Hoka 10k 2018

Hoka 10k 2018

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Lisa's 2012- Part 1

As I reflect back on 2012, I am amazed at how many awesome things have happened! Years seem to go by SO fast...did I really do that much in ONE year?! I'm going to post some of my favorite memories (I'm sure I'll forget some of what happened...so, if you remember something I did, tell me!).
I would say that the biggest highlight of 2012 would be my desire to start running again. It had been a LONG time since I did any running, but my PT student, Stephanie, inspired me to start again!
 

I first trained for the Run Cbus 10 miler, followed that up with Race for the Cure and another 5K put on by my parents' church in WV (I actually won 1st place for the girls!). I then dared to do the Warrior Dash with some life groupers (will never do again). Finally, I was crazy enough to commit to the Columbus FULL marathon..which ended up bursting my running bubble. Yuck.
 
I also did some things this year that are unlike me. I read a book by choice..actually, 2 books! The Hunger Games...I've been reading the 3rd book of the series since the summer.LOL. I also earned the nickname "Lisa Stewart" from my boo because I started cooking more this year :) Last, I finally attended my first Hip Hop Fitness class and became obsessed! Jimmy and I go every week! My ex-coworkers begged me for about a year to go and I kept making up excuses. I guess they told me so.
 So, this is my part 1 of 2012. I look forward to posting more about my amazing year!
 



Friday, December 28, 2012

I'm never running a race again!

SIKE! That's the nice version of some of the statements I was shouting during my marathon :) It's been 2 months since I finished that race and I've been on the treadmill to run only three times! I can't stand running outside in the winter...hurts my lungs. This past week, I've started thinking about running again...I miss it. This time, I'm starting small. I'm planning to do this 10K at the end of February:
My motivation? It's 20 miles less than I ran October 21st! As you all know by now, I have to have a goal to be motivated. So this race is my next goal and this is the training program I will follow:
 
WeekMondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturdaySunday
1CT30 min tempoRest or CT4 miRest5 mi3 mi EZ
2CT4 x 400 IWRest or CT4 miRest6 mi3.5 mi EZ
3CT35 min tempo4 mi3 miRest7 mi3 mi EZ
4CT5 x 400 IWRest4 mi race paceRest7 mi3 mi EZ
5CT35 min tempo5 mi3 mi race paceRest8 mi4 mi EZ
6CT6 x 400 IW5 mi4 mi race pace2 miles EZRest10K race
It's the first 6 weeks of a 12 week training program for a half marathon (which will probably be my next adventure). I decided to stay away from full marathons this coming year. It just doesn't excite me after my recent experience. I love the program above because it includes cross training days (i.e. Hip Hop Fitness on Mondays!) and speed workouts on Tuesdays. Plus, the mileage is WAY less than I had to do for the marathon so that automatically makes it better!
In the words of Dolvett (Biggest Loser Trainer): "Hard Work! Dedication!"


Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Get Your Sweat On...

My friend, Delaine, pinned this workout on Pinterest. It caught my attention so I tried it out today...well, sort of. I did only three cycles instead of five. It's been 2 months since my marathon and I haven't done any running!
 
1 minute at 5.0
1 minute at 5.5
1 minute at 6.0
1 minute at 6.5
1 minute at 7.0
1 minute at 7.5
1 minute at 8.0
2 minutes at 4.5
Repeat five times.
 
I must admit, I was pretty nervous when I read 7.5...8.0. In my marathon training, 6.9 mph was the fastest I ever had to run (except for the occasional 400 meter sprint). I could just see myself falling off the treadmill in the middle of the gym! I made it through my 3 cycle goal with a little knee pain but overall felt great. I had so much sweat on my shirt...it was AWESOME!
 
Here's what I love about this workout. You can modify the speed if the stated speeds are too fast for you. Not everyone is at the same level with their running but everyone can enjoy this insane run! If you want to try this out but aren't sure about the higher speeds, just take it down a level. For example, decrease all speeds by 1 mph (start at 4.0 and work your way up). You may have to experiment to find your level but, if you are an experienced runner, you may already know what you are capable of doing.
 
