The Day & Night Before a Half Marathon

Good morning!  

Workouts 

Monday - 5 miles 

Tuesday - 5.5 miles & Summer Shape Up

Wednesday - 3 miles 

Friday - 4.4 miles & Summer Shape Up 

This is the first week of Fitnessista's Summer Shape Up Challenge and I am telling you her workouts are no joke.  Wow.  I modified today's workout and cut out the leg work because of the Helvetia Half tomorrow morning.  The plan for tomorrow's race is basically just to have a good time running with Katie.  Both of us achieved some really great PR's at last month's Rock Roll Half Marathon and want to enjoy that for a while longer.  I guess you could say our plan for tomorrow is no plan at all other than have a great time on the course and enjoy our burgers at the finish!  

Tips for the day and night before a half or full marathon: 

- Hydrate.  Drink a lot of liquids, preferably water, but anything unsweetened and not soda will do the trick.  

- Don't stress out if you don't get a great night sleep, you aren't going to fall asleep on the course.  It is more important you were able to get a restful night sleep a couple days before your race. 

- Carbing up is a personal thing, some people avoid carbs like I avoid mopping my floors.  I personally love carbs and have no problem adding in a few extra over the week.    

-  Eat a light dinner the night before so that you can avoid any "surprises" on the course 

- Lay everything you'll want for your race day the night before.  Some people pin on their bib but I wait to do that because I have to wear it to get it on straight.  

- Don't forget your sunscreen!     

- When you are out and about the day before make sure you have gas in your car.  It drives me crazy to get in my car in the morning of a race and have to stop and get gas.  

Okay that is all I have for you!  Lots to do today and Katie is coming over for a sleepover tonight, we have a pretty early wake up call tomorrow.  

Friday Check-In!  

- What are you doing this weekend to keep with your goals?  

- Have you checked out Fitnessista's Summer Shape Up Challenge?  You should! 

- Join our Plank-A-Day challenge for the month of June on Instagram and Twitter, hashtag #plankaday

  

The TV Time Suck : Time Management Series

Hi! 

During the month of June every Tuesday I'll be sharing a Time Management blog post.  While I was in the tundra Michigan this winter we had a lot of time indoors so I dusted off my brain and actually read a few books.  I don't know how I stumbled upon Laura Vanderkam's book exactly but it was just what I didn't know I was looking for.  That makes sense right?  

Okay hang with me here while I pretend to know about something important and not just how to embarrass my dog.  You are dead inside if you don't think this is hilarious.    

I think most of us would say we could use a few more hours in the day.  I know there are times at the end of the day when I think to myself where exactly did the day go?  This was becoming a reoccurring theme for me and I was becoming frustrated with my growing to-do list.   

Taking my desk down and purging everything was the Best. Decision. Ever. 

Like everyone else I have a lot of items everyday that need to get done but I also have a list of things I would like to do.  After I started reading 168 Hours I realized like most people I was watching too much TV and wondering where all of my time was going.  It wasn't like I was just sitting in front of it all day eating bons bons and painting my toes but it was the little bits that were taking up too much time.  For example when I fold laundry I would turn on the TV, no big deal right?  Wrong.  I would turn it on, flip to the On Demand and scroll through reading descriptions for something that sounded interesting.  By the time I decided on a show I had wasted a good 5-10 minutes, the laundry would have been folded by then.  

I learned from reading 168 Hours that the average American watches 20 hours of TV a week, seriously people that is a part time job.  Another thing that she touched on in the book that really stuck with me was how TV doesn't actually refresh and recharge us like true recreation should.  Often times TV will beat out activities that would bring a lot of joy to our lives.  That is what really got me to think about what I wish I had more time for and if I could be doing that instead of watching the Real Housewives fight over the last glass of Merlot.  So I decided to make my TV viewing almost zero and see how much I could accomplish in a day.  I haven't gone a full day of no TV yet but I am ready to take on the challenge.  

I decided I am going to pick a day in the next 7 days that will be a No TV Day for me.  I am thinking either Wednesday or Thursday of this week will end up being my day, just haven't nailed it down yet.  I don't want the day to just be a No TV Day but actually make it productive and have a plan.  

Tips to Make Your No TV Day Successful      

- Plan ahead for the day

- What do you want to do instead of sitting down to watch TV? 

