Girl Friends Are Renewing

Spent the weekend with my sisters from GFWC Sebastian River Juniors and other members from around the state at the GFWC Florida Convention.  Late nights and Early mornings.  Celebrating the accomplishments of the year that all the clubs have done to benefit their communities.  I always come back exhausted but with a lighter load.

Its one of two weekends a year where we all get together and shed our responsibilities as wives, mothers, sisters, and working professionals to just enjoy each others company and relax.  I LOVE IT!

Even this weeks car fun is not dampening my spirit.  My radiator is leaking so my wonderful husband has taken it out and ordered a new one - which we are praying will arrive on Wednesday - so for this week we are carpooling together for work.  Even though this morning was a little rough for us matching our times together we made it out the door.  We got to drive in watching the sunrise and sharing time for conversation that we normally don't get.

It is going to be another busy week - heading into some down time.  My step daughter will graduate with her AA this weekend, a month before she graduates high school, due to Dual Enrollment.  She is an amazing young woman and we are so proud of her!

Update on buddy/Jocelyn -
   She had a glucose monitor put in yesterday - which went very well, except them finding a spot to put it, because you need a fatty spot and she has no body fat!!  Now they have to take her sugar readings 4 times a day and not give her any medication to see what is going on.  We are all praying for answers as to why she is feeling "weird".   She has PT today and Wednesday.  If you would like to follow Jocelyn's journey you can go and like this page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hope-for-Jocelyn/351637158314602.

Also because Jocelyn spends so much time at the hospital she has been given a page for her Hero Package. Check it out here: http://www.gamerosity.com/heroes/jocelyn-nocito

Happy Tuesday, may it be filled with many blessings!

Today's picture: My step daughter and I before she received her award at convention for youth leadership!

I'll take it

So it was race week - and as my last post showed it was a great success!!!  Of course that also meant my focus on my eating and exercise was not as high as normal.   However I must be doing something right as I only gained 0.4 pounds.

With Convention this weekend for my Woman's club - GFWC Sebastian River Juniors (General Federation of Women's Club) I will have to stay on my game to make sure I lose this week.  And as GI Joe always said "Knowing is half the Battle!"

And just to keep me on my toes I'm dealing with a minor injury!  Walking too quickly out of the house I smashed my hand into the cement pillar by our front door.  I let it go until yesterday, thinking it was just bruised, but woke up with my hand all tingly and the pain high.  I got it xrayed yesterday, still waiting on the results, but the doctor wants me in a wrist brace for at least a week no matter what the xray shows.  Ah well, nothing new right?! :)

Buddy/Coach Jocelyn Update:
 She has lost some weight so her button for her j-tube was to big and had to be replaced with a smaller one, hopefully this helps with the pain she was having with it.  She is still feeling weird and will need to see another specialist to see what is going on.  She also has what they call bacteria overgrowth and that eats at the lining of her intestine.  Please keep her and her family in your prayers.

Picture of the day: My sister and I about 2 years ago when she came to visit me, just her -  a mini mommy vacation.  I wish we lived closer, but we make the most of our times when we are together!

AMAZING!

Oh my goodness what an Amazing weekend.  If you have been following my posts you know that Saturday was the BIG Egg Scramble 5k that Melanie and I have been planing since August.  2 1/2 weeks ago we only had 22 people signed up, we were wondering if all our hard work was going to be worth it.  Then by Thursday we had 78 people, and we were feeling a little better.  We continued to pray and we were not disappointed - final racer count after registration closed Saturday at 5pm ....... 138!!!!

It was crazy and awesome and hectic and wonderful! We got a lot of compliments on how organized it was - which is amazing because this was our first year!
We are already planning next years - mark your calendar for April 4th 2015 Egg Scramble 5k!!

Find the links below to see great pictures from the day.  I'm still grinning from ear to ear!

Jocelyn and I wore matching shirts!! Here are those pictures.  She has 3 visits to CHOP this week, and might have to have surgery for her tube, so keep those prayers going for her.

Post by Space Coast Event Management.

Post by Egg Scramble 5k.

Fantastic News

Ok so because of hours changing my weigh in day has changed to Wednesdays.  This week I am down another 3.6 pounds!!!  WAHOO!!!  I'm also starting to see some definition from the weights I've been pushing, which is really kinda cool :).