If you want to sweat, try this workout! 

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Don't Decorate Too Much

My title has a meaning. If you are my sister or mother, you are alreaady laughing :) If you are confused, here's the story (it won't be as funny to you because it's an inside joke from my childhood).
 
I am reminded of the phrase, "Don't decorate too much," every Christmas season. When I was younger (can't even guess my age), my family and I passed by a house, when we were checking out decorated homes, that had maybe one string of lights up. Not gonna lie, it was kinda lame. My sister, Shawna, or maybe me (can't remember which one of us) said "Don't decorate too much." Since that moment, it's been a big deal every holiday. It's progressed to the point where we will take pictures of homes that have, basically, no decorations and text them to each other! Shawna even taught this "game" to her son Drew!
 
When my mom visited earlier this week (which was AWESOME, by the way), I realized that my home is one of THOSE homes! Although the inside is dressed up pretty well, the outside has only a wreath!
At least it's a pretty wreath :) Jimmy's mom made it for us a couple of years ago.
 
While I'm on the topic of family, I'll switch gears very quickly to my mom's visit! She drove into Columbus last Monday...I was able to get off work in time to greet her! That evening, we took her to Marcella's for her birthday dinner (she's a Christmas Eve baby) and I let her open her birthday gift early. We then spent some time in the kitchen making gluten free desserts...brownies and chocolate chip cookies! The next day, she was able to watch the girls graduate from agility class and then we celebrated Christmas:

Christmas is my mom's favorite holiday. I'm SO glad I was able to spend time with her during this season.  I love the joy on her face during these times! Love you mommy!
 

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Life Group Dinner...Breakfast Style

Our life group gets together one Sunday every month (in addition to our weekly bible study) for group dinner. This has become a great tradition...4 months strong! Jimmy and I hosted this month. In true Dr. and Mr. Boo fashion, we served breakfast for dinner! YUMMY! The menu included Sausage Balls, Bacon/Egg/Toast Muffins, Cinnamon Roll Pancakes, and Mimosas :)
Table set-up in our kitchen:


Most of my supplies:
 
 I'm no Martha Stewart so I can't take credit for the recipes...but the food was delicious! I wanted to share the recipes with y'all in case you want to try them.
 
Sausage Balls:
Super duper easy to make. You can find the recipe here. I used gluten free Bisquick.
 
Bacon/Egg/Toast Cups:
These were more delish than I expected. This recipe is here. I made some with gluten free bread and some with regular, everyday bread. Jimmy cracked the eggs for me :)
 
Cinnamon Roll Pancakes:
OMG. So good. Recipe here. Worth every bite. Jimmy helped me with these, too. It's easier as a team. Gluten free Bisquick was used.
 
Finally, Mimosas:
 I used the following in tonight's mimosas and they were insanely good:
-Barefoot Bubbly Pinot Grigio Champagne
-OJ
-Grand Marnier
I'm convinced that the Grand Marnier made the difference :)
 
Shout out to my life groupers...thanks for coming! Thanks to Jenny for bringing me some Starbucks coffee :)
 
 
 


Sunday, December 2, 2012

So Much To Look Forward To...

Being sick is for the birds! I'm FINALLY getting over whatever this is inside of me. When I get sick, I tend to be quiet and standoffish. Five days of quiet and standoffish (AND not working out) is enough for me! What changed my attitude, you ask? Only the most awesome ending to a Colts game I've seen in forever! They won their game today in the last 4 (FOUR!) seconds of the game:
 
 
Anyway, back to the point. I have so much to look forward to this next week! Now that I feel better, I'm ready to return to the gym...starting with Hip Hop tomorrow night, of course. I have never felt so lazy in my life. Back to the grind!
My lifegroup is starting a new book this week. The Hole in Our Holiness. Hope it challenges me. I'm not a deep thinker but I'm going to try really hard to understand this book and open myself to what I should be learning.
Once a month, our lifegroup has dinner together at someone's house.Whoever the host is prepares a dinner for the rest of the group to enjoy! It's just another excuse to be together :) This month, Jimmy and I are hosting...and, in true Davis fashion, we will have BREAKFAST FOR DINNER! Yummy! Can't wait to grocery shop and prepare for this event!
Finally, my mom will be here in a week! OMG! I am so insanely excited that she is taking time out of her busy schedule to come and see Jimmy and me. Jimmy talked about going into work early so he can get off early to hang out with my mom...so sweet of my boo :) I already have our time planned, for the most part. Zoolights on Monday night followed by a nice dinner to celebrate my mom's birthday (she's a Christmas Eve baby). Tuesday night, she'll get to see the girls (a.k.a. my dogs) graduate from agility class and then, in holiday spirit, we might bake some gluten free cookies together. Then I'll be really sad cuz she has to leave the next morning :(
Goal this week: stay positive and survive!

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Jacked Up Routine = Jacked Up Lisa

I LOVE having a routine. I THRIVE on routine. Although I enjoy the times we travel out of town for a few days, these times ALWAYS mess up my routine! BLAH! I feel so messed up this week...especially with my workouts.
 I missed my workout on Friday for travel. I thought about making up for it Saturday but we ended up having a jam-packed day of events. Then, we traveled back Sunday. Monday rolls around and work was insane. By the time I finished work, made dinner, and cleaned our gross house, it was almost time for Hip Hop. I typically go to the gym for some weight lifting before hip hop but it just couldn't happen yesterday.
I thought, ok, I'll do two workouts on Tuesday to make up for it. Didn't happen. Why, you ask? Work. It was insane again! What is going on?! We did our weekly agility class with Izzie and Angel tonight at 6 pm and I went to the gym afterwards. I was so stinkin' tired and hungry that I had energy for only one of the two workouts I planned on doing. This is so annoying (sorry for those who are listening to me rant and rave).
I'm praying so hard that work is less insane the rest of the week and that my mind can get some rest. In times like this, my head feels bloated! It's so weird. I'm also praying that I can catch up on my workouts because those make me feel physically better and help with my stress.

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Nashville :)

SO MANY MEMORIES from my years in Nashville. LOVE that city. It's where I went to grad school...where I perfected dropping it like it's hot...and where I met my boo. Jimmy and I returned to our favorite city this weekend for my friend Rachel's wedding. She looked so beautiful!

We jam-packed our time there with lots of friend time. After arriving Friday night and checking into our hotel, we went to one of our favorite Mexican restaurants, Mazatlan's. We shared the biggest margarita EVER!
Well, maybe it was Lisa75/Jimmy 25 :) Boo was more focused on Jim Nachos:
We then met up with The Bresnahans at Tin Roof 2 where we were surrounded by lots and lots of cougars. The band must have noticed it too because they sang a song all about cougars...HILARIOUS!
The next morning we hit up our favorite smoothie place, 9 Fruits, and hung out there with some other friends. It was so awesome catching up with everyone. We then joined a bunch of Buckeyes to see OSU beat Michigan...HOLLA! That night, at the wedding, I had a mini reunion with some of my PT school classmates. We went through so much together!
My boo was so awesome that night. He talked to lots of people he didn't know and danced with me. I love you booski!
This was totally unexpected but we ended up spending most of the time at the wedding with Belmont Alum, Joy, and her husband, Tony. They were so much fun! We found out they are Sandals veterans and talked about going together. They also like the Colts! Yay!
After those festivities, we hooked up with Eric and Arash and one of my favorite places, Mafiaoza's.
  I can't wait to return to our favorite city to make more memories :)
 



Monday, November 19, 2012

Change

In my last post, I told y'all that I was going to start doing a daily devotional before I go to work in the morning. It's only been two days of work, BUT I'm doing it! For those looking for a daily devotional guide, I'm using My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers. You can find it on the internet here. Change.
 