- Look forward to it, if you have a list of things you'll do instead it won't feel so challenging 

- Don't pick a day where your favorite show is on if you can't record it, that is just mean 

What do I want to do?  Good question class!  For my time away from the tube I want to work on my photo books.  It is something I have really gotten away from and I miss keeping track of our day to day happenings.  

    Also instead of turning on the TV before bed I'll read one of the 5 books I have started on my Kindle.  Yes you read that right, I am currently "reading" 5 different books.  How about I actually finish one of those, m'kay.

OK so who is going to join me?!  In order to grow we have to get out of comfort zone, right?!  Right.

If you are willing to take on this challenge with me pick a day between today and next Tuesday that you'll go all day without watching TV.  Let me know in the comments, on Twitter or Instagram and use the hashtag #freefromtv.  Share pictures of what you are doing and how you think the day is going.  I'll let you know also when I decide on my day.  We'll check in with each other before next Tuesday and get a feel for what we thought about our No TV Day.  Good luck!!!

Challenge Monday!

Good morning! 

Started my morning off with a run and feel redeemed after Saturday's fail.  

I am really excited about this week!  June is the start of so many fun things like summer vacation and nice weather.  Today is especially exciting because it is the start of the Summer Shape Up Challenge with Fitnessista.  

I did a 60 Day challenge last summer and really got some great results and loved the group dynamic.  I have been missing the camaraderie of a group challenge so I jumped at the chance to join the Summer Shape Up Challenge.  Since I figure why not make June as fun as possible I also joined a Plank-A-Day challenge with Skinny Chick, if you want to join in on the crazy fun use #plankaday on Instagram and/or Twitter!  

Adding in the Shape Up Challenge along with increasing my mileage and everything else required in life will mean I'll have to work on my time management skills.  I am starting a series tomorrow on Time Management  and different way to make better use of our time.  I am mainly doing the series for myself because I want to utilize the hours in my day more effectively.  I have to make sure I am making time for the priorities! 

    

I'll be hosting a giveaway at the end of the series of one my favorite books by Laura Vanderkam titled 168 Hours : You have More Time Than You Think.  I loved this book and realized a lot about how I can use my time better and get more things on my goal list accomplished.   

Let me know if you decide to follow either of the June challenges! 

Did you get in any training runs or a race this weekend? 

What is your favorite part of summer?  

Sunny Sunday!

Good morning!  

I haven't been on here in almost a week and I miss my little baby blog!  I am going to keep this short and sweet because the sun is shining and we need to get out today and enjoy it.  

Workouts 

Friday - 3 miles 

Saturday - 14 (awful) miles 

Sunday - Rest 

So I am really pumped up to start a new challenge tomorrow with Gina over at Fitnessista!  

The challenge starts up tomorrow, June 3rd, so today I'll be gathering everything to make sure next week is a success.  If you have been looking for something to get you motivated or out of a rut check out her blog!

Yesterday's long run was suppose to be ran with Katie but due to some personal issues Katie wasn't able to meet me for the run.  It probably worked out for the best because the entire 14 miles was one long crap-fest (not literally).  I kept waiting for the moment to finally hit when it started to feel okay and not a struggle with each step.  That moment never came and I was never so glad to have a run be done.  As soon as I came home I stretched and jumped in an ice bath because my body just hurt.  

{Instagram Pic}

As the day went on I started realizing I was dehydrated and that was probably a large cause to my awful run.  Today and from now on I have to start focusing on getting more water during the day.  I try to drink water throughout the day but it isn't nearly as much as I should be getting.  

Next week is a full week for our little family full of lots of good stuff.  It will be a good lesson in time management and on Tuesday June 4th I'll be starting a 4 week series on just that, Time Management.  I am by no mean an expert in the subject but I have picked up a few things that have worked for me.  I'll be posting a new blog post on different areas of Time Management each Tuesday during the month of June and hopefully we can all learn something from each other's experiences.  At the end of the month I'll be doing a GIVEAWAY of Laura Vanderkam's book 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think.  

OK the sun is shining and it is time to get this wagon train moving!  Enjoy your Sunday and don't forget to check out Fitnessista's Summer Shape Up Challenge!

I leave you with our Saturday night crack up 

{Instagram Pic}

Happy Pi Day!

Good morning!  

We are in the final weeks of our time here in Michigan and it is going to fly by, it is already Thursday?!  I had to recheck my calendar twice today to confirm this news.  Plus it isn't just a regular Thursday, oh no, today is Pi day, 3.14!  The only reason I know this is because I married Jess and he is all things nerd.  

