THE CRAZY HAMSTER HAS MOVED!

The Crazy Hamster has founds it's new home!

You can now find me at http://CrazyHamster.Run

After several years of hanging out here, it was time to move on to bigger and better things!  There were things that I wanted to do with my site that I was not able to do, so we made the move over to WordPress!

It's been a few months now and it was recently brought to my attention that the redirect that was originally put in place to send you to the new site.  I figured that it was time that I posted this here and then you would know where to come to join the party!

We are doing all kinds of fun stuff - What I Eat Wednesday is Back, with a new healthy recipe each week, you will always find recaps of races and other events that I participate in, plus a few more surprises that are in the works...  you might find a few guest bloggers in the future, as well as other Crazy Hamster Adventures (places that we have found that you NEED to know about and check out).

One thing that will never change is the fact that I promise to keep it real, but keep it fun and healthy!

Please head on over to http://CrazyHamster.Run and subscribe so that you don't miss any of the adventures!

Love ya all!!

Amy
aka Crazy Hamster

Disney Dark Side Challenge weekend - Part 2

Of course, I couldn't go to Disney and just run one race!

I had to run all 3!

Day 2

(warning - this post is going to get a bit long, but I didn't want to forget any of the fun!)

Alarm set for 3:30am and after a quick shower to help me wake up, it was time to head to the bus... at 4:15am!

I was excited to see a bus pull in a few minutes after I was at the bus stop.  After just a few minutes, we had a full bus and were headed to the start line.  I would find out later, that some people, at other resorts did not have the same luck with early morning buses that I did. From the point in the Epcot parking lot where the buses drop you off, you have a short walk to get to the stage area, where again, there are characters out for photo ops, plenty of placed for you to meet up with friends before the race and grab some last minute breakfast or coffee (if you are one of those people that can actually eat before you run!).  Unfortunately, the start line for the 10k is NOT in the same place as the 5k!  This time, they herded us through the area behind the stage (ample port-a-pot's here in case you need a pitstop!) and along the road that was actually the beginning part ok yesterday's 5k.  By the time I arrived in my start corral (Corral B today!) I had walked almost 3 miles since I rolled out of bed!

I quickly was able to find Mary in the Corral - it was nice to have a friend to start the race with, in these huge crowds!  Remember, I live in Green Bay, I don't normally run in races that have 10,400 participants! (numbers courtesy of Disney Sport News)  Our local Cellcom Green Bay Marathon weekend usually sees a total of just over 8,000 runners between the Half Marathon, Marathon and Marathon Relay combined!  This was just the 10k and it was over 10,000 runners!

Disney starts off each corral with fireworks, not just the 1st corral of runners!  It's kinda nice to see everyone given the same start line fanfare, no matter what corral you are starting in!  At shortly after 5:30am we were off an running.  I lost Mary in the crowd after a few minutes but every once in a while I would catch a glimpse of her/Rey running ahead of me.  I ended up catching up with her just after she stopped to get in line for pictures with R2-D2 (right before the 1st mile marker).  I jumped in line with her, and we had a few laughs while we waited and chatted with the group behind us.  The lines for theses photo ops do seem to move fairly quickly, but for this weekend, I was not concerned about time - it was all about the fun, getting some great pictures and just enjoying running around the Happiest Place on Earth.

After R2 pics, we were off again.  Once again, Mary got off ahead of me, but I caught up to her for Chewbacca pictures.  We followed this same pattern for most of the 10k.  We would lose each other in the crowds and catch up at photo ops!  Running the streets of Epcot, in the dark was just as much fun today as it was yesterday, especially because we took a slightly different route through the park.

This would however, bring us to the one part of the course that I really did not like!  My biggest complaint about the 10k course was the section between Epcot and Hollywood Studios.  We were on a sidewalk, along the river, in front of one of the resorts.  When you have 10,000+ runners trying to get through a narrow place, while trying to keep moving - some running and some walking, caused some major bottle necks.  There were many times during this stretch that we were all forced to walk.  Some ran on the grass just to keep moving, but it was by far one of the slowest sections of the course.  Yes, this is just a short section, but when you are trying to keep a decent pace between photo stop, so as to not completely kill your overall finish time, it is very frustration.  Once you finally pass this section and you arrive at Hollywood Studios, everything opens back up and you can move about freely, at your own desired pace.

About halfway through HS, I ended up losing Mary.  No worries, I was over halfway done.  I enjoyed my run through the park and got myself ready for the last stretch, along the roads to get myself to ESPN and the finish line!  At one point, just after mile 4,  I ended up falling into pace with another gal that was moving about my pace and we kept each other going for those last 2 miles.   Just before we hit mile 5, the course took a turn and we were on a dirt trail, through the woods!  During this stretch of the race, there were more photo ops, great star wars themed music playing and just a ton of fun to be had.  Although it all looked fun, we actually didn't stop for any pics.  We were just ready to be done - it was starting to get warm and again, this WI girl is not used to the humidity in FL!

It was really awesome to see the crowd support during the final stretch of the race!  As soon as we came off the trail and onto the property at ESPN, the sidewalks were lined to people cheering, waving signs, giving high 5's and more!  Then just when you think it's over and the finish is just ahead, you turn the last corner to find a army of storm troopers and more, available for photos!

