Today... I Celebrated...

Yup..today is St. Patrick's Day, but today I did not celebrate being Irish and drinking green beer.

Today I didn't celebrate another year older or our next wedding anniversary...

Today I celebrated life! Today I celebrated strength... Happiness... A journey... A struggle... A prolongment to my life...

Today I celebrated my one year run-niversary!!

Two years ago, after my husband had completed his next half marathon and watching my friends cross the finish line at the same Rock N Roll USA Half, on our ride home on the metro, I told my husband that I wanted run a half marathon...but of course my first half would have to a Disney race of-course.

That was 2012...
 >>>>>Fast forward March 17, 2013 >>>>
One year later, I started my journey with my first race...St. Patrick's Day 5K Fun Run & Walk. (Hey...it said "fun," so how bad could it be?) Zero...I mean ZERO...training was put into the race. Sure, I had walked a couple of miles here and there on the treadmill but nothing like actual running. But like I said... the name of the race had "fun" in it!

We arrived at 7:30 at East Potomac Park, picked up our bibs, and waiting for the start. It was definitely intimidating, waiting around, looking at the tall, much thinner people around me. My husband and I started, and he really tried to get me motivated to run, measuring it out by light poles and other landmarks. By the end, I definitely wasn't first...but I wasn't last either!! The "fun" run/walk wasn't officially timed but I think we ended up finishing in 56 minutes. I even got a little gold medal on a green ribbon to commemorate my first ever 5K run....still smiling at the end. 

>>>> Fast forward again to March 17, 2014 >>>>

I just completed my 4th half marathon at the Rock 'n' Roll USA Half and I broke my personal best time by almost 5 minutes. In this year, I haven't become the fastest runner out there, but the fact that I am out there doing it and improving each time still amazing me today.

 Today I celebrate 4 half marathons, 1 10 Miler, 3 10Ks, and 2 5Ks (yes including my "fun" run/walk)

I have become a stronger person. I have lost 52 pounds to date (and still going) . I have meet a great group of friends who understand what I am going through and are encouraging every step of the way (POSSE OR DIE!!). I have a closer relationship with my husband, 'cause we are now going for runs and to the gym together. I have become more helpful to those who never though they could do it. I have become a motivator to encourage those along their journey.
 

March 17, 2013

March 15, 2014

Today I celebrate the new person who has always been there on the inside but didn't know how to come out and achieve her dreams.

Today I celebrated an anniversary....

Today, I celebrated the anniversary of ME!





 

Day 3...What I am Thankful for on This Sunday!

Today I am thankful for the ability to get up and run! I don't always feel great about this...but I know that by getting up on Sunday and doing what I know is right for me makes me feel thankful for this ability. I know there are so many who are not for whatever reason able to do this...And it was such a beautiful morning.
We ran the Mount Vernon Trail and we tried a different starting point. Man, was it hilly!! I know I will be feeling it tomorrow. I actually run next to Craig the entire way...This is the first time we have ever done that. I always feel that I hold him back...but since he isn't training for a marathon right now, he felt he could take it slow with me. I complained the entire way...I know I was annoying him. But at the end of it all...I ended up doing 8 miles instead of the 7 I was scheduled to do. AND...I ended up shaving 5 minutes off my previous 8 mile run in August.
Even though, I constantly complain about how long this journey is taking, I know that I am getting stronger...and faster...and slimmer.
Running is helping me to meet my goals...and I love the fact that I able to get up every Sunday morning and hit the trail. Thank God that He has blessed with me with this ability for now...

Here I am...not looking my best after 8 miles...but still smiling.

Happy Fall Back Day! I just wished it didn't get so dark so early! 

What are you thankful today?

45 DAYS!!!

Today, I learned a VERY VERY valuable lesson!
If I ever take a week off from training, be prepared for the consequences!!!
YIKES! I totally did not think that by not fully doing my program for a week that it would be so hard to do once I started again.
I went to the gym tonight with the expectation of doing my 30 minute maintenance run. WOWZER!! Maybe it was the time off....or maybe it was because of the stupid treadmill...but it was seriously hard work today. I couldn't keep up with my 2/1 intervals. Now I am totally afraid for my run this weekend...4 miles...Holy Cow! I don't think I can make it!
I was able to get 2 1/4 miles done in 45 minutes....and even though the aches and pains in my knees and feet, I didn't feel too bad. 
So, now I am wondering how to get over the treadmill hump. I know that because of the crazy heat coming up in July and August, how the heck am I gonna make it through the summer and be ready in time for my 10 miler in October...Once again! What the heck was I thinking?!?!?!?
Well...I will just keep on going along and see what happens. As long as I believe and have faith in myself to get through this challenge, there is nothing that I can't do!

