Weekend Wrap-up: Back to the Beach

Summer is finally here! The Lady's last day of school was Friday and the Little Lady had her last day of camp. I was able to pick up the Little Lady, get the Lady off the bus, take both ladies to the nail salon and get everything organized for the weekend.



I can't, this kid is just too cute!



I would like to say that we had a lovely meal out on Friday with the kids, sitting al fresco on the sidewalk, enjoying the sweet summer air to celebrate the solstice, but then I would be totally lying. It was, per usual, a mess of bathroom breaks and trying to corral QT. As my husband said "remind me to never do this again anytime soon." Oh well, we tried.



A very pensive Little Lady post-afternoon pass out.



The next morning, I got up early, met up with two amazing ladies and ran a 5k. I wasn't fast, but I wasn't last. It was a step in the right direction and I am so glad that I did it.

My husband meanwhile, put the kids in the car in pj's and headed up to the beach. Next time I will remember to give him the keys to the house as well as the code to the garage. And whoever moved the compressor to fill up the pool from its spot in the garage is in trouble, not only because my hubby had to fill it with the hand pump but because I had to hear about it.

As always there were a ton of cousins to hang out with and since my husband had to drive back home that night to fly out the next morning we had a little sleepover.

This sleepover wasn't as bad as the Hunger Games themed one last summer, but they kids did go to bed super late, QT slept with me and rolled out of the bed in the middle of the night, and the Lady showed up at my bed at 6:15 in the morning, followed by her sister and the Big Guy. This may or may not have contributed to a few breakdowns throughout the morning by my children, but it didn't stop us from getting to the beach. 



The big guy



I thought that by having the ladies carry their own chairs that I would have enough hands to carry everything else. This was not the case. I will not forget my beach cart next time. 

Know what else I had to carry? I am sure you all know the answer to this. Could it have been a newly turned 2-year-old who about 10 feet from the boardwalk realized he was at the beach and started walking in the other directions crying "I no want to go"?  Oh QT. Buddy, this is your third summer at the beach. Don't start it off this way. Don't do it.





The Lady. Look, I didn't think it was a string bikini when I picked this up from Old Navy and by the time I realized it, she had already removed the tags and was modeling in it. I am in some trouble with this one.



So, I left some stuff at the top of the beach, transported QT, who was suction cupped to my side, plopped him in a chair and got the rest of the things I needed. Since the kids were immediately in the water, I moved my chair closer to the water, put QT down with a truck in the sand and hoped for the best. That lasted about 7 minutes. I then had to cradle him in my arms while he whined about wanting milk (not going to happen) and his blankies (probably should have brought at least one of them down with me) until he fell asleep and I could put him under the umbrella where he slept soundly for about two hours. When he woke up, he would only walk on the towels and sit with his feet up in his chair. He did allow me to carry him to the water's edge but did not let me put him down. One good thing is that at the end of the day we took everyone to the sprinkler park at the beach and he warmed up to that pretty quickly. It is going to be a long summer if this kid can't even put one foot in the sand!



Because there is nothing better than being 2 and hanging in the pool.



I was just happy to have a full day down at the beach. That definitely hadn't happened since QT was born and to see how excited the ladies were to play and splash at the beach it totally worth having to carry a 26 pound kid on your hip for a couple hours.

QT is a cutie.

In addition to bringing the beach cart next time, I will also remember to reapply the sunscreen. At 10 a.m. when I was letting the Little Lady try to apply spray sunscreen to my legs with a button she could barley push with her tiny little hands, my cousin said that perhaps I should redo those pale, white legs when we got down to the beach. Know what never happened? That is right. Not only do I have a sunburn on my legs, it is in the worst pattern imaginable. Think of scribbles a three and a half year old might draw on a piece of paper and apply it to my legs. Total JV move. It won't happen again.

The best part was last night as I was trying not to let any blanket touch my burning legs, and the Little Lady was once again by my side watching the Prisoner of Azkaban because she was still awake after passing out for a full hour from 6:15-7:15 on the ride home from the beach, I complained about my legs bothering me. She said "but mommy didn't I do a good job putting on your sunscreen"? Always on my game, I turned those burnt legs into a teaching moment about reapplying sunscreen. I will also not be able to wear a skirt or dress to work at all this week. 



This is what 9:45 p.m. looks like at the beach house. 6:15 a.m. wasn't so adorable.



I will say that my kids slept over an hour later this morning than they did yesterday and I am totally looking forward to our next beach day. I am thinking about getting a covered wagon for QT so I can just pull him on the beach and leave him in there with some trucks, it is either that or start wearing him Bjorn-style again.

