Running Goals

I'm really enjoying running, and I was thinking that if I had some goals to work towards that would help me along... so tonight I'm looking for runs to participate in!

I thought I might train for the Garden of the Gods 10 mile run which takes place in June! (Since I have yet to finish C25k, this could be interesting to train for... *eek* ) The real question is this; "Can I run 10 miles in 2 hours and 30 minutes?"

And my ultimate (and crazy) goal is the Pikes Peak Marathon! Honestly? I don't think I'll really end up ever doing it... Here's a small quote from the Marathon's homepage:

"Sure, they start out like a lot of races on Any Street, USA. But your first left turn will have you turning in the direction of up! During the next 10 miles, as you gain almost 6,000 vertical feet, your legs, lungs, heart and mind will be worn to a ragged nothingness. But it won’t be until your last three miles, with still over 2,000' of vertical to go, that you will realize where the Marathon got its moniker—America’s Ultimate Challenge.There’s a reason trees don’t bother growing above 12,000' on Pikes Peak. They can’t! Makes one wonder if trees are smarter than runners. Above treeline most runners take 30 minutes or more, some much more, just to cover a mile."

Staying the Same

I've been ignoring my "diet" (it's not really a diet, but a lifestyle change... right?) for about three weeks now, and I feel horrible.

The good news? I haven't gained any weight. (I'm still right at 220)

The bad news? I haven't been eating right, or exercising.

I kicked off this morning with 30 minutes of Yoga, and then continued to move (side steps) while I did the dishes and folded laundry.

If it warms up, I'm headed outside for a run! (By warms up, I'm praying for 40 degrees and no snow... I don't think I'll get it though!)

But today? I'm rededicated and back on track!

Hubby Comes Home!

My husband will be home in a about 30 hours!! He's been gone for 31 days (he's an over the road truck driver)... so we REALLY miss him!

While I'm SUPER excited to see him, I know it will be hell on my healthy eating. He's already requested Chili, Mexican Food and Pizza from our favorite Pizza Joint. So I'm spending today cleaning my house (yay for exercise, right?) and searching the web for healthy recipes!

So if anyone has a yummy, healthy recipe for Chili (the spicier the better) and Mexican Food of any type, please let me know!



What's your favorite healthy recipe?

Heaven on Earth

Today I decided to take my little girl for a hike! I've been kind of lazy as far as exercise goes lately, and with winter fast approaching I figure we need to get all our time in the mountains done before it's too cold/snowy/yucky to do it! (My little VW Jetta has custom wheels and a few other upgrades that makes too much mountain driving totally undoable in the winter time!)

So I grabbed my Ergo Baby Carrier (a.k.a. my Baby Backpack), threw my water bottle in my car and off we headed for Garden of the Gods!

We hiked for an hour, stopping occasionally for photo opportunities! But, I figure carrying 28 pounds on my back and climbing up and down hill counts for a good workout, even if I did stop fairly frequently for photos! And, to be fair... on the way back I didn't stop at all, I hiked about 40 minutes one way and then 20 minutes at a pretty quick pace back to the car.

I'm only a few weeks into my weight loss efforts, and I'm already finding exercise more and more fun. I absolutely love going for hikes! (Plus, I'm really hoping that all this up and downhill is preparing me for ski season! We live in Colorado for a reason, after all!)

Enough blabbering about my hike! I thought I'd share a few photos that I captured along the way!




This (not so)little guy was just standing on the side of the trail! Not phased by ANYTHING!

Spice It Up!

Cooking with spices is something that I'm learning to do more of. In my house growing up, we always had very boring meals... and so I was used to the boring, plain, unspiced foods.

So this video was a great find!

Gym Decision: My First Video!

My first video attempt, I hope you enjoy it!



The Expresso Bike that I mentioned in the video.

Biggest (Loser) Confession

Ok, confession time. Until yesterday, I had never seen an episode of "The Biggest Loser". Really. I don't know what rock I was living under, but I was definitely under a rather large one.

My friend kept going on and on about how they are excited for the upcoming season, so I decided to download an episode on iTunes of the previous season. After watching the first episode, I purchased and downloaded the entire season, and I'm on episode 4 right now. (I can't put my iPod touch down *lol* ) I'm headed to the gym where I plan on watching an episode while I hit the treadmill, then I'll come home and probably watch another episode while I clean the house. LOL! I want to finish this season in time to watch next season.

But 3 1/2 episodes in and I have picked my favorite contestant, Dan. Well I know he didn't win because I was watching the preview for next season and they bring him back!! I think that's so awesome, because this kid is so cool. He really deserves a chance at life.

Now as I head off to the gym, I leave you with this: