Breastfeeding is the best gift I've ever given myself

Breastfeeding is the best gift I've ever given myself.

As a young adult, when I thought about having children I always knew one thing for certain: I wasn't going to breastfeed.  "Breast is best" arguments aside, I just never imagined myself feeding a child with my body. Just thinking about it gave me serious anxiety. I couldn't stand the thought of having a human attached to me, begging for nourishment. It was too much responsibility. I also squirmed at what my post BF boobs looked like in my mind's eye. I just wasn't that kind of girl, I told myself. My boobs would simply not be laid on the altar for sacrifice. My friends encouraged me to keep an open mind and the make whatever decision seemed right when the time came. No need to put the cart before the horse. Fine.

When my daughter came on Independence Day this year, I took one look at her and knew there wasn't anything I wouldn't do for her. She was the piece of me that I didn't even know was missing. I resolved myself to do right by her, even if it meant sacrificing everything I had. I knew that the best decision for her was for me to breastfeed her. Sorry, formerly full, perky(ish) breasts, it was nice knowing you.

Here we are 14 weeks later, and I see breastfeeding as more than an decision about how I feed my daughter. Honestly, she'd be perfectly fine if she were formula fed. She'd still be healthy and happy. She'd still be growing as she should and eating just as often. But, I'm not sure I'd be fine. As it turns out, breastfeeding means more to me than I could have ever imagined. 

I love the fact that she looks to me for her most basic need. I love that she wants to nurse just for comfort sometimes. Seeing her baby face in the middle of the night snuggled up next to me makes my heart sing. When she puts her tiny hands on my chest as she drifts off to sleep, I could cry. I've never loved anything more than I love her. Any moment that I get to pull her close, I gladly take. Sometimes when my husband gives her a bottle I've pumped, I go in the other room because I can't stand to see someone else feed her. That's my job, that's our thing. As crazy as it sounds, I have to fight feelings of jealousy and the urge to defend my turf. 

She will never remember how safe she felt in my arms. She won't know that I woke every 2 hours to feed her in her first few weeks of life. She will never realize how many times I kissed her cheeks at 3:00am or how many nights I stared at her in awe. This tiny human will turn into a not so tiny human and she may never understand how much of myself I've poured into her. But I will. I'll remember. And one day, not too long from now, she won't need me at 3:00am, she'll find comfort in something else or someone else, as she should. When that day comes, I'll be so glad I gave myself this gift. 

Postpartum Truths

For those of you who don't know, which is probably all of you given how long it has been since I've blogged, I recently had a baby. My sweet girl was born on July 4, 2016. In these 14 short weeks, I've learned a thing or two I'd like to share. Not because I think I'm an expert; I'm not even close. But because I wish someone had said these things to me. So here it is, take it or leave it.

1. All the hospital packing lists you find on Pinterest are useless. You absolutely do not need that much crap at the hospital. Trust me, you won't want to keep up with all that stuff when you have a teeny baby to care for and your hormones are raging. Plus, the hospital staff will give you most of what you need, so do yourself a favor and pack light. For yourself, you really only need a couple of pair of pajamas (I only wore one pair; I stayed in the hospital gown the first day and night after delivery), a robe, toiletries, a going home outfit, and a phone charger. I also brought my iPad, but I didn't really use it.

2. You will love your postpartum nurse more than words can describe. I had my baby around 3pm, but didn't make it into my postpartum room until after 7pm. That's when I met Leslie. I'm pretty sure she's an angel on earth. She helped me so much that first night. Sometimes when I think about how wonderful she was to me I tear up. In reality, she probably wasn't any better than any other nurse taking care of new moms and babies, but she was mine and I loved her. I wasn't prepared for how attached I'd be to her.

3. Peeing after giving birth isn't as bad as everyone says, but pooping is. I had a normal vaginal birth with a 1st degree tear (skin only, no muscle tear) that required 2 stitches. I put off using the restroom after delivery for longer than necessary because I was so afraid it would burn like hell, just like all the bloggers said it would. It didn't. I never had any urinary discomfort. However, the first poop after birth was maybe the worst part of the whole labor and delivery experience. Do yourself a favor and take every stool softener offered to you by your nurse, then ask for more. Also take them when you get home for at least a week.

