Help Me Celebrate Turning 32 By Fighting Stroke

TOMORROW I will be turning the big 3-2! I am actually pretty excited for it since my 30s have kicked serious booty. Now I cannot wait to see what happens next...

So how can you help me celebrate turning 32?

Donate to Tedy's Team and help me #FightStroke in honor of my #1 Stroke Hero - my gramma.

There are two ways you can participate:

1) The Dani Ryan Holmes-Kirk 3rd Annual 30th Birthday 5k Run-Walk Ramble

A $25 to Tedy's Team gains you entry to the virtual race, a printable bib, a Finisher's Medal and 7 entries into the raffle.

Sign up here!

2) Make a $20 donation to Tedy's Team and gain 5 entries into the raffle.

Donate here!

I have an anonymous donor who will match up to $1,200 raised by the Birthday 5k/raffle! Say whaa?? Heck yeah!

What does the raffle feature????

^A #Runner Shirt from the AMAZINGLY AWESOME Pavement Runner (value $25)

^ A 1BandID - great Boston-based company, which is an ID that attaches right to your GPS watch or shoe (value $19.99)

^ ENERGYBITS Sample Pack

^ 3-Pack of Perform Pain Reliever products (Roll-On, Spray and On-The-Go Singles)

^ WYCWYC Keychain thanks to Carla and Roni (value $16)

^ One pair of ZENSAH Compression Leg Sleeves (value $39.99)

^A New Balance 3Axis Pedometer (value $29.99)

^ Runfellow "I Like Your Pace" T-Shirt (value $30)

^ A pair of Feetures Running socks (value $10.99)

*Remember list is still growing!*

***

Are you going to help me celebrate AND #FightStroke?

Face It Friday: A NWI & Eating Disorder Triggers 9/12/14

For the first Friday since June 13, I did not step on the scale. I wasn't mentally in a spot to see the number on the scale. Whether it was going to be a loss, maintain or a gain, I didn't want my week defined by it.

This past week was a HUGE win for my fitness journey. I finished my first Half Ironman and it really was unbelievable.

But the post-race blues set in on Monday... the snacking increased. I took a rest week this week to let the body heal a little, which left me with a lot of time on my hands. Stupid snacks.

I learned a lesson for the next time. Food is not the answer. I will need other things to fill the time during a rest week.

I also allowed the beer to creep into my weekdays. All summer I had stuck with the #drinkend (adult drinks on weekend only), but let that slide this week.

I tracked it all. Owned all the choices.

And I had a victory ... I didn't purge.

For those that don't know, I was in a very bad place with eating disorders for many years. When I overeat or overindulge, the urge to purge can rear its ugly head. So it happened this week. But I didn't give in. I held strong.

I am worth more than the disease. I am not defined by the disease.

I wish I could just snap my fingers and have it go away from my brain, but I can't. So each day is a battle to win. But again I am worth the battle.

I didn't like how it felt being back in that position. It has been since December that I really felt the urges this strong, but this time I didn't cave. Thanks to friends who allowed me to reach out to them when I needed the support.

If you are ever feeling alone or a need to talk, please reach out to me!! I am always here to lend an ear.

But today is a new day. This is a new week ... that includes my birthday!

So I know that this week again I will enjoy, celebrate and track it all. One week, one meal, one decision doesn't  define the journey!

***

How do you handle the post-race blues?

*RECAP* I Did It ... I Completed Pumpkinman Half Ironman!

I. Freakin. Did. It It's still surreal.

I am a Half Ironman Finisher!

Well I ruined the surprise ending. What? C'mon ... we know this story is like the movie Titanic. We all know the ending, but we tune in to hear all the good stuff of how we got there. Well I guess there isn't a lot of "good stuff" when a movie ends in everyone dying. Oh lord I am off track...

So the morning of the race began with a 4am wake-up call. I thought wow I got to sleep in compared to the 2:30am wakeup calls for the Run Disney races. :P

The alarm went off and I went through my normal morning routine on my phone: checking

Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest/Tumblr/Instagram/Time Hop/Email

Once that 15 minute ritual was over - it was time to face the day. Oh and that tiny way out of my comfort zone race.

I jumped out of bed and immediately ran over to get my outfit on - thank you OCD for having it all laid out the night before.

The morning was a blur. I tried to answer text messages and check my mental list over and over before heading down to breakfast at 5am. Thank you Comfort Inn for opening the complimentary breakfast at 5am rather than 7am for the racers.

Our plan was to be checked out of the hotel and on the road by 5:15 and you know what - we did it. Go us!

I was terribly nervous on the drive over the race as all sorts of situations buzzed through my mind.

The hotel was a quick 15 minute ride from the hotel and there seemed to be limited traffic until the final mile before the race, which was to be expected.

We easily parked - thank you volunteers - and made our way to transition.

As I brought myself over to transition to get body marked (number and ages on the body) I noticed other folks had the timing chip on their ankle, but I never got one.

<<Insert panic attack #1>>

After simply asking someone about it, I realized I had to get it day of. Phew!

I decided to set up my transition area before getting my timing chip. As soon as I walked into transition there was my friend and fellow Team Got Chocolate Milk team member John! Oh was it good to get a hug from that man. He is a huge motivator and inspiration of mine.

Normally I would have a nice pic of my transition area to post here, but I was a tad too nervous to snap one. #BloggerFail

The wife and I headed over to get my timing chip and I ran into my friend Robin. She is a rockstar Weight Watchers Success Story, Ironman and overall badass. I bothered the crap out of her during my training. :)

It was great catching up with Robin and a nice distraction. I headed into transition to grab my wetsuit, goggles and swim cap since it was 6:18 and transition would be closing at 6:30. We decided to head down the hill to use the port-o-potties near the water before the 6:45 mandatory race meeting.

