Bring on the Skinny Jeans

My super awesome trainer just sent me the best contest info ever! She loves to do contests to motivate people. She gives away lots of cool prizes including more training with her which I need since my last day is Saturday! Well this contest is to fit into your skinny jeans!! No weight check, no measurements, nothing. All you need to do is go to her with your skinny jeans. She will have you try them on and she will take your picture. Then she will put them away for 8 weeks. Whoever looks the best after 8 weeks wins!

You know I LOVE a good competition! I mean I look for it everywhere I go! It could be seen as some as an illness but it gets me where I need to go! I have a pair of Lucky jeans that were a little snug before I got pregnant but are expensive and would look good if I fit them.

So there you go...8 weeks to fit into my skinny Lucky jeans! How are your skinny jeans fitting lately?

Oh yeah and that picture is not me....not far from it most days though!

Biggest Loser=Guilty Girl!

Today is the beginning of a new season of the Biggest Loser. Every season I am glued to the TV while I watch people lose TONS of weight by literally working their booties off! This season poses a special connection for me since one of the contestants, Rudy, was a friend of mine in high school. He was a really great guy who was like a big teddy bear. I lost touch with him but am excited to cheer him on! Watching the show always makes me feel guilty because they just work so hard! This season I hope to be losing with them. I have lost 1 pound so far with the eat clean diet which has me doing cart wheels. I have 4 more to go for pre-pregnancy weight but I am aiming for 10 total.

Continuing on a weigh loss note, I want to give a HUGE shout out to my very good friend Carrie. She ROCKS folks not only as a friend but as a devoted weight loser! Yesterday at lunch everyone was drilling her about her secrets to weight loss and what not. Someone asked her how much she had lost and I almost fell off my seat. She has lost 90lbs. Yes Carrie I am putting it out there because that is GREAT!!! She said it as if it wasn't a big deal but I think it is a HUGE deal and something she should be very proud of! Oh and in addition to that, she has completed 2 sprint triathlons and is starting to train for a 1/2 marathon. Carrie you are my motivation! Keep up the awesome work!!

OK off to watch Rudy! Thinking of waking up at 4am tomorrow so I can fit in my run....still having schedule issues in addition to a sick baby girl!

"Are you ready for some football?"

We are HUGE Pats fans in this house!!! We came into our wedding reception to the NFL theme song! Emma wore her jersey today since she will not be awake for kick-off tomorrow!

Rainy Run Day

I was determined this morning not to let a little rain get in the way of my run! When I started out it was just drizzling and I thought to myself, "No big deal. I've run in way worse!" By the end of the ten miles it was pouring! I had to wring my sleeves out several times!!! I felt like I had showered full dressed! Normally people run to and from their car when it is raining that hard and there I was running for fun! At one point I just raised my face to the sky and began to laugh! I needed this drenching run today! This week has been very hard for me...back to teaching...leaving Emma for the first time at daycare...having a super busy schedule and not feeling like I can fit anything in...feeling like a failure...stressed about life in general...my Dad finding out he has ANOTHER ulcer...a good friend with a newborn with heart failure. I needed a run that left me drenched...It reminded me that my week was full of rain but that I made it! God was there for me each and every day giving me what I needed to get through. At those moments when I thought I didn't have any more, He strengthened me. Life is going to be full of rainy days...some will be a light drizzle and some will give me downpours but God is there for me giving me what I need to get through. I'm looking forward to a nice weekend home with the family! I'm going to soak in this time!! Enjoy the rain today!

Survived the run....this week maybe not!

Sorry to leave you all hanging about the race! I have been just about staying afloat this week since it is my first week back to teaching. Yesterday I thought to myself, "I don't know if I can do all of this!" There is just so much to do every day. I'm sure you all know that so it is nothing new....just really getting me down right now. It make me feel like such a failure when I can't fit it all in just right!


So on to the run. If there was ever a more true description of a race course it was this one. The medal that we got says "16 wicked hills" and I think they miscounted because there had to have been more. We started counting down at the beginning and then lost count! The weather could not have been more beautiful and the scenery was awesome! The course followed the coast line of Gloucester and Rockport Massachusetts and with a temp of about 65 at the coast it was perfect running weather!

