Monday Motivation

I'm going to be honest...the past few weeks I have started strong, motivated, eating clean, nailing my workouts...and then as the week trickles by, life get hectic and things slip.  I'm tired of this...tired of the example I am setting...tired of knowing that time will still pass whether or not I choose to get with the program and fight!  My goals are not going to just happen...I need to FIGHT!!!  My daughter's comment to me yesterday afternoon was exactly what I needed to hear...I sat down with some crackers and she told me they were not healthy.  She's right and I need to show her that healthy is what we eat...especially since she is such a picky eater.  She's my shadow lately and I need to be that example for her.  So I'm putting on the boxing gloves this week and #IWILL go 12 rounds and win this fight!  #IWILL be at that starting line READY to hit my goal!  #IWILL be a good example!

What are you ready to fight for this week?

Put on those gloves and go the distance!!

Fitness Friday...Time for Mama

Now that Summer is here, I have joined the ranks with other say-at-home moms and dads.  While I do honestly love my children...I would love if they could give me one hour while the sun is still up when I can run or workout ALONE!  However, with the hubby unable to walk due to his knee surgery and the fact that they wake up the moment the sun breaks over the horizon, that is not my reality right now!  While I wish I could do this...

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I can't!  I also know that I am not alone with this so here are some things that have worked for me in the past and am going to continue using!

Wake up early...Like I said above, this doesn't always work perfectly!  The girls have recently decided now that I am on vacation that they are going to wake up at 5:30.  I had given myself the pass yesterday and today to sleep until 5 but it is looking like I need to go back to my 4am wake-ups!  Lets be honest...waking up early sucks at first but once you get used to it you're good.  I like to get my runs/workouts in early before anyone wakes up since you never know what gems are going to come your way!  I can face it a lot better after a workout! 

Babysitter...I know it sounds crazy but hire someone to come watch the kids while you go run.  It would really be just an hour, or two depending if you also want to shower (details!).  This way you don't have to feel bad asking the grandparents/friends/neighbors for the 5th straight time.  You can go and do what you need to do!  I have changed my schedule this past week so that I can utilize the kid room at my gym.  For an hour they are just a few feet away playing.

Bob it up...One of the best ways for me to get in a run these days is if I bring my lovies along with me!  Now yes it takes planning (working around naps, bringing enough snacks and entertainment) but it is one heck of a workout pushing them and they can be outside in the fresh air.  I started with a Bob single jogger that I had to put on at least 80 miles a month!  Now we are sporting the Dualie and are already racking up the miles!  I have a 3 mile loop close to our house so if Em needs the potty we aren't too far!  If your kids are older, have them grab a bike and go!

Break it up...This weekend I have 12 miles on tap but I know I won't have someone to watch the ladies for the full 2 hours.  My plan is to break up the mileage between pushing them and running on the mill...just writing that makes me tired but you have to do what you have to do!  Breaking up the run is not ideal but occasionally it can work!

Be creative in your planning.  It can be a great time to teach your children the importance of being active not just for your physical health but your mental health as well.  Sarah and Dimity hit it on the head with their new AMR shirt...

 What works for you?  How do you manage all you need to do AND get in time for you?

Monday Motivation

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As a working mom of two little girls, I certainly have my share of excuses.  Lately with my hubby getting hurt (possibly tearing his meniscus in both knees), I have had my fair share of excuses I could throw into the ring.  This week they are gone....this week begins the week where those excuses are no longer strong enough!  #IWILL get the job done and overcome the excuses laid before me!

What's your excuse for not working out?  

How will you be stronger than that excuse this week?

#WhatsBeautiful...Digging Deep to the Finish

Well I fought the heat...and the heat won (for now!)!  When we arrived at the Girls on the Run 10k in Rhode Island and got out of the car, I knew it was going to be a hot one! 

Already at 75 degrees at 8am, the day was already 20 degrees warmer than the previous weekend and with bright sun was going to climb even higher (It was 99 degrees at the finish!).  I looked over at my sister with my face already covered in sweat and said something to the effect of, "Oh buddy it's hot!"

Since this race provided me with more than enough thoughts running through my crazy runner mind, I will give you the good, bad, and ugly!

Good....

• pink and green....my favorite color combo was also the color combo for the race.  Win!
• Very well organized and easy to find/navigate.  This is the 4th event I have done that Trimom Productions has done and they really do a great job!  They have other events (running, tri, and duathlons) in RI that I would love to check out!

