!0 miler

Today was the day that I have been waiting for. Actually, it was the week that I have been waiting for. The high mileage. It's not that I didn't dread today, it's more like I actually feel like I am marathon training now. Doing a marathon is extreme so, I felt like I needed to run more. Now, I am.

I had to work all day today so I couldn't just run while I was at work like I have been doing. I woke up at 4 AM and drove out to a paved bike way. I want to say that it is 7.5 miles long. I will be able to use that road for awhile and I have another that I have in mind for my 20 milers that are coming in the few weeks.

I had been thinking about this run for a few days now because I had to wake up super early and also because I had to run in the dark. It's something that I haven't done before on my own. I ran the Disney Wine and Dine but, it was lit and a half marathon so I felt safe. Well, even though I was scared I prepared. My husband had a head lamp that I used and where I ran had some lighting and that was enough to get me through.

When I first started put on the run, I almost dreaded it because I felt ridiculous until I got about a mile in and I noticed that all of the fishermen had headlamps on too but I was the only one running. All I could think to myself was OH the joys of training for a marathon ha ha. I listened to my Dave Ramsey podcast and just kept thinking about keeping my mind right and running and getting out of debt. It was really weird running with the headlamp, it kept tripping me out. I am sure it will not be the last time that I use it so I am keeping things in my mind that will help me to make my run just a bit more comfortable next time.

After my first 5 miles I turned on the music and when I turned around I was facing the horizon and the sun was rising. I can't explain to you how beautiful it was to just look at the sky change it's colors. Colors that are so deep, and that are never quite the same. That pretty much held my attention for the rest of the run. Oceans came on my iPod and I just started smiling and enjoying everything around me. I saw the shadows of the fishermen trying to get their catch and I saw the canal come to life with more bikers and walkers getting their morning walks in. I wish I would have brought my phone with me but I brought my iPod because I brought my water bottle in hand, I have a gigantic iPhone 6 plus ughhhhh seriously great phone but that is not really meant for runners LOL.

Overall my run went great. I made it to work on time, I am really tired as I am writing this but I can't go to bed until 10......duty calls. I feel great. My legs feel a little bit worn out but that is normal as it has been a REALLY long time since I have run anything over the 9 miles I ran a week or so ago. I booked my hotel tonight and I have to stay a little but aways from the race but it's only 20 minutes so I am mentally planning now how and when I am going to get to the race without getting in tons of traffic. It looks like it will be a 5 AM wake up for us.

It's a pretty crazy thing to say but I am enjoying the journey that running is taking me on. I am getting to be at peace with myself and think things through, it's a truly wonderful feeling. Until next week with another running update.

Revisiting getting out of debt.

Debt......

Well all have it or had it at one time and well, it sucks! 

I am getting anxiety over being debt free and I am getting serious about it. It is one of those things that you wish you could just get rid of in a day and you can't. It takes time, patience, and a way of living that many of us are probably not comfortable with right? I mean that's why we ignore it ha ha! 

I have been researching ways to pay debt and I have always known about Dave Ramsey but the thing about him was that I could not wrap my mind around the fact that I had to save $1000 before paying off my bills. Now, I am to the point where I am desperate to get rid of this garbage so I am ready to start my little nest egg and get my debt paid off. 

Another mistake that I make consistently is the fact that I give myself an allowance but I don't tell my allowance where to go and I leave it up in the air all the time. The problem with that is that I don't tell my money where to go and when I need to make a big purchase or I have to service my car I don't take it into account because I don't save for it and well, now that I am actually ready to tackle this thing I am totally ready to commit and do it the very smart Dave Ramsey says to do it. 

Dave Ramsey has 6 baby steps. I don't think it is appropriately named though. The thing is, saving $1000.00 and paying off all your debt (the first two steps) are not baby by any means. Those are the hardest ones to accomplish! So I am just going to call them steps.....I don't know why just let me do my thing here LOL. 

