President's Day with Snow (lots of snow)!

Happy President's Day! I hope you all are somewhere safe and warm! 

Here in Georgetown, we are under a winter weather alert! We've got 6 inches of snow on the ground, and lots more coming!

Thankfully, I was not scheduled to work today. I did have a dentist appointment, but I got a call that it was cancelled early this morning. I can't say that I was too disappointed about that. Today is a great day to just stay home and binge watch some shows on Netflix.

No running today, but I did get in a good strength workout! Thanks Jillian!

So, last time, I mentioned that I signed up for 2 half marathons. Well, as luck would have it, that same day, I won a free race registration from 3 Way Racing for running 5+ miles and picking the correct winner of the Super Bowl. I'm now signed up for the Railrunner 10 Miler! Woo Hoo!

And...I've officially made it halfway through The Whole30. I thought it was going to be incredibly challenging, and I figured I'd be struggling, but it hasn't been too bad. It does take some meal planning though, and I'm still working on what to eat and how to fuel for my long training runs.

Here are some of my favorites that keep to the plan.

And I know, you're not supposed to weigh yourself during this time, because the plan is about more than weightloss, but I couldn't resist.

Here's day 1 vs day 15! 

Just about 8 pounds gone! In two weeks! Wow! 

Seeing this keeps me motivated to keep going. Plus, I feel great! I don't have the same sweet cravings that I had before. So yeah, I'm loving this!

Anyway, I hope you all have a great week! Stay safe!

Time to Catch Up and I'm Starting the #Whole30 Today!

Hey guys! How have you been? Sorry I've been MIA for a few months. Some life events and the holiday season took priority to just about everything else. I'll try to fill you in as best as I can without being too long winded.

 I last left you in October, when I was completing a Run Streak of at least 1 mile per day through the entire month. Well, you'll be happy to know that I completed that challenge. I also had a "secret" that I would reveal later (I'm sure you were all on the edge of your seats. Lol). I can now reveal that I am a returning Pace Team member for the Run The Bluegrass Half Marathon, March 28th, 2015!  Yay!

On October 10th, my little guy turned 4! I can't believe it! He's turned into such a sweet, smart, and energetic little boy! I love him to pieces!

So, here's where things got a little crazy at the end of 2014. Sadly, my Grandmother passed away on Friday October 24th; she was 99.

That same night, I was scheduled to run the Black Cat Chase 5k. Emotionally exhausted from the day, I drove to Frankfort to give it a shot. I gave it everything I had, thinking of my Grandma the whole way. She was definitely one of the kindest people you could ever meet. I was fortunate to spend so much time with her and my Grandpa while growing up. Even though my finish time was unimportant, I ran my second fastest 5k.

On Thanksgiving Day, I ran the Thouroughbred Classic 5k. I always like to get a good run in before making/eating a big meal! 

On Black Friday, I bought a new running watch. The Polar M400! I really like it! I may have to do a review of it later.

After Thanksgiving, the rest of the year flew by. Since I have family in Kentucky and Wisconsin, Christmas kind of spilled over into the first 2 weeks of January when I finally got a chance to go home.

Here's some photos from Christmas in KY and WI:

Santa was really good to us this year!

This was an awesome show!

Sisters!

Go Badgers!

Sisters' night out! 

Great present from Lauren!

West Sixth Brewery-Lexington

Now that things have settled down a bit, I can finally focus on my health, nutrition and running. As much as I hate to say it, all these things suffered the last few months and it's time to get it under control! 

Along with Run The Bluegrass, I recently signed up for the Kentucky Derby Festival miniMarathon and the Columbus Half Marathon! So, I've got some training to do!

And, today marks Day 1 of the Whole30 plan!

You can read about it here. Basically, it's a system reset, eliminating sugar, alcohol, processed foods, dairy, legumes and some other foods for 30 days. It emphasizes protein, veggies, and fruit. I am hoping to eliminate my sugar cravings and just eat healthier. I also recorded my starting weight and took my measurements and plan to do so at the end of the 30 days.

So...that's basically what's been going on. What have you been up to?

Today is Super Bowl Sunday. The Seahawks vs The Patriots. I like Russell Wilson, but I think the Patriots win this one. Honestly, I'm still kinda bummed about the NFC championship game.

 Who are you cheering for? 

Happy Sunday!

October 2014: I'm Going Streaking!

My favorite month is here! I absolutely love October! Cool crisp air in the mornings, changing colors of the leaves, apple cider, and pumpkins!

Since I'm not running any half or full marathons this fall, I decided on a different challenge. I'm planning on running or walking at least one mile per day for the whole month of October.

Today is the 8th, but I'm actually on day 9! I couldn't wait to get started. I'm silly like that.

This morning, I got to watch the lunar eclipse/blood moon during my run. It was so cool to see. I took a few pictures with my phone, but the internet provided much better pics. 

