8 Miles

That's what I ran today. Set the treadmill at 5.8 and just plugged away. 83 minutes later, done. My breathing was nice and easy, a little heaviness in the legs, (ok, my ass felt like it was hitting my calves, which for all I know, it was!), but nothing that would have stopped me from doing more than I did. Could've kept going but trying to take it nice and easy. I have plenty of time to get there, no need to rush it. I feel great an hour later, no headache at all. I think I was extremely overheated that run and pushing it too hard on the intervals. Oh, and today I could wring out the bottom of my tech shirt, that's how much I frickin' sweat!

I told you I'm a sweaty pig after I work out! (LMAO)

255 Days

ONLY 255 days until the Diva Half-Marathon! I have been reading WAY too much stuff about pants-pooping and bloody nipples and it's scaring the bejeezus out of me!! I can not for the life of me remember who posted the picture of someone who looks like an Olympic athlete running with excrement dripping down his legs, but it has scarred me for life! I will FO' SHO' be wearing DARK, LONG running pants the day of the race just to avoid THAT embarrassment! (Please don't go Googling that. You will never get that image out of your head!) But, if you haven't read any of Jen's blog From Fat To Finish Line, you should. She has a post on the "sh*t runners never say" and it's HYSTERICAL!!! She added this video and I laughed so hard I cried!!!

Anyhow, the half is 255 days away and I got a picture from Run Like A Diva on my Facebook wall of both what the medal and race t-shirt will look like. Can not wait to wear both PROUDLY!!!!

Each half has a different t-shirt design to honor the women from each area.

The "bling" spins and the other side holds a race-provided picture!

Raging Headache

Anyone else suffer from a headache after an intense run? I can understand when I get them in the heat, like after my 10k in September, but I was in the gym today. It did feel warm (and my friend agreed), probably because it got up to 55* today, but it wasn't THAT warm. I did an interval run, alternating between 6.5 and 7 for .25 miles each. In fact, last week I was able to run .5 miles at 7 and then run .25 at 6.5. I missed my long run on Saturday because of the weather. Maybe that's why I felt like complete and utter roadkill after a 45 minute run?? I managed to get in 4.87 miles in 47 minutes with warm-up and cool down.

Still waiting for it to kick in!

500 Calories

That's how much My Fitness Pal says I burned in 70 minutes shoveling this fargin' (anybody remember 'Johnny Dangerously'?) snow that's been falling since last night. I should weigh-in again. How much do fingers and toes weigh? I'm pretty sure a couple may have become casualties in my mission to clean the driveways and pathways and dig the mailbox out. And I didn't even clean the cars off yet.

So much for my long run at the gym this morning. I could walk to the gym since it's only a half a mile, but while I was shoveling I saw some bleeping idiot in a huge truck spin out at my corner. I don't need to get hit on the side of the road because people don't know they're NOT invincible in an SUV!

On The Bright Side...

So, I didn't get a chance at a hair makeover on the Today Show, (ASIDE: It was actually a "how to make the most of your gray hair" segment. The three models just sat there while the expert told the audience how to care for gray hair and change your make-up because gray hair can "wash you out." I didn't miss much.), but it came!

I ordered this Half-Marathon bracelet through ChalkTalkSports/Amazon.com. I had a gift card from Christmas for my Kindle, but I'd rather have this instead. I'll wear it as a constant reminder of what I'm working towards for the Diva Half on October 7th. I was surprised to discover that there's a lot of marathon jewelry out there, different necklaces, bracelets, key chains also. Endorphin Warrior makes some really nice pieces, but they were more expensive.

Also, I went to Kohl's (on Tuesday) with a gift card from Christmas and my 30% off coupon (for being a credit card holder) and I got a ton of stuff for $81.77, plus I made $20 in Kohl's cash. Not bad, right? Two pairs of boots (tan ones for me, gray for my daughter), the hat's for my son, four long-sleeved t-shirts, three pairs of cute boy short undies, two bras ($64 when not on sale!), a cold weather reversible headband and that cute long-sleeved tech shirt (with thumbholes!) for some cold outdoor runs. With the "free" $20, I went back today and got a pair of Cuddl Duds cold weather leggings and another headband (teal/white) for NOTHING! I actually have $.49 left!

Who needs a trip to NYC with a free makeover anyway? (me)

Apparently, I Didn't Make the "Cut"

Disappointed. I'm a huge fan of the Today Show. I watch it every morning and even went to Rockefeller Center over the summer to see a live taping. So, I get all of the show's updates on my Facebook wall and there was a post looking for women under the age of 60 (since it's their 60th anniversary) who have gray hair and are looking for a cut and color. We all know I fit that bill! Who wouldn't want a day of pampering AND a trip into the city?

