Exciting Stuff Coming

Hey, everyone!

I have been a little out of the blogging world the last few weeks.  The holidays and starting this new job has thrown everything out of place.  Things are about to calm down, and my new work schedule is going to kick in next week.  So I will be back to my normal blogging routine.  Sorry for all of you who missed me.  I know you all have.

So, I have some really exciting things coming up starting this year.  I cannot give too many details out, but you will love it, and it does involve giving something away.  You will want to check this out; it is very cool.  I am also going to do more video logs.  I have started a youtube profile.  Heavysteps5k.  Feel free to follow me.  I only have one video right now, but I will get more!

You also need to follow me on Twitter if you do not already.  @cajacrosby DO IT!

So my goal for this week is to add up all the miles I have ran for the year!  I am thinking I will be around 800, but I am hoping for more. That will be fun to add up.

I do have some bad news.  I know I will not make my 100 lbs goal for the year, but that is okay.  I may or may not have to run one day with a tutu.  I have changed my life for the best, and I have lost a lot of weight.  A lot like you all, I am going to take a look at the new year and kick butt and get back on track.  I wish I could tell you more about what I am doing the start of this new year, but it will for sure get me on track and the weight will fall off.  Just stay tuned... I am so excited!!! 

I am going to go run in the morning. Got 4 miles planned, and it will be great!  Oh, and did I mention that I ran 18 miles last Saturday!  18 MILES!  That is the furthest I have ever ran in my LIFE!  Those last three were killer.  Also, I am on track for a 6 hour marathon time.  I am just wanting to finish!  A faster time would be amazing, but just finishing my first will be great. Then, getting faster for my other races will be better. So far I have two marathons planned for 2012.  Little Rock and Chicago.  I am sure I will be talked into doing another! 

You all have a great rest of the week, and I will check in Wednesday!

Run For The Ranch

Hey everyone, it has been a crazy month.  A new job, sickness, and a half marathon.

I started a new job this month working at Hotels.com as a sales associate.  This is my first sales job to earn any commission.  I have worked the phones and sales, but it was a base pay.  I really like where I work and all the benefits we get.  We even get $400 a year to use on anything health related.  I am using mine for races next year.  I am just getting used to the new job and want to be good at it already.  I know there is a learning curve, but I want to be good at it now, so I can make the money my family needs to survive.  I took a big risk taking this job.  Soooo, it has been stressful.  I used to make my blog posts after my run in the morning, but I have been going into work at 7 am and have not had time to blog, so I am working on making time at night.  I have still been waking up early and running, so no worries there. I have been missing my cross training because of my 7 am work.  That sucks, but I will get back into it next year when my shift changes.

My son decided to bring home some sickness from school.  I was sick for about 2 weeks, and I am still feeling it.  He, of course, was really only sick a day and is 100% again.  I missed about 5 runs and had to leave early on one of my long runs.  Jenn is sick now, so we have been a house of sickness.  Really hoping to be better before Christmas.

Last Sunday, I ran my second half marathon.  It was the Run For the Ranch here in Springfield, Missouri.  It had a large amount of 50 State Runners and Marathon Maniacs.  Camille Herron was even going to run it, but backed out the last minute because of the course.  She didn't want to get hurt so close to the Olympics. Very nice person! It was a 8 lap marathon, 4 for the half.  Wasn't the safest route and had us running on some busy roads and hazardous sidewalks, but the people at the aid stations were great.  One of my running clubs, OMRR, really took care of the people who ran.

It was not my best run ever.  I had ran only once that week and was still a little sick from bronchitis, but I still wanted to run.  I went out way too fast and really bonked the last three miles.  My friend Mike was a God-send and was there with me for most of the race, keeping me motivated.  I should've slowed down, but I didn't.  The last lap was one of the hardest things I have ever done.  Running laps is hard, but doing them while kind of sick and just out of energy was horrible. I did it, though, and was very proud of myself.  I didn't get a PR but treated this run like one of my training runs for my full. 

Still smiles at this point, Mike wanted to kill me though

Jenn on the other hand had an amazing race. She won first in her age group and was the 8th female overall for the half.  She is a rock star.  Ran it in 1:40:41. It was a PR, and she even said she felt really good at the end and possible could've done a few more laps if she wanted to.  She is a natural runner, and I wonder what kind of runner she will be as she keeps getting better.  I am going to make a video about the race later.

She is super cute.   I will keep her.

Life is good.  Remember to start planning your goals right now for the new year.  Start now, and let's make 2012 a healthy, great year!

Merry Christmas!

A Christmas Card from the Crosby's

 

As the year closes during this wonderful Christmas season, we want to share with our family and friends all that has happened this year. It has been a year of many positive changes and accomplishments.

In January 2011, Chris started something simple; he started running. He trained for his first 5k using the Couch to 5k Program. It was a program that lasted for 9 weeks, and it really helped him prepare for the race. In the beginning of March, Chris and Jenn (with the help of his brother Steven and some friends) finished their first 5k. Jenn finished it in just under 30 minutes, and Chris finished at a time of 43:50. Both were extremely proud of each other, and both continued to train and run in different races throughout the year.

After the Couch to 5k Program ended, Chris joined the Jeff Galloway group to keep him motivated in his training. His next big goal was to finish the Bass Pro Marathon. Because he missed a few major long runs in his training due to illness, he decided after his recovery to train for the half-marathon. He continued to push forward all the while fundraising for the American Cancer Society. Chris ran the race in honor of his Papa Crosby and Uncle Drew. He ended up finishing the race in a time of 2 hrs. and 37 min.! Jenn also ran the half-marathon and finished it in 1 hr. 45 min.! Since she decided to support Chris in his running by doing the same thing herself, she has found a talent she never knew she had before. For her most recent race, she won First Overall Female in the Shelby’s Run 10k. The improvements Chris has made are amazing. In November, Chris ran a 5k in 31:07! That’s almost 13 minutes faster than his first race! He has lost almost 90 lbs. since the start of this year and is a much healthier and active person. He continues to improve and is training with Nixa Running Group (one of his biggest support groups) for the Little Rock Marathon in March 2012!

The decision he made to run had an enormous effect on our family. We eat healthier as a family, and we are much more active together. Micah ran his first race with his mom and dad in June. He finished a mile run in 13 minutes! He jogged the whole way, and his parents were so proud of him! Paige and Devon are great cheerleaders as they (as well as Micah) are the major reasons why Chris decided to get healthy in the first place. His success story is inspiring family and friends to find a more active lifestyle, too. For his complete story, you can check out his blog, Heavy Steps. (http://heavysteps5k.blogspot.com)

In others news, Chris (finally) got a new job! He started at the end of November working for Expedia, Inc., Hotels.com division. He’s a sales agent, booking reservations for hotels and receiving commission for those reservations he finalizes. He’s had ups and downs learning his new position. But knowing Chris, he is going to be amazing once he gets the hang of it. We feel blessed that he has found something that he enjoys and is apart of a company that can give him the opportunity to move up in his career.

