Somedays to This Days

 

• 

  3 boys
• A full time job
• 2 hour commute each day
• The kids need picked up by 5
• Dinners to fix
• A husband who coaches and spends long hours at school, cares for our extended family, and holds another job while school is out
• Too much cleaning to keep up with
• Sleep
• I’m tired
• Social media time
• Family time
• Time with friends
• Cost/money/expenses
• Don’t have the right equipment
• Too much homework
• Too many after school commitments
• I look fine in my clothes
• I don’t know what I’m doing
• I don’t know how to get started
• I’m not fast
• I don’t know the moves

 

That is a list of excuses I used to use to do everything I could to not break a sweat. I was an athlete all of my life. I paid my dues. I have never been overweight and was at my heaviest when I was supposed to be heavy, during pregnancy. I was an unhealthy skinny with high cholesterol, which is hereditary, but it can be controlled with the right decisions. I thought that I used to impress people with the amount of food I could eat and still keep my figure. The truth, I felt like crap. I was unhappy as a person and I was unhappy with myself, but weight wasn’t my issue.

 

All of these excuses still exist. And maybe if I hadn’t gone to support my sister stepping up on stage to turn pro in figure modeling I’d still be avoiding lacing up my Nikes and pulling my hair back. But, I did. I went and it lit a fire under my rear. I finally made the decision to start living the best life I could live. Life has a lot to offer. Our bodies and minds can do some amazing things. Our minds can dream, our feet can make those dreams reality, not just left at the tall office building window where you left them. It’s all about a decision.

 

My time of having babies was done and all that was left was raising babies and getting old.  WHAT?!  No!  For a long time this word was on repeat in my mind, “SOMEDAY”. Someday I will start praying and not fall asleep before I finish. Someday I will get back to amazing shape. Someday I would like to just get out and enjoy a run again whenever the thought hits my mind. Someday I would like to hold my shoulders back and feel confident about myself. Someday I would like to go up north and experience God’s scenery. Someday I would like to play a game of basketball or run with my growing boys and keep up with them.

 

Someday…. Well, who knows if I will have a someday and my boys are watching me this day. They naturally whine enough, they don’t need my influence with using excuses when things are too hard. Instead of dreaming about that bucket list and knowing it will never happen, why not write those dreams down and take a step to MAKING them happen. How about making more of those somedays into this days. And, how about you look awesome and feel awesome while doing so. That’s where I was a year ago.

 

Many of you that have been reading for some time know the whole story. Many of you have known me my entire life. You know me. You know what drives me.  You have inspired me in many aspects of my life. And, you have supported me. I really couldn’t be any more grateful.

 

This year, 2013, my 33rd year on this earth, I’m making some of those dreams reality. 3 seems to be my number this year. 12 has been my number as an athlete growing up and it stayed true to me last year as making that decision and taking steps to get healthy came true. Probably one of the top 10 most important decisions in my life.

 

I cracked the window last year and this year I’m pushing open doors. My sister made me an offer I really can’t refuse. She has offered to train and support me if I step on stage and compete. Up to this point we kept the physical part of our lives separate. She did what she did and I did what I did. We didn’t even really talk about fitness. As of last Monday we are combining those efforts. I don’t know the category just yet and I’m not officially registered. But, I’m doing it. Competing in this way has never really been a dream of mine, but something I thought would be pretty awesome to say I did once upon a time. I don’t plan to make this a career. Who knows if I will ever do it again, but I’d like to take this chance and go for it. Who knows what windows will be cracked or doors pushed open because of it.

 

I got really nervous when she pitched the idea and the thought of being on stage in heels and a bathing suit is a bit, um, like Freddy Krueger frightening. The last time I was on stage was as some Spice girl singing Wannabe. I had to morph into another personality to be able to get up there and we ROCKED it. Zigazig ah!

 

I just finished up session two with her and she is pinpointing physical weaknesses. Man, she’s really good at what she does and the reality of these physical weaknesses when I feel like I’m in pretty good shape is rather frustrating. I really don’t know how I will ever repay her for what all she has done for me in my life.

