A TALL DRINK OF LIFE

For Love of Running... Tinkerbell 2012

2012-01-31T23:31:00.001-07:00

This weekend marked my third half marathon… A third race that was LONG in the making. I have done a lot of reflecting on my running journey this weekend.

Over the past two years, I have had several people look at me like I was crazy, as I have endured injuries, lots of PT, countless chiropractic adjustments, early mornings running in the dark, timing my intake of adult beverages based on my running schedule, and early weekend mornings spent running when I could be sleeping in, asking me why I put myself through it all.

Honestly, as I list all of the sacrifices, I ask myself the same question and the only answer I come up with is that I really love it. I love how I feel when I finish a hard run. I love the strength I am seeing in myself. I love the achievement of seeing three medals on my board, each earned by running or run/walking 13.1 miles. I love challenging myself and breaking through to new levels. I love having a training plan that culminates in an event that pushes me to the limits of everything I have in me. I love what it does for my health. I love being able to say that I am a runner… an athlete… a competitor.

It has been more than a year since my second half marathon. A year that brought two injuries, training for a race and having to sit it out two weeks before the race, and huge lessons in how to condition, stretch and treat my body. Up until recently, I have always tied my love of running to a training schedule and participating in a race, but when the race was stripped away in the eleventh hour, I was left floundering in the middle of a running rest, unable to run and really searching for my “running identity”. I didn’t have a team to run with anymore, I had a tentative plan to do another race, but didn’t know anyone who was doing that race. I was sort of lost…

So, after the running rest, I started SLOWWWWLY at square one – two miles at a time, then three and about a month in I got to do a whopping four miles. Funny thing happened, all of a sudden I fell in love with running… just running itself… not the goal of a race… not the thought of a medal… not the training plan. Running, just running. I fell in love with just running to run. It has been a beautiful awakening for me!

So here I sit. Grateful for an amazing race and grateful that I no longer feel lost. Grateful that I finished my first race feeling strong rather than injured. Instead of feeling like a lost puppy dog (the way I felt after my first two events), I feel grateful that I can wake up tomorrow, put on my shoes, turn on my ipod, strap on my garmin and just run… 2 miles, 4 miles or whatever feels good. Running just to run. Pure and simple.

I haven’t decided what my next race will be… I have several in mind, but no set plans and that is okay because I know that it will become clear to me and that I will run many, many more races.

For now, I am loving that I just ran a race dressed like this…

In the Happiest Place on Earth…

Greeted by the three most important boys in my life at the finish line…

Gratified by the reality that I raised nearly $3000 for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society.

And humbled to run in honor of Dominie and Montana, and in memory of Rowan and Colten.

I am beyond blessed... One happy, happy Momma.

Burst into summer check-in #6

2011-07-27T09:59:00.000-07:00

This has been a crazy week with lots of activity and a ton of emotions in our house.

This is the first week in a long time that I have had some serious struggles with emotional eating. I have such issues with ice cream in the summer. It is so hot here in the desert and ice cream is just so yummy! Anyway, I have gone meatless in the last week and am gradually going "dairy-less" too. I am taste testing some non-dairy ice cream treats and finding that they are pretty good. I can definitely understand how easy it would be to really eat crappy on a vegetarian diet and to overdo the carbs and sugar, so this go around I am really challenging myself to continue to limit the empty carbs and to focus on protein filled, vitamin packed grains like quinoa. I also discovered kale this week! I did some reading about the amazing benefits of vitamin packed kale and then was able to pick up a fresh bunch at the Farmer's Market. I found this great and very easy recipe for Kale Chips and love it as a very easy way to eat it.

I also found a great website, courtesy of one of my vegan friends (who is a triathlete currently training for her first full Ironman) called the No Meat Athlete and loved this article about protein that I just read yesterday. It is a great resource for running and making sure that you get everything you need from a plant-based diet. While a bit overwhelming, my friend has been a great resource and it is really exciting to feel so good about this decision.

Now onto business!

In terms of exercise, it has been a pretty good week - Two core conditioning classes and two (and a half) days of running! Wednesday hill run was brutal last week due to the heat and humidity. I finished, but I had to walk quite a bit and really struggled with feeling dizzy. My run in Prescott was great. I am really coming along on the hills and felt really good about it overall. I had to walk much of my morning run on Monday because my leg was hurting. I will be getting back in for PT today to get my lower back, hips and leg "tuned-up" so that I can get back to running on Saturday. I have found that I need a "tune-up" about once/month to keep my leg from really acting up. So glad I have such a great PT practice to go to. I am loving my journey with Team in Training again and am so pleased to say that I am 1/3 of the way to my goal! Please take a minute to check out my Team in Training website HERE!

How did I do with my goals during this holiday week?
Eating:
***Stick strictly to my eating plan 5 days in a row and allow myself to slack on the 6th day.
This isn't really my focus right now. I am focusing on getting into a mode of eating meat-free.
***Limit my caffeine to one cup of coffee and one diet soda per day.
I did this four days. Making progress...I still love my coffee and coke zero.

***Maintain water intake of 64-96 oz/day
Knocked this out of the park and did this every day!

Exercise:
***Maintain my half marathon training schedule of running 2-3 weekdays (with one being a hill run) and weekend long run. After all I am training for my THIRD half marathon with the fabulous Team in Training! You can check out my website here.
For the most part... See above.
***Two days of yoga/core training - with bootcamp mixed in.
Did core conditioning class - 2 days.

Sleep: (This has really been a huge issue lately - I am not getting enough)
***Night before an early run, bed before 10:30
Did this before all three runs...

***Other nights, bed before 11:00
Getting better... Did this three of the four days. Another of my toughest goals.

Personal:
***No alcohol for the duration of this challenge. Because it is summer and my biggest time to be prone to depression/anxiety, I have made this VERY, VERY difficult decision, so that I don't add any fuel to the fire or any further cause for symptoms. I know it seems harsh, but my intuition tells me I need to do it and I know it will have a good effect on my eating plan/results.
Two drinks this week. Really felt justified given the week it has been.

So, what are my numbers? Up a bit, but knew I would have some adjusting over the next few weeks.

Starting weight (January 2010): 215
Starting weight for this challenge: 175
Today's weight: 176.5
Change from last week: +0.5
Change from start of the challenge: + 1.5
Overall change: - 38.5 pounds

Onward and forward!

I am so lucky to have my awesome team, "Triple T" Lisa, Debra, Michelle, Allison supporting me! Go check them out and give them some love too!I can't wait to see what this week brings!

Burst into summer - Check in #5

2011-07-20T07:08:00.000-07:00

Before I get to my weight info, I have to say that I am engrossed in this book!

I wrote a little bit last week about thinking about going back to not eating meat. I am now convinced that I really need to give a vegan diet a go. I am blown away by the health implications. While I love animals, I have never been so disturbed about animals being killed that I can't eat meat. However, the treatment of said animals and the conditions they live in really disturbs me. Even this was just enough to make me feel strongly about knowing where my meat was coming from, but not enough to challenge me to stop eating it all together.

Until now. This book has openned my world to all of the research that has been and is being done on the benefits of a plant-based diet. It is startling and truly inspiring. I recommend this book to anyone who has considered or is considering a plant-based diet!

Now onto business!

This has been an interesting week... I am beginning to make the switch to a vegan diet. I am excited, nervous and curious all at the same time. I am daunted by the idea of not knowing what/how to cook many meatless dishes. More than anything, I am excited to see how I feel and excited to see what happens to my overall health. My older son is going to do a two week trial with me, as he has serious issues with dairy and isn't a big meat eater to begin with. I can't wait to see how he feels. I expect that my weight may fluxuate a bit as I learn what carbs work ok for me and figure out what to eat later in the day. I definitely know that this is the direction my heart is telling me to go!

In terms of exercise, it has been a great week - Two core conditioning classes and three days of running! After conquering the hills last week, I was pleasantly surprised by how much better my long run in Prescott went. I was able to run the uphill so much better than I had been. I am growing to love hills because of the result on the "other side". I am sore, sore from our new circuit in core class! Don't for get that you can check-out my Team in Training website HERE!

How did I do with my goals during this holiday week?
Eating:
***Stick strictly to my eating plan 5 days in a row and allow myself to slack on the 6th day.
This will be an evolving goal and will be different next week after I think through it this week.
***Limit my caffeine to one cup of coffee and one diet soda per day.
I did this three days. I am slipping a bit on this. I love my coffee and coke zero.

***Maintain water intake of 64-96 oz/day
Knocked this out of the park and did this every day!

Exercise:
***Maintain my half marathon training schedule of running 2-3 weekdays (with one being a hill run) and weekend long run. After all I am training for my THIRD half marathon with the fabulous Team in Training! You can check out my website here.
Check. Done!

***Two days of yoga/core training - with bootcamp mixed in.
Did core conditioning class - 2 days.

Sleep: (This has really been a huge issue lately - I am not getting enough)
***Night before an early run, bed before 10:30
Did this before all three runs...

***Other nights, bed before 11:00
Getting better... Did this two of the four days. Another of my toughest goals.

Personal:
***No alcohol for the duration of this challenge. Because it is summer and my biggest time to be prone to depression/anxiety, I have made this VERY, VERY difficult decision, so that I don't add any fuel to the fire or any further cause for symptoms. I know it seems harsh, but my intuition tells me I need to do it and I know it will have a good effect on my eating plan/results.
Nothing this week.

So, what are my numbers? Glad I maintained. I know I will have some adjusting over the next few weeks.

Starting weight (January 2010): 215
Starting weight for this challenge: 175
Today's weight: 176
Change from last week: 0
Change from start of the challenge: + 1.5
Overall change: - 38.5 pounds

Onward and forward!

I am so lucky to have my awesome team, "Triple T" Lisa, Debra, Michelle, Allison supporting me! Go check them out and give them some love too!I can't wait to see what this week brings!

Burst into Summer - Check-In #4

2011-07-13T11:12:00.000-07:00

Here we are, another week down!

This has been a bit of a blah week. In terms of food, I continue to struggle to figure out what I really want to do. My current or the one I am supposedly following eating plan is very limited, but I know that when I stick strictly to it, it works really well for me. In terms of balancing myself, I have been encouraged to eat strict 4-5 days and then take a day off. Well, I am having a hard time doing even that. It is something about summer and all of the cool sweet treats... The other battle in my mind is taking the plunge to go vegetarian or vegan - I have been experimenting and toying with this for so long and am currently reading The Veganist, by Kathy Freston and really feel my heart telling me to take the plunge. This would really be a huge step for me and one that would most likely be solo, considering my husband has no desire and I am not sure how much of it the kids would go for. I am really feeling like I need to mix things up though...

In terms of exercise, it has been a fabulous week - Three core conditioning classes and three days of running! I did a "double" on Saturday and went to core class after running 5 miles. I was BEAT when that was all over! I love the feeling of getting stronger and love how the core class affects my running. I also celebrated a huge milestone today with my hill run. I haven't been able to do each hill without walking and especially the first gradual hill that is 1.5 miles... I have been having to walk several times. Today, I not only ran the first hill, but I ran the whole route! It was such a mental triumph for me! I love, love this running journey I am on. Don't for get that you can check-out my Team in Training website HERE!

How did I do with my goals during this holiday week?
Eating:
***Stick strictly to my eating plan 5 days in a row and allow myself to slack on the 6th day.
This continues to be a work in progress.. Not great with this at all - really need to adjust this and decide on a new plan

***Limit my caffeine to one cup of coffee and one diet soda per day.
I did this five days. Hard goal for me - especially on non-work days with soda.

