I really didn't fall off the face of the earth!

Ok, it's been a while since my last post... and posts have been scarce in the last few month.

I really didn't fall off the face of the earth!  Just a short post today to keep you all in the loop on the crazy last month!

But don't worry, I have not been just sitting around!  Over the last few months, I took a step back and gave myself a break from running.  After the beating that I put myself through last summer, I needed scale things back a bit.  Time to focus on some strength training for a while Not to mention all of the craziness of the holidays that we all have!  

 I am still at the gym 4-5 days a week, if not more (yes you may have seen Facebook posts or Tweets about these or  snippets on Instagram.  I may not be putting in the miles, but these workouts make up for that!

 We spent New Years Eve with awesome friends, both new and old! This was the first time in several years that we were able to host NYE at our house.  Unfortunately several friends had to miss the fun due to the beloved flu bug that was going through the area.

I have made amends with the dreadmill and although I still don't LIKE it,  I know that I have learned to tolerate it! So far, I have managed to pull off a 4 mile dreadmill run, but I am sure that more are to come.

We even headed up north for a weekend filled with hockey at the two schools that my husband and I each went to!  Was fun to be back in both arenas watching both teams play!  It was a lot of driving and several late nights, but it was worth being able to introduce my son to the two hockey teams that I spent my high school years watching!

 I have also done more tweaking on my nutrition and started making a few more small changes. Each weekend, a portion of my time is spent prepping my breakfasts and lunches for the week.  I have managed to only have to go out for lunch once so far this month!

Then it was off for a quick trip to Chicago to meet part of the crew that I am running the Chicago Ragnar with this summer!  Yes, I have joined forces with a crew (thanks to my Twitter Friend Jenn), mostly from the Chicago area, to run from Madison to Chicago this summer - on my Birthday!  Although I have only met part of the team, this already promises to be a weekend to remember!

So now, we are 3 weeks into January, Half marathon training is underway and it's time to start putting on some miles.  Just one last hurdle in the way before that can happen though...  I found out last month that I need to have sinus surgery to correct a severely deviated and also tilted septum.  That all happens on Thursday.  Yes, little nervous about the surgery, but in the end if it helps be breathe better, I'm not going to complain!  Also very curious on how this plays into the whole breathing while I am running concept!

The 7-10 days post surgery are going to be rough - no work, no running, no gym... EEEEK!  But on the bright side - time to catch up on a bunch of those movies that I have been wanting to watch but have not had the time!  My Netflix cue will be my new best friend for the week. 

2015 is off to a fun start, with awesome family, great friends and plans to be made!   Lets make it great!

What are you doing to make this a year to remember?

Another crazy week and even crazier weekend!

Another crazy week has come and gone!  

One of my favorite quotes lately has been "Get comfortable with Being uncomfortable" This past week I definitely got out of my comfort zone and tried a few new things!

Last week on Thursday, my friend Colleen invited me to Bootcamp at her gym.  1st class was free and then they also offer the next full week of classes free too... so now was my chance to try a few new classes!

Monday night it was Insanity!  Now, I didn't get a change to get a picture of us after this workout - and that is probably a good thing!  I am sure I was looking mighty fine!  I managed to make it through the class with minimal  modifications, but yes, I did have to modify some.  I left knowing that I pushed it to my fullest potential!

New fitness adventures for the week

Tuesday morning I hit the 5:15am circuit at the gym, my favorite way to get my day started!  Nothing like a good workout to get the body moving!  Then Tuesday night was PIYO class with Colleen and Cat.  All I can say is WOW!  I felt like Gumby a few times, being twisted in all kinds of different directions!  It was really awesome to get some yoga mixed into the routine!  I can tell how adding this to my normal routine would be a huge benefit to helping me with my flexibility and balance.  

Tuesday Morning wake-up call!

Wednesday I opted to sleep in a bit and just hit the gym after work.  The workout was nothing to sneeze at either!  Strength Circuits!  Full on arm workout that left me with nothing left after all those rounds.  Floor presses, Seasaw presses, Below Deck push-ups and BosuBall Side Planks... But when those rounds were done, it was time for the "extra credit"... 30lb kettle bell in each hand, walking around the gym for 5 minutes! 

