Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

It's 16 degrees right now, which for Seattle is really COLD!<br /><br />I was out the door this morning at 5:30am headed for the gym (it was 20 degrees). I got to the end of our street, turned around and came home. Even though I grew up in Alaska and know how to drive in snow and ice, I don't have studded snow tires or 4-wheel drive. I decided only a fool would risk their life just to go work out. <br /><br />I worked from home today because the roads were horrible so I went to the gym on my lunch. Not my best workout because I was rushed, but at least I went in spite of the roads. I increased all my weights by an extra five pounds. Even my concentrated bicep curls, I used a 25-pound dumbbell on the last set of 8. It wasn't as painful as I expected but I'm a little sore. I'm trying to amp up my strength training a little. I've been doing the same size of weights for too long, it's time to bump them up a little.<br /><br />Not much else going on except that. I'm completely stressed out over a work project that is suppose to be code complete by tomorrow. It's not done. Almost, but not quite. Theoretically I still have the four-day holiday but it makes me sick to think about working over the holiday. <br /><br />This afternoon when I was dealing with a particularly complicated problem I could actually feel my blood pressure going up. I have a blood pressure cuff and it was at 154/72. Yikes! Normally I'm 120/60, so this isn't good. <br /><br />My eating isn't perfect, I tend to eat too much when I get stressed. I know, crazy isn't it? I haven't gone totally nuts on the food, just a couple slices of my favorite bread (remember, there were two loaves), and maybe too many grapes, and a handful of marshmallows. I don't even like marshmallows and they're only in the house because of Thanksgiving.<br />This is a weird post. Scattered. Boring. Sort of like how I'm feeling tonight.

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

It's 16 degrees right now, which for Seattle is really COLD! I was out the door this morning at 5:30am headed for the gym (it was 20 deg...

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Blog Interview: Bobbi from Nhershoes

While I am cruising the tropical Caribbean waters I thought I would keep you guys entertained with a few posts! Today's comes from one of my favorite blogs, <a href="http://www.bobbimccormick.com/">Bobbi at Nhershoes</a>. If you haven't visted her blog before, it's a MUST read!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0IiLx9ugg3alIGZbwmbG4mC8JLzb6r156w1NXZPAZ33MamSh6wMlszppWdbUelRIVas_k9PuR1YelZs-_4-_HaOBxmT5o8tB9NNp65vasSwb65Huqg-yvbWT89Cq3m_TpdlTuCpkdZ2Ne/s1600/bobbi.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540171035536148386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0IiLx9ugg3alIGZbwmbG4mC8JLzb6r156w1NXZPAZ33MamSh6wMlszppWdbUelRIVas_k9PuR1YelZs-_4-_HaOBxmT5o8tB9NNp65vasSwb65Huqg-yvbWT89Cq3m_TpdlTuCpkdZ2Ne/s400/bobbi.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 282px; height: 400px;" /></a> She is a rock star athlete, creative in the kitchen, and just overall such a fun, beautiful, honest person! Bobbi always has great tips & is so up beat! Check out the "interview" I had with her!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">Let’s start with a general question! Tell us about a little about yourself.</span></span><br /> <br />I am one busy women who is trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle in a crazy busy world. I wear several different hats every day as a wife, cook, runner, athletic director, registrar , blogger, small business owner, coach, and kickboxing instructor!<br /> <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">What made you want to start blogging?</span></span><br /><br />I wanted to write about my Boston Marathon training and then it just grew from there. I just started reading a lot of other blogs and just got more and more inspired.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">You are in such great shape! Have you ever struggled with your weight?</span></span><br /> <br />I went in to college at 5′5 and 155 pounds (I lied on my driver license and put 150 because that seemed smaller to me). I started my college education as a Kinesiology major because I wanted to be a PE teacher one day, and this was how I thought I would lose all the weight. Well I was partially right. I began to exercise a whole lot because all my classes were exercise classes. I had yoga in the mornings, Akido in the afternoon, and kickboxing at night. I was also taking nutrition classes and learning a little about what the right things were to eat. I slowly started knocking the weight off, but I <span style="font-weight:bold;">wasn’t doing it the healthy way</span>. I remember people saying to me, man you look great, keep it up. I was so happy but started to get depressed. I knew that I was messing with God’s temple. The breaking point was when I got down to <span style="font-weight:bold;">10 wheat thins, and an apple a day</span>. I was <span style="font-weight:bold;">starving myself</span>. How could have I have gotten this far? How was I justifying this? I was falling a part. I got some help and started developing a better relationship with food, better but not great.<br /><br />My sophomore year I left to Memphis Tennessee, the third obesity state. Don’t get me wrong they have some great food in the south, but a lot of it is full of grease and salt. I knew what to eat, and I tried to stay healthy but college got the best of me, and I had one to many beers and free pizza dinners. I gained all my weight back plus some. I was in a size 12 and still fighting to get down to 15o even though that was still considered overweight for my body frame I thought 150 was fine. I finally decided to bust out the old running shoes and start running again. I took it easy and got back in to running shape; well at least I could do a good three miles without dieing. I then started to get inspired and motivated I loved the way I felt when I ran. I was born to run! I have and will always love it. I knew that I was going down a path to freedom. <br /><br />My senior year of college I decided to do my first marathon, St. Jude. I started training with a friend who had to drop out, so I finished the training on my own. I didn’t have any kind of plan, I just ran when I could and did long runs on the weekends. I had no idea that I should be taking goo’s or doing interval training and yoga was out of the question. I still ate OK, not great. Had those late night Chilli’s runs oh so often with happy hour margaritas! I ran that marathon the best I could and hated it. I remember hitting 18 miles wanting to run off that road and go home! I ran the whole thing and got a 4:20 and was proud of myself!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizFVHotF7f7qF4QMmVEy68P3n5Xx2r1BJsLwB6Y_NhqoZXfrJyTMEUDgdnxjcDriWjDSm9RwJbmAgBGdF85IPHYDFQjlaafw82ZJpSnmMZfgcSmxOyli8Lm7WQhEZKLpw6H5N0EIriwTHd/s1600/bobbi+race.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540189040051122882" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizFVHotF7f7qF4QMmVEy68P3n5Xx2r1BJsLwB6Y_NhqoZXfrJyTMEUDgdnxjcDriWjDSm9RwJbmAgBGdF85IPHYDFQjlaafw82ZJpSnmMZfgcSmxOyli8Lm7WQhEZKLpw6H5N0EIriwTHd/s400/bobbi+race.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">What is your exercise regimen?</span></span><br /> <br />I try and do a little bit of everything so I don't get BORED! When I am not training for a marathon I run at least 2-3 times a week. Do yoga twice a week, ride my bike somewhere in there, and hit kickboxing 3 times a week. I make sure to take at least 1 rest day a week.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">I know you’ve done quite a few marathons, what have you learned from all those races?</span></span><br /> <br />That each one was HARD! Mostly mental but physically too.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">Your house is so cute, I love how you decorate! What would you say is the style of your home?</span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZn2exavBCuSBcmWkq_fN6w7LSBBc82NfTHCilJTRlFvLlfpDdn24Zh7Pt_8UKyBrZFateWHs3f0bZd7SulogYGgO_qk7tXlvT57x5eXBwmW7WUVXYD-KxdQ-HncXnbu_nCzO5lrpydo5O/s1600/bobbihouse.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540171062040955154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZn2exavBCuSBcmWkq_fN6w7LSBBc82NfTHCilJTRlFvLlfpDdn24Zh7Pt_8UKyBrZFateWHs3f0bZd7SulogYGgO_qk7tXlvT57x5eXBwmW7WUVXYD-KxdQ-HncXnbu_nCzO5lrpydo5O/s400/bobbihouse.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" /></a><br /> Well thanks girl! Hmm, not sure I guess I would say Modern Chic :)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEyVFDufhI30hHRHYcCFje4C_6vq0jyM_dU6BOCRb9tVSZLUfIIyUHAslbA_lY4u0FRwXi2Yd6mcO2Xj9i3VGVNMvqWUZdstr7JL-eB3BQ_7p_1nEuVCiAhIp4beVwqKehvPLLgXNkmO9m/s1600/bobbihouse1.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540181954627476530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEyVFDufhI30hHRHYcCFje4C_6vq0jyM_dU6BOCRb9tVSZLUfIIyUHAslbA_lY4u0FRwXi2Yd6mcO2Xj9i3VGVNMvqWUZdstr7JL-eB3BQ_7p_1nEuVCiAhIp4beVwqKehvPLLgXNkmO9m/s400/bobbihouse1.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">I know you like to entertain, what is your favorite “go to” meal when you have dinner guests?</span></span><br /> <br />Anything in the crockpot or pasta!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">What is your food weakness?</span></span><br /> <br />Salsa and Chips!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">With the holiday’s right around the corner, what do you do to stay on track with the “busy-ness” of the season and all the food at gatherings?</span></span><br /> <br />I am a little OCD with planning. For instance I have already written out my gift lists and put down days to shop and things to do for the Holiday season in my calander :) We keep a family calander with google and a hard calandar for myself to write down tasks.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">Name one fun fact about yourself.</span></span><br /> <br />I have four younger brothers and I tend to have more guy friends then girls because of it!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">Who is your role model or who inspires you?</span></span><br />I think people who really go out and do their dreams and don't worry about failing!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrqf2SDVc4M3cuJGJ35ajTY1TBqhVmW4NhuhDgs5xiKQ8Mf07jgENASrXq9C0Z6asfHqb0MIeo1JSNPNU_5gHAgLpMkos7UsJAeNyYloolVvDk0IAPMLs1LcUriaQbMSn8Ik3oUlqeUrjb/s1600/bobbi1.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540188278628709170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrqf2SDVc4M3cuJGJ35ajTY1TBqhVmW4NhuhDgs5xiKQ8Mf07jgENASrXq9C0Z6asfHqb0MIeo1JSNPNU_5gHAgLpMkos7UsJAeNyYloolVvDk0IAPMLs1LcUriaQbMSn8Ik3oUlqeUrjb/s400/bobbi1.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 301px;" /></a><br /><br />Thanks for your time Bobbi! You are so inspiring! You can go to her blog <a href="http://www.bobbimccormick.com/">here</a>.

Blog Interview: Bobbi from Nhershoes

While I am cruising the tropical Caribbean waters I thought I would keep you guys entertained with a few posts! Today's comes from one o...

Read more »