Back on the Running Bandwagon?

Sure am!  I mean, I never really left the bandwagon.  I was just giving my legs an extended break....right?  Anyway, I went out this weekend and ran six miles with my dad up and down Dale Boulevard.  At first, I was really irritated that I didn't charge my the Garmin but then I realized how slowly I was running and decided that I was probably better off not knowing my splits.

On Sunday evening, I ran another three (slow) miles on the treadmill.  I was lounging on the couch, pinning thousands of things I will never do on Pinterest, and watching smut TV, when I decided I should go run instead.  WHAT?!?  I have no idea who has taken over my body but I hope she stays for a while ;)  On top of all that, I got up this morning and ran two miles.  I have plans to workout with my friend Jess this evening so I didn't want to over do it.

This return to my beloved past time has also motivated me to finally put on these stickers that I purchased at the Hot Chocolate Fiasco a mere three months ago.

Running makes me want to catch up
on other things I'm slacking on in life

:)

I have also renewed my efforts in healthy eating.  This past week I decided that I should prepare all my vegetable and fixings for my salads ahead of time and that would encourage me to eat them more often.  In my brilliant brainstorming I decided to hard boil some eggs.  Since I wanted them to be ready for tossing in the salad, I had to peel all of them.

This is not one of my God-given talents.  I'm actually concerned with what to do with the Easter eggs after we are done coloring them because there is no way I will sit there and peel them and be left with pock-marked eggs.

Do you have a secret for perfectly shelled hard boiled eggs?

Do you have bursts of motivation?

My favorite gifts of Christmas

My dad gives the greatest gifts.  He can often be a bah-humbug when it comes to Christmas so it's amazing that he even participates at all.  One year he bought me a shaving kit.  It's awkward getting that for Christmas anyway but from your dad????  Another year he went out and bought us all scratch tickets.  I'm pretty convinced that it was the ultimate last minute gift but it's now my most beloved family tradition (this year I won $25!). 

This year my dad was impressed by the progress I have made in my running so his gifts commemorated all the low points ;)

Maymont 8-Miler

DC Hot Chocolate 15k

Don't get me wrong, I really do love the gifts :)  In fact, the ornament my dad got me actually said mocha on it so he repainted it and added a Pandora running shoe charm.   I love it when you can actually see the thought and time someone has put into your gift....even if it does remind you of the worst race you have ever run.....ever.

The next gift is one that wasn't given to me but is one that my mom and dad gave to Alex (their future son-in-law).

For those of you that don't bowl 300's and don't have a different league for each night of the week, this is a rolling bowling bag.  It's way nicer than mine.  It truly says "Welcome to the family.  We like you better than Andrea."  I'm not kidding.  My brothers gave him bowling shoes too.  I still wear the stinky rentals at the bowling alley!

Finally, the last gift is one that I gave.  It was something that I gave to Alex that was really something I wanted but thought maybe he would think it was cool too and I could pass it off as a Christmas gift for him.

:)

I'm sooo excited to try some of these recipes!  Mmm, Katniss' favorite lamb stew with dried plums and Capitol-grade dark chocolate cake.  Each recipe includes a reference from which book and chapter that relates to it.  There is even a chapter devoted to recipes using small rodents!  Anyone else smell a theme night coming on???
What was your favorite gift?

Do you ever give something so that you can end up using it?

Hot Mess 15k

When I woke up yesterday morning, I thought the most trying part of my day would be waking up at 4:30am to meet up with Jenny to run the Hot Chocolate 15k.   

I was prepared for a chilly morning but I wasn't too worried about it since I knew I would warm up quickly once we started running. We arrived at Rosecroft Raceway around 6:15am and took a shuttle to National Harbor.  Luckily, our shuttle got us to National Harbor around 7:00am.  I was kind of glad that we had some time to relax before the race because there was some business that I had to attend to.  I should have been careful what I wished for because of "highway accidents" and course problems, the 15k was over an hour late starting.  One good thing was that there was a ton of port-o-potties and I didn't have to wait in line for a single second.  But that was the absolute best part of the race.

Once the race began, it didn't get any better.  There were twenty thousand runners and enough room to run about six across the entire race.  The first out and back portion of the run was actually on a highway that was not shut down all the way.  There were actually dump trucks right next to us.  I know they were being supportive but horns right in your ear and breathing in exhaust fumes is not my ideal running situation. 

