Inspiring Me

Thanksgiving has become such a warm & fuzzy day for my family. We have adopted a new tradition that has held strong two years in a row now.

We call it our "Thankful Gift". It's similar to a secret santa, where we draw a name out of a hat and then we must give this person a gift that demonstrates what about them we are thankful for.

I was excited when I found out my dad had drawn my name.


He has been been one of my biggest supporters throughout my fitness journey (and all things in life I have taken on). He told me that he was proud of all the goals I have accomplished. He explained that he was proud of the way I have been telling others my story through my blogging and how it has blossomed into so much more than just a place to talk about my goals. My passion for fitness and goal setting has started a running group, gotten my brother into running and probably even influenced or inspired people through my fitness journey by blogging about it. He is proud of my excitement & inspiration.

He gave me this gift.


A mirror that was framed by wine corks. He said I have inspired others around me and he wanted me to see the inspiration in myself. A perfect gift indeed.

I then became full of tears.


I do try to take notice of my accomplishments, but more so in a way to gage progress. I have never actually thought about being inspired by my own self. I am so excited to look into the mirror and see me - a girl who only a year ago had low self esteem, couldn't run a mile without stopping, had stopped caring... but now a beautiful exciting passionate inspiring running marathoner-in-the-making spinning kickboxing blogging full of life woman.

I appreciate this gift because every time I look into the mirror I will be inspired by what I see.

Today I see the beginning of 30 days of Shredding! :)


I jumped out of bed at 6:30 am this morning and started Day #1 of the 30 Day Shred.

Day #1: I started on level 1 and plan to do this level for about a week. I was surprised at how hard this workout seemed this morning. I had visited the gym 4 days last week and was lifting over 15lbs in each hand - thinking 5 lbs today would be cake. OH NO it wasn't. It was hard.

My legs are STILL sore from the leg press last Friday, causing pain in my knees when I did certain exercises. But the key is consistency. I am building up my muscles & my endurance a little at a time.

I was not so excited to take my measurements & before photos last night, but I did it as inspiration. I can't wait to see the difference in my body in 30 days.

Happy Shredding, Holiday Bootie Bustering & Piling On the Miles (It has been extended one more month). This gives me a chance to redeem myself and reach my goal of 50 miles!

Finding Balance

Destination 26.2 started as a way for me to document my experience of training & finishing my first ever marathon. Along the way I have started to incorporate things I eat & drink and many random & interesting life moments as well. I don't want to fool anyone into thinking that this blog is going to be strictly about running & marathon training. At least not yet.

I am about 6 months away from intense marathon training so am taking the time now to learn to balance different things in my life. To learn the art of "everything in moderation" is a skill that I am working very hard at. I am not letting myself feel guilty or bad if I have a glass of wine or miss a workout - but I am also working on discipline and routine as these are going to be very important in the success of my future marathon.

I just felt the need to clarify things as I have felt my day to day entries have been more about food & life lately and less about running. I know that with the changing seasons the running will become more and more and the crazy wine tasting adventures fewer, until then... tis the season. Right?!


Today's adventures lead us to a wine tasting.


I vowed to take today off to recover from the gym as I am having trouble sitting & standing due to my intense leg workout yesterday. J. Alabama introduced me to squats & the leg press - both of which are awesome but very painful the day after.

My brother had heard about this great Wine Coop that was not too far away and wanted to check it out. It was $5.00 to taste 15 different wines from 3 different wine makers. These 3 wine makers are local and fairly new to the area.


We began our wine tasting adventures with the Cinder Wines. We tasted two wines (a Tempranillo & Viognier) both of which are not going to be bottled until next year or later. So these wines are still maturing and changing and left a bit up to the imagination.


We moved onto the Vale Inc wines which brought an interesting Malbec, Cabernet & Merlot. I am not a huge Merlot fan but found theirs to be rather good. I like a smooth finish, so found myself completely in love with the Malbec.
The Winemaker & Me











We did manage to taste all 15 but not without a slight wine buzz. It was a fun experience to learn about three winery's and about their different wines. Idaho is just starting to explode in the wine area and I am loving it!

I felt really proud of the workouts I have done this week and knew a little wine tasting was well deserved. I think it's okay to treat yourself every now & then. And sometimes I think my sweet tooth has been disguised as a sweet tongue... I just love wine, even more than chocolate.

