Week 4 and 5

So, life got crazy....but not crazy enough to through me off completely. Just enough to mess with the original plan of going to the gym every day. I missed a few days because I went to a funeral (my grandmother, sad, I know), the kids got sick, I was helping babysit nieces and nephews, and other such things. I went to the gym as often as possible. AND....it's paying off. Today during my circuit class a lovely lady who has been in the classes with me since I started but I haven't really spoken too (just waved as I puffed past heaving and panting) came up to me and said, "I don't mean to be intrusive, but I've noticed that you've lost weight since starting and wanted you to know that." then she smiled and got back in the torture line for squats. How kind is that? Seriously. She is my new BFF, or at least someone I would think about being BFF's with. It made me feel good. Of course. Have I really lost weight? I couldn't tell you. I've avoided the scale and intend to do so until 12 weeks have passed. Besides, Thanksgiving is coming, followed by Christmas...and I don't need that pressure. :) However...I can confirm that my clothes are fitting a little better. I think everyone needs a sweet little semi-stranger moment like this. OH! I almost forgot. I wanted to give props to my team mate today....she and I are together in the beginner level of the circuit training group so that we can work out together and not hold up the die-hards (of which my husband is one). Our very final circuit was jumping squats. You know, stand in one place, squat down and then jump like you are trying to slam dunk a basketball, then go back into a squat. Killer! And I think I would have totally wimped out if she hadn't come over and stoop next to me and said, "Come on, we can do this!" and together we jumped and groaned for 30 seconds...and ended with a hi-5. It was awesome. Working out with a buddy is wonderful and effective. So, a huge THANK YOU, to the 2 nameless work out buddies in my class today. You both made my day.

Third Week

This week the Flu Bug hit our house. Which means that all 5 of us had a sick day. My 8 year old took Sunday. My 6 year old and 2 year old shared Monday. My day was Tuesday. Wednesday I was still in recovery mode. Thursday evening my hubby began his round and ended it Friday evening. So, I went to the gym on Monday, then did 2 classes on Thursday. Wednesday, even though I was not feeling well, I took my oldest kids to a corn maze and wandered around for a while. On Friday evening I went to the gym and did 45 minutes on the elliptical. So I still did 3 days, and one of those days I did 2 classes to make up for missing one earlier that week. Not bad for a week of sickies. Right? Have you ever noticed that men don't handle the flu quite as well as women do? Is that only at my house? When I was sick, I emptied my own bowl, still managed to get the kids lunches packed, back packs ready and kids out the door. My husband laid in bed and asked me to empty his bowl each time he got sick. Under normal circumstances, my husband doesn't mind helping around the house...but when he's in charge of the whole day, well, it turns out he DOES mind. It was a LONG week. Incidentally, it turns out that the flu offers some pretty quick weight loss. 5 lbs in 24 hours. Not bad. Also not permanent and certainly not the way to do it. I don't recommend it. Fortunately THIS week has already started off better. I even talked my hubby into joining me for circuit training. It's fun to exercise with a buddy....and for me, it was even better that it was my hubby.

Second week done

Okay, so remember in my last post, just one week ago, I mentioned that it takes 12 weeks to see a difference? And I sort of naively inferred that I would STILL be stepping on the scale (daily) just to check-in? Well, I have ben doing it. And after 2 weeks I can tell you that the scale isn't budging. I *KNOW* I am working hard. I confess that I haven't changed my eating habits. BUT, I figured I'm working out and burning massive amounts of calories 5 times a week and DARN IT if I didn't expect to see some sort of drop on that scale. It is SO hard not to get frustrated. I even did 2 extra classes this week. I mean...come ON! What's a girl gotta do? Okay. That's not a fair question. If I were to alter my diet on top of this increase in calorie burning, I'm sure I would see the number on the scale begin to drop. Anyway, despite the lack of decrease, I am still going to keep getting up every morning and going to these classes. I tried a "pump it" class this week (one of my new "extra" classes). It was 45 minutes of weights using a barbell and hand weights but working your whole body. Most of me is just a touch tender but my pectorals are KILLING me. A good sign. Sore muscles. This coming week I am hoping to make it to a spin class. Shudder. I don't like to bike. That little teeny tiny seat just doesn't do it for me. But, it looks like a good calorie burn...and my husband wants to go. (Just what I need, to work out next to my incredibly healthy skinny husband...who just happens to be a cyclist.)

One of the positive side effects of this exercise thing is that I have no problem falling asleep at night. If I would just get off the computer and close my eyes, that is. So I'm going to do that now and probably dream about working out. 'Cause that's what I do now. I even workout in my sleep. Ridiculous.

One week

I read an article the other day written by a collaboration of nutritionist and personal trainers. It was full of advice and answers to health questions. Most of it I already knew. But there was one questions inquiring about how soon you should see results. The answer shocked me. I figured 4 weeks and you should be able to tell that you've been busting your tail...at least a LITTLE something, right? Do you know how long before you see results? 12 WEEKS! That's right, TWELVE freaking weeks. Is it any wonder that I usually only make it 6 weeks before I get frustrated and give up? So I'm committed to 12 weeks. I'm going to try to do some sort of cardio and/or weight training at least 5 days a week. I'm one week down. I missed going to the gym on Friday this week and I generally try to take Sunday off (I don't consider 50 sit-ups before bed a violation of that). So I made it. 5 days of classes at the gym. My favorite class was offered on Thursday and Saturday. It was a quad-step aerobics class...the last 20 minutes of the class the instructor pushed us to do 6 steps. Awesome. Exhausting. Totally worth it.

Now, despite my new found knowledge (remember, 12 weeks) I still find myself stepping on the scale every morning hoping that I'm the exception. Why? I don't know. Maybe just to torture myself....maybe because I find it difficult to believe that one can work so hard and NOT see some sort of result. It just doesn't seem fair. (I know, I know. LIFE isn't FAIR. Does this statement make you want to stick out your tongue as well?) So, another 11 weeks to go. I expect to see results...and I'll probably still step on the scale every single morning....because I'm just that kind of person right now.

Short and Sweet....

I joined a gym on Saturday. On Monday I tried a "circuit training" class that had me sucking wind and thinking that I might black-out at any time. (I'm trying it again on Wednesday.) Today I did step aerobics. LOVE IT. Looking forward to trying more classes. I was a step class master about 10 years ago (pre-babies) and foolishly thought I could just jump right in at my old level. I now know differently. I'm back a square one EXCEPT that I still know some of the steps so I can enjoy the workout and not get too frustrated trying to figure it all out. Fun stuff, I tell ya. Looking forward to a QUAD-STEP on Thursday morning. It's gonna be awesome. I've decided to become a gym junky. :)

A few words . . .