4. The anticipation of labor is worse than actual labor. We took labor classes and all those videos they showed us pictured women screaming bloody murder during labor. It was terrifying. I said to my husband that a c-section looked more humane than what was happening to those women in the videos. I'm happy to report that wasn't my experience. My doctor was going on vacation, and I was 2 days past my due date so I was induced. I checked into the hospital at 5:00am. I had just been to the doctor a couple of days before and was dilated to 3.5.  By 6:30am, I was in my room and had a pitocin drip. I had very mild contractions, but they were easy to talk through. My doctor came at 9:30am and broke my water. That was gross, but not painful. I had an epidural around 10:30am or 10:45am. I slept from 11:00am until 2:30pm when the nurse came in to check me. I had made it to 10cm. The doctor came back a few minutes later and confirmed it was time to push. I pushed for about 15 minutes and then it was over. There were no screams, cries, etc. I realize this is not everyone's experience, but for me the anticipation anxiety was totally unnecessary. For the record, I think it's totally fine to birth a child without an epidural if that's what is best for you. I knew I wanted an epidural, but every woman has to make that decision for herself.

5. Even if you hated it, you might miss being pregnant. I hated being pregnant. I felt awful the whole time. I was so happy to be having a baby, but pregnancy did not feel like the magical miracle experience I was expecting. However, I kind of miss it a little. Taking care of a baby living inside you is a heck of a lot easier than taking care of one on the outside. Plus, people are nicer and more considerate of pregnant ladies than they are of ladies with babies.

6. You might be annoyed by the animals you once treasured. I adored my dogs before I had a baby. They were the lights of my life. When I brought my baby home, all of the sudden nothing got on my nerves more than these 4-legged creatures. It's slowly getting better, but for the first week or so I thought I was going to kill them. Seriously. I wasn't prepared for that. If I had to do it over again, I might send them to my mom's house for a couple of weeks until I got more comfortable with having a newborn.

7. Nipples get sore so much faster than you can imagine. I expected sore and tender nipples, but I didn't think they would come so fast. I thought it might take a week or so before it got bad. Nope. It happened in a couple of days. We're talking cracked, bleeding nipples, and I had a good nurser. I called lactation and they gave me a recipe for a homemade nipple cream. It got better in a few days. Even now, 14 weeks later they still get a little tender from time to time, but it keeps getting better and better. Though tough at first, breastfeeding is one of the best experiences of my life. I didn't think I'd be into it, but I am. More to come in another post. 

8. The dermaplast spray is a joke. It didn't do anything for me except make my vagina itch. I will definitely skip it if I ever have another baby. Lots of women swear by it, but it wasn't for me. 

9. Your relationship may take a downward turn. It's true that you'll love seeing your husband/partner hold and care for your new baby. It's precious to see, but it's so much more complicated than that. You will give absolutely everything you have to your new baby. You'll give so much that you won't have anything left to give anyone or anything else, including your husband and your marriage. You might even wonder if you'll ever go back to the couple you used to be. I'm still in the thick of this one, but every once in awhile I get glimpses of the us that used to be. Every once in a awhile I see the couple and not the new, exhausted parents. It makes me hopeful. I hear it can take a couple of years to really feel "normal" again; TBD on this one.

10. When you have a window, take it. When she was a newborn, my baby wanted to be held all.the.time. If she wasn't sleeping, she was in my arms. If she wasn't in my arms, she was crying. On top of that, newborns don't really follow a schedule so there is little predictability. That being said, when you have a window, take it because you never know when that window will slam shut. Have an appointment at 10am? Is it 7am and is baby asleep? Then get yourself ready 3 hours early because that baby could wake up at any time and need 100% of you for the next 3 hours. You never know.

11. Never underestimate the need for mom friends. I didn't know how important mom friends were until I had my own baby to care for. I had/still have tons of questions about what is normal, how other moms deal with issues, etc. It helped me so much those first few weeks just have a circle of people who I knew understood. Maternity leave can be lonely, it helps to have support from women who get it. 

