Small Changes...

Well Hello there!

The mid-point of the year is here!  AHHHH! 
Well I am going to try to not focus on the lack of time I have.  I know once I get serious and get into a routine, anything is bound to happen. 

Things have gotten a little better.  My eating has gotten better.  My workouts, are few and far between.  But I hope to change that shortly.  Summer is around the corner, we have extra daylight after work and I am now keeping a few changes of workout clothes in the car.  The goal is...When traffic is bad, instead of sitting on the 405 freeway, I can stop and go to the gym or even stop at a park and go for a walk.  I have a plan, it's time to implement it.  I have been driving around with a change of clothes in the car since Tuesday!  It's going to happen I promise.  The plan in place...Implementation will happen shortly!

Good news...my legs are no longer cramping up.  But  for some odd reason my right leg continues to swell up on me.  I always thought it as dehydration, but I have been drinking anywhere from 2-3 liters of water these last few days and no relief.  It is not painful, but there is no reason why just my right leg would be swollen.  I plan to go get some celery & apples and juice them.  Get some stuff to help flush my system and my liver. 

My Victory for the Week:  I've gone all week w/o Soda! 

Time to Re-evaluate things...

Man time is a flying.  My last post was in March and back then I said, I was resetting my weight loss journey.  I am now in May and well the reset button has not been pressed yet!  What is wrong with me?

Today was a different day of sorts, I really had the desire to do better today.  I got up this morning and frantically prepared myself for work.  And it was frantic since I did not prepare anything the night before.  I made my breakfast, a protein shake, my lunch, and ironed my clothes all before leaving the house this morning.  And when I say made my lunch, I really mean made.  I was cooking chicken at 4:30am! LOL!  I must have been meant to be, I got it all accomplished in time and made it to work on time...actually 10 minutes to spare.

When I was at work, I was taking inventory..June is almost here.  June...6 months into the year and little to no progress has been made on this weight loss Journey.  If I remember correctly, I have 31 weeks until the end of the year? I will double check that fact,  but...time is running out on me!  I have got to kick it into high gear!  I was moved today to apply to be a PrayFit Ambassador.  I just felt like it would be a goal, something I should try.  We shall see what happens, all they can say is no, but I tried.

Monday May 18th...Fuel and Fire
Pre-Breakfast: Protein Shake mixed with 6 ounces water, 2 ounces of milk, dash of magnesium, and a dash of Spirulina powder.

Breakfast:  4 Scrambled Eggs, Seattle Best Drip coffee, Banana

Lunch:  1 Chicken Breast, boiled Broccoli

Dinner:  Lamb Burger, Cranberry Cooler, & Passion Fruit Cheesecake

Fire:  Evening walk...51 minutes

My legs have been cramping up a lot lately.  I read online that muscle cramps are a sign of magnesium deficiancy,  Luckily for me, I have some powder magnesium tat my doctor gave me last year to help with constipation, so I am using it to see if it will help my muscle cramps.  I'll let you know how that works out.

Today I felt really inspired, really motivated to move forward, so I hope this is the beginning of a new path.

This thing called Love...

Sigh!
I wrote on my vision board the word Love!  That one little word...those 4 little letters are the HARDEST to understand. 

2014 much to my surprise..my heart was pleasantly surprised.  A guy who looked and gazed at me with what I called such admiration and love.  It was a struggle for me to receive it.  I ran and hid from it for song long.  We talked about it, spent time together...I was scared to let my heart be completely open to it.  I took baby steps into it, at times I stood still from the fear and at times, I did a full out retreat. 

And here it is now 3 months have gone by, and the gaze of admiration, the gaze of love is gone.  At first I was okay, well at least I told myself I was okay.  I prayed, I said God you are in control.  I have feelings for this one, I really felt I could be in love with this one, and I am trusting that things will work out in time.  That's where I left things...Trust in God, though I missed seeing him, and talking to him.  I am trusting that he will come back to me.  No he is not with someone else, but is currently out the state, something he does, he has family there, and his kids are there.  3 months he has been gone..and what broke me of all things? 

A picture, a simple picture of him with his song, hanging on the wall at his mom's house.  I have been so messed up and jacked up since seeing it.  LOVE...so heavy.  The matters of my heart...so heavy. 

I just truly hope Love find it's way back to me. 

3 Days in...

Start the third day of the New Year!  There is so much in my head and my heart, I don't know if I can contain it in a post!