5k Gobbler Run

Happy Turkey Day!

With lots of eats already down the hatch this morning and many more to come, I decided a run was definitely in order today. J. Alabama and I decided to do our own "5k Gobbler Run" this morning to get the blood flowing and to justify the latter part of our day.


Okay so we both look a little grumpy but that could do in part to our wondrous breakfast feast earlier this morning! We had a Thanksgiving Breakfast with his grandparents to start the day off right. Nothing liking eating a nice big breakie before eating another big meal.



But we did actually manage to bust out 3.5 miles in 31 minutes for our 5k Gobbler Run! This was a great time for me because I have been having foot issues and well I was FULL of breakfast. I am still not sure that I will reach my personal goal of 50 miles for the PILE ON THE MILES by tomorrow, but I am just happy as to how close I will come.

I just want to say that today I am grateful. I am grateful for so many things I don't even know where to start.

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!!

*****

Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge Points Earned this far:
Monday: 5.5
Tuesday: 0
Wednesday: 4
Today so far: 3.5

Keep up the good work fellow Bootie Busters! I am here cheering you on!!

Pumping Iron

In light of the HBBC & my new love of adventurously trying new exotic fruits & veggies, I chose the persimmon as my next victim.

Now this little fruit is all cute & cuddly...it looks so sweet just a like a little pumpkin.

But don't let it's sweet pumpkin looking exterior fool you.


This thing was not fun.


Not fun to peel off the skin around the fruit. (A must when eating this fruit).


Not fun trying to figure out what to do next after peeling.


Not fun when my taste buds actually went on their adventure.




I am sorry to report I am not a fan. It had a very vague melon taste but with lacking flavor and oomph. I wanted it to be sweet & succulent like the pomegranate. I wanted it to be juicy like the red pear. I wanted it to be something amazing. To my disappointment It was nothing but a nice addition to my compost bin. (I could only struggle through about half of it).


Here is something I am becoming a fan of.


I mentioned a few days ago that I really want to add strength training into my workout schedule. Well either the stars were aligned or the boyfriend has been reading my blog because on Sunday J. Alabama asked if I wanted to accompany him at the gym.

Now I have been the "spotter" on one other occasion, many many months ago. And don't think by being the spotter you get out of doing the work, J. Alabama doesn't mess around when he goes to the gym.

So Sunday & Monday I went to the gym to pump iron. This girl has not touched anything over five pounds since August and was a little hesitant that I was not going to be able to move this week due to our excruciating workouts.

The great thing about going with him is he encouraged me during every routine. He pushed me a little bit farther than I would have pushed myself. Okay, a lot harder - but that's what I really want. I wanted him to be my Bob & Jillian!

He had me dead lifting somewhere between 65-75 pounds. I was lifting a 30lb bar over my head. I was doing everything at a higher level but it was AWESOME!

I am glad to be able to share this activity with him and glad he is patient enough to deal with my whining over using 15 lb weights when I am used to using 8's. But the push is what's going to move me along faster. It's going to make me stronger.

I am still pumped to do the 30 Day Shred next month - though I might need to invest in something bigger than 5 lbs if I keep pumping the iron at this level.



Happy Thanksgiving Eve everyone!

An expensive reminder

I decided to go see the doctor yesterday. I have been having a pain in my right foot where the big toe bone connects to my foot, every time I run. I was starting to get worried that there was something really wrong - though it only hurts when I run.

I guess it's better to be safe than sorry they always say.

I was bracing myself for the worst.

Do I need surgery? Will I have to see a foot specialist?

Oh gosh... Will I be able to run again?

(These are not good thoughts for a marathoner wannabee)

So to make sure we covered all bases the doc suggested an x-ray. Even if surgery was needed, it would be better to do it now while I have ample time to heal. Ughh... I was dreading the news.

Well... He pulled out the x-rays and gave it a look over. He was mainly looking for a stress fracture. He didn't find one. He didn't find anything for that matter. Well, good news is you just have "bruised bone". The even better news, all you need is new running shoes.

Hmm... so I spent $$$ for doc to tell me I need to buy new running shoes? I guess I should of thought of that first. I am actually laughing now, but seriously.. I got x-rays!

