2015 Running Year in Review

Best race experience?

This year I had the opportunity to check two states off on my quest to complete a half marathon in all 50 states.

#15 Mayor's Midnight Sun Half Marathon in Anchorage
#16 Route 66 Half Marathon in Tulsa

The Alaskan trip has been in my mind for years and I don't know why, but I never really believed it would or could even happen, until it did. The expedition took two years to plan and save for, but boy was it worth it!

I was thrilled to see so much wildlife - only the moose was missing!

It was definitely a once in a lifetime experience and I'm so glad to have shared it with Chris and some great friends! 

Best run?

One of the best parts of my year was training with Tammy, a friend who had not run in some years. She committed to completing the C25K program with Nadine and I by running intervals 2-3 times each week. At the end of the program, the three of us participated in a virtual 5K run with Mothers Run This Town. Even her daughter came out that morning to help cheer her on! We were all so proud!!

Best piece of running advice you received?

I had the great fortune of attending Jeff Galloway's running clinic this past summer. We were able to get some great advice such as:

     "No pain, no puking, and no dying."  

     "When you run with a fast crowd, you can get into trouble."

If you could sum up your year in a couple of words, what would they be?

One step forward and two steps back!

It seems I was plagued with injury this year and had many stops and restarts. It was one of my lowest mileage years so far at 417.43. So that brings me to next year's goal. I'm determined to double those miles to 834.86, which would surpass my highest mileage year (2014 @ 620.30). Slow and steady consistency will lead me closer to my goals. 

Time to Get Down to Business

It was a beautiful weekend celebrating Andrew's graduation from the University of Central Florida. We were able to get together with family, attend the ceremony, have a nice dinner and spend some time relaxing by the pool. His smile shows it all. He is very happy to be finished with school and excited to begin his new job adventure. I am proud beyond words!

But now it's time to admit that I have been indulging all week long. Dinners out and not enough exercise to combat the excess. Not that it was all over one week, but still - it's time to get down to business.

There are forty days until we leave on our big vacation to Alaska. I'm continuing to train for the Mayor's Midnight Sun Half Marathon, but now I'll be adding some cross-training. I began a round of the 21 Day Fix program today. I have had it since last summer and have yet to complete the three weeks. Today was Extreme Cardio Fix...30 minutes and I'm already sore!

I have also been promised by Bob Harper that I am going to lose weight fast. I purchased his Skinny Meals cookbook and am going to make my best attempt to follow the four week meal plan. I need a lot of luck here! I made Chris promise not to take me out to eat or let me eat anything that wasn't on the meal plan...so, how long do you think I can last?

A breakfast of Avocado Toast was both tasty and filling. It was fairly easy to prepare and I can see how I will be able to make the egg mixture ahead of time for a quick go-to on the mornings when I am in slow motion.

 I enjoyed the Epresso Smoothie as a refreshing mid-morning snack. It tasted like a good ol' coffee frappe! Lunch was also delicious. The Terrific Tuna Salad had just enough pasta and really didn't need a dressing due to the flavorings of the capers and kalamata olives. Who knew!

Feeling very full, I opted for an apple for a snack instead of the veggies and hummus, given Bob's Skinny Rule of eating an apple a day to help get enough fiber. Moving on to dinner, Pan-Seared Salmon with Zucchini and Yellow Squash. Again, just some quick chopping and mixing of some seasonings before putting it to bake in the oven.

On this first day of trying out the cookbook, I did find a couple of things confusing. The recipe for the hummus did not reveal the serving size. The Pan-Seared Salmon recipe did not include any directions for pan-searing, just baking. And, another of Bob's Skinny Rules is to eat berries every day - I think it's a half cup. Overall, it was a great day of eating! I don't crave anything at all and am feeling very satisfied.

So, now I'm off to prep meals for tomorrow. I'll finish with the berries and hope that I'm not up in the bathroom all night. I've been peeing like a race horse all day. Two cups of water before every snack and meal - WHEW!