First Weight Loss Goal Achieved and a lot Accomplished

This has been a busy week and also a snowy week. So I thought for this week, I'll share some snow pics from my travels, from a week ago in a different area than I showed you all last week.

I finally got around to getting my taxes done, its my own fault for taking this long. It's just the least appealing thing to me to put everything together for my business to give to my accountant. But it's also a great feeling to have it done.

I don't discuss politics on my blog, but I will say this. I attended my first ever Caucus, it was crowded but interesting. Although I was slightly annoyed that the person in charge of our district was trying to push everyone in the room to not vote for someone. I thought they were supposed to remain neutral as they proceeded with the rules for them. So I was annoyed at him for breaking the rules.

I have also decided I am kind of getting sick of friends on Facebook who are constantly posting different political hate things, how they hate this politician or an idea, how the world would end if this happens and stuff along those lines. I especially dislike the ones who are telling everyone they'd disown them as friends if they found out they were voting a certain way.

For that reason alone, I have been seriously tempted to post I am going to vote in those certain ways they disagree with, just to see how many friends delete me after I do, LOL LOL  I will try to hold back, but if others keep it up, I may not be able to resist:) ha ha

It's been a stormy snowy week here. I love spring snow storms, it can snow 3-6 inches one hour and be sunny the next. Makes for different kinds of fun for running each day.

Things are continuing to go excellent on slowly building my mileage back up. My work injury in my one foot that I acquired over 3 years ago, has been for the most part doing quite well. I have a little bursitis and swelling in my ankle that will likely never leave but as long as I stay active on it, it keeps the swelling down so like it has mostly been, running is good for it! But the two tendon issues have been responding exactly as I hoped. I dwell on this injury less and less each week now. YAY

Apparently quitting that part time job has been a miracle for it.
Yes, I am well aware I should have quit it 3 years ago when it caused it, I would beat myself up about that, but there is no point you can't change the past!

My back has been acting so so, I have good days where the pain is very light, and bad days where it's more intense. Due to what I have it's never going to get better than this, so I do my best to manage it. On the plus side, it continues to bother me very little while running. Which is a great thing!

It's also been a productive week. I finally got around to making a series of updates I needed to do on my event company website.
I've also gone in and adjusted my companies entire pricing scale (oh that took forever).  I hate to increase prices, but it's needed and I don't think it will hurt business any so it's all good!  My staff who work for me are going to like it, because it's going to mean a little more pay for them too. Which I have decided not to tell them about, and just surprise them after the next event:)

Weight loss update, as promised a picture with every 10 pounds I lose.

Yes I hit the 10 pound goal mark on Tuesday, YAY!  

Granted, the reason the picture above isn't very flattering. I took the shot in the black top, literally 5 minutes after I woke up Tuesday, zero make up, no hair brushing LOL. So I could get it done before my morning run.

While I haven't really noticed any major differences in my body (of course I haven't actually taken the measurements yet) I can see in the picture my face is starting to slim a little.

As of Sunday morning, I've actually officially lost 12 pounds now. So I am well on my way to my next goal which is to hit 20 pounds.  So I have decided to keep on doing what I am doing. Since I am getting used to it now (finally) and it's working. Plus, it still makes me feel like I have plenty of energy most of the time, so I think that is a good sign.

What am I doing?
I eat about 1,000 - 1,200 calories a day.
100 Calorie protein breakfast shake.
200 Calorie protein calcium lunch shake.
Whatever I want for dinner as long as I keep it between 700-900 calories.
With my dinners I eat a lot of fruits and veggies.
I drink a lot of water during the day.  But nothing after 6pm. (Just to keep from having to get up in the night to use the bathroom, LOL)

**I have 1 cheat meal a week, where I go out to eat, drink a Pepsi and have as many calories as I want. (This is my favorite part of each week, I am not going to lie LOL)

Also, I attempt to get 60-80 minutes of working out in daily, 6 days a week, but sometimes it's not all at the same time, I may do double workout days just depends on the time I have each day.


So that is it, a few bits of my week and the progress I have made so far on this weight loss goal. (The goal if you don't know is to lose 40 pounds by June 1st.) I am a little off track, but I still believe it's possible if I keep at it.

I am linking up with HoHo Runs and MissSippiPiddlin today for their Weekly Wrap!

 

  Tell me about your week. What is something you've accomplished this week.

Anyone working on any weight loss goals?

It's Been a Week of Traveling to Stunning Places and Thinking and Making Major Decisions,

This past week has been busy filled with contemplation, walking/running, decisions, meetings, traveling for both business (and pleasure because I don't travel otherwise:)

This post may look like a little bit of a photo dump. But since I have been traveling, I of course brought my camera along (I wouldn't do it any other way.) So I'll share a few of the gorgeous sights I visited this week.

WEIGHT LOSS UPDATE

First, let me give you a little update. I am down 9 pounds now. I was really hoping to hit the first 10 milestone, but not that its a good excuse but traveling got in the way of a few things.

WALKING/RUNNING UPDATES

I have officially gotten my first month or walking/running done since I have begun what I hope will (finally) be my comeback.

