Update on my leg/knee

I am slacking again! I am picking back up though as things have been going crazy.  I am preparing for a trip to Hawaii next week and all the logistics going into that are making me a crazy lady!  Anyway, I just realized I never did an update as to what was going on with my knee!

Last I posted, I saw the Sports Med doctor and he told me it was IT band but it, in itself, was not tight.  It would get tight in situations where my weak hips would tire, shift, and cause it to tighten due to lengthening.  He set me up to meet with a physical therapist and have a couple sessions for at home instruction and a biomedical assessment to check it was the only issue.  I found out a LOT during that biomedical assessment.

I went in and he twisted me in all sorts of directions, had me walk up and down a hall regularly, toes out, toes in, windmill and drop back step type exercises, etc.  A whole gamut of strange things and he told me a lot about why my leg is hurting.

I had a suspicion that it was NOT my IT band because the spot it was hurting was about 2 inches below my knee and not on the side of or above my knee.  It was hurting in a spot that your IT band doesn't even touch.

 

 

 

(Source)

I was hurting more in the area of where the 8 is on that diagram.  Since it has been awhile, I will post the things I can remember him telling me are affecting my running.

1) My peroneus muscle along the outside of my left leg is incredibly tight.  To the point that it will randomly ache and feels ropey when it was manipulated.  Problem is, this is not really a muscle that can be stretched.

2) I tend to walk toed out a bit and am slightly bowlegged.  This causes me to land strange and alignment to be off when I am running.

3) My hips are indeed weak

4) my left hamstring and calf muscle are tighter than he would like them to be

5) I do not use my big toe like I should.  I tend to land on the ball of my foot up and hold my toes up like I have a hammer toe though I do not.  This causes my outside toes to go numb as well as  messing with the all important alignment while running.

6) My femur and tibia-fibular head do not rotate the way that they should.  The t-F head is where my pain was coming from.

I ended up going to PT twice a week for 4 weeks to deal with these issues.  He gave me shoe inserts to work on supporting my low arches as well as helping me to use my toes more efficiently.  I have not had the courage to run in these yet... I wear them during the day but the fact that my arch is not used to being held up yet causes some discomfort there sometimes.

I have a HUGE (or what seems huge) list of exercises that I am to do daily until I hit 10ish miles again and then I can split the list and do them 2-3 days a week after to keep things going.

He did a lot of massage and manipulation on that peroneus muscle to attempt to loosen it.  He told me that is likely going to be an issue for me forever and suggested a percussion massager to use after runs.

I am supposed to direct ice my T-F head after each and every run to the point of numbness to fight swelling and irritation in that area.

I do have to say that I am doing these exercises (not every day- BAD, Cassie) and I am now running pain free again! Last time I ran I went for 6 miles and had some pain, 7 miles and was almost unable to finish, and 8 miles that turned into 3 when I could NOT push through the pain.  I am back up to 5 miles pain free and though I am nervous it will come back this weekend, I have a 6 miler scheduled.  Hoping all goes well!

So, there it is! My stupid leg hates my running but it has to get with the program =)

Happy Running!

Why I don't think runDisney is for me

I am seeing TONS of posts lately about all the Disney races: Tink, ToT, Princess, etc and I started to get VERY hyped up! Told the husband that next year or the following I think I want to do Dopey and started research.  The medals! The characters! The fun!! I LOVE Disney and was so excited to take my kids for the first time and we are already intending to go back next year.  We are not the "go the same place every year" type so it is a very big deal for us to plan 2 Disney trips within a few years of each other.  Well, the more I researched, the sadder I got, because I am coming to the realization that I don't think that runDisney is for me.

1) The cost:  I cant seem to justify spending $495 for registration.  I just cant!

2) The early, early wake up call:  I am not a morning person so getting up when there is a 2 on the clock doesn't seem like something that would make me happy.  I have 2 small kids so getting them to sleep in enough time that I can get decent rest doesn't seem possible.  On top of that, I am a night owl so falling asleep before midnight is almost impossible for me!

3) The crowds:  This is a double whammy for me.  The crowds during the race would make me crazy.  I have run in large crowds before but it normally tends to clear out so you have some room to move.  The pictures from the Disney races make me shiver.  It looks like shoulder to shoulder the whole race.  Also, I have read that there are lots of instances of people walking/running in a long line and blocking the course.  The Happiest Place on Earth would quickly turn me into Road Rage Monster =).

On top of that, if I am going to Disney I am going to stay a couple days to enjoy at least one or two parks.  I have a feeling this would be the general consensus and I would think the crowds would be even worse than they normally are....

4) The Characters: Now, don't get me wrong, I love the characters as much as the next gal but I don't think I want to stop my groove right in the middle of a race to take pictures with them.. Stopping/starting to wait in line a million times just doesn't seem enjoyable and would take the challenge out of the race to me.  My whole desire to running is to push my limits, see how much better I can do this race than last, see how far I can go and stopping a million times isn't going to give me any of that satisfaction.  Then I feel like that if I don't take advantage of the characters I might as well be at any old race, ya know?

I know that I am in a very small group of people who feel this way about the runDisney races and I am so glad that they are involving families in active pursuits who may not normally be involved in something like this.  I also know that the lure of a Disney event has gotten many a person out there running to participate.  I am actually kind of sad that I have discovered that it is not going to be something that I will enjoy once I got there because it IS something I was very interested in.  I am very excited for all the guys and gals who are going to be participating and love seeing the pictures and hearing accomplishments.  I just have to slowly back away from this one and enjoy from afar.

Happy Running!

FINALLY back at it.

I have been intending to get back on some sort of running schedule (and blogging again) forever.  I am determined to stick it through this time because I really enjoy this format and interacting with my fellow runners.

I debated for awhile how I wanted to go about training for a marathon.  My original plan was to follow Hal Higdon's Novice supreme which has put a 12 week program ending with a 6 mile long run at the front of his 18 week novice training program.  The main reason I had chosen this plan was to give myself a longer amount of time before mileage above 6ish miles per run started.  I had switched to a lower carb diet but was planning to incorporate more carbs into my diet closer to long runs.  Well, I ended up having some issues with the lower carbs so I decided to begin reintroducing some carbs into my diet.  Following that, my runs started getting stronger, and my mind began to change.

I decided that I had to have some sort of schedule or something to work toward.  I have said it before on here but I have a TERRIBLE time sticking with regular runs when I don't have something to follow. After speaking with The Husband and we decided to follow a 12 week half program (the same one I followed when training) and I will transition from that over into the marathon program.  I just need to decide if I am going to skip that last week that the program calls to run the half so that I am not too sore to start the first week of the marathon program.

I just finished week 2 of the half marathon program today.  I am going to go ahead and do recaps again like I did last time to keep myself accountable to you all as well.

Week	Mon	Tues	Weds	Thurs	Fri	Sat	Sun
2 10-14 to 10-20	Stretch & Strengthen Circuit training (planks, burpees, push ups, etc)	3 mile run 3.2 miles 30:47 9:38/mi	2 mile run or Cross 2.01 mi 18:11 9:04/mi	3 mile run Rest	Rest 3.01 mi 26:27 8:48/mi	4 mile run Rest	30 min cross 3 mi walk 48:55 16:30/mi 4 mi run 35:20 8:49/mi

Monday: I did a circuit that I made up for this evening. 50 jumping jacks then 3 rounds each of 10 pushups, situps, burpees, tricep dips, oblique twists, and 20 second planks.

Tuesday: I ran with a girl I met at a local 5k a few weeks ago.  It was the first time she had run in awhile and she did awesome! It was a lot of fun but talking for the entire run will take it out of you for sure!

Wednesday: I decided to get out before The Husband had to leave for work and get 2 miles in.  I was so glad that I did! It was a nice start to the day.

Thursday: Took a rest day because Rex had a soccer game that threw our plans off.

Friday: Did Thursday's 3 miles down in my little town and was CRAZY surprised when I held sub 9 minute miles without even realizing it.  I have never managed that for multiple miles and normally it's the first mile and I started too fast causing me to peter out by mile 3.  I see signs of getting stronger!

Saturday: It poured a cold rain all day and I just could not bring myself to go out in it or get on the treadmill so I decided to double up on Sunday.

Sunday: For the last few weeks I have been meeting with my weight loss buddy on Sunday mornings to power walk.  It is a nice time to get out and chat sans kids (she is also my homeschool buddy).  We normally do 5 miles but we both had plans today so we only did 3. I knew this ahead of time so I took my running gear with me with intentions of heading straight back out.  When we got back to our cars, I stripped down a layer and took off again and had another awesome sub 9 average run!! I don't know where this is coming from but I LOVE it!

Time to start week 3.  The mileage bumps up a tad this week, but not much.  I have a couple race recaps to add later this week as well as a couple possible giveaways to do.  I'm going to leave you with my most recent progress pic.  This is the first one where I can actually see some progress =)

Left: My first 5k  March 23, 2013               Right:10k Sept 21, 2013

Just when I thought things were calming down... (non-running related)

it came time to gear up for school!  While we homeschool, and my kids are still very young, we have a very flexible school schedule but the kiddos are showing serious signs of needing some structure in their lives so I have been prepping.  It is reminding me a lot of when I was in a classroom. 

We were ALMOST ready to start.  Rex is 5.5 and going into 1st grade this year and Curly just turned 4 and is starting kindergarten this year so I had ordered everything for them and this week I pulled everything out to get it set up.  I got the first few lessons of our reading program ready, got math pages put into binders, and got all of our phonogram cards torn apart and put into the card box. 

Then, The Husband looks at me during a discussion when I was telling him I would like to get a table for the school area rather than the desks that we have now, and tells me that it would be great to be able to move school into the playroom.  Well, my brain took that and ran with it and for the last 2 days I have been in hyper-drive.  So far I have: organized Curly's closet, deep cleaned her room, picked up a cabinet and bed for her room, turned said cabinet into a dress up closet, had The Husband move her room around and take a shelf down, then move it back and put the shelf back up (sorry TH), and moved all of her stuff from the playroom into her room.