Wish me luck this summer. . .







Fat Ass Friday: Run. Run. Run.

Just mailed in my application for the Sailfest 5k. This will be my second time running it and I am hoping that a few of my cousins join me for the run.

I got to the gym this week and have increased my time on the treadmill. Hoping to get a long run in tomorrow at some point before or after QT's 1st b-day party. Then I will counterbalance it with cupcakes.

Fat Ass Friday

Oh Entenmann's. . .you decided to have a BOGO sale this week? You know I can't resist your sweet confections. Did I buy the mini glazed donuts for the Ladies? Yes, but we both know they were a little bit for me too. And the Black and White cookies? I am pretty sure I ate the entire box (hey, it wasn't in one sitting).

The best part is that my hubby came home with my two favorite offerings of yours, the original coffee cake and the chocolate covered donuts. So we had four boxes of blue and white adorning our counter top.

Good thing I made it to the gym a couple of times this week. I started training for a 5k that I am hoping to run at the end of June. It is nice to get back into the routine of running, even though I couldn't make it to the gym as much as I wanted to this week. When your hour lunch is slotted for either the gym or every other errand you have to get done, sometimes the errands win.

Here is to hoping the beautiful weather we have had for the last couple days lasts and I can get out and get moving.

How Not to Prep for a 5k

I ran a 5k on Sunday. It went OK. I ran with a good friend of mine who just had her second baby in October and who has been trying to get back in the swing of things just like I have.

I will say that I was not as prepared to run as I should have been. First of all, I hadn't run in over a week. Granted, I ran a 5k on the treadmill--but that isn't really any indication of how things are going to go outside on a course that you have never seen before.

So, maybe the day before I shouldn't have consumed the worst pre-race food possible. The day started with an Easter Egg Hunt with the Lady. I had two mini-snickers and then a coffee. At noon we were at my in-laws where they were serving hot dogs for lunch. I can't tell you the last time I ate a hot dog. It seriously could have been years and years ago, they just aren't on my list of everyday foods, which is probably why I shouldn't have eaten two with relish.

I then drove up to New London for a fundraiser for my cousin who is raising money for the Avon 3-Day Walk for Breast Cancer. This was at a bar. I had 3 beers, some chicken fingers and a mini-sausage wrapped in phyllo. After returning to my in-laws to pick up my girls and my husband, I had a piece of lasagna and a meatball.

I could still taste the hot dogs when I made my oatmeal pre-race. Ugh.

I got to the race site and I was a little nervous because it was much smaller then the Turkey Trot and everyone looked fit and ready to roll. I was glad when my girlfriend got there and we checked in. The course started with a lap around the High School fields and then we moved to the Cross Country trail, which was fine until we hit the hills. I had to stop for a bit. I was disappointed that I didn't push through it, but I was able to catch up with my running partner, maneuver some smaller hills and finish the race together.

Note to self: start running hills.

This race didn't have any chips to clip on my sneaker (which was good since once again I had the hairiest legs in America) so imagine my surprise when we started to speed up towards the finish line and the clock said 29 minutes. Could we have actually finished this race in under a half-hour? Sadly, no. As I was throwing up oatmeal a little bit into my mouth on the side of the track--why do I constantly feel like puking after a race? Is there anyway to stop this? I want to run more but I don't want to finish each race spewing chunks across the finish line--I heard the time guy saying that he made a mistake and pressed the wrong button while doing something so the times were like 10 minutes off. Oh well, we finished and we didn't finish last.

Next time I will train a bit harder, a big longer, with more hills and with less hot dog breath.

I do want to say that I am super proud of my running partner and more inspired to get out there and get moving knowing that I have the support of my friends!

The Biggest Loser and Other Updates

I only got to see the last hour of the BL. We did some rearranging in our bedroom, and forgot to plug the TiVo back in so I missed out on a few shows this week.

Anyway, I like the second hour better, but I did miss the makeovers.

Oh, I did see that Shay was on the Leno show, so at least we know she didn't totally balloon back up again, and as of that taping--she also wasn't super small. I am looking forward to seeing her on the finale.

As I am writing this, I hardly remember anything else that happened. See my previous post for possible reasons!

I do recall that Allan was taken aside by Bob because he should be winning more challenges. It was interesting to see that he is playing the game a little. I don't think he will win the BL, because he doesn't have as much weight to lose as Danny and Rudy, but I think he will be one contestant who might be able to keep the weight off.

