Image Map

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Happy Halloween!!!

Happy Halloween everyone!!! This is my favorite holiday! I love all the cute decorations and dressing up! It's so much fun! Today is also my sweet hubby's birthday! I love you Andy!!!

And tomorrow...is my birthday!!! :-)

Every year we carve pumpkins before Halloween. Andy's parents and sister and her husband always come over for the festivities. We design, carve, and then scoop out all the insides and send those home with my mother-in-law so she can bake us pumpkin pie! Last night was our annual pumpkin carving!

After school we headed to the local farmers market to pick out our pumpkins. And it was slim pickings....they hardly had any pumpkins left!


After lots of careful thought....the boys made their decision!


We loaded those huge pumpkins into the van and carried them home! Hayden insisted on holding his pumpkin lol!


The boys decided on their design. They drew them on the pumpkins. Cut the top off. And scooped out all the insides! Sawyer had way too much fun with this part! He had pumpkin up to his elbows before the night was over lol!


Then it was time to carve out the design! We let the adults handle the knives lol!


Here are the finished products! Sawyer and Papa designed his!


Hayden and Daddy designed his!


And then Cullen had to inspect of course!


Tonight we are trick-or-treating of course! And celebrating Daddy's birthday too! Sawyer is dressing up as Batman and Hayden is dressing up as a banana!!!

I hope you have a fun and safe Halloween!!!

QOTD: Do you like Halloween? Any Halloween traditions?

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Turkey Trot Fun Run!

Thanks so much for all the encouraging words on yesterday's post! I had a great run yesterday morning! My knee didn't hurt at all during the run and the hip was just a little tight. I go back to Dr. Justin this afternoon and hopefully he will continue to let me run! :-)

This past Saturday I was supposed to run the Turkey Trot 5K here in town. The main reason I signed up for this race was because my sons' Cub Scout pack was having all the boys and their families sign up. I signed the boys and Andy up for the fun run and signed myself up for the 5K. At the time I wasn't injured.

Several people asked why it is called the Turkey Trot and is in October. Well this race is for the Prodisee Pantry. They use the funds to buy turkey dinners for families in need for Thanksgiving. So they hold the race early so those families will have their turkey dinners. It's really an awesome cause!

We woke up Saturday morning to gorgeous weather! It was cold outside...in the 40's! That is perfect running weather and I was itching to run! But I made the decision to only do the fun run since my knee was hurting.

I was so excited because Hayden was going to do the flag ceremony with Cub Scouts before the race! He carried the flag out, all the runners said the pledge of allegiance, and then Hayden carried the flag away. I was soooo proud of him!



Then we got to see the runners take off! It was really cool being on the sidelines and watching the start of the race from that point of view!


We had about an hour before the fun run started so we walked around trying to stay warm. This race had a ton of vendors set up so we went and checked them out before we headed to the start line.




And of course we got a family picture! I loved seeing us all with race numbers on!!!


 Finally it was time to head to the start line. We were one of the first to get there. The boys were excited about the start line!!!


We were ready to run...and walk! ;-)


The gun went off and we all started running! After about 30 seconds the boys were ready to walk lol! It went that way the rest of the mile. But we were having fun anyway. Andy and Hayden kept trying to beat each other. Hayden didn't want Andy getting in front of him so he would run ahead. It was fun watching them have so much fun! Sawyer had fun too....until he fell. :-( He didn't hurt anything but the tears started flowing. Finally I got his mind off of it and he started running again. It didn't take long and we saw the finish line. Sawyer shot off and beat us all! He was so proud that he had "beat the whole family!!!" I LOVED seeing and hearing his excitement! We all got ribbons for finishing the fun run. The boys were super proud...and I was super proud of them!


It was a blast doing this with the family! I hope we will run many more fun runs together in our future!

QOTD: Do you and your family race together?

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Hip and Knee Update!

As you know I have been experiencing some hip pain for the past month. I took a week off from running, started running for about a week and the hip flared up again and I had to take more time off. Then I ran my half marathon (took it slow and easy) and the hip was tight but didn't feel any worse...but then my knee started hurting after the race. So I was super frustrated!

I finally decided it was time to see my favorite sports chiropractor Dr. Justin. He helped me tremendously when I had a knee injury last year before the Disney Marathon. So I knew he could help with this recurring hip pain and the knee pain. So I made the appointment with him last week and saw him yesterday.

I was a little nervous going into the appointment because you never know what the diagnosis may be. I didn't think I had anything seriously wrong. I truly felt that it was an overuse injury due to increasing my training. I felt like my hip was misaligned. And I knew that my quad and IT Band were super super tight. But I also knew that my methods weren't working all the way.

I've been icing. I've been stretching. I've been rolling. And it helped a little...but not all the way. I needed help.