Here's Ann signing autographs.

I filled out the application on the 12th. They asked for up to three pictures and a little bio. I described how I've lost weight over the last two years and that having a hair make-over would be the finishing touch to my transformation. I even told the story about the horrible experience of having a woman in the gym ask if my 41 year old friend was my daughter and then having a neighbor ask if the little one I babysit was my only grandchild (read entry here). I added my before picture, a picture of me from over the summer and then one from December, waiting for Nate Berkus.

On the 14th I got an e-mail from a producer of the show asking if I would be available two times this week, once for a styling session and then tomorrow morning for the big reveal. We e-mailed back and forth after I had to rearrange my schedule with the woman I babysit for so Friday was clear. After all that, I sent her my most recent picture from the 11th, when my husband and I were in the city again to see 'Sleep No More.' Well, after that I received an e-mail saying that the team met and changed course and now were looking for someone with LONG gray hair. I told her that I was willing to get a pixie, wouldn't that be a dramatic enough change??? You know, these make-overs are all about the "WOW!" factor. She then told me I was perfect for their original idea, and if they reverted back, she made note of my availability and would be in touch. WAHHHHHHH! I was hoping someone would bow out and I'd get a phone call, but I got nothin'.

Now I have to watch the segment tomorrow and see the gems they picked over me. I'll be crying in my coffee.

NO FAIR!!

Katie at Runs For Cookies (this link has a picture of her nut butter collection at the moment) loves peanut butter just as much as I do, maybe more! She introduced her readers to PB2, which is a pretty good substitute for peanut butter, but it definitely wouldn't pass the test with my husband. He prefers nothing "diet" on his plate. But, why did she have to go and blog about this thing called "cookie butter?" She mentioned Biscoff biscuits as well. Wouldn't you know I found the cookies in my Walgreen's to give them a try and they are sensational. So, if you saw something called "Biscoff Spread" on the shelf at Stop & Shop, you'd have to give it a try too, right? I put off buying it the first time I saw it because it's $5 a jar. But last night I caved while picking up toilet paper (we ALWAYS run out!!) and OH-MY-GOD!!! Why, Katie, why????



This is in my special "HANDS OFF!!!" cabinet!



**CUE ANGELS SINGING**

Devil's Food cupcake filled with Dove Chocolate Discoveries dark chocolate mousse topped with chocolate fudge frosting. Need I say more??

batter dispenser- why didn't I think of that???

Ok, just a little more. I got to use my Kitchen Aid to mix the cake batter and whip the mousse. Then I got to use the batter dispenser to fill the cupcake liners and it worked like a dream! The cupcake plunger then made the perfect well for me to stuff the cake with mousse and I used my Pampered Chef Easy Accent Decorator to frost the cupcakes. I was in baking heaven! Perfect for my dad's 77th birthday! Happy Birthday again Dad!

Crumbs bakery shops better watch out!!

My mom and dad, the best parents I could have ever wished for.

Eye of the Tiger

I feel like frickin' Rocky. Planned on a 7 mile run. Ran 7.5 in 75 minutes. Can't wait until next Saturday's long run!

This is about what I look like when I'm done!

Fat So Sarah Giveaway!!

Sarah thought up a great giveaway: a Jillian Michaels Torture Pack! It contains two of her new workout DVDs.

I need to start doing some resistance training. It's been all about the cardio for me and getting the calorie burn, but I need to tone up! This would be nice to win! (I'll look like her after I do them, right?)

GIVEAWAY RULES:

1). You must be a follower of Sarah's blog: Fat So Sarah

2). You must post the giveaway on your own blog.

3). E-mail her your name to be entered into the drawing at fatso.sarah@yahoo.com

4). Enter by Friday, January 20th for the drawing on Saturday, January 21st.

GOOD LUCK!

Keeping The Game Going- TAG!

A fellow Blogger, A New Poison... tagged me in a fun question and answer game. The rules are:

1). Post these rules.
2). You must post 11 random facts about yourself.
3). Answer the 11 questions the tagger sent you in their post.
4). Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.
5). Go to their blog and tell them you've tagged them.
6). No writing "you are tagged if you are reading this" in the tagging section. Please tag 11 people. (I wonder how I'm going to accomplish this myself since I only have 5 followers and 1 of them started this!!!)

Ok, 11 random facts about me that I haven't mentioned already? Hmmm...

1). I played the flute from 4th until 12th grade. I brought it with me to college and never cracked the case. Can you believe I got the flute back from my sister a couple of years ago, along with the sheet music from high school band, and I could play the dang thing! I can't remember all of the notes by sight, but my hands remembered the songs!! Insane!

