Don't let vacation stop your quest for success...

...embrace it and the vacation becomes part of the success!

The Memorial Day Weekend is upon us and we made the adventure Up North.  Time to relax, spend time with family and enjoy some quiet time.  Enjoying this time without sabotaging my hard work over the last few days is possible, I just need to take some time to plan ahead.

This morning was the start of that plan kicked in!  When I woke up at 7am and saw the sun shining through the windows, it was time to get moving!  After a few hard boiled eggs for breakfast, the shoes were laced up and I was off!  My mission, 5-6 miles.  I planned out my loop last night on MapMyRun so that I had no excuse to get the miles.  I have learned in the past that the "out and back" routes give me too many options to turn around early and cut my miles short.  I need to keep myself accountable and not cut my training runs short.

I realized quick that my idea of running the second half of my run along the lake was going to make the first half tough!  I was running at least somewhat uphill almost all the way!  There were a few downhill stretches, but for the most part, the incline was there!  When I headed down that final hill towards the lake it felt great be done with the hills!  I had 2.5 miles of the quite lakeshore in front of me.  That is some of the best motivation that I could hope for!

I was not disappointed!  The chilly morning had evolved into a crisp but beautiful morning.  I stopped to take a picture, just to remind myself why I run so early, while on vacation. One of the best aspects of running this stretch of road is the extremely limited number of cars that actually are out on the road that early in the morning.   It was just me, my music and the waves hitting the shore-line.  I wish I could run this every day!

In the end, I ended up putting in 6.2 miles in 1 hour and 14 minutes.  Tomorrow, same loop, same time, and bringing a friend along for the fun!

Vacation is awesome!

This is why I run on vacation!

Running addiction?

I am now understanding how people can say that running can be an addiction.  For me, it's not necessary the running itself, but the sense of accomplishment and pride that comes with crossing the finish line of an event, setting a new time PR or just finishing a run that you didn't think you could do!

After doing a number on my IT bands in the Fox Cities Marathon in 2011, I put running on the back burner.  I didn't even do many 5k's for a while.  Last fall I got back on to the pavement with a few 5K's (including the Warrior Dash) and was reminded how rewarding it was.  At that time I had still left long distance running in the back of my mind.  This year I started the year off with a few 5K's that I was able to run with some great friends and have been really enjoying getting back out to these events. After begin talked into it by Elizabeth (ok it didn't take all that much convincing), Last week I completed my first Half Marathon in nearly 3 years.  The Journey's Half Marathon in Eagle River was honestly the perfect event to get me going again...

Congrats Lily and Terry

Although the weather was cold (woke up to it snowing) and breezy  the entire race route was through the quiet back roads in the Northwoods.  The peacefulness of running through this quite area really started to put tings in perspective for me.   Running has really become part of my life.  I didn't however realize the extent of this until this past weekend.  Sunday was the Green Bay Cellcom Marathon.  The Cellcom 5k was the first ever 5k that I did, 6 years ago.  Since then, I have done 5k each year, with the exception of 2011 when I  completed the Half Marathon.  This was the first time in 6 years that I was not participating in one of the events.  We were actually in Michigan all weekend for a very dear friend's wedding.  Don't get me wrong - I would never have missed this wedding for anything.  Lily and I have been friends since I was 4, there was no other place that I would have been.

I felt like I was part of the action though, as my running partner in crime, Matt was running in his first ever half marathon.  I would have loved to have been there in person to support him in this adventure, but I was left with tracking him via Runtastic.  He did fabulous!  He and Carrie finished in under 3 hours!  Very proud of both of them.

It was during this time that I realized how much I really wish I could have been there.  There was a part of me that was actually jealous of Matt and Carrie how were out there running!

It really got me thinking and, after much debating, and even saying that I was not going to run it this year, I an now officially signed up for the Bellin Run (10K) in 3 weeks. After missing the Cellcom Half Marathon yesterday I realized that, no matter how much I don't want to admit it, running has become a big part of my life now (and no, zombies don't have to be chasing me!). This is not without huge thanks to my running partners in crime! Thanks Elizabeth, Matt and Wendy (we need to get out and actually run together one of these days Wendy) for helping to keep me motivated! And of course it would not be possible without my awesome husband John who puts up with me getting up at "o'dark it's early" to head out for one of these events, or freezing at the finish line of the half marathon waiting for me to finish! A half marathon and 3 5k's complete so far this year... many more to come!

