8 week challenge

FIRST. I ran 10 miles on Sunday.

It was awesome...

EVERYTHING IS AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Lego movie humor...get with it.

ALSO...My phone is DYING a slow, painful death thanks to my profuse sweating...SEE ABOVE PICTURE. A genius runner friend of mine gave me the idea of using breast milk storage bags. BOOM. Genius. Stayed nice and dry. 

Quick post today because I'm going to spin class at 5:45 tomorrow morning............................................. UGHHHHHHH I hate mornings. But I feel like a BEAST the rest of the day...or untill 4:00 when I lock myself in my son's bedroom WITH THE KIDS...don't freak out mom...and take a little siesta while they play trains. Win win. 

I just started an 8 week challenge with one of my favorite bloggers Mama Laughlin... I relate a lot to her story so go check her out. 

Another great blogger that I get a lot of inspiration from is Skinny Meg. She just had her second babe, is breastfeeding, and working on cleaning up her eating post pregnancy. She posts lots of great, EASY recipes. 

Anyways......8 week challenge...I'm doing things slightly different than Mama Laughlin is because I DO WHAT I WANT. And because I'm training for running long distances NOT a bikini competition. 

Basically I'm committing to taking the next 8 weeks to REALLY get my nutrition together. I can't expect my body to go through a week like this on oreos, chocolate milk, and chocolate covered strawberries. Obviously I have a love for chocolate.

A typical week looks like this:

Sunday: Run 10 miles.

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: Bootcamp.

Wednesday: Run 4 miles.

Thrusday: Run 5 miles.

Friday: Run or bootcamp...depending on the middle child and his hatred for all babysitters.

Saturday: Dream about running.

Sunday: Run 10 miles.

Repeat...But keep adding miles to that long run. 

To be totally honest I've been pretty lax with my food choices for a few reasons.

1. I love food.

2. I know with how active I am not going to gain weight...but really...running on a belly full of junk feels like crap.

3. I love food.

So here's my challenge to you:
Commit to changing something in your life you've been struggling with for the next 8 weeks. It doesn't have to be drastic like stop drinking coffee. HA. Someone would die if I attempted that. But just find something that you know needs improvement and commit to changing it for 2 short months.

SUMMER IS COMING!! SUN'S OUT GUNS OUT BABY!!! That's what I say to myself when I don't want to do anymore push ups. Because I'm cool like that.

I'm 2 days into this challenge and I've ate CONSIDERABLY better for the past 2 days and already noticed a difference in my workout this morning.

My goals are: eating more protein, more vegetables, always eating breakfast, drinking more water, NOT eating large amounts of chocolate every.single.day.

NOTICE I'm not cutting anything out of my diet because....I LOVE FOOD...but just really cleaning it up and making better choices, focusing on fueling my body, and NOT going to the pantry and eating a whole sleeve of graham crackers.

I took my measurements, before pictures, and have a friend doing it with me to keep me accountable. Oh and my entire life is out there for all to see so that keeps me accountable too..................................

Each week I'll update you all on how I'm doing! The good, the bad, and the ugly.

8 weeks from now...school will be ending, summer will be just around the corner...cookouts, lazy days in the sunshine, endless hours chasing my crazy babes at the park, and the start of my FAVORITE TIME OF YEAR to run ridiculous amounts of miles.....This is the perfect time for me to give my body a little kick in the ass.

What I challenge you to do.........................is join me! Find something you have wanted to change and DO IT! Run a little farther, knock out a bad habit, eat one less cookie...whatever it is. 8 weeks from now you will be glad you did...and chances are you won't look back.

Left: Summer 2013

Right: Spring 2014

JUST KEEP GOING.

Boom Goes the Dynamite.

It's suppose to be spring.

So I'm suppose to be running 8-10 mile long runs on the weekends.

The farthest I've ran since my half last September is 6 miles. In the snow. Up hill both ways.

Which I'm totally fine with because after the running season ended last fall I knew through the winter I just wanted to maintain my running and work on getting stronger. But what really happened is we had a shit storm of a winter and my running was minimal....and with all the horrible snow storms, ice, and snow days with the kids home I couldn't get in a good routine of going to spinning, or to any sort of place to workout. So I've been waiting incredibly impatiently for this weather to break so I could get back into a regular schedule.

Can you say Type A Personality.

As each weekend passed where I was suppose to be running 7 or 8 mile long runs and instead I'm trudging through 6 inches of snow and struggling to run 6 miles and coming home and crashing on the couch for the rest of the day because running through snow is like running through sand.

