Scioto Miles Spring Training Series!

Columbus, Ohio. Shoes. 2 races. Pick your distances: 5k, 10k, 15k. 2 shirts. Throw in 2 medals AFTER I sign up...EVEN BETTER! Make these races align with my half training, I'm there!

Race 1: 10k (6.2 miles, 5k loop). March 24th. Should have been warmer. It was spring after all. But no. 35 degrees. Cold. Really cold. Biggest snow storm of the season on its way. Awesome.

Half way thru we take a picture and post to FB!

Kelly, Deanna, and I start out together. All doing the same distance. Deanna and I are "in-training". Kelly is along for the ride, and shoes! She is actually running in them. I don't. First loop (5k) great. Pace is okay considering the weather. Ick. Cold. Windy. Cold. Did I mention cold?! Second loop gets fun! About a mile in, the 1:25 15k pace team comes flying by...Kelly gets excited and starts, or tries, to run with them. HYSTERICAL! I shout out "oh good! About time you guys catch up!" They all (5 nice looking men) look back and laugh and cheer us on! Kelly, well, she had to stop and "cross her legs" to no avail. That was the highlight of that race. I really can't say much more about it. It was so darn funny! And when we cross the line, the guy passing out the medals tries to hand it to me! The nerve! You will put it on me. And he laughed and did. Love Fleet Feet volunteers! And snow storm it did! But only after we got back home!

 

Yep, made the dude put my medal on me!

  

Kelly, me (w/banana in mouth), Deanna!

 



Yep, another halfway pic!



Race 2: 15k (9.3 miles, 3 5k loops). April 7. B-E-A-UTIFUL weather! 56 degrees at race start. Now this is weather I can run in! A little windy as Kelly said. And it was. At times. But it was windy at the right time. When I needed a minute to walk...Or when a hill was in front of me... Or at a water break where I walk thru them anyway (thank you training planner cult lady)... Or when I got really hot and needed the wind to cool me off... Or push me. I didn't mind the wind. It was perfect. And I'm sure Kelly would say the same thing now too. First loop was good, kinda. It's getting all adjusted again and dodging people. Kelly and I decide to try and stay with the 2:05 pace group. But there's a chatty Cathy and she is driving me crazy. Even with headphones. We don't stick with them. We try and keep them comfortably behind us. After the first loop, yep, gotta stop at the port-a-friend. I thought I had done everything better. Bland food. No spicy. Simple, easily digestible breakfast. But no. Colon thought otherwise. Damn UC. Kelly proceeds onto the water stop just across the start/finish line. I do my business and proceed to meet her. And we go. Is this where she pushed me up the hill? Or was that the 3rd loop. Oh regardless. We keep going. Trying to get in the groove. Finishing up the 2nd loop, Deanna passes us. She cheers us on and we go forth. I'm really doubting myself. I think I may have even given the emcee a dirty look as I crossed the start/finish line into the third and final loop. I heard him laugh though so no feelings hurt! By this time Kelly is staying in front of me...pretty far in front too. I keep running. She turns around and slows down and even walks until I catch up and the moment I catch up she takes of again. She's so funny. So with about a mile and half left she looks at me and says "do you mind if I take off if Deanna meets us on the path?" I smile, shake my head and tell her "I have 2, 4 word sentences when we are done!" She thinks I'm mad. When I'm fact I am farthest thing from my. But I can't tell her yet. Because what I have to tell her is driving my run. It is pushing me to finish. And Katy Perry "Wide Awake".  

Not the most flattering pic! But we are SMILING!

But Kelly is staying with me. We get to the top of the hill... The finish line is in sight...we loop arms....start running a little faster....almost there, then I let go and take off. Leaving. Kelly. In. My. Dust. We cross the line and I turn to her and say "2 sentences. 1. I'm proud of you! 2. I told you so!" See, Kelly hasn't ran since the last race 2 weeks ago. The weather was bad and then she got sick. So she started this race with a lot of doubt. She knew she could do it but she was okay with walking it too. But she ran and she ran hard and fast and strong.



