Running: Week Three

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So this week was not nearly as productive as the week before as in how often I ran. However, I met my very first short-term goal on today's run!

To run a mile without stopping. 

I ran 2 miles in 22 minutes! That's an 11 minute mile people!! And I ran a mile and a half of that without stopping! And once I did stop, it was only to walk for one minute. It was by far the best run I have had so far! I feel very good about how well it went. Funny thing is I really had to talk myself into doing it. Sadly, the fact that I have to carry a stroller up and down three flights of stairs just to get a run in for the day is very discouraging. But I bucked up and did it. Even with the dogs this time!

I came home and had my protein shake and then it's off to shower and read until I have to work. Logan is down for a nap and again, I feel great!

I already updated on the other run I had earlier this week. I took three days off after that run. Why? It was a hard run and I came home from it feeling pretty terrible. I had those "I never want to run again" thoughts. Of course Bestie tells me that I am going to have bad runs. Well, having a bad run this week must have been the reason behind this awesome run today!

So I ran a total of five miles in 1:30 (that's 1 hour, 30 min) and burned over 1000 calories. Wowza! This mama is getting her heiny into shape! :) Have a great weekend!

Shout it Out!

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AHHH!! The night out was amazing!! First off-please excuse the blurry photos. My camera seriously sucks at shows. The lighting is not right and my settings are not versatile enough. The last few photos rock because I got super close to the stage and used my flash. Reason #88 why I need a new fancy-pants camera.

I headed down to Denver with Logan late afternoon. B was supposed to come with me and see me realize this dream of meeting Hanson. Unfortunately, he came down with a horrible fever and chills early that morning and there was no way he would be coming with us. Second time in a week he has been sick! Poor guy.

When I got to my MIL's house B's aunt was there and because B could not come with me I had an extra ticket. I asked if she wanted to join me and she instantly said yes! I had a concert buddy!! We left the house around 6:30pm and arrived at the venue right at 7:00pm when doors opened. Once inside we managed to get some pretty awesome seats, ordered some drinks and aps and waited for the show to start!

So here is the crazy part of the story. All day long Hanson had been in Cali filming the Conan O'Brian show. I follow them on Twitter and kept checking for updates. Bestie, being that she works for the radio station they were playing for, knew that they would be flying in late and pretty much arriving the minute they were due on stage. I'd be lying if I wasn't shaking in my boots wondering if they would arrive on time! I kept asking Bestie if they had landed and as of 9:00pm they were still in the air! They flew in on a private jet. Fortunatly, the airport was not too far from the venue and by the time the last act was done they were there ready to rock! I was standing behind all the tables and had a perfect, center stage view. They walked right past me to get on stage. Hanson took the stage at 9:45 and played for a good hour with an encore song of "Ain't No Sunshine" by Bill Withers. It was awesome!! B actually texted me right as they took the stage to say he was watching their performance on Conan. CRAZY!

Near the end of the show this girl standing next to me was wasted and kept elbowing me. She was begging Isaac to toss her a guitar pick and he did. Well she had no coordination and I managed to find the pick on the floor! Then Bestie brought me another one this morning when we met for breakfast.

After the show all the artists did a fun meet-and-greet. I have signed photos from Andy Grammer (first pic), Parachute, Default, and of course Hanson! I shook hands with Issac and Taylor and got an awesome pic with Zac! The pic was taken by the radio station and as soon as I get a copy I will be sharing it. :)

The other artists were great. Andy Grammer busted out some awesome beat-boxing! He had some fantastic songs and really knew how to get the crowd going. Parachute was also great! Default is kind of a one-hit-wonder band with "Wasting Time" way back in the day. The lead singer has such a deep voice. B's aunt was loving that! And to have Hanson round out the evening was priceless. I could have stood there all night dancing and singing along to all my favorite songs. 

Here are my favorite pics!

(me and bestie. love her!)

13 all over again

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Yes, folks. This is Hanson. And they are my most favorite band in all the land. lol!! And tonight, I am going to an underground radio show, thanks to Bestie and her fab job. I will not only be listening to their fantastic new sound, I will also get to MEET THEM! Another one of those awesome perks of having a bestie in the radio industry. These guys have been my band since I was 13 years old. They are all married and have children now. We can all identify with each other. So excuse me while I go dig up all my Hanson stuff and try to decide what I should take for them to sign. HAPPY THURSDAY!!

(I personally took these pictures 2 years ago at the Bluebird in Denver)

Of Paci Wars and the Big Run

>Logan is going to be 14 months old on Friday. FOURTEEN MONTHS!! Can you believe it? I sure can't. I look at him every morning and I swear it looks more and more like a little boy and less like a baby. One key thing that seems to hold him back from little boyhood is that damn paci. I freaking hate it. He is obsessed! I get that this is a special "security/comfort blanket" of sorts and by no means do I want to take something like that away. But it does have to go. I have not done very much reading on the subject and I just have a plan. That's it. I figure every kid is different and how to get rid of the paci is different for all kids. So here's the plan:

Three days ago I stopped letting him have his paci outside of naps and bedtime. We had attempted this a few months ago and somehow we gave in to allowing it anytime thereafter. Now, we've got a strong hold on him not having it outside his crib. Period. This includes when we go out. He has no problem falling asleep in his car seat and I am torn as to whether or not I will carry one with me just in case. Either way, the goal is to be rid of the paci by the end of the month. In a week or two I am going to start taking it away for naps and by the end of the month he should be free and clear of it for all sleep times. I have no idea if this is going to work. I'm going to try though. The sight of it makes him yearn for that comfort and the only way to calm him is through distraction. Sippies of water and a fun toy seem to be working so far.

