just run

when folks just run to run; no virtual miles to log for races or training miles, just running because you love the high, the thrill, the burn,.....simply running!

It's been awesome to get back into that! I'll admit it, I got side-tracked with virtual races. It was a different [easy] approach to still racing and earning bling, also supporting a good cause. Obviously, I still felt like I "raced" during this deployment madness, and juggling 3 kids. That's swindled down, I'm looking at 'on the road' races to register for. I do have 2 upcoming virtuals, that I had already registered for. And, continuing to participate in the #anywhere5k challenges. Other than that, I'm
Running....like this morning I'll be squeezing in a [timed] run with my baby girl before babysitting a friends kiddo.

I've also had happy mail with running [casual] tees, shoes and other randomness. I've been pretty consistent in running, dropped a program and trying to start a new routine. No challenges other than keeping active. And, I'm happy with that.

Do y'all run for the run or on the bling-earning bandwagon? I was happy to fall off. Haha

Runner's Rant

Happy Running Y'all!

Happy Veteran's Day to our special man. He is on deployment, serving his country, and we are SO proud!! He was a veteran when I met him, almost 10 years ago. And, I've continued to stay by his side in support. It's not always full of smiles but we get through it. He is making his career a big one, and we have never discouraged him. We are SO lucky to have him in our lives. Show appreciation to all veterans, not just today, those who served, are serving or made the ultimate sacrifice. 

*cough, couch*
Yep, I'm still fighting the virus; yuck!! And, guess what I pushed past it and RAN! 
Baby girls were up and at it, EARLY, 7 am on a Sunday. I was TIRED! Especially, after baby girl hardly slept, she was up between 11pm-1am. Grabbed my cup of coffee, woke up, got into my running gear and out the door we went at 9am!! (of course after breakfast, getting the girls dressed). This has been the only "break", I have had since Friday.....Yay!!

[Treadmill view; Happy Girls]

I set the treadmill at 60 minutes, I was ready to give my legs a good beating!! I was HAPPY to have an empty gym, and I left the lights OFF!! There was a few stops, I was coughing and had to visit a trash can, Yuck!! The girls kept fairly content with playing however, there were a few times that  I had to grab the girls attention, and stop them from climbing or fighting.  

I was sweating HARD, I was running HARD.

Logged in 5 miles in 60 minutes!!

 I needed this LONG Run, needed to shake the legs up after all of Saturday's driving. 

We had a FABULOUS time at the Disney on Ice: Dare to Dream Show!! 

I'm definitely looking forward to next years line-up!!!

The Week Ahead; I've tweaked my fitness calendar!! I start TURBOFIRE tomorrow!! And, it's week 12 of Les Mills Pump, ALMOST DONE!! And, I have some catching up to do for the November [Daily] Challenge. This sickness won't derail me this week, it's in for a fight.

Now, for some REST!! 

 "Don't wait to for inspiration to find you; BECOME IT!!"

"Running the Gulf" 615 [deployment] Miles!

If y'all know me by now, y'all know I love CHALLENGES!!

And, now I jumped into a hefty challenge. The MWR STENNIS, announced their, "Running the Gulf", by running/elliptical 615 miles until the end of deployment. Sweet, right!?

What does this mama do on a Monday, laced up her running shoes, and headed to the gym after snack time. It was a CRAZY WINDY morning, leaves were flying everywhere, grounds were covered in fabulous colors. My girls were loving the walk to the gym, KIDS RUN THIS TOWN MILES!! I patiently waited for a treadmill, I stretched while those other joggers did their thing, and 30 minutes later it was time. Luckily, my girls were pretty content during that wait and while I went running. There were a few walking intervals and I kept pushing myself, I aimed for a 5k but decided to keep going. I was pouring sweat, like major, I stinky sweat. My bondi band was soaked, as was my shirt. 
Finished Strong; 3.84 in 40 minutes. 