Doesn't seem like anything too bad, but anytime you either dropped or set down your kettle bells, you had to stop and do 10 push-ups.  Don't put your kettle bells down, you don't have to do any more push-ups.  I was determined NOT to do anymore push-ups!  I spent my 5 minutes walking around both the strength and Circuit sides of the gym, making laps through the entire gym.  My arms were burning but I was not stopping!

In the end I managed to do my entire 5 minutes without having to do any pushups!  Granted I couldn't lift my arms for another 5 minutes, but I did it!

All the toys were out at the gym on Wednesday!

Thursday night was the final free class for me at Energy Fitness & Dance and it was truly memorable!  It was Bootcamp night again!  Last week, everything we did was with tires... this week it was pumpkins!  

Over the course of the hour, we bonded with our pumpkins, squated with them, lunged with them, dragged then around the room on carpet squares.  The tires from last week were probably jealous of these beloved pumpkins!

Pumpkin Bootcamp!

Friday was break time!  My son had the day off from school and I needed a break and had a bunch of stuff that I wanted to get done, so I took the day off from work!  It was really a treat to be able to sleep in - even if that meant that I was still awake by 7:30am, it was past 4:30 so I was not going to complain!

Plus, my new running tights finally arrived!  Just in time for Saturday's Door County Fall 50 relay adventure!  But that is a whole new post... so stay tuned for those adventures!

On another fun note!! ENERGYbits is running a special promotion right now called BITS for BIBS: 

To celebrate your success and commitment to a lifestyle of running and working hard to achieve your fitness goals, the ENERGYbits team would like to congratulate you with some fun swag and a chance to brag!

All you need to do is:

1. Email Emily Pettengill  (epettengill@energybits.com) a photo of one or more of your 2014 race bibs and your twitter handle.

2. In the subject line of the email put “BITS for BIBS”.

3. Immediately (or within 48 hours of emailing Emily), place your next order on www.energybits.com.  

Don't forget to use the code RenegadeRunner for a 25% discount!!

4. The ENERGYbits team will include a SWAG Bag (value $50.00) when they receive your order.

5. They will post your bib photo on a promotion card and Tweet it!

Don’t delay! This promotion will only run for a few weeks!
[Please Note: they can only send one SWAG Bag per person. Thanks!]

Below is a sneak peak of what you might find in your SWAG bag!!

___________________________________________________________

Chicago, Running, good friends and Ice Cream! Combining for a perfect weekend!

The weekend that we have been waiting for all summer was finally here!

Friday Morning, Darci, Robin and myself hit the road and drove to Kenosha to catch the train to Chicago!  Our ultimate destination?  The Women Rock Chicago Half Marathon!  When Robin put out a call to her female running friends this past spring, I was quick to hop on board for this awesome weekend!  Before long, we talked Darci into coming along - at first to run the 10k, but then she changed her mind and decided that this was going to be her 1st half marathon!  This weekend's race would also launch my Half Fanatics status from Neptune to Saturn!  4 Half Marathons within 37 days!

Waiting for the train in Kenosha

 The best thing about taking the train into the city... not having to drive downtown Chicago!!!  We caught the early train and were in the city by 10:30am!  Plenty of time to get checked into the hotel and enjoy the city for the afternoon!  We walked the mile and a half from the train station to out hotel, stopping to snap a few pictures along the way, enjoying the warm sun and cool breeze.

Trump tower, overlooking the river

 I will have to say that my Marriott Rewards status worked to our benefit this weekend!  We were upgraded to a room on the 33rd floor with an awesome view of the city!  Was definitely a different experience going to sleep with the sounds of the city so far below you!

 Once we got settled in to the hotel, we figured it was time to start our afternoon adventure!  We had a 2.5 mile walk from the hotel to the Nature Museum in Lincoln park for packet pick up, and find lunch somewhere along the way!  Walking up Rush street was just as much about people watching as it was checking out some of the local restaurants to figure out where we wanted to eat!  Needless to say before we knew it, we were past all the restaurants and into the residential area closer to the park.  So, it was picking up packets before food!

 The expotiquie was actually a lost smaller than I thought it would be... I guess I was expecting a little more since it was Chicago, but then again, I'm not really sure how big I was expecting.   We looked through the few booths that were there, made a few purchases and were on our way!  Time to hike back to the hotel and find lunch somewhere along the way!

Of course, I had to spot the Ghiradelli store when we were walking back up Michigan Ave... so we had to stop... and buy chocolate!  This was going to be interesting if I am starting my 21 day sugar detox on Monday!  Either I was going to have a stomach ache from eating a half pound of chocolate in 2 days, or I was going to have them staring at me for the next 3 weeks!  Oh well!

