5 more minutes please!

twas nap time in the Cunningham house
not a creature was stirring,not even a mouse (ok so maybe the dog needed to go outside)

so....both my girls went down for a nap. it was free time for mommy. what should i do?
sweep and mop the kitchen floor?
sort laundry
do laundry
fold laundry
vacuum living room
wrap presents
clean bathrooms?
take a nap of my own?
catch up on blogs?
clean out the kids toy boxes and donate to goodwill to make room for xmas toys on the way?
go through M's clothes and put away the ones shes outgrown?
oh,the possibilities are endless.....
nap time for both girls is rare,so i needed to take advantage of my time...so much to do and so little time-
so what did i do????

i ran on the TM.
i was trying to be like EMZ!
20 minutes into it,lil M woke up (she fell asleep in her swing in the living room,where i was running)
great,i at least wanted 30 minutes,but would settle for 25..
5 more minutes,mckinnley-pooh!
30minutes in,she was still watching me run,content as she could be...
5 more minutes baby girl!
40 minutes into the run,her binky was spit out but she wasn't fussy...
5 more minutes sweet girl!
55 minutes, she was talking away,jibbering at me and even laughing!
ok,baby girl,let me reach 7 miles and then we will play!
one hour and 3 minutes,i had 7.1 miles under my belt and then it was play time with M.

after play time she was in the front pack,dishwasher loaded,kitchen counters cleaned,laundry sorted,2 loads of laundry done,living room clean,(but not vacuumed).....
talk about feeling productive!

now its on to take a shower and go to my sons xmas party at school (briefly-alex is feeling better but still not 100%)

i feel so much better after that run! i needed that! have been feeling slightly discouraged with my progress lately due to all the gym time I've been missing,so running was a good way to vent off stress!!!

anyways
off to being supermom....
happy Tuesday!

another sick day....

it really is Monday!

ok, now both my girls are sick again. M with ear infections (still) and A with fever and not feeling well at all!
SO no gym for me today and tomorrow.
i tell ya,flu season is always hard on my alex.
and its hard on mommy and daddy.
i am blessed with the best husband ever.
he stayed awake all night with alex (while i was up all night with M)
he took our son to school so i didn't have to get the girls out in the cold.
we didn't know there was a 2hr delay for schools but there was,
SO hubs took Bailey to work with him for 2 hours until he had to be in school.
so now, my husband is the coolest guy ever in my sons eyes. he will be talking about going to work with dad all week,I'm sure of it!

anyways,
time to get my lil M and TRY to get her to eat and sleep for longer than 20 minutes at a time.
she is a baby bear.
grumpy and fussy.
but she is still so stinkin cute,i cant be mad at her at all!
even when she s mad as a wet hen,she is still be sweet little baby!
:)

hope all had a great weekend and are gearing up for the holidays!!!

this,that and the other

so its been a few days,and a busy few days at that!

my son was out of school on Thursday and Friday,due to 4 inches of snow.

i made it to the gym on Thursday,not Friday.

Thursday was chest/triceps and 5 miles on elliptical

got in:

4x15 cable press ss with

4x30 dirty 30's

*2x5 unassisted dips*...just to see if i could. (before pregnancy 4x15 with weight..BLEH!)

giant set of:

4x12

DB chest press with arnold press

DB flys

Pushups of ex ball



4x15

skull crushers ss with

dips off bench with feet on ex ball



Friday,took lil M for 4month check up and Alex's 2nd round of the flu shot.

my lil M has a double ear infection.......again.

the only symptom she had was ear pulling and not wanting her bottle on occasion.

no fever,no cold symptoms...nothing like my other 2 kids would experience?

weird,
but she is on antibiotics.......again.

so no gym on Friday.

spent the day watching the older 2 babies play in the snow and build a snow man,and of course taking care of a grumpy lil M!!!



BUT after a LONG day of xmas shopping today,i was able to sneak in a good workout!

(*no rest between sets,just long enough to setup for next exercise*)

got in superset of:

3x1o front squats

3x15 Russian dead leg lift



superste of

4x30

DB walking lunges

4x15 hamstring curl on ex ball



superset of

4x15 lying leg curl

4x30 weighted ski lunge



superset of

4x30 lateral bench jump overs

4x30 Russian jumps from high box



superset

3x15 hip abd

3x15 hip add

then ended with 4.5 miles on the TM

running makes me happy!!!!
AND i had a BRIEF moment of happiness when i saw 6 pack abs yesterday morning!
but they faded as the day progressed...
*sigh*
someday,SOON,like next week soon,(hoping!)i will see my abs again. I'm tired of them playing peek-a-boo with me!!
20 weeks out today
7 weeks until prep is official
i am so ready.
ready to get the workouts in again
and of course the speed work!
i miss running FAST!
i miss feeling strong!
i miss my abs!

they WILL be back though,and it will be soon!
:)

hope all enjoy the rest of the weekend!

what the deuce?

so today was leg day and i was sore before i even started.....what the deuce?
i usually enjoy leg days cause they make me feel strong and i love that jello feeling-
TODAY,however,i had to drop weights....a lot.


sooooo


the workout that made me feel a weakling?


4x15 leg extensions with


4x25 weighted ski lunge as active rest


4x15 hip sled ss w


4x15 SLDL


4x15 lying leg curl with


4x28 weighted jump lunge for active rest (half of these were jump lunges,half were just weighted reverse lunge-i lost my jump after 12!grrrrrrrrrr)


4x20 hip abd


4x20 hip add








lil M sums up what i looked like during the workout:


































whining,crying,mouth agape,muttering curses to the equipment.....

ended the workout with an EASY 3.1 on the TM


left the gym feeling like i should have ran at least another 12 miles,just to make me feel better.

i am SO looking forward to contest prep starting!
AND i have convinced my workout partner to do the show with me!!!!!
well, she will be doing the bikini division. the show in May is a super show,including the amature show and pro show in one day.
so glad i will have someone to go through prep with!!!
tis coming up on that time of year again!
AM cardio
HIIT's
crazy workouts,
more cardio
my plan this time around is to incorporate marathon training within my contest prep....
the higher mileage in conjunction with more intense speed workouts will keep me lean,and make me one lean,mean running/lifting machine!!!

AND
i am registering this week for another 1/2 marathon in may.
the marine core 1/2
it is scheduled 1 week after the show!

good things are coming in 2011,i can feel it!

hope all are having a great Wednesday!

back attack

so im back in the gym again! whoooooo!
even though i felt very weak and barbie-ish,still got in a good workout!

supersets all the way
got in
4x15
wide grip rows
4x21 21's

superset of:
4x15
hi cable pulldowns
4x15
lateral curls

giant set of:
woodchops
kneeling lat pulldowns
weighted cablecrunch downs

giant set of:
hammer curls
roll outs on ex ball
knee tucks on ex ball

ended with 3.3 miles on the TM
my legs are STILL sore from the 1/2!

but its all good.
glad to be back in the swing of things,even though this week will be tricky to get the workouts in.
i will get in the workouts and miles,have to,need to!

:)

unnofficial results and random rambles

so i checked the unofficial results a little bit more closely and found out
1)chip time 1:48;14 which is an 8:15 pace
2) 4/40 in AG...and the gal in front of me was not in AG-(she was younger)the #3 gal in AG was 1:41 something-i was 4th by a mile...literally!
3) 117/526 overall
4)21/228 female
5)my pacer buddy Rich was only about a minute behind me,and i was off on his age by 10yrs...geez I'm horrible at guessing ages!!!
6)i was probably off a bit in my mile splits from last post-those are guesstimates after the 3rd mile...but mile 9 was right at 1:11:11....
:)

anyways,the above pic-my new,shoes the finishers medal and 13.1 sticker which is now proudly placed on the back of the rear window!

hindsight is always 20/20 after a race,especially in regards to not doing as well as hoped.
i know i wasn't prepared for that 1/2! and id be lying if i said i wasn't disappointed in myself.but cant do anything about it now except focus on getting better from here.
I'm still planning on a PR in 2011,hopefully with both 5k and 1/2 times....I'm also hoping 2011 holds good things for figure shows.....
training starts in 7 WEEKS!!!!
i am 21 weeks out now for an IFPA pro show May 7th.
hopefully 20 weeks from an NGA pro show in April...
typically i can get by with 8 weeks of prep,but this time around I'm giving myself 12/13 weeks. bouncing back from this baby is proving harder than i expected.
now granted,I'm fitting back in all my old clothes,but I'm not back to where i want to be just yet (and where i want to be,which i WILL be in 7 weeks) is back to my "normal" self-back to being "in shape" (my version of in shape,which translates to a 6 pack,being able to pop out 10 unassisted pullups at any given moment,and having my speed back to where i was prepregnancy.....


wouldn't trade a minute of being pregnant because the end result is priceless:


lil M singing to mommy
and lil M laughing

and a random post about babies,figure comps and races wouldn't be complete without a picture to show where i put all my keepsakes from the races and shows:

the left is racing/running stuff,the middle is my husbands trophies and my swords for figure and the far right is figure stuff....

