Happy Birthday Dakota!

It's hard to believe that it's already been 10 months since my life was changed forever when I was partnered with Dakota as my running buddy. We've had a lot of ups and downs together in that short time. I think of Dakota with every step I take. With every dumbbell I lift.

Before Dakota, I never once considered my ability to run as a gift. I took so many things for granted on a day to day basis. More often than not, I'd dread my workouts or try to find some excuse to skip them. I'd complain about the littlest things and had far too much negativity in my life. There are still days like that (hello, humanity). It feels as though Dakota has a sixth sense for when I'm having one of those days. Every time I decide to skip that nights workout, a notification pops up that I have a message from Dakota. That's all it takes to lace up my shoes and get to work. I love him for it! I'm not longer working out just for my sanity or just for my health. I'm working out for someone who can't do the work himself. It's a beautiful thing.

Yesterday was Dakota's 18th birthday! I would have given anything to be able to spend time with him on his special day, but those pesky 1400-1500 miles between us prevented that from happening. So, I decided we could still 'celebrate' with him here in Wyoming and share our celebrations with him throughout the day.

First on the list, was to send Dakota a birthday balloon. I'd had this day planned for a couple weeks and was so disappointed when we woke up to a complete downpour. It was still raining at lunch when I ran to the store to pick up the balloon and figured I would just hang on to it and keep my finger's crossed that it would let up long enough to release it. As soon as I walked out, balloon in hand, the rain stopped and the sun started to peak through the clouds. Fate! Maybe if we're lucky, it will find it's way to Georgia.

After work, was a special 18th birthday run and workout!

And, it wouldn't be a birthday without cake! Wyatt did the honors of blowing out the candles for Dakota. I hope it was as special a day for Dakota as it was for me. I think of him daily, but celebrating him all day yesterday really left my heart so full. 

Summer Time

Hey, hey! Remember me? It's been one crazy summer 'round these parts. We've done so many fun things, some not so fun, and many more exciting memories to come. I could really break up the past couple months into several blog posts, but I think I'll just catch up through pictures and move along...

We took Wyatt on a 3 day camping trip to the Sierra Madres about a month ago. No cell service = an amazing weekend in my book! We got some hiking in and saw plenty of deer and elk.

Weekends have been filled with golf for most of the summer. We usually go over to Cheyenne with Brad's family and hit the course. I am not a golfer, although I'd like to be. I mainly go along for the ride and to chase Wyatt around.

Brad got a hole in one over the 4th of July weekend. Pretty exciting, but I don't think he will ever stop talking about it.

The big event took place last Thursday (also, the not-so-fun part of the summer). Wyatt had surgery to remove his adenoids and get tubes put in his ears. I'm not stranger to surgeries, I've had 5 myself. But, it's a whole other ballgame when it's your kiddo. I know it's a basic, common, out patient surgery yadda yadda. But, it's no walk in the park to turn your child over to strangers - especially when he's too young to understand.

Luckily, everything went amazingly well. His adenoids were extremely large, which is probably the cause of all his reoccurring ear and sinus infections. The doctor said he is probably breathing better than he ever has. The hope is that Wyatt will now be able to fight infections better and hopefully not be sick all the time. Which, should also help this mama that doesn't have much of an immune system. He was back to his crazy self by Sunday, and things can only look up from here!

I've been slowly getting back into the workouts. If you follow me on Instagram, you've seen some of what I've been up to.

Now, to just get food back in check and get things rollin' again! Right now, I've been doing a mixture of workout dvd's, my own workouts and runs. I'm working on choosing a program or challenge and making a plan for myself. I hope to have whatever it may be up on the blog Monday.

Most importantly, it's Dakota's 18th birthday today!

Obviously tonight's workout will be a run for him. Rain, shine, or thunder... I'll be hitting the pavement!

Motivation Monday - Inspiration

With all the craziness going on as of late, it's been far too long since I've managed a Motivation Monday! But, I love this week's theme and it came at a time when I was really needing it: What Inspires You. Come link-up with us and be sure to jump around and check out other's posts today!

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Inspiration is so unique and special to each individual. My journey started a year ago... I was tired of being uncomfortable in my own skin. Tired of hiding behind hoodies and sweats. Tired of being tired, really. But, my big push was my son, Wyatt.

I didn't want to sit on the sidelines and watch him grow. I wanted to be a part of it all. I wanted to be able to chase him; throw and kick a ball around. To really be a part of everything he does. Not just emotionally, but physically. With extra pounds, that was a hard task. Beyond that, it was extremely important to me that he learn healthy habits. That he understood the importance of physical activity, and had fun doing it. That he had a healthy relationship with food early on. 

