Wake Up Call

I was persuing facebook earlier today and a friend of mine posted a link to this article HERE.
She also posted a quote from the story with the link that caught my eye:

"But also that so many people deal with this, this exact and pervasive struggle at whatever size they are, whatever shape, whatever they do. That we're not good enough, with the implication that the best we have to offer to the world is an appropriately sized pair of jeans."

I thought, "Whoa. I kind of want to read this!" So I opened the article and was blown away but what this woman had to say! To summarize; the writer once weighed 300lbs and was going in for weight loss surgery. She lost 180lbs but still was not happy with her appearance because although she treated, what she thought was, the problem, she hadn't really addressed the main issue of soceital pressure to be perfect.

I don't know how many of you fellow readers are considered overweight, fat, fluffy, obese, chubby, stuffed, curvy, plus-sized, Athena, etc. (and you don't have to share) but I am. I am a size 16 and all my life I have been called all those names and more. I've struggled for years to get my weight down and become an acceptable body image- that's part of why I started this blog, it's part of why I started running to begin with.

Over the past few months with working tons of hours, training for my half marathon, and getting engaged, I've done a lot of thinking. Yes, I would LOVE to be skinny for my wedding. I would LOVE to walk down the aisle in a size 6 dress and have everyone oooh and aaah at me, but I've come to realize that that is not who I am. I am a bigger girl, it says so right in my blog name, and I'm a runner. And after reading this article, I've come to realize that I am a healthy person- I eat well, I drink mostly water, and I exercise on a regular basis. I've run 3 half marathons and countless 5k races- and I'm still a size 16.

There's another quote from this article that I love because it's the revolutionary idea that no matter what dress size you wear, you can still be a happy and healthy person. The writer says, "I want this: I want to say, don't love yourself even though you're not perfect - love yourself because you have a body and it's worth loving and it is perfect. Be healthy, which is perfect at whatever size healthy is and at whatever size happy is."

So many of us continue to struggle to lose weight- some people do it to be healthy and to save their own lives, but most of us just do it because if we become skinny, then everything gets better. Skinny is magical. Skinny is acceptable. But why? I'm not going to stop eating healthy or exercising, but I am going to transfer my (sometimes obsessive) focus from losing weight to being happy.

Because, let's face it folks, we only get one life to live- might as well make it the happiest we can.

For the First Time...

I felt like a real runner today.

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I was at the gym doing a 10k run for my current training. I ran the first 1.3 miles straight through, then walked for 3 minutes/ran 7 minutes for 90 minutes. I was pouring sweat, settling into a nice pace, pumping my arms when I needed an extra boost, and running through every excuse I had to stop or cut my run periods short. This chick managed to do 6.22 miles in those 90 minutes! Woohoo!!

I NEVER would have thought I could do that. EVER. And for the granted it's only about half of what I need to run for my half marathon, but the pacing felt good and I felt strong. It's the first time I've done a run and not been panicked about the possiblity of being swept off of the Disney Princess course.

I was, at one point, a week behind on my training, but now I am only 2 days behind. Thursday I am doing a short run of 3.1 miles and then over the weekend I am doing an 8 mile run. Once those are done, I will be back on track.

How is everyone else's training going? I stop by and read blogs when I have a free moment, I just don't always have enough time to actually sit down and write out a blog post of my own. Maybe once the holidays are done? Who knows, right?

Anyway, in other awesome news, I bought a pair of size 16 jeans at Marshall's the other day and I didn't muffin top over them! Plus, the size 16 jeans I bought at Old Navy on Black Friday are too big on me. I'm excited because while the number on the scale isn't going down, it is staying steady but my clothes are getting a little bit bigger on me. It makes me feel good. It makes me want to stick with my training because if I do, I might be able to squeeze into a 14 by the time I go down to Disney in February.

Here's a comparison just for fun, so you can see what I sometimes have a hard time seeing:

Myself and my friend Joe in fall of 2010 before I started running. Size 22

My boyfriend and I this past fall- after 2 years of running for me. Size 16

Here's hoping I can keep whittling myself away!

Plateau Busted!

It's time to CELEBRATE!!

