Going The Distance

January is FUNKY

2012-01-19T17:57:00.000-08:00

...and not in a good way

I blogged about it here

Chime in if you feel like it

Mental Toughness

2011-12-04T04:35:00.000-08:00

How does one attain mental toughness? Is it nurtured from birth? Or is it something you acquire through experience? Whatever it is, I need to learn how I can tap into some.

Recently I was at the Ironman Arizona in Tempe. What an environment that was. Over 2600 participants willingly signed up to swim 2.4 miles. Bike 112 miles, then run a full marathon all in ONE DAY. These people spent money to put their body through all of that. These people of all shapes and all sizes and all ages, also had the mental capacity to say to themselves "I CAN do that". Where does that come from?

Does it come from the constant desire to push themselves beyond their comfort zone? Does it come from inner drive to see "what's next"? Is it just a natural progression of repetitive trial and error? Does it come from a strong ego-centric upbringing? Were they never told "NO" as a child? Is failure not an option for them? Or does it come from years of being told "no you can't"? I just don't know.

My husband was one of those 2600 participants. He trained for over a year and enjoyed all of the training. He, like me, likes not having to focus on just one discipline and having the flexibility to change things up. I love that about triathlons too. When I asked him "why Ironman?". His response : "because it would be fun and I have the time to train".

It would be fun?

Ok. That's something else worth discussing. Exercising for 11 hours straight is now considered fun? Interesting. I personally like my two hour window. Cardio, weights, stretching, abs, done. In my two hours I can also brick for 45 minutes. (a ride, run if you will). Sitting on a bike for 5+ hours then running for 4+ hours after having had swam for an 1 1/2 hours doesn't exactly define fun for me.

So what's wrong with me?

How does one decide that they can do something like this, think it's fun and stay mentally tough for 11 1/2 hours?

That's my struggle. It always has been. I focus on all the possible ways to fail first, instead of focusing on the end result. Which is also why when I do run a half marathon or complete a sprint triathlon I am so surprised! My victory is not finishing well but the fact that I overcame a mental hang up. It's almost as though I am having to prove to myself I can do these things if I just put in the time.

Now don't get too excited, I am not even remotely referring to signing up for an Ironman, so relax. I am just referring to the fact that some people just KNOW, and some of us have to convince ourselves that we CAN.

So now that I have 2 half marathons under my belt (something I never thought I would do, let alone twice) and a handful of sprint triathlons (again, something I never thought I would do), how can I go from feeling unsure about my ability to absolute certainty I can do anything I set my mind to? OR, have I already subconsciously reached that point?

I mean, if I really think about it, I willingly sign up for these things. I make the effort to sign up and register for events so that I have a goal in mind to keep myself focused throughout the season. So subconsciously I know or at least think I can complete the event without dying! But how can I just skip all that uncertainty and come to a place in my mind that I can do ANYTHING I set my mind to and just focus on the end prize? Instead, I focus so much on what I don't do instead of what I do do that I can't see or allow myself to see the progress I have made.

So is it nature vs nurture or simply a personality trait?

I wonder if they have any of that on craigslist

ROLL Call

2011-09-17T11:35:00.000-07:00

Hello readers.....

Sorry I have been MIA. I have been very pre-occupied with training, life and quite honestly haven't really had much motivation to share my experiences.

If you still check in with me, or are for the first time leave me a comment. I need an extra nudge to start back blogging again!

CHEERS!

CAN

2011-05-07T07:37:00.000-07:00

Our Idea of a Good Time!

2011-05-07T07:01:00.000-07:00

6:30am Brick Work Out with the Southside Tri ladies!

Way to go girls!

Dolphin Dashers: A Year in Review

2011-04-18T16:17:00.000-07:00

So I decided to make a video to commemorate the Dolphin Dasher's first year as a running club. I will be showing it at the Awards Banquet next month. What do you think?

Why You Haven't Heard From ME

2011-03-02T05:18:00.000-08:00

So did you hear it snowed here? Ha! You would have thought based on the news coverage that it had never snowed here before...EVER. I'm not kidding when I say that we had round-the-clock 24 hour news coverage about...S-N-O-W!

As you know, this family is no stranger to the white stuff, so we found it somewhat comical to hear everyone so stressed out over white stuff. The city literally closed down because it was impossible for them to keep up. The city simply does not have the resources to clear the roads, sand them, salt them and care for them before, during and after the snowfall; emphasis on the after the snowfall. Cars would be found STRANDED on the highways / roadways for DAYS after the snow fell. Schools closed for 5 days. And you would have thought it was TORTURE for families to spend that much time together in one house! I've learned that Okies don't like to stay home much! Two days is their max before they start to get cabin fever. So you can imagine what it was like for many to have to be home for 4 days!

Anyway, we made the most of it. If you didn't see the pics posted on facebook, we built a snow village. It was an tunnel igloo, which actually made local news! Our neighbor down the street called it into the news station and they came out to film the boys playing. It was pretty cool.

Here is the footage:

The boys had a blast in the white stuff. They aren't afraid of it, or about getting cold. They just wanted to be IN it! Especially Zach. And if we're being honest, he the real Canadian in this family. He plays hockey and likes the white stuff. (I've converted ~ Tee hee)


We also made Valentine Crafts for school

Zach in all his glory in the white stuff

Zach peeking through the tunnel

The boys stepping out for the first time

The second snow blizzard of the season we had a sleep over with one of Zach's bffs. It was a lot of fun. We made puppets and puppet theaters out of brown grocery bags. The kids were really creative with that suggestion.

Here are some pics:

I've been really busy planning the 2nd annual Earlywine Dash! It is a fundraiser for the kids' school. In an attempt to get more student involvement, I've been working with the Dolphin Dashers, the running club I organized at the beginning of the school year. Our goal is to complete the 1 mile Fun Run. We started off with just 21 kids, and have since grown to 28! It's been pretty amazing. And out of those 28, 5 are signed up to do the 5K ~ their first! YAY!!! Anyway, Just yesterday I organized a small pep rally to get the student body excited about the event. JayZee from the Jump!Zone (an indoor inflatable park) and the Y-Guy from the YMCA (our co-beneficiary of this event) both came. Guess who was the Y-Guy!

Word is getting out and they are getting lots of attention for their efforts. I've had parents contact me almost weekly asking if they could bring their kids out to the club. Parents from neighboring schools. I think that's great, however, I've been encouraging them to start a club within their own school so we could have little meets. I'm hoping that is the direction we move into next year.

What I love the most about this club is the parental involvement. Each and every week the parents show up and are out there encouraging the kids. And each and every week the kids respond and push themselves to do more. It's pretty cool to witness.

UPDATE:
Our local city wide family publication featured an article on us. It is in circulation right now. Check us out! MetroFamily Magazine Article on Dolphin Dashers

What is even cooler is seeing their involvement within the running club, show up in other areas of their lives. Take for example Jacob (pictured below). He was involved with the Reflections program within the school district. The theme this year was "Together we can....". Students were asked to submit entries with that theme and they could make it anything they wanted. The categories were video, poetry, dance, visual art and photography. He submitted "Together we can run"...and it won!

His entry:

His brother, Johnathan, and another teammate, Maggie, both 6th graders, were nominated to participate on a youth panel within the YMCA to discuss health and wellness issues. So very cool to see them being recognized for their accomplishments within the community. Including an article about them in a local publication next month! It is so exciting to see how our community has embraced them and what we're doing as a club. I am so proud of them.

Speaking of running, HOCKEY has taken over our life. We've been running to and from practices two times a week and then a few weekends ago had our first hockey tournament. It was so cool! Zach has really found something he loves and it's great to see him have the opportunity to be apart of such a great organization.

Zach as a winger (red jersey)

Zach is front center in red jersey

He's been playing with the 8 and under crowd but has also taken private power skating lessons with Mike McEwen. Not a bad coach eh? Anyway, through Mike he was invited to be a flag bearer for one of the OKC Barons hockey games this week. He got to do this with his other BFF William. He loved it! Here are some pics from that night. I didn't get GREAT shots but you at least can get the jist of what he got to do:

Before hitting the ice ~ nerves of steel!

They know they are cool!

Lined up and ready to go

Zach and Will ready to get out on the ice to pump up the crowd!

Looping the rink once before the Barons come out!

Blurry: That is Zach in the spot light to the right, holding the flag as the Barons came out on the ice

At the game, Zach retrieved a loose puck shot on the net!

We've also had some time to just chill out and spend quality time together, without a hectic schedule. That has been equally enjoyable by us parents and the kids and quite honestly we're the outdoorsy types anyway so we make it a priority. We spent last Saturday hiking in the Wichita Mountains, exploring the area and taking in some of the scenery and wildlife. I love that our kids are at an age now that we can do these things, without worrying about missed naps, packing snacks, strollers, diapers and baby wipes, etc. We can just get up and go.

It was a great weekend and we all loved seeing hills again. Oklahoma, as you know is just so flat and boring (yet beautiful in its own right), but we northerners need something pretty to look at and explore and we're so glad that we were able to share that with the kids.

There is lots going on here, but we're having fun. Life has been good to us and we're appreciating our time together and making the most of it!

Thanks for reading.....

Arbonne Essentials ~ Review

2011-02-07T06:31:00.000-08:00

I was asked by a friend of mine to write a review on the new Arbonne Essentials. Today is Day 1. Stay tuned for my experiences. Leave a comment with your own experience, or questions you may have!

Back in the SADDLE!

2011-02-04T05:06:00.000-08:00

Everyone around me is training for something. I'm not interested in doing the OKC Memorial marathon or half, but am running the Kids' Marathon with my two Dolphin Dashers. So I needed something to do! I'm going a little crazy not having something to keep me focused

So, I signed up for

It's a super sprint tri. All indoors. I did this event last year, but only the duathlon.

So now it's ON!

TRX....wow!

2011-01-27T19:17:00.000-08:00

So because I'm on a bikini countdown, the work outs will be more intense for the next 9 weeks!

Not only will I continue to get my mileage up and my endurance back, I will also continue to incorporate the Nike Training APP work outs in twice a week. For those who don't know about this awesome FREE APP, it's a must-have. It comes with tons of work outs for the Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced athlete! I highly recommend uploading it. It's a huge file so make sure you have the time for it to upload. Being the overachievers that we are, Melissa and I have been doing the ADVANCED work outs and have LOVED (hated) the burn.....It's great to just take the iTouch to the gym and work out with it. Super great work out tool. Especially if you can't afford to get a trainer. Look it up!

In addition to doing it twice a week, I've also started swimming again and have been mixing it up with the TRX. GREAT core work out people! Get yourself!

Here are some pics my friend took at our "intro" TRX training. Look into it, you won't be disappointed.

Melissa doing chest press

Melissa doing Chest Press with resistance

Me getting set up for a plank

"the Skier" ~ knees to the elbows and back!

Plank, push up, plank, repeat!

Burn baby burn!

I will find those abs again......I will!

Girls Just WANNA Have Fun!

2011-01-25T19:39:00.000-08:00

In Tutus on their birthday! (just sayin')

"Mommy's Sippy Cup"

I celebrated my 36th birthday in style.....breakfast with a friend, lunch with another, drinks with my gal pals, dinner with my PTA friends, and a TUTU & Tiaras Wii Just Dance Party with my gym friends. Best....BIRTHDAY.....celebration....EVER!

(now if you know me, you would know that wearing a TuTu would normally result in me breaking out into hives....I'm that kind of tomboy.....but we embraced the experience and had a BLAST!)

I highly recommend living it up and surrounding yourself with people who JUST WANNA HAVE FUN especially on your birthday!

I'm going to kick 36's BUTT!

Bikini Count Down!

2011-01-24T12:13:00.000-08:00

In 9 weeks I plan to park my behind on one of these sandy beach things and enjoy some much needed ALONE and UNINTERRUPTED time with my husband!

It's time to buckle down and get bikini ready!

Ode to Nike+

2011-01-02T11:56:00.000-08:00

If it wasn't for this system, I would have NEVER ran more than 3 miles in my lifetime. I don't know what it was about running 3 miles, but for me, that seemed to be my wall. That was until my husband gave me this system. I think he knew it would fuel a hungry beast in me. And I love him for it!

Having it with me on my runs, giving me the feedback and giving me the "credit" on Nike.com pushed me to go further, and further with each run. I joined challenges with other Nike+ users on Nike.com and would love watching how my runs would "place" me amongst other runners from all over the world. Nike+ truly was the very tool I needed to successfully run my first 5 mile run, 6 mile run, 7-8-9-10 mile runs, and then my first half marathon!

Having it with me made me WANT to run. Every day I wanted to build up my mileage; simply because I could get "credit for it. Nike+ gave me that encouragement.....and because of it, it gave me the confidence to say "I'm a runner" out loud! Thank you Nike+.

According to Nike+ my yearly running totals for 2010 are as follows:

Through running alone, my stats are as follows: I was out on the road for 86 hours, ran 577 miles, and burned 66, 000 calories. WOW! Looks like there is some room for improvement! Ha! :-)

But now that my focus has turned to multi sports, I'm needing something a little bit more. I need something that can "credit" my rides....my cadence, my swims. I also need to know my distances and pace is accurately recorded. Not so much the averages. So with a heavy heart I say "goodbye" to you Nike+, and hello to GARMIN 305!

I got a great deal on my new running buddy. I was able to save up enough Swagbucks and traded them up for Amazon gift cards to get a $20 discount on an already awesome post-Christmas steal! Woot, woot! (If you aren't "Swaggin" yet, you should be......free money people!) Click the link above and join.