Basically I was told to cut down my mileage for awhile just to assure that the problem heals itself and to gradually add the miles back on the new shoes. I wasn't too excited to hear this because I am merely 11 miles away from Pile On The Miles goal, but I think I can still get close.

So in the nature of Thanksgiving I would just like to say that I am truly greatful for my feet. I am greatful for their strength and for their speed. And I am thankful I don't need surgery!

What are you thankful for?

26.2 or Bust...

The magnet bandit was out on the loose this weekend. I came home to find this attached to my front door.

I was super excited when I saw this because it completely represents my goals. I had a suspicion on who I thought it was -none other than Paige! She is the one who got me into running several months ago. I decided to hang it on my fridge as a reminder of where I am going (destination 26.2 or bust).

Speaking of running... The Will Run For Wine running group had a meet-up on friday night. I mentioned last week that I had hoped both brothers could do it. Well I got one of out two, not bad! We were also joined by Brittany's husband Brent. It was invasion of the guys at WRFW running group. It was nice though to show them what us ladies have been up to.
(Linz, Bethany, Brittany, Brent, A-Bomb, Michelle)

After a nice 3.5 mile run through downtown Boise, we thought we deserved a beer. This was actually our first official WILL RUN FOR WINE BEER after run drink as a group. Due to the $3.00 pitchers we couldn't resist going for some beer.


Shortly after the WRFW group arrived, J-Bomb arrived and Brother Sister Brother Night was well on it's way! The night was a success. The siblings got to hang out and enjoy another Bronco Football massacre!


Goals... Goals.. Goals... I talk a lot about my goals which I think is important because then it becomes visual. When you write them down or spread the news you feel more likely to accomplish them because you are somewhat being held accountable. So I have decided to dub December "Shred it" month. I am going to start The 30-Day Shred on Sunday November 29th. I will take before & after measurements & photos as another way to document my journey and to keep myself going strong.

I am excited to jump into this challenge along with the Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge as a way to keep active through this holiday season. It seems that these times are the hardest for me due to an increase in holiday feasting. I feel that if I am keeping up a regular exercise routine, a few extra treats are not going to ruin the progress I have made.

So "Happy Shredding" & "Happy Bootie Bustering"!!

Brother Sister Brother Night

First of all, I am super excited to announce that J-Bomb my older brother has moved back to Boise this week!



He has been living in Pennsylvania for many many years and just got a job back here in Potato Land. I'm am excited to have him back here so us siblings can hang out together.

Tonight is going to be "Brother Sister Brother Night". I can only imagine the kind of trouble we are going to get into when Twin Powers & J-Bomb are out on the town. But you can be sure that whatever the mischief, I will have a full report tomorrow, unless I'm in jail. Just kidding....


Right now I'm trying to convince both of them to join up with "The Will Run For Wine" running group tonight. The Men:Ladies ratio is non-existent so they have good odds. Plus it would be fun to give them a glimpse into what I have been up to these last few months. See if the boys can hang with the girls. I will let you know if they join up.

Then we will be watching the Boise State vs Utah football game. I am a HUGE fan of BSU f-ball and we gotta keep up the winning streak. Go Broncos!


****

I'm feeling super sore today. I (literally) hit up the Body Combat class last night at the gym. It was a bit more intense this time but amazing as usual! I love love love this class because I feel like I am getting an overall body workout. My arms, legs, core... it's all sorts of sore today. It's that good sore though. The kind that reminds you that you did something last night and gives you the urge to do it all over again.

I find that I more motivated by a group setting. Whether it be group exercise classes, the running group, races, etc. I am trying to find inspiration to bust out of my comfort zone and do some more challenging stuff on my own. I would like to incorporate more strength training routines into my workouts - but still feel clueless. Right now there is no strength training whatsoever in my routines. :( I have heard that not only will strength training help in weight loss but it can actually help shave off time when running. Stronger muscles = fast runs?! Count me in.

I think I am going to make another attempt at the 30-day shred and really do it for 30 days. Let me know if anyone else wants to Shred it up in December with me. :)

Pinkies Up

This lovely red pear was the fruit of the day!

I have been trying to buy new fruits & veggies when I go grocery shopping as a way to incorporate them into my diet. I can remember back to a few months ago when I would go days without eating fruits and/or veggies and not even think twice about it.

