Hoop zen

Some people use yoga as their happy place to find their zen. That’s never worked for me.  I don’t like yoga.  It’s hard and uncomfortable and there is no relaxing involved as I am in too much pain and concentrating too hard to clear my mind. I’ve tried it.  I’ve wanted to like it.  But it doesn’t work for me. Bummer, right?  Some people may find it weird that the best place for me to turn off my brain and let go is with a basketball in my hand.  My favorite way to unwind is to put on headphones, shuffle my playlist, and just shoot hoops.  I could shoot baskets for hours. Some days I just shoot until my arms ache.  Sometimes I play games of around the world against myself.  Most days I do a shot challenge.  I will say, today I have to make 200 baskets.  It may take me 20 minutes, it may take me an hour but I won’t stop until I make it 200 times. It’s a great way to get my steps without thinking about it or the monotony of the treadmill.  I’m no Michael Jordan. I’m 5’7 if I stand up straight, Norwegian and have zero vertical leap. I mean, zero.  But I do have a sweet perimeter shot. Sometimes, when I’m feeling a wee bit crazy, I even attempt a lay-up or three pointer.  I’ve been known to get uber competitive and kick some serious butt in games of Horse.  But it’s the simple shot after shot that brings me joy and inner peace.  Sounds strange to some, but that’s my point. It doesn’t matter if you can’t master a downward dog or table top sunrise Buddha half back stance. Find what makes you happy. Find an activity that brings you peace and like our friend Nike demands, JUST DO IT! It doesn’t need to be something other people promote for relaxation.  It only has to suit you.  Maybe it’s a bike ride, walking through the park, jumping on a trampoline or dancing to Nelly in your bedroom while you fold laundry (guilty of that a million times over).  Find it, do it, love it.  

Lame class, Biggest Loser and a great step challenge week

So there I was, super excited that I could get back to my gym schedule because wrestling season is over for the boys.  I haven’t been to a Monday night swim class since October! I went to the Y, got my 2 miles of cardio on the treadmill then headed down to the pool.  I swam laps for 20 minutes in the warm rec pool before I headed over to the competitive pool for class.  I recognized the teacher and vaguely remembered that I thought her class was fun.  Well, it used to be fun.  When I first started up with pool class jump roping a noodle and sprinting across the pool was a workout.  But not anymore.  She didn’t do tabata, I didn’t break a sweat and it was freezing cold because we weren’t moving enough to keep warm.  There was only so much of this I could stand.  Half an hour into class I left.  It was a waste of my time and I had workouts at home that would be much more challenging.  I’m glad to see that my body and abilities have advanced but I was very disappointed.  I will remember not to go to that class again.  Luckily, I have Tuesday-Saturday classes that will keep my butt. 

I’ve heard a lot of rumblings about the Biggest Loser finale this week.  Did any of you watch it?  If not, I've linked to a picture. What was your opinion of the winner, Rachel?  I will admit, when she first walked out I gasped in horror.  I thought it was terrible, but mostly I thought it was sad.  I thought she looked like Karen Carpenter. I was sad for the way America was so quick to rip her apart for doing exactly what she was brought to the show to do; lose the most weight and take home $250,000.  She did that. I’m not condoning it or supporting it, just saying, she did her “job” and used the tools at hand.  What would you do to win a quarter of a million dollars?  I sincerely hope that she only did it to win and has not developed an eating disorder or anything else equally as tragic.  I hope that she puts on 20 pounds and tones up and lives a wonderfully healthy and beautiful life.  I hope she is happier than she’s ever been.  I hope she is strong enough to ignore the people that will never be satisfied and always looking for something to criticize.  She was too fat in America’s eyes when she started and she ended up being too skinny in the end.  I’m sure she feels like she just can’t win.

