Training Talk

Holy cow it's Tuesday!!!  The weekend went by at such a rapid pace that I even forgot to post my motivation for the week!!!  What is this world coming to?  Last week I went off my AMR Own It plan in order to rest the legs and mind before starting back up again.  I was feeling over-tired and I'm glad I took a few days to regroup.  Here is what last week looked like in Fancy Nancy land!

Monday:  Hit the gym to ride the bike and do a great back and tricep workout...no running means more weights for mama!
Tuesday:  21-Day fix Pilates and Abs...I'm not doing the fix right now but I love the workouts for an at home option!
Wednesday: Back to bike and did a heavy leg workout.  I would say my favorite is leg day!!  My legs are certainly the strongest...and biggest...part of my body and I love beating them up a bit!
Thursday: Ok enough of this biking thing...time for a ladder workout!!  Killed it!!

Friday:  Second week in a row that I went to the gym and it was closed....grrrrrr...Went home and rocked out a shoulder and bicep workout in the basement though...even harder than I may have since I was irritated!  Things improved though since hubs and I got to have a night out thanks to my inlaws!!  We had a blast!!

Saturday: Rest...well technically I rested but I also worked the Run to Remember Expo in Boston all day for ZOOMA Women's Race Series.  I had a blast and got to see some of my favorite running buddies....and even got to meet Kim in real life(I totally stole your pic)!!!!!

I also got to see fellow ZOOMA ambassador Dani from Weight off My Shoulders!!  She is celebrating her blog turning 4 today by having a FABULOUS giveaway so don't miss out!!

Sunday: Watch out...another rest day!  We woke up early and headed to the beach for one of my favorite days this weekend!  Seeing the gang all lined up makes my heart happy!

How was your week?

TTT

Another week and another batch of randomness for your Thursday reading!  This week has just flown by for some reason!  I think part of it is that every night as I sit down after putting the girls in bed I am out...out cold...down for the count!  I don't know if it is the increased fresh air or still Ragnar hungover but I just can't seem to sleep enough lately!!  Either way here you go!!

Expo fun!  I am going to be working at the Boston Run to Remember expo at the Seaport in Boston this Saturday for ZOOMA Women's Race Series and I am SOOO excited!!

If you are running the race, PLEASE stop by...say hi...and maybe even snag yourself a fun prize!!

Bucket List...Each Memorial Day weekend, the ladies (well right now Em and I since Aubs is game for anything) we make a list of things we want to do during the summer.  While topping the list of course (because they know they have no other option...because they know my love language) the ladies picked the beach and ponds, other fun suggestions were camping in the back yard, exploring new hiking trails, going on the ocean explorer to learn more about the animals in the ocean, lots of fun with the cousins, family vacation, and VBS.  I'm sure we will be adding more things in but it is always exciting to start planning our time!  I love that as a teacher I am able to have this time with the girls!  It is honestly time that I treasure!  Do you make a summer bucket list?  What's on your list?

Time to rest...Just as a little update from Monday.  I took Monday-Wednesday off from running this week (I still went to the gym but did weights). 

While I was almost ready to cut someone, I know it was a good thing to rest my legs and my brain!  Today I hopped on the mill for a ladder workout and really felt a lot better...read I wasn't dreading each step!  I honestly probably could have taken another day but I it was good!  What are your clues that you need to take a break from something?

Ragnar Cape Cod Recap

Trying to sum up this relay is a really big undertaking!  There was just so many moments that made it the relay that it was that I am certain I will either forget something or bore you with silly inside jokes!  This was my second year doing Ragnar Cape Cod and at first I was not going to be part of it.  It was a lot on my family last year and we had decided that I sit this one out.  However about a month before the race, my coworker and friend Christy asked me if there was any way I could run and bing bang boom...I was in!! 

Ready to roll with my Feetures! socks and compression socks...Ziplock bags galore!

Christy and her husband Ryan were our fearless team leaders and to say they were beyond organized would be an understatement...however I guess after doing 11 relay races you get that way!

A bonus about having them as captains...we were able to crash at their house while our team was off and sleep on real beds and eat real food!!!...oh yes and showers!!!

I was again in van 2 this year

and Christy, Eva and I went to Hull to cheer on our first van as they made their way to Duxbury to meet us.

Our team at the start

With hours to spare we hit up some shopping to replace a poor, archaic ipod and some Lululemon therapy!  We grabbed food at Whole Foods (I'm was cautious about eating because I was first up in our van and didn't want any belly issues!).

The wind on the beach was FREEZING!

Before we knew it, it was time to head to Duxbury and meet up with our van!  I was runner 7 which meant that I was the first person heading out!  We hung out a bit...got our safety briefing...fought the wind...and then it was my turn!  9.8 (But really 10 according to my Garmin) miles into Plymouth. 

My favorite part of my leg...crossing the bridge!

This was the leg where I developed what our team later called "hill Tourettes"!  I mean seriously could there be more hills?!

Seriously who trusted me with the clipboard???

After our van was done we headed back to Christy's house for some food and sleep before we were at it again! 

Can I please just keep my eyes closed?!

Leg #2 for me was at 2am and near my house!  The fog was so thick as it rolled in off the water that I could only see directly in front of me most of the time...good for focusing on running...bad for a spooked mama!  Add to that the fact that the air was so filled with humidity that the water was falling off the trees making it sound like someone in the woods, and you have a pretty quick pace for 2am!  My van was awesome and stopped every mile or so to make sure I was still around!

safety first

Again back to "homebase" and a shower to make life seem doable after we were all done!  We then headed out to Nauset High School for our last push to P-town!  My last leg was a 6.3 miler along the bike path in Wellfleet which really was beautiful...

I however started counting bugs in my mouth instead of kills (6) and those HILLS!!!  I could see the end in sight and was SOOO excited to pass off the slap bracelet and be done!

Our team quickly (we had one runner that ran the last 10 mile leg in a pace of 6min/mile...seriously!) made their way to P-town and got ready to run across the finish together...even though we had trouble keeping up with our lightening fast last runner!! 

Team CC/DC Back in Black

The back of our medals fit together like a puzzle!

A little celebrating and then home we went!  Honestly I had such a great time and met so many interesting people as a part of this race!  I also learned a lot about me as a runner...like how Red Bull as much as it gives me wings it also gives me terrible stomach pains midrun...or how I just need to run faster!!  I kept such an even pace that really only varied by a second or two on all of my legs, that now I know I can do that pace and need to push it more.  I discovered I can live on pb&js and magical gluten free Ragnar cookies!  I've explained it to several people that have asked me how it was and looked horrified when I blurted out how little sleep and how many miles I ran followed by "It was AWESOME!", that runners are a little bit like the Island of Misfit Toys.  We all have our quirks and such...well Ragnar is like our Christmas or perhaps Carnival...all those quirks are out there to celebrate...tutus, funny costumes, and randomness and all!! 

Monday Motivation

Call it age...call it Ragnar...call it what you will but this past week my legs have been like two lead weights attached to my body!  I have had to work extra hard to keep pace...and today I just left the Garmin at home and ran!  After a week of running at paces that seem impossible, I have decided to take a few days off from running to let them really recover.  I have Newport in a few weeks and I don't want to go into that race with my legs feeling like this!  It's hard to step back in training...but I am accepting it because I know there are those days when it feels effortless on their way!!!  Don't lose heart when what you are striving for seems so impossible!  You WILL get there and one day you will laugh at the days when you wanted to quit!!

Training Talk

What a week this has been!!!  I tried to keep it pretty light during the week wanting to save my legs for Ragnar this past weekend. I modified a few runs because of this but overall was happy with how they felt come Friday!  I will post a full Ragnar recap but wanted to touch base about my training this past week!  I'm really LOVING the Own It plan from Train Like a Runner.  It has just the right challenge that I needed!

Monday: 3-5 miles + 3min of 15 on and 15 off- I did 4 miles on the mill with a 30-60-90 pick-ups.  Felt sufficiently toasted at the end!  Swung the bells to finish off the morning!
Tuesday: 1mile WU-Tempo 2X2 miles with .25 recovery-1 mile CD-Off to the gym again for this one (I noticed today that the sun is out around 5am which means a lot less mill runs!!).  Yes it was a toughie but oh so good!!
Wednesday: Rest-I decided to do legs today.  I wanted to get a day of legs in and I knew I needed to have a few days to have them recover.  20 min on the bike and a leg punishment!
Thursday: Ladder intervals-I will admit that I chose sleep over doing this workout!  My legs were wicked tired from the day before and I didn't want to push too much and then not have it in me for the next day!  I did Pilates for a half hour and called it a day!
Friday: 3 miles-This was my first leg of Ragnar.  I did 9.8 (but really it ended up being 10) miles and even though I felt like I may die if I had to climb another hill, I was very happy with how I ran!  There are certainly some things I need to focus on in the next few week to be ready for Newport (like stay away from RedBull...once my friend but now my foe!) but overall I was happy.  More on that in my recap!

Saturday: 13 miles-My first leg on Saturday was at 2am and was 5.4 miles.  My second was around 11 for 6.3 miles.  Again I'll recap soon!

Sunday: REST!!! I don't think my children got the memo on this one since the mini chickie was up at 12am vomiting and the big chickie was wishing me a happy Mother's Day at 5:30am....I thought Ragnar sleep deprivation was over?!  

I'm choosing to redo this week of training since I have time before I need to be getting in serious long runs for ZOOMA Cape Cod (don't forget to use the code NANCY15 for 10% off!).  Keep pushing forward!!  How did your week go?

Monday Motivation

I saw this quote on a sign while I was running my first leg of Ragnar Cape Cod this weekend.  There was a lot this weekend that has me thinking deeper and this quote was one of them!  Pushing, stretching, and challenging my limits makes me feel AWESOME and I need to remember to not get too comfy in the place where I can do everything.  This weekend...covering 22 miles over 3 legs...challenged me but today I'm feeling awesome!!

My challenge to you is to find what makes you awesome and get out there and do it!! 

Go be awesome!!!

It's Here!!!

Ragnar Day is here!!!

For the next 28 hours I'll be part of Team CC/DC Back in Black as we make our way from Hull to
P-town!  Get all the fun pictures on my Instagram!  Have a great weekend!!!

Cheating...Helpful or Hurtful?

In all other areas of life besides eating, cheating is a bad thing...cheating on a test, you get a zero or worse...cheating on your taxes, jail...cheating in a race, disqualified.  Cheating, however, in many areas of dieting is an official day or meal. 

I'm pretty sure this started with body builders getting ready for shows or along those lines.  After watching my husband prep for his show, I think it could be used as torture in some cultures! 

There are noted benefits of incorporating a cheat meal into your diet plan especially for people with very specific goals in mind like cutting and other ways to shock your body.  This I can see and understand as it is often times monitored by a coach.

I started thinking the other day about cheat meals for everyday people that aren't doing shows.  I'm not so sure it has the same effect.  For me a cheat meal opens the door...Pandora's Box if you will to a world of junk food.  Most times I can shut it...other times it takes a bit longer to tighten the lid on my cheat "meal".  This often times follows a long run or race when I feel like I've "earned" it!

When you are striving for a healthy lifestyle, is "cheating" ok?  Moreover, when you are on that road to a balanced, healthy body, would anything be off limits as long as it is in moderation? 

I know personally when someone says NOT to eat something, that is in fact the ONLY thing I can think about!  Don't eat sugar....I think about it constantly!  Don't eat carbs...you find me dreaming about a bagel!

There is the allure of being "bad"...of cheating and getting away with it!  For me, I think that having a healthy, balanced diet most of the time and finding ways to be healthy around all food, is the most important and the best way for me to reach my goals.  So while a "cheat" meal sounds fun...it's the feelings that happen after for me...or when I can't stop cheating...that I need to stay away from.  Am I saying that I ALWAYS eat healthy and perfectly?  My husband can attest that I do not...but do I try my best to fuel my body the best way I can...yes.  I'm working towards having a healthy balance and healthy mindset around all foods!  I'm not saying cheat meals are bad...I'm not saying you shouldn't do them...I'm saying for me...I have to put a lid on that box!!

Do you have a cheat meal? 
How do you keep it from becoming a cheat day...week?

Training Talk

When I started 2015, ZOOMA Cape Cod was the one and only race on my calendar.  A few more have found their way on there and while I am looking forward very much to running Ragnar this weekend and the Newport 10 miler in June, ZOOMA remains my focus...my goal...what gets me up in the early mornings and pushes me over hills!  Speaking of hills, this week's training miles were chock full of them so here we go!

Monday: 3-4 miles...hit the gym mill for 3.5 miles and kettlebells after.
Tuesday: 1 mile WU-Tempo 4X1 mile with 0.25 recovery- 1 mile CD...This was the day of my mom's lumpectomy and I had to leave the house early to get to the hospital in RI so this was pushed back.
Wednesday:  rest...I plugged in yesterday's workout today
Thursday:  5 miles(10 min WU-6X2min hills-10 min CD)...I did this workout on the treadmill because I wanted to make sure I wasn't slowing down on the hills...kicked my butt!!
Heading out for an afternoon run too since I need to get in some miles on tired legs for Ragnar!!
Friday: Fun...What does a runner do for fun?  I hit the gym to swing some KBs!
Saturday:  10 miles...mini-chickie had a swimming lesson (she was over the top excited!) so I headed out after and logged a run with the App Run Go as an ambassador for them.  It was really easy to use and spoke to me which was nice!  It is finally getting warmer here on Cape Cod and this run was awesome!!
Sunday:  rest...took Em out on a training run for 1.5  miles.  She's getting there!!

How did your week go?
Is it warm in your neck of the woods?

Monday Motivation

This weekend we had dinner with friends...a family who also has a 6 year-old and a 2 year-old.  The difference is that while our girls have their hiccups, they usually sleep through the night nestled in their own beds while this mother is up all night with her cuties.  As she was talking with me about how she feels like she is at the end of her rope, I heard myself encouraging her...begging her to find the time to go do something just for her.  For me it's running and working out.  Early morning sweat sessions and long Saturday morning runs give me the mental energy to be a mom...it makes my soul happy and therefore I can give to others.  Whatever it is that makes YOUR soul happy, go out and make sure you do it....go walk, run, spin, knit, bike, whatever it may be!

Take the time....YOU are worth it!!!