I was able to catch up with other friends racing as well including my former Weight Watchers member and training buddy Darcie.

We listened to the announcements from race director Kat before her daughter sang the National Anthem. There was a little forgetfulness on the lyrics, which is understandable, but the whole crowd picked her up and finished the song singing together. :)

Once that was all said and done the elites were getting ready to kick off at 7am. Eek! My wave started at 7:11am.

So I had the wife snap a final pre-race photo and I sent out my final social media messages before handing the reigns over to the wife.

I do need to take a moment to thank my wife for keeping everyone up to speed during the race and rocking the #wifetweets!

I looked over and there the clock read 7:06am. Shit! Time to get into my corral. I gave the wife a final kiss and was off.

The nerves were erupting and overtaking my entire body.

I was standing in the water with the other ladies in my corral just thinking: "Enjoy this!" "You paid to do this." "You will be okay."

Then the horn went off...

Swim - 1.2 Miles

The start of the swim always makes me nervous as a bunch of folks are plunging in at the same time heading for the same goal.

I immediately felt like I couldn't breathe. I tried to pull down the zipper of my wetsuit, but it didn't help. Instead I unvelcroed the top of my wetsuit and everything felt okay. Phew! I told myself to get in my groove. And it happened.

The swim was a 0.6 triangle that we would do twice. Once I made the first left, I felt alone in the water. Like the other racers had fallen away... until I bumped into the age group in front of us. :P

But I felt like I was swimming a consistent race. After the second left, we were heading back towards the shore before doing the triangle again.

As I came to the shore, I looked up (the wife said she spotted me doing that) and noticed that another age group was starting the race JUST as I was coming around for my second loop. Really people? Poor timing on my part.

The second loop started out blindly as the sun was hitting the sky at a really awkward spot for us trying to spot the buoy.

I decided to cut to the inside and hug the buoys to try to avoid the mass of swimmers. It seemed to work well for me until I realized there was another pink cap that was pretty much in stride with me the whole way. She was on my left hand side. (I later learned that that person was a Chocolate Milk teammate. Ha!)

But it helped me stay on point.

I realized during the race I was spotting well and limiting my zig zag swimming that sometimes happens during Open Water Swimming.

Once I took the final left, the entire focus came on the shore. I couldn't believe that the swim was coming to an end. Not that I had any idea of time since my couldn't see my Garmin at all in the water.

I had heard that the water would be super weedy while leaving the water and it was true. I was all caught up in my arms and legs as I tried to get out of the water.

As I started to pull down my wetsuit, I hit my Garmin and saw a 34:xx on the swim. I was elated!!

Total Time: 34:34 Pace: 1:39/100 yds Overall Place: 109/425 Division: 3/27

**Can I just add how STOKED I was to see 3rd in my division in the swim? Clearly doing my swim workouts in meters when they were meant to be in yards (aka extra swimming) paid off!

***

Mini Run

I had decided I would take my wetsuit off before the run/walk up the mini hill to transition. It was a cool experience to get myself up the hill with all of the spectators on the side. I saw the wife, as well as, my best friend and niece. It was what I needed with 1/3 of the race over. :)

I knew I would run/walk/hustle up the hill. I wasn't about to waste energy on something like this this early on in the race.

Thankfully the hill was all grass without any stones so running up barefoot wasn't a problem.

Total Time: 1:36.8

***

Transition 1

Once again thanks to John who helped me figure out which rack was mine. I quickly got to my station and did the best change I could. I decided to wear my cycling jersey and my camelbak on the ride. I wanted to feel as comfortable as possible on my weakest leg. I had already put open luna bars in the back of my cycling jersey before the race so that was set.

I chatted with John about the swim and even saw my niece while I got my bike ready. She tried to get out of her stroller to see me. I wanted to just stop there and hang with her, but I pushed on.

Thanks for the pic John!

John caught me chatting with a woman in my lane asking if my niece was my daughter. :)

Total Time: 2:23.3

***

Bike - 56 miles

The portion of the triathlon I wish I could skip. :P

It is no surprise that the bike leg is my weakest and my least favorite so I really tried my hardest to get out there with a positive mindset.

I immediately wished I had music with me. I know it is not allowed in triathlons, but boy it would help.

It really was a gorgeous course so I tried to soak that in as best as possible.

I have mentioned the bike is my weakest leg so I really tried to get myself in the positive mindset.

Which immediately went away as about 6 people zoomed by me on the bike. Sweet - it is going be like that all morning.

And it was.

Here is where I won the bike course: my Sparkle Athletic skirt.

I lost the number of people who passed me, but 9 out of 10 of them complimented me on the skirt while they did it. So at least I had people to say "Thank You!" to. Hahaha.

One woman nicknamed me "Pumpkin Diva!" Ahh I loved it.

I definitely got dubbed Best Dressed my many a passerbyer as well.

At first being passed frustrated me, but then I kept telling myself: "Do you. Be you. Do your own race. Let them do theirs."

The rolling hills were thankfully not as big as I thought they were while driving the course the day prior. But they definitely took some out of me.

The bike course featured two loops.

The volunteers and cops did a GREAT job holding up traffic since the roads were open during the whole race, which originally freaked me out.

They were nice and complimentary.

So I knew I would be on the bike for hours and I wondered how one handled the bathroom situation. Well Robin had said you just pee on your bike. Ummm excuse me?

