This whole raw food thing isn't that bad!

Today is Day 5 on the whole raw food thing. My goal is two weeks... Here is how it has gone so far:



Day 1: My juicer broke Monday morning. I thought about pushing my start date back a week, since the juicer is pretty important! But instead I just ate what I needed to, and exchanged my juicer that night. It tended to complicate things a bit, but in the end I am really glad I decided to stick to the original plan of starting on Monday October 19 no matter what!

Day 2: Nothing really happened that was overly memorable on day 2. My roommates and I went out for ice cream with some friends that night, so that was my first real challenge. I really wanted some ice cream! I don't even like ice cream that much so I thought it was funny that I was so tempted to sneak a bite! :)


Day 3: This was the first really hard day. While I still didn't feel hungry, I am eating LOTS, it was the first day I started getting really tired of the fruits and vegetables. I tried eating some raw almonds and they are not good. I usually have baked, salted ones.



Day 4: Everything really started to catch up. I don't know how people do this 100% for their entire life!

Oh well... Maybe I will do it every other week or something.

Raw Food Diet...

Has anyone ever tried a raw food diet?

Well, I am going to start one on Monday October 19...no if's, and's, or but's.

Wish me luck!

I'm done being ordinary...

I want to start being extraordinary!

It doesn't matter how the world sees us. How do we see ourselves? If we see ourselves as being simply ordinary, then that is all we are. However, if we see ourselves as being extraordinary then we are. It is that simple.

What makes someone extraordinary?

Ordinary people want to make money, extraordinary people want to make a difference. I want to make a difference! I want to become an Ironman so that I can motivate others to set and go after seemingly impossible goals.

This raises another question. How do we make a difference? There is no right or wrong answer to this one. I think we all have opportunities to make a difference. How many of us take advantage of them? I know I am certainly guilty of letting some opportunities pass me by. One of my favorite quotes is "Opportunities don't disappear, they go to those who seize them!"

If we want to stop being ordinary, and start being extraordinary we have to start seizing opportunities when they knock at our door.

Have you made a difference today? Do you see yourself as being extraordinary? Have you made someone smile today? Sometimes that is all it takes.

Ironman 70.3 Boise

So as many of you know I don't train or race on Sundays. This is very difficult as I only have Saturdays to do long rides/runs. It also complicates race selection since so many events are held on Sundays...especially in the world of Ironman.

I think I will be ready for a half ironman next summer. The distances for this are swim 1.2 miles, bike 56 miles, and run 13.1 miles. You have 8 hours to cross the finish line.

While I am technically still unable to run, I know that I am almost there. My ankles rarely hurt anymore, and I have been playing intense ultimate frisbee every week now. I know that means I have been running, but in my opinion the doctor only told me that I could not do long-distance running. Frisbee is a lot of sprinting back and forth so hopefully I am not breaking the rules on that one. ;)

Part of being ready for a half ironman next summer will also require making an investment into a new bike. My trusty hybrid has been good to me...actually on second thought it really hasn't. The chain pops off anytime I try to downshift, and the tires have way too much traction for longer rides. I am hoping to buy a Cannondale. I love the feel of those bikes, and they are popular in the triathlon community. However it will take some time before I can afford one, so until then I continue to train on my (un)trusty hybrid.

Boise 70.3 is scheduled for June 12, 2010 which is a Saturday. The problem with this one is that it is in Idaho and will require some tough hill climbs. I would need to fly to Boise a few times before the actualy event to train in the climate as it is very different from what I am used to on the East coast. These are some of the factors I am trying to weigh into my decision and therefore I have not signed up yet. I hope to make a final decision in the next few weeks. Since it is one of the few races that does not take place on a Sunday, it may end up being my best bet.

Any thoughts? Has anyone done this race before??

Setting SO BIG goals...

"Set a goal so big that if you achieved it, it would blow your mind!" Stake Conference Boston 2007

I was reading through an old journal and I found that quote. Unfortunately I didn't write down the name of who said it. More than likely it was the Stake President. It sounds like something he would say.

