Disney Dining & week 14 recap!

I booked our dining reservations for Disney!

Friday Morning we'll be flying from Hartford to Orlando, then checking in at Port Orleans. Then off to the Expo! Dinner will be at Portobellos at Downtown Disney to get my mom & brother ready for the Half Marathon!

Saturday I'll be spectating the Half Marathon (my first spectating race!), then we have a wide open day. We still haven't decided if we want to hit a park at all while we're there. Saturday night we're eating at Wolfgang Puck's Cafe to get ready for the Marathon in the morning!

Sunday is Marathon day! I would love to go on a drinking binge at Epcot following, but I'm not sure how I'll feel afterwards, so we're not making any plans quite yet.

What are your favorite non-park activities at Disney?


Today was Kevin's birthday!
I had the day off so we could celebrate. I took him out to breakfast after my TRX class, then to the mall for christmas exchanges, then back to play some xbox kinect (my christmas gift to him), finished up by a fabulous dinner at one of our favorite italian places. He just left for drinks out with some friends while I start packing and looking at cruise activities!

Marathon Training Week 14 Recap
Monday- I was planning on getting in my additional 4 that I missed in the 16/20 sunday. I was exhausted in the morning, and couldn't get up to run. After work, I headed to the gym, only to see the parking lot FILLED with cars. Making me think of the time I would waste to go in and find no free treadmills. I went home instead & did a 6 mile bike ride on the trainer.
Tuesday- Treadmill Speedwork for a little over 5 miles with 800ms, knee and speed felt great. An awesome confidence boosting run after the failed 20 miler.
Wednesday- TRX Circuit. Felt awesome the whole time through.
Thursday- 5 miles at mid-tempo pace of 5.9mph. Fast, but doable, I felt great!
Friday- Early morning to breakfast with the coworkers before work to say goodbye to my student. We went to a friends house that night, but came home early since I was planning my long run for Saturday.
Saturday- Christmas Eve! Only 25 degrees out again. My brother was heading out for 16 outside & invited me along. I only had 13 on my schedule and was dreading the cold. I killed my 13 on the treadmill instead.
Sunday- No exercise unless you count stuffing my face, and unwrapping gifts at both my parents houses on christmas!

Nutrition- FAIL on the working on reducing sweets! This time of year is too hard!! I am working on a christmas detox, although with Kevin's bday celebration it didn't go well today. Tomorrow is another day.

This weeks runs have been going well, and I'm looking forward to the race.
10 days left!

Week 13 Recap!

Thanks a million for all your words of encouragement after my sunday longrun.

In an odd way, even though I didn't finish the 20 miles, even though 18.5 is my longest distance before the marathon, even though I'm sure my running parter will ditch me & I'll run the race alone, I'm feeling better moving towards January 8th.

The biggest thing is, that my knee has been feeling a million times better. I made it 16 miles on Sunday with just a little stretching for it, and finished those 16 almost a full hour ahead of the 18.5. 

I'm optimistic that the taper, plenty of stretching, and some fabulous shorter runs will keep me ready. 

Any other words of wisdom to keep me moving in the right direction?


Marathon Training Week 13 Recap
Monday- rest day.
Tuesday- Treadmill Speedwork. These speedworks are beginning to get easier. The speeds feel more manageable and the knee is feeling better. Its amazing how 16 weeks of speeds you thought were impossible start to seem doable.
Wednesday- TRX class. My first in almost 2 weeks! Felt a little sore afterwards.
Thursday- 8 miles tempo @ 5.4mph. Felt pretty good throughout with a couple stretch breaks.
Friday- rest day. Slept through my alarm, and was lazy all night.
Saturday- I had every intention of riding the trainer in the afternoon. But after working in the morning, getting my massage, and wrapping presents I was out of time!
Sunday - 16 out of 20 miles of my long run due to the freezing cold weather.

Nutrition- My goal was less sweets, and I was mildly successful. This weight loss thing has been a no-go  lately. With less than 3 weeks until Marathon time, and VACATION (hellooo Bahamas!), I want to work hard to look and feel the best I can. With the holidays here, I know it will be tough. I want to try drinking more water, eating less sweets, and eating more lean proteins.

Today I had an awesome Speedwork run! The speed & knee felt great, and it was an amazing confidence booster to lead me into the final days before the race.

Tomorrow is the last day to win an Inperspire fitness towel, enter HERE!

