Touching Your Heart

Enough is Enough…a journey to a healthier me…

So, if you read my last three posts, you know I have been having an off week this week mentally…and last night I vowed that today was going to be a GREAT day.  It started off a little rocky {both Amanda and I were having “one of those mornings” but by noon my mood and spirits were lifting and the day did turn out GREAT

Hubby, dear daughter and I were talking this morning and I was saying yet again how I wish I could just find some normalcy and find bits of myself again in this crazy new business life of ours.  Please don’t get me wrong, I have absolutely NO REGRETS in taking over Bowman Glass.  It is an awesome opportunity for our family!!  However, it has been super stressful and super overwhelming at times, and I’m still not smiling like I used to, I still have anxiety more often than I like to admit, and I have trouble feeling joy and happiness.  I feel like I am walking around with a “pissed off look” all the time and just feel like I can’t breathe!!  In other words, I just feel stressed ALL OF THE TIME!  {Hubby is quick to inform me that that is NOT how I come across…however, I think he is just treading softly and being nice…but I’ll take it! LOL}

{Those of you who know me well know that I use the terms “breathe in….breathe out…” ALOT…and the only way I can think of to explain how I feel sometimes is that “I can’t breathe.”  And when I am feeling good…”I CAN breathe.”  And quite often when stressed, I find that if I block out the rest of the world for just a minute…and literally stop, breathe in, hold my breath, and breathe out, then I am able to think a little more clearly…for a while anyway }

As I have said many times…major anxiety REDUCERS for me have turned out to be my reading…and my trotting….and now….my blogging.  Our blog and my babbling and rambling have always been MY THERAPY over the years…and before we took over the business I just wasn’t finding the time even then to blog and utilize our website the way I wanted.  Who would have thought that now at the busiest and most stressful time of my life, I would find the time to blog again…or should I say…MAKE THE TIME!!!  The blogging is a little different from normal…and I am putting myself out there more than ever but I am loving it…and the comments/emails/Facebook messages from “my followers” are amazing…and I can’t thank you enough!

My daughter and hubby made me think twice about something today.  As we were talking about how I just can’t find the normalcy in my life or find me quite yet…Amanda quickly told me, “Mom…you are blogging and you are running. That’s YOU!”  And my hubby was very quick to agree.  And they made me both realize that no, we aren’t going to be the same people we were a few months ago…it’s just not possible.  Our lives have changed considerably and therefore we are changing along with everything else.  Our likes, dislikes, wants, and needs have changed.  While I have been trying so hard to cling onto the past…and who I was before…God has had a plan for me all along…and has been developing the “new me” without me even realizing it.  He has bestowed MANY gifts  on me {and my family} and I have been so caught up in being stressed that I haven’t even been able to see those blessings.  He has laid out a plan for me to be a better me…for me to take note and find what I really do enjoy in the NOW.  They don’t have to be the same things as before, and just because I am enjoying them now, doesn’t mean I will a few months down the road.  I need to learn to adapt, to go with the flow and let go of my former ROUTINE LIFE…because life no longer will be routine…and that’s not a bad thing!

I have learned to tackle issues I never thought I could, I have learned not to take “No” for an answer, I have learned that I CAN do things that are new and scary to me and if I don’t do them right, who cares? Most things can be fixed down the road. I am learning to face my fears and taking on those things which cause me the greatest anxiety!!!

I have learned that my friends and family are still by my side.  I have learned that I still love and care for people deeply.  I have learned to really put myself out there in more ways than just this blog and my “Enough is Enough” series.  And guess what I am also learning???? I am learning that in this busy life…I AM finding time/making time to do the things I love it’s just that some of those things have changed from what they were a few months ago!!!! DUH-JODI!

So, for now I am going to focus on the great blessings God has brought into my life NOW…my reading, trotting and blogging.  And to show you another blessing sent my way today…I want to share with you this quote I found on Facebook tonight right before I decided what this post was going to be about…and for the record, God…I’m listening.  Please bear with me as I find my way!

