Long Run Sunday

Completed my first "long" run yesterday since having Carson. Did 5 miles in Weston....which may not seem long to most people but is the farthest I have run since probably October 2014. I went mid-day so it was a little warm, but overall a very easy and nice run.

Ryan got me a FitBit for Valentines Day...so I am now obsessed with tracking my calories, steps, etc. It is a lot to keep up with, but so far I like it. It pretty much forces you to do some sort of physical activity everyday. I didn't go to Orange Theory this morning because I needed to be home with Carson....so I will have to go on a long walk with her this evening to get enough steps in. Normally...I would just take the day off!

The Comeback....

It has been over a year since I have posted to my running blog and a lot has certainly changed in my life. I got pregnant in December of 2013 and had our little sweetheart Carson on September 14th. I had a pretty easy pregnancy...but pretty much used it as an excuse to do absolutely nothing fitness related. I walked a bunch toward the end of the pregnancy, only because I was trying to make myself go into labor!

I was insanely busy with work after she was born until December, which is when I started going to Orange Theory. I really like the work outs, and they charge you if you sign up for a class and don't show which adds some additional accountability. I have missed a class here or there, but have been going pretty consistently 4 mornings a week at 6am. You spend about half of the 1 hour class on the treadmill doing hills and speed work, so I am hoping it will effect my running in a positive way.

For the past few weekends I have thought about getting out for a run, but it just has not happened. I need to get at it sooner or later though because I already have one marathon on my schedule for the fall....my favorite the Marine Corps Marathon on October 25th. I signed up last year...knowing I would likely not run, but planed on deferring my registration to 2015 which I did, so I am guaranteed entry.

I also entered the lottery for the NYC Marathon, which happens to be one week after the MCM...so it will be interesting if I end up getting in.

Hope to get back at it soon. Can't believe that I actually miss those 14+ mile training runs! I might just miss the amount of calories burned and the fact that I can drink a few beers after without feeling guilty.

Here is Carson Olivia...too cute right? 

It has been a LONG Time!

Hello there blog followers...if there are any of you left. I have not posted in FOREVER, but just updated my pictures pace and race results page. Since I last posted....I ran the Chicago Marathon and the Marine Corps Marathon, which were 14 days apart. I certainly didn't break any records in either race so I survived the races pretty easily.

Chicago - Pretty cool as expected. I stayed at a family friends condo, which was literally overlooking Grant Park which is where the start and finish line were. It was perfect. The weather was nice, course was flat...overall it was pretty fun. My favorite part is that each runner was handed a Goose Island 312 as they crossed the finish line AND had a coupon for another free beer at the after race party. 2 free beers = no complaints here.

Marine Corps Marathon- My favorite race. My sister Chrissy ran it with me this year, which made it even more exciting. We made it through the first 16 miles or so pretty easily but then Chrissy got some weird acid reflux thing that really slowed us down. The last 6 miles were pretty slow but the spectators were awesome. The family came to cheer us on as well as one of my awesome JSA co-workers. Overall it was as expected a very inspiring race which I hope to continue to do.

After the Marine Corps I decided to take it easy and give myself a break. I feel like I have been marathon training non stop for 3 years! I may or may not run the Miami half marathon in a few weeks...just for fun and lack of other things to do!

Thanks for reading!

Not So Much Training Going On!

I am sure you all have been dying for a post. Well I have a few hours to kill in Denver so here goes!

Marathon season is upon us and I have two races coming up. Chicago Marathon on Oct. 13th and Marine Corps Marathon on October 27th. A combination of travelling and laziness has really effected my training for these races. My lack of running is simply embarrassing. My longest run all summer has been 17 miles...and that is really the only long distance run I have logged. I have a 20 miler on the schedule for Sunday...which I must complete to give me some level of sanity leading up to these races.

But on a good note, my job is going great and I am having a super busy fall between work events and these two races. 7 trips in 2 months...pretty nuts.

Indianapolis
Chicago
Denver
Orlando
Back to Chicago for the Marathon
Dallas
DC for the Marine Corps Marathon

November will be a month of REST. I am loving my somewhat hectic lifestyle though...keeps things interesting! I had to share this pic of me in a Denver Broncos hat! Yep...true story. I was given it as a gift while in Denver...and thought I would wear it to support my boy Welker...at least during my run this morning, not sure if it will ever see the light of day again.