Oh but there really is such thing as bad weather.

Source: soon2befit.tumblr.com via Martha on Pinterest

On my scheduled 20 miler today, I tried telling myself this over and over.  I knew that it was going to be cold out. The weather channel said 25 degrees with winds ranging from 7-9mph.  They said it "felt like" 15 degrees. I bundled up in my fleece lined Athleta tights, my running skirt, longsleeve brooks shirt I bought at RnR New Orleans, and my lululemon jacket. Gloves on my hands, and my face contraption Kevin had bought me during the power outage that doubles as a hat and neck/face warmer and is made of cozy fleece. I was chilly when I started, but figured I would warm up as I got going. 

My knee was feeling good, even as I hit the hills. I went through my killer hills at Forest Park, with a little walking and stretching, but felt pretty good. It was windy and cold the whole way. The sun wasn't warming things up. My face mask was fogging my glasses, so I had to keep it around my mouth and my nose was freezing. Around mile 11ish, I stopped at the gas station to buy more water, and the heat inside felt amazing. I left, and headed out for the last 9, more miserable than before.

Taking away the wind and cold, the run was going well, my knee felt a million times better than the last long one. Around mile 12 I was getting a little weepy. I was just so cold, my hands were beginning to get numb, and I could barely feel my face. Around mile 14, I started getting some chest pains. After stopping to rest and walk, I realized they were just a side-stich type pain, and I tried to keep going. From mile 15-15.5, I cried. I was having trouble breathing, my hands and face were numb, I was shaking I was so cold. I pulled over into a parking lot and sat down on the curb sobbing and shaking. I called Kevin, and finally got him on the third try. He could barely understand me, but finally got where I was, and was on his way.

I wanted to keep moving to stay warm, so I started walking. Kevin caught me about a half mile down the road with the heat blasting. It has never felt more amazing to get in that car. I was a sobbing, shaking, mess. My hands were red and numb under the gloves, and it felt like heaven to hold them up to the heating vents. Kevin stopped at Panera on the way home to pick me up a Cranberry Walnut Bagel. After a scorching hot shower, & layering myself with warm clothes, I made the most amazing breakfast sandwich, and crashed on the couch.

I hate that I quit, but honestly I thought it was becoming a potentially dangerous situation, and I was more miserable than I have ever been. I asked myself, "If this were a race, would you quit?" My answer was yes. If I would quit during a race like that, then theres no sense in potentially hurting myself on a training run. I'll finish the last 4 miles tomorrow.

Weekly recap to come tomorrow

Winner of the Gone for a RUN giveaway is Sarah without a blog, so I sent you an email, congrats!

And my last pre-holiday giveaway is my Inperspire Towel giveaway, which ends Wednesday, so check it out HERE!

Look out 20 miles, here I come!

I'm getting a little nervous about tomorrow's 20 mile run.

I have learned from my past long solo runs... multiple loops do not work for me. So instead, I mapped out one giant 20 mile run. I strategically planned around a gas station & a CVS for water refills. A sunny 25 degrees is the forecast. Brrrrrr!

My mom did 14 miles today! I'm so proud of her for heading out there and working hard. Now she's on her taper, I can't wait for mine after that 20 miles tomorrow! Disney is only 3 weeks away.

Wish me luck!

Tonight is your last chance to enter my Gone for a RUN giveaway HERE!

Three Things Thursday!

1. This morning I managed 8 of the 10 scheduled tempo miles before my time ran out before work. My plan is to get the additional 2 in tomorrow morning, and then work on getting in at least part of the speedwork I missed when I was sick on tuesday.

2. I found out my Bib # for Disney!! 5368! I think there are a bunch of bloggers racing marathon weekend in the half, the full and goofy. Are you going?? Is there a blogger meet up scheduled at all? If not yet, who wants to get together?  I'll be getting there Friday morning, and leaving Monday morning to get to the cruise port for my cruise to the Bahamas!

3. Ironman World Championships are on on Saturday on NBC! 4:30pm my time, I plan on riding the trainer and watching after I get home from work. I couldn't be more excited to watch and get excited to Tri season!

I'm happy to be feeling better and back in the game (minus the peppermint ice cream I ate tonight haha)

When doubt starts to creep in...