I'm also starting to sense some changes in my body from the LSWW. I'm sore somewhere in my body daily so I must be doing something right! I feel like my arms are getting bigger which is kinda fun :) But my hip is still being a jerk. I didn't run on my running day last week because of it. BOO! I just need to be patient and let it heal. I'd rather not permanently injure myself.
 
One more thing, I'm insanely excited about some news I received over the weekend. This news will save me some change (of the bling bling kind). My sister, Shawna, and her boo, Jaimie, are coming to Ohio to see me next year!!! OMG! I am beyond happy to hear this. They live in Nebraska with their 4 kids along with my other sister and her 2 kids. I miss all of them SO MUCH! I usually fly out to see them once every year to year and a half. I would love to see them more often. So you can imagine my excitement when my sister told me the news. It will just be her and her hubby so it's party time people! lol. I'm just praying this all works out and that we can all have a great time :)
 
Last thought: 2 Hour Hip Hop Fitness tonight! Holla!


Thursday, November 15, 2012

Commitment

Tonight, in my life group, we briefly talked about commitments. One of the things that came to my mind in that conversation was that I need accountability from someone or something when I make a commitment. I then figured out that is why I write things in my blog...it helps hold me accountable for what I say I want to do or accomplish (i.e. blogging about my marathon training, gluten free experiences, etc.). Our conversation went much deeper but here is another commitment I want to be held accountable for:
 
With my current work schedule, I haven't had to leave my house until around 9 am to see my first patient. I wake up in the 7 o'clock hour, roll out of bed around 8, make breakfast and coffee, and turn on The Today Show as I get on the internet. I want to edit that routine just a bit....let's try this one:
  • Wake up in the 7 o'clock hour
  • Roll out of bed around 8
  • Make breakfast and coffee
  • Read a daily devotional
 
Now that's a picture I want to take...this can only make me a better person.

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Awesomeness

...that pretty much describes this week. I know stupid stuff happened this week but I can't remember most of it because the awesomeness outweighs the un-awesomeness. Ok, I'm finished with that word :)
Can we say, "GO COLTS!" Sunday, Jimmy took me to Indy so we could use the tickets he bought me for my birthday. BEST BIRTHDAY PRESENT EVER! I might have convinced him to go to one game each season :)

 
Monday, I made my official return to Hip Hop Fitness. I went the week before but felt crappy so I won't count that week. This week, I was all in and danced harder than ever! My LSWW went well and I pumped some crazy iron. I hate the deadlift a little less this week. I also ran for the first time since my marathon and it felt amazing! I changed things up a bit this morning and went to a spin class at the Y. Overall, great workout week.
We can't forget election day. I was proud of myself for voting (and for coordinating red, white, and blue into my outfit for the day):
Thursday, I did a presentation about fall risk at a senior apartment complex and followed that up with attending a health fair at another senior living place. What did I get out of it? Two more referrals for work which should put me up to my goal for # of visits per week! Holla!
Finally, today, I continued the quest of domesticating myself by:
 
1.Getting all of my Christmas stuff out of the basement and putting it out. This is not because I am a weirdo and doing it the first week of November...but I realized that I do not have a lot of free time the next few weeks. If I didn't do it today, it wouldn't get done (like last year).
 
2. Holding a baby in attempt to make it stop crying. I was at my sister-in-law's baby shower and her friend's baby was upset. I offered to hold it (GASP!) and did what I could to get her to be more calm. I was scared :-/
 
3. Cooking a meal from scratch. I made this recipe I repinned from Pinterest. Pan-Roasted Chicken With Lemon-Garlic Green Beans and Potatoes.
 

