30 Miles in 30 Days - April is OVA!

Week 4 is OVA! I start this month so strong and then slowly began to slack off and honestly again this month I struggled to finish with my 30 miles. I think I am the queen of doing things awesomely for two weeks, but ask me to do something for a month and I'll be damned if I can. This morning I had a real struggle as I tried to get dressed for work. This extra weight I've put on isn't cute in my clothes. I'm uncomfortable in my own body. I've struggled with even to keep going with this challenge for May, but I think I need the motivation and hopefully you do too. So we will be doing yet another round of 30 in 30 for May! I hope you'll come link up!

Also, my new blog friend Beth over at Hang On, Honey wrote an awesome post today about being nicer to yourself. This morning as I stood in my closet calling myself FAT and feeling ugly, I can relate to the need to be kinder to myself. Go read it and let's promise to work on being nicer to ourselves for May!



Don't forget to show some love to the sweet Ms. Sarah who created this super cute button for the link up!

 

So button up and let's keep each other motivated!

<a href="http://thepinkgrowl.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae274/venustrappedinmars/pinkgrowl.jpg"/></a>  

 

If you want to stay connected with me during the week, I am posting some updates via Twitter & Instagram {nikkib918} too. #30milesin30days Manda also posts her updates and she is a constant source of support for me! Now Kelly & Lins are also promoting this link up along with their own - Fitness Fridays! Check it out and link up your 30 Miles story for more people to get inspired by. I'm so glad to have all these ladies, plus the rest of you linking up on board!! THANK YOU!
 

 

Updates on This Week's Progress:

• STRUGGLED! Emotional eating, PMS all that lovely crap came to haunt me last week 
• My Fitness Pal & My Polar FT4 HRM are GREAT motivational tools for me! If you want to friend me on MFP my username is {nikkibradley918}

My total miles for Weeks 3/4:

Friday 4/19

~3 miles stationary bike 16.4 rpm avg
 = 3 miles total

Saturday 4/20

~2 miles jogging treadmill 5.6 mph avg pace

= 2 miles total

Sunday 4/21

~1 mile stationary bike warm up avg pace 14.5 mph
~1 mile walking outside
= 2 miles total

Monday 4/22

~3 miles walking outside
= 3 miles total

Sunday 4/28

~2 miles stationary bike avg pace 15.8 mph

= 2 miles total

Monday 4/29

~3 mile stationary bike avg pace 15 mph
= 3 miles total

 

It was a struggle to the very bitter end for me, but I did hit 30 miles AND I pushed myself last night to do 3 extra. I would really love to push for 40 for May!

TOTAL MILES FOR WEEK 3/4:  15 miles!
Total Miles for Challenge: 33 miles!
 

 

What were your challenges this week?

Weekend Update

Happy Monday errrrrybody! Ugh Monday...it's been raining here non-stop for like 3 days now. It's grey and cloudy and I feel like I haven't seen the sun in ages. BUT like my boyfriend LB says, rain is a good thing, right? I survived the weekend - thank you for all the sweet comments, texts, FB msgs, tweets, emails - every way that you guys reached out to support me on Saturday! XOXO

 

Mostly I was incredibly unproductive this weekend - again, I'm blaming the weather. I watched Django & This is 40 on Saturday. This is 40 was HILARIOUS! I highly recommend it. I laughed my booty off. Yesterday all I wanted to do was sleep in and sleep the day away, but I got up and went to church anyhow. I don't know if you believe in "signs" from God or not, but I do. And I got several this weekend. The weather was a perfect sign of fate for me. Then yesterday morning at church we wrapped up a series on forgiveness - focusing on forgiving yourself for things in order to move forward. Phil 3:13-14 (I'm paraphrasing) Forget your past, look forward. Press on. Boom! Just like that I'm done with the past. There is nothing back there for me to hang on to. Thank you sweet baby Jesus!

