No, I didn't fall off the face of the earth, I've just been running all over it!

Wow!  Where has the last 7 months gone!

Apparently life has completely gotten away from me and I have been neglecting my blog!  When I was just sitting here this morning reading back through a few of my posts, I realized how much I really have missed writing these updates!  That needs to change!  Writing these posts was a fabulous way for me to reflect back on adventures, keep a log of these adventures and keep in touch with all of you!

I know that there is no way that I will be able to completely recap everything from the last 7 months (I can't believe that the last post I did was from my Birthday Ragnar adventure last June!) s instead of tryign to go back and recreate posts for each adventure, here is a snapshot of the second half of 2015... a photo journey of the many adventures and a brief synopsis!  Over the next week I will then go back and get caught up on the adventures thus far in 2016.  My goal after that is to get out here and most at least once a week for you!  Whether it be a recipe, a recap on one of the crazy adventures planned for this year or who knows what else!

We spent A LOT of time at the ballpark!  Thanks to the Host Family program with the Green Bay Bullfrogs, we were able to host their Radio Broadcaster for the Summer.  Parker was with us from the end of May thru the middle of August.  Between his crazy schedule at the ballpark and traveling with the team, the only time we really saw him was at the ballpark, but it was still an awesome experience for all of us.  We watched more baseball in those few months than I think we ever have, but it was so worth it!  I am excited to say that we will be hosting again this year and, at this time, it sounds like it will be on of the summer interns.  

We headed north for a night to spent the night on a Bed & Breakfast train!  After a dinner on the moving train, we relaxed with a few drink and new friends on the train and then retreated to our own room in the sleeper car.  Of course, while the rest of the train slept in, I headed out for a morning run!  90% humidity, but I didn't care!  Afterwards, it was a warm breakfast before we headed off the train and had to drive home!

On one of our trips up north, I got to reconnect with a few friends from high school, take a hike up Silver Mountain and spent the evening catching up and laughing the day away!  Thanks for the memories ladies!  Until next summer when we can do it again!

Who says you have to do a virtual run solo?  Not with my awesome friends!  We ended up starting the morning later than planned because of a nasty storm that rolled through early in the morning.  In the end, our group was smaller than originally planned but we got in those 4 miles... and the best part?  Before this fun morning, every one of my friends that was there, met at least 1 new person that day!  I love when I can introduce my running friends to each other!

July meant the return of one of my favorite races of the summer!  The Cliffrunner 10k trail run.  6 miles of hills, rocks, dirt, cliffs and everything in between!  I was determined to beat my time from last year and thanks to my new friend Melissa that I met on the course, we pushed each other and ran an amazing race!  PR by almost 15 minutes over last year!  That's going to be tough to beat in 2016, but you know I'm going to try!

Meet Snickerdoodle!
In August we met this little sweetheart and a few weeks later she became part of the family!  Full of spunk and energy... and yes a lot of sass, the house is no longer quiet!

Over the summer, I rediscovered my love for yoga.  Last winter I took some Hot Yoga classes and realized that I did NOT like hot yoga... however, yoga outside on the city deck downtown?  That's a whole difference story!  Now I look forward to those days that I can squeeze in a yoga class into my schedule!

3 years on a row!  Warrior Dash WI!  John  went with me again this year, as did Darrin and my dear friend Lisa!  We spent the morning climbing, crawling and swimming through tunnels, mud, ponds and more!  I think we found mud in places that should never see mud but we didn't care!  After all that fun, we headed home, took showers, relaxed for a bit and headed to the next adventure of the day...

As if running warrior dash wasn't enough for one day, Lisa and I finished off our day by running the Packers Training Camp 5k in and around Lambeau Field!  While we were there we ran into Lori and a few other friends who all said we were completely nuts for running both race in one day, but that was part of the fun!  2 races + 240 miles =  lots of mud and laughs.  

Sound like a perfect day to me!

Over the summer, I also discovered this amazing pond, just a short run from my house!  How did I not even know this was here until now?  This quickly became one of my favorite places to run, especially in the early morning!  I would often leave the house before dawn, just so I could get here in time for sunrise over the water!

