Seattle Mom Blogs

So it is no secret that I’ve been struggling with my weight the past few years.  Well, actually my entire life but you’ve only been around the past couple of years.  I finally sucked it up and went to a nutritionist recommended by Trainer #1.  So, after tweaking my diet so that I eat extremely clean, on the 40% carb, 35% protein and 25% fat breakdown every day and removing alcohol from my diet, I watched my weight go up and down within a 2 pound range for over 2 months.  I hit a breaking point about 6 weeks ago: I AM doing everything in my power to change this.  I workout 7 days a week and I workout HARD.  I eat as clean as humanly possible and as directed by my nutritionist.  Why won’t my body let go of the damn weight?

Well, the first part of it we decided to address with an elimination diet.  I took EVERYTHING out of my diet: soy, wheat, gluten,corn, citrus fruits, dairy, eggs, corn, peanuts, you name it.  All I had left was some proteins, vegetables except corn (which is in everything by the way) and fruit except for citrus fruits.  Yep- and after 2 weeks, I had lost a grand total of 1.25 pounds.   I’m in week 6 now and have found out that I cannot have milk and may have an issue with soy.  This week I am going to try adding egg whites and then yolks to see how that goes.

The second part of this is something that has taken me a long time to come around to believing.  For all my life, despite all the information to the contrary, I have operated on less calories is better.  I have gotten to the point where most days I don’t even eat 1,000 calories.  Every week, the nutrionist would implore me to eat more, choose some lean proteins instead of always choosing the extra lean proteins.  She started on a goal calorie intake of 1,500 calories a day.  (Remember, I burn between 800-4,000 calories a day working out, depending on the workout.)  She modified the goal as it became more and more clear that I just could not break through the mental barrier to eat more than 1,100 calories a day.  Then one week, I finally realized- this is NOT working.  Maybe it’s time to just believe I can eat 1,200 calories and not gain weight.  So, for the next week, I tried.  My daily average was still closer to 1,100 calories but I had more days closer or just over 1,200 than not.  And I lost several pounds.  Same with the next week.  My trainer (Sven the best trainer in the whole world in my unbiased opinion) even mentioned that I looked leaner.  I think I’ve lost just about 10 pounds and I think all of those pounds must be pure fat.  So, progress is finally being made.

During my exasperation with this process, I also called my doctor and went in and talked about my frustrations.  She and I went over my food intake and calorie burn.  Other than being scolded for not eating enough, she agreed that there must be something else going on.  So a referral to an endocrinologist was made.  I had that appointment 2 days ago.  The endocrinologist went over my history and current issues.  She then looked me in the eye and said that she knew something was amiss and that not only would she find it, she would fix it.  I almost broke down.  Really?  Maybe the fact that I’m not thin is not 100% my fault after all. 

And just so it doesn’t come across as if I’m looking for an excuse (and I fear that it does), I am doing everything in my power to make my body thin and strong.  OK- the increased calories have been hard for me but I’m trying and getting there.  But the workouts, clean eating, modifying my entire diet, etc.  I am already doing all of that.  If the solution was purely to take in less calories and burn more calories, then I should be 100 pounds and a size 0.  Damn it.  I HAVE been working the eat less, move more model for years and it hasn’t worked for me.

Whew- clearly I have some resentment around this.  In reality, I’m just feeling a bit of relief in knowing that medical professionals know that something is amiss and are confident it can be fixed.  Please.  I just need a little boost.

So weekly updates didn’t last too long, did they?  Sigh.  I’ll just plead life and know you all understand.  This will be a quick one but here’s what’s been going on:

Sven the trainer is still awesome.  Last week, I emailed him and told him I was game to up the intensity of the workouts. He answered that with a workout yesterday that left me in a sweaty puddle on the floor at times.  It was one of those intense, push yourself to the limits workouts where you are so fatigued yet have a huge grin on your face because you are enjoying every minute of it.  It truly was awesome and I look forward to what he has in store for me next week.  And, the workouts are working.  I have muscle definition in my shoulders and back  for the first time that I can remember.  If I could lose the excess pounds around my middle, I have a feeling there are some toned ab muscles under there.  I can see a hint of the muscles so that’s exciting.  Muscles in my stomach?  Who would have guessed!

