It's GO time

I officially have 4 weeks till Texas. I'm feeling the pressure. It's the last stretch of the race, so I have to step it up! I made my goal of 30 miles for May (thanks Ashley), but now I have to run even longer and do Abs EVERY DAY. It's also time to really stick to my calorie count and eating right.

This next week is going to be a challenge. I'll be in California visiting my brother and also at a work conference. I have work out videos on my iPad ready to go. I'm determined to go running at the hotel gym in the morning and I'm forcing my brother to do activities that can also count as workouts. So far on the list, bike riding along the beach and kayaking in the bay. Also at the conference I'll be walking around A LOT, but I have to make sure my dinners and lunches are healthy. It's California, so it's possible. Traveling and keeping your workout/diet routine is hard, but if others can do it, I can as well.

For June, my miles have been increased to 35 for the month. I need to add a bit of a arm workout a few nights a week as well. Now if the sun would just come out, it would make things easier.

Here comes the final stretch! I'm determined to make it.

Why I Run

I've been slacking on my posts because I've been slacking on my routine. These last two days I ate horrible food and didn't work out as well. Of course now it's the 3 day weekend and I'm heading out of town. I am however brining my running gear. I'm heading out to Cathlamet to stay at my grandpa's.

It's probably there where I developed my love-hate relationship with running. The summer between my freshmen and sophomore year in college I went to stay with my grandma who was in the process of being treated for cancer. My grandpa was in Alaska taking a much needed break. That summer was one of the hardest moments of my life. I had to watch someone I loved more than anything become a person I barely knew (the chemo was causing horrible side effects). My grandparent's place is in a very remote area, there are barely any neighbors and the nearest grocery store is 30min away. I had no friends nearby and of course no internet or cell phone reception. It was difficult. It was that summer I began to run. Every morning I would get up, check on my grandma, grab my discman (that's right, it was before iPods) and go running. I would run along a remote country road. Either side was line by forests and you would never see any signs of another human being. It was on those runs I would let my emotions and hardships go. It was my way of starting the day fresh and ready to deal with whatever was going to happen. It was because of those runs that I was able to make it through that summer.

Tomorrow it will be 5 years since my grandma passed away and it's still painful. I miss her so much. I know tomorrow morning that I'll get up and run that country road which was my escape. I'll run to where we laid her ashes and say a prayer of gratitude that I was so incredibly lucky to have her in my life. This time when I run, it's not to escape the pain, but to celebrate a life.

Driven by Technology

I've sadly realized that without technology, I would not be as inclined to workout. Heaven forbid I leave the house without my iPhone. In fact, I probably wouldn't do a run without it. My iPhone contains the most essential part of my run...the playlist. My music keeps me going. It's my escape from whatever is going on that day and I run just to hear what song will pop up next. Also important is my Runkeeper app (http://runkeeper.com) It keeps track of all  my runs, times, and routes that I've been on. It lets me know how much I've ran each month and gives me cool rewards for each achievement I do. Another cool feature on it is my street team. It allows me to run with friends thousands of miles away.  I can compete with others to see how many miles they've run, etc. (Ashley if you are reading this...I only have 10 miles left for this month!!)

It's technology that drives my run and appeals to my need for music and competition. Without it, I wouldn't be able to do as much.

Bikini Purchased!

Sunday I went online and bought my soon to be infamous bikini! I purchased it from the site Athleta (http://athleta.gap.com) because they specialize in bikini tops for those of us in the D cup range :). It's super cute, but a little pricey. Now that a sexy new bikini is being shipped my way, I have the motivation to step it up even more. I would hate to see my hard earned money go to waste. After I receive it, it'll hang visible in my closet as a daily reminder for what I'm working for.

My goal date is July 1st because that is when I fly off to Austin, TX for 9 sun filled days. If you've ever been to Austin, you know the less clothes the better because it is H-O-T. Austin is a place for cute little shorts, tank tops, sun dresses and spending about 40% of your time by water. Plus have you seen the guys in Texas? That's motivating enough!!

With Austin hot on my heels that leaves about 6 weeks left, which is not long at all. But today I did have a boost of confidence that I'm doing something right. Every Monday morning I weigh myself and since last week I've lost 2lbs! 2lbs may not seem like a lot to you, but according to my previous (free-session) personal trainer, I'm currently at the point in my fitness routine, that I will probably only lose 5-10lbs a month at the most. This is if I do it the healthy way. Of course I could take more drastic measures to lose even more weight, but I like my liver, kidney, and healthy skin glow as it is. So 2lbs in a week is a YES!!!!!! It's wonderful to see results and to be proud of yourself for getting it right.

Tonight's workout agenda: 3 mile run and Jillian Michael's Abs. Which is getting easier to do. I no longer collapse on my floor in the middle of the routine gasping for oxygen....(I only do that at the end now)

Enjoy your Monday and hopefully next week, I can tell you that I've knocked off another pound or so and I'll post pics of the bikini once it comes in.

