Jingle Jingle all the Way

Last year this was Ashley's first 5K, so naturally when the time came to sign up for this years event we didn't even hesitate. After we signed up with a team from Ryan's Tae Kwon Do school -Team Just for Kick's, I looked at the date and realized it was the day before my sister in law's graduation to get her Masters Degree. Never once did it cross my mind to not do the race- I figured we would just work around it. Then my non- running friend Kerri signed up to run it as her first 5K ( I love when my friends start running!!!)

We showed up to the race and Ashley and I were talking about her goals. (I guess most people don't do this with their 8 year olds???) She said that she wanted to do better than her last one (the boo run in October 36:33) and I told her that if she did I would give her $20 (doesn't everyone bribe their kids to exercise?)

There were so many people at this race, 3000 registered. We met up with out TKD friends from Carpenters ATA and took some pictures. Then Ashley and I found Kerri and went searching for another friend Laureen. It was much harder to find people than I expected. We had a really hard time finding Laureen but somehow we did and made our way to the starting line.

Carpenters ATA Group

The horn went off and NO ONE MOVED. I am not exaggerating when I say this...there were just so many people that I felt like we were at the start of a Disney race. We were able to cross the street and Ashley and I settled into a nice pace. She seemed to be doing ok and when I asked her she was smiling. We had just run this route in October for the Boo Run so I knew how to pace her better than I did then. There were still A LOT of people and they hadn't been able to close down the road, so we had to all keep to one side of a cone (very difficult to do).  We got to the one mile mark and I looked at my watch and it said 10:45...ummmmm....we need to slow down was the first thought that crossed my mind. Our goal was to beat 36:33 and at this pace we would be 3 minutes under that. She still hadn't asked to walk yet but I KNEW that was quickly approaching. We made it to the 1.5 mile mark where they had people handing out water, I told her to grab one and we walked through it, partially because she wanted to walk and partially because I haven't really met anyone who can successfully drink from a cup while running.  At this point I knew I had to start getting her mind off of what she was doing plus just be silly and help her to realize that what she was doing was FUN (my major goal!!) She was beginning to get more tired so we started doing a bit of the run/walk until we reached mile 2. I just kept trying to tell her what a good job she was doing and how many adults she was doing better than (whatever works!!). When we were about .5 from being done she really started to fade. We were still going to beat her 36:33 but I didn't know if she was going to just want to walk the rest of the way. I don't really know how to motivate an 8 year old, especially mine. She is highly competitive so I was trying to just let her run if she wanted to and not say much if she wasn't (so so hard for me to do!!)
She started running again, on her own and we made the turn so that we could see the finish line and then...we got stopped at the light because the town couldn't stop traffic for a race. WHAT?!?!?
I know that this is a fun event and a family friendly one at that but it is still a 5K race. Most runners want to try and do their best. The man who stopped us and other runners actually said "now we are doing this for fun not PR's" and on most occasions I would have agreed with him and totally not cared but this wasn't for me, it was for my Ashley so the fact that they stopped us really, really bothered me. Once the light changed and we were able to start again I told her that we were going to meet her goal and that she should be extremely proud. She finished her 3rd 5K in 34:27 :)
I am so proud of her- she could have quit but she didn't and that is all that matters. I then handed her a 20 dollar bill to fulfill my part of the bargain :) It was a fun event but they need to work on the traffic situation and they need to have people handing water out at the finish as well, not just cases sitting on the ground, a quarter mile from the finish.

I would do it again, after all it is tradition. Happy Holidays!!!

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Running in the Dark

If you have kids, planning a running schedule is tricky. Many days I run either before the sun comes up or long after it sets. I try to be as careful as I possibly can because I know I have 4 very important people that count on me and if I get hit by a car it would really hurt- ha!

USUALLY I try to run on the sidewalks BUT lately I have become a bit less "rule follower" and a bit more adventurous. My first run on Lorainne road I was scared to death. You are supposed to run against traffic in the bike lane which in theory works so you can see all the cars coming at you. With all the technology and people texting while driving...this is SCARY!!! I run as close to the side as I possibly can, and I have noticed that the women drivers are usually the ones who almost hit me (even when they can move to the other lane!!)

So after practicing this (for Ragnar) I decided to take a nice 9 mile run and practice running on the street, using my flasher things...you know all the things that I should already be doing when running close to dusk.

I headed out onto Lorainne (busy road around 5 p.m.) and as I started running against traffic -my headphones broke and I could only hear every other word. I was only a mile into my run but I kept going. My body knows my pace by now so I was trying to just coast- while cars came flying by. I don't know what is so difficult on a 4 lane road to move over if you see someone running/biking. I think maybe some of the people just want to take some perverse pleasure in scaring me but I did make it down the road without being struck by a car.

At this 3 mile mark I turned into the Lakewood Ranch Country Club for the next what I "thought" was 3 miles (turned out to be 5, just around the loop). I was kinda getting used to hearing the music through what sounded like water and I got A LOT of dirty looks as cars passed by. When I realized that this loop was much further than I thought- oh no! but I had fueled pretty good yesterday and I was feeling really good.

About mile 7, I realized that the sun had gone down and I needed to turn on my flasher things. The funny part about them is that they never flash at the same time so I look a bit like a police car with my blue and red lights flashing. This is also about the time that the sprinklers in Lakewood Ranch decide to turn on- UGH!! At mile 8 I was now done with my loop and time to get back onto Lorainne for the run back home.

It was completely dark now and the streetlights are not very close together. My own shaddow scared me a few times (I have seen too many movies where people jump out of the bushes). Thank goodness there weren't as many cars by this point driving down Lorainne because even with my flashing lights I don't think I am easy to see and the sidewalk really wasn't an option unless I wanted to smell like the sewer and get my beautiful orange Newton's all wet. (Priorities People!!)

I did not follower runner ettiquitte on Greenbrook Blvd as I ran with traffic (it was only a mile!!)

When I was done though I had a renewed sense of confidence in knowing that not only will I be able to run the distances I have to for Ragnar but I will be able to do it with a cool and calm head becuase I can run in the dark :)

Tonight it the Jingle Bell 5K with Ashley :) Stay tuned because I'm sure that post is going to be pretty funny!

A blessing??

Two years ago, we decided to put Ashley into cheerleading. She had begged us for awhile and I knew some friends with kids that went to a local gym so we decided to give it a try. We had already tried soccer, which was a complete disaster (her favorite time was water breaks). We had our trial class and she was hooked. It feels like our lives have revolved around it ever since. 

Ashley is EXTREMELY focused and I am not just saying that because I am her mother. There are many days when I wish she wasn't so determined and she didn't want to go to the gym every day. I do feel blessed though because through Dynasty Elite we have made wonderful, lifelong friends. Every year there are new people and Ashley gets to experience new opportunities. She has mastered many skills that I never would have imagined she would be doing 2 short years ago. I am so proud of the athlete that she is and I look forward to seeing what else she can accomplish.

