car UP! car BACK! on your Left!

the 3 phrases i heard &/or repeated quite often thru out the weekend during the MS 150 Bike Ride. I need to write this post of the adventure that was this past weekend before i'm sucked back into reality & forget all that happened. even though my legs & butt probably won't ever let me forget it! this is long..so read at your own free will!

I knew this was all going to be an adventure from the get go when i went to pick up Tasha & couldn't get her bike to fit on my crappy old bike rack ...after many different attempts which included trying to take off the front tire & put it in my hatchback & even that was unsuccessful, we finally made it work! then after getting lost in a neighborhood full of rich houses, we finally found our place to crash for the night at Kristin's in-laws. after a restless night sleep before the big ride we were all awakened by the "Bike Time" song & dance alarm.

I was pretty freaking nervous about this bicycle ride. its no ordinary ride of 10 or 20 miles. No...it was 80.6 miles on Day 1 and then 80.4 miles on Day 2. i couldn't quite wrap my mind around what i had gotten myself into! i don't think any of the 4 of us could. but me, Kristin, Tasha & Ryan...aka Team Awesome, were about to attempt it. once we figured out where all our numbers went on our bikes, ourselves AND our luggage, we made our way to the starting line. as part of the final group to be sent off that first morning, we were on our way to who knows where!! well, we know we were gonna end up in Sedalia but no idea of the roads that were going to get us there!

it was all very exciting in the beginning & the first 30 miles seemed to fly by! we had to learn the biking lingo & get in the groove. very weird to think how fast it went but i think our adrenaline was just pumping so much it made our legs pump even harder! Thanks to Kristin for her constant supply of electrolyte pills every 10 miles! we stopped for lunch at 50 miles...talk about a swarm of people! i had never seen so many bikes in one spot. what a place to people watch too! all the different biking jerseys & just random people in general.

so with a stomach full of food & energy, we headed back out on road only to find ourselves in the worst part of the whole ride...hills, followed by some hills, but then we were lucky enough to have a few more hills after that! i only walked 1 of those hills. needless to say Rest stop # 6 saved my sanity by supplying me with the best frozen lemon ice i have ever craved! by this stage in the ride, the 4 of us knew we couldn't all stay together because we all rode at such different paces so we just made sure we met up at every rest stop to regroup & make sure we were each accounted for.

it was about half way thru Day 1 when i think we realized if any one of us were to get a flat tire, we'd need each of us to change it. I had a tube, Tasha had the CO2 cartridge, Kristin had the device for the CO2 & Ryan had the expertise on how to change a tire...we got lucky & none of us got a flat all weekend!!

as the day wore on, i grew more tired & my butt went numb, but i became more confident that i might actually finish this thing. it was mind over matter the whole weekend. i just kept telling myself..."only 10 more miles to the next rest stop? that just like a quick evening ride down Shoal Creek". or whenever i saw 1 mile to the next rest stop.."that's like riding from my house to Cookingham...no big deal! i got this!"

the big highlight about being the last one in my group to coast in at the end of the first 80.6 miles was that the rest of Team Awesome was there to cheer me on! sure there were tons of strangers i didn't know cheering too but it meant more coming from my friends.

Day 1 ended with free beer & lasagna in the Village, a bus ride to the memorable Sunset Motel run by Russians, shower shoes thanks to Kristin's flippy floppies, idol hands, Spider pig, winter socks, lights out & asleep by 8:30pm!

Day 2 was a whole new ball game. we had to be up by 4:45 (cue "Bike Time" alarm.) slow to rise but we made our way back to the fairgrounds by 5:45...excited that we were going to have pancakes for breakfast only to find out they hadn't even started making them. good thing there were beagles! we found some strangers to help bump up our tires, then got yelled at by the only rude person all weekend since we weren't lined up correctly at the starting line. oh well, we were still able to squeeze our way past the orange cones & start the ride as part of the first wave of bikers to leave at 7am.

Then the moment we all dreaded...sitting back on that tiny bike seat...i feared it greatly but in reality it wasn't as bad as i thought. all 4 of us quickly scattered again...plan was to meet up at RS#3 but i had to stop at RS#2 only because tons of bikers were stopping & blocking the road. then i realized i was outta water & had to use the rest room. plus there were peanut butter & jelly sandwiches while i waited in line. i think our official pictures were being taken at that rest stop & i hope so cuz i tried to make mine fun when i saw the cameras! =)

i was back on the road faced with a few more hills i wasn't too fond of. met back up with the group at RS#3...was told the worst of the hills was almost over. i believed that but none of us had a clue how horrible the wind would be later on. with each rest stop came sweet relief that i was that much closer to home. i was really starting to get worn out by this point. it didn't help that we were going up & down fairly easy hills but with winds up to 25mph coming straight at us, i felt like i was going no where & possibly being pushed backwards!

i've been asked how in the world i kept riding...all i can say is at some point your legs just go on autopilot & the rest of you is just along for the ride. i kept seeing SAG vehicles carrying loads of people onto the next rest stops. people were dropping out of this ride left & right...but here i was: only been riding maybe 3 months & even then only 2 MAYBE 3 times a week for max 10miles at a time. Hell, i've come this far, i'm not giving up now!! plus my dad donated a dollar for each mile i rode...it was only right i make that donation worth it. if i could finish this, i might make a few people proud of me...or even surprised at me or impressed by me! not that any of that mattered what so ever because i was just going to be astounded at myself if i finished this ride in one piece & it would all be for a great cause!

the last 30 miles were probably the hardest. i was out of energy...pb&j sandwiches only last so long! i found myself needing to take a breather every now & then especially after going down a big hill only to be matched with going up another...usually it wouldn't have been too bad except the wind had the audacity to steal all my momentum. i'd take wind out back in an ally & fight it if i could!

the last rest stop of Day 2 was only 5.4 miles from the end. another amazing frozen lemon ice recharged me & i was ready to "kick this bitch in the back!" i said these words but don't recall forming that sentence in my brain. that's when delusion must have kicked in. that was the longest 5.4 miles i have ever ridden but as i made it up that final hill, the rest of my team was waiting. Team Awesome was gonna ride the last 1/4 mile together across that finish line...and we did! Oooohhh YeeeaaahH!! plus we all got medals for our crazy attempt & conquer of a 161 mile bike ride!

this was the first time me, Kristin & Tasha had ridden in the MS 150 & we were surrounded by veteran riders. i quickly got used to being passed..no big deal. i'm always an underdog but i still managed to finish! it was actually encouraging for me to hear a stranger say "you're doing a great job...keep it up...or just keep peddling, just keep peddling!" those words of encouragement usually came at a moment when i was starting to lose confidence & needed it most.

i like to say that with my slow & steady pace, i road anchor for Team Awesome. but after all, we knew this wasn't a race but a ride. there was no need to bust our butts more than we had to in order to finish before anyone else. This was a ride for charity...a chance to do something amazing with an unbelievable group of people. I know i followed that motto mostly because i couldn't really go faster than any one else =) i just hope the rest of my team did the same & didn't lose sight of the purpose of this weekend!

Other weekend recaps (that i can remember right now):
-the Fun Police...the whole group was encouraging thru out the ride. i played leap frog with the same 2 members both days! crazy haired skinny guy & freakish mustache guy. they really were fun!

-Legs...sure many of them on bikes but none more memorable than "Legs" the guy who rode his bike so weird we swore he was bow-legged but we saw him walking around at a rest stop & he was fine...mystery..dude probably just needs a bigger bike!

-getting excited when i could hear someone with a radio strapped to their bike coming up behind me...only to be saddened when they passed me by & took the music with them.

-the most organized event of this capacity i have ever witnessed. and the most friendly staff & participants i've ever encountered.

-a bike built for 2 with the longest chain of life on it...still baffled about how they transported it.

-lady at a cross road really loving her job of waving flags to signal traffic. looked like she was trying to land a plane with them! oh man did she love those flags!

-kid on old school bike with only 1 gear...how he survived, i don't know!

-guy carrying all his luggage attached to his bike...including a backpack strapped to the side of his front tire...how was he not falling over?!

-guy with his legs wrapped up with ace bandages...still unsure of his story but i did pass him again half way thru Day 2 & he was being picked up by a SAG...he no finish.

-the horror that was white chocolate/seizure road...spend some money & improve the 2 1/2 miles of gravel road for crying out loud!!

-feeling the need to thank each & every person volunteering during this event...from the guy who took my luggage in the beginning, to the road side direction pointers, to the lady who gave me my frozen lemon ice, to the kids who retrieved my luggage at the fairgrounds, to our bus driver, to the old lady at RS#5 who pointed me in the right direction of water or Gatorade, to the lady making my pb&j sandwich, to the guy dancing at RS#7 while he cut up oranges, and of course to the girl who handed me my medal as i a crossed the finish line.

-despite the fact that i now have helmet pressure acne on my forehead, soar quads, a numb butt, a pretty sweet helmet strap tan & my right hand is only functional when in the handle bar position (its like my thumb forgot how to be opposable & it makes it hard to even turn the key to start my car!!) this was one hell of an experience & i'm honored to have had the chance to share it with an amazing group of friends. i am proud of all of us...we rock!