Jenn is a stay-at-home mother and is still loving it! There is no other place she would rather be than at home with her children. She loves teaching them and making sure they have a safe and nurturing environment as they grow. She loves to support her husband in his career and activities that involve him in the community. Jenn is also a homeroom mom for Micah’s kindergarten class. Her responsibility is to plan (with the help of another homeroom mom) an activity for the PTA’s annual fall fundraiser, 3 holiday parties (Halloween, Christmas, and Valentine’s Day), and Teacher Appreciation Week. Being a homeroom mom has helped her meet lots of other moms involved in the school, too, which she has enjoyed.

Micah turned 5 this year, and we celebrated at our house with family and friends. He also started kindergarten last August! So far, he has done really well. His teacher said he listens well to instructions, is progressing in his learning, and plays well with his classmates. He’s even been to a couple of birthday parties hosted by his new friends. Micah is definitely a social person. Almost every day after school, he will ask to play outside with his friends across the street. If they aren’t outside yet, he will knock on their doors to see if they can play. What a go-getter!

Paige is not the social butterfly, but she is very smart. She already knows the whole alphabet, upper- and lowercase letters, can count to 10, and knows several shapes and colors. Chris and Jenn are planning on enrolling her in Preschool for next year. She is still potty training, but for some, the process is longer than for others. She is truly a special and sweet child (notwithstanding the occasional temper tantrum.)

Devon is everywhere! She may be more active than Micah was at her age. If you blink, you might miss her. You may also chase after her before she goes somewhere she shouldn’t. Her vocabulary is growing; she really tries to say the different words that her mother tells her. Oh, and she loves to eat! There is no problem getting her to chow down on what is in front of her. Ever. Just recently, her parents found a cuddly side to her. Both her and her sister love to read books, which is something her mother is very happy about.

The Crosby’s are a happy, healthy and blessed family. We hope you enjoyed reading glimpses of our adventure this year, and we look forward to hearing about yours. We wish you a merry Christmas! May the new year bring you hope, love, and many blessings!

That's how winning is done!

Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place, and I don't care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done! Now, if you know what you're worth, then go out and get what you're worth. But you gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain't where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody. Cowards do that and that ain't you. You're better than that!

- Rocky Balboa

Keep moving forward.  Attitude is everything!

My First Video

I am going to start making videos as well.  I had a lot of fun making one and think I will be doing a lot more.

Take a look and let me know what you think.

 
I have been feeling sick this week and took a few days off.  I am going to see how I feel Saturday.  I felt really good all day today at work, but when I got home, my throat started feeling scratchy again.  I am going to get some sleep tonight, and I hope to get my run in the morning!

A Different Perspective

As a wife of a formerly obese man, I will tell you how grateful I am that Chris made the decision to change certain habits in order to get his life back. He asked me to create a guest post, so here is my experience.

There were at least a few things that hurt me as I watched Chris slowly spiral down into depression. It was hard for me to see him not do anything to take care of himself. He was eating fatty, unhealthy foods all the time and a lot of it. He wouldn't participate in any physical activity. He wasn't really trying to move forward or in a positive direction. He had no goals. His job was mentally driving him nuts, but playing video games all night wasn't helping him find a better one. And when I say all night, he played until 1 or 2 am, only to get a few hours of sleep and start his insane cycle all over again. It was very frustrating.

Those habits also prevented him from being with the family. He had no time to play with our children or to help me with them after dinner. We really didn't spend much time as a couple except for the occasional date. I had hopes and prayers that he would decide to do something to change. I remember telling my sister-in-law once my thoughts on how taking care of your body is connected to improving your emotional and mental health as well. I was speaking in reference to Chris. I knew that if he starting working out or even just walking 30 minutes everyday, it would help him physically and in other areas as well. I'm not saying running would get him a new job. But, being physically fit and staying active would help him stay positive during times when he felt trapped and hopeless. I hoped and prayed...

And then, a miracle happened. In November 2010, Chris decided to change his life. All he did was decide to run to lose weight and get healthy. But so much more came from that decision...

Besides becoming more physically active, Chris is also very active with the community. He has been a huge help for Nixa Running Group and volunteering for races. With his blog, he has helped several people find motivation to keep working toward their goals or to start new ones.

Besides losing almost 90 pounds, he lost an addiction to video games that took up his family time. He now spends more time with the kids. He'll play with them on the floor and sing silly songs. We even ran a mile race with our son last summer after he trained in a running class. Because Chris decided to eat healthier, now the whole family eats healthier. Since I thought I would support him in running by running myself, I found a talent I never knew I had. We've found something else that we can do together. What he does impacts those around him, especially his family.

Besides getting healthier, he has also created goals for himself. I believe that's a major part of life, working towards something better to improve oneself. It gives us a sense of purpose. Chris has found more purpose in life striving to improve himself and help others.

My husband is my best friend. I have looked back at the "depressed days" (marveling at the improvements I have seen in his, my, and our family's life) and wondered if there was something I could have done to help him make this life change sooner. I knew, though, that this was a decision he needed to make on his own, for himself. If you are close to someone whom you think is in a similar situation as Chris was, please love them by inviting them to do (with you) whatever may be good for them. No matter their response, still love them. They may see their potential in the love that you give and decide to do something for the better.

I love you, Chris.

Hard Work = Working Hard

Sometimes I fall into the trap of thinking about why something isn't easy.  Why is eating healthy so hard? Why is getting up at 4 am so hard? Especially when you think about how really simple something like not eating extra food is.  Just don't do it, but it is not easy (for me).

Now that I have a lot more people reading my blog, I really have been trying to keep up the positive posts.  Today has been one of those really hard days. I want to be honest and show people who have just started their journey that we all have those hard days, too. Everyone has bad days.

Today, I have wanted to eat everything in site.  I had way too much to eat at dinner.  Why is it so hard?  I guess that is why it's called hard work, because you have to work hard at it.  Truly if it was easy, everyone would be healthy and working out everyday.  It is hard to start; it is hard to eat healthy.

I know some people will disagree and say it is easy. Well good for them.  It is easy for you, and God has blessed you with the ability to be better than most of the world, because I have to work at this.  Daily... Give me a box of Special K, and I will destroy that thing...  It is healthy right?!?!?

I am not alone in this process; you are not alone.  We need to continue to work hard at this hard work of living healthy.  The people out there who make it look easy really work hard at making it look easy! 

The Blind Leading the Blind

I may or may not have got lost this morning.  I may or may not have cut through someone's back yard.  I may or may not have jumped a fence.  Today's 10 miles was an adventure. 

I am one of the slowest in my running club and the slowest training for a full.  So that someone is with me throughout the run, someone will start with me, and then I will meet another person on our route to finish the run with me. The first 4 miles were not bad at all, and Amy ran with me.  We had good conversation and the miles went quick.