2). My husband was my one and only boyfriend. (Ok, stop feeling sorry for me! LOL!). I did start dating him at 19, so it's not THAT pathetic!

3). TMI WARNING!!! I have a birthmark shaped like Long Island above my buttcrack! And I LIVE on Long Island! We've been joking that I should have a star tattooed where my hometown is, like on a map!

4). My brain contains a wealth of useless knowledge. My favorite game show is Cash Cab, where I put all of that trivia to good use from the comfort of my couch. (P.S. Watched 'Who's Still Standing?' last night and got most of the questions right, like who remembers mitosis? Me.)

5). I can watch a movie that I love over and over again, ad infinitum. However, if I had to pick my favorite movie it would probably be 'You've Got Mail.' I love romantic comedies, and this one is set in my favorite place on earth, NYC! I'm such a huge fan that after watching the bonus feature where Nora Ephron maps out all of the filming locations, I took my family to the city and spent the day visiting most of them! We went to the shop, Cafe Lalo, Gray's Papaya for a hot dog, Riverside Park, Verdi Square... I was in HEAVEN!

"Here it is. Cafe Lalo."

6). My family and I like to play the conversation game at the dining room table. It's where you pose questions like "If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?" I'd say I could probably eat pizza every day. This game either gets everybody hysterical laughing or in a heated debate!

7). Even though I'm married, I pretty much sleep alone every night. For the first 11 years of our marriage, my husband worked nights as a truck driver for Newsday, our local newspaper. He would wake up around 1am every day for his shift. He would go to bed at around 8pm and I would be downstairs with the kids. When he left, I'd go up to bed. Now that he works days, he'll stay up late playing his baseball game and I'll go to bed early. He winds up on the couch most nights. ;) I just sleep better alone.

8). I'm a morning person now that I have older kids. When they were babies and nursing, I remember being up watching Howard Stern on E! at 1am. Since I have to get my son up and out the door by 6:30am, I'm up at 5:30am. I take care of the dog, clean whatever dishes are in the sink, make my daughter's lunch, waste time on the computer..
.
9). Growing up, we were only allowed to have outside cats. No animals in the house (the 7 of us were enough for my mother!). My husband and I adopted my 1st dog ever, Sally, a black lab mix, in August of 1992, one month after my husband bought the house (we weren't even engaged yet) and was robbed!

10). My first flight ever was my honeymoon, to HAWAII! Talk about a baptism by fire! From the east coast to Oahu, it's 2 flights. After a few days we island hopped to Maui, then Hilo, then back to Oahu to come home. If you're counting, that's 7 flights in total in just 10 days! But the trip was worth every hair-raising minute on each and every flight! Now, flying CAN'T seem like a big deal.

11). I don't know if you know this one or not, but I LOVE New York City! I think my husband may have started it because on my 1st birthday with him he surprised me with a limo to take us in to see 'Cats' and then on my 2nd birthday with him (my 21st) another limo took us to dinner at The Water Club and then a carriage ride through Central Park. That's when he proposed to me! We celebrated with champagne at The Plaza hotel. How could the city NOT be my favorite place after that? All I associate it with is love and romance!! (He's a gem! And he's mine!)

Now here are the questions that were posed to me:

1). What do you want done with your body after you die?
I'm an official organ donor, it says so on my driver's license. I guess after harvesting (LOL!), I'll just be buried.

2). Would you rather receive a practical gift you need or something silly that means something special?

Isn't she a beauty?

I love practical gifts. In fact, this Christmas I finally got a Kitchen Aid stand mixer that I've always wanted AND from my niece Joanna, who picked my name this year out of the hat, I got the Spice Stacker to organize my spice cabinet AND a batter dispenser (for filling cupcake liners with ease) and a cupcake plunger. It hollows out the cupcake so you can stuff it with yummy fillings!

3). How many pets do you have and what kind?
I have one dog named Molly. She's a Boxer/Great Dane mix and is my baby. She just turned 6 and we've had her since she was 6 weeks old. She's a nut and a handful, but I love her so much.

When we could carry her around... now we can ride her!

4). If money weren't an issue, what would you buy?
Well, we've never had a new car, one without issues and in constant need of repair. I'd love to get my husband a beautiful new Dodge Charger or Challenger and I would LOVE LOVE LOVE a new Chrysler 300!!! Oh, and some new pocket books. I don't have any "name brand" bags. I like Coach, Dooney & Burke...

