WIAW and February miles

I'm linking up again with Jen at Peas and Crayons for another installment of What I Ate Wednesday. I did ok this week with remembering to take pictures of my food however they are all with my cell phone so the quality isn't that fabulous. And of course just like last week there are a few meals that didn't get photographed because I was just too hungry that I forgot to whip out the camera. Oops.



I was up this morning at 5:20 and headed to the gym to get my 5 mile run done. The only food I had prepped before hand were my snacks so breakfast this morning was on the fly. I didn't want to grab fast food and knew I would need more than the boiled egg whites I had planned so here's what I had...

[caption id="attachment_1092" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Clif Mojo White Chocolate Macadamia, Pink Lady apple and Grande Blonde Roast"][/caption]

Lunch today was a work outing so I didn't take a picture of that since I didn't want to explain to three men WHY I was taking a picture of my food. So, here is a picture of what I had yesterday which really should be a huge surprise since it is something I eat often but my lunch was chock full of delicious veggies.

[caption id="attachment_1093" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="The "Kimert's Salad" with a Pink Lady apple and raw sugar snap peas"][/caption]

And because I didn't picture it I will at least share what I did have for lunch today. We went to a nice restaurant in town and I ordered the Lemon-Lime Chicken with baked squash and creamed spinach. I only ate half of the chicken breast (which was marinated and grilled in a lovely lemon-lime marinade) and less than a half cup of each of the sides. I have my leftovers saved for tomorrow.

My snacks today included a banana, nectarine, almonds (not pictured) and boiled egg whites. Towards the end of the day I was a little hungry and also had a small bowl (about an ounce) of raw sugar snap peas with a tiny (less than tbsp) of ranch dressing. Here is what I remembered to snap a picture of...


And because yesterday was my birthday I felt it appropriate to be honest again this week and show you the treat I indulged in. And all I can say is thank goodness my husband only bought a small cake!


I knew last night what I wanted to have for dinner tonight and was excited all day about it. I love breakfast. And by breakfast I mean REAL breakfast which to me is eggs and bacon! So, tonight my husband made eggs, bacon, ham and turkey sausage and toast! I had 2 eggs and one egg white, one small piece of ham, 2 slices of bacon and one slice of toast with strawberry jam. Sounds like a ton of food but it was low cal and full of protein! I also didn't get a picture of that because I was starving since I worked out twice today all I could think about was getting that yummy food right in my belly!

February Miles
Now that we've gotten the food out of the way I wanted to go over my mileage for February! I am not sure I ever posted January mileage (123 miles total) but decided I would start listing my monthly mileage at the end of the month before I decide on the next month's goals.
February mileage - 151 total miles! I can hardly believe this number! It's huge (for me) but I suppose that's what marathon training is for...huge mileage! I feel so good and so excited about this number. So far for the year I am at 274 miles. IF I continue on this way I will be at my goal of 1000 miles for the year again in 2012. How awesome would that be!?

Tomorrow starts a new month. Have you decided on your goals for March? Stay tuned... I plan to post February in review and March's goals tomorrow.

Oh Happy Day!

Today's training plan called for a run but again...
I went off my plan. Why??
Well, it's my birthday and I even though I LOVE running I wanted to make time for me to do something else I love at the gym. I knew I wouldn't be able to go to the gym twice nor would I have time before work to squeeze in Spin class plus a run so the decision to skip my run was easy. I know I can run 4-5 miles so I don't feel like missing another little run is a huge deal.

So, my plan to ring in my 33rd year was spin class. Great decision! I loved starting my day with 15.53 hard miles on the spin bike. The instructor was great and the class was fun. Plus it was nice knowing I had been missed in class the last month or so. :D One of the older men from class stopped me last week during my run and asked where I had been and that I'd been missed. I explained to him my training schedule for the marathon and told him I was so paranoid of hurting myself in spin because that's just one of those classes I just go all out for and it's hard to scale back. He understood. When I showed up for class today both L and B said they were glad I came! So nice. They try making me feel good by saying I liven the class up when I sing to the music. DO you know how hard it is to sing and spin? That takes some true talent. haha

Anyway....

After spin class I went to work. Boring birthday spent at work but at least it was mildly quiet.
My husband and kids planned to take me out to dinner. We had a decent meal at O'Charley's in town before heading home for gifts and cake.

Gotta give it my husband this year. He totally outdid himself on my birthday gifts.