But what I have come to discover is the amazing powers they hold. Oh yes, super fruit & veggies powers! I feel naturally energized, my mood is happier, not to mention the many health benefits.

I have to say it all started with the Green Monster. A great morning breakfast infused with spinach & banana goodness. Sounds disgusting but it has changed my life. Since drinking those & incorporating the fruits & vegs into my daily routine I get the urge to run all the time!

The Will Run For Wine group had it's first meet-up since last weds. Far too long I say! We picked a new route last night and decided to give it a try. We were lucky that Nicole has her head lamp because we followed the green belt deep into the darkness. It had an a eerie feeling & was hard to navigate with just one head lamp. I do not recommend this type of adventure. Good thing there were 6 of us and I know some sweet kickboxing moves - noone was going to mess with the Wine Runners. We managed to bust out 4 miles along our adventure. We will save this route for a weekend or summer time, since it is beautiful during the day, but night time it's far too secluded and dark.

After the run J. Alabama & I decided on having Sushi night. It has been way too long since our last sushi session and let me tell you it hit the spot.

In the nature of trying new things we ordered Sake. (Well there was that one time I engaged in the Saki-Bomb-a-thon, but I was also doing an extensive wine tasting & don't quite remember if I liked it or not).


I think I heart the little cups. Oh and I couldn't fight the feeling of not doing the pinkie up. I know, I know... I had to!


My sushi was good.


But J. Alabama's was WAY better! Look at all the goodies on top.


Good thing he likes to share with me. He is so nice!! :)

My next post will be starring a new special character - one that you will see popping up over here a lot more often. Stay tuned! And I am excited for those of you who are signed up for the HBBC!

A Marathoner's Mind

This is what I saw when I walked out my front door this morning.


To think I am usually still in bed at that hour and missing so much beauty outside. That makes me want to get up earlier just to take in the views. I had to run a conference for work this morning so my day started WAY earlier than usual. But the sunrise put an instant smile on my face - great way to start the day!


Funny thing about today actually... So you may have read the Margarita Mishap from a few days ago. Well after the conference adjourned I was asked to help host the dinner for the conference attendees. I was trying to fight it, but the Mexican Mesa of deliciousness was the dinner destination of choice. The inner struggle over margaritas n'more was instantly in the back of my mind.

The thing I realized today was that I am over the guilt. Over the worrying about every-little-thing. Over the stress I have caused in my own brain by freaking out over dumb things like drinking one margarita. It's not worth it. I have heard this on several occasions, but was reminded this recently, that sometimes just being stressed out over feeling guilty can actually cause weight gain. It freaks your body out and then it rebels. Ha ha.. I am not about to let my body engage in some war against my brain.

So I held strong and didn't order a margarita. It was just that easy. I didn't stress out about it, or cry about it, or make up some lame excuse why I couldn't be at the restaurant. I did decide that this was not something that I really even wanted. I can be strong and I will achieve my goals. And let me tell you, if I wanted a margarita I would have had one (just one). But that's just it, the urge was gone. I think I had just physched myself out the other day.

I realized though that it is all on how you think about it. I was purusing through Kara's blog the other day and she is starting to live in the after. She will explain there is her before, during & after parts to her journey and what a better way to be in the after then by just doing it. How this relates to me is as the marathon runner in training I need to start treating myself as if I already am a marathoner. I don't actually start training until next summer, but the months leading up are going to determine how well I do and I how feel in the future. I need to put myself into the mindset of what would a marthoner do? So I have to start now by treating my body well and giving it good nurishment and encouragment. It's part physical & part mental. Whew! I am ready for this challenge.

And this one, ...... The Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge
Since I am a girl who likes challenges I couldn't help but sign up for the Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge. You are awarded a point/s for every physical activity you particpate in from November 23 - Jan 8th. Just the perfect thing to get me through the crazy holidays. Let me know if you sign up too so we can cheer eachother on.

Also- Thank you all for your awesome tips on the treadmill. Me and "the mill" are going to be bff's this winter so I will let you know how the tips work out for me.

Pumpkin Love

Yes I love EVERYTHING pumpkin.