Still left to do is deep cleaning Rex's room and moving his toys into his room from the toy room then taking all of the school stuff down off the wall and moving it into the new school room. I am excited to have more wall space to work with! Non-school related, we are picking up Rex's bed and painting it. He wants the headboard to be camouflaged and The Husband is going to Home Depot soon and getting materials to build shelves for their rooms so we can have storage for the toys moving in there. And, don't tell the Husband but I have visions of paining their rooms very, very soon. I have quite a bit of stuff on craigslist that I am hoping sell soon because I am running out of room to store things in the meantime.

Hopefully I can have some before and after pictures soon of our new school room area and of the kids' room makeovers.  Also, hopefully we can get started on school sometime before December! =) 

Since I haven't mentioned running yet, I should also say that I am trying to decide on a traiining program.  The Husband mentioned maybe I should run a half program a couple times from now until time to start the marathon program and then start at a normal marathon training point? I haven't decided yet and need to look at the calendar to decide.  I need to give myself as much weight loss time before I reintroduce higher carbs as possible and since the last couple days I have been off the wagon, it may take FOREVER to make it to goal!

Happy Running!

My Big Plans!

I mentioned I would try to get back tonight to talk about my plans and figured this is the perfect opportunity.  The Husband went to bed early because he's going to run into work for a few hours tomorrow, Rex has been in bed for quite awhile now, and Curly went to spend the weekend with Nana (my mom).

I am a bit nervous to even say...er, type...this because it is not something that I thought would even cross my mind for a couple more years.  I have decided to run a MARATHON in May.  Yes, all capitals because when I think about it, that's how I imagine it in my head.  I am scared out of my mind, ya'll, but I really, really want to do it.

The whole thought came out of nowhere.  The race schedule that I had in mind is looking like it is going to need to change and we have decided to move a couple races and go back to the Flying Pig this year.  We were between it and the Indy Mini but we had so much fun at the Flying Pig and the kids are wanting to race again.  Unfortunately we don't have any options for kids races nearby and the Indy Mini doesn't offer one.

So, after making the decision to go back to the Pig, I wanted to do something different.  I originally thought that I would do the 3 way which is running the 5k and 10k on Saturday and then running the half marathon on Sunday.  That has been my plan for while but the other day when we were getting ready to run the marathon just popped into my head and I said "I want to do that!"  Now, I am fairly certain that is what is going to happen.  There are a couple things that may change this decision.

1. My weight- I know, I know that shouldn't change my decision to do something I really want but recently I have gone low carb.  I am talking induction level low carb so only 20-25 carbs a day.  This is just enough to fuel my short runs right now but I really wanted to be at or very close to goal weight before I move into a more Paleo-ish style of eating and adding back in fruits and sweet potatoes.  I have 23-28lbs before I get to what I consider my goal and I would like to be within 10lbs of there by the time my mileage ups to the higher miles.  I am fairly certain I can do it but you just never know when you will hit a plateau.

and

2. My leg- The day following my half at the Flying Pig in May I had what I thought was an extremely sore hamstring on my left leg.  Only problem is that it still aches now when I run or do a lot of walking like we did at the theme park Wednesday.  I have an appointment with a chiropractor and I am going to see if that helps.  If not, I am off to my general doctor to get a referral to a sports medicine doctor.

I have decided to do Hal Higdon's Novice Supreme program just because I run much better when I have a program to follow so starting 30 weeks out is not necessarily what I HAVE to do but what I WANT to do. I am sure I could start 18 weeks out on the normal training program and be ok but having a set plan keeps me focused and on track.  Therefore, training for the May 4th race will begin October 6!

Thanks for listening to my rambling!

Happy Running!

Making a Comeback!

For the past few weeks, maybe longer (I am not sure how long ago my last post was without looking), I have been dying to write, to catch up, and connect with other bloggers again.  This summer I have been TERRIBLE about reading blogs, writing on my own, and keeping up with my other technological fun stuff. We have had lots going on this summer.  We have season passes to the local waterpark and on the days it hasn't been unseasonably chilly, that is where we can be found.


We've hiked, biked, had birthday parties, park playdates, attended story time, gone to the zoo and a theme park, vacationed, and chilled out at home.

 We went to Old Man's Cave.  It is absolutely gorgeous there and a good place to get some family fun and exercise in.  The kids loved the new panning for gems/fossils thing they added since we were there last.

We have memberships to the zoo and even though it is over an hour away we try to go as much as possible! Also, Curly had to have 2 parties this year because her pool party got rained out so we had a small party at the house for family only and then had her pool party the following week for all the kids that were invited.

 For Curly's birthday this year we decided that we would get her a couple small things from us and then get her an experience.  Everyone always buys them so much and the house is only so big, so we decided we would take her to Kings Island for the first time.  I think she rode everything she was big enough for, the above "supergirl" ride (as she called it) at least 3 times!  Rex loved walking through their animatronic dinosaur park.  It is apparently the largest one in the world?

