Easter

Hope everyone had a Happy Easter or at least a happy day (if you don't celebrate Easter)!

 I went to my hometown on Friday after work and came back home Sunday evening. Richard, my boyfriend, had to work so he ended up staying home with the pups all weekend.

Saturday I got up early and ran four miles (yay to me for getting up early!). Then colored eggs with my niece and nephew, visited Richard's parents new puppy, and then went to dinner and a play with my two sisters and a couple of friends.

Sunday I just ran a couple of errands for my mom and then we had 'dinner' at 2. Can it really be called dinner if its that early?? We opted for lasagna this year instead of the traditional ham or turkey. I think it turned out yummy and of course I ate way too much and indulged in dessert. Something about being with my family takes away most of my resolve. Its generally okay with me if I'm there for only a couple of days, but I really need to work on it so that when I spend longer periods of time with them I can control myself.

Anyway, here are some pictures of my weekend:

Gross, I know, but this is my sweat that froze during my morning run!

Coloring eggs waiting for them to dry.

Meet April! A German Sheperd/Pyrenees mix. She's going to be huge!

My sister had to do some video shooting for a class she's taking. She made my mom take out the lasagna twice to get the shot.

I'm ready for an extra healthy week of eating! Long run was pushed to tomorrow, which looks like it'll have to be on the treadmill because of more rain. But I'm ready to get the slow and kind of crappy week behind me and get going on a more positive week.

Health and Happiness is key.

Last Snow?

Oi Vay! I am SO Sore from the Cooper's Rock 10K on Sunday! I told you there were a lot of hills and my quads don't lie! It kinda hurt to move, especially to sit down or get up. Monday was a scheduled rest day,  I definitely should have went on a walk, but with this outside I just wanted a warm blanket....

(This is the historical site where I work). Tuesday I was nervous about the five miles I had scheduled, but I really wanted to get it over with, so I pushed through the soreness and I feel better for it today. I also made sure I stretched really well afterwards, which I'm the worlds worst for not stretching, ever.

Well, my boyfriend just called to say he ripped his pants. So I guess I better get going and take him some new ones!

Spin class today, tempo four miles tomorrow and four or five miles Friday. I'm headed to my hometown this weekend to be with my family for Easter. I'm excited! I love hanging out with my family and old friends.

Have a Healthy and Happy day everyone!

Conquering the Rock

Hello there. I know, I know. I look horribly strange and a little creepy. BUT, you do what you gotta do to keep warm right before you run a 10K in the mountains. Where it's windy and cold and snow is on the way... (No one came with me so no pictures of me running, sorry).

So I'm afraid this wasn't the PR I was hoping for, but holy mother of all that is good, this was a hilly run. Cooper's Rock was definitely the hardest course I've done so far. And I ended up with the exact same time as my last 10K last year. Considering how hard this course was, I'm definitely okay with my 1:02 finish (10.07 pace). I think that's pretty darn good for me! I was excited to see on my Motoactv watch that I had a PR for a 5K, so hopefully in May I can get that!

I ended up wearing two tech shirts, one long, one short sleeved with that jacket over them. For pants all I have are compression capris. I Definitely need to get slightly warmer pants if I do more races in colder weather. I was fine while running actually, but beforehand and waiting after I was freeeezing.

And of course I went to change my shirt (sweat + cold wind = frozen!), but when I got back they had already given away some door prizes and were on the last one. Guess I missed out if they called my name :(

It was a small race for sure and my guess is that some people didn't show up because it was supposed to rain and/or snow. Here is what was stayed around for the awards ceremony.  It started to snow during the awards ceremony. I cannot express how happy I am that it didn't do either during the run.

As you can see everything was still barren, but it was still a pretty course and it has a great overlook that's gorgeous during the summer.

A challenging race that I'd probably do again. I was definitely happy that I have some thigh muscles to make it up those hills! One lady who finished right behind me said that she had been trying to catch up to me but couldn't! That definitely made me happy!

p.s. They gave painted rocks away as the awards, lol!

Have a great day!

Helpful Tools for Less Pain

Yesterday I had a PR (Personal Record) for a 5K. Okay yes it was on the treadmill and not in a real race aaaand only by 10 seconds, lol, but a PR nonetheless! My time was 31.15 for 3.1 miles. I was having some back issues. I have a pinched sciatic nerve that can make walking hard and painful, but I was determined to push through. I'm hoping that my next 5K I can get under 31 minutes. That won't be until May when I go to Tennessee, but I'm hopeful!

