Imagine What You Can Accomplish

So I just got back from a run/walk. I'm on Week 4 of C25k. I've done the workout 2-1/2 times since I've been in Vegas. I think I am going to do it one or two more times before I advance to Week 5. As you can tell, I am not doing this religiously. My move and road trip threw my exercise schedule out of whack - I just wasn't willing to make it a priority during that time (sleep, packing and driving were more important). Now that I am somewhat stable, I am more comfortable making the time for it. I'm scared of Week 5, even though I don't know what it is like. I haven't been killing myself during Week 4, but it has still been challenging. I can only imagine what Week 5 holds for me! But one thing that is lovely is that I was right about running in Vegas. It is so nice to be able to go out in a long-sleeved t-shirt, a sweatshirt and running tights and not be cold. (I also have a headband I put over my ears.) The sun is shining, the view of the mountains is breathtaking. Fabulous! In fact, my mom and I are going with her hiking group on a New Year's Day hike. It's longer than I've done before, but I think I can handle it. I'll bring lots of water.

I have been thinking about new year's resolutions after reading some of your blogs. I hadn't thought about making any this year, but after reading your's I am getting inspired. I've found it's hard to think about resolutions when the biggest thing on my mind is getting a job. But, I am reminded by the adage that is attributed to the late John Lennon, "Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans." I have found that to be true the whole time I've been looking for a job. I've reached my goal weight and I'm almost at lifetime, I've started running, I've done a cross-country road trip all by myself, and I'm sure there are other things that just aren't on top of my mind. So, while I am looking for a job I obviously have the time and energy to do other things. So, keep a look out for my resolutions. As usual, thanks for inspiring me :) !

Viva Las Vegas

Okay, so I wrote this post 2 days ago and then had computer trouble and it didn't save and so I lost the whole thing. I'm going to try to remember everything I had to say, but I'm sure I'll forget something. First and foremost, I'm safely in Vegas. I arrived on Christmas Eve from Albuquerque, NM which was a lovely place that I've been to about once or twice before. Little city, but beautiful during the holidays.

I only exercised once during my 9 day trip - I jog/walked through my uncle's neighborhood in Mississippi one afternoon. It was nice and made me realize I was ready for Week 4 of Couch-to-5k training. I had done Week 3 training one week before I moved to my sister's in Virginia, but I kept doing it once in a while during my journey - like at my uncle's. I started Week 4 a few days ago in Vegas. It was great. I can't believe I actually ran for 6 minutes straight! (It was only supposed to be 5 minutes, but I forgot to look at the clock on my iPod.) I did the whole workout once and then did half of it a few days later. I am going to do it again on Monday. I might stay doing Week 4 for two full weeks since it is so tough. (It transitions from mostly walking to mostly running from Week 3.) But, I need to look at Week 5 to see if that gives a more gradual increase, or another shock :)

I enjoyed food immensely during my road trip. Everything from a frosty at Wendy's somewhere in the south to pistachio encrusted salmon and a local wine in Marfa, TX. I made a few disappointing choices - the shrimp creole in Mississippi just wasn't that great. But, all in all I enjoyed myself and tried to make smart choices. Now that I am at my parents' it is a whole new set of challenges. They eat differently and at different times than I do, so I am faced with a whole heck of a lot more temptation than I was when I had my own place. But, I'm managing. I haven't used all my flex points yet for this week. (Granted, my week started on Thursday :) I'm just taking it one day, one morning, one afternoon at a time and trying to have faith in myself that I'll make more healthy choices than bad ones. And I am trying to exercise more. I'm going to walk to Target this afternoon, which is about a mile each way.

