Where did you go??

If you could take 3 months off from your current life and do anything in the world, what would you do?

I would travel. I have not been to many place in my life so I have tons of places I want to go. I would take a cooking class in each place that I go, because I love to cook. Immerse myself in the culture. It would be amazing! I may or may not let my BF come along. But my dog for sure! Here is where I would go:

Venice, Italy

A Fairy Pool, Scotland

Stepping Stones, Ireland

Bora Bora

Maldives

Where I'm From

So I am trying something new- Blogtember - post ideas for everyday of the month of September. A challenge to blog more regularly. The past couple of weeks, have been good. Same old same old. I got in 3 runs last week, and on Monday ran 5 miles (instead of 6) were I happened to fall at mile 1.5. Just so you know, I have fallen in 2 races, just because, not tripped on my feet or cracks, just a twist of the ankle and down I go. I also fall during my trainings, so Klutz alert. I will see what I can do this week.

Wednesday: 3.5 miles
Thursday: 6 X 400 5K pace
Friday: 3 miles
Saturday:
Sunday: 5K Race

Describe where or what you come from. The people, the places, and/or the factors that make up who you are.

Here is my family.

I come from an average family from Pennsylvania. My parents met in college and got married in 1977. They met at the University of Rhode Island, where they were in a program for the African American students at their school. They had my sister in 1979, I was born in 1982 and they had my brother in 1988. I say that they could have stopped with me, but hey I guess they wanted a boy. 

In 1988, my maternal grandmother came to live with us and help my parents out. We always had an adult around the house, and unfortunately I did not appreciate having a grandparent live with us until I moved away to college. My grandmother was amazing in that she never finished high school and fully expected to live with her parents for all her life, until she met my grandfather in her early 30s. For her generation, she got married later in life, but still managed to have 3 children. 

We grew up with the expectation to do well and succeed. My parents showed a united front with us and I cannot remember them ever fighting in front of us. My childhood was ideal, I would say. I was lucky enough to have two parents who worked hard and cared for us. We were raised to believe that we could do anything that we put our minds too and they trusted us enough to let us make mistakes and learn from them. My parents instilled in us importance of working hard and let us make our own choices in life. I truly believe that my parents shaped who I am today and I am better for having them by my side. 

Losing It and accepting limits

Hola party people...Holla at ur gurl!

Yesterday, I stepped on my frenemy the scale. She read 196.6. She may be my new best friend because that is 2 more lbs down. That is a total loss of 10 lbs. Milestone met and savoring the moment.

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If you read this little space in the ether on Monday, you know I worked out all of 2 times last week, but my eating was on par. I am currently broken up with MyfitnessPal and am just doing my own thing. Not counting macros, not counting calories, just eating clean. Not worrying about what the scale is going to read and living life out loud.

As of today, I have worked out once - combining 2 of my runs into one last night. I rocked 3 miles and 1.25 miles of speed work. By taking time off, my endurance has gone down and I have slowed down. Progress not perfection.

I realized that I am setting the bar too high with training and strength. I cannot go from 2 workouts to 6 workouts in a week. I read a lot of blogs and I see all my ladies rockin it at the gym and I want to be that dedicated. Right now I am not, so I am not going to beat myself up. I have not started Ripped in 30. I may or may not get in 3 more runs this week, and I am okay with that.

TODAY is the DAY I stop trying to act like someone maintaining their weight, who has worked up to working out 5 - 6 days a week (and loves/hates it) and start acting like the recommitted person I am. I am going to make it and if I do not pressure myself to be perfect, than I think I can succeed. One day at a time. One step at a time. One moment at a time. CHANGE YOUR MIND CHANGE YOUR BODY!

That's it for today.

Motivate Me!

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Weekend Recap + Weekly Goals

Hello There:

So this weekend I had the opportunity to do nothing. Absolutely not a thing. My boyfriend was away at a Bachelor Party Weekend, and I had the pleasure of giving myself a gel manicure on Friday and watching the entire season of Orange is the New Black on Netflix. I may or may not have had cereal for dinner and cookies!

On Saturday, woke up at maybe 11am and went for a 4 miles walk/run. It was so bad it is hard to mention. Then I took a nap. I woke up and started watching Hunted, which is a Max Series. I decided to make meatballs and sauce using Ida Garten's recipe. It was easy and delicious, plus I knew I did not want to make dinner on Sunday.

Sunday, I went to brunch and had a delicious tasting menu and interesting conversation with a lovely lady I just met. I took another nap, then the boyfriend came home and it was back to normal. Sunday dinner and Game of Thrones. We are now on season 3. I already read the books and have to remind myself not to answer his questions because it spoils it!

Weekly Goals Recap and This weeks Goals:

Monday: Ripped in 30/ rest

Tuesday: RI30 + 3.5 mile run/ 2.48 mile walk

Wednesday: RI30 + 35 minute tempo run/ rest

Thursday: RI30 + 3 mile run/ rest

Friday: RI30/ rest

Saturday: RI30 + 3 miles @ pace/ rest

Sunday: RI30 + 6 mile run/ 4 miles of torture

As you can see, I did nothing last week. I was not feeling motivated at all. I am trying to come to grips with the slow progress that I make and it is discouraging. But that being said I am restarting my Army 10 miler training today. It is 9 weeks away. My goal is to do better than I did last year. That is it. 

Monday: Ripped in 30

Tuesday: RI30 + 3 mile run

Wednesday: RI30 + 5X400 @ 5K pace

Thursday: RI30 + 3 mile run

Friday: RI30

Saturday: RI30 + 3 mile run

Sunday: RI30 + 5 mile run

Motivate Me!

I'm Back and better than ever!

Extra Extra Read All About It!

If you haven't realized, I struggle. I am always searching for the next best thing.

I want to lose this extra weight for good.

I have the desire. Do I have the drive? 

Yes and No.

I just try. 

Every damn day.

To want it.

I can taste success!

I am succeeding. Slowly, but surely.

My weight today: 198.4. 

I lose slow. BUT I Lose. And that is success and all I can ask for.

Weekly Goals:

Monday: Ripped in 30

Tuesday: RI30 + 3.5 mile run

Wednesday: RI30 + 35 minute tempo run

Thursday: RI30 + 3 mile run

Friday: RI30

Saturday: RI30 + 3 miles @ pace

Sunday: RI30 + 6 mile run

Motivate Me!

http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/3d/bf/c2/3dbfc2b0b971d51873600d0c0f6bf574.jpg

I got back from vacation last week and immediately came down with something. Grr! Got to love the crazy bugs going around this summer. I be back soon, Promise!

5 on Friday

Today I am linking up with Darci for 5 on Friday. Here we go. Five things I am looking forward to this next week.

1. I am going to Myrtle Beach for the first time. I have been to FL already this summer, but this is truly the first vacation where the plan is to lay on the beach and do nothing.

2. It is a all girls trip. All I can think about is the Little Rascals and the NO BOYS ALLOWED club. Oh alfalfa.

3. I am kind of looking forward to getting away from the BF. Living with a boy is tough.

4. I don't have to plan one aspect of this trip. My girls have it covered.

5. Did I mention we only have to pay 13 dollars for 3 nights/4days. Got to love parents with condos!

Motivate Me!

Weight In Wednesday

Hey everyone! Hope your having a lovely hump day!

I for one am having a good day. I weighted in today at 199.6. I am out of the 200s for good. Yippee!. I am working with Ashley for the last 2 months and have lost 6.8 lbs since starting. It may not be munch but it is something. I am still getting into the habit of working out, but with training for the 10 miler started, I am well on my way to a successful next few months. 

I am having to get used to this slow pace of weight loss. This is not a crash diet, it is a lifestyle change. I am trying to be positive and it is hard at times. Slow is slow, and not seeing a change in measurements is frustrating. One day, one step at a time.

Motivate Me!

Week recap & This week's schedule

So last week was so-so.