“And once the storm is over you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure, in fact, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what the storm’s all about.” Haruki Murakami

~just me…and that’s enough~literally~jodi

{Oh…and for those of you who have joined the 50 crunches for 7 days challenge with me, have you done your crunches yet today??  And if you haven’t joined us yet…check out a previous post to find out what we are talking about!!  It’s never too late to participate!}

Enough is Enough…a journey to a healthier me…

Zoiks!!! The number on the scale today was….153.8….up 2.2 pounds from last week but still down 1.2 overall.  GO FIGURE!! And I have to admit I was a tad disappointed by that number with all the hard work I had put in this last week on my trots.  However…even though it was a gain on the scale…I decided that I need to focus on the positive things I did right this last week and in time that number will come down again.  So, I gave myself a few minutes to pout…and then moved on with my day!!  So, not only was it a gain on the scale, but also a gain in my confidence that I was able to remind myself that I am doing some things right and healthier…and that is what counts my friends.   {And my losing streak of coming through with a good picture continues…I had taken one with my Blackberry and didn’t get it sent to my email before Amanda switched my service over to my new IPHONE for me…yep, I’m getting an IPHONE…my plan was up and I could get it SUPER CHEAP…so, she is on her way home from Bismarck tonight with it…and I have survived a whole afternoon and evening with NO CELL PHONE!! GO ME!}

Anyway…it was one of those days…again!!  Ugh!  {Dear Robin once told me that “ugh” can be turned into “hug”…I LOVE THAT!}  I sure could have used some of those hugs today, but then I was crabby enough I probably wouldn’t have appreciated them! LOL.  Just couldn’t get out of my funk…was totally crabby…FOR NO REASON!  My poor hubby got the brunt of it…as always…it’s usually him or my dear daughter…thank goodness they love me   So, that’s pretty much 3 days in a row of off days…but I am going to plug through…and do the best I can and tomorrow IS going to be a GREAT day

And I am going to focus on a few things I have done RIGHT this week on a journey to a healthier me and try to carry them forward this next week:

~I went to the chiro today….my neck has been tight again since Sunday so instead of waiting too long and inviting a migraine into my life, I took care of me and made the appointment…and boy does the neck feel great!!  {I’ve been having a little foot problem for the past few days, so I had that checked out too…AGAIN…taking care of me!!…in advance!! WOW!}

~Still taking care of my skin.

~Still reading.

~Still trotting and attempting to trot faster.

~Still making some healthier food choices.

~Started a crunch challenge…and by the way I did my 50 tonight…that’s three days in a row folks…4 more to go!  {See below for a recap of the challenge in case you missed it!} And I have a few of you joining me.  YAY FOR ALL OF YOU!! SO SUPER PROUD OF ALL OF YOU!!

~I continue to feel so good on my trots…and am so proud of myself for pushing a little harder!

~I am still rambling and babbling and putting it all out there!!

{I could have easily added in multiple comments about things I didn’t do quite right…but like I said earlier in this post, this morning I decided to focus on what I was doing right…and I am going to continue those thoughts through this post.}

So please remember…even if you are having an “I could really use a hug day”…and no matter what you do, you just can’t shake that funk…maybe you just need to go with it…I am a firm believer in being positive and that we can “start over” at any point in the day…but I also realize it isn’t that easy some days…maybe some days are just mean to be “off days” and those days are the ones that make the GREAT days even better…and bring smiles to our faces   {And if you are in need of a hug…swing by the shop…I LOVE to give hugs…or email me at mjativey@ndsupernet.com and I will send you a virtual hug!}

Here’s wishing you a GREAT day tomorrow, full of smiles!