Well I tried it. And it didn't work. Haha. I tried multiple times since I had only seen one port-o-potty during the bike course. I knew if I got off the bike I would NOT want to get back on.

I held it.

I am proud to say while on the bike I was able to drink from my water bottles on the bike while moving AND eat while in motion.

I have been biking for just about a year so I am still learning.

I laughed out loud at how excited that made me.

I saw the 30 mile marker and BAM! I got all excited then realized I still had 26 miles to go.

So on the second loop, which featured just as many hills I tried to really enjoy the Maine scenery.

Multiple times I wished I had my phone on me to capture the sights. There were so many quaint cottages I wanted to capture, but wasn't able to. :(

And really I missed updating you all with my mid-race ramblings.

While my times might not be amazing race-wise, I was so proud with how I was doing on the bike.

Until I hit Mile 40 and thought UGH 16 more miles. That is when my positive mantra started failing. :P

So out came my singing - Frozen, Disney songs and some Taylor Swift.

Not sure how the folks passing me thought about that.

Additionally while out on the bike, I saw 5 people on the side of the road with flat tires and busted bikes.

Boy did I ask my angels above to look out for me in that time. I just asked: "Please don't let that be me."

When I roared past Mile 50 I knew I was in the home stretch.

But for me 6 miles still felt like forever. haha.

I was really proud of where I stood. I was well ahead of my sub-4 goal. I kept my Garmin on my wrist the whole time so I wouldn't be constantly looking at it. I was however doing a lot of math in my head with my cyclometer.

The bike course shut down at 12:30 and by my calculations I would be off the course by 11:22. Phew! An hour to spare.

As I took the final mile into  transition, I saw folks heading out on their run. Oh was I jealous.

The roads were ROUGH coming into transition so I just wanted to be on my feet again.

I could tell my family was so happy to see me as they were just as worried about the bike portion as I was. I was waiving to Joanna, my niece, in this photo. :)

A big part of the bike that scares me is the downhill. Going fast down the hill gives me some serious anxiety and pictures fly through my head of me hitting something and heading over my handlebars, etc. But on that day I decided to trust myself and the bike and use the speed. I knew I would need it to get back up the hills since this course was seriously rolling the entire time. So Bravo to me for overcoming that.

Total Time: 3:24:56 Pace: 16.4/mph Overall Place: 361/425 Division: 18/27

** My goal was to hit at least an average 15/mph so I was wicked happy to see something better than that. And as you can see by my places, I have some serious bike improvement.

***

Transition 2

All I could think about was peeing. Haha. So as soon as I re-racked my bike and switched to my run gear I was in line at the port-o-potty in transition.

Thanks again John!

Best decision of the race was hitting that port-o-potty! Haha. I can tell you that far into the race the skirt was a tad annoying. :P But I made it work.

I quickly threw off the cycling jersey and camelbak and replaced it with my Team Chocolate Milk t-shirt and race belt.

Total Time: 3:13.4

***

Run - 13.1 Miles

I grabbed the Essentia water they had for us and chugged it. So refreshing. As I took the right turn out of transition I saw my whole support crew. I was wicked excited to see my dad since I hadn't seen him when I came out of the water. He was driving up that morning from Boston and I really didn't want him to miss anything.

Woo! I was wicked excited to be on my comfort zone ... the run! I knew that even if I had to run, run/walk or walk I was in a place where I felt confident.

I think I was a tad excited to be out there since my first mile was 8:07 min/mile pace. I knew I couldn't keep that up the entire run so I would have to slow it down.

I hadn't looked at the run course so I didn't know what to expect. The run was also two loops so I had the first loop to see what it was all about.

Guess what?

The rolling hills were still there. Haha.

As was an out and back course. I was happy with the out and back as it meant lots of other faces to smile at, cheer for and wave at.

It was funny seeing so many folks that had passed me on the ride still complimenting me on my skirt. ;)

I am happy to say the first 7 miles were all sub 9 min/mile pace, but then around Mile 8 the pain in my left hamstring really started to bug me. This is an injury I have been dealing with since May and I knew it may flare up.

I was happy to see my BFF and the niece at the Mile 8 turnaround. I needed that familiar boost.

So starting at Mile 8 I started a version of the run-walk method. It bothered me how much of a mental game it became at that point, but I tried to will myself through it.

I saw the sub 6 time slip away, but reminded myself that this was my first Half Ironman so I really couldn't beat myself up over whatever my time was.

During my second loop, I saw a lot of familiar faces on the course so I had folks to talk to and check up on.

I had promised myself that I would walk through every water stop (all 10) and I did.

In those final few miles, I opted to walk up the hill and run the downhill. In the moment, I was angry at myself, but I had to be kind.

When I saw Mile 12, I knew it was the home stretch. The was the end of my 20th half marathon and the final mile of a long 70.3 mile journey.

The race thought it was funny to put a large hill during that final mile. Har har. I tried to use the spectators to push me up and over the hill. No literally I asked to jump into a baby's stroller to get me up the hill. But for some reason they refused.

Once I made it to the top of the hill, it was "all downhill from there." And it was. I made the final turn into the Finish shoot and there was my BFF and her daughter. They ran with me for a few yards before I made the trek down the grassy hill.

I saw my wife and dad and may have uttered: "I am going to puke" since it was straight down a grassy hill. ;)

There was the Finish Line seconds away from me.

Then it was over.

Total Time: 1:59:22 Pace: 9:03 min/mile Overall Place: 180/425 Division: 10/27

***

The After

Official Time: 6:06:03.4

photo 4 (1)

I was wicked happy to see the first medal volunteer I could to place the medal around my neck. Oh it was glorious.

pump12

Thanks Barry for my special 2nd personalized medal!

