I'm Thankful For...

I'm Thankful For Running...

I’m sure we’ve all been flooded with the “I’m thankful for… “ facebook posts and co-worker comments the past three weeks.  Sure, I’m thankful for friends, family, my job, my puppy, boot camp, good food….. all that stuff.  But here’s one you may not hear often.  I’m thankful for running.  I’m thankful for my good health that allows me this opportunity.  In the few months running has really changed my life.  It’s been an emotional outlet.  I run when I’m happy.  I run when I’m sad.  I run when I’m stressed.  I run to hang out with my friends.  I run when I’m bored.  I run when I want to eat Krispy Kreme donuts…. I don’t really need a reason to run… I just love doing it. 

I’m really excited to be running the Atlanta Thanksgiving Half Marathon for the first time tomorrow morning.  I know the race starts near Turner Field and winds through the city.  But other than that, I don’t really know what to expect.  I’m sure there will be plenty of hills, because it’s Atlanta, so hey, why not?

HILL COUNTRY TRAIL RACE – 15k at Serenbe

About two weeks ago I got an emai…. “Race is almost sold out, we have two extra number….” 

Immediately I respond “I’m in!”  Then I thought, I should find out a few details.  It may be good to know when, where, or even how long the race is.  But those little deets don’t really matter to me anymore.  If there’s a run, I’m there!

There was a big group of The American Boot Company friends going to this race so it was guaranteed to be a good time.  I guess it’s because we’re all just a little bit crazy because we all have so much fun together… getting up at 5am, freezing in the chilly November air, running through the woods, feasting on amazing food, sharing thousands of laughs and good times…. That’s just what we do.

Saturday morning my alarm goes off at 5am, what’s new?  I get up, pile on the layers and get ready for a fun day of trail running.  I meet up with Steve and Alex, fellow TABCCers and we head down 85 South to the race.  Special shout out to Alex’s GPS voice.  She definitely made the drive a lot more interesting. 

When we get to Serenbe we meet up with John and Sonja Greeley and several other friends who are all there for the run.  We’re all excited to get the race started.  I hear it’s going to be a beautiful run.  My friends who ran this even last year won’t share too many details of the course.  They said they don’t want to spoil it for me.  But it’s guaranteed to be a great run.  I’m told not to run with headphones because I may miss the bagpipes. 

The course is 15k, 9.3 miles, and starts in the Serebene streets then goes through some awesome trails, open fields, along a lake, through a horse farm, right by a chicken coop, and back to the starting line in the heart of Serenbe. 

This was only the second race I’ve done that wasn’t a road race.  But this was more technical than the first one.  This race had two or three good hills.  Which means two or three fun downhill runs!  I love flying down the hills.  If you put forth the effort to get up, you should reap the rewards of coming down J  Here’s the thing…. The leaves have fallen and covered up most of the ground.  So when you’re flying down a hill you can’t see rocks, roots, sticks, and any other little nemesis looking to destroy your ankles.  I was running a smart race, but when I saw three men go down with twisted ankles, I decided to slow down a bit and take caution.  Which turned out to be beneficial because I got to see a donkey in the field at mile 4, a saxophonist in the woods right after mile 5, some horses, more donkeys, and a lot of chickens between miles 7 and 8, and then to cap off the race there was a banjo guy bringing it home at mile 9. 

The race is at Serenbe, a community about an hour south of Atlanta.  Serenbe is different than any place you’ve ever been.  This community is focused on sustainability and responsible living.  I couldn’t even begin to describe the community and do it justice.  Check out the website and find out for yourself.

http://www.serenbecommunity.com/home.html

After the race we stayed for brunch at The Hill.  This may have been the best brunch I’ve ever had. Many of the ingredients served at The Hill come from Serenbe’s own organic farms.  I looked at the menu and there were too many great options to pick just one.  Luckily, I had great friends there who enjoy good food as much as I do.  Here’s a list of what we ended up with at our table:  mimosas, bloody marys (how do you make Mary plural?  I don’t want bloody maries… hmmm), cinnamon rolls, waffles with blueberry syrup, a hoagie roll sandwich with pimento cheese, bacon, and two fried eggs, some perfectly crispy french fries,  and for dessert with had a piece of pecan pie and a heavenly chocolate pie with coffee ice cream.  After a meal like this I may not be eating again for weeks!

This photo doesn't really give justice to the full meal, but oh my was this sandwich delicious!!!

I wish I had some pictures of the race but he’s a youtube video showing the course.

I definitely recommend making the drive from Atlanta and spending the day or weekend in this beautiful community.  They have so much to offer that it will fit anyone’s tastes. 

Also big thanks to Good Run Productions for putting on a great event!  Free beer at the finish is always a plus J

Why Do I Run?

Running…. It’s cheaper than therapy.

Why Do I Run?  I ask myself this question everyday.  And it seems that everyday I have a different answer.  Today, I run because I love music.  I love having time alone…. Just me and my favorite tunes.  I love music…. Every genre of music.  I wish I could have a constant concert in my head every minute of the day.   When I get to heaven, I hope the soundtrack of my life goes Platinum.

There probably is a small handful of songs that have changed my life.  Some have made me appreciate all my blessings.  Some have made me laugh.  Some have gotten me through rough times.  Some inspire me to do great things.  Some remind me of great friends, the nights I’ll never remember with the friends I’ll never forget.  Some just lift my spirit and make me a better person.  Some make me cry, and miss things that I’ve lost.  Some give me strength and encouragement to keep me going and achieve my goals.  Sometimes it takes a great song to help you put one foot in front of the other.

Oh yeah, did I mention that my music died on me around mile 20 on Saturday.  Not cool Skull Candy.  NOT. COOL.

I usually listen to music when I’m in the car, getting ready in the morning, or doing chores around the house.  Hey, I heard that…. Yes I do chores!  Running with my iPod is like an escape.  It allows me to listen to the music I love as long as I want.  Even if I don’t feel like running, I do it because it’s my escape into musical bliss.  It’s like nothing else matters at that point.  I’ve found my happy place and intend to stay a while.  When I made my marathon playlist I picked my top 371 songs… so needless to say I love them all AND I’m slightly indecisive.

Here are a few of my favorite running tunes:

Whatdaya Want From Me - Adam Lambert 

For me, this song means, I’m just doing the best I can.   I’m just being me.  If that’s not good enough for you, then you’re the one with the problem.

Girls (Who Run the World) – Beyonce

Well obvi!  This one rocks because I’m a girl and I’m gonna run the world.  Like Phidippedes run, not political run.

We Didn’t Start the Fire – Billy Joel

‘Nuff Said

Toxic – Britney Spears  (Pretty much anything Britney)

Reminds me of the good times dancin’ like a fool in Room 2 at the Sigma Kappa house. 

Cupid Shuffle

Oh yeah, that’s right.  Take your best cheesy wedding reception number and dance the miles away!

Raise It Up – From the August Rush Soundtrack.

Favorite lyric “Sometimes it seems impossible, that’s why we pray”

Boy Like Me – Jessica Harp

I like this chick… she makes it ok to be a bad girl.  You don’t have to fit the good-two-shoes mold anymore.  We can sit around and talk about those things we just can’t talk about. 

Stronger Woman – Jewel

Wow… powerful message here.  “I’m gonna be my own best friend, stick with me til the end”  Get it girl!  Jewel rocks and she’s got an awesome real life cowboy husband too!

Just Stand Up – various women artists

This song was written and performed for cancer awareness and fundraising.  If people are out there battling cancer every day then I can certainly run a few miles.  This song makes you realize that the mind and heart are stronger than your body.  We can get through anything.  This is a major “DON’T GIVE UP” song!

The Way You Do The Things You Do – The Temptations

I love this song simply because it makes me believe that I can be anything that I wanna do… and others notice that because of the way I do the things I do.

