2015 WDW Marathon Weekend Recap: Part III

Recap Part I

Recap Part II

After getting a good rest on Friday night, Matthew and I woke up at 2:30 on Saturday morning to head to the half marathon. We were on one of the first buses over to Epcot; Matthew had all his gear, I was equipped with multiple spectator signs and my winter coat. Yes, it was another freezing and windy morning in central Florida.

After meeting up with our peeps- and getting to see Matt aka Hokeyboy and his wife Kim- Matthew and I said our goodbyes as he headed back to the corrals. Luckily, I've spectated races at Disney before so I knew roughly when I needed to head over to the monorail to get a good spot at the Magic Kingdom. One of the benefits of not running this race was that I was able to see all of my running friends- those that came early and those that were rushing in at the last minute. I was so happy to finally meet Kathleen and Lee in person- we've been twitter friends for a long time and I've loved following both of their journeys to Dopey. I also got to meet Natalie and Jimmy, quite possibly the most good-looking and sweetest couple I've ever met. Seriously- they're awesome. And we met up with Andrea- whom I first met in-person last year on marathon morning, on the bus to the race start. Heather and her crazy awesome mother were there too- we have the best friends around.

My camera sucked all weekend until I figured out how to balance out the whiteness. My bad.

Me, Hokeyboy, Matthew, Kim, and Coach Jeff. Thanks to Matt for this picture.

Around five, I headed toward the monorail. The first corral would start at 5:30 and the first runner would get to MK around six. The wheelchairs would be there within 15 minutes of the start. So I knew I had to hustle if I wanted a good spot.

Back in the day, before I was a distance runner, I would watch Matthew run these races at Disney. In case you didn't know, I'm a professional spectator :-) I have a spot in MK, just before the runners take a right and turn into Tommorowland, that is just perfect for spectating. Here's why: they block off only half of Main Street, USA for the runners which means that it is incredibly congested during that part. However, when they are about to turn into Tomorrowland, the path widens and swings out to the left, just in front  of the castle. That way, I'm sure to be seen and runners can safely hug the left side and come over to say hi to me without impeding the flow of traffic. But you've got to be there early and you've got to be ready to claim your spot.

Big shout out to Mandy for grabbing this great shot!

Also, I photobombed about a thousand people's selfies. Including these fine folks. Everyone wants the castle shot :-)

A quick ride on the monorail and I was in MK. As I entered the park, I was moved to tears. Full on, sobbing tears. It was beautiful. Seeing the castle lit up, with the huge Christmas tree in the foreground- it was just emotional. I think part of it was sadness that I wasn't able to run. It is still tough watching from the sidelines, longing to be part of the race.

Breathtaking, right?

Anyway, I found my spot and quickly got my signs ready. I was tracking multiple friends so I would be ready when they were close to me. I was also texting with Lauren, who was spectating from her resort around mile seven. I missed Coach Jeff and Patrick but did get a quick shot of Nathan as he flew by. I was able to see my friend Donna (who I first met through Instagram and then in person at the Divas VA Race), Mandy (twitter friend who I met in person at the Runner's World Half), Carlee, Krissy, and Megan (all twitter/IG peeps) and I even saw Bart Yasso! I yelled for him and he waved! I'm pretty sure this means we are BFFs now.

As I was cheering, I looked over and there was Kim, Matt's (Hokeyboy) wife! She is probably my spectating idol- she takes phenomenal pictures and captures such cool moments. We chatted for a few minutes and then Matthew texted that he was on his way. He looked GREAT at mile five! We chatted for a minute, I got a few pictures, and then I sent him on his way. I had some time- I was expecting him to run a 2:30- so I stayed for a while and cheered for more runners. Then I meandered down Main Street and back to the monorail to Epcot so I could see Matthew finish.

Seriously?! How awesome are these pictures?! Kim is AMAZING! Thank you, Kim!

So happy to see my runner!