The water stops during the race left something to be desired.  There was water in gatorade cups and gatorade in water cups.  At each stop, I had to wait for a cup to be filled for me (mental note:  bring hand held water bottle to future races).    Although I really appreciated all the port-o-potties before the race, I felt that there could have been more on the course.  My longest bathroom wait was on the course, boo.  Also, since the race took so long to start, the temperature warmed up quite a bit before we actually started so when I stopped to use the restroom, I also decided to take my long sleeve shirt off (mental note:  wear long layers over short layers). 

Once the out and back was done, we got to run down hill for a while.  At the bottom of the hill, we ran a loop through a construction site.  I suppose we could see a bit of the harbor but seriously?  It really felt that they were bs-ing the course and just trying to get some mileage tacked on wherever they could.   The most beautiful part of the course was possibly the most dangerous part.  We were on a small path near the harbor that was covered in crushed shells.  The path was no more than six feet across with a steep drop off to the water.  They didn't have any cones or anything near the edge.  After that lovely jaunt by the water, we ran through a corrugated tunnel.  I am weird and get motion sick by looking backwards in car so this tunnel really messed with me.  I had to look at the ground the entire time. 

The end of the race was up a hill.  Again, God bless the volunteers for doing the best they could, but there just weren't enough of them to help all the runners.  I had to open a case of water to get my own water bottle and I had to wait for five people ahead of me to get a cup of gatorade. 

The race was not a full 15k.  My Garmin clocked my run at 9.14 miles.  I guess I should have kept running up to the post-race party that was up the hill because I probably could have made up the last .16 miles. 

Thanks for the pic, Charlie!

The fondue was good.  The hot chocolate was good.  I truly did not want the hot chocolate because I felt like it was a little warm for it but I paid $65 dollars for it so I drank every drop.  They also gave out some squares of Ghirardelli chocolate.  Compared to the other issues of this race, this one is insignificant but what the heck was up with the flavors?

What happened to good ol' milk chocolate or caramel or peanut butter?

  In short, this was the worst race that I have done so far.  I loved running my first race with Jenny but we will have to sign up for another for sure!  Good news though....

I met my goal!  It could have been even better if there weren't a million people in the way!  Oh well.  I will stick to non-RAM races in the future.

What has been your worst race experience?

What is the best thing to have at a race?

Jiggle Jiggle



That's right, I'm fist pumping as I crossed the finish line at the Turkey Trot!    This course was an out and back so it was super fun to cheer on the faster runners that were lapping me by fist pumping.  I'm telling you, it's exhilarating and you must try it.  I'm still working on ways to incorporate it into an everyday run by myself...

Look at me! 

 Yesterday was a telework day and was lucky enough to go out and run 5.34 miles.  I wore both the Garmin and my Nike + and the total distance was very different.  Garmin said 5.34 miles and Nike + said 4.94 miles.  What the? 

Overall, I'm pretty satisfied with my performance.  I have been eating a ton of sweets lately and have gained five pounds or so.  I swear to you, I could feel every pound of those sweets jiggling on my booty while I ran.  It was so weird.  Note to self:  eat less sweets and run more.  I will be a happy camper if I can lose the five pounds by Christmas, therefore not adding insult to injury ;)

It's only a couple days until the 15k and I have only recently began to think about how I will maintain energy throughout the race and what I will wear.  I have run this distance before and I'm pretty sure I just used the Power Gel blasts every couple of miles or so to maintain energy.   I can't compare them to anything else since these are the only things I have tried.  As for what I will wear, my new gloves and smartwool socks  are at the top of the list.  I have some random moisture-wicking tights that I will wear but they are intended as a layering piece and not necessarily for running.  I'm still trying to decide if I should wear one long sleeved shirt or two....hmmm...

What do you use to stay energized during long runs?

Is your booty jiggling after too much pumpkin pie?

Triplets?!!!

Good Evening!  We have a new addition to our house that is kind of taking over our lives...