Long Overdue Update

I have been neglecting my blog big time and the guilt has finally built up enough...so here is an update.

Most exciting news....I am running the Chicago Marathon in October and then two weeks later the Marine Corps Marathon! I won't start training for these races until July....and I know I will regret saying this...but I can't wait to get started.

I have the Virginia Wine Country Half Marathon coming up on June 1st...so I need to stay in decent condition for that race. Here is a quick recap of what I have been up to.

1st Week of April- Quick trip to Key West for the weekend with Ryan and my mom. I took the opportunity to do a short 3.5 mile run on Sunday morning and get a pic at the Southern Most point of the U.S.

2nd Week of April- 7 Mile Bridge Run! This was a great experience that I would definitely do again. I think it would be fun to do with a large group of people. I have promised Nikki that I would not blog about the details of this race....let's just say I enjoyed the race more than she did. Moral of the story = don't drink 4 margaritas the day before a race.

3rd Week of April- Nothing too exciting, but I did do a 7 mile run on Hollywood Beach. I miss living in that area. It is such a great place for running...not a good place for living though.

4th Week of April- I had my first trip for my new job to Denver. I was super excited to see the city since I had never been there before. It was not what I expected...a lot of homeless people and crazies...well I guess that it is not too different from South Florida. I had grand plans to do a run around the city on Thursday morning, but it was still dark out when I got up so I chose to run on the treadmill in the hotel fitness center. Which was probably the best for my safety anyway.

On Saturday I did an 8 mile run over the Rickenbacker Causeway to Key Biscayne. It was hot out, but still enjoyable. I probably should have gotten up a little earlier to avoid the heat..but I am getting very lazy in my old age.

Lots to Report....

My training has been very blah the past few weeks. I started my new job about 2 weeks ago and am trying to get into a routine. I love working from home so far, but am still struggling to fit training into my busy schedule. I have the 7 mile bridge run and the Virginia Wine Country Half Marathon coming up so it is about time to get my butt in gear.

I had a great trip home to Virginia. The Lucky Leprechaun 5K was short and sweet which is a good thing because it was freezing outside. Chrissy and I really wanted to do a long training run on the WO&D trail on Sunday, but it was just too cold out. I am going to stay in Virginia for an extra week after the Wine Country Half, so we will definitely have time to fit in some scenic runs.

Now for some very exciting news! I am officially running the Chicago Marathon this fall. I got into the lottery and just could not pass up the opportunity to run this race. Chicago is such a great city and one of the most popular marathons, so I am really looking forward to it. So once again I will be spending the hot summer months in Florida marathon training.

The Chicago Marathon is on October 13th and two weeks later on October 27th is the Marine Corps Marathon. Registration for the MCM opens next Wednesday and I am of course going to register. This fall will be another opportunity for me to push myself to the limit. The MCM is my favorite race and is so inspiring. I just can't imagine not running it. This might pose a problem when Ryan and I finally decide to start a family. I will have to strategically plan my pregnancy so I will still be able to run that race. OR....we could just adopt a 3 year old, which is the plan I am currently pushing for! 

The Pope and I .....

The Pope and I actually had something in common this past week. We both had our last day at work. I was sad to leave my friends at the Hard Rock, but am more than excited for this new opportunity.

I accepted the position of Event Logistics Manager at Jaymie Scotto and Associates. Check out the website below.

http://www.jaymiescotto.com 

There are a number of wonderful things about this job....

• Everyone works virtually from home
• I will have the opportunity travel to events
• AND....I will now have more flexibility to train 

I have pretty much taken the entire month of February off. I did a few short runs, but was so busy at work I could barely function. This new job could not have come at a better time. 

New month, new job, new bathroom (our master bathroom renovation starts today).....I am a happy camper! Today I am starting the month off with a South Beach run followed by a trip to H&M. I really enjoy   being nice and sweaty while trying on clothes, well... not really but I have not been to the South Beach H&M yet, so being the calculated planner that I am, it just makes sense to go while I am already down there. 

New training focus...speed work, hills and strength.

I am pretty pumped up about this fresh start! 

Spectator Sunday

I have been secretly toying with the idea of running the A1A Marathon, which was this morning. I was one click away from registering on Wednesday night. I am SO glad that I didn't. Although I have been feeling really rested and yearning for a race... I definitely made the right decision not to run.

Since I had a really low key weekend I got up early and went to watch the some of the race as a spectator this morning. For some reason I thought it would be fun to get some Starbucks, bundle up and cheer on the runners. It was in the 40's this morning and with the sea breeze it was down right freezing.

I found a spot in the sun and watched for about 30 minutes. I wanted to see the 1st place marathoner go by which I did on the walk back to my car. What a great feeling it must be to have a police escort to the finish line. I guess I better start my blood doping regimen soon if I ever want to have a police escort. I will keep you all updated on my progress. There are 3 years until the summer Olympic trials right?

Although I was a little jealous of the runners I opted to run on the treadmill this morning and spend the afternoon bundled up on the couch...with a big glass of Cabernet! Who needs hot chocolate?

7 Mile Bridge Run- 2nd Attempt

Registration for the 7 Mile Bridge Run was this morning at 6am. I set 2 laptops up last night so we would be ready this morningI. I had been up for an hour already and Ryan reluctantly got up a little early so he could register. These are the type of things that give me anxiety! Both computers had the website up by 5:55am, and Ryan and I anxiously waited for the clock to turn to 6am. Once it did we both went through the sign up process on our laptops. The website was pretty slow since there were thousands of people trying to sign up. The limit the number of runners to 1,500.

I was only a few seconds ahead of Ryan in the registration process….but he was a few seconds too late. I got in and he didn’t! I am not sure if he was upset that he didn’t get in the race or because he had to get up early. Although I am sad that we won’t be able to run together it is a good thing that I am not the one that didn’t get in. I would have thrown a major temper tantrum. Our friends Nikki and Justin got in too, which is a good thing because we typically stay at their house when we go to the keys. Looks like Ryan will be on mimosa duty the morning of the race!

Work has been crazy the past two weeks, so my running has been very limited. Fingers crossed I will get to leave work on time tonight and I plan on doing a 7 mile run in honor of the 7 Mile Bridge Run registration day!

 

Race Pictures

Race pictures for your viewing pleasure....

After the Race

DOPE Sunglasses, yes I wore these the entire race. 

Ryan and his Vuvuzela. 

I look happy, but trust me I wasn't. 

Dylan with his vuvuzela, probably wondering why he was even there! 

Again...totally faking my happiness while crossing the finish line. 

ING Miami Marathon Race Recap

I had a Miami filled weekend, starting off with the Heat game on Friday night. I got to see Ray Allen up close and personal and witness the amazing 75K half court shot. It was one of the craziest things I have ever seen. 

Then on Saturday morning, Nikki, Boston and I took another trip down to Miami to pick up my race packet. We enjoyed Starbucks while observing all of the cazies that live in Miami. We stopped in a cheesy Miami tourist shop and picked up some pretty "Dope" sunglasses for me to wear at the race. Ryan had a bachelor party on Saturday night so I was able to relax and get to bed really early. Ryan rolled in around 3am, and I had to get up around 3:45am to get ready to go. Ugh.

Everything went smoothly getting to the race and pretty much through the first 10 miles. I felt good. I knew my pace was off, mostly because it was so crowded. Around the 13 mile point the half marathoners broke off the course which was nice, I had to do a lot less weaving around people once the course split. At the split I thought I would finish in about 4 hours and 15 minutes. Not a new PR, but I was OK with that. 

It was pretty much all down hill from there, and no I am not referring to the course. There were still 2 bridges on the 2nd half of the course. I felt like I couldn't stay hydrated. All I could think about was...where the next water station would be. 

I passed my fans at about mile 17. It was such a treat to see them and take a break for a few minutes. They even made signs! With the shadows you can't really read them, but the pink one refers to mimosas and was apparently quite popular with the other runners and spectators.

Mile 17 through the finish were really hard. I took a good amount of walking breaks and walked through every water station. I still can't believe that I let myself walk. It just was not my day. I ended up finishing in 4:40:27, which was pretty shocking. Although I should not be too disappointed, I met my goal of running 4 marathons in 4 months. Now....it is time for a little break! A much needed break!

I will post more pictures later....my "DOPE" sunglasses were by far the highlight of the race.

Track me at the Miami Marathon

I have a Miami filled weekend ahead! We are going to the Heat game on Friday night, Saturday packet pick up and the race on Sunday!

Click on the link below to track me during the race.

http://xacte.com/msg/signup.php?eid=24

 I still haven’t decided if I am going to go for a new PR, or just take it easy. It is going to be hot, so it might not be the best race for a PR, not to mention the numerous bridges on the course. We will see what happens. I am already looking forward to my post race beer!