Last night I got super motivated and made pumpkin muffins. I have been dreaming about them for weeks now & finally had my chance. It kind of seems that I have been on a cooking craze lately, but I am seeming to enjoy it.

I was SO excited to pair my lovely pumpkin muffin up with my new breakfast creation of The Pumpkin Monster!

What's in my DELICIOUS Pumpkin Monster you ask? Well, here it is:
*1/2 banana
*1/2 cup pumpkin
*1 cup of Almond Milk (original flavor)
*1/2 scoop of protein powder
*2 huge handfuls of spinach
*1/4 tsp pumpkin spice
*3 ice cubes

So throw it all in the blender and you have yourself a delicious nutritious pumpkin pie shake!

So I wonder if any of you have the problem I have with the treadmill? It's a love/hate relationship really. I am glad to have it for those days when it's blustering cold or dark out & I still want to get some miles in, but once I am there I am so wishing I could be running freely outside - just my feet against the pavement.

I just feel like I run slower, more awkward & the time seems soooooooooooooooo much longer. Arrggh!

The Will Run For Wine Group did not meet up last night so I made my way to the gym to pile on the miles myself. I was actually excited until I started running and saw that I was pacing way slower than normal, I needed to take a lot of walking breaks and I just couldn't get into the rythym.

I managed to bust out 4 miles in 48 minutes. This was due to a lot of walking breaks. And my speed ranged from 4.5 - 6.2, I was all over the place.

If anyone has tips for making the treamill more exciting & easier PLEASE let me know!

After a non-exciting run I made it home for dinner with the boyfriend. I was excited because I made Artichokes. So yum!

I am trying to incorporate new fruits & veggies into my daily routine, so you may see many more popping up over here. I think part of the marathon journey for me is to learn the balance of running & being healthy. So I am trying to make a concious effort to do both well.

Raking Snow

Some days you just need to write yourself an Operation Beautiful note.

I am choosing to look at myself in a whole new way. I am no longer going to let the number on my scale define how I look & feel. I have been letting it rule my life for the past years and it has made me nothing but unhappy. So I am leaving that note attached to my scale as a reminder that I am beautiful - no matter what!

You should try it - it's very liberating. I know some of you have sworn off scales completely and that inspired me to look at mine in a whole new way.

Speaking of feel good moments... I just love doing something good for others. I have been giving back to my community since I was very young. And know there is always more that can be done. So every opportunity I get I try to give back.

Yesterday I joined up with Tracy (my roommate from when I studied abroad in Italy) and a group of her friends to "Rake Up Boise". Rake Up Boise is an annual event where you and friends form teams and get assigned houses to rake leaves for the elderly & disabled.

It was nice surprise to wake up early Saturday morning to find a blanket of fresh snow on top of the ground. How our leave raking adventures were going to go, no one really knew. We decided to just show up at our first house and see what we could accomplish.
I recruited my best friend Maria to join in the fun!


Our first house comprised of us literally raking snow until we formed little piles of snow & leaves. It was quite successful actually and our raking army was able to rake & bag the leaves from the front & back yard in less than 30 mins.


Team Rakes-A-Lot Coordinator Tracy is in the middle with the pile of leaves in her arms.

We moved on to house number two. The elderly lady in house number two was so impressed by our groups efforts, she came out of her house as we had nearly finished to thank us. I was practically in tears as she talked. She explained that her & her husband both had severe heart problems and we were helping her out tremendously by doing this. She then asked our group if we would be willing to head next door and rake her neighbors yard - as she was a single elderly woman with failing health too.

Without even thinking about it our whole group went straight for the back gate and began feverishly raking. This yard by far had the most leaves of all 4 houses we raked that day. But the look on the woman's face was priceless. She was taken aback by our generous help, as she hadn't even asked for it.

It was so touching to be able to do this for someone else who truly needed it. *tear* I can't even write about it without almost crying. I think that is what is so great about this time of year, so many opportunities to help others and give back to your community.

I would like to try and commit to some kind of Community Service project each month. Even if it's on a small scale.

Giving back & helping others is such a precious gift.

Drinking water from the jar

Funky Friday it was. This whole week has been an up & down week for me. I have had breakthrough moments and slumps, and today had exactly both.

A lunch time surprise. My mom called and wanted to go on a lunch date. It was exactly what I needed today as I had a case of the funky fridays.

