Training Tuesday: Heartland 39.3

It's done...I've officially signed up for the Heartland 39.3 series this spring.

I would say this series is what started the madness 2 years ago. Prior to running this series in 2014...the longest distance I had run was 7.5 miles. 

After making my New Year's Resolution to run a race a month I  saw this series and thought "What the Heck, Why Not?" without giving a second thought to the fact that I hadn't run one half-marathon in my life and now I was going to run 3 all in the span of 5 weeks. What can I say...go big or go home ;)

Since then, I have run 10 half-marathons and 2 full marathons...I blame Heartland 39.3 ;)  

Unlike full marathon training, I absolutely LOVE half-marathon training. It's definitely much easier to fit it in to my schedule and not quite as hard on the body. My longest run last year during half raining was 13 or 14 miles...with marathon training my longest was 20...and let me tell you 20 miles not only takes 3 hours to complete...but it wipes you out for the rest of the day.

I'm excited to start half training...and actually I already sort of have. I have started my Hammer and Chisel workouts and started building up my long runs. I'm up to 6 miles and hoping to get to at least 15 before the taper.  And starting the first week in January I will start adding in the every important speed-work. The stuff I love to hate ;) 

While I am really excited to get started I am also a little nervous because I am basically winging it training plan wise...I had planned to use the RunKeeper plan I used last year to guide me a little bit...but it's no longer there!!! I only panicked for a minute or two before I realized that I have done this enough times that I should be able to write my own plan. I'm no expert...but after my success with Heartland 39.3 last year I feel a little more confident. 

For my training plan this time around I am going to take it one month at a time and listening to my body VERY carefully. I don't have a set rest day...since I am incorporating Hammer and Chisel and will be doing my long run on those rest days. I'm not set with this schedule I will make adjustments to my workouts, take rest days, and scale back on mileage if needed. 

I managed to stay injury free in 2015 (knock on wood) and the plan is to do the same in 2016!

Alright...so here we go...again ;)

Motivation Monday: Encourage More/Judge Less

I first want to start this post out with a disclaimer...I am not easily offended nor do I get my feelings hurt easily. I am a "to each their own" and a "freedom of speech" kind of gal...however I came across something on IG last night that kind of rubbed me the wrong way. 

I'm usually pretty good at brushing things off...and like I said, I rarely, if ever, get offended...but I knew when I woke up still thinking about it this morning I had to get this off my chest. 

Last night while perusing IG I came across this post...

I won't get completely into the fact that it was posted by an influential/motivational blogger, whom started an online boutique (via IG) and promotes her clothing (again via IG) I won't get into the fact that she has made a name for herself with her blog and amazing weight loss story (gasp...through social media)

Besides the hypocrisy of the situation I felt disappointed in the act of putting others down (intentionally or not)

I know everyone is tired of having their FB, Twitter, and IG blown up with wraps, shakes, face creams, etc...but have you ever stopped to think about the women and men posting those things? 

Have you thought that these maybe these people are so passionate about a program or product that they want to share it with the world?

Have you ever thought about the stay at home mom (or dad) who is working his or her tail off to financially contribute to the family? 

Have you thought about the people who have quit their jobs and now stay home with their children and bring in as much money as they were before?

Have you ever thought how much courage it takes to put yourself out there like that? To take a chance on something? To put your all into become self-employed?

Now, I recently became a Beachbody coach...and that post on IG is why it took my so long to chase after this passion/goal of mine.

I was afraid...I was afraid to put myself out there. I was afraid of people saying "Oh great...another Beachbody coach"

I was terrified to make that first post on my personal FB page. I worried what people would think of me...I was worried about the eye-rolls and unfollows. 

But after thinking about it for awhile I decided I couldn't let other people's opinions of my decisions dictate what I say or do. 

I have a passion burning inside of me to help others...I have a passion for running and fitness that I want to share.

Instead of being embarrassed, I realized I should be proud. I should be proud of my willingness to do something scary...to put myself out there...to follow my passion and make MYSELF happy. 

And so do you...and you have a right to do so without others making you feel bad about it. Now...I know the saying "people can only make you feel the way you let them" but let's be honest...words hurt and even the strongest of people "let" others make them feel bad.

Am I saying people can't post/have their opinions? No...because like I said "freedom of speech" and "to each their own" blah, blah, blah...

But I sure do wish people would spend less time judging and more time encouraging. I'm sure the post last night was meant to get a few chuckles and nothing more...but for some people it was an insult (meant that way or not) and for some it made them feel inferior or stupid...and maybe for some (who didn't go all Sensitive Sally, like myself) laughed it off and moved on.

I'm so incredibly fortunate that I am surrounded by a village of encouragers...and now that I have this off my chest, that is where I will place my focus. 

