Mel's Box of Chocolates

Bad News: I have no idea what week I'm on for Blog210K updates. Good News: I'm still progressing towards my 10K Fantastic News: I've added more fitness to my regular routine as I've gone to classes at my gym twice a week for three weeks now! As far as my running...happy to say I'm still running. As far as the plan, I'm on Week 6 of the program with four runs of 10 minutes with a 1 minute walk in between and the 5 minute warm up and cool down.  It's a long workout, but by golly I've done it!!  Last weekend I ran close to 4 1/2 miles on both Saturday and Sunday.  The one day was my longest run EVER.  Unfortunately though I didn't get any other runs in throughout the week. Yesterday, I ran my first 5K since last spring.  It wasn't so pretty.  It was a cold, foggy, dreary morning and add that to not taking my warm up time and it was quite a tough run.  For some reason I struggled to catch my  breath pretty early on and had a burning in my...

After running for a year {NEVER thought I'd ever be saying that} I've learned many things that I like about it and a few that I don't.  After running my longest distance this past weekend I thought this would be a perfect time to share.  About running. I've learned, that I really like... the sound of my feet hitting the pavement the sound of my shoes running on soft gravel that a mile doesn't seem nearly as far now feeling my pony tail swinging behind me watching my shadow run beside me feeling stronger with every run watching my pace time get better and better being part of a running community running 5K's but I've also learned, that I could live without all the sweating {I hate sweat} the last mile taking f.o.r.e.v.e.r. running in humidity running next to or behind runners who look so graceful, while I'm more of a plodder myself not having something carry water and my cell with me {I must remedy this soon...any suggestions?} oh a...

This April marks the one year anniversary from when I ran my first 5K. Unbelievable.  If you would have told me just a year ago that I would run a few 5K's in the coming year I would have laughed at you, hard! It's been a long, cold winter and I confess that not much running took place after October.  Instead it was re placed with feet up in front of the fireplace and roasting smores.  Yeah, not such a great switch, at least for my waist hip-thigh-butt-line. Last week though, here in Delaware, we welcomed spring with open arms. We were blessed with some absolutely gorgeous weather and it beckoned me to run with it.  So off I went. Last Monday I ran 3 miles up to my local beach. It felt fantastic! Then this past Saturday I ran a 5K at Fitbloggin. Once again - felt fantastic. This week I Learned that I missed running. I missed the sound of my sneakers hitting the pavement.   I missed the feeling of freedom as I run.   I missed the exhilarati...

On Friday, I'm headed to Baltimore for another bloggy conference called  FitBloggin'10 .  This one is geared toward fit bloggers or as the about page says, " anyone who blogs about fitness, wellness, good food and a healthy lifestyle – regardless of where they are in their journey." There are the going to be the usual blogging sessions discussing SEO, how to pitch media, moving to Wordpress {I'll be skipping that one}, getting published, making money with your blog, and social media.  But then there is the session on Body Image and Blogging, a 5K in the morning, Mizfit's Muscles in Minutes, breakfast with a dietician, and some healthy cocktail and reception hours.   I've been looking forward to FitBloggin ever since I first heard Roni talking about organizing it last summer, but as the date approaches I have to confess that I'm getting pretty nervous.   Now I'm not nervous about the conference itself.  I'm looking forward to learning mo...

I have a post in the works spilling all the details about my weightloss journey including where I currently am, but today is the day for Sisterhoods Weigh In and I don't want to wait one more minute to go back to the 'hood. I've been part of many of the Sisterhood's Challenges, but for different reasons I didn't join the last one. But, I'm here now and ready to jump back in. They recently started their new challenge... and today is Weigh In, Week 2 . Since I'm late joining in, this week will be my week 1 so here is my starting weight... 147lb. Oh and I'll also be participing in the Sisterhoods Globetrotters Challenge where we all track how far we are walking/running throughout the week. This actually started on Monday so I'm not too far behind!! So far this week I've walked about 4 miles and that was on Sunday and Monday. I usually use my Nike+ to track all my miles, but when I went to walk on Sunday my Ipod was dead so I couldn't use it ...

