weekly workouts

monday::
i dropped in to crossfit ironside in west chester for a WOD. i'm new to this whole thing anyways, but going into a new place by myself? that's so not me. but i'm working on getting to the point that i don't let fear of what might happen keep me from doing what i want. so i went, and it was fun! one girl even came up to me and told me she thought i was super brave for dropping in. that she's always wanted to when she travels but she'd been scared. i was so touched that she said that to me.

We did a hero WOD for the 4th of July called "Daniel". In honor of Army SFC Daniel Crabtree who was killed in Iraq on June 8, 2006.

for the first 50 pull-ups i did jumping pull-ups, which was a modification i hadn't done before. for my first round of thrusters i did 65# (Rx Female) and realized i bit off more than i could chew. i've never been coached on thrusters so probably not my smartest move. for the second round i scaled back to 60# and that helped. for my second 50 pull-ups i did ring rows. my time was 23:14.

tuesday::
WOD class at Y

wednesday::
5 slow trail miles! (1:14)

thursday::
rest day

friday::
rest day

saturday::
2.69 stroller miles at the park (31:40)

sunday::
CrossFit Invictus WOD

first workout in my new shoes! they did great and i ran a mile afterwards and they were pretty good for that too. 

totals::

8.69 miles + WOD running

2 WODs

Weekly Workouts

Monday:  1 hour Boot Camp

Tuesday:  5.5 treadmill miles

Wednesday:  rest day

Thursday:
WOD (Crossfit Invictus)
A.
For time:
Run 1200m
40 alternating dumbbell snatches (25#)
40 toes to bar (i used the thing you put your elbows on and pulled my legs up that way)
Run 800m
20 alternating dumbbell snatches
20 toes to bar
Run 400m
10 alternating dumbbell snatches
10 toes to bar

B.
Two sets of Landmine Rows x 6 reps

*I went to the gym in the AM, childcare had a wait list. I went back that evening and they were having a damn class in the functional fitness room. Which is fine, JUST POST IT ON THE DAMN SCHEDULE. That's why there is a schedule. GRRRRR. So I didn't time this because I had to improvise and wait for people to get off equipment. Whatever.

Friday: rest day

Saturday: 6 mile run

Sunday:  7 mile run

Totals:
18.5 miles + WOD and bootcamp running
1 WOD

Weekly Workouts

Monday:  rest day

Tuesday:  squats and lunges throughout the day at work

Wednesday: 5 treadmill miles after work, plus box jump work

Thursday: 1.5 mile walk plus YMCA WOD:
     AMRAP
     10 pull ups
     1 legged burpees with BOSU 5 each side
     15 KB squats
     10 spiderman push ups each side
     15 deadlift 65#

Friday: 5 mile trail run after work

Saturday:  Crossfit Cupcake WOD (with brother!):
EMOM x 10:  1 clean and split jerk (I did a more simple movement after failing to grasp this one)
10 RFT:  3 pull ups (with a band)
4 RFT:
    800m run
     10/5/5/5 rope climbs from ground
     40 ft DB walking lunge (40#)

Sunday:  rest day

Weekly totals:
11.5 miles plus WOD running
2 WODs

Less than last week, but I still felt good about this week. I worked an extra day and also we drove to KY to celebrate E's birthday so it was a busier week in general. I was happy fitting in the workouts I did.

cherokee harvest half marathon and 5k

so last year i ran the half marathon, you can read about it here if you'd like. this year i signed up for the half again, but i didn't train properly. soooo, 5k it was.

cherokee is about an hour away, and honestly, there aren't many 5k's that i'd drive that far to run. but this one is well worth the [beautiful] drive. the leaves were all changing and the weather was perfect.

they started the race with a prayer just like they did last year and i really liked that. the course itself was pretty flat, very scenic.

check out all the swag we got:

long sleeved tech shirt, nike N7 tshirt, and a recover brands hoodie that is SO SOFT.

isn't that a pretty medal?

i was pretty happy with my time, all things considered. although i feel like i've been saying that about my running ever since the marathon. which was 7 months ago if you're keeping up. too long ago to still be an excuse! i'm excited to actually prepare for a race and give it my best effort. right now i'm looking ahead to the runthebluegrass half and the flying pig. not sure what race/races i'm doing in Cincinnati, but hopefully i'll get that figured out soon. the last thing i want to do is sign up for too much/too long and do half assed training because my heart's not into it.

so anyways, i HIGHLY recommend this race. either one, they're both great courses and they give out great swag. i always appreciate races that put the racers first and they do everything to make this an A+ event, and a great experience for the racers.