How did I do? Not quit as well this week as in previous weeks. But it was still okay.
17 Total Weekly Miles
Breakdown: Walking ( 12 Miles ) Running ( 5 Miles ).
However, I did also get a few hiking miles in, but I didn't keep track:)

I started out the week running in snowy mornings in 34 degree's and beautiful sunny skies, which let's just say are really the perfect running conditions. (Ignore the muddy shoes, I did a trail run the day before that the ground wasn't as frozen as I had hoped and they got a little muddy.)

Then I headed out of town, and later in the week I was in Southern Utah enjoying walks and runs in sunny skies and 80+ degrees.

I ran along two different southern Utah river trails, one along the river side. Another up above on the cliffs with valley and river overviews.
I actually used to live here, but when I did none of these trails existed. Well not in the paved or rocks and brush cleared up way:)
It's nice they added all these beautiful trail around the city to make it easier to be active.

One morning, I did run through the city, and let me tell ya those palm tree's were really making me feel like spring is really in the air!

I also headed into the older historic district, those buildings and the jail were built back in the late 1800's. I didn't even know they were there, and what's funny is I lived in this city for a couple of years and can't believe this was my first time making it into these little hidden surprises.

Normally, I don't bring a camera on a run, and if I do it'd be a rare instance if I stopped mid run to take a photo. But let's face it right now I am doing far more walking so yeah the photo's were technically taken on my walking portions not the actual running parts.

TRAVEL and ADVENTURE

Naturally because I needed to take a road trip. Of course the oil companies in  Utah raised the gas prices, they are up 30-50 cents higher than they were a few weeks ago.
There is one thing you can count on if you live in Utah. Getting price gouged in gas prices, and the federal government constantly trying to take every inch of land here for their own.  (Okay, rant over, LOL)

Despite the higher gas prices, I still enjoyed my travels.  While technically I headed to Southern Utah for business purposes. I of course made sure to get out and have fun too.
I got out and did a little hiking around Snow Canyon State Park.

Also, got a little more hiking in along the red cliffs in St. George and down the road a little in the Red Canyons.

As you can see in the above pictures. Some of the roads I traveled on took me into the deserts. Others higher up in elevations where snow is still plenty. Others were just beatifully scenic along canyon walls that raise up a 1000 feet road side.

CONTEMPLATION

I mentioned this week was for business and thinking.  That thinking is about some major career changes I am about to make.

Years ago, I when I lived in this area. Whenever I needed a little time to myself to think about things. I would drive up to the top of some beautiful red cliffs and sit out on the red rocks and admire the beauty below and think things out while I watched the sunset over the plateau's in the distance.

Since I was in the area, I drove up to my old favorite spot. I was surprised to find it has changed quite a bit. No longer are the dirt roads, progress I guess has paved them.
My favorite thinking spot is no longer just a red cliff desert. They turned it into a park of sorts.
So instead of sitting on desert red rocks, I was sitting in a swing.
The view is still petty great though! Different, a little more people around now but still very pretty! (It's the picture above.)

ANSWERS

Did I get my answers? Yes I did, and yes thinking in one of my past favorite spots did help.
I have made a decision about what to do with my future, my current career and what new career options I want to take.

The decision hasn't been an easy one, but I feel in my heart it is the right one for me.
I will be happy to announce it to you all, but I need to take a little time to finalize things and get going on it first.

I hope to share some of the details with you in the coming months. Once I can share what it is, it will make sense why I needed to wait a little to announce the news.

If your wondering why that rock above made my picture roll. Well truth is, I thought it was beautiful and frankly if there was any possible way to of lifted it and tossed it into my car to take it with me, it would be sitting in my garden at home! Unfortunately, it weighs to much, ha ha.

_______________________

So those are a few bits of my past week. It's been a lot of work, but also a little fun. Which is really the perfect mix in life right! I am happy with the progress I've made the past month as I have been getting active again, and I am even more excited to bump it up a few notches over the next few weeks.
I am also happy and excited about the decisions I have made for my future. In all, it's been a great week!

GIVEAWAY REMINDER

I have a giveaway for a $25 Amazon Gift Card that runs through this week. CLICK HERE and come enter for a chance to win if you haven't already!


I am linking up with HoHo Runs and MissSippiPiddlin today for their Weekly Wrap!

So tell me something fun and fabulous you did last week.
Or tell me about one of your favorite places to go and do your deep thinking.

Pillowcases and Goals

How's getting back into shape and the running coming for me? 

Well I'll talk more about this below, but in short I am slowly getting back into it.
It's a tad more difficult right now since it's been so long since I have been able to do it. But mostly I am enjoying it.  I know it will get easier in the coming weeks. It will also get easier to wake up earlier, I won't lie right now it's not easy!

But I think we are starting to get into the spring type temps, 20's in the mornings and 50's in the afternoons. Meaning less chances of freezing temps and right now that may make it a tad easier for me!