~just me and that’s enough~literally!~jodi

50 CRUNCHES FOR 7 DAYS CHALLENGE: 

DO 50 CRUNCHES FOR 7 DAYS!  Yep, that’s it….you just have to do 50 crunches 7 days in a row!!  You can split them up into 25 twice a day or 50 all at once, whatever works for you…JUST GET OFF THE COUCH AND DO IT!  If I can do this, anyone can do this, and it takes maybe 5-10 minutes of your time a day…that’s it!  So, if you want to join me and need someone to be accountable to, just email me at mjativey@ndsupernet.com or leave me a note here on the blog or our TouchingYourHeart.net Facebook page that you are GOING TO GET OFF THE COUCH AND DO 50 CRUNCHES FOR 7 DAYS!  Hope to hear from some of you!!!  {And if you join via email…you will remain anonymous-I promise!} And, it’s never too late to participate! Just join in at any point in time, and we will count your 7 days from YOUR starting point!

Enough is Enough…a journey to a healthier me…

First of all….for those of you who have joined me in my challenge of 50 crunches a day for 7 days…have you done your 50 crunches for today?? I have!! Two days done…5 more to go.  For those who may have missed the challenge, here is a little recap from the last post: ***I came across a fun challenge and I am challenging all of you to join me if you want!!  Are you ready???  The challenge is:  DO 50 CRUNCHES FOR 7 DAYS!  Yep, that’s it….you just have to do 50 crunches 7 days in a row!!  You can split them up into 25 twice a day or 50 all at once, whatever works for you…JUST GET OFF THE COUCH AND DO IT!  If I can do this, anyone can do this, and it takes maybe 5-10 minutes of your time a day…that’s it!  So, if you want to join me and need someone to be accountable to, just email me at mjativey@ndsupernet.com or leave me a note here on the blog or our TouchingYourHeart.net Facebook page that you are GOING TO GET OFF THE COUCH AND DO 50 CRUNCHES FOR 7 DAYS!  Hope to hear from some of you!!!  {And if you join via email…you will remain anonymous-I promise!} And, it’s never too late to participate! Just join in at any point in time, and we will count your 7 days from YOUR starting point!***

I did tell you a little lie though in that challenge….it will NOT take you 5-10 minutes a day…it is FAR LESS THAN THAT…a few minutes is all it takes to crank out those 50 crunches!!! So, what are you waiting for?  You are SO worth those few minutes!  Join me and some others for this fun challenge!!

I was a tad irritable today…go figure…not terribly bad, but just a tad!!  Hubby was going to work a little later, and it was absolutely gorgeous outside…so I decided to head out for a little trot in hopes of working off some of that irritability!!  And it worked   Always does!!!  I sure did miss my dear daughter, Robin and the girls…but I will definitely be looking forward to when they join me again, hopefully Thursday!!

I must admit…I was nervous for this trot tonight.  I moved up to the “second week, day 1″ of my new program and it was the toughest so far.  {Keep in mind I had just reached the 30 minutes straight mark of trotting at my leisurely and slow pace a little while back and haven’t been doing it that long but decided to shake things up to work on my pace and to keep me from being bored.}  Well, tonight’s workout was 28 minutes straight trotting…2 minutes walk followed by 2 minutes run x 7 times, which I have switched to 2 minutes trotting and 2 minutes trotting faster   So, I was nervous as to whether I could keep the trotting faster pace going for the duration of the workout and I told myself that I could walk the “walk” portions tonight if needed….BUT…. I DID IT!!!.  I didn’t even consider walking during those portions!!  The first half was really tough for me but by interval 4 I was finally finding my groove and was feeling pretty good!  Heart rate monitor was working tonight and was right where it needed to be too!  And…the best part is is that this was two nights in a row of working out for me, which I rarely do.  I like to have a day off at least in between and am definitely looking forward to taking tomorrow night off! The minute I got home I did my 50 crunches for today! Day 2 complete of that challenge! GO ME!

So, all in all…it was a good day   I love how our moods can be changed with a little exercise/endorphin rush!! A natural drug!! Wish I could bottle that rush and feed from it when need be!  Moral of the story:  Just because we are having an off day mentally, doesn’t mean we will have a bad workout!!  Sometimes we need that workout to lift our spirits and get us back on track mentally for the day!  Each of us are SO WORTH feeling good…mentally AND physically…and no one can do this for us… except US!

Tonight I leave you all with this….I came across this on Facebook today and thought it was perfect for ALL of us…..