The race also gives you a Finisher's t-shirt after you get your medal. I was in such a daze that I didn't understand what they were saying, but I gladly took my shirt. :)

shirt

I can say the Finish was surreal. So much time and months were spent training and worrying about the race and then it was over.

Thankfully I had these amazing people waiting for me with hugs and love.

pump10

How cute was she??? She did NOT give me a good look when she first hugged me. Apparently I smelled. ;)

Once the BFF and the little lady departed, we headed straight towards the beer tent. I have priorities folks. :P

photo 5 (68)

photo 4 (92)

pump6

The beer tasted sooo good. :) It was great recapping the race with my dad and wife.

I even got to see two Got Chocolate Milk teammates: Jaquelin and Kevin!

pump3

photo 5 (69)

While we enjoyed our beers and listened to the awards ceremony, the wife enjoyed the thanksgiving dinner I got with my Finish and I caught up on social media.

I missed all of you while out on the course.

There was only so much time I could spend there before I needed to get some real food.

We headed back to the transition area so I could collect my belongings, got into the car, drove my dad to his car (spectator parking was 1/2 mile away) then headed to Shipyard Pub for lunch.

We enjoyed a great meal and some more celebratory beer before taking the drive back to Massachusetts.

***

Now the immediate question is: Will you do it again?

Honestly, I don't think so. I just wasn't a fan of the bike portion and it is over half the race for me.

Maybe if I move to a flat state, I would try it again, but as of now no.

Next question: Will you do a Full?

Oh hellz no. Again see the bike portion. I just couldn't imagine getting out there and going on a 7-hour bike ride some Saturday.

During the course of training for the Half Ironman, I did a ton of double workout days and a lot of early mornings. I missed social events and time with my wife. I don't want to do that again.

Again things can change, but that is my position now.

***

Overall, Pumpkinman was a great time. They did an awesome job with volunteers and aid stations. The spectators were sparse for the bike portion, but decent for the run. The volunteers were upbeat and I made sure to thank every single one I saw while out on the course.

Am I happy I took the leap outside of my comfort zone? Abso-freakin-lutely!

Can I successfully check this off my bucket list? You know it.

Now point me in the direction of the tattoo parlor ... time to add the 70.3 to my foot tattoo.

tat

***

Have you done a Half Ironman? What was your favorite part?

Weekend Wrap-Up: Cupcakes, Beer, Laughs & Race Prep

In case you have been under a rock, you may not know that this past weekend - on Sunday, September 7 to be exact - I attempted and completed my first Half Ironman. Now there will be a whole post detailing the ups and downs during the race itself. You can even read all about my freak out here while packing for the race.

But there was so much to the weekend before leaving at 1pm on Saturday to drive to Maine. So let's see what it was.

I woke up bright and early on Friday morning to face the scale. It was up 0.9 and I was perfectly okay with that. It was only my 2nd gain since recommitting on June 13.

After my weekly weigh-in, I bounded out of the house to get to the gym so I could knock out my final swim workout before meeting up with a special guest.

It was crazy completing the final swim workout of the training cycle. It was getting real.

I hopped on the train to head downtown and meet up with ...

KAT!!!!

It was so great to catch up with my friend Kat, who was in town from Florida for a photo shoot with Reebok.

We met up for brunch at Eastern Standard in Kenmore Square before checking out the Fenway Park area. It was her husband's first trip to Boston so I played tour guide since well I used to be a Fenway tour guide - so I had the credentials to act as one. ;) We just walked around the outside chatting and catching up.

Since it was Friday and we were in the area, we checked out Boston Beer Works so they could test some local brews.

And I had to join in. Like a good host would. Also known as carbo loading for my race. ;)

After sampling some delicious beer and making sure to check in to them on Untappd, it was time to find Kat a cupcake. She had Georgetown Cupcake on the brain so we took the walk over to Newbury St. Now I can't remember the last time I had a cupcake. I think it was at Suzi Storm's wedding in June 2013.

I figured I would pass on the cupcake ... until we stepped inside.

Oh deliciousness.

And Kat's excitement was catchy.

I opted for a Caramel Cheesecake cupcake for me and took a Red Velvet cupcake home for the wife. I know I am amazing. ;)

And it was worth every single Point (I marked it down at 7PPV).

We also opted to get the free cupcake of the day. What is that you ask? Well each day Georgetown Cupcake tweets out the secret flavor of the day cupcake, you see it, go into the store and name the cupcake by name and BOOM free cupcake (while supplies last).

Georgetown Cupcake @GTownCupcake · Sep 5

Today's FREE (not-on-menu) flavor is #DCCupcakes CHOCOLATE GANACHE SURPRISE! Order it by name & it's FREE! 100/location, 1/customer! Enjoy!

It was smaller than their normal cupcake and still delicious (marked down as 5 PPV).

After beer, fun and cupcakes, it was time to walk Kat and her husband back to their hotel so they could head home to Florida. <<insert sad face>>

While I was sad to see her go, I was happy to spend a few hours with her during her whirlwind trip. Thank you interwebs for bringing Kat into my life. :)

Once home, it was time to knock out my second to last bike ride. I was not crying over that. ;)

My furry coaches did a great job keeping me focused.

The wife and I opted for a quiet night in to help stop some of my race nerves. We watched some Sherlock Holmes from the BBC while enjoying a great hoppy beer.

New Albanian Brewing Company Hoptimus

I totally chose this by the label and it was worth it!