As I approached the last turn, up do the finish line, my legs were on fire.  I was ready to be done.  I knew that I only had a short distance to be done and about that same time, I caught up to a gal dressed at BB-8.  I told her, "Come on BB - lets go!  We've got this!"  Her legs were ready to be done to, but we pushed that last tenth of a mile together with miles on our faces!  

Done.  As you can see from the above picture, it was a warm one.  In the grand scheme of things, it was actually a pleasant morning, in Florida standards, but coming from WI, I am definitely not accustomed to the humidity and unfortunately I was not able to find my inhaler in my luggage after the 5k yesterday.  Thankfully since I made a few photo stops and got slowed down in the bottlenecks, I didn't actually NEED that inhaler today, but this is something that might come in handy tomorrow!  Time to dig through the suitcase and backpack again!

Today's medal did NOT disappoint!  What Star Wars Fan wouldn't like a giant Tie Fighter medal!?!?  Yes, yesterdays Storm Trooper finisher "medal" was cool, but it was rubber!  Granted it still has a cool look to it, but Disney is the only place I know that you get a finisher medal made of rubber!  This one today makes up for it tho!  Big, heavy and flashy!  Just how I like my race bling!!

Day 3

Half Marathon day!

 

Today, the alarm went off at 2:20am.  Yes that is 2:20 IN THE MORNING!  In my younger days, there were times that I was coming IN from a night out... not getting out of bed to go RUN!   It still amazes me that I actually have learned to love mornings like this!  The excitement of a race, especially in a new place, with new people and new experiences!  And this is Disney!  Why would I NOT be excited!?!  Especially since I decided to go with the Chewbacca costume for today!

On a bus by 3:10am and at Epcot by 3:30!  It was time again for that long walk from the buses, through the stage festivities, and along dark road towards the start line.  Yesterday's crowd of 10,000 for the 10k was increased to over 12,000 for the half marathon!  It was very slow moving from the stage area to the actual start corrals that I was wondering if I was going to make it in time! 

I knew ahead of time that this half marathon was not going to be my usual half.  I was out to enjoy the day, have fun, get lots of pictures and just enjoy the morning.  However when I was walking to the start line, I started to get a weird, almost vertigo type feeling.  Not sure if it was the humidity and heat starting to get to me, combined with the excitement of the weekend.  Or who knows what else!  Thankfully I had some extra Stinger waffles with me (since I wasn't sure how the heat and humidity was going to affect me on this longer run).  While I was walking to the corral's I ate that waffle, drank some more water and hoped for the best.  This was just going to help me make sure that I didn't push it too hard, making me enjoy the atmosphere around me.

Once again, it didn't take long to find Mary in the Corrals - so excited that we were in the same start corral again today!  Yesterday it was so much being able to spend the morning running with her that I was really looking forward to doing it again!

Any runner always jokes around about being in the port-a-john during the national anthem.  No, that didn't happen this morning, but it was close - I was in line for one!  The funky feelings that I had earlier seemed to have lead way to my stomach not being happy with me.  Fingers crossed that this was going to be the last of my stomach and weird feelings.  Somehow, after my trip to the bathroom, I managed to find Mary again in the corral, in time to shill for a few minutes before our corral moved up to start.

Once again, more fireworks at the start of each corral.  Although the fireworks are a nice touch, the rest of the "entertainment" while we were in the start corral's was fairly uneventful.  At the start of a race, I always enjoy music, entertainment or anything else to get me pumped up and excited to run.  The pre-race entertainment was clips from the movie.  Don't get me wrong - I'm a huge Star Wars geek and love seeing the video clips, but I would have hoped for a little more hype!

Before long, we were off and running.  Just to save myself a few minutes on my time, I oped to skip stopping for pics with R2 today, knowing that stopping for Chewy was going to be a MUST today!  I also knew that there was a few more photo stops that I was most likely going to want to stop at.  So I kept running!  Just as I was getting to to my target stop with Chewy, and I was making another pitstop at the bathroom (those actual bathrooms in the parks are like a little oasis!).  I was concerned about my pending visit with Chewy, as I saw him walking into the building near the bathroom!  Hopefully he was not going to be gone long!

After my pitstop, I headed to the Chewy photo op, I found Mary waiting in line so I joined her.  Chewy came back shortly and a few minutes later, I had some of my favorite pictures from the weekend! 

 After a few more miles through Epcot and Hollywood studios (where I met up with a few other Skirt Sports Ambassadors along the way!) and making my way through the crowds, it was off to the next (pretty boring) part of the course... the highway to Animal Kingdom.  Those miles down the highway were long and pretty uneventful!  

But then we finally arrived at Animal Kingdom.  I was actually pretty disappointed that we really were just mostly running around the parking lot... the time that we spent in the actual park was really fairly short!  Yes there were some cool photo ops in the park and in was fun seeing the monkey's playing and yelling as we ran through while they ate the breakfast, this was fairly disappointing.  Not to mention the last stretch as we worked out way back out of the park was very narrow and another bottle neck.  They had an area with more characters to take photo's with, but the people waiting in lines ended up actually blocking the path of the runners just trying to get through.  

As I was heading out of the boring lornar AK, back to the highway, I saw those infamous balloon ladies. Those are the ladies you don't want to see behind you. If they pass you, you will be picked up by the sweeper bus and driven to the finish line... And recieve no medal!  Since they were in their way IN to the parking lot, I knew that I was a few miles ahead of them... They were not going to catch me!

