Something New

Could you believe that weather yesterday?  Well at least on the East coast it was AH-mazing!  I could have lived outside all day long.  In fact I had a hard time coming inside to make supper.  That mild evening air kept me lingering on the deck playing Ruzzle.  Did I mention I am addicted to Ruzzle?  Yeah, thanks a lot Biking Sherpa who introduced me to it at our annual bowling party.  Anyway I was sitting on the deck just breathing in the air until well past the kids are going to die if I don't feed them soon time.  But who can blame me with 60 degree temperatures at the end of January.

 

Now if my phone hadn't gotten a new update this is where you'd see a nice photo of me after my run or maybe a calm shot of how green it is or a beautiful sunny meadow shot but you won't be seeing that today because like I said my phone got an update and now I can't get the stupid photos off my phone!.  And of course I haven't dug out an actual camera in well, a really long time.

 

When is the last time you used an actual camera?  Have you had an update funk up your phone?

 

  But let's pretend I looked like this when I run:

 

 

What?  Are you going to tell me I don't look just like this?

 

So besides lounging on my deck after my runs, I've been practicing with my new Ninja.

So far the kids have been less than impressed so I'm thinking I need some ideas.  All you experts out there feel free to offer up your home concoctions for us to try.  I need to find healthy ways to keep myself fueled while I try to get rid of these stubborn extra pounds before May.

 

What's your best recipe?  Any advice for getting the kids interested?

 

Speaking of losing weight I have also started using Lose It.  Have I mentioned how easy it is?  Well it is.  And so far it tell me that I should have lost about 9 pounds.  But in reality, not so much.  It is helping me be more aware of what I am putting in my mouth.  Hopefully if I stay consistent I'll get to a better racing weight by May.

 

Ever try logging what you eat and how much you exercise?  How long did it last?  Did it help?

The BIG Announcement

 

Seriously. 

Did you actually think that at my age I'd be announcing a new baby? 

You guys are too funny!!

 

Anywho, she arrives today at ...sometime between 11 - 3.  Delivery companies have the best business practices.  I would have loved being able to say to my boss that I'll be there somewhere between 8 - 11.  Anyway, it's kinda like Christmas around here today.  In the sense that I have this huge exciting new toy coming and just like a kids at Christmas who rips open their presents and then has to rush off to the relatives houses, I will have to wait - about 2 weeks - before I'll ever get to use it. 

 

I want it NOW!

 

That's like the worse torture ever for a runner who doesn't mind running on a mill.  I frankly loooove knowing that I have no excuse when it comes to running each day.  I already love her.  Knowing that when the super secret spy has to travel, I won't have to stress over taking LBM out in the jogger if the weather is too wintry for him.  Our new addition will be such a blessing.

 

She doesn't have a name.  Since she will be discuss at length in the blog I should call her something. 

Any ideas?

 



HBBC Weekly Update - Excess

LBM is awesome at Insanity

 

This past week might be summed up as a week of excess.  Not the usual kind of excess in drinking or eating but an excess in workouts and let's not forget the excessively nice weather! 

 

The start of HBBC is usually the start of some serious cross training for me.  This time of year I don't have any races to look forward to until at least February so I use the "off" time to try to focus on getting my fitness a bit more well rounded.  This year I am also working on getting my hips to look at little less rounded.

How many times do you think I've stepped on that cat?

 

November 26th;  15.5 mile run, 1 FV, 1 FB partic = 17.5 pts

November 27th ;  10.36 mile run, 3 Insanity Plyo Cardio , 1 WOW, 1 FB partic = 15.36 pts 

November 28th;  7 mile run, 3 Insanity Plyo Cardio , 1 Cardio abs, 1 FV, 1 FB partic = 13pts

November 29th;  10 pts run, 3 Insanity Pure Cardio, 1Cardio abs, 1 FV, 1 FB partic =  16 pts

November 30th;  14 pts run, 3 pts Insanity Power/Resistance, 1 pt Cardio Abs, FB 1 pt, FV 1 pt = 20pts

December 1st;  12 run pts, Insanity Power 3 pts,Cardio abs 1 pt, FB 1 pt, FV 1 pt = 18 pts

December 2nd;  9 mile run, Insanity Plyo 3 pts, FB 1 pt, FV 1 = 14 pts 

113.86 pts for the week

 

I didn't look back to see what my running/workouts looked like last year at this time but I ended the week feeling like my schedule might have been a little excessive.  And considering I'm expecting I probably should not go over board.   

 

What do you think?  Excessive or just holiday spirit?

 

Speaking of excessive, our neighbors put up their lights.  Actually they had been working on it for a few weeks.  This is just a small sample of what their property looks like.  

 

 Did I slip that in or will you be back tomorrow for the announcement?



