We got there around 4:30, and there were a ton of other doggies there enjoying the weather, the water, and the sand between their toes.

When I first let Molly off her leash, I felt like a mom dropping her kid off at her first day of school. I was nervous about Molly meeting other dogs, and I wouldn’t be able to control her if something went wrong. Luckily, she kept to my side for the first few minutes and then started going right up to other dogs to get a good face sniff.

I was really excited to see her go near the lake, but she never did put her feet in. I wanted to see her swim, but maybe next time.

She then started to wander over to the heavily wooded area, and I got really nervous. She quickly got away from me, and then just like that, I couldn’t see her anymore. Other doggie parents told me to just call for her, but poor little Molly is about 90% deaf. I did hear her nervously bark several times as if she knew she got too far from me.

I eventually saw her come right out, and she quickly ran over to a pile of mud to play around. She did keep going back in the woods, but I figured out where all of the trails were and was able to find her easily. She even befriended some other dogs and followed them.

The park was enormous! A lot of the area was shaded with Spanish Moss trees.

The park is situated right on Lake Baldwin. I imagine this looks really beautiful at sunset.

The park is also really clean, and I never felt like I might step in a pile of poo. The park also has doggie water fountains, a few pavilions for meet-ups or reunions, and a bathing station.

I was really excited to see Molly playing with other beagles. It was so cute!

Unfortunately, I had no idea how dirty Molly would get, and I didn’t even think to bring a towel. And I also didn’t even think to wear older pants and shoes. Whoops!

I definitely have plans to take Molly there at least once a week. We both had so much fun!

Activity:

Friday- Ran/walked 5 miles (12:07 pace)

Sunday- Ran/walked 10 miles (12:17 pace)

Wednesday- Ran/walked 4 miles (11:29 pace woah!)

53 Activity Points earned

Food:

Still not tracking, but I did buy a 3-month tracking journal.

Results:

Gained 0.2 for a total loss of 6.2.

Things to Note:

1. I know I need to drink more water and eat more fruits and veggies.
2. Must track. This is not an option!

Forgot to take a picture this week.

We sit together on this bench every day to take in the nice weather and the scenery.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

RECAP:

Activity:

Sunday- ran/walked 8 miles

Wednesday- ran/walked 3 miles

Skipped my Friday run though.

Food:

I’m still not tracking. E-tools (the WW site) doesn’t work well with Google Chrome, and I refuse to use Internet Explorer. That browser makes me cry. My phone is capable of tracking points, but I need to get it replaced because there’s a bunch of scratches on the screen that make tracking kind of hard. I might need to start tracking in WW’s 3-month paper journal.

Other Things to Note:

• I made it to ONEderland (!!!), which means I made it under 200 pounds. Yes, I just told you my weight.

Results:

Lost 0.4 pounds this week for a total of 6.4.

Photo from the Week:

Yet another week of not tracking. I don’t know what I need to do to motivate myself to track, but next week’s meeting topic is tracking, so maybe I’ll learn a new trick or something.

ACTIVITY:

Saturday- ran/walked 4 miles

Sunday- ran/walked 6 miles

Wednesday- ran/walked 3 miles (lululemon run club)

OTHER THINGS TO NOTE:

• I received my 5 pound sticker this week!

THINGS TO WORK ON:

• Track, track, track!!
• Menu plan and go grocery shopping right after my WW meeting while I still have good ideas for snacks and meals in my head.

RESULTS FROM THIS WEEK:

Lost 1.8 pounds for a total of 6 pounds in 4 weeks.

PHOTO FROM THIS WEEK:

Have a great week, my friends!

Rolling hills and orange groves in the distance. Yes, hills do exist in Florida!

On Sunday, my friend Bethany invited me to join her friends for a hilly, long run at Lake Louisa State Park.

These pictures don’t do these hills justice at all. But I busted my butt and kept up with 2/1 intervals despite wanting to walk up those hills. I felt so proud!

The four of us didn’t run together, but it was a good feeling knowing that they were out there with me, whether I could see them or not. I’m a solo runner and have often strayed away from running groups because I don’t like talking while running, but I’ve learned that I can still benefit from being a part of a group and still run solo. It’s the start and finish, laughs, and after-run beverages and guilt-free food that make a running group worth it.

I finished 6 miles in 1:16, a 12:40 pace.

Week #3 of NYC Half Marathon Training complete!

I’ve been here for almost 7 months already, and Saturday was the first day I ran on Disney grounds. My 4-mile run took me from the Boardwalk Inn,

to the entrance of the Hollywood Studios,

by the Swan and Dolphin

around the Yacht & Beach Club Resorts,

and back to the Boardwalk Inn.

I had to do the loop a few times to get all 4 miles in, but I never got bored with people-watching and enjoying the scenery. When my legs got tired, I tried to remember my reward for completing the run= my favorite veggie wrap from the “food court” at the Beach Club.

It was as yummy as I imagined it would be! It’s stuffed with eggplant, squash, zucchini, lettuce, and some other veggies I can’t remember now.

Tell me about your favorite place to run!

I didn’t track a thing. I have no excuses, except I got lazy. Time to refocus!!!

ACTIVITY:

Saturday- ran/walked 5 miles

Tuesday- speed work for 3 miles

THINGS TO WORK ON:

• Drink more water!!!
• Track, track, track!

OTHER THINGS TO NOTE:

• I switched my weigh-in day to Friday because I heard the leader was much more high-energy than the Thursday leader. What I heard was absolutely right! She’s so bubbly and so motivating, and I feel like I can relate to her because she’s a  marathoner. And because she’s so active, I think the members mimic her behavior. The entire meeting seemed to revolve around activity, and they all shared such wonderful advice and tips. It seemed like the Thursday meeting members were much older, and they all acted like “woe is me” and “listen to me and all of my excuses”. Friday was MUCH better!
• My goal of running the NYC Half with no walk breaks seems to be unrealistic at the moment. I had such a terrible 5-miler, and I just can’t see myself running 13.1 nonstop.
• Goal for next week= hit 5 pounds total!

RESULTS:

Gained 0.2. I was expecting to gain so much more because I didn’t track anything I ate, so I’ll take this minimal gain.

PHOTO FROM THE WEEK:

OTHER PHOTOS FROM THE WEEK:

(yes, I took a picture of myself in the Disney Casting Center bathroom. More on that later!)

(borrowed from Paula)

(borrowed from Michelle)

I’m heading to the gym for a 4-miler on ‘mill. What are your weekend plans?

Here’s my race schedule:

February 26- Disney’s Princess Half Marathon (I ran it in 2010)

March 3- Gasparilla 15K in Tampa

March 18- NYC Half Marathon (also ran this in 2010)

The Princess Half actually falls on the day I should be running 12 miles, and the Gasparilla 15K falls on the day I should be running 9, so it all worked out perfectly!

What’s your race schedule like for the next few months?

RECAP:

ACTIVITY:

Ran a total of 10 miles and not one single walk break!

Earned 28 Activity Points and didn’t use any.

FOOD:

Used all of my 49 weekly allowance points.

NON-SCALE VICTORIES:

Like I said above, I ran 10 miles total this week without walking. I was able to complete a 4-mile run without walking. This is HUGE for me, the girl who used the Galloway (run/walk) method for so long.

RESULTS:

Lost 2 pounds this week for a total of 4.4 pounds lost.

THINGS TO WORK ON THIS WEEK:

• Drink more water
• Increase mileage to 5 miles with no walk breaks.
• Eat less frozen meals and more meals from scratch.

PHOTO FROM THE WEEK: