Massage - ??

I reward myself with a massage every now and then and St. Patrick's Day was one of those days.  I really enjoyed it a lot and felt great.
I had to go to AAA to see if I could get help from them as I had not received my tags.  It was freezing cold in there and after waiting an hour they did give me tags.  However, I was burning up and freezing and kept feeling worse.  I came home and the rest of the weekend was spent wrapped up in a blanket wearing sweats.  I had the chills, maybe even a fever and sore body.  However, I did not feel like throwing up or anything else.
I hydrated myself all weekend and even managed to make it to church and teach my RS lesson.  
This morning I felt like I could make it to work but by the time I got showered I felt so worn out.  So I did an olnine urgent care - PlushCare online appointment.  So I have one of three possible things wrong with me:  a kidney infection, a UTI, or  muscle exhaustion.  So in a bit I am off to a lab to do a UA.  
This of course happens during the middle of round 2 - and I did lose some weight this past week but I am 13 lbs away at my half way point.  So all I can say is that I hope I can do this - and that I don't have muscle exhaustion.  Because I am sure I can still workout with a kidney infection or UTI but not with muscle exhaustion right? 

No blogging in a while I see

OK so I just realized how long it has been since I last blogged.  Only once in 2017 and so much has happened.  This post is going to be about something I have been working on since January 9 and I am very happy with the changes I am seeing in myself.

The Cypress Camp Transformation Six Week Challenge that I started on January 9 was a success (my goal is to complete at least three rounds- hope I can do it).  I lost XX.X lbs in the first round.  I was even out sick for a week and had to double up on my workouts the final week.  It was hard work and a lot of fun.  So here is a little blurb about what I did.

I will not lie the first day I started the challenge I was maybe 15 minutes in and the thought of " I can't do this, what am I thinking? How can I sneak out and let them keep my money and getting up at 4:30 AM was so not worth this" was in my head.  I had to push myself and tell myself I was not a quitter and I needed to keep going - I  believe in myself so much that the following week I went to work out at 4 AM.  I saw my family on February 5 and had completed four weeks of my challenge - I don't recall how much I had lost by then but I do know my skinny jeans felt looser and I was able to wear my black boots with them.  Yes, the jeans were on and my boots were over them.  I found this to be exciting and a sign of my progress even if nobody had noticed.  However, nothing made me feel more happy then when my sister in law Elaine told me I looked great.  Not because I was proud but because she knows the struggle is real for those of us who try to lose weight, work out, try to eat right (ok maybe I didn't do that so much because I am not into cooking) finding time to work out and just be healthy.  Those words she said made me determined and realize that I could do this.  So thank you Elaine - you were the first to notice and let me know;  tI can still hear you saying that and that is what keeps me going on days I feel like it would be better to sleep in.  The picture above is of me that day - see I am all smiles because my boots fit over my jeans and legs.  Or maybe I was just happy to be with my awesome family celebrating Spencer's birthday!!


I did get sick that Wednesday and didn't work out and lost my voice!!! I wanted to lose lbs not the ability to speak so I was in bed for almost five days and while I wanted to go work out the most I could manage to do was get dressed only to crawl back in bed.

This meant that I had to do double up on my workouts on the final week and really work on drinking my water and eating my meals.  I did it and boy was I sore by the day before the workout!!!  

The day before Monday weigh in I had high anxiety and kept thinking:  There is no way you did it; you didn't work out for 5 days, you are still sick and you haven't worked hard and you are going to be an ounce away from the 20 lbs".  Yes, I am my worst critic and biggest negative talker (which is something I am working on in 2017) but I found a silver lining.  I reminded myself that no matter what the scale said - I had lost inches.  My clothes felt looser, I was not feeling like I wanted to quite and out of breath as I was my initial workout, so no matter what the scale said I had put in some good workouts and was eating healthier.  
I stepped on the scale and when I saw the number and knew I had gone over 20 lbs. I was super happy and couldn't believe it; I lost over 20 and could go on to Round 2.  

I had a relapse with my cold and started losing my voice on Tuesday afternoon - I went home early and rested.  I thought of calling in sick the next day as I just couldn't get up to go work out so I let myself sleep in until 6:30 AM.  The rest of the week was just horrible I had trouble eating and I was cold or hot and felt like I had a fever most of the days.  So no workouts.  I didn't have to weigh in that following Monday the official start of Round 2 and I so wish I had.  A week later I weighed in and I still had not worked out as much and I had gained 5 lbs back.  I was so discouraged but knew I could not be defeated. 