I met up with Mike right after.  He is training for the half marathon and had to run 6 miles. It was his longest run to date, and it was fun to run with him.  I knew the route really well for the first few miles.  It was after the Nixa Center that we got lost.  We did find Mike's wife, and she ran with us.  She wasn't sure of the route either, and she hung back for us.  I thought I knew the route, but I got turned around.  We were running and chatting.  We should've come up on the road, and it just seemed like we missed it.

Then we came up on Hightower road; it was way in the wrong direction.  We were supposed to follow a road through a neighborhood and meet up with the street the center is on.  At this point, I knew we were going the wrong way, and I thought we just went too far, but we just went the wrong way completely.  I saw a big field, and I thought it was the elementary school.  If it was, we just needed to run down Hightower and then come out to the track and onto the road we were supposed to be on. But when we got to the end of Hightower, there wasn't a path or track on the field.

So like normal people, we thought it would be a good idea to cut through someone's back yard and jump their fence. So we did, and I realized that the field was part of the center.  We were nowhere close to where we were supposed to be.  We were so turned around.  The good thing is that we still got our miles in.  So we laughed and cruised in our last two miles.

This might've happened to me.

It is always an adventure.  I was really happy for Mike as well.  That was the furthest he has ever gone and did really well.  Finished really strong.  I am glad I was able to help him through those last few miles. 

I am also very blessed to be a FitFluential Ambassador, and many of my fellow ambassadors have made similar posts to my Get Motivated post.  Please go take a look at their posts, and get some good ideas if you are wanting to get started on your fitness journey.

Colleen from Irondiva
Matthew from The Athlete's Plate
Samantha from Because I can
Toni from Running, Loving, Living




I will post more blogs from my good FitFluential friends throughout the weeks to help you all get some good tips on starting your fitness journey!

Roll Playing

I have been at my new job for a week now.  The training lasts 5 weeks, two weeks in class and three weeks in a training pod.  I have never really worked this kind of sales before. I am not going to lie.  I am pretty nervous, and to do good at this job, you really have to be confident.  So I have been taking every opportunity I can to practice the process.  No better time to practice it than on a run.

This morning while we were running, Amy was pretending to be callers to Hotels.com and requesting a room.  I had her pretend easy calls, just to practice the wording, and then I had her be someone who wasn't really interested in booking at that time.  It was a lot of fun, and it made the miles go by so quick.  I was able to do more to be ready and successful at my new job, and I was having a great run.  I am for sure going to do more of that while we run.  I have to be good at this job or my family doesn't eat.  I don't get the 3-6 month learning curve most have before they make the money.  I have to be good at it now.  So I need to go above and beyond.

I have a 10 mile run planned in the morning.  I am excited to rock it.  I have my half marathon coming up in two weeks.  I am really excited about this whole training process for my full marathon!

Get Motivated

It was about a year ago when I hit rock bottom.  I weighed over 330 pounds.  I wasn't happy, and I wasn't being a good husband or father.  I hated my job and lacked the confidence in myself to even go look for a new one.  I sat behind a desk all day at work and then came home and played videos games until very late at night.  I knew I needed to change, but I was afraid.  I didn't really know how to start.  Then, I saw a video created by Ben Davis.  It was his story of going from a 360-pound overweight, lazy gamer to losing 120 pounds, running a marathon and completing an Ironman.  WOW...  That sounded a lot like where I came from, and if he could do it, so could I.

Christmas 2010, 333 lbs.

That is when I became inspired.  I wanted to change but still had no idea how or where to start.  I decided I was going to run.  My family laughed when I said "run!"  I would not run a mile in high school.  What made me think I was going to stay with it now?  I was determined to do it, though.

I started telling everyone that I was going to start running and getting healthy.  I have tried to lose weight before, but nothing stuck, so I planned.  I wanted to start after the new year and to be really ready.  I started researching what works.  I talked to a nutritionist.  I found a beginner's running program.  Because I was telling everyone what my goals were, friends started giving me tips and advice.  I asked for running shoes and a scale for Christmas. January 3rd came, and I felt prepared and went for it.

This coat was a 3XL.

It has not been easy, and I still have a little ways to go. But it has been almost a year, and I am still doing it.  There have been several things I wish I knew before I started, and I wanted to share some of them with you.  I hope my story has motivated you like Ben Davis motivated me.  If I can do it, anyone can.

This is all from the point of view of someone who started at a beginner's level and is still progressing.  I am not a professional by any means, but these seven tips below are things that helped me and things I hope help you.

Make a Plan/Goal
Plan it out.  You can't just wake up and say you are going to start being healthy and expect to stay healthy without a plan.  Do not get me wrong; it is a good thing to be inspired as a start, but you need to put some pen to paper.  Plan out meals, workouts, and strategies to keep you going when it gets hard. Put your plan/goals where you can see them. Read them daily.  Remember how you felt when you set them!

Tell Everyone
You will be surprised at how willing people are to help you, how ready they are to be a motivator and a support.  You will also be surprised to find out how many people have been there and have lost the weight and changed for the better.  Some of the best advice I received was from friends who knew what it was like to start running extremely overweight. I would've never known it if I didn't tell people.  Part of my telling everyone was starting this blog.  It has turned into much more, but it started out as a way for my friends and family to check up on me and make sure I was getting my daily workouts and runs in.  If I didn't post, people asked me about it and checked if I worked out or not.  Also, a lot of people sometimes just need someone to do it with.  Several of my friends started working out the same time I did to support me and get their health in order.

Join a Gym or Club
The best thing I did was join a gym and find a running club.  It was very intimidating for me when I first joined the gym, because I felt like people were judging me, but I made friends quickly.  For the most part, people do not judge you. They mostly do not even notice you, and if they do, they are excited that you are working out.  I made friends quickly in my boot camp class, and they were a major support to me.  I joined Nixa Running, and they are all a bunch of running crazies that love me for me!

Plan Out and Buy Your Meals In Advance
Jenn and I make a shopping list every Thursday and shop for a whole week's worth of groceries.  We plan out breakfast, lunch, dinner and healthy snacks.  That way we are not tempted to go out to eat, and we know how many calories we are putting into our bodies.  Plan healthy meals and make sure your portions are under control.  Talk to a nutritionist or research online what you should be eating.  I am still learning how much I should eat for how much I run.

Sign up for a 5K
Once you sign up for something, it will help you stay motivated to get every training run in.  I started the Couch to 5K program.  I knew I had to run 3 times a week.  I wanted to be ready for my 5K and was really motivated to run every single training run. Once you run the 5K, sign up for another. When a 5K becomes easier, look for bigger races.  I remember my first 5K; I prepared for it like it was a marathon.  I carb-loaded the day before.  I created a facebook group and invited all my family and friends.  Now I sign up for 5K's all the time.  Always have something to work towards, and it will keep you out there on the road getting your miles in.