~just me and that’s enough~literally!~jodi

Enough is Enough…a journey to a healthier me…

Hey everyone!! Hoping you all had a great rest of the weekend and a great Monday!! I slept in yesterday and it felt sooooo good   We took it easy in the morning and then got to meet the newest addition to the family….Pa Braun’s darling new 8 week old puppy, Tyson!! Yep, we are all in love with him!!  Amanda and I spent a little mother-daughter time together and then all three of us Tivey’s hit it hard and got lots done at home in the afternoon, and ended the evening having supper with Pa and loving on Tyson a bit more

Today I had one of those “could of had a V8 kind of days.”  You know…the kind where you just feel off balance, you drop things, just feel in a fog, tired, etc.  However, I was lucky enough to have Mr. Tyson at the shop with me today to keep me movin’ and smilin’!!  {Thanks Pa!}  Even though I was feeling sluggish, at no point did I even consider skipping a trot tonight! That’s huge for me!!  Normally, my stinkin’ thinkin’ excuse would have been: “I’m so tired. I’m just going to skip tonight and go home and take the night off.”  Instead, my new “enough is enough thinkin” was: “I am tired, but I am going to go work out right away, and then I can go home and veg for the rest of the night.”  And…I did just that!!  GO ME!  {And the best part of the night…I came home to the hubby having supper all ready!  What a guy! I am truly blessed.  {He seems to do this quite often when Amanda and I go for our workouts!}  WE. ARE. SPOILED.   And very appreciative!!  And I took a bath…and read my book…and now get to play on Facebook and the blog   A true “pampering-me” night.}

Anyway…back to the workout: Amanda is back to Bismarck for a few days and it was still super windy out, so I went and trotted on the treadmill tonight.  It felt great!  It was a great gauge of how I have been doing outside.  The treadmill heart rate monitor was pretty close to what my watch heart rate monitor had been saying {when it actually works~LOL}, so that made me feel good.  At least I am keeping an okay/comparable pace outside as to what I was doing on the treadmill.  I was feeling so good that I didn’t even check out the mileage until I was almost done!!

And…I added in something new…I did 50 crunches after trotting.  I used to do situps/pushups/weight lifting, the whole works all of the time, but just haven’t done any of that in a few months so I decided it was time to start up a few things slowly {babysteps!}….and today I came across a fun challenge and I am challenging all of you to join me if you want!!

Are you ready???  The challenge is:  DO 50 CRUNCHES FOR 7 DAYS!  Yep, that’s it….you just have to do 50 crunches 7 days in a row!!  You can split them up into 25 twice a day or 50 all at once, whatever works for you…JUST GET OFF THE COUCH AND DO IT!  If I can do this, anyone can do this, and it takes maybe 5-10 minutes of your time a day…that’s it!  So, if you want to join me and need someone to be accountable to, just email me at mjativey@ndsupernet.com or leave me a note here on the blog or our TouchingYourHeart.net Facebook page that you are GOING TO GET OFF THE COUCH AND DO 50 CRUNCHES FOR 7 DAYS!  Hope to hear from some of you!!!  {And if you join via email…you will remain anonymous-I promise!} And, it’s never too late to participate! Just join in at any point in time, and we will count your 7 days from YOUR starting point! 

~just me and that’s enough~literally!~jodi 

Enough is Enough…a journey to a healthier me…

Hey everyone!! Happy Saturday! Hoping you are all having a great weekend!

It’s been a great weekend here so far! Last night we had Robin and the girls over for supper.  It was gorgeous out so we sat outside while we bbq’d.  Felt so good to get the fresh air and just sit and relax for a while.  The two older girls got in some great “game playing” time with Mikey and it was fun to listen to their giggles!  Today The Tivey’s all worked at the shop most of the day but we did sneak away for lunch with a friend and had some relaxing time then too   And…we are all looking forward to the day off tomorrow!! Once again…I am feeling the need for many fairies in my life….house fairy, car fairy, bill fairy, checkbook fairy…etc!!