i wore this shirt for the first time and it was bittersweet. i bought it last year when sherri was still with us and planned on wearing it and sending her a picture. i know she's smiling down on me, but man i miss her a lot.

i'm a kindrunner! what kind of runner are you?

if you all are anything like me, you've got a pile of running shoes that are laying around your house. just off the top of my head i can think of 4 pairs of mizuno wave riders. they have too many miles to keep running on them, but they still look great and are fine to wear to the gym or walk in. i usually just end up taking them to goodwill at some point or sometimes my local running store takes up shoes to send to some people who need them. 

anyways, enter the best idea ever... KINDRUNNER.

their new site is launching on june 1st and i cannot wait! i love when a company comes out of no where and meets a need. but on top of meeting that need, they are reducing the buildup in landfills and getting shoes to people who might not have them otherwise. LOVE IT. i am so happy to be serving as an ambassador for this innovative company!

i'll have more details on june 1st, but here's the gist of how everything will work...

• ship your used sneakers to kindrunner [free shipping]
• they pass these shoes along to their partners [like Soles4Souls]
• they'll credit your account with kindness cash rewards for each pair you send in
• you can use the credits to buy new shoes! 

as if all this weren't reason enough to hop onboard... they are also a full service online running store! they have a combined 40+ years of experience in the field, so you're sure to get great advice on all your shoe needs! 

check back on june 3rd, and i'll have all the nitty gritty details for you!

also, head over to their website and enter your email address for a chance to win free running shoes for a year for you and a training friend!

Kindrunner website

Kindrunner Facebook Page (giveaways and announcements!)

Kindrunner on Twitter

Kindrunner on YouTube

Kindrunner on Instagram

.: 2013 goals :.

.: running :.

• finish a 30k to celebrate turning the dirty thirty
• run a sub 2 hour half marathon
• run a sub hour 10k
• finish a full marathon
• maintain my mileage around 15-20 miles per week after the full. 

.: weight training :.

• after the marathon, get back to a full out finess poynters plan [i've been doing a modified plan while my mileage has been increasing].
• i don't really care about lifting PRs, i mostly want to get back to the consistent schedule that i was in before i started bumping up my mileage. 

.: reading :.

• read at least 12 books from  the Modern Library's Top 100 Novels list.
• finish reading the Bible (i'm in Song of Songs right now). 
• read at least 10 non fiction books. 

.: spiritual :.

• join a connect group at chuch [sunday school class]
• finish beth moore's 'john:  90 days with the beloved disciple' 
• pay more attention to where God's leading me. 

.: everything else :.

• limit computer time to 30 minutes a day on work days, an hour on any other days.
• lose the last 5 pounds... then MAINTAIN. 

that's a LOT of goals! but you know what?

30k for my 30th birthday!

i have issues. i love to run races.

earlier this week when i realized i technically had saturday morning free [brad's parents were going to be here, but brad was working saturday morning and i figured i'd be done by the time they got up] i immediately started googling for local races.

i found just what i was looking for... one of our local running stores [foot rx] was having a blackjack 5k. have you all ever done one of these? it was my first, but it definitely won't be my last! here's how it worked:::

• race day registration only (yay, since i waited so late to sign up i was really thankful that i didn't get charged an arm and a leg!)
• $10 to sign up (double yay) which goes into a pot
• when you sign up you get to draw your first card
• you get a second card at the halfway point
• when you cross the finish line you can hit and take one more card if you like. 
• the pot is divided between however many people get 21, or if no one gets it whoever has the highest total without going over.

there were 20 of us running and it was a great time. my first card was a 10 so i was hoping for an ace at the halfway point. i drew a king. when i crossed the finish line (30:07) no one had hit 21 so i stayed. one of the last few people hit 21 so i hit and got another face card. oh well. 

it was a great time and a great way to get my total mileage for the day up to 12 miles (i did 7 on the treadmill before the race, then another 2 outside after the race). 

another good thing that came from me doing the race::::

i had been looking for races that line up with my marathon training plan [aka 'if i'm going to do long runs id rather do some of those miles with the encouragement that the racing environment brings'] and i found the Frosty Foot 30k [also put on by Foot Rx]. unfortunately the 30k was already sold out when i found it. but aaron [owner of Foot Rx] mentioned on saturday that if anyone still wanted in to let him know. i spoke to him after the race and i'm in!!! 

i'm supposed to run 16 that day, so a little more than what i'm scheduled to run. that should be okay, right? my larger concern is that it's a trail race and the elevation profile isn't posted... how do i end up in these situations? funny thing is, i couldn't be more excited!