Setting the goal of becoming an Ironman before my 30th birthday is definitely a huge goal. If you know me, you know that it is a super huge, and seemingly impossible goal. I know that when I achieve it, it will totally blow my mind.

Sometimes it is hard to stay motivated when we make long-term goals. I am definitely going through one of those phases. I know that it is the challenging times like right now that will make the victory even better. When I cross that finish line one day, I will be filled with emotion.

Crossing the finish line is a day I constantly dream about. I have to admit, sometimes I don't think I am capable of it. I am too big, losing weight is taking too long, and I have too many health issues. Those are some of the things I think about when I get in this mood. But then I think about the joy that will come from crossing the finish line, and I kick my butt back into gear.

I have set a goal so big that when I achieve it, it will blow my mind! That will open the door for me to share my testimony. I know that God lives. I know that his son, Jesus Christ, lived, he died, and he lives again. I know that one day I will have the opportunity to return to live with him. I am thankful for his love, and for the atoning sacrifice of my savior Jesus Christ. I want everyone to have the comforting love that comes with this knowledge.

I hope that one day I will be able to share this testimony with people all over the world. I especially dream of the day I will be able to motivate the youth to set SO BIG goals. If I can finish an ironman (which I can and will one day) then I know nothing is impossible. ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!

Got milk? Got a sippy cup?

I love milk! Actually that is the understatement of the century. Drinking a big cold glass of milk is how I start and finish most days. I also drink a glass with most of my meals throughout the day. Don't get me wrong, I am a big water fan as well...but nothing beats my addiction to milk.

I do drink skim milk so hopefully it is not too bad, but nonetheless I am working on cutting back and making the switch to more water. With all of the training I am doing it is important to stay hydrated.

In order to help cut back, I have started drinking my milk from a sippy cup. The kind that are made for toddlers. You have to work really hard to get the milk out of the cup. It is built like this so that if a toddler drops the cup it doesn't spill all over. I have found that it helps me to drink less because I have to take smaller sips. Therefore I get just enough to quench my thirst but I am not guzzling the whole glass in seconds.

Anyway, not sure if anyone else has this problem, but for me it has been very helpful over the past week. When I had my jaw surgery years ago I had to eat lots of baby food (even though I was 16) because I couldn't chew anything but needed the nutrients. I always said that eating baby food was an awesome diet! Well this sort of takes a little of that 16 year old mentality...but just using baby tools...not eating baby food. :)

Discover the Champion in YOU!

Every Sunday I watch Joel Osteen on TV. I know he is not of my faith, but he is very inspirational. These are some of my notes from today. Sorry if they don't make a lot of sense to you.

Today's message #414 was on explosive blessings. Some of us are planning on having an average year, but God is planning on an extraordinary year. He has supernatural opportunities, supernatural healing, and his is planning on doing supernatural things in our lives. It is going to be a year where new seeds of promise will be planted in our lives.

Joel talked about three words we have to constantly repeat when things look down, "Lord I Believe." Whenever we think we can't do something we are told to do, just say "Lord I Believe." There are so many biblical (and for that matter BOM) stories that show the way the Lord can multiply our strength but we just have to believe and be ready for the supernatural and amazing things that will be done in our life.

I want to dare to believe in supernatural increase. I know my job is not my source, but God is my source. When we put our faith out there we are allowing God to show up and do supernatural things.

PSALM 37:4 says "Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." God is longing to be good to us but we have to get our thoughts in the right direction.

Genesis 18:14 is where God said to Sarah "Is any thing too hard for me Lord?" Joel even said we could phrase that "Is there anything too wonderful for me Lord?" I like that. We have to make a decision to stay in faith. When we believe it sets a series of events in motion.

I have the faith to know that I am going to see supernatural increase and explosive blessings. Without that faith I would not be able to even dream about becoming an ironman.

He even talked to us single people...He encouraged us to know that someone great is going to come into our path. We just have to believe that we will be in the right place at the right time to meet that great person. God knows what we need and how to get it to us.

For more information on Joel Osteen visit his site at www.JoelOsteen.com

My Custom Orthotics are AWESOME!