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I have FINALLY broken through my weight-loss plateau! That's right ladies and gents, I'm officially back to 205. This is the weight I was when I ran my half marathon last year! Woohoo! I still have 2 months until my next half marathon, so I'm hoping that as I continue with my training, I will drop those last remaining 5lbs (plus one or two more). That will put me under 200lbs for the first time in about 10 years. Crazy!!! I'm so excited and proud! As you all know, I had just about given up because I had been stuck at 210 for so long- but thanks to everyone's support and motivation, I managed to keep muddling through and it paid off. So, THANK YOU!

On another celebratory note, I decide to follow some of Kara's advice the other day and went out for a run. There was no mileage goal in mind, no set time limit- I just went out to run and see how far I managed to go. I did set my watch timer, but only so I could log my run. I started the stop watch and then put it in my SpiBelt so I wouldn't be tempted to check it. I maintained a steady pace for most of my run, extending or shortening my route as I felt. When I finally hit my street again (I did and out and back loop), I stopped my watch to see that I had been going for 1:20:07. Not too bad for "just going for a run"! I went inside and logged into my DailyMile account to put in my route. Turns out I did 6miles! 6 miles in 1:20:07?! Holy crap crackers, Batman!! Apparently, I need to run without my watch more often. I think I get so stuck in trying to beat my time and speed up my pace that I actually slow myself down by psyching myself out. Anyone else ever feel like this?

Anyway, it's a great feeling knowing that I'm back on track with losing weight and that I had such an awesome long run. Gives me motivation to keep going! Did anyone else have any amazing achievements this past week?!

6 Miles and a Happy 4th!

First off- Happy belated 4th of July everyone!

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I hope y'all had a safe and fantastic Independence day- I know I did! I got to spend my day at Mohegan Sun Casino. They have an amazing fireworks show at the end of the night, and wouldn't you know it but my boyfriend was on the pyro team! Woot! Anywho, we got to the casino around 1:30 and the fireworks didn't go off until a little after 9pm, so while he was working away and playing with explosives, I did laps around the casino, gambled a little, did some shopping, and then headed to the garage roof party to wait for the show. I walked around for about 6 hours! Holy crap crackers!

In other news, I've been keeping up with my training as much as humanly possible with my new summer hours. Today I was hoping to do a 6.5mile run, but I only managed 6 miles before I had to shower and head out for work. On the up side, I did those 6 miles in 1:29:50! Just under one and a half hours! HOORAY!! I'm kind of proud of myself, if I'm going to be honest. I was really feeling tired during mile three, but I managed to continue to push myself. I played around alot with my intervals. I mostly stuck to run 3, walk 1.5. But sometimes I would switch to sprint 2, walk 3 just to give it a little extra oompf.

My legs and back are already starting to feel a little sore, but I'm planning on going in my pool today after I get out of work at 12:30. Hopefully, the weightlessness and the refreshing coolness of the water will help relax my muscles while keeping them active. My next run I'm moving to Monday morning because Tuesday I will be very busy with work. It's only a 2 mile run so it shouldn't be too bad at all.

One thing I'm trying to do for myself this summer is to make sure that I have at least 5 out of the 7 days where I have done some sort of exercise- Whether it's a short swim, a run, a walk, Just Dance on the Wii, or even cleaning- I'm trying to fit something in. I've been stuck at 209-210lbs for the past 3 weeks and it is killing me! So, not only am I trying to increase my calorie burns, I've decreased my daily caloric intake. normally I stick around the 1770 range, I've dropped myself down to 1600 calories a day (this is not taking exercise into considerationg- with more calories burned, I can add on more calories to replenish my system). I'm also trying to more diligent about increasing my daily water intake. I keep a water bottle with me wherever I go, I just have to remember to keep drinking it throughout the day. Ugh!

I would like to be under 200lbs by the time October hits. Not only because that is when I have my half marathon, but also because I will be going on vacation to Las Vegas! I feel that this is a very do-able goal- I just need to stay motivated. Sometimes I get into these funks where I practically convince myself that I will never get through this plateau and under 200. Any advice on how to break that habit?

http://pumpkintoprincess.blogspot.com/2012/07/firecracker-5k-to-benefit-leukemia-and.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+PumpkinToPrincess+%28Pumpkin+to+Princess%29 posted an awesome motivational status on facebook the other day and it really applied to me:  "The BEST muscle to work for weight loss?? Your brain. Change the way you think about food and exercise and it's affect on your health & you WILL change your body." I love that! Also, while I'm talking about Amy- check out her blog and register for her Firecracker 5k Virtual Race to benefit the LLS. You get an awesome engraved finisher medal too! Great stuff!

