On to the next thing...

After my marathon, I already had plans to take a break from hard running training. I walked on Tuesday after my marathon and ran on Thursday and was still a bit tender, but I made it through. I've been talking up a new weight training program for weeks with my husband. I think we should do something together. La, la, la, la...you know us women.

He has been less than thrilled to be as gung ho about it as I am. I said in my fitness goals that I would step up the strength training because I've hit a plateau with my weight loss and body changes. I am happy with the way I am, but want to keep pushing for a more toned, smaller-sized body. Yes, I am gunning for the size 4 clothes (all the while in the back of my mind I know that's not going to stick around long if I have a baby)!

I have followed Skinny Meg and Mama Laughlin for over a year now, and I LOVE them. I mean, like some of their other followers, I am a bit stalkerish. I read their blog daily, laugh hysterically at their Keeks, follow them on Instagram, look for their posts on Facebook, etc. They are moms I aspire to be. They both have struggled much more than I have with weight, but have busted it out to lose after children AND look better than me now for it. Such an inspiration  truly among the many other things they are awesome at while being working mothers.

So with a little bit of their inspiration to lift hard or go home, I have developed a little weight training program for Todd and I. We started on Sunday, woke up as part of the 5 am club on Tuesday and have another round of the 5 am club tomorrow. I plan to run as my cardio to keep that going, and try a longer run on the weekends (5-10 miles). I am posting our weight plan below, but feel free to add any ideas to mix it up. We would love that as we are sticking it out for 8 weeks. I'll also post measurements and updates we we go through it.

138,336...1,943,040

My official time was 5:12:57. 

Showing off my first marathon medal. 

I put one foot in front of the other 138,336 times on Sunday. I can't help but be a little emotional about it.

• I don't know what made me sign up in December for this race. But I did it. 
• I don't know what kept me from making excuses every time I didn't want to run. But I ran.
• I don't know how many days I wished I would have never signed up for it because I didn't know if I could do it. But I did it.
• I don't know how many times people said I can't believe you're doing this. You don't have to. But I did it. 
• I don't know what caused me to get sick multiple times during training. But I pushed through.
• I don't know how many times I saw people pass me and think why even try. But I put one foot in front of the other. 

There are hundreds of reasons I could think of why I didn't want to do it, but I can also think of a hundred reasons why I wanted to do it.

• I want to do something hard. 
• I want to do something others can only dream of doing. 
• I want to feel alive. 
• I want to feel like an athlete for one of the only times in my life. 
• I want to prove to others you can do anything you set your mind to. 
• I want to be proud of walking in my first 5K two years ago to running a full marathon.  
• I want to prove to myself that I can do anything. 
• I want to put all my trust in Him because there were times I wasn't sure how I'd do it. 
• I want to beat my genetics. 
• I want to be my best self ever to have a baby. 
• I want to love doing something for life. 

And a hundred other reasons why I did it. I finished. I ran my own race.

I wasn't fast. I was disappointed in my time. Hundreds of people were ahead of me. But I have to remember I put one in front of the other, not just 138,336 times but 1,943,040 times throughout the training of 20 weeks to get to hold up that finisher's medal with pride.

I teared up running into Memorial Stadium. I just couldn't believe I was done. Done with the race I never thought would actually happen.

As far as the actual marathon, I'll get into that in another post this week, but I wanted to capture my thoughts just a few days after the race so I can look back on how I felt.

Evaluating the 101 list...

Just as the first two weeks of the new year come to a close, I wanted to reevaluate my 101 list a bit.

I love having little things to work towards for self-improvement as well as general categories I should focus a bit more on so the concept of 101 is good for me. Yet, BIG things have changed in our lives in the last year so some of the goals just are not going to happen. Here are a few tweaks to my list.

3.Buy a pair of Tory Burch boots--We are now using the Dave Ramsey system of a budget and envelope system for cash, therefore, any extra purchases are a no-no. Oh, a girl can dream though!
10. Buy a sewing machine and use it six times (0/6)--Again a repeat of #3. 

11. Become a Team Leader in Mary Kay--Still getting there. Lots of activity happening this month so not only will I hit this but Future Director by the end of the MK year. It. Is. Done.

12. Have my hair done by Deidra--She is now my future sister-in-law so I think this qualifies as not cheating on your hair dresser, right? 