Well the next fact of the day...I opened my Dream Days app and realized that I have 45 DAYS til our 10th Wedding Anniversary trip to DISNEY WORLD!!
First of all...hard to believe that it has been 10 years since we were married...
Second, if anyone knows me....this trip was totally Craig's idea! I wanted to go on a cruise (a Disney cruise...but nonetheless...haha)
I am so excited! And to commensurate this day, I received my recent order the Disney Store which included my Duffy the Bear costume. However, the costume was not for a Duffy bear.
Quick history, for Valentine's Day, Craig got me a sock monkey from the Georgetown game. We had so much fun taking pictures and getting him the jumbo screen at the basketball games. Now we take me almost every where and document his travels...:)
Fast forward...I have been looking for Mickey ears for a while for my Sock Monkey and found the Duffy outfit...fingers crossed that it fit!!!

From the looks of it from the box, I wasn't very hopeful! 

IT FIT!!!!

He actually looked adorable in this Mickey Mouse Club outfit! The Mickey ears are ridiculous too big and seem a little out of place...but now Sock Monkey is ready to take on Walt Disney World!Boy, is Craig in for a surprise...haha!

So please bear with me for the next few days as I count down to the most magical trip ever!! 

Until next time....have a magical day!

Jessica

Day One...Update!

Holy cow! What an incredible day....
I sat at home and dreamed of having a tall, dark, cold glass of Coca Cola product...Any Coke product!! It is amazing to me at how addicting it is. I really don't need but the taste of it is what I was craving.
Even while getting in line at the grocery store, I felt like each and every bottle in the aisle fridge was staring right at me! LOL!! But I kept my promise to myself...no more.. and I did just that!
I know it is gonna be a long battle with myself but I need to do this for me...

SO I decided today to make a list of all the things that I want to get done this summer. I am gonna set up another tab and as soon as I start adding to the list I will link it up...Just another reminder that I need to make goals and live by them!

Here's the link... Summer To Do List
What do you think so far?? Any other ideas that I should do this summer?

As always...wish me luck! 

Well It's Official!!

Well...I did it!! I am officially a PRINCESS!! 

Anyone who knows me are probably thinking, "Jess, I thought you always said you were a princess." LOL! True!! HOWEVER...today, all my princess dreams have almost come true...

I REGISTERED FOR MY FIRST HALF MARATHON!!

AT DISNEY!!!

THE DISNEY PRINCESS HALF MARATHON!!

OMG!!! I am so "OVER THE MOON" EXCITED about this!  

(Yes, I will be wearing a tu-tu...just trying to decide on which one...hehe)

I never thought in my wildest dreams I would ever want to do this...but I am so motivated for this. And this overwhelming feeling is amazing!  Yes, this scares me a lot...but I know f I can accomplish this, then I know I can finally overcome all my fears for the rest of my life!!!!

So on my way home, it started to rain crazy tonight...Ugh!! Day 2 of running training...Thank goodness that we live literally across the street from our gym...No rain was going to ruin this high!! I stepped on the treadmill and knew it was time to Git 'R DONE!! (Don't you just love Mater???)

I was feeling good...until...

my arch and ankle started killing!! Seriously?!?! But I persevered!! Nothing gonna stop me!!

Well, I made it through my second day...but this first week of putting into high gear is taking its toll on me! So after a mortin and a shower, I sat on the couch and did a little recuperating.

Yes folks that 2 bags of peas! LOL!

I have always heard that it works as awesome ice packs...They are absolutly right!! I now LOVE peas! However, I still refuse to eat them! Just can't handling the popping feeling and sound they make when you bite into them...Ick!! (Apologize if you like peas..:) )

Of course before I started icing my shins and ankles, I had to wrap my feet in the best product ever!!

Fair Trade Foot Lotion from Lush Handmade Cosmetics.

OMG!! Dream in a container!!! Cocoa butter, peppermint and spearamint all in one!! Holy cow! And it totally works! It's specifically for sore and tired feet, but I have actually put it on other sore muscles and it really helps...A LOT!!! 

It has the same soothing warming, cooling effect that BenGay has...but smells so much better!!

Everything is hand made and not tested on animals. I probably should take stock since I purchase something every time I walk past their store.  

If you don't have a Lush store near you, never fear...their products are ONLINE!! YAY!!!

I have only used a small portion of what they sell, but I can tell you what I have used to far is totally worth every penny I paid! 

well...it is about that time!! All this excitement has really wore me out...time for a good night's sleep! 

If you are enjoying my journey, please let me know...I have the light at the end of the tunnel but any encouragement will definitely help me with my motivation!!