Source: Uploaded by user via Peyton on Pinterest

Today I had a a lot of doubt and fear going into my 18 miler. My longest run to date. My faith in myself and my training was lacking, but I was determined to get through it. With only 5 long runs left leading up to Disney, I knew I had to get it done. Despite the fears, despite the pain, despite the lack of desire. I had to get it done, all 18. The first 11 went well, I stayed at a decent pace, walked when I needed to in order to keep my knee happy and plugged along. I stopped at CVS around mile 10 for more water, then back at home mile 11 before heading out for the final 7. The whole time I'm thinking "When I finish this run, I would still have another 8 miles. 8 miles??!!! What have I gotten myself into??!!" I had horrible headwinds going into my final 7, and my knee started acting up more. I walked more. Around mile 14, I started crying but kept going after pulling myself together. I was forced to walk the last 1.5 miles of a total 18.5 miles because the knee pain was too great. Now my fears are even bigger.

How am I going to do this?

Will I finish the Marathon?

What have I gotten myself into?

And after finishing the run, I spent a long time stretching and crying as I worked out the kinks and waited for Kevin to deliver my Panera to me. My 110% Play Harder calf sleeves have been on since I finished with rotating ice packs. I cannot climb stairs. I cannot sit on the toilet. I am miserable, which is creating more and more fear of whats to come in 4 weeks.

Do you think 4 weeks will lead me to feeling more prepared?

Should I adapt a more run/walk method for my knee?

Should I (probably most obvious) throw any sort of time goal out the window?

Week 11 training recap

Monday- 45 min bike trainer ride while watching DVRd shows

Tuesday- Treadmill speedwork. 1K, 2K, 1K, 1K. A couple pauses during the long sprint, but otherwise feeling good.

Wednesday- TRX class. I was able to progress to a side plank pike today. Still no knee pain with SLS exercises.

Thursday- 6 miles planned, but my early morning vertigo made that impossible. Instead I spent the day vomiting and sleeping after having the Eply maneuver done to me.

Friday- Still dizzy and missed TRX class, and another day at work. Instead I spent the day sleeping and making cake pops.

Saturday- Jolly Jaunt 5K, just over 30 min! So mad I cannot seem to break that milestone! My knee felt fabulous the entire time.

Sunday- The absolutely brutal 18.5 mile long run recapped above.

Nutrition- Actually has been pretty good all week! Minus the taste testing for the cake pops, I did really well limiting sweets and snack food. At my work holiday party I didn't go overboard and only had 4 cocktails all night! I am now enjoying a fabulous dish of peppermint stick ice cream from the shop down the street in attempt to soothe my legs haha 

Despite my discouraging run, I'm going to work hard at staying positive, getting my runs in, and eating well all week.

Now the important stuff.... 

The winner of the Fuel Belt is...

Jen @ Running with the Girls!

email me at sgrigely at hotmail dot com to claim your prize!

Send me some encouraging vibes!

Don't forget to enter my Tough Chik giveaway HERE!

Thanksgiving & week 9 & 10 Recap!

                                                                Source: leahremilletblog.com via Alana on Pinterest

Without goals set in place for myself... I feel lost. I need to have that motivation of the future to keep me striving to become better. A better runner, better with my nutrition, better with a healthy lifestyle. I had thanksgiving goals set in place for me thanks to Krystal @ Bia Fitness:

1. Bake a Healthy and nutrient dense dish (side or dessert) for festivities. DONE! My sweet potato casserole was a big hit!

2. Engage in 45 min of exercise the morning of. DONE! Manchester Road Race in 48 min with the family.

3. Eat breakfast the morning of the festivities. DONE! Pre race breakfast of my usual toast with PB & banana, then post race smoothie with whey protein, milk, and pumpkin.

4. Fill your 1st plate 1/2 full. go back for 2nds after 20 min and 20 oz of water, and NO seconds on unhealthy dishes. DONE! My plate was full with white turkey, sweet potatoes, homemade cranberry sauce, and steamed carrots. No stuffing, white potatoes or rolls for me!

5. ALL leftovers out of the house after 5 days. Tomorrow I told Kevin I am throwing away whatever he doesn't eat before then. I've had my share of extra pumpkin pie.

6. Limit all alcohol consumption to 1 for the day. FAIL. Who can say no to wine??!!

What are your upcoming goals for the Holiday season?

All in all, it was a fabulous holiday. We had a blast at our 3rd time doing the Manchester Road Race, even getting my mom, Kevin & Jason's girlfriend to join in!