How's work going?
Well I had an epic fail as a business owner. I hadn't had a voicemail message left in over a month, I am an idiot and didn't think much of it.
Then after 2 people told me they left a message and I saw no notification from it, I called my own number.
Ya, apparently 23 messages I never got. Why? Well I am the idiot who just assumed all old voicemails just auto deleted (They did with my old Blackberry) apparently not with my Galaxy. It only notifies you the first 150. I was over my limit.
I have missed out on so many wedding/event calls. I am kinda embarrassed by it.  Yup, like I said, EPIC fail as a small business owner!

Funny story this week about this guy who came up to me one day at work. (I am still occasionally working at now 1 library.)

HIM: "So someone puked all over the bathroom, it's everywhere and smells terrible.  Do you want to go clean it up?"
ME: "Gross, nope cleaning up vomit is far above my pay grade."
HIM: "Um, okay. Well then how much would you have to make to clean it up?"
ME: "To clean up someone else's vomit? Not enough money in the world, I don't do vomit!"
HIM: *Just stares at me.*
ME: "I'll go find someone who will do vomit though, meanwhile I'd just suggest not going in there."
HIM: "What if I need to use the bathroom?"
ME: "Well unless you can be quick and hold your breath, I'd suggest going somewhere else."

I mean I know he wasn't thrilled with me. But seriously, vomit and not my own, some strangers who decided to make a mess and not clean it up? Yuck, not gonna happen. I don't do vomit!

But on that note, allow me to just say, I give complete credit to janitors, as they do a job I could never do and they don't get far enough recognition for it!  As for the public who do things in bathrooms and leave messes and just leave before anyone notices it was them. Seriously people??? Ewe!!

My niece wants to be a fashion designer when she grows up. She's always creating designs. I've been promising for a few months to come teach her how to sew.
When she got home from school I picked her up. Took her to the fabric store, let her pick out the material she liked the best.
Then we went back and we started with making one of the first things I ever made. Which was a pillow case.
She likes to add flare, so I suggested we add a ruffle to the ends, so it wasn't just a normal pillowcase.
I let her do all the sewing herself, I just pushed the pedal on the machine for her, and occasionally stopped or re-guided the fabric to get her back on track.
She did pretty good!  I told her next time we could try a nightgown or an apron, as those are both easy new to sewing projects. I had a fun time teaching her too!

This week's reads. Well to be honest, I didn't get much reading time in, in fact I didn't have a chance to pick up a book until Thursday night. But The Golden Lily was so good I seriously couldn't put it down.  Dang that made for one late night, I finished it around 2AM.  We won't even talk about how fun it was to wake up the next morning, LOL
Then the weather was so beautiful Saturday it just felt like a great day to read another book in the sun, so I grabbed the next book in Richelle Mead's Series The Indigo Spell and read it.  I am seriously loving this series much more than I ever thought I would!

Okay, so this is something I've been struggling with for a while, but I need to work much harder at it. Last fall when I had to quit working out to deal with a worse than normal flare up on my foot injury. Then this winter dealing with my back pain and having to take it easy. Let's just say, I had some pounds to loose before all of that, and then well I am not proud because I gained quite a bit more during those lazy months.

So, I bought a selfie stick. Why? Well, you may or may not have noticed I don't post a lot of pictures of myself on my blog.

Truthfully, I hate to admit this, but it's because I've put on some weight and I just don't like pictures taken of myself right now.  Yes, yes I know I should be more confident. blah blah blah..
Well I should, but I'm not and the good thing about it all, is it's something I can do something about.

So that is where the selfie stick comes in. I am going to share my weight loss journey on my blog. I took a picture (you can see it above) with it just a few days ago. I'd like to share one with each 10 pounds that I loose to show off the progress.

No, you're not getting a fully body picture, but I did take one. Maybe I will share it later after I have dropped some weight, but for now it's just for myself. So I can see where I am, where I want to go, and use it to motivate me to work on improving with eating healthier and exercising more.

The great news is, right now I can get back into exercise, it's just something that will hurt a bit more because of my back issues. But I am choosing to tell myself even that may all be in my head. (Hey, it's worth a shot, mind control ha ha..)

It's going to take a few weeks before I can do a full great 60 minute workout and keep my heart rate up the entire time. But it will eventually come. I'm not going to push anything right now too much, I've dealt with way too many injury blows and I'm skirting the lines already with a couple that may never heal and I want to see how I can work around them for now, especially with my foot work injury. That one's just gone on way too long.

So my first goal, is drop 10 pounds.  But I have a few other goals, my other is to drop 40 pounds by June 1st. That may or may not be realistic, but I like to have goals like that, that skirt the lines of possible and impossible. But I definitely thing I can.

I am going to go at this a bit more drastic to start with. Since I can't burn as many workout calories just yet each day as I ease back into it. I need to compensate for the calories in other ways. So I am going to drop down to my intake of only  1,000 calories a day. Once the workouts can increase I'll bump up the calories a few hundred daily as needed until I am back where I'd like to be on a calorie/workout plan that I can actually do as a lifestyle change.

I'm hoping the significant calorie drop will help me drop the first 10 a little faster, and build up my motivation for it so I can get excited about less weight and improvements in the way I look and feel.