Do Not Let A Bad Day Ruin You
You will have bad days.  You will feel like you have failed sometimes.  Do not let that get you down.  I have had days where I felt like garbage and wasn't good enough.  Why am I working out? It isn't helping me...  I am so hungry...  Everyone does so much better than me.  Guess what? We all have bad days.  Get up and keep going.  Do not look for excuses to quit.   Remember where you came from and the big picture.  You didn't put that weight on overnight, and it will not come off overnight either.  I have to remember this daily.  As my good friend Shannon would say, "Suck it Up!"

Treat Yourself
I am not talking about with food.  If you reach a goal, go get that thing you have been wanting.  You have worked hard.  This helped me a lot.  I knew that if I reached a weight loss goal or a running goal, I was going to get something cool.  Treat yourself!

I treated myself with a Do Life sticker.

I am so glad I have changed my life.  I love living healthy.  It has improved me in so many ways.  I am a better father, employee, and friend.  I have met so many people I would have never known otherwise.  My son talks about running marathons now instead of video games. I got a new job.  We eat healthy as a family.  My wife discovered a natural talent for running.  (1:45 half marathon!)  So many great things have happened because I decided to change.  Your health does affect so many things in life.  Get motivated, and start today!

December's Goals and Dare

November has been a great month.  I ran my first half marathon and set a new PR on my 5k.  I have also ran 105 miles. 

December is going to be that much better.  I have to lose 10 pounds to hit my goal of 100 pounds lost for the year. 

Here are a few of my goals for December:
1. PR on my next half marathon on Dec 18th
2. Run 5 days a week for the whole month
3. Run 110 miles
4. Cross train at least twice a week
5. Do amazing at my new job
6. Lose 10 lbs to hit my 100 lbs goal

So here is where you all come in.  If I do not hit my weight loss goal, I am going to have to do something, and I want you all to put something in the comments below. My wife will pick the best 3 things, and if I do not hit the goal, I will have to do one of those things.  We will put the top three things up to vote.  It could be anything from shave my head, wear a dress to work, run in a tutu for a week.  After you put you suggestion my wife will screen them and select 3.  I can't be running naked or anything.  :)  We will take photos and post pictures if it happens.... IF

I need this little bump to get past this funk I have been in with the weight loss.  The running has been going great! 

New Job

So, good things happen to those who wait.  I am a strong believer in this because of my new job.  I have waited for 3 years to find a new job, and I started one this week.  I started working for Hotels.com/Expedia.com.  It is a great company to work for and has amazing perks and benefits.  One of the best things is they will help pay for my running addiction! They give employees $400 a year to do whatever we want with as long as it is health related.  I would have to pay for the marathon or 5k and then submit a proof of payment and proof that it was fitness related, and they will reimburse me on my next paycheck.  How freaking cool is that!

So basically, Jenn and I are able to run Chicago this year.  We were not sure how we were going to afford it, but now they will pay for our hotel and the race.

It has only been Day Two of training, but it seems really easy and fun.  Lots of opportunities to make some serious $$$ as well.

My 12 mile training run last weekend went really well.  I was just 10 min off our half marathon time.  That is really good for it being a training run. Amy was a champ and rocked the whole thing with me!  

I ran 5 miles this morning; it wasn't the best 5 miles of my life and most was solo.  I had some tummy issues about 3 miles in, and that is never fun to run with. The good thing about my run this morning is that it put me at 101 miles for the month.  My run Wednesday is just adding to that.  It looks like I will have 105 miles.  That is a new month record for me!

Love my healthy lifestyle and cannot wait for things to keep getting better.  Love life!

FitFluential Ambassador

I have some exciting news!  I have been asked to be a FitFluential Ambassador!  I am very honored and excited about this.  So many bloggers and healthy people I look up to are FitFluential Ambassadors, and I am humbled to be counted among them. 

Go to their website and check out what they are about.  (You can also click the icon on the side bar.)  I am very excited to be apart of this, and I am sure you will be seeing a lot more about it on my blog.  My goal was to lose weight, and this blog is a tool to help me do that, but it has turned into a lot more.  I have been able to help others be inspired to start working out and running.  It has been exciting to see others lose weight and get healthy.

I am excited to help others through this blog, and I will have more opportunities to help others as a FitFluential Ambassador.

Here is some information from Fitfluential Inc. explaining a little of what I will be involved in.

"We are creating a network of the best of the best when it comes to fitness bloggers and influencers. People with a passion. People with a voice. People like yourself!

Our goal is to work with both digital influencers and brands to cultivate mutually beneficial relationships. We don’t want you to just work with any brand, we want you to work with the right brand, one whose mission and goals align with your own.

The best part? We plan on taking these relationships offline – conference style. And we assure you that we know how to have a good time.

Ready to have a good time while making money, working with brands and doing what you love"

If all goes well, I will have run 105-106 miles this month!  I am very excited to get another 100 mile month in!  Marathon training is going great!  I had a rough couple of days this week with my shins and knees, but my run today was exactly what I needed.  I have 12 miles I am running in the morning.  That will be fun!  I think I talked Amy and Stef into running all 12 with me!

Weekend PR and 8 Mile Follow-Up

Our family had a really good running weekend.  My speedy wife ran the Shelby's Run 10K in our town Saturday morning.  She got first overall female.  Ran it in 47 min and PR'ed (first 10k ever).  She is speedy!  The great thing about seeing my wife grow in her running is seeing her confidence in herself grow.  She is FINALLY realizing the potential she has and how really blessed she is to have such a natural talent. 

I then ran my 5k that night in Joplin.  I got a new PR!  I was able to do it in 31:07.  That was about two minutes off my last PR.  Adam ran the same 10K Jenn ran that morning, and his knee has been bugging him, so he paced me on my 5K and helped me get my PR.  I am such a pack runner, and having someone like that helps me big time.  Here is a link to see me cross the finish line.  ROCKER STYLE!

I caught a ride with Jeff and Stefani up and back from the 5K.  It was in Joplin and over an hour away.  We had so much fun and laughed a lot.  Let's just say we were a bunch of 12 year-old kids laughing at everything.  Those poor high school girls at Mazzio's didn't know what to do with us.  Good times...

On Sunday morning, I rolled out of bed sore and tired, but I knew I had 8 miles to run.  I ran 6 with Trisha, because she didn't have anyone to run with, and then I went back out and did two more.  I ran into Jeff while he was heading back and he finished his run with me.  I was really proud of myself and the fact that I went back out and did my last two miles.  The Chris from the past would've just stopped at 6, but I finished strong.

For some reason, I felt like I was going to throw up my whole run today.  I wish I would have, because I think I would've felt better.  I am not the kind of person who can do that on command, and I hate puking, so I just dealt with it and only did 4 miles.  I figure I am going to be running extra on Thanksgiving, so I will make up the miles.  Thanks Trisha for putting up with my sickness this morning.  I am really needing a good Wednesday tempo run. 