 

Here's a glimpse at my incredibly boring weekend via Instagram {nikkib918} -

Drinking problem much? Nah I just love some Fireball! A little pregaming to go watch a friend's band play Friday night.

Love this!

ok ok ok we get it... April Showers...

My precious little Sweet Tilly



Starbucks was so necessary this morning....come to mama!

 

Don't forget to link up tomorrow for the final 30 Miles in 30 Days post for April!

 

Friday Love

Wow, I am soooooooo blown away and blessed and thankful and amazed at the incredible & supportive comments you guys left for me yesterday! When I say I have THE BEST friends ever, I really mean that. And that includes every single one of you who commented, tweeted, emailed or sent me a text. I love you all. So much. My heart was overflowing...and  I felt so loved which is so important! It's insane how much I love you all via the internet! hahaha And it's amazing how much stronger I felt after each comment! THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart!

 

I meant to do a real Friday post, but I got sucked into a meeting at work and just now got out soooo...ya know how that goes...

 

Moral of this post:

1. I LOVE YOU! THANK YOU! YOU ARE AMAZING!

2. You have until Tuesday morning to get the rest of your 30 miles in for April! Come link up your April results on the 30th!

3. Have an amazing weekend! And you know what? I'm going to too!!

4. Enjoy this.... and if you don't know who this is by now then you ain't no friend of mine!

 

 

 

The Final Chapter in Our Story

It's just TWO days away. 4/27/13 was a date that was supposed to change my world. My wedding date. My world has absolutely changed, although in a completely different way than I originally thought. One year ago today, I was riding the engagement high and just diving into the wedding planning process. I was so wrapped up in my own little happy place that I couldn’t see the things that were beginning to unravel. I had waited almost 8 years for Skye to become my husband and there was nothing more important in this world to me. I wanted it more than I have ever wanted anything. I felt like finally my life was going to be complete and I never had a doubt that we wouldn’t make it down the aisle. One of the things he said to me when he left will always stick with me. “You just wanted to get married, not necessarily to me.” It stung that November night, and it stings now to say it out loud. For the record, I do not feel like that’s the truth. I 100% wanted to get married, 100% wanted to settle down and start our family, 100% wanted to be with him forever. To me it felt like the natural next step in our relationship. There are several reasons that I attribute to our demise, none of which either of us ever in a million years saw playing out the way they did. (at least in my opinion). Of course there is my version of events, then his version and somewhere in between lies the nitty gritty truth. Honestly, none of the He Said – She Said really matters 6 months down the road. He has moved on and I am definitely in the process of moving on and sadly there’s no looking back. It feels like years ago that I even knew him that way and that we spent our every moment together.

This verse has helped me so much over the past 6 months - it's my life quote. When in doubt, turn to Proverbs!

 

Isn’t it amazing how resilient we are? How one moment I was in literal physical pain over my heartbreak and now I am on this path of rediscovery? Time truly heals all wounds and the Lord makes things happen in our lives that will always find a way to work out for the best. I’ve always believed and said these things – especially to others during times of trial or struggle. But I had only barely experienced them. I have (and still am) learning so much about myself – about who I am vs. who I want to be and how I want others to view me. I am not that girl who wants to be seen as broken. I want to be seen as a strong girl who has been faced with a difficult situation and completely kicked it’s ass. Some days are easier than others, and you all know I am in a constant battle with emotional eating, but most of the time these days I feel good. I want to feel like myself again - I want to feel good about my body, but it all takes time. I am positive that God has blessed me with a second chance. A chance to grow closer to Him, to meet new people and surround myself with positive encouragers, to grow closer to my family, maybe an opportunity to move away, and definitely a second chance at love. But most importantly a chance to fully develop into the person HE wants me to be.

 

I know 100% for a fact that I would NOT even be close to where I am today without the support of my readers. YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING! I have made such lasting friendships and I treasure them so much! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! LOVE YOU!