Round 2 Week 2 ends today.  I would love to tell you it has been a breeze and I feel like I lost those 5 lbs and some extra - but how knows and I am very doubtful.  It isn't because I have not worked out or eaten healthy.  It is more likely because I have not been able to eat more past than my second meal of the day (which takes me all afternoon/evening to finish).  However, my clothes are still loose and my friend Lisa accepted my invitation to Pack the Camp Saturday and has been going with me at 5AM.  While I am greeted by new  I did reward myself by buying myself two dresses that were a size smaller.  I probably could have gone two sizes smaller but I thought they looked tight and I wanted to give myself something to wear to remind me of the hard work I have done.


Here is a picture of me at week 2 after my workout and the final weight in for the first six weeks with me holding the sign showing the world I lost 22.6 lbs. 

It was during the final week that people at work started commenting about how it looked like I was losing weight.  Someone even said - wow you must have been really sick as you lost some weight.  At first I thought wow - jerk (they offered me cupcakes a day after that) then I told myself let it go - they just don't know how to give a compliment. 

January 1, 2017!!!

Holy Cow, where did 2016 go?

I have not been on social media as much recently or blogging because life was a bit overwhelming.  I didn't want to invite people to my pity party nor did I want people to know about the challenges I was going through.  I was fortunate to have some close friends who were there and listened and I am oh so grateful.  So below is a quick recap of 2016.

Reunion:  It was a success!!!  I wont lie a week before I was a bit stressed and seriously thought of just not attending.  Then I realized I needed to at least show up and slip out without being detected.  Well by the time the big day arrived I made it until almost 5 am hanging out with some classmates.  New friendships were made and reconnected with many people.  

Work:  It has been tough and there were days when I just wanted to run away.  I also often thought of how my (step) dad would tell me when I was growing up to not wish my life away because one day I would be an adult.  2016 was a year of a lot of changes at work and I am sure that will remain the same in 2017 but I am feeling much better about this area of life 

Health:  It is good but could be better.  I was released to wear heels in November!!!  I even wore heels for New Year's Eve!!!

What is in store for 2017? 

So I have seen the Camp Transformation ads pop up in my Facebook news feed and I finally caved in and I will start a 6 week challenge on January 9, 2017.  I am optimistic this is a good thing for me to try. 

I also want to work on other personal goals.

Things you may miss by not going to your high school reunion

I am currently in my high school reunion committee for the third time.  I am hearing some people who are on the fence about attending our high school reunion or their own high school reunions and I feel the need to share the things I have been saying in some of the conversations I have been having.

I think the things you will miss by not attending your high school reunion:  renewing old friendships you may have forgotten about, making mew friendships that will mean a lot to you in the ensuring years, finding out how silly some of the past really was and feeling really proud of what you have become, as well as what others have become.  

Yes, we have Facebook and maybe you know what people are up to.  I get that, but that doesn't necessarily mean we know about each others lives (who knows maybe we don't really want to know but I doubt that).  We see the status updates, the pictures and probably some opinions that annoy us but we don't necessarily know about each others lives.  

Then again did we really know about each others lives when we were in high school.  Probably not, just like now - we only saw what we wanted to see and didn't realize the struggles and ackwardness we may have felt.  Can you suddenly hear Simple Minds singing "Don't You Forget About Me" and seeing various scenes from the The Breakfast Club by John Hughes?  A hit movie in 1986 about a jock, an outcast, a brainy kid, a rebel, and Claire the princess whose world was perfect.  They were forced to spend one Saturday in detention and learn a little bit about who they really were.  Now I never spent detention on Saturday and I am thinking out of the 5 characters in the movie some people would say I feel into the rebel, brainy, or outcast category.  

Going to Cypress High was definitely part of an escape for me from reality.  My mom was diagnosed the spring of 8th grade with a brain tumor, and I was just trying to understand how my life had changed so much so quickly and how my parents tried to keep it as normal for me.  

I  remember learning to ski at Mt. Cypress, going on a backpacking trip as part of my backpacking class where I met the boy who would be my first real kiss.  My step dad actually thought he was a good kid (little did he know he was a stoner) and right before the start of my sophomore year I was allowed to go out with him a couple of times - this was huge as I had just turned 14 in the spring and he was 17.