Good bye Nike+. In the time I've had you, I've logged 14,00 "training" miles. I've completed 2 half marathons, 2 10Ks, 2 5 Milers and several 5Ks all achieving personal bests in distance and time in each. You pushed me past my wall and held me accountable. You made me a stronger athlete and I thank you for making me a RUNNER.

Christmas Eve Half Marathon!

2010-12-31T05:05:00.000-08:00

You are going to laugh! But we runners just understand each other and our craziness!

When my hubby and I were doing our last training run before our half in November, he says to me very randomly (because we normally don't talk to one another on our long runs): "On Christmas Eve I'm going to run the 2nd Annual Scott Kilgore Christmas Eve Half Marathon". Puzzled, I look at him and ask "2nd annual?". He then explains to me that last year when he was deployed and away from us, he decided to run a half marathon (13.1 miles around the tarmac) to commemorate those who were deployed and away from their families. Still puzzled, I ask "you are just going to do this for fun?". He answers "yah...and I can invite some guys from work". Then I quickly say to him "We could invite our Running Club and other running friends and make it like a fellowship thing. It will be great. I will make the breakfast casseroles, we could have bagels...etc etc etc". He says "ah...ok....I was just thinking about going for a run"

So we get home from our run and go over some ideas. I then suggest he make an event on Facebook to help get the word out. He just laughs. Such a simple idea was now becoming a BIG thing (it's how I roll, people!). Then we think "Hey, why not invite your siblings to do it? They will all be in PA and they are runners, I bet they would support it"....and sure enough, we get confirmation from them, that they too are on board. Woo hoo!

The morning of the run, we had 27 people in our home ready for the gun to go off. 23 of them were running either the 1/4 marathon and half marathon. One girl, in particular, chose our event to run her very first half marathon; this after having spent the night in the hospital the night before with her very sick son.


The Southsiders!


The Half Marathons

The 1/4 Marathoners

We encouraged that people bring their Christmas spirit, something to share for the post run activities and of course, their A-game! And wouldn't you know, they all did!

Here are some highlights!

The girls at the split: after the car towing incident

Scott and Bruce (Scott in the Santa pants)


Pati, Devin and Dawn at the 1/2 way point (1/4 marathon)


The ladies at the 1/2 way mark: 1/4 marathon

The FLASH: aka Randy!

A random mascot in my driveway!

Bella NOT amused with our shananigans

Husband and wife team: Flash and Pati at the finish!

Another husband wife team: finisher's shot (with medal)

The finishing balloon!

Corie and Giovana: 1/2 marathon finishers! Great job girls!

Hubby: Isn't he cute?

Heather at her 1st Half Finish: GREAT JOB GIRL!

Giving the Flash some love!

I couldn't run this year. I'm still laid up (going on six weeks) but I was able to be course photographer, emergency vehicle, clothing catcher, taxi and water stop. But next year I hope to run along with everyone. It was such a fun morning! We even had people tell us they would be back next year...and that we should "prepare" for this to grow!! So fun

It was a great way to celebrate Christmas. Our running and Y friends are our family and who better else to spend Christmas with, when you can't be with your own family?

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone!

We're so LEGIT now!

2010-12-23T04:31:00.000-08:00

It's official! We're official. We have our own shirts now. We're the DOLPHIN DASHERS!

In September when this club was in the development phase, my intention was to do my part and help fight childhood obesity by sharing my love for running with them and getting them moving. My secondary goal was to train to complete the 1 mile Fun Run in March at the Earlywine Dash; which is a fundraiser that benefits the school. Parents from all grades responded to my club idea and as a result we have a roster of 21 kids from Pre-K through 6th Grade.

We started out running only the 1/4 mile and would build up our mileage each week. To my surprise, they could do the 1/4 mile, 1/2 mile and full mile with no problems. In fact, I had two 2nd graders (my son being one of them) complete their first mile and a half yesterday in the bitter cold and wind! I can't tell you how proud I am of both of them!

All is takes is a facilitator. That's all I am. Give the kids something to do, something that challenges them and they will respond. Parental support is also key. We have the best group of supportive parents. I couldn't have done this without them.

I'm now curious to see how many of them will be completing the 5K run, instead of the Fun Run in March. I have truly underestimated their abilities!

Me and my boys!

2010 was FUN!

2010-12-22T08:36:00.000-08:00

It's been a pretty awesome year! Setting goals and achieving them....there's no better feeling. I'm so happy to have been able to share these events with hubby and to have our kids watch us do these amazing things. They've already started asking about the kids' triathlon this summer at the Y. It means the world to me and I'm so proud to know that my husband and I are their role models and that the kids want to be healthy and try new things too!

What more can a parent ask for?

humbled

2010-12-16T14:55:00.000-08:00

News article included here

ALSO TOO

2010-12-07T17:54:00.000-08:00

This is me....captured by a photographer at the Tulsa Route 66 Marathon a few weeks ago. I was there cheering on Scott as he ran his second ever marathon. Did I mention he finished in 3:42????? He totally rocked it.

And between YOU and ME.....guess who was feeling so great after that event, that "they" signed up for the Phoenix Ironman next November.

You heard it here first....but I'm not allowed to "talk" about it again.....(he doesn't know me very well does he?)

I'm so proud of him!

Has it been a month, already??

2010-12-07T17:15:00.000-08:00

WOW! Where did November go? I can't believe I haven't been back to update you on my Half Marathon! I can't believe it's been THAT long!

First things, first. The DRC Half Marathon in Dallas is awesome! It's in a great location. Has a relatively flat course. It's awesomely organized. Wonderfully sponsored. Has a fantastic shuttle service. AMPLE porta potties at the start/finish (with no lines). Tons of water stations along the course, each with their own porta potty. Great participant shirts; nice tech ones with matching medals. LOTS of yummy post-race food. Unlimited beer samples (hiccup!).....tons of sponsor samples (including yummy CLIF samples....) Simply put; it was a fantastic race. As the announcer put it at the starting line "a run for the runners, by the runners" (the DRC being the Dallas Running Club of course)

We definitely made the most of our time there. On Friday night (two days before the race) we went to a Symphony. It was in the gorgeous Myerson Symphony Center and had dinner inside at the Opus.

I'm so glad hubby and I chose this race to celebrate our 13.1 years married. It was a great courseIt was not as HUGE as some in the area have been (White Rock, Rock'n Roll, OKC Memorial, etc). It was situated around the White Rock Park which is absolutely beautiful. We went down the day before the event to check it out and we saw horse back riders, runners, bikers, fisherman, dog enthusiasts at the local dog park, families out with their kids, hikers, photographers and locals simply enjoying the area. It. was. awesome.

Here are a few pics we took of the park itself.

It was just awesome. And of course, the weather helped too. We had beautiful sunny skies with a high in the 50's. Perfect for running, if you ask me!


For more race photos go here

The morning of the race was chilly. But we anticipated that and came prepared. A light layer to discard by mile 3...that was the plan. Scott shed his right as the gun went off! I kept mine until I warmed up.

Mile 5 I had to pee so bad, which is wierd because I went 101 times before the race started since we could (no lines at the porta potty) and never during training did I have to stop to pee. (Scott on the other hand...well.....) Anyway, we bypassed stopping because there was a line at that water stop so I pushed to mile 8. Then there was no putting it off any further. Thankfully Scott had to too, so we both made the most of it, Gu'd, water'd, Pee'd and continued on. At that point we knew we were going to finish under 2 hours. I WAS ECSTATIC. I was feeling good. My calf was a little "tweaky" but I figured it would hold out.

At mile 10 I was expecting to hit "the wall" but thankfully that didn't happen. I was still feeling good and thought in another mile I would Gu again, just to get me to the finish feeling good. However, by mile 12, my calf started acting up.....really bad. I mean....really, REALLY bad. I believe it formed into a golf ball and just decided to stop....completely. It was misery...and I was having a hard time pushing on. Scott literally had to put his hand on my back and PUSH me forward telling me I didn't want to stop....I was going to finish strong. I knew he meant well but I wanted to kill him! I had to stop and walk several times in that last mile because of my calf....I was so mad. I was literally a mile from the finish and having a hard time getting to the line. Scott was trying so hard to keep me motivated but the pain of my calf was horrendous. He reminded me in that moment "Pain is temporary, pride is forever". Sounds cheesy, I know, but it totally applied here. We were on track to finish in under 2 hours, which was my goal. He knew that.....so I pushed on. Runners behind me started encouraging me....it was humbling.

I saw the finish....THANK GOD! I managed to put a big smile on and made sure the finishing cams captured the big moment: 2 HOURS FLAT!!!

I was happy with that. I was. I am. However, I can't help but think about what the last mile was like and how I felt the 12 miles before that. It's hard not to think that I could have finished under 2 hours!! ugh!!!!!

So guess what that means? I'm feeling the need to be vindicated next year. I'm signing up for the DRC 2011!!!! Plus I really enjoyed training with Scott. There is an ease about running with him. Plus I think it's awesome that we have our running to share together before the kids get up on Saturday mornings.

Maybe I am a "marathoner" (half marathoner) afterall. Who knew?

Inspiration for those in a FUNK!

2010-11-20T05:20:00.001-08:00

One of the most satisfying feelings--more satisfying than the temptation itself is when one can say,

’I could have, but I didn’t!’

Race Weekend!

2010-11-04T05:44:00.000-07:00

The DRC half is this Sunday. We leave tomorrow! I can't wait to have this time away to celebrate 13.1 years married with hubby.

I've had fun training for this marathon. My goal is to run strong, finish strong and finish within 2 hours.

I will post a race report on Monday! (hopefully with pictures too)

Wish me luck!

Last Long Run Done, 7 More Days to GO!

2010-10-31T04:26:00.000-07:00

Hubby and I are finished our half marathon training! We completed our last long run yesterday, 12.25 miles, with a sub nine pace. I struggled a little bit with this run yesterday around miles 8 and 9, and honestly wanted to just stop running altogether, but I pushed it out (thank you Tangerine Powerbar gel) and got 'er done!

I tell people I am not a long distance runner. I don't thoroughly enjoy running long distances for hours on end, but I will say that since doing this training, I have loved the time I have spent with my hubby. We have never done anything like this before and I love that we can do things we enjoy together and be each other's support. I couldn't imagine logging all these miles without it. (the support that is). And he believes in me and thinks I can do anything, which is just ..... well it's awesome and it's helped me get this training done.

I will also say that since training for the triathlon, adding regular brick work outs has definitely helped me this go around. Back in 2009 when I completed my first one with Kristina and swore off all things ending in "-arathon", all she and I did was run. Even though each distance we ran was further than I had ever gone before, simply running that long was tough for me. But with bricking, it wasn't so hard this time around. AND like I said on my other blog, the only reason why I considered doing this one to begin with, was to celebrate 13.1 years married. NOW, I can swear off anything ending in "-arathon" because I can ASSURE you this girl will NOT be running 26.2 miles on my 26th wedding anniversary!

Wish us luck!

My "little" Running Club!

2010-10-21T09:09:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to fight childhood obesity, one child at a time. It's not easy but our numbers are growing.

Last week was our first meeting as a club. I had 13 kids attend, 2 of which were my own, and a number of kids left on fall break. This week, we had 21!!!

All of these kids completed a 1/4 mile run yesterday. Some will be running their first 1/2 mile next week. I'm so proud of them

Stay tuned.................

Tie Dye Tri ~ Race Report!

2010-10-14T06:27:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe I haven't updated my blog with my race report yet. My tri was almost 4 weeks ago! (that just goes to show you how busy things are around here)

But the long and the short of it is I did it! I completed my first triathlon!

I knew it would fuel a beast in me, but it's exactly what I needed. As I've said before, the running thing was getting old; mile after mile, minute after minute, hour after hour. Not only was I struggling physically with that, I was checking out mentally too. But with triathlon training, I can dabble a little bit in all three disciplines and do them long enough to enjoy them, not dread them!

Surprisingly, my swim went really well. My friends had warned me of the anxiousness involved with the pool swim; having people and bodies all over and swimming in rough water. Having claustophobia myself, I too was worried how I would handle it. My mantra while waiting in line to enter the pool was "just do your thing....just do your thing....focus on the strokes, just do your thing".

I got in the pool and pushed off the wall. My first length went very smoothly, probably because I didn't have to share that lane with any oncoming swimmers. Once I touched the wall and crossed over into the other lane going the other way, I could see tons of bodies and the swimmer in front of me. I started to get a little anxious but then tapped into my mantra again. It calmed me down and then I passed my first swimmer (a dude, mine you!). I got to the other wall and pushed off. I saw another swimmer in front of me. I closed the gap and touched his leg; which is the courteous way to let someone know you're going to pass them. Well this swimmer had issues with that, and wouldn't move over. So at the wall when I pushed off, I surfaced and sprinted by him. (yes another dude, woo hoo). I was winded and out of my breathing rhythm but went back to my mantra: "just do your thing....focus on the strokes". I swam half a length and saw another swimmer in front of me. I passed her at the wall ~ that felt good...I passed a chick! Immediately after passing her I passed another swimmer and then it seemed as though I was in the pool swimming alone. I didn't sense anyone beside me in the other lane, or in front of me and I didn't see anyone out of my periferal. I was actually a little worried; did I mess up? Am I in the right lane? Am I going the right way. Back to mantra.....
Then bam!!!! Some dude, LITERALLY ran into me in my lane. I actually had to stop swimming, catch my breath and look around to see where I was. He had pushed off the wall and ended up in my lane instead of the one beside me. Totally freaked me out. But I caught my breath and then continued on. When I finished my swim, I looked down at my watch and saw that I swam a little slower than my PR, but was still making good time....out of the pool I go!

