Running Quote

This was in my email box a couple of days ago and it is so true!


"In the 30 years I've been a runner I've run more than 150,000 miles. Still, some of the hardest steps I take are those first few getting out the door for daily runs."

BILL RODGERS' Lifetime Running Plan

I do plan on getting back out there for my runs.. I do - no really I do! If I don't my hubby is going to run faster, farther and look better running than me! Kidding! Really I am!!

Christmas!

Christmas was very nice this year - full of changes, but nice ones...

I got to spend time with my future daughter in law - Logan said it was the coolest Christmas ever - Everyone seemed to be happy - it was an all around great couple of days!

Here is a pic of my youngest and his new friend! That is a display from my oldest sons store that he brought home for Logan. It is motion sensitive and "talks" to you when you wander in the room! They are playing with hubbys new toys - Guitar hero!

Weigh in!

So I did go and weigh in - I knew it was going to be a bad one, but I did it and I'm proud I didn't stay in bed a hybernate like I wanted to. I gained 4.4 pounds. It is better than the 6 I thought I had gained!

I had a great talk with three of the ladies from the meeting, I was told I was normal! I'm so glad people that have been there and done that can show me that I'm not alone!

So now to get back on track and do the best I can this week. I will arm myself with healthy foods at work, so I can munch on them instead of the massive amounts of stuff that people bring in for us. I will get some exercise of sometype in this week. I will not beat myself for any bad days I will have because lets face it - it is Chrismas! There are some days I can control this week and others that I can not.

Emotional Eating....

So I am a creature of habit and I REALLY don't like my routine disturbed - with the holiday coming up and Logan being out of school and not having Sacfit to go to for a few weeks and vacation and several other things that changed that are very minor, I have had an emotional eating breakdown - if it was near me I ate it, even if it wasn't, I ate it - my friends and family are not safe - I might eat them too - stay away!!

I WILL weigh in tomorrow and see what the final damage is, but according to my scale at home today it will not be pretty!

I really don't understand how I get back to a goal that I wanted to be at so much (60 pounds lost) and then blow it again so quickly. I'm really not happy with myself right now for the very bad choices I have made this week. I really have no one to blame but myself.

Weight Watchers Weigh In!

So after Disneyland and eating not so good I went to weight watchers this morning and I lost 1 pound! This finally puts me back at 60 pounds lost! 60.5 to be exact! This is also the lowest I have been so far! I hit 60 pounds lost in Septemeber, then had a major gain the next week and have been up and down ever since. - Oh and I'm 202! How exciting and closer than ever to under 200!!

Disneyland!!!

So vacation was awesome!!! I had such a great time and it was so wonderful to share my birthday with my whole family. Mom and Dad were such troopers and went on everything we went on. They did turn in a little earlier than we did most nights but that was fine too, it gave them time to be alone too. I heard things that I never thought I would hear from my mom like "Hey lets go on tower of terror again!" and "I will ride splash mountain if your dad does!" We ate breakfast on the morning of my birthday at Goofy's kitchen and I met Aurora! Jeff and I had a romantic dinner at the Blue Bayou the night of my birthday. On Thursday we went into the park early and I was first in line to meet Tinkerbell (and Silvermist)! Can you tell a lot of the trip was all about me? I think everyone else had fun too! I have photographic proof that my mom rode everything we have pictures of Splash Mountain and Tower of Terror and some really great pictures of the whole family both at the Christmas tree at the Grand Californian Hotel and at the Meet and Greet with Chip and Dale at California Adventures.

On a side note - we usually go for a couple of days then take a day off to do nothing and recover and then go our remaining days - this time we did 5 days straight and I'm happy to say I noticed a HUGE difference in how my body held up. My feet and ankles didn't swell like they used to do, I didn't even slow down until the end of the last day there and I think that was more I was getting tired than my body was giving out. No blisters, no muscle cream, no anti-inflammatories and no wanting to ride the shuttle back to the hotel every night - we will walk!! Oh and yes I did get a run in on Thursday morning. I got up early, got dressed in my running stuff and ran down the street towards Disneyland, through the plaza in between the two parks,thorugh downtown Disney to the Disneyland hotel and around the grounds of the hotel and back to our hotel (2.25 Miles), it was so peaceful and amazing!!

It has been a pretty amazing year!!

I've had a pretty awesome year! What am I going to do next?



I'm going to Disneyland!!! See you all in a week!

This will be a pretty amazing week - we will be going with my parents who haven't been to Disney since my 21 year old was around 4 or 5 and we will celebrate my birthday in the park on Wednesday!!

Folsom Turkey Trot!

So we decided to do the Folsom turkey trot for several reasons - but the main one was the crowds at the other run in town. This one was quite manageable and nice and family friendly. the only problem that I see they have was they had both a 10K and a 5K and the 10 K started 10 minutes before the 5K did and in the middle of the 5K the 10K runners were all merging in with the 5k'ers. I know I would have been upset if I was trying to do the 10K competitively and I couldn't due to the course.




This was taken at the end - it actually got pretty warm! Those are both my boys and my older son's finance who is looking mighty slim! She is doing weight watchers as well and totally kicking butt!!









This was taken around the middle of the course - aren't they adorable??

Book - Taken From Home - Eric Francis

Product Description From amazon.com Grand Junction, Colorado, 2001: When Michael Blagg’s adoring wife, Jennifer, and his six year-old-daughter, Abby, disappeared from their home, Michael led the charge to find them, even going so far as to make a nationwide appeal on Good Morning America for information. But seven months later, investigators found Jennifer’s remains in a Mesa County landfill, and things took a darker turn…

Jennifer had been shot in the head, investigators discovered, and Abby was nowhere to be found. While Michael, a respected prayer-group leader, played the part of grieving survivor, authorities became increasingly suspicious There was blood evidence in the back of the family’s van. Was Blagg a cold-blooded killer? A religious fanatic? This is the terrifying true story of what happened when Jennifer and Abby Blagg were…

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I made a quick stop off at the true crime again - It used to be all I read and something about this book grabbed me. I was very well written but hard to read due to the crimes.

Weight Watchers Weigh In!

So I lost .8 - It's a loss and I'm happy I lost - but the weird thing is I would have been much happier with .9 - that would have put me at 202.9 but instead I'm *still* at 203 something - I feel like I have been 203 something forever...

I had a pretty major non-scale victory this week though - on Thursday there was Marie Callendars Banana Cream pie at work and I resisted it all day! I didn't even have a taste!!

Sacfit Saturday!

What a wonderful day! Celebrations abound!! So many people did great things last weekend. I was feeling especially retrospective since today was my last run with the group for this season. I sometimes think about how far I have come and I'm shocked! I went from barely being able to get through my pace mile - to completing two half marathons! I think about all the people who have helped me along the way and I'm so grateful to them for seeing potential and believing in me when sometimes I didn't. I am really speechless - really - me speechless!! The only words that come to me is Thanks. Thanks so much. There are no other words to express my gratitude to Ken and the wonderful people who give of themselves each week to make great things happen for others.

Oh and I did run today - a nice easy 4 miles to top off my season. I ran with a very nice man with a very big heart (you know who you are if you are reading this...) that today gave me some great tips on how to give back in the next season as a pace assistant.

Book - Against Medical Advice - James Patterson

Product Description - From Amazon.com - Cory Friedman woke up one morning when he was five years old with the uncontrollable urge to twitch his neck. From that day forward his life became a hell of irrepressible tics and involuntary utterances, and Cory embarked on an excruciating journey from specialist to specialist to discover the cause of his disease. Soon it became unclear what tics were symptoms of his disease and what were side effects of the countless combinations of drugs. The only certainty is that it kept getting worse. Simply put: Cory Friedman's life was a living hell.AGAINST MEDICAL ADVICE is the true story of Cory and his family's decades-long battle for survival in the face of extraordinary difficulties and a maddening medical establishment. It is a heart-rending story of struggle and triumph with a climax as dramatic as any James Patterson thriller.