I also remember the interaction between Jillian and Rudy. Jillian does get all psychological on people, and for emotional eaters to connect the reasoning behind their behavior, it is important, but sometimes it just seems weird. I mean she was all pissed off that he never told her his sister died when she was younger. I mean, that isn't something I would be coming out and advertising either, especially on national TV. It just seemed a little forced--however, Rudy is putting up some big numbers so maybe pinpointing this event in his life as the start of his overeating will help him in the long term to keep the weight off.

Now to the weigh-in. The contestants are dwindling and I like most of them so at this point I am always disappointed to see someone go. However, if I had to pick someone to leave, Rebecca would have been my choice too. She is a strong competitor, but she cries entirely too much and is a little high-maintenance. I thought the Rudy reasoning for kicking her off was kind of bogus, but whatever. I think he just wanted to have something concrete to say so that it seemed like he actually thought about it.

I will say that Rebecca looks amazing now. That footage of her running the half-marathon was actually inspiring to me (although she was also crying through that as well).

But now for the big news. This link was given to me by my sister so I have to credit her. Check it out http://tv.msn.com/tv/article.aspx?news=442541&affid=100055

Daniel and Rebecca are dating!!! Remember when he left the show and he said he couldn't wait to introduce America to his girlfriend? Well Rebecca is his girlfriend. That is two love connections for this season. Hmmm. . . we will see how this long distance/weight loss love develops.

I can't believe the season is winding down so quickly!

Other Updates

I am picking up my race stuff next week and am all set to run in the Turkey Trot. I have been trying to run consistently this week and this weekend I am planning to run part of the race course. I am hoping adrenaline and the fact that I am running with someone who can push me will help account for the lack of training I have had this year as compared with last. I might puke, but I am going to finish.

I have fallen off the journaling a little and am re-starting today. I had to wear maternity pants last night to an event, because my black pants don't quite fit yet. I will say that the top I was wearing was a medium and someone said my face looked thinner, but until I can button those pants around my belly, I haven't quite reached my goals.

I did however, find a pair of really cute black flats in my closet that I forgot I had. It was like getting a new pair of shoes without paying for them!!!

The Biggest Loser and Other Updates

Ding Dong the witch is dead!

Tracey is off the show. I will say I will miss her crazy big eyes and exaggerated facial expressions, but it is always fun to watch someone try to manipulate the game, so when I look at it from that perspective I am a little sad to see her go. She does look good now and I was happy that she could run that mile without passing out and having to be hospitalized. In a weird way it gives me hope!

So the contestants headed to DC, recruited fellow Americans to work out on the Mall, ate out of Obama's garden and switched from teams to individuals. I am interested to see how the alliances will pan out. Will they stick to black vs. blue like they did in the past or will they honor their original pairings with their partners?

This is the part of the season that I actually love, the numbers are dwindling and when they flash back to previous photos of the contestants you can really see how far they have come. It still amazes me that in 8 weeks some of these people have lost between 75 and 100lbs. It makes my quest for 15-20 seem doable.

Other Updates
I hit the gym on Tuesday and got in an okay workout. I didn't run for as long as I wanted, but in my defense I have a bit of a head cold and kind of feel like crap. I have been using the gym at my sister's condo and have been pretty lucky to usually have the place all to myself.

Tuesday, a guy came in for his elliptical workout, had to ask how to turn on the TV, then left the room after about 10 minutes. I didn't think too much of it, since I was entrenched in watching the Jeopardy Teen Tournament with no sound on, while shuffling songs on my iPod. I assumed he had to take a poo, get some water or had a phone call, since I saw him standing outside the door for a couple minutes at a time. What I didn't realize until after I was done with my workout is that for all those times I saw him standing outside the door, that he had forgotten his key and was waiting for me to let him in. Oops.

I am thinking about running a 5k next Sunday. I am hoping that if I can finish it and feel okay that it will serve as a catalyst for me to really make sure that I am ready for the Turkey Trot. We will see. . .

The Biggest Loser and Other Updates

I haven't been blogging on the BL! So sorry! I missed the show two weeks ago, Julio went home!

Last week, I caught the drama that unfolded when Tracy, yet again, won a challenge and was given power over the group.

Having the ability to split the teams, she split up every couple with the exception of herself and Coach Mo, and Danny and Shay. So basically, she alienated everyone else, again.

Even members of her new team (blue--with Bob, who didn't seem super pleased to have her on the team) want her gone.

