It started out as a crummy day.  I missed Steven's bed time call.  I didn't think I would catch him online this morning.  I weighed and had gained 3 lbs.  I wanted a chicken biscuit from Jack's NOT the protein shake I was concocting!  I was just flat out grumpy!

I have come to the conclusion that I have the best friends in the entire world!  They always encourage me when I'm down, and push me to keep going towards my goals!  This morning was no exception.  I whined, and they came to my rescue! 

I did the 3 mile work out and 15 minutes of Pilates this morning.  I am so stinking sore!  I'm not sure if I am letting my body recover enough or not.  My protein drink was actually pretty dynamite!  With frozen fruit mixed in, it was more like a fruit smoothie than a drink to torture me, reminding me I can not have greasy chicken biscuits.

After working out and straightening a little, I got the kid ready and we went to the store.  I bought all the ingredients (which, btw, are really easy to find in a regular grocery store.)  We came home and started on the soup.  Just so you know, if you are not quick with a knife and an accomplished chef, this recipe takes LOTS of prep time!  It's still simmering away in the pot, waiting for me to delve into it yumminess! 

I did the calculations....and they are ROUGH, but one serving is around 200 calories!  Not bad!  The recipe is below.  Check it out for your family....or got to Chili's and order it!  You will NOT be disappointed...  Ok, well you may bc I haven't tasted the home made version yet, BUT if it tastes like it smells....WOW! 

http://www.desktopcookbook.com/recipe/85775/Chilis-Chicken---Green-Chili-Soup.htm

So I did my 3 mile workout this morning.  Why do I STILL want to quit half of the way through EVERY workout!  Swimming, I could swim for hours, but other workouts, I just want to stop!  I love working out too.  So weird. 

Anyway, definitely sore from last night's workout, but in the best possible way!  I have eaten much better today, too.  Always a plus.  Not much to write.  I'm so tired I can barely even think tonight!  So looking forward to working out with Shelle Belle in the morning, and then another good swim tomorrow evening :)  CAN'T WAIT!

"Good job, Terri!"

Yes, you read that right!  I got a good job, tonight.  What's even better is I got a "You have a very pretty breaststroke."  *sigh*  Yes, thank you thank!  THAT was what I need to hear to keep my momentum up!  Who knows, I might be competing in a month if I stick with it!  How awesome would that be?!

OK, so before I dive any further into my workout.  I must discuss my junk food hangover!  I don't know how many of you have ever had one of these hangovers, but it is not fun AT ALL.  It is mostly remorse!  I know I need to lose weight!  I have such great encouragement!  I messed up and ate popcorn and reese's pieces, among other things.  The scale never lies, and buddy did it tell on me this morning!

As a result, I decided to refocus, recenter, and be ready!  So I start out great with my eating.  Then I notice the Nutella jar in the cabinet.  Having never tasted it, I decide, what can it hurt to have a little taste.  I opened an amazingly yummy can of worms!  I have decided that it is of the Devil, sent here to ambush my weight loss dreams!  I have a jar up for grabs!  Come take it!  That's all I have to say about that because now my mouth is watering, and I want a nibble!

So I went to practice this evening, and I am thinking that I might be ready for a meet sooner than I thought :)  Go me!  It may be a 50 yard sprint, but who cares, really?  All that matters is that I kicked serious butt in practice tonight!  AND I got a Good job!  I think I will have sweet sweet dreams about kicking some swim butt.  Watch out guys!  Terri is on the road to Masters Swimming! 

I end this with a phrase I never thought I would be able to say again :)  I am officially a swimmer again!  *sigh*  It feels good!

I'M the biggest loser!

Since I don't know if we are actually having a swim practice tonight due to weather, I decided to go ahead and try the Biggest Loser workout on my Wii.  Uh...yeah!  I hope, if we do practice, I do not have to do anything too strenuous because that was killer!!!!!!

First off, let me just point out that I am proud I even got the Wii set up!  This is usually Steven's job as setting up electronics is "Man Work".  Also, I am afraid of messing something up!  However, seeing as my sweet husband is THOUSANDS of miles away right now, I had to suck it up and do it.  Nothing caught on fire, short circuited, or blew up.  The Wii works.  MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

So I put in the workout fully expecting to just have fun.  I was dripping sweat, yes DRIPPING, by the time I was finished.  My legs were shaking, my arms were shaking, and I JUST KNEW I was going to pass out!  Thank God for watermelon.  A good sugary snack post workout!  Love this stuff!!!!!  Needless to say, no wonder these people lose so much weight on that show AND no wonder the trainers have to be so mean!  It is tough!

I do want to log in some extra gym time.  We may go tonight just so I can get some extra cardio in.  Who knows?  Today's life lesson:  "Games" are not always fun!

How many times do you get a second chance at a dream?

Tonight I have been thinking about where I am, and how far I have come.  You know, in December I checked my blood pressure, and it was 146/99.  I checked it a week ago, and it has dropped to 122/79!  I still can put pictures side by side and not see a bit of difference.  However, as I was out and about today, I almost lost my shorts a few times.  I bent over at the gas station, and thank God I had on a swim suit!  They fell to my ankles!!!

