Sunday, March 31, 2013

5 by the 5th

It's time once again for the 5 by the 5th virtual run series hosted by Mommy Run Fast. So far, I've done 5 miles each time, but that is going to be tricky considering April 1-5 is Monday to Friday. That means my run has to be before school (hard to get 5 miles in) or I'll have to fit it in after school...which is even harder considering the tball and softball games, practices and scrimmages planned for the week. I'll let you know how I get it worked in :)

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

SBBC Week 4

Just a quick recap of this past week...

Monday: Run 38 minutes (3.5 miles)
Wednesday: Run 38 minutes (3.5 miles)
Friday: Shake out run of 20 minutes (1.5 miles)
Saturday: Aquarium, walking 45 minutes (at least!)
Sunday: RnR Dallas 13.1 miles in 2:07:52 (a new PR!)

I did really good on water this week (all 7 days) knowing I had my half coming. I also did pretty good on my freggies...4 days for sure. The green smoothies really help!

I've really got to work on cutting out the sugar. The afternoons are killing me!

Monday, March 25, 2013

RnR Dallas Race Recap

My fourth half is in the books...and with a new PR!

We left for Dallas early Saturday morning, made it to the hotel, and took the DART to the Expo...Sarah, Josh, their two kids, Chad, our two kids and me. That's a lot of bodies to corral in a crowded place, but even the kids seemed to enjoy the expo. I was able to stop by the Team Refuel booth, but unfortunately, I wasn't able to time it to do some of the video fun.



After the expo, we headed to lunch and then Fair Park where we were planning on going to the museum. We didn't know it, however, but the museum we have loved going to is no longer there :( Luckily, the aquarium is still there, so that's where we went.  It was just about right for us. We headed back to the hotel, where we all ended up falling asleep before dinner (except SB). We had dinner at Boston's...a flatbread pizza for me...which, in hindsight, did not have enough protein for me before a race. I didn't sleep well at all that night and even had to get up at about 4:30 to eat a granola bar...I was so hungry!

I got up a little after 6 to start getting ready. I still wasn't sure about what to wear...windy and cold is hard to plan, especially when you can't step outside to see just what it feels like. I ended up in pants, compression sleeves, my Team Refuel jersey, arm warmers, my BondiBand hat with the ponytail hole and gloves. That ended up being just about right. The only thing I would have added is a sweatshirt or jacket I could have tossed after a mile or two.



Sarah and I had sandwich thins, PB and bananas for breakfast before the race in the hotel lobby. We took the DART to the start line. We weren't in a real rush because it was so cold. We ended up getting there, waiting for the portapotty and walking to our corral right as it was being released for the start (not at the start line, but just starting to move). Couldn't have timed it better..no waiting in the cold for us! The dads and kids stayed at the hotel...it was just too cold (and early!) for them.

The race went really well. We took off at a decent pace, not able to feel our hands or feet. It was pretty crowded, but we really didn't have any trouble staying together. I can't tell you much about the race...it's all a blur. I do know it was uphill to mile 8, but not horribly so. There were a couple of tough hills, but Sarah and I charged up them like troopers. I do remember some good music along the way...Jessie's Girl, 867-5309, Pour Some Sugar On Me...lots of fun! She and I took turns giving the pep talks. There were times she wanted to talk about pace or possible finishing times, but I just couldn't do it...I get jumpy at the pressure of what I might be capable of.

I did meet up with one other Team Refuel member, David, twice on the course. It was cool to have that instant camaraderie with another runner.

We saw the husbands and kids at the last little turn...such a pick-me-up! I wish I had a picture of them cheering for us! At the very end, Sarah pulled away from me. I just didn't think I had it in me. However, I saw the finish line and knew I wanted to cross it with her...so I did! It took everything I had to give it that last little bit. It rocked to cross the line knowing I had a big PR. It turns out I cut 8 minutes exactly off my old one...finishing in 2:07:52.