On Saturday I woke up early to walk to my Weight Watchers meeting and keep a little normalcy before the day of packing and prep began.

While packing my stuff I had a minor HUGE freakout over the race. I may or may not have told the wife "A hug is welcome many times today" as I stood crying in the living room.

Ummm yeah. She did kindly remind me that I was the one that signed up for it. Yes yes I know.

I will say I felt better after crying out a lot of the nervousness. I also felt the control once everything was laid out and packed.

Once the gear was ready, it was time for my final 20-min bike ride to make sure everything on the bike was okay.

Now again I don't know a lot about biking so without a wheel falling off while biking I dubbed the bike - race ready!

The wife and I loaded up the car, left the pups with my dad and hit the road. Thankfully the hotel was just 80 minutes from our house in New Hampshire. I could tell we were getting close when all the cars around me had bikes attached to them. Fancy fancy bikes too. I was feeling unworthy of being in the area, but tried to push those thoughts out of my mind...

... until we got to bib pick-up.

Oh lord did I feel unworthy again. Tons of folks walking around with head-to-toe Ironman gear, etc. But I tried to remain in my own journey. The wife and I walked down to the water to check out where the swim would take place.

Nice and calm - just like I wanted. :) Since the buoys weren't in the water I had no idea how the swim would be set up, but the swim wasn't really a worry of mine. I felt confident there.

Then I turned around.

This is the hill that led from the swim to transition. Uh yeah. We got to run up that post swim. Uh yay!

We walked up it and I was happy to see it was rock free so running up with bare feet wouldn't be painful.

Once I saw where my bike would be racked, we headed back to the car to drive the bike course.

Oh friends why did I do that. The nerves skyrocketed as I saw the rolling hills. I didn't feel ready for it. I was feverishly texting my friends for support and to calm me down.

Poor wife of mine.

We did see this lovely rainbow, which I thought was a good sign.

After driving the full course, I was ready to get back to the hotel and relax as best as possible. We laid out and labeled all the gear. We enjoyed pizza and a little red wine for dinner. I was in bed at 9pm with Disney's The Princess And The Frog in the background.

With the alarm set for 4am and a wake-up called scheduled from the hotel for 4:15am, I did my best to shut my brain off. Can I tell you this was a tough tough job. Worry was flying. I tried to drone it all out.

The next day would be a memorable one...

***

Do you have a go-to pre-race meal?

Face It Friday: Accepting A Gain & Race Tracking 9/5/14

After seeing 157.4 on the scale last week for the first time in months, I may have celebrated a little too much ... I may have overindulged a little too much ... I may have had that extra beer. And you know what??

I am okay with that!

What? How? Why?

I knew it would be a big weekend as Labor Day meshed with my best friend and her family coming to visit meeting up with taper week (meaning less working out than normal).

It was the perfect storm.

So I vowed over the weekend to enjoy the moments, but track them all - good, bad or ugly.

And it did get ugly.

Now tracking this weekend didn't change any of my choices, but it allowed me to accept and own them.

Rather than beating myself up when the number hit a negative.

I checked in with myself and made sure the choices were worth it ... and they were!

Normally after a big weekend, I am right back on track on Monday, but with the holiday we decided to grill out so the points added up. I made that decision that morning and was happy I did.

I made sure to continue to weigh and measure and check off those Good Health Guidelines even when feeling a little off track.

But once Tuesday came around I was back to sticking to my Daily Points Target.

Instead of worrying about the negative number and throwing in an extra workout here or there, I stuck to my training plan. I know that this week leading up to the Half Ironman is about following my game plan rather than trying to get extra workouts in.

It is a fine balance sometimes between weight loss and training.

SO when I prepared to face the scale this morning, I expected a gain and would accept whatever the scale wanted to dish out.

I was fine with everything that happened over the week and was proud of the progress I made over the Summer leading up to the big race.

The scale read 158.3 this morning - up just 0.9 lb.

I will gladly take that since it could've been more.

My goal when recommitting to tracking/me on June 13 was to be in the 150s before the big race ... and I am!

I feel healthy, balanced, confident and thankful.

***

And now I turn my focus to race weekend.

The Pumpkinman Half Ironman is Sunday. My swim wave kicks off at 7:11am.

If you would like to track me, you can download the All Sports Events app on iPhone or Android.

* Select Upcoming Events

* Select Pumpkinman Triathlon

* Select Results

* Select Athlete Search

* Search for me (my bib # is 365) and click on Dani Holmes-Kirk

* Click on the heart in the right-hand corner to add me as a Favorite

***

I will be turning the big 3-2 on September 16! I am actually pretty excited for it since my 30s have kicked serious booty.

Now I cannot wait to see what happens next…

So how can you help me celebrate turning 32?

Donate to Tedy’s Team and help me #FightStroke in honor of my #1 Stroke Hero – my gramma.

There are two ways you can participate:

1) The Dani Ryan Holmes-Kirk 3rd Annual 30th Birthday 5k Run-Walk Ramble

A $25 to Tedy’s Team gains you entry to the virtual race, a printable bib, a Finisher’s Medal and 7 entries into the raffle.

Sign up here!

2) Make a $20 donation to Tedy’s Team and gain 5 entries into the raffle.

Donate here!

I have an anonymous donor who will match up to $1,200 raised by the Birthday 5k/raffle! Say whaa?? Heck yeah!

I appreciate all the help!!!

***

Do you beat yourself up when you over indulge or do you practice self forgiveness?