Anyone have any fun and exciting plans coming up for the summer?

Back In the Saddle

Seeing the title I just chose, I kind of wish I could go horseback riding. I love horses and I've always wanted to know how to ride one. Maybe it's my inner cow-girl coming out.

Anyway, it's been a very long week... and it's only Wednesday! Let's start at the beginning, shall we?
Last weekend was the 100th year Anniversary Jubilee celebration for the Girl Scouts (the organization I work for). I spent part of Friday helping set up, all day Saturday working it, and then Sunday I went back to help take down (though there wasn't much to do). Saturday was a blast! Hectic, but fun! We had around 9,000 people show up to the event. I got up bright and early and was at the fairgrounds by 8am. Around 10:30am I helped lead the opening parade. By 11:30 I was tossed into the food booth to help field orders because the lines were over an hour long! Ahhh!!! After a few hours of that, I made it to the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) stage to help load and unload the performers. I also got to MC and introduce the acts as they came out. Rock on! By 6:45pm, we started breaking down everything in the STEM area as the day was finally over. I left the fairgrounds a little after 7pm, got home, had dinner, and went to bed.

Sunday they didn't have much of anything to do as far as clean up, so I headed home. Later that evening, we had to rush my father to the hospital. he had been having severe abdominal pain and couldn't move. At first, they thought it was his appendix. Turns out, it was his gallbladder. They ended up having to do emergency surgery on him Monday morning to remove it. He is still currently in the hospital (he developed a fever yesterday and is still in a lot of pain, but he's doing better), and we hope he is going to come home tomorrow.

I did manage to get in a very nice run Monday morning before I went back to the hospital. I did 2 miles in 28:02. I ran the first 6 minutes straight, then maintained a 2 run: 1 walk ratio the rest of the time. I chose that method for multiple reasons; 1. I haven't been running like I was last year, so my muscles and everything need to be re-conditioned before I start upping the ante, and 2. I chose to run faster for those two minute spurts and try and push myself more than if I tried to run 5-7minutes straight. I plan on doing the same thing tomorrow for my second run of the week.

I've also been trying very, very hard to keep track of what I eat every day and have been keeping up pretty well with MyFitnessPal (again, feel free to add me biggergirlsrun2). I've made a couple of new friends on there and hope to make even more! I'm a firm believer in the more support, the better. Since I first reported that I had gained a good portion of weight back, I'm happy to say that I have lost about 4lbs. Hooray! I'm sure once I really get into my training schedule, I will lose more. And I'm super psyched about that!

One of the forums on MyFitnessPal.com asked people to list what their summer fitness goals were. I thought that was pretty nifty, so I decided to share mine here and see what goals y'all might have as well.

My summer fitness goals are:

to train (intelligently) for my 2nd half marathon,

to run at least 50 miles,

to go rock-wall climbing (inside),

to go ziplining,

 to go for at least 3 really nice hikes,

and to try a new Zumba place.

What do you think of my goals? What are YOUR summer goals?

Where, Oh Where, Has My Motivation Gone?

I'm depressed.

That about sums up the past few days of my life. I have no real reason to be depressed- my boyfriend is amazing and probably the sweetest guy on the planet, my job is time-consuming but fulfilling and fun, my family and friends are all healthy, finances are starting to straighten out... so, why am I depressed?

Because, despite all these other wonderful things, I've lost my motivation to do anything.
I've kept up with my bikini body boot camps, but I haven't done any other workouts. LAME.
I go to bed every night and think "tomorrow I'm going to get up and run", I even set my alarm and lay out my clothes. But, when that buzzer goes off, I reset my alarm and go back to bed. I can't seem to drag myself up and out. Not even down to the living room to do a quick workout video or anything. Ugh! I'm so frustrated with myself, I could seriously spit!

I keep giving myself little goals:

Run 50 miles and I will treat myself to a full body massage.
Get under 200 and I can have a shoe shopping spree.
Run any distance today and have an ice cream.

But, nothing seems to do the trick. I even keep trying to visualize different things to get myself going:

Being skinnier for my 10 year high school reunion.
Being a size 14 for 2013.
Losing another 10 pounds for summer.