[caption id="attachment_1087" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Purple Sparkle skirt from Team Sparkle"][/caption]
A new purple Sparkle skirt from Team Sparkle to wear with my Team Tough Chik jersey for my first 26.2 in April. And I am happy to report that it is a size M which is a huge change from the size XL I wore when I sported the Pink Traveling Skirt by Team Sparkle back in 2010. And no, I won't be sporting my Sparkle Skirt with my jeans again I just had to try it on for picture purposes. haha

[caption id="attachment_1088" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="BIb and medal hanger"][/caption]
My awesome husband made with his own hands this wonderful medal and bib hanger. This is the best gift ever. I told him tonight that I wasn't sure he ever made anything for me (other than a meal) and I love it. Funny story, Sunday I was out at Michael's buying supplies to make a hanger of my own because I was bored. He text me to see what I was doing and I said, "at Michael's buying stuff to make a medal hanger."

Here is the next line of texting-
Him - no you're not
Me - excuse me?
Him - you heard me

Not knowing exactly how to take it I told Annabelle we should put the stuff up and just get the other stuff we came in to buy. I casually asked her if she knew something I didn't to which she replied, "I can't say a single word or Daddy will just kill me!" Ahhhh secrets! lol So, my husband text me again, "I guess it's ruined." Nope, it wasn't because Annabelle wasn't breathing a word and I let him know that. I think we were both pretty proud of her for being able to not spill the beans. I had a small clue of what might be in store for me today as far as gifts goes but I had no idea how great it would be. And now I can't wait to keep adding my bibs and medals to it!

And of course to finish off my birthday there was cake! I'm very happy to say that 33 has started off as a great year and I am a very happy runner girl.

Motivational Monday

As I was leaving the gym tonight another lady says to me, "I'm going to run fast like you one day. I wanna be just like you. You make it look so easy." I smiled, of course, and told her thank you. Then I went on to tell her that sometimes it isn't easy even if it looks that way but that I push myself beyond those easy limits so I can reach my goals. I mentioned to her that she COULD run like me and told her to just start. I mentioned Couch to 5k to her and in the next sentence she says, "Ahh but I think I need to get some weight off first."

That's when I had the opportunity to tell her my story. I started running just a few short years ago weighing 237 lbs. I ran my first 5k in barely BARELY under 49 minutes. Today I was doing a 3 mile recovery run after running 18.5 miles on Saturday as part of my current marathon training plan. I told her that to date I have lost 82 lbs. One step at a time and a little (or a lot! lol) of slow weight loss took me from a 5k to having ran 4 half marathons and on my way to crossing the finish line of my first marathon.

She congratulated me on my success and I thanked her. We walked into the locker room together and talked some more. This was my opportuniy to reach out and help someone. So, I did. I told her that anytime she wants to just go out and try to let me know. She told me how her goal is to be able to run a 5k. She said she sees me every evening I am there and admires me. She said that I motivate her.

This made me feel really good about what I have done because she sees me as the successful girl I am today not as who I was 3 years ago when I started this journey. She is who I was just a few years ago. I told her I would love to help her reach her goals and she smiled and thanked me. I encouraged her to go for it.

Sometimes the very thing that motivates us that have been at this thing for a long time is the newbies who say we motivate and inspire them. Sure, I want to do great things for me and my body but knowing that other people look to me as motivation and inspiration makes me want to work that much harder. I've said it before how knowing that others look at my progress or success makes me want to work harder and make extra sure I don't fail. I don't want to fail myself but I definitely do not want to fail others.

What I want for others is for them to also work hard and reach for the dreams and goals. If I can inspire or motivate one person to work hard and reach their goals then I have succeeded beyond what I could ever imagine.

I have hard days. I have days when my runs and workouts feel effortless. The are times, even all these years later, that I lack motivation. Today I got an extra dose of motivation to keep moving forward.

BAMR 18.5

I love Saturday's because they're long run days. I love the long distance runs as much as I do the short distance runs. My training plan this week called for an 18 miler. My friend, M, was scheduled to run 20 miles today and I had decided that if I could hold up I too would just go for 20 since I was meeting her to run.

I met M and her friend, A, at 10:15 this morning at our local greenway. We ran there last week and decided it was flat enough with as many inclines as we liked for a long run and was long enough to get in the distance we would need. We ran pretty speedy (for me) last week and had decided if at all possible we would try to slow our pace to a 10:15 min mile from the beginning of our run. It sounded like a good plan anyway...

