Running Log

I know a lot of runners keep track of their scheduled runs. They track the date, time, distance, course, thoughts, feelings, etc. I wish I could have started out being that detail oriented.

My running log is simply the date, daily miles, monthly miles and total miles. Just a bunch of numbers thrown onto a page. Completely OCD.

I started tracking on January 1, 2012. My goal was to run and/or walk 1250 miles in one year. I fell short by 356.87 miles, ending the year with 893.13. The last three months of the year were pathetic and I could have reached my goal if I had just done something those months. I found the papers from that journal a couple days ago and decided to compile all of my miles into one book.

I really think that it's important for me to be proud of the things I have accomplished. I may not have reached my goal last year, and I know I'm not going to reach my goal this year (thanks to being on bed rest for two whole months). I am currently at 501.36 miles for this year and would need another 748.64 to reach my goal, meaning I would need to walk and/or run no less than 187.16 miles every month until the end of the year.

I'm not holding my breath for that.

But, just because I didn't reach those goals does not mean that those miles were not done. I have purposefully walked and/or run a total of 1394.49 miles from January 1, 2012 until today. That's not something small. That is huge!

All of those miles have now been added up into one nice little place so that I can see it daily when I add in new miles.

I think my new goal is to eventually see myself hit the 5,000 mile mark. It should probably take me a total of 5 years if I continue to run. And of course, next year will be my year to hit 1250 miles in one year. I can feel it!

Bucket List Update

I have added a couple items to the end of the list and have italicized the ones I am working on.

