It has been months since I posted on this blog, and no one missed it (not even me)!  I've set some new goals for 2014 though, and I think that using this blog will be a great way to keep track of everything for myself.  And if someone else finds it interesting along the way, great!

Here are a few of the things coming up in 2014...

1.  Voyage to Venus!  My kids and I have both pledged miles for the Voyage to Venus.  The kids each plan to run 100 miles during 2014, and I've signed up for 1,000 miles.  Looking forward to getting started on that...time to plan for that average of 84 miles per month (20 per week).

2.  14 in 14.  I managed 13 races in 2013, now it is time to run 14 races in 2014.  I'll stick with a mix of 5ks, 10ks, and half marathons.

3.  Starting out 2014 with a 21 day detox led by my running coach from 2013, Laura Peifer.  This will be the first time I try something like this, starting January 4th.  Hoping it helps with my goal of losing 25 pounds in the next year.

4.  My son Gabe wants to run his first 10k in 2014, and my daughter Maggie wants to run something longer than a 5k.  They are both planning to use the Kalamazoo Area Runners Club Championship Series to work towards their overall running goals for the year.

So, that's where I'm at and where I want to go!

SBBC By The Numbers!

April 8-14, 2013

Monday

50 minutes running
Water
Freggies
Total Points:  7

Tuesday
60 minutes running
Water
Freggies
Total Points: 8

Wednesday
15 minutes strength work
Water
Freggies
Total Points: 3.5


Thursday
65 minutes running
Water
Freggies
Total Points: 8.5


Friday
Water
Freggies
Total Points: 2

Saturday

Water
Freggies
Total Points: 2


Sunday

2:54:08 running (15 miles)
Water
Freggies
Total Points: 19


Total Points for week: 50

It's Green!

The first smoothie of the week that is actually the color green (the others have been purple)! This one is kale, avocado and banana. Wasn't sure about it at first but I think it is growing on me!

SBBC By The Numbers - Second Week!

March 25-31, 2013

Monday

50 minutes running
7.5 minutes upper body work
Water
Freggies
Total Points:  7.5

Tuesday
75 minutes running
Water
Freggies
Total Points:9.5

Wednesday
Water
Freggies
5 minutes upper body training (quickie!)
Total Points:2.5


Thursday
46 minutes running (Hill Intervals)
20 minutes run/walk - Girls on the Run
Water
Freggies
Total Points:8.5


Friday
Does outlet shopping for 6 hours count?
Water
Freggies
Total Points:2

Saturday
2:11:55 minutes running - 11.6 miles
Water
Freggies
Total Points: 15


Sunday
Water
Freggies
Total Points: 2


Total Points for week: 47

Recap: Repeat of last week in that I met my point goal but I'm still having issues getting in the strength training.  Maybe a training plan with a 4 day running schedule is simply not the answer for me.

My Saturday long run was a vast improvement over last week.  I felt so much better and so much stronger and I was much more in tune with what my pace should be.  The weather was great, and the scenery running around Gull Lake was amazing.  Now if only the temp would inch up another 10-20 degrees we'd have long run perfection!

Goals for week 5 - Stick in the 45-50 point range.  Starting that green smoothie challenge on Monday - I spent my Sunday afternoon preparing ziploc bags full of smoothie goodness (?) in advance.  I'm also doing a 7 day sugar detox (just added sugars for this round).  Then I've just got to figure out how to get in a 13 mile training run when I have an all day meeting on Saturday and a 5k Sunday mid-morning followed by the regular Sunday afternoon family schedule.  Guess that means skipping church to get in 10 miles before the 5k!  Not ideal but this close to the River Bank Run I'm not sure I have another choice!

Green Smoothie Challenge - Ready to Rawk!

I am not quite sure that I am ready for this as I am not a big smoothie fan, but I am jumping in this April and doing a 30 day Green Smoothie Challenge. Today I did the initial prep work for week one. Tomorrow after running I will grab one of these packages and give it a try. Let's see how it goes!

SBBC By The Numbers - Second Week!