I removed my goggles, grabbed my cap, pulled out my ear plugs and was on my way to the bike. As I was leaving the pool a group of friends were standing outside in the hallway cheering us on...it was awesome.

Brrr! It was cold outside but my adrenaline was running and I was still warm from the swim so I managed to just get through my transition and onto the bike. Into the wind I go!

The ride was boring, to be honest. The course was flat and there was a loop we had to do twice. Not many people came out for the event, so it was also quiet and lonely. My friend Kristina and her girls, came out (in the cold) which was awesome! I was so happy to see her....and where she was positioned, I was able to see her on the bike route and then TWICE on the run, which is exactly what I needed.

When I got back to transition, I was so worried about my run. Two days prior Scott and I had done a mini tri and I had hurt my calf muscle. It was being tweaky since then. I was so worried it would give out on me again and I was desperate to make it through this injury free. Because it was on my mind, I messed up my transition and actually knocked over some dude's bike. Lost time trying to get it back on the rack. Ugh!

Anyway, off I go. My legs felt strong...and the cool temps were welcome. (I love running in cold weather). My friend Ericka was in front of me. I debated whether or not I should pass her. She is ultra competitive and told me a few days before she was "worried" about me.....yes that should be a compliment, I suppose, but I was only doing this to challenge myself. I wasn't worried about the competition part of it. But I had to pass her. We talked for awhile, compared swim stories and then I got ahead of her. At this point, I was in my running groove. I was happy it happened so quickly.

Then I saw Kristina. She was at the 1 and 4km mark. I couldn't wait to see her and the girls on my way back towards the finish. Seeing her gave me a little added push. I needed that.

Coming back around from the run on my way to the finish I see Scott. Wow...he's looking strong...and he's going to pass me. Ugh! I was ahead of him in the swim line up, which was probably the only time I stayed ahead of him. He rocked his bike...and is now rockin' his run. He did manage to close the gap between the time I saw him and the 4km mark. He passed me right in front of Kristina! Too funny. So now we're 1km away from the finish....yay! I was still feeling good, my calf was holding out and I wasn't as tired as I would have been had I been running a half marathon!!!

I then turned a corner and there it is...THE FINISH LINE. It was so awesome to see. Our friends had all lined the finish cheering us on. It was great. I felt awesome. I finished in an hour and 21 minutes. Not bad for a first sprint tri. I know where I could improve some things and look forward to putting that to the test in the spring. It's such a shame that we've had this huge high from completing this and now have to wait until the Tri season starts in the spring!

I enjoyed the training, the comaraderie of other tri athletes and the experience of sharing this with Scott. I can't wait for the next one!

Until then, our next event is the DRC Half Marathon in Dallas next month. Training for it was tough initially (in the heat) but it's been getting better now that the temps are cooling off. I've also enjoyed my long runs with hubby. And would you believe me if I told you that I've been training with NO MUSIC!! That's right, ten mile runs with no music. You should try it. I will blog about THAT next time.

Transition Work Out Today ~ and an IRONMAN!

2010-09-25T05:06:00.000-07:00

My friend Stephanie Frey is competing in her first half Ironman today. I'm so excited for her and so proud too. She's worked so hard and it's unbelievable to think that just three years ago, she ran her FIRST mile! Go Steph Go! We'll be along the running course cheering her on. I can't wait.

As for me, it's my day of rest. Thanks to everyone who commented on my post yesterday and the days prior. Your support is greatly appreciated and helps me stay motivated! Hubby and I will be doing some transition work this afternoon to make sure we've worked out all the bumps along the way. Should be fun

Have a great weekend.

Up Next: Tie Dye Tri

2010-09-24T04:07:00.000-07:00

My first triathlon is this Sunday. The Tie Dye Tri! It's a sprint tri with a 500 meter swim, 12 mile bike and 5K run. I'm pretty excited about it. I know a lot of people who will be there too, so it will be nice to have the support. I hate that we have to be at the race site at 5am, which means getting up at 4am!!! Such is the life of a Tri'er I understand!

I will post a full race report, including Hubby's stats, on Sunday.

Wish me luck!

POLL: Plastic Surgery!

2010-09-21T10:11:00.000-07:00

Ok, I'm putting it out there:

What are your thoughts about plastic surgery?

For those of you who have fought the good fight and have been putting in the time and effort in the gym and still not seeing the results physically, would you consider elective surgery to help achieve your desired results?

And for those of you against it, do you view those who have had some "work done" differently? (vain, self indulgent, etc) OR is your opinion strictly a personal choice against elective surgery?

Just curious. (You can answer anonymously if you don't want to offend anyone ~ I'm ok with that)

The Accessories of a Triathlon!

2010-09-19T14:21:00.000-07:00

Many of you may remember my post from a few weeks ago: THE START UP EXPENSES OF A TRIATHLON. Well this is an update of how things are going. (from an amateur's point of view)

We now have his and her bikes (thank you Craigslist)

HIS

HER's

We now have somewhere safe and out of the way to store them when we're not using them. What I love the most about this rack is that it has an extra shelf for helmets, fuel, water bottles, etc. Love that. (and it was less expensive for one of these models ~ which we bought two of ~ than to get a fancy dancy 2 bike holder)

Mounted on the wall and out of the way!

Best of all we now have something to tow them on. This carrier is super awesome, by the way. Light weight, easy to use and very secure. So easy to use that even I can do it! What's also nice about it is that when it's not being used, we just remove it and store it in the garage. We've been really happy with it, so far.

Holds His and Her's

It folds up when not in use too!

No matter how we do next Sunday I can see this multisport life becoming a big part of my life! I have found something that fuels my passion for fitness, instead of making me feel inferior to everyone else. I'm not a marathoner (and don't want to be), I'm not a swimmer (but can swim) and I'm not a long distance biker (but enjoy it). I am also very bored (and lonesome) from doing the same thing day in and day out. This training has proved to be a refreshing change and enough of a challenge for me to feel I am doing something good for myself. I love that I need to concentrate on three disciplines rather than just one (usually running) and I don't feel I need to compare myself to anyone else. What's even better is, after spending so much time apart from hubby, we've found this venture something fun for both of us to do TOGETHER which has been so nice.

Wish us luck!

Finding a Rhythm

2010-09-15T05:24:00.000-07:00

I have to tell you. Training for this Tri has been so fun! I don't know if it's because I was getting burned out with all the running, or if it's because the variety of training of three different disciplines keeps it challenging, but whatever it is, I seem to be having a BLAST with it all.

Needless to say I've learned a few things along the way too.

1) Swimming is challenging, but fun! Two and a half months ago, I got in the pool for the first time in 20+ years. Our Y has a 25 meter pool and I could not swim one length without stopping. My heart was pounding, my breathing was all over the place and the swimmers on either side of me, made me nervous. BUT I stuck with it, week after week, adding more distance to my swims and now after staying committed to it, I can swim 500 meters without stopping! I could probably swim more, but 10 laps is enough for me!

2) I love riding! I don't know why I haven't done this sooner!!!! Yes, it makes a difference having a road bike, that is for sure, but the overall feeling I get every time I get in the saddle is exhilirating. Maybe because I can cover more distance in less time, or maybe it's because it's so freeing to be able to get out there, see some countryside and enjoy being outdoors.

3) Transition training makes a triathlon more like a QUADrathon. Transitions are the fourth discipline in training for sure. It's imperative to incorporate your transition work out into your bricks. I learn something new every time I do. Hopefully that will have a pay off the day of the race!!!

4) Never, and I mean NEVER, in a million years did I ever think I would consider a triathlon. Running has been challenging enough for me, so why would I ever consider stacking two other sports into my training? But as I continue on with my training, I am realizing more and more, how much more FUN this is!!! Unlike (the monotany of) half marathon training, I can actually fully train for all three events and feel confident going into the race, than to hope and pray (a lot) that I make it to the finish!!!

I am very excited about my first tri. My goal is to finish strong....and do my best, but I have a feeling this Tri is going to fuel a beast in me!!

Wish me luck

Have you ever cried during YOGA?

2010-09-12T13:38:00.001-07:00

Yah, it's one of those days.

Flashback Friday

2010-09-10T05:20:00.000-07:00

To help you get to know me better, I thought I would share an archived blog entry from last October.

Why I Run ~October 2009

Do you have a Support System?

2010-09-09T06:17:00.000-07:00

What kind of support system do you have? Do you have people in your "real" life cheering you on with every thing you do? Do you have people who come to your events and stand in the rain, snow, cold or heat and watch your cross the finish line? Do you have family members in your life that just don't "get it"? Do you have people in your life that are doing the same thing and continuously encourage and motivate you?

I have a little bit of both. In 2009 when I crossed my very first half marathon finish line I had two of my besties there to witness it all. They knew what it meant for me to achieve this milestone and it was so awesome that they were there to share in that moment with me. Meanwhile, I also had a friend who stuck it out with me, mile after mile for the whole 6 months we trained, who never doubted my ability to finish one bit. Without her encouragement, and her friendship on the roads, there is no way I could have done it...myself.

I also have family in my life that don't get it. They don't understand why I put in so much time running, biking and swimming. They know I enjoy it, but they don't understand why I am always looking for ways to challenge myself. In fact, I had one of them say to me as I was setting out for a run "I don't see why you want to run all that way and come back all sweaty and exhausted....how does that feel like you're accomplishing anything."

I had to think about that for a minute. To him, it was senseless to run up the road 2 1/2 miles and then come back. To him, it was exhausting to think about running all those miles, up and down hills, in the heat, when there are other things that need tending to in that time. To him, simply getting fresh air is all anyone needs to feel better.

Well, not to me. TO me, I need to "run away" from my life for a little while. I need to be alone with my thoughts. I need to challenge my body to feel like I'm alive and that I'm doing SOMETHING to control my health. To me, I like the feeling of my lungs burning, my legs screaming at me, and my awesome post work out endorphin rush! Especially on the days I just don't want to do anything at all but do it anyway!

Support is necessary when setting goals for yourself. More specifically, for MYself. I like the encouragement....the praise....the coaching it provides. I have to surround myself with like-minded people. I love learning from them, and challenging myself to be better. I love running communities and the support everyone is so willing to give a complete stranger. We've all been there, done that...and want to share in our experiences. So join a club...find a running partner....connect online with bloggers (see far right ~ scroll down). Learn something new and try something you haven't before. You just may make a friend along the way too!

Giveaways.....

2010-09-08T06:07:00.000-07:00

I've learned of some giveaways this week..... here are the links! I will update with more when I find them.

TALL MOM ON THE RUN

MIDWEST MULTISPORT LIFE

RUST BELT RUNNER

Update

2010-09-06T10:48:00.000-07:00

This is an update to this morning's post: "start up expenses"

I had a bike fitting this morning. WOW, what a difference. Eric (from 405 Bicycles) tweaked a few things here and there, and amazingly (and without a doubt) I have way more power in my ride. I can't wait to get it out on the road to try it out.

Here he is here getting me set up.

He put me on the trainer and started with my seat positioning and leg extension. It is just amazing to me how much science is involved with this and how just a little bit of adjustment can go a LONG way.

Eventually I will need and upgrade to clips, but for me, it's me and my Kayanos!

Then we did an "after" pic to show how much more upright and centered I am on the bike. It's too bad I didn't get a "before" pic (duh me!!)

Being that it's Labor Day weekend, the shop is also having an end of season sale. I got all wrapped up in the RED STICKERs and ended up (finally) finding a two piece Tri suit. It was 40% off, and then a club shirt too which was 55% off! Woo hoo!

What do you think? Are they are a good fit?

The "Start Up" Expenses of TRI'ing!

2010-09-06T06:01:00.000-07:00

When my husband and I decided a few weeks ago to step into the Triathlon ring, I don't think either of us really thought about how involved this whole thing would be!! At least I didn't. I instead rationalized our decision by thinking "I already run, I swim, and I bike. Let's put it all together and give it a go!" Little did I consider all the "extras" involved.

First, the bike. Yes I had a bike, a hybrid, but quickly learned it was not the performance model needed to be competitive in cycling. So I started scanning Craigslist.com ads and local bike shops, hoping to score an end of season sale....and THAT I did. My bike brand new ( a few years ago) was $2400. I bought it for less than HALF the cost! YAY!

Then hubby decided that he too could find a deal on Craigslist. This initially was not in the plans. Both of us were just going to use the bikes we had, but then we got to thinking: if we want to be competitive and see what our true abilities are, we need to have a road bike. So after a few weeks of scouring the ads, he too scored a deal. So now we both have high performance road bikes. Cost for both bikes close to $2000.

So now that we have "nice" bikes, and two kids who wouldn't know a nice bike from their own, we needed something to store them on. So we bought two wall mounts (Pics to follow later). Cost $60

Then we thought about transporting our bikes to and from the mechanics, the race sites, parks with the kids. We now must have a carrier. But not just a carrier, a hitch too because we don't have an SUV or truck. Our's had to be a "special" one (pics to follow). Hitch cost: $140, Carrier Cost $440

Now onto mechanics.....tune ups...and fittings. Fittings were $65 each and tune ups are $20 each bike (brake check, oil, chain lube, etc)

Ok so now the bikes are figured out. Onto the "fashion" of the Tri. The big decision: what to WEAR? I have a swim suit....so do I just get tri shorts and wear my suit for the entire race, or do I try and get a Tri Suit? Let me tell you, this is NOT an easy decision. And yesterday it proved to be the most self depricating thing I've ever been through.