 We love our library's story time! For such a small town they always have great programs: Reptile guys, the zoo, life-size puppet theater, etc.  We also have gotten lucky enough to get to know another family that homeschools and our kids get along great! We have done lots of playdates in the last year.

 All in all, I am calling this a successful summer! I am not liking the turn of the weather and have my fingers crossed that we will have at least a few more warm days so we can get more use out of our waterpark passes before the cooler weather is here to stay.

The title above is not only making a comeback to blogging.  I am about to amp up my running all over again.  I have a goal in mind that I want to start working toward (more on that later) and I need to get myself back into some semblance of order when it comes to running.  The Husband has been working over quite a bit and it doesn't seem to be on a certain day so some days I have planned to run I end up needing to alter the plan.  Either way, I have big plans for the weeks to come and I intend to post about that tomorrow.. maybe tonight if I can sit down and write again.  I need to document my madness. =)

Happy running!

Making My List..

Before I get into the true topic of this post I am soooo excited to announce that I am a new Sweat Pink Ambassador as well as a new Girls Gone Sporty Ambassador! Both emails came on the same day! How cool is that?! I am already loving being a part of this group of amazing, inspiring, and strong ladies!







So, on to what I have been meaning to post about for a couple days.  I mentioned awhile back (way back here) about my thought of a goal to run a half marathon in each of the 50 states but never really followed up on if The Husband thought I was nuts or not.  Well, turns out he didn't, and he is actually liking the idea of checking out all the states.  Also, although he said he would never run a half, I actually have talked him into running some with me! Exciting!  So, I have begun making my list for all the half marathons I want to run in each state.  I have a semi-finished list at this point but soon I will put a tab at the top so I can add to it.

After thinking about this goal, and how long it could take, and the fact that I could keel over one day and never finish (kidding), I decided that I wanted another goal that would happen sooner!  Enter 35 before 35! I really wanted to do 30 before 30 but we are just transitioning to being a single income family so that I can homeschool the kids. Considering that I will be 30 in 2 years and around 2 months, there aren't all that many half marathons within driving distance so travel/hotels would be included a lot, we decided that 35 before 35 would be more manageable.  It averages out to around 4 a year so the plan is to do 2 out of state toward my 50 state goal and 2 that are local.

Another exciting thing is that this allows us to re-do any race we really like and try other races in Ohio without me stressing that we should be doing a race out of state to put it toward my 50 state goal.

Here's the list for this coming year, I believe:

November 2013:   Marshall Half Marathon                                        Huntington, WV
March 2014:         Just a Short Run Half Marathon                            Allison Park, PA
May 2014:            The Flying Pig 3-way (5k,10k,Half)                     Cincinnati, OH
                                            OR
                             The Indy Mini Marathon                                       Indianapolis, IN
September 2014:   Twilight Red Rock Half Marathon                         Las Vegas, NV
October 2014:       Nationwide Children's Hospital Half Marathon      Columbus, OH


I am excited to start doing all of these races! Luckily 2 of those are within driving distance and one is being incorporated into our vacation.  I am also excited to say that The Husband has some running friends in Vegas who we think will run the Vegas run with us.  It has a 1000ft elevation gain in the 1st 5 miles, though, so that should be fun. Orrr something like that!

This weekend, The Husband and I are running the Biggest Loser 10k in Charleston, Wv.  I am pretty excited to run my first race with him and to do another race.  I was having withdraws =).

Anybody have a half marathon they want to recommend for me to add to my list?
Has anyone run any of the Biggest Loser races? 
 
Happy Running!

Getting Back in the Groove...

I still haven't gotten together a post about vacation but I am itching to write so here I am.  =) We are supposed to get a huge storm tonight similar to the one we got in late June last year.  It has the possibility of turning into a Derecho (Long lasting, straight, damaging winds) also like last year.  It's pretty frustrating and I am kicking myself that we didn't buy a generator earlier this year when we were considering it.  Last year we were without electric a total of 5 days and some others in my county were without for 14-15 days.  It was pretty crazy.  People were rushing to anywhere that said they had ice because places were running out really quickly when they got it in and they had bag limits on what you could buy.  The husband is supposed to stop today and pick a bunch up for our deep freezer.  Luckily last year my mom, who lives an hour away, wasn't affected and she and my step dad brought me their generator to use and we could run a couple fans and the fridge... Here's hoping it's not as bad.  Anyway, that is why I am wanting to get a post out there in case my electric goes out for a few days! On to the actual topic of this post!!

I am having SUCH a hard time running regularly without having a schedule to follow and something specific to train for! When I was training for The Flying Pig I was really focused.  If I missed a run, I was sure to make it up because I knew it was a bad idea to miss training runs when I was going to be running 13 miles in the near future.  Now I have this 10k coming up on June 29th that I am excited about but for some reason my motivation is waning.  I think mostly because I know that I can run the race without super scheduled training and I am not expecting to get the time that I want because I apparently suck at running in the heat.  My next half is in November so in August I will start a training program again to get ready for that but until then I have been doing terribly.

