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Friday, August 30, 2013

Fitness Friday...August 30th Edition!

Wow! Can you believe it's almost September??? This month has flown by!!! We are finally starting to get back into the school routine. I haven't been quite as tired at night like I was the first week of school. My class is doing awesome getting adjusted. I'm excited because next week we start our curriculum. We will be learning about Fabulous Friends and Letter A! So much fun!

Hayden is doing great with third grade so far! He does his homework every night independently. And he's loving reading and having access to the school library again! Sawyer is also doing great in first grade! Homework is a little more challenging with him...he'd rather be playing than doing homework. And I have to help him quite a bit so far...but hopefully that will change soon. He told me one day that he had to type on his Innotab for his homework (which I knew wasn't true but had no clue what he was up to). He went to his room for a bit and then came out and showed me what he typed. So sweet!!!


It's time for Fitness Friday! Even though it's harder to get up earlier to run I've been successful with it!


  • Saturday- #plankaday 1:01, 6.2 mile run in 1:09:05 average pace 11:09

  • Sunday- #plankaday 1:00, 3 mile run in 30:32 average pace 10:11

  • Monday- #plankaday 1:03
  • Tuesday- 1 mile run in 8:47
  • Wednesday- #plankaday 1:30
  • Thursday- #plankaday 1:05, 3.11 mile run in 31:43 average pace 10:12

  • Friday- #plankaday 1:00

It was a great week of running! All my runs were great runs! The hardest part was just getting up in the mornings. But I never regret it! 

Tomorrow my friend Misty and I are running 7 miles for half marathon training week 2! I hope everyone has a great Labor Day weekend!!!

QOTD: Any Labor Day plans? What was your best run/workout this week?

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Fall Training Schedule

Many of you ask me how I train. I typically run 3-4 times a week. I find that is the best for my body. If I run any more than that I tend to get injured.

I don't do a ton of speedwork. I know I should do more but I just don't. :-/

As you saw from yesterday's post, I have 4 races that I am running this fall. So my training schedule can get pretty tricky. I make out a calendar for each month and try to stick to it the best that I can.

I try to increase my long run by at least one mile each weekend. I may do a slow and easy recovery run on Sunday. Or I may run a fast mile on Monday. Then the rest of the week I run two short runs of 3-4 miles. Some of those short runs will incorporate speed work.

Here's my training schedule for the next 5 months...what I'm calling the fall season! :-)






So that's my tentative training schedule for the next few months! I say tentative because I may change things if I add another race in there, if I get sick, etc. For example...this week I've gone astray from the plan because I chose to do a one mile speedwork run on Tuesday because Sunday's run was a fast 3 miles instead of a recovery run. In my opinion the most important run is the long run when you are training for a half marathon or marathon. So I try to not miss those runs. Yay for training!!!

QOTD: Do you follow a specific training schedule? Do you make your own schedule or use one of the popular ones you can find online?

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Fall Race Schedule...Let the FUN Begin!

Now that half marathon training has officially started, several of you have asked what races I am planning on doing. I have 4 more races to run to complete my goal of running 13 races in 2013.

So here's my race calendar for the rest of 2013!

*Gulf Coast Half Marathon in Mandeville, LA on October 20th


I've run this race two times already...in 2011 and 2012. In 2011 I had a stomach bug two days before the race and last year I had a slight hip injury. So I'm hoping this year is my year! I want to run this one injury free and issue free lol!

*Pensacola Half Marathon in Pensacola, FL on November 10th
This is another race that I've run several times! It actually was my very first half marathon in 2010! The hills scared me so I didn't run it again until last year. It is a very organized race with a gorgeous route. And one of my favorite parts...you get a Subway sandwich at the finish line!!! :-)

*St. Jude Memphis Half Marathon in Memphis, TN on December 7th



This will be my first time running this race and I am so excited! I have wanted to run this one for a long time. I know it will be a very emotional race...especially when we run by the hospital. I am dedicating this race to my cousin's little boy Eli who is a cancer survivor. This is also the first race I have ever done fundraising for. I need to step it up and reach my fundraising goal...I'd love it if you'd donate! No amount is too small to help the children at St. Jude! You can donate HERE on my fundraising page. :-)

*The Biggest Loser Half Marathon in Panama City Beach, FL on December 29th



I'm really excited about this one too! I am a huge fan of The Biggest Loser!!! I think it's awesome they have a race series! And I love Panama City Beach too! I used to live there when I was young. My friend Paige is running this one with me and I know we are going to have a blast!

I'll have some giveaways coming soon for The Biggest Loser Run so be sure to stay tuned!

