Last run of 2014

5 miles in today, and while it wasn't the best ever,(cause I felt blah and unmotivated) I did get in a decent run.
I was planning on progressive 5 miles today, starting off with a 7:30 pace then working my way down to a 6:30 or under....
what it turned out to be was:
mile 1: warm up
mile 2: 7:30
mile 3: 7:00
mile 4: was broken up into 4x400 starting off with 6:48,6:43,6:40 and then 6:35 with 400 jog in between at 8:30 pace
mile 5: cool down
 yes I skipped a mile or two just cause I really wasn't feeling it...and the brisket sandwhich I had for lunch was SO not a good idea! my belly did not feel good while running!!!! you can bet I wont make this mistake again!!
so while I the last run of 2104 wasn't steller,it wasn't horrible and I had an OK pace....


I have a race this weekend, which will mark a full year of running in a new state. Just hoping to be faster than last time I ran it,lol!!!!
I still cant believe how unbelievably fast this year has gone. its been a whirlwind to say the least!
all I can say about 2014 is that it went nothing how I expected and completely flew by!
will have 2015  plans posted soon!


Hope all in blogger land have a fun, safe and very blessed Happy New Year!!!!!

A (small) Christmas Miracle

I meant to post this on Christmas......
On Christmas eve, my sisters husband was able to WALK(with some assistance) up the 3 steps into my parents home for Christmas dinner. While this may sound like no big deal,3 months ago Jackie was in a severe truck accident while en route to deliver steel for his company. This left him with all bones in both legs broken, his pelvis completely shattered, his left arm broken,left hand crushed and a crushed eye socket....










Several blood transfusions and multiple surgeries later, he was finally in stable condition and sent to an assisted living home to recover. He was not expected to walk again on his own for quite some time, given the extent of his injuries.







On Christmas eve, J was allowed to leave the center for a few hours and a little less than a week after having the external fixaters in his pelvis removed, he was partially weight bearing on his feet!!
He is recovering faster than what his doctors have anticipated and will hopefully be in his own home within the next few months.... sooner if he keeps up his wolverine like healing abilities!






One thing that has been contributing to his recovery was his conditioning.Over the past year he had been working really hard in the weigh room and had really gotten into a good groove. His large muscular frame not only saved his life during the accident (a smaller framed man would have been killed-he's 6'1 and a solid 300+) but his larger muscle mass helped support his broken bones and he had more physical strength than the average Joe starting off with,with makes the rehabilitation process slightly easier.....


He also is very driven to get back to a life of semi normalcy,and be back in his own own....
Heres to seeing J on his own two feet and getting back in the gym and the norml swing of life soon!!!!


 Blogger isn't letting me post pictures for some reason but will have some up soon!

dissapointing 5k.......

I was really looking forward to the run this morning. Forecast called for rain and higher temps than last weekend. woke up to 47 degrees and rain,which to me is ideal. I run pretty well in the rain!
and this was a new race added to the roster which sold out FAST and capped at 1200.
also there was some really cool swag. a nike hoodie to be exact,and  hot cocoa mugs to go along with the never ending hot cocoa bar at the after party
: )
I get there, get my race packet and see the same gal who beat me at the line last week. turns out she is a 19 yr old senior in college(yeah she took the accelerated route!), who just started running a year ago---and she was also the gal who beat me at the st patty days race earlier this year! lol!!! we chat for a while and then get ready to start. I make my way to the front of the line,and spot several speedy runners. it looked like there were a few teams there,like triathlon teams,as I overheard discussions about the end of their season......


I was just aiming for top 3 in AG.


gun goes off. I take off with the lead pack...
mile 1
6:50
college gal is ahead of me slightly I keep her in my sights,
2 gals pass me and I have no idea what age they are.
turn around point I am counting females.
I am 10th.
and still in the lead pack,albeit closer to the back of it.


mile 2
14:10
I am sucking wind at this point. a pack of men pass me and I stay with them. me and bald guy and old Santa guy are playing chase. old Santa will not let me pass him! I try to shake bald guy off my heels and am successful.
I see the 3 mile mark and pick my pace up,slightly. I make a futile attempt to kick it to the line and some chic comes out of nowhere and beats me across the line. I had no clue she was behind me!!!!!


ugh!!!!!!!!! this just has not been a good year of 5k's for me
: /


but awards take place soon afterwards.
I go to the car and change out of my wet clothes. thank goodness I brought extra socks and shoes!
I meet up with college gal and we get our fill of hot chocolate at the bar while we wait for awards.
she got 8th overall female and 1rst in AG and I got 11th overall(I think) and 4th in AG. I missed top 3 by 1 SECOND!!!!


ahh well. was hoping my last 5k of the year would be better,but oh well. 2015 is right around the corner and I already have my sights set on a few good races
: )
anyways,now its back to the holiday hustle and getting my 3 sick kiddos back to health!!!
heres hoping they are all well enough to enjoy Christmas!!!!!
4 days until Santa makes his visit and mommy and daddy want healthy children!!!!!!!


Happy holidays to all in bloggerland!
Will be posting 2015 schedule of events soon. I graduatewith my MHA in February so full on beast mode is quickly approaching!!!!!!!
: )

5K recap

Since the 5k last weekend got cancelled, I was geared up for a 5k this morning!
got some new running shoes as an early xmas gift and I committed the cardinal sin of wearing new shoes on race day.
I know better!
A very small (around 100) local race to benefit the SPCA.
Cold morning (32) but no wind so it wasn't bad at all
Gun goes off. I take off with the boys and some young gal bolts in front of me. I stay on her heels the entire race.
mile 1
7:xx. I am  letting this gal set the pace,and am waiting for the opportune moment to pass her.
mile 2
14:32
I turn my ipod on to ozzy and think to myself that after 1 song it will be the 2.5 mark and then I can make my move to the lead spot.
right when I am thinking of picking the pace up, the gal sees me and speeds up,i speed up and stay with her.....I close the gap and am at her shoulder, right at the 3 mile mark and final turn to the finish, she puts it in over drive and beats me to the line!
 : /
time ended up being  21:56
oh well
lessons learned!