On a different note, I did suffer an injury 2 weeks ago.  L and I had a 2o mile training run scheduled and she had to cancel at the last minute.  I was dressed and ready to go so I figured why not, I’ll go alone.  I hadn’t taken a day off in over a month and was achy and tired when I started out.  About 8 or 9 miles in, my back started to hurt.  By mile 16, I was in agony and had to quit.  By Tuesday, I was unable to get out of bed because I couldn’t sit up or roll over due to the insane pain.  I was unable to bend over and put my shoes on.  But, you know me, I still went to run. I gritted my teeth through the first 30 minutes and then slowed to a walk.  After another 30 minutes, that was it. I couldn’t move another step. The next day I tried to walk a mile just to loosen the muscles and then went and iced it for 20 minutes.  I worked out with Sven on Thursday and managed to get through the workout but was in a lot of pain when I was done.  (And, yes, when I told Sven yesterday that I had hid the pain from him, I was in trouble.)  I took a couple of days off and pounded ibuprofen and by Sunday I was able to run 13 miles and am almost off the ibuprofen now.   Thank goodness.

And now for something exciting! I was able to put together a team of 12 runners and we all signed up for the Ragnar Relay Northwest Passage Run.  We’re running 187 miles over two days from Blaine to Langley.  I am psyched!  And the relay race ends on my 40th birthday.  How exciting would it be to run the final leg and cross the finish line on my 40th?

Next time: An update on the relay team and I’ll fill you all in on what’s been going on regarding the diet and nutrition side of all this training.

I’m back from the week out of town.  I packed my running gear and workout clothes and started off with a bang.  The first morning I got up and my mother in law took me to a fantastic trail in the mountains.  I ran 8 miles on a snow covered trail, along a river and loved it.  I had forgotten to bring my Zune so I ran to the sound of the river and my shoes on the snow.  The 2nd day, I went with my mother in law to her “gym”.  Interesting.  I’ll leave it at that for now.  But I managed to decent strength workout and was feeling like I had a handle on the workout while traveling deal.  Then it went downhill from there.  Day 3 I spent 7+ hours in the car driving to a wedding of a close friend of mine.  Day 4 was spent driving the 7+ hours back.  No exercise and lots of sitting in the car.  And then we got up on the next day and headed to NYC and to the airport to fly home.  Again, no workout.  But, by being very careful of my diet, I did manage to lose 1.5 pounds while gone which I was happy about.

Workouts with new trainer are going well.  He is perfect for what I wanted in a trainer. I can’t say enough good things about him. Turns out he has a masters and I love “talking the science of working out” with him.  Generally, I ask a question and then he provides me with a fascinating and relevant discourse on the subject.  Of which I retain about 2 concepts.  And then I email him and ask for the information again.  He’s nice enough enough to take the time to write it all out so I can read it and understand it.  Yesterday, we talked about the different methods of fatigue and my goal is to work out to volitional fatigue this week.  Last week, we talked about how to increase my ability to workout at a high intensity level without hitting my lactate max.

Of course, it’s not all lectures.  We also laugh a lot.  Last week, while I was working on a set of abs, he sat down on a stability ball that, unfortunately for him, was on top of a dumbbell.  He literally rolled straight backwards and fell off the ball, head over heels.  Since  he’s 6′3″ and all arms and legs, it was one of the funniest things I had seen in a long time.  AND, he got up and totally laughed at himself.

I had my last physical therapy appointment today.  Yes- I’ve been released!  My knee is healed and my shoulder issues are improved to a point where I can work on the shoulder myself at home.  Fortunately, the physical therapist is willing to answer any questions over email and I can make an appointment with him at any time for a follow up to check on any soreness that may arise, if it does.

So, what’s next?  My running partner and I are starting to increase the mileage on our long weekend runs.  The last 2 were 12 miles each (I missed the weekend in between) and this weekend we’ll run 18 miles.  The first marathon of 2010 is coming up in about 7 weeks so it’s time to get some distance in and start thinking about race strategy.

I’m also considering adding a spinning class to my schedule now that I am done with physical therapy.  My bike still has its triathlon number on it from the race at the end of September.  Yes, that is the last time I got on it and rode.  Sad.  I have made a friend through dailymile and we’ve talked about him joining L and I for a weekend run for him to work on his running and he’ll take me out on a bike ride as he is a biking fanatic.  I need to do something if I plan to improve my sprint triathlon times and compete in an Olympic distance triathlon this summer.

