Size Elevens

Slurpin' fun.

2012-02-09T14:12:00.011-06:00

So, after years of not caring, we now care. Wait. That sounds so blunt. I mean, we (I'm talking about me and the hubs here) care about a lot of things. We are almost borderline passionate about some things. Like hamburgers. And sports. But we've never really cared about our teeth. And why the heck would we? They just kinda are what they are. They come in when we are babies, fall out during grade school and then again when Depends show up on the shopping list. But let me just say this, after you see an x-ray of your head and actually see what those bad boys are doing inside of your jaw, you may start to care. I am typing this with spacers in between four of my back molars. It basically feels like there are thousands of popcorn hulls stuck between my teeth. And if my quick research on Wiki is reliable, this is done to space out a nice cozy spot for the anchors to fit. The anchors are the things that get tightened at appointments. The fun stuff. The fun stuff that causes headaches. So, I am a week behind the hubs in my treatment plan. He stumbled out of bed this morning in hopes that I would call in sick for him. He got his braces on yesterday. See, he actually needed braces. Poor guy. It was medically necessary otherwise a toothless grin was more than likely in his near future. Thank you military base dentists. So I told him, thinking he would chicken out, "Hun, if you do it, I will be right there with ya." Now, I am the one starting to make chicken noises. I feel for kids who go through this. Who go to the orthodontist and then off to school. Eeeewww. Ouch. With their stellar genes, our kids will be there soon enough. They actually think mom and dad are pretty cool right now. Wait until momma comes home next week with hot pink bands on her bottom row of metal. Oh yeah, you know that's right. Well, all this tightening of the bling creates a problem when trying to stick to a metabolic plan. One where consuming 2,700 + calories a day is required. Do you honestly know how hard that is without eating tortilla chips, soft candy, hard nuts or Twizzlers? But, you gotta do what you gotta do. So, I did some digging and found some smoothie recipes. I just tried this bad boy out for lunch. Yum. Pure yum. I could get kinda used to this soft diet routine if it involves smoothies like this. Give it a try. I'm sure it's delicious with or without braces.

Banana Peanut Butter Smoothie

1/4 C peanut butter
2 TBs honey
1/2 C ice
1 C milk (I used almond milk)
1 medium banana

Mix in blender for 30 seconds. Serves 2. Per serving: 356 calories; 4 g saturated fat; 13 g unsaturated fat; 6 mg cholesterol; 43 g carbs; 202 mg sodium; 13 g protein; 3.5 g fiber.

It's not easy being loved.

2012-02-06T13:22:00.008-06:00

I believe that each day needs a little morsel of motivation behind it. And no, I'm not talking about the chocolate chip ones that come out of the bag. Even though, those are pretty yummy motivators. Anway, I'm fairly convinced that without motivation, life just passes us by and then one day whamo! Before you know it the hubby is pushing you into an Active Older Adults exercise class in your wheelchair. I'm having this vision of my husband pushing the back of my chair towards the ground so that I would be doing a wheelie. He would be yelling, "Woah cowgirl! Take 'er easy!" He's just that kind of guy. Anyway, life needs purpose. It needs direction. It needs meaning. Without these three things, you might as well just stay in bed and let life keep going on without you. And that's exactly what I didn't do this morning. Because I have a plan {a goal} that I am sticking to right now. And, quite honestly, because if I don't get my workout in before 7am, it's just not gonna happen that day. So, my point. Motivation+purpose+direction+meaning=you can basically do whatever you put your mind to. However, when one of these items suddenly falls out of the equation, it's a slippery slope to dead-goals land. What can you possibly do in life with motivation but without purpose? How about meaning without motivation? You can have a purpose for your goal but without direction, your path is quite dark and dreary. Each day is a blessing to do some good. I've had a few experiences over the last couple weeks that have helped me realize the great significance of living a grand life from day to day. A life of purpose and meaning. I am grateful for those personal reminders. Now, to end on a humorous note, today's inspiration came from my second-oldest child who brought this sweet Valentine home from kindergarten. Can you translate it? Hint: the 6th word is HAVING.

Ha! I love it. Seriously laughed my butt off reading this today. And do every time I read it....You are welcome, Lillsters. You are welcome.

Dos.

2012-02-01T12:43:00.005-06:00

We live in such a funny world. It's so fast and furious. Yesterday I made myself my own little mini-vacation just to try to get way from it all. I turned our living room couch towards the south-facing windows so the sun would shine on my Minnesota-pale face. I started the dishwasher to simulate the sound of ocean waves. Then, I took a nap. And what came of this? A reality check. See, we want everything so dang fast these days. The problem is, we can pretty much get what we want when we want it. We have supercenter grocery stores, shopping malls, credit cards, the Internet. What we need (or want) is usually within a short reach. But then, we want something that we can't grab right away. Something that is going to take some time. And all of a sudden, we get all pouty and sad. Disappointed. Frustrated. Take Veruca Salt, for example. All that poor girl wanted was a golden goose, for Heaven's sakes. Then, she gets a bit carried way and her needs suddenly include things like balloons and baboons. I, like Veruca, want something. It's an odd something. Something not too many other people in the world want. Ironically enough, I want to get faster. Wait. Wasn't I just trying to escape the fast by making my own cheap 30-minute living room vacation? Yeah, kinda. But the fast I need is through running. And, according to my metabolic plan, I am going to have to wait eleven more weeks to find improvement. Just improvement, folks. Not perfection. Improvement in my times. Improvement in my overall fitness. I am in week two of my twelve-week off season metabolic training plan. My body is going through some funky kind of "you haven't been treating me very nicely over the last couple of years" backlash. The proof is in the pudding (Oh, yummy decedent chocolate pudding with whipped cream on top and a few graham crackers for crunch): If you do not feed your body properly while training for some fun event, you may do alright. You may even PR. However, you won't be doing your absolute best. And that's what I want to do. My own personal bestest best. So, even though this is going to be a long process, I am committed. Kinda like these kids are. 'Cause the best things come to those who wait.

I'm actually diggin' this.

2012-01-30T13:43:00.005-06:00

I remember way back in the day when I was a kid, driving from the Chicagoland area to northern Minnesota for our family vacations. My mom's parents owned a small a-frame cabin on a beautiful lake. I remember a lot of things from those wonderful summer trips. How teasing became an art form in the back of the Chevrolet Celebrity wagon. How no matter what deep sleep mode you were in, a bat flying around your head always woke you up. How watching grandpa tap his toes to the Lawrence Welk Show never got old. How sand just got everywhere. How smores never tasted bad. I didn't want those vacations to end. They were dreamy. Heavenly. Never a dull moment. So, fast forward twenty years. Wow. A lot has happened since then. To spare you the details, I went to high school (where I incidentally met my husband), went to college, my parents moved to Minnesota, got married, worked, had a baby, moved from Salt Lake to the middle of no man's land (that's Ohio for those of you that don't know), had more kids and missed my family somewhat terribly. So, we started looking for jobs. And here we are today! In Minnesota once again. So, to all of you who ridiculed us when news spread that we were moving to the Land of 10,000 Lakes, mocked us, told us to pack our parkas, asked if we were going to take up ice fishing, to you I now have the pleasure of saying, "No, you go pack YOUR parka!" Just briefly take a peek at this. That's right haters. It's nice here in Minne-soooooo-ta! The only dusting of snow we have had this winter is, as I type, melting it's way down the drains. Momma's dusting off the outside running gear 'cause early Thursday morning looks like a nice time to get after it. True, not every year is this pleasant. As a quick reminder, this happened last winter. So, we take what we can get around here in the weather department. For runners, it couldn't be better. Those with nice shiny expensive snowmobiles and decked-out ice houses may be getting a bit angry with Mother Nature at this point. Whatever the case, I think Minnesota is a pretty swell place to live.

Is that what you think?