REVIEW: Misfit Shine - Activity Tracker & Cute Accessory

"Oh hey I can see your activity monitor attached to your bra through your shirt?" "Well I can tell you are tracking those steps with that tracker bulging out of your pocket?"

"Wow! You really make that activity tracker match the fancy outfit of yours ... or not!"

Has anyone thought or said any of these comments to you?

Well I have had one or all of them mentioned to me in passing.

So sorry that even at a wedding I want to track my activity! You know I can get some serious steps with my dance moves. ;)

What is a fashionable girl to do? C'mon folks let me pretend I am fashionable for at least one post. M'kay!

Misfit heard my pleas and produced the Shine (value $99.99).

(Note: I received the Shine free for this review, but all thoughts and opinions are my own - ain't nobody got time for lying!)

The Shine is an activity monitor that tracks movement and sleep: calories burned, steps, distance and sleep quality and duration.

The Shine can be worn anywhere. This is a HUGE help when trying to wear a tracker and not have it seen by the world.

Since the Shine is so thin it doesn't look bulky when on your bra or waistband (or your underwear band if you are wearing a dress ;).

The small size of the Shine can unfortunately backfire as well. I lost mine transitioning it from my shoe to my sports bra after a Spin class. It must've slid off my bra while I was putting my backpack on and I didn't notice.

It stays on by magnet - one on the clasp and one in the Shine.

Luckily, Misfit has great customer service and they sent me a new one.

Syncing your Shine is simple. You just place the device on your iPhone/Android and tap the sync button.

Quick and easy. Hello instant gratification! I hate having to wait until I get home to sync a tracker. I want to know right after the run happens where I am at.

Additionally, you can double tap the Shine to see what sort of progress you are making by a series of lights lighting up.

Activity Tracking

Use points to easily measure all your activities, such as walking, running, swimming and cycling.

While the Shine sets your goal at 1,000 points a day, you can change that to whatever you want whenever you want. I love how it breaks your goal down for you via walking, running or swimming. Those are definitely just examples and suggestions if you are wondering how to hit your goal for the day.

But the Shine tracks more than points as I mentioned: steps, calories burned and distance are also noted.

Now I don't know how accurate the information is as I do not track/record calories burned, but I like using it as a guide from day-to-day. I can compare a rest day to a day where I was constantly moving. 

I appreciate the graphs broken down by hours of the day so I can see when I was most active and when I hit my points goal for the day!

You can also set an activity: running, swimming or biking. When you set the activity to say biking, if you tap on the Shine three times it will you know you are beginning a session on your bike cycling and will record the activity appropriately. You can change the activity (out of those three options) at any time.

Track your progress

Tap your Misfit Shine to see how close you are to reaching your goal.

You can set activity, sleep and weight goals on the app.

Have fun with friends

Find your friends and view each other's accomplishments.

You know I have a little competitive side so this feeds right into that. :P Who doesn't love a friendly little competition?

Sleep Tracking

This is something I was VERY interested in since I never feel like I get a good night sleep... Ever!

You know what. I was right. I consistently see gaps in my sleep tracker. I figure I am either tossing/turning or taking bathroom breaks during those times.

It is upsetting to see, but I am happy I now have the proof. Next step becomes figuring out how to fix it.

Weight Tracker/Food Journal

You do have the option of hooking up your MyFitnessPal to your Shine. I do not use that site so I don't have it connected. But I do update my weekly weigh-ins in my account.

So for those that do count calories this seems like a great feature for you.

***

But what sets it apart from other activity trackers that offer the same information?

It is waterproof (aka I can safely wear it while swimming) AND it is stylish. That's right. I can wear it to a wedding without anyone being the wiser.

How?

Also Misfit offers some cool accessories including necklace, metal mesh band, leather band, sport band or metal band.

Bloom Necklace Holder

Deceiving right? You wouldn't even recognize it.

Now the accessories are great they can be quite pricey. The Bloom Necklace Holder rings in at $79.99, while the metal band is $49.99. So if you want more than the sport band and clasp that come with the Shine, you will be forking over some $$$.

***

Overall the Shine is a great deal for $99.99 in my opinion.

Wins

^ Runs on a battery (lasts 6 months), which means no waiting to charge the device

^ Waterproof so I can wear it swimming

^ Able to adjust to wear it all over my body

^ Offers graphs for both activity and sleep breakdown

^ Coin sized so unnoticeable to people

^ Stylish and comes in many color options in case you do want to show it off

^ Easy to sync while on the go

Losses

^ Not sure how accurate the step/calories burned feature is

^ Accessories are quite pricey

^ Slips off easily from my tank top when I am sleeping

^ Offers a watch feature, but is confusing to read/understand

***

Have you tried the Misfit Shine yet? What is your favorite feature?

*GIVEAWAY* Celebrating 5k Twitter Followers

Annddddd the winner IS:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

CONGRATS!!!!

***

I can't thank you all enough for helping me hit the amazing milestone of 5k Twitter followers!

I never imagined my little haven would ever grow to be what it is today. It is an honor to share my journey 140 characters at a time with all of you.

As promised I am ready to give away a Weight Watchers Success Kit to one lucky follower.

So let's get right to it!!

Here's how to enter:

The giveaway will run from Wednesday August 27 (2pm ET) to Wednesday September 3 (2pm ET)!

Winner will be chosen and announced on Wednesday!

Monday Musings (a day late): Labor Day Weekend Fun & Beer

I hope you all like pictures!! :) I have a ton from this long weekend and a cute toddle. Let's dig right in!

Friday started off with a bang. A great weigh-in (oh hey 157.4) and my longest bike ride to date (56.29).