***Maintain water intake of 64-96 oz/day
Knocked this out of the park and did this every day!

Exercise:
***Maintain my half marathon training schedule of running 2-3 weekdays (with one being a hill run) and weekend long run. After all I am training for my THIRD half marathon with the fabulous Team in Training! You can check out my website here.
Check. Done!

***Two days of yoga/core training - with bootcamp mixed in.
Did core conditioning class - 3 days!!!.

Sleep: (This has really been a huge issue lately - I am not getting enough)
***Night before an early run, bed before 10:30
Did this before all three runs...

***Other nights, bed before 11:00
Not so much... Did this one of the four days. Another of my toughest goals.

Personal:
***No alcohol for the duration of this challenge. Because it is summer and my biggest time to be prone to depression/anxiety, I have made this VERY, VERY difficult decision, so that I don't add any fuel to the fire or any further cause for symptoms. I know it seems harsh, but my intuition tells me I need to do it and I know it will have a good effect on my eating plan/results.
Had two drinks out at a going away party for a co-worker - at my favorite winebar no less! I am good with it and haven't felt a need to continue drinking.

So, what are my numbers? Exercise produced loss and still not back in the negative - going in the right direction though!

Starting weight (January 2010): 215
Starting weight for this challenge: 175
Today's weight: 176
Change from last week: -1.5
Change from start of the challenge: + 1.5
Overall change: - 38.5 pounds

Onward and forward!

I am so lucky to have my awesome team, "Triple T" Lisa, Debra, Michelle, Allison supporting me! Go check them out and give them some love too!I can't wait to see what this week brings!

Burst into Summer - Check-in #3 - The 4th of July Version

2011-07-06T08:25:00.000-07:00

First of all, where on earth does the time go?!?! Every time I feel like I am ahead of the game enough to get another post whipped out, I am back to Tuesday night! Crazy busy, this life of mine.

So, what have I been up to this week?
Fourth of July and all of the festivities! We spent the weekend up north and enjoyed thunderclouds, a bit of rain, beautiful sunshine and cooler temperatures. This was the view from the pool on the fourth...

My kiddos were introduced to some long loved traditions such as the dunk tank

(That is Big Man, in the tank waiting to be dunked!) And the three legged race

And hula-hooping

And water balloons

They watched their first pie eating contest and we all enjoyed a bit of pie ourselves.

So, how did the week go in terms of my latest challenge?

This has been a great week considering it included a holiday that centers around barbeque, dessert and social eating. Following last week's revelations, I did well for three days and once the weekend came on full force, I slacked a bit. I will say that I slacked with full knowledge of what I was doing, realizing the potential consequences. Now I am back in that swing and look forward to a more normal week to come.

From an exercise perspective, I had some great breakthroughs. Saturday brought my best run this year in the higher altitude. I have been fighting to get adjusted to the altitude and Saturday was the first run that felt smooth and somewhat effortless. I love the trail I run and love the sights and sounds of the early morning in Prescott. I even saw a couple of deer within yards of me. This was my view...

I also decided to do a month of core conditioning class - The killer class I did for a couple of months this spring. I had my first class yesterday morning and was already sore by afternoon. Much like the SJ Bootcamp, it kicks my booty - hopefully in a way that will shrink it!

How did I do with my goals during this holiday week?
Eating:
***Stick strictly to my eating plan 5 days in a row and allow myself to slack on the 6th day.
This continues to be a work in progress.. Made it three days in a row. But then really, really slacked with the holiday weekend.

***Limit my caffeine to one cup of coffee and one diet soda per day.
I did this four days. Hard goal for me - especially on non-work days with soda.

***Maintain water intake of 64-96 oz/day
Knocked this out of the park and did this every day!

Exercise:
***Maintain my half marathon training schedule of running 2-3 weekdays (with one being a hill run) and weekend long run. After all I am training for my THIRD half marathon with the fabulous Team in Training! You can check out my website here.
Check. Done!

***Two days of yoga/core training - with bootcamp mixed in.
Did bootcamp and started core conditioning class.

Sleep: (This has really been a huge issue lately - I am not getting enough)
***Night before an early run, bed before 10:30
Did this before all three runs...

***Other nights, bed before 11:00
Not so much... Did this one of the four days. Another of my toughest goals.

Personal:
***No alcohol for the duration of this challenge. Because it is summer and my biggest time to be prone to depression/anxiety, I have made this VERY, VERY difficult decision, so that I don't add any fuel to the fire or any further cause for symptoms. I know it seems harsh, but my intuition tells me I need to do it and I know it will have a good effect on my eating plan/results.
Done. This has been okay so far.

So, what are my numbers? Not very pretty. Complicated by TOM/PMS along with the holiday. No doubt it will be gone next week!

Starting weight (January 2010): 215
Starting weight for this challenge: 175
Today's weight: 177.5
Change from last week: +2.9
Change from start of the challenge: + 2.5
Overall change: - 37.5 pounds

Onward and forward!

I am so lucky to have my awesome team, "Triple T" Lisa, Debra, Michelle, Allison supporting me! Go check them out and give them some love too!I can't wait to see what this week brings!

Burst into Summer - Check-In #2

2011-06-29T09:26:00.000-07:00

Its that time again... Time to check in!

So lucky to have my awesome team, "Triple T" Lisa, Debra, Michelle, Allison supporting me!

This has been an interesting week for me. I have been on a plateau of sorts for quite awhile and have gone back and forth this week about whether or not I should be a "non-loser" because I just have really been riding the plateau and not getting serious about doing what I know really works for me in the area of eating. I have really enjoyed wearing smaller clothes and have been so comfortable in my own body for the first time in years. The catch, for me, is finding a balance between being very happy in my own skin and continuing my journey to an even stronger slimmer me. That has been my inner dialogue for weeks.

So, yesterday brought a quiet moment of truth... an epiphany of sorts. I went to REI to check out their sale and spend a gift card. They had a ton of workout gear on sale, so I packed each arm full of great deals to try on and ventured to the dressing room. It was the classic, "this one's too small," "this one's not right", dance that I have become so accustomed to over the years. Then I had this moment of looking in the mirror at my body without clothes on and noticed how short I am selling myself right now. I have been so blinded by my progress (which is a good thing) that I haven't really, really looked at my body for what it is as a whole. I saw the areas that still need toning and the areas that I know can look stronger and healthier and right then and there I had what I needed. I had the motivation and the visual to call to mind when I don't think the chocolate is such a big deal and when I rationalize my choices away telling myself that "tomorrow is a new day". It was a wild moment. A powerful moment. So, I share it now and put it out there. You have my permission to yell "REI DRESSING ROOM" anytime you see me mentally rationalizing a poor food choice!

Then, this morning I heard this song after my run and it couldn't have come at a better moment - endorphins firing, clear on my goals, feeling like a "She-ra" after running hills. Take a listen, I am sure it will speak to you as well.

How did I do with my goals? Keeping in mind that I had my "come to Jesus" moment yesterday...

Eating:
***Stick strictly to my eating plan 5 days in a row and allow myself to slack on the 6th day.
This continues to be a work in progress.. I have been really hit and miss this week. Today will be day two in a row.

***Limit my caffeine to one cup of coffee and one diet soda per day.
I did this three days. This week brought several days that one cup of coffee was just not going to cut it. I am still committed to this, its just ended up being a bit more challenging.

***Maintain water intake of 64-96 oz/day
Knocked this out of the park and did this every day!

Exercise:
***Maintain my half marathon training schedule of running 2-3 weekdays (with one being a hill run) and weekend long run. After all I am training for my THIRD half marathon with the fabulous Team in Training! You can check out my website here.
Check. Done!

***Two days of yoga/core training - with bootcamp mixed in.
Did bootcamp and maintained my core exercises daily.

Sleep: (This has really been a huge issue lately - I am not getting enough)
***Night before an early run, bed before 10:30
Did this two out of three runs...

***Other nights, bed before 11:00
Not so much... This may be my hardest goal! I did this one of the four non-running days.

Personal:
***No alcohol for the duration of this challenge. Because it is summer and my biggest time to be prone to depression/anxiety, I have made this VERY, VERY difficult decision, so that I don't add any fuel to the fire or any further cause for symptoms. I know it seems harsh, but my intuition tells me I need to do it and I know it will have a good effect on my eating plan/results.
Done. This has been okay so far.

So, what are my numbers?

Starting weight (January 2010): 215
Starting weight for this challenge: 175
Today's weight: 174.6
Change from last week: -0.4
Change from start of the challenge: - 0.4
Overall change: - 40.4 pounds

All things considered, I will take a tiny move in the right direction!

I can't wait to see what this week brings!

Burst into Summer - Check-In #1

2011-06-22T21:18:00.001-07:00

Week one of our new challenge over at the Sisterhood has come and gone!

My great team, "Triple T" Lisa, Debra, Michelle, Allison have been amazing this week! So much encouragement and so many tweets to check-in and lift each other up! I am loving my team.

Because it is already Wednesday night, I am going to make this short and sweet and cut to the chase.

How did I do with my goals?

Eating:
***Stick strictly to my eating plan 5 days in a row and allow myself to slack on the 6th day.
This is a work in progress.. I have had three days in a row and wasn on my way to a fourth when I had a date night and decided to have dessert and part of my husband's fried chicken ~~(It was worth it!)~~

***Limit my caffeine to one cup of coffee and one diet soda per day.
I did this on all but one day. This has been really do-able!

***Maintain water intake of 64-96 oz/day
Knocked this out of the park and did this every day!

Exercise:
***Maintain my half marathon training schedule of running 2-3 weekdays (with one being a hill run) and weekend long run. After all I am training for my THIRD half marathon with the fabulous Team in Training! You can check out my website here.
Did this with the exception of missing my Monday run because of my leg being sore. I definitely made up for it with my awesome hill run this morning!

***Two days of yoga/core training - with bootcamp mixed in.
Did bootcamp and maintained my core exercises daily.

Sleep: (This has really been a huge issue lately - I am not getting enough)
***Night before an early run, bed before 10:30
Did this two out of three runs...

***Other nights, bed before 11:00
Not so much... This will be hard for me!

Personal:
***No alcohol for the duration of this challenge. Because it is summer and my biggest time to be prone to depression/anxiety, I have made this VERY, VERY difficult decision, so that I don't add any fuel to the fire or any further cause for symptoms. I know it seems harsh, but my intuition tells me I need to do it and I know it will have a good effect on my eating plan/results.
I didn't have any alcohol this week.

So, what are my numbers?

Starting weight (January 2010) - 215
Starting weight for this challenge - 175
Today's weight - 175
Change from last week - 0
Change from start of the challenge - 0
Overall change - 40 pounds

Maintaining is good - next week I will have a minus befoe my number!

Bring it on!

Burst into Summer!

2011-06-15T20:47:00.000-07:00

Time for a new challenge over at the Sisterhood! This is a larger team challenge - my favorite kind! I have participated in many of their challenges and have done the very best when the teams are randomly chosen and it is a longer challenge... So que the newest challenge that perfectly fits the bill...

I have a great team of ladies, one that I know well, one acquaintance and two that I am meeting for the first time. Together we make Team 23 or "Triple T" and I just have a feeling that we will be a force to be reckoned with! I can't wait to see what Lisa, Debra, Michelle, Allison and I create together!

This is JUST what I need right now. I have a ton of work stress right now, it is getting really hot (110 today), and I have been pretty apathetic about sticking to my eating plan. My biggest issue is that I stick pretty close to it most of the time, but all of the time I am going off a little here and a little there, which creates a holding pattern with a pound gained here, a pound lost there, but really no definite movement. Make no mistake, maintaining is a good thing... however, I am not yet where I want to be and where I know I am capable of going.

So whats my plan? What are my goals?

