Races to Ponder

Status quo with regard to my tummy virus.  It's now going on 5 days.  A doctor's appt may be in order - just HATE going.  I'm functioning - not sure how w/out any substantial food - so I'd rather ride it out.  I made a deal with myself that if I'm not better by Sat and I'll go in early next week.  Still going to the beach this weekend - it'll be a solo trip.  Hoping the solitude will lay this bug to rest!

So what to do with myself - can't exercise, can't eat, low energy.... hmmm....  go looking for races!  I took some time to hunt through some race calendars.  Good thing!  Didn't realize the $ for Baltimore 1/2 will go up on Friday.  One race for Oct - check!  Considering the Annapolis 10-miler in August.  It's a killer!  It's not one you just go out and do - I definitely have to train for this one.  Lot and lots of hills - doesn't that sound fun in the middle of summer in the humid Mid-Atlantic!  Much rather do that instead sitting by the pool sipping on some fruity concoction - HA!  I have some time to decide.  Sign-up doesn't start till May 1st.

The most exciting news is finding a trail race in Maui in late Oct!!  It's the Xterra Makena Beach Trail Run 5K and 10K!  Here's a description from gohawaii.com

The off road adventurous spirit of XTERRA reaches out to the community with the XTERRA Makena Beach Trail Run 5K and 10K. Both races are open for registration to one-and-all, and a benefit for the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Maui County. Awards go to the top three in each age group and the 10K women's amateur winner earns roundtrip airfare between the West Coast and Hawaii on Hawaiian Airlines.The short course (5k = 3.1 miles) is great for families or those just wanting to take in the scenery, while the serious runner will revel in the terrain variations of the full 10k. Both courses take you through dirt and lava trails on the lower slopes of Haleakala. There will be course marshals and ample aid stations to keep runners hydrated. Entry is $25 and all competitors receive the XTERRA Trail Run collectible t-shirt, plus refreshments.

Superman has a lax tournament in Maui the last weekend in Oct so I'm crossing my fingers we can swing both.  How AWESOME would that be!!!


The only other race I'm seriously considering is the Savannah Rock-n-Roll 1/2.  I loved the Phoenix r-n-r and I love Savannah so what a perfect fit.  Plus S-Man's parents live close by so they can watch the princess' if needed.  The only draw-back is the $$$$.  I've been holding off registration hoping to find a coupon to get the costs down. 

My other usual Fall races (OC 10miler and Army 10) will have to wait till next year due to our trip to HI.  Oh well...

I'd love to find a few more - preferably local and low $.  Need to keep up my motivation!

What races do you have planned for the Fall?  Have any small, East Coast 1/2's you recommend??

Enjoy the day!

The Toliet - My New BFF

UGH!  I have been SO sick!  Felt kind-of yucky Sunday morning - wasn't sure what was going on.  Well - that afternoon it become very clear.  I had contracted some NASTY stomach virus.  It's been going around and from what I've heard - it lasts at least a WEEK!  Yes - you read that correctly - a week.  So I've been surviving on a bagel a day - that's the only thing I can keep down.  Well - most of it anyways...  Can't even get my body to keep my usual morning, mid-morning or afternoon coffee!!!  Tried tea this evening - my body didn't want any of it. 

Obviously - I am drained.  No energy at all.  Crazy how one little microscopic thing totally disable you.  I'm afraid its going to take me awhile to get to normal.  On the positive side - my body is getting total rest and an unplanned detox!!

Trying to keep up fluids and eat at least one solid food item a day.  Feeling some progress but I definitely see this going into the weekend.  And I had FUN plans (girls' weekend!).... C'est la vie....

Would love any suggestions on how to bounce back from stomach virus'!!  THANKS and enjoy your evening!

Humility

Good morning!

It's been a while since I last posted.  BUSY! Playdates, consignment sale, gym, just everyday craziness!

I have also been in a major funk.  I can't seem to run! I've tried on the treadmill a couple of times and then just resort to walking - YES - walking!  So embarrassing...  I'm a runner!!!