My reward, well besides better health. If I can drop 40 pounds by June 1st, I am going to reward myself with a brand new Stand Up Paddle Board. They are not cheap and the one I want costs around $1,200 on sale, so the money I save from not going out to lunch or dinner and stuff, well that is going to go into the paddle board fund.

Last, I am hosting a Spring into March Giveaway Hop, you have about 1 week to decide if you want to join up with us on it. I am leaving the sign up open through March 9th.
But the hop itself runs March 14th - 25th.  I decide to not go with a theme this time around, so bloggers can choose any giveaway item they would like.
You can find all the details and the sign up HERE.

That's a few little bits of my week and what I have going on right now.  With the Grow Your Blog hop, I have been a little off my normal blogging routine, and I am looking forward to getting back on track. We had 3 great hops, a few worked better than others.  I'll have to share a little more on those after I have all the analytics pulled together on them.

So tell me, what is a goal your working on right now?

I am linking up with HoHo Runs and MissSippiPiddlin today for their Weekly Wrap!

Step Goals, Beyond Rude, Running and Weight loss Updates

Life has certainly been busy, with weddings and summer and of course making sure to fit in a little "me" time, I feel like I am barely keeping on top of things:)
I feel bad I haven't had as much time as normal to get around to visit all my favorite bloggers as much as I would have liked.  I have a few more weeks of craziness to get through, and I am looking forward to getting back into blogging as I normally like to.


RUNNING

I am on target for where I wanted to be coming back after taking those 2 months off when I was really sick (5-6 miles 5 days a week).
On a good note, If you remember about 3 months or so back I went to take a step and something happened to my right foot and it literally could not take the pressure.  It healed after a week or so, mostly.  But every time for months I would run about 2-5 minutes into it I would get this cramp in the side of my foot and up into my calf and it was a stop go, stop go process as I would try to get the cramp worked out.  I never could figure out what was wrong.  But based on the fact that I have not had it happen since I took the 2 months off.  My guess is I must have pulled something maybe an inner calf tear??
Either way, no matter what it was.  I guess I should thank the 2 month sickness because sometimes even when you feel it's something bad happening, sometimes things happen to help fix other things and I think the illness was a little miracle in disguise.
As for the 2 1/2 year long (as of now) tendon work injury, it's been doing okay.  The swelling this week was light to moderate and I have been able to keep the pain down to minimal.  I am still determined it will actually heal, but until I have gone a couple of months without problems, I still air on the cautious side.

Although, one of the houses I run past once a week in a nearby city, when I run along a canal the owner is back at it with their "dummy stage designs".
If you ignore the fact that whomever they are, they obviously have a hoarder problem.  Hence the piles of junk under the porch.  They stage this dummy, and change out the costume or look each week or two.  Last year when I discovered it it made me smile as sometimes it is creative.  I was happy to see the dummy back and looks like this week he's a guitar player:)

5 DAY GOAL to 100,000 STEPS

My sisters and I were having a contest this week to see if we could hit 100,000 steps in 5 days.
I am happy to admit, I did it YAY and neither of my other two sisters hit the goal.  Of course I was still working on it with a late night Friday workout and finally hit my 100k in 5 days by 11:15pm...

With life so busy, the only way to do it is for me to be at 60-75% of my goal by 8am each day and then when I am finally home and life calms, around 10-11pm at night I have added another 30-40 minute 2nd workout to get to the last part of the day's goal.
This week's going to be out of my control busy, so I am not setting a main step goal plan, but I would love to hit that again if life allows the time!

BEYOND RUDE

I actually wasn't going to talk about this, but I am going to share just to show how some people are beyond clueless and have no idea or care at how rude they are.

I had a crazy experience this last week, with an insane woman who was beyond the boarder of complete rudeness!
I was out on a morning run, and it was during morning rush hour traffic.  This woman pulls into the middle median lane (in traffic) and starts yelling at me to wait.
So mid run I stop, thinking she needs directions and has a odd way to go about it.
She dodges two lanes of traffic, I just see this woman with a crazy huge afro running at me trying not to get hit as she crosses 2 more lanes of traffic.

She gets to me, I am guarded (I am on the sidewalk next to the road) not sure what she wants.
She hands me this small piece of paper and says to me, "you look like this might be something you would be interested in.)
I look at the paper, reading it: It's an ad for a weight loss Herbalife product, and a Biggest Loser weight loss competition....

I look back at her, more stunned than anything.  Watching her cross the busy lanes again to get back to her car.  I am not even embarrassed to admit as I watched her try to avoid getting hit.  I was thinking that if she did get hit, I wouldn't of felt all that bad for her.

First of all, yes I have a few pound to lose.  But I am not so overweight that everyone who looks at me hopes I can drop a few.  Second, she wasn't all that much smaller than me, in fact you add her afro hair and the weight of that alone might have brought her near my own weight....

I was offended for a few minutes, but then got over it.  I only pocketed the paper, because I am pretty much against littering streets, but the next garbage can I passed, it went in it!