Sure, there are plenty of other great songs on my playlist, but these are just a few that I thought we different, unique, and had special meaning to me.

Leave a comment and let me know what are your personal favorite running songs.  Even if it’s Happy Birthday or Jingle Bells, if it’s special to you, I wanna hear about it!

-katie

Rock 'N Roll Savannah 26.2

What an amazing weekend!  I could not have asked for a more perfect first marathon experience.  I mean, without a few crazy curve balls we just wouldn’t have a fun story to tell.

On Friday afternoon my training partner Heather, her friend Natalie and I loaded the car and headed down to Savannah.  We got about ten miles south of Atlanta and traffic STOPPED.  Oh great, this can’t be serious.  But luckily it cleared up and we were back on our way…. Until traffic stopped again.  We were beyond frustrated. We kept reading facebook updates that people were having trouble getting to the Expo to pick up their race numbers.  The Expo was held on Hutchinson Island and the only way to get there by car was a two way bridge.  Apparently people were stuck in traffic on this bridge for over two hours.  The Rock N Roll Savannah facebook page was blowing up. Lucky for us we didn’t have any problems getting in and out by the time we arrived around 6:30 or 7:00pm.  We parked, grabbed our numbers, and got out of the Expo in about twenty minutes. 

At 4:45am our race day began.  We dressed quickly, packed our drop bags and loaded the car.  We went to the Savannah Mall to catch a shuttle to the start line.  We loaded the shuttle at 5:30 and it took nearly an hour to get the start area.  This was one of the worst things about the weekend and possibly my only complaint about the race.  Maybe there was a good reason that I don’t know about, but the drive from the mall to the start line could have been about 15 minutes, not an hour if we used the bypass instead of going all the way out and back around the city. 

This is the medal my grandfather gave me Friday night.  I kept it in my water belt for inspiration during the race.

Pretty soon it was time to get in our starting corals and wait for the gun to go off.  Unfortunately, Heather and I couldn’t start together because we were in different starting corals.  As if running 26.2 miles wasn’t hard enough, try running it alone with no one to talk to.  That was brutal.  But I was able to focus on my pace and really take in the surroundings.  I kept a great sub 9 minute pace for the 19-20 miles.

I don’t really remember a lot of details from the course but I was slightly disappointed that we didn’t spend enough time in historic Savannah.  We went through the “rough” side of town for the first 5 miles of so.  This is where I found my favorite fans and spectators.  I loved this neighborhood!  There were so many older  African Americans residents who came out to see the race.  They braved the cold weather and sat in their lawn chairs bundled up in blanks, coats, and various other layers of warmth… They weren’t your typical cheer crowd.  They didn’t have signs that read “Your feet hurt because you’re kicking so much ass.”  They didn’t yell “Go runners go!  Keep up the hard work”  They didn’t say “Looking good!  Stay strong.”  No, even better.  Instead they just waved and said “Good morning… Ga’ day sir…. Ga’ day ma’am…. Good morning”  I wish there was a font for a true authentic southern accent.  This was no normal good morning greeting that you hear from co-workers each day…  It was more like Gaaa Mawwwnin’ .  It was absolutely classic.  Made my run so much more exciting.  I loved it!

Around mile 8 we got back in historic Savannah and ran through the old streets lined with big old trees and Spanish moss.  There were tons of fans and spectators lining the streets… thousands of people cheering for you and holding up hundreds of awesome homemade signs.  I love reading the signs the friends and families make for their runners.  The next few miles were all a blur… I think there was a down and back through a little neighborhood and then the full marathon split from the half around mile 11.  When we split, the lucky marathoners ran about 2.5 – 3 miles down Truman Parkway.  Man was it windy here.  The good news is it was working in our favor.  Again, another blurry part of the race until mile 16.  Mile 16 almost felt as good as mile 26.  As I approached a street corner I see a Georgia Tech sweatshirt standing next to a taller Georgia sweatshirt.  This really isn’t all that odd anywhere in the state, but then I realize it’s my dad and brother.  I got really excited and started waving from thirty yards away.  I was excited to see them, but also excited to strip some layers.  I had taken one glove off about 7 miles ago and never managed to put it back on.  Steve was the lucky recipient of two soaking wet gloves and one smelly wet jacket.  I saw my mom and Kristin sitting at the next corner and my grandparents were in the car keeping warm.  I waved to them got a wave of energy and continued along the way.  Only 10.2 to go! 

This is where the fun really begins.  Right after I left my family we got to the Savannah State section.  They had great up beat fun rap music playing and tons of students cheering and lining both sides of the course.  Well, I mean who doesn’t love a good rap beat, and in order to keep this race exciting, I had to do what any decent citizen would do…. I broke it down dancing in the street in the middle of the race.  I dropped it like it was hot.  I shook it like it was a Polaroid picture or salt shaker, whichever you prefer.  I was having fun!  The cheering section was going crazy, the other runners were laughing, everyone was loving it.  So after a little dance party USA I continued along my way.  One runner came up behind me and said “You just made my day.  That was the best part of the entire race”  I responded to him “ I passed crazy about 10 miles ago, so now we’re all just out here to have some fun.”

My fun was drained shortly after that.  As we approached mile 20 mile headphones died and I lost my music and awesome playlist.  Seriously?  This has to be the worst timing ever.  I’m still writing this blog today so obviously I survived…. But just barely. 

I hit a wall at mile 22 as we were now back on Truman Parkway.  There were terrible wind gusts of up to 20 miles per hour!  As if mile 22 wasn’t bad enough anyway.  Combine that with no music and wind.  I think I’ll just die now.  But I didn’t.  I didn’t train this long and run 22 miles just to let the last 4.2 kill me.  So I kept moving forward.  All of the runners were in the same rut here.  We were tired, achy, and ready to see that finish line.  One of my favorite parts about the race was how much each and every runner supported each other.  Around 23 I heard a man yelling at himself…. “you didn’t come this far to quit”  So I turned to him and said “Keep it up!  Looking strong!  I know you’ve got this”  And he looked up, smiled at me, and kept going.  This happened over and over again between all the runners for the next 3 miles.

Here’s one of the scariest thoughts I had during the race…. “Is that a mile marker or a speed limit sign?” We were in a downtown neighborhood approaching Forsyth Park so I knew we had to be close, but I also know you have to drive slow in a neighborhood…. Which was it?… YES!  Mile marker.  I’m almost there!  I heard a man yell “We’re so close I can smell the finish line!”

I was energized, pepped up and ready to see that finish line!  What little gas I had left in the tank was drained that last mile.  I felt like I was sprinting to the finish line, although it was probably an 8:30 mile at best.  As I approached the finish line I saw a blue sign that said “Run Katie Run”.  Out of 23,000 runners I assumed there were hundreds of Katies, but under the sign I saw my mom and dad.  High five and a few more strides and there I was across the finish line with a medal around my neck.  I DID IT!  I didn’t really have a goal time, I just wanted to finish.  And I did…. 4:11, not too bad for my first race.  I’m hoping to keep getting faster and stronger so the next one will be around 4:05(ish).  We’ll see.

In Forsyth park with my medal and race t-shirt.  I was excited to finally get a race shirt that fit me!

Saturday evening I celebrated the accomplishment with my family.  We grilled some hamburgers and for dinner and we also celebrated my grandmother’s 92^nd birthday!  Man, I’m really blessed with good genes in my family!  After dinner we went to see my mom’s family and had desserts.  My dessert was coffee and Bailey’s.  This should help me sleep! 

No rest for this road warrior.  Early Sunday morning I was back on the road to Atlanta.  I had to be at a training session for new Boot Camp instructors by 12:30.  After several hours of that class I finally had a chance to pass out and get some solid sleep. 