A double yoke kind of day

 

Yeah I'm wearing the pink Nike top again. 

 I love it! and it's thumb holes.

 

Just when things seems to be stacked against my plans there are little rays of light.  With the super secret spy's insane work schedule I had been at my wits end trying to work out kid coverage for Stone Mill but now that all I have to do is a lot of driving

 oh and a fair amount of running

I have filled my time with making sure the kids and I are ready for what I hope will be a wonderful weekend for everyone.  I tried out a new pair of on regular Saucony trail shoes.  Thanks to all the great insights my readers shared with my on THIS post. 

 

I have a brand new pack that is ready to hang with me for 50 miles chafe free.  I'm hoping.  I've packed two or six potential race day outfits, kids clothes, toys and favorite snacks. 

 

With all that done what better way to set the stage for a great day than to bake cookies?!   

Take delight in the smallest of miracles

 

The simple act of cracking that egg reminded me that no matter how things seem on the surface - ordinary, average, predictable - things can always surprise you.

 

 

 

 



The Glass Half Full

...or Empty?

 

Which way do you see it? 

I look at last week's miles and I am kicking myself for not getting my Sunday evening run in. 
Don't worry.  The streak is at day 898.  I ran Sunday morning. 

 How do I know I didn't do it? 

 Well if I had I would have hit my 80+ miles for the week.

 

Does it matter when it comes to how I'll do/feel in my upcoming races? 

Mostly likely not. But like maybe many of you, I can let the numbers begin to mean more than they actually do.

It won't matter in the middle of my next race if I ran 77 or 82 miles this week but what will matter is whether or not I have conditioned my body enough to be able to handle the challenge.  That conditioning is created in part by "time on my feet" or simply running.  Often running a lot.  But it is also created by strengthening my body and my mind to want to complete the challenge of whatever race I am running. 

With that in mind I have been increasing my weekly mileage to condition my mind and body to be so familiar with a 10 mile run that running 30 or 50 will physically be less demanding.  Those increased weeks have also helped me mentally be able to continue running when, say I have had to run some of those long runs on a less than exciting treadmill. 

But what you might not know is that I have also been doing a bit of cross training.  I know it's a shocker!  I rarely talk about it and I don't log it on Daily Mile.  Mostly because I need to be accountable to myself before I start adding the stress, pressure, responsibility of being accountable to a wider audience.  But it all started with telling myself that every time I run I will cross train immediately after for the same number of minutes as the number of miles I ran.  Make sense?  Say last week when I got in a great 12 mile run on the TM then I hoped off, lifted and did core work for at least 12 minutes.  This morning I got in a quick 4 miles and then came back and did at least 4 minutes of cross training.  When I first started "making" myself do this there were a lot of days when I only did the exact number of minutes I had to but I did them.  Today I was happy to have a little extra workout to look forward to when I had to keep the miles low.  I can't really see a difference in my shape yet but during the Mega I could feel the difference a more powerful upper body created in being able to power up those extreme inclines. 

My glass, whether it's half empty or half full is definitely filled with a sweeter drink with my love of higher miles.  When my schedule or body tell me that I need to step back and lower that mileage, I won't see the glass as emptying only being filled with a different kind of sweetness. 

I raise my glass to 5 more sleeps and some seriously fit looking Fire on the Mountain Trail 50k race photos!

Need a little help seeing your glass as half full?  Don't forget to sign up for the Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge.  Make sure to let Amanda at RuntotheFinish know that Shelly sent you!

I Dare You!

 

 

 

 

 

Yes it is that time again. 

Time for you to make that feeble attempt to beat me in the HBBC 2012. 

As you may know I have done fairly well every year.  Mostly because I am

a mileage whore seriously competitive.

But this year could be your chance because now that I am in  my new digs in VA, I may not be able to stick to my usual fall workout schedule.  So far I haven't been doing very well and with a less than reliable treadmill, a often gone hubby and a little guy that sometimes over rules my daily mileage, this could be the year that you put me in my HBBC place. 

 

Make sure you tell Amanda that I sent you when you sign up.  And even though I'll be out to win it all, I will make sure to encourage you along the way too.  Because it's a lot more fun doing all the right things when you know you are not the only one doing them. 

 

So whether you sign up to kick my butt or kick your own, click over and register.  Tell Amanda that Shelly at One foot in Front of the Other sent you and get ready to begin for some serious healthy habit come November 19th.

 

Look out HBBC I'm ready for you!

 

One Word Wednesday

Love



How I spent my last day

I started the day with a celebratory 6.01 mile run to mark the day. 

The family and I went to Monticello to get our hands on some history.

It was a great tour with a guide who really helped historty come alive.

LBM had trouble staying awake

But he quickly got a second wind in the Discovery Area.

Then it was off the C-ville to take in all the activities on the mall.