An Update

The cookie exchange went wonderfully.  I am not a person who really enjoys going out without my family. Usually all 5 of us do things together or Dave and I, occasionally I run with friends (wish I did this more often) but "going out" like dinner doesn't usually fall under priorities to me. I do have some awesome friends that pull me out from under all of the things I have to do and just have a good time together. When Ryan was in preschool 2 years ago I met some great friends and to my shock we have all continued to make the effort to get together (usually once a month). We all have kids that are the same age and it is really nice for me that they are all mom's of kids Ryan's age. Ashley gets  SO much being the first born that it is really nice that Ryan has some friends that he has known since he was 3. This year when the kids went to kindergarten, we requested that our kids were in the same class (which they did) and now if I forget something (which is ALL THE TIME!) for class one of my girls just shoots me a text and all is well. So last month while at our brunch Kelly thought we should do a cookie exchange party for our monthly get together. We all had to make a dozen cookies for each person to take home and a dozen to share at the party. I guess we all failed math because for weeks we kept saying we needed 7 dozen cookies when we actually only needed 6 :)
I looked on Pintrest and I polled my Facebook friends and Twitter followers about which cookie that I should make. My husband outranked everyone and asked me to make Raisin Puffs, which are a family tradition passed down from my Grandma Williams.  She however makes them for her church and makes TONS so her actual recipe makes 10 dozen cookies. So, I took some time on Wednesday morning to make my cookies. I ate more than a few and felt a bit queasy but at least I got them all baked and boxed with ample time to spare.

I showed up at 6 o'clock with my 6 dozen cookies and I hadn't eaten much all day, knowing that cookies were on the menu for dinner. Let me also say that I am NOT a big drinker!! I don't have a any problem with people that do, I just don't like how it makes me feel. Kelly and I had talked the day before the exchange and she had gone to Total Wine and asked the worker what a "girly" drink she could make for the party. She decided on Limoncello and Champagne. Did I already say that I didn't eat much before I went to this party. First thing I get handed is this drink and since I don't want to be rude, I start sipping it and after about 5 sips I stared to get a bit dizzy. I thought if I ate a little bit that it might help, so I had a plate of pizza dip and bread (loved this!!) and we had vegan nachos, which were very good as well. Since I continued to sip the drink while I was eating, it didn't really help with my dizziness. So I tweeted about it and took some funny self pics (what am I 18??) Anyways, we then moved on to the cookie portion of the evening...I made the Raisin Puffs, Shannon made Thumbprints, Laureen made Peanut Butter Blossoms, Kerri made Chocolate Truffles, Kelly made Magic Cookie Bars ,and Lauren made Chocolate chocolate cookies. I only ate 3 cookies BUT I have 6 dozen here if anyone would like some. After I ate the cookies and we sat and talked for a while, I did start to feel better (guess the alcohol started wearing off) and I had so much fun just being me with people who know me and like me anyways with all of my flaws and crazy running :)

 Our cookie table

                                                                 Yummy Dips and Bread

                                                    Me and Kerri (a little too Limoncello)

                                             Laureen, Lauren, Kelly, Kerri, Shannon, & Me

Great times with great friends and I ran 8 Miles this morning to balance out my cookies eating :) Love the holidays!!

p.s. my floors still aren't finished :(

Floors and Cookies

I am feeling a bit overwhelmed and unorganized.

We are putting hardwood floors in two rooms of our home- two weeks before Christmas and the carpet was torn up two weeks ago- ewwww! I have started wearing socks around my house- AT ALL TIMES. I think that today may finally be the day that my bedroom no longer has concrete floors.

I also have a cookie exchange tomorrow night. So instead of being able to clean up all this dust, I just added to it with the amount of flour it took to make 10 dozen cookies :)

Am I the only person who over schedules themselves over the holidays?

I think this is enough of a rant for now... pictures to come soon of the floors and cookies :)

Maybe I will be able to get another run in tonight- priorities people!!!

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPad]

Team Ragtails

About 6 months ago, I was approached by some local running friends and asked if I would like to do the Ragnar Relay. I was of course interested since is the Floridians version of Hood to Coast- without all of the mountains. I have 3 kids and a husband (sometimes extremely supportive and sometimes not so much) and I didn't think that it would work out so I declined to be on their teams. Fast forward to the Savannah Half marathon and I am still kinda wishing that I could swing it. When I got home, a good friend texted me and asked if I would be willing to join their team since one of their runners got injured. I did drop subtle hints to my hubby (yes I did Savannah and Tough Mudder was coming and I was signed up for Princess Half in February- duh!! I need something for January). Well to my utter stupefaction hubby said YES!! So January 6-9 I will be going to run from Miami to Key West with Team Ragtails. I will be runner number 6 and I will be running legs 6,18,and 30.

Leg 6 (very hard)

                                                                       Leg 18 (very hard)

Leg 30 (moderate)

Training for Ragnar starts NOW!!

I AM a Tough Mudder

So the goal was met- I did NOT Die!!! It was the most amazing experiences of my entire life and I am not exaggerating. We got up and left the house around 6 since the website said that we needed to be there 2 hours before our start time which was at 10. We were perhaps 2 miles away from the venue when we started going over hills (you all know how much I LOOOOOVVEEE hills). At that point I did start to have big bullfrogs jump around in my stomach. I had some idea of what I was to expect since I had previously done the warrior dash (only 1/3 of this distance). Let me just say now that it is NOTHING like the Warrior Dash.  While my team (TEAM ATLAS) and I were walking up to packet pick-up someone mentioned that they write your number on your forehead...I laughed and then soon found out that they were 100% serious. Supposedly they do this so that if your number falls off in the water they can identify you for medical reasons, oh and for pictures.

So our team got marked up and took a final potty break and headed to the start line. We took off and ran about a mile until we got to the first obstacle.
1. The Steeplechase (start your day off by vaulting yourself over a series of equine obstacles beware- it's not always mud on the other side). This was not as difficult or as high as I thought it was going to be. The things to be jumped over were maybe hip high and there was plenty of space to drop down and jump over the "ditch".
2. Chernobyl Jacuzzi (jump in and out of an icy mixture of assorted carcinogens). Out of all of the obstacles this really was the worst one. This was in a dumpster filled with ice and when you jumped in your lungs literally stopped. If that wasn't bad enough you had to wait for the other people in the dumpster with you to GET OUT before you could get out. I am very glad they put this at the beginning and could get it out of the way within the first 2 miles.
3. Underwater Tunnels (bob underneath the obstacles on the surface of the water as your head shrinks to the size of a walnut). Seeing as we had just been in below freezing water this was really not too difficult to handle. Just remember to keep your mouth closed and you will be just fine.
4. Kiss of Mud (eat dirt as you crawl on your belly under wire set only 8 inches from the ground). This is where the mud portion of this challenge begins. You must crawl on your HANDS and KNEES to get through this. There is no alternative.