So much fun!



So that's the recap. A little long. The races were great. Very organized. Very supportive. Worth every dime. I would definitely participate in this series again. If only for the loot...

TECH SHIRTS! One for EACH RACE!

SHOES!!!! Retail at $119.00!  Brooks Pure Cadence 2

MEDALS! One for EACH RACE!!! And they are heavy!

They have a fall one, ya know.

Wanna do it Kelly??

Run. Strong.

-t-

Just one of those days....

They say a run will make you feel better and clear your head. Tonight was not that run.

Everything felt off. And it began when I just couldn't round up my troops with the excitement and push I needed them to have. And that's cool. It's life. So I overcame and found other people. But when I dropped Nate off at SNAPP and planned on running the path by myself (because I managed to cancel on everyone) I decided to just sit in my car and cry. Yep. Cry. And I just wanted to sit there and continue my pity party all by myself. A package of tissues later, I wiped my eyes and nose and got out of the car.

I made myself get out. I was NOT going to let this day get the best of me. I had to get a run in this week for a number of reasons...
1. I have a 10k race on Sunday. It is going to be bleeping COLD. And probably snowing and/or raining. This does not make me happy. But it would have made me even more unhappy if I didn't get a run in before the race. And seeing as how I hate Fridays at work (they literally give me a headache and exhaust me to no end) I doubt that I will get a run in after work. And Saturday I don't plan on running to rest my legs (day before long run rule) .
2. It's cold. It's now or never. And seeing as how I HIGHLY DOUBT it is going to get any warmer in the next 6 weeks, I need to suck it up and just do it.
3. Indy half marathon in 43 days. Enough said. I'm screwed. Oh but a long run (10k) this weekend and then another longer run (15k) in 2 weeks, maybe, just maybe I will be ready. I'm not looking to PR from Akron but I sure would like to finish before my Cap City time last year. Just saying.
4. And I JUST WANTED TO RUN! Or so I thought, because sitting in the car and crying my eyes out really did seem like a good idea too. For a moment at least...

So that's the story. I may, and I really use that term loosely, try to get another run in tomorrow before the Buckeyes take the court at 7:35pm. I only need 6 hours at the office tomorrow and I'd like to get to Up and Running tomorrow for some running motivation. And there is the bathroom tile to do so I can hopefully grout it on Saturday. Yeah, I'll let ya know if that run actually happens tomorrow...

I wish I had more to say about the run itself. It really wasn't that bad. I still hate the first mile of any run. My feet sounded like I had big clown shoes on as I was running. My clothes felt all caddy-whomped too. Headphones were aggravating me. So was the music. It was COLD. But after that first mile, I felt like I found my groove and was able to push all those thoughts and distractions out of my mind and feel the run. Managed to get 3 miles in. I think I still would have preferred to sit in my car and cry. Just one of those days I guess...

Run. Strong. Or cry and then go run...
-t-

Go Bananas!

BANANAS!

You should always listen to your body. And I should listen to my own advice!

Went for a run Friday night. Short 2 miler. But it felt good. No, GREAT! A little PF pain over the weekend. But stretching helped.

Another 2.5 miler on Monday. Felt even better after the first mile. Even though it was windy! And running into the wind is hard. Again a little PF pain. But tolerable.

Tonight. A whole other story! Yoga. 3rd week in a row! That is such an accomplishment for me! And I could definitely tell the difference in my poses and flexibility. However, one particular pose, the Crescent, did not fare so well left quad went tight. Tight like I have never felt in my quad. My calve, sure. Quad, not so much. And it affected me just enough that I fell completely out of the pose and went crashing (ok a little exaggerated) down! I got back up ad proceeded into a down-dog to stretch it out. And it worked. A little.