The first thing Dr. Justin did was have me lay on my stomach. He did a test to see if my legs went together correctly. And they did not! That told him right away that my hip was not aligned correctly. He said that was causing the hip pain which in turn caused the knee pain.

He also said my quad, IT Band, and hip flexor were super tight.

He used two treatments: Active Release Technique (ART) and Fascial Distortion Model (FDM). To me...it was just like a deep tissue massage of the sore muscles with some movement of my leg with it. Of course there is a better definition for both of the methods lol!

The good news....he told me to RUN! He wants to see how well I feel after I run. And I have to continue to roll, stretch, and ice. He thinks that it will only take 3-4 visits to have me pain free again! Yay!!!

So I know these pains are probably overuse. But I also asked him about my shoes. I've worn Asics for the past 3 years. I got some Saucony running shoes through my blog a few months ago. When it was time for new shoes a few months ago I decided to try the Saucony shoes instead of buying another pair of Asics. They were free....I wanted to make them work!!! Dr. Justin said the different brand of shoes most likely aided in the hip and knee pain too because the shoes changed my gait.

I already had an idea that maybe the Saucony shoes weren't working for me. So the week before my half marathon I went and bought another pair of Asics (although of course I didn't wear them for the half).

You may remember me posting these pictures on Instagram!


Even Cullen approved of the Asics!


Dr. Justin said to run in the Asics. And I go back and see him tomorrow for more treatment. I'm sooo glad this was nothing serious! And I'm so glad I have that peace of mind knowing it's going to get better. And...did I say that I can RUN??? This is one happy girl!!!!

So hopefully...today's run is awesome! :-)

QOTD: Do you see a chiropractor for injuries?

Monday, October 28, 2013

The Weekly Chase #44!

Happy Monday!!! This weekend was great! We had some cooler weather and it felt amazing! I ran/walked the Turkey Trot fun run with my family and then I spent the rest of the weekend with my best friend Rhonda. Rhonda and I even walked 5 miles! It was a great weekend!


This afternoon I am going to see my sports chiropractor Dr. Justin about my knee and hip. Both are feeling much better after all the rest I have taken from running. But I still want to get them checked out since I have so many races on the horizon. I'll tell you all about my appointment later!

It's time for the Weekly Chase! I'm ready to tell you all about my goals this week! I hope you will link up your own goals with us too!

Road Runner Girl

Here are my goals from last week!

  • Goal #1: Rest and recover from my half marathon. Yes! I didn't run at all last week except for the little bit I ran during the 1 mile fun run with the family on Saturday. I was pretty sore from the half on Monday and Tuesday but then all was good except for the knee pain.
  • Goal #2: Roll and stretch daily. Yes! 
  • Goal #3: Cook dinner at home 3-4 times this week. Yes! It was nice having some homecooked meals this week instead of eating out so much!
  • Goal #4: Get my race recap written and posted on the blog this week. Done! If you missed my race recap you can read it HERE! ;-)

Here are the goals I will be working on this week!

Goal #1: Follow what ever directions Dr. Justin gives me concerning my knee and hip. I'm hoping he will let me run this week. There's a 10K race on Saturday that I'd really like to do but I will have to wait and see what he says.

Goal #2: Roll and stretch daily. An ongoing goal!

Goal #3: Help make Halloween fun for my boys. I love Halloween! I hope I can make it a fun time for the boys! I know we will be going trick or treating for sure!

Goal #4: Happy Birthday fun! Thursday (also Halloween) is my hubby's birthday! He's very hard to shop for so I have no clue what to get him for his birthday. But I hope I can make it special for him! It's hard since it's also Halloween and the boys are focused on trick or treating. Then..my birthday is the next day...on Friday!!! :-)

So that's the plan for the week! I'm really hoping I get great news today about my knee and hip!! Fingers crossed! This girl just wants to run!!!

QOTD: What are your goals this week? Any suggestions on how to make my hubby's birthday special?

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Runner Spotlights #59

I hope everyone is having a great weekend! We've had some cold weather this weekend and it's been fabulous!!! It really feels like fall! Of course this week the highs will be back in the 80's! Joy of living on the Gulf Coast!

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'd love to spotlight you! I'm running pretty low on spotlights so don't hesitate to email me!!! You don't have to have a blog to be spotlighted...you just have to be a runner! ;-)

Today I am spotlighting April from My Real Food Family! She loves half marathons and has run over 50 of them!!! Keep reading to learn more about her!




Name:  April Mims
State:  TX

When and why did you start running?  I started running in 2006 when I was in my early 30s.  Although I wasn't overweight, I was starting to gain a few extra pounds and knew that I wasn't healthy.  After I walked my first 5K race, I saw the variety of people that participated and decided that I would try running so I found a Couch to 5K program and struggled through that.  After a few 5K races, I really enjoyed trying to beat my previous times.