**let me put a disclaimer here and let you know that there is about a quarter to a half mile of running between every obstacle.

5. Mystery Obstacle - this was a tire obstacle with tires hanging from wooden beam.
6. Spider's Web (fight your way over not one but two cargo nets). We had a really good wave of people and my team was AMAZING!! The guys hopped over and held the bottom of the net with resistance so it made it much easier to get up and over this obstacle.
7. Bale Bonds (hurl yourself over enormous hay bales). I actually was able to do a hop method here and was totally able to hop over these by myself (no assistance-woot woot!)
8. Ball Shrinker (try not to fall off this rickety swinging rope bridge into the mud pit below).
 This one was definitely challenging for Ms. Toothpick arms. What really made this one a bit more difficult for me was that I wanted to go slowly and at my own pace and I had people coming behind me (not on my team) that ran right into me, almost knocking me off into the water. I also got my first  taste of the nasty water on this one.
9. Berlin Walls #1 (show team spirit and camaraderie as you work with other Tough Mudders to scale our series of 12 foot high walls)- This was the obstacle that I was dreading the most. Mostly because I have ZERO upper body strength and I had no idea how I was going to get over it. This is where having an AMAZING team comes into play. Two of our guys would climb to the top, my husband would boost me up and shove my butt up and my other two teammates would pull me over. I could not have done this without TEAM ATLAS!!!
10. The Trenches (Get stuck in our energy zapping trademarked Tough Mudder thick mud as you wade through a maze of trenches). I feel like this was just repeated over and over throughout the entire challenge. There were holes dug out in the mud so you would take a step and end up with mud up to your chin. It was fun to walk through (there was not running through this mud) and working as a team and with other Mudders helped.
11. Twinkle Toes (make your way across a log bridge without falling into a freezing cold lake). OK this is where I am going to have my first rant. Because you had to go over this ONE PERSON AT A TIME and there were about 4200 people who were doing the race at the point where we arrived there, there was a HUGE BACKUP of people. We literally waited for 20 minutes to do this!!! It really put a huge stop to your momentum and A LOT of people were cramping up and getting very annoyed with the wait. Of course since my goal was JUST NOT TO DIE- I didn't mind too much. I don't know how they could avoid this though since you do have to go one at a time to have a chance at not falling in. (sidenote- I did not fall in- GO ME!!)
12. Devil's Beard (try as you might you may get caught like a fly in a spider's web time and time again in our annoyingly low cargo nets). We were supposed to camo crawl through mud under this one. I kinda hunched over and walked through.
 **we had about a mile run here which was through a nice big field
13. Boa Constrictor (crawl through a series of pipes that may also force you through freezing muddy water). Thank goodness I am small and not claustrophobic. You went into the tubes at a downward angle which dropped you right into cold (freezing has a new connotation after the Chernobyl Jacuzzi). The other side was going up and since i was tiny i could go up on my hands and knees so it wasn't very hard for me.
14.  Walk the Plank (test your fear of heights and cold all in one with our 15 feet high splash in the pond followed by a swim back out) This one may hold many a person up. If you have any fear of jumping off high spaces (which i don't) then you would have some serious problems. It was VERY high and the water was VERY deep.  You also have to add in that your clothes and shoes pull you down while trying to swim to get out and it was one of the scarrier obstacles.
** after this we had hills which we had to maneuver which were very muddy and steep
15. Jumping Bales ( cross a field jumping from bale to bale- trust us you don't want to fall short on this one). I didn't realize that you were supposed to jump from one to the other. I did the up and over method here.
16. Gator Bait (criss cross our swampy bog while keeping an eye out for the angry reptiles, don't worry they are more afraid of you than you are of them- probably). People were screaming that there were gators here but we didn't see any gators. It was more treks through mud and muck (i don't think it was mud so much as manure.
17. The Gauntlet (prepare to feel like you are at a South American political demonstration as you get high pressure hoses from both sides). This one was kinda cheesy according to Dave. It was a large field sprinkler that misted you instead of pummeled you with water.
18. Fire Walker (plain and simple run through our blazing kerosene soaked straw- expect flames up to 4 feet high). This was an interesting obstacle which I remember mostly as a ton of smoke. I didn't really look right or left to see the flames (which were there and very real). I pulled my shirt up over my face and ran through as quickly as I could so that I didn't get a lot of smoke in my lungs. I think that it was pretty much as advertised.
19. Berlin Wall #2 (yet another set of brutal walls- don't slip off the top). So as stated before this was the obstacle that I was dreading and I didn't know that we had to do it twice. So after I finished it the first time I was so happy. This time though the walls were HIGHER and there were 2 of them to get over. We basically did this the same way as the first. My TEAM rocked. Dave would shove me up and one of the guys up top would pull me up so that I could hang over and drop down. (today my shoulders are protesting a little because of this.
20. Hold Your Wood (make like a lumberjack and drag a log up a ski slope). But we live in Florida and we don't have ski slopes, so in true lumberjack fashion we carried logs through a lake. We had 3 lifeguards in the water directing us when the water got deeper. I, in true Jama fashion, joked with the lifeguards and told them thanks for the heads up since the water was going to be up to my shoulders (where the log was). This did make me feel pretty tough (won't lie!)
21. Funky Monkey (monkey bars were easy when you were 5 but you will have to hold on extra tight to these, some of these have been greased with butter and you may get a shock when you fall in to an ice cold lake). I asked Dave if I should give this a serious try and he told me "just walk in". I don't think many people could have done this (Dave Mann did!!). All of them were greased with butter. I just took a nice little swim to clean off some of the mud.
22. Mystery Obstacle- this was a sideways wall with which you had to navigate on your toes (the strip was 1 inch wide). I made a go of this one and fell off halfway across.
23. Turds Nest (try not to fall as you make your way across this fragile net). This was the type of obstacle that would give me massive confidence because I would approach it and think "Jama- this you can do!" We crabwalked over this and compared to the other cargo nets the difficulty level was easy.
**these last 3 obstacles were the HARDEST!!!
24. Hay Bale Pyramid (when the going gets tough, the tough becomes insurmountable- hay bales in your path). This is the second point where we were stuck in traffic for 20 minutes. This pyramid was about 40 feet high and you needed help from others to be able to work your way up. Once again TEAM ATLAS to the rescue. Dave was behind me and two guys were above me and Dave would shove, James would pull, and I would jump. This was true Mudders helping each other. When going down the other side, I killed my shoulders (sorest part of my body in general!)
25. Everest (you will need help from your fellow Mudders to reach the top of the slippery giant quarter pipe). I honestly don't know how anyone does this. We were stuck here for 20 minutes waiting while people ran up and feel down. My team decided to make a human ladder to get the girls up (which I will  be eternally grateful for). Without them this is an obstacle that I really have no idea how I would have accomplished it. I watched the girls run up and try and try and then give up and walk around. I watched A LOT of guys try and quit as well. Without a team and other Mudders, there really is no way of doing this.
26. Electroshock Therapy (release your inner demons as you sprint through a field of live wire so of which carry a 10,000 volt shock). I wasn't too concerned about this one- mainly because I didn't watch video's of people doing it. Our team went through together and we all made it out with nothing but a couple little zaps. They do shoot you with water right before you go through though. I did get hit a few times and it wasn't "pleasant" but I did not get knocked to the ground.