My excitement for the New Year continues.  With that excitement comes some serious heart and life issue that I must deal with.  It is so easy for me to fall into guilt, shame, and depression, when I consider what all I have to take care of! 

I started off the New Year with one of my loves, take pictures.  I started 2015 at a neighborhood park watching the first sun rise of the year.  This is my second year doing this, and it is the most amazing thing.  Yes the sun rises every year, but it just seems like that first sun rise is better.  It was really cold that morning..39 degrees.  When I got to the park it was dark, I was alone, no one was there yet.  I didn't want to get cold and for safety reasons I stayed in the car until my friend showed up.  Even the the moments of darkness in my car, my eyes caught these 2 amazing trees in front of me.  They were beautiful!  My eyes began to wander and again, I caught a glimpse of lights coming from some of the houses in the neighboring hills.  I don't know what it is, but the smallest light in darkness is so pretty.  My eyes kept wandering around the darkness and much to my surprise I could see the highrises of downtown Los Angeles!  Here I am at a park maybe 12-15 miles away and in the darkness, I can make out the lights and words on the buildings.  I could see Citibank, U.S. Bank, Aon...amazing!  That made me get out of the car with my camera in hand.  I was determined to get a good shot of Downtown in this darkness!  Well all my attempts falled, it was so cold my hands were shaking and every picture was blurry!  Oh well I said, I got back in the car...and boom...Life lesson! 

Even in the darkest of situation there is good, there is beauty!  Darkness is not blindness!  As dark as it was, my eyes were fully functioning and I could see.   I saw alot in the darkness!  But why?  Because I took the time to look!  It made me think of that scripture ears to hear, eyes to see.  Clearly not a direct bible quote, but you get the gist.  We have eyes, but are we using them to see what is around us?  We really don't have to be succumb to the darkness around us.  Yes there is a lot of darkness and lots of bad times, but in those bad and dark times, there is something of beauty in it, there is someting good in it.  I just have to make my eyes wander and look for the good!

My friend arrived and we ventured to spot where we thought we'd see the sun come up.  I have noticed that the sun likes to play and hide and seek.  We stood in area looking for the colors in the sky to change and we saw nothing.  We walked over to another area, in the same park and the sky was completely different.  We could see the oranges, and the reds and the yellows. We knew that the sun was coming up over here!  Now the sky is pretty darn big, but its amazing how at that moment time.  the sky was many different colors.  If you looked one way, you could see "sunrise" colors, another area it was grayish blue, and in another area it was completely blue and very light, like the sun had already came up!  It takes but a few minutes from the moment we saw the sun peak up from behind the mountain to it full risen state.  The sunrise is beautiful, but its the changing in the sky that always captures my attention.  It's like God puts on a pre-show before the sun comes up!  Those 15-20 minutes before the sunrise is just spectacular! 

After my sunrise adventure I meet a friend for breakfast.  We don't hang out that often but when we do, we seem to always have these heartfelt conversations.  I don't really consider myself a people person, and certainly don't open up to people.  But somehow this friend, that I have only known for a short time, I feel comfortable with.  I tell her things, that I have never told anyone.  She is really easy to talk to and she gets me, well I think she gets me.  She understands what I am trying to say when I can't really phrase it well.  So after our 2 hours in Ihop...yes we ate and sat in IHOP talking for 2 hours! She left, saying well, I hope you don't mind, but I am going to check in on you, to make sure you are doing what you are supposed to be doing.  I told her that was fine, I needed the help.  Even me saying I need help, is a big step, but we'll save that one for another day.

Friday (day 2 of the New Year) nothing to Epic to write about.  I had to work, just is just so useless, so boring.  I hate being there, I really do.  But I need a pay check. 

So here we are the beginning of day 3.  What a day it has already been!  My doctor had recommended to me that I attend these overeaters anonymous meetings.  TRUTH:  when she first recommended it, in my head I said, I am not going.  I really refused to go, and every time she asked about hte meetings, I made up an excuse as to why I had not gone.  I had my monthly check in with my doctor and in her usual fashion she asked if I started the meetings.  I said no, and again said, but I will.  Full well knowing I had no real intention of going!  Something changed with me from Dec 15th to Dec 31st, because here I was on the computer when I got back from Vegas looking for a meeting I could attend.  I sent 2 emails and I got one response and here I am, January 3rd, I have attended my first meeting. 

Most of the meeting was alot of talking.  Which we all know I am not a fan of, but there were some things that were said that were helpful and motivational for me. 

