10 things to do besides social media!

Social media can just take over your life. It has a way of sucking you in to scrolling and scrolling...wait...there went an hour or more. Instagram stories can be a time suck for me. 

I have actually unfollowed people because some bloggers are always telling us what we need to buy. I would think oh I neeeeeed that shirt or shoes. I felt I HAD to have it. I have a closet full of stuff that and I honestly don't need anything...well I honestly could use a new navy and white striped tee because mine is worn out. lol

Here is my list of things you can do besides spending it on social media.

1. Write in a gratitude journal

I really try to write in a journal each morning. I write down 10 things I am grateful for and 10 things I will make happen. My grateful things can be as simple as no one woke up last night, coffee, our home, snuggling with my boys, tacos. I just write down simple things that I am grateful for in that moment. 

I have a ongoing list of things I write that I will make happen. I try not to put a time limit on these things. As the past year has gone on some of those things have happened and they have been removed from the list. I write down each day I am a good mom. I feel it's important to start off the day thinking I am a good mom. It helps keep my intention good to take time to be a good mom. Work on my keeping my cool when I am frustrated. 

I love looking back over the past year of things I have wrote down. 

2. Read a book or listen to an audio book

I got on a roll after I finished watching all 16 seasons of Grey's Anatomy of listening to audio books. I listened to like 15 books in a few months. Our local library has an app called OverDrive where you can borrow audio books for FREE! A lot of popular books you have to go on a waiting list for, but if you have to wait a few weeks who cares again they are FREE! 

3. Go on a walk 

I have started walking again. When I worked in San Francisco I walked almost every single day on my lunch break. I would walk to AT&T Park and back to the office. It was close to a 2 mile round trip walk. I looked forward to that walk every day. I even went when it was raining. 

I like to listen to an audio book or a podcast while I walk. I always find if I am enjoying to what I am listening to it helps the walk go by so much faster. Walking is so much easier on my body than doing cardio. My fatigue gets much worse when I do a very strenuous exercise. 

4. Do a brain dump!

Have you ever tried doing a brain dump in a journal or notebook? When Covid first started I was so anxious. My brain was going 100 MPH. One day I just started writing in a notebook everything that was on my mind. Getting it put on paper helped me relax and be able to sort out my thoughts. It's a great way to make lists of things you want to do, goals, get things off your chest. 

5. Do Yoga or stretching

Chris Freytag has some 10 minute yoga and stretching exercises on her website www.gethealthyutv.com that are FREE! I love Chris! I just find her to be a very motivation trainer. I also like that she does the workouts with you. It drives me up the wall when trainers are always working on showing you how to do moves and don't do the workout. How about you show us how to do the workouts by DOING THEM!!!! 

Yoga or stretching will not only help your body, but it will help your brain too! If you want to try some of the 10 minute workouts you can find them HERE. 

6. Go play with your kids or dog 

My kids absolutely LOVE it when I play with them. If I take 10 minutes to wrestle with them they are ecstatic. I spent some time with Cash wrestling around and he was giggling the whole time. He likes to punch people in the face while you wrestle. This was a good time to teach him to punch me in the arm not my face. lol

G loves to play games. Taking the time to play a game with him completely changes his mood. My boys are the ones who will remember when I have taken time to play with them not the influencers on social media posting crap. Those people won't care that I watched their stories 5 years from now, but my boys will sure remember! 

7. Enjoy a cup of tea or coffee

Enjoy a cup of tea or coffee! Even if your kids are running around, your at work, or whatever is going on take a few minutes to just enjoy the moment with a cup of tea. I have been enjoying a cup of tea at night after the boys are in bed. I will sit in bed drinking the tea and relax. 

8. Go declutter that cabinet or drawer

Take the 15-20 minutes to go organize that cabinet or drawer that has been driving you crazy! Organizing a space will help you feel so much better each time you see it!

9. Plan our your outfits for the next week

Wear stuff you that has been hanging in your closet unworn for ages. If you put the item on and don't like it then add it to your donate pile. This is a great way to wear stuff you forgot about, get rid of stuff because you don't like the fit of it and shop your own closet! 

Do you really need that new shirt you found at Target? What accessories could you add to the outfit to make it pop?

10. Put on a charcoal mask and listen to some of your favorite music

Does music ever take you back to a place when you use to listen to that song? The other day a song came on the radio and I remembered instantly where I was driving and how I was feeling when I heard it for the first time. 