2011 will be a good year to add more hardware!!!

more random stuff-

it snowed here,a whole inch and some,and schools were on a 2hr delay. that means that i couldn't go to the gym bc school time was an hour later than my scheduled gym time and child care for M.

so no gym today but will pick it back up tomorrow!

did anyone else get snow?

1/2 mary recap and things i re-learned along the way

wow,what a morning and what a race!!!!!

so ill try to make this brief..

woke up at 5:30am (the snooze may or may not have been hit a few times) had a cup of coffee and a small bowl of cheerios. i wasn't hungry at all.

was *supposed* to leave my house by 6:15 so i could get registered @ 6:30.

ummmmm,how bout i leave at 6:30 on account of trying to move my husbands new(BIG) truck and not being able to figure out how to release the parking break for about 5 or minutes.once i figure it out and leave,i get 3 blocks away and have to go back home cause i forgot my cell phone...

anyways,i get registered in plenty of time,pay my late fee and get a cool shirt and 2 of the coveted "13.1" decal stickers.

rewind to last night to the conversation i had with my husband

him: your going to pay how much for this race?

me: only $50,i missed the early registration AND the online registration

him:well,since your not going to win this one(no worries,not an insult here),why don't you just not register,save the $, and just jump in and run?

me: well,i MIGHT place in my AG. last years 3rd place was 1:47. i can do that?yeah i can.

him:well, you can do what you want. if i were you,id just skip the register and run. but you do what you think is right....

me: OK

fast forward to this morning....i went ahead and paid,just on the slim chance i had at making top 3 in AG,and oh yeah,for the shirt!

:)

anyways. all of us get corralled in the start chute. the gun goes off and it is a slow walk to the actual line. i saw sue way in the back,i was in the middle. i knew she would catch me eventually.

so my mind set going in was to take it slow the first few miles and then pick it up if i felt good.

my legs felts good.

mile 1: 8:04

not bad,and then i hear sue,she tells me to stay with her and we take off.

mile 2-15:12

umm sue,we are under 7:30 pace! she doesn't hear me cause she's rockin out her ipod.

mile 3-22:20

sue takes off,and i let her. there was no way i could hold that pace for another 10 miles!

then i hear loud huffing behind me,and an older man (mid 60's maybe?) came up beside me. he tried to pass me but i stuck with him and told him he was doing a great job. we got to talking and found out his goal time was 1:45 as well so we agreed to try to stay with eachother.

mile 4-30 something i think?

i am feeling good so far.i am warming up,gloves come off,jacket is tied around my waist. i dressed to warm,even though it was 30 degrees out and raining/misting. great a hill. here comes the lead runner,already made the turn around. we are conning up on mile 5 and he is about to be on mile 8. big cheers for him!

mile 5-38:30

still doing good. keeping pace with Rich,we are chatting and encouraging everyone we see.here comes another hill! and here comes military man carrying the American flag,so a HUGE "hoorah!" from me and about 10 other runners...how cool is he? i keep military man in close range up the hill.

mile 6-46:20
bleh,slowing down some down to 8:30 pace. need to pick it up. so i coast on all the down hills in hopes to make up for lost time going UP.

eh,getting winded a bit,

mile 7-54:18
better! and now here comes the dirt and gravel and a zillion puddles to jump in. this mile is long.rich has fallen behind and I'm yelling at him to stay with me...i think i said something like "you better get back up here,I'm not slowing down for you because if i slow down i wont be able to pick up the pace!"
and then there he is again,and we huff and puff to the next mile..

mile 8-1:03
eh,slowing down again,time to keep it even from here on out. on the loop at this point,i hear more loud "hoorahs!"and see the American flag again.
mile 9-1:11:11 (weird i remember that!)
I'm telling myself that if i keep an 8 min mile pace from here on out,i can get under 1:45!so in my head i am saying,ok mile 10 needs to be at 1:19!
mile 10-1:19:30....
my legs are dead. but ill take that! 1:27 for next mile-i pick it up a bit and leave Rich behind.i still hear him behind me though and through the next few rolling hills I'm encouraging everyone i see...the good thing at this point? EVERYONE who was volunteering for this race was cheering EVERYONE on! it was so cool! but its never a good sign when the lady with orange flag directing everyone says to me,"great job hun,but now the REAL fun starts here,stay to the left please!
and the the fun starts
mile 11-right at the start-BIG HILL "hospital hill":1:28

this was so not fun. every muscle hurt and i was laughing and cussing under my breath the whole time. cheerleaders half way up. i get a "your looking strong! looking good!" even though i smiled and said "thank you!" i was quick to follow with a"but looks are deceiving!" in there,lol!

after a brief incline and a turn,more encouraging words are said at the 12 mile marker
"great job! just one more hill!

mile 12-and right at the start of it,another HILL!!: 1:38

omgoodness! im just praying that i can finish this.no way can i get a 7 min mile up this thing when im already dead.just hang in there melissa! 3 females pass me up the hill. they all look older than me,out of my AG. then a pack of 5 men pass me up. im feeling humbled,tired,sore and my right foot has been tingling since mile 4. dear lord help me up his hill!(which isnt as bad as the last one!)

so i follow runner girl up the hill and lo and behold im hearing the music at the finish! i see mile 13!

mile 13- 1:47:26
crap! so much for 1:45!
runner girl picks it up and i stay with her,but she out ran me and had me by a few seconds,
oh well.
i finish 1:48:06 by my watch,
1:48:14 by gun time.
my worst time ever!
(BUT i so earned that 13.1 sticker today!cant wait to put on the back of my early xmas present...a new vehicle! whoo!)

atthe line,my body feels beat. i refuse the foil wrap and walk for a minute. i chat with sue-she got 1:38 flat.

i knew she would race,ha!

so i think i might have a chance at an AG placing. i change out of my sweaty top,but forgot dry socks! really?

i hang around until unofficial results are posted.during this time i met so many nice ppl! a lot of running moms actually! i felt so in my element here,enjoying the commradity between all us runners,and of course,everyone was complaining about those hills. it is just wrong to place those things right at the end!

but,deep down i enjoyed it,just wish i was more prepared.

turns out i placed 4th in AG. missed 3rd by a few seconds. guess that girl i front of me was around my age? geesh,i can never tell these days!!
oh well. bottom line, i had fun,in the sense that only runners can understand.
(who else enjoys running 13.1 miles in the cold rain and wind?)

one thing i do know is that next half,i WILL see the 1:30's!

things i re-learned along the way?

simple things i already know.

eat a good breakfast. a small bowl of cheerios doesn't cut it. i felt wiped out by mile 10.

stick to the plan of starting off slower for longer distance races. my first 3 miles were too fast to sustain over 13 miles (for now that is!!)

NEVER wait until race day to break in a new pair of running shoes.NEVER. the balls of my feet were tingling most of the race.

accept the foil blanket after the race.

remember to bring dry socks.

refuel immediately after the race,even when not hungry.waiting almost 2hours afterwards isn't a good idea.

STRETCH the day before,right before,and right after the race.

remember to register early when possible.....

so that's my long recap! for those still reading,bless your hearts!

now its time to try to relax with lil m. i feel so drained right now!!!

anyways,hope all are enjoying the rest of the weekend!

i am such a barbie!

so after ????? days of being away in the gym,i was finally able to get in there this AM.
the girls are all better now (just praying the boys stay healthy now-both are complaining of sore throats!gah!)

got in 30 minute abs class which totally.kicked.my.bisquits.
i am already sore if that says anything at all!
then it was time to meet up with my lifting partner and wow,i felt like a total pansy wussy barbie girl. VERY weak feeling,had to drop weight,and we only did 3 sets of 15 of everything...
bllleeeeehhhhhh-big time ego crusher today!
hopefully the last time for a while that i miss this much gym time...3 trips to the gym in 3 weeks just doesn't work very well for me,both mentally and physically!

anyhoo
the barbie workout:
3x15 of
kneeling lat pulldowns ss w
rope curls
wide grip row ss w
hi cable curls (12,10,8,8 here)
straight arm lat pull ss w
mofos(3x21)
giant set of
incline flys
incline prone hammer
lateral curls

ended with 30 min on TM
saving my legs for sunday's 1/2 marathon

WHICH,as I'm sure I've stated several times,but i cant stress it enough how ill-prepared i feel for this. i know i will be racing another 1/2 in the spring,and i am GOING to get 1:30-1:35 for that one.
but this race? even 1:45 sounds like a long shot....
i guess all i can do is get out there and run and see what happens.
my strategy going in?
run conservative the first 4 or so miles(8-8:30 pace) and if i feel good,then aim for under 8 min miles
OH and also,im going to try to keep sue in my sight. she *says* she is not racing this,but i know better. if she feels good,she will race,and if thats the case,i wont see her until after the race,lol!

anyways,nuff with my rants,gotta grab some lunch and have some play time with my alex while my lil peanut butter is sleeping!

happy friday yall!!!!

i had triplets

ok,this post has nothing to do with running or working out. i thought this too interesting not to share:
below..my first born son,Bailey

he is about 5 months old.
Below,my second born baby,my first daughter,Alex:

she is about 5 months old.