Now, in the past I have said that sometimes there is too much game play, but this season it seems to be a good mix. I mean really, if there wasn't some drama then we would just be watching a show of fat people exercising and nobody really wants to see that!

I will say that I was surprised that Tracy didn't go home this week. Coach Mo fell on the sword for his team. I do understand that he was a liability in terms of his injury and the fact that he probably wasn't going to drop as much weight as Tracy, but blue had a chance to get her off the team and now I think they are going to have to deal with the aftermath of keeping her.

Best case scenario is that the next time Blue has to eliminate someone, Tracy goes.

Anyway, didn't get a chance to watch this weeks episode, the Yanks were on their way to winning game 4 of the ALCS. Will update again after I watch.

Other Updates

I am planning on running in the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving again this year, the problem is that I haven't started running at all. My plan was to also run a 5k a couple of weeks prior to the race and I am hoping I will even be able to do that.

I did go out and get a new sports bra and a pair of workout pants. The next step is actually putting them on and running.

The food journal has its good days and its bad days, as do I when it comes to putting things in my mouth. I didn't realize how stressed out I would be these days, between pumping, working and trying to balance home, kids and hubby, I find myself making not the best decisions when it comes to snacking. I am trying to hold myself accountable. I did go out and buy a new scale and since that purchase I have lost 2lbs. So the scale is moving in the right direction.

Updates to come. . .

The Biggest Loser and Other Updates

I will admit that I missed the BL last week! It was my first day back at work and it was a long day for me. I thought it was TiVoing, but alas I was mistaken. So instead of even catching the last half hour of it, I watched the end of NCIS-LA--big mistake.

Turns out that there wasn't much to see anyway, nobody was eliminated. This week, however, I made sure the TiVo was set and carved away a little time to watch.

Tracey on purple is crazy!

Talk about crazy eyes and panic attacks. She certainly is not in a good place in terms of self-confidence and is clearly looking for any advantage she can (especially if it involves eating cupcakes!). I feel bad for Coach Mo, who now is part of a team, where everyone hates one member. If they ever fall below the yellow line and have to be eliminated as a team, they will certainly go.

I have to say, I like that Jillian called out Coach Mo, and I like that she lost it on Tracey. Ah, game play. . . where will you take us next?

I am still trying to get to know these contestants. As much as I am routing for Abby on the green team, I don't need to see them flash back to her telling the horrific story of her loss every time she comes on screen. I also like Allen from the green team. He seems like a really good guy and partnered with Abby, they have my vote to go all the way.

Love the orange team. Daniel is so positive and I want him to finish his journey and just drop all the weight and finally get laid (I am just assuming that this has never happened, but I am sure I can't be that far off!) And Shay, well she just needs to keep losing that weight. I mean when you see her in just the sports bra and spandex, it is really unbelievable to imagine getting that big.

Anyway, I was sorry to see the red team go. I liked those guys. Sean still has a while to go as well, I mean he is still over 3 bills but it looks like he is on his way.

I have to say, I love a BL love connection. Congrats to Antoine and Alexandra, they are so cute and hopefully they will continue to lead a healthy lifestyle.

More to come next week.

Other Updates

So, I am clear to exercise and I am mapping out my return to running. I have been running the stairs at my house and trying to fit in a little cardio each day, but the next step is actually lacing up the shoes and hitting the pavement. I am going to try to follow the 5k plan that I used last year, and I am hoping that I can get to three miles running sooner rather than later. This all depends on if I can actually find the right time to get out of the house!

I have looked into signing up for some 5ks in the next 6 weeks in preparation for the Turkey Trot and I hope that this will help kick-start the weight loss. I really would like to fit back into my clothes.

I had to go out last night and get a dress for a wedding this weekend. It was a little disheartening to try on sizes. I was hoping I was only one dress size higher than I started off at, but it looks like it is more like two! I settled on just getting a "L" dress, which I think camouflages the belly and I am hoping to spice it up with some accessories. I did have to endure another hot, small, dressing room where I tried to avoid actually looking in the mirror when any bit of skin was exposed.

I know I am only 7 weeks out, but combined with the food journal and some actual movement, I thought I might be a little bit more ahead.

Speaking of the food journal, I was always one of those people who never believed others when they said "I am too busy, I don't have time to eat." I am not one of those people, I am always thinking about when I can eat next, however, with the arrival of the little Lady, her feeding schedule and our pretty aggressive plans to get out of the house each day, I find myself not eating anything until mid-day on some days. This isn't leading to weight loss though, because I am trying to make up the calories later on and make sure that I am taking in enough to keep up the milk production.