1. Complete a 5K
2. Complete a 10K
3. Complete a half marathon
4. Complete a marathon
5. Complete a tri-athalon
6. Complete the Dopey Challenge
7. Donate hair to Lock's of Love
8. Write a book
9. Learn to drive a stick shift
10. Go wine tasting
11. Ride a zip line
12. Ride in a hot air balloon
13. Learn to water ski
14. Horseback ride on the beach
15. Ride a mechanical bull
16. Learn to ski
17. Jump off a cliff into deep water
18. Swim with sharks
19. Swim with dolphins
20. Swim with sea turtles
21. Milk a cow
22. Ride a camel
23. Ride an elephant
24. Watch an animal being born
25. See killer whales in the wild
26. Visit the Grand Canyon
27. Visit the Galapagos Islands
28. See the Northern Lights
29. Visit the Amazon Rain forest
30. Visit Yosemite
31. Visit Yellowstone
32. Witness a meteor shower
33. Visit Mount Rushmore
34. Watch a sumo wrestling match
35. Go to Disney world
36. Take a pottery class
37. Fly a kite
38. Make a quilt
39. Complete a cross stitch
40. Get out of credit card debt
41. Earn a black belt in martial arts
42. Be on the kiss cam at an Angel's game
43. Fly in a helicopter
44. Watch it snow
45. See the Rose Parade floats
46. Get a tattoo
47. Learn how to make sushi
48. Travel solo
49. Learn a new language
50. Write in a journal every day for a year
51. Read for 20 minutes every day for a year
52. Adopt a pet from a shelter
53. Go on a safari
54. Have my photography showcased
55. Climb up the Statue of Liberty
56. Go to the National Cherry Blossom Festival
57. Bike across the Golden Gate Bridge
58. Hit a bucket of balls
59. Volunteer at an animal shelter
60. Start a blog
61. Take one picture a day for a year
62. Go to a World Series game
63. Try escargot
64. Go to Time's Square for New Year's
65. See a psychic
66. Mud Wrestle
67. Jump into a pool fully clothed
68. Go to Ireland
69. Go to Australia
70. Go to Japan
71. Go to Africa
72. Go to Italy
73. Bowl a perfect game
74. Win big in Vegas
75. Take a cake decorating class
76. Organize photos into albums
77. Make one recipe a week for a year
78. Go apple picking
79. Buy a piece of Tiffany's jewelry
80. Go to a movie by myself
81. Go to dinner by myself
82. Complete a coloring book
83. Climb Mount Everest
84. Host Thanksgiving dinner
85. Visit Ground Zero
86. Go dirt bike riding
87. Learn to play an instrument
88. Join a softball league
89. Go kayaking
90. Learn to surf
91. Sing karaoke
92. Take a pole dancing class
93. Go scuba diving
94. Break a Guinness World Record
95. See the Leaning Tower of Pisa
96. See the Eiffel Tower
97. Play in a poker tournament
98. Volunteer for Habitat for Humanity
99. Build a birdhouse
100. Watch a chrysalis turn into a butterfly
101. Learn how to change a flat tire
102. Hike down the Grand Canyon
103. Go white water rafting
104. Learn how to meditate
105. Take a yoga class
106. Read every book by Jodi Picoult
107. See "The Star" by Edgar Degas at Musee d'Orsay, Paris
108. Open a martini bar
109. Drive a boat
110. Visit the Pearl Harbor museum
111. Go para sailing
112. Go snorkeling
113. Go rock climbing
114. Pay off someones layaway
115. Run and/or walk 1250 miles in a year
116. Complete 30 Day Shred
117. Ride a mountain bike down Mammoth Mountain
118. Marry my best friend
119. Have over 50 followers on my blog
120. Complete a marathon in under 6 hours
121. Ride Lex Luthor's Drop of Doom
122. See the Grunion Run
123. Crochet scarfs and sell them
124. Ask for a raise and prove that I deserve it
125. Cross stitch my photography using PC Stitch
126. Buy a house
127. Own a corgi
128. See Ingrid Michaelson in concert
129. See Snow Patrol in concert
130. Visit all 50 states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
131. Run a mile straight
132. Complete Jillian Michaels Ripped in 30
133. Complete Jillian Michaels Body Revolution
134. Be a spectator at a marathon (with a sign and preferably at mile 16)
135. Eat a bug
136. Finish 12 or more half or full marathons in a year
137. Complete the Coast to Coast Challenge (Dopey and Dumbo)
138. Volunteer at nearby races
139. Run consistent sub 9 minute miles
140. Run a 5K straight through
141. Run a marathon in another state
142. Run at least 1 mile (intervals) every day for a year
143. Complete a 50K
144. Bike 1800 miles in a year
145. Elliptical 600 miles in a year
146. Be on Wheel of Fortune
147. See a taping of the Ellen DeGeneres Show
148. See a taping of The Price is Right
149. Reach a net worth of $500,000 or more
150. Make running signs and sell them
151. Ride one of the rides on the stratosphere
152. Be in a movie
153. Run the ET Midnight half marathon
154. Run in the Boston Marathon
155. Play a round of golf (all 18 holes)
156. Make a hole in one
157. Go deep sea fishing
158. Go fire walking
159. Visit the Jelly Belly Factory in California
160. Visit the Hershey Chocolate Factory in Pennsylvania
161. Ride a cable car in San Francisco
162. Get Mike Trout's autograph
163. Fly on a private jet
164. Foster dogs or cats
165. Write a children's book
166. Go to the Olympics (as a spectator)

138. Volunteer at nearby races

As I have previously mentioned, I often receive emails regarding nearby races. Sometimes I quickly delete the email if I am busy or just not looking for a race to sign up for. Other times I open the email and look to see if anything catches my interest.

Last week something caught my interest. The Conjeo Valley half marathon, 10K and 5K in October. Unfortunately it's the day after the Color Run (which wouldn't technically be an issue), but the price has increased and I decided not to sign up because I needed to wait to sign up for Mountains 2 Beach.

I did decide to put this race on my list for next year though and am looking forward to it. In the meantime though, the idea of this race stayed with me all day.

I followed the link, looked around, closed the link. A few hours later I did the same thing, except this time I went to the volunteer tab.