My Ipod is charged. The running playlist programmed. Nike+ ready to record my distance and speed. I even got some new running sneakers. Yep, all that's left for me is to put it all together and get out there and run!! Hmm, maybe I need to get some cheerleaders?? or butt kickers? Any volunteers?? SUBSCRIBE to never miss a piece of chocolate Be Sweet, Follow Mel on Twitter

Thanks for all the encouragement last week as I whined my way through my Weigh in Wednesday post. It was nice to hear that some were feeling the same way and to get so many useful tips to help find my motivation. This week I'm excited to report that I am down a half a pound although can't say that it is a result of too much change over the past week. I did try to watch what I ate and eat a little less ice cream for sure, but other than that... I have counted down the days till I go back to school and as of yesterday there is exactly 30 days. Yuck! However, 30 days just happens to be the same amount of time that Jillian gives for the shred and EA sports gives for their challenge. Could this be a coincidence? I think not. I think the fact that the 30 days coincides means that this is the time for me to meet those challenges. This morning I already completed my shred workout and next up on my list is the EA sports. I'm hoping going to do each one every day, along with going ...

The last time I've been out for a run was in Key West. Yeah that would be over a week and half and I only got in 2 miles because I thought I was going to die! I had planned on running a 5K in Baltimore today, but I couldn't get the logistics figured out with the kids and being there so early in the morning. I was bummed because one of my twitter friends was going to come cheer me on and we were going to do brunch/lunch. Honestly, I was much more upset about not meeting her than not being able to run the race...although I'm sure you all figured that one. Anyways, when I was reading through this weeks local paper I saw they were having a race in my local town to support this years 4th of July parade. They are hoping to make this race an annual run and was trying to drum up as much support as they could. I started thinking maybe I should do it so I called my running buddy, Lynette, and asked her if she was in and we decided to run together. So yesterday morning, I ran ano...

On Sunday I ran my 3rd 5K race. This time it was the Bel Air Town Run in Maryland. I couldn't have ordered better weather as it was in the high 60's with bright sunshine and blue skies. Gorgeous. On Saturday, I stopped by to pick up my race packet from a running store and discovered that there were over 2,000 race participants. I had no idea that this race was so big. I thought the first race I ran was big and it only had about 400 runners. The guy at the store told me I had to pick up my timing chip the next day at the race. This was completely new to me as the only timing device I had ever used was my handy Nike +. Later, I discovered the timing chip was used to determine your actual timing as there was an electronic pad at the start line that began your time when you crossed and another at the finish line. I guess I never really thought about how your time could be inaccurate considering it could be a few seconds before you cross the finish line with a couple thou...

Part of Weight Watchers Walk-It Challenge was that by the end of the challenge participants would register for a 5K. A few weeks ago I shared with you my experience of running my first 5K and after successfully finishing it I couldn't wait to sign up for my next one, which I ran Sunday. This time, I ran with my friend Lynette, who just recently began running. She was training at a much faster pace than I run, but would also stop to walk so I figured we would even each other out. We were a great team because she pushed me to run faster as I didn't want to slow her pace and she said I encouraged her to keep running so we could run together and she wouldn't get lost on the course. Although I don't think I'm the one to follow when it comes to staying on course. Speaking of course, let me just say that this was not just another road race, but we are talking all-terrain racing. We tackled sand, grass, mulch, and gravel. Oh and did I mention that it was raining. At first j...

You all know how much I love my weekends. It pretty much ranks right up there with an ice cream cone covered in sprinkles (which I will be begging hubby to go get with me tonight!!) However, this weekend is so jammed pack that I'm not so sure I won't be thankful when it is Monday and I go back to work. Well okay probably not. Our busy weekend kick off actually started early on Friday. Yesterday, Dylan had a field trip at school so Dave took off to chaperon the trip. This meant that by 6:30 in the morning we all had to be showered, dressed, have eaten breakfast and in the car for our regular 45 minute drive to school. Oh and of course it was Zoe's Trike-A- Thon at school which meant we also had to have her bike and helmet in the car. I did think ahead and the night before had everything by the front door, my lunch packed, and the coffee set. It actually wasn't anywhere near as bad as I thought it would be getting out. I had about 4 minutes to spare before the bell rang ...