That's right, Julia is a proud mommy to three beautiful cabbage patch dolls.  I can't remember ever giving my dolls weird, nonsensical names but apparently that's what five year olds do.  Precious pa-pa, cheerleader, and Yankee Frankie never leave her side.  These have been one of my favorite gifts to give her although it involves me pretending to burp them, rock them to sleep and playing peek-a-boo.  One of the great things about being a mommy is getting to stroll down memory lane with your child, even if it means endangering the possibility of wanting to have more children in the future ;) 

I'm pretty excited to make some baby blankets and reusable diapers for her dolls.  Yes, those will be the lame Christmas presents that I make for her.  Who knows though, maybe one day she will be talking to Delilah on the radio about the amazing time her crazy mother would take to make blankets with coordinating diapers for her dolls.  A girl can dream, can't she?

Anyway, let's talk about chocolate.  It's three days until the Hot Chocolate 15k :)  I'm really excited for the run this Saturday.  As of right now, the weather should be 48 degrees and partly cloudy, which is perfect for a race!   I am going for a five mile run tomorrow and then another run on Thursday.  I will be resting Friday and hopefully finishing the 15k in under 1:42:31 on Saturday :)

Did you have Cabbage Patch dolls?

If you pay to run a race, do you ever just run for fun?  Or do you always have a goal?

Gobble until you Wobble

That has been my activity for the past weekend and the scale laughed at my this morning.  I'm not sure how I thought eating my weight in turkey and pie wasn't going to negatively impact my health but it has. I'm pretty confident that the Hot Chocolate 15k will not be any easier carrying an extra five pounds on me either.

After my disappointing meeting with the scale, I hopped on the treadmill for some much needed exercise.  I didn't feel like running so I decided to bust out the HIIT.  It felt really good to move something other than my fork to my mouth.  Really, really good.  It felt so good that I even treated myself to a post-workout Max ARM (Anabolic Recovery Matrix) from Max Muscle Sports Nutrition.

I tried the watermelon flavor.  It wasn't terrible but I will NEVER crave that flavor.  Ever.  I actually went to a Max Muscle store right before Thanksgiving.  The woman I met with was wonderful.  She talked to me about putting together meal plans for me and sent me home with a TON of free samples.  I have been looking for something to drink after my workouts to help me recover faster and the ARM was what she recommended.  I really don't feel any different than I normally would so I am not sure how well it worked.  The true test will be after a longer workout.  Don't worry, I still have lemon-lime and strawberry to try out so stay tuned for that ;)

Do you have something you drink after a workout?

BAM it! :(

Yesterday's 10pm bedtime was an intentional fail.  I forgot about this growing addiction on Wednesday nights...

So let's just call today a rest day too because I didn't get up and run either.  No BAM today.  I love that tomorrow is Friday though!  It means I can go to work in jeans and sweatshirt.  That also means that it will take me half the time than it usually does because it will require NO ironing.

So the plan is to get up and run five miles on the treadmill.  Boring but necessary to keep in training for the Hot Chocolate 15k and the Lake Ridge RidgeRunner 10k Turkey Trot.  I'm getting pretty excited about the Turkey Trot race on Sunday :)  It's nothing compared to Kara's JFK 50 miler but let's face it, 10k is going to take a lot less time and won't make me nearly as sore.  Those are two things that I am very grateful for!   I updated my races page with a couple more runs.  My time for my first half marathon was added to it and it was AWFUL!  I need to sign up for a half marathon and redeem myself...immediately!

I have mentioned before that when I was training for my half marathon, I got some leg injury that no one could help me with.  I did physical therapy and saw an orthopedic surgeon and still had no diagnosis.  I ended up resting all of August and September (as in NO running) and ran the half marathon cold turkey in October.  It's no small wonder that I was doing a 14 minute mile. 

Do you know of an awesome half marathon that I should redeem myself at?

Do you have a TV show that wins over sleep?

When you lack motivation, buy new toys!

Today's thankfulness was delivered by the postman!  If you recall, I don't have the necessary winter running gear and I will definitely need some as I continue to train and run the Hot Chocolate 15k (Dec 3rd!).  I pay myself $1 for every 15 minutes that I exercise and then use that money to treat myself.  I decided to use some of the money that I earned to buy some new running toys:

Moisture-wicking lightweight gloves

Smart Wool socks -- Thanks Laurie!