I did pretty well in the step challenge last week.  My numbers are up in every category.  Woo hoo! 87,914 steps! Over 38 miles walked for last week and 123 floors climbed. I got a new badge from fitbit that I’ve climbed over 4000 flights of stairs which is something about being as high as a 747 jumbo jet.  I didn’t really get it but I do love badges.  I’ve walked 107.68 in three weeks which would be the equivalent of walking to Coralville (109 miles) from Des Moines.  By the end of this week I should be past Iowa City and to my brothers in West Liberty.  Of course, if my goal for the year is to walk to Los Angeles, that would totally be heading the wrong direction.  J

Steps, superbowl and upcoming events

Well, I won last week’s step challenge…barely! These ladies are really “stepping up” their game.  And I had two days where steps weren’t quite to 10,000.  When you’re in a car for 7 hours it’s tough to get steps! So far for this week I’m in 3^rd place so I gotta get moving.  My 17,633 steps yesterday should’ve helped but I will have to keep my numbers high all week.  Only 3000 steps separate the three of us so it’s anybody’s game. 

Sunday night a bunch of our friends and kiddos came over to the watch the Superbowl.  Since that was a boring blowout we ended up talking in the dining room with the TV merely on for background noise. I had went to the gym in the morning because I knew it was going to be a crazy day. So thankful I did.  I barely cleared my 10,000 steps for the day.  And we spent part of our time walking back and forth in the kitchen to get our steps together.  Ha! I love my friends.  They are awesome.  Everyone else was looking at us like we were lunatics but, hey, that’s not breaking news at all.  Snacks and tempting food were abundant at the party.  I tried to be as good as I could but I did find myself grazing time and again.  Grr.  Although, it appears I could’ve just licked a salt block all night because man, was I swollen on Monday.  Still retaining some serious water today yet.  Yikes! At least all the birthday cake is finally out of the house! That should help.  Oh how I love me some Costco sheet cake.

I’m hoping the snow storm that has begun doesn’t end up cancelling pool class tonight.  Looking forward to some tabata in the pool and then kickboxing tabata when I get home.  A friend sent me an at home workout she tried that looks really interesting.  She did it up the ladder and back down.  1-12 and 12-1. Props to you, AW!! That’s awesome! I’m going to give it a try soon and thought I would share it in case anyone else is looking to shake things up a bit. 

Only 20 weeks until we go to Vegas and I will definitely be rocking a swimsuit at the pool at the end of June. Plus, my 20 year, no, that’s not a typo, my 20 year class reunion is this year as well.  Gulp.  When the hell did I get so old?  Anyway, two big events to keep me on track to my goals. Let’s shock the crap out of some people I haven’t seen in a while.  

A stellar week!

Our step competition has really got me focused and on the ball.  I love it.  I won this week’s challenge by logging 84,212 steps! That’s an average of 5.25 miles a day.  I had one day that I walked 8.12 miles.  Yes, I’m patting myself on the back a bit here but I’m really proud of myself.  It’s going in my victory journal.  Last week I walked a total of 36.78 miles.  If I average 35 miles a week that would be 1820 miles in a year and would definitely get me to Los Angeles (1700 miles away).  Hopefully each week I can get my mileage number to rise higher and higher.  Pair that with pool class and my tabata kick boxing and hooray for losing 5 pounds this week.  Wrestling will be done for the boys in March which means I will have my nights back to do my workouts instead of finding workouts to do while I wait for them to get done with practice.  Yippee!

I have a goal weight in mind by February 6^th and I’m working hard to get to it.  I have the magic number plastered in important places where I will see it constantly.  I’m not going to be obsessed or upset if I don’t hit it and spiral into a fit of depression but it would be a super cool milestone so I’m trying with all my might.  This weekend wasn’t easy. I was surrounded by temptation at every turn.  Pizza, breadsticks, wings, birthday cake galore…but I came through pretty well and just keep plugging away.  High protein, low carbs, wise choices, portion control.  All keys to success and part of my 2014 resolutions.  I hope your resolutions are still in play and you are working to make this a wonderful year.  And if you fell off the wagon, it’s ok.  Just climb back on.  Don’t wait until Monday or next month or the summer.  Do it now.  You will be glad you did.  Every day is a new chance.  

