I have seen a ton of bloggers doing a year in reveiw post of 2011. I have not done this in the past, at least not for the whole year. It was kind of neat to look back at what all I did this year. I am going to share with you some high lights from each month this year. Each of these high lights has been blogged about but I won't share the links. However, if you want to read back just go to that month's archives and the posts will be there for you. :)
January - I weighed in around 168-170. I suffered a nice case of bronchitis and a raging ear infection that side lined me for a few days. I registered for my first half marathon. My longest run was 8 miles (1:34).
February - I hit double digit miles. 10 miles (1:54) which was ran on Valentine's Day with my honey. I turned 32 and celebrated with my husband by running on a cold winter's day through beautiful Cades Cove.
March - my training for the half marathon came to an end. I did some volunteer work for a couple of races including the half marathon.
April - I became a half marathoner by running the Covenant Health Knoxville Half Marathon (2:28:09). I also took my very first spin class and loved it.
May - I took a face plant into the pavement one Sunday afternoon while my husband and I were out trying to get in a long run.
June - I celebrated National Running Day with a killer 5 miler. I failed at eating the Paleo way by gaining 6 lbs. We went on vacation to the beach where I did some great running and rode bikes everywhere we went.
July - I ran my first 10k with 59,999 of my closest running firends. Peachtree Road Race on July 4th (1:10:09). I also learned to LOVE the tempo run.
August - I registered for my 2nd half marathon. I was still weighing in at 168 and frustrated. I ran a 5k with a friend and PR'd at 31:05. I had a scary late evening 10 mile run that involved a snake, naked man in the woods and 2 crazy teenage boys on bikes.
September - I ran a lovely 11 mile run in Cades Cove with the Fleet Feet group and my awesome friend, Terri. I met O'Neal Hampton from the Biggest Loser and a trainer who has trained some great BL contestants when my friend opened a new gym in her city. The best part of Sept was starting running the long runs with my husband again.
October - I ran my 2nd half marathon with a friend in Atlanta, GA (2:23:05). I also registered and ran my 3rd half marathon. My husband and I dressed as Batman and Batgirl for a Haunted Half (2:19:43).
November - I started my gym's Maintain Don't Gain holiday challenge weighing 168. I ran a 4 miler out of state while visiting family and each mile was 9:33 pace or less! I ran my 2nd 10k on Thanksgiving Day (1:00:14) coming in just 15 seconds slower than the goal I had hoped for.
December - I decided to start loving myself and appreciating all the hard work that has gotten me to where I am today. I realized if I push myself hard enough I can actually even break the 9 min/mile pace, at least on the short runs.
In short I lost about 10 pounds (my current weight is 158).
I ran 6 races. 3 half marathons, 2 10ks and 1 5k. And finally see how much my hard work is paying off.
2011 was a great year for me but I know that 2012 is going to be better. I'm going to work just as hard if not harder in 2012 to meet all of my goals. A list of those goals is coming up in the next couple of days. And as always, thank you for being there and seeing me through my many milestones in 2011. I hope you will stick around to see what 2012 has to bring. YOU too can achieve great things.... believe and chase the dream.
Friday, December 30, 2011
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Inspiration - Where I get it.
I polled some "friends" about ideas for blogging. One of the first comments was something along the line of where inspiration comes from when you feel like giving up or quitting. This topic is interesting enough to me because I have been on this whole weight loss/running journey for almost 3 years.
In the beginning this thing was hard. I drew inspiration from other runners, bloggers and the changing number on the scale. It was easy to stay focused with weight loss by seeing my weight go down. Running was hard though. At 237 lbs a woman just shouldn't be running, ya know. But I did. And as I lost weight and the more I ran the easier it got. That was motivation and inspiration enough to keep going. Were there days that I wanted to throw in the towel and just be done? Yes, but I never did. At least not this go round. I had in the past done that but something changed in 2009.
The more I went, the more I wanted to go. Somewhere along the way it became more than a habit and even more than a way of life. It became something I enjoyed, a hobby maybe. The running, that is. The better I become with my running...faster, more miles...the more I want to keep going, to keep improving.