Kevin & I pre-race

Brother, Mom & Me pre-race!

This is a big Turkey Day race & it was the 75th year celebration. The race is capped at 15,000 every year. Every year it is an insane, mad dash of people throughout the entire race. There are so many people it is almost impossible to settle in at a good pace.

We saw my friend Amy & her mom all decked out after the finish!

The 15,000+ crowd!

Overall, the past 2 weeks have been tough marathon training wise, but I'm feeling encouraged, leading into this coming week. Especially with the little boost I got from doing well so far in the Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge!

Marathon Training Week 9 & 10 Recap

Monday 11/14- Rest day! Much needed after a 15 miler the day before

Tuesday- Speedwork workout, a little tough with longer sprints.

Wednesday- TRX class

Thursday- Tempo Run 1mile easy, 4 miles Mid Tempo, 1 mile easy. Took a while to warmup to the run, but felt better about 3 miles in.

Friday - Skipped TRX... had to be at my birthday breakfast early!

Saturday - Skipped

Sunday - Planned on doing my longrun monday with my running parter, but she bailed on my and went sunday. Did a 60 min trainer ride instead.

Monday 11/21- Day off from work, planned 16 miles. I made the mistake of splitting it into 2, 8 mile loops. I stayed home after loop 1.

Tuesday- Speedwork with longer sprints. Tough to keep going, but I managed to finish! It was a great birthday morning run.

Wednesday- TRX class. I was actually able to do a single leg squat on my right leg for the first time without pain!

Thursday- 10 mile tempo planned. 4.77 mile Manchester Road Race instead. I was hoping to get another 5 in, but we just got home too late.

Friday- No TRX due to black friday... booo! Does christmas decorating after work count?

Saturday- Worked all day, then relaxed all night.

Sunday- 12 mile long run solo. Lots of stretch breaks and walk breaks, not a great pace. My knee is starting to finally feel better though!

My goal for this week is to get every single run in!

Nutrition- Not horrible, but not great. Weight Watchers at work ended, leaving me feeling a little stranded. The holiday and my birthday celebrations (3 so far, and 1 more to go), have thrown me a little off track. My goal is to eat clean and healthy all week, then splurge a little over the weekend for my 7 year anniversary and my work Holiday Party. wish me luck!

And don't forget to check out my Fuel Belt giveaway HERE!

Getting back to it...

Thanks a million for all your uplifting words from sunday & monday! I am pleased to report that I am working myself out of the funk!

Monday, I was planning for my 16 miler. I split it up into 2, 8 mile loops from my house so I could stop to refill water, stretch, etc.  I felt great & kept pace the first 8 miles, my knee & back started tightening up towards the end. I went inside, stretched, ate a honey stinger waffle (I was STARVING at this point), and refilled water bottles. I started dreading the 2nd loop. Bad thoughts were creeping into my head. 

What if my knee started hurting too bad?

What if I hurt myself more when I'm finally starting to feel better?

I have a million things I want to do today.

I am hungry & I don't want to do this.

I set out for that 2nd loop, but part way down my street, my heart and head just weren't in it. I turned around back to the house. Major fail? I don't think so. Instead of totally skipping the long run, I got 8 miles in. 8 miles with some good hills, and keeping good with pace. The rest of the day proved successful, as I hit the mall for holiday outfits, organizational buckets for my basement, and new bedding on sale for the guest room. monday = WIN.

Tuesday was another WIN, because it was my birthday!

I hit the gym for my tuesday speed work, and killed it. The last 2 intervals were tough, and I wanted to quit, but I stuck with it to finish. Awesome way to start my birthday. I got flowers delivered to work by the man with an amazing card. Nothing I love more than Flowers at work. I went for a massage, and my birthday gift from the massage place is an upgrade from 55 min to 80 min, sweet! I got home and Kevin had dinner ready with candles, wine, and john mayer playing. It was seriously the most romantic thing he's ever done and it was amazing.

Plus, in all my misery I forgot to mention my new ride!!

I bought a brand new Honda CRV last week and I'm in love. I just couldn't go another winter sliding all over the roads in my little Civic, and it was time for an upgrade.

This morning is TRX, then after work I'm going to get a head start on my dishes for thanksgiving. I'll share the plan later. Have a happy wednesday!

You get, what you put in....

                                                                                            Source: soon2befit.tumblr.com via Erika on Pinterest

you get what you put in.

Isn't that so true?