We arrived on time, got our gear all ready to go and M snapped this lovely pre-run picture.
[caption id="attachment_1075" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Badass Mother Runners!!!"][/caption]

I was very happy M thought to take a pic of us pre-run and even mentioned that I did bring my camera and wasn't sure how they felt about appearing on the blog but thankfully they both didn't mind. So, I stole the pic M took! ha Thanks girl!
Must say we look pretty darn great (even if it is before that killer run!).

The first 5 miles were great. We were moving at a great pace. At the cut off back to my gym I requested a quick potty break...just in case. Once we got there we all agreed this was a smart move. The next chance wouldn't come up until around mile 8-9 or so. We took the time to fuel up and potty. The first 5 mile splits are:

Mile 1 10:01
Mile 2 9:35
Mile 3 9:34
Mile 4 9:41
Mile 5 9:40

We left my gym and were on our way within a few minutes. I knew my husband was out running his long run today too and made mention that I was surprised we hadn't seen him in passing but I really wasn't sure what route he was running. I didn't see him in the gym but knew he was there as I joked to the girls about his "beater truck" in the parking lot. He'll appreciate that. haha Around mile 5.5 a guy was behind us and passed us. He/we/they all chatted it up about our long run and if we were planning to run Knoxville. Nice to meet friendly runners along the way. And just like that there was my husband running towards us. An even better site (to me)! He high fived me. We all threw our arms in the air and said, "We're winning!!" and "Yay us!!" Such fun, happy runners! Around mile 7 was a "short but ugly" little hill. One that in the past I have always taken pride in walking. haha So glad that I have become strong enough to power up it, both going and coming! We agreed to take another quick refuel/water break around mile 9 (I think) so the next few miles splits are...

Mile 6 9:26
Mile 7 9:40
Mile 8 9:55
Mile 9 10:18

We did take a brief bathroom break when we hit the next bathroom right at 10 miles. I took this time to also check my cell phone since I knew someone had text me. It was my husband. I can't remember what he text me but I remember texting him that were halfway done and he text back, "Great job." I love that he is so supportive and encouraging to me through all this crazy training.
We were all back on our way within a few minutes. We agreed to go out a little further rather than turn back there. A wise running friend once told me it's better to go out a little further and be a bit over the miles for the day than to turn around and go back risking coming up a bit short. Plus it's always hard seeing the car and running past it! Smart to move forward. Miles 10-13.1 are worth giving the splits for...

Mile 10 9:59
Mile 11 10:02
Mile 12 10:02
Mile 13.1 10:11

I started feeling a mental struggle around mile 11. I have NO idea why because I have ran 4 half marathons which means I have ran my fair share of 10+ mile runs. Sure not all of them have been great. There have been mental struggles but usually they come and go and you know at 11 miles your run is almost over. Today I knew how many miles I had before me yet. It was tough. My legs were fine, breathing was fine and pace was fine. But something was plaguing my mind. I still have NO idea what it was.
Around mile 12 though M turns to me and says, "Looks like you are going to PR the half. What was your Straw Plains time?" I looked at my Garmin and indeed, I WAS going to PR the half (13.1) of this training run! My PR at the Straw Plains half just 2 weeks ago was 2:09:31. We hit 13.1 during this run at 2:08 something. Not a PR by a lot but still something to be super proud of. And I was (am). We stopped just a little after that to high five and celebrate with a little refuel/snack/water break. I took this time to stretch out and finish up a little bit of my Honey Stinger waffle. I also drank Strawberry Nuun on this run. So, at this point I was getting close to being finished with what bit of Nuun I had in my Amphipod bottles.

I recall around mile 14 beginning to feel sick to my stomach. Not my usual stomach issues but like I was going to vomit. I have no idea if this was because I had drank so much water and Nuun or the fact that I had eaten the whole Honey Stinger waffle during this run, which is something I hadn't done before. Usually by the end of a longer run I find that I have only had half the waffle but since we were running a lot longer today and I was extra hungry I had managed to eat the whole thing by 14 miles. There was a water fountain around mile 15 so we decided to stop then and fill up our bottles. I stretched some more and got more water. We were back on our way. The girls asked if I thought about whether I was going to go in for 20 or stop at only 18. I had no idea really.

I knew I wanted to finish the 20 miles but my plan called for 18. Tough call really. I knew at that moment how I was feeling but we decided I didn't have to make the choice at that point what I needed to do. I wanted to get to 18 first before deciding. Around mile 16 things got a little quiet and once I hit 16.75 I was excited to hit another distance PR. We continued running but around mile 17 I needed a walk break so I wussed out and walked a hill. The girls were great the whole run (they've both ran marathons before..way faster than I ever plan to run one) about asking how I was feeling and if I was ok. I am very appreciative for that! A turned her music on her phone around 16-17 miles which was a huge help. Both girls carried their music to help push through those last couple of miles that become challenging. I didn't think to bring music with me so I was happy A turned hers on for us!

