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*Brief note from yesterday’s post: I got several private messages from people who all expressed feeling “lost” too. I think this must be a common experience, but the remedy is unknown. As someone recently told me: trust your instincts. It’s not easy to do, but your soul always knows the answer. Listen. Then act. If it sounds like I am talking to myself, then you are interpreting correctly. 
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I am FED UP with the loose skin on my stomach!! After doing some online research (and we all know how reliable that is…) I have come up with 3 action points. #1- Drink more water. (Even though I already drink a ton.) #2- Slather my body in Nivea Skin Firming Lotion twice a day. #3- Do core exercises (upper & lower) every morning before work. Time to be proactive!
My younger sister Rachel, who is a Physical Therapist, also pointed out that my butt had “fallen off”. Good times. So I am going to slowly start incorporating lunges & reverse butt kicks in with my stomach exercises in the mornings. I will have to be extra careful not to get too sore so it doesn’t impact my running in a negative way or increase my risk for injury. I know by adding these strength training moves it will make me a more well-rounded athlete.
The last thing I need to start doing are push-ups…. which I loathe. Hate, hate, hate! I’m sure I feel that way because I am no good at them. And they hurt. Once I become stronger, I will probably love them. These are very important for me to add since I will be starting up my swimming regimen soon… not to mention that my Half Ironman training starts in late December. I need to be ready & strong!
At some point this week I need to swap gyms so Vero and I can start swimming together. I am hoping that it will making my water workouts much more bearable. I also need to look in to one-on-one lessons to perfect my free-style stroke so I can start building confidence in the pool. My biggest hurdle for 2011 will be to become a good swimmer. One thing that keeps me motivated is the unique body shape that swimmer’s develop. The “V” back is so sexy! I hope it happens to me. 
Nivea Skin Firming Lotion
Am I crazy? Probably so.
Here are my plans:
Now – May: strictly focus on weight-loss goals
June-September: continue weight-loss & start training for Augusta 70.3 (half-ironman) on Sept. 26
August: weigh in at 145-150
October: strictly focus on weight-loss maintenance
November-February: train for marathon & continue weight-loss maintenance
February 2011: run first marathon at Mercedes here in Birmingham
April 2011: race in New Orleans 70.3 (half-ironman) again
April-November 2011: train for Ironman Florida (140.6)… my first FULL Ironman!
The following year in 2012, I will start focusing on time goals & possibly qualifying as an age grouper.
Also- I am going to start naming Fridays “Food & Exercise Diary Fridays” and report what I have eaten all week & my exercise regimen. I think this is better than posting every single day.
On another note- my rosacea acne is clearing up quite a bit! I have been taking the antibiotic Solodyn for almost a month now, and it appears to be working. It does come with some negative side-effects, like photosensitivity & mild headaches, but I plan to stop taking it after 12 weeks of use. That will hopefully get me where I need to be!
One day this week I would like to share more about another personal goal: making a feature-length independent film. A lot of you were around in 2006 when I wrote & directed the short film “Piece of Cake”, starring Mo Rocca (which you can watch in my videos section on Facebook). I am thinking of including this feature film project as part of “The Jen West Quest” because it is my ultimate dream… I think about it every day, and it is a big piece of my heart.
Click here to watch “Dreams” by Brandi Carlile! One of my favorite songs.
Sweet Dreams Original Painting by Melanie Phelps