Life is a Journey...

... hang on and enjoy the ride!

Yesterday was the big day.  My first Half Marathon since 2011. The Journey's Marathon in Eagle River. The was a variety of emotions through out the day, but everything could not have been more perfect!

Ok, maybe the fact that is was snowing when I woke up in the morning could have been omitted.  The thought that I might be running 13.1 miles in snow is not something that I would want to do - not even thought that might have been a reality.  Granted, I know this is the northwoods but snow in May?  Please, no!

By the time we left from my uncles house in Rhinelander to drive to Eagle River to meet Elizabeth and Matt, it did stop snowing... but it was still only 36 degrees outside.  I did have to make some last minute changes to  what I was wearing for the run, just thankfully that I brought a variety of running clothes.  Granted I might not have looked like the most fashionable person out on the race route, but I was warm!

John dropped us off at the high school so that we could catch the bus to the starting line - 10 miles outside of town!  Yes, we took a bus to the middle of nowhere and in the middle of the woods to start our adventure.  We knew that we were not going to be running together this morning, but being able to start together was just the motivation that Elizabeth and I needed to start the next chapter in our future running adventures.  The weather still was chilly, but there was no snow and the sun was starting to peak out from behind the clouds.  Armed with my music and my Runtastic App on my phone, I was ready to go!

The first few miles went by faster that I thought.  It felt great , running out there quiet cover of the trees.  Before I knew it, was was passing mile 5!  Getting mile by mile updates from my app was some of the best motivation I could ask for!  Just being able to know, as regular intervals, exactly where I stand in trying to achieve my goals was awesome!  One of the other things that I really enjoy about this app is that my friends are able to track my progress.  This came in handy today as John and Matt were hanging out in the hotel with Martin.  They were able to follow my progress and know when to leave the hotel to head back to the park (the finish line).    The other thing about this app that I really enjoy is that anyone who is tracking my progress can also send selected words of encouragement, cheering and clapping to keep me motivated.  Granted I can hear what they sent, but I don't know who is sending them!  Come to find out, many of the motivations that I heard throughout the morning were from my running buddy Matt, who was in Green Bay, tracking my progress himself!  How cool is that!

By the time I hit mile 9, I was still feeling good and was right on pace with where I wanted to be.  I did however realize that my phone battery was not on my side... I was not going to have enough battery life left to finish the run with both my music and my Runtastic App.  I needed to turn one off, but which one??  My music to keep me on pace, or my App to keep track of my progress?  I would later realize that the reason my battery was running low faster was that my Bluetooth had been turned on.  If it was not for the Bluetooth being on, I would have been able to keep both on to the end.  I had a few miles to decide...

Mile 11 was the deciding factor on technology.  10% battery left and 2 miles to go.  I decided that I would rather have my tunes to keep me going. I can get my final time from the race results.  I realize throughout the morning that my music was really a key factor in keeping my going!  My playlist that I threw together from the vast collection we have at home was very eclectic and also very old-school.  The entire collection was straight from the 80's and 90's.  Each time a song came on, a different memory came to mind and it was some of these memories that kept me moving!  I was taken back to cruising around Marquette in our early college days with Sonia and Julie,  having lunch with my good friend Patrick in Grand Rapids in the years right after I graduation from Grand Valley and a variety of other adventures in between!  Each of these people that was part of my life during those adventures helped to carry my through the rest of the run.

1 Mile left and I was feeling good!  My final motivation to keep moving?  The last mile of the course went right past the Eagle River Airport which meant that we were no longer in the cover of the trees and had nothing to block the wind!  If a cold wind won't motivate you to keep moving, I am not sure anything can!  I could tell that my pace had slowed but I was still feeling good and knew I could finish strong.

Finally, the finish line was in front of me!  I could hear the announcer and feel the adrenaline rush kick in to help me finish strong.

Results?  Finish time - 2:41:22!!  A new PR, it felt great!  I also felt great - in fact I felt better than I did when I finished any of the previous half marathons that I completed!  I can tell that the strength training that has been part of my routine in the last 6 months has been  a key to my success!  My personal trainer is the one that I give huge thanks to for that!  I don't think I could have done this without him and his continued encouragement.

