Life...and a WEDDING!

Where do I even start?  So much has been happening in my life that I can't begin to tell you what has been going on.  Here's a try:

I got married last weekend! It was perfect--a ton of work before, but so worth it in the end.  We had it right in our backyard, and about 400 people attended.  Crazy, huh!  That's what we get for having huge families and lots of friends!

Not the most high quality pictures in the world, but I haven't got many back yet.  I'll post more as they come!

As far as half-marathon training has gone....well, it's been non-existant.  I'm supposed to run in the Haulin' Aspen Half on August 8, but it's not going to happen.  I'm disappointed, but I know that I'm not giving up my dream, I'm just postponing it for a few months.  I already have another lined up for October 30, so official training begins on August 8!  Until then I'm just going to get in a few runs to get my mileage back up!

I was going to run yesterday, but as I was driving home a long, huge snake slithered across the driveway about 100 yards from the house.  Needless to say, I'm scared to death of any and all snakes and didn't leave the house for the rest of the night.  I live out of town and love running out there, but I think I'll be keeping my runs in town for a few weeks during the height of snake season!

That's it for now!  There is lots going on, but I haven't been around to blog about it!  I'm working on that and I'm going to make a conscious effort to keep up the blogging...it helps me stay accountable!

Softball and a Run

Last night Dustin had his second softball game of the season.  I love softball season, by the way.  I'm not sure why, but for some reason I love sitting my ass down on those hard bleachers and watching my love and his buddies play.  With the exception of one or two teams, our boys usually ten run rule the other team in five LONG innings.  It can be downright boring, but I just love it.

It was a good game last night, and we did ten run the opponent in five.  Before the game I laced up my sneaks and headed out on a 3.6 mile run.  I took a different route, and it helped me stay on track.  The first 1.5 miles I had some extreme cramps!  I blamed this on the half of a banana I consumed before heading out.  It wasn't until I had made it back that I figured out that it was probably the greasy pizza I ate for lunch that was the likely culprit.  Damn bananas anyway...

Tonight Dustin has another softball game...two actually.  It's a double-header in a town about an hour away, and I'm going pretty much so I can be the DD.  I might be the only fan there, but I'm going to get some good Thai food and watch the boys play.  I might consider a walk while I'm there to get my blood flowing today, and then tomorrow I've got a quick 2-3 mile run planned...it's going to be a busy day!

We're branding calves tomorrow, which normally I like, but we don't have a ton of help because most other people had obligations for the day already.  We have a lot of work to do with not so much time, so hopefully all will go well.

Tomorrow night I have my second bridal shower!  I'm pretty excited to see everyone...it's mostly a family ordeal because my friend already threw me one with most of my friends.  Even though it's just family, we're expecting around 40-50 people, so it should be fun.  The only thing I hate is having to open gifts in front of everyone...don't get me wrong, I appreciate it all.  I just don't necessarily like the whole spotlight being on me.  I better get used to it since MY WEDDING is coming up shortly...36 days to be exact! AHHH!

Do you miss me?

Cause I miss you guys!!!

It's been awhile since I've posted...a little over 3 weeks actually!  Time sure does fly!  Last time we talked, I was sick.  I finally got over that after about 5 days, thank goodness!

The first weekend in June, I was in a wedding!  It was a ton of fun, and I had a blast celebrating and dancing the night away.  Since then, I've been busy planning and sorting out all the little things I've neglected for my own wedding.  I've definitely been busy.

And last weekend, again, I was in ANOTHER wedding!  It was pretty fun, and Dustin was also in it, so we got to practice walking down the aisle together before our wedding in July.  I've definitely been really critical of these weddings, only because it helps me figure out how I want my wedding to go!

Half-marathon training....well, it hasn't been going as planned, but now that I'm not in another wedding until my own, hopefully I'll have more time (excuses, excuses) to get in my training.  I got in a nice run last night in my brand new running skirt!  I loved it, but I think my parents thought I went nutty when they saw I had a skirt on to go exercise.  They just don't understand the phenomenon.

I also just invested in one of these babies:

I bought it used on Ebay for a pretty good price, so cross your fingers that it actually works!  I've been wanting one since I started this blog and saw that all of YOU had them, but I couldn't ever get it in the budget.  I still really can't afford it, but I splurged anyway!

