Angels Within

"I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free." --Michelangelo

When you look in the mirror do you see the angel? Do you see the beauty that is in you? The power? The hotness? (ha ha) If you can't see it, what's clouding the reflection?

Every time I hit the pavement I hear the chisel. Every time I choose a small portion over a huge plate, I feel the chisel. Chipping away, one small piece at a time. What I'm finding is that the chiseling involves more than my outward appearance.

If you can't see your inner angel when you look in the mirror, then you need to consult with your maker. Do you know your worth? Do you see your beauty? If you can't, ask God to reveal it to you. Ask Him to help you understand your worth. You are worth the investment in yourself. You are worth the time it takes to chisel away at whatever is hiding that beautiful angel.

For anyone who happens upon this blog, I pray that God reveals Himself to you and who YOU are in Him. For anyone who has struggled with weight, I pray that you learn to love and value yourself no matter what size you are right now. Your beauty is not bound by your dress size nor is it faded by your portion size. I pray success for you in every area of your life. In Jesus name. . .Amen.

Ready to REMIX!!!

"Most of us have just learned to exercise our survival muscle. It's time to build our victory muscle." --Iyanla Vanzant

When I started this journey on July 1st I had one big hairy audacious goal in mind--complete a half marathon. In the course of achieving that goal I discovered some untapped things within myself and started a journey down a road to fitness that I had never fully explored. Many times in my life I had taken a tour but it wasn't until this summer that I decided to become a citizen.

After completing two 5ks, a 15k, and a half marathon in five months I've begun to slow down a bit. Partly because of the weather (it's getting bleeping cold!) and partly because I no longer have a sitter on Monday evenings. It's time for a remix. I do not want to just do enough to keep my weight at bay; I want to do this thing purposefully, ambitiously, always with victory in mind. I'm not the type of person to piddle about just passing time--my action always has a purpose and is done purposefully.

The change in weather and in my life situation (yet again!) has made me think mixing up my workout routine. This may mean that for the winter, running may take a backseat to cross training. While the obvious substitute is the treadmill, I can only take rat-running for so long. It bores me. The other night I had to pull out my Jillian Michael's cardiomax for a quick workout. I may also try to find some Zumba and Pilate's DVDs. This is in addition to my lunch time workouts, of course.

Do not get it twisted--this remix is just temporary. I've already planned out my running life for next year so my training is back on and kicking come the end of February. For others of you on the quest to LIVE fit, please don't the seasonal indulgences and the cold weather set you back. Rethink and remix. Besides, I need to fit into some really fabulous dresses for upcoming holiday parties and my Grandma's cruise in February. Last year this time I was wearing a size 22 dress, but this year I'm shopping for 16s. Oh yeah!!

Brrrrr-ing it on!!

Yo world!! This past weekend (Nov 6th) I completed the Hot Chocolate 5k in Chicago, IL. It was an absolutely fabulous trip. This was by far the biggest race I've done to date. There were 15,000 people registered for the 5k and another 15,000 for the 15k. My whole reason for signing up for this race was to focus on my running intervals.

My last visit to Chicago was when I was 17 years old. I had visited DePaul University and fell in love with the city. This time around I stayed in the heart of the Loop area at the Club Quarters Central Loop Hotel--great little boutique hotel with great rates, they will even bring fitness equipment to your room. I was able to walk to both the expo and the race.

The morning of the race the temps were near freezing!! I've never run in temps that cold. Thankfully I dressed perfectly: dri-wick tank, two dri-wick long sleeve shirts, fleece vest, tights, running pants, and two bands for sweat and to protect my ears. I didn't get too hot and didn't feel too cold. Some people had on big puffy coats; I don't see how they did it b/c I would get too hot dressed like that once I started moving. I actually hate sleeves.

While the atmosphere was awesome, I was a little annoyed at how congested the course was. There were several times when I was at a good stride but had to cut in and out of the crowd. I couldn't get my full intervals in because of the crowd. The slow spots did give me a chance to take pics of the course--which was absolutely beautiful. My goal was to run for two minutes and walk for three. I was stoked when I hit the 2 mile mark at 29:55. The next think I knew I could see the finish line in the distance. I ran the last 1/4 mile to the finish line; my final time was 45min 47 seconds with a pace of 14:45. Not exactly what I was hoping for but I'm happy with it.

I actually felt really good afterwards. It just confirmed for me that I prefer distance racing. Next year I'll do the 15k--with or without my friends. Two of my friends were supposed to walk with me but were unable to (one missed registration and the other was sick). I love Chicago so much that instead of doing the Derby Festival MiniMarathon in April I'm going to do the 13.1 Chicago on June 4th. The course is up Lake Shore drive, with views of Lake Michigan. I can't wait.

Bring it on! I've relaxed for the past few days but now I'm ready for the next challenge. Onward, Soldier!!!