2012-01-26T12:36:00.010-06:00

On my way home from the gym this morning, I briefly listened to a radio station contest called "Shut up if...." Kinda lame, however one of the contestants texted in with this winner, "Shut up if you are a stay at home mom and sit in the spa all day and get your nails done every week." Huh. Interesting. So.....where are the kids when all this is happening? And, can it really be this persons ideology that stay at home moms are sitting in spas all day? Well, let me tell you one thing. I am a stay at home mom and I bite my nails. A very, very, very bad long standing habit of mine. So, I obviously don't get my little stubs manicured every week. As for the spa? What would I do there? My second toe is freakishly longer then my big toe (my dad says that's why I am so athletically advanced) so I'll save myself the embarrassment of getting a pedicure. My face breaks out every month no matter what divine facial mask I put on it, I am ok with having wrinkly skin and I have been trying to grow out my hair for the last year. Ponytails win! However, I do have a little stay at home mom secret. As of today, I have figured out how to master the laundry. No, really. I have a system. A brilliant system. It's so brilliant that I should patent it. Can I even do that? Can you patent a process? Who knows. Anyway, I've tried everything over the last 10 years of being married and having kid, after kid, after kid, after kid. That's four kids, right? I lost count.....Laundry twice a week, laundry once a week, wash all of the laundry in one day, just to have it sit in a mountain on my bedroom floor for a week until the entire cycle starts over again. Blah. O.k. Are you ready for the secret? Oh, gosh. It's too good. Maybe I should keep it to myself? Na, I'm in a good mood. Plus, if I want my kids to share, I better set a good example, right? Wait for it..............................

"DO A LOAD OF LAUNDRY EVERY SINGLE DAY"

Oh yeah, baby! That's the ticket! Do a load every day. Kinda sounds too easy. Well, I can't take credit for this entire stroke of plain genius. Last night, while our good ole' happy family was hastily trying to fold and put away 6+loads of laundry, I asked, "Wow, guys. How can we make this easier?" And my super-cool, way cute advanced lean process engineer husband pipes in with, "Batch production. That will make it easier. First get rid of the waste (in his mind waste would be 95% of all the kids' clothes) then batch your production. Keep on task and the task won't become too overwhelming." Then he gave me an example of a bakery (my ears were suddenly hearing words like warm white bread and frosted donuts).

So, this morning I took on the challenge and like any normal human being would do, I went to Target. Blasted place. Target steals all of my money!!! After searching and searching, then breaking into an unpaid box of Clif Bars, I bought me one of these and six little cute fabric bins to go inside. I wrote six names on six bins and that was that. See proof below.

Yeah, I know what you are thinking. "Those little bins are too small. They won't hold that much stuff." Yes! Yes! Yes! That is exactly the point. If you do a load of laundry every single day, there's no need for huge laundry baskets invading the free space left on your closet floor. In theory, this is how it's going to work. Everyone in the fam has a bin. That bin goes upstairs from the laundry room at night (Yep, we own a three level townhome. What goes up or down must go the oppostite direction three flights at a time), collects what needs washed, then gets taken downstairs in the morning as part of our family's regular before school routine. What's clean heads back upstairs the next evening to be folded (The two older girls are on their own here....nothing is folded in their drawers anyway so why should I waste my precious time folding laundry that will soon be unfolded?) and the process continues. The trial period? Two weeks should be good. After that, we will know for sure if this sweet idea is here to stay. Come on now! Isn't this brilliant? If implemented in all homes, the world would be a much happier place. Because as we all know, if mom ain't happy, nobody's happy. The only downside? Loss of revenue at many spas and nail salons. "Kids, momma's not going to the spa today. There's a load of laundry to do!"

The facts of life.

2012-01-25T13:02:00.010-06:00

So, I'm halfway through week one of my personalized metabolic exercise program. Sort of. You see, when I kept hearing people/friends/fellow exercisers talk about working in 'Zones 1 and 2" I thought I would give it a try. Sometimes jumping on the bandwagon is a good thing. As a result, I have dabbled in and out of those lower zones over the last couple of weeks and have fallen quite ill with an unfortunate condition called Glycogen Sparing. This is a very, very bad condition for those who step on the scale regularly. Now, don't get all huffy with me and think, "Well, crud. I am going to have to gain weight in order to loose weight and/or get faster." Wait. Maybe you SHOULD think that. Because it will likely happen. To keep the science to a minimum, (there are two substantial reasons why I graduated in Journalism. 1. No math classes. 2. No science classes.) here is a brief definition.

"Glycogen sparing doesn't mean you STOP using glycogen, but you can use it more slowly if you are getting some energy from fat too. At lower intensities, fat can contribute a fair amount of the energy needs, thus sparing glycogen, meaning you are using it more slowly."

O.k. Got it? No? O.k. Let me try to explain. If your body is so completely used to burning carbs/glycogen all day (remember my test results? I burn 74% carbs vs. 26% fat) and you suddenly start playing a trick on it, trying to work your lower heart rate zones and burning more fat, your body kinda freaks out, for lack of a better word. "Huh? I have all these carbs stored up! I (my body is talking here, in case you didn't catch that) love me some carbs to burn but all you are doing is burning fat! So, to get back at you, I am going to store up all of these carbs, plant the extra 'weight' in the most unfriendly of spots, and you will get frustrated and step on the scale and stop." Not today, body. Not today. Because in a week or so, you will figure things out and start being more efficient. Of course, I don't know this for sure. Seeing as this is the first time I have tried anything like this before. But the science is there. And the experts are there. And therein lies my trust. Oh man, I hope the experts are right! :)

Oh. Just so you know. This metabolic thing is pretty important to just about everyone in the following two categories. 1. Those who want to lose some weight. 2. Those who don't. What I mean by this is simply that I didn't sign up for this because I wanted to lose weight. I signed up because a few months ago, I ran this race. I hit the 'wall' pretty hard around mile 21, completely squashing my teeny tiny dream of qualifying for the Boston Marathon. I wasn't disappointed however. Having realistic backup goals in all that we do is a good idea. In this case, my marathon backup goal was to finish in under four hours. And I did. But that's the funny thing about running...you can always get a little....bit....faster. I also think those marathon organizers were up to something. On the way home from the race, I was reading through some literature ("They call this literature?" Name the movie.....) and found a sample diet plan for the five days leading up to the big day. Woah. I haven't eaten that much since high school. Could eating more possibly help me get faster?

And, here I am now. Now I know that yes, indeed, eating more calories (a HUGE benefit of knowing your metabolic rate) +working out how your own individual body needs to work out=the potential of rocking a marathon (insert your own personal goals here). So, all this glycogen sparing stuff will pass and the journey will continue. Tomorrow I have a 60 minute run in my zone 2, a heart rate between 145-157. That should put me on the treadmill around a 9:30 minute mile. It will be hard not to want to speed things up a bit, but sometimes it's good to wait for good things, don't you think?

Reality

2012-01-24T11:36:00.009-06:00

It's funny sometimes the thoughts you have in your head compared to what is actual fact. For example, I thought this would be my 'new' off season workout plan, keeping in mind my new low heart rate zone training. I thought I was so smart, creating my own workout plan around the classes I teach. Well, there is always some person out in the great big world that knows more about 'stuff' than you do. So, with that said, here is what one of those smart people call my actual plan. I got my hands on this baby this morning and was so gosh darn excited to start. I was so excited that I ran in my Vibram Five Fingers (the only shoes I had at the gym this morning!) for this first time in 6+months. Now that's excitement. Looks like the next 12 weeks are going to be a ton of fun! I can't wait to get retested and see how my body has changed. I've never done anything like this before and the mentality it takes is not what I am used to. However, the challenge involved has made me 110% committed.

A new way of life...

2012-01-18T16:46:00.017-06:00

Oh geesh. This is hard. This is really, really hard. It's so hard I can hardly type it. THE OFF SEASON+WINTER=THE RUNNIN' BLUES.

Coming off my fastest year ever, I didn't want to stop. It's been tremendously warm here and there still isn't any snow on the ground. It's been a runners paradise! Then, why oh why oh why have I been taking it easy? The concept is foreign to me.

Here is my motivation. A quote by Ryan Hall.

"I constantly remind myself that resting takes confidence. Anyone can train like
a mad man but to embrace rest and to allow all the hard training to come out
takes mental strength."

So, that is what I am doing. Taking a rest. A dog gone rest. A 12-week rest none-the-less. I teach classes at the YMCA. We have a new program that deals with heart rates. The skinny is that you wear a heart rate strap (mostly during the cycle classes that I teach) and your 'projected' heart rate is seen on the screen in front of you. Great. Good. But what is my, me, mine actual heart rate? And what are my actual heart rate zones?

So, I took a test. A metabolic test. Part one: I ran my butt off on the treadmill for 15 minutes under different speeds and inclines with a mask on my face. Part two: I sat in a chair. And did nothing with a mask on my face. What those two tests told me in a nutshell was this: You aren't eating enough, you are burning carbs throughout the day and your metabolic base is terrible. Really. Interesting. But I am faster than I have ever been!?!?

So, what I took away was this easy, little equation: Eat More+Train Less=Get Faster. Look below and see if you can figure it out.

Have you figured it out yet? If not, read this and it will explain more.

http://www.markallenonline.com/maoArticles.aspx?AID=4

So, for the next 12 weeks, I am taking it easy. I am taking it easy in order to get faster. I want to get faster because this baby is officially on the bucket list:

http://grandmasmarathon.com/site/

Here's is what I will be doing until the first week of April:

Monday: cycle (75 minutes): zone 1/2

Tuesday: body pump (not sure how to classify this yet:weight training class)

Wednesday: cycle (60 minutes) and yoga (30 minutes): zone 1/2

Thursday: run (60-75 minutes):zone 3 and 4

Friday: cycle (60 minutes): zone 1/2

Saturday: either run or cycle (60-70 minutes): zone 3 and 4, maybe a little 5

So, I am building up my metabolic base by working the lower heart rate zones and giving my body the nutrients it really needs. Did you see that number people? 1828. That's how many calories I need to stay alive, laying on the couch doing nothing all day. Add my lifestyle+working out, and I should be eating NO LESS than 2600 a day. On long run days, that number increases significantly. Geesh. I don't eat that much. So, I'm spending a bit more time tracking my intake and my exercise outtake. While in zone 2, a relatively easy workout zone, I burn 11.5 calories a minute. So if I cycle around a heart rate of 145 for 60 minutes, I just burned 690 calories. And that's in my low workout zones.

So, again. The skinny. Or the lack there of. Ha! I am training my body to burn fat instead of carbs. Right now, I burn 74% of carbs and 26% of fat. That number needs to flip flop. I walk around during the day (In my 160-pound frame....We are all friends here, but I no longer weigh 180lbs. The last time I took this test I was 3-months post-JP and it only changed on one of the forms. Ha!) burning carbs when I want to be storing them for my workouts. Burning fat during the day would be much better. I know my body burns up carbs. And this is how I know. From the article above:

"In the beginning of the season just about everyone will have lost a lot of their aerobic base, especially if in the season before you did little aerobic and mostly anaerobic training. What this means in your workouts is that you have very little ability to burn fat as a source of fuel for exercise and your heart rate will jump up very high at a relatively slow pace in an attempt to kick your metabolism into carbohydrate burning. And to keep from going over your aerobic limit you will have to slow your pace down, often significantly. "

My heart rate would do that on every run this past season. Spike high in order to burn the only fuel source it knew how to utilize: Carbs. The last picture explains the stages of the training I will be taking part in. Shifting my metabolic, fat-burning base. Let's hope I see those results over the next 12-weeks. I want 2012 to be a super-speedy running season!

Mankato Marathon Recap

2011-10-31T19:11:00.002-05:00

Alright. I am kinda really starting to like this running thing. Don't get me wrong. Over the past five years, I have enjoyed running. But something happened this summer and it totally changed my outlook on running and life in general.

At the beginning of the summer, I was asked to teach a Run Club group. This class was fee based (everyone payed to join on top of their monthly YMCA membership costs) and at the end of the three month training program there would be a 5K or 10K race. It was fun to lead beginning runners as well as runners who had been at it for a while. It was also enjoyable to see the shift along the way of who really was motivated to stick to the program and who was just in it for the t-shirt. I was lucky enough to find a group of people (who still call me 'coach' today and it brings a small tear to my eye) who were dedicated. They just weren't dedicated to showing up every morning. They were dedicated to a goal. And for me, it was fun to challenge those goals.

So, about a month into the schedule, sometime in June I think, this group was just killing the runs. I mean killing them. Our long runs started out around 5 miles and grew to 10. They never gave up. The hill workouts got longer. The midweek runs got harder. And for some reason, these people still kept showing up! So, during one of our long runs (we have so many stories and know so much about each other's lives now....on a three hour training run you get to talking about some funny stuff) the "M" word was brought up. A marathon? They freaked. No way! We can't do it! I laughed, thinking to myself, "Can I do it?" I've only run one. And it was DREAD FULL! Do I even want to do this again?

So to make a long story short, they all committed throughout the summer at different times. We completed our training runs in the early morning hours, finishing most days by 7:00am. Those who were still in Run Club and didn't want to do the marathon, ended up running longer races at the end of the year. Many just completed a half-marathon this weekend, a spectacular distance for many who had never run further than a mile or two! Running is mental. If you tell yourself you can do it, you will.

After all the hours and hours of training, we all finished the Mankato Marathon. 3:49 for me, a new PR by more than an hour. Julie and Mike, the 1st marathon for Julie, finished in 4:02 and Einar, another first-timer, finished in 4:21. Setting goals+working hard=Achieving goals. That is what I learned this summer. It is applicable in all of life's' scenarios. And I am glad I had the chance to learn it.

Now, for the dirty details for those runners out there.

1. Miles 1-18 were a breeze. The tapering we did the two weeks before the marathon were perfect. Just perfect. The weather was the best it could have been. 39-40 degrees at the start. Zero wind. Had there been any wind at all, this race would have been totally different out there among the flat land and harvested corn. :) I was keeping an 8:10-8:15 pace. My legs felt great. There were two substantial hills around mile 5 and mile 8. Thank goodness we incorporated hill work into our training. It was sad to see so many people hit those hills early in the race and never recover. I cruised through each water station and drank on the way, trying to save myself some time.

2. Miles 18-20. My family and friends arrive! Yay! I told them not to get there until mile 15, but I was running faster and they were running late so mile 18 was our first meeting point. It was great to see everyone and motivating to say the least, so these two miles were getting harder but I knocked them out. My pace was slowing down a bit, more around 8:20.

3. Miles 20-23. Good grief! I was getting hungry and Gu wasn't helping. Too much Gu+not enough water=bad belly. And that's exactly what happened. There was a huge hill around mile 22 that the hubby ran with me. Not sure that is legal, but they haven't DQ'ed me yet. At the end of the hill, I never really recovered. I was ready to quit but felt pretty queasy. Every time I looked down at my Garmin, it would tell me I was keeping 9:30 miles. How could that be? In my exhausted mind, I felt like I was running faster than ever. But my legs were doing all they could to keep that slower pace.

4. Miles 23-26.2. I used every aid station from mile 21-26 to stop, stretch, drink some water and regroup. I was feeling completely finished by this point. Pete met back up with me around mile 25 to run the last mile with me. That helped a ton because I kept stopping and taking pretty long breaks. Then, out of nowhere, I felt a surge of energy. At mile 25, I kicked it into gear and never looked back. My stomach calmed down and I finished strong.

I look back and am totally bummed that my energy burst didn't happen around mile 21. Time adds up quickly and I burned a ton up from mile 21-25. Like an extra 12-13 minutes worth. Blah. Oh well. Next time around, I think I will tweak the long training runs. This time around we did two 20 mile runs. I may switch to one 18-19 and one 21-22. Just to push you through that tough stage once and practice what it feels like. I really started to fall apart mentally from miles 21-25 ish. I was sad because I was so on track for Boston but I knew I couldn't finish in time. It took me a few miles to regain composure and that allowed me to finish strong. No BQ, which was my 1st goal. My 2nd was to come in under 4 hours. Accomplished!

A few changes in my training/eating this time around:

1. I started taking whey protein. This helped my muscles recoup after long runs. This made a world of difference for me! I wasn't getting nearly enough protein for the work I was doing.

2. I drank a ton of water.

3. I ate around 200 calories 2+hours before each long run in order to make sure it was digested before we started. This helped by stomach a lot, a problem I have to combat constantly.

4. I ate a lot until I felt satisfied (a different feeling than stuffed) and didn't calorie count during any meals at all. That was fun!

5. I cross-trained. I only ran three days a week. Mondays: hills Thursdays: long runs Saturdays: medium distance tempo work

6. Post-race: I took a week off from running. That was hard to do, but I look back and really loved it.

The girls also ran in their first ever road race the day before the marathon. It is a joy to see our kids being active. It is something we want them to enjoy. All in all, it was a wonderful weekend and yes, I will be running another marathon. Probably with some of my good ole' Run Clubbers!

Gander Mountain Giveaway

2011-10-27T16:31:00.001-05:00

Who likes giveaways???????????? Become a follower of my blog and like sizeElevens on facebook for your chance to win a sweet $25 gift card from Gander Mountain! Don't forget to do BOTH! Want an extra entry? Share this giveaway on your blog and/or facebook page and comment here letting me know you did. You could pick up some nice winter running gear! Giveway ends November 4th at 6pm CST. Winner will be announced that evening. Good luck!