We started assembling the runners bags last night - its real now! We have the shirts, the bags, the bibs, the goodies!!!  We have 77 runners!!!!!  We've also been informed there are more planning on signing up, at least 5 that I'm aware of.   Its so crazy to believe that just two weeks ago we were only at 22 runners signed up.

The power of prayer - I'm sure of it.  Saturday morning there is a Run or dye Color run 5k going on in our town.  When we originally selected this date there was no races in our community.  I'm not afraid to say we were disappointed when this run choose the exact same day we were already signed up for, but we prayed and left it up to God.

As he promised he has us in the palm of his hand!

Buddy/Coach Jocelyn update - well she has to have an appointment at the surgery center for her tube.  For the next two weeks she has 3 appointments a week at CHOP, but she is a fighter with a smile.  Please continue to keep her in your prayers.   We will be wearing matching shirts on Saturday - her's is in the mail and should arrive tomorrow, I have all the stuff I need to finish mine.

Happy Thursday!! May it be filled with many blessings

Asking for help - please help spread the word

Are you the parent, aunt, uncle, friend, etc of someone with special needs?  Have you been reading my posts about my buddy/coach Jocelyn?  Well how did I start running for Jocelyn?  I joined a group called I run for Michael.  What they are all about http://www.whoirun4.com/about-ir4/.

Well we have runners that are waiting 6 months to be matched up with a buddy/coach.  This is a two way relationship that give support, love, and encouragement for all involved.  I look forward to the post and conversations with my buddy every day.  When excuses start to talk me out of my work outs, I am reminded of Jocelyn and all she goes through and all those excuses just disappear.

Are you interested?  Know someone who you think would be interested or could benefit from this support? Those with special needs are matched usually with in a day.  Then you/they need to check out http://www.whoirun4.com/match-me/ it will tell you exactly how to sign up and join the facebook community that will start offering you support from minute 1!

Transformation Tuesdays

In case you haven't noticed, facebook has days of the weeks that people have taken to post picture that meet the criteria.  Tuesdays seems to be transformation Tuesdays (#TT), Thursdays are throw back Thursdays (#TBT).  So in honor of that and just finishing Live Healthy America 10 week challenge I looked back at my running career.

Here is what I wrote up in response to the Live Healthy America request for response:

My story isn't from just this year but over the past 4 years.  It all started May of 2011 when my sister and I decided that we would run Disney's Expedition Everest 5k obstacle course and scavenger hunt the following year. The race was 5/5/2012. I spent the rest of the year training and then decided to check what a Disney race was all about and ran the Disney Halloween 5k October 2011, this was my first 5k ever.

I have PCOS - poly cystic ovarian syndrome - and I struggle with my weight.  It didn't seem to matter what I did as far as eating or working out, but I wasn't going to let that stop me.  I continued on - each year participating in the Live Healthy America 10 week challenge, which always seemed to come just at the same time my frustration with weight loss was getting the best of me.  I would sign up with a team and renew my efforts for those 10 weeks and beyond.

I am still struggling with my weight, but this year I have found what is called Maximized living for my nutrition plan and paired it with my 2-3 days of running and 2-3 days of weight lifting and I am finally starting to see results on the scale and on the inches lost.

To date I have run more than 15 5ks, 1 10ks, and 2 1/2 marathons.  I have another 1/2 marathon scheduled for this November, though 5k's are still my favorite distance. Most exciting for me coming up on April 19th -the Egg Scramble 5k will be taking place in my community, an even that I have been co-organizing since August of last year.  We currently have 70 runners signed up.

If you would have told me 4 years ago that I would be a 1/2 marathoner and would be organizing my own races I would never have believed you.  I am so proud of where I have made it and know there are great things in my future.

I run 4 buddy/coach Jocelyn Update:

She is still feeling weird, so the EEG is being rescheduled.  She had PT yesterday and worked really hard!  Her tube is still burning and bleeding, so if by mid week it is still causing problems they will have to go back in.  She has been having glucose issues, which have made for some long nights.  Please keep her and her family in your prayers.  And through it all she smiles and if the weather is good she goes outside and jumps on her trampoline or has meet ups with friends.  This girl is my super hero!

