Thank God NCAA basketball is almost over

I went to my weekly Weight Watchers weigh-in yesterday.  I gained for the second week in a row - so annoyed.  I talked with the leader about what could possibly be causing the gain.  I haven't changed much about my eating - I rotate between about 3 or 4 breakfast items, 2 or 3 lunch items (or leftovers), and try to balance the day with a healthy, yummy dinner (sometimes including a new recipe or two).  I haven't anything about my workout schedules/activities, but some of the gain could be caused by building muscle.  I was still having difficulty reconciling the weight gain, so I thought some more...  and then I figured it out.... (or at least a contributing factor)

BEER.... 
My new love is causing a kink in my life.  I have never really been one to love beer, at least until recently.  I would prefer a liquor drink or wine over beer most days. 

Well, that was until Sarah introduced me to Sweet Josie.  When Sweet Josie and I met, I truly believe it was love at first sip.  Each time we have been out to watch basketball and/or hang out with friends, I have had at least one beer (if not 3 or 4).  Beer just kinda goes along with hanging out in a favorite restaurant while spending three (plus) hours watching the games(s).  It is easy to Did I track the beer that I consumed?  That's a little hard to answer - yes and no.  I see there are certain times where I did track it and certain times I didn't.  There is no way to be realistic about my food choices and weight loss if I don't track each beer (approximately 7 points plus values per pint).

So what now?  I am not planning to give up my new love.  Sweet Josie and I will just have to have fewer dates and I need to plan better for those times. 

Cheers!

7 miles? Really?

We're still continuing on our half marathon training plan.  Today called for 7 miles.  When I woke up this morning, it was cold and my super-delicious dinner from TriBeCa Tavern was still weighing heavy on my stomach.  I wasn't in the mood.  I definitely benefited from having running buddies today - I probably would have skipped if I was running alone.  The run went very well.  Just after we reached the halfway point, I had a couple Cliff Shot Blocks.  They were a very helpful little pick-me-up.  I am still going to experiment a little with a few other things - maybe a Cliff bar, Fig Newtons, or maybe even something like Swedish Fish. 

This afternoon, the hubs and I just relaxed around the house until it was time to meet Margaret, Gavin, and her parents for an early dinner at Rudino's.  The last few times I have been there, I have ordered the Veggie Grinder.  It once again didn't disappoint.  We were there few several hours and it was great to just hang out and catch up.  Margaret and Gavin will be heading back to Florida tomorrow afternoon, but she'll be back in North Carolina in mid-April for a wedding.  YAY!

The weather is supposed to be crappy tomorrow.  I think I am going to get up early and go to the gym for a while.  When I get back, I am planning to just do some cooking and baking.  Of course, we all know that plans don't always work out - I'll probably end up reading, catching up on silly TV shows, and taking a nap.  Either way, it'll be a glorious Sunday. 

Next weekend is the Cooper River Bridge Run.  Sarah invited me to go several months ago and I have been super-excited ever since.  I don't really remember the last time I went to Charleston.  I am kinda intimidated about running over the bridge, but it will be a fun race.  After the race, we'll have time to explore the Charleston/Mount Pleasant area.  AWESOME girls' weekend!

55 days!!??!!

My very first half marathon is in 55 days!!??!!  I am not sure what possessed me to actually count the days before the race, but I did.  Every time that I think of Saturday, May 14, I have so many emotions - I am excited, scared, proud, etc.  The next 55 days cannot come fast enough and cannot be far enough away at the same time. 

Yesterday, Sarah and I volunteered for the Tobacco Road Marathon.  Sarah's cousin, Brandy, was running this race as her first half and we thought it would be a great experience for us and a bonus if we got to see her.  After waking up at the ungodly hour of 4:45 a.m., we made our way to Cary/Apex to be at our station by 6 a.m.  We were posted at mile 3 - the half marathoners were directed to turn right onto the trail and the marathoners were directed to turn left onto the trail.  Sarah and I spent the entire time cheering for the ~4,400 runners.  It was a great feeling!  We saw Brandy and I saw a girl from my gym.  I have mentioned the girl from my gym to Sarah several times before.  She runs very long distances on the treadmill and I don't know how she does it.  I am hoping to get the nerve to talk to her the next time I see her at the gym.