Guess what? Only one day of Gannett left after today!!!

Changes

Okay, I am going to be honest.  My life is about to be thrown into a lot of changes.  Anytime it happens, I turn to food.  Starting a new job has messed me up before. 

I am trying to be proactive, and I want to be ready for what comes my way.  For 5 weeks, my shift will be 7 am to 3:30 pm.  That will not be bad. I will be able to get my run in and get to work on time, just won't get to go to boot camp.  But starting the new year, I start a 5:30 pm to 2 am shift.  The shift isn't going to be hard for me (I am a night person,) it's just what I will have to do next.  I will have to stay up and go run and then sleep after.  I know I can do it, it is just getting into the habit.  I really want to be ready for my marathon.

I will need your help to keep me accountable and on track.  I know when things will get hard and need help, and this is one of those times!

Running... It's what's for dinner.

I have really enjoyed my running lately.  I have seen great gains, and I have really pushed myself!  I have said it several times before, and I will keep saying it, but running has saved my life.  I would still weigh over 330 pounds if it wasn't for running. 

I have done the dieting and gym memberships, and that did help me lose weight, but I could never stick with it.  I would give up.  Something is different about running and running with a group of people.  Sometimes I hate the run but love the feeling I get when I finish.  Sometimes I love the run and get that runner's high when I finish.  Today was one of those days.  I didn't think I was going to enjoy my run this morning, because I ran last night to make up my miles. But it was great today, and I was on top of the world after.

I have run 15 miles so far this week.  I have 5 planned for Saturday and then 8 for Sunday.  That is a good solid 28 mile week!

Life is good.

Trespassing Anyone?

Nothing starts the morning off right than an early morning run with a side of trespassing!

We tried a new route this morning.  On Tuesdays, we normally run 5 miles. Today, we did 6, and it felt good. The thing about running this new route is that about 3 miles of it was through all new area, so we felt like we were going a lot further than we were; we felt lost half of the time.  The good thing about that is that you are not stressing about the running, just thinking about not getting lost. 

I am starting to think that I treat every day as tempo day.  I am needing to pull back on my speed a little and work on my distance.  When I did that today, I was able to go forever.  I really didn't even pull back that much, just enough, and I ran almost the whole 6 with Karen. 

So on one part of the run today, we had to run through a school parking lot and down part of their running track.  The track had two spots that cut off into neighborhoods, so we took the first right thinking that is where we needed to go.  When we got to the end of the street, the street name did not match. So instead of turning around, we ran around the block, then cut through some people's yards.  It was kind of funny, but I think if I looked out my back window at 5 am and saw three people cutting through my yard, I would freak out or think they were up to something!

We got back on track and made our way back to the church.  It was a good run and a good time with Karen.

No run planned for me on Wednesday.  I am going to be DEER HUNTING!!!  Dad and I are only going the one day.  Let's just hope one of us gets something.  We really enjoy the meat and the time we get to spend together.

Bass Pro Half Marathon Race Recap

I trained for 6 months for this race, and I did it!  I did it faster than what I expected.

The night before the race, Jenn and I dropped off our kids at my parents.  Paige was sick, and Devon started acting sick, so we were worried about them.  At dinner, Jenn said she was starting to feel icky and was worried about being sick as well.  We finished dinner and went to go see The Blanks (Ted's Band from the show Scrubs) and had a lot of fun, but by the end of the show, Jenn was running a fever and felt sick.  We were worried she wasn't going to be able to run the next day.  Also when we got to the show, I started a little jog to the front door and turned to see Jenn. She was limping and said her groin muscle was hurting.  So needless to say, we were worried about her.  The kids also got worse, and we figured my parents were not going to be able to be at the finish line.  They were amazing for taking care of them for us!

Jenn said our family prayer that night and prayed that she would feel better.  We both got a great night's sleep, and she woke up feeling 100%, so for that we were grateful.  Our running club was in charge of one of the aid stations, and I helped set up before the race.  We had music, a movie, signs, and flags.  It was a really kick-butt water station!

We caught a ride up to the starting line, took our group photo, and I found Amy and Linda.  We lined up at the starting line and got ready to kick 13.1 miles in the butt!  I was so pumped when they said GO!  Linda and Amy had to keep telling me to slow down and pace myself; I wanted to just run with all of them, but I am really grateful they did tell me to take it easy.  Here is a video of the start.  Jenn is at 43 seconds, and I am at 1:30ish. 

The first few miles we just chatted; a lot of people passed us.  I saw a lot of friends, and they said "hi."  At about mile 3, a lot of the masses were ahead of us, and we ran with the same group of people for several more miles. We stuck to our 1 and 1 plan.  Run a minute and walk a minute from our Galloway training.  I was pushing us faster than what the 1 and 1 group was running.  I knew we could go a faster pace; I have run with Amy and Linda before and knew what they could do.  They would ask what our pace was, and I would just tell them that we were on pace! 

About mile 6-7, I started getting some stomach cramps and started worrying about throwing up.  I wasn't sure if it was the food I was eating or one of the water stops.  I just took it easy, and it went away just as quick as it came.  We ate well and drank from all the water stops.

Mile 8 and 9 were tough mentally for me.  We were running into a strong headwind, and we were getting tired.  Linda kept asking me for a funny story, but I couldn't think of one.  That was not normal for me. 

At mile 10, I hit my second wind about the time everyone else around us were hitting a wall or a mental wall.  I was singing and dancing.  Cheering other people on when we were passing them.  I kept telling people that all we had left was a 5K!  I think I might've annoyed a couple of people, but I was making Amy and Linda smile when I knew they really needed it.

The great thing about the 1 and 1, no one really passed us after mile 7, and we started passing a lot of people after mile 9.  We were blowing by people.  I would find someone and start picking them off one by one.  There was a group of three that were sticking with us all the way to mile 11.  We would pass them on a run, and they would pass us on a walk.  The second to last time we passed them, one of the girls said, "I am really getting sick of this run/walk crap these guys are doing.  We have ran the whole time, and they are keeping up with us."  I thought it was really funny, especially when all three of us finished before them. 

When I got to about mile 11, I ran out ahead.  I knew Amy and Linda were going to be okay, because they both said, "I know I can do this now." I went out strong and wanted to leave it all at the finish line.  Jenn was at mile 12 helping with our water station and ran me in.  The last 1.5 miles of the route are all up hill, so it was not easy.  I pushed and finished in 2:37.  If you remember a previous post, I talked about wanting a 3:40 but was going to shoot for a 2:30.  I came in right where I knew I could.  I am running another half in December, and I hope to be at 2:30! 

I had a ton of fun running with Linda and Amy!  They each finished strong and under 2:40!  They helped me a lot and kept me calm at the start and kept me going at the end!  Great friends!

It was such a cool feeling crossing the finish line.  Knowing my hard work paid off.  I am excited for Little Rock.  To be able to say I am a Marathoner!  Thanks for all your support! It is just going to get better!