Fitbit Fun

Fitbit. I love it.  Let’s be honest, I’m a bit obsessed with my gadget.  I have been since the I got it a year and a half ago. It tracks my steps, flights of stairs climbed, sleep, calories burned and activity level. It has a barcode scanner to input food and the app is free, unlike bodybugg.  My ultra tracker is a bit battered and bruised and I’m hoping to upgrade to the Force model soon so I can wear it on my wrist instead of in my bra. 

The other day I got an email from Fitbit with a quick summary of my 2013 Fitbit activity.  It was kind of fun to see.  I walked 1270 miles which is longer than the Tigris River or the equivalent of walking from my house to Hartford, Connecticut. I’d say that’s some decent mileage.   As you can see below it also broke down my most active weekday (Mondays), my most active month (January) and my most active day of the year (August 26^th).  The month of November and Fridays were my least active.  Nothing earth shattering but kind of fun to see.  Maybe in 2014 I can walk my way back to Los Angeles (1700 miles).  So far I’m on track for a great year.  Last week alone I walked 35.77 miles.  That’s definitely upping my average.  I credit my increased steps/mileage to my step challenge I have going on with Melody and Kara.  Love those ladies and the way they inspire me.  I worked hard to win last week’s challenge and will continue to do so in upcoming weeks.   

At home kickboxing

Sunday my husband and his buddies finished our mancave in the basement and spent the entire afternoon and evening watching the football playoffs on the new flat screen.  I stayed upstairs and got some more unpacking done, watched football without the bickering of what calls the coaches should've made and played on Pinterest.  I was searching for Tabata workouts and found a fun one for boxing.  Who got super excited? This girl! The original was only the first two sets (crosses/jabs and upper cuts) but when I did it last night, I added 2 more sets of kicks.  The total workouts was 20 minutes and I did it while watching Biggest Loser in my living room.  It doesn't get much easier than that, does it?  Also, I found a great app called Tabata+ Lite which does your countdown timer for you and even keeps track of the rounds.  This is great for me because I can barely count to 8 when I'm not doing anything, let alone kicking and watching a timer and keeping track of how many rounds I've done.  That's just not happening without a little help from technology. So here's my at home kickboxing tabata workout if you want to try it.  I love it.  It's simple, quick and effective.  What more can I ask for?

Quick Tabata boxing workout

5-10 minute cardio warmup (I had just done 60 minutes of pool class so I skipped this but you could do any kind of walking in place, jump rope, squats, lunges, stairs, etc.)

1^st set- Repeat for 8 cycles

20 secs of jabs & crosses (high speed and power)

10 secs of rest or squats

Rest 1 minute

2^nd set- Repeat for 8 cycles

20 seconds of upper cuts (high speed and power)

10 secs of rest or lunges

Rest 1 minute

3^rd set- Repeat for 8 cycles

20 seconds of side kicks (alternate legs per round)

10 secs of running in place

Rest 1 minute

4^th set- Repeat for 8 cycles

20 seconds of front kicks (alternate legs per round)

10 secs of running in place

Cool down and stretch

Tabata

Have you heard of Tabata training? It’s not a new idea in the world of fitness but it’s new to me.  We’ve been doing it in pool class and I love it.  The Tabata workout only lasts four minutes per segment, but it is grueling! The structure of the program is: Workout hard for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds.  

Doesn’t sound bad, right? Except you do it for 8 rounds.  And then you start again with 8 rounds of a different exercise.  For example in pool class we do 20 seconds of push-throughs, jumping jacks or running (in the deep end of the pool).  Our 10 second “rest” is a flutter kick and then right back at it.  We do multiple sets of 8 with different exercises and rest movements each time.  It’s awesome.  When you’re sweating in the pool, you know that you are working it in a great way. I’ve heard they are starting to use the same theory in some of the spin and body pump classes too but I haven’t tried those lately.  For now I’m just enjoying having burning abs and legs every time I leave pool class. 

I’m closing the gap on Kara and Melody on steps.  I was nine shy of 16,000 on Monday night which was 7.5 miles according to my fitbit. Yesterday I had 12,300.  I’ve gotta keep busting my booty so that I can take the #1 spot this week.  Lyndee loves a little friendly competition!   

