Three Things Thursday

You know what today is......Totally Random Three Things Thursday!!!  Here goes nothing!!!

1.  Muchas Gracias!!  Thank you to all of your great ideas on how to punch a one way ticket out of funky town!  Some of these are ones that I have used in the past but it is always good to be reminded of them!  I knew I could count on you all for giving me some great suggestions on this!!  Don't you just love Bloggy World?!  That being said, I know a lot of you have races this weekend...or training runs.  Let me know so I can send a shout out to you!!

2.  NO EXCUSES...Yesterday was my weekly running group run and it seemed as if the clouds parted just in time for it to start...I knew this because I was watching the sky...from my gym!  I LOVE my running group and look forward to it every week but yesterday life just got in the way and was faced with a decision...not run, speed to group only to miss them, or go to the gym.  Well my father-in-law was excited to see Em and my gym is only around the corner so to the gym I went....and rocked 10 miles on the treadmill I might add!!  I missed running group but I wasn't going to let that get in the way of my workout! 

3.  Jelly Bean is here....Sunday marks the first day for the Jelly Bean virtual race with Run with Jess!  Looking at what I signed up for (all 4 events) I said to my friend Jill, "What was I thinking?"  Today I am planning out my runs and one bike and I'm ready to take it on!!  I'll start with the 1/2 marathon first and end with the 10k since next Saturday I have a 10k I am already running!  I love virtual races and this one is certainly coming at the right time for me to bust through that rut!!  Are you part of the Bean? 

Talk to Me Tuesday

Ok all....here's your chance!  Talk to me!!!  Tell me what works for you!!!  Coffee Talk...discuss...I'll give you a topic....

Rut Busters

We've all been there in funky town where we are lacking motivation but know we should be getting in our workouts.  

So what do you do to punch your one way ticket OUT OF TOWN??  What have been your go to rut busters??

Talk to me!!!

Monday Motivation...Keep Your Eyes on the Prize!

Obstacles are easy to see....they are big and sometimes overwhelming.  Sometimes they take on the form of an injury or fatigue....other times they are our day to day commitments that seem to hedge us in on all sides.  How many times have you uttered the words, "I can't....I'm too busy."  One thing about fitness is that it is a choice.  Choice to me in this sense is a verb....a doing word...choosing to be fit and healthy...choosing to run that race....choosing to do that triathlon...choosing to eat right....choosing to workout.  A coworker of mine once asked me how I had time to work out so much.  My answer was that I didn't have a choice not to.  I want to be fit and be able to run races so I schedule it all in just like it is one of my daily chores to do. 

What is your goal?  What choices do you make so that those pesky obstacles don't block your view?

Fitness Friday...Dear 16 year-old Self

These past two years I have been challenged with my job and have added high school to my list of students.  Being a Elementary School teacher for 10 years (never taught above 3rd and was blissfully happy about that) I was more than nervous to enter the doors of the high school last year.  Not only were they all bigger than me but they were more than half my age....I hear that they can smell fear and I'm sure they could smell me from a mile away!!  Enter today....I love my two periods a day with my high schoolers!  I am able to challenge them to become what their dreams are and talk with them about their life.  Yesterday, some of my boys were in and were talking about two of the track coaches and how they didn't really know what to teach them.  They began to beg me to come and be their track coach.  While I would LOVE to do it, working 40 min away from home and having a 3 year-old doesn't give me a bunch of free time.  This conversation had me thinking this morning...about how amazing it would be to share my passion with these students....about how in a different place in my life this would have fit...but more than anything how this softball obsessed girl has turned into a running obsessed momma!  I've said it before....until I graduated from college running was how I trained for my real sport!  I would have given my left arm to be a softball coach and funny how I feel similar to that now about track.  Long story short I was thinking of my "if only I knew then" things I would have said to myself....here it goes!

Dear 16 year-old Fancy Nancy (I've had the nickname since 4 years-old),

     I'm you well past the age you considered really old and I have a few things that I want you to know:

• 30 is not ancient....33 is even less ancient! 
• You won't always be that thin so wear your bikini EVERY. SINGLE. DAY!  Stop bashing your thighs because they are going to power you all over the country some day!
• Getting moved to the bottom of the batting order is not the end of the world....some day you are going to play in a much bigger league and you can go back and tell your coach to go pound tar!  It is his tough love that is going to make you the leader you need to be!
• Run all you can and all you want.  Some day you will have to get a job and you'll have a family and you won't have all the time in the world to run....even though you don't think it's a big deal now!
• Eat something darn it!!!  You're metabolism is super fast plus you are playing sports for 4 hours a day....Plus you won't turn 30 and realize how good food really is!
• Be nice to your Mom...she's only trying to make sure you are healthy and happy...she's not torturing you by feeding you meat!
• Don't argue about your team with your Dad....He's right and some day you'll thank him!
• Give your sister some slack....she's way cooler than you want to admit and will be someone you look up to (even though you secretly already do!)
• Some day you'll have a little girl that will copy everything you do...see yourself as a beautiful person so she can copy that too!  
• Some day you are going to run a marathon and 15 half marathons....yes you are going to run to just run...no ball involved and guess what....You're going to LOVE it!
• Prom, breakups, friends, school, summer....are all going to strengthen you to be who you are meant to be! 
• There will be a day where you wear the same outfit in the same month (the horror I know) and you will not die from it!
• You will wear a skirt while you run....yeah you can be girly and sporty and it's way easier when you get older!
• Hold tight to your friends....In 17 years many will come and go but your locker buddy will always remain!
• Reach for the stars....You'll get there I promise!  Life will be different in ways than you had dreamed but I promise that in the end it will be just right!!

Love you....Oh and don't chop all your hair off in college (not a good look!)

33 year-old Fancy Nancy

What would you tell your 16 year-old self???

Three Things Thursday

Oh Thursday...you never cease to bring me random things to talk about!!!  This week is all about training, racing, and looking the part!

Eye on the prize....It was no surprise that my major race of this winter was the Martha's Vineyard 20 miler.  It was the race that was getting me on the road in wicked (very for those non-New Englanders) cold temps and motivating my runs.  Last weekend's half was to get me back into running again.  I knew I could do it with just the training that I had done.  This week I have been having trouble keeping my eye on the prize.  I have two big races and many other virtual ones on the schedule and I am getting nervous that my down week is going to jeopardize them....Ummm even as I type this I am kicking myself.  I just wrote a post about taking the rest when you need it!!!  Yeah we runners are crazy.....right?

Race away....So as I mentioned I have two in real life races and many virtual ones coming this April and May.  What am I up to you may ask.....well here is a rundown of April and May for your reading pleasure!

April

May

Westminster Women's Classic 10k Virtual Race

Are you doing any of these??  Yeah I have a slight obsession with virtual races!!!

Looking the part....yesterday as I was running with my Wednesday night group (in the daylight and with a skirt on might I add), we were talking about one man's daughter.  She is tiny and plays confidently on the boy's ice hockey team (way to bring it girl!).  We began to joke about how we looked like anything but runners....although some of them really do.  It got me thinking....what does a runner of today look like?  Years past runners have always had your traditional runner body....you know what I mean and I'm sure many of you have it.  Long...lean...legs...you know!  I would say that from running many races and watching a handful, this is no longer.  Men and women of all shapes and sizes are runners now...and not just casual runners but are out there killing it!   Don't get me wrong...I would trade these tree trunk legs in a second for Kara Goucher's gams but I know I'm a runner no matter what I look like!!! 

Almost Wordless Wednesday

This weather has been something of a gift for us around these parts!!  So warm and sunny...makes it hard not to play hookey every day!!  Em and I have returned to our usual park runs and yesterday was no different!  We rushed home...changed...and went on our way to the park!

Some reflections from the run:

• I cherish this time with Em looking for flowers and buds and talking about silly things!
• Never let Em bring a microphone on a run again...we scared the daylights out of a few people when she piped in with a pretty loud "Excuse me!"
• I need to get the Bob serviced ASAP!!  Two almost flat tires makes for a lot of extra effort!
• It is becoming hard to push Em at the speed I used to go...partly due to said tires but also because she is getting big!
• 5 bugs in the eye...yeah it's going to be a buggy summer!
• Foot is still hurting from the race Sunday...need to ice and rest....someday!
• I ran part of this as my virtual 5k relay with Ali Mc from Running with Spatulas...not too shabby with a 25:32 time...considering the weight, tires, and cranky foot!

Monday Motivation

Yesterday was my 15th half marathon....13 of which I have done since Emma was born.  My very first half marathon was the same one I was running yesterday...I ran it in 2007 as part of my Boston Marathon training.  There were parts during yesterday's race where I was remembering what it was like to run that race many years ago...and basically how much it sucked!  Now apart from it being freezing that day, I remember every fiber of my being hurting.  Yesterday....not so much.  The course hasn't changed....the hills are still killer...but I have kept at running and now...it doesn't suck (most of the time)!  Whether you have been running for years or are just starting out....don't give up!!!  Eventually it won't suck so much!!!