Here They Are- Funny Marathon Pics

Some are cute...most are just funny! 

Magic Kingdom

Crazy Person

Running Through the Stadium at ESPN Sports Complex

I had to do the peace sign at least once

Getting close to the finish at Epcot 

Crossing the finish line (and that time is not our actual time, it does not account for the delayed start for our corral) 

And....my favorite little guy with is buddies! 

Disney Marathon Recap - With Pictures

Well I have to say that the Disney Marathon was absolutely magical! My family arrived in Orlando the Saturday before the race and enjoyed the parks for a few days. I was extremely anxious to get there to join in all of the fun.

On my first day there (Thursday) we went to Epcot, which I have to say was kind of boring. I hated going to that park when I was little and now I remember why. The highlight of the day was definitely the beer! We went to pick up our race packets that afternoon as well. The expo was nicely done and already super crowded.

Brayden with Mexican Donald the Duck

Ryan arrived on Thursday night and we devoted Friday and Saturday to the Magic Kingdom. Bradyen loved the park and even road the Thunder Mountain roller coaster. It was pretty intense for a 4 year old. He said he liked it but questioned why it had to go so fast.

We only did a half day at the park on Saturday so Chrissy and I could take a nap in the afternoon. The race started at 5:30am, which meant we had to leave the hotel at 3:30am (pretty much the middle of the night). But we went back to the park on Saturday night for the parade and fireworks.

Pop pop took some pretty decent pictures even with Brady on his shoulders

Sunday was race day! As instructed we got there really early, which was not really necessary, but it was nice that we didn't have to rush around once we arrived. We had plenty of time to eat our PB&J's and go to the bathroom before taking the 1 mile + walk to the start line. They delayed the start for each corral, and luckily we were in corral B, so we didn't have to wait too long to cross the start line. They shot off fireworks at the start of each corral, which was pretty cool.

We breezed through the first 10 miles or so before Chrissy's knee started to hurt. We knew it would be an issue. She had to stop and stretch a few times throughout the race. She was in a lot of pain, so we ended up walking through most of the water stations and at certain points along the course when she needed a break from the pain.

The course was great, we ran through all of the parks and all around the Disney property. There were definitely some points of the race that were on boring back roads, but Disney did a great job with make sure there was entertainment through the less exciting parts of the race. We didn't stop to take any pictures with the characters, not that we were in any rush...but we didn't want to keep everyone waiting too long for us at the finish line.

The last part of the race was through Epcot. My favorite part was seeing a couple stop for a beer and a frozen drink to bring through the finish line and a guy that bought a funnel cake to eat while crossing the finish.

The red tops and black skirts were definitely a hit. We got a lot of cheers from the spectators for the "Minnie's". Our official finish time was 5:31:42. Obviously not a new PR, but that was not the goal. I just wanted to have fun. I will post some of the pictures taken on the course later. They are hysterical...I look like I was having the time of my life. I would 100% recommend this race and might consider doing the Goofy Challenge next year which is a Half Marathon on Saturday and a full Marathon on Sunday.

Track Us At the Disney Marathon!

My family has already arrived in Orlando and have been enjoying the parks!
I arrive on Wednesday night and Ryan is driving his new truck (yes new truck, unbelievable) up on Thursday night. I am feeling a like I am not as prepared as I could be for this race. I have not done any long runs since the beginning of December, but it will be fun no matter what. Spending 26.2 miles with my sister, even if they have to drag our dead bodies across the finish line we will have fun!

Sign up to track us at the link below.

http://live.xacte.com/wdw/alerts/

Race report to come next week. Wish us luck!

New Race on My Schedule

Chrissy and I just signed up for this race in June...

plus a wine tasting afterwards.  Should be pretty fun!

2013 Resolution

Enough said. That is what I am going to do this year....Be Awesome.

Cheers to To A New Start in 2013

I am regrettably ending 2012 on a bad note. I had a 16 mile run scheduled for Sunday and couldn't drag my butt out of bed to do it. I justified skipping it by running 4 miles with Ryan and telling myself that I would run the 16 miles this morning before going into work tonight. It is 11:45am and I am still in my PJ's on the couch. So at this point it does not look like it is going to happen.