Everyone is Okay

Sorry about not writing as much this week.  It has been crazy busy.  I put in my notice at my job, and I have a house full of sick people.  So the time I normally have to blog is gone, and I have been super busy.  I am getting ready to start a new job and make sure my family heals.

I am almost done with my half marathon race review. I want to do it justice and not do a quick one.  I will have it up on Saturday.  I ran yesterday and today, and both runs felt really good.  I am excited for Sunday's run.  We are running the trail at Wilson Creek Battlefield.  It is a 5 mile loop through some really cool civil war history.

Everyone is sick...

I have been working on my race recap from this weekend.  It was an amazing race, and I did a lot better than I thought I would.  I hope to have it out soon.  Things have been crazy.  My wife and two girls are sick, and I am doing my best to not be sick.  I have been busy helping them, and I hope to have my report done soon.

Just a little side note, I just wanted to tell you that I believe in the power of prayer.  Saturday night, Jenn had a temp of 101.8.  She was not feeling good at all.  We said our family prayer that night and in her prayer she said, "I have trained really hard for this race and this day, please make me well enough to race in the morning." That night she slept great and when she woke up, she felt 100%.  She ran a great race, and finished second in her age group!  She then helped with the water station our running group was in charge of and then ran me in my last mile.  The moment she got back in the van to go get our kids, the fever came back, and she has been sick ever since.  Heavenly Father knew how important that day was for her. 

So our goal is to get everyone healthy!  I didn't run this morning because I am feeling sick, and I had to take care of Jenn and the kids before I went to work.  I hope I can run Wednesday. My legs really need a recovery run.

Amazing Day Yesterday

A couple of really amazing things happened yesterday.  I GOT A NEW JOB!!!  I will be starting at Expedia in three weeks!  I am really excited to start a new job and be working for a company where I can move up and use my degree.  Very exciting!  I start the Monday after Thanksgiving.

Another really cool thing was my co-worker brought in a newspaper article that I was in.  Here is the online link.  I love Nixa Running Group!  We are so much fun.  We are having a potluck dinner tonight to get ready for Sunday's race.  Hello carb load, here I come!

Alarm Clock Blues....

I was really looking forward to my run this morning.   I knew it was going to be cold and that really didn't bother me... Remember, I bought tights!  But for whatever reason, I turned off my alarm clock in my sleep or my 4 am alarm didn't go off.  Not happy I missed my run this morning.  I might do an easy few miles Friday morning. 

I need to get to bed earlier.  How do you all get to bed early?  I have always been a night person, and I find it hard to go to bed early.

Bass Pro in 3 days!!!

4 Days Till Race Day!!!

If you cannot tell, I am really excited and ready for my race on Sunday.  I am not nervous; I am just ready to do it.  Ask me Sunday morning and it might be different.  I am so ready for the weekend.  My parents are taking the kids Saturday night and then will meet us at the race and cheer us on.  That way, we do not have to worry about the kids that morning.  It will be a big help!

We are also doing a big Nixa Running dinner Friday night.  Getting those carbs for race day.  My running group is also working one of the water stations, and we have been putting things together and getting ready for that.  It is going to be EPIC!  So, come see us at Mile 25!  I will finish my race and come back and help cheer on the other runners.  We are so much fun!

I got a good 3.64 mile run in this morning.  I am just trying to take it easy this week so I will be nice and fresh for the race. Below is my menu for the day.

Breakfast:
Breakfast Burrito
   1 Egg
   Cheese
   Ham
   Salsa Verde
10 am Snack:
   Raspberry Yogurt
   Apple
Lunch:
   Baked Potato
   Chicken and Black Beans
   Salsa Verde
3 pm Snack:
   Orange
Dinner:
   Lasagna Rolls with Roasted Broccoli

Have a great day, everyone!

November is GREAT!

Good run this morning.  We ran 5 miles this morning. I could've done without the stomach cramps, but hey, you take the good with the bad.  Like I said yesterday, it is time to refocus and kick some butt these last two months.  I have some pounds to lose and some miles to run.  I am excited!

Shannon gave us our marathon training program this morning.  Not going to lie, I had the deer-in-the-headlights look when I saw it.  Those miles jumped off the page.  I know I can do it, though.  It is called work for a reason, and if it were easy, everyone would be running marathons.  Only 1% of the world's population will ever run a marathon.  I am going to be one of them!

I feel ready for my half marathon this weekend.  13.1 miles are going to fly by! 

Also, I brought about 5-6 pounds of candy to work today.  My kids got a lot, and we had leftovers.  I am going to let my co-workers eat it all.  No way my family is going to have that in our house! Below is a list of my meals for the day.

Breakfast:
Breakfast Burrito
  1 Egg
  Slice of Cheese
  2 Slices of Ham
  Salsa Verde
10 am Snack:
  Apple
  Raspberry Yogurt
Lunch:
  Healthy Choice Chicken Parmasana 350 Cal
3pm snack:
   Orange
Dinner:
   Stuffed Baked Potato with Salad

Tuesday Is The Day

Tuesday is the start of my regrouping effort.  It has been a rough couple of months.  I have been trying to find a balance of fuel and weight loss and have not been doing a great job.  I am going to get serious and lose these last pounds before the year end.

I am not going to weigh myself Nov 1st.  I know me, and I feel like I might be very disappointed.  I want Tuesday to be the day when I just start kicking butt and taking names. 

I will be posting all the food I eat.  I will be posting my runs and my mileage.  I am going to hit 100 miles again in Nov!  I run my half marathon on Sunday, and then marathon training starts the next Tuesday for Little Rock!  I am very excited!

Thanks for following my blog and helping me stay accountable!

October = Fail/November = AMAZING!

First off, let me get this out of the way.  GREAT JOB, CARDINALS!!!  WOOT WOOT!!!  GAME 7 BABY!  HERE WE GO! 

Okay, so I am just going to write October off as a learning month.  I have not done well with my food, and this last week has been fail for running.  So starting Nov 1st, we are going to start fresh and kill it.  Who is with me!  Let's refocus and work extra hard on our goals whatever they be.  I figured I could just be depressed and beat myself up, or I can kick some butt and learn from this.  I will learn and grow from this.

November for me is going to be 100% eating healthy.  I need to get back to my healthy ways.  I am going to post what I eat daily.  I need your help to tell me where I can do better, or you can suggest better dishes for me!  Let's rock it this month!!!

I am also going to be at every run with Nixa next month.  No more missing.  THIS IS SPARTA!!!!  Okay, NIXA!!!

Frustration

I have not been feeling well for two days now.  I have not run, and I have eaten too much junk.  I feel super guilty.  It is not a great cycle. 

Today is just one of those days... I want to get through it, and I hope I will feel better...

Wordless Wednesday

Have a good day today!

