That's Right...Another Post!

What?! Two days in a row you get to hear from me! This is a record...so enjoy it while it lasts! Yesterday after writing my post I eventually got off my booty and headed to the gym. I ran 3 miles and then swam 300 meters...I felt kind of lame because it was exhausting just swimming those consecutive laps...and knowing that I wasn't even a third of the way that I will be when it comes time for the tri was a little intimidating...thankfully, however, that is why I am training! :) 

While swimming I chipped my tooth because I was grinding my teeth really weird...and by the time I was aware of what I was doing I had already chipped my tooth...and then I skinned the top of my hand along the side of the pool wall...so me and swimming have a ways to go! One day at a time! Right!? :D

It wouldn't be so bad if I didn't know that I had to
care for patients tomorrow! 

Today I biked 8 miles and did strength training. It felt good. I think it really helps having something to train for and to look forward too...I'm also really enjoying mixing up my workouts. For so long I was just running day in and day out and I think I burned myself out...so knowing my runs aren't quite as big and long makes working out a lot easier. I definitely worked up a sweat today. I worked out with my friend Krystal and she was laughing at my butt sweat...and I figure y'all would get a kick out of it as well...so I took a booty sweat picture:

Good stuff right there!!

Tomorrow is my first night shift...so I think I'll probably sleep tonight, wake up, workout, do a little grocery shopping for my work week, and then come home and nap before my shift. So far today my diet has been in check...yesterday I tracked everything I ate...and today it has been the same. I've been really enjoying a popsicle after my workouts!! It's so refreshing and just enough sweetness to give me a little sugar satisfaction!! 

So that my dear friends is the latest and greatest! Slowly but surely...one day at a time!

Back amongst the living!

Well what do you know?! I still live and breath...and eat! :D It has been a while since I've had the time to write. Sorry to all who have thought I jumped off of the face of the earth and left you in the dark. I have been busy with my orientation on my new unit...which I absolutely love and adore. This week I transition over to night shift so prayers for smooth transition and adjusting to being a vampire again would be greatly appreciated! 

While I'm sure y'all are dying to hear all my work stories but I know that's not what you really come here to read....so I'll get down to the nitty gritty. I have been lazy. I have enjoyed being lazy. I have successfully gained and lost 10 pounds about 20 times these past few months and...while it was real and it was fun...it just wasn't real fun! So, time to stop selling myself short and time to get back on the saddle and finish what I started. Time to start making dreams come true again!

Today I cringed as I saw 213.4 on the scale. I don't really know what I expect to see since my diet has been far from stellar and my exercise has definitely been lagging lately. So I can't change what is done and what hasn't been done...but I can change what I do from here on out. 

My time-off in September was approved and as some of y'all may remember there is a triathlon in Gulf Shores, Alabama that my sister, Erika was telling me about. This triathlon has a 1.5k swim, 40k bike, and 6 mile run. I have been wondering if I could really be ready by the time this triathlon is scheduled to occur...September 12, to be precise...but after a phone call to my sister I have been convinced that I'm more than capable of training for this!

I've been doing my homework and found a training plan that I really like the looks of. It consists of working out basically 6 days a week and has AM and PM workouts which I think will work well with my work schedule...so I can go for a swim before going into work and then run outside when I get home in the mornings. Or go for a bike ride before or after I work. I need to purchase a road bike...I'm hoping to make my big purchase within the next week or so!

I have been running..normally around 3 miles about 3 times a week...but I have been eating way more than I've been burning...hence my not-so-shocking weigh-in. I can feel the weight in my stomach, see it in my face, and feel the sluggishness in general and I'm tired of it. I was looking back at my pictures from my Dallas 5K...and I don't think I ever shared them on my blog! So I shall share them now with y'all!! Hope you enjoy...and I'll write again soon!

Hahaha...selfie after "the poop disaster"

I think the lady's face to the left of Erika sums up the way I smelt here!

I love this picture...my face says it all...this is probably 0.2 miles left in the run!
I can still hear Erika saying, "don't stop Maggie...go catch up with David!"

And so I did...but not without having a mini hissy fit before! :)

And the pain was worth it

I like to call us the dream team...making dreams come true...
one day at a time!

I like that they let us customize our bibs, "Fight to Fit"

The truth hurts!