Workouts this last Week:
 Monday: 20 minutes Stairmill + Shoulders & Back - Done 
Tuesday: 3 Mile Run - Done
Wednesday: 30 minute Tempo Run + Legs - 30 min tempo done - kicked my butt so bad i skipped legs
Thursday: 3 Mile Run + Chest & Arms - rest day
Friday: 3 Mile Run at Pace (6.3 on the treadmill) - rest day
Saturday: 6 Mile Run- attempted finished 3 miles in 35 minutes (faster than Monday but not up to pace yet)
Sunday - Travel Day/ Rest

As you can see no long run last week. I definitely tried to cram too much into my schedule with a birthday and a wedding this weekend. I got discouraged after my tempo run. It was much more difficult than I anticipated and I could not keep pace. I need to use those moments to push myself to the next level the next day.

Workouts this week:
Monday - Rest day
Tuesday- 3.5 mile run + full body weight routine at home
Wednesday - 6 X 400s at 5K pace + Legs
Thursday - 3 mile run + Arms and Chest
Friday - Rest
Saturday - 5 K Race
Sunday - Rest or Yoga

Motivate Me!

I workout!

Today, I am going to link up with Skinny Meg for Work Out Wednesday and the ladies for Weigh In Wednesday. My workout of the day is going to be fun! When I say fun, I actually mean hard and by hard I mean crazy. (Shameless Plug...check out my new Workouts tab to see what I am doing at the gym!)

I am completing my first Tempo run for my Army 10 training. It looks like this.

The key to a good tempo run, (I am learning) is that it builds up to a peak in the middle then works its way back down. I have pace issues when running outside, so I am completing all speed work and Tempo runs on a treadmill at the Gym, but to do this outside, you would need to run slow in the beginning of your run, then speed up in the middle and slow back down at the end. The beauty is that this can be a hard or as easy as you want. I have run as fast as 8.0 on the treadmill for a minute, but have never run an entire time at consistent high speed, so this will be a challenge.

For strength, I am doing this:

My favorite days are Leg days, and I love a good squat. This is a Pyramid workout so you add more weights with each set, with the last set being really hard (ie u can only lift for a few reps). We will see if I can walk tomorrow.

Last week I kicked up my running a bit. I was hoping for a big loss, but all I got was 0.2 lbs. A loss is a loss, but it still is disappointing. Maybe next week I will see the 100s again.

Schedules...Got to Love them

Good Day, Good Day!

So I am entering week two of training for the Army 10 miler. I am loving the variety of this schedule, let me tell you. Speed workouts are fun and they are adding variety into my workouts. Anyway, I only missed one run Saturday, due to the Kitchen Table Debacle, which we shall never discuss. Needless to say, I still do not have a dining room table and we still are not all move into the new townhouse. Trials of the Poor and Shameless.

Anyway, the weekend was a bust, besides my 5 mile run/walk yesterday.

1. Never run without water in the middle of a hot day.

2. Just don't do it. You may feel like calling your boyfriend 3.5 miles in when you stop for water at Giant realizing they have no water fountain and you have no cash. Maybe. Just sayin'.

Workouts this Week:
 Monday: 20 minutes Stairmill + Shoulders & Back
Tuesday: 3 Mile Run
Wednesday: 30 minute Tempo Run + Legs
Thursday: 3 Mile Run + Chest & Arms
Friday: 3 Mile Run at Pace (6.3 on the treadmill)
Saturday: 6 Mile Run

I am forgoing a rest day until Sunday this week. Jay's birthday is on Friday and I am driving to Atlantic City for one of my sorority sister's weddings on Saturday. Busy Busy but I need to get this in. Part of making a lifestyle change and what not. On that note I have two things I use for accountability, a calendar and a journal where I log my workouts and progress. So far these are good motivation tools for me. (Plus I get to use colored pens)

You have notices I added two new pages....Blogs I Love and Workouts. Check them out to see some of the things I do at the gym and what I read.

Hope your week is fabulous!

Love,

QuinTesSenTialLy ME

Weigh-In Wednesday...

a day late and a dollar short. Holla at ur girl!

So I am on month two of this Macro plan and I have lost 6 lbs so far. This is the week that I get back under 200 lbs for the last time in my life. I don't ever want to see that number again. No bueno. Anyway, for being on this plan for 6 weeks, I have found that it is tough. My body holds on the lbs like no other and I cannot lose weight quickly.