MS 150...bing bang boom....donezies!

i have a scrambled brain!

no time for a big update this week. its crunch time in more ways than one over the next 2 weeks. I have a couple big mind-blowing tests next week, organizing a couple school events & of course finding time to prepare for the MS-150 on Sept 26th & 27th! (there's still time to donate by Clicking here!!)

According to the movie Big Fish "The more difficult something is, the more rewarding it is in the end." I sure hope this is the case for me!! So i hope to see you all on the other side of this crazy train I call the month of September!

Chaos is the name of this game

yea i'm a little behind on updating this blog this week. in fact i've had the intention to write it several times already but other things came up & had to be done first. but right now, i'm just trying to stay awake while i read about pigs. they have sharp teeth, ya know...so don't put your finger in their mouths but feel free to rub their cute soft noses! so adorable! anyhoo, enough of that.

Life is not slowing down anytime soon with school & work & more school & training for the bike ride in less than 2 weeks. this has all been confirmed by a dream i had just last night. I was somewhere with family & friends from school & all of a sudden a tornado started heading our way. i remember looking up the street & saw it coming straight towards us. next thing i knew, it was circling around us. everyone else got to safety but all i could do was hang on tight to whatever was attached to the ground in front of me. i could feel the tornado picking me up & trying to pull me away but i kept on holding on. Finally the tornado passed & i returned to the ground. i had a feeling of success & of course just thankful to be alive! then i remember wanting to keep whatever it was i was holding onto as a souvenir. turns out it was a leather footstool that wasn't actually attached to the ground at all...dang dreams are so weird! i swear it was real. i've heard that tornadoes in dreams symbolize stress or chaos in your life...clearly this is true!

i'm not gonna lie but i am a little disappointed in some of my own family for not being willing to support me in the MS-150 bike ride while a few family members, friends & coworkers i hardly know have stepped up & already donated. at least they believe in me!

i'm also not gonna lie that i've been slacking on my attempt to become less awkwardly shaped the past couple weeks. i'm not down this week at all & no inches lost. however, i did ride 20miles on Sunday & 26 miles on Monday. i think i could have gone further both days but i just didn't have the time to do it...places to be & things to do! i took today off but if the rain holds off tomorrow i'm gonna try to head out again after cleaning the barn at school.

aw yes, the large animals are pretty fun so far. the piglets are cute as can be but the cows are pretty awesome & powerful too. one goat in particular has won my heart & many others because she's so sweet & likes to follow me around even when i'm picking up their pebble poop! sheep are crazy but i would be too if i had to wear all that dirty wool everyday! i'm sure its entertaining enough for all the animals just watching me try to heave hay up into their bins..only to have half of it fall on my head every time! in reality, the opportunities i get at school are extraordinary & i'm glad i finally got the chance to do this. i just hope i can keep a level head & keep things organized in my brain & other parts of my life over the next several months!

the weight loss will come with time so i won't fret too much about it. like with everything else, i just take it all one day at a time & hope i make the right choices.

Gotta get the word out!

another Sunday night of studying in full swing...yet, here i sit...clickity keying away! but hey, my brain has to take breaks every now & then from note card writing & brightly Hi-lighter highlighting...my orange one has almost ran out cuz i tend to use it more often..yes, i neglect the other colors sometimes but don't call me a racist!

i'm down 3lbs this week so that puts me at 250...which might only be attributed to the fact that i couldn't eat much last week thanks to the aftermath of dehydration. as much as i wanted to, the nausea lingered all week but i think i'm finally back on track...dang those electrolytes getting so depleted & outta whack!

ok....so reason for this week's update: thanks to a switch-a-roo with a classmate, i can now officially do the MS-150 on September 26th & 27th. I am horrible at asking for money for things..even if its asking my parents to help pay my bills in order to survive! However, this charity ride is for a great cause...raising money for multiple sclerosis. Maybe you don't donate to causes like this because you don't know anyone with MS so it doesn't hit close to home. But maybe one day it will. I've learned that as i get older, i've come to know more & more people therefore my world gets smaller everyday. the likelihood of someone we know coming down with MS or another incurable disease is greater each day. If i can help advance science just a smidgen by riding my bike 150 miles with friends over a nice autumn weekend, i'm gonna do it! probably with lots of blood, sweat & tears but that's ok...slow & steady!

