Friday, December 30, 2011

2011 Year in Review

I have seen a ton of bloggers doing a year in reveiw post of 2011. I have not done this in the past, at least not for the whole year. It was kind of neat to look back at what all I did this year. I am going to share with you some high lights from each month this year. Each of these high lights has been blogged about but I won't share the links. However, if you want to read back just go to that month's archives and the posts will be there for you. :)

January - I weighed in around 168-170. I suffered a nice case of bronchitis and a raging ear infection that side lined me for a few days. I registered for my first half marathon. My longest run was 8 miles (1:34).

February - I hit double digit miles. 10 miles (1:54) which was ran on Valentine's Day with my honey. I turned 32 and celebrated with my husband by running on a cold winter's day through beautiful Cades Cove.

March - my training for the half marathon came to an end. I did some volunteer work for a couple of races including the half marathon.

April - I became a half marathoner by running the Covenant Health Knoxville Half Marathon (2:28:09). I also took my very first spin class and loved it.

May - I took a face plant into the pavement one Sunday afternoon while my husband and I were out trying to get in a long run.

June - I celebrated National Running Day with a killer 5 miler. I failed at eating the Paleo way by gaining 6 lbs. We went on vacation to the beach where I did some great running and rode bikes everywhere we went.

July - I ran my first 10k with 59,999 of my closest running firends. Peachtree Road Race on July 4th (1:10:09). I also learned to LOVE the tempo run.

August - I registered for my 2nd half marathon. I was still weighing in at 168 and frustrated. I ran a 5k with a friend and PR'd at 31:05. I had a scary late evening 10 mile run that involved a snake, naked man in the woods and 2 crazy teenage boys on bikes.

September - I ran a lovely 11 mile run in Cades Cove with the Fleet Feet group and my awesome friend, Terri. I met O'Neal Hampton from the Biggest Loser and a trainer who has trained some great BL contestants when my friend opened a new gym in her city. The best part of Sept was starting running the long runs with my husband again.

October - I ran my 2nd half marathon with a friend in Atlanta, GA (2:23:05). I also registered and ran my 3rd half marathon. My husband and I dressed as Batman and Batgirl for a Haunted Half (2:19:43).

November - I started my gym's Maintain Don't Gain holiday challenge weighing 168. I ran a 4 miler out of state while visiting family and each mile was 9:33 pace or less! I ran my 2nd 10k on Thanksgiving Day (1:00:14) coming in just 15 seconds slower than the goal I had hoped for.

December - I decided to start loving myself and appreciating all the hard work that has gotten me to where I am today. I realized if I push myself hard enough I can actually even break the 9 min/mile pace, at least on the short runs.


In short I lost about 10 pounds (my current weight is 158).
I ran 6 races. 3 half marathons, 2 10ks and 1 5k. And finally see how much my hard work is paying off.


2011 was a great year for me but I know that 2012 is going to be better. I'm going to work just as hard if not harder in 2012 to meet all of my goals. A list of those goals is coming up in the next couple of days. And as always, thank you for being there and seeing me through my many milestones in 2011. I hope you will stick around to see what 2012 has to bring. YOU too can achieve great things.... believe and chase the dream.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Inspiration - Where I get it.

I polled some "friends" about ideas for blogging. One of the first comments was something along the line of where inspiration comes from when you feel like giving up or quitting. This topic is interesting enough to me because I have been on this whole weight loss/running journey for almost 3 years.

In the beginning this thing was hard. I drew inspiration from other runners, bloggers and the changing number on the scale. It was easy to stay focused with weight loss by seeing my weight go down. Running was hard though. At 237 lbs a woman just shouldn't be running, ya know. But I did. And as I lost weight and the more I ran the easier it got. That was motivation and inspiration enough to keep going. Were there days that I wanted to throw in the towel and just be done? Yes, but I never did. At least not this go round. I had in the past done that but something changed in 2009.

The more I went, the more I wanted to go. Somewhere along the way it became more than a habit and even more than a way of life. It became something I enjoyed, a hobby maybe. The running, that is. The better I become with my running...faster, more miles...the more I want to keep going, to keep improving.
The weight loss, healthy food thing, it isn't easy. It wasn't easy at first and even now it isn't easy. I struggle daily and always have. What I have learned is that I won't deprive myself. Depriving myself of anything I love makes this whole thing feel a lot less like a lifestyle and more like a diet. I don't do diets. If I can't fit it into my day somehow then I don't have it, but mostly I work it in and that means it's a lifestyle. Repetitive? Maybe. ;)

The times that I have felt like giving in usually my hubby is there to push me, to remind me that I've come a long way or too far to stop. Quitting is a sign of weakness and I don't want to be weak.
When I'm alone I struggle. I question why I am doing this.. the running, the healthy life, trying to lose weight. Then I remember my kids... THEY inspire me. What kid doesn't want a mom that will always be around? I think about that. I think about how I am able to run and play with them, get in the floor and wrestle, and take the stairs instead of an elevator with them and not be winded. The old mom couldn't do that. THAT is inspiring.

Friends. Friends who notice my weight loss and say that I am their inspiration for making changes in their own well being. Whether that be with losing weight or running. It thrills me as a runner (yes, I call myself that) when other people ask for tips on running or ask for advice on where to start, how to get faster and various other questions. It makes me feel good knowing I've made a change that is recognizable and that those around me take an interest.

Tell me I can't. If you tell me I can't that's going to motivate and inspire me to work harder and prove that I CAN.

YOU! Yes you, reading this... YOU inspire me. It's because of you that I keep going. I don't want to fail. That's my biggest fear. Failure. SO, if I come here or DailyMile, MFP or Facebook and log my workouts or say I am going to get up at 5am and take my butt to the gym.. I'm going to do it. FOR YOU! I don't want you to see me fail. It motivates me to keep going.

At this point in my journey the very last thing I want to do is quit. When you think about quitting or giving up, don't. Remind yourself about how far you have come.. even if it is only the first step out the door for a run, the gym or whatever.. it's the first step to doing something great for yourself. Even if you only see an ounce of a loss on the scale or even a gain, don't give up. Keep going because the end reward from pressing forward and going for the goal is so much more worth the pain of quitting. Keep your head high, look yourself in the mirror and tell yourself that you are worth the pain, sweat and tears.

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Merry Christmas Eve!

I started my day with a run. I had planned on today being my long run day since usually Saturdays are, but once I got going my legs were not cooperating. I almost told my hubby that I wanted to turn back to the house. Thankfully he let me lead the run which helps mentally for me for some strange reason. I had hoped that my body would get in it's groove before we hit the one mile mark and it did, mostly.

At one mile I wasn't really sure which direction to go. I really wanted 7 miles for the day but told him that I'd be ok with 5 like he suggested earlier in the week. "If we get 5 miles in that's pretty good considering it's Christmas Eve." Ugh, sounded like an excuse to me and I hate excuses when running. I did say, fine though we can just go as far as we can and consider it a good run day. Excuse? Maybe but like I told him, "Running is better than not running no matter how many miles we go."

I chose the hilliest side of our route. There was one hill near my kids' school that I wanted to tackle because I had never ran that road before and every time I drive it I think it'd be great to run. The hubby had ran it and told me it was pretty tough. He actually told me that entire side of the route was pretty difficult but I was willing to give it a try. Our pace was moderate and it was pretty tough but I managed to get that hill before it got me. I felt pretty victorious.

The next mile plus was basically down hill and flat. At one point I looked at my Garmin to see that I was running an 8:30 pace. When I hit mile 4 at well under a 9 min mile I was stoked. I fist pumped the air and smiled! Then I went back to tell my hubby all about it. haha And we ran then next little bit until he reached the 4 mile mark. At that point our route took us uphill again and we decided to just walk back home. However, I wasn't satisfied with only a 4 on my Garmin so I decided to just run the rest of the way. I didnt' make 5 miles for the day but because of my sub 9 on mile 4 I didn't care. I ran hard. It felt good after the week I had.

The rest of the day was normal. We did our little Christmas just the 4 of us, had homemade pizza, watched a movie and sprinkled reindeer fod on the lawn. The kids and I even posed in our new Christmas pj's so the hubby could get some pics. Below is a comparison of me last Christmas Eve and tonight. I like looking back as it reminds me of how far I have come. And if I do say so myself, I'm amazed.

[caption id="attachment_897" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Mama and the kiddos 2010"][/caption]
[caption id="attachment_898" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Me 2011"][/caption]

It still blows my mind the difference a year makes.

Merry Chistmas, friends!!! Thanks for following my journey and the continued support. It means more to me than you'll ever know.

Cuts like a knife, er glass!

