Count down

So I am only a few hours away from participating in my first half marathon.  

Want to know the truth, I'm actually kind of scared of doing it.  I know I can do it, I just have to get out of my head.  My training is going well for as sporadic as it has been. At this point the furthest I have gone is 10 miles, just short of the half marathon distance.  

But I still can't believe that it's happening.

You can follow my race on Facebook there will be periodic posts.

I will follow up tomorrow after the race.  

Enjoy the journey!

Needing Motivation .... Selfie Style

I didn't think it would come to this.... I need motivation so this better work.

I am almost a month away from my half marathon and this freezing Texas weather has me beaten.  I have tried to maintain my diet but without the exercise I feel like I am at a horrible stand still.  I have gone to the gym only a few times over the past couple of weeks.  My poor dog has had to witness some strange dancing to "Happy" by Pharrell Williams and awkward pushups using the kitchen countertop just so I feel like I have worked some muscles during my day.  I have had some really great long jog/walks and have managed to get up to 10.5 miles a couple of weeks ago but I just feel beaten down.

You know how every spring you find yourself going through your home and purging things that you haven't used in some time. Well I did just that with my closet and dresser a few weeks ago.  I probably got rid of half of my clothes because they were too big.  Some of them looked like colorful potato sacks with some embroidery on them to disguise the fact I was getting as big as I was.  Well I purged and purged and purged some more.  Finally half of my closet was empty and I even went through my bathing suits.  That was interesting! There was one in particular, a suit that I bought before my trip to Hawaii last spring. It was a desperate attempt to look cute without feeling like a seal sunning on the beach.  When I looked at it holding it up to me I cried out...Never again!  It felt really good getting rid of all of those clothes.  There is only one pair of pants that I held onto, promising my husband that the only reason was for comparison later on.

But even with all of that change I still feel beaten and unmotivated.

So this is what I have resorted to.  How can I get some motivation? Post the selfie I never thought I would.

This is me back in September, I had already started doing some walking but wasn't as active as I was just a few weeks ago.

After taking this photo (well even during the photo) I was just disgusted with myself.  I couldn't imagine why in the world I ever let myself get to this point. I was pushing a size 26 bottom and 24 in my tops.

And for comparison here is a shot from today when I came home from the gym... feeling just a bit better about myself. Forgive the hair it was a hot mess.

I feel something stirring again. Hopefully some kind of motivation will come from this post.  

I know I certainly need it.

Here's to a beautiful 60+ degree day in Texas, may the sun shine brightly and may you sweat today even just a little.

Enjoy your journey.


Here's a side by side just cuz...

Stuff This...

On this cold Texas morning I wanted to share one of my favorite recipes.
I have been wanting to share a healthy recipe with you since I started my journey.  So here is one of my favorites...

Italian Turkey Sausage Stuffed Portobello Mushroom Caps.

Sausage Stuffing recipe: 

2 lb. of ground turkey

2 tbsp Italian Seasoning

2 tbsp of Parsley 

1/2 cup Bread crumbs

1 tsp Ground Fennel seed

1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

1 egg

Mix all of the seasoning and meat together feel free to let it sit and marry the flavors together for an hour or so.   After letting the meat rest you will lightly oil a skillet with EVOO and brown the sausage until fully cooked. I like making the sausage the night before so all you have to do is stuff the cap, heat through and serve.

Preheat the oven to 375.

Next, take the previously cooked sausage and mix it with 3/4 cup of Ricotta cheese, 1/4 cup grated parmesan and 2 cups of chopped baby portobello mushrooms.  

Remove the stems and scrape out the gills from the cap.  Season (salt & pepper to taste) the Portobello caps then lightly drizzle the caps with EVOO on both sides. 

Stuff the caps with the sausage mixture and roast the stuffed caps for 20 minutes.

I serve them with warmed marinara sauce and a heaping pile of salad.

This recipe will serve 4 so be prepared to share!

Enjoy the Journey!

Creating a Monster

How can this sweet faced person become a monster behind wheels!?!

