Hi all, Finally have some time this morning to sit on the computer. Got caught up with the latest posts and a chance to reply. Yesterday I ran 5 miles in the COLD... it was 38 but colder with the wind. I was doing fine for the first half and then turned around to head back & the wind was against me. The wind cut right through my thin pants and my legs were numb from the hips to the knees, had to keep stopping and rubbing my legs so that I could feel them again. Everything else felt fine except for my face which was freezing too. I enjoyed being out in the cold... too bad it's heating up again already, only a low of 55 tonight. Oh yeah... don't know if I shared this but I ran 12.1 miles on Saturday! my longest run EVER! 24 days till my HM!

I have been staying OP now for 3 weeks but starting to struggle since this past weekend. I know it's stress related, my DH found out that they are laying him off next month from his job & he's desperately trying to find a new job. It's so hard with the housing & construction slowing down around here (he's a civil engineer) because companies are laying off everywhere. So keep us in your thoughts & prayers that he finds a new job asap. It's also been a rough month of deaths in the family & for friends, my SIL lost her mother, my best friend lost hers this weekend, my Dad's good friend died a few weeks ago and my friend's husband's mother passed away this past week. That along with the first Christmas after my uncle died last February and it's been tough on me & my family. I had a good breakdown yesterday in the car when a Beach Boys Christmas song came on the radio (my uncle Mike LOVED the Beach Boys) and it just felt good to get a good cry out. Anyway, didn't mean to unload all that info but sometimes it just feels good to share. So, I am trying real hard not to use stress as an excuse to eat whatever I want & I'm really doing my best to stay OP.

Happy - where in FL will you be staying for Christmas next year? glad you like my user name, it's one I use on most sites but for some reason when signing up with CR I used my real name. Active already had my name as GatorGirl & then I had to add a number because someone else already has my name... I just picked my birth year, use to use my birthdate "17" but that makes me sound like a teenager. LOL

Dan - your family is my thoughts & prayers. I'm glad you are taking time to take care of yourself.

Bo - I knew you'd find my 45 degree weather laughable. It was actually about 38 degrees with a wind chill colder than that... it's hard to go from 68 one morning to 38 the next though! congrats on the 1.6 lb loss!! woo-hoo! the good thing with the training log is that I didn't lose any info, I exported it all before CR went to Active. I wasn't about to lose all my info! I just don't care for the new log features... but I think I like the new board layout. Need to play around some more & find my way around.

lifentheparks - congrats on your 25 min run... you are moving right along! it's ok to stalk Bodacious, I do it too because she is such a great inspiration!

silly7737 - I'm not too happy with the new training log either. I've decided to use one from a different site, maybe Runners World or one of the other ones out there, just google "running training log" and you'll find a ton of sites. Or find one of the gripe sessions on this new board, lots of people recommending other training log sites.

AEK - congrats on signing up for your first HM!

rogue - glad you got to the doctor and how cool that he is a runner. glad you are getting PF taken care of. I thought I had that a few months ago but turned out to be plantar fascia strain instead, it's finally better but every once in awhile it gives me a good twinge to remind me to take it easy

Hope everyone has a good day, I'm off to figure out this site & find a training log. Melanie

Hit the gym today for a lame weight workout and 15 minutes on the TM. I need to start running soon! This is a drag. I am bored with cross training. Plus I just cannot get my eating under control. It is frustrating haven't really be committed to WW since August. I took a look at my past WI's and I have fluctuated between 2 to 3 pounds up and down since then. I am hoping I can get through Christmas and New Years then focus. UGH hope so!

Happy: Thanks for asking about the boys! They are doing well, in the middle of finals this is their final week before break. DS18 is trying to think past graduation which is always interesting. Who knows what he will do. DS14 turns 15 on Friday so the countdown will be on for the drivers license! DS4 is just waiting for Santa to appear with all his presents!

Take care everyone and Happy Running!

rogue - thanks for the thoughts & prayers. Wish I could help you out with more ideas on crosstraining but I'm with you... I get bored with it after awhile.

So me and the fam went on a cruise last week 7 day Eastern Caribbean. Ran into tropical storm olga and had 24 hours of 75% of the ship being seasick and 20 foot waves. Overall a good time except that day. I was able to do the stationary bike approx every other day for 40 minutes to try to keep off some of the excess calories! I think I did alright...had a few splurges (2 desserts one night....bad!!!!) but overall tried to have sensible breakfast and lunch each day./...not snack too much and eat whatever for dinner. And weigh in today i was DOWN 2.2lbs (over a 2 week period). I am hoping that I don't gain next week as some people in my group have told me that sometimes it takes a week or so for the lbs to catch up to what you ate.