I've always been told I have an "athletic build". I'm not skinny....I'm not big....I'm "athletic". Typically I wear a medium size. That's not bad. I'm very active: I run, I swim, I bike...and I'm in shape. So if I'm so "athletic" than why is it so hard to find something to fit? Everything is sized to fit the "elite" athlete. I'm telling you, I was close to tears yesterday leaving the fitting rooms with my XL tri suit that didn't fit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I immediately felt judged by the clothing fitters. But at the same time, I learned "Ok maybe a tri suit is not the way to go". So now what?

I don't think the two piece tri suits would work either, because 1) I have a mommy gutt that I KNOW will show it's face in the race overtop of my tri shorts and 2) I don't think tri shorts look good on an XL butt! So do I just wear my swim suit and get a pair of shorts over top or what? Ahhhh!

Either way, there is an expense to that, and the jury is still out as to what I will wear. It will either cost me $149-175 for a tri suit, or $45-65 for a top and then $45-80 for bottoms if I do the two piece!!!!!

The swim fashion is a little easier....$5 for silicone ear plugs, $8 for goggles, and $10 for a silicone cap. Done!

Now onto a race belt. I've seen belts with GU holders or just plain belts. Depending on which one we go with, it could be $9-15 for a belt.

GUs and other energy sources are purchased for training and for race day, so you can add another $0.99-1.99 per packet depending on the brands.

We have a babysitter come over on Saturday mornings to watch the kiddos while we do our early morning runs. So add $5 an hour for up to 2 hours, every Saturday for 6 weeks!

Shoes are already purchased (thank goodness) because mine are $139 (Kayanos). But we did buy Yanx which are speed laces for your shoes: $6.99 a pair (for both of us)

Add to this expense our registration fee of $55 per person for the race which is $110!

Crossing our first triathlon finish line: PRICELESS! (right??)

Happy 101 Award!!

2010-09-05T17:11:00.000-07:00

Marlene awarded me the Happy 101 Award.

I'm asked to name ten things I like, then pass it along to ten bloggers.

I like:
1. Rainy nights
2. leaving the windows open
3. sitting on my porch, catching up with my husband
4. the leaves changing color
5. running in 40-50 degree temps!
6. all things fall
7. Sunday afternoons
8. new music on my iPod
9. the smell of freshly baked apple pie
10. Family game night

I am tagging the following people:

1st "Official" Brick Work Out!

2010-09-04T07:32:00.000-07:00

I've been doing brick work outs in the gym, but not in the order of the events of a triathlon. For example; some days I will run 3 miles and then bike 10! Some days I will bike 12 miles and then swim 500 yards. Some days I will run and then swim! Never have I actually done an official brick work out...until today!

My friend Dawn and I are "newbies" to the Tri scene. Both of us are runners, and like the cross training of swimming and biking, but have never competed in the other disciplines, so we're enjoying that aspect of the training. This morning, before our brick, we decided to work on the fourth discipline of the triathlon; the transition!

Dawn arrived at 6:30am this morning. We set up our bikes and transition gear in my garage and practiced our transitions. Lessons were learned for sure. Especially about what gear to bring, what not to bring and what to wear! .......Boy who would have thought there would be so much to consider!!!

Speaking of which, once we practiced our T-1, and then we set out for the 1st leg of the brick work out. But first we must MOUNT the bike!!! Who would have thought that THAT would be the most challenging!!! I need to work on that. Because I'm not using clips, but am using "special" pedals, I really need to learn how to facilitate my mount. Wish me luck.

Our tri is a 12 mile bike, but we rode a 13.5 mile course. (our thought is we'll be over prepared! LOL). Let me just say that Candy Canondale definitely gives me a leg up on the competition. She's a sweet, smooth and FAST ride!!! I love that she gives me everything I give her. My hybrid made me work so much more....this is such a wonderful change!

So we finished that in under an hour and then practiced our T-2. Dismounting the bike for the run is definitely another challenge you don't think of until faced with it. We took a few moments and practiced it. I'm so worried I will blow a knee or something worse. Again, something I need to work on.

Now the run! 3 miles is normally not something I stress about. I have been running 3 miles for YEARS....but when you combine a swim and a ride, it is something completely different. Our road legs felt VERY tight at first, but after the first mile or so, we seemed to ease into our pace...and surprisingly it was an 8:30...woo hoo!!! We ran the 3...and finished and to our delight, finished in 27 minutes!!! YEAH! I'm pretty certain in competition, that will also improve....especially if we have the kind of weather we did today....a cool 50 degrees!

After having completed this official brick work out, I am even MORE excited about what this race will be like. It's a challenge to me....but I'm loving every minute of it. I know I'm not a long distance runner so sprint tris are right up my alley! I can't wait to see what kind of spark this fires up in me!

Wish me luck!

I'm ready to try a TRI!!!!

2010-08-30T15:11:00.000-07:00

Do you like? It's my new (to me) road bike! I got it on Craigslist for an AWESOME deal! My husband is VERY jealous.....he cannot believe the upgrades and performance level of this bike for the price I negotiated! I love it!

Now that I have it, I feel more prepared for my first TRI September 26th. Yes, you read that correctly....my first triathlon (with hubby)! I'm excited about it. It's another way of me stepping outside of the box....the running box that is. This summer has been killer for me, trying to maintain my mileage. The heat and humidity have really hampered my desire to run...anywhere... So I took up biking.....and swimming!

Friday mornings I started taking an adult swim class. It's designed to help swimmers build endurance and strength. There are a few first time tri'ers in the class and I guess you could say I got all wrapped up in that and just jumped on the bandwagon! Why not? I'm already training for a half marathon (with hubby)...I bike for fun.....and now I'm swimming! Why not try and Tri?

My goal, this time around is to finish. Finish strong.....but finish. I'm hopeful that by doing this first spring tri it will spark a new interest for me in the years to come. Running to me gets old....I don't like going long distances....and I hate being gone for too long and start thinking about all the other things I "should" be doing which then affects me mentally. Biking on the other hand is far more liberating and you can go further in less the time....and swimming....well! It's a new challenge for me. I love the peace it brings to my day. Just me and the water and nothing else. So by doing all these disciplines together I hope to find a happier me!

Wish me luck!

2010-06-27T06:33:00.000-07:00

Check out this form! LOL!

Yesterday I helped out at our local YMCA's youth triathlon. What an amazing experience. The youngest competitor was TWO YEARS OLD!!! He was amazing.

It really was inspiring to see all these kiddos giving it all they got and doing it so well and so proudly. It really struck a chord with me; we adults put so many mental blocks in front of us that we often let them stop us from trying something new and fun. These kids just jumped into this experience completely blind and totally rocked it. As someone witnessing it from the last leg of the event, it was awe inspiring. I couldn't help but get choked up by all these little (and bigger) bodies giving it their all to win a medal and make their parents proud!

Job well done!

Maybe this old gal could one day be awe inspiring......just maybe.......

I WANT THIS.....

2010-06-24T05:39:00.000-07:00

...and I'm taking $$$ donations.....thanks!

Being Healthy and Fit is EXPENSIVE!

2010-06-05T13:01:00.000-07:00

I supposed as a military family we are "lucky" to not have to pay monthly medical insurance costs. I know how quickly they add up. But since changing our lifestyle to be one that is more active, more healthy and CLEANER, our expenses come in a different form of "medical insurance". Our physical lifestyle really does add up.

But you know, I have no regrets. My family is not going to be a statistic. We're working hard with our kids to create awareness within them to always be active and to find the fun in exercising.

But if you really break it down, it is REALLY expensive to be fit.

Running shoes $140 (every 4-5 months)
New-to-me bike $500 x2 (one for hubby)
Maintenance $100 (for both bikes; every six months or when needed)
Cute Running Gear (bi-monthly purchases) $50
Vegetables vs Boxed Foods $50 a month
Participant Fees for running and riding events $25 per event (up to 6 events a year)
Babysitter costs for long run days and event days when Hubby is deployed $20 a day

Even considering all the costs, I still think it's worth the work and the expense. Instead, I think of it an investment for good health. I live in Oklahoma. One of the top ten FATTEST states in the U.S. That's embarrassing. For me especially. I have always been active and like to surround myself with like-minded people; however, it's just too darn easy and CHEAPER to not be.

I refuse to be a statistic in Oklahoma City. I am choosing to take care of myself and my family.

The end.

I Haven't Missed Eating Meat.......yet.....

2010-06-01T17:06:00.000-07:00

So, I watched a little movie entitled FOOD, INC . If you haven't watched it, or heard about it and you CARE about the quality and care of what you consume and where it comes from, I highly recommend you educate yourself. It has completely opened my eyes to things I think I was choosing to be ignorant to.

As a dairy farmer's daughter, I grew up with a deep respect and appreciation for animals. Some were even 4-H projects. Each animal had a name, a pedigree and ate off the land. None were given growth hormones nor did we mass produce. Our head at a maximum was 56 at one time. We lived off their milk and did butcher 2 animals a year; in which our family and my grandparents would share. That to me this is normal farming practices. However, I have since learned or have been shown there are other ways.

I could go on all day about all the things that disturbed me about this documentary but I will instead share with you what I am willing to do to possibly make a small difference in what I care to do for my family and for myself. After all "we have the power to vote three times a day".

For the last 10 days I've been conducting a little experiment. The end goal was to cut back on the amount of chicken and beef we consume. I didn't want to label it by saying we were going "vegetarian" but the idea was to focus on the benefits of following the vegetarian's diet and see if I / we missed meat. Normally I would prepare a meal with a lean meat (chicken or turkey) or fish. Rarely we eat red meats, but I do prepare them every now and then (beef stew, maybe a roast or two in the winter months and hamburgers during the summer). Since watching this movie I wondered how hard could it be to cut them out completely? I didn't see myself missing the red meats so much, but did fear I would miss chicken, for sure. My experiment would go as long as I could to see how long it would take me to miss meats.

Guess what?

After a full ten days I can say with confidence I haven't missed them. In fact, I am so excited about all the new options it opens up for me in the kitchen. I don't know about anyone else, but I find that I always fall back on the easy and the familiar recipes week after week. This opportunity allowed me to open up new options....all the while getting to know new vegetables.

Growing up we were a meat and potatoes family. My grandfather grew our family's supply of veggies: peas, beans, berries, potatoes, carrots, etc. We had potatoes every. single. night. BLECH! I got so tired of it that I vowed to never prepare them once I got married....and I didn't! The only time I would was around the holidays; who can resist mashed potatoes or scalloped potatoes at Thanksgiving? Mmmmm!

And because helping in the kitchen was NOT ALLOWED I had to teach myself how to cook. I was 22 when that happened. Thankfully I was living in Naples, Italy and befriend some locals who really helped me understand and experiment with the Italian cuisine. Lucky me! I added vegetables to my repetoire: eggplant, artichoke, garlic, fresh herbs (basil, thyme, parlsey), etc. It was awesome.

But then we had kids. Kids don't like Italian cuisine....yet! So instead of making three meals a night, I went back to what was easy and familiar. Now that they are older and understand that you must try everything at least once at the table and clean your plate at dinner time, they are better at sampling my recipes. Which leads me to my point.....

I am finding this experiment so much fun. I'm so much more aware of what it is I am buying; where it comes from; and what processes it has been through before hitting the supermarket. I have been able to proudly prepare a meal for my whole family, using organic or locally grown vegetables. I can already feel the benefits of eating a cleaner diet. I feel happy, stronger and more fulfilled. Surprisingly, I'm not as hungry as I thought I would be; being that I've been a carnivore my entire life. I don't miss meat, specifically chicken. We ate chicken at least 4 times a week. Granted I had some yesterday at a BBQ (versus a hamburger or hot dog) we hosted but this chicken (and all other meats) were purchased before our experiment. We will most likely prepare those meats in future meals, just to finish our stock, but we have most certainly made the commitment to not place our "vote" anymore!

My husband, another big carnivore, is also on board. He too has admitted he feels better and doesn't miss the meat. I'm so happy we're doing this together. Again, it's our choice to make these changes....and we don't intend to impose our practices or beliefs on anyone. I'm simply sharing my experience and am excited about the opportunities this will open up for me....in the kitchen! ;-)

Educate yourself!

My 1st REAL Brick Work Out

2010-05-21T04:40:00.001-07:00

I've been doing indoor brick work outs for awhile now. I didn't have a bike yet so I would ride the stationary bike for about an hour and then run 2-3 miles. It always felt good but yesterday, after doing it "for real", outside, with a road bike, it felt AWESOME!

Here I am here post ride! Still smiling. Probably because I just finished riding 9.25 miles with a great group of ladies and finally was able to get outside and enjoy the nice weather. Oklahoma has been hit pretty hard lately with all these crazy storms and as you can see, we had blue skies and big puffy white clouds; ideal for outdoor activity! So I got on my bike and road!

It was such a great ride that when I got back I put in 3 miles on the track too! My legs were ready to burn, so I pushed them. I can see myself really getting into this multi sport thing. It's so nice to break up the monotany of just running all the time!

This fall there is a duathlon just weeks before the half marathon Scott and I are doing in Dallas. I think I will train for it and put myself to the test!

Wish me luck!

Just Got a Bike....and Now I'm Itchin'

2010-05-11T14:41:00.001-07:00

This may be the very thing to get me in the saddle and getting those miles in. A BIKE RIDE! And what I love the most about it: It's "a ride, not a race". What a fabulous way for me to get my feet wet in the biking world

Not to mention it's local and for a great cause too.