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Great book! I really loved hearing about this boy in his own words. Such a brave young man!

I've been tagged!

This was a cool trip down memory lane!

This was my little guys first day of Kindergarten!

Vicki so kindly tagged me...The rules…Find the 6th folder in your pictures directory and post the 6th photo in it.So here are the instructions:* Go to your sixth picture folder then pick your sixth picture* Pray that you remember the details ;)* Post it on your blog* Most people I would pick have been tagged, so I'm not tagging anyone.

Run the river Half Marathon - With Pictures!

Warning - I'm being brave and showing pictures that don't really show me at my best! Consider yourself warned!!

Here is my boy with his sign he worked really hard on. He was the first person I saw as I came around the corner towards the finish line - I heard my mom, she was yelling something and ringing a cowbell. Notice the people around him, dressed like they should have been for a race...

Here is me! Running across the finish line, really hot, my head was pounding and my legs were cramping really bad. Notice what I'm wearing - that would be a long sleeve shirt and long pants - I was prepared for it to be cooler and what the heck was I thinking wearing all black??

My dad so kindly took pictures of me in the medic tent. I only sat here for about 5 minutes. I just needed to catch my breath and let the leg cramps lessen a little, I had a nice cold chocolate milk and was told to walk around a bit to help the legs. The guy in the yellow jacket is Philmore - he is a coach with my running group and an all around great guy. He helped me from the chute to the medic tent. The lady in white was giving me my medal!

I was so through having pictures taken of me (the last three were taken within about 10 minutes of each other) and I had taken off my hat so my hair was out there - but this pic shows my angel pin my parents gave me and the necklace my hubby gave me. The necklace is a journey heart which represents the many journeys that we have in life. I will take a good picture of my medal and of my necklace and post it in a couple of days.

Run the River Half Marathon!

I wanted to put a quick update on the blog - I do have a new PR! 13 seconds faster than my last half marathon - the conditions though were really bad today - It was HOT! Who would have thought that November 15th would be so hot?? We had a high of 80 degrees and long parts of the trail there were no shade at all and at a few points I didn't think I was going to finish. I walked a lot of the last two miles and then sprinted across the finish line only to be overcome by leg cramps as soon as I stopped to take the timing thing off. I had to be drug to the first aid tent, where they worked on my legs a little and got me at least walking around and moving again. I don't feel bad anymore though - what I went through was repeated time and time again at the finish line. People who are very experienced runners were being overcome by the leg cramps.

At the finish line I was cheered on by my parents, both my sons and my hubby! I got a very pretty medal - I got an adorable little angel pin from my parents - and from my hubby a beautiful journey heart in silver and blue topaz. I will post pictures soon, but right now I just need some water and a nap.

Remember to breathe on the night of the big run!

So I should be in bed already - but I'm still getting things ready for tomorrow! I'm ashamed to say that I'm actually waiting for my pants to come out of the washer! Talk about not planning ahead! I have a new pair of tights, but they say nothing new on race day and even though they are the same brand, only 3/4 length instead of full length, I don't want to risk it. I got my race packet tonight and I'm bib number 93! I would take a pic, but again no time - I will take one tomorrow morning before wrinkling with with all the running!! I am pretty fortunate - my part of the race doesn't start until 8:30! The people who are doing 50K start earlier and then the people who are doing the full marathon start after them and I start last. I'm going to stay down there until the last people come in. I'm very excited! Hubby bought me a little something to commemerate the season and the runs I have done. I will also share that once I get back home and recovered! Well got to run! (pun intended!!!)

Book - Invisible Chains - Kristina Sauerwein

Book Review - From Publishers Weekly - Sauerwein, a former reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the L.A. Times, delves into a puzzling kidnapping case with penetrating true crime reporting. She describes 11-year-old Shawn Hornbeck's disappearance from his rural Missouri hometown, while riding his bike in 2002. He was abducted by Michael Devlin, an innocuous-seeming pizza-shop manager who repeatedly sexually abused and tortured Shawn for four years. In a strange twist, Devlin also assumed a fatherly role and Hornbeck became his son; even given freedom to go out alone, Hornbeck never tried to escape. Shawn was joined by another kidnapped boy, Ben Ownby, four days before the police nabbed Devlin in January 2007. The unusual psychological aspects of Hornbeck's captivity and his failure to attempt to escape are explained, according to Sauerwein, by the Stockholm syndrome, which leads a captive to bond with his captor. An impeccable, on-target true crime narration, this book of loss, perversity and redemption illuminates not only the desperate pangs of a predator's sexual hunger but the steadfast love of two families for their missing children.

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I was intrigued by this case as was much of the world, so when this book came through, I had to read it. It wasn't easy to read in spots, but was very interesting.

Weight Watchers Weigh In!

So today I stepped on the scale and I lost .1 - yup POINT 1 - As I just told someone - a loss is a loss no matter how small - at least I'm going in the right direction and at least it wasn't a gain!

Sac Fit Saturday!

So today was a short run of only 5 miles. I can not believe that I will be running yet another half marathon in a week! I also can not believe that my season will be over after that run. The official end to the season isn't until Dec 7th at CIM - but I will be on vacation so I won't be taking part in that race this year. Next Saturday is my last goal race for this season.

Anyway - the run went OK - I ate things I should not have on Friday night and I didn't get enough sleep thanks to a very talkative 8 year old who talks to you whether you are awake or not. Those two things I will not repeat next week!

After the run the red group coaches all had brought breakfast fixings and we had a little buffet breakfast - it was so good and everyone was so generous!! We even had chocolate! Do the coaches know us or what?!?!?

The organizer has been asking around for people to be pace assistants next season and I have decided to take the challenge and sign up! I'm really excited to be giving back to the group that has given me so much! I'm very excited about possibly doing this and I need to master my Garmin and all of its functions and I need to try and maintain a consistent pace, but I feel with a little discipline I can do this. I can't wait to cheer others on and help them meet their goals.

Book - Dirty Little Secrets - Trisha Ashworth and Amy Nobile

Product Description From Amazon.com - Trisha Ashworth and Amy Nobile conducted interviews with hundreds of mothers while researching their best-selling book I Was a Really Good Mom Before I Had Kids. It didn't take long before these moms began to reveal their Dirty Little Secrets—surprising, thought-provoking, guilty confessions they hadn't told anyone else. Cringe-worthy moments ("I bit my daughter's finger trying to steal a bite of her cookie.") meet real insights ("I love my kids but I didn't always. It took time to fall in love with them."). These are the private thoughts that every mom has—and every mom can relate to.

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I read their first book and really liked it - this one was a quick read, only one confession per page so it only took me about 20 minutes to go through it. I was surprised I could relate to so many. But do you know what I really liked about the book? The cupcake on the front cover....

Book - Escape - Carolyn Jessop

Description from Wikipedia - Escape is a book by Carolyn Jessop and Laura Palmer. It discusses Jessop's difficult upbringing in the FLDS polygamist church and the division that took place in that church in the 1970s and '80s. According to her story, at age 18 she was forced into a marriage with a 50-year-old man, Merril Jessop, who already had three other wives.

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I found the book very scary and very eye opening. It is amazing that there are people in this world that are living like this. I was intriged by the group after they made the news. What she talked about in the book was about what I expected to hear, but there were still things that shocked me.

I should buy a lottery ticket!!

So when I won the gift card for the mall on Halloween I was entered to win the grand prize of two tickets anywhere Southwest flies. Well Pat and Tom the morning Dj's called me this morning and left me a message - I won!!! I'm not sure what we will use then for yet, but I'm thinking a nice romantic trip somewhere with the hubby might be in order!!

Weight Watchers Weigh In!

So today I ate breakfast, took Logan to school and then went to the park to run. It was beautiful out there, the new track is simply wonderful to run on and I did almost three miles!