 

Thursday, November 8, 2012

GF Funk

I don't care what you Taco Bell haters think... I love the BEAN BURRITO!!
Yum, Yum and I want it NOW! But I can't :( I want one of those along with some chicken nuggets, brownies, lemon pound cake, texas toast...I could go on and on about all of the things I want and can't have.
I'm reminded of the time I cheated on my GF diet. It happened just two weeks into that lifestyle change. I had lemon pound cake and it was delicious...but I paid for it later that day and the next. I had the worst abdominal cramping. It hurt so bad. I remember that experience every time I want to cheat. Then I think, "Cane's would be insanely awesome right now."
MMMM! I need to learn to enjoy cooking. If you know how I can do that, I'm all ears :)


Saturday, November 3, 2012

LSWW- Week 1

For future reference, LSWW= Lean Sexy Woman Workout. This is the creator of the workout...and the woman I currently want to look like! LOL.
Jamie Eason
 
I haven't been this sore in SO LONG!!! Oh my goodness! It hurts so good :) I love being sore because I know my muscles are getting stronger (and hopefully bigger). If you go to this link, it gives you the 12 week workout.
So, week 1...2 days upper body, 2 days lower body/abs (I also do cardio at least 3 days). Good times. I haven't lifted weights like this for a few months because of marathon training so my body isn't sure what to think! I will be taking weekly pictures but will probably just post pics every 4 weeks...maybe a before/after type of thing to see if a difference is visible. Here's my starting point (I always feel STUPID posing for these pics but it's my way of holding myself accountable for doing my workouts!):

Needless to say, I have a long way to go before looking like Ms. Eason! Look at those scrawny legs...and that's post marathon training!
 
Dislikes so far:
- Bench Press (mainly because I suck at it and I'm a weenie)
-Deadlift...I just don't like it. Period.
 
Workout highlight of the week:
-My experience with the Asian chick at the gym. When I saw this girl, I thought she was a fitness model and was drooling over her muscles. I was watching her workout to see if she had some secret exercises I needed to know about. Sometime into my workout, I started doing lunges. When I finished, she walked up to me and asked me what muscles I was working. I told her. She then asked if I could show her how to do a lunge. My jaw sort of dropped and I was speechless...how does the Asian fitness model not know how to do a lunge?! All I could think to say to her was "Are you serious?" I told her she looked like she worked out and asked for her secret. She said it was mostly genetics and that she just recently started working out. IMPOSSIBLE! I was in shock. She asked me a lot of questions throughout my workout. I guess we can't all be that lucky :)


Thursday, November 1, 2012

Gluten Free Chili Seasoning and "Cone-Bread"

 
I've never had great luck making homeade chili so I always resort to the seasoning packet at the store. I noticed last week that the packets at the store have wheat so I searched for a chili seasoning recipe and found this. Delish!
 
I also made some GF cornbread a.k.a. "cone-bread." You can get that recipe here.

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

The Domestication of Lisa

I'm the furthest thing from a housewife, but, lately, things are happening that scare me. I think God is trying to domesticate me! HELP! I find myself wanting to cook things...cook?! I'm looking up recipes and actually buying the ingredients to cooks them. I also find that the idea of having children doesn't annoy me as much. I'm still confident that I'll never be ready but I'm actually starting to consider kids as an option for my future. Wow...never thought I'd say that!
I also find myself wanting to participate more in holiday decoration. I was sad to see all of the Halloween decorations in my neighbors' yards because I wanted mine to look as cool! I decided I would start hitting up the clearance sales at stores after each holiday to start collecting decorations for future years.
Finally, I'm finding myself trying to develop relationships with other women in my church. I'm usually very shy and tend to stick with my group of friends or just my husband. Lately I've been connecting more with other women and feeling ok with it! Crazy!
These are just a few things on my mind lately. But it's enough to scare me! I think I might be growing up as I enter my 30's.

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Goldrush Sangria

Mr. Boo and I went apple picking with some church friends this morning so I knew I had to think of fun things to do with all of the apples. Tonight, we are going to a Drinks & Desserts Party for married couples without kids...so I thought "I must bring a fun apple drink!" :) I did a lot of research and didn't quite find what I was looking for...so I used ideas from other recipes and came up with what I'm calling The Goldrush Sangria.
 