Wish me luck!

I made the 1000 mile club!!!!

2010-04-28T16:16:00.000-07:00

In less than a year and a half I made the Nike+ 1000 miles logged club! Woo hoo! What did I get for it? A $28 T-shirt ~ gasp!!! The least they could have done was allow me to print off a matching 1000 mile certificate to go with my 500 mile certificate but they "don't provide those anymore". *sigh* I was so disappointed ...... 1000 miles don't come easy for this girl! But hey, I got the T-shirt in the mail today and celebrated with a new pair of shoes! (I will post that later)

I love my Kayanos! Definitely worth the investment if you put in a lot of miles each week

So not only did I pour out blood, sweat and tears to achieve 1000 miles in under 18 months, I also dished out $28 for a T-shirt and $120 for these shoes! LOL!

I'm devoted, aren't I?

13-year-old Girl Runs 50-Mile Ultramarathon

2010-04-15T12:05:00.000-07:00

Inspiration comes in many forms....

2010-04-05T13:39:00.000-07:00

I love what I read in Runner's World this month. Enjoy!

What would drive someone to jump out of bed in the early morning hours and run for countless miles before most people even hear the alarm go off? Are they crazy? Maybe, but probably not. Once someone dedicates themselves to running, whether as an avenue to lose weight, have more energy, look better, or simply live a healthy lifestyle, they begin to... See More realize the full range of benefits running provides.

Running then becomes a habit. For many, it even becomes somewhat of an addiction (a good one). The "runner's high" is just something they must have. Running is about a lot more than just being in shape and looking good. It provides a great mental escape during the run. Running allows your mind to run free and thoughts to flow. It provides stress relief as one can not only feel good during and after the exercise (as those endorphins get pumping), but can relax and enjoy the run, the moment. For many, running becomes a spiritual thing.

The challenge for many beginning runners is getting to the point of habit. While they may be motivated during the first weeks of running, they fall into the trap of making simple excuses to take a morning off and then find themselves losing motivation. See if this sounds familiar: Someone decides to start running to get into shape. They run 3-4 days per week for two weeks. Week three arrives and Monday morning the alarm clock goes off while they are cozy in bed and they think, “I’ve been doing so good I’ll treat myself to a morning off and some extra sleep.” Just that one morning off early on can create a big-time setback for many as they may take another run off or even longer, thus delaying them from getting into the habit of running or preventing from ever even getting into the habit. If you are new to running or just trying to get back into the mode, do yourself a favor and stick with your plans early on. Do the simple things like laying out your running gear the night before to help motivate you the next morning. Run consistently for 4-6 weeks, at a minimum, and you’ll be on track to a healthy life of exercise. Consistency is the key and staying motivated is the way. Run!

2nd Place Medal!

2010-04-03T15:33:00.001-07:00

FINALLY!

I finally placed and won a medal. Does it matter there were only like 11 in my age division? Whatever! I still got a SILVER medal....and it was a TOUGH TOUGH course...so I feel like I deserved that! Oh and an extra bonus I was 4th female overall! Woot, woot!

Pictured is me and my friend Mindy. It was her first 10K...she did great! She finished 2nd in her age division too ~ Woot woot!

...hmm......now that that race is over and my race is over....what will I do now????

Running Rules!

2010-04-02T04:56:00.001-07:00

Our Running Club leader sent this out today. It was too cute not to share!

Running Rules of Thumb

1. If you see a porta potty with no line, use it. Even if you don't need to.

2. If you have to ask yourself, Does this driver see me? The answer is no.

3. If you have to ask yourself, Are these shorts too short? The answer is yes.

4. 1 glazed doughnut = 2 miles

5. You rarely regret the runs you do; you almost always regret the runs you skip.

6. Not everyone who looks fast really is, and not everyone who looks slow really is.

7. Nobody has ever watched Chariots of Fire from beginning to end. Not even the people who made it.

8. You can never have too many safety pins on your gym bag.

9. Running any given route in the rain makes you feel 50 percent more hard-core than covering the same route on a sunny day.

10. If you care even a little about being called a jogger versus a runner, you're a runner.

Some pics from our fans on Facebook.

2010-03-31T03:58:00.000-07:00

I will post an update soon I just have been very busy since the race ended.

Here are some pics our fans have shared with us. There are MANY MANY more if you go to our Facebook Fan Page

Pictured here is the Navy Squadron VQ-4 leading our runners in a pre race warm up (Yah, we represented!!)

The starting line of the Kiddie Dash! So fun!

Our medals for top 3 finishers in each age division. This is a first place medal (blue ribbon). Pretty huh? Thanks Deb!

I'm so excited!!!!

2010-03-25T04:42:00.001-07:00

Sunday is the big day! My first race as Race Director. I've worked with an incredible team and I am so excited to see all our plans unfold!

Pics of the event to follow! Wish us luck!

Event Update: My 1st Du

2010-03-08T10:44:00.001-08:00

Pre-Event Pic!

Yesterday was my first duathlon. I didn't quite know what to expect but I was ready. Unlike the half marathon, I had been practising the full distances for both the bike and the run and felt incredibly strong so that did help with my confidence level. And by confidence I mean "ability to complete". I was still questioning myself at the starting line of the half marathon because we had only trained up to 11 1/2 miles...and to be honest 1 1/2 more miles seemed daunting to me.

I check in for my heat and QUICKLY learn I was the newbie...the amateur....the "what-the-heck-is-she-doing-here" lone soul! Everyone else in my heat had already completed the triathlon the day before and was doing this "for fun". (great!). And there was only one other female in my heat that "looked" the part. You know what I mean: she was toned, tiny and very sporty looking. So I kept my focus on her! LOL!

When I had called with my 101 questions before the event, I had asked about the kind of bike we would be using. The organizers had told me that we would be using "stationary bikes". When I asked them if they were spin bikes, they said "no". Well, they were wrong. When I saw the spin bikes I was like "great...now I have no idea how to pace myself on these"....but with a little help from the director, I upped my resistance and pounded it out. 8 miles in 18 minutes....I was happy with that.

I then jumped on the treadmill and was placed behind the other female. She was .43 miles ahead of me by the time I got on. My goal: close the gap. Her pace was 6.3. Mine was 7.1. Surely that would help because every 1/4 mile I upped it by .01. When I reached 1 1/2 miles she only had a 1/4 mile left. I felt great; exhausted....but good! I had closed the gap! I finished ahead of two guys, which also made me feel good. (I was the last one off the bike). As we congregated around the timer's table, the other participants kept telling me it was a quick heat; a "fast heat"; a "quick ride". They didn't have the results tabulated right away but everyone there congratulated me and was impressed with my effort. I thought these old pros were just being nice to the SAHM who showed up to ride a bike for the first time! LOL!!!!

Well...that was until I received the "results email". It appears as though I placed 2nd overall female and also won a $10 gift certificate! I guess #7 was really lucky for me! Woot, woot!

I'm not sure how accurate the results were tabulated because it was hard to see how they could really do that with such primitive timing equipment, but I am still pleased with my end result!

Now......what do I do next??? Guess it's time to buy a bike.

Doin' the Du today!

2010-03-07T04:54:00.000-08:00

It's my first duathlon today! It's all indoor. The "Mash 'n Dash" is an 8 Mile bike and 2 mile run. Truly an entry level event...but my first and I am so excited!

Wish me luck!

USA vs Canada

2010-02-28T13:15:00.000-08:00

This has been the story of my life.

GO CANADA GO!

I SPANKED my time from last year!

2010-02-15T05:24:00.000-08:00

I had the Frigid Five on Saturday. My first race of the year in a new age bracket too. My goal this year was to improve my time from last year....and that I did!

It was tough...I won't lie, but I did it. I crossed the line at 43:05 seconds. That's a personal best for me! Woo hoo!

You can view the pics from the race HERE. Even though I smiled each time they asked us too, they either took it too late or when I wasn't ready. Oh well. I look like a dork!

The weather is turning cooler AGAIN so I'm off to hit the treadmill this morning. Hoping to make 20 miles this week. Wish me luck!

Race Day TOMORROW

2010-02-12T05:34:00.000-08:00

It's my first race of the year.... AND my first race in my new age bracket! Wish me luck!

Gave my tootsies a well deserved BREAK!

2010-01-30T09:55:00.001-08:00

Thanks to my girlfriends for kidnapping me on my birthday ~otherwise, this would be the last place you would find me!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Next Up: FRIGID FIVE!

2010-01-23T08:05:00.000-08:00

It's official. I am signed up and ready to run the FRIGID FIVE miler Valentines' Day weekend! Last year when I ran in this race, it definitely earned it's title. It WAS CHILLY!!!!! But I was able to finish it in 44 minutes. This year I am hoping to finish in the same amount of time, if not a little sooner!

It's my first race of the year in a new age bracket too ~ Happy 35th birthday to me!

Wish me luck!

Bring it on 2010!!!!

2010-01-10T06:51:00.001-08:00

I know, I know...it's been awhile since my last post. But that's not to say I haven't been busy. I have been very active, as a matter of fact. If you have been tracking my daily mile progress, you will see I have been consistently logging my miles. (I've been a good girl). But because I am not training for the half marathon this year I feel conflicted. I am not sure what I should be doing right now. Most of my friends are logging their miles and prepping for the April deadline where I am lost thinking: "how serious about this running thing am I?". Well I am serious, but I don't think I am a marathon runner; like they are! I did one half marathon and thought "wow, that sucked". But ask me about a 10K! LOVE THOSE! So I think my focus from now on will be the shorter distances: 5 and 10Ks and maybe (if we can work it out) doing one last half marathon with my hubby to celebrate our 13th wedding anniversary this year. I will keep you posted on that.

But for now I am just doing my thing, logging 25 miles a week while strength training and keeping my butt in the gym and focused. I am also very busy working on my first ever 5K road race fundraiser! Check out our FACEBOOK PAGE

I'm also getting serious about biking. I've never done it before but look forward to a new challenge and doing something different. I like the idea of mixing up the running and biking thing too so I'm looking at completing my first duathlon this fall. Check out the details HERE

First things first: must get a bike!!!!

Wish me luck!

Happy New Year everyone!

The Tree Is Up!

2009-11-29T15:22:00.000-08:00

YAY 2009!!!!!!

The Happy Go-Lucky Runner I Am!

2009-11-09T15:25:00.000-08:00

A New (unofficial) PR!

2009-10-10T09:07:00.000-07:00

Without the support of my family, I would not be the runner I am today. Thank you for getting up early and eating on the run (no pun intended) and thank you most importantly for enduring the cold conditions and just supporting my insanity. I love you all xo

****************************************************************************

My goal for this year's Race for the Cure, was to beat my time from last year. That time was 26:45, a feat I didn't think was possible. In fact, on several occasions during my training, I set out to beat that time and ended up failing and worse yet, walking once or twice. I was convinced the course didn't measure 5K (3.1 miles) exactly. I had no way to tell either because last year's race was before my trusty Nike+. So this year with it on my arm (and shoe) and knowing this was my last race for the year (and for awhile) I was putting my time to the test. Oh but wait! The rumor is the course is different! Ah ha!!! Someone else must have noticed too....so now the test today was not only for time, but for how well I liked this "new" course!!!

I was a little nervous about this new found changes. Last year's course was nice and flat...and clearly "fast" too if I was finishing under 27 minutes. So was my goal to be faster out of reach now? *sigh*

Bang! The gun goes off....and out we go.

Once I dodged all the walkers and pokey feets (ha ha) I found some open space. Ahhh, finally. Time to get my "groove on". And I did. My Nike+ was telling me my average pace was 8:15 Yikes! Whoa girl! Slow down....you still have 2 1/2 miles to go!!!

As I rounded corners and weaved through people I found that I really enjoyed the course. It was fairly flat but also had some nice inclines along the way. I don't mind an odd hill or there. It's good for you, so I welcomed that change. I also loved how the course wove around some more popular streets, so there were more "cheerers" along the route. Thank you people!!

Then as if time had flown by, THERE WAS THE FINISH LINE! How can that be? I checked my Nike+ and sure enough we had 1/4 mile to go. This mama got her kick on and crossed the line running a 7:35 minute mile! Woo hoo!

My unofficial time (according to Nike+) was 25:45! A full minute faster than last year. I loved the new course. I loved the atmosphere and loved the company I had today! Congrats to those Iron Moms who finished their first 5Ks! And Happy 1 year anniversary to my running partner, extraordinaire Kristina. We started running one year ago when we met at the starting line of the Race for the Cure last year!

Love ya girl xo xo

The Iron Moms of OKC!

Race Pics ~ The gutt is hanging OUT!

2009-10-09T12:44:00.000-07:00

EMBARASSING......so very embarassing!

I just checked out my race pics. This is the second time I have viewed pictures from a race where the first thing I see is MY GUTT!! I work on it...I really do. I do core exercises and I do ab work, and yet there it sits...outside of my running tank, viewing it's ugly navel to the world. UGH!!!! I think the problem (this race) was that I wore a small "fanny pack" to carry my cell phone. It was fitting too tightly around my waist and lifted up my tank exposing my bulge to the world. NIiiiiice.....real niiiiiice!

Other than that, the race pics were great! I especially love the one of Kristina and I.

You can check them out too. Race Pics (10K): Bib #1063

Don't laugh please!

In other news, the Race for the Cure is tomorrow. This will be my last road race for the year (I think). I will be busy planning my very first Community Event in March! Wish me luck (on both accounts)

Oh and for kicks, here are my results from last year!