12. Mom guilt is real and it happens so fast. I experienced mom guilt within the first week of being home from the hospital. It caught me off guard. I was looking at my sleeping baby and was overcome with it. I felt guilty that she was sleeping because she had been most of the day (as newborns do) and shouldn't I be doing more to interact with her. I felt guilty that she needed to eat every 1.5 hours at first because what was wrong with my milk that it didn't last longer. I felt guilty when I left her for the first time when she was 5 weeks old so I could go get my teeth cleaned. Now that I'm back at work, I feel guilty when I put her in her swing or on her play mat for 10 minutes in the evening so I can wash her bottles because I've been away from her all day. The list of things I feel guilty about is endless. I know in my head she's fine and that I'm doing OK, but the guilt is real. 

Fitness Survey

It has been a month of Sundays since I wrote a fitness post (which probably explains why I've put on about 4 pounds). Kris and I are really hitting the health and fitness lifestyle hard this week because we are tired of the yo-yoing. When I saw this fitness survey on Nikki's blog I knew I had to take it and share with you.

1. What did you eat for breakfast? Mixed nuts and a banana.

2. How much water do you drink a day? About 60 ounces. A lot more now that I gave up soft drinks.

3. What is your current favorite workout? I love yoga and walking. Those are my all time faves.

4. How many calories do you eat a day? 1200 is my goal, but I don’t get too mad at myself if I reach 1400. I’m doing better this week than I have in a long time.

5. What are your favorite healthy snacks? Apples. I love apples!

6. What do you usually eat for lunch? I usually pack my lunch or grab the lite nutty mixed up salad at Jason’s Deli.

7. What is your favorite body part to strength train? Arms.

8. What is your least favorite body part to strength train? Thighs, which are what needs it the most.

9. What are your “bad” food cravings? Sweets. I’m like a sugar-aholic

10. Do you take vitamins or supplements? No. I know I should, but I just don’t.

11. How often do you eat out? Once or twice a week. More often lunch than anything.

12. Do you eat fast food? Sometimes, but not often. It makes me feel gross.

13. Who is your biggest supporter? My husband.

14. Do you have a gym membership? Yes, well a yoga studio membership.

15. How many hours of sleep do you get a night? 6-8 hours

16. Do you have a “cheat” day? No, I try not to. I find that if I let myself cheat I have a harder time not cheating the next day. It’s easier for me to just stick to it. Cheat days have been my downfall every single time I’ve tried to diet.

17. Do you drink alcohol? Yes, I’m a wino. Which I don't consider a vice.

18. Do you have a workout buddy? Not really. I walk with my husband sometimes, but mostly I go it alone.

19. What is the best thing that has changed about your life since committing to a healthy lifestyle? How I feel about myself. One healthy choice leads to another and I love how healthy choices make me feel.

20. What was the last healthy thing you did? Got up at 6am to workout!

Accept the things I cannot change

Why is it that we're more willing to accept flaws in others than we are in ourselves? As humans, aren't we constantly preaching that to truly love someone you must love yourself first? Yet, time after time, we belittle and degrade nearly everything about our own self.

Carrie Bradshaw's curly hair is beautifully wild, but our own ringlets are unmanageable and a nightmare. Scarlett Johansson's body is wonderfully curvy, but our bodies make us cringe.

As I'm marching onward towards 30, I'm really trying to so some soul searching. I'm trying to be my most authentic self, i.e., someone I can really be proud of. With that, I've learned there are some things about myself that I'm just going to have to get used to if I want to be at peace.

Here are 5 things I've learned to accept about myself:

1. My thighs will always be a little thunderish no matter how thin the rest of me is

2. I will always cry at sad/happy movies, TV shows, commercials, etc.

3. My handwriting will never be as perfect as my mother's

4. I'll always be directionally challenged, even directionally ignorant at times

5. I'll never be able to turn down a cupcake

 

What are you willing to accept about yourself?

30 Miles In 30 Days

This week was a little bit of a challenge for me. Not really miles wise, but food wise.