After running the Chicago Ragnar earlier in the year, I jumped at the chance to work the Great River Ragnar for Bondi Band.  Lots of driving, 2 long crazy days, scorching heat but loads of fun hanging out with some other awesome vendors and crazy runners!  Never again will I look at a frozen fruit bar the same again!  I gave up trying to keep track of how many I ate... it's a good thing Chris from FrioFrio was keeping track for me!

Finally the weekend that we were all waiting for arrived!  Girls Weekend 2015 brought us to Minneapolis for Women Rock!  Last year's girls weekend was 3 of us... this year it was 7!  Everyone seems to want to join us on our adventures, and I don't blame them!  With the exception of Lisa, our official cheerleader, the other 6 of us all met at the gym over the last 2 years and have continued to do things together now that several of us have switched gyms.  We will do what we can to find fun and laughs wherever we go!  The weekend was filled with running, laughs, hot guys, amazing food, lots of walking and everything in between.

A last minute add to my race calendar!  I scored a free race registration to the Lake Country Half Marathon in Oconomowoc (Near Milwaukee) Labor Day weekend!  The course was one of the prettiest courses I've run and I was completely enjoying the day... until the sun and humility took over!  When I started out the day, I was feeling good, had a great pace and was loving the day.  Unfortunately, at about the halfway point, Mother Nature decided that was enough.   I will say that this was the first race I've run in a LONG time that I actually felt like quitting.  I didn't.  I kept moving, even if it was just walking.  In the end I really didn't finish that far off my usual pace.  One of these years, I will go back and re-run this course so I can see what I can really do!  Besides, the scenery was amazing!

How to do pull off a PR for a 5k?  Find a run at an airport - on the runway!  No hills to worry about!  Oh yeah... and it helps when you have a friend running on your heels that you are determined to NOT let her beat you!  Lisa, Emily and I all set new 5k PR's on this warm afternoon and had fun doing it!  

For the 3rd year in a row, we got the crew from work together to run the Fox Cities Marathon Relay!  It's always a fun filled day, with no pressure of how fast you have to run.  It's about spending the day together, doing what we enjoy!  The highlight of this year's race for me?  By complete change, my dear friend Tracie passed through the exchange point just minutes before I started my leg, while she was running her Full Marathon!  I ran hard for that 1st mile to catch up to her and was able to run the rests of my 6.3 miles with her!  This girls is such an inspiration and one day, I will be able to keep up with her for more than 6 miles  :)

Last big race of the summer!  The Inaugural Bellin Women's Half Marathon right here in Green Bay!  We got the girls together for a fun weekend of shopping at the expo, dinner and the race!  The weather was perfect and the course was beautiful, and how many people can say they had their race bling handed to them by Katherine Switzer?!?!  Can't wait to run this one again net year! 

Hope you enjoyed this stroll through some of the highlights of 2015.  I know I missed a few, and will probably make mention of them over the next few weeks in follow up posts.  It was a fun filled year of adventures and 2016 is starting off to be more of the same!  Stick around and follow the adventures!  Or better yet, if you live in the area, come join me on some of my upcoming adventures!

2015 was awesome, lets make 2016 EPIC!

Left the nurse with nothing to say...

A few months ago I posted how the scale is just a number and it has taken me a long time to really come to terms with that.  So many of us focus on the number on the scale - mainly because it's the easiest measurement too that we have available.  We all know that none of us have time to take measurements all the time, and this is not practical... so we rely on the scale.

I have learned over the last year or so, that the scale is one of of the last things that I look at when I measure how far I have come on this journey to a healthier me.  What amazes me, is the fact that there are medical professionals out there that still focus too much on the scale.

I experienced this first hand last week, when I went to the doctor for my yearly physical.  When I was talking with the nurse before I actually got to see my doctor, she was asking me all the usual questions.  She then got to the point where the questions focused on my weight.  She commented that with my current weight and height, my BMI was higher than they like to see - in fact I was borderline obese (yes for those of you that know me well, I do not look even remotely "obese") and asked if I was currently doing anything to work on bring my weight down.  Well, yes, of course I said I was.

After asking me how many days a week and for how long I exercised each week, she asked me if I had a goal weight in mind.

"Nope"

(insert puzzled look from nurse here)
"You don't have any sort of number in mind that you are shooting for?" she asked.