Finally after another long stretch of boring highway miles, in the bright, warm FL sun, we made our way through the trail to ESPN, through the same spectator lines sidewalks to the finish line.  This part of the course was pretty much the same thing as yesterday, so I felt no need to stop for any pictures etc.  I was ready to be done!  Show me the bling! 

I earned it!

This was one of the toughest races I've run, even though I know I didn't push myself nearly as hard as I usually do for a half marathon.  Today was all about the fun, the experience and the memories.  once I got through the finish line corrals, I had 4 medals clanking around my neck as I walked around the finish line area!  It was one of the toughest challenges I have done, to date, and I am so glad that I did it!

Afterwards, I somehow found Mary again!  I had not seen her since Hollywood Studios!  Somehow, at some point, I ended up in front of her and actually finished about 10 minutes before her!  Apparently, she actually stopped for a few more of the photo ops than I did, and I didn't see her in line as I ran past.  Yes, part of me wishes that I had made those few extra stops, but I was warm, tired and hungry!

Thanks again Mary for helping make my Disney race weekend so much fun!  I can't wait until our paths cross again!  Maybe one of these days I will actually make it down to Baton Rouge for a race!  If you even want to come to Green Bay, I have a spare bedroom waiting for you!

1 weekend

3 races

6 Medals:

Storm Trooper 5k

Tie Fighter 10K

Dark Side Half Marathon

Plus bonus medals:

Dark Side Challenge (completing 10k and Half this weekend)

Kessel Run Challenge (completing half marathon in California in January and here this weekend)

Disney Coast to Cost Medal (completing half marathon on both coasts in the same calendar year)

All in all it was a good weekend!

Next and final post of the weekend to come...

The good, the bad and the ugly of Disney Races! 

Reading, learning and rediscovering

Every day is an opportunity to learn.  We are constantly learning.  Learning helps us grow, expand horizons, meet mew people, try new things and so much more.  In reality, we never can learn everything, there will always be something new.

This has been my life in the last few weeks.  

As you may recall, I recently found out that I have 22 trigger foods that have been wrecking havoc on my stomach and intestines, are potentially the cause of my headaches, fatigue and so much more!  I think I have read more food labels in the last 2 weeks than I have in my entire life.

Don't get me wrong, I read food labels before, but never like I do now!  Before I would take a quick scan of the ingredients, but my focus usually was more on the fat, calories, protein and carbs in anything I was considering buying.  Now, I am literally reading each and every ingredient on the label, trying to decipher what some things are, contemplating if it is "safe" for me to eat!

This weekend, I finally tackled the project of going through the pantry and cupboards to sort out what I could eat from what was now fair game for the rest of the family to enjoy.  Everything that contained Milk, almonds, cheese, onions, pineapple and more was set on one side of the table. Everything that was free of all trigger foods was placed on the other side of the table.

In the end, there was definitely more on the right side (avoid side) of the table than the left.  Wow!  No wonder why I feeling the way that I was, if I was eating so many of these foods on the "avoid" side of the table daily!  

How much of it was I eating?  just to give you an example:

Breakfast most mornings was a shake mixed with Chocolate Almond Milk, a milk based shake mix and either a banana or pineapple.  I have since learned that Milk (most Dairy) is a trigger, as are almonds and pineapple!

Now I am replacing my shake mix with a dairy free version and sticking with bananas, strawberries or other fruit!

Lunch was usually leftovers... this particular day, it was baked salmon (now on the list of avoid foods) and green beans (another avoid food!). Yes, I will miss as my salmon and

Shrimp and crab, but I still have scallops and a few other varieties of fish I can enjoy!

In the two weeks that I have been working to eliminate these trigger foods, I feel better, sleep better most nights and am starting to see higher energy levels.  Oh yeah, and I have not had any migraines!

I have also had to stop and think more about what I am feeding my body.  I have gone back to some of my favorite recipes, some of which I have not made in a long time, played with them to see what I could do to tweak them, to fit in the new diet

One of those recipes that I went back to, was my favorite chicken salad recipe!

A few years ago, I posted the recipe for this here and figured that it was time to share it again.. with a few modifications!

This light, summer chicken salad, in its original formula, was made with almond butter.  Since I can't have the almond butter anymore, I opted to make it now with cashew butter!  

What a game changer!  

Shredded chicken (perfect way to use up that leftover rotisserie chicken!), granny smith apples, grapes, cashew butter and honey!

The perfect blend of sweet and crunchy to go with the chicken!

Pure yum!

Yes, I am still learning what I can easily grab to eat when I need a quick snack or am making dinner.  I will continue to work on finding modified recipes for some of the family favorites that right now, I can't make in the same way that I did before... Chili without onions, kidney beans and cheese, just is not the same.   Same goes for sloppy joes and meatloaf.

Yes, this is a tough journey, but I know that it will be worth it in the end!  The next few months might be tough and I will miss my pizza, but if, in the end, it means that I am healthier, have more energy and can avoid the headaches, it will be worth it!  Your health is more important!

Now, time to scour the internet for dinner tomorrow!

21 Day sugar Detox complete!

They say it takes 21 days to create a new habit... coincidence that this sugar detox is 21 days?  I think not! Could you go 21 days with no sugar?  This means ALL sugar (with the exception of a few fruits), grains, processed foods and a whole lot more

The day after we came back from Women Rock Chicago weekend, I started my 21 day Sugar Detox adventure.  I knew it was not going to be easy but I also knew that it was something that I needed to do!  Here is what I found out over the last 21 days...