While we were on vacation we had a total of 6 days.  2 of those were partial days because of travel with 4 whole days at the beach.  Of those 4 days- I ran 3 of them.  There is something wonderful for motivation about just being able to ride down the elevator and take off running with no worries of being run over by crazy drivers since there is a nice sidewalk/exercise trail as well as a bike lane when that runs out.  Here at home, if I want to run somewhere that I don't have to worry about those things I have to drive somewhere.  I wish I wasn't so worried about how people drive because there are actually some decent back roads but people drive these curvy, hilly, can't-hardly-see-anything roads wayyyyy too fast and there are no berms...

 

The road in the background there is a pretty good representation except it doesn't show the huge hill to the right and the blind curve you hit when you continue down the road to the left of me.  Last year when we were running that road the husband and I both almost got hit by some j*rk who refused to get over even a little bit even though nothing was coming the opposite direction.  On top of that we live in fairly small towns so basically 5 miles is all you can eek out and after that you have to loop or run up and down streets.  It's annoying....

Anyway, I haven't been too successful at getting up super early like I have wanted since I have such a hard time getting to sleep at night.  Generally I have been getting to town at around 8am and because of stretching and getting situated to leave it is probably 15 after before I even get started.  I really, really need to attempt to get out the door by 7 or so. 

Ok, so this is apparently turning into a whining post because I have yet another reason my motivation is suffering. My 3 mile, 5 mile, and 6 mile paths are all fairly desolate on bike paths surrounded by woods. The drug/crime problem is escalating fairly badly in this area which is one of the reasons we are trying to get a fast pass out of here.  I have a CCW license and in the winter I run with protection but I have noticed it is harder to carry with summer clothing.  

If you have made it this far through my whining you get a gold star!  I am not usually one to whine without trying to do something to fix it, so here is my plan:

1) I am going to break out my half marathon program and jump back to week 6 or so and start working forward again.  I figure this will keep me on track fairly well and that way when I start in August for my fall half I can focus on improving my speed because my endurance should be there.

2) I am going to hit mapmyrun.com and attempt to map a few more routes to follow through town.  Don't know how successful this will be but I am going to give it a go!

3) I am going to try to get to bed by around 10pm to make it easier to get up in the morning instead of my normal 12-1am.  I figure after a couple days of getting up early it won't be that difficult to get myself in bed by 10pm =)

In all, I hope that I can get into a good groove again because I don't want to lose what I have gained over the last few months running!

Happy Running!!

Notes on Weightloss and a Spartan Race Entry Winner!

This post is one that has been rolling around in my head for awhile.  This is something that I have struggled with for probably most of my life.  Right around the summer between my 8th grade year and high school I started gaining weight.  My mom had major knee surgery and I spent a lot of time on the couch with her that summer.  It was not good for my weight AT ALL.  I spent most of my high school years being overweight.  I was pretty miserable.  Then, at the beginning summer my junior year I found out that I was got into college a year early and I would be attending a local university in the fall rather than my high school.  I took that as my chance.  Mom and I both took the summer to work hard and lose the weight we had gained and we both did it!  I started college as a new person and felt so much better about myself.

Me in the back. Christmas 1998. Right before the summer where I started gaining.

Unfortunately, that was not the last I would see about that weight.  See, I was always losing my weight on crash diets that would help me lose fast but I would gain back just as fast with usually some more tacked on. I have been on a path of gaining and losing over and over since that summer before my senior year 11 years ago.  Just last year at this time I was closing in on my goal weight once again, The Husband left to work out of town, and in the 11 months he was gone I gained everything back I had lost plus 10lbs.

Junior Prom May 2002- about where I was all of high school weight-wise.  Also right before I started losing.

I am DETERMINED that this is the last time I am going to see this weight.  I have finally spoken with the right people and I am doing this the right way.  No more crash diets for me, I am now eating my BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) and doing well.  I was very skeptical of eating the amount of calories my BMR suggested.  Back in the end of February/beginning of March of this year I was eating anywhere between 900-1100 calories and I was well into my half marathon training program.  My weight loss had stalled and I was feeling frustrated.  I spoke with some people who told me about BMR.  In case you don't know, it is the amount of calories your body burns on a daily basis just doing things it HAS to do like digestion and breathing.  Basically, it's what you would burn if you just laid in bed all day and existed.  These wonderful women figured my BMR for me and set me on the way of eating almost 1600 calories a day.  I was so worried I would gain eating that much.  I mean who eats more to lose weight?! I gave it 2 weeks.

October 2005- Healthy weight I had maintained since 2002

August 2009- About a week after my 2nd baby in 16 months was born

That was almost 3 months ago and I am still continually and consistently losing with this program in addition to exercise. I have had some setbacks and fluctuations here and there but when I am watchful I am getting a steady loss. I am glad that I am finally focusing on healthy eating and lifestyle changes rather than quick weight loss that comes right back. I am now less than a pound away from hitting the 20lb weight loss mark this time around.  20lbs I hope to never ever see again!  Only about 30 more to go.