After the last of the half marathoners and marathoners went through our area, Sarah and I got in the car and went on a wild goose chase to find a spot to watch and cheer some more.  We followed some cars and ended up around the 11.5 mile mark.  We did our best to cheer on all the runners and many of them thanked us for being there.  YAY for supporting others!  Some of my favorite Sarah-isms:

• "You're earning those pancakes!"
• "...Kicking ass and takin' names..."
• "You are awesome.  Everyone else is at home in bed and you are running a half marathon!"
• "...CBS Sunday morning hasn't even come on and you have run 3 miles..."

I really enjoyed cheering the runners on yesterday.  I am hoping that we will be met with the same enthusiasm in Jacksonville!
 

Sarah's perfect post

I think that Sarah and I need to confer more on our blog posts.  After reading her post from last night, I believe that we may be the same person.  I guess that's what happens when you spend 3+ hours a week running together and obsessing over various things via email during the day :-) 

Since she already wrote the intro, I am going to provide the answers to some of the questions that I get daily:

Q:  Don't you starve on Weight Watchers?  Aren't you hungry?  What do you eat? 
Well, if you consider not eating a 2 flatbread sammie combo from Quizno's every day as starving, yes.  But, no - I definitely do not starve on Weight Watchers.  I actually feel like I eat all day long.  The Weight Watchers Points Plus system is great.  You can eat all the fruit and most veggies for 0 points plus values.  The program also encourages you to eat more healthful, filling foods (they call them power foods).  I can still eat anything I want, I just have to be prepared.  Every evening, I put my planned food into the WW tracker and pack my lunch.  It works for me.  Yes, I did order Girl Scout cookies this year.  In case you were interested, there are 16 Thin Mints in each sleeve - that is 4 servings.  I can totally eat just 4 cookies now, whereas in the past I would down the entire sleeve.

Q: Doesn't running hurt?  I can't run because it hurts (insert body part here).
I am not gonna lie - running can hurt.  But, the pain is temporary if you keep at it.  When I started running on Saturday, July 24, 2010, I thought I was going to die.  As soon as we were done, I went home, showered, sat down on the couch to "rest for a few minutes", and slept for nearly 4 hours.  Mind you, on our first run with NCRC, we did 1 minute walk/1 minute run intervals for 1 mile - that was definitely a wake up call to how out of shape I really was.  The next day I hurt, Monday I couldn't walk, and Tuesday I went back out there.  Other than an injury that sidelined me for about a month, I haven't stopped.  Does it hurt now?  No, so long as I do what I am supposed to do (stretch, eat properly, etc.).

You say you can't run?  Really?  Do you have something wrong with your legs?  Did your doctor say that you can't run?  OR, it is that you are scared, concerned, worried, etc.?  No one ever said that you had to take off running like the Road Runner or Speedy Gonzales.  The key is moving.  Get out there and get moving.  If you want to run and you train appropriately, it will come in time.

Q:  How do you find the time to run/exercise?  It takes a lot of time to get ready to go run, etc.
I find the time to run and exercise because I make it a priority.  My work schedule is such that I leave at 4:30 each afternoon.  The trail that Sarah and I run two times a week is right on my way home from work, so I have no choice than to pass it.  I bring my clothes to work, change into them before I leave and stop by the greenway for a quick run after work.  I am always intrigued by people that say it takes a lot of time to get ready to run.  Really?  I think it takes me 5 minutes to change out of my work clothes and get my running clothes on and shoes laced up.  I also try to get out of my office during the day at least twice a week for a walk or run in the middle of the day.  Yes, I sweat and no, I do not smell like roses.  I clean up the best I can and move on with my day.  My biggest help with this has been having a buddy and the hubs.  I am committed to run because I have at least one other person that is expecting me to be there.  My husband also keeps me accountable by asking what I am doing after work, etc.  It works for me because it is important to me. 

Go read Sarah's tips for getting started with running and Weight Watchers.  She is totally right on!  Here are a few more from me:

• Make running/fitness/health type activities appointments on your calendar.  In this day in age, it seems like everyone has a Blackberry/iPhone/smart phone - use it.  They all have handy-dandy little calendars on them.  I put my healthy lifestyle activities in my calendar in a special color, etc.  Would you miss your annual gyn visit or dental appointment?  No, probably not - so why would you skip an appointment to lengthen your life?
• Try new foods!  This is so very important!  Through running, Weight Watchers, and the change of mindset about food, I am not eating things I have never eaten before.  If you asked me 2 years ago if I would eat parsnips, I would have said "What the h*ll is a parsnip?" - same thing with quinoa.  I spend my evenings combing through message boards, recipe websites, etc. finding yummy new things to try.  It is fun, gets the hubs involved, and generally turns out to be a food we will enjoy and put in our favorites list.
• Celebrate!  (Sarah mentioned this, but I couldn't help adding it.)  You must celebrate every single success.  Tracked every day?  Awesome!  Exercised 4 days and earned activity points?  Great!  Signed up for a race?  Rock it!  Went out to dinner and enjoyed every minute of it, without overindulging?  Yes!

