here goes nothin'

i don't think i'm ready. i'm freaking out. you're the reason why i'm even a bit hopeful. all your text messages, facebook comments, tweets, and phone calls are the only things keeping me going. thank you.

you guys... january 16, 2011 will be the day that i knock down one of my walls (fears). i will run my first half marathon (13.1 miles) in phoenix, az.

i have no other choice but to do it. and i will. i'm up to 10 miles, but after writing this blog, i feel the need to run 13.1 tonight. what do you say? i'll keep you posted...

knocking down walls

i am a firm believer that life is what you make it. don't just sit around and wait for life to happen to you. what you are reading here is me making my life work for me. that's just what this blog is about. me confronting my fears and knocking them down one at a time. that's what life is all about, isn't it? confronting your demons, beating down tribulations, and clearing out the mess in your life.

everybody has a wall in their life. for me, it was nutrition and exercise. for you, maybe it's spirituality or relationships. let 2011 be the year of change for you. let 2011 be the year that you beat down every wall staring you in your face. let 2011 be the year you take on the challenge of your life.

i have a lot of readers that wish to become runners and start eating healthy. ok, let's do it. there's no time like the present. start putting YOURSELF first. or should i say....start putting your FUTURE FIRST.

i was in the middle of mile 5 when i realized how happy i was in my life. there was no question about my weight. there was no guilt about what i ate earlier that day. if i were to die later on that day, it wouldn't be because of my high blood pressure or heart disease. finally, at the end of my run i began to feel proud of my new lifestyle. i cannot believe i let all these years go by without being confidant in my physical health. this is serious folks.

take personal inventory. look in the mirror. i dare you. grab a post-it note and pencil and write down what you ate today. are you proud of what you ate? ok, now write down your weight and the last time you did physical exercise. are you proud or content with this?

no judgment here, because back in august i was a hot mess. eating in-and-out burgers, mcdonald mcflurries, and binge drinking on the weekends. no bueno. i was so bad that i rationalized everything i ate. i knew better. i just didn't feel like doing better. i just didn't have a blog to read like you do now. so do it, take advantage of these words and jump on it. 2011 is your year.

you're probably like, "where do i begin?" well, you already started by reading this blog. just make the commitment. you owe it to yourself. say YES to your healthy future. say YES to your favorite skinny jeans. say YES to smiling while stepping on the scale.

this new year it's all about leaving all your fears to burn down.

quick notes on getting started
pick a goal (rockclimbing, running, weightlifting, ect.)
sign up
pick a day/develop a schedule
be vocal (tell everybody and they momma)
DO IT, even when you tell yourself no, JUST DO IT

just ask yourself, which will fall down in 2011, you or your wall?

p e a c e

t.

got any plans?

As Christmas draws near, my mouth is just watering thinking about all the good food I will eat. Not to mention all the yummy cocktails that I will enjoy when celebrating the company of loved ones. It seems like around December 27th or so, you begin to feel guilty thinking about all the calories you consumed. In addition to this, you begin to reflect the person you've become in 2010.

As you prepare to step into 2011, I encourage you to take this time to build goals. I noted yesterday on Twitter that your goals do not have expiration dates on them. It is NOT too late to become successful. So what if you didn't lose the 40lbs that you wanted to in 2010. God promised you LIFE. So, show him how much you appreciate it and lose the 40lbs in 2011! It's NOT too late to become successful! I will say this, however, it is important to reflect and define your goals. If you don't have goals, you don't have a starting point or anything to aim at.

The tradition over the years has been that we choose 1 goal (New Year's Resolution) and stick with it for the year. Well. That's not the mentality you and I should be having in 2011. Why just limit yourself to 1 goal? I thought you and I were powerful beings. Why not 3 goals? Who knows, those 3 goals may be the ones that change your life.

I do believe that in my nakedness, I will be able to clothe someone else. In that, I will be open with you all along my journey. I will share with you my goals, and hopefully this will give you ideas for your goals.

My Main 3 Goals
1. Become a vegetarian
2. Run a half marathon 1.16.2010
3. Lose 40lbs

I'll be looking to you all for support and accountability.

Do what you gotta do to be successful. Look in that mirror and tell yourself exactly where you wanna be when the ball drops on 12.31.2011. Will you be the same old you? I hope not. You have 365 days to be a better you. Don't let life change you. YOU CHANGE YOUR LIFE.

Check out this blog, hopefully it will get you motivated. You'll need the Nike Plus chip or wristband to join the challenge. Hopefully you and I can run against each other.

