I'm Quite Proud of Myself!

Today I went out and ran 10 miles by myself! I can't tell you the last time I went out for a run alone - unfortunately it will probably be the only run this week because of my husband being away on a business trip.

I took a page out of my friend Lori's book and connected my Ipod up to a small speaker and put it in my pocket. What a difference it made!!! I've never been able to run with headphones on because I tended to run to the beat of the music and would get all out of sync because the music would get too fast and I would cramp etc. However, having the music just out there and not right in my ears really helps - you get the benefit of the distraction but not to the point where you have no idea about your surroundings. Much safer!!

My pace was also quite good (about 9:45m/m) and I completed 10.01 miles. I could start to feel it at the end - legs were getting a bit tired and my lungs were struggling but the good part was that I didn't feel like I was going to cough up my lungs at the end. This makes me feel a touch more comfortable in my ability to finish the trail marathon. The good part about this race is that there aren't any other goals other than to finish it. I fully intend on walking parts and my finish time is not something I'm concerned about. It is a tough course and I just want to say that I completed it!

Off to take my wonderful hubby to the airport - I'm going to miss him!!

Saturday 3/29/08

This is going to be a tough week for me for a number of reasons. My husband will be away until Thursday afternoon so for the next week I'll be a single parent. In addition, because he will be gone, I won't be able to do any running (although I am hoping to work something out with a friend of mine so that we can get some miles in during the evening hours) - no one to watch the kids.

It is going to be really strange not being able to run but I'm going to try and do some combo workouts. I find it very boring to just sit on the bike for an hour but I thought I could combine some jumping rope and the bike as well as some lifting and the bike. I'm hoping that the changing up of the type of exercise will really give my body a boost because I really am getting nervous about the trail marathon. I put a countdown timer down at the bottom of the page (although I may try and move it around) and there really isn't a lot of time to get ready for this race and with my cold etc it is just really freaking me out!

My nutrition plan has been going really well. I made a weight loss goal on LL and I've been doing a good job at not only following my plan but also logging everything. I'm also being rewarded on the scale - I've dropped 3 pounds over the past few days (yes I realize that a lot is water weight). The way I've been feeling the past few days (minus the cold) just really hits home just how much of an affect a good nutrition plan can have - I just feel better!!

Getting Better

I'm glad to say that although I'm not back to "normal" I am getting better. I've been able to do 3 days of running this week and would love to get out tomorrow but I think the weather will not be cooperating. I had less trouble with the actual running than I thought - the worst part was stopping! Pretty much as soon as I stopped running, the coughing fits started and I thought I was going to be sick a number of times!

It wasn't great but it was a step in the right direction!!!

It's Official....

...I'm sick and I've got it bad!

I've been fighting the chills and the sweats all day and a good portion of yesterday. I knew it was bound to happen - there are just too many people around me that have been sick. That's happen when you work with kids!

Here's to getting well and getting back to running!

I NEED to get my act together!

I've been doing a little bit better with my nutrition but not well enough! I'm up higher than I've been in a long time and I really need to just get my act together. I haven't been writing down my plans or making my food a head of time and those are 2 things that just sabotage my efforts BIG TIME!

So, starting today, I am going to start writing down my plans again. I hope it will enable me to get a handle on this aspect of my life. Other things are coming together and I'm feeling good about that. However, without having my physical/nutritional life in balance the rest just doesn't feel "right"!

I didn't run today because of some heavy rain this morning. I'm hoping to get in about 5.5 miles (on a hilly route) tomorrow and then 20 on the trails on Saturday. Off to write down my plans!

Awesome Run!

We had a great run this morning! We met at the trail entrance, bright and early (4:30 am) and got out head lamps on. Yes, it was still pitch black out! However, the rain had stopped and the temps were great - about 45 degrees or so. There were 4 of us that set out on out planned 4 hour run. It was hard going because of the dark and I was a casualty of that darkness. There was a nasty little tree root that jumped out of the darkness and grabbed my foot - actually I just plain kicked it and went for a tumble. My toes/feet are always a BIG concern for me because of the big bunions I have on both feet so I knew I was in trouble as soon as I hit that root. I managed to roll a bit on the way down but I still hit my left knee pretty hard. So there I am, feeling quite embarrassed, with a sore right toe and a sore left knee. The good part was that I didn't rip my pants (they're my favorite pair)!