We decided to venture into The Big City Coffee Shop as we were starving! It was either that or Donnie Mac's Trailer Park Cuisine. I am laughing as I type this, because it sounds bad, so we decided to steer clear!


My mom is a very organic health wise person. So I can appreciate a good meal with her because I know I am going to get something healthy and Delicious. We started by ordering waters. As J. Alabama always says "Dehydration is a soldiers worst enemy". So to that I say, Bottoms up!

They served our waters in these huge mason jars. It was really awesome actually.

Then we decided to split a turkey, cream cheese, avocado & sprouts sammie. Little did we know it was going to be a mile high and loaded with chips & salsa.
But oh so delish!

And who couldn't resist a bowl of tomato basil ravioli soup? We surely couldn't so split a bowl of that too. Mmmm... that hit the spot for sure!

Lunch date = awesomeness! Thanks mom, I needed a nutritious meal.

But my guilt has set in. It's what I am referring to as the funky Friday. I had an invitation to go after work to have margaritas. I really wanted to go. But I feel as though I have had such a bad week food wise, (with the exception of Fun w/ Fruits Night), that I couldn't put myself through the agony of more chips & salsa, margaritas and who knows what else.

I am the type of person who doesn't buy bad tempting foods, because they will get devoured quickly. I found that I can only resist temptation when it's not staring me in the face. When temptation is right in front of me, it's a slow struggle and I usually give in.

I also had the guilt of not working out today. I planned to get up and go to a bodypump class this morning. Even the boyfriend was up and out of bed at 5:30 am. But I didn't even budge. And this is after I encouraged Gina at Looking Forward that it's just that easy. Ha! I feel your inner struggle. I re-set my alarm to a more decent hour, and closed my eyes like nothing ever happened. This pretty much set the mood for the day. I felt better after my lunch date and even half way decided to go and only have one margarita. But there were cookies & chocolate in the office that I have failed to mention. These tasty treats managed to maneuver their ways into my mouth. This solidified to me that margaritas and more were going to further take me backwards in my journey.

Drinking a margarita (this is saying I would have self control and only have the one), still would have inhibited me from going to the gym later, therefore turning into a double negative for me.

So I made the decision that I am going to the gym. I am doing it right this minute. Right now before I make up any more excuses or waste any more time. I did not go to margarita night, so I better make up for it by killing it on the treadmill.

My ultimate goal is to run a marathon, which why I started this blog. But along the way I want to live a healthy & active life. I want to get my body to a place where I feel comfortable and happy. I just realized that every choice can determine how quickly I get to my goal.

So off to the gym I go!

If the dress fits...then I'm wearing it!

I was invited to go to a wedding tomorrow and am going with one of my best friends. My brother!

We are twins and we have super powers (kind of like the Power Rangers) that only seem to activate when we are hanging out together. And super powers being such that we are hilarious & really awesome!



So just recently my brother has taken an interest in running. I have taken huge steps in my fitness journey and have not been there as a loyal wine partner, which has caused our hanging out time to decrease. So he wanted to start running to get into better health and as a brother/sister activity we could do together.

Of course I was stoked! YAY another running partner. So we got him some running shoes (the $$$ ones). You can't let a pair of expensive running shoes just stare at you, they stare into your soul saying "Take me on a run, or you just wasted good beer money".


So on monday we had a good run him & I. He wanted to show me his normal running route so I could map out the distance on my NikePlus. He has his route that he does without me and I am super proud of his motivation. I was not motivated to run by myself when I first started.


Which brings me back to the fact that him & I are going to a wedding tomorrow. What to wear, What to wear?? I was having a mental freakout because I didn't feel like buying a new dress for this occasion and have wore all the others over the summer to the various weddings then. What's a girl to do?

Then it dawned on me, my bridesmaid dress. Yes. I had the honor of being a bridesmaid in my friend Hannah's wedding in 2006. Yep that dress has not been on my body since then, for obvious reasons.

I pulled it out just for fun.

It's probably not going to fit, it hasn't fit since 2006.

But let's just give it a good try.


:) All I can say is I am FINALLY seeing real changes. I am so excited to wear this dress again. And so happy at how it makes me feel!

Watch out world, twin powers will be out tomorrow and we will be looking fabulous!