Tiffany Zook will be doing a series of guest posts on racing for charity. She was a very important and passionate member of Team Shrinking Jeans when we raced with Team In Training and raised money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Tiffany was a rockstar fundraiser and motivational team member!! She is passionate about charity racing for good reason – she’s a pediatric oncology nurse, and has seen the good the funds raised do for cancer patients.

I have fallen in love with charity racing. Period. End of story.

Actually, this is just the beginning of my story. Many of you have heard of Team in Training, Race for the Cure, The Breast Cancer Three Day; St. Jude Children’s Cancer Research… The list goes on and on. For years I had thought that Team in Training would be a great way to give back and to learn how to run, but never had the courage to actually take action until January of 2010 when Shrinking Jeans put out the call and announcement that they would be putting a team together to participate in the Virtual Team in Training. I didn’t even hesitate and sent the email to say that I was “in”. It wasn’t until a couple of weeks into training that I even questioned what on earth I had signed up for. At the time I weighed well over 200 pounds and couldn’t run a block. Yet, I was compelled to jump on board. You see, I had a tremendous external motivation that propelled my fingers to type the email asking to be included in the team that would become “Team Shrinking Jeans”.

That external motivation happens to be my life’s work. Many of you know that I work as a Pediatric Oncology Nurse taking care of children with cancer and their families. I see the work of the Leukemia Lymphoma Society on a daily basis and I see how vital their work is in a very practical, tangible manner. Because this was a cause that I believed in from the very core of my being, I didn’t think twice about the fundraising aspect of participating in Team in Training (TNT). Truth be told I was much more freaked out by the training and the fact that I would be run/walking 13.1 miles after several months of training. It was a darn good thing I did sign up and was committed, because the first several weeks are rough and I may have been tempted to quit. I know for sure that quitting would have been much easier had I not been committed to a cause larger than a race. And now here I am, training for my third half marathon and my second event with Team in Training.

Team Shrinking Jeans

So why am I sharing all of this with you? Plain and simple, I have fallen in love with endurance running, participating in races and very most importantly, I LOVE charity racing! I want to challenge every one of you who have considered doing an endurance event like a half marathon, marathon, or triathlon to use your passion for the cause that is closest to your heart to help you take the first step in doing something that will forever change your life.

We all have our “cause”. For me it is childhood cancer. For Melissa it is Charity Water. For many of you it is breast cancer. For some it is at risk kids. I am sure that if we made a list of all the charities that tug at our heartstrings or that speak to our soul in a way that brings us to tears, it would be endless. For every cause there is the ability to pair it with an endurance event. Organizations such as Susan G. Komen and the Leukemia Lymphoma Society have very organized and structured programs in which they provide coaching, fundraising help and a seamless process to guide you through your event. There are many other non-profits who have smaller programs and provide some of the similar services as the frontrunners in the charity racing world. Then there are causes that do not have a formal program, but who would never in a million years turn down anyone who wants to raise money for them, and most of them have fundraising websites that you can personalize and use in any fashion you choose to raise funds. There are plenty of resources available from Shrinking Jeans to help you find a good training plan and lead you to the necessary resources you need to compete in an endurance event and thrive. I have become convinced that a cause close to your heart can propel you to do things that you mind may not be able to fathom.

In the cancer world alone, charity racing has not only raised funds to help cancer patients, but it is contributing to ground breaking research and new drug development. The July issue of Runner’s World (insert link www.runnersworld.com) Magazine, was completely dedicated to the role that running has played in the world of cancer. They detailed “Where the Fundraising Dollars Go”, and provide a list of cancer charities with a running connection. In discussing the translation of dollars to research, they say this:

“Support from groups like the Komen Foundation lets us focus on out-of-the-box type research… For example, Komen is helping finance a study we’re doing on the plasticity of cancer cells… On its website, the organization claims to have ‘touched every major breast-cancer break-through of the last 29 years.’ The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society takes an equally bold marketing approach, pointing to the support it provided in the development of Gleevec, a breakthrough leukemia drug, and its championing of ‘translational research’ which drives a drug’s passage from lab to clinical use”

Pretty darn amazing!

Charity racing allows you to be a voice for your cause, and the greatest side benefit is the way it transforms your health and fitness. It is nearly impossible to train for and endurance event without releasing a barrage of positive effects on your body, mind and soul. In the past year and a half since I first signed up with Team Shrinking Jeans to do TNT, I have taken off nearly 50 pounds, totally changed my body composition decreasing my body fat from over 40% to 26%, learned the value of strength training, and for the first summer in the last four years, I have not had to increase the dose of my anti-anxiety medication. I am forever indebted to Kirsten for being the catalyst that got Team Shrinking Jeans going and thus gave me a team, making the decision to take the plunge a bit less daunting.