 

May 2011- 15lbs from goal weight

November 2012-beginning of this round of weight loss

May 2013- Most current picture.

Sorry for all the pictures! I am trying to document this for myself as well and remind myself where I never want to be again!

And now for the WINNER of the Spartan Race Entry!! Congratulations...Teresa Daujotis Millstone! Go conquer the Spartan race! Please check your email!

Has anyone else struggled with weight loss?
What's the craziest fad diet you have heard of? 

Running with Friends and Other Randomness

Shew! The giveaways have piled up on me (a good thing) and I have 3 still waiting in the wings BUT I feel like that I haven't gotten to write about anything that has been bouncing around in my head for awhile! So here goes...

Running with Friends

I really, really, really wish there were some sort of running group in my area. Something like Moms Run This Town, Team in Training, or even just a local running club.  Of course, since I live in the middle of nowhere with very few people, there just aren't any.  I have thought of looking into what it would take to start one but I don't even know where to go with that as I honestly don't even know anyone else who runs locally besides The Husband and I.  On occasion I will pass someone in town but it really doesn't happen often.

Then there is the rub to that idea.  I don't know if I would be very good at running with someone.  Largely I have been running alone or with The Husband but he and I don't really run together.  We start at the same time, in the same place, but we go our own paces and tend to spread out after the first half mile or so.  I really liked running with the pacers at the race and honestly I think that is the only time I have run with anyone at a certain pace and talked while running.  It was fun catching up with someone who was also a runner but I think that I need to find someone who runs my average pace, maybe? I know it sounds terrible but if I were relying on it to be a training run I don't know if I would want to put the effort into socializing as well as staying at a slower pace or pushing myself too hard at a faster pace.  Is that bad of me?  Even with all of that I wish there were a group I could jump in with maybe once a week for just a fun run that I wouldn't time myself or worry about distance and just enjoy running with someone.

 Training

I haven't gotten in nearly as many runs as I would like since the Flying Pig.  I think I have only run 3 times in the last 2 weeks? Not acceptable!! We have the Run For Your Lives mud run this coming Saturday (so excited!) but I really need to get some longer runs in the coming weeks.  I want to try to improve my 10k time over the month of June before the Biggest Loser 10k.  It is June 29th and while I am not 100% sure what I want my time to be for sure I know that I want it to be fairly close to an hour.  With the heat coming on pretty strong I think that I am going to have to finally make the shift, at least on some of my workouts, to being a morning person. I am not sure how that is going to work out for me but I know that I want to try to start setting the alarm for 6am at least 1-2 days a week for an early morning run.

Summer

I am SO happy that summer is finally here! The one thing I am worried about is that this is my first summer running and I have really enjoyed the 50ish degree weather to run in and I have to say the heat isn't my friend.  I will get used to it, I'm sure, but for now it's a bit annoying.  Hopefully those early morning runs will give me a bit of relief.  Our summer activities are about to start up: Summer reading program, waterpark passes, vacation, riding lessons, possibly swim lessons. We should stay nice and busy!

I think I am going to do a 2 mile run tonight.  I think it's going to be the last run that short for awhile hopefully.  I am always nervous about losing my endurance!

Happy Running!

Do you want to be a Kindrunner?

I was given a very exciting opportunity that I want to tell you all about! I have gotten the chance to be an ambassador for Kindrunner.com.  As soon as I heard about it I knew this was something I had to be involved with.


What is Kindrunner? Kindrunner is going to be launching June 1st and is a groundbreaking idea in terms of online shoe buying.  Have you ever wondered what to do with your old running shoes?  We all know that we risk injury if we push our shoes past the suggested mileage for running but what if you could pass those shoes onto someone who needed them?  That is what Kindrunner.com is proposing.  A quote from the email from Joe, a founder of Kindrunner.com, "Your old shoes may not last another long run, but they would go the distance in changing someone else's life for the better!" Isn't that something great to stand behind?

The premise of the site is for you to be able to visit their website, choose a new running shoe, send them your old running shoes in exchange for "Kindness Cash Rewards" toward the purchase of your new running shoes. Something even better? There is free shipping each way! Your new shoes to you and your old shoes to Kindrunner! Your old shoes will be going to charities including Soles for Souls and the More Foundation.

In addition to all of that you are going to have a top of the line running store at your fingertips.  All of the employees of Kindrunner.com have worked on the showroom floor of running stores so they have expertise in what works for runners.  They are fellow runners, racers and plan to have detailed "expert reviews" and videos of each shoe they are going to offer to help you choose the exact shoe for you. Can't quite choose after watching the video and reading the review? Then you can take advantage of the live chat option or their phone line where an expert will help you with your needs.

Then, to top it all off, they will be using environmentally friendly packaging and shipping materials in order to leave a smaller footprint on the environment.  So not only are you keeping your shoes from the landfill where they will take 90-100 years to decompose, but you are also keeping the excess packing materials from the landfill as well.