Til next time...Have a magical evening!!
Jessica

ZUMBA WEDNESDAY!!

Today was definitely HUMP DAY!

After spending 4 1/2 hours in a room, watching kids taking their state reading assessment...can be really draining. It's almost as fun as watching paint dry. Even with the extra bit of caffeine from Starbucks this morning...(I had to get my Passion Tea Lemonade!) it just wasn't working because by lunchtime, I was exhausted!
At the end of the day, I saw my favorite Zumba instructor walking down the hall and received just the motivation I needed!
I mustered every ounce of strength to get through the hour. It was a blast as usual though!! Even the crazy squats work out that Lolita loves to do...I swear she must really love to see the torture of our faces every time we "bounce bounce squat low" Ugh! Just thinking about it is making my quads and hips hurt! :)
Well made it to 5:45...and as always, I was smiling through the sweat! I may have some troubles getting up the stairs tomorrow though....LOL!

Here we are...HOT!!

However, because I want to be as honest as possible...

As motivated as I have been getting...after looking at this picture, I get discouraged again. Like, "Why the hell am I putting this effort and nothing is changing?!?!" Ugh! I get so frustrated! Sometimes, I look at recent pics and think, "WOW! I am looking pretty darn good!" But then on days like these I just get so down on myself.  I know it takes time and patience...but sometimes I just wish it would come off as easy as I put it on! sigh...
Of course I will probably being saying something differently when I step on the scale on Saturday, but as of right now, I am just feeling a little uninspired.

Well....tomorrow run day number 2...another 30 minutes...let's see if I can do better than day 1. Plus I played with my new Garmin watch to figure out how to work it. It is so cool that I can set my intervals so I don't have to think when to change it up. Just by looking at the things that my husband's more expensive watch can do, I am totally looking forward to trying this out tomorrow. Here is the Garmin ForeRunner 210 to see for yourself!
So until then...have a great night!
Jessica

Happy National Running Day!!

I just found out that today is National Running Day. Woo Hoo! 

I also read this afternoon the best motivating thing...

"If you are running during your intervals, then you ARE a runner!!" 

So I guess I can officially celebrate this day!!

 I AM A RUNNER!!

Have a magical rest of your day and even you aren't a runner, just get out there and move!!

Jessica

Day 1 and 2...This may be a long one...

I am gonna get caught up...only a day behind...but does it really count when I technically did start recording yesterday...)

Prior to starting, after reading several different blogs and and following different boards about half marathons, I decided to use Olympian Jeff Galloway's training program. Craig had seen him speak at a conference he attended a couple of years ago, and thought very highly of him. 

Anyways...Disney sponsors his training programs so I decided to give it a try for my first 10 miler at Disney. 

(Want more?? Here is the link to his program... runDisney Training.

So this program involved 1 long run weekly and 2 maintenance runs.Running 3Xs a week...I can totally do that. Jeff Galloway has specific programs and timelines for each runDisney race...all very similar, but one thing I like about it is that I can download and load the program into my phone calendar...so there is very little thought to working out. Just get out there and do it, right?

DAY ONE:

Got home from work and feeling slightly unmotivated...but I knew it was now or never...and I chose NOW! Of course when I walked through the door, Craig reminded me of the gym...ugh! Oh well!

Rushed to get ready...Made it to spin class with a minute to spare. 

Now...let me back up...I have always been one who NEVER...I mean NEVER!!! want to do classes at the gym...much less go to the gym to work out...I didn't even put much effort before our wedding! And doing a work-out class...FORGET IT! I always felt that being a "not skinny" gym person that I would be ridiculed or made to feel that I didn't belong...Boy was I wrong!! So if you ever feel this way, just remember that nothing matters more than what you are thinking of yourself...Everyone and anyone goes to a gym to work out, and you deserve to be there as much as they do. Took me a long time to believe this...and it is a work in progress. I still will only run on the treadmill in the dark in the cardio theater room...but I still look around a lot...but not as much as better. I am there for me and not to impress anyone else!!!

Back to spin class...best one yet!! (This isn't my first one BTW) The instructor played all PitBull songs...how much more motivating is that?? However, rather than concentrating on the class, I kept wandering to Zumba class and all the wacky dance moves we do to those PitBull songs!! (haha dork right? I know!) So about half way through, while out of the saddle simulating an uphill ride, my foot started to give out...Are you kidding me?? I was not wearing my cross trainers...I was in my shoes I use for Zumba...yup, that was my mistake! Oh well! Will never do that again! Remember to only stick with cross trainers...check!! 

