We've tried enrolling our kids into a number of physical activities: swimming, skating, gymnastics and soccer, but the only activity our 5 year old twins really enjoy is... RUNNING (guess in our house... the the apples don't fall far from the tree)! They want to run... because Mommy and Daddy run.

I try to make running a fun activity for the boys. They especially like having water bottles (the novelty of it never seems to wear off)... and bringing them to the track is a huge adventure and they consider it a treat. Please don't go calling child-welfare on me just yet... hear me out... I'm not a masochist pushing them to train, we run at their pace and take plenty of breaks (even though we usually are only out for 20 minutes (that's including rest times)... it would be irresponsible of me to allow them to over-train just because they have the energy... because believe me... they are two little energizer bunnies... I'm sure they could go for an hour if I let them).

I make sure the entire time the boys are enjoying themselves, the first sign of whining about one running faster than the other... we stop... instead of competition... I focus on playing games as we run. One thing the boys really enjoy doing is playing a modified version of red light/green light (and come to think of it... our running game is actually a form of interval training). When I say "green light" the boys run away from me and when I say "red light" they freeze on the spot then turn around and walk back to me.

Ever since my first race, the boys have been asking (actually begging) when it will be their turn to run in a race... so this week I registered them for two charity races. One is 1.5K and the other is a 4K. I did make the mistake of telling the boys about the races as I tucked them into bed Monday night. They were too excited and one of my sons started asking loads of questions about the races and the other's immediate reaction was "We have to start practicing so then we WINNNNNNNNN!" I really don't know where he gets this competitiveness from? *grin* Of course I did what any good parenting book would preach... I explained to the boys that it's not about winning... it's about enjoying yourself... but deep down I'd be lying if I didn't tell you that hearing my son have a competitive edge put a big smile on my face.

I can't wait for the boys to enjoy the thrill of running amongst their peers... I can just imagine their little hearts will be racing before they even start to run and it will be a day I hope they will never forget (I know that I won't)!

Some ladies butts look phat instead of fat... mine isn't one of them. My newly expanded booty is proof there can be too much of a good thing!

A number of my "work skirts" are now too short to wear around the office because of my booty expansion... they still fit but I wouldn't wear them to work for fear of a serious dress code violation! There is one specific GAP skirt that fit perfect 4 months ago... today I tried it on and then decided to wear pants instead!

My size 10 frame is sporting a much fatter butt than main stream designers have accounted for... I'm starting to wonder if Beyonce, J-Lo and Alicia Keys have to get all their clothes custom made... because those ladies are petite but they each have a serious phat booty.

The other night I was playing a game where you had to answer personal questions (no it wasn't truth or dare)... anyway I got the question... What is your favorite body part? Even though I've lost an enormous amount of weight and am happier with my body than I've ever been... I paused... gave it great thought... mentally scanned each part of my body to decide if I was completely happy with it and than asked if "my hair" would be an acceptable answer because that's really the favorite thing about myself. Sad isn't it. Oh well... guess we are all a work in progress. Note to self... work on self-esteme!

For the record... if my butt had the same shape as J-Lo's booty... I wouldn't care if it was disproportionate in size to the rest of my body!

When I was in junior high, I distinctly remember trying out for the track team in the parking lot (how ghetto is that we didn't even have a track). I was given one shot at running the 50 yard dash when my gym teacher (Miss Rushton) refused me a second attempt to improve my time trial... instead she stated "Don't bother... you aren't built to run." Really? Wow... how to shatter a kid's self esteem (was that course in first year teachers college - she probably got an A+)!

Well to Miss Rushton I say... "I'll race you in the 50 yard dash now!"

I definitely believe part of my obsession about running fast is based on spite and proving to myself that I can run fast! Talk about baggage!!!

The honest truth is, most success that I've achieved in my life originally began as a challenge I placed on myself because of doubt from others. Everyone has something that helps drives them to work hard... mine just happens to be proving others wrong! I'm not really proud of it... but it's the truth.

Lately I've been putting myself under a great deal of pressure about increasing my speed (so I can win two races I have scheduled for the spring). But I just realized, this has really stifled my enjoyment of running (which I never thought would happen). My training has become like a second job and the last thing I need is more work! Instead of daydreaming or zoning out and enjoying the run... I've been constantly obsessing about the time displayed on my stop watch!