Volunteering at a race is definitely something I've thought about before. There have been times during a race that the only thing that gets you through are the volunteers that are out there, unpaid, doing whatever they can to make your experience better.

I want to give back to my running community. I want to be the one to pass out the water, to cheer as runners go by, give maybe just one person a reason to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

This may be my first time volunteering at a race, but I can guarantee that it will not be my last. I know that this experience is going to give me such a different point of view of the racing experience and I am really excited to be doing this.

My best friend is going to be joining me as well and I think that it is so awesome that she is willing to give up her entire weekend to be with me (both at the Color Run on Saturday and volunteering at the half on Sunday). She is awesome and I am really glad that I get to be sharing these experiences with her.

I cannot wait and I'm excited to post a recap about this race, especially since it will be my first time volunteering.

30 Day Shred

Last year, around this time, I set my mind to complete the complete 30 days of 30 Day Shred.

It was a personal challenge to do it and the timing was perfect because I was trying to lose some inches for my wedding.

I updated daily after each workout and I do believe the results spoke for themselves...


Before                                                                                         After



Original Measurements:
Bust- 38
Waist- 33.5
Hips- 42.5
Arm (left)- 12
Thigh (left)- 24.5

Final Measurements:
Bust- 37.25 (-0.75)
Waist- 31 (-2.5)
Hips- 40 (-2.5)
Arm (left)- 11.5 (-0.5)
Thigh (left)- 23 (-1.5)

That's a total of 7.75 inches lost overall.

I was thrilled with the results. Yet I was still missing something when I looked in the mirror. I didn't see what I wanted to see. The problem was, I couldn't see what was really there because I still saw someone who was bigger, someone who wasn't pretty, someone who wasn't enough.

Fast forward one year and this is my before and my progress picture...

Before                                                                                           After

And these are my current measurements...

Current Measurements:
Bust- 40.5 (+3.25")
Waist- 35 (+4")
Hips- 44.5 (+4.5")
Arm (left)- 12.75 (+1.25")
Thigh (left)- 26.75 (+3.75")

That's a total of 16.75 inches gained overall.

That's not good.

That's not good at all.

I am hoping that with the training that I've already started and will continue to do (running, biking, elliptical, walking, etc) that I can make this a habit that sticks. I'm not doing this for a special occasion (other than to make running easier on my body and especially my knees) so I don't think I will fall off like a crazy married woman who has never eaten food before in her life like I've been doing for the past 10 months.

I would like to do Ripped in 30 five days a week for four weeks at some point, but right now that's not realistic to fit into my schedule. I know that I am on the right track, but I do think that I need to make some drastic changes because two days of strength training a week is not going to help me shed the inches off the way it did last year.

Looking back at my "after" pictures makes me feel two things. When I first saw it my initial reaction was sadness. Sadness in the fact that I'm not there and sadness in the fact that I thought that wasn't good enough because it was. Looking at it I think I look great and I want to get back there.

The second thing I felt was hopeful. Hopeful that I can do this and get back there. Motivated to keep going no matter what happens during the week. I can gain and still stay focused and dedicated. I can skip a workout and get right back to it the next day. I can eat a meal that may not be the healthiest choice and I can track it and eat healthier the rest of the day. These are all choices.

I've made a lot of choices in my life. I mean, every day brings choices.

Today I am choosing my health. I am choosing my fitness. I am choosing to make better, healthier choices so that I can lose the extra weight and run faster and farther and prevent injury. I am choosing to get back into shape. I am choosing to get back to that after picture and then choosing to improve even more from there. I am choosing success!

I am worth this. I am worth the time, the energy, the sweat, the tears. I am worth spending a few hours a week away from my family in order to work on my health. I am worth spending a little more money on healthier food choices. I am worth it!

Choosing a Distance

I decided a while ago that I needed some running goals. Something I could work towards, train for, reach. I always work harder physically when I have a goal in mind.