In the coming weeks I will continue to share with you about my journey and share some important topics that are key to the journey, such as “Demystifying fundraising” – thinking out of the box and getting creative with fundraising, “How to use your cause as your greatest training tool” – learning how to channel your cause to be the most important fuel in your training and lastly we will take some time to hear personal accounts from sisters here at the Hood and their personal journeys with charity racing. For now, I challenge you to close your eyes and think about your “cause”, then think about being able to really contribute to that cause, then picture yourself making that decision and taking that hardest, yet most important first step to

Just do it…

Sign up…

Make the commitment.

I promise you, you will not regret it!

I’m kind of in disbelief that it’s the end of January already, which also means we’re in Week 5 of the Power of 1 Challenge.

Holy guacamole.

How’s this challenge going for you? Are you finding YOUR power? Are you participating in the Weekly Projects?

By now, you know the drill. It’s Wednesday. You hit the scale (not literally, people!). You blog. You fill in the handy dandy little form at the bottom of this post. You blog hop to your Sister’s (and Brother’s) blogs and give them some love.

Got it?

Also, since I’m bossy, I have some business-y stuff to attend to. Here we go:

ABOUT OUR SPONSORS

Thank you so much to CLICK, who is sponsoring our grand prize! For this challenge, we’ll have a gift certificate for a pair of Nike ID Running Shoes and $150 worth of CLICK Espresso Protein Drinks! That’s $300 in prizes for one random winner who checks in each week of the challenge!

Be sure to follow our fabulous sponsors on Twitter! @DrinkCLICK and @EatSmartScales They’re awesome!

You can also find CLICK and Eat Smart Products on Facebook!

Eat Smart Products will also be sponsoring a giveaway each week for one random winner. (Thank you!!)

GIVEAWAY!

Today we’re giving away ANOTHER awesome EatSmart Precision Digital Bathroom Scale (thanks to EatSmart Products)! Woot! Because you need yourself a super awesome scale to keep track of your super awesome weight-loss.

To enter, you must be registered for this challenge and you’ll need to:

• Fill out the check-in form below for one entry (this is mandatory!)
• Leave a comment below telling us your favorite way to work out when the weather is nasty. We’ve had rain here EVERY DAY since early January, so I’m especially interested in this one.
• Blog and link-up in the linky widget for an extra entry!

This giveaway will end tonight at midnight PT. One winner will be chosen via random.org and announced tomorrow. Good luck!

Days spent training: 126
Funds raised for the LLS by Team Shrinking Jeans: $43,725.65
Funds raised by all San Diego Rock ‘n’ Roll TNT participants: over $12 million
Miles ran/walked: over 200
Toenails lost: 2.5 and growing
Injuries and tears shed: so many
Laughs, hugs, and smiles: Far outnumbered the tears and injuries.

A year ago, I could not run more than one minute straight. Last Sunday, I ran 13.1 miles. Without stopping. If you would have told me I was capable of this last summer, I would have laughed in your face. Of course, there is no way I could have done this without the support of my Sisters and Team in Training. This last year has been trying and heartbreaking and there were many days I just wanted to throw in the towel. But they wouldn’t let me, and here I am.
Honestly? I feel different inside. The training, the race, the friendships I’ve made? Life changing. –Heather

Completing another half marathon was great, but doing it as part of Team In Training was exhilarating. The run wasn’t about me. It was about enjoying the miles after successfully raising money for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. –Kirsten

This was so much more than training for a race. This was symbolic of so many things for me. Becoming a runner and challenging my body to new heights has given me the evidence to prove that I am capable of so much more than what I have been settling for in terms of my physical health. I have released nearly 20 pounds, I have become obsessed with running gear, I have broken my sugar addiction, I have “put it all out there” and allowed myself to be supported by a team and to support them in return and more than anything, I have become a much healthier me. Many walls have crumbled before me… The sky is officially the limit! –Tiffany Zook

Even though I wasn’t able to complete the full half marathon due to medical issues, it was still absolutely one of the best experiences of my life. It was so empowering and emotional being out on the course with 4000 other Team in Training participants knowing I was a part of helping raise over $12 million for the fight against blood cancers! As if that weren’t enough, it also rocked getting to hang out all weekend with so many amazing & inspiring ladies (& gents) from the Sisterhood!! –Melissa Miller