Our team huddled up and finished together.

It was one of the BEST experiences that I have EVER had!!! I would  say that if you are going to do this race you need to have A GOOD TEAM. I would not have been able to do this race without the AMAZING TEAM ATLAS!!! Don't think that you are going to finish in a specific amount of time. Waiting for the other 6-8 thousand other people to get through some of the more tricky obstacles will deter any time goals. Go in with an attitude of have as much fun as you can and you will have FUN!! I kept saying to my team "I can't believe I am enjoying all of this". I didn't have high expectations and I was totally WRONG! If you have the opportunity to do this race I would say sign up and Embrace the Challenge.

I AM TOUGH ENOUGH- are you??

Pictures of Tough Mudder 2011 

Here is the link to all of the pictures of the race. Amy had a waterproof camera and we have pictures from almost all of the obstacle. Enjoy the Craziness!!

Am I Tough Enough?

Well about 4 months ago we signed up for this little race (challenge) called the Tough Mudder. At the time it really did look like something that would be a lot of fun. Now with only 3 days until I do it- not so much fun.

This is what it says on the Tough Mudder website about this race...
"Tough Mudder events are hardcore 10 to 12 mile obstacle courses designed by British Special Forces to test your all-around strength, stamina, mental grit, and camaraderie. With the worlds most innovative courses, half a million inspiring participants, and over $2 million dollars raised for the Wounded Warrior Project. Tough Mudder is the premier adventure challenge series in the world."

Let's just start this by saying I am a wimp- I really am. I enjoy running and biking and swimming but lifting weights- um not so much! I really did plan on starting a lifting program solely to prepare for the crazy things that I am going to be expected to do during this race. Well you know what they say about good intentions- yeah me neither :)

This is what the website this is what kind of shape you are supposed to be in to participate...

"How fit do you need to be? Basically, you should be in good physical condition – complete slackers need not apply. At a minimum we recommend that you are running regularly (2+ times a week, working up to 5 miles per run), able to do 15-25 push-ups in a row, able to bang out 6 pull-ups in a row (especially the dudes), and able to swim 50 yards without stopping (although you can skip the water obstacles)."
 Ok- lets talk about  my fitness- running will be NO PROBLEM for me. I try to run 5-6 days a week and my short run is usually 5 miles so I am good there. I can do ZERO push-ups and ZERO pull-ups. I can swim 50 yards without a problem though so I won't be skipping those- ha!

"We mix up the drudgery with belly-crawling, wall-climbing, mud-slogging, ice-water dunking, monkey-bar traversing, huge slip n’ slides, etc. "

Did I mention I can't climb over a wall and the only way I am getting over it is that my strong husband is doing this with me.

"As we like to say, Tough Mudder is about completing a fearsome challenge and discovering a new sense of accomplishment, not about running your knees into the ground or testing your maximum lung capacity. So while some Mudders are ultra-marathoners and others are super-jacked Rambo clones, most are regular people who take care of themselves and are looking for a true all around challenge, a super fun day with friends, and a goal on the calendar that will force them to step up their workouts."

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I am one of those crazy people who takes care of themselves and who is looking for a super fun day with friends. My only goal for this craziness is NOT TO DIE!!

I will leave you with a video of what I can expect...I have not watched it AT ALL because I would rather NOT KNOW than know too much and psych myself out. Yes that makes me a bit unprepared but at least I won't spend the next 3 days scared out of my mind :)

Am I Tough Enough? We will see on Saturday (if I survive look for my race report on Sunday)

Rock n Roll vs. Disney

Just got back from Savannah and it was really an AMAZING experience with my hubs (Dave). I really thought a lot about this post but I am just going to hit the highlights and write something a little more in depth in the future.

You all KNOW I am a Disney girl. Up until this point all races that they have, except the marathon, I have ran in. (I really wish they would bring back the Tower of Terror 13K- My favorite of all time!!!) So, Disney was all I really had to compare this Rock n' Roll Series to and there were some things that Disney could really learn from this organization.

Packet Pickup: Well, we got to Savannah early enough that we didn't really get to experience the crazy crazy traffic going to the expo. When you have 23,000 runner plus their families, you really shouldn't make packet pick up over a bridge with limited (and i mean limited- parking). With that disclaimer out of the way...my expo experience was flawless. I had already printed out my waiver and walked right up to my pick up my number...NO LINE AT ALL. Every Disney race I have done I have had to wait in line JUST to get my number then another line to get my shirt and goody bag. I had none of that with this race. I also had to change my corral which literally took me 10 seconds. I asked if I could move to Dave's corral and she gave me a sticker to move and that was that. No questions, nothing- and I was very impressed!!!

Expo: The expo was fun as always. There were a lot more name brands at this one compared to Disney but I would have to say that the vendors were evenly matched in this category.

Pre-Race Corralling: This one goes to RnRSav as well. My major pet peeve with Disney is having to be at a 5:30 race at 3:30 am just to go sit in a parking lot for 2 hours. We left our hotel at 7 and walked to the start line and our corral left at 7:45ish. I also liked that they sent the corrals off at 30 sec. to 2 min intervals instead of every 5 minutes. I also liked that the people monitoring the corrals weren't crazy like the volunteers at Disney. If a few people move corrals it should not be a HUGE deal like they make it at Disney.

Race start: Even though I told Dave I DID NOT want to be at the front- we ended up there. And it wasn't that bad. Where as Disney races starts are always jammed with people and the first mile is AWFUL, this race was on a wide road where I felt extremely comfortable the whole time.

Race: I thought that they did a great job of having some sort of band at every mile. The people of Savannah cheering us on throughout the race was really a nice surprise too. I liked (although Dave didn't) that they clock was easy to read at every mile marker. I also thought they did a good job of providing water and sports drink along the way too. My only major complaint is about the course. I was truly looking forward to running through beautiful Savannah- and that really wasn't what I got. We ran through VERY URBAN areas which turned out ok because there were people all around cheering us on BUT I really didn't get to see the downtown Savannah area with all the

pretty houses.

Finish and Medal: Medal goes to DISNEY- honestly the ugliest medal ever!!!! I thought the finish was really not that bad. I was nervous that I wouldn't break off from the full and that thought freaked me out a bit but all went well and I finished the half in 2:16:23.

NEXT UP: Tough Mudder- December 3rd and hopefully RAGNAR!!!!