I really surprised myself with how quickly I recovered and got back to normal.  After my first half marathon I was crippled for days.  I felt great about 30 minutes after I finished.  I was bouncing off the walls and dancing like a crazy fool Saturday night.  Sunday I was a little tight and sore from being in the car but Monday morning I was back in action at boot camp for a heavy leg work out!

One down.  Twenty-nine to go! 

Why Savannah?

Savannah has always held a special place in my heart.  It’s very fitting that I chose Savannah to be my first marathon.  My dad was born and raised in Savannah.  As far as I know his family has been in Savannah longer than the Spanish moss.  I feel as if nearly every little street in town has set the scene for many events of the Fennell family’s lives.  My mother’s family also has several generations that have called Savannah home.  My mom was born in south Florida and she and her family moved to Savannah when she was starting high school.  The majority of my family, both sides, still lives within about 45 minutes of Savannah.  I’m excited to see so many of them tomorrow.

I know I have plenty of weird quirks and things about me that many people don’t quite understand.  But one quality that I have, that I’m very proud of, is the fact that I’m an extremely hard worker.  If my heart is in it, I’ll work hours upon hours with no end in sight until the goal is accomplished.  Despite the toughest obstacles, all the blood, sweat, and tears…. I won’t back down from a challenge or goal until the job is done 100%.  And also done right.  I’m not one to half ass a task just to say it’s complete.  This is a trait that I got from my grandfather, affectionately known as Big Bubba, or maybe just Bubba.  Bubba was the working man’s man. He took great pride in his work.  You’ve heard of people who work from sun up to sun down…. Well if you followed that rule, you’d be hours behind Bubba.  He was always up before the sun.  I never knew a day that he slept past the sunrise.  He worked in the blazing hot south Florida sun hours a day to provide for his wife and seven children.  Some days he may have only had coffee for breakfast and then dinner at home when the job was done.  They didn’t have a lot of money and he continued to work very strenuous manual labor to ensure that everyone else had what they needed. When the family moved to Savannah Bubba continued working for another construction/renovation company.   I don’t think he ever really retired.  He kept working until the very end.   I wish Bubba was still here today.  He may not have been a runner, but I think he would be proud of my hard work and commitment to my goal.

The best compliment I could ever receive is to be told that I have Bubba’s work ethic. 

To combine with my strong work ethic, I have my other grandfather’s talent for running.  Back in his day J he was one of the best runners in Savannah.  He ran cross county at Savannah High in the 1930s.  My grandfather’s ran his first 5k in less than16 minutes.  I could only dream of training hard and finishing a race that fast.  Once he finished competing he went on the coach the team for about eight years.  If you had the time, I’m sure he would tell you running stories for hours and hours.  I went to visit my grandparents tonight.  It was great to see both of them and see their excitement for me and my race.  I loved to hear his old stories about racing and his personal best times.  He had to check and see if I was eating right and got cleared by my doctor for this race.  Granddaddy was disappointed that it was already dark when I got to their house because he wanted to watch me run and critique my gate.  He also wanted to inspect my shoes and see if they were safe.  He made a great emphasis on my gate and stride.  He wanted to know if I run on my heels or toes.  Honestly, I don’t really know how I run…. I just do it.  (Sorry for the cheesy Nike quote) My grandmother said that they could be driving down the road and he’ll yell out the window at runners and tell them to run on their toes.  Even at 96, he’s still coaching.  The best part of my visit tonight was a very special gift that he gave me.  He gave me a medal that he had won 80 years ago.  I love this and will cherish it forever.  I’m going to put it in my water belt and carry it with me every step of the way tomorrow.  I knew I would have my grandfathers in my heart tomorrow but this gives me a special memento to remind me of their strength, courage, and inspiration tomorrow.

This race is for both of you…. Bubba and Granddaddy.  Thanks for your contributions for making me who I am today.

The starting gun fires in about ten hours…. Here goes nothing!

30 before 30

Some people have a mid life crisis.  That’s normal and widely accepted.  Probably actually expected of today’s over worked under paid highly stressed American population.  But what about a quarter life crisis?  I think this is becoming more common, at least with me and my friend group.  So here’s the story of my ongoing quarter life crisis….

When I turned 25 I felt like it was time to grow up, be an adult, and do something meaningful with my life.  So, I bought a condo.  I committed to a life and career in Atlanta.  OK good.  Done.  Move on with my new life, right?  Well, not quite.  Then at 26 I started morphing into the corporate zombie world of work, work, work…. I was spending all my time and energy in the office and neglecting things that could make me happier in life.  So what did I do?  I took off for Paris.  Spent three weeks with my friend Natalie and didn’t have an ounce of responsibility or care.  No to-do list, no schedule, no worries.  It was fantastic.  I learned to slow down and appreciate all of life’s little, yet great treats.  I did not however, learn to appreciate Falafels.  There’s no hope there.    At 27 I found another great challenge and adventure.  I dedicated myself to an eleven week training and diet program so that I could compete in an NPC Bikini Competition.  This taught me so much.  I learned that I love challenge.  So here we are again, another year later, and my quarter life crisis continues.  This time, I’ll tackle it with another ridiculous challenge.  So here it is… if I type it, blog it, and publish it, there’s no turning back….. So I’m putting this out there for the world to read.

On October 11, 2011 I celebrated my 28^th birthday.  I decided to set a new goal for myself.  I will be running 30 marathons before I turn 30 years old.  It’d be great if I already had one or two under my belt so that it wouldn’t seem so overwhelming…. Buuuuut I don’t! I have only run two half marathons, and that does not add to one.  My first marathon will be next week, November 5 in Savannah, GA.  So now I just need to look at the calendar and pick 29 more J  EASY PEASY!  

I know 30 marathons will be difficult.  It will also be expensive, so if I don’t actually enter an official race for several weeks, then I’ll just go out and run 26.2 around Atlanta or wherever I may be. 

I’ve already heard a few people tell me that there’s no way I can do this.  The body needs weeks to recover from 26.2.  My response: “Thanks for your concern.  But not my body.  I’m going to push myself to the limits.”  I thrive on that fine line of normal and crazy. And right now my right leg is stepping over that line into Craziville. 

So here we go…  I welcome all comments, thoughts, and criticism.  Visitors are also welcome in Crazyville.  I would love for my friends to join me in any of these marathons or training runs.  Please let me know when you’d like to jump on board for my next crazy adventure!

-katie

New Adventures...

I’ve come to realize that just about everyday in my life is an adventure in its own special way.  I may not be jumping out of an airplane, exploring a foreign city, climbing a mountain or even training for a bikini competition, but I’m getting by….. just making it one day at a time.  I'm an independent, homeowner, (somewhat) young, single female working and living in one of the biggest cities in the country.  That's a challenge and adventure in itself.  I am going to chose to make everyday an adventure.  There’s always something new to try, something new to learn or some way to push your comfort zone.  My goal is to find that something each and everyday.   I’m searching for some great things to combine to loves of my life: food, exercise, and adventure.

Here’s the plan for my new blog updates.  I’ve going to try out new trails and running routes around Atlanta and give my critiques and reports of each one.  This will allow me to explore new parts of the city…. While I’m hittin the streets I’ll also be checking out local restaurants and trying the most exciting items on the menus.  If they’re worthy, they’ll get a good review too. Think: Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern meets Man vs. Food meets Atlanta Running Guide.  I'm still searching for a catchy, fun title.... maybe something like Dining, Dashing, and Daring.  Oh yeah, if anyone knows Andrew Zimmern, can you hook a girl up?  I'd love to meet him.

While going through the past eleven weeks of training for the bikini competition I realized that cooking isn’t so scary.  If I start simple, I can actually make some pretty good things without killing myself or any unsuspecting dinner guests.  I began searching for “quick, easy, simple, healthy” recipes.  I put together quite the collection to get things kicked off. 

