Folks tend to like these posts (because real life that doesn't get play time on social media is pretty interesting sometimes), so why not do another one... A day in the life of YOUR'S TRULY!
**Seeing that I work from home (and part time), I tend to try and get all of our errands and chores done during the week when the hubby is that work - that way, when he is off, we can just spend time together doing FUN things (instead of the somewhat boring and mundane). Yesterday (Monday, January 16th) was one of those days...**
5:40am :: Wake up
5:40am - 5:50am :: Check my IG account from the comfort of a fluffy blanket and living room couch
7:50am - 8:00am :: Get breakfasts ready (coffee for the hubby, cereal for us, doggy food for the pup)
8:00am :: Wake up the two sleepy heads
8:00am - 8:20am :: Eat breakfast, chat about the day
8:20am - 8:45am :: Walk the pup (we have a 'tradition' of walking the hubby down to his truck before work and wishing him a GREAT day)
8:45am - 9:00am :: Get ready
9:00am - 9:30am :: Go to Petco to pick up some dog food for Walk (we feed him a vegetarian kibble, but do crumble up a small slice of "meat" on his food)
9:30am - 10:00am :: Go to the grocery store to pick up a few ingredients for a Mac and Cheese I have to make for the follow day's Growth Group "Comfort Food" Potluck
10:00am - 10:30am :: Go to the pharmacy to drop off expired and unwanted medicines (I read "The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin and in it she mentioned doing some cleaning of old stuff that no longer brings you joy. Well, let's just say that when the hubby was surfing on Saturday morning I did a quick sweep of the house and bagged up quite a bit of things that needed to go - old meds being some of that)
10:30am - 11:00am :: Come back home to get ready for an afternoon run
I get judgy eyes from Walt when he knows I'm leaving
3:15pm - 4:30pm :: Take Walt to his vet appointment (an annual exam... along with getting his butt glands squeezed - YUM - and finding out that he needs to have a tooth pulled, which will cost $1,000 - OUCH!)
He HATES the vet, but is such a good pup for the doctors!
4:30pm - 6:00pm :: Work on my Carlsbad Half Marathon Recap (finish writing, edit photos, publish and share on social media platforms)
6:00pm - 6:30pm :: Make dinner
Taco Tuesday a day early = Mexican Monday!
6:30pm - 7:00pm :: Eat dinner with the hubby
7:00pm - 7:30pm :: Walk the pup
7:30pm - 8:00pm :: Get "gifts" ready to be mailed out (since the post office was closed in observance of Martin Luther Kind Jr. Day)
Packages flipped over to protect everyone's privacy ;)
8:00pm - 9:00pm :: Read
9:00pm - 9:30pm :: Foam roll and stretch
9:30pm - 9:45pm :: Get ready for bed
9:45pm :: Lay down for the day
As you can see, it may not be super exciting, but it's my life and it's perfect for me! I may have spent yesterday running around like a chicken with my head chopped off, but I was able to cross off quite a few things from my STD list and went to bed feeling accomplished, worn out, and with a smile on my face! What does your daily routine look like?
This is actually the first time I've run it, even though it's about 3 miles from our house (I've volunteered a couple times). #RealTalk: There are two reasons I hadn't put this one on my race calendar. First, it happens about 3 miles from the house. That means during the majority of my long runs I end up running along the course, so it's hard to justify spending money on a race that I literally run at least once a week. Which leads me to reason number two - the cost. This race is a pretty penny. Seeing as I run the area on a weekly basis FOR FREE, I've never put this one on the calendar.
That is, until THIS year. I saw that one of my friend's, Jenny, had a giveaway for a registration for the race and decided to enter. I looked at my training calendar and saw I had 20 miles on the docket for the weekend so figured if I won I could put the 13.1 miles towards my necessary mileage and cross another race off the list. Low and behold I WON!
As I mentioned, this race was part of a larger run, my 20-miler. If you've done long distance running, you know how amazing having spectators, a race environment, aid stations, etc can be for your morale on a run. I decided I would get in 7 miles before the race (so I took the "long way" from my house to the starting line), that way when I crossed the finish line I would be DONE for the day (#RealTalk: There is nothing harder for me than crossing a finish line where everyone is stoked to be done and having to head out for more miles... If you're ever using a race as part of daily miles, I would ALWAYS suggest ending your run at the finish line).
The full marathon started at 6:15am and the half started at 7:45am,
so when I ran up around 7:15am the starting area was pretty empty
How funny is this?! The official photographer saw me snapping my selfie and wanted to take a picture of me doing it... But look at my GO GO GADGET ARM! Doesn't my arm look forever long?! Source
In case you were wondering, my alarms were set starting at 4:35am (although I woke up before the first one went off), left the house by 6:05am, and got to the starting area around 7:15am. Before I left I ate a Clif Bar (Sierra Trail Mix is my jam) for some fuel and then took 5 PROBAR BOLT chews at the starting line of the race and then again around mile 7.