Ingredients:
1 bottle Pinot Grigio
2 1/2 cups Apple Cider
1/2 cup Spiced Rum
2 medium Goldrush Apples, diced
Cinnamon, a couple of shakes :)
 
First, I poured the bottle of wine into the pitcher and followed that with the apple cider. I was going to leave it at that but I couldn't get spiced rum off of my mind. I tasted a little sample of the first concoction with a little of the spiced rum...I was undecided and had Mr. Boo taste it. He encouraged me to GO FOR IT! So I added the rum. After putting in the diced goldrush apples, I put it in the fridge to let it chill for an hour. I was dying to try it to see if it tasted better chilled. Then I thought, "I wonder what it would be like with some cinnamon?" What did this Martha Stewart do? I added cinnamon, of course...and there you have it:
 
 
Goldrush Sangria. I hope others will enjoy!



Wednesday, October 24, 2012

My Next Goal: Becoming a Lean, Sexy Woman!

 
If I've learned anything this year it's that I have to set a fitness goal or I'll never make it to the gym/do anything physically active. Earlier this year it was the Run Cbus 10 miler...then the Race for the Cure 5K...and, finally, the Columbus Marathon. Anyone notice a trend?! RUNNING! I'm ready for a slight change. I still love running (probably always will), but I also love weightlifting.
 
For the next 10 weeks, until our Jamaican vacation, I'll be doing:
The Lean, Sexy Woman Workout by Jamie Eason (you can check it out here)!
It's actually a 12 week program but Jamaica happens in 10...and, let's be honest, I'm doing everything BUT workout when I'm there! Can I get a cocktail, please?!
Seriously, though...I'm thinking about taking weekly pictures to show my physical progress. I'll also incorporate cardio, of course. Less running. I'll continue with Hip Hop Fitness and probably check out some of the classes at the Y. I'm also interested in spin class and swimming. SO MANY GREAT OPTIONS!!!
Stay tuned for my experience :)


Monday, October 22, 2012

My [2nd] Marathon Story

If you saw my finishing time, 5:03:21, you probably figured out that things didn't go the way I had planned :) God had another plan and it was to teach me perseverance...but not the way I would have liked! To be completely honest, I was initially disappointed in myself. I was so mad that I didn't beat the time I got in my first marathon. But then I remembered the reason I was there. I was running for all of the kids at Nationwide Children's Hospital. Their stories are so inspiring. That, along with the cheers of my family and supporters (and God, of course!), helped me to cross that finish line. How could I be disappointed?! Here's my marathon story (I'll apologize early for some of the picture quality):
 
Me pre-race with the wicked city lights:
 
I may look comfortable, but it's frickin' freezin' out there! Here's a pic of the start line near 3rd and Broad:
 
Waiting to start was not fun. It was so cold...I was anxious...and my hips were hurting from being so cold! So I impatiently waited for this moment:
My chance to cross the start line!!! This was it...I was about to go on my longest running journey since my previous marathon in 2005. The first 3 miles were exciting...lots of supporters. Then we arrived in Bexley, where lots and lots of peeps were waiting to cheer us on. This is where my friends Lindsay and Jenny intended to see me run but they must have just missed me! It felt great knowing that they were going to be there to support me, so I didn't mind that I didn't see them. They were there in spirit! Then we headed back down Broad towards German Village and around Schiller Park. I saw lots of places I would have LOVED to stop and eat or grab coffee...but I had work to do! After this, we made our way back to High St. towards downtown where the 1/2 marathoners were getting ready to finish and where I had two things on my mind:
1) sneaking to the finish with the 1/2 marathoners
2) figuring out where I could use the bathroom! Yay for Port-O-Potties!
 