5). What is one thing you plan on doing before 2012 is over?
I plan on running my first half-marathon in October. I'm already signed up for the Divas Half-Marathon and it looks like it will be a great time!

6). How did you spend your last birthday?
Well, on 9/13, I turned 40! Two days before my husband planned a surprise party for me at my favorite local Chinese restaurant, which was really sweet. With all of the generous gifts from my family I bought myself a Garmin Forerunner because I loved trying out Runs For Cookies (Katie's) Garmin for 2 weeks. So, I strapped on my Garmin and ran 6 miles on my birthday! I was training for the 10k for 9/17, so I knew I was ready!

7). What are you hoping your next non-scale victory will be?
I definitely want to do well at the half-marathon in October. I think I set my pace for 2:45, but I'd like to come in under that! But that's in October. I am working on my speed, so I'd like to run at 7 mph for 30 consecutive minutes. Maybe when I lose another 12 pounds I'll be in a size 4.

8). What is your favorite healthy snack?
That depends on if healthy means really good for you or just lower in fat and calories. I really like reduced fat Triscuits with a little bit of cheese or Special K Cracker Crisps. I'm just not that into fruit and veggies. I will eat them, but my downfall is sweets. Fiber One brownies are great, Quaker Chewy granola bars, Chocolate Chex cereal... I can go on and on.

9). Do you like crunchy or creamy peanut butter?
I haven't had crunchy in years! My husband hates it because it tears up his delicate white bread. My teeth probably wouldn't appreciate it either anymore! We're strictly a creamy household.

10). Do you wear your shoes inside your house?
Sometimes, if I know I'm going out again, I'll keep them on. Most times I'm in my socks or completely barefoot. I hate hot feet! My feet can usually be found outside the covers, as well! My son is always barefoot. My dad calls him Huck Finn.

11). What kind of car do you drive?
I always get my husband's hand-me-down since I don't drive much at all and he needs the more reliable car to get to his job, so right now I'm in a pea-ish green 1999 Hyundai Sonata. It sounds like a rally car because something needs to be done with the exhaust system (so it'll pass inspection in February) and my driver's side window is stuck down about 3 inches, so I have a ton of packing tape to seal the window shut. It is so ghetto it's not funny. Oh, and there's also a leak in the trunk so I have about 4" of water in the spare tire well. And my husband doesn't understand why I'm embarrassed pulling in and out of the gym parking lot!

Now I have to tag 11 people to keep this game going. I only have 5 followers! So, some of you may be blindsided with a tag. Sorry!
1). Runs For Cookies
2). Fluffy Nurse
3). Journey To The Marathon
4). Finding My Way
5). Losing 100 pounds and...
6). A new poison...
7). Healthy & Sane
8). When One Door Closes
9). Czesia Lives!
10). Fat So Sarah
11). Aww, frick, I don't want to bother anyone else!

Now for the 11 questions you should answer:
1). Do you have any tattoos? Do you regret it/them? (I'm fascinated by tattoos and love the idea of getting one. Recently I saw that people are getting "13.1" and "26.2" tattoos. THAT I think is definitely worth marking your body for!)
2). What is one food that you couldn't live without or could eat every day? (Mine's probably pizza or pasta or chocolate...)
3). What is one of your favorite memories of childhood? (Holidays with my huge family for me! Grandma's strufoli every Christmas, putting up the tree on Christmas Eve while listening to our Alvin and the Chipmunks RECORD!)
4). What did you want to be when you grew up? Did you fulfill your dream? (I wanted to be a doctor. After my first year in college I realized it wasn't for me, so I switched my major to sociology. I loved courses like The Sociology of Addiction and Psychosexual Diversity!)
5). What's the farthest you've been from home? (Hawaii, but I live 2 miles from my childhood home!)
6). Is there something that you love that you'd sort of be embarrassed to admit (Dungeons and Dragons, maybe)? (Our family are HUGE 'Lord of the Rings' movie fans!! Maybe it's Viggo Mortensen and Orlando Bloom that does it for me!)
7). Are you a side/back/stomach sleeper? (I used to be a stomach sleeper. Now I lay on my left side, facing the tv (with a DVD playing!) with a whole bunch of pillows propping me up).
8). Have you ever met anyone famous? Who? (Clifton Davis, the guy from the sitcom 'Amen' was at our high school graduation- turns out his son was graduating. I met Richard Simmons and he sang to me at a local Walmart grand opening. This past summer I got to talk with Ann Curry while watching a broadcast of the Today Show and we also saw Morgan Freeman at Jacques Toress' chocolate shop in SoHo.)
9). Do you have an actor/actress/entertainer that you're infatuated with/fantasize about? (I LOVE me some Justin Timberlake!)
10). What's your least favorite household chore? (LAUNDRY!!! It never ends! Get the dirty clothes to the basement, sort them, wash them, dry them, get them upstairs, put it away...)
11). Do you have a bucket list? If so, what's the one thing you REALLY want to do before...? (I'd really love to get to Europe, especially Italy.)