I haven't gotten married yet & i'm certainly not having any kids any time soon so therefore, i HAVE NOT asked ANY of you to buy me ANYTHING for a shower or housewarming gift of any kind!! (your welcome!) I'm a cheap friend & am only going to ask each of you to donate at least $10 towards me riding my bike for 2 days...even if you don't think i can do it (and why don't you think i can do it, friend?!?!), the money will still go to a great cause. If enough of you have faith in me that i can do the entire 150 miles, it will help encourage me greatly along the ride. Sure, I don't wanna let you down but mostly i don't wanna let down the people who suffer from MS. I'm lucky enough to have the ability to ride a bike. So on that note: if you could please Click here to get to my personal page & you can make a secure, online donation or you can pay me in person if you want. I know economic times are tough but at least we're all alive & well for the most part...we are the lucky ones! If you can't contribute, i completely understand but at least send positive thoughts my way that weekend in September...i will need it!

I don't usually ask for this kind of help from the people i know! and I feel the need to tell you don't feel obligated to help in this request. Just know when it comes down to it, help where you can..that's all that matters! hopefully someday down the line someone will pay it forward. Maybe you'll be part of this or maybe you'll choose not to. Clearly, I'm a horrible sales person so i'm not going to guilt any one into giving up a few minutes of their time or forking over money they don't or can not part with. That's not my style!

stay hydrated...or die

i'm not really in the mood to blog right now so this won't be a long post because frankly i'm exhausted & still have to go read up on pigs & other farm animals! i start working with baby pigs at school tomorrow...let's hope they don't squeal too much!

last week was kind of a bust as far as bike riding was concerned. Every time i wanted to go for a ride, mother natured told me otherwise & literally rained on my parade. so i didn't really get a good ride in until Saturday. i did 30 miles. it was nice to ride by myself & see if i could actually motivate myself to go the full 15 down & back on a back road. i went into it thinking i'd do at least 10 down & back but once i got to 10, i knew i had to keep going to 15. those last 5 were the hardest but i did it! I also met a nice Mexican guy before i started my ride...we had a good conversation about biking. i don't know his actual name but let's just call him Guillermo.

I thought i drank enough water after my ride knowing very well that's what you need to do...but apparently i didn't drink enough. after a night out with friends i woke up the next morning sick as a dog! i thought i'd get better as the day went on but i just got worse & by 6pm i had to leave my nieces 1st birthday party & go home & rest. good thing my mom is nurse because she came & took care of my dying self. ok so i wasn't really dying but i sure felt like it. i spent half the night trying to break a fever & chills...i finally did. but tonight it came back so i'm back on the all liquid lifestyle of H2O, Gatorade & Sprite. being dehydrated is for the birds...i don't recommend it. i haven't been able to eat much the past couple days for fear it would reappear including my shakes so there goes that! candid i know, but oh so true.

however, i did measure today & lost 4 inches from last week. so that's a plus...i'll weigh in tomorrow.

its still up in the air on whether i'll be able to ride in the MS-150 this year...i have my large animal kennel rotation the same weekend as the ride but i might have found someone to switch with me. if not, its ok...i'm not sure i've really had the time to properly train for it this year especially now since school has started. but we'll just have to wait & see what tomorrow brings...literally i know tomorrow.

that's all i have...sorry this wasn't very entertaining but my brain isn't functioning like it should right now. so just consider this post a PSA about "Hydration."...the more you know...bing bang boom.

a good investment

every week i try to come up with something insightful to write about for you all...literally, i go thru out my days racking my brain for something i could write about...i make mental notes thinking "oh that's good, i'll remember to write about that". then it comes time to start typing & this cranium goes as blank as a new VHS tape...yea i said VHS. hopefully the youth of today has a clue what that contraption is! just imagine snowy static across the screen...that's what it becomes!

i'm not sure i'm drinking enough water. that's probably another reason i'm not losing weight as fast as i was before. Mostly because when i'm at work, i completely forget to drink it! sure, i take a my big green water bottle to work every day but don't really drink from it until mid afternoon. Doh! on an upside, i haven't been drinking coffee as much. i only drank it in the mornings to begin with but now i don't even depend on that to wake me up anymore!

today i noticed i don't have the usual aches & pains i used to have before i started IsAgenix. i've had a bad left knee since i was a kid..no idea what really caused but its probably from falling off my bike a lot growing up...sidenote: Mom, i swear i'm more careful now & i wear a helmet! i also have a bad right shoulder from falling off a chair in college (i was completely sober)..i had surgery to fix it but it still bothers me every now & then. also i think i have a heel spur in my right foot from all the standing i've done in the jobs i've had in retail in the past. but in all honesty, i'm not feeling any of those pains nearly as often lately...weird?! yes it is but i'm ok with that!