Then I went to Weight Watchers and weighed in! I'm down 2.3 pounds this week! I'm very happy about how my Monday went!!

Officially Registered!!

So the family is doing a new family tradition this year - we are running on Thanksgiving!!

My oldest son wanted to go to his fiance's for Thanksgiving and my parents have been asking for years to go out for dinner instead, so I thought - I could sign up for a community fun run and Matt can go to his fiance's and we could go out with my parents for a late lunch.

Benefits? Activity points before big meal! Lunch instead of dinner - not as much food! No cooking, cleaning and leftovers! Showing Logan how runners can help the community (the run benefits the food bank)! In bed early and not feeling too stuffed to sleep! No heartburn from eating too much too late!

Matt and his fiance are even joining us for the run before they go to her parents house. I think it will be a lot of fun!

Here is the run - http://folsomturkeytrot.com/

Folsom is the town where my oldest works and it isn't too far from where we are. Sacramento has the run to feed the hungry, but with over 25,000 people participating it is a little big for us.

Sac Fit Saturday - AKA playing in the rain!

So on the menu for Saturday was 8 miles - I have not ran in two weeks due to some minor medical issues that I didn't want to make worse, so I was a little worried, but I kicked butt! Oh and did I mention it was raining? My very first run in the rain. Until mile 6 it was actually only misting and I even got hot with all the layers I had on - so I started taking layers off and even my hat came off (I love my new short haircut is looks great even when wet!) So about the time I got back to a comfortable temperature the skies opened up and I was too lazy to start putting the layers back on and I *only* had 2 more miles to go. I was so wet! I did eventally get my headband back on, but not because I got cold, it was to keep the rain from dripping off my forehead into my eyes. Back where we started we were greated with hot chocolate and tents to stay under. I had a great run! I felt great (and wet), several people told me I looked great (and wet) and I finished right on training pace (I think my pace got wet too). I would definatly run in the rain again, I think I rather liked it!!

Oh and passing us going the other way was people doing a 50 miler! Those people amaze me. They had bib numbers on and I passed one of their aid stations. It was marked "Only 26.9 miles to go!" Wow!!

A great and profitable Halloween!

So hubby entered the pumpkin carving contest at work and this was his entry. He won a 25 dollar gift card for Gas and also won the halloween trivia contest for another 25 dollar gift card for gas.

On the way home he called me and sarcastiacally asked me what I had won today - well obviously nothing right? I have a long drive home and during the drive they started a "count the music" contest on the country station I listen to and I'm thinking well if they only play a few songs before ending it then I might have a chance. So they stop the clock after 4 songs and tehy ask for caller 25 and I dial and dial and dial and it rings - I'm the right caller and I knew they played 4 songs! I got 25 dollars for each song in the form of a mall gift certificate. So I have to tell my huuby he needed to repeat his question!

Logan was sick and didn't go to school and we only took him out too about 5 houses before it started raining again, but here is Logan in his costume!!

Weight Watchers Weigh In!

Well the damage isn't as bad as I thought - I'm up 4.1 pounds - not too shabby! I even changed my routine and ate my breakfast and drank a cup of coffee before weighing in. I'm going to start running on Monday mornings after dropping Logan off at school and before weight watchers. Since mondays are my short run days I should have plenty of time to do that, but I can't run on an empty tummy. here's to starting over!!!

Weight Watchers....

The Weight Watchers website tells all - everytime I log into it, at the top is "Last weigh in Date 9/21/08. I have been struggling with some personal issues and some things beyond my control, but what is in my control is how I react to them and that was not good. I made very poor choices including the poorest choice of not even going to the meetings once the scale started headed the wrong way. I know I need the support and I will be going this morning to weight in and basically start over. I am up weight wise, we will see what the scale says there but mine says I'm up 7-8. So there it is, out there for everyone to see, I plan on going to the meeting this morning and weighing in and taking the gain and start over! I need to get back doing the things I love, I'm really starting to miss them and if I don't, this half marathon on 11/15 is going to kick my butt!

My oldest in his Halloween Costume!

Here is my oldest son at work as Indiana Jones! He is so handsome!!! It is not the best picture but it is all I have.

All is right with my world!!!

My wonderful hubby is back home - I missed you so much!!! Welcome home!!!

Love you bunches!!!!

The Veggie Chase!!

Sunday - October 12th was a family running event called the Veggie Chase, it was sponsored by health and fitness organizations to get kids up and moving. It was a 5K and we did it as a a family. First off - it was COLD! But once we got moving we had a great time - Logan did awesome and the hubby even ran a little bit of it! Logan walked/ran the 5K with us and then did another 1 mile run with the kids. Then they had bounce houses and stuff and he hung around there for a while. Then he slept on the way home! Here are some pics!!

Sac Fit Saturday!

Saturday was wonderful - but COLD! I did a nice 6 mile run since I'm on the half-marathon schedule now (see marathon decision post below...). It was so beautiful being out there before the sun came up and the running down the trail and watching the sunrise. I think since I have made the decision about the marathon I'm less stressed about getting in the miles and such and I can just have a great time out on the trail and enjoy the runs and the scenery. After the run I went to REI and bought long tights since I had nothing but shorts to run in. I had long sleeve shirts and a running jacket, but nothing long for my legs.

Book - The Non-Runner Marathon Guide for Women - Dawn Dias

Product Description - From Amazon.com - Dawn Dais hated running. And it didn't like her much, either. Her fitness routine consisted of avoiding the stairs in her own house, because who really has the energy to climb stairs? It was with this exercise philosophy firmly in place that she set off to complete a marathon.The Nonrunner’s Marathon Guide for Women is a fun training manual for women who don't believe that running is their biological destiny but who dream of crossing the finish line nonetheless. It opens with a realistic training schedule and is chock-full of how-to's, quizzes, and funny observations, which Dais felt were lacking in the guides she had consulted.The Nonrunner’s Marathon Guide for Women also integrates entries from Dias' journal, sharing everything would-be marathoners need to know about the gear, the blisters, the early morning workouts, the late-night carb binges, and — most important of all — the amazing rewards.Anyone can do a marathon. This book just makes the experience a little more bearable and a lot more fun.
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You all have to read this book! It is hilarious!! I kept reading passages from it to my hubby because they were so funny - this author has a great sense of humor that just kept me in stitches the whole read. You don't have to be training for a marathon to read this book it has great ideas and tips for beginning runners as well.

Marathon decision...

So I have taken time the last week to mull over a decision that I have been trying to make for sometime and I keep going back and forth on it. Well no more - I have made my decision and yes - it is my final answer...

The Marathon is going to wait a year...

The main reasons are - I feel since I have only been running since May on my own and June with the group I think I'm trying to do to much in too short a time. I have really struggled with the longer runs. The training program usually concludes with the California International Marathon which is in December, but I will not be in town for that one, so the one I choose to do is 4 weeks earlier. (4 weeks less of training...)

So I'm still going to run in that race in November, I will *only* do half the marathon!

I however have not given up on my marathon dream - My first marathon will be California International on December 6th 2009 - by the way for those keeping score - that is 3 days after I turn the big 4-0! I think that running a marathon is a great way to celebrate my 40th birthday!

I finished!!!

This is me coming into the finish line - I was basically right on pace and very happy with my time. You can't tell it but I got very emotional - several times I had to ask myself - why am I doing this? I envisioned myself getting that medal at the end and that kept me going - well that and all the enthusiastic people along the race course - one person that stands out in my mind was a person wearing a large Mickey mouse hand and as I ran by she said "High four!!" - one of those thing you probably had to be there for...

At the 13 mile mark (when I only had .1 to go) I started crying...

This is me really crying - not because I was in pain or anything, but because I was so darn proud of myself and I was just overcome with emotions - by the way when you start crying right at the finish people cheer really loud for you!! Also if you are crying a nice man comes to you in the chute to make sure you are OK.