Eating:
***Stick strictly to my eating plan 5 days in a row and allow myself to slack on the 6th day.
***Limit my caffeine to one cup of coffee and one diet soda per day.
***Maintain water intake of 64-96 oz/day

Exercise:
***Maintain my half marathon training schedule of running 2-3 weekdays (with one being a hill run) and weekend long run. After all I am training for my THIRD half marathon with the fabulous Team in Training! You can check out my website here.
***Two days of yoga/core training - with bootcamp mixed in.

Sleep: (This has really been a huge issue lately - I am not getting enough)
***Night before an early run, bed before 10:30
***Other nights, bed before 11:00

Personal:
I am going to work on a few goals this week... As I said before, it is getting hot and I am rapidly nearing the time of year that is, My Dark Winter. I really struggle with the heat and will be thinking of several things that I could do differently this summer to help ease the effects.

So, what are my numbers?

Starting weight (January 2010) - 215
Starting weight for this challenge - 175
Change from last week - N/A
Change from start of the challenge - N/A
Overall change - 40 pounds

Bring it on!

Coping...Feeling...Breathing...Caring

2011-06-13T23:42:00.001-07:00

As a pediatric oncology nurse I am often asked things like

"How do you do it?"
"How do you handle it?"
"How do you take care of sick kids?"

And every variation along those lines. Many nurses get this question, regardless of their specialty... Simply put, caring for sick people is tough and many cannot imagine doing so. Then you add the very special group... children AND the "c-word"... Its a double whammy. We still refer to cancer in whispered tones with adults, but children?!?! Unless you spend your days in this world, it is hard to fathom any bright side to children with cancer. The assumption is made that all children with cancer die... or at least most of them.

Fortunately, the reality is that we cure almost 80% of children with cancer and my world is much, much happier than anyone imagines. That said, I still care for sick children and an 80% cure rate doesn't come without pain, suffering and sometimes death. I spend a lot of time laughing, but I also spend a lot of time crying. The proverbial question still remains...

"How do I do it?"

I learned a very important lesson about 9 years ago... I had been practicing in this specialty for three years and was starting to question myself and whether or not I had it in me to continue and if I did have it in me, how would I balance the emotions. I began to ask questions... I began to read... I began to have conversations with other nurses farther along in their careers... I began to search my own soul and intuition. I even did a collaborative research study titled, "Caring for the Caregiver" and presented the results at the national APHON conference. So, what was the lesson? It really was rather basic, but incredibly profound...

In order to have longevity in this career, it is vital that I care for myself and that I find outlets to fill my soul, allowing me to release emotions. So, I began to discover my hobbies and the activities that gave me escape while "filling my cup". Different seasons of my life have produced different outlets. Early on I learned to quilt, I scrapbooked and I shopped (sometimes not the healthiest outlet!). These days, I escape to the high (cooler) desert, I garden (with a special love for roses), I indulge in photography, I read and participate in a book club and of greatest impact on my life & overall health, I run.

So why is this all on my mind?

This past two weeks have been a couple of the most mentally exhausting weeks at work of my whole career. I haven't lost a patient, I haven't had a patient with recurrent disease or a newly diagnosed patient in the trenches of adjusting to a cancer diagnosis. What I have been dealing with is an intense ethical debate that has spanned the bounds of everything from the principal of beneficience vs. non-maleficence, to parent's rights to make treatment decisions for their child, to the question of what warrants "cure", to what constitutes medical neglect, to how on earth I separate my professional opinion from my opinion as a parent. HUGE issues and HUGE internal debate.

In returning to work today after a great weekend up north, I realized that I have indulged in all five of my "self-care" escapes in the past week. And, honestly, I don't know that I would have been able to walk back into the clinic today feeling refreshed and relaxed if I hadn't...

I started the week with a great visit from my friend Kirsten. We met up north and within hours were practicing our photography skills together...

We then had a great run together the next morning...

I gardened throughout the week, marveling at my beautiful roses...

By Friday, I was back up north enjoying the high desert... by the pool...

Reading my newest bookclub book, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

The most striking realization today? I did all of these things without realizing the true purpose in the moment... I made the decision to do each activity without active thought of "doing it for catharsis or self-help". Each is part of the fabric of my life and the schedule of my days. How cool is that?

THIS is how I do what I do...
THIS is how I survive...
THIS is how I feel & grieve...

THIS is how I THRIVE, LOVE, GIVE, EMPATHIZE & CARE for every patient that weaves their way into my soul.

May Your Way - Final Check-In

2011-06-01T11:19:00.000-07:00

May is over!!! How crazy is that!

This month has flown and I cannot believe how busy it was. The kids finished school last week and summer has officially begun. It was so nice to enter the holiday weekend without homework or strict bedtime routines and with the reality of summer break setting in. Of course we still have work all summer, but the decreased stress of school and all related activities is really nice!

So, last post I was in the middle of my hormone debaucle and was getting ready to start the new supplements and progesterone cream. I am happy to report a HUGE difference in my cravings and in my PMS. I can actually control myself around sugar now... What a concept.

In the exercise arena, I am doing great and making headway with each new run. I am now officially training for my next half marathon and feel great running. I am blown away every day by what my body is capable of and how much progress I have made in the past year. I haven't gotten to spin class the past couple of weeks because of the craziness of my schedule, but I am taking a sculpt class today after my run to celebrate National Running Day! Now that I am no longer doing my core conditioning class, I have to get back on the strength training train. I don't want to lose what I have gained in the past several months!

I mentioned my new clothes in my last post and got many requests to show them off, so here you go...

New dress (I got one in grey and in purple) - $18 at Target

New skirt #1 - $6.99 Old Navy Clearance

New skirt #2 - $3.99 Old Navy Clearance

New Body... Absolutely Priceless

So, here are the numbers...

Starting Weight

215 lbs
Starting Weight for this Challenge
176

Today's Weight

173.6

Change from last week

-0.4

Difference for the challenge
-2.4
Total Difference

-41.6 lbs

Continuing in the right direction...

May Your Way Check-In #3

2011-05-18T10:40:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my new look! Before you keep reading, take a second and click the little "follow" button on the right, as I will not be posting at Releasing Me anymore.

May is half way over!!! How crazy is that! I missed a post last week, and here we are half way through!

The past two weeks have been a process of getting back on track after a couple of weeks of seriously bad choices and struggles with cravings that were clearly hormone mediated. I have found, over the past several months that I do okay if I go into the week before my TOM eating well, but if I am off track at all, it is a disaster. Needless to say, Easter was right before that week and it was all downhill from there.

After doing some reading and research about hormones and how I could get a bit more balanced, I met with my doctor and we came up with a plan to add some progesterone cream and a couple of supplements to help with cravings. He agreed that it was hormone related and was really optimistic that this would help. Since getting started several days ago, I already feel a difference in the cravings... the true test will be next week when PMS would normally peak. (Probably TMI, but you know me, I put it all out there!) Stay tuned...

From an exercise standpoint, this has been a great couple of weeks. I am back to running on a regular basis and just made the decision to do Team in Training again and will be running the Nike Women's Half Marathon in October! More to come on that... I will have my fundrasing website up in the next week. It feels great to have a race to train for and to have my leg behaving! I feel so different than I did training for the last race... I am completely running now and my time has improved dramatically. I am also doing spin once/week and strength training 1-2x/week.

So, here are the numbers...

Starting Weight

215 lbs
Starting Weight for this Challenge
176

Today's Weight

174.2

Change from last week

-1.2

Difference for the challenge
-1.8
Total Difference

-40.8 lbs

Did I mention that I bought two new dresses and two new skirts this week?!?! I love it!

May your way - Check-In #1

2011-05-03T23:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my new look! Before you keep reading, take a second and click the little "follow" button on the right, as I will not be posting at Releasing Me anymore.

It has been way too long since my last post. Lots of "life" going on for me over the past couple of months... That said, I am back and ready to get serious with the newest challenge over at the Sisterhood.

The last challenge brought a lot of maintaining, which was wonderful. My weight really didn't change a whole lot, but I continued to shed inches and create a leaner, healthy body.

At the end of the last challenge, I had my biometrics done again at my doctor's office and was truly blown away by the results. Since October, I have done the following:

Body Fat: 41% to 27%

Current lean mass weight: 129 lbs

BMI: 37-28

CRAZY!!!

From this:

To This:

Even in light of this crazy awesomeness, I have really been in a funk. I feel so great for the first time in fore-evah and have become pretty slacked about my eating, not being strict and really caving to my sweet tooth. While I am thrilled with my accomplishments and feel so good, I know wholeheartedly that my journey isn't over and that I am not at my goal for my body. I have chosen not to hold fast to a weight goal (meaning a specific number) but rather to a size goal and I am not there yet. So, while I have been able to maintain while being "rogue", I know that it won't last forever if I keep eating the sweets and that it is time to get it together.

I loved reading this post over at the Sisterhood tonight because I am overdue to tap into my strength and remember that I am not only stronger than any temptation but that I am worth so much more.

So, here are my goals:

Fitness
Run 3 days/week (one longer run)
Spin once/week
Conditioning class once/week
Abd exercises nightly.

Eating plan
Hold strict to my eating plan six days/week and have one day that is "free"
Spend this week getting OFF the sugar.

Personal
Mantra - daily and in the tempting moments
Officially sign up for Team in Training to participate in the Nike Women's Half Marathon in October.

Starting Weight
215 lbs
Starting Weight for this Challenge
176
Today's Weight
176
Change from last week
n/a
Difference for the challenge
n/a
Total Difference
-39 lbs

Spring In 2 Action - Check-In #1

2011-03-09T13:16:00.001-07:00

Welcome to my new look! Before you keep reading, take a second and click the little "follow" button on the right, as I will not be posting at Releasing Me anymore.

I am so excited to get started with this challenge and am so excited that my partner in crime is the fabulous Lisa M. from Growing up Mo and The Sisterhood! She has become a dear friend and sister I never had.

As far as this challenge goes, I can't wait to see what we are able to create together! We have given ourselves the name:
THE DYNAMIC RUNNING DIVAS

To get started off, I know we both have some extenuating factors affecting our first week.
I am on the vacation of my dreams, hanging out with my Hubby, boys, and extended family, here...

We are with my parents in Maui, celebrating their 40th Wedding Anniversary! What a blessing and what an amazing opportunity.

So, other than the many adult beverages and some unpredictability in food choice, I am doing pretty well with my food. I could be doing a bit better with water too.

I have run once and have snorkeled twice and am sore from swimming... I have gotten some much needed relaxation and love that we haven't even left our resort yet. Our main objective was rest and no set schedule and we are definitely achieving that.

I have planned to have a bit of a gain this week, being that it is vacation and that it also happens to be TOM. So here are the numbers.

Starting Weight

215 lbs
Starting Weight for this Challenge
175

Today's Weight

176

Change from last week

Difference for the challenge
+1
Total Difference

-39 lbs

Power of One - Week 8 Final Check-In

2011-02-23T22:06:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my new look! Before you keep reading, take a second and click the little "follow" button on the right, as I will not be posting at Releasing Me anymore.

Its been a strange week. I graduated from physical therapy last week and decided to continue with them in the form of their Core Conditioning Class. I am going to take an eight week session of core class twice a week. This class has been written up as the Valley's Best All-Around Strength and Conditioning Class. From what I am told, it will kick my tail and be a great next step in my physical conditioning. I was pretty excited to get started this week. That was until I was blind-sided by a killer sinus infection this weekend and ended up in bed all day Monday-Tuesday. Not fun and so NOT my plan. It made it tough the eat well and unfortunately core class will have to wait until next week when I am 100%.

