I am doing it. The Shred with Jillian. I have never been a huge fan of workout videos, but I am super excited about this one. I am still running about 15-20 miles a week, but with no soon to run races on the calender, and the Portland Rainy season settling upon me- I wanted to switch it up a bit.
And also Christmas is 7 weeks away and I really want to get rid of my last bit of baby weight, yes the same ten pounds I have been trying to loose for a year and a half. I gained 50 pounds with my son, lost 40 in 3 months and have yo-yo-ed the other 10 for over a year. Lost it all before our big Lake Powell summer trip and then returned to the repeat. Here is my cycle. Crash diet for a big event, get within one pound of my goal. Celebrate. Attend event. Come home binge out like its my birthday for a week +. Which equals a gain 0f 5+ pounds. You get the picture. But thanks to a new attitude, my spark account to keep my eating in check, (I love that site! Check it out!) my tried and true running, and Jillian who we all love to hate. I will reach my goals by Christmas.
I have been super motivated by another blogger/runner named Syl who did the 30 day shred challenge with Jillian twice, and have decided to do the same Video. I took my measurements last night which was an interesting experience.
HEre are my commitments for November
Run 3-5 times a week 18-25 miles
Do The Shred everyday no matter what
Do Circuit training 3 times per week
Track all food at Spark

What are your goals for November?

14 miles....I did it:)

There might be a tiny bit of me that is curious about longer distances.....
I did 14miles yesterday. I have never run more than 13.1...it was a good run...I felt great the whole time and loved it! my knee did hurt a tiny bit, but it was no biggy:)

Like Valerie, I have some races I'm planning to do:
5K on Thanksgiving where i'm HOPING I can do a sub 21minute run...we'll see
13K in Jan
15K in Feb
30K in March If my bride doesn't get back to me about a potential wedding booking.
and then the fabulous 1/2 marathon on July 4th!! I can't WAIT for that!!!

I am loving my training and love having a coach. My biggest success so far has been the changes I have made in my eating habits. I had a pepsi last night on our date night for the fist time in WEEKS!!! it was so weird...but I dont' WANT to eat the junk I used to b/c I feel so much better!!
I weighed myself at steve's office the other day and I have lost almost 5lbs since I started training with my running coach...it's an amazing feeling to be getting in better shape. I know I don't NEED to lose weight but it just proves I had 5 lbs of extra JUNK I was carrying around from eating unhealthy.
I will be 32 next month and I'm in the best shape of my whole life...and I'm just getting started. I am happier than ever and Life is just great!!!

can't wait to hear how the rest of you are doing!! Keep up the hard work, it's WORTH IT!!!
remember, "Nothing tastes as good as healthy Feels!!!"
xoxox

New Month=New outlook

The Fam. and i posing after the Portland Marathon. 10.10.10

I don't know about you ladies, but I just love a new month. I love turning the old ink covered page on my calender to a fresh white page, flipping over my day planner to a blank canvas, and charting new monthly to-do lists. (I'm a big fan of to-do lists).
The wonderful month of November has been no exception. Summer is gone, and Christmas is just around the corner, yes think "Holiday Christmas Party Outfits."
Its time to get serious about these annoying last ten pounds. As many of you know last month I ran the Portland Marathon, it was my 4th marathon and didn't go quite as planned, for a complete re-cap check my
Running Blog
After the marathon I decided I needed a break from 30 + miles a week and a strict diet.
The hiatus is officially over, and I am making some proactive changes and concentrating on an overall healthy lifestyle, which includes running, (of course) circuit training, (Kami Parker has an intense set if you want it) eating healthy, (no junk), and I'm even adding Jillian's Shred this month thanks to another inspired blogger Syl. (You can check out her super inspiring blog
Here
So with all that being said I am super excited to be back on track keeping it accountable, and getting Holiday ready.

Also here are some races I plan on running in the upcoming 2011 year.
1) A 30k in march (18.6 miles)
2) A 1/2 marathon in April
2) Suavie Island 1/2 marathon in July

For now I am not putting any full marathons on the calender, I really want to concentrate on getting rid of my last 10 extra chub weight, and then decreasing my 1/2 marathon time. Happy November Ladies, MAKE it a great month!

