Ambassador.

A month or two ago I applied to be a Sweat Pink Ambassador (www.fitapproach.com) and today I was notified that I did it!  I am officially a Sweat Pink Ambassador and I am happy and proud to be a leader in inspiring others to change their lives just like I have started to do.  While my journey is no where close to over I have learned so much about myself over the last 6 months and I'm happy to find myself in a community of like-minded women.

This week we are preparing to leave for vacation and it couldn't come soon enough.  Two more 3 mile runs, a 6 mile run and 30 hours of work between now and Saturday early morning separate me from a week at the beach.  While I don't particularly care to actually be in the ocean, I do love walking in the sand and just looking out on the horizon.  I'm excited to spend time with Kyle and his family and sort of disconnect for the week.  I'm brining my running shoes - a week of vaca won't keep me from training!

I got some reeeeally cute new work out clothes that have helped keep me motivated.  Old Navy had a 40% off active wear sale and I splurged a little.  I even went to Victoria's Secret (coupon in hand!) and invested in some new sports bras since mine were completely worn out, the adjustable strap in the back kept coming un-done (woops!) and they just had done their time and they needed to go.

I also completed my first Diet Bet (www.dietbet.com) through a Facebook group and I won!  It was a $30 entry fee and if you "won" by losing 4% of your body weight in 4 weeks you got that back plus a split of the others who did not "win"'s entry fee.  I'm waiting to see what my total amount won is but the pot was over $16,000!

Last time I blogged I talked about my horrible haircut and how I was going to get it fixed - well, I did.  I'm a pixie now!  I'm loving it so far and its soo easy.  My hair hasn't gone a week without seeing a hair straightener since the first day I got one many years ago.  We'll see how the growing out process goes but I found a great Pinterest post about doing so that I think I'll reference as I go along.  It's fun for now but I don't know when it's time to decide what I'm going to do if I'll keep it or not for more than a cut or two.  I think everyone should do it at some point.  It's liberating!  People really see you and maybe for the first time.  It forces them to actually see your face.  When I get compliments they are usually about my blue eyes but I have had more complements in the last week than imaginable about my eyes being pretty and that's almost enough to keep it short for the long haul :)

Tomorrow I'm putting out my first "transformation" picture.   A true side-by-side before/after picture!  However, it's not truly an "after" picture, it's an "in-progress" picture.  I took it this evening and its really just a picture of my face vs. a head to waist shot but the real differences are there.  So far I've lost the most weight in my face and everything else is coming slowly behind it but I am so happy with the changes I'm seeing.  When I started this journey I was in a size 18 jean - and probably should have been in a 20 - but I'd wear clothes I thought would hide my rolls over my jeans or put a sweat shirt on to mask the flub.  I'd worn an 18 since I was around the size I am now and never upgraded the size even though I should have.  Now my jeans are starting to get too big and today at Old Navy I tried on a 16 and it legitimately FIT!  I zipped and buttoned them with no issue - they were bermuda shorts with one of those materials that you should go up a size so it all lays flat and nice but I think in jeans if I were trying those on I could have gone with the 16.  I also bought all L/XL shirts for the first time and no XXL's.  I got a pair of neon pink pants from the Gap this afternoon and I don't know the last time I could fit into ANYTHING at the Gap.  It's these small non-scale victories that keep me motivated - even at 3:32 AM when I share it with everyone that I'm going running before work :)

Hoping for a successful, relaxing vacation and to come back even a pound lighter than I left would be very satisfying.

OH YEAH.  I almost forgot!  I signed up for another race - the Scrambled Legs Running virtual 5K and I got my shirt and kicked that race in the booty :) It was virtual - meaning I signed up online and was sent my shirt and race bib in the mail and submitted pictures to the facebook page I signed up through.  There are many "virtual races" and some even send you medals after you complete them!  How cool!  My bigger next race that I signed up for is the Little Miami half marathon on August 18th located about 30 minutes from my house.  The last two half marathons I said I wanted to finish in under 3 hours and walked them around 3:30 both times.  This time I plan on running the whole thing with a goal of 13:00/mile or less with a finish time of 2:50:25 or less.  Kyle's sister Carrie agreed to do this with me in the heat of the summer (on a shaded bike path should help, right? :-P) to help get me marathon ready and I'm very thankful to her.

School is out, the heat is on and it's going to feel like summer this week - I hope you all have some great, fun plans and thank you as always for supporting me through this. You guys are rockstars and I really do love each and every one of you for every "like", comment and kind words when you see me. I couldn't finish this through without your support.

L