Talking Training...Own It Week 2

Last week was week 2 of the Own It plan from Train Like a Mother.  I knew going into this that this plan was going to be a challenge and I have to say that I have to keep reminding myself that the only way to get faster is to put in the work and STRETCH myself!  Each week brings its own bag of fun and new challenges!  Week 3 bring hill repeats so stay tuned for that fun!  Lol!  Here is how week 2 shook out!

Monday: Fun Workout....I did 3 miles on the mill at the gym and kettlebells after for "fun"!  I work late on Mondays so I need to remember to drag myself out of bed early because a run after working until 8 is no fun!
Tuesday: 1 mile WU; Tempo 2 miles; 1 mile CD...This was one of those workouts I had to keep telling myself not to quit...not to quit on my dream...not to quit on me!  The result?  Totally felt badass and proud of myself!!
Wednesday: Rest...I hit the gym for a bike ride and leg sesh.  I'm so not used to resting midweek.
Thursday:  5 miles with negative splits...I joined my friends at Marathon Sports for this one.  Newton Running was there to demo their shoes and promote their new #RunningMakesMeFeel campaign.  It was so fun to be spelling out a word and the pouring rain at the end put an extra negative in my splits for sure!!  5.5 miles

Friday: 3 miles...treadmill again!  I think I need to bring back the lunch runs!
Saturday:  10 mile Long Run with 2 miles at race pace...The weather for this run started off iffy and rainy and ended with pouring rain and snowflakes paired with high winds.  SUCKED!  I did get in my 2 miles at race pace but they weren't mid run...more like beginning before the sky opened! (I have a few weeks to play with since I started this plan before I needed to for ZOOMA.  I think I'm going to redo this long run!)

Sunday:  Rest...This I did...slept in and then dragged the family around Ikea so we could finally tame our playroom!

How did your week go?  Are you training for anything?  Let me know so I can cheer you on!

 Join me and come run ZOOMA Cape Cod Half Marathon or 10k!!!  Use the code NANCY15 for 10% off!!!!

Monday Motivation

This year I am pushing for a goal that I have had for many years...breaking 1:50 in the half marathon.  I want this goal bad...so bad I can picture it in my mind...what I would do at the finish to see even 1:49:59!  This weekend was one of those days when I got a gut check...a challenge asking not how bad I wanted it but rather how hard I was willing to work for it!  I headed out for a long run...and the skies opened on me.  I could have taken the shortcut...I could have called it quits and gone home...I even got a very tempting from the hubs to come and pick me up...but I knew I had to work.  I was soaked and FREEZING (seriously is Spring ever going to get here?) but I worked hard and finished my run.

What is your goal you want so badly?  

Start today...how hard are you willing to work for it?

You Know You're a Distance Runner When...

Last week heading out the door for my recovery run before I changed my mind, I failed to grab my Yurbuds which meant for the next 5 miles it was me and my own thoughts....YIKES!  What's a good running blogger to do?  Write a post of course!!  I began to think of all the kooky things distance runners consider normal...that we may not even realize that 90% of the world's population thinks is absolutely insane!!

You know you're a distance runner when...

...you go to bed early on a Friday night while others are just leaving their house for dinner so that you can be up and fresh for a long run!

...you use words like fartlek, tempo, and repeats like they are every day common language that all your friends and family can understand!

...you consider 5 miles and easy run...shake out run...recovery run!

...you actually wake up the next morning after running double digits and well....run again!

...that achy, sore, tired feeling in your legs brings a smile to your face!

...you travel/go to work with your own foam roller, stick, and ball!

...your mileage count is already well past 100....and of course you keep track of it!

...you cross a finish line....and begin to look for the next one!

...you drop over $100 dollars on sneakers in a heartbeat but would never spend that on a regular pair of shoes!

...eating things named GU, chia, bloks, or stingers is part of your everyday life!

What would YOU add to the list??

21 Day Fix

First let me apologize for being late to announce the winner of the $50 Tommie Copper Giveaway!  The winner is Suzanne W!  Congrats Suzanne!  Email me and I will get you going!  Thank you to all of you who entered the giveaway!!