As far as this challenge goes, I am amazed by how different it turned out. I was coming off of the holidays and a fall that was marked by consistent weight loss, so going into this challenge I set the goal to drop 15-20 pounds. Little did I know that I would end up injured, wind up in PT, not be able to run, and strength train my little heart out. So, rather than become a challenge of pounds it became the incredible shrinking inches challenge for me. While the pounds didn't move a whole lot, the inches seemed to melt away and my clothes begun to literally fall off of me.

I dropped almost 8 inches and two clothing sizes!

When I went out to buy some new scrubs for work, I totally skipped a size, going from XL to Medium.

I have never been this toned and this clothing size at this weight!

So, I would say that I ROCKED this challenge and that the Power of One was definitely all about me... I certainly learned that I am capable of great things in the area of strength training and that it is vital to my journey to be the healthiest me. I also learned that it isn't all about the scale and that the number on the scale doesn't always reflect the feeling in my clothes or the way I look in the mirror.

So here are all of the final stats:

Measurements:

Bust - 36" (-2" from 38")
Waist - 32" (-2.75" from 34.75")
Hips - 41.5" (-3" from 44.5")
Net change: -7.75"

Here are my "other" numbers...

Starting Weight

215 lbs
Starting Weight for this Challenge
178

Today's Weight

174.6

Change from last week

+0.1

Difference for the challenge
-3.4
Total Difference

-40.4 lbs

Capturing True Emotion... My day of photography.

2011-02-20T22:48:00.000-07:00

Some of you may remember me talking about the best Christmas present ever... My husband hit it out of the park this year in giving me a one day digital photography course that included lecture in the morning and hands on photography in the afternoon to put into practice all that we learned in the morning. I was excited from the moment I opened the gift. Anyone who knows me, knows that I love giving and getting gifts and when another person buys me a gift that I would buy for someone else, its a home-run and makes me feel so very special. Thanks Hubby!

The class was taught by Val Westover and Stephanie Adriana of Val Westover Photography. The class was titled... Capturing True Emotion... Mastering the Basics of Digital Photography. I was so excited and really hoped that it was worth the time and that I would walk away knowing how to navigate my very nice camera better and knowing how to shoot in manual mode. Several years ago, I got a Canon Digital Rebel xTi and have love, loved it. I feel guilty often though because I spend so much time in the automatic mode, not using all of the bells and whistles it came with. My brother-in-law has attempted to explain things like aperture and f-stop to me in the past, but it hasn't clicked. Now, I understand all of the basics and can quickly navigate my way around my camera! It is so exciting.

They taught in such a basic, yet captivating manner. Everything was broken down into a level and language I could understand and it really made an impression that they showed photos demonstrating each of the elements as they taught. They do beautiful work!

So after the morning of instruction, we came back to do our "photo safari" and try out each of the elements we learned. Val would instruct us and then we would take a few minutes to take pictures with the settings he recommended.

First we worked with ISO. This was the one setting that I had a pretty good understanding of going in. The following photos were taken with different ISO settings, as noted below the photo. Everything else was adjusted automatically...

ISO 100 - In a pretty dark light... Over-exposed and not very clear.

ISO 800 - Same Lighting, much better detail and much better captured.

The next thing we did was set the aperture, or f-stop along with the ISO. This was my favorite. I have been wanting to learn how to take close-ups with the background blurred for quite awhile and while I get lucky once in awhile, now I know how!

ISO-200, f/5.6

Love this - It was one of the first I took.

ISO-200, f/5.6

Another close up. We had great material to work with.

ISO-200, f/5.6

This was one of my favorite pics of the day! I can't believe that I haven't edited anything about it.

ISO-200, f/5.6

I liked that there was significant scenery in the background that added to the impact of the image.

And this was experimenting with smaller aperture (which is confusing because it is a bigger number).

This allows the capture of lighting along with depth of field for larger landscapes.

ISO-400, f/11

Next we experimented with shutter speed. Both Val and Stephanie, volunteered to run back and forth while we took pictures adjusting our shutter speed from slow to fast. This skill will come in handy at races and soccer games! For most of the pictures we left the ISO and aperture the same, as we were standing in the same place with the same lighting the whole time.

ISO-100, f/8, 1/30

Pretty blurry due to the low shutter speed.

ISO-100, f/11, 1/60

Little bit clearer...

ISO-400, f/4, 1/500

Much faster shutter speed. How cool is her hair!

ISO-400, f/4.5, 1/1000

Even faster!

Lastly, we worked on putting everything together and using our shutter speed meter to determine our exposure - Combining aperture and shutter speed. We selected our ISO and aperture and then focused on a neutral color or a color that we wanted to help us determine exposure. For example, focusing on a lighter color and adjusting the shutter speed meter to zero to cause the photo to be under exposed and vice versa. These pics were taken completely in manual mode!

ISO-200, f/8, 1/800

I love being able to capture the deeper colors without editing.

ISO-400, f/8, 1/125

A bit underexposed to capture the lighting. I went around this planter and took pics at all different lighting angles and with different exposures. I set the shutter speed focusing on the lighter green in the leaves.

ISO-400, f/8, 1/30

Very overexposed, by setting shutter speed focusing on the dirt in the planter.

ISO-200, f/8, 1/500

This was one of the first I took in manual and I focused on the green grass to set my shutter speed and was able to accurately capture the time of day - approx 4:30pm and the shadows.

ISO-200, f/5.6, 1/500

Again shadows and sun going down.

ISO-100, f/5.6, 1/1000

In order to capture a silouette, I set the shutter speed in the lightest area I could find and then took the picture.... Very cool skill.

Lastly, we did some work on learning how to take a portrait and where on the person's face to set the shutter speed for the best coloring. After doing this, and as the class was dwindling, Val taught us a cool skill for the beach or capturing pictures of people with the sunset in the background without losing the colors of the sunset or the lighting to capture the people in the picture. Basically, he had us set our shutter speed on the lightest area of the sunset and then use our flash to take the picture. Like this...

ISO-100, f/13, 1/160 - Can't wait to use this one in Hawaii!

What an amazing opportunity and what a great class! I am so excited to work with what I learned. My favorite comment from the class was that

"If you know how to set your camera accurately, you will need to do very little editing to achieve what you are aiming to capture".

To this point, I have had to edit my photos in order to achieve what I wanted! What a concept.

Happy shooting!

Power of One - Week 7 Check-In

2011-02-16T11:02:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my new look! Before you keep reading, take a second and click the little "follow" button on the right, as I will not be posting at Releasing Me anymore.

Its been an up and down week as far as eating is concerned. Much more up... with the exception of the boat load of valentine chocolate I inhaled. Wow, do I LOVE chocolate and while I have learned a lot about moderation, I am not sure that moderation and chocolate go in the same sentence for me! No regrets... just moving forward.

From a physical standpoint, I am watching my body change before my own eyes. I had a PT workout last week that brought me the closest to tossing my cookies I have ever been. I suddenly felt a measure of empathy for the Biggest Loser contestants! I was sore for several days... Yesterday I had my best short run ever! I ran the whole 3.11 miles in 38 minutes without walking. My fastest 5K time evah! I felt phenomenal after finishing and it was an amazing start to my day. Every run it gets easier to maintain good form and let my core carry me. I am amazed by the fact that I am having to learn how to run. Something seemingly so simple.

I have continued to celebrate my new size 12 self this week and continued shopping discovering that I totally skipped a scrub size. I went from XL straight to Medium! I couldn't believe how great it felt to wear new clothes to work and get compliments all day long about how great I

I also took my measurements:
Bust - 36" (-2" from 38")
Waist - 32" (-2.75" from 34.75")
Hips - 42" (-2.5" from 44.5")
Net change: -7.25"
While there hasn't been a huge change in my weight, this is HUGE and my body doesn't look anything like it looked at the start of the challenge!

Here are my "other" numbers...

Starting Weight

215 lbs
Starting Weight for this Challenge
178

Today's Weight

174.5

Change from last week

-1.3

Difference for the challenge
-3.5
Total Difference

-40.5 lbs

The Power of One - Week 6 Check-In

2011-02-09T08:26:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my new look! Before you keep reading, take a second and click the little "follow" button on the right, as I will not be posting at Releasing Me anymore.

From the eating standpoint, it has been a bit better than last week and as of Monday I am back on track. I had a really down day last Friday. I think the majority of it was over exhaustion, but it was definitely a "why on earth am I doing this... It is so hard!" day. I actively decided to give myself a break through the weekend and was pretty liberal with my eating but didn't go crazy. I am back to my eating plan for the most part. I have had more work stress pop up this week and my emotional eating is rearing its head, which I know will happen from time to time. I am working on better choices when I do cave to emotional eating, so that the damage isn't as severe.

This was a great week for running. I got to run THREE times... Thursday, Sunday and Tuesday... all about three miles. By Tuesday I was able to run with very minimal walking and it felt great. I go back to PT this morning and have some soreness, but otherwise I am doing great and looking forward to getting back to race training. The running and strength training definitely cushioned the blow of my eating issues this week!

So here are the numbers...

Starting Weight

215 lbs
Starting Weight for this Challenge
178

Today's Weight

175.8

Change from last week

+0.3

Difference for the challenge
-2.2
Total Difference

-39.2 lbs

On the non-fitness front, I had a huge milestone this weekend. I have literally run out of clothes to wear and have been down to two pair of pants, so I went shopping and was able to buy three pair of SIZE 12 pants! I haven't fit into a size 12 in almost six years! It feels great!

London's Run - Running For My Little Warriors

2011-02-06T21:33:00.001-07:00

My first 10K was a very, very special race. I couldn't think of a race that I would rather celebrate this milestone...

London's Run

London Solomon was a vibrant, spunky little girl that I had the honor of caring for soon after moving back to Arizona. I worked the night shift and one of my favorite "duties" was getting all of my kiddos tucked in and helping them get as good of a night's sleep as possible while making sure they got all of their meds and necessary treatments. London made my job a joy. We definitely had some battles over late night medications, but she lived out loud and was full of spunk. She was an aspiring cheerleader and was very, very creative. One of my favorite nights was being greeted by a note on the outside of the door to her room addressed to "Tifunny" sending me on a scavenger hunt that ended in a picture she had made for me. I still have the note... Sweet, sweet memories.

Not long before London's death, her family and friends had planned the very first London's Run to help offset medical expenses. Unfortunately, London died of an infection before the First London's Run. That was five years ago and last Saturday marked the 6th Annual London's Run. I have really felt blessed to participate almost every year in their two mile fun run. One of the neatest features of London's Run is that they sponsor at least two local childhood cancer patients and donate a portion of the proceeds to help each family offset medical expenses. Every year, following the first, one of my patients has benefited from this incredible event. This year one of my very special, spunky, 7 year old girls was honored and it is so fitting because she reminds me of London on a regular basis.

I was so excited for London's Run this year, as I have become a runner since last year's race. I had initially considered doing the half marathon, but had to adjust my thinking in light of physical therapy. My physical therapist and I decided that the 10K would be appropriate and would be a good "test run" for my leg. He wanted me to take it really easy, not running more than two minutes at a time, alternating with 3-5 minutes walking. I was just so thrilled to be back out there, that it sounded great.

I was also excited to participate with other nurses from work, my family (Hubby, my brother, sister-in-law and my Dad ran the 10K), and many parents of current and former patients. I was so excited to see Kristi at the start...

I take care of her sweet daughter Mia. You can read about Mia and read her race report here. So glad she got such a great picture of us! I wore my "Run Like a Mother!" Bondiband. I loved her pictures that she wore on her back...

Layla was also one of my patients.