 

After this weekend, I think I will be fully able to move on with my life. No more milestones to hang onto, no more looking back. There will still be tough days, it's a looooong process and I must be patient with mself, but soon things will fall into place for me. And when all else fails there's always margarita therapy!



 

Currently - April Edition

Listening - I have been obsessed with listening to Jason Aldean since the concert last week.
 

Eating - ugh...let's not go there. I've been having an emotionally stressful couple of days so we can sum it up and say I've been eating everything. Not good for my little DietBet...
 

Drinking - I drank 3 of these babies last night, and margarita therapy works like a charm! I feel so much better today. Also drinking Diet Coke like a mad woman this week...I know, I know it's my kryptonite!

 

Wearing - apparently a cute little number today because I've gotten a couple compliments. It's like the universe knows I need an ego boost today and I don't hate it! 

 

Reading - Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver. Has anyone read this? I'm about 3/4 of the way through it. and I have mixed feelings. I loved her Delirium & Pandemonium (haven't read Requiem yet). Next up on my list is The Witness by Nora Roberts.

Feeling - Much better today. I'm telling ya margarita therapy always does the job. Seriously though, I feel blessed today. Sometimes a bad day that turns into a couple bad days, can just mess with your head. Then a good day comes along and puts everything back in perspective. Plus, I got gorgeous flowers at work today so that always makes me smile! (even if they are from my boss and not a cute boy)

Weather - It's actually chilly today - low 60's supposed to thunderstorm later. I can't complain too much about the weather lately, but I am ready for April showers to be over. Bring on the May flowers!

Wanting - a fun weekend trip out of town! Dying to go see the Braves play this season - my boys are killing it! A sugar daddy....not the candy :) My face to clear up...maybe if I stopped eating junk then that would follow...

Thinking - Positive thoughts!

 

Enjoying - the relationships in my life - my family, best friends, co-workers, all my bloggy buddies - you guys lift me up more than you know and it's so important to me!

TO ALL MY 30 MILES IN 30 DAYS LINK UP GIRLS: I will NOT be posting tomorrow when I usually do for the April Week 4 Link Up. I'm waiting until next Tuesday the 30th to give myself everyone an extra weekend to get in your miles! Spread the Word!

 

Find a Man Who Can Make You Laugh

I think a lot of women have a "type" when it comes to dating men. I am a self proclaimed no type kinda girl. I told you here about how I am going through a country boy phase....and I am still totally into country boys, but I always love a boy who can make me laugh. I am a goofy person and I am automatically attracted to anyone with a sarcastic sense of humor like mine who can make me laugh. It's so sexy to me!

 

I just noticed that all these fellas have dark hair and half of them have brown eyes. I'm not usually attracted to guys with brown eyes, but apparently I will make an exception if you make me giggle.

 

Here are some of my current favorite funny men -

1. Vince Vaughn - he's probably my favorite of all time! Plus, I love really tall guys and he fits that bill. I think he's incredibly hot and he's sarcastic as hell.

2. John Krasinski - You gotta love Jim Halpert right? Well I vote absolutely yes. He never looks incredibly cute on the office, just the typical blue shirt and tie but he always looks hot on the red carpet. Again, with the tall thing - it just gets me!

3. Jason Sudeikis - I love him on SNL! Everytime I watch it I get more of a crush on him!

4. Paul Rudd - I have loved him since Clueless and he definitely won me over in Anchorman. Now he's a leading man and I just so get his sense of humor.

5. Jason Segel - If I give a shoutout to Jim on The Office, then you know I have to throw in a HIMYM reference. I love Marshall!

Who are your favorite funny men?

Weekend Update

I have a tiny case of the Mondays today...I don't want to play work week....I want to go back to playing weekend! I had a great weekend - if you consider two cute dates, drinking, sunshine & Jason Aldean great. The only downside was I didn't pay close attention to what I ate at all AND I didn't get in a workout. So yeah that whole DietBet thing that has 21 more days...I need to get on that! I plan on going for a nice long jog tonight after work and getting back into the swing of things today so hopefully there wasn't too much damage done.