I don't think that skipping this run will make too big of a difference in my two upcoming marathons. (or at least I hope it wont). I feel like I am in marathon condition and would rather just run races then force myself to do these long boring training runs.

Exciting stuff coming up in 2013

• Possible color run this Saturday, I have not registered yet....
• Disney Marathon in January, plus a few days in Orlando with my family.  
• ING Miami Marathon, the end of January.
• Trip home in March, possibly the Rock n' Roll Marathon in DC if Chrissy will agree to do it with me.
• I turn 30, yikes.
• My 3rd Marine Corps Marathon in October, the great thing about the MCM is that you can defer your registration. So I am going to go ahead and sign up and then I can always defer if I cant or don't want to run it.
• Puppy purchase, I have been toying around with the idea of getting a dog. Right now with my work schedule it does not make too much sense, but if something changes I really want to get a German Shorthaired Pointer or Treeing Walker Coon hound.
• Lastly I am definitely going home for Christmas in 2013. This year was the first year I didn't go home. Not that I didn't have a good time with Ryan's family.....but there is just something about being "home" on Christmas. Plus... it is so weird celebrating Christmas when it is 80 degrees outside.

I hope everyone has a great New Years Eve. I will be working tonight...boooooo.

New Kicks

New kicks to start out the new year right! Although my Asics were good to me, I decided to go back to the ol’ standard Nikes. I am hoping these will give me a little motivation to get out there and actually run. So far this week I have been majorly slacking. I felt great after my 10 mile run last Sunday….but have been extremely lazy since then. Probably a result of my over eating and drinking on Christmas Eve and Christmas. On top of that I tweaked my neck somehow while sleeping on Christmas Eve.

Another motivating factor should be my new gym, 24 hour Fitness Super Sport. It really is “super.” All of the machines are new and have TV’s, it has a pool and hot tub, complimentary towels, and a really nice locker room. It is a real step up from YouFit. Yes, it costs more…but I definitely think it will be worth it. I didn’t even want to use the bathrooms at YouFit. I have already gone swimming once and hope to try out the spinning and body pump classes on top of my hours on the treadmill.

I have a BIG month coming up with the Disney Marathon on January 13^th and the ING Miami Marathon 13 days later on January 27^th. I am excited to complete my goal of 4 marathons in 4 months. I had every intention of taking a MAJOR break from racing after running Miami…….BUT I just booked a flight home for St. Patrick’s Day Weekend AND there happens to be a Marathon in DC that weekend. I could be really fun to run in the morning and then drink green beer all afternoon. 

How not to PR

I ran the Weston Rotary Half Marathon this morning. This was definitely not a race I was training for, but it fit into my training schedule so I decided to go ahead and do it. I had no intention of a new half marathon PR....but in the back of my head I was hoping for one. Based on the weekends events I am lucky I even finished.

• We went out for dinner and drinks in Friday and I had way too many beers and a Jameson shot (good idea Nikki)
• I woke up Saturday feeling OK, but failed to drink any water all day. Not even one sip.
• Chocolate chip pumpkin pancakes for breakfast
• Chipolte for Lunch
• Pizza for dinner and two glasses of red wine
• I was supposed to leave my house at 5am this morning, but got confused and set my alarm for 5am...so I was running very late
• My Garmin didn't charge for some reason, so I started the race with 11% battery remaining, it died at about mile 3
• I got lost on the way to the race. I don't even know how that happened considering I live about 15 minutes from Weston Town Center which is where the race started
• I didn't have my regular pre-race meal which is a PB&J, I ate two leftover pancakes and drank a coke zero
• My plan was to get there early enough to stretch and eat a banana before the race started, but since I was running so late I had to dash straight to the start line

The race went surprisingly well, I felt good the entire time...which is shocking considering my preparation for this race. Since I didn't have my watch I had to rely on the race clocks. Around mile 11 I new I was on track to finish with a decent time and a new PR was possible. I booked it the last two miles (Another reason I wish I had my Garmin, I am dying to know how fast I was going) and sprinted across the finish line. The clock at the finish line was broken! Are you kidding me!

The official times were just posted, no PR but pretty darn close. I finished in 2:01:55, which is about 1 minute slower then my half marathon PR. I was 6th in my age group. The winner in my age group finished in 1:53:51. It was obviously a small race because that is not a very fast time.

Now it is time to lay on the couch and watch football all day... although it is going to take me awhile to get over the fact that I missed my PR by a minute.