In the afternoon, after giving my body time to relax and recover, the soreness in the muscles set in, which I knew was coming.  What I was not anticipating was the sore right knee.  Hoping that it was just from the stress of the morning, I spent afternoon relaxing with a bag of ice as my friend.  Thankfully this seemed to do the trick!  my the next morning the pain was gone and, aside from some lingering sore muscles, I was ready to go!

Next adventure?  We will just have to wait and see where the road takes us!

Run for Home!

Today marked the 3rd 5K of 2013!

Elizabeth and I before our runs

Honestly, the weather could not have been better to head out for a run with great friends.  Although we would not actually be running together since I was doing the 5K and everyone else was doing the 10k, it was fun all getting out there and hitting the trail at the same time.  The Scheels Run for Home is the 5k that Elizabeth and I did 2 years ago in some of the worst cold weather running conditions I have dealt with.  We were glad to see the improved weather conditions for today!

Matt crossing the finish line

For this event, they do a wave start and the 10K started 10 minutes before the 5K, so I was able to see everyone else start, and then be at the finish line to see everyone else finish!  It felt great to be out there running in the cool crisp air, but I need to learn to dress for how warm I am going to be after I get through the first few miles!  By the end of 2 miles, the gloves were in my pocket.  Shortly after that, the jacket was tied around my waist!  Once I removed the jacket layer, I did feel much better and was able to finish strong.  Needless to say but the time I got to the finish line, my gloves were no longer in my pocket!  The final stretch of the run goes around the outfield of the Fox Cities Stadium so it is exciting to run through the stadium with fans cheering you to the finish

Elizabeth also finished ahead of her goal!

I finished with a respectable time of 35:18.  This was my official first solo 5k as I had Matt pacing me on the first 2 runs this year.  I met up with Matt's wife in the stands to wait for everyone else.  Matt's goal was and hour and ten minutes and Elizabeth at hour and a half.  It was awesome watching all of the families that were out running together or there cheering each other on! As the photo's show,  I was able to capture Matt finishing just ahead of his goal time and before too long, Elizabeth did the exact same thing!  Well done everyone!!

Next weekend... half marathon time in Eagle River with Elizabeth!

Lack of motivation? Stuck in a slump?

I knew it would hit me again sooner or later.  It usually hits a few months after I join a gym.  This time it was 6 months before it really hit me.  Yesterday and Sunday I had a serious lack of motivation to get myself moving.

While I was sitting at work yesterday, I could see how nice it was getting outside and all I wanted to do was go outside for a run.  Once I got home, I knew that I still wanted to get outside, but was not able to do so at that time - had other things that I needed to take care of first. Plus we kept going back to the TV and Facebook to get more information of the events that happened in Boston this afternoon at the Marathon.  I knew several people that were in Boston for the big race and wanted to make sure they were all ok.  (thankfully we did find out that they all were safe and unharmed).

By the time we finished dinner and I would have had the chance to get outside, the motivation was gone.  I kept telling myself I should at least go downstairs and hop on the treadmill.  That never happened. It didn't help that I was still hungry after dinner (long story, but basically dinner was a flop, didn't like what we made and I kept trying to supplement dinner) and the Cinnamon Cheese Squares that were baked last night kept calling to me.  I wasted the entire evening. The first really nice day in weeks that I could have been outside enjoying the spring air. Next thing I knew, it was time to head to bed so that the alarm could go off (not so) bright and early.

What a waste of a perfectly beautiful day!  :(  I did end up eating one of the bars that was calling to me... but it was only one.  Previously, I would have eaten 3 or 4.

I am hoping that getting to the gym for my training session tonight will help get me back on track.  With a 5k and a half marathon coming up in the next month, I need to keep focused!  Today is a new day and I am determined to make it through on a positive note!   I found a few different workouts that I want to try on my non-training session days to try and bring a little more variety to my routine.  Today is another beautiful day and I will make the most of it!

Sweet Tooth alert!

This afternoon, while sitting at my desk working, I had a ginormous craving for somethign sweet.  Before I headed towards the vending machine to see what I could find, I remembered about my chocolate stash in my desk!  Thanks to a post on Facebook a few weeks ago and a trip to my local Target store, I had a small stash of "Unreal" chocolates in my desk drawer.  Up until that Facebook post a few weeks ago, I had never heard of this brand/company and wanted to give them a try.  For those of you that are not familiar with them, Unreal is "Unjunked candy".  Taken directly from the back of the wrapper:  No Artificials,  No Hydrogenateds,   No Corn Syrups, No Preservatives, No GMOs".  Sounds like a winner to me!