welp, right now i should be finishing up my journal for my vet tech preceptorship so i can turn it in this week when i go back to school but let's face it, i'm behind on it...again!! i have good intentions but if its just intentions, what good is it really unless i follow thru! i'm starting my 2nd year of vet tech school on Tuesday...i'm not mentally prepared...i'm having a bit of a freak out moment where i swear i've forgotten all the little trivial things i know i'll be quizzed over & tested on in an unruly fashion over the next 10mnths. rightfully so, its my future i'm studying for so i should retain as much as i possible can! but this brain is full of random stuff that will never be on a state board exam like the entire scene from Ace Ventura where he's in the dolphin's tank mocking Star Trek. yes i can recite it...why? probably cuz i learned it when i was 12 & that's the kind of stuff a 12 yr old should remember... not algebra schmalgebra!

so i was rather frustrated with bike riding for a couple days last week....i would even venture to say i over-reacted on my frustration but i had to get it outta my system! anyhoo...i was borrowing an old bike from the Ebberts who were nice enough to take it in & have it checked out & cleaned up before passing it on to me. the bike had a few glitches i was willing to deal with & over look. after all it was a free bike so i should be grateful, right? well at first i was, but the more i rode it, it's like the bike turned against me! it tried shifting gears on its own & then not allowing me to shift down into an easier gear...which never bodes well when you encounter hills...especially stuck in 5th gear!! anyhoo, like my buddy Mark said, the bike was like Stephen King's "Christine" & i just couldn't handle it any more. so i went out & got a new one...yup impulse buy! i went to a couple different places & weighed my options, first. But thanks to the folks at Epic Bike store, they hooked me up with the perfect bike for me! its lighter which makes it faster & it only changes gears when i want it to! due to the color it's been dubbed "The Silver Bullet"...rightfully so...i can pass Kristin on a straight away now!

so after all is said & done, i've realized both IsAgenix & buying a new bike have been a good investment for yours truly...and yes i am truly yours...jk that phrase has never made sense to me! So i'd recommend one or the other..IsAgenix or a new bike...or both! i have no major weight loss to announce & only 3 inches lost this week but i feel good & right now that's satisfactory enough for me. Tomorrow i'll try harder to drink more water & be more consistent at eating healthier food. granted we all stray a little bit..i have! but when you bike 20 miles & burn a few hundred extra calories than normal, you need to replace them with something!

20 lb club!! whoop whoop

yea i know it doesn't sound like much but 20 lbs down since i started a month ago is not too freakin' shabby, Right?! let's do the math together...ok...divide by 30...carry the 1...aw yes, the average amount of lbs lost per day is 0.666 lbs...wait what?! uh oh...dude, i swear i'm not the devil! i was kinda hitting a plateau in my weight loss & inches but i was told to try the IsaProtein. basically, i add a scoop of that to my shakes to help with stubborn weight loss....fyi, it has no taste so it makes the shakes gross unless you add something else to it like fruit. i had to add bananas because i think i was starting to have a lack of potassium in my diet...i could feel a charley horse coming on! yes even after a girls night of drunken bowling, i still lost a total of 5 lbs this past week...i give kudos to the IsaPro.

so today was one of those days at work where you are hit in the face with reality & are not completely ready for what's in store. by the time i got off work tonight, all i wanted to do was go home & eat some comforting pasta & drink something to calm my nerves. rest assure, i ate no pasta but i will say my nerves are calmer now =) i witnessed a life end today. yes it was a dog's & that happens fairly often especially in the field i'm in, but not as often in the way i experienced it. (excuse me while i vent about my job a lil bit.) i wasn't in the door less than 14 minutes minutes this morning, when a poodle mix came in after being attacked by a larger dog. we took x-rays...its back & ribs were broken so we rush him to surgery. lungs were punctured & other internal things were going on. i was put on breathing duty for him...it was up to me to make sure he was breathing whether he wanted to or not & make sure he didn't turn blue. long story short, we were an hour & 1/2 into surgery when he crashed...thanks to our doctor & his calm nature & knowledge, we were able to bring him back. but minutes later, he crashed again....unfortunately he didn't make it this time....a black cloud lingered over me the rest of the day. its one of those cases i will never forget & hope to never encounter again...but i know i will & hopefully it will help me be more prepared to deal with it a little better.

i apologize...enough with that dreariness of my life, right?! so...there is a whole separate business side of this IsAgenix program where you can make some extra dough but i'm not doing this whole thing for the money cuz that's not my bag, by any means. i'm only in it to get healthy & if by chance that helps promote the products of IsAgenix then so be it. But i'm not gonna lie to you, dear readers of "Awkwardly Shaped"....i am starting to make a profit from all this only because so many other friends are starting to try it out & i hope they are being as successful as i am! pyramid scheme, schmeramid scheme! that's not how we roll. slow & steady wins the race, my friends...slow & steady! instant results are not what any successful weight loss program is all about...it will take a little while for your body to realize what's up & to start losing the weight & inches on its own time if you are consistent! keep with it! sidenote: this was me preaching to the choir...so i just "duly noted" that last sentence.