The "Finish Cam"

2009-10-05T09:02:00.000-07:00

You've probably heard enough about this run, but just one more post about it! It was a great day to run, what can I say?

I'm so glad that after this week's events (sick kids, sick husbands, bad weather) my running partner Kristina and I did in the end make the trip. Initially we were going go down the day before and enjoy the weekend at the Expo. At every marathon location there is usually a social experience connected to it: an expo of running gear, guest speakers, a pre race pasta dinner, etc etc. This run offered the same experience, HOWEVER because we had sick kids, birthday parties, sick husbands, and impending bad weather (storms), we were very unsure how we were going to make this all happen and still enjoy the race. In the end we canceled our hotel reservation and just decided to make the trip down to the starting line first thing in the morning. That bought us time too to see if we really did want to run in such horrible conditions.

It's an hour's drive to the race site from my house so we HAD to be on the road by 6am. I called down to a friend who was there overnight at 5:30am to get a weather report. She confirmed what we already knew: "It was drizzling but not raining hard". So now the question was: "Do we do it anyway?". In the end, we decided "let's do the DAMN thing"...and so off we went

As we drove south the rain was coming down harder and harder. Had we made the wrong decision? Maybe...but we were committed at this point so we kept on going.

We get there and yes...it's wet...rainy and cold. I had packed a ton of running clothes unsure of what I wanted to run in. Ideally I like running in a tank but with it being so wet and cold, I was fearful of it making me sick. So I ended up putting on a long sleeve (cotton ~ ick) top under my tank. I typically only like to wear moisture wicking materials...it's more comfortable to me..and I don't worry so much about getting wet and cold...and then sick. But I had to use what I had.

We line up at the start line...and lo and be hold the sky went on pause. The rain stopped. I said a quick prayer that went something like "we just need an hour...please hold out for us".....BANG! The gun went off.

IT. WAS. AWESOME.

There was a slight chill in the air but no wind and no rain. It was incredible running weather. I felt so relaxed and so comfortable....and quickly found my groove. It helps that the course was fast and flat too!

At three miles (the turn around point) my game plan was to kick it up a notch and then at 4 1/2 miles start making my move. Everything was going according to plan. The only kicker: I WAS HOT!! Had I not put on that long sleeve top I would have been perfect!!! But oh well. Mile 5 came and I felt my legs ready to take off. This is where I get my kick..."we're almost home baby!". Then comes the one and only hill....and it did slow us down a little, but at the top was the finish.....and it was GREAT!

My goal was to finish in 55 minutes> I finished in 55:36. I was very happy with that! Kristina finished in just over an hour and placed THIRD in her age division which means she gets another medal!

It was my first 10K...and I feel good about it. I'm happy we went after having such a crazy week leading up to it with so many uncertainties!

Oh and guess what? Just after Kristina crossed the line, the skies opened up again. Coincidence? I don't think so!

Here is my finish. I am the fifth person to cross. If you listen carefully you can hear the announcer say my name ~ woo hoo!

It was a GREAT run!

2009-10-04T16:55:00.000-07:00

This is our pre run pic ~ me and my running partner Kristina. It was chilly, wet and dark, but we braved the elements and made the most of it

We were expecting a cool wet run today but to our surprise, the skies went on pause for the hour we needed and allowed us to really enjoy our run today! My goal was to finish in 55 minutes, and I did! I finished in 55:36. Yay!!

This pic was taken by my friend Rachel. I am actually smiling in this shot. Normally I am so serious and oblivious to the world around me but this time I actually enjoyed crossing the finish line. It was a GREAT course, a nice "fast and flat" route and the weather was perfect.

Shortly after we finished, the rain started. I felt badly for the marathoners. I knew they were running a tough and hilly course but to add the cold and rain made it that much more....heroic! Congrats to all of those who finished and PR'd (yes there were PRs surprisingly)

Race Days NEVER Agree With Me!

2009-10-04T03:33:00.001-07:00

Well it's 5:30 am. My race is at 8:15 this morning. It rained all night and it's forecasting light drizzle all morning! Yay! (not)

Each and every "big" race, or at least the ones I look forward to, always seem to have the CRAPPIEST weather. It's either hot and humid; cold and windy; freezing rain or now just drizzling. (sigh)

I'll be back later! Wish me luck!

Pre-Race Random Thoughts: Why I Run

2009-10-02T12:41:00.000-07:00

When I had my second (and final) baby Ty I realized six months later, while the "baby build up" was still hanging around my hips, waist, behind and thighs, that it was high time I take time out for me. I would stare at my body and say "child bearing years are over, it's time to get my body back"....and that started my journey towards living a stronger healthier lifestyle.

When I was younger, I was always the athletic type. I was into gymnastics, softball, basketball, volleyball, cross country, and track and field. However since marrying my husband who is habitually deployed and having to care for our two kids at home, my home life took the steering wheel, while my activity level took a back seat. Now that my kids are no longer babies and toddlers, relying solely on my care, I can now get back in my work out regime and set some goals for myself. While doing that, also set the example for my kids that Mommy is taking care of herself too.

Recently I have witnessed many of my family and friends do tremendous things. People all around me are training for something or have just completed something fabulous! My husband completed his first marathon in DC at the Marine Corps Marathon in 2003. My brother in law (his oldest brother) Jerry has competed in two Iron Man competitions and already has his sites on a third one. My other brother in law (his youngest brother) Sam finished a half Ironman triathlon. Two of my sister in laws, Sara and Kathryn competed in a multi sport competition; running, biking and swimming. A friend of the family, Deb (SIL's SIL) finished the 3 day 60 mile walk for breast cancer. My Canadian friends are running and kicking butt in their 10K and half marathons. A lady on my PTA is a Tri-athlete and her personality is just so contagious you just want to feel what the hype is all about (notice I said feel....it can't all be good!). The "running moms" at the Y continue to inspire me. Each of them achieving every goal they set out to do. They have all just set their mind to do something and they just do it!

I kept thinking: I want to do something amazing. I want to "be somebody". I've been competing in these little dinky 5ks for two years now. I want to train hard and compete in something AWESOME. It's hard to not want to be apart of this awesomeness!!! Coincidentally, I hooked up with my running partner (fellows MOMS Club friend) Kristina this past fall at the Race for the Cure and since then I have gotten really serious about my distance running. All the while having a blast together. We're both challenging each other to run further and further, yet enjoying the journey along the way. Then finally it happened. February 2nd, I reached a personal best in my distance running: NINE MILES. A year ago I couldn't run 3 times around our mile and a half track. So I decided, THIS is MY year. I CAN do this...so........I took the plunge and registered for my first ever half marathon; the OKC Memorial on April 26th. Now that I have it under my belt and can focus more on the enjoyment of running without the pressure of distance, I have seen the beauty in the sport. It's contemplative. It's insightful. It's alone time. It's freedom. It's a personal challenge; one that keeps me happy instead of feeling overwhelmed. It's something I want for myself.

Finishing the half marathon was the one and only thing I have ever committed to do, completely for selfish reasons. Everything in my life is dictated by someone else's needs, wants, time-tables, etc but this is the ONE thing that I can dictate and I can commit to without feeling guilty about it.....and maybe as a result my boys will be proud of me.

So that is why I run. I run for me. No guilt about it!

This is a picture of my running partner Kristina and I after my first half marathon this year (April 26, 2009), in Bricktown.

You Can Follow Along!

2009-10-01T17:29:00.001-07:00

I received an email today concerning the events of the race. I wanted to share it with you.

As you know, I am competing in my first 10K race this Sunday. I've done plenty of 5Ks, a couple 8Ks, my half in April and now a 10K. 4-6 miles is my happy place. It's considered a "long" distance run, but more speedy if you will. Now I am not saying I'm out to break any records but I am saying my body can handle this mileage and not feel like.... well, that I am running a half marathon! LOL!

I also anticipate this being a fun weekend. A group of us are going down with our families the night before and staying at the same hotel. I have never been able to enjoy the "pre race" festivities before with my fellow running club crew, so this will be fun!

(my Running Crew)

On the day of the race (Sunday, October 4th) you can track me and see my finish!!!

Go to this website and follow these directions:

Runners in all of the five certified races will have FREE access to view their personalized web analysis. You can access RunPix from the Spirit of Survival website and relive your race experience

You can also download a FREE 30 second FINISH CAM. To access FinishCam, there will be a link on the Spirit of Survival website (above) a few days following the completion of the Spirit of Survival events.

How cool is that???

BIG NEWS!

2009-09-30T04:49:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile. I know. Like I said earlier, I just wasn't feeling it. I think the summer months kicked my butt. Running in the heat and humidity was just not enjoyable...but NOW...........it's wonderful

I love fall. Everything about it. The colors. The crispness in the air. My wedding anniversary! It's just a wonderful part of the year. I've been getting lots of miles in too and honestly feel that if I were to train for a half in this weather I would do well. Maybe something to consider for next year.

For now I am focusing on my speed. I am running my first 10K race this weekend. It's on Sunday. I posted about it below in another post. The course is described as "fast and flat". That's my kind of course ;-). The following weekend is the Race for the Cure. It's a 5K course. I ran it last year and had my best ever 5K time. So hopefully my time will show improvement this year as I have been training much harder! Fingers crossed.

I also have HUGE news to share! Long story short, our local YMCA (which is less than two miles from my house and my home away from home 5 days a week) is partnering up with my son's elementary school to do a 5K run this spring...and GUESS WHO is the Race Director? Um...yah! That would be me!!!!!! I am actually co-directing with the Executive Director of the Y so that both the school and the Y's interests are represented. I have NEVER done anything like this before but am so stoked about the prospect of seeing this event grow into a community event; as well as benefit both our school and the Y's scholarship program! It's just so exciting to think about and especially because my hubby learned that we may be staying on here for three more years!!! So unlike most other things that I am around to help lay the ground work for, I can actually see how this event grows each year! I am just so excited about it.

So there. That's my update and good news! I am out of my funk now. Thanks for your partience. Now I need to catch up with all of you! ;-)

Spirit of Survival

2009-08-31T16:16:00.000-07:00

Next Up: Spirit of Survival Race October 4th

Well......my competitive spirit got the best of me....and almost all of me. Today I was almost convinced to run in another half marathon. Almost. You see I have this friend who can just set her mind to something and just do it. She realizes after the fact "yah that was tough" but never tries to talk herself out of something. I am NOT like that. I have to CONVINCE myself that I can/should/would do something if I knew a possible outcome. And by knowing a possible outcome, I mean a predictable one.

There is a marathon series coming up the first weekend of October (the weekend before the Race for the Cure). It has a full, half, 10K, 5K (mountain top) and a 5K trail run. All of which takes place in the Wichita Mountains and is deemed to be "fast and flat". Well that was before I got hold of some race reviews. It didn't take me long to learn that this supposed fast and flat half marathon was actually (and I quote) "A hilly, challenging road race that takes runners through some of the most unique landscapes anywhere in America,"

On that note....no thanks!

But then I did a little more digging and found that the 10K was actually a flatter and faster 10K course than the years prior! That's more like it

So now I am rallying the support of my running friends and we're going to make a weekend of it..5Ks, 10Ks, half marathoners and full marathoners. Oh and the best part: HUBBY WILL BE HOME TOO! wOO HOO!! So now he and the boys can see me do my first 10K

The stars are alligned and this girl has her game back. YAY!

Wish me luck!

Not feeling it....

2009-08-26T14:55:00.000-07:00

I've been busy running and cross training and resistance training but just simply am not in the mood to blog about it.

It's hard to really stay excited about my training when I am not really training for anything. I'm just showing up at the gym 5 days a week and putting in the hours. Yes it's a good thing, but nothing to "write home about", if you catch my drift.

So I'm taking a blog leave of absence ~ not that it will be missed!! I'm not sure people really read this anyway! LOL!

For those who do, thank you. Sorry to leave you hanging. I'm off to find some inspiration....I will share it when I find it.

Until then : work hard....have fun and we'll see you soon.

When you're not training for anything in particular....

2009-08-14T10:51:00.000-07:00

How many miles do you run a week?
How often do you run each week?
How many days of cross training do you do?

I'm at a cross roads right now. I want to run, however, running without a purpose isn't enough motivation for me. At the same time, I don't want to lose my mileage, so not running is not an option.

What do you do in your lulls?

A Question for you

2009-08-12T15:28:00.000-07:00

Are you considered a "half marathoner" if you have only ever completed ONE half marathon and have no desire to run another one, or a full one, but do enjoy shorter distances?

I was referred to today as a "half marathoner", which is not the first time someone has said this about me, but struggle with accepting this label as I feel I am not the "committed" type. I RAN (past tense) a half marathon and do not have any desire to do it again. (right now anyway). I do run, however, but typically enjoy the 4-6 mile range, opposed to the 13.1 mile mark!

To me a "marathoner" is someone who does this habitually and enjoys it. Simply adding "er" to the end of the word makes it sound to me as though this is something someone trains for regularly and enjoys more than participating just one single time.

I'm curious to see your responses.

Feeling Stronger

2009-08-12T13:01:00.000-07:00

We just returned from a week long vacation in the Smoky Mountains. What a beautiful part of the country. Especially for someone like me (originally from Canada) who is now planted in Oklahoma with NOTHING to look at! I have missed mountains, trees, green grass and just the beautiful landscape of driving around in the valleys.