I’m starting to train for the 13.1 Chicago Half Marathon in June so I decided to do some speed work on a track today so since I really didn’t explore any new neighborhoods on a run I guess I’m left to report the new beef taco recipe that I tried.  I found this recipe in an old Shape Magazine.  Basically this is a make over of the traditional ground beef taco and “lightening” it up with some quality ingredients. 

Here’s what you’ll need:

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 red bell pepper, cut into ½ inch chunks (couldn't find red, so I used orange)

1 green bell pepper, cut into ½ inch chunks 

4 scallions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

¼ cup of bulgur (this was a new one to me…. had to ask the nice man at Kroger where to find this one J)

8 ounces ground sirloin (Laura’s Lean Ground Beef 8% fat)

½ teaspoon chipotle chili powder (couldn’t find this so I used my own combo of Mrs Dash no salt Southwest Chipotle and regular chili powder spices)

½ teaspoon ground cumin ( I used ground cumin seed…. Is there a difference?)

1 15 ounce can of low-sodium crushed tomatoes (I used diced tomatoes)

¼ teaspoon salt

8 6 inch corn tortillas (I used Kroger Wheat Tortillas 96% Fat Free)

4 ounces crumbled feta (lowfat)

2 cups shredded romaine

So now it’s time for the action…. I donned my Piggly Wiggly apron and got down to business.  Yes, that’s right.  The Piggly Wiggly collection doesn’t stop at just t-shirts.  I also have an apron that my aunt and uncle found at a Piggly Wiggly on Hilton Head Island.  I started by chopping the peppers, scallions, and garlic.  Next, I heated the olive oil and added the peppers, white scallions, and garlic.  Cooked this for about 7 minutes until the peppers were crisp and tender.  Next step was adding the bulgur, then the beef, chili powder and cumin.  I cooked this until the beef was no longer pink.  Then I added the tomatoes and salt.  Once that started to boil I brought the mixture down to a simmer and covered for ten minutes. 

Here's the colorful pepper, garlic, onion, and beef combo.  I loved all the beautiful bright colors!

I’m a really messy cook.  Not my mother’s daughter…. She would have died in my kitchen tonight.  So I used this time to tidy up the kitchen.  The dinner was starting to smell fantastic…. I was so excited to taste my new creation!  I heated up two tortillas.  You can do this by holding them over a burner for a few seconds, or heat them up in the microwave/oven…. Whatever you prefer will work just fine. 

This is just half the mess.... somehow I flipped the spatula out of the pan and got this concoction all over the kitchen floor!

After ten minutes of simmering, your tacos are ready!  I scooped half a cup of taco filling in each tortilla and then topped them off with the shredded romaine, crumbled low fat feta, and green scallions. 

So I know this isn’t part of the recipe, but I poured myself a glass of red wine and set the table for a scrumptious dinner! I'm no wine connoisseur so I just picked a red that I got for Christmas and haven't been able to enjoy yet.  Maybe learning more about wine pairings would be a good addition to the food reports.....

Ta-da!!!!  Time to chow down!

Here’s the nutritional breakdown for two tacos (sans wine of course) 

399 calories, 15g of fat (34% of calories) 7g saturated fat, 44g carbs, 22g protein, 9g fiber, 224mg calcium, 4mg iron, and 672 mg of sodium. 

This is according to the Shape recipe and for the originally listed items, not the substitutes that I made…. But I still think it gives a pretty good snapshot of the meal.  This meal was delicious!  I really impressed myself.  I’m looking forward to the leftovers for lunch tomorrow J   At first I didn't think two tacos would be enough.  But, I was pleasantly surprised that this was the perfect serving size.  I felt full but not painfully Thanksgiving full.

Let me know if you try this recipe or if you have any suggestions for new combinations or variations.  I’m sure this would work well with grilled chicken strips too.  Or maybe ground turkey breast. 

Final Thoughts

Please keep your hands and feet inside the car until the ride has come to a complete stop.

I'd like to thank you all for sharing this roller coaster of a journey with me.  It has definitely had its fair share of ups and downs, shining moments and a few dark clouds.  Don't worry folks... there will be another great adventure in my near future and I hope you'll choose to follow along with me on that, not sure when or what it will be, but I hope it will be something fun that I can share with my friends and family just like this.  

Now that the competition is over and my daily life has returned to something that is beginning to resemble "normal", I've had a lot of time to reflect on the past eleven weeks and changes that have occurred in my life.  First thing I've realized is that I have a million blessings for which to be thankful.  I can't begin to list them all but my friends and family definitely top that list.  I never knew how much I was loved.  I'm not bragging or trying to be conceited, but I was completely overwhelmed by the love, support, and encouragement that came from so many people.... ranging from people that I see and talk to every day, once a month, once a year, and even people I haven't heard from in several years.  I was amazed at the number of people who took the time to follow my "adventure" and keep up with me.  Also, I'm so happy that my blog, tweets, and facebook posts have inspired people to take a look at their own lives.  I hope that many people have realized how rewarding it can be to make themselves a priority.  In our lives today, we are all so busy and always on the run with work/school, family, and all kinds of other obligations that we are quick to push aside the basic needs for ourselves.  Taking just a few minutes each day to do something nice for yourself can really change your entire life.  If you take a 20 minute walk in the morning you can plan out your day, clear you head of time management stresses, and decide on priorities and what NEEDS to be done today, compared to what you would like to do that day.  I think it's also important to realize that you don't have to do it all.  You can't do everything for everyone all the time.  Learning to say no is easier said than done, but if you can say no to others and yes to yourself, you'll find that you'll be a lot happier every day.  I'm no professional or anything but that's what I believe.  I've been fortunate to focus on myself during the past eleven weeks of training and I've become so much happier in every aspect of my life.  I've also started believing in the power of positive thinking... I guess a nearly no-carb diet will do that to you.  Why waste your time and energy on something negative that will bring you down? Just try to change your thoughts.  Have a positive outlook and make the conscience decision to be positive.  Don't worry, be happy!  It's your life, your head, your thoughts... take control of it and make it what you want it to be.

Another lesson learned is the power of a dedicated mind.  Seriously, if I can make up my mind to commit to this training and dieting, then anyone can do it!  Sure, it's hard work.  It's a constant battle, but wow.... look at what can happen when you do make a commitment.  I'm excited to see what I dream of next... The possibilities are limitless when you make up your mind to achieve a goal and stay committed to it no matter what challenges get in the way.

So now that this adventure has come to an end... what's next for me?

Pictures

Although most of you have probably seen all these pictures on facebook, I thought I'd post them here for my twitter fans and anyone else who randomly stumbles across this blog.

Here are some pictures from the big competition day.

Waiting backstage.... soooooo cold!!!

My training partner Marcia

Check out that homemade bling!  Jealous?

Me and Faye with the flowers from my girls!  My biggest fans and support group.

Super Hero pose.... just add a cape and I'm ready to save the world

I was a lot happier at the evening portion of the show.... I realized I didn't have to stand around in 5 in heels for several hours.  Barefoot = happy :)

Back view.... my hair is a hot mess, but my back looks good.

Johnny, best trainer and coach ever!  He also won two trophies.

Three amigos.... Midtown Athletic Club's finest.

Another shot of Marcia and me.  We couldn't have done this without each other!

And now the moment we've all been waiting for.... my first bite of mom's homemade brown with grandmommy's icing. H-E-A-V-E-N!!!

Post competition posing fun with Johnny.

I love my shoes!

One last skinny shot before we head to Marietta Diner to pig out!