Because she hasn't eaten.  Since my metabolism his gotten better I feel like I am eating all of the time. So this morning when I was running some errands and nearly bit the head of a woman who was driving in the lane next to me I decided (with the coaching of my husband) that maybe I needed to eat something.  So I picked up my two Starbucks fav's a Venti Skinny Vanilla Latte and Reduced Fat Turkey Bacon Breakfast sandwich.  And all was right in the world after a short period.  

So I guess I should apologize to the woman in the tan Camry,  I know you couldn't hear me but I am sure you so my mouth flapping like a flag in the wind.  Sorry.

On another note I am super excited to be taking a trip with my husband to celebrate his 40th birthday the end of next month.  I hope to get some serious hiking and shopping done.  But most of all I want to celebrate the birth of the man I so desperately love and who I can't imagine my life without.  

I can't believe your going to be 40 Joe!! Where has the time gone!

Enjoy the journey!

Have FAITH

I would like to think and say I am a woman of faith. 

I have been in the past but I have found myself over the past few years struggling with my faith. I have prayed and have felt that they haven't been answered. I have put more faith into the what's in my life as opposed to the Who in my life.  Now I know and have known since I was a little girl that God is fully involved in my life simply because I wouldn't be here today without him.  I have gotten myself into some sticky situations in my past and I have only survived them because of Gods patience and intervention.  But like so many people out there we get into the middle of things and we can't see the light at the end of tunnel, heck we couldn't even see the high beam right in front of us pointing us in the right direction.

But there is a verse that I always fall back on when I have struggled with not knowing what lies ahead for me.  "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see"  Hebrews 11:1 NIV.  There is a profound simplicity in this verse, Faith is something so much greater than myself.  God has this and I need to recognize that everyday.  

 All I can do is put my Faith in God knowing that he will be there every step of the way.  During every moment  I cry out to Him wondering why things haven't worked out the way I thought they should. He is there. Faith is knowing that His plan is happening whether we see it or not. 


Enjoy your journey.

Have FAITH that you are not alone.

Run Baby Run! Oops.

Happy New Year!

Fun fact the dress I'm wearing in this picture I bought for my honeymoon almost seven years ago. I didn't get a chance to wear it then and then I couldn't fit into it. So on Christmas Eve I had a moment of celebration when I put it on and it looked and fit so good. 

So as the new year started I decided to make a move...

And so now it's official I registered for the Dallas Rock and Roll half marathon yesterday and today I began some serious training.  I've been training before but sort of slacked off on my cardio for all sorts of reasons over the past couple of weeks. After Ice-mageddon hit the dallas area it was a challenge to get out and move in the cold and then I got a cold. So when my folks came into town for the holidays my mom and I went on a nice walk and got my blood flowing again.  

Until my oops. 

I was doing pretty good today up until I realized I had to use the restroom and I was in the middle of no where.  What do you do?  As a walking runner in training I was unsure as what to do. The last thing I need when in the middle of the 1/2 marathon is to have to use the bathroom.   

What would you recommend?

I would love to hear your ideas.

Over the hump with My Fitness Pal

Finished the Dallas Turkey Trot with a personal best. Felt a little bad that I left my husband behind as I creeped towards the start line. But when I finished the 3 miles in a personal best time of 38 minutes I was very happy.

I got caught up with the running group so by the end of the race I jogged about a total of a mile.  

Since then I've struggled for the past few weeks with a plateau. Now plateaus happen especially when losing weight it's how you respond to them that matters most. I initially thought I had been doing pretty good with my calorie and water intake but I was so wrong.

A good friend of mine introduced me to Fitness Pal. It is a great app that helps you track your calorie, water and fitness both cardiovascular and strength.  You can also connect with others on a similar journey so that you can mutually support and cheer each other on.

By taking each day and inputting all of my information I was able to see I wasn't eating enough for my body to burn or drinking enough water to keep things moving.  Since I started using MyFitness Pal I have been able to get over the hump and lose another 5 pounds. Yeah!

So here is my recommendation for the day and for your journey, download the Myfitness Pal app and start tracking your journey.  You will be surprised how your journey can get a jump start.