On Thursday, I decided to leave my stop watch home and just run 25 minutes straight at whatever pace my body wanted to move. It turned out to be the best run I've had in weeks. Friday came along and I was "scheduled" to do sprints *argh*... aside from the fact that I already had shin splints... my initial thought was what a painful way to end my week... running fierce for ten sets of sprints for a couple kilometers... oh what fun!!! The thought of "having to run sprints" almost made me not want to go for my run... so I made a decision then and there... that from now on I would reward myself on Friday with a Fun Run. Now when I wake up on Friday mornings... I go with what my body tells me it wants to run. It might be running hills... maybe it's running 5K or possibly it will be running backwards... whatever it is... that's what I'll do!

So this morning... I put on my favorite (run inspired) Adrenaline Junkie tee and went for an amazing, non-timed 100% Fun Run... I ran 25 minutes straight at varying paces that matched my random music playing on my iPod... How far did I go? I have no idea and honestly I didn't care. I ran for the pure enjoyment of running and finished with a smile on my face!

I know this won't sound very lady-like but everyday before my workout I take 1 big gulp of unsweetened grapefruit juice straight up from a 2 litre jug (I figure I'm the only one that drinks it, so why bother dirtying a glass every morning for a couple ounces of grapefruit juice)!

Grapefruit juice is jam packed with vitamin A and vitamin C in addition to a healthy dose of foliates (which help with the growth and maintenance of new cells in the body - how exciting)! Aside from the nutritional value, drinking grapefruit juice just before my workout also causes an insulin spike which helps give me energy. I also find it really quenches my thirst and for some strange reason I enjoy the shock of the tart juice on my taste buds at 5am!

I'm not sure if drinking only a couple ounces of grapefruit juice before my workouts adds any real benefit to my workout or not, but either way I need something in my system so I figure it's better than having a Kit Kat bar!

If you have any suggestions of drinks, meals or magic potions that you take before working out? If so, I'd like to hear about it!

This is about the time when the New Years Resolution people who are commitment-phobes start to hit their snooze button in the morning and skip their early morning workouts.

People who succeed in weight loss or incorporating working out into their lifestyle aren't necessarily genetically designed to be thin, athletic or quickly learn how to push themselves to see results (that comes with time and hard work)... but they have one very important characteristic: the ability to commit to something and stick with it.

I believe that it is possible to do anything in life if you commit to achieving it. It's not necessarily going to be easy, there are times where you will wonder if it's worth it and that will be the true test of your commitment.

This morning I laid awake at 5am after a restless sleep. I crawled out of my warm bed, looked out the window and saw my car was covered in snow... I had to decide at that point how committed I was to the idea of scraping off my car, chance getting stuck in the driveway that wasn't plowed yet, and then driving on snow covered roads to get to the indoor track by the time it opened at 5:30am.

I'm happy to report that I was the first one to tie my laces this morning at the track... but the test of my commitment didn't end there. At Lap 4 (less than 1K into my 5K run) I had to remind myself why I needed to run today... because at one point (preferably today)... I need to get my training back on track. Over the last couple of months, other priorities have superseeded my training and it's time for me to bite the bullet or I won't place Top 10 for my age bracket in the Bluenose race and I will come in last in The Turtle and The Hare race. Now will it be the end of the world if I don't meet those goals? Of course not... but I'll be disappointed in myself and it will be proof of my lack of commitment because in theory I should be able to achieve both of these goals if I work at it.

People who fail in life are commitment-phobes... if you REALLY want something in life... you'll figure out a way to get it... your actions will always speak louder than your words

When I'm training with people I'm constantly chatting about tips on running I've learned through fellow runners or magazines that I've found help me run better, faster and avoid injury.

When I run alone most times my brain turns on auto-pilot and I daydream... but today every lap I had to convince myself why I run, not that I was in pain but because I was tired from a restless sleep last night. I wanted a good run time... so I kept reviewing all the techniques that I know would help me have a good run: stand up tall, keep my breathing steady, engage my core, keep my glance up and ahead, keep my pace consistent on each lap.

Then when I got tired, I focused on my arm swing because it's easier then trying to convince my legs to keep moving. I tried not to slouch... but I'm sure if I could have saw my reflection I was a little bit.

The most important thing I always do on the last lap... is really give'r. The lap times below are proof that I always try (like George Kostanza) like to "finish on a high note".