3 Years Ago

I just got back from my last run before Dave and I run the Rock n'Roll Savannah Half Marathon. I began this training cycle running 3 miles and appropriately my last training run was 3 miles as well. 3 is having a big significance for me. Today is the 3rd (ha!), I have 3 kids, and 3 years ago was a definite change in my life.

3 years ago, I went into labor at 33 weeks on October 30. Dave and I made it to the hospital and I just kept saying "please don't let my water break" to which the nice nurse told me that even if it did they could keep my baby in until 36 weeks (what?!?). I remember going into that hospital worried, but feeling ok. They put me in a triage bed and gave me the shots to stop my contractions and nothing happened. They gave me some more shots and still no change. I wasn't dilating (which was good) but I was still having contractions (over 10 an hour). The nurse looked at me and said we are admitting you (i thought for the night) and we are going to give you Mag (magnesium sulfate)- she said " the first 3 days are hell" and i just laughed, little did I know then.

They brought me down and started my IV and gave me a bolus of the dreaded Mag because they have to get you into a therapeutic range. I don't really remember much of the next 3 days. People visited, my husband was a saint, and I was sicker than a dog and have NEVER been so hot. Literally, it burned the skin off my face and it raises your temperature. I really thought after the first 3 days they would let me go home- that was not to be. They didn't want me to go home and overextend myself (me-overextend- NEVER-ha!) I was in the hospital for 14 days. Laying on my back- with Edward, Jacob, and Bella to keep me company. My kids were shuffled between my husband and my sister in law, and I felt useless a lot.

Why am I telling you all of this??

Because in 2 days I will be running, and I will be running 1 mile for every day I was in that bed!! I will be running for my sweet Alexis who is the feistiest little girl and has been from the first day I held her, almost 3 years ago. I will be running because I can and enjoying every step and when I feel like I can' t do this or I want to stop- I will remember those 14 days where all I was allowed to do was sit, eat, and sleep- and I will press forward simply because I CAN!!

WDW Wine and Dine Relay 2011- Part 1

So, about 3 months ago Dave and I were running and he said that we should sign up for the Wine and Dine Half Marathon. When I went to sign up the race was full :( and I was very upset (because I ran it last year and LOVED IT!!!!). So we signed up for RnR Savannah ( I have "met" some great people through this race) so I just figured it was a blessing in disguise.
My birthday was the 28th and on Sunday my friend Jessica texted me and said that her partner for the relay had backed out on her and would I be able to run with her. Backstory is that Dave and I were going to go away for my birthday to West Palm Beach and I didn't think we could change the hotel so I said sadly I could not :(
Well on Tuesday, we decided that instead of a trip to WPB, we would make a trip to my happy place- WALT DISNEY WORLD!!!! I got a great annual passholder rate to the Animal Kingdom Lodge and I was happy to go but sad to be going on a runDisney weekend and not run. I talked with Dave and he gave me the green light to call Jessica and see if she still needed a partner and she did :) So I became Runner #1 of Team J Squared!!!

We arrived at Animal Kingdom Lodge Friday morning and tried to check it- hence no rooms were ready so we decided to head over to HEAVEN (the Wine and Dine expo!!!) I was able to pick up a really cute Tshirt, CEP hot pink socks, a green Running Skirt (which I LOVE!) and some other odds and ends that only runners can appreciate. We then headed back to the hotel to see whether or not the room was ready and seriously their computers were down for 3 hours and they couldn't let us know one was or another if our room was ready. So, we headed down to the pool and chillaxed until their computers came back up.

We had reservations to eat of the California Grill on the top of the Contemporary and it DID NOT disappoint. I had the zucchini blossoms as an appetizer and then the Snapper for dinner BUT the best thing there is the S'mores cake with Peanut Butter gelato. I was stuffed but it was SOOOOO worth it. Then we went out on the observation deck to watch the Halloween fireworks (my favorite of all time.)

On Saturday morning, we got up and went to Animal Kingdom and even though we go to Disney a lot, we don't often go without kids and our kids don't always meet height requirements for all of us to be able to ride. Dave really wanted for me to go on every ride that I never can go on. I went on Expedition Everest (twice), Primeval Whirl, and Dinosaur. I really enjoyed the kid free time. Then we went back to Heaven (the expo so I could meet up with Jessica and get my race number). We then went to one of the best kept secrets at Downtown Disney- Raglan Road Pub.

This little jewel is located right next to T-rex and the restaurant is beautiful inside. I had such a hard time deciding what to eat but I ended up ordering a burger and chips (almost as good as the ones from Epcot in England but not quite). Then we got their Bread Pudding dessert and it was SOOOOOO good!!!! Dave said that he would go back and just eat that and coming from Dave that is a major compliment.

We went back to the hotel and took a nap (i am old and do not EVER stay up late so I needed this to make it through the night-ha!!) We went down to the pool and I soaked my legs for a while and then it was time to eat a snack (chicken flatbread) and head over to All Star Sports to meet up with my partner, Jessica, and head over to the race.

Part 2 (the RACE)...coming later :)

And the second week...

...was crazier than the first.
We spend the weekend in West Palm Beach with my sister and mother in law. It was an interesting time and even though I love them it was really nice to be home. On Sunday I ran a very nice 5 miler and felt super fabulous. Monday I did NOTHING-UGH!! I really don't like to take days off- it's just the way I am wired. Tuesday, Dave and I swam and I only could get in 1000 M because there was thunder in the area and the Y closes the pool when that happens (all the swimmers were mighty peeved!)
Wednesday I felt like I had been a massive slacker- so I took Lexi to the kidzone and I ran 7 miles
ON THE TREADMILL!!!!
I really dislike running 1 mile on the treadmill but i knew that I could do it and I just kept going. I won't lie- it was very very boring but my mind won the battle (score!).
Thursday I ran 3 in the am, did Kenpo X (so sore!), and then ran 3 more miles that night. Yuppers not the smartest thing I have ever done but I needed to feel like I was pushing myself.
This morning I dragged myself back to the pool and luck was on my side. There was no rain and I was able to get in 1750M which is the farthest I have gone yet. I am loving this swimming thing. I find it extremely relaxing. I just concentrate on my stokes and breathing and I put zero pressure on myself to go faster, I just go my wonderful manatee pace and I LOVE IT!!!

I think that I am getting stronger every day and I can't wait to see what the next few weeks hold.
Stay tuned because I will be doing a post on my FAVORITE green smoothie recipe and my love/hate relationship with Nuun.

One healthy choice made today...how about you??

