Holidays

Happy New Year everyone! We had a great Xmas! This was the first year that Elliott knew what was going on and she had a blast! She even loved visiting Santa this year! Here are a few photos from our holiday.

Elliott with Santa

Grinch Cookies that I made for Xmas Eve

Elliott opening her Xmas Eve gift from us. PJs, Twas The Night Before Christmas book, and The Grinch DVD

Xmas Morning! Ready to open gifts!

Paul handing her gifts

Paul was Santa and I was the Elf. Elliott had a silly hat too, but refused to wear it!

We had a great Xmas! Elliott got way more toys than she needed. Paul got a new engine for his airplane. I got a new hand held water bottle, a yoga mat strap, and 5 other water bottles.

From Paul's parents, we got tickets to see Cirque Du Soleil: Quidam! We went this past Sunday and it was soooo cool!

On NYE, I ran the Resolution Run 5k. It was a beer run! You had a beer at the reception when you got there, and then there were 3 beer stops on the course, and then another beer at the reception at the end. I thought it was going to be fun, but it ended up being miserable! I had signed up because Kim did and I kind of thought that we would be running it together. Well, her boyfriends SIL went too. They are much faster than me and I couldn't keep up. I actually caught up to them at the first beer stop and was trying to chug my beer as fast as possible. It seemed like Kim was trying to wait for me, when Brandi started shouting "Come on! We have to go!" and they left without me. Not to mention that it was snowing wet cold snow the whole time. Running a beer run with friends= fun. Running alone in the cold, wet, dark, slippery snow without music even= miserable. I got to the 2nd beer stop and they were out of beer, so I continued on. The third beer stop had beer and I chugged one down and kept going. When I crossed the finish line, I guess it was a apparent that I was miserable. Everyone kept asking if I was okay, which I said I was. I was basically just having a pity party about having to run alone.

At the reception before hand- we carried those mugs while we ran

Before the race started- out in the snow

New Year's Day, I had a training run on my schedule, 3 miles. Since the Thanksgiving run, where my goal was 36:52, I've been trying to get that every time I have 3 miles on the schedule. Well, New Year's Day, I finally met that goal with time to spare! I finished 5k in 36:23! I was so stoked! Not only was it redemption from the 5k the night before (45:xx), but it was a great way to start the new year!

Tomorrow is my 29th birthday! I'm going to run 2.9 miles to celebrate! My mom has been on her own weight loss journey, and is doing awesome! She's lost about 15lbs already! She has been walking almost every day! I told her that she should walk 2.9 miles in honor of my birthday as well! She said she will!

Last night I went to yoga at the YMCA. It was crazy! There were over 50 people in class! I was the last person in and there was barely room for me! A lot of people talk badly of all the people in the gym at the beginning of the year, but I think its great! Nobody should have to feel badly about wanting to get healthier!

I signed up for another round of bootcamp again this month too! I really like it! I'm already planning to sign up again next month as well! I got an email from the Y this morning with a coupon in it for bootcamp that said it can be used next month! I feel like yoga and bootcamp are helping me become a better runner as well!

Well, that's all I have for now!

Peaceful

Today was the last day of our first running schedule. 28 minutes. I remember looking at that day 8 weeks ago and thinking it would never be possible. But I did it! I'm pretty sure I probably did 30 minutes or more. My phone, which was my timer, died at 24 minutes, so I just finished the loop we were doing. On Wednesday I ran 2.2 miles! I had a new personal record in both speed and distance. My pace was 12:34. We got our next 8 week schedule this week also. We go back to doing interval runs on Wednesdays, but we get up to 40 minutes straight also.

My grandma died Wednesday morning. I'm still not totally sure of what all really happened. I've gathered that she fell and hit her head Tuesday night and was being taken to the hospital by ambulance and went into cardiac arrest in the ambulance. They had her on a ventilator and morphine over night and she died about 530a on Wednesday. I feel really bad for my mom. She gets upset if she even hears about someone dying that she doesn't even know. They cremated her yesterday and are going to bury her ashes on Tuesday. I'm sad and I'll miss her, but I'm glad she gets to be at peace now. She was showing a lot of signs of dementia in the past couple of years. At least she doesn't have to completely lose her mind now.

Grandma with Elliott May 2010

I was going to work out last night, but didn't. I'm trying hard not to feel guilty about it. I worked out 4 days this week. There is no shame in that.