So that's my schedule for this fall! I'm really excited about all of these races!!! And I already have races lined up for 2014 too....but I'll tell you more about those in a later post! Do ya think I'm a little addicted to racing???? ;-)

QOTD: Have you ever run any of these races? Are you running them this time?


Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Half Marathon Training Has Officially Begun!

Yep, that's right! I am now officially training for my next half marathon! And I'm so excited! I love having a goal that I'm running towards! And to make it even more fun...I have friends that I am going to be training with!

My friend Misty came up to me at church last Wednesday night and said she was ready to run her first half marathon!!! I am so excited for her! I told her I would help her in any way. I've already got a training schedule planned for her! I told her we started on Saturday...with 6 miles! She was a little nervous but ready!

So Saturday morning I ran with Misty and two of my other friends, Mindy and Kaysha! It was fun having 4 of us running! We started out a little slow because I wanted to make sure I didn't scare Misty off by running too fast! I wanted her to feel good at the end of the run and like she could have kept going. She needed that boost of confidence because she was nervous that she wouldn't be able to run 6 miles.

The first 3 miles flew by! We were having so much fun running and talking! Talking to each other really helped the miles go by! At the 3 mile mark Mindy dropped water for us. So we stopped for a quick water stop....and Mindy had a surprise. She had ice cold rags for us! They felt soooo good because it was hot and humid that morning!

We started running again and we started to pick up the pace. I kept asking Misty how she was doing and she said great! She was feeling good!

I planned to run a 10K that morning for Jill and Jen's Birthday Bash Virtual Race. So around mile 5.5 I told the girls what I was planning to do. I gave them the option to stop at 6 miles...or run .2 more with me. Guess what they chose? Yep! They ran the .2 with me!


I was so happy for Misty! She did GREAT with her first training run! And to top it all off...it was her birthday too!


After the run we all headed to Chick Fil A to eat some breakfast to celebrate Misty's birthday! Chicken has never tasted so good!!! Don't judge...I totally deserved those Chicken Minis and Hashbrowns!!!


The rest of the day I did some cleaning, some laundry, and then Andy's family came over to celebrate Sawyer's birthday. We went to eat at the Mexican restaurant (his choice) and he told me before we got there that he wanted them to sing to him. But when they came out he totally freaked out! This is the picture I got of him while they were singing...hiding and crying! Poor thing!!!


It took me a while to calm him down and get a decent picture!


He was back to all smiles by the time we got home and he saw presents and cake!!!



And Cullen joined in on the fun too! He had a blast playing and running through the tissue paper!!!


It was a super fun day filled with celebrating several birthdays!!! I loved it!!!

QOTD: What are you training for right now? Birthday singing at restaurants...love it or hate it?

Monday, August 26, 2013

The Weekly Chase #35!

It's another Monday! And here comes the second week of school! I know I've said it before but I am loving my new job!!! I have a great class! All the kids are super sweet! And all the teachers have been so welcoming as well as the directors! The directors do little things that make you feel so welcome and appreciated. The first day of school we were given little bags of chocolate! And on Friday I found a cookie in my box! Super sweet!


It's time for another Weekly Chase! I'm ready to tell you all about last week and how I did with my goals with all the changes in my life. I'm also ready to make some new goals! I hope you will join us and link up your goals too!

Road Runner Girl

This month's challenge is geared around Back to School. For some of you I know that time is in September but in my part of the world that time is now. This month I want you to think of one thing in your life that you used to do and wish you were still doing. Maybe you used to exercise 4 days a week. Maybe you used to cook more meals for your family. Whatever it is...this month let's Get Back To It!



Here are last week's goals:

  • Goal #1: Run 4 times this week. Yes! I woke up 45 minutes earlier on my run days so I would be sure to get them in. I forgot what it felt like to run in the dark! It's dark when I start but the sun is coming up when I finish. 
  • Goal #2: Get in at least one walk each week for some cross training. No. Apparently this goal is just not a good one for me right now. I can't fit this in in the week...especially now that school has started. And the last two weekends it has been rainy. 
  • Goal #3: Adjust to the new schedule. I'm getting there. I'm excited to be back working but it's hard to keep up with things at home. And I'm so exhausted at night! The boys have done great adjusting so that's good!
  • Goal #4: Get all of my blog posts written each day. Yes! I got everything written last week but didn't have time to read and comment as much on my favorite blogs. 
  • Goal #5: Get back to drinking my water every day (challenge goal). I'm doing pretty well with this goal. I can't drink as much water while I'm teaching but I try to make up for it the rest of the day. 


Here's the plan for this week!

Goal #1: Run 4 times this week. Half marathon training has officially started! I'm so excited to be training again and have a goal to work towards!

Goal #2: Get back to drinking my water every day (challenge goal). Gotta keep at this one especially since I am training again!