We visited our families this weekend, which of course, included eating. Duh, we're southern. I had a work lunch on Monday, and Kris had a work dinner on Monday. It was tough to always make healthy choices. The eternal dilemma is wanting to eat the bad, but knowing I should eat the good. I'm hoping to be in a place where I no longer want to eat the bad. We'll see how that goes! I do feel, however, I'm back on track. Fingers crossed to staying that way.

Another thing I slacked on was yoga. Last night was my first class in over a week. :(

Here's how I've done since my last update...

Thursday: 3 miles

Friday: 2 miles

Monday: 2 miles

Tuesday: 2 miles

Wednesday: 2.5 miles + 60 minutes of yoga

Miles this week: 11.5 miles, all walking

Miles to go: 6 miles

Days to go: 8 days

How did you do? What struggles have you run across this week in your quest for health and well-being? Check out Nikki's blog to learn more about the 30 Miles in 30 Days challenge and consider linking up for June!

30 Miles In 30 Days

Yay for being 9 days into May. Not yay for slacking on the 30 Miles in 30 Days challenge for May.

What can I say, I have not been into it. I promise promise promise I'll do better from now on. We all know there's nothing stronger than a treble promise. I have, however, being kicking yoga's ass this week. That counts for something right?

Thursday: 1 mile walking  + 60 minutes yoga
Friday: 1 mile walking  + 75 minutes yoga
Sunday: 1 mile walking  + 60 minutes yoga
Tuesday: 60 minutes yoga
Wednesday: 60 minutes yoga
Miles this week: 3
Miles to go: 27
Days to go: 22

 

 

30 Miles In 30 Days Recap

Hey! I'm so happy to be back after what seems like forever. Two trips in a row really wore me out!

So yesterday marked the end of The Pink Growl's 30 Miles In 30 Days challenge. I met the 30 mile goal last week, but I kept on going. Here's a little recap of my month. BTW, can you believe it's May?!

Post 1: 11 Miles

Post 2: 12 Miles

Post 3: 5 Miles

Post 4: 9 Miles

This Week: 7.5 Miles

Total: 44.5

I loved participating in this challenge. It made me even more aware of how much I move (or don't move) throughout the day and how there is always an opportunity to step it up. After eating like junk on my vacations, my body is dying for me get back to its healthy routine. I'm looking forward to May's 30 Miles In 30 Days challenge.

Will you join?

Beach Recap & 30 Miles in 30 Days

Now that I've been home for 4 days and am leaving again tomorrow, I feel it is appropriate to recap my beach weekend.

We arrived in Tybee around 3:30 and promptly crashed on the couch. Something about sitting in a car for 7 hours made us want to sit some more. We went to dinner around 7 and were in bed by 9:30. This is not a joke.

Friday, we awoke to the news that the Boston bombers had been identified and one was still on the loose. We had a gigantic breakfast, and spent our morning on the couch glued to CNN. Being an educated woman can be tough. We did, however, manage to ride bikes all over the island for a good part of the afternoon. We hit the beach for about 20 minutes, but the wind was terrible. We had an amazing dinner and talked politics all night. Again, we were in bed by 10pm.

Saturday, the weather was terrible. We got pedicures and watched TV all afternoon. We drove into Savannah that night to let our hair down. Drinks, dinner, and after dinner drinks proved to be too much for us. We were back on Tybee by 10pm.

I should be utterly ashamed of myself (and my friends) for going on a girls' trip and being so lame, but I am not. The truth is, I had an awesome time. Getting 10 hours of sleep every night was just what the doctor ordered.

30 Miles in 30 Days Update:

Friday: 3 miles biking

Saturday: 2 miles walking

Tuesday: 2 miles walking

Wednesday: 2 miles walking

Total Weekly Miles: 9 miles

Total Miles: 37 Miles

Miles to Go: Done! 7 miles over with 5 days to go!

A Favorite Yoga Sequence

Today, I'm super pumped to share a favorite yoga sequence of mine with you. I'm headed to the beach today for a long weekend, but that's no reason to slack on the exercise. I plan on doing this exact sequence every morning and evening while I'm on my beach trip.

If you're interested, head over to Yoga Journal and build your own yoga sequence!

