Wacky Weather

Most people are aware that over the past weekend horrible weather made its way through several states, Arkansas and Tennessee were just two of the many states that were affected. The devastation these storms left behind is unbelievable: lives lost, people still missing, houses demolished and massive amounts of clean up that will take months to complete.

I needed a break from the heartbreak and thought these two videos might make you smile. I know they did me:) I hope they don't offend anyone.

The first video is CNN coverage of the aftermath of a tornado that hit Scottland, Arkansas:

The second video is of a Nashville weather man describing the direction of the storm. This video is not as much about what he is saying, but more about what you see on the TV:

(Again, I really hope this second video doesn't offend anybody!!!)

Run Forrest, Run

This past Saturday I ran the Country Music 1/2 Marathon. I have been training for this race with Team Niki G which consists of my boot camp instructor & four fellow boot campers. This was my very first 1/2 marathon. I still can not believe that I was able to run 13.1 miles without stopping, walking, fainting, or dying!

For me, the Marathon weekend really started on Friday night when my Dad & Brother surprised me by showing up in Nashville. Unknown to me, Mike had tried really hard to get family members to come for the weekend to surprise me and show support, but for certain reasons no one was going to be able to make it. I am so thankful my Dad & Brother were able to make the trip!

We all know you can't run a long race without carb loading, so once the guys made it to town we headed to Molinari's Italian Restaurant for dinner. YUMMY!

Saturday morning came early. I was up by 4:00am to prepare for the race and meet the rest of the team. The boys left the house around 6:30am and headed downtown to cheer me on. They picked a place on the course where they could see me twice, once around mile 5 and then a second time when I ran back by around mile 8. After I passed them at mile 8 they got in the car and headed to the finish line and waited for me to make the final turn at mile 13.

The weather was near perfect. It was a little warmer than I would have preferred, but that is where the cups of cold water came in handy. Luckily the storms held off until after all of our group was finished running.

Team Niki G (minus one of our team members) before the race.

MILE 5

MILE 8

MILE 13

Approaching the finish line!

I was VERY pleased with my time. My official chip time was 2 hours 24 minutes, but my actual time was 2 hours 21 minutes. The 3 minute difference is because my running buddy needed to make a pit stop, so I paused my stopwatch and waited for her. I wasn't too off from my goal time of 2 hours 15 minutes.

Post Race Pictures:

Mike had to join in:)

During the race my family saw several people wearing "odd" things while running. There were people wearing tutus, 2 guys running in full business suits, and 2 guys running barefoot...OUCH! The following man wins the award for "The Most Disturbing Outfit". We will just call him "Bunny Boy".

This is what was waiting for me on the kitchen table when I got home from the race. My sweet husband had left me a card and a sticker to put on the back of the 4-Runner to remind me of this accomplishment. Since he didn't know which one I would choose he just bought them all...what a smart man!

Now that the soreness has wore off I am ready to do it again!

Leisure Suits, Afros, & Disco Balls...Oh My!

This past Saturday night Mike & I were invited to attend a one of a kind 70's disco party. The party was thrown by fitness instructor extraordinaire, Niki G, to celebrate her birthday & the 1 year anniversary of her business, Niki G's Fitness.

Mike & I had a blast shopping in vintage stores to find the perfect look for the party. While we couldn't find disco-era clothes we did score some early 70's attire.

Of course we couldn't dress up without Mike having to act the part:

Party Time!

I had to include this picture! We kept saying this man looked like a combination of Howard Stern & Krusty the Clown!

What a fun night! Thanks Niki G for such a "groovy" party!

Happy Easter

Happy Easter...from a not so happy dog!

Now You See It, Now You Don't

I wish the title of the blog were accurate, but I guess it is close enough. I know some of you have been waiting on pins & needles for this post:) It is finally here...DUM, Dum, dum...my "Boot Camp 1 Year Anniversary Before & After Pictures". I can't believe that I am actually posting these pictures and results!

Before the total embarrassment begins we must have a serious moment. While I am totally reluctant to reveal these pictures, the reason for this post is to hopefully be an inspiration to others who struggle with their weight. Whether it is stress, laziness, illness, time crunch, whatever the reason, I am here to tell you it is so worth it to take time for yourself. I am not down to my goal weight yet, but I have come along way and made progress that I am more than happy with. The best part about my results is that I did it all natural. No pills or gimmicks, just exercise & diet!

3 Things I Love About Being in Better Shape:

1. I am finally to the point where I enjoy shopping again. I don't leave a department store teary-eyed and feeling more lousy than when I entered.

2. I have 100 times more energy than I had a year ago. In a few weeks I will be running my very first 1/2 marathon!

3. MY WEDDING RINGS FIT AGAIN!!!

So, here is what you all have been waiting for...

Summary- What I have lost & kept off in 1 year:

25lbs.

Chest= 5 1/4 inches

Waist= 5 1/4 inches

Hips= 5 inches

Biceps= 1 1/2 inches (each)

Thigh= 1/2 inch (each)

Calf= 1 inch (each)

I also have to add that I went down 4 dress sizes and 3 cup sizes!!!

I recently read an article in Runner's World Magazine that said "maintaining weight loss isn't any easier than loosing the weight in the first place." At first when I read this the statement was very daunting, but it just reminds me that this an ongoing struggle and I will have to stay on my toes.

I am so lucky to be surrounded by family & friends that are incredibly supportive. It is unbelievable what encouraging words can do for someone who is in the middle of a weight loss battle. Thanks again to all of you who have supported me. It really means a lot!

A Special Thanks To:

Niki G, fitness trainer Goddess, Without your boot camp program I would not have been able to reach this level of fitness!

Sherry Organ, my wonderful Mother-in-Law, You know what you did!

Mike, my sweet husband, I especially have to thank you for putting up with the 4:30am weekday alarm, the 6:15am Saturday alarm, and the financial support and permission for what turned out to be a not-so-cheap hobby:)

Books, Books, & More Books!

I love to read and I love to shop! It should be no surprise that one of the things I enjoy most is shopping for books to read:) So to help keep what could be a very expensive hobby a little more budget friendly I try to shop used book sales. I particularly enjoy shopping at the Nashville Public Library sales because I know the proceeds help an organization that betters our community.

This past weekend the Edmundson Pike Library had a book sale. For this particular sale, Mike tagged along...boy was that a mistake. I knew he wouldn't be interested in the adult fiction section, so before we get out of the car I told him where the non-fiction tables would be located. Once we got into the room we went our separate ways. After 5 minutes or so of looking I had pretty much scanned the fiction section and had made my selections. I looked around to spot Mike and found him waving me over to him. Once I get across the room I realized why he couldn't come to me, he had a huge stack of books set aside in the corner of the room. He had hit the jack-pot!

After doing a final sort of all the books we had found, here is our loot we came home with...

This is Mike's final purchase. All 12 of his books are business & finance books, with the exception of Alan Greenspan's autobiography, which I guess fits in the same category.

I was really excited about my purchases this time. In the adult fiction section I found 5 hardback books that all look brand new: 4 Jodi Picoult books & The Historian. In the non-fiction section I grabbed The diary of Anne Frank, A Walk in the Woods, and 3 Natural Alternative Home Remedies hardback books. The 3 remedies books alone would have retailed for a total of $79.00.

So, we bought 22 books for $35...13 Hardcover & 9 Paperbacks. What a deal!

So Happy Together!

March 29th marks 7 years of wedded bliss for Mike and me! It is hard to believe that 10 1/2 years ago we started dating, and 7 years ago this was us...

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!