Though there were TWO days last week that were absolutely amazing. One of those days I took this little Gremlin out for our first run since last fall and it was so much fun. He's waiving like a crazy at every passing semi truck and chattering constantly.  I don't like running without music because as a friend of mine says...."I don't want to hear myself suffocating." But with him I usually only put one ear bud in so I can hear his constant chatter about trucks and birds and anything else that crosses his little squirrel mind.


So Friday I woke up and it was another B-E-A-utiful day. 45 degrees. Bright shining sunlight. The exact kind of day I'd been waiting for. I knew it was time. I knew I had to push past this six mile wall I had built myself.

NOTE: I had this exact.same.problem getting to mile 1 a year ago AND AGAIN getting past mile 3 when training for my half marathon. Exact.same.problem...........more on this later.

So out I went to run my first 8 miler since last fall when I was training for my first half marathon. I was running this while my hubs was home with this kids during his lunch break so I had EXACTLY enough time to run 8 miles and average a 10 minute mile.

For reasons outside of my control...think............THANK THE GOOD LORD there's a gas station at mile 3 on my route..................................................................................I had to cut my run short to make it back in time for my hubs to be able to get back to work. But this was still the FARTHEST I've ran since last fall and it felt good....but it wasn't the 8 miles that I so badly needed to see. I was proud of myself for sure but I needed to run 8 miles.


Now I want to talk for just a minute about why this 8 miles was so important. Remember all the times I've talked about pushing yourself out of your comfort zone....how that's where greatness happens...How when you conquer something you didn't think you could it's not just about becoming physically stronger but MENTALLY bulletproof...................yeah, all those warm fuzzies I talk about.....It has been MONTHS since I've been able to do something like that. I've been living very comfortably with my 3-4 mile short runs and 5-6 mile long runs for the past 5 months...aka..................THE WORST WINTER IN MICHIGAN HISTORY. So this 8 miles was me finally being able to mentally push myself to the next step in my training.

This wall I had built was 110% mental.

Just like it was when I wanted to run 1 mile.

Just like it was when I wanted to run past 3 miles.



Friday night I went to bed with a plan (TYPE A...ahhhhhem...type A.............) Saturday I was going to go to bootcamp...aka...the best total body workout I've ever had... and Sunday I was going to wake up and run 8 miles before going to church.

Ok. Let's do this.

Saturday boot camp. Check.

Saturday date day with the hubs. Check.

Saturday date night to a St. Patty's Party. Check.


Home by 10:00 with ice on my arches, hot tea with lemon, and no pants. Check.

Sorry.................no picture for this one.

I treated this run like it was a race day. I laid out the exact clothes I was going to wear. I set my alarm and checked that it was set 58 times. I could feel that anticipation, fear, excitement mix in my gut that goes with a big race. I knew I had to get at least 7 hours of sleep. I knew I had to eat and drink coffee an hour before I planned on running. I had my shit together. I was ready. And in true night before a race form................I slept like crap. 2 children slept in our bed. My St. Patty's Party going husband came home like a heard of stampeding buffalo. I woke up at 5 a.m. thinking I missed my alarm. Then again at 5:30. And again at 6:00.................................................Typical night before a race behavior minus the stampeding husband.

The day before I had checked the weather and knew it was going to be COLD.

And by cold I mean 6 freaking degrees.

6.



A friend had planned to run the first 5 miles with me but very wisely decided against it. But there was NO WAY I could not go. NO WAY. This was a really big deal to me. A big wall I NEEDED to get past.

I had a few things working against me before I even had my shoes on....and by a few I mean a lot....The 4 year old and 2 year old woke up with me at 6:30 so I had to make them breakfast and get them settled...Then the 2 year old needed some extra snuggles because he's the middle child and that's how he rolls.......So I sat down to snuggle him and eat my breakfast and drink my coffee and he snuggles in with his blankey and warm little body and that 6 degree frozen hell I was going to be in for 90 minutes was looking less and less appealing. Then the stampeding husband stumbles down the steps and assures me he has it all under controll and I should get ready.

I still didn't know my friend that was going to run with me had decided not to because we have SPRINT for our cell phones and usually about once a month we have NO FREAKING SERVICE FOR TWO ENTIRE DAYS because "They're bettering the service in our area."

You're idiots.