So I decided to run 12 half marathon (or longer distance) races in the 2014 calendar year. I chose this goal so that I would constantly be training for something year round and as an attempt to not lose the running bug. So far the decision has proven to be positive as I am so excited to start training and so excited to see what limits I can push myself to.

I immediately began signing up for races for 2014, or at least for the months that were available. I planned out the races I knew I wanted to participate in, even if the registration was not open yet and as a way to plan out my year. I have been periodically checking active.com and other sources for updated racing dates and times for next year so that I will know when to register and what will be needed for those races (registration costs, traveling, support, training, etc.)

While searching for my next open month (May 2014), I came across an interesting race. Mountains 2 Beach. They have both the half marathon distance and full marathon distance available. It has taken me a little while to decide on what to do.

On one hand I may not want to run a marathon two months after finishing LA. On the other, I probably will.

As I finished the last 5K of the LA Marathon last year I told myself with every running interval that I never had to run another marathon again if I didn't want to. Dopey was out of the question. I was pretty much ready to give up running completely. Then I crossed the finish line, tears in my eyes from realizing I had reached my time goal and I made the trek back to where my family was waiting. I kid you not, it was about half a mile from the finish line to the end of the gated area to then turn around and head back a mile to my family.

That was the worst feeling ever. To run a marathon and to continue to walk for over a mile before finally being able to sit.

My dad jokes that running 26 miles is easy that it's the 0.2 miles that will get you. I have always and will always disagree and say that it's the walk back to your car.

I wanted to cry. I wanted to yell. I wanted to sit on the curb and protest walking. I wanted someone to pick me up and carry me. I wanted to never, ever run a marathon again. And that is exactly what I told Patrick when I finally made it to them. "I am done. I don't ever want to do this again."
I think there's something called Runners Amnesia. It's best defined here.

"Runner’s Amnesia:  a condition in which a runner’s memory is lost. In specified cases, the horrible mental and physical agony experienced from racing began to fade, and the endorphins from running seemed to morph those memories into fond, happy experiences in which the runner had very little to no recollection of the pain and negative experiences that occurred. In the most severe cases, this also resulted in the runner signing up for more, sometimes even harder events."

I relate it to child birth. Granted, I never physically had to give birth, but I did go through 9 hours of labor without any pain medication and with the nurse ever so kindly continuously upping my dose of pitocin as often as she could. It hurt, there's no question about it, but as soon as I could hear the cry of my daughter in the operating room nothing else existed. The pain was gone, the fear was gone, there was nothing to think about but that little girl. And I have been wanting another child for a while now.. Amnesia.

It only took about 5 days to decide that I wanted to keep running and that I most likely would run the LA Marathon again in 2014. And now here I am to let you know that I will officially be doing the full marathon for Mountains 2 Beach in May of 2014 as well. I woke up this morning and immediately signed up as spaces were limited.

Hopefully the amnesia will kick in as quickly as it did last year.

And hopefully I don't get burnt out. I know that it's a lot and I know that I am going to be exercising and running and training like a crazy person, but you have to be pretty crazy to run a marathon and half crazy for the 13.1 distance. I found my passion and I'm going to crazy it up for as long as I can!

Like I told my best friend the other day while we were out walking... I don't want to get to a point in my life where I can't run anymore and think "You know what I wish I would have done..." Instead I am going to run while I can and enter races while I can and enjoy the experiences.

Not everyone understands the need to pay to run. I don't pay to run, I pay for an experience and I have yet to regret these decisions. Each race is different and completely worth it and as long as I'm not putting it on my credit card and am paying my bills on time then I don't see the need to justify it. And I can tell you that I intend to continue to race until at least September of 2015, but it may be past then. Who knows at this point.

