Tag Archives: running

Mac Turns 2!

Daily Life!, Food for Thought, , , ,

Hey everyone! I feel like I’ve been scarce around here for some reason. It’s been a hectic beginning to my week, so I’m very thankful to have tonight off of teaching. I love me some Jazzercise, but I also love me some time at home with my doggie, Mac!

And speaking of Mac, he turns 2 years old this month!

IMG_2260Ahhh look at that tail wag. Just ignore the hair in his eyes. He is going to the groomers in the morning for a spa day. 🙂

In honor of his big day, Nick and I did a little gift shopping after my run on Saturday.

IMG_2262We picked up the cutest hoodie/sweater and a chew bone that stands up on its own! Mac had troubles paying attention to mommy with that bone around.

IMG_2264That’s better.

I’m so thankful for my little guy each and every day. He is always so happy to see me when I get home, and then snuggles into bed with me each night. He’s spoiled, but it’s for good reason. I love him! Plus, he’s cute so that makes him extra easy to love.

IMG_2266The sweater fits perfectly, and he’s been wearing it just about everyday as the temps have dropped to the mid-50’s here in Springfield. He’s not a ‘fufu’ dog, but he definitely enjoys being warm and cozy in some nice sweaters.

And in other news, I signed up for my FIRST HALF MARATHON!! I’m beyond excited! I’m going to be running the half marathon in the St. Louis Track Club‘s Frostbite Series in January. I feel like I have a good base for my training after preparing for the 10K, so I’ll just continue my running to increase my distance between now and January 25!

Any words of wisdom for this first time half marathoner?! Any advice is appreciated. I’m going into this pretty blindly I feel like even though I’ve done tons of research. Comment and let me know any awesome tips you may have to offer!

Morning Run & Breakfast

So in honor of finally registering for the half marathon (I’ve been thinking about it for a while now), I woke up bright and early today to complete 7 miles around my neighborhood. I completed it in around 59 minutes and felt great the whole time. The temps were in the low 40’s, and I was still comfortable. I’m sure my attitude will change as the temps keep on dropping during these months of training I have ahead of me.

I ate breakfast as soon as I got to the office, so it was my typical grab-n-go style morning meal.

photo(79)Luna bar. Banana. And yogurt. The Luna bar was extra chocolatey – I loved it!

Lunch

The morning went by quickly and I was headed home for lunch in no time! I started with a big salad full of romaine, spinach, snap peas, broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower.

photo(77)I topped this baby with my new favorite dressing, Lite Balsamic Vinaigrette, and a few dried cranberries. It was super tasty! And I finished off the rest of my meal with another bowl of the spicy chili I made on Sunday.

photo(75)Yum!!

And now I’m just relaxing at home, trying to catch up on some household chores that have been pushed aside so far this week. I also need to set up a good training plan for this half marathon so I’ll have some good guidelines to keep up with during these next few months. Should be a productive evening!

Have a good one, and I’ll see you all tomorrow!

Sunshine Run 10K

Daily Life!, Workouts, ,

Well, I did it folks! 10K has been completed and totally dominated. IMG_2254Yesterday morning I ran my very first 10K in the Sunshine Run 10K here in Springfield, and I had a blast!

The day started out rainy and stormy, so I was definitely awake early and worrying about the weather. My race was at 8:30 am, so I was sure to wake up by around 6:30 to get some food in my belly and be sure I had everything ready to go. I had some Cheerios and an apple to keep it light on my tummy. And of course I had my typical morning coffee – just not quite as much as normal.

IMG_2245I was dressed and ready to head out with Nick by my side around 8 am. The race started at Hammon’s Field, home of the Springfield Cardinals, which isn’t too far from my house. It was also absolutely POURING rain at this point, so I was in no rush to get there early and stand in the rain. 🙂

IMG_2246See all the water on the field? It was intense. Luckily right as we arrived the rain started to lighten up, and it was totally done by the time I got to the starting line.

IMG_2247 IMG_2238The rain definitely kept the numbers down. I went to the starting line probably 5 minutes before race time, and I was still way up in front. I was getting extra nervous at this point!

IMG_2240This was also my first timed race, so I was worried about my chip the whole time. Silly, I know. It stayed right in place the whole 6 miles.