The TNT experience and San Diego race was an awesome event and I’m so glad I was able to participate. It was so rewarding to not only complete my first half marathon but to do it with a group of amazing women, meet everyone “in real life”, raise money for the LLS and have a wonderful unforgettable time! –Erin “Princess Pirvle” Pirkl

As a Team in Training alumni, I knew that this was going to be an amazing experience. But nothing can compare to race weekend, when all those months of hard work training and fundraising is coming to a close. Meeting up with my teammates and feeling instantly connected and forming life-long friendships has enhanced my life in so many ways. I could not have done this with out the support I have received from my friends, family, and all of you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. –Lissa “Pizza Joy” Anderson

The TNT weekend in San Diego was the best weekend ever! The entire experience of training for 6 months with Team Shrinking Jeans and finally getting to meet everyone at the Rock n Roll half marathon was amazing. Emotions were overflowing all weekend knowing we did a wonderful thing raising money to fight Leukemia and Lymphoma. I can not WAIT to do this again! Thanks for the best six months ever! –Jessica

Never I my life have I had an experience which evokes so many adjectives! Exciting. Inspiring. Humbling. Tiring. Awesome. Demanding. Physical. Emotional. Enriching. Grateful. Peaceful. Invigorating. Proud. Simply amazing. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training program is, without a doubt, the only way to train for and partipate in any type of endurance event. Doing it with Team Shrinking Jeans was the icing on the super-deluxe cake with sprinkles on top! –Christy Mensi

I don’t think I can explain how powerful the TNT experience has been to me. From the cause itself, to having a “virtual” coach and an amazing team, (wearing a tutu in a porta-potty), spending six months fundraising and training, all of which culminated into an inspiring race weekend where you are one of literally thousands of people headed toward the same finish line… It truly was so much bigger than all of us and completely awe inspiring. I’ll never forget how this experience has shaped me. I loved every second of how hard it was. –Christie O.

Team Shrinking Jeans Race Results

13537 Erin Pirkl Dickinson ND 2:07:28 3394 (out of 13574 finishers)
13536 Kirsten Mitchell Carson City NV 2:17:59 5347
29632 Christie O’Sullivan Safety Harbor FL 2:36:31 8187
36383 Jessica Deshler Morgantown WV 2:39:10 8538
36386 Christy Mensi Leakey TX 2:44:32 9127
36382 Heather Damron Edmonds WA 2:44:33 9129
36384 Kelly Garr Dickinson ND 2:52:16 9903
36389 Kristen Senn Dickinson ND 2:52:16 9904
36381 Melissa Anderson Bismarck ND 3:12:36 11392
37105 Tiffany Zook Phoenix AZ 3:12:56 11414
34476 Nora Luoma Grand Jct CO 3:16:16 11592
36387 Lisa Moawad Cedar Park TX 3:34:21 12505
39025 Melissa Miller Anaheim CA no finish
36385 Audrey Lewis Fairfield PA no finish

I’m not sure what you guys think of those of us who write for Shrinking Jeans.

I’m not sure if you think “wow, those chicks have their #$#@% together all of the time…. they know exactly what to write and when to write it….they are so awesome….they are pillars of strength when it comes to this losing weight stuff/exercise regiment/staying motivated/motivating others…..they never doubt themselves or wonder what the hell they are doing”.

I cannot speak for the others, I can only speak for myself.

I am human and I falter from time to time.  I am not perfect.  I doubt myself.  I have aches and pains when I exercise.  I wonder why the hell I am putting my body through the torture of a half marathon training.  I lose motivation.  And sometimes, I lose my positivity towards all of this weight loss/healthy living/get fit stuff.

Yes, I admit it.  I am human and I am not perfect.

I am going through all of that right now.  The last few weeks for me have been rough, in all kinds of ways.  Physically AND mentally.  My body seems to be falling apart at the seams and my mental well-being is beginning to doubt what I have been telling myself from the start of this whole half marathon journey:  Of course you can do this.  Just get out there and DO IT.

Can I do it?

The physical training is hard.  I would venture to say the mental training is even harder.

So as my body (and specifically my right hip) refuses to cooperate, prohibiting me from running at this current time, a mere 3 weeks from THE BIG EVENT, I am totally focusing on the mental game.  The tears of frustuation are real, my friend, oh yes, they are very much real.  I have been reading everything I can get my hands on, to give my ego the boost it so badly needs.

To psyche out my inner psych-ee.

To get my mind back in the game.

To tell myself:  YES, YOU CAN DO THIS AND YOU WILL DO THIS.

My goal for the half marathon has changed from finishing under a certain time to JUST DRAGGING MY ASS across the finish line, whether I am running, walking, or crawling.

