My First Race... Ever.

So I have gone on and on about how I was going to do a triathlon. For years I have trained and got injured and then pregnant. And then injured again. But finally this year I met one of my biggest goals, ever.

I ran my first triathlon.

Granted it was only a sprint- but by golly it was one of the hardest things I have ever done physically and mentally, all at the same time. It was such a test of strength that I didn't even know I possessed! And have never been so proud of myself either. I truly feel like a champion. :)

And to top it off- I had the privilege of doing it with two beautiful and amazing friends. Heather (on the left) and Aimee (on the right).

My original goal was to complete the race in 2 hours and 15 minutes. My friend Cassie even told me that if I made THAT specific goal she would buy me dinner.

I may or may not have SMOKED that goal OUT of the water. I guess you are going to have to continue to read to find out! :) haha!

First off, I trained at doing the quarter mile swim in 9 minutes. I however, was NOT prepared for the onslaught of feet and arms flailing towards my face during the entirety of the swim portion. I had to walk in when I wanted to dive in and then got kicked in the face by numerous feet three different times- to the point of choking. I had to even flip over on my back at one point because someone behind me swam OVER me. WOW. I'm sorry- I didn't realize this was a race to the DEATH!!!

At least now I know what to expect and where to position myself for next time- if there ever is a next time that is. I finished in a little over 11 minutes. I was pretty mad about it... but at least I didn't drown! :)

Now onto the bike portion of the race. 14 miles of hills. Up and down, luckily. But a fairly intense ride if you're pushing yourself hard. In the photo below there is a young woman in blue to the right of me. She should be pretty happy neither one of us died because she passed me going up a hill and then decided to coast going back down it. "WOMAN WATCH OUT!!!"

Okay I didn't yell that- but she was weaving back and forth so I did yell out, "Pick a side, I'm trying to pass." As you can see in this picture we played cat and mouse for most of the race. I beat her going into the second transition though. BOO-YEAH! haha!

And then there's the run.

Oh the run.

How I DREADED that run!

At 3.2 miles it was absolutely HORRIBLE!!!! haha!

So I stuffed my face with gummy bears and went for it. Don't look TOO closely in this next picture below because my cheeks just might be full. Maybe.

Also, running while having to pee is NEVER a good thing. I also learned to not run in wet biker shorts. It creates a rubbing action... that leaves you... a little... raw.

Enough said.

 

Towards the end of the run I was so exhausted. I stopped to stretch my legs and began to walk, briskly- but still a walk. An older man ran by me and said, "Come on girl! We're almost there- lets keep running!" He was so nice and funny. He carried me into the finish line where my friends and family were waiting for me at the finish line. If you can look more closely at the picture directly below me, you can see that I have a huge grin on my face.

 

It's because my friends were yelling, "WOOT!!! LETS GO NICHOLE!!! YOU CAN DO IT!!! YEAH NICHOLE!!!"

 

It was exhilarating. The most amazing feeling ever.

 

And so I pushed it.

 

Hard.

 

Crossing that finish line was full of so many different emotions. I was so overwhelmed by them I began to cry. I had finally accomplished my dream of running a tri. I had done it.

I was finally able to say that I did it.

To me this triathlon symbolized so much. It's hard to actually explain it in words. Losing almost 60 pounds, with another 40 to go- this was almost a different type of finish line for me. Like, I'm almost there- don't give up yet! So close. :)

I still am so amazed by this accomplishment.

And so here I am today writing my story down for myself, my friends/ readers, and my children- My goal was 2 hours and 15 minutes.

I crossed the finish line at 1 hour and 48 minutes.



IF YOU WANT IT- YOU CAN ACHIEVE IT. You just have to believe it- and you can do anything you put your heart to.

Love Nikki.

My Eye Balls Itch.

UGH. My eyes are totally going to make me grab a fork and stab myself. It is actually pretty disgusting and funny how I got infections in both eyes. In my late 20's.

I got down and dirty.

I mean truly.