I definitely still have trouble relaxing away from the shop and getting the mind off of all the “to do’s”, but I am working on it!  I will not lie…owning your own business is hard work people!!!… and it consumes you 24/7.  Learning to ”let it go” from your mind at times isn’t always easy but I know in order to keep my sanity and keep my anxiety at bay, I need to learn to slow down and enjoy the simple things in life…and remember that it is A-OK to NOT think about work sometimes!!

Amanda and I did make it out for a trot tonight and it felt so good. {My 4th workout this week!! HOLY CRAP…that’s a lot for me…I usually only get in 1-2 a week! I’ll take these great weeks when I can because I know the next week can easily be 1-2 workouts if I am lucky!}  Anyway, it was workout #2 of my new program…and it felt really good…despite the wind!!  And I must admit, I am SO proud of myself for trying this new program.  The way I am doing it is definitely new for me and out of my “comfort zone” and is a challenge, but I am doing it and enjoying it.  GO FIGURE!  {We topped off the night by making a homemade pizza, and to stay on the healthier side…we kept cheese off half of it for Amanda {she has been doing great at cutting out cheese-NOT easy folks!!} and we added lots of veggies!}

A dear friend/fellow GAAW/and “follower of  this blog” sent me the following picture with a very sweet email…and it is so fitting for me right now:

After our trot tonight, I told Amanda about how true this quote really is for me lately…and her too!   There was a time that I would not have even thought about going out tonight for a trot and I would have used the following stinkin’ thinkin’ excuses, followed by my new “enough is enough thinkin”:

1.  It was WINDY OUT! {I wasn’t even worried about the wind…and each time I had to trot directly into the wind, I just did my best and figured the extra resistance would burn more calories…and thought about how great it would feel once I was out of the wind again.}

2.  It was 7pm in the evening and we were settled in.  {Before, I usually wouldn’t budge from my house to do anything once I was settled in.  Now, I know that if I want to get a workout in that it will most likely have to be after 7pm at night.  It is what it is…and it truly doesn’t even bother me anymore.  Yes, I could get up earlier in the morning but sorry folks…that just isn’t working for me quite yet! LOL}

3.  I need to clean my house, work on paperwork, etc. {I am now putting myself first more often…maybe not ALL the time, but more often anyway!! I am making time and taking the time to get workouts in and everything else gets put on hold instead of vice versa.}

So does this mean I am now committed to becoming healthier??? Maybe!!!  Will this new thinkin’ last for a while or is it just a phase? I’m not sure, but I will tell you this…for now, I have had enough of feeling this way on so many levels…enough is enough…and I am working on it…and it is my focus…and for the first time in my life I am honestly approaching this WHOLE JOURNEY in babysteps instead of “all or nothing and perfectly,” and I am admitting that there are many factors involved that I need to work on.  And…it’s the first time EVER that I have blogged about my weight for the whole world to see! {Those of you who have followed our blog over the years know that I babble ALOT about all of my other issues }  Regardless, I continue to focus on heading in the right direction…not perfection and I am wishing the same for all of you!!

Please take time tomorrow to do a little something for YOU!  Stop with the excuses and instead, put yourself FIRST…even if it’s just for a few minutes!  YOU ARE WORTH IT!!

{If you need someone to be accountable to, please let me help you!!  Feel free to leave comments here on the blog  or email me at mjativey@ndsupernet.com.  {I promise I won’t publish your name or comments from emails unless you specifically give me permission!}  Obviously, anything posted here on the blog or our TouchingYourHeart.net Facebook page is open for the world to see!}

~just me and that’s enough~literally!~jodi

Enough is Enough…a journey to a healthier me…

Hey everyone…my plan was to post a picture of the scale yesterday…but they simply didn’t turn out…the manual scale just doesn’t work too well for picture taking, so I broke down and had Amanda pick me up a DIGITAL ONE!!! And I have to say…the scale looked GREAT this morning and it even matched up with the old manual one, so I know it is correct!!!  However, the picture did not turn out yet again…I need to get a better system figured out, so please bear with me until I do!!

