Will Run For Ice Cream

It's been about a week since I decided that I needed a little break ( That Marathon Really Took A Toll On Me Emotionally ). And focusing on strength training (as crazy as it sounds) I think was exactly what I needed. Well, that and the running streak  When I wanted to cut my reps short during strength training, I reminded myself that I wasn't a quitter, that to get results I needed to push through my comfort zone and finish the set. And so far that's what I've done. (even on the triceps push-ups which I am terrible at!)  I'm starting week 2 of strength training. My plan is to do it faithfully for a month and hope that it becomes a habit. I'm also hoping that in some ways I will notice a little difference in muscle tone. I know that it probably won't be drastic , but I'm hoping for at least a little change to encourage me to continue on with strength training.  And doing the running streak has kept me running without feeling that I needed to ...

Take one tiny glimpse at my feet and you know I'm a runner. YIKES. Yeah, it's that bad. Although, I've never lost a toenail, and I'm a little jealous of those who have. ;) But my feet are covered in callouses, corns, and otherwise just scary looking. And I have to say that I'm lazy when it comes to foot maintenance.  But I had the opportunity to try some pretty awesome products from PROFOOT  First I tried the Pedi-Rock. And in the past I've tried pumice stones, cheese-grater type contraptions, and even those razor blade tools to cut off the callouses without a whole lot of positive results. My first thought about the Pedi-Rock was that it was really easy to hold. It fit nicely in my hand, and I could reach a lot of surface at one time. I also liked that you could use it wet or dry. My results? Well they were pretty darn good. After just one scrubbing I saw and felt a noticeable difference. I have to say I was impressed.  Next I tried the Heel Re...

So, I'm in a contest. I know. I know.. Who isn't right?!? But if you have a moment, could you just click on the "Vote For Me" below. I didn't think that I had any chance of placing in the top 3, but over the last month or so I've moved up a couple of spots. So I thought I would ask for your help.  Will you help a girl out?  

I have found a new love... f ood love that is... KIND  bars.  If you are looking for a healthy snack, look no farther. KIND Bars are amazing. They are made from real foods with real names that you can pronounce. They are a healthy alternative to candy bars and sugary snacks. Most of the KIND bars contain a decent amount of fiber and protein. I'll admit that I'm not a big fan of traditional protein bars. So when I found KIND bars, I knew that I had found something that I would continue to use. I have used them pre-workout and post-workout. Because of the fiber and protein, they keep me full longer than other other snacks. And according to their package "A study by Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center indicates that eating 2 KIND bars a day helps prevent weight gain".  In addition to them being healthy, they are also delicious!  The combinations of flavors are amazing. They come in flavors such as Peanut Butter and Dark Chocolate, Pomegranate B...

I'm in a funk. And I haven't been like this.. well... I don't think ever. When I moved from MS to PA, I got depressed and stopped running. But when I ran in MS, running was very different for me. I met my best friend most mornings out of the week, and we would run/talk. It was great. She was by far the better runner. I cherished our time together, and still do. To this day, I still miss our runs.  When I moved to PA, I lost that. And going from running with your best friend to running solo was a major change for me. So much in fact that I gave up running. I don't remember how long I stopped. I just know that I did ( for awhile ). And I honestly don't even remember how I started back running again. But I did.  And then I met some people at some races, and starting making some running friends. I ran several 5Ks and then moved up to 10Ks, joined a running group, ran my first half marathon (followed by several more) then ran my first Marathon at 40 , and just...

National Running Challenge .. have you heard of it? Well I hadn't until just this last week, and finally just had a a chance to check it out. The general concept is sign up (it's free), submit your race results, and win. According to the website, 15% of runners who enter will win a prize.  I just checked my standings, and I'm 72 on the list :( Unfortunately the contest began on 9/14/13 so it missed my double weekend of Half Marathons. But it felt pretty cool to record my marathon (even if I'm still not happy about my results). And if I get in some December races, I can enter those as well.  It was interesting to see that there were a lot more females listed than males. Do you think it's because more females are running? Or simply that more females signed up for the service?  Either way, I wanted to tell ya'll about it, especially for you crazy folks who have recently run back-to-back Marathons. They also have a Facebook Page - National Running Ch...

Yeah, that's right. I think I'm going to streak. (ahem... a running streak) I toyed with the idea last year, but with coming off an injury and going right back into marathon training, I decided not to. But this year, when I heard about the Runner's World 2013 Holiday Running Streak  , my gut reaction was "I want to do this". And after coming off of my 2nd Marathon that didn't go as I had hoped ( I Gave Up During My 2nd Marathon ) and  no real long distance race in my near future, now seems like a good time to do this. And depending on how this challenge goes, I am considering the idea of doing it for a full year.  Anyone want to join me?  So far my marathon recovery has been so so. My knee is feeling a little wonky. I rested until Thursday, and then I attempted to power-walk. It didn't go so great. My knee really didn't like it. So I rested another day.  I was able to run 2 miles on Saturday with very few problems. I can tell that things...

This isn't the report I want to write. This isn't how I imagined this would go. In fact, there wasn't anything about this weekend that went how I thought that it would be when I registered for the Harrisburg Marathon.  And right now, I can't honestly tell you what I'm feeling because I'm not really sure what that is right now. I just know that I'm disappointed, and I'm so terribly angry with myself. I am so so so angry with me for giving up on me. The week of the marathon I got very little sleep. Two days before the marathon Lil Man got sick. But honestly I don't think that this had anything to do with the very bad day that I had on Sunday. I was excited and nervous before the race. And then we were off. I kept myself on pace. I have a tendency to start off too fast and bonk before the end. So for the first couple of miles I was on 'target', but I knew that I was struggling. Really?!? Within the first couple of miles I was struggling...

It's almost here.. Sunday.. the big day.. the big race. And I've been pretty much going stir crazy with the taper. My knee is still feeling a little 'off'. I'm sure it's ok. I hope it's ok.  But I've gone from giddy excitement to fear of not reaching my goal within minutes of each other this week. :)  I've heard myself say "What was I thinking?" to "Girl, you've totally got this." so many times that I've lost count. ha.  But today I was curious about carbo loading. When should I start? Is now too early? And I came across this Article from Runner's World Fill Er' Up .  It seems that the best time to start carbo loading is 2-3 days out from the race. I knew not to just 'load up' the night before. But I wasn't exactly sure when to start or how much. According to the article you need 4 grams of carbs per pound of body weight. Wow, that was more than I thought. So I'm glad I came...

It's such an ugly word. At first I thought I would look forward to some rest. But as the final week of the race is here, it is becoming clear that the ' taper ' is truly an ugly word. And I've had a few moments of just feeling this huge overwhelming fear that I need to be out there running.. something.  Apparently I'm not alone in this feeling. I came across this article from Fleet Feet Sports Tips For The Taper . It helped re-assure me that I need to trust the taper. It also helps to remember that the dreaded 'taper' is also part of training. So I reminded myself that I am still training for the marathon. I am just at a different stage of the training program. And this stage is very important. Recovery is a necessary part of training.   By this time next week, I will hopefully have completed my 2nd Marathon!!