I have been listening to the old The Chick's music. Man that first Chick's cd brings back so many memories. I loved it and I still do. I have so many great memories listening to their music. I went to their concert so many times with friends too. 

What are some things you enjoy doing to avoid getting sucked into social media?

Bike Rides

Growing up I spent HOURS riding my bike. I wore my tires down until they were balled. I loved to rid. As long as I could be outside I would ride my bike up and down our dirt road. I still LOVE riding bike! It's one of the things that can make me smile and relax me, so quickly. 

G outgrew his bike, so we bought him a new one recently. I also found a used bike since we didn't bring my old one from CA. G and I have loved going for a bike ride around the lake. The hard part is we can't go in the morning when it's the coolest. I have been searching Facebook Marketplace to find a bike trailer. I found one this past week. I loaded up both kids and off we went. Holy cow! Hauling 50 pounds of kids is a great workout for your legs! We made it around the lake one time before I had to go in. It was also 98 degrees outside. Cashy was singing away though on our ride! G will be able to ride his bike in front of us for our early morning rides in the future. 

My parents bought G this little Radio Flier trike for Christmas when he was a year old. When he opened it he gave the box a big hug and LOVED that trike! Now Cashy is big enough to ride in it and boy does he love it. If everyone goes outside he starts yelling that he wants to go outside. He knows if we take him out back we will put him on the trike. 

I have also been going on walks around the lake with the boys. G rides his bike and I push Cash on the trike. Houston heat is no joke! We make it around the lake once and will usually stop at the play ground for a little bit. Then it's home to drink a gallon of water! 

When we first moved into our neighborhood I struggled with how quiet it was. It was eerie to me. In CA we lived on a pretty busy street. Now that it has been a few months I LOVE how quiet our neighborhood is! I love that we can walk around without worrying about traffic. The lake is great to walk around. There is plenty of shade through the entire neighborhood from all the trees. The only thing I wish we had was a neighborhood pool. I feel there are always some trade offs though. You can't have everything, so we will find splash pads to visit in the summers. 

It's very nice to go out for a bike ride or walk and not stress about G staying right beside me. I lived in the country with absolutely no traffic until I was 16. I was able to run and play all day. I like that the boys will be able to go fishing at the lake, ride their bikes, and have space to run and play. 

How To Balance Working Out and Motherhood!

Each week my goal is to workout 3-5 days a week. I would really like every week to have 5 workouts. I feel a lot better physically and mentally when I am able to get 5 workouts in. In the past weekends were my time to get in extra long workouts. I should say that was how it was pre-kid. I could go to the gym and possibly run. Now weekends are family time. 

I had an exciting opportunity to collaborate with Ethona and try out a piece of their workout gear! I decided to go outside of the box and get an item that I wouldn't normally wear. I picked a piece from their Studio collection the Gleaming Bralette in Snow Grey. I have really been wanting to try a strappy sports bra. When you are wearing a tank top I think it's really cute to wear a strappy sports bra. 

The bralette is so very soft and comfortable. This bralette works better for small chested women. I however am not small chested, so I wore it under a low cut top doing a low intensity workout. It also was great to just wear around the house in some comfy clothes. This bralette is also great for when I go on walks with G. We go on a 3 mile walk around a neighborhood next to our house where we stop half way through at a playground. A lot of times when we stop at the playground I will do push ups, jumping backs, bring a kettle bell or other various exercises while G plays. 

It can be hard to get in a workout in with kids! I find that a brisk walk with G in the jogging stroller is great for both of us. We get out of the house, get some exercise and G will get to play at the playground. He is able to burn some of his energy from riding in the stroller. There are other days he wants to just stay at home all day. On those days I like to do a Chris Freytag workout. You can find her workouts on YouTube or on her website. I paid $20 yearly fee for a subscription to her website where I am able to access tons of workouts. 

If you are interested in checking out Ethona apparel Casey Kniffin has been amazing to work with!  You can contact Casey at ethona.casey@gmail.com. You can also click HERE to go to Ethona website.

Monday Thrive!

Happy Memorial Day! I hope everyone is having a fabulous holiday weekend. 