It is me, Tracey.

I ran last week.

I ran last night.

I might run again tonight.

I'm back on Week 1

Just thought you'd like to know. :)

Sunday check-in

What did you do this week? For yourself. Not for your family (although they certainly matter). But did you take some time this week just for you? I hope so. If not, we're starting a new week and you have another opportunity (or many) to make sure you get in some YOU time. This past week, I took some ME time to exercise, read, shop and eat. Time by myself, or with a friend or family member that uplift me and remind me that I'm not just a dishwashing, lunch making, house cleaning, homework general (toss in some laundry too, while we're at it). I went running. I discovered that Comcast Cable offers "on demand exercise". Awesome! I can pick 10 minute, 20 minute, etc workouts. I can choose to target just one area. I can even meditate. Thank you Comcast. I told my husband I was gonna do the "sexy legs" workout. He was supportive. :) Then I found the "bootylicious" workout. Not for me. But, I gave it a try. I've mentioned that I'm open to trying new forms or exercise these days, and I thought that was a perfect example of trying something I normal wouldn't. Anyway, something I did worked though 'cause I have some achy muscles...and I LOVE that feeling. Mostly because I know what it means....and I like it. I'm looking forward to finding more "me" moments this week. Even if it is just 10 minutes of "on demand exercise".

The triumphant return

HI. Yep, it's me. I'm back...and I'm not offering any excuses for my absence. I confess that I have a mixed bag of emotions right now. A touch of shame, a bit of embarrassment, a lot of disappointment, and maybe a pinch of sheepishness all combine to create a big messy recipe for discouragement. A little over a year ago I committed to running a half marathon...13 miles...by Labor Day of 2010. My determination held out for a while. And although I have some great explanations (note: I did not say "Excuses") for my dwindling commitment, I have to own up to the fact that I simply didn't do it. I didn't REALLY think I could do it. I was not convinced. And to prove it, I failed. But, there is redemption. Thank goodness. I'm not going to commit to a half marathon. I might not commit to anything, to be honest. I'm at a very special "place" in my life right now. I just moved my family all the way across the country (East Coast to the West Coast) for 1 YEAR. I have dreams of returning to the East Coast svelte, healthy, and rockin' a "new me" body. I haven't set a weight loss goal or a real solid fitness goal. I just have a vision of the person I would like to (and realistically can) be. Anything that gets me closer to THAT person, is going to be an accomplishment.

So today I went running. That's right. I laced back up my running shoes and jumped on the treadmill. The whole time I was running, I was thinking about THIS blog. And feeling ashamed about the fact that I haven't kept it up....or accomplished the original goal....and I was almost too embarrassed to post anything today. But then I thought, I'm certainly NOT the only one out there like this. I have too many friends who talk about running and/or getting healthy....give it a go...and then, for whatever reason, they stop and get distracted from their goal. Why is that? I don't know. For me, it is the slowness of the process. I get so discouraged when I eat well and exercise regularly and DON'T loose weight or see results OR even worse, when I gain weigh. I know, everyone says, "...muscle weighs more then fat". Whatever. I find myself thinking that if all this work isn't going to pay off, then I'm not going to do it! Probably not the best approach, right? Maybe my muscles are trading places with my fat cells, but the scale doesn't seem to be paying attention to that and despite all of my study and understanding and education, the number of the scale DOES matter. I can't get away from that. I'm not that person. For me, the number of the scale indicates progress. So, I want a lower number. That's my goal: a lower number. I don't know how low that number is going to get, but I have a general idea. For now, LOWER is as good as it's gonna get in the goal setting department. Simple. Sweet. Brief.

Oh, and just so you know....I am going to keep running. And maybe I'll run in some sort of race sometime. I'm sure I'll blog about it, if I do. I'm also gonna try some funky new classes....who knows, maybe belly dancing, zumba, or hot yoga will inspire me. If you've tried something and LOVED it, by all means, share. I'm sure I will. Let's be triumphant together.

Mommy, what is Frankenstein doing in Utah?

Hello beautiful computer, too bad it's not mine! It's been a while since I've blogged, computer is sick at the Mac hospital in Utah (aka my mom's house). Luckily since I'm in school I have access to a student resource center, not so lucky that I have to be away from home to do my homework and fun stuff.

So for updates, I wish I had an amazing story to tell, some great breakthrough, but I only have little ones for the time being. I went up to Utah for just a couple of days to surprise my mom since I haven't seen her since my wedding in December - sorry Tracey, I totally would have visited if I had more than just a couple of days, I swear! So, I was so taken over with excitement that the weather was perfect and I decided to take my jogging outside! Woah, what a difference from an indoor treadmill! Get this ladies, you actually have to move your body when you're running on actual ground. Speaking of the ground, it's not all flat and smooth, no - no, there are hills and pot holes and curbs, OH MY! My body was screaming at me the first day, but I pushed through. Then, when it came for my second run, my body felt so sore and stiff, I must have looked like Frankenstein running throughout the beautiful neighborhoods of Clearfield! I kept trucking along though, even throughout my never ending huffing and puffing. I have to say, I wish I lived somewhere that I could take my workouts outside in the summer, it was totally worth it! Consider yourself lucky if you do and take advantage of it!