Oldies but goodies

Last night a dear friend and I were talking and she told me for the zillionth time how much she hates the treadmill.  But it’s Iowa and it’s colder than a you know what out there right now.  She is determined to get her 10,000 steps every day so she uses the treadmill over her lunch and some nights, she just walks around the house, up and down the stairs, chasing or cleaning up after her young children for an hour until she hits her steps.  I think she’s awesome.  I was trying to think of how I could help her. I too have gone through periods where I would rather sledgehammer the treadmill than walk on it.  Then I remembered the two awesome classes at Biggest Loser Fitness Ridge that had me so focused on the time, intervals and beating myself that I was more than happy to be on the treadmill or elliptical.  I’ve posted these before.  You guessed it: Treading and Mountain class!!!  If you are adding some steps or workouts to your 2014 resolutions but are already bored beating the belt to nowhere, then try these! I guarantee the time will fly by and you will get a great workout in.  

Speedo, no no.

I was so psyched to go to pool class last night…and then I got home.  We bought a new house and moved last week.  I was sick this weekend so I didn’t get all the unpacking done that I wanted.  Last night I get home from work to change and head to the Y. I know my swimsuit is in a bag, instead of a tote.  I placed it purposely in that bag with my pajamas and some jeans so I would know where they were.  I can’t find the bag anywhere.  I look all over our room.  Tear through the walk-in closet. Even check the garage.  Nothing.  I go through each box and bag in my room and the closet again.  Ugh! It’s 15 minutes until class starts.  This would’ve been an easy excuse to skip the workout but I didn’t want an excuse.  I wanted to get my muscles aching. I find a bag that has odds and ends swimsuit pieces in it.  I had to piece something together.  I grab some bottoms and a top.  The bottoms are a bit snug and the top is falling off of me but they are the only ones that even remotely match and I don’t want to look like a total hobo.  I throw my sports bra on under the top just to be safe, which proved to be one of the best decisions I’ve made in 2014 so far because when swimsuit material gets wet, it gets loose.  Lesson learned.

Class is being held in three lanes of the competitive pool.  The other lanes are full of high school boys warming up for their swim meet an hour later.  Now, I’m from a small town and we didn’t have a swim team when I was growing up but holy hell was this a disturbing situation.  I don’t enjoy seeing anyone in a speedo. Not even my love, LL Cool J.  Frankly, I think they should be outlawed.  But here I am in pool class surrounded by high school boys in speedos.  And some of them were wearing white ones.  What the hell?!?!?  Who thinks that is a good idea?  On the upside, I wasn’t worried anymore about looking like a hobo in my mismatched, falling out the top and bottoms so tight they began sliding down a few times, outfit.  At least I wasn’t wearing a speedo.  Other than that, class was awesome.  My muscles were twitching and the abs were on fire.  I’m so glad that I made the effort to go.  Before bed I began emptying a few totes in our closet.  Low and behold, on top of the shoe shelf, hidden by my hubby’s hanging clothes, was a bag…the special bag with my swimsuit in it.  I went to bed feeling victorious and happy knowing that I will be able to locate my normal swimsuit with ease for Friday night and Saturday morning classes.  Hooray, me! 

Polar plunge

It's 13 degrees outside but I'm still debating going to pool class tonight. Tuesday is my only free night during the week I can make class but dang it's cold outside. Some call it crazy. Some say comitted. Maybe I'm just a little mix of both. 

2014 Resolutions

I was thinking last night, as I went to bed, that I needed to write a post about New Year’s resolutions.  This morning I got a comment on a previous post asking if I had any for 2014.  I do! Unlike previous years, I’m not making a list of huge, mind-boggling and somewhat daunting resolutions. Although I’m thinking another sprint triathlon may be in my future.  But this year I’m doing a list of small resolutions that I can work on all year long.  Really basic stuff that is easy to forget but key to success. I’ve been doing well the last few months and have climbed back on track.  It’s a nice feeling.  I want that feeling to continue and I think these things will help me do just that. 