I know I was technically told to hold off on running for at least another couple of weeks. However, on Friday my custom orthotics came in. They are amazing. I was told to only wear them for a few hours the first few days to slowly build up to getting adjusted to them. I 'accidentally' wore them all day on Friday. Then on Saturday I played ultimate frisbee in them. Which as you know has a lot of running!

I continued to wear them the rest of the day on Saturday. I even did some light short jogging Saturday night, and my feel still feel great. I am going to keep taking it easy because I don't want to mess anything up, and obviously the treatment is working. But at the same time it is really hard not to run when my feet and ankles feel better than they have in years! This is truly an answered prayer.

I have always said my weakest link in the ironman is the run...hopefully with my feet getting better I will be able to run more and improve making the run my strongest link! Wouldn't that be incredible!!?? I mean after all in 7th and 8th grade I did cross-country. So I should be able to go 26.2 miles now that I am older but still young. We shall see. I am super excited to try and now I cannot wait for my next doctors appointment. I hope he tells me it is okay to start training again!!! Wish me luck.

I can Go the Distance

I have never been a fan of Michael Bolton, even as musical as I was.  I always thought his music belonged in an elevator and never on someones collection of favorites.    That being said, one of my new favorite's is actually a Michael Bolton song.  But it is from the Disney movie "Hercules" so it is ok.    Here are the lyrics:   I have often dreamed of a far off place Where a hero's welcome, would be waiting for me Where the crowds will cheer, when they see my face And a voice keeps saying, this is where I'm meant to be   I'll be there someday, I can go the distance I will find my way, if I can be strong I know every mile, will be worth my while When I go the distance, I'll be right where I belong   Down an unknown road to embrace my fate Though the road may wander, it will lead me to you And a thousand years, would be worth the wait It might take a lifetime, but somehow I'll see it through   And I won't look back, I can go the distance And I'll stay on track, no, I won't accept defeat It's an uphill slope, but I won't lose hope Till I go the distance, and my journey is complete   But to look beyond the glory is the hardest part For a hero's strength is measured by his heart   Like a shooting star, I will go the distance I will search the world, I will face its harms I don't care how far, I can go the distance Till I find my hero's welcome, waiting in your arms   I will search the world, I will face its harms Till I find my hero's welcome, waiting in your arms     I just think that is an amazing song.  It is definitely getting added to my play list.  I think we can all be hero's.  A hero to me is someone who goes the distance [in anything].  Sometimes life is hard, but with the strength that comes through faith, anything (and I mean anything) is possible!    I know I will cross that finish line one day.  I hope it is before I turn 30.  I can go the distance!

"Face Trials with Smiles"

I recently read an amazing article on lds.org. It is entitled "Face Trials with Smiles" and was published in February 2008 in the New Era. Here is a link to the article:



http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?hideNav=1&locale=0&sourceId=d64682066bda7110VgnVCM100000176f620a____&vgnextoid=024644f8f206c010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD



It is about a boy named Porter who only has one arm. His story is very inspirational. My favorite quote from the article is when Porter tells the reader to "Tackle your biggest trials with your biggest smiles...Do everything happy. When I'm happy and I'm enjoying what I'm doing, I do better at it. No matter how rough the road gets, you can always make it a happy situation. Just put it in the Lord's hands, and then do everything you can."

I want to face all of my trials, the big and the small, with smiles! :)

Strength and Patience

I am going to start coming up with some scriptures every week that I find during my scripture study.

This is one of my favorite scriptures so it is only fitting that it would be the first one to appear in my blog.

"And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his might winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are build, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall." Helaman 5:12

I just love that one because it reassures me that as long as my foundation (testimony) is rock solid, there is nothing that can stop me from accomplishing my goals. Assuming my goals are in line with the plan the Lord has for me.

These are two scriptures I found recently while studying "Patience." I really like them!

"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us" Hebrews 1:1

When I read that one, I knew it was going to make the list. I think the concept of setting aside all the weight (worldly distractions) and our biggest sin to run the path that is set before us. Since I truly believe I am supposed to be taking this journey to becoming and Ironman before my 30th birthday, this scripture could easily become one of my new favorites.

