It's The Little Things...

That are amazing in my life!

~Thankful for my little guy who keeps me on my toes but sure does give an amazing BIG hug when I need it most.

~Thankful for my body and health that it is strong and is working so well for me and with me to be able to run and exercise.

~Thankful for the friends that I have found to help encourage me to try harder and push myself because they know I CAN!

~Thankful for my studio and students who put their faith and trust in me to teach them music! I LOVE MY JOB! I love teaching music because it helps my students learn and think in a whole new way and I love seeing it "click" when they just get what I am teaching them!

~Thankful for my husband who has and always will support me in every way possible.

I feel so blessed today and just wanted to share!

Ch-Ch-Changes

It is amazing the changes out bodies go through when we exercise. But how much our mind set changes is pretty amazing too. As a stay at home mom most of my energy in each day goes towards my son or household. Finding activities for him to do to keep him happy. Chase him around the house. Teach him a new song, or read a book to him. Keeping the house clean. Making food for everyone. And it goes on and on. Too many times moms focus on everyone else and not themselves. I used to watch that show, What Not To Wear, and more often than not it was a mom who took care of everyone else. Finally they were taking care of themselves and felt so happy and vowed to continue when they got home. Not sure if they made the full change, but decide today that you are going to make changes.

It is ok if the house is messy. My goal is to keep the main floor clean incase unexpected guests arrive or for when I teach. I usually do a big cleaning day, or a laundry day, but never on the same day. Too much with everything else I have to do.

But now, everyday, I take a little time for myself. I love my gym because it offers 2.5 hours of daycare a day. I could go and do my workout and read and eat in the cafe after I work out if I really wanted to, (I don't to save money but still I could if I want to.)

Decide to take just a little time for you today. Have quiet time. Read a book, pop in your fav workout DVD. Go to the GYM. Follow a new workout on Hulu (there are tons!). Stretch. Do something and you WILL NOT REGRET IT!

Back Into The Swing Of Things

Last week was my "post race week." Which I have read from other runners that it is really hard to get back into the swing of things once you complete something you have been training for for awhile. Yep, last week was that week!

It was my first week back at my gym in nearly 2 weeks. My body still hurt/was being mean and didn't want to work right. But I still did what I set out to do which was do some running and a little something different.

This week is a new beast. No excuses this week. I am getting back to it. Going regularly to the gym will be the best decision I will make! I need to decide, commit, and succeed now because I am in full training mode again! So today cross training like mad. 1 hour on elliptical, (giving my ankle a little rest from Sat) and then walk on the treadmill for I don't know 30 min at least. I do get 2.5 hours of daycare at the gym so we will see what happens. I am trying to figure out my new running schedule now that I have added in that spin class. Normally I run Tuesdays and Thursdays but the spin class is on Thursdays and I don't think I can run after the spin class, I shouldn't be able to. So any advice? Saturday is going to be my long run of 4.5 miles. Goal this week is to be able to run 1.5 or more without stopping. I need to push past that point to be able to just run for longer periods of time.

So here is to a new week of training!!!

QOTD: What is your favorite cross training activity?

"I Just Wanna Run"

"I just wanna run" song by The Downtown Fiction. Check it out.

Some days are just hard to stay motivated to exercise. My body is just naturally lazy and it takes a lot of effort and pre-planning to go to the gym at a specific time. But I try to plan it out and I tend to go. So here are some tips on staying motivated or helping us get a little more out of our exercise:

1. Set a goal: Sign up for a race. It is that easy! Pick a race and sign up. If you think you can't, you CAN. 5k's are not hard. You can walk it if you want. They are just easy, fun and you will love the excitement.

2. Schedule a time to exercise: Yep! We schedule everything else in life we need to schedule this too. And stick to the schedule. You will never regret exercising. You will feel that much better

3. Sign up for a class: Classes help motivate you to push a little harder because that old lady in the back is KICKING YOUR BUTT! She is outlasting you and well, you will push yourself a little harder. That is just how it works!

4. Do know good times to go to they gym: Day after a holiday are bad days to go to the gym during busy times. THE GYM WILL BE PACKED! Everyone wants to burn off all the food they ate the day before. 11-12 or 1-3 are best times to go usually.

5. Find a friend: Go workout with a buddy or make friends at your gym. Get your name out there. Don't be shy since you are wearing workout clothing and about to sweat in front of them anyways, make some friends. Have something to look forward to seeing. So if you are a chatty Kathy, make a friend. Makes workouts fly by!

6. Have someone chase you, or sweep you: "I don't have to run faster than the T-Rex, as long as I run faster than you, I am good." Like the picture above, sometimes we tend to do better if we are being chased. Again it pushes us just a little harder. There are Zombie runs coming up soon, since Halloween is next month. Fun race to run in, I have heard. A zombie will chase you for your "life". Puts a little extra pep in your step I would have to say.

