13.1 miles.

on sunday, a. and i raced in our very first 1/2 marathon.  this race took place along the sliver strand, a strip of highway in san diego that connects coronado island and imperial beach.  i won't lie.  i was nervous.  like, am i going to be able to do this thing, nervous.  luckily i not only signed up with a. but also with my sister-in-law and a friend and his daughter (both of whom do races like this all the time and convinced me that if i stick to my training, i'll be fine).

early into my training, i decided this race wasn't about time.  it couldn't be.  this race, my very first 1/2 marathon, had to be about finishing.  so i adopted a motto to keep me focused: chug-a-lug.  i'm not sure when or where i first heard this, but i loved it immediately.

after a cloudy and cold couple of days, we woke up on sunday to the most beautiful, sun-soaked, southern california weather.  the morning was cool and refreshing and as we stretched and the sun rose, the day just got better and better.

the coolest part of this race is that in addition to the 1/2 marathon, they offer races for rollerbladers (this is what my sister-in-law did--actually, she's the one that peer pressured us into doing this in the first place), hand-powered equipment, a 10K and a 5K.  there is literally something for everyone.  plus, the entire race is flat...the perfect course for a bunch of novices or speed racers.

during the race i had a great time.  i ran solo and enjoyed listening to the various coaches and other people's conversations while taking in panoramic views of the pacific ocean and san diego bay.  it wasn't until mile 8 that i started getting hot spots on my feet and had to adjust my socks and shoes.  at this time, i also decided it was time for music.

during the race, i divided the course into four 5K races with 1 mile remaining at the end.  this helped me break down the race into manageable pieces and not get overwhelmed with miles and miles of road ahead of me.  while slow, i stayed really steady and finished strong.  so strong in fact, that i definitely could have ran longer if for some crazy reason i decided i wanted to.

as for 1/2 marathoning, i now have a time to beat and another goal to set my sights for.  i'll definitely do another one in the recent future and plan to continue to keep long runs as part of my overall training.  the entire process, while initially unnerving, was a lot of fun, totally gratifying, and made me so proud of our exciting accomplishment. 

ready or not.

after years of talking about this, months of training for this, weeks of not feeling ready for this, and days full of anxiousness about this...i'm finally doing this.  a half marathon.

my legs feel strong & i have great tunes.  i've also saved some podcasts and audio books for the long run as well.  more importantly, it looks like we're going to have some rare, cool weather in san diego...so i'm looking at that as an added blessing.

i'm excited and right now, my plan is just to finish the 13.1 miles on two feet.  but if i roll, crawl or scoot across the finish line, i'll definitely consider that a success as well.

mile a day:: weeks 3 & 4.

yep, believe it or not, i'm still moving.  maybe not strong & maybe not every day but still, i'm making a much better effort to move regularly.  while the original intentions of this challenge was to move every single day, over the course of this past month, i've graduated from doing something active 3-4 days a week to 6 days a week.  & for me, that's awesome.  the holidays have definitely made this entire challenge a bit more difficult- but knowing i can keep up an active lifestyle during a chaotic season was so rewarding.

since i skipped week 3, i'm not going to bore you with those details.  but for accountability purposes, here are the stats from this past week.


thursday// ran 2.77 miles
friday// walked 1.5 miles
saturday// ran 1 mile
sunday// ran 3.64 miles
monday// walked 1 mile & circuit training
tuesday// NADA
wednesday// ran 2.21 miles

mile a day:: week 2.

this challenge is tough.  there's no beating around the bush.  but, despite my lack of motivation lately, knowing i have to move at least one mile a day is getting me up and out the door.  this week was interesting with swimming, hiking, walking and running.  there was only one day (yesterday) that i missed.  and while i could consider this week a failure- i'm refusing to do so.  yep, i missed a day and yep, the streak has to start over...but for me, this challenge is more about getting out and moving on a regular basis than running a mile a day.  so while today starts anew, i'm not discouraged & am even more determined to make sure i succeed next week.

thursday// ran 1.43 miles
friday// walked the mall 1.02 miles
saturday// ran 3.84 miles
sunday// swam 1 mile, ran .6 miles
monday// hiked 5.45 miles
tuesday// ran 2.53 miles
wednesday// NADA

mile a day.