Catching up

I tried to write on here a few times during our last vacation but somehow I kept getting interrupted or the internet was down or.....well....I was prevented.  So the past 2 weeks have been busy.  First of all, and most exciting, Tracey came to visit again.  We had a wonderful time.  She did 12 photo sessions though and is now furiously editing and proofing and all that stuff.  The girl has got talent!  We did manage to spend about 2 days at our lake house in upstate New York though.  Ahhhhh, relaxing.  Except that it rained one day. Sad.  We will see each other again in August though and it will be all about playing.   Anyway....our Lake House is a bit remote and we like the chance to get away from it all, so there is no internet.  I know, we are REALLY roughin' it out there.  I managed to go running only 1 day.  And I ate horribly.  In fact, I refuse to step on the scale until Saturday because I don't want to know about the damage.  I'm going to try to eat well and exercise every day this week in hopes of righting my calorie binge.  I find it entertaining that folks seem to think ONE session at the gym will somehow erase a week of poor eating habits, or even a meal.  When I am running, all out, for 40 minutes I only burn just over 400 calories.  That's 4 apples.   Odds are, when we "splurge" we are consuming more then 400 calories.  It's just the way things go.  Don't fool yourself.  Although the 40 minutes of cardio will help, it won't erase it...but it's better then doing nothing, right?  Right!  I recognize that I'm going to need to drop my calories and burn more calories every day this week to make up for eating with abandon.  Recognize the sacrifice you are making when you decide to eat something that might not be all that great for you.  Is it REALLY worth it?  You aren't looking at just 30 minutes on the treadmill or the elliptical.  30 minutes will NOT burn away that cupcake.  Anyway....I have a lot of recovery to do.  Today I went to the gym and ran for 20 minutes, did some sit-ups, used the URG (have you ever done that? ARGH!), and lifted weights.  The coolest part of all this, I took my 7 year old daughter with me.  It was her first time.  She loved the treadmill, was disappointed that her legs weren't long enough to try the stationary bike, decided that she could URG and be a rower when she grows up...and maxed out at 12 reps with the  3 lbs weights.  So cute.  Fun.  While I did abs she rolled around on an exercise ball.  We spent 45 minutes at the gym together.  I think we'll do it again.   

Magic Number Mix-up

I met with my rheumatologist the other day.  We had a decent discussion about my level of physical activity.  We've come to an understanding/agreement.  I can run.  With some limitations. Depending on the impact the activity has on my knees, I can either go for a distance limitation (a 5K or 3.1 miles) or a longevity limitation (1 hour).  If I'm running, I can do a 5K.  If I'm biking, then I can go for 1 hour.  See how that works?  So when I go work out on the elliptical now, I go for 3.1 miles.  I went for a bike ride today and did 4 miles..not a long ride and it only took me 20 minutes.  I'm not fond of bike riding.  You don't burn as many calories biking...or if you do, it's because you went twice as long.  However, the other thing my doctor and I discussed is the need to vary my cardio activities.  Muscles can grow accustomed to a specific movement or exercise.  When this happens the muscles become less efficient.  The best way to avoid this is to mix things up.  This week I went running, did the elliptical, and biked.  I also tossed in some weights for good measure.   Running is good.  It's great!  But it shouldn't be the only thing I'm doing and when I am doing it, my doctor recommends that my runs aren't the same....walk parts, run parts, go up hill, etc.  DO NOT do the same loop at the same pace every time you run.  This seems logical.  It means that "interval" training (when you do a short hard burst....1 minute....at the highest pace you can handle, and then crank it down to a comfortable pace you can maintain and "recover" for 2 minutes, then repeat) is REALLY good for you.  It is also why the C25K program is so great.  Each week they change your routine making your running segments longer and your walking segments shorter and building up your endurance all at the same time.  Genius!  So, whatever your fitness routine is, mix it up.  Have some fun.  Try new things.  I'm still tossing around the idea of yoga.  I haven't tried it yet, but I have this "sense" that it would be good for me.  My rheumatologist agrees.  

GAAAAAW!

I have one of those husbands that is genetically blessed. I kid you not when I tell you that he has spent an ENTIRE summer sitting on his tail, gaming, AND eating an entire PINT of Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream every night (by himself)...and managed to actually LOOOOOSE weight. (How does one afford to eat a pint of B&J every night? Well, you have a relative that works at the factory and guess what? They get to bring home 3 free pints A DAY! That's how.) Anyway, this amazing man I've married is sympathetic (if not empathetic) to my plight. If I even LOOK at a pint of B&J, I'm gaining weight. A few days ago he says to me, "I think I'm going to start running too." Okay. Great. Because we are parents of 3 young children who can not be left home alone (yet) we have to take turns. My husband is also a morning person. So he gets up and runs for 25-30 minutes from 6-6:30. Then I go from 6:30-7:30. Today was his day 2. On Thursdays I buy donuts for my family (honestly, I don't eat them...they just don't tempt me). He loves Glazed donuts. Today he looked at his donut and said, "Wow! After just 2 days of exercising, I suddenly don't feel like I need or want to eat this donut. But I'm going to. Because I can." Do you want to hit him as much as I did? The look on my face must have communicated this. He knew he had just said something insensitive. Grrrrr. The fact that this morning I went to the gym and did 40 intense and HARD minutes on the elliptical (the one with the arm levers so you work out your upper body too) and then came home and ate fiber one toast with all natural peanut butter for breakfast, a veggie burger and fruit for lunch, and a mushroom burger with a baked potato (without any of the "stuff" that makes is so tasty) for dinner and probably didn't lose an ounce (In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if I gained) while HE did 25 minutes of running, ate 2 donuts, a fried chicken sandwich, and then a huge turkey bacon club sandwich with french fries for dinner AND he will probably lose weight....well...this tickles my justice scale. It makes me angry. It isn't fair. He doesn't care. I do. He doesn't even like to eat. I do. I want to have an all out throw myself on the ground and kick my feet while banging my fists on the floor and screaming, "IT JUST ISN'T FAIR" temper tantrum. And I confess that inside, I totally AM having that fit. Do any of you have husbands or friends like this in your life? How do they effect you and how to you react to them? Just wondering if there are any coping mechanisms out there that I can employ. Feel free to share. Please.

Little set backs

It can be frustrating when you get started with a new regimen, and then something happens to set you back. For example, I was so excited to get started with my new jogging program, but then the stress of work and school kicked in, and then to top it off, I have doctors orders to take it easy for the next day because of a final tuberculosis test that I had to get yesterday. The thing is that no matter how frustrating it can be, I know that I can't let it get to me because I'm set on jogging on Friday, maybe even tomorrow if all goes well with the doctor. Looking back at my week though, I really wish I would have made the time to jog just a couple more days because it really makes me feel so great afterwards, and cuts back on my stress levels a ton.

In memory of....