I've created a document to log in my 'stennis miles'. I'm excited for this 'deployment distraction' and love racking up those miles. There's a game plan in motion too, and I'm pretty excited!! Now, to get my husband on this challenge!! 
JOIN IN; it'll be a nice distraction. You know you want to RUN!! :D

Geez! Time flew by today, It's almost time to go pick up my oldest from school. After, my run, we came home, prepared lunch, cleaned, got the girls down for naptime. And, then got busy LIFTING for week 10/day 1 of Les Mills Pump. Whewww, my upper arm was sore from this morning Flu Shot but I got it done!! I definitely earned my mid-day shower, I was a SWEATY HOT MESS!! Now, to continue my cleaning frenzy, tonight Mama gets to R-E-L-A-X!!

"Don't wait to for inspiration to find you; BECOME IT!!"

Memory Run

I signed up for a virtual race a few weeks ago, over at FUNd Run 4 Bling.

And, I've been avoiding it since then.
Why?

While, I was excited about it when I signed up, I was sad too. Overwhelmed, actually.
You see, it's called, "Memory Run".

"This run is a run that you will dedicate to someone in your life, past or present. Maybe even a cherished pet?! The bling is a frame medal. Instead of having an insert on the front you will be able to insert a picture! You have the option to email me the pic (or snail mail) and I will affix it to the medal before it is shipped to you! (I am a scrapbooker and have acid free glue that should work nicely without wrecking the photo). Also I would like to have the bling out early so that you receive the medal before your run so that you will have it as soon as you finish!"

 Tonight, I finally emailed the photo of my dad. He's always on my mind, heavy in my heart. Especially, while running. I started running last summer, like REALLY running. I was back in my hometown, and it was staring right at me. I had no other choice but to face the reality of what happened. It was always "easy" for me to deal with family loss, since moving because I didn't see the hurt of family in my face. I could easily distract myself with my girls, my family, anything really. I was miles away and phonecalls was all I had between them. And, to be home and not see my dad when I went over to my mom's, their place. To see my little brothers still at home, 16, 7, 5..hurting for our dad. It.was.rough. So, I would run at night, the only peace I found, and I ran A LOT! So, with every.single.stride I take, he is already on my mind. 
I've associated running several times with feeling close to my dad. It's not only "my" time to breath, de-stress, feel free and powerful because I have total control of it. My emotions have been off the wall lately, like seriously crazy!! Crying for the littlest things, feeling overwhelmed because so much is happening with my girls and my husband isn't home. And, my mom and siblings back home. Call me a baby. Call me human. Call me an emotional runner.


"Don't wait to for inspiration to find you; BECOME IT!!"

Runner's Rant!

Happy Sunday y'all!!

Another early morning wake-up from the girls. No, sleeping in for this Mama!

After breakfast, they got crafty painting pumpkins!! 

. We have some GIRLY painted pumpkins, and they are PERFECT!! 

Then it was time to gear up for a morning run; the last few miles for the Boo! Half-Marathon. 

Treadmill View

No climbing baby girl!

  MAJOR SWEATFEST!!

Sweat dripping from my chin, down my neck, chest; WHOA!

FABULOUS FEELING!!

Ran 3.11 (36:34) Boo! Miles for a total of 13.52 in 4 RUNS!!

I definitely earned that BOO! BLING on my FABULOUS RACE Board!!

"Don't wait to for inspiration to find you; BECOME IT!!"

Runner's Rant!

Whoop! Whoop!! 

Mama got out for a morning run, it's been a FABULOUS week of RUNNING!! I'm back on a routine and I am loving every single second of it!! The moment my feet hit the pavement, trail, whatever terrain it is!! I've logged in 10.39 Miles thus far!! WHOOHOOO!!

As soon as Leanna crossed the street to the school gate, I popped in my earbuds, turned up the tunes (Mumford & Sons latest album) and got to RUNNING!!
I RAN 4 Boo! MILES in 56:05!!! One more RUN this weekend and will complete the Virtual Boo! Half-Marathon!! Whoop! Whoop!! I haven't had a "long" run since August, it was killer with the double jogger. Whewww, Mama got it done!!!

We headed out on the roadways, it's a fantastic warm-up with a slight incline. 

There's those hills that I can't avoid, any which way I go!

After all, we are in Washington, duh!!

I kept it "easy" on the hills, a little struggle!

I have a need for speed.