I stay around for awards, which were held after the 1 mile dog run. even though this was a small event,this race was geared for the dogs!!!!! all doggie finishers received a home made edible medal in the shape of a bone. all dogs received amazing goodie bags too! I grabbed one for my pup even though she didn't race. they had special awards for overall male and female dogs too. adorable!!!! and oh goodness,they had brought a few dogs from the shelter which were available for adoption and it was SO HARD to walk away from this race without an adoption taking place!!!!!!!!!!
but when the time is right for our family we will adopt from this shelter
: )


 anyways,
looking forward to next weekend.
 at this 5k I will not hesitate when I am thinking of passing somebody.
this race is larger (1200) so I probably wont make an overall placing but DO plan an AG top 3.
hopefully I can be faster than I was today.......

turkey trot race recap and other rambles....

a little over due for the recap but here goes:


the day before the race was packet pickup. my sister and father went together to our bib 3#'s,shirt and pakets. My dad seemed nervous about it all,but while we were there we decided to register my nieces and nephew-,the more the merrier!
day of the race,i felt like dog poo. I only had 45 minutes of rest the night before so to say I was exhausted was an understatement.
it was cold,windy and actually snowing when we made our way up to the long line of participants! my dad really didn't know what to think as he had never seen anything like this before.it was nice to see his reactions to everything. he had so many questions leading up to the event. what do I wear? what should I eat the day of? how are we timed? are you allowed to come back and finish with me after you crossed the line?
I assured him he would do just fine. all he had to do was walk fast and follow the crowd.he would not get lost and he would not be last. he may even get an AG award as not many "old guys" compete in his age bracket (70-79). he saw a handful o friends from his gym there and once he talked for a bit he seemed more calm.
: )
I knew he was excited and was ready to start! I told my dad I wasn't sure if I could make a top 3 in AG and that I would see how I felt after the first mile. if I knew I couldn't race then I would slow down ,find him and walk the course with him and my sister and nieces and nephews.
the gun goes off and I make my long way up to the start.


mile 1:
I am running with an app on my phone that keeps up with distance and time.
i keep a steady 7:25 pace. i don't feel completely out done so i keep going. maybe i could make top 3 in AG?
mile 2 (well 2.4 by my distance app):
 i slow down a little bit. i reach it at 15:30. i tell myself that if i hold pace  and leave some for the end then i could be at or under 30 minutes. i am feeling tired. but decide to keep going at a comfortable pace.


 at mile 3 i see one of my dads friends from the gym. i dont remember what my time is,or if i even looked at my time/pace. i do know that  at around the 3.5 mile mark i was at around an 8:30 pace. i see some 7 year old kid ahead of me,i catch up to him and encourage him, telling him that he needs to pick up his so pace so a girl doesn't beat him....we round the last corner and the streets are lined with spectators cheering.the 7yr old kicks it in overdrive and doesn't let m pass him. my jacket i tied to my waist was falling so i didn't see my time at the end. i knew it was 31:xx. i thought it was 31:21.....
i heard my bib# called out loud so i felt confidant i placed in my AG!




i see a line forming to receive your official time and place. i figure i had about 10 minutes before I should be heading back to meet my dad and sister and nieces and nephews. i wait and wait in a line that is not moving. the wind picks up and more snow is falling and spitting in my face. i feel chilled to the bone! i call my sister and ask where she is at. she is at mile 3 but told me dad took off and left her. i leave the line and make a mad dash towards mile 3 but then i thought he would already be at the line. i wait on the sidelines for him but do not see him, as i make my way to the finish line i spot his toboggan. he had already finished and was grabbing food and water from the tents set up. his goal was under 1 hour and he finished the 4 miles in 58:59. a 14:59 pace. but his distance app read 4.2 miles (mine read 4.4). dad was all smiles!


as we wait for my sister,i see that results are up. i head over and try to find my name. and i am not there. i am not listed anywhere on the sheet. awards are starting just as my sister is finishing up,so we wiat aroiund to see if  my dad or i placed.he made himself comfortable and chatted with complete strangers while I was shivering like the last tree on a leaf,ha! based on my time of 31:21 i had 3rd place in AG. if that wasnt my time then i placed 4th. the time/placement line was short so i went over to ask them why i wasn't listed and it turns out.........
my timing chip was broken and didn't register my time!!!! I talked to one of the IT guys and he said he would look into it but it would take a bit because he had to go through the old system first to verify. the race directors were smart and had both chip timing and old school timing.
 if i would have known that my timer was broke,then i would have saved my energy and walked with my dad!!
but ahhh well. i didn't know my official time until just now.
31:27 for 4 miles(well 4.4-lots of dodging and weaving the walkers who walk 5-8 ppl across the course)
7:52 overall pace


4th/146 in age group and 178/2300 runners
37th out of around 1280 females...
not bad considering the lack of sleep!
but the kicker is that the 3rd place gal time was 31:25. she beat me at the line by 2 seconds!
: /




ahh well. all in all my dad and family had a blast despite the cold snow and broken  chip time. my dad is definalty hooked and is already planning some local 5ks,or at least I hope! I can not wait until next years race to claim redemption!
anyways, in other news,
the trip back home was wonderful albeit an 8 hr trip took 12 on the way there on the account of traffic and 5 stops for potty breaks. the way back to our house was much faster(8hrs) as we took the scenic route through the mountains and did not hit any traffic. only 3 stops on the way back. awesome!