My Current Top Ten Future Running Goals

1. Finish 12 or more half or full marathons in 2014.

2. Complete the Dopey Challenge in 2015.

3. Complete the Coast to Coast Challenge in 2015 (Dopey and Dumbo).

4. Volunteer at nearby races.

5. Run consistent sub 9 minute miles.

6. Run a 5K straight through.

7. PR my 10K time (currently 1:15:00)

8. Run a marathon in another state.

9. Run at least 1 mile (intervals) every day for a year.

10. Complete a 50K.

It's Official..

I am a race addict and I have signed up for yet another race for this year...

I wasn't planning on spending that much time or money on races this year since I have made the goal of running a race a month next year. But there is something that happens when there is a race that interests me or if I am asked to run a race with someone. I cannot say no.

Now, granted there are a lot of other things out there that are a lot worse than signing up for races, but at this point in my life I am trying to save money so that I can buy a house at some point. And I'd rather that some point be sooner rather than later.

Since I have half marathon and marathon distance races through April of next year, it is important for me to remember that signing up for races May-December of next year needs to take priority over races for the rest of this year. That doesn't mean I can't sign up for any, but it does mean that I need to pick and choose which ones so that I can budget in the higher costing races for next year as well.

So, which race has me breaking my budget rules?

The Color Run, of course!

I have been wanting to sign up for this race for over a year, but since it's so popular last years nearest event sold out before I had a chance to sign up. So when I found out that this year they added an even closer location, I knew that it was a race I was willing to fit into my schedule. Better yet, it fits perfectly into my training schedule.

I have heard a lot of great things about this race and am really excited to run it with my best friend. We are trying to decide on what we should wear and are leaning towards making tutu's for the event. It's going to be a run to remember!

In other race related news, I have found the race I want to run in May. It's the Mountains 2 Beach Marathon and registration opens on August 1st. I am still trying to decide if I want to run the half or the full marathon, but I am leaning towards the full. I have officially lost my mind!

As soon as registration opens up I will decide what distance to do. I'll know in that moment. And as soon as the Mammoth Mountain Half Marathon registration opens for 2014 I will be signing up and have half of the year registered for. I am committed to my goal for next year and I know that as soon as I have a training plan in place then I will be unstoppable.

Until then, can someone tell me where I can find my motivation?

Uh Oh...

Rachel and I participated in the Disney half marathon last year and although it has been the most expensive half marathon I have finished, it is also up there for one of the best. Definitely worth the money.

Which is why I put the Goofy Challenge on my bucket list. It was a new challenge, it was exciting and it was something that was worth spending the money on to me. Well, something that was worth saving the money for.

Then this year they added the 10K, which means they added a new challenge. Obviously you know what I'm talking about.

It was pretty obvious to me that after completing the Dopey Challenge (pending I get a spot- which is my number one concern) that I would sign up for the Disney half marathon in September in order to get the Coast-to-Coast medal.

I found out a couple days ago that they have added an extra challenge to the Disney race in September.

It is called the Dumbo Double Dare. 10K on Saturday, half marathon on Sunday. Nothing compared to Dopey. And pretty obvious that this is one challenge that has to be accepted.

I mean, come on!

Completing all 6 races will result in a total of 10 medals.. 10! 5K, 10K, Half, Full, Goofy, Dopey, 10K, Half, Dumbo and Coast to Coast. And that's nothing compared to the experiences I'll have during the races.

This may be the second time I plan on having my racing memorabilia professionally put into a shadow box. The first will be (has yet to be, but sometime soon I hope) my first marathon. I can't just allow 10 Disney medals to be put aside. That needs to be displayed.

Bucket List

I made a bucket list a few years ago and since then it has just taken off.

Creating a bucket list was more difficult than I thought it was going to be. That being said, I'm having a blast adding to it. I really had to let go of all of my fears about money and distance and just realize that this list is about a lot more than completing it.

I know for a fact that I will never complete everything on my list, and I'm 100% okay with that. My silly dream of writing this bucket list is to inspire my daughter to accomplish her dreams. In fact, I think it'd be a great story if she were to one day take my bucket list and complete the things that I wasn't able to and add on some of her own.