The weight loss, healthy food thing, it isn't easy. It wasn't easy at first and even now it isn't easy. I struggle daily and always have. What I have learned is that I won't deprive myself. Depriving myself of anything I love makes this whole thing feel a lot less like a lifestyle and more like a diet. I don't do diets. If I can't fit it into my day somehow then I don't have it, but mostly I work it in and that means it's a lifestyle. Repetitive? Maybe. ;)
The times that I have felt like giving in usually my hubby is there to push me, to remind me that I've come a long way or too far to stop. Quitting is a sign of weakness and I don't want to be weak.
When I'm alone I struggle. I question why I am doing this.. the running, the healthy life, trying to lose weight. Then I remember my kids... THEY inspire me. What kid doesn't want a mom that will always be around? I think about that. I think about how I am able to run and play with them, get in the floor and wrestle, and take the stairs instead of an elevator with them and not be winded. The old mom couldn't do that. THAT is inspiring.
Friends. Friends who notice my weight loss and say that I am their inspiration for making changes in their own well being. Whether that be with losing weight or running. It thrills me as a runner (yes, I call myself that) when other people ask for tips on running or ask for advice on where to start, how to get faster and various other questions. It makes me feel good knowing I've made a change that is recognizable and that those around me take an interest.
Tell me I can't. If you tell me I can't that's going to motivate and inspire me to work harder and prove that I CAN.
YOU! Yes you, reading this... YOU inspire me. It's because of you that I keep going. I don't want to fail. That's my biggest fear. Failure. SO, if I come here or DailyMile, MFP or Facebook and log my workouts or say I am going to get up at 5am and take my butt to the gym.. I'm going to do it. FOR YOU! I don't want you to see me fail. It motivates me to keep going.
At this point in my journey the very last thing I want to do is quit. When you think about quitting or giving up, don't. Remind yourself about how far you have come.. even if it is only the first step out the door for a run, the gym or whatever.. it's the first step to doing something great for yourself. Even if you only see an ounce of a loss on the scale or even a gain, don't give up. Keep going because the end reward from pressing forward and going for the goal is so much more worth the pain of quitting. Keep your head high, look yourself in the mirror and tell yourself that you are worth the pain, sweat and tears.
In the beginning this thing was hard. I drew inspiration from other runners, bloggers and the changing number on the scale. It was easy to stay focused with weight loss by seeing my weight go down. Running was hard though. At 237 lbs a woman just shouldn't be running, ya know. But I did. And as I lost weight and the more I ran the easier it got. That was motivation and inspiration enough to keep going. Were there days that I wanted to throw in the towel and just be done? Yes, but I never did. At least not this go round. I had in the past done that but something changed in 2009.
The more I went, the more I wanted to go. Somewhere along the way it became more than a habit and even more than a way of life. It became something I enjoyed, a hobby maybe. The running, that is. The better I become with my running...faster, more miles...the more I want to keep going, to keep improving.
The weight loss, healthy food thing, it isn't easy. It wasn't easy at first and even now it isn't easy. I struggle daily and always have. What I have learned is that I won't deprive myself. Depriving myself of anything I love makes this whole thing feel a lot less like a lifestyle and more like a diet. I don't do diets. If I can't fit it into my day somehow then I don't have it, but mostly I work it in and that means it's a lifestyle. Repetitive? Maybe. ;)
The times that I have felt like giving in usually my hubby is there to push me, to remind me that I've come a long way or too far to stop. Quitting is a sign of weakness and I don't want to be weak.
When I'm alone I struggle. I question why I am doing this.. the running, the healthy life, trying to lose weight. Then I remember my kids... THEY inspire me. What kid doesn't want a mom that will always be around? I think about that. I think about how I am able to run and play with them, get in the floor and wrestle, and take the stairs instead of an elevator with them and not be winded. The old mom couldn't do that. THAT is inspiring.
Friends. Friends who notice my weight loss and say that I am their inspiration for making changes in their own well being. Whether that be with losing weight or running. It thrills me as a runner (yes, I call myself that) when other people ask for tips on running or ask for advice on where to start, how to get faster and various other questions. It makes me feel good knowing I've made a change that is recognizable and that those around me take an interest.