So the race began and I felt great. One of my favorite things about this race is that the course is almost all dirt and weaves in and out of farms in Queen Creek, just southeast of Phoenix. Lots of dust, but nice soft ground. I got going and by the first mile had to make a quick pitstop. Note to self: ALWAYS use the porta potty before the race, even if I don't feel like I have to go! Then I just put one foot in front of the other doing mostly 3-4 minute walk/2 minute run intervals. It really gave me great time to focus on using my core and really keeping my upper body quiet, letting my legs do the work. I was pleasantly surprised that it only took a mile or two for my legs to feel comfortable. In addition to great music in my ears, I had great motivation throughout the course like this...

This...

And This...

How inspiring is that!?!? Especially having personal ties to many of these "inspirations". What an emotional experience. I was so fired up by the end of the fifth mile and my legs felt so good, that I rand and just kept running. I ran the whole last mile, taking it easy, but running nevertheless. Hubby met me just before the finish line and ran in with me.

Very cool. I finished in 1:27 at a 14 minute mile. My only goal had been to finish in under 1:30, and while I had half marathon racers passing me the last mile, I was pleased. Especially given the fact that I walked more than half of it. One of the biggest surprises to me was that it felt so short! Compared to a half marathon, it felt like a warm up. How amazing is that!?!?

I cannot wait until next year and am so thankful that London's Run has continued to be an annual event that means so much to all in the Valley who are touched by Childhood Cancer. Thank you for keeping London's memory strong and for sharing her spirit, courage and perseverance with so many other families.

The Power of One - Week 5 Check-In

2011-02-02T17:30:00.001-07:00

Welcome to my new look! Before you keep reading, take a second and click the little "follow" button on the right, as I will not be posting at Releasing Me anymore.

From the eating standpoint, it has been a less than stellar week. Its my TOM and I have struggled more than normal with cravings. I had a weekend full of social events and made the decision that I would drink and I would give myself some liberty in what I ate. That usually doesn't deter me for long, but combined with TOM has proven to be difficult. It is what it is and I am back on track, so today is a new day and this week is a new week! Enough said.

In terms of exercise, I got to run/walk a race! I did my first 10K and felt great! Race report to come in the next couple of days... I found myself naturally maintaining my form by the end of the race and it only took a mile or so for my legs to get used to it. Woo Hoo! I went to PT last night and they are thinking that I am pretty close to being able to do what I need to do on my own. They worked me until I could barely move and want me to run Thursday and again on Saturday! I am really getting stronger and couldn't be more excited.

So lets assess the damage...

Starting Weight

215 lbs
Starting Weight for this Challenge
178

Today's Weight

175.5

Change from last week

+1.3

Difference for the challenge
-2.5
Total Difference

-39.5 lbs

Wow... I am so flattered.

2011-01-31T19:46:00.001-07:00

It has been quite awhile since I have received a fun blog award. So, I was surprised to see a little message from Bari over at Live, Laugh, Run, Breathe that she had left me a little award. So fun! And a "Stylish Blogger Award"... Too cool! So thanks Bari, for thinking of me and for being one of my inspirations and most definitely a Stylish Blogger yourself!

I met Bari over at the Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans a little over a year ago and we have become great bloggy friends and share a love of running and of course, shrinking. Go check out her blog and give her some love!

So this award comes with a few rules, so here goes...

Rule #1: give thanks. Done - see above.

Rule #2: share some things about myself.

So here you go...

1. I am crazy about college sports (especially football and basketball) and can trash talk with the best. Rock Chalk Jayhawk!

2. I have two spleens - I had a horrible bike crash when I was a kid that caused my spleen to split in two and become two independent organs. At the time, I was the only documented case in the world since the early 1900's.

3. I can tie a cherry stem into a knot with my tongue and can touch my nose with my tongue.

4. One of my favorite after school snacks as a kids was a grilled peanut butter and cheese sandwich and then became a pregnancy craving with both of my boys. Trust me, its really good!

5. I learned how to snow ski when I was 2 years old and grew up ski racing until moving from the mountains to the desert in high school.

6. I have lived in Spain and celebrated Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) and Nochevieja (New Years Eve) Spanish style.

7. I spent the summer after my Freshman year of college working in a rural Kansas community with the town doctor (and only one of two doctors in the county) and got to scrub into minor surgeries, help deliver babies and even lived on a farm.

8. I have witnessed miracles and have watched patients talk to God, angels & spirits as
prepare to leave this world. Kids don't make this stuff up... I can tell story after story.

9. My husband likes to call me Hillary because his Grandmother couldn't seem to get my name straight when we were dating and kept calling me Hillary.

10. I love, love, love my life. It isn't easy, is full of high and low points, is loaded with conflict, but at the end of the day, I have an amazing family, I LOVE my work and I feel like I am finally TRULY living my very best life.

Now, the best part... I get to pass this on to some of my favorite bloggers! I have so many that I love. Check out these very stylish women...

Melissa @ Wherever I May Wander
Trish @ Just the 6 of Us
Heather @ A Busy Relaxed Life
Elaine @ The Miss Elaine-ous Life
Kirsten @ Living in a Girls World
Heather @ Chatterstorm
Mel @ The Daily Mel

Go give them some love and see why I love reading their blogs so much!

The Power of One - Week 4 Challenge

2011-01-26T08:54:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my new look! Before you keep reading, take a second and click the little "follow" button on the right, as I will not be posting at Releasing Me anymore.

This has been a great week in terms of eating and fitness. Of greatest excitement for me was getting to run again! I have run four times in the last week!!!

From the eating standpoint, it has been another good week. We did some more tweaking of my eating plan and added a fat burner supplement (similar to the one I was taking when I was training for my first race) and gave me some hints on how I could get myself more regular (yes, THAT kind of regular), as I have been having some serious issues in that area over the past couple of weeks. And yes, it felt great to get rid of all that!

In terms of exercise, I got to run! Did I tell you that I GOT TO RUN?!?! I am only a tad excited. On Friday I ran in the ultra G trainer at PT and it was a wildly cool experience. Here is what I looked like...

Pretty fancy, no? Basically, I put on these neoprene shorts with a "floaty-looking ring around the waist that has a zipper and zips into the top of the air filled chamber. The whole inner chamber calibrates by filling with air and then based on the settings blows air to make you feel lighter than you are. For example, they set it to 75% of my total weight and the air blew constantly to make it feel like I was 25% lighter while running. Cool, no? It was wild!
Here is what it looks like before you step in and strap in...

It felt so secure and controlled that I was able to much easier focus on what I needed to do for my form, namely keep my upper body quiet and use my core and lower body to do the work. And, understandably, you can build speed and distance. I did 10 minutes on Friday and 15 minutes on Monday. I hope they let me do 20-30 today! I went out on Saturday to run for the first time outdoors and it was HARD! Running correctly is going to take a lot of retraining and focus. I am a bit out of "running shape" too, so it was a bit tough, but I really took it easy and didn't push myself. I continue to do the whole barrage of other PT exercises and have become one with the foam roller... So much so that it doesn't make me cry anymore!

When I sit back and reflect on all of this, I am amazed at what my priorities have become and at how excited I get over something like the Alter G Trainer. I love it!

So, here are my stats for the week:

Starting Weight

215 lbs
Starting Weight for this Challenge
178

Today's Weight

174.2

Change from last week

-1.8

Difference for the challenge
-3.8

Total Difference

-40.8 lbs

I will take it!

Yet another new look

2011-01-23T00:51:00.000-07:00

I have another new look!

I had been struggling with my previous design. Liking it but not loving it and everytime I opened it I felt like it just wasn't quite what I was looking for.

So here I am, its 1:00am. I will be awakened by my boys and their two friends sooner than I would like and I am up tweeking my blog. But, it is quiet and no one is grabbing at me or needing me, so this is the time.

I am really, really happy now! Hope you like it too!

Power of One - Week 3 Check-In

2011-01-19T14:11:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my new look! Before you keep reading, take a second and click the little "follow" button on the right, as I will not be posting at Releasing Me anymore.

This has been a great week - milestones and firsts for my family and for myself!

My boys ran their first race on Saturday and it was such an amazing moment for me. I love how healthy they are and how active they are... Now that I have become an "athlete anew"I love that we are now an "active family" out and about doing races and being outdoors together. It truly is what I always envisioned! I wrote about their race here...

From the eating standpoint, it has been a phenomenal week! I did a lot of thinking and looking at some unhealthy choices I was making that were becoming habit. One was deciding that my weigh-in day would be a free for all. Unfortunately, it often spilled over into the next day and then I spent the bulk of the week simply cleaning up the mess. The other thing I caught myself doing was some emotional/stress eating. Now, to be fair, I know that it is going to happen sometimes and that I need to go easy on myself, but I have spent a lot of work, sweat and tears to make progress in this area and amazingly have really not been doing much at all. It scared me a bit, but more than anything I was so proud of the realization that it had been a very long time since I had caught myself emotionally eating. I light of these realizations, I recommitted to myself that I would ditch the free-for all on weigh-in day - I still have a ways to go and once I hit maintenance I may be able to revisit it, but I am feeling so great and want to do EVERYTHING in my power to keep moving in this direction. So, I have really done well with my eating. I haven't eaten anything at all that isn't on my plan! Down to taking a bite of a cookie and immediately spitting it out - Gross, but true. Funny thing - It didn't even taste that good for the few seconds it was in my mouth. Yippeee! So I am feeling great!

In terms of exercise, I added a couple of workouts this week in addition to PT. I did elliptical/bike and took a spin class, which equaled 5 days of workouts including physical therapy. my PT. The most exciting news?!?! I got the word today that I get to run in the anti-gravity trainer (I'll let you know what it is after doing it!) on Friday and if it goes well, I get to take a 2-3 mile run on Saturday... Woot woot!

It has been a really good week. Because I am doing the slow and steady thing releasing the weight, I got curious and took my measurements today to compare with three weeks ago.

My waist is 34... -0.75"
My bust is 37"... -1.0"
My hips are 43"... -1.5"

Pretty cool! I also had a co-worker make my day on Monday by looking at me and saying, "Tiffany, when are you going to buy new scrubs? Your clothes are too big!" I was tempted to kiss her feet!

So, here are my stats for the week:

Starting Weight

215 lbs
Starting Weight for this Challenge
178

Today's Weight

176

Change from last week

-1.0

Difference for the challenge
-2.0

Total Difference

-39 lbs

Kids Rock

2011-01-16T22:39:00.000-07:00

This was a fun weekend for us... The best substitution for my not being able to race in the

P.F. Chang Rock n Roll Half Marathon, was getting to watch both of my boys cross the finish line in THEIR first race!

I decided after running in San Diego, that I would make sure the kids participated in the Kids Rock Race, and then on the first day of school, Big Man's teacher announced to the class and the parents, that their class would be taking part in the Kid's Rock Program that culminates at the end with a one mile race. They spent the fall running every morning before school and all completed a total of 25.2 miles, so that the last mile race would total 26.2 miles or a marathon. Eleven of the 24 kids in Big Man's class completed the 25.2 miles and came to complete "their marathon", along with several kids in other grades and our very own Little Big Man. They were so excited!

Big Man and his buddies... They all went back and forth on who would beat who...

The event was so well organized... Each grade went off one by one and the second grade crew was one excited group!

Big Man is on the far right, flanked by the rest of his yellow shirt wearing class.

Big Man zeroing in on the finish line.

Showing off his medal... So cool that each kid got a medal.

Next it was Little Big Man's turn, with the Kindergarten group. He and the sister of one of Big Man's best buddies ran with Hubby and had a blast!

Little Big Man - Check out that stride!

The finish line...

Little Big Man and Hubby crossing the finish line.

Big Man ran most of the race with Little Big Man too... That made for tired boys! They were so proud of themselves and loved their medals.

What a great day for this family! While I left overjoyed for my boys, I fought back the feelings of being bummed that I wasn't going to be racing too. It is so amazing to be a part of all of the frenzy and excitement of a race. I LOVE that and have really become hooked on it. I can't wait to feel that again for myself and can't wait to feel that amazing feeling that my boys got a taste of when they crossed the finish line. How cool!