7. Sign up for a training group or a local track club: I am so lucky. My city has both. Training groups for the "big" races of the year and a track club for year round. They are fun! I loved the Women's 4 miler training program and met a ton of AMAZING WOMEN! And I am excited for the 10 miler training program. I know it will be totally different, but It is all about the experience and joining with people who love to do what you are doing.

8. Have support: My husband is so supportive. He watches my son for me so I can go run. He is at my races, cheering me one (when not chasing after my son) We talk about what I accomplish at the end of each day from my exercise that I did. He is engaged in my activity and fully supports it. Get a friend or a parent or whomever, just find support!

9. Be proud of yourself: Even if you couldn't do 3 miles and you only did 2. YOU STILL DID 2 MILES! That is more than you did a year ago probably. Be excited when you try and succeed! Clap your hands when you run a mile and at each mile. CELEBRATE THE SMALL VICTORIES! Because it is a VICTORY when you do something amazing!

10. HAVE FUN: In the beginning the goal for exercise and running is to lose weight or get more healthy or whatever your individual reason is. BUT you have to have fun with it. If you push too hard and just force yourself to do it cause you have to, you won't continue. It has to be something you enjoy and have fun with. Don't push too hard that you cause an injury because then you won't be able to exercise. Start small. And work up to more milage. only 10% at a time. Don't do 1 mile on your first day of running and the next day expect to run 5 miles. UM NO! Even people coming back from a long break from running take a little time building back up. Let your body adjust and you will feel accomplished and happy with that you do and will have had FUN and want to do it again!

Hope these tips help to motivate you and we will all continue to run!

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So Young...

Yesterday was my 11th wedding anniversary. I changed my profile picture on Facebook to be the picture at the top of this post. Man, I look at this picture and think I look so young. Not as many little lines on my face, my skin is AMAZING, and nearly freckle free, (unless you get up close and personal.) But I look so...young. I was 20 when we got married so I was young. I was also about 40 lbs lighter than I am now. (I honestly didn't know my weight because I found someone who loved me for me and didn't care) 

After this point is when I started to gain weight. I was happy to be cooking for my husband! I was so happy to be married and I thought, we would get pregnant right away and I would lose the weight anyways once I started breast feeding like my sister in law did. HA! It took us 8 years to get pregnant and many, many more pounds. I gained nearly 60 lbs from when I got married, lost them, then got pregnant. 

Anyhew, back to the picture. I might have been skinnier but I am in far better shape now than I ever have been. I have accomplished more athletically in the past couple of months than I ever have in my life. I am so happy with my life. I still have the wonderful man I married, who still loves me and loves me more than that day. I have a beautiful son who was worth every minute of the wait. I have learned to push myself and accomplish what I thought many years ago were impossible for me to try. I AM PROUD TO BE ME! 

QOTD: What have you learned the most about yourself in the past decade? I have finally learned self respect and confidence. 

Something New

First of all today is my 11 wedding anniversary! YEA FOR US! Over a decade and still going strong! Tonight is a shopping at Dick's Sporting goods for new workout clothing, Afghan food, and Melting pot for dessert! (all those calories I burned today were well worth it for tonight!)

Second, I tried something new today, (oh and I am wearing something blue today, borrowing make-up from Bobbi Brown getting a makeover, and wearing old sandals. So we are covered in all the fun wedding departments even though I am not a bride!) The something new today was my very first SPIN Class! I have wanted to try one since May, but had to wait for body to heal from miscarriage and today I finally got up the courage to do it!

Oh man my assets are sore! My butt and other areas hurt the whole hour and my arches in my foot hurt too when we do the standing and riding. But man, the class was fun. I really enjoyed it. I was pouring sweat down my face! It was a challenging class. I didn't do as high intensity as the lady was calling but I was trying out the class and I will build up my endurance for it the more I do it. By the end of the class the reader said I rode 23 miles! CRAZY!

So every Thursday at 9:15 I am going to try and be in that class!

QOTD: What is your fav thing about a spin class?

Totally Different

2 years ago I had this little guy! (Isn't he cute!!!) He changed my life. Everyday activities are totally different than they used to be. Before Mason I was exercising a ton. Up to 2 hours a day. I would run/walk for an hour and then come back at night and use the elliptical. Before I had him I lost 30+ lbs. Got down to below 200, which was really amazing to me since I hadn't been below that weight since I was first married. Once I got pregnant I didn't want to lose him so I only walked through pregnancy. 2-3 times a week. At least I walked.