Anyways..........................It's a good thing I didn't know she wasn't coming because I really think I would have stayed snuggled on that couch with that warm little babe then been disappointed in myself the rest of the day. Not to mention the coffee did it's job by 8:10....We had planned on leaving at 8:00...I figured out she wasn't coming at 8:16. Really...It worked out perfectly.

I got dressed. Laced my shoes. Set my watch. And out the door I went.

The first song on my playlist is "Let it Go" from the movie Frozen. It's been my jam all winter.

And at the 1/2 mile mark I was just that...frozen. So I had to do some crafty adjusting to my scarf and wrap it around my head so it covered my face and ears. Then I was golden. Or less frozen at least.

Then...I just ran.

It didn't matter that I had frost forming on my eyelashes, shoulders, shins, and the scarf that was keeping me somewhat warm.


It didn't matter that I ran past my house 3 times and could have quite at mile 5, 6, and 7.

I stopped to take a picture of this beautiful sunrise.



I cried 3 times along the way.

And I just. Kept. Going.

It was my absolute favorite run I have ever been on. And not a single reason why has anything to do with my time, pace, or distance. It's because I FINALLY conquered something that I've been physically able to do for months but mentally just couldn't push myself to overcome.

Now there were some serious physical accomplishments like running the same route I did the last time I ran 8 miles and cutting over a minute per mile off my time....................running mile 8 under 10 minutes..................oh and running 8 FREAKING MILES.



The most important part of this entire LONG post is: It doesn't matter if you're going for one mile, 8 miles, 13.1 miles, or 26.2 miles. You are SO MUCH STRONGER than you think you are. This is a battle I have fought throughout the past year and I will continue to build huge walls that I have to get over or just blow up entirely.........which is exactly what I mean whenever I say............................

BOOM GOES THE DYNAMITE!!!!

Left: Post baby number 3

Right: Post baby number 1 (man that little baby is CUTE!)

Don't ever give up.

Just.Keep.Going.

Patience is NOT a virtue of mine.

Impatient.

Is my middle name.

Patience.....Is definitely NOT a virtue of mine...and as a runner this winter has tested every ounce of patience I have....which I think is a total of .00056 ounces......is that even an amount of ounces? Good thing I'm certified to educate the youth of this country...................................

So as I sit here on SNOW DAY NUMBER 42,968 I am having a mini freak out...And since I've been completely honest with everything I've ever posted here I'll share my exact thoughts.

1. Should  I lose more weight? I mean the scale has been stuck between 163 and 165 for 2 months...............Do people look at me and think I should be smaller?

2. How the hell am I going to run 15.5 miles in 2 months? Thanks to this shit storm of a winter my long runs are only 6 miles....I should be around 10 miles right now.

3. WHY THE HELL did I eat virtually NOTHING all weekend and drink ALL THE FREAKING BEER?

So what do you do when you're having a mini freak out? Call your best running friend and have her talk you off your cliff.  After a 20 minute conversation with said friend AND some reflection on my part I've figured out the answers to my freak out questions. Here you go...

1. Should I lose more weight: WHO THE EFF CARES?!? I had to remind myself how far my body has come and like I've always said...THIS IS NOT ABOUT THE SCALE but about how my quality of life has changed...I have an incredible amount of self worth that I've never had before. The scale going down is a side effect of all the badassery I'm completing on a daily basis...the badassery is my focus...not the scale.

 


2. How the hell am I going to run 15.5 miles in 2 months. I'm going to put one foot in front of the other and Just.Keep.Going because there is no feeling better than crossing that finish line. I haven't been running very much but I forget what I HAVE been doing....spinning, bootcamps, swimming, at home body weight workouts...and when I really think about it I am already much more ready for this 25k than I was for my first 1/2 marathon. I'm stronger, faster, and (even though I'm mid freak out) mentally tougher.


3. WHY THE HELL did I eat virtually NOTHING all weekend and drink ALL THE FREAKING BEER? Because there's not many times in my life where I'm in our home town with both sets of grandparents to watch the kids AND it's during the weekend of a Celtic Pub Crawl. So yeah....I should drink all the beer....But I should have ate food...................................Rookie mistake.


I also managed a 9:30/min mile 5k that morning on nothing more than a donut and half a cup of coffee.


So there you go....I'm not perfect...I freak out about things that I KNOW are completely crazy...but apparently when you're stuck in your house for the millionth time this winter the voices start talking.......................................................Usually when I start to doubt myself I go for a run and challenge myself to do something I didn't think I could then I come back and feel bullet proof all over again. Today I'm going to do the next best thing and go shovel the 8 inches of new snow that resides in our gigantic driveway. This is where the patience comes in. It's going to be sunny and 45 on Friday...........................must.survive.till.friday.