Power of One - Week 2 Check-In

2011-01-12T20:23:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my new look! Before you keep reading, take a second and click the little "follow" button on the right, as I will not be posting at Releasing Me anymore.

What a week it has been... Much thought and much reflection on the year that has passed and the year to come.

As the week has unfolded, I am loving this new challenge more and more. I found myself in tears watching The Biggest Loser, as contestants were challenged to tap into their own power, stretch farther, reach deeper and honor themselves.
Powerful.

From the eating standpoint, it has been a good week. My doctor and I are tweeking my eating plan a bit because of the little plateau I have been on. So I am adding some healthy fats because he doesn't think I am getting enough of it for the amount of exercise I get. Just started on this Monday, so we will see how it goes over the next couple of weeks. I have had a couple of diet sodas this week and have continued to close the kitchen at 8pm. My energy is great and I feel so great without all of the extra sugar!

In terms of exercise, I have been in a bit of a lull. That said, I am not doing nothing. My exercise has basically been physical therapy, consisting of some cardio and a ton of strength training. I am a bit concerned about losing my cardio fitness, however, getting everything in has been tough this past couple of weeks. I am definitely fighting a bit of a mental battle as well, in that I am really, really missing running. I feel a bit aimless and goal-less... I wrote about it here...

The other highlight of my week was doing my Monday Project Letter to my Future Self... If you haven't done this, you really should. It is a powerful exercise and is so amazing to revisit and look back on. I can't wait to see what is in store this year!

So, here are my stats for the week:

Starting Weight

215 lbs
Starting Weight for this Challenge
178

Today's Weight

177

Change from last week

-0.2

Difference for the challenge
-1.0

Total Difference

-38 lbs

I miss running...

2011-01-10T23:04:00.000-07:00

Have I mentioned lately that

I MISS RUNNING?!?!

Yes, I really, really miss running...

I am spending the greater part of my time getting really close with my good friend the foam roller. This is what I just finished doing, in fact...

I started Physical Therapy several weeks ago (after not running for over a month and then waiting for my PT referral to get sorted out - thank you insurance) and we started out focusing heavily on my IT Band, which definitely needed attention, however it has become clear that my lower back and weak core seem to be wreaking more havoc on my leg than my IT Band, causing tight psoas, piriformis syndrome & tight glutes - All are causing my pain.

I am blown away by the complexity of my body! These are smaller muscles, nevertheless very important and very powerful.

So, the most important thing for me to focus on... Core, glute and thigh strength. I have come to believe that the foam roller is a torture device and am blown away by my lack of core strength and just how much my legs are capable of feeling like jello.

My other issue is with my feet and how I foot strike when I run... I have some serious overpronation going on with my right foot. My PT videoed me on the treadmill with running shoes on and without. It was amazing to break it down, not only looking at my feet but looking at my hips. My hips are shifting with every stride, rather than staying even - likely as a result of the above issues with my back and core. My foot overpronates so much that I don't supinate at all until just before my foot leaves the ground (way, way late) and looks even worse than this:

So, on top of all of the treatment and exercises, I have been fitted for orthotic inserts, to better support my feet.

So, the million dollar question has remained:

When on earth will I be able to start to run again????

After hearing "not yet", "not yet" the last few weeks, we made a plan on Friday. Once my orthotics come in, we will start to work on the treadmill and start to retrain my form and stride with better support for my feet, and presumably greater strength in my core.

I am so impressed by the PT crew at Endurance Rehab... They really know their stuff and really work well with athletes - I definitely feel like I am in the best place to get the best help.

Still.... I MISS RUNNING!!!

I miss the feeling of getting over the hump of the first couple of miles and really hitting my stride.

I miss the endorphins that accompany a great run.

I miss the cool air on my face.

I miss having a training plan to follow.

I miss having the built in time to clear my head.

I miss how great it makes me feel.

I know that all of this will help me to be a stronger athlete and a better runner and can't wait to see the results.

FOR NOW, though, I MISS RUNNING!

Oh the places you have gone.

2011-01-07T01:41:00.001-07:00

With the start of the new year comes one of my favorite projects over at The Sisterhood...

I just posted a few days ago about my letter to my 2011 self and reflected on all that I accomplished in 2010. It was a powerful exercise for me and even more powerful was my reflection back to compare the letter with reality. So incredible.

So now I will write a new letter... A letter to my 2012 self, reflecting on all of the awesomeness that was 2011.

Dearest Tiffany,

WOW, WOW, WOW! What a year this has been. Back in January it was hard to imagine that 2011 could bring bigger change and progress than 2010. As I stand here and reflect back on 2011, it shattered 2010 in terms of growth and in terms of becoming the woman you have always embodied from within.

You started the year taking care of your body, spending grueling hours in physical therapy so that you could run without being injured and run in a way to maximize all of the work you had done to make your body lighter and healthier. You also jumped right back into the healthy eating routine that helped you feel healthier than you had felt in years and helped you release more than twenty pounds through the holidays. You knew right from the get go that this would be a year of reaching goals and of pushing your body to new limits and had your sights on finishing your first of several 10K's, two half marathons and your first sprint triathlon.

Push yourself you did and did I mention how amazing you looked at the finish line of your last race of the year?!?! Crazy amazing! I am still pinching myself as I stand here in front of the mirror looking at the results of this year. You released another 40 pounds and have settled comfortably into your 135-140 pound body, wearing it with strength, joy and confidence. Wow again!

On the fitness front, you made San Diego a yearly tradition and returned to the site of your first Half Marathon and tore it apart. You not only finished the race but you finished it in under 2:30 - nearly 45 minutes faster than your first go round. You also entered the lottery with a team of sisters from the Hood for the Nike Women's Half Marathon and not only did your team get picked, but you all finished and conquered the hills of San Francisco. It was also a year of diversification in the arena of running. When you embarked on your running journey in 2010, you totally skipped the shorter races and hopped right into half marathons. When you found yourself in PT and injured at the beginning of the year, unable to run in the half you had planned for January, you registered for a 10K, so that you would have a goal to work towards as soon as your rehab was complete. You finished that 10K along with three others before year end and really, really loved a distance that you could pick up and run without much training.

You continued to refine your relationship with food and with your body, actively choosing every day how you would treat and honor your body. You truly eat to live rather than to fill a void that you don't want to face. You have continued to create healthy habits for your children as their guide and hero. They remain your biggest fans and instead of sleeping in on Thanksgiving you all ran a 5K together as a family. David remains your rock and support, your training buddy and your race partner, having completed two of the 10K's with you. You are truly surrounded by blessings and surrounded by a zillion reasons to live your absolute best life. It is so exciting to watch your eyes be opened to this reality that has existed for years. You see life with vitality and excitement that is contagious.

Lastly, you continued to love your work with amazing kiddos and their families. You made a big decision to go back to school for your Masters and decided upon a program and a time line to get started. You continue to be ambitious, always aiming for the top!

Whew!!! What a year and what a life you have created! Here's to 2012!

I can't wait to pick this back up in a year! Check out other "letters to our 2011 selves" at the Sisterhood as many of us are taking on the Monday Project and taking charge, creating our best lives!

The Power of One - Week one check-in

2011-01-05T13:58:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my new look! Before you keep reading, take a second and click the little "follow" button on the right, as I will not be posting at Releasing Me anymore.

Thank goodness the Holidays are behind us... They were amazing and tons of fun, however I am thrilled to have a newly cleaned breakroom at work - free of all of the goodies of the holidays, no crap in my house to tempt me and thrilled to be done with all of the holiday parties!

Last week, The Sisterhood kicked off a new challenge, and as good as I now feel in this moment and as well as I am doing over the last few days, I am here to PLAY! And here to get down and dirty at the business of releasing weight!

So overall, this week was a bit of a dichotomy - The beginning of the week (end of last week) was still really holiday time and though I had hoped that our break-room at work would house less temptation, it didn't... the sugary goodness kept rolling in from patients and their families. New Years was a blast and I had one last fried food, batter-laden, sugary, cupcake eating hurrah, along with some great drinks. I was really struggling with cravings being that I was PMSing with a vengeance. Come Monday, I got serious... cravings subsided and I put my game face on!

Starting on Monday, I have not had a diet soda (only coffee) and I have closed the kitchen at 8pm. The soda thing wasn't planned... I sort of decided on Monday that I would go that day without and see how things went... Well, it went okay and now I have made it almost all the way through Wednesday. Yea for me!

As far as exercise and fitness go, I am getting back into the swing of things. Since the start of physical therapy two weeks ago, I haven't done much else. I am allowed to do bike, elliptical and swimming, but no running for now. While I am glad that I am not completely sidelined, it sucks that I can't run. I did get to the gym today and spent an hour between the elliptical and the bike - It felt great to sweat!

On a side note, I LOVE my PT practice - they specialize in working with athletes and have already done so much to show me where my leg has become so jacked up. Basically it comes down to two things: Severe over-pronation on my right foot and serious lack of core/hip/glute strength. I may as well be seeing a personal trainer because every session is a sweat-inducing workout that leaves me sore with legs that feel like jello. It was amazing to see a video of me running (head to toe) and see just what is happening with my feet and my hips... I almost don't supinate at all on the right side and my hips drop and shift with each stride due to lack of strength. I was fitted for orthotics yesterday and once they come in, we will start to work on running again. Not running has been making me crazy! I am really excited, though, to see my results after getting stronger and being given some serious guidance on how to run.

So, all in all being that it was a bit of a hybrid week, I am thrilled with the fact that the scale is headed in the right direction and can't wait to see my results next week, now that I am moving full-steam ahead.

So, here are my stats for the week:

Starting Weight

215 lbs
Starting Weight for this Challenge
178

Today's Weight

177.2

Change from last week

-0.8

Difference for the challenge
-0.8

Total Difference

-37.8 lbs

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T23:02:00.001-07:00

What a fun New Years!

I have never been much of a New Year's Eve person... As a nurse I would always volunteer to work New Years, if it meant that someone would work Thanksgiving or Christmas for me... It just has never been much of a priority.

So, a few weeks ago when a friend mentioned that they would be celebrating "British New Years", I was intrigued. Celebrating at 5:00pm (Midnight in Great Britain) sounded like a great prospect... Get to the pub at 3:00, celebrate at 5:00, go out for dinner, enjoy friends and be home in time to celebrate with the boys! Whats not to love about that!

Here we are about to ring in the New Year - English Style

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

We went on to have dinner with good friends, laugh a lot, drink some champagne and returned home in plenty of time to celebrate with the boys, who immediately asked,
"Did you bring us OUR champagne?"

We didn't bring champagne, but we did bring our party hats to take fun pictures with...

Happy, Happy New Year!!!

2010: The Year I Chose ME.

2010-12-31T23:58:00.000-07:00

Some of you may recall a very powerful Monday Project over at The Sisterhood near the beginning of this year. Our instructions were to write a letter to ourselves reflecting upon our accomplishments for 2010, as if it was the last day of the year. Well, here we are on the last day of 2010 and I thought it would be fitting to re-visit this letter... Here is what I wrote:

Dearest Tiffany,

What a year it has been! You have accomplished so much and have really made this year a powerful year of change. Your theme for the year has been "honoring yourself, respecting your body and accomplishing your goals". You started out the year motivated and excited to see what you were made of and what you were capable of. You have accomplished so much. Here is a re-cap:

You ran/walked your first half marathon and exceeded your fundraising goal to benefit the LLS. You also completed a sprint triathalon in November. You had difficulty fathoming that at the beginning of the year, but with the accomplishment of the half marathon, you were motivated and hungry for another challenge. You released 60 pounds and now weigh 150 pounds, well on your way to your goal of 130. You are a very thoughtful eater and now eat to fuel your body rather than comfort your body. You have learned to get creative in times of stress to avoid using food as your stress reliever. Lastly, you have learned to truly respect your body as the amazing, amazing vessel that allows you to live your passions and allows you to serve others and are treating it with honor and respect.