I was weight lifting in my strength training class... and my nasty sweat was pouring off of my head and dripping everywhere. I looked as if I had just stepped out of the shower.

The part that totally sucks was I was lying flat on my back doing arm flies. And the SWEAT off of my HAND dripped into my EYES.

AUACKKKKK!!!! *&%$!!!! #$%*!!!!

How disgusting is that?

And to make matters worse, it burned- like a crowning baby. I had to sit up quickly and rubbed the mad crap out of them with the back of my sweaty hands. Yeah. Way to go me. I totally gave myself pink eye.

In both eyes.

And it's hott.

(Ps.  I was going to insert a picture of someone elses pink eye here... but my stomach totally turned and I almost vomitted when I googled it. I dare you to do it on your own free time. haha!)

Now onto some AMAZING news for myself! I was so proud of myself last Saturday!!!

I ran my very first mile straight through- ever. Even when I was skinny I couldn't run a mile straight through with out stopping. I have no idea what the time was, but I'm pretty sure it was somewhere around 12 minutes. This is huge for me- it cut down my mile another 3 minutes from two weeks ago.

YAY!!!! GO ME!!! :)

I also had to rough it up and pee in the woods this week during one of my nightly workouts.

I guess I'm starting to fit in my surroundings.

I'm totally a redneck now.

And for some more proof of my total rednecked-ness... look who tried to get into our house the other night. :)

Aint he so cute? haha!

Dragging My Feet... Err, Hip?

So I realize now that I have not kept everyone updated on if I was able to keep my goal of no sweets for 14 days.

Sadly... I can not DISSAPPOINT you!

I did make it and it was AMAZING! And totally worth it too! :) Especially since my ENTIRE family ate those silly little pink and white frosted animal cookies in front of me all weekend. Those are one of my sinful little pleasures. But alas- I refrained!

Tomorrow Rachel and I are going to the wonderful Asian market to get ourselves some yummy cream puffs! :P

On the other hand I have some sad news as well. It looks like my hip injury is a lot worse then I ever thought, or anticipated. The biggest problem is that it will be a slow recovery for it. I wrote a blog here about a fall I took in July that really hurt me and apparently must have done some damage. Why did I continue to work myself hard afterward? I guess I felt I had to prove my macho-ism and strength to myself. I had to KNOW that I could still accomplish my goal and need to become healthy and fit.

Well. You reap your rewards, don't you.

So now my regimine will have to be altered to just plain' ol walking in water. UGH. This will be a challenge for me because I YEARN to swim. However at this point that would be counter productive. Now I know I need to peppy and optimistic about this... and honestly it might be kind of a nice break... but it also makes me sad. I feel like I let myself down by not allowing myself to heal LAST year. Now I may not be able to run the race in May.

I will however stop dwelling on that. As it was pointed out to me, I will still burn a lot of calories with the water resistance, right?! I will also start retraining my body's posture, and the outer muscles in my hips/ thighs. I haven't been equalizing my work outs and am now... weak? in certain muscle groups.

Who knows... this can all turn out to be a great "new year"/ "new me" problem solving challenge, right? I will come out stronger physically and emotionally if I don't allow this to bog me down. And plus-I do look forward to not having this constant companion of pain with me every day. That, my friends, will be heavenly!

BECAUSE WE ARE NOT ONLY BEAUTIFUL .. BUT STRONG TOO! :)

It's Party Time...

Guess what guys! .....

I know it's been awhile since I've posted. I've been busy and feeling somewhat boring. How can you write anything sassy and fun when you feel BORRRRING? Well... tis the end of that! I'm proud to announce: I MADE MY THIRD WEIGHT GOAL!!!! :)

My first was to lose 20 pounds. Something I have never done in my entire life.

My second goal weight was to lose 27 pounds- 10% of my body weight.

My third goal (NOW ACHIEVED!!!) was 238- my prepregnancy weight with my first, Aiden.

And as of this morning I'm 238.