Children lead by example. I couldn't sit on the couch and stuff my face with all the calories, but expect him to learn moderation. I couldn't encourage him to play outside and run around, if I was just going to kick back and watch from a distance.

Wyatt is what originally lit that fire within myself. As a result, I feel as though this journey continues to make me a better mother. I'm far from perfect, there is always room for improvement. But, not only am I happier when I'm on the right path, but so it he.

Last fall, I heard through the blogging community about Who I Run 4. I spent a good part of the day in tears as I read about the organization and scrolled through the posts on the Facebook page. I immediately signed up to be matched with a buddy to run and workout for. It was a long 6-8 week wait to be matched with my buddy, Dakota. Never did I imagine the change this young man would make in our lives.

Working out took on a whole new meaning. I wasn't just doing it for myself anymore, I was doing it for a complete stranger. Dakota looks forward to my updates, and I don't want to let him down. He is a huge motivator for me, and beyond that, has taught me so many valuable lessons. Someday, he will ride his wheelchair next to me on a run, and I cannot wait for that day.

 These past several months have been a struggle as I've dealt with various health problems. I'm gearing up to start my journey over. Instead of continuing to be down on myself for the detour I've been on lately, I'm concentrating on getting pumped up. I'm so ready to do this - just as soon as my toe and health get on the same page. There's a lot to come in the very near future, and with Wyatt and Dakota pushing me, I have no doubt that it will be an amazing ride!

5 On Friday

FRIDAY!!! Finally. Although, I must admit, this week has kind of flown by for me. There are all kinds of things going on around here, so lets do a little 5 on Friday!

{ONE}

I'm back on prednisone. For the third time this year. Lucky me, right? Hopefully I'm breathing easier come Monday, and able to start getting my workouts and runs in. As much as I hate ballooning up with every round, I'm grateful that it does help me when I need it.

{TWO}

If you've been reading here very long, you probably know that I dedicate all my runs and workouts to Dakota. If you're new here, you can read more about the program HERE. Quickly, Dakota is a 17 year old boy with cerebral palsy, and also suffers from frequent seizures, among other things. He rolls where he needs to go and is such a light in my life. He's my heart, and I'm his legs. Together, we're a team. I love him and his family dearly, even though we have yet to meet in person.

Last night, I received word that Dakota is not doing well as of late. He goes in tomorrow for some testing and hopefully they will get some answers. Dakota has endured far more in his 17 years than I could ever fathom. He is so incredibly strong and always has a smile on his face.

If you pray, please keep Dakota and his family in your prayers this weekend. They really need some answers and comfort right now.

If you don't pray, please just keep them in your thoughts or even consider dedicating a run or workout to Dakota. If you do, please email me any pictures or messages you would like to share with him.

tiffhult27 (at) gmail (dot) com

{THREE}

Wyatt's birthday is the end of May, and I'm already in full party planning mode. The theme will Teenage Mutant Ninja turtles (of course). I've been pinning ideas like a mad woman! 

If none of my other ideas go according to plan, it will all be okay as long as I can pull this off:

I am no artist, so it will be interesting to say the least. I think it would be so much fun to get all the guest's pictures taken though.

{FOUR}

 

I shared this on IG this past weekend, but it was too funny not to share on the blog. Wyatt and I went on a 2 mile walk last weekend. The sun was out and snow was actually melting. So exciting, but snow melting in Wyoming has a downfall: 4 months of dog crap thawing in the sun. It's not pleasant. Wyatt starting flipping out the second he caught the scent. He was yelling at the top of his lungs, "Yuck! STINKY, Mama! STIIINKY." Hopefully the neighbors got the hint to get out there and clean up. 

{FIVE}

Last but not least: The Weekend!

I'm headed out after work to meet Brad up in Casper for his State Pool tournament. (He's been there since Wednesday). I am looking forward to a fun weekend! However, I've only left Wyatt over night twice. And never for more than one night. I may be a basket case being away for two nights in a row. 

Sunday will be a fun, but crazy day. I will be making the 2.5 hour drive back home, bright and early. Once I get back to Laramie, I pick Wyatt up from Grandma's and take the hour drive down to Fort Collins, CO for his second cousin's first birthday. A lot of driving! The party is Superman theme and Wyatt and are all ready to get all decked out in Superman gear. There will definitely be plenty of pictures on IG this weekend! 

Happy Weekend Everyone!

Run 4 Dakota - Virtual Race

As I've mentioned many times before, I run ( and workout) for a 17 year old boy named Dakota. Dakota has cerebral palsy and has never had the privilege of running. He rolls where he needs to go. Dakota has a heart of gold and my life has been completely changed since "meeting" him.