I won't lie and say I didn't struggle the next few miles to the finish. The girls asked again what I was thinking about doing. I knew at just over 17 miles I wanted to make it to at least 18 and consider that good enough for the day. I honestly thought I was going to be sick and just didn't want to end my run that way. I made it to 18 and really really really wanted to stop and walk back in. I considered it, even stopped my Garmin and started to walk but the girls were pulling away. At that point I said, no.. go, run it in. They rooted for me too and that felt great.

I managed to make it to the car at 18.44 but no way could I end another training run on a weird number so I decided to run circles around my little car until I hit 18.5 miles. The splits from 14-18.5 look like this...

Mile 14 10:38
Mile 15 10:02
Mile 16 10:25
Mile 17 10:30
Mile 18 10:17
Mile 18.50 10:56

18.5 miles (3:05:22) overall pace 10:02 min mile

Overall, I am pleased. I have gone back and forth all day beating myself up for feeling defeated. I've gone from being happy that my legs carried me another 18.5 miles to being frustrated with myself for not being the TOUGH CHIK I am and hanging in there another 1.5 miles. But at the end of the day I am satisfied, happy, and proud that I ran beyond the miles (again) that were scheduled on my training plan. I could have easily given up when I was struggling mentally at mile 11. I had my phone. I could have called and begged my husband to pick me up on the greenway. I could have done the same at mile 14 when my stomach was turning flips. But I didn't. And honestly if I know M and A (and even my husband) not a single one of them would have let that happen. And believe it or not I would not have let that happen.

I'm tough. I'm determined. And no matter what it takes I will NOT quit. Tough runs happen and through those tough runs TOUGH RUNNERS are made! I (and M and A are) am one...

Change of plan

I like training plans. I like having something there in black and white telling me what I should be doing on certain days. My current training plan has me running 4 days a week with one cross training day and 2 rest days. I run Tues, Weds, Thurs and Sat. I cross train on Mondays and take Friday and Sunday as rest days. This works for me.

This week's training plan was suppose to look like this:
Monday - cross train
Tuesday - 5 mile run
Wednesday - 8 mile run
Thursday - 5 mile run
Friday - rest
Saturday - 18 mile run
Sunday - rest

So far this week has actually looked like this:
Monday - BodyPump plus elliptical
Tuesday - 4 mile run (38:04)
Wednesday- BodyFlow plus elliptical
Thursday - 5 mile run (48:53)
Friday - rest

This week is the first in my training plan that I have not completed a scheduled workout. I knew Tuesday night even AFTER I packed my gym bag and got my clothes ready for the next day that I was not going to run 8 miles as scheduled on Wednesday. Something wasn't there. But I tried to convince myself before bed that I was going to get up and go for it anyway. It was on my training schedule. I had to.

But the alarm went off...all 3 of them actually.. and all I could do was lay there. My husband tried his best to convince me to go but I said, "I just don't feel it. I'm not burnt out. I love to run. I just know that I cannot go and run 8 miles this morning." Saying the words I can't was hard. It's not something I enjoy saying. It doesn't make me proud. I told him something just didn't feel right with my body. He said to me, "If you need to rest, rest. Your body needs it, so take it." Myabe he didn't say those exact words but it's close to what he said. And he was right. I slept instead of going to the gym to run my 8 miles.

All day Wednesday I was hard on myself. I mentally beat myself up for being a loser and not sticking to the plan. I went back and forth about what exactly my plan would be since I wasn't going to run the 8 miles. Should I run? If I did run how many miles could I safely squeeze in before going home? I say safely because my mid week mid distance run isn't a speed run but one I like to run at "race pace" or a little slower but not quite as slow as my long slow distance runs. Anyway...
I was not going to run. Not even a mile. I checked the gym schedule and saw that BodyFlow was on the schedule and I could make it after work. I love Les Mills classes. I take BodyPump often (well, right now only once a week) and have had great results.

BodyFlow is described as "a fusion of yoga, Tai Chi and Pilates that will calm the mind while lengthening and strengthening the body. Stand taller, feel stronger, gain flexibility and be more aware of your mind and body." You can also read more or see video example of BodyFlow here.
It definitely sounded like something I was interested in and could use on a day like yesterday. So, my plan was to go and do some cardio (elliptical) and then make it to BodyFlow.