• Water stations...on a very hot day I was more than happy to see all the water stations (they even had ice cubes in the waters...drink the water and put the cube on my head!)  Plus the boys and girls helping at the water stations were just adorable!  It almost helped me forget I was this side of dying!
• The first 5k...It was challenging with rolling hills but I focused on one girl and tried to keep her in my sights and was able to finish the first 5k in 26 minutes and change.
• I finished...period.  My sister also finished the 5k and while she didn't hit her goal time (she hates the heat even more than me...we're blaming you Mom!) I couldn't be more proud of her!  She was diagnosed with a back problem that basically was going to keep her from walking last year and she has now run over 100 miles on a quest to 500 in addition to losing 30+ lbs! 

Bad...

• The temperature...Ok this is the last time I'm going to whine about the temp but it was the second day of a heat wave and my body was just not acclimated to running in that kind of heat considering it was just 65 a few days before!  I gained a whole new level of respect for all you racing in the southern part of the country where it gets "melt your face" hot!  

• Hills...Do I sound like a broken record yet?  This course was rolling...like get a ticket for your local roller coaster rolling!  One day I'm going to run out on the Great Plains or Chicago or something!  I am on it though...I am done letting hills kill me in races!  I'm not moving so I need to get on it!!

 

Ugly...

•  The second 5k...Without going into great detail and to keep from sounding whiney lets just say the second half entailed walking the aforementioned hills, throwing up twice, contemplating cutting it short and just running the 5k, and planning my escape via the pond!  I said to my sister at the finish that the wheels not only fell off the bus but it went into a ditch!  

Did I hit my goal time?  Umm yeah try my slowest 10k EVER!  Did I feel great?  Yeah not so much!  But...I finished!  I didn't give in to the thoughts to just stop...throw in the towel and be done.  I kept pushing forward towards my goal and that to me is #WhatsBeautiful!  Determination and not accepting the limits in front of me!!

After the race I said..."I'm never running this again" but in true form yesterday I was thinking, "I'm totally doing that one next year and making it mine!!!"
I'm part of a sponsored campaign for the What's Beautiful program and I'd love for you to join my Team Limitless!

Boston's Run to Remember Half Recap

Well as I was writing this post in my head during the race on Sunday, I thought of possible titles like "The Race of Technical Difficulties" or "The Race Least Prepared For" but as the race unfolded....I'm now thinking of titles like "Nancy Got Her Groove Back" or "Movin Momma"!

I got to Jill's house the night before and quickly realized that I in no way brought enough to wear for the race the next day!  It was not only friggin freezing but it was rainy and windy too!  Here was what I had brought for race day...

AMR Boston shirt, Under Armour capris and headband, and running skirt (Austin Powers is Jill's touch!)

Yeah I immediately started digging for more clothes and a hat!!!  I ended up with this...

Under Armour hat, Saucony jacket, Under Armour capris, running skirt, and Kinvara 4

The jacket was just a bit too tight (and it proceeded to ride up the whole race) and the water bottle that I had bought the night before (I couldn't find my Nathan water bottle at home) leaked the entire race and into my phone thus killing my music at about mile 8!  Either way I was warm enough and ready to run!

The race was dedicated to Officer Sean Collier, the MIT police officer who was killed by the marathon bombers, and everyone wore his badge number on their backs.

It was one of the many things that gave me goosebumps during the race!!!  A powerful reminder when I was ready to quit, to run for those who no longer could!  Pre-race there was a ceremony where many spoke on behalf of the Boston Police Department, Officer Ed Davis, and a man on behalf of the Collier family...about Sean and what an impressive person he was.

And then we were off!  The first three miles there were A LOT of people so finding a pace was hard.  There was stopping and starting...weaving...and keeping up with the crowd.  After three miles and consistent 9:10 min mile pace I motioned to Jill that I would probably need to slow down....and then I didn't!  There was so much going on all around us as we ran through the city that I was focused on everything around me...cheering as the T went by...finding friends and Jill's brother amongst other runners...whooping it up in the tunnels.  I was having a great race and no matter how much my mind continued to tell my legs to slow down knowing I would hit the wall and the wheels would fall off....they were choosing not to listen!  One of the most amazing sights was around MIT where there were about 25 police officers who had lined up their cars in the road and were standing and high fiving all the runners....It was a scene that caused not only goose bumps but tears...for what they have seen...for who they have lost!

Around mile 8 my phone stopped playing my playlist...ugh!  I expected the wheels to fall off...for the wall to come...but it didn't.  Mile 8 beeped and it showed 9:02...umm ok!  The next 4 miles I took one at a time.  Each time my Garmin chirped and I saw 8:45 or 8:32 or 8:27 I thought, "Well...let's try to do that again!"  It got hard but I was so close so I kept on pushing!  There was a woman in front of me cheering "Let's go Boston!" and getting the crowd excited!  I kept pushing and pushing and as 13 chirped in my pace was showing 7:46!!!  Huh???  I was elated with what I thought was a 10 minute faster race than March but after looking up my time on the website I realized I had a 12 minute faster finish!!!

2:02:59

Oh yeah!!!  Maybe it was the rain...the poorly prepped day...the atmosphere...whatever I feel proud of how far I have come and excited for what's to come!!!  Just closer to my goal!!

Monday Motivation

We all have bumps in our road...injury, life changes, kids get sick, jobs, etc...but don't let them become a stop sign!!  Instead keep pushing on toward your dream!  One day that bump in the road will be a distant memory and you will be that much closer to where you want to be!

How will you get over your bump this week?

BE LIMITLESS!!

Monday Motivation

Last week I threw down the challenge flag....put it all out there...set a goal that strikes fear in me but reaching that goal will prove that I have what it takes to be one fast mother runner!  I WILL be limitless....I WILL go beyond my dreams.  It starts with a step to work...work hard...because I am capable of far more than my body is convinced of and this week I'm going to start changing that! 

You have what it takes to be limitless!  How will you prove it?

Fitness Friday...It's OK!

This week I have been feeling....worn as if life has caught up with me and I can't get out of my own way!  I've been beating myself up over not feeling super motivated and falling into the ever-dangerous comparison trap....like she has 9 kids, works 2 jobs, and still runs 50 miles a week so what is my deal kind of trap!  Not OK!  I've been keeping up with my Summer Shred '13 workouts but my running has been less than stellar to say the least!  This morning I finally said to myself.....

IT'S OK.....

• to wake up in the morning and NOT want to run
• to rewash the same load of laundry 3 times because you keep forgetting about it (right?)
• to get an AMAZING opportunity through Fitfluential to work with the Under Armour What's Beautiful competition and then totally bomb the first week!
• to miss runs because you can't manage to stay awake more than 5 minutes (for a few days at least)
• to give yourself grace for a time...not too long though...to let your mind catch up with the new plan!  
• to be less than perfect (that's hard to say)
• to get to the end of your day and accept that tomorrow will be better.

Not every week is going to be one for the record books.  Life isn't always laid out in nice neat rows for us...it is what we do with that messiness that shows who we really are.  This week was not great...it's been coming so I should have recognized it when it showed up at my doorstep but this time I'm saying "It's OK".  Tomorrow is a new day!  Just as long as I don't do this...

How do you face a hard week?  What do you do when your mind is fighting back?

So You Wanna Feel Like a Rockstar....

So you wanna feel like a rockstar?  Run a race while pushing a double stroller!! 

This weekend I ran a small, local 5k in West Yarmouth which is just about 15 minutes from us.  A coworker friend of mine had organized the race and I wanted to show my support...plus it was a great day and I was able to convince my mother-in-law to run with me!  She was super nervous before the race...but she rocked it and placed 2nd in her age group!  I was going back and forth about pushing the ladies...mostly because it was really windy...but I'm glad I did!  Not only did we have a few laughs over Emma's race commentary (which included..."Mom are we going to win this one?" and "Mom you better run faster if you want to win!"...such a mama's girl!) but I seriously felt like a rockstar!  People kept asking things like, "Did you just run pushing BOTH of those kids?" and "You ran the whole way!", and my favorite, "HEY! You passed me!  I'm trying not to be pissed that I got passed by you because you're awesome!"  Nothing like a confidence boost!

I had 13 miles on the schedule so I woke up bright and early to get 10 miles in...I actually ran to my friends house to do our weekly weigh-in (always helps a weigh-in when you run 10 miles before!) and then she drove me home!  I was happy with my pace and the fact that it was a much easier run than it had been for me just 6 weeks before...nothing like shedding some lbs to make things easier!  I have never run 10 miles before a race (why would you?) so my expectations for the 5k were low.  I basically just wanted to have a good time and not be in pain....I guess when you keep your standards that low its a win win!!  I was VERY happy with how I felt (note to self...a BOB Dualie tends to be more like a kite when it's windy!) and happy with my time of 29:01

How kind of Saucony and BOB to work together to help me coordinate!

Don't forget to head on over and check out Under Armour What's Beautiful competition!  More details were on yesterday's post!   I'm part of a sponsored campaign for the What's Beautiful program and I'd love for you to join my Team Limitless!

What's Beautiful...Knowing You're Limitless!

This post is sponsored by Under Armour through FitFluential.
What limits have you put on yourself?  What limits have others put on you?  What would you really LOVE to be able to do but allow these limits to keep a dream?

Wanna break through those limits?  Now is your time!!

Growing up as a female athlete, I was always pushing limits...pushing stereotypes of female athletes...pushing where a girl from a small town in the smallest state in the country could go!  There was no one or anything that was going to stand in my way!

Then came children....my first child and I lost that drive...that ability to push my body and allowed limits to come up all around me.  There was a day when I barely recognized who I was and that was when I knew I had to start breaking down those limits all around me!  I did it for me...the one tucked deep inside this heavy, new mom...the one I knew so well and missed so much!  When those days came when I wasn't enough to push for, then I did it for the beautiful girl growing up in front of me...watching me...looking up to me.  Those limits I was breaking down were for her too.  To show her that moms can be and ARE strong!  That she one day could reach her goals too!

Now I have two sets of girls watching and looking to see how I will once again break down those limits!  Looking to see What is Beautiful!  I'm honored to join Under Armour and their What's Beautiful campaign to challenge and celebrate amazing women everywhere...and right here on this blog!  That's right!  I'm talking to YOU!  What EPIC goals do you have in the back of that mind of yours?  Now is YOUR time to throw off the limits around you and prove to yourself and everyone around you that YOU ROCK!  Join the What's Beautiful competition...set epic goals...push your limits...and be AWESOME!

I've also created a team called...very aptly Team Limitless!  A team designed for all you out there that are done accepting the limits and are ready to do something really epic!  Now I'm not just talking marathons or body building competitions....I'm talking to you out there that would always love to but never thought you could run a half marathon...10k...5k!  Those of you out there carrying the last 10lbs that you would love to be done with once and for all!  I'm talking to the ladies that dream of one day crossing the finish line and seeing a certain time on the clock.  You out there that long for guns but somehow were convinced that you never could.  What's stopping you?

My goal....to run a sub 1:50 half marathon and be one fast mother runner!!!

You know What's Beautiful?  Reaching your limit and walking right on over it!  Being the strong, epic woman you always wanted to be!  

Will you join me?  Because let's be honest...

Fitness Friday Favorites

I recognize that the longer I go without posting, it may give you all the indication that perhaps something is going on around here....well not yet!  Little Miss is getting her eviction notice effective Wednesday but nothing has been happening otherwise!  Today is my last day at work and the Type A Fancy Nancy is in full force getting things set up so that the sub can coast for the next 3 months....yes my lovely husband convinced my doctor to give me the 12 weeks I was hoping for!!!!  So I apologize for this short post but I do need to get back to making sure every I is dotted and T is crossed (because obviously things would implode if I don't :-) ).  Here are some of my favs this week in and around the fitness world!

Bani Bands are one of the ZOOMA sponsors and I was so excited to meet one of the owners at the Cape Cod expo a few weeks ago...even more surprised to find out the he lives in Newport, RI (my hometown).  I do find myself loyal to locals and thought I would pass some love on to them!  You know how much I love me a sparkly headband and I actually bought this very one for my delivery day...momma needs some sparkle to go with the hospital gown!

I am loving Under Armour's new campaign for women...their #What'sBeautiful and #Sweat Every Day is so inspiring!!!  Their clothes rock but now so do their ads!!  Check them out!!

Have Pinterest...Know Fitfluential....Have Kick ASS workouts!...and who wouldn't want that back?

The last thing I've been loving lately...and let's be honest a lot more than lately are the AWESOME workouts that some of my fellow Fitfluential Ambassadors are cranking out!  My Pinterest Workouts board is filled with them but do yourself a favor and check out Jess at Blonde Ponytail, Tamara at Fitknitchick, and Brad at Brad Gouthro Fitness or Live Lean TV.

What are you loving this Fitness Friday???