Today I did a very slow 4 miles. My back/hip was bothering me again and I didn't want to aggravate it like I did yesterday. Also, I wanted to take it slow to rest up for my 10K on Sunday! I'm excited, but also dreading this race. I'm looking forward to the challenge, it will only be my second 10K, but it's supposed to be snowing/raining! Bummmer! I'm totally a wimp when it comes to running in bad weather. I'll run no matter what, but I'd rather enjoy this run then tortured the whole time!

Since I've been upping my miles lately I was a little concerned that my plantar fasciitis was going to be a problem. I was experiencing some cramping and tightening. I went out to Dick's Sporting Goods and got Orthotics for my shoes. This seems to have alleviated the pain, so thankful! Now if I can just get my pinched nerve to quit acting up, all will be well.

Oh, I also picked up a foam roller. It hurts like a mother! But I figure it's good to get rid of the lactic acid that builds up in your legs. I'm the worst at stretching, so hopefully I'll do this a bit and stretch more...

Exciting stuff I know! But it's all necessary to get me through those 13 miles!

Have a great weekend and I'll post as soon as my 10K is finished on Sunday....if we don't get snowed out!

Nature Box

8 hard miles yesterday and Spin class today. Yesterday was extremely hard for some reason. I just felt like it was never going to end. It didn't help that I really wanted to run outside, but it was just way too windy so I had to run on the treadmill. Spin class was good though. I really like it and it always pushes me.


Today I got a little surprise when I got home. My Nature Box had come! Nature Box is a subscription that comes once a month with healthy snacks. I love surprises and mail, so this was exciting to try!

Included:

Honey Mesquite Almonds
Roasted Kettle Corn (I've only tried these and they are very good!)
Granny Smith Apples (Dried)
Toasted Cheddar Stixs
Sunshine Chips (Veggie chips)

I'm looking forward to trying everything. It all looks good and hopefully I can keep portion control.

It's the last box though because I got a discount on the first one, which I liked, but paying $20 a month just seems too much. They did offer me a discount when I cancelled, but honestly I need to save some money. If I ever have some extra to spend though, I will be picking this back up!

Time to prep my lunch for tomorrow and hang out with my pups.

Spontaneous Moment

So this might have happened yesterday...I blame a boring day at work.

I signed up for a half marathon that is two months earlier than my original first half marathon was going to be!! The great thing about this being my first is that it's mostly downhill. Hopefully this will make it slightly easier and less likely that I'm going to die??

I made up a training plan. It's the first training plan I've ever made, so hopefully I stick to it. I just wanted something personal instead of trying to follow one of the million training plans out there. I left it at work, so I'll post it here later.

I went out last night to meet some old co-workers of mine, some who I haven't seen in almost two years. They all just kept talking about how good I looked and were amazed that I had lost over 75 pounds. I got embarrassed, but at the same time it's nice to see someone's reaction from someone I don't see all the time. I hardly notice the differences sometimes, so it was nice to get an outside perspective.

I have been so thankful lately that I like running and biking and that I like doing these races. I just don't know if I could have kept up my weight loss without all of this. That's the key though. Find something active that you can get passionate about and just go for it. Get out of your comfort zone, eat things that are going to help you achieve your passion, and put it all out there!

Hope you all have a lovely day. Mine is going to be filled with work, running 5 miles, dinner and then watching Walking Dead (love that show and most zombie books btw ;) ).

Secret Eating

First, I made up a training plan today for a half marathon. My first one was supposed to be in August. However, I've decided to try one that is mostly downhill in June! It's not official yet because I haven't signed up, but I think it's definitely going to happen! Wish me luck!
Five miles today. Easy pace on the rail trail by my work. It felt good.

Secret Eating.
Have you ever hidden your trash so that your significant other or parents didn't see that you yet again went to a drive thru? Do you eat in your car all the time so people don't see what you ordered? Or do you only eat the bad things and large quantities when no one is home?

I did. I did all of these. All the time.

I would be so bad that I would secretly eat a whole meal from someplace, like Wendy's, and the my boyfriend would call to see if I wanted to meet him somewhere to eat. Instead of admitting the truth, I would go out and eat a whole other meal! I would hide all the bags and cups underneath other trash just so that he wouldn't know.