And the results were…….151.6!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Down 3.4 pounds since I started this blog! Woohoo!! I will take it and I am super thrilled with it!  Thank you babysteps!!!!  I am super excited with the thought that within a few weeks I could maybe be back into the 140s!!! I have not been there in probably 3-4 years!!  Holy cow…it’s possible!!

Like I said before, I have not set a goal weight yet…as this journey is about so much more than the weight, but as of tonight, my current goal is to get into the 140s!!!  {BABYSTEPS!}

Speaking of this journey… just thought I would update you on how other parts of it are going for me:  I am happy to report that I have had a much less anxiety-filled week! Ah….feels so good!  I have been praying ALOT, sending out lots of positive thoughts and thanks to the universe and God, I have been using my Young Living Essential Oils faithfully, and I have been trying to make myself take time to do things for me.  All of these things have really helped me this week and I am SO THANKFUL that it has been a better week :)

This might sound kind of corny, but I have also been on a mission for about the last month to really take care of my skin…face and hands especially.  Those who know me know full well that I literally suck at taking off my makeup at night and I hate doing any regimens that require standing in front of the mirror in the mornings or at night for longer than 3 minutes! {I have NO patience when it comes to doing hair, makeup, skin care, etc.}  However, I am starting to notice a few signs of aging, which I honestly don’t mind at all!! {I say bring it on…I have earned those wrinkles and pretty sure each one has a precious story of their own!}  But, I do also realize that in order to “age gracefully” I really need to start taking care of my skin.  So…I have been giving Amanda’s Pink Papaya products a try…and I have to tell you…they are amazing!! I LOVE THEM.  I have been very diligent about doing the morning face regimen and do manage to do it a few times at night, but not regularly, and I can not believe how smooth and soft my face feels.  And…I have been doing a nightly routine on my hands with one of her scrubs and lotions…and again…it is amazing! I cannot believe how soft they are becoming and how much healthier my skin is looking.  {I used to have such ”youthful” looking soft hands – which I credit to my mom and Grandma Lois – they had beautiful soft hands – but over the last year mine have lost that appearance!}  Don’t ask me why, but I loved my soft hands…go figure, so I am thrilled to have them coming back to life again

I have continued to take time to read…I finished The Secret by Rhonda Byrne and it was awesome. I really wish I had made a checklist of pointers they had.  I got the book from our amazing library so gave it back before I remembered I had wanted to make a list! Oh well!  Tonight I just started the new book for our online book club for May and it is really good!!  {and again borrowed from the library… I have to say, our Bowman Regional Library and librarians ROCK!}

And finally…as you know I am trying to get in 1-2 trots a week and am still loving it.  Would love to get three in a week and as of tonight I got in three this week already!! WOOHOO.  Tonight Amanda, Robin and her girls and I all went together again.  I just love it.  The girls ride their bikes…Robin pushes Sophia in the stroller so I am hoping she gets to enjoy her walk while kind of sort of spending time with all of us, Amanda runs and I trot!  I did decide to try a new program starting tonight. I just knew I would get bored trotting around the baseball loop/walking path for 30 minutes straight for another full month so I did decide to shake it up.  Amanda suggested a Couch to 10K training program which is just like the Couch to 5K training program I have done in the past.  If you are interested, go to www.c25k.com.  GREAT SITE!  Anyway, I could only find a more advanced/more mileage right away one on that site which I am no way ready for…I think it starts you out at 4 miles!!! HOLY CRAP–I am still only at about 2.3 miles!!, but I did find the perfect one in a post on Sparkpeople.com.  It calls for intervals of walking/running and I have decided to try trotting for the walking parts and trotting faster for the runnning parts so I can pick up my pace a bit.  It was definitely hard for me, but I DID IT!!  And thanks to my dear daughter for finishing up the last bit with me!!! {She is great about having sympathy for her mother and helps me out occassionally when she sees me struggling!!}