Stuck on the Inside

2011-10-27T13:19:00.000-05:00

We have been down and out this past week with colds and such
(‘tis the season! No run for me this morning!), so unlike years past, we have had some extra time to be
crafty! I have seen these cute Mason jar
lanterns on a several craft blogs before, but we took a small spin on them to
get-‘em-done faster. For me, the quicker
the craft usually leads to a not-so-cute result. But for this particular craft, the jars have
no choice but to turn out adorable!

Here are the supplies you will need:

Mason Jars, any size
Tissue paper
Mod Podge
Paint Brush
Glue
Ribbon or paint for the tops (explained below) and Kid Helpers!

Step 1: Find several
old mason jars. You won’t be using these
babies again to can anything. I think
varying the sizes is fun, especially if you are making a ‘family’ of lanterns,
like we did.

Step 2: Pick out a
color of tissue paper. Lay the tissue
paper out on a hard surface. Lightly
cover ¼ of a mason jar with Mod Podge.
With ½ inch of tissue paper overlapping the top of your jar, start
rolling the jar on the paper, adding more Mod Podge as you go around. Basically, you are covering the outside of
the jar with the paper. Remember: less Mod Podge the better. A little bit goes a long way with this stuff,
especially when using thin tissue paper.
Too much and you are in for one sticky mess. Other tutorials have you cut ½ inch strips of
tissue paper and glue each individual strip to the jar. TIME CONSUMING!!!! We tried this with the first jar and gave up
quickly. Plus the kids were already
signed out, on the couch watching cartoons.
Not good!

(I must
have actually used this one Mason jar to can something. Just this one. The dishwasher did not do its job. Good thing we are covering it up!)

Step 3: Place some
Mod Podge along the inside lip of the jar and fold the extra ½ inch of tissue
paper inside the jar. Cut off enough
excess along the bottom of the jar, add some more Mod Podge and fold the excess
over again to cover any remaining areas not covered by tissue paper. Miss a spot?
Rip off some tissue paper, add some glue and cover your spot. This really is a fool-proof craft. The more mistakes, the better! In the end, the mistakes make for one creeeeppppyyyy
lantern!!!!!! Pick a variation of tissue
paper colors and complete Steps 1-3 for all of your jars. Let them dry completely overnight. It’s a good idea to put them on some type of
non-stick surface…a cookie sheet covered with tin foil worked well for us. Pulling dried Mod Podged jars off your nice
countertops in the morning might not be the best way to start off your day.

Step 4: Add faces and
ribbon to your jars! We printed these faces
from Not So Idle Hands and cut out each
face. We used regular school glue to
attach them to the jars and the hold seemed to work great. We also picked out some coordinating ribbon
and hot glued a strip around the top and/or bottom. We put a few faces on upside down so the tops
of the jars were actually on the bottom.

Step 5: Put these
beauties on display on a window sill in your home. The natural light shines through well enough
for that great lantern glow. If you
want, put a small tea candle in the jars and light them for your Spooky
Halloween dinner! Be careful! If you go the candle route, the jars will get
very hot! You can also add a string of
Christmas lights inside the jars for a different lighting option.
What do you think about these cuties? The same craft can be used for other holidays
as well. Christmas, Easter or
Thanksgiving! Give them a try!

Still feeling a hidden surge of Halloween craftiness coming
on? Find an old strand of white
Christmas lights, small plastic white cups and googly eyes. Warm up your hot glue gun. Stick a few eyes on the skinnier end (turn
the cup upside down) of 18-10 cups. With
a sharp knife, cut a small X shape slit on the bottom of each cup. Gently push the cup over a light bulb, evenly
spacing the cups throughout the entire stand of lights. This will vary depending on what size stand
you start with. Plug into the nearest
outlet and enjoy your spooky lighted ghost garland!

TC 10K Pictures

2011-10-12T14:45:00.001-05:00

http://www2.brightroom.com/92204/1343

Here are a few action shots from my last race, the TC 10K. It was a PR for me, right around 46 minutes. Not sure who the guy in the grey shirt is, but heck, way job buddy! Nice, cool crisp morning. Amazing how much my body appreciates cool, less-humid weather. Mankato Marathon----10 days away!

Another Runner In The Making?

2011-10-10T16:26:00.000-05:00

Not bad. Shaved just about a minute off last year's time. I better look out...she's gonna be faster than me soon! :)

Multi-purpose purchase.

2011-10-10T16:21:00.000-05:00

My friend picked up a nice fuel belt for me last week. I have never tried one. Who wants another couple of pounds jiggling on your backside? Anyway, I tried it out last week and it wasn't too bad. It was nice to grab water whenever I wanted. I guess that makes up for how many times it slid off my hips and onto my waist. Anyway, it's a good thing. And for $10, it's a really good thing! R has been playing with it over the last couple of days....she calls it her tool belt and she tries to stick Barbies through the water bottle holes.

Giveaway!

2011-10-04T16:01:00.001-05:00

Check out this chance to win some great workout gear!

How fun!

The dreaded side stitch!

2011-08-25T16:56:00.002-05:00

In almost every race I have participated in, I get a side cramp right underneath my ribs on the right side. Toward the very end of my training run this morning, the same thing happened! I did a little research this afternoon and apparently I'm not the only one who gets them!

http://www.fictionweek.com/trailrunningusa/sideache.html

This information has brought me so much relief and excitement knowing how to combat this problem. Today my legs felt amazing (they don't now, however) and my breathing (now that I know I am a TERRIBLE shallow breather) wasn't very heavy. I felt good until the side stitch around mile 15. If I can get past the pain of a side stitch, I will be a happy runner, 'cause the pain isn't a joke! I kinda thought my kidneys were failing on me. :) Hope this helps anyone else with the same problem!

Oh, and I found this on the counter this morning before I left the house. Training for a race is always that much better when you have the support of your best friend!

Oh geesh.

2011-08-22T15:32:00.002-05:00

Well, I lied. I said I would never run another marathon after Grandma's Marathon in Duluth in 2009. Here's my next one....

http://www.mankatomarathon.com/

However, it's not just mine. I have friends that are just as crazy as I am! :) I have been teaching Run Club for the Y this summer and a few members are training with me for Mankato. Another friend is running this race but she has been coming out with us on our long runs. I am trying a few new things this time around in hopes that my experience is more enjoyable! Our training program is linked at the bottom.

1. Less running days. Last time around, I felt completely drained after 12 weeks of training. I didn't do enough cross-training and weight lifting.

2. More cross-training and weight lifting!

3. Faster shorter runs and slower longer runs! Last stab at training, I ran everything at the same pace. Bad news.

4. Long runs during the week. One thing I despise about marathon training is being gone most of a Saturday morning out on a long run, coming home and being exhausted the rest of the weekend. We moved the long runs to Thursday mornings in hopes that our weekends will be fun and energy filled! :)

https://spreadsheets.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AgnOemmTRTnJdHpYbkZ4cEE2NlAtbGtpU0lUUnJrT2c&hl=en_US

Mankato, here we come!

Broke Down

2011-06-05T18:35:00.002-05:00

Well, I broke my right pinkie toe Friday afternoon. Blah. That really puts a damper on my running plans. I just got down to right around 8 min/miles and whamo! Literally. Whamo right into the wall. Doing a princess twirl with Lilly. Crooked toes look pretty funny and hurt worse than one might think. Pete's uncle is a podiatrist and sent me directions on my to set the bone myself. Without too many details, I did it. And, it hurt. Bad. Here's to waiting at least two weeks until the running thing can start again. Thank goodness cycling doesn't hurt it. :) Hopefully running won't be too hard to catch up on when I am healed.

Get-In-Gear 2011

2011-05-01T18:34:00.010-05:00

Can a runner get a weather break, seriously? Every single race I have participated in, the weather conditions have been less than desirable. Grandma's Marathon? A sauna! A bunch of 5K's? Windy as all get out! Both 1/2's? Windy AND rainy! Just wait until I get a race in under great conditions. Oh yeah. Sub-4 marathon. For sure. Ha!

It has rained for that past four Get-In-Gear races. Not sure why I was expecting something other than rain. It is Minnesota's Right Of Spring Race. This race was a little different, however. The hubby was also racing! Finally! He used to run cross-country in high school and was fairly good at it. He just thinks running is boring and he would much rather play a sport. Something more 'interactive' he claims. Anyway, he finished his 10K in 47:24, 7:30 minute miles. He basically rocked it. I only wish I could be that fast AND run 6.2 miles AND keep that pace.