I wanted to do something special for Dakota to kick off the new year. I'm trying to find as many people as possible that would be willing to dedicate a run or walk to Dakota in the next couple of weeks. After your run (or walk) take a picture of yourself with the Run for Dakota sign and send to me. I want to show Dakota all the people that care and are thinking of him. It may seem small, but I know it will mean so much to him and his family.

You can send pictures to my email at tiffhult27 (at) gmail (dot) com or on IG #run4dakota.

Thank you so much and let's help kick Dakota's year off to a great start! (If you need a printable version of the bib, please shoot me an email).

Fit 4 Christmas - Week 2 Workout Schedule

I started the week off strong yesterday!

Water - Check
Healthy Eats - Check
Workouts - Check

We have a bit of a warmer week until the snow returns, so I'm taking advantage of it and getting some miles in on my lunch breaks. Yesterday was a short 2 miles. I'm still struggling to get my consistent 9.5 pace back after the illness. For now, I'm contributing it to cold air hitting my lungs and tightening my muscles.

The evening brought JMBR Disk 7 (shoulders, chest, triceps, abs) followed by day 2-4 of the ab challenge. I learned a little something last night: days are not as easily made up with abs as the squat challenge. It was rough, but I got through them, with the help of my workout buddy. The added 35 lbs crawling all over me made for an extra good ab workout. I was expecting to wake up extremely sore, but it hasn't hit... yet. 

Even Wyatt was pooped afterwords...

This week's workout schedule:

Monday

2 Mile Run
JMBR Disk 7
Abs

Tuesday

3 Mile Run
Abs
*Possibly JMBR Disk 8. Might be moved to Wednesday

Wednesday

 3 Mile Run
Abs
JMBR Cardio 3 OR Disk 8

Thursday

JMBR Disk 7
HIIT
Abs

Friday 

JMBR Disk 8
Week 3 Mini Challenge

Saturday

Insanity
HIIT
Week 3 Mini Challenge

Sunday

Week 3 Mini Challenge

If I put it out there for everyone to see, that means I have to stick with it - right?

Motivation Monday - Who I Run 4

Grab a button and link-up for Motivation Monday!

<center> <a href="http://www.thefittrain.blogspot.com/"><img alt="MotivationMonday" height="400" src=" http://i687.photobucket.com/albums/vv234/Wendy413/MotivationMondayCrew2.jpg" width="600"></a></center> </div> . I'm baaaack! First off, I just want to say thank you again to all the amazing people who guest posted for me while I was away healing up. You're all so amazing!
A quick explanation: You all heard me whine and complain for a couple weeks about being sick. I had sinus surgery a few years ago for a host of issues, and ever since I've become very prone to severe sinus infections. Which, was what this started out as. I was put on an antibiotic and after a week, I wasn't any better, and in fact worse. At this point, the doctor was concerned it was moving down into my chest. Because of a nasty go of pneumonia less than a year ago, he decided to put me on a very strong antibiotic even though I have a history of some pretty nasty affects from it. 
It's been a long month, to say the least. I've been feeling better for a few days now. This antibiotic inflames your tendons which puts you at risk to blow one out. I have spent the past few weeks with my feet up and have gotten lots of quality lion cuddles and crochet in. No workouts has had me pretty antsy though! Good news is, I have the go-head to get back into my workouts. 
So, enough of all that rambling. I have something to share with you all today that I am so excited about! 

If you follow me on IG, you have probably noticed a new hashtag the past couple of days: #ir4dakota.  Back in August, I was introduced to an organization that is changing my life on a daily basis. www.whoirun4.com. 
About a year ago, founder Tim Boyle, posted a picture from his very first 5K race. A facebook friend (Michael) who is confined to a wheel chair, commented and said "You can run for me anytime!" Thus, I Run For Michael was born. This non-profit organization, takes special needs people (mainly children) who, for various reasons, cannot do much physical activity for themselves and partners them with a "runner" (or walker, crossfitter, swimmer, biker etc...). 
It was a long 2 month wait to be partnered with my buddy. Word is spreading quickly through the running community, so the list of runners waiting for buddies is long. But the wait is worth it. My buddy is 17 year old Dakota. Dakota has cerebral palsy and is confined to a wheel chair. In the short week that we have been buddies, I have grown to love him and his family dearly. They are so strong, positive and are impacting my life in ways they will never know. From this point forward, I run and workout for Dakota. 

The way it works is, when you complete a workout, you post in the IR4 group to your buddy. You share your workout, pictures, anything to help motivate them and make their day a little brighter. In the past 2 months, I have laughed, I have cried, I have been touched and motivated by the amazing stories and people. There just are not words to describe it! Please, check it out and see for yourself HERE.

I Run 4 Dakota - Who Do You Run 4?