LAST TIDBITS

I did take a break from my busy week on Thursday and visited Lagoon a Beach (a local water park.)
I will say, if you need to feel better about yourself and how you look in your own swim suit, just visit a water park!  I will never understand how some people can be so comfortable in their skin to bare it (almost to) all no matter how it may look.
I wish I was more comfortable in my own skin, but in some ways I am glad I am not:)
The phrase, less is more, doesn't always apply to swimwear in my opinion:)
However, you also have to be careful and force yourself to keep your mouth shut.  Because in my mind if my boob was literally hanging out of the side of my top for the world to see, I would definitely want someone to tell me.  But apparently some get more annoyed at you telling them about a problem that they don't consider a problem in the first place...

On another note, I am down 7.5 pounds, and I consider that success!  Due to the things I have coming up this week, there is a pretty good chance I might be able to drop a few more.
That and we are in the triple digit temps each day and have a full week of 100+ days coming up.  I find that even though I actually enjoy the heat, I don't eat quite as much when it's hot and I drink a lot more water which I think is going to help with dropping more weight!

Talk about hot, my new car with the black leather interior, well let's just say.  It may look nice and pretty, but oh is it HOT!  I had one of those thicker hard plastic water bottles sitting in the cup holder of my car on Saturday.  Well when I went to get into it, I notice the lid had popped off, a closer look the entire thing melted down and shrunk...  Ya, now that is crazy hot! Although, I hate touching the inside of the car in the summer, the inside of the car should be great in the winter!

So that is a little brief on my week.  How did you week go? 

Running, Weight loss and the Possibility of going Deaf

On Labor Day my sister and I took her baby and 3 year old and went hiking up in the Higher Uinta Mountains here in Utah.  We spent the day up around 10,000 feet enjoying the cooler temps and sunny day!
My cute 3 year old little niece turned to me as we were hiking and said "Kristy I like hiking, I think we should go more."  I smiled because I work on training all my young nieces and nephews from the time they start walking to love to hike, so I can help them grow up into loving it so I can have hiking partners:)  So I said to her, "You can call me on the phone anytime you want to hike and I will take you."  She grabbed my hand, and said "Okay, I will."  Ah yes, another hiker in the family has been born:)  Her little legs did great and went most of the 2.5 miles.  Only asked me to carry her a few times.
The pictures I am showing today, are a few from our hiking trip on Monday!

RUNNING
I had a few little issues this week in my tendon area (I've been working the job that cause it more, probably too much which has been the cause.)
However, I will say I did get my non-stop 5 miler in on Wednesday, and it went pretty good.  I didn't have any pain during or after so each new mile I add is proving that the injury itself likely isn't going to get any worse from running.  I just need to lay off working the job that caused it a little more, which would be so much easier if I didn't still have medical bills to pay off:)



APPT WITH THE SPECIALIST TODAY
So a few months ago I mentioned that I had made an appointment with the specialist "just in case". Today is the day for that appointment.  Part of me thought to cancel it, but then because my original injury still hasn't lost all the swelling and is only at 90% healed and doesn't seem to be improving much from that and the other foots occasional problems I figured I better suck it up and go.  Better to keep the Dr. Appt, than get myself into worse problems like before because I didn't go soon enough!

So my questions for the Specialist today, despite the fact that I don't think there is anything he can do or say that will help, and it's just going to be another $350 down the drain.
Regardless, I am going to ask about if the Peroneal and Achilles Tendons will in fact ever heal completely or if it's just going to be something I have to deal with and work around for life.
When I talk to other runners who have gone through what I have, I get mixed answers.  Some gave up because they said it never heals.  Others have said eventually it does but it take many years...  Not that I don't trust other runners, but not everyone takes a proactive or correct approach to healing, so I think I am going to go with the Specialist on this one and get his final take on it all.

Love my little hiking friend:)

Second, I'm going to ask him about the other foot (my nerve entrapment guess), and see if I am right or if it's something else...
I'll mention the running I have been doing, and will likely mention my upcoming plans on building the mileage slow but at a steady pace.  I mean I know myself, I would like to be doing 18 milers by December and it's quite a possibility even on a slow safe training plan.
My Specialist works with Olympic athletes and he is a runner, he's very highly recommended and he and his team of Dr's have been spot on with helping me so far, so if he gives me the go ahead I will continue, but if he tells me to back off a little and try a new recovery method I will.
So we shall see...

WEIGHT LOSS
Good news is, as of this morning I have officially lost 24 pounds!
I have a bit more I'd like to drop, but I am pretty proud of myself.  Losing the extra weight seriously has been one of the harder things I have attempted.  But I feel I am doing pretty good with it.  I am being healthy about it, and although it's been a slow progress, it is in fact progress!

TRIP TO CALIFORNIA & PROBABLY GOING DEAF:)
Because I am an awesome cousin, ha ha.  When my aunt called me and asked me if I would do her a favor.  She bought her teenage daughters tickets to One Direction in California and because of some health problems she can't take the drive and concert and her girls were looking so forward to it.
Since, she is paying for the entire trip and already booked us a condo.  I decided a free trip to Cali... Okay I decided to take them.