While we were still in the finisher's chute, I was able to stop at the Team Refuel tent for a quick photo op. I felt like a Nascar driver with the sponsored drink...now that's a picture I need...me guzzling the chocolate milk like a driver with his Coke. After that we got our chocolate milk (which never tasted so good!), water, snacks and space blankets before finding the family. It was so cold afterward that we really couldn't stick around to see what all was there...I didn't even have a chance to stop by the Team Refuel VIP tent. That's just part of being a mother runner :)



We headed back to the hotel on the DART for a much-needed shower and fuel. On the way home, we stopped for burgers and fries at Twisted Root.

I am exhausted and sore, but nothing really hurts. There's one spot on my right foot...the knuckle below my big toe...that hurts. I'll ice it tonight and see what happens. I have a feeling it's a tendon or something.

All in all, I am so proud of Sarah for her first half...and so proud of my new PR! I couldn't ask for a better support crew, the ones that were there and the ones I knew were thinking of me at home.

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Getting Away

We didn't think we were going to be able to do anything big for Spring Break, but my hubby was able to get away for a few days. We took the trailer to Fort Richardson State Park for a couple of nights, and really enjoyed getting away from it all for a bit.

Wednesday
We left a little before lunch, stopping for a few last-minute items on our way out of town. We got to camp and paid for the rest of our reservation. There were a couple of park rangers in the office, and one said that site 51 had just been cleaned up and had a nice area. I'm glad he was there...the site was great! We got a shelter site, knowing we'd have a little more room and privacy in those sites. This one was even better because the table and fire ring were behind the shelter. Perfect!




While Chad was setting up the trailer, I started lunch. I'd already done most of the work at home, so heating up our cheesy sausage sliders was easy. After lunch, we took a hike, more than an hour and a half of walking, hiking, and exploring, including the old fort buildings that were open for once. We let the kid play at the playground before heading back to camp.



For dinner, we had steak (for us) and ham (for the kids) with the bbq sauce the kids and I made earlier, pan-fried potatoes, green beans and my sauteed tomatoes with bread. It was so good! I don't usually eat steak, but it hit the spot. Of course we had to have s'mores afterward.

Thursday
No one woke up super early, which was nice. I headed out for a hilly 3 miles. My legs felt heavy, but I made decent time. I had to wear a pair of Ryan's gloves I found in the trailer because I didn't think to pack cold-weather gear. I ended up taking them off as it warmed up quickly. After my run/shower, we had breakfast burritos. Then we headed into town. The kids had ice cream at a soda fountain in the local drug store. We picked up a few more things we needed at the store. Back at camp, we had walking tacos for lunch (again, did the prep work at home).



I took the kids for a "short" hike the other direction on the trail below our camp while Chad rested for a few minutes. Then, when we got back, we drove to another trail and hiked it for almost an hour. The best part is we found the rumbling spring the trail is named for, and I remember finding it when I was younger camping there with my family. Instead of walking back on the trail, we took a detour up some rocks (a little scary, but ok) and ended up going through someone's campsite to get to the road. It was a fun hike, all in all.



We went back into town for ice cream, stopping to look at and test drive a truck, which we took to the DQ. Unfortunately, they were cash only, which we didn't have. We went back to camp and fixed some burgers for dinner before heading back into town for that ice cream. On the way back into camp, we stopped at the playground and played "All squirrels change trees," which is a game my family used to play at that very same park. After that, we sat out as the sun set and watched the stars come out.

We were all in bed by 9, although we stayed up watching tv for quite a while after that.

Friday
Chad woke up at 6:30, but I wasn't quite ready to wake up. He took the tv outside and sat and watched the news, letting me sleep until 8. The kids slept even later. I have to say, it was funny to open the door to find him bundled up in his jacket watching tv outside. It was so nice to sleep in! We had eggs in a basket and bacon, cooked outside by my hubby. We had to tear down camp, but we managed to play a couple rounds of ladder ball with the kids too.




This just makes  my heart smile...


Monday, March 11, 2013

Meal Plan Monday

I have found that planning my week's meals really helps, and this week, even though it is Spring Break, is no different. In fact, since we are camping later this week, it's even more important.