Sweat to Street meets New Bedford Half Race Report (short form)

 

Meet Your Hosts!
Family and Life in Las Vegas (Emily)
Wild Things RUN Free (Charlotte)
Running and Cupcakes (Samantha)
MCM Mama (Erika)
Boobs, Barbells, and Broccoli (Tenecia)

Sweat to Street has been created as a place to link up your favorite outfits of the week as a new Sunday blog feature. The idea is to have some fun and change it up! Each week we encourage you to post one workout outfit and one outfit you wore that isn’t fitness related.

This week's Sweat to Street fell on the day I ran New Bedford Half Marathon....so basically your getting two for one....what a bargin!!

Sweat

Megan and I

 What I wore:

Under Armour shirt

Silver sparkly Chicaband

iFitness belt

Reebok skirt

Under Armour Compression Capris

Target socks

Saucony Ride Sneakers

Street

Emma wanted me to put on this one since it was her favorite!

What I wore:

Purple Chicaband 

Target shirt

Gap Long and Lean Jeans

The race went great!  It was a beautiful day in the high 60s and I came away with pink cheeks and many more freckles!!  I had no goal time for this race even though last year I had a pr.  I simply wanted to enjoy running....and I did!!  I followed the Galloway method of run-walk again and felt super strong all the way to the end!!!  Final Garmin verdict.....2:02:12!!  I'll take it and be very happy about that.  I met my goal of having fun!!!  Megan did awesome....she slammed her pr from a few weeks ago by almost 5 minutes!!!  Way to go!!!....must be the running group!  Well I'm off to guzzle more water and rest....tomorrow is a new week!  I hope you all had a great Sunday and for you racers I hope things went well!!!

Fitness Friday....Knowing When to Listen

I am a person who functions best on the go....I get up early, go to the gym, shower and fly out to work, run from school to school, pick up my daughter, and play until she goes to bed.  Go go go go go!  I at times feel uncomfortable when I have idle time and even more than that feel very uncomfortable when I don't do the things I need to.  This brings me to lately....my body has been asking (very politely at first but now is yelling like a toddler) for more periods of rest. 

I'm not sure how you are but I pretty much need to get hit over the head with a hammer to wake up and listen to my body, especially when it comes to doing less!  If it's asking to be pushed harder and do more, I have no problem obliging, but rest....not so much.  We all need rest but even more so when our body is sending out that request!  What results when we fail to listen......

injury

burnout

injury

sickness

Yeah not good things!  So while I feel badly for going to bed early and missing out on extra workouts and fulfilling my social media appointments, I know in the long run my body will thank me and not make me pay with one of the above!  Let's hope it decides to thank me this Sunday as I toe the line here....

Do you listen to your body or do you need to be hit over the head like me?

Sweat to Street....a few days late!

90% of the time this blog has pictures of me either just after sweating it up or just before!  Well while I would love to live in my workout clothes, I do have to look normal from time to time.  Otherwise Clinton and Stacy would be at my door for the latest episode of "What Not to Wear"! 

Several of my fellow Fitfluential Ambassadors have started a link-up called Sweat to Street Sunday.  Samantha, also a fellow RI girl,  has it here on her awesome blog Running and Cupcakes.  Well after a really bus weekend it has taken me a bit to get my feet under me.  These were taken on Sunday I promise...you can tell by the "I just got hit by a truck" look!!!

Sweat

 What I'm wearing:

Saucony Ride sneakers

Adidas running shirt (LOVE pink and green)

Old Navy vest (warm but still windy)

Gap running tights

Pink and black chicaband

Street

Ha!  Just kidding!!  This was from an 80s party we went to Saturday night....thus the hit by a truck look the next morning!!

What I'm wearing:

Lucky jeans (not pictured)

Dansko tortoise shell clogs (not pictured)

PeaceLoveMom shirt

Necklace-gift from my sister from Etsy

(it has Em's name and her birthstone)

I'm linking up even though I know I'm late!

Monday Motivation

Lately I have needed someone with a megaphone in the morning to get me out of bed!  Perhaps Sue Sylvester could come stay in our guest room!  Yesterday I decided that enough is enough.  There is no time for me to continue to whine about being tired and scramble to fit in my workout after work.  My time is the morning and this morning I got up and went.  Yes I'm tired but it is better for me to be tired than frustrated for not working out!  I'm done dreaming and I'm now doing!! 

What are your dreams?  Are you in bed dreaming them or out reaching for them?

Three Things Thursday

You've got it right folks...sit back for this weeks 3 random ramblings!!