I always set multiple alarms because I'm worried I will oversleep
and normally wake up before the first one even goes off...
I was stoked to get a text from Kelly as I was finishing up my pre-race miles asking me if she could run with me for a few miles. If you follow any of her social media accounts then you know she is AMAZEBALLS (and I can confirm from first hand experience), so I sent her a picture of my highlighter colored outfit and told her to be on the look out (she told me she'd be at the Mile 1 marker so I had a better idea of where to find her).
The game plan for the morning was simple. Do what I could with whatever body showed up. I told the hubby, since he was picking me up from the finish line, that I'd probably roll across the finish line between 2:00 and 2:15 (I normally tell him a quicker time so he for sure doesn't miss me crossing ;)). I figured I'd shoot for 9:15-9:30/miles, but expected that the race adrenaline might help me get there a little sooner (or at least help to keep a smile on my face the entire way). When I got to the starting line, my watch showed that my 7 miles took 1:07 to complete (and once you see the elevation chart from my run you'll see why those first few miles were a little slower than I was aiming for).
The starting of the race was much like any other - there were crazy port-o-potty lines, tons of runners milling around (I think I heard there were 8,500 runners in the half), a few different corrals (I believe there were 5, but I didn't see anyone regulating them), and an exciting buzz. I was slightly worried that I would get chilly in between my pre-race miles and the start of the half, so I put a Mylar blanket in my hand held's pouch (but I ended up not needing it).
Dare I say, just about perfect running weather!
I was also a little freaked out about how much time to leave between my run and the race. I didn't want to get there too early and freeze (or have my muscles get tight), but also didn't want to cut it close and have to rush (especially if I needed to use the potty or anything). I timed it so I got there about 30 minutes beforehand and it worked out perfectly.
After the National Anthem, Linzie and I made our way into Wave 2. He had just ran Dopey the previous weekend at Walt Disney World, so told me he wasn't sure how his legs would do. We said our good-bye's in case we lost each other on the run (which we did, but we have another half marathon together on Sunday so we'll see each other again then!).
The first mile of the course is a bit uphill (but, like I told the runners around me, I would rather have it at the beginning than at the end... and since it was an out-and-back course, we would be running down it on the way to the finish line), but I was still feeling good after running the previous 7 miles.
As you can see, my first 7 miles had a bit of elevation change (we live on a few hills),
and the half marathon had some decent climbs as well
And, just as she said, Kelly was at the Mile 1 marker. I waved her down and we found our groove. We chatted about life since our last run together, gave out a ton of high-fives and encouraging yells, met some amazing fellow runners who introduced themselves and said hi, and had a grand old time.
Don't get me wrong, neither of us are where we used to be (or where we want to be), but we did our best to dig deep and get the mileage done no matter what! At one point Kelly was having a difficult moment and I told her that cheering on other runners helps me because it takes the focus off me and helps to celebrate someone else's accomplishments.
The course is AMAZING (but, then again, that's why the hubby and I pay the big bucks to live here... where everyone else comes to vacation ;)). I didn't stop to take any pictures, but that is mostly because I feel like I have 80 billion pictures of the coast from other training runs. Even though I run the route weekly, I am still taken back at the beauty around. We are beyond blessed to be able to run (and live) in this area! I do my darnedest to never take it for granted!
There were a few places on the course where it felt a little congested (since it is an out-and-back course, runners going "out" are on half of the road and runners coming "back" are on the other half, but they also had to half those sections to accommodate the half marathon runners and marathon runners), but overall it seemed perfect (and I was stoked I didn't have to stay super far over in the bike lane like I normally do when the roads are open).
The volunteers and spectators were AWESOMESAUCE! A lot of the volunteers had signs, which was so great! (I don't know about you, but reading something helps to take my mind off the run a bit... and some of the signs make me LOL) Also, when you registered you could personalize your bib, so they were able to cheer you on by name (rather than "Go Runner" which also works but isn't as personal ;)). There were even a few rockin' bands on the course!
I know some folks don't dig the out-and-back courses (Kelly mentioned it can be a little defeating when you see folks heading back and you aren't there yet), but I really enjoy them. I like being able to cheer on fellow runners, look for friends, and know what to expect for the second half of the course since I already ran it.