i've come to realize that there are people reading this blog that i have no idea about...i don't know you & that's totally fine! if i just think the people reading this are the ones who are actually "following" me, it makes it a little easier (all 14 of you!) cuz i know you all & i'll continue to be honest & use my normal random humor when writing it. if i bore you when i go on random rants, i apologize. but thanks for reading anyways, right?! green...

extra energy

i've forgotten to take my Ionix Supreme couple times the past month so i had some extra at the start of this 2nd month. I consider it a liquid vitamin that you take every morning however it doesn't taste all that awesome! Since i had extra i took 2oz this morning instead of the usual 1oz...holy free holy! i had crazy energy for a Monday & even a day after i did a 30 mile bike ride! i'm starting to wonder if that stuff is laced with crack or something...hmmm..jk! It says you can take 1-2oz of the Ionix Supreme once a day so for those of you also trying out any of the Isagenix programs, if you know you're gonna have a long day at work or are gonna need some extra energy that day i say double it up to 2oz just to give ya an extra jolt!

welp, my weight is staying about the same this week. i'm at about 257lb but it fluctuates, of course. however i've lost another 5 inches! i know that i am turning the fat into muscle which is good but very deceiving to the scale! argh! oh well..i'm feeling better & its always nice when my scrubs fit looser at work...rock on! tomorrow is a cleanse day which works since i'm off work & it'll be raining! so i won't feel too guilty doing nothing all day! perfect for slumber & watching a movie!

memory loss, roller bladdes & tour de airport

so another week down! i'll post measurements & weight tomorrow..cuz i forgot to do both today..my bad! i did get up & ride 8 miles twice by myself this past week...i'm NOT a morning person so this is quite a feet for me!

it's been a rather crazy weekend...i had every intention of going for a long ride on Saturday afternoon even after Tasha had to bail on me. in fact, i was getting ready to walk out the door to go on my ride when my phone rang at approx 2:03pm & it was someone from the radio station asking where i was with the station van for the remote i was assigned to that was taking place from 2-4pm...oh snap!! so i said a few choice words children shouldn't hear & hopped in my car & flew down town. then i hopped in the station van & floored it to the Legends. this trip, if driven at a legal speed would normally take a little over an hour...i made it there in 45min. so maybe i didn't get any cardio done on my bike but my heart sure was pumping as i avoided the law on the interstate in a company van with logo & a huge mast antenna attached on top! this would only happen to me.

this morning i ventured out to meet up with folks for a long ride around the downtown air port. but as i was leaving my neighborhood, i stopped at a stop sign & let a truck turn then proceeded to pull out...but was quickly thrown off when a woman on roller blades started yelling at me, telling me i had a stop sign & should obey it! clearly she was in my blind spot & i yelled "so sorry!" but she couldn't hear me because she was angry with head phones on. all i could think was i must have gone back to the future cuz i didn't think anyone roller bladed anymore...what is this 1992?!

so that was a good wake up call for the morning. the longest i've ridden in one sitting is 12 miles...well, at least since i was a kid. we ended up riding almost 30miles today around the downtown airport...it was about 8 times around to get 30 miles in. we had all the bumps & cracks in the road memorized by the end & plus the pot hole that had hair in it..random. a few planes flew over me & Kristin as we were riding & i'm pretty sure if i hadn't ducked, one of them would have hit me with their landing gear...good thing i had my helmet on! the only hard part of the ride was the freaking wind! riding against it makes it about 10 times harder! but i didn't even stop once thru out the whole thing..thanks, Kristin, for falling back from the group & staying with me! i'm pretty sure half way thru my legs were just on auto pilot. who cares that i was lapped on a few occasions & i couldn't seem to catch up to a wheelchair rider...hey he had strong arms!! but at least i was going fast enough to pass some runners! i know to some people and other bike riders, 30 miles isn't a lot but its kind of a big deal for me so i'm just gonna enjoy the satisfaction of accomplishing this task for at least another day or two!

so that's my random weekend not completely related to the normal topic at hand but it's just another random blurp from my life so just be entertained by the fact that none of this happened to any of you in a 48 hr period!

good night & have a pleasant tomorrow.

a free weekend!