I'm finally back on track

When I got pregnant with the girls I was at my lowest weight, in the best shape, and felt great. Then I got totally sick, stopped working out, ate whatever would stay down and gained 80 pounds. I felt I had done all that work to get in awesome shape for nothing. So after the girls were born I had a lot of work to do. But I moved out of state when the girls were 7 weeks old, had to deal with the whole skin cancer dealio and surgery, then broke my toe. But now I finally feel like I am on the right track again. The girls are 11 months old and I am still about 17 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight, but that goal now actually seems attainable.

Here's where I'm at so far: I've been adjusting my eating to be more whole foods, organic (as much as we can afford), low glycemic, and traditional foods. I've still got a ways to go, but we're not doing too bad. And I've finally been able to get back in the routine of running! I'm pretty excited about it. There are 3 other ladies from my ward that I go running with in the mornings. So I run about 4 days a week and try to do pilates or yoga 1 or 2 other days. But I want to do a half marathon in May and do a duathlon at some point so I need to up my mileage and include biking again. Since the weather is getting crappy up here I don't want to bike outside. My gym has a cycling class I tried that is a great workout, but it's at 5:15 am. Annoyingly early! Why can't they have it at like 6am or 6:15am???? But I just need to suck it up and go to it at least once a week. So that's what I need this blog for - to keep me on track with upping my running and actually going to that way too early in the morning cycling class. Thanks for starting this up again Nicole! Seeing all your awesome progress helps to motivate me :)

Getting back into the swing of things!

Okay, my baby girl is 8 months old already and I'm finally feeling like I'm getting back on track with exercising. I recently got hired as a fitness instructor at the Y. I have NO experience with this and was mostly motivated by the FREE membership that goes along with teaching there. So...I've been teaching every other week and working out there 3x/week doing cardio, weight training, and kickboxing classes. LOVE it! Another benefit to working there is the childcare--they take kids anywhere from 6 weeks and older. So nice-since the child care issue was my biggest barrier to working out. I also get to take classes to help with fitness certification and am looking forward to learning more about nutrition (which I desperately need help with) and exercise physiology. Yea! Hoping to get back to running again soon so that I can do a 1/2 marathon in the spring. Thanks, Nicole for starting this back up!

Ok...here we go

I started the HCG diet last week. I have lost 7.5 lbs!! I know this is a controversial diet but I have seen success in multiple people. My main goal with this diet is to reset my metabolism and get rid of my cravings. I hasn't been an easy first week. There were times that I felt SO hungry!! I did lots of research on this and I know that feeling hungry is a common side affect in the first week. Today is actually the first time I haven't felt like I was starving myself.

With this diet you can either take the HCG by giving yourself injections or by using the sub lingual drops. I opted for the drops. I will be done with the first phase of the diet on November 1st. Only 16 more days!

I got a pair of jeans out of the dryer the other day, and you know how jeans are always tighter when you have just washed and dried them? Well, they actually FIT and weren't tight at all!! I am so excited to fit into jeans that I haven't been able to wear in over five years!!

I'm baaaaaaaack......with a vengence!!

Okay Ladies...so it's been 11 mo's since my last post...well since ANY of us have posted...and I think it's time to start getting accountable again:)
I thought about starting a running blog but thought I'd try to revive this baby first!!
I am going to make it public so don't post anything you dont' want others to read:)

Since the beginning of this blog 2yrs ago I have come alot closer to my goals...I dont' know that my goals really have an "end" as they are always changing as I get closer to them .....
I feel like I reached a happy place with my body this summer and am happy with the progress I've made with toning, fitness etc. My goals now are moving more toward my running and speed.

I have hired a running coach and been training with him for 4 - 5 wks now.
so far, So GOOD! he's awesome and I feel like he's helping me achieve my goals.

until yesterday, my best half marathon time was 1:46:41...but yesterday I set out for a 13.1 mile run and ran it in 1:46:15 without even trying...I didn't realize it til about 2 min before I finished how close I was to my time....wish I had b/c I would have tried harder:)
I have a bunch of races set ...pretty much at least 1 each month in the new year....just small races, 5K-15K.....
Valerie just found a half marathon on Dec 18th so I might do that.
if anyone wants to work toward a 5K up to a 15K (3-9 mile range), let me know and you can come do a race!