Remember my goals...  well - I haven't gotten far with #1.  Trying to figure out the problem and I think I may have it solved!  Ah-ha!  OK - so I've been so tired and blah-feeling but I feel like sleep is not the issue.  Must be the food.  (I should really get back to my food diary - but its such a pain;))  So yesterday morning - I ate my normal b-fast of museli, chia seeds, yogurt, almond butter, berries and almond milk.  And then about an hour later - I had 1/3 bagel twist.  Dropped the princesses off at school and head to the gym.  I planned to start on with a run to see how it would go.  I felt FANTASTIC!!  It was one of those - I could of run forever - moment!  AH!  Relief - I haven't lost it entirely!  Unfortunately - I only had 40 minutes before my strength training class - which left me whooped:).  SO....I am totally not fueling myself properly.  I have been going all out for the past couple of months - working out 6 -7 days a week - putting in at least 2 hours a day exercising.  I know - a little excessive.  Not sure why I'm pushing myself so hard but I really need to reel it in a bit.  UGH!  I guess I need another hobby..HA!

As for the rest of my goals - pretty much on target.  Thankfully!  Purchased a ton of veggies and fruits from Sam's.  Omitted meat from most of my meals to cut back on the protein.  Haven't missed it a bit!  I've tried a couple new recipes for the fam - not too successful but I'll keep trying.  Only had mac/cheese once this week! May not seem like a big deal but believe me - it's major around here.

Okie-dokie - off to clean kitchen before the rest of the house awakens.  Another crazy birthday weekend - we have two parties back to back today. 

Enjoy the day!

In with the new and OUT with the old

Back home...mixture of emotions everytime we leave the beach.  Sad we have to head "home" to our real lives but at the same time ready to get back into a schedule and life.

What a weekend!  Friday was gorgeous - and that's totally not doing it justice.  The princesses and I were outside ALL day long.  They even donned their bathing suits and played in the ocean.  CRAZY!  Hopefully we will have more days like that soon!

I've been trying to get ready for a huge consignment sale in our area.  I have a bunch of kid stuff that I've been hording and need to get out of the house.  Spring cleaning is going into full swing this week.  I have to get all the consignment stuff into the system by tonight so I have a busy day ahead.

With all this organizing and cleaning, my mind starts to think more about my fitness and nutrition - how shocking, huh?

 

I realized I've been doing the same routines for the last couple of months and not really seeing or feeling benefits.  I'm not enjoying it - is what it comes down to.  I feel the need to reassess - get a plan together - be proactive!  (OMG!  Is this me talking???)  By nature - I am a huge planner.  I feel much better, calmer ( maybe more in control) when I know what the plan is.

SO....here are my goals:

1. Running is a priority - I have my next 1/2 coming up in 6 weeks.  I feel like I have a great base but need to work on distance and speed.
2. Lean myself out = lose a few lbs.  I "feel" bulky - please note this is just my feelings probably not realistic.
3. Eat less protein - more fruits and veggies.  I think this goes along with #2.
4. Get creative with meals - plan ahead.  I totally wing 90% of our family meals which ends up with mac/cheese or chix nuggets on the table.  I have to discipline myself to plan meal and stick to the plan. 

I'm sure I could go on and on with this list but this will get me started on spring cleaning my health. 

Do you spring clean?  House? Body? Soul?

Raining here - great weather to get house stuff done!!

Fitbloggin' 11 - Am I in???

Howdy!

I had started a pretty random, boring entry until I read Liz Runs DC's post for today.  THANKS Liz for the heads-up!

I was SO psyched to read that this year's event will be in B-more - totally my backyard.  With regard to my new hobby - I need ALL the help I can get!  I briefly reviewed the agenda and it looks fantastic!  I'm especially interested in the Keynote speech on moving from hobby to career.  Granted its a little early for me to expect this - I definitely envision it!!!  As a former marketing gal - Branding Basics also caught eye.  I want to go no matter what - need to run it by Superman first;).  It would be the perfect opportunity to gain some awesome knowledge and hopefully meet all the cool bloggers in this realm. And have a TON of fun!!

Crossing my fingers, eyes and toes that I get picked for a FREE registration!!!

Thanks FITBLOGGIN'!!!

PS - I think I've over done the exclamation points - Oppps!  Oh well - I'm excited what else can I say!

I'm Going SOLO

Good morning!

Can't believe its already Sunday!  The weekend flew!  On the exercise front   On Friday, had an hour  strength training session along with a couple of miles walking.  Since then I haven't done a thing.  My lingering cold is putting a damper on my energy levels - I have decided to lay low for a couple of days.

Went to the St. Pattie's Day parade here at the beach.  So much fun!!  It lasted over an hour and the Princesses scored!  Two beach buckets full of candy and necklaces.  Last night - I was supposed to meet a friend out for drinks and dancing.  She was in town for a moms' weekend.  Sitter came at 7 pm - thought I would get a quick bite to eat before meeting them at 8ish.  Well - plans were pushed back.  They wouldn't be out till after 9 pm!!!  What to do with myself for 1 1/2 hours SOLO....  going over my options and decided to head to a yummy sushi place.  Headed for the sushi bar with library book in hand and enjoyed a quiet, delish dinner.  It was the perfect way to unwind and to look forward to a fun night! 