Like I mentioned in my earlier post, I wanted to PR this race. My fastest 1/2 had been 1:58:07. Still decent, but I felt better training this time around. I had been training for the Get-In-Gear with my good friend Stacey. We both teach at the Y, so getting both schedules arranged to run together was quite difficult. We would usually try to get out Tuesday and/or Thursday mornings together. The longest run we got in was 9 miles. So, no wonder by mile 10-11 of the 1/2, I started to really feel it.

The first 8 miles were a breeze. We were cruising right around 8:45 pace the entire way. Around what I thought was mile 9, I looked at my watch and got depressed. There was no way I could fit in another 4 miles at this pace. I look at Stacey and mentioned that we were slowing down for some reason. She looked at me like I was nuts. Then, she realized that I thought we were a mile behind. She then told me we were actually just past mile 10!

So, mile 10 was great, because I was so excited about being back on pace for a 1:50:00-1:55:00 finish. Then, I had to pee. And the rest is a bummer. :) I stopped at the mile 11 marker. The chick in the porta-potty took FOREVER and I was getting upset. I knew I would have to book it to catch back up with Stacey, and that my breathing pattern and heart rate would be all messed up. Finally I was back on the road, trying my hardest to catch up with her. I knew the rest was going to be a mess, even though I only had 2.1 miles left. So I finally caught up to her, and my side started to cramp up. Bad. I wasn't breathing right and getting enough carbon dioxide out of my system. This upper lung cramp has happened to me towards the end of every long distance race I have participated in. The hubby thinks it's a bad breathing technique that leads to my cramping, so I will have to do a little research on the idea. The cramp gets so bad that every time I breath in, it feels like someone is stabbing me with a knife. It makes me lean forward because I can't stand up straight {probably why my quads hurt so bad}. I would have LOVED to push through and book it for the last 2.1 miles, but I just couldn't. I had to stay on pace and slow Stacey up. :( However, I am glad I didn't stop or slow down too much because I crossed that finish line at 1:54:57 (the timing company e-mailed that the posted chip times were about 10 seconds fast. So, since my goal was to come in under 1:55:00 and my posted chip time was 1:55:07, I will be more than happy to shave 10 seconds off my chip time! :) They were using a new system for the first time to time the race, a foam chip stuck to the back of each bib number. It's a neat feature, especially if you make 10 seconds at the end of the race!

My {incredibly detailed and more information that you ever need to know} stats are posted here:

http://www.mtecresults.com/runner/show?rid=10202&race=240

All in all, it was a great first race for 2011. Now, what's next?

Protein Power.

2011-04-27T13:53:00.002-05:00

I've never been a big supplement type of person. I've always just tried to get enough out of the food I eat. Recently, with the increase work-out load I've taken on, I felt like my body just wasn't functioning very well. I was eating healthy, sleeping well but still heavy on my feet. I started taking a whey protein shake in the morning before I worked out. And, so far, so good. It been helping my muscles work well in the morning {this is the only time I work out} and I feel my body responding well to the extra boost of protein. I really like this article one of the personal trainers at work gave me. It outlines some important key points about the timing of a good workout related to when and what you eat.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/04/27/ori-hofmekler-on-timing-of-meals.aspx

Birthday Birds

2011-04-25T13:14:00.004-05:00

Today is my 31st birthday. Stacey and I celebrated by heading out for a nice long run this morning. I have been needing this for a few weeks now. I wanted to get 9-10 miles in so I would feel as confident as possible going into Saturday's 1/2 marathon. I was late meeting her, since I found a huge ant pile in the laundry room and JP decided to plan one of his tricky wake up at 4:00am feeding jokes. We ended up leaving around 5:30am. The birds were chirpin' away! We did a 9.4 mile loop and loved how bright it got. Today is one of the first sunny days we have had in about a week. I think it made us go faster....we both felt like we were running behind and that our husbands were going to be late for work! :) When I first started running, I always went by myself. I never enjoyed running with someone else. Not sure why that was the case, but it just was. However. since training for Grandma's Marathon, running with friends is kinda fun. The runs, no matter how hard, go by faster and it's fun to talk about mom stuff. I think it's kinda funny....all of my running partners so far {besides my husband} have been 5'4" or shorter. So, either I have a VERY short stride {which I think might be physically impossible} or those girls are just speedy rock stars! I think it's the second choice.

9.4 miles/1:19:07 8.4 minute mile

P.S. JP gave me the best early birthday present yesterday. Sitting up all by himself!

Hoppy Eater...I mean Easter!

2011-04-23T15:08:00.002-05:00

Lilly thought it would be fun if I taught my class this morning wearing her bunny ears from her Halloween costume. I thought it was a great idea! I also gave my class a little treat after our 60 minute ride! :) Those die hards...I left with too many leftovers! They didn't eat enough! Someday I will get a picture off my phone that isn't blurry.

Thursday I got in a great 6.2 mile run. My legs felt awesome and my breathing was easy. It's still only 1/2 of what I am supposed to run next Saturday, but I am hoping the other forms of exercise I get will compensate a bit. Here's to wishful thinking!

My goal for my first race of the year is to finish better than my last 1/2. I would like to come in right around 1:50-1:55. My last 1/2 time was 1:58:02. The hubby is running the 10K. We start at the same point then break off somewhere. It will be fun to have him alongside, keeping my pace up for the first couple of miles. He is much faster than I am.

Thursday: 6.2 miles/48.03 minutes
Friday: Boot camp and cycle 13 miles/45 minutes
Saturday: Core conditioning and cycle 16.7 miles/60 minutes

The early bird catches the worm.

2011-04-20T13:47:00.007-05:00

We only had a few bikes left at the 5:15am cycle class I taught this morning. With warmer {typing the word while snow is falling from the sky} weather approaching, we usually see a slight decrease in group ex attendance. However, this early bunch I teach, they are serious I tell ya! I love teaching them. Every week they come in ready to work. I told them today, if they stopped working so hard, I would make class easier for them. They didn't think that was a good idea. I don't think they realize how much they motivate me. A lot of people get scared off by us 'instructors' when we are just as scared of the members coming to our classes. It is motivating to see so many people up, wanting to be healthy and strong. Some making a lifestyle change. Some training for an upcoming event. Some just maintaining what they have. Being healthy is tough work, but well worth the effort. Also, there is something about getting my workout in and out of the way in the morning that is so satisfying for me. And, it's beneficial!

http://www.lisajohnsonfitness.com/morning-workouts-5-reasons-why-its-better/

60 minute cycle class/14.6 miles

Intervals.

2011-04-19T10:03:00.002-05:00

I could barely wake up this morning. We cracked a window in our room. It was chilly and crisp and I felt like I could stay under those covers forever! Well, that feeling was short-lived. Pete's alarm went off soon after so he could go study for the GMAT, JP let out a scream from his room and that was that. Off to the Y I went. I have been doing my interval training on Tuesdays and I have been trying to get them done outside. It's more enjoyable than the treadmill. This morning, I was a wimp and decided it was too cold to go outside. I did 1/4 mile intervals on the treadmill, starting at 7:30 and getting faster after each interval to 6:30. My rest pace was 8:20. My legs felt good and so did my breathing. I think that it mostly because when I do intervals outside, I run uphill, then down. On the treadmill this morning, I kept the incline lower than normal. 5 miles with a cool down/39:40.

Ordinary.

2011-04-18T15:50:00.004-05:00

A new group exercise session began today at the Y. I picked up a 9:30am cycling class. The schedule is a bit new for Mondays now, but it seemed to work alright today. The time fits in well between school drop-off and pick up for Lilly. My running bud had to sub for another instructor this morning, but I needed to get a run in since my first race of the year is in 2 weeks. It's a half-marathon, and the furthest I have trained on my own so far is 10 miles. So, I got up {reluctantly} at 5:30 am and ran my 5.5 mile loop around our neighborhood lake. It was chilly but not windy. Someday I will be able to shed my hat and cloves. My iPod didn't die on my and my legs felt very rested after a relaxing Sunday off. All in all, it was just an ordinary run, plus the addition a few dear getting a drink out of the flooded marshland that scared me into a much faster pace. If more liquid falls from the sky soon, my path might be impassable. 5.5 miles/44.48

Dang it!!!!!!!