Tell me I can't. If you tell me I can't that's going to motivate and inspire me to work harder and prove that I CAN.
YOU! Yes you, reading this... YOU inspire me. It's because of you that I keep going. I don't want to fail. That's my biggest fear. Failure. SO, if I come here or DailyMile, MFP or Facebook and log my workouts or say I am going to get up at 5am and take my butt to the gym.. I'm going to do it. FOR YOU! I don't want you to see me fail. It motivates me to keep going.
At this point in my journey the very last thing I want to do is quit. When you think about quitting or giving up, don't. Remind yourself about how far you have come.. even if it is only the first step out the door for a run, the gym or whatever.. it's the first step to doing something great for yourself. Even if you only see an ounce of a loss on the scale or even a gain, don't give up. Keep going because the end reward from pressing forward and going for the goal is so much more worth the pain of quitting. Keep your head high, look yourself in the mirror and tell yourself that you are worth the pain, sweat and tears.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Merry Christmas Eve!
I started my day with a run. I had planned on today being my long run day since usually Saturdays are, but once I got going my legs were not cooperating. I almost told my hubby that I wanted to turn back to the house. Thankfully he let me lead the run which helps mentally for me for some strange reason. I had hoped that my body would get in it's groove before we hit the one mile mark and it did, mostly.
At one mile I wasn't really sure which direction to go. I really wanted 7 miles for the day but told him that I'd be ok with 5 like he suggested earlier in the week. "If we get 5 miles in that's pretty good considering it's Christmas Eve." Ugh, sounded like an excuse to me and I hate excuses when running. I did say, fine though we can just go as far as we can and consider it a good run day. Excuse? Maybe but like I told him, "Running is better than not running no matter how many miles we go."
I chose the hilliest side of our route. There was one hill near my kids' school that I wanted to tackle because I had never ran that road before and every time I drive it I think it'd be great to run. The hubby had ran it and told me it was pretty tough. He actually told me that entire side of the route was pretty difficult but I was willing to give it a try. Our pace was moderate and it was pretty tough but I managed to get that hill before it got me. I felt pretty victorious.
The next mile plus was basically down hill and flat. At one point I looked at my Garmin to see that I was running an 8:30 pace. When I hit mile 4 at well under a 9 min mile I was stoked. I fist pumped the air and smiled! Then I went back to tell my hubby all about it. haha And we ran then next little bit until he reached the 4 mile mark. At that point our route took us uphill again and we decided to just walk back home. However, I wasn't satisfied with only a 4 on my Garmin so I decided to just run the rest of the way. I didnt' make 5 miles for the day but because of my sub 9 on mile 4 I didn't care. I ran hard. It felt good after the week I had.
The rest of the day was normal. We did our little Christmas just the 4 of us, had homemade pizza, watched a movie and sprinkled reindeer fod on the lawn. The kids and I even posed in our new Christmas pj's so the hubby could get some pics. Below is a comparison of me last Christmas Eve and tonight. I like looking back as it reminds me of how far I have come. And if I do say so myself, I'm amazed.
[caption id="attachment_897" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Mama and the kiddos 2010"]
[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_898" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Me 2011"]
[/caption]
It still blows my mind the difference a year makes.
Merry Chistmas, friends!!! Thanks for following my journey and the continued support. It means more to me than you'll ever know.
At one mile I wasn't really sure which direction to go. I really wanted 7 miles for the day but told him that I'd be ok with 5 like he suggested earlier in the week. "If we get 5 miles in that's pretty good considering it's Christmas Eve." Ugh, sounded like an excuse to me and I hate excuses when running. I did say, fine though we can just go as far as we can and consider it a good run day. Excuse? Maybe but like I told him, "Running is better than not running no matter how many miles we go."
I chose the hilliest side of our route. There was one hill near my kids' school that I wanted to tackle because I had never ran that road before and every time I drive it I think it'd be great to run. The hubby had ran it and told me it was pretty tough. He actually told me that entire side of the route was pretty difficult but I was willing to give it a try. Our pace was moderate and it was pretty tough but I managed to get that hill before it got me. I felt pretty victorious.