Once the hardest work of my weekend was out of the way I was ready to enjoy the people in my life and the awesome weather on the docket.

Okay just kidding. I had some blog work to get done before the fun could start.

My wife actually got out of work early so we took the opportunity to get together for a little Sangria date at Papagayo at Assembly Row.

It is sooo nice having the shops/restaurants at Assembly Row open up here in Somerville ... especially since it is across the street from our house. ;)

We called it an easy low-key evening as we had a packed Saturday planned.

Well Saturday wasn't all fun action planned.

I started by walking to my Weight Watchers meeting. Proud of myself for attending 11 of the 12 meetings this summer. It feels so nice to be back with my member hat on and it has really led to my success this summer.

After my meeting I walked home to get to work. I had some blog work to get done, while the wife was working on a side project she took on.

Before taking on our busy Saturday afternoon, I convinced the wife to bike along me while I knocked out a 4.6 mile run.

It really does help pass the time and is extra QT time to have her there.

With the day's workout in the books, it was Saturday afternoon time.

Lunch with a side of Baxter Stowaway IPA at John Brewer Tavern (Malden).

Can I tell you that grocery shopping is a little bit easier after a beer? ;)

After grocery shopping, the rest of the day was filled with giving our apartment a deep clean before our guest were to arrive the next day. No one said the Saturday was going to be 100% fun.

We enjoyed the Weight Watchers Grilled Tequila, Citrus and Jalapeno Chicken with broccoli and wine for dinner. It was delicious!! I highly recommend it.

After a tiring afternoon of cleaning, Netflix was on the agenda for the evening.

Sunday morning called for an early wake-up so I could get my swim workout done before my best friend and her family arrived.

The workout wasn't the best, but I gave it my all and was happy I got up early to do it.

After a quick stop at Dunkin Donuts on the way home, it was time to prepare for the cutest 2 year old on the planet.

The best friend wanted to get a quick run in when she got there so we walked the significant others and 2 year old down to the park so we could get our run in.

Running is always better with a friend.

Joanna really enjoyed the water jets at the park. Oh and of course she figured out how to use the jets before the adults with her. ;)

Once everyone did a quick costume change/clean-up, it was time to head out to Night Shift Brewery (Everett, MA).

It was a great location. We each tried the flight of 4 beers (4oz each) for $8. Thanks to Untappd (Friend Me). I recorded my samples: Art #29 - JavaPine, Morph (8/19/14), Trifecta and Whirlpool.

Big thanks to Night Shift Taproom for being open on a Sunday!!

The BFF and her family had another engagement for dinner so the wife and I enjoyed some BLTs with real bacon (our once a month treat)! We had apple cured bacon and it was delicious.

When they got back from dinner, it was game time. We tried out the wife's card game Poop (similar to UNO) before switching to the trusty Apples to Apples.

Now thankfully they are as old as I am and were down for a early bedtime (aka before 11pm). Yes I am that cool. :P

Usually the little lady will wake up around 6:30/7, but on this day she and the rest of us slept until 8am, which was late for everyone in the house. It was kind of glorious.

We wanted to make the most of our time together before they had to leave in the early afternoon to get back to Maine.

So we loaded the troops up in sunblock and headed over to the Assembly Row playground.

I mean is she not the cutest thing ever?

Following a little too much time in the Sun, we headed over to the Lego Store so Joanna the wife could buy a toy.

The Wife (hoodie) and I

I will commend the wife on picking out Lego "us" to take on adventures. I just need to find a beer mug for mine like my friend Dacia!!

It was finally time to head home and start getting our grill on for lunch.

What a busy "rest day," huh?

The wife did a great job grilling out some steak tips, chicken, corn on the cob, green beans and squash. A great well-balanced lunch with friends.

We worked with Joanna on cheering "Go Aunt Dani!" as she will be on-site for my race on Sunday. Yup, I will have the cutest spectator out there.

Before I knew it it was time for my favorite family out of Maine to head home. Luckily I will see them next week, but it is always hard to say goodbye.

With the heat rising and our guests gone, we spent the rest of Monday hiding in the air conditioned bedroom enjoying the Sherlock Holmes show on the BBC thanks to Netflix. Have you seen that show? It only has 3 episodes per season, but each is like a mini movie. They are amazing works of art and directed by the director of Dr. Who.

Overall I had one exhausting weekend with less workouts than I had been used to since this weekend kicked off taper week for the Half Ironman.

***

Since this was a long weekend, I allowed the #drinkend to include Monday. Here are the brews I enjoyed:

Foley Brothers - Native IPA (highly recommend this!)

Left Hand Brewering 400 Pound Monkey

Ignore foam - Berkshire Brewing Company Black IPA - Brewer's Series #1

Coronado Brewing Company - Sock Knocker (bought based on logo, but sooo good)

Left Hand Brewing - Wake Up Dead (5 out of 5 stars)

***

Finally I turn 32 2 weeks from today and would love to have you celebrate with me by helping me #FightStroke!! Find out more info here. :) There is a sweeeet raffle involved.

***

Did you ring in Labor Day with friends or family?

Face It Friday: Snack It, Track It & Bike Ride Milestone 8/29/14

Good, Bad, Ugly I have been a tracking fool since June 13 and it feels awesome. Now the topic this week was about Giving Ourselves A Break and being nicer to ourselves. It also touched on allowing ourselves to take a day off from Weight Watchers.

I don't mean have a field day with food or pretend that margaritas are zero points (ohhh if only). What I mean is take the pressure we put on ourselves (or I know I do) off for just a day.

A mental break if you will.