I've mentioned in previous posts my friend who has asked me to join her in her C25K training efforts.  We are running mornings together.  Today was a goal date for her.  She wanted to do a 5K today.  That doesn't mean she had to run the WHOLE thing, but she wanted to complete 3.1 miles.  Why today?  Because, today is her grandmother's birthday.  Her grandma was her biggest fan.  She passed away several years ago.  So today we completed a 5K in her honor.  We didn't run the whole thing (we are only 3 weeks into the training program after all).  But we did do 3.1 miles.  It took us about 45 minutes.  We plan to do another 5k toward the end of July just before I pack my family up and move West for a year.  Today was the perfect day.  It was slightly overcast and warm, but not TOO warm.  We started at 6:30am.  After the first mile, it got easier (I've mentioned this before...the 1st mile is the hardest).  And then, as if nature were trying to destroy our moment, it started to rain.  We only had 1/2 mile to go.  We picked up the pace and RAN the final 1/4.  Just as we finished the final push, it started to REALLY rain.  Just to spite the rain and to celebrate our accomplishment, we laughed and walked another 1/4 of a mile.  And, as if in defeat, we finished that bonus 1/4 mile and the rain stopped.  We were soaking wet and pleased as could be.  The rain was a welcome relief....and we decided that if we could run in the rain every time, we probably would.  A little bit of rain wasn't going to stop us.  A lot of rain wouldn't have stopped us either.  It was a wonderful way to start a morning.  I was grateful to be part of it.

Something new

I woke up this morning and decided that today was the day I would take my 7 (almost 8) year old daughter with me to the gym.  I'd let her walk on the treadmill next to me.  She's been asking to do this for a while...it's something we've been telling her she needed to be older for and now we think she could give it a try.  Well, once it became public family knowledge that she was going to the gym with me, the other 2 quickly decided that THEY should go to.  So rather then take just the 7 year old to the gym with me, we ALL got ready and went to the outdoor track.  It was great fun!  The whole family went running.  And we were fortunate enough to find 2 LARGE turtles, one was digging a hole to lay her eggs.  It was a pretty great family adventure.  If child care is one reason you DON'T work out, I would encourage you to try inviting your family along.  You might be surprised to discover that they will LOVE it.  

Well hello!

Hello everyone! I'm so happy that Tracey invited me to help contribute to this blog! I found it the other day while I was browsing all of my favorite bloggers, and was really inspired by what I was reading. I know how important it is to have a support system, and no matter where you find it, if it works for you, hang on to it. Let me just put it this way, Tuesday was the first day since November, yes, you're reading that right, November, that I had been back to the gym. Man, that's depressing when you put it in writing, but it's amazing how fast time goes by when you get caught up in day to day things! It really is one of those situations though where if I just took an hour out of my day, a few days a week, I wouldn't be back at square one like I am now. That's all in the past though! I'm set to get back in shape, and hopefully inspire my hubby to get back into it too.

Just to introduce myself to start with, I used to be roommates with Tracey back in SLC. Back then she knew me as the 'gymnast in heels' since we would frequently lock ourselves out of our garage and had to send someone through the rafters of the neighbors conjoined garage to open ours from the inside. Guess who that someone was... It made complete sense though, back then I was all of 115 pounds, and wasn't as afraid of the spiders as someone else. Yeah Tracey, I just called you out on that one. Either way, I'm now living in Arizona, was recently married (celebrating our 6 month anniversary on 06/05!), have a 110 lb. bullmastiff who thinks he's a lap dog, I'm going to school for my MBA, and I work on average 45 - 55 hours a week for a school as a financial services manager. When I'm not working, I'm trying to keep my house up, doing homework, and love to craft and bake. Busy bee!

So I started C25K this week. Tuesday was my first day, and man was I sore the next couple of days. I should have gone back in by now, but have been so swamped with work that my days literally have been working, eating, and sleeping. No bueno. I'm set on going back in tomorrow though, and am kind of excited. I love the way I feel after a good workout, and totally forgot about that before I went back in this week! I really should get a shirt that says 'I heart endorphins, they make me happy!'

Did I mention that I found a 5K that I want to run in this fall? I like to walk for breast cancer research when I get the chance, in fact the last one I walked was a couple of years ago here in Phoenix - the Susan G. Komen Walk for the Cure. There is one of these events this year on 10/10/10, and I'm really excited to train to run in it! This is the first time I've ever done something like this, but I know that if I really put my mind to it, I can do it! I'll start with this goal, and who knows, maybe after I accomplish that, I'll make a bigger goal of a half marathon some day. Baby steps first though, right?

Ignoring the elephant

I mentioned a few posts back that my doctors had pulled on my running reigns.  I've made a choice (I'm ALL about choices these days).  I'm sort of ignoring their educated opinions.  Not FLAUNTING it, but I've done some reading and it turns out that exercise is encouraged for people with arthritis.  It is actually supposed to HELP.  Of course running probably isn't the best form of exercise I could CHOOSE to do, but it is the most effective when it comes to calorie burning and weight loss.  I went running again today.  I did the elliptical yesterday, so I figured I could run today.  Another 3.1 miles.  This 5K thing is getting easier.  I still feel such a huge burst of pride and accomplishment when I do it.  I think I may need to hover around the 3.1 mile mark for a bit.  Boosting my distance to 4+ miles would be flaunting it, in my opinion.  For some reason, I feel okay if I'm only doing 3 and a bit.    Maybe in a while I will warm back up to the 4+ range but for now I've decided to work on my time.  Turns out that if I wanted to be competitive in a 5K (I can't believe I even just TYPED those words) I will need to be faster.  So I'm going to focus on running faster.  I am currently doing a 5K in about 38 minutes.  If I were to be competitive, I would need to shave a good 14-18 minutes off my time.  That's not gonna be easy.   

I had a trainer tell me the other day that once you get past your 1st mile, you're good to go.  It's that 1st mile that really challenges you.  He went on to say that once you've run 5 miles, you might as well just keep on going, just because you can.  I think I'll focus on that 1st mile for a while.  And I do happen to agree...that 1st mile is the hardest mile.  And maybe the last 1/4 of a mile...but that could be just me.  I have this annoying habit of not finishing things.  I get 3/4 of the way through a project, and I stop.  I just loose interest.  So for me, the last 1/4 is just as challenging and the first.  Maybe if I can do that first mile faster I won't mind the last 1/4 so much.  I'm not sure how I figure that to be true, but I'm willing to give it a go.

I like to move it, move it....