AND below is my 3rd born baby,my 2nd daughter, lil M

she is right at 4 months old.
tell me i didn't have triplets,7 years apart!!!!

12 mile dawn patrol

ok so maybe it wasn't dawn when we ran,we waited a little bit so it would warm up to at least 30 degrees....
we were running uphill,against the wind half the time though!
got in an easy 12 miles all around downtown,through the college,up hospital hill and lots of other hills in between...pretty much the same course we will be racing next weekend.
this will be a tough race,and as i mentioned in my previous post,i have come to accept the fact that the whole having a baby and then expecting to be fast immediately afterwards,is pretty unrealistic....and humbling to say the least.
I'm not expecting a PR,but i do want under 1:50,preferably 1:45 or less,but not sure if thats going to happen...

anyways
hope all are enjoying the weekend and are staying warm!
its starting to feel like Christmas around here with the cold temps!!!

sneaky workout and run

so lil M is still feeling miserable these days-


long,late nights


BUT when my sweet little angel FINALLY took a good,deep sleep nap with her teddy:


i snuck out of the house to the gym
to be honest,i wasnt motivated when i left the house.

even when i got to the gym i was like,ok lets get this over with....especially since it was really busy in man land-all the stuff i wanted to use was being taken over by testosterone. so i went to machines,did some dumbbell and core work and ended with a little jog...

got in:

4x12

lat pulldown

4x12

seated row

4x12

prone reverse fly on incline bench

superset with

4x15

prone DB hammer curls on incline

giant set of:

3x20 hip ups with med ball between knees

3x20 weighted up and overs with oblique twist

3x1 minute plank pushups-alternating bt plank on elbows to plank on hands

3x15 standard curl

giant set of:

3x12

roll outs on ex ball

pikes on ex ball

25 v-ups

15 lateral DB curls

i found my groove while doing abs and felt like a machine!

ended with 30 minutes on the TM (3.3 miles~9 min mile pace)

saving my legs for dawn patrol with Sue

we are planning an EARLY morning long run,with hills....in the cold,maybe snowy,windy conditions. (and yes,i feel less crazy when i have someone to do this with! ha!)

can yall guess which plan im going with?

:)

no trying to set a PR,cause i know my body isnt ready yet. this whole having a baby and trying to be fast again instantly isnt realistic after all......but i tried though!



anyways,in other news,when i had gotten home,lil Mwas just waking up from a 3 hour nap (no i wasnt at the gym for 3 hours,but she was asleep for over an hour before i left)

so glad she slept so well for daddy!

now lets hope she will sleep good tonight???

humidifier and nebulizer machines all set up,whoo!



one thing that has been helping with lil M,even when she is not sick are these 3 things i never had with my first 2 babies

1) a binky

2) a lateral moving swing

3)a sound machine



why didn't i have #2 and #3 sooner?

ahh well,

anyways,hope all are having a good weekend!

i know i am feeling much better after that sneaky workout. i was jonsing and finally got my fix!

sickness,setbacks and sleep deprivation

well,now that my Alex is semi-over her sickness, little M has been sick. sick. sick.
fever over 103,cough,snot nose,respiratory issues,ear pulling,loss of appetite--
turns out she has an ear infection in conjunction with RSV.
SO antibiotics,breathing treatments and LOTS of TLC.
she is a little better today,02 sats are up,fever is down. better but still not well.
even though she isn't feeling good,she has really been loving all the mommy cuddle time(and so have i!-my husband has been able to come home early the past couple of days to help with the older 2,so its been a little easier to take care of M-shes been a high maintenance mommy's girl lately!)
she is so pitiful but she is still so dern cute when she cuddles her little head on my chest and grabs her teddy and falls asleep!

since the girls have been sick,i have missed gym time and running time. i am set WAY behind for the 1/2mary coming up.
i am also WAY behind on sleep! imagine that one,eh?

so on to plan B or C
plan B:
TRY to get in speed workout tonight on home TM when kids are asleep
TRY to get in 10+miles on Sunday (early while kids are sleeping)
next week:
TRY to get in gym at night after hubs gets home OR
TRY to get miles in on home TM when possible
next week would be taper week for 1/2.....

OR

plan C:
skip the half marathon and do the 5k instead
TRY to get in speed work on Saturday this week and tues/thurs of next and try to get my 5k time down from last race
TRY to get in gym at night....

plan D
in regards to sleep-
i'll sleep when im dead

*TRY*----pending on how the girls are feeling.i would feel bad going to the gym at night when lil M is still wanting mommy all the time. not that daddy doesn't do a great job with her(because he does),but when she is so sick,mommy is all that she wants.

now granted,i love the gym and racing and still NEED that aspect of my life to feel sane,but kids come first.

however,that still doesn't stop me from feeling ansy/agitated without getting my daily*fix* of exercise.
i CANT WAIT to get back in the swing of working out again!!!!
i am jonseing something fierce!
heres to a healthy days ahead,and good times in the gym in the near future!
hope all are having a great week so far!

bath time Mckinnley!

even though there are stressful days of motherhood,its times like these that makes everything so worth it!

gotta love the giggles before bath time! cant believe how big this lil baby is getting!

hospital hilll 9-10 mile run

woke up bright and early to meet sue to run the course of the 1/2 marathon coming up.
28 degrees when we started running,33 when we ended.
good run. slow(for her) but enjoyed the company. i finally had someone to run with,who is just as crazy as i am,so it was all good! she is a faster runner than i am,so it really helped me try to keep up,especially during the hills.
found out that "hospital hill" is at mile 10,and another hill is at mile 11.
and while hospital hill is not the steepest hill i have ever ran,it is a LONG hill and i can imagine that by the 10 mile mark in a race for a distance i haven't raced in almost a year,my legs will be shot.
they were burning today while going up,and i wanst even going fast,i was just trying to go up the dern thing without losing sight if sue,lol!!!
anyways, great beautiful scenic run all throughout the town,and now im home,still trying to warm up and taking care of my sick girls.
yes alex is still sick. still has fever. still has cough,still has blisters in the back of her mouth,even after antibiotics. and now my little M has started to cough and have a runny nose. no fever yet,which is good. but her appetite is down and she is grumpy.
hoping its just her reacting to the colder weather change?

looks like no gym for me on Monday
grrrrr

anyways time to cuddle with the babies,
have a happy sunday yall!!!

giant sets and hill repeats

what a workout.

i havent done hill repeats in YEARS,so i decided to TRY them on the gym TM...

oh my!i really felt out of shape doing those-only got in 4x400 repeats..I'm such a barbie pansy!!!!

but before the TM was the giant sets of chest/tri work.

this was short,to the point and left my upper body feeling like a blob of useless jello.

MINIMAL rest between giant sets-just long enough to set up for next group of exercises-

what i got in:



4x12 giant set

DB skull crushers on ex ball

dips off bench with ex ball under feet

kickbacks with twist



3x12

DB incline chest press with arnold twist

DB fly

pushups off bench with hands on upside down BOSU (got in 7 this time,each set-whoo!!!!finished the other 5 without BOSU)



4x15

cable crossovers

reverse pressdowns

standard push ups until failure....



3x15

roll outs on ex ball

pike on ex ball

standard crunch with med ball on ex ball



THEN

*attempted* inclines/hills on the TM

1 mile warm up

hill #1-400m @7.0,6% incline

jog 400m

hill #2-400m @7.0, 9%incline

jog 400m

hill #3-400m@ 7.0,12% incline

jog 400m

hill#4-400m @ 7.0,15% incline

jogged 400m

finished another 1.5miles @ 7.0mph



i thought i was going to die on the last "hill". felt just like a fish out of water. could hardly breath!!!

gah! talk about a workout that made me feel like a totally pansy barbie girl!!!!



i know what i need to work on now!



anyways,hope all are enjoying a wonderful weekend!!





if you cant hang with the big dogs,stay on the couch and look cute!

results and black friday workout

happy black Friday!
just checked the official results from the 5k.
7/145 in AG
213/2481 overall.
almost 2500 runners?
22:14 chip time
22:40 gun time-i thought for sure it took longer than 26 seconds to get from where i was to the start??
oh well,even though i didnt set a PR by a LONG shot,
i cant complain too much. cant wait for next 5k to see if i cant be in the 21's,and hopefully the race after that i will see low 20's again,and then in the spring,it is game on to get under 20min....

