It’s been a good year…

I didn’t forget about y’all.  I know the last you heard from me was just before Thanksgiving and now here it is, New Years Eve!  I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and is ready to make 2015 super awesome!  I know I am.

Christmas in Raleigh, NC

Before 2015 arrives, however, I wanted to take a moment and reflect on some of the things that made 2014 a truly amazing year!

*I ran a total of 118 days in 2014, participating in the 100 Days of Miles, sponsored by I ❤ to Run on Facebook.  If you want to get in on the action for 2015, check it out here: 2015: 100 Days of Miles

*I ran a total of 303.2 miles in 2014.  My original goal for the year was 400 but what with getting married and then getting sick in June I had 2 months of little or no activity 😦 It’s all good though.  I’m coming off my highest mileage month ever and I feel fantastic!

I didnt realize until today my RunKeeper was tracking my goal from January 2, 2014-January 1, 2015…d’oh!

*I participated in 9 races in 2014.  5 were virtual races with sweet race bling (that’ll motivate me!)  I ran the Commitment Day 5K on New Years Day last year and participated in the fabled Krispy Kreme Challenge at North Carolina State University.  I also raced in the Run Walk & Roll for Veterans 5K for a second year AND tackled my first 10K, a beautiful race along greenways by the Neuse River.  I loved participating in every race I ran and felt each one helped me become stronger as a runner.

I love my new race medal holder from York Sign Shop!

2014 was the year I got married to my best friend and watched my new sister-in-law tie the knot, as well.  It was the year I gained a whole new family and got a lot closer to mine.  I’m hoping my parents come visit us more often in the coming year as well!  2014 was the year I got to visit so many cool places like Nassau, Bahamas and Half Moon Bay, California.  I got to see military marching flamingos, giant redwoods, the Golden Gate Bridge, and even a town in Ohio named Anna!  It was a great year, full of fantastic memories.  It was the year I started this little blog and while I’m not sure what the future of the blog is, it’s been a great place to come and ramble on about my silly little life.

My Hubby and Me-New Years Eve 2012

So…what’s in store for 2015?

*I will run a half marathon in Fall of 2015.  I have a few races in mind but I’ll be making my decision on which one to run in the next few months.  This goal scares the crap out of me.  But I’ve found some excellent training plans and plan on racing a couple more 10K’s and either a 15K or a 10 miler as part of my training.  I’m putting it out there in the universe for accountability.  This is going to happen 😀

*I will run 400 miles in 2015.  Coming off of this high mileage month I’ve figured out a couple of things that work for me in keeping with a more regular and higher milieage running schedule.  I’m aiming for 40 miles per month which will definitely put me over my goal, but allows some wiggle room for life to happen 😉

Plus I get to run amazing places like this:

American Tobacco Trail

*I haven’t decided on a 365 Photo Project yet.  But I’m sure I’ll be participating in plenty of monthly photo challenges.  I may be investing in some new camera gear too, which always gets me excited to get out there and shoot.

Check out the awesome pic of Jackson I took with my new clip on fisheye lens for my iPhone!

#Jacksonfurturd

I wish everyone a very Happy New Year!  Thanks for being part of my 2014.  It’s (just a bit) cliche, but the best is yet to come!!

Pre-Turkey Day Life Update

Hello, Everyone out there in blogger world!  I’m not sure where the last week has gone but here we are…tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I’ve got a million and one things to do before packing up the car and heading to my parents in VA.

This trip is very welcome.  It’s been 4 months since I’ve been to VA!  4 months!!  I usually visit every other month or so but with my parents coming to visit us at the end of August and then our big trip to CA and the first half of November being devoted to my races…it’s been way too long.

So…a quick summation of what I’ve been up to and then it’s into the kitchen to make some cookies before we leave.  I’m also bringing the ingredients for Pizza Nachos to whip up on Friday.  My mom would be so proud.

source

*Activity-or lack there of

I’ve run a total of 2 times since the 10K.  I’ve worked out to Jillian once out of 4 scheduled workouts in the last week and a half and I just feel kind of blah about it all.  I haven’t been able to sign up for any New Year’s races yet or the Krispy Kreme Challenge (I’m waiting on my next paycheck!) and motivation is generally lacking.  It doesn’t help that the weather has been WEIRD around here lately.  Rainy and windy on Sunday-outdoor run ruined, 70 with thunderstorms on Monday-outdoor run ruined, and freezing rain today-outdoor run ruined!  I need to put on my big girl pants and just run in the rain but it’s yucky and I don’t wanna…

*Food/tracking-or lack there of

I’ve determined my non-tracking experiment was a failure.  I’m still in the same place I was a month ago…argh!  The good news is I got this as an early Christmas gift to myself and I’m determined to make one new recipe per week.

