The Road to Ragbrai 2011!

Adventures of a plus sized snowbunny!!! :)

2010-01-09T14:02:00.000-08:00

BRRRRRRRRRR!!! I so did not want to venture out into this winter wonderland today, but SOMEONE convinced me (thanks Carrie) to go and embrace the sunshine!! My first task was to get the 5 inches of snow OFF of my little car. I work from home as you know very well, and I haven't left my home in about 2 days. Shocking, I know!

So, broom in hand, hood up, mittens on, I tackled that snow!! and let me tell you, I felt invigorated! I don't know if it was the glistening of the white snow in the sun, or me just being in the sun, or possibly the feeling of being semi-productive, but I felt really great. That lasted until about 10 minutes later, when I realized that I had no clue as to what I wanted to do or where to go.

I ventured over to a fave discount book/cd/dvd/FABULOUS store, hoping to find something great, but only leaving empty handed. I really hate it when you get excited for something, and then you realize you just aren't into it once you get there. Ugh! So that didn't really get me anywhere... so I went to US Cellular and found out I can get a new phone at the end of Feb. Yay for me! After 18 months into your contract, you can buy a new phone under the discounted prices. So I am looking forward to that day.

I ended up at Family Video, where I found four movies to keep me preoccupied in my frozen tundra. Dane Cook had a new dvd out so I got that. The Devil Wears Prada, one of my FAVORITES, was there so I picked that up. The Waitress, which looks like one of those sappy lovey movies, but I got it anyway. And well the last one, I am not really sure what it is at the moment and don't want to go and check. Wow, I'm lazy.

Stopped at Hy-Vee for groceries. They had buy one get one free garlic bread so I got me some of that!! Going to make spaghetti tomorrow night with Troy. MMMMMMM So I got all those fixins, salad stuff (yes, I'm going to try to eat greens this week), and various odds/ends to tide me over for the week.
I really love to grocery shop. I don't like to shop shop, but for food, count me in! I guess that would have something to do with my size. You don't get this heavy without likin food a little bit! lol

I know this is a random blog, and really doesn't pertain to my Road to Ragbrai, get healthy yada yada thing, but hey, it's life. I simply didn't want to just NOT write cuz I didn't work out this week much. HAHA, even though that is why there is this gap between blogs. I am bad about that.. if I don't have anything positive to report or something to celebrate, I won't write. I guess though that this blog needs to capture those fail days as well, and I promise to do better letting you all in on my icky days as well.

But.... for now, I am on my way to Rock Island to go eat the seafood buffet with Bob.. Oh, I forgot to update. My plans have changed again. No sitting home watching movies for me tonight. Heading on down to the QCA. :) Why not!?
SO, time to get the boots out again, here I go!!!!
Smile today, cuz well, somebody's gotta!

Happy to the New Year!

2010-01-02T09:17:00.000-08:00

Well, it is the 2nd of the year 2010!! I am having one of those blah days. The kind of day where you just want to go curl up in bed and not get out until MOnday. LOL I rarely have these days either so it is VERY difficult for me. I'm thinking of my plan of attack for this day. I have to have a plan or else I will just sit on the computer like I did all day yesterday and not get anything done (like I didn't yesterday).

I was thinking of taking something back to the store, and then using the money (it was a Christmas present) to go on a date with myself to see New Moon!! Any friends I have that want to see this, live far enough away that it isn't totally worth it to spend money to drive there and then money to see the film. I love my friends, but I am not too wealthy myself at the moment. While going to a flick kinda isn't that thrilling to me, it might be fun. Hey, if you can't be happy by yourself and with yourself, how can you expect anyone else to be? So, those are my plans thus far. Oh, and getting to the gym today HAS to happen.

I realized something the other day when I started out on this journey. Troy (my bf) had always said it would be like a switch for me. I have been talking about getting in shape and taking care of myself for YEARS, but only until this week, did I finally have a lightbulb explode in my head, and now I just want to do it. I really acutally want to go to the gym. More than anything though, I kinda want to prove to myself that I can do this huge thing.. I will ride Ragbrai in 2011, I will be an athlete (at least in my definintion of one), and I will be accomplish what I and probably others didn't believe I would be able to do. It just makes me excited to do it! So, all this said, Troy was exactly right.. a switch was flicked in my heart and head, and I am doing this! NOt only that, but I have a cause.. I want to bring awareness of this disease to people and hope to do so within this year. More on that to come...