Amphipod water bottle

I am pretty excited to get out there and test them out!!  I am signing up for the Lake Ridge RidgeRunners 10k on November 20th so hopefully these will come in handy.   The last 10k that I kept track of was the Ukrops Monument 10k (not sure which year) and I completed it in 1:09:46, which is about a 11:13 mile.  I am hoping to get under an 11 minute mile overall for this 10k so I am shooting for under 1:08:21.

I'm also very thankful that I got home before the sun set!




What race are you training for?

How do you reward your fitness efforts?

Happy Columbus Day!

Good Morning!  It is a wonderful day to work for the government!  I'm writing to you in my pajamas on my cozy couch and I'm loving every minute of it!  I'm even more thankful that I have the day off because after destroying my legs on Saturday and my 7-mile run yesterday, I can feel every muscle that I use to just walk around.  Ouch!

I met up with the Lake Ridge Runners for a great run through Occoquan Regional Park.  After the first loop, we had completed 4.5 miles.  I was fully prepared to wimp out and do the run in two installments but luckily there was another person there that was signed up for the Hot Chocolate 15k, who wanted to add on some miles.  All in all, we completed seven miles!

In other exciting news from the weekend, Alex and I went to see another potential wedding venue :)

Bristow Manor Golf Club

It's a historic 1800's manor house with wonderfully landscaped grounds.  There is no site-fee and plenty of freebies to go along with your reservation for the day!

Chiavari chairs and linens, gratis!

Napkins, mirrored tiles, tea lights and centerpieces are included too

There is a tasting next week at the manor that Alex, our mothers, and I are going to attend.  I hope the food is really tasty because that's all I am waiting for to make the decision.  We haven't looked at a lot of places but this one really seems to give us a lot for our money.  It also meets my desire to have it a historic location with an outdoor ceremony.  The other reason why I am encouraged to book this space sooner rather than later is the Saturdays in September are all booked and so is the first weekend in October!  So this place fills up very quickly and I feel like we need to act now to be sure we can get married on the weekend we want!

All in all, it was a great weekend!  How was your weekend?

A Moment of Reflection

As the gloomy days of Fall are settling in, I am reminded of what happened last year around this time.  I was training for the Disney Wine and Dine half marathon and my right calf started hurting.  I was pushing through it for a while but the pain just got worse.  I still don't know what was going on but I was definitely in a lot of pain.  So I went to physical therapy and an orthopedic surgeon and no one could tell me what the issue was or how to fix it.  So I decided to rest.  I rested for about six months.  Not only was I resting but I was also feeding my boredom and SAD.  Not  a good combo.  I gained thirty-five pounds.

I have now lost almost all thirty-five pounds (again...) and I'm starting to get nervous about the winter.  So I thought I would post a before and after picture as a reminder to myself of how far I have come. 

2008

2011

Let me be cliche for a moment and say that knowing my weaknesses is half of the battle.  I'm excited to continue training for the 15k in December and I truly feel that I am capable of continuing on my path to better health.  I have three more pounds to lose to be back at the place I was last summer.  I plan to be there by October 8th.  It's going to be tough but I can do it!

It's my day off tomorrow so I get to run my four miles outside!  Yeah!

~Andrea

First day of 15k!

Good Afternoon!  Today marks the first day of my Hot Chocolate 15k training.  I found a training plan by Hal Higdon that I am following and today's three miles can be crossed off!

I didn't run yesterday so I decided to do today as "Monday."  I ran three miles on the old dreadmill.  I have a meeting with Patrice tomorrow morning so I am not going to worry about strength training because I know she'll take care of business in that department.  I am more than likely going to do the four mile run tomorrow and possibly skip "Wednesday" but it's all still up in the air. 

I felt pretty good about my run this morning.  I just really prefer to run outside, but who doesn't?  I'm dreading the winter since I have to leave for work when it is dark and won't be returning until it's dark as well :(  I am not brave or fast enough to be running by myself in the dark in Woodbridge!  I'm a member of a local running club too but they changed their meeting time and I can no longer meet up with them.

So it's a little embarrassing that I haven't really unpacked from my business trip, but I have rummaged in the suitcase a few times and my Nike+ is MIA.  I fear that I may have left it in a hotel somewhere in Arizona.  I really hope that's not the case!  If it is the case, let it be known that this is on my Christmas list .  Please :) 

Have you started your Christmas list yet?  Only 7 paychecks before the big day!!!

~Andrea