as mentioned in this post, i've committed to the mile a day december challenge.  occasionally i'll post photos on instagram using the hashtag #mileaday, but more consistently, i'll be sharing my progress on a weekly basis right here.

i was hoping to start this challenge on december 1st, since i was already behind the eight ball.  however that lovely stomach virus that's been going around had other ideas.  so officially, i began december 2nd and will continue to move a mile a day until january 2nd.

i'll be the first to admit, this is hard.  and i'm only on day 5 and i'm counting any mile regardless if i run, walk, swim or bike.  but i'm also determined to finish and hopefully enjoy the process.  i will tell you one thing, getting out and moving has been so good for me.  lately i've been a giant stress-ball- and a big, 'ol grumpy one at that.  so for the sake of myself and everyone else around me, i'm embracing this #mileaday.

sunday// swim 1450 meters, walk .5 miles (1.25 miles total)
monday// run 4 miles
tuesday// run 1.54 miles
wednesday// walk 1.1 miles

los penasquitos canyon preserve.

i have a serious thing for hiking.  long hikes, short hikes, day hikes, or overnight hikes- it doesn't matter.  as long as i'm out exploring nature, i'm a happy camper (sometimes literally).  over the weekend, i corralled my sisters and nephew to join me on a short & sweet hike through a fantastic reserve in north county, san diego: the los penasquitos canyon preserve.

as kids, we would come here all the time to hike.  from the get-go, it's relatively flat but once you reach the waterfalls,  the terrain starts getting pretty hilly.  the trek to the waterfalls, is about six miles round trip.  considering we were hiking with a four year old, we only made it about four miles out & back.  which, with a four year old, is fantastic.

it was fun to see how the preserve changed- and what stayed the same.  it was also awesome to view this giant canyon, full of huge palms, flowing streams, wild oaks, rosemary & sage from a child's eye.  he was mesmerized by the cactus, mountain bikes and horse tracks.  we let the dogs swim quite a bit as well- and this was the ultimate source of entertainment.

i can't wait to continue to introduce hiking & hopefully a love for the great outdoors to our niece & nephews.  i was lucky to have nature-obsessed mentors to guide and teach me as i grew, and i can only hope to be the same for them.

fit printable.

happy monday!  i hope each of you had an exceptional week.  here in central new york, life is good.  we finally had our first snowfall and this weekend we played and played in the wintery whiteness.  it was fabulous.

i want to share with you a few words that inspired me throughout the week.  for me, these words were consistently motivating on days when i just couldn't find my own self discipline (it happens more than i care to admit), or felt like i was losing momentum.  so, i took some time over the weekend to create the above image to share with you.  i made this print so you could post this in your car, office, bathroom, wherever.  & if you want to, frame it and give it to a friend who needs these words as well.  

i also wanted to share this printable with you as a thank you.  thank you for reading this little space and for keeping me motivated day after day.  thanks to you, i'm learning to find motivation in the everyday- and hope between these motivational mondays and the printable, that you are too.

since this is my first attempt linking to my jpegs, please let me know if you run into any technical difficulties.  i designed this in coral, light blue and gray & would love to know your favorite.  

i hope this week brings you tons and tons of motivation to continue with your goals and inspiration to start those you've been dreaming to accomplish.  it's going to be a great week.  go!

26.2

i’m making the commitment right here & right now.  to each and every one of you.

a few posts ago i made the announcement that i was debating between a half and full marathon.  & after much thought and ample discussion, i settled on the full…for many reasons.