I’m super excited that the Skinny Snowman Challenge starts on Sunday too!  This challenge is a great way to stay accountable and motivated throughout the holiday season.  I did this last year and it was super fun.  I think having a group of people to report to helps keep me interested in a challenge.  I believe there’s still time to sign up so check it out on Brooke: Not On A Diet (one of my favorite blogs!!)

Brooke: Not On A Diet

I hope everyone has a Happy, Happy Thanksgiving!  No Turkey Trot or Giblet Jog for me this year.

My first race ever!! (with Mom)

I’m gonna sleep in, watch the parade, take a good long walk with the family and then eat an amazing dinner.  We’re also going to visit Liberty University’s Snow Flex on Friday.  It’s a fake ski slope you can use all year-long.  We won’t be skiing but you better believe I’ll be lugging my camera up there 😀

(I’ll make y’all wait for the pics-but google Liberty Snow Flex if your curiosity is strong!)

I’ll leave y’all with this amazing music video my Hubs found.  The song is Dangerous by Big Data and the video is ridiculous.  Imagine if they actually marketed women’s running shoes this way!  Hilarious!!

I Rocked the Greenway! My First 10K Recap

Sunday morning was the day I had been waiting for and dreading for the last few weeks.  After my 5 mile run the previous Sunday I was feeling mostly prepared for 6.2 miles but still very apprehensive.  I’d never run that far before…could I really make it?

Those thoughts plagued me most of the morning as the Hubs and I made it to the designated parking area.  From there it was a 3/4 mile walk to the start area.

I’m ready to go!!

I’m not sure how many people were racing but it was much more crowded than the Run Walk & Roll with Veterans 2 weeks ago.  The half marathoners were to start at 9:00 while the 10K started at 9:15.  The starting area was a little disorganized though and runners were still making their way to the starting line when the race organizers counted down and the half marathoners took off.

Instead of waiting 15 minutes for the 10K start, the race organizers starting calling everyone to the start maybe 5 minutes later!  I was ready to go but there were definitely a lot of runners still warming up, stretching, and making their way from the parking area.  Sucks to be them, I guess!

The actual 10K run started in Anderson Point Park, headed out onto the road and then back through the park and onto the greenway.  Most of the course was on the greenway and ran right along the Neuse River.  It was a beautiful course.  I didn’t take any pics though…I didnt want to stop!

One thing that sucked was right after passing the 1 mile marker, we actually circled past the finish area.  You could already see the finish line set up.  I didn’t want to see that!  It just reminded me of how far I still had to go lol.

Love free race photos!  I’m smiling!!

I felt great during the majority of the run.  My splits tell a different story though:

Mile 1- 10:57

Yup…I started out too fast!

Mile 2 & 3-11:15, 11:17

This is my sweet spot.  I only wish I could have made it last…

Mile 4 & 5-11:50, 11:58

I was fading.  Walk breaks were more common but I was still moving forward.

Mile 6 & .2-12:03, 12:02

I developed this weird pain in the inside of my left foot, above my arch.  It definitely slowed me down.  But the goal at this point was finishing.

Picture courtesy of Hubs

My final time was 1:11:37 with an average pace of 11:33/mile!  My time goal for this race was less than 1:15 and I killed it!  I’d definitely like the 2nd half of my race to be faster and it’s something I’ll be working on in the future but I’m super happy with my performance for my first 10K.

Check out the bling!

Posing with my cheerleader, bag holder, and amateur race photographer.  I love him!

After I finished we had to run an errand in the area so I didn’t get my post race meal at Capolla’s but that will hopefully be remedied this upcoming weekend.

At least I got a cookie!

I haven’t gone for a run since the race.  I did do a Jillian Michaels DVD in my living room tonight and had that same pain in my foot…but only when wearing my running shoes.  I’m in the market for new ones.  I may just have to get them earlier than I thought.  New shoes…bummer 😀

All in all, this was a great race.  My tendency to be super early helped with the confusion at the start but other than that I thoroughly enjoyed the course.  I think my pink shirt was a hit too.  I stood out on a cold, dreary fall day. Hmmm…maybe by this time next year I’ll be running the half instead of the 10K.  Dream Big!!

One Week Left!

The Raleigh Rock the Greenway is now officially less than one week away and I’m feeling pretty good about it.  Much better than I felt two weeks ago.  I’ve had two good runs in the past week and I think I’m ready!