Case Closed


A friend posted this on FB, couldn't resist! 


My runs lately have been pretty basic, I ran 6 miles Tuesday night and 6.5 last night.  I haven't done any speed work this week because I am trying to just feel better all around.

I thought it would be cool to run 3 different time yesterday!  Kidding, my iPod was being really weird and kept stopping my run.  As you can see I had to restart it 3 times...I love my iPod but it needs to cooperate with me better if it wants to stick around.  

It has been over a week since I got that nasty virus and it just seems to be hanging around.  My stomach is still really sensitive and never really settles down.  I was thinking before I got sick that I might have an allergy to dairy and I am starting to see a correlation.  So starting today I am going to be cutting back on my dairy, luckily I switched to So Delicious Coconut Milk Creamer a while ago.

Old pic, not actually home, I miss you home!

I can't have my coffee without cream, it just isn't right.  I usually drink my coffee before I eat anything and lately that has been really upsetting too, so now I'll try eating BEFORE my beloved coffee.  I don't like change especially when it relates to my food, hopefully we'll all make it through this challenging time.

I am prepping myself to run 13 miles on the treadmill tonight.  It'll be another milestone on the treadmill for me and I am excited to conquer it.  I am suppose to run it Friday or Saturday but with my race on Sunday I want to give my legs a couple days to rest up.  I missed my long run last week and I don't feel comfortable totally skipping another one.  I need to make sure I start up with my cross training again next week, no excuses!  I know for certain that doing those exercises 3-4 times a week will keep me from injury and only improve my running, why wouldn't I do it?!  Looking forward to taking Barre or TRX again!  Now I am rambling, but one more thing before I go!

Remember when I use to talk about Project Life and getting caught up and blah blah blah.  I haven't done anything but open up the picture folder on my computer, get overwhelmed and walk away.  Becky Higgins' advice is that you should just start at the present and when you have a free minute work on the stuff you have missed.  So that is what I am going to do, I am going to start with March 2013 and I'll work back whenever I have a little time.  My albums mean a lot to me and I get a lot of joy out of working in them and staying caught up.  I love having these memories to look back on of our day to day life and I don't want to much of it to get away from me.  My goal is to start in the present with my Project Life album and share it with you once a month.  Accountability is key to everything in my life.

Do you do any journaling or scrapbooking?

Any fellow peeps with food allergies out there?!  

Are you racing this weekend?  

Keep'n It Real!

Good morning! 

So I started a blog because I have always really enjoyed reading blogs, especially since becoming a runner (love saying that).  I like to see how other runners do their training and reading about their experiences.  My favorite blogs are the ones that keep it real and honest about their expectations for themselves.  Honestly my favorite blogs to read, minus Skinny Runner, are mother runners.  I feel like unless your a mom you can't fully understand the challenges you face as a mother and a runner.  I love MsFitRunner because she keeps her days with her kids so honest and she is pretty funny about their quirks.  Plus she is a huge inspiration, she is fast and so motivated and can accomplish so much with her 3 little kids at home.  What is my point with all of this, I don't really have a point I just want to explain to myself that we all can't expect to keep up with the running Jones'.  Since the Portland Marathon I have taken it easy with my runs and since the time change I have had a difficult time getting up at 5:30 to head out for my run.  Not ashamed to say that I am afraid of the dark and even with my headlamp I just don't feel comfortable out there in the pitch black.  What that means is that right now my runs are now happening while the girls are at preschool on Tuesday and Thursday, Saturdays and my treadmill.  Since I don't have the reason to get up at 5:30 I haven't been getting up and that is frustrating.  In order to be strong enough to reach my marathon goals next year I need to make cross training a priority too.  Add in Christmas obligations on top of being a mom to really busy 3 year old girls and wife to a workaholic husband I've been feeling just a tad overwhelmed.  

I know running helps me with all of these feelings but I haven't been making it a priority for the last couple of weeks and hence the circle goes round and round.  Plus I had half a bag of baked lays last night...ya that was super helpful.  I've been trying to slow things down but that is much easier said than done especially this time of year.  I decided it was time to dust this book off and read through it again, it did a lot for me a couple years ago when I first bought it.  

I don't have a ton of books in actual copy anymore because I buy them mostly through my Kindle, which I love.  I am really glad I have this book in non-Kindle form, it is a pretty book to begin with and its more of a life manual which should be out for constant reference.  I think we should all have life manuals given to us at high school graduation along with the diploma.  