Eating has not been passing the bar lately, but since the wedding weekends have come to an end for now, I actually invested in items that I can COOK, and things that are GREEN!  That's right, folks, vegetables have made their way back into my life!  It was a great reunion.

On tap for today and the rest of the week, I've got a run planned for today and tomorrow, and on Friday I'll either rest or do some cross training.  We've got a weekend home for once, so we're going to get some much needed landscaping and cleaning stuff done around the house.  I think we might also be branding calves, something that needed to happen about a month ago!  Someday we might actually be caught up with all our work!

So glad to be back in blog world!

Merry Christmas?

Happy Monday!  And Merry Frickin' Christmas!  It snowed this weekend.  Like 3 inches snowed.  It melted, but it's May for goodness sakes!

Friday night I got in my miles!  I was proud of myself because I almost decided to go home without going to the gym first...I talked myself into it, though, and got in 3.5 miles!

I had a pretty productive Saturday and Sunday, but not in the way of exercising.  On Saturday, my mom and I went to the greenhouse that my in-laws run and worked on planting my wedding flowers.  It went well, but because the weather is so crappy, the greenhouse is much more full than it normally is this time of year.  We had to really work hard to find a spot for all of my flowers!

After a day of planting, Dustin and I went out to dinner with my parents and aunt and uncle at our local Mexican restaurant.  Good food and great conversation was had, and a Negra Modelo might have been consumed.  It was totally worth it!  We then went to our friend's house for more beer and conversation, then travelled home (I stopped at my first beer, so I was DD) around ten.  After a few miles, I drove through the WORST snow storm I have EVER been in.  It only lasted about 4 miles, but when you're driving about 15 mph, searching for reflectors on the side of the road, it seems like forever!  Needless to say, I'm ready for summer to get here!  NOW!

Yesterday we woke up to snow, but it quickly melted off and actually turned out to be a pretty nice day!  I got the house cleaned in the morning and in the afternoon we set out to work on trimming the trees in the orchard...again.  We started this project a few weeks ago, but there are so many trees (all of which are 100+ years old and haven't been trimmed in at least 40+ years) that it is taking us forever!  We enlisted the help of our friends and got most of it done!

I was supposed to get in my long run yesterday, but it didn't happen.  I'm swapping it today since today's workout is stretch & strengthen.  I'm using yesterday's tree trimming project as my strengthen because I hauled heavy limbs all day!  After work I'll get in my mileage and be caught up again.  I have a feeling my whole training plan is going to work this way...trading days so I can get in the right mileage.  I hope it works out for me!

Wish me luck on my 4 miles tonight!  It doesn't sound long but my motivation is lagging today.  If all goes well I'm going to add in another half mile or mile...

Back on the Bandwagon!

Wow, time sure flies.  Especially when you aren't blogging, tracking food, or even exercising.  If anyone still happens to read my blog, you can see that I haven't posted in a week.  And guess what?  I haven't officially worked out in over a week.  Yuck!

I guess I've just been in a completely unmotivated funk for the last few several days.  I haven't completely fallen off the bandwagon, but I've definitely indulged in more treats than normal, including beer and sweets.  Now, I do have to say that March is birthday month in my family.  Yesterday was Dustin's birthday, my dad's is today, mine is next week, as well as SEVERAL other family members.  Pretty much it's like Christmas all over again in March.

That being said, it is no excuse.  I need to get back into working out!  I don't want to lose the good base I've worked for in mileage, and I'm in love with the results I've already seen in/on my body.  So it's time to get back on it!!!  I started tracking again today, and while I probably won't get a workout in tonight (family birthday dinner...surprise, surprise) I will workout tomorrow.  I'm going to get back into running and Jillian Michaels will again become my best friend.  Here is my thinking:

I've got almost two full months before I "officially" start my training plan for my half-marathon in August.  So until then, I'm going to focus on keeping my mileage base where its at or increasing it a little bit.  However, I'm also going to focus on strength and cross training, such as Jillian, until then.  I really see results when I combine running and cross training.  While I don't plan on giving it up after that (it's part of my training plan), I will devote most of my workouts to RUNNING once May 17 rolls around.