March 18-24, 2013

Monday

45 minutes running (3.1 miles + 8 strides)
Water
Freggies
Total Points:  6.5

Tuesday
60 minutes running
15 minutes stretching - Girls on the Run
5 minutes weight training - arms
Water
Freggies
Total Points: 10

Wednesday
Water
Freggies
Total Points: 2


Thursday
75 minutes running (NS workout - a fun first!)
20 minutes run/walk - Girls on the Run
Water
Freggies
Total Points: 11.5


Friday
Water
Freggies
Total Points: 2

Saturday
2:13:43 minutes running - 11.5 miles
Water
Freggies
Total Points: 15


Sunday
Water
Freggies
Total Points: 2


Total Points for week:  49

Recap: Well, I met my point goal.  I didn't get in the strength/core training that I would like but our family schedule has been out of control and it is all I can do at the end of the day to feed my family before falling into bed when we finally get home!  That should let up next week.

My Saturday long run was horrible - I was supposed to do 14 but I was just so tired.  We were also running a complicated route with KAR and I ended up sticking with a new running friend named Donna.  Not sure if actually running with a buddy was helpful or not - the time went faster but I think she was pushing me to go a pace that might not have been the best for me considering how run down I already was.  I am going to try to be more aware of my pace and hopefully I'll be better rested for the 13 miles scheduled next Saturday.

Goals for week 4 - Stick in the 45-50 point range.  Complete my scheduled long run on Saturday, and get in 2-3 short strength workouts.  Also try out my new blender in advance of the 30 day green smoothie challenge which I am starting on April 1st!

SBBC By The Numbers - Second Week!

March 11-17, 2013

Monday

45 minutes running
15 minutes strength training
Water
Freggies
Total Points:  8

Tuesday
56 minutes running
15 minutes running - Girls on the Run
Water
Freggies
Total Points:  9

Wednesday
Water
Freggies
Total Points:  2


Thursday
20 minutes run/walk - Girls on the Run
20 minutes strength training
Water
Freggies
Total Points:  6


Friday
46 minutes running
Water
Freggies
Total Points:  6.5

Saturday
Water
Freggies
Total Points:  2


Sunday
Water
Freggies
Total Points:  2


Total Points for week:  35.5

Recap:  I missed the mark on my goal for points this week, mostly because I had to go on a retreat Friday/Saturday for the Conference Youth that I lead and by the time I got home I had hit the wall.  The whole week was tough schedule wise - I'm not sure I was ever home before 7 o'clock and then there was still dinner and everything to deal with.  Just very, very tiring.  Missed getting in the 13 mile long run that I had actually hoped to split between Saturday and Sunday.  Oh well - back on the wagon for Monday morning and hopefully I'll hit my target this week!

Goals for week 3 - Trying for that 45 points again, and I'm going to start using that new Ninja blender I purchased this morning to try some green smoothie recipes in advance of the 30 day green smoothie challenge I'm embarking upon in April.  That should be interesting!  I also have a goal of losing 5 pounds between March 14th and April 14th (the bigger goal is 20 pounds by my 41st birthday on July 14th), so I'll keep working towards that as well.

Return to Above and Beyond!

On Saturday I returned to my Above and Beyond training group after staying away for several weeks due to the nasty weather, the Princess Half and being sick.  We were back out at the Kalamazoo YMCA today which means one thing - HILLS.  Thankfully they weren't the monster ones this time, but there were still lots of them.  I just took it slow and worked on my mental game (that's all it really is, right?) and somehow or another, even though I had given myself permission to walk a few of them, I never needed too.  I was dead tired by the end, but so excited!  This little screen shot just doesn't tell the story, but it was still so exciting!

SBBC By The Numbers - First Week!

March 4 - 10, 2013

Monday

40 minutes running
Water
Freggies
Total Points:  6

Tuesday
10 minutes stretching (Girls on the Run)
Water
Freggies
Total Points:  3

Wednesday
60 minutes running
Water
Freggies
Total Points:  8

Thursday
Water
Freggies
Total Points:  2

Friday
45 minutes running
Water
Freggies
Total Points:  6.5

Saturday
1:46:33 minutes running (10 miles)
Water
Freggies
Total Points:  12.5

Sunday
Water
Total Points:  1

Total Points for week:  39

Goals for week 2 - 40 to 45 points
Get thoughts on meal planning/daily calorie usage out of head and onto paper!

Keeping it fresh

I feel like this is shaping up to be a week of new beginnings, which is great because it is helping to keep this crazy thing called running fresh for me.  Immediately following the Princess Half Marathon last month (week) I was kind of dreading the fact that I didn't really have time for a break in my training - that 25k in Grand Rapids is just 9-1/2 weeks away at this point, and I have never run more than that half marathon distance.

