EXCITED!!!!

I have exciting news for everyone! Look over at the sidebar---------> Do it now.....---------->

Do you see anything new over there? Look down a little....below the Sweat Pink Ambassador Badge that doesn't quite fit in the square (I never could get the circle into the square peg...)

Do you see it now? I'm a GIRL GONE SPORTY AMBASSADOR!!!!

It is sort of strange how I found out though.....I kept getting all these emails AS IF I was one, but never got an official invitation. Finally, I decided to reply to one of the emails and simply ask. She replied right away and said YES! I was selected back on January 2! The only thing that I can think of is that is the day we traveled home from Florida on the train and the email was sketchy at best!

So what is Girls Gone Sporty? It is a group of women by women who love athletics as much as I do! The organization is new, founded in 2011, but they've already got a great network of people. Check out their website where you can find lots of great information about the latest fitness trends, nutrition, product reviews and more.  And of course, as one of their ambassadors, I promise to keep you in the know!

Take a look at their social media - follow Girls Gone Sporty on Pinterest, Twitter, and Facebook.

Crazy Sexy Cancer

'Cancer wasn't killing me, it was pushing me to live. Maybe my lesson was about patience and acceptance. If I could learn to be at peace with my disease, even if it didn't go away, then I could do anything."  Kristin Carr

I watched the movie Crazy Sexy Cancer which is about a 31 year old diagnosed with a rare form of cancer with no treatment options. Ultimately, she turned to a clean diet and healthy eating and has had stable disease for many years. I have been eating a 'clean' diet on/off for several years now, especially since I was diagnosed with cancer in 2010. The Anticancer Diet was all about how cancer would thrive off of sugar. I remember thinking that right before I was diagnosed I had been eating sugar again - that surely had to be the reason I had cancer.

 I really limit any sugar intake now, except for rare occasions. My grandfather, who has been on some sort of diet for his cardiac health since I was a kid, always made an exception on birthdays and holidays to indulge in a dessert. I have done the same, however for me, it sometimes leads to a spiral out of control sugar rage. I am much better about keeping these sugar 'rages' under control these days than I used to be.

Over the holidays, I read the book "It starts with food", by Melissa and Dallas Hartwig. It is a very similar message to a lot of these other books and eat clean diets. This book talks about decreasing sugar intake, but eating whole foods, not processed foods. Fruit is allowed as it is a whole food. There are no forms of other sugars - no honey, maple syrup, stevia, etc. I have never been one to drink diet soda or like the flavor of artificial sweeteners, so this has never been an issue for me. If I was going to have sugar, I would always prefer it in its natural form. It is still healthier to use honey as a sweetener than any artificial sweetener. If you watch the documentary called Hungry for Change, you would probably never put another artificial sweetener in your body.

I am Day 9 into a 30 day 'whole food' eating plan based on the book. It has been very easy. Fruits, Veggies, Nuts, and meats - no processed foods, dairy, or grains.. Pretty simple. I was eating healthy before this so it has been an easy transition with no real detox feelings. People think I am crazy and too restrictive - no dairy, no grains, no convenience foods. My thought is that if this will keep my cancer stable, then why not.

Tomorrow - recheck ultrasound. I will update after I have the results! Fingers crossed!

2013 Goals - Not resolutions

     I really don't believe in resolutions. I think many people try to make very drastic changes at the beginning of a new year that are not realistic. However, a new year is a fresh start. It offers people a clean canvas to paint the life they want.
     That said, I feel like I work towards my different fitness goals everyday. I have been getting up between 4:20-5am for 13 months now. That was a hard habit to establish, but it is a habit now and my body will wake up no later than 5:30 even on days when I can sleep in. I feel like I get so much done in those extra morning hours and that it really sets me up for a full, active, motivated day. I actually feel sluggish on days that I don't train.
     As far as parenting, I really try to be patient everyday, but I will admit some days are easier than others. I will work on that more. I have been playing games and animals and dress up with the kids. Even though I hate board games, I have been playing them. So far, so good in this regard.
     Most of my goals for 2013 are fitness related and I have made them know already. I have 154 days left  until my first half Ironman. That is a huge goal for me and I am very excited about it! I have a plan in place and as long as I follow the plan I should be able to complete and compete that day! I hope to do a spattering of other sprints and olympic distance races, but my A race is that HIM.
     After the HIM, I will start training for my first marathon. Hopefully, I can get into the Marine Corps Marathon in October. That will be my second big goal of the year. Two endurace events.
    On a smaller scale, my personal goal is to drink more water. I am pretty sure I stay chronically dehydrated. I think in preparation for my bigger goals, I would like to try to better my hydration. But baby steps....I am starting the month of January by trying to drink 16oz/day. Other than coffee, I don't drink anything most days. I started putting a water bottle next to the kitchen sink. My goal is to drink that one bottle every day. If I do well, I might consider increasing it to two water bottles daily. I know its not the recommended water intake per day, but again, baby steps.
     No resolutions, but a couple of goals for the year.