Truth is, I haven't put much into it lately. My energy level is low, probably because my eating has been crappy. Its been tough giving it my all in my workouts, because my energy level is low. My head is not in the game, and I need to get it there. That explains my absence from blogging and blog reading as well.

My goal for the week is to get back on track with everything.

eating.

workouts.

positive energy.

What motivates you out of a slump?

Week 8 Marathon Training Recap

Monday- easy 30 minutes on the elliptical and stretching

Tuesday- speedwork run. I managed all the intervals sucessfully, without any cheats.

Wednesday- TRX class

Thursday- only made 2.25 of my 6 mile tempo run. Totally not feeling it.

Friday- Skipped my TRX class. exhausted, but unable to sleep well.

Saturday- 3 mile run/walk with my triathlon friend Barbie and her 3 month old girl. It was nice to catch up and meet the baby!

Sunday- 15 miles at 12:30ish pace. my knee was achy, and my energy just wasn't there. This was a rough run for me. I sent Shelley ahead of me for the last 3ish miles, and met her at the end. 

Send me some good vibes!

Week 7.... and tons of winners!

Source: Uploaded by user via Annie on Pinterest

The knee pain won't give up.

The pain was edging me on during Sunday's long run, trying to get me to stop. I slowed down, but pushed through and got all 10 miles in. 

You only reach your limit when you can go no further.

Shelley and I talked on our run about the importance of getting our training runs in. She said she was afraid of not being able to finish the marathon. I told her that it wasn't an option. No matter how tired we are, or how much pain we're in on race day, we will finish. When we cross the finish, we may not be able to go any further. We may have reached our limit. But running, walking, crawling, we'll make it to the end.

I have been stretching, foam rolling, and hoping that it will disappear.

Go away knee pain!!

Marathon training week 7 recap

Monday- remember my 14 mile long run that I added to last week's update

Tuesday- With still no power, and sore legs from monday, I skipped my speedwork.

Wednesday- Headed to TRX. Only me and 1 other girl. Luckily power had come on at the studio the day before so we had lights to workout in. After TRX, I came home to a cold shower (worst decision ever), then went to work to get ready.

Thursday- The gym got power, yay!! planned 8 miles tempo, but only got 7 in with the time I had. Nice hot shower at the gym, fabulous!

Friday- After sleeping at my mom's house (she got power), I went to TRX and was the only one for the first 15 minutes until 1 other person showed up. Headed back to mom's house to get ready.

Saturday- Worked all day, then cried when I came home and the power still was not on. In the middle of my cryfest, my neighbor offered the electric guys weed & beer, and the power came on shortly after. No workout, but I CRANKED up the heat!!

Sunday- Long run with Shelley. We ran in South Hadley for 10 miles on a route she mapped with killer hills. Unfortunately killer hills, killed my right knee/leg, and I hobbled toward the end. The last half mile, Shelley finished up while I did laps around her condo complex to get to my 10. 

Nutrition- Went to hell this week. Being unable to eat my regular foods, and keep on track threw me way off. Even though I ate healthy, I'm thinking I may show a gain this week.

Not only did I FINALLY get my power back saturday, but I got cable & internet back today too!!

Shutterfly winners....

Cat B @ Chasing K(m)s

Elle @ East Run Sail

Robin @ Everymom to Ironmom

&

New Sparkly Soul winner (old one didn't get back to me)

Penny @ Pink Hat Runner

email me to collect your prizes!!

sgrigely at hotmail dot com

Marathon Training Week 6 recap!

I'm trying to keep things as normal as possible, despite the power outage.
I got up at 5:10am to go to TRX in the pitch black. Luckily, Bia Fitness' studio got power back yesterday, so we didn't have class in the dark. It was so nice to be in a warm place! After working out I took a cold shower (huge mistake), and did my hair and makeup at work.

Remember that BBQ chicken pizza I was going to make on the grill?

It came out fabulous! Caramelized red onions, grilled chicken, BBQ sauce & gouda cheese. YUM! We also used the grill to boil some water for tea & hot chocolate. Thank goodness!