I surprised myself last night - first, I didn't know any of the girls last night except my friend.  Usually I totally avoid these situations.  I am so shy and nervous - I just clam up. I hardly ever give myself the chance to meet new people and have fun.  I put my fears and self consciousness aside and had a GREAT time!  All the ladies were so nice and outgoing and welcoming.  I was so proud of myself! Secondly, I did dinner solo.  Something I haven't done in years.  When I worked - I traveled a ton and did most of it alone.  At the time - it was really fun - exploring new cities.  As with everything else in my life - I started to close myself off - not taking any risks.  I feel doors are starting open for me.  Moving forward, taking those risks and challenges will help me grow and to find my true self.  I hope!

Beautiful day here!  Think we will head to the beach for some playtime.

Prayers and thoughts go to all those affected by the tragedy in Japan.

Enjoy your day!

Status Quo

Good morning!

Life has been on auto-pilot this week.  A nasty cold has hit the fam - some have faired better than others.  Superman has it the worst.  I'm a close second.  The princesses seem to have beat it pretty quickly - thankfully!!!

Updates
Picked up treadmill.  Superman put it together Sunday evening.  Wasn't too bad - maybe took an hour.  Hooray!  I LOVE it!  I try to get on everyday.  Due to my cold I've been walking.  Only one 3 mile run - very slow.

Researched ACE PT course at local community college. Unfortunately - they do not offer an online course.  Pooh!  There's a hybrid - half in class, half online but its held on Wed evenings July - August.  No can do....We are planning to be at the beach for a majority of the summer.  I don't want to have to come back mid-week just for a three hour class. So....I've decided to wing it.  I'll purchase the study materials and work on my own.  I'm nervous about this approach b/c I'm not terribly good at self-discipline.  On the up-side, it will much cheaper - I am only forking out $ for the books.  School would be another $300.  OUCH!  Plus - if I find I'm struggling with the materials, I can wait till the fall to take the course.

Exercise
With the cold - I've been scaling back my running.  I think it might be good to take a week "off".  Sleep has been lacking - getting maybe 5 hrs/night and that really affects my energy level.  Decided not to do the 5K this weekend.  Girls are not into it and I'm not prepared to run with a 100+ lb jogger.  I'm trying to recruit a couple of people to run the metric marathon at the beginning of next month.  It's a super flat course and hopefully the weather will be good.  Definitely a small race.  We'll see....

Eats
Doing OK - eating clean most of the week.   Had a coupon (BOGO) for Chipolte.  My weakness!!  So I had to use it on Tuesday;).  Big chix burrito w/a huge blob of guac!  YUMMY!!!  Major tummy troubles all day yesterday and all night.  I think the ground turkey I used on my salad was on the old side.  UGH!  Just hope today is normal....

So glad the weekend is almost here.

Decisions, decisions, decisions

First - many thanks to Running off the Reeses for mentioning me in her recent post!!  If you haven't read her blog - you are missing out!  She is hysterical, fun and REAL!  Check her out here.

Made it to the beach last night.  Uneventful.  Tried to watch Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil  but fell asleep around 9:30 pm.  Yes - pathetic. 

This morning was really lazy - didn't make it out for my run till after 9 am.  Forgot to charge my Garmin - Duh!  So I drove to the inlet without a watch and decided guesstimate 8 miles. 


Parked my lonely car

 Not many people out.  Perfect!

Felt great!  Made it to the end of the boardwalk.

Continued further north to....

Turned back here.

Super hard going back to the car.  I had forgotten how bad the wind is at the beach.  Whew!

When I got home - measured my route via MapMyRun - 7.74 miles. Almost! Not bad.


So I've had lots of time this weekend to think with the Princesses and Superman at home.  Things have been a bit uneventful for me now that my babies are growing up and spending more time away aka school.  I NEED a challenge - other than running/fitness;).  TMB's last post really hit home with me.  Stepping out of my comfort zone to grow.  She is truly an inspiration!   So (drum roll please) I decided to pursue ACE personal training certification!!!  I've been toying with the idea for sometime.  I haven't been to school in ages!  Scary!  The local community college offers a prep course for the examination which would help tremendously.  It feels great to have a new goal!!!
 
Question:  For those of you that run with a camera - how do you do it???  Do you have a case or do you just hold it?  Or do you take your phone?