Oh, weight loss why are you so evasive?

The Biggest Loser and Other Updates

So now it is down to four. Vicky actually had a chance to redeem herself in my eyes by actually being as bitchy as she really is. Had she voted for Ed she would have given herself a greater chance of actually winning the whole thing. I guess her commitment to her team says something about her but I am not buying one bit of the softer side of Vicky we saw last night on the program. I think she realizes that it might come down to America voting and if she is below the yellow line--we are not voting for her. I came across an article on Yahoo yesterday about Vicky, which pretty much said the same thing I have been saying since the beginning--that she is a lying, petty, selfish human being. I also think she looked really weird with all that makeup on last night. Talk about too much foundation!

Last night's episode wasn't that exciting. How many times could we watch Tyra "surprise" each contestant with their family member? Although, the visual of Christian Soriano being lifted up by Heba was priceless. That guy weighs like 87.5 pounds soaking wet so it was kind of funny to see him enveloped by a whole lot a woman.

I was sad to see Renee go. I am glad she and Michelle were able to reconnect. I am looking forward to next week. Hopefully, Michelle will stick around she is my pick to win it all.

Run. Run. Run.

So I met my goal. I am hoping that the running will continue and I will be able to run farther and faster.

Novel Writing

I didn't meet the November 30th goal of 50,000 words, but apparently December is National Finish Your Novel Month so I am going to try and take the opportunity to finish the first draft by the end of the month. It seems to be a more attainable goal. I will let you know.

The Turkey Trot

I did it. I ran the Turkey Trot, five whole miles in under one hour.

Granted, I barely slept for two days because I was nervous that I wouldn't be able to do it, but once I started running the adrenaline and the training kicked in. The weather cooperated, if it had rained or been any colder I am not sure how well I would have fared. Also, running the hills last week really helped. It gave me an idea of how the course was and once I made it over that last hill I knew that I could keep going. Mare (by best friend and running partner) stayed together and we had a nice pace going. I don't think I would have been able to even attempt this goal if I didn't have her to run with me.

I will tell you that the last mile was tough and at one point I couldn't figure out why these really fit looking kids in Cross Country uniforms were standing by the side of the course, that is until it dawned on me that these guys had already finished, hadn't actually stopped and in fact had just come back to wait for other people.

With about a half a mile to go we saw Mare's husband and her oldest kid on the side of the course with the camera. Let me tell you that gave me much more motivation then the random cow bell ringers and the bagpipers. When we finally rounded into the straight away we saw her twins, her dad, and her brother (who had also run the race and had finished a good 10-15 minutes before us). Then just a bit beyond them I saw the Lady all bundled up in her pink hat in her carriage with my husband, my dad and my little sister it was then we decided to sprint to the finish. It seemed like a good idea to finish strong, not so much when there was a quick second after we crossed the finish line that I thought I might puke. Luckily that didn't happen, although my sister said that someone had done just that in front of them not too many minutes before we made our way by.

Mare and I on the long stretch to the finish.

I can't remember running that far in a row ever, and now that I know I can do it I feel a little less

inhibited. I feel like I can accomplish goals that I set for myself and that is a good feeling. Will I start training for the NYC Marathon? Probably not, but will I continue to run? Yes, and I hope I can go farther and faster.

I just want to thank my friend Bill for all his advice and support. Thanks Bill!

The Turkey Trotters and the kids. (Yes, all three of those are Mare's)

The Biggest Loser and Other Updates

Amy, Amy, Amy, I told you so. Hey, I don't like to say it but had you eliminated Vicky last week you would have been saved this week. Granted, maybe you wouldn't have fallen beneath the yellow line, but the black team would have been your ally. You were a bit too naive to even consider trusting that black hearted game player and now you are home with no one to blame but yourself.

We are getting close to the end here. I was so excited to see both Michelle and Renee put up big numbers to stay this week, but unless two more blue fall below the yellow line next week, I think one of them will be leaving.

Not too much excitement this week. It is always good to see Steve Young, but if Vicky told me one more time how much she loves football so she deserves to win everything I think I might have punched the TV. Why is she still around? Why?

The best part about the elimination room was when Ed justified voting for Amy because he is married to Heba. Again, I don't like to stereotype him as some Southern rube, but if the moonshine is wet, well drink it.