I will finish 13.1 miles on June 6th in San Diego.

Would you like to continue this journey with me?

The winners of the Team Shrinking Jeans Bash will be picked and announced tonight on Twitter at 8 p.m. Central time. Make sure you’re following @shrinkingjeans! If you aren’t on Twitter, we’ll put the names up on this post as soon as our Twitter party is over. Look for them after 9 p.m. Central time.

We’d like to thank each and every one of you for donating to Team Shrinking Jeans. Without your generosity, we wouldn’t be over 50% of our Team goal.

Grand Prize Winner Drawing:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9rJMkORrsI

Door Prize Winners (announced earlier tonight on Twitter):

1. Gruve (2 devices)

• Julianne
• Adam D.

2. $50 gift card from The Healthy Pantry (2)

• LaTonya M.
• Christy M.

3. One More Mile tee (in slogan, size, & color of your choice) + jewelry made by Steph Enos

• Leslie H.

4. Family Guy swag

• Les P.

5. The Pioneer Woman Cooks (3 copies), autographed by Ree herself!

• Kirsten M.
• Melissa M.
• Lacey D.

6. $25 Barnes and Noble gift card + copy of Marathon: You Can Do It by Jeff Galloway

• Erin P.

7. Necklace & Earring set from Bdid Jewelry

• George D.

8. One More Mile tee (in slogan, size, & color of your choice) + autographed copy of Half-Assed by Jennette Fulda + necklace by Christie O’Sullivan

• Nancy C.

9. Copy of Marathon, You Can Do It by Jeff Galloway+ EatSmart Digital Bathroom Scale

• Hope H.

10. Arbonne Figure 8 products

• Renee R.

11. 4gb iPod shuffle + $20 iTunes Gift Card (2 sets)

• Donya K.
• Denise E.

12. 1-year subscription to Cooking Light magazine + EatSmart Digital Bathroom Scale

• Adam D.

13. 8×10 print from Beth Fletcher + 1 year premium membership to Picnik + a $25 gift card to Heritage Makers

• Nancy C.

14. One More Mile tee (in slogan, size, & color of your choice) + 1 year subscription to Fitness magazine

• Erin P.

15. Apron made by team member Tiffany Scott + YouCake topper + EatSmart Digital Bathroom Scale

• Maria S.

16. Copy of Marathon, You Can Do It by Jeff Galloway+ $20 gift certificate toRun U Mother

• George D.

17. Mabel’s Labels Big Combo

• Tirah S.

18. 11×14 print from Melissa Anderson, jewelry made by  Steph Enos, necklace by Christie O’Sullivan.

• Nancy C.

19. One More Mile tee (in slogan, size, & color of your choice) + EatSmart Digital Bathroom Scale + earrings by Steph Enos

• Renee R.

20. Soup of Success Job & Life Skills Training Program Gift Pack

• Carrie H.

21. Autographed copy of The Amazing Adventures of DietGirl by Shauna Reid +EatSmart Digital Bathroom Scale

• Cendie W.

22. Bracelet by Aprilierre + 11×14 print from Keli Hoskins

• Nancy C.

23. EA SPORTS Active More Workouts (2 copies)

• Jen N.
• Lacey D.

24. Anheuser-Busch beer tee from McQuades + copy of Marathon, You Can Do Itby Jeff Galloway + EatSmart Digital Bathroom Scale

• Jen N.

25. Copy of Master Your Metabolism by Jillian Michaels + Coffee Gift Pack

• Lacey D.

26. $20 gift certificate to EMJ Designs on Etsy + jewelry by Steph Enos

• Megan B.

27. One More Mile tee (in slogan, size, & color of your choice) + copy ofMarathon, You Can Do It by Jeff Galloway

• Jen N.

28. One-Year Supply of Tide Coldwater Liquid Laundry Detergent

• Donya K.

29. Function Drinks & a beautiful turquoise Lia Sophia Pendant

• Nick B.

30. KYMARO Body Shapers (5 sets)

• Les P.
• Erin P.
• Maria S.
• George D.
• Mary H.

Once again, THANK YOU to all of you who donated to this great cause! A huge THANK YOU to all of our prize sponsors as well! We appreciate each and every one of you!

*If you won a prize, please send your mailing info and phone number to support@shrinkingjeans.net*

Welcome to today’s Sisterhood Bash Happy Hour! What’s the Sisterhood Bash? Go check it out – we’re raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and there are MANY chances to win fabulous prizes…and cash. Yes, cash.

So, it’s hump day – Wednesday – I am so glad we’re halfway through the week.