Day 1 - Since I didn't get back from Chicago until late last night, food options were limited for today but I made due with what I had and made it through the day!  Microwaved eggs in a cup were my lifesaver this morning with a little steak added in for good measure!  Who doesn't love steak and eggs for breakfast!

Day 4 - definitely irritable.  unfortunately my 16 year old son was the recipient of the irritability after I got home from gym after work.  Not his fault that I was irritable and I felt bad that I took it out on him.  Trying to plan ahead for the next few days as I was going to be traveling.  Wanted to make sure that I had plan approved foods and snacks so that is was not so tempting to just stop and grab something quick

Day 5 - Long day, but the planned snacks helped!  Dinner was definitely non-conversational but it worked.  Hard boiled eggs, bacon and baby carrots in the hotel room!

Day 6 - Long day, on my feet working a race expo.  So thankful that I can still have my EnergyBits, as they were really needed to help with keeping away the hungries today!  Lunch again was quick , but still managed to stick to my plan for the day! Pumpkin pancakes and bacon are really not that bad cold!

Egg bake breakfast!

Day 7 - Color Run morning, walking with friends, followed by a brunch buffet.  It would tough figuring out exactly what I could have.  I know brunch was not perfect, but I walked away from the buffet without touching the cheesy hash browns that I love, skipping the dessert table and no pancakes or waffles!  Thank goodness for carved meats and chicken, as well as a build your own omelette station!

Day 8 - Monday morning was not working with me!  With the busy weekend (race expo, lots of driving, plus a color run and grocery shopping), even tho I was asleep my 9pm, my body did not want to get out of bed this morning!  Thankfully I did at least some prep last night and had my egg bake waiting in the fridge!

Day 9 - Did ok all day, including figuring out options at the Boy Scout potluck that we had... but got home and to fend off the munchies, I grabbed a few tortilla chips and hummus...  oops!  But I guess that was better than the chocolate torte looking dessert that was staring at me earlier.  (I actually learned later that it was a s'mores dessert, not a chocolate torte so the middle layer that I thought was vanilla pudding was actually marshmallow fluff!  So now I don't feel like I missed anything as the marshmallow fluff doesn't even sound good right now)

sweet potato with bacon and ghee

Day 13 - this morning was the first run I had since starting this program.  I purposely waited until after the Women Rock Half Marathon to start my 21 days, but with my run calendar, it was impossible to avoid all races.  Today was the 5K Run for the Hill of it race out at Bairds Creek.  I ran this last year so I was familiar with the course and the terrain.  My overall pace was comparable to last year (last years course was a bit short so they added some distance to it this year to make it the correct length).  This morning, just a banana and EnergyBits to get me through... and then eggs and (uncured) bacon when I got home!

Day 14 - I really have to say that I have been feeling pretty good through the last 2 weeks!  I really have not had any huge cravings, even though by bag of chocolates from Chicago is still sitting on my night stand.  1 week to go!  Thankfully the family has been supportive of what I have been making for dinner.  There have been a few things that John has suggested for dinner that will have to wait, so I guess next week, we will be having French Onion soup for dinner one night!

Day 19 - I caved tonight!  We were volunteering at the Annual CP Center Auction and the appetizers that the servers were bringing around the room looked too amazing to pass up.  Did learn real quick tho - skip the meatballs, not worth it!  However the grilled chicken skewers were awesome!  The Bruschetta was awesome too, Yes I did have some and it was worth it!  Everything in moderation!

We made it!


Things I learned:
1.  I really don't drink a lot of coffee anymore, but for the first time in years, I can honestly say that I don't miss the flavored creamers etc in it!  I now am convinced that I can take it black, but on occasion I will add some almond milk or coconut milk/cream, just to change it up a little!

2. I really did not miss the sweets.  I picked up a small package of donuts for the guys on Sunday when I was grocery shopping and I really never had the desire to even eat part of one!

3.  At the end of 21 days, I splurged.  Not over the top, but enough that I realized really quick that I need to keep the sugar in check.  Natural sugars in fruit etc is one thing, but chocolate and breads are not my friend!  I was so tired, exhausted to the point that I felt like I needed to sleep for 3 days!

4.  There were several recipes that I tried that are going to make it into the normal rotation of meals (the Ginger Beef with Broccoli and the Buffalo Shrimp were huge winners!) and there were a few that I will never make again (sorry, the mini meatloaf's were NOT received well by my family and no one even wanted to eat the leftovers!)

Summary:

It was not perfect.  I had some slip ups, ate a few things that I should not have, and yes I had a few beers.  In the end, I am glad that I did it!  I proved to myself that I don't NEED the sweets, breads, and other processed stuff that I cut out in the last 3 weeks.  Yes, I missed my Spark in the morning, but that was about the only thing I really missed!

This morning I re-did measurements at the gym and I was happy with the results!
Down a total of about 3 inches between my chest, waist and hips and 3.8 pounds!!  I will take it.

 Aside from that, I feel great and am ready to roll!  I loved the extra energy that I seemed to have and am going to continue with avoiding processed foods when I can, limiting sugar to only natural sugars and trying new recipes!

Are you addicted to sugar?

I challenge you to 21 days!  You can do it and you won't be disappointed!

Hello Miller Park! Brewers Mini Marathon time again - Sept 20th

Playing catch up here on a few posts from the last few weeks so bear with me!  2 half marathons, a marathon relay plus long hours at work have made the last few weeks a little hectic... hopefully over the next few days I can actually get caught up on some posts!

anyhow....