rear view mirror:::: september 2012

running::::
after a slow two months, i picked it up [a little]. finished with 38 miles for the month, but more important than the numbers, i finished my first half since july. i was beyond worried that i would struggle [new meal plan, new workout plan, etc] but as Jill mentioned to me, apparently cross training suits me! 

i finished the cherokee harvest half marathon, which was number 7 of 12 in 2012. it really hit me this month (the one year anniversary of my first half marathon) how far i've come. this time last year i'd just finished my first half and who knew i'd have finished 8 total now! it really is proof that you can do what you want. i used to think running a half was crazy talk. now i've signed up for my first full [and that IS crazy talk! lol]

weight training::::
september wrapped up my 11th week of my new training plan. i am losing the weight slowly but surely. it's crazy how strong i feel though! i really wish i had one of those things to measure body fat percentage... I think it'd be very interesting to see how much that has changed. another interesting thing, i actually weighed what i do right now around april of this year [then managed to gain back the 18 pounds i'd lost plus some] but my clothes fit SO differently from how they did then. i put on a pair of capris yesterday and they literally almost fell off. it was awesome! so even though the scale might be moving a little slower than i'd like, i know i'm gaining lean muscle in the process and that's VERY important to me!

reading::::

crossed:  i am really enjoying this series but unfortunately the last book doesn't come out until november. it's a cross between the hunger games and the maze runner series. set in the future where the government has decided that we are overstimulated and it keeps us from reaching our full potential. so they get rid of so much  art, writings, etc and leave them with the 100 paintings, 100 songs, so on and so forth. they also match them with their mates and kill the citizens on their 70th birthdays. but there is an uprising and a love story involved. 

this is why you're fat: i downloaded this book while i was in tybee in june. i was out of books and i was also mad at myself for how i'd let all the weight i'd lost come right back. i quit reading it when i decided to try the fitness poynters plan. i went back and finished it when i realized that the third book in the crossed series wasn't out yet! it all made a lot of sense, but i didn't agree with everything in it. her meal plan is pretty good though. if you want it though, i'd recommend getting it in printed form vs. the digital copy. it's a book you'd need readily available and want to be able to flip through it. 

left behind & tribulation force: i am really enjoying this series. i'd started reading it a few years back [my mom had read them and recommended them] but honestly they scared me and i wasn't ready to read them. now i can't put them down but when i do it's mostly to spend more time reading the Bible. i know they're just one person's interpretation of the end of times, but i've really enjoyed them and they've helped me to become more focused on my walk with God. 

life::::

• my best friend got married last month! we traveled to ky for the beautiful ceremony which was in a vineyard. it was so wonderful to celebrate with friends that have become family over the years.
• we were able to drive up to cincinnati after the wedding and watch the reds play with brad's parents. they're in the playoffs so brad's pretty pumped. 
• i held a bridal shower at my house for another one of my friends that's getting married. it was the first thing like that i've ever hosted and i was pretty pleased with how it turned out. 
• i got to drive home and see my family and also my sweet aunt who is battling breast cancer. i always love time with the fam and it was especially great to see sherri. she's an amazing person who's fighting a battle right now. it would mean the world to me if you all would keep her in your prayers.
• brad took me to the pumpkin patch (my favorite fall activity)!

getting back to running

for the past 10 weeks my health/fitness priorities have been completely dominated by the plan that Steve [at FitnessPoynters.com] made for me. the breakdown looks something like this:

weight training x 5 days
abs x 4 days
HIIT cardio x 3 days
regular cardio x 3 days

my original plan was to run on the 'regular' cardio days, but when i dove into the plan, that quickly changed. during the first week my mind/body was  mess. the meal plan was such a radical change for me [not that the meal plan is radical, just more that it was the polar opposite of what i'd been doing] that i was worn out for the first little bit. and heaven knows i'm not running the day after leg day... or the next two days!

i've slowly added more running back in, but my longest run in months have been several 5 milers. i wasn't too concerned because my next race was in november and i figured i had plenty of time to get ready. but then i ended up getting off on a saturday that i thought i'd be working... and you know i just had to sign up for a local race... a half.

did i mention it's in two weeks?

my plan is to slowly continue to build on my base, and i WILL walk/run the half. pretty soon i'll begin marathon training and the last thing i want is to be injured because i rushed into a distance i wasn't ready for.

i am very happy to be running more again, and i'm really excited for some fall races!

tell me about your fall races!!