Up until today, I had only tried their Candy Coated Chocolates with Peanuts (ie Peanut M&M's).  Those were not quite as sweet as an M&M and had a very smooth flavor.  My son said that they had a slight carob taste to them.  I had to agree - and I do like carob so I was not going to complain.

Today was the Peanut Butter Cups turn!

WOW!

These are fabulous!  It is probably a good thing that I don't have another package of the in my desk, they would probably be gone!  Taste was wonderful, texture was perfect.  I decided to take a look at the nutritional information for these Peanut Putter Cups, compared to a classic Reese's Peanut Butter Cup.  Overall the fat, calories and carbs were all lower with the Unreal version.  The biggest difference was in the sugar content.  The traditional Reese's has 21g of sugar, while Unreal Peanut Butter Cups only have 11g!  Plus counting the fact that the Unreal does not have any of the "junk" in the Reese's.  Taking into the account that the Unreal does have a lover sugar content as the Reese's  I did notice that I did not get that sugar buzz/headache that I usually get when I eat a Reeses (which is why I hardly ever get them anymore!)

Now before anyone says anything... I know that this is still candy and is not to be eaten daily!  I just know that I am always looking for ways that I can reduce (and eventually eliminate) artificial flavors etc form my diet, without feeling that I am completely depriving myself of occasional indulgences, like candy bars.

(side note)  I did try the regular chocolate candy coated pieces (i.e. &M's) and I did not care for those.  They were not terrible, just not something that I would buy again.

Running like a fool

The 3rd Annual April Fools 5k... on Friday the 5th of April.  I am thinking that the joke is that is was NOT run on April 1st!  

After a busy week of work, playing catch up on projects that piled up from taking the previous week off for spring break, the run was a welcome challenge.  

With  shoes laced up and bib numbers pinned Elizabeth and I headed to Appleton after work.  We laughed about the last race we did together. It was the Scheel's Run for Home 2 years ago.  In the process of completing that 5k, we experienced rain, sleet, snow and various combinations of the all three.  After the first half mile, it was not even worth trying to avoid puddles, It was just easier to run right through and keep going.  The freezing temperatures were the whipped cream on top of the hot cocoa that we should have got when we finished.  When I reached the finish line, I got my medal (this is one of the few local 5k's that actually gives medals!)  and waited for Elizabeth to finish a few minutes behind me.  Once we both had our medals, we made a beeline for the car, in search of our extra sweatshirts to warm up.  Forget waiting around for the awards ceremony, we just wanted to warm up!

Fast forward to today, mild temperatures in the 40's, the sun is shining and the is no sign of rain or snow for hundreds of miles.  Also helps that this race is run in the evening, instead of just after sunrise!  We arrived at Players Choice (location of the finish line) and hopped on the bus to head to OSI, where the run was starting.  Matt met us with us there - my pacer!  Due to some technical difficulties with buses and getting everyone to the starting location, the race ended up starting a little late, nut nothing worth complaining about - it was a gorgeous night for a run (yes a little chilly once you were outside but that would be short lived once we started moving!

After mile 1, I was feeling good.  Pace was at an acceptable 11:something minute minute mile.  Off to a good start!  Mile 2 was just a good, I was still feeling pretty good.  Shortly after we passed that 2 mile marker, Matt told me that we were at 21 minutes (and some odd seconds)!  That was a 10:something mile!  WooHoo!!  Shortly after 2 miles, I felt the wall coming, but was determined to run through it.  I could see the building off in the distance that represented the finish line.  I was not stopping to walk, I wanted to finish it the way that I started.  When I came around the last corner and could see the timer at the finish line, I was shocked to see it was only at 34 minutes... Did I really just finish this in less that 36 minutes?  Unbelievable!

Once across the finish line and catching my breath, Matt informed me that we just pulled a time of approximately 33:11!!!  I think this pulls out as one of the best (If not the best) 5k time that I have ever done!

What's next?  Scheel's Run for Home in 1 month!  Let's just hope that the weather is better than 2 years ago when I ran it!  Not sure which is worse - running in sleet, slush and freezing rain or sweltering heat (which was the Packers Training Camp 5k 2 years ago) Thoughts?  What is the worst conditions you have run in during an organized race?  I think I have run through it all... not sure which is worse!