Small Cobb Salad for lunch!

We actually ended up eating lunch across the street from the hotel at California Pizza Kitchen and then heading to Trader Joes around the block to pick up some munchies and breakfast foods!   Lunch was awesome, but dessert was even better!   It was the perfect shared dessert for us after all that walking!

Salted Caramel pudding

The rest of Friday was extremely relaxing as we just lazed around the hotel.  I don't even think we turned the TV on all weekend when we were in the room!  It was just nice to kick back and relax after the 9 miles we ended up walking today (mile calculations are all thanks to Darci's fitbit).  After a quick dinner at Big Bowl (again right around the corner from the hotel), I think we were all asleep by 9pm!  We were joking at one point about the fact that here we were, in Chicago on a Friday night and we all were in bed before some people were starting their evening!  But the alarms were going off early!!

How many shades of pink can I wear for one race?

With alarms going off early and taxi's to catch to get to the start line, we didn't waste time in the morning!  Time to run Chicago! We were actually at the start line  with plenty of time to relax, and just enjoy the morning, but then it was time to get down to business!

 Overall, the first half of the race was pretty good for me, there were however several things over the course of the morning that I was not really keen on.  At first, I was keeping a decent pace and the cooler temperature made it easy to enjoy the amazing scenery of running along the lakeshore! However, once I hit about half way, the warmer temperatures started to get the best of me.  The lack of adequate water stations was also becoming evident.  Granted I always run longer distances with water, so I was not completely relying on the aid station, but today was one of those days that the extra would have been appreciated!

Coming back south towards the city

As you can see from the above photo, this was also NOT a closed course.  I actually lost count of how many times I was almost run over by a cyclist, even when I was clearly on my side of the running path, or came upon a large group of runners (not part of this race) that had no intention of sharing the path... oh yeah, don't forget about the rollerbladers that seemed to think it was fun to literally come up right behind you and then zoom past withing inches of you!

It was easy to find Darci and Robin when I got the the finish line - there were sitting in the grass just past the medals and water waiting for me!  Robin kicked out another awesome 2hour run and Darci rocked this course and hit a sub 2:30 time for her 1st HF!

In the end, this ended up being my slowest half marathon of 2014.  Official race time = 2:40:37, but I finished! It was awesome to be part of Darci's first ever half marathon.  The course although beautiful (who doesn't love running along the lake!) but the open course and the lack of water stations left me with a not so fuzzy feeling about this one!  I heard wonderful things about this race from other friends of mine that ran it in the Twin Cities a few weeks ago, so I am thinking that it was just a fluke here in Chicago, but still makes for a tough day.

We stuck around the post race party long enough to get our pendants, medals, champagne and calendars! We were also a little disappointed in the fact that there were only about 4 of the calendar models around the finish line area! Isn't that why we ran this one?  The hot guys at the end?  There was one handing out the pendants at the finish line, one by the Women Rock car and then 2 at another photo spot.  Oh well, by this time we were just ready to go back and relax, find showers and eventually find food!

After a relaxing afternoon hanging out in the lobby, utilizing the free wifi, charging our phones and more people watching, dinner was a no brainer - had to be pizza... delivered to us in the lobby!  OMG!  I forgot how good a true Chicago Deep Dish pizza was!  2 slices tho, and I was stuffed, but oh so worth it!

The my twitter friend Jenn came into town to pick us up to take us for ice cream!  Now we are not one to have to pass up on ice cream, but we were not expecting the treat we got.  We were expecting some run of the mill ice cream shop like several of the local places here.  Nope!

Jenn and I finally meeting after months of tweets!

We ended up at Margies Candies.  Apparently this is her and her families favorite ice cream stop in the entire city... and I can see why!  The sundaes were awesome - but then when isn't homemade hot fudge not awesome?  It was awesome to get to hang out with Jenn, her daughter and sister even if just for a bit. After a long day, it was the perfect way to unwind!

Sunday morning, we all slept in!  Yes, we actually slept past 7am!  Granted it helped that we closed the room darkening blinds to keep the morning sun out!  After munching on some leftover pizza, banana's and other random stuff we had left in our room, we headed out to catch a few more sights of the city before we headed back to the train station.