2011-04-16T19:02:00.004-05:00

It's been too long since I have updated this blog. ALOT has happened since 2010. We welcomed JP, our first son into the world (mentioned in the earlier post), I have become a group fitness instructor, my kids are bigger than they were two years ago, the hubby got a new job, we thought we were moving, then we never moved and I have shed baby weight {hopefully} for the last time. Running, as sad as it seems, has taken a back seat to all of life's happenings. However, the hubby and I are running our first race of 2011 in two weeks. Now that the weather is {semi} nice, I have been fitting my runs in pre-day, meaning I am up and out the door by 5 or 5:15am. I have a great running friend so knowing she is up helps tugs me out of bed. Now that my body is back in shape, I'm hoping running moves up on the priority list. But, with four kids and teaching 5-6 group exercise classes a week, this might be as good as it gets!

I'm Back {Sort Of}

2010-10-22T10:28:00.006-05:00

Well, it's been over a year since I last posted. This little guy is why: During my pregnancy, I worked out religiously. The hard part was my workouts were not what I was used to. With my previous pregnancy, I was able to run right up until d-day. With this little one, I ran {hopped} up until 28-30 weeks. I was carrying him very low and it started to hurt more than help. My routines turned to cycling, ellipticalling and weight training. All of which are great, unless you are a running lover. :) Over the last week, I have picked up steam. I feel like my body has recouperated and my hips are back in place. Right in time for winter! What timing!

Confession

2009-08-05T13:36:00.003-05:00

Ever since I read on a running blog that chips and salsa are good food choices for runners, I haven't been able to stop eating the stuff. Jack's salsa and organic tortilla chips from Costco. That's where it's at. My friends just made a Costco run and brought me some. Looks like I know what I am having for a late lunch...

PR

2009-08-02T20:36:00.006-05:00

Pre-race with the hubby.
Getting my/our medal.

Post run family picture, with our adopted daughter Kate. Thanks, Amy, for watching the girls.

A quick pose with a few church buddies. Awesome, awesome ladies they are.

Geesh. I wish we could have had the weather we had on Saturday for the marathon in June. I'm sure if that would have been the case, I would have ran a sub-4 hour. Yep. Sure of it. Well, maybe. Heck. Who knows.

Anyway, I would have also probably ran a lot faster if my husband ran that marathon with me. This weekend, he was a great motivator. And, it was fun to run with him. It was our first official race together. Aaaaaahhhhh.....I didn't even take my iPod. Oh, the horror to listen to yourself breath heavy!

O.k. Enough mushy stuff and back to the results. It was a fun race. Very, very unorganized but cheap and fun. It was a cross-country style course with about 1 mile on the Canterbury Park turf. Thick, bumpy turf. Pete and I both thought the grass would add a minute or two to our goal time so with that in mind (and after the guy dressed in a red suit played the trumpet) we took off at the front of the pack. And surprisingly, that is where we stayed.

We ran together, pushing each other to go faster on the straightaways, up until the last 100 yards, when I was giving it all I had but I could tell Pete wanted to chase down the guy we had been following for the last 1/2 mile. He did, and I finished 20 seconds behind at 23:30. Pete finished 43rd overall with a time of 23:10 and I got 2nd place in the 20-29 female division (crap...next year I'll be in the OLD division. Nice.).

I am so completely thrilled with my time. I wanted to come in under 24 minutes on the turf. It was so hard to get good footing on that stuff. Kinda feel bad for the horses that run on that grass. The 5K distance is a really fun distance. I have missed running those races, especially while training for the marathon. It's been really rewarding mixing things up lately, between running various short and long distance and cycling class. It's also been nice to have a buddy to run with. We are going to try to sign up for a few more races before it starts getting cold around here again (and that, my friends, won't be too long from now!).

Stallion Style

2009-07-28T13:10:00.006-05:00

O.k. Bad title. But, the hubby and I signed up for a race this weekend. It should be pretty low key and entertaining to say the least. You get to burst out of the Canterbury Park starting gate and run the 5K on the turf followed by a relatively flat cross-country course. Here is where I get concerned...

The hubby is an ex-cross country star. He was really good (and consequently, really fast!). I want to keep up with him on Saturday. That is my goal. He ran our normal (by normal, I mean on pavement) 5K route Monday morning and clocked in at 21.27 minutes. By my calculations, that is under a 7 minute mile. When he showed me the watch when he got home, I got scared.

So, I laced up my trusty shoes and started the 50-foot walk to official start of our homemade 5K route. Here goes nothing, I thought.

The first 2.5 miles were just fine. I reached the half-way point in under 11 minutes so I felt revived thinking that I could do this! By the last 1/2 mile, my legs were on fire! My breathing was a bit heavier than normal (this has been drastically affected by the spin class I have been attending...makes running feel easy on the heart!) but I pushed through and finished in 21.51. That is the fastest run I have ever completed in my life, but at least I know I (keep your fingers crossed for me) can hopefully keep up with the hubby on Saturday.

Now, the big question remains...can we keep these times if we are running on 5-inch thick turf and an off-pavement course? I. Have. No. Idea.

Bum Bum

2009-07-16T21:29:00.003-05:00

So, I am burned out. Running hasn't been a challenge since the marathon. It's enjoyable, don't get me wrong. But, I have been missing something.

Cross-training! Spin class! I went Tuesday morning and again this morning. I could hardly sit on the freaking seat when I showed up today! Owie mama! My bum hurt. Bad. But, I felt better 'in the saddle' if you will than I did Tuesday. I went for a 5 mile run in between cross training on Wednesday and felt like I could breath forever. Cycling actually gets my heart rate up higher than my 9:00 min/mile runs. Maybe that will change over time, but for me right now, it is a challenge I can handle.

Now, maybe I should invest in some sweet padded shorts...

Departing from the norm.

2009-07-10T15:21:00.009-05:00

Vacation runs are like....

I have no idea what they are like, besides enjoyable. I guess I should be grateful I got a few in while we were away. I went three times for a total of 15 miles for the week. I ran twice with my sub-4 hour marathoner brother-in-law and once by myself (gotta love the Shuffle). We kept a nice, easy 9-9:30 minute/mile pace. It was enjoyable to run in an area of the country (rural northern Ohio)away from the hustle and bustle of city life. It was peaceful, serene and I could run down the middle of the road and feel safe (I don't like running on the edges...it's sloped to prevent water buildup and my knees KNOW that!). It reminded me of our days when we actually lived in Ohio and when I first started running:

Christmas, 2005

August, 2006 (first 5K race in Ohio)

August, 2008 (due in a month with girl #3, in MN)

May, 2009 Half-Marathon

June 2009, Marathon finisher!

Running is now a part of my life. It's as important as eating breakfast. Unless you give working out this much credit, it's hard to make it the norm. Running gives me a mental break away from being a stay-at-home mommy, it gives me the energy I need to survive day in and day out and it makes my heart happy. The less pumps now, the longer it will pump over time, right?

Can it be true?

2009-06-24T10:43:00.005-05:00

Here I am with my running buddy Rebecca. It's 5:45 am and we are waiting for the bus to take us to the starting line. Here I am thinking, "Seriously. I think I am going to ask the bus driver for a ride home." I was pretty nervous. Looking back, I would have done SO many things differently. I would have put more sunscreen on, I would have gone a minute slower the first three miles, I would have pinned my gel packs to my pants, I would have...I would have...I guess that's why they call me a rookie. Which makes me wonder (now that most of the muscle pain is gone and the sunburn is calm) when will I sign up for another one?

TMI

2009-06-20T20:34:00.009-05:00

(pre-marathon fun)

(waiting patiently for mom to finish)

It's over.

I wished I could have given more, but I had to listen to my body today.

In case you don't know where Duluth is, it is in northern Minnesota. Right off of Lake Superior. Forecast on Friday night was 70 and sunny with a nice breeze off the lake. Well, Mr. Forecaster, you were wrong.

93 degrees was the blacktop temperature today. Brutal. Absolutely brutal. Out of 8300 registered runners (around 6700 started the race), only 5600 racers finished. Ewwww....

Well, let's start at the beginning. There were way too many people. I get claustrophobic in huge groups and today reminded me of that. Busing was the only way to the starting line. Our bus arrived at 7:20 AM, 10 minutes before the start. I hardly had time to stretch and warm up. The first three miles reminded me of that. 0.5 miles in, a girl a bit ahead of me gets tripped and falls down and is out of the race. Huge, huge bummer. That scared me a lot. At mile 3, I really had to pee. The bus dropped us off so late I didn't have a chance to go before the start (this is where the TMI comes into play). Being male would have been nice in this situation, since they could just head for the trees (which they were doing, by the dozens). Well, my two gel packets were in the front pocket of my shorts and had fallen out while I was going. I didn't realize this until 0.4 miles after the fact. I knew I wouldn't make it on such a hot day without them, so I did the unthinkable and turned around, found the gel (can't believe nobody took it) and continued on. 27 miles, thank you!