 

I planned on taking wwaaaaayyyy more pictures, but sometimes when I'm drinking I forget! Then other times I take 1204923049724. Just depends on the day. You can find me on Instagram @nikkib918!

 

TN flag canvas that my BFF in Iowa made me...love her heart!

Sibling Love @ Jason Aldean concert

#shamelessselfie Here's a decent shot of ny new summer blonde hair!

Jason Aldean might be a Georgia boy but he knows you gotta rep the Power T when you come to Knoxville!

My sweet girls!

 

Friday Funnys

It's Friday - hip hop hoooooray hoooooo heeeeyyyyy hoooooo. Yesterday I was in the gym by 5:30am, worked from 7:30 until 8:30 then proceeded to go out to a bar with my co-workers  and do 6 shots of fireball then drink beer and watch the Braves kick ass. I drug in about 1:30 am and got about 5 hours of sleep. Good day in my book! I have a date tonight and a date Saturday night so I'm pretty excited about this weekend's potential. Plus, I get to see Jason Aldean and Jake Owen Saturday so there is nothing bad about that whatsoever!

 

Seriously though, I have a slight hangover today so we are keeping it simple. Friday funnys - let's giggle together!!!

Here's to a FAB weekend! Thank you to everyone who linked up yesterday for 30 in 30 too - you guys are such great motivation for me! Hugs to you ALL!

30 Miles in 30 Days - April Week 3

Short & Sweet today because I am a busy bee! I struggled a little bit this week with my cravings...but I have managed to keep it mostly in check. And my work schedule has been so busy that I haven't had much time to get in miles. I am absolutely dedicated to running BOTH Saturday & Sunday to get ahead of the game. Thanks to my wonderful friend Nikki (cute name, right?) who I can text a moment's notice and she offers me encouragement constantly. She even text me this morning to make sure my booty was in the gym at 530! She's awesome!



Don't forget to show some love to the sweet Ms. Sarah who created this super cute button for the link up!

 

So button up and let's keep each other motivated!

<a href="http://thepinkgrowl.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i979.photobucket.com/albums/ae274/venustrappedinmars/pinkgrowl.jpg"/></a>  

 

If you want to stay connected with me during the week, I am posting some updates via Twitter & Instagram {nikkib918} too. #30milesin30days Manda also posts her updates and she is a constant source of support for me! Now Kelly & Lins are also promoting this link up along with their own - Fitness Fridays! Check it out and link up your 30 Miles story for more people to get inspired by. I'm so glad to have all these ladies, plus the rest of you linking up on board!! THANK YOU!
 

 

Updates on This Week's Progress:

• I started DietBet yesterday so it's game ON for the next 28 days. I also got a new scale - a digital one because I was still using the dial kind. So my weight is a little different (about 3 lbs more on the new digital scale vs. the old one). Kinda sucks! 
• My Fitness Pal & My Polar FT4 HRM are GREAT motivational tools for me! If you want to friend me on MFP my username is {nikkibradley918}.
• Pinterest has been a great source to find some at-home 30 min or less circuit workouts. I am one of those cheezy people who gets fired up over motivational quotes too and you can always find some good ones on there!

My total miles for Week 2:

Friday 4/12

~1 mile warm up on stationary bike 16.4 rpm avg
~.5 mile walking cool down treadmill 3.4 mph avg pace

 = 1.5 miles total

Sunday 4/14

~1 mile warm up stationary bike
~1 mile jog treadmill 5.9 mph avg pace

= 2 miles total

Thursday 4/18

~1.5 miles stationary bike warm up avg pace 14.5 mph
= 1.5 miles total

 

TOTAL MILES FOR WEEK 3:  5 miles!
Total Miles for Challenge: 18 miles!
Only 12 more to go in 12 days!

 

 

What were your challenges this week?