 

Inhale. Start in mountain pose, an easy standing pose, heels together if it's available

 

Exhale. Bend forward from the waist into forward fold, go as far as is available. Bending your knees if you need to do so is perfectly acceptable.

Inhale. Come half way up, flatten your back, and gaze forward

 

Exhale. Place your hands on the mat, step back right foot bending your left knee. Keep your chest lifted and gaze forward.

 

Inhale. Place both hands on the mat, step back with your left foot into plank

 

Exhale. Lift your hips up, pressing them back, into downward facing dog. Try to think of yourself as pushing your chest in between your legs.

Inhale. Step forward back into forward fold

Exhale. Come up slowly back into mountain pose. You can also move your hands to heart center if you like.

Repeat this sequence, on the other side (stepping back with your left foot). I like to do 3-5 sets meaning, I will complete this sequence 6-10 times. Remember, it's important to perform these poses with fluid movement keyed to your breath. Focusing on your breath keeps you present and helps you stay in tune with what your body is telling you!

 

 

30 Miles in 30 Days Update:

 

 

Sunday: 2 miles walking  + 75 minutes hot yoga

 

Tuesday: 2 miles walking  + 60 minutes hot yoga

 

Wednesday: 1 mile walking + 60 minutes hot yoga

 

Total Weekly Miles: 5 miles

 

Total Miles: 28 miles

 

Miles to Go: 2 miles

 

 



30 Miles in 30 Days

To say that this week has been a struggle would be an understatement. Bourke's eye drop schedule and activity limitations are killing me. Not to mention the huge project at work I'm lawyering. It never stops, does it?

The only solace I've found has been in exercising. It's been my refuge.

I'm going to the  beach next weekend, so that has also motivated me to exercise. I wouldn't say I'm 100% bikini ready, but I don't think the whales will be singing "we are family" too loudly. I'd call that a win.

Here's how I did this week:

Friday: 3 miles - walking

Saturday: 2 miles - walking + 75 minutes hot yoga

Monday: 2.5 miles - walking

Tuesday: 2.5 miles - walking

Wednesday: 2 miles walking - walking  + 75 minutes hot yoga

Weekly Total Miles: 12 miles

Total Miles: 23

Miles to Go: 7

One thing I've found that really helps me is wearing a pedometer. I check it periodically during the day and that motivates me to either (1) keep up the good work or (2) get my tail moving! Plus, we've had just wonderful weather the last week or so, and I have just loved getting outside and walking.

I've done great so far, but I'm traveling a lot over the next couple of weeks, so I hope I can find time to exercise while I'm gone.

How do you stay healthy and active while traveling? I need some tips!

Motivation

You may remember me talking about my goal of getting off the couch. Well, I've largely succeeded in my goal. I wouldn't say I'm 100% there, but I've definitely improved.

I've attended 13 hot yoga classes since my March 11 post. I'm also walking with a co-worker every day at work for 15 minutes (we do 5 laps around the hallway and up the stairs, so a little over a mile). I try to walk for 30 minutes at least one more day during the week. This is where I could step it up a bit, no pun intended.

I feel better than I have in a long time. I'm sleeping well, and I have way more energy. I guess it's true what they say, "a body in motion tends to stay in motion."

A huge factor in sticking with an exercise regimen is support. If I have to have someone to "report" to about my exercise habits, I'm much more likely to stay with it. It's like I don't want to let that someone down. I want to be able to proudly report that I did, in fact, exercise yesterday. Thanks for asking.

Even though I do exercise, I also do some pretty awful things to my body. I fill it with preservatives, refined sugar, and artificial sweeteners almost every day. I deprive it of sleep, subject it to unhealthy amounts of stress, and Lord only knows what my caffeine addiction is doing it. Amazingly enough, regardless of the crappy things I do to myself, my body still performs pretty well for me. I mean it got through a 109 degree 50% humidity 60 minute yoga class with only 500 calories of energy that day. If that's not a miracle, I don't know what is.

After that awesome yoga class, I got to thinking. What if I stopped treating my body like a machine and started treating it like the vehicle that will take me through life for the next 60+ years. How well would it perform for me then?