At mile 5-8, people were dropping like flies. I heard so many ambulance sirens and saw quite a few people along the side receiving medical treatment that I got scared even more. I just wanted my family!!!!! It was super hot and very muggy.

I made it to mile 13.1 (halfway) in just over 2 hours. I was right on track for 4:30 hour goal (besides just finishing). The next three miles were a bit slower, then (after passing more paramedics) my side cramped up. Terribly. So bad I was worried that I had taken in too much water and my kidneys were feeling it. This is also when I took my shirt off, a serious NO NO for me, but it probably weighed 6 pounds by then. I wanted to stick it in my shorts, but that just didn't seem to work. So long half-marathon shirt! My sunburned back is now telling me that decision was stupid. So, around mile 16, I started running one mile then walking for 1/4 mile. That seemed to keep my side-ache down but every time I stopped, it was that much harder to start. The next 8 miles seemed to take forever. At mile 18, a girl running in front of me completely fell over and passed out. That made me slow down even more. I realized then, if I wanted to finish this thing, I need to take it easy. And that's exactly what I did.

Finally, around mile 24, I met my husband (the best EVER) and he ran the last 2.2 miles with me. I stopped for a few minutes and gave my girls their own special hugs. Then, I FINISHED, passing the 5 guys with wheelchairs just waiting for people to drop! I received my medal and t-shirt and went straight for the medical tent (hugely crowded by this point) to put my feet up and get some fluids in me. It look a lot longer that I would have liked (5 hours) but I did it and I am completely glad I didn't have to meet my husband at the hospital! :)

Thanks go out to my family who came to cheer me on. Love you guys! Would have never been able to do it without your love and support. I probably won't be doing one of these again for a very, very long time (if ever). It was a definite challenge to train/finish, but I am clearly not a long-distance runner by nature.

Culmination

2009-06-19T08:57:00.003-05:00

I remember sitting in a hospital bed more than ten years ago. I was in the recovery room after my fourth left knee surgery. My knees. Hurting. My college basketball career. Over. I felt worthless. I felt alone. I felt like the previous 10+ years of training, AAU, summer camps, high school sports, parent's efforts, game after game after game were pointless. I was worried. I didn't know what else I could do. I was an athlete. An athlete without good knees.

A few days later, I told my coach that I wasn't going to be able to play college basketball for him anymore. I explained that I wanted to make the best out of my knees, be able to play with my kids someday and walk when I turned 65. He was in agreement, yet obviously disappointed, and set me up with a job in the athletic ticket office for the next two years to work for the remainder of my scholarship.

Since that day, I never thought I would be able to push my body the way I have for the last 18 weeks. My knees, be it tired, feel wonderful. Even better with running. It's almost like they enjoy it. I set a goal this year of running a 1/2 marathon. But, I pushed further. And tomorrow morning, I will hopefully complete my goal of running a full marathon. Geesh. Who would have known?

So, what did I learn while sitting in that hospital bed? I learned patience. I learned diligence. I learned how to love my parents. I learned how to trust. I learned how to set goals. All of which help me be a better person each and every day. A person that loves to play with her three kids and will definitely be able to walk when she turns 65.

Freeze pops.

2009-06-18T08:38:00.005-05:00

This happens 3 times a day for 30 minutes. Saturday can't get here soon enough. At least I still have my toenails...

Boom Boom Pow

2009-06-12T15:43:00.005-05:00

The marathon is one week from tomorrow. I am so, so excited. So excited that I am updating my Shuffle playlist. I wish I didn't love music so much. And those dang Black Eyed Peas? They get me every time. What's up with the $1.29 songs on iTunes? Geesh. My bank account would probably enjoy it more if I didn't like music either. A few things I have been thinking about while grooving to Boom Boom Pow:

Is there a benefit to listening to music while working out? I found this article interesting:

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-240-466--13035-0,00.html?cm_mmc=training-_-2009_06_10-_-women-_-MUSIC%3a%20Crank%20It%20Up%20

Is there any way I would be able to run 26.2 miles without my lovely shuffle? Absolutely. No. Way.

Here are a few playlist samples for next Saturday:

Livin' on a Prayer: Bon Jovi
Single Ladies: Beyonce
Are You Gonna Be My Girl: JET
Pump It: Black Eyed Peas
I Will Follow (Live from Milan---just makes me think what Milan would look like): U2
I Want It All: Ashley Tisdale (I am a grown-up sucker for HSM)
Rock This Party: Big Ali
The Way I Are: REMIX-Power Music Workout
List of Demands: Saul Williams
Clocks: Coldplay
Praise You: Fatboy Slim
Move Ya Body: Jabba and Nina
Let's Get Loud: Jennifer Lopez
Whine Up: Kat DeLuna
4 Minutes: JT
Wanna Be Startin' Something: Michael Jackson
Don't Stop the Music: Rihanna
Send Me on My Way: Rusted Root (gotta love Ice Age!)
Desire: U2
Boom Boom Pow: Black Eyed Peas
If I Never See Your Face Again (well, that's not very nice): Maroon 5

Nature Run

2009-06-06T19:32:00.001-05:00

This week (16 down, 2 to go!) I managed to get outside for every scheduled run. And, with each run this week, I learned a few new things about my surroundings:

1. All runners should be grateful for those who get up early in the morning to run. Why, you ask? Because those of us who get up early clear away all the spider webs along the trails through the heavily wooded forests. No problem. You are welcome. Oh, have I mentioned how much I hate spiders?

2. Geese. Are. Mean. Very, very mean. And, did you know they make this noise?

I didn't know either until I snuck up behind two adult geese and eight baby geese Tuesday morning. Really bad idea. I was honestly scared for my life. At one point, they started coming at me, so I stopped moving completely. I let them head towards the lake, but as I passed them, they continued to punch their heads forward and hiss at me. Yikes!

3. Sprinklers can turn on in a split second. QUESTION: Have any of you actually stopped to drink out of a random sprinkler during any of your runs? I wonder if it is against running etiquette...I was seriously tempted around mile four on Friday morning.

4. Running twelve miles in the rain is actually a bit refreshing when it hasn't rained at all during the previous month.

Feeling 21 again...

2009-06-04T08:52:00.010-05:00

I wish.

Remember the good old days when nothing seemed to make your muscles cry the next day (realistically the next three days)? Skiing? No sweat. Playing five basketball games in a weekend tournament? Easy as pie. Running twenty-one miles three weeks out from a marathon? Not so fast...

The last really long run on the training schedule was Saturday. I met two great gals (by great I really mean small...like 5'2"-5'3" ish giants that kept up with my 6'2" frame pace. I am genetically taller, therefore slower. Isn't that how it goes? The excuse has been working for slow, white NBA centers for years now so it should work for me).
Yes, the next day I was sore. My joints were fine. My head was fine. My hammies and my feet...not so fine.

I chalk it up to the fact that 21 miles is a long way. If I wasn't sore, I would be worried.

I may not be 21 anymore (far from it), but there is one thing that hasn't changed since then. That is the fact that I just might have the coolest parents around. Hubby had an Eagle Scout project he needed to be at by 8am. I knew I wouldn't be home by then. So what does my mom do? She heads over here at 7:45 am and chills with the girlies. For two hours. On a Saturday morning. Takes them to the park, plays with them and gives them a snack. There is no way I could have fit that run in without her help. And, this has nothing to do with running, but Grandpa left work on Monday, drove 20 minutes to see the oldest's preschool graduation, then drove all the way back to work. Very, very cool.

So, how does this all relate to the marathon I will be running in 15 days (with 8,500 other yahoos!)? As I sit here icing the outside of my ankle (not sure what happened...went to bed...fine...woke up...not so fine), I realize that I am not the only one 'training' to run this race. Without all the help and support of my family and friends, this wouldn't be happening. And that feels really good...kinda like skiing, running or playing basketball did when I was 21.

Weekday warriors.