I have been meaning all week to fill you all in on the excitement of my week!
It started on Sunday when we got home that evening. I was walking into my closet to take off my shoes and jewelry when all of a sudden...aacccccccccccckkkkkkkkkkk holy cow!! I screamed so loud. This...


was in my foot. About a 3 inch piece of glass a half inch into my left foot. It had to be pulled out. Fun fun times. I cried, a lot. And cried some more. I even said ugly words and the kids were worried because of all the blood. Annabelle was crying because I was crying and at one point I heard her say, "Oh no, now mom will never be able to run again and it's the one thing she loves to do a lot." Bless her.

After my hubby ripped off the tights I was wearing and assessed my foot, I let him help me clean it up and hobbled to my chair. I applogized a million and 87 times for the blood all over the bedroom floor. I also regretted not immediately cleaning up the broken glass when the incident with it first occurred. Dumb I tell ya!

I had not had a tetanus shot for as long as I could remember. In fact, I was probably a kid. So, the next morning I called my doctor's office and explained what happened. They wanted to see me. Fun times. NO stitches, but a tetanus shot and 7 days worth of antibiotics which I still have failed to finishe taking, oops. I was good to go except I was told to stay off of the foot as much as possible to let it heal and prevent injury.

What? No running? Yeah, not for a day or so. Um, ok, fine. It pained me to not run on Monday since I had done so well last week with my early morning workout routine but the pain in my foot was worse I guess. I waited until Tuesday afternoon after work to hit the gym. I ran, it was tough at first due to the swelling and bruising on my foot but I managed to kill a decent 5k and kettlebell workout. 5k ran in 29:30! Sweet.

I finished ALL my workouts for the week just fine. So, basically I am saying I held onto being awesome this week despite my little glass in the foot incident. This time last year I might have let something like this get me down for a week especially if the doctor told me not to be on my foot. But that's the old Kimberly. The new, determined to kick butt and take names Kimberly has goals to reach.

So take that glass!

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Bringing Sexy Back

This week I had my hubby take my measurements for the first time since July. With the scale not budging much over the last year and me still doing well with running and working out I knew I should take measurements since a lot of times that is where the real change can be seen. I'm listing a side by side of my July measurements and the measurements taken this week.

July/Dec
Neck- 13/12.5 .50 inch loss
Chest- 37/35.5 1.5 inch loss (sad, bye bye boobies)
Waist- 33.5/30.5 3 inch loss (say what!?!?)
Hips- 39/36 3 inch loss (love this!)
Bicep- 11.5/11 .50 inch loss
Thigh- 24/23.5 .50 inch loss (always have thunder thighs)
Calf- 15/14.5 .50 inch loss
Total inches lost since July = 9.5. I will take that!

I weighed in Saturday morning at 158. ONE FIFTY EIGHT! Did you hear that??? one five eight = 158. I am in the one fifty's. I have not been there in at least 13 years. This weigh in made me wanna happy dance. I'm so so close to my goal. April is my start date and I am hoping I can meet my weight loss goal by then. I want to be in the 142-144 range. I don't like those stupid charts (sorry to those of you that do) and I think they're a waste. I want to feel good, look good and be in a healthy range. I don't want to be at the very lowest of my "ideal" range like posted on those stupid charts. That being said... I have another 14-16 lbs to lose. I will get there. I've done this thing slow and steady and will continue doing what I have been doing since it is what works. At the end of the Maintain Don't Gain challenge for the holidays at my gym I would like to be 155. That's 3 more pounds off before the second week of January. I need to focus, stay focused and just do it.

[caption id="attachment_883" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="December 2010 (171 lbs)"][/caption][caption id="attachment_884" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="December 2011 (158 lbs)"][/caption]

I am on my way to bringing sexy back! 2012...here she comes!

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Weekend Randoms

~ Because of my bad a$$ unplanned 9 mile run on Thursday I decided to make Friday a rest day. Friday evening went well until about bedtime and I got sick. I'm fine now but as a result of being up at 2am I decided to rest again today. I don't love taking 2 rest days in a row, but the body tells us what it needs. And us smart folk sometimes listen to our bodies.

~ I did manage to make it to the gym today for my weigh in. While I wasn't expecting a huge loss I was hoping to be in the next set of magical numbers. So, I admit to being disappointed when I wasn't. Down 1 lb for the week isn't bad though. 161 according to the gym scale. I will take it. And I will work extra hard in the coming weeks to meet my goals.

~ As of today I am only 17 lbs away from reaching my weight loss goal. 17 lbs is not a lot. Not a lot compared to the 76 I have lost to date. If all goes well and I stay focused/on track I hope to reach that goal by my 3rd anniversary of this journey in April. So I will keep trucking along until then (and beyond).

~ I was suppose to run a 5k "race" today (Sunday) but wasn't able to because of a death in our church. So, I set out this morning to get a little run in. 4.33 miles (41:18). I made it a goal to run the 5k as fast as I could today since I was aiming to get a PR at the little fun run that I missed. I hit 5k on my route at 28:58 which would be my fastest ever outside 5k and that was on a pretty hilly route, even if I did take the side of the route that had more downhills. lol I'm still proud. Outdoor running is becoming easier.

~ This time last year (and I know I say that a lot) I was still running 11+ minute miles. I'm shocked every time I lookat my Garmin and see something around 9 or so minute miles. There was even a point (or two) in my run where I noticed I was hitting 8+ minute miles. Craziness.

~ My weekend eating hasn't been perfect but I haven't done so bad. I am taking my kids for a little lunch date and errand running today but plan to do as well as I can in the eating department. I'm happy to have burned some calories today. Buring calories always makes me feel a little better about my day.

~ This morning I hopped on the scale because I am still a slight scale addict. I noticed the numbers were going berzerk like that crazy Biggest Loser scale does. It irritated me a little and when I saw 152 on the darn thing and was like whoa. I knew I had done nothing on Saturday to produce an 11 lb loss, but a girl can dream huh. Anyway, new batteries should fix that right up. And I will try hard to stay off the thing so it doesn't play stupid mind games with me all week.

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Strong and beautiful


*thanks Pinterest and Nike for the inspiration

What is strong?
strong   /strɔŋ, strɒŋ/ [strawng, strong] adjective, strong·er  /ˈstrɔŋgər, ˈstrɒŋ-/ [strawng-ger, strong-] strong·est  /ˈstrɔŋgɪst, ˈstrɒŋ-/ [strawng-gist, strong-], adverb adjective
1. having, showing, or able to exert great bodily or muscular power; physically vigorous or robust: a strong boy.
2. accompanied or delivered by great physical, mechanical, etc., power or force: a strong handshake; With one strong blow the machine stamped out a fender.
3. mentally powerful or vigorous: He may be old, but his mind is still strong.
4. especially able, competent, or powerful in a specific field or respect: She's very strong in mathematics. He's weak at bat, but he's a strong fielder.
5. of great moral power, firmness, or courage: strong under temptation.

Synonyms
1. mighty, sturdy, brawny, sinewy, hardy, muscular, stout, stalwart. 4. potent, capable, efficient. 5. valiant, brave. 7. bold, intense. 8. persuasive, cogent, impressive, conclusive. 10. steady, firm, secure. 14. unwavering, resolute. 15. fervid, vehement. 18. stark, sharp. 19. brilliant, vivid. 22. pungent, aromatic, sharp, piquant, hot, spicy, biting. 23. smelly, rank.
Antonyms
1. weak.

That's the dictionary meaning of the word strong as provided to me by the most helpful Dictionary.com.
But to me strong is..

[caption id="attachment_866" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="she is sweaty, but she is strong."][/caption]

Strong is the girl (aka woman) who has fought for the last 2.5 years to be healthy. Strong is she who has worked her way to losing 75 lbs. Strong is the one who couldn't run a quarter mile if she tried but pushed until she could run 13.1 miles.
The journey has not been easy. It never will be. It will take a strong person to keep going. The journey doesn't have an end though. And while I have been strong on this journey to get to the point that I have I decided that my goal for 2012 is to become stronger physically. I also want to remain strong mentally to get me to my goal. I've accomplished both in the last few years but there is always room for improvement.

Now, the other half...
What is beautiful?
beau·ti·ful   /ˈbyutəfəl/ [byoo-tuh-fuhl] adjective
1. having beauty; having qualities that give great pleasure or satisfaction to see, hear, think about, etc.; delighting the senses or mind: a beautiful dress; a beautiful speech.
2. excellent of its kind: a beautiful putt on the seventh hole; The chef served us a beautiful roast of beef.
3. wonderful; very pleasing or satisfying.
noun
4. the concept of beauty (usually preceded by the ).
5. ( used with a plural verb ) beautiful things or people collectively (usually preceded by the ): the good and the beautiful.
6. the ideal of beauty (usually preceded by the ): to strive to attain the beautiful.