but
the day before we had to leave my oldest daughter started getting respiratory issues and it turned into pneumonia rather quickly.
I haven't ran at all this week and I have  races scheduled every weekend until Christmas.
heres hoping my sweet girl feels better soon and I get in more speed workouts between races!
: )

"speed"work and soccer

 on Friday I did 6x400 repeats, while I didn't feel like I was going as fast as I needed to,i did feel good and this is what the splits were
#1&2= 7:03 mile pace
#3&4= 6:46 mile pace
#5= 6:25 mile pace
#6= 6:15 mile pace


I jogged 400 in between at an 8:30 pace
 this basically put me at 22 minutes for 3 miles. my  goal for this upcoming 4 mile turkey trot race is under 28 minutes but I will be just fine if I am under 30 minutes. I want to make top 3 in AG and under 30 is a must in order for that to happen. there is no way I can land an overall top 3 as the past few years female winners have been in the 24 minute and under range.


I am not going to be delusional and even think I am in that kind of racing shape now. BUT I do know that 28 is reasonable time based on my current running conditioning.......or at least I hope!!!
I am planning on a light run today followed by another speed day tomorrow then travel on Tuesday,light run on Wednesday and then the race!




in other news,my kids soccer season has finally come to a close. I always enjoy fall sports and this year was a blast with 3 of the 4 kiddos playing!!!! I really enjoy watching how my children progress and how their personalities come out on the field!next year I will have all 4 in sports,and while it will be a challenge to get everyone to wherer they need to go,i am looking forward to it!


happy weekend!
just 4 more weeks until Christmas!!!!!!!

Half Marathon recap

well, I ran and survived to tell about it......heres a brief run down:
woke up at 5:45. did not want to get out of my warm cozy bed,knowing it would be in the upper 20's. but finally got moving. got dressed, in my superman shirt,had a granola bar and Gatorade,grabbed a cold Gatorade and diet coke and some snacks for after the race and an extra change of clothes. I could NOT find my watch and spent a good 10 minutes looking for it. finally I found it and needed to leave. by this time it was 6:20. I wanted to leave by 6 because I knew parking was limited in this small little town. ( this was a first annual race and i wasn't sure if the parking logistics were thought out.)I was planning to park at the funeral home about  two miles down the road from the start line but I accidently missed the turn in and had to drive closer in downtown. thankfully I found a great parking spot across the street from the start line at the bank! I stay in the car for a few minutes before braving the cold and making the way to the start.

before the gun goes off I see a guy with the same shirt on as me. "you were supposed to call me and let me know what you wearing so we did't wear the  same thing!"
I see a gal dressed in tiny tiny race shorts and a racing singlet (no sleeves,no tights,no gloves) I knew she had to be freezing but I also knew she would be the overall female winner based on how she was dressed. there were a lot of teams and groups,and I overheard several say this was their first ever race. the chatter and excitement I felt around me was contagious.

gun goes off. my goal going in this run is to keep an even pace and finish. no goal time,no plan,other than to just run.
miles 1-8 go by smooth and most of this time I am by myself. I pass a few gals and a couple guys,and just keep a guy in the distance up ahead in sight. the first mile I hit at 8:12. It felt good and I thought I could maintain that pace for as long as it felt comfortable. mile 2 is 16xx,mile 3 is 24xx mile 4 is32xx..basically I was keeping between an 8-8:30 pace up until about mile 8. also during these miles I thanked every single volunteer I saw. they were all awesome and cheered their hearts out for every single runner. Also,there was a competition between water/aid stations. runners got to vote for the best one after the race. all the water stations were amazing. I have never been to a race in which bands were set up, ppl dressed in costumes, crazy cool signs, banners, balloons, cow bells, cow bells and more cowbells. and lots of cheering!!!! the course was well marked with so many thoughtful encouraging posters sprinkled throughout! a lot of time and attention was addressed here!
also during the entire course a heard so many "GO SUPER WOMAN GO!!!!!!" I may or may not have done a superman pose and pretended to be flying....

so I miss mile marker 9 but tell myself I need to hit mile 10 at 1:24. somewhere between mile 8-10 my left hip/knee/leg felt wonky. my gait felt uneven and I made a conscious effort to watch my form and gait. I have been running without music but at mile 10  I turn it on low so I can still hear my surroundings. so many encouraging volunteers at this marker. "just a 5k left!"
just what I needed to hear and it gave me that extra wind. during the rest of the course my hip is still feeling weird. my knee gives a little and every so often.

at mile 11 I finally catch up to the guy who has been ahead of me since mile 5. I then zone on white shirt guy and try to catch him. I get passed by red shirt guy and then a litter later another guy passes me. I keep them close. mile 12 I finally catch up to white shirt guy! 1.1 more miles to go and I was still holding pace. maybe I could make 1:4x?? my legs felt like they were moving in molasses and my left hip/knee was still feeling wonky,but I just focus on keeping my gait even and not to compensate.
( also at mile 12, runners were met with a beer/Gatorade  station. this totally cracked me up, as the 2 guys in front of me grabbed their beers and kept running ,bypassing the Gatorade.)
I hit mile 12 at 1:41:48 and I knew I was going to get under 1:50. I hold pace and the last mile actually passes by pretty quickly. lots of crowd support carried me through to the finish

63/543
23/271 females
5/75 in AG
1:49:33
 average pace was 8:21
not too bad considering the lack of training!!
this just goes to show me that if I can go out and run this distance at this pace with out training, then there is no reason I cant hit my goal of 1:30-1:33 with the proper training.