After the fall we did pretty well. We were all feeling pretty good and making good time - slower than a normal run but good because of the darkness and the hills (the trail we run is REALLY hilly). Two of us had pretty good lights but the other two were struggling with their lights so we did a bit of rearranging in our running order which helped a lot. However, soon after that, one of our runners starting having a lot of trouble with her cold. She was struggling to breathe any time we pushed up a hill and we started doing a lot of walking. As soon as it was light enough to see, the other 2 runners decided that they could make it back on their own and wanted to go at a slower pace. I think we were at about mile 10 at this point and feeling pretty good so Lori and I kept going at our own pace. As the next couple of miles went by, we could slowly feel the trail taking its toll (and my knee and toe were starting to stiffen up too) but we kept pushing until about mile 14 and then we walked for a bit. Walking NEVER FELT SO GOOD!! I'm not really sure how far/long we walked but the body was definitely starting to give out. I was to the point where ever step was really starting to hurt but I wanted to keep going - our goal was 4 hours and our hope was 18 miles (didn't think we'd make that). We ended up stopping at about 3 hours and 48 minutes and ran 17.5 miles. We probably could have gone the extra 1/2 miles but we were both ready to STOP!

My legs, no make that my body, was pretty sore all day. I made sure to ice my knee and foot many times throughout the day to help get rid of the pain. It has worked a bit but I think tomorrow it is still going to be a bit sore and stiff. I can't meet the group to run tomorrow and I don't know if I'll try to run on my own or ride the bike. That will probably depend on how my knee feels.

Off to do a bit of reading and then to bed - I'm really looking forward to the bed part! Keep on runnin'!

Another new exercise session!

Today I went swimming, for exercise, for the first time in.....well let's just say it's been a really long time! Last summer, we joined an outdoor pool but the kids didn't really have much in the way of swimming skills so I didn't want to leave them alone. I would occasionally sneak in a couple of laps here and there but nothing worthy of note.

It was really GREAT! There weren't huge numbers of people (everyone had their own lane) and I didn't die. That last part, I feel, is really key - LOL! It also just felt great to do something different. I swam for about 40 minutes and was then able to shower and dress there so when I got home, all I had to do was worry about getting the kid's stuff ready. If the finances were there, I would join the gym tomorrow!

Tomorrow I will be back out on the roads - I'm hoping for a 6 mile run. Not sure if I'll get that in because the other people I'm meeting have all been fighting bad colds so they may not want to run those types of miles so soon. I'm hoping to be a bit more consistent this week because I realized today that our trail marathon is about 5 weeks away. That means we also need to get at least one 20 miler in here soon too. Hopefully the weather will cooperate a bit more this weekend!!

Keep on runnin'!

I did something new today!

I signed up for a 3 day pass at out local YMCA and exercised in their gym. We were supposed to run 18 miles out on the trails but the weather wasn't cooperating. We have had torrential downpours, hail and lots of wind. So, my friend Lori suggested I get the 3 day pass and we do a workout inside. We ran for an hour on the treadmill - I can't believe I actually lasted an hour because I despise running on a treadmill. However, it is different when you are running next to friends and can talk while you run.

Then after finishing a little over 6.5 miles on the treadmill we got on the stationary bikes. These were really cool because you had a computer screen in front of you and you actually raced a course and they are linked so Lori and I were on the same course at the same time. The other really cool aspects were the fact that the resistance changed with the change in elevation (we did a snowy mountain course), there is a gear shift and you have to actually steer the bike or you go "off the mountain". Overall it was a really good experience.

I'm planning on going back on Monday and trying to swim a bit - that should be interesting! I tried swimming a bit back in the summer and it really kicked my butt! Lorie told me she does 66 laps every Monday - I'm not sure if I'll do that many or even if I can do that many!

Speaking of swimming, biking and running....as we were riding, Lori started talking about trying a 1/2 Ironman Triathlon and about me joining the Y. I would love to do both (especially after today's good experience), however, it isn't in the finances right now pus it just doesn't make sense to join now because we will be joining our other pool in the summer. I am hoping to be able to join once the fall comes around and the kids get into school. I think both kids will be in full day programs next year and it would give me a great opportunity to hit the gym in the afternoon. If that happens I would love to try and find a triathlon next spring!

First things first - I have a trail marathon to get ready for. We aren't going to be able to get out on the trails this weekend but I am hoping to get at least 13 miles in tomorrow (more if time allows and if the wind allows). Tomorrow will also be tough because we move the clocks ahead 1 hour so we lose an hour of sleep. Such as life when your a runner I guess - Happy running!!