Want more information about kindrunner.com or just want to check it out for yourself?  The links below will lead you to their various social media platforms!  I suggest you go like them and get involved with this amazing movement.

o       Facebook: http://facebook.com/kindrunner
o       Twitter: https://twitter.com/beAkindrunner
o       Instagram: http://instagram.com/beakindrunner
o       Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/Kindrunner

Oh! As an extra incentive for liking kindrunner on facebook they are giving away shoes for a year to someone (and a friend of their choosing if that friend likes them as well) when they reach 500 likes! So go like them! =)

Happy Running!

Reebok Spartan Race! (It's a GIVEAWAY!)

So, The Husband and I are venturing into the world of mud running for the first time this weekend.  We are really excited to get muddy and try out some obstacles.  However, it's not the Spartan Race, and this thing looks AWESOME! What a better way to test your limits than the race that was rated the #1 obstacle race by Outdoor magazine??


This series looks TOUGH.  They have 4 different levels: The Spartan Sprint, Spartan Super, Spartan Beast, and the Spartan Death Race (Sounds intimidating, huh?).  It should, this is their description from their FAQ page.

"What's the difference between Spartan Sprint, Super, Beast, and Death Races?

There are some staples in our repertoire. There are also some venue specific and terrain inspired obstacles.
We will not, however, spell it out for you. As well, you will get no course map to inspect. There is fire, mud, water, barbed wire, and occasionally Hell on Earth.
There WILL be obstacles to catch you off guard. Curve balls, so to speak.
Get over it.
We’re here to rip you from your comfort zone. If you need a road map for each step of the way, then maybe this race isn’t for you." 

 Basically it boils down to:

What is a Spartan Sprint? 3+ MILES / 15+ OBSTACLES
What is a Super Spartan? 8+ MILES / 20+ OBSTACLES
What is The Spartan Beast? 12+ MILES / 25+ OBSTACLES
What the #$%! is The Death Race?

source
 

 Their mission is also one that I am on board with!

"Spartan Race is on a mission to get you active, healthy, excited about change, and return to our ancient roots where running through woods, getting dirty, and facing adversity was part of everyday life. Our events are all about challenging today’s perception of normal."

Think that you have what it takes to push your boundaries and be a Spartan? I think you do! And what better way to celebrate that super strength than with a free entry to a Spartan race near you! Enter below in the rafflecopter to win a free entry to a race that has not sold out near you!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


**Disclaimer: I was contacted by Spartan Race to do this giveaway.  I was not compensated in any way. 

Rock City Skirts Review & GIVEAWAY!

Look at this package of absolute happiness I got in the mail!  Isn't it beautiful?  This gem is from Rock City Skirts and I am in love! I am new to the running skirts world but who doesn't want to add some sparkle and shine to a run? I know sparkle always makes me a happy girl!

Photo Source

Last weekend while I was waiting in the start corral at the Flying Pig I looked over and saw the cutest skirt on a girl not far from me.  I just HAD to ask her where it was from. Her answer? Rock City Skirts, of course!

This is what she was wearing! Pretty in Pink

The next day, I was on Rock City Skirt's Website to see what other skirts they offered and I wanted them all! She offers solid color skirts, skirts for costumes, multi- colored options, as well as a "design your own" option for custom creations.

The best part of this whole company is that Amy is a runner herself and this company started when she wanted a way to express herself in races.  These skirts definitely make a statement and I can't wait to wear mine in a race!

So, on to the review!  Since this skirt is made by a runner, for runners, she knows the important aspects of the skirt.  It doesn't ride up, it's comfortable, and you have room to move while also not being to floppy (for lack of a better term).

So pretty and Sparkly

  I took mine out for a run the day after of opening the package and I am VERY happy with it.  The elastic waistband is very comfortable and not too tight and I felt great in it the entire run. The one thing to note about these skirts- they do not have shorts built in underneath so you need to wear tights or shorts underneath.  I wore my UA compression shorts.

I am loving the color of the one I chose.  I went with the Black/Silver option because I like to be able mix up my outfits and wear any shirt I happen to pull out of the closet and a neutral bottom helps with that since I don't have many neutral shirts.

Another thing that caught my eye from the website is that they offer children's sizing on the skirts as well.  My Curly is salivating over my skirt so I think she will have one in her hands soon as well.  I am looking for another race for her and she will love to sparkle while she runs.

In all, I think that you need to head over to the website and check out all of the options.  If you are looking to complete a costume or just make a statement in your next race or on a run Rock City Skirts is a top option!

Do you want one? Of course you do!! Enter using the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win one solid color skirt from Rock City Skirts!

Giveaway ends on 5/26 and winner will be announced on the blog on 5/27! Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway **I was not required to give a positive review.  I was provided a skirt to review for my honest opinion**

Why I Run

I have been thinking a lot about why I decided to run recently.  Who in their right mind, that has never been a runner in their life, decides to pick up running? And not just running but half marathons and hopefully soon to be marathons as well?

