Mistake

Alright, so right off the bat I'll just get it off my chest... I made a big mistake Saturday. It's been pretty nice in the mornings here in Utah so far this year, so when I decided to wake up at 7:30 on Saturday to do my big five mile run, I figured I was going to be able to do it in the nice coolness of the morning. Um... no. I didn't get out the door until close to eight, and by the time I walked the two blocks to the track, I was already feeling the sun on my shoulders. Exactly 2.7 miles later, I felt like I was going to die. My head was pounding, I felt like I couldn't breath, and I was sweating everywhere. I got light-headed and I was moving as slow as a snail. I sat down in the shade and cooled down, then walked home. I felt horrible. This was the end of my week three, and that dang five-miler was supposed to be getting easier to do, not harder. Alright, there it is. I'm not proud, and I'm certainly down, but I'm not out yet. In fact.... now here's the upside and the reason I'm still going strong, my first 5K is this Saturday the 30th, and I picked up my race packet on Saturdayn a few hours after my run. My friend Melanie invited me onto her team with the other ladies from her boot camp class. We all met and picked up our packets and then had lunch to discuss our outfits. We are Team Mud Bunnies hahaha. This race is called "Kiss Me Dirty" and it's a 5K with all sorts of muddy obstacles at the Weber County Fairgrounds. The proceeds to go cervical and ovarian cancer research, which is pretty important to me since both my mom's (mom and step-mom) had to have hysterectomies due to cervical cancer. I am so excited to compete in a race, even if I'm not in it to win it, just to have fun and finish it. I think these fun little 5k's will keep me interested and excited until the big day on September 29th.
As for the 3 miles runs I do Monday and Wednesday, those have been really great. I can complete those now without stopping to walk, and definitly don't feel in danger of passing out when I am done. I'm still not fast, I complete them in about 32 mintues or so, but I don't care. I complete them, and I feel great when I am done. I KNOW this is working, a month ago I wouldn't have dreamed I could run about 10 miles per week. No way!!! So I'm pretty excited about that.
Next week, I don't get to run little 3-milers anymore, my "easy" run is now 4 miles on Mondays and Wednesdays, with SIX miles to do on Saturday. I'm not sure how I'll work that in on Saturday since I have the KMD 5k, but maybe I'll do another 3 miles that night. I guess it's not exactly what the training schedule had in mind, but I'm still out there, off my butt and off the couch, right?! Right. Oh, and here's a little sarcasm to lighten the day :-P

Progress

Week two of running went really well, I must say. It didn't go easy, but it went well as in I finished everything I was supposed to. Two more 3-milers on Monday and Wednesday, and a big ol' 5-miler on Saturday. Monday was pretty average, but on Wednesday I decided to push myself, so I ran the whole first 1.67 miles, then I walked for two minutes, and then I ran the rest of the way, for a total time of just over 30 minutes. I don't know how I did it, and maybe I won't do it again for awhile, but it was pretty good for me, and I'm not ashamed to say I'm proud of myself. Then came Saturday, and that 5 miles took me an hour to complete. I'm refusing the be down about it because the fact is, I did it. And that's means a lot to me. I've never even attempted something like that in my life, and although it took me awhile, I didn't feel like I was going to die when I was done, and I felt great the rest of the day. In fact, one day later, I'm really not even sore. Now that might be an indication that I'm not pushing it hard enough, but man, just starting this whole process is definitly pushing me outside my box, so I refuse to view myself as anything else but a success :)
Another thing I love is that my husband has been so supportive. When he looks at me with pride in his eyes every time I finish my run, I feel like the most beautiful woman in the world. I can't wait to run across that finish line in September with him by side, knowing we did this fabulous, challenging thing together, much like the feeling we will both have the day our first child is born. This marathon is a major step to us being ready to take up the huge challenge called "Parenthood" next year. First things first though... and week three in next!

I Was Running...