Oh my goodness...it has been a while since I've taken the time to sit down and write. It's not that I haven't necessarily had the time as much as I haven't wanted to write about the latest and not so greatest on my journey! I feel like since November I've been writing nothing but bad reports...but you know what...I'm done feeling sorry for myself and I'm ready to really get back on track. So here it goes! Two weeks ago I weighed 212...last week I weighed 208.8...this week I weighed in at 209.2. I'd like to be real coy and act like I have no idea why I have gained so much weight in the matter of a few weeks but I freaking know why...I have not been working out as much as I need to and I sure as heck have not been tracking my calories...I'm pretty sure I've had some significant 2500-3500 calorie days lately! That's just me keeping it real...the truth hurts!

I went for a run with my sister today and thought that I had to be running at at least a 10:30 pace by the way I was breathing...yeah I looked at my watch and it said my pace was 11:35!!! DANG IT! So what now?! Well, I've got to write out my schedule and start to write in and make time for my workouts. I've got to count every single calorie I place in my mouth as much of a pain as that can be. I've just got to do it. I keep thinking back to when I was doing really well and wonder what I was doing to succeed...I was doing what had to be done regardless of whether or not I felt like doing it. When I was exhausted after a long day at work I still went to the gym. When there was cake and ice cream and soda all around at work I only ate what I brought and said, "NO!". That's what I've got to get back to doing. 

I'm in the process of finding a bike to purchase so I can start mixing up my cross-training. I also have started taking a class at Defined called Body Pump...which freaking rocks! I really want to try and build lean muscle because I know that'll be a huge help on my weight loss journey. I also just talked to my sister Erika this afternoon and she mentioned a triathlon in Alabama this September...I've always wanted to do a triathlon but have just been talk so far and no action...so I'm tired of talking and ready to put my actions where my mouth is! So as long as my time off gets approved at work I'm doing this triathlon with her!! I'm really excited for it...it's a little bit farther than the sprint distance...they call it intermediate so it's a 1.5k swim and 40k bike and a 6 mile run!! So I'm praying my time off is approved so I can purchase my spot in the race! 

So, am I where I want to be? No. But I think I can safely say I'm ready to get back on track. My words mean nothing though...I've got to back it all up with my actions and I've got to get serious about it again! Here are a few pictures I'll share! I'll try and write a little more frequently but I am in the middle of orienting on my new unit so that does take up a little more time currently...but I'll try and write more than I have in the last few weeks! ;) Have a great day...enjoy the pictures!

Full frontal!! :)

Side view!

Me and Abs on our 4-mile run

View on our run in my most favorite place: The Bosque!!

Life in General

I’m taking a break this post from writing about my weight-loss journey to share a little about life in general. I’m in my last two weeks in my current position at the hospital as a charge nurse. I have been given the job on the Family Birthing Center at the hospital and will be transferring positions in two weeks. It will be a 14-16 week orientation, classes, and night shift. I wrote this a couple nights ago while reflecting on all that I’ve seen and done since becoming a nurse. It was my goal to become a great IV starter…and that has happened (thanks to all my patients for your graciousness in the beginning when I wasn’t quite so great at poking). It was my goal to be engaged and involved on my unit and I have been the chairman of our shared governance council for the past year, I also have been a clinical practice leader and helped teach skills labs to newer nurses. It was not my goal to become a charge nurse…but God had other plans for me and for the past year I have had the privilege of being a charge nurse on my floor on the day shift. I have learned so much about leadership and what it means to be a good leader and I pray the nurses I leave behind feel as if I have been a leader and not a manager.