in the gym today i did a back and biceps workout
got in 4x12 pullups
the first 3 in 2 sets were unassisted. gah! i feel like a barbie!
superset 4x15
prone reverse flys on incline bench
prone DB curls on incline
superset 4x15
kneeling lat pulldowns
straight arm lat pull downs
superset 4x15
rope rows
mofos
superset 4x12
woodchops
single arm hi cable curl
ended with 7 miles on elliptical

planning on chest/triceps tomorrow and a long hilly run on Sunday with sue. which btw pictures of her show are posted on www.essentialfitness.com
under the 2010 Mnt Rodgers Bodybuilding and Figure Show results
she is the tiny gal in the middle,with a red suit,#91. those pictures do not give her legs justice!
:)

anyways,i hope all are enjoying a great Friday-was anyone up at the wee hours of the morning shopping via stores or online?
(i wasnt-i was awake at the wee hours of the morning due to my sweet lil M, she was mommy's party girl last night!)

thankful thursday

i know i have so much to be thankful for this thanksgiving-
health
family
my children
motherhood
my husband
the health of my husband and children
food
shelter
clothing
all the necessities of life,including the unconditional love from hubs and my babies. I'm so thankful my husband loves me for who i am and what i am-the health nut running/pro figure mamma with OCD tendencies.....
I'm so thankful for my 3 miracle babies. i never knew my life could be so full of love and laughter until i was blessed to become a mother....

i have been browsing blogs and 2 of them really stood out in my mind
the first is heather, and the second is EMZ...both are running mamma's and i find them both very inspiring women.
their posts seem to capture the essence of motherhood and life in general...
check out what they have to say!


http://www.runfastermommy.com/2010/11/mommy-thanks.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+RunFasterMommy+%28RUN+FASTER+MOMMY%21%29


http://royalpitatoias.blogspot.com/2010/11/i-was-just-thinking-teitur.html
HAPPY THANKSGIVING !!!!!!!!
remeber the simple pleasures in life today,
dont focus on what you DONT have,but rather on what you DO have...
life is to short not to be happy!!!

turkey trot 5k recap and other ramblings

holy huge race batman!
over 2,200 runners!
crazy costumes,(indians,pilgrams,santas,brides/grooms,elves,wild outfits,etc)
crazy crowds,
but crazy fun!!!!
so race is at 9,i get there at 8:15 thinking i have plenty of time to register and warm up and what i need to do before the race. welp,seeing as i had to fight my way through traffic,park about 3 blocks over,stand in line for 20 minutes to register,go back to the truck to take my jacket off,brace my knee and find some gloves.....you get the idea,so i jogged my way to the large crowd gathering,did jumps and all that stuff and tried to get at least in the middle of the ridiculously large crowd towards the start.

the gun goes off and we all start off at a snails pace. i have no idea how long it took me to cross the actual start line. but i do know is that even after i crossed the start line,i was boxed in and couldn't RUN,i couldn't take off like a race horse because of so many people!!!!i do the best i can to go around others,i see neon orange shirt guy cut a path so i cut over and get behind him to see if that gets me anywhere faster. kindof. im still boxed in and weave in and out of the gaps i see. my pace is sporadically picking up but i feel i am going so slow!!!
mile 1 comes up fast...7:08

really? sure didnt seem like it. i tell myself to keep that pace up and be at mile 2 before 14:16.
the course is slightly hilly but marked well,and i just focus on passing people up,one at a time,and of course trying to find gaps to run in to keep from being boxed in! it is still elbow to elbow at this point!
all i do is look at the feet in front of me, try not to let anyone pass me and pick people off,one at a time. before i know it mile 2 is here!--14:11
really??
i felt like i was going slower than that! at mile 2 i am still boxed in to a degree,so i pick up my pace and tell myself mile 3 needs to be less than 21:22

finally things aren't as crowded. i pass gray hat guy,and then he catches me. we start passing people up at the same pace,i try to stay ahead of him but he stays with me. i cant shake him off my heels! we pace off each other,each refusing not to let the other get ahead.
im glad he was there because right before the 3mile mark i wanted to slow down,but i didn't. i tried to keep pace. and then up ahead mile 3..
21:20
what????
some guy pukes to the left of me,i swerve to my right and then gray hat guy zooms pass me.i cant catch him and while im trying,puke boy sprints ahead of me and pukes AGAIN....gah!bleh!ick! so i jump the puddles of puke and run on down the finish....
22:14
afterwards i hang out at the finish and cheer the others on,and then find gray hat guy and thank him for keeping me at a little a 7:06 pace.....

then i waited a bit for the unofficial times to be posted.
i *think* i placed
11/123 in my age
203/2240 overall
42nd female overall
i know I'm off some on those numbers but will post the official results once i know!

anyways,that's how my day started off! i hope my husband and children can go next year,they would have a lot of fun!!
and now its time to go cook some thanksgiving ham!
whooo!!!
i hope all of you have a safe and happy thanksgiving!

i know we will here.
even though we aren't traveling back home to TN,we are still celebrating T-day with our family of 5. little Mckinnleys first turkey day!!!
as it turns out,this time last year i was pregnant with her and didn't know it yet. i was wondering why my running times weren't dropping and why i felt so winded even on an easy run. i thought i was getting sick...HA!
little did i know the little miracle that was growing inside of me!
i am so thankful for that little turkey,and my other little turkeys as well!!!
so much to be thankful for in life!!!!

i encourage all of you to remember the simple pleasures in life today,and to be thankful for everything you have been blessed with!!!

happy thanksgiving!!!!

tempo run in my living room

yup,its been 5 days since I've been in the gym,5 days since I've ran.....
my Alex has been s.i.c.k
and still is sick.
strep throat.
respiratory infection.
high fever.
nasty cough that makes her puke.
nasty antibiotics that make her want to puke.
it hasn't been fun the last few days!
very little sleep for all of us!
but my husband was able to get off work a little bit early,grab some feel better things for Alex,ie push-up Popsicles for her throat and M&M's for bribery to get her to take her medicine.
hate to to say it,but the M&M's worked,and meds have stayed down .....so far (knocking on wood)

so instead of going to the gym,i ran on the home TM while hubs and the older kids played the Wii and lil peanut butter Mckinnley took a power nap in her swing.
got in 6 miles,4 of which a S-L-O-W "tempo"
mile 1-warm up @ 6.0mph (10min)
mile 2-8:47
mile 3- 8:27
mile 4-8:05
mile 5-7:40
(was planning/wanting another 2 miles-7min and 6:30pace just to make me feel like a runner,but someone was stirring in her swing,and to be honest i felt out of running shape)
mile 6-9:50-cooldown

the baby woke up just when i was finishing.
after this slow tempo i realized how ill-prepared i feel for this 5k in 2 days,and the 1/2 marathon in 19 days.
maybe its because i missed 2 crucial running workouts over the past 5 days I've been MIA?
i don't know. just feeling a little discouraged. i know i will get my speed back,but I'm being impatient.
just how i was impatient about fitting back into all my old clothes after M was born.
however,i am very proud to say that i am fitting in everything again....even my skinny jeans!
whoooooo!
I'm not where i would like to be at yet,but am making progress!!!
now hopefully i can start seeing progress with running!
my goals over the next 19 days?
not miss another speed workout
improve my 5k time from last race
be faster than i was the last 1/2 i ran (while preggers) the time to beat is 1:44
even though i REALLY want to see 1:34- 1:36
Marine Core 1/2 marathon 2011 will be my PR,i can feel it!

hope all are having a great Tuesday!

bitten by the bug again!

both the competition bug,and the cold bug(,will get to that in a minute....)

i went to a bodybuilding/figure comp over the weekend to cheer my friend on,and i have been bitten by the bug!!!

not only did my friend take 1rst place in female bodybuilding,but she did so with grace,poise and some killer quads! (her nickname is quadzilla btw!)

I'm proud to say that this was her first bb show and over the past 8 weeks we have been working together to get her posing down,and she totally rocked that stage!!!

and whats even more impressive,is that this little bitty 45yr old woman,all of 4'11 tall, ran a full marathon 2 weeks ago and BQ'D!!!(qualified for Boston marathon!!!!) for those following along who aren't runners,qualifying for the Boston is equivalent to being invited to the Arnold classic.....

i am so proud of Sue! she is my hereo and i hope that one day i will be like her when i grow up!

she is also an endurance sport junkie(marathoner,triathlete,etc) who happened to fall into the realm of the bb/figure world!

i will post pictures once i get them.....


anyways,so off my brag box-

needless to say i am getting excited to compete next year and in the meantime i am excited about gearing up for races!!!!

having said all that,i haven't been to the gym since Thursday and probably wont be able to go again until Wednesday. i missed speed work on Friday and a long run yesterday...
*sigh*
tis that time of the year for crud.
my daughter Alex was sick on Friday,better on Saturday,but woke up early yesterday with high fever and croup cough. still the same today.fever is way up,then down,then right back up-respiratory issues call for breathing treatments every 4 hours or less. poor thing. she has been sick like this all of her life and flu season is really hard on her!
i do hope she feels better soon!!!
i too am having some sort of cold bug or something. i felt a cold sore start to come up on Saturday during the show,by late Saturday night,i had 2 large cold sores,by Sunday morning i had 3 HUGE sores on my upper lip,and now i have 4 HUGE cold sore BLISTERS on my top lip! i look like someone who had waaaaaaaaay to much botox,either that or a lip injection that went horribly wrong,lol! my lip is so swollen and gross looking!
i hope this doesn't hinder my running. i still have to get in speed work tomorrow and a race on Thursday?

hoping this whole family feels better soon!!!

hope all are having a happy monday!!!

gah!

bleh ick! my alex is pueky sick so no gym today!!!
as usual my vomit-phobia is kicking into high gear and the germaphobe has been unleashed!
please say prayers the rest of us stay healthy!!!

