TOTR: Race of my Dreams

Joining up with the ladies for TOTR & talking about the race of my dreams...

I could get real dreamy & say I want a race that has Neil Patrick Harris next to me talking & doing magic tricks...

Or a race where The Black Eyed Peas are playing music live for me down the road on a float...

Or a race where all my friends & family are on the side lines cheering me on with signs & oranges for the asking & fresh cold water...

Or the best part of the race in my dreams?  EVERY RACE PICTURE... perfection! 

Yep... that's a dream race - right?

But a real race that I dream about... still not a secret to anyone that knows me.

The Disney Princess Half Marathon.

I actually had a crying fit when I had my little mini-mental-breakdown about if I should do this last 10k... I told Ricky that I see that race getting further & further away from me.  Every year that goes by, I'm not sure I'll ever do it....

& that breaks my heart....

I gotta run in a tiara & tutu through the Magic Kingdom's Castle...

I just GOTTA....

A dream is a wish your heart makes....

The first week down....

 

The first week is down for my Les Mills Combat.

& I'm so excited to get started in week 2.

I feel like my kicks are getting stronger, my punches better...

Though I do have to watch out with my shoulder on my right arm. I have to be really controlled on those punches.  It would be very VERY easy to pull that bicep tendon.  But I stay aware of it & even try to stretch it every time I finish a work out. 

I can't do any work out any more without hurting my shoulder.  I've talked about that before - EVERYTHING is push up, plank, holding your body weight.  Not good on an injured shoulder... so this work out, I'll keep on because at least I can sort of control the situation....

Watch, I'll be like that Skittles commercial - have one strong arm & the other, not so much....



I will say that the weather is prime for running & I do want to add in some miles this week as well.

I just feel the itch when the weather is nice.

The first week of the Les Mills is the exact same plan as the first week so I'm excited to see if I am able to just ease into it more this week....

I'm just ready to kick some butt....

My body feels at home

Running has never come natural to me. 

Maybe because I just never ran my whole life. 

Running at the age of 37 for the first time, that's a little late in the game to make a body feel 'natural' about something.

But I do it... I try.

But I finished my 10k this past weekend & thought about what I'm going to do next.

I had ordered a new work out DVD set & had no idea what it even was. 
Make note of that Beachbody - when you send me an email with a good sale on a work out series, I'll probably buy it.  Just make sure its a GOOD deal. Y'all are pricey.

So into my home, I welcomed the Les Mills Combat

... & then I see its basically a martial arts work out.

Well hello there lover boy.

If you didn't know, I have been involved in martial arts my whole life.  Well, not really "whole life"... a kicking baby isn't really a martial arts baby.  But since I was in elementary school, at the age of 7, I have been kicking & punching & ready to take someone down.

& that comes natural to me.

All the punches & kicks.  My body knows how to do that.  Without even thinking.

Just call me Neo

So I put in the first work out & while it about made me ready to puke from the cardio of it, I was so happy to be doing back kicks & round houses & horse stances with punches.

I'm excited to see how the next few weeks go in this series.
Hoping I finish the 60 day challenge of it.

& who knows... maybe I'll be back to fighting form & I'll just have to pull my super hero cap out... & wear it over top of my Belle dress.

I will always be a Princess first & foremost.

 

Joining along with the awesome Kels

Our local 10K goes viral

Our little 10k is popping up everywhere.

It started on our local Facebook pages... then the governor shared the picture & it started spreading around Kentucky... & then before you know it, I see it on Nightly news stations & even last night on Entertainment Tonight it was mentioned...

& now, the gusto of it all - its on Runner's World website!

Check it out right Here

The story is about Asia Ford. 

If you hadn't heard of the story, she's recently been on a journey of weight loss - especially after her diabetic husband had some surgeries removing a limb.  She's lost a tremendous amount of weight & is still PRESSING ON to loose more.

On this journey, she's working out & tackling the Triple Crown of running - which involved the 10K I just did this weekend.  The Rodes City Run.

Asia got really sick at mile 4 & a police officer & an ambulance had noticed her & came up behind her to ask if she wanted to stop.

She refused. 

So the police officer, Lieutenant Aubrey Gregory stayed with her, & talked to her telling her stories of his family that had diabetes, doing everything he could to almost 'distract' her from the race... helping her get to the finish line.

& she made it... holding the hand of her son & onto the arm of the officer.

I just want to cry every time I hear the story.

The good in people.
The strength of people who does not want to give up.
The story of endurance.

I was thinking about it & while Asia's story has gotten a lot of publicity - as it should - I think of how many people have stories that crossed that same finish line....