You can do it!

Looking at the bigger picture



My chart for the last 24 weeks (highest weight on chart was
204 on October 27; current is 178.8)

This morning, I went to my weekly weigh-in at WW.  I am always a little "out of sorts" on Tuesday morning.  I have a routine that I follow and all I want to do is get the weigh-in over as quickly as possible.  Today was no different...
Last week I lost 3 pounds, the week before that I lost 2 pounds, and 2 weeks before that I lost 2.6 pounds.  I should have known better than to count on losing like that again.  Today, I weight exactly the same as last week.  Disappointed is not the appropriate word to describe how I initially felt.  I felt defeated, upset, sad and was about to cry. 

It didn't take long for me to tell several people about my being on the road to being discouraged.  They all offered the same advice - you are doing great, this is a journey, keep up the good work.  When I was sitting in my car, thinking to myself that I had "failed", I didn't think of how far I have come.  Since October 27, I have lost 25.2 pounds; since November 29, I have lost 18.8 pounds.  There is something to be said about that!  Obviously, that didn't happen without my changing my behavior.

The more I thought about it, they are absolutely right!  If you are in the same boat as me and sometimes get a little discouraged, etc., please make sure you step back and take a look at the bigger picture.  Yes, I want to lose weight.  However, losing weight isn't the only important thing in this journey.  Weight is only a very small piece of the journey to a healthier me.  Each step I take in selecting healthy foods to eat or to exercise is helping me gain muscle mass, gain endurance, and become a healthier me!

Some things I will be changing:

• No more sneaking on the scale.  The hubs and I do not have a scale in our home.  I learned many years ago that I tend to be obsessed with the number on the scale versus how I feel and how my clothes fit.  There are two scales in the bathroom on my floor at work and a scale at my gym.  I have been sneaking on the scale "just to see".  I will now only weigh at my WW meetings.
• Changing up the cardio.  I have been beating the demon monster machine using the Arc trainer for the past few weeks.  I love the calorie burn and feeling that I am really doing something.  I know that I need to change it up though.  I will be rotating between the Arc trainer at the stairmill more.
• Reminding myself that it is a journey.  This is definitely a journey.  If I said I gained the weight overnight, you would know I was lying.  Allowing myself to think that I will lose the pounds in a short period of time is just lying to myself. 

Every food choice, day of exercise, 5K/8K/10K race, or other choice I make is a victory.  Sometimes you just have to be reminded to look at the bigger picture.

Weekend recap

First things first!  Happy Daylight Savings Time!  I know there are some people that love to grumble about DST, but I am not one of those.  DST means a few things - it will not be pitch-black when I wake up in the morning; there will soon be a time when I can get a run in before work without being scared to death on the greenway; I can get a long run in after work if I can't get it done on the weekend.  Who would have ever thought that two of my three reasons to like daylight savings time would revolve around running...

Friday:
The hubs and I went to Natty Greene's for lunch with Erin.  He took vacation for the afternoon so that he could watch basketball (crazy Carolina fan).  I knew that I would never be able to get him to leave the pub in the middle of the game, so I left hubs at Natty Greene's and went grocery shopping.  I couldn't bear the thought of hearing him yell at Carolina for 2 hours in public.

Later on the in the afternoon, Sarah and I went for a walk at the NC Museum of Art.  I didn't even realize the trails existed.  Not only do you have trails that connect with the other Capital Area Greenway trails, there is beautiful art along some parts and some unpaved trails.  I think I have found a new favorite Sunday walking spot.  

On Friday evening, the hubs was pretty pre-occupied with basketball.  We relaxed at home and had a great new recipe (Asian Grilled Chicken) for dinner.  While he stayed up until some ungodly hour watching basketball, I spent the rest of the evening watching mindless TV before drifting off to sleep (earlier than I would care to admit).