OH and a good luck wish to talia and sue who are competing this weekend!
good luck gals!
rock that stage!!!

thursday workout

an ok workout. didn't have the intensity as yesterday,but got in great BOSU incorporation

4x12 pullups (2 sets close,2 sets wide) 2.5 of these were unassisted.boo!
4x15 wide grip hi cable pull down BOSU
4x15 straight arm lat pull on BOSU
4x15 close grip rows
4x15 rope curls on BOSU
3x10 hammer
3x10 lateral curl
3x10 standard curl

ended with 40 min on elliptical

giving my legs a break to gear up fpr tomorrows tempo run. my legs are STILL sore from Tuesday. and my chest and arms are sore from yesterday. i love that feeling!

in other news:
woke up to my workout pants feeling looser on me today! whoo!
and i am fitting into my goal workout outfit now,another whooo!
i will take measurements again on thanksgiving,and may even post some progress pics either then or closer to xmas....
i am finding that so many people are just curios as to what my belly looks like post baby.
truth be told,i am only sporting a 4 pack now, my obliques are faintly starting to show and my loose skin is getting tighter,although not yet gone entirely. I've got 2 added stretch marks across my navel in the form of an X. weird!

ahhhhh,but one day soon i will have my abs back,all 8 of them!?
:)

8x400 repeats,GREAT workout-and got a flushot for good measure

holy core work and repeats batman!!
totally awesome workout. chest/tris/abs--giant sets and supersets all the way.
started off with some good ol titty effers,melissa style
3x12 of:
giant set
DB chest press with arnold twist
DB flys
pushups with feet on ex ball,hands on upside down BOSU-talk about core work yall! could only get 5 of these and did the rest w feet on ex ball!

giant set of
3x18
skull crushers
3x10 close grip dips off bench with toes on ex ball-another core workout!
3x12 pikes off ex ball

giant set of:
3x25 hip ups with med ball bt knees
3x20 up and overs with alternating oblique twists
3x12 roll outs off ex ball

giant set of:
4x15
cable crossovers
pressdowns
reverse pressdowns
upper body is toast...
was looking forward to repeats today.
what it was:
10 min warm up @6.0
8x400 repeats.
first 6 were @ 6:57 pace
last 2 were @ 6:53 pace
jogged 400 inbetween @ 8:34 pace
5 minute cool down
got 3.75 miles in 29 minutes- an average of 7:46 pace.....
next week will bump up the repeats to 10x400 and plan on bumping the speeds up slightly. 8.7 feels comfortable,so next week will try to get out of my comfort zone?
other than having cramps from you know where,i felt good. my knee felt strong today.
the only negative thing i was thinking(aside from praying my uterus wouldn't fall out): its a little bit harder to do repeats than the standard 1 min on/1 min off HIIT i have been doing,but in a good way. my body needs this change up to get faster over longer distances.

anyways,in other news....
i got my first ever flu shot today. alex held my hand the entire time.
since I've never had the shot before,I'm scared it will make me sick!
the only reason i got is bc my husband *strongly encouraged* it. flu patients are being seen in the hospital now and he tells me i DO NOT want the funk thats been going around here. mamma cant afford to be getting sick!

so keep your fingers crossed we all stay healthy this year!!!!

happy Wednesday yall!

rainy tuesday= gym time fun

WOW! a good workout today. i knew i would make up for yesterday! my workout partner was back today,so it was easier to get myself in the gym,knowing i would be held accountable!!! i woke up to rain and aching joints,but knew i needed to get the work done,so opted for some gym time fun.....
so what we got in today,on this rainy bleh tuesday:

4x15 superset of:
lying leg press with
SLDL
4x15
Bulgarian split squats
4x15 superset of:
lying leg curl with
4x30 weighted ski lunge
4x15 superset of
leg extenssion with
weighted sumo squat with explosive jump
4x20 superset of:
hip add with
hip abd

ended with an easy 5 miles on TM

left the gym with jello legs and it felt GREAT!

the rest of the week POA:

wed-chest/tri/abs and 8x400 repeats @ 5k pace (6:53ish)

thurs-back/biceps,4-6miles easy run

friday-light legs/abs-5 miles @ 1/2 mary race pace (7:38 or below)

sat-back/chest/shoulders-low impact cardio (elliptical or bike)

sun-9-10 miles,maybe light bi's/tris.....
so hopefully i wont have to deviate too far from the new POA!

in other news,last week my husband went to my sons school for career day-here are my two favorite boys in the whole entire world:

and here is my hubs and a whole lot of 1rst graders!!!!

i love my man!

:)

24 hour notice...

well, i knew something would get in the way of working out this week.

at my gym,all children 12months and under have to have appointments in order to assure proper staffing for the younger children. so i forgot to schedule lil M on Saturday,so i called last night at about 5:30pm to get her scheduled this week.

turns out have to give 24hr notice-meaning i couldn't be in the gym until 5:30pm today.

that time does not work for 2 reasons:

1) that is her fussy time

2)that is time i start cooking dinner

no way am i going to leave a fussy baby girl in the child watch,and no way i was going to interrupt family time for gym time.....

so today has been active rest and spending time at the park with my kids....weather is getting cooler here and not too many more days we can be outdoors playing!!

in other news,i am so ready to hit it HARD this week!!! i have to re-arrange things in my POA,but i cant wait until i can look like THIS again:

and yeah,a couples month before i got pregnant,my belly looked like this:

working my way back to where i was!!

happy monday!

L(ish)SD

well i FINALLY got in that 10 miler today....

S.L.O.W. 1:37 slow (9:42 pace)

but i did feel GOOD. the weather was beautiful,the course i ran was rolling hills and full of fall colors.

one of those days it just felt good to be alive and have the ability to run.

my knee felt good while i was running. it twinged on the steep downhills and is aching now,after the run,but nothing a little ice and advil cant take care of,or at least i hope!



tomorrow the plan is 4-6 easy miles,

Tuesday-low impact cardio,

Wednesday-9x400 repeats,

Thursday -4-6 easy miles,

Friday -a 45min tempo run,

Saturday- active rest/low impact cardio

and Sunday another longish run-9 miles



now that i have the running plan down,i have to re-arrange my workouts so that leg days/plyos don't happen on Wednesdays or Fridays-i want fresh legs on speed work days!



Monday-legs/shoulders/abs

Tuesday-chest/tri

Wednesday-back/ bis/abs

Thursday-legs/shoulders

Friday-chest/tri/abs

Saturday-back/bis

Sunday-LSD



so thats the plan,hopefully i will be able to follow it to a T,but i know how life can get in the way sometimes!



anyways,hope all have a great rest of the day,Monday is fast approaching!

knee troubles.....shoot.fart.dangit!

i was so pumped today to do a pace run. i was supposed to be doing 5 miles @ 1/2 marathon pace (7:38 or less-7:38 is 1:40 pace-i want to see 1:30's but don't know if i have time enough do get in the speed!4 weeks left!)

my knee would not have it today.
it felt FINE until about 20 minutes before go time. what exactly happened,i have no idea. but my knee doesn't feel "right". patellar tendinitis maybe?

so instead of causing further damage to myself,i did 7.5 miles on the elliptical.
time actually went by pretty fast,since i had lists and lists of training plans running through my mind.
anyone else like that?
or is it just me.
ahhhhh! i do hope this is not turning into an injury.
taking it easy has never been my strong suit,so "resting" will be hard.

if i feel good in the morning,and wake up early enough-ie meaning staying awake after lil M's party,then i will hop on the TM and *attempt* a 10 miler. and i mean a slow 10 miler at that.

see what i mean?

"rest" today was non impact cardio."rest" tomorrow is 10 miles.

then ice and advil.....

as of now,the knee is feeling better,not aching or tight or twinging upon standing and walking upstairs.
will see how tomorrow goes!

i did make some slight adjustments to my 1/2mary POA..will post that later!

hope all are having a great weekend!!

back,bis and abs,oh my!