I actually went to BF first because there wasn't enough time to hop on the elliptical before class. The class was really great. I haven't ever really done a great deal of yoga but know a few basic moves. The same goes for Pilates. I have never done any Tai Chi but it has enough interest to me especially now that I have taken BodyFlow. The class was an hour long and started with some basic yoga moves and breathing exercises for the warm up. It then moved into some more difficult yoga and Tai Chi moves with some pilates and after a few minutes I was totally working up a decent sweat. Sweat is good. I think the raised heart rate and sweatyness lasted a bit before we started the calming aspect of class. This was my favorite part. I won't say I have been particularly stressed but was definitely stressed yesterday because I had gone off my schedule. It was still bugging me.

For the calming portion/cool down of the class the instructor turned the lights to dim. She took us through some relaxing techniques and before I knew it all that stretching and bending made me feel as though my body had turned to mush. I felt 100% better about my whole day. I no longer felt the need to berate myself for missing my 8 mile run, for going off my plan and doing something completely different. I wasn't concerned at that point about not logging the total mileage for the week that my training plan called for. I was happy and confident again.

I've been told over and over again to listen to my body and for the most part I do that. There have been times in doing that when I have still let the mental battle get me down. I'm glad that yesterday I listened to my body and ignored the "haters" within that tried to once again beat me down. Those voices become so powerful some days and try so hard to make me feel more defeated but I'm thankful that I also have the little wise voice in there that reasons with the haters. It's a great feeling knowing there is that balance.

Today I woke up feeling refreshed. The choice to rest was smart and I don't even feel guilty.

WIAW and more

I was so busy last week that I forgot to write up my WIAW post. But I did take some pictures between then and now so I am posting a few of my favorite meals and snacks I have had over the course of the week.

[caption id="attachment_1060" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="raw veggies w/1 tbsp of lite ranch"][/caption]
Mmm snack time! I've been munching on a lot of raw veggies lately. Sometimes I get bored with the plain ol' veggies so I will add a tablespoon of lite ranch. Most of the time I don't even use the whole teablespoon but I always count it.

[caption id="attachment_1061" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="1/2 english muffin w/peanut butter"][/caption]
This is the "pre-run/workout" half breakfast I eat in the mornings I got to the gym at 5:30 or what I eat before my long runs on Saturday. I love this! It's easy on my stomach and tastes good plus keeps me full enough to make it through my workouts.

[caption id="attachment_1062" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Cuties and boiled egg whites"][/caption]
This is another snack fave. Cuties clementines have been a staple in our house all winter long. Everyone loves them and most days I find myself eating at least 2-3 of those sweet things! And for added protein I have been having boiled egg whites (and almonds) for my midafter noon snacks. I love that both options are portable.

[caption id="attachment_1063" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Baked potato topped with shredded bbq pork and raw veggies"][/caption]
[caption id="attachment_1064" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Skinny Taste Chicken Parm w/angel hair pasta"][/caption]
These are two of our favorite dinners. We use Skinny Taste a lot when we are making our menu for the week. We love so many of the recipes on that site but the chicken parm is one that everyone in our family just absolutely LOVES! I'm always glad when there are left overs because it's one of those meals that is better the next day. The baked potato with barbeque pulled pork is another fave. We cook the pork in the crockpot all day then shred it and top our potatoes with it. I added a side of raw veggies to make sure I got my veggies in for the day. Perfect little pairings.

And now for some post run treats that I love...
[caption id="attachment_1065" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Clif Mojo White Chocolate Macadamia nut "][/caption]
[caption id="attachment_1066" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Mmm TruMoo"][/caption]
I try not to munch on a ton of pure junk but those Clif Mojo bars are so good. They're almost (and that's a big almost) as great of a treat for me as a cupcake! haha I also LOVE love love TruMoo lowfat chocolate milk post run. I'm not a huge milk drinker but don't mind saving a few calories on a Saturday for a little bit of this fab treat.

I didn't post any of my lunches because I have mostly eaten the salad that I posted a while back. I love a big pile of leafy greens with grilled chicken, feta cheese, craisins and walnuts and a little drizzle of balsamic vinegarette dressing. I've kept the ingredients to make this in the fridge at my office and it's been my go to lunch almost every single day. My MFP friends are so use to seeing it in my diary that some of them have labeled it as "Kimert's salad." haha

And just because I am being honest about what I have been munching on I thought it was fair to post what we had as a Valentine's Day treat...
[caption id="attachment_1067" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Sweets from my Sweetie"][/caption]
My husband knows just how to make his way into my heart! Cupcakes. It takes quite a bit of running to burn off one of those sweet babies but it is ALWAYS worth it to me. always.