Things I never wanted to do- but I did

So, we were supposed to do our long run on Sunday morning but we decided to go to my sister in law's new apartment in West Palm Beach for her housewarming party. All I can say is that my Ryan DID NOT GO TO BED UNTIL 1 AM!!!! and we were supposed to get up at 5:30 to run. I was really looking forward to running in West Palm (seeing that I spend 4 years of my life there and I would move back tomorrow) but at midnight I just kept thinking that there was no way I would be getting up to run. My kids didn't end up getting up until 9 and to us that was like noon (ha!) So, we had to adjust and honestly, I'm not the best adjuster. I like all my ducks in a row and this threw me off A LOT! We decided to push the long run to Tuesday night (since I like running at night) and then Dave called and said we should run while Lexi was in school (brilliant) except that means that we will be running at 9:30 a.m. in Florida. Yes, I was being Negative Nancy but then I didn't even know what the route was yet, so I agreed. We decided to meet after I dropped Lexi off and Dave would be on his way home from shift.

I got there and all I could think of was this...

Yes, that is a bridge and on MILE 1!!! It usually takes me at least 2-3 miles to get into my groove and he wants me to run over this bridge on Mile 1. Well, I gritted my teeth (and I may have been having some not so nice thoughts) but we made it over the bridge and that is when I realized that I was going to have to do it again at mile 11- and I began to dread the return trip.

We kept running and came to St. Armands Circle which I LOVE to shop at, so I window shopped while we ran and we got to Lido Beach. Thing number 2 I never really wanted to do...run on the beach.

Today the weather was optimum. It was about 85 and overcast as we started our beach run. I give lifeguards many props because running on sand is way different than running on asphalt. I finally found a bathroom (had to go when we started) and we continued running on the beach. I tried to look for the hardest packed sand so as to not injure myself since I knew that when we go to the end I would have to turn around and run back (over that dang bridge!!!)

I really enjoyed the running on the beach. It was very peaceful and every time the negative thoughts would creep in, I would look out at the ocean and just enjoy the moment. Dave really helped me out by making jokes and helping me to find the hardest sand possible. He was going to go toward running on the street back and I told him that we could run back on the beach. Who knew I would actually like it? We headed on back and I was feeling really good, until we got to...THE BRIDGE. At this point, we had ran about 10 miles and I TOTALLY psyched myself out. I tried to look at one of the buildings in the distance so I wasn't looking up at how far I had to go, but as I almost reached the top the negative thoughts came back, "You are too slow, You can't do this!" and I began to listen- Dave would NOT let me give up (yup, I have the best husband ever!) and although I did have a mental meltdown with just feet until the top, we did make it and running down of course was a breeze.

11 miles done in 1:45 with 2 times over that dang bridge and 6 miles in the sand plus all the road leading up and back. I am happy that we did it, still have no desire to run over bridges but the beach run was pretty nice. Maybe if we just park there and run the beach it will help me get stronger for the Tough Mudder.

Thankful for my hubs for not giving up on me and for not allowing me to give up either. By far, the hardest run I have done to date- but I did it :)

One healthy choice made today...how about you???

Obtacles

Today I swam! I had not attempted this for a little over 8 years and I found out that I did much better than I thought I would. I met my friend Lanell at the YMCA and I honestly hoped that I would be able to go up and back once. I did it 20 times and I felt really good. I could have done more but I didn't want to push my luck and I also didn't really want to leave Lexi in the kid zone for too long (she tends to get into trouble if I leave her too long!) Almost everyone keeps asking me are you training for a Triathlon and my answer is the same every time...

Maybe

I love running but my legs have been protesting that I am using them too much and not giving them enough time to recover. Plus there are days that I just want to switch it up a bit and with the kids all in school 2 days a week and my older 2 gone from 8-3 everyday, I have a lot of free time. Yes, I should be cleaning or meal planning but I am love to be active and swimming, running, and biking are my favorite 3 things to do. I like the fact that when i get bored with one discipline I can always turn to one of the other 2.

Right now I have no triathlons on the horizon but I will continue to keep trying me best and trying to do better and we will see where it leads.

I told Dave, I wish that I could get a job where I could exercise all day (ha!) although most people are faster than I am or am stronger- I don't think that anyone can beat me in passion, joy, and excitement :)

So I will keep training and loving it and who cares if I am slow- I surely don't :)

A Run to Remember

I have been thoroughly enjoying my training runs with my husband and if you had asked me before we started training together if it was going to work out- I would probably not have been too optimistic. Two weeks ago we ran 9, and I wasn't feeling too great. Last week we ran 11, and I felt fabulous, so tonight I was a bit nervous and I didn't quite know what to expect.

Having 3 kids, we have to run later in the evening. Dani (my cousin) is living with us (SCORE!!) and it has been a huge blessing and allows Dave and I to go running together.

We had decided to leave around 7:30 and at 6 the sky opened and the lightning started. Dave isn't too happy to run in the lightning (I'm not either) but I kept saying that it is going to blow over. I kinda had worked out in my head that if it was still raining we could run a short route but that was not to be.

We started out and right at the .5 mile mark I looked over and saw an alligator looking right at us- that is right folks- it was NOT IN THE WATER!!! it was sitting right in the grass, right next to where we were running and I was honestly ready to turn around and head right back home and had I been by myself I just might have done that, but I was running with Dave (fearless!!!) and we kept going.

We got to about the 2 mile mark when we saw the family of deer that we have seen on our runs for the last 3 weeks but instead of running away, they just kept eating and I wish I had brought my phone to take a picture but since there was a rain chance I left it at home (I could NOT live without my iPhone!!!).

Mile 3.5 we started to see a lot of lightning and we decided that we needed to pick up the pace. This is also about the time that I tried to avoid the puddle and I ended up with soaked shoes and socks and 5 more miles to go.

I have said it before but I really believe that I am built for longer distances. It takes me a good 4 miles to start feeling really good and then I am totally in my groove and I can do as many more miles as I need to.

We got to mile 6.5 and my wonderful ipod started to act very peculiar. I had been listening to a podcast by Christine Caine when she spoke at Elevation Church, I feel like I was doing really good up until the ipod went crazy and I knew we only had 2 more miles left. We picked up the pace (again!!) and finished strong at 1:27.

I am feeling really strong and I'm not to concerned about the races that are coming up in the next few months.

School starts for my 2 oldest tomorrow...so off to bed I am going, since I have mommy duties that are a bit rusty and kids that are not going to want to get up in the morning.

We will need all the prayers we can get :)

A fun time for all

Just signed up my hubs!! It is going to be his first half marathon- so excited to do it with him :)

so what if I'm slow

I read many blogs (many many many blogs) on running. There are some that are very encouraging and then there are some that are what I would have to classify as somewhat "elitist". I was reading a post on a blog today (i'm not going to say which one) but it was a race recap for a half marathon that she was competing in. She apparently started out great running in the 6:30 and then one of her later miles dipped into the (gasp! and I am quoting here!) 9 minute realm so she had to remedy that because that was awful!

As I sat there reading her race report I started to get a little angry with this person. The way she was writing about her awful time would have been a really good race for me and for many other people who just like to run. Yet she was totally appalled that she "a sponsored runner" would not perform well.