Left: 3 weeks before baby number 2 was born

Right: 3 days after drinking ALL THE BEER

Just.Keep.Going

This Awful, Beautiful Life

Today while I was folding a mountain of laundry that had consumed our entire dining room floor and table I was thinking about this stage of life we are in right now.

If life would have followed the path we had chosen for ourselves we wouldn't have ANY children yet, I would be teaching full time, we would have paid off all of my student loans, bought our dream house, traveled the country, and POSSIBLY considered starting a family in the next year or two. 

But there I stood folding Superman underwear, listening to our 2 year old make uncannily accurate sound effects while loading the playdough rocks into his dump truck.  Our one year old was edging his way on tip toes around the kitchen table where all the folded laundry sat like a shark circling his prey, and our 4 year old was in charge of the background music and was doing and excellent job of switching between the classic sounds of Mario Brothers, Mario Cart, and Batman....

Some days this stage of life makes me want to stick hot pokers in my eyes.................But today I loved every, single, second. 

Maybe it was the fact that both Friday night and this morning we had friends over and were able to actually sit and have conversations rather than playing referee all.freaking.night. 

Maybe it's because I had 2 AWESOME runs this weekend.

Maybe it's because the temperature was actually above zero for the first time in MONTHS....and by above zero I mean 5 degrees. 

But I stood their folding laundry, just soaking in these little boys and their sweetness.  The simplicity of their lives. The innocence in their thoughts. Max and his curiosity with his rocks and how intricately his was making piles just to smash them down.  Tyler's determination to pull every piece of clothing off the table he could get his chubby little hands on. Zack's intense competitiveness and drive to constantly be better at such an early age.

This stage of life is not easy. 

Taking 3 kids under 5 grocery shopping takes LOTS of mental preparation.

There are mornings where it's not even 8:00 a.m. and I've had to break up an all out fist fight over who gets the Spiderman place mat and who gets the Thomas place mat. 

I have heard the words, "Sorry mom, I touched my poop." and "I don't want to drink my pee today." 

I have said the words, "Don't put the dog food in your nose!" and "Don't drink the bath water your brother peed in the tub 5 minutes ago." 

I yell. 

I cry.

On nights I realize I forgot to wash the peed on sheets RIGHT as I'm putting them in bed I throw down a towel rather than changing the bedding and risking waking up the sleeping baby.

They watch T.V....and by watch I mean can recite 90% of the Toy Story movies and 97% of Wreck it Ralph. 

I don't generally wear jeans and when I do Max will ask, "Do you have meeting mommy?"

At any given moment you could walk in our house and see one or more children in the bathtub.  Whether it's because we had spaghetti for lunch and my children eat like cavemen or we endured another poop touching episode...................the bathtub is my saving grace. 

Yes, my house is cleaned by someone else every other week.

Yes, my husband had awesome hours and works 2 blocks from our front door.

Yes, said husband also does more in a day for me and our kids than most husbands do in a month.

Yes, our children are in bed by 8:00 every night so I'm usually sitting down with a cup of hot tea, no pants, and browsing facebook no later than 8:07. 

Some days I just need to step back and see just how beautiful our life really is. And that is exactly what I did today mid laundry mountain. 

I've been given a lot of parenting advice since the first time I saw two pink lines but my all time favorite words of wisdom are, "How you speak to your children become their inner voice." So today my Monday Motivation does not revolve around changing your body....but focusing on what you want your little's one's to hear inside their heads and hearts when you're not there to say it. What does their inner voice sound like? 

I am not supermom. I am not perfect. I will be the first one to admit when I'm wrong...Ok, maybe the second.  But I do know I only get one shot at giving my babes the morals and values they need before sending them out into the world. There's only 940 Saturdays from the time your child is born until their 18th birthday...................

I do have an easy life.......

I take naps in the sun.

I make playdough rocks, lego cities, and awesome blanket forts

I let them pull the folded laundry off the table just to hear the one year old laugh from the bottom of his toes. 

Don't confuse an easy life with a beautiful life. 

One of my favorite country songs says it best.................................

I laid in bed that night and thought about the day

And how my life is like a roller coaster ride
The ups and downs and crazy turns along the way
It'll throw you off if you don't hold on tight
You can't really smile until you've shed some tears
I could die today or I might live on for years

I love this crazy, tragic,
Sometimes almost magic,
Awful, beautful life