Holiday Weight Gain?

Running during the holidays is going well. Other than taking off Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, the pavement is getting its pounding. On Thursday, we took a family outing to the gym. Mom, Little Bro, Jeff and I went to sweat! We started by doing some weight training and then we all ended up together on 4 treadmills; side-by-side. It was quite the touching moment. I'm just glad I got to add 6.2 miles to my annual total because I was going to chicken out for the evening. The workout made the cookie guilt easier to swallow, yet the macaroni and cheese was another obstacle. I love when my family comes to visit, but I'm not sure how happy the weigh-in will be on Monday night. We shall see!!! We will continue milage pick up tomorrow, as for today, no more miles to go before I sleep. :)

Babies; are they worth the work?

I have to get some emotions out or I might blow up. Although I have worked in a hospital for 7 years and I have never seen spontaneous combustion due to emotional overload. Come to think of it, I have never seen spontaneous combustion at all. But my emotions are eating at me.(again figuratively) I have been undergoing various treatment for fertility over the last year. Each time the negatives results come back they also serve up a side of cynicism. Jeff and I have been trying for a baby for over 2 years, which doesn't seem like a long time out loud, but each month and the time between each doctors appointment seems like an eternity.

Since October, we have been meeting with a fertility specialist at a clinic in Mt. Pleasant, SC. We have been taking drugs for this and drugs for that. The drug cocktail looks like something that would be given to a terminal patient. However, I know infertility is not fatal, but it is sucking the life out of me. After Thanksgiving we began on an injectable journey. Each night I must take an injection in my stomach full of a hormone that most women's bodies create naturally. earlier in the year I was taking medication to help my body produce it, My body may be more stubborn than my mom ever thought I was as a teenager!!! and didn't produce the hormone, so now I am directly shooting that hormone into my body so there aren't any excuses. I was given a small does at first due to the fact the Dr. didn't quite know how my stubborn body would react. we took these injections for 4 day and went back for a follow-up.

To our dismay it didn't do ANYTHING. This was the most devastating news I would receive up to this point. I sat in car and cried an Oscar Award winning cry! Crocodile tears, chin quiver, mascara running, calling out to God... the works. What my doctor failed to clarify was that this did not qualify as a "cycle." I was under the impression that we would be waiting until the following month to try again with the drugs, hormones, and injections. Not the case. We were instructed to double dose that night. This was the good news to know we would not have to wait another 30 days.

We upped the dosage, but found out 3 days later it still hadn't worked. This time I asked quantifying questions: How long should we expect to wait for results? Answer: a while. Then the "Italian Attitude" made an appearence...I let her know I needed numbers, good and bad scenarios, also that there would be no more "it's progressing nicely" or "its gonna be while" or " we're not there yet" excuses. I then asked her to not overlook questions or pass me off to someone else to answer a questions that I can easily find the answer on google while I am sitting in your office. I need logic and facts.

So fast forward to day 19 of a cycle that I THOUGHT would only be 8 days long. We are still taking injections to help to create some mature follicles for inseminate. Saturday's appointment was a little more positive than any previous appointment. We got the word that we are aiming for insemination to take place on Tuesday, Dec 21st. We should have 2 follicles that are maturing enough to offer us a chance. At midnight we took a trigger shot that should put us into the ideal setup for insemination. Jeff and I will both be heading into the Dr.'s office on Tuesday Morning. We won't know if anything has worked until after New Year's, but still things are moving up.

We both decided that this will be our one shot, at least until the summer when I don't have to work. This emotional roller coaster is horrendous! Not a ride I want to get back on anytime soon.

You are probably wondering why I am putting this on my blog...
1. Because I can. It is my blog, I can post anything I want.
2. On the first Dr. Appointment with the fertility clinic, I asked the doctor is there was anything I could do on my side to help my chances of conceiving after his diagnosis of PCOS (Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome) and he said if I dropped 10% of my body weight, it could only help. So I had weighed in at 154.0 lbs. (for all you non-math types this would be dropping almost 16 lbs. bringing me down to a shocking/skeletal 138) I haven't weighed that since 8th grade. So I have resorted to the only 2 things I know about that will actually produce results. Weight Watchers and Running. For the last 2 1/2 weeks I have been working with WW and my gym to hit my goal as soon as possible. I weigh in every week on Monday night. I have lost 6 lbs.during the first 2 weeks and will be weighing in tonight. I also have the holidays working against me. This is the time of year that the majority of people gain weight. However, I am totally up for the challenge. I have logged a whole bunch of miles these last 2 weeks and feeling the positive effects of more choices in my wardrobe! I'm logging miles every day, hoping to hit my goal sooner rather than later.
So if you are reading this please, do not feel sorry for me, we all have obstacles in life to deal with and this happens to be mine. I will overcome it one way or another. This is just the race I am running right now. There is always a finish line and then another race and if we keep going we'll always get there. So I'm off, because I have miles to go before I sleep.