Saturday:
Our Saturday morning run was the first official long run of the half marathon training program.  My running buddies and I met at 8:30 for a 6-miler.  Sarah and I have been talking a lot recently about how we are so focused on pace.  In an effort to be less obsessed focused on pace, I decided that I would  no longer wear my Garmin.  I will check our routes online to find the turn-around point before we go and leave the timing up to Sarah.  I have to say that running without my Garmin beeping after each mile to tell us our pace was very liberating.  We needed to slow our pace down in order to continue toward the distance we wanted to accomplish and this seemed to work just right.  We finished our 6 miles in 1 hour and 20 minutes (~13:20 mile).  I think Sarah and I did a pretty decent job of planning out the half training.  We'll do 6.5 miles next Saturday, 7 miles the next, then we're off to the Cooper River Bridge Run the first weekend in April.   

On Saturday afternoon, Sarah, Sarah's Dad, Alisha, and I went to see Spring Awakening at Memorial Auditorium.  I have heard a lot about this musical/production, but didn't realize it was even in town until Sarah told me.  She was able to get us some pretty darn good seats for a good price.  When we got into the auditorium, Sarah told her Dad to charm the female usher on the lower level to see if we could get better seats.  Thanks to him, we were able to sit very close in some seats that probably would have cost us $70 each otherwise.  We're going to have to recruit him to go on more adventures!

Sunday:
Today has been pretty easy-going.  I spent the early part of my day sitting in the recliner under a blanket, piping hot cup of coffee in hand, while watching CBS Sunday Morning.  I swear there is no better way to spend Sunday morning. 

The rest of the day was filled with going to the gym in an effort to avoid being a home listening to the hubs scream at the TV burn off some calories.  I did 60 minutes on the Arc Trainer and 20 minutes on the bike.  Felt so great!  The rest of the afternoon/evening has been spent doing things around the house and preparing to go back to work tomorrow.  

Here's to a great week! 

101 Ways to Deal with Stress and our dinner tonight

My therapist emailed me a great list today.  It is called "101 Ways to Deal with Stress".  I am going to make a concious effort to try at least one means of reducing stress each day as a way to curb my anxiety.  Hope this list helps you too!

Get up 18 minutes early • Prepare for the morning the night before • Avoid tight fitting clothes • Avoid relying on chemical aids • Set appointments ahead • Don’t rely on your memory... write it down • Practice preventative maintenance • Make duplicate keys • Say no more often • Set priorities in your life • Avoid negative people • Use time wisely • Simplify meal times • Always make copies of important papers • Anticipate your needs • Repair anything that doesn’t work properly • Ask for help with the jobs you dislike • Break large tasks into bite size portions • Look at challenges differently • Unclutter your life • Smile • Be prepared for rain • Tickle a baby • Pet a friendly dog/cat • Don’t know all the answers • Look for the silver lining • Say something nice to someone • Teach a kid to fly a kite • Walk in the rain • Schedule play time into every day • Take a bubble bath • Be aware of the decisions you make • Believe in yourself • Stop saying negative things to yourself • Visualize yourself winning • Develop your sense of humor • Stop thinking tomorrow will be a better day • Have goals for yourself • Dance a jig • Say hello to a stranger • Ask a friend for a hug • Look up at the stars • Practice breathing slowly • Learn to whistle a tune • Read a poem • Listen to a symphony • Watch a ballet • Read a story curled up in bed • Do a brand new thing • Stop a bad habit • Buy yourself a flower • Take stock of your achievements • Find support from others • Ask someone to be your “vent-partner” • Do it today • Work at being cheerful and optimistic • Put safety first • Do everything in moderation • Pay attention to your appearance • Strive for excellence NOT perfection • Stretch your limits a little each day • Look at a work of art • Hum a jingle • Maintain your weight • Plant a tree • Feed the birds • Practice grace under pressure • Stand up and stretch • Always have a “Plan B” • Learn a new doodle • Memorize a joke • Be responsible for your feelings • Learn to meet your own needs • Become a better listener • Know your limitations and let others know them too • Tell someone to have a good day in Pig Latin • Throw a paper airplane • Exercise every day • Learn the words to a new song • Get to work early • Clean out one closet • Play patty cake with a toddler • Go to a picnic • Take a different route to work • Leave work early (with permission) • Put air freshener in your car • Watch a movie and eat popcorn • Write a note to a far away friend • Go to a ball game and scream • Cook a meal and eat it by candlelight • Recognize the importance of unconditional love • Remember that stress is an attitude • Keep a journal • Practice a monster smile • Remember you always have options • Have a support network of people, place and things • Quit trying to “fix” other people • Get enough sleep • Talk less and listen more • Freely praise other people • P.S. Relax, take each day at a time... you have the rest of your life to live.

