November in Review

Clearly life has been crazy busy and I am just now finding the time to record my November stats.  With that being said, November ended with a short four mile run in 53 degree weather with Heather.



November 2014 Stats
53.1-- running miles
4.06- walking miles
0- biking miles
0-- elliptical miles
0-- kettlebell workouts
0-- stair workouts
0-- fitness app workout
0-- upper body weight fitness workouts
0-- leg weight fitness workouts
0- monthly fitness challenge workout
0-- Assorted cross training exercises workouts
57.16-- total miles

Current 2014 Stats
806.51-- running miles
51.84-- walking miles
37.59-- biking miles
4.1-- elliptical miles
8-- kettlebell workouts
6-- stair workouts
1-- fitness app workout
1-- Assorted cross training exercises workout
3-- upper body weight fitness workouts
1-- leg weight fitness workouts
2 1/3-- monthly fitness challenge workout
900.04-- total miles

2014 Mission check-in

Mission #1: Make an effort to eat more fruits and vegetables.
Action Plan: Always have fruits and vegetables cleaned, cut up, and ready for consumption.
Action Plan: Choose healthier options when snacking.
Mission #1 was hit or miss in November.  The problem was that we were in PA for Thanksgiving and my mother's house has lots of candy laying around and we made sugar cookies!!

Mission #2: Accept and embrace that my best is good enough.
Action Plan: Stop comparing myself to others and compare myself to the person I was yesterday.
Action Plan: Define my own success and measure it by what I am able to do.
Mission #2 continues to be as it should be!

 

Mission #3: Run 1400 miles in 2014.
Action Plan: Run.
Action Plan: Run some more.
Mission #3 is just not going to happen this year.  It's okay though, if we don't set "missions" we don't try and succeed.  53.1 miles run in November (593.49 miles to go).
Mission #4: Run happy.
Action Plan: Run training runs and races with friends as often as I can.
Action Plan: Listen to my heart and not the beeps on my Garmin.
Action Plan: Be thankful that I have been blessed with a healthy body that allows me to run.
Mission #4 is spot on and I love every minute of it!





Before the Inland trail 1/2 marathon in early November

Mission #5: Do other workouts in addition to running.
Action Plan: Find workouts I enjoy and actually do them.
Action Plan: Participate in some monthly fitness challenges.
Mission #5 went well....sigh.....um.....I walked 4.06 miles....pathetic!!  The good news is that I am doing a December Challenge that involves cross training so next month's review shouldn't look so bad in this area!!

November was definitely a very light month for me.  I am okay with that.  We shall see what December brings.

 

Keep running, you're simply the best, and you inspire me!!

March in Review

Sunday's pre-dawn 16 mile run brought my March training to a close.  I am truly hoping that Sunday was the end of this crazy snow!

March 2014 Stats
109.74-- running miles
1-- walking miles
0-- elliptical miles
2-- kettlebell workouts
2-- stair workouts
1-- fitness app workout
1-- Assorted cross training exercises workout
110.74-- total miles

Current 2014 Stats
231.94-- running miles
7.14-- walking miles
4.1--  elliptical miles
8-- kettlebell workouts
6-- stair workouts
1--  fitness app workout
1--  Assorted cross training exercises workout
243.18-- total miles

2014 Mission check-in

Mission #1: Make an effort to eat more fruits and vegetables.
Action Plan: Always have fruits and vegetables cleaned, cut up, and ready for consumption.
Action Plan: Choose healthier options when snacking.
Mission #1 is picking back up finally.  Planning to cut up those fruits and veggies this evening after a nice easy run.

Mission #2: Accept and embrace that my best is good enough.
Action Plan: Stop comparing myself to others and compare myself to the person I was yesterday.
Action Plan: Define my own success and measure it by what I am able to do.
Mission #2 continues to challenge me but I am really working hard on it and feel I am moving in the right direction during my workouts.  I do what I can do and have been happy with it at the end of the day so I say that is a success.  I also  just finished reading "Raising an Athlete".  It was a great book and incredibly helpful with this mission.  I highly recommend reading it.