And the same drill as above, that's the dictionary meaning of beautiful. I spared you the synonyms and antonyms this time. But I will tell you what IS beautiful...

Beautiful is the girl who can smile through a tough workout or long, painful run. Beautiful is the girl who gains confidence through each good day (and the bad ones). Beautiful is the girl who accepts the fact that the girl looking back in the mirror is real and not the girl from her past.

In 2012 I am going to embrace the beautiful but go for the strong.

Friday, December 2, 2011

December - goals and such

This is how I started my first evening of December....
[caption id="attachment_857" align="aligncenter" width="197" caption="Burnin' up the ARC"][/caption]

Today was a scheduled cross training day and because I had a weak moment at lunch I decided I needed to go extra long and hard with my friend the ARC. Truth is, I bought a cupcake at lunch. I made a vow to wait until 2pm and if it was still on my desk *staring at me* then I would wait again until 3pm. However there was an unexpected turn of events around 3:15 and I could no longer watch that cupcake stare at me through it's cute, little see through container. I got my butt up and grabbed a fork. Emotions took over and I chowed down. I had mentioned not logging it into my food diary but I'm all about some honesty...

So, moving along.
I never did sit down and really plan out my goals fro November which sucks and doesn't at the same time. I didn't totally kick butt in November but considering how busy we were with Thanksgiving and life in general I didn't do half bad. I kept running. I have been to the gym at least 4 days a week and might have lost an ounce or so. I did miss one weigh in at my gym but that was the week of Thanksgiving so I gave myself a free pass! I still weighed at home just to keep myself in tune with what my body was doing that week. So, while November wasn't magical I did decide to make some little goals for December. Nothing over the top though. So, here goes:

~Log at least 15 running miles a week.
Why so low? Well, two reasons the holidays and I have another goal for the month I am also working on. So 3 running days seems to fit right now. I will run Monday (3-4 miles), Wednesday (5-6 miles) and Satuday (long run 6+).

~ Crosstrain and lift the weights
This has been pretty easy for me lately since I told my hubby one of my goals for 2012 is become stronger. He's been great at working me hard with the weights at the gym. I can always work harder though. I've skipped my BodyPump classes for the last week or so because I have been using the gym's free weights and machines. I am going to try to make at least one BP class a week in December though in addition to what I have been doing.

~ Log all my food
I have been great about doing this already but there are some days when I sneak a little something and don't log it. I want to change that to be more honest with myself and see if it makes a difference either on the scale or how my clothes fit. Maybe it won't in a month's time but it can't hurt trying. What I should really do is just quit sneaking crap! haha

~ Quit beating myself up
This one is tough. I will probably elaborate more on this in another post. But basically I need to just accept that I am not the girl I once was. I struggle a lot daily with who is looking back at me in the mirror. So, I need to let go of that and see what I have accomplished.

Now, all of YOU have a wonderful December. I hope you all reach your goals!

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Hot to Trot - a race recap

Thanksgiving morning started bright and early for the hubby and myself...and my fave running pals, Kate and Terri. The hubby and I met Terri a little after 6am to travel over to a local Thanksgiving Day race hosted by Fleet Feet. There was a 5k and 10k to get people started on the right track for their Thanksgiving gobbling. ;)

The hubby was all set to run the 5k while Terri, Kate and myself were all signed up for the 10k.

I laid all my running gear out the night before... just like so!
[caption id="attachment_840" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="The race gear.. minus pants...which I did wear. ;) "][/caption]

The morning of started out great. I had my usual peanutbutter toast with a little water and we were out the door early to meet Terri. The drive over I felt great...you know I only say this because of my usual pre race "issues" and all. ;) Anyway, I was prepared early by taking one Imodium before eating my toast and then again in the car on the drive over. I knew I would be ok.

We got to the race just as the sun was coming up. I snapped these awesome pics of the hubby and myself.

[caption id="attachment_841" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Pre-race self photo. I was freezing, by the way!"][/caption]
[caption id="attachment_842" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="The hubby lookin' all cool as the sun comes up! "][/caption]

The race course was on the road of a busy shopping center or shopping centers. It started in the road in front of Fleet Feet. I am not sure how many people registered for the both the 5k and 10k but will say that the course was congested for the first couple of miles. I was (and so was my running crew) mildly annoyed by the walkers that lined up in the middle of the pack. I love some walkers but seriously they should know the back of the pack is their place. We lined up near the 10:30 pace group so clearly there should not really have been in walkers there. It took a good minute plus to cross the start and I started my Garmin as soon as my foot hit the pad. We bobbed and weaved through the walkers a while. Once I got warmed up I had to shed the fleece pullover I started out wearing. Luckily it was there after the race when I went back for it, though I wouldn't have cared if it was not. It was one of those Black Friday deals last year and I'm sure I only gave $5 for it. I had already gotten my money's worth. I digress...

We were maintaining a sub 10 pace (more like 9:30) and I felt really good. I didn't run this race with music at all. Seems that is my new race thing. lol Anyway, the hubby ran on ahead of me at some point just after the turn back and both of my friends were ahead of me at that point. I was thinking I was going to have to stop by the portapotties on the way back to the start/5k split but my body decided to cooperate with me and I caught back up with my friends. Or maybe my friend, Terri, had taken a little break and waited on me. She has been dealing with a horrible cough the last few weeks. Either way I was grateful to have met back up with her. I don't recall what time was on the clock when we made the split and the 5k runners were done but I knew it was under 30 minutes which meant I was on track for my race goal.

The course was an out and back but the 10k looped twice. Not bad at all. It wasn't really hilly but wasn't exactly totally flat. My kind of course really. Easy on the body as far as running goes but flat enough to have a bit of difficulty so that I would push myself at a faster pace. Makes total sense, yes?!

I don't really have an exciting race story. I felt strong. The urge to use the bathroom did hit me hard around mile 5 but I begged my bowels/butt to hang on for one more mile...then .20. Please, booty, I said, YOU GOT THIS! ;) You know I'm just keepin' it real. I had a goal pre race of under an hour but told my friend I would be happy with 1:03. At the pace I was going I knew I would be under 1:03. I wasn't there to win an award or anything, just to burn off my turkey before I ate it.

The hubby finished his 5k in 29:20. His goal was to break 30. He kicked butt. He told me he was going to run his race then find me and cheer me in. I told him when I got out of the car that I would have the camera waiting on him. Here's what he got...

[caption id="attachment_846" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption=""thumbs up" because I am almost there!"][/caption]
[caption id="attachment_847" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Finishing... same determined look on my face as always! ha"][/caption]

I finished in 1:00:14. I am pleased with that time. I do wish I had pushed myself just a little harder a few times or skipped the one water break at mile 5. But overall it was a great race and I am happy with my overall 9:40 pace!!

We took a few post race pics, after I hit up the porta potties of course and were on our way home.
[caption id="attachment_848" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Terri, Kate, and me"][/caption]

It was a great day for a race.. perfect weather, great course and of course all my favorite people by my side. The day started off and lead to a very Happy Thanksgiving for me and my little family. I look forward to doing this race again next year!
[caption id="attachment_849" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="me and the hubby post race"][/caption]

Monday, November 21, 2011

Inspire Me - Inspire YOU!

My good bloggy friend, Marissa, has started posting an Inspire me series every Monday over on her blog. Today she featured your's truly. I am honored that she thinks enough about me to 1. ask me to participate and 2. finds my story inpiring. My goal through my entire journey has not only been to become healthy for myself and my family but to be an inspiration to just even one person. If I can do that this whole journey is worth it and so much more.

I don't come here to brag on myself. I have a lot farther to go in my journey and even when I reach the goal my journey won't be complete. I have a lifetime of fitness and health ahead of me. I like take each day as another beginning to something great.

Please, head on over to Marissa's blog and check out my post as well as so many other motivational and inspirational stories.
Inspire Me - Week 2 Just click the link and head directly to today's post!
Thanks for letting me share. Be well!!!

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Runner Hugs!!

Today is Hug a Runner Day!

And to all of my favorite runner friends....

Maintain Don't Gain

Last year I joined a challege at my gym called "Maintain Don't Gain." It ran through the holiday season as a way for people to stay healthy and not go overboard with holiday eating or to get lax with gym time.  I was very successful during the challenge last year. I was in the gym 4 days a week and managed to acutally lose 10 lbs and win the little competition they had going on.

This year my goals are much the same. I plan to be in the gym a minimum of 4 days a week (my secret goal is 6 days though) and would like to lose at least 5 lbs this time around. I set my goal of 4 days to visit the gym because I figured I should factor in the holiday hours as well as any traveling my family will do and the fact that I have a race or two planned and most of my log runs will be done outside, away from the gym. My weight loss has slowed a bit so I didn't want to set a goal of losing 10lbs and only manage to maintain. While maintaining is the goal, I am still in weight loss mode so that is my personal goal. 5lbs between now and the first week of January seems doable.