Morning Spark, Women rock style!  :)

 Although we only planned on heading out for a short walk to Millennium Park to visit the Bean, we ended up walking another 6 miles, taking in Millenium Park, Grant Park, Buckingham Fountain, then back up the lake shore to Navy Pier before heading back to the hotel to do last minute packing and heading to the train station!

The weekend may have been over and we had to head back to reality, it was a weekend that I will never forget!  Spending time with the girls, in Chicago, Running my 5th Half Marathon for 2014 and laughing so hard that my abs will never forget... Priceless!

 Over the course of 3 days, we figured that we put in 33 miles on our feet - 13..1 running and about 20 walking!  Guess it's a good thing because between the ice cream, pizza and chocolate, there were a few extra calories out there to burn!

 This was the second weekend adventure the 3 of us had this year and I look forward to whatever adventure head our way next!  Just one more reason that I love my gym - without Fitness Renegades, I may never had met either of these awesome women who share the same crazy love of running, fitness and travel!

Next stop for us... I guess you will just have to wait and see!  We are bringing more Renegade friends on the next adventure!

Ty's Weekend Warrior Insanity Sessions - I won't let them kill me!

Yes, these workouts are crazy, some even say insane, but I keep going back for more!  They push me to do things that I never thought I could do... and probably would never have tried! Ty, this post is just for you!  You come up with some crazy workouts, push us to do some crazy things, but in the end, I really do look forward to the weekends that I can actually get in to the gym and see you!

People have often asked what these crazy workouts consist of, so I cam going to try and post some of them out here when I have a chance (especially the really "Special" i.e insane ones!)

Some of us joke with him every weekend that he is trying to kill us! (we all cringe is we see him walking around the gym with a deck of cards - but we will save that for another day!)  Hence the headbands that I got for Darci and I!   However... even if we think he is trying to kill us, we are the ones that keep going back week after week!  We are a special kind of crazy and I wouldn't have it any other way!

This past weekend, was not different!  Well, maybe it was a little different... I was originally going to head in for the 9am class, getting in my workout, heading home to shower and then hit the road for a weekend of camping.  at 5:30am Saturday morning, I was wide awake.  So, I decided to just get up and got for a run INSTEAD of waiting to go to the gym.  I headed out and did a 3 mile tempo run through the neighborhood and was back home relaxing on my deck by 7am.

Now I was faced with a dilemma... what was I going to do now... everyone else was still sleeping.  I posted the above pic on FB and Ty was the first one to comment... "Class at 8,9 and 10?"  Hmmm...  I could make the 8am class and we would still be able to hit the road for the camper at decent time.  I shot a quick message off to Lisa to tell her I was thinking about hitting the 8am class instead if there was still room.  Before I could change my mind, she replied back that she was in.  There were 4 slots left for the 8am class (well, 3 since she already changed herself from the 9am to the 8am class).  Time to put the shoes back on and head out the door!  I got to they gym just as Ty was getting there and his first words were "hope you are ready for some fun today!"...  So in other words, I might be dreading that I hit the gym AFTER that run...  

Here goes nothing... It was total body challenge Saturday! 

 Yes, you read that right... 100 of EACH exercise listed in the orange.  The 3 listed on the left were to be done after you finished with everything else.  Yes that meant a total of 940 reps once all is said and done!   All within the 40 minute time limit!

Time to get busy.  We were allowed to break up our workout any way that we wanted, we just had to make sure that we completed all 100 of each exercise.  Lisa and I decided to divide it into 4 sections and do 25 of each (4 rounds total).  Granted, doing 100 squats at once is doable, but there is no way that I was going to attempt 100 push-ups in one go!

I was not going to let this workout get the best of me!  I pushed it with everything I had.  I was not going to let Ty's Crazy Insanity workout take me down!

In the end, I ended up finishing in 25:46!

Post workout... not dead yet!

He may have tried to kill me again today, but he has not succeeded yet!  Knowing I made it through that, after my 3 mile tempo run, was going to make a weekend of camping even that much more enjoyable!

Until next time... keep pushing it!  You will be glad that you did!

Pushing through vs listening to your body

As I have posted about before, change is inevitable.  Plans change all the time and we need to be able to adapt.  Many of these changes can be tough, both physically and mentally.  Doing what you know is right vs what you WANT to do can be tough. When do you push through the pain and when do you stop and listen to your body and slow down?