The next mile plus was basically down hill and flat. At one point I looked at my Garmin to see that I was running an 8:30 pace. When I hit mile 4 at well under a 9 min mile I was stoked. I fist pumped the air and smiled! Then I went back to tell my hubby all about it. haha And we ran then next little bit until he reached the 4 mile mark. At that point our route took us uphill again and we decided to just walk back home. However, I wasn't satisfied with only a 4 on my Garmin so I decided to just run the rest of the way. I didnt' make 5 miles for the day but because of my sub 9 on mile 4 I didn't care. I ran hard. It felt good after the week I had.
The rest of the day was normal. We did our little Christmas just the 4 of us, had homemade pizza, watched a movie and sprinkled reindeer fod on the lawn. The kids and I even posed in our new Christmas pj's so the hubby could get some pics. Below is a comparison of me last Christmas Eve and tonight. I like looking back as it reminds me of how far I have come. And if I do say so myself, I'm amazed.
[caption id="attachment_897" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Mama and the kiddos 2010"]
[/caption][caption id="attachment_898" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Me 2011"]
[/caption]It still blows my mind the difference a year makes.
Merry Chistmas, friends!!! Thanks for following my journey and the continued support. It means more to me than you'll ever know.
Cuts like a knife, er glass!
I have been meaning all week to fill you all in on the excitement of my week!
It started on Sunday when we got home that evening. I was walking into my closet to take off my shoes and jewelry when all of a sudden...aacccccccccccckkkkkkkkkkk holy cow!! I screamed so loud. This...
was in my foot. About a 3 inch piece of glass a half inch into my left foot. It had to be pulled out. Fun fun times. I cried, a lot. And cried some more. I even said ugly words and the kids were worried because of all the blood. Annabelle was crying because I was crying and at one point I heard her say, "Oh no, now mom will never be able to run again and it's the one thing she loves to do a lot." Bless her.
After my hubby ripped off the tights I was wearing and assessed my foot, I let him help me clean it up and hobbled to my chair. I applogized a million and 87 times for the blood all over the bedroom floor. I also regretted not immediately cleaning up the broken glass when the incident with it first occurred. Dumb I tell ya!
I had not had a tetanus shot for as long as I could remember. In fact, I was probably a kid. So, the next morning I called my doctor's office and explained what happened. They wanted to see me. Fun times. NO stitches, but a tetanus shot and 7 days worth of antibiotics which I still have failed to finishe taking, oops. I was good to go except I was told to stay off of the foot as much as possible to let it heal and prevent injury.
What? No running? Yeah, not for a day or so. Um, ok, fine. It pained me to not run on Monday since I had done so well last week with my early morning workout routine but the pain in my foot was worse I guess. I waited until Tuesday afternoon after work to hit the gym. I ran, it was tough at first due to the swelling and bruising on my foot but I managed to kill a decent 5k and kettlebell workout. 5k ran in 29:30! Sweet.
I finished ALL my workouts for the week just fine. So, basically I am saying I held onto being awesome this week despite my little glass in the foot incident. This time last year I might have let something like this get me down for a week especially if the doctor told me not to be on my foot. But that's the old Kimberly. The new, determined to kick butt and take names Kimberly has goals to reach.
So take that glass!
It started on Sunday when we got home that evening. I was walking into my closet to take off my shoes and jewelry when all of a sudden...aacccccccccccckkkkkkkkkkk holy cow!! I screamed so loud. This...
was in my foot. About a 3 inch piece of glass a half inch into my left foot. It had to be pulled out. Fun fun times. I cried, a lot. And cried some more. I even said ugly words and the kids were worried because of all the blood. Annabelle was crying because I was crying and at one point I heard her say, "Oh no, now mom will never be able to run again and it's the one thing she loves to do a lot." Bless her.
After my hubby ripped off the tights I was wearing and assessed my foot, I let him help me clean it up and hobbled to my chair. I applogized a million and 87 times for the blood all over the bedroom floor. I also regretted not immediately cleaning up the broken glass when the incident with it first occurred. Dumb I tell ya!
I had not had a tetanus shot for as long as I could remember. In fact, I was probably a kid. So, the next morning I called my doctor's office and explained what happened. They wanted to see me. Fun times. NO stitches, but a tetanus shot and 7 days worth of antibiotics which I still have failed to finishe taking, oops. I was good to go except I was told to stay off of the foot as much as possible to let it heal and prevent injury.