Marathon Training recap week # 6 

Monday 10/24 - slept in (still recovering from that Halloween Party)

Tuesday - treadmill speedwork: 2x 1200m @ 6.5mph, 4x 800m @ 6.6mph with warmup, cooldowns and rest intervals in between. Felt strong throughout the speedwork intervals, which were long, but doable. Felt good to run!
Wednesday- TRX class. LOVE LOVE LOVE. I just know I am going to love the TRX so much this round. It is helping me focus more on core strengthening, which I desperately need!
Thursday- Treadmill tempo: 5 miles @ 5.9 mph . FAST for me!! I was surprised by how good my knee felt, and how great the pace and run overall felt.
Friday- TRX Circuit @ Bia Fitness
Saturday- Was planning an indoor ride, but skipped because I "didn't feel like it." NEVER again!! The snow started shortly after, and now no power!
Sunday- with all the downed power lines and trees, we decided to skip our scheduled long run. Boring day spent waiting for hot coffee, shoveling snow, then playing cranium outside because it was warmer there than in the house.
Monday- Included in this week because I did my longrun!! I made it all 14 miles on the treadmill, stopping after miles 3, 8, 12, then finish for more water. A couple walk breaks here and there to stretch out the knee, or avoid too much pain, but other than that I felt great (even better to finish!) 14 miles in 2:47:03!
Nutrition- Had been doing great counting all my points all week & weekend until the power went out. I managed to keep my Halloween promise and avoid the candy, but not eating my regular foods made me hungry at odd times and feeling uncomfortable. I'm trying my best to stay on track until we get power back hopefully saturday!

I'll do this week's training recap as usual next Monday!

Still no power...

Still have no power.... it's looking like we won't get it back until saturday. 

Which will be a week.

I have resorted to staying late at work in order to blog (yuck!)

The damage is crazy, with downed power lines and trees everywhere. I'm not sure why western & central MA has been so cursed these last 5 months with the Tornado, Hurricane and now Blizzard. This damage was much more widespread, which is leaving hundreds of thousands of us in massachusetts without power, with trees blocking streets, and with ice cold houses. 

I called out from work yesterday. No way was I going in without a shower since saturday, and not knowing when my next one would be. Thankfully monday afternoon, I got word that the Healthtrax in West Springfield was open!! Since I belong in East Longmeadow, they let me use their gym, and I paid $10 for Kevin. We spent the entire afternoon there, while I rocked out my 14 mile longrun on the treadmill and Kevin worked out and studied. I then took the most amazing shower & blow dried my hair. I was in heaven. 

On the way home, we stopped by CVS for some snacks

pretzels and diet Dr. Pepper

Then made dinner at home on the grill. Chicken Teriyaki Burgers and sweet potatoes. We spent the rest of the night relaxing in the candlelight (me rocking my new black CEP socks), and trying to stay warm (Is it weird I have a 'bedtime scarf'?). 

Tonight I'm debating another gym trip, or just heading home to try grilling a pizza. We may stop by my friend Debbie's to sleep since she has power. Send warm thoughts and good luck my way so I'll get power back soon! I promise I'll post my training recaps when I can.

Life Moves Fast, Run Faster.

I missed my run yesterday.

I'm not dwelling on it.

Am I disappointed?

Yes.

But, I'm not gonna let it drag me down. 

The Halloween Party was awesome, and I behaved with only 2 drinks and a couple nibbles, thinking I would make it for the 12 miles. A couple late night drunkies stayed past 2am, leaving me cranky and exhausted. I could barely drag myself out of bed at 9am (horribly late for me) to get to church, then spent the day dragging along and cleaning up with a nap late afternoon.

Look at this spread!

Holy desserts!

Kevin & I were mile high pilots!

My future with this marathon is bright, with many future training runs to get in. Some runs or workouts may not happen, and thats ok. In reality, probably taking a little long run break may be better for my knee. With the switch up from bootcamp to TRX, my runs will now be tuesday, thursday, sunday, so I'm looking forward to tuesday's run!

Week 5 Training Recap

Monday- Rest Day.

Tuesday- Bootcamp. TRX sprinter squats, ladder work, kettle bells. My legs were killing me by the end!

Wednesday- Speedwork day! 3 x 1600m @ 6.4mph. I thought the speed would be tougher to handle, but I actually made it through with no problem. It felt great to rock this run with no knee pain after the Hartford Half last weekend.

Thursday- Bootcamp. TRX plank walks/push ups/knee tucks, slam balls, band rows. My abs were dying after this workout until sunday.

Friday- Skipped run. Tired, and decided to sleep in. whoops!