I went to my first new WW meeting on Thursday morning. I am back under my goal weight and I have only one week left until Lifetime! :) But, I am staying with eTools on the WW site because I know I MUST continue to track points for foreseeable future. The meeting leader wasn't on my wavelength, but he obviously cares about the people in his meeting and tries to give them good information. (He has this thing he does every week where he shows packages of food from various grocery stores and gives their portion points values. Everyone was expecting this and there were a lot of pens and notepads being pulled out when he started this segment of the meeting.) But ... he isn't Melvin my meeting leader from Maryland. I don't think I will go back to that meeting, but I do think I will go to a meeting each week. It was good to feel grounded like that and not just get weighed and leave like I usually do when I visit my parents in Vegas. And the familiar process was nice since everything feels different right now. I'll let you all know what the meeting leader and meeting is like next week.

Okay, I think I covered everything. I hope you are all well. I'm still trying to get through the last couple of weeks on all your blogs, so expect comments from me in the next day or so :)

Don't Mess With Texas

Hey y'all. I'm in Abilene, TX today. I had a lovely dinner at Outback last night - seared ahi tuna (one of my favorites) on a bed of mixed greens and cucumbers with a side of broccoli and a little red wine. Love-ly. I had it all planned out to go to a WW meeting here last night, but I got in 2 hours late. There's one in about an hour, but I just don't want to get lost looking for it. I got lost last night and it isn't an experience I want to repeat! :) So, I guess this is one of the few weeks in the past 15-16 months that I won't go to WW. It feels weird and I miss it. I will definitely be going next week when I'm in Vegas. I think I am still on track. I weighed myself at my friend's and my uncle's places and I was 140 at both. Sounds good to me! Guess Lifetime will just have to wait a few more weeks.

I hope you are all well. I haven't had time to visit your blogs and I miss hearing what is going on with all of you. It's just tough when I've been driving for 7-12 hours each day. Oh, if you are interested in reading about my adventures, email me at trixiebelden2006 at yahoo dot com and I'll send you an invitation to my travel blog. (It's private for security reasons.)

Take care! Y'all come back now, ya hear!

Trixie

On the Road Again

I'm in Mississippi now. I've been doing pretty good on the eating, but not so good on the exercise. Zero exercise for about two weeks now. I've just been so tired when I get up in the morning I haven't had the energy. And I haven't had the energy to do it after a day of driving either. I drove about 12 hours yesterday from Tampa, FL to Jackson, MS. Good weather. Good tunes on the iPod. Last night's dinner was a salad with no dressing, tilapia and vegetables and copious amounts of Diet Coke. But I did have a small McDonald's shake with my pasta salad for lunch. It was disappointing. I wanted a frosty, but there wasn't a Wendy's around. I won't make that mistake again.

My grandmother, who I saw in Florida, was cute when she saw me. She hasn't seen me with all the weight off. Actually, she didn't know I was trying to lose weight - we just don't have that kind of relationship. She'd worry and bother me about it. It was better that it was a surprise. She did say "I was wondering where the other half of you went to." I ended up laughing instead of being offended. I mean, if that's the worst thing someone says to me, I'll take it. And she's 84. I mean, I gotta cut her some slack. And lastly, it is basically true. Ah ... relatives :)

Now I need to go on the WW site to find a meeting for the city I'll be in in Texas tomorrow. I want to stick to my Thursday weigh-ins, even though I'm on the road. I've been weighing myself on people's scales, but it isn't the same.

Off and truckin'

Does Driving Earn You Activity Points?

I've just started my road trip. I had a lovely dinner in Savannah, GA. Salad with hearts of palm (which I had never had before and were surprisingly yummy) and roasted mushrooms and mussels in a wine sauce with red peppers for dinner. (Sorry, no food porn.) I did have three glasses of wine, so I wasn't an angel. But, it was better than getting the cappuccino since they said, and I quote, "we don't have skim milk in house" How crazy is that! I haven't been to WW online to see how many points it all was. I am going to try my damnedest to go for a run tomorrow before I get back in the car.

Time for bed. I'll check out all your blogs at my next stop. Take care!