I have highlighted 15 items in pink.  I am going to work very hard to follow through with these.  I think having certain items to focus on will make the journey that much easier...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tonight, we had Broiled Salmon with Rosemary and Quinoa and Black Beans.  The hubs normally doesn't like salmon because it is too "fishy".  He actually seemed to enjoy our dinner tonight - whereas, I didn't eat all my salmon. 

I was a little frustrated when I left work today.  I felt like I really needed to run, but the weather was crap-tacular - it was sideways raining, blowing a gale, and just crappy.  Sarah and I had agreed to just go to our respective gyms.  As much as I was looking forward to working out, I was annoyed that I couldn't run outside.  In an effort to make the gym visit less torturous seeming, I challenged myself - 60 minutes on the Arc Trainer (strength profile, level 6), followed by 20 minutes on the bike (random hill profile, level 8).  I was certain that I was never gonna survive the Arc Trainer after the first 15 minutes.  I "opened"  my new book (Women Who Run) on my iPad and trudged on.  In celebration of accomplishing my gym goal, I enjoyed a nice Bad Penny beer with my dinner.  I don't think Big Boss had in mind to pair this beer with salmon, but it worked for me!



Isn't she (the Bad Penny) lovely?



Anxiety

I have been dealing with anxiety off and on for years.  I have been pretty good about hiding it.  I rarely let people know that I was feeling worry about something because most of the time I had no clue what I was worried about.  I did not want people around me to think I didn't have it all under control or that I wasn't capable of something.  There have been times that this fear/stress/worry/anxiety has gotten the best of me.  In August of this year, I had one of those moments.  I absolutely blew up and pretty much let my anxiety control me and caused a lot of hurt. 

After the incident in late August/early September, I made the decision to start talking with a therapist again.  If I was truly going to transform my whole self, I was going to have to get some assistance with understanding how to cope.  I got several recommendations and proceeded to make an appointment.  I felt immediately at ease with my therapist, even before I met her the first time.  My first appointment was an absolute disaster - at least in my mind.  I cried uncontrollably for most of the appointment and could not get my thoughts together at all.  It was so frustrating that I could not tell her why I was there, why I was upset, why I was confused, and on and on. 

I went to see her every week for almost two months.  We spent a lot of time talking about my day-to-day activities, how I approach situations, etc.  Through our talks, I really came to see how many things in my life were controlled by my anxiety.  I always chalked up my behavior to being a perfectionist, type-A, control-freak - all of that is really anxiety in disguise.  Each one hour session with my therapist helps me to understand why I get anxious and how to cope with the anxiety, without getting into a full-blown anxiety attack.  At the recommendation of my therapist and in consultation with my doctor, I am also back on medication for my anxiety.  While I hate the thought of being medicated, the thought of letting anxiety control me is worse. 

I went to my therapist today and the entire session was devoted to talking about several recent situations that have caused me to have severe anxiety.  After talking through the situations and understanding circumstances, she encouraged me to use my blog to gather more coping strategies. 

Some of the ways I cope include:

• Take deep breaths.  As silly as it sounds, the suggestion to "smell the cookies (deep breath) and blow out the candles (deep breath out)" really works. 
• Be active.  If I feel like I am having an "off" day, I make sure that I do some type of physical activity.  It could be as simple as going for a walk around the block at work or going for a long run.  Just move - it makes a difference.
• Let go of perfection.  Perfection is an unattainable goal.  No one has ever been or will ever be perfect.  I work very hard every day to tell myself to let go of perfection - it is still a struggle, but one day I will let it go.
• Get support/Ask for help.  I haven't talked to a lot of people about my anxiety, but those people that are closest to me or I know have their own anxiety issues have been a great resource for me.  When I am in a situation where I am beginning to feel anxious, I let someone around me know that I need to change the environment/circumstances.  It is a lot easier to just say what you need than to hold it all in.  I have realized that it is ok to ask for help/make yourself vulnerable.  Most people really are supportive and want nothing but the best for you.