After class someone asked if it was a cramp. I said yes. Explained I ran last night. Potassium she says. Yes, I know. I have failed. I am on day 9 of the 10 day cleanse. So concerned about getting the right foods in, not even thinking that I need to increase my potassium intake via bananas. Duh.

Anyhow. To Kroger I went for BANANAS.

SIDE NOTE: I have this cheer from when I was a school aged cheerleader in my head every time I say BANANAS...it goes something like this: GO BANANAS! B-A-N-A-N-A-S! And it has this goofy arm movement too. And yes, in my head I am doing the whole movement. Ask me sometime. Maybe I'll show ya!

Anyhow. 6 bananas later and a Facebook message to the ahhhhhhmazing Dr Pat for an appt PRONTO, I am home on the phone with Training Planner Lady and the best conversation evolves! I admit to her that I miss FABULOUS FARRELL ROAD! Turns out she does too! Soon. As soon as its a little lighter out in the morning. One day a week. A good workout together. I am so excited! It's sickening! With this impending Indy (not a mini) Half Marathon in 7 weeks and 2 other long races in the next 4 weeks, I need this excitement. This drive. This motivation. This THRILL!!! And she is just the lady to tell me I CAN DO IT!

So onward and upward I go! With a tight quad, PF pain and DRIVE to do this I am gonna be ready. Mentally at least!!

Run. Strong.
-t-

And it begins...again...no really!

13.1 training has begun. It should have started 2 weeks ago but I was down with the flu and when I did run a 5k with BFFAE it honestly felt like the biggest mistake. I was miserable 41:59 or something like that. Ugh. Whatever. I had the flu.

And then Nate and I were leaving for Disney for 5 days. I had GRAND plans to run while in Florida and had even checked out the awesome gym at the Hilton, but alas, walking 14,000 steps a day seemed like it was enough exercise. There was never a lack of walking. And even a little running if you throw in running from the monorail to the bus! Yeah, that was fun. So despite not running in the wonderful Floridian weather for exercise, I did a sh!t ton of walking!

So after being back now for a few days it was time to get back on the wagon and get it going.

Boss Lady called on Sunday afternoon and asked if I would want to walk with my "pregnant friend"! Of course! So to the dam we went. 3 miles later, she felt better and I was energized to start working out and training for this half. And of course on this walk she mentions a spinning class. Well I've always wanted to try it but haven't. For no reason other than the time didn't work. But today I made it work. And I just can't say no to her :)

Spinning. 6am. 50 minutes. 20 miles. I couldn't do the standing rides. I am just not coordinated. It reminds me of that darn elliptical! Cannot. Stand. And. Move. Whatever. I tried and only lasted about 10 seconds. I guess it's better than nothing? And I will go back! At least I will give it another try on Wednesday. It was a great crossfit workout. And I am feeling it today!

I just wish the weather would warm up a bit. Even if in the evenings. I just prefer to run outside. I want to do some hills. Speed work. Soon I hope.

Oh so what half am I training for? Indy (nothing about) Mini Half Marathon May 4th. There will be about 35,000 runners there. I do not anticipate PR'ing at this race. It's again a completion thing. Mostly because of the number of people running and my training is going to be sub-par. But I'm going to give it everything I have between now and May 4th. I have some races scheduled so I will work on improvement!

So I hope you will join me in this crazy journey! It's gonna be a ride ;)!

And lastly but definitely not least...a few shout outs! My cousin, Kelly, for running her first 1/2 2 weeks ago! So proud of you! You inspire me! I also met a "follower" of my blog a few weeks ago at a fish fry! How exciting is that! So a shout out to Shannon for reading my blog and being inspired! Maybe someday we can run together!

That's all friends.

As usual...
Run. Strong.
-t-

It's been...

A long time since I've blogged. And not for any particular reason other than...I've been busy...the holidays...I haven't been training (but still working out)...Pinterest. Yes. The last one may seem a bit lame, but it's true. For example, tonight. I made 2 Pinterest recipes all thanks to Boss Lady! Some yummy banana oatmeal breakfast cookies and some peanut butter oatmeal bars. Deliciousness! I have the recipes pinned under Advocare so if you are interested they are there...