13. Get a pedicure for every two races completed in 2012--I am HORRIBLE about pampering my feet. I just don't see the sense in it but I will get one after the marathon, when I finish the training!

18. Interact with 10 students in Missouri about K-State College of Ag--The K-State College of Ag sadly did away with the AgBackers group I was a part of so I'll have to figure out another way of talking about K-State and ag at another time. 

19. Take a cooking class--repeat of #3

35. Take an extended weekend getaway with Todd for our first anniversary--This didn't happen, and obviously won't, but we had an amazing first year with a great trip together to Florida twice!

63. Learn donor database system at work--All of these things below are now not something I do in my new job. So with the new list in May I'll create some new work goals. 

64.Begin CFRE certification

65. Meet with my mentor twice in 2012 (one of two)

67. Finish online Photoshop course

69. Meet the annual campaign goal

74. Host a workshop on message training for staff

75. Successfully complete/have funded 10 grants

66. Complete 90 faces in first 100 days of 2012--Didn't happen BUT I am setting it as a goal for completing by May 1, 2013. 

89.Plant an indoor herb garden--Let's be honest. I have attempted this twice now and cannot get the darn thing to grow. Grrr.

95. Paint/Recover Filing Cabinet in Office--DECLUTTER. We got rid of that sucker. 

So some updates, but still working on the others.

*~*Do any of you make "bucket" lists? What are some of your goals?*~*

Bring it On, 2013...

With a day into the new year, it goes without saying many of us have resolved to do better, spend less, weigh less, give more, etc., in the new year. All of those things are good intentions. I have learned through others and my own way of doing things, that you must put a plan to your goals. "A goal without planning is just a wish," said Antoine de Saint-Exupery. So many of my 2013 goals have been thoughtfully planned over the last month. I also know that I need to "focus" and have a bad tendency to over commit and not do my best in all that I do. It was said by Mary Kay Ash, that "if the things you are doing do not bring you closer to God, your family, or your business, then you need to refocus your priorities," and I plan to focus on those time-suckers in my life.

With that said, this is my year. 2013 is my year to be a life-giver, an influencer, and a blessing in people's lives. Whether that's through more meaningful relationships with actual time spent working on them, an example for others to follow because I "walk the walk and talk the talk", or by encouraging others to follow their God-given potential in fitness and with their family-life balance.

Here are my goals for this year:

1. Finish the Queen's Court of Sales in Mary Kay ($36,000 retail in sales for the year, and YES I need your support and help to do this!!) to provide many financial opportunities to my family.
2. Actively seek 10 women who need more, want more, aspire to be more to their families and friends this year. There is NO doubt in my mind that the Mary Kay business is the answer to many of the headaches and heartaches my friends and customers face. I would not be able to do what I do nor provide what I can for my family if it were not from the personal growth, friendships, self-confidence, dreams, and money from my Mary Kay business. Be on the lookout for more of that this year.
3. Train and complete a full marathon. I thought graduate school was the ultimate mental test, yet it wasn't. I thought a half marathon was a HUGE mental obstacle to work through, it was challenging, but I did it. So moving forward, I think the full marathon will be a big test, and I'm sure it will be for that point in time. BUT, what I learned through all of these challenges is that my body and mind can do SO much more than I am willing to think it can.
4. Begin or end each day with spending time in the Word. There is so much I am thankful for, but I feel I have not yet realized the full power of the Lord in my life, and I need that.
5. Write a to-do list each day. Yes, that seems so trivial and small, but I know "focus" will help me realize what I am doing and spending my time on.
6. Start a family...there, I said it. This has been a hard one for me. I will spend more time on this emotional (for me) topic in coming posts, but I feel completely open to having a baby now, God willing.

With each of these goals, I have plans and systems in place on how to achieve them. Stay tuned for updates!

*~*What are some of your goals for 2013? Any areas you plan to focus on or tips on how to achieve the goals? *~*

Christmas Cookie Swap...

 I checked off another thing from my 101 list this past weekend. My sorority sisters, Pat and Kelsey, and I got together for a little Christmas Cookie Bake/Exchange. It was so much fun checking out Pat's new home, spending time baking, talking, eating, and reminiscing. I hope we do this every year!