Saturday 3/1/08

“The last of the human freedoms is to choose one's attitudes.”
—Victor Frankl (1905-1997), Holocaust survivor, neurologist, psychologist, author

I posted this quote a few days back. It had been sent to be via email. Then about 2 days later, I found the same exact quote in a book I was reading. I figured it had to be really important if it was being made so obvious to me! BTW, the book was called "Eat That Frog" by Brian Tracy and it was a very good read - I highly recommend it!

OK, onto other things! I've been keeping my training pretty regular - running anyway. I haven't been lifting regularly. Truth is, I've been finding it quite difficult to fit in all the things I want to do in any given day. That reminds me of another quote I've heard: "You can do anything you want, but you can't do everything you want". I'm not sure who said it but I first heard it through LL and David Greenwalt. So, it pretty much comes down to the fact that I'm not making my fitness and my nutrition a top priority!

I was able to get in about 120 miles in February which I think is pretty good considering it is a short month. March has also started off well. We did just short of 14 miles on the trails this morning in about 3 hours. The trails we run are quite hard and it is GREAT preparation for our trail marathon. The group is going out again tomorrow but I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to make that one. It might not be a bad thing if I have to miss tomorrow because my legs are pretty sore right now.

I found out the other day that my son has gotten into my daughters elementary school (we have a choice system). I really didn't fear that he wouldn't but now we have to decide if we are going to accept the placement. The school I teach at has a Kindergarten class but we only have 4 kids signed up for it and we need at least 5. Our program is a full day program and the other one MAY be a full day program but that hasn't been officially decided yet. I worry that he me be "lost" in a really big class. Lost in that he is such a good kid that he won't get the attention that you get in a smaller class. He isn't into school as much as my daughter is and I think the extra attention he would get in the smaller class would get him off onto a better start. The good thing is that our director knows that we all have to make our decisions (of acceptance) by the 21st of this month so she will be making her decision in the next week or so.

Have a great weekend!

Thinking Positive

THINKING POSITIVE

I woke up this morning after a 3rd night of not being able to sleep, I'm fighting a cold, my neck feels like it could spasm & it is that time of the month. I got myself out for my exercise, modified because of the above list, and decided something while I was out there. I need to decide to be positive. So here is the challenge: Decide to be positive all day.

1. The kids getting on your nerves - decide to be positive, many people want kids and can't have them.
2. Family (Parents, In-laws, Dh...) driving you nuts - decide to be positive, many people in this world are completely alone.
3. Falter on your program yesterday - decide to be positive, today is a new day and a fresh start.
4. Feeling bad about where you health is right now - decide to be positive, you are making a difference in you health each and every day.
5. Things at work driving you insane - decide to be positive, many people don't have jobs, money or a roof over their heads.

These are just a few. We all have things in our lives that get us down - Don't let it happen, BE POSITIVE TODAY!

Great quotes

I've been meaning to post these but life has been so crazy that I haven't gotten around to it. So, here they are in one big group (ok maybe not so big - LOL).

“It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”

—J.K. Rowling (b. 1965), novelist

“Start with what is right rather than what is acceptable. ”

—Peter F. Drucker (1909-2005), writer, professor, management consultant

“The last of the human freedoms is to choose one's attitudes.”

—Victor Frankl (1905-1997), Holocaust survivor, neurologist, psychologist, author

These have all really given me things to think about. Especially that last one - we do choose what our attitudes are and will be. We don't have to be down in the dumps because of things going on around us. In fact, I posted something on a site I used to frequent a lot (and am getting back to more now) that deals with this topic and I think I'll go get it and post it because it is something that I need to re-read and keep reminding myself of.

Sunday 2/17/08

“Who, being loved, is poor?”
—Oscar Wilde (1854-1900), poet, playwright, novelist

I haven't posted in a while but this quote definitely needed to go up - I love it! I think we all forget this way too often. We don't need more money and more things. Sometimes the simple things are all we need to be and feel fullfilled.

I'm Ready For A Break!

My legs are tired! In the past 4 days I've covered about 30 miles. So I'm going to take a break tomorrow - I may even sleep in a bit!!

I thought about taking today off but Lori was going to be out running with us and it has been a while since she has been able to make a weekday run so I decided to give it a try. I could tell pretty much right away that my legs were pretty darn tired. Then for some unknown reason, a couple of our group runners decided that they wanted to run fast. I say unknown reason because they kept saying how tired they were because the day before was so long and tiring. I stopped at 5 miles and when I took a look at our splits, the only mile that was over 10 m/m was the first one - all the others were faster. The other 3 runners decided to keep going after I stopped and I found out later that the next mile was done in like 7:50 m/m! I am SO glad I stopped at 5 - I kind of kicked myself for a second after I stopped but that faded quickly. Then to hear that time afterward.....boy did I make a GREAT decision!

So, I'll take tomorrow off and jump back into it on Thursday. I guess I am getting older because I haven't ever really experienced this before. I haven't even been lifting as much as I would like so it isn't that.

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday and I've decided that for Lent I will be trying to clean up my eating. I seem to be able to control my eating better durning this period. It doesn't really make sense to me but I guess my promise to God means more to me than a promise to myself. There is something very wrong in that statement. Now, don't get me wrong, promises and covenants with God need to have that sort of priority but wouldn't you think you deserve to give yourself that same sort of respect and commitment?!?! Something else to keep working on I guess.

February '08 Begins

January '08 ended with a fall and a fender-bender. Not really the way I expected the day to go. I went for a 6 mile run, on Thursday with a friend, and close to the end of our session I caught my toe on a big metal plate and went down. Luckily, all my experience in many different sports has taught me how to fall. As I went down, I rolled with it and as a result I didn't really get hurt - just a bit of a bump on my elbow. Then on my way to school, someone ran into the back of our van. Luckily, no one was really hurt and there was no damage to either car. I will say that my neck and upper back are a touch sore but it is all muscle related. After a day like this one I was really hoping for a better February!

February '08 began yesterday with a huge rainy downpour all day long - not the start I was looking for. However, February 2nd has started out wonderfully! We were planning on running trails this morning but with all the rain yesterday, we decided to stay on the streets. So, we met at 5:30 am (which is a better start time for me anyway) and off we went. The temperature was about 35 degrees so I decided to go with loose tights, a short sleeve shirt and nylon jacket and no gloves. About a mile or so into the run, I was beginning to think I had mad a mistake about the gloves. However, true to form, in about 5 more minutes I was really glad I had left them in the car. My layers ended up being a perfect choice!

We ran 10 miles in about 1:45 (about 10:30 pace). The distance was nice, the temperatures were good, the company was great and the sunrise was pretty. Overall, a great way to start the weekend. The best part though was the fact that I was able to get home in time to have breakfast with the family. Last week, Will asked my husband why I didn't want to have breakfast with them anymore - talk about breaking my heart! So, this week especially, it was very cool that I was able eat with them! Tomorrow, we are planning on doing another 10 miles - 20 miles on the weekend is not bad.

My mileage for January was just shy of 100 miles. I'm shooting for about 125 each month so I was pretty far short of that monthly goal. I know though, as the warmer weather comes around the miles will start to increase and I may be able to make up the difference.

The registration for the trail marathon that we want to run is now open so I will be registering for that soon. Lori also wants to run a marathon in March (the trail marathon is at the end of April). I don't know about that one yet - I want to look at it a bit before committing. The good thing is that they are both local (day trips) so the only real cost is the race itself.

Off to clean the house - did I say February was starting off well?!?!?!?!?!

13 Years Ago Today.....

..... I Married the Love of My Life!

'nough said.

Trail Pictures

Here are the pictures that my daughter took on the trail. I think she did a wonderful job - especially considering that she is only 7 years old.

Awesome Saturday - 1/26/08

I had an awesome run today. It was our weekly trail run (we try to get out to the trail at least once a week anyway - doesn't always happen but we sure do try). It was quite cold at 6:45 am but when the sun came up it was beautiful! Most of the run is done right next to a river. There is still snow and ice (just a little) back on the trails and on the water and it can just take your breath away with its beauty!

We covered about 8 miles - at a nice easy pace (a little over 11 m/m). We had 6 runners show up. Three of them turned around at 3.5 miles and three of us went on to a bit over 4 before turning around. The only bad/scary part was the we came upon some hunters in the park. Last Saturday and today there was deer hunting in the Delaware portion of the park. There was not supposed to be any hunting done in the Pennsylvania portion of the park - which we confirmed with the park rangers before leaving. Unfortunately these idiots decided to ignore that fact. We almost turned around when we first saw them but the told us that they didn't realize it wasn't in PA as well and that they were going to stop and head back. They lied! All 6 of our group today ran into them again after we had turned around. When my group got back to our cars we stopped at the park office to report the incident but there wasn't anybody there. One of our group members knows some federal law enforcement personnel and he said that he was going to report the incident to them. Nothing will probably happen but it's just nice to know that you at least reported it.