1. God will do for me what I can not do for myself
2. I am among equals, I am not better than and I am not less than.  We are all equals
3. Admit you are Powerless
4. Ask for Help (again a discussion for a later date)
5. Feeling disconnected is essentially lacking love
6. Ask God to change your perception

I could write ooodles on these,, and like I said it was random people talking.  People went forward and shared there experiences and these are some of the things said that rang true for me.  Looking over this list, that I wrote.  on the back of a christmas card I had in my purse since I didn't bring a notebook, much of it relates to things I put on my vision board. 

As with anything new and with my overly critical nature on the drive home, my thoughts about the meeting ran through my head.  Thoughts of well I didn't like this, I don't like that, I am not sure if this is for me.  I got off the freeway and decided to stop at the 99 cent store for a notebook.  I figure I will need a notebook just for these meetings.  I parked  and I sat in the car for a while and bursted out in tears!  TRUTH:  On the drive from Santa Monica to the 99cent Store I had almost talked myself out of continuing these meetings.  TRUTH: It was in the few moments of just sitting in the car I realized I have a problem with asking for help!  I sent a text to my pastor while I was sitting in the parking lot.  My text was: 

There is a part of me that likes being a problem solver.  But I'm the problem and I can't fix me.

The response:  Yes, now we can surrender to God

Which made me think of #1:  God will do for me what I can't for myself. 

The words I Can't as of today, January 3 have a completely new meaning for me.  I can't do this in my own strength, I can't do this on my own period...I need help, I can't rely on will power.  I will rely On Jesus, cause HE WILL do everything. 

So on that note, I end this post.  There is much more to say.  I could talk about how this has exposed a whole other area of PRIDE, UNBELIEF, etc, but enough has been said.  I have 362 other opportunities to write and I am sure at some point all these things will be discussed or at least come up again.

But now I need to rename this blog...It's no longer just about Fitness.  It's about everything.  At somepoint the name will change not sure, but if you come on here and see a new name, you'll know why.

2015 Vision Board

Trying something new for 2015.  A have a few days before the New Year rolls in, and the last few days, I am trying to prepare myself for a different 2015.  There was an event among some friends  of mine to create a vision board for 2015.  I was not 100% clear on what a vision board is, so let me give you some tidbits from what I found online.

What is a Vision Board?
A vision board is a tool used to help clarify, concentrate and maintain focus on a specific life goal. Literally, a vision board is any sort of board on which you display images that represent whatever you want to be, do or have in your life.  Making use of vision boards serves several purposes, some of which include helping you to:

• Identify your vision and give it clarity.
• Reinforce your daily affirmations.
• Keep your attention on your intentions.

This appealed to me since I am such a visual person.  Why make Resolutions?  I think them up, rarely write them down and certainly I never keep them.  My group of friends made their Vision Boards with poster board and magazine clippings, but since I was out of town, and I don't consider myself the arts and crafts type, I was able to find an app in the App Store to create a Vision board on my phone!  The down side to the app is that I don't have a poster to hang somewhere, but the positive is, I was able to save my vision board as an image, which I have now save has my background image on my phone.  Since I am always with my phone, and always doing something on my phone...my vision board will be seen, many times throughout the day.   I will print the graphic and hang on my fridge and also on the bathroom mirror.  I think the more I can see it the better.

The app was very easy to use, there were a lot of graphics built into the app and if you wanted, you could use photos from your phone.  So if you are interested, the app is Iphone & Android friendly.  There is a quick tutorial on the webpage to help you navigate, but it's really easy to use.  Feel free to check it out if you are interested.  Jack Canfield - Free Vision Board App

So I am excited for 2015, It won't be an easy year, but it will be a year of change, a year of transformation and growth.  Here is my vision board for 2015

Happy New Year!

I can't believe that a new year is here!  So Happy New Year!
Last year around this time I already knew what my goals for the year would be.  This year, I have no idea what my goals should be.  For right now the goal is to finish the goals I did not complete in 2013.

I am glad 2013 is gone...It had many ups & downs, and the downs just beat me down like I could have never imagined.  But yet I am still here, TRYING, to get heatlhy, continuing to keep moving and TRYING to lose weight!  It is not a easy task, but I am not giving up!

