Next Stop: PA

Whoooooo Hoooooo!

Yesterday Rachael was offered her next position as a travel nurse.  It looks like we are headed to state college, PA.  I'm super excited as I spent many summers in northeastern PA as a camp counselor and it has long been on of my favorite states in the nation.
I'm looking forward to a great summer of outdoor adventures and exploring so much of the state.  We'll be there for 13 weeks so it should be great times.

On another note I finally got a chance to get back in the pool and swim a bit yesterday and today.  There is something very serene about being in water.  I love the feeling of moving through it and feel completely stress free when I'm in the pool. Plus its sunny and beautiful out and I can actually get some color

Today I am also planning on hitting the road for 2.5 mile run.  Here is my game plan for my Las Vegas Half Marathon training:

• Over the next 8 weeks I will train to run a 10K race.
• From there I will spend the rest of the summer running 10K races to keep up training and improve my time
• In the fall I will begin to train for the actual half marathon race.  

There will be a lot of miles between now and Vegas.  So its got to start somewhere.  Today it starts with those 2.5 miles.

Healthy Living- Slow Life Down

One thing that this travel work and working from home has done for me is to really allow me to recognize the importance of slowing life down.  So often we can be distracted from the beauty of life and get caught up in the rat race.  I know personally if my iPhone is more than ten feet from me I have separation anxiety. Lately, I've been finding ways to really just enjoy life.  Little actions bringing big happiness.   Do you have any small rituals that make you slow down life and really just enjoy the time we have here?

Here is the list of things I've begun to do that just make me feel good.
1. Eating breakfast on my balcony.  Just stepping outside and listening to the breeze, wind, rain... whatever is outside at the time.  Enjoying the heat before I started working in the air conditioning all day.
2. Drinking a gallon of water each day.  I love to cut up a fresh lemon each morning, pull out my jug of water and pour myself a glass, adding a slice of lemon to each glass full throughout the day.
3.  Watching Evening news.  This may sound like the opposite of tuning out the negative and stressful portions of life.  But I don't have a TV and get all my information from online.  At times I watch Hulu or Netflix.  But I absolutely love just relaxing and listening to nightly news and keeping myself informed.
4.  Letting my Dog Walk ME!  In the morning, or throughout the day, its all business and we talk a quick walk for her to do her business.  But our final even walk is HER walk.  I let her mosey her way around and I just follow.  There  is something simple and wonderful about watching her sniff a spot or roll in the grass.  Her happiness brings me happiness.
5.  Getting out and seeing this beautiful country.  We live in a very beautiful place and I feel lucky and blessed that I am getting the chance to see it all.  Here is a picture of the view from my spot in the sand this weekend on the Chesapeake Bay.

Have a wonderful day.

Happy Memorial Day

We had a terrific weekend in the Chesapeake Bay camping.  It was a great weekend filled with love and laughs. I had a dream last night that I needed to run in the Las Vegas half marathon.  This wouldn't be my first half marathon.  I have already run two.  But those were two years ago and a lot of pounds ago.  Something about this dream left me feeling incredibly uneasy.  It wasn't the running.  I actually seemed to run with ease through the dessert without a problem.  But it was more like I was a ghost because the people I knew who I was with were speaking about me but no to me... if that makes sense or maybe I was chasing a ghost... as I was running after a person who kept just ahead of me looking back every so often.  Either way I woke feeling like its a mission that I need to complete.

Step one:  Keep with health focus- More so, kick up a notch.
Step two- Repair my fatty liver that I'm certain is there considering my weight and party ways
Step three-  Commit to this, Complete it, evolve.

Three years ago my Memorial Day started a health focus that led to my first half marathon.  This year I will beat that time.

Power 90

So I'm in my second full week of beach body's power 90 workout and I'm actually really impressed with some early results.  I'm finding I have more flexibility and strength already.  Especially in my arms!  I've never been one to be able to do push up and I'm starting to be able to and have good form.  Its really remarkable.

We've also started taking advantage of the gym in our complex and working out together in the morning.  I like watching the Today show while I'm the treadmill.  Ann Curry is a hero.

Being Fat is hard work

Hi there.  I'm back.  Its been a few years since my last post and I'm ready to get committed again.  Over the last few years I've been Yo-Yo-ing like you wouldn't believe.  Each time I've lost I've gained just that much more.  So much has happened.
I'm still with Rachael.  I'm now in the insurance business where I work from home and coach sales people.  This is probably the best part of my new commitment to my health.  We've recently moved to Maryland, and will be moving every 13 weeks or so to a new location.  Rachael is a travel nurse now so we are challenging ourselves with seeing the entire country.  I'm also challenging myself to get my ass in shape and finally have the health I've been putting on the back burner for so long.
This blog is going to change a bit.  I'll talk about my weight loss challenges and how things are progressing, things that are working of me, things that set me back.  I'll also talk about our adventures and let it be a journal of our experiences as we travel the country.  The real ultimate goal is to keep writing and keep my goals in the forefront of my mind.

10 miles today

Holy Shmoly! Today I went downtown to the amazing and wonderful place us Michiganders call Belle Isle. A 5.5 mile island on the Detroit riverfront. This place is amazing and a perfect spot to run on a Sunday morning. You get all kinds on Belle Isle from the homeless to the professional. My favorite is the guy out there running who clearly slept on the island but has nothing better to do than jog through it.
family reunions were in full effect too. I saw one with a full on DJ and dunk tank! Almost aborted the rest of my run and joined in. Being that everyone else at the party was black I figured they would probably know I wasn't actually part of the family and kept on running.

I'm moving into a new long distance category and frankly a bit nervous about the training increases in terms of my commitment level. I have to say I couldn't be more thankful for my amazing girl friend right now who is encouraging me and keeping me on track big time. tomorrow I'll blog more on the power of pussy, but I'm cashed (as I think can be expected) and need to get to sleep.

49 pounds to go.

189

I am officially underneath 190lbs and its feels incredible. I have changed in the fact that I am loving when people notice I'm melting away and I look forward to it. I'm working the system and the system is working me.
Ten mile run in the morning. Looking forward it!