AND IT’S ST. PATRICK’S DAY! This calls for a cocktail.

In particular, Irish Coffee. Coffee AND booze? Hooray!

Irish Coffee (photo and recipe courtesy of Cooking Light)

Nutritional Information

Calories: 111

Fat: 3.7g (sat 2.3g,mono 1.1g,poly 0.1g)

Fiber: 0.0g

Hope everyone has a fun and safe St. Patrick’s Day!

****Our Team Shrinking Jeans Bash has come to an end! We are in the process of evaluating, tabulating and calculating the numbers, so stay tuned for the announcement of the winners on Wednesday!****

That’s right! You heard us, we’re hosting a bash and we are inviting you to join in the fun! We will be featuring healthy, delicious party foods, drinks, and PRIZES! Oh, so many prizes, and we can guarantee there is something to suit just about everyone! We like to do it big at the Sisterhood, so this isn’t going to be any ordinary party. We are going to live it up for an entire TWO WEEKS! Pour yourself a glass of wine (or grab a beer),  slip into your party dress (or suit), and read on for the 4-1-1. Bring a guest (or ten!), spread the word, and decorate your blog with this groovy button for two weeks. Have you joined our party? Grab this special badge, bling bling!

We are giving away door prizes  -lots and lots of door prizes- and a grand prize that involves MONEY! You can enter to win these magnificent prizes as many times as you want, AND you can win more than more than one prize! That’s right, you can walk away with a slew of prizes!

Here’s the details:

A $5 donation to Team Shrinking Jeans = 1 entry for the Door Prizes

A $25 donation to Team Shrinking Jeans = 1 entry for the Grand Prize and 5 entries for Door Prizes (meaning you have a potential to win SIX prizes)

A $100 donation to Team Shrinking Jeans = 4 entries for the Grand Prize and 20 entries for Door Prizes

Donate at least $5 and blog about the party and you will get an extra entry for the door prizes!

Go ahead and donate any amount in increments of $5 and then relax and enjoy the festivities! Your donations can be made HERE on our secure online fundraising website, or if you would rather send a check (just make sure it arrives before March 28th!), then email Kirsten for the mailing address! All donations to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society are 100% tax deductible.

Not familiar with Team Shrinking Jeans? Let us fill you in… We are a team of 16 women and 1 guy who have joined up with Team In Training through The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. We are intensely training for a 1/2 marathon in San Diego in June, and we are raising a huge amount of money to benefit cancer research, patients, and their families -$48,900 to be exact. Each member of our team has their own reasons for taking on this journey, and many of us have special people that we are running or walking in honor of. You can read the heartfelt stories here.

Now, what you’ve all been waiting for – the party prizes!

**The Grand Prize**: $400!!! You’re choice of cash, Amazon.com or Visa gift card.

Door Prizes (we will randomly draw winners for each of these prizes):

1. Gruve (2 devices)

A Gruve is a weight loss management system that helps you lose weight by helping you making small, sustainable changes in your daily activities. The Sisterhood Gruves -now you can too!

2. $50 gift card from The Healthy Pantry (2)

The Healthy Pantry provides great-tasting dinners that can be prepared quickly at home, helping busy families enjoy the countless benefits of great nutrition! Sisterhood approved!

3. One More Mile tee (in slogan, size, & color of your choice) + jewelry made by Steph Enos

One More Mile provides exercise clothing that is FUN to wear, with great slogans such as, “Will Run for Wine” and “Kick Asphalt”. The jewelry is a beautiful bracelet and earring set made by Steph Enos.

4. Family Guy swag

We’ve got an awesome Family Guy prize package consisting of an embroidered Stewie insulated lunch bag/cooler, Family Guy DVD set – Volume 7 (unsensored version), long-sleeve embroidered fleece hoodie – size L (Quahog 5 News on front and small Family Guy logo on back), and a cotton twill baseball cap embroidered with The Drunken Clam logo – all from one of the show’s writers! These items were created exclusively for the show’s staff and were not available for purchase to the general public.

5. The Pioneer Woman Cooks (3 copies), autographed by Ree herself!

Yup, that’s right! We have 3 copies of the cookbook, each autographed by the lovely ranch goddess herself!

6. $25 Barnes and Noble gift card + copy of Marathon: You Can Do It by Jeff Galloway

Jeff Galloway’s book has programs that will allow almost anyone, at any fitness level, to have fun training for a marathon. We’re throwing in a gift card so that you can enjoy a few MORE books!

7. Necklace & Earring set from Bdid Jewelry

A lovely earring and necklace designed by Denise Sheehan of Bdid Jewelry.