I weighed in on Wednesday with another 1.4 pound loss. It brings me to 217.4. 7.4 pounds until 50 pounds lost and I get to buy my Garmin!

My daughters birthday is in three weeks and I'm trying to get her party ready. I'm really not into it this year. I'm focusing on so many personal goals, I just don't want to lose sight of them. Her birthday is on St. Patricks Day and this year it is on Saturday, so I'm just going with a St. Pat's theme. I've reserved the building, bought a few favors, plates, napkins, and ordered this invites which I need to send out ASAP.

I Wish I Had Fallen In Love Sooner

Today is my Paul's 30th birthday. I took the day off today because I had originally planned to throw him a surprise party, but I'm just too focused on my health and fitness goals right now to do it. Plus we really don't have the extra money right now to spend on a big birthday party. Instead we are going to go to a movie that he wants to see (Redtails) while my brother and his girlfriend watch Elliott.

At Wednesday's weigh in I lost 2.6 pounds. I'm soclose to having lost 40 pounds! And that means I'm ahead of schedule for my next weight loss goal, which is 41 pounds lost by March 17!

I had planned on running Monday morning with Kim, but we had technical texting difficulties and it didn't happen. So after work, Stephanie and I went and ran at the Y on the treadmill along with some weights. I decided once and for all that I like running outside SO MUCH better than the dreadmill!

We also had a run on Wednesday night. I ran for the first time without my ankle brace and felt really good! The whole run felt fantastic! It was our last interval run. We did a 5 minute warm up walk followed by 10 minute run-3 minute walk-10 minute run. It was 2 miles! I finally felt like I loved running! I love how it allows me to push and challenge myself. I love how it is changing my body AND my mind! It's helping me achieve goals I never even knew I wanted to be possible! I love how I feel when I go harder, faster, longer! I just wish I would've fallen in love sooner!

My niece had a birthday party last Sunday and of course there was cake. My SIL offered me a piece and I declined. I think it offended her, but I don't really care. At the end of the party there was a HUGE glob of frosting on a cake board from the cupcakes and I wanted to eat a bite. I asked Paul "If I eating a bite of this frosting does that count as cake?" and he said "Yes!" and I said "But it's not cake!" and he said "Carrie, that is disgusting! The frosting is the worst part!" I didn't eat it. I almost did, but I didn't. On our way home I told Paul that I was glad that I didn't eat the frosting. Cake free until the year ends in 3!

Carrie

Haters

Saturday was our second run with Start2Finish. It was at 730a and it was pretty cold. We did intervals of 30 seconds of running with a 90 second recovery. It was easier that time. We were told to meet someone new, so we introduced ourselves to a woman named Miranda who seemed nice.

After the run, I had my first meeting at the Y with my personal trainer at 9am. I almost didn't go, but am really glad I did. Of course it was with a young, cute guy! ;)We went over my goals and made a specific plan for me to follow. One of the questions he asked in my assessment was "On a scale of 1-10, how confident are you that you will reach your goals?" I said "10" but I meant 11... 12... 20! That what is different this time, I KNOW I can reach my goals!

Yesterday was my birthday. At work we always get everyone a cake on their birthday. This year I requested chocolate covered strawberry and orange slices and apples with peanut butter. Cake is my favorite food in the WHOLE world, but I felt great about not having it! I didn't feel deprived at all! The night before, I was talking to Paul about the cake thing and I said "I wonder if I could go a whole year without eating cake?" and he said "You can't!" and I said "Challenge accepted!" The last time I  had cake was NYE, so 2012 will be a cake free year for me!

I had a run on my own on my training schedule and I went to the Y last night and did it as my cardio. It was pretty much awful! I realized I like running outside WAY more than inside on a treadmill. I was struggling through the whole thing and wanted to quit half way through, but I stuck it out. I was SUPER sweaty by the end! When I was walking out, I was walking by some people on the elliptical behind the treadmills and as I walked by a girl looked at the guy next to me and said "Well, I guess she didn't die!" and I KNEW that they were talking about me. I normally would've been SO embarrassed and maybe never would've ran on the treadmill again. But this time it didn't bother me. Of course there are going to be haters. This is MY journey and no one elses. I'm not going to let what ANY one else say or think stop me. I'm doing this for ME!

Well, Elle is asking for a banana, and I better comply to avert a crisis situation!