My heart is breaking slightly when I think of leaving my current position as charge nurse on GMU2. My home. This is where I learned to fly…this is where I learned to swim when I thought I was going to drown. This is where I learned that kindness goes a long ways. This is where I learned that practice really does make for a great IV master. This is where I learned there’s no such thing as a dumb question. This is where I learned people are broken, lost, and longing for someone to care for them without judgment and without assumptions. This is where I learned that C. Diff smells…awful…and looks just as terrible. This is where I learned people need help dying graciously. This is where I learned a smile never hurt anyone. This is where I learned to double check, triple check, and quadruple check my orders. This is where I learned that mistakes happen. This is where I learned you can get up and keep moving after a mistake has happened. This is where I learned falls suck. This is where I learned nurses, techs, doctors, pharmacists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapist, house supervisors, and even managers are some of the most amazing people you’ll meet and befriend. This is where I learned to never assume your patient has pooped, peed, or eaten. This is where I learned you can never communicate too much. This is where I learned people get extremely angry when you say they’re “NPO”. This is where I learned the importance of shared governance. This is where I learned my heart is capable of more love than I ever imagined. This is where I learned never to assume a patient is difficult just because they’ve been labeled that way. This is where I learned taking the time to actually sit down in a chair and listen is one of the best things you can do. This is where I learned you really do have enough time to sit down. This is where I learned I love my patients above my own needs…my bladder can vouch for this one. This is where I learned that even though I love my patients…I still need to take time to eat…for everyone’s safety. This is where I learned that given enough time, enough show of kindness, and enough love anyone will come out of their shell. This is where I learned to believe in myself.

I guess what I’m trying to say is this: Nursing is not just a job. Nursing is not just a paycheck. Nursing is not just a career. Nursing is a way of life. Nursing is who I am. Nursing is engraved in my heart, my soul, and my bones. Nursing hurts. Nursing is underappreciated. Yet, nursing is so rewarding. When you get to discharge your patient home and see them completely opposite of what they were when they came in...Or in some cases realizing there’s nothing else we can do medically…but keeping them comfortable and helping them transition in the last stage of their life is our goal. I love people. I love handling conflict. I love implementing change. I love teaching. I love learning. I love nursing.

Now it’s time for me to start a new chapter in my nursing career. I’ve spent almost 3 years on a medical-surgical floor and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. The last year I have spent as a charge nurse and I’m so blessed to have had that opportunity. I absolutely recommend to every new nurse to start out on med-surg. The experience, knowledge, and practice you gain from this kind of nursing are irreplaceable. I’ve always known I wanted to go into midwifery and now is the time for me to start making the transition. I’m in the process of determining where I will go for my Master’s to become a Nurse-Midwife. In looking at schools it has become clear that all the programs require experience in labor and delivery…and so that is where I’m headed. I’m so blessed to be starting in a couple weeks at the Family Birthing Center. I can’t wait to meet more amazing nurses, be a small part in someone’s story, and hopefully make changes for the better. My brain is beyond excited when it thinks of the challenges ahead of me…of all the learning that will occur and all the growth that will come from it. I pray God will use me, guide me, lead me, and allow me to be a light as I continue on in this field. I pray to be the hands and feet of God in patient’s joy…and in their sorrow. I’m reminded of Proverbs 16:9 “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.” Oh Lord, that you would establish my steps. That you would lead me where you want me to go. That I would follow when I hear your call. Psalm 37:23 “The LORD makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him.” Thus far Lord you have clearly made each step clear to me and planted me where I am. Thank you for leading me…and thank you for for continuing to lead me each step of my journey!

Prayers are appreciated as I make this transition. I’ll be going back to working night shift…so learning to adjust my workouts and eating habits again will be difficult but worth the struggle. That’s where I’m at and what has been laying heavy on my heart so thank you for allowing me to hijack my weight-loss blog with a nursing blog post!! J

Final Stories of Dallas (part 5)

You've all been good sports...and hopefully you've enjoyed my retellings of my time in Dallas...sorry this last one took a bit to get posted...I had technical difficulties getting pictures to upload! Here's a recap of my last couple days out there!

Monday I got to spend the day with my darling sister-in-law Elise who had asked for the day off. So initially we went to uptown and took the trolley to Clyde Warran Park with Erika, Mom, and the boys, and our friend Haylee and her kiddos who had made it into town the night before!! It was the perfect day. I got to spin a bunch of random kiddos on a merry-go-round…I may have accidentally spun one or two off of the merry go round…but that is neither here nor there and they both got back up laughing so I took that as a good sign ;) After playing for a bit Elise and I went our separate ways for a sister date! We went to this place called the truck yard…it’s way to amazing to even try to describe…you should check it out here http://texastruckyard.com and go visit it if you’re ever in Dallas! From there we went on a scenic hike together…even though the building was closed there was a worker outside that said we could walk around…and walk around we did! It was so beautiful:

It was a beautiful day for our little hike…and a memorable one as well! :D Sometimes it’s nice to be able to walk, talk, and get things off of your chest…and that’s just what I was able to do with Elise…as well as reap some wisdom and guidance! I’m so appreciative for those who hear the ugliest about me and still think I’m beautiful. It’s so nice to know that I can be completely honest and transparent without fear of being chastised. Finding that is a beautiful thing…and keeping it is a treasure! Monday was a great day!