I did not lose the weight I wanted to last year, I did complete my 36 mile bike ride!  So that was a huge accomplishment for me.  Another long Bike ride is probably gonna get done in 2014.  Still leading up group run with Black Girls run and I have picked up a new group, so now I have Monday Evenings, and Sunday morning events that I host. 

I started off the year doing a 5k..I finished, not the greatest results, but I am glad I was able start the year off with a race.  So for now my race calendar includes the 5k - at the LA marathon in March, and a 10K in April at the Hollywood Half Marathon.  I'll wait and see what else I can get on the calendar.

I hope this year I will be more consistent with my blogging!  Here's to a New Year with New Adventures!

Kyra

2 More Hikes in the Book!

Hey Hey!

Fall is upon us here in California.  The weather is definitely cooling off, its dark in the morning, getting dark in the evening and it makes me sad!  I miss my sunshine!  My outdoor adventures will have come to an end...I think!

Well I have not been posting too much, and for that I truly do apologies!

October has been a fun month!  I hiked twice this month.  Last Saturday, I hiked Fryman Canyon, it is my second time doing this hike.  Yesterday, I did a hike in Rancho Palos Verde.  It was beautiful!  The course runs along side the coast and is near by the Trump National Gulf Course. My tour guide for this trip was my friend Beverly and I went with Dionne and Hailey.  This was also my first hike with hiking boots!  Yup...I now own hiking boots!  I got a deal at Big 5 Sporting Goods....$19.99!

The weather was not on my side.  We had a very very thick layer of fog so we didn't have great visibility.  Normally on a clear day, I am told you can see out to Catalina Island and as far north as Santa Monica.  Now the day after the hike...not too terribly sore.  My sorest area..my calves.  

So here is me and Hailey, in what we called, Natures Living Room.  A spot we found on the hike, looks like someone built a little temporary shelter on the coast!

It was a very foggy day, the pictures of the scenery probably not as nice as they could have been, but here are some pictures I took on the hike.

Rancho Palos Verde Hike Pictures

Long Run Weekend #1

LOL! It's kinda sad that I am even calling this a long run. But it is...for me! It is more miles that I have one in a really really long time. With the days getting shorter and its getting darker, I only have time to get in extra miles on Saturdays and Sundays. So today I ventured out there, I had no goal in mind, I just said I would walk until I didn't want to walk any more.

Well I walked 6.7 miles today, and I am happy to report, I could have walked more, but I didn't know where else to walk to. My body felt okay, I actually felt like I had lots of energy.  So maybe I can accomplish this 1/2 marathon after all! 

Technology aka my Endomondo App says I did an average pace of 4.5mph. 6.74 miles total in 1:29:58!

Not a bad starting point, in my humble opinion!

http://www.endomondo.com/workouts/257285984/1940300

The Day In Review

I know its a boring title for this post, my creative juices aren't flowing. Today mixed emotions. A friend has passed. No warning, she was not sick or ill. Just got a phone call and a text that she died this morning. She will be missed! Wierd cravings this week: 1. I am craving Kale 2. I am craving protein in the morning Breakfast: White Chocolate Latte, Bagel w/ Cream cheese Mid AM Breakfast: Omelette with cheese, green & red peppers, onions, mushrooms, tomato (remember I said I was craving protein) I was surprisingly still hungry after my bagel & coffee so this was breakfast #2! Lunch: Baked Chicken with Yams Dinner: Tuna Nicoise salad Workout: I had planned to go to spin class....BUT got stuck at work late so I went for a walk. 3.81 miles completed! As I was walking tonight trying to sort through my feelings and emotions from my friend passing away, I got to thinking October is almost 1/2 over. December 8th will be here before I know it...how the heck and when in the world will I be able to increase my mileage for the 1/2 marathon? Oh I need to get with it quickly! Time is going by so quickly!

Where's the Blogger?

Hello? Hello? is anyone still out there? I know I have gone AWOL again, my apologies yet again. This time it was due to technical difficulties. I did not have internet at home so it made it difficult to post regularly. I have internet access now, so I hope I can get back on my daily routine of posting about my journey. The bad thing about journeys is GETTING LOST! LOL! Yes I got lost along the way. Oops. But I have made a u-turn and am returning to right road that will get me to my destination. So here is my welcome back! I know I start off the year with another set of goals, I don't think many of them will be completed, but I will contine to strive to complete them. One new goal has surfaced over the last few weeks. I was asked to do a 1/2 marathon, with a friend. Yikes! My friends it has been a while, since I have done one. If my memory serves me right my last one was in 2007. Here I am 5 years later dreading the idea of putting in 13.1 miles in one day! But as with all things with proper training, and a positive outlook, I can conquer. So stay tuned! I'd love to hear what you have been up to during my time away! Peace!