Also an update on my last week:

• I don't know if I mentioned it, but I got a new boss last week.  She's great, and I have actually been really busy since she's been here!  Success!
• I went and tried on my wedding dress last weekend.  IT WAS TOO BIG!  I'm so glad I tried it on this early because I just exchanged it for a smaller size instead of having to do TONS of alterations.  I may still have to do some alterations if I lose any more, but that's better than having it not fit me completely!  Yay!
• Because we're having the wedding at our house (Dustin's family ranch), we have A TON of work/cleanup to do before that special day.  We invited my fam and a ton (notice my trend...word of the day apparently) of our friends out for a work day.  The girls worked on cleaning up the yard, raking leaves that haven't been raked in YEARS, and burning piles.  The boys took down a barn that was falling in.  It had been standing for over 100 years, and it had a lot of history and memories left in it.  They worked all day without stopping for lunch, but by the end of the day it was all down.  We BBQed and drank by the GIANT bonfire we created.  That was my only form of exericse for the week, and I was SORE!  I love getting in hard work and seeing the results!

Hope everyone had a good week!  I've been keeping up on everyone else's blog, just not writing on my own.  Funny how that works!  Hold me accountable!

Aftermath

So I'm over the fact that I signed up for a half-marathon.  Not over it, but over the aftermath of it.  I was seriously struggling with the fact that I'd actually done it.  Negative thoughts were creeping into my head, and for a moment I thought I'd lost my marbles.

You see, all my life I've been one to say I'm going to do something and then I never get around to doing it.  I've told myself for a long time that I'm going to run a half-marathon.  I don't know why.  I've never been a "runner" so there was never really a reason for completing that mission.

However, instead of just telling myself that I'm going to do it, it has become a passion.  Running is not my passion, but I have a strong desire to make it a passion.  I don't know if that makes sense to anyone.  I've never met a runner I didn't like.  Runners are humble and put in the work to get the job done.  That is what I want.  I want to set a goal and actually accomplish it.  So here it is:  my goal of completing a half.  I'm going to get it done.  I might be crazy for signing up for one that is two weeks after my wedding, but I'll get it done, even if it kills me!

On the home front, I completed day 5 of The Shred this morning.  I did day 4 last night because I couldn't didn't get my lazy ass out of bed yesterday morning.  I'm trying to get in the morning habit of doing it so that I can get runs in at night, but I have to overcome my love of sleep and laying in a nice warm bed in order to do so.  One step at a time.

Yesterday I completely forgot to post my weigh-in:  164.  I stayed the same, which is slightly disappointing after my gain last week, but I'll take it.  It's all about the effort you put in, and I just haven't put in enough effort to see a drop on the scale.  So I'll try again this week...

Happy Thursday everyone!

Feeling the Funk

I don't know if it's just because it's Friday, or if I'm getting sick, or something else, but I'm feeling the funk.  And not the good kind of funk, either.  I've wanted to eat crappy all day, I'm tired, and extremely moody (who, me?)  Dustin got a little bit of it this morning and I cried on the way to work.  Thankfully I have to drive half an hour to get there, so they were dried up by the time I showed up.  What is wrong with me?  I know I need to get into the gym tonight but I just feel down.  Down would be the best word to describe it.  So, once again we'll see if I actually make it to the gym.

And I'm sorry for writing such a downer post today.  Wow I'm a fun person to be around.  It's just one of those days though, and I'm sure tomorrow will be much better.  Maybe even tonight.  And it better be good by tomorrow because I'm going WEDDING DRESS SHOPPING!  Yay!  That cheered me up a bit!

Sick Day

Yesterday I took a sick day from work.  I have this eye thing that's been bugging me lately, and I woke up with it hurting and a little goopy (sp.?).  So I decided to call in sick.  After I did this a wave of guilt passed over me, because I knew full well that I would have been fine to go to work for the day.  I did a little bit of angel/devil thinking though, and came up with the conclusion that they didn't need me there anyway, and I hadn't taken any time off during Christmas and the rest of the holidays, so this was my mini vacation.

Despite the fact that my eye was bugging me, I got so much accomplished yesterday!  We have a LOT to do before the wedding, and because we are having the ceremony and reception pretty much right outside my door, we have a lot of projects to do!  I started the day cooking breakfast for Dustin and I, getting the laundry done, cleaning, and making two batches of cookies (not for me to eat, and one batch did NOT turn out!)  I made us a quick lunch, and after we set off outside to get some projects done.