*Update/Disclaimer: I don't want it to appear that I am blasting said person online. I adore this lady...look up to her...and think she has a killer work ethic. We had a little IG chat and she assured me it was just a joke and that she was making fun of herself too. Everyone has a different sense of humor...again "to each their own" and like I said this is a well-known fitness blogger and I in no way mean to put her down or make anyone think of her negatively...minus this one little difference of opinion her and I are usually on the same page :)  

Heartland 39.3 Part 3

This year will be my 3rd year running the Heartland 39.3 series. The first year I ran was definitely a learning experiences.

I had never run a half-marathon before (hell I had never run more than 7.5 miles at that point) and signed up to run 3 in the span of 5 weeks....that was smart :)

I followed Hal Higdon's half-marathon plan "loosely" and didn't have much of a time goal...except for after my final training run leading into the first race I was on pace to run a 1:50ish half-marathon...so that may or may not have been in the back of my mind :)

Race day came and I hit a wall like you wouldn't believe. I managed a sub 2 (1:56) but was miserable the entire race. The next race in the series was total euphoria. I ran a 1:48 and felt amazing the whole time...minus the hail that greeted me at the finish line ;)  The final race was more like the first...hell.

When I finished the Heartland 39.3 that first year I was proud, of course...but left feeling like I could do more. 

Last year when I signed I up I decided that I would in fact do more. I created my own training plan (a mix of Hal Higdon intermediate and RunKeeper advanced) and set to work on getting myself ready to run a sub 1:45. 

During that training cycle I also incorporated some Beachbody PiYo which had just come out and seemed to be geared towards runners. I had struggled with Piriformis syndrome in the fall and fell short of my marathon goal so I knew I needed something to keep me injury free! 

 

I trained harder than I ever had...focused on nutrition (and lost about 5lbs) and was able to smash my goal! Not only did I run a sub 1:45 (1:42) I was able to run 3-sub 1:45s in 5 weeks! 

 

Last year's Heartland Series left me on cloud 9 :) 

This year I threw around the idea of just taking it easy this year and just race for fun (and the 3rd year finisher's jacket, of course!) 

Race for fun? Could I Miss Competitive do that? 

Of course not!!! So here I am setting another big goal that I will undoubtedly be cursing myself for this spring ;) 

Honestly though...I don't know how to train for a race without a goal in mind...if I did that chances are I wouldn't take it seriously...and I might not even run...so setting a goal is a must! 

I have some big plans in place for training and I can't wait to share them with you...and yes...you will have to wait until later this week because this post ended up a lot wordier than planned :)

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

I just love, love, love the holidays! The weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas are my absolute favorite because they are always filled with lots and lots of fun!

This holiday has been no exception! We have been busy, busy, busy taking in every ounce of holiday spirit we can :)

Thanksgiving weekend AJ and I went out and bought our first Christmas tree and decorated it and the house. There is something so wonderful about Christmas trees and decorations!

And I especially love our new ornament this year, Thanks Aunt Nancy :)

Next up was one of my favorite traditions, the Kappa Kappa Gamma Holiday Homes Tour. 5 years ago my friend Erin (a Kappa alum) invited me to join in on her yearly tradition...and I have only missed one year since. It's definitely a must for the holidays. This year we rented a limo and our mom's joined in on the fun! Not only is this event for a great cause/causes it never disappoints! The big homes down on the plaza are incredible and when they are all decorated for the holidays they are even better!

 

 

No holiday is complete without a picture with Santa ;)

Now before you jump to any conclusions...let me explain...

AJ and I had taken Finley to our realtor's holiday party and we were trying to get her to pose for a picture with Santa. She was really apprehensive so I thought I would lead by example. Who knew they would get such a great shot? ;)

She still wasn't so sure about him...this was the best we could do ;)

After getting a safe distance away from Santa and waving and yelling "good-bye Santa" we headed over for "doonuts with sprinkles!"

Next up was decorating Christmas cookies. Fin wasn't quite sure why she couldn't just eat the spoonful of sprinkles ;)

The little cheese-ball was awfully proud of her creation...

We had discussed taking the cookie home for her mommy and daddy...but the frosting was much too tempting :)

After getting her all sugared up we took her back to our house to play on the play-set...because almost 60 degrees in December cannot be wasted!

We ran, jumped, slid, climbed, and played all that extra sugar out of her...and wore Aunt Heather and Uncle AJ out in the process ;)

Gracie was definitely happy to have someone to play ball with.

Building castles with the mulch and knocking them down might have been our favorite thing :)

As you can see...we didn't have any fun at all ;)

Last Wednesday we embarked on our first annual "PJ and Christmas Tree Extravaganza"

We mapped out all the best displays in Olathe/Overland Park and set out for fun, hot chocolate in hand :)

Deanna Rose had a really cool display!

Frosty the Snowman (as always) was my favorite

Some of the neighborhoods went ALL out!!