NEW YEAR CHALLENGE

what are your goals for 2010? i'd love to read them! post them below!

p e a c e ,  t.

@pyt1920 (twitter)

transition to greatness

this blog goes out to anybody that is having a hard time letting go of their old self. you know, the self that ate whatever it wanted, walked past the scale every morning, and ignored the calorie count on the starbucks latte day in and day out.

this blog goes out to anybody that is having a hard time imaging their new self. you know, the self that will have no fear jumping on the scale at the dr.'s office. the self that will sign up for 10k runs in support for breast cancer research. the self that will devote more time to eating healthy. the self that will be a health advocate for others looking to change their lives.

i love you. just because you read my blog. i really mean it. now, stop allowing me to be the only one loving you and start loving YOURSELF enough to start running! i have spoken to countless people during the month of november, and they always say..."i want to start running!" of course i get super excited and immediately want to jump through the phone and hug them.

you guys, i am rooting for you. it's only right that you believe in yourself and start challenging yourself to grow. nobody said that it would be easy. there are no shortcuts to success, you have to take the stairs...

a quick reflection. allow me to restate why i decided to become a runner.

on may 17th (the day after my 26th birthday), i was gifted a pair running shoes and a nike plus chip. i was so thankful for this gift, as i had been eyeing the commercial for this movement for a while everytime i went into finishline. i would go home and talk about how cool it was, and boom...i got it for my bday!

my jaw was on the ground for about 20 minutes after i opened the gift, no lie. i was so thankful! i quickly understood what would become of it, and told myself that it would be a slap in my friend's face if i didn't use the gift.

starting may 17th, i belonged to the largest running club in the nation world ((nike plus)). you know, i was one of "them." the cool fit people that could run for hours upon hours! they opened their membership up to me! all i had to do was put the chip in my sneaker and hit the pavement.

NIKE PLUS COMMERCIAL

my first run was on may 17th, i ran 1.36 miles at a pace of 14:45/mile. all this means in the running world is that i walked my way through the run. but who cares? i completed my first run, which means i'm awesome. i was tired as hell, but couldn't throw in the towel. that little ghost named ACCOUNTABILITY hovered over me like you wouldn't believe.

here are some things i did to keep myself motivated.

1. start talking about it. tell everyone you know, including the annoying people in your life that you have decided to become a runner. i'm a private person, but what this does is allows people to bring it up and ask you later how the running is going. you'd be surprised how well this works. on the week i decided to be a pig and eat everything in site, someone walked up to me and asked, "how's running going?" gasp. i took my butt home and laced up that night. enough said.

2. accessorize. i'm big on this. refer to my blog titled, "it's like waxing your eyebrows." buy yourself some new running shoes. buy the nike plus running chip. buy a new cd on itunes. get a cute water bottle. even get a new membership at the gym! these things will motivate you to get going! i swear, it worked for me!

3. invite. do you know someone in your circle or even at work that wants to lose weight in 2011? well invite them. it's fun to workout with someone, especially when they have the same goals as you. it's also difficult to cancel on someone that is counting on meeting up with you. think about it.

4. sign up for races. once you pay the money to run for a cause, you are held accountable for running the day of the race. 5k (3.1mi), 10k (6.2) half marathon (13.1), or marathons (26.2) are good races! start at the bottom and work your way up! you'll be surprised at how much fun these races are! you meet people and get free stuff....and on top of that, you are helping your community fight for a cause.

5. get a plan. with nike plus, you can set up goals and challenges for yourself. your goal could be to run 4x a week. maybe on your fridge post a running regimine. here's my suggestion for a new runner:

monday-1mi (run half, walk half)
tuesday-rest
wednesday-2mi (run 1, walk 1)
thursday-1mi (run entire)
friday-rest
saturday-5k (3.1mi, run 2 walk 1)
sunday-rest

always consult your doctor. a rule of thumb is, if you are out of breath while you're running and talking...you're probably running too fast. so slow it down and pace yourself. you can work on your pace once your cardio gets better. just focus on finishing strong. after a couple of weeks or so, increase your distance. a good friend of mine told me it's about distance, not pace at the start of your journey. just, "get those miles in," as he would say.

i'm here if you need me. let's continue to transition to a life filled with HEALTH AND PROSPERITY.

viva las running shoes.

p e a c e,

t.

i whip my hair !

the first thing that ladies think about when it comes to fitness is their hair. allow me to first say this, your health is more important than your hair. i personally put my health first, however i tend to sweat my hair out after every workout. this bothers me because appearance is important. i am constantly changing my hair styles becuase i get bored quickly. hopefully this post will provide some insight on great hair do's that will fit into your fitness routines.