Then I woke up to run last Thursday (supposed to be my first run back) and found I had the flu.  I was totally freaked out because that meant I went over a week without running!

Monday morning I was happy to get up and get back at it with a nice, easy 3 mile run on relatively fresh legs.  :)  New beginning #1!

Yesterday was the first day of the new Girls on the Run season for Maggie and I.  This has got to be my favorite sign of spring (and one of my favorite volunteer opportunities because as an Assistant Coach I can sit back and just have fun interacting with the girls).  We didn't get any running time in during the team meeting, but I am so excited to log some extra miles in on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons over the next three months.  New beginning #2!

This morning I made the decision to commit to the "Half Marathon - Own It" plan from the book Train Like a Mother by Sarah Bowen Shea and Dimity McDowell.  Jumped into week 5 of the plan and had a great interval run on the treadmill.  This is going to be a tough plan to follow, but I'm excited about stepping up my game and feeling prepared for that 25k (the plan includes long runs of 14 and 15 miles, so that should be good).  New beginning #3!

I also stopped at Meijer this morning and purchased a heart rate monitor (a cheapy version that was 20% off the marked price) so I can try my hand at heart rate running.  Excited to try something different and see if it helps improve my running.  New beginning #4!

 

 

Oh, and I should have mentioned at the beginning that the Spring Booty Buster Challenge sponsored by Run to the Finish started on Monday, so that will be another motivator.  New beginning #5!

 

And finally, I'm starting to implement some of the things that I learned from the book Racing Weight.  More on that in another post.  But new beginning #6!

 

And it is only Wednesday....

 

5 by the 5th

Got in the third installment of 5 by the 5th today by running a 5k in 34:30 on the treadmill this morning. Hopefully that info will "stick" when I go to record it on the group spreadsheet (the last two months I have completed the miles but when I have gone back into the spreadsheet later my stats have mysteriously disappeared)!

I was especially happy this morning as I haven't run since the Princess half a week ago. Meant to get in some miles last Thursday but ended up with the flu instead.

Now time to start preparing for the 25k in Grand Rapids on May 11th.  I also need to decide on a couple of year end half marathons.  So many choices...

Princess Half Marathon

The big day finally arrived!  Sunday, February 24th I dragged my family out of bed at 2:45am to get ready to head out to the gathering area of the Princess Half Marathon.  Thank you to my sister Erin for getting up even earlier to come and pick us all up for the race!  Matt and I were in our lovely costumes for the day and Gabe and Maggie were ready to go and join the Chear Squad with Aunt Erin!  This is us just before Matt and I headed off to the Bag Check and then to find our spot in the corrals.

I was fortunate to be in Corral A thanks to my 2:12 finish of the Kalamazoo Half Marathon in May 2012, and thank goodness!  I was able to head right out at 5:35am when the first set of fireworks went off and the Fairy Godmother told us to go!  I didn't have to deal with long lines at the characters, or thousands of people that aren't aware of proper race etiquette (like not to do the Galloway run/walk think in lines of 4-6 across).  Matt was in Corral E and not quite so lucky.

Took a quick break over by the Speedway to get my picture taken with Lightning McQueen.  Do my bangs tell the story of how humid it was or what!  Definitely should have grabbed a sweaty band that day!

Need to see if my sister has pictures from when I ran through the Magic Kingdom - she and the kids were right in front of the castle when I stopped there to have my picture professionally taken.  Haven't seen that one yet.  I'm sure it is just LOVELY (not)!  The humidity was crazy on race day - I think it caused my poor wings to droop!

Caught up with Lilo and Stitch somewhere around mile 8 or 9...

I finally finished at 2:39:28.  Not a PR by any means, but I did stop several times for pictures and to deal with the fact that I was drinking WAY more water than I normally do in a race like this.

I absolutely LOVE the medal - and the kids  got Matt and I these lovely finishers roses.

Matt finished maybe 30-45 minutes behind me.  Very impressed that he kept his tutu on the whole way.  He kept saying it would make it just a couple of miles before he tossed it. 

Also participating in the race were my Kappa Delta sisters Melissa (on the right) and Sandy (in the middle).  So proud of both of them for completing their first half marathons!  We took this picture at the end, but Sandy had us a little backward with the KD sign!

 

Already thinking ahead to my next Disney race - maybe I can convince some more KD's that we should meet up for the Tinkerbell at Disneyland in January 2014!  And then maybe Wine and Dine in October 2014 so that I can get my Coast to Coast medal from Disney!