2009-05-27T13:21:00.006-05:00

There used to be a show on HGTV called Weekend Warriors. It documented a couple, usually, and a great home improvement project in need of completion within one weekend. This project, with the help of 10 carpenters, 4 designers, 8 labor companies and gaggles of TV people, would usually get done on time. If this show is still on, I wouldn't know. We got rid of our cable a few months ago. *Sigh*

Struggling on the treadmill this morning, I couldn't help but remember this show and how annoyed I used to get by it. Help was obviously present and nobody every defined what an actual 'weekend' time frame was. Then, I started feeling sorry for myself.

The alarm went off at 5:45 am. I said my prayers and got out of bed as fast as one could after having been aroused from a deep sleep six times with the kiddos. One, cutting teeth. More stinking teeth. Can't they just all come in at the same time? Another with two bad dreams. One would have been enough, but two was what we had to deal with. Another with a pattern of needing to go potty at 2:45 AM. Better in the toilet than in bed, I guess. Sluggishly heading down the stairs to stretch and put my shoes on, I hear the babe (yepers, the same one that is cutting teeth) wide awake playing in her crib. Awesome. Might as well throw the original plan of waking up early and running before the kiddos wake up out the window. I don't use the 'h' word all that often, but I hate it when plans all of a sudden get changed. Just like last Saturday when I woke up at 6:00 am for our 16-miler and it was raining. This is something I am working at....in great detail.

So, by the time the baby got fed and I made it downstairs, it was 6:35 am. According to my handy-dandy training schedule, I was supposed to get in 8 miles this morning. No way that was going to happen, shower, get the kiddos ready and out the door for preschool at 8:45 am, I thought (feeling sorry for myself). The next hour seemed like three but I finally got in 7 miles with a warm-up and cool-down and called it good, ran upstairs (with the baby strapped in the bouncer seat, which now tilts backwards rather than forwards since she exceeds the chair's weight limit), grabbed a glass of chocolate milk, stretched, showered and got dressed, told the kids to get dressed (which took more than one prompting), did my hair and make-up, did the girls' hair, ran back downstairs for breakfast, scriptures and family prayer then took off for preschool.

All this got me thinking about my weekday warriors...the past 15 weeks of weekday runs. Some 8 milers, some 5 milers and some in between. But all extremely hard to fit in! I'm sure it would be much easier if I had only one weekend (rather than 18 weeks), 10 carpenters, 4 designers, 8 labor companies and gaggles of TV people cheering me on. But this morning, all I had was the alarm, me and the treadmill. So, me feeling sorry for myself quickly went by the wayside. I did it. I didn't do 8 miles, but I did 7. And this morning, that is all I could do.

I feel like I am in a training rut right now. Kinda bored and just ready for the big day. If I get through this week of training (this week has the most miles of any other training week), I know I will be able to refocus. 15 weeks of weekday warriors down...3 weeks of weekday warriors to go.

A girl just gots to have shoes.

2009-05-19T13:33:00.003-05:00

Call me crazy. It's o.k. I can take it. But I just changed running shoes. Brands and everything. 4 weeks before this. What I have done is like....hhhmmmm....well....

1. Changing the locks on all your doors and trying to get inside with your old keys. OR

2. Eating chicken 2-3 times per week then trying to fake out your family with tofu. OR

3. Switching deodorants. OR

4. Changing hair care products in the middle of hot and humid season.

It's just not smart!

I logged around 350 miles in these. This was my second pair of serious running shoes/Brooks that I could afford and the first pair that I actually tracked mileage on. (I actually started out in Nike's....OH THE HORROR! Just don't do it!) During my 20-miler last weekend, I could feel serious pavement and my knees could feel it too. Husband tells me the next day to try a new brand. I thought he was crazy and continued to tell him how crazy I thought he was. Well, he's not so crazy anymore. I went here and tried on a few shoes. Just for fun. SIDENOTE: The rock wall looks much higher when you are looking up at it rather than looking at it from in your car on the interstate. It was love at first feel when these babies (in a size 11 of course...kudos to REI for selling women's size 11's, by the way) cradled my feet. I could not believe how much better they felt, especially since I have a special way of overpronating. Several reviews sited blisters as a problem. Not good 4 weeks out from a marathon, but I gave them a try anyway. Well, blisters shmisters!!! I ran 5 miles this morning and haven't taken them off yet. Sold!

Icy Cold

2009-05-16T21:58:00.005-05:00

Buurrrrr...this morning felt like winter all over again. I headed here (dressed in my running pants, hat and freakin' gloves...on May 16th???) to get in my longest run yet. 20 miles! I guess progression is the key with running. Compared to last weekend, I felt great this morning. I might have been able to keep going, knowing that I only had 6.2 miles left! I took a banana and a raspberry Gu pack and two bottles of water. I will not run with a water pack. Not quite sure how people can do that to themselves. If I added an extra pound or two to my backside, it would not be pretty. This particular route is perfect...about 2.3 miles around...stop at the car, stretch, grab a drink and go. I clocked in at 7:10 and finished around 10:20. That included all rests and potty breaks (convenient pottys on this route as well!). The only complaint I have today are my IT bands. I deserve this, as I did two things wrong:

1. I wore bad shoes.
2. I didn't stretch enough before I left home.

Aaahhhh...it's all about learning. I plan on taking Sunday and Monday off just to get the bands back to normal (they feel much better than last night) and see how things are on Tuesday. This is a very common problem for me. Any advice??? I feel great knowing that I can get in 20 miles in under 3:10. That makes me want to push through these next 4 weeks and get this marathon over with!

Cheesy Chips

2009-05-14T07:42:00.002-05:00

O.k. I am still reflecting on the half-marathon. It was my first race complete with chip timing. Not sure yet what I think about it. Obviously, it is more accurate. Or, is it? Here are my times officially posted from the event.

1:56:55-Chip time
1:57:32-Gun time
8:59-Pace

It's the pace thing that is killing me here. Note-I realize we are talking about a difference of 37 seconds here, but those sweet little 37 seconds are actually dang hard-earned seconds. What else could I have done in 37 seconds? Taken a shower (when I can actually fit one in), eat a cupcake, glass clean a window or heck, sit down on the couch for a few lovely seconds before regaining the strength to get up and help wash hands before lunch. Why take the pace from the gun time? Doesn't it make more sense calculating it from the chip time? The time you actually crossed the starting line until the time you actually crossed the finish line? I'm stumped.

Carpe Diem

2009-05-12T13:58:00.001-05:00

258 pounds. Here are a few comparisons for ya:

A female deer.

A manhole cover. Who knew? Never tried to lift one before.

A black bear. A FREAKING BEAR PEOPLE!

Shaq. O.k. Maybe not. But too close for comfort.

We were here with the kids on a Saturday evening in 2006. I was trying to fit my caboose (yepers, that 248 pound caboose I referenced earlier) into a train car. Our oldest was still a little to short to ride alone. Uncomfortable and ready for the ride to be over, I saw a young girl (probably in her early 20's) run through the park. She. Looked. Fantastic. To this day, I still have no idea who she is. But, she will always have a special place in my life. Funny how we might influence somebody and never know it?

The following Monday evening after dinner, I went to get dressed. In workout clothes. For the first time in two years. Now, just a reminder. I played college basketball. I worked out every day from the age of 12 until I graduated from college. Then...I got married. Then...I had kids. Then...I forgot about myself.

I walked out from getting dressed and told the hubby I was going on a run. His response: laughter. I never thought he was being mean. Still don't today. He just didn't think I could do it. How the heck could you blame him?

I ran (use the term 'ran' loosely. it was more of a hop.). I couldn't breath. I was home in 10 minutes. But I ran/hopped. Whatever you want to call it.

Since then, I have lost 90 pounds. I lost 90 pounds without starving myself. Get real people. Do you honestly think that really works? I lost 90 pounds withOUT a trainer who pushes me to puke level everyday. I lost 90 pounds without joining some girly health club (or a scanky one---you know which gym you are! Shame on you!). I lost 90 pounds by simply exercising. Wow. I should write a book. It could be called, "Exercising is good for you."

I have made a change in my life for the better. And surprisingly, it wasn't all that bad. Because of this, I am a better mother, a better wife, a better thinker (even though some of my thinking during the day as a SAHM is, "What should I eat now?" or "How the *%@* am I going to get 8 miles in on the treadmill with three kiddos running around?") and a better competitor. Where these individuals meet is where this blog will converge.

A special shout out to any runners/mommmy runners/wanna be mommy runners out there: You want to share your expertise with me/other momners (get it?mommy+runners=momners)? I think your posts would spice this blog up a bit.