1) I wrote a blog post that will come out on Friday about potty training G. I had 2 things on my new years resolution list that I wanted to complete for G. Potty training him and taking away his bottles. I was happy to put check marks by them now that they are completed. I expected it to be a horrible week once we took the bottles away, but honestly it was only 1 horrible bedtime. The rest of the time if he got upset I was able to distract him. I also thought maybe he would drink less milk without a bottle. Turns out we have been going through more milk. One of the reasons I waited so long to take away his bottle was because I felt he needed the extra calories from milk. 

2) Summer vacations are already starting! Have you bought sunscreen for this summer? Even if you are staying home this summer you will still need sunscreen. BeautyCounter's sunscreen does not have any harmful chemicals and it is safe for the entire family! I keep the stick in my purse, so I have sunscreen with us at all times. Protect your skin! 

3) What did we do before there was Google or Youtube? I use Google a bazillion times a day.  I recently bought a stroller second hand. I needed to know how to fold it, move the seats, and even how to open it once it was folded. I was able to Youtube all the instructions. 
I have used a Bob Revolution Stroller since G was born. Well let me say I have had like 5 strollers. Over time I have gotten rid of some. The first one I bought was a Bugaboo. It was my dream stroller. Once I had it for a year I got rid of it. I liked it, but I liked my Bob and Maclaren a lot better. 

I have been babysitting for a little baby for a couple weeks. I like to go on walks. I needed a double stroller, but I didn't want to spend a lot of money on one. I had thought about buying a double Bob. I ended up finding a Phil & Ted double jogger stroller for a steal on a mommy board. Well this stroller is a game changer. I am going to sell my Bob. If you end up needing a double stroller the Phil & Ted is worth very penny. I suggest looking for a used one if you can find it. They run over $500 plus extra for accessories. 

One thing I love about the Phil & Ted is the fact I can use it as a single stroller or double stroller. If I have an extra child with me I can add on the seat, but if it is just G & me it can be a single stroller. I would happily have a garage full of strollers. My husband on the other hand is not happy with me and all my strollers. I do keep it down to 2 strollers now. At one time we did have 4 strollers in our garage. 

I won't be getting rid of my Maclaren! I will keep that one until G no longer needs a stroller. A friend graciously gave me that one and it's one of my favorites. It is a fabulous stroller once your child can sit up on their own. I love that it is compact, doesn't take up much trunk room, but is very sturdy. I hate cheap flimsy umbrella strollers. 

4) I have been on the hunt for some "mom" shorts! I don't want some frumpy shorts that make me look 60, but I need them longer. I am not comfortable with super short shorts. I wanted distressed denim shorts. I tried some on at Target that looked awful! It was nice to be in regular sizes, but just because something fits doesn't mean you buy them. They just weren't flattering at all. The price was nice, but the rest of them looked awful. 

I love how American Eagle jeans fit me. I ended up finding a pair online that I ordered. They are skinny bermuda distressed denim shorts. I ended up going to the store recently. I like a lot of their clothes, but I felt like a granny in there. All these young kids who were like 12-18 years old were crammed inside the store. I think that is a store I need to visit on a Monday evening when the mall is empty, so I don't feel so darn old. lol  Check out their jeans! They really fit amazing.

5) I changed my name on Instagram to MrsPost08Blog. I am considering changing my blog name to MrsPost08 Blog. I realized recently that I don't even have my blog name on the top of my blog anymore. I have called it Because Chocolate Can't Get You Pregnant for the longest time. The name change just seems more fitting these days. I am going to be working on updating the look of the blog in the near future. I would love it if you would follow me on Instagram! 

Monday Thrive

Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a nice weekend! It has been soooo hot for us. It has been running in the high 80's. Thankfully it has been cooling off at night, so the house cools off too. 

1) I have been going to the thrift store for the past year and a half to buy G jeans. I usually buy him 1-2 pair from Gap. I buy him 5-7 pairs for play at the thrift store. I usually can buy them for about $1.50-$2 a pair. Depending on the brand and condition I will pay up to $4 a pair. 

I have a system I use when I am at the thrift store. I start a pile of his current size, must have an adjustable waist, straight leg and the knees need to look good. If they don't fit those requirements they stay on the rack. Once I have a pile I then go through my pile and pick out the best pairs. I went to the thrift store last weekend and I was able to score 5 pairs for $11. One pair is a 5T, but they were in really great condition for only $2.25. If the jeans get ruined for whatever reason I am not upset because I got a deal on them. 