"For I know that thou wast in bonds; yea, and I also know that thou was stoned for the word's sake; and thou didst bear all these things with patience because the Lord was with thee; and now thou knowest that the Lord did deliver thee.

And now my son, Shiblon, I would that ye should remember, that as much as ye shall put your trust in God even so much ye shall be delivered out of your trials, and your troubles, and your afflictions, and ye shall be lifted up at the last day." Alma 38:4-5

This scripture helps for a lot of reasons. I think it is interesting that I would find so much help from it considering the fact that I have never been thrown into prison and starved like Shiblon was. Nonetheless it gives me strength. We all have trials, troubles, and afflictions. But we will all be lifted up at the last day if we are patient, faithful, and continue to put our trust in God.

No running for at least another month...

Went back to the doctor yesterday, and the doctor told me to continue to hold off on the running. I guess my plantaar fasciitis is pretty bad! I received another set of injections, and was also molded for custom orthotics. He told me to come back in 4-6 weeks to re-evaluate. However he also said that it will probably take a few more months before I can start running for real again. Until then I need to stick to the activities that don't put a lot of stress on my ankles and feet.

I guess that officially rules out any additional races for the year. But hopefully I will be as good as new for next year's season! :)

Foundation Search...

I have always said I want to be a motivational speaker one day. I want to use becoming an ironman to help motivate others. I figured the best way to do this is to start finding a foundation and/or organization to begin supporting. As I race, I will raise money directly for the foundation. I will also want to volunteer to speak for the organization to motivate the youth.

Ideally I want to find an organization to support in the greater Washington area. Also ideally, the organization would have something to do with fitness. Maybe it helps educate on childhood obesity, or sports activities. Maybe it is just a boys and girls club. I definitely have LOTS of experience with Bowie Boys & Girls Club. Most people don't know that I was the 1999 Bowie Boys & Girls Club Girl of the Year. That was pretty awesome. Unfortunately that was 10 years ago, so I am pretty sure it would not get me anything today. Nonetheless, I am open to any worthy cause.

Oh well...if anyone knows of any organizations that may be looking for someone like me to help out, let me know! I would love to contact them.

Injuries, injuries, injuries...

Sorry I have not written lately, but I have been a little out of commission.

So three days after I finished my last triathlon I hurt my back. I started feeling it while I was at work on Tuesday. It started out as a mild pain, and became worse and worse by the hour. By the end of the day I could barely move. I called my hometeacher, and asked him to come give me a priesthood blessing. I am very thankful for the priesthood! By the next day I was a lot better. I ended up working from home so I could take it easy, and just stay in bed with my computer all day. It helped a lot.


On Saturday I had a deep-tissue massage. I think I felt worse afterwards than I did before the massage. For about two days it felt like my entire body was bruised. But I guess it worked because after a few more days I felt great!

I decided to continue to take it easy for a few more days. I was in a wedding on the 25th of July, and wanted to be feeling well enough to dance! :) The wedding was fabulous and I danced the night away without any back pain. It was awesome!!

On Monday I had an appointment with a podiatrist. Since my ankles have been causing me pain in the mornings, and when I run I had made the appointment way back when. It turns out that my feet are in pretty bad shape...not sure how that happened. Oh yeah...apparently it is because I always go barefoot or wear flip flops. As it turns out, wearing a small heel sometimes would have been really good for my feet. So the doctor gave me cortisone injections (one in each foot) and told me to stay off my feet as much as possible for a week.

So here I am...a couple days shy of being able to run again. Hopefully by wearing more supportive insoles in my running shoes (soon to be custom orthotics) and never wearing flip flops again, my feet and ankles will start being a little friendlier to me.

So that sums up my last few weeks. Fun stuff let me tell you. I guess injuries is how you know you are a real athlete. Or maybe it is injuries that make you an uneducated athlete...not quite sure.

Oh well....laterz!

I finished my second triathlon! :)

I completed the Colonial Beach Sprint Triathlon on Saturday, July 11, 2009.

It was awesome! I really enjoyed this one, and am definitely going to try to sign up for it again next year. The distances were Swim 750 meters, bike 14 miles, run a 5k.

