Week Five Complete!!!

YAY! YAY! YAY! I did it! Week five is a big week because the final interval this week is a 20 min jog. I went out this morning (so nice to run in morning weather) did my five minute warm up walk and started the jog. I felt really good the whole time. I didn't try to jog too fast since my focus was on being able to complete the time-stretch without stopping. There is no way I would've been able to do this with this much comfort five weeks ago (well really seven since I was waylaid for two weeks from the fires and our vacation). I am so glad to see that my fitness level has improved.

On other running news I have joined the Couch to 5K fan club on Facebook so I'm now receiving lots of fitness articles on running and related topics. I've been reading about form and nutrition and running strategies. It has been very helpful, not just because of what I've learned but because it keeps exercise in my mind.

Yesterday I took the kids to Kohl's so I could buy two more sports bras, a running tank, and a pair of shorts. Since I've stuck with this for a little while now, I feel ok about spending the money on more comfortable workout clothing. Don't you know that for the first two weeks of this program I was running around town with just my regular foundations? It occurred to me after one particularly uncomfortable run that they make this fancy product called a SPORTS BRA that is supposed to work really well. So I actually took myself to Kohl's to get one. Just one. The very next run I felt so much better. Sometimes I wonder why it takes me so long to learn the simplest things. Anyways, for the past month I've been rinsing this one sports bra out over and over so I decided to get some more. I am now the proud owner of a small fitness wardrobe.

I have not really lost anymore weight (maybe 1 pound?) but I can tell that I am more fit. I think I have to start paying better attention to what I eat in order for weightloss to happen. In due time. Reading all of the fitness and nutrition articles is now helping me to pay more attention to what I'm actually eating during the day. So it's good. It's a learning process. I already know what to eat, but it is more about being more conscious about it that is the change I need.

Here are the week 6 intervals:

5 min Warm up walk
5 min jog
3 min walk
8 min jog
3 min walk
5 min jog

5 min Warm up walk
10 min jog
3 min walk
10 min jog

5 min warm up walk
25 min jog

Bradley Reunion Day!

You know I always love a Bradley reunion :) Here is the latest group!








































































































Pictured are Brian and Erica with Hazel, Matt and Terri with Madaleine, Erica and Alex with Justin, Kristin and Jeff with Luke, Jamie(me) with Natalie, Danny and Trisha with Landon, Bottom: Kim and Ryan with Jasmine, Francesca and Adam.
Missing were David and Katherine with Anna.

I've gone and done it

I registered for the San Dimas Turkey Trot. 8 AM the day after Thanksgiving. My first 5K. Wish me luck.

Santa Barbara anniversary trip

About two weeks ago we drove up the coast to Santa Barbara to celebrate our 7th anniversary. Our true anniversary is on August 24th of course, but we've learned that everything is always booked or at the highest summer prices so we decided to postpone our trip until early September.

This year was MUCH BETTER than last year! What made the difference? Three simple words- double room suite. I don't think we should ever take a vacation again without just forking over the extra money for a two room suite. For starters, Jason and I were not forced to go to sleep at 8:00pm to accommodate the kiddos (or have the kids stay up until 10:30pm to accommodate us.) And when Nattie needed to take a nap in the afternoon I wasn't practically killing myself trying to keep Fran and Adam quiet so that she could sleep. It made the whole trip so much better. Yay!

We did a lot of things this time too. We went to the zoo, went hiking with Steve, Vangie, and Eleni and had two barbeques at their home. We went to the beach together and on the final day Vangie showed us this park that has a wonderfully large wooden play structure that the community assembled. We'll spend more time there for sure next time.

Happy anniversary to my wonderful Jason. I love you and I love our family!

Week Three Complete

Whew! That was a close one. I'm back on track now after being on exercise hiatus for a week and a half. My first day back I couldn't jog at all. I just couldn't. I was so tired. So I pretty much just walked for 30 minutes. And I felt crummy and grumpy. But today was a different story and now I'm back to being a little jogging machine.

So week three is finally done and now it's time to focus on the week four intervals:
5 minute warm- up
Jog 3 mins
Walk 90 secs
Jog 5 mins
Walk 2 1/2 mins
Jog 3 mins
Walk 90 secs
Jog 5 mins

I can tell right now that I'm going to have to write that down and take it with me. I do not always stick to the intervals anyways, but I like having some focus of what I should be doing. If I am on a jogging interval and I feel good then I jog for as long as I'm comfortable. And likewise if I'm just having a really slow day then I'll skip the jogging altogether and just walk! The intervals are a good guide though and I like having them. It's encouraging.

Despite my time off I have lost 5 lbs so that's kind of cool.

Scrumpdillyumptious

This little Tweety Pop is the tweetiest little tweety ever. She is so smiley and so sweet sweet sweet all of the time. I have to get a picture of her smiling her big smile. It is so precious. Whenever I try to take a picture though she can't stop staring at the big black camera that is in front of her face (hence the look on her face in the first picture.) So she stops smiling. One of my favorite pictures in this bunch is the one of her nursing. Can you see those sweet little feet pointed together? On those chubby widdle legs? And her little round head? I love it.

Natalie is now 3 1/2 months old. I forget how much she weighs. But she's right where she's supposed to be. And she just smiles and laughs all day. She's a mellow baby. Sometimes I joke around and say it is just like carrying an extra purse because I grab her and turn her around and she rides on my hip all over the place. As long as she has something to look at, she's all good. She is completely accustomed to hearing shouts and whoops in her ears as the kids play all around her and in her face all of the time. She doesn't care. But if I clear my throat, she looks at me all startled and cries. I guess I must sound like an angry animal or something. One of her favorite things to do is stand up on my tummy when I'm laying on the couch. Then I get to enjoy the sweetest laughs and smiles and expressions. It makes the 9 months worth it to see that and just have all the nice cuddling.