(oh and remember that gal I mentioned who was wearing racing shorts/singlet??
um she was the overall winner-meaning first person to cross the line at 1:23. the next one after her was a 16 yr old boy at 1:25)

overall this was a good race experience. for this being a first time event in this little sleepy town, I see nothing but potential! the only concern I would have for next year is parking. since this was such a well planned event with lots of thoughtfulness in mind for the runners,(everything from chip timing,live race updates with online tracking of runners,great vendors,great location, plenty of food/water/Gatorade,well marked course,friendly side competetions,etc)i know each year this race will grow and get more recognition!!!
anyways,that is how may run went yesterday. I felt good,and surpised myself. today I am feeling sore and my hip and knee feel a little tight but nothing how I thought I would feel! its nothing a hot soaking bath and some stretching cant fix.....

I have learned my lesson though. I will never run a half again without properly training. next half I will be in it to meet and exceed my goal pace/time!!!!

three things thursday

1)Since I will be traveling back home over the holidays,I signed my dad up for his first ever road race!!!! at almost 78 years young, I know my dad will have a blast! He was the one I ran my first mile with, and while he can no longer run due to his back issues, he can still power walk faster than some folks can run. My older sister and I are also doing this 4 mile road race/turkey trot, something none of my family members have ever done together---ever. I am beyond excited!

My dad and Big sister (with my niece)

(maybe my niece will join us too!!!)


 2Lless than 48 hours until I run a half marathon. Have I mentioned I am just doing this for "fun" as I have completely not trained for this, aside from a 12 mile dusk patrol on Sunday(that about sucked the life from me!) and a10 miler 2 weeks ago. A few shorter runs ranging from 4-8miles may have been thrown in but speed work--eh maybe 4 times if you count that time I ran for my life a few weeks ago?
I am not looking to PR, I am just looking to finish without needing oxygen or being carried back to my car. I am just considering this a fun jog with 1,000 of my closest friends. I promise this though. my next 1/2, I WILL BE RACING and I will reach my goal of 1:30something. I REFUSE to sign up for another half and not be competitive.


3) 13 more weeks of school left for me! I. cannot. wait. almost half way done with this course then I have 1 more class to go. and then I can feel like I can have some normalcy back in my life before I return to the work force (when E starts school). While time until I graduate may feel like its dragging by so slow, in other aspects,Time seems to be moving faster than I can keep up with!!!! where has this year gone? how have my children grown so fast so soon??? 6 more weeks until Christmas??? just a few weeks ago we were napping/playing on the beach
: )

 and my grandparents came down for an unexpected but wonderful visit!

65 years of marriage and still holding hands!

granddaddy's Halloween mask

and what trip isn't good until there is a scare-off between grandparents and great grandbabies?

with some fun at the pumpkin patch thrown in there too!

hope all in bloggerland are having a good week so far! will post a non"race" recap soon!
 : )

zombie 5K recap

finally a race recap!!!
I was thisclose to not even doing the zombie 5k due to not feeling well the night before. but race day I felt better and decided to run and just take it easy and not worry about racing. after all, I was going to be chased by zombies,so it would be a workout regardless......
I show up and am immediately impressed with how things are set up.

I make my way to registration and the food bank to drop off my can goods for an extra life flag.(great race for a great cause!)
my  goal of this race was to survive until the finish with at least 1 life flag left.
 a crowd of around 300 or so gather at the line. we are all lead in some  warm up drills with music and then we were supposed to go out in waves since the course consisted of narrow trails and a few creek beds to jump across. but we all started at the same time,with the exception of fast runners at the front,slow runners at the back.

I make my way towards the front and just hope the course is marked well. gun goes off and off we go. I am in the top pack and am just trying to stay there. about 4 minutes in the race,after making a left turn there was some confusion as to if this turn was the right way to go. the pack of us gets yelled at to come back and go the opposite direction,back to the original course-we did and then were directed to go the other way. this happens about 4 times!!!!!!! we finally all got back on course and I had no clue of what my actual pace/time would end up being, as the first 15 minutes of the race was spent looking for the course!!!!!! I was upset about this briefly ,because I really wanted to place well and take home a trophy......

 but since I WAS being chased by the undead,i didn't really have time to dwell on it!!!! there were 14 zombie zones during this course,but im pretty sure I hit about 5 zones twice!! this was SO MUCH FUN! there were three types of zombies-ones that just kind of stand there,ones that are like the walking dead and can chase you but not that fast,and then there are the ragers,who are hungry for your brains and will sprint after your life flags. the runners had no clue which zombies were which,but I figured out that the chasers were in the more open spaces,however,the zombie on the left pictured below here surprised me when she tried to take my flag in a wooded part of the course. I thought she wasn't going to charge until it was almost too late!

 

 she didn't get my flag and no she is not really pregnant. I ran briefly with captian jack, but sprinted past him when zombies were around.
at one point during the course,i saw a runner walking/limping along the side of the trail. I slowed down to ask if he was ok and then the guy turned around and was a zombie!!!!! I may or may not have screamed like a little girl!!!!

at another point we were faced with a huge hill with zombies located in all direction. I got in a group of runners and we huddled together to talk briefly-we all decided to go in different directions to throw them off. I went straight up and then zig zagged on the side of the hill. I kept my flags!!!!
but surprisingly ,the zombies that did get my flags, were ones that I dint think would chase me down.

by the time I was approaching the finish line I had one life flag left. I knew there would be zombies everywhere, and all would be after me.(I was alone,and not in a group) when I saw the line I had a large swarm of zombies to get through!!! I braced my self,moved my last flag to the front of my belt and sprinted like a mad woman the last 200 yards. I thought I made it-I was dodging, cutting,zagging, jumping.....but literally 3 steps before I got to the finish line,a zombie lunged at me and I wasn't quick enough to dodge! I became "infected" and thought I was disqualified from having my time and place in the running for awards.

however. I was wrong. I found out that awards would be given to top 3 overall in both survivors and infected runners. I saw some people from the lead pack and asked them how far they thought they ran bc it was so much longer than a 5k! some people got 4.3 miles on their Garmin  and one guy got 4.69 miles. that made me feel a little better and made sense based on my time. I didn't think I had a shot at making top 3 overall. UNTIL I realized that the people I were talking to were in the top pack of runners and I had just finished behind them.
: )
 and yes,i placed 2nd overall female!!!