Speaking of the group, we have been bouncing around the idea of giving our group a name. There are a number of running groups in the area but many of them just let you fend for yourself. If you are out on a trail and end up with some sort of problem, they just leave you. We make it a point to get everyone back safely - no one is left and no one goes back by themselves. It is one of the things that I love about this group, we all really care about each other! Lori came up with a name which I thought was really cool. I'm not sure how she wants to spell it but she came up with "The WhYers". This actually has a double meaning - we meet at the Y on week days which is meaning one and the second is why do we run? why do we run marathons? why do we run early in the morning? etc. I thought it was awesome!

I gotta go - the kids want to play Go Fish!

Great read!

I found this enty by Tom Venuto on his blog and thought it was great. It is something I want to keep in front of me to remind me of how important goals are and that I need to make them, read them, adjust them if necessary and of course achieve them! Enjoy!


Your Fitness Future Foretold: 20 Predictions for 2008
Tom Venuto
Happy new year! This is the first post in 2008 for the Burn The Fat Blog and today I’m going to predict your future and forecast exactly what kind of results you’re going to get in 2008. Sylvia Browne, step aside… I’m pretty good at this..

Several years ago, a public relations firm in New York City asked me to write an article for one of their publications about fitness trends and predictions for the coming year. It turned out that my “crystal ball” was pretty darn accurate. I nailed most of the predictions I made about aerobics classes, yoga, core training, “holistic” approaches, online personal training technology, the baby boomer market, increasing obesity and many other subjects.

I do confess, it wasn’t that difficult, because instead of just taking a stab in the dark at it, I actually did some research on industry statistics. I also had some “insider insights” because I’d been a health club manager for so many years and was privy to fitness business trends.

This year, instead of making predictions for the whole fitness industry, what if I could take out my crystal ball again and predict with 99% precision exactly what kind of results you will achieve with your body by the end of 2008?

Well, I can do that too!

I would claim that I have some kind of “gift” for this, but to be honest, you and I don’t need to be psychic to make predictions like these.

There are two things you can always count on: (1)Nature’s laws of cause and effect and (2) human nature.

On that basis, here are my 20 fitness predictions for 2008:
I PREDICT that if you can reach into your pocket on any day in 2008 and pull out a card or piece of paper with all your body and fitness goals written on it in vivid detail, the odds are 95 to 1 in favor of you achieving every one of those goals before the end of the year.
I PREDICT that if you focus your thoughts on your goals and how you are going to achieve them, all day long, you will reach your goals so fast in 2008, it will make your head spin.
I PREDICT that if you focus your thoughts on health woes and body fat problems and if you think about what you don’t want, all day long, your problems will get worse than ever this year.
I PREDICT that if you made a new year’s resolution, but you didn’t turn it into a specific, written goal with a deadline and a strong reason why you must achieve it, you will freely abandon it the moment the going gets tough.
I PREDICT that if you can tell me all the reasons why achieving your health and fitness goals are important to you, you will be motivated from within to stick with it when the going gets tough
I PREDICT that at times, the going is going to get tough.
I PREDICTthat if you can tell me today what is your life purpose and what is your lifelong vision for your body and your health, you will still be as motivated and driven at the end of the year as you were at the beginning.
I PREDICT that if you don’t have long term goals and a “big picture” vision for your life that you will lose your New Year’s enthusiasm and motivation in a matter of months or even weeks.
I PREDICT that the way you see yourself in your mind’s eye today will be an exact reflection of what you see in the mirror at the end of the year.
I PREDICT that if you have a setback that seems to get in the way of you reaching your health and fitness goals and you tell yourself “this just is temporary; this too shall pass,” then it won’t set you back and it will pass.
I PREDICT that if you believe the way your body looks today is out of your control and you feel helpless or powerless to change, you won’t even make much of an effort this year.
I PREDICT that if you accept complete responsibility for the way your body looks today and you believe that you have the power to change, that you will take action and keep taking action, even through the tough times.
I PREDICT that if you’re unhappy with your physical condition and you say, “it’s not my fault” or you blame it on genetics, hormones or age, then your body will look pretty much the same at the end of 2008 as it did on New Year’s day.
I PREDICT that the more you have patience, a long term perspective and the ability to postpone immediate gratification, the more likely you are to be a success one year from now.
I PREDICT that the more you seek “miracle pills” or “quick fixes,” the more likely you are to be a failure one year from now.
I PREDICT that you will be tempted by many quick fixes in 2008.
I PREDICT that if you hang out with losers and negative people this year, you will become just like them.
I PREDICT that if you hang out with winners and positive people this year, you will become just like them.
I PREDICT that you will run into more negative people and losers this year than positive people and winners.
I PREDICT that if you recruit just one friend or support partner that stands behind you and the lifestyle changes you want to make in 2008, you will double your chances for success. If you surround yourself with numerous support partners, you will become virtually unstoppable. So how does your future look for 2008?