You have to say the title of this post like Forrest Gump, or else it's not funny :) As the title alludes, I have been running. I started last week, and so far the excitement of doing something good has carried me through the whole week and the weekend. There are a number of reasons that I started: (1) I am super lazy and tired of not being able to go out and do the things I want to do without getting tired or sore, or wearing the things I want to wear because I have big thighs and muffin-top, (2) I am basically not outstanding at anything, I'm pretty average at everything, and I want something in my life to be proud of doing that requires hard work to accomplish, (3) I want to spend more time with my friends, and a few them are runners, (4) something to do with my husband and dog, and (5) I want to get in really good shape before we have kids next year so I have a hope of getting my body back post-baby.
What better way to get started than to have a goal in mind? My goal is the Huntsville Half Marathon on September 29th. I love the Huntsville/Eden/Liberty area because my in-laws live in Eden and we are up there a lot, so I know this run is going to be an absolutely beatiful run. Also, one of my husband's fellow officers was just recently diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic and liver cancer, and so it was decided that anyone who was willing and able would join a team, and we would try to raise funds for his treatments. So in addition to the reasons mentioned above, I can also add 'for a good cause" to my list, and that one feels good too.
I found a training guide online for an absolute "off-the-couch" beginning runner. It basically consists of differing and every-lengthening distances to run, but with one constant: you run for 3 minutes and walk for 2. You just keep doing that over and over again until you reach that day's distance requirement. It's not about finishing in a certain amount of time, it is simply about finishing! After all..

One of the reasons I can't stick with things sometimes is I set my sights too high and I get discouraged when I can't reach them right away. This 3 minute run / 2 minute walk thing is sooo do-able. The first day I did this (last Monday) I completed my three miles in about 37 minutes. The next time I did it was last Thursday, and my time was just slightly faster by about five seconds. The point is, I actually did it, and I did it without cheating or making any excuses with myself to not do it. HOWEVER, I was supposed to do a 4 mile-er on Saturday, but we went up to my cabin and I ended doing a two mile hike with about two hours worth of trail-clearing and fence-fixing, so by the time that was all said and done, my husband allowed me skip the run :) He figured I had done enough. I promise never to skip it again though!
Today's run I decided to push myself a little, so I ran the whole first mile (took a little over 11 minutes), and then I did the run/walk thing for the remaining two miles. This took 35:57. I beat my previous two times by a minute! These little triumphs are what are going to keep me going.

I've also tried to look up a few diet / nutrition tips that don't require me to make huge drastic changes that I will have trouble doing while I am also trying to change my lifestyle by running  a few times a week. One major tip I keep seeing over and over is to drink your weight in water: one oz of water for every pound you weigh. For me, thats about 126 oz's per day. I started that last week, I don't get there every day, but it's a heck of a lot more water than I used to drink, so I count any day I try to get there as a success. Another tip is no more soda! I'm not a huge soda drinker anyway, but I do occassionaly like my Pepsi with dinner, but besides one cheat this weekend at the cabin, I have stopped the soda drinking. The no-sugar tip is going to be hard, I'll admit. It's not that I stuff my face with candy at all hours of the day, but I do like an occasional sweet or two, usually in the form of a bite-sized Reese's or chocolate-covered raisin. I'm not going to set myself up for failure and say never again. Life is too short! But I will promise to keep it to a very bare minimum. I will also try to limit my intake of white bread/rice and all junk food and ice cream.
I will try to post once a week or so on my running activities and weight and thoughts. I want to blog about this because I want to see how HARD this was for me at the beginning, and look back on my thoughts and difficulties and discouragements and triumphs so that the next time I think I can't do something, I can go back and read about my journey from beginning to end, and realize that I CAN do hard things. I can do things that have nothing to do with instant gratification and have everything to do with dedication and commitment until a larger reward is received at the end. A girl who has never run a mile at a time in her life is going to run a half marathon in 17 weeks. Yep, she sure is.  Here's a few images to keep me going:

And what I want most is to be fit, confident in my own skin, and able to conquer anything!!!

I am going to be patient with myself and allow the hard work I do every time

I run to slowly work, and not get discouraged when I don't see changes right away.

I WILL fulfill this promise to myself and keep with this.

I'm going to do the HARD stuff so that I can do more GREAT stuff.

I so wish that I could depend on running getting easier, but I think the only thing I can

hope for is that it gets easier to do understand how hard I have to work, and that in

some sense, I get used to how hard a workout really is, and so it no longer scares me.

Yes, I can, and YES I WILL!!!

Wedded Bliss

So, it's been a little over seven months since we got married. Maybe one day I'll get to posting the wedding pics... but all that is kind of in the past now. It seems forever ago, to be honest. I really don't understand why they say that the first year is the hardest. I think every day, every week, every month, it's gotten better. My husband's not perfect, and I certainly am not, but for some reason, we fit perfectly together. We have so much fun, and I am so excited for all our fun trips we have planned this summer and fall. One might say I was meant to be married! Life just keeps moving foward, and I continue to take it one step at a time, but man there are so many things I want to accomplish, and since I lay awake and think about these things at night, and where to possibly begin with all of them, I though I would start a short bucket list to (hopefully) get them out of my brain :

(in no particular order whatsoever)

1. Learn How To Take Amazing Photographs

(I just bought a Nikon D3000, and I'm sort of obsessed with
YouTube video tutorials right now.)