Thanks to wedding cake, a lot of beer & a late night run for the border, i'm not gonna weigh in just yet this week..or at least not accept that i only lost 3lbs last week & gained 2 back over the weekend. As bad as all that was for me, it made for one great night with old friends! but a new week has started & i'm back on track...like a boss!

i biked about 12 miles on Saturday morning. then i felt the urge to bike early this morning before work. its crazy how nice it was at 6:30am....quiet & peaceful...of course, all that was disrupted by my bike gears shifting & me huffing & puffing up a few big hills. Sorry nature...i didn't mean to wake you up so early with my loudness! i figured it'd be better for me to ride by myself every now & then so i'm not constantly slowing down my usual group when we ride. as of now, i just blame my slowness on the bike until i get a new one. But after i get it & realize i'm still extremely slow, i'll have to come up with a new excuse! i'm told i'm gonna be riding in the MS-150 in September so i really gotta start kicking it up a notch...or break my leg. clearly, i have great confidence in myself!

gotta stay postive

so i've been a little perturbed the past couple days for reasons i won't go into but it's probably left me with a bit of sour attitude which is not my thing! Since Sunday i don't feel i've really been working as hard as i should be & i haven't lost as much as i wanted to so far this week. but after going for a bike ride tonight it helped clear my head & i think i have the fire back in me. mostly the fact that i want to prove people wrong. i did get some positive feedback today from my mom who said i looked like i'd lost some weight. she sees me every day & could already tell after 2 weeks this is working! i'm told hard work pays off...i sure hope it's true in my case!

the best part of my bike ride tonight was when my bike seat started to slowly slip down as i headed up the last big hill...that's what happens when you adjust it & don't tighten it all the way...clearly i brought this on myself. just picture a big kid on a tiny bike with knees up to their chin. that was me on a little bigger scale..however, no one from my group was around to enjoy this but i'm sure it was funny for the people walking by. I do what i can to entertain the masses!

so tomorrow's a new day & it can only be as good as i make it...I mean it'd really help if i won the lottery as well but that would require i spend money on a ticket...who has that kinda time or money to begin with? i only go to QuikTrip anyways & you never hear about people who win the big million-dollar jack pots buying their tickets at a QuikTrip...its always some small town, off the beaten path & barely passing health code place like Uncle Fester's Pit Stop & Bait Shop Cafe'.

welp, i head to work tomorrow while on a cleanse day...i think it'll be easier doing a cleanse while working cuz i'll stay busy but then again it might wear me out even more! i have enough scraps & bruises from crazy pets at the vet already so i'll have to be on my toes ready to take on the wild kingdom! better pack a few extra wafers for energy...power up, my friends!

The ever shrinking Dawsonator

welp, i took my measurements yesterday after being on Isagenix for 13 days now. let's start with what my stats were on day 1:
waist: 55.5in
abs: 55in
butt:55in
diaphragm: 49in

as you can see i'm pretty much the same size all around which makes me awkwardly shaped!
also i took the measurement of my head to make sure it wasn't the same size as the rest of me cuz clearly it is abnormally huge! thankfully it was not 55 like the rest of my body...but it was 23in.

now after 13 days on Isagenix & some bike riding:
waist:51in
abs: 49 1/3
butt:52 1/2
diaphragm: 45
alas my head is still the same size!

after doing a little arithmetic...aka calculator...i have lost at least 16 inches & i'm now down to 260lbs...yup that's 13 lbs in 13 days! that calls for some celebration in moderation! that just me livin' la vida loca...sorry for the Ricky Martin reference. it was in my head for some reason. so that is that...i've run out of witty comments after this long week & 3 days of biking!

good night & have a pleasant tomorrow!

bike rides

yup old school bike rides are back in my life...good for the body...bad for your butt! well not really bad for your butt, it just kinda hurts at first. if any of you know me at all, you know i'm not a big fan of working out but i've done my best to suck it up over the past year. however i haven't really found something that keeps my attention long enough to be affective. so we'll see how biking goes!

whenever i think of riding bikes, my mind immediately goes back to when i was a kid. you all know what i'm talking about! how in the world did we have that kind of stamina to ride around all day on bikes with one gear & breaks that only worked by peddling backwards? youth is amazing...just sucks you gotta grow up & get a job to survive!

btw i had a chocolate Isagenix shake for dinner...i put powdered peanut butter in it cuz its better for you...all i can say is delish! try it...you'll thank me.

not feeling the energy today

so its another day of cleanse..i'm trying to stay busy today since i'm off work but i haven't been that successful! one day off in the middle of the week is kind of a tease. what am i suppose to do with this day other than go run errands & spend all the money i just acquired on pay day today...bah-humbug! maybe i'll just sleep the day away...jk..sorta. i've been a little under the weather the past couple days so i haven't gotten much exercise but the scale didn't prove that this morning! but i'm not gonna post how much i'm down just yet...i hope the suspense kills you...well not actually kills you cuz then i'd be an accessory to murder & frankly that would put a damper on my weekend.

one good thing about starting this program, i've cut back on my dr pepper consumption...welp, i don't particularly like that but my dentist is a big fan! he hates fixing my cavities!

i'm a little hungry right now so must be time for a "snack". what if i just put it in water? wonder if it would just dissolve like an alka-seltzer? hmmm....