8. One More Mile tee (in slogan, size, & color of your choice) + autographed copy of Half-Assed by Jennette Fulda + necklace by Christie O’Sullivan

One More Mile – see above description. Half-Assed:  Follow Jennette as she loses over half her weight without losing her sense of humor in this light-hearted and inspirational tale. You’ll only put it down because you’ll want to get up and exercise. Winner will also receive an “I Need More Cowbell” necklace made by Christie O’Sullivan.

9. Copy of Marathon, You Can Do It by Jeff Galloway+ EatSmart Digital Bathroom Scale

The EatSmart Bathroom Scale is versatile, easy to use digital bathroom great for any home. Simply step on the scale and in seconds you’ll have an accurate readout on the EatSmart’s oversized 3.5″ LCD display.

10. Arbonne Figure 8 products

Weight Loss and Weight Management Sampler, includes protein shakes, beverage tablets, detox tea, and weight loss chews!

11. 4gb iPod shuffle + $20 iTunes Gift Card (2 sets)

Everyone needs some tunes to listen to while getting your daily dose of exercise! We’re making it easy for you with (2) iPod shuffles, paired with iTunes gift cards! Download and get moving!

12. 1-year subscription to Cooking Light magazine + EatSmart Digital Bathroom Scale

Cooking Light features delicious, healthy recipes, and it can be yours for one year! EatSmart scale – see description above.

13. 8×10 print from Beth Fletcher + 1 year premium membership to Picnik + a $25 gift card to Heritage Makers

The winner will get his or her choice of these beautiful prints by Beth Fletcher. We’re throwing in a one-year premium membership to Picnik, so that you can create some masterpieces of your own, plus a $25 gift card to Heritage Makers so you can create something fabulous with all your awesome shots! Enjoy!

14. One More Mile tee (in slogan, size, & color of your choice) + 1 year subscription to Fitness magazine

One More Mile – description above and a one-year subscription to Fitness magazine, which has great tips and articles to help you get (and stay) healthy!

15. Apron made by team member Tiffany Scott + YouCake topper + EatSmart Digital Bathroom Scale

YouCake.com designs and personalizes edible photo cake toppings for any frosted cake, cookie or cupcake. Winner will receive a custom cake topper, and prize will be good for one year! You will also receive a handmade apron, made by Team Shrinking Jeans member, Tiffany Scott and an EatSmart Digital Bathroom Scale (see description above)!

16. Copy of Marathon, You Can Do It by Jeff Galloway+ $20 gift certificate to Run U Mother

Run U Mother provides a line of athletic wear that is both inspirational and full of attitude! Shop their store here! Book – see description above.

17. Mabel’s Labels Big Combo

Mabel’s Labels provides fun, durable labels for the stuff kids lose! Labels are dishwasher, microwave, and laundry safe, and can be customized with your child’s name!

18. 11×14 print from Melissa Anderson, jewelry made by  Steph Enos, necklace by Christie O’Sullivan.

Winner will receive his or her choice of a print from the gallery of Team Shrinking Jeans member, Melissa Anderson, 2 sets of earrings handmade by Steph Enos, AND an “I do all my own stunts” necklace made by Team Shrinking Jeans member, Christie O’Sullivan!

19. One More Mile tee (in slogan, size, & color of your choice) + EatSmart Digital Bathroom Scale + earrings by Steph Enos

Purple (in honor of Team In Training!) beaded earrings madeby Steph Enos. See descriptions of tee and scale above!

20. Soup of Success Job & Life Skills Training Program Gift Pack

Gift pack includes 3 soup mixes (No Worry Vegetarian Curry side dish, Positively Potato Soup, Ruth’s 5-Bean Soup) and 2 dip mixes (Deliciously Dill and Sizzlin’ Santa Fe), as well as a bundle of 20 all-occasion hand-made greeting cards.

The Soup Of Success Job & Life Skills Training Program is a not-for-profit, faith- and community-based program designed specifically for women who are struggling to get off of, or avoid having to go onto, public assistance. The participants in this program all have the desire and motivation to improve their situations and strive toward self-sufficiency.  They want to better their lives and that of their children.

21. Autographed copy of The Amazing Adventures of DietGirl by Shauna Reid + EatSmart Digital Bathroom Scale

The Amazing Adventures of Dietgirl is the true story of how Shauna Reid lost half her body weight. Full of adventure, romance and chocolate, the book goes beyond her blog and spans seven years and seven jean sizes. EatSmart scale – description above.