Okay, that got to be longer than I planned on…but I had SO MUCH to tell you…{well hopefully I am telling SOMEONE as not sure many are reading this but as along as one person out there is reading and inspired by SOME of my rambling and babbling, then it is all worth it…and trust me, this blog has helped me be more accountable on so many levels!}

So, my advice to all of you tonight…please remember to keep taking time for YOU…it’s truly the babysteps that will lead us in the right direction…and you are all worth it!! You don’t have to make huge changes or do them perfectly to feel better about yourself…make simple changes that you can be proud of…and mostly please remember this….make this a journey for yourself…don’t follow someone else’s idea of a journey…personalize it and do what works for you.  Keep in mind that there is so much more to a weight loss journey than just the weight…we have got to feel better about ourselves on so many levels in order to tackle the weight issues…but together…WE CAN and WE WILL DO THIS because…ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!

~just me and that’s enough~literally!~jodi

Enough is Enough…a journey to a healthier me…

Oh. My. Goodness.  I had such a good trot tonight!! GO ME   It was a busy day at work and I didn’t get home until after 6, and I knew I had dear Miss Emma’s birthday party to go to at 7.  I knew I didn’t have much time to fit in a trot and I knew I would have to go alone, but I was really feeling the need to go after a busy day at the shop, so I decided to put myself first!!!…and texted Robin to let her know I would be late and headed out the door! And I was SO glad I did!  {And…YES, I took the time to do my warmup.  I didn’t want to go through the pain again like the other night!}

The first mile of my run was feeling SO good…and I didn’t even stop to check my heart rate until that first mile was over!!  {My beloved heart rate monitor watch isn’t working the best…it has it’s good days and it’s bad days…I just never know when it will be working or not.  Oh well…it’s better than nothing…next time around I will spend a little more to get a better one, but for now I will make do, especially since I have only had it a few weeks!}

Partway through, there was a BIG crack of thunder and then it started to rain some…a bit more than a sprinkle, but not a huge heavy downpour.  It was HEAVENLY! I LOVED IT! It felt SO good! I had a few laps that I started to slow down a bit but then I was rewarded with a gorgeous rainbow that later developed into a double rainbow.  Again, absolutely heavenly…and it sure helped my spirits soar even more…and I was able to pick up my pace a bit for the rest of my trot!  {Pictures again taken with my Blackberry…not the best, but better than nothing…couldn’t get the double rainbow to show though.}

Tonight was the LAST 30 minute straight trot of the program I have been following…and I am so proud to say… this is the first time I have ever made it to the end of this program.  I have been trying for about a year, but had to keep stopping for one reason or another and start over…but this time, many months later…I DID IT!!!  I did finally check to see what’s next for me and this program recommended staying at 30 minutes, three days a week, for a month straight for the body to adjust and to work on my pace.  I am going to TRY it, but I tend to get bored easily and I may need to shake it up a bit.  We shall see!  {If anyone has any ideas, please send them my way!!}  And on the other hand, it would be great to increase my pace a bit and add more mileage, so we shall see! {According to “Map My Run”, I am averaging about 2.3 miles in 30 minutes…VERY SLOW, I KNOW I KNOW…but trust me, my heart rate is up there!!} And I do think tonight was faster, and according to “Map My Run”, I got 25.1 miles in in 30 minutes!! I ROCK!!  {Obviously, I didn’t have something set right! Imagine that.  Need the dear daughter to check it out for me the next time!}

So, all in all…it was an awesome trot on so many levels and I am very proud of myself for many reasons: I put myself first and took the time needed to do my workout AND I took the extra time to do it CORRECTLY!…I trotted in the rain and didn’t let that detour me and actually loved it…I FINALLY completed this program…and I was rewarded with a heavenly rainbow!! Doesn’t get much better than that! True blessings and a true reminder that my babysteps are leading me in the right direction…not perfection..and that is enough! And…I am hoping this is inspiration enough for you to believe in yourself and start taking your own babysteps!

{On a side note, I did make it to Emma’s birthday party…even though I was late…I went stinky, sweaty and in my trotting clothes with headband hair!}

~just me…and that’s enough~literally!~jodi