After running through Lambeau Field and Fox Cities Stadium in the spring and City Stadium a few weeks ago, why not finish out the summer with a run through Miller Park!  

This was the second year in a row that I made the trip down to Milwaukee for this race.  Last year was an awesome race for me with this race, hitting my half marathon PR here as well as the first time I finished one in under 2 1/2 hours! (2:29:10) so I had high hopes for 2014!  The course itself is good, the crowds along the course are always fun and the energy that hits you when you run that loop through the stadium is awesome!

  Once again,  Matt made the trip down to run the 10k here again.  Last year we were able to start together and run the first mile or so together before the Half and 10k split, but this year they did a staggered start and the 10 actually started 15 minutes before the half.  Before the crack of dawn we were off!  We left everyone else at the hotel to catch a little more sleep before they headed down to wait for us to finish.

  We were at the stadium bright and early (ok it really was not so "bright" out at 6am) and found prime parking right near the start line!   For any of you that have been to Miller Park, you know how far the lots "across the bridge" are from the front of the stadium so I knew I was going to like this parking spot even more after the race!  We were (blessed?) with a few light rain showers while we were waiting to start which was nice to keep things cool, but I was just afraid that this would bring more humidity later - unless we got more rain too!

This ended up being one of the toughest runs I have finished this year.  It started out really good - I was able to keep the 2:15 pace group within my sights for the first few miles, enjoying the cool morning and sights of Milwaukee.  It was after mile 4 or 5 that I was really reminded about how many hills were out on this course.  It would seem that I blocked all of the rolling hills that I ran last year from my mind!  It was also about this time that it started to get humid and the 2:30 pace team was just in front of me... but I was going to keep them in my sights!

Over the next few hours, I ended up running with some great people, other Half Fanatics, teams from myTEAM TRIUMPH and more.   I was not going to let the humidity and warming temperatures get me down.  I ran through 100% humidity a few weeks ago, I could do this!   I kept to my fueling plan throughout, EnergyBits at the start and again at mile 7, then some Sharkies and ProBar gels along the way (found out my stomach does not like these during long runs, but before short workouts are ok!).

I'm not sure what point I was at in the course when I realized that the 2:30 pace team was now no longer in my sights.  This was not going to be another PR day, but I was not going to let that stop me.  I was going to make it!  Just after the 10 mile marker is the Hill from Hell on this course - a nice incline switchback to get you heading back towards the stadium.  Then once you climb that hill, you get a nice downhill stretch, only to have to make another long climb.  These 2 hills took almost everything I had left.

 I will be honest, I struggled with those last few miles!  They were warm and tough.  But I was determined to finish strong.  Coming into the stadium is always a good boost.  The stands are open so that spectators can come in an cheer on runners as they make their trek around the warning track. This ended up being my fasted few minutes of the last 1/3 of the race!    Once I was in the stadium, I knew the finish line was just around the corner!

I finished!  It seems like I have had several of these type races.  Mother nature has been very fickle this summer and she has been fighting me all the way! I am not going to let her get me down tho!  This may have been a tough race both physically and mentally, but I am glad that I did it!    Official time today, 2:49:37.  I knew that my time might not have been the fastest on this one, considering this was the 3rd half in 5 weeks with a 5k thrown in the middle for good measure!  It's been a fun adventure and I am enjoying the ride! I may not be fast but I'm still moving forward and doing things that 5 years ago I could not even imagine doing!

Will I do this race again?  That is currently up for debate.  While I love runnign through Milwaukee, the spectator support along the course is awesome and running through Miller Park is always exciting, I have discovered a few other races that are usually this same weekend that I want to check out... so who knows where I will be this time next year!

Next stop?  Fox Cities Marathon relay tomorrow and then Chicago next weekend!

Am I really crazy? I guess it depends on who you ask!

I am the first to admit that over the last few years I have become more that just a casual runner.  What started out as a few casual 5k's over several years has turned into something much bigger. 5 years ago, I was overweight, tired and could barely run a 5k.  This year I will have run over 700 miles and 6 half marathon, as well as countless other races and relays, still have a few pounds to lose, but the scale is no longer my focus.  Getting health is.  I am the first to admit that what I do is not what "normal" people do... but then again, I don't think I could really ever be called normal!

I have lost track of how many times I have been asked why I do all of the running that I do, if I am completely nuts or how I can have that much energy to do everything that I do.  My husband has commented to of several of our friends that if someone ever wants to know where I am, it is usually one of 3 places... Running, the Gym or working (ok, maybe 4 - home either trying to catch some sleep or relaxing with a glass of wine)!  If you say one of these places, you are probably right!  The response is usually "Why" or  "You're nuts", "You really RUN 13 miles... at once... for fun?" Honestly, I don't expect most people to understand.  Hours each week at the gym, miles on my feet running hitting the pavement (or Dreadmill on some of those extreme weather days), early morning alarms to get to the gym or to meet a friend to run... these are just some of the crazy things that I have been doing over the last few years. In fact there are times I have questioned why I do it all. However, it is a choice that I made and it has been one of the best things that I could have done!

Yes, I have lost track of the number of times that I have turned down plans with friends because I have an early run the next morning.  Or the nights that we have gone out with friends and instead of ordering a beer, I have stuck with water or some other beverage because I had a race coming up.  I don't need to have a beer in my hand to have fun - I just need my friends!  Running, as well as all of the strength training, has taught me so much about myself and what I am capable of and how strong I really can be.  