A New Road Trip Blog

So, I've decided to do a dedicated travel blog for my road trip. I'll post pictures and give daily updates of where I am, what I've seen (besides rest stop bathrooms), and who I am visiting - including pictures of all the dogs and cats I stay with during my trip and any good Christmas decorations I see.

The only reason why I'm not going to do it on this blog is because I want to invite some family and friends to read the travel blog who I don't want to read this blog. So, it is going to be invitation only ... but if you want to have access to it, just post your email address in the comments and I'll include you on the list. Sorry for the hassle. I'll still post here during the road trip, you just won't get the exciting details! :)

I'm excited for the trip, but I'm also nervous. I wish I could just go home and be in my old apartment surrounded by the familiar. I don't think I have been between homes in about 11 years.

I have been making pretty mediocre/bad food choices for about a week now and I haven't been exercising. Traveling leads to temptation for me. I am also stressed about the job situation. I think that's why I had ice cream last night (albeit light ice cream, and I ate it in a small bowl so maybe it only looked big). It was so good I wonder what real ice cream tastes like! :)

Home

So, now I'm sitting on my friend's couch with her cat Maddy in Manhattan. I have my favorite hazelnut coffee by my side as well. I got in last night and immediately it felt like I was coming home. The busy sidewalks, the traffic, the cold air, it just feels right.

I haven't mentioned this yet, but I got an invitation to move in with another old friend who lives in New York. He has a two bedroom with a cheap rent (under $1500 for the whole place) and I could move in in January/February 2008. (Yes, he's a guy, but we've been friends for 12 years and there's no sexual tension/interest there on either side.) He would be an awesome roommate, which is not the living situation I am looking for, but I don't have a lot of options right now. (The apartment/neighborhood is a little divey, so I have to check it out to make sure it is some place I'd really feel comfortable.) So, I need to run the numbers, but I think I could afford living there and paying rent/utilties if I got a good temp job even before I got a career-focused job. But, as you know, I am driving cross-country in a matter of 8 days to move in with my parents in Vegas. Moving to New York would be stressful because I would have more fixed expenses than in Vegas, but NYC has more job opportunities for someone in my field. But, to add another element to this story ... I got a second interview with a major casino/hotel/resort company in Vegas. I speak with the VP of Executive Recruitment next Wednesday and if that goes well I'll be invited to their offices to interview again around Christmas. (A stressful, but positive, way to celebrate the season if you ask me :) So, needless to say, things are very up in the air with me.

Well, I found a Weight Watchers meeting, no lie, 1 block from my friend's apartment. It starts in 40 minutes, so I have plenty o' time. I just ate a bagel the size of my head (ahhh, New York), but I am trying to tell myself that it was whole wheat so it wasn't that bad - ha ha ha :) Hopefully this third week of maintenance will have positive results. (Maybe I should add another ticker to my blog to track weeks on maintenance.) I feel like I have so much more to tell you all, but I will save it for other posts this weekend. Take care!

In Flux

So, here I sit on my sister's couch with the TV on mute (a re-run of Gilmore Girls is on) and two sweet little dogs curled up next to me. They'd be on my lap right now, but that's where my computer is. I am all moved into my sister's house. Granted, many of my boxes are still in her living room, but all I'm waiting for is the green light from my brother-in-law as to where in the basement to put them.

This is the first stop on the "downsizing my life" trip. If you remember, I gave up my apartment to save money. I am leaving for my cross-country roadtrip to Las Vegas in about a week and a half. I'm nervous about all the driving, but excited to see all the different places in the country decorated for the holidays. Living and cooking in another person's house is difficult. We made different things for dinner last night, but she was super understanding and didn't judge. I did have a glass of wine afterwards, but just one. I think maintenance is going to be very challenging while I live here for two weeks, travel cross country staying with relatives along the way and then move-in with my parents in Vegas. I don't think my parents are ready for me to cook something different for dinner than what they are having. Guess I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. They have been supportive all along my weight loss, I hope they will be understanding when I move in.