What is your favorite race and race distance?  The half is my favorite distance.  I would try to run several each year and keep my training up.  Just before I turned 40, I decided that I wanted to complete 40 half marathons by 40.  A few days before my 40th birthday, I crossed the finish line for the 40th time.  Then I went on to run 10 more half marathons before my next birthday.  Kind of hard to deny that I love the half!  I have had so many amazing experiences in different cities at different races so it’s hard to pick one favorite.  I ran San Francisco this past June and it was really amazing to run across the Golden Gate Bridge.  Another favorite was the Texas Independence Relay, a 202 mile relay.  It was 10 women in 2 vans running across Texas with no sleep.  What’s not to love about that?!?

What is your race day routine?  My typical race day routine is to have a cup or two of coffee and a bowl of oatmeal before heading to the start line.  I don’t really have any pre-race rituals or habits.  I do always like to proclaim that my bib number is my lucky number.  That probably makes me a big dork but I like to keep my thoughts silly, light, and positive before the race.  And 18,479 might really be my lucky number!

What is your most favorite piece of running gear?  Hmmm, this is a tough question.  I love my Garmin and analyzing the split data.  I also love my Race Ready shorts because of all the pockets for fuel, keys, phone, etc.  Can friends/training partners count as running gear?  The ladies I train with each week are completely amazing and definitely my favorite thing about running.  Having an incredible group to run with makes grueling training runs fun and make the time pass quickly.  So I don’t know if that’s technically running “gear” but I wouldn't want to run without them!

Do you follow any diet or take any specific supplements that complement your running?  I only eat real, unprocessed foods.  I never eat fast food and try to make sure that the foods I consume are as close to nature as possible.  I was really amazed that healthy eating could be so delicious.  I didn't even have to give up dessert! 

What do you wish you’d known when you first started running?  I wish I would have known how much my life would change because of running.  I was never athletic or into sports and never thought I would be a marathon runner.  I amazed myself with what I am capable of and carry that confidence into other areas of my life.  And if I would have known about the incredible friendships that would result, I would have started running much earlier!

What is your fondest running memory?  I have so many fond memories from running.  I have run several half marathons with my daughters, have run in several different states, seen many beautiful sights.  If I had to narrow it down to just one, I would say it was crossing the finish line of my first half marathon.  That was the moment that I realized how strong I was and that I could do anything I worked hard enough for.

What is one thing that most people do not know about you?  One thing most people don’t know about me is when I actually considered myself a runner.  I had run at least 4 half marathons, a ton of 5Ks, 10Ks, and a couple 15Ks.  I guess because I wasn't fast I didn't think I was a real runner.  I’m not an Olympic runner and will never win a race, but I am a runner just the same!


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


Thanks so much for sharing with us April!!!

QOTD: Do you prefer cold or hot weather?

Friday, October 25, 2013

Fitness Friday...Recovery Week!

This week has been all about recovery from last weekend's half marathon. I've been doing lots of stretching, rolling, icing, and taking an anti inflammatory. If you read my race recap then you know that not only did I have some hip pain but now I have what feels to be a bruised knee. :-( So I bit the bullet...and I have an appointment with my awesome sports chiropractor Dr. Justin. You may remember when I went to see him last year for my knee. He was wonderful and had me back to marathon training in two weeks. So I'm hoping he can do the same this time. I couldn't get an appointment until Monday afternoon...he is one busy guy!

The professional pictures from the race are finally ready! I just LOVE this one of me and Paige! I am so blessed to have friends that love to run as much as I do!!!


Here are a few more!




Time for Fitness Friday! I'm ready to tell you about my run (note it was only one run) and planks this week!



  • Saturday- #plankaday 1:03
  • Sunday- 13.1 mile run in 2:45:58 average pace 12:40
  • Monday- #plankaday 1:05
  • Tuesday- #plankaday 1:06 I posted this on Instagram saying I did my plank and trigger point therapy (rolling) all before my cup of coffee!
  • Wednesday- #plankaday 1:01
  • Thursday- #plankaday 1:10
  • Friday- #plankaday 1:00

So that was my week. I rested. I was pretty sore on Monday and Tuesday but the rest of the week my legs felt good. The knee bothered me all week. :-( And the hip didn't bother me at all...go figure! Hopefully Dr. Justin will have good news for me on Monday!

Tomorrow I am supposed to run another race. It's the Turkey Trot 5K. The boys are running the fun run with the Cub Scouts. I'm going to see how the knee is doing that morning before I decide if I'm going to run the 5K or just walk the fun run with the boys. Regardless it will be fun doing a race with the whole family!

QOTD: Does your family race together? What was your best run/workout this week?


Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Gulf Coast Half Marathon in Mandeville!

Make sure to read all about packet pickup and the day before the race!

We must have been ready to run because Paige and I both woke up about 2 minutes before our alarm was supposed to go off! We got ready pretty fast! I just loved our outfits!


