{Inspire Me Wednesday ~ May 28}

“One thing about racing is that it hurts.  

You better accept that from the beginning or you’re not going anywhere.” – Bob Kennedy

Weekly Chase (& a Detour) ~ May 26, 2014

Happy Memorial Day! I've enjoyed the day with my family. I always struggle a bit celebrating today, as a soldier's wife, I know how much sacrifice is made by the soldier (and his family) to protect the freedoms so many of us take for granted. Today is a day to honor those that have given the ultimate sacrifice and part of me feels guilty enjoying BBQ, swimming, and family, knowing that there are so many families that have given the ultimate sacrifice for us. However, lest we never forget! We celebrate and honor our heroes! A huge shoutout to my hubby, who has completed two overseas deployments, and continues to serve through the National Guard. Love that man!

Now...on to the Weekly Chase :)

So....whoever says that running isn't a real sport, needs to try it on for size. Like all athletes, we train hard and sometimes have injuries and setbacks. (cue sad music)

Which brings me to my "detour." I've been having issues with my left hamstring for several weeks...maybe months. I've been trying to be tough  stubborn and have been just running through the pain and discomfort, but finally last week, I cracked. It's just so annoying to be having this pain that won't allow me to progress. So...I fessed up to my coach and she advised rest. (I knew she would) It definitely changes my goals for the week.

This Week's Goals:

1. Daily Foam Rolling ~ this has become such a part of my routine and makes a huge difference in the way my body feels.
2. Daily Stretching ~ specifically, my hamstring and hips.
3. Strength Train Arms 3x ~ since I can't run/walk/bike/elliptical/etc...I'm going to work on my arms and...
4. Daily Core Workout ~ I'm realizing how important this is to running
5. Cook At Home ~ I'm not going for perfection here, but a majority percentage

It's a different kind of training week and I have to admit, not running sucks way more than I ever imagined it would, but I'm not going to let it completely derail me. I'm going to work on what I can and allow my hamstring an opportunity to heal so that I can kick it in SOON!

What are your goals for the week?

How do you deal with injuries and setbacks?

{Inspire Me Wednesday ~ May 14}

"Running well is a matter of having the patience to persevere when we are tired and not expecting instant results." ~ Robert de Castella, world champion marathon runner

Weekly Chase ~ May 12, 2014

Today is Graduation Day at our house as our youngest finishes up his High School Career. It's actually Graduation WEEK....this morning as our son was at practice for his high school graduation tonight, I was with our daughter picking up her COLLEGE Graduation cap and gown and helping her decide on a dress to wear. (excuse me while I go cry in my pillow) I will survive though, right?!

All these emotions did motivate me to get out for an early run this morning in an effort to get myself in check and not just fall to the ground in a heap of tears.

So...goals...

Last Weeks Goals;

• Goal 1 - Get 3 quality runs in before the race on Saturday - negative, no excuses
• Goal 2 - Daily Foam Rolling - Check! This is my hamstring saver.
• Goal 3 - Healthy Breakfast EVERY day - I was about 75% on this, but not quite there
• Goal 4 - Create a plan for strength training - negative
• Goal 5 - Get my room deep cleaned & ready for hubby - Check! This was my main objective this past week, so I think my running took a back seat.

This week is going to be a challenge. We have a busy week (2 graduations, a pinning ceremony, and watching the grand baby while momma celebrates) and hubby is home, so I will definitely have to be intentional about getting my runs in this week.

This Weeks Goals;

• Goal 1 - Get 4 runs in this week
• Goal 2 - Continue Foam Rolling Daily
• Goal 3 - Healthy Breakfast EVERY Day
• Goal 4 - Create a plan for strength training
• Goal 5 - Turn it off (2 hours each night that are social media free)

These are pretty much the same goals that I had last week, but these are the ones I really need to work on and get nailed down.

Let's Rock Out This Week!!

Race Recap ~ Women Run Arkansas 5K

Although I wasn't able to attend very many of the actual clinic workshops for the Women Run Arkansas, I still managed to make it to the "graduation" race in Conway, Arkansas. It actually worked out well and Quentin was able to meet me there on Friday night and we were able to spend some time together....a rare opportunity!

Friday night kicked off the race with packet pick up and a pasta party with guest speaker, Erin Henderson (who happens to be my coach!). The food was wonderful and the Erin was inspiring. One of the things she said that really stood out to me was that it's supposed to be hard...and that we should embrace the hard. Also, just hearing her story of how far she's come in her running and fitness and that it really is ok to carve out time just for you.

 After dinner, I laid out my race gear for the next day. Still loving my Brooks Ravenna's and I just recently found these tank tops at Wal-Mart that I'm absolutely loving! They're dry-fit and have a loose fit with a drawstring at the bottom. When you're on the heavier side, a loose fit tank is a rare find. I've bought 4 of them...trying to snag one of every color they have! LOL

 A couple of my fave things in my race goody bag...Nerd gum balls! Seriously?! LOVE! AND....nail polish! Score! I also really love the tech tee..even if mine might be a little snug (incentive!)