1. Log my food.  Every morsel.  There’s no reason not to.  Apps like myfitnesspal, fitbit and loseit make it so easy.

2. Make Lyndee time.  Find the things I enjoy doing like my pool classes and 5K’s with my friends and make time for them, no matter how hectic my schedule may be.    

3. Surround myself with positive and motivating people.  Haters, negative auras and doubters can hit the road. 

4. Try new things that scare me slightly.  This February I will be joining a small group personal training class at work twice a week.  I’m not a big fan of working out with people I don’t know well enough to trust so this will be a big step for me. 

5. Continue to push myself, mentally and physically. Getting new certifications at work? Some masters degree classes? Trying a new class at the Y? Doing a 10K? 

6. Run more.

7. Embrace cleaner eating.  I’ve done a pretty good job of this the last two months but I would like to continue this trend and maybe push it a little further. 

8. Continue being a protein maniac.  I’m not carb free but I went from a carb junkie to VERY limited amounts of bread, pasta, rice and sweets and my body definitely feels the difference.  If there’s a seafood or chicken sale at a local grocery store, I will be first in line.  I love tuna, salmon, tilapia, cod, scallops, shrimp, chicken breast…you name it.  There’s so many different ways to make these that your tongue should never get bored. 

9. I’m just over half way to working back off what I had gained back.  Now, I will eliminate that, and continue moving forward.  2014 will be the year of my one-derland and it will feel awesome.

10. Rock a sexy new outfit at my 20 year class reunion this summer.  

11. Write more.  Not just on this blog or testing trendy but finish my book, write more letters to my Grandma, be more consistent with my journal, write more thank you notes.  Writing makes a happy Lyndee. And a happy Lyndee should really be the ultimate resolution every year.  

Where did 2013 go?

I find it crazy that it is time for Thanksgiving already. I feel like 2013 should only be half over.  Time really does fly when you're having fun, I guess.  I am thankful for my awesome, supportive family and friends, that I'm alive to enjoy each day with them, and that every day I get stronger and take better steps towards my health goals.

I noticed something at work the other day that made me happy.  Unfortunately, the tiny room where the microwave is for our floor is full of vending machines.  Bad snacks like chips, candy bars, sodas, etc. loom while you are trying to warm up your lunch and avoid temptation.  But I saw this the other day and I thought it was cool.  I've never had that brand so I can't claim if it's good or bad but I"m glad there is a machine offering protein shakes, vitamin water, fruit juice and other options besides soda.

On a side note, I have a new obsession. I've seen these around for a while but was never brave enough to try them until a few weeks ago when normal tuna was boring the heck out of my taste buds.  They have sweet and spicy, hickory smoked and herb & garlic. I haven't tried the lemon pepper yet but it's next on my list.  These are a super handy and protein packed snack to eat plain, with a dollop of fat free mayo or greek yogurt, on reduced fat crackers or on top of a bed of lettuce.  Two thumbs up!

And I would walk 500 miles...(The Proclaimers)

Now that I have that totally annoying song stuck in your head...

My November goal is to walk a minimum of 149 miles.  That is the equivalent of walking from my house to my brothers.  I will need to average 5 miles a day, which is doable.  Of course, the weekends always seem to be a little tougher to get the big workout in (which is totally odd since I have more time on the weekends but am easily sucked into laziness mode) so I will try to push for 6-7 miles on my weekdays so that I don’t get behind on a lazy football Sunday or if I’m out of town or something.  Prepare yourself, Fitbit, it is time to log some serious miles.  

Never too young

Last night was a first.  I took Mitchell to the Y with me while I did class.  He wanted to jump rope upstairs. It's his new thing.  He's obsessed with it. Seriously, the kids too cute. Anyway, just before class started he came down to the pool with a sad look on his face saying he couldn't jump rope because he couldn't be upstairs by himself on the workout floor until he's 10.  He's only 8.  He didn't really feel like playing basketball and there was no open swim going on.  So I asked if he wanted to do pool class.  Others have brought their kids before and I told him he just had to stay at the shallow end.  He was so excited.  He did pretty good once he got the hang of it.  Of course, he's short and once those waves got to rocking he had a hard time staying above water but he didn't care. It was a game to him. And there were about 25 ladies in the pool commenting on how cute he was so he turned on his charms.  We finished class and the instructor asked him what he thought and he said "that was so easy!".  He was excited to tell his brother about the moves he did in the water and how we got to kick and punch like Jackie Chan. They way he demolished his dinner and instantly laid down because he was tired, I'm thinking it may have worn him out a little more than he wanted to admit.  :)