22. Bracelet by Aprilierre + 11×14 print from Keli Hoskins

Beautiful bracelet designed and crafted by April Barnhart, inspired by Team Shrinking Jeans. See more pieces at her online store, Aprilierre. Winner will also receive his/her choice from one of these gorgeous prints by Keli Hoskins!

23. EA SPORTS Active More Workouts (2 copies)

Have fun while getting fit with EA Sports Active More Workouts for Wii! It’s like having your own personal trainer – inside your home! Get your heart pumping!

24. Anheuser-Busch beer tee from McQuades + copy of Marathon, You Can Do It by Jeff Galloway + EatSmart Digital Bathroom Scale

Winner will receive tee in the size of their choice, book by Jeff Galloway, and an EatSmart Digital Bathroom Scale (descriptions above).

25. Copy of Master Your Metabolism by Jillian Michaels + Coffee Gift Pack

In the book, Master Your Metabolism, discover how to:REMOVE anti-nutrients from your diet, RESTORE foods that speak directly to fat-burning genes , and REBALANCE energy and your hormones for effortless weight loss. Winner will also receive a gift pack of various coffees, selected by our Team Shrinking Jeans Seattle native, Heather Damron.

26. $20 gift certificate to EMJ Designs on Etsy + jewelry by Steph Enos

EMJ Designs features fun totes and purses, aprons, blankets and much more! Check it out here! Winner will also receive this bracelet and earring set handcrafted by Steph Enos!

27. One More Mile tee (in slogan, size, & color of your choice) + copy of Marathon, You Can Do It by Jeff Galloway

See descriptions of both items above!

28. One-Year Supply of Tide Coldwater Liquid Laundry Detergent

Get a brilliant clean at lower temperatures. Tide® Coldwater is specially formulated to clean in cold water conditions better than the next leading regular liquid detergent in warm. And, with Tide Coldwater, you can save money on your energy bill. In fact, you can save up to $10 on energy by washing in cold with 100 oz. bottle of Tide® Coldwater.

29. Function Drinks & a beautiful turquoise Lia Sophia Pendant

Function Drinks will send one lucky winner a case of Light Weight Acai Pomegranate AND a case of Alternative Energy Strawberry Guava. **During the Team Shrinking Jeans bash, anyone can use the discount code SISTERHOOD10 for 10% off purchases made on www.functiondrinks.com.**

30. KYMARO Body Shapers (5 sets)

Celebrities like Mo’Nique, Queen Latifa, Meryl Streep were looking noticeably slimmer on the red carpet at the Oscars this year! Want to know why? They picked up a pair of the KYMARO Body Shapers that smooth out lumps and accentuate your bumps before hitting the red carpet.

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Phew! I could use a cocktail (or three) after writing all this! Let’s get this party started! You can’t win if you don’t enter! Grab the party badge, and make sure you check back daily to The Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans for handpicked food and drink recipes we will be featuring!

The Team Shrinking Jeans Bash will end on Sunday, March 28th, 2010 at 11:59 Pacific time. All donations given to Team Shrinking Jeans between Monday, March 15th through Sunday, March 28th, 2010 will be eligible for prizes! Winners will be randomly chosen and contacted through email, so make sure you leave a valid email when donating to Team Shrinking Jeans! We will also be announcing the winners live through vlogging and Twitter! Questions? Email: support@shrinkingeans.net.

Full Disclosure:  The Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans did not receive compensation for posting the products of above companies. The companies have generously supplied items for giveaway OR products have been purchased by members of Team Shrinking Jeans themselves. Any opinions expressed are solely our own.

This past week has been a huge struggle for me, workout wise. I’m hurting, and it’s kind of freaking me out. I listened to some of my fellow Sisters last week in one of our Team in Training conference calls, who were having a hell of a week LAST week.

The OHMYLORDIMUSTBEOUTOFMY MIND week.

Pretty sure this week was that week for me.

It kind of started during the beginning of this new challenge. I was all fired up and attempted to do the 30 Day Shred AND the 1/2 marathon training. About three days into the shred I was convinced Jillian Michaels may be very well trying to kill me. Not good pain, either. Like weird pains in my shins (yes, the dreaded shin splints) and this funny thing in my hip flexor where it would all of a sudden go weak and I felt like I was going to topple over. She even made the arches of my feet ache.

So I bailed on Jillian. As much as I love her, my body was telling me ‘Hold on missy. I don’t think so.’ (It totally said that. For reals.)

I took two rest days, Tuesday and Wednesday. I felt guilty about resting, but my body was telling me to pack it in for a few days. And you know how when you’re kind of sedentary for a couple of days, your momentum wanes? Tonight it took me till 9 pm to drag my sorry self onto the dreadmill.