But, wow, no matter what I do, I can only seem to find 24 hours in a day.

The first time I ever pondered the idea of letting one of my kids stay home alone…I nearly drove myself crazy with worry.  What if they burn the house down?  What if they hurt themselves?  What if they open the door to a stranger?  What if ?  What if?  What if?

So many what ifs!

My older children are both boys, with two completely different personalities.  One is fearless, the other is cautious.  One is adventurous, the other is less so.  One is a risk taker, the other is a rule follower.  They are both smart, sweet and caring – but one was definitely more ready than the other (based on personality alone) to tackle the job of being home without a parent.

I remember babysitting in the 5th and 6th grade…so I can’t understand why it was so hard for me to go through this milestone with my oldest.  Clearly, he was ready.  Heck, the kid could construct a water tight dwelling out of sticks and leaves in the middle of a field and cook his own macaroni and cheese – surely being home alone was not that big of a deal!  But still, it was hard (on me).   So, we took it step by step.

First, I would run down to the market (about a mile from our house) to pick up some milk or run to the post office to buy stamps – something that would not take more than 15 minutes to complete.  I learned right away that no, leaving him in charge of his brother and sister, was not going to be an option – so I would take the the other two with me.  And, just as I thought, that worked fine.  After doing this for a few months, we moved onto larger stretches of time.  Eventually, I could go to the grocery store without worrying and pulling my hair out thinking about whether or not he was going to be okay.  He proved himself every single time, and it was going well.  Now, since he gets out of school a full hour and a half before his brother does, if I’m out running errands and don’t make it home by the time he does, he will call me on my cell.  Right on the dot.  The phone will ring, I look down to see it’s coming from “HOME,” and I tell him when to expect me, see if he’s okay, ask him how his day was and basically make sure all is well.

This is what is working for us, right now.

My 5th grader still doesn’t want to be left home alone, and that’s fine.  He still takes the dog into the garage with him for Pete’s sake, so we’ll let him tell us when he’s ready.  But I think the main thing to remember, when thinking about leaving your kids home alone for the first time, is that each child is different.

It’s important to go over your “house” rules, talk about what they would do in different scenarios (for example, what to say when they answer the phone – a good thing to say if a caller asks for a parent who isn’t home is “she can’t come to the phone right now, can I take a message?”), and go over your expectations while listening to any concerns they might have about being home alone.  You will most likely be able to tell when it’s the right time by the clues your child gives you.  Listen to them, trust your instincts, and most of all – let them try by attempting small trips – or even by taking a walk around the neighborhood (your cell phone at the ready) while they stay home and “mind the fort,” so to speak.

They might surprise you.  They might be ready and they might not – either is okay.

But once they are ready, you can do a big ‘ol happy dance because that is one less person following you around the grocery store asking for bubble gum!

Carrie Blankenship is the author of the blog Stop Screaming I’m Driving, where she attempts to tell her story of motherhood. She likes long walks in the park, dancing in the rain, and can be bribed to do just about anyting with a vanilla latte, extra foam. Contact her with column suggestions or just say “hi” at carrieb[at]seattlemomblogs.com. Or, blankenship.carrie[at]yahoo.com.

(OK, it’s a day late, a dollar short, whatever)

So I’ve met with my new trainer twice now and I am so much happier.   It doesn’t hurt that I have a little crush on him.  A ridiculous crush as he’s 26 and in amazing shape.  Me?  I’m closing in on 40 and not in amazing shape.  But he’s whip smart, funny as hell and makes me laugh.  So, yes, these training sessions are going very well.

Unlike the last trainer, this one has mandated that we meet once a week.  I do the workout he designs for me once during the week and take his circuit training class once during the week as well.  I run a long marathon training run on the weekend and do a shorter run (7-8 miles) once during the week.  I do a 2nd circuit training class on the weekend.  That’s 6 days of working out.  The 7th day is supposed to be a rest day but the trainer (God, I need a name for him, let’s call him Sven (obv not his real name)) has finally come around to my way of thinking and has agreed to that I can do a swim workout on my “rest” day.  The swim workout is supposed to be light and not for training purposes so I’ve been swimming a 100 laps (2500 yards) but without pushing myself to do sprints.  I think of the first 1 mile open water swim on my 2010 schedule as I swim lap after lap after lap.  It helps pass the time.