Mission #3: Run 1400 miles in 2014.
Action Plan: Run.
Action Plan: Run some more.
Mission #3 was much more successful this month as I ran over 100 miles in a month for the first time in 2014 (1168.06 miles to go).
Mission #4: Run happy.
Action Plan: Run training runs and races with friends as often as I can.
Action Plan: Listen to my heart and not the beeps on my Garmin.
Action Plan: Be thankful that I have been blessed with a healthy body that allows me to run.
Mission #4 is right where I want to be!  I love running with friends and not stressing out about things.
Mission #5: Do other workouts in addition to running.
Action Plan: Find workouts I enjoy and actually do them.
Action Plan: Participate in some monthly fitness challenges.
Mission #5 is going really well. In March I walked outside once, did 2  kettlebell workouts, 2 stair workouts, and one assorted cross training exercises workout.  The plan for April is to keep up with these additional workouts as well as complete this April challenge! 

Overall, I am absolutely thrilled with the way March ended up and am looking forward to seeing what April brings.

Keep running, you're simply the best, and you inspire me!!

January in Review

A great outdoor 5.5 mile run last night brought my January training to an end.  It was so nice to be outside after being stuck doing indoor workouts for so long!

January 2014 Stats
44.50-- running miles
3.08-- walking miles
3--  kettlebell workouts
2--  stair workouts
47.58-- total miles

Current 2014 Stats
44.50-- running miles
3.08-- walking miles
3-- kettlebell workouts
2-- stair workouts
47.58-- total miles

2014 Mission check-in

Mission #1: Make an effort to eat more fruits and vegetables.
Action Plan: Always have fruits and vegetables cleaned, cut up, and ready for consumption.
Action Plan: Choose healthier options when snacking.
Mission #1 is going very well.  The bonus to this is that my kids are eating a lot more fruits and vegetables and opting for healthier snacks as well!

Mission #2: Accept and embrace that my best is good enough.
Action Plan: Stop comparing myself to others and compare myself to the person I was yesterday.
Action Plan: Define my own success and measure it by what I am able to do.
Mission #2 is a work in progress.  I have my days but I am learning to embrace that I am only competing against myself.
Mission #3: Run 1400 miles in 2014.
Action Plan: Run.
Action Plan: Run some more.
Mission #3 is off to a slow start with 44.50 miles run in January but I have 11 more months to get there! (1355.50 mile to go)
Mission #4: Run happy.
Action Plan: Run training runs and races with friends as often as I can.
Action Plan: Listen to my heart and not the beeps on my Garmin.
Action Plan: Be thankful that I have been blessed with a healthy body that allows me to run.
Mission #4 is right on track!  Loving and happy with the run right now!!
Mission #5: Do other workouts in addition to running.
Action Plan: Find workouts I enjoy and actually do them.
Action Plan: Participate in some monthly fitness challenges.
Mission #5 is going so much better than last year's additional workouts.  In January I walked on the treadmill 3 times, did 3 kettlebell workouts, and 2 stair workouts.

I can honestly say I am very happy with my January because I am doing what is best for me and not worrying about anyone else.  I am defining my own sucess and I'm loving it!!

Keep running, you're simply the best, and you inspire me!!

2014 Missions

In my last post, I asked for a new word for goals because quite frankly the word goals stresses me out.  I took it to Facebook and after reviewing the suggestions, I have decided to go with missions.

Now that I have covered my reason for not having "goals", I give you my missions for 2014 in no particular order.

Mission #1:  Make an effort to eat more fruits and vegetables.
Action Plan:  Always have fruits and vegetables cleaned, cut up, and ready for consumption.
Action Plan:  Choose healthier options when snacking.

Mission #2:  Accept and embrace that my best is good enough.
Action Plan:  Stop comparing myself to others and compare myself to the person I was yesterday.
Action Plan:  Define my own success and measure it by what I am able to do.

Mission #3:  Run 1400 miles in 2014.
Action Plan:  Run.
Action Plan:  Run some more.