for the past 6 months i have been rocking different kinky twists.

these past 6 months have been heaven because i didn't have to worry about maintenence after running! all i had to do was shampoo and get my braids re-done whenever needed.

before i was a serious runner, my hair do was the typical flat iron look.

well now, i'm transitioning to the world of natural hair and ready to take blend running and hairstyles.

here are the hair do's that i will be trying the couple of months:

1. straw set --- this hairstyle is great for those who are transitioning from relaxed to natural hair. i absolutely love the playfulness of the style and the fact that it lasts for a week!

picture from thirstyroots.com

 2. low cut -- this look may require a relaxer (if i decide to break down) but i really love short hair and would looove to wear something like this when i run.

3. straight up natural low cut --- this is what i wore in college when i first went natural. it was the easiest style i have worn to date and i really loved it!

ladies, what works for you? guys, what are your opinions? i'd be ineterested in seeing what my readers think!

p e a c e,

t.

Moo & Oink...

It dawned on me, as I sat on the couch and watched Sarah Palin's Alaska show, that killing animals and then eating the meat takes a lot of work. Not only does hunting take a lot of work, but it takes a lot of work for my body to digest the meat.

Science shows that the more meat we eat, the sicker we get -- heart disease, cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, and every other major degenerative disease. If eating meat were so natural, it wouldn't destroy our health.

I have decided to give up meat for the first 6 months of 2011.

In my efforts to become a better athlete, nutritionist, and philanthropist I believe that it is only right that I try something new. 

I'm not sure if you have ever read the book Skinny Bitch, but it is amazing. It is very blunt and tells you exactly what you need to cut out of your diet when it comes to slimming down. It touches on every food and beverage you could possibly think of. My favorite part of the book was the meat section, as it really provided some insight on what happens in those slaughter houses. Check it out when you get a chance.

 

I'm not about the looks of things. You'll learn very quickly that I do my research and then take on new challenges. It's not about being a skinny bitch...it's about being healthy. I could do without the title and cover, it's really about the substance of this book.

My Personal Reasons for Vegetarianism 

-If you switch from the standard American diet to a vegetarian diet, you can add about 13 healthy years to your life, says Michael F. Roizen, MD, author of The RealAge Diet: Make Yourself Younger with What You Eat.  

 

-Avoiding meat is one of the best and simplest ways to cut down your fat consumption. Modern farm animals are deliberately fattened up to increase profits. Eating fatty meat increases your chances of having a heart attack or developing cancer.

-'Meat' can include the tail, head, feet, rectum and spinal cord of an animal. A sausage can contain ground up intestines. How can anyone be sure that the intestines are empty when they are ground up? Do you really want to eat the content of a pig's intestines? (GROSS)

-If you eat meat, you are consuming hormones that were fed to the animals. No one knows what effect those hormones will have on your health. In some parts of the world, as many as one on four hamburgers contain growth hormones that were originally given to cattle. (This is why your 6 yr old sister has matured so quickly!)

-Vegetarians are fitter than meat eaters. many of the world's most successful athletes are vegetarian.

Starting 1/1/2010 I will become a vegetarian. I'll be blogging to keep you updated folks! You'll know the good, bad, and the ugly! Hey, this may not be for you, but I'm sure you'll be interested in watching the process.

p e a c e,

t.

210mi in 2010 Nike Challenge

Hey Bloggies!

Not only am I bizack, but I'm 22lbs lighter with GREAT NEWS...

I have officially completed my 210miles in 2010 Nike Challenge. I remember freaking out about the commitment of running at least 11miles a week to make the goal, but I have about 3 weeks left, and I am at 226.92mi. Come on guys...not only did I make my goal, but I beat it! Thank you to everyone that sent text messages and emails encouraging me to keep going. Thanks to everyone that left messages on this blog or my facebook statuses. I really appreciate the support, and you don't realize how much you helped me to succeed. The next question is....

Can I make it to 300 before NYE?!

This challenge has taught me so much about myself. I have developed discipline and strength. At first I thought that I was going to be running the night of 12/31/10 just to get to 210miles.

A person really never realizes their ability to accomplish a goal until they are staring it right in the face. I dare each and everyone of you to look your goal right in the face and accomplish it. The goal becomes easier and easier as you take steps towards accomplishing it. Nike doesn't mean failure. Nike is the Greek goddess representing victory and speed. So ladies, when you lace up those Nike running shoes, know that you are a woman of victory and speed.

p e a c e

t.