loss for the second week of CC! I'm so stoked!

I have 3 different cycles I'm using. After this week, I'll go back to the first one again. I hope I continue to lose!

There is a 60lb difference in these two!

The Friday of Flu Week, I was signed up to do the Runs For Cookies Virtual 5k. Monday I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to do it, but by the time Friday came around I was feeling loads better and thought I should at least give it a try.

Kim met me at the park and we were going to do the three mile loop. I started out pretty well, but my lungs started burning bad about 3/4 of a mile in. We finished though. Our time was about 40:22. Not bad for having the flu that same week!

Yesterday I ran my very first 4 mile race! It was a Super Bowl Sunday Race! It was an old school race. No pre registration, just show up that day, sign up and race! The registration fee was really low too! $15! They were giving a $5 discount on both the race and the membership if you signed up for the Run Wichita Running Club, so I signed up! After I signed up, I headed for the shirt table and I walked up and the guy looked at me and said "What do you think? A medium?" And I couldn't believe it! Someone recommend a size medium to me! That is huge for me! I got a medium and it even fits!

A girl I know, Makenzie, was participating in the race as her first event! She was walking it. I met up with her before hand and we chatted. She ran along with me for a little bit at the beginning, and then set into her walk while I set into my run! It was an out and back route at a park that I ran at some last summer. The park can be kind of creepy in the evening, because it's not the best neighborhood, but it was good for this race. And the weather! Nearly perfect conditions! The wind was at our backs on the way out, but we had to fight it coming in, but not bad at all. I didn't look at my Garmin to see pace until the turn around and saw that I was averaging a sub-12 min/mile pace and was very surprised. You see, I have been running a sub-12 min/mile pace a lot lately, but they have been on the treadmill, so I thought it was just a fluke and I was not actually getting faster. Well, yesterday I proved that it wasn't a fluke after all! I still have my goal to race a 36:52 5k. Well, I reached 3.1 miles at 36:22 yesterday! I finished the 4 miles in 47:17! I averaged a 11:47 min/mile pace! I was so super excited! When I got close to the finish line, I saw Kim and her boyfriend Kevin! She had talked about coming out to cheer for me, but they were leaving for Las Vegas the same day, so I didn't really expect her to be there! I was super excited to see her and she said that I looked strong for the finish!

After I finished and chatted with Kim for a bit, I ran back to meet up with Makenzie and finish with her. When I passed her on my way back, she was last. I ran a mile or so back out when I finally got to her. We walked and chatted. I talked about running and told her how great it was that she had come out! They kept the clock running for her and she finished in 1:25:xx. I was very proud of her for getting out there! If she is anything like me, she's going to be hooked!

I'm still half marathon training! May 5! Then Kim and I have some big plans for this fall as well! I'll get into that when it gets closer!

Other than that, my daughter had her first real friend date this past Saturday! It was the first friend of hers whose parents I don't know.

I won tickets to Sesame Street Live and they gave me 4 tickets. Well, there are only 3 of us, so I wasn't quite sure what to do with the other ticket. Well, Elliott's best friend from day care, July, had a birthday January 29. The whole day care went to Burger King for her party that afternoon and I texted my sitter and asked her if she would ask July's mom about it. She did and said that would be great and gave me her number. I called her Thursday night. I was super nervous for some reason, but it went well. We went and met her Saturday and picked up July. I was nervous she wouldn't be comfortable coming with us without her mom, but she was great! They had such a great time!

We are on our way!

Adorable!

Whoa!

July and Elliott on the steps of Sesame Street

Well, that is all I have for now. I plan to do weekly blog posts starting on Mondays and updating my weight page as well! Hope everyone has a great week!