So, here's my route for my cross-country road trip:

Start: Northern Virginia (outside Washington D.C.)
Stop: Savannah, GA
Stop: Tampa, FL
Stop: Jackson, MS
Stop: Abilene, TX (or somewhere in Texas)
Stop: Marfa, TX
Stop: Albuquerque, NM
End: Las Vegas, NV (hopefully on December 24th or 25th!)

Any suggestions of places to stay, things to eat or places to (quickly) see while I am in one of these cities would be greatly appreciated. Oh! and suggestions about what to take in the car to eat and have on hand so I don't succumb to Wendy's frosties for all my nutrition would be greatly appreciated.

Kate Harding's Shapely Prose

So, I was just hanging out on the Angry Fat Girlz blog and saw a reference to Kate Harding's blog Shapely Prose and thought I would visit it. I. Am. Blown. Away. I haven't gotten through many of the back posts, but I want to draw your attention to these posts:

* Don't You Realize Fat is Unhealthy? ... Here she talks about blogging about fat acceptance

* It's Not All About You (Or Me) ... Here she talks about how blogging negatively about ourselves effects other bloggers. I am guilty of this, but in my defense I think we have to learn from our mistakes. I think self-acceptance is difficult for most of us.

I've only spent about 10 minutes on her blog and I am dying to meet her and have a cup of coffee with her and pick her brain. I don't know how you all feel about the concept of "fat acceptance," but I am all for acceptance movements and I am still having conflicting feelings about all the compliments I receive for losing weight. (I mean, wasn't I a good person before I lost all the weight? Didn't I deserve attention then too?)

So, Happy Friday!

Packing

So I just dropped my parents off at the airport. It is always nice hanging out with them for the holidays. I am back in my apartment, which is now starting to look like someone is actually moving out on Saturday (which would be me). There are empty boxes in the corner waiting to be packed ... My dining room/office is now the moving staging area where furniture that has been deconstructed and boxes that have been packed are being stored until they are taken to my sister's house. We took two car loads over there yesterday. I'm going to try to take over more on Friday - and hopefully I'll be able to get another load over there sooner so that Saturday morning will be pretty easy and just my furniture. I have lovely friends who are helping out my sister, brother-in-law and I on Saturday. I just don't want to wear them out - did I mention I live in a 4th floor walk-up?

Yesterday I probably climbed the 3 flights of stairs to my apartment 5-10 times and, shockingly, my legs don't feel it today. I don't know if it is the running or the weight loss - probably both. And, I felt fine doing the moving up and down the stairs. It is awesome to feel this healthy and capable!

Okay, so at this point I am basically procrastinating either a) packing or b) grading extra credit assignments. I kinda want to go back to bed, but that would be the pinnacle of laziness. I need a game plan for packing the rest of my stuff. I think I am going to search online for packing tips. I'll share any good ones I find.

Random/Weird Things About Me

Okay, so I just got home from AT. "Black Friday" as they like to call it in the retail industry wasn't as scary as I thought it was going to be, or maybe our store just sucks - ha ha ha. (Don't get me started on how corporate screwed up the Q4 '07 fragrance launch!) I'm just glad to be home and I gain more respect for service industry workers every day.

So, Alanna has tagged me (thanks for thinking of me Alanna!). The subject is weird/random things about me. Well, you be the judge if they are weird or random, or even actually about me:

1. One of my best friends won the National Spelling Bee in junior high and was on Johnny Carson (Yes, I'm so old that Carson hosted the Tonight Show. We were bummed she didn't get invited onto Letterman.)

2. I played soccer for 8 years as a kid and in high school, but quit my senior year to become a pom pom girl with the marching band. My reverse-feminist act of teenage rebellion. Yes, damn it, I am smart, and yes, damn it, I want to wear a short skirt and shake pom poms at the Friday night football games! Ah, my misspent youth.