Saturday- Made up Friday's Tempo run. I actually hit the gym with my mom on side by side treadmills while she did her long walk/run for the week. She had 8 miles on her schedule and I had 6. I pumped it out, and headed home to do the party prep.

Sunday- Skipped long run, after a late night to bed.

Nutrition- Win this week! While I wasn't perfect (a few too many Kashi Pita Crisps), I tracked everything monday-thursday which was a big step for me! I avoided alcohol all week, with only half a drink friday night, and 2 drinks saturday. This week I didn't buy any Kashi crackers, and am going to aim to track all 7 days.

How was your weekend?

Do you beat yourself up over a missed workout or push along?

Spread the running Love

Todays Quote:

‎‎"My goal has always been to introduce other people to running. They might accomplish something they never thought they could." 

Grete Waitz, Norwegian marathon runner and former world record holder

A little over 2 years ago, I convinced my brother to try running.

I lured him and a few other friends in with a trip to Disney World and a shiny medal to hang on the wall. My brother was severly undertrained for the race, and I stuck by his side, helping him to push through and finish in the sleet, snow & rain that cold January morning in Florida.

Saturday, he ran his first marathon. I am insanely proud. I know when he first started running, he thought it was a crazy idea, but now he's basking in the post marathon glow & starting his Goofy training for January. Plus, he's lost another 20 pounds to push his total weight loss to 100+. amazing. Look for a guest post from him in the future.

Me, brother & mom, all post race!

Saturday, my mom walk/jogged her first 5K. My mom never thought she could do a 5K, but then she really wanted to come to Disney and join the fun. So she started training to walk/jog the Jeff Galloway training plan for the half. My mom, who has NEVER really exercised, now hits the gym 4-6 times a week for walking/jogging & strength training. She works out with a trainer once a week and loves it. She is looking fabulous, and I couldn't be more proud.

Who have you introduced to running?

My running buddy Shelley & I completed the Hartford Half on saturday. While things did not go as planned for me (the knee crapped out around the 10K), I finished and did not give up. Same thing goes for Kari @ Running Ricig.... we were supposed to meet up after, but she had a horrible vertigo attack hit mid race & did not give up. Please go send her some love HERE! I'm recovering well, I think I need to focus on more stretching & foam rolling.

Week 4 training recap

Monday- Speedwork. 5 x 1K @ 6.6mph w/ 400m RI. My knee was acting up a little, but I made it through strong.

Tuesday - Bootcamp. Outdoor for another cold morning doing sprints, slam balls, battle ropes & the TRX rip trainers.

Wednesday - Felling sore from tuesday's bootcamp, so I skip my tempo run.  I wonder if bootcamp is starting to affect my running training. No good when you're training for a marathon.

Thursday- Another skip. This time bootcamp. After feeling so sore from tuesday, I definitely don't want to get more sore for saturday's race.

Friday- Swim. An easy swim of 750m, mostly to test my H2O audio set. I haven't been swimming since my last triathlon Sept 11, so it was good to get in.

Saturday- Hartford Half Marathon. 2:36:22, not too disappointed for the trouble I faced during the race. I'm more mad at myself for not taking good enough care of the leg with stretching, rolling, and pretty much doing physical therapy on myself. recap to come later.

Sunday - Stretch & learn class @ Bia Fitness. Krystal got us a yummy breakfast (organic hard boiled eggs, whole foods biscotti, fruit, organic yogurt), and we stretched, had free chair massages, and talked about training. Why we train, how we should train, how to make fitness part of our everyday lives & improve our community with fitness. It got me excited and motivated to train again. I talked to her about switching from Bootcamp to TRX to improve my running.

Nutrition- Improving. Did not count my points again. Why am I struggling with this!? I need to reign it in! I definitely did better with making smart choices and decreasing the beer though.

How was your training week?

Don't forget my Sparkly Soul giveaway HERE!

Think you Can?

In the beginning, I didn't think I could run. In high school I constantly told myself I was not the running type. 

I was right.

Then at some point, I though to myself, maybe I could run. I tried a little bit at a time. I decided to sign up for a 5K, trained for it & finished. Then I decided I wanted to run a half marathon, I signed up for Hartford in 2007, but slacked with training and doubted myself. I told myself I couldn't do it.

I was right. DNS.

I signed up for the Kona half marathon with Train to End Stroke with my friend Monica in 2008. I was so busy telling her she could do it, I started to believe that I could to.

I was right. We finished our first half marathon.