If you do this, have fun!! Thanks!

Getting Back In The Groove

So, it's supposed to hit somewhere around 50* today here on Long Island, so I figured I'd better get outside and run. I can't remember the last time I ran outside. It was possibly the 10k back in September! I'm always more nervous running outside than on the treadmill. Maybe it's because I do it so seldomly! Anyway, I was all layered up- had on my jogging tank, a long sleeve tech shirt, a t-shirt and a fleece over that so I could keep my iPod and my phone in the pocket. I also had on some mittens and my running capris. I was concerned my legs would be cold, but that never became an issue.

When I pulled into the parking lot at the track, I saw a car I recognized from the gym. It belongs to a man I see there almost every day. When I'm not running on the treadmill, I'm always next to him on the arc trainer. We never say two words to each other, usually because we're wearing earbuds and into the music or tv show we're listening to. I didn't even know he ran! When I got onto the track I gave him a courtesy wave as he ran past me. I warmed up with a .25 mile walk and then got on my way. I was averaging a 9-minute mile the 1st two miles, always half of a lap behind this man. (Isn't it terrible I STILL don't know his name???) So, when I was getting done with mile 4, this man had finished and was walking back to the turnstile. I waved again and he smiled at me and started talking, so I took out my earbuds. He then gave me the biggest compliment I've gotten in such a long time!! He said, "YOU'RE PRETTY FAST FOR A LITTLE GIRL!!" Of course I can't take a compliment, so I then tell him that I started out at like a 14-minute mile and that I've been working on my speed at the gym. What I should have said was "THANK YOU! THAT MEANS A LOT TO ME!" Well, I'll have that opportunity the next time I go to the gym, I guess.

For some reason it was off my +.25 miles. I only ran 6.

That's More Like It!

Decided to see how I'm progressing now that I've really started counting calories again and not eating after dinner, so I got on the scale this morning. (I KNOW I was holding onto some water weight between all of the salty snacks and spirits I had to partake in as well as the sweets because yesterday I released a lot of it! I have one day a month where I seem to spend most of the day in the "facilities." One day, just before Halloween, I was in Target for an hour and used the bathroom 4 TIMES!! A bladder sonogram shows I don't empty my bladder completely!) ANYWAY...

1/4/12

RESULTS!! As Dolvett from Biggest Loser would say... HARD WORK, DETERMINATION!!!

Honesty Is The Best Policy



1/2/12



And this is where I begin 2012. Where was I at when I vowed on 11/23/11 NOT to gain weight this holiday season? To refresh your memory:

11/23/11

I am just disgusted with myself. I did exercise everyday, though. I didn't slack off in that department, which usually does happen this time of year since everything is so hectic. (Couldn't IMAGINE how bad the gain would have been if I hadn't!!) However, the sweets and baked goods got the best of me. I threw out my previous belief that I can have a treat every day and that there's always tomorrow if I want more and ate like I was being sent to the electric chair, almost daily! The damn cheesecake my parents brought on Christmas, the Jack Skellington and Mickey snowmen sugar cookies I made, the Nestle Crunch Crisps leftover from Halloween that didn't make it into the kids' stockings, the Tastefully Simple Nana's Apple Cake, the TS lemon bars, the mini black and whites, the peanut butter kiss cookies, the rainbow cookies... no amount of running or stepping on the arc trainer could combat the calories in these "treats." And I was consciously eating everything, thinking I'm going to hate myself for it. Some of it wasn't even that GOOD! There was really no pleasure in it, just that old mentality creeping back in- "it's a bad food; eat it quickly to get rid of it."

So, now I'm more than 15 pounds away from my goal of being under 140. Exactly 17.8 pounds away from 139. That is just horrible. So now I sit here, writing this blog, thinking of the goals I have for 2012, and getting to 139 pounds is one of them. My second goal of training and competing in my first half-marathon in October will be one of the ways I plan to get myself to my first goal.

Disappointed in myself, but I'm putting that all behind me and looking forward. Only 10 months and 5 days until the Divas Half-Marathon here on Long Island!

THIS JUST IN!!!

I am officially signed up for the half-marathon!!! My bib will say DIVA LINDA on it! This has just given me the boost I needed to get this train out of the station!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL! Remember, "nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anybody can start today and make a new ending."