As I'm getting off the monorail, Matthew called me- he was at mile 13 already! Natalie and Jimmy had caught up to him at mile eight and paced him to the finish. I was so upset- there was no way I'd make it in time to see him finish. And the winner for the worst girlfriend/spectator of the year goes to... Ugh.

Luckily, Matthew was totally cool with it and met me right outside the bag check area. He had actually finished somewhere around 2:16, a full 15 minutes before I was expecting him! He flew through those last few miles! As we were grabbing some pictures and talking about how he totally ROCKED the half, our friend Justin spotted us and said hello. I cannot express how much we love runDisney events for this reason; we are surrounded by so many friends and so much love.

Finisher selfie with Natalie and Jimmy!

Halfway through his fifth Goofy Challenge.

We headed back to the resort to get cleaned up and relax. While walking around our hotel, we randomly bumped into fellow Enell Ambassador Julie from Run, Walk, Fastpass, Repeat. She was running her first marathon the next day so we had a quick pep talk and a quick picture :-) Dad and Margie headed out to Downtown Disney and Matthew and I took a short nap. I decided to head back to the expo and meet Coach Jeff there. Matthew napped some more :-)

Team Enell in full force.

At the expo, Jeff and I walked around, got our feet taped up at the KT Tape booth and ran into Lauren and her husband Mark! We chatted for a while and made plans to meet up the next morning for the marathon. I also bought a great running jacket at One More Mile and got another picture with Jeff Galloway- I just can't resist talking to him when I can; he's such a cool guy.

Jeff! Sidenote, only at a race expo is it appropriate for me to dress like that.

We left the expo and headed back to our separate resorts. The Ravens game was on at 4:30 and I wanted to make sure I got back in plenty of time to watch it. After laying in the sun with Matthew for a bit when I got back (it FINALLY warmed up!), we went to our room to get ready for the next day and watch the game with Dad and Margie. At halftime, we ran over to the dining hall and grabbed food to go so we could keep watching football. After a frustrating loss, we quickly turned off the tv and started chatting about the next morning. We also showed my dad a slideshow that we made with running pictures and video "good luck" messages from the rest of our family. It was cool. I might have cried. Just a little ;-)

We climbed into bed around nine, nervous with energy for what the next day would hold for Matthew and my Dad. My 58 year old dad was about to be a marathoner. And Matthew was about to be an 8-time marathoner. I was so excited, it took a long time for me to finally fall asleep. I just couldn't wait to see all the Disney magic that would unfold the next day.

2015 WDW Marathon Weekend Recap: Part II

When we last left off, we were getting up at 2:30 am for the 2015 WDW 10k. Why 2:30 you ask? Well, with a start time of 5:30, a requirement to be in your corral by 4:45, and the fact that the last bus leaves your resort at 4, we were up and out the door by 3:30 am to make sure we would be on time for the race.

We arrived to the Epcot parking lot around 4 am and quickly looked for a way to stay warm. Thank God I had packed a pair of leggings and a jacket- I had planned on wearing shorts and a t-shirt! It was probably around 40-45 degrees and very windy. After meeting up with some of our friends, we finally figured out that if we stood in the bag check tent it felt about 10 degrees warmer.

Our running ohana.

Huddled in the bag check tent for warmth!

Around 5 am, we ventured out from the bag check tent and headed to our assigned corral. On the way, we ran into Sid Busch, a running legend and my personal hero. Sid has run close to 300 marathons; each one with a fallen soldier's picture pinned on his back and while carrying the American flag. He's impressive.

With the traditional Disney fanfare (fireworks and awesome music), we were off! We had decided to walk this race since Dad's girlfriend, Margie, is a speed walker. Well I don't think any of us were prepared for how fast she walked! We were running to keep up!

This course was the same as last year- 2 miles on the roads near Epcot, a quick lap around World Showcase, a little jaunt around the Boardwalk, then a quick stroll through Future World on the way to the finish line in the parking lot of Epcot.