I love working out.  I really do.  But like any other mother/wife/woman I don't always have the time for it.  It is always a tricky balancing act.  I need to give my family, my home, my husband and myself all equal time.  And (again, like most women) I tend to put MY time at the bottom of the list.  The obvious solution is to go to bed earlier so that I can sleep enough to get UP earlier and fit in my exercise.  I'm not a morning person.  It is my LEAST favorite time of day.  But I have a friend who asked me to do the C25K with her....and SHE wants to run in the morning.  So, I'm learning to like (will probably never LOVE) morning workouts.  I do like getting it done and out of the way for the day.  I like that it gets me out of bed and starting my day at a reasonable hour.  I feel very productive.  Today my friends called at 6:25...."I'm not gonna make it."  And I collapsed gratefully back into bed.  On most days, that would have been the end of it.  Missed opportunity.  But, not today.  I *DID* finally get to the gym for a 30 minute calorie burning festival on the elliptical.  I prefer to spend at least 40 minutes, but....I took what time I could and did the best with the time I had.  The point is, there is always a way to fit it in.  It's all about choices.  I've got friends who fit their exercise in by doing 10 minute chunks here and there throughout the day.  Other friends go late at night (like 10pm).  Whatever you do, whatever choice you make, just make sure it's a choice to get out and MOVE IT.  Go walking.  Go bowling.  Golf.  Run.  Hula hoop.  Anything...as long as it's something.  You'll feel better.  You know you will.  

Hello Again!

Yup, its me. Tracey. The absentee ring leader. I'm back. For a minute.

Recently I have received numerous questions from friends and family regarding my current health and exercise status. Here is my attempt to answer them.

1. Yes, I am still working out.

2. No, I am not running much.

3. Yes, I am starting it up again. Today. For now.

4. No, I am not pregnant. Yet.

There have been lots of changes around the Hanson household over the last couple of months. Ben finished his PhD and graduated. YEA! We are now focusing on finding him a job. Not fun but essential. Sam has developed into a full toddler and is keeping me SUPER busy. Along with that, all of my jobs have EXPLODED. Lots of writing, lots of photography. With these changes, our routine has also changed. Sam is no longer content to sit still while I run. So for now, we go for walks, do workout tapes during meal and naptimes and sometimes hit the clubhouse for a run/walk while Ben's home and he is sleeping.

Luckily for all of you, a couple of days ago a I got a Facebook Message from my friend and old roommate Jessica. She just started C25K on Tuesday. She has also agreed to be a contributer. You will all LOVE her. She's a doll. I added her this morning so hopefully she will have a minute and join in the conversation soon. :)

I am even starting C25K again in support of Jess. And because Shannon asked, I may even contribute "snarky comments". Until answer #4 changes.

Fueled by fury

I have 3 kids.  Ages 7, 5, and 2.  I love them.  BUT...this morning I wanted to toss them all back in their rooms, bolts the doors shut and NOT hear or see them again for several hours.  They were fighting, and breaking things, and....I guess just being kids.  Naughty kids.  So I channeled the fury I was feeling and went for a run.  3.5 miles worth of a run.  And then I lifted weights.  I was REALLY angry and needed to work out (literally) my frustration.  I don't like being angry and frustrated with my family, but it's GREAT for my workout!  The happy endorphins kicked in and I returned to my family in a much better mood.   I packed 'em into the car and we went to the park.   They needed to run around and play too.  For whatever reason they don't fight when they are outside.  Fresh air defuses them....and if I'm lucky, they will be just a touch worn out and will go to sleep earlier tonight.  It's all worth it.  And a fury fueled run is pretty fantastic.

Portion control...or the lack thereof

So I may be testing the seriousness of the warning the doctors gave me regarding the amount of running I do.  I ran a 5K on Friday, walked a lot on Saturday, did another 5K on the elliptical on Sunday, and went running again this morning.  I just REALLY enjoy the exercise. I'm also really counting on the exercise canceling out some of my more unfortunate dietary choices (I had a piece of cheesecake tonight...it wasn't the biggest piece in the bunch, but still....I ate it and LOVED it.)  Even weight watchers gives you "extra points" for exercising.  I'm all about extra points.  I recognize that my one vice in this world is food.  Since food will always be part of my life, I need to find a way to redefine my relationship with it.   I'm starting with small steps.  I don't have dessert every evening after dinner.  I USE to do that sort of thing.  Now I rarely have dessert...and when I do, I try to keep my portion under control.  I've also figured out that despite the fact that for many years I ate like I was 2 people (and for 9 months of some of those years I was technically eating for 2, but did the baby REALLY need it's own Happy Meal?  Probably not.)  I am most certainly NOT 2 people and I don't need to have seconds.  I really don't.  That's been a hard one for me.  Portion control is something I have always struggled with.  But when I DO feel like having seconds I just think to myself, "Are you 2 people?  NO.  You are not.  You don't need seconds."  Sometimes it works.  Sometimes it doesn't.  Sometimes the bread is just THAT good.  AHHHHH....BREAD.   I could write a whole other entry about bread.  But if I start that right now, I may have to eat some.   I would need to figure out how many miles I would have to run to enjoy a roll (okay, let's be honest, it would be 2 rolls).  That might not be a bad bit of knowledge for me to obtain.  I'll work on it and let you know what I figure out...'cause I know YOU want bread too.  Don't you? 

A series of decisions

Yesterday (Thursday) I weighed myself....lowest number I have seen in YEARS...so I made a decision.  I suspended my healthy eating habits for the day.  Now, I didn't go nuts and eat a whole cheesecake (oh how I wish I *could* do that sort of thing though) but I did eat some french fries...my healthy eating nemesis.   And THEN to add to the unhealthy day, I *didn't* work out and I stayed up late.  The result:  I felt AWFUL this morning.  Not just disappointed in myself for letting go for the day, but seriously sick to my stomach.  I was convinced that the only way I was going to feel better was to get to the gym ASAP.  I was supposed to meet my running buddy.  She didn't show.  Oh how easy it would have been to just crawl right back into bed.  Instead, I went to the gym.  Reluctantly but knowing it was the right choice.  And then I was faced with another choice: track or treadmill?  To be honest, I think I run better, longer, faster, etc on the treadmill, so the easy answer would have been the track.  Guess what I chose?  The Treadmill.  I kept thinking about yesterday and knew I really needed to bring my game.  So I went with the treadmill.  And then, a miracle happened.  Despite being ditched, despite feeling craptacular, and despite not even wanting to be running at that moment, I just KEPT on running and eventually I ran 3.1 miles....which is, of course, a 5k!  And THEN, I did my arm weights.  Awesome.  I was so sweaty. Hooah!