Measurement Day

It's been a month since I last took my measurements - ok one day short, but I have a lot of plans for tomorrow so I took them today.  This clearly shows why the pants fit better : ) and I couldn't be more delighted.

Today is weight day and I will be continuing my current plan of HIIT with weights.  It seems to be having great results and quickly.  Two words I do not use easily, or often.

So with out further ado, the measurements:

	9/1/13	3/12/14	4/11/14	Change
Upper Arms	16	15.5	15	-1
Chest	46	46.5	46	0
Waist	48	47.5	47	-1
hips	54	52.5	52	-2
thighs	25	24	23.75	-1.25

Jocelyn update: 

It was nice up in PA yesterday and Jocelyn had a nice trip to the park.  She is still in a lot of pain, but always smiling.  I love this girl!  Have you checked out her page? Hope for Jocelyn.  Please keep her in your prayers, she is awaiting some exciting news (I will share when I can).  

an up and a down

So I awoke today to put on pants that use to be tight fitting normally!!! Wahoo!

Then I went to weigh in .... And to my surprise I gained 2 pounds.

Ugh! So goes my weight loss journey. I am chauking this weeks weigh in to my body adjusting to the changes I'm making.  I am choosing to celebrate my pants fitting better and to my success in speed training this week. 0:20 more seconds off my 1 mile training time.

Non-scale victories are just as important to celebrate.

We are down to 9 days before the egg scramble 5k race I have been helping organize since august! It's crazy that it is finally here.  This next week and a half are going to be crazy busy with details, buy I love it!

Update on Jocelyn (by IRUN4 buddy) - her results from her brain MRI show that her brain tumor is stable, which is good news!!!   She was not able to go in for the overnight EEG because the hospital called and said they had a lot of patients with the Flu.  If Jocelyn gets the flu she has to have a hospital stay, because he immune system cannot fight it.

Happy Thursday, may it be filled with many blessings.

Still Kicking

It is one of those dreary, raining days that really makes me want to curl up with a good book.  I really didn't want to go to the gym, but I run for Jocelyn and she is at CHOP today having a brain MRI and tomorrow she is having an EEG.  She goes out, she has tutoring, all while her stomach is really bothering her and she is feeling weird.  If she can do all that I can bring my behind to the gym.  So off I went.  Today I lifted and I maxed out on all my weight.   My arms feel like they are floating!!

Then on my way back to work I got a surprise visit from my husband.  He had to go to a meeting at a different building and just happened to be heading back when I was returning from the gym. :)

Happy Tuesday, may yours be filled with many blessings.

GREAT Day!

What a GREAT Day!!!

It could have started off very badly, as I set my clock, but forgot to set it for Saturday - Thankfully I woke up at 6:50.  I had set my running cloths out the night before as I had gone out with a girl friend Friday night.  This allowed me to be race ready and in my car and on my way in 20 minutes.

I made it to the race in plenty of time and was able to help with some set up needed.  Then it was off to the races.  My last 3k was in February with a time of 29:34.  I wanted to better my time .....   off we went and I followed my training plan of intervals  .... SCORE!!! with a pace of 14:09 min I PR'd by 3 min!! 26:31!!!

Then it was home for a quick shower and down to the Fellsmer day parade - to play with the GFWC Sebastian River Junior's Marching band.

After the parade we were able to stop at the local produce stand and came home with spaghetti squash, beans, and a cherry tomato plant! YUM!

Then after coming home, and recovering from the day in the sun I got a special delivery in the mail - Pictures Jocelyn colored for me!!! There is picture of them below.

Now it is off to date night of dinner and a movie with my husband!  Thank you to my brother and sister-in-law for the Christmas give of tickets to the movies!! :)

Off to date night!

Happy Saturday! May it be filled with many blessing!

Jocelyn update - she has been feeling very "weird".  She doesn't know how else to describe it.  Please keep her in your prayers that she can feel more like herself.

A new find

Had the opportunity to try something new today.  Pea Protein.  Mixed with Kale, Spinach, almond butter, and almond milk.  It was a bit chauky, but very good.  Then the last 1/4th of it I got the bright idea and mixed it with my plain Greek yogurt.  That masked most of the chauky and was also very good.  :) Happy day when new foods taste so yummy!  Thank you to Meili Burleson  @  Stayfit Health Clubs for this great new find.