We started off with a 10 minute mile pace. We (my friend Jill and I) kept reminding ourselves that this was just a training run and we were not racing. (probably because we were both so nervous). I get so nervous before a race just looking at the people that are there. I start to look at all the skinny, runner-body people and psych myself out. So today I watched the ground most of the time before the race! It worked...kind-of. I'm always fine once I get started. So most of the race was fun. We talked to lots of people and met some really interesting people. It amazed me how many people ran multiple marathons back to back. One girl had even run two in one weekend!! There were several people too that wanted to run a marathon in every state. Very cool stuff! I even learned that there was a marathon in Newport, RI my hometown! Put that on the list for marathons to run.

I saw my hubby and Emma at around mile 10 where there was the most ENORMOUS hill!! It was a good motivator! I had some knee pain just after that. I think it happened when I stopped to say hi and then ran fast to catch up with Jill. It was so tight from my hip and then down and around my knee. That lasted about 2 miles until I think my leg just went numb! Needless to say the end of the race was not as fun and friendly as the beginning. I slowed a bit because of my knee and then my stomach started to kick in for about the last mile. I really need to get a handle on that because I had more energy left but my stomach was turning. The grand finale was a STEEP, twisting hill to the finish. I mean really people!!!!

Finish time 2 hours 45 minutes. Slower than I wanted but I finished!! I just kept thinking that this time last year I looked like this:


and there was no running going on!! I also think I had hidden motives. I was so tired when I got home and that night that I didn't have any trouble sleeping. This is rare for me before the first day of teaching. I am usually up all night. Add to that that it was Emma's first day at day care and I was a sobbing mess, I think I slept well. I would totally recommend this race to someone prepping for a fall marathon, especially if it is hilly. I will say some of them were worse than Heartbreak Hill!

So sorry for the delay but I have been coming to grips with Emma being in daycare and me being back to work. Not fun but a reality for me. Next stop half marathon!! Here are a few pictures from the race beforehand....I felt like a monster next to my nice, petite friend Jill!

me trying to not have a double chin!!

What the BEEP did I get myself into?!

Ok so I am in full on freak out mode!!! I have my 25K tomorrow morning and I am scared to death! I haven't run that long a distance since before I was pregnant over a year ago! To add to that here is the description of the course from the flyer:

Challenging USATF-certified 25K (15.56 miles) course
along scenic coastal Gloucester and Rockport. Ocean
views and old New England villages with waterfront
sections spread throughout the course. (Oh, and did
we mention the sixteen major hills?) Mile markers and
times, refreshment stations, post-race festivities,
unique awards, raffle, and much more!

Seriously is there a flat course ANYWHERE on the North Shore!?!!! I will give you the play by play tomorrow including pictures! Wish me luck!

number pick-up....don't I look excited! Hey at least the shirt is really nice!

Runner tested....Mom approved

I have been on a mad hunt for the perfect running skirt. It has been about 8 years since I have worn shorts to run in. I just can't do it....I actually don't even wear regular, everyday shorts! Let's just say I don't necessarily have runners' legs. If runners' legs are illustrated by let's say Kara Goucher, my legs would marvel the likes of say Jason Varitek! This is a self imposed problem due to the fact that I was a catcher for 13 years and weight trained to prevent injury. I have always had bigger legs that are usually really strong. A good thing if you are squatting twice your body weight. Not so good if you are shopping for jeans or running in shorts. The friction could really start a fire! I spend more time digging my inseam out of God knows where and less time on running.

Well my rocking running buddy Jill gave me the heads up on wearing compression shorts under a running skirt. I tried it today on my run and I LOVE it!!! Once I got by the fact that my legs were showing I realized that I was much cooler! They show a little bit under the skirt but it is worth it. My husband actually asked me if I had to wrap my leg for some reason when I got home! Hee hee! Any other suggestions for girls with tree trunk legs?

On another note I have been rocking it with dinners this week so far...yeah I know it's only Tuesday but I am just saying! A little too much snaking though and I need to work on that this week.

My running question for you all is about fueling during a run. On Sunday I had a great run but my stomach was a mess for about 2 hours later because I didn't eat or drink during the run. My good friend Michelle gave me some pointers. What do you all use during your long runs and how often? I know I need to do something but not sure what. When I ran Boston I used sport jelly beans but I can't stand the sight of them now!

Still loving running in this beautiful weather every morning!!! Not looking forward to next week's back to school for many reasons but one being a possible end to morning runs.