Mission #4:  Run happy.
Action Plan:  Run training runs and races with friends as often as I can.
Action Plan:  Listen to my heart and not the beeps on my Garmin.
Action Plan:  Be thankful that I have been blessed with a healthy body that allows me to run.

Mission #5:  Do other workouts in addition to running.
Action Plan:  Find workouts I enjoy and actually do them.
Action Plan:  Participate in some monthly fitness challenges.

As this is my mission list I am giving myself permission to add, delete, or change them at any given time.   I will update you on my progress when I do my month in review posts.  Here goes nothing...

Keep running, you're simply the best, and you inspire me!

What's Been Going On In My World Wednesday

It has been awhile since I have done any blog posts.  I always have good intentions to sit down and write a post and then I get distracted by something and the blog falls to the wayside once again.  With that said, here's what has been going on in my world.

Every Tuesday since my marathon I have been making a valid effort to run for a set amount of time and just enjoy the "love of the run".  I have been able to do this every week so far.  I pick a length of time I want to run and then I start my watch and switch the screen so it shows the time of day only.  The best part of these runs is seeing my distance and pace at the end.  It is very therapeutic and I recommend everyone try it at least once!

Time of Day Tuesday!!

I had no intentions of running the Inaugural Cleveland RNR 1/2 Marathon but since I found a discount coupon and most of my Sunday morning running buddies would be there, I decided to go ahead and register for it.  The original plan was to aim for a finish time around 2 hours.  Let's just say the hills took their toll on me and I finished with a 2:05 or so.  I was happy with that for a training run.  I also helped a co-worker I came across at mile 11.  I ended up run/walking with him to the finish because he was in a world of pain.  I was happy to pay it forward.  There have been many races where other runners have done the same for me!

Let's Rock

Let's Roll

I am not a huge fan of hill running but I have to admit I am starting to enjoy running them.  Dare I say it's fun?!?!  On Sunday the plan was to get a long run in and run some hills during the course of the run.  Some hills turned into six hills total.  I was not a happy runner going up the hills but once to the top, it was so worth it.  The views were just amazing!  I can't say enough about the beauty of running in the Metroparks.  It also helps to have amazing people to run with.  We also managed to convert our friend Emily to an outdoor runner from a treadmill runner!  There were times that I wanted to hurt our friend John when he would push the pace.  Truth be told, I made myself keep up with him because I know it makes me a stronger runner.  Patty, Tony, and Dan are great motivators as well with their encouraging words as we power up the hills!  Just an awesome group of friends that enjoy sharing their love of running with each other!  I think Missi described it best when she captioned our photo:  "11 miles of hills and high-fives".

The only thing missing from this picture is Missi, she was behind the camera!

Just gorgeous!

Yesterday was Tuesday so the watch was set to time of day again and I actually embraced the hills that I encountered.  I may have even said they were a nice bonus.  My friend Kim asked me who I was with that comment!  I told her she was bringing me over to the dark side (hill running).

At the top of one of the hills we conquer (this photo was taken a week after my marathon)

 Finally, it appears some of my running friends and I are famous!  We got an email to sign up for the Santa Hustle 1/2 Marathon in December and sure enough we are the featured photo in the ad!  I am not sure I would have noticed it if I just looked at the email but I had 13 text messages waiting for me after my run yesterday with our photo included!  Go us! 

Who wants our autograph?  HA!

So, that's what has been going on in my world!  What has everyone else been up to?

Keep running, you're simply the best, and you inspire me!!

June in Review

An awesome 16 mile run yesterday brought my June training to a close.  It was a wonderful run with great friends and a little one mile "race" thrown in the middle.  It was a perfect ending to June!

Just outstanding

Team "Infinity and Beyond" at the one mile race.  The team was created by Morgan (#214)

The June Details

June 2013 stats
173.1-- running miles
0-- spin miles
0-- jump rope fitness workouts
0-- core fitness workout
0-- Pure Barre classes
0-- Fitness App workout
173.1-- total miles

Current 2013 stats
643.36-- running miles
67-- spin miles (3 classes)
19-- jump rope fitness workouts
1-- core fitness workout
12-- Pure Barre classes
1-- Fitness App workout
710.36-- total miles

2013 "to do list" check-in

2013 Running Goals
1. First and foremost 26.2 under 4 hours--enough said
-Toeing the line on Sunday, September 15, 2013 in Erie, PA.  I am happy to report that training is going really well with a lot of help from my coach and friends.