You have made David, Sam and Noah so proud. Samuel calls you his "Biggest Loser Hero" and is so proud that you are backing up your words with action. Noah is your biggest fan and your biggest encourager to keep racing and keep challenging yourself physically. David is so thrilled that the woman he fell in love with and loves deeply, now sees that she is worth that love and sees how beautiful she is. David trained for the triathalon too and you finished together. You continue to be more in love than ever.

Thank you for choosing to risk and choosing to make this year amazing! I love you and love who you have become in 2010.

Love, Tiffany

Pretty amazing read for me! I literally haven't looked at this letter since it was written. It is really cool to see how much of it I accomplished. I did finish my first half marathon, I did drop a significant amount of weight, I did come to a greater respect for my body, I did change my relationship with food AND I did gain a new "healthier/skinnier" reputation with my children. ADDITIONALLY, I completed my SECOND half marathon in 20 minutes less than my first and fell in love with spin class. While I didn't release 60 pounds, I DID release 40 pounds! A sprint triathlon is still on my radar as well. I love that I can own the fact that I am a runner and am and athlete!

Here is a recap of my year and personal accomplishments in photos...

Team Shrinking Jeans!!!

My shirt of honor and my starting line buddy, Lisa

Being interviewed for the Runners Advice Vlog series...

Fun run the day before the race

Crossing the finish line of my first Half Marathon

Visiting Christy in Texas - and going for a run, by choice!

Visiting Lisa in Texas - and drinking wine together while talking about running - by choice!

Hiking here in the Desert with Kirsten on her trip to visit...

Start line of my second Half Marathon, with friend Lara

Showing of my newest medal!

Celebrating at the finish line with my sister-in-law, my niece and big man.

What a year.... Here's to 2010 with hopes and dreams of an even better 2011!

How was your year? Did you accomplish your goals?

Power of One - Starting Check-In

2010-12-29T22:08:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my new look! Before you keep reading, take a second and click the little "follow" button on the right, as I will not be posting at Releasing Me anymore.

WOW! I can't believe that Christmas has come and gone and it is now time to look towards a new year...

With a new year comes a great new challenge over at The Sisterhood. I am excited to embark on one of my first completely solo challenges...

"The Power of 1" Its a powerful statement that delivers a profound message. I feel like I have spent the past year embarking on my own little journey to become the power of one... of me... of myself... of the beautiful individual that I am... and of the absolutely worthy woman I am. I found myself LOVING the solitude of running solo, of working out solo and of being accountable to myself for the first time in my life. This is going to be good!

Our first challenge is to set out our goals for the challenge. Every time I set goals for a challenge, I think of them as goals for my life and goals that I will meet and turn into habits for life. That said, I have a hard time imagining that I will be able to create bigger results in the area of my health this year (2011) after bringing a year to close (2010) in which I:

Ran/walked TWO half marathons.

Earned the right to call myself and athlete.

Released 40 pounds of baggage in the form of fat from my body.

Found an eating plan that has yielded me results and the ability to truly FEEL good.

Beat my 5K time from more than 10 years ago.

Pulled out work scrubs from storage that I haven't worn for more than four years and begun to wear them again

and

Heard my children tell me how proud they are of me and tell me how happy they are that they are getting a "skinny mommy"

Pretty damn big year! While I have difficulty imagining how I can improve on this, I have proof of what I am capable of and proof that I can continue to push my bounds and ask more of myself. I will take another post to discuss my goals for the year...

For now, my goals for this challenge are:

1. Drop another 20 pounds to enter the 150's anew!

2. Close the kitchen at 8pm every night - no food after 8pm.

3. Exercise a minimum of 45 minutes 5 days/week

4. Run/walk my first 10K on 1/29/11

5. Complete Physical Therapy strong enough to train for my next half marathon

6. Choose a race to run in late February or March

That is probably good for now... As I think more, I may add more!

We were also challenged to take a picture of ourselves along with our measurements... I choose to share a very special picture with one of my very special patients. The reason I share this picture is that looking at it for the first time was a profound moment for me. It was the first time I recognized the "new me" as looking smaller and realized how different and how healthy my face now looks!

As for measurements, here goes...

Waist - 34.75"
Bust - 38"
Hips - 44.5"

Now for the rest of the stats...

Starting Weight

215 lbs
Starting Weight for this Challenge
178

Today's Weight

178

Change from last week

N/A

Difference for the challenge
N/A

Total Difference

-37 lbs

Exuberant Eight

2010-12-19T09:47:00.000-07:00

Today we celebrated Big Man's 8th Birthday...

EIGHT?!?!

How can it be that eight years has gone by since you were this size...

Before we knew it you were one...

and two... With your cute Daddy!

Then came three...

Four...

Five

Six...

That was one of Mommy's favorite moments... I loved watching you explore one of my favorite places (KU) and watching you meet the greatest mascot in college basketball!

Then, before we knew it, you were seven...

And what a year this has been - You had your first ski trip, finished a great year of first grade, became a skilled golfer, started karate, went to the beach, went to sea world for the first time, went to your first wedding, shot your first pellet gun, caught your first fish and continued to grow into the amazing young man that you are today!

And yesterday.... You turned Exuberant EIGHT!!!
With an amazing party and all of your best buddies, it was a great day full of fun and excitement...

Staring down his awesome cupcake cake... Isn't it neat!

It was an awesome site to see all of you sitting on the curb eating cupcakes...

and you with your best buddies...

and there were presents...

"Freak golf balls" So funny - Daddy got a kick out of this gift!
Mommy's favorite gift was a set of Roald Dahl books - I loved them as a kid!

What a great crew - We are so proud of you!

The time has gone so fast and we are so proud of how you have grown, grown and grown. We can't wait to see what Exuberant Eight brings and how much fun there is to be had this year. We love you Peanut!

Holiday Hoedown Weigh-In #5

2010-12-15T06:31:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my new look! Before you keep reading, take a second and click the little "follow" button on the right, as I will not be posting at Releasing Me anymore.

It has been a great week and I am thick in the middle of the crazy Christmas season! When I haven't been enjoying my first couple of spin classes, I have been shopping for our work adopted family, shopping for birthday parties and running from holiday event to holiday event. While it is "the most wonderful time of the year", it is definitely the most hectic time of the year.

I took another spin class this week and was blown away by my abilities and by how amazing I felt after finishing the class. My eating has continued to go very well. I have had many "it turns out" moments this week..

"Turns out I can walk away from chocolate..."

"Turns out I can walk away from pizza..."

"Turns out I can walk away from mini bundt cakes..."

You get the idea... One step at a time I am learning how to live in moderation and learning that I will live to see another day if I walk away from food that isn't wise for me to be eating. I am also learning to FEEL and EMBRACE how great I feel and how healthy I am. I truly feel present in my own body!

My awesome team The Healthy Holiday Ho's have been succeeding in our goal of remaining healthy through this famously unhealthy time of the year.

So, lets get down to business... For this week, the fitness challenge was minutes again... My crazy busy weekend took over and I was a bit of a slack over the weekend:

Wednesday - Spin Class - 60 minutes
Thursday - Yoga - 40 minutes
Saturday - Spin Class - 60 minutes

Tuesday - Yoga - 50 minutes

TOTAL - 210 minutes

Very happy with my minutes this week!

Our non-fitness challenge for the week was to try a new fitness activity. Although it is the same that I wrote about last week, mine was Spin Class and I went back for a second and acted like I have been spinning for years! On our last "hill" the song "I got a feeling" by Black Eyed Peas came on and I seriously went to an adrenaline filled place I am not sure I have ever been and pushed myself through the hill and the song and literally left everything I had out there. What a rush! I am daily blown away by my body and all that I am quickly becoming able to do with less weight and the foundation of conditioning I have established over the last year.

Here are my stats:

Starting Weight

215 lbs
Starting Weight for this Challenge
179.6

Today's Weight

174.6 lbs

Change from last week

2.4 lbs

Difference for the challenge
-5 lbs

Total Difference

-40.4 lbs

LOVE IT!!! I get a new button!

WOOOO HOOOOO!!!

Holiday Hoedown - Weigh-In #4

2010-12-08T12:48:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my new look! Before you keep reading, take a second and click the little "follow" button on the right, as I will not be posting at Releasing Me anymore.

Its been three weeks since the start of the new challenge at The Sisterhood! I am blown away by how quickly Christmas is approaching...

I am back on track, very strictly as of two days ago and am almost through the cravings and am feeling lighter already! I have been blown away by how any sugar/junk carbs makes me feel "heavy" and "weighed down" and how great I feel without. I am really setting my mind on how that feels and working hard to move my thinking when a craving hits. I guess it is all about being "mindful" and aware of myself. I decided today to take a few pictures to compare where I was in May with where I am as of today!

Here are a couple of pics I took in May.

I wouldn't have dreamed of wearing any tighter pants than these...

THINGS HAVE DEFINITELY
CHANGED!

Here are the pics I took this morning...

Tighter pants and a much better conditioned body! I am so excited about my progress and about how great I feel!

I was really inspired and motivated to take these pictures this morning after conquering a huge exercise fear. I took my first spin class! I have been putting this off for months - Saying I would try it, having conversations with friends who loved it and making excuses. TODAY, I took the plunge and I LOVED IT! I was blown away that I was able to keep up and able to really "hang" with the class. I couldn't believe that my body was so very capable of completing the class and that I felt so, so great while doing it. I feel like my whole horizon is expanding in the world of fitness. I am enjoying every new thing I try... genuinely liking and enjoying!

Here's to my NEW AMAZING LIFE!!!

And, here's to my awesome team The Healthy Holiday Ho's

So, lets get down to business... For this week, the fitness challenge was minutes again... My crazy busy weekend took over and I was a bit of a slack over the weekend:

Thursday - Yoga - 50 minutes
Monday - Yoga - 30 minutes

Tuesday - Running/Elliptical - 50 minutes

TOTAL - 130 minutes

Less than what I would ordinarily do... SO MUCH MORE than I have ever done during the holidays. I am choosing to celebrate that amazing reality!

Our non-fitness challenge for the week was to try a new fitness activity. Although it ended up being today, mine was Spin Class and as I said above, I am so glad I did!

Here are my stats:

Starting Weight

215 lbs
Starting Weight for this Challenge
179.6

Today's Weight

177 lbs

Change from last week

-1 lbs

Total Difference

-38 lbs

LOVE IT!!! I can't wait to see what this week brings!

Holiday Hoedown weigh-in #3

2010-12-01T10:01:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my new look! Before you keep reading, take a second and click the little "follow" button on the right, as I will not be posting at Releasing Me anymore.

Its been two weeks since the start of the new challenge at The Sisterhood! Its seems like time flies even faster during the holidays... Crazy!

Overall, this was a successful week, all things considered. I woke up sick on Wednesday last week and ended up going on antibiotics, which necessitated some tweaks to my eating plan until I complete the course of medicine. I really did very well with Thanksgiving and have managed to come out ahead!

I continue to be amazed by my great team... We all share so many similarities and are very likeminded in many ways. Check us out...

The Healthy Holiday Ho's

So, lets get down to business... For this week, the fitness challenge was minutes... Here is what I accomplished:

Thursday - Yoga - 50 minutes
Saturay - Gym - 50 minutes
Sunday - Yoga - 50 minutes
Tuesday - Yoga - 50 minutes
TOTAL - 200 minutes

I am happy with this total... I am having to continue to go easy on my let... I see my PCP on Friday to get my PT referral rolling, and hope that I will be back to running soon. I have re-ignited my love for yoga and am so excited about the new things my smaller body is able to do - I am a bit more "twisty" than I was at over 200 pounds! How cool is that!