I've heard of them, I know maybe one or two songs but other than that I don't really know much about One Direction, but my aunt assures me I will know more than I ever cared to from her daughters while we take the 12 hour drive:) LOL
The Rose Bowl Stadium I hear is huge, and my thoughts were... over 90,000 screaming teenage girls... I am going to go deaf!
So I have actually already packed some ear plugs, ha ha.. and yes I will use them!  (But I will make sure my long hair hides them, I remember being a teenager I don't want to embarrass them:)

Since we will be leaving on a late afternoon, I think I am going to break up the drive there and stop about 6 hours down the road in Vegas for a night.  Then continue on to Cali the next morning.
I want them to have a fun trip, but I hope they want to go to the beach because I do and well since I am driving, and that's what I want to do for a day, yeah we are going to the beach.  ha ha.
It's going to be a shorter trip because I need to get back by Sunday night.  But anyone who knows me, knows I am always up for a trip, even if I might loose some hearing on this one:)

Anyone have any good recommendations on clean beaches close to L.A. Pasadena area?
I was thinking either Santa Monica or Long Beach.  It's been a few years since I have been in the area and I have only been to Long Beach and Redondo beach in the L.A. area but I hear Santa Monica is a fun one!  I'd like to try paddle boarding, life's been too crazy to get around to it here in Utah this year, and because of our unusual cooler August and the rain and snow in the higher elevations, the lakes are just too cold to get in now to try it here this year.

Last I am just going to quickly mention the next Giveaway Hop hosted by myself and co-hosted by my friends at Fairytales and Fitness!  If your looking to grow your blog, this is an awesome fun way to do it.  If your interested in hosting a giveaway, I can promise you far more entries than you'd get if you host it alone!
There is just a couple more days to enter and join your blog up with us!  Read the rules HERE first, and then link up with all of the rest of us below:

How is your mental attitude?

I really liked the quote above, and it just seemed fitting for me this week so I thought I would share.  Hope everyone has had a nice weekend and past week!  Mine was actually quite good, I have no complaints:)
My foot fracture is healing so well, that I even ran on it a little on Thursday.  I waited a few days to do any more just to see if there would be any delayed pain, and it was very minimal there was no added pain.  Which is very exciting, so this week I plan on easing back into running a little more.

I don't have to go quite as slow (getting back into running) as before, I've been trying to keep my foot with all the tendon problems strengthened while I let the other foots fracture heal.  It handled the extra pressure from the other injury pretty well, I only experienced a light bit of swelling here and there as it took on the extra when I couldn't put the full pressure on my other foot.

I am optimistic and excited about how the next few weeks will go.  But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a tad apprehensive and scared of getting back into running again.  Sounds funny I know, but when you keep getting set back after set back, you sort of can't help that fear factor.  However, no matter how it goes I will get through it. I am keeping the right Attitude and eventually in time I am going to get back to finishing up my last 19 states on my marathon goal, that's a guarantee to myself!

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So I mentioned a few weeks back that I had been struggling with the added weight I gained when I couldn't do cardio for about a year.  Before the work injury, I was running and I was in great shape, but I had about twenty pounds that I wanted to lose to be even fitter.
It's not a matter of not knowing how to lose it, that I do.  The main problem has been the willpower.  It's not easy to loose weight, this I am learning.  But it's possible, and its only up to me to do it.
I've managed to cut down the Pepsi to just one day a week.  This may sound like an easy thing, but it's not been easy for me.

Although I've not been a perfect eater, I'm not exactly a horrible one.  My main problem the past year was portion control.  I was so used to how I could eat when I was running back to back marathon's that when I wasn't burning 3,000-6,000 calories a day in training it was hard to teach my stomach that it didn't need as much to be full.
Again, I know this sounds like it would be easy and for some it probably is.  But for me, it has been a struggle, I think this is the first time I have said this out loud it's kind of liberating in a way.
I've really been trying hard the past few weeks, I know I can do this!!!

I am eating healthy, and I am eating much smaller portions and drinking lots and lots more water.  In fact, I am actually using measuring cups to do everything from pour my cereal, to my veggies and fruits. It sounds funny, but it has actually helped!
One day a week I have a cheat day, this is the day I eat absolutely anything I want and as much of it as I want.  This is the day I get my Pepsi fix, and any other craving fix that gets me though the next 6 days.

In 3 weeks, I have lost 7 pounds

As the weeks progress, and my stomach gets smaller I am pretty sure I won't be able to eat as much on the "cheat day" and I am sure my cravings will change.  (This is a similar plan I did years ago.)
Every two weeks I plan to mix it up, change how I eat, and change the daily calories and workouts.  To prevent a plateau, and hopefully keep the weight dropping off.  I'm only a few weeks in, but I think this is not just helping me drop weight, but helping me learn to eat healthy, read labels, portion control.  I'll keep you posted on my progress.

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Today is the LAST day to join up with is for the June Giveaway Blog Hop.  If you need more information on it, visit the information page HERE.