P.S. My friends, coworkers and family have loved the cookies, girls! Yum!!

Pat's glass sugar cookies on the left and us girls on the right

Kelsey taking off her sugar kiss cookies to the wire rack. 

Kelsey's delicious toffee

Cut It Out...

While thinking about more of my 2013 fitness/wellness goals and reading more into eating right, I have made it a goal to cut out pop, for good. Call it what you want, soda, pop, Coke, whatever, but I feel it's going to eventually kill my teeth and other things in my body.



Pop has been on my "need" list each day since I have been in high school. There are periods where I drink very little during the day (half a can) to a full out Route 44 from Sonic. I know it's wrecking havoc on my body, not to mention the long-term effects of drinking this stuff for more than 10 years now. I don't drink regular pop, and I never have. Yet, the scary stuff that is in diet pop has finally made me scared enough to think of what I am doing to my body. I guess I care enough now to really want to cut it out.

Hold me accountable and ask how I'm doing.

Here's to better health in 2013!

Clean Eating 101...

I love finding success stories of people who have battled weight and then lost it, BIG TIME. Megan is one of those chicks who is a bonafide rock star for her weight loss journey. She continues to get stronger, and I love reading her blog. I am inspired to keep going on this health and wellness journey like her.

Megan from Miss Madison's Charmed Life blog

In her latest blog post, she wrote down her clean-eating list. I am consciously setting this as a goal in 2013 to get rid of the crap and get down to business of losing body fat. Two years ago when I started running, I quit buying all processed, frozen meals for dinners, which was a big step in the right direction. I am now working on lunches (ahem, the infamous Lean Cuisine and canned soups).

I menu-plan for a whole month at a time for dinner, which has made life so much easier and provides a real savings in our budget. I wouldn't be able to put some variety in there without Pinterest, though.

I would love to start incorporating some of Megan's tips from her list in my menu planning and lunches. With that said, I am not a fan of organic/natural foods, for the most part. There is a lot of hype surrounding it, and I know how hard our farmers work to produce our food that do not fall in either category. I am just fine with eating things on this list that are "normal". I am happy to say we LOVE using lean cuts of beef and deer burger for most of our recipes. Those are lean sources of protein so I'm good with those, too. I also would have a very hard time letting go of my milk. I use it in my protein shakes, and it is an excellent balance of good carbs/vitamins/protein after a workout and for breakfast. Other than that, I am working on buying more from the list.

Here is a sample of her list:


Oils

• sunflower oil

• coconut oil

• walnut oil

•  avocado oil

•  olive oil

•  grape seed oil 

•  pumpkin seed oil

Fatty Proteins

• avocado

• coconut

• nuts

• nut meal/flour 

• seeds 

• all natural peanut butter 

• salmon 

• bluefish

• trout

• mussels

Lean proteins

• most types of fish

• egg whites

• chicken breast

• extra lean ground turkey

• top round

• turkey

• pork chops

• game meat

• bison

• tofu

• shellfish

• scallops 

Sweeteners

• sugar free maple syrup use sparingly

• coconut sugar

• applesauce (no sugar added) 

• birch sugar Ideal(xylitol)

• Stevia in the Raw or Truvia

Dairy

• Unsweetened almond Milk

• Unsweetened rice milk

• Greek Yogurt

• Cottage Cheese 

Condiments

• Sauerkraut

• Kim Chee

• Tempeh

• Apple Cider Vinegar

• Balsamic or Raspberry Vinaigrette

• Red Wine Vinegar

• White Vinegar

• Rice Vinegar

• Ketchup Heinz Reduced Sugar or Wholefoods Organic

• Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce

• Reduced sodium Teriyaki sauce

• Salsa 

• Hot sauce 

• Steak sauce (low sugar)

• Chili Paste

• Herb Pastes  ginger, garlic, cilantro, etc

• Tomato paste

• Tomato sauce 

• Mustard Yellow or dijon

• Broth Low sodium fat free beef, vegetable, and chicken

• Worcestershire Sauce  no high fructose corn syrup

• Fat free cooking spray 

Carbs/Starches

• barley

• corn tortilla (Food for Life brand is best)

• Cream of Wheat/Rice or Rye

• Ezekial bread (made by Food for Life)

• lentils

• oats

• whole wheat pasta

• potato (white, only occasionally)

• brown rice

• rice cakes

• Sweet Potato

• Pinto

• Chickpea

• Kidney

• White Beans

• Black Beans

• Quinoa

• Couscous

Misc
*coffee, teas, all flours except white, spices, fruits and veggies.