Similar to last year, there were pretty long lines for each of characters so we didn't stop. We did make a quick pit stop in Italy to get a picture with the Neptune Fountain (a mini Trevi Fountain) and we caught up with Mandy, our awesome friend who was running the Dopey Challenge. Also, a first for me- I got recognized by a blog reader!! Sweet Paula saw Matthew and I standing on the side of the course and pulled over to say hi- totally made my day! It surprised Matthew to be recognized with me and I absolutely loved it. Thanks for stopping to say hi, Paula!

We finished the 10k and promptly decided to head back to the resort for a warm shower and a nap! We had originally planned to go straight to Epcot after the 10k but it was so chilly, we knew we had to get warm before we started the rest of our day. We had fast passes for Epcot later in the afternoon and decided that park time could wait for a nap.

Proud finishers.

After a nice long nap, Matthew and I headed to the Blogger Cook-Off and Dad and Margie kept napping. We had made plans to meet up with them at Epcot in time for our 3:45 Fast Pass for Soarin'.

We headed back to Wide World of Sports with no real clue as to how the afternoon would play out. All I knew was that I ended up on a short list of bloggers that were invited to a cook-off, Iron Chef- style. I was excited but also a little nervous- this was the first time the event was being offered so I had nothing to compare it to.

We arrived at WWOS and headed for a tent in the back. Yes, it was in an open-air tent (kinda outside) and yes, it was still chilly. Some cast members eventually brought us blankets to keep us warm! After checking in, Matthew and I wandered around a bit looking at all the food stations and different ingredients. There were around 40 people there- mostly bloggers and guests of bloggers. I knew some of the bloggers there and also got to meet some of my blogging idols- so freaking cool.

After a quick talk about nutrition from Cigna, we were split into teams and paired with a Disney chef to prepare a nutritious meal for our fellow bloggers. Our team's secret ingredient was beef and we decided to make a healthy stew. With insight from our Disney chef, we quickly got to work! It was really, really fun and I loved working with our team, especially Amelia from Half Crazy Mama. She was so sweet and so fun to be around.

All the fresh veggies and fruit you could ask for.

There were about six cooking stations, complete with everything you'd need to cook a meal.

Spices, wine, oils, vinegar.

Carefully listening to our Disney chef JP's sage advice.

Chopping veggies and beef.

Amelia from Half Crazy Mama and me- sampling our awesome stew!

After making all our meals, we got to sample everyone's food! It was so amazing- especially the chocolate chip bread pudding and the shrimp and grits. OMG. So, so good.

Matthew and I ate at a table with Artney from My Pretty Brown and her husband: self-proclaimed "support staff" Corey. She was running her first marathon and he was running his first half marathon. They were so sweet and we chatted all about food and running and life. I have a feeling we will be friends for a while :-)

Matthew, Me, Corey, and Artney. Good food and good people. Photo courtesy of Cigna.

Before we left the event, we got a private meet and greet with Chef Mickey and a gift bag filled with cool goodies from Cigna. Overall, it was a really fun experience and I am so humbled and grateful that I was invited. Meeting fellow bloggers, hanging with Mickey, and eating awesome food? What more could a running blogger ask for?!

Matthew and me with the main mouse.

The event finished up around three and we made it to Epcot just in time for our first fast pass of the afternoon. We had a fantastic afternoon wandering around World Showcase and Future World and then headed back to the resort around seven. You know the drill by now- we had another super early wake-up call the next morning for the first leg of Matthew's Goofy Challenge: the Walt Disney World Half Marathon!

Just hanging with our pal, Pluto!

Stay tuned for Part III of the 2015 WDW Marathon Weekend Recap!

2015 WDW Marathon Weekend Recap: Part I

Hello friends! As a way to move past the post-runDisney depression (it's a real thing, trust me), let's recap the expo and our first (surprise) day at the parks!