Utah Trip

I had an amazing weekend!  Thursday after work, we dropped off the kids at my sister's house, and Jenn drove me up to our friends Kevin and Staci's house to stay, and they dropped me off to the airport.  It was an adventure getting up there but we did, and I made my flight.  I am really grateful for their help.

I landed at Salt Lake City around 11 am, picked up my luggage, and noticed that one of my wheels was torn off. It looked like it was dragged and thrown around.  I was not too happy.  I then walked over to pick up my rental car, and the girl at the counter looked at my ID and noticed I had lost a lot of weight. We started talking about it, and she had also lost a bunch. I told her she looked great, and so she then proceeded to upgrade me from an economy car, the cheapest, to a 2012 Volvo S80!  It had all the bells and whistles.  It is a $40,000 car!  I fell in love with it the moment I sat in it.  I was rolling in Salt Lake with style!

 I met up with Davey after he picked up one of his fiance's friends, and we all hung out at Temple Square in downtown SLC until dinner.  We ate at this amazing Brazilian restaurant.  They had an open salad bar, and then they would walk around with different meats and just kept filling up our plates.  Very nice place and great food!

Then, Davey and I went to his bachelor party.  It wasn't your typical bachelor party.  All we did was play a couple of games of glowstick capture the flag with some of his brothers and friends.  Then we met up at JC Burgers and got shakes.  It was a lot of fun.  Then, Davey and I headed over to where we were staying.  It was a super nice home, and we had it all to ourselves.  We had a great time talking and just catching up.  He was very excited about getting married the next day.

We got up the next morning and just took it easy.  We didn't have to be at the temple until 10 am.  We watched a little football and had breakfast.  It was like any other morning, but we were dressed a lot nicer.  We arrived just on time.  The wedding was great.  Davey did cry a little.  I was strong and might've teased him a little about it. I forgot my camera, so I am waiting for others to post pics.

We then had about 4 hours to kill, and so Davey's brother, Richard, and our good friend Dave went to In 'N Out for lunch and met up with my brother Steven. He drove down from Idaho.  We then went and played some mini golf.  It was fun!  Then we headed over to where the reception was being held and took more photos.  Then, we did a mini ring ceremony.  That was really cool.  I had the ring with me and was going to pretend I couldn't find it but thought they would both kill me if I did.

After the ring exchange, they provided dinner for everyone in the wedding party.  It was very good.  They also had a crepe bar!  I was in heaven.  The reception went really well.  Everyone was dancing, and I got to see a lot of old friends.  It was just a fun night!

After the reception, I drove down to Spanish Fork with my brother, and we stayed at an old roommate's house.  Jeff and Mary were great hosts, and we stayed up until 2 in the morning just talking.  It was really good to catch up.  Mary made some really good pancakes for us in the morning.

Steven and I then drove up to Centerville and spent the rest of the day with my cousin Mer and her family.  Then for dinner, we had more of my cousins come over.  It was a fun night, and we laughed a lot.  The food was really good!

Monday morning, Steven and my cousin Mer went on a run with me.  We got about 3 miles in.  It was so hard to breath at that altitude!  I was sucking air early in the run.  I can see why runners love to train in the mountains.  After some breakfast, I said goodbye to my cousin and her family and my brother.  I knew I had a long day of traveling ahead of me.

I got home, read some of my book, and went to bed early that night.  It was a great time, but I was ready to be home with my family.

Fun Weekend in Utah

My best friend got married this weekend!!  I will be doing a big post about it and the weekend later.

I am at the airport getting ready to fly home.  Long post coming.  I was able to get my run in this morning.  My brother and my cousin ran with me, and we did a little over 3 miles.  It was fun to chat with them, and I was not used to the altitude.  It was hard to breath! 

Happy Monday!

I Bought Tights

It is official; I am a tights-wearing runner.  They were very nice for my run today.  The only thing that sucked was my shorts kept wanting to fall down, because my tights are so silky smooth.  My shorts around my ankles might get in the way of my running.  I did try them on last night and wanted to sleep in them, but Jenn wouldn't let me.  Something about that being weird.

My midsection got cold today. That was a first.  My abs have never been cold before. More skinny people problems...   :)

I am going to have an amazing weekend at Davey's wedding.  We are going to go run Saturday morning.  I am going to make sure he is nice and sore for his wedding night!  Wait.. that didn't sound right.  lol

Keep running and working hard.  17 days until it is time to race!!!

Realizations

I just realized that I have been at this 291 days.  I have never stuck with something this hard for that long.  What a really cool feeling! I only have the rest of my life to keep going! 

When I finished my run today, it wasn't my fastest tempo day, but that wasn't what I was going for. I was trying to run the tempo I wanted to run my half marathon at and see how I felt after the run.  We ran 4 miles in a 11:30 pace and felt really good doing it.  I really felt like I could've went another 9 miles no problem.  That is about a 2:30 half marathon pace! 

My first goal was to be under 3 hours, and I have already done that.  I blew it out of the water by 7-8 minutes.  Now I am looking at the 2:30 time.  I know that it is a perfect case scenario, but if we do not set goals and work towards them, we will never know our true potential.  I had someone tell me they always have three goals for a race.  First is the best case scenario, when the running gods smile down on you kind of time.  For me that is 2:30.  The second goal is your more realistic goal, the one you have been training for.  Me, 2:40.  The third goal is for when you show up at a race and everything kind of falls apart, and you just want to finish but still with a goal in mind.  Me, 3:00. 

So there you go.  Bass Pro half marathon here I come!  The run this morning was so cold again.  I was better prepared but still need gloves and tights!  My legs were FREEZING!  Felt good to run, though.  Love it!

Manly Men!

Winter Is Coming

Oh man...  My first real cold run after summer.  I know there will be many more to come, and this really wasn't all that cold compared to the real cold that is coming.  I have committed to marathon training in the winter.  So it is time to buy some tights and "man up" while running in the cold. 

Great Weekend!

I had an amazing weekend!  Friday after work, Jenn's parents came to the house and took us to dinner at Zio's and then ice cream at Andy's for our anniversary.  We had a nice visit with them.

I woke up early Saturday morning, ready for my 13.1 mile run.  We were running the actual half marathon route for the Bass Pro event, and I was excited to see the whole course.  I had seen some of it, and I was ready to run all of it.  It had been my best run to date.  I felt strong the whole time.  I really didn't start breathing hard until mile 12.  It has been really cool to see my training pay off.  It really goes to show that you will be rewarded by your hard work.  It was a very enjoyable run.  Oh, and did I mention that I did it in under 3 hours!  That was my goal for the half, and I thought I would have to kill myself for it. Now I am excited to see what I can do on race day.  After my run, I hurried home, and Jenn was ready to get her 10 miles in. She did it in 1 hour 16 minutes.  She is so smoking fast.  It is very sexy! 