So I come home and shower and discover that our lunch option today (we eat at the dinning hall/cafeteria on campus) was a BBQ.  Ummmmm, yummy?  Hamburgers, hot dogs, mac & cheese, potato salad....etc.  This is what sunny days are all about, right?  Wrong!  Today I grabbed my husband and our uber-cute 2 year old and we went to Panera.  They had sandwiches...I had a salad.  

And now, it's late in the afternoon, my kids are home from school and I am contemplating rewarding myself with a quiet ALONE night at Borders and an early bed time.  Sigh.  If only my children could catch that vision.

So, I had a few epiphanies today while running.  I'm going to share ONE of them today.  I was thinking, during my cool down walk about what I had just accomplished and what I have been able to accomplish since starting this.  I measure my weight loss in "decades" as in the 20's, the 30's, the 40's, etc (slap a 100 in front of them all).  I've gone down 2 decades already and I am just ounces away from a 3rd.  I remember how hard this running thing was for me 2+ decades ago.  I remember being embarrassed about my size and not wanting anyone to watch me run.  I still feel that way but I'm getting over it.  Not because I'm getting smaller, but because I realized something.  If someone strapped a back pack on my back today loaded with the total amount of weight that I have lost since beginning this, I doubt I could have run the 5K I did today.  When I see people exercising and they are heavier then I am, I think to myself one word: MORE.  NOT, they weigh more, but they work MORE, they are Stronger, they need this MORE, they are doing MORE, they will cry MORE at the end because they want it that much MORE.  And this inspires me to be MORE as well.  I don't want to weigh more, but I want to BE more.  Today, I felt like I grew a little bit MORE.  I could have walked an easier path today.  I could have had BBQ (still craving it a bit), I could have done the track instead of the treadmill, I could have crawled back into bed.  But I didn't.  Why?  Because I'm worth MORE than that.  MORE.  What a great word.

Class-y

I HEART classes.  Cardio classes, to be exact.  My very favorite and most successful class was a "Quad-Step" class.  I went every day  monday-saturday.  It was SO much fun.  I've done a variety of aerobic classes, tried The Firm videos, kick boxing, TaeBo, and most recently I gave "Zumba" a try.  I did Zumba at home using a DVD and I am SO glad.  It was fun.  It was REALLY fun.  BUT, I looked like a fool.  Zumba is basically fancy aerobic steps that you then add shaking your hips and flinging your arms about to.  With some very fun music and rhythm too.  It isn't boring.  I would love to do it again.  However, when you have hips like mine, MOMENTUM becomes a huge problem.  Swinging my hips vigorously from side to side really caused some balance issues.  The momentum of my hip shaking was a bit overpowering at times and I found myself staggering across a room while my feet tried to keep up with my hip action.  It was no a pretty sight.  So I probably won't be doing this one in a group setting anytime soon (for the safety of others).  But if you get a chance to give it a try, I would encourage you to do it.  Be prepared to shake, groove, and vibrate.  Keep a sense of humor about yourself and you'll have a great time.

On a more current events report, I was at the gym this morning at 6:45am to run.  Those of you who know me REALLY well are aware that I am NOT a morning person.  I like to stay up late and sleep in.  When I say "sleep in" I'm not talking about staying in bed until 10am, I just want to sleep uninterrupted until 8am....it's been SO long since I did this.  Even when I'm given the opportunity to sleep-in, my body is so accustomed to waking up to take care of my kids that my internal alarm clock doesn't let me sleep much past 7am.  But I would LOVE to give it a try and then be able to just lay there and not HAVE to get up.  However, since I'm a few years away from this, I might as well embrace the fact that I'm awake.  You can imagine my surprise when I discovered that I actually prefer to work out in the morning.  I like knowing that I'm done for the day and it is only 9am.  I feel SO productive.  It starts my day on a positive note.  Sure, I'm tired and I stumble to the bathroom to get dressed in the morning and longingly glance back at my sleeping husband in our snuggly bed and am tempted to just crawl back in, but I don't.   I go to the gym instead.  A couple minutes into my workout I am glad I'm there....I give myself a mental pat on the back.  Today I ran at a comfortable pace for about 25 minutes (this includes a 5 minute warm-up walk).  My comfortable pace is about 5 miles an hour...I can carry on a conversation at this pace and don't feel winded.  So it isn't my "ALL OUT" pace.  It's my leasurly jog pace.....a 12 minute mile.  I did 1.75 miles and then went in and did weights.  Arms today.  I'm already feeling it.  I'm exhausted.  I have no energy (my fault, I need to eat something).  So I'm going to go have a piece of whole wheat toast with natural peanut butter...yummy...I love melty creamy peanut butter.  And then I'm going to spend the rest of the morning packing up our basement.  We're moving.  Temporarily.  For 1 year.  Across the country.  Which brings me back to the beginning of this post.  I LOVE group exercise classes and I've already virtually scoped out several of the gyms in our soon to be new home town......I'm SOOOOO excited!  I have high hopes for my fitness routine and mixing things up.  For now, I'll run and do the gym stuff, but in a few months I'll be postin' about some pretty fun classes.  Now.....I'm off to make toast.  

Cheers!

Choice & Accountability

So...it's been a while.  I know.  There is a lot of explaining to do and NONE of it can be assessed as "excuses" 'cause I won't make 'em.  Here's the sitch:  Back in March I was cautioned by my doctors that although this running adventure was worthy and admirable, I was not taking a "healthy" approach.  What?  I'm running!  I'm losing weight!  How on earth could this possibly be considered NOT HEALTHY?!?!  Turns out that it puts a lot of stress on my already damaged and stressed out knees.  We compromised...I can run a little bit a lot, or run a lot a little bit.  Either way, the Labor Day 1/2 Marathon was out.  This made me sad.  And disappointed. And a little bit angry.  This revelations was followed up with this gem of advice, "Well, if you lose another 20 lbs, that will change things and you can run all you want."  Ummmm, what do you think I'm trying to do here?  My oh so educated doctor then asks me what else I like to do.  I indicate that I love the elliptical.  She says, "That's great.  Do that.  How do you feel about swimming?"  I gave her the "ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?" look and calmly (!) informed her, "You just told me I was too fat to run.  How do you THINK I feel about swimming?" SIGH!  So where does that leave us?  Well, I'll tell you (obviously)....