Then you go further down the chute and get the most beautiful medal I have ever seen - never mind the fact that almost 4000 people also got one, but mine is prettier than everyone else's - really it is - don't you think so??









The rest of the end was a blur - I was told to eat some food and all I could manage to do was grab a small piece of bread - I left the chute and went over to the Sacfit booth and proudly showed off my medal (again just like everyone else's except mine is prettier) I talked to my coach and he said he couldn't wait to read my blog, I talked to other assorted people and then I wandered around aimlessly trying to take it all in.

We left and went to Ihop for a late lunch which I say has to be the best way to celebrate a good run, I had chocolate milk (which was soooo good) and a hearty breakfast of eggs, pancakes, hash browns, bacon and ham (sorry weight watchers!!)

I'm only a little sore now, I'm feeling pretty good and I'm so darn proud of my medal. John Bingham in one of his books says you must wear your medal for a week to annoy everyone - well this on is a functioning cow bell so it will doubly annoying and I don't care!! It is the pretties thing I have ever saw!! I guess I should fill you in just in case you don't know - this was my first medal I have gotten for my running so it will always have a special place in my heart no matter how many more I get (and there will be more!!)

Countdown to Cowtown Half!!

Here is my bib number and my shirt!!

Collage my Dad made me!

My dad made this picture for me out of some of my race pictures! I just love it. I especially love the fact that right there in black and white (well color really) it proof that I have slimmed down and lost inches during my training. Notice the picture in the top right corner - that is my most recent race pic and the one top center is the first race I ran. I can see the difference! Yay!! I'm on the countdown to the Half-marathon now! Only a few days and I'm already having the sleepless nights worrying about parking, getting there in time, not tripping over the starting line etc. etc. etc... - I actually had a dream last night that I got there late and missed everyone starting and had to catch up! LOL!! I know, I need help!!

Faith in me from my Hubby!!

Here is a quote from an email today from my hubby - it was a rough day all around and I was really beating myself up about everything.

"I believe you will have no problem on Sunday and you will finish the marathon on November. I don't know if you will still be running after 26.2 miles, but you will finish."

I little shopping therapy didn't hurt either! I bought the REI deal of the day which was this for less than 20 bucks!!

Book - Last Man Down - Richard Picciotto

From Amazon.com - When the north tower of the World Trade Center collapsed on September 11, Picciotto, an FDNY battalion commander, was inside it, on a stairwell between the sixth and seventh floors, along with a handful of rescue personnel and one "civilian." This outspoken account tells of that indelible day, and it will shake and inspire readers to the core. The book starts by listing the 343 firefighters who died from the attacks, setting an appropriately grave tone to what follows, which begins as the author heads to work at Engine Co. 76 and Ladder Co. 22 on Manhattan's Upper West Side. Then comes a call on the intercom, and soon he is racing down to the World Trade Center. Arriving, he dodges falling bodies, runs inside and upstairs with a battalion not his own. Early in the book, this straightforward accounting is intercut with flash-forwards to 9:59 a.m., when Picciotto, on the 35th floor of the north tower, experiences the collapse of the south tower not visually, but aurally and in his body ("the building was shaking like an earthquake... but it was the rumble that struck me still with fear. The sheer volume of it. The way it coursed right through me... like a thousand runaway trains speeding toward me"). Picciotto, writing with Paisner (coauthor of autobios by Montel Williams and George Pataki, among others), pulls no punches, naming those who hindered his work and those who helped, taking numerous swipes at what he sees as a fire department bureaucracy whose money pinching puts firefighters at risk. This mouthiness can grate, but it certainly gives the flavor of a man and a department whose heroism became clear to all that day. It's Picciotto and his comrades' courage and willingness to sacrifice that every reader will remember, and honor, upon closing this gritty, heartfelt remembrance of a day of infamy and profound humanity.

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For some reason when this book came through our library it caught my attention and wouldn't let me go home without it. I was worried about reading it, but once I got started it was really good and very interesting - I learned a lot of things about firefighters that I didn't know and it was really neat to hear the story of these brave men who were the last men down.

Finding Nemo!

Meet the newest edition of the family!

My younger son has been talking about cats and kittens for a long time now and we decided to take him down to the SPCA and take a look. The first one we looked at was not impressed by Logan at all (or us either for that matter) but this guy just loves us and especially Logan. He came from a home where there was an 8 year old boy and they had to give him up when they had to move into a place that didn't accept pets. These pictures were taken in Nemo's favorite place - Logan's bunk bed! He and Cole - our dog are not getting along yet, but at least they are co-existing so I guess If I give them some time they will learn to accept and maybe even love each other.

This is his "I'm so not impressed" look!

Sac Fit Saturday!

Well Saturday I was *supposed* to run 16 miles. What I did was run 11.5 miles. I'm frustrated because I know that my legs could have kept going.

I had to stop for two reasons - I think my sinus infection never got cleared up due to the antibiotic issues I had - when I switched to the second one I guess I knew way more than my doctor and choose not to take the whole ten days since this was my second round that I had taken. On Friday I got the sinus pain and pressure back and running on saturday made everything from my neck up on my left side hurt. I felt like everytime my feet hit the ground, me teeth were going to fall out. Reason 2 - We started very early, but for some reason on a day that was forcasted to only be 88 - it ended up being over 100 and humid and the heat and humidity were taking its toll and only making the headache worse.

I promised my hubby that Iwouldn't push myself if my head was bothering me and I kept my promise to him, but it leaves me wondering - would I have kicked butt on the 16 mile if I didn't have to stop due to the headache.

So I'm looking forward - next sunday will be my first official half marathon and I'm so looking forward to crossing that finish line and getting my finishers medal!!

Weight Watchers Weigh In!

Well after skipping the weigh in last week since I knew the foot injury had me totally puffy and swollen I weighed in today and even though it was the day after a run I did well - very well - I'm down 2.5 pounds from two weeks ago and down a total of 60.4! I was so happy to hit that milestone - it has taken me so long to lose that 10 pounds! I also did my measurements and they are also down. I have lost 4.75 inches since July 26th. Most of that was from my hips and chest. I have noticed the difference in they way my shirts have been fitting and my sports bra fits better as well. My next milestone it to lose that 2 in the front of my weight. I will be so happy to be under 200, you have no idea.

Sac Fit Saturday!!

So Saturday was a fall back week - where we would *only* run 10 miles. I kicked butt!! It was such an enjoyable run the miles flew by!! I also did it in a slightly faster time than I have ever before. I was reminded that it wasn't about speed, but just getting the mileage in, but I felt great and didn't mean to run faster, it just happened! It was also clean up day for the American river parkway and as I ran by the volunteers I thanked them for coming out and volunteering their time - oh and I also ran past a group of Llamas! I don't know what they were doing out there, but there they were! You truly never know what you will see on the parkway!! Next week we are scheduled for 16 miles - and the week after is the cowtown half marathon where as long as I finish I will get my first medal!!

Feedback - Not Failure

So after talking with one of the coaches AND my local Fleet Feet store - we put together what led to the downfall on Saturday.

Lets start with the shoes - I took the shoes in to see if I needed to switch to new ones already - she says to me, "why are these cinched so tight?" I reply "I always wear them laced that tight!" - So who knew? Your feel expand when you run and I have been basically squishing them and not letting them get any bigger. not a big deal when it is cool and I don't do so many miles, but apparently a big deal when you get hotter and more miles... I now have a new pair of inserts (mine were worn) and a new knowledge on how tight my shoes should be.

Salt and Nutrition - so I have a nutrition regiment that works really well for me - I do Gu every 30-45 minutes and Jelly Belly Sports beans a couple at a time every few walking intervals - in my water I have power bar electrolytes and it has worked well for me so far. At the aid stations that the group had set up they had payday bars and I had a couple of chunks every time I passed an aid station as well as some Gatorade at one of the other stations. WAY more salt that I'm used to and since I was eating this other stuff I didn't stick to my nutrition routine that I knew worked for me. All that salt could have led to the feet swelling as well.