I then proceeded to tell her that the scale is just a number.  I understand that according to the BMI charts, I am borderline obese, but that is not the whole picture.  Right now, I weigh 20 pounds more that I did when my John and I got married 7+ years ago... but I am wearing the same size jeans.  If I were to LOSE 20 pounds right now, I would not be or look healthy.  The scale is just one factor in the big picture and I am not going just focus on that.

"Oh, ok" was all she said and moved on to the rest of her questions.

Over the last year, with all of the training sessions, running and changing my eating habits, I have lost 20+ pounds, but I have also lost many more inches.  I have gained more muscle and feel so much better in general.

I have really seen this again in the last few months.  In November, when I joined Fitness Renegades, we took measurement on Day 1.  I made it through my rookie class and then started going to the gym for class 3-4 days a week.  I made a few more adjustments to my eating habits and started eating cleaner.  Fast forward 5 weeks to when I did measurements again.  I worked hard and lost 5.5 inches in 5 weeks - but GAINED 2 pounds.  I was now able to fit comfortable into jeans that I had not even been able to put on when I started as a Renegade.  I call that success.  But for those "scale believers" all they see is the 2 pound gain.  The fact that I lost over 5 inches screams out success to me!  Plus, the added energy, and the fact that I am sleeping better is just the icing on the cake!  Oh yeah, I also have improved my Benchmark time at the gym by over 2 minutes!

So do yourself a favor... use the scale as a tool on your journey but don't make it the ONLY thing you look at!  There is so much more to a happy, healthy you than the number on that scale!

Here is to a happy, healthy 2014 everyone!

Where did the last year go?

This morning was bittersweet...

At 5am this morning, I was at the gym for my weekly training session with BJ.  This marked exactly 1 year since the first time I worked out with him!  Yup, I started my personal training adventure with him on Halloween last year... it also marks the last training session that I will have with him.  :(  I will be forever grateful to him for everything that I have learned from him in the last year, and where I am  as a person today!  I still remember that first workout - I couldn't even make it through the entire workout... between feeling like I was going to pass out and almost puke, we had to cut that workout short.  I couldn't run a 5k without having to walk at least half of it.

Today we pushed through rounds of push-ups, core exercises that I couldn't even do last year and a battle rope workout!  In the last year, I have lost 18 pounds and almost 17 inches, but more importantly I have also lost just over 12% body fat!  I have also improved my 5k time by nearly 10 minutes between March and November, plus have finished 3 Half Marathons (improving my time by over 10 minutes from the first one in May).  I know that I could not have done it without BJ pushing me to do things that I never thought possible.  The last year has helped me to see that there is so much out there that I want to do and that even though the road will be tough, I can do it!  I will guarantee that I will keep in touch with BJ going forward as my health and fitness adventures continue.  I know that I will always have him. as well as my awesome family and friends to continue to push me to the next level!

You are probably asking what's next for me, because by now, you all know that I can't just still.  You are right... and I won't be sitting still.  I start my new fitness adventure on November 11th at Fitness Renegades.  Fitness Renegades is a new gym that opened in Green Bay last May.  It is all small class training sessions (no more than 12 per class, as some as small as 2!) that combines High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), Olympic Style Weightlifting, Gymnastic movements and quick cardio.  It's not going to be easy!  I have been at the gym already and saw part of a few workouts - I will be honest, the workouts scare me to death!  I felt like I was going to die just WATCHING!  But in reality, I know that it is going to be fun, as well as the push that I need to take it to the next level!

Today is also the final day of the Biggest Loser at work.  Although I did not do as well this round as I did in the last one, I am proud to say that I pretty much maintained my weight over the last 3 months.  With summer coming to the end, my running as tapered off, and I had to get used to eating differently to make up for the reduced miles that I was running.  That also means that today is also the start of the next BL round at work!  With my new adventures beginning a few weeks at Fitness Renegades, I am determined to make this round another good one and get the scale moving again!

Here's to the start of new things to come!!  Look out 2014!  This year's adventures are almost finished and I am already looking forward to the next adventures to come!!!

Remember the scale is just a number...