I'm really enjoying this challenge so far. I always feel better and have a more positive outlook on days that I run anyway, so this had been great!

I have a 5k coming up on the evening of October 24th; the Black Cat Chase. This is one of my favorites and it will be my 4th consecutive year running! It is Halloween Themed and I love seeing all the runners in costume. I've yet to dress up for a race. Mainly cause I find it hard enough to run when I'm dressed normally. I'm somewhat clumsy.

I also have some news to share about a certain upcoming race in 2015, but it's top secret for now. So you'll just have to wait.

Have you ever dressed up for a race? Would you?

Madison Mini-Marathon Review

Ha! This race was all the way back on August 16, 2014. More than a month ago; better late than never, right!? Oh well, I'll see how much I can remember from race day. Bear with me, ok?

First of all, let me preface this by saying, I love Wisconsin! I'm a University of Wisconsin alum and I love the Badgers and the city of Madison. Unfortunately, since I've been living in Kentucky, I haven't been able to visit very often so any time I can get back there, I do.

I didn't really have any time goals with this race, it had been hot and humid all summer and that in and of itself does not lend itself to a PR. Really, my only goal was to make it to the finish in time to see the kids fun run. I had signed Liam up and this would be his first race! 

Getting to the start was a little bit of a challenge. I had spent the evening before at my parents house. They live 75 miles away from Madison and since the race started at 7am, I had a VERY early morning. I left the house about 4:30am and was parked by 6 (Note to self...if I ever do that again, leave earlier and park closer). From the parking garage, I immediately walked to the start, 1.5 miles away.

 Bonus! I got to walk by the Capital building on the way to the start!

The early morning temps were comfortable, and kind of hazy. I wish it would have stayed that way. I had enough time to check out the VIP area and use the restroom and then got into my starting corral.
And, I'm ready...I think.
                                                

The race started right at 7 with Bucky Badger cheering all the runners on. I gave him a high-five as I crossed the start line and began running up hill. Yeah, uphill in the first .10 of a mile. I should have known then that I was in for a long day. Actually, I should have paid more attention to the course map, and remembered all the times I had to walk up the back of Bascom Hill. Madison is hilly...just sayin'.

"Cemetery Hill begins, enjoy!" After it is all said and done, I think this was meant to be sarcastic...

Miles 1-6 went by great. I was running with the 2:30:00 pace team at a pretty comfortable pace. But then the sun came out and it started to get hot, real hot. Oh, and don't remind me about the humidity. A little past the 10k mark, I started to feel sick and I had to stop and walk for a little bit. As the miles went on, it got hotter and hillier. By the time I got to mile 10, I couldn't wait to get to the finish line. I took several walk breaks in the last few miles, but I always like to run the entire last 1.1 miles. Getting to the finish that day was a relief. As I was closing in on the finish, I saw my family and friends cheering for me. I gave Liam a high-five and then he ran with me to the finish line! He held my hand, and we crossed the line together! Best feeling ever!  I finished in 2:35:41.

The after race party was held on the Terrace on Lake Mendota at the Memorial Union. Since I had won a free VIP upgrade, I was able to enter the special VIP area. They had free beer and food outside of the regular finish line fare and a special area over looking the terrace. It ended up being a beautiful day, and I was able to enjoy visiting with my family and friends while relaxing by the lake. BUT, the hands down, best part of my whole day happened just before I crossed the finish line.

Even though the hills were crazy, and it was hot and humid, I loved this course! It hit all the high points of Madison, and the UW Campus. We ran by the state Capital and the Farmer's Market; we passed the Kohl Center and Camp Randall; we ran by the Henry Vilas Zoo and through the Arboretum, and finished along Lake Mendota! Plus, the after party was on the Terrace! So much fun! I would definitely recommend this race to anyone looking to do a half marathon. It was well organized, a great atmosphere, and the on course support was great. If you're looking for a summer half marathon check out their website here. 

Oh! I almost forgot. I did make it in time to see the Kid's race. Liam had so much fun, even though he wasn't watching where he was running and ran into another little girl. Oh well. LOL

Enjoy your weekend friends!

Silent Summer 2014

Hey guys! I hope you've all had a great summer. I know I did. Sorry I've been AWOL, but I got out of the habit of blogging and then felt like I had so much to post that I couldn't even begin to tackle it. So here's my attempt to catch you up on what happened this summer.

Some bloggers will have Silent Saturday or Silent Sunday blog posts where they just post pictures with no text. Well, I've decided to go all out and give you an entire Silent Summer post. I'm not sure if this is creative or just plain lazy. I'll let you decide.
Hopefully, I'll be back to posting on a more regular basis now that Fall is here and I've got less things going on.

Enjoy!

As you can see, I spent most of my summer running, racing, and hanging out with my best buddy!
Until next time!