Competition Day

This is it!  Finally… the day I had been waiting for since I made up my mind to enter this competition last August.  I tried to go to bed early on Friday… I think I actually closed my eyes around 10:00pm.  I woke up again at 11:30pm, 2:00am, and 4:00am.  I finally got up at 4:20am to finish packing, eat breakfast, make up my bed, and put curlers in my hair.  Yasmine was here at 5:00am to start my make up.  Marcia got here just a little later and Yasmine got us both all glammed up like beautiful Hollywood stars.  I felt like a million bucks!  I was so excited to get the day started and see how the competition would play out.  Marcia and I were out the door at 7:00am on the way to the Convention Center.  We had to be there by 7:30am to finalize check in.  We already registered in advance so that wasn’t a problem.  We had to confirm our height and be placed in the correct divisions.  Since I’m under 5’2, I’m in Class A and Marcia is under 5’4 so she’s in Class B. After they completed  all the category assignments we had a contestants’ meeting at 9:00am where the promoter and judges spoke to give us an idea of the day’s events.  This took forever!!!!  I was growing very impatient.  The prejuding was set to start at 10:30am and we only had about 30 minutes to get dressed and make final touches on hair and make-up.  After rushing through the beauty prep in a very crowded public restroom we rush to the backstage holding area.  This was a whole lotta hurry up and wait.  So we got there about 10:45 and didn’t get to the Bikini portion of the show until almost noon or 12:15!  So we’re all freezing cold back stage in our bikinis and our toes were about to go numb because we were standing in high heels for over an hour.  Most of the girls were chatting with friends and being really sociable.  Typically, I would be right in the mix of all this and having a blast getting to know everyone.  Unfortunately my mind was not focused on the competition today.

Right after arriving at the competition I got a terribly scary phone call with some really bad news.  It was Sean calling from Nepal.  Things weren’t going as planned in his trip.  His news had me shaken up and scared.  I was helpless because I couldn’t do anything for him

I’m so thankful that I have chosen to read the Purpose Driven Life for Lent.  This book has taught me so much in a few short days, but I was able to draw on these lessons to know that God is in charge.  When you let go of your wants and desires, and hand them over to God for His will to be done, then all will be ok.  It will be ok in His eyes and according to His plan….. which may be tough for us, but in the end, in eternity, it will bring us ultimate happiness.  It's God plan that really matters, not mine. I had to lift my worries up to God.  I had to give him 100% of my trust to be with Sean and this team in Nepal.  I prayed for God to be with Sean and to calm my nerves.  I tried to clear my head and stay positive for the competition.  It wasn’t working very well. 

A few hours later when I was waiting backstage I notice I had a missed call and new voicemail.  It was not the same number that Sean had called from earlier.  I was too afraid to listen to it.  I was scared it would be bad news and that I would have a terrible crying fit.  Haha, I paid too much money for this make up and I wasn’t about to ruin it over a situation I couldn’t change.  I just let it sit there until my portion of the competition was over.  As soon as I walked off the stage I turned to watch Marcia, once she was finished I rushed to my phone and listened to my message.  It was from Sean.  He was ok!!!  That’s when I lost it.  I sat on the floor and cried because I was so happy he was going to be safe and healthy.  I couldn’t hear the complete message, but I know he’s ok now.  What an amazing relief.  God is good!  I can now breath a little easier. 

I didn’t feel confident in my performance on stage this morning, but I had a new perspective on priorities and important things in my life.  The past few weeks have really changed my life, and a trophy didn’t seem to matter much anymore.

My afternoon rest didn’t seem long enough.  Pretty soon 5:00pm rolls around and it’s time to go back to the Convention Center for the finals.  Marcia picked me up at my house, then we met Johnny at the gym and the three of us headed down together.  At this point the real competition is over.  We were relaxed and feeling great.  No stress, nothing to worry.  We compared all of our candy, treats and post competition indulgences.  In my bag, I packed a peanut better & jelly sandwich, Somoas girl scout cookies, BBQ Pringles, Starburt jelly beans, chocolate turtle Chex mix and tons of chocolate candy that my mom and dad brought me.  Johnny had a bag that looked like he had just robbed a pack of trick-or-treating children…. But at this point I wouldn’t blame him.  We didn’t care where the goodies came from.  We were just happy to have them!

We arrived a little early for the participants’ meeting.  Of course, it was almost a half hour late starting and very unorganized.  I was beginning to hear rumbles from around the room.  Everyone was getting frustrated because nothing seemed to go according to plan or run smoothly today.  Anyway, we finally got started and it became a lot more fun.  I was lucky that they switched up the order of the show because the Bikini division wasn’t last.  We were actually 3^rd or 4^th but it all went so fast it was almost over before I knew it.  Literally.  I was in the crowd taking pictures of Johnny when my group was lining up.  Luckily one girl called me to line and I quickly put my heels on while Johnny sprayed me down with shiny spray stuff J

Here we go…. I was second in line for my group and I felt great.  READY TO ROCK!  I went out and strutted my stuff.  I did my best walk and poses ever!  I actually had fun and enjoyed it.  The music was pumping and it’s hard not to feel like a total badass when you have so many people cheering for you!  The decisions were already made so the group walked off stage and the top three were immediately called back up.  I stayed.  Oh well…. I didn’t expect to do well after my bombed performance this morning.  I waited to see how the top three finished and congratulated those three girls.  I also waited again to see Marcia.  She didn’t place either but we were both proud of ourselves and proud of each other.  I rushed back stage, threw off my shoes and grabbed my PB&J sandwich.  It was heavenly…. And so the feasting began!  After that I ate a few Samoas Girl Scout cookies.  By this time Johnny came and found me back stage to give me the judges critiques.  He told me that my physique was perfect.  I had 100% of the body and “look” that they wanted.  For the finals, I had the perfect walk and poses.  BUT, it was my showing during the prejudging that kept me from taking home a trophy.  If I had been 100% focused and relaxed and had my head in the game this morning, I would have won in the evening. Well damn.  What am I supposed to do with news like that?  Now I’ve always said “Never say never” so I don’t know if I’ll go back again and try my luck at a another competition.  I was sooooo close! I just don’t know… what would you do?  It’s like training for a marathon and finding there’s a boulder blocking mile 26.  There’s nothing you can do about it.  I know I can do the training, the dieting, the final showing, but how bad do I just want to take home a trophy?  I don’t know…. Where would I even put that silly thing?  Maybe it’s just one more piece of junk to collect dust.

I went back to find my parents in the crowd and continued my feasting.  I ate a little bit of everything that I packed along with Johnny’s hijacked trick-or-treating stash.  After the show was complete our group (Johnny, his wife Michelle, Marcia, her husband Matt, our friend Ryan, my parents and I) went to Marietta Diner.  This was the REAL celebration.  Of course my eyes were bigger than my stomach, or maybe even the whole table, but I ordered Motzerella Cheese Stix, a ½ lb bacon cheddar cheeseburger, and then baklava cheesecake….. with a Cherry Coke!  WOW!  This was exactly what I’ve been working so hard toward for such a long time.  Like the prejuding round, I was disappointed in my performance.  I only about a fourth of my burger, but I ponied up and got back in the game when my baklava cheesecake was served.  Marcia and I split this and still couldn’t finish the whole piece.  But I sure enjoyed trying.  It was like heaven in my mouth.  Johnny didn’t need any help in putting away his two cheeseburgers, fries, and chocolate chip cheesecake.  He’s an old pro at this now!

I’m looking forward to a comfortable and restful night’s sleep, no alarm clock, and a peaceful day with my parents and Tini on Sunday.

I'll add more pictures when I get a chance.