Nothing. It's as if my brain gets what I'm telling it but my body refuses to take the message.
*sigh* I don't know. I'm at a loss. I was excited a bit yesterday because I bought something in a size 14/16 and it felt a little lose, but then some of my old clothes don't seem any bigger on me. And this morning I hopped on my boyfriend's scale. It said I had gained 15 pounds. I burst into tears. He tried to console me and tell me that the leg on one of the sides is broken so the numbers are wrong, but I know it's a lie. How did I gain 15 pounds in 2 weeks?! It's not like I've been stagnant- I'm still always up and about with work and rehearsals. I haven't even been eating as much because I don't always have the time to eat. Maybe that's part of the problem- maybe my wacky eating habits are killing me.

Either way, I just feel as if I worked so hard to get down to 207 and now this. I'm taking gigantic steps backwards and I don't know what to do. Even now, I just want to cry. I want to go to the gym while I'm still angry at myself but I'm literally working/rehearsing until goodness knows when tonight. And I want to wake up early tomorrow for a run before work, but I know I'm going to be exhausted.

Please help.  

Anyone Want Some Cookies?

There really isn't an excuse for my behavior. There never is.

It's just life and lack of time-management skills that prevents me from updating my blog. Too bad I can't update it telepathically because, if that was the case, I would have already posted at least 5 updates by now. That's right, sometimes I start blog entries in my head, but never get a chance to actually sit down and type them out.

Anyway, part of my current disappearing act was that it is GIRL SCOUT cookie time! Hooray!
No, I did not dive head first into a box of Tagalongs... though I very much would like to do so. I actually work for the organization and have been relentlessly doing programming with my girls and collecting their cookie sale info. This week, the boxes come in and I get to run delivery nights for 3 different towns to come and get their boxes. Woot! It's fun, but it makes for some very long days and very little free time.

On top of that, I'm currently on the tail end of a double ear infection and monster sinus infection. I mean, MONSTER. To the point where, everything was so compacted in my head that my face was swollen and it hurt to touch. Youch! However, I'm almost done with my meds and I am feeling better. I'd say I'm now, finally, at about 85%. So, even though I have my first 5k of the year this Saturday, I haven't run in two weeks. Ugh! I am planning on going to the gym tonight though. I get out of work late, so on my way home, I'm going to hit the gym and do a quick 1-2 miles. I'm not going to push myself, just want to make sure my lungs/sinuses can handle it. I think they can, but we shall see!

Today, I posted on my facebook how I need some serious motivation and people to keep on top of me. I'm still battling the same 10lbs and I'm just tired of it. I want them gone and done with. It's been almost 6 months and I'm stuck on this horrid weight plateau! GO AWAY 10lbs!!! I'm so close and there's no excuse as to why I haven't dropped them yet, other than sheer laziness and lack of dietary discipline. I'm kind of fed up with myself, to be completely honest. I feel like I'm letting myself down and it makes me angry.

So, now I'm trying to pump up my determination and motivation to get back on track.
I'm giving myself bribes, which do you think will be the best?

If I drop these 10lbs, I can:

-buy a new pair of shoes
-treat myself to a day at the beach
-throw myself a party
-get myself a really nice mani/pedi

As much as I would like to treat myself to all of the above, I feel that that just isn't doable.
So, I'm polling all of you lovely readers to help me decide which would be the best Goal-Getter option.

Let me know in a comment!

Happy Birthday!!

Happy Birthday to me!

Well, ok, it was on Monday, but still! I actually had a great birthday weekend. My wonderful boyfriend took me down to MGM Grand at Foxwoods casino for the weekend. We stayed in a very fancy hotel room and wen to this restaurant called High Rollers. It's a contemporary bar/lounge area that also has bowling lanes! So, we were both dressed up (me in a dress and heels) while we bowled away the evening. We enjoyed some very yummy lobster dip (which I'm sure was completely awful for us- but darn was it tasty!). After we bowled for a few hours, we wandered around, taking in the sites and stopping to play a slot machine or two. As we headed back up to the room, we also picked up a slice of Junior's cheesecake. YUM!!

As it turns out, we didn't need to buy the cheese cake because the front desk clerk decided to surprise us both with a special Birthday gift (my birthday was Monday, my boyfriend's was Tuesday). When we got back to the room, we found these waiting for us:

Can you believe it?! All hand made chocolate and a dark chocolate cake in the middle! I know I'm not supposed to eat chocolate because it makes me sick, but I took a bite or two of my cake anyway. SO GOOD!