Last Sunday was the Run, Walk & Roll with Veterans 5K and I had such a great week of runs planned.  My immune system had other ideas though and I was fighting some sort of bug for the majroity of the week.  It kept me out work on Tuesday and out of the gym and off the roads until Friday.

Friday’s run was 4 miles of me smiling and enjoying every walk break.  My legs felt good.  The weather was beautiful.

I’m dying for some new running shoes…is Christmas here yet?

I spent Saturday morning working and Saturday afternoon playing.  The Hubs and I went to a BBQ contest at the local Harley Davidson.  The food was good, the bikes were crazy looking, and live music is always a plus.  Our friend was entered in the contest and while we definitely think his BBQ was the best (no bias, I swear!) the contest was rigged and he didn’t place.

We took the puppy to our favorite place, Bass Lake (site of our wedding) just in time to watch the sunset and check out a new part of the trail.

Fall colors are finally showing themselves

I was a little apprehensive goig into Sunday’s run.  I had to do at least 5 miles in order to feel somewhat prepared for next weeks race.  This would be my longest run to date since the Krispy Kreme Challenge clocked in a bit short last February.

I ran at a new part of the American Tobacco Trail.  I figured a new route would help me stay interested in the run and keep my pace up.  Walk breaks were plentiful and it was a bit colder than I anticipated but I finished and I felt like I could keep going at the end.

I’m getting more and more excited about next week.  I know the crowd and other runners will keep me pumped up.  Right now the extended forcast is calling for rain that day but I’m hoping that 7 days is enough time for it to change!  I have one big project to work on this week and that’s creating the perfect 10K playlist.  I’m going to need my best songs to get me through.

Hope everyone has a wonderful week!  Don’t forget to thank a Veteran on Tuesday for their service.

P.S.  I’m still working through my experiment.  The results are mostly positive so far.  I’ll give you all another update after the 10K!

A Little Experiment

I was super stoked a few weeks ago when we got back from California to see that, despite eating out constantly (and fairly large meals) I was down 3 pounds.  That elation was short-lived as I got back into my regular routine at home and started seeing the scale creep back up.  This was beyond frustrating as I was working out/running regularly and I was back to tracking everything I ate!

So…I decided to try a little experiment.  When I was in California I wasn’t tracking or worrying about what I was eating very much.  I ate when I was hungry, when we went out and then went on with whatever activity we were planning next.  My average steps were higher than when I’m at home but not by a whole lot.  I started wondering if I was putting too much into the numbers I was tracking, seeing how many calories I was supposedly burning with activity and therefore, overeating.

So, this week I decided not to track.  I didn’t open my Lose It app once.  I still planned and prepared our meals, took healthy snacks to work, the usual.  I saw a little progress.  The scale was heading back in the right direction.

I only forgot one little thing…Halloween!  I should have taken this little sugar-filled holiday into account before starting my experiment.  I did indulge a bit more than usual on some candy corn and while I’m trying to ration out the candy our non-existent trick-or-treaters didn’t eat, it’s in the house.

Welp…the candy is being removed from the house this week and I’m making a few modifications to my experiment.

*I’m only going to weigh myself one time/week (weighing every day is just stressful)

*I’m changing up my workouts this week.  Any day I’m not running I’m getting back together with my girl Jillian Michaels and her 30 Day Shred.  I should be able to do 2-3 workouts per week along with at least 3 days of running.  Hopefully more strength training will help with my running…and keeping the scale going in the right direction.

I’ll keep y’all updated on what happens over the next week.  I’m working hard to find a balance between tracking everything and throwing caution to the wind.  It’s a learning process but I feel like I’m on the right track.

Run Walk and Roll with Veterans Race Recap

Today was the day of the Run Walk and Roll with Veterans 5K.  This is an event I found last year through the North Carolina State University Veterans Association.  I was just starting to feel more comfortable with participating in real races and thought supporting our veterans was one of the best causes I could think of.  So many veterans run and being married to an Air Force Vet and growing up a Navy Brat make me feel right at home with events like this.

This year I kept watching my email to see when the event was going to happen and today was the day!  The race didn’t start until 11am so…with our extra hour of sleep last night we didnt have to worry about any sort of early wake up this morning.

I kept debating what to wear as it was in the low 40’s with 15-20 mph winds!  I ended up defaulting to my Runner’s World What Should I Wear app and raced in my capris, long sleeve t-shirt, and gloves.  I wore my amazing Champion C9 jacket I found last winter.  It’s so thin but sooooo warm!!

I still looked a little chilly though…didn’t I? LOL

One of the organizations that works with the Students’ Veterans Association is Canine Angels.  This organization rescues dogs from kill shelters, trains them to be service animals and then pairs them with disabled veterans.  I think that’s pretty dang awesome!  They bring their dogs to the race and these are some of the most well-behaved dogs I’ve ever seen.  They’ve been trained to take your paper money donations right out of your hands and put them in a bucket.  It’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen!