Week 11 part 2

Thursday was my last normal day of training…. So close to the finish line I can smell it.  Thursday morning I got up super early so I could do extra cardio in the morning.  I added thirty minutes to my morning cardio so that I could leave thirty minutes earlier in the evening.  I never thought I’d survive the morning cardio….. I was exhausted.  I don’t think I have ever felt that tired in a long time.  I could barely move my body.  Somehow I powered through an hour and forty-five minutes of elliptical and arc trainer.  When I finally got to work I felt like a zombie.  I probably looked like the walking dead also.  Today is St. Patrick’s Day so of course that means every domesticated female in the office felt compelled to bake cupcakes.  Haha, usually I would be in love with this idea, but not today.  I was on the brink of a meltdown and all those yummy treats were about to kill me.  I couldn’t drink green tea today, like I have the past ten weeks, so the only way to survive the day was black coffee.  It was gross but I drank a cup.  Luckily, the caffeine pick me up worked and got me through the day.  As soon as 5:30pm hit I ran out the door, quickly completed my last training session and finished with forty-five minutes of cardio.  Marcia and I rushed over to Glo Tanning to meet Alex for our first spray tan. We were in such a hurry that we didn’t even realize that ALL of our training was finally over!  Haha... we actually may have been just too tired to celebrate.  So we got spray tanned and it looks amazing!  I can’t even tell you how different we look after one good tan.  The best part about it is we’re getting a second coat Friday morning so it’ll be 100% perfect for Saturday.  So I rounded out Thursday with a small dinner of ground turkey breast and spinach.  I was excited to go to bed before 11:00pm and not have to worry about packing a gym back for the morning or setting my alarm for 5:30am.  I just hope I can actually force my body to sleep, or at least rest, and not get up before the sun…. well, we shall see… 

Friday- Well, I guess despite my best efforts I was unable to convince my body to sleep in today.  I did enjoy an extra fifteen minutes of sleep, but at 5:45am I was wide-awake ready to start my day.  I laid in bed until about 6:30am just listening to music and cruising the internet…. Nothing exciting to share.  I finally got up, showered, watched TV and ate breakfast while planning out the rest of my day.  I was so excited to have oatmeal with my eggs for breakfast today.  My first taste of carbs in two weeks…. Yum!  Just half a cup of oatmeal felt like a Thanksgiving feast.  I can’t even imagine what Saturday night is going to taste like!!!  After breakfast I got dressed and went back to Glo to see Alex for my second coat of tan.  Seriously, this girl is fantastic!  She does tanning for all purposes, not just competitions, so if you want to avoid sun spots and aging, I highly recommend going to see her for a spray tan before your next big event.  I know I sure will!  She’s so sweet and will make you look even more beautiful than you already are. http://www.glowatl.com
After my tan I came home and ate lunch… more carbs! J YAY!  I had six ounces of ground turkey breast with a ¼ cup of white rice.  This was the first time I had ever cooked rice <queue gasp…. I know, I just don’t like it that much>  so needless to say I really effed it up!  It was burnt and stuck to the bottom of the pan that’s for sure!  Oh well, I only had ¼ cup so I was determined to eat it all.  After lunch the true excitement of the day began!  I went to Kroger to buy some “normal” food and first eat treats!  I know I’ll probably get sick, but everything in the store looked delicious.  I think I’ll try to restrict my portions but still get a taste of it all.  I bought BBQ Pringles, Starburst jellybeans, Pretzel M&Ms (of course), and a Butterfinger.  I think I’ll probably make a PB&J sandwich too.  My mom and dad are coming in the morning and they’re bringing another bag of goodies.  After all that I also got a few things for Sunday brunch.  Oh yeah, and funfetti cupcakes because, well, why not! Just because I can!!!  Just for the fun of it, I looked to see if they still had Girl Scout Cookie ice cream and they didn’t so I’m sooooo glad I bought those three weeks ago!  I’d be kicking myself if I hadn’t.

After my shopping excursion I came home for my afternoon snack and rest, or attempt to rest.  I really thought today would be calm and uneventful but I don’t think I sat still longer than fifteen minutes to eat.  I really want to say thank you to all my friends who called, texted, or emailed me to wish me luck on the competition.  It really means the world to me to have so much encouragement and support.  I couldn't have made it this far without all of you and I hope to make you proud tomorrow.  All day my mind was racing a mile a minute.  I had to cook and prepare all the food that I may need to eat tomorrow…. More rice, I think I did better this time, cut a grapefruit, ground turkey breast, and sweet potato.  Now, it was time for my dinner.  I had to eat before 7:00pm because I’m restricting water after then. 

I made two lists (I love lists.... if I had a printer, I'd probably made an excel spreadsheet) of the things I would need for tomorrow… one list just for the beauty maintenance side of the competition and one list for the foods I need.  I have everything laid out and ready to go!  Now, it’s about 8:30pm and I’m going to attempt to force myself to go to bed.  The alarm is set for 4:30am to start the BIG DAY!  Wow… still can’t believe it’s so close.

I’ll post a final update and recap Sunday but until then, I’ll tweet updates tomorrow.  Follow me @katie1602.

Week 11 Part 1

Wow!  I can’t believe it…. This week has finally come.  I’m absolutely bursting with excitement.  I can’t wait to have my one shining moment on stage and proudly show off all that I have accomplished with hard work in the gym, disciplined dieting, and an immeasurable amount of willpower and dedication. 

Sunday was another great day like Saturday.  I woke up really early and decided to tackle this day head on.  I went to the gym at 8:00am, came home, quickly showered, and made it to Mass at 10:30am, then went tanning, and returned home for lunch before 1:00pm.  After lunch I began cleaning my house and preparing for my VIPs (Very Important Parents & Puppy) who would be visiting next weekend.  I’ve never been so excited to change sheets or scrub a bathroom.  Yes, sure I was excited about the competition, but words cannot describe the excitement I had to spend quality, relaxing time with my parents.  I miss being able to see friends and family.  We have a really close family so it’s pretty rare that a month goes by without some reason to gather together.  I guess it’s only been five weeks since I had dinner with mom and dad in Chattanooga but it seems like ages ago. 

After cleaning it was time to get to the gym again.  After our normal workout Marcia and I talked to Johnny about what to expect throughout the final week.  It was going to be standard operating procedures Sunday-Wednesday.  Only two small changes there…. No more grapefruit and no more almond snack in the afternoons.  No biggie, I can live with that… I hope!  Also, on Wednesday morning we were going to start taking a diuretic pill to help draw all the water out of our bodies.  I’ve never taken any of these before so I’m interested to see how it’s going to affect me.  Thursday was going to be limited to egg-whites for breakfast, ground turkey breast and one serving of a vegetable for both lunch and dinner.  The best news about Thursday was the fact that we could stop taking the protein drinks after our morning workout!  YES!  I’ll never miss those things.  Friday should be a great day because we’re adding carbs back into the diet.  So along with what we’ll have Thursday we’ll also be able to add a serving of oatmeal, white rice, and sweet potatoes. I can’t wait!!!!  It’ll be delicious I know!  And that takes us right into the big day…. Saturday, it’s show time!  The plan is to have a serving of rice first thing in the morning, then go check in and get ready for pre-judging.  We’ll probably have half a grapefruit in between check-in and pre-judging.  After pre-judging we’ll probably have time to come home, eat lunch, and rest for a few hours.  Then, around 4:30pm or 5:00pm we’ll go back to the convention center and get ready for the finals which start at 7:30pm.  We have no idea how long the finals will last, so we’re expecting to be there until at least 11:30pm or midnight.

Monday was great!  I felt fantastic… I was pumped up and ready to go.  I was still thriving off the excitement of the final week.  I don’t think I’ve felt this energetic and confident in weeks.  I think it was the fact that I was having a good hair day.  I was loving my new cut J I made it though our last leg workout and evening cardio just fine… my new positive attitude made all the difference in the world.

Then, Tuesday came along.  Tuesday might as well have been January 4^th.  I felt like the competition would never get here.  Four days seemed like eternity.  I think the cold, rainy, dreary weather had a lot to do with my outlook.  I tried not to dwell on it and just keep thinking positive thoughts. I’m getting so excited about everything from Saturday night on through reuniting with friends and food next week that I can’t seem to focus on getting through an hour of work.  I trudged through the day and then evening workouts as best as I could.  I had to… there was no other option.