This is going to be a slow and steady kind of process. But I am working with it what I have. My exercise is consistent and I am seeing results. My pant may even being a bit loser. Maybe.

I know last we spoke of running I was going to do the C25K for speed. Well, that sh*t ain't challenging no more. I did Day 1 Week 1 and felt really really bored. I decided to start the Hal Higdon Intermediate Half Marathon training plan. This will get my ready for the Army 10 Miler in October and it incorporates speed work into in. Following in the foot steps of Mrs. ElleNoel. She is one smart lady and her results are awesome. Anyway, I am looking forward to the day when I can say, 60 pounds lost forever. But taking it one pound at a time. 

Love,

QuinTesSenTialLy ME

I'm going to Disney World

...or how to spend a ridiculous amount of money in a child focus part of the world without having any children. WHOMP!

So my boyfriend's older brother got married at Disney World, in their gorgeous wedding pavilion. The entire thing was gorgeous and we had a wonderful time at the wedding. It definitely reaffirmed our belief in a destination wedding all the way (I am so glad we are on the same page about that!). Small ceremony, nice beach, and only guest who really want to be there (or need a vacation).

This photo of Montego Bay is courtesy of TripAdvisor

We spent 2 days on wedding stuff, since the boyfriend was part of the ceremony, and the other 3 days doing our own thing. Let me tell you about our own thing.

On Thursday night we went to see La NouBa which is the permanent Cirque Du Soleli Show that is in Disney. We went to the 9 PM show and it was very good, but after an early start to the day and driving for another hour to Cocoa Beach, because if you are in FL then you have to at least touch the sand and see the beach, even if rain is beating at the back door, driving back, checking into the hotel and getting the bus to Downtown Disney, we were exhausted. I nodded off when the fly people started their portion. We hopped into the bar to watch the end of the NBA playoffs, then walked back to were we were dropped off, only to be told the buses load from where we just came from. Whomp! Disney does a great job with general schedules, but they need a little more details surrounding transportation.

source

Friday and Saturday was wedding galore. Lots of new family members met and names already forgotten. The bride and groom were lovely and the wedding cake was on point. It was a Puerto Rican/Jordanian wedding, so the music was ethnic and cultural with a nice mix of your standards. Hello Cupid Shuffle!

Sunday we wrapped with the family in the morning and my boyfriend breathed easy and truly began to enjoy the vacation part of our trip. We went to Animal Kingdom and saw a giraffe in flight (amazing). And went to Epcot. The German beargarten was our food of choice, and he was in heaven. The soup was amazing and I had a salad with every meal.

Monday we woke and made our way to Magic Kingdom...at lunchtime, in 90 degree weather. We don't have kids yet and we were surrounded by the little angels who where very hungry and very cranky. Everywhere we turned we saw or heard a crying baby. And I would be crying to, if I had to wait in line for over 90 minutes for a ride. We went on one ride, grabbed lunch and got the hell out of dodge. We went back to the resort and laid poolside until dinner. I got tan and sunburn! Good times. Off to dinner in Downtown Disney, we were looking for some live music at the house of blues but that is only on Friday and Saturday. We made the most of it. After walking around for a bit we decided to jump on the bus back to the resort then the monorail back to Magic Kingdom. We arrived right as the evening fireworks were wrapping up. And we went on every ride we wanted to with little to no wait, since everyone was leaving. I don't do roller coasters, but I made sure my boyfriend went on Space Mountain. It was the last ride of the trip for him and he wanted to go on again but the park was closed. I am glad he enjoyed it since I made him go on the Winnie the Pooh ride. HAHA!

Tuesday we woke up and were on our way back to Washington, DC. Surprisingly enough, it was hotter here then it was in FL. Overall, the trip was great. It was a good time, but for my frugal self it was over priced. I would definitely stay off resort if I was going with a family so you could save on food costs. Bring your own water and Pepsi products, as it is all about Coke there and everything is $3 a bottle. Needless to say I did not get in my 128 oz a day. Going to Disney as an adult was eye opening and I would take my kids there when they were at an age where they could enjoy it. We did not go to Universal Studios, so that is still on our list of must dos.

Love,

QuinTesSenTialLy ME