What? No running? Yeah, not for a day or so. Um, ok, fine. It pained me to not run on Monday since I had done so well last week with my early morning workout routine but the pain in my foot was worse I guess. I waited until Tuesday afternoon after work to hit the gym. I ran, it was tough at first due to the swelling and bruising on my foot but I managed to kill a decent 5k and kettlebell workout. 5k ran in 29:30! Sweet.
I finished ALL my workouts for the week just fine. So, basically I am saying I held onto being awesome this week despite my little glass in the foot incident. This time last year I might have let something like this get me down for a week especially if the doctor told me not to be on my foot. But that's the old Kimberly. The new, determined to kick butt and take names Kimberly has goals to reach.
So take that glass!
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Bringing Sexy Back
This week I had my hubby take my measurements for the first time since July. With the scale not budging much over the last year and me still doing well with running and working out I knew I should take measurements since a lot of times that is where the real change can be seen. I'm listing a side by side of my July measurements and the measurements taken this week.
July/Dec
Neck- 13/12.5 .50 inch loss
Chest- 37/35.5 1.5 inch loss (sad, bye bye boobies)
Waist- 33.5/30.5 3 inch loss (say what!?!?)
Hips- 39/36 3 inch loss (love this!)
Bicep- 11.5/11 .50 inch loss
Thigh- 24/23.5 .50 inch loss (always have thunder thighs)
Calf- 15/14.5 .50 inch loss
Total inches lost since July = 9.5. I will take that!
I weighed in Saturday morning at 158. ONE FIFTY EIGHT! Did you hear that??? one five eight = 158. I am in the one fifty's. I have not been there in at least 13 years. This weigh in made me wanna happy dance. I'm so so close to my goal. April is my start date and I am hoping I can meet my weight loss goal by then. I want to be in the 142-144 range. I don't like those stupid charts (sorry to those of you that do) and I think they're a waste. I want to feel good, look good and be in a healthy range. I don't want to be at the very lowest of my "ideal" range like posted on those stupid charts. That being said... I have another 14-16 lbs to lose. I will get there. I've done this thing slow and steady and will continue doing what I have been doing since it is what works. At the end of the Maintain Don't Gain challenge for the holidays at my gym I would like to be 155. That's 3 more pounds off before the second week of January. I need to focus, stay focused and just do it.
[caption id="attachment_883" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="December 2010 (171 lbs)"]
[/caption][caption id="attachment_884" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="December 2011 (158 lbs)"]
[/caption]
I am on my way to bringing sexy back! 2012...here she comes!
July/Dec
Neck- 13/12.5 .50 inch loss
Chest- 37/35.5 1.5 inch loss (sad, bye bye boobies)
Waist- 33.5/30.5 3 inch loss (say what!?!?)
Hips- 39/36 3 inch loss (love this!)
Bicep- 11.5/11 .50 inch loss
Thigh- 24/23.5 .50 inch loss (always have thunder thighs)
Calf- 15/14.5 .50 inch loss
Total inches lost since July = 9.5. I will take that!
I weighed in Saturday morning at 158. ONE FIFTY EIGHT! Did you hear that??? one five eight = 158. I am in the one fifty's. I have not been there in at least 13 years. This weigh in made me wanna happy dance. I'm so so close to my goal. April is my start date and I am hoping I can meet my weight loss goal by then. I want to be in the 142-144 range. I don't like those stupid charts (sorry to those of you that do) and I think they're a waste. I want to feel good, look good and be in a healthy range. I don't want to be at the very lowest of my "ideal" range like posted on those stupid charts. That being said... I have another 14-16 lbs to lose. I will get there. I've done this thing slow and steady and will continue doing what I have been doing since it is what works. At the end of the Maintain Don't Gain challenge for the holidays at my gym I would like to be 155. That's 3 more pounds off before the second week of January. I need to focus, stay focused and just do it.
[caption id="attachment_883" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="December 2010 (171 lbs)"]
[/caption][caption id="attachment_884" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="December 2011 (158 lbs)"]
[/caption]
I am on my way to bringing sexy back! 2012...here she comes!