This week I decided to try something new and vlog about my progress with the Walk-It Challenge this week. Enjoy! So what did you think? Do me a favor and leave me a comment letting me know if you like the vlog or prefer the post? Is it clear enough? Too long? Any vlogging suggestions will be much appreciated. Oh and don't forget to share your walking/running/exercising goals for this week! Subscribe in a reader Follow me on Twitter

Since the last time I ran was for my 5K I thought it was time to get my butt back on the treadmill. So today I was all set to go. I changed my clothes. Put on my running shoes. Grabbed my Ipod. Even had my armband for it. Went to plug in my Nike+ sensor... Gone. Disappeared. Hidden. After moving all the end tables and dressers upstairs, looking under the bed, under the cushions on the couch, and everywhere else I could think of I was resigned to the idea that I was going to be buying a new Nike+. Then I decided to look under the ottomon which is where I last saw it and lo and behold there it was. Of course this was 40 minutes after I was inspired to run. I was determined though so upstairs I went and off running on the treadmill I began. I ran 1K, then another, and then my motivation tanked. I ended up only making it halfway through my 5K program. I'm thinking though that perhaps I'll go fold some laundry, tuck the kids in, and give it another chance tonight though. So h...

I love my Nike+ My favorite part is hooking it up to Nikeplus.com and seeing my run graphed. Here is what I saw yesterday when I uploaded my what-was-supposed-to-be a 5K run. 5K = 3.12 miles Notice I ran just a bit farther than that. Lesson learned: Drive the course once before running it!! Subscribe in a reader Follow me on Twitter

This morning I accomplished one of my most physical goals. I ran a 5K! I joined my friend Holly, a.k.a. my personal Jillian, in a Race for Autism. Holly was there the first day I ever stepped foot on a treadmill. She saw me go from walking to running, so what if it was for about 1 minute tops at that time. Throughout my running adventures she has encouraged me every step of the way! It was awesome being able to experience my first race with her. The races were kicked off by a child singing the National Anthem that brought tears to my eyes. What a great way to start the race! Then it was the Kiddie Race, wow can those kids run. Next up was the 1/2 marathon racers, 13 miles of running...um no thanks! I don't think that will every be a goal of mine actually. Finally it was the 5K racers turn to line up. I was surprised by the number of kids who were in the lineup to run the 5K. Holly kept telling me to not let them fool me because they were about to kick my butt and boy she ...

Tomorrow I will be running my first ever 5K. I know, right??!! Tonight hubby picked up my race packet and in it was this... Oh my gosh, I have a real race number!! 231. Sounds lucky, don't you think? I must confess that I am pretty nervous about this challenge. I'm proud of myself for how far I have come with my running, but there is a doubt lingering if I'm ready for this. I never in a million years would have believed that I would actually be entering a race. I am sitting here with goosebumps as I write this post! I've never even been a spectator at a race so I'm a bit naive about what to expect tomorrow. I did find an article on what to expect from your first 5K , which was extremely helpful. The race that I'm running is a fundraiser for a local autism program. In the article, it mentioned that choosing one of these type races for your first was a good choice because people are there to have fun and show support for the charity/program rather than just to r...

The other night I told you all about the new Momentum WWalk-it Challenge and that on Thursday I would share a secret. If you follow me on Twitter you may already know the secret... Are you ready to hear it here? Wait for it... Wait for it... Alright, enough already, I'm running in my 1st race ever on Sunday. Eeeeekkkkk. If you've been around here awhile or, again, following me on Twitter then you know that I have recently completed the Couch to 5K program . If you are beginnign the Momentum WWalk-It Program and are interested in becoming a runner I highly recommend this program. It starts with mostly walking and a couple short intervals of jogging and then the jogging times slowly increase until at the end of 9 weeks you are running a 5K. Before I started the program I could barely run up my stairs without thinking I was going to have a heart attack. If you would have told me last year that I would be running in a race this year, I would have laughed my butt off. But, now I can...

You may have noticed that I did not post a Weigh In Wednesday last week and that would be because I didn't have a weigh in. Matter-of-fact I didn't even have a scale. I was on vacation and loving life. When I was packing for vacation I had great intentions of continuing to shred while I was away and packed both the DVD and my weights. Unfortunately my intentions fell flat and I haven't shredded in almost 2 weeks. The good news though is that I did run a 5K one day and two other mornings Dave and I went on bike rides and probably rode a good 5+ miles each time. Then there was the day spent walking through SeaWorld and the sightseeing walking too. I definitely wasn't sitting around on vacation that is for sure! When I got home I felt pretty good about my exercising while away. On the other hand there was the food! Easter was spent with family and lots of delicious food including ham, a yummy potato dish, deviled eggs, and my mother in law's blueberry muffins which I ...