Monday Motivation

So many people shy away from reaching a goal or dream because of the immense journey in front of them.  Working as an ambassador for ZOOMA, naturally the conversation turns to..."Oh I don't think I could ever run that far!".  Well neither did I until I did!  I never thought I could cover 26.2 miles until I did.  I never thought I could run 13.1 in under 2 hours until I did.  I never thought I could run over 5000 miles in 3 years until I did.  You NEVER know what you can do until you put in the work and DO it!  Prove yourself wrong!  You don't have to be a marathoner on day one of training.  You don't need to be the fastest out there on day one....you just have to make a choice to start!

How will you prove yourself wrong?  What are you starting or in the middle of working towards?

Five for Friday

So I missed Thursday's does of randomness so luck you I waited a day and now you get five!!!  Woohoo!

Beach Carts...In order for us to go to the beach, have something to sit on, a way to keep Aubs cool, and have anything to eat I have to pull this down the beach...

Sorry just turn your head to the side to realize that this is a lot of crap!!!  Add that to the fact that I have to put Aubs on the front of me in the Bjorn and it is a quick recipe for heat stroke...like "Kids just give Mommy a moment while she tries to keep herself from passing out!"  All that Em is responsible for is dragging her boogie board behind her...but you can imagine that is a hard task after floating in the water for 3 hours!  Thankfully someone has taken pity on me the last two times and at least helped us to our chair!

Running in the heat...Ok so I realize that it is hot just about everywhere so I am only going to talk about his once since in just a few months I'll be faced with not having enough layers to keep warm!  I waited to do my 6 miler until tonight...at 7:30pm...just before the sun went down I was coming up my driveway...and my face was melting.  Mind you I am very thankful we live where we do...being surrounded by water gives us the advantage of only dealing with 90 degree instead of 100.  I'm just trying to do the best I can with paces and distance...I'd be lying if I said it didn't bother me that I wasn't running more but pushing 70+lbs in 90+ degrees sounds about as fun as pulling my full beach cart up the beach!

Rolling Stones...I'm sure by now you've seen the BAD choice Rolling Stones made for their magazine cover.  At first I wondered if I didn't have such close ties to Boston and the marathon and that day if I wouldn't have been as repulsed by their decision but I don't think it would change.  I understand freedom of press but morally I would have thought they could have picked hundreds of others to portray as rock stars from that day.

1:49....That is my goal for a half marathon time.  The closest I have come is 1:52 but I know I could have gotten it if there wasn't a mountain to climb at mile 12!  On my run today I was trying to think of all the pieces that need to come together to see that time or less at the finish line...less weight to drag around, get with a group to push my pace, get those long runs in!  Once the hubs can walk again...which is soon since he is doing great...I can really buckle down.

Joys of Motherhood....I'm going to be very honest here...there are days (ok maybe just hour stretches) where the joys of motherhood are nowhere to be found!  Am I alone in feeling this?  This week has been hard between the heat, just returning from vacation, and Aubs being sick all week but there are times when I think...."Ugh this kind of sucks"...and times when I think..."Please don't end.  Please stop time!"  I guess the trick is to hold on to those "please don't end" moments to get you through the sucky parts....hold on to the times when Aubs falls asleep on my chest when she is screaming in my face.  I love my girls...I love being their mom...and there are days when I REALLY love bedtime!

What's on tap for the weekend?  Go ahead and weigh in on some of my randomness!!! 

#Favorite Run

Amanda...aka Miss Zippy posted last week about her #FavoriteRun.  It was an awesome loop around lakes and through the woods.  Well luck you all that I was visiting the place that holds home to one of my favorite runs!!  Let me take you on my 10 mile loop in Middletown/Newport, RI!

First I head down the huge hill at my parents' house and about a mile and a half I come onto one of my favorite views of the run...

One side of the street is houses and the other are these cliffs!  Growing up I had a friend who lived on this street...I think I would just sit on my porch all day long taking in the view!  After a quick loop around I turn to run past one of the beaches (which is home to the starting line of the Amica Marathon and Half Marathon) and up the steep hill that leads into Newport.

 A turn at the top has me heading down one of my favorite streets....Bellevue Ave.  A street now lined with the Tennis Hall of Fame and stores, was once the same street that housed the Vanderbilts and Rockefellers as they summered here...

They've left their "summer homes" behind!  I head then to the end of this street which pours into another beach.  I loop around the beach and head back down Bellevue (a part of this loop is part of the Newport 10 miler course that you should check out!).  My return trip would be just the same views if I didn't make sure to turn down Ruggles Ave...through part of the Salve Regina campus and onto the famed Cliff Walk!

You used to be able to go past this gate and even farther along the Walk but Hurricane Sandy has taken out a lot of the rock making it unsafe.  Around this corner boasted some of the best surfing spots on the island and a lot of local surfers have started the "Save Ruggies" campaign to help raise attention to this part being fixed.

The Walk takes me behind more of Salve and back to the beach...along the way there are mile markers every time you cross a street....like 3/4 mile to Narragansett Ave and so on.  It is a hilly and sometimes narrow path but to have mansions on one side and cliffs and ocean on the other I'll take it!  My "local" advice would be to hit this early if you are here in the summer or better yet go in the Fall or Spring when the daffodils have bloomed!  A right turn has me headed back to my parents as I sprint back up the hill to their house!!!

Looking back as I write this post it is pretty clear what I love....the ocean!!  Born and bread beach girl I can't get enough of it!  It calms me...centers me...quiets me...I love it!  Ever in RI let me know...I'll head down and we can run!!

Monday Motivation

This past week I had the pleasure of being able to leave the girls with family who love them and get in some great seaside miles!  My body had some great workouts...up and down ocean cliffs...past mansions...along the beach...around a old familiar track, but my mind got a workout too!  This week my goal is to stop beating myself up for the weight I have not yet lost...for the pace I have not yet reached...and just work!  This week is all about reminding myself that those paces are going to come....only if I put in the work to get there!  Heat wave or not...you better watch out week because you are MINE!!!

What do you need to convince your mind of this week?  Hot where you are?

Where Everyone Knows Your Name...

The ladies and I are headed to my hometown to visit family...pick raspberries...run around barefoot...and spend lots and lots of time here....

and running along here...

I will not be posting regularly until I get back.  Time to recharge the batteries and spend lots of time catching up with friends and family!  You can still follow me on Instagram and Twitter...you know if you just can't live without a little Fancy Nancy in your life! :-)

Training Tuesday

Yesterday we had a training kick-off party/run at Bayside Runner in Plymouth for ZOOMA Cape Cod. 

It was a great group of ladies...and one very supportive fiance...and everyone was excited to get started training!  We started off with meeting the two coaches, one for Plymouth and one for Yarmouth, and a talk from Bayside owner Adam about getting all you need for a successful training cycle.  Then we were off for a steamy and quick 3 miler.  It was so great to talk with the ladies on the run.  Some are challenging themselves with the half for the first time, some are returning half marathoners who are looking for more guidance in their training.  I am really looking forward to seeing what great things these ladies are going to be doing come September!!

I left with a great feeling...and also so excited to be running with other people again!  I guess I didn't realize how much I missed it until today.  As a competitive and social person, I find that I am pushed so much more when I run with a group.  Tonight even though I was sweating like a hog, I was loving every second of it!  I miss it!

If you are in the Boston area stay tuned for more ZOOMA Cape Cod training run events!!  Oh and don't forget to join the party on September 28th in Falmouth!  Use the code CCAMB4 to get your Fancy Nancy discount!!!

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!!