2) I recently bought a new tumblers. I don't want to use plastic cups anymore, so I bought a stainless steal one on Amazon. It's a Haute 30 oz tumbler in a light pink. Let me just say this thing is AMAZING! I left it in the car twice on days when it was 80 degrees for up to 4 hours. I had ice water in the cup. When I returned to the car there was still ice in the thing! 

I bought these straws to go with my tumbler. I really like them. When I run the dishwasher I just through the straws in. I have enough to rotate. 

The instructions for the tumbler said not to put it in the dishwasher. I have been diligent about hand washing each time. I love this thing! It is worth the money especially for the summer! I took it with me to the zoo last week. It fits in my stroller cup holder. I had nice cold ice water through our entire zoo visit. If you know me then you know I drink A LOT of water. Water is so important for your health! Make sure you are getting your water in each day. 

3) I have talked about BeautyCounter's Mattifying Powder during a previous Monday Thrive. I have to say again how much I just love it. This past weekend like I said it was really hot. One morning I didn't put any powder on after I did my make up. Usually I put on my concealer, then put on some powder. Once I have completed all my eye make up right before my mascara I also put on the powder. I have noticed it helps my mascara stay in place better all day. Well I noticed a HUGE difference by not using it at all one day. Possibly from the heat too but I looked like a raccoon half way through the day. I don't have a problem with my eye make up coming off if I use the powder. 

4) Can we talk about toddlers and straws? Why do they need to bite the ends of them? This cup was like 5 minutes old and already the straw was destroyed. A week later this same straw is bitten up half way down. I had to buy more sippy cups since we stopped using bottles. It has been 3 weeks since we took his bottles away. He doesn't ask for them anymore. Once in awhile he will mention them. If he wants milk he is happy to have it in a cup. 

5) I took Bart to work almost every day for 7 years. I usually had a good store about the riders at least once a week. You do become immune to the insanity going on around you. I learned very early on to put headphones on or I would end up being highly annoyed every day on my commute. I don't have patience for nonsense in the mornings and some of these folks - holy cow!  Well last week I took G to San Francisco. On the way home we were at one of the stations. I looked to see some person sleeping on a bench, but they had so kindly taken their shoes. It cracked me up! They weren't on their couch. People walk all over those benches, so they could have kept their shoes on. 

Disclaimer: All thoughts and opinions are my own. The post Monday Thrive appeared first on Because Chocolate Can't Get You Pregnant. 

No Excuses!

Do you ever struggle to get your workout in? Some days I just don't feel like it. Other days I wake up with exactly what I have in mind that I want to do that day. Lately I have been in a "I don't feel like working out funk". I am tired, G hasn't been feeling good, I would rather eat some pizza or I just want to sit on the couch watching tv. 

The problem is when I don't work out I don't sleep as good and I feel guilty at night. I also don't feel as bad if I eat a little extra that day if I got in a workout. G had a fever for a couple days. We had plans to do some fun things, which had to be cancelled because of the fever. I am not exactly sure what he had or why he had a fever. If he had some meds he was running around like crazy. I decided some fresh air would do both of us good. So I put G in the Bob and off we went. We ended up going for a 3 mile run. Normally when we get to the park G jumps out, plays and I sit there watching him. I decided to add a little extra to my workout. 

One of my friends posted the workout below. I thought this was perfect to do at the park while G played. At first I didn't think I could do pushups and crunches because the ground was wet after the morning rain we had. I decided to use the picnic table. I laid on the seat portion of the picnic table to do the crunches. I used the end of the picnic table to do a standing version of pushups. A little dirt doesn't hurt anyone, so I did my burpees and got dirty hands.  Let me just say that 60 second squat hold was a KILLER!!!! This was the perfect workout to add to the middle of my run. By the time I completed it G was ready to go. There are some big stone lions outsides one of the houses. He loves to go see them and have me stick my hand in their mouths. 

Some days a run sounds better than an aerobic workout. Other days a run sounds horrible, so I turn on Chris Freytag for a great sweaty workout. I really LOVE Get Healthy U TV. They offer discount memberships. I paid $10 for the year. You can find lots of free workouts on YouTube. I just really enjoy working out with Chris Freytag. I can't stand doing workouts where people don't workout along with you. When they constantly take breaks. Listen here folks I need you to workout along with me, so I push myself or I will want to take a break. I don't mind if they show you how to do a move or the proper form. 