In all seriousness, I have been busy.

And I am gearing up for my spring half marathon....Indy Mini on May 4th. Super stoked. 40,000 people run this race. 2 miles are on the race track of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Deanna, BFFAE, Katie and hopefully some other recruits will be running it too! Boss Lady will either be in labor or have had bambino by then. Training Planner Cult Lady, huh, I don't know what she will be doing, I imagine she would be with Boss Lady. I better ask her...she's gonna kill me now!

I got some new running shoes this weekend and I learned a few things...but those things deserve a blog post all on their own. So check back! It's gonna be a good one!!

Run. Strong.
-t-

AdvoCare 24 Day Challenge!

Days 1-10, Herbal Cleanse COMPLETE! 10 pounds gone! Nate, 11 pound gone!

And how did we do it...it's simple really...and we didn't starve. 

AdvoCare's 24 Day Challenge is the easiest, simplest, most natural way to lose weight, get over a plateau, break bad eating habits, or just improve your well being! And you get to eat real food! 

The first phase is called the CLEANSE PHASE.  

10 Days..That's all it takes. You ride the body of toxins so that you can absorb the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that you need. But don't be concerned with the word CLEANSE. It really is not what it implies...you are not running to the bathroom, you do not need to take 10 days off work. Trust me. I am used to running to the bathroom; I don't run now, I walk. It regulates you. And not painfully. It is very gentle. 

The second phase is the MAX PHASE.

Days 11-24...In this phase we will add a vitamin strip which contains OmegaPlex, Fat Burners, Multivitamin, Calcium, Pro-Biotic and a Natural Olive Oil (for your skin and hair!) And it's easily pre-portioned out so you don't even have to think about it!  I also add in Catalyst, which maintains my muscle mass during exercise. See, when you start eating healthier and restricting your calorie intake, your body needs fuel, so it automatically goes for the muscles. We don't want that. We want to maintain our lean muscle. Catalyst is an amino acid that shields your muscles so your body attacks fat...think of Pac-Man when he is all protected from the ghosts chasing him. It also preserves your energy levels and is taken during the Cleanse Phase as well. 

Oh and a few other products that are OUTSTANDING!!!

• SPARK!  It's an energy drink, but it's sugar free! It provides sustained energy and mental focus! It really gets me going in the morning and provides that extra boost in the afternoon! 
• Meal Replacement Shakes (MRS). I love my MRS's! Especially the chocolate! It's a powdered drink that you shake with water! I put mine in my bullet with some ice! It comes out like a frosty. And who doesn't love frosties!!! It has an ideal protein to carb ratio...24 grams of both...which is an equal balance of nutrition! And at 220 calories and only 2-3 grams of fat, try and find me something that tastes that delicious and is healthy! 
• ThermoPlus. Yeah, this stuff rocks! It fires up your metabolism & controls your appetite!

There are so many more products that AdvoCare makes, but these are the essentials on the 24 Day Challenge! These are my go-to's! These products helped me lose 40 pounds...until last week...and now I am down a total of 50 pounds! But it's not just the weight loss, it's how I feel overall.  My energy, my focus, the muscle definition I have. 

So what did we eat? Vegetables (all of them!), lean protein (fish, chicken, pork chops, lean ground beef, turkey), fruit (all of it!), and even some CARBS! Dare I say it??? Yep, we sure did...brown rice, beans, quinoa, sweet potatoes oh my!! We could also have had whole grain pasta and oatmeal, but I opted not to as I really needed to break free from the carbs for a little but.  WE. DID. NOT. STARVE!  Not even Nate, and we all know how a 12 year old eats! Yes, even a 12 year old can do this! You can give most all of AdvoCare's products to children 4 and up. 