update on 2-a-days

Holy Cow- that takes a lot out of you; Working out twice in one day! I ran several miles today and did a circuit training. I felt like I was running in circles. The class was built with 1 minute stations and filled with 1 minute of cardio after station. There was a push-up station, bicep curl station, dips for triceps, abs on the ball, lunges for the glutes, and weights out to the side for the shoulders. It was tiring, but I knew it was working. I was soaked- more so than when I am just running. It was a change of pace and it really got my heart rate up. I definitely realized that I need to change it up more often. I'm hitting the road tomorrow (this time in a car for 8 hours) on my way back home for the highly anticipated 10 Year High School Reunion. By highly anticipated, I'm not sure if it is good anticipation or bad anticipation. I was the homecoming queen and am not sure if there are expectations with that. I sure hope not! I don't want to disappoint! OH Well! However, on the drive I am not sure how I am even going to get one mile in, but we shall see. Maybe I'll run at the rest areas?? You know, be creative. Well I need to get to bed because for today no more miles to go before I sleep

Try something new

I'm going to be trying a few different things this week. Let's spice it up! I am going to be working out twice a day. I want to get a lot of miles in, but I don't want to risk injury or fatigue. It works out better for me if I don't spend a 2-hour + block at the gym and just split it up. I understand that it is no feasible for most. However, not having to work allows for creative time strategies. Also, with splitting up the time, I am going to try something else-weightlifting. Not the -muscle men from Saturday Night Live "I want to pump you up" kind of lifting, just the need to tone some muscles and get my Body Fat % down kind of lifting. I found some ideas on a Facebook thing that I subscribe to called Active.com. They blogged about some abdominal excercises from Mens Health Magazine as well as some butt exercises with visual tutorials.

Add in some 2-a-day running and some actually muscle building activities and hopefully we'll be seeing physical differences soon. It is suppose to improve my running too! Well I have to get out there if I'm going to meet the goal for the week- 40 miles. It is coming along nicely so far. I just need to keep it up- so many miles to go before I sleep.

Small Goals= Easy to achieve

2,010 miles is a huge goal that we have already decided was daunting, at best. However, along the way I have set little goals and given myself little rewards. Race Days are rewards. I love races!Signing up for races is fun. There are so many possibilities, so much success to strive for and another reason and deadline to push yourself for. I love getting the t-shirt and I anticipate the adrenaline rush at the start line. Regardless of the length of the race, I love them.

In June, The Hubby and I decided to join up for a race during our family vacation to Steamboat Springs, Colorado. We planned on running a 10-k at the highest elevation we have ever been to: 6,035 feet above sea level. Food for your brain: The higher the elevation, the more difficult it is to breathe. When running at sea level is already sucking the air out of my lungs, I could have only imagines what 6,035 feet would do.

I had been 'training' for this run in the weeks leading up to it. Running at higher speeds for longer amounts of time trying to work on my VO2. I even had a few days to pound the pavement while out in Colorado before the actual race. I had even checked the running race site for the coarse and they stated "this is a relatively flat coarse with only one Colorado sized hill." In my head I was thinking cool- only one little hill.

I'm ready.

Well, 2 days before the race, the hubby was complaining of having a case of the

sniffles. I was teasing him because I figured this was his excuse of backing out. The 'Oh, I don't feel so good, don't think I can run' excuse. I wasn't going to fall for it-this time. We pumped him full of OJ and didn't let him over-exert himself. However, morning of the race he had a fever, his nose was running like Niagara Falls and he sounded like Barry White. He was in no condition to run.

- Who knew he was telling the truth. (Sorry Honey, for doubting you- like he actually reads my blog anyway) -

He was a trooper and drove me to the Start Line and stayed until the race started. He was great for moral support! That morning I totally needed it. I've only run big races before. Not that I'm a running snob or anything. It is just that by the time I hear about them, they are pretty popular. This race was different. There were only about 70 runners. I was terrified that I was going to be last. I'm not that fast and SOMEONE has to finish last.

I was scared that it was going to be me, the one from a home elevation of actually below sea lever; they call it the Low Country for a reason, ya know!

All these native Colorado-ians with big lungs were going to leave me in the dust. (That is why I needed the hubby for support, I was thinking about going back home- who wants to lose??)

With The Hubby cheering me on, I began the race in the middle of the small crowd. We ran down a rural street next to the Yampa River up stream for a little bit and then started climbing a hill. In my head I was thinking, well this hill isn't SO bad. I think I can make it up, I've trained for this. However, I soon found out this 'hill' was actually part of the "relatively flat course" and the "Colorado-sized hill" was actually up the side of the mountain for 0.7 miles! OMG! But I learned:what goes up, must come down!!!!!