3. When I lived in NYC I volunteered with the Central Park Conservancy to do gardening in Central Park. It's like having this huge, famous backyard where you get to plant flowers.

4. At my first job I named a mixed drink for Grand Marnier, but they never marketed it. It was called the Grand Parisian (I know, super creative. I came up with 200 names. There was a $250 prize and I wanted the money baaaad :) I think they call it the Grand Cosmopolitan instead.

5. My family's nickname for me is Lump because my initials are LMP. It's endearing, believe it or not.

Okay, now I have to tag people. I pick ...

Angelfish24 at Patience
Vickie at Baby Steps V
Kim Under Construction

I want to see hear some random and crazy stuff people! :)

Pre-Thanksgiving Edition

Hey there, so I am packing up for a short trip for Thanksgiving and then I have to work at AT on Friday and Saturday, so I won't be around for a few days. I got in a C25K training "run" this morning. I started Week 3 - so I had to run for 3 minutes straight. I was kinda nervous about it, but it ended up being fine. I wasn't too out of breath at the end of the 3 minutes and I felt like I could have run longer. My left heel was bothering me the whole time though (and my underwear was falling down the whole time - I haven't replaced my workout shorts or most of my underwear since I lost all the weight. Looks like I know what I'm going to be putting on my Christmas list :) It really isn't bothering me now, and it wasn't bothering me during the walking intervals. I don't know if it was psychosomatic pain or just stiffness in the morning. I'll keep you posted if it happens again. I'm planning on at least one long walk tomorrow, nothing on Friday (traveling and working at AT) and then running again on Saturday before I got to AT in the evening. I'm really liking this running thing. My mom was shocked when I told her I got up this morning and ran before breakfast. I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks!

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday whether you spend it alone or with family and friends. I'm thankful for all of you! Happy Thanksgiving!

Cupcakes

The potluck dinner on Saturday was fun, but it was an eating minefield. I did pretty well and avoided the things I couldn't identify the points for. But, I indulged on 2 small potato pancakes, 2 Black & Tans and 1 Magnolia Bakery cupcake (which I haven't had since I left NYC). I could have done without the potato pancakes, but the other choices were definitely worth it - although I probably would have been just as happy only having one drink instead of two (I was a little foggy the next day. I'm still getting used to alcohol at this weight.) According to my new points allotment I still have 16.5 flex points left for the week and since my weigh-in day is Thursday, Thanksgiving starts a new week for me. I'm glad I don't have temptations like this every weekend! I don't know how you guys with active social lives do it!

I did the 3rd workout for week 2 of C25K today. It was awesome. I felt really good and strong. And it was the first time I didn't get any cramps or stomach problems. I wonder if it was because I hadn't eaten for like 6-7 hours before I ran. Other runs I had eaten an hour or two before.

Oh, I wanted to thank Vickie for the suggestion of the maintenance blog to visit. I had gone there, but I haven't checked her archives, which I think I would relate to more. If anyone else has any new blogs they think I should stop by, please suggest them!

Lovely day for a Black & Tan

Thanks for all of your lovely comments about reaching my goal! It is so great to get all of your support! It really meant a lot to me! :)

So, I am getting used to my new daily WW points. Now that I'm on maintenance I have 24 points, up from 20. I told myself on Thursday that I was going to try to ease into it. So, on Thursday I only used 21 points. Then yesterday I used 26.5 points. Ooops. I did "earn" 2 activity points - an overly generous allotment for my Couch-2-5K workout on Friday. I guess I'm just getting used to handling more points. I mean, of course there were days when I'd use 26 points, 6 being flex points, when I only had 20 daily points. (Sometimes I feel like a crazy person with all this talk of points, but I actually do think it is easier than calories. But, whatever works for you is what I say.) So, what I am trying very badly to say is that I am trying to not over analyze things, but to stay "on plan" as the kids like to say these days.