I know it's been a few weeks since I have posted and I apologize.  Some days it was enough just to keep my head above water!  My blog was one of those things that I just was not able to get to!  Trust me - it's not because I didn't want to.  But something had to give and time was not on my side.  Many nights, I opted for sleep instead of blogging... yup, I had to figure out some priorities!  I am going to work on a few posts to get you caught up on the marathon training

After a positive 8 mile run that I mentioned in my last post, I was given the ok to do 10 the following weekend. For the first time since Thanksgiving I was actually able to get out and run with my running partner Matt!  It was going to be a great morning!

Matt and I set out at a comfortable pace and were ready to enjoy the morning, but determined to make it back before the rain.  We crossed the bridge and hit the trail with a few hundred of our closest friends.  We kept a good pace and when we turned around at mile 5 (keeping my word to my PT that I would do no more than 10 miles).  I was feeling good and it was great to be running with Matt again.

At about mile 9, I started to feel my knee creeping up on me and knew that I didn't have much left.  The stubborn side of me came though and I pushed it through to the end.    Overall when I finished, I felt great and really was not in any pain.  I talked to the crew from myTEAM TRIUMPH for a few minutes and then Matt and I headed home.    I met up with Sir Felix (my foam roller that has become one of my new best friends) for some quality rolling time and followed it up with some ice.  Overall, I was sore, but nothing that I really was worried about.

Sunday morning rolled around and it was time for one of Ty's awesome Sunday Circuits at the gym.  Overall it should not have been a tough workout, compared to some of the adventures he puts us through.  Unfortunately, the burpees got the best of my by round 2.  The impact from the burpees was too much for my knee and I struggled to get through the 35 minutes.  I walked several of the laps and took it slow.  In the end I was proud of myself for finishing it and knowing that I made the adjustments that I needed to keep myself going.  I spent some time rolling and stretching at the gym before I left and was on my way.  Once I got into my car, the pain caught up to me.  I was nearly in tears by the time I got home.  My husband banned me to the couch with a bag of ice for the afternoon.  IT HURT!  I officially over did it and my body was voicing it's opinion.  If I can't even get through 10 miles without all this pain, how was I going to do 26.2 in just over a month?  I had some serious thinking about what was the reality of all of this.  My body was starting to rebel.  Was I biting off more than I can chew at this point?

On Monday, I shot off an email to my physical therapist and the other trainer that was covering stuff for her while she was on vacation.  I filled them in on what happened over the weekend and I was given strict orders to take the week off.  No running until after I saw Lisa again (not until Thursday) and no going to the gym.  They didn't want me to do anything that could potentially cause a flare up.

OMG!  It's bad enough to tell me that I can't run, but to tell me no gym either?

Like I told Nate, telling me not to run or go to the gym is like telling a 4 year old not to eat the bowl of candy that you left on the table.  Nate's response?  "eventually, you are going to take the candy away if the 4 year old does not listen"... Ok Nate, you got me there.    No running, no gym  UGH!

 Here's to a long week of trying to keep my mind off everything that I want to be doing...

Come on legs, butt and feet, lets get everything working together!!!  The adventure continues...

No Excuses!

The end of March has crept up on us way too fast!  It seems like it was just yesterday that we were dealing with sub zero temperatures, snow storms and making final preparations for out Spring Training Vacation.

Now it is the end of March, vacation is over and we are finally having warmer days!  Granted it will probably be July before we see green grass and can head to the beach - but it's a start!!

As I sit here and look back on the last month, it was definitely a roller coaster of a month.  I had some great runs, so not so great runs, shared a fabulous vacation with my
husband and some great friends... and had to face the fact that I needed to slow down and deal with an injury.

The statement above has really helped to keep me focused this month.  There were days that I had serious doubts about what I could do, questioned why I ever decided to sign up for a full marathon and was ready to just give up.  Then a statement like the one above would show up on my Facebook page or on my Twitter feed and remind me why set out on this journey.

For those of you that follow me on Facebook an/or twitter, you have seen me post about having to deal with this injury.  Any runner is prone to injury (and usually all deal with one at some time or another) and we all dread the words, "no running"... and hearing IT band is never a good thing to combine with that statement.  This was not a new injury to me.  I actually had IT band issues after the Fox Cities Half Marathon in 2012. With this race, my IT band issues were probably a direct result of trying to do too much, too fast.  I tried increasing my miles faster than I should have and thought could finish a half marathon without a lot of training - after all, I was planning on just walking most of it!  Wrong answer!  It actually took me over 7 months to feel comfortable running again. 