Not stopping and investigating the pain earlier - I would have at least found the rock and loosened my shoe since I wouldn't have been able to cram it back on the way it was.

Mugginess (is that a word??) - the weather was cool, but I had never ran when it was muggy outside - it was slightly overcast and the heat wore me down quite quickly once I started getting tired.

So as my weight watchers leader says - There is no such thing as failure - only feedback!!

Saturday is a step back week and we are *only* doing 10 miles. I hope to be on the trail early and finish strong!! Only a little worried since I had decided to baby my foot and not do any runs this week.

Book - No Time For Goodbye - Linwood Barclay

Review from Pulishers Weekly - Barclay (Bad Guys) tugs hard on the heartstrings with the tragic tale of Cynthia Bigge, whose parents and brother vanished without a trace the day after she had a tempestuous teenage argument with her father. Twenty-five years later, raising a daughter with her husband, Terrence Archer, in Milford, Conn., but still haunted by her family's disappearance, Cynthia goes on TV to talk about what happened and plead for clues. A mysterious phone call leads her to believe her father, at least, may still be alive, but as her excitement grows, so do Terrence's worries. It soon appears that someone is playing a unexpectedly vicious game with Cynthia's emotions, and that her family held secrets she never suspected. Though some plot twists require significant suspension of disbelief, skilled characterization and convincing dialogue more than compensate.

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This one was really good and thanks to jury duty I finished it mostly all in one day! I would love to read more of this Authors books! A very thrilling thriller!!

Sac Fit Saturday!

"It isn't the mountains ahead that wear you out,it's the grain of sand in your shoe."

So my run was supposed to be 14.5 and we had a route that was absolutely gorgeous - around Lake Natoma. What happened was I started out well and was doing amazing - staying with my group, not dropping back or going ahead, we were using the aid stations set up for us around the loop and things were great! Then came the pain around mile 6... It started out as an annoying little twinge in the bottom of my foot every time I stepped down, it got worse and worse. I figure it started getting really bad around mile 9 and I decided I just wasn't hitting the ground with my heel and for some reason hitting it more flat footed. At mile 11 I stopped, watched my group run ahead without me and I sat down on a rock wall to see if I could massage the pain out of my foot. Imagine my surprise when I find a small piece of sand or gravel stuck in my shoe in the very spot I first felt the pain. I held on to it for a while, but it made me angry so I threw it in the bushes as hard as I could to make a point. If I only would have stopped to investigate it earlier I would have been able to finish. I walked/ran/limped back to the ranger station and called my hubby. While waiting for him to show, one of the slower pace groups passed by and I called hubby back and told him I was going to try and run in with them. I made it all the way to the last aid station that our group had set up and by that time the pain was really bad and I was getting too hot. I rode in with one of the aid station workers. My total mileage was still 14.28 - I only lost a little of what I was supposed to do since I had went back to the ranger station. Once I took off my shoe after I got home the side of my foot was a little puffy and a reddish/purple color. It got better overnight, but walking on it today has made it puffy again and painful. I have been icing it and elevating it in hopes that the irritation will go down enough for me to run again on it soon. Three weeks before my first half marathon and I have a puffy foot!! I have no doubt in my mind I can do the mileage now, but I need to listen to the cues my body sends me. If I had only stopped when I felt that first "something" in that spot and taken off my shoe I would have found the culprit. Overall I'm happy with the way the first part of the run went - like I said I stayed with my group and stayed on pace until I had to stop and take the boulder out of my shoe. If I had only known....

I'm going to see Alan Jackson!!

So on Thursday I woke up and I'm putzing around on the computer listening to my radio alarm blaring like I normally do. They announce they are giving away Alan Jackson tickets if you are the first to call in and tell them his middle name - so I call several times, get busy signals and then.... it rings! They pick up and they don't have a winner yet! Woo Hoo!! I'm thie big winner!! I'm going to see Alan Jackson November 22nd!

Oh and Alan Jackson's middle name? Eugene!!

Book - What I Talk About When I Talk About Running - Haruki Murakami

Book Review - Publishers weekly - Murakami's latest is a nonfiction work mostly concerned with his thoughts on the long-distance running he has engaged in for much of his adult life. Through a mix of adapted diary entries, old essays, reminiscences and life advice, Murakami crafts a charming little volume notable for its good-natured and intimate tone. While the subject matter is radically different from the fabulous and surreal fiction that Murakami (The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle) most often produces, longtime readers will recognize the source of the isolated, journeying protagonists of the author's novels in the formative running experiences recounted. Murakami's insistence on focusing almost exclusively on running can grow somewhat tedious over the course of the book, but discrete, absorbing episodes, such as a will-breaking 62-mile ultramarathon and a solo re-creation of the historic first marathon in Greece serve as dynamic and well-rendered highlights. Murakami offers precious little insight into much of his life as a writer, but what he does provide should be of value to those trying to understand the author's long and fruitful career. An early section recounting Murakami's transition from nightclub owner to novelist offers a particularly vivid picture of an artist soaring into flight for the first time.


This was a pretty good read, I'm curious to read some of his other offerings. It was interesting to hear about his marathon stories - and I was relived to hear he didn't have trouble at mile 20!

My cheesy little man!

Here is my litte dude right out of the pages of GQ! He is "striking a pose" next to his bike. How handsome is he is his bike jersey (which is too big, but was so adorable and on clearance) and his new helmet and cycling gloves!?! He had such a great time today! It makes me proud to see him so happy and active. He also did the kids fun run after my race was over and he got a medallion that has a pair of shoes with wings on it. He was so proud and mama coudn't be prouder of him!!

34th annual Buffalo Stampede 10 Mile Run!!

Here I am coming into the finish line! I had two goals with the run - Have a great time and finish under 2:30 - so I did have a ton of fun and my time?? 2:29:54.8 - cutting it kinda close wasn't I?? Since this was technically a training run for us I wanted to average my long run pace which is a 15 minute mile and I did great!! It got very hot out there despite the 7AM start time and I am used to running on the bike trail that has a dirt path on the sides for the runners, so my feet hurt more than usual due to the constant pounding on the road. But other than those two factors it was a very fun time. My hubby and son biked down to the turnaround and took pictures and cheered everyone on, my son was holding a cowbell. They had an aid station close to the turnaround where they gave us donuts! I was a great race and just a ton of fun!! I will definitely have to do this again next year!!

Weight Loss and Running

These two things don't always go together...

I have been up and down in my weight loss since I started my training plan. I have cursed the scale, I have been elated, only to be let down the week after by a big gain again. I have found it very difficult to manage intake with usage and many days find myself starving and wanting to eat my own arm. Imagine my relief when John Bingham talks frequently about how you need to concentrate on one or the other and that it will lead to frustration if you try to focus on both. It only took reading it a gazillion times for it to sink in!!

This Dear John is a perfect example. So for now I know I need to concentrate on my running and not stress so much about the food. Am I going to give up completely? Heck no, but I'm not going to stress so much about the number on the scale and take cues from my body and try to make it happier. I'm still going to make sure my diet is well balanced and not go overboard, but my priority right now is the training runs and the marathon looming over my head on November 15th.

Book - First Marathons - Personal Encounters with the 26.2 Mile Monster

This book was posted on a blog I follow - The Running Moron - It was a good book, but for a slower runner like me it was kinda scary! Most of the people took way under four hours to finish their marathons, I'm looking at 7+. In the first few stories there was a reoccurring theme, "by mile 20 I was ready to quit" , "at mile 20 the pain was so bad" , "around mile 20 there were people around me collapsing in pain" - OK so I guess once I reach mile 20 and I'm not dying that will be a good thing right?? - But anyway it was neat to see that there are all shapes, ages and different abilities out there running marathons.