Once I had him, it was just me. My husband was deployed and I was in survival mode 24/7 with a brand new baby and just me. So no one to watch him so I could go to the gym. I would occasionally do Zumba but he would wake up to the music (he loves music, since he heard it everyday while I was pregnant since I was teaching and playing in the symphony). So I really didn't exercise.

Fast forward to today. I'm a SAHM who teaches piano a few days a week. I play and chase after him. Try to teach him to be nice and say, "please" and "thank you". After a heartbreaking miscarriage at 11 weeks and adding 15 lbs to my waistline while still trying to lose the last 15 from Mason I decided to get my butt back in shape.

But things are TOTALLY DIFFERENT! Remember how I said I used to go back to the gym at night to do another hour on the elliptical. Well, apparently my body doesn't like that anymore. Went to the gym last night at 9pm. (We ate dinner around 5:30 maybe 6 at the latest.) I thought going later to the gym would be fine. I allowed plenty of time for food to digest. NOT!!! Totally not cool going to the gym and doing 3.5 miles. My tummy jolted all around and man I almost puked. My only goal was to FINISH so I could go home and rest or puke if I really had to. (Never puked but the rest was nice.)

Since having Mason, by body is totally different. It runs differently, (hips are still a little wide from having him) It feels different. It is bigger than before but I AM working on that. It is just like having to learn how to run all over again! But man LESSON LEARNED. Light meals before running then eating after run. And next time I do get pregnant...I AM GOING TO RUN!

QOTD: Do you prefer morning, midday or night running? Me: Morning! Just get it done and then I have the rest of the day to play with my little man!

My New Battle Plan

I am not a fast runner. My cousin, as you read yesterday, is. I am not.

My new battle plan for training for my 10k is to run as much as I can. I keep thinking back at how I did this past Saturday. I finished and I am so happy but I know I walked more than I wanted to. And that is what is making me want to try harder. So back to the gym I go and to start increasing my milage but also how long/far I can run without stopping. I have made it to 1.75 miles without stopping and that was hard for me. I pushed myself very hard but I made it my goal that day which was to make it to the bottom of the hill at the fields. I didn't actually know how far it was to that point but when I reached my goal my GPS said 1.75. So now to get comfy running that long.

My goal today: 1.5 miles out of 3 to be ran straight on treadmill as it is GYM day!

QOTD: Do you make little goals for yourself to get you through a workout?

In Awe!

This past weekend was the Disneyland Dumbo Double Dare extravaganza! Consisted of running a 10k (6.2 miles) and a 1/2 marathon (13.1 miles) all in 2 days! I knew a couple fellow bloggers who were running in it, Heather being the main runner I follow since she does a ton of Disney races. But also my cousin Jake ran in it too! He is AMAZING! He has been running for years. He is a fire fighter in Arizona now. He is an amazing husband and father too! Here is what his wife had to say about him on Facebook:

 My stud of a husband ran a 10k Saturday in 50 mins, after 12 hours at Disney park all day Friday, then stayed 15 hours in the park again Saturday, then ran a 1:46 half marathon this morning on 3 hours of sleep. Needless to say he could run circles around me for days. Prayers to him now though it did catch up to him...he's sick and dehydrated at the hotel resting. This vacation, though stressful and HOT, makes me stand back and stop to SEE what I have, and what I've been blessed with. Complainng has no merit!

Seriously?!? That is so amazing to me to be able to run that far and that fast and still survive and cross the finish line! HE is awesome! Granted his body, and I am sure plenty of other people, are feeling the affects of this weekends races plus walking around an amusement park all day long. Good luck! 

My personal goals are to finish with no injuries, upright and with a smile on my face when I run any race let alone 19.3 miles but I am sure after that amount of distance that I will be pretty tired too! (2015 I want to do the Glass slipper challenge at WDW which is a 10k plus the princess 1/2)

This past weekend has given me more motivation to work harder and I know that my half marathon is just around the corner. Lots and lots of training ahead for me and I am so EXCITED! And that is how this whole experience should be, EXCITING!!!

P.S. I didn't give props to my cousin, Holly, (the wife of Jake). She is awesome too! 2012 she ran the Tinkerbell 1/2 Marathon at Disneyland and the Princess 1/2 Marathon at Disney World and snagged a Disney Coast to Coast medal too! She is quite the supportive running wife!

QOTD: Do you have a dream race you want to run someday?

Rest Day

Today, day after race day which happens to also be a Sunday, is my rest day. Day to relax and just, ahhhh do nothing that involves high exertion!  No running or exercising. Besides chasing kids at church and Mason at home. Today I nap or watch a movie/TV show or just read. So happy resting to all the runners today except for those in the Disneyland Half Marathon that takes place today! GOOD LUCK to my family and friends running!

QOTD: Which day is your exercise rest day?