2. Achieve a second sub 1:50 so I can remove the asterick from my current sub 1:50 PR
-I didn't run any 1/2 marathons this month so the opportunity to achieve this goal didn't present itself.  I did run a 5K (one day after a 14 miler) and then the one mile "race" yesterday.  Otherwise no other racing this month.


Girls with Sole Lula 5K

2013 Mini Running Challenges
1. Run 100 miles per month
-173.1 miles run in June.  It is obvious by this mileage that marathon training is in full swing!
2. Run 1300 miles for the year

-656.64 miles to go to complete this challenge.

2013 Non-Running Mini Challenges
1. Cross-train at least twice a week
-I failed big time at this one yet again.  I didn't do a single ounce of cross-training as I am back into the throws of marathon training.  I know I need to fix this one because I know it makes me a stronger runner.
2. Complete a jump rope workout every day
-Not a single jump rope workout completed.  The trend continues...
3. Drink 50 ounces of water per day (based on my current weight, this is my daily water intake need)
-This one is relatively easy when you have to hydrate for all of those marathon training runs.
4. Take my vitamins daily
-Somehow I missed 2 days in June.  Still pretty happy with this as in the past I would forget for weeks at a time.
5. Continue to choose and cook healthier foods
-7 meals made in June.  Not awful but certainly could be better. 
6. Learn to swim...better luck this year
-Still looking for that luck.  Hopefully I find it sooner rather than later.

I am beyond happy with how June turned out and I am looking forward to what July has in store for me!

 Keep running, you're simply the best, and you inspire me!!

April in Review

A nice, easy four mile run yesterday brought my April training to a close.

The April Details

April 2013 stats
89.55-- running miles
0-- spin miles
0-- jump rope fitness workouts
0-- core fitness workout
4-- Pure Barre classes
0-- Fitness App workout
89.55-- total miles

Current 2013 stats
336.56-- running miles
67-- spin miles (3 classes)
19-- jump rope fitness workouts
1-- core fitness workout
12-- Pure Barre classes
1-- Fitness App workout
403.56-- total miles

2013 "to do list" check-in

2013 Running Goals
1. First and foremost 26.2 under 4 hours--enough said
-As of April 30, I have determined that this will occur in the fall.

2. Achieve a second sub 1:50 so I can remove the asterick from my current sub 1:50 PR
-I didn't run any 1/2 marathons this month so the opportunity to break 1:50 didn't present itself.  There are more 1/2 marathons to come though so I will have my game face on.

2013 Mini Running Challenges
1. Run 100 miles per month
-89.55 miles run in April.  I came much closer this month.  I spent a mommy and me weekend with my daughter for her first out of state figure skating competition which resulted in me not running a single step this past weekend.  I would sacrifice 100 miles again just to see her doing what she loves.  I would also sacrifice 100 miles to watch my son in Kung Fu as that is his passion.

Kaelynn placed 4th out of a group of 8 strong competitors

Grant setting up for a round house kick

2. Run 1300 miles for the year

-963.44 miles to go to complete this challenge.

2013 Non-Running Mini Challenges
1. Cross-train at least twice a week
-I can't say I did great in this area this month.  However, I did do 4 Pure Barre classes which is more than I did last month.
2. Complete a jump rope workout every day
-Not a single jump rope workout completed.  This seems to be a trend...
3. Drink 50 ounces of water per day (based on my current weight, this is my daily water intake need)
-I'm good with this one for the most part.  I may have missed my mark a little this past weekend when I was out of town.  I am back on track though.
4. Take my vitamins daily
-Somehow I managed to forget to take my vitamin twice in April.  I am still pleased with my consistency in this area because in the past I would have forgotten ever other day!
5. Continue to choose and cook healthier foods
-14 meals made in April.  I am happy with this.
6. Learn to swim...better luck this year
-Once again, second verse same as the first. We all know this one is a thorn in my side. I have done extensive research in regards to swim lessons. I just need to figure out what will fit my schedule and make the commitment.