I have also missed running in SHADE! It was awesome to run in the Smokies and find side roads lined with tall shade trees. I have tried to tough it out in the heat here in OKC, but honestly it's harder than you think! 100 degree temps plus humidity....it wouldn't matter how much water I drank each day I was doomed to feel like crap after each run!!

Here we are....the crazy runners in the group of 33.

A Pre run picture. L-R: Karl, Sam, Jerry, Sara, Scott, myself and Anna

I love that my extended family are physically active. Each morning a number of us would prioritize to run before we made plans for the day. I have an Ironman brother in law who is always looking to do something physical, his wife who is a swimmer and runner; my hubby who likes to run as well, and his other two sisters who are now training for running events this fall. Those of us pictured above participated in a Kilgore "killer" 5K . And by "killer" I mean....holy moly hills! It was a tough/challenging course but we all thankfully finished in one piece, and proudly I can say I was the first female to cross the finish line! My sister in law Sara (the swimmer) gave me a run for the money and made it close! She's a stronger runner than she gives herself credit for.

Here we are post race:

(you know it's a tough course when the Ironman in the group says it was "really tough".....just sayin') Yah, we're that hardcore!

A few days later Alyssa (not pictured above) who is currently training for her first marathon 9 months post partum ~ (go Lyss), Sara (swimmer runner/ Ironman's wife) and myself headed out for a different another 5 1/4 mile run. This one, thankfully much flatter and enjoyable. It too was a great run. The second half was definitely tougher, as it was a slow gradual incline back to the starting point, but not as tough to conquer as that 5K we ran a few days prior. I enjoyed that run that day and our four miler a couple days later and quickly realized I now have a family running partner! I enjoyed having that one on one time with her (with no disruptions other than hard breathing up the hills) and think by running with her, made me that much stronger. Thanks sista-friend xo Can't wait for our next run together.

Not only did I enjoy running with my family but I loved running somewhere different. It was nice to take in the sights and enjoy the run along the way, instead of the predictable routes I usually run. The challenges along the way were good too, I felt stronger because of it. I don't get the opportunity to train on tough courses like the ones we ran in TN, so I am glad I had that opportunity. It showed that I have come a long way too, with my running; especially with my endurance. The hard part now, is getting back in the swing of things!

Back from Vacation!

2009-08-09T06:14:00.000-07:00

It was an awesome week away! The weather was great and the runs were awesome! Hills, hills and more hills, but nothing I couldn't handle! :-)

I will report more, with pics, a little later. Just trying to catch my breath!

Detox Runs : Warning TMI!

2009-07-27T10:44:00.000-07:00

Ok, I'm putting myself out there a little....but hopefully I will find someone who can relate.

This may be just my problem, or maybe it's not, but when I run six miles or more my body responds in a very....ah....interesting way. It's almost as though the longer I run, the more my body lets go of toxins (if you are catch my drift). I swear I could stay seated in the rest room all day when I return from a long run. I feel strong during the run but once it's over, I seem to let go of all things digested! LOL!

Does your body respond this way?

When my mind is heavy in thought, so are my feet!

2009-07-21T10:46:00.000-07:00

I've always said running is my therapy. I believe it is. But when I have a lot on my mind and I run, it completely affects my pace and my overall experience. Running then becomes a challenge; how much longer can I do this? Why am I out here? Are we there yet?

I had a lot on my mind today. Mostly mommy-guilt stuff, but also random pestering things that nobody really wants to know you think about! So I run with these thoughts....and go over them in my mind and ask myself "why? why do you care?".....meanwhile my pace has dropped 30 seconds slower. I typically keep my pace near a 9 minute mile and throughout the course as I was checking my distance and pace, I was hearing some readings saying I was at 9:44 and one at 10:08. WHAT???

So remind me next time when I am trying to go for distance, to maybe journal my thoughts first so I can have a good run. This last 6.25 mile run was HARD!!

How was your run today?

5 Miler at South Lakes with Steph!

2009-07-20T09:41:00.001-07:00

Unplugged for 36 hours

2009-07-19T15:12:00.000-07:00

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

I'm back from a 36 hour unplugged weekend adventure and it was awesome! I highly recommend taking some time out for yourself, without interruption (internet, cell phone, home phone, etc) to just enjoy the simple things in life.

What sparked this spontaneous decision? My four year old told me on Friday night during our weekly movie night "mom, I love playing with you. I want to do this every day". It occurred to me in that very moment that even though EVERY SINGLE THING I DO in my life is for SOMEONE ELSE in my family (park dates, play dates, swimming lessons, t-ball, t-ball practise, soccer, trips to the library, roller park, bike rides, etc etc etc), all they want at the end of the day is face time with their mommy. So in an attempt to reconnect with them without distraction we did whatever they wanted to do this weekend, and surprisingly it was truly the simple things in life. A bike ride, chalk drawing in the driveway, silly pictures with the digital camera, movies for daddy, blowing bubbles, running in the sprinkler, going to a movie, having ice cream, drawing pictures for daddy, playing with playdoh and helping me bake some things for the weekend. Throughout the entire experience we talked about everything; everything a four and six year old is thinking about and honestly I was absolutely amazed with the things on their mind. I felt almost guilty that as their mother I had no idea about the stressors they deal with (which maybe are minor, but to them are huge milestones): not being able to tie their shoes, not being able to climb a tree, not being able to whistle, writing their full name, etc. So we worked on those things and let me tell you, to see them celebrate these little things was enough to make a mom proud (and yet still guilty for not having taken the time earlier on to tune into them)

So if the opportunity ever does knock when you can just unplug....do it. It's amazing what you learn about yourself and most importantly your kids.

And to reward myself for good mommy behavior, I went on a 7 mile run and it too felt awesome! (followed by a 1 1/4 rollerblade ~ wooo hoooo)

F-I-N-A-L-L-Y!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-07-17T12:20:00.000-07:00

They're here......they're here......they are finally here! My shoes, that is. I've been waiting a LONG time for these beauties

Aren't they pretty?

They took me for a very comfy and peppy 5 1/4 mile run this morning. Not only did we have a break in the weather, which allowed me to enjoy the run, but my feet and the rest of my body did too. It was like wearing pillows on my feet! Ahhhhhhhhhh! Bliss.

Now the question is: what do I do with THESE?

These girls carried me through the Race for the Cure and all of my half marathon training and to the finish line of my very first half marathon. There are a lot of MILES and memories in these shoes. How can I just discard them? Or mow the lawn with them (like I do with my other old pairs of shoes)? What is a girl to do?

And while I have you thinking, don't forget to offer your input here too: YESTERDAY'S BLOG

Have a great weekend!

Interviewing Running Moms

2009-07-16T06:21:00.000-07:00

I started a facebook group called RUNNING MOMS. There is a link in my sidebar if you want to check it out.

I started this group about 3 months ago (maybe 4) with only 32 members (mainly my closest friends across the U.S). Since it's formation, our membership has reached almost 300 members! THAT IS AWESOME!!!! It just goes to show how many of us are making ourselves and our health a priority ~ which is so inspiring to me.

I love reading about other peoples' training, motivation and feel inspired reading their personal stories of success and trials. But I need more! In my comment section below, nominate a fellow blogger that you follow that has completely inspired you. Include a link to their blog. My hope is to feature a Running Mom once a week.

Thanks!

Now I'm a scardy cat!

2009-07-15T10:50:00.000-07:00

I'll be honest. Last FRIDAY was really scary for me. You would think that after living in the mid west for 2 almost 2 1/2 years, that I would be accustomed to running in these hot summer temps. Apparently not. I'm now a little more reluctant to run outside. I skipped my run on Monday and went Tuesday morning. I only went a mile and a half outside and ran an additional 3 and a half miles inside. I was taking it very slow because now with my hubby being deployed again, I couldn't risk putting myself in another vulnerable position. Can you imagine if Friday's incident would have happened while I was alone with the kids...oh my!

This morning the weather forecast was to be in the high nineties. I know that still seems hot but compared to a hundred and six temps, it's bearable! So at 8am I set out to run 3 miles. I just wanted to make sure I hadn't scared myself too much. I can't imagine not running outside again, until the fall. There is just no way! So out I go. I felt comfortable but definitely after 2 1/2 miles I could feel the effects of being out in the sun, and again worried about not being able to finish. Luckily I did. I pushed through to 3 miles....and then before I knew it, 4 miles....and that was it! I didn't have time to go any further (the boys had swim lessons in a half hour) and honestly, I think it was a good thing. Otherwise, I probably would have pushed too much.

Damn this Nike+ monitor!!!!!!

I'm telling you this thing is the driving force behind my distance running. I think I would be fine using it to just track my own personal distances, but I foolishly (LOL) sign up for these online challenges on the Nike+ website. I have already finished the 500KM challenge; finishing #4. I was pretty proud of myself so what do I do? I then sign up for a 1000KM challenge. I have until the end of 2009 challenge (check out my challenge bar on the right hand side of my blog). Currently, I am ranked #12. Not long ago, I was in the top 10...and I have no idea why I got so far behind....oooh ugh! It just chaffes my behind that I dropped two spots.

ANYWAY, because of that thing, I now find that on my runs, I am not only just running because I want to, but I am also running to make up for lost time...and in doing so, I am pushing myself....and well.....FRIDAY happened. So now I'm being a scardy cat and don't want to do too much; but not doing too much is not an option!

CAN YOU SENSE MY FRUSTRATION HERE?

ugh!

I'm an idiot!

2009-07-11T06:53:00.000-07:00

You've been reading from my blog about the heat and the humidity right? How it's been in the triple digits by noon and so unbearable to do anything in right? Well what do I do? I decide to run up to 4 miles at 10am outside in almost 95 degree temps. At 3 1/4 miles I thought "oh boy...what have I gotten myself into?". I could feel cotton balls forming in my mouth, my body starting to hate me and my feet yelling at me with each stride. Hubby turns to me and says "let's turn around and head back" but no, I was too stubborn to listen. I wanted to get to the 3 1/2 mile mark before doing that. I didn't want to "whimp out". So at 3 1/2 miles we turn around and walk a 1/2 mile. During that time I was hot...to say the least but relieved I wasn't running anymore. With the wind at our backs now we could really feel the intensity of the sun on us. It was in full force and it was almost unbearable to be walking in, let alone running in it!

After our 1/2 mile walk/cool down, I knew at that point there was only a mile left to run, so we booked it back. I felt great. Maybe that was all I needed. I just needed to catch my breath, let my body cool down and then know at the end of this last mile was a shower. I finished....winded and hot...but I did finish strong. I stretched it out and then lift some weights. All upper body of course.

When we get home, I start feeling chilled. I could feel the goosebumps forming and the sweat on my body turning cold. Meanwhile I was shaking....like all over. It was a nervous shake; all inwardly not outwardly. It freaked me out. I got in the shower and turned up the faucet to all the way hot (did I mention it's 100 degrees out?? Yet here I was in a hot shower). The water just didn't feel hot enough so I finished showering and ran a bath hoping to submerge myself in the warmth. I just wanted the chills to go away. I soaked in it for awhile but then felt chilly again. I got out, dried off and climbed into bed under my goose down comforter. There....now I was warm. A few moments later I was then sweating ~ too hot again! ugh!

I grab some lunch and get ready to run errands, hoping the shakes would go away. We pile into the car and head to Target. The boys had some shopping to do with their birthday money. Once we walked inside Target I felt a huge wave of nausea take over. Then the dizziness started and I started to feel overwhelmed, anxious and disoriented. Not wanting to spoil the boys' fun I asked for the keys to the car and I was going to go out and sit in the car with the AC on me. While in the car I swear I was going to be sick....and then I worried: "what if I pass out and my boys see me slumped over in the car?". I called hubby from the car and asked him to hurry. Thankfully he and the boys were just finishing up.....

We started the drive back home and the whole time we were in the car I was fighting the urge to tell hubby to pull over so I could be sick. I just wanted to get home.

20 minutes later we're home again and I grab a huge glass of water and gulp it down. I continued to do this over and over again for the next hour while lying in the bed. While resting in bed, and drinking tons of water I snacked a bit too. I was so worried about seeing all this food again (if you catch my drift). I wanted to fight this so badly because it was date night (hubby has been deployed and we had child care all arranged for our night out...I didn't want to spoil THAT either!).

By 5pm I got out of bed. I felt a little "woozy" but I was definitely more human then than I was a few hours earlier.

I learned a few valuable lessons yesterday:

1) RUNNING OUTSIDE IS OPTIONAL IN 100 DEGREE TEMPS
2) don't hate the treadmill on days when you could quite easily die in the heat (and thank goodness Scott was home yesterday ~ what if he was still deployed....the thought of that scares me)
3) TAKE WATER ON YOUR RUN ~ EVEN IF IT IS ONLY A 4 MILE RUN
4) Summer time running SUCKS ~ BRING ON THE CHILL

Runners are GIVERS! You know I love freebies!

2009-07-10T05:52:00.000-07:00

I have been following a fellow running blogger, Marlene from Canada. I think you should check out this entry and ask yourself when you will be training for your first/next marathon!
MARLENE'S STORY

I also wanted to show you a pretty cool (and very funny) blogger. Check her out too NIKES AND PONYTAILS

And check out this loot: I Run Because I Can

Lastly, check the t-shirt giveaway on TALL MOM ON THE RUN

I had fun this weekend, despite being absolutely bored!

2009-07-05T18:16:00.000-07:00

Hubby is deployed. One friend is boating on the lake with her family. Another friend is visiting extended family in Wichita Falls with her family. Another friend is chillin' with her hubby and kids (spending time as a family) at home. Another friend is in Colorado with her family. (do you see a pattern here?) I mean seriously people....on a long weekend you leave me all alone?