 Yep, I pushed [BURNING Arms & Glutes] UPHILL and it was HARDCORE!!

Whew; SUPER MAMA!!

 Took it through the trails for the last mile stretch!

 

 Cool down with a view on the way home!

I just can't get enough of these views!!

Today, I received a fabulous package from my MUG SWAP partner!!

Loving all the cuteness!!

She was super thoughtful to add some things for my girls!

"Don't wait to for inspiration to find you; BECOME IT!!"

Runner's Rant!!

Hello, Tuesday!! 

That Busy Day where my morning starts between 5:30-6, followed by waking the girls up at 6:30 and we are all ready and out the door by 7:50ish. School Drop off for my Preschooler, back home for lunch prep and out the door to walk first grader to gate. 

Moms Run This Town Meetup: We had a New Mama, who just moved back into the area, she wanted to get out and be active. We walked 3 miles to ease her back into it. As you can see, I pushed the double jogger, still haven't gotten my wheels fixed for the single, it's on my to-do list. No worries, Baby Girl had one of her baby princess' keep her company. Seems like we are back to the regular Washington weather; gloomy and cold!

Treadmill Run: After our surprise Skype Date with our man during lunch, we went to the gym. It's been a while since I stepped foot on the treadmill, I logged in my first 5k in (36:22) for the Boo! Half-Marathon Virtual Race!! I felt AMAZING, kept it easy with soft/hard intervals. Mama is back at it, and the girls did awesome in the playroom; no climbing!! WhooHoo!!!

 On our walk home, we checked the mail and received the medals for Kids Run This Town! Ailea was SO excited and wanted to tattoo her self right away but we are saving them for the final day, also wearing the medals at the end!! They've began logging in miles and we've enjoyed the sunshine on those days!! It also doubles apart of Leanna's daily homework for her physical activity log. They love the running more than walking!


What is Kids Run This Town Virtual Challenge?

This is a month long event that will encourage kids ages 2-14 get out there and run or walk!  Here’s how the event will work:

For the month of OCTOBER your little divas and dudes will log their miles.  Let them borrow your gps watch, measure the distance in your neighborhood or let them run on a track…. we aren’t being exact here – but PLEASE try to be as accurate as possible!!!  Keep a log for each day they walk/run.  At the end of the month we will post a form for you to fill out to log their miles.

We will tally up the total miles for everyone participating and see who RULES THE ROAD – is it the DIVAS or is it the DUDES!!!

The winning gender will be the “prize pool” for the grand prize – but we will have prizes for BOTH genders!!! Miles are only to be counted from Oct 1st – Oct 31st.

"Don't wait to for inspiration to find you; BECOME IT!!"

Runner's Rant!

It's been a fabulous fitness-filled morning! Les Mills Pump called for a WALK!

I loaded snacks, fresh apples we picked yesterday evening, into the double jogger and headed out on the pavement as soon as Leanna went off to school, 9AM! The weather has been absolutely amazing, I couldn't stay indoors!! We started with a warm-up and once we got on the road, I made my way into some "easy" running, Whew!! I had to continuously remind myself, to take it EASY, especially running uphill. Stupid Knee, Impatient Runner. Yeah, Yeah! 

Once, I got to flat grounds, I picked up the pace and we made our way to 2 MILES!! There were a few other Runners and Walkers too. The girls stayed in content and playing peek-a-boo with each other. I had my music on blast, can't go wrong with No Doubt!!

We took a [bumpy] hike towards the lake. It's such an amazing view from every which way you turn, sun shine shining through, squirrels running around the trees, birds chirping. So calm and I needed that, I really did. I needed to push my energy into something positive. 

[Happy Girls enjoying the view]

[Feeling FABULOUS; Day 4 of NO COFFEE!!]

 

  After a walk around the lake, I made a stop on this bench and got busy with some PUSH-UPS & TRICEP DIPS; 5 sets of 10 for each. Because there's no excuses when you have fabulous weather, kids and the great outdoors! Take advantage and make it happen! I was hurting after 2 miles and a hike down to the lake; it's worth it, making my way to my fitness goals!! 