Overall I am happy with my April.  I also can't believe tomorrow is May 1.  Where does the time go?

Keep running, you're simply the best, and you inspire me!!

Rest In Peace Grandma...

At 11:20 this morning my Grandma took her last breath surrounded by all seven of her loving children. While it saddens me to see her go I know she is in a better place. She is no longer suffering and is running with the angels!

Thank you for the memories Grandma! I love you to the moon and back and I will miss you! I am dedicating my long run to you tomorrow and I will be carrying you in my heart!

Keep running, you're simply the best, and Grandma your memory inspires me!!

Catch a Leprechaun 30K

Monday afternoon Jenn and I were text messaging and it went something like this:

Jenn: I am crazy looking at more races lol
Me: Just read your facebook message! A 30K is 18.4 miles crazy girl! Where is it?
Jenn: I knew that. Elyria. They have a 30K, 15K, and a 5K. It is a flat course. :) I am crazy
Me: So you wanna run 18 Sunday? No not crazy just a distance runner

The text messages continued into the evening and before 8 PM on Monday night we were signed up to run our first 30K.

I had offered my guest room to Jenn on Saturday night since the race took place close to my house and she took me up on the offer. Once Jenn got here we headed to dinner and had pizza and beer. She was a cheap date! LOL. Once we got back from dinner we looked at some running things online and then headed to bed. We woke up to this lovely sight this morning...

Yep, sure enough the weather forecast had been accurate and we would be running 18.4 miles in the snow! We got ready, had some breakfast and headed out. We stayed inside the college where it was nice and warm until it was time for the race to start!

Since neither Jenn or I had ever run a 30K we knew we would have guaranteed PR's today!! The course took us on two 9.2 loops around town. We were having a great time talking during the first loop and managed to hold between 10:15-10:30 mile pace (I'm pretty sure Jenn had no idea this was the case). As we were approaching the end of the first loop, Jenn mentioned she had to pee. At the exact moment she said that, I said damn it. It was hilarious because Jenn thought I was annoyed that she had to pee. So much so that she told me I could keep running but she had to stop and pee. I couldn't stop laughing when I told her I had to pee too and the damn it was because I had just stepped in a puddle and now my shoes were wet! It was too funny! When we headed back out for our second loop I could tell Jenn was starting to feel it. Right around mile 11 she slowed to a walk and told me she felt like she was going to pass out (what is it with me and people almost passing out. Dave last weekend and Jenn today). She took in a gel and seemed to be feeling a little better and then it happened again a little further down the road. At this point she told me she felt like she may puke. I told her to go ahead and puke and we would move on. LOL. In the end she didn't puke, but I did have to send Negative Nancy packing a few times during the course of the final 7 miles! During the final two miles there was another runner not far ahead of us and Jenn told me to go try and catch her. I told Jenn no. There was no possible way I would be leaving Jenn on the course. We were in this together until the finish which we reached in 3 hours and 18 minutes (time includes potty break). For the first time ever I finished last in a race but ended up getting first in my age group. I guess it pays to be old since I was the only one in my age group today! After we left the race we stopped to grab hot chocolate to drink while we took our "ice" bath.

Once we got back to my house we headed outside to use the lovely white stuff to ice our legs. As we sat down Jenn asked me what I had this for.

I told her I would be using it to scoop snow on my legs. As you can see it worked perfectly!!

The hot chocolate really helped to make the "ice" bath tolerable!

All in all we had a great run with lots of laughs and we were both still smiling when we crossed the finish line and in the end that is what matters!

Keep running, you're simply the best, and you inspire me!!

How Did the First Week of the New Year Shape Up?

Not too shabby if I do say so myself!!

Saturday, January 1, 2011
The house was returned to its pre-Christmas state.
Nice easy 5 mile run!

