I am attempting to lower my 5k time more. I want to be under 35 min the next time I race in a month. So I have ran a mile the last three days in a row.. Might want to try to run a mile or more everyday now that the weather is much cooler after work. I get to do my last mud race this weekend called the Devil Dash! Im really excited for it, but the weather is supposed to be in the low 50's.. we have to go through a river multiple times as well! Gonna FREEZE! But the last obsticle is jumping through a flaming hoop! "Falling into a burning ring of fire" its all about the 7 deadly sins. Ill be sure to post about that!

I may have broken my plateau... I have been stuck at this weight all month so when I hopped on the scale this morning I prepaired for the same. Well its not the same! Its no where near where my low was on the plateau! I had been fluctuating between 2lbs.. but now I am down 4 from weight in this month! So I hopefully have over come this plateau FINALLY! What a frustrating month! UGH!! Hope to loose some more while I am at it! Bike rides here I come!

I got the urge to run! So I ran around campus, and then this last weekend ran around the neighborhood. It felt good. :) But now I am down and out for the rest of the week due to a surgery. boo. and I feel like I need to run because I have my GRE this week and need to release stress! I am also hoping to go backpacking this weekend, if I can with my surgery. Also tap is lowering my weight! Woo hoo!

If you ever get a chance to do a Mud run, do it! Just be CAREFUL! Mud Brigade was a BLAST! Except my boyfriend was not being careful and hurt his knee... Painful lesson. But boy did we get muddy! It was a 5k and it didnt even feel like it, and with the 10 min wait for the EMT's to come and help my boyfriend we still made it in 43 min.. CRAZY! Maybe my time is getting a lot lower! We will see, I need to find a 5k to run here soon. Yay football!!

I ate three oreos today. I didnt punish myself but I was sure motivated to workout! So I did the elliptical for the weightloss session of 40 min changing to really hard resistances, then took the dog for a 20 min walk, and am now off to tap dance off the oreos for an hour! This class is the one that will get me sweating and my heart racing! So those oreos should already be long gone, but hey its the last month!

OH and I went on an 8mile bike ride and a 15mile bike ride this weekend. It was great!

Been out on my new road bike, and it is amazing! Also got a lot of 5ks coming up this month, so going to be running a lot! :D

My new exercise is taking tap class again! :) It was so much fun last night and boy was I sweating!! yay! And now I am a sub teacher for tap to teach kids! :) Two times a week! So I will really get exercise in!

Backpacking was amazing. Except for the bugs. But positives were I was not out of breath at any point during our hiking. Last year I would hike for 5 min then have to rest to acclimate to the hike. This year nothing. :) The pack sure weighed a lot tho! But it was a great time getting out into nature. I havent worked out since monday because I have had a nasty cold that has had me down with a fever all week and I just cant get myself to feel even more hot while working out. I hope I get better soon, or at least drop the fever so I can go ride my bicycle and weight lift again!

One key word. Inspiration. Let me explain,
Last year I met Kari, as a personal trainer and she told me how she lost weight and I joined the weight loss competition and lost nothing. But she inspired me to do a triathlon, and she inspired me to loose weight. For me inspiration comes from the little (BIG) things. Completing a tri was a great challenge and made me feel powerful! Without Kari I would have had no inspiration to loose weight or even think about doing a tri.

Key word. Incentive.
My sister on the other hand had a baby six months ago and has still not dropped the weight and cant figure out how. I gave her the eat clean book, and my "fitness" magazines. I gave her the 90day supreme workout DVD's... Until last week she only used the book as a coaster, and tried the DVD's once. Last week she came to me for help to loose weight. I guess she wasnt inspired by watching me do my tri, or by all the 5ks... Last week she tried the 30 day shed by jilian Michaels. She did it for 3 days straight! And did a 5k with me that weekend. Last night I asked her how working out was going and she said bad. I asked her what her inspiration was, what her motivator was what her incentive was, and she said I have no money to spend, so nothing. So I stepped in. I gave her an incentive that I knew she wanted but didnt have the money for, a digital camera class. Needless to say she got off her butt and worked out. She now has an incentive other then loosing weight.