The Turkey Trot

The big race is tomorrow and I am getting pretty nervous. I ran the first mile of hills yesterday and I wouldn't say it was easy, but at least we get them out of the way at the beginning. I checked out the rest of the route as well and it seems kind of long but I am hoping that the surge of the 1500 other runners will actually just push me along until I finish.

I was excited to pick up my official number #885 and get my first race t-shirt. The weather is supposed to be pretty good, sunny and in the low 40's. I am just hoping I don't puke, trip, or step in too much goose poo. The Lady and my husband are supposed to meet me at the finish line with big smiles and a camera. I will post the pics and let you know how it goes. Wish me luck!

The Novel

The novel has taken a back seat to life this week. I am over 20,000 words in, but unless some sort of explosion of words happens in the next few days, I don't think I will make the 50,000 by Sunday. I am going to try to get as much done as I can but between Turkey Day, meeting up with friends, a photo shoot on Friday night and celebrating my brother's 30th on Saturday, I might not get a lot of writing done. We will see.

The Biggest Loser and Other Updates

WTF? WTF? WTF?

What was Amy C. thinking? Does she really believe that those smug, selfish blue team members are really going to save her if she ever falls below the yellow line? Why Amy C? Why? You had the opportunity to eliminate one of the biggest game players ever, a person who, for the entire week, called you a backstabbing bitch and who hung a REVENGE poster on her door--naming you specifically. A revenge poster! UGH!!!!

Amy--you did something for yourself last week and you had the opportunity to do it again this week. A decision that would help you in the end and would benefit me and the rest of the BL watching community who cannot stand another minute of Vicky or one word that comes out of her mouth. I am pretty sure she said she hated her kids again this week. I might not have gotten that totally verbatim but it was pretty much along those lines.

By voting for Vicky, Amy could have guaranteed herself a few more weeks as long as she didn't fall below the yellow line and she could have guaranteed me a little less anxiety as the numbers start to dwindle and it looks like a Vicky in the final three might happen. Mean people should not win money.

The best part about the whole Vicky/Amy drama is that Vicky said that it was a personal attack against her when Amy voted off Brady. I find that pretty interesting considering that they tried to say that when they voted Amy P. off it had nothing to do with Phil. Hypocrites!

Okay, I am calming down. Let's talk a little about the 80's outfits. Look, I don't like Heba one bit but they showed an overhead shot of her in a leotard and fish net stockings lifting her legs. How embarrassing. There is no way that a crotch shot like that could have gone unnoticed. Dear Lord--please, please, please do not make these people wear anything more revealing until the end of the show where they have actually lost a ton of weight. I kept on waiting for Ed's junk to fly out of his little black shorts. I also couldn't take one word Bob said seriously while he was wearing his "Frankie Says Relax" t-shirt.

Oh, and the breakdancing. When the black team all stood in line and did the wave, I just kept thinking worm, worm, worm, please somebody do the worm. Alas, I was denied that great pleasure but am still trying to erase the images burned into my retinas. I hope those women had some time for a shave or a wax before they had to put on those leotards.

Run. Run. Run.

In a week from tomorrow it is Turkey Trot time. I am feeling better running overall. I still am hovering around the 30 minute mark and I am hoping to push that a little bit this week just to see how I feel. I am excited and nervous at the same time. I will probably not sleep well the night before and I will be praying that there is no rain.

NaNoWriMo

The novel is a little stalled. We are still hovering around the 10,000 word mark and I am hoping to get a few hours in this weekend to lift that and then make a huge push at the end. Time has become my enemy in a lot of things this week. I just don't want to get up early and do anything. I do want to finish this though and it will be a big step in the right direction.

The Biggest Loser and Other Updates

I almost turned the TV off last night. I almost walked away from a program that I have devoted countless hours to, that I have written about, talked about and have credited to helping kick start my own fitness journey.

I couldn't bear it. I could not bear the blue team. I could not bear the obvious and malicious nature of the Queen Bitch Vicky. I couldn't stand to watch Heba run and jump into the arms of her husband, who (and I apologize to any Southern readers) looks and sounds like he has a kissing cousin somewhere in the back hills of Appalachia.

I don't understand how when Vicky says something pointed and mean that it is okay, but when Phil came down to ask for an apology, Heba screams that he is playing the victim. Look, I am done with Phil. As far as I am concerned he dug his own grave in this game, plus he should have tried to kick ass in the challenge and instead he just gave up, but give me a break, these women are manipulative and overly aggressive. I wonder what demons they have been stuffing down their throats for so long.