Just waiting for their next donation

The race started on time and I was surprised to see that they had reversed the course from last year.  At first this made me super excited since I remembered a long, gradual hill at the end of the race last year so it was nice to be doing downhill from the start.

The race takes you through the Centennial Campus of NC State.  It goes along the greenway near Lake Raleigh.  I was able to snap this beautiful pic just after mile 2.

I think the race interrupted a little baby’s birthday shoot.  They had a little chair set up with balloons on it and the photographer was so frustrated she couldn’t get a shot since runners kept flying by.

I felt pretty good the first 2 miles of the race.  I was keeping a good pace and since it wasn’t a route I was familiar with the time/distance seemed to fly by.  I guess I had forgotten that we started the race last year on a downhill too so the last half miles was another gradual climb.  My legs felt pretty heavy by that point and my walking breaks were getting more frequent.  I definitely picked it up as I neared the finish line though.

Hi there!

My official time was 35:32 with a pace of 11:27/mile.  Not bad considering it was my first REALLY cold weather run and the winds were killer.

Strong Finish!

I told the Hubs that this is probably a race I’m going to participate in every year.  I love the cause, the race course is beautiful, and even though the participation is pretty small, it’s just a fun event!

The Hubs and I had our traditional post race meal at Cappolla’s.  I had a calzone and garlic knots…awesome!  Then I had a fantastic Sunday afternoon nap.  It really was a a great day!  2 weeks until my 10K…I’m feeling more and more ready.

3 Weeks Away…Can I Do It??

After a pretty disastrous run on Sunday morning I had a bit of breakdown.  I cried…while running.  Which I’ve maybe only ever done once or twice before.  I just started really doubting whether or not I could complete a 10K at my current fitness level and pace I wanted to maintain.

It was disheartening.  However, I did manage to smile for my obligatory run selfie!

This run was very much reminiscent of my attempt at the Beat The Blerch virtual 10K with what was going through my mind.  Check out my rambling recap on that incident here.

My biggest anxieties boil down to the following:

*I don’t think I’ll be able to maintain the pace I want for the entire distance.  I’m afraid I’ll hit the halfway mark and have nothing left and have to walk the rest of the way just to finish.  I’ve been working on maintaining a pace between 11:00 and 11:45ish and I just know it will be a struggle to keep that pace going for 6.2 miles

*My training runs haven’t gotten much longer.  I’ve run one 4+ mile run in the last 3 months.  My 3 mile runs are going great but I have to double that in 3 weeks!!

*I’m still playing the comparison game.  I keep seeing friends (online and IRL) posting longer runs, faster runs, better runs (in my mind) and I beat myself up about it.  Thinking to myself, “Why can’t I run at that pace if so-in-so can?!”

My mental running game sucks big time right now.

I hadn’t registered for this race yet because I was entertaining these thoughts and I figured, “Why spend the money on a race I may not even start, let alone finish?”  Also, the price wasn’t going to go up until November 1st.

Whelp, I decided to bite the bullet and register for the race, run it to the best of my ability, pace be damned.  Those are easy words to type right now and I know I’ll be dealing with this mental anguish probably right up until race day.  But, in the mean time I’m going to keep running.  I’m going to try and get creative with my training routes becuase I always seem to run further and faster when I’m running in a new area.

Oh, and I have to give a major shout out to my fellow “Pathetic Runner” at the “Pathetic Running Group” on Facebook.  They helped talk me down after my Sunday run.  What a positive and supportive group of strangers!!

I have the Run, Walk & Roll with Veterans 5K this coming weekend.  I’m hoping it will do me some good to be on an actual race course with spectators and other runners cheering each other on.  Those virtual races can be brutal on your mental running game.  It’ll be nice to have some encouragement.  I’m sure that will help during the 10K too.  I’ll keep y’all posted on how my training runs go this week and any more amazing advices I get from my online running buddies.

Weekending-a review

Success!  That is definitely what I would call this weekend.  My weekend of nothing planned definitely resulted in lazy mornings, long walks, new eats, and low stress.  This was a refreshing change from the past month of traveling and being on the go each minute!  So…here’s what went down:

Friday:

I began the day with a nice run-3+ miles in the neighborhood.  That was followed by a lazy morning of getting ready and picking up around the house.  I also made these amazing cookies!