My goals for the next year are:
half marathon in under 1:43:00
10K in under 46:00
5K in under 20:00



So tell me where YOU'RE at??

what are your goals? I hope you can use this as a place to be accountable and get back on track!!!



xoxoxo

Nicole




here's apic of Steve and I at our Dayton 10K last month:)

Half Marathon training...

just thought I better check in....we are NOT great posters lately are we? lol...
I'm on week 5 of strictly following my training schedule to increase my half marathon time.
I'm reading this incredible new book called "Run Less, Run faster" that advocates 3 QUALITy runs a week and 2 cross training days. The proof is in the pudding....they have alot of science with real runners, average, beginner and advance who have done their program and increased their race times SUBSTANTIALLY! I'm really excited.

the 3 runs are:
1. track repeats
2. tempo run
3. long run

so far so good and I have seen an improvment in my times already:) I can't wait to see if I can hit my goal on the race on April 3rd.
So here it is in writing:

1hr 45-46min. flat. (8:00-8:05 mile pace)(or better..but thats pushing it).
My last time was 1hr 49min and 24 sec. this IS pushing it but I have alot of faith in this training i'm doing. My last half I didn't train very hard and so that is the reason I'm thinking I can achieve this goal. I will have done about 16wks of training for this ...so hopefully it pays off!!

Everything I've read says I should be able to improve my time by this much. I'll be honest, I'm nervous....my friend Katie Hendrickson just ran a half in 1:44: 32 (or close to that) and that is FAST! (she is amazing!). she can run faster than me and has been running longer so I HAVE questioned whether or not this is a realistic goal. The last thing I want to do is not set an unrealistic goal and then fail or disappoint myself. I am still reading this book and figuring out what is realistic for me so I may change it, but right now, THAT is my goal, and you can all hold me to it!!!
how are you doing?

another Half Marathon..

so, it's set,
Me, Val, sabrina, Alyssa and hopefully Natalie are going to start training tomorrow for another half marathon on April 3rd:)

I'm excited! I NEED a goal to work toward. I am determined to reach my goal too and I know it won't be easy, but I MUST believe I can do it.
My goal is to train the best I can to increase my time by 4min 24 sec. that will get me from my last time of 1:49:24 to 1:44:48 which will also give me a 8:00pace like I want:)

when I think back to my half marathon in july and how hard I pushed myself, I KNOW that I couldn't have gone any faster without collapsing.....so this seems like a far stretch, BUT I also know that it is possible with speed work and hill training to become a better faster runner. I'm excited and trying to be positive and tell myself that I can do this!!!

anyway, I would LOVE to hear everyone elses updates:):) YAY for goal setting and great friends to run with!!
xo
(sorry this is kinda rambling on and might not make much sense, i'm in a hurry and someone just showed up! bye!!)

still running

hey team, it's jessica.

just wanted to let you know that i am still running here in LA. We are running three days and week and building up our endurance. i am planning to run a 5k on Thanksgiving and my sister-in-law is trying to talk me into a half-marathon in march. Not sure if i'm up for that, but we'll see!

hope you guys are doing well!

I did it!

I beat my goal! I ran a 10K this saturday and My goal was to run it at a 8min pace ...last year I ran my first 10K this same month and ran it at a 8:45 pace.....

This time I ran it at a 7:40min pace!!!! I was SO happy..it was hard though..... and though it was a tiny race (268 runners), I placed 58th overall and 2nd in my age group. STill made me feel good.
My friend katie, who I asked to run with me, ran hers at a 7:26 ...she is amazing!
I'm super excited to keep training....just got to find me a race! i'm such a slacker if I don't have a goal to work towards.

how is everyone else doing with THEIR goals????

give us an update!!

my poor toe...

well, I announced on facebook my toe was broken...but perhaps it is just sprained. I HOPE.
Steve took an xray today and couldn't see anything but it's all swollen and bent and blueish...
I hope it gets better.
I missed my 6mile run today b/c of it! dang it. I run in 1 wk. ...
I have faith it'll get better and I can run again on monday!!
fingers crossed!

jessica again. did you miss me?

so, i went running again today. it went better than saturday, but i still need to work on my posture. when i get tired i have a tendency to lean forward, which isn't super helpful.

i was really tired today, but that wasn't due to the run. i went to bed too late and that definitely affects my ability to have a good run and have a good day.

on that note, good night!

jessica here, checking in....

so, i went running again on saturday. i was really tired, but ran for 30 minutes. i end up walking 15 minutes to meet my friend, Christina, and then we run for 30 and then i walk about 10 minutes to my apartment.