Wednesday was a little bit better but also seemed to move slowly.  Wednesday was a scrambled day for me at work.  I had a conference call at 9:00am, another at 10:00am, mentor reading at 10:50am, then back to the office to eat lunch at my desk, then left for an eye exam at 1:45pm so I could barely get on track with a single project.  When I returned from the eye doctor my eyes were dilated so I couldn’t see anything close up… I was fine with distances but I couldn’t read my computer screen, files, or even my daily task list in my Franklin-Covey… that I adore!  Couldn’t live without that thing!  So after searching for something to do, I finally asked my boss if I could leave early and make up the hours next week. 

I was able to get my workout completed really early, which was a great treat.  I came home and started preparing my ground turkey breast for the next few days.  I cooked two pounds and then weighed individual servings then froze what I won’t need right away.  I didn’t quite have enough so I know I’ll need to get some more before Saturday. 

I think this last week has been just as difficult as the first.  It’s so weird because I expected this week to be fantastic.  I think I’m just drained.  Physically and emotionally drained at this point.  I told someone at work today that every M&M I see looks like a million dollars because I want to it so badly.  Being so close makes the end actually feel farther away.  I don’t know why that is, but it seems this week is moving at a snail’s pace. 

Now I’m ready to finish the rest of the week strong and come home with some shiny new hardware.  Wonder where I can put my new trophy?  Maybe in my office next to my Twinkies eating champion trophy?  Not many people can down 14 Twinkies in two minutes and then win a bikini competition…. At least I don’t think there’s been a precedent for that.

More updates to come to share how Thursday and Friday play out.   I’ll be tweeting each step of the way on Saturday.  Follow me on Twitter @katie1602.  I couldn’t have made it this far without my supportive friends and family so thank you for that…. But don’t bail on me now folks… I need it now more than ever.  Three days till it all comes to fruition…..  Is it too soon to countdown the hours? haha

Week 10

Sunday started out as a pretty normal day.  Unfortunately I forgot to turn my alarm clock off on Saturday night. So that meant that I woke up at 7:00am.  I tried to go back to sleep but around 7:30 I got up and started cleaning my house.  Boy was I in desperate need of a thorough house cleaning.  I started with just my bedroom… once that looked decent I decided to hit the gym and knock out my morning cardio.  After that I ventured to hell on earth (walmart) and bought my protein shots.  I have to go here because they’re much cheaper than Kroger.  While I was there I also picked up some ingredients for a homemade face scrub.  Thanks to my gym friend Sonny for sharing her “recipe”. 

I came home and had my grapefruit then showered and continued my cleaning spree.  I cleaned for hours… it seemed that I was getting nowhere.  There was so much to be done and I couldn’t really focus and prioritize the tasks on the list.  Pretty soon it was time for my eggs…. No oatmeal today.  Today starts my 13 days carb-free.  I’m trying hard to stay positive about this.  So after the oatmeal and hot tea I kept cleaning.  I even cleaned out my front closet and large closet in my guest room.  Next thing I know, it’s time for lunch.  I had grilled chicken and a double serving of spinach.  The plus side is I can replace the sweet potato for extra vegetables.  After lunch I tried to relax and enjoy my afternoon…. I caught up on a few shows saved on my DVR.  At 5:00pm I met up with Marcia to go through our weight circuit and cardio work out.  We also met with Johnny to practice walking and posing again.  This was fun because we get a small taste of what it will be like to be the center of attention and get on stage to show off all of our hard work.  After that we had to finish up our cardio…. I’m sticking to 75 mins this week.  I thought I would be back down to 60 minutes because I didn’t have and Sugar Free Pudding Snack Packs.  Not exactly… looks like 75 mins of cardio twice a day is here to stay.  Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on my outlook…. I didn’t get to finish 75 minutes of cardio because the gym closed at 8:00.  I did squeeze in 65 minutes before they kicked me out.  Who would have ever thought that I would be the last one to leave the gym on a Sunday night???

After the gym I went to Kroger to stock up on veggies.  My list consisted of green beans, asparagus, broccoli, and dishwasher detergent.  I made it out with all of those things PLUS Eddy’s Girl Scout Cookie ice cream J Oh yeah, Thin Mint and Samoas…. I had to get it because they’re limited edition and may not be there in two weeks.  They were also on sales so how was I supposed to walk away from that! So I just tossed those two pints in the freezer next to my other Girl Scout Cookies and locked them away until after March 19.

Monday was a great day.  I woke up and decided to create a great day.  I was determined to fill my head with positive thoughts and a motivated attitude.  Sure, I was scared a little bit about the no carb diet, but I couldn’t dwell on that.  Negative thoughts were only going to drag me down so I made the conscience decision to eliminate negativity for the next 12 days.  When breakfast came around I ate my eggs and had a cup of hot tea to fill the void of the oatmeal.  My green tea is soooo good.  It’s like a treat that I look forward to everyday.  So for lunch I came home and had my usual chicken and spinach.  Instead of having ¼ cup of baked sweet potato I substituted that with about ten asparagus spears.  Instead of thinking about lunch without sweet potato I thought of it as a double serving of the veggies I love!  Pretty simple.  We did our legs workout Monday night and it was killer!  We bumped up the weight on almost every exercise so I was really feeling the burn…. And I was loving it! 

Tuesday was much the same…. Great morning work out and very productive day at work.  I think the “eliminate the negative, accentuate the positive” is the best motto to get through any day, not just a training program.  On my lunch break Tuesday, my friend Annie and I went to Michael’s to check out the bedazzling supplies.  I got some fun pretty crystals to bling out my bikini.  I’m pretty excited to test my craft skills and see how this turn out.  Here’s the best part about my workout Tuesday…. Over the weekend I was doing some serious cleaning and found my old pink iPod mini from college.  OH BOY!  So I charged it up and took a 75 minute hill interval trip down memory lane Tuesday night.  OMG so much fun!  That was the best way to go through a cardio session  It was like being in Room 2 at 654 S. Milledge Ave all over again.  My arc trainer might as well been in the middle of Firehouse instead of Midtown Athletic Club.   I listened to 22 songs straight without having to skip a single bad one.    I can’t wait to get back there tomorrow and hear what else Bubba (my iPod’s name) has in store for me.

I hate to admit this, but  Wednesday was a little bit of a let down.  If you read my Special Update you learned about Mr. Man Thong.  Well, Wedneday he never showed up.  Bummer.  I went on with my normal morning  cardio then headed to work.  Wednesday was a nasty stormy day.  It must have been a long time since we’ve had rain like that…. I certainly don’t remember it recently, but then again, I hardly pay attention to the weather.  If it wasn’t for my crazy diet I wouldn’t be able to tell you what I had for dinner last night. 

I felt pretty good all day and didn’t think much about the competition.  Keeping busy at work is really helping postpone the nerves.  I don’t want to focus on March 19^th until March 18^th gets here.  I just wish I knew what to expect.  I have no clue how many girls will be there and how many will be in my division… I don’t even know what to really expect on the big day.   I just know it’s going to be a loooooong day. 

Wednesday was a pretty typical day with our evening work out.  We did the chest and shoulders circuits, then 75 mins on the step mill.  I was excited to get home and start my arts & crafts project.  I bought a few packages of crystals and some fabric glue and it was time to go to town on my competition suit.  I practiced a little bit on an old suit and decided I was ready to graduate to the real deal.  I started out simple…. Just the shoulder straps.  I glued crystals from the top of the cups all the way up to where the straps would tie behind my neck.  Here comes the hardest part.  I have to let the glue dry and set for 24 hours!  Another test of my will power and patience.  I really want to try it on!!!  But I know I’ll need to wait until Thursday night or it can all be ruined.  It’s kinda like the ice cream and cookies in my freezer… just sitting there testing me every minute of the day, but if I have one bite, the past ten weeks could be ruined.  I didn’t realize how strong mind of matter really could be.