So, my schedule looks like this right now:

M- strength program from Sven; T- circuit training with Sven; W- short run (7-8 miles); Th – workout with Sven; Fr- 2500 yard swim; Sat- circuit training; Sun- long run (12-20 miles)

That’s a lot of time for working out.  It’s a struggle to fit it all in but so far it’s working.  Unfortunately, I am now in physical therapy for my knee and shoulder injuries I suffered during my (embarrassing) fall during the Seattle Marathon.  My knee should be fine soon but my shoulder is a bit more problematic.  I have a strained supraspinatus and my shoulder joint is also impinged.  I went to physical therapy yesterday and the therapist did joint manipulation (ow!) and deep tissue massage (ow!) before setting me up on the ultrasound and electrical stimulation machine (weird and ow!).  Add in weekly appointments with the nutritionist to learn the best way to fuel for training and my weeks are full.  Before I add in my full time job and the fact that I have a husband and 3 busy kids to take care of.

(Try calling bullshit on my workouts! Sorry, bad joke.  Email me if you don’t know what I’m referring to.)

So, this is the plan for now. Of course, life does happen and I’ll be out of town for a week and am not too sure how I’m going to manage everything.  I won’t be able to workout every day but I do plan to take my workout gear and do what I can, when I can. I’ll be back in 2 weeks with another update.  I know, that doesn’t make this a weekly update but I’m doing what I can here!   I’d love to hear from all of you as to your workouts, your time management strategies, etc.

(republished from 1/2/10)

Back in September, I started working out with a personal trainer.  I wrote about that trainer and my feelings about it.  As time went on, I knew she was working to protect my best interests and health but I wanted more.  I wanted to work out harder and longer and not take so many rest days. I actually hid from her one day when she had made me swear (including shaking hands) to take a rest day and I wanted to run instead. I kid you not. I snuck into the gym, went through the aqua center to the dark cardio theater and took a treadmill far from either entrance to avoid being caught.  That day I realized there was something wrong if I was lying to my trainer so that I could work out MORE.

I switched to a different trainer and had my first workout with him yesterday.  I. Am. So. Sore. today! Yes!  Mybody hurts from my neck all the way down through to my calves.  I love it.  This is what I was after- to work my body to a new level and push it to its limits.

I’m a little reluctant to put my 2010 goals on here but I’m going to do it.  If I don’t put them out there, where is my accountability, right?

1.     Marathons #5, 6, and 7: Yakima (March), Seattle Rock N Roll (June) and St Georges (October)

2.    At least two 1 mile open water swim races : Green Lake (June) and Seward Park (August)

3.    Better my time and placement in the 2 sprint triathlons from 2009: Sammamish (August) and Kirkland (September)

4.    An Olympic distance triathlon: not yet decided but summer 2010

5.    This is the big one: qualify for the 2011 Boston Marathon.  I need to run a 3:50 marathon in 2010 to qualify.

6.    This is the pipe dream: get into the 2010 NYC Marathon by lottery.  I entered in November and will find out in March if my lottery number was chosen.  Very slim chance.

When my husband and I were set on having just one child, I gave away about 85% of all my baby clothing and gear to a dear friend of mine. I arrived at her doorstep with bags, bags, and bags of the wardrobe I had amassed for my son. She moved away and parceled out what I had given her to another person who moved to a tropical island and gave everything to Goodwill. Now two years later, here we are: six months pregnant and scrambling to rebuild that large collection that had served us so well.

Luckily, I have clothing up to six months, a fancy stroller (yay for craigslist), and other necessities: bottles, breast pump, a crib, mattress, Bose headphones (to block out the crying!). But I feel like as prepared as I become, I will forget something and that something will make me want to jump out the window at 3AM because SOMEONE DOESN’T LIKE COLD WIPES.

hat? check! car seat? check! baby in despair? check!

So do you have any advice on newborn essentials for this pregnant woman who has forgotten everything? Were there some items that just saved your life or neat baby gadgets you wish you had? Let me know in the comments and enter to win a $20 Target gift card! If you win, I might see you around the clearance rack! Contest runs from 7AM on 12/22 and ends at 7AM on 12/31. Good luck!

Time’s up! Thanks for entering!