The following is my list as of today. I would like to continue to add to it, despite Patrick's teasing about how long it is already. I've highlighted what I've already accomplished and italicized those that I'm working on.

1. Complete a 5K
2. Complete a 10K
3. Complete a half marathon
4. Complete a marathon
5. Complete a tri-athalon
6. Complete the Dopey Challenge
7. Donate hair to Lock's of Love
8. Write a book
9. Learn to drive a stick shift
10. Go wine tasting
11. Ride a zip line
12. Ride in a hot air balloon
13. Learn to water ski
14. Horseback ride on the beach
15. Ride a mechanical bull
16. Learn to ski
17. Jump off a cliff into deep water
18. Swim with sharks
19. Swim with dolphins
20. Swim with sea turtles
21. Milk a cow
22. Ride a camel
23. Ride an elephant
24. Watch an animal being born
25. See killer whales in the wild
26. Visit the Grand Canyon
27. Visit the Galapagos Islands
28. See the Northern Lights
29. Visit the Amazon Rain forest
30. Visit Yosemite
31. Visit Yellowstone
32. Witness a meteor shower
33. Visit Mount Rushmore
34. Watch a sumo wrestling match
35. Go to Disney world
36. Take a pottery class
37. Fly a kite
38. Make a quilt
39. Complete a cross stitch
40. Get out of credit card debt
41. Earn a black belt in martial arts
42. Be on the kiss cam at an Angel's game
43. Fly in a helicopter
44. Watch it snow
45. See the Rose Parade floats
46. Get a tattoo
47. Learn how to make sushi
48. Travel solo
49. Learn a new language
50. Write in a journal every day for a year
51. Read for 20 minutes every day for a year
52. Adopt a pet from a shelter
53. Go on a safari
54. Have my photography showcased
55. Climb up the Statue of Liberty
56. Go to the National Cherry Blossom Festival
57. Bike across the Golden Gate Bridge
58. Hit a bucket of balls
59. Volunteer at an animal shelter
60. Start a blog
61. Take one picture a day for a year
62. Go to a World Series game
63. Try escargot
64. Go to Time's Square for New Year's
65. See a psychic
66. Mud Wrestle
67. Jump into a pool fully clothed
68. Go to Ireland
69. Go to Australia
70. Go to Japan
71. Go to Africa
72. Go to Italy
73. Bowl a perfect game
74. Win big in Vegas
75. Take a cake decorating class
76. Organize photos into albums
77. Make one recipe a week for a year
78. Go apple picking
79. Buy a piece of Tiffany's jewelry
80. Go to a movie by myself
81. Go to dinner by myself
82. Complete a coloring book
83. Climb Mount Everest
84. Host Thanksgiving dinner
85. Visit Ground Zero
86. Go dirt bike riding
87. Learn to play an instrument
88. Join a softball league
89. Go kayaking
90. Learn to surf
91. Sing karaoke
92. Take a pole dancing class
93. Go scuba diving
94. Break a Guinness World Record
95. See the Leaning Tower of Pisa
96. See the Eiffel Tower
97. Play in a poker tournament
98. Volunteer for Habitat for Humanity
99. Build a birdhouse
100. Watch a chrysalis turn into a butterfly
101. Learn how to change a flat tire
102. Hike down the Grand Canyon
103. Go white water rafting
104. Learn how to meditate
105. Take a yoga class
106. Read every book by Jodi Picoult
107. See "The Star" by Edgar Degas at Musee d'Orsay, Paris
108. Open a martini bar
109. Drive a boat
110. Visit the Pearl Harbor museum
111. Go para sailing
112. Go snorkeling
113. Go rock climbing
114. Pay off someones layaway
115. Run and/or walk 1250 miles in a year
116. Complete 30 Day Shred
117. Ride a mountain bike down Mammoth Mountain
118. Marry my best friend
119. Have over 50 followers on my blog
120. Complete a marathon in under 6 hours
121. Ride Lex Luthor's Drop of Doom
122. See the Grunion Run
123. Crochet scarfs and sell them
124. Ask for a raise and prove that I deserve it
125. Cross stitch my photography using PC Stitch
126. Buy a house
127. Own a corgi
128. See Ingrid Michaelson in concert
129. See Snow Patrol in concert
130. Visit all 50 states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
131. Run a mile straight
132. Complete Jillian Michaels Ripped in 30
133. Complete Jillian Michaels Body Revolution
134. Be a spectator at a marathon (with a sign and preferably at mile 16)
135. Eat a bug
136. Finish 12 or more half or full marathons in a year
137. Complete the Coast to Coast Challenge (Dopey and Dumbo)
138. Volunteer at nearby races
139. Run consistent sub 9 minute miles
140. Run a 5K straight through
141. Run a marathon in another state
142. Run at least 1 mile (intervals) every day for a year
143. Complete a 50K
144. Bike 1800 miles in a year
145. Elliptical 600 miles in a year

