Wednesday Check In: The Power of One!

Another week done in the Power of One challenge over at the sisterhood. And although I had a good week and made good decisions and got some good minutes of running in the scale didn't show a victory. I am not surprised. Lets get the numbers over with and then I can explain.

Starting weight: 206.8
Week 1: 205.6
Week 2: 206.2
Change this week: up .6
Change for Challenge: down .6
Goal Weight: Anything in One-derland!

This has been a highly stressful week for me. More so than usual and I think all the stress has had an impact on the scale this week. I really have made good choices, actually much better than usual and I ran a lot in the last week, it just didn't want to come off this week I guess. But I know that this is just a temporary thing and than next week will be much better. I know that the stress will be gone after Friday and then hopefully all my good behavior will show up next week. I have to admit though I am glad that I got back on the treadmill and didn't give up after taking time off for the holidays. Running seems to have a somewhat therapeutic quality to it. Maybe it is just that it takes your mind of your worries but it makes me feel refreshed (sweaty and tired) when I am done and that goes a long way. It also helps me sleep better at night, and these days I will take all the help I can get!
How did you all do this week? Was the scale your friend? Good luck to you all.

Virtual Success

Today over at the Sisterhood they were having a virtual 5k. I signed up way back in November and I was more than a little excited, it was just what I needed to kick me back in gear with my training. My goal had been to run the entire 3.1 miles, and then the holidays hit. Things around here got super busy and things at work got even busier, holidays, work, vacation, kids and school. Everything got crazy, and I still tried to keep up, but as it usually does, something had to give and unfortunatly it was the running. I was just beat everyday, I wasn't doing a good job of taking care of myself. Eating quick meals when I could and more than not forgetting to take my Iron supplements. My iron levels sank, my energy drained and I was tired. I know these are all just excuses, but the end result is the same, I was not training and I was not prepared for this 5k run.
Then the new year came and I knew that I could not keep living like this. I could not continue to skip my workouts and still reach my goals for the year. I needed to take care of myself and my first priority was getting back into running. So even though I didn't have alot of time I knew that I was still committed to running this race. I started getting back in the treadmill and running. It felt like I had started all over with my c25k training. The first day it was 2 minute runs, but I was thrilled at how quickly it all came back. There was no way I was going to make my goal of running this entire race, but there was also no way that I was going to not complete it.
I got up this morning and fueled up. Then I headed to the treadmill for my warm up and run. I started running. It felt good, really good and I just kept putting one foot in front of the other. No, I didnt run the whole thing, but I did push myself. I took over three minutes off my personal 3.1 mile treadmill time. It felt wonderful. It made me feel powerful and successful and exactly the moral boost I needed to keep up with my training. I knew months ago that this 5k was exactly what I needed to get back into training and today it was exactly what I needed to keep with it.
I can't wait to see what the rest of the year holds for running and personal goals in general. Yesterday I got online to search for some local races and I found a few that caught my interest. I am not ready to sign up for anything yet, but I have a great idea of what is out there and what I am training for. And as another bonus, my goal of running 20 miles a month is going to get blown out of the water this month, I am already at 13 miles one week in.
So did you run with the Sisterhood today? How did you do?How are your goals going so far this year?

Letter to Me

Dear 2011 Carrie,
Hello dear, well you have a big year ahead of you. 2011 is going to be a hugely successful year for you. You have a lot of goals set for yourself and it is high time you spent a little more time and energy and making yourself a priority. There are a lot of things on your bucket list for the year and I know that you can accomplish anything that you set your mind too.
You want to complete 3k races this year. Of course you will run the Lansing River Run again since you had such a blast there last year, and it goes without saying that with a year of running under your belt by then you will blow your last years time out of the water. You also want to run a few races that are yet to be determined, make sure you do your research and find some good runs to complete in this year because you know that once you start it is so addicting.
You also have some pretty solid weight loss goals to accomplish. Getting down to wedding size will take a lot of hard work and dedication but I know you have to tools and ability to get it done. Man, I am jealous of how great you are going to look by the end of the year. Long gone will be the days I "I don't have anything that fits right." You have the determination and drive to stick with it and succeed.
Don't forget your financial goals as well. It will be such a great reward when you get to take Kris to Universal Studios next Christmas and have it all paid for in advance. Now that is something to really look forward to.
With getting your health and weight on track you are also going to need to work on your organizational skills, with a potential promotion in the near future you are going to have to make sure all your ducks are in a row to keep your family and your career in order. I know that it will all fall into place once you get the ball rolling. This is the year to step out of your comfort zone, face your fears head on and overcome them all and prove to everyone, mostly yourself, that you deserve to have good things come your way. This is the year that you finally stand up and say "hey, look at me, look what I can do!" and everyone listens.
Don't down play yourself, you have major talents and ambitions and you can do totally awesome things. I have complete faith in everything you are setting out to do this year, and hey maybe when you read this next year you will giggle at the three races you had planned when you look back and see that it has been more than that, and that little 5k Lansing River Run turned into a half marathon.
You go girl! I have all the confidence in the world that you are going to take on 2011 and win big!
I am so proud of you!
Love,
Carrie

The Power of ONE- Check In

Hey remember me? I know it has been awhile. Life has been crazy (and fun) lately and I have been away, but I am back now and ready for the new year. Which is perfect because this is the beginning of a new challenge over at the Sisterhood, well actually it started last week but I was off the grid so to speak, soaking in the sun in Florida and I didn't have the chance to check in. I was following along in my no cell phone, no internet world. I am really excited for this challenge, it is all about ME. And I can tell you, all about ME doesn't happen very often around these parts. I am a nurturer by nature and so I am the one taking care of everyone else which leaves very little time to take care of me. But I have made it a priority for this challenge and really for this year to make time for me, to take better care of myself so that I can take better care of my family. And I am happy to report that so far so good.
I am, like a lot of people, reluctant to make New Years Resolutions. Sticking with something for an entire year is tough and I tend to shoot for the stars, fall short and then quit. This year I am taking it in smaller doses, starting small so that falling short is not an option. I started running last year and although I am not very fast I am really enjoying it. I find that I can't get on my treadmill anymore just to walk. I get my 5 minute warm up in and then I am ready to up the pace and run. I never thought that would happen to me, but I love it. So part of my NYR is to get a run in at least 5 days a week. It doesn't have to be long or far, my goal is 20 minutes a day and at least 20 miles a month. That would be 240 miles ran at the end of the year. That just sounds impressive to me, but at the same time obtainable. So far I am sticking to it too. Of course it is only 5 days into the new year, but you have to count the small victories as well as the big.
When my husband and I meet several years ago we were both thinner. This year we have both made the commitment of getting back to those sizes. It is nice to have him working with me on this goal and striving for it himself. With that being said, it is time to get down to the nitty gritty with the numbers.

Starting weight: 206.8
Week 1: 205.6
Change: Down 1.2
Goal Weight: Anything in One-derland!

So how did you do this week? Did the New Year celebrations throw you off track? I am happy to report that New Years was good to me, probably because I slept through it. I had a 3am wake up call the next day to get back to cold Michigan from Florida and toasting in the New Year was not an option, but on the plus side either was eating in the new year.
I hope this year finds you happy, healthy and conquering all your challenges for the New Year and a New YOU!.