We started by taking down a huge branch that was dead from a big tree in the barnyard (yes, I'm a country girl).  Once we got it down, we started a nice bonfire to get that cleaned up, along with all sorts of branches and crap that needed burning.  We started another pile on fire (BIG FLAME) and set off to take apart a lean-to that was in disrepair.  After moving what seemed like thousands of tires from the lean-to to another shed (I swear we should sell used tires on the internet...any takers?), we started ripping boards off of one side.

Everything was going fine and dandy until Dustin, trying to help me out, takes the crowbar and starts prying a board from the one I was currently working on.  Apparently he has been sneaking protein shakes behind my back, because he yanked the board off, making the one I was working on slam into my head, HARD.  After I figured out that I wasn't going to pass out a wave of tears started coming my way, but I held them in because Dustin looked like he was going to cry because he felt so bad.  So only a few leaked out, and I kept on working (at a distance) with a nice shiner and goose egg on the side of my face.  Lovely.

I forgot to post that Wednesday I went 5.5 miles.  Whoo hoo!  Last night (Thursday) I went to the gym (hiding, of course, from anyone that might be around from work) and did another 3.5 miles!  Yay!  I'm keeping up with my goals, which lets me know I'm doing good.  If I continue this path, I'll lose weight and become strong.  And, most importantly, I'll be able to run a half-marathon without dying.  All good things!

Happy Friday!

Slacking and Sickness

I've been a total slacker for the last few days...since Friday to be exact.  I did great on Thursday, working out and logging my miles.  During my run, though, I had the same trouble I had the night before with my tummy.  This time it was more just cramping pains, but I pushed through and finished my workout.  Friday, my tummy was upset all day, and so instead of working out I went home to mope on the couch.  Saturday I woke up feeling a little bit better and went out and checked traps with Dustin and a friend.  I'm going to log half a mile for that even though I think it was a little more.  When we got home we worked on cleaning up the barn (big project) and then Dustin and I headed to pick up a load of cows from a town close by.  By the time we got back I was starving to the point where I was almost sick, and ate and went to bed!

Sunday I woke up feeling like shit.  My tummy hurt and I felt like I was getting a sore throat.  I was tired all day, and ended up taking a nap for about two hours in the middle of the day.  Dustin got home around six and said he felt like crap too, so we both sat like sickies on the couch and went to bed at 8.

What an eventful weekend!  Wowzers, I'm falling asleep just typing all that.  By the way, I did get a second wind yesterday for awhile and made a huge pot of homemade chicken noodle soup (just what the doctor ordered!).  While that was cooking I made a smaller version of peach cobbler, which I proceeded to eat with a fury last night.  I now feel the need to throw it out, because if I'm not careful I will eat the whole thing when I get home tonight.

I still don't feel 100% today but I'm going to get a workout in even if it kills me!  I'm slacking on my Miles Challenge, and I have a weigh-in on Wednesday that I would really like to see a loss at!  So I'll be kicking my ass again for a few days to see some results on the scale.  And then I will start the cycle all over again so I can see results next week.  And the next.  And the next.

On a good note, I found out when the Haulin' Aspen Half Marathon is because they finally updated their website!  The race is on Sunday, August 8, and as soon as I work out my budget for the next couple weeks, I'm going to sign up for it (it's only $35, but I have to be careful because of WEDDING).  I'm pumped that they finally updated the site so I can sign up for it.

And someone please hold me accountable for signing up for it within the next few weeks!

Now I just need to finalize a training program for it!  I've been doing some research on it and I've came up with a couple that I might modify for my personal taste.  If anyone has any suggestions about it, I would love to hear from you!

Goals for the week (January 11-17):

1. Drink 120 ounces of water every day.
2. Get all of my miles in (and catch up from last few days) for a total of at least 18 miles.
3. Eat smart.  With all the miles I should be logging, make sure to eat enough, but not use it as an excuse to overeat!
4. Work out budget so I can pay for my half-marathon.
5. Finalize a half-marathon training program!