 

I won a free 30 minute sports massage,$50 gift certificate to local sports store and a cool severed hand!!!!!!!

the next day my legs were sore. who knew running from zombies would be such a workout?
in reality, it was the abrupt change in speed and direction that made my hip flexors scream. there were moments during the race I had to slow down to catch my breath due to the sporadic and sudden bursts of sprinting for my life!!!!

cant wait to do another race like this next year!!!

hope all have a safe and fun Halloween!!!!

Transitions....

Hi, Its been over 5 months since I last blogged!?
Im still alive and kicking, and time has been flying by. Many transitions and happenings going on around here
since I last blogged.....
a brief rundown over the past 5 months..........
-I took the baby crib down and replaced it with a toddler bed

-M and E had their first haircuts....

.M at first didn't want her hair cut bc she thought her hair would turn brown just like Rapunzel's hair did in the movie Tangled. she was happy her hair stayed yellow, but at the same time she was miserable and told me she couldn't sleep in her princess loft bed anymore because she didn't feel like a princess anymore. talk about mommy guilt! she hates her shorter hair cut, even though its still long! I promised I would NEVER cut her hair again,(unless she wanted me too)

-the training potty is out
-many many,many trips to the beach over the summer and even into fall. the weather here is awesome! and with a 45 minute drive to the ocean how could we not go so often??

 

-many relatives visiting

my baby niece

My Dad,who is turning 78 soon!

My baby nephews!

-many birthdays celebrated

Baby E

Me

my husbands

and the M's. B's bday is next week!

-lots of mischief making by sweet faced trouble maker

 

Baking powder foot prints throughout the house

-school started for A,B and pre school for M

-first days went well
-soccer is in full swing, pretty much living at the ball field with 3 of the 4 kiddos playing now.
-health issues over the winter spring and summer have left me out of shape and ready to get back on the stage again.
-feeling a little better here recently and have found a work out partner who wants to compete and is very driven!! shes not afraid to sweat and work hard so it works perfectly!
-I feel like a complete pansy Barbie girl in the gym as I have lost all my strength and am pretty much starting from square 1.
-I signed up for a half marathon which is in 4 weeks. I am so unprepared for it and only have an 8 mile base so far.
-I signed up for a zombie run 5k which is in 2 weeks. I will be chased by zombies during the course. I will have 3 life flags and must complete the course with at least 1 flag to be able to qualify for having my time and placement count. I am super excited!!
-as long as I continue in good health, I will be training to compete again in the spring!
-I have 18 weeks of school left!!!! 2 more classes after the current one I am in and then.....I will have my masters! yippie skippie! I am SO burnt out with school right now. but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!!

 Now, we all know that with highlights, there come low lights. and the past 6 weeks have been a little bumpy
other not so fun happenings that have been going on recently:

-  M came down with appendicitis and had to have surgery which led to a 4 day stay at hospital. a horrible experience! thankfully her appendix did not rupture completely until the surgeon removed it. he said it literally ruptured in in hands

-3 weeks later she was cleared to go back to school and resume sports
- my grandmothers cancer came back. the good news is that it was caught early.as of now she is cancer free for the 3rd time now.....
-my sisters husband was in a severe accident last week. he is a truck driver and en route to a steel delivery, a slight over turn made the weight of the steel shift and he collided with a tree,with the weight of the steel collapsing the cab of the truck. pictures of the accident left many wondering how he survived at all.

my big sister with her husband (after 3rd round of surgeries)

all bones were broken in both legs, his pelvis was shattered, left hand crushed as well as his left eye socket. he has undergone several surgeries so far to repair his body, and will hopefully start orthopedic rehab on Monday for the long road to recovery ahead. the good news is that he WILL make a full recovery, with the addition of some steel plates and screws and pins in his body. he is one strong man both physically and mentally(he is a professional arm wrestler who qualified for the world championships this fall!) so while the road wont be easy, he will get through it and be stronger when he gets to the other side of this road block!

Now, in other other news...im am pregnant with baby #5 and #6! TWINS!

just kidding, just seeing if anyone is still reading/following along!
(Dear Lord, please don't jinx me!!!)

: )
hope all are doing well in blogger land-ive been keeping up with many of you,but have obviously been slacking on the blogging a little bit!
be on the lookout for competition plans and training!
less sporadic posts to be coming soon........

5k in a torrential down pour....

I had *almost * forgotten about the series of 5 races I signed up for in February that started today and ends in late July....

I gave myself 100 different reason why I should skip out on the race.
with my lack of conditioning, I really didn't feel like racing.
the little one is sick AGAIN with more ear infections (he has had one every month since we have moved here).
 he has been running a fever all day and just miserable so I  am tired and just want to get all my homework done....
it was raining like cats and dogs
the drive was too far (40 minutes away)
yadda yadda yadda.
but I had signed up for the races.it was paid for. and I needed a break from all my school work and a clingy baby( its more challenging than it sounds to write papers with one hand while balancing a miserable feverish baby on your lap).
 race was at 6:30pm so I had to leave by 5:30 to get there in time for packet pickup and warm up.
5:40 I am on my way, having forgotten my ipod. which turned out to be a good thing bc it probably would have gotten ruined in the weather conditions....

