Check out this giveaway!!!

I know I've told you before, but if you don't read the Nanny's blog, you should!

She is doing an awesome giveaway right now--just click here!

I love reading her blog, she's so funny and I love hear her stories. Seriously, she's awesome. :)

Another giveaway!

I know, I know...I'm such a bad blogger. I have a post I have been working on but haven't finished it yet.

I stumbled upon Jess's blog and she is doing an awesome giveaway. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Vera Bradley--seriously, I get one for Christmas EVERY YEAR!!! I LOVE their stuff!!!

Check out Jess's give away right HERE!

I want the new Very Berry Paisley pattern--don't care about the item, just love the pattern!

GAP 1969--What to wear??

GAP, Blogher and Suz are asking "How do you wear your jeans?" Click over here and leave a comment to be entered to win a $100 GAP gift card!

Raw(e) Summertime

This is my first time to link up to something fun. This picture was taken on our trip to Colorado last summer. It was July and we were seeing snow in the mountains. Isn't that gorgeous?!?! I Love it!!! We were on a hike with friends at Lake Isabelle. We have this one blown up to an 8x10 and hanging in our hallway. We get compliments on it all the time. And it has NOT been touched up or edited in any way. I have no idea how to do that stuff!!!

Check out this giveaway!!!

I LOVE the Online Nanny Blog. She is HILARIOUS! And if you don't read her, you should.

Anyway, she is doing a giveaway. Click HERE to check it out!

P.S. I'm on VACATION!!! I will blog more when I return. AND I will have pics of my boys and Mickey Mouse! :)

My Mini Marathon Experience...

I copied this from the Indy Star today...

"The 35th Running of the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon took place on Saturday, May 8, 2010. The Mini has sold-out for the past nine years with 35,000 registrants, and an additional 4,000 participants in the Finish Line 500 Festival 5K. The Mini-Marathon is the largest half-marathon in the U.S., and overall, the fifth largest running event in America. The 2010 event sold out on December 14, 2009."

To say that the race was awesome is an understatement. Let me start from the beginning....

Friday, I was nervous as heck. My stomach was in knots ALL.DAY.LONG. I was excited/scared/nervous--all at the same time. Thursday night we went downtown to get my packet and that was something. I loved the Expo. Wish I could have stayed longer...next time we won't take the kids. :)

Friday night, sister and I went to Olive Garden to carb load. I had eaten Olive Garden before a long run a few weeks ago so I knew it would be okay on my stomach. Went home with the intention of going to bed by 10. I couldn't go to bed...knew I wouldn't be able to sleep. It was crazy. I was so nervous. I laid everything out...down to my underwear. Was planning on getting up at 5 Saturday morning to be out the door by 6. Slept until 530. Got up ready to go...although stomach still in knots. Fixed me a protein shake for breakfast and had an extra banana. Did I mention I wasn't even hungry b/c I wasn't--still full from the night before. Wish I would have drank more water b/c by the time the start of the race came I was dying of thirst. Not a good thing.

We got downtown, found our corral then went inside to keep warm. B/c the weather conditions SUCKED! It was horrendous running weather. Temperature wise it was PERFECT...but the wind...oh it was WINDY. We're talking 26 mph winds with gusts into the 30s. AWFUL!!!! DH kept saying how he was so happy he wasn't doing it. (And then we wake up today--Sunday, Mother's Day, and it's PERFECT running weather--sun, low temps, light breeze--figures!)

The race started around 745...we crossed the start line around 8. I don't have my official race time or anything yet (haven't looked) but I know it took us a while to cross the start line. We were in a swarm of people. I left sis behind, told her I was taking off (she didn't train AT ALL for this thing). I started with a light run...ended up running for over 8 minutes before walking again. Then the side splits started...again. Had them on my last run not sure what the cause was this time. So at the first water stop I took 3 cups of water and drank them. Then kept going, felt better. My motto was one mile at a time. The first 5 or 6 were a piece of cake. Then we got to the track (Indianapolis Motor Speedway) and it went downhill from there. The wind was awful-I had to put my sweatshirt back on b/c I was so cold. Made it through that and thought the worst of the wind would be over but it wasn't.

At this point I was starting to get sore. I let my mind get to me. The thoughts started pouring in...you didn't train well for this, you can't finish this, etc... but pushed them to the back of my mind and said too late...I WILL finish now. When I would run, I wouldn't feel any pain but when I walked my hips would hurt. So I tried to keep it a jog but heck I might as well have been walking. Did I mention the emotions at this? OMG, I was so emotional. I fought back tears more than once.

I told DH I would text him when I was at mile 12. I made it there and told him I was "almost dead". He brought DS1 down so he could see me cross the finish line. That was SO important to me--for DS1 to be there and see mommy running. He texts me back and says they are right after the 13 mile marker on the right hand side. So I hit that point and take off my sunglasses so I can see them (there was no sun but the glasses helped against the wind) and I am looking and finally spot them. DH lifts DS1 up so I can see him and he yells "MOMMY!!!!!!!" I give him a high-5 and then cross the finish line. There are photographers all over the place and I really didn't want my picture to be of my bawling my eyes out but honestly? That's what I wanted to do. I got my medal, grabbed my food, got one more picture then went to meet my men. It was the BEST feeling to get that post race hug from my 6 year old. I collapsed on the ground and quickly changed my shoes. I was so glad to be done. IT was amazing, awesome, and phenomenal.