(Disclaimer-I had already deleted these pics off my phone before writing this so you are subjected to giant Instagram pics)

Saturday:

Slept in…a bit.  Kinda hard to sleep past 8 when the doggie is ready to go outside at 7.  But, let me tell you, waking up without an alarm feeling completely rested is a truly amazing feeling!

We went to breakfast.  I had a breakfast burrito of sorts…lots of cheese=winning!

We also took Jackson a an amazing walk around Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary.  The weather was perfect.  I brought along sandwiches (and some of those awesome cookies!) and we trekked over 4 miles.  That’s an accomplishment for Hubs and the puppy.  They usually poop out after 2.5.

                        Turtle, turtle…

                 Koka Booth Amphitheater

We tried a new loca place for dinner.  Definitely a hole in the wall and definitely worth visiting.  Great pizza, cozy booths, and football.

Sunday:

I had the best intentions of completing a 4-5 mile run today in preparation for that pesky 10K I still have yet to complete that’s 3 weeks away.  It did NOT go well.  I’m actually going to write more about my thought process so look forward to a runner’s rambling early this week.  I ended up doing 3.3 miles.  Respectable.  I want to be running further though!

The Hubs spent Sunday afternoon working on personal projects.  One including replacing the brakes on my car.  I love that he’s so handy!  And, no plumber crack!!  He’s a keeper!

It was a fantastic weekend of relaxation.  We both really needed that.  Also, I’m sure Jackson was happy to not be put in the kennel for a 4th weekend!  Hope you all had a great weekend too!  Here’s to another week!!

Weekending-A Preview

The last 3-4 weekends have been crazy!  Traveling on back to back weekends to and from California and then a mini road trip last week to South Carolina has left me weary.

Which is why I’m super excited that this weekend the Hubs and I are planning on doing…NOTHING!  That’s right.  Absolutely nothing that must be done or anywhere we must go (I’m not counting my longish run on Sunday because that’s just a given :P)

It gets even better.  I’m probably not going to leave the house today.  I’ve already taken care of my run for the day and I’ve learned that when I leave the house on Friday’s it’s typically to go shopping and spend money I don’t need to be spending.

I blame Target.

So, what am I going to fill my time with this weekend?  I have a few ideas but nothing on this list MUST be done!  Yay for flexibility and ultimate relaxation!

*Gilmore Girls on Netflix-I’m continuing through the series at a pretty slow pace.  But that just means I can savor each episode.  Jess just arrived in Stars Hollow so all sorts of shenanigans are about to happen!

Buzzfeed

*Bake cookies from scratch-I found this recipe on Pinterest and I am intrigued by the use of vanilla pudding mix in the dough.  I think my mother-in-law has a similar recipe and they are the fluffiest cookies ever!  Check Instagram for pics later this weekend!

*Start working on my photo calendar for Christmas-this is a gift I’ll probably make my mom every year.  She loves my photographs but doesn’t really hang up a lot of pictures in her house.  A calendar is the perfect way to display (at least) 12 of my best.

This shot may or may not be the front-runner for December!

*Clean the house-my bathroom is already done and I’ve got all the good fall scented candles burning.  My house smells like apple cinnamon…I love it!

This one…and, of course, Macintosh!!

I’m also petitioning the Hubby for breakfast from this great little bagel shop just down the road from our house.  They have a HUGE menu and the last time we went there I devoured this amazingness:

Top was Hubby’s, bottom was mine!

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend.  I’m also hoping to spend some time prepping some amazing posts for y’all.  I’m stuck in this one post a week rut and I don’t like it!  I didn’t add it to the list though so I don’t feel the pressure.  We’ll see what happens.  Happy Friday!!

It’s TIME to…PUMP…ME UP!

Today has been a day…

I was so excited to run after work today (even if it was on the treadmill) but unforseen circumstances prompted me leaving work late and having to do a home circuit in the living room instead!

Oh well…such is life…

The Blerch was judging me! I had to work out somehow!

Since tomorrow’s my day off I’m getting a decent run in first thing…before anything else in my day gets in the way!

Speaking of running…I was commenting on a friend’s run and how awesome her pace was when she dropped this little bit of knowledge on me.  She’s been strength training and weight lifting pretty regularly and she attributes her quickness to this.

It got me thinking…I definitely don’t do enough strenghth exercises.  And I need to!  Check out all the reasons women should strength train!  30 Reasons Women Should Strength Train

And while I still haven’t attended Body Pump at my gym, I need to find other ways to get my lift on.  I’m a huge fan of body weight exercises.  I’m also a huge fan of Pinterest.  So here are my new strength training exercises.

(I’m a big nerd and actually print these things out and tape them to my living room walls)

Passion Life Love Health

Running Canadian Girl