After another crazy few weeks of running and adventures, achieving new PR's for my 5k and half marathons and just having some great weekends with my friends and family, summer is quickly coming to a close.  I can guarantee that the adventures will not end there!  I have more adventures to come this fall and I am already looking to 2014 and some events that I want to check out, challenges that I walk to tackle or adventures that I want to take.

I also realized that I have not posted anything about my ongoing mission to get back to a healthy weight.  You may recall my post from the end of July regarding the Biggest Loser competition at work.  Right after that round ended, we started the next round! After my success in the last round, I had dreams of continuing on that momentum.  Unfortunately, my body had different ideas.  Overall, in the last 6 weeks in this round, I have maintained a pretty consistent weight.  It gets frustrating seeing the pretty much the same number on the scale week after week.  

I decided this week that I am not going to worry about what the scale says.  No, I am not giving up on getting to my goal weight.  I am going to refocus on what I need to do and keep on this long and winding road.  I have been very pleased with my runs in the last few weeks and can honestly say that I have been feeling great after each run/race.  I also have found jeans in my closet that I have not been able to fit into in over 3 years. The scale just hasn't moved. Over the last year, I have come to realize that my weight loss and any inches lost never happen at the same time.  When I first started working out with my trainer, I was frustrated because the scale was hardly budging - for the first 2+ months!  However, each time we did measurements, they inches were disappearing. Then things would turn around, and the the scale would start to move... but the inches would slow to a crawl.   Since August, when I had to change to morning training session, we have been more focused on getting going and working through each weeks workout - at 5:30am!!! These workout have also been more focused on preparing me for the endless weekends of races that I have been challenging myself with.  We have not had the opportunity to take any measurements. 

This morning, was finally measurement check time!  We didn't realize until the morning that the last time we did measurements was July 9th.  I was curious to see how things went!  First was the scale... down about .4 from last week.  Just what I figured. I know that I have been watching what I have been eating, but I have also not been as focused on this as I have been in the past.  I know that I can work on this, and probably should get refocused on my meal planning, food choices and a consistent workout schedule. Now for the real results!  In the last 6 weeks, I am down a total of another 7 inches!  Guess that explains why my jeans are fitting better (or not fitting anymore in the case of a few pairs of shorts!).  I will take it, enjoy it and use this as continued motivation to keep moving forward.

We all need to remember that each of us is different.  Different in they way we lose weight, work through challenges, and even the way that we use the tools that we have to work towards our goals.  The key is to learn what works for you, how your body reacts to what you do and how you are going to move yourself forward toward your ultimate goals!  Just remember, don't give up on what you want - with hard work and perseverance, you can achieve whatever you want!   

The Biggest Loser Challenge at work

This round of the Biggest loser at work came to an exciting conclusion at work yesterday!

I started participating in these challenges several years ago and they have been a huge source of inspiration in my journey.  I may not have been in the running for prizes or lost huge numbers on the scale, but these challenges have helped me to keep my focus and make many of the changes that I have made for myself over the last few years.

This time, with the encouragement of my amazing friends, my running partner, co-workers and family, I was determine to step it up this round!  I knew that I had all the tools at my disposal that I needed to succeed, I just need to apply them everyday!

I turned more of a focus to being honest with myself about what I was eating, putting 100% effort into each and every gym workout and added a few more miles to my running.

Don't get me wrong, I didn't give up everything that I enjoy.  I still enjoyed beers around the campfire, Chinese food (a huge weakness me but the sodium is always a killer), my favorite wine and even a few Choco Taco's during Summer Celebrations at work or a big ol' cheeseburger after a long day!  But everything in moderation!  I know that in order for me to be successful, I still need to be true to myself and I am not going to deprive myself from those things that I love!

There were several of us that were neck in neck throughout the entire competition, which for me was another huge motivator!  I am proud to say that in the last 3 months during this challenge, I have removed (not lost, as I don't intend to go back and find them again) 14.3 pounds and a total of 7.46% of my starting weight. With our final weigh in's complete, this was enough for 3rd place!  A huge congratulations goes out to Sallie who came out with a huge number at the end to pull out the victory!  Thank you Sallie for the challenge and I am so proud of you for everything that you have done - you look fabulous!  One day, I know I will get there too - it's just a matter of time!

Next round of the Biggest Loser at work as started.  I am ready for the challenge, are you?