Lap 1 1.13
Lap 2 1.19
Lap 3 1.21
Lap 4 1.23
Lap 5 1.15
Lap 6 1.19
Lap 7 1.20
Lap 8 1.20
Lap 9 1.18
Lap 10 1.18
Lap 11 1.17
Lap 12 1.18
Lap 13 1.18
Lap 14 1.20
Lap 15 1.20
Lap 16 1.19
Lap 17 1.19
Lap 18 1.18
Lap 19 1.20
Lap 20 1.18
Lap 21 1.09 (now that is what I'm talkin' about)

I'm consistent... but I'm still too slow for my upcoming races (I need to run 1.05/lap to get my time down to 23 minutes). The 5K time this morning was 27 minutes 37 seconds (1.18/lap). How can this be? *sigh* especially considering I wanted to barf the last 5 laps and I almost did when I sprinted to the finish!

Even though I am disappointed by my overal 5K time... I feel great about my last lap... but it kind of scares me to think I need to shave time off even that lap to win my upcoming races!

When I was given'r... I was telling myself... "you can do it... you need to move faster... see how fast you can finish this lap" and look what I did... my last lap was my fastest one... not that you would know it by the time... but by the last lap I was completely exhausted, needed water and didn't know how I could possibly sprint the finish... but I told myself I had no choice and I owed it to myself to try to have a fast time... that's why I did it and shaved 9 seconds off my average lap speed.

Props to Devin and Jon for your tips and help you've offered me... there is no question you are two of the strongest runners that I know. On every run, I think about what all my fellow runners teach me... even the things I learn from my students!

Why do I give'r? I believe that if there isn't the look of pain on your face when u cross the finish line then why do you even bother? But that's just me... I am an adrenaline junkie!

This is the time of year where everyone is talking about weight loss. A local community paper posted the following article about my mega weight loss in hopes that it might inspire people to make a fresh start in 2010. This is what was published in the January issue of The Beacon:

Anyone that meets Michelle Kempton today would never guess that this energetic and athletic woman used to weigh 285lbs. Like so many of us, Michelle has always struggled with her weight, after having children her weight maxed out to the highest it had ever been. Over the years, she's tried countless fad diets, had different gym memberships and failed to stick with it long enough to see any significant results. But this time was different and it didn’t involve any fine print, miracle food or gimmicks... it was just about wanting change bad enough to not give up.

Michelle's transformation started two years ago when she started working out with a personal trainer (Devin Sherrington from 360 Wellness & Fitness). Initially, these workouts were very difficult both physically and mentally, but she quickly started to notice herself getting stronger, feeling healthier and as a result was happier. Michelle knew she had let herself go beyond a point that she felt she could even rebound. Devin stayed positive and pushed her to points where she had to go, but wouldn't try by herself. The weight started to come off. She attended fitness bootcamps twice a week in addition to her weight training sessions. Then Michelle got injured at the gym, unfortunately this brought her excise routine to a screaming halt. Life got busier as her family started to build their home in Cow Bay and Michelle fell back into unhealthy eating habits and not making time to exercise. She gained some (but not all) of the weight she lost in a matter of months. Finally, she realized if she didn't get things back on track, she'd be back where she started or maybe weighing even more! Michelle knew it wasn't too late to get back at it again and this time she was not going to stop. She admits it was discouraging to think about all the weight she had to lose again to get back to where she was, but she decided to put that behind her and start over.

In addition to weight training and bootcamp, she started to run intervals. The first day that Michelle started to run she weighed 250lbs. It definitely wasn't a pretty sight to see her run the boardwalk, and it wasn't easy to move faster than a walk, but she did it anyway. The weight started to melt off when she started running. Of course this entire time, she’s managing her food and was eating a low carb, high fiber diet (using common sense as her guide) with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables with every meal. Two years later, Michelle has now lost 120lbs and is the healthiest she’s been her entire life. A number of people stop her during her runs that have seen her amazing transformation and can't believe she's the same person from a year ago. She now does public speaking about weight loss and teaches running clinics. She encourages other people who think "they'd never be a runner" and help them realize that they can be if they talk to their doctor, take it slow and train smart they'll be surprised at the results!

What's her secret to such mega weight loss? It's hard to say exactly, because it's not just one thing. A number of factors transformed her life, but the most important component was her perseverance. You can read about Michelle's weight loss process (the good times and the bad) over the last two years on her blog: www.uncoveringme.com