Motivation

I'm really trying hard to stay motivated, but I can already feel the self-doubt coming on.  How horrible is that?  I guess not really, because that is why most people stay at the same weight or gain weight.  Self-doubt is something that will never go away, no matter how hard you try to overcome it.  And that is the secret to keeping those feelings at bay.  TRYING.  Working hard to combat those feelings.  It's a life process, one that is neverending and tiresome.  I'm sure I'll give in many more times in my life, but it's up to me to bounce back from that self-doubt and become self-confidant and know that this journey (life journey) is worth my time.

And hello!!  I've got a freakin' wedding to keep me motivated!!!  Only 24 more days until I start trying on dresses, so get with it Caitlin!!!  That is enough time to get a good base in for my weight loss and fitness, and enough time to tone up and look decent in a dress!  I've got one week to get that damn scale down to 163.  I can do it, damn it!

*And there you have the inner workings of my mind.  Do I maybe sound a little like Jillian?  Not quite, but I like to think I do.  I wish she was in my mind telling me what to do.

So tonight it's back to the gym, working on my fitness, working on my January Miles Challenge.  Not making excuses and going home instead!  (By the way, that is what happened to me last night, but it was a great night of rest!)  Getting in a good 4 miles to catch up (because its about a 2 mile a day challenge).  Getting in some ab work.  Pushing myself because I CAN!

And after that gym session, I'm going to the store to get healthy stuff to make dinner and getting home so I can finish watching The Biggest Loser.  I had to start it late last night because someone wanted to watch the Orange Bowl instead.  So then I got tired and we went to bed.  And even though I already know who gets voted off, I love watching their stories!  So motivating!

And that's all for now folks!

Cheating...

4 more down...52 more miles to go!

I did another 4 miles yesterday, and I feel great about it.  If I kept that up, I'd have my 60 miles done in no time.  However, if I did keep that up, I'd probably find an excuse to not exercise starting at about day 10.  So, today I'm only going to get two miles in with some weight training.  That way I'll still be on track but I won't be killing myself to get the miles in.  Don't get me wrong, I love pushing myself, especially when I have a specific goal to work for.  I just want to make this a lasting change, so pushing myself too hard every day isn't a good idea.

I cheated this morning.  I got on the scale a day early.  I told myself I was going to only weigh in once a week, but I was just so damn curious that I stepped on.  Good things are happening!!  I'm down a pound this morning, so hopefully tomorrow morning when I have my real weigh in it will reflect the same.  It's been quite awhile since I've lost any weight, so getting off of the 165 bandwagon will be a great thing!!

Eating has been good, and I am bound and determined to lose before I go try on wedding dresses on the 30th.  So not only do I have a New Year to motivate me, but also a tight fitting dress to get my ass in gear.  Maybe I will go another 4 miles today...

Weigh-In Wednesday

165

The scale hasn't budged.  The only good thing about that is that it at least hasn't gone up!  Maintaining seems to be my strong point right now, and I didn't gain any over Christmas, so I should be proud of myself...but I'm not.  I want to lose weight!

So today I'm going to devise a workout plan for the next month.  I said earlier that I wanted to lose seven pounds by the end of January.  Well, each day that passes gets closer to that deadline, and unless I tweak my diet and exercise program (or START my exercise program), I'm not going to get past that 165 marker.  I'll get my exercise program posted a little later.

As for right now, I'm going to get to my cheesy New Year Resolutions!!!  Brace yourself...there's quite a few!

1. Lose 15 pounds.  This one is a no-brainer, it's been on my mind for quite some time now.
2. Run a 5k.  This will lead to my next goal.
3. Run a half-marathon.  I've wanted to do this for a long time, and this is the year for it!
4. Pay off one of my credit cards.  Not good, I know. Don't judge. (I only have two, so that's half.)
5. Pay all bills on time.  This one isn't for me so much as it is for my future husband.  Sorry.
6. Plant a HUGE garden.  I want to can this year, and any extras I want to sell at our local farmer's market or at my sis-in-law's greenhouse.
7. Landscape the yard.  We have to get this one done.  Before July 24, because we're having our wedding in our backyard.  Not sure if that was a smart choice or not.  I'll let you know after it's all over.
8. Plant a rose garden.  This might fall into the category of landscaping the yard.  I've always wanted a rose garden.  Might be put on the back burner for paying for a wedding though.  Just a thought.
9. Paint the laundry room and replace floor.  Light puke-pink paint on the walls right now.  Enough said.
10. Paint kitchen/dining room.  I've got big plans for it, I'm so excited!
11. Organize spare bedroom.  It is horrendous right now.  Moving sucks.
12. Join/create a bookclub.  Might be a wedding planner bookclub right now.  But a bookclub nonetheless.
13. Go to the dentist.  This may not seem like it needs to be a resolution.  However, it is hard to make myself go to the dentist when I do not have dental insurance.
14. Keep a food journal.  I eat very good when I do this.  DUH!
15. Visit both of my grandma's at least twice a month.  I've been horrible about it lately.  Bad grandchild.
16. Become a Director in USANA.  It's a company I work for.  Check it out at http://caitlinalbertson.usana.com/.  Any questions?  Email me!  Please.