I WAS running 4 miles 3 times a week.  That was too much (for now).  So I was down to 4 miles 2 times a week.  Didn't like it.  Then a very good friend of mine (who does NOT wish to release her name to the masses) asked me to train with her for a 5K.  Once again I find myself at the beginning of the Couch Potato to 5K program.  We're on week 2 and she is doing AMAZING.  I'm having a great time.  We have added weights to our running days (arms tomorrow).  I did squats (like with the big heavy pole) for the first time the other day.  Sit-ups with weights on my chest (ouch...in a good way).  And I've introduced free weights into my life.  This could turn into a love affair.  I LOVE the way my body feels after the work out and in the morning when I wake up and my muscles scream at me, I know that it is WORKING.  Better yet, the scale tells me so too.  I haven't seen numbers this low on my scale since just before becoming pregnant with my second child.  Don't get me wrong, the number is still too high and I am only a few pounds away from my cute little "Mii" on the "Wii" moving from "obese" to "over weight".  But I will celebrate that day!  Not with food (tempting as that may be) but with a new dress.  You'll know...'cause I'll wear it to church, and you can all smile with me and give me that secret little nod and wink.  Watch for it....'cause it's coming soon to a pew near you.  Baby, I'm back and I promise to be better about my blogging.  Next time I write I may share my humiliating experience with "ZUMBA".  How's that for a tempting little nugget?

So, why title this "Choice & Accountability"?  I made a choice...to run a  1/2 marathon.  I told the world about it, with hopes of that encouraging me to be more accountable to that choice.  The other day a dear friend gently but subtly said, "So what ever happened to that blog you were doing? It seems a bit empty lately."  Not in those exact words, but pretty darn close and with the same intention.  Nudge.  Nudge.  Nudge.  And with that, I find myself here again.  Blogging.  But succeeding.  I am accountable for my own actions and choices.  I'm owning this one.  

Bad News

I just got  back from the Doctor's office.  Although they praise my recent weight loss, they are NOT pleased with the running.  In fact, they are "grounding" me from running.  I have been told to find an "alternative" way to do cardio.  Why is it that when someone tells you that you CAN'T do something, you suddenly want to do it more then you ever did before?  What is it about the forbidden that makes it so appealing?   

So, it would appear that I am NOT going to be running for Disney, or anything else for that matter.  However, I am going to end the suspense regarding our new program.  It has been difficult to coordinate it 'cause Tracey and I are busy working mom's on opposite sides of the continent.  Here's the deal, we had discovered that our desire to be healthy is stronger then our desire to run for Disney.  We are working out a point system that will award a variety of points for certain activities and behaviors.  So, although I won't be hitting the road as often as I would like, I am still committed to this healthy living effort.  I asked my doctor if running was out for good.  She indicated that once in a while is acceptable.  It isn't out of the question for me.  It is something I still plan on keeping in my little black book of exercises.  I'll call it up every once in a while...apparently when I feel like doing something "forbidden". :)  OOOOH!  I'm such a rebel. 

Anyway, there will eventually be another post that gives details and serious attention to our new and updated program.  I'm looking for new types of activity.  I've considered giving the new crazy craze of "hot yoga" a shot.  It might be fun.  Anyone tried it and LOVED it?  Sound off if you have.  Or simply feel free to suggest your all time favorite NON-running cardio activity.  I'm looking for new classes, ideas, solutions.  Oh, no swimming.  Really, it should go without saying that I'm not getting into a swimsuit in public for exercising purposes.

And So It Begins . . . Again

Hi, my name is Tracey.  I suck.

You see I talked one of my BFF's into running and then just when I was getting somewhere, my little photography business went nuts.  I sold a million cards.  The holidays came.  Basically, I stopped.  Shannon kept going.  Now she is running twice as far as I am and I have gained back almost all of the weight I lost running.

So, I started running again 2 weeks ago.  Then Ben's grandma died. And then my sister came to town. And then someone put me on TV . . . as a plus-sized model.  Aargh. Is this sounding familiar?  This is not where we were supposed to be in March.

So peeps, we're back with a vengeance.  My parents put gym in their basement.  The weather is getting nicer. (By that I mean we might hit 40 today) I need to catch Shannon.  There is a new program starting and as Shannon said, you can participate.  I'll let you know what it is as soon as I "Google Chat" Shannon to hammer out the details.  For now though I will leave you with images of the LACK of my progress.  (I'm the one on the far left)

Ch-ch-ch-changes....

Okay, so change takes time.  We've got time.  But in the meantime....guess what I did Sunday morning?  I went running.  Not my average, "Ugh, I've got to do this just to say I did it..." run but the, "I'm feeling G-O-O-D, let's push it a bit..." sort of run.  And I did push it.  I ran 4 miles.  When I was done sadly absent was any feeling of elation or thrill of completion.  Instead I felt horrible.  My legs were jelly.  I was sick to my stomach.  And I vowed NEVER to do it again.  But that was yesterday morning and I was too close to the situation to recognize the accomplishment as anything more than an unnecessary torture session.  I rolled out of bed this morning (couldn't have jumped out for anything short of an unexpected fire alarm) and instantly felt the results.  Sore tired muscles.  Not to mention that last night I was SOOO tired that I missed watching the US Men take on the Canadian Men in Hockey...and WIN!  I did however see Bode Miller get his gold medal....that's a New Hampshire native for you!  Back to my accomplishment....running 4 miles.  That's a big deal for me.  It has been 6 months since I started this run for insanity.  I've come a long way in 6 months.  I ran 4 miles all at once.  Here's the thing I realized.  I may not be the kind of person who can walk out their door and simply run and run and run.  I am the kind of person that can walk out their door, walk a bit, run a bit, walk a bit...and still manage to do 4 miles.  4 miles is 4 miles, right?  I did it!  I could sit an analyze it and agree that if I had RAN the entire time I would have burned more calories and finished faster, but that wasn't the goal.  The goal was 4 miles.  Done!  Up next:  4.5 miles.....

Soon. I promise.

It is coming.

I promise.

Hopefully tonight when a little monkey goes to bed.

Stay tuned.