I started my second round of 21 Day Fix at the beginning of March.  I had done one round already but I really feel like I needed another round to really get going.  I think I learned a lot from the first round and was able to put it all together for this one!  Between sick kids and lots of "fun" things like that, I wasn't certain how the results would be but I channeled my inner Carla and WICWICed my way through the 21 days!  I made the best choices I could when I could and started feeling so much better at least a week into the whole 21 days!  I started feeling in control of my eating again which was a huge thing for me.  I had felt like over the Summer and into the school year I was getting out of control with my eating.  I really feel like the 21 Day Fix had enough guidelines for me to have freedom but also gain control of my choices! 

Ok ok I know what you're really looking for...the results.  Well I was honestly blown away by my results and I can't wait to start back up with the group again in April...Summer here I come (you know once all the snow melts!)

8lbs lost

11 inches lost overall

2 inches from my waist

2 inches from my hips

NSV...Fitting into a size 6 skinny jeans!!!

Have you ever tried 21 Day Fix?  I am really thinking I'd like to try the Extreme version in April...anyone want to let me borrow?

Monday Motivation

This weekend running for me was more than the miles...it was exactly what I needed to sort through my feelings...to find my own peace for the time I was pounding away.  We got some hard news about my mother on Friday...running was there.  The beat of my heart and the pounding of my feet helped to drown out the thoughts in my head.  Sometimes running is more than the miles! This week...leave the watch and music at home and be in the run!

How do you handle hard news?

TTT

Things have been crazy busy around here so I am certainly not at a loss for my three randoms of the week! 

Spring you can come out now....According to the calendar, tomorrow is the first day of Spring.  According to my daughter, the snow will all be gone tomorrow because there is no snow in Spring (I hate to tell her that we actually have up to 5" forecast for tomorrow).  According to all the retail stores, it's Spring and in Spring you wear things like this....

However here in Massachusetts this Spring we will be looking like this...

The winds are whipping around here on Cape Cod which adds an extra special bite to the air...can you tell I'm over Winter?! 

In it to Own it...This week is my first week using the Own It plan from Train Like a Mother.

It hasn't been anything too extreme thus far and so I was having no care in the world when I sat down to map out the next month or so of workouts....and then I threw up in my mouth!  It was a mixture of, I'm so excited to see what I'm capable of, and, Oh crap what if I die doing this!  I need the push and I'm excited...even if I throw up a few times!!

Testing Time...As most of you probably know, I am a teacher and we are currently in the throws of state testing.  If you're wondering how most teachers feel about standardized testing, this pretty much sums it up...

We need students to do well so that they can show what they've learned and well....so we don't get fired, but there is so much more we could be doing than testing!!!  6 2hr sessions now and then 5 later in the year....YIKES! 
 
Bonus...Do yourself a favor and try out this recipe for no bean turkey and sweet potato chili from Skinnytaste!  I will put her photo since it is way prettier than mine!

I made a pot and portioned it out for my lunches....so yummy!!!

Have you ever tried one of the Another Mother Runner training plans?
What's Spring like where you are?  Please tell me all the details so I can dream!!!

Monday Motivation

Today starts my ZOOMA Cape Cod training...today starts my run at hitting a new shiny half marathon pr...today I start working my way to great!  I'm excited and scared to death all at the same time.  What ifs and doubts circle around and I know I need to push through and look ahead!  Today....starting to be great!

How do you feel when you are starting something new?  Reaching for a new goal?

Don't forget to enter to win my Tommie Copper giveaway!!!

#BetterYourBest with Tommie Copper **Giveaway**

Big things going on around here in Fancy Nancy Land!!! 

I've hit my 1000 post and to celebrate I have brought some gifts for the class!!! 

If you've been a reader around these parts, or follow me on Instagram, you would know that I am a huge fan of Tommie Copper!  Their clothes are super comfy and more than anything they do what they need to do!  I know that I don't need to worry about waistbands falling or shirts riding up while I'm running because they stay put!  I'm able to focus on my mantra Better Your Best because I'm not distracted by clothes!  I was sent a pair of compression tights from their Spring line and I just love them!!

The waistband is thick enough that it isn't digging into my belly fluff and the length is great so that I don't have to fold it up at the bottom (short girl problems).  I find myself wearing them while running or just lounging around since they are just so comfy!!

I was also sent a tank from the same line that doesn't disappoint!  Stays put...great length...and again comfy times!

Because I know that sharing is caring, I am going to give away a $50 gift card to Tommie Copper so you too can experience some of the Tommie love!  Now I'm going to make you work a little for this one.....

My mantra for 2015 is Better Your Best...pushing the limits on where I am now...really reaching for my goals!  I want to encourage you to do the same!  So one of the ways to enter is to tell me how you are working to Better Your Best in 2015.  As extra credit....Take a picture of the awesome work you are putting in to Better Your Best!  Hashtag that baby with #betteryourbest and tag me on Instagram and Twitter!!  Enter to win by March 19th!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday Motivation

With the stomach bug hitting our house...well really just my oldest and me...I have felt like this week was a string of bad days.  Today is a new day...a day to get up and get out!  I see so many of you out there training for races in the oh so interesting New England weather...getting out there every day doing what they need to do to get to Hopkinton.  Today is a new day...we will one day see the pavement again!  Not every day is going to be a bad day...make today great!!!

Let's Talk Training....Februrary in Review

February has left the building folks and I can't tell you how excited I am to put this month behind me!!!  It had so much promise!  I was coming off of a 120 mile month and was ready to keep the momentum going...until Mother Nature decided to release the beast and dumped 4 feet of snow on our seaside town in about 3 weeks!

As the mercury began to plummet so did my motivation and mileage totals!  I'm ok with it now though....ready to dust myself off...strap on my Sauconys...and take on March (as soon as we get over this nasty stomach bug!)  The elementary school teacher in me can't just leave it behind, I need to look for positives so here are some training high lights from February.

• I completed my first round of the 21 Day Fix...I started the second yesterday.  I learned a lot more about portion control and saw my eating start to reign in a lot more.  I think I see the promise of some ab muscles once the fluff goes away!  I like the workouts and the fact that I can incorporate running and the videos together.
• I has some fun times running with the ladies from Marathon Sports including our most recent run where I discovered Yaktrax. 
  
  Seriously I felt like a kid running along not worrying about every step.  I actually have a pair waiting for me to go pick up...yes it's March but if you saw my neighborhood (aka Elsa's playground) you would understand why I'm probably going to need these bad boys until April!
• While like any good New Englander I did do my fair share of complaining about the snow, I did have fun in it!  I dubbed it our sledding world tour hitting any golf course or back yard we could think of!  It was fun to see Aubs discover her daring side and have fun...even though some of the time the snow was over her head!  We certainly have two girls who love the snow!  
• I gained even more Tommie Copper love! 
  
  I have a fabulous giveaway coming this week...seriously just love this and spent a lot of time in my new tights...both running and not!
• I am proud, considering my motivation all month, that I still had a pretty good month mileage wise.  I was happy to hit 86 miles this month and I know I will be back on track this month!

So see ya later February...don't go with the feeling that you'll be missed!  I'm ready to refocus on my mantra to "Better Your Best" and start training!

Monday Motivation

This weekend for me was a funk busting weekend!  I stopped thinking...over-analyzing...stressing and I got out there and ran!  I met up with the ladies at Marathon Sports, strapped on a pair of Yaktrax, and ran!  I have to say that I felt very badass stomping miles away with snow and ice under my feet!  It was mind-clearing and it was just what I needed!  Sometimes we are our own worst enemy...over-thinking...waiting for the perfect day....waiting for a Monday to start...waiting.  Really all we need to do is stop the thinking and just do it!!  We have it in us....we know deep down what to do...just do it!!!

What is holding you back today?  

Push it aside and GO!

MealEnders winner is Amy C of Running Escapades!!!  Congrats Amy!!