Now comes the second half of what felt like hell. At the halfway point, I still felt ok. Yes, I just finished a half marathon, but I was rockin' it. We made our way through the Short North...the place I will always remember as having the least amount of supporters. It actually kinda shocked me. I thought this area would be packed...especially since we had past the halfway point and were going for the long haul.
Now we were heading towards The Shoe. Here I am running through (the audience was in the student section):
 
Jimmy, his mom, step mom, and step sister were there to support me. Joan, Jimmy's step mom, made this sign:
 
It was awesome to see! It was after The Shoe (around miles 17 and 18) that things went to crap. That hip pain I had been blogging about the last few weeks of training...it came back to haunt me. It was accompanied by this insanely intense left foot pain...both of which worsened as the race went on. Fortunately, being a PT, I know when my body needs to stop or take it easy, and my body was telling me to slow down. At that point in the race, I began to walk periodically. As the miles went on, the pain grew more intense. I seriously have never felt this pain while running before...not even during my first marathon. I just wanted to cry...and did. When I began to get emotional, my breathing was out of whack. I began to hyperventilate. At that moment, I was doing some major praying. I did NOT want to quit...I was only 6 miles away!
These were the hardest and most intense 6 miles of my life. I did more walking than running. The pain was insane. The only thing that kept me going was knowing that I would disappoint a lot of people if I quit (that is probably false but it was my thought at the time). It was all a mental game at this point. I had to know that God would get me through this insane experience. We finally made our way through Upper Arlington, Grandview, and Victorian Village...and then I knew this was in my very near future:
 
 
 
THE FINISH LINE!!!
I had never been so happy to see a finish line in my entire life! It seriously took EVERYTHING in my power to run the last 1/4 mile so I wasn't embarrassed to walk through the finish. I only wish someone had noticed my pain so that I could have been carried through!
 
I have no regrets about the decision to do this despite the many ups and downs with my training and the race itself. I am SO thankful for the support of my family and friends through this process. Especially my boo for dealing with my training. I said to myself that I would never do a full marathon again but a guy during the race said, "I said the same thing 4 or 5 marathons ago!" That testimony scares me!  I don't foresee one in the near future...for now I'll stick with races 13.1 miles or less :) Here's my physical reward for my race:
Thanks again to everyone who supported me!

Sunday, October 14, 2012

MARATHON WEEK!!!!

 
I can't believe it's finally here!!! I have trained SO LONG and hard for this race. I've had a great week...of course, training was easing since things are winding down. I've had that weird hip pain the last couple of weeks, but, this week, I really babied it. Instead of doing all running, I incorporated some swimming. I felt like I was working just as hard, but my hip started feeling better. I'm going to try to enjoy this week and reflect on the task ahead of me. Here is me before my very first marathon in 2005:
 
If only I knew what I was about to get myself into! What an amazing and challenging experience! This is me after the race (with my youngest sister and her friend):
 
I survived that one...I know I will survive this one. I would encourage everyone who can come out to do so! It really is SO ENCOURAGING to see people you know (and complete strangers) cheering you on! Honestly, that is what keeps us going strong. I decided that I'm not going to bring my music and headphones. I really want to take in my surroundings and enjoy exploring Columbus. Plus, I want to hear everyone cheering me on! If you are interested in checking it out, go to columbusmarathon.com and it will give you all the info you need about the course, parking, etc. If you can't come out, please say a huge prayer that I finish injury free, meet my goal, and, most importantly, enjoy myself despite how my body says I feel!
 
Also, if you want to track my times, go to this link:
If you type in my name, it will allow you to sign up to get texts about my times on a few different spots during the course. Also, it will post it to facebook and/or twitter if you are interested in keeping up with my progress :) I would encourage my family to check this out! It will make me feel like you are there!

Monday, October 8, 2012

Love Thy Neighbor?!

I've actually had no problem loving my neighbors up to this point (the ones at the back of our house)...I just think my neighbors can't stand us! When we moved into our home, the woman of the household brought us some yummy cookies to welcome us to the neighborhood. She was so nice and I would talk to her anytime I would see her outside. I was never formally introduced to her husband but I see him out all the time. He's not quite as friendly...I always thought maybe he was a little shy and just liked to keep to himself. 
Two years later, things are completely different. They NEVER say hi or wave...they actually seem to want to avoid us! What went wrong?! What did we do to cause this?!
 