I have to admit, when I first got there I was really nervous! Everyone seemed very professional. This race was very different from the last one I did. Most of the people had really nice bikes. Plus there was no athena category. I was definitely the biggest person there!

They had things on the ground that your bike was supposed to slide into instead of the rails to hang your bike on. I freaked out a little when my bike didn't fit. My tires were too wide. It is funny looking back at it now. Luckily they let me keep my bike out of the rack, so it stuck out a little. I am just glad I had a kickstand!

I enjoyed the swim a ton! It was not very crowded in the water, so I was not worried about getting kicked in the face. The guys were in white caps, and their wave started about 3 minutes before ours did. We wore blue caps. Once I made it through approximately half of the swim I started passing a few white caps. That was a pretty cool feeling.

When I made it out of the water and into the bike transition...there were still bikes there! This was really cool! It meant that I was not anywhere near the back of the pack. I quickly hopped on my bike, and began the long journey. I was happy that not many people passed me on the bike, and I was even passing a few people. I should give a shout-out to Katrina...she passed me around mile 4. You go girl!

I had some gel around mile 7. My heart rate went from 160 to 148 after eating the gel...I think that is a testimony of the stuff! As nasty as they are, I guess they work.

I finished the bike a little ahead of my goal time. I took my time in the bike to run transition. I had something to drink, and then headed out for the final leg. I truly hate the run. Lots of people passed me on the run. About half way through the run, I had another gel. At the end of the run, I sprinted and ended up passing a girl in my age group. We had been neck and neck ever since the bike ride. I was very proud of myself for going so hard at the end. My final time was 2:12:49.05 (the girl I passed came in at 2:12:49.90...see how close it was)!

Some pics are below...


This would be me trying to attache the race number to the race belt...you would think it would be easy.
Getting body marked. This lady was really funny. She even made some stars on my shoulder...since this was only my second race.

Right before the start...Katrina and me showing off our race numbers.

Heading to the beach for the start. I was actually a little nervous for this one.

The beginning. This is just a handful of the blue caps. There were probably around 100 of us or so.

Happy! Can't tell if this is before or after the bike.

This must be the finish...I am way too happy for this to be the start of the run.

This is my sprint at the end. I was neck and neck with this girl the whole time! It felt so good to pass her in the final second of the race.

Right before my sprint finish...maybe? Maybe it is the start of the run...really not sure.

So this clock is 3 minutes off. I was in the second wave, and this clock shows the time for the first wave.

Katrina and me after the race.

My mom was so great! I love her so much! I am so glad she was able to take the day off to share this experience with me. :) I have no idea why she has my sweaty race belt around her neck.

Just make it to the parking lot...

Ok, so on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I meet with my trainer. Therefore it is easy (or easier) to get up and make my way to the gym because I know I have to pay for it even if I don't go. However, on Tuesday and Thursday it is up to me to have enough motivation to get up when the alarm starts going off at 4:15am.

I have really enjoyed sleeping in on many Tuesday's and Thursday's. I wanted to sleep in today! I was soo tired. It sometimes feels like my head barely hit the pillow before the alarm starts buzzing. So my new thing is that I have to get up and make it at least to the parking lot of the gym. If I am still too tired to work out then I can turn around and come home.

My parents always did this when we were kids. We always had countless activities at night. Frequently we would want to play with our friends instead of going to swimming, or track. My mom would always say we have to get to the parking lot...if you really want to come back home after we make it to the parking lot then we can leave. That never happened. We were always very happy to be at the activity once we were there.

Sure enough when my alarm went off today, I forced myself to get out of bed...I kept telling myself "just make it to the parking lot...just make it to the parking lot." Guess what?! I made it to the parking lot! I ended up taking an xCyclying class. It was AWESOME! Marvin, the instructor, was amazing. He had way too much energy, but it helped to keep the class motivated that early in the morning.

If it worked today, hopefully it will work again next time! All I have to do is make it to the parking lot. :)

Pictures from the Rocky Gap Triathlon

Here are a few of the pictures from the triathlon. There are tons more on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2089329&id=38001150&l=50dcc0d295

Here I am getting registered.