Its kinda funny how such a little thing to one person can mean so much to another. How loosing weight is not really an incentive, because its hard and you dont often see changes right away. But the second there is a different incentive, or different inspiration the game changes. For my change it was inspiration! For my sister her change will be from incentives. It would be nice to know other peoples words for change.

I lowered my 5k time another min!! AND my leg didnt hurt! These 100$ shoes are amazing!!! :)
I get to go back packing this week and I am attempting to clean up the meals I eat while out there because they are loaded with sodium. I baked cookies with quinoa, and oatmeal in them, and they are gluten free as well as organic, that I will be taking along. I am also going to take pancake mix and attempt those in the morning on a skillet. They have oats and are whole wheat (much better then poptarts) I am struggling with things to take for lunch because of the weight (yes things add up a lot and with all freeze dried food and only one change of clothes my backpack is usually around 40 pounds) So that being said I need to find some way to replace at least some of my cup o noodles that I take in. Still trying to figure out how because there are also bears up there and it will be a full moon!

I am really looking forward to all the hiking we will be doing! Around 15 miles or more!! I am also looking forward to the meteor shower! :) Until next time...

I have been doing the elliptical everyday this week, and wearing my heart rate monitor and I notice the amount on screen is half of what I get wearing the heart rate monitor for calorie burn. I guess because a heart rate monitor doesnt take into account the resistance factor? Well with that on top of the 30min of weight training wew! Last night doing legs I burned 220 calories in 20 min doing legs (according to the HRM) Go me!

Im off to run another 5k tomm! And I convinced my family to come do it again!! Yay for making healthy choices family! :)

With all this elliptical and weights I keep noticing a change in my body, like I dont feel fat when I pinch my skin, it has a different texture if you know what I mean. Like its tighter feeling. Which is a plus!

This weekend I will only ride the bike once due to the 5k. BUT I will make sure to make that once count!

If someone would have told me a year ago that I would have ran 10 5ks this year... I would have laughed in their face. And when they would have told me I would do my first Tri, I would have REALLY laughed. But Alas, I did my Tri, and I am on to 5k number 5 this Sat in Old Town. If you are in Fort Collins, Come Join ME! I am hoping to lower my time even more. As with August, bring it on! I have so many healthy events planned for you! We have 2 5ks, a three day backpacking trip, biking at least 6.5 miles every weekend, if not twice a weekend. And the elliptical at least 4 times a week!

elliptical... I hope it helps me get better at running since I do all the hard resistances. Biking, I need to work on doing the hills for my next triathlon next year. Running, oh running, we need to meet again before my next 5k which is in a week! Im not afraid of you anymore 5k! And if I could lower my time even more that would be fantastic! Swimming, I will start working with you again very soon. Oh and weights are taken care of everyday with my workout program. My thighs are strong and need to work on getting toned, my arms are getting closer and closer to what I would love for them to look like. Heading back to the gym to get on a bike and ride for an hour this weekend.

I get back from alaska and sat all I did was sleep due to the red eye flight kicking my butt. But sunday all I wanted to do waas exercise! And run and play! Needless to say I sure got a good workout yesterday and will get another good one today! Yay to wanting to work out! :)

In alaska, and this whole weight loss is a challege. I am here for work, but after work is playtime to get to see Alaska. My job doesnot mean we get to walk around AT ALL. The first week I was running a lot and doing my workout, since this weekend I have not sat down until 9pm and have not been sleeping so I cant find it in myself to wake up earlier to do the workouts. Today starts a new. Last night I hiked a difficult, yes it was difficult and so steep it needed stairs 2 miles one way. It was awesome and fun! So after I post this it is back to the workouts. Because hey I have another 5k the first weekend in August! And I want my time to get better! Not worse!!! P.S. the water challenge sucks out here, for some reason I cant drink the water I usually do at home. I dont know if it is because I am on a military base and I dont want to be running out of the room we are in every two hours, and we are technically not allowed water in the room we are in, or what could be the deal. But I have been freaking out about it because I usually drink TONS of water. Like enough that this challenge wouldnt be anything new to me. UGH!

I survived my cousins wedding weekend without gaining a pound! Woohoo! Now i just have to make it two weeks on the road without gaining, which should be fine. I slacked on the water challenge this last weekend because of the 7 hour drive to the wedding and back, and not wanting to stop every rest area. So now I am back to the challenge of drinking all the water!