I think one reason may be Izzie, our mini Australian Shepherd. I think she's a sweetheart, but she's insane if she doesn't know you...very protective, very territorial. She barks like a maniac at our male neighbor and the kids the female neighbor babysits (she has a daycare at her home). I always feel tension in those situations. I try to stop Izzie but she can't be stopped...she's hard to catch and she doesn't listen to commands when she's barking at them.
 
Just when I thought things couldn't get more awkward with our neighbors, the following happened:
 
My puppy girls were outside and I was ready for them to come in so I could chill a little. I said the "come" command which usually gets a response...but today they were being brats. I finally had to get mean and loud with the command...they still didn't respond and come in the house. At the point, I noticed a couple of my neighbors blinds were pulled down (as if they were peeking out). I'm sure it was because they heard me yelling at my dogs. I finally was able to get my dogs in and noticed they were still peeking! Weird. When I got into the house, I looked out my kitchen window and they were still peeking. So what did I do?! I stared back, of course :) I'm such a jerk. I stared until they realized I knew they were being creepy.  I know I should have just ignored it but it's creepy to sneak a peek at people like that...
 
I don't know how to make things less awkward with these people. I'm sure they're convinced that my family and me are insane. I thought about inviting them to one of our many parties but they are older so I doubt they would come. Maybe I can get them a nice bottle of wine at Christmas...I dunno. Any suggestions?
 
 


Sunday, October 7, 2012

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Week 16: I'm in a Running Funk

Not gonna lie...I'm ready for this race to get here!!! I'm still VERY excited (and nervous) about doing a FULL marathon, but I am getting so tired of the commitment to training for it! I'm just ready to expand my workout options. I still love to run, but I've been running 4-5 days a week for the entire year and I'm ready to hit up the gym again. Fitness classes, circuit training, swimming, spin class, lifting...I miss it all! I will still continue to do some running...enough to keep me in shape for my next training program. I'm just bored and need a change.
 
Enough whining.
 
Training was messed up this week (to say the least). I had to go to Toledo for training and that totally jacked up my routine. I got back into it on Wednesday with a tough circuit training workout. I'm still sore from that! Then I did a tempo run the next day. I can still feel that hip thing I started getting last week. Today, I changed it up a bit to help with my current funk. I did 8 miles instead of 12, then I went to the Y to do some swimming with my boo. I didn't realize how much that works the legs!
 
I just need to be mentally tough at this point so that I can make it through the last 2 weeks of training. With regards to mileage, it will be the easiest two weeks of the entire program. I hope I can stay focused and motivated so that I can come close to my goal on race day!

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Gluten Free...Not What I Thought It Would Be

I expected the worst when I knew I had to go gluten free. The more I researched, the more I felt at ease. My diet the last 30 years has included LOTS of pasta and LOTS of bread (in many forms). So that's where I began my experiment. I found this pasta at Kroger:

I could taste a slight difference, but, overall, it wasn't that bad. I also discovered my love for Trader Joe's. It's my new favorite store! I bought another type of pasta there...corn, I believe...but haven't had a chance to try it. Here's another Trader Joe's buy:

Udi's Bread! It tasted great...it just isn't as soft as regular bread. It made great toast and PB&J! As I was browsing through Kroger, I came across this:
I attempted biscuits...they were kinda disgusting. Then I made some pancakes. YUMMY! I can't wait to use the GF Bisquick to make sausage balls! My final and favorite Kroger discovery:
This is some delicious granola. It will make a great snack during the day.
 
Besides pasta and bread, cake/cookies/ice cream was a big part of my diet. This will be a huge adjustment for me. I know that I can have ice cream so that's AWESOME, but I will have to stop going down the cookie and cake aisle. If I feel like baking, I know I can buy ingredients for GF treats, but, considering my dislike for making things, I would prefer sticking to ice cream. (Also, thanks to my friend Becca for making me some yummy GF cookies).
 
Final thought: I'm also researching restaurants with GF options because Jimmy and I love to go out to eat and do happy hour. This week, we went to BJ's Brewhouse. I had their GF pizza and pear cider...YUM and YUM :)