Is it worth it?

Absolutely!

The idea of challenging myself to do something that only a small percentage of the population does is beyond exciting.  Each time I cross the finish line at any race, it is a true feeling of accomplishment, knowing that all of the hard work I have been doing is paying off.

But it is more than just what running has proven to me that I can personally accomplish!  Between all of the running and working out at Fitness Renegades, I have made some great friends who help to keep me motivated (and I cannot forget the friends that I have met via social media - we may have never met, but sometimes that does not matter)!  We are all in this fitness adventure together, sharing workout ideas, training together (I will never look at a tubing hill or a pile of car tires the same again!), sharing healthy meal ideas and everything in between.  We all may not be runners, but the fitness mentality is there!  Together, we understand what the other is going through, the aches and pains of running or lifting, what to eat (or not eat) before a long run or tough workout, the pains of foam rollers (or even what one is), proper hydration... the list goes on.  Unless you are a runner,  are married to one or are a fitness junkie, you probably don't get it - and I don't' expect you to.  It is a truly unique lifestyle that one chooses.

I started doing this as something for me, but it has turned into something more.  Hearing that someone has started running because of me, or they started a new workout program because I somehow inspired them, or that they are working on improving their eating habits as a result of watching what I have been doing... well, that is still something that is taking me some getting accustomed to!  It also encourages me to keep going!  My son has started running 5k and 10k events with myTEAM TRIUMPH, has improved is race times and has even started coming to the gym with me once in a while!  Heck, my husband has even started walking some 5k's now!  I know that he will never be a runner, but just the fact that he is out there walking, I am super proud of him!  Everyone has to start somewhere and if I can help someone with that start, it makes all of this worthwhile!

I know that I am still a work in progress.  I know that with continued hard work, I will eventually get where I want to be - even if that end point changes from time to time! I also love the fact that I am helping other people make healthy changes, no matter how small, in their life!  I am also forever grateful for my husband who has put up with my crazy schedule, countless "vacations" that are somehow related to a race I want to run or my 2 hour trips to the grocery store(s) to find everything that I need for the next week's meals!  Without him, I know that I would not be able to do everything that I do!  Thank you John, for everything you do for me!

Then I originally started this blog, my thought was that if I could encourage ONE person to make a small change to improve their life, it was worth it.  In the end it is helping me to continue to make healthy changes in my life, and I am continuously grateful for those that I am meeting along the way that 

Yes I probably am crazy, but that's just who I am!  It is just an honor to know that I have done something to encourage positive changes in others!

Oh, and technically I am only HALF crazy... maybe one day I will run a full marathon and be completely crazy, but right now, half is my limit!

So for all of you out that that keep me going, Thank you!

... and now time to pack and get ready to head to Chicago!  Women Rock Half Marathon, here we come!

Where is this summer going??

They say that time flies when you are having fun... this has been so true for this summer!

It seems like it was just a few weeks ago that I was putting in some freezing cold miles in the bitter cold of the "brisk" winter we had here in Wisconsin.  Now we are halfway through July, summer vacation is half over and we are already starting to think about fall and back to school.

I figured this was a good time to look back on some of the goals that I set for this year, things I wanted to do and see where I stand with those goals now.

1.  750in2014 - After running/walking 319.95 miles in 2013, I decided that I needed to raise the bar!  My goal is to hit 750 miles in 2014 (between running, walking and biking combined).  I know that there were a few more miles that I walked in 2013 that I did not log, but it was no where near another 400+ miles.  In order to hit 750 miles this year, I was going to need to log about 62 miles per month.  At the end of June, I was at 318 miles... quite a bit short of where I should be for the year.  I know that I have many more miles to come this year as I still have several Half Marathons in my future. Based on where I am now, I am going to need to kick into high gear and average 70 miles per month to hit my goal. Granted, I know that I can help these miles out my getting in some biking too (my bike has not been out on enough of the awesome country roads yet this year!) but these feet need to get moving!

2.  Run my first Full Marathon - Cellcom 2014 was on my radar as the first full marathon I was going to run.  Unfortunately, as you all know, that didn't happen.  My IT Bands had other plans for me.  I ended up having to back off my training miles and take a look getting myself back on track.  I ended up with an awesome Physical Therapist who not only got me back on track with no knee pain but also made sure that I started getting in the proper strength exercises to make sure that I didn't have to go back and see her again next year!  She officially broke off our relationship just after the 4th of July holiday.  She told me that she hopes that only time she sees me again is at a race!  I know that a Full Marathon is not going to happen this year, but I am not giving up this one.  We will table this one until a later date... I am not giving up on it, just postponing it until I know that my body is ready for the challenge.

3. Run a sub 2:15 half marathon.  Considering I have only run 1 Half this year and it was partway through my IT band rehab and I hit 2:33, I am calling this one a work still in progress.  If I was within 5 minutes of my Half PR while dealing with my IT band issues, I am not giving up on this one!  I still have several more Half Marathons in 2014 so I can guarantee that I am still working on this one!

(New goals since the beginning of 2014)
4.  Qualify for Half Fanatics (http://www.halffanatics.com/)  I recently discovered this group online and have realized that running these half marathons has gotten into my blood.  There are other people out there just as crazy as me - or even crazier!  So why not join the asylum and have some fun with it!  If I work it out that I am able to run the Marquette Half Marathon Labor Day weekend, I can qualify for the Saturn level - 4 half marathons in 37 days!