I am going to shoot for 45 minutes on my treadmill this morning before we head off to Preschool, Costco, etc etc etc.  We'll see how many miles that ends up being today!  

Also tomorrow is the First Friday Holiday Run in Old Town Sherwood!  We are meeting at Sympsium at 4:45 and heading out for the run at 5:00.  I hope to see home of you there, its going to be a great fun and easy run and afterwards you can check out all there is to see at First Friday.  Wine tasting...need I say more?  

          

Don't Be All Jelly

Good evening!  So Saturday was our 14 mile run with Portland Fit, we took a different route...I didn't like this route.  I don't like to be a negative Nancy, it really doesn't get you anywhere, but it just wasn't my cup of tea.  To many stop lights, very narrow sidewalks and somebody on top of me the entire run, thanks but no thanks.  Other than those complaints the run itself was actually really good!  I thought I would notice a big jump from 13 to 14 but I didn't really notice much of a difference, talk to me when we get to 18.

Its only Monday but its salad week for me at our house.  We are getting ready for a trip and I am trying to consume all of the produce in our house before we leave.  Since I am the only one here who eats anything from the ground its up to me to make sure it doesn't get wasted!  Tonight's menu: Salad.

Tomorrow: Salad.  Don't be jelly.  

Another update, the 30 Day Ab Challenge...well I have to be honest, I didn't do yesterday. AH I know!  Yesterday was one of those days, I can come up with 10 reasons why I didn't do it but basically it comes down to I just didn't want to, my body was tired and I was tired and I watched Mad Men and it was awesome.  Today was a new day and it only took 15 minutes and I was glad I did it.  These moves are nothing to laugh at, holy cow!  

I know I won't get to 4 days of running this week so I have to make the runs I do get in really count.  We are going to be traveling this week and finding a time and place to run will be challenging, but I am going to get in as many as I can.  Something to remember during all of this marathon training is that family and life is first.  While running is my absolute favorite non-child rearing activity, its also something that is my extra.  It can be really easy to center everything on the marathon but you gotta live your life too, stay focused but don't become a crazy person :)  

Any other pieces of advice for marathon training and keeping it real?

What fun family vacations you have planned?!

30 Day AB Challenge!

Good morning!  Cloudy and cool run this morning, a quick 2.5 mile out and back just to keep my legs warmed up for the 14 miles tomorrow morning.  I use to rest on Fridays before Saturday's long run but I've tried running the last 3 Fridays and have actually had a better long run a Saturday.  My legs don't take as long to loosen up and I can get into my stride before the first mile.  So I'll rest on Sunday!

So I have been whining  mentioning to Katie that my biggest trouble spot is my stomach, which I think most women can relate to, especially those who have ever had a child.  I know that if I can get my core muscles stronger it will only help me with my marathon training and possibly get me to that solid 9.5 per min mile that I would love to get to.  So while aimlessly wandering around on Pinterest this morning I found a 30 Day AB Challenge that is right up my alley!

I thought to myself, I could do this and more importantly I need to do this so that Katie doesn't start ignoring my calls.  Basically the plan is to do 25 reps of the following moves at some point during the day, I am going to shoot for the evening when I am watching TV and not really being productive anyway.  It should take anywhere between 15-25 minutes depending on your level and how quickly you do each move.  Once I perfect these moves (HAHAHA) I will do a short video of each one so you can see what I am talking about OR you can go here, she does a pretty good job of demonstrating.  

25 Repetitions of Each Move: 

- In n'Outs 

- Bicycles

- Reverse Bicycles 

- Crunchy Frog 

- Cross Leg/Wide Leg Sit Ups 

- Scissors 

- Hip Butt Ups 

- Heels to Heaven 

- Roll Up V-Up 

- Leg Climbers 

- Kayakers 

I'll even go as far as to show you some Before/After pictures, how is that for motivation?!  But I won't be showing any pictures until the 30 days is up.  Now when am I starting this you ask?  TODAY!  There is no time like the present and I might as well get this wagon train moving.  So my start date is June 22 my end date will be July 21st and I'll keep you updated on my progress as the days progress.  This isn't going to be easy for me because I really really dislike any sort of AB work, but after baking two babies to the 38 week mark and getting up to 215 lbs I have no choice.  

So here I go!  Who is with me?!  Seriously...anybody want to sign up and do this challenge with me?  C'mon, its like less then 30 minutes a day we can all find some time for that, right? Do it! Do it! Do it!