Monday evening David, Erika, and I decided we’d go for a 6-miler in the morning…before I knew what happened I was being awoken for our morning run and about 15 minutes later we were out the door and on our way. It was a peaceful morning starting out. As we ran my mind just wandered and reflected on how much I used to dream about being able to go out for “an easy 6 miles” with David and Erika…and I was living that dream. I didn’t have a lot to say on the run but I loved listening to Erika and David talk. I loved hearing them encourage one another, lift one another up, and just love on each other. Halfway through the run we started running through swarms of gnats…and it was nasty! Like I swallowed, inhaled, exhaled, and blinked gnats! I felt like a drama queen…but each time we’d hit a swarm they’d go in your mouth and it’d make you cough and it was so difficult to breath with them pelting your face. Well…At around mile 5 David looked over at me and I’m pretty sure his jaw skimmed the ground…and he said, “Maggie don’t touch your face!” at that point Erika glanced my way and started cracking up hysterically…I felt my face and nearly died…I fought the urge to go jump in a puddle somewhere! The rest of the run Erika would just slightly glance my way and start giggling…I knew my face was a sight to behold…I just hope the other runners saw it as they passed us and heeded my warning not to go farther! Well, after we finished our run David took my picture and I was disgusted when I saw this:

I even had gnats in my eye!!! IN MY EYE!!! Yeah, so I do not envy David and the runs he will enjoy in Dallas while trying to stay afloat in the flood of gnats. Yuck. Another one of those… “Been there, don’t want to do that again” moments!! But I enjoyed my run…and the company so I wouldn’t have traded that for anything!

The rest of the trip was just spent enjoying one another’s company and making more memories that camera and words could not capture. Before I knew it Wednesday was here and it was time for me to fly home and head back to reality. But I needn’t shed any tears…for I know I’ll have more great experiences next year!! So it wasn’t really goodbye just…until next time!

Untold Stories of Dallas: Half Marathon (Part 4)

4 days straight of posting!! :D Hope you're not getting tired of them!! Here comes more...no graphic content this time though! 

Sunday March 22, 2015:

Sunday morning was here before we knew it…and so I got ready quickly, had some coffee, ate a Greek yogurt, went to the bathroom slightly afraid of what could happen today in the porta-potties! Before we knew it we were on our way to the Dart station to head to the start line. This year there was no official designated parking area for the half marathon…but it ended up working out for our benefit. We just took the dart railway which is just down the street from David and Elise’s place and that took us directly to the start line! We didn’t have to worry about parking so that was nice.

We made it to the start with roughly 30 minutes to spare and so we each went to the bathroom…before actually sitting on the commode I sat about 20+ feet of toilet paper in each direction of the toilet making a lovely thrown for my toosh to sit on…not wanting a repeat of yesterday’s misfortunes! Thankfully no one had a tragic porta-potty story and so we all continued on to check our bags and head towards the start line.

It was already determined that Erika was going to run with David where his goal was to run the half in an hour and fifty minutes! I was going to run with Olivia and encourage her as she ran her first half marathon!! So we all took a pre-run picture at reunion tower together…

Excited to get our run on!!

…from there Erika and David headed to their start corral and Olivia and I headed to ours!! :D David and Erika were really fortunate to be such speedy runners because they got to start almost right away…I believe they were in corral three right behind the Olympic medalist Deena Kastor! Olivia and I were in Corral 13 so by the time we actually got started David and Erika had already been running for about 40 minutes…I told Olivia that by that point they had already ran about 4 miles!!

But hey…while we were waiting we took advantage of the selfie time:

Feeling the excitement of our run!

I could tell that Olivia was nervous and she got a little emotional at the start of it all…which I could completely understand. I felt bad that we had to wait so long to actually get it started. With all of my runs I’ve done I’ve made it there in just enough time to jump into my corral and go…so there hasn’t been that extra time to think about what’s about to happen, if you can do it, and the challenges you’re going to have to overcome.