5.  Try things that I have never done before - time to step out of the comfort zone!  This of course is an one going adventure.  I started out the year running in some of the coldest conditions ever!  In years past, if the weather was too cold, I either skipped my run or hit the treadmill.  After doing way too many miles on the treadmill, it was time to suck it up and get outside!  With a few changes to my running gear, I ran through the coldest winter I think I have ever lived through, outside and survived!

I also had the chance to actually do some running/hiking in the beautiful Phoenix area this past spring!  Those amazing views could really convince me to move out there!

This weekend will mark my first 10k trail run.  Last year I ran the Bairds Creek trail 5k here in Green Bay. It is time to embark on a 10k extreme trail run, single track... we will get dirty and may even have to use our hands to climb through part of the course!  It will be a true adventure!

2014 may be half over already, but the adventure is no where close to being over! I have made some awesome new friends, found many more new challenges to consider and have some incredible adventures planned! With several more races left, miles to run, family and friends to enjoy time with, the second half of 2014 can only be better than the first half!

I know that I have a few race recaps to catch up on and other updates that I would like to get out here, but until then...

How are you doing on your goals for 2014?  If you are not on track to achieve them, what can you change now to ensure that you will be successful?

Energybits Product Review!

A about a week ago I was having a casual conversation via twitter with fellow runner @crystalduff about energy and what we use to keep us moving.  She mentioned that her go to is Energybits.  This was a new product that I had seen a few other posts about, but never really looked into them further.  I was intrigued!

From their website:

Need more ENERGY? We're your answer!

ENERGYbits® are tiny algae tabs so nutritionally dense, they eliminate fatigue and hunger instantly. Want a healthy, natural way to fuel your game or fire up your brain? ENERGYbits® are for you! NO caffeine, sugar, chemicals, gluten or soy, just pure, plant based nutrition, all for just ONE calorie per tab.

Need better HEALTH? We're your choice!

ENERGYbits® have just ONE ingredient - organically grown NON GMO spirulina algae – a super food endorsed by the United Nations and NASA as the most nutritionally dense food in the world. Spirulina has been a favorite of gold medalists for decades. Now it’s your turn. Be powered by BITS™

A rep from the company offered to send me a sample of the product to try!  WooHoo!!!  I was not going to pass up that opportunity to try a new, all natural way to fuel my long runs and crazy days at the gym!

When I received my bits, it was Saturday afternoon, after I already finished my long run, so I had to wait for another good run to come up so that I could try them out... One of the cats tried to get into them before me, but at least she didn't get them open!  Just a few holes poked in the bag from her teeth, so my bits were safe!  They ended up sitting there for a few days before I finally got to tear open one of the packages.  That was a long 4 days!

In the meantime, I had some time to do some reading up on these little gems.  From the information I received with my sample:

Trial 1 - Wednesday nights have turned into a fitness frenzy of sorts!  This week was no different!  My Wednesday evening was going to consist of:

~ 1 hour class at the gym

~ 2-4 mile training run

~potential yoga class to follow

Seemed like a great night to give these bits a try!  Before heading to the gym I tore open that little plastic bag that has been staring at me since Saturday! Honestly, I was expecting something that looked like small jelly or gummy type bits, not a bag full of small tablets... and now I had to swallow all of these?  Since this was the first try with these and not knowing how they might affect me, I opted to only take half of the bag before the gym and then take the other half between the gym and my run... just in case...

The workout at the gym was intense but when I finished, I was feeling good and ready for more!  So we left the gym and headed for the training run.  After meeting up with the rest of the crew (and finishing off the rest of the bag of Energybits), it was time to hit the streets!  I was feeling good and was determined to make the best of this run.  We did decide to only do the short loop for the training run, as the workout at the gym was a lot of leg work again... probably best to not push the knee any further today! It ended up being a fast 2 miles!

Trial one with Energybits complete... ok, not really!  I will have to say I felt great when I finished my run.  We opted out of yoga for the evening as we were all hungry!  Food trumps Yoga on days like today!  So we headed home to make dinner.  I will have to say that my first experience with Energybits was better than expected... not only did they carry me through my workout and run, but they also kept me going once I got home.  I was busy doing stuff around the house and I actually had to make my self stop and go to bed!  I could have kept going, but when the alarm goes off at 4:30am, sleep is a good thing!

Fast forward to today...
I received the ok from from PT for a 10 mile run this weekend!  Energybits don't' fail me now!  I grabbed a protein bar for breakfast and headed out the door to pick up Matt and we arrived at the school to meet up with everyone for the training run.  This was the first time Matt and I were actually are running together since Thanksgiving - hope I can still keep up with his long legs!  I popped my Energybits, and before long we were off.  Our mission was to finish our 10 miles before the rain!

The weather was perfect, I was out on the trail with good friends and I was feeling awesome!  It was not until we turned around at the 5 mile point that I realized one HUGE thing... ok, 2 things... 1st, my knee seemed to be holding up well, not pain so far! and 2nd, usually be this time I am on my second  GU pack!  So far, I had not even thought about grabbing one!

We turned around and started on the second half of our run, back to the Middle School.  So far, the rain was holding off (although the skies were not looking very promising!)  We were feeling good and I was really enjoying just going out there in the crisp spring air.  Before we knew it, we were at 9 miles!  Now at this point, I did notice that my knee was starting to flare up a bit, but it was less than a mile - I had this!