The next morning, we checked out of Foxwoods and went over to the other casino, Mohegan Sun, to do some gambling and such. We ended up eating at a very yummy BBQ place. And, because it was our birthdays we got a free dozen Krispy Kreme donuts, a free ice cream from Ben and Jerry's, 2 free Godiva truffles and so much more! Holy sugar high, Batman! Later that night, we met up with both our families at Joey Garlic's- this amazing italian restaurant that serves incredibly large portions. I got a gluten free pasta dish (yay!!) that gave me enough left overs to last me a few days. Then, they brought Anthony and I a tiramisu for our birthdays. After dinner, we went back to my parents for presents and were surprised with 2 different type of cupcakes, peanut brittle, white chocolate toffee, and a cheesecake! After this weekend, I feel I may need to go on insulin.

I have to say, I did eat a fair amount, but I did also try to restrict myself. I didn't have toffee or peanut brittle or cheesecake after Joey Garlics- I didn't have room. And I also took home about 3/4 of my meal from the restaurant.

To make up for all of that food though, I went to the gym after work yesterday and pounded out a 3 mile run. It felt great! Well, my tummy was a little unhappy with me, but everything else felt awesome. 3 miles in 43:33. Not my fastest time, but not too shabby either. I hopped on the scale, just to check in with myself, and saw that I'm down to 208! Woohoo! (Not sure how that happened over this past weekend- maybe it was all the walking we did, not to mention I did walk a good few hours in 6 inch heels- now THAT'S a workout!)

My plan is to get back to the gym tonight for another 2 mile run. Then, on Saturday, I'm going to do a 4 mile run and Sunday is the Jim Calhoun Cardioraiser where I get to do Zumba for Autism Speaks! Hooray!

Also, in case I don't get a chance to update before then- BEST OF LUCK TO ALL MY DISNEY PRINCESS RUNNERS!!! Have a great time! I wish I could be there with you!!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

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How did YOU celebrate your Valentine's day?

Personally, I celebrated Valentine's Day on Saturday as both my boyfriend and I had to work late tonight. It was very nice on Saturday though! We had a nice dinner and exchanged gifts. I got him a Build-A-Bear puppy (since I couldn't afford to get him a real puppy like he wants) and he got me some gorgeous earrings. (Seriously, he spoils me like you wouldn't believe!)

In any case, I decided that since I wasn't going out to dinner or anything after work tonight (like most everyone else was), that I would go to the gym and get in a short run. The gym was practically deserted and I had my pick of treadmills. I hopped on one and got to it! I felt good for the first 15minutes but then I started getting a wicked cramp in my right side abdomen. I slowed down my pace but the cramp wouldn't let up. Eventually, it got to the point where it was uncomfortable to breathe because when I tried to expand my torso it was super tight. I slowed to a walk for a bit, but to no avail. I ended up doing 1.83 miles in 25 minutes. Not my best time, but not my worst either (and definitely not too bad considering the monster cramping in my abs).  

Anyone know a good stretch for the abdomen? 

Or what may have caused the cramping? 

I'm excited because only 11 pounds to go before I'm under my first goal weight of 2012! HOORAY!!
On the agenda for tomorrow I have a 2 mile run and a Zumba class. Just need to make sure I can drag myself out of bed in the morning again. But, I keep repeating my mantra to myself -Little black dress, Little black dress (my boyfriend says it to me as motivation also). 

Oh! As a side note- I'm still doing gluten free! YAY! I'm kind of surprised I've lasted so long. I just feel so much better not eating gluten. Less bloating and, definitely, much less lethargy after I finish a meal.

 It's a great feeling!

A Rant and Getting to Know Your Cupcake

Well, it has most definitely been a hectic week. And it's only Wednesday. OY!

I've been kind of down lately because I got on the scale today and I've gained back 15 pounds. UGH! I'm so angry with myself I could spit! Maybe some of it is because I'm suffering a visit from a not-so friendly friend (ladies, you get my drift). Maybe it's because I just haven't been able to find the time to get my lazy butt to the gym. I've been working so many hours that all I do when I get home is try to unwind a bit and then catch some sleep. On the up side, seeing those numbers on the scale has definitely re-motivated me to get up and get back to the gym more often. I refuse to back track all of the hard work I did last year!! So, tomorrow, I am getting myself up early and going for a run BEFORE work. I'm not a morning person, but it's got to be done.  End rant- now to the fun stuff.