For those of you that are nor familiar with the IT band, yes you have one too!  In simple terms, it is a band that runs basically from your hip to your knee. It is key to helping stabilize the knee when running, biking, hiking and even weight lifting.  There are many factors that can contribute to IT band syndrome and at some point many runners end up dealing with either pain or injury that is IT band related.  

Icing my knee after my 17k in AZ

Now, 2 1/2 years later I started facing similar pain.  At first it just some minor pain after I would hit after running 8-10 miles.  I didn't think anything of it at first and just contributed it to the slow increase in miles during my marathon training schedule.  However, when the pain would creep up on my at the gym (some days squats got the best of me) I started looking at options.  I have some awesome trainers at the gym that started doing what they could to help me with additional strength training and modifying some things to try and keep me from aggravating it even more.  After doing a few long runs and spending time with ice packs all afternoon following a long run, and having to cut a 12 mile training run short because I started feeling the pain within the first few miles (I still pushed thru and finished 6 miles) I knew I need to do something.  

Thanks to the recommendation from a trusted fellow runner and his connections, I was connected with a fabulous Physical Therapist (who is also a runner!) to help me with a treatment plan and we are starting on the road to a better me, and a future will still see me as a runner.  Over the last few weeks I have learned that my pain this time is a result of not having all of my muscles working together like they should be.  All of my muscles in my legs are strong, except my glutes.  In the words of my Physical Therapist, all of the muscles in my legs are doing all the work and my glutes are just going along for the ride.  We need to wake them up and invite them to the party!  They need to start contributing to the effort!  We have a plan and with some hard work and dedication to this training plan, I know that I can come out on the other side, pain free and a stronger runner than I am today.

In the mean time, I have had to make some modifications to my training.  One of the hardest things that I have had to do in a long time was back out of running the Dick Lytie Half Marathon last weekend out at UWGB and only run the 5k.  Yes, I was bummed that I would not run the "big" miles, but I decided that I was going to go out there and make the best of the day. No Excuses!  It ended up being a mild and sunny day.  After the long cold winter that we dealt with, it was a fabulous day to get out and run. The 5k course was a fairly flat course so the elevation change (or lack thereof) was going to be refreshing!  I knew that I didn't want to push it too hard but still wanted to see what I could do.  I started out at a nice pace and fell into a refreshing rhythm.  When I hit the 1 mile marker I was feeling good.  It turned into a great feeling when I realized I just ran a 9 minute mile.  I kept up with the comfortable pace that I found and just rolled with it!  Before I knew it, the finish line was just ahead and it was on!  I kicked it in for that final push for the finish.

Official time = 28:37

In the end, I missed my 5k PR by only 8 seconds!  I could not believe I just did that!  It was an amazing feeling to know that I just ran one of my best 5k's EVER!  This amazing morning has truly given me the confidence that I can get through this injury and come out stronger in the end!  It will be some hard work, but I can do it!  I have a fabulous support team of my  amazing family,  fabulous trainers at the gym, my new Physical Therapist, plus many awesome friends that continue to help me grow as a runner, keep my in check so that I don't push myself too hard or too far and continue to encourage me to be the best that I can be.

Here is to a great 2014 and all of the adventures that will continue to come my way!  Be strong my friends!

Plans never go through without change!

Another Sunday night, crackling fire and, relaxing, Watching a movie with my family.

I don't know about you, but some days I really wish time would slow down so that I could feel like I really enjoy these days.  No matter how well you think you have things planned out, we have to be ready for the unexpected.  There will always be changes that need to be made to the plan.  Having viable options in a pinch is always important.  This is true for workouts, family dinners, shuttling kids to and from events, or even rest days.

This week was no different.  Thankfully it was a "normal" week (and I only worked minimal overtime hours), but when it starts out with a snowstorm on Monday that closed schools early, I should have known that the week was going to be another crazy one. I headed home from work a early to get Darrin from school and was really glad that I did!  I had to deal with some snow on the roads, but from stories I heard from others that were traveling later in the day, I consider myself lucky that I was home as early as I was!