If you haven't joined us before, you are missing out!  They are a lot of fun, great way to grow your blog and find and meet other great bloggers.
You host and control your giveaway entirely, you are just linked up with all of the others, this in return brings a lot more people to your blog who may enter your giveaway than if you just hosted your giveaway solo.

If you are interested, we would love to have you join us, here is the sign up:




So tell me about your week. Have you ever struggled to loose weight?

Weekly Updates - Blog Hop Sign Up

This past week, I got over my illness.  I've felt better and better each day.  So I took advantage of it, and started up my daily workout routine again.
I am really excited even if a bit apprehensive for this week.  If everything goes well, I should get my first actual running workout in a bit later today.
I only plan on doing as the Dr. and PT recommended and starting out with 20-50 meters of running, preceded and followed by walking.
That may not sound like much, but its a start to a long process of getting back into it all again.
If no pains, or re-pulls on the injury, then I will likely do it again Wednesday at either the same or just slightly more.  Possibly by Friday working up to 100 meters.
So fingers crossed, as long as the injury doesn't act up then I will consider it a success and my slow start to getting back to running again.

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As for my weekly weight loss progress, I only lost 1/2 a pound.  But I actually consider that a huge success.  Because after loosing so much weight while I was sick, I was sure I'd gain a good portion of it back when I started feeling better and got my appetite back.

But I really went strict with my diet this week so I could avoid that.  I cut my calories back to 1,000 - 1,200 a day.  I did a 50 minute workout each day, even on the ones I still wasn't feeling the best.  Although I won't lie, I wasn't perfect I did have what I would call 2 cheat dinner meals this week, and on those days I couldn't resist having a Pepsi to go with them (no one is perfect:)

So all in all, I am pretty happy with the week!

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I want to give a little mention of the Spring into Fitness Giveaway Blog Hop coming up in a few weeks.  

A blog hop is a group of blogs that join together for a fun giveaway link up.  Each blog hosts their own giveaway, and at the end of their giveaway will have a link to the rest of the blogs in the hop.  Its a great way to discover new blogs, and find new blog followers.

There is still 2 weeks left to decide if you want to join up with us.
If your interested, need more information.  Make sure you CLICK HERE and read all of the rules before signing up.

After you've read the rules, if you are interested we would love to have you join our growing list of bloggers in the blog hop.

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I wish I had more to report, but rather than bore you with mundane details, I think I will just keep this week's ME post a little on the short side.  If you have a blog post today that you want to link up, you can link it up right below.  Have a great week everyone!!

Me Monday's - What I'm loving - Weird Facts

I've been pretty sick the past 2 weeks now.  Not so fun at all!  I'm hoping an end is soon in sight!  So I apologize for not being able to get around to all my favorite blogs as much these past few weeks.  Hopefully all of you have been able to stay a bit healthier than me and free of illness!

So I still don't have much new stuff to report, other than I hope to be well again soon, and I am really really looking forward to my trip that is now less than 4 weeks away.
Originally, my goal was to try to drop 30 pounds before the trip.  As unrealistic as it sounded, it was a good goal to at least shoot for.  Personally, I would love to tell you I have lost the weight entirely from working out, and eating healthy.  Part of it was from that, but the last 9 pounds have really all been lost because of being sick.  I only hope that when I am feeling back to myself again, I don't go and gain it all back when my appetite returns:)  So even though there is a chance the weight will go back up a little, I'm still posting the current weight loss to date.  Because there is always a chance it won't go up and I will be able to keep on losing:)

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THINGS I AM LOVING RIGHT NOW

The Olympics, I have pretty much watched every single event NBC has aired in the evenings since they have begun.  I'm loving them, and I think it is really awesome that so many US medals won have been by Utah athletes!  We have a pretty awesome group of athletes who call our state home!!  But in all honesty, anyone who made it to the Olympics, medals or not is pretty awesome in their own right:)
I'm just from Utah, so I get to be a little prejudice, right:)

I recently received an Apera bag to review, and although you'll be able to see a full review in the coming weeks.  I just have to say, I am loving my new bag and a adore the color!!!  This great tech bag is going to be coming with my on my trip in a few weeks too!
When I received it, I knew it would be an absolutely perfect flight carry-on companion.  Additionally, I plan on taking it out with me on the islands so I can keep my hiking and beach equipment with me when I am out exploring!

I am still loving my Fitbit One, even if I haven't been able to use is as much as I had hoped (darn sickness!)

When I do use it, I enjoy beating my previous day's steps and so on.  Sadly it's spent way too many day's sitting on the nightstand the past few weeks, but that will surely be changing soon!

WHAT I LEARNED THIS WEEK

I like to learn weird facts, and things from the different books I see at the library.  So I thought I'd share a few interesting but yet true facts that I learned this week.  Because if you are like me, you can never get enough useless information to fill your brain with!