Have a great rest of the week! Oh....can't figure out how to review the topic as i'm writing...but to whoever is going to the Disney pop century for the disney HM....i just stayed there in october for my disney tower of terror race and it was fine. no frills....but a nice clean room and nice overall hotel. cute themed rooms and property...and it was pretty close to MGM and Epcot!

I just watched the BL too, wow some kick butt transformations there, I won't spoil it either but in a way I am glad the person then won did, it the serves the others right I never liked how they played the game

I am really happy we are all finding each other again! I hope Nicole finds us too I also have been missing her!

Mel hugs to you, why does that kind of news always come this time of year, I hope you get lemonade of the lemons and your DH gets an even better job. Your pics are so awesome, your kids are just too darn cute and you have an eye for getting the moment, I will never tire of seeing pics!

All the pics are awesome, you all are a hot looking bunch!

Anyway Mel I read your cold run story, rolled on the floor laughing and headed out for my run, you was most def with me during this run, I thought of you muchly! It was 0 degrees F as I left my house, my thicker running pants were in the wash so I was a little concerned! I also remember giving advice on here to wear mittens last week but did I take mittens...oh no, in my wisdom I grabbed the cheap cotton $2 pair of Marine expo gloves. Oh my was it interesting going for a while! It is very dark and the snow we had is now compacted to slick ice, I kept to my neighbourhood so I was close to base and little traffic. LOL at no time during the run did my body temp even come close to breaking a sweat! I remembered Mel and how she rubbed her legs to get warm I considered it but my hands felt like two blocks of ice, I think they would have cooled my legs further! Actually my legs felt okay and once I took my fingers out of the finger part of the gloves and used them like mittens with my jacket sleeves pulled over them my fingers recovered somewhat I had the most problems with my eyelashes freezing! I could see the little ice lumps forming and by about 2 miles the ice lumps where big enough to obstruct my vision, oh I wish I had my camera charged when I got home! It looked like I had ice cubes on my eyes!

I managed 3 miles! I have decided that 0 degrees F is my limit to running outside! Any colder and I hit the gym. We have a huge inflatable sports dome in Anchorage and they are getting ready to open the first indoor 400 meter track in north America, it was on the news tonight that they are finishing up the final details with it so I may be dropping some $$$ on a pass to that place if this cold front does not head over to Canada soon!

So todays food looked like

B Western bagel (the 1pt one) with little peanut butter, grapes and 1/2 a pear

L Turkey subway sub and the baked lays, office function..I probably ate nearly 2/3 of a footlong

D More turkey sub about 1/3 cos I was still at work. 1 orange

S plain FF yogurt with berries and tiny bit granola sprinkled on top

S 0pt swiss miss hot chocolate made with plain light soy milk

64oz water

No vitamin yet and no healthy oil, you all have to get on to me about that vitamin!

The day doesn't look horrible but I need to cut back on the simple carby stuff and get more veg in if I hope to lose this week!

K you all I have to go make my steel oats before I can sleep so got to love u and leave you all! I don't wake early enough to make oats in the morning and this morning I was out of prepared oats hence the bagel

Have fun!

I'm a Weightwatcher runner

Lifetimer still learning to maintain

Starting weight 228.5
Goal weight 135
current weight 139

My sister is coming this afternoon and I am going to 'try' and do a run and see how it goes! I really feel the need to get some of this stress worked out of the system. I haven't been to a WW meeting in three weeks so I'm 'hoping' to get to one before next Tuesday!!! If not, I'm trying to hold my own although I have to admit some of the comfort food of old is calling my name.

Dan...my prayers are with you. Life is difficult and family/friends are what sustains us. ((( )))

Hopefully there will be a better report in the days to come...prayers always welcome.

Bo- eyeleashes with frozen clumps - that is def. something for me to look forward to!! LOL - my coldest run to date has been 12 degrees and honestly single digits are not happening - you are my queen!! LOL

NHmommy - LOVE the curls in her face - too darn cute!! You actually look familiar so I wonder if we have bumped into each other somewhere already!

Lifein - I hope your Dad bounces right back - hard to imagine a strong man running Thanksgiving and getting so ill so fast. I will put him in my prayers.

Everyone else - I have read the posts but my memory stinks as to who is doing what until I can figure it all out let me say I am thinking of you - I read your posts and wish EVERYONE a happy and healthy week/holiday season/ and new year!! Pluggin