Here's what I've got planned:
Monday
B-out with SB; I've got a day with just her, and it's her choice :)
L-sandwiches (can't wait for some avocado!)
D-chicken parmesan w/ spinach salad

Tuesday
B-out with my little buddy; it's his day :)
L-leftovers
D-pigs in a blanket?

Wednesday
B-oatmeal and fruit
Camping!!!
L-sausage sliders
D-steak and potatoes; corn; veggies

Thursday
B-breakfast burritos with beans and potatoes
L-walking tacos
D-hot dogs/burgers and fruit (and s'mores, of course!)

Friday
B-eggs in a basket, bacon and fruit
L-sandwiches
HOME
D-smoked sausage and peppers

Snacks for the camping trip will be fresh fruit, trail mix and granola bars.

That's as far as I've gotten :)

I should probably add my planned workouts as well. I didn't run this morning. I was feeling a lot of soreness, especially in my back (from running or painting, I have no idea), so I thought it would be best to shift my runs to Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday this week.

I plan on running to a little bakery with Ryan tomorrow morning. He loves doing that and has asked to run with me for a while now. It will be an easy couple of miles. Thursday, we'll be camping, but I plan on running 4 or 5. I'll run 8 Saturday since it's just a week before the half marathon.

Ideally, I'll do the WOW or other circuit workout twice this week. I think I'll try for one today and one Wednesday morning before we leave. Guess I should get moving, huh?

SBBC Week 1

Week 1 of the Spring Bootie Buster Challenge is done! I signed up for this to help me stay on track, and it does help. However, I've been overwhelmed with work at school and haven't done a great job of staying on top of things (although planning my meals and snacks helps).

I have to admit, I didn't do a great job of logging my exercise or food this week, so I'm playing catchup today.

Here's what I know I did:
Monday--4 miles is 43:00
--water
--freggies (green smoothie, grapes, carrots, avocado, clementines, squash, broccoli)
Tuesday--
Wednesday--4 miles in 40:00
--freggies (fruit at a long meeting helped)
--water
Thursday--
Friday--
Saturday--11.13 miles in 2:00:01 and 1 mile walked in 19:30
--water
Sunday--freggies (veggie plate for dinner got most of them in at once)
--water
Monday--WOW plus abs (10 minutes)

I may have gotten more of my fruits and veggies, but I'm not sure. I'll err on the side of caution here and keep better track next week. It looks like I've got 4 days of water, 3 days of freggies, and
23.3 points in exercise (plus the WOW point).

Monday, March 4, 2013

Meal Plan Monday

I found that writing out my meal plan last week helped me stay on track (although not completely). I didn't have a plan for Sunday, and that's where I really messed up with my eating.

Monday
B-English muffin and a boiled egg
S-green smoothie
L-pita sandwich with ham, avocado and spinach; grapes and carrots
S-clementines
D-quiche with spinach salad

Tuesday
B-oatmeal and a banana

S-green smoothie
L-leftover pizza; fruit and a veggie
S-pistachios and an apple
D-BBQ chicken and potatoes

Wednesday
B-egg and ham salad on an English muffin

S-green smoothie
L-grownup lunchable
S-(Long meeting) almonds and fruit
D-church

Thursday
B-oatmeal and banana
S-green smoothie
L-healthy luncheon at school
S-cheese stick and an apple
D-yummy sandwiches (so not healthy...but we have a school program)

Friday
B-English muffin and fruit
S-green smoothie
L-pita pocket with egg salad
S-graham crackers with peanut butter and apple or banana
D-It's just the kids and me, so I'll have to come up with something kid-friendly.

Saturday
B-long run; pre-run English muffin with PB and banana
L-ham and egg sandwich
S-apple and pb with raisins
D-anniversary dinner! :)

Sunday
B-breakfast burritos
L-leftovers/sandwiches
D-Johnson's

After that, it's spring break! I'm looking forward to my Bountiful Basket on Saturday and lots of healthy foods/meals during the time off.