Happy Friday, may you have many blessings.

Jocelyn's stomach is giving her problems and she is in a lot of pain - so please pray for that to ease.

Please keep all my MN, Wis, northern friends in your prayers - they just got dumped on with A LOT more snow.  School has been canceled for my nephew.   Stay safe, and if you can stay home up there.

Today's picture is in honor of Jocelyn:

I know you've all been waiting .....

So yesterday I promised details after my weigh in today.....

So first this week is a 3.8 lb loss!!!!  That is incredible for me.  In the past when I have managed to lose weight it has been at most 1 lb at a time.  Most of the time it was 0.5 lbs or less at a time.  Which I happily took, because it was way better than gaining.  But Wow!!! 3.8.  I am on Cloud 9!

So you all know about the homeopathic remedy, because of posted about that.  What is new is after seeing my parents success on Maximized living I have tried it.  When you read it, its not all the different of an approach that I've been taken, however there is one big difference ..... I have completely cut out all sugar - of any kind.  The only sugar that enters my body right now is that of the natural kind found in fruit.  The rest about good carbs and good fat I had already incorporated into my diet.

Yes my tea tastes different, there are some that I'm not as fond of, and there are some that I like a little better.

I love the work outs - they have a DVD set (which I haven't tried yet) but there system is basically the HIIT (high intensity interval training) principle, but for not super athletes!  I have applied this to the workouts I have already been doing 5-6 days a week and have noticed a difference.

Just to clarify I am not sponsored by them, I get no compensation in any way from them - it is just the first thing for me that is having such a dramatic effect so quickly.  Now for me I do believe it is the combination of this new focus on what I'm eating along with the upped dose of the homeopathic remedy I am taking.

I could not be more thrilled!

Joselyn update: she will have a glucose monitor put in on the 28th to see if they can get that batter under control.  We talk daily and are having a great time getting to know one another.  Please keep her and her family in your prayers.

Happy Thursday, may it be filled with many blessings.

P.S. If you want to read more about Maximized Living you can go to: http://maximizedliving.com/

Peace

Today is April 2nd - today is world Autism awareness day.  The color of the day is blue.  I have met some very special young people that have this condition and so I wear blue today to support them.

I also think the high dose of the remedy and the new plan I'm following is working.  The new plan is really a combination of a couple things I've done in the past and was still following, but removing one more thing ... what was that one thing, what plan am I following?

....


You will have to stay tuned till tomorrow to find out. :)

Happy Wednesday, may it be filled with many blessings.

Running Buddy/Coach Jocelyn:
  Had therapy yesterday and it was a lot of stretching.  She thinks she will probably need to be in a back brace, but she has a really good attitude about it.  Right now its all about not being in pain.

Joy news: They are home from the hospital!!!! Wahoo! Every one is happy and healthy. Thank you for all the prayers.

Words of Wisdom to pass on today

From PCOS Diva (https://www.facebook.com/pcosdiva)
"Don't approach your PCOS as a battle to be won, a war to be fought or an enemy to be conquered.

When we treat PCOS as the enemy, we give it more power over us. It becomes something to reject and suppress rather than a situation where we have the possibility of learning what is off balance in our lives. It may be physical, emotional, mental, social or spiritual. I believe it is all connected. It isn’t just about taking a pill, eating a low carb diet and killing ourselves at the gym. Healing is so much more than that. This is what I work on with women in my programs. It takes a holistic approach

When you wage a war or battle against PCOS, you are empowering the enemy, but when you say, “how can I heal my life and find peace and balance” then some incredible things happen."

This is a really healthy reminder for me today.  I have been on this journey for what feel like a very long time now, but only over the last year and more importantly the last 4 month really taking the holistic approach of healing instead of fighting.  I am seeing progress, real progress, that is sustainable for the first time.  But it took this whole journey for me to get her and be acceptable to this process.  

Happy Tuesday, may your day be filled with many blessings. 

IRUN4 Jocelyn news:

  She is back at CHOP today, intense physical therapy and too look at her tube.  It came out the other day and was bleeding.  So many prayers for her today please.  She is one strong young lady!