We took off quickly, and I settled into my normal groove of running and breathing. I don’t listen to music when I run outside, so I tend to focus on my breathing a lot. It paid off too! I found a good set of people to help me pace easily, and the 6.2 miles flew by. It was a ‘down and back’ course, which isn’t my fave. The course seemed to be uphill the whole return trip though, which kept my mind off the course itself and more on me picking up my feet and not passing out. 🙂

IMG_2249 IMG_2248Nick caught these photos of me right outside the stadium which is where the race ended. I was so happy to see him cheering me on and to know that I was almost done! The race ended after one lap around the outskirts of the field. This is where I got completely muddy and gross! But with the finish line in site, I didn’t mind too much.

IMG_2250Woo!! I ended up running a little more than 6.2 miles (I was not hugging the inside of the track enough!) in 50:54 officially. My pace was 8:10 per mile which is my fastest yet!

IMG_2241And with those numbers, I was super happy but completely pooped.

IMG_2253I’m exhausted and sweaty in this photo. Can you tell?? HA! And look at this fancy pose…

IMG_2256I’m super cool, I know. 😛

IMG_2242And here is just a taste of all the mud that got slung up on my legs during my final lap in the stadium. Yuck!

They handed out bananas, Greek yogurt, and protein bars along with lots of water after the race, but nothing sounded good to me for a bit. So we headed on home where I finally stomached some yogurt and showered off. It was such a fun time!

This was way different from the other races I had been in though. I showed up just on time to run, and then I headed home as soon as I caught my breath and had some water. It wasn’t the most fun race as far as activities and huge crowds, but I still loved it, especially since I was so happy with my time. 🙂 Plus I placed 61st overall, and 2nd in my age group. Woot! And for the record, I really don’t care about all the numbers and stuff. I just set out on this run with a goal of finishing strong without any walk breaks. And that I did with ease! So it’s a win in my book.

The rest of the day consisted of relaxing and lots of eating to fuel my running tummy! I got on my comfiest outfit and we headed out to lunch at TGIFridays.

IMG_2258Ha. Once again, I’m super cool. I had a grilled chicken salad with lots of blue cheese, avocado, and a balsamic vinaigrette.

IMG_2259I had one happy tummy. It was the perfect post race meal. It just took me a while to gain my appetite, but no worries, it showed up and hasn’t quite gone away yet!

Overall, I’m really proud that I completed my 10K without any issues, and I’m hoping that I have many more races ahead of me. Running is tough, but it’s extremely addictive. I love it!

IMG_2272Have a great night everyone. I have something yummy cooking in my Crockpot for our dinner on this nice cool, Fall evening. Recipe to come asap! See you then!

10K Anticipation

Daily Life!, ,

Happy Thursday! I hope you all have had a great day so far. My Thursdays tend to always be awesome since it already feels like the weekend is here. And today has been a good one as well!

Since I started yesterday with a long run (8 miles), I decided to sleep in this morning and delay any crazy morning workouts until after my 10K on Saturday morning. I always feel lazy when I sleep in and don’t workout before my workday, but sometimes an active body just needs some rest! This is something I’m slowly learning, and it’s not been fun.

I’m in complete and utter anticipation-mode of my first 10K that’s on Saturday! I’m so excited/ready/pumped about it! I’m also ready to get it over with. Races are so fun, but the anticipation is killer! I feel more than prepared enough to be able to finish the 6.2 miles without any issues. So I’ve got my game face on….like this little guy…

baby memeHaha sorry, I couldn’t help it. He’s so darn cute.

Nick was planning on running with me but has run into some health issues this week, so I’ll be heading out on my own during the Sunshine Run. Although he promised to come cheer me on from the sidelines. 🙂

I’m slowly learning that running and races can be quite addictive. I’ve only run two 5K races up to this point, and I’m already hooked!

photo(73)I betcha can’t guess what my first run was?! The Color Run was my very first race which took place in April of this year. Then next came the Glow Run 5K!2013-09-14 18.56.00 And now this weekend I’ll add my 3rd race, the Sunshine Run, which will also be my very first 10K. I hope I get a medal at the end to add to my wall!!

Depending on how this 10K goes, I really think I want to sign up for my first half marathon. I found one in St. Louis on January 25. I think this would give me the perfect amount of time to train! And we could stay with Nick’s family for that weekend as an added bonus. Have I mentioned I LOVE his family?? Well I do. So stay tuned folks. My first 13.1 may be in the near future!

So here’s a sneak peek of Katie‘s professional wedding photos!

903434_10201964979628258_2035155224_oCute, right?! I’m so excited to see more from her big day.

Well enjoy the rest of your Thursday night. Yay for the weekend starting tomorrow! Friday’s are the best. I’ll be taking it easy in prep for my race – hopefully you can get in some relaxation time as well! See ya then!