 After this Mama got her workout in, baby girIs enjoyed some park time, and the fabulous weather!! After naptime, we are heading back out with all 3 girls in tow, to start logging in MILES for the KID RUN THIS TOWN Challenge!! And, picking Blackberries!! 

"Don't wait to for inspiration to find you; BECOME IT!!"

Moms Run This Town!

Whewww!! Morning was a little rough, getting out of bed to kill early workouts has been harder. The cold mornings have me wanting to remain under the blankets! But, I'm a Mama on a Mission to shred those lbs and leave them in 2012!!


Les Mills Pump Week 6, Day 3; Done!! Followed by Rehab Stretches! Whew!!

Caught this snapshot of my girlies. Y'all know kids can be a [very sweet] handful, and they certainly are no exception but all they have is me. We got to [FINALLY] Skype with our man last night. They were full of smiles, I was too, it's been a month since we saw him last and we are looking forward to Skyping with him AGAIN, in a few days when they hit the next port. I often get praise for making workouts a priority & getting them done while having 3 kids. And, I always comeback saying, you can do it too. YOU just have to WANT IT! You have to make time, make it happen. They don't always cooperate.....this leads into today's Moms Run This Town Morning Run!!



The weather was absolutely perfect, and my girls were in/out of the double jogger. Which was okay during walking intervals. We spent the entire morning out on the pavement, picked blackberries too, excited to make jam!! Yesterday, I made a batch of homemade apple butter from the apples we picked on Monday, we came across a surprise tree during a little hike. Leanna has a "weekly physical activity log" as a part of her homework, so we've been enjoying some fun after school activities. Tonight, it's SOCCER Practice!! This weekend we will begin logging in miles for the Kids Run This Town Virtual Challenge. Yayy!!!

We logged in 3.19 Miles in 1:15, a few running intervals with another mother runner. She is doing awesome and is ADDICTED!!!! WOOHOOO!!!



We are both SUPER EXCITED for the FIRST upcoming virtual race that a few Moms Runs This Town Members are RUNNING!!! My fabulous bling arrived TODAY!! I'm even MORE excited for the cupcakes we are grubbing on post-race!!

"Don't wait to for inspiration to find you; BECOME IT!!"

Rest Day: Runners Rant!!

Rest Day?! 

Oh, you mean "active" rest day, the day you still remain ridiculously BUSY but don't have to squeeze in a workout. Well, that was yesterday and now again, today. My knee has been click, click, clicking since Wednesday's Bootcamp, I was never a fan of LUNGES! And, was reminded why! Booo!!

I'm not even sure why I'm currently sitting my as$ on the PC blogging anyways,..well I am enjoying my Dirty Dirty Venti Chai Tea Latte.  Had to run to Target to grab a new dress for picture day since a stupid stain did not want to wash out from Leanna's dress. BOO!! I've got a few errands to run before an early evening meeting with my social committee members and then PTA Event tonight. Yep, 2 other roles I have besides, Mama, Wife, Fit Mama/Runner, etc....

RUNNERS RANT: Bum Knee Drama. I have my first Physical Therapy Appt on Monday, I'm a little nervous. The thing is, it has NOT been bothering me since my last appointment, almost 3 weeks ago. Well, until Wednesdays Bootcamp. It so happens to be the SAME knee, I had physical therapy on a few years ago, 5 years ago to be exact. I've tried NOT going upstairs as much since Wednesday, that's the only time it "clicks". I was happy for my comeback but there's still drama hanging around. I'll keep optimistic!! I'll keep optimistic!!
One the UPSIDE, I lost 6.4lbs in September; BIG DEAL!!! Even with my little running time, I've had plenty of other routines to keep me active and they are showing it. I'll have a Recap of PHASE 1 for Les Mills Pump!! I can't believe I'm going into Week 6 on MONDAY, halfway through the program!! Whoop! Whoop!!



October will be a Fabulous Month of Races!!
The Girls are registered for the Kid Run This Town Virtual Challenge!!
Local Moms Run This Town will have TWO Virtual RACES!!
Let's get those RUNNING SHOES tied and get MOVING!!!
Upcoming Races for October:

"Don't wait to for inspiration to find you; BECOME IT!!"