Rules:
1. No duplicate comments.
2. You may receive an additional entry by linking on twitter and leaving a link in the comments.
3. You may receive an additional entry by blogging about this contest and leaving a link in the comments.
4. This giveaway is open to US Residents, aged 18 and older.
5. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail.
6. You have 48 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

Mona is a pregnant blogger and budding comedienne who is not sponsored by Target, but loves it enough to gift it to you. You can read her blog, kirida dot com.

Long before I started having children of my own to expose me to the wonderful world of kids music (think Barney here, and don’t run for the hills screaming and holding your head), I was really into music. I blame the great folks of Sesame Street for drilling that “sugar beet” song into my head and other catchy tunes. I remember spending countless hours huddled over my record player, lining up the needle just right to hear my favorite song again and again. And then came the musical “Annie,” which I completely and utterly lost my mind to. My grandparents took me to Seattle to see the live show. I wandered up to the orchestra pit and peered over the edge…finding out where all that music really came from. I hoped, deep down inside, that because I too had red hair, that people would mistake me for the actress in the movie and ask for my autograph…

Well, that never happened.

But, a love for live performance was born. It went nicely with my love of music and to this day I never turn down the offer to see a great band, singer or live show.

Seems I’m passing this along to my kids, which, despite my inability to help them with their math homework, makes me feel like I’m not messing up too bad in the parenting department, on a good day.

Well, let me tell you – not all childrens music is created equal. Not to sound negative, but I’ve had about all the Wiggles, Barney and Chipmunks that I can take – even on a really, really good day. And I struggle to find childrens music that we can all enjoy and appreciate (without the whole bleeding ears thing going on). It isn’t easy. But when I heard The Imagination Movers for the first time, I thought hey, these guys aren’t too shabby.  When their show held my daughter’s attention for more than 2 minutes so I could actually take a shower alone, I was ready to pledge my undying love to each one of those men in the blue suits on the Disney Channel. No kidding.

And now, after talking to Rich Collins, proud “mover” and father of five (yes five) on the phone, my status in my daughter’s eyes has risen to an all time high. I fear the day when I’ll have to top it because I know that day probably doesn’t exist. I’ve never spoken to a real, live childrens programming celebrity before and I didn’t know what to expect. Turns out I had nothing to worry about. Rich was polite, funny, smart and hey – he likes music even more than I do! He told me the story about how he and the other “movers” got started – they were all friends who enjoyed messing around with and listening to music and found themselves at that place where kids start happening and life starts happening (you know, when you’re done with your 20’s) and their group and concept was born. He told me how they had their first “musical performance” at a friend’s wedding shower, where they sang their own version of “Jack and Diane,” which immediately brought me back to a moment in my own childhood when my mom wouldn’t let me listen to that song because of the whole “got his hands between her knees” lyric.  But I didn’t mention that to Rich.

I asked what kind of movers the Imagination Movers were, because Katie really wanted to know.

“We move our minds, using our imaginations to solve problems,” Rich said, “encouraging kids to think, move around and figure things out.”

What other response would you expect from a father of five that tells Warehouse Mouse stories to his 3 year old daughter Sophie on a nightly basis?

The Movers music stems from a variety of genres and Rich explained how each member, Scott, Dave, and Smitty, contribute to the groups songs.  “We are just normal guys who love music,” he stated.  But “normal” is hardly what the Movers are.  When you listen to their latest cd, “For Those About to Hop,” you notice right away that this isn’t just any old kids music and these aren’t just your run-of-the-mill childrens performers.  The fresh beats and funky rhythms jump out from songs that are just the right length for kids, not too long and not too short.  Perfect dancing around the kitchen music, if you ask me.  I was a bit skeptical that they wouldn’t live up to the description that they draw some influence from bands like the Beastie Boys and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, but I was more than surprised.  This is music that we can all listen to, move around to, and even groove to in the car – which is where a lot of our time is spent.

The Imagination Movers are coming to Seattle on December 12th.  They are playing 2 shows at The Moore – click HERE for details and ticket pricing information.

And this is your lucky day!  I have generously been given 5 cds to giveaway.  The lucky winners will receive a copy of the Imagination Movers latest (and most awesome) release, “For Those About to Hop,” which will both thrill and delight any young fans you may have in your home and would make a terrific stocking stuffer.  Just leave a comment here and the winners will be randomly chosen by 12pm, Pacific time, December 12th – just in time to see the show.  Please either include your contact information (ie a working email address) in your comment or make sure it’s accessible via your profile.