& I guarantee you, a lot of those people had others who supported them, who helped them cross the finish line.

I know I did.

I know I'm not alone.

This just shows that a finish line is a goal for everyone. An individual success.

& while we all have our own stories crossing that finish line, I still love when the lime light is shined down on some of these people. 

I guarantee you that someone was inspired somewhere to start moving...
To take that journey to get to a finish line somewhere....
All because Asia Ford decided to do it herself.

I bet when Asia laced up her shoes Saturday morning, she had no idea how many people she would touch... I'm sure that officer had no clue himself.
I love that you just never know when you are going to inspire someone in this world.

10K... I DID IT!!!!

Yep... I left Friday not sure what was going to happen....

& honestly I woke up on Saturday not expecting to do the race.

I woke up still feeling stuffy headed.  I woke up with stomach cramps. I woke up feeling weak.  I just felt BLAH.

Ricky told me not to do the race. Just get back in bed.  "It's not the last race in the world"

I knew this.  But I just threw the biggest pity party you could imagine.  Crying.  Turned into sobbing.  Over a race. Over a stupid race.

But it was just a personal struggle to me. 

I can feel time weighing on me.  Every year, it gets harder.  & I know if I start making excuses, it will just be easier & easier to just not show up at a race.  & granted, I felt bad, but I still knew inside that if I went out there, I would be able to do it. I just knew it.  So what was really the excuse?

Plus, to be honest, I was mad.

I had this goal of this 10k.

most people have half marathon or full marathon goals. I had one measly little goal of a pitiful 10k... & if I couldn't make that.  I felt like a failure. 

I know some people wouldn't get that. I know Runner totally get that.

So it was 7:15 & the race started at 8... & that's when I started throwing on clothes, even with tears still running down my face.  I literally had no idea what I was putting on & hoping it would work with the temps.

Ricky decided to forego this race so he could just drop me off & we wouldn't have to worry about parking - especially after the parking nightmare of the last race 2 weeks before.... & mercy, we made good time.

& we got really lucky because we found a parking spot for $3.00 that was about a half mile from the start.  Ricky was able to go to the start line with me... & we had about 2 minutes to spare.  After the last race, that felt like a lifetime.

The gun went off & I literally started crying... just because I was thankful I was at the start.  I didn't know how it would end up, but I was so proud of myself for just showing up there at that spot....

Ricky ended up running with me about the first quarter mile - in his jeans - & then headed back to the finish to wait for me.

The first mile, I started coughing & I pretty much was choking on my own snot. GROSS!!!! ... which sort of threw me into a mild panic attack in the 2nd mile.  Choking is never something that makes running easy....

But I hit a good downhill in the middle of mile 2 that seemed to make everything ease up.  & I even hit the 5k mark 2 minutes earlier then the race I did 2 weeks before!

From there, I just tried to stay to my intervals, knowing I hadn't worked out in a week because I was sick, & still feeling a little shaky & weak from eating nothing but soup & laying in bed for 7 days.

I get to 5.5 miles & look & see Ricky walking on the sidewalk looking for me. 

It's funny how we've been married for so long but in certain moments in life, when we see each other, its like the movies where we just want to run to each other.... #love

He checked to see how I was feeling - perfectly fine
& then he held my  hand as I crossed the finish line.

I DID IT!

I did it even though I felt bad.

My time... sucked... royally... like the WORST 10K ever for me... like 17 minutes slower then my PR... Holy cow... that's embarrassing...

but that's OK...

I had a little bit of a sulk over that when I got home, but had to remind myself not to focus on the bad.  Focus on the good.  Focus on accomplishments.

We went & had our usual Panera breakfast afterwards & Ricky told me he was so glad I went because he said he knows I would have cried over it all weekend if I stayed home... I totally would have...

That goal I set a few months back to do this race... marked off...

Now onto the next challenge....

We'll see....

My 10k is tomorrow...

the race I've been excited to do all year....

& I'm sitting here still not sure if I'm doing it.

I still sound like Darth Vadar.  I still can't lean my head down without liquid pouring out of my nose.  I still can't walk up a flight of stairs without gasping for air & coughing up what really does look like part of my lung.  I still can't talk without coughing.  AND I still can't open my eyes all the way without getting a headache & having my face pound into my gums.

All of that sounds like good times, right?

UGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

Just the timing of it.

I get so torn up about it thinking I'll do it anyways, even if I have a fever. 

& then my sweet friend Kristen who is also doing the race said in an email, if you aren't feeling good, don't make it worse for a silly race.

That made me feel so much better.