February isn't only the month of love but it's the month of birthday's for us. Yesterday we celebrated a very special 36th birthday...
[caption id="attachment_1068" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Happy Birthday to my husband!"][/caption]

And THAT is a huge bit of what I have been eating the last week. I think this long WIAW post makes up for my lack of participation last week. If you want to get in on the fun head on over to Peas and Crayons and link up!

A note about haters

Not too long ago I made reference to my thoughts (as I often do) during one of my long runs.
14.13 miles on that particular day was my longest run to date. I recall many things I was thinking during that run. I had been running most of that run alone, without any music and in the rain. One thing in particular that I made reference to how awesome my run was as well as how I was thinking "haters gonna hate." I said in this post that I was going to come back and explain that comment. I didn't come back immediately for a few reasons but don't really feel as though I need to go into a ton of details on the why other than WHY should I have to explain to anyone my thoughts when they question them? I don't have to.

For the last couple of weeks I didn't want to because what it did was give me more time to think further about how haters do hate. I feel like I haven't gained any haters in the last couple of weeks. Instead I feel like I've gained a lot of love. Not just the love of others but more love for myself. This journey (as I have said many times) is not about anyone else really but me. Sure my family and close friends are involved as my support and motivation and my husband and kids sacrifice a lot of things along the way for me BUT it really is about me. It's about me bettering myself for them and for myself...for LIFE!

When I orgininally wrote "haters gonna hate" and was questioned what it was for or who it was for I let it bother me that I was actually questioned in the manner that I was. Why? Because it was someone questioning MY own thoughts during my run. It was like someone out there was trying to tell me that the thoughts I have during MY RUNS are dumb or made up which is totally not true. I run for me. I run for my sanity. I run to clear my head. Clearing my head means a whole number of things. When I'm running I think about a lot of stuff. I think about anything from my childhood to my current day. Which brings me to what exactly "haters gonna hate" meant for me during that 14.13 mile run.

For me the haters are:
~ that girl in the mirror who once weighed 237 lbs and STILL has the nerve to look back and say, "you're ugly" or "you're fat."
~ the voice that when I feel like I can't possibly take anymore says, "You can't do this."
~ the trainer at my gym who said, "I don't think you can do it," to me in reference to a challenge going on at my gym over the holidays and my want to lose 10lbs between November and January.
~ the "friend" who constantly tries to compete with me while running.
~ the "friend" who thinks it is ok to constantly criticize my efforts towards running and weight loss.

I say to those haters:
~ Look how far you've come. You've lost over 80 lbs and gained a heck of a lot of fitness over the last 3 years. You are beautiful and fit and should embrace that.
~ You CAN do this. Look back at where you were when you crossed that finish line in 2009 and look at the girl who crossed a finish line 2 weeks ago!
~ I did do it! And then some...
~ Stop competing with me. I'm my own competition. Every time I lace up my shoes is a new competition with myself.
~ You can be successful too. You have to want it. Don't criticize me for making myself better. Step back and look at yourself to see where YOU can make changes for the better.

So much of my "haters gonna hate" came from within me.. my own head/voice. My haters was less about other people and more about me. There was a brief moment, after I was questioned about my comment, that haters became other people but I let that go because I know the real hate and doubt was the old me battling the new me and who I am becoming. I've said it a lot and will say it again.. this journey isn't all ups. There are so many downs that only those closest to me see or hear about. It's a daily struggle to accept who I am, who I have become and who I will be. So, if you have ever been a hater in someone's life I encourage you to step back and before judging them, think about where they may have come from. Everyone has a story. Everyone has a beginning. Before you hate on someone OR yourself think about that. Be encouraging, motivational, and positive. We gain so much more by helping others and ourselves than we do cutting them down or being negative. It's not always easy to forget the haters but I am slowly learning to let go. I'm learning to surround myself with the positive and weed out the negative which has made for a much happier me.

I also want to share this with you. A close friend, who also knows my story and what I have gone through to get where I am shared this link with me today and I thought it was perfect timing. I didn't read it right away. Instead I read it after I wrote my post but thought it was perfect and worth the share. Natalie Jill - Haters Gonna Hate

Someone else gets it. (insert confident smile) Be blessed friends!