Recently, I was tagged in not one, but TWO different blogs for the 11 Random Things post. So, I'm going to apologize in advance for the super long post - prepare to learn WAY too much about me!

Rules of the Post:

1. Post these rules.
2. You must post 11 random things about yourself.
3. Answer the questions set for you in the post you were tagged in.
4. Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.
5. Go to their blog, FB page, or wherever you can grab their attention and inform them of their obligation to the blogosphere.

11 Random Things About Cupcake:

1. I LOVE baking cupcakes (hence the nickname). Seriously, I delight in coming up with various and sometimes random recipes for people. Apparently my cupcakes are pretty good too because I even got asked to bake them for a wedding in May (Sweet!!) My favorite cupcake to make is my pumpkin spice caramel- sooo yummy and SOOO under 300 calories (as most of my cupcakes are).

2. I am addicted to Bath and Body Works. It probably doesn't help that I work there part-time. But I legit cannot help myself from buying up all of their products! The lotions, the shower creams,soaps, wallflowers, candles... everything!

3. I truly enjoy dancing but have absolutely NO rhythm or dance skills whatsoever. Except when it comes to swing dancing. I took 2 years of swing dance lessons in college and can totally jitterbug with the best of them.

4. My favorite late night snack is a large bowl of mixed fruit (grapes, apples, bananas, berries) topped off with greek yogurt and a handful of gluten free granola and some almonds. YUMM!!

5. I went to an all-women's college and I have never regretted my choice. I loved my school because it was academically challenging and set up in such a way that it helped mold me into the empowered and intelligent woman I am today. It taught me leadership, responsibility, the true value of sisterhood and SO much more.

6. My bedroom is currently painted to look like an ocean. I'm a Pisces- I love water, enough said. One whole wall in my room is a mural (painted by one of my mother's friends) and has dolphins, fish, a beach, a ship, etc all done on it. The opposite wall has the moon and some stars.

7. I love pirates. Not just the Johnny Depp looking ones either, but all kinds of pirates. y family encourages my obsession by gifting me with pirate themed objects. My favorite gift is rolling luggage in the shape of a pirate treasure chest.

8. When I was a young kid (around 9 or 10) I was part of a children's chorus group that was invited to make a cd with Jose Feliciano (the original singer of Feliz Navidad). I went to his house in CT and sang in a sound studio and met his family and everything!

9. I have a candle addiction. At any given time, I have about $250 worth of candles in my bedroom. Totally came in handy during the freak October storm where I was without power for a week.

10. I enjoy painting my nails. It's something I tend to do on my "Me" nights. It makes me feel all girly and pretty. I've gotten much better at doing my own nails also. I don't make nearly as big of a mess as I used to.

11. I have my bartending license. Yup. One of the things I did after I graduated college was get my bartending license. You never know when you may need a second job to help bring in some extra cash. Plus, I love mixing drinks more than I love actually drinking them.


11 Questions I have to Answer:


Questions from Becoming An Ironman

1. What did you want to be when you were growing up?  What do you want to be now that you have grown up?         I remember being in sixth grade and having to write down what I wanted to be when i grew up. We then had to hand in our answers and go around the room trying to guess who answered which job. I wrote that I wanted to be a comedian. I love making people laugh! Now that I am grown up, I still want to be a performer, just not necessarily a stand-up comedian.
2. If you came into a large fortune all of a sudden and were set for life, what is the first thing you would do?     I would pay off all my parents bills and make sure they were financially secure. Then, I would pay off most of my debts, donate a large portion of money to various charities and then put some into my savings. Sensible, right?
3. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?    If we are going original- vanilla. If you mean "out of the box" flavors- peanut brittle.
4. Of all the places you've been - vacation, work, or any other reason - which was your favorite and why?    I LOVED Italy. Probably one of the most beautiful places I have ever been in my entire life. The way that the past and present is so intermingled in all of the cities is truly astonishing and absolutely breathtaking.
5. What is your favorite time of day to exercise?   Mondays. I feel it usually helps me get my week off to a good start.
6. Everyone has an innate fear.  What are you naturally afraid of?  I am truly afraid of disappointing people. Random, but it's true. I can't stand having people being disappointed or upset with me- it eats away at my heart.
7. Which holiday is your favorite?, and why?   Probably Halloween. Not because of the candy- but because I get to dress up and act silly.
8. It's Friday night and you have the whole weekend ahead of you, what do you do?   I would probably be out performing in a show or watching a live show somewhere.
9. What was the very last meal you ate?   Fish, brussel sprouts and some mashed potatoes.
10. What is your big race this year?, and what is your goal for that race?  My big race is another half marathon- The DIVA half (hopefully). And my goal is 3 hours.
11. What is the toughest aspect of training for you?  How do you overcome it?  My toughest aspect is finding the time and maintaining the motivation to keep running. I'm still working on overcoming it. I feel if I start to set smaller goals for myself I might be more willing to continue.