I take these races like they are something that REALLY matters ... or as something that almost gives me real WORTH in this world....

when really, its just a race....

its just another thing.

Kristen may have just sent me a quick reply with a quick answer, but it really eased my heart about the race.

I'm going down to pick up my race packet today, with the hopes I wake up in the morning & I feel fantastic... I'll settle for even 'half way decent'

but if I wake up & can't breath & I'm feeling that weak, shaky feeling still, then I'll watch the race on local TV & I'll make a warm cup of green tea & I'll just keep PRESSING ON to the next thing I set out to do...


I'll still be me...
a girl who tries her best.

Stupid head cold... I will get you...

So another day... another sniffling head... another moment of gasping for air...

head colds - sinus infections - whatever this thing is - it sucks!

Yesterday was so beautiful.

If it were an ordinary day, I would have ran home & put on some clothes & headed out for a run or walk, or whatever... just something to keep me out in the beautiful day.

Instead, I felt like I was basically sludging down the steps at work & threw myself in the car, feeling like I could barely hold my head up for the drive home.

Mercy.

But I did get a notice that Starbucks was having a buy one tea, get one free.  How can you NOT stop at Starbucks for a deal like that? 

$3.67 for two Venti's... I'll take it!

So I headed in & told myself that green tea is good for the immune system - right?  This was just medicine ... for my body & my soul...

I got home & changed clothes & just THOUGHT about working out... & was exhausted after just changing my clothes. 

Forget that.

So I took my green tea & sat outside & read a book for an hour.  Or at least read for about 15 minutes & just laid my head back for the other 45 minutes...

Ricky told me I need sleep to heal up, but I HATE trying to lay down when you can't breath.

But I did make some soup.

Soup is healthy when your sick - right?

& then I put on some Thieves on my feet & some other Essential Oils around my face to try & open up my sinuses.

I'm not great at how to use all these oils yet... obviously... or I may not have gotten sick in the first place.

Come to think of it - I've only GOTTEN sick since I started using these oils... hmmm...

anyways...

& finished my night with a Strawberry fresh fruit bar to ease my sore throat.

I'm trying all the natural things I can to try & beat this stupid thing.

I even traded in my coffee for another cup of antioxidant full tea.... with raw honey.

come on healthy things... kick in for me... QUICK!

Just bad timing... all the time...

So my 10k I've been excited about all year is finally coming up this weekend....

Annnndddddddd..... of course I get a sinus infection this weekend.

Are you freaking kidding me?

I was supposed to do a 5 mile run & I was looking forward to it because I wanted the confidence that I'm going to be OK for the 6.2...

which I'm sure I will be.  Heck, the hubs & I did over 7 miles just getting to the 5k & back to the car last weekend.  But still.  I like to be prepared.

I'm talking a sinus infection that makes me feel like someone is holding a pillow over my head...

& makes my nose just like a constant drip faucet.  Lovely.

& let's add in the face pressure
& let's not forget the gums hurting from sinus pain
ON TOP of the already messed up tooth that may have me in an oral surgeons office.

ANDDDDDD... I didn't even mention this.... a few weeks ago, my knee POPPED - like full loud POP while I was walking in my office.  Coworkers even heard it.  My knee has been full fledged aching since then.

I just gotta get a break here soon.

& yeah... this whole running thing.  After this 10k - if I get better & am able to do it - I think this is going to be it for awhile.... I gotta just not stress about things.  I want to go back to my original resolution - just move.  & running may not be it for me, at least for awhile. 

I'm thinking I'm going to do one of my Beachbody series & on slower days, I may do a 1 mile walk or run, but no more races or building up miles.

I'm just needing life to be a little easier on me so I can feel good...

Dear Life.. I'm begging you

So we'll see what Saturday holds. 

I'm awesome!

Remember when I did that post a few weeks back about Katie Hopkins & her documentary, where she's basically just a awful person to over weight people & those who struggle with the battle of the scale?

Did you see she was in the news last week?

Against Kelly Clarkson...

That little #(@*)$*#) ... I had so many names I was screaming at the TV when I heard the story.

Miss Miserable made comments about America's Sweetheart & saying something about Kelly Clarkson eating her backup singers & then saying something about glad she had a wide screen TV to watch her.

Really?

Kelly just had a baby not too long ago, not to mention she's been very open about her struggle with the up & down scale.  Girlfriend - I feel you.

But Katie Hopkins even scoffed that & said it wasn't baby weight.  It's Carrot cake weight.

Just shut up hag.