We landed in Walt Disney World, aka the most magical place on the planet, mid-morning on Thursday, January 8th. Our plan was to check into our hotel, Art of Animation, and then head over to the expo. However, when we checked in we found out that all of the system- including our magic bands, park tickets, meal plan, etc.- was down. So we couldn't check into our room and would have to leave our luggage with the front desk. Bummer. But like all things at Disney, this situation became incredibly magical as they gave us COMPLIMENTARY park hoppers! A $140 ticket for free! Because of the "inconvenience" of the system being down, we totally lucked out. And the best part- right after we checked our luggage at the front desk, the system was back up! Yay!

We grabbed a quick lunch at Art of Animation and headed to the expo. Our luck streak continued as we got to meet both Bart Yasso and Jeff Galloway(!!). We took lots of pictures, visited all the booths, and easily picked up our packets and t-shirts. One benefit to arriving a day later is that the expo wasn't nearly as crowded as opening day (Wednesday). All the Dopeys and 5kers already picked up their stuff so it was fairly easy to get in and get out.

After the expo, we stopped back at the hotel to get into our room and get ready to head to the parks. Because there would be four adults in the room, we decided to get a family suite at Art of Animation instead of a traditional room. The suites have a small kitchenette, a bedroom, two bathrooms, a murphy bed/table, and a living room complete with pull-out sofa. It could easily sleep six adults. There was plenty of room for all of us and we loved having a separate bedroom for my dad and Margie. That way, when we got up at 2:30 am on the morning of the half, we wouldn't disturb them.

Our cool murphy bed/table with our fun motivational poster that Matthew made :-)

After settling into the room a bit, we decided to use our complimentary park tickets and head to Animal Kingdom. Since it was late in the day, we made it to two shows: Finding Nemo, the Musical and Festival of the Lion King. Both were simply amazing as usual.

Then we headed to Epcot for a walk around World Showcase. We stopped in Future World for a sampling of sodas at Club Cool and then headed to France for a flight of wine :-) It was still Christmas at Disney so all the decorations were still up in the parks and resorts- complete with Christmas music playing everywhere we went. While it was beautiful, it was a little weird to be celebrating almost two weeks after the holiday.

We headed back to the resort early because we had a 2:30 am wake-up call the next day for the 10k. I feel like I also need to mention the weather- it was cold. I mean, super cold. If it reached 45 degrees that first day, that would have been a lot. The cold front that was sweeping the nation was also making central Florida pretty damn chilly. We were slightly worried for the next morning because none of us had brought cold weather clothes. In fact, in a tips post I wrote a few weeks ago I specifically told people to NOT pack winter clothes. My bad, folks. In my 10+ trips to WDW, I've never witnessed this type of cold.

Anyway, we made it back to the resort, laid out our running gear, and were in bed by 9 pm. Our first set of magical miles started early the next morning!

Promises

Two years ago today I made myself a promise.

It was early 2013 and I was unhappy with myself. I was unhappy with my weight. Running was getting more difficult as the scale was creeping up. My size 14 pants were getting a little too snug. I was starting to not recognize myself in pictures.

2013 Family Fun Run 5k in Walt Disney World.

I'd made myself lots of promises before- promises to work out every day, to severely restrict my calories, to berate myself until I finally lost weight. I tried every program, diet, workout plan there was. All of them had failed.

But two years ago, I made myself a promise.

Just one simple promise; just one simple thing I was going to change.

On January 16, 2013, I promised myself that I would attend a Weight Watchers meeting every week.

That's it. I didn't set goals about what I wanted to weigh or when. I didn't have an end date or a goal event in mind. As long as it took for me to lose weight was as long at it was going to take. I just promised to change one little thing- make it to a meeting every week.

104 weeks and 46 pounds later, here I am.