How often do you workout? What is your favorite workout?

Disclaimer: All thoughts and opinions are my own. The post No Excuses appeared first on Because Chocolate Can't Get You Pregnant.  

100 Pounds GONE!

Tomorrow we will celebrate 9 year of marriage. It was a few years into our marriage I felt I needed to do something about my weight. I was unhappy. I wanted to buy clothes in regular stores. I decided to go a drastic route with my weight loss journey. I did the HCG diet for about 5-6 months. I dropped 80 pounds. I felt that diet really taught me how to eat and that I HAD to exercise to keep the weight off. While people will talk crap about the diet it worked for me. I lost 90 pounds in a year. I felt happy and so much healthier. I could run, exercise, buy clothes in normal stores and felt good about myself. 

To me it's unhealthy to be obese. I don't think weight loss surgery is the way to go. I think over time there will be studies about how unhealthy people are etc after the surgeries. That's just my opinion. For me the HCG diet worked. It was super freakin hard!! I honestly couldn't do it now with a toddler. My husband almost buried me in he backyard with all my crankiness lol I knew it was only for a short period of time, so I could do it. I never could eat that way permanently. For me I felt it was safer to do the HCG diet then to have any type of surgery. This was something I could stop if I needed. It wasn't permanent. 

Over the past few years I've had a lot of health problems plus I've had a baby. I put on weight, but I knew I could lose it. I hate having to lose the weight again. I also have given myself grace when I'm going through crap. My goal was to get the weight off and officially lose 100 pounds from when I got married. 

My goal for 2017 was to lose the rest of the weight to reach my 100 pound weight loss goal by our anniversary. I accomplished this goal a much healthier way. I ate a paleo diet and exercised. I lost the last of the weight and reach my goal before our anniversary!!! 

Picture on left: 4-12-08

Picture on right: 4-4-17

G doesn't even know I am from our wedding pictures. He will name my parents, sister, Art's parents and Amber. When he gets to me he says I dunno. 

It was a year or so after we were married we did a 5K walk. I could barely make the last 2 miles. It was awful! A few years later I ran the same 5K. Thinking back on how I ate when we were first married to now it's like night and day. Just from May 2017 until now I have lost 40 pounds. I haven't done anything crazy. I ate a healthy paleo diet and exercised 3-5 days a week. My goal is to teach G to be active, eat healthy and enjoy life.

Disclaimer: All thoughts and opinions are my own. The post Never Miss a Monday appeared first on Because Chocolate Can't Get You Pregnant. 

No More Excuses!

I love using the app TimeHop. I love seeing pictures and comments on Social Media from 1-8 years back. The pictures of G always make me smile. I was looking at the pictures as I was walking on the treadmill the other day. I was shocked to see the picture on the left pop up. Holy cow! At times I don't feel I have lost that much weight or changed that much until I see some pictures. 

I took the picture on the left for a weight loss challenge I was doing 2 years ago. At the time I felt I looked pretty good. I had lost 25 pounds after having G. I felt like garbage though! There were times I wasn't sure how I was going to make it. My body felt seriously awful! I recently wrote some blog posts about how awful I was. I wasn't even sure I wanted to join that challenge because I was returning to work full time with a baby, I was exhausted, and who had time to add in trying to lose weight. I did it anyhow. I am glad I joined because it really helped push me to get back to being healthier. 

After I finished walking on the treadmill I decided I should take a picture of now. Seeing the pictures side by side really made me see the difference in how much weight I have lost in 2 years. I have lost 45 pounds and 38 inches. I no longer feel like garbage and my skin is so clear. I would say my skin hasn't ever been this clear since childhood. I have struggled with acne for 20+ years. I feel it has cleared up because I eat clean and use safe products. 

I have all the excuses in the world to not exercise and eat healthy. I could use my cancer or MS as an excuse. There are days I would rather just order take out food because I don't feel like cooking; Instead they are all reasons to exercise and eat healthy because I want to see G grow up! 

I started with taking small steps to getting healthier. Over the past 2 years it has really shown. Each day is a new beginning for you to take steps to become a healthier you! 

Fitness

I have missed running! I have tried to run over the past four years, but I ended up needing 4-7 days rest after running. I ran a 5K in September 2012. I ran after that regularly until January 2013. Once I had cancer I struggled to get back into running. Then the whole MS crap happened and I just didn't have the energy. Even this past spring I tried to run. I spent days exhausted barely able to function. I thought my running days are over. It was hard on me mentally because I am young. I see lots of other people doing it why can't I? 