Well...I made it through spin class and totally worked through the ridiculous pain! I think it was more of doing it because I wanted to prove myself that I can even overcome my stupid mistakes. Never said I was an expert...this is a total learning process! And boy does it hurt when I make a mistake. HA! 

DAY TWO: 

Moving on...like I said I think yesterday, I am focusing on my training...much more than detailing my days...but I have to say this...I got out of my car this morning at work...and as I walked toward the building all I could think of was, "WOW! This is gonna be perfect weather to run in!" I also emailed Craig and told him it was a "Drop the Top" kind of day! 

And I did just that...

I walked out of work, cleaned out the back seat (I didn't want to clutter the highways of DC with my Starbucks glasses and Nationals hats and jackets...hehe), and I dropped the top! It was so beautiful out!

Well...when I got home, Craig told me that he got a gift for me.I check in his backpack and there was this....

Can you hear the magic??? I am so stinkin' excited!! I used to think that I would never get excited for a new pair of running shoes...and I definitely never thought I would get this excited for a watch for running!! I have gone mad!! But we are all a little mad here... (catch the Disney reference??) With this watch, I love the fact that I can set up my running intervals!
The major part of these Jeff Galloway training that I had mentioned earlier is interval running based on the pace you would like to keep.
Problem...new watch..needs to charge...ugh! OK...so I guess I will have to play on Thursday.
So...with not much drive, I headed out onto the trail with Craig to do my first official run of week one training. OMG! It was so difficult trying to do the intervals without a proper time keeper...so I did best with what I had...and I set my iphone app to track and started my run.
Probably about halfway through, I started getting this weird pain in my rear end. I know it sounds funny and I couldn't help myself from laughing out laugh because every time my foot would hit the trail and I felt my bubble butt jiggle, it would hurt. It was completely comical...and this is what probably got me through it. I am starting to get pretty bored with the same songs on my iphone...so I will need to work on my playlist.
Well, I arrived back home and here is what I ended up with...

Not my best time...but I think I was more worried about not really keeping the 2/1 interval. I did the best, and even though I knew I could give more, I am happy about completing today's workout.

And because I said I would running with my camera, I forgot to take my pic at the beginning of my run, but here is my trail pic about a quarter mile from home...

Well..not bad for my first 2 days... Came home and watched Extreme Weight Loss on ABC with Craig. I think this show is way better than Biggest Loser. If you have never seen it, it is a must see show! And I think I am even more motivated than before. Plus I found out that the Tower of Terror 10 Miler that we are doing in October is SOLD OUT! I can't believe that I am apart of a sold out event! I'm stoked!

I hope you made it through my first official post detailing my work out...And if nothing, maybe I have inspired you just a little bit more.
Until next.......have a magical day!
Jessica

And So I Begin...

So I decided to continue my journey, I would start blogging about it. I feel that I need to keep myself more accountable...I am hoping this will work...To begin with, let me back up a bit...

Last summer we had some remodeling done in our house, and due to the stress...but mostly because of laziness, I ended up sitting my butt on the couch for 2 months straight...At one point, it was getting terribly depressing...and I was looking pretty terrible...Need proof? Well, here it is...

 

Pretty gross, huh?? This is honestly the heaviest I have EVER BEEN IN MY LIFE!! I won't bore you with the details...cuz I will never share my weight with anyone!!

(OMG!! I can't believe I actually shared this!)

Anyways...at this point, my husband and I decided that it was the time. 

Fast forward a couple of months, and we went to Disney for a Fall trip! Craig's idea...I promise!! hehe We had breakfast at Tusker House our first morning, and in the middle of breakfast, the CM brought us our free picture with Donald. OMG!! It was working...dedication and drive! Check it out for yourself...

WOW!! I actually have a waist and my ta-tas don't completely fuse with my belly!! haha

I think at this point I was down 15 pounds...HUGE!! 

Then at the end of October, Craig ran his second marathon, Marine Corps Marathon. He did an amazing job and he looked HOT!! Shaved almost 30 minutes off his PR from his first marathon! 

Woo Hoo!

Well at that point, I decided to combine my overwhelming love for Disney and Craig's drive with his marathons and try to run myself.

Which leads me to where I am today. Technically today is exactly 18 weeks until my first long race...

Yes...I signed up with Craig to do the Tower of Terror 10 Miler at Disney's Hollywood Studios. YIKES!! I get nervous just thinking about it!! 

And here is where I am at today...

 30 pounds lighter and ready to begin this incredible journey. 

Am I totally off my rocker?? Probably! Do I really care? Probably! But do I NOW know what is best for me? Definitely YES!! (And of course a trip to Disney is always an added bonus!)

Well...wish me luck! The starting line is HERE and the gun just fired off! 

To the finish line I go!!