Questions from BabyWilt

1. When and why did you start to run and if you don't run, why did you start to exercise? I started running in the fall of 2010 because I wanted to cross "finish a race" off my bucket list.
2. Where was you last vacation?  My last "vacation" was to North Carolina for my 5 year college reunion.
3. What phrase or word do you tend to overuse? I say "you're welcome" and "I'm sorry" a lot. (The first one I got from Chelsea)
4. How many hours of sleep do you average a night? I try to get at least 6.
5. How many siblings do you have? Two. One brother, one sister.
6. What is you favourite food and why?  My favorite food is sushi. I love seafood!!
7. What do you like to do most in your "me time"?  I tend to put on either a movie or some music and chill out while I give myself a manicure.
8. Have you ever done something you thought (or were told) you could never do? Yes. I finished a half marathon.
9. What is your favourite post exercise meal or snack?  I love peanut butter and bananas after a run.
10. What is your favourite time of the day?  My favorite time of the day is about 11:30am. At least, that's my favorite time to go work out.
11. I work at home at my computer so check blogs/emails/twitter/facebook regularly; How do YOU organise the social media in your life?   I have an iPhone that helps me keep in touch with social media. However, I have been slacking on a lot of my social media outlets simply because I just don't have the time to respond/post/etc. 

People I am Tagging:

Wells L @My Story... Chapter 2
Amy @Pumpkin to Princess
Suz and Allen @Cows and Lasers and Everything in Between
Carly @Chubby Chicks Run Too

Questions They Must Answer:

1. What is your all-time favorite season and why?
2. If you could run a race anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
3. What is your fondest memory?
4. What is something that you have done in your life that makes you proud?
5. What is something that you are terrifies of?
6. If you were stranded on an island and could only have three things with you, besides a form of travel and food, what would your three things be?
7. What is your favorite animal and why?
8. Have you ever wished upon a star? If so, did it come true?
9. What is the most current book you have read?
10. What is your favorite piece of running gear? Why?
11. How much wood could a woodchuck chuck, if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

Excitement Ensues

3 awesome things to be excited about right now!

First, I won Pumpkin to Princess' Sparkly Skirt give away! HOORAY! I chose the mermaid green sparkly running skirt (that goes perfectly with my green Zensah compression sleeves) for the Disney Princess half outfit. I will definitely post pictures when I get the skirt in. Now all I need is a purple top and some green shoes haha. So, Thanks to Amy for having such a fun give away!

Another thing that I am excited about is the fact that I FINALLY broke through my weight plateau!
If anyone remembers, I was stuck at 212-215 for like 4 months. But, the other day, I got on the scale and low and behold 206!!! FRIGGIN SWEET! I am now 7 pounds away from being under 200 for the first time in almost 9 years. Holy crap crackers Batman! 7 pounds before I accomplish my first of many goals!

Goal 1: Get under 200lbs.
Goal 2: Get under 180lbs.
Goal 3: Get to a comfortable size 10 or 12.

The way my bone structure is, I don't want to lose too much weight because I think I will look awkward. But a healthy size 10 or so should about do it for me. I'm so close, I can taste it!

Speaking of tasting things........   Finally, the third thing I am excited about is this:

 

Can you say ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!?

Pumpkin Pie and Apple Cider Yogurts?! As soon as I saw them at Target, I snatched them up. They are on an awesome sale as well- 10 for $5! I got 3 pumpkin pie and 2 apple ciders (I have to share haha) but I fully intend on going back and stocking up some more. The pumpkin pie one is my all time favorite. It's 170 calories, but it's perfect for breakfast, as a snack at work, or even something after I workout. The apple cider is only 80 calories which is fantastic. Needless to say, my two favorite things of the fall season have just gotten even better! YUMMY!!!

What's your favorite thing about Fall?