The reason I even bring this up?  Because of Kelly Clarkson's reaction

"She tweeted something nasty about me?" ... & after she found out what the old hag said, the reaction.... "That's because she doesn't know me.  I'm awesome!"

YOU GO GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

She went on to say, "I just never cared what people think. It's more if I'm happy & I'm confident & feeling good, that's always been my thing..... I don't seek out any other acceptance"

I have loved this girl since Season 1 of American Idol. 

Who remembers Brian Dunkleman? 

Anyways... Kelly has just made me smile.

In a world where I think most of us DO care about what others say about us & the appearance we put out there that gets judged so easily, I love this sort of attitude is possible.  & needs to be reinforced often.

What a beautiful role model for her daughter....

We all need to remind ourselves that we are awesome ...

we all are amazing at certain things in this world...
we are all beautiful in our own ways...
we all have talents that can help others...

Yep... YOU ARE AWESOME!!!

Joining with my buddy at The Blonder Side of Life

click the button & join along

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I just want to be able to take my phone for a run.....

Phones...

They started off with the idea of making the next generation a smaller one.  They were getting tinier & tinier...

& then they started doing more things then just make a phone call.

I mean, who really gets a cell phone for only the purpose of using it as a phone.

Ha... funny thought...

so the phones have now gotten bigger & bigger... & basically the size of a small tablet.

But man, I am so aggravated because I can't find anything to fit my Samsung Galaxy S5 when I'm out for a run.

I had just bought a HB Tunes holder for my last phone... literally a few months before I got a new phone. I LOVED this thing...

Fits so nicely on your hand so you are holding it but you don't have to keep your fist tight.

I went & bought one for my new phone... anddddddd....my phone doesn't fit in it.  Well, it would if I took the cover off but I don't want to take off my security cover.  That's the point - security. I know as soon as I take it off, I'm dropping that baby & my world will be in utter chaos.

So I sent it back & ordered a Flip Belt....

It says it holds big phones...

Only I got mine yesterday ... & could someone PLEASE tell me how this phone goes in that slot?

I know it stretches but ... no....

I almost made a reference to a mother giving birth but I've refrained.  You're welcome.

I think its because my case has rubber on the edging - which for the record, has saved my phone on many drops already.  But that rubber is holding onto the material & wont let my phone slide in.

COME ON PEOPLE....

make something my phone will go in without me having to fight a battle of getting a case off & then living in fear that I'm going to destroy this thing that holds so much of my life in it....

I know... #firstworldproblems

Ups & Downs of the Anthem 5K - a race recap

Because so much happens in a few short hours for a race, I'm just going to do it in short summaries for my race recap...

 

The Ups & Downs

DOWN // I slept AWFUL the night before.  With my cracked tooth, I slept in my mouth guard, that I haven't slept in for years &it was just uncomfortable, waking me up every hour.  I need my sleep.

DOWN // Woke up & saw the temps outside was 28 degrees.  I was NOT happy.  I have trained all year on my treadmill & have avoided being outside in the cold.  It's moments like this where I realize that's not the smartest.

UP // I still had plenty of good running clothes for layers that made me actually feel OK.

UP // Asics Pink gloves that are SOOO warm. These babies are incredible!!!

UP // A knitted neck warmer.  I had made this for my stack of stock that I'm trying to build up for a possible Etsy store.  But when I saw the temps I thought I need to cover my face & grabbed it out of my pile & put it on. It was a LIFESAVER!!!!

DOWN // Ricky wasn't sure if he was going to run with me or just drop me off & meet me at the finish line.  So in the end, we left the house late & then he decided he wanted to run with me so we had to park.  We got there when all the roads were closed & we had to maneuver to get around... & STILL ended up parking in a hospital parking garage & had to RUN about 1.5 miles to get to the start line..... Nothing like that kind of pressure.

DOWN // As I was running to get to the start, I stepped off a curb & thought it was a little water on the road.  Nope - it was ankle deep of freezing water.  My foot was FROZEN the whole race. 

DOWN // I was on the wrong side of the START line when the buzzer went off.  And the crowd of people cheering on the runners were overwhelming the side walk.   I was EXHAUSTED before I even got from the parking lot to the start line, through the people.

UP // We were able to slide in though & at least I had a good warm up.

UP // It was a great turn out for the race. Wasn't sure what the weather was going to do to people.

UP // LOVE seeing lots of kids running these 5ks.  Get these kids started in a healthy habit.

UP // One little girl had a sweat shirt on that said, "WILL RUN FOR TIARAS".... I want one of those!!!

