october running: move it monday

hi all... i figured it was about time for a post for you all.  if, of course, there is anyone out there still reading...

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i decided a move it monday post would be a nice little post to ease myself back into posting again. 

well, you all remember that half marathon i ran back in october, right?! well, that has been about the extent of my running workouts for the last month.  i had made the decision to cut back on my running and take some time to really focus on yoga and increasing my flexibility (mostly... my hamstrings and those darn IT bands).  well, then i got sick. again.  so i have taken a few weeks off.

my monthly training log from dailymile, shows 14 miles for the month of october.  not too good considering 13 of those miles was my half marathon.  there was a 5 miler that didn't get put into daily mile, but thats it... 2 runs, a bike ride, and 3 yoga classes.  

and i wonder why my jeans were starting to feel snug.  

so, looking back at my monthly milage, i decided to set a goal of fifty miles run during the month of november.  yes... 5-0.  i know it is a bit lofty since i have only had two 50 mile months this year, and one of those was marathon month. eek.  but apparently, i needed some motivation.

i also signed up for this 15k race in december.  hot chocolate, fondue, and a tech fleece jacket? a coupon code for a travel mug that says 'will run for chocolate'.  uh, yes please.  

(p.s. use code ITZLINZMUG for the chocolate travel mug if you sign up for this race!)

how's november going, you ask?! so far, 3.6 + 3.0 miles.  and i feel like i did when i just started running.  i've been working lots of night shift, making poor food choices, & doing minimal workouts.  these have left me feeling like a beginner again.  i can't wait until my body remembers how it is supposed to behave, and starts feeling like that of a runner again.  

so, there is my move it monday post for you all.  

hoping to link up with ashley from the domestic wannabe.

{a day in the life} on the domestic wannabe

hi all!  have you missed me?! 

i've taken a much needed break from blogging for the last few weeks.   but don't worry... i'll be back at it very soon!  i have so much to share with you all.  from a trip to the pumpkin patch, b's 3rd birthday and a dinosaur party and a camping trip.  

in the mean time, today i am over at the domestic wannabe with a {a day in the life} post of me and b.  head on over and check it out! 

{mo' cowbell}

you guys, i did it.  i survived my half marathon!

but first, a little history:

there is something about this race.  the only thing i can identify with is the sentimental aspect. i ran the inaugural race, which wasit my first half marathon after having brody.  it was also, my first and only 2:00 half marathon (finished 2012 in 2:00:19).  so, when they announced they were adding a full marathon this year, of course i figured i had to do it.  right?! wrong.  life got in the way.  i talked a little about my decision to not run the full here.  at one point, i had even decided i wasn't going to participate at all this year.  october is a busy month for our family.  but, when the email was sent announcing the price increase, i caved.  i knew i would be bumming come race day when i started seeing all the pics from my friends post race.  

i'd like to say that once i committed to running the half marathon that some hard training occurred, but... that didn't happen.  things happen. it was summer, it was hot, we were traveling, i was sick, or better yet,  i was just plain lazy.  i ran a few times a week, averaging 3-6 miles each, but never made any progress building my long run base.  oops.  two weeks before the race i bailed on my 8 miler (while at hls), so a week and a half before i squeezed in a 10 miler, and then figured we would have to see how good my running base really was.  that was the extent of my training.  

so needless to say, i am happy with my results.

i set out with a plan to see how i felt sticking to 10 min/miles.  i ended up falling into a fairly comfortable pace and looking down at my garmin to see 9:04.  i knew i couldn't hold that pace for the whole 13 miles, so i pulled back to an average of 9:30-9:45.  this was still comfortable to me, and allowed me to have a little reserve for the hill i knew was coming at mile 9.5

so i did it.  i stuck with my sub 10 min per mile pace, and came in right under my 2:10 goal. 

feels pretty good, ya know?!

after the race, i hung around the finishers area, had some snacks, spilled my beer :( and met up with friends dawn & ronny.  after the obligatory cow photo opportunity, we headed out for lunch.

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i am really happy that i was able to push myself a little bit during this race.  it was a nice middle ground between the other two years i participated in this run.  now, for the next few weeks i am going to focus on stretching and yoga.  it is time to get these IT bands and hip flexors under control!

linking up with ashley and her move it monday series!

pumpkin patch: 2013

{october 6th} we took b to eagle fork farms for our annual pumpkin patch visit.   

we have been going here since 2010.  it is right up the road from our house and is such a cute little pumpkin patch.  

it was a really windy day, but not too cold to enjoy ourselves.  a nice brisk day that finally was feeling like fall.  

we kept ourselves warm with cups of hot chocolate.  yum.  

b still loves john deere tractors.  he asked to get his picture taken by it.   

we took a hayride down to the fields for pick your own pumpkins.

b and daddy, looking for the perfect pumpkin  

this is the required photo for the visit... 

we've been taking these pics since our first trip when he was 6 days old!

 this is the first year he was finally big enough to ride the mini tractors.  he wasn't quite strong enough to pedal through the gravel without some help though.

and b rode a pony too.  he was so excited to get to ride on them this year. last year he was pretty uneasy!

 since the weather was so nice... we decided to swing over to valley farms pumpkin patch too.  they aren't as big as the other one, but they have a beautiful hayride and a small petting zoo.  so of course, we had to go there too.   

crossing over indian camp creek 

feeding the alpacas

{p.s. i am backdating these posts so in the future (like if i ever get caught up on my photo books) they will be in the right order... }

{wordless wednesday} disney on ice

last thursday (9.26), we took b to disney on ice.  lets just say, the kid was in love. 

and he had been asking if he could wear his mickey ears for days before the show.  too cute!

{move it monday} uh, i mean tuesday.

i started putting this post together, only to remember it was tuesday.  

so, here's a move it tuesday post instead. 

this photo found here, is a great representation of my relationship with running.  

i have been doing a lot of soul searching trying to divulge what the cause of this running funk has been... however, the more i think about it, i realize that maybe i wasn't in such of a rut after all.

i think it is possible, that my love for running is changing.

i have been running now for 10 years{woah}, after being introduced to running by a great friend of mine.  back then, after running my first 5k, i swore i would never run that far again.  ha. you would have never convinced me that i would have three marathons and countless half marathons under my belt, 10 years later.

now, after having b... my life is different, as are my goals.  running marathons (and half marathons) presents a much bigger challenge for me as a mom.  don't get me wrong, it can be done.  but it isn't the best choice for my family and our lives right now.  i think this is where my rut has come from.  trying to fit in everything that i am doing, is a recipe for finding myself in over my head.  i talked about this some in my consistency post earlier this week.  this by no means is me saying i am finished distance running. this is me saying that i am finding a healthier balance between running, working out and life.  

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right now, i am enjoying a different take on running than i have in the past.  shorter, more frequent runs without a specific time goal in mind.  i am running on the treadmill.  spending some time on the elliptical.  going on walks in my neighborhood.  i'm loving taking b out in the jog stroller at the park.  i am loving not feeling guilty for walking while pushing that ridiculously heavy stroller up the huge hills at our park.   i love answering b's millions of questions while we are out on a run.  

but also, i am loving body pump. 

i started attending body pump about a year ago, inconsistently at first, but now more regularly, twice a week..  i have done little to no strength training in the past, and this class was very easy for a beginner to pick up.  by gradually increasing my weights, i am really beginning to see changes in my body.  

plus, you guys... its a really fun workout.  

and it has helped me learn there is more to working out than running.  

so, there is what i have made out of my little running funk.  it really cleared some things up for me.

i'm linking this post up with ashley, over at the domestic wannabe.

check her out!

{consistency}

its not too often that i feel compelled to write, but this week i saw an instagram post from my new friend from the healthy living summit, heather.  her photo (shown below) really made me think. alot.   

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recently, i have been feeling a little overwhelmed.  okay, a little may not even begin to describe it.  

this 'challenge' from @mariatrains is set to allow you to make a few goals and try to stick with them for a full 30 days.  they say it only takes 21 days to create a habit, right?!

here's the deal.

i work long hours, commuting almost an hour each way, rotate between day and night shifts.  i work out 4 days a week (training for a half marathon & body pump a few times a week), i try to keep a clean house, keep up with laundry, grocery shop and meal plan, and still fit in being a wife and momma.  frankly... i'm tired.

and from time to time... my house starts to look like this.  and when that happens, typically my brain starts looking like this too.  i find myself coming home about 9 pm, exhausted and starving after working a 12-13 hour day.  during that day, i typically haven't eaten much and don't drink nearly enough water.  that of course leads to me eating what ever i can get my hands on, before falling into bed.  all to get up and do it over again.  this is a recipe for disaster.  

my type a personality needs order is the culprit here.  i need order, routine, schedule, consistency.  i think that is why i like marathon training so much.  knowing what to do and when to do it works well for me.  i think that i need to implement the same system into the rest of my life...

i use my erin condren planner daily. it helps keep me mostly sane. i know who needs to be where, and when. whether i work days or nights, and who is picking up b from school.  we have monthly (or sometimes weekly) calendar meetings with me and hubby to make sure we both know the plan.  

i find myself wishing that my hubby and i both had jobs where we had a set schedule, where we could be home for dinner together, and didn't have to plan our lives weeks in advance.  but i have come to accept that we will never have that kind of "normal".  so, i must make the best of the schedule we have. 

here are my goals:

1. meal planning:

hopefully, having meals prepared so i can just heat them up will help to keep me from eating junk when i get home after a long day of work.  also, it is crockpot season.   thank goodness.  also, prepping fruit and veggies into snack size portions... i need to eat better for me food. 

2. make a housework routine.

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systems like flylady implement zone cleaning in order to keep you from spending an entire day cleaning and doing laundry.  i have implementing these techniques before, i just need to modify it to make it adaptable to my adjustable schedule.  i think this one is going to be key for me!

3. make a workout plan:

i don't have to be training for a marathon to stick to a workout program... however, there is a late fall marathon (nov 24th) that i need to make a decision on, and quick.  my plan needs to include running, strength training and YOGA!

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4. establish a skincare routine

now that i am getting closer to my mid 30s, i feel like it is high time to establish a skin care routine that works for me.  both morning and night.  my skin is in the worst shape it has been in since i was a teenage.  most likely, that is related to stress, lack of sleep and not making the best dietary choices.  

so this is how i am going to attempt the 30 days of consistency challenge.

any advice for me?! wish me luck!

{ten}

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my half marathon has snuck up on me rather quickly.  we are 10 days out. sunday, october 6th.  i am a little sentimental to this race, since its inaugural event was the first race i ran, almost exactly one year after having brody.  this year will be my third year running the half marathon. 

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as most of you know, i have spent the last few months in a bit of a running funk, if you will.  i have been running, just not much distance, and not enjoying every minute of it.  i'm working my way out of it, but in the meantime... i want to talk about this weeks long run.

ten miles, ya'll.  

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last sunday,  i headed out with the intention of running six miles.  by about mile 3 and a half,  i felt like i was done... i kept pushing until 4 and a half miles.  by then, it was everything in my power to walk the last mile back to the car.  i will admit, i was discouraged.  terribly.  my half was in two weeks, and i could only manage a 5k.  i was under hydrated, didn't eat enough and it was HOT!  blah, blah, blah.  

so, i set another goal for wednesday for another attempt at a long run.  i planned for 8 miles, but was secretly just hoping to complete 6 without feeling like i was miserable.  

wednesday morning, i woke up to it looking like rain.  i didn't need any more excuses for not getting my long run in, so i headed out anyway.  i figured i would get in what i could, and if i had to finish on the treadmill that was fine too.  i headed out to my local park, with the intention of completing two 4 mile loops.  the gloomy-er (is that a word?) it got, it figured maybe i should alter my route to make my first loop a bit longer.  i watched my heart rate monitor closely, and completed 6 miles at a pace that i felt i could sustain.  i stopped for a bit of stretching and some water and headed out for a little longer.  by this point, i was starting to remember how good it felt to push yourself outside of your comfort zone.  i am by all means a second half runner, in that i am stronger on the second half of the race.  so, i decided to attempt the 4 mile loop i had intended on.  

well... i did it! 

ten miles.  and i lived to talk about it.  it wasn't at my fastest pace, but i covered the distance.  and even more... i think i enjoyed it.  

i did alot of thinking during that hour or so, and i decided that maybe you stop enjoying running when it becomes work.  and it becomes work when you stop doing it so frequently.  i think i need some kind of a plan.  after the half, i need to set some goals for how i want to spend the winter months, as it is easy for running to be put on the back burner while the weather is cold.  

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has anyone else dealt with a funning funk?

what helped you break it?

anyone else planning on running the cowbell half marathon in october?!