Over the past few months I have walked, lots of cardio, yoga and ran a little. It would feel so good to run even a little bit. When I was out for a walk I would run short distances. I would pick a goal and run to that place. Then walk some etc. Similar to Couch to 5K. Well imagine the day when I was able to run a couple miles! I was ECSTATIC!!!! It felt so amazing! I didn't need days to recover either. 

I told my dad that I went for a run. He said he didn't understand exercise. Why not just do some work for 20-30 minutes. Go for a walk and check some fence. Mow a lawn. Take the neighbors dog for a walk. Oh boy! Here is the rancher talking! I called him the other day to let him know I took some of his advice. Instead of going for a walk I cleaned up our back yard for two hours! He said I only needed to do about 20 minutes of continuous movement. It wasn't necessary to do hours. lol Oh dad! 

When I first started working out 3-4 days a week I felt it was kind of hopeless. Would I ever get my weight back down or feel good again. I have just listened to my body. If I have felt really exhausted or didn't sleep good I haven't pushed myself to work out. Other days I try to get at least 25 minutes of exercise in. George loves it when I run. He will say go fast momma go fast! 

It's been a long road to getting back to where I was prior to January 2013. Part of me never will be. I am below the weight I was then, I can exercise again like I did back then and I finally moving on with life outside of the black cloud that has hung over our heads. 

Wordless Wednesday

111

111 days ago was the last time I ran. I marked it in my phone on 1-3-13 I ran 1.5 miles. I was keep track of how many miles I ran because my goal was to get to 100 miles in 2013. Little did I know life was going to change forever the next day. On January 4 - 110 days ago I had my first biopsy, met my surgeon and life was completely changed.

Today is the first time I put on my running shoes and actually ran. I have exercised since surgery. I have walked, elipitcal and even did a cardio class, but I haven't run. I keep saying oh I am going to start running again and then I do something else. Today started off very frustrating and I needed gym time! I headed to the gym on my lunch and went to the treadmill. As the speed increased and I started to run It felt FABULOUS!!!! A part of me felt alive, back to normal for 30 minutes and the thought of cancer never entered into my mind. Thrity glorious minutes and huffing and puffing. lol

Slowly but surely I am finding my new normal!

5K Recap

This past Saturday I ran my first 5K. I woke up on Saturday morning and thought what in the world did I decide to do!  Too late it was game day and I needed to get my game face on!

I had 2 goals for the race

1. Run the entire race

2. Run the race in 35 minutes

On the way there Art told me he wanted me to run the 5K in 28 minutes. I told him to make his own goals and let me make mine. My goal was 35 minutes. 

In the back of my mind I really wanted to run the race in 30 minutes. Art and I did this same charity walk 3 years ago. I hardly could do the walk. After the first mile Art says my wind just was let out of my sail when I realized we had only gone one mile and we had 2 more to go. I thought I was going to die that day.  I finished the 5K walk 3 years ago in 59 minutes. I wanted to cut that time in half. 

Pinning my bib on prior to the race

36 minutes until race time!

Getting warmed up! Look at those girls socks! Aren't they fun!

That is a man beside me in the pink....I thought it was a woman. lol

Getting ready! I had my hip hop music blaring!

I told Art I would see him in 35 minutes. 

Next year I want to be the guy on the bike. lol

The horn sounded and we took off. Holy cow it was time to run!  The first 5 minutes of the run was very emotional. First I was running a real 5K. I was actually doing it!  Second I was going to cross that finish line 90 pounds lighter than I did 3 years ago. Part of feeling successful in my weight loss journey was to run a 5K. It was just something I had to do to prove to myself all I had accomplished. I had to take some deep breaths to get myself under control to focus on the run. 

As I was running I came up on all these people walking. I looked at my watch and we had only been running 1 minute and 50 seconds.....yet here were all these people walking. I had to laugh to myself. I told myself then I couldn't take a break until I had ran 15 minutes. It made me feel good because some of these people were a lot smaller than me. I had trained for 7 weeks very hard to get my endurance up. 