Triple threat

It's Tuesday!!! Know what that means? Sculpt class at work over lunch with Melody and then I get to do double classes tonight at the Y.  Wave power and then water sculpt.  Yippee! I love Tuesday and Thursdays triple threat class day.  My arms sometimes hate me about midway through water sculpt but that's okay. They will thank me for it later.

Last night I did the wave power class and I almost left during the warm up. Not because I don't love the class or enjoy the teacher but because it was so dang full! It's hard to get your full cardio on when you are bouncing off of people with every step.  I am glad that I stayed and enjoyed it. I got home in time to make a quick dinner and watch The Voice. I absolutely love Blake Shelton.  That guy cracks me up like nobody's business.  Anyway, when I had first started my journey years ago my awesome and very talented father made me a stepper.  Nothing crazy.  Just a perfect sturdy box with handles that I can use whenever I feel I need some more steps.  I love it because he made it with love to help me along my journey.  It had been sitting in my closet for months.  So last night I pulled it out and sat it in front of my chair with two small dumbbells.  Every commercial break I was stepping and pressing which really adds up during a 2 hour show. It's not only a great way to sneak in some extra exercise but it also takes your mind off of all the terrible commercials that are playing and tempting you with bad food.  Win, win, people, win, win.

Getting a little cray-cray

Melody and I have been walking for over three years.  Every day over lunch we meet in the skywalks downtown and trek almost 2 miles together.  I look forward to it every day.  The days we can’t walk because of meetings or other work obligations, it feels like the universe tilts slightly outta wack.  It’s kind of like we’re Forest Gump-esque.  We just keep walking and walking and walking (because we would look really funny running through the skywalks in tube socks and sporting long beards). 

I say things are getting a little crazy around here because we didn’t walk today.  Ok, before you gasp in horror and think we are falling off the fun fitness with a partner wagon, hold on.  We didn’t walk today because we did a sculpt class.  We are fortunate enough to work for a wonderful company that offers a free gym and lots of fitness classes.  That’s right, Principal Financial Group rocks!! Anyway, today we took sculpt and man did we feel the burn...which should be interested for me as I’m doing wave power and water sculpt tonight at the Y.  Here’s hoping I can still move my arms this weekend.  Next week we’re replacing our Monday/Wednesday walks with Zumba class and Tuesday/Thursday with Sculpt.  Who knows, someday we may just branch out to box blast or boot camp. Stop the madness, right? 

My name is Lyndee. I have a problem.  I am a fitness class junkie.  

Hey Lyndee, Where Are You?!

It’s been awhile since I posted.  I apologize.  I’ve received a lot of comments, emails and inquiries about it.  To those of you that have cared enough to check in, my sincere thank you.  It’s hard to motivate others when the motivation slips away.  Makes me feel really hypocritical.  To say that things have changed in the last few months would be a dramatic understatement.  I’ve gained a lot of weight back since August.  No, I’m not talking 5 or 10 pounds.  A LOT.  My Aspen membership and training with Scott are over.  I lost the person I thought was my best friend for the last 17 years.  Things are very different but everything happens for a reason.  I’ve always believed that.  And in the last few months, those reasons have become abundantly clear.