Forty minute run. In the bank. I hated every minute of it. But, it is done.

Till tomorrow.

The good thing is, as I sit and write this, I can feel the pain leaving my body. I will get up and walk around, prepare the house for sleep. I’ll get up tomorrow and I’ll be just fine. My muscles will not be sore.

I will run again.

And again.

Last week I made a decision that I felt was best for my body – I abandoned (with a heavy heart) the Shred. I know that right now, my 1/2 marathon training comes first. I folded. I walked away.

The trick now is to figure out what kind of pain I push through, and what kind of pain I listen to. I need to figure out when my body is just being whiny. This will be vital as I get into longer runs and harder training.

Because seriously? I am SO not letting some pesky injury keep me from reaching my goal of crossing that finish line in San Diego.

What is that you say?  The answer is no, we aren’t skipping a weigh-in just because we are in between challenges! Go ahead, head over to your scale, step on it, peek at your weight, and then come back here and tell us all about it. 

Yes, really.

Today really is a weigh-in day.

How did you do?  Fantabulous or craptastic?! I was just looking for an excuse to use the word craptastic.

Write a blog post about your past week and your weigh-in, how you did, how you feel about it, etc etc.  Post the link in the comments or if you don’t have a blog, just leave us a long ole comment about yor weigh-in.

In other news:

• Hey,did you know that the Shrinking Jeans Olympics are going on right this very second?  From relay races to swims to plank holds and beyond, the Shrinking Jeans Olympics is an awesome way to mix up your fitness regimen. Click here for all the awesome details about how to get involved- you don’t want to miss out on this one.
• We have a yummy, chocolate-y giveaway going on right now.  Yes, CHOCOLATE.  You might be thinking – how can they be giving away chocolate at The Sisterhood- but the answer my friends, is in the post about the giveaway.  You have until Friday to enter!   
• **NEWS FLASH**  **NEWS FLASH**  **NEWS FLASH**  Our next challenge will begin on FEBRUARY 24th- woot, woot!!!!!  And guess what?  Due to popular demand, this next challenge is going to involve TEAMS.  So, if you want to be on a team for the next challenge (which again, BEGINS on February 24th), you need to leave a comment on this post letting me know that you want to participate.  Everyone’s team assignment will be announced on the first weigh-in post of the NEW challenge.  As usual, the Sisterhood has some more tricks up our sleeves to keep you guys going with the momentum of achieving a healthy lifestyle.  Stay tuned for details.

That’s it folks!  I hope all of you have a great weigh-in- MWAH!

Interested in supporting Team Shrinking Jeans (18 members strong and growing) as we fundraise for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and train our physcial bodies for a half marathon?  Click here to donate to Team Shrinking Jeans- any amount is greatly appreciated!

Good morning Sisters and Brothers! How are you this fine Wednesday morning? Can you believe we’re on Week 5 of Rethinking our Shrink? Wow. Time really does fly when you’re having fun!!

So tell me, did you get your homework done last week? Did you read some of the letters our future selves wrote to us? WOW. That was really a powerful exercise, and if you haven’t done it, I highly recommend you do it now. It’s never too late to get your homework in here at the Sisterhood.

Okay, go hop on your scales. Did you lose? Gain? Stay the same? Blog about your week, and be sure to link up to us. I mean, you don’t want to keep the awesomeness of the Sisterhood all to yourself do you? There’s plenty of us to go around!

Whether you had an awesome week, a so-so week, or a downright crappy week, remember that it’s a marathon not a sprint. While we’re all in this together, you are also a unique individual and you cannot and should not compare yourself to someone else. Stick it out and keep up the hard work and you will see results!!! You cannot fail on this journey.

Okay, and now for a few announcements:

1. We’re celebrating Women’s Heart Health week with an amazing giveaway: a Timex Heart Rate Monitor
2. We kicked off our 1/2 Marathon Training with Team in Training this week! If you have a few dollars to spare, feel free to donate to our team fundraising page!
3. The Monday Project Link up is Friday! As always, Christie has given us some excellent homework this week! Hop to it!
4. Last but not least, our Tuesday night Last Chance Tworkouts are really becoming all the rage. If you aren’t joining us, you’re really missing out. Lots of fun, and a little working out thrown in, too!

That’s it for this week’s weigh-in post! Go forth and continue Rethinking Your Shrink! MWAH!

p.s. If you’re lurking around (Ashley L., I’m talking to you), jump in! Have you been secretly Rethinking Your Shrink? Well that’s no fun! We’d love to hear from you, and be able to give you some Sisterly love!