The emotions I felt yesterday really hit me hard. I still can't believe I did it. I walked the same race in 2007 and honestly I think I finished 2 minutes slower than then...and I 'ran' yesterday. But I've had another child since then, I'm about 10# heavier than I was then and my bladder isn't what it used to be--had to take a pit stop and I didn't have to do that 3 years ago. Today, I feel great. I came home yesterday and iced my ankles, hips, knees and my low back. Then I took a shower and then soaked in the tub...then curled up with my 2 year old and took a 2.5 hour nap. The hubby and I went out last night and I had a glass of wine with dinner and a salad with real dressing. :) I felt so good. I wanted to wear my medal around last night but DH wouldn't let me. I told him I was going to OWN that medal...I FINISHED that race. I set a goal and I completed it. I was going to OWN all I could! I've gotten that message from more than one person. I will OWN this accomplishment!

Thank you all so much for the love, support, prayers, etc... I felt them yesterday. I loved the race experience so I am setting a goal to do one organized running event every month for the rest of the year. The next one in a 5k on June 5--Out Run the Sun--it starts at 7 PM! That's my kind of race. :) I'm sorry this got so long but I wanted to get all my thoughts out there.

Now it's back to the grind and a new fitness routine. I'm going to do some strength training. I've been reading about Jen for a long time now and she's awesome and so inspiring. I LOVE her blog. She has inspired me to get more into strength training. I want my butt to look good...and my arms and legs and tummy. So we'll see where I end up. :) Have a good night everyone and a great OP day tomorrow!

UPDATED to add--I'm a RUNNER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOO HOOO!!!!!!!!!!

Who would've thunk?

You may or may not remember that little race I signed up for....yeah it's in 23 days!!!!!!

Oh how I don't feel ready. I am not running 4-5 times a week like I probably should be....BUT, I am working out 4-6 days a week. I've recently discovered zumba and ZOMG!!! It is freaking AWESOME!!! I love it! The class I am doing right now is only for a 6 week stent, but I am hoping she will extend it (it's at my church and this is her first class to teach) but she's added a new class at a local gym but the time of day is really bad for me. So, for now, I am doing that for an hour every Thursday night. I work out on Friday mornings to Jillian Michael's 30-day Shred--it's also awesome! Saturday has been my running day, Sunday is Pilates. Monday is usually rest or walk or bike ride. Tuesday is either run/walk/or bike. Wednesday is rest or run. I'm really trying to get in 5 days a week of SOME form of organized exercise and then also be active the rest of the day (when I am not working). I've had some mental blocks to overcome too with my running.

I set out on Saturday (4/10/10) to do 7 miles. I got up early, carb loaded the night before, suited up, grabbed my CamelPak, and my cell phone and off I went. Honestly, I didn't think I would make it. I had a landmark to run to and then turn around and come home. I never in a million years thought I could do it. In the past few of my runs, I've had this mental wall hit me at about 45 minutes. "You can't do this, are you crazy? you are not a runner." Those types of things...this time I revved up my iPod so I would have awesome songs at the 45 minute mark--IT WORKED!!! But then I hit that wall at the 1 hour mark. Oh it was awful! I really wanted to finish in an hour and a half or less. I ended up walking more towards the end than I had been, but you know what? I DID IT!!! I made it back home in an hour and 32 minutes. If I had kept up my running, I would have made it home faster. I couldn't believe I did it! I was on cloud 9. When I was in the shower, I kept telling myself that I did it and it was AWESOME!! I felt so awesome. I thought my pace was horrendous but I got a new Nike+ and it's not as bad as I thought it was. I have been running for 5 minutes, walking for 1 or 2 minutes. During the running time, I will hit the button to tell me my pace and low and behold it's around 10 something. I couldn't believe it!!! So I don't suck after all. :)

So who would've thunk? ME?!?! ME?!?! I am becoming a runner. I will not say (yet) that I am a runner, but holy cow does it feel good!

I went out last night and did about 3 miles--why does the first mile have to suck so bad?? After that I was fine but man that first mile was TORTURE!!! I burned 455 calories and I wanted to come home and eat Thin Mints but I didn't. I had some strawberries and FF Cool Whip--it was awesome.

A few weeks ago I contemplated giving up on this half marathon race. I debated transferring out and giving someone else my bib number...but I didn't. And now? Now, I really think--NO--I KNOW I can do this! It may not be pretty, it may not be great, but I will do it. I will finish and I will be PROUD!!! I will be my own superhero.

Now, if only I could get my DIET to coincide with all the exercise I am doing. It's not awful, but it's too much of the good stuff. I'm really trying to reign that in this week. Although the scale has dropped 4# since Monday morning--but that was after a weekend of eating out a lot, not as much water, too much coke zero. So I am feeling balanced right now--right this second. I have control right now.

Okay, my thoughts are out of my head and on 'paper'. I feel better now. :) I hope whoever is out there reading has a GREAT day. Get up and get moving!