 

In January I made some resolutions/goals. Things like, be better at devotionals and reading God’s word. Stop yelling as a parent. Do better at self-discipline. Compete in races, etc. I can tell you that things are starting to fall into place. I have gotten behind in a few areas, but have made it a priority to catch back up and things are going pretty well. But, nothing started working as well until I started spending more time with God. Devotionals, listening to messages on the radio, listening to Christian music, and praying more intently. Nothing has worked quite right before I spent more time on that piece.

 

A few big things the next few months:

 

• Find ways to incorporate my passion for running/fitness into our church and surrounding churches (if you have ideas please let me know. I’m thinking a running club or a fitness group that meets a couple times a week with volunteer babysitters. If you are in my area and interested in this please let me know and we can put our heads together. If you aren’t in my area, pray about it, please?)
• Maybe a tattoo.  I have one in mind but we will see how things play out
• May: Step on stage for a WBFF competition & run a 5k with my high school best friends (Gotta get with my friends! Ha Ha #spicegirlreference #friendshipneverends)
• June: Run my 1st ever Half Marathon & celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary
• August: See God’s scenery up in Portland as I run to the coast

So, there are a lot of big things coming in the next few months that I am beyond excited about.  Like flush in the cheeks, weak at the knees (no, that was just Tionna's workout yesterday) excited about.  I would love your support and feedback.  You can count on hearing everything about these along the way.  

 

And to finish this post up with some hilarity... here are some outtakes to our mini, let's get the camera out, really bad light, last minute improvs to a background, hold your head up (through gritted teeth), Wyatt please come over here and do another one, EVERYONE LOOK AT THE CAMERA, my mother will be ashamed of the quality of these photos, everyone gets a turn with the remote, stop whining, get your hand off my face, COME BACK HERE RIGHT NOW photoshoot in my bedroom after a morning workout with the day before's makeup and gross workout hair and no time to do any kind of editing other than what was already poorly done.  Please, prepare yourself for laughter.... and you're welcome!

 

 

 

 

 

Bring it! I'm ready for this weekend

Ya’ll, this week…. WOW! Talk about running the gamut of emotions. From almost depressed, to almost killed, to gratitude, to extreme excitement and nervousness. I don’t know how I keep up with myself. Thank you to those that poured out your love to me this week.  I felt it and I am so appreciative.  I think it is important to show our strengths, struggles, weaknesses, and successes. We are all human and shouldn’t pretend to be anything but that.


Yesterday I went on a 30 min tempo run at 4:30am in the dark around my town. Can I tell you how much I love tempo runs?! What’s a tempo run? Jog 10 – 15, run 10 – 15 fast, jog 10 -15. I got 4 miles in. My last mile was supposed to be slow. It was my fastest. I was feeling good and could have gone a lot longer if I had the time. I love feeling like that. I’m letting my body rest more mainly in response to the week I have had and it is just smart regardless. Running feels good again, not bad every single step like it had been. I’m starting to look forward to it again instead of having to talk myself into it.

Anyway, I got a lot of processing out of the way. My baby starting school, new schedules, accepting the fact that I can’t do it all… again, and you know, almost being killed. That’s a lot to process through. But it felt good and I didn’t hit the ice cream up all week (because I don’t have any and refuse to go there, not really, we haven’t been to the store in 3 weeks and I ate a lot of cookies. If it isn’t in the house I can’t eat it.)  There is still a ton of stress in my shoulders though which I keep trying to relax but find them at my ears time and time again. 

What’s got me excited to round out this week is getting to enjoy a football game WITH my husband, Wyatt having an awesome 1st week of school where he is already talking about some girl, one of my best friends having another beautiful baby boy, and my big sis is hitting the stage at the World Championships for Women’s Figure (http://wbffshows.com/). We are watching via online pay per view and if something goes wrong and I don’t get to watch it, I just might take someone’s head off.

Who needs energy drinks? Just watch this. She has a tendency to pump you up big time.

I am so proud of her. Not only is she living her dream and driving toward her goals, but she is living a healthy life and encouraging countless others to do the same. She is doing her part to help this nation be healthier. She is beautiful and goofy and down to earth and gracious and likes to sleep and pinch my butt, sometimes she is sensitive. Following her dreams has changed her life and mine and others. It has made our relationship stronger and she makes hard work turn into results. She is someone to look up to. Someone that will help, love, and support you. She is humanly amazing. She’s my big sister! And if you aren't following her journey, YOU CRAZY!

So, here's to a history making weekend!  Have a good one!