When I think about it I have actually always wanted to be a runner but I always lacked motivation for the follow through.  Looking back on my student teaching I remember mentioning to a fellow teacher that I would like to run a half marathon someday.  Even further back, in college, I remember going to the gym and just being happy I survived a mile.  Over these years I have been in different stages of weight/shape and somehow running never "clicked."

Then, last year, I decided I HAD to do something about my weight.  I had gained a lot with my first child and at that point I was already on a mission to lose weight.  6 months following my son being born I was pregnant with my daughter.  It took me probably a 9 months or so to really get on board to losing weight after she was born and I was FINALLY within about 15lbs of my first (and possibly final) goal depending on how I felt at that weight. I had started running for the first time, was up to about 3 miles, and was feeling good. Then my husband left town for work and I started gaining all of what I had lost back.  It was completely my fault because I had fallen into bad eating and exercise habits again and it took awhile to pull myself out of that hole.

Then December came and I had decided to watch my intake and then The Husband got my treadmill for me for Christmas and I was able to start running again. I have steadily upped my mileage since and ran 2-5ks and ran my first half marathon 10 days ago.  I do have to say that losing weight was one of the primary reason for me wanting to run.

However, in reality that is not my main reason for wanting to run and thus lose weight.  These guys are!

I want to be healthy and active for them.  I want to teach them a healthy lifestyle and how to have a healthy relationship with food.  I am finally on my way back down in my weight and I am glad to have running to help with that.  At this point, I don't just run to lose weight but I truly enjoy it! I love the feeling I get after a run and the feeling of my feet hitting the pavement during.  It really is a "runner's high" and I am glad that I finally actualized my dreams of becoming a runner.

These kiddos see The Husband and I eating healthy, working out, and teaching them the importance of those things.  I am glad that is something I am able to pass on to them so they, hopefully, don't struggle as I have getting to this point. They need and deserve a healthy Mama (and Daddy) and we are doing everything we can to make sure that is exactly what they get!

Flying Pig Weekend- Part 1

I have to say that this weekend was AMAZING! We had such a great time and my husband is already talking about going back again next year. =)

We started our weekend on Friday afternoon. Around 12 the house/dog sitter showed up and we got on the road. Cincinnati is about 2.5 hours away and we wanted to get to the expo while the kids were still fresh and we may be able to look around without them getting crazy. Those of you with preschoolers probably know about how well that worked out for us!

We ended up getting into the expo at around 3. We picked up our race bibs and got the papers filled out to sign the kiddos up for their piglet runs on Saturday. They were so excited about racing. It was pretty cute. After I filled out their paperwork we went to sign the Boston Strong banner. The boys ended up not signing but Curly and I did. She is getting so big.

 After this we walked through the maze they had set up, looked at all the vendors, spoke with team in training, had the KT tape guy retape my foot for me, and tried lots of yummy snacks they were giving away.

These were pretty delicious.  We also tried the Cranberry Apple and Tropical fruit varieties.

The kids were pretty good through the expo minus a few mishaps because they were getting pretty tired.  We ended up finding a handheld bottle for The Husband to carry on his runs and a 13.1 magnet for my car to put on after the race.  I would have to say that we did pretty well on our goal to not go overboard at the expo.

After the expo we headed over to the hotel to check in and figure out what we were going to do for dinner. We were in bed pretty early, maybe around 9:30, since we had to be up at 6:00 to get to the 10k on time on Saturday.

The Toyota 10K:

The Husband was running the 10k Saturday Morning.  It started at 8am and we probably got there around 7am, I think.  We had a fairly close parking spot and hung out at the start with him.  They took off right on time and the kids and I headed down to watch him cross the finish line.  On the way there we had to get some pictures by the river.

if you look REALLY close the bottom right picture shows the runners across the river in Ky.

After this we looped around a block so we could get into a good position to keep an eye out for The Husband.  We got there in time to watch the first person to cross around 33 minutes.  I knew we should be watching for him around the 1:15 mark because that is about what he had been running at home.  Boy, was i wrong! He came in at the 1:07 mark!  He did awesome and is now looking for a new PR!

After we reunited with the Husband we headed over to the Family Fun area where they had some fun stuff set up for the kids and where the Piglet Runs were going to take place. We were there super early so there were no crowds at the beginning.  They had free chair massages, a greyhound adoption place, a play area, free hotdogs, Skyline Chili, and a few games at various other vendors.  We let the kids play for awhile and then, realizing we had a lot of time to kill, we decided to go down by the river for a walk.  The kids loved watching all the boats.

 

Then, with even MORE time to kill we decided to walk across the bridge but as we were heading that way we got distracted by a park.  It was really pretty and had the perfect thing to occupy my Rex.  A timeline that had descriptions and years of all kinds of prehistoric animals and plants!

Rex reading about an Apatosarus

 By the time we walked the whole timeline and back it was time to head over for their races.  Curly is 3 so she was first out of the kiddos and ran a 25yard race.

Rex is 5 and ran the 50 yard race.

They both had a blast and had huge smiles on their faces after finishing.  They have caught the bug! It was such a fun family day and I can see us going back in the future.  I know they kids are wanting to do more races as well!