No matter what the scale said, no matter if I gained or lost or stayed the same, I made it to a meeting and weighed in every single time. I looked up meetings where I would be on vacation and I rearranged my schedule to make sure I could get to one. I went to an earlier or later meeting if something with work interfered with my regular meeting. I turned down social engagements if they were on my meeting night. My weekly meeting has become sacred- and it's done so much for me.

This one small thing, this one small change has lead to thousands of other changes. It's changed how I fuel my body for running, how I take better care of myself and the people around me- it's changed how I think about myself and what I believe I'm capable of doing.

Was it discouraging at times? Of course. Did I want to quit? Yup. But I didn't. I held on to that promise I made. In my first year of Weight Watchers, I lost 12 pounds. 12 stinking pounds. That would have been enough for the Sarah of years past to throw in the towel and quit. But I stayed. I re-focused. I found mentors- both online and in-person. In my second year on the program, I lost 34 pounds.

2013, 2014, and 2015. 190, 178, and 144 pounds, respectively.

Since making myself that promise two years ago, I have set some goals related to weight-loss, but there's no deadline on when I want to be a certain weight. And I'm ok with that. Slow progress is still progress after all. 

These past two years have taught me more about commitment, perseverance, and dedication than I thought was possible from a weight-loss program. I feel ready to start 2015 with a renewed focus and a reminder that I can accomplish anything I want to- as long as I put the work in and stick to my promises. 

2102 and 2014 Jingle Jungle 5k in Walt Disney World.

If you can't tell by now, I'm a bit of a sentimental person. Dates are important to me. Today feels a little extra special because of that one simple promise I made- and kept- two years ago. I hope I'll be celebrating this anniversary for years to come- hopefully with some new promises and accomplishments under my belt :-)

What is something you've promised yourself for 2015?

It's finally here: WDW Marathon Weekend

A long, long time ago- well, at least it feels like a long time ago!- back in March of 2014, Matthew and I debated about doing the Goofy Challenge or the Dopey Challenge again in 2015. My dad wanted to do a marathon with us so we knew we'd at least be doing a 26.2 mile run through the most magical place on earth. We also knew this would be the last time we did a runDisney race- for a while, at least. Eventually, we decided on Goofy. But then life threw a big plot twist our way- a stress fracture in September meant no running for me until December- too late to train for a full or half marathon; let alone one on back-to-back days.

As you may remember from when I first got diagnosed, I was crushed. And to be honest, I'm still a little sad. It's disappointing to plan for something almost a year in advance and then not be able to follow-through. It will be hard to be in Disney and not run the races I signed up for. But, it's a good thing this trip isn't all about running- it's also about having an amazing time in the most amazing place with the amazing running friends and family we've made throughout our years as runDisney enthusiasts.

So let's break down why this trip will be so good:

• Walking the 10k Friday morning with Dad, Matthew, and Dad's girlfriend Margie. I love Minnie and I love her race! Can't wait to get my hands on that sweet Minnie medal! 
• I got invited to a special event- a blogger cook-off sponsored by Cigna on Friday afternoon. There will be food, running talk, and pictures with Disney characters; all my favorites in one place. 
• Cheering at the half marathon Saturday morning. There's just something about being around Cinderella's castle before the sun comes up that is extra magical. I've got lots of signs for Matthew and my running ohana and I'm just thrilled to be able to see everyone run by on Main Street USA.
• Watching Dad and Matthew run the marathon Sunday morning. I still can't believe my dad is going to be a marathoner. I am so crazy proud and I know watching him will be such a cool experience. And this will be Matthew's eighth full marathon and fifth Goofy! He really is Goofy :-)
• Meeting lots of old and new friends. Some of our best friends we've met through runDisney events/waiting in line at runDisney events :-) For us, this is like a big reunion weekend and we can't wait to see all of our Disney-loving pals. 

As you're reading this, we should be landing in Orlando and then heading to the expo. I'll probably be away from the blog until late next week sometime. But I'll be posting tons of pictures and updates on facebook, instagram, and twitter so follow along on our last (for a while) runDisney adventure!