So. This month I begin saving 1,000.00 for my emergency fund. I am not quite ready to disclose how much debt I am in but it is enough for me to FREAK out. The do include my car payment, credit cards, and student loans. I will be going after the credit cards, student loans, then my car. It is not going to be easy and I couldn't tell you for the life of me when I am going to get done. I would love for it to be by the end of next year but I think that it is big bite to chew......I am going to think about a total end date but I will say that I am giving myself until the end of next year to be credit card debt free. THAT I know I can do. 

We are in the process of getting ready to move again so our income is going to change and we are not quite sure what our rent, utilities, among other things are going to be so I would like to be conservative for right now in judging how fast I can pay it off. 

I will be keeping accountability updates on my blog for me so that I can go back and look at this journey much like my marathon journey. Wish me luck! 

Back on track with training!

Whew! Labor Day weekend came and went didn’t it. I had such a blast with my cousin  and son that I would just like to go back and do it all over again. 

I don't usually do my makeup or hair so I am documenting the moment.

I went to New Jersey where my cousin had planned a big bash with all of my cousins but I unfortunately was the only one that showed but I made it worth their while. I ate a lot and we danced, laughed, and talked the night away. Let’s just say that marathon training was not on my mind that weekend and I knew that would be the case because when I am with my family it becomes about being with my family. I am sure many of you would agree. I really think that there are times where you just have to live life to the fullest and then get back on track. Honestly it helps me stay sane!

I knew that I would be going to my cousins house so I adjusted my schedule at work and I did my 9 mile run in the morning. I drank my Generation UCAN and out the door I went 30 or so minutes later. I always go out on my run and think WOAH lady how are you going to do 9 MILES! Even though it is not the furthest my little feet have taken me, I have not run that far in a VERY long time. I also took my water bottle with me and let me tell you what a pain in the rear that is! It was pretty annoying to carry a fanny pack for my gigantic phone, and my water bottle. I was a mess to say the least and very uncomfortable. I digress……I started my run thinking how I was going to finish it and that it was going to take forever (for those of you that aren’t runners the first mile is always negative talk). Around mile 2-3 is when my bra strap unattached itself and when my little fanny pack and water bottle started irritating my life. I can say that the beginning of this run was not going how I wanted it to so I put on some music in order to change my mindset and BAM that was the magic that I needed. 

My feet feel into stride and I began finding my pace, breathing, and started thinking about life. I always tend pick apart my days, solve problems, and come up with my most creative ideas and it started happening and my run became better. I forgot about the discomforts and just kept going for it. 

I did start thinking about Brandon this time which I CRIED during my run but only for a second and then I put a stop to that! I started visualizing myself running to Brandon and that the end was finally there. The end, being him being 18 and both of us not being held back by what a stupid piece of paper, a judge ordered, or the control of when we can and can’t see each other is finished. I thought about all of it being done and him coming to live with me and wanting to hang out with me and see what living with me was like and then BOOP I started to cry and smile and cry some more. 

I thought about the journey that we are going through and the journey that we still have left and the bittersweet moment that I want things to go by so fast but I don’t. Being me is weird and confusing sometimes but I feel into the emotion and let it sit there for awhile because I can’t…..I can’t be who I am when I am alone all the time. I can’t be weak all the time. I have to  be strong so Brandon can be strong and so that people don’t pity me because that’s not what I want. I had the moment and I think back to it and now I smile because I just let myself be me. 

