Shredding It

Hellloo! So, I never really intend to forget about this blog, but in the reality of all things considered in our crazy lives of work, and baby, and of course still renovating our house (3 years in now...we'll never be done. ever.) it just happens.

But when you have such a cutie-patootie playmate, can you blame me????
And can you believe she's already going to be six months old THIS WEEK???


I can't. And I birthed her.

But I do keep up her private blog quite well, and Facebook, so if you're not linked into me in either of those places shoot me your digits in the comments and we'll be friends and get you invited into the baby party.

Exercise stuffs - I am having a way hard time finding my mojo post-baby. I did great during the 3.5 months I had off, and then once I got back to the "real world" the total abscence of much free time had made it hard. I got back down to my pre-preg weight 19.5 weeks after she was born (which means I lost the 37 moo-cow pounds my body put on in 19.5 weeks. Not bad.) But it's just.not.the.same. I'm still about a pants size up from what I was, so there are all kinds of cute Express slacks just staring at me from a box in the corner of our bedroom, while I wear my fat pants day in and day out. And I am not technically 3 lbs less than pre-preg, but they still stare at me. And it's defeating.

I genuinely don't want to run insane distances right now. I want to nap and play and make fun memories, so that's what we do. Except the napping part, that's just a new mom pipe dream. But we do play and have loads and loads of fun, and I think those are the things that will matter most to me down the line. I work out most every day during lunch, as always. My running is getting faster and faster - yesterday I hit my 4-miler at an avg pace of 8:31, including warm-up cool down, so I'm getting closer to my pre-baby pace (that # should be closer to an 8.)

I finally had enough of this awful body image so after some tears on Sunday I'm getting refocused. Back to strict eating, not so many treats or conveince fatty foods (not that we're as bad as pretty much all of America on that, but we haven't been as strict on that stuff lately), and back to focusing on toning and strength. I started Jillian Michael's 30-Day Shred on Monday, so every night as soon as Lilli goes to sleep I do the 20-min workout. And while I admit I am nowhere near my best shape I thought I was decent - until I can barely walk yesterday and today! My upper body is so weak and I am really feeling it there and also in my legs, which seems so crazy! I wish I felt it more in the abs, so I may rotate out 2 nights a week to my strict ab workout and the other 5 to Jillian, we'll see.

And my next race is fast approching - The East Nashville Tomato Festival 5K on Aug 8th. If you live in Nashville come out and run it - it benefits the Y and all of its programs, so it's for a great cause! And you can run with Lilli and I! The Tomato Festival will be going on in our neighborhood that same day, so it's an awesome day to hang out on the East Side and eat, drink, run and be merry.

Anyway, that's the updates from here. Hopefully by refocusing myself to exercise I can refocus some energy on this site!

Take Care!!!
Rachel