This challenge actually started a week ago.  My first weigh in was last week on Monday.

  • start weight (gym scale) 168

  • start weight (home scale) 166

  • Week one weigh in"

  • (gs) 164

  • (hs) 162


I will probably be updating with both scales weight because I weigh at home unclothed and of course at the gym they don't just let such awesomely buff folks like myself (ahem, go with it people!!!) hop on their scales in their birthday suits. So I usually always have workout apparel on when I weigh at the gym. They don't take off anything for that so my guess is that my home scale is more accurate but either way I will still update with both.

The challenge runs through January 7th and though it is through MY gym I encourage and challenge all of you to hop on board and do something similar to make it through the holidays without gaining weight or losing fitness! Good luck and know that I have faith in you!

 

Sunday, November 13, 2011

I felt so fast.

It's been way too long since I posted here but this week was crazy busy for me as I planned to make a trip out of town to see my dad. If you have read here long enough you know that it's been about 2 years since I saw my dad and during that time he was diagnosed with cancer. Also during that time I have lost almost 70 lbs.

I was so happy to travel to GA to my sister's house to visit with her family, my dad and my uncle. And of course they were surprised to see I had done so well in my weight loss efforts. I had sent pictures to my dad all along so he knew I what I was getting done but to actually see in person felt great... for me. But anyway...

to the reason of this post!!
I had debated taking running gear with me or not. I of course decided that since Friday was a rest day and I knew Sunday would be a travel day and that hubby would be in football meetings/practice all.day.long that Saturday was my only chance to burn calories for the weekend. I was up a bit late Friday night due to being sandwiched in bed between my two little hot bodied children and of course didn't sleep well. I laid in bed Saturday morning trying to talk myself out of running but knew that I would feel super guilty if I didn't just go. So I dressed and went to a local park with a concrete walkway to run.

I had not eaten anything since the night before and only drank a little water on the drive there. The weather was perfect. Sunny and a nice 43 degrees. The trail was near the water so it was a bit cooler on one side of the trail. It was not crowded at all but enough people around to make me feel comfortable. I set my music, hit start on Mr. G and ran.

A mile passed and I had hit it under 10 minutes. I kept running. 2 miles, 3 miles and then at 5k I debated on whether I should stop or keep going. At that point I still felt fantastic and was stoked that my pace was still in the 9 minute range so I kept going and decided a 4 miler was where it was at for the day.

I have never felt so great running. My breathing was spot on, my legs felt strong and my mind was free. I had found my happy for the day. Usually when I run on the treadmill I can hold a decent 9:45-10:30 pace for a while but usually talk myself out of staying in the 9s at all for one reason or another. Why was this feeling so good on this run?
Was it excitement of the day? Was it adrenaline of running in a new place? I have no idea but I know it felt good. It felt good to be outside and free to let my thoughts go and just run.

Here are my mile splits.
Mile 1 - 9:33
Mile 2 - 9:21
Mile 3 - 9:16
Mile 4 - 9:01

And there was no walk break, no stopping to stretch or get water... just great solid running.
I have a 10k coming up on Thanksgiving Day. I don't want to jinx myself since I have never ran the course BUT I would love to be able to run that in as close to (or under) an hour as I can. I've only ran one 10k race since I have been running/racing and my finish time (with 60k people on course) was 1:09. So, an hour should doable!?!?

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Long run Sunday

I decided yesterday, after being relatively lazy and not having time in my day to fit in the gym, that I needed to make time for a long run today. So, I sent an FB message to my fave local running buddy and we made arrangements to run with a local group that meets on Sunday mornings.

With the time change, I was all messed up. I fell asleep on the loveseat watching some SEC football game you also may have watched. But I digress.

I set my alarm on my cell phone but was worried that it would not automatically change the time and I coudln't figure out how in the world to change it. Darn these phones being smarter than us people! So, I was already concerned that I would wake up late and miss my friends. Around 5am I woke up, toss turn toss turn and tried to go back to sleep but my body wasn't having it. When hubby's alarm went off at 6:30, I got up. I dressed and was waited on my friend to come pick me up.

My goal yesterday when I contacted her was to just run 8 miles. I did run a half marathon last weekend and she ran the MCM. But 10 miles was on tap for today. I could do it. For whatever reason I am not intimidated at all right now by miles. I think this may be a good sign!?

We met our group at 8am. All different distances and pace goals. The 3 of us decided to stay together. It was chilly out and we were all well dressed. We were rocking and rolling on a new course (for me). I love running new courses.

Here are our splits from today.

mile 1- 9:34
mile 2 - 10:27
mile 3 - 10:18
mile 4 - 10:03
mile 5 - 11:43 (we stopped to stretch at the turnaround point and we also refueled)
mile 6 - 10:10
mile 7 - 10:21
mile 8 - 10:57 (we didn't realize we had been climbing a bit of a hill)
mile 9 - 10:32
mile 10 - 10:59

total time - 1:45:07

This was a really great run.
I was happy. Last year I met these ladies and we ran our first run together. I mentioned this today because last year the first run I ran with them was a 5-6 miler where we really took it slow (btwn 11-12 min/miles) AND took walk breaks every 1/2-1 mile! And it wasn't all that easy for me. Today's run was considerably easier and was done at a much faster pace as well as double the distance.

I'm amazed (still) how far I have come. And I don't say that to brag or to have anyone comment on how far I have come. I say that to anyone out there that is attempting to run too. You can do it. Keep running. Practice makes perfect. I am living proof (though I do NOT feel I am perfect by any means). Hard work pays off. If you have a goal, go after it!

Thursday, November 3, 2011

TTT

1. We are almost a week into November and I have yet to sit down and blog my November (holiday too) goals. I will begin now by saying I am once again participating in my gym's "Maintain Don't Gain" holiday challenge. Encouraged mostly by one of the trainers who said, "You can't do it!" Uh, watch me. :) The first weigh in and workout (they give a small group training session free this year!) is next week! I will keep you posted on how that goes and what my weekly weigh ins are like.

2. Every time I've ran a 13.1 race ( so many times ya know.... 3..haha) I find myself randomly (like in the shower, on a run, at work, in the car) thinking about going farther. You know, running longer distances. Actually...26.2 to be exact. Hubby and I have discussed training for and running a full marathon possibly in 2014 in Disney. But man that seems so far off. I thought maybe I would play around with training for longer distances than 13.1 now though because it can't hurt can it? So, do you have a beginner marathon training plan you love? If so, please share it by leaving me a comment or shooting me an email. Thanks.

3. I haven't been feeling so great lately. It started a week or so ago with migraines and now on top of random headaches I have this ear/sinus gunk thing going on. I called my dr a week ago, he was on vaca. Then again on Monday and left a message for his nurse then. She called back telling me he wanted to see me "right away" about my migraines. Haha Friday at 2:15 is the only thing they had. Right away enough, huh. I should be real 'good' and sick by then. And I swear I am not complaining. Just said all that to say that I have been to the gym this week and am doing pretty well with food choices given the crummy feeling so that's a plus.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

WW - she runs, she smiles.

[caption id="attachment_810" align="aligncenter" width="200" caption="Haunted Half Marathon 2011"][/caption]

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

The splits.

I was so excited to plug in my Garmin when I got home from my race Saturday night. Sure it was 10pm and I was beyond tired from running plus travel but any time I run the first thing I do when I walk in the door is plug my Garmin in...Saturday was no different. As it loaded I was more and more excited. Check em out....

Mile 1 - 9:50
Mile 2 - 9:45
Mile 3 - 9:41
5K (29:56)
Mile 4 - 10:41
We scaled back and slowed a bit at mile 4 because the hubby 1. had the bum ankle issue and 2. due to asthma and the crazy air in the area felt like he was "breathing through a straw."

Mile 5 - 12:41
This was when my iPod decided to crap out. Nice. I slowed down to try and fix the problem but eventually ended up just walking while I unhooked it and tucked it away. I was not happy. I like running with my music but this was just another test with running and the mental game. My last 13.1 I was able to run without any music at all so this should be just as easy.

Mile 6 - 10:31
Mile 7 - 11:11
We took another walk break here. I ate a few Honey Stinger chews and my honey had a Gu. We grabbed some water and were on our way.

Mile 8 - 11:23
I was ahead of hubby at this point and had stopped on the curb to wait for him. I felt bad for having taken off ahead of him with his bum foot but at the same time I had just been running the whole race based on how I felt. When he caught up to me he told me to just go on and run that he couldn't keep up with me. So I went....