This challenge has really improved the mother/son relationship too. Sounds crazy, I know. But when you are packing the lunches together, and discussing what we can and cannot eat, actually sitting at the table and enjoying dinner together, what would make this taste even more delicious, you really develop a stronger bond with your kid. And my kid is pretty super!

Nate's mood has improved. I think seeing the change in his appearance and how he feels overall is making the most impact on him. And he sees that difference in me. I love that he gets excited about this challenge. He has even told his friends and teachers what he is doing! He is amazing!

I am not going to try and sell you the product. It does it on it's own. There are pro-athletes that use it. Olympians use it. And they get paid nothing to do it. The product is that good.

I honestly can credit the 24 Day Challenge for my weight loss and my running journey. And it continues to be a big part in my life and my running goals. And it has become a part of my son's life and his goals. And that makes it all worth it!

Run. Strong.

-t-

Wanted 8...

Boss Lady and I set out this morning at 10:30am to get 8 miles in. She wanted to see how she felt during/after a long run gearing up for the Hot Chocolate 15k on November 18th. See, Boss Lady is PREGNANT!!!! I am so excited! Another little bambino to run with! Boss Lady is a BOSS too! I mean, who runs a 15k 17 weeks pregnant...but even better than that...she ran a 1/2 MARATHON pregnant with her first baby! She rocks. Which also means, I have no excuses to not keep up with her at the 15k! Oh. What. Have. I. Gotten. Myself. Into???

So we started out this morning on a NEW ROUTE! I love new routes. Something new and exciting to see. Different things to look at and talk about. "Oh, that's a pretty house." "I like that land."  "Wait till you see the last hill." Again. What. Have. I. Gotten. Myself. Into???   I jest. It's not that bad.  Even though we were supposed to run at my pace...you know my 12:30/mile pace. But it was more like an 11:00/mile Which was fine. It was feeling good. But I wasn't sure I was gonna keep up with that pace for the whole 8 miles. But I was gonna try!

The first few miles were good. We had to stop and walk a couple of times. Boss Lady is pregnant and I was getting tired. If you recall from last weeks post, I started the 24 Day Challenge last Sunday....10 days cleanse, 14 days of super clean eating. But see with this cleanse means no carbs. Well, at least not the kind of carbs I am used to eating before I do a long run. Pizza, pasta, baked potato, you see what I mean? So, my energy level was kinda low. I am not complaining though. I have lost, I think about, 8 pounds this week. Sure, some may be water, but really, clean eating is the way to go. But that is for another post...I know, I know...I said I would write it and I will.
 
But we continue on. We get down to the bike path and hot guys are running. So, of course, I pick up my "best running form" and carry on strong! I think I look skinny and beautiful and just fit and fabulous...when in fact I am sure I look like a basset hound running with his tongue hanging out. Okay, maybe not that bad...  Turns out they have wedding bands on.  O-well it was fun conversation! :)

And now comes the hill part. Holy cow. Up the back way behind the golf course.  What a hill. I like FARRELL ROAD MUCH BETTER! But then we go thru the Falls housing plat. Those are some pretty houses. Out and back around to Cassel Road, I think. I have no idea where I am. But I see my car and know we are done. 

We didn't get 8 miles in. We wanted 8. We didn't get it. We couldn't even get 6 in. For a variety of reasons too. 
1. Boss Lady is pregnant. And no, I am not blaming this on her. 
2. I am on the 24 day challenge...and on day of 8 of no "heavy" carbs. I need energy.
3. The time change. I know, sounds lame. But it was 10:30 according to the clocks, but our bodies thought it was 11:30. 
4. It was now lunch time. Boss Lady needs to eat. So do I. My body is telling me so. 

Regardless, the run was nice. The weather was perfect. The company was even better. I love running with people who love to run too. And Boss Lady, well, she loves to run. Even if it as a snail pace when she runs with me. That's what friends do. 

P.S....Nate has lost 9 pounds!! He is my CHAMPION!



Run. Strong. CONGRATS TO BOSS LADY!!!!
-t-