You see, I think that no matter who you are, but especially if you have a large following of people who are looking to you as an example, should try to remember that even though you are fast, that the person running 12 minute miles still gets up and trains just as hard as you do.

That the joy in running is just that- joy.

That runners who judge others by how fast, how slow, what races you've done...aren't really runners that are helping others at all (which this person claims that she wants to do). Many people start running for many different reasons and just because you don't run 6 minute miles does not mean you aren't a good runner!!

I run slow (at least to me I am slow!) and I am not a competitive person. I run because I just love being able to lace up, listen to a good podcast, and just enjoy doing something just for me. I tell people all the time- to be a runner all you have to do is go for a run once and even if you walk half of it, at least you were moving!!



Ok- enough of the rant- all that to say- I am slow- get over it!!

Random

I am really enjoying just being where I am at in life right now. My kids are at ages where I don't feel the constant pressure to be "perfect". I am trying to let the reins go a little and see what kind of choices they make and USUALLY they are pretty good ones. When I had Ashley (8 years ago-WOW!!) I was pretty neurotic. I really didn't allow anyone to help me because I felt that she was my job and my responsibility. I still feel that way sometimes but I also realized that just because I have 3 kids doesn't mean that I can not still be me as an individual.

I listen to Podcasts when I run...not always but I would say 95% of the time I do. I really enjoy running with others but at this point in time (summer) I try to get my miles in when I can. Often that means that I run early in the morning or late at night. I also do a lot of impromptu running in the middle of the day when my cousin Dani is home (she is living with us for the time being and I don't know how I will live without her). I love being able to run and chit chat with others at the same time...enter the Podcasts. My sister in law told me I had to listen to the Elevation Church Podcasts. I LOVE them!!! I have listened to the Mr and Mrs Betterhalf, Faith, Honorology, Treatment...and the list goes on and on. Pastor Steven is a gifted preacher and he speaks on so many topics that I feel God wants me to hear about. I told Dave that I really want to go to North Carolina just to hear him speak in person. He has an amazing vision and he said something in the podcast today that really stuck with me. He said that when you are looking at your life you see everything in play-by-play and when you are comparing yourself to others you are only seeing their highlight reel. I am so guilty of reading blogs and getting down on myself for not being "that good of a mom" or "so much slower as a runner" etc. etc. But I am not seeing their daily struggles, I am only seeing what they are choosing to tell and most of the time people (not intentionally) only talk about the good things and not so much the bad things going on in their lives.

I am at a point in my life where I need to be sharpened ( in just about everything) and I feel that listening to God (through others) really is helping.

We are going to have 3 more people staying with us for at least the next week and I am a little nervous about it but there isn't much I can do about it. Along with the 5 of us, 2 dogs, and Dani- who are all living here full time, we will have Dani's sister Alli, her friend Abi, and my father in law here as well. I really don't know where they are all going to sleep but I am sure we will find a place for everyone (i hope!).

Tomorrow Dave and I are going to attempt another long run together. I won't lie- I am nervous about this. We have just started running together (since Dani moved in) and we have done many 2-3 milers and a 7 miler (which was supposed to be 5 miles but wasn't). I love my husband and I love to run but many times I wonder if the 2 should really be mixed together.

I think that is enough of my rambling for now...if I think of more, I'll be back. Oh and my kids are all calling my name (grrreeeeaaatttt!)

A week in the life

Blogging did not happen this week- my parents arrived on Wednesday in preparation for Ashley's birthday today. We celebrated every day from then until now. I am truly blessed PLUS we will be continuing the celebration this next week at Disney as well. Thursday night I went to paddleboard yoga with the IRunMommies it was really a lot of fun.

Friday I ran 6 miles- 2 in the morning and 4 in the evening and then I was incredibly crazy and decided to run 8 miles on Saturday morning. Ummm....not my best idea. I have not been focused or following a plan. That is changing tomorrow. I have been lacking motivation lately to get my run's done. I really don't know why I feel this way but I miss running the way it was before surgery and I just need to accept it for how it is now.We then celebrated Ashley (again) with her birthday dinner at Lee Roy Selmon's (our favorite!)

Here a few pics from the par-tay!!

A great weekend :)

Hello World...A new idea

I have been blogging over at www.kylesgogreen.blogspot.com for a little over a month. It has gone really well but it was a blog that was extremely limited to my green smoothie challenge. Yes I drank green smoothies for a month and I continue to do so and to encourage other to as well but as I said, it was limited to that. I have come to realize that I have so much more to say and I am more than I drink-haha! So I decided to try out a new format and here I can write about every little thing happening in the lives of the Kyle’s. I called it Mommy Get Moving for a reason. I am always telling my kids to get moving, mostly because we are running behind and I dislike being late.

The other day we were getting ready to take Ryan to Tae Kwon Do and he said “Mommy Get Moving!!!” and it hit me….they really do listen to what I am saying. Although sometimes I am very embarrassed by some of the things that their little memories are capturing I think that we are doing a really good job of teaching them some valuable principles.

Being active is extremely important to me. Partially because I have always been active and partially because of the lack of activity that kids today are involved in. I know that I am generalizing but I see kids mostly in 2 categories. The first category is active- involved in a sport or activity which requires physical activity 3 times a week. The second category is sedentary which would be the kids who watch a lot of television, play video games (nothing wrong video games if it isn’t all they do), and surf the internet. I feel bad for the kids who are sedentary because they are missing out on so much FUN!!

Excercise is so much fun and I want my kids to understand that at a young age and to enjoy the benefits from it for years to come. I want my kids to be able to form friendships, learn to work as a team, love God and show his love to others…and on and on and on. But unless I show them that I can do these things- they will never learn them. So, all of that to say this…I am blogging to keep myself accountable to my kids. I will be talking about my training (half marathons are my favorite), what I am learning in my quiet time, and whatever other craziness we are involved in. So sit back and enjoy the mayhem…

If you make it...they will drink it

Hello all of my faithful bloggy readers (i know that I have none!) I am BACK!!! After I finished up my smoothie challenge I didn't really know what else to really blog about. I am a stay at home mom (and that really isn't that interesting) but I am nevertheless dedicated to getting my family on a healthier eating track and I plan on staying that way. I am an avid RUNNER but I don't really think people really want to hear about the miles I am putting in or the races that I am planning on doing. But I am totally digressing from the reason that I am writing on this blog today. My oldest Ashley who is 7 (almost 8) wanted to be featured on the blog. I told her that in order to make an appearance on the blog that she must drink a smoothie.

Let's say a few things about my eldest child. She DOES NOT eat fruits and her favorite veggie is corn. She absolutely refuses every time I offer her a fruit or veggie in any form. So, this morning she told me to make her one (the only reason she wanted it was so she could be on the blog- CRAZY but I'll take it!)