I show up, get my bib # and within 5 minutes a small group (very small,like 20-30 ppl) line up behind the start line of the track. this is the same course I ran on new years day,my first race in SC.we were told that the mile markers were drawn with chalk earlier in the day but were washed off now and that the course was marked by small arrows. I see a barefoot gal to my right and the gun goes off.

barefoot gal stays with me the first 400 meters around the track and stayed close behind me for about a half mile or so, I could hear her footsteps slapping the pavement and landing in puddles. then the torrential downpour started. I could no longer hear anything around me other than sheets of rain hitting the ground and the wind picking up and swirling around the beautiful trees with hanging moss that surround the park and college campus we ran through.  at that moment, I was so glad I chose to run.  I felt happy the rest of the race, even though  was soaked to the bone. I focus on the red shirt guy in front of me and just run at a comfortable pace. and let me tell ya,this was a very comfortable pace.......
I didn't have anyone around me,but red shirt guy was in my sight. I knew I had overall female,so I felt no pressure to run super fast.....
slowest overall female time i ever got,but I am sure 3 weeks from now, more ppl will be show up there and more competition will force me to be faster....  that and I need to step up my game and try to get faster over the next 4 races......

wish me luck!

4 things friday

1.i am 15 weeks out tomorrow! this is an NPC "warm up" show. I am not crazy about NPC,but that stems from bad experiences and bad feedback from judges-nothing against the federation itself.  I am also curious to see how strong politics run in these neck of the woods. this is a new state for me,so I do not know anyone, and no one knows me. it will be interesting to see how things will go. and it will be nice to compete locally! having a 25 minute drive is awesome. I can go on stage, come back home and wait until night show-much easier that way especially with 4 kiddos!
the pro show is set for September!!! it is a 4 hour drive......

2.my sprig break from school starts tomorrow!!! just in time too, because I feel so over school work right now!!!!!!!!!!
even though my older kids spring break ended last weekend, I let them skip 2 days of school on account of their BFF's from out of state came to visit during their spring break. it was just what we all needed! good friends, good times!



3. my little baby is curious about potty training.(and lets me know when he needs a diaper change) I am hoping the diaper days will be behind us this summer?????? he will be 2 in june, so I have no expectations what so ever. he has  a stubborn and strong willed spirit, so it will happen when HE is good and ready ,not me.
: )

4.
take 5 minutes to look over this clip----never under estimate the power of the mind, and refusing to give up,this is too good not to share!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qX9FSZJu448

16 wks out....

its getting close to that time again!
16 and 22 wks out
: )

the show in 16 wks is a "warm up"
then the big pro show is a few weeks later!

I started the week right with an epic workout.
leg day with plyos for active rest
and 4 miles afterwards.
my legs are so sore today. I love it!

in other news,
I have a few 5ks coming up next month
the last one I ran was 3 weeks ago and I was overall female with a time of 20:17ish
( the course was about 1/4mile short though!!!)--but wow this was a trail run and it was simply amazing! I felt like I was back in college crosscountry!
even though there were some glitches with the race itself(first 5k being held for a fundraiser) the course made it worth it-wooded trail with hills and twisty turns.....It made me happy!

in other other news
kids spring break s this week!
I wish it were mine. school is becoming more challenging in regards to time management.
5 more classes! I can do this,right???

anyways,that about sums it all up here-im still alive and kicking-keeping busy with the kiddos and school. looking forward to starting prep soon!

will end with some random things:
I feel naked when:
I run/workout without a hat
I run without a watch and when
I don't have a baby on my hip

heres to an awesome 16 weeks that leaves me feeling like both feet are off the ground!

st. patty's day 5k

perfect weather for a 5k! 40's starting out and was around 50 afterwards....
to be honest,i didn't think I could pull a decent time on account of doing 2 pretty good speed workouts on Tuesday and Thursday-my legs felt heavy, tired and just sluggish all day yesterday and even when I woke up this morning.
but I was going to see what I could do.
it was a larger race than last week,(but still small)
I start at the front of the line put my headphones in and try to get my mind off my tired legs.
I wanted to get in  6:45 mile splits, and of course make top 3 overall.
mile 1:
felt faster than what it was. I was up in front with the boys and the bike rider. I focus on the gal ahead of me and the green soles of a guys shoes in front of me.
6:49.

mile 2:
I pass 3 guys in front of me and encourage some guy to stay with me,as I overheard him talking at the start and he said hewanted to get at or under 21. I was feeling like I could be on pace for under 21.
I am making a dent in the gap between me and the lead gal.
13:xx im not sure if it was 13:22 or 13:42

I knew I wanted to pick my pace up. up until this point,i felt pretty good. I could tell my legs were fading fast though. I just wanted to get the last mile in under 7 minutes!
I refocus on the soles of the shoes in front of me.
I tell myself to just hold pace.
out of the corner of my eye I see a young gal beside me.
ugh.
cant let her pass me!
I pick up my pace and try to shake her off my heels.
it works, but only briefly.
she catches up to me, and again, i speed up, she catches me and then I speed up. we play this game until close to the finish.
I cant shake this kid off me,lol!!!!
close to the 3 mile mark, she catches me for the final time....
and passes me.
and then some  high school boy  passes me.
I felt my energy fade as I  attempted to have some type of kick at the (uphill) finish.
my legs felt so tired!!!!!
I cross at 21:30 by my watch.
and manage to get 3rd overall female.
at the line there were hand shakes, pats on the back and many congrats given.