So, what do you do to cope with situations that cause anxiety/stress?

Happy Birthday!



Daddy watching me have pictures taken
on my wedding day (May 6, 2006)

Happy Birthday to my Daddy!!!
Today is my Daddy's 65th birthday!  I am going to take time to write a little blog post in his honor, even though he will probably be slightly annoyed with me. 

I love both of my parents for all they have done for me, but there is just something special about my Daddy.  I guess the quote "Any man can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a Daddy" is the best way to describe our relationship. 

My Daddy was born in Raeford (Hoke County, North Carolina).  He is the oldest of six children (4 boys, 2 girls) born to my very hard-working grandparents.  After graduating from Hoke County High School, he joined the Navy and soon ended up serving on an aircraft carrier in VietNam.  After getting out of the Navy in 1969, he ended up in eastern North Carolina (Carteret County), instead of heading back to Hoke County.  He worked for Carolina Telephone and part-time at a hang-out on the beach.  He swore he would never get married, but he met my Mama and they were married in 1974.  I am the only child my parents had, born in 1980.  I think this provided me some definite advantages...  Being an only child was lonely at times, but it allowed me to have lots of time with each of my parents.  I have awesome memories of activities that I participated in with both of my parents. 

Some of my favorite childhood memories with my Daddy:

• Saturday mornings - When I was little, we spent nearly every Saturday morning doing something together.  We usually would go to Hardee's or Mike's Restaurant on Front Street.  After breakfast, we would sometimes go walk on the Beaufort boardwalk.  I have very vivid memories of getting in a lot of trouble during our Saturday morning boardwalk trips with my Dad.  If you have ever been to Beaufort, you know that there are lots of high price yachts during the summer.  I used to think it was funny to throw rocks at the yachts.  Needless to say, that didn't go over very well.
• Riding bikes to watch softball - The home where I grew up is just up the street from the local ballfields.  From the time I was old enough to ride a bike, I remember going down to the ballfields to watch my Dad's friends play softball.  I never really paid attention to the game, but it was fun to be there with him.
• "Working" - My Daddy owns a small telephone installation and repair business.  He's been doing side jobs probably since he left Carolina Telephone to go to MCAS Cherry Point.  Sometimes, he would let me go to work with him.  Most of the time, I was probably more trouble than anything, but it was always a good time.  I remember making "plugs" for his key systems - there were probably 25 color-coded wires that had to be placed in certain spots, etc.  For some reason he trusted me to do this.

There are way more memories than the three I listed above, but those are the ones that always come back to mind first.

So, Happy Birthday (once again) to my Daddy!  I don't think I could wish for a better Daddy than you!  You named me - a unique first name in 1980 (Regan) and after your sister (Emily-Marie).  You taught me (and continue to teach me) that life isn't always perfect, but if you work hard you will succeed.  While we may not always agree (in fact, we probably disagree more than we agree), we are willing to listen to what the other has to say and try to respect the other's opinion as best possible.  

I LOVE YOU!

KD Shamrock 'N' Run and Run Green 8K



Sarah and I before the race
in our FleetFeet gear


KD Shamrock 'N' Run 5K - On Saturday, February 26, Sarah and I did the KD Shamrock 'N' Run.  I got lucky when I found out about the race.  We didn't have a February race and we were having difficulty finding one, when I found out about this race from a family that I met when I first moved to Raleigh.  The family has two daughters in the Kappa Delta sorority at UNC Chapel Hill.  We got to Chapel Hill around 8:20 a.m. for the 9 a.m. start.  I don't think that Sarah and I were really prepared for how cold it was and how long we would have to wait for the start.  The course was so hilly.  We knew it would be, but weren't quite prepared for it.  The KD girls were all on the course and served as great cheerleaders.  Their cheers must have helped because we finished in 37:50/12:12 pace - a 5K race PR!  I think I will definitely add this to my list of races that I have enjoyed and would definitely do again!

Sarah and I before the Run Green 8K - in our sport kilts!