I had a smoothie mix from the grocery store that I was supposed to make with milk ( and since we have all pretty much given up on milk I used water). I put the mix which was blueberry and pomegranate (no I did not battle another pomegranate- I learned my lesson!!) water, handful of spinach, and a banana.

It turned out VERY PURPLE but I guarantee that there was spinach in there!! She drank the WHOLE THING and did not complain once. She said that it tasted really good and then I told her what was in it. She really didn't seem too fazed by the fact that she had just drank 4 ingredients that she wouldn't ever eat if I placed them on her plate!

I told her I wouldn't be able to actually write the blog unless she drank every last drop- and she did (crazy motivation I know!)
Totally finished pic and she was very proud as was I. It was one of those moments where I did see that she is watching me and trying to do the same things as me. It's a HUGE responsibility and a new challenge to get my kids to drink/eat better. Society says that fast food is where it's at (don't get me wrong I love Chik-fil-a) but I don't want them to only be eating that for every meal. We are crazy busy with cheerleading, tae kwon do, swimming classes, running, etc. etc. etc. but I am committing to this blog and my family that I am going to cook 4 nights a week (healthy home made meals) and I will be posting here to keep accountable.

Please help me out if you have any good recipes ( I am really going to need some help!)

This post has turned out to be pretty long. I love my girl and am VERY PROUD OF HER!!!

One healthy choice made today...

30 DAY CHALLENGE-COMPLETE

...and you might be asking Are you stopping?? ummm..NO! I believe wholeheartedly that ANYONE can change what they eat and what their body is wanting if you just stick with what you are doing :) 30 day's may seem like a long time but it really isn't and it is a great way to train yourself into doing something you normally wouldn't. I have seen interesting changes in myself over the last 30 days...some good and some bad. I do feel better and healthier. I have increased energy and endurance. I feel more educated about the things I am eating and the fuel that it is giving my body. But the most important lesson I learned is an oldie...you won't know if you like it until you try it. I would NEVER had said on day 1 that I would really enjoy my smoothies everyday and that so many of my friends have at least made one and just tried it :)

water, spinach, banana, red grapes, peaches, strawberries, orange juice, wheatgrass (totally forgot to put in the flax seeds :()
I used the wheatgrass again in the base of my smoothie and I feel like it adds a nice kick to it- like the bottle says " a boost" to the vitamins I am getting
I added orange juice today because (shocking!!!) I was out of orange juice today. On a daily basis I am usually out of something and today it was oranges . 100% juice is a good substitute for them though and you can't tell the difference with the taste
The mix of fruit I used today had red grapes (would totally recommend them) strawberries, and peaches. Totally Sweet!!! You know how i love my sweetness and I didn't have to add agave at all with this mix. It did have some other fruit but I split it up so that I could make Dave the smoothie he requested (mangoes and pineapple- will let you know how he liked it)
Blend Blend Blend... love that sound

and it was a success just like the 30 day challenge :) Very nice balance of green and sweet with no added agave to help it out. Totally would suggest you try it. The challenge is over but the blog is not :) I will keep putting up my wonderful creations- ha! and also I have to get the crazy Kyle kids to be drink up some veggies so I will be posting some of that too...the sky is the limit if I just try right?
One healthy choice made today...

29 days and counting

No pictures today because my camera and blogger are NOT cooperating and i really have no idea how to fix the problem.

Today's smoothie had the Super Greens Mix, water, Wheatgrass, Maca Powder, Coconut Oil, Strawberries, Banana, Orange, and Agave.

The new elements of Maca (super energizer bunny energy) and Coconut Oil worked really well yesterday so I thought I would just dump them into the mix today. One of the greens in the Super Blend was a bit bitter (it seems I am having this problem with most of my smoothies). I think that my taste buds have not fully adjusted to some of the flavors and it is going to be a continued process in the next phase of my green smoothie drinking to challenge myself to continue trying new things. I can't believe tomorrow is day 30- it feels like I just started this journey and in some ways I have.

Ok so the I thought I'll add strawberry and banana and it will be like a typical strawberry banana smoothie- problem is I really don't like strawberry banana smoothies- ha! I added in my standby -orange and it really didn't do the trick for me either. Enter in the AGAVE- my favorite weapon against bitterness and yes maam I used too much. It was a little sickeningly sweet but after the first couple sips and Lots and LOTS of stirring I was able to drink it down with no real problems- my hubs did not feel the same way and drank about a quarter and said that it "wasn't a good one today" and I would have to agree... tomorrow is a new day and thank goodness for second chances and other ingredients :)

One healthy choice made today...

The "Happy" Shake

So,we are on day 28- 2more days until I have been doing the green smoothies for a WHOLE MONTH, I really can not believe that I have stuck with this that long. It just does show that you can do anything if you really want to,

Shelley posted a recipe for this "Happy Shake" on our group page and it looked interesting but I really didn't really want to go and buy all these ingredients if I didn't really like it.

Welcome in one of my FAVORITE people in the WORLD- Tracy Wilson. Tracy made the shake and said it was pretty good and offered to let me try out some of her ingredients :) So off we went to Tracy's house (ha! my kids really wanted to just stay there forever) and this morning I made myself a "Happy Shake". All the instructions are from the recipe but I will put my wonderful commentary throughout :)

Spinach, Water, Coconut Oil, Navitas Maca Powder, Navitas Cacao Powder, Banana (not pictured) Frozen Jersey Blueberries
The Base: 3-4 cups fresh spinach and it said to start with 1/2 cup of water and add more and yes I added more- probably like 3/4 cup of water for the 4 cups of spinach I added
A Good Fat: 1 TBS Coconut Oil...ok this one was a little hard for me because it is solid!! Most oils that I have had the pleasure of cooking with are liquid so the fact that it was solid did freak me out a bit.
Navitas Maca Powder- 1 TBS- for stamina, endurance, mental clarity, and peak sexual performance for men ( taken directly from the recipe- i kid you not!!!)
Navitas Cacao Powder- 1 TBS- now this is like 100% cacao-( not Hershey's here) it is bitter if you are used to milk chocolate

there is disclaimer in the recipe here that you are blend into a sludgelike consistency. I did this BUT failed to take a picture- then and only then are you to add the fruit
I added half a banana and 3/4 frozen blueberries

and then I smelled it- ummmm really didn't smell to good and i took a tentative sip and it was bitter (remember not Hershey's) and so I added a nice little splash of Agave Nectar to sweeten it up a bit and it did do the trick (love the agave!!)

If you are expecting a dairy queen chocolate shake you will be disappointed greatly BUT if you are looking for a green smoothie to help with your chocolate obsession then I think that this does do the trick and it is healthy alternative for you.

Thank you Tracy for sharing your ingredients with me... I will be trying this one out again. Although I think you should be drinking the smoothies for a bit before trying to add this one in. I am off to make Dave a little less potent green smoothie for when he gets home from work.

I love that this is now in my morning routine (really -I do!)
One healthy and chocolatey choice made today...