Week 1 DONEZIES!

Welp, my first week of sticking to my guns of healthy eating & on Isagenix is under my belt! hmmm, i'd eat a gun right now if it had chocolate bullets. what?! never mind that doesn't even make sense...but it does sound delicious, right? the chocolate part people, come on! guns are not safe & should only be handled by a professional...that is your tip of the day, you welcome.

by the end of this week i was pretty wore out mostly because of work so i put one of the Isagenix energy packets in my water bottle & took it to work on Friday...i drank it thru out the day. Normally i hit a lull in the day about 2:30 after wrestling dogs & crazy cats all day...it wears a girl out! but this time i felt great! it may not keep the animals from drooling or crapping on me but i have the energy to deal with it! i might have to get me some more of those energy packs!

let's not talk about the fact that i just saw an ad on TV for Taco Bell & it looked scrumptious! Yo quiero but i must be strong! i know a few of you following along on here are on the same Isagenix program as me...so good luck to you all!! keep me posted on how you're doing or any tips you might have for me!

ok so drum roll please...after the first week i'm down to 266 lbs! yup that's 7 lbs in 7 days...off to a pretty good start! but i don't want to get too excited just yet. its only been a week & when you start a diet like this it's always encouraging the first week when you lose big but i'm just gonna take it day by day. I know not every week can be that good but lets hope so!!

night before the 1st weigh in!!

welp, i'm wrapping up the end of my first week on Isagenix. i've only eatten my shakes & a granola bar today cuz i'm going to the T-Bones game tonight with my family & ya gotta have a hot dog at the ballpark right?! totally worth it. this has been a crazy week & i could really go for some pizza & beer right now but i'm gonna fight the urge...perhaps some Sailor would be more healthy =)

so this is the part i've been dreading the most: last Sunday I weighed in at 273lbs...i'm gonna say it's mostly muscle! jk it's totally not! that's the highest i've been in 3 years. I lost a bunch of weight couple years ago by doing Slim4Life which works really well but it's costly & time consuming as far as making a full blown meal 3 times a day everyday. anyhoo...tomorrow is the first weigh in..bum bum buuuum! jk i ain't scared! ok maybe a little. i have those thoughts go thru my head like: what can i do between now & then to weigh even less. what if i cut my finger nails...surely that'd take off a new ounces right?!

i'm not really sure why i agreed to write this blog at first. a favor to a friend i guess but now i'm thinking it will keep me far more accountable knowing a few folks are reading along & will actually know & see how i'm keeping up with all this...but still, what was i thinking?! thanks to those of you reading along & encouraging me during this!

and so it begins...

soooo...I'm not much of a blogger but I'm sure most of you aren't much of a blog reader so we'll start this journey together! some of you may have found your way here because you know me & are interested in the random rants I might splurt out...and I'm glad you did! But the real bonus is if you continue to read this blog from day to day, you'll be following along with me as I document my progress on my mission to lose some LB's! i know...me & losing weight not a usual combo but in reality probably should make a good one!

Thanks to my friends the Ebberts, I've gotten started on the Isagenix program which consists of a couple shakes a day & sensible meals. There's a little more to the program but I'll get into that later. I just wanted to try this blog thing out for now & make sure I know where all the gadgets are...ps: click on the "follow" button to the left so you can get updates whenever I post them! at least I think that's how it works...

I'm at the end of Day 3 of the Isagenix program which is a cleanse day...that means all I did today was drink! ok, well maybe not the kind of drinking I'd prefer to be doing but oh well. it hasn't been too bad though...except for the fact that all ads on TV are food related. dang you advertising! at least I have the "snacks" which are more like large chalky tums than a delicious wafer but it helps with the hunger. If you know me already, you know my schedule is always on the go...to say the least! so this program is actually perfect for someone with a schedule like mine. I won't have to worry about making meals as often...I just grab a shake & go!

I'm gonna suck it up & post my starting measurements & weight soon because that's what i agreed to do...besides, it's not like those things are really a secret...you all can see me with your own eyes, right?! Hense the name of this thing..."Awkwardly Shaped" =) I'll keep ya posted on how things are going...I'm pretty sure my first weigh in on Sunday will be good so get ready for the craziness to begin!