Outfit for the 10k. 

One of many spectator signs for the weekend.

See ya real soon!

Last Minute WDW Marathon Weekend Tips!

The Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend officially kicks off tomorrow when the Health & Fitness Expo opens at ESPN's Wide World of Sports! The weekend continues with the 5k on Thursday, 10k on Friday, half marathon on Saturday, and full marathon on Sunday. If you've been training for one (or several) of these events, your race week is finally here!

It occurred to me the other day that this will be my fourth trip to WDW for Marathon Weekend- if you count 2012 when I flew down just for the day to cheer on Matthew (it was a surprise!) as he ran the marathon :-) In 2013, I ran the 5k and half and in 2014 we ran Dopey; all four races. This year, I'll be doing the 10k and then cheering on Matthew (half and full) and Dad (full). By now, I feel like I've got the Disney race routine down. I know there are many of you that will be running this weekend or will be running Disney in the future so I wanted to post a few last minute tips that might be helpful to you as you head on over to the most magical place on earth!

What to bring:

• Pack each race outfit in a separate gallon-sized ziploc bag: shorts/shirt/bra/socks/headband, etc. That way you know it's all in one place.
• Wear your running shoes on the plane! If your luggage gets lost, you may not get it in time for the race. I also recommend packing your running clothes (and anything else you can't replace at the expo) in your carry-on bag so it's always with you.
• Pack a variety of different sized plastic bags including garbage bags. Trash bags make a great poncho if it rains or you can use them to sit on while waiting in the corrals. 
• Bring small amounts of over-the-counter medication: tylenol, gas relief, pepto bismal, unisom/tylenol PM, sudafed, etc. You never know what you'll need and it's reassuring to have common medications with you.
• Earplugs/eye-mask: my family makes fun of me, but I'm always able to sleep even with noisy hotel neighbors or too-bright rooms. 

Four races; four ziplocs. Dopey packing in 2014.

What not to bring:

• Winter clothes! Yes, occasionally it gets cold in Florida in January. But typically, the temperatures are warm enough for shorts, t-shirts, and a light jacket. 
• Lots of shirts: Remember, you get a shirt for each race you do. And if you do Goofy or Dopey, you get an additional shirt. Keep in mind that you'll have to leave room in your suitcase for those extra shirts. 

Six shirts for Dopey last year... and some other expo purchases :-)

Tips for race morning:

• Get a good night's sleep. I know how exciting the night before a race can be, but just try to get some sleep. You'll feel better on race morning if you get a few hours of rest.
• Set out all your race clothes, bib, safety pins, Magic Bands, etc. the night before so the morning is easy and not stressful. Last year, we got all the way out to the buses and I realized I left my half marathon bib in the hotel! Super stressful when it didn't need to be!
• Charge your phone, ipod, timer, camera, pager, whatever the night before. Nothing is worse than having a dead ipod on race morning!
• If you're staying on Disney property, get on the buses early. If you're driving, get to the parking lot early. With tens of thousands of people running, it gets crazy on race morning!
• Bring food and water with you to the race start, especially if you are in a later corral. Last year, we probably waited about an hour and half in the corral before it was our turn to start. I was super glad I'd brought my breakfast along!
• Go to the bathroom before you get into the corral- there are no port-a-potties available in the corrals. But, if you must go after you're in the corral, there are some trees on the right-hand side of the road that will provide some accommodations :-)

20,000 of your closest friends!

Tips for spectators:

• Study the course map and where Disney transportation can take you. Epcot is the hub- use the monorail to get to the Ticket and Transportation Center and Magic Kingdom. Use buses at Epcot (in the parking lot, NOT near the park entrance) to get to Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Champion Stadium.
• Sign up for runner tracker here. 
• Wear something/carry something recognizable. It will help your runner find you in a crowd.
• Google "Disney race spectator" to find helpful blogs and more tips.

My offical marathon spectator shirt, January 2012.