So I’m about to get a little “churchy” here for a minute.  If that’s not your thing then skip this paragraph and pick up again on Thursday.  I’m not one for really “preaching it” but I just wanted to share another part of my daily life outside the gym.  Wednesday is Ash Wednesday.  It is the start of Lent, the Christian 40-day season of preparation for Easter.  It is a time of fasting and penance to bring us closer to God through our sacrifices. In the Catholic Church, it is normal to hear of people talk about what they “gave-up” for Lent.  In the past few years I’ve typically given up foods or drinks that I love: all meats, sodas, sweet tea, and even all candy/sweets last year.  Well, this year I had a new revelation.  I really couldn’t give up anything dietary because I wasn’t enjoying all these treats anyway due to the training program.  I started thinking that I would add something of meaning to my daily life instead of restricting something that I really love.  I realized that I had made the commitment and sacrifice to transform my body for a physical competition.  The training program was about 11 weeks, 77 days.  So why would I not want to transform my mind, soul, and relationship with God for eternal happiness?  I know how excited I am to see the physical changes and accomplishments that have come with this training…  now I was even more excited to see how the next 40 days would transform my heart.  I was going to use the 40 days of Lent to learn more about God’s purpose for me and follow His map to my happiness here on earth and eventually with Him in Heaven.   I can only be more excited to see how I can further develop my relationship with my Father. I’ve decided to read, study, and live The Purpose Driven Life over the next 40 days.  This book is divided into 40 days of lessons to help you realize God’s purpose for your life.  If I can spend three hours a day in the gym for my own gain, surely I can spend thirty minutes or so a day reflecting on why God created me, breathed life into me, and put me on this Earth.  What’s my real purpose here?  I’m pretty sure it’s not working 40 hours a week behind a desk, exercising, dieting, and wearing bikinis on stage.  There’s got to be more out there for all of us…. There’s go to be something that gives us hope, happiness, and peace.  In 40 days I think I’ll be just a little bit closer that answer or at least have a few pieces to that puzzle.  So all in all, I think it is important to respect yourself and take pride in your physical health, but know that there’s more to life than the physical.  God gave us life as a gift.  We should appreciate that gift and use it for the most good as possible.

Thursday was just another day in paradise.  Our countdown was now official in the single digits.  Only 9 days left and then it was time to shine!  Thursday morning I called the competition organizer to confirm that my registration had been received and correctly processed.  Yep, it was all there.  I was all set and ready to go for my first NPC Bikini Competition!  When I called, I thought that it might be nice to know how many other people were registered.  So I asked the man how many people were registered in my division.  Oh boy… bad idea.  His response was “No one ever asks that.  Why do you want to know?  The other people don’t matter.  Why? Are you scared of the competition?  It doesn’t matter who else shows up that day.  As long as you come at your best that’s all that you should be concerned about.”  I tried to explain that I was new at this… I just wanted to know what to expect on the day of the show… and then I said “Well, really, I just need to know how many boxes of tissues to bring for the losers!”

I was so tired Thursday afternoon…  I didn’t sleep well Wednesday night.  I couldn’t fall asleep until after midnight, then woke up around 4:30am and tossed and turned for another hour until I finally went to the gym.  I had a great morning at work and then went to pick up my suit bottoms from the alteration shop.  I feel a lot better knowing that’s complete now.  It wasn’t until after lunch, maybe about 3:00pm that the fatigue really hit me.  The lack of sleep combined with almost no carbs in four days, and the cold dreary weather just hit me like a brick wall.  I didn’t feel like working or going to the gym, or doing anything other than curling up in bed and sleeping for a week.

Thursday night I went through my legs workout on my own.  Marcia had to teach another class so she worked out earlier in the afternoon.  I had to dig deep and power through that terrible feeling.  Once I finished the weight training and got on the elliptical then I started feeling better and more energized.  This is when I realized that I’ve truly lost my mind…. After completing 35 minutes of cardio, I looked at the countdown clock and it read 40 minutes… my honest thought was “Yes, almost finished!”  Now that’s really crazy… 40 minutes is “almost” nothing. It’s longer than The Daily Show, it’s a long drive across town in traffic, it’s a dreadfully boring conference room meeting at work…. But at this point, to me, 40 minutes on the elliptical was almost done!

Holy cow!  Only seven more days of training.  We’re going to be finished next Thursday… Friday we’ll take off to rest and get prepped and then Saturday is the big day!

Here we go, about to start my last Friday work out… I was a little slow moving Friday morning... the end of the week is usually difficult because I’m so tired but this week was just a little harder than the past few.  I’m just not getting the sleep I need.  I don’t know why I can’t fall asleep at night.  I want to go to bed around 9:30pm but I’m not getting in bed and actually sleeping until close to midnight.  And even worse than the 5:30am alarm is the 2:30am bathroom break and being wide awake at 4:30am!!!  I haven’t had a solid night’s sleep all week. Other than that, Friday was an awesome day…. For me, not for Japan.  I felt great and energized once I got to work.  

I think the morning works outs actually make me more focused and productive at work.  This week has been awesome.  I feel like I’m getting so many things accomplished without feeling swamped with projects and overwhelmed by all the little tasks.  Friday evening was our short workout…. I worked out on my own because Marcia was late getting to the gym.  Somehow she tweaked her back and pulled a muscle so she was going to a massage therapist to get it checked out.  Friday was great because I was able to get in, do three circuits, ab training, and get on to cardio very quickly.  Although I know it sounds like forever, the 75 minutes of cardio is really starting to fly by.  I think it’s due to the newly found old school iPod.  Each song is like a 4-minute surprise party… who doesn’t love surprises AND parties combine into one big event!  Friday night I was able to get home pretty early, shower, and cook dinner before 8:30pm.  My plan was to force myself to go to bed early… well those sure were good intentions, but not happening in real life.  I continued to work on bedazzling my bikini… I think it looks really good.  I just hope everything actually stays on.  But, I have plenty of extra pieces and glue to take with me on the big day.  I’m sure I’ll be doing some last minute touch ups but that’s ok.  Then I got sucked in to my DVR and watched some shows I’ve missed dearly the past few weeks.  After that I decided to start reading a new book.  I told myself to put it away at 11:00, but I didn’t… I read until about 11:30 and then just laid in bed staring into the darkness….

Saturday was going to be a day for me… a day of nothing but rest and relaxation.  I started the day, after barely sleeping more than two or three hours straight, with my morning cardio.  Then I headed to Salon Next to get my haircut.  I went to the Junior League’s Nearly New Shop to drop off a donation of old clothes, shoes, and purses.  After that I went to hell on Howell Mill Rd.  Yes, that’s right.  Walmart.  I figured that I might as well stop in and pick up my protein drinks while I was there.  I has sooooo happy to buy my last supply of protein drinks.  These things are terrible and I’ll never drink another one again after Thursday.  After Walmart I went to the Cobb International Market to get some fresh veggies…. I  picked up some spinach, green beans, and asparagus.  For the rest of the day I’m just lying on my couch and watching TV.  I’m not doing anything but trying to catch up on sleep and rest.

Here are my week 10 update pictures…I’m pretty much done with the physical changes.  For the next week I just need to focus on staying on task and keep it on autopilot until the competition is over next Saturday.  I weighed 104.3 on Saturday morning.  I dropped 2.9 lbs this week and 15.3 lbs over all since the training started.

I’m planning to give daily thoughts and updates on Twitter next week.  Also, I’ll be tweeting updates every step of the way on the Big Day…  follow me @katie1602 to keep up with everything from the final steps of preparation to collecting my trophy and celebrating my victory next Saturday.