I did a couple more 5Ks, half marathons, and set my eye on a triathlon last year. I was beyond nervous, but had 2 friends to cheer on. Can you tell that while I'm convincing others they can do it, I start to convince myself? I told myself that I would make it through the swim, bike & run.

I was right. I teared up crossing the finish line.

With a few more half marathons under my belt, I finally felt ready to tackle my ultimate goal. The Disney Marathon. Every day I tell myself I can do this, that finishing Disney will be amazing. That I can & will stay focused on my training in order to be successful come January.

I will be right.

What will you be right about?

Week 3 Training Recap

Monday- Rest Day! Much needed after the Diva Half Sunday!

Tuesday- Morning Bootcamp. My right lower leg & knee were killing me, full of knots. I couldn't do any of the jumping activities at bootcamp & took it easy. After work, I rode for an hour on my bike trainer while watching desperate housewives. A massage that night, following by a night in my CEP compression socks helped my leg a ton.

Wednesday- Treadmill speedwork. Along with my CEP socks, my knee survived. The speeds were tough, but I made it through every one without having to slack.

Thursday- morning Bootcamp. It was 40 degrees & freezing & she made us go outside!! I was bundled up with gloves and a pullover. I didn't push it too hard since I didn't want to aggravate the knee with another race so soon. Rocked the Zensah sleeves day & night.

Friday- Treadmill Tempo! 1 mile easy @ 5.4 mph, 5 miles @ 5.8mph, 1 mile @ 5.4mph. Tough to get through, but managed to make it with a few stops for more water. I had the treadmill set to random hills to add a little variety.

Saturday- Rest Day. Was hoping to get a bike ride in after work, but had a beer instead. whoops!

Sunday- 10.4 miles in 2:06:45. Average pace 12:11, a little slower than target. We tried a new route with lots of hills to get some practice in before next weekend.

Nutrition- Hasn't been the best, but better than last week. Still need to cut back on the beer. I got in more of my protein shakes, and tracked points a little more, but not consistently. My goal for next week is to track all my points faithfully.

I'm looking forward to a great training week and the Hartford Half Marathon on Saturday!

Week One Success = Treats at the Big E!

So, week 1 of my training for my very first marathon is completed! Not all the workouts went as I would have hoped, and my nutrition wasn't the best, but overall I'll call it a success. Here's a recap....

I'm following the Run Less, Run Faster Program

Monday- OFF

Tuesday- 1 hour bootcamp, 20 mile ride in 1:40. I got to go riding in the rain with the Green Girl!

Wednesday - Speedwork day: 3x1600m @ 6.4mph with 1 min rest intervals. My legs felt heavy & sore, but I plunged through with only a couple small rests on the last one!

Thursday - 1 hour bootcamp

Friday - Tempo day: 2 easy, 2 ST, 2 easy. Last 2 miles were definitely rough. My legs were wicked sore still.

Saturday- 15.76 ride in 1:15. A buggy, muggy ride with Kevin. Pretty much I wished we had stayed home.

Sunday- Long run 8.21 miles in 1:38. Rough run overall. My legs were heavy, my breathing short, and I just wanted to be done, but my body didn't want to go. I let Shelley go ahead the last 1.5 miles, and I struggled to the car with a million walk breaks.

Nutrition- Overall, not horrible. Biggest problem is that its fall, which means that my favorite beers are in limited supply. Which obviously means we have bought several cases and I'm enjoying 1 or 2 almost every night. I HAVE to stop this.

Today we went to the Big E, ever hear of it?

Pretty much its New England's biggest fair, and we had to go!

I managed my food smartly with a corn on the cob from the New Hampshire building, organic flatbread pizza from American Flatbread in Vermont, Sam Oktoberfest, Opa Opa Oktoberfest, and my favorite, the mini cinnamon donuts!

My donuts and my many purchases!

I'm also a huge sucker for those 'as seen on TV' kind of products. I ended up with a ceramic curling iron,  floor mats for the house, back cushion for my car, and an amazing grater. Pretty excited to curl my hair tomorrow!

Like the pink zebra? Don't mind my crazy eyes!

Since next weekend is the Diva Half Marathon, I'm going to get my key runs in on monday and wednesday, so I don't run 7 miles 2 days before the half. Shelley and I are excited for a long girls weekend away in Long Island!

Anyone else racing at the Diva Half in Long Island?

Anyone know any fun things to do in Long Island?