And some were pretty spec "tack" ular ;)

The route we followed was 25 miles long and estimated to take 70 minutes without stopping. We didn't make it to all of the displays...this year! Maybe that will be a goal for the future ;)

Lots more fun has been/will be had this month...but that will have to wait for a later post! I hope everyone is enjoying this magical time of year as much as we are!

Whoops!

Oh...hey...hello!

It's me...I'm back...and uhhh...this feels awkward. I'm not sure I know how to do this anymore :/

I think I left my motivation and drive at the finish line of the Chicago Marathon.

After the race I was on a high...and very sore, and I decided that my body needed (and deserved) a nice long break. 

My 2 week break turned into 3...then 4...then I became that person that would say...I'll just start Monday.

My eating habits have been a mess... 

My running/exercising have been inconsistent...

I've slept in...

Stayed up late...

Drank more wine/beer in the last 2 months than I have in all of 2015...

Needless to say I let myself "relax" and just be...which I am not saying is a bad thing. After my crazy summer/fall I was in dire need of relaxing...but I am the kind of person that thrives on being busy and accomplishing things...that and my pants may or may not be feeling a little snug ;)

So it's time...I need to get my booty in gear. 

The good news is that the idea of starting my New Year's Resolutions and thinking about my training plan for my spring races is really exciting for me. 

Big things are coming and I can't wait to share it with all of you...if you are still out there and haven't given up on me yet ;)

4 Months

This month, I feel really lame...

I haven't posted anything since month 3, I am almost 2 weeks late with this post...and month 4 is likely going to bore you to death with the lack of excitement and under-abundance of pictures...sigh

While I am feeling extremely lame...I'm also VERY grateful for this calm month. With dropping temps (and marathon training being over) we have spent our fair share of evenings in, eating dinner and watching our shows. Being the homebody that I am...I love, love, love this change of pace!

Our month 4 date was also reflective of our new found "coziness"

Our night started at the liquor store to grab some wine and beer for Thanksgiving with the fam ;)

After the liquor store we hit up Home Depot to prepare for our holiday weekend filled with projects!

 Here's a hint...we bought A LOT of paint!

Finally we ended up here...heaven...ummm...I mean AMC Cinema Suites ;) I don't know who pitched this idea to AMC, but I wanna hug them! There is absolutely no  better way to enjoy a cinematic experience than this!

AJ and I rarely go to the movies...but I had some gift cards (from last year) burning a hole in my pocket and the final movie in the Hunger Games series was finally out...so it was a no-brainer!

Pictures were limited...because well...we were in a movie theater...but a selfie is always a must. By the end of our first year of marriage we will have exactly 12 horrible selfies to document the fun of our first year :)

Now onto the rest of the month...like I said...it was pretty boring, so bare with me!

We got our wedding video in the mail! We sadly have not watched it yet...Our plan is to watch it Christmas night...our 5 month anniversary and the anniversary of our engagement -cue the ahhhs ;)

We watched A LOT of baseball...

and finally got to see our Royals WIN THE WORLD SERIES!

and in celebration of the Royals the whole city shut down and AJ and I got to enjoy a "blue snow day" and watched the parade.

After a few weeks of late nights watching the Royals the rest of the month was spent like this...

with a little bit of this...

a side of this...

lots and lots of this...

I think you get the idea ;)

3 Months

This month we celebrated our 3rd month of marriage at one of our favorite spots, Johnny's Tavern. Back when we didn't have cable (thank you Royals' post-season for changing this) and when we lived down the street from Johnny's we were frequent Sunday visitors.

On Sundays they have $4.50 schooners, tons of TVs, delicious chili dogs, and very few other people...so it quickly became a favorite of ours and affectionately known as "Our Johnny's"

The Chiefs decided to pull it together this week, so we were lucky enough to see them win a game! Let's hope it's not the last for the season ;)

After the game we got extra classy and stopped at the grocery store for a late afternoon snack and headed home to watch the rest of the football games from the comfort of our own couch :)

October was a great month full of lots of excitement and fun...buuuuut it's safe to say after this month it will be awhile before we hop in the car for a road trip again ;)

We started month 3 with the annual "Harrison Hill Hog Roast" This is the first year we have been able to make it to this fun event...and boy am I glad we did! The Harrison's sure know how to throw a party!

Again...this month we (I use the term we loosely) spent more time painting the trim. I am happy to say the living room and kitchen are completely done. I'm hoping month 4 brings the completion of the stairway down to the basement and the family room...fingers crossed!

We also made the trip to Chicago for the Chicago Marathon!! I can't even begin to put into words what an incredible experience this was!! I'm a pretty lucky girl that my husband was willing to spend 16 hours in the car (most of which I spent complaining about my legs) and spent an entire day on Chicago's public transportation system trying to chase me down ;)

 

 

 

We attended our first wedding as a married couple :)

We tried oysters and mussels most likely for the first and LAST time ;)

And best of all we enjoyed another wonderful month of marriage :)