I think that is coming my way.

As I said I have been guestimating, tracking, writing now for over 2 months and sometimes there are times when I want to just throw my hands up, drop my iPhone and run away.

It can happen.

I am thinking this tiny break may come during my birthday week. Again I would still be doing my normal stuff, but maybe just put the tracker away and see if I can survive and stay in control without it.

Now I am not sure that this will really happen, but we will see. I am giving myself that option.

Through tracking I am realizing that Friday is my worst day of the week. It's obvious why. It is weigh-in day. I become extra vigilant on Wednesday and Thursday to give myself the best shot going into the weigh-in so sometimes being so worried on those days gets me ready to break free on Friday.

Now I eat the same things every Wednesday and Thursday and am never hungry or depriving myself. It is just some extra pressure I put on myself. Always happens before weigh-in.

As a result I am all wound up and ready to pop on Friday.

This is something I am recognizing thanks to tracking and going to work on in the future.

Now I was worried about Friday's weigh-in. My period was looming and I had a small incident with pizza on Tuesday night (3 slices = 22 pts). But the incident was worth it, I tracked it and moved on. The pizza was damn good. Plus I had swum 2.5 miles that day, which wasn't too shabby!!

But the scale was kind.

Down 2.1 lbs - WOO!!

I am now .4 away from being back in the free LT range (153-157), 2.4 lbs from being back at goal (155) and 4 lbs from my lowest weight in my adult life (153.4 - seen just twice).

But tracking every Bite Lick and Taste keeps me accountable even though I have ended up in the negative 5 of the last 8 weeks, but have lost in 7 of those 8 weeks.

A fellow WW Leader and Friend thinks I may be over-estimating my foods on the weekend and not ending up as badly in the negative as I think.

Either way it is getting me to move more during the week to try and undo some of the damage.

I know I sound like a broken record, but it really does pay off to own the choices, mark it down and see that negative number. It usually shocks me back to reality.

It also makes me really enjoy the indulgences since they are turning back into a once a month treat.

Plus, going back to meetings has also helped put myself back to the top of my To Do List. :)

***

Besides having a good number on the scale, I had a bike milestone.

I completed my 56-mile training ride yesterday (which is why the blog post is delayed).

I really didn't enjoy a moment of it, but had to get it done for the Half Ironman on September 7. Maybe a love or even like of biking will happen at some point, but it hasn't happened yet.

While I didn't enjoy it all that much, I am proud of myself for pushing through the mental barriers and getting it DONE.

***

ALSO, I opened registration for The Dani Ryan Holmes-Kirk 3rd Annual 30th Birthday 5k Run-Walk Ramble to Fight Stroke!!

Did you see the raffle prize list is growing?

New Balance 3Axis Pedometer
ENERGYbits Sample Pack
Zensah compression sleeves
Perform Pain Relief Sample Pack
1BandID
#Runner shirt from PavementRunner
What You Can When You Can Keychain

Please sign up today!

***

Do you track no matter how ugly it gets?

#GIVEAWAY: Free Entry To South Shore Half Marathon (11/2)

Annddddd the winner IS:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

CONGRATS!!!

***

Picking the perfect Half Marathon race can be tricky! There are a ton of factors: date, course, course limit, # of water stops, number of participants, race swag and of course BLING!

Well folks the inauguralSouth Shore Half Marathon on November 2 in Norwell, MA is hitting the nose on the head in all aspects. About 45 minutes outside of Boston.

south shore

Let's break it down.

The South Shore Half is a scenic back-roads course, which is closed to traffic (BIG WIN THERE!) This course is sure to offer something for runners of all experience levels. The half marathon will start in the driveway of the Norwell High School, and finish at the Norwell Post Office.

How can you go wrong running through a beautiful New England town with the leaves changing all around?

The 13.1 mile course has 11 water stops and a medical tent, which serves both Mile 5 and 9 of the course. 

The course limit for the race will be 3 hours and 30 minutes. I like hearing that the course will be closed for that entire time. I hate when I hear races open up the streets after 3 hours or less. Everyone should be safe.

Getting to and from the parking lot? They got it covered.

Shuttle buses will be provided from parking at Hanover Mall to the start line at Norwell High School and from the finish line in Norwell center to the Hanover Mall. The shuttle buses will start running at 5:30 AM from the Hanover Mall and will continue running from the finish line until 3:00 PM.

Not only do I love being part of inaugural races, but I love races that offer sweet swag!!

• Long sleeve tech t-shirt
• Half Marathon Finisher Medals 
• Event running hat (register before 8/15/14 at midnight)
• Commemorative pint glasses (register before 10/10/2014 at midnight)

Ohhh yyeaahh! That sounds right up my alley.

(Sorry I am posting this late so those who register from here on out are out of luck on the hat)

In the FAQ portion of the website, they list:

Are walkers permitted?

Feel free to run, walk, or crawl just make sure you can complete the half marathon course in under our course time limit (3 hours 30 minutes).

I like the inclusion of crawling! There are definitely some races where I feel like that may be the only way I get myself across the line.

The race does allow strollers, but asks those using strollers to start in the back of the pack for safety reasons.

Oh oh and how did I forget the post-race party. Each participant will get a free beer (brewery not listed yet) at Tinkers Son Pub at the Finish Line. Mmmm beer! :)

All of this is adding up to one sweet race and I cannot wait for it... and for YOU to join me!

That's right it is giveaway time!!

So here’s how to enter.

The giveaway will run from Sunday August 24 (2pm ET) through Friday August 29 (2pm ET)!

The winner will be selected and announced on Friday!