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Weekend Randoms
~ Because of my bad a$$ unplanned 9 mile run on Thursday I decided to make Friday a rest day. Friday evening went well until about bedtime and I got sick. I'm fine now but as a result of being up at 2am I decided to rest again today. I don't love taking 2 rest days in a row, but the body tells us what it needs. And us smart folk sometimes listen to our bodies.
~ I did manage to make it to the gym today for my weigh in. While I wasn't expecting a huge loss I was hoping to be in the next set of magical numbers. So, I admit to being disappointed when I wasn't. Down 1 lb for the week isn't bad though. 161 according to the gym scale. I will take it. And I will work extra hard in the coming weeks to meet my goals.
~ As of today I am only 17 lbs away from reaching my weight loss goal. 17 lbs is not a lot. Not a lot compared to the 76 I have lost to date. If all goes well and I stay focused/on track I hope to reach that goal by my 3rd anniversary of this journey in April. So I will keep trucking along until then (and beyond).
~ I was suppose to run a 5k "race" today (Sunday) but wasn't able to because of a death in our church. So, I set out this morning to get a little run in. 4.33 miles (41:18). I made it a goal to run the 5k as fast as I could today since I was aiming to get a PR at the little fun run that I missed. I hit 5k on my route at 28:58 which would be my fastest ever outside 5k and that was on a pretty hilly route, even if I did take the side of the route that had more downhills. lol I'm still proud. Outdoor running is becoming easier.
~ This time last year (and I know I say that a lot) I was still running 11+ minute miles. I'm shocked every time I lookat my Garmin and see something around 9 or so minute miles. There was even a point (or two) in my run where I noticed I was hitting 8+ minute miles. Craziness.
~ My weekend eating hasn't been perfect but I haven't done so bad. I am taking my kids for a little lunch date and errand running today but plan to do as well as I can in the eating department. I'm happy to have burned some calories today. Buring calories always makes me feel a little better about my day.
~ This morning I hopped on the scale because I am still a slight scale addict. I noticed the numbers were going berzerk like that crazy Biggest Loser scale does. It irritated me a little and when I saw 152 on the darn thing and was like whoa. I knew I had done nothing on Saturday to produce an 11 lb loss, but a girl can dream huh. Anyway, new batteries should fix that right up. And I will try hard to stay off the thing so it doesn't play stupid mind games with me all week.
~ I did manage to make it to the gym today for my weigh in. While I wasn't expecting a huge loss I was hoping to be in the next set of magical numbers. So, I admit to being disappointed when I wasn't. Down 1 lb for the week isn't bad though. 161 according to the gym scale. I will take it. And I will work extra hard in the coming weeks to meet my goals.
~ As of today I am only 17 lbs away from reaching my weight loss goal. 17 lbs is not a lot. Not a lot compared to the 76 I have lost to date. If all goes well and I stay focused/on track I hope to reach that goal by my 3rd anniversary of this journey in April. So I will keep trucking along until then (and beyond).
~ I was suppose to run a 5k "race" today (Sunday) but wasn't able to because of a death in our church. So, I set out this morning to get a little run in. 4.33 miles (41:18). I made it a goal to run the 5k as fast as I could today since I was aiming to get a PR at the little fun run that I missed. I hit 5k on my route at 28:58 which would be my fastest ever outside 5k and that was on a pretty hilly route, even if I did take the side of the route that had more downhills. lol I'm still proud. Outdoor running is becoming easier.
~ This time last year (and I know I say that a lot) I was still running 11+ minute miles. I'm shocked every time I lookat my Garmin and see something around 9 or so minute miles. There was even a point (or two) in my run where I noticed I was hitting 8+ minute miles. Craziness.
~ My weekend eating hasn't been perfect but I haven't done so bad. I am taking my kids for a little lunch date and errand running today but plan to do as well as I can in the eating department. I'm happy to have burned some calories today. Buring calories always makes me feel a little better about my day.