Anyway, kudos to Stacey on the green team for trying so hard to get back on the show. But really she couldn't just do another 13 steps? Come on Stacey, you really could have made me happy last night. And what was with all the tears at the beginning? You were on the ranch for a week. Why so weepy now?

So when Ed won, it really got my Irish up. I was angry. I had a physical reaction to it, like I was personally affected by this outcome, like if I saw Vicky on the street I might punch her in the baby maker.

I wasn't sure I could continue as a faithful watcher when I didn't want any of the blue team to succeed, then came the weigh in.

Amy C. I would like to give you a ten second frencher for not only growing a set and raging against the blue machine, but for playing this game for yourself. Will you be eliminated next week if you fall below the line? Possibly. But you broke up part of the "five blue strong" and restored hope to an entire audience including one woman who spends entirely too much time thinking about you and your television program.

I will close this BL recap by saying that Brady looks good and he looks like an attentive father. It is hard to feel happy for him when I am filled with a venomous hatred for his wife, but he seems to be reaching his weight loss goals and if he can pass that on to his children then that is a good thing. I also have to say that his wife might be effing crazy. Mental illness is not something to joke about, but that bitch is nuts. Until next week my BL loving friends. . .

RUN. RUN. RUN.

I am getting there. I am a little behind in terms of meeting my distance goals. I wanted to be running a consistent 3 miles everyday this week, but am hitting a wall around 2.5. That is only half of the Turkey Trot and although part of me hopes that adrenaline and the desire to avoid embarrassment will help me push through the five miles, I realize that without consistently running at least 3-3.5 miles I will have a very long morning. I have to remember that half of this is a mental game and that if I just stopped paying so much attention to the time/distance issue I might actually be able to enjoy the run. By the way, I wouldn't recommend running outside past your local recycling center and waste treatment center. Yes, it is the path to the nice area of town but it doesn't smell good at all.

National Novel Writing Month

I am up to 6909. I have been there since Friday. I haven't written one word since. My plan to get some time in last night backfired because the hubby didn't make it home until 7:30 and God forbid I miss the BL. Nap time today is writing time. My goal is to get to 10,000 by the end of today.

Don't Miss Top Chef

Top Chef is on tonight on Bravo. Check it out.

The Biggest Loser and Other Updates

Let's be perfectly clear here. Brady and Vicky totally threw last weeks weigh in to get Amy P. off the show and when Bob tried to call them out on it, Vicky lied to his face because she is a cunning, vindictive bitch leg. She is also in the words of Bob "Shakespearean." I only have to add to that "Out, damn'd spot! out, I say!" It looks like next week they are going to singles and I can only hope that Renee or Michelle is the biggest loser of the week so they can try to get either Vicky or Heba off the show.

Speaking of Heba, all I can say is SHUT YOUR MOUTH! The drama that follows that girl around is ridiculous and Phil was right, she tries to mug it up for the camera. Did you see her run up on the stage when Brady dropped that 13lbs? Stop being a camera whore and stop talking. When she confronted Phil in the dining room and started saying that he was saying hateful things about her, which she would never say about him, and then called him a sneaky snake in the grass, I thought that was a little hypocritical. She also tries to profess that the show is about being healthy and losing weight, when she has clearly aligned herself with a couple intent on playing the game to their best ability. Oh, I can't wait until she gets kicked off or confronted.

Phil--you screwed yourself. You should have opened your mouth the week of the temptation challenge and you never would have been separated from your beloved Amy. Then, you should have closed your mouth before saying anything to Brady. Also, you might try growing a pair, because even though I am still routing for you and Amy, you seem a bit weak. I will admit you do look 10 years younger with your head shaved and your super trendy goatee. Good luck to you.

Stay tuned, next week looks good.

Also, Oprah is doing a show on the Biggest Loser tomorrow--set your DVR/Tivo and we will see how past contestants look today.


Updates

I fell hard off the food journal wagon this weekend, but pizza and beers are so yummy! I am still trying to get to 25-30 minutes of running in a row by the end of this week. I got to 18 yesterday and am hoping to add 2-3 minutes per day so by November 1st I will be able to run at a consistant pace for at least three miles. Race day is fast approaching and I just want to be prepared.

I Was Running

The training has been going okay. I have worked my way up to running 3-5 minutes in a row and have fallen back in love with the Celebreality shows on VH1 and MTV. I forgot how much quicker working out goes when you are sucked into the mental void that is Paris Hilton's My New BFF.