Carrie Blankenship can be found most days wading through motherhood, fueld by vanilla lattes with extra foam, at her blog Stop Screaming I’m Driving.  She can also be found dancing around with her kindergartner at the Imagination Movers  concert this Saturday, December 12th.

Yeah, it didn’t go so well.  The weather was perfect- cool, overcast but not raining.  I got dropped off literally 2 blocks from the start line in plenty of time as we hit no traffic down to the start.  Gun went off, I headed out.  The plan was to take this marathon easy and finish at about the 5 hour mark.

My first mile was 8:37.  Huh, need to slow down.  It took about 4 miles for my legs to start to loosen up and, out on I-90 and right as I was starting to relax into the race, BAM.  My foot hit a bolt that had worked itself up and was raised about 3 inches above the road.  I went down hard.  Scraped both palms (blood!), smashed my knee and scraped it up and wrenched my shoulder.  The guy who had been running next to me was very nice and stopped to make sure I was ok.  I hopped up (EMBARRASSED) and said I was fine and started running again.  Oddly enough, I was only embarrassed for about 2 minutes.  After that, I was too busy assessing all of the aches and pains shooting through my body.

So, yeah, that was right before Mile 5.  Still had 21.2 miles to go.  I kept running and trying to push through the various pains.  I hit the half marathon mark at 2:03.  Not my best half marathon time but respectable enough.  But wait.  I was going to run this one in 5 hours which means I had about 3 more hours to run the 2nd half.  OK- I can do this.

Right at Mile 14, cramps starting shooting through my stomach.  Every few steps, I would gasp.  I ended up stopping at every port-a-potty (Honey Bucket, whatever) for the next FIVE miles.  That was a lot of stops.  Finally, after emptying my entire stomach and intestinal track of every molecule, the cramps went away.  Good.  And we’re at Mile 19 so only 7.2 to go.

Somewhere between Mile 20 and Mile 21 (3:30 mark), we passed the Seattle Tennis Club and made a left.  And were hit with a STEEP hill.  Yeah.  Walk.  Turn left onto Madison and surprise! Uphill again.  OK. Walk again.  Alright, hit the crest of Madison and headed downhill so run time.  Run through the Arboretum and turn onto Interlaken.  Hill.  Slow to a painful shuffle.  Curse the decision to run this damn marathon.  Think about how I just don’t want to be running anymore.

Oh but wait, it gets better.  We cross 24th (or is it 23rd there, I never know) and head up up up.  Yeah.  I pretty much walked all of the Interlaken trail.  Finally came out in Capital Hill and was able to run up to the crest and start down the hill.  OK, shuffle run.  Kept it up until we hit a slight uphill.  Had to stop and walk.

Finally made it to the freeway overpass and started shuffle running again.  Oh yeah, downhill on Republican!  But wait, ouch ouch ouch.  We somewhere between Mile 25 and Mile 26 and everything hurts.  Oh yeah, I realized on the ride to the start that I had forgotten to take ibuprofen before the race.  Dumb.

Kept up my increasingly slow shuffle run until we turned onto Mercer and yep, you guess it, had to run uphill again.  Walk.  Fortunately, it was short and we passed Mile 26.  Only .2 left to go.  Either I have finally gotten smarter about that last .2 or I was in just too much pain but I held off from sprinting immediately.  I waiting until there was .1 mile left and then I decided to ignore every signal from my body and sprinted to the finish line.  End time was 4:58:20.  So, I ended up at the 5 hour mark after all.

Fortunately, I am already getting over the feeling of hating all marathons but my shoulder is still killing me.  I’ve decided to swim tomorrow.  Swim slowly.  Hopefully that will help ease some of the soreness.

So I thought I was done with the training for marathons and triathlons until next spring.  And then I went and registered for the Seattle Marathon which is 3 weeks from today.  Yes, 3 weeks.  And yes, I may bit a bit insane.

My trainer, who is running the Seattle Half, was dead set against me running the race at all.  Apparently I have been over training which has resulted in stalled weight loss progress.  So, I’m going to try and respect the rest days on my schedule and really try and do the shorter, less instense workouts she plans, instead of always feeling like I have to kick it up a notch.  And, I am going to start seeing a nutritionist as of this week.  So, I am doing all of that and in exchange, she didn’t give me a hard time about registering and running the marathon against her advice.  Whew.