Christina and i were talking today about how we both at like crap on friday and so we really feel like it affected our energy to run on saturday. i mean, i've always know that eating and exercise go hand in hand, but this was a new lesson for me.

anyway, the plan is to run 3 days per week and then walk at least 2 days per week. i'll keep you posted on how i'm doing.

YAY for posts!

I have been terrible for checking this b/c no one ever posts anymore!!.... but I just found 2 new posts!!! YAY!
lets get back at it girls.

Where I'm at:
I have a 10K run on Sept.26th. My goal is to run at an 8min overall pace. I've just started my training with tempo runs and speedwork. I'm psyched.

what are you all upto? you NEED to have a goal to work towards or it's hard to stay motivated....

lets catch up!!

p.s My friend Chrystal will be joining us here shortly....yay, more beachbody bloggers!;)

"Some people dream of worthy accomplishments while others stay awake and do them." - Unknown

Which one are you?

guess what!?

i went running today! with a friend! i will be SO sore tomorrow, but it was SO good.

just thought you might like to know ;)

-- jessica

Power Through

About a month ago I decide to add to my workout and see if anything would change. So I added the 10 minute trainer. I started out thinking that if I would at least do one that would be great, but I realized that during naps I can do more than that, so for the past month I have done at least two 10 minute trainers five days a week. That is 4 weeks in a row, not bad huh! Well sadly I have not noticed much change but I didn't measure myself. I was hoping for a more noticeable change so that I was motivated to continue, but now... I have fallen... into a "slump!" So here I am writing this to help me power through and keep going! Maybe I should take some measurements? Maybe I should add some other element? Maybe I should change something in the food department? What are your thoughts? Okay, Power Through!

SLUMP

What is a slump? For me I define a slump as a time frame (either a day, a week, or heaven forbid an entire month :( ) when i loose motivation, feel overwhelmed, become lazy, loose sight of goals, or basically just have too many excuses.

This weekend felt like a slump for me. Poor me, poor this poor that, not a pretty sight. I wanted to snap myself out of my self-pity party (feeling sorry for yourself constantly is one of my biggest pet-peeves)

So I turned to writing. Writing for me is such a healthy release. It always helps me remember how far I have came, where I am at, and where i am going. In one of my writing books I record quotes, which help to motivate me.

Here is my quote for the week.

"All who have accomplished great things have had a great aim, have fixed their gaze on a goal which was high, one which sometimes seemed impossible."

A great aim! That is my goal this week "Aim High." I realize that we all have slumps, its a natural part of life, its how we deal with 'our slumps' that sets us apart.

I spoke with my mother in law this weekend who also happened to be having her own mid-Sunday slump-talking to each other re-motivated our spirits and left us both more committed to our goals and refreshed. What a wonderful thing a 'friend' is. Someone who can call us on the table and tell us to wake up and get moving!

Its Monday, I ran my miles this morning and came back to dust off my 10 minute videos and complete the ab one. So far I'm off to a great week, and its safe to say I'm out of my weekend slump! I hope all of you have a great week, and set your aim high. :)

New Goals....

I've been thinking alot lately about Goals. After finishing the half marathon...I didn't know what to do. I really need a goal to motivate me to keep going. So I'm going to do a 10K (6.2mi) race on Sept.26th. My goal is to get my pace faster and to run this at a 8:00min mile pace. SCARY!
Not sure if I can do it but I like setting goals that really PUSH me to see if I can accomplish them!!
So..we'll see:)
to accomplish this I'm starting hill training and sprint training. I didn't get my sprint training in this week but I did do 3mi with hills at a steady 8:25 pace which was hard and really got me out of my comfort zone. ....

SO.....lets talk Goals ladies....
whats your next goal? remember to be specific:)


Nicole