I know I've said this 100x over, but ill say it again---
I simply love the comradeship of runners!!!!
I love this environment and even though I may not be as fast as I want to be right now, I still love the feeling of being in "my element".

now, in other news.....
I am scoping out some local shows to do this summer-they are all NPC, but I feel  I am going to need a POSSIBLE warm up show before the big Pro show this fall!!!
: )

in other other news......
school is kicking my butt!!!!
not in the sense of its hard from a scholastic standpoint (yes,its very challenging,but im still pulling straight A's!)
but rather its a time management issue.
 I have been having many many late nights-combine this with early mornings and you get one sleep deprived mamma!!!!
I keep telling myself I just 5 more classes left--40 weeks! then I can be done with my Masters!!! 
: )
sometimes I think how can I possibly train effectively for a show this year?
how can I pull it off??
I have a feeling this wont be an "easy" prep unless I can find an extra 2 hours in my day.
until then, coffee will be my BFF and running and lifting will keep me sane.
I will make it all work somehow.

5k-there is superstitious writing on the wall

3.1 mi 00:21:23= 06:53 pace

finally got in the 21's again! I knew this race was my redemption run for last week.
even though I so did not want to get out o bed this morning, I'm glad I showed up!
I was curious as to how the run would go, as I went against pre-race rituals---
didnt have usual pre race dinner,
didnt wear my usual batman or superman shirt,
or my "lucky" socks...
I didnt even run at all last week,not a mile since last weekends 5k!!-(thanks to late night studying and dealing with a baby with double ear infection-I am one tired mamma to say the least!)
it was either going to go really well, or really bad.
turned out to go better than expected.
a fun small race.
not as windy as ast week!
I came in 2nd overall female by 20-30 seconds -had the lead gal within striking distance until mile 2
-oh well-
it was her pace that pushed me!
found out after the race that she is new to running and this was her first 5k,and she won overall female!
I was excited for her, and she even chicked some guys at the line....
another race next weekend--going to not say outloud what time I am hoping-don't want to jinx myself!!!!
do any of yall have pre race/sport/lifting rituals you don't like to break??
 

5ks and updates

yup, i'm still alive and kicking!
and ive still been running and lifting.
last week was another great week with workouts-
I had a killer leg workout that resulted in some serious DOMS--
it made me happy.
yesterday I ran a 5k.
It was a great race, held on the campus of a high school-no roads or streets, just parking lots, fields and the track!
it was small local event,and the weather was cool,windy and rainy,(with a cold wind chill!).
 I get to the line,
gun goes off,
i start off with the boys-and then an older lady passes me. she is wearing old school neon orange running shorts with her shirt tucked in.
I try to keep her in sight,but she had some killer speed and showed no signs of slowing down.
I hear light footsteps behind me and heavy breathing. I knew it was another female.
no way I was going to take less than second.
she catches up to me,i speed up and shake her off my heels.
we play this nice little fun game the rest of the race.
high school kids are every where along the course making sure the runners know where to go. all of them are hollering for Coach T--the gal behind me.
everytime she caught up to me and would fall behind I would encourage her to stay with me. at first I was worried she would catch up to me and pass me. I didn't know if I had it in me to chase down another female. and then I realize, that coach T is the one struggling to stay with me,and not the other way around.
I try to catch the guy in front of me.
I make it to the 1.5 mile mark and feel like I have so much more to go.
its still back and forth with me and coach T.
I hear the announcer call in the overall winner at 16:32.
ugh. I knew I had at least 5 more minutes to run.
or did I? no idea what my pace was. I was hoping to get under 22. last race was 22:08. I felt I was going faster than sub 22.
I zone in on the guy in front of me.
I pass him.
the rain starts. the wind picks up more-which at this point I have been running against the wind. the. entire. freaking. time. I really don't enjoy running in the wind. give me rain,sleet,snow,heat-but not wind!,lol!
I make a wrong turn-coach t hollars at me to go straight.
almost there,i see the turn to make it on the track and finish up!
some old guy passes me,i pick my pace to stay with him.
I hear footsteps behind me. no way im going to passed at the line!
I knew it was coach t. I dig down and kick it in to the finish line.
and I am very disappointed to see my time
22:18
I really thought I was going at around a 21:30 pace. I felt challenged the entire course-then again,i was running against the wind,maybe that's why I felt like I was going a lot faster???

oh well,i did have fun,and was glad I had some challenge along the way!
I did win  $25 gift card to local running store for being 2nd overall female,so I cant complain!
another race this weekend and next,
hopefully I can start shaving some time off!!!!!
happy Sunday!

"did you birth all them babies?" and ninjas

hi,
im still here
finally back in the swing of workouts and running.
finally!
and it feels pretty awesome.
(even though I have to suck up my pride and just get the workouts done at lower weights and the running is done at slower speeds)
but,im still enjoying the new gym.
it is smaller, but has everything I need.

and the kids like the child watch area now.
the older kids had almost a full week off from school last week on account of the ice storm that came through here. while the weather only lasted 24 hours, and the ice melted the next day, schools were out due to a city/state wide power outage.
the gym still had power last week though.
yay!
and
the first time I brought all 4 kids with me, the first question I got:

"did you birth all them babies?"
my reply,
"yes ma'am,
every.
single.
one."

: )

and then I was asked "how old are you,you look way too young to have all these babies!"

see why I love the place?

in other news,
I have 2 races lined up next month.
 I am hoping to be faster than last race-the course description is "flat and fast"
so this may be what I need to get my legs to turn over faster...
as of now, based on my speedwork over the past 2 weeks, im pretty confident I can see 21next weekend.

in other other news,
a new adventure is beginning!
I was contacted by the NBC casting producer of "Americas Ninja Warrior",
they apparently scouted me out and requested me to try out for season 7!
they need more female competitors so looks like ill be doing some unique training soon!

check out these ladies from last year!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_agt8WdrSA


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

happy Wednesday!