When Nikki decided to host the 30 Miles in 30 Days link-up for April, I knew it was just what I needed to give me a little more motivation. That extra push I need to be kinder to my body. So, I'll be linking up with her each week to share my fitness progress, in miles. The goal is to have logged 30 miles, in some way or another, by the end of April.

Here's my week so far, all miles are walking miles.

Sunday: 2 miles
Monday: 2.6 miles
Tuesday: 3.4 miles + 60 minutes of yoga
Wednesday: 3 miles

Total: 11 miles
Miles to go: 19 miles

I'm so excited to keep moving and feeling great. What about you? What keeps you motivated to stay fit?

Springing Into Fitness

Let's be honest, shall we? I'll go first.

 

I haven't really exercised this winter.

 

Sure, I've gone on an occasional walk, been to the gym and to barre a few times, but  mostly I've been stagnant. And, if I'm being really honest, the stagnation has occurred on the couch in front of the television. Probably while RHOA is playing.

 

At the beginning of February, I made the decision to start watching what I eat. Since then, I've lost almost 7 pounds. I'm pretty proud of myself. So this winter hasn't been a total wash, but I still feel like I need to start moving more and more often.

 

Normally, I have no qualms with exercise. As you may remember, training/running last fall pretty much made me hate my life. I blame that for my sloth-like behavior, but with a beach trip just weeks away, I'm feeling the pressure. That pressure may or may not be coming in the form of a black bikini. Sweatpants just won't cut it at the beach, you know what I'm saying?

 

The weather is getting warmer, and I have resolved myself to get off the couch and start moving! Here are my 3 favorite workouts:

 

Barre - I love barre. It's challenging, and I always feel like I've done something incredible for my body when I leave. Barre works my muscles in ways I didn't know they could be worked. I've been doing barre off and on for over a year. This will be what I do to tone up.

 

Hot Yoga - This is a new favorite for me. I've only done it 3 times, but those 3 times were all last week. I think I may be obsessed because I have another 4 sessions scheduled for this week. I have never felt more connected to myself and my body than I do in hot yoga. I have a feeling this is going to be a beautiful relationship.

 

Walking - this is my all time favorite physical activity when in the spring, summer, and fall. I love to walk, and I can walk for hours outside. I calms me, lets me think, and gives me so much more focus. I'll definitely be getting my money's worth out of my tennis shoes this spring!

 

So, what are you doing to shape up?
 

Source: theonlyten.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest

 

For more information on workouts I love, click here.

 

Race for the Cure

Instead of a half marathon update, this week I thought I'd share my Race for the Cure experience with you. Kris and I did this 5k last Saturday morning. Kris does it every year, and this year I decided to join him.

We had to get up at 6am, which is an hour earlier than I get up for work. The race didn't start until 8:30am, but we had to fight traffic and pick up our race bibs.

Race for the Cure in Knoxville has a huge turnout every year. This year was no exception. There were people everywhere! It took us 8 minutes to get to the start line! I wish they would've done a wave start, but oh well. I also noticed there were tons of walkers and not so many runners. It was very difficult to get past all the walkers during the race. Many times, I had to stop running because I couldn't make my way through the crowd. It was a little frustrating that walkers weren't more aware of runners. I tried to keep in mind it was for a good cause, but common courtesy goes a long way in my opinion. Kris is much faster than I am, so he went ahead of me, but he said he encountered the same.

Did I mention it was cold? It was freezing! When I reached mile 2, it started raining. 50 degree weather, rain, and running don't really make for a comfortable experience. By the time I reached the finish line it had stopped raining, so I guess it wasn't too terrible after all.

I finished the race in just over 36 minutes. So, I'm running about a 12 minute mile. Not too bad considering my training program only has me running 15 seconds out of every minute. I think I would've been faster if there hadn't been so many people. But, who knows? Good thing there's still 6 months until my half marathon.

Here are a couple of pics from Race for the Cure. What did you do this weekend?

I hate getting up before the sun

Before the race

So many people!

After the race

I don't know why we're smiling at 6:30am

Kris before the race

Name brand workout apparel: do or don't?

Let me paint the scene for you. You're at the gym; you're in the zone, sweating like crazy. You feel like a human power house. Nothing can stop you.