Mile 9 - 10:33
Mile 10 - 10:36
Mile 11 - 10:57
I walked through a water station here and took 2 cups. I debated walking much longer but decided I was too close and my time was too good. So I kept on running...

Mile 12 - 10:06
Mile 13 - 10:08
.23 - 2:21

Overall, I am very pleased with my pace. Even the slower miles were good miles for me. My official overall time was 2:19:43. A distance PR that I am happy to own! Thank you everyone for your support through training! I haven't decided what's next as far as running but I am SO close to my 1000 mile goal for the year so I just plan to keep on running between now and the new year so that I reach that goal!

Sunday, October 30, 2011

He won't change diapers. A race recap. Seriously.

I convinced the hubby to at least sport a lovely (ahem) Batman shirt for our Haunted Half Marathon yesterday but was not able to convince him to run with a cape. I did convince him to never help change my diapers. If you can handle a bit of runner's TMI, keep on reading. Or if you don't like novels, stop now. But I must warn you----It gets good. ;)

I got most my running gear ready Friday night while hubby was away helping coach a football game. I was not awfully psyched up like I usually am the night before a race but I think that has to do with the fact that the race start time was 3pm. It's hard to gauge what to do nutritionally for the day. I of course did what most smart half marathoners do.... hydrated really well days before, ate well all week, and stopped at Subway the morning of the race for an egg white and steak flatbread. What?? You don't do that? ha ok, fine. But what I did next is what came back to bite me.

The hubby likes to have his chocolate. I like chocolate too and went without it all week long thanks to a fab challenge on MFP. So, I had him pick me up my fave chocolate bar. Snickers Peanutbutter. mmm mmm
M for mistake.

The drive to the half marathon was about 2 hours from where we live. I knew about an hour or so after consuming the chocolate that my tummy was not happy. Hubby asked if I needed to stop and I told him no, later. Well later came entirely too quick and we were not able to stop for a while. I'll be danged if when we pulled into the nice Zoomerz shop there wasn't already some chic that beat me into the potty. Dang. Dang. Ohhhh dang. Crap. Literally. I had problems. I was not in and out of the bathroom soon enough. No, I had to wash my running tights (that the hubby told me not to wear for the drive...duh, wish I hadn't now) in the sink. And let me tell you those super sonic hand dryers that act as though they will blow your skin right through the other side of your hand are NOT the best at dring wet running tights. Take my advice... pack extras just in case or you might find yourself in the same crappy (literally) situation. Or maybe you will take Immodium and avoid the can altogether. Some runners (ahem...ME) never learn.

Anyway....
We were on our way and arrived at our race desitination by about noon at which time we had to pick up our lovely race packets and tee shirts. It was also the perfect opportunity to take some pre-race/pre-costume pictures like these...

[caption id="attachment_796" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Only I can look so fly with a dead man's bones! "][/caption]
[caption id="attachment_797" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Haunted Half Marathon 13.1 - Wicked Fast!!! "][/caption]

There was no expo for this small town race but they have a huge block party, costume contest and live music after the race. We walked around a little while before the race to check things out. We ran into this guy...


[caption id="attachment_798" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Forrest told me, "I just felt like running." Sweet, me too Forrest, me too! "][/caption]
He also told me his Jenny was on her way there to run with him. He ended up having more than one Jenny. I don't recall him being so fly with all the ladies. Side note - he ended up winning the individual costume contest! Sweet.

After a few more trips to the potty for me, we decided to run uptown to the local Target. I needed lunch and Immodium. Thank goodness the Immodium kicked in right away. I ate half a peanutbutter sandwich and we headed back to the race location where we all got into "costume" and ready to run. Then you guessed it...more pre-race pics!

[caption id="attachment_799" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Batgirl and Snow White (aka Kelsey @gogirlblog.com)"][/caption]
[caption id="attachment_800" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Batgirl and Batman prerace "][/caption]
After pics and the potty we headed towards the start line. There was a dance group there performing "Thriller." It was so awesome! Following the dance, we headed to line up. The gun sounded and we were off. Lined up in front of me was a guy that decided to run as the Incredible Hulk...totally painted his body in green paint. Eww. All I could think was how bad that would itch while running and sweating or what a mess it would be in the shower (or next 10 showers) the next day.

The hubby and I started our race together and were keeping at a great pace (under 10 mm) and then at mile 1.5 the first misfortune of the day (for hubby) occurred. There was a huge rock (think the size of a grown man's large first) in the road and he did not see it. He hit it, his ankle turned and I was for sure he was out. I (being the kind soul that I am) got only mildly frustrated at having to slow down (or stop) so early in the race and I did my absolute best to encourage him on as well as make sure he was ok (to keep on running!!!!). He said he would be good and we kept going. Stop, stretch. Ok we are still making good time going into the 3 mile mark. Hubby asked what our pace was and how close we were to 5k. I told him we were maintaining just under a 10 minute mile pace and he told me he would need to slow down to in order to keep going to the end. Ok. We were almost at 5k at which point he wanted to take a short walk break.

5k - 29:56
Holy smokes! This is the first time in any race I had ever hit 5k under 30 minutes. I was stoked. I felt great. I told the hubby I was feeling fantastic and he agreed we could walk at 4 miles but really he was frustrated with me, my speed and how he was feeling. He's asthmatic and we were running near Eastman Chemical company as well as a water treatment plant. Something around the area made it feel (to him) as though he was breathing through a drinking straw. I'm a hardass, I admit it. We had a few choice words with each other. He expressed his frustration with my speed and being slightly inconsiderate of his feelings. I expressed to him how much I loved him by saying, "I cannot believe a guy your size would be acting like such a pansy." I'm a real keeper. So glad he sees all the best in me. ;)

In all seriousness, before anyone leaves the blog... the hubby and I seem to always have a spat midrun. It's what we do. Adrenaline and all.

We approached mile 5 and slowed to take a breather walk for the hubby. At that point my iPod decided to crap out. I had had about enough crap for one day and now my iPod was screwed. I never could get it to quit messing around so I stopped and unstrapped it, put it in my belt and went on running. Not happy at all about the fact that mile 5 was now a 12 minute mile. Picked up the pace, went on with running and was at 10k by 1:05. I ate a few Honey Stinger chewsand hubby took a Gu. Hubby was still hanging with me as best he could and we had gotten over our running differences. Between mile 6-8 (I can't remember the exact time) he told me to go on and race, "You're my lady and I love you. See you at the finish," he said. And I was on my way.

Running. Thinking. Running.
And before I knew it I was at mile 10 at about 1:42. Flying (for me). The cape must have been making me fast. Honestly, speaking of my cape, I never even knew it was there. There was a time or two I would look over my shoulder and could see the shadow of my cape. It was flapping in the wind. So cool. Speaking of cool...it was a windy day. Running into mile 10 was tough as the wind was right at my face.

I don't remember a lot between mile 10-11 except that I walked through a water stop and took 2 cups of water.
Thanked the kind man at the Army table for volunteering and ran on my little way. I looked at my Garmin and knew I had this race in the bag, PR or not I was close to finishing. 2 more miles.

Still feeling really well I ran maintaining just over a 10 min/mile pace. There was a cute little girl there to cheer on her mom. I remembered hearing her and her dad around mile 6 "GO mommy go!" and got a bit teary eyed when I heard her little voice again at mile 11 and then around the corner at mile 12. Her mom was just behind me in orange and black sporting some cool Vols knee socks. Hearing that sweet little voice encouraged me to keep trucking along. I remember at about mile 12 saying, "Thank you, Jesus for taking my legs this far. One more mile. We got this."

I debated slowing down to a walk to gain momentum but I felt the wind at my back and picked up the pace. One mile. Half a mile. I thought maybe at that point I could make it in 2:18 but didn't really care. I wasn't there for a PR (even though hubby thinks that's what it was about), I was there for a fun race and so far this race had it's fun parts and it's less than fun parts but I was determined to make the last .25 mile fun. Go legs go.

I would hear all the cheering as I approached the finish. A sweet little boy in a Captain America costume slid his hand out and high fived me. Rock on. I was finished.

2:19:43

A 13.1 mile PR!!!
I collected my medal, grabbed 2 cups of water and headed back out to the course (knees aching) to find my amazing hubby. At my last half marathon (earlier this month) he had been there to run by my side, take pictures and see me finish. It was my turn to capture his finishing moment and boy was glad when I saw him especially since I wasn't sure he hadn't bombed out due to his foot or the breathing issues. I captured his moment..
[caption id="attachment_801" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Here comes Batman (2:30)"][/caption]

Every single time I have ran and crossed a huge finish line, I've cried. I didn't this time. There were no tears until I met back with hubby. At that point I fought back tears as I said, "I love you. I'm proud of you! Now go!" Even though we had the little flub-up early in the race we got over. He ran, I ran. We finished. At the end of the day he is still my #1 supporter and me his. I'm glad he was there with me at the start, during and we were together again for the finish even if it was at different times.