The Day Donny Herbert Woke Up - Rich Blake

Book Review by Publishers Weekly - Journalist Blake's gripping true story about a 34-year-old Buffalo firefighter who regained consciousness after nearly 10 years patiently records a family's heroic grief and fortitude. Trapped under a collapsed roof in a burning house in 1995 and deprived of oxygen for six minutes, Donny Herbert suffered severe anoxic brain injury and lapsed into a long, largely unresponsive, nonspeaking state. His wife, Linda, and four young sons prayed diligently and reached out to their Catholic community, and over the years tried different forms of rehab for Donny, including intensive therapy and new drugs. However, he remained more or less unchanged, and the doctors predicted a vegetative state for the rest of his life. Finally, Linda took him to Dr. Jamil Ahmed, who experimented with Donny's medications, and on a stupendous day in 2005, Donny simply started talking again. The family, overjoyed, was hastily assembled, and for a few days Donny caught up on nine years of family history; the fit of talking eventually subsided, and Donny died the next year. Blake, a cousin of Linda, offers a restrained version of events, frequently tying Donny's recovery to divine intervention, though the miraculous events are spare in relation to the enormous span of time anticipating Donny's recovery.


This was a great book about Hope - when this came through the library something drew me to it and it isn't the type of book I would normally read, but sometimes you just need a little hope in your life....

Our new bikes!!

Here are the bikes! Mine is the darker blue on without the trailer attached to it at the moment - they are Trek bikes and very nice! Last Sunday we took our first ride and we were a little ambitious. We started at one of the locations for the American river bike trail that we could park at and we went into Old Sacramento to take in Gold rush days - Well the round trip for that ride was 20 miles! So I got a little tired on the way back. (understatement)

I also pulled the trailer on the way to Old Sac and about half way back we stopped on the side of the trail and moved it to hubby's bike, I was so tired and couldn't even pull my own weight let alone, the boy and the trailer. It was a great ride though, very pretty and Logan had a ton of fun! If you ask him what his favorite part was he will tell you the bathrooms at one of the parks we went through - it was cavernous and it echoed!

Sac Fit Saturday!!

So today I went to the trail with strict instruction from my doctor not to run (until my congestion goes away), but instructions from my PT guy to walk and work out the tightness in my hip - so hubby and I walked 6 miles and then I sat around and enjoyed the quiet and peacefulness waiting on the groups to get back. Hubby and I were also talking that a little over a year ago, my rehab would have included sitting my butt in front of the TV with a pint of Ben and Jerry's and now it involves a 6 mile walk!! After they got back from doing their insane amount of miles Hubby and I went to Bicycles plus in Folsom to buy bikes! They are so pretty they will get their own post and I will post a picture. We got a trailer cycle for Logan so we can take him on the bike trail with us, and hubby will have something more exciting to do than nature walks when I'm running my long distances.

Logan's Race for the Arts

Last weekend while I was with my mom at a Red Hat convention my little guy did a run without me. Logan started out strong and the tripped just a little ways into the 1/2 mile run - this was him limping back - Jeff told me it took forever for him to come back. Notice him holding the shorts so he wouldn't get blood on them and also notice in the other hand a bottle cap that he had to stop and pick up - I guess it was shiny and distracting....

Afterward he got to sit in the back of an ambulance and get patched up - he thought that was the coolest part of the run!!

The Dangerous Days of Daniel X - James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge

Premise - from Wikipedia - Daniel X works alone. Having watched from the shadows as the brutal murder of his own parents unfolded before him, he has been forced to make his own way in a dark and unforgiving world with a heavy task handed to him. Daniel's parents were alien hunters, working his way through a fearsome 'wanted' list of aliens intent on seeking control and wreaking devastation with his four best friends who he has"created with his mind and powers. But as he planned his next target, his own time was running out. Following his parents' sudden deaths, Daniel faced an uncertain future: he knew little about his family nor where he came from but a few things were clear, he had inherited the list from his parents and a unique ability to create anything that he needs including some very devoted friends to help him along the way. His life has become dedicated to the mission. Every day has been transformed into a terrifying hunt, watching each step he takes for danger awaits around every corner and lurks within the shadows. His ultimate aim is to exact revenge against number 1 on his list: his parents' murderer. But first he must target the others: each more sinister and gruesome than the last.


This is another teen series from James Patterson. I grew very fond of the Maximum Ride series, so I was hoping I would like this one as well, but I didn't. The plus was it was entertaining, easy read for me today since I'm sick.

A great quote!

"Taking charge of your body can help you take charge of your life. And that power can help you go wherever you want to go, every single day."

CHERYL BRIDGES TREWORGY, member of five U.S. World Cross-Country teams

I've been awarded!!!

Tammy and Velda - both gave me this award!!

I'm honored and humbled!!

The rules of the award are:

1. The winner can put the logo on her/his blog.

2. Link the person you received your award from.

3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.

4. Put links of those blogs on yours.

5. Leave a message on the blogs of those you’ve nominated.

Here are the terrific blogging friends I give this award to

Tammy -- A great person who shares a lot of my passions - we have so much in common!!

Velda -- An amazing lady who does so much for everyone!!

Vicki -- Another amazing lady who has the biggest family and the biggest heart!!

I don't really read that many blogs so I don't have 7 and I don't expect for others to follow along and post their own, just consider your blog loved!!

Week 58 weigh in!

Well I knocked it out of the park this week! I lost 5.3 pounds!! I think a lot of the gain last week was water retention and I spent most of the week getting rid of all that! So I'm now down more than I have ever been - 59.6 pounds! - I'm also closer to being under the 200 pound mark, which I'm very excited about!

Went to the doctor yesterday...

The sinus pain I was having was horrible and in the middle of the night I had to take my asthma inhaler - so I knew something was up - the verdict? A severe sinus infection. - The results - no running until I feel all better! I'm taking antibiotics now and today is a small improvement, but I'm just hoping that I'm better by saturday so I don't miss my long run.

Sac Fit Saturday!!

Well my run on Saturday was interesting...

I was supposed to do 11.5 miles and I was looking forward to it all week - on Friday I start not feeling well, headachy, sinus pressure etc... Thanks for sharing your cold with me son! So Saturday I go - fully intending on turning back early if I start feeling bad. I stop at the drug store on the way there and grab some sinus meds that make me feel pretty good and I start the run. My group stops at the bathroom and with my problem with my hip, I don't want to take the chance of stopping so I press on in between two other pace groups. I do fairly well and after I pass the 5 mile mark out I get very interested in the surroundings since I had never been that far out before. I missed the turnaround point and realized it once I hit the 6 mile out mark. OK so no big deal - 12 miles instead of 11.5 I can do this right?? Well since the other groups had turned where they were supposed to I was behind everyone and then the medicine wore off. Not gradually, just gone all at once, I felt horrible and my hose started running and the headache came back. I also started having trouble with my hip - it was the darndest thing - It hurt like crazy if I did my walk interval, but my run interval felt fine. So I just ran a little more, but slower and tried not to walk.

I made it back, but was one of the last three back and I iced my hip before I left there and got the sports therapist card - he says he can fix me up!! I took a cold bath once I got back home and I feel pretty good today. I know part of my trouble is my hip and the majority of my trouble was the cold/sinus things and I should have either stayed with a group (any group would have been good) or turned back early. But of course the bottom line is - I ran 12 miles!!! A new mileston distance for me!!