DOWN // Downtown roads are tight for a few thousand people to squeeze through.  #claustrophobic ... they also hold wind tunnels in between all those buildings.  28 degrees with massive winds?  Brutal

DOWN // Add in snow on tight roads & its even tighter. 

DOWN // & people still try to dodge around the edges & I should just laugh when they have to run in snow piles but I always felt bad.

UP // Ricky was easy to find in the crowd.  Not everyone wears a white ninja mask & has a long pony tail sticking out of it.

Hey - my husband's ponytail is about the same as the lady across from him!

UP // I was just planning on doing a slow pace of 4 minutes walk / 1 minute run but got there & picked it up to 3 min walk / 2 minute run. You'd think it wouldn't make that much of a difference but it did. 

UP // The race seemed to be over before it began.

DOWN // the walk back to the hospital parking garage was FOREVER long because the finish line was even FURTHER away then the start. SO it was about 2 miles back... at the end of the race, we had done over 7 miles.

UP // .... that makes me feel better to know my 10k in 2 weeks is very doable.... as long as parking isn't the same problem

UP // We did our routine - headed to Panera bread after the race.  Avocado, egg white & spinach sandwich & we split a quinoa oatmeal.  Good hearty finish to the day.

DOWN // Panera's iced coffee was disgusting.  They were out of cream so that was the problem.

DOWN // This was truly my worst 5k EVER... like by 4 minutes. That's HUGE....

UP // .... I didn't even care.  I was just glad to have gotten out & done it ... & FINISHED!!!!... & finished with a smile.

Now onto the 10K!!!

{Dear Diary} Sitting

Dear Diary,

Today I'm talking to you about something most people really enjoy. 

I enjoy it myself at times. 

But lately, its just grating on my nerves.  Literally, my nerves.. in my back...

Sitting.  I'm talking about sitting.

It's funny because my poor husband walks about 15-18 miles A DAY at his job... I sit for 9 hours at mine.  I have to WORK to get over 1,500 steps in at work.  That's taking time to get up from my desk every hour & just walk around the room for a minute or two.

Its sad I have to make an effort to move.  It's even sadder that people look at your like you have 5 heads if you just get up to walk, just because. 

Its like these desks are little prisons & if you get up to walk, its basically the same as scaling the wall & escaping.

The cutest prison break ever

It feels like prison sometimes too.  Or at least some sort of torture device.  I can feel the pressure of sitting on my back.  My body gets stiff from aching.  When I get up to move, I feel like I do when I lay in bed for 8 hours sleeping ... sorry diary, I laughed a bit thinking that I said 8 hours of sleep.  We both know its more like 5 or 6, but a girl can dream.

A body shouldn't be STIFF from not moving. 

I know a time will come when I'm older & my body just naturally gets stiffer, tighter.  I don't like that I feel that I'm basically 103 right now... all because of my work.

Granted.  I know I'm lucky that I don't have to stand on my feet all day like some people do. Or have to walk all day like my husband, who comes home exhausted & suffers from leg cramps from moving constantly.

So I guess Diary, I need to know what the happy medium is.  What job is there that I can sit, but move.... walk, but rest when I need to.

I think it's becoming a Disney princess.

Where you can also DANCE with Tony Dovolani?
yep... that's what I wanna do!

Where you can sway to music with a Prince.... where you can squat to talk to little kids... where you can prop a stool under those massive dresses & no one will ever know you're taking a break...

Yep... problem solved.

Thanks Diary.

</
 

TOTR: Treats

Joining up with the ladies at Tuesdays on the Run... with today's topic being TREATS

I think running & especially racing is ALL about the treats...

I used to go to races by myself - I think the hubs thought it would be something I would grow out of, so my treat after a race used to be just grabbing a banana & heading home since I didn't want to hang out in a crowd by myself.

But now that he comes to races with me, our favorite treat after a race? 
Panera Bread.  Oh yeah baby.... I don't think I can go wrong there.

Between their oatmeal with strawberries or their egg white sandwich with avocado & spinach? 

I'm all of a sudden hungry seeing this
.... I'm ready to go run a race just to grub this down!!!!...

Oh goodness... yes please.  Its kind of become a routine for us now to Panera before the breakfast menu changes to lunch. 

Well even sit out in the car if we're too sweaty or stinky & enjoy our munches.

During race time, probably one of my favorite treats was during a half marathon during October - which was quite chilly -& they had hot soup at the finish line... that was super nice.

& one other race, I rarely ever do the massage thing, but the line was short for a small race & it was free.  Hello!  I love free....

so I jumped on the table & walked away feeling like a million bucks... I need to do that more often.

So what are your favorite race treats?

 

Any routine places you stop after?

 

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