The post race food was the bomb. BBQ sandwiches! Yes, please....
[caption id="attachment_802" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="I'm the cheesiest post race poser! ;) "][/caption]
We decided not to hang out for the post race festivities. I was freezing and ready to get in the car and crank up the heat. Hubby was cramping up all over and ready to get home. Kelsey had a rockin' Halloween party to get to. We were just a bundle of post race fun, I tell ya. But we did some more picture posing on our way to the car...

[caption id="attachment_803" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Post race medal posin' "][/caption]

And if you've read here long enough you know I don't race and not take part in post race cupcakes....
[caption id="attachment_804" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Mmm mini cupcakes! "][/caption]

If you stuck with me and read this start to finish, YOU ROCK!
I will also blog my overall thoughts about the race. I will also blog my mile splits this week.
As for the title... when I came out of the bathroom gas station with my Nike track pants that I had worn over my running tights I got in the car and told hubby and K that my running tights were a real pain in the butt to put on wet and they were soaked, I was freezing. The hubby turned to me and said, "I will not be changing your diapers when we are old and senile." Thanks for the love, babe.

And that my friends is how I run 13.1

Friday, October 28, 2011

She lives.

Guys!!

8 days have passed since my last post. Shame shame shame.
I've come here and sat down to write and no words come out. Imagine that.

What's been going on?
This week I decided to trick my body a bit. I did all of my workouts in the morning, well all but one. I was sleepy on Wednesday so I decided to sleep in and take my workout to the evening.

Monday - BodyPump and ARC trainer
Tuesday - Ran 5 miles
Wednesday - 45 min Interval workout on the ARC trainer
Thursday - Ran 3.1 miles

Today I am resting because I realized I have worked out every.single.day since Saturday, October 22!! Hello. That's a lot of days working out without a break. Eeek.

And tomorrow!!!!! Ahhhhh.
Tomorrow is my 3rd half marathon! Our "costumes" are all ready to go (I think). I had a little help with mine since I cannot sew. And I was not able to convince the hubby that he should also wear a cape so he'll be "dressed" to match me but not as super-hero like as me. That's fine though. I'm just excited to have him by my side another 13.1 miles!

I promise to take pics and post all the awesome details!

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Will run for cupcakes!!!

I picked this box of yumminess up after I left work yesterday.

Mini cupcakes from a local cupcake shop in my town! I headed to the gym directly after.

I signed up to run the most fabulous virtual race. 3.7 miles in the Cupcake Classic with JESS who happens to be celebrating turning 37 this week. And what better way to celebrate than with running and cupcakes.

I even sported my "Will Run for Cupcakes" tee and the lovely bib Jess provided! This pic was taken post run in my gym parking lot before getting in the car. It was freezing! or at least I was freezing.

I had planned ahead of time to run a total of 7 miles because I haven't been logging a ton of miles lately and knew that I had plans to take BodyPump on Thursday, Friday is a rest day and Saturday is still up in the air. So... I set out to do 7. However, when I left work I started getting a migraine. I wasn't sure how my run would go. I started fine and was just over a mile when my hubby got to the gym and asked how it was going. I told him about my head and that I probably would just go the 3.7 miles and call it a night. SO here are my stats for 3.7 miles...



And what did I do next? Why I made sure I earned my mini cupcakes, of course! I ran until 5 miles and by that time my hubby was done with his run. I had even slowed down to a walk and was going to cool down and stretch. BUT my hubby said he had a few more things to do so I cranked up the pace again and pulled out my remaining 2 miles for a total of 7 miles in 72:48. :)

And Then I earned....

Mmm yumminess get in my belly!!!

Thank you, Jess for all your hard work on this virtual race! I had a lot of fun and was totally inspired to run just by the word cupcake alone. However, celebrating your birthday in blogland was loads of fun!! Happy Birthday and happy running!

Monday, October 17, 2011

Will a cape make me fast?!

Do capes my runners faster??

That's the first hint as to what my Halloween "costume" may include for my upcoming Haunted Half Marathon. I have the hubby on board to at least wear a logo on the front of his shirt but cannot convince him to wear a cape. I'm wondering how much a cape would mess with my running? My thought is that I will just have someone crafty (that can sew) add the cape to the back collar of my shirt. Just a few stitches to make a hem around the rough edges and a few stitches around the collar. That won't be too heavy, right!??
It's a good idea, right?
Now what about a mask? Or something resembling a mask... The race starts at 3pm so it will still be sunny. I am thinking that if I don't find a mask my super cool pink Oakley's (that I always wear) will be just as good as a mask.

I was going to add a skirt over my running tights but I just don't have it in me to 1. spend mega $ on a running skirt or a sparkly skirt and 2. I cannot make anything like that and 3. the material I bought for my cape won't be enough to also make a skirt nor does the 1 yard I have fit around my hips.. what the crap!?!
So, no skirt. This "super hero" mama is just going to have to look super cool with what I am able to pull off.

More later on the costume. I'm hoping to have it all in place by the weekend.
Up tomorrow... a workout/running/weight loss update or something close to it!
Have a great week!

Thursday, October 13, 2011

3 Things Thurs

1. I have finally decided on a "costume" for my Haunted Half Marathon at the end of the month. I even got the hubby to agree on "dressing up" with me. We're going as a team! Can't wait. I thought about sharing it with you before the race but I think I will just leave it a little secret. I'm excited to do this race as fun. I do want to make a time goal but due to football season and my hubby's busy schedule he hasn't been able to do the same amount of training I have so we agreed for this to be our fun run and not focus on time. However, only the first 750 finishers get a medal. We're not worried about that. We'll get our medal. There's a 3 hour course time limit on a "fast, flat" course that is actually a double loop. The medal will be ours!! It's a small race too.

2. I have killed it at the gym this week. Well, let me rephrase that. I probably haven't killed it really but I am proud of how well I have done. 2 days of running, 2 days at BodyPump and some cross training. I am SO looking forward to rest day Friday! I need to get in a long run on Saturday but am not sure just how long I should run. 7 maybe? I hadn't planned on any actual "training" between the 2 half marathons because honestly endurance wise I feel like I can totally run another 13.1 miles with no problem. That might sound a bit cocky even though I don't mean it that way. What I am saying is, I don't feel as though I need a great deal of long distance between now and then. Perhaps if I work up to 8-9 miles for a run or two I will be good to go? Sound reasonable?

3. I was hoping to do a 5k race next month with the hubby. We even talked about working hard to get our first sub 30 5k race. BUT I have something more exciting going on the same weekend as that race and by golly I am not going to spend oodles of moolah on running when I can see my Daddy instead. I haven't seen him in a couple of years because he moved wayyyy over to the west coast. In the last year he was diagnosed with cancer and beat the devil out of it. SO, I am very excited that he is making his way over to the east coast to visit us! He hasn't seen me in person since I have lost weight and started running. I am selfishly excited for that too. Silly, I know. I've got another whole month to work even harder so I can show off my hard work. haha Anyway, all that to say I am putting racing in November on the backburner and am totally ok with that!

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Tuesday Randoms

I thought I would give y'all a rundown of some of the other racing randoms that I didn't mention in my posts dedicated to my race recap. I'm bored and I wanted to throw you guys off by blogging 3 days in a row. haha so...here goes!

~When it's windy and you are standing between tall buildings that wind gets trapped below which causes a sunny day to be freezing. Or something like that! I'm no weather girl though. Just something I noticed. We were standing in direct sun but when the wind blew I felt like it was the dead of winter and 20 below rather than early fall and 65 plus degrees out. Although it could have also had something to do with the fact that I was soaked in sweat.

~Atlanta (or Dunwoody really) spectators are not as awesome as Knoxville spectators. Don't get me wrong, there WAS race course support but mostly on the main road (Peachtree). When we were running through the neighborhoods there were just random people. In the spring when we ran Knoxville there were hundreds and hundreds of spectators along the ENTIRE course. We ran in neighborhoods and it was like those people were throwing race day parties just to spectate. I will run in ATL again (maybe, one day) but would like for any of their track/running clubs to encourage more people to get up and out early to cheer on those awesome runners!!

~GA doesn't have the same hills TN does. Someone told me before my race that it was hilly. I checked the elevation chart and was not really intimidated at all. I mentioned it before but I like to refer to those ATL hills as inclines... just gradual/slight enough to give a little thigh and booty burn but not the kind I have been use to running that leave me out of breath and an overly fluttering heartbeat. lol Even with most of my weekday runs being on the treadmill I found this course to be relatively easy especially in comparison to Knoxville.