I've been a bad little blogger again!

Hello folks! It has been such a long time! Wow. Sadly I only have a few updates. But I had to come on and make some updates and post some pictures. Well the big news of the day is that I completed the Beach Babe cycling classic! 36-miles of bike riding! Yes...36 miles, it's not a typo. I did not stop much to take pictures. A few times along the route, I did a grab the camera and just snap a shot and hoped for the best. Surprisingly, that method kinda worked. I got some decent scenery pictures, which I will gladly share at the end of this post. The ride was very exciting and nerve racking at the same time. The butterflies in my stomach were fluttering all before the race. I began to think, what the heck was I thinking when I signed up for this race! It almost seemed to big to conquer! But once I got going and took about 20 deep breathes, I gathered myself and had the ride of my life! I had a good time! It is something I would love to do again! Since that lovely bike ride journey on July 14th, I have ventured into a new adventure. Golfing. Yes, Golfing...again, not a typo! LOL! I spent almost all day at the Golf course in Arcadia! We had a quick lesson with Andrew at the driving range and then we were left to our own devices to play 18-holes of golf. I will be the first to admit that golf on tv looks really boring and rather easy. I mean come on how hard can it be to hit a little ball into a hole? Well I am here to tell you, it is rather hard to hit that little ball into a hole. And let me tell you, I broke out into more of a sweat playing golf than I did bike riding. And let me also tell you I was sore for 2 todays after golfing and didn't have any soreness after my bike riding. So ummm...don't underestimate the workout playing golf could be! My next update is non-weightloss related, but it is still an update! I started a new job in June! It is exciting to try something new, but at the same time, I am so terribly nervous! So I am running out time, so I must leave you. So as promised, here are the quick shots I took along the path. Enjoy. https://plus.google.com/photos/103845743747978049274/albums/5910564354532631457?authkey=CIDtvtmBkNW9pAE

Paying for my Laziness!

Omg! Last week was PMS week and I hate to use that as an excuse for my laziness and inactivity, but I am going to this time! I had a horrible week last week. Hate like crap and did no physical activity..well I did one day. Last Monday. So today, I said to self, "Get moving"! So reluctantly, Self said, okay. So at the but crack of dawn, I made it out of the house for a walk. As I was walking I kept telling myself that I must be crazy to be outside at 5am walking! Call me Clinically insane! But I did it. 52 minutes later, I had a little over 3 miles completed. That being said, I was not walking that fast or briskly. But here I am at 11:40am, and my legs are sore. Isn't that pathetic? It does not pay to get lazy! A lesson learned today! I have the day off today, so I am taking it easy. Gonna run some errands, go to the eye doctor, do a couple loads of laundry and hit the pavement later on this evening. See ya next time! Kyra

I humbly plead for your mercy...

Hello, my long lost Blog family! I would apologize for my non-posting. But I seem to be apologizing for that alot lately, so I won't bore you with another apology! I had a bad week food wise...I gave in to every PMS craving I had. I am not going to lie, I enjoyed every scrumptious bite! LOL! It tasted oh so good! Other than this past week, I have okay with the eating and the exercising! I have not tried any new adventures as yet, but now that summer is upon me, its time to get to Kayaking, rowing, and rock climbing! And I am but a mere 6 weeks away from my 36-mile bike ride! I can't wait, I am so excited! Since my last hiatus, I have stumbled upon a few things that I thought I should mention! First...Robek's Juice! I never knew they made fresh juices! Completely accident that I found this out. I was trying to go to Jamba Juice after a beach walk and Jamba Juice was closed so I went to Robek's Juice and to my surprise fresh juices! I tried one, I forget the name of the one I tried, but Its good to know that I can get my juices on the go, when needed! It was not overly expensive. Not expensive like the juices at whole foods. It so hit the spot after that walk on the beach! I found a new website/blog that I enjoy! I am going to add it to my blog page, but its called http://thankyourbody.com. I found so many useful tips and resources on that page! It is becoming a daily read for me! If you have time you should definitely check it out! My curiosity for Raw food is growing, and well...I think Its time I invest in a food dehydrator. I really want to try one! LOL! I am thinking of all the healthy snacks I can make myself instead of buying them pre-packaged and filled with preservatives. I can make my own jerky, my own dried fruits, and I am thinking that Kale chips would come out excellent in a dehydrator. So stay tuned, as you know if I go down the food dehydrator road...you will be reading about it! That's all for now, just wanted to make a quick update now that we are in June! See you next time!