Goal #3: Get all of my blog posts written each day. I need to set aside a time each day specifically for writing and reading blog posts. 

Goal #4: Cook at least 3 meals at home this week. I've been so tired from starting a new job that last week I didn't feel like cooking much. I want to make sure I feed my family some healthy meals this week. 

Not as many goals this week but the ones I have are still important. Wish me luck on my second week of school! And hopefully my body will adjust and not be so tired! ;-)

QOTD: What goals are you chasing this week?


Sunday, August 25, 2013

Runner Spotlights #50

Happy Sunday everyone! It's been a rainy weekend here so far. But I was able to get in my 6 mile run before the rain started. My hubby's family also came over yesterday and we celebrated Sawyer's birthday! He chose to eat at a Mexican restaurant. I tell you my boys could eat Mexican food every day! 

It's time for another runner spotlight! If you are interested in being spotlighted on my blog please email me at mindy@roadrunnergirl.com. I would love to feature you! You don't have to have a blog to be spotlighted...you just have to be a runner! I'm running low on spotlights so here's your chance! :-)

Today I'm spotlighting Kim from OKRUNNERMOM! I feel like I've really gotten to know Kim (online) over the last month or so. She's awesome! She's a Physical Therapist Assistant, a mom, wife, and of course a runner! Keep reading to learn more about her!


Name:  Kim Davis      
State:  Oklahoma

When and why did you start running? 
I started running in college. I played tennis throughout high school and found that after high school, my weight started creeping up and I had always been bigger than all of my friends. Plus diabetes runs heavily in my family and my dad died when I was 19 from complications of diabetes. I grew up being surrounded by the disease I did NOT want to succumb to it as well.

What is your favorite race and race distance? 
My favorite race would have to be the Oklahoma City Memorial race in which I ran the half marathon. It was and has been my only half marathon in which I just did earlier this year (April 2013). It was truly a memorable one! Distance wise I like both 5ks and plan on doing a half marathon again.


What is your race day routine?  
I love to get up early, so that I make sure I arrive at a decent time. I’m not scrambling around for parking and trying to find bathrooms. Get up, dress, eat a light breakfast, usually a half bagel with some PB, lots of water and I must have COFFEE!!

What is your most favorite piece of running gear?  
My running hat! I sweat so much when I workout/run that it helps keep it from getting in my eyes, plus it helps keep my hair in place!

Do you follow any diet or take any specific supplements that complement your running?  
I use Shakeology and for the most part follow a healthy, all around diet. Plenty of protein with lots of fruits, vegetables and whole grain products. 

What do you wish you’d known when you first started running?  
About Dri-fit material!!! It is truly a lifesaver! A must have for every runner!

What is your fondest running memory?  
Running the OKC Memorial half marathon with my sister in law. She is my running buddy for most events. It was my first big run that I really trained for since having my son in April 2012. I had run others before the half marathon, but never really any formal training.

What is one thing that most people do not know about you?  
I’m scared to DEATH of worms! And frogs/toads (my 7 year old daughter even has 4 of them)! Pets are suppose to be cute and furry NOT slimy and scaly! 


Here are all the different ways you can connect with Kim!


Thanks for sharing with us Kim!

QOTD: Was it rainy this weekend where you live?

Friday, August 23, 2013

Fitness Friday...Back to School Week!

It's been a super busy week with back to school! I am LOVING my new job! I forgot how much fun 3 year old's are! The first day was a little crazy and hectic but it has gotten better as the week has gone on. They are learning the routines and expectations pretty quickly!

The boys have also had a great first week of school! They both love their teachers! And it was Sawyer's 6th birthday yesterday! It's been a busy busy week!!!



It's time for Fitness Friday! I had to change my run schedule this week due to the boys going back to school and me going back to work. I've been running about 45 minutes earlier than what I was running in the summer. That means starting out my run in the dark and ending it with the sunrise. :-)


  • Saturday- #plankaday 1:04, 6 mile run in 1:03:57 average pace 10:39

  • Sunday- 1.81 mile run/walk with the Sole2Soul Sisters Couch to 5K group
  • Monday- REST day
  • Tuesday- #plankaday 1:05, 3.11 mile run in 31:38 average pace 10:11

  • Wednesday- #plankaday 1:05
  • Thursday- #plankaday 1:01, 3.11 mile run in 31:52 average pace 10:14

  • Friday- #plankaday 1:00

It was a pretty good week! I got all my runs in despite having to change my schedule up a bit. Half marathon training officially starts this weekend!!! I'm starting it off with a 6 mile long run on Saturday. I'm running with a friend that wants to train for her first half marathon. She's nervous about the run so I'm hoping I can help her see that she can so do it! 

Happy weekend!!!

QOTD: Are you officially training for anything right now?

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