KILLER abs class today. i love it! 30 minutes of non stop cycles of 3x1 minutes sets(3 exercises,1 minute each,repeated consecutively,repeat 3x)....cant remember all that we did,but it was insane!

i didn't have time to catch spin,but i DID have a great back/biceps workout that left my upper body SORE.......

the workout:
4x12 pullups (2 sets close grip, 2 sets wide) and Abby,the first 2 pullups from the first set were unassisted. gah! i felt like such a pansy barbie girl!!!

4x12
giant set of:
standard lat pull down
reverse grip lat pull
straight arm lat pull

4x12
superset of:
reverse flys
rows

4x12
superset of:
rope curls
hi and wide cable pulldowns

4x10
giant set of:
standard curls
lateral curls
hammer curls

ended with 4.1 miles on TM (35 minutes-my right knee is still feeling weird)

you know its a good workout when your arms feel so shot you have to stop and set the baby carrier down,not once,but twice on the walk to the car....
maybe it was because i was doing giant and supersets that made it feel more intense?
i am loving it!
just hope the knee holds out for this weekend. i have a pace run (5 miles) tomorrow and a 10 miler for Sunday....
keeping my fingers crossed!

let me hear you

so its late and i need to be in bed,but i was running through some Ozzy songs (yes,i am a huge Ozzy fan!) and LOVED this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5JJy8Z4dNM

competition on the brain.
(last year i walked out to this: for my Pro debut
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnpHLcKyaJM )

unfortunately,i wont be on stage this year. not bc i don't think i would have been ready,but bc of travel and money. 2 back to back out of multiple state trips,wouldn't work very well for the family.
BUT i do have my sights set on spring FOR SURE i have to compete 2x next year before may to keep pro status!!!

in the meantime ill be a running fool..... im not going away!!!!

leg day and some easy miles

getting the energy to get in the gym was hard,but so glad i just grabbed my gym bag and went. sometimes just going through the motions of getting ready to go out the door helps.
and once i got there,i felt good and ready to go....
leg day today-

4x15 lying leg curl
single leg press
4x20 hip abd
hip add
4x15 single leg extension
4x12 DB SLDL
2x12 smith machine front squats superset with reverse lunges

my right knee felt super TIGHT doing that(even with the chopat on) so i stopped before i hurt myself.
went downstairs to cardio and got in 3x30 walking lunges with incline set as high as it could go,and then got in an easy 5 miles (8:45 pace) on the TM. my knee loosened up some so i am hoping it stays feeling good so i can get in a good long run this weekend as well as a good tempo run/faster pace run on Saturday!

tomorrow is back/bis and abs class. i could probably have time to catch spin class?

hope all are having a great Thursday!!

5x400 repeats,chest and tris,and feeling EXHUASTED

so today was day 1 of repeats,and i passed with flying colors. i felt SO GOOD during these!
but before i did repeats i hit chest and tris. hard.

got in:
giant set of:
3x12
incline db press with arnold twist
incline db fly
push ups off bench-feet on bench,hands on upside down BOSU-holy moly! could only get in 6!!
(thanks Genie,for this group of exercises you so lovingly call titty effers! this made me laugh,cuss and cry,all at once!)
4x15
cable crossovers
4x20
cable pressdowns ss with reverse grip pushdowns
4x12 kickbacks
3x30
dirty 30's
3x15 dips
giant set of:
3x12 roll outs on ex ball
3x12 pikes off ex ball
3x20 plank on ex ball with alternating knee to opposite sides

then the fun began on the TM
warm up 10 min @ 6.0
5x400 repeats @ 21min 5k pace
first 4 were @ 6:58 pace
(8.6mph)
last 400 was @6:53 pace (8.7mph)
jogged 400 in between repeats @ 8:34 pace
so basically 17:20 to get 2.25 miles in......
cooled down 1.5 miles @ 8:34 pace(7.1mph)

and i felt really good,meaning i felt i could have gone a lot faster.....
and which i will-i still have 4 more weeks to see what i can do with this.

in other news,i am feeling exhausted. yesterday was a complete rest day for me. i stayed home from the gym and had a pajama party with my girls. we literally stayed in our PJ's all day,and i was even able to sneak a much needed NAP in while M finally (after a few days) decided to take a rare nap. that little turkey is having such a hard time napping here lately! one would think that no naps in the day translates into longer sleep at night? HA! lil M is so loving her 4am parties! needless to say,ive been missing out on some sleep,and its catching up to me!
am about to make me some pumpkin coffee and chill the rest for a quick iced coffee in the AM before working out! whooooo!
hope all are having a happy Wednesday!!!

results of 5k

so i just checked the official race results and..........


little Mckinnley says that her mommy got 3rd (not 4th) overall female
AND 1rst in age group!!!!(not 2nd!) whoooo!

clearing out the cobwebs

today's workout was awesome!!!!
i was solo and was able to just hit the zone and focus with fury and really clear my head.
the workout:
4x15
kneeling hi cable lat pulls ss with
high cable curls
4x12 woodchops ss with
rope curls
4x15
close grip seated rows ss with
lateral cable curls
3x12 straight arm lat pull downs on BOSU ball ss with
wide grip pull downs on BOSU (wow these were hard! haven't done these since pre-pregnancy!!)
4x12
reverse DB flys on incline ss with
prone incline DB curls

then i ended with 5 miles on the TM,slow pace but felt GOOD. gave me time to get my thoughts about training well organized in my mind!!!

heres to a happy monday and a great rest of the week!!!

workout and 1/2 marathon POA

yesterday was my "rest" day after the race,ie no gym.in all honesty,i felt like dog poo after the race-just CHILLED to the bone and couldnt warm up! what gives?

BUT
i made up for it today though! legs with weighted plyos for active rest

4x15
lying leg curl
4x30
weighted jump lunge(10lb db)
4x15
leg press
4x10
weighted jump tucks
4x15
single leg extension
4x30
weighted ski lunge
3x15
platform lateral squat with DB
4x15
single leg wall squats with DB
4x1.5 min
wall squat hold with DB
3x30
plank on ex ball (elbows on ex ball)with alternating knee tucks
3x15
roll out on ex ball

ended with 3.3 miles on TM
legs felt pretty good at the slow place,looking forward to getting things started tomorrow for 1/2 mary training!!!
as i mentioned in a previous post,I've been doing a lot of thinking about training,albeit i have very little time to get in done (5 weeks)....

SO i wrote out my POA in my handy dandy notebook (yes,i watch blues clues,lol!)
hopefully this will work getting my speed up a little bit in conjunction with building my base. i have no doubts i can finish the full 13.1 miles,but finishing fast,or with the time i want? well all i can ask for is anything at or below 1:44 (time of last half-when pregnant with McKinnley-pooh!)

i will be paying close attention to tuesdays/wednesdays/saterdays and sundays (monday/thursday/friday will be easy pace days as well as lifting)

for those that are curious,read on,but for those who arent,just skip over it and come back tommorow! for those still reading-my POA:

week 1
tues-~5 miles easy
wed-8x400 5k pace (7min mile pace or below)
sat-5miles race pace (need a 7:38 pace to be @ 1:40,so i will try it there first,if i can sustain faster,i will)
sun-10 miles (long run days,outdoors when able)

week 2
tues-5 miles easy
wed-9x400 5k pace
sat-4miles race pace
Sunday-9 miles

week 3
tues-4 miles
wed-45 min tempo run (middle part at race pace or slightly above)
sat-5miles race pace
sun-11 miles

week 4
tues-4 miles
wed-10x400 5k pace
sat-3 miles race pace
sun-12 miles

week 5 (week of 1/2)
tues-4 miles
wed-30 min tempo
sat REST
sun- RACE

so we will see how it goes!!!!

anyways,hope all had a fab weekend and are ready to get the ball rolling on Monday!