Smile, it's the beginning of something great! :)

Onward!

2009-12-29T16:29:00.000-08:00

if i had a horn, i would toot it to the sound of my racing pulse! i went to the gym people!!! God took me to the gym is what i should say, cuz i am positive that there are probably reasons that woulda kept me home.

i tracked my mileage, seeing how long it took me to get there and how many miles. this was to assist in my decision of wether or not to keep the membership or join the YMCA. well, only 6 miles, so i think i'll keep it for now. it is open 24/7. what if i woke up one morning at 3 and thought.."i think i want to work out", well, my gym would be available for me to do so. :)

so i only did 20 minutes on the treadmill. this kinda disappoints me because i was planning on 20 mins on the treadmill and then 10 or more on the bike, but the bikes were all taken when the walking was up. you would think i would just stay on the treadmill, but alas, i did not. instead i left for the night. i am proud of myself just for making it there. i am proud that i didn't let anything discourage my efforts. and i pray that tomorrow will be another successful day!

looking forward to new year's. troy and i are staying in this year. just going to have some valuable 'us' time we've been missing lately. will be great to just 'be' with him. you know, of all the things i love about him, the one thing i LOVE the most is that we can just be. i don't have to perform, or do anything spectacular; we dont' have to be doing anything or going anwhere super spiffy; we can just be, and in that being.. we are kinda more complete. at least i am. :)

ok, that was my sappy thought for the day. thanks for reading.. be blessed and please, do me a favor.. allow the world to see you smile today; you never know who you might help!

2009-12-28T18:17:00.000-08:00

Well well well... no YMCA tonight. I got there, only to find not much parking, and the only parking available was quite a bit away. I got to thinking though. I already have my gym membership; which is for a gym that is open all the time; and I pay only a couple of bucks more than the Y woulda been. I'm gonna just stay there and drive the extra miles. What the hay!?

I did not workout this evening though. Tomorrow... plan is set into motion. Well, the plan to get there is; not so much the training regimine. I know myself though. If I start too gung-ho, I'll get all worn down by week 2 and throw the ol' hands up, so I have to go at this at a good pace. Any suggestions out there??

Until tmorrow...

Day one of this crazy journey...

2009-12-28T13:39:00.000-08:00

Hi out there!
Yes, I am going to attempt to blog. I have chosen, as of this weekend, to pursue a goal for this coming year. It comes out of a time of great uncertainty and bewilderment about the future, but gives me such promise for what could be!

Confused yet? Let me help ya. My father died of pancreatic cancer almost 7 years ago now. While his death did not spur me onto changing anything in particular about my life, seeing someone very close to me have to deal with their parent having this disease, now makes me think a bit harder on my own life. Wierd how that works sometimes.

While I was talking with this person *whose name and identity shall remain annonymous*, they spoke of some Ragbrai trips that they took with thier son, and how it was amazing. When they said this, I immediately thought, "hey, I could go on Ragbrai in thier place". Better yet, I could go as a tribute to my father and now this man I love too.

In case you don't know what Ragbrai is, it is a bicycle ride across Iowa. It is over the span of a week that you complete this long journey. For me though, this journey will have to start now, as my body is in NOOOOOO shape to be sitting on a bike for hours upon hours.

So in case you haven't had your Wheaties today and can't pick up on the purpose for this blog, it is to announce *ahem*, Angela Eckert is going to ride hundreds of miles across Iowa in 2011 for Ragbrai. I have a lot of weight to lose, and some stamina (lots of it) to build, but I believe I can do it.

My purpose for starting a blog though is this; accountability. The more people know, the more there is to let down. I realize you don't really necessarily care if I do it or not, but in my head at least, if I know others are rooting me on, it spurs me on to not disappoint. Encouragement is one of the keys to success I believe.

I hope to be entertainineg enough in these blogs, but they will be chronicles of my journey in weight-loss, self-discovery, being active, and just overall life-changing events.

So, I'm on my way now to the YMCA for a membership.. let the blogging (and journey) begin!!!!