• i want to do an ironman.  call me crazy (i know you are) but there’s something about rolling in after 140.6 miles that seriously appeals to me.  again, crazy.  that being said, running isn’t my strong suit so i need the practice and what a better way to train for some of the larger triathlons (i have to work my way to the iron) than have 26.2 miles under my belt.  it makes sense to me.
• lately, a. and  i have had some serious discussions about our future- so hopefully in the very near future, long distance running won’t be in the cards.  that said, i need to start training now.  otherwise it could be a year before i’m running for something other than bottles and diapers.
• it’s something i’ve always wanted to do.  sometimes i waiver, but looking back, it’s been on every.single.one of my annual bucket lists since college.  yet it’s the one thing i roll-over when i can’t find the time to do it all.  & considering my aforementioned points, it’s time to lady up and go for it.

so here i go.  training began on monday & i know i have a long and challenging path ahead of me.  i'm actually really excited and can't wait to give this a go.  run, walk or crawl...i'm crossing the finish line with my head held high.

images via pintrest

race day weekend.

these lovlies rocked it.  seriously.  now that the weather's starting to turn, there are only a few more races on the calendar.  the arc half marathon & 5k is one of the last races of the season & the weather couldn't have been more perfect.  it was a great day to wake up early & cheer on these fantastic ladies as they crossed the finish line (like rockstars, mind you).  very, very cool & so inspirational.  job well done girls! 

girl of steel.

because that sounds so much better than girl of iron.  but you get my drift.

it's official...i'm an iron girl!  two years ago i trained for my very first triathlon and was hooked the minute i crossed the starting line.  this year, as anxious as i was (gotta love those pre-race jitters), i had an equally amazing time.  

the iron girl is such a unique race as it's geared toward women.  i love the camaraderie of an all-women event: so inspiring and joyful.  women cheer one another on as they pass (or are passed) each other during the different legs (okay, maybe not the swimming portion).  & every woman who races has their own story to tell.  one woman lost 100 pounds while training, others were trying to be good role models to their kids, some wanted to challenge themselves to do something they never dreamed they could finish & others were proving to the world, cancer was no match for them.  it was awesome.

as for me, i love to tri.  pure and simple.  it's also a great way for me to relive my stress while staying healthy (and maintain my ice cream addiction).   i've never trained as hard as i had for my 2009 triathlon.  while i noticed my lack of training in this race, i still had a ton of fun and went in with two goals: to beat my 2009 time and race under 2 hours.  i did both.  my final time for this race was 1:56:49 down from my 2009 time of: 2:07:16.  and that feels good.  i'm proud of myself and i feel strong.  strong as iron.

*all photos, compliments of Gump.  Thanks for the support cheering squad!

what's in your bag?

see all this stuff?  it's everything from my race bag.  good stuff.  my favorite is always the food and shirts (i'm pretty predicable)- but they also included some free music downloads and hair ties that i'm drooling over.  what are your favorite race day goodies?

today is the day.  my first triathlon of the season!  i'm super excited and can't wait to join the masses of women at the transition area this morning.  it's always so inspiring.  i'm a bit nervous- not that i won't finish, but that i didn't train hard enough, and more than anything, i want to beat my 2009 time.  regardless, i'm racing with friends and have fans gathering at the finish line to route me on...so it's going to be awesome no matter what.  wish me luck!

in my shoes.

{brooks}

to you, these may just look like dirty running shoes.  but what you can't see is the endless road of pavement beneath their soles.  the newly sprouted leaves against the bright blue sky and the fields upon fields of soft grass scattered with dandelions, purple flowers and fallen white petals.  the huge white clouds floating with the gentle breezes and the butterflies gliding from bud to bud.  the red, yellow, green and blue trail markers that so carefully connect the trees & the squirrels, deer and birds that litter the trails and neighborhoods.  you can't see the puddles they have jumped or the streams they've forged.  you can't feel the warmth of the sun's rays or the cool pockets of shade beneath the tall pine trees.  the sting of thorns from the blackberry bushes against your legs and the slosh of mud in your shoes.  and you can't hear the whoosh of cars zipping by you or the kerplunk of a tree frog jumping into the puddle your darting around.  the crunch of gravel and sticks beneath your feet, your steady, rhythmic breath and the jingle of the dog collar from your four-legged companion.  you miss all of this.

to me, these are more than just dirty running shoes.  they're my experiences.

what have you & your shoes experienced lately? 

30 miles.

