That's Just Dopey!

Jeremy PR'ed the 26.2 & has announced
his retirement from full marathons.

My biggest news of the past week is that my brother-in-law logged 48.6 miles in 4 days at Walt Disney World!  A few years back my bro-in-law, Jeremy, decided he wanted to do something epic… he wanted to become a runner.  My sister Anne and I followed along with the idea and became runners too!  Over the weekend, Anne and Jeremy were in Florida for the Walt Disney World Marathon weekend where Jeremy completed his ultimate goal, the Dopey Challenge.

What, you might ask, is the Dopey Challenge?  Well that crazy son-of-a-gun ran a 5K on Thursday, a 10K on Friday, a half marathon on Saturday (along with my sister Anne), and the full marathon on Sunday!! In the process he earned two additional medals for the Goofy Challenge (half + full) and the Dopey Challenge (all four races)!!

Jeremy's inspirational message for you: "If you put your mind to it, it can probably drag your ass to the finish line!" He also added that "Princesses love finishers!"  You can follow Jeremy and Anne on Instagram:  Jeremy is @mrbasseypants and Anne is @boilerbean1.

My Bondi Band headband doubles as
an excellent lightweight ear warmer!

As for me, on Saturday while they were running a half marathon, which my sister said was the most hot and humid race she has ever run, I was running through icy slush puddles in beautiful Chicago, where I ran the Polar Dash 5K!  My unofficial time was 35:26, which WILL BE my slowest 5K of the year as I work my way back to 28:30 in 2014!  (As long as I gave my sis and bro-in-law Instagram shout-outs, I might as well reiterate mine: @joangrott

And finally, just an update on my on-going Shakeology “experiment”… after having hit a weight-loss plateau at 217 pounds, I’m now down to 205 after six weeks of replacing my breakfast with Beachbody’s Shakeology.  This is the only major change to my routine, and I now truly believe that Shakeology is helping me correct the nutritional piece of my health and fitness puzzle!

I am an Independent Team Beachbody Coach, and my team will be conducting a Shakeology Test Panel for the month of February to celebrate the all-new strawberry flavor that just launched.  If you are interested in learning more, contact me quickly, as space is limited!  If you’re on Facebook, visit tinyurl.com/StrawberryYum for more details.

For more on my Shakeology experiences, check out the following two recent blog posts:

• 12/26/13:  -7 Pounds in 3 Weeks
• 1/6/14:  I'll Give it a 10

I’ll Give it a 10!

It’s a snow day here in northwest Indiana…the best true blizzard we’ve had since I was a wee little one! Everything is closed, even the interstates, we’re under a state of emergency, and I’m looking at a 4-foot drift on my patio! (Oh, and it’s cold, -15*F with a wind chill that makes it feel like -38.)

Despite all that I’m having a 10-star day…

It’s Monday, which is my weigh-in day. After a long-held weight-loss plateau, I’m down 10 pounds in the past five weeks! And in an effort to keep it real with you…my starting weight was 217, and I’m down to 207! The thought of getting into the 100s is quite exciting, as it’s been a loooooong time since I was there (despite what my driver’s license may say). I’m just super-excited about this recent weight-loss trend, as I was stalled out for sooooo long. (See more about this in this blog post.)

Who needs a bullet blender?! The bottom
of your blender pitcher fits a mason jar!

After five weeks, I’m now confident in saying that Shakeology is helping me correct the nutritional piece of the health and fitness puzzle! It’s my insurance… it is one easy thing I can do right EVERY single day! It is the healthiest meal of my day, EVERY DAY! It’s way more than a protein shake; it’s a nutrient-dense and all-natural super food shake! Learn more here.

So, I dropped 10 pounds. And then, as I scrolled through my Facebook timeline today I learned that I was selected to be a Social Media Ambassador for Bondi Band! I first encountered Bondi Band at my first-ever 10K…the Sunburst Races in South Bend, IN back in June 2011. They offer a variety of hats, headbands, and compression socks, and in most of my race pictures you’ll see me sporting one of their headbands! Stay tuned for more information about my ambassadorship with Bondi Band!

Me in my fav Bondi Band at the April 2013
Dyngus Day Dash 5K - 2nd place Athena!