I have searched my soul, raided the fridge, evaluated relationships, re-prioritized and I can definitely say that I have found some inner peace as of late.  I’m back to my workouts. I’ve been going to the new YMCA in Indianola 5-7 days a week, sometimes twice a day.  I’m doing awesome classes like zumba, turbojam and water sculpt. I’m doing cardio and I’m strength training.  I’m even playing basketball again, which I have always loved.  I’m breaking my fitbit step goal every day.  I’m burning lots of calories.  The best part about it? I’m doing it with my family.  There’s nothing like a 12 & 8 year old begging to go to the gym to get you moving and having some fun.  That’s what’s been missing for me for a while.  The fun.  The journey I was on had become a chore, it was a stressful burden and it wasn’t fun.  It wasn’t working because it was more of a hassle to me than something I enjoyed like when I had first started.  I was having anxiety attacks and getting physically ill at the thought of weigh ins.  I was driving myself crazy in so many ways.  I was buckling under the pressure that I had to be perfect and I couldn’t fail and everyone would be disappointed in me.  Mostly, I just disappointed myself.  And then I had this come to Jesus moment.  I don’t give a shit what anyone else thinks.  In the words of my boy Tupac, "only God can judge me". I only care how I feel and that I’m getting healthier for ME.  This is my journey alone and I’m owning it.  If I help others along the way, absolutely wonderful.  But I’m not carrying the burden of that pressure anymore.  If someone doesn’t want to know what I’m up to, then don’t read my blog or follow me on social media.  I’m ok with that.  I’m making choices for me, my family and my future.  End of story. I’m down 8 pounds so far and that’s cool.  I’ve got a ways to go yet but I’m no longer obsessed or miserable, and that’s even cooler. 

I’m logging my food on myfitnesspal like it’s a religion;  all the good, the bad and the ugly.  I’m no longer weighing in compulsively 5 times a day.  I only weigh in on Friday mornings, like Scott had suggested to me so long ago.  My family continues to offer my unconditional love and support and I am blessed every day.  Wonderful friends have stepped up to the plate and helped me feel like I could soar again. I’m keeping it real and they help me feel normal and human…and strong.  Rachael, Kara, Audra, Melody and Callie..if life was a Bette Midler song, you would be the wind beneath my wings.  J  Thank you for your amazing support and love.  For standing like rocks at my side, calming me if I start to spaz out and just being generally awesome.  

Race 6 complete

This weekend was the Alive & Running race in Dunkerton that my family does in memory of Kirk.  We were scared that we were going to get rained out but the heavens were on our side and it was a beautiful day for a race.  Friday night was the lantern ceremony which is such an emotional time.  It's wonderful to spend the night with my family but so hard to try to find the words to fit on a lantern and send up to the sky. My parents made it down with all of us for the lantern ceremony but weren't able to stay for the race on Saturday.

Saturday we had a good group racing. Uncle Mark, Marilyn, Lars, Rachael, Paige, Uncle Mike and myself. It was really nice to be able to walk alongside Paige and talk about losing Kirk.  We've never had the time to sit down and do that in four years.  Not really talk about it like we did on Saturday. It was a nice way to help the healing.  I couldn't think of a better group to do it with. Hopefully next year we can get even more family out there with us to celebrate Kirk's life again.

Shout out

To Scott, AKA "Boss".  Thank you for your unconditional support and understanding.  For being a rock in my life the last few years.  For always knowing what to say.  For always taking the time to make me feel special.  I cannot imagine a better trainer in the world that I could be so blessed to have.  Thank you for making me laugh today when I wanted to cry.  You're the best.

Race 6 coming up

This weekend is race 6 out of 13 for me.  It's always a bitter sweet one.  My family is doing the Dunkerton "Alive and Running" suicide race in honor of my cousin Kirk.  It's wonderful to spend time with my siblings and Uncle Mark.  It's great to participate in the lantern ceremony at dusk the night before and think of the loved ones we have lost. But it's hard to go through all the emotions of his suicide all over again each year.  Not that it's not on our mind all the time, but this is such a powerful weekend everything just comes flooding back.  This isn't a race for time or to set records.  It's a race to finish, bond with those around you and find strength to keep fighting for the memories of the loved ones that are gone.  Hopefully the weather cooperates and we can have a beautiful weekend together.

Spring Warrior is done. I'm down to training with Scott and Molly once a month.  It's safe to say that things feel a little out of wack as summer approaches.  Busy schedules, get togethers and weekends away from home always throw a wrench in my good eating.  I need to find a way to defeat those things and focus on me.  Wish me luck!