Contemplation of the MInd

Last night it hit me that I had signed up for 7-day detox with the wonderful folks for Fitlife.tv, which is Drew Canole's company.  When this came to my mind, I started thinking, I have to prepare! I have to go shopping, I have to plan!   Sadly, when I have all this intense planning to do, I do it at work! LOL!  So this morning has been very unproductive work-wise, but very productive on a personal level.   7-day Juice Detox, it has been a while since I went 7 straight days on a detox, so there is a bit of nervousness in me.  But it is something that I must do.  I know I need it.

The first thing I did this morning is search through the sale ads to see what produce items were on sales.  Based on what is on sale, I will decide what I will juice for the week.  This is how I juice on a budget.  Much to my surprise, there are lots of goodies that I will need and use for this detox that are on sale!  Carrots 3 lbs for $1, Celery 2 for $1, Apples 2lbs for $1, grapefruit 3 for $1, strawberries 88 cents, Spinach 2 for $1!  I could go on, but you get the point.  So right now I think the only thing I will have to pay full price for are my beets, fennel and Kale.  I am excited and once I get to shopping this weekend, I will be set for my 7-day journey.

Last night I ventured out to a short neighborhood hike/walk.  I feel weird calling it a hike, after comparing it to Temescal, Fryman and Sycamore Canyon this was a walk in the park.  Well not a walk in the park, it was still a challenge, but bit as physically taxing or as long as the other hikes.  The elevation climb was about 400 feet and had beautiful views over the city.  I was so grateful, it was a clear day.  I was upset that I did not have my camera!  This place is fairly close to home, so I have no excuse to get out there more!   I even saw a cute little bunny rabbit along the trail!

Sycamore Canyon...Huh?

Well I am not sure what I was thinking but believe it or not, I did another darn hike!  That makes 2 for the month of April, and my 3 hike all together.  This one was at Sycamore Canyon in Malibu, CA! 

I know I swore off hikes after Temescal Canyon last year, but I ventured out to Fryman Canyon, and now Sycamore Canyon.  So let me rank these for ya...Temescal Canyon was the hardest, then Sycamore Canyon, then Fryman.  That being said, I felt like I was really gonna die up there on that mountain.  Help me understand the logic in having stairs on the mountain on the climb up?  Like climbing up 800 ft of elevation ain't hard enough!  I could not wait til the downhill!  Then the hike became a piece of cake.  I have come to the conclusion I need a hike that is downhill...both ways! 

The weather was not good.  It was windy, cold and drizzling the whole morning.  There was a thick Marine Layer too that took away all the lovely views of the city and the ocean.  I did get a few pictures, but nothing too stunning.  I am sure I could have gotten more stunning pictures on a clear summer day.    So here is the picture to the photo album: https://plus.google.com/photos/103845743747978049274/albums/5866553584030653937?authkey=CL26jMWXtciKpQE

That's all for me today!  Dueces!

Ish Just Got Real! ... but I am excited!

Well it's official!...I am really getting ready for the Hollywood Marathon...the 5K race at the Hollywood Marathon!  Yesterday was packet picket up!   I love the shirt for this race!  It's so cute and I will definitely be sporting it when I go walk and jog on my own time!  Even though I don't feel prepared in any way shape or form for this race, I am kinda excited to do it.  We start at 6am...which is hella early, but I prefer that!

I am bib number 4586!  The "So-Called" Expo was rather boring...but we took a picture with the fake Johnny Depp!

After the long drive to Hollywood we went for dinner!  It was good food, but as you can imagine, I ate way way way way way way way too much! I even have left overs.  I ate so much bread, had pasta, soup, and tiramisu!

The Fish Swimming in Many Ponds!

That is what I am feeling like right now!  I hate to say it, but I have committed myself to so many things!