There are things in life that we want so bad.  I want to be in shape.  The way I in-vision myself in my head, and the person I see in the mirror are not even close to the same!  I swam competitively for 9 years of my life.  I can't tell you now why I even quit!  I WILL tell you that I had the chance to go out for the school's team in high school, and I was too afraid.  I have kicked myself a million times for not doing it.  I have said at least 100,000,000 times that if I ever got the chance to swim again, I would JUMP on it.  I WANT to swim!

So many people say that I inspire them to work harder or get moving.  That's humbling for me.  Seriously, I am simply jumping on the second chance God threw my way.  If I was to think about it, it would be a SIN to not take advantage of the opportunities before me.  God has handed me these things on a silver platter, and I am gracefully accepting them with my whole heart!

Thank you, God, for second chances!!!!!  May my child learn to dream big and follow his heart!

P.S. I did a 1 1/2 mile walk tonight.  Nothing big.  Had to work out the kinks from the weeks tough work out.  back to the swimming nazi tomorrow!

No, I didn't drown.....But I almost did!

The good news?  I did not drown.  The bad news?  I almost did.  That MIGHT be an over exaggeration, possibly....

In all seriousness, I feel much better about the way I swam tonight.  I felt more fluid and coordinated.  That doesn't mean much coming from me as coordinated is never a word someone would use to describe me.  (Ask my Fall Ball buddies from last season!)  But I felt good about how I performed in practice today. 

I don't recall the last time my arms felt as sore as they do right now.  I don't recall the last time I was so tired from just hard work.  I will tell you, though, that I love every ache and pain.  It is like a tiny notch in my belt moving me that much closer to my goals!

So about drowning, we had a TOUGH workout today!  In the 2nd to last set, we had to do 400 free, with ascending 100's....which means every 100 is faster than the one before.  The last hundred you are sprinting.  (Have I mentioned that the last time I did this I was 16?  Just wanted to point that out again!)  OK, so I am in it!  Pushing, muscles screaming, legs burning, but I am SWIMMING and it felt good!  Then I hit the wall.

If you run marathons, you know ALL ABOUT THE WALL.  I hit it.  SMACK!  I could not breath.  Now this isn't like running where you can slow down, and walk.  NO I had to STOP!  Ms. Nazi, I mean Denise, comes over and is like, "You ok?!"  "Yeah, just lost my breath."  "How ya feel?"  (with that deceptively sweet voice and face) "Well, I'm not going to throw up, if that's what you mean."  "Good!  Gimme that last 50!!!  Go!"  So, I DIDN'T drown, but I thought I might! 


Today has been a good confidence builder for me for many reasons.  1. I'm down 3 more of the 7 lbs I gained while Steven was home on R&R.  WOOOH!!!!! (only 2 more to where I was when he got here!)  2. We did a lot of kicking tonight.  Kicking is my strong point!  3. I was NOT the slowest person tonight!!!!  YEA!!!!!

Now a fun day of swimming with my good friend, Christa, tomorrow.  I'm thinking I might get INSANE tomorrow morning, with some cardio recovery though ;)  And back at the grind Friday, for another night of torture with the swimming Nazi.  I feel genuinely happy for the first time in MONTHS!  Thank you, God, for blessing me with a second chance to pursue something I love so much!

Back in the Saddle Again!

I had such a disappointing night last night!  After my swim, I felt like such a failure.  Hopefully, you will come to know me better through this blog.  However, those who know me well know I hate when things don't come easily to me or I don't do as well as I feel I should. 

For example, a few years ago I went to Colorado (my second happiest place on earth!) with my youth group.  EVERYONE was snowboarding, and I was in decent shape at this point in my life.  I tried it.  What a baby I became when I couldn't stay on my feet for more than 15 seconds on that stupid board!  I literally cried and screamed!  Such a poor showing on my part.  I'm slightly embarrassed by it NOW.  At the time, I could not for the life of me figure out why my body would not do what my mind was telling it to!  Two painfully slow, grueling hours later, I made it down the bunny slope...the first time.  Yes, 2 hours for my first run down.  Please understand that most of this time was spend on my rear!  The next day I chose skis and didn't fall...not even once!  One must redeem one's self when one let's one's self down!

This morning I woke with aching muscles and a bruised pride, not unlike the enormous bruises I went home with that day on the bunny slope!  I had a quiet time of reflection while Alex was still sleeping.  In that time I decided I must do something extremely tough and familiar to bring the confidence back up!  So I pulled out the old Leslie videos and did a hard core 30 minute weight loss walk.  Then I did what I do best, weights! 

(Terri's 2 cents:  I don't understand women who refuse to do weight training.  Women are not built genetically to be bulky!  By building muscle we increase our metabolism and strength!  Muscle gives us endurance and strong hearts.  A workout of simple cardio is an imbalanced workout!)

So I worked my core, bi's, tri's, chest, shoulders and back.  These are workouts I can make my body do with ease!  I felt strong and confident lifting and pushing!  I think I am back in the saddle and ready to be tortured by the Swimming Nazi again tomorrow night!  Today's lesson: If at first you don't succeed, do something you know you can, and try the other thing again later!  Now for a hot shower and some muscle cream...I'm so sore!!!!!!