So what did I do to fight the boredom? Well I visited the local carnival of course.

I took the boys to the rock climbing wall hoping my oldest would do it (he's 6). He was "too afraid" of the heights, so mama showed him how it was done ~ however she sucked at it!

Check it out:
It looked promising right?

Almost there....

But I didn't make it....TWICE. The guys let me go a third time (the fee to climb covers only two attempts) because he saw how close I was and felt sorry for me. He also wanted me to vindicate myself.....yet that did not happen. I suck.

In a different story:

I broke out the blades this weekend ~ TWICE.

Last year a friend of mine and I used to blade one to two days a week. It was fun getting out there and doing something different, however, the wind last spring was CRAZY. It was as if we were pushing forward with all our might, only to go a few feet! It was a resistance workout like no other ~ and yet fun too.

It's been that long since I last put them on but this weekend I broke them out twice. I took the boys to the park to get them out of the house and to burn off a little energy. My oldest son took his bike and my youngest took his razor scooter and I was able to keep up with both of them! It was so fun. I love doing activities outside with the kids; especially ones that tire them out! ;)

Our venture out didn't last long, unfortunately. After we rounded the mile and a quarter mark it started to rain. Desperate to stay out, we continued on, but the rain picked up so we called it quits at two miles. Still impressive for a 6 and 4 year old!

Today cleared up a bit so I went and did a 3 mile hill work out on the "dreadmill" and then ran another 3 miles outside. The weather was perfect for it. And let's face it, after being cooped up all weekend with no where to go, it was just nice to be outside, ALONE! Once I finished my run, I got the boys and took them back to the park where we would try our ride again. This time more successful ~ no rain! We did another two miles on the track and then they played. My legs were absolutely jello after having already worked them pretty good previous to this adventure, but it was still nice to be outside.

Do you have blades? Where do you go? How far do you go?

I'd love to see some 5K road races open up their events for roller bladers. That would be so fun!

A Happy Medium

2009-07-03T08:37:00.000-07:00

As you have been reading, the heat and humidity is really bad here in the midwest. So much so, I struggle running three miles anymore without fearing I will collapse in a heap of dehydrated exhaustion!! However, taking my running inside is very boring for me. Spending an hour on the treadmill is NOT my idea of a "good run". So in trying to keep up my miles while trying to beat the heat I have been able to find a happy medium. I have been running 3 to 4 miles outside, and then taking the rest of my run (usually an additional 2-3 miles) inside to finish on the treadmill. What's even better is that I incorporate some speedwork, usually every 1/4 mile and it really helps to pass the time (and boredom) on the dreadmill.

Yay, a happy medium....and I can see a difference in my running too.

So bring it on heat.....you can't beat me!

A Brick Run

2009-07-01T04:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I took Debbie's spin class. It was a great burn after a long weekend of not doing much! Upon finishing it I jumped on the treadmill and did some speed work. Surprisingly my legs didn't turn to jello. They handled it quite well. I thought for sure they would give out after the first mile. This just reinforces the fact I am ready to do something more challenging. I am looking forward to getting into cycling and trying the duathlon this October. I can't wait!

RIP Michael Jackson

2009-06-25T15:51:00.001-07:00

In honor of the legend I am working out to MJ all week.

Speed Work and the HEAT

2009-06-25T05:57:00.001-07:00

In case you missed it, we've been experiencing triple digit heat waves for the past week, making it very difficult to get out and run. Even our 6am and 7am runs this past week were hot and muggy. There is just no escaping it. And for someone like me who likes to train in the "elements" versus the "dreadmill", it is really making it hard to stay motivated, no matter how much water we put out on the track. So I have decided to do a lot of cross training this summer and mix it up with maybe one short run and one long run each week. I don't want to lose my distance but I don't want to die either!!

So yesterday I set out to run five miles. I was committed to running at least three outdoors and then move the rest of my run inside. I finished 3.15 outside and then jumped on a treadmill and worked on my speed for another 3 miles increasing my speed every 1/4 mile. My run tempo was 6.5 on a 1% incline and then I started a sprint progression every 1/4 mile starting at 7.0 and would then increase it to 7.2, 7.4, 7.5 and then lastly 7.6. It was tough but I did it and felt good about getting those six miles under my belt!

Today....it's my day off. Yoga tomorrow!

Debbie's Tunes PUMPED ME UP!

2009-06-23T11:56:00.001-07:00

Thanks for an awesome spin class today girl! Your music (specifically this song) made me think of this video, which i love! I had my navy life and fitness life intersect today...and it was awesome. Enjoy the video girl!

6 1/2 miles to the Farmers' Market We Go!

2009-06-20T17:51:00.000-07:00

Kristina and I have been trying to plan a run to the local Farmers' market for months now. Either my husband has been deployed, or her's was, or one of us had a late Friday night and couldn't quite wake up in time for the 7am meeting. However, we both managed to stay sober last night with husbands home for the weekend so we jumped at the chance.

I drove to Kristina's house on the south east side of the city, the quiet countryside of the city, and we set off for the market. Running in the country is always so enjoyable to me. I love the wide open spaces. The peace, quiet and stillness ...and I even love the "scents" of the farm. It's a nice reminder for me of back home; growing up on the farm as a child. I miss that life sometimes. Today gave me an opportunity to experience it again and to let me "go back in time" (so to speak), even if it was for only an hour.

I find that running in the country allows you to really open up your stride and enjoy the open roads with less traffic, smog and the hustle and bustle. It's so nice....and far less mental that running in the city.

But not everything about country running is enjoyable! About mile 4 we started encountering some hills. You know the kind: long, slightly inclined hills that seem like forever.

At the top of the second hill I have to stop to catch my breath. Boy! I am weak! I was sucking wind so bad.......how pathetic was I? Part of it was the heat and humidity but a larger part was the mere fact that training in Oklahoma does not give you a ton of opportunity to train on HILLS. We are in the plains afterall....so you can imagine my surprise today to find all these long steady hills on our way to the market.

About mile 5 we meet another hill; another long steady incline. But this one was a monster! Without a doubt it was easily a 1/4 of a mile in length. Slowly we ascend. Halfway up I glance ahead to see if there is really an end to this climb. Looking in front of me it seems as though it is miles (not feet) away! I check my pace monitor and it reads 9:30/mile. That seems impossible! I feel like I am barely moving; like I was running / jogging a 12 minute pace.

We reach the top and take a breather...more for my benefit, Kristina rocked it. I needed to get some air, get some water and make sure my legs were still in this. Of all the weeks to decide to go to the farmers' market; its the week I do an intense lower body work out, kickboxing, a 7 mile run mid week, a spin class and then athletic yoga the day before! Lesson learned...my legs were now feeling like jello. So I catch my breath (again), get my feet and legs back under me and we set off for our last mile of the run. Thankfully the rest of the way was flat....and we made it in time to score a free yellow squash and a $3 organic cantalope!

Spinning and Yoga

2009-06-19T06:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I took Karen's spin class. I loved the post work out burn...and the feeling of accomplishment once it ended. Yesterday's class really made me feel strong. It was a "sprint" work out and while I struggled through most of it, I felt stronger than I have in her other classes (Hill work outs SUCK by the way!!!). It has definitely sparked my interest into cycling, that is for sure. So to change things up a bit and to help build on my endurance and keep things fun, I am going to incorporate this class into my weekly work out routine.

Today I ventured in to try another Yoga class. I love Julie's class. Probably because at the very end of it she lays a warm scented cloth across our eyes while we are resting during the last 2 minutes of class. But in all seriousness, it feels so good to stretch those muscles and allow them to release some tension they feel while I push them to the limit lifting weights and while I am pounding the pavement three to four days a week. I left the class feeling very centered and grounded and focused on what I need to do to maintain a positive attitude; and that is keeping a variety of challenging things to keep my interest piqued and to continue feeling motivated!

What did you try once and got hooked on? What made a world of difference in your life?

I was blog stalked....again!

2009-06-17T13:46:00.000-07:00

This is why I love the running community! We all support each other....even strangers

Check it out ~ click here

Beating the Heat

2009-06-17T07:16:00.000-07:00

I finally had an opportunity this morning to run with the Y running moms. They usually meet on Saturday mornings at 6am and run 6 mile loops. Since learning about them it was as if my husband's deployment schedule decided to take on a life of its own and basically leave me single parenting for months at a time. Then when he was home, he had to work on weekends or we had a late night the night before. So instead I would meet three times weekly with my runnnig partner Kristina at 9am and would run with her.

Now that the weather is really heating up, it's making it very difficult to run at the 9am hour. By that time the temps are already in the 80's if not 90's which makes it hard to get a nice long run in without the threat of dehydrating or worse. So we've been talking about maybe changing things up and runnning inside (ugh!) or cross training as much as possible to get through the summer months. My fear of course was losing all the endurance I had built up and worse yet, getting frustrated (as discussed in this post: )

BUT an opportunity knocked this morning that allowed me to get out with the girls. It was great to get out at that early hour and not have to endure the heat but to get to meet some more running friends. It's amazing how running can be such a social and networking experience. If you haven't yet found a running partner/friend or group of people interested in running, but want to, contact your local Y and ask if there are any running clubs, or check out this link

It makes a world of difference to have people supporting you in what you do and people helping to push you be the best you can be! It's also very motivating to know that there are people counting on you to show up each time....and to know that you can run all these miles and not even realize how far you've gone because of the great conversations you have.

So...get out there....hit the pavement....and have fun!

Motivation

2009-06-16T05:36:00.001-07:00

When does running become effortless?

2009-06-15T11:34:00.000-07:00

It's funny, really. The first thing I want to do when I am mad, upset, worried, happy, or bored is go for a run. When I am out running I think about all the things I "should" be doing that I am not, because I am out running. So while out running I think "how far should we go today?". My body usually says "5 maybe 6 miles", and my brain says "dude, I'm done...let's do 3 and call it a day ~ but focus on speed".

UGH!

So instead of enjoying my run, I now have this mind over matter BATTLE in my head: "it's hot out here, let's go in"....."no, just do the distance"...."I'm not sure I can get around this track"....."ok let's take it to the road"......"Nah, let's do speed work"......"no....relax and enjoy it"......"I'm done, let's finish"......."no it's been a long time since we put the miles in"........

and it goes on and on and on. I am starting to think running in the summer is going to be torturous!!!

So why is it running is the first thing I want to do? Why is it that running is the form of cardio I actually prefer to do? Why is it that running occupies my mind all day long? When can I get to a point in my running that I can just go out, do six miles and be happy with it?

I'm not a summer time runner!

2009-06-14T05:44:00.000-07:00

Last night was the Downtown Dash. It was a 5K run through the city. It was a nice, fairly flat course, but with a dang hill at the finish! I hate that!!!!! Why can't they just let us runners finish with dignity? LOL

Anyway, I started off doing great. My pace was an 8:30, varying between 8:20 and 8:40. At mile 2, I slowed down a bit to 8:50 and maintained that until the finish. It was not a personal best by any means, but I did finish 7th in my age group. (out of 58 runners). My friend Stephanie was a little speedster last night and broke away from the pack early. I made sure I kept her in my sights, but can't imagine keeping her pace throughout. The heat was horrific! She finished 6th, 30 seconds before me.

I was able to witness something pretty incredible last night. My friend Vilona, who is new to running (as in a couple months of on again, off again running), ran her very first 5K. She finished in 33 minutes. I am so very proud of her! She stepped outside of her comfort level and did it...and has the t-shirt and the Guiness mug to prove it.

I realized something last night that maybe I already knew but never really confessed. I HATE SUMMERTIME RUNNING. The last two road races have been so humid. Unbearable really. And surprisingly no head wind to speak of, which is rare when running in Oklahoma. I thoroughly enjoyed training for the half marathon this winter in 30 and 40 degree temps. I had no problem layering up and doing the miles. It actually felt good and I believe it's the reason why I stayed healthy through cold and flu season. Summer time running with the humidity and sweat and having shorts ride up is not a pleasant experience! So we'll see what I plan on doing from now until November's half marathon. I can't stand the treadmill and honestly don't know how much longer running outside is a viable option anymore; where temps get into the 90's by 9am (my usual running time). What is a girl to do? Ideas?

It's Race Day Today!

2009-06-13T06:23:00.000-07:00

The Downtown Dash is tonight at 8pm. It's a 5K race and the first race I've done since the half marathon. I'm excited and yet nervous about all this humidity and the threats of "severe weather" they keep warning us about! But hopefully that will push me through the course quicker ~ it's all about improving my time.....

Stay tuned for results.....oh! and wish me luck!

Met a Bike Guy

2009-06-12T13:31:00.000-07:00

So today Kristina and I decided to go and pick up our race packets downtown at Bicycle Alley. We met Terry, the owner. I have been wanting to take some time and go down and talk to someone about my new goal of competing in the Fall Classic duathlon this October. He showed me a few "starter" bikes and I was really excited about the prospect of trying something new. That something new, at brand new cost, would be $700.....so I am hoping that if I shop around more I can find a better deal, or better still, borrow someone's bike to train with or buy used! I am just not sure if biking will be something I will stick it...but it's certainly something I want to try.

2009 is shaping up to be a pretty cool year! 5 milers, half marathons and now duathlons...oh my!

"Take the Path Less Travelled........."

2009-06-10T11:57:00.001-07:00

This video really pumped me up......the lyrics can speak to any one of us in any situation....and for me, it's motivates me to just keep with it....and take the path less travelled....be somebody!