Unfortunately, the weather also brought the cancellation of all classes at the gym for Monday night.  So much for my Double Up Monday!    My son had a meeting scheduled downtown from 5-8, so my workout plan for the week was going to start out with a bang!  A regular Renegade Mission at 5:30, followed by a Cardio Circuit class at 6:30, allowing me to get downtown to pick him up by 8pm.  However, Snowstorm Carol had other ideas.  Everything was cancelled for Monday night... no driving downtown for Darrin's meeting, no going to the gym for me and nothing planned for dinner!  So, after rearranging the evening menu, getting dinner finished and driveways cleared, this was one tired chick!  I really should have spend the evening in the basement on the treadmill or getting in a few Renegade workout videos but that didn't happen.  By the time we finished dinner, I was ready for bed!

Even though I didn't get in my planned workout on Monday, I didn't let it ruin the rest of the week.  I knew that I didn't have any "free" time to get in an extra workout or run, but I made sure that each and every one of the workouts that I did get to was completed with maximum effort.

In the end, I can say that the week was a success.  Everyone got where they needed to be.  I was at the gym for each and every workout that I signed up for, I survived another cold, icy marathon training run (gotta love glare ice streets in Wisconsin, which will probably be here until May at this rate!).  Plus, still made time for dinner out on Saturday with some friends.  It all took some shuffling around and revised planning, but we did it!

Oh yeah!  My new running shoes finally arrived on Friday!  After what seemed like forever (in reality it was only a week) they finally got to meet my feet!  For the first time in 2 years, I bought somethign besides Sauconey's, so we will see how this goes!   Now, time to decide which are going to be taking the trip to Arizona with me in a few weeks...  decisions, decisions, decisions!

So when life throws a wrinkle in your plan, just pick up where you left off and keep moving forward!

Marathon training, 6 weeks down, 13 to go!l

No one ever said that training to run a marathon would be easy... but it will be worth it!

So far, the first half of that statement rings very true!  Training for the Cellcom Marathon has taken some getting used to for me. Miles, Miles Miles!  I live my life these days by the number of miles I have run!  Getting in the long runs, has not been the hard part for me.  It's the short, mid-week runs that  usually get me.  However, I have run more miles so far in 2014 than I did in the first 4 months of 2013 and have a gold of at least 750 miles by the end of the year.

 Between work and family schedules, sometimes it is hard to crank out a 4 mile run on a Tuesday or Wednesday evening.  Getting up early to run before work?  Been there, tried it.  It's tough, especially when I am usually in the office by 6am, and I really dislike treadmill running!  To get in a 4 mile run before work would mean that the alarm is going off before 4am every day, and this time of year means a date with the dreadmill.  Doing it once it a while is ok, but is not practical for every day. However, anything more than 4 miles would require getting up even earlier and I do admit - I like my sleep!

Now, please don't think that I my week days are void of activity.  Part of the reason that it is difficult for me to find time for my evening runs is that I don't want to miss my (almost) daily workouts at the gym!  Fitness Renegades as become such a part of my life that when I do have to skip a class, my day just seems "off".  These workouts are by no stretch "easy" and are definitely a key component in my conditioning. Each and every day is something a little bit different so I am never bored - which is a huge plus in my book! So, giving them up, or skipping them is NOT an option.  Plus, the crew there is pretty much like a second family and we are all out to help each other accomplish any goals that we have set.  Between the support from my family at home and at the gym, I know that I can conquer this adventure!

Last Thursday's Renegade workout

 On many occasions, I will head home after I leave the gym and knock out 3-4 miles on the TM or 10-15 miles on the bike, so the miles are still there, just in smaller quantities.

I also have found that I really look forward to the long Saturday morning training runs.  They have really shown me that I can do this.  Not only have I been able to increase the miles successfully each week, but I have also been able to keep my pace.  This past weekend, I finished the 10 mile training run faster than my average pace for the Brewers Mini Marathon last fall, so we still moving forward. I may not be the fasted one out there, but I am getting it done!

Anyone who is a runner, is used to having people tell them they are crazy (yes, this is actually a compliment to many of us!) and I heard that this weekend!  Not only did I complete my 10 mile training run, right after I finished, I drove around the corner to the gym (I drove, only because I had to move my car - next time, maybe I should just park AT the gym), warmed up, grabbed a foam roller, did some stretching and then joined the 10am Cardio Circuit class for 45 minutes of "fun".  Yes, I probably am on the edge of insane, but if I can pull off a 45 minute cardio circuit, I just proved to myself that there are more miles that I could have run!