Just got done with the firekracker 5k! I improved my time by over 2 mins!!! I am now down to 38:18. HORRAY! I accomplished my goal of getting it under 40 min too!! Im so happy and proud. Oh and I am already down for this month. I am officially at my 20lbs TOTAL weight loss since jan! :) I am finally back to the 150's!!! OMG! I cant believe it and it feels so good! I dont know where those 20lbs were hiding, and I dont know how much more I should loose. I know I need to get around or below 145 for a "healthy" BMI.. So we will aim for that. Here's to a great 4th of july! Esp since I just did a 5k!

This will be my last post until I get back from my work trip. I will be doing field work so I will be out walking around and will keep up with my exercise, I have to!! This is day 30 of 90 of it! :) 1/3 of the way done and I totally tell my thighs are so much stronger! :) My arms are getting more toned, my tummy is still a tummy, but there are abs under there! They are threatening to show! And I am going to have my chiropractor check out my knee to see what is going on in there. So hope for good news, cuz I am not going to stop running.. See you guys soon when we find out the results!

If I can knock off two more pounds this month that would be awesome. :) Yesterday I weighed myself and again was down :) I ran out of the bathroom and stood in front of my boyfriend and said I am officially down 18lbs. (I have been working on this since Jan of this year!, so not for this month! Dont worry!) Everyone in my family keeps saying how good I look. :)

Firekracker 5k!

Hey Everyone in the Fort Collins Area in this competition!! Here is a great way to get in some exercise! On July 4th at 8:00am there is a 5k race around city park. Come out, I will be there, and have fun and enjoy the beautiful day! You can sign up for this race at foot of the rockies, and if you go to their online site it has a link to where you can sign up online. Strollers are allowed! And you get a free T-shirt out of it, along with the pride of finishing a race. Let's start our 4th of July off on the right foot!

Another one bites the dust!

I am at a weight I haven't seen in at least 3 years now. :) That makes me happy! I am intimidated because Kari is in this competition and she KNOWS how to loose the weight! She has won the competition before and as much as I love her, I would hate to see her do it again!But trying to find a way to achieve a better weight loss is a difficult challenge. I would love to have a month where I at least tie with Kari!! :) Kari I am not the same Dani who was in the competition last year, bobbling between weights and not loosing. I wish the best to you and I hope I will not be embarrassed at the end of this month.

-On another note, I ran 1.5 miles in 17 min :) That is really really really good for me. Ever since my tri I have been able to run really good. I really would love to see me anywhere under 39min for my next 5k. I have only decreased in time by one min on my 5ks, and my fastest was 40.23 min. Darn up slope for the last 1.5 miles.. So with that I am needing to get my running down. I am glad I can run farther now without stopping for longer then 8 deep breaths. And my recovery is so fast now which is super awesome!

Until Next Time...

How I trained

Upon request I am sharing how I trained for my Triathlon. After seeing Kari run hers last year I got that spark, because hey she told me I could do it! In august I started walking at the gym, everyday before my classes. I had a sprained ankle so things started very slow for me. I also started swimming in august. I hadnt swam since I was like 10 and in swimming lessons, so being in the water again was scary. I started with the back stroke because of my fear of water, and could bearly do 25 yards without stopping gasping for breath. But I kept pushing and adding laps and after the beginning of December I was able to do 400 yards being in horrible pain but not stopping. Then I started working on the crawl and I still to this day can only do about 75 yards and then freak out. But you are able to do different strokes for the tri that I did. I need to work on figuring out breathing for crawl so I can stick with it. Back to running, I HATED running, all of my life. So after my ankle was healed around oct I started trying to run. I started with interval training. ran for a min, walked for 3. repeated this for as long as I could, which was like three intervals, but hey, gotta start somewhere. Then I was able to do 2 min running 3 min walking, and then 3 min running 3 min walking, and so on. Some days were easier then others! In Jan I was able to run half a mile without stopping then walked one lap of my track (16 laps is one mile) and then ran the remaining laps. Then I signed up for my first 5k. Did it around St. Patties day. If you have not done one, DO IT! The atmosphere is amazing. There are people cheering you on and everything! I didnt run all of it. My time was 41min. but I finished it! My best time was 40 min so far.. Because of my sprained ankle I pulled a muscle in my leg and when I run it kills me, so I am having the scar tissue broken up. For the Tri it didnt hurt but I was just exhausted!
Bike training was just in the gym because it was over winter. My mistake was never training with hills or harder resistance then a 3. BOY did I learn my lesson. But I had to learn somehow. I did the tri to prove to myself I could do it. It was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life, and It proved that I can do it again, this time for a MUCH better time. Amy if you have any questions dont hesitate to ask!