~ This morning I hopped on the scale because I am still a slight scale addict. I noticed the numbers were going berzerk like that crazy Biggest Loser scale does. It irritated me a little and when I saw 152 on the darn thing and was like whoa. I knew I had done nothing on Saturday to produce an 11 lb loss, but a girl can dream huh. Anyway, new batteries should fix that right up. And I will try hard to stay off the thing so it doesn't play stupid mind games with me all week.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Strong and beautiful
*thanks Pinterest and Nike for the inspiration
What is strong?
strong /strɔŋ, strɒŋ/ [strawng, strong] adjective, strong·er /ˈstrɔŋgər, ˈstrɒŋ-/ [strawng-ger, strong-] strong·est /ˈstrɔŋgɪst, ˈstrɒŋ-/ [strawng-gist, strong-], adverb adjective
1. having, showing, or able to exert great bodily or muscular power; physically vigorous or robust: a strong boy.
2. accompanied or delivered by great physical, mechanical, etc., power or force: a strong handshake; With one strong blow the machine stamped out a fender.
3. mentally powerful or vigorous: He may be old, but his mind is still strong.
4. especially able, competent, or powerful in a specific field or respect: She's very strong in mathematics. He's weak at bat, but he's a strong fielder.
5. of great moral power, firmness, or courage: strong under temptation.
Synonyms
1. mighty, sturdy, brawny, sinewy, hardy, muscular, stout, stalwart. 4. potent, capable, efficient. 5. valiant, brave. 7. bold, intense. 8. persuasive, cogent, impressive, conclusive. 10. steady, firm, secure. 14. unwavering, resolute. 15. fervid, vehement. 18. stark, sharp. 19. brilliant, vivid. 22. pungent, aromatic, sharp, piquant, hot, spicy, biting. 23. smelly, rank.
Antonyms
1. weak.
That's the dictionary meaning of the word strong as provided to me by the most helpful Dictionary.com.
But to me strong is..
[caption id="attachment_866" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="she is sweaty, but she is strong."]
[/caption]Strong is the girl (aka woman) who has fought for the last 2.5 years to be healthy. Strong is she who has worked her way to losing 75 lbs. Strong is the one who couldn't run a quarter mile if she tried but pushed until she could run 13.1 miles.
The journey has not been easy. It never will be. It will take a strong person to keep going. The journey doesn't have an end though. And while I have been strong on this journey to get to the point that I have I decided that my goal for 2012 is to become stronger physically. I also want to remain strong mentally to get me to my goal. I've accomplished both in the last few years but there is always room for improvement.
Now, the other half...
What is beautiful?
beau·ti·ful /ˈbyutəfəl/ [byoo-tuh-fuhl] adjective
1. having beauty; having qualities that give great pleasure or satisfaction to see, hear, think about, etc.; delighting the senses or mind: a beautiful dress; a beautiful speech.
2. excellent of its kind: a beautiful putt on the seventh hole; The chef served us a beautiful roast of beef.
3. wonderful; very pleasing or satisfying.
noun
4. the concept of beauty (usually preceded by the ).
5. ( used with a plural verb ) beautiful things or people collectively (usually preceded by the ): the good and the beautiful.
6. the ideal of beauty (usually preceded by the ): to strive to attain the beautiful.
And the same drill as above, that's the dictionary meaning of beautiful. I spared you the synonyms and antonyms this time. But I will tell you what IS beautiful...
Beautiful is the girl who can smile through a tough workout or long, painful run. Beautiful is the girl who gains confidence through each good day (and the bad ones). Beautiful is the girl who accepts the fact that the girl looking back in the mirror is real and not the girl from her past.
In 2012 I am going to embrace the beautiful but go for the strong.
Friday, December 2, 2011
December - goals and such
This is how I started my first evening of December....
[caption id="attachment_857" align="aligncenter" width="197" caption="Burnin' up the ARC"]
[/caption]
Today was a scheduled cross training day and because I had a weak moment at lunch I decided I needed to go extra long and hard with my friend the ARC. Truth is, I bought a cupcake at lunch. I made a vow to wait until 2pm and if it was still on my desk *staring at me* then I would wait again until 3pm. However there was an unexpected turn of events around 3:15 and I could no longer watch that cupcake stare at me through it's cute, little see through container. I got my butt up and grabbed a fork. Emotions took over and I chowed down. I had mentioned not logging it into my food diary but I'm all about some honesty...