The Darkest Evening of the Year - Dean Koontz

Description from Wikipedia - Amy Redwing's risk-taking on behalf of desperate dogs is legendary. With money she inherited from a source she will never discuss, she founded and runs a group that rescues abandoned or abused golden retrievers. She has a treasury of astonishing rescue stories -- and she'll be broke by the time she's 40 if she carries on funding the work. Is it this reckless devotion to her work that prevents her making a commitment to the love of her life, Brian McCarthy? It seems so when a particularly thrilling and bizarre rescue brings Nickie into her care. Nickie is instantly recognized as pack leader by Amy's own two dogs, and her bond with Amy is like no other dog's. But at this moment of joy an unknown and dangerous person arrives on the scene. Amy believes her attacker is Wes Greeley, just released from an 18-month jail term for egregious animal cruelty thanks to Amy's testimony. Subtle intrusions escalate into terrifying assaults on everything Amy holds dear. If Greeley is the culprit, it's clear he's not working alone. At last, Amy understands her need of Brian, and a lot more that has been hidden by her passion. Unable to turn to any authority, Amy and Brian are pressed to the edge of a precipice in Koontz's most emotionally devastating thriller that races with inexorable speed to a wrenching climax.

I had never read a Dean Kootz book before and even my husband looked at me funny when he saw me reading this, but I thought it was good. Very unpredictable - some things come out at you from left field, but all in all a good book!

Signed up for the marathon!

So last night I officially registered and paid for the marathon! Here is the google maps view of the route - I know have that as my desktop picture so I get to look at it everyday until November 15th!

Week 57 Weigh in!

It has taken me a little while to process the "feedback" I got at this weeks weigh in, so it has taken me this long to post it.

The scale showed a gain of 2.7 pounds this week. At first I was very mad, because I did have a rough time over the weekend since all our meals were provided and I didn't have control over what I was served, but as this week has gone by I have realized that a lot of that was water - according to my scale at home that weight is now gone and then some - but I do have another tricky weekend coming up. I'm attending a red hat convention with my mom and I won't have control over what I eat there either. I'm going to bring stuff with me, so I have healthy snacks and I'm still leaving the convention to do my run, so I hope the damage done won't be too bad.

Sac Fit Saturday and Camping!

So this weekend was the scout pack family campout, it was a lot of fun! It was really hot on Friday when we got to camp and was setting up and it never really cooled off, it was a hot night and I couldn't wait until after my run on Saturday so I could hang out in the river! The run was good, it was a scale back week so it was *only* 7 miles. I did them all, but a little slower than my normal pace. Several reasons for that, one I was still really hot from the day before and I didn't sleep well since we were in a hot tent and I was afraid I wouldn't get up in time to make it to the group and I was sleeping on the ground so I was a little sore and stiff in the morning. The dip in the river felt great afterwards and after going back to camp I felt pretty good. The boys all had a great time and it was fun seeing my son camping for the first time.

Logan doesn't like bugs and especially spiders so he wouldn't go in the bathroom - I think he only went twice the whole time we were there and once because we carried him into the bathroom in the lodge and told him he had to go. He also didn't eat very much on Saturday, but he made up for it on Sunday! He liked hanging out in the tent and he liked making smores and collecting fire wood (I guess I shouldn't tell him how many bugs were on the wood, but by then it was dark!). The pack had also gotten a big inflatable water slide and the boys played on that for almost 4 hours on Saturday.

The Christopher Killer - Alane Ferguson

Product Description - From Amazon.com - As the daughter of a Colorado County coroner, seventeen-yearold Cameryn Mahoney is no stranger to death. In fact, she’s always been fascinated by the science of it. So she’s thrilled to finally get some hands-on experience in forensics working as her father’s assistant. But Cammie is in for more than she bargained for when the second case that she attends turns out to be someone she knows—the latest victim of a serial killer known as the Christopher Killer. And if dealing with that isn’t hard enough, Cammie soon realizes that if she’s not careful, she might wind up as the killer’s next victim....

This is a teen book and I had read the first one in the series, so I thought I would read this one as well. Being teen, is was a quick read and pretty predictable in most parts, but then at the end there was a surprise for me! I checked out the third one today, but I have several other things to read first.

Country Music Test

How Much Do You Know About Country Music?

You Know A Lot About Country Music You listen to it all, the new and the old, you pay attention to the words and I am guessing you like what you hear because you know a lot about country music.

How do you compare? Take this test! | Tests from Testriffic

Logan and the American River Bike Trail

So most of my running is done along the American River Bike Trail - My hubby and my son go with me to not only support me but to get a nature walk in and have a good time. Hubby took this really neat picture of Logan - they are by the river and the bridge behind them is the bridge that we run across when we go upstream. Once I hit the bridge on the way back I know I'm almost done!

Week 56 weigh in!

I lost 1.3 pounds this week making a total of 57 pounds down! I'm very happy with the way things went this week - no struggles at all and I feel like I'm back in the groove!

Sacfit Saturday!

I had the best run ever!! We did 10 miles and everything felt really great! I had worked with a couple of coaches on my form and posture after the track workout on Tuesday and when I put into place what they had taught me, I felt great and didn't have any of the hand swelling that I normally have. I stayed right on pace all run and finished so Happy with myself! What a great feeling!! The organizer also told us about a newly organized marathon in November and I'm seriously considering doing it. The course is the same trails that I run with the group and there will be a ton of the group doing it.

I also tried out a new pair of shorts that worked so great, they didn't ride up at all, they are a little longer so they cover up my upper thighs and they have built in tights that are sewn in so they prevented the usual chafing. I did have some chafing in two other places - I wear a heart rate monitor and the sensor chafed pretty bad (and half way through the run I realized I didn't even turn it on!!) and my new armband for my Ipod chafed under my arm. Two more places to put the body glide next week! Live and learn!!

Where are you now? - Mary Higgins Clark

Review From Publishers Weekly - Bestseller Clark (Where Are the Children?) spins yet another imaginative tale of murder and deceit. Every Mother's Day over the 10 years since Charles Mack MacKenzie Jr. disappeared from Columbia University just before his graduation, Mack has phoned his mother in Manhattan to let her know he's all right, but otherwise reveals nothing. In the meantime, Mack's lawyer father has perished in the 9/11 tragedy. Now Mack's younger sister, Carolyn, a graduate of Columbia and Duke Law School, where Mack was intending to go, tells him during his annual call that she's going to find him. When a note from Mack turns up in the collection plate at St. Francis church, asking Father Devon MacKenzie, his uncle, to tell Carolyn not to look for him, she becomes even more determined to do so. Based on a real story, as Clark notes in her acknowledgments, this novel of suspense will keep readers guessing to the nail-biting conclusion.

I really liked this book, I have never read Mary Higgins Clark before and I wasn't diispointed! It kept me guessing right to the last minute!!

Week 55 weigh in!

Today I weighed in and I had lost the 1.6 that I had gained last week! I was hoping I would at least lose that and I did! I'm still very excited! It's been a great weekend!!

Sac Fit Saturday!!

I ran nine miles!! - did you hear me?? - I RAN NINE MILES!!! It was a very good day! I ran slower than my normal pace, but I finished the whole nine miles! I'm very excited!! (as you might be able to tell!)

I did very well nutrition wise and didn't really have the ups and downs that I had in the past. I think I got a great thing going and I'm not going to mess with it. My nutrition and fuel consists of Power bar electrolytes in my water, Sport beans - 1-2 every walk interval, and a vanilla bean Gu taken every 30 minutes. Oh and before the run? Either an english muffin with "better then peanut butter" on it - or my hubbys wonderful banana bread with the peanut butter on it.

1 Year Weight Watchers Anniversary!

So today, one year ago I left a horrible doctors appointment after being diagnosed with high blood pressure. I was put on medication and told that I need to lose weight as well. I went from the doctors to the local weight watchers center where two lovely ladies were just packing up after a meeting. They had already closed everything down, but one of them knew if she didn't take my money and sign me up I wouldn't come back. I registered and the rest is history! When I started I was eating out at McDonald's twice a day and eating junk for dinner, I was 55 pounds heavier that I am right now. I didn't exercise, I felt horrible about myself, I felt horrible in general. My health was slowly going downhill. Today I feel great, my body just works better, My world is bigger I can do things that I couldn't do when I was bigger. I'm off the blood pressure medication and my doctor is so happy with me. I'm a runner! I feel good about myself and I'm happy with what I'm doing to change my life. Lots of our grocery budget is now spent on fruits and vegetables. I'm currently training for a half-marathon something that wouldn't have even been on the horizon before! My friends and family have been so supportive through my journey - I want to take this opportunity to thank them all, the blog comments, comments in person, the support I feel is just amazing!