~I can run 13.1 miles alone, without music blaring in my ears. I can't really even recall what I was thinking mile by mile. Weird how all those thoughts just leave once you cross the finish line. I honestly can't recall thinking anything about how running 13.1 miles sucked though so that's a good thing! There were a few bands along the course but I couldn't even begin to tell you what they were playing/singing. I didn't speak to anyone really along the way other than giving a thumbs up or huge smile to any supporter along the course that yelled my name and wished me well/cheered me on. :)

And now for more randoms...
~ Hubby and I are running a Haunted Half marathon in a nearby city on Oct 29th. It should be fun. It's a double loop course. Eek. And hubby said the city smells like a big sharpie marker which should be great. It's an afternoon race too with a start time of 3pm. Interesting. I debated a costume for the race since it will be just days before Halloween but I'm too cheap. Any grand ideas???

~I got new shoes over the weekend. One reason was because I was due. I got my Saucony's in the middle of June. They carried me many many miles and through only 2 races but they were beginning to wear down which I think is why my knee gave me some pain. And I had a little accident on my run with hubby this past Saturday. Oops.

~I haven't stepped on the scale since sometime last week. I cannot decide if this is good or bad or whether I really care. My clothes fit and aren't too tight. I should make some goals for this month but we are coming up on the half way mark of the month so maybe I should make goals for getting through the holidays instead?

Monday, October 10, 2011

And now, the rest of the story.

Before the sun came up I found myself running down (or maybe up?) Peachtree Rd through Town Brookhaven. Beside Julie and her sister for just a short second or so I pushed my legs forward not really knowing my pace. I had my music set and ready to go but with all the noise around me I didn't put the earbuds in at the start. After a few minutes I looked down to see my pace was at a comfortable 10:30 min/mile and heard Julie (I think) say, "go on with your fast self!" To which I laughed and ran. I felt good.

I had told Julie beforehand that when I was in my running groove I was just there. I had to go and would likely tune out anything around me. Is that what a runner's high is? lol Anyway, I guess this is what happened within a few minutes of the race. I had no idea how far ahead of Julie and her sister that I was but my goal was to just run the race based on how I felt. And I felt great at that point. I made the first turn left and kept hearing "Watch out for the speed bumps," so I decided to leave my music out still. I wanted to make sure I didn't get tripped up so early in the race. haha

I don't even recall the first mile. The course was pretty and I felt great. I took water with Nuun in my Nathan handheld even though there were several water stations set up. I didn't want to have to walk through many of those plus I am just use to carrying my own anyway. I recall getting to a water station at around mile 3-4 (or farther??) and thinking it would be a good time to stop at the portopotties because I could tell my bowels were going to do a number on me before too long. I honestly think dh just jinxed me before the race by telling, "Don't poop yourself at mile 3!" Nice, right!? It could have been the yellow curry chicken fried rice from the day before or it could have just been the fact that my bowels LOVE to play games with me between miles 3-5 these days. What is up with that???

Anyway, the portopotty line was too long and after watching a good 30 seconds or so tick away on my Garmin I said screw it. I will take my chances. Seriously, I probably even said it aloud.

We were running the roads in a neighborhood along a golf course at this point and I can remember thinking to myself, ok I can maybe find a bush to duck behind and if it's too bad I can use both my arm warmers and just toss them (since I didn't pack the tp I planned to!) since they were a cheap expo find from my previous half marathon. I was sure I could find another pair. BUT I swear there were no appropriate bushes to be found. Not surprisingly though. I DID consider asking the cute little man sitting in his yard with his pooch if maybe (just in case I got desperate) I could use his facilities? SLim chance that would have happened.

Instead, I ran on and on and on and on...
[caption id="attachment_769" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Throwin' my "sign" to my handsome hubby! And of course smiling because I was super excited to see him. :)"][/caption]

As I came up the hill and backout onto Peachtree Road I saw the most handsome and familiar of faces. I think I was at around mile 5 at this point. My husband ran along side me for about .25 miles and when he asked how I was doing I said, "You were right, I gotta $h!t." It's what I said. I also told him that I felt great and had ran the entire race so far maintaining a great pace, no music and felt like I could just go forever, except the bowels. He told me the next hydration station was ahead as were the portopotties but that the lines appeared long. Just my luck.

Thankfully, there was a Chevron station on my side of the road. I could see before I got to it that it had outside bathrooms. Score. It was open AND some other awesomely smart runner like myself had the same idea at some point. :) I was never happier to find a quiet place to myself. I tookt he opportunity to also shed one of my arm warmers and refuel with some Honey Stinger chews. I didn't stop my Garmin for this pitstop because I wanted my time to be accurate but the entire stop cost me roughly 2-3 minutes. I hurried but I didn't hurry if that makes any kind of sense. I should have been super nice and kissed my hubby for being there for me at this point but this...

[caption id="attachment_770" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Blowing kisses while eating honey stinger chews is not pretty! It's just not."][/caption]

And with that I was back on my way. I should also mention that I handed my iPod off to the hubby. I had not used it still to this point! The ONLY time I have ever ran without music is on my long training run with friends. I had never ran a race without music, ever. But it was totally working for me this time. Our bibs for this race had our names on them. Every single time I would hear someone at the hydration stations yell, "Good job, Kimberly! You're doing great, Kimberly! Keep going strong, Kimberly!" I would get chills, teary eyed and just felt so encouraged to keep going just as I was. Before I knew it I was approaching mile 9 when I heard a tall, thin runner lady announce to those around her, "There's a killer hill at mile 9.5." So, I told myself ok fine you haven't walked yet (except the potty break, which totally does not count!) you can take a break then if you need to.

My plan was to run the hillas far as I could before taking a walk break. Now, to me ATL hills are more like inclines especially compared to these hills in TN. So, I kept running and running even at mile 9.5 thinking these hills are not bad at all. I ran most of that lady's "killer hill" before I decided to take a quick walk break if for nothing else but to eat a few of my chews and get a drink. So, I did. I looked at my Garmin and realized that I would be at mile 10 around 1:50. Haulin' butt...which translates to, I am SO gonna make my time goal if I keep going like this.

And so I did. I came into the hydration station at mile 11 and was at about 2 hours so I decided to walk and drink a full cup of water. I gathered my thoughts and as I turned back onto Peachtree Road to make my way towards the finish I couldn't help but get excited for myself. This run felt easy and I couldn't believe I was doing it alone without music.

As I ran along Peachtree I was coming downhill before making the last LAST little incline to mile 12 when I saw a guy with a camera. At first I was like ok, I gotta get my game face on and make sure that photographer gets me at my best for this last little mile. But as I ran closer I recognized that photographer...only he changed clothes and it was NOT much warmer out. But...

[caption id="attachment_771" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="coming up the last hill.. who is that guy??"][/caption]
[caption id="attachment_772" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Hey honey! I am sooo glad to see you again!"][/caption]
He ran alongside me again for a bit. We chatted it up about the last little bit of my race. I told him I had some slight knee pain but that I was fine. He said he had done his run for the day, while not as long as my run he still logged some miles! He was running beside me before he got just a bit in front of me...there is something about a taller person running just inside/in front of me that throws off my pace so I snapped, "move on, you're in my way!" And he kindly said sorry and told me he would see me at the finish, but not before I tossed my nathan handheld to him. Thank you, honey, really for being there! I could not have done this without your support with training and during the race. He pushed me on and told me to go get the last mile! I knew by looking at my Garmin I was still on pace for a PR.

The last mile was pretty much uneventful. I knew I had about 10 minutes or so of running left and as the sun shined down on me I just ran. Making the final right turn into Town Brookhaven and downhill I just couldn't help but be proud of myself. I had done it again. 13.1 miles. This time alone and with no music, my own personal paparazzi there to follow me and wait for me at the finish. I looked at my Garmin one final time and knew that I had at least a 5 minute PR and I pushed hard through the end.

[caption id="attachment_773" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="2:23:05 "][/caption]

I grabbed my medal, a chocolate milk, threw my arms in the air for the photographer to snap a pic, and then I cried. I cried out of joy, pain...I cried from pure pride. I cried because I was sure I could no longer move my body, or at least my right knee. It throbbed, the pain I felt was terrible. I was freezing and I wanted to lay down. My hubby found me right away and I think the first thing I told him was that it hurt so bad, my knee was shot. My whole body was shot. I knew at that point that I had given that race my all. I ran that race with every single part of me and I truly did my absolute best. All I wanted was to get relief from the pain. I begged for my hubby to find me some ice but instead he took me right over to the massage tent.