1.  My hubby.....I mentioned it a few times on this blog that my hubby was undertaking the task of competing in a body building competition.  As much as I bug him ask him nicely, he does not want to do a guest blog post but that doesn't mean that I can brag about him on my own!  His diet for the past 3 months has consisted of chicken, egg whites, broccoli, and Ezekiel bread.  Oh and let's not forget the occasional steak and tuna!  In addition to his long weight workouts, he does an hour of cardio twice a day.  While it looks like a form of torture that perhaps the government should look into when interrogating others, he has stuck with it to the tee!  He is down 55lbs and is now sporting a six-pack and lots of muscles!  He still has 6 weeks until showtime and I can't even imagine how he will look then!  I'm proud of his dedication and hard work to this dream he has always had!  I'll try to sneak some pictures soon!!

2.  Spin spin baby!.....Before I was obsessed over-the-top dedicated to running, I did a lot of spinning in addition to running and kick boxing.  While I was pregnant with Em and couldn't run, I went to spinning every. single. night (and still gained 50lbs I might add!).  I really love the classes and how powerful I feel after.  Oh and let's not forget the sweaty mess you turn into!  Our greatest accomplishment on a Saturday morning was fogging up the mirror!!  My old trainer, who is the owner of Dihard Fitness in Salem, MA (if you live near there GOOOOO...she is amazing and you will love it!), wrote this funny article today about spin class.  Check it out! 

3.  Yesterday we got a letter in the mail from the preschool we had applied to....I couldn't help but use my old high school thoughts of thick envelope good, thin envelope bad.  Score the envelope was thick!!  What a crazy process this was...I felt myself at the interview trying to think of all the amazing things she can do!  I would have thought as a teacher I would have been a little cooler but when it is your own it is a game changer!  We are very happy with the place she is going to be going next year.  I found myself thinking though....where did my baby go?  It seems like just yesterday she was taking a bath in the sink! 

What I Ate Wednesday...Salad...the Forbidden Fruit

Today's salad...with chicken, cheese and almonds

I love salads....seriously I crave salads, but eating salads for me is like playing Russian Roulette.  Many years ago I used to have a huge salad every. single. day for lunch.  I began to notice how I was feeling after I ate it...bloated, crampy, and just yucky.  After many tests to rule out what my father suffers with, I was diagnosed with IBS or what I would like to call a cranky belly.  They didn't say that I can't eat salads but I know from experience that I have to really limit it.  Just like Russian Roulette, if I eat too many it will come back to hurt me...bad!  So today I caved to my cravings and a salad it is!!  I'm seriously excited!!!

Monday Motivation

Every time I fail, I assume I will be a stronger person for it. I keep on running figuratively and literally, despite a limp that gets more noticeable with each passing season, because for me there has always been a place to go and a terrible urgency to get there.

Words of wisdom and motivation from the great Joan Benoit Samuelson

NEVER STOP TRYING!!!

Joan Benoit Samuelson

Three Things Thursday...Virtual Love and Giving Back

Come one, come all to this weeks randomness!  This Thursday's randoms are all about virtual love and giving back!!!

1.  Fitfluential Ambassadors are adopting two classrooms!!!  We are raising money for a school in Joplin that had horrible damage from the tornado and another school in Texas so they can purchase books.  As a teacher I am always willing to help out a fellow colleague but aside from that to think about children without books to read is heartbreaking.  Please consider donating...every little bit helps! 

Here are the links to our two FitFluential Adopted Classrooms: Joplin, MO: http://www.adoptaclassroom.org/classroomdonation/results_teacher.aspx?classroomid=143777 and Dallas, TX: http://www.adoptaclassroom.org/classroomdonation/results_teacher.aspx?classroomid=154803 

2.   Last year I ran the Jelly Bean 5k with Run with Jess.  Well I'm excited to anounce...

THE BEAN IS BACK!!!  

 Early registration is open and this year she has 4 events to choose from!!!  Of course being the ever present over achieved I chose to do all 4!!!  You have the week of Easter (from Sunday to Sunday) to complete the race or races you choose!  There are a 5k, 10k, Half, and 13 mile bike!  Hightail your hiney over and sign up!!!

3.  Erica over at Life as a Running Mom hosted a virtual race yesterday to celebrate Leap Year!  I was excited to do this as part of my running group run last night!  

It was a snowy and windy night....and I'm pretty sure I ran double the mileage just trying to dodge the massive puddles everywhere!  Either way we had a blast!  Thanks Erica for hosting a great virtual!!

Just two shout outs that are needed today....Huge kudos to my Wednesday night running buddy Megan who broke the 2 hour mark on her half this past weekend.  If anyone knows the wind here on Cape Cod you know this is no small feat!!  Way to go speedy!!  Second I met another Fancy Nancy reader in real life at running group!  So glad to meet you Rachel and so glad you came to group!!