I had two resolutions in 2014: run a 1/2 marathon and better keep in touch with friends. I accomplished both! So, I decided to set a lofty goal for 2015. I haven't been incredibly consistent with my running and if I wan't to win races, I need to become consistent. So, my goal for 2015 is to run 1,000 miles! I'm planning 50 weeks (2 week buffer), so I have to run 20 miles per week. I've set the goal in RunKeeper so I'm ready to go. I have off from work from December 23rd - January 4th so I'm hoping to get some good mileage in the first four days of the new year! My goal for 2016 is to run a marathon so reaching my 2015 goal will really set me up nicely.
Want to join 1,000 miles in 2015? Let me know! What are your 2015 resolutions?
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Honestly it feels weird even beginning to write this post. I cannot believe the half marathon is complete. A quick back story…. On September 22, 2013 I competed in my first 5k as an adult (I’ve run a 5k or two before when I was much, much younger) to bond with my sister. I trained for one day before that 5k so my goal for the race was to compete the 3.1 miles without walking. I felt like I was going to die, but I did it. After that race it was official. I caught the running bug. I wanted to run more races and compete. The next day after the 5k I started running and a week later was up to 6 miles run/walk using couch to 10k (I realize now I upped my mileage way too fast). October 8th I decided I was going to run a half marathon and started training for it. My goal at that point was an April ½ marathon. By the end of November my knees were in excruciating pain (no surprise there though… it dangerous to increase mileage like I did). By the time December rolled around I wasn’t able to run anymore because of my knee pain so I took my training to a gym and did some cross training. My next run wasn’t until January 22nd. By this point I realized that an April half marathon was not going to happen and so I kind of gave up on the idea of running a half in 2014. From that point on I would run, bike and started the Bikini Body Guide, fast forward to August 15, 2014 when I found the Shades of Death ½ marathon. I’m a Weird NJ junkie and this race just fit. It was the perfect first half marathon for me. So, I registered that day and had 7 formal weeks of training specifically for the race.
Back to the race… my goal was to run every mile sub 11 minutes, putting me at a 2:15-2:30 finish. Mile 1, felt great. Found a nice pace that was not too fast and kept myself there (even though I wanted to go faster, I knew I couldn’t that early in such a long race). Mile 2, 3… 4 I realize how long this race is going to be but I keep my pace at around 9:30. Mile 5… "I thought I was only at 4… sweet"… 6… 7… all consistently at about 9:30-9:35. Mile 8. I’ve just begun the second loop of the course and I hit ‘it’. That thing I’ve heard about from so many runners. My wall. This I when I really slowed and wondered why I was doing this and if I will be able to finish. Mile 9. More of the same. Fighting through the exhaustion and definitely bleeding from my toe. Every step I can feel my flesh rip from the blood soaked sock. Finally mile 10, double digits. "Time to run hard" I tell myself but nothing happens. My pace stays then I’m passed by an older woman who looked more like she was walking than running. First I’m angry with myself. “Why are you going to let this person finish before you?” Then I accept that she is better than me and deal with it. Then my body finally responded to my demand from earlier and I began to pick up my pace. Slowly but surely every step I took my pace increased and I passed the woman then another and then a few more. 2 hours 13 minutes and 40 seconds from when I began the race, I finally finished. I was in pain but I was also in heaven. I did it. I finished! Now I’m even more hooked to running. I’ve already set a goal of sub 1 hour and 50 minutes. If I can improve as much as I did in the 5k for half marathons it is an achievable goal. But for today I rest. My knees and ankles are still sore and my body needs time to heal before I begin preparations for my next half. My 7 weeks of training really hurt me in that aspect. I never got in enough high mileage runs to prepare my body for the impact of 2+ hours of running and that mistake caused me to hit my wall. Cardiovascular I could have continued at 9:30 but my knees and ankles could not. I will not repeat this mistake and look forward to running my second half marathon to see how far I push myself. I still can’t believe the run is already over and I’m so thankful that I found that race and committed to completing 13.1! Set high goals for yourself because once you meet them the accomplishment feels that much more rewarding. It's the final countdown..The countdown continues to click away and my half marathon is almost here. I’ve rested my legs since Tuesday and feel mentally prepared but I won’t really know how this race will feel until I’m out there. I’m looking forward to a ‘flat and fast course’. Maybe all of my training on hills will pay off and I’ll get a good time! Although, I’m trying not to focus on the time because this is my first half and I’ve only been running for a little over year. My goal for the half is to run a strong race. Not to push too hard in the beginning, and not to leave too much in the tank at the end. If I can accomplish that, I’ll be pleased! I haven’t chosen my outfit yet, but will be running in something I’ve been training in. Music is going to be the ½ marathon mix by Deekron & Motion Traxx. Listening to 180 bpm has really helped me improve my stride. I have this odd feeling that I’m going to run distance loving. Hopefully I'm right! So, here’s to my first (of hopefully many) half marathons!