[caption id="attachment_774" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption=""Some guy is taking your pic, that ok?" lol Yes, he's with me! I write a blog and need him to catch all the important stuff."][/caption]
The only thing about this massage that sucked was that it was not long enough. But all the stretching, pulling, mashing and whatever else that lady did was just what I needed. I stood up and was able to comfortably walk again. I had forgotten (or at least could not feel) the pain in my knee. At that point I only wanted food and more chocolate milk!

[caption id="attachment_775" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="13.1 Atlanta 2:23:05"][/caption]
I did it again. While I didn't make my goal of 2:20 I was only 3 minutes slower (hello, poop break??). I got a 5 minute PR and that is huge considering my last half was just a few short months ago.

Now, YOU have the rest of the story and...
if you want you can help us try to win a great prize package by going to and go to page 6. Four of the photos my hubby took of me are there.. so please go vote for the awesomeness that is ME and my half marathon badness! Thanks!

Oh and in just a few short weeks I am doing it again! I have total 13.1 bling addiction!

Sunday, October 9, 2011

13.1 ATL (part 1)

Are you ready for this?
Are you tired of the teasers from this past week?

If you answered yes to either of those questions, grab a chair and hang out with me a while. I've got a story to tell.

My first weekend of October started off like this...
[caption id="attachment_756" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="My 2am coffee buzz for the drive to GA. "][/caption]
We traveled from home (actually a football game) to GA on Friday night/Saturday morning because our Saturday was totally booked up. We met up with my pal, Julie, to get my race bib and tee that she so kindly picked up for me. We had to check out the race sight for parking and walked around the Karhu booths. We even did some shopping since we didn't have the kids. I induldged in some of this for lunch...
[caption id="attachment_757" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Yellow curry chicken from Stir Crazy...too delish!"][/caption]
And I worried about what it might do to me the next day at my race so I only ate a small portion of it and boxed the rest to go. It was so good. My next stop was across the street to the cupcake/coffee shop for my usual post race cupcake.
[caption id="attachment_758" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Keylime cupcake for post race. Mmmmm"][/caption]
Funny story about the girl at the cupcake shop. She asked if I was running the race the next day to which I told her yes. She then asked if I was running the 3 mile or the 13. I told her the half marathon. And then she said,
"Oh well, that's still good."
Yes, yes, young girl who knows nothing about distance running (apparently) a half marathon IS still good.

Our day went on from there. We were in the car almost all.day.long. I was exhausted because not only did I arrive at my mother's house at 3:30 am BUT I was up at 5am relieving my bladder of the 32 ounces of coffee and twice as many ounces of water I consumed on the 3 hour drive down. I was also wide awake at 8am. Then it was the trip to ATL, lunch, shopping and a trip back to mom's to change and get ready to see my BFF. She lost her dad earlier in the week and we were going to see her while we were in town. SO, that meant a trip back out to Atl. Thankfully the grandparents had the kiddos and we didn't have to worry much about them. We hung out with them though for a while that evening before we finally decided it was time to get in bed for the night. I think I nodded off around 10:30pm after setting my alarm for 4:15 AM! I have not set my alarm that early since I worked at Gap on Black Friday about 12 years ago! haha

I woke up right on time and quickly got into all my gear that I had so strategically laid out the night before like so...
[caption id="attachment_761" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Everything I need to run 13.1"][/caption]

Our goal was to meet Julie and her sister at around 6am at the race start site. Luckily we didn't run into much traffic nor did we have issues parking. When I stepped out of the car though...it was cold! I thought that would be a problem but I was prepared. I had my arm warmers on and took a jacket. I planned to pass my jacked off to my hubby before the start and if I needed to after I started running I would just roll my arm warmers down. But it was so cold I could see my breath. I was not excited.
Anyway, we pottied and took some pre-race photos. I was glad to have Justin along to be my own personal racing paparrazi!!
[caption id="attachment_762" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Pre-race...pretending it is not freezing! "][/caption]
[caption id="attachment_763" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Julie and I pre-race! "][/caption]

Julie and I went to high school together and I don't even recall us being very close friends, but more like classmates. I am thankful to have reconnected with her over the last couple of years through Facebook. We talk through email almost daily about running and mom stuff and everything you can imagine in between. When I ran my first half marathon earlier in the year Julie mentioned she wanted to get back into running and she signed up for 13.1 Atlanta. I am SO very proud of her progess over the last few months. She has dealt with sick kids, being sick herself and a whole ton of other things that kept her from running for the 3 weeks prior to the race yet she still kicked butt and crossed that finish line. I am thankful for the time I have shared with her through the training of this race. I know she is going to go a long way with running.

[caption id="attachment_764" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="The start line. "][/caption]

Before we knew it, 7am had rolled around and it was time to start. I don't remember being nervous at all the week leading into this race. I don't recall feeling nervous at the start line. It was weird not starting with my hubby right beside me though. My body felt ready and in tune to run. I didn't have an exact plan. I just wanted to run based on how my body felt. And at the start my body was feeling great though you might not have known from the look on my face....


[caption id="attachment_765" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Ready, set, GO!"][/caption]

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Three Things Thursday

1. Workouts this week have been minimal. I did take Monday off since I ran a half marathon on Sunday. Tuesday I felt like I needed to move my body so I went to the gym. After I stood around in the lobby for hubby for 15 minutes I decided to finally go on the floor to look for him. DUH! He was not taking a major long dookie but was sweating it up on the ARC Trainer. Nice. I wasted 15 minutes of workout time. OH well. I hopped on the ARC beside him and burned it up. Then I debated a good weights workout but all I managed was 2 sets of 10 tricep something or others with a kettlebell. I'm so cool.

2. The eating hasn't been great this week. I have only eaten one cupcake though and that was after my race. I will always (probably) have a post race cupcake. I just love them. What's not to love though? They're freakin' cute and nevermind the fact that they taste amazing.

3. Wouldn't you love a race recap by now? Haha I swear I am woking on it. I'm just waiting on my hubby to send me a few pics from his iPhone. For whatever reason he is more interested in browsing on Ebay than sending me those pics so I can write my blog about my super awesome 2nd half marathon. Oh and just so you know, I registered for half marathon #3 today. It's on the 29th of the month. Yes, I will write this last race recap before running the race at the end of the month. ;)

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Wordless Wednesday

[caption id="attachment_751" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Massage and tears...post race. "][/caption]

Still working on the race recap. Stay tuned. For now... enjoy the teaser photo! ;)

Monday, October 3, 2011

I am a half marathoner...again


A total race recap is coming...
I promise, but enjoy this pic for now.
And also know that this race was fantastic and fun!!!

Friday, September 30, 2011

Five for Friday

1. I am a very bad blogger. No excuses. I just stink this week. I appreciate your following and the comment love. :)

2. I leave tonight to head to GA. I'm running 13.1 ATL on Sunday. Did you know you can sign up to track me?! haha not that anyone would but just in case you think I'm THAT cool you can sign up and see how slow I am slogging my way through the ATL. If you do happen to think I am that cool, just comment or email me and I will give you my first and last name! haha But seriously... I did just sign my hubby up to track me though. HE does think I am that cool. What? He DOES, swear. ;)

3. I might have started my whole pre-half marathon carb loading yesterday. It might have included some of this...

and possibly even one of these...
and omg was that ever good. Photo courtesy of Gigi's. I cannot thank my hubby enough for taking to my subtle hints that cupcakes make the perfect (to some of us!!) pre race carb loading treat.I don't regret it.

4. I packed my race bag last night. It is totally different running a race in a different state than right in your own city. I already feel slightly stressed that I may have forgotten something in that bag. I know it's just a half marathon but perhaps I need to make a check list?? haha Seriously though, I have the following in my bag...
~shoes, socks, 2 bras (these big, saggy girls still need 2 to prevent so much bounce), tights, shirt (my friend, her sis and myself all got the same shirt in diff colors!), BodyGlide, deodorant, Road ID, iPod, Nathan Handheld, Nuun, Honey Stinger chews and sportsbeans, Sparkly silver BICband... I think I got it covered. Can you see anything I missed? Oh wait, I do have my Nathan belt thingy because I was thinking maybe..just maybe I should take some tp and sanitizer wipes, ya know just in case? AND MY GARMIN!!! (I had to come back and add that after I hit publish!...whoa)

5. Speaking of running tights. My hubby bought me a pair of Sugoi knickers (something 200) capri compression tights... I know I botched the entire name but that does NOT matter. What does matter is this....those things are da bombdiggity! Seriously. I thought my beloved Nikes were the shiznit but when I put on the Sugoi and then ran in them...holy heaven in running tights Batman. I did a test run in them on Wednesday and they were great. Let me also mention that he ordered them on Monday from www.runningwarehouse.com and they were here on Wednesday. Can't beat that.