Oh yeah.... I got up Sunday morning to catch another 45 minute fitness Renegade Cardio Circuit with Ty!

So, no matter what your running goals are for this year, they are going to push you to run further, run longer and probably make you wonder why you decided to do it, but don't give up!

It will be worth it in the end (at least that is what they say!)

Winter Polor Vortex and my new best friend, the Dreadmill

 Anyone who has lived or visited Wisconsin in the winter is aware of the beauty and crispness of a new fallen snow.  They also have knowledge of the bone chilling cold that we are blessed with on more than a few occasions during the winter.

Frozen eggs!

This year is a harsh exception.  They called it a Polar Vortex... I just know it has been really cold! We have had more below zero days in the last 2 months than I can recall in the 15 years I have lived through Wisconsin winters.  Of course, the 25 years before that, I lived in Michigan, so I am no stranger to cold, snowy winters.  The schools in the area have closed more this winter due to frigid temperatures than they normally do for snow days. In fact on one one of these "Cold Days" off from school, my 15 year old decided to freeze an egg outside... took less than 15 minutes!  We have gotten into the habit at work of going out to start our cars a few items during the day just so that we know that we will be able to start our vehicles to get home in the evening!

This year is the first winter that I have attempted to keep my miles up through the winter.  In the last, I did all my running in the summer and by the time the Turkey Trot rolled around, I was ready to hang up my running shoes for the winter.  There were a few years that I did do the Noodleini 5k and the Seroogey's Valentines run, but this was definitely not my desired running environment.   After all of the miles that I logged over the summer, I made a vow to myself that I was going to keep the miles going through the winter... and I was going to try and run outside as much as I could.  I did not want to face the Dreadmill!  However, Mother Nature had other plans!  running outside when temps hit the mid 20's is one thing.  Sub zero temps in an entirely different beast.

After 6 mile training run

In January when the Cellcom Marathon training runs started I had plans to get out and run with everyone else.  The first Saturday morning training run, Green Bay was covered with a thick blanket of ice from the storm the night before.  I hit the dreadmill for a few miles before heading to the gym for a food cardio circuit.  The following weekend, despite sub zero temps, I headed out for the training run.  It was nice to get out and see many friends on the course but when you finish a run with icicles on your eye lashes, you know it was cold!  But I survived... and then went to the gym to warm up with a good cardio circuit!

My mornings and/or evenings have been spent with short visits to the Dreadmill and I was still struggling to get beyond 3-3.5 miles.  The treadmill has never been my first choice when it comes to running, but I knew this is what I had to do.  Fast forward to the end of January... 7 mile training run at 7am.  When you wake up at 5am and the temp outside is -9, there is no getting out of bed for that! After 45 minutes, it did warm "up" to -4 but with 30mph winds, running outside was out of the question.

I finally came to the harsh realization that this winter there was not going to be as much running outside as I wanted.  I needed to learn to get past my hatred of the treadmill and just suck it up.  I really have no reason to not enjoy these runs just as much as my outside runs.  I have a TV with cable, Netfix and a DVD player right in front of the treadmill so I can watch what I want.  My headphones still work inside, so I can still have my music.  Plus, there is a bathroom less than 10 feel from my treadmill so I can take a quick break when I need to, without having to find the next park or gas station to find a bathroom.

Since we were up in Michigan at the Eben Ice Caves last Saturday, I had no choice but the miss the training run and had to do my 8 miles solo.  These solo miles ended up being on Sunday morning, before the Super Bowl festivities started at our house.  I knew I had to do the miles and needed to get past the negative thoughts I have about the treadmill.

It was tough.  I wanted to quit.  I had to walk part of the time, but I finally broke that 3.5 mile barrier on the treadmill.  I finished my 8 miles inside on the treadmill!  I have no excuses anymore!  Winter may have thrown me a curve ball and changed my running plans, but I'm not going to let that stop me!

Now that I know I can do the miles on my treadmill, time to kick it up a notch and start some more intervals and hills on my treadmill!!  This weekend is the Seroogy's Valentines Run.  Instead of doing the regular training run, I opted for this 15k.  I get chocolate and cookies at the end of this one!  My first official race of 2014 and it promises to be a memorable one - I'm just hoping that the weather forecast changes at least to be a little warmer before 8am Saturday morning rolls around!