Pretty big list, huh?!

*~*Anyone out there have other ideas for clean eating ingredients?*~*

Little Changes...

I made a few changes to my blog like I said I was going to do for my 101 list.

I have finally added a few pages about me and my fitness goals/journey so far. Check them out above and let me know what you think!

Those Bucket List Items...

to 

I don't really have an actual, written bucket list. Just things in my head I'd like to do in my lifetime.

One of those recent items is completing a full marathon. To begin the story, let me paint the picture for you when I was younger. 

I was THE slowest kid in our class when we first had to complete the 1-mile run in elementary school. I have no idea what my time was, but I remember vividly being the slowest. I don't mean to be incredibly mean, but I was by no means an overweight child; I was average. So it stung a little when I wasn't even as fast as those who weighed a lot more than me.

I went out for every sport in middle school just because that's what you do in a small town. I played volleyball, basketball, and ran/threw in track. I, again, was not very fast or good, but I slowly improved. We still had to do that presidential fitness test I loathed every year. By the end of 8th grade, I was usually about the 4th or 5th girl to finish in the 1-mile run. I placed the same in the 1-mile run in track meets too.

In high school, I didn't run my freshman year in track. I decided to go out for track in my sophomore and junior years. I tried running, but quickly realized I am by no means a "sprint" runner, but I also wasn't fast enough to really be competitive in the long distances. I threw javelin, discus and did long jump instead. We still had to "run" some during practice, but nothing too intense. I also knew I needed to stay healthy since I wasn't really in sports sophomore, junior and seniors years other than cheerleading and swimming. I took the weightlifting class. It was awesome to see myself improve in strength. Though I would question the approach of our teachers. It was always to lift more. Now that I know a few more things about weight training, I know that is not always the smart approach to fitness. I digress...we ran for 15 minutes every other day and then did core work, then weights. Great workout for an hour and a half, really! We still had our fitness tests. You had to run 2 miles in 15 minutes. I did that several times so I was proud of that. I came a long way since being the slowest girl in my class.

In college, I didn't really do much exercise during school. I walked, of course, everywhere so that was a lot of my workout. During the summers, I ran, rode my bike and walked a lot, too. The summer of my sophomore year I got serious about losing weight and making better choices. I ran almost every day and lost 45 lbs.

The story of today. My exercise habits have ebbed and flowed from the age of 19-24. There are months where I really get into it, and long periods I do nothing. When I became engaged, I knew I wanted to look my best so I began running. My sister-in-law coaxed me into the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving. It was hard....seriously. Looking back, I laugh at how easy the out and back, flat, 3-mile course is, but it was hard my first time. I didn't follow the training plan like I should have. It was also 16 degrees that day.

A lot has changed in 2 years (it'll be 2 years ago I ran my first 5k on Thanksgiving). I have since completed 20 or so 5Ks, two 10Ks, and two half marathons. I know to remain healthy and be the healthiest I can be before pregnancy, I have to run. I don't really enjoy it until I see the results or the feeling of completing the long run I have never done before or beating a time. But, I know it's good for me. So what's the next goal? Complete the 2013 OKC full marathon! Not sure what I'm really getting myself into, but I look back and think if you would have asked me two years ago if I ever thought of running 13.1 miles, I would have said, you're crazy. Now I am just fully crazy instead of half crazy, so cheers to 25 weeks of training!

More to come later on training and why the OKC race.

*~*What is on your bucket list? Have you done something you never thought you'd do? Please share in the comments!*~*

Happy National Running Day!

I got my run on early this morning with a 5K on our road. It was a beautiful morning with little humidity. I hope you all get to enjoy some time outdoors today and join in the celebration of National Running Day!

I've also added a little widget for tracking my miles so I am more accountable to someone other than me. I plan to run 3-4 days a week still, maintain my 10K stamina and start the 90-day Les Mills Pump workouts. Wish me luck!

Updates to 101 list...

I have a few updates for you from my 101 list plus a few other exciting things that have happened over the last couple of weeks!