* Did you know Gatorade can be used to clean your toilet?
*  In Taiwan garbage trucks drive around blasting music to remind people to quickly come bring out their trash.
*  Did you know, more people have visited the moon, than seen the bottom of the ocean?
*  Did you know, if you have a fear of spiders, studies show that they will look bigger to you than they will to people who don't have a fear of them?
*  Did you know if your an American you are more likely to win a million dollars in a lottery than getting struck my lightning?
*  Did you know the & (and) symbol was actually once a letter in the English alphabet?
*  How many LIVE chickens do you think the US Postal Service has to mail the week leading up to Easter???  Over 800,000... Seriously!
*  Next time you visit NYC, remember that there is a legend that a huge pirate treasure is buried near the Statue of Liberty!
*  One of the items found buried with King Tut in his tomb was a board game!
*  Schools of Atlantic Herring fish sometimes form fish schools the size of NYC
*  Did you know each human body contains a tiny amount of gold?  Its true, Google it if you don't believe me!
*  Speaking of Google, did you know it was originally called Back Rub!!!  Yup!

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Last: If you are a runner, and you will let me Spotlight you on my Thursday Runner Spotlights.  I am currently looking to fill my March Spotlight Spots.  

If you'll let me spotlight you, I would love it if you'd shoot me an email with the subject Runner Spotlight.  My email: runawaybridalplanner(at)hotmail(dot)com

You can fill in the @ and the . 

(FYI, you can be a runner at any speed or distance to be spotlighted anything from you just took your first few steps out the door, to running every day, or even elite!  All runners are welcome in my Spotlights - If you haven't seen them before and want to see more of what I do first you can visit HERE to see past spotlights!!!

So have you learned any weird but true facts that you can help me fill my brain with?  Even if you haven't, if you have a fun blog post that myself and others should make sure to stop by and read feel free to join up in the blog link up!

Me Monday's - Weight Loss - Injury Update - Link Up

All About Me Monday's, where I talk about the going on's of my life and let others link up their own blog posts and share their own life's happenings:) 

- Link Up Your Blog Below -

I have some exciting news to share this week.  First, for those who follow my blog you may have noticed some changes.  I did a little blog makeover, and added a new blog header.
I hired a local college student (Susan) who is going into graphic design, to design the new header for me.  I am loving it, I hope you like it too! I'd love to hear what you think about the new design.
On a side note: if you like my blog header and you're looking to create your own, she does great work, email me and I can put you in touch with her:)

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My next exciting news, is on my injury.  The other day I walked a full mile, and the best part is no pain during or after.  I am waiting a few days to make sure nothing sneaks up on me, but if no increase pain and signs continue to point toward it getting better, I'll start adding walking each day.

To be honest, this is kinda against the Dr. and PT orders.  I also have a sneaking suspicion since I way over did it at a wedding set up, and hurt it horribly that day, that possibly a few things that needed stretching, did just that, stretched..  I have no other explanation as to why it would take a significant move towards healing only after I overworked it so excessively!

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Onto the next great news.  You may have remembered I mentioned last week that I am working on my weight gain problem, which happened mostly during the past year as I have not been able to be very active. Okay, so reality was, I wasn't able to be active at all for the past 6 months, and not much the 6 months before that!
Well I have been being super strict with myself, I have just over 50 days until that cruise, and I am going to loose every pound and inch I possibly can before I go!

My results so far...

I'm pretty stoked!  I knew the first ten pounds are going to be the easiest to drop (I know my body), but the next ten are going to not going to drop as fast.
Because I can't workout like I would like, and cardio isn't really an option.  I don't have to worry about keeping my calorie intake up to make up for the energy I am loosing or need to workout.  I'm not calorie counting exactly, but to put it bluntly, I dropped my calorie intake significantly.  I guess you could say a round about number for my daily calorie intake now is around 1,000.
I am eating healthy, sure I feel like I am starving all the time, but through my experience with loosing weight on and off through the years, that sort of thing is pretty much a given at the beginning...
If what I am doing keeps working, I'll share it will you all in the coming months.  But don't worry, its completely safe and healthy!

I successfully went through last week with only drinking soda 1 day, and I only ate out once.  I've up'd my water intake significantly!  Likely most the weight loss, is from the lack of sugar in the soda I was drinking before.
I've even pulled out my old favorite water bottle.  It's kinda cool, it measures my water intake and tells me how much I should be drinking, how much I have drank, it paces you so you don't drink it all at once, but more throughout the day so you're not spending the entire day in the bathroom.
I've owned it for a few years, but haven't used it in a while.  But this week, the battery on it is going to get some use!  You may have heard about it, its the Hydracoach by Sportsline.  I don't know what they cost these days, but I remember when I bought it, it was a little pricey.

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So far 2014 is turning out to be so much better!  I really think I was cursed last year, I wasn't superstitious before, but I am now, the number 13 isn't such a good number for me anymore:)  Either way, I am super excited to see what 2014 is going to bring!

So that's about it right now:)  What's been going on in your life?
If you'd like to link up below, you are more than welcome to.  If you link up, its not required, but it would be nice if you visit at least 1 other blog linking up.
But as always, you have my guarantee if you link up, I'll be stopping by your blog and sharing some comment love!!