We ended up finishing 10.1 miles in 1:54:07.  Just over 11 minute miles - I'll take it!  and we beat the rain!!  I felt great for the entire run and never felt like I was running out of steam.  I just wanted to run! If it was not for my knee and making sure I didn't push that too far, I probably would have run more!

That run was all Energybits!  All of the rest of the fuel I had with me was still in my pockets!   What an amazing feeling!

Final comments for my review...
1.  The cost per serving might be a bit more than GU or any other race fuel I have tried, but in the end, if I can get through a 10+ mile run with 1 serving of Energybits instead of 2-3 GU packs, that is a win in my book!

2.  Yes, they do taste a little funky when you are swallowing them, but that is a minor detail that I can look past!

3.  With the changes that I have been making in my diet over the last 6 months, if I can use real food to fuel my runs instead of uber processed fuel with 20+ ingredients in them, I know when I would prefer!

4.  No sugar high or sugar crash

5.  There may not be any caffeine in these bits, but they sure can keep me going!

Overall, I am loving what I has seen from Energybits!  The natural fuel that I think I need to make part of my routine!

Thank you Energybits for offering to send me a sample of these little treasures!  Now I just need to get my own supply ordered!

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!

Recharged, Rejuvenated and now back to Reality

View from Piestewa Peak summit, Phoenix AZ

All good things must come to an end... and now it's back to reality.

Spring Break/Vacation 2014 was here and now is a wonderful memory!  After spending a week in sunny, WARM Phoenix, with great friends, I have spent the better part of the last week trying to get back into my "normal" routine!  I am really not liking the fact that it has snowed not once, but twice since we got home last Thursday!  

It was an amazing week filled with adventure and fun.  There is no way that I can give everything that we did proper detail here so here's a "quick" summary:

1.  Running:  We wanted to get in a bunch of outside miles while were had the chance, but unfortunately that didn't happen. Saturday morning, however, we hit the streets of Glendale for the Kiss Me I'm Irish Run.  I can officially say that I completed my first ever 17k race!  Yes, 17k - in honor of St Patrick's day!  It was so nice to be able to throw on my running skirt and a tank top to go for a run instead of putting on multitudes of layers just to stay warm!  Plus there was free beer at the end!!  Official course time = 1:52:24  Yay!  Granted, my knee ended up paying for it over the next few days, but it was worth it!

Start line of the Kiss Me I'm Irish Run 17K

2. NHL Hockey! Nothing brings back the college days like watching some good hockey!  While we were in the area, the Phoenix Coyotes just happened to be playing at home vs the Calgary Flames so we had to fit a game into our schedule!  What a day!  Running in the morning, relaxing by the pool all afternoon and a hockey game at night!  That makes a good day in my book!

3.  Brewers Baseball!!  We were able to get to 2 games to watch the Crew in action!  Unfortunately we missed meeting Hank by a few days as he had already made the trip to his new home in Milwaukee.  Nothing can make you forget about the long, cold, snowy, cold, harsh (and did I say cold) winter that we have experienced in Wisconsin this year, than some Brewers Baseball in Maryvale AZ! 

4. Hiking!!  We made two morning adventures out to Piesetwa Peak and both hikes were worth the climb!  Once you get past the half way point distance-wise on the hike to the summit, you are actually only about 1/3 of the way elevation-wise to the summit!  Over the second half of the climb, those switchbacks get tighter and steeper!  You have to really work for it, but your efforts are definitely rewarded once you reach the summit!

Molly, Matt and I, on the way back down the mountain

Piestewa Peak Summit!

5.  The Food!  I was determined to find a way to enjoy the foods of the area without completely falling off the wagon.  Yes, there were many times when we went out to eat that I did just order a salad, but these salads were amazing!  Who can complain about a huge bistro steak salad like this with tons of spice and flavor and a honey balsamic vinaigrette?  Don't get my wrong, I did splurge and enjoy many things that I normally try to stay away from, but I just made sure that I didn't do all my splurging in one day!

Southwest Bistro Steak Salad from Oregano's in Tucson

 6. Relaxing!  This was the one thing that we made sure happened!  We knew there was a bunch of stuff that we wanted to do, but we also wanted to make sure that we had plenty of time to relax and enjoy the time away from home, work and life in general!

 7.  Fun in the sun! When in Arizona, why not rent a convertible?  Especially when you find the deal that we found!  For less than the cost of a compact car, we enjoyed the Phoenix sun in a 2014 Mustang Convertible!  John said that we will never own one for several reasons... WI weather really does not make one practical (so my solution... we move somewhere warmer!) and with how tall he is, he said he always felt squished (hence why I put the top down whenever we were driving somewhere!).  Regardless, it was a fun car to drive when we had the perfect weather for it!

My 2014 Mustang Convertible for the week

All in all, it was a fabulous week spent hanging out with friends, reconnecting with others that we have not seen in years, relaxing and just enjoying each others company. Getting away from the every day stresses of life is always a good thing to do from time to time.  It was nice to get away, but all vacations must come to an end and reality must be faced!

Before we knew it, it was back to the cold and snow.  Back to the gym.  Back to running in near freezing temperatures.  Back to work.  Routine is good to get back to.  Maybe one day we will be able to say that reality is in some sunny warm location, but until then, we just will have to settle for enjoying it in short spurts on vacation!  Time to start planning the next trip!

enjoying out last full day in Arizona!