Quentin and I stayed in Morrilton, which was about 20 miles away, so I had to get up a little earlier. I drank a little water to stay hydrated, but I still can't eat before a race. My stomach just will not tolerate it. We headed out about 7:00am so I could get to the race site and get warmed up.

The energy was amazing! I quickly found the group from Jonesboro and met some new people.

 Group photo of the Jonesboro Clinic

 It's always nice to have a friendly face in the crowd :) Marleena has been a huge source of encouragement and inspiration for me and often reminds me to hang in there and not to start too fast (one day I'll actually remember to do that!)

 I met a new friend, Ashlyn, who actually was a leader for the Jonesboro Walkers Group, but decided to run/walk this race. We stayed together and I pushed her to run a little further. She shaved about 5 minutes off of her mock run time and ran for 8 minutes without a walk break...her longest ever! It may have been my longest run also.

The Starting Line: There were a little over 1,000 women racing today and they had pace markers. I knew that I could do a 14' mile, so I lined up with Ashlyn, Marleena, & Teresa in this group. I was hoping that I could do a little better than that, but knew that would be a comfortable pace for me. The energy at the starting line with so many women was absolutely amazing.

Mile 1: This was a really good mile for me. It started with a nice down hill stretch and I was able to use that to my advantage and run for 8 minutes before taking my first walk break.  This mile took a little less than 14 minutes, so I knew I was on task.

Mile 2: The atmosphere was incredible with people cheering all along the course. There were leaders at every turn, shouting words of encouragement and handing out water and warning of any hazardous road conditions (like potholes or uneven pavement). I went to a 3/2 run/walk ratio and was staying with the pace group. I actually finished this mile at 26 minutes and thought I might have a chance at finishing in under 40 minutes.

Mile 3: I tried to push through this mile, but ran out of steam in the last half mile. I swear, if I could run a 2 miler, I might rock it! We turned a corner and someone said "you can see the finish line!" All I could see was people and kept wondering where the heck that line was!? I finally seen it and Ashlyn and I ran all the way across, side-by-side. 

Official Finish Time: 44:39

Avg Pace 14:24/mile

812 out of 1040

 Check out these Finishers Medals! These were pretty sweet!!

After crossing the finish line, I found the food tent and got an orange and some water before settling in for the awards. In addition to the age group awards, they also gave some pretty incredible door prizes away...I'm guessing probably about 10 pairs of shoes were given away. I didn't win, but I did score some one-on-one conversation time with Erin!

Me & my coach, Erin. 

I absolutely love her! So down to earth and a perfect fit for me. We were able to just connect and I was able to get some new tips....like packing a backpack with the snacks you prefer to fuel you after the run. (why haven't I thought of that before) She reminded me to start slow and finish strong...really, I will get this some day. She's going to give me a plan for my next 5K to hopefully get my time down to 40 minutes. I loved hearing about her family and her crazy story about just getting to Arkansas from Wyoming to attend this event.

This was by far, my absolute favorite race I've run. Something about racing with all women...the camaraderie, excitement, and honest encouragement....it was all so very inspiring! I will definitely be doing this again :)

{Inspire Me Wednesday ~ May 7}

Each Wednesday, I will be posting something that inspires me...maybe a picture or a quote or a person. Just something simple with nothing else needed;

"The feeling you get from a good run is far better than the feeling you get from sitting around wishing you were running." ~Sarah Condor

Weekly Chase ~ May 5, 2014

Ok, can I just start over?! I had a really great run on Tuesday and was all set to have a productive week, when I injured my toe. Seriously? How bad can it hurt? Apparently, quite a bit. So....lets evaluate what went right last week....

Last Weeks Goals;

• Goal 1 - Run 4 times this week ~ yea, well....this didn't happen!
• Goal 2 - Foam Roll daily (gotta keep this up!) ~ Check! My fave thing
• Goal 3 - Eat a healthy breakfast EVERY morning (today doesn't count right?) ~ getting better, but still not there.
• Goal 4 - Strength training twice this week ~ I did some minimal free weights at home...can I count that?
• Goal 5 - Get house in order! This probably seems like a no-brainer, but I seriously just need a day to deep clean my house. I'm a little OCD about that :) ~ ALL rooms are done except mine & the office. HUGE IMPROVEMENT!! Counting this as a success :)

Ok, so overall, I think I didn't do too shabby. I'm actually pretty excited about this week. My toe is feeling better. I have an exciting race this weekend. I'm going to meet my coach in person! My hubby comes home for a 10 day stretch. It's going to be a phenomenal week!

This Weeks Goals;

• Goal 1 - Get 3 quality runs in before the race on Saturday
• Goal 2 - Daily Foam Rolling
• Goal 3 - Healthy Breakfast EVERY day
• Goal 4 - Create a plan for strength training
• Goal 5 - Get my room deep cleaned & ready for hubby

I really am excited for this week. I went to the grocery store tonight and stocked up on fresh fruits and veggies. Healthy snack choices hopefully will help keep my energy levels up so I can accomplish my goals this week. I'm super excited to meet my coach at the Conway race this weekend...we've been working together online and now I'll get to put a face with all my training....and the icing on the cake is that my hubby comes home for a 10 day stretch! He hasn't been home in 6 weeks and I can't wait to spend some much needed time together.

Happy Running!