So, moving along.
I never did sit down and really plan out my goals fro November which sucks and doesn't at the same time. I didn't totally kick butt in November but considering how busy we were with Thanksgiving and life in general I didn't do half bad. I kept running. I have been to the gym at least 4 days a week and might have lost an ounce or so. I did miss one weigh in at my gym but that was the week of Thanksgiving so I gave myself a free pass! I still weighed at home just to keep myself in tune with what my body was doing that week. So, while November wasn't magical I did decide to make some little goals for December. Nothing over the top though. So, here goes:
~Log at least 15 running miles a week.
Why so low? Well, two reasons the holidays and I have another goal for the month I am also working on. So 3 running days seems to fit right now. I will run Monday (3-4 miles), Wednesday (5-6 miles) and Satuday (long run 6+).
~ Crosstrain and lift the weights
This has been pretty easy for me lately since I told my hubby one of my goals for 2012 is become stronger. He's been great at working me hard with the weights at the gym. I can always work harder though. I've skipped my BodyPump classes for the last week or so because I have been using the gym's free weights and machines. I am going to try to make at least one BP class a week in December though in addition to what I have been doing.
~ Log all my food
I have been great about doing this already but there are some days when I sneak a little something and don't log it. I want to change that to be more honest with myself and see if it makes a difference either on the scale or how my clothes fit. Maybe it won't in a month's time but it can't hurt trying. What I should really do is just quit sneaking crap! haha
~ Quit beating myself up
This one is tough. I will probably elaborate more on this in another post. But basically I need to just accept that I am not the girl I once was. I struggle a lot daily with who is looking back at me in the mirror. So, I need to let go of that and see what I have accomplished.
Now, all of YOU have a wonderful December. I hope you all reach your goals!
[caption id="attachment_857" align="aligncenter" width="197" caption="Burnin' up the ARC"]
[/caption]Today was a scheduled cross training day and because I had a weak moment at lunch I decided I needed to go extra long and hard with my friend the ARC. Truth is, I bought a cupcake at lunch. I made a vow to wait until 2pm and if it was still on my desk *staring at me* then I would wait again until 3pm. However there was an unexpected turn of events around 3:15 and I could no longer watch that cupcake stare at me through it's cute, little see through container. I got my butt up and grabbed a fork. Emotions took over and I chowed down. I had mentioned not logging it into my food diary but I'm all about some honesty...
So, moving along.
I never did sit down and really plan out my goals fro November which sucks and doesn't at the same time. I didn't totally kick butt in November but considering how busy we were with Thanksgiving and life in general I didn't do half bad. I kept running. I have been to the gym at least 4 days a week and might have lost an ounce or so. I did miss one weigh in at my gym but that was the week of Thanksgiving so I gave myself a free pass! I still weighed at home just to keep myself in tune with what my body was doing that week. So, while November wasn't magical I did decide to make some little goals for December. Nothing over the top though. So, here goes:
~Log at least 15 running miles a week.
Why so low? Well, two reasons the holidays and I have another goal for the month I am also working on. So 3 running days seems to fit right now. I will run Monday (3-4 miles), Wednesday (5-6 miles) and Satuday (long run 6+).
~ Crosstrain and lift the weights
This has been pretty easy for me lately since I told my hubby one of my goals for 2012 is become stronger. He's been great at working me hard with the weights at the gym. I can always work harder though. I've skipped my BodyPump classes for the last week or so because I have been using the gym's free weights and machines. I am going to try to make at least one BP class a week in December though in addition to what I have been doing.
~ Log all my food
I have been great about doing this already but there are some days when I sneak a little something and don't log it. I want to change that to be more honest with myself and see if it makes a difference either on the scale or how my clothes fit. Maybe it won't in a month's time but it can't hurt trying. What I should really do is just quit sneaking crap! haha
~ Quit beating myself up
This one is tough. I will probably elaborate more on this in another post. But basically I need to just accept that I am not the girl I once was. I struggle a lot daily with who is looking back at me in the mirror. So, I need to let go of that and see what I have accomplished.
Now, all of YOU have a wonderful December. I hope you all reach your goals!
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