• In January I had committed to finishing 1013 miles before the end of 2013
• Beginning April 1 (yesterday) I joined A Mile A Day challenge for the month of April  
• Out of my ambition I ended up completing 5 miles on my first day of the challenge.  You may think this is a good thing, which in some sense it is.  But I have not covered this much ground in a while.  My hamstrings are tight, I am tired, I am hungry....and to think I gotta get my tale back out there today to put some miles in.  Eh?  Probably unlikely!
• I have a 5K this weekend.  Normally this is a non-event for me.  But I have been sick for 3 weeks And my first attempt at getting back to exercising was my Fryman Canyon hike on Saturday. My other dilemma...One of my undertakings for this year was to finally finish a durn 5K in under 45 minutes!  Will this be the race?  Lord, I sure hope so! 
• The girl who swore off hiking in August 2012; Did a hike last weekend, and has signed up for another hike in April.  Seriously, I am beginning to think I am not in my right mind when I agree to these things!

And this is just a few of the ponds...I'm swimming around like a fish without a head! LOL!  This is just the physically activity part of my life.   Let's not get started on the issues at work here in the middle of tax season!  Home life...a whole other issue.  But this Fish is determined to swim her way to victory. 

Hike #2 Completed

Hello!  So far this Saturday is off to a great start!  I went on a hike this morning! 
Last year one of my fitness goals was complete a hike which I did.  I hiked Temescal Canyon in August.  I swore off hiking after that, but I mustered up some interest to try hiking one mo' time!

So today I hiked Fryman Canyon!  This is definately a better trail for the out of shape beginner that I am.  It was still a challenge, but definitely more doable!  I had my camera all aready to go to get views of L.A and Burbank but there was such a heavy Marine Layer this morning.  So disappionted....but that just means I have to go back! LOL! 

Nothing too exciting, but here is the GPS of the hike:  http://www.endomondo.com/workouts/171384160/1940300

This cold is finally at the end...I hope.  the congestion is almost gone and the coughing has left me!

Dinner & A Blog post

Again I have fallen off the Blogging Bandwagon.  Tonight I blog to you as I finish my dinner!  Tonight's dinner was one of my boiled dinner creations!  Chicken & Broccoli.   It's tasty and oh so healthy!

I filled one of my skillets with Chicken Broth added some Garlic Powder, Lemon Pepper seasoning and Mrs. Dash Chicken season, covered and brought that to a boil.  Added my chicken breasts.  Covered and brought to a boil and kept covered for close to 10 minutes.  Added my broccoli florets.  Covered again for 2 minutes and Voila!  Dinner is served!

Okay no more about food and dinner!  I have not gotten on the scale for the last 2 weeks, but I do have a progress report!  On Sunday I finally had to modify my belt! LOL!  Yes Modify!  I was at the last hole on my belt for a while.  Sunday when I put my jeans on, I couldn't do the loose belt thing I needed a belt that fits.  So I forced a new hole into the belt.  Much to my surprise when I marked the hole, its a good inch or so away from the last hole!  Woohoo!  Look See:

I don't have much to report.  My eating has been all over the place, I have not been able to work out as I would like too.  I have been fighting this cold for over 2 weeks now.  Made a visit to the doctor last week, but I am still struggling with this thing!  Hopefully I can shake it soon...I have a race next week!

That's all for now..see you next time!

Weekend Recap...

View from the Marina

Marina Del Rey

I have been fighting a cold, but I am at the tail end of my sickness.  Saturday I set out to get 12 miles in for my Bike race in July.  I headed out there and I was feeling pretty energetic, and got 19.38 miles in!  I was so surprised!  I am glad I covered that many miles...that is 1/2 way to what I need prepare for.  Unfortunately in my ambitiousness I ventured into Marina Del Rey.  I have never figured out how to get around the Marina, so in years past I have always ridden to it turn around and just head down south to Hermosa Beach.  This weekend, I decided to tackle to Marina.  I know there is a path that will get me around the marina into Venice beach, and I was determined to find it.  I found part of it..and then some how I ended up on the streets.  I was on Lincoln blvd, a narrow 2 lane street in Marina Del rey with no bike lane!  I was terrified, and thought I was gonna get hit by a car! I am happy to report I made it without being injured!  I really had a great sense of accomplishment after I did that ride...I really had no idea I could do that much.
Saturday Bike Ride

After my bike ride, I ventured down to Redondo Beach and hit the Sauna.  A nice relazing hour in the sauna to detox and destress!  I felt really good aftwards!  I made juice...Beets, carrots, ginger & apple.  I don't know why, but the juice tasted salty to me!  But I made myself drink it, I hate wasting things!


I then finished off my night with a movie...The Call!  It was really good, I was surprised that I enjoyed it so much.  It was a good suspense movie.