The prize? NEED I REMIND YOU???? I've been pining away for this for MONTHS now... I get to have my hair "did!" :) Oh yes... goodbye dirty honey blonde, hello platinum! I will be a force to be reconded with! I mean, isn't that what having little prizes is all about? Making you feel better? THIS will make me feel WAY better!

I mean... can't you see it? A mom of two- hitting the mall like this? No?....

Well... what about this? Well I guess she isn't really blonde so there goes that idea!

Honestly though... I really like the color combination here below:

When I found out I was pregnant with my son my hair was actually done similar to this:

Perhaps I'll combine the photo above with this one below ... Me?

What do you think???

Totally Worth it!

Dear Friends and family!!! Technically today is supposed to be my "Friday Loves" post, but I wasn't feeling it. Why? Well... let me tell you!

After weeks and weeks, months and even worse- months I have FINALLY broken through and got UNDER 240 pounds!!! This morning I weighed 239. This is my official 30 pounds lost mark. Phew! Talk about a struggle! I have never felt such an inner battle before. I mean sure we all have our own personal, even daily struggles. Losing weight the healthy way has definitly been the wierdest, however most rewarding experience I have EVER had. Although I have only concerqued 1/3rd of the way- I know I will come out on top. How long it'll take is a different story all together! ;)

Secret Society Ninja's!

Every Monday for the last three weeks I've been going to a "secret" ab class. This isn't an everyday workout class however. Oh no! This ab class is actually training to becoming secret NINJA'S! We're being created to fight the evil forces of chocolate, chips, and yes... even soda pop! You better believe it too- I will kick, scratch, and karate chop every piece of deluctible fattening goodies... someday. I will continue to go to these classes and I will conquer! ;) I'm sure you'll all hear about on the news soon.

Headline:

"Crazy mother arrested for karate chopping Cheeto Puff's bag in store...."

Yah- lets hope I don't go too overboard!

Honestly though I am sitting here feeling as if I've been kicked in my kidney's and lower gut. Apparently kicking a boxing sandbag and using a medicine ball on either side of the your body while sitting in a "v" position really does work your abs. Who'd a guess. Not the fat girl sitting on the couch eating a box of cookies reading a good book. I was close to being that girl a year ago. Six months later I'm probably the fittest big chick you'll ever meet! HA! Maybe not, but I'm getting pretty close!

Have you ever tried the Jillian Michaels Yoga dvd? I bought it when I first started this "workout/ loose weight" kick and I have to tell you I looked pretty pathetic. Puffing trying to do a lunge, falling over at any thing that took balance. It was a sad sight for sore eyes. Well! Thursday I made Rachel do it with me for the first time in about five months. I was so astonished how much 29 pounds really makes! I was actually able to complete most of the moves. What a great feeling. One workout dvd accomplished- to a point... only INSANITY left to go. HA!

I'm thinking about posting a video of me attempting some of the workouts. It'll be hilarious but very humbling... what do you think??? haha!

***************************

Have you found any healthy tips or snacks? Want to share?

http://www.isntshebeautiful.blogspot.com/

10% Body Weight Goal (week 18 weigh-in)

Last week I made a huge milestone in my journey. I lost 10% of my entire body weight. I started out at 269 pounds and last week reached my 27 pounds lost! When I weighed in on Saturday I was so excited to see that I had lost ANOTHER pound, putting me at 241 pounds! (28 pounds lost!)

Losing 10% of your body weight has very REAL positive consequences. They include:

*Lowering blood pressure and reducing chloresterol- which in turn reduces the risk of heart disease! The fuel that keeps me burning on this journey is the fear of getting heart disease. Knowing I've reduced my chances already warms my heart. (Pun totally included! :P)

*Lowering risk of developing Type II Diabetes. (Losing 10% helps your pancreas better produce insulin and your body to break down the food to regulate your blood sugar levels.)

*Helps increase energy levels.

*Helps breathing which also helps prevent angina- chest pain caused by the decrease of oxygen to the heart.

*And helps promote mental health- a little confidence boost always helps me feel a little happier!

So I'm excited to show you (and maybe they aren't HUGE Earth shattering results but I'm still excited none-the-less!) my 10% results visually!

Enjoy! And don't mind the messy hall way! My children LOVE playing in the hampers. HAHA!

***Note*** I will be leaving Wednesday August 4th for my family reunion! I won't have another official weigh-in for two weeks and won't be posting Friday Loves either. I will continue to post my weight when I return next Monday. I hope your all enjoying your summers as well!

The Walk ...

Wednesday was the LONGEST walk of my LIFE! Rachel and I had decided a week ago that we would walk to Fred Meyer. This walk is ladden with hills of all ranges. Most of them located in the mountainous region of said range! Imagine a roller coaster stretched out a few miles ... and then you will kind of get the picture of what 164th looks like. Very exhausting. The end.

Once we got to Fred Meyer however, Rachel poked and prodded me with camp fire roasting sticks and an evil glint in her eye to continue on ward. The song, "Onward Christian Soldiers" ran through my head as I thought of several different scenarios's to get her back. Needless to say we made it to the summit of our journey and skipped the way back to Freddies, of course hitting up a flower shop on the way. Of course.

After we got back from our treacherous journey to Mt. Everest (c'mon you have to have a little imagination here!) we had a picnic and then jumped our nasty, grimy, sweaty bodies into a the refreshing goodness of my apartment's bug infested pool. *Ahh- I sighed in relief. It was pure goodness.

I will add that Libby Murrey and several other's honked at us as they drove by! What an exciting feeling to know I have friends out there motivating me even from the comfort of their air conditioned car! Thanks guys!! (Insert cheesy grin here:)

All pictures are property of GOOGLE- I think? LOL!

Next goal: Dairy Queen

The Hill From Hell

I've always been big into setting goals and achieving them. It helps me steer my life to where I want it to go. Now I'm not saying I always achieve my goals. I am only human after all. HOWEVER- I finally achieved a big goal of mine that I set a year and a half ago. To walk to the grocery store.


I've done the walk to Wal-Mart several times and it no longer holds any difficulty (other than keeping my double stroller from falling completely apart on me!). My big goal though was to go the opposite way down a large busy street near my home. This way looks very daunting, almost a straight shot down large HUGE hills.


To clarify though, it wasn't the walk to the store that I was concerned about. It was the walk back home. Now I can walk down hill all day long with only a slight tightness around my knees and thighs. Walking back UP hill is a completely different story. So when Rachel came over and we took our children out to go on our walk we decided to finally make this dream goal become a reality.

...And this is our journey!

Wednesday July 1st

Me and my babies walking up a hill!

The second hill down this busy road. What are we thinking? Will we make it back up???

We went shopping at QFC and bought ourselves a pic-nic redneck style! ... On the side of the road!

Rachel and her family!:

Me and my itty-bitty's!

Not going to lie... Aiden DID try to get run over.

Sad for him he ended up being strapped in for quite a while!

Rachel stretching for the big bad hill...

I had to take a picture cause her knee freaked me out!

HAHA!

So here I am trying to not bust out laughing.

Rachel MADE me take an awkward picture too...

OOOOH ...

Isn't it daunting?
Not only did it feel like a 90 degree angle-
it was a LONG walk-
and my stroller was probably a good 110 pounds
with all the stuff inside it!


OOH!- I'M SOOO SCARED!

Rachel-

after the hill.
She looks great doesn't she?


AND THEN....
There's me.
Not so pretty.

Pretty sure I almost died!


I may have not looked very appealing afterwards,
but I'm super proud of myself!

The only thing I would change was having a FAT old man
pass me up while pushing his bike.

Talk about an ego burn!

And to top it off...
he tried to give me tips.

I mostly just bared my teeth at him
while sweat cascaded down my face.

Probably the true reason as to why he passed me up,
eh?

NEXT GOAL!: Fred Meyer off of Alderwood Mall Parkway.
This route goes across three hills of this magnitude
and crosses the freeway exits twice.

I can totally do it!!!