My Monday Morning Run

I think that is why I like running so much. It is that time when I can be by myself and feel the things that I need to and pray when I need to because if you are a Mom, wife, and you work full time there is never enough time in a day and when can you really be by yourself? I am always surrounded by people. I am always thankful of the fact that I get to run a few times a week and truly be me if just only for 30-60 minutes at a time in a place other than the rest room! ;)

Monday morning run

Today I put on my shoes ready my She Reads Truth Bible in one year reading and got out the door. I stood in front of my garage waiting for my GPS watch to connect and I breathed in a big inhale of humidity. I was wondering where in the world Saturdays weather (79 with little humidity) went. I am not that big of a fan no....let me be honest here I hate winter like, A LOT, but the runner in me is craving air that isn't so thick and temperatures that are cooler. I started my run and it was much like a typical Monday morning for anyone else. I had to tie my shoes twice before getting them just right for me feet to feel balanced and good and I was sweating literally 2 minutes into my run. Despite these little annoyances I was SO happy to be out there running. I decided early on that I was going to ignore my watch and wait for it to beep to tell me my miles as they passed by because I was extending my current 4 mile route another mile. 2 miles in my curiosity got the best of me and I looked. My pace was excellent. I was not in easy run pace but I just wanted to let myself go and run, I just wanted to be free to think about what I wanted and my legs to just GO! I knew my lungs would carry me, those babies are trained! 

I was listening to my music versus podcasts so I could get lost in the beat and in my mind and it was simply perfect. Tenth Avenue North came on and I was praising Jesus.....hand up and everything I might add all while singing some of the chorus. It was simply beautiful because as I made my way around the school parking lot this sun was rising and a new day was coming. The sky was filled with orange and magenta with a pale blue in the background. I thanked Jesus for the beautiful morning and felt kind of bad for complaining about the humidity. I then thought about how awesome God is and how lucky I am to be running the race that I am running in honor of Ellie Mae. I thought about how truly awesome it is to be able to give to someone else. I looked down at my watch and realized that I was still holding my pace and something came over me.....just the thought that I do this well and a feeling like I am doing the right thing in running and being able to right about it and also use it as a way to give to others. 

I think that listening to music is in a way more my deal because I get so in tune with myself and with God. I feel better running and praying versus sitting and reading. Don't get me wrong I enjoy reading the word and getting all into it but I enjoy running and being in the moment it feels like with God better than reading it's like He's there with me sending chills down my back letting me know that I am good and He is with me. 

Marathon Training Week 4

WOW I can't believe I am a month into marathon training! That's pretty exciting but, the road ahead is a long one theoretically and seriously!

I feel like I am still trying to catch my groove with cross training, running, and nutrition. Its such a tricky balance overall I need to eat more so I am giving myself a chance to get used to eating again since I have ramped up the calorie burn. I have been getting pretty bored with food lately so I will be making some changes to our grocery list soon! I have to be more blog minded so I can share things other than recaps!

Cross training is changing once again! I am going to do Les Mills Pump. It is the program that I wanted to use to begin with but I thought my husband was using our barbell but alas he is not SO I am super excited to start because Les Mills is really only meant to be used 3 times a week so it's a win and it keeps me from working out 5 times a week for an extra 30 minutes. My plan is to do Les Mills Tuesday and Thursday and calm yoga on Sunday to stretch from my runs.

SO how did my training go this week?

It went pretty well! My husband took off with the kids to see his family so I had the house to myself and it enabled me to make a schedule that I wanted for running SO it was nice not to worry about family time and running. The only problem with that was that I was wanting to run more because I had all the time in the world and I wanted to keep busy but I didn't. I stayed right on schedule.

My husband was able to see Ellie Mae while he was visiting with family. She wasn't doing to well and was getting treatment while they were there but she was able to ride tricycles and play with the kids so I am sure that lifted her spirits!

Ellie and her Dad riding bikes together

Yesterday I did my long run right before I picked up my husband and kids from the airport. I was so excited about picking them up that it was hard to maintain the 10:05 minute pace that I was supposed to run. I settled in at 9:55 because it was kind of hurting to run that slow after awhile. I ran 10:20 for a few miles and that felt ok but I felt like I was forcing it so either I have to discipline myself more or I have to speed it up just a tad but we'll see as the weeks go on. This was my first time actually trying to slow down my pace, when I did my 6 and 7 mile run I was running at 9:07. I think I might have to do a mile test or something to really gauge where I am at......speaking of I need to get my hands on a track LOL.