{image found here}

in the month of november. 

remember this post about trying walk/swim/bike/run to afghanistan?  well, i've made it 30 miles.  three zero.  at this rate i might as well be crawling across the country.  it's embarrassing.  if someone other than myself was documenting this, it would be dubbed move.  i mean, that's only one mile a day...for the entire month.


originally, i wasn't going to post this.  i am seriously embarrassed at my lack of motivation.  but then, if i can't be honest here and post everything- good & bad, what's the point of having a blog.  so there you have it.  sure, it's better than nothing, but it's definitely not my best.


a fire has been lit.  and it's time to move.

purist.

there is an age-old debate about running: should you or should you not run with music?  


as a non-runner, i've always preferred to run with music.  however, as of lately, i've been running to a different tune (nice pun, eh?).   with the stresses of work, the daily banter, music and phone calls, i've found myself craving the quiet.  i have enough ramblings in my head to write a novel (or a blog) and thought i would opt to listen to myself for a while.  and so far, so good.  


for the past couple months, my runs have been music free.  i wish i could say the transition was easy.  i used music to get in the zone and distract myself when i was mentally ready to shut down.  but the music also dictated my speed and energy.  as the music increased, so did my speed.  But in another regard, when the song stunk, so did my performance.  now, i'm not saying the minute i dropped the tunes i qualified for the olympic trials, but i think my running has improved.     


i find the rhythm of my foot falls and breathing somewhat meditative.  i also play games with myself (and have learned new ones thanks to some other running purists) during my runs.  for example, i ran the veterans day three miler without music, and found myself for the last mile and a half counting in odd numbers to 100 (or 101 if you want to get technical).  if i made a mistake, i had to start from the beginning.  these brain teasers help distract me and i find i focus more on the quality of my run rather than just going through the motions.  i'm running because i want to, not just to get in the miles.


i'm sure there will be days when i want to run with bon jovi or tom petty, and i will.  i'm not a die-hard purist.  after all, running's supposed to be fun enjoyable.  so, i'll keep running sans-tunes for now and hope that as my dependency on music decreases, my running continues to improve.


*ps. did you notice the new bling on my sidebar?  as you probably know, i'm always up for a challenge- especially one that claims to keep you in shape over the holidays!  check it out and sign up for a bootie busting season!

the weekend, briefly

this weekend was the perfect blend of productivity, creativity and laziness. 

saturday started with a bit of work around the house- cleaning and winterizing and getting ready for friends.  i made some time to work on another mini book i started last week and made soup, from scratch.  i felt uber productive because not only was it my one day to get things done, but i didn't have internet.  for the entire day!  so i was able to prioritize and spent way less time dinking around.

friends came over, good times, yummy food and lots of laughter was shared.  we decided to end the night watching eat, pray, love.  this was the second time we attempted to watch the movie...to no avail.  we ended up eating popcorn & chatting instead.  i guess there's always next time.

sunday, despite the copious amounts of wine we consumed, i woke up early to run a veterans day three miler with some friends.  it was a small race, there were only 55 people running, but the race had spirit.  the weather was perfect & the course had a lot more hills than i was expecting.  regardless, everyone finished proudly and broke the times we were hoping beat. 

i just wish it was still the weekend....

ah november

i always find november so appealing.  it humbly arrives after a wild and rambunctious holiday.  it graciously brings warm feelings of the holidays, chilly weather, festive gatherings & warm hearty food.  about this time i often find myself dreaming of decorations for the table, hot cider, warm fires, christmas wrapping ideas, holiday plans & all the yummy cookies i’m bound to enjoy this season.  snow is starting to fall, so this year, it already feels real.

(in my opinion) i have a busy month ahead of me.  i’m starting my workout regime so between that and my day job, my days are already really full…and let’s be honest, exhausting.  i’m also working on a project for a.(i started it over the weekend and am so excited to hear what he thinks) & i will post it once he gets it.  i also started (today is day dos) a 2-week mini book class with elise. while this isn't a huge time commitment, i want to make sure i’m getting the most out of it.  also, my official "list of things to do while a. is away" begins today as well (actually yesterday, but you know what i mean).  i'll be sure to share that montrosity so you can cheer me on!  whew.  there's a lot on my plate. 

 but none the less, welcome november!  i’m just relieved october is over.  time for something new.