We rocked out with a lazer light show

...and rang in 2012 a little bit early for pratice.

Crazy hugs and kisses and Happy New Year wishes!

Happy New Year!

Who turned off the heat

Today is Day # 495

Wasn't this photo only yesterday my uber-sweaty evening run with the LBM in jogger? 

Well this morning I was wondering who turned off the heat because it was COLD in SW PA.

I'm talking I need to break out the tights and long sleeves COLD.  Don't get me wrong, I love wearing my tights.  I always have trouble shedding them in the spring time but the issue is that I forgot about tights and such last spring.  I packed those things away after a final wash and barely gave them a thought until I wanted to pull them out this morning.

That would be a no go.

Let me say I did not look like this with the on.

I forgot about the hole in the crotch of those tights so this morning I stuck with the new-to-me-treadmill to grab some just-in-case-Friday-gets-crazy-miles. 

And if you happen to see me out super early running in VA over the weekend and I happen to have on a pair of tights, let's just assume now that I went out and bought new ones.

How far gone will you let your workout gear get before you stop wearing it?

The TN mini-cation

Our mini-cation started Wednesday evening after working all day, I picked up the little kids and headed home to gather our bags and get Army Son

who isn't in the Army any more so he'll need a new bloggy name soon.

We drove the 3+ hours to our VA house thinking that we were planning to drive through the night after meeting the MIL and FIL however they had decided to spend the night in VA with us.

After a night's rest in VA I headed out bright and early for my morning run and then we headed south.

At first I was in our truck with the kids but with the MIL and FIL driving their mini-van it wasn't long before I joined them for a little more leg room.

It was hard to leave this much back seat fun!

Once in TN we briefly checked into our condo and then it was off to Mexican Night with the extended family.

Ready for some fun!

We took over the place.  We enjoyed catching up with family we don't get to see often. 

We eat wonderful food. 

We left a mess!  With full bellies we head back to our condo needed some sleep only to be kept awake by a huge thunderstorm!  Although the mattresses in our condo were so hard I doubt we would have slept much anyway.

Even though I didn't feel very rested I was determined to get out early so that the rest of my day was open for family fun.   

 Hubbs was going golfing with his uncle and the kids and I were hitting the beach but not before I admired some of the amazing properties in the area.

You can file this under:  Things I see along my way.

I also also a Raw Water project going on in the area.  Working in the water industry, I had to stop and talk with a crew member.  What a geek!

After a HOT run and Insanity we were off to the beach.

Army son decided to forgo listening to his mother the sunscreen and lay in the sun...in TN sun!

With my hands full making sure LBM didn't drown himself, I neglected to wake up remind Army son that he was in the sun and still had not put on sunscreen. 

Photo refused by Army son

Once I noticed that Army son was french fried getting a little too much sun, the little kids played on the playground to get into the shade.   

S'ghetti girl was all about the photo-op' in her new bathing suit.  But she really needs sunglasses.

What do you do?  If your kids wear glasses do you usually buy prescrip sunglasses for them?

I could hang at the beach the entire vacation but with Army son feeling the effects of too much unprotected sun time it was back to the condo to clean up and meet up with Hubbs for the shrimp boil.

The little cousins enjoyed getting to know each other.

Family reunions are very hands on in this family.

We had a great time working together to prepare the meal while the cousins rode four-wheelers and caught up on all things fun.

Day # 412 

Hubbs and I shared Running Partner Appreciation Day by sharing a run while Army son watched the sleeping little ones.  Thanks dude!

It was the second longest run he has taken since his knee surgery.  Although it was challenging due to the heat and elevation, he proved that he can outpace me in the short distance every time!

Nothing like keeping me in my place.

After our run we got a call that MIL had twisted her ankle the evening before after leaving the shrimp boil. 

Maybe a little too much wine?!? 

She had iced it through the night but it was still very painful and swollen. 

They were going to the hospital for x-rays. 

The official family reunion luncheon was held at the state park.  It was a nice gathering of many of our extended family. 

Some of the older cousins were already planning their next way to escape spending time with the grownups activity,

laser tag.  We enjoyed our meal and conversation although we were still waiting for an update on MIL.  Finally word came that they would not make it to the luncheon the ankle was broken.

After the news the MIL had broken her ankle, FIL asked us if we would head back that evening so that we could share the driving and they could break up the 11+ hour drive by sleeping for a while at our VA house.

We all decided to finish our day at the beach while FIL got prescriptions and packed up to leave that evening.

Although our time was short in TN we always enjoy getting to spend time with extended family and our own.

Even though things didn't go as smoothly as we might have liked, nothing beats a little time away together.  I am impressed with how my family has grown to be able to simply roll with our circumstances.  

This will be a mini-cation to remember and one my MIL will likely not live down anytime soon.