I did it. I completed my first TRIATHLON! :) I will admit it was very challenging. After the first lap of biking all I could think was giving up. But I didnt. Thanks to jolly ranchers and cliff bars I kept going. And running was quicker then I thought I would do it in. Although I have a bruise from where my thigh kept cramping and I was beating with my fist and yelling at it saying "I WILL NOT GIVE UP!" :) Maybe I shouldnt beat it next time ha! I am already looking forward to next year when I will do this race again. And it will be for a time next time. And I have already lost weight since weigh in. So that is fantastic. I have to start focusing on running so I can achieve my goal of getting better times on my 5k's. My next one is on July 4th. A toast to me and taking in what Kari's blog is called... and "Finishing what I start!"

New Competition

And we are back, today starts the new competition. And I am ready. This training for the Triathlon has shown me what I need to do. Since Jan of this year I am down 17 pounds. :) I got help with my nutritionist in December, so that showed me what to do, I took Kari's advice and got books by Tosco Reno. This sunday I will be following in Kari's footsteps and doing my first Triathlon. :) I will have the support of my boyfriend, my friend and my brother in law who formed a team that will be competing right besides me as I do it in whole. I have been training so hard and cant wait to see what I can do! Thank you Kari for the inspiration! You are a blessing in disguise and I am honored and thankful to have met you!
-Depending on how this triathlon goes, there is another one in Sept, I could do. But I will be doing 5k's all along the way.. Look out competition, here I come!

and.... I am down a total of........... 10 lbs!!!! :) I am now using the school scale because the one at home gives different weights every time you step on it, even if it is minutes apart! 168baby! :) I am almost down to my pre-surgery weight. Man I really wish I was in the competition now! Oh well. My size 13 jeans are so loose, which is the best feeling! I worked out 16/28 days this last month, so my exercise is increasing. I swam 3hrs 20min didnt write down yardage.. close to 4000 though. Ran 10 miles total (by the way, I can run for a lot longer now! Over a mile without stopping.) And Biked for 73.7 miles! That is like Driving 1.5 hours to my parents house that is a 45 min drive and 40 something miles away. HOLY COW!!! :) And did ellipital for an hour instead of running. :)
My only thing is that I have a very hard time getting in work outs that last an hour. Because I do most of this stuff between classes, I can only go for 35 min.. :( But it's showing anything is better then nothing. This next month I would like to run more because last month I think I hit 16 miles or something, but didnt exercise nearly as much.
My goals are to exercise at least 20 of the days in March.
Try to expand workout times that I do in the morning, yes this means waking up earlier.
To WORK ON PORTION SIZES! This is hard for me.. I have yet to succeed. I thought I was eating the good amount. Nope, too much. Boo..
March here I come. I would like to be down to 165 for my birthday on March 23!

End of the month run totals. I ran 14.5 miles this month. And picked up biking the last two weeks and totaled, 21 miles in three rides. What do I have to show for it? Well I lost two inches in my tummy, and lost 3 lbs. I feel like I did so much and only have so little to show for it.

So, I figure I will post two goals, Since I didnt get to run my 5k because of the snow, I want to do that before my birthday. I have picked out one on Feb 20th. :) Also I would love to be down to 140 at the end of the year. Right now I am at 178. I will weigh in every month at the begining of the month and post it here as well as how many miles I ran for the month. I think it will be neat to see how many I run each month and see how many I run in a year. I am for sure not doing 1000 like Kari! She is crazy and sooo much more fit then I am. So I will just see what I do. :)

So I ran 3/4 of mile in the morning, like didnt walk any, and then yesterday afternoon I ran almost a full mile! I only walked 1.5 laps on a 16 lap course!!! I am almost there. I cannot believe it. I am so proud of my self!!! :) OH and my time is down to 11 min. FASTEST EVER!!!! *yay*