I focused on a couple in front of me. They were keeping a steady pace and I just kept my eye on them. I had some peppy music on and that kept me going. I was starting to feel tired and my throat was SUPER dry. I was REALLY hoping they would have water at mile 1. I told myself when I got to mile 1 I could walk for a little bit. I arrived at mile 1 and grabbed a bottle of water, took a couple sips and continued running. The water bottle was making me crazy, sloshing around in my hand, so I ditched it at the nearest trash can. I told myself if I threw the water out I couldn't get more water until the end. 

The woman of the couple I had been trailing stopped running at mile 1. Oh man who was I going to keep pace with. Right then a chick started running beside me. I thought she was going to pass me. Instead she ran near me the rest of the race. I don't know who she was, but she kept me going. I kept thinking if she stops then I can walk, but if she keeps going I have to keep going. 

Up ahead I could see this hill that I haven't ever been able to run up previously. I had practice on the course 4 times prior to race day. Ugh I was nervous I wasn't going to be able to get up that hill. I ran up half way. Then I walked about 30 seconds. I could see the girl getting ahead of me, so I had to take off and I finished running up the hill. I passed mile 2.  I just wanted to get to the pavement and run. I felt it might be easier to finish the run on pavement. That girl was just a little ahead of me and I had to catch her. 

I looked at my watch and I had been running for 27 minutes. HOLY COW! I was almost at mile 3. I knew if I picked up speed I could finish the race in 30 minutes. The goal I had in the back of my mind was actually do able. I picked up speed and started to catch that girl in the blue shirt. I had to finish this in 30 minutes. 

As I was nearing the finish line I kept looking for Art. My eyes were darting all over...where is he?  He isn't going to be ready with the camera. He has no idea I am almost there...oh great what if he isn't even near by to see me finish. I started to feel sick to my stomach at this point. I thought oh crap I am going to throw up! I just kept going. 29 minutes & 30 seconds. I took off and ran as hard as I could. I remember hearing my watch beep and looked at it. My heart rate was around 171. Then I saw Art. He was standing near the finish line. He saw me and started fumbling with the camera trying to turn it on. I kept thinking oh great he isn't going to get my picture as I cross the finish line. Then I saw the time at 34:15. I was irritated...how could it be 34:15 when my watch said 29:50. Well the 10K people took off first and that was their time. 

I was so worried about getting my pink ribbon. I should have been running to the side because I started to dry heave. I grabbed my ribbon and I ran to the side to throw up. Ugh! I got all the way to the end and I threw up. I had drank a small little bit of lemonade earlier on an empty stomach...MISTAKE. 

At this point I still didn't know what my time was. I had stopped my watch around 31 minutes, but that was after throwing up. Then I spotted the blue screen with the times. I ran over there and waited for my name to come up. They were putting the times up in bib # order. #78, #79, #82,  #87...#88 Becky Post 30:06

I fist pumped in the air! I had done it in 30 minutes!!!! I was sooooo excited. If I had enough strength at that point I would have jumped up and down. 

Crossing that finish line was the best feeling in the entire world!!!  I didn't care if anyone else was proud of me....I felt the proudest of myself! I had accomplished what I set out to accomplish! 

First 5K

Today is the big day! I am running my first 5K!  

The past 8 weeks I have been running 3 days a week trying to build up my endurance. I have been excited and scared about this run. I have ran the course numerous times in the past few weeks. I can't wait to get to that finish line! 

Here is where I will be running. 

Fitness Inspiration!

Take that Goliath!

In September 2009 Art and I walked a 5K for breast cancer. The walk almost killed me that day! I made it one mile and thought I was going to die. Art kept encouraging me to keep going.  I had no intention of quitting, but I didn't know how I would make it to the end. Art described it as if I was a balloon and when I saw the one mile mark I completely deflated. I had thought we had gone much further than one mile. We had over 2 more miles to go and my legs were numb. I made it to the finish line with seconds left to spare before it said 60 minutes. I think I finished in 59:58 minutes or something really close to almost being an hour. 


That whole walk has been like a dark cloud hanging over my head or Goliath taunting me. Art had asked me to talk it in 2010 again and I refused. 2011 we completely forgot about it until the day of the walk.  This year I am running the 5K. 2009 I barely could walk it well 2012 I am going to run the whole thing. In order to run it though I have to train for it....ugh! 