I have a potluck to go to tonight. I was going to be a good little WW person and make something from a WW recipe. Instead I have decided to bring a not-so-WW friendly drink to the party - ingredients for a Black & Tan (Smithwick's, or Bass, topped with Guinness). [The theme was bring a dish or beverage from your ethnic background, and I'm Irish.] It is an odd choice, because I don't really drink anymore. I don't plan on having more than one. I hope everyone else isn't as lazy as I am and that they actually bring food! Although I did eat a late lunch on purpose so I wouldn't be ravenous when I was surrounded by all the food. I'll let you know how it went tomorrow.

So ... I Hit Goal Today :)

Yep, that's right, I hit my WW goal today! I was hoping it was going to happen. I closed my eyes when I stepped on the scale. My meeting leader weighed me and didn't understand why I had my hands covering my eyes (why I did it I don't know because you can't see the read-out). Then he looked at my card and gave me a high five. Some people in line were super cute and said supportive things. It was nice. I hung my WW star charm on my WW 10% key chain. For now, that's all the "reward" I need. I had said I wanted to commemorate my loss with a piece of jewelry, but that isn't in the financial cards right now. Maybe I'll celebrate some other way that doesn't cost money.

I'm nervous about maintenance. I'm definitely one of those people who is scared to eat more. I think what Mouse is doing - taking pictures of her food - is great, but my digital camera doesn't work so that's not an option. I need to concentrate on adding more protein to my diet, not more pretzels :)

It's been a long journey, but in some ways the past 15 months its take to get here have just flown by. One thing I have learned through this trip is that it is the little victories, the 0.4 lb losses or choosing smaller portions, that are necessary and make up the larger victory. I didn't lose over 83 lbs. all at once. It helps to know that with other goals that I set for myself I may not achieve them overnight, but with hard work and dedication, I can achieve them. Right now those goals are going to be 1) maintenance, 2) job search, 3) running - but not necessarily in that order :)

Thanks for all your support! I couldn't have done this without you - even the lurkers :)

Running at 14 vs. 34

C25K was tougher today. I moved to Week 2's workout. I didn't remember it correctly, so I alternated between running for 90 seconds and walking for 60. Your walking interval is supposed to be 2 minutes each. I don't know why I insist on making this training harder than it already is. I think I am going to do it the right way on Thursday when I workout again, or at least walk in 90 second intervals. Running for the first 60 seconds felt pretty comfortable, but the next 30 seconds I definitely noticed was tougher. Still, I could do it without being completely out of breath at the end of the 90 seconds. I'd like to say that my body remembers running and is just readjusting to it - from the days when I played soccer in high school and had 2 hour practices every day. But, that was like 20 years ago (1986-1989 - I'm old!), so it is pretty ridiculous to say that my body is "remembering" anything. But, I am still enjoying myself and looking forward to my workouts. In fact today I cut my errands short so that I could go home and workout. I was all stressed out and needed a release. I remember hating running laps at practice. Now I'm nowhere near running as much as I did then, but its interesting how something you once hated is now something you look forward to.

Treats

So, I avoided the siren's song of Mrs. Fields' cookies today. I always get a medium Diet Coke from there when I work at AT. I don't know why I tempt myself by going there, but I do. Probably because their medium Diet Coke's are big enough to stick your head in. At first it was "every once in a while" that I would get a "nibbler" - her mini cookies. Then it was just one every time. Then on Saturday I had 3. That's okay, but I realized that I wasn't enjoying them that much. That was the kicker. I am all for having cookies, but you have to really enjoy them. If you aren't enjoying it, it's not worth finishing. So today I actually went there twice and didn't succumb. Now I need to find a new treat that is worth it (sorry Mrs. Fields). I'll keep you posted.

Lazy Sunday + C25K Training = Gold

Today is a nice day. I don't have to work at AT and I am pretty well all set with my lecture for class tomorrow. I have a little bit of studying to do, but not much. It's on different types of sales promotions, so it is something all the kids can relate to.