I remember in high school, just gorging myself on chips or whatever my parents had from the time I got home until my mom arrived. This was probably a good hour and a half of just eating.

This is one thing I've really tried to work on. Right now road trips are really hard for me if I'm by myself. It brings back all those thoughts that I can have something bad if I want to because I'm by myself.
I work on this by saying to myself that even though no one sees it, that food will hurt my weight loss. I also make sure to have healthier snacks with me. I also tend to take food to other peoples houses with me when I go visit. Yes, this might mean I'm still obsessed with food, but I'm very public about it. I don't eat things unless they are planned or in my calorie range. OR if it is a splurge on something I do it with other people. This way I don't feel like I have to feel ashamed or like I'm a bad person for having something extra. (Which I used to think that when I overate).

I'm sure you've heard it before, but the mental aspects of weight loss and with food are hard to overcome/get through. I feel like I think about food constantly and I know I do, but that's probably the way I'm always going to be and I just need to keep up with thinking about food that's going to fuel me to my half marathon and not what's going to hinder my weight loss!

Me after a run the other day. Can't wait until Spring and Summer.

Have a healthy and Happy weekend!

A Quickie

Not that kind of quickie! Just a quick post.

 I've got a work meeting in a little while so I have to get the dogs fed and feed myself. I'm cooking couscous for the first time tonight, along with some chicken. I'm excited!
My dogs are currently chewing on some deer antlers, haha! My boss had a whole sack that had been cut down getting ready to make whistles (I work at a historic site), so I brought two home for the pups.

 This is West Virginia after all.

Meet Mattie (started out as Matilda but got shortened) the black lab mix and Sherlock the Jack Russell mix. Best Friends.

Also, my new food obsession is this:

It's a spinach salad with goat cheese, tomatoes, and balsamic vinaigrette dressing. I promise there is a whole heap of spinach under all that cheese. I pair this with a small sweet potato and it makes for an incredibly delicious, filling lunch. I've had it almost everyday for probably a week and a half now!

Today is a rest day and probably so is tomorrow unless I get extra motivated to get up early. I usually don't take two rest days in one week, but I think it's good for my muscles to do every once in a while.

Have a healthy and happy day Internet world.

Sunny Sunday

It was a gorgeous day here! I got to go outside in just a t-shirt, instead of a winter coat. Too bad I had so many Cinderella tasks to do inside. I did manage a 3 mile easy jog/ walk. It was good to get some vitamin-D. I also needed to de-stress, cleaning plus the two barking dogs of mine, and the time change got to me a little.  I'm not very nice when I'm tired.

I only did three miles today, because yesterday I did my longest run yet. Eight miles. It was another beautiful day so I was able to do it on a rail-trail instead of the treadmill at my gym. I took a little hand held bottle of Gatorade which worked well since it was warm.

This is the proof. Lots of sweat going on! Took me 90 minutes. I am running a mile and then walk .10 of a mile. This has helped me immensely with going longer distances. It does slow my overall time down quite a bit, but I felt good and right now I just want to concentrate on endurance as much as possible.

956 calories burned yesterday and 360 burned today. Rest day tomorrow, mainly because of a work meeting in the evening. I need it though! My legs are feeling it!

Hope you had a healthy weekend Internet world.

The Newbie

I should have done this a long time ago. When I first started to get healthy, lose weight, and try to live everyday life a little fuller.

This blog, hopefully, will track the rest of my journey as I lose the last 15 pounds, run a half-marathon (in August!), and explore new ways to see the world.

Here is my story:

My name is Alisha, 26, West Virginian. I've been overweight since I was two. I got sick, took meds that made me balloon up and never came back down. Almost two years ago now I decided to start a course of action to stop hurting. My hips hurt, my back was excruciating, I had gall bladder surgery (I was only around 20 at the time), and was looking at a road full of diabetes and heart attacks if I didn't do something.

My journey began when I decided to start the couch to 5K. I've dieted before, but never had something to work towards. I signed up for a 5K for the fall. In June or July, I started to get off the couch and get moving. It has made all the difference. I've lost 75 pounds so far, with my highest weight being around 240 pounds. Thanks to a few friends of mine, I've done a couple of sprint triathlons, multiple 5Ks, and a 10K.

I was probably around 230 in this picture.

My first sprint triathlon. 2012

Not a great pic, but from my latest indoor mini Triathlon.

Hope you enjoy my blog!