Suck it up,buttercup...

Hi!
Im still here.
Remember how the weekend before last was full of great workouts and I was back at it?
Well, remember that run down feeling I had?
Turns out that I did get laryngitis,with a nasty head/chest cold-and it put me down for a week!!!!!
I hardly ever get sick like that! maybe  once every 8 years?
I was on the couch watching movies with the little most of last week, and just resting as best I could. Lets just say I have watched enough Blues Clues, Team Umizumi,YoGabbaGabba and Doc mcstuffins than I care to admit!
: )

BUT I finally felt good enough today to lift and run (and it totally feels like im back at square 1!)Time to just suck it up.
I do have to admit though, as Barbie as I am feeling in the weight room, it still felt good to be moving again!
Todays workout was pretty good, despite the (significantly)lower weights. I know I will be sore later!!!
Its a start, so hopefully this week the ball will keep its momentum!


Here's to a good week ahead!

good workouts and chasing a mamma bear with a spatula...

so blogger is being difficult and not letting me comment except for sporadically!
im still following along with yall even though I cant comment except every once in while...

anyways,the weekend was spent in the gym. I had some GREAT workouts-the best ive had in a about 6 months!!!
back/bis
pullups 2 sets of 10 each -wide and close grip
3-4x10-12 each
woodchops
mofos
21's
lat pulldown
straight arm lat pulldown
rope rows
5 mile tempo run (7:40 pace)
yesterday:
legs/plyos
single leg leg press
ski lunge
leg curls
jump lunges
leg extensions
blurpies with explosive jump tucks
3 miles to shake the jello out
while it may not sound like a lot, it totally made me feel great!

holy wow. my entire body is sore! but love it!
today is rest day due to being under the weather. I lost my voice and just feel run down. bleh.
the little ones are getting over colds/ear infections so hopefully tomorrow I can get back in the gym and kill it some more. I feel like im finally getting back in the groove...

in other news, it was my grandmas 83 birthday last week
One of my earliest memories of spending time with my grandparents was the time me and my cousins went with them to Gatlinburg. we stayed in a log cabin with a grill in the back. as my granddaddy was grilling hotdogs and hamburgers, a black bear came out of the woods and went towards the grill. my grandma grabbed the spatula, told my granddaddy to take the kids inside and off she went, chasing that big old bear and her cubs away. I remember being a little scared but mostly amused(kindof how I feel when watching honey booboo!)I had no doubts in my young brain that my grandma could easily chase the bear down and kill it with her spatula. after all,she did grow up in the mountains-literally. she was born on  cold January night in front of the fireplace in a small cabin at the base of Gumsprings mountain.
shes a true mountain woman, who could easily take down any wild animal, either with her bare hands... or with a spatula!

hope yall have a great Monday!

trying to get it together-getting back to basics

hey yall! im still alive and kicking!
still getting things settled in the new house, and trying to get the whole gym/workout/running routine thing together.
it hasn't been easy. the gym we joined has a child watch,( a small room for 8wk -4 year olds)and M hates it. I have been a few times with the little ones and Elijah has done well half the time and screamed the other half. M  misses 'her' Ms. Angel,her favorite person at the old gym.
I am actually looking into joining the local YMCA,just for a different child watch area that is a little bit more interactive and stimulating for her.? maybe that will help get her mind off the old gym?
I have to get it together ASAP.

I am tired of feeling so out of shape! I did another 5k race over the weekend, and while I was 30 seconds faster than last race,(I made it to the line at 22:08 by my watch) I couldn't help but tell myself I would have won overall if I were in running shape! Instead, I placed 4th overall female and 13/800. (did get 1rst in AG)
AND the humbling part was that the 3rd place gal,(who I tried to catch the entire race, I kept her in sight,but she beat me by 15 seconds!) she was 3 months pregnant!!!!!!!!!
 I talked to her and a few other gals after the race and she is planning on running Boston in April! while I wanted to complain about how out of shape I felt, she was feeling humbled bc she was used to running in the 18-19's for a 5k.
yeah.
I didn't have room to complain.

But it didn't stop me from feeling like it totally sucks working to get back into condition!!!!
the past few workouts have been humbling. I feel like im starting from square one!  I tried not to compare myself to others, but while I was doing only 30lbs on the smith machine for reverse lunges and front squats, some chic was getting 150 up in the squat rack.
ugh. I remind myself I will be there again soon.
 im getting back to the basics.
nothing ever gets done sitting around complaining and talking about it.
ive always said don't talk about it,be about it......

SO, im putting all my pride aside and just getting the work done, rebuilding my base and conditioning and then taking it from there. muscle memory is a good thing and im hoping it kicks in soon!!!I cant wait to get strong and fast again!!!
I still need to decide on a Pro show date. one is middle of April, in FL and the other is end of September in GA. the GA show would be less of a drive, so im looing at that one more.

I have 5 summer races already lined up and maybe one next weekend, one or two next month and 2 in March. there are several triathlons in this area in the summer so I just need to pick a race and do it!
im looking at July or August?
another reason I want to join the Y is because they have a local triathlon training group that meets a 2-3x a week. ive never done group training before, but that may be what I need to get myself to break past barriers?
yeah,im really needing to get it together!!

happy Monday!

 has anyone utilized group training runs, or workouts before? if so, what is it like?

oh and a pic of what I won at the race-(a framed picture )

and king Elijah/super baby says hello!