1. Have not completed a blog post for each week this year, but I'm close!

11. I am this <----->; much closer to becoming a Team Leader in MK thanks to two lovely ladies joining my team in one week! Welcome Crystal (my cousin) and Katie (a friend from Hiawatha)! I cannot wait to see where your work and dreams take you in this company!

32. It wasn't exactly a production at the Robidoux Resident Theatre but I thought it was supposed to be there, so I'll let it count. Robin and I went to watch our friend Kasey in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang this weekend at the historic Missouri Theatre. It was a great production and so funny!


44. I am proud to say we now have four months of my salary built up in savings and have not even filed our taxes yet! I am more than excited to use our tax refund to pay off some student loans!

49. I contributed to the K-State Telefund this year and supported the College of Ag!

53. I did visit Derek and Christina last weekend while making a road trip to my best friend's wedding in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. It was amazing to see Joplin nine months after the tornado and still see the damage left. There has been a lot of progress, and they are just starting to break ground for the new hospital where Christina will work. I can't wait to go back in May to run the half marathon in honor of the day the tornado took 162 people from their families and friends. It will be an amazing day I'm sure! It was also nice to go down to visit Derek and Christina and have a little bonding time since we do not get to see each other all too often. The trip was a short getaway and fun to witness a new marriage full of second chances and new hope! So glad I could be a part of Julie and Nic's big day!


65. I also met with my one mentor here in St. Joseph for lunch last week and was so thankful to bounce ideas off of her related to our new campaign and event we are getting ready to launch here at work. I know the stress and work leading up to the events will pay off! I am also glad I have a friend who is that much more ahead of me in our line of work so I can ask her questions and get feedback on what I should do next.

68. I also am so thankful for how well my MK business has been going this year. I cannot wait to see where the end of the MK year goes, but I will be in Dallas celebrating another amazing year because of some very inspiring and lovely customers who make it all happen! I am so incredible thankful!

I think that is all for updates so far! I have a long ways to go...I'll be sure to keep you updated!

*Sorry there are no photos in this post for some reason blogger is not liking my photos today!

Have you ever had a real "raw" moment?

I am so thankful for Facebook. I feel like I am now closer to my family whom I rarely see. My great aunt Lois and her family live in Minnesota. I have only gone there once to visit them when I was in 5th grade, and I can still remember most of our vacation. It was wonderful, but one of my most favorite parts of the trip was visiting my cousins, Lori, Alan, Kendra and Kristin. We played soccer in their backyard and had a cookout. Lori is Lois and Maynard's daughter who married a professional soccer player, Alan. I remember thinking how cool is that, a professional athlete in our family?!

Fast forward a number of years, and the last time I saw all of them was at my grandparents' 50th wedding anniversary in Nebraska. I was so so so happy to see them all in addition to their new addition, Sam. What I didn't know was how much they were all going through at that time.

Fast forward a couple more years until late 2011, and again insert Facebook, I knew Lori had written a book called the "Story of Glory". I am so glad Lois sent me a copy. I put it one my list of nine books to read as part of my 101 in 505 challenge. It was the first book I read. I just finished it last night. I could have easily read it in a day if it not had been for the tears flowing down my face from parts of the book and realizing how little I knew of what as going on within my own family.

I am saddened from all the heartache and hurt that filled their family a few years ago from infidelity. It was truly one of the few "raw" moments of shock and pure emotion for me. Lori and Alan have always been such a beautiful, loving, funny couple and I just broke when I read Lori's story. Thank God for her faith and unrelenting pursuit of understanding His will, purpose and mercy for her life. As I start my own marriage, I pray that Todd grows to know God, seek Him and we can grow together. Alan and Lori's story fills my heart with such joy that they have overcome what seemingly would be the end of any marriage and on the other side triumphed to walk together in Christ. I pray that Todd and I can also do some of the same things such as attend bible study together, pray together and not just attend church and wonder if he really believes in the power of God. This book came at a good time for us, and I cannot wait to share the story with him.

Oh, and if you get the book, wait for the "chill factor" at the very end! What an awesome and mysterious God we have!

The Story of Glory is an amazing read for anyone struggling with a relationship, marriage or a walk in faith. My cousin Lori wrote the book, and I am so glad she was willing to put it all out there to help others.