Warning: Change is coming

So I am not immune to Face Book and recently there have been a lot of angry or agitated posts about the new design/layout.  (Personally, it doesn't bother me...) With this in mind, I am taking a cue from Face book and posting this now:  We are about to change our blog.  That's right.  Things will be different from here on out.  You see, Tracey and I revisited our commitment (or lack thereof) as of late.  Due to things that are going on in our lives, we do not feel that we will be able to make our goal of running a 1/2 marathon by Labor Day 2010.  What!?!  You ask.  To this we respond: We aren't saying we are NEVER going to do it.  We are saying that we aren't going to do it Labor Day weekend.  In light of this, we have decided to revamp our program.  You're gonna like it.  You're gonna wanna do it to.  And we're going to INVITE you to do it with us.  Tracey will be posting all the new stuff.  Don't be surprised if one of these days in the near future you jump on this site and notice that EVERYTHING has changed, INCLUDING the name!  We're all about embracing change in our lives and being fluid and flexible.  We have to be...we're mom's.  Life happens.  But we're executing control over the things we can....and our person health is one of those things.  So....stay tuned.....see what happens next.  Be prepared.

Apologies

I didn't realize how long it had been since my last post.  Oops!  It's been a while.  Maybe that's 'cause some plans have changed.  Although I am still running, I am not progressing as quickly as I had hoped.  Running more then 3 miles per run right now is turning out to be more of a challenge then I had anticipated.  I just can't seem to do it.  I get bored.  SOOO bored.  I don't find myself pondering or having mini-self-therapy sessions.  Instead I find myself constantly trying to convince myself to keep going.  It's sort of depressing.  So, I admit that I have scaled back my running days.  I'm still running 2-3 days a week, but I've also tossed back in the elliptical, weight lifting AND I've added in "Wii Active".  Variety.  I crave variety and I'm just not getting it with the running. I'm *really* hoping that things will turn around when the weather improves and I will find myself enjoying a beautiful spring run.  But it's too cold to run outside and I'm too bored on the treadmill.  So, I'm switchin' things up for now.  I don't intend to give up.  Just wanted to keep you all up to date.  Do any of you have tips for beating the winter running blahs?  Would be interested in hearing your thoughts.

Mornings

I don't like mornings so it would stand to reason that I don't like running in the morning.  But that's what I did today.  I got up...then woke up my hubby.  While he was in the shower, I dressed the kids, packed their lunches, fed them breakfast and waited for him to come downstairs and be present for the car pool pick-up.  Then I filled my water bottle, grabbed my ipod and headed out into the freezing cold morning air....and quickly decided that TODAY is not an outside running day.  I went to the gym and ran on the treadmill.   It use to be that while I was running I would mentally compose my blog posts.  I was blogging more frequently and had a lot more complaining to do then.  So I spent some time thinking about this blog.  For the 100th time I had to ask myself, "What am I doing?".  It's been a few months now, I'm running 3+ miles every time I go, I feel better about myself, but I still don't LIKE running.  I don't think it is going to be my preferred method of exercise.  So I was thinking: "What kind of person ENJOYS this activity?"  which got me to thinking about all my family and friends who actually l-o-v-e to do this thing.  And you know what? The die-hards I am familiar with all do have some rather similar collective personality traits.  Most of them like mornings.  Most of them are schedule people.  Most of them are organized.  Most of them keep planners/calendars/etc.  They balance their checkbooks right away, not at the end of the week or month.  They know where everything is in their house and only have 1 "junk" drawer (that tends to be rather organized with cubbies or sections for everything).    I'm wondering:  if you are a runner, who LOVES to run, do you share these personality traits?  It's just a theory I'm working on.  I think these personality traits are positive, effective, helpful and wonderful.  There should be at least one person in every family who possesses them....probably.   Are you that person?  Just some treadmill thoughts for today.  

Winter Weather....blah...

Don't you fret or fear, despite the fact that I have been rather absent from the blog this month, you must know that I am still giving it my best to get out there and run.  Things haven't changed in that regard.  I scored some pretty awesome Christmas presents this year.  It seems that a new obsession/hobby developed around the holiday season entitles you to some good swag AND it makes it easy to shop for you.  (So, if you are planning on picking up a new hobby, I suggest starting near a gift giving holiday...you will be rewarded with lots of new shiny items intended to further encourage and develop your obsession.)  Anyway, I got new running clothes and some very cool night gear.  The challenge now however is that I live in New England.  The weather has been fierce the past few weeks.  Which means outside runs are OUT.  I'll have to wait for better weather before I test out my cool new headlamp and flashing arm band...but I promise you I will test them out.  I'm tempted to go over and run on the tread mill with the lights out just to see how cool it will be.  Is it like driving?  I always feel like I am driving faster at night, when in fact I am actually driving slower.  Will it be the same for running? Now don't get tense on me...I'm not talking about a midnight jog through the back woods.  I'm thinking more of the twilight jaunt down very public roads.  The flashing arm band will certainly make sure I am seen, and who isn't going to look at a fool running with a light on their head?  Really?

My sweet hubby wants me safe.  He's a stickler for safety.  His motto, I kid you not, is "Safety First".  Even my 5 year old knows this.

Anyway, back to the running....I'm still doing it.  We spent the Holidays in a rather "internet free" zone.  It was SOOO annoying at times and yet liberating too.  It is surprising to me how reliant I am on the internet for information.  Recipes, weather, communication, blogging, shopping....I do it all on-line.  It wasn't easy for me.  Worse for my husband who scored some new xbox 360 on-line games (yep...my husband is a man-boy) and couldn't play them because he didn't have faster then light internet. Oi!  Nothing more fun then being trapped in a cabin with a technology freak who can't get his fix.  The point is, I didn't blog 'cause I couldn't.  Sad.  But true.   

My sweet partner in crime (aka: Tracey) has been awol for a bit.  Don't worry.  She is in the midst of launching her business, and it's booming.  A quick plug...if you live in the UT, NV area and want some smashing photos taken, she's the one to get in touch with.  I'll let her plug her etsy shop and all that though.  For now...know she's still around.  This week she's takin' pictures at a wedding.  Awe.  Tender.  

Okay...that's gonna be it for now.  Are you proud of me?  We just got home hours ago and here I am...blogging....at 11:45pm.  It's still that important to me.  Oh, almost forgot: hubby got me a new bathroom scale for Christmas.  Some women might not appreciate such a gift....this woman was thrilled.  It's a super cool high-tech one that tells me my body fat AND my hydration level.  Never really thought to check my hydration level.  But now, I can.  Cool.

So...can't say I have even thought about New Year's resolutions yet but you can be certain that there will be some sort of health/fitness type of a commitment in there somewhere.  Did YOU make one too?  I bet you did.  Care to share?  I will if you will....let's face it...I probably will anyway. 

Hope you all enjoyed your Holiday Season.  Happy New Year.