Back From Vacation

We made it home from our family vacation this afternoon...

I cannot say enough good things about our nine day trip up the coast. So many fun experiences that I will never forget. At the same time, I'm glad to be home.

It's difficult to be so off track and not have a lot of control over it. Yes, I could have made better choices. Yes, I could have found the time to make it to the fitness center available at the hotel. But, there was a lot that was planned and not much down time. In reality we spent a lot of time walking around and even got a 12 mile bike ride in from our hotel and across the Golden Gate Bridge. I wasn't completely sedentary and we weren't eating the entire time, but there were choices and I will be honest and say that I indulged.

But now I'm back in the real world and anticipating a difficult transition back to work on Tuesday. Having three months off has been a roller coaster of emotions and I can only say that I wish I had done things differently. But you can't go back and do things over, so I will have to realize that things are the way they are for a reason and go from there.

I would like to weigh myself on Monday and start my no weighing from there. I want a better idea of where I am so that I can push myself for the next three months. As of my last weigh in I am just over the 20 pound mark for weight gained since Patrick and I got married last October. In three months we will be celebrating our one year anniversary and I would like to be as close to my wedding weight as possible.

I don't like putting a time limit on weight loss. I will refuse to put that pressure on myself. Saying "I will lose 20 pounds in 3 months" is just setting myself up to fail. So I would just like to be closer to that weight than I am now.

This includes getting control over my eating (#1 priority) and getting back into the gym (#2 priority). My weekly workouts will have to be scheduled. Now that I will be going to work from 730-430 Monday-Friday and now that Patrick is in his new position and working a lot more, there is less spare time to make it to the gym or even to go out for a run. I need to make me a priority in my life along with a list of other things and people, so it may be tricky for the first week or two until I can get into a routine.

I know I can make it work. And I know that it is worth it when I go. Not just for my body, but also for my family. Endorphins make people happy. A happy Tracy = a happy Patrick and Isabel.

Now for a vacation recap...

I will only be showing a few pictures per day because I actually did take over 1,000 pictures during the 9 day trip. No one wants to see that.

Friday June 28th: Santa Barbara, Longboards, Ostrichland, Solvang, Wine tasting

 

Saturday June 29th: Day at the Beach, Bubblegum Alley

 

 



Sunday June 30th: Elephant Seals, Hearst Castle, Mission, 17 mile drive

 

 

 

 

Monday July 1st: Monterey Bay Aquarium,  Boardwalk

 

 

 

 

 

Tuesday July 2nd: Train ride through the Redwoods, Fisherman's Wharf 

 

 

 

 

Wednesday July 3rd: Alcatraz, Bike ride across Golden Gate Bridge, Trolley Ride, Ghiradelli

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Thursday July 4th: Bus tour, Lombard Street, Fireworks

 

 

Friday June 6th: Jelly Belly Factory, California State Capitol