Around Mile 11.5 Kelly had to veer off and make her way to her car, but before she did, we made sure to grab a quick picture. As you can tell, the miles may have been a little more difficult than we would have liked, but at least we know how to have a good time! #BadAssLadyGang #FindYourTribeLoveThemHard
I texted Ryan to let him know where I was. Since I had the seven miles pre-race, I didn't really know what overall pace we were running for the race specifically. I knew the 2:00 pacers started at the beginning of Wave 3, and they hadn't caught us, but I wasn't sure if that was because of the delayed start or because we were running faster than that. I was SHOCKED when I turned the final corner and saw that the official time said 2:01 and change (I knew there was a delay between when the first wave started and when I crossed the timing mat so knew I had knocked out a sub-2 half).
I ended with 20.25 miles, averaging a 9:09 pace (really only stopping for
traffic lights on the first 7 and then the break between those miles and the
start of the race... everything else was cruising)
20 miles DONE AND DONE!
Officially, my half marathon time was 1:57:20, which ended up averaging 8:57 per mile. I am over the moon with this finish time (even if it is almost 20 minutes slower than my current PR). Not only was this part of a larger training run, but it was also one of my first long runs back since being injured (even if I wouldn't say I am currently 100% "healed").
I have had one other really good 20-miler, and coincidentally, it was last fall when I ran with Kelly for part of it. Normally my long runs are not focused on time (and don't get me wrong, this one definitely wasn't), but it is still nice to see a faster number for a longer distance. PS Feel free to watch Kelly's recap of the run if you haven't seen it already (and subscribe to her YouTube channel, cause her #BQorBust vlogs are a MUST!).
Although I didn't pay for this race myself, I definitely believe it is a worthwhile race (if you don't live in the area and run it on a weekly basis, that is). The course is stunning (running along the Pacific Beach for the majority of your race doesn't get much better), the volunteers and staff are top notch and the perks are amazing (not only did we receive a participant tee, but we also got a quarter zip long sleeve shirt, a goodie bag at the finish line and some purrrrrrrty bling).
Stoked because I can use the finisher tee in a future quilt and actually wear the long sleeve zip-up... AND IT HAS THUMB HOLES!
By the way, can you believe that this is the FIRST Picky Bars I will have ever tried?!
A BIG THANKS to Ultima for allowing Jenny to giveaway an entry, and for luck to be in my favor! [Now I just have to decide if I want to run the rest of the races in the series to get the TRIPLE CROWN :)] Also, PROPS to the Carlsbad Marathon & Half for collecting shoes for donation. Although it's always hard to part with old running shoes, it's a little easier when you know they are going to bless someone else.
The hubby and I donated TEN PAIRS! Can you tell I have a hard time letting them go?!
Do you run local races or prefer to travel to new destinations to run?
Wednesday, January 11th –45 minutes of yoga, 4 mile walk, Stretched & Foam Rolled
Thursday, January 12th – 3 mile run with the hubby
Friday, January 13th – 8 mile run
Saturday, January 14th – Rest Day, Stretched & Foam Rolled
My runs were a little off this week because I was swapping my long run on Friday with my race (plus a few miles) on Sunday. It's always hard when races fall on Sunday because they don't technically count on the current week, but ah-well, as long as I get in the mileage, right?!
I love hearing what my friends are loving because I know they are legit endorsements (and not just ones that are being forced in my face by advertising money). With that said, I hope you enjoy my Friday Favorites series - where I share a few of my current favorites (whether that is an event, a product, and activity, etc). Feel free to link up and let me know what you are digging lately!
Ivie's Chipotle Hack
Maybe other people have mentioned it before, but I feel like when I saw Ivie's Instagram post about her Chipotle hack my mind was blown. She suggested getting a bowl to go, and when you get home, adding half of it to a salad and saving the remaining half for a SECONDMEAL. Um... HECK TO THE YES! I don't know how I've never thought of it before, especially since 95% of the time I get a salad when I am there anyway, but now that I know this little tip my Chipotle ordering may never be the same ;)
Okay, okay, this is nothing new, but when I watched the running community come together when the Walt Disney World Half Marathon was cancelled due to weather this past Saturday and RALLY... Oh man, I mean, tears, pride, overflowing love, the emotions were HIGH! I loved seeing all of the posts on social with runners taking it to hotel treadmills or running around their resort (after the unsafe weather passed, of course) to get in their 13.1 miles and "earn" that Donald bling. And to see all of the spectators and volunteers that got out to encourage everyone was BEYOND AMAZEBALLS! There were aid stations, cheer squads, what seemed like a billion and a half high-fives... I wasn't at WDW to experience it firsthand, but that doesn't make my love or appreciation for the running community any less.