To my wonderful hubby - You are my encouragement, my "filter" and my rock. I know you are always going to have something wonderful to say no matter what mood I'm in. Thanks for being there everyday and being the great cook that you are and helping me to put my needs first.

Week 54 weigh in!

Well I sucked it up and went to the Monday meeting this week and I had only gained 1.6 pounds. One struggle I have been having was the change in meetings I did and I knew everyone from the old meeting and I don't know so many people a the new meetings I go to, so while I was eating everything in sight last week I was mourning the loss of some great people and wondering when I was going to click with the people in the other groups I am in now. So Monday I pull up to the meeting and I'm still sitting in the car wondering if I should really go in or not and I see a lady from my old meeting. I was so happy to see her!! She is a lifetime member and so encouraging!! So I go in and while I'm talking to her a second lifetime member that normally goes to my old meeting came in the door! Talk about a sign from above that I'm doing the right thing!! The meeting message was perfect for me and after the meeting I talked to another lady about some things, she said since she first started coming to the meetings a few weeks ago she has been so encouraged and inspired by my stories and my losses and the fact that I keep coming back even if I have a slip up really encourages her. I know this week everything will be OK! So far I'm doing great with no slipups at all!

Weight Watcher Struggles...

I had a very bad week, full of very bad choices when I could have/should have made better ones. I choose not to even go to the meeting today and weigh in. I didn't want to face the scale and I didn't want to face the people and my leader. According to my scale at home I'm up almost 5 pounds and have been since the beginning of the week. I know part of the problem is "that time of the month" but I made it worse by giving in to cravings, not being happy with things the way they are, not getting all my runs in this week and just generally feeling sorry for myself all week long. I need to uninvite myself to the pity party that I'm having, but I just can't seem to snap out of it...

Starting over food wise today and we will see if the rest will come together in time.

Sac Fit Saturday!!

So Saturdays Sacfit was the cooper test - it will allow the group organizer to analyze my results of a 12 minute run and it will tell me what pace group I should be in and how well I can do in a race and such (I think...) Anyway we did the test at the California State University - Sacramento's track - that would be the very same track that the U.S. Olympic track and field trials were held on back in 2000 and 2004! I did just shy of four laps, so almost a full mile. I don't have my results yet, but I'm very happy with how I did.

Every step of the way there were coaches cheering us on and others in the group were very helpful. I was nervous about this since it sounded so complicated, but I feel I got it down and did well!

Marathoning for Mortals - John Bingham

Product Description From Amazon.com

Once considered a feat for superhuman athletes, the marathon is now within every mortal's grasp. Former couch potato John Bingham has joined forces with coach Jenny Hadfield to create a winning plan that works for every mortal--even you.In Marathoning for Mortals, you'll find the courage to train, the willpower to persevere, and the tenacity to finish one mile after another. John and Jenny stick with you every step of the way, from your first insecure thoughts to your last-minute jitters to your supreme joy at the finish line. In Marathoning for Mortals, you'll find:8 training programs to run, run-walk, walk-run, or walk the half-marathon and marathonThe advice you need to physically, mentally, and spiritually reach your dreamsTips to help you customize your training, buy the right shoes and apparel, and eat the best foodsGuidance for common motivational, physical, and emotional roadblocksJoin John and Jenny on an amazing transformative journey where the finish line is just the beginning.

I love the advice that John Bingham gives, it is practical, informative and inspiring!

The things my son says!

So this morning he brought me a shirt and asked me to "untangle" it. I told him it wasn't tangled, it was only inside out. So his reply was, "OK can you un-inside out it then?"

Week 53 Weigh In!

I did it! I did it! I broke through the plateau!!! I lost 2 pounds this week for a total weight loss of 55.7 pounds!! I was averaging 5 pounds a month and today I went back and looked up dates, well I had hit 50 pounds lost on May 24th - so it took me almost exactly 2 months to lose this 5! I'm hoping to keep up this momentum now!

Sac Fit Saturday!!

I had a great run today!! We did 7 1/2 miles and it was so pretty!! It did get a little hot before we finished, but it was good. Our coach for our pace group wasn't there so I had two choices, run with a group faster than my normal pace, or run slower than my normal pace. I felt great so I decided to run with the faster pace group and I did very well! Another thing that was a little challenging for me was the amount of hills there was on our route, but I managed pretty well. The people who run the group are so great - they knew there wasn't water stations along our route, so they set up tables with bottles of water to re-fill our bottles with. There were also signs along the route telling us where to go since this route branches off into different directions frequently. Sacfit is just so good!!

My running route for this weekend at sacfit!

Due to Eppies great race, sacfit had to relocate for this weeks run - we will be going 112 minutes in our group and it should be around 8 miles that I will run on Saturday. The director sent out a map showing our route and I thought I would share it with you all. I'm so blessed to live where I do because there are so many great places to run!

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=104205891665984442326.000452057717c9f092eb4&ll=38.657449,-121.19246&spn=0.006937,0.012145&t=h&z=16

Isn't this route just amazing!! I can't wait to get out there!!

More races on my horizon...

I'm am an officially registered participant of the Buffalo Stampede on September 7th! It is a 10 mile run!

http://www.buffalochips.com/Races/Stampede/stampede2008.htm

The next one I will be doing but am not registered for yet is the Cowtown Half marathon in October. Registration hasn't opened for that one, but I will be signing up as soon as I can.

http://www.sacramentocowtownmarathon.com/

Who can resist a race where I get a shirt with a cow on it??

I don't really "race" but since these will be my firsts official timed events in these distances I'm hoping to have very good times for me to beat next time I run these distances!!

Week 52 Weigh In!

I lost .8 this week. I'm very happy with that, it was two losses in a row for me and one more step closer to getting a 5 pound star for my bookmark! I am really going to put my nose to the grindstone and be especially good this week. My routine should be almost back to normal and I should be able to get the runs in during the week, so that will help with everything.

I am now down a total of 53.7 pounds!

Sac Fit Saturday!!

Well Saturday was challenging in so many ways...

First I ate stuff on Friday that didn't agree with my tummy, so Friday night and Satruday morning my tummy wasn't feeling well at all.

Second my older son bought a new car and wanted to show it to us, well he didn't get to our house until midnight and I had to get up at 5:30AM!

Third due to the smoke in the air I wasn't able to get my reagular weekly runs in, so I hadn't ran since the 4th of july run.

I got there and I kept trying to weigh my options and such and decided to just go with it knowing that if our pace group was too hard for me I could drop back and run with the group behind up that would be going at a slower pace. I did well at first, but then started feeling the dehydration setting in very quickly, at one point I did even tell the group that I was going to drop back, I slowed down, took in some Gu and some water with electrolytes and within a few minutes I felt great again, so I ran a little faster and caught back up with my group. We ran for a total of 98 minutes and got in 6.38 miles!

After stopping and stretching I drank my recovery drink and stayed around for the raffle and I won a pair of Balaga socks, these are the only socks I have ever run in and I love them so much - you can never have too many socks!!

I have tried to figure out if the recovery drinks are really worth it and I got my answer this week - I felt great physically after the run and even into the evening of the run when my knees usually ache, they didn't. I only wish I hadn't been so dumb the evening before the run with what I had eaten. I would have felt awesome! I also learned that I need to take in the nutrition a little earlier and more often, I need to not have the ups and downs, but a steady level of energy. Even though I have three things of nutrition with me, I only took one and by then my body was already depleated.