As far as food is concerned, my week went well. I have had some "splurges", but have also quickly gotten back on course the next meal. Thanksgiving we did a few things differently that made a huge difference... We ate earlier, so there was less "grazing", we added fresh cut fruit and veggies to our grazing snacks, which made it much easier to grab something healthy instead of the alternative, and I planned ahead of time, which carb I was going to allow the most freedom and ate the others very sparingly. It worked well. We also celebrated Hubby's birthday on Sunday night (he and I) and Monday night (as a family). On Sunday, I kept with my plan (even paying extra for a side of veggies instead of the bed of pasta), but allowed myself to have one of my absolute favorite desserts and did it guilt free! On Monday, I again stuck with my plan and had a few bites of the dessert we shared as a table. I am very proud of my decisions and the scale definitely reflects it!

Our non-fitness challenge for the week was to maintain our water intake. My goal all the time is to get 75-100 ounces in every day and while I have struggled of late, I did get my water goal in on 5 of the 7 days this week. I am picking back up now that I feel better - Its always harder for me when I am sick.

So, all in all a great week!

Here are my stats:

Starting Weight

215 lbs
Starting Weight for this Challenge
179.6

Today's Weight

178 lbs

Change from last week

-1.2 lbs

Total Difference

-37 lbs

LOVE IT!!!

Holiday Hoedown - Weigh-In #2

2010-11-24T10:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my new look! Before you keep reading, take a second and click the little "follow" button on the right, as I will not be posting at Releasing Me anymore.

Its already been a week since the start of the new challenge at The Sisterhood!

I was very excited to get started last week, but have found that I am struggling a bit this week. I don't know if it is that I put so, so much of myself into the Shrinkvivor Challenge and am struggling to "gear up" for another challenge or if it is just that I am in need of rest and the grace to go a bit easier on myself...Whatever the reason, I am having a hard time getting motivated and my injured leg isn't helping me on the exercise front.

That said, I am absolutely ecstatic to be a member of the most fabulous team...

The Healthy Holiday Ho's

So, lets get down to business... For this week, the fitness challenge was minutes... Here is what I accomplished:

Thursday - Gym - 51 minutes
Friday - Yoga - 40 minutes
Sunday - Yoga - 50 minutes
Monday - Running - 43 minutes
TOTAL - 184 minutes

A bit wimpy for me, as I usually get well over 300... Like I said, kind of a weird week. On my run, my leg started to hurt again, so much so that I had to walk the majority of it and am still hurting a couple of days later... My sports chiropractor has been so helpful, but I don't feel like we are getting this figured out as aggressively as we could and am pretty sure that the Tensor Fascia Latta pain is all wrapped up in IT Band Syndrome. SO, I emailed Coach Joe and Coach Dean (who lives here locally) to get a recommendation on a doctor and Coach Dean recommended a specific type of treatment that can be done via physical therapy called ASTYM. Sounds painful but very effective and the best part is that they recommend you continue your activity while doing the treatment. I found a PT down the street from my house that is certified and have requested a referral from my PCP today, so hopefully I can get started next week. In the mean time I am rolling away on it and trying to be patient.

As far as food is concerned, it has been a unique week. Starting this past weekend, our birthday/holiday marathon officially began. Between then and the first of the year, we not only have the holidays, but also 8 birthdays between both boys, Hubby & his family. I did awesome with my eating plan until Little Big Man's birthday party on Saturday. A gorgeous cake beckoned my name and I ate a piece (truly guilt free). It was so good! The mistake I made was not getting it immediately out of the house, so I had a bit more. The cake is now out of the house! Anyway, I made the commitment to myself to be a strict as possible, but also to not have guilt when weak moments arose, but rather to move forward and get right back on track. I have done just that and it is reflected in my numbers and ability to maintain this week.

For Thanksgiving, I am arming myself with veggies and snacks that I can eat guilt-free, so that I am not derailed at any time other than the meal itself. I do plan to eat what I want (albeit smaller portions) for my Thanksgiving meal. The key is that I will do this ONLY for that meal! What a concept!

Our non-fitness challenge for the week was to make goals for the challenge. Here are mine:

1. Rehab my leg and continue to focus on strength training. Exercise 4-6 days per week.

2. Continue my eating plan through the holidays while planning ahead for key meals, like Thanksgiving in which I give myself a bit more freedom. With this I want my focus to be on not COMPLETELY derailing myself, because this will be my life after reaching my goal weight and I have historically struggled with moderation.

3. Continue to release weight every week

4. Focus on enjoying my TIME with others this holiday season rather than putting so much focus on what I am eating while spending time with others. Truly focus on relationship!

There you have it! Lots of blah this week. I do want to mention that I had to break out my old work scrubs this week... The ones that I haven't fit into for four years! WOO HOO!

Sooo...
Here are my stats:

Starting Weight

215 lbs
Starting Weight for this Challenge
179.6

Today's Weight

179.2 lbs

Change from last week

-0.4 lbs

Total Difference

-35.8 lbs

A drop is a drop and I WILL TAKE IT!!!

Fantastic Five

2010-11-23T03:49:00.001-07:00

FIVE?!?! Really? Can my baby actually be five years old? It seems like yesterday that our little family of three welcomed you into the mix. That was the day that the party really started!

You were such a beautiful baby!

Just as "snuggly" as you were then, you still are today... I love that you love to get as close as you can and still allow me to snuggle you!

As quickly as you joined us... you were turning ONE...

Always the life of the party, even at one... By the time you were finished with this cake, it was EVERYWHERE! In your hair, all over your face, on the highchair and even across the room on the table. You have always done everything with gusto and energy!

Next came TWO...

Full of fun and full of JOY! This was the year that your love of the playground blossomed... You could spend hours exploring and fearlessly trying everything you could get your hands on. This was also the beginning of our having to trust your coordination, balance and skill, as we watched you navigate your way through most any obstacle - looking like you would "bite it", but balance your way through!

With THREE, you became our "little big man" - A big boy growing up before our eyes.

Three brought riding a bike, starting preschool, meeting your best buddy, your discovery of your fiery little temper and "I do it myself". We loved watching you find your voice and find your love of everything physical and dangerous. You became the star of your preschool class, dubbed the "leader". You also continued to cultivate your mastery of charm, proclaiming who you would one day marry with a mischievous twinkle in your eye.

Before we knew it you were FOUR

Buzz Lightyear your hero, you raced into your fifth year! Exuberant, fun, charming, confident and loving, your bigger than life personality continued to reveal itself. You took the training wheels off your bike, went to Disneyland for the first time, excelled in gymnastics and learned how to swim. What a year!

And now...

FANTASTIC FIVE!

Funloving...

Mischievous...

Outspoken...

Fierce

Loyal Brother & Best Buddy

Superhero

Sensitive, thoughtful & caring son

We cannot believe that you are FIVE today! I love you to the moon and back,

My sweet Noah-Bear.

From Our House to Yours

2010-11-19T19:30:00.000-07:00

How crazy is it that Thanksgiving is NEXT WEEK?!?!

How on earth has this year gone so fast...

With Thanksgiving on the horizon, Christmas will be here before we can blink an eye. Every year I have been hard pressed to get Christmas cards out before the week of Christmas. Some years I have just made it a Happy New Year card due to my tardiness.

I have decided that this year will be different and that I WILL get my Christmas Cards sent out by the second week in December. As I have been planning, I have done a lot of browsing options on the web for making our photo cards.

Last month I started using Shutterfly to share and organize photos and all I can say is

WOW!

I knew that Shutterfly had a lot to offer, but what I found as I browsed the website was very impressive to this particular Momma that knows EXACTLY what I am looking for in quality and design for photo projects. I love that I am able to design and save cards so that I can compare and be able to make the best decision. Here are several examples of cards I am considering for this year...

Seasonal Chic Noir Christmas Card

Get custom photo Christmas cards online at Shutterfly.com.

View the entire collection of cards.

I love the layout and coloring on this one!

Elegant Damask Noir Christmas Card

Make a statement with custom Christmas cards at Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

I love how simple this one is and think the black and red is really pretty...

Joy And Magic Christmas Card

Shop Shutterfly for elegant custom Christmas photo cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

I love the message and layout on this one too!

So tell me... What do YOU think? Which one do you like the best? Which one could you see your family in?

If you want to play around and make several of your own, click on over HERE and have fun! You can save your projects and go back to edit. Some of my other favorite designs are Here, here & here.

This is just the holiday cards! There are so many other fun things you can create over at Shutterfly. Two of my other favorites are their calendars and their photobooks

The calendars are a great way to share photos and important dates with family and friends. I love that you can customize them however you want, including the addition of birthdays, important family occasions, trip dates etc... I really like the desk calendar... great gift for grandparents! Look THIS ONE that I created quickly...

The photo books are beautiful. I love that I can create them relatively quickly and the result is very professional looking with many of the personal touches found in scrapbooks. They have two ways to make your book: You can choose the simple path (it literally took me 10 minutes - with captions!) where you select a group of photos and they load them all. You just have to add captions and choose a style. Easy-peasy! Here is the one I threw together:

Click here to view this photo book larger

If you have more time and creativity, you can go the custom path and design your book using all of the fantastic tools provided to make it very personal and creative.

I have loved "playing" on Shutterfly and know that you will too! So go over and see what you can create! Don't forget to leave me a comment telling me what your favorite card design is!

Disclosure: I will receive 50 free Holiday Cards for sharing my experience with Shutterfly and reviewing their products... If you are a blogger, you can too! Click HERE

Holiday Hoedown - Weigh-In #1

2010-11-17T22:39:00.001-07:00

Welcome to my new look! Before you keep reading, take a second and click the little "follow" button on the right, as I will not be posting at Releasing Me anymore.

Now that we have gotten that out of the way, it is time for a new challenge at the Sisterhood!!!

The Holiday Hoedown! LOVE the name and LOVE that this challenge will run through Thanksgiving and right up to Christmas... One of the most exciting elements to this challenge is that we were able to put together our own teams and choose our teammates. I have to say that I am SUPER EXCITED to be a member of the BEST TEAM!

The Healthy Holiday Ho's

Love it! I am in the company of true greatness... Thea, Lisa, Bari, Beki, Kirsten, Jamee, & Elaine. Check out their blogs... They are awesome women who have all been successful in releasing weight and taking on their bodies, pushing themselves to accomplish amazing things.

This has been a two weeks of rest and recovery for me as I finished my second half marathon on November 7th. I continue on the medically supervised eating program and cannot believe the changes I am seeing in my body!

Sooo...
Here are my stats:

Starting Weight

215 lbs
Starting Weight for this Challenge
179.6

Today's Weight

179.6 lbs

WOOOO HOOOO!

Change from last week

-2.8 lbs!!!!

Total Difference

-35.4 lbs

New Look! Merging on the way!

2010-11-17T00:14:00.000-07:00

I have been working hard to give myself a little facelift here at A Tall Drink of Life! I am still in process of setting up tabs and sections that encompass what A Tall Drink of Life is all about, including a section for my family posts, a section dedicated to my journey to optimum health and fitness and a section to spotlight my commitment to Childhood Cancer.

In managing two blogs, I have been thinking that there had to be some way to merge them instead of keeping them separate. I had much inspiration (though I am an amateur blogger comparatively) from my friend ChristyO over at Average Moms Wear Capes, in seeing how she was able to put all of her different "worlds" together.

So, here it is and here is the NEW beginning of A Tall Drink of Life!