This is me taking off my clothes so that I could get numbered.

This is a picture of the three of us just before heading into the water for the start. Here is Katrina and me right before heading into the water.

So this picture does a very good job at showing how overly excited I was to get started.
Coming out of the water...just after the swim.

Starting the bike leg of the triathlon.

Starting the run leg of the triathlon.

Here is a picture of me actually running the run.


We did it! We all finished. This was taken literally seconds after I crossed the finish line.

Me: "I finished...do we really need more pictures?" But as you can tell, I was too happy to complain...
As if the day could not have gotten any better, we found this awesome restaurant to have lunch at. It was so great having my daddy there to share this whole experience with! He sure is the greatest.

I FINISHED!

Ok, so I met my #1 goal for my first triathlon...I finished! I am a little disappointed that I was unable to meet the #2 goal of running the entire run, but maybe next time. Just for the record, I was able to run most of the run (although I am certain I could have walked faster).

I am amazed at the camaraderie of all the athletes during the triathlon. It was awesome! Everyone cheered for everyone. It really made it a lot easier to keep going.

I am not going to make any excuses for my finish time (even though it was roughly 26 minutes slower than I was hoping for). However, if I were in the business of making excuses, in this case I would totally blame my bike and my goggles.

My trusty old goggles kept fogging up. Not a big deal because you cannot see anything anyway. But it did make it difficult to keep an eye on the orange thing in the water I was trying to swim to. I have already invested in a new pair of goggles. So no excuses on that one for next time.

Second, my bike is not made for triathlons! I have a hybrid commuter bike. It is a great little bike, but just could not handle the hills (or in my opinion MOUNTAINS) of Cumberland, MD. My chain popped off a total of three times. Every time I downshifted to go up a *mountain, it popped off. Finally, towards the last 4 miles I decided to just leave it in a high gear. It took too long to fix. The downside to leaving it in a high gear is that it was quite a work-out on my legs...the same ones I needed to use to run the 5K.

But like I said, I am not in the business of making excuses. I am in the business of helping politicians make excuses for broken campaign promises in the last election so that they can get re-elected. ;)

So with one triathlon under my belt, I am ready for my next one! I have already began a more intense training schedule and regimen. As of next week I am going to start a more intense (as in more nutritious) diet. Oh boy...not looking forward to that part.

My personal trainer, John, kicked my butt yesterday. Today I met with a different personal trainer, Dan, at the new gym I joined and he kicked my butt too! After I spent an hour with Dan, I went for an hour long swim. Not sure if that helped, or if it is a contributing factor in the pain/soreness I am currently experiencing. Meeting with John again tomorrow morning...

Have not edited the photos from the triathlon yet, but will post soon!

First Sprint Triathlon Tomorrow

My first triathlon is tomorrow. I am super excited! I guess I should be nervous, but I know that a big part of this sport is mental so I refuse to allow my nerves to overtake my mind. My two goals for tomorrow are finishing (I guess that is a no-brainer) and running the entire run.

I think this race is going to show me how much work I have to do over the next five years if I really want to become an Ironman finisher. I know one thing is for sure...it is absolute craziness to even think about an Ironman anywhere in my future. But I am a firm believer of being able to do ANYTHING you put your mind to. This weekend will help me determine my level of motivation, and will hopefully mark the start of an awesomely exhilarating and exhausting new hobby. :)

The details of my first race are below. Will post some photos and my split times soon!

Saturday, June 13, 2009
YMCA Rocky Gap Sprint Triathlon
Swim ¼ mile, Bike 8 miles, Run 3.1 miles
Rocky Gap State Park
Flintstone MD
Race Website
http://home.comcast.net/~rockygaptri.2009/site/
Description
2009 YMCA Rocky Gap Triathlon:
Lake swim followed by a rolling country road ride finishing with a run on hard surface in the park.
Course Info
Sprint Course Information:
The swim is a 1/4 mile basicly straight swim in Lake Habeeb.(temp 70-72).
Bike course is 8 miles on paved roads. the course is out and back with rolling hills.
The run is 3.1 miles inside the park on paved surfaces. Directions