Random Tips:

• Read race recaps from other bloggers to get pumped for the weekend- just google "Disney marathon weekend race recaps." You can see all mine here. 
• Check out this post on how to get great character photos on-course.
• This Virtual runDisney Blog Hop has some fantastic posts on all aspects of the weekend.

Matthew and his parents, WDW 5k, January 2012

And finally, the last and most important tip:

TRUST YOUR TRAINING!

You've got this, I promise. You may have doubts in your abilities. You may be riddled with nerves and anxiety. You might be thinking, "What the heck have I gotten myself into?" But you've put the work in. You've trained. You are more ready now than you'll ever be- and I know you'll be amazing this weekend. Here's a last minute pep talk, from me to you.

Repeat after me:

I might be scared, but I will be victorious!

I am stronger than this challenge, this challenge is making me stronger.

All it takes is all I got!

There will come a day I cannot do this; today is not that day!

Just keep moving forward. 

Good luck and see ya real soon! We arrive in Orlando on Thursday- make sure to follow on instagram, twitter, and facebook to see all the Disney magic as it unfolds!

Are you running this weekend? If so, which race? Comment below so I can cheer for you! 

AM: 1/5/15

Welcome to the first Monday of 2015! I hope your new year is already fabulous!

Today marks the end of our two week holiday vacation, however, we leave in just three days for Walt Disney World- more on that trip later this week :-) Matthew and I had a great time visiting with family and friends; we are so blessed with wonderful people to spend the holidays with. I hope your holiday season was everything you hoped it would be and more.

Training:
Monday- Rest day
Tuesday- Runner's World Foam Roller Yoga
Wednesday- Rest day
Thursday- 3.1 mile race, 37:17, 12:02 pace, 1:1 intervals
Friday- Rest day
Saturday-  6.53 mile run, 1:21:05, 12:25 pace, 1:1 intervals
Sunday- Rest day

We got to run with my dad and brother this week and rounded out the last of Dad and Matthew's long runs together on Saturday. Also, it's worth noting that we played about a hundred rounds of some dance battle game on my sister's xbox on New Year's Eve, just like we did last year. I love that my family's NYE tradition has become something physically active- and super fun! And if you're wondering, yes, I dominated all the cheesy 90's dance moves.

I also had some weird heel pain in my left foot (not the stress fracture foot) from Tuesday- Saturday so the workouts were pretty light. It feels fine today and I'm hoping it was just a little plantar fasciitis flare up. Hopefully it stays away- my goal is an injury-free 2015!

At the Resolution Run on New Year's Day- first race of 2015 completed!

Nutrition:
Ok, so you know the drill by now.  Being home for the holidays and out of my comfort zone means lots of family meals and foods I don't normally eat. But, I followed one simple rule, something that I set out to abide by at the beginning of the holiday season- "Eat until you're satisfied, not gut-busting full." One of the hardest habits for me to break has been not gorging myself during holiday/family meals. I used to eat until it hurt- literally. So this year, it was huge for me just to be able to push back from the table before it got uncomfortable. And I did and feel so much better about the food choices I made- no guilt or remorse or beating myself up. I felt in control this week, and that's a great feeling.

Weight-loss:
144.6 as of 12/30/15 weigh-in
+.2 from last week
-45.8 since January 2013
-57.4 from HW

After a big loss last week (1.2), I had a feeling some of that would catch back up to me. The past eight weeks have been a bit of a plateau/roller coaster so this gain wasn't too surprising. Frustrating, yes. But not unexpected. As I get closer to goal (135), it's going to be harder for me to lose weight. I have to remember that it took me years to gain the weight and that over those years, my body became very comfortable in the 170's/180's. It takes work to lose weight and it takes just as much- if not more- to keep it off. This time, I'm determined to get there, no matter how long it takes.

And that's how my first week of 2015 went. How was yours? Did you do anything fun for New Year's Eve? Share in the comments below!