I just got back from the gym - did my last workout for the first week of Couch-2-5K. (I didn't use the incline function like the girl at my WW meeting suggested, but I up'ed the "speed.") It was great! I'm still really liking this and looking forward to running. I felt really confident running and sometimes didn't even check the clock on the treadmill until after I had already run for 60 seconds. I know it doesn't sound like much, but for me, the perpetual non-runner, it is. I'm looking forward to trying the 2nd level, which I think is running for 90 seconds and then walking for 90 seconds for 20 minutes. I'm trying to take a day off in between workouts. I never did that before when I was riding the recumbent bike, but I think it is a good idea since running is using your whole body. Tell me what you guys think.

I have been noticing my body jiggling a lot when I run (I need a new sports bra). I am definitely not toned. But I'm wearing an over sized long-sleeved t-shirt and pretty big shorts, so no one can really see much. No one was in the gym (it's in my apartment complex), so I didn't have a pace car, but the show I was watching on TV had a segment where a guy was running around a track and that was fun to try to keep pace with.

Okay, off to the grocery store and Target - my favorite store in the whole world. But I was just there on Friday, so I probably won't spend too much time there today.

Up in the Air

So I have been eating non-stop today ... pretzels, Taco Bell !?!, Starbucks. I have made pretty healthy choices within those categories, but it still hasn't been a great day. I decided to have eggplant for dinner tonight to be healthy. (Not to worry about not eating enough, I had a late lunch.) I fell in love with eggplant when a friend made it for dinner this summer. I am pairing it with a nice Cabernet/Merlot. I don't drink much any more, but my sister was talking about what she was having for dinner and the wine she was serving and it is dark and rainy outside, so wine sounded like a nice, special idea. I know it will add more points to an already point-heavy day, but I'm saying what the hell, live a little!

So, an anonymous poster asked about some incline advice I had gotten from a WW friend. Unfortunately, it wasn't detailed advice. The WW friend just suggested not using the incline function on my treadmill to save my shins from the stress. She made it sound like it was a bad idea to use it. She did talk about running on pavement, but didn't talk about whether or not she does hills, so I don't know if it is only inclines on treadmills she doesn't like. Sorry I can't be more specific. I'll ask her more questions at next week's meeting and post her answers.

The move to Vegas is 95% a go. I gave notice at Ann Taylor. Thanksgiving weekend is my last day. I'm waiting to hear about a full-time job I'm up for around here. I guess I really won't know until December, but I am definitely giving up my apartment the first week of December and moving in with my sister and brother-in-law. And then there's the job in Vegas I interviewed for today. As you can see, things are pretty up in the air. But, I'll keep you all posted! :)

Couch-to-5K Training Session #2

So, I "ran" again today on the treadmill. I felt a little more confident when I started, but it was actually a little harder to breath for the first 10 minutes than it was during my first "running" workout. It got easier as I stuck with it. And another woman came into the gym and started running on one of the other treadmills. I thought it was going to make me self-conscious, but instead it was nice to try to keep pace with her. I think I did my best when I was running "with" her. I'm sure her speed was set faster than mine, but it still made me feel somewhat like a real runner :) (I know, I'm getting ahead of myself!) I am definitely going to do it again on Saturday or Sunday, depending on my work schedule at AT. I got some good advice about inclines and shoes from a girl I see at my WW meetings. It also gave me an excuse to strike up a conversation - I've been wanting to talk with her because she is close to goal too and I wanted to know how she feels about it. I guess that would have been reason enough to talk with her. I just get shy sometimes. I know, shocking! :)

P.S. I'm 0.6 lbs. from goal!

It would be great if I could make Lifetime before I move to Vegas, but I think that is a little unrealistic. Actually, I haven't figured it out if it's even possible. I'll let you all know.