Run Green 8K - Yesterday, Sarah and I did the Run Green 8K in downtown Raleigh.  This was Sarah's first 8K and my second.  No matter what, both of us would set an 8K PR :-)  The course left from downtown Raleigh, near Tir Na Nog, and went around the Oakwood Cemetary and the Oakwood neighborhood.  I am kinda glad that I didn't run or drive the course ahead of time, because I may not have done the race - it was extremely hilly.  By the time you got done with one hill and got your breath back, another one came.  We finished in 1:04:25/12:57 pace - an 8K PR.  The day concluded with a free Natty Greene's Old Towne Brown Ale, a few more beers and dinner with friends.  Nothing better!

ABCs of Regan

For some reason, I love blog "quizzes" of any kind.  I think it is so interesting to learn about other folks and they are quite fun to fill out :-) 
A. Age: 30
B. Bed size: Queen
C. Chore you dislike: Emptying the dishwasher and folding laundry!
D. Dogs: None :-( - Still trying to convince the hubs.
E. Essential start to your day: Coffee!  I seriously need to cut down on the coffee consumption, but at least I now do 1/2 regular and 1/2 decaf.
F. Favorite color: Pink
G. Gold or silver: white gold
H. Height: 5’4" on a very good day
I. Instruments you play(ed): I played clarinet, trombone, and bells/mallets through middle school and high school.  If I was forced to play one of those to earn my dinner now, I would starve.
J. Job title: Senior Executive Assistant
K. Kids: None, and don't play to have any - I am a great "aunt"
L. Live: Raleigh
M. Mom’s name: Teresa
N. Nicknames: Oh lord...There are too many, but they do bring back the memories - RayRay (childhood nickname from friends), Ray-gie (what my Nanny called me because of her children/grandchildren/great-grandchildren had nicknames), Downtown Regan Brown (for some reason I got this nickname in high school.  I have no clue where it came from), "Mama" Rae-Dawg (college friends gave me this nickname because I was definitely the Mama of the group) 
O. Overnight hospital stays:  A few, but they were in middle school and college
P. Pet peeves: People that don't answer questions when I ask them
Q. Quote from a movie: I have no clue!  I love quotes, but totally can't think of one right now.
R. Righty or lefty: Righty
S. Siblings: I am an only child that also married an only child
T. Time you wake up: On weekdays, the clock goes off at 5:40 a.m. 
U. Underwear:  Totally a question that I am too much of a prude to answer
V. Vegetables you don’t like: I am willing to try any vegetable once.  I like tomatoes, but not when they are in big chucks or slices - something about how they feel in my mouth
W. What makes you run late: My husband!
X. X-rays you’ve had:  Oh my....Way too many that I care to mention
Y. Yummy food you make:  I am not overly confident of my cooking skills, even though everyone else says I cook great.  I do love to make pumpkin bread and Toll House pies to share with others.
Z. Zoo animal favorites: I have had a thing for the stinky, ugly warthogs since I was a kid.  I think they need some love because who would ever say that the warthog was their favorite?!?


So, that’s me!  Hopefully, I will be motivated to write something more interesting this afternoon.

Wonderful reality check

Yesterday afternoon, just before my personal training appointment, I had an awesome reality check.   I know that I have been losing weight and inches, but this I finally saw the real changes.  While Rick was doing my measurements yesterday, he would measure, look at our tracker, and then re-do the measurement.  I, of course, wondered why he was re-doing them.  I had the worst in mind - I thought that the numbers were going up (Why do we let our minds do this to us?) He just kept saying "You'll see...."  After looking at my sheet, I realized that he was as shocked as I was with the results.

Look here...

	July 20, 2010	October 27, 2010	November 23, 2010	December 29, 2010	February 1, 2011	March 1, 2011	Change
Weight (pounds)	203	204	197.6	188.4	188	183.8	(19.2)
Left Bicep/Arm (inches)	13.5	13.5	13.5	13	13	13	(0.5)
Left Thigh/Leg (inches)	28.5	26	26	26	25.5	24.5	(4.0)
Waist (inches)	40	39	37	37	36.5	36.5	(3.5)
Hip (inches)	48.5	42.5	42	41.5	41	39.5	(9.0)

The proof is in the puddin' baby :-)  I have lost almost 20 pounds since October.  I have lost 9 inches off my hips since July 20.  I started running on July 24 - and I have a feeling running has helped a ton with that measurement!  (Needless to say, I still have a lot of "junk in my trunk" if anyone wants some of my big butt.)

I used to think that weight was the sole measure of success.  This is not true.  I strongly encourage you to have your measurements done on a regular basis.  My trainer does mine once a month and it takes less than 5 minutes.  It is so worth it!