FYI - Most warehouse stores (Sam's, BJ's etc) have pharmacies that offer super low prices on meds compared to "retail" pharmacies.  Per FDA - You DON'T have to have a membership to these stores to purchase from the pharmacies.  If you have a regular prescription (like we do for acid reflux) this could save you a ton of $$$ without forking out a membership fee.

Getting back to nature

I think Spring is almost here!  Went for an early morning run and there was lots of chirping and birds flying around - usually its dead quiet.  I CANNOT wait....

During the run I got to thinking (dangerous - I know), treadmill runs at the gym have sucked with a capital S.  I feel sluggish, tired, totally dreading the next step.  But when I pound the pavement - its a whole different world.  I am ready to go.  Last weekend I was able to do 8.5 when I was hoping to do 7.  The run this morning felt good too even though I haven't been sleeping well.  So I've decided to listen to my body (shocker!) I will get up early, early to run and then hit the gym later in the day for cross-training/weights.  We'll see how it goes...

Plans for the weekend have changed.  I'll have a WHOLE weekend to myself.  Life has gotten a bit hectic so Superman has advised me that I need a break.  And this time I'm listening.  He is planning to take off work early so I can head to the beach this afternoon.  Hopefully I can get a long run in tomorrow - its supposed to be around 60 degrees and sunny/cloudy mix. Perfect weather!  P90X yoga will be in my bag - really need to start stretching again or an injury will eventually pop up.  Taking Sashay with me for company - maybe we'll hit the beach for some long walks.

Note to self - really need to start taking some pix!! 

Enjoy the day!

Dreams do come true!

I ordered my new treadmill on Sunday!  Can't believe it!  I've wanted one FOREVER!  Superman finally conceded or maybe I convinced him that he needed one too;).  I head down to the beach Sat evening and then pick it up Sunday.  We saved a ton of $$ buying it from the outlet store and opting out of the delivery and set-up.  I have to take the trip solo (yippee!) because the box won't fit in the car with the girls' seats.  So I have a much-needed solo evening to myself - can't wait!  I have so many things I'd love to do - run, pedicure, shop, etc but I'll probably end up on butt reading blogs;)

After a lot of research, we bought the LifeSpan TR3000i.  Due to space issues, it had to be a fold-up and had to stand up to (hopefully) a lot of running.  As soon as it's up and running (HA! No pun intended!)  I post a review.

Off to make lunches for the Princesses!

Here's the Scoop

So here I go....

I've been lurking around many blogs trying to get an idea of where to start and what my focus will be.  So inspired by all the awesome writers out there!  I LOVE ready about your running, your eats and all the wonderful twists and turns of your lives. 

I've tentatively written several posts of my mine only to delete them.  Played with the design a million times.  Can you tell I'm a procastinator??  Oh well...

I'm a married, stay at home mom with an obsession in fitness and nutrition/food.  My daily life revolves around the girls' schedule and then trying to fit in my workouts.  Hubby, aka Superman, is a pretty busy guy so he joins in the insanity when he can.

History...
Semi athletic growing up - soccer, tennis, sailing, cheerleading, hiking.  Never really got serious about any sport or activity.  Then came major body issues after I started college.  Put on a significant amount of weight during my first year away.  I was able to lose it all and more in the most unhealthy ways.  Over the last twenty years I weight has bounced up and down.  I was introduced to weight training by various boyfriends but it never took hold.  I NEVER went running - just wasn't my thing.

Got married and started to hang out with some of Superman's old friends from high school.  The group of girls are hysterical, lots of fun, wonderful friends and RUNNERS.  YIKES!  Well I got sucked in;).  They were so supportive and kind.  Letting me slothe along on their runs - helping me navigate registration for amy first 5K - getting me out of bed on the weekends for long runs of 5 miles.  I was really enjoying it!  Then they got me into the gym and showed me the ropes.  I went to hyperdrive reading anything I could find on running and lifting.  Then came nutrition.  How was I going to fuel my new hobbies??  Decided I should get on ball as to what I need to eat to stay healthy and energized.

The knowledge and the foundation I created helped me to shed all the baby weight after my two pregnancies.  I can't believe that I am in the best shape of my life at this stage of my life.  I am always looking for new info, new recipes, anything to help me and my fam stay healthy and active.

I have to start thinking of my future.  The girls will be in full-time school soon.  There's plenty of house projects, volunteering opportunities, etc but I need something of my own.  So I thought I might use this space to feel out my options, interests and opportunities to find myself again.

Thanks for reading!!!