DO NOT GO OUT TOO FAST!

5K race time and yours truly decides to go out at a 5:38 pace and does the first mile at about a 7:30 pace...  One word - STUPID! It was stupid because my fastest 5K has been 29:08. I don't know what I was thinking but naturally, it all caught up to me at mile 2 then I ended up going a lot slower than normal. I ended up with a 29:48 race time, not a PR but one great thing came out of this. I had somehow managed to run, even if for a few seconds, at a 5:38 pace. WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!?! So I will take that very cool fact that I am getting faster and stronger and I'll let the slower race time slide because it's not always about the best race time, it's about having the most fun and enjoying it. I truly did with my great running pal and my super fast mini triumph!    

Weight gain... UGHHHHHHHHHH

Love this pic! Made me laugh heartily. I'm 3 weeks into Insanity and I have lost inches but managed to gain a few lbs. Not good! I'm meeting with a great friend of mine next week to go over my eating/exercise routine and she might switch things up a bit. It's the little changes that make the greatest  difference. Here's hoping a few tweaks here and there can get me leaner for my first full training coming up in July.       

Running in the rain.

Last year, on 06/27/2012, I realized what is stated on this picture.  I even blogged about it back then - http://mommyathlon.blogspot.com/2012/06/running-in-rain-my-first-time-and-tips.html

We drive past runners all the time before we are a runner. We see them strutting their stuff at 6am and we think "CRAZY". Then we see them running in the rain at 6am and think "CRAZY FOOL". 

One day, once you've found your groove running, you will be out smack in the middle of a run and get caught in a downpour. You think about going back home but this overwhelming sensation to take off and complete your run in the pouring rain consumes you. You smile and you realize, you're the crazy person you made fun of only you're not crazy, you're a runner, and runners run. In the heat, in the cold and in the rain.  It's what runners (we) do.     

Insanity Update

Insanity update - I started week 3 today and so far, I've lost 1" off waist, 1/2" off hips, 1/2" off each thigh and 1" off back/bust. Gained 1/4" on calves (each). That's 3 1/2 inches lost! I haven't lost any weight but I'm getting stronger and that's always what is important to me. 

Remember Mommyathlon has a private group page for ladies that are helping each other get through the program. If you are starting insanity today or any time soon, or if you already started and are feeling you need some push and motivation, please send an email to mommyathlon@yahoo.com and you can be added to our private support group!

Am I boring you?

The truthful answer would be "YES, please shut up!". I think this is what most of my family and friends think when I go into my running/racing schedule. It's hard for people to get exited about pace and miles unless they are into it. That is why I am incredibly grateful to the amazing running/fitness community I have found through facebook. There's always another Mommyathlon ready to say congrats or offer support when I'm in need. Unfortunately, I will continue to bore a lot of my friends...or recruit them! HA

Admit it ladies, we all secretly think of ways to get our best friends to join us in our journeys!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

Today we celebrate who we are and what we are about. Let's take the day for ourselves. May it be filled with love, laughter, happiness and a heck of a workout! 

Mommyathlon Motivator - Runner Unleashed

I had a great idea of featuring a different Mommyathlon every week as a MOMMYATHLON MOTIVATOR. There are so many amazing mothers out there doing so much that it's great to see them, promote them and let them inspire others as much as they inspire me. The running mommy community is strong and full of wonderful examples.

I began this week with a mother who was diagnosed with scoliosis when she was 14 years old and was told that she would never run again. A mother who underwent back surgery, pain, therapy and built herself up one slow step at a time. A mother who went on to complete her first marathon and became a Mommyathlon. This is her story - read it, live it and believe you can overcome obstacles that come your way. 

Thank you to Gelcys for sharing her story. Follow this amazing Mommyathlon on facebook at Runner Unleashed and throw a like her way if you haven't already. You can also follow her web page: http://runnerunleashed.com/

The F word - fear.

Speaking to a great running buddy, the topic of fear of signing up for a full marathon came up. I remembered when I signed up for my first triathlon and it didn't quite go so well but I learned what I will need for it to go great next time. I signed up for my first full at the end of this year and I hope it goes well, and if it doesn't, I will learn what I need for my next one. In my book, fear goes down as the bad F word when it comes to moving forward with your goals. Fear keeps you from moving forward. It's time to let it go and try and try again until you succeed. We can all do it, we just have to jump in and keep trying. It has been said that "you always pass failure on the way to success". So let's pass it together!

Not now honey... I have a run planned.

Forget the headache or the I'm tired routine, the truth is out, Mommyathlons want their long runs on the week-ends! We spend all week catering to spouses, family, children, house chores, the making of breakfast, lunch and dinner, the washing of clothes, homework, bedtime, driving to extracurricular activities and the list goes on and on. The one thing that is ours and ours alone is that long run on a Saturday (or Sunday) morning. Something happens to us busy moms where we leave the stress of the week behind and get home refreshed and ready to start a new week. Unfortunately, sometimes this coincides with free romantic time (this pic was inspired by a true story, shhhh)... So when the situation arose, I got curious and asked my fellow Mommyathlon friends how they felt about this.  Sorry to say it gentlemen, you are all going to have to let your ladies sleep for their long runs! Mommyathlons want their rest above all else. Yeah, we are that dedicated and that fierce!

Pass The Stop Sign

How many stop signs do we see every day? How many times do we begin an exercise routine and stop because of one reason or another? We doubt our ability. There's something magical about the sport of running. The more you run, the more you believe you can go farther. Sure enough, in time, you are reaching distances you never imagined.  So it brought me to a thought, pass the stop sign when you get to it. Pass the reason, pass the excuse for stopping, and keep going!    

Insanity - Does it work?

My second half marathon is over and now what? I'm registered for about 9 races, a couple of 5K's coming up this month, a few duathlons, maybe a triathlon and all my big races don't start until November. That leaves me with a lot of time to rest and recover from months of long runs. I decided to try something different and purchased the Insanity program that everyone is raving about. I started last Monday so I am only one week and two days into it and I have to say, I'm really enjoying it. It's a hard workout but it's good and it's intense. I think this will help me build strength and speed for my 5K's and it might just help me drop those last 10lbs before training season. It also keeps me from going bonkers over not running. It's crazy but I miss my running badly. I'm still running but have toned it down quite a bit to give my legs and knees a good long hard rest before I begin full marathon training in July. I still miss my runs - if someone had told me I was going to say that last year, I would have laughed and laughed...

So does Insanity work - I don't know, yet! I've gained 2 lbs since I began the program but I've also lost 1/2 an inch off my waist and 1/2 an inch off my butt. I think I need a couple of more weeks before I can give it a thumbs up or thumbs down. I've switched  from a scale to a measuring tape for the present. The scale can be once a month but I'm going by inches right now. 

I also began a private group on facebook for those doing the program and it's a great incentive to do it since we are all reporting on days we do it. We can also suffer together through the tough workouts with others that understand exactly how we feel. 

Incorporating runs with the workouts has been easy since I was doing so many miles per week but I wouldn't advise to doing that unless you're coming off of a strong running background. I've also started the dreaded speed work runners talk about - that is hard! I'm hoping it pays off when I go into my 5K's this summer - I will soon find out as my first 5K is coming up at the end of this month! Wish me luck.