Suddenly, you remember you're wearing 'no name' workout clothes. In an instant, your muscles turn to jelly, and you can no longer find the strength to go on. You lay prostrate on the floor cursing yourself for not splurging on the $100 running/yoga pants that could've taken you from mere human to workout god. If only you could go back in time; but, it's too late.

OK, seriously, has that ever happened? I'm going to go out on a limb here and say "hell, no." So tell me then, why do people pay large amounts of money for workout clothes? Are they really worth it? Let's talk it out.

I love clothes as much as the next person, but I've never been able to justify spending more than $25 on an item of clothing I'm only going to sweat buckets in and on, i.e., wear to the gym. Am I missing out on something? Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the way those expensive tank tops and yoga pants/capris look. They're beautiful; and the fabric is definitely top notch. But, all I'm going to do is sweat my butt off (I hope/wish!) in them, and no matter how you slice it a sweaty tank top is a sweaty tank top. I just can't do it. When I'm considering whether I want to take the plunge I always think, do I want these yoga pants or do I want that new skirt at J.Crew? The skirt wins. Every. time.

So unless one of you can convince me a $60 tank top will make me faster, stronger, or skinnier (if I'm paying $60 for it, it better do all 3!) than a $20 tank top, I'm going to say name brand workout clothes: DON'T. At least for me. 

I'd love to hear what you think!

$98

$8

19.99

$82

$16 for 2

19.99

Half-Marathon Update

This is a quickie today, but I wanted to share something...I got new running shoes! I've been running in the same shoes since January 2010, and I finally made myself get new shoes. Before, I was wearing Brooks Ravenna 2. Now, I'm wearing Brooks Ravenna 3. I'm such a risk taker; I guess I'm just crazy like that! Anyway, here are a few pics of me (and my little photo-bombing dog) before my run last night. I went at about 7pm, and it was freezing! Well, really it was 58 degrees, but you get the idea.

Long sleeves and pants = still not warm enough

Check out my new kicks!

Layers

Photo bomber!

Half Marathon Update

This week is week 3 of my 8 week conditioning program. I'm still enjoying getting outside and running, surprisingly. The sun is starting to set around 7:30pm, so I'm having to run as soon as get home from work. I know that pretty soon, my running outside days will be over until spring.I've ventured out of my neighborhood and boldly gone to the park a half mile away from my house. I know, I'm impressed, too. Truthfully, I'm still unsure about leaving Bourke alone for too long or going too far away. He has a check-up next week, and I'm hoping I get more comfortable with the status of his health.

I took these pics on a walk day (and on my phone hence the poor quality), so my hair is down. Sometimes, I feel manly in running clothes with my hair pulled back so it was nice to be able to have it down. That sounds stupid, I know, but I like to look my best. Even when exercising.

I feel the need to share pictures so you all know I actually am going for a run, not just saying I am and then eating a bucket of fried chicken while watching Real Housewives of New Jersey.

I needed you to see my t-shirt. Gotta rep Tennessee!

I found the perfect place for my car key!

Half Marathon Update

This week I started the 8 week conditioning program I mentioned here. I hasn't been tough at all. But, let's be honest, if running 5 seconds a minute for 18 minutes is hard then I have no business training for a half marathon. Did that sound snarky? I didn't mean for it to sound snarky. I'm just keeping it real. Do the kids still say that, "keeping it real"? I have no idea what's cool anymore. I think that's obvious. Anyway, I've gotten off on a tangent so I'll get back to business.

I've been surprised how much I've enjoyed getting back into running. (Can I call what I'm doing running?) I've just been running around my neighborhood which I like because I still haven't gotten comfortable leaving Bourke. I've discovered everyone in my neighbordhood (except me) has children. Either that or they all have weird obsessions with small plastic cars and tricycles. I don't know which is worse.

I tried to snap a few pics of myself pre-run. I wanted to look cute and sassy. It didn't work out that way. The pics were too horrible not to share. By the way, you'll never see me post run. I tend to sweat. A lot. You don't need to see that.



Trying to look cute, not being successful



Making sure the dogs aren't killing each other because that's what it sounded like

Why? I have no idea