This week was pretty good and I can say that another week is down and thank God I am injury free. It was nice to have a break from my family obligations and just be me for a little while but I am glad that they are home.

In the week that they have been gone I realized that I love giving to my family and loving them. I missed the little things like bringing my daughter to bed with me to hang out in the mornings and to actually cook for more than just me. I have to say that a few weeks before they left I was thinking that I was selfish for wanting to read a book and just relax and the tables turned and I actually missed doing things for them. My life is full and I am grateful for the craziness that is my life.

I am so happy she is home! Can you tell?

Morning cuddles with Momma!

She always eats my strawberries so I gave her some of her own.

My current playlist

I really love looking at other runners playlists for a few reasons and I am sure they are all obvious

1. I am nosy and want to know what kind of music you are into.
2. I need ideas because I play out all of my music like a kid learning a new thing.


I am pretty excited to share mine. I go through many moods while I am running so most times I won't listen to my playlist straight through and I will just skip songs because I am just not feeling them that day. I don't know what mood I am going to be in but hip hop always makes my day and Dave Guetta "Mama" is the song that currently gets me in step. If I am upset than "Photographs" and "Cold Case Love" by Rihanna are drumming in my ear......see it all depends because I am a woman with a million emotions and I no idea which mood is going to come out to play. With that said before I share my playlist and my podcast library I do know that many people go through many emotions while they are running so I am preparing for ALL of them because I know I am going to cry, want to quit, and want to dance all in the same few hours and maybe in the same few miles!

I kind of listen to everything so it keeps me happy especially since my playlist is eclectic. It's just a snapshot of what it is that I listen to but hopefully you can gain some ideas. I truly am listening to podcasts right now and trying to soak up all of the marathon knowledge that I can and it has been helping me with my mindset to not over do it because I am a kind of a more is better person. Today I was a bit down for the count with a sinus gunk thing. I don't know where it came from but I didn't do my cross training. I am finally starting to feel better, we will see how that goes in the morning. I hope I can get my 8 miles in so I can get it over with and rest and be done with week 4 of training. 2 more weeks and I get into and stay in the double digit long runs! AH!

Until next time!

Marathon Training Week 3:

I can't believe that I am going onto Week 4 of training. Unreal that I have been running and loving it for a month and by that I mean training.

I have been mixing it up a bunch so I think it is keeping everything fresh and not boring. I am still not high up in the mileage, I am going to do 8 this week but it's not until next week that I go to 9 and then from there it gets a bit crazy with double digit training runs and they don't go back to the single digits until after race day when I reverse taper.

I have been waking up early (around 5) and getting my runs in because the humidity here in New England it a bit ridiculous! I did my long run on Friday because I had to take my family to the airport on Saturday and I thought it was going to rain all day but it did that today......Anyway I had gotten it done and ran my 3 miles on Saturday evening.

My husband is actually going to visit Ellie at St Jude tomorrow with my kids. She is there for a whole month receiving treatment. I am excited for her because she will get to meet Molly and hang out with Cristian for a bit so I hope that lifts her spirits! I am really excited to hear about how she is doing! Hopefully it is as good of news as you can get.

This week I did 4 runs and 4 days of cross training. I ran 4 miles on Monday and Wednesday and 7 miles on Friday and 3 on Saturday. Monday- Wednesday I did 21 Day Fix workouts  Thursday I rested Friday I only ran and yesterday I did some yoga and my 3 mile run.

It's almost hard to believe that I am going to run a marathon because "training" only feels like a workout for now but I am going to ramp up my training in the next few weeks.

I suppose that it was pretty uneventful I am just getting it done week by week. I still feel super motivated because I feel that I am giving to another by raising money and running for the cause. I get why people do it now. While I don't have to fundraise for St. Jude I am doing it because I feel called and compelled to since this seriously hits close to home.

Until next week!