That afternoon, we dropped the kids off at my parents' house and went to lunch at Brown Egg.  I had the pulled pork, and it was very good.  Then, we met up with our friend Katie at Mother's Brewery for Octoberfest.  We don't drink, but it was still fun with good food and music.  It was rather funny seeing people get super drunk at 2 in the afternoon.

We then went to Fedora's, a fondue place downtown.  My mom gave us a gift card, and we ate well.  It was a fun little place.  We will for sure go back for the dessert fondue again.  We then drove the half marathon route for Jenn to see where it goes and see the hills.  She is very excited and ready.  She wants to be sub 1:40.  I think she will be able to do it!

It was a fun weekend.  I didn't run Sunday, so I ran today with Stefanie.  She is always fun to run with.  We talked and enjoyed the cool morning.  I then went to a group strength class after.  It was a good morning of working out.  We had our butts handed to us in class today.  It was great! 

Happy Monday...as happy as it can be.  I have my three-year review at work today... Wish me luck.

Happy Anniversary, Jenn

Six years ago today, I married the love of my life.  She is my best friend and my biggest support. 

I feel so lucky to have her in my life.  I have no idea what she saw in me, and I am eternally grateful for all that she puts up with.  She has the kindest heart, and I have never heard her say a negative, hurtful thing about anyone.  She always looks for the good in others and tries to help them.  Oh, and she is very sexy.  I scored the jackpot with Jenn.

She has supported me in my running by starting to run herself.  She ran her first half marathon this year and did it in 1:46.  She is a natural runner.  I am glad we are living healthy, and I am excited to keep running with her as we get older.  I might catch up to her when we are in our 60's, but I doubt it.

She is such a great mother to our three kids.  She really puts everything into raising them. 

Love you, Jenn..  Happy Anniversary!

Three Things Thursday

It is Thursday!!!  One day closer to Friday! 

1. I am tired... very tired.  Like almost fell asleep driving to my run and then the gym this morning...  Work is going to be interesting today.  I might be playing my driving mix at work. You know, the songs you know every word to and you sing along to help you stay awake.  You would think "working" would keep me awake, but I just stare at a computer monitor and paperwork all day.  I think I am going to go to bed at 8 today....  Yeah right...

2. Hills, hills, hills and more hills.  Today was a hills day.  Hills make me stronger and faster, but they hurt!  Plainview is a beast of a road; some of those hills I am not sure I could drive up when there is snow on them.  I look forward to running up them.  I do love running down hills; I feel like I am going so fast and I really do not have to work that hard.  It is kind of scary at the same time, but I enjoy the thrill.

3. So I talked Jenn into registering for the Little Rock Marathon as well.  This is going to be so much fun.  It was a little hard to be excited about it last night because of the cost.  We are going to have some kind of yard sale and try to sell some stuff to make the money back.  Yeah it costs money, but I have to have that kind of a race to stay focused and motivated.  It will also be an amazing adventure to get to that point.  I am really excited that both of us are going to be doing it!  We will be marathoners!  This just got real, true story.  (David, I have started saying that now because of you! HA.. True Story)

IT IS ALMOST FRIDAY!!  Also a quick question.  What is your favorite cold weather running gear?

Running in the Rain

Okay all you fair weather runners...  Just because it is raining, doesn't mean you can punk out and not show up to run today!  When we normally have 30 people, we only had 9 this morning!  Running in the rain is GREAT!!

This morning was tempo day, and my goal was 10 minute miles.  Well, I failed at that today.  I know why I did.  I went out way too fast.  I am supposed to warm up a mile and then kick it in, but I tried to keep up with speedy Tiffany and ran my first mile in 9:46 pace.  It felt good, but I always do that to myself, go out too fast and struggle.  The reason I want to catch up with Tiffany is because we are going to train for the Little Rock marathon together, and it is nice to have someone at the same level as you to run those long runs with.  She has been kicking butt and getting way faster.  She destroyed me today! 9:30 something pace for her 4 miles today. 

Shannon, Jeff and Christa ran with me today.  They walked when I did.  My legs didn't hurt, it was just the cardio.  I start sucking wind and struggling.  I know it will get better as I keep training and becoming stronger. I was mad about not doing as well today, but my mom pointed out that I ran 4.2 miles today in the same time it took me to run my first 5k.  So I am getting better; it is a process.  Another thing I am noticing is that when I do have to walk, it doesn't take me long to recover and start running again.  Before it took me a lot longer.

It was raining and lightning pretty hard at times this morning.  Lightning makes me nervous, and it wasn't the smartest thing in the world to be out there in it, but it was fun to watch Jeff curse after every lightning strike.  He would be mid story and lightning would strike, so the conversation would be something like this, "We have to drop him off before we @*#$ #$*@ can get you, and then we can pick you up or meet @$^(# !($&!! you at the church."  I am not sure if anyone else noticed it, but I was dying.

From Bad To Good

I have said it before, and I will say it many times again, running is mental!  I was so frustrated with myself going into my run this morning because of my crappy weekend. I psyched myself out of running to the best of my ability.  I started okay but then walked, got lost and then realized I cut out almost a mile out of the course, because I couldn't keep up with the people in front of me.  It was just frustrating, and I kept getting down on myself.

Chris saw me walking and checked up on me. I started listing excuses on why I was walking and then I thought to myself, "Self, stop justifying and giving excuses and GO."  So I started running with Chris.  I was determined to see how long I could stay with him.  I think he realized it as well, and he kept me at a 9:30-10 min pace for about a mile.  I was blown away.  I needed that.  We finished strong.  He talked me through the hard parts.  I wanted to stop, but I kept going.  There was nothing wrong with me; it was just all in my head.  As soon as I decided to run and do it well, I rocked it. Stupid brain all up in my business. 

Running is mental, and we are all insane.  I am still learning to shut off the old Chris.  The Chris who gives up, the Chris who doubted himself.  He has held me back for so long, but it is hard to let go.  I got to keep stepping up and moving forward.  Thanks again Chris Cochran for pushing me today and showing me what I can do.

Wednesday is tempo day.  I am going to do better than last week!  I got to get faster! 

Oh did I mention? I am signed up for LITTLE ROCK!!  I am doing the full!  WOOT WOOT!

Flashback

Okay, this weekend I had a flashback of the old Chris, and I didn't like it.  I ate too much.  I didn't run at all.  I sat around and did nothing.  I thought it would be a nice relaxing weekend, but I wasn't happy.  I had a headache, and I guess I wasn't that fun to be around.

Operation Get-My-Butt-In-Gear has started.  I am back on my very strict food requirements.  I am going to really work hard on finding the appropriate balance of fueling my body and losing weight.  I am going to work out every day I have planned and give 100%.  It is go time.  No more slacking and making up excuses.  If I want to hit my 100 pound goal, I need to refocus.

I need your help.  If you see me eating crap, call me out on it.  If I miss a run, call me out on it.  If I am crying in a corner, point and laugh at me.... Okay, not really. Give me a hug, because I am hungry, sore and tired. 

THANKS!