A video posted by Sharp Endurance (@sharpendurance) on
In case you haven't read Sharp Endurance's recap of his "race", you should do it NOW! (And make sure to read all of the stories folks have added in the comments - PUREAWESOMESAUCE!) And HUGEPROPS to runDisney for everything they did to try and compensate for the ever unpredictable Mother Nature! YOU ALL ROCK OUR SOCKS!
These were officially released earlier this week and are AMAZING! I was actually lucky enough to go up to Orange a few weeks back to help the ladies with a photo shoot and was able to try the capris out. They are quick-drying, stretchy, breathable, and they have POCKETS! Quantities are extremely limited (I believe the XS in all three patterns are sold out), so act quick to be one of the first to get your hands (or should I say legs) on a pair. [In case you are wondering for sizing purposes, I wore a size S for the shoot, but could fit into an XS if need be. I normally wear a size 6ish in bottoms.]
PS Yes, those are my legs in the mermaid capris for the website! Source
The Library
If you read my Goals for 2017 post earlier this week then you saw one of my goals for the year is to read at least 17 books for the year. Let's just say I am WELL on my way - I just started my FIFTH book in under two weeks. I realized that I normally only read books once (and then they just sit on the shelf), so last week I started gifting some of the books away (as long as the recipient promised they would then pass the book on to someone else). Well, instead of paying for books, I thought, "Why not go the FREE route?!". The library and I have now become BEST FRIENDS! I currently have six books checked out with another three ready to be picked up (and a whole heck of a lot more saved).
I might be a few days late, but, hey, better late than never, right?! Anywho, I started thinking about a few goals that I had for the year (I don't "do" resolutions... I think the connotation of the word itself tends to set folks up for failure, but I'm all about chasing down goals) so I thought I would share them with you (putting goals in writing helps make them "real").
*Run 1700 Miles*
I added up my mileage from last year and ended 2016 with 1,658. I was running significantly fewer miles between October and December than normal because of all my issues (hip, stomach, back), so I am hoping that increasing what I did last year is totally doable. (I was originally thinking 2017 miles would be AMAZING, but that averages about 39 miles a week and I'm not sure my body would be happy at that level for an entire year, but I guess we'll see as we progress through the year.) I've never had a mileage goal before, but I thought it might be 'fun'.
*Self Acceptance*
#RealTalk: Most days I still have TERRIBLE self esteem. I know that saying a couple positive things about myself in the mirror will probably never fix that, but I've gotta start practicing some self lovin' somehow. I think this one might be the hardest one for me to complete (not only because my self hatred runs deep {I've had 31 years to perfect it, I'm pretty great at it}, but also because the goal is hard to quantify).
I've gotta say, I'm already off to a great start. Within the first week and a half of the year I've already tackled three titles (and I'm half way through my fourth). Also, I added FIFTEEN books to my queue at our local library (I range from being first in line to being ninth for the different books, so it'll probably take a while to get a turn, but I can wait patiently!). The hubby and I recently started trying to add some additional non-electronic time into our weekends {whether that's more reading, hiking, walking, napping, etc}, so I gotta get a stock pile of books to tackle!
Often times we get busy and with that busyness comes being occupied with our own stuff. I want to make a conscious effort this year to focus on others and give back to those around me. It doesn't have to be something huge like selling all of our possessions and moving to a third-world country, but taking the time to hold the door open for a stranger can remind us to step outside of our world and reach out to another. Do what you can when you can with what you can!
Last year I ran 23 races (you can check them all out HERE if you are interested in reading the recaps for any of them). The breakdown was: two 5Ks, five 10Ks, one 8-miler, ten Half Marathons, four Full Marathons and one ultra relay race. Thus far in 2017 I currently have 9 on the calendar (that I am registered for) - the Carlsbad Half, the Pasadena Half, the Phoenix Full, the Los Angeles Full, the Carlsbad 5000, the Fontana Half, the Disneyland 10K, the Disneyland Half and the Chicago Full. I don't know that I am shooting for any PRs in 2017 (although I wouldn't be mad if they happened), but I love the running community and racing environment (even when I'm running for fun), so I've gotta keep some races on the schedule! Not to mention, keeping races on my calendar keeps me motivated and gets my booty out the door!
*Travel More*
I'm sure to some, when they look at our calendar, it may seem like we travel a ton (and we do!), but I want to do more! But it doesn't have to be trips to Hawaii or Bali, short weekend getaways in our Adventuremobile are just as awesome! We live close by some FANTASTIC locations, yet we don't take advantage of them... This year we will change that!
Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of other goals I'd love to tackle this year, but I figure that this was a great jumping off point. 2017 is gonna be AWESOME! Let's make this the best year yet, k?! Who's with me?! LET'S DO THIS!