Royal Family 5k at Walt Disney World

The weekend my family has been waiting for has finally arrived!  We are at Disney World for the Princess Half Marathon weekend.

I dragged my kids out of bed at 3:45am on Saturday and we headed over to the Royal Family 5k at Epcot.  We were there with plenty of time to spare thanks to the Disney bus system, so we hopped in a HUGE line to have our pictures taken with Disney's royal family.  We made it to the front of the line just in time!  With all the music and dancing and excitement the wait time flew right on by.  :)

The race started in the Epcot parking lot, and took us around to where the cast members generally park before entering the park behind the Test Track building.  Soon we were making our way around World Showcase. 

A blurry picture of Gabe and Maggie working hard - they did a great job and I am so proud of how hard they worked. 

When we got back to the Beach Club we found Matt sitting eating breakfast (he is fighting a cold this weekend so we decided he should skip the 5k festivities and get some rest before the Half Marathon tomorrow).  He was excited to see our medals! 

Well, I'm signed up again for another challenge from Run To The Finish.  This one starts in March and is called the Spring Bootie Buster Challenge (just LOVE that name)!  Looking forward to getting my lock laces for signing up - tired of needing to triple know my shoe laces when I go running so they aren't hitting my other leg!

Here are just a few basics on the SBBC:

Who: Everyone who wants some added motivation for a Spring Shape Up!
When: CHALLENGE STARTS ON Mar 4 - Apr 21
How: Register by clicking the button above
Cost: $10 - $45 depending on options selected
- $10: Group support, weekly emails, expert Q&A, receive basic training plan - no prizes (except Lock Laces)
- $22: Group support, weekly emails, expert Q&A, receive basic training plan - eligible for prizes
- $47: All of the above, plus additional support to reach goals faster (more details here)
Why: Group support and rewards for sticking to healthy habits…plus rocking that swimsuit this summer.
CHALLENGE BASICS

• Earn 1 point per 10 minutes of activity
• Earn points for eating 7-9 servings of fruits and veggies
• Free group forum
• Meet other like minded folks to help you stay on track.
• Receive a half marathon training
• Receive a basic strength training plan
• Win prizes!!
• Get answers from experts in nutrition, running, cross fit, yoga and more.
  • Michelle Lovitt - Celebrity trainer
  • Susan Becraft - Fitness expert
  • Thomas Taulbee - Holistic health coach and yoga instructor
  • Mary Baum - Running coach
  • Vanessa Scotto - Life Coach with 15 years experience

This 7 week health & fitness challenge is meant to help everyone get a jump start on feeling great for swimsuit season or stay on track to meet fitness goals. It’s a friendly competition to exercise, eat healthy and even do a little soul work. There are different fitness levels, so everybody can compete & a multitude of ways to earn points.

Interested in registering?  Visit http://www.runtothefinish.com/2013/02/spring-bootie-buster-challenge.html and sign up - and I'd appreciate it if you'd mention me when asked about how you learned about the challenge!

5 By the 5th

Wow - I have been terrible about posting anything since the end of the HBBC Challenge.  I'd really like to make more time to do this, but what a wild month of January I had!

I did manage to do the second installment of "5 By The 5th" this morning.  I logged 5 miles in just over 53 minutes and added it to the spreadsheet.  Bummed to see that my January results were missing - I swear I logged them in.  Oh well - I know I kept up the challenge even if I have less than stellar posting results.

I feel like I'm in the home stretch to the Disney Princess Half Marathon now - only 7 more training runs between now and race day.  Can't wait!

HBBC By The Numbers - Final Week!

December 31, 2012 to January 5, 2013

Monday

Facebook Check-in

Fruits & Veggies

Total Points:  2

Tuesday
3.1 miles (Resolution Run 5k)
Facebook Check-in
Fruits & Veggies
Total Points:  5.1

Wednesday
Jillian Michaels No More Trouble Zones (45 minutes)
Facebook Check-in
Fruits & Veggies
Total Points:  5

Thursday
4.5 miles (hills)
Facebook Check-in
Fruits & Veggies
Total Points:  6.5

Friday
Facebook Check-in
Fruits & Veggies
Total Points: 7

Saturday
7.25 mile run
Fruits & Veggies
Facebook Check-in
Total Points:  9.25


Total for week:  35.85