2. Write a Novel

( I've started it, we'll see when I finish it. )

3. Have Kids

(Obviously! Fortunately, I know how to start accomplishing this one,
it's just more a matter of WHEN... but we'll get to this in time :)

4. Be Self-Employed

(This is probably the largest and most non-specific task on my
bucket list, but I guess if my novel is a success, I can
mark 2 and 4 off in one fell swoop!)

5. Actually Finish College

(The more time that goes by, the more frustrating it gets,

despite the fact that I'm closer and closer. Ironic? I think not. )

6. Visit Ireland/Scotland/England

( Yep, it's the land of my forebearers, and it has always
 held some romantic draw for me. The only reason Prince
William didn't marry me isbecause I didn't get out there in time,
that's my story and I'm stickin' to it.)

7. Own Some Horses

( I had the typical little-girl obsession with horses and ponies,

although it stuck with me into adulthood, so here I am, horseless
 at 26, and I would really like to own some at some point.)

8. Run A Marathon

(Strangely enough, I don't run well at all, nor particularly enjoy
exercise, so I have no idea why this has always been a goal of
mine. Weird. We'll see how this one plays out.)

9. Go On A Cruise

(Not very creative, I know, but I'm sure everyone has thought

about it or done it, I hear they are dang fun.)

10. Go Back to the D.R.

(I don't know when it will happen, since it's hard to spend so much
money on a place I've already been when there are so many new
places to go, but the Dominican will always have a piece of my heart.
I have to make it back one day.)

11. Make More Goals For My Bucket List

(One can never have too much to look forward to! )

Pics

Engagement Pics

So we got our engagement pics finished! The first time we went to
do our pictures, my mom fell and broke her ankle about five
minutes in, and we had to get her to the E.R., so that night was a
bust. Two weeks later we tried again, and we got the job done. It
was really fun getting ready and taking the pictures, and Mitch did a
really good job fixing up the pics for us.

Man do I have a hot almost-husband or what?! Love him :)

Engagement

Engagement!

Sorry for not writing about our engagement sooner, but I'm not so good with blogging. Justin and I got engaged back on June 5th, and boy oh boy was it a surprise to me! I had actually planned the whole skydiving event as a surprise 30th birthday present for Justin. I got his sister Shannon to come out from Reno, and we surprised him with that the day before we took him skydiving. He knew something was going on, but he thought the surpise was over when he saw his sister Shannon was in town. After spending the morning with Shannon and her boyfriend out and about town, he started to get angry when I didn't drive home so he could get ready for work. When I pulled into the parking lot at the skydiving place, the anger went away, and excitement took hold :) He has always wanted to go skydiving, so he was pretty stoked he didn't have to go to work, and got to jump out of an airplane instead. Well....... unknown to me, Justin's mother and sister had hatched a little engagement plan, and they pulled Justin aside and asked him if he wanted to ask me to marry him that day. His mother had gotten the ring, and they made a bunch of posters that he could hold up at the landing strip when I came in for my landing after skydiving. He was totally excited about the idea, and that's how it went from a surprise birthday present for him, to a surprise engagement for me. We had a bunch of friends and family there for the skydiving, so it ended being doubly fun when they all got to be there for our engagement. Absolutely amazing day!

This was just after Justin and Kyle jumped and right before Shannon and I went up in the plane for our jump. Notice all our friends and family there!

Yep, we got the whole fam damily there, even my mom's dog.... Amazing feeling!!! Can't wait to go again! And while I was doing this, Justin was on the ground doing this....

That's my mom Dian, Justin's mom Sharon, Justin, and the best man Kyle.

This is what I saw when I came down to the landing strip.

Yes, I totally got proposed to in that goofy skydiving hat.

So that's our engagement story. It was perfect in every way.

We've got it on video too, and we are going to try and play that at the wedding.

Sad News

Goodbye Grandma Dorothy

Little did we know when we went to Tahoe last month and moved Nanna into her assisted living community, that would be last time we got to see her. She passed away on April 15th, surrounded by family, and free of pain. Again, we drove down to Tahoe to attend her beautiful funeral, and spend time with family and friends.

She was such a wonderful, special lady. In the short time I've known her, and during the four times I have gotten to spend time with her, she made me feel loved and cared for, and definitly like a member of the family. She will be sorely missed, and she will always remain in the hearts of the people who knew and loved her.

Here are some pictures we had taken with her during our trip to Tahoe in March.

Until we meet again Grandma Dorothy.... we will miss you.