Sun Breaks

After having 5 gorgeous days of sunny weather, it's hard to find the motivation to run on these cloudy (and could be raining) days. Right now I'm dressed in my running gear, looking out my window, waiting for a sun break. When the sun is out, I run longer, harder, and enjoy it more. It might be because us Northwest residents don't take these sunny days for granted. We take full advantage of the sun rays.
Unfortunately living here, if I want to get into bikini shape, I have to tough it out and run no matter what the weather. If it's pouring, then I need to do the treadmill. If it's a light rain, bring my running jacket. Just like in life you  can't wait for the perfect circumstances to do something. No excuses! Just do it or you'll never see results.

So here's to my run in crummy weather and the things we do to get results :)

Ab-solutely

First off: I ran this morning and it was fantastic!!! I loved it. Although I noticed my times are slower, it's definitely the right way to start my day. Hopefully this become a consecutive behavior then turn into a habit.

Tonight I start Jillian Michaels 6 week- 6 pack. I know my abs  muscles are somewhat weak (I've never been able to do a full sit up in my life) and..... I think Jillian Michaels just dropped a F-bomb because I said that.

But hopefully this workout DVD will do it's magic like the 30 day shred did. Jillian Michaels does have a gift. 20 min of intense workouts that get you into shape. I love it because she's such a hard ass when it comes to these things. I've never seen Biggest Loser, but I heard she makes people cry and I kinda like that. Even through the TV screen I feel if I slack off she'll bust through and starting yelling at me. Fear is a motivation people.

We all know that it's the abs that make the bikini. They become the focal point of any beach trip..unless you go to a nude beach then other things probably come into view first. So here's to abs that rock. Gwen Stefani watch out, I'm giving you a run for your money.

Friends are Evil....

They give you cupcakes and doughnuts..then make you feel guilty if you say no. I need the will power to say no or find friends who only eat carrots and almonds. :)

Mornings are hopeless

Every night I lay out my work out clothes on the edge of my bed, I fill my water bottle and have my iPod ready to go by the door. Every night I tell myself tomorrow morning I'll get up and go for a run. Every morning I wake up when my alarm goes off and..... I roll over to start fighting internally with myself. It's quite the vicious cycle. Those 20 min I'm arguing with myself I could be running, starting the day right, but sadly I stay comfortable in my bed. My evil side wins and I snuggle down for another 20min before getting up for the day. 

I honestly don't know why it's so hard for me to get up every morning. The fact I would rather argue with myself in the comforts of a down blanket then just get my lazy bootie up for a run is beyond me. Research shows it takes almost 3 months of consecutive behavior to create a habit. For the past year I've been trying to get myself to start the consecutive behavior. 

I know running in the morning would be more convenient for me. I try and run most evenings, but that is when life happens. I love the idea of having the morning to myself to be able to clear my thoughts and run. 

For those who have the motivation to run in the morning, what is your secret? I've tried everything, but my body refuses to believe the running at 7am or 8am is worth it. (and I know...even more sad because 7am in the morning is not that early)

So in keeping with my goal and pushing myself beyond my usual limits, I'm going to try and run at least 2x this week in the morning. Make sure to ask me if I did. 

Crossing the Finish Line

For those who have ever finished a race, your most glorious moment is crossing the finish line. It's done, over. All those months of preparation and sacrifice paid off for that millisecond of crossing a line someone deemed to be the end. After the adrenaline has worn off and you catch your breath, do you find yourself asking, "was it worth it?"

I'm not perfect and know I'm not destined to be the next Victoria Secret Model (although the freebies would be awesome!!!). I would say I'm fine with my body. Just how your automatic response to, "How are you doing?"  is "fine." You say fine because you don't want to put the extra effort in coming up with a better or more honest response. But because of not putting more effort into it, my workout routines and dieting change constantly.  I've been a crazy runner doing 42 miles in one month and the next nada. I've quit drinking pop for 3 months and then go back to having two cans a day for the next 6. It all evens out, so that my body  and my eating habits are fine. But every summer comes around and I wish (like most women) that my body wouldn't be just fine...but that it would be bikini fine.

If you know my friends,  you can see where my motivation comes from. Every summer they are confident enough to wear that bikini. Some would be the first to say  they shouldn't wear it...but they do and they look good!!!!! I mean really good! They tell me to join them. To put on one of the three bikini's I've bought under peer pressure and every summer I fail. I can never cross the finish line.

Of course this is much more than wearing a bikini, but the bikini represents my goal. My goal is to cease quitting before I reach the finish line. This summer I'm going to go all the way and cross it!! Like I mentioned above, I workout and sometimes eat right, but it's my own fault that I've never pushed myself to do more. This summer I'm putting in the prep and sacrifice and I'm going beyond my comfort zone because I know I'm capable of doing more. These next few weeks I'll be sharing my humorous and let's face it, could be disastrous, story. :)

I hope you enjoy my race towards the finish line and when it happens, we can all celebrate in our bikinis (and I'm hoping it will be worth it!)