Running / BBG Update
I attended a wedding on Saturday and wore heals for most of the event. Since then, I’ve gone on a few runs and my calves have cramped very badly. I’ve been drinking enough water so I think it is just the strain from my teal pumps. I took the day off from running and did the bike in hope that they will heal quickly. Only 3 more runs left & 10 days until the half marathon! I can’t believe how close it is. Fingers crossed my run today feels good. I have one workout left for BBG week 8. This has been my favorite week yet. I really love the circuits. I can’t believe I’m almost finished the program! I can’t wait to put together my final before and after photo and see how far I’ve come. My eating has been off recently so my goal for week 9-12 is to eat correctly and complete all planned workouts! Positive thoughts produce positive results! Happy Thursday & I hope you all have had a wonderful week so far! Another weekend has come and gone! Saturday was a beautiful day and I was able to get in a strong interval run workout before the wedding. My 2nd mile was 8:20. That made me pretty happy. The ½ marathon is getting very close, so any good run I can get it helps. Only 12 days! This week begins my week 8 of the Bikini Body Guide. This is the last week of only LISS and I’m looking forward to the HIIT workouts. I feel stronger and stronger each workout. It is still amazing that it is only four 7 minutes intervals 3 times a week. This program is killer. I really enjoy it. I haven't taken a picture update since week 2. Are you doing BBG? How have your results been? As promised, here is my wedding look from Saturday: Hope you all have a great Monday and an even better week. Happy national coffee day! Yesterday my ivory puffer vest arrived and although it is still a bit too warm for it, I knew I had to wear it. I paired it with a teal, pink and navy plaid shirt, statement necklace, tan and black riding boots and loose curls. I also went with a dark maroon lipstick and neutral eyes. The lipstick photographed a lot more pink than it really is. Even though it’s a causal look, I can’t help and feel fancy! I love when an outfit comes together so well. Fancy is a state of mind. You can feel fancy in any outfit. Just have a sense of pride in what you're wearing and you can pull it off. A positive attitude goes a long way.
I’m also wearing my Stella and Dot strength bracelet. Through October, 100% of the net proceeds go to breast cancer research and awareness about the importance of early detection. It’s a cause near and dear to my heart and the little elephants are too cute! I will be attending a wedding on Saturday & am really looking forward to some quality time with the family. I'll post about my wedding look later on in the week. Running update: I ran on the “dread-mill” and actually enjoyed it! I think I’m going to start doing some speed work on it. How do you feel about the treadmill? I personally prefer an outdoor run. I’ve had a few really great runs this week and am really looking forward to my ½ marathon. Only 15 days! Hope you guys have a wonderful weekend!! I'm on Instagram now! Follow me to view my pictures of food, fashion, fitness & motivation: http://instagram.com/runwilk To celebrate the official 1 year mark of running I put together a before and after picture. Time has certainly flown. I was able to improve my 5k time by over 6 minutes and 20 seconds this year. I’m looking forward to seeing where I will be one year from now. If I can improve as much as I did this year my time will be under 21 minutes and that is my goal for the year! What are your running/ fitness goals for the year?
Clothes: sports bra & shorts: Lululemon, top: Marshall’s Meal Prep for the week I have been eating clean for about 7 weeks. I allow cheat meals here and there so the clean eating doesn't feel restrictive. Since I've started my energy has gone through the roof, my face is clearer and my hair and nails have been growing like crazy! I try to keep my lunches interesting and it was no different this week. I decided to make something a little different for lunch. Ground turkey wraps with a side of mashed sweet potatoes. Ingredients (makes 5 meals): 5 low calorie wraps 1/2 lb low fat cheese 1.5lbs ground turkey 2 sweet potatoes Turkey wrap: cