{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!