5k recap-running uphill,against the wind

well, the morning started off hurried,but got there with plenty of time register and warm up. it was a cold,crisp morning-33degrees and *windy*.....
first the good news:
Placings:
overall-12th (out of maybe 60?)
females-4th
age group-2nd
Time: Embarrassing (for me) but was 1 minute faster than last race.......
now the recap:
registered,got my bib#,waited in the truck for a few minutes before i went for a "warm up" jog. got in about 15 minutes of light jogging to get my muscles warm. it was COLD and WINDY,so i kept moving!
before the start me and 2 other ppl were the only ones doing striders and jumps....
the cow bell is rung (yes,cow bell,the gun didn't fire!) and off we went.
the first 3/4mile is on a GRAVEL/dirt road.not fun,especially when dodging pot holes.
rolling hills. then i notice a large decline.fun! so i pick up my pace a little bit to make up for time lost on the gravel road. my legs are feeling good at this point,i can see the lead runner and i start counting how far back i am.17th.i count females. 7.
so i start to try to pick people off one at a time. pass up 2 females right away.
then catch another.
here comes the 1 mile mark.
7:40.
what?
i thought i was feeling too good.time to pick up the pace. i pass 2 guys up a hill....
see another female ahead of me and try to see if i can catch up.while I'm doing this,I'm also cheering all the runners who have made the turn around on. i count places again. 12th. maybe i can get 10th? I have my sights set on high school girl and high school boy. and start closing the gap. i make the turn around and hollar for the ppl on the other side. i see an older man all dressed in red. red racing shorts,red singlet,and he was moving along. i cheered extra loud for him!
mile 2- 15:02
what?
well it was slightly faster than mile one,i was dissapointed. i still needed to pick up pace.
and i try.i really do. at this point i am in no mans land. i lost sight of the high school kids,maybe it was that humongo uphill that hid them from my view? and thas when my paced dropped. me trying to run uphill,against the wind doesn't work very well,and then once the hill was done,I'm back on rolling hill gravel dirt road. but i do see the high schoolers again and i just try my best to sustain an even pace,but gravel,potholes,cold wind and hills made it hard.
3rd mile
22:40
*sigh*
and
shoot, fart, dangit!!! and a few other choice words which cant be mentioned came out of my mouth.
oh well,it is what it is.
the cow bell is ringing as i cross the line and then i stick around at the finish to cheer ppl coming in. there was 1 person in particular i wanted to hollar for...."big red",as he was nicknamed by other racers waiting around as well. there were about 10 of us waiting for him and we were quite the cheerleaders as he crossed the line(33:12).(i think we made his day-he was BEAMING)we didn't know it,but his wife was in that crowd with us,and when i made the comment that i wanted be like him when i was grown up,she perked up and told us how proud she was of him. he had just turned 75 and this was his 102nd race THIS YEAR!! and last year he got in 126 races.
holy moly!!! talk about an inspiration here!!! he was my hero of the day!
never will i make another excuse!!lol!!

anyways, i stayed around until the last runner crossed,and then found out they were only giving out awards for overall male and female and overall masters male and female....
so no hardware today!

but that's OK. i did have a semi-good time. met some really nice runners and it felt GREAT to be back in this type of atmoshpere again. I've been away much too long!!!
i left the race,happy and COLD TO THE BONE. (im still trying to warm up!!!!)

in hind sight,i think a few factors that may have hindered my time (other than just not pushing myself harder)
rewind to last night:
1) hydration. was NOT hydrated. 30 ounces tops yesterday (will get to that in a minute)
2) soup for dinner. high sodium soup.
3) lack of sleep.
4)dental work last night,which led to 1,2, and 3.
funny story about that.....

i went in to get cavities filled. told the dentist on 2 different occasions that it takes a LOT to get me numb.
maybe i wasn't heard. maybe i wasn't listened to,maybe they didn't believe it,that a small framed person needed a mans sized dose of numbing meds???
well,guess who found out the hard way??
yeah, the meds wore off DURING the last cavity. i actually felt it wear off during the second to last filling. but thought i was done,so didn't say anything. and then when she told me she was almost done,i told her she might want to hurry,because the places she told me should be numb,weren't.(before hand,she told me i would be numb here,here and there,but i was only numb here and here and NOT there---she started anyways and told me the meds would kick in once she was done on top,so i should be fine when she made her way to the bottom. looks like she was wrong!)
anyways, she got halfway done when i told her to stop. well,actually she stopped when i about came out of the chair,lol!
she checked my mouth again and said she only had a little bit more to go,could i hold on tight and let her finish? 10 seconds tops before the drilling was done,could i handle it?
ha!!
i suck it up,take a deep breath and count to 10. the longest 10 seconds. but i made it through.
after it was all said and done,my mouth was hurting.
that's why i ate soup,didn't feel like drinking much water,and didn't sleep well at all.
that and little M woke up at 4AM ready to play.....LOL!!!

anyways,i can make excuses all day,but bottom line i have a LOT to work on.
what i am planning to do:
1)more outdoor running. I'm not used to the cold air. time to acclimate.
2)incline intervals-both indoor and outdoor. (hill sprints!!!!!!!)
3) longer sprint intervals (ie 400,800,1200,1600 repeats)
4) more hydration. i need to better with this in general.

SO next race is in 19 days. thanksgiving day!!!!
lets see what i can do!
for those still reading along,bless your hearts! you must really like my long rambles!

happy weekend yall!!!

abs and spin class!

30 min of brutal abs class left my core SORE!!!!!! i wasn't in the mood for lifting today so i went and did an hour spin class (just for you Courtney!)
what was i thinking?
60 minutes of loving and hating every minute.
i sweated buckets.
i made my quads feel like they were about to explode.
the instructor must have thought hills were a GREAT idea today-we were up and down,speed intervals,hill sprints,ladders,you name it,we did it.....
time went by fast!
music was better this time too!
and now it is just "resting" for tomorrow!!
wish me luck!

rain, rain go away!

gah! i felt the rain in my joints last night and its crept in my bones this morning! in words of Garth Brooks-i am MUCH to young to feel this damn old!!!!
BUT despite aching shoulders,hips,knees and ankles,i dragged myself to the gym anyways and actually got in a good workout!(once i warmed up a bit,the achiness faded a little bit.....)
got in:

4x15
kneeling lat pull downs
straight arm lat pull downs
woodchops
single arm hi cable curl
close grip rows
mofos
reverse flys
hammer curls

ended with 5.5 miles...
right knee is feeling a little bit tight-----
gotta love it!
hopefully the yucky weather will go away soon!!!

anyways,in other news, I've been thinking A LOT about running. to the point of needing to start a training log/plan.....yes,I'm a list maker so I've got to get all the thoughts in my head down on paper,a written POA for 1/2 mary training and 5k pacing.....
seems i work harder when i have set things i need to accomplish every week/day/month,etc....
now if i could just schedule in some sleep,all would be good-lol!!!

however,lil M did sleep ALL night last night......
but this didn't mean mommy slept. i was awake every hour checking on her to make sure she was ok!
i still do this with my oldest out of habit i think. every time im awake with the little one,i go and check on the older 2......they are always so cute when they are sleeping!

anyways, time to get some lunch and get the baby down for a nap!
looking forward to this weekends race!
just hope i can shave at least 2-3 minutes off from last time!!!

happy Thursday yall!

giant sets and ladders-LOVED IT!

after not going to gym yesterday due to my son getting over a sore throat,i was finally back in the gym and pressed for time!
so what better way to be time efficient than giant sets?
short and to the point-
chest/triceps
4x15
chest press
dips
chest flys
no rest
4x15 rope press down
cable crossovers
pushups off bench
no rest
4x30
dirty 30's
10 overhand grip pressdowns
10 reverse wide grip
10 reverse close grip
and then kicked in gear ladders on the TM

0-6 warm up
6min-8.8
10min-9.1mph
12min-9.5
14min-10.0mph
16min 10.5
18min 10.0
20min 9.5
22min-9.0
24min-10.0
26min 10.5mph
28min-8.0mph
29min 10.5 30 sec then 11.5mph last 30 sec...
im slowly getting back where i used to be pre-babies!!!
30-35 cool down
got in 3.6 miles in 25 min...a 6:54 pace.....so theoretically that is a sub 21ish 5k.....

one of these days i will hit the 12.0 again!!!!
hope all are having a great Wednesday!!

monday ramblings and running

wow what a weekend! school parties,birthday parties and of course trick-or treats!
and i survived them all with minimal damage! (just 3 pieces of candy from the kids bags!-was able to stop after that thank goodness!)

even though i didn't get in a long run yesterday as planned,(i needed SLEEP,but lil M thought otherwise!lol!)i did get a workout in today-got in legs and plyos for active rest
4x15 hip abd/add
4x15 single leg extension
ski lunge active rest
4x12 single leg press
russian jumps active rest
4x15 lying sinle leg curl
jump lunge active rest
3x15 weighted wall squats
3x 1 minute weighted wall squat hold
2x10 roll outs on ex ball
2x12 pikes on ex ball
3.5 miles on tm (30 min)
wanted to run longer at the gym but was late getting there (yeah i contemplated NOT going to the gym today because of events listed below)
1)babies under the age of 3 months can cut teeth,and when they do,they are baby BEARS!
2)my baby, who is teething (no toofers yet,just buds) has been a bear all week(ie not napping well, not sleeping well at night-fussy fussy!),and she was a big BEAR last night
3) my baby bear likes the sound of running water and the dishwasher running to help calm her down-she also likes her swing(which plays songs-one which has birds and running water sounds)
4)the swings batteries died at 2AM. my heart sank.
5) my husband made a trip to the gas station at 2AM just for batteries.
6)i fell in love with my husband all over again at 2AM.......