Based on my “predictions,” if it doesn’t look as bright as you’d like it to be, then don’t worry, because a prediction is not predestination.

You can’t do anything to change the past, but by changing your thoughts, attitudes and actions in the present moment, the future is yours to create.Your friend and coach,
Tom Venutowww.BurnTheFat.com

How things change!

I originally had planned on trying to run a marathon on March 9th in MD but that didn't work out. So we decided to try to run in the Bad to the Bone marathon in Charlottesville, VA 0n April 19th. Well, that didn't work out either. So now we are trying to enter a trail marathon right here in Newark, DE. From everything I've read it is hard but fun. In the description, the director tell everyone not to run this for time - run it to have fun. You even have to cross the river 4 times. I tried so post some pics but they wouldn't come up. I've run the area many times and it is beautiful! However, the river can be ankle to knee deep and that actually makes me just a bit nervous. I'm not afraid of water - I'm afraid of how my feet will deal with running after having crossed the water.

I haven't been running as much as I would have liked this month. Yesterday, I had a back spasm and decided not run. Then this morning, just as I was starting to get dressed (at 4:05 am), here comes my son walking down the steps. I knew he wasn't going to go back to sleep and if I made him go back to his room, all he would have done was wake up the entire house. So needless to say, I didn't get to run today either. I did however, get in a 25 min. bike and 30 min. of lifting. Not the intensity I know I need but at least I got in the time. That is a step in the right direction.

Tomorrow I WILL get out for a run. I'm meeting Cathy and maybe Lori at the Y for a run. The weather on Friday doesn't sound like it is going to be very nice so I want to make sure that I get a run in tomorrow!

My eating has not been perfect but it has been much better. I'm proud of myself - there were all sorts of donuts and cookies etc at work today and I only had 1 little bite. I really wanted to devour the entire box of donuts! I just kept thinking about my goals and my leverage and it got me through the day. I really hope to see some downward movement on the scale tomorrow morning!

Until next time!

Beautiful Mornings!

There has been the most beautiful full moons the past 2 mornings! Yesterday was met Jim for an early morning run and at times the sky was completely clear and the moon was a sight to see. At other times, there were just wisps of clouds moving across the moon and it was almost eerie - cool but eerie.

This morning I was on my way to the supermarket (the whole family was off because of the MLK holiday so I got to go first thing) and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. It was amazing and awesome! Kind of puts things into perspective - we are just one small part of a great big world and universe.

Enough with the deep stuff! Yesterday's run was a bear!! The wind and the cold made it REALLY hard to run. Jim and I ran 3.6 miles and called it quits because it was so hard. The wind and the cold were both just taking our breathes away - I was proud that I got out there and did something but bummed that I couldn't get more mileage in.

Today, we took the kids and the dog to the trails. It was still really cold but there wasn't much wind. Our normal procedure is to just walk and when the kids get tired they tell us and we turn around. Well, they didn't say anything (I guess they forgot) and we ended going 1.94 miles one way. Of course the kids then told us that they were really tired and you could really see them starting to drag their feet. I must add that they have been bouncing off the walls lately with excess energy, so one of the main reasons for getting them out was to drain some of that energy. After a while of walking back for a while, and hearing LOTS of sighs, I put Will on my back and carried him. Shortly after that, I put him down and carried Ally for a while. When we hit 3 miles Bill decided that he would carry Will so I kept carrying Ally. So all-in-all I walked about 2.5 miles just myself and then carried one of the 2 kids for about 1.5 miles. Talk about a good workout!

The walk was a lot of fun and the area was absolutely beautiful. Some of the hill sides still had snow on them, the sun was shining brightly and the water was amazing. Some areas had fast flowing water and other areas had a thin layer of ice covering the majority of the surface. Ally took some pictures and I'll try to post them later tonight.

I still have to do my lifting and I'll finish that a little later. Overall, I'm feeling much better with my program and mindset. My goal for this week is to start increasing the running mileage again. Our totals haven't been very high because of the tapering of our runners doing the Goofy and then the weather wasn't cooperating. I will also know this week whether we will be signing up for the Bad to the Bone Marathon and I want to start preparing immediately!

That's it for now!