…this isn’t a post about Reach the Beach?

I had so much fun, but it’s nice to get back to regular blogging. Sort of. I leave for a fabulous long weekend at the beach TONIGHT! I’m going to the Outer Banks with friends–for the fifth Memorial Day in a row–and driving down to DC tonight and OBX tomorrow.

I’m really excited to collapse on the beach tomorrow, because I feel like I’m still catching up from sleep from last weekend. I’ve been a complete fail at waking up to work out, but I still managed to get a good workout in Tuesday night and last night.

Tuesday, I did 20 minutes of super-sweaty intervals on the Stairmaster, and last night I had a lovely run while out at my parents’.

The Stairmaster is something I did often while losing weight, and I forgot what a good workout it is. I mean, hoisting your body weight over and over again for 20 minutes is no joke.

Last night, I went out to my parents’ to borrow a car to drive down to the Outer Banks. I hadn’t woken up in time to work out before work yesterday, so I told my mom that as soon as I got home, I was going to run. I didn’t give myself or her a choice. Once I walked in the door, I dropped my bags and immediately changed into my workout clothes, because I knew I wouldn’t otherwise do it.

There’s a huge hill coming out of their street, and I tackled it head-on. After running on hilly terrain all last weekend, I was far less afraid of tackling hills. Tuesday’s tough-but-awesome workout reminded me that I need to push myself more in my workouts than I have been lately, so after that first tough mile, I kept picking it up.

I came back, and my mom had an awesome dinner of scallops, sweet potatoes and spinach for me.

So, a few weeks ago, I said I really wanted to lose a few pounds before going to the beach this weekend. Three weeks later, and the scale’s only down a pound and I tried on a bikini last night and was still really unhappy with what I saw. I’m disappointed in myself, but at least I feel like I’m making progress.

Save for this week, I’m back in a much better workout routine. I’ve introduced strength training back into my life. It’s no longer as much a puzzle to get my workouts in, making me wonder how I thought it was so hard just a few months ago, as my schedule hasn’t gotten any lighter.

And now that the routine is back, I’m craving the intensity. I want the hard workouts, not just because they will make me thinner (which they will, if I don’t eat back everything I burned…), but because I miss pushing myself.

But I’m ready.

(Which is great, because I have a marathon coming up that I’m coming for.)

I’m back in a better place than I’ve been lately, and I’m ready to kick ass.

I’ve had a great week at work, and considering that last year as I left for OBX, I knew I was probably going to get laid off the week after (and I did..), I am just really thankful to be employed at all, much less at a rewarding job.

Tonight I’ll be driving to DC and tomorrow, down to OBX.

I have a feeling I’ll be talked into another long bike ride, so I’m sure I’ll be back at some point with another post.

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND! Are you doing anything fun?