ahhhh,the joys of motherhood!!! but one thing i have learned is that i can still get a good workout in on minimal sleep! :)

in other news,
41 days until the 1/2 marathon.
im really excited about it,but im not sure if i will have enough time to train and get the time i WANT (1:36 or LESS)
last 1/2 i did was almost a year ago,pregnant with lil ms Mckinnley-pooh, and i got that one in in 1:44,feeling sick and hungry at the same time!
as of now,my base mileage is only up to about 8miles,which at this point in training,isnt where im used to being at.
im feeling behind schedule to say the least,but regardless im going to plan on having fun at this race,and am looking forward to the challenge of pacing myself for 13.1 miles! which btw is much different that pacing for a 5k. which speaking of that, i do have a race planned for this weekend! excited to see how much my time will drop from my first post-baby 5k i did at the end of September....
according to the intervals ive been doing on the TM i am at a sub 21:30 pace,but we all know that TM running is NOT like outdoor running...
im looking forward to that challenge-of getting faster and to reach my ultimate goal of breaking 19 minutes....im a LONG way away from that right now, but ive got to pick back up where i left off pre-pregnancy!

anyways,ive rambled long enough,hope all are enjoying a wonderful Monday...i cant believe its NOVEMBER already!!!

short and sweet workout-6wks out from 1/2

yup,i followed the KISS method and got things done so i could at least have an hour on the TM......
got in:
4x30 triceps pressdowns (first 15 overhand,2nd 15 reverse grip)
superset of:
4x15
cable crossovers
dips from bench
superset of:
4x15
DB chest press on ex ball
skull crushers
superset of:
4x10 staggard pushups from ex ball with one hand on med ball,other on floor-alternating
4x15 DB kickbacks with twist

then ended with 6.6miles on TM...which i had longer to get in that 10 miler i so desperately need!
i have 6 WEEKS until my half marathon!!!!!! eeep!
where did the time go!
i have GOT to pick up my cardio now!
speed days will be moved to 3x per week, AM cardio will be added in,and more LSD!

weighted plyos and HIIT-i'm in workout heaven!!

the good part about bad days is that they eventually get better.and today was better.
i was able to get in (barbie) weighted plyos today and topped the workout off with a crazy good HIIT!!!! i was a glutton for punishment,and totally loved/hated every minute of it!

the plyos:
(with 5lb med ball-i know"barbie" weight for me,but its progress from last plyo!whoo!)
cycle 1:
double box jumps (low to high and then reverse-hi to low
blurpies
ski lunge
lateral sprints
REST 1 minute
cycle 2:
jump lunge
lateral box jumps
mountain climbers
gazelle bounds
REST 1 minute
cycle 3:
sumo squat with jump
high knees
jump tucks
keroke
REPEAT 3x
did 4x18 hip abd/add
and then off to the TM for a good HIIT
warm up 5minutes-sprinted on the even #'s and steady state (7.3mph) on odds
6 min-8.5
8 min-9.0
10 min-9.5
12 min 9.0
14 min 9.5
16min 9.0
18min 9.5
20min 9.0 30 seconds,then 10.0 30 seconds
22min 9.5 30 seconds,then 10.0 30 seconds
24min 10.1
26min 10.0 30sec,then 10.5 so seconds
28min 9.0
29min 10.5 30 seconds,11.1 30 seconds
30-35 cool down

got in 3.5 miles in the 25 minute sprint time, which is .6 miles further than last time!(3.44 last time!)
i am SLOWLY getting my speed back!
my goal is to get 3.8miles in 25 min time frame for sprints. this time last year i was doing that,so that is my short term goal. long term goal is to PR next year for a 5k...and no post babies PR-im talking about faster than college racing days PR.....

now if i can keep my joints healthy.....my right knee was twinging during the 2nd cycle of plyos...hope it was just a fluke and not a re-injury? feeling ok now,so we will see how things go!!tomorrow is cardio cardio cardio and some chest/triceps-Sunday is LSD!

and now its off to my sons party at school....then trunk or treat,and then the weekend is full of b-day parties,and of course more trick or treating....my kids will be on a sugar buzz the next 3 days-BUT am planning on "sneaking" away their candy by having my hubs take some to work with him everyday until there is none left here in the house!!

TGIF yall!hope everyone has a fun and safe weekend!

it must be monday....

yeah,one of those days where NOTHING is going right at all....i dont want to jinx myself anymore by listing the days chain of events,so i will just leave it at just having a bad day.
in the gym,i got in a killer back and biceps workout though (i WAS planning on plyos and speed play,but my legs werent having that today)

what i got in
4x12 pullups (2 sets close grip,2 sets wide)
and btw Abby,only 1 of these 48 pullups were unassisted....this totally pissed me off and i went balls to the walls with the rest of the workout. my poor workout partner thought i was trying to kill her,lol!!!!

the rest of the workout...
giant set of:
4x15
kneeling lat pulldowns
straight arm lat pulldowns
woodchops

superset of:
4x15
low rows,close grip
21's
superset of:
4x15
high cable pulldowns
rope curls

giant set of:
3x10
hammer curls
lateral curls
standard curls

i contemplated doing a HIIT,but my hamstrings told me to not,so i just jogged for 30 minutes. 3.3 miles...

feeling very frustrated that im not getting in the cardio that i need. its time to get in the early morning cardio and maybe the PM cardio as well. i need to quit using the excuse that i am too tired to get cardio in early!!!!! now that little M is sleeping a little better

(although she is TEETHING right now-yes,not even 3 months old and she has her first teeth buds!!they haven't broke through the skin yet so shes a cranky mess these days to say the least!)

keeping my fingers crossed i can get back in the swing of things. those 4 days off really threw me off my game and i am digging deep to keep the killer workouts coming along!!!

tomorrow is another day,tomorrow is another start to actually stick to my plan!

sometime this week i need to get in PLYOS and HIIT......

wish me luck!

:)

giant sets all the way!

surprisingly,i am sore from yesterdays workout. i didn't think it was good enough to deem sore-worthy-but guess i was wrong?? not complaining at ALL! i was planning on spin and speed work today but changed my mind...
got in chest/triceps and abs today-

giant set of
3x15 DB flat bench press w arnold twist
dips off bench w feet on ex ball
pushups off upside down BOSU ball

giant set of:
4x15
push press DB fly on ex ball
lying single arm french press
25 standard crunches on ex ball

superset of
4x30 dirty 30's
pushups until failure

giant set of:
3x25
weighted crunch with hip thrust
weighted oblique up and overs (lying flat on floor crunch up,with med ball overhead,twist and touch toes on left,alternate
plank with slow and controlled mountain climbers

superset of:
2x12
roll out on ex ball
pike on ex ball

ended with 40 min on TM-4.4 miles...felt i could have ran a good 15 miles at that slow pace-legs felt good after the first mile.....

tomorrow is plyo day, will either do sprints then or on Friday-nervous about it cause its been over a week since I've done a HIIT. i hate playing catch up!!!!i already feel like I'm set back so far from missing 4 days....bleh!
i guess it is what it is and i have to focus on the positive and get my rear in gear! 4 weeks until turkey day! 4weeks to drop 8 inches- can i do it????
only one way to find out!
by stepping up or shutting up.....
game on!

in the gym- and this time last year....

i was back in the gym today,after 4 days away! was able to get in some leg work and about 30 minutes of running....
my workout partner joined me today,but was still not feeling 100% yet from the stomach bug she had last week-so she did everything but the plyo moves-
got in:
4x15
single leg extension with foot in external rotation with
curtsy lunges (active rest)
4x20
leg press with
jump tucks(active rest)
4x15
leg curls with
jump lunge (active rest)
4x15
good mornings
giant set of 3x15
front raises
lateral raises
military press
ended with 30 minutes on the TM-3.3 miles.
not a bad workout but the greatest-wish i had more time on the TM,since i haven't done cardio in 4 days!! gah!
speed work tomorrow after spin,MAYBE. if not then then i will pick it up Friday for speed day.
i have a road race coming up on 11/06 so i have to be faster than last race.HAVE TO.


speaking of races,this time last year,well actually on Halloween last year, i raced the fasted race for me in 09. no PR ever,but PR for post babies,lol!!!i was browsing through my past blog posts and found the recap of my Halloween 5k last year!!
http://melissacunninghamifpapro.blogspot.com/2009/10/5k-halloween-race-in-pouring-rain.html

brought back some good memories...which i did find out the official time of that race. 20:12..NOT 22:40 like i thought!!!

ahhhh,i WILL get that fast again.......

i will hit a PR next year,i can feel it!



in other news-the weather here has been wonderful-perfect running weather!!!this is the view from my sun room:




and outside the sun room:

Mckinnley likes to look at that big tree,feel the breeze in her crazy hair,and fall asleep while i walk the floor with her:


today was Halloween day at the gym. i forgot about it,so i dressed up my princesses when we got home:

the head honcho princess was a butterfly princess

and the little princess was just a tired baby ready for a nap,LOL!:

i love my girls!!

anyways,hope all are having a fab Tuesday! will leave you with a clip from the highland games over the weekend. and YES that is my amazing hunk of a husband at around the 46 second mark!!

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/2010/oct/23/1/the-meadow-highland-games-amp-celtic-f-06827-vi-21340/