Ok, so my long-winded to do list (now that I've wrote it, it kind of looks like one) seems mostly like minor tasks that should be done anyway.  But getting me to do this stuff is sometimes a challenge.  I was going to put something in about saving money, but I'm not so sure 2010 is going to be a realistic year to try to save anything.  I have a feeling I might be in debt after the wedding, but it's worth it, right?

Wedding Planning

I'm stressing!  I'm only like two days into wedding planning and it's already getting hard.  Not that it won't be fun, because I'm pretty excited about it.  We've come up with a date that will actually work with almost everybody else's schedules, and I think we've decided to have it out at the ranch where we live, which will be awesome!

However, we have quite a few home improvement projects to add to the list of things that need to get done before the wedding.  So not only do we have wedding planning and work to deal with, but also multiple home projects that HAVE TO GET DONE!  I'm in the process of making a list, and every time I think of something, I add it to the list.  I don't think I would survive without one!

Yesterday was OK for eating, but not fantastic, and I finished the night by having two beers, so that was another 220 calories or so added to what I already ate for the day.  I need to stop getting those empty calories!  However, I still like to drink every now and then so what I really need to do is plan for it.  For instance, I'll probably do a little drinking on New Years, so I need to eat good and get some good workouts into combat those empty calories.

I think tomorrow I'll be generic and post some New Years goals.  Really they are for my own personal benefit though, so I'm not worried about being a poser.  I'm going to get a workout in tonight, also, so hold me accountable: if I don't happen to slip that one into the entry tomorrow you'll know that I didn't get a workout in!

Big News!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The most exciting news of all!  I'm engaged!  Dustin proposed to me on Christmas morning, and it was so incredibly perfect, I can't even describe it!  It wasn't a total surprise, as I knew he had talked to my parents (another story in itself), but I had no clue he had already got a ring.  So needless to say it was unexpected and PERFECT!

So I spent my entire Christmas showing off my ring and grinning from ear to ear (what Dustin and I would like to call a shit-eating grin).  It was fantastic.  To top it off, we both got some amazing gifts from our family, and got to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas day with both our families.

Now I have some extreme wedding planning and wedding workouts to plan!  I think we might have a date--July 24--and I have about a month before I'm going to search for my wedding dress.  I know I don't have to be perfect for finding my dress, but I want to lose a little before I go shopping so I can feel better about myself.  It is a perfect opportunity for me to GET ON IT with my workouts and eating habits! 

I'm not going to get a workout in today, because we STILL have family functions going on tonight, so all I can do today is eat healthy and prepare for tomorrow and get my ass in gear.  I have 15 pounds to lose, and I want to lose 7 pounds by January 31.  I can do this!  I just have to focus on my goal and work hard.  I can't let the stress of any wedding details make me overeat or do anything extreme.  This is especially because I do not want my wedding to be stressful (of course, easier said than done).

I weighed myself this morning and I was 166...up one but not bad, and I still have two days before my weigh-in, so I'm going to work on getting down to 165 again.  The next week I want a two-pound loss.  By January 31 I want to be 158.  Maybe a lofty goal, but one I'm going to work my ass off for.

After that, I'm going to buy myself a new scale.  The one I have I think isn't so accurate as to what my actual weight is, but it's the one I use to track my weight loss because I know that scale.  I think it says I'm about five pounds less than what I really am, so after I get my seven pound loss I'm going to get a new scale and reevaluate everything.  I'll still base my 15 pounds off of my old scale, but I'm going to switch it all to the new scale later.*

*Note that while I typed that last paragraph I even confused myself.  Sorry!

Anyway, have a great day and I'll be back tomorrow!