However, on the advice of a runner friend of mine (who came in 2nd place in his age group last weekend at a triathlon--a triathlon? That is swimming, biking and running everybody!) I decided that I should get outside. Luckily the weather is still nice and I am not running that far so I don't have to worry about layering, rubbing Vaseline on my body to stop the chafe or putting band-aids on my nipples.

I have decided though that I am not going to run after I eat dinner or in the dark through the city. I did start out on a hill, which is good considering the first two miles of the Turkey Trot is described as "rolling hills," and I felt pretty good once I got to the top. It wasn't that hard to run up it considering I was dodging the random people on the street. One guy spit on the ground just as I was passing him and then I had to dodge a few solitary older gentlemen as they made their way, brown bag in hand, out of the BevMax liquor store around the corner. I think that was the fastest I have run in a long while.

I didn't run the whole way, but I ran longer then I had on the treadmill. The fact that I wasn't tethered to the treadmill and constantly looking at the clock helped a lot. I also tried to mentally work through the run. I picked out landmarks and streets ahead of me and tried to reach them without stopping. That seemed to work well. I even started to stop thinking about how much I hate running and tried to just find some peace. Or as much peace as you can find running on a service road alongside I-95. I am still waiting for that runners high. In fact, I am desperately trying to find it!

In addition to the exercise I have been trying really hard to be conscious of my eating. I have been diligent about the food journal even when things get bad. On Saturday they got pretty bad.

Here is the list of food from my journal.

Breakfast: 1 cup oatmeal (So far so good)

Worked out walk/run for 35 minutes (Also good)

Here is where it takes a turn.

2 beers (cool deliciousness in a bottle)
2 handfuls peanut M&M's (my love for you will never waiver)
2 mini crunch bars (an impulse buy and not really worth it)
6-9 candy corn (these taste a little like wax, but I still eat them)
2 handfuls of Doritos (My husband's best friend and a constant presence in our home)
1 handful of Tostito Gold (bite size--as if that makes any difference) and assorted dips including salsa, guacamole and sour cream (I love Mexico and all things associated with it)
2 Taquitos (Oh Taquitos, your magic never fails to seduce me)
1 cup milk (This was later in the day not alongside any of the things above because Taquitos and milk just don't mix)
1 cup Aunt Annie's Organic Mac & Cheese (I needed something of substance--and yes this was made for the Lady)

Just in case anybody out there feels bad about their own eating habits, I want to let you know that you are not alone and that even though I ate all of this on Saturday I tried to awaken from my sugar coma and get right back on schedule on Sunday.

Biggest Loser and Other Updates

Vicky you're a huge bitch
huge bitch, huge bitch.
Vicky you're a huge bitch
I hate you.

That is my song for Vicky on the Brown team. Did you see her smirk when she realized that Yellow had fallen below the yellow line? I mean really, try to have a little respect you lost a mere 3lbs this week. And then she had the audacity to say that if Brown fell below the yellow line that Brady would go home because it was her "idea to come on the show."

Repeat refrain above.

I was so sad to see Jerry go. That guy was in need of some serious help. I was unaware you could pull a hamstring by sleeping in a tent at the Grand Canyon and doing no exercise at all but. . . he is a big guy. The after shots of him did give me hope and I wish nothing for the best for him.

Was anyone else wondering why the rules changed though? I mean all of a sudden only one person goes home? It seems a bit contrived. It was pretty obvious that Jerry wasn't losing any weight this week, did they come up with a plan so that Coleen, who my husband says "looks like she swallowed Reese Witherspoon," could stay?

We will see what happens next week. Still routing for Red. Still hoping they stop asking Heba to speak and still singing my Vicky is a bitch song.

Other Updates

So I have been pretty good about the food journal. I am basically keeping to a Weight Watcher's type point system. This is something that has worked for me in the past and I don't feel like I am limiting myself or denying myself. In fact last night I ate some peanut M&M's and they were delicious. This was after I went to the gym. I have started to train for a 5k. I figure JLo did a triathlon and then flew across the country to party with her husband for his b-day. Granted she has trainers, cooks and I am assuming nannies for her twins, but she is still a mom and if she can do something like that, I am pretty sure I can run a little over 3 miles. Did I mention I hate running?

The first week isn't really that hard. It is a combination walk/run where you only run for like 8 minutes but it isn't even in a row. I have done this twice this week and I feel a little stronger. I am not sure how it will go when I actually have to run multiple minutes one after another, but hopefully if I follow the plan I will reach my goals. I do feel a lot of jiggling coming from my backside. Also my pooch in front needs to be treated with spandex. I will keep you updated. . .