Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Let's Talk Training!

Looking ahead this week I am suddenly realizing that I have just one more week until Ragnar!  Yikes!  I guess it's much better this way right...no time to worry about the 21.5 looming miles ahead of me!!  This past week was vacation week (I will post soon about the ladies and I on our staycation) so I was able to get in a few 2-a-days to get my body ready a bit for the relay.  Here is how the week shook down!  Again I am following the "Own It" plan from Train Like a Mother but the next few weeks I am modifying it a bit.  Totally fine since my half marathon isn't until September.

Monday: 3-4 miles with 8 strides...We went to watch the marathon with the ladies so as inspired as I was...I was soaked and freezing most of the day.  Getting home honestly I wanted to run but my sweats just felt so amazing!!
Tuesday:  1m Warm-up, Tempo 3 miles, 1m cool-down...I headed to the gym early and got the tempo run in.  These make me so nervous at first but then I feel like I can take on the world when I'm done!!  I also was able to head out when the hubby got home from work and did the workout from the day before.  Thank you Daylight Savings!!
Wednesday: rest...headed to the gym again and hit the bike and some kettlebells for the win!
Thursday: 6 miles with negative splits...My friend Christy (and Ragnar teammate) and I had arranged to meet up to run.  I met her early and we cranked out a pretty hilly 4 miles...I love running with other people!  The time just flies by!!  I did another 2 miles once I got home to hit my mark!
Friday: 3 miles...Another morning at the gym for 3 miles on the mill and more kettlebells!
Saturday: 14 miles...I changed this up mostly because I know that my race isn't for another 3 months but I wanted to keep with going over the distance I was training for.  Since my first Ragnar leg is 9.8 miles and I also have a 10 miler coming up, I decided to run 11.  I'm not sure what all clicked for me this run but I felt FABULOUS!!!  The miles flew by and my body was happy!!!  Definitely a confidence builder!!
Sunday: Rest...as much as you can with a 6 and 2 year-old!!

This week I'm going to try again to get in at least one double...maybe two!  I am also making sure I am getting my weights in more consistently...don't want to lose what I've worked hard for!! 
How did your week go?

Monday, April 27, 2015

Monday Motivation


Dreaming can be a tricky thing.  I could dream that I will be strutting my stuff in a bikini on the beach this summer but...well then I would wake up and rethink that dream!!  We can dream whatever we want...it is when we talk about those dreams that causes the butterflies...that catches in our throat...that scares us a little.  When we talk about them then it is on.  Dreaming to run a faster half marathon...to gain muscle...to be a better version of my best is one thing...to talk about it is something all together different.  I own it now and while it scares the pants off me....so does knowing I could do more.  This week....that fear is getting me to lace up my Sauconys when the plan calls...that fear is waking me up at 4:15am to head to the gym...that fear gets me excited to see where I can go!!

What are your dreams?  Are they big enough to scare you?

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Around Here...

This is school vacation week in these parts so while I have been posting daily on Instagram, I have been setting my sights in other places...here's what's been going on around here!
Chickie has decided to run her first 5k and we have started running.  I think for her it is going to be convincing herself that she can do it!  We did 20 mins of 90sec running 60sec walking and she did awesome!  She even cruised up a big hill in our neighborhood!

Monday is of course Marathon Monday!!!  We left the house early to watch the runners in Framingham.  Hubby is always so good to make this happen for me since he knows how much I love it!!  This year was RAW and thankfully the rain held out until the ladies left (to their Mimi's house)!  This is always such an inspiring thing to watch....just awesome!!!  I had a blast watching for friends and then screaming my head off when I found them!!


Yesterday my goal was to be outside as much as we could...a morning hike and then fun at the park once the clouds cleared.
We wrapped up the day with a sister sleepover!!  I admit I was nervous that they wouldn't sleep...the are awesome sleepers on their own but I didn't know if together they would do well.  They did great!!

I've had the crazy idea to try and potty train the mini chickie this week!  I fear Em is going to go back to school next week and report that on her vacation she sat in the bathroom and sang songs while waiting for her sister to go potty!

For me I've been running and doing my usual 5am workouts!  I am such a schedule girl that this is so needed for me to keep the grouchy away!!

What's happening in your neck of the woods?  Any potty training advice?  I feel like I trained the big chickie but can't remember a thing!!

Thursday, April 16, 2015

TTT

It's Thursday my friends!!  Can anyone guess what makes this Thursday extra special?....wait for it...SPRING BREAK!!! 
We aren't traveling anywhere far but just to have a break from our schedule is really exciting me right now!!  Now time for your randoms for the week!!

Back...in Black...A week ago my hubby mentioned to me that if there were any teams for Ragnar that were looking for runners (basically one with my friend on it), then I could go ahead and run it.  We had previously discussed after last year that I would not run this year.  It is a lot with two little ones to just dump everything on him so I can run.  However, he changed his mind!  Well yesterday my friend and coworker asked me if I would be able to run because one of their runners had something to do....Heck yeah!  I'm so excited to be back making the trek from Hull to P-town this year and thankful for my husband who let it happen!!!
Bulu Box...As an ambassador for ZOOMA Cape Cod, I was given a 3-month subscription to Bulu Box.  Bulu Box is a monthly delivery service of a box of health and nutrition items.  My box came the other day and had a number of samples of supplements designed for helping digestive health, nutrition, and energy.  I haven't tried any of the samples yet but I am interested to see how I like them.  I am nervous to try the energy supplement though...I love me a good energy drink but this looks a little like 5-hour energy which I had an allergic reaction to once.  We shall see!  I will keep you posted!

Running Family...Our oldest daughter has been running with me since she was old enough to go in the jogger.
I would pack snacks, books, and basically anything that would fit and off we would go!  She was more than happy to hang out while Mama pounded out the miles!  Well I'm thinking that she is probably at the end of her time in the jogger (this is a whole other post!).  I'm always trying to find ways to help her stay active.  She has decided that she would like to run a race...and I did the happy dance!  No in all honesty I told her I would stay with her and get her a new pair of kicks.  Now that the weather is getting nicer, we are going to start going for runs.  My only concern (and my sister will attest to this) is that I can be a bit of a pusher.  I want this to be a good time that we share together (and yes I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it will develop into a running relationship).  Any suggestions on how to keep it relaxed but still push her a little?


Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Reflecting...

Two years ago this was our oldest daughter proudly poised in our usual spot at mile 7 cheering loudly for the elite runners passing by.  It was a beautiful morning and my husband, as he does every year, was so thoughtful to bring the two ladies and I to the race and then graciously take the ladies to his grandmother's house just a few miles away while I watch the rest of the runners and look for my friends.  Two years ago I saw many friends including my BRF's brother Stu...I high-fived him and told him to give Jill a hug for me once he got to Boylston!  We ate lunch out that day as a family and then packed up our two sleepy girls and headed back to the Cape.  Half asleep in the car I began to hear the news on the radio...bombs...finish line...casualties...and my stomach dropped...Jill was there.  I am of course thankful that Jill was physically fine...she was in between the two bombs and actually jumped a jersey barrier and began running the course in search of her brother who was stopped.  I am always thankful we decided to NOT go into the city because it was such a beautiful day.  My thoughts though go to that day and the people who's lives were forever changed...I pray that today on another beautiful day in Boston that they will feel the love and support that they need.  Today is One Boston Day...a day to go out and do something good...to make this day about the good! 

Monday, April 13, 2015

Monday Motivation

I'm not sure I have gotten to the place yet where I love my body...years of certain patterns take a long time to overcome completely...but I certainly have a lot of respect for it.  This body has carried me thousands and thousands of miles...grown two beautiful baby girls...and performed just about every time I have requested no matter how crazy!  For that respect...I will work it out...make it stronger...push it even more...honor it by keeping it healthy!  I'm making my way to loving this body I have...and I'll get there but until then I will honor it by making the best choices for it each day!!

How do you honor your body? 

Thursday, April 9, 2015

Get Fancy and Run With Me

As you can see by my training posts, I am running the ZOOMA Women's Half Marathon in September in fabulous Falmouth, MA!  I think even if I wasn't an ambassador for this race I would still love all things ZOOMA! 
I mean these ladies know how to talk my love language...
SWEET swag...
LOVE my Feetures! socks!!!

Mocktail Party at the Seacrest Resort...
A GORGEOUS seaside course...
 A huge blinged-out medal...
An After-Party on the BEACH...
 Fabulous Ambassadors....oh wait that's me!
A vibe that just takes you in and supports you along the way...
NEW TrainingPeaks access for registered runners...

I mean really the list could just go on!  Now it's your turn to join in the fun!!!
Which one of you will I meet at the start this year???
Use the code NANCY15 to score 10% off!!!

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

AMR Own It Week 3

I have to admit that this week was a huge challenge for me to get it together and get my runs in.  My hubs was away all week for business, which meant I needed to get creative...even more than normal!

Monday: 3 miles...I ran on very tired legs after I taught until 7pm!  Came home...put the ladies to bed...and hit the mill. 

Tuesday:  1 mile WU...3X1 mile tempo...1 mile CD...I ran 3 miles of this on the mill first thing in the morning until my oldest woke up (she loves to just sit there and stare at me which just turns up the mom guilt to a new level so I usually stop).  Then I geared up and headed out at lunch.  The weather was awesome and the route was hilly, but I managed to negative split it!!  WIN!!

Wednesday:  Rest:  I did the Lower Body Fix video from the 21 Day Fix program

Thursday:  10 min WU...HILLS 6X1 min...Headed out again at lunch and tackled some serious hills!!  ZOOMA Cape Cod and Newport 10 miler have some killer hills especially at the end so these hill days are super important for me!

Friday:  3 easy miles...I had taken the girls to my visit my family and the day got away from us...no run

Saturday: 10 miles (4 miles @ Race Pace)...After waiting for the rain to clear...and possibly a fair amount of whining about the weather...I tried out a new route FILLED with hills!  This was a mental run for me but listening to the AMR podcasts with Summer Sanders and Terzah Becker was just what I needed.  I wish I had had a notepad with me to write down all the quotes!!!  Definitely two podcasts I need to revisit!

Sunday: rest...you don't need to tell me twice!!  It was a great Easter...the only running I did was after eggs!!

Don't forget...Come run with me at ZOOMA Cape Cod!!!  Use the code NANCY15 for 10% off!!!

Monday, April 6, 2015

Monday Motivation

This weekend I caught up on my AMR Podcasts.  It was as if these two latest podcasts were just for me for just this run.  I have been allowing doubt to creep in this past week...the pressure of being alone with the girls while hubs was away I began to question whether or not I "had it in me" to reach the goals I have been setting for myself.  The wall was up and hearing Summer Sanders say this quote I knew....am I going to sit here behind this wall...comfy but always wanting what lies just beyond the wall...or am I going to bust through it and show myself just what I can do?  I reached my house at the end of my run and I knew...watch out wall....I'm coming for you and you WILL NOT stop me this time!
What wall is stopping you?  How will you bust through it this week?

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Wake-Up Call

I think that growing up with one parent that had a chronic illness, you take for granted that there was only one parent you needed to worry about.  There was only one parent that you would get that call...in the hospital...doctors don't know what to do...this is our last resort.  I really have lived the last 36 years only thinking of the possibility of losing one parent....until last weekend.
As I was driving into Boston to spend a night with my brother-in-laws, I spoke with my sister to find that our mother was diagnosed with breast cancer.  My initial reaction was shock, of course...I think I shook for a good hour.  Not one to lose it in front of others, it was when I went to bed that night that the reality sank in.

My Mom is the backbone in our family...the one who is always willing to take care of others...has ridden the roller coaster that comes when your husband is diagnosed with Crohn's Disease just a year after you are married for almost 50 years...calls someone when they need it...remembers every single solitary birthday (her calendar is filled), anniversary, or special event...I don't think I have ever heard her say she wanted anything...ever put herself first...ever complained.  I guess that would explain why when she received her diagnosis she basically wanted to quickly divert the attention OFF of her!
Thankfully her cancer was caught early and the doctors have a plan that they feel will work well.  She caught it very early (PS I need to now STOP putting off that mammogram!) and will be just fine.  However, this past week I have found myself thinking...those damn what ifs...and I catch my breathe...thinking I honestly don't know what I would do without my Mom...and I don't want them to be without her!