I decided every Sunday until race day I am going to go train at the trail.  I had wanted to do try to get in 3 days this week, since I was off work.  I ran out of time on Thursday and didn't make it over to the trail.  Then today I was sitting on the couch dreading the thought of even trying it. There was Goliath taunting me.....I couldn't do it, so why even try.....I might be able to walk it, but no way I could even run half of it. Besides it was 77 degrees outside...was I nuts. 


Part of my motivation for today was seeing my cousin blog post about the weight we have each lost. It was very encouraging to see how far we both have come. It was the kick in the butt I needed today. I got up off the couch, went to my room, changed and headed out the door. On the way I stopped for a half off Sonic peach ice tea! That was going to be my reward waiting in the car! A nice freezing cold peach ice tea. mmmmm


Rational thinking started as I headed to the trail.  I knew I could finish in under an hour. If 3 years ago it took me an hour just walking, I should be able to do it in 50 minutes or less. Shave off 10 minutes ever couple weeks, while running farther each time. I had a goal in mind that I would like to run it in 30-35 minutes in Sept.  Today I would be happy with completing it in 50 minutes, but 40 minutes would be awesome!  


I started out walking for the first 5 minutes and then I started jogging, I could feel my right upper thigh muscle was sore. Almost cramping.  There was Goliath again taunting me that I couldn't do it. I would be lucky to finish by just walking. Thursday night I did a Bob Harper DVD with lots of kicking. I must have kicked too high and pulled the muscle. I started making small goals to jog to and then walk a little bit. I was about half way done and I had been going for 20 minutes. I thought the rest of the trail looked like an eternity and was wondering how my thigh was going to hold up jogging. All the big hills were ahead of me too!


I could see my car as a little dot on the other side about 25 minutes in and I thought I have got to get busy to get this DONE! I speed walked taking long steps to help stretch out my thigh. I was three quarters done at 35 minutes. I took off running and thought I am not going to stop until I ran the length of a football field. During this part of the run I felt awesome at one point and felt like a kid again running. Then my mind started thinking I couldn't run anymore and I was going to throw up. 


I knew in order to finish I needed my running song to push to the end. I don't know how this became my running song, but I love to listen to it when I run. The song probably wouldn't motivate anyone else, but it always makes me think of my family. It's called Songs for Sale by David Nail. Talks about a guy fixing fence - reminds me of my dad. A woman who patches jeans - reminds me of my mom sewing. How some people are called to raise a family and it makes me run because I want to raise a family. 


I ran and ran...then my watch showed 40 minutes and I had a little bit further to run. I speed walked for a little bit. Then I thought no way is my watch going to show 42 minutes. 41 minutes is acceptable, but not 42. I took off like road runner! I ran faster than I have ever ran. The dust was flying behind me as I pounded the ground.  I got to the end gasping for air as my watch showed 41 minutes and some seconds.  I had done it!!!! Then I started crying!  HA take that Goliath...that stupid black cloud...it had nothing on me now. 


As I drove home I cried a little more thinking of how far I have come. Thursday, July 5 marked the one year mark, since I started this journey. It has been a journey with lots of ups and down. I have had lots of set backs over the past year, but I kept jumping back on the wagon. Days when I wanted to quit, I pushed through it and ate my stupid salad. I went through numerous miscarriages, but that didn't stop me. Each pound that came off was one step closer to hopefully bringing a successful pregnancy. One year later I am 80 pounds lighter and I faced my Goliath. 

Fitness Friday

Well it's time to get back into sweating off the calories! I took a week off from exercising while Danielle was here. Although we did walk about 2 + miles in San Francisco. That is a whole story of it's own!

Here are some things you can do at home. I am not sure if I believe the world's fastest workout burns as many calories as a 40-60 minute run. I bet you burn some calories, but I don't think you would burn a 1,000 calories. When I run I burn about 500+ calories in 30 minutes. 

{Source: here}

Planks are AMAZING! I have been able to see the difference from doing planks in my  core. 

{Source: here}

I have been following the Fitnessista for about the past 7-8 months. I have learned so much from her. I love her blog! I have the picture below of 10 ways to plank saved on my phone. Sometimes at night I will bust out a few planks. She suggested in one of her blog posts to do a plank for 10 seconds, rest for 3 seconds, plank for 10 seconds, rest for 3 seconds for a full minute. I find it MUCH more manageable to plank for a shorter period of time then trying to bust out a 1 minute plank. While they do not look hard boy does the time drag in plank position. 

{source: here}

Happy Friday!!!!