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On another note I want to share my run I had yesterday. I ran 3.4 miles! While this was not all at once, broken up in half due to swim lessons, I feel pretty darn good having done it. The last half on the way home was walked. My body was hurting something fierce! Today my muscles are sore and it feels so good! No running today. It's rainy and I'm going to do the P90X Abs X workout again. That is serious ouchies!

Running Goals

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Becoming a runner is in and of itself a goal. Within that I have many short and long-term goals for getting me to that place. I do not feel like a true runner-yet. But I want to be. Here are the goals I have set for myself.

Short:

1. Run three times a week
2. Run a mile without stopping
3. Run two miles without stopping
4. Run 30 minutes without stopping
5. Buy runners socks (2 pair)
6. Drink four 32oz bottles of water a day

Long:

1. Run the Horsetooth Half next spring (it’s coming up the end of this month)
2. Collect some awesome running gear other than shoes
3. Run five days a week for at least 30 minutes without stopping

None of these goals have a real “deadline” as to when I want to meet them. I have a new running buddy from swim class and we may be getting together in the next 3-4 weeks. I would really like to be able to run two miles without stopping at that point, and I think I can, I just don’t want to push myself too hard to get there. Obviously, in a year I hope to run a half marathon around one of the coolest landmarks in our town. It’s beautiful and hilly. Makes my calves burn just thinking about it! Everything else is flexible. The ultimate goal here is to get into shape. I am not trying to lose weight. In fact, if I gain a few pounds in muscle weight, then that is awesome. Otherwise, I just want to better my health. Being a positive influence to Logan and our future children is very important to us and I want Logan to know that an active lifestyle is healthy. I am sure Logan will have no problem with that! The moment he learns to walk he will be all over the place!

What are your fitness goals?

i heart faces-best of March

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I shared this photo a few days ago and as I was going through the photos I took this month I kept coming back to this fantastic shot of Logan. B's dad and fiancee gifted us an incredible dinner at the aquarium. Our table was right next to a gigantic tank which was home to eels, barracudas, and about 30 other species of salt water fish. It was an incredible experience, mostly because we were seeing the wonder and awe through Logan's eyes. There are no good words to describe how infatuated he was with this adventure. He could not stop smiling. He's looking at a big fish taking a pass in front of the glass yet his reflection is looking right at me. Amazing. I cannot wait to take him back this summer!

Head on over to iheartfaces to check out all the other entries this week. This is a viewers choice so PLEASE take a moment to vote for us! We are #215. Thanks!!

Week Two: Running Update

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This week of running has been pretty good! I feel like I have climbed that beginners hurdle. You know it. The one where the voices in your head tell you to stop, that you can’t do it, that you’re too tired, etc. All those silly excuses for shortening or not even participating in your desired workout. I have a serious mental bully in my head and it is all I can do to block it out.

I put my new running shoes on THREE times this week for a total of SIX miles ran/walked!! I know for most this is nothing. I have a friend who runs 20-30 miles at a time and an eight mile run is short for him. Ugh. My long-term running goals are NOT to run that much at once. Here is a quick recap of the week:

Monday: I ran on the treadmill and kept with the plan for week two of the eight week running program. I ran two minutes, walked 1 minute. I was feeling great for most of it until I started to feel faint. I stoped just after I hit a mile. Then was lectured by B and Heidi to drink more water. Go figure.

Tuesday: I turned on a Pilates video and did a 30 minute buns/thighs workout. It was great! I have always loved yoga.

Thursday: I ran a mile again on the treadmill and because B had been pretty sick the last 24 hours I was exhausted. It was all I could do to get to that mile.

Friday: I walked with the dogs and Logan around the neighborhood. It was a beautiful day.

Saturday: Bestie was in town. She is one of my key motivators to run and I could not wait to have a running buddy. The morning was beautiful. We hit it with Logan and ran/walked almost three miles! We stopped at the store to get a few things and a movie. Best weekend in a long time!

Overall I am very proud of myself. I am proud that I was able to stay motivated to make the time to workout, no matter what I was doing. This is a huge feat for me. As I have stated before, I have never been a very athletic person. Now I know that I don’t need to be athletic to be a runner. I don’t need to be athletic to practice yoga or do the 30 Day Shred. I was putting myself in a “non-athletic” box which meant there was no way I could become a runner. The blinders are off and I am rearing to go! Sundays will always be my day of rest. I have not worked up to a five-day a week workout plan yet. I am pacing myself until I feel ready to do that. Also, things will change once I start my new job in a few weeks. If anyone else out there needs some motivation let me know! The positive reinforcement and encouraging words are sometimes the ONLY thing that keeps me going. Oh yeah and drinking TONS of water. Per Heidi, I am working up to four 34oz bottles of water a day. Yeah, that’s a GALLON. I’ve reached three the last two days. Coming up: GOALS!