We left about an hour before race time. We had to be there a little early because the start line was in a park and they were closing the roads 45 minutes before the race. We made it there with plenty of time. It was so cold outside (52 degrees...yes that's cold to me) so Paige and I sat in the car a few minutes before we got out. Finally about 30 minutes before start time we ventured into the cold. The sun was just starting to rise.


We stood in line for the bathroom for a few minutes and then we headed towards the start line. This race isn't very big so there isn't any corrals. There are just suggested areas for each pace in the starting chute. We took a few pictures first of course!

Yes...we had beach towels wrapped around us! It was cold!!! But it made for some perfect running weather!


Me and Paige with our matching Spooky Halloween BAMR Bands! I LOVE BAMR Bands!!!


We got in the back of the starting chute. We knew with my hip issue and Paige's hip and foot issue that we were just going to take this race slow and easy. Before we knew it the gun went off and we were headed towards the start line!


The first few miles felt great! You could feel the excitement in the air from all the runners around you! We got several comments on our outfits which we loved hearing! There's just something about running with a bunch of people...love it!


There were even a few guys running in a tutu and pulling a tire behind them! I talked to this guy and asked him why he was doing that and he just said he was training. I can't imagine! That had to have been hard!


Before we knew it we had made it to mile 3! I was feeling great! I could feel the tightness in my hip but it wasn't hurting. I realized how much I had missed running!


We walked through the water stations and we stopped once for Paige to use the bathroom. Then we turned onto the lakefront. I always love this part of the course. It's so nice running by the water! And the houses here are gorgeous!


We reached the halfway point and Paige started telling me she needed to walk more. Her foot was really bothering her. But I was feeling great and just wanted to run. But I didn't want to leave Paige either. For some reason there didn't seem to be as many runners at this race this year. So there were times that it felt pretty lonely out there on the course. I didn't want to leave Paige alone. So I walked with her. But when I was walking my right knee started hurting. When we were running the knee didn't hurt. Weird!

Around mile 10 Paige told me to please go. She knows me well and knew I just wanted to take off. I finally did. And I felt great! I ran the rest of the race with zero walk breaks! I remember thinking, "This is what I was born to do!" I LOVE running!

Before I knew it I could see the finish line! I kicked it in gear and heard someone on the sidelines say my name as I crossed the finish line! I grabbed my medal and water and headed back to see who had said my name and to cheer on Paige. It was my dear friend Bart or @oldguyrunning as some of you may know him as on Instagram!!! We had talked about meeting up and getting a picture. The first time we met we didn't get a picture together. I was so happy to see him!


He had an amazing PR with this race! This was his third half marathon and he finished 1 hour and 3 minutes faster than his first half!!!! And in comparison to his 2nd half...he finished about 20 minutes faster! Incredible! This was his last half because he has a bucket list he is working on...3 half marathons (done), 3 full marathons, 3 50K's, and 3 100 milers! WOW! He is such an inspiration!

I had fun hanging out with him while I waited for Paige! I cheered her on as she finished and then she came around and I got to introduce her to Bart! He wanted a picture with both of us and we were happy to pose with him!


And he was kind enough to take a picture of the two of us!


We said goodbye to Bart and headed towards the after party. They had a band playing and several vendors set up.


Paige and I saw that the physical therapy tent was giving out free massages and there wasn't a line so we headed that way! We both wanted to ask about our hip. I showed the PT where my hip pain was and she asked if it was deep. I told her it was and she said it was probably a tight hip flexor. She stretched me out really well in that area. Paige took a few pictures and made me act like I was in pain lol! I really wasn't...the stretching just felt really good!


After the mini massage Paige and I took advantage of the foam rolling area. It hurt so good!!! ;-) Then we went on the search for food. There were several food vendors but the best one gave you a fourth of a hamburger. It was plain with nothing on it but it was the best burger I think I have ever had!!!

We hung out for a few minutes and then headed back to our hotel for a shower.

After we showered and dressed in our new $10 shorts we had gotten the day before and our race shirt we headed home. We decided to stop at one of the casinos and eat lunch at the buffet. It was super yummy!


Can you tell my body was craving some protein? Look at all that meat lol!


As the day went on my knee started hurting and aching more. It started out hurting on the inside. The next day it was hurting on the outside and there is a visible bruise. I think I remember hitting the outside part of my knee on something. I'm wondering if the running brought the bruise out? I'm not sure but I really hope it's not an injury. First my hip...now the knee. And it's on the same side. I feel like I'm falling apart lol! All I want to do is RUN!

So what was my official time for this race? 2:45:58....not my best but also not my worst. I know I would have rocked this race if I hadn't had the hip issue. I felt so great and the weather was perfect for a PR!


#17 is done! And I got an awesome medal and super cute shirt out of it!


QOTD: What is your favorite post race meal?

ShareThis

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...