After I hit the halfway/turnaround, it was literally down hill from there! I made up some time and hauled butt towards the finish line. Thanks to the encouragement from my husband and my sister-in-law, who were about 25 yards from the finish line, I sprinted and beat 3 people to the finish line! (You should always beat someone in a race... usually the person right in front of you... they can't ever see

you coming!) While sprinting and turning the 90 degree corner to the finish line, I stepped in a pothole and twisted my foot and hobbled 20 feet to a painful finish at 1:06:10. This was a not a bad time considering the elements and my lung capacity or lack thereof!

Oh no, did I fail to mention one particular element:

THE VIEW!!!

When you are up that high, God's Creation is really awesome! This run was hands down: #1 Most Awe-inspiring Run.

These are the small victories to small goals that make the big goals achievable! This week I am setting myself up for another goal. I would like to reach mile 600 by Saturday. I am 40 miles shy right now. I have 5 days to finish this goal. It is completely do-able. I need to rack up some miles before I head back to school. Only 3 more weeks of summer vacation. Well, at mile 600 I will be in-touch! Until then I have lots of miles to go before I sleep.

500- here and gone!

Vacation usually means over eating, taking a break from the every day lifestyle and just kicking back. However, this Summer "Vacation" has taken on a new meaning and a new purpose for me this year. We (meaning the Hubby and I) have tried to add

in as much physical activity as possible in these short 2 and

1/2 months I have off from work. We began our vacation with our nation's Capital; Washington DC or Bust! Our only plan was to head to a baseball game, so we can keep crossing Major League Baseball Stadiums off our list.

However, we met up with the twin and my niece, Deshon. We visited inside the Pentagon (thanks to Martez), participated in a cheesy under cover case at the Spy Museum, saw lots of planes at the Udvar Hazy Air/Space museum, and made it to Arlington Cemetery for a cool history lesson and

the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Something I highly recommend- if you ever get the chance.

We also added on to the semi-physical activity of walking around each day. Jeff and I participated in some of my greatest runs ever!

Run #1: Most historically Scenic

We began running at the Capitol Building and continued down the entire National Mall. We passed the Jefferson Memorial, Washington Monument, The White House, The Vietnam Veteran's Memorial, The Reflecting Pond and even climbed the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Grabbed a breather atAbe Lincoln's feet and then headed back: All before 7:30 am. Watching the sun come up in the reflecting pond was neat! History Run was amazing!

Run #2: Naturally Breath-taking

The Hubby and I happened upon run #2 after getting lost on the way home from dropping the twin and niece off at the airport. We knew we were going to go for a run, but didn't have a clue where to do it. Virginia is a beautiful state, with quite a few rivers. We looked on the GPS, found some national parks, and meandered our way through one and found a gravel parking lot. In the parking lot, there were a few other avid

Virginia runners had the same idea. So we stealthy followed them to a foot beaten trail along one of these rivers. WOW!! We found rock trails, water falls, babbling brookes, hills, horse trails. It was amazing! Prior to the run, I have never run through anything so naturally breath-taking and I'm not talking about being out of breath from running. It was amazing to run for almost an hour under tree-covered trails and ever changing terrain. It was completely NATURE. I loved it.

In 4 days we racked up over 35 miles! I also hit MILE 500!!! This wasn't the only vacation we took this summer, but that post is still to come. For now, I still have miles to go before I sleep!

I don't wanna!

I have finally hit it....the proverbial Brick Wall!!! I don't want to go to the gym today. It is too stinkin' hot outside and I don't even want to get in my car. I feel like a whiny baby who doesn't want to do anything. I don't want to get on the tread mill because I'm bored with it, but I will die if I have to run outside. I took that on yesterday.

After the hubby and I had lunch I ran home from the restaurant. It was about 5.5 miles from the house, but it was lunch time ( the hottest part of the day. ) No Shade. All Sun! I brought water with me, but it just wasn't enough. All the ice melted by mile 3, then the water was just getting warmer and warm water doesn't quench thirst. I told hubby to come find me on a specific route if I wasn't home in an hour. I was hoping he would start his search party early because I was DYING of heat exhaustion, but my hubby and his punctual self, came up the street exactly 1 hour into my Nike+ timed run. However, by this time I was almost home so I finished in 1:07:00. It was way too hot! and I won't be doing that again for a long time...it was just stupid. Not even the boring tred mill can get me to do that again.

I'm still not in the mood to run right now, but the schedule for the rest of the day doesn't warrant any other time to run. I just have to buck up and do it. I'm sure there are days olympic athletes don't want to train, but they still get up for their all day work- outs. The least I can do is get to the gym. I have to get at least 6 miles before I sleep.

Update: I only did 3 miles