Sunday, January 2, 2011
First long run of 2011 with Jenn! We sported our ninja masks for 7 miles!

Monday, January 3, 2011

The kids and I returned to work/school after two weeks off.

30 minute rope skipping session!

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

3 mile run..sub 9 min/mile pace.

Monthly massage appointment!

Wendesday, January 5, 2011

Went to Dave and Buster's for dinner with friends. We had promised the kids over break but never got to it so we made up for it this week!

Nice easy 3 mile run!

Thursday, January 6, 2011

3 mile run with 2 sets of .25 mile "hills" mixed in!

Friday, January 7, 2011

45 minute interval workout on the elliptical which equated to 3.7 miles.

Dinner with the girls! We laughed so hard! It was great for the soul!!

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Much needed rest day!

Spending the day at ice skating lessons and a birthday party with the kids!

I am happy with what I accomplished this week. I also had more patience with my daughter during homework, didn't get upset about running a few miles less than I had planned, and I drank more water. Baby steps! Baby steps!

Looking forward to a snowy long run with Jenn tomorrow!

Keep running, you're simply the best, and you inspire me!!

Reflections of 2010 and Goals for 2011

2010 was a year filled with many great adventures! Since a picture is worth a thousand words, I give you the year 2010 in photos!!

January 16, 2010- Grandma turns 80!

January 31, 2010- my first marathon training long run..it was cold!!

February 14, 2010- my 14 miler next to a frozen Lake Erie!

February 26, 2010- Awards Ceremony...see I'm not always in running clothes!!

March 7, 2010- Cuz Michele and I run the Mill Creek 1/2 Marathon....we coined it the "worst course ever".

April 18, 2010- Cuz Michele and I finish our longest training run before the marathon...22.2 miles!!

May 16, 2010- Curing Chordoma one mile at a time! The Cleveland Marathon!!

Deb's our survivor! 10 years tumor free!

My first ever DNF (did not finish).

June 20, 2010- Girls With Sole 5K-- my comeback race. Landed myself a 3rd place age group award!!

July 4, 2010- Smiles For Sophie 5K

August 1, 2010- The Chicago Rock 'N Roll 1/2 Marathon. Enjoyed a great girl's weekend and got to meet up with a few amazing bloggie friends!!

August 14, 2010- Family Reunion- see I told you I don't always wear running clothes!!

August 21, 2010- Run With the Big Dogs 5K- Battling my brother for the family championship. He still wears the belt.

September 12, 2010- The River Run 1/2 Marathon- I managed to pace Jenn to a killer PR! She was a rock star that day!!!

September 25, 2010- Voice for Recovery 5K- I set a new PR, got 1st in my age group, and placed 3rd female overall!!

October 17, 2010- The Detroit Free Press 1/2 Marathon- I set a 3 minute PR thanks to the fine training schedule created for me by Joe!! Thanks again Joe!!

October 24, 2010- Skeleton Run 5K- I placed 2nd in my age group while running in full costume.

November 21, 2010- Jenn and I ran the Cleveland Fall Classic 1/2 Marathon for fun! We met Angie along the way!

November 24, 2010- Visited Christmas Land and Family in PA. I didn't run a single step the entire week and I wouldn't change it for the world!!

November 27, 2010- The kids and I went to Ford Field to watch our cousin in the high school state championships! We got to see family we rarely get to see, including one of my favorite cousins, Trinity!!

December 4, 2010- Jenn, Kaelynn, and I did the Reindeer Run 5K and had a blast!!

December 24, 2010- We had 23 family and friends over to end 2010 on a fantastic note!!

Looking ahead to 2011! Marathon training starts in 9 days and I am very excited!!

2011 Goals

1. Cross the finish line of the 2011 Cleveland Marathon upright and smiling with a little help from my friends.

2. Run a minimum of two half marathons.

3. Cross train once a week.

4. Do a jump rope work out once a week.

5. Run 1,500 miles.

I may add more goals as the year progresses but as of right now these are my top 5!

Keep running, you're simply the best, and you inspire me!!