I was a hospital volunteer at Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach all through high school - my mom spent most of the time there.   So my circle of friends in the Class of 1986 at Cypress High were few as I didn't really want anyone to know about my home life as it was a downer.  Most of my friends tended to be in the class of 1985 or 84; and others went to Savannah, Corona Del Mar, Edison, Newport Harbor, and Irvine.  

So why do I look forward to our high school reunions?  I look forward to seeing the people that I went from elementary school (Robert C Cawthon) to Lexington Junior High and then Cypress High.  We shared notes, paper, pencils and eventually beers and wine coolers at parties and rides to places.  I don't keep in regular touch but they were a part of me then that helped me become the person I am now and I want to see them and see how they are.

Our ten year reunion I will admit was probably more about proving about what we had accomplished and really, most of us were probably just starting our careers, marriages if you married and probably still having the need to prove who we were.  

The twentieth I would say that we were a bit more comfortable with who we were, where we had been and had probably grown up a bit more.  I know I found myself at restaurant at 4 am in the morning talking with a group of people I didn't hangout with outside of high school and having a great night.  

I think on October 8th I will see that the Cypress High Class of 1986 has gained weight, gone balder, gray, married, divorced, married late or never married; had children, or not had children which has made them suffer, had ailments we thought we'd have when we were old (we are not old by the way); are taking care of an ailing parent; lost a parent; have been under employed; unemployed or are in employed in jobs we never dreamed of in our lives. 

None of us have probably lived the life we dreamed or hoped to live.  Some of us may be angry, disappointed or glad for that.  However, I venture to say and hope that we are more humble and forgiving of ourselves or others; and more open to not knowing what the future holds and grateful that we are here living now.  Mostly because some of our peers, siblings or parents are no longer with us and we realize that life is short. 

As 30 years have passed since we walked out of the hallways from Cypress High, and I have been working with a wonderful group of women in planning our 30th high school reunion I have come to realize the following.  We are more alike than we are different because we grew up together and embarked into our adult lives when we graduated from Cypress High together.  I know I have enjoyed getting to know the committee members on a personal level this past year and I enjoy spending time socially outside of our meetings planning the reunion. 

So, no matter where you are in life or when your reunion is I encourage you to take a chance to reconnect, renew and establish new friendships.  Life is short and like a friend of mine who recently purchased her reunion ticket for her reunion at Western High said #YOLO! 

Beach Babe Classic

In July I participated in the Beach Babe Classic on Sunday, July 17.

I did a lot of riding, purchased road tires, and committed to riding long distance every Saturday morning.

I was super nervous the day before the ride.   The morning of the ride I was not feeling well and super nervous.  I loaded my bike on my car and off I went with very little sleep.

I met up with DW who I went to Lexington Junior High and Cypress High.  We also discovered I worked with her aunt at IAC.  Small world.

DW put a group together for this ride.

We started together but I went back to my car to get biking gloves and take off my ACL brace.  I then resumed and was going along against the wind.  I followed some people across the Naples section and realized we were taking a wrong turn.  I turned around and back tracked and found my way back.  As I came off the overpass  from 2nd Street towards PCH I saw a fire engine truck and a bike on the street.   I was like what the heck I hope none of my team members are there.  I got to the mid point for the 15 mile bike ride and I seriously thought of just doing the 15 miles but looked at my watch and knew I had enough time to make the entire ride.  I was still optimistic that I could make my time that I set.  I also wanted to make sure I conquered the hills that take you from Seal Beach to Sunset Beach on PCH.  I would ride this section a lot way back when I rode my bike all the time but this was different.  I was out of shape, recovering from ACL surgery and trying to do 38 miles in no more than 4 hours.  It was a lot easier than I imagined and I was excited.  I also knew I was riding agains the wind and going significantly slower than any of my training rides which made me nervous.  

I picked up my pace on the portion that had been a regular part of my training but as I started to see riders heading back my courage started to leave me.  I also let a lot of negative thoughts get in my head that I was a loser, dumb to think I could do this.  I also told myself that I could turn around and nobody would know that I didn't finish.  Which is when I told myself I would know and I didn't want to lie to anyone about not having been able to complete the ride.  I also did not want to not try doing the whole ride.  So off I went.  Around that time I also had some of the returning riders cheer me on and tell me I was almost there. 

My teammates also passed me when I was close to the pier and I felt so excited and also disappointed I was not able to keep up with them but I was even more determined to finish the ride.

I finally made it to the midpoint and I was super excited.  I also noticed my left knee was swollen.  I took my picture and started heading back.  I felt optimistic since I would not be going against the wind - WRONG!!!  I started to head against the wind again.

I picked up my pace and found new energy and off I went.  I think my energy lasted all the way to Sunset Beach and those hills between Seal and Sunset Beach seemed much harder. 

As I rode through Seal Beach a car parked and opened its door without looking.  I had to swerve to not hit it and the man was very apologetic and I did have to use my left leg to keep me balanced and not fall which jerked it and did not feel good as I kept riding.

I did have to walk my bike on the overpass to 2nd street as my knee was aching and I was tired.  I had a sense of wanting to quit but told myself that no matter how long it took I had to finish.  

I ran out of water in Alamitos Bay and stopped to buy some.  My knee was hurting even more and I found myself stopping and wanted to quit even more.  Each time I stopped and stretched my leg I wanted to just quit.  

People started passing me and telling me we were almost there.  I was by the Pike and caught up to a group and I saw them go one way but I opted to go on the official route.  I was nearing the 6th hour mark and I wanted to finish within the alloted race time.  I called DW to let her know where I was and she said she would go back to the finish line.  This sweet friend had been waiting for me but needed to get home.

I somehow made it and I have to say it felt good to have her waiting for me.  I am glad I did the ride.  I can also say that my legs were sore but not as sore as my bottom. 

I want to ride again in a race but maybe I need to train better. 

Online = Catfish

Ha, so I did the online dating thing again and I just realized I did this almost a year ago.  I swore back then I was done but clearly I forgot. 

This time I still have not met the person but we have been texting and talking. 

We made plans to meet up a couple of weeks ago but our schedules didn't quite work out.  

We were supposed to meet again this week but again our schedules just don't match up.  

So I keep thinking of what a friend said about this when I told her about this guy.  Be careful you may be getting catfished. 

So in order to figure things out I am setting a hard drop deadline for us to meet by and as I write this doing a Catfish marathon.

So this post covers dating life.

Day 20 - June 25

Yikes, I am posting on the actual day of the day.

You will notice there was no update of Day 18.  I will say day 18 was the second day of three bad days.  Best way to describe it, I was on a platform feeling optimistic and on top of the world only to have me knocked off the platform and into the eye of the storm.  A bit dramatic but have you seen the name of my Blog - According to Adriana.

Needless to say I did no riding until today.  I will admit it on day 18 I was thinking of just not even doing the Beach Babe Classic because I thought I don't have any time to ride and have so much going on.   However, yesterday morning I woke up feeling refreshed and with a positive attitude that I can overcome anything and show people who think I can't or don't want me to succeed that I can do anything I set my mind to do.

I started my ride today from Sunset Beach by the lighthouse building and planned to ride to Santa Ana River trail and PCH in HB near Costa Mesa.  I also allowed myself three hours to do this.  I started my ride around 8:45 and by the time I got to the bike trail in Bolsa Chica I realized along with a few other riders that there was a Pirate 5k going on so we rode through the parking lot.   It felt good to ride and feel the breeze, hear the ocean waves and smell them.  The most challenging point on the first half was maneuvering my bike by the HR pier and Magnolia - too many people.  I disliked the ones who would just stop in the middle of the trail with all their beach gear.  I got to my half way stop and felt good and it was in an hour.

As I started back to my car I thought wow, this is awesome and I am glad I am doing it.  I also remembered how just yesterday I thought I needed to just give it up and not do it because there was too much happening.  It was then that I realized that I need this ride more than I am even aware.

In the end my bike odometer said I did 30 miles, the app on my phone said I did 16.78 but I didn't start it right away so I am thinking it was about 19 - 20 but I will go with 20.  I also did not ride an entire 3 hours it only took me 2 hours and 40 minutes.  Yay me!!  

I did take my bike back to the bike shop and had smaller tires put on and I have to say I really want to go riding tomorrow morning but I have to wait a few days and I am super excited to go on a ride!!!