Finally, after the wait we were on our way! This years course was different from last year and I absolutely LOVED it! Initially we ran through some gorgeous buildings and the architecture was so beautiful. We got to run through the historic site where JFK was shot, we ran over a bridge and came back over the Margaret Hunt Hill bridge which is so amazing and the point where I actually took out my phone for a picture is when we were just past the bridge and had an awesome view of downtown Dallas:

Beautiful Downtown Dallas...and as you can see it was a lovely overcast day! 

A glance of reunion tower where we had started out!

At that point we were at mile 8 and Olivia was doing awesome! We had been running for just under 2 hours and we got the text that Erika and David had completed the half in 1:51:41!!! We kept on trekking and around mile 9 is when I noticed Olivia having a hard time…there comes a time in everyone’s run…especially where you have expectations for yourself that you start to struggle…all those thoughts, emotions, doubts, fear etc come rushing into your mind telling you that you can’t do it…so I just kept encouraging her and reminding her that she could do it. At one point she said, “I’m doing this so the boys can see that they can do whatever they set their mind to!” What a great reason and example to set for her kiddos!! So regardless of the pain, doubt, and fear she had she kept pushing! From mile 9-10 there was a strip where music was playing continually…it was awesome and a great way to keep the runners pumped and pushing. I was texting Erika updates and around mile 10 she said they were going to start walking towards us to run the last bit with us. At mile 11 we turned onto my most favorite scenic part: turtle creek…it’s so beautiful and it was lined with spectators.

At mile 12 we spotted Erika and David and they hopped in with us! It was so much fun to be able to have them join us so we could all finish together. At one point we were passing one of the camera mans…and in true David fashion he jumped up in the air hoping for his mad hops to be captured on film…they cameraman told him to do it again to which David obliged and the guys said, “GOT IT!” Well…he sure did…I haven’t bought the picture so there’s still the copyright across the screen but I had to share:

David has mad hops!!

With about half a mile left to go Olivia picked it up and started running…and with maybe 0.2 miles left Olivia grabbed my hand and we sprinted to the finish lines!! It was one of the most fun finishes I’ve ever done…filled with joy, pride, and excitement!!! SHE DID IT!!! :D Olivia ran her first half marathon!!

Pure Joy!!

So proud of Olivia!!

We did it!! 

We went through the finishers shoot and collected as many goodies as possible. Maybe like a dozen power bars, several Gatorades, some chocolate milk, bags of potato chip, you name it we grabbed it! We then went and collected our checked bags so we could pull out our sweaters and warmer clothing…Erika and Olivia went to the bathroom…I passed on that ;) We went and bought a couple tops to commemorate the day:

After we hit up the Dunkin Donuts tent and got some free iced coffee we then went to retrieve our free beers. After we retrieved our beverages David or Erika I can’t remember which pointed to the tent and said, “Hey it’s the girl from yesterday!” And sure enough…there she was…Annie was her name, I believe. She is the woman that took our picture in front of woolly the mammoth the day before! She was so genuine and sweet and has such an electric personality that catches you the minute you make eye contact with her. So we had to take a picture with her as well!!

Afterwards we walked to the Dart Station and waited for our train to arrive. Once on the train Erika and David told us what they saw happen on their walk to find us as we were finishing our run. Just beyond mile 12 there was a man on the ground and a woman was performing CPR on the individual. There was a band at that area and David said they didn't stop playing but they played quietly and respectfully. Although people were watching it sounded like everyone was being respectful and not panicking. Erika said she and David just held each other and prayed for the man and the woman performing CPR and at one point Erika felt the Holy Spirit leading her to say, "In Jesus Name that heart start beating again" and shortly after she said that they put a blanket over the man...people started to clear and Erika said she could see the man taking big deep breathes. As it turns out throughout the run there are individuals running uniforms called Race Guards. These are individuals who are trained in First Aid, CPR, and AED trained. The woman performing CPR on the  gentleman was Dr. Laura Dowd. Erika and David went up to her later and thanked her for what she did...she said when the man came to he said something along the lines of, "Thanks babe" to which she replied, "That's Dr. Babe to you!" :D What an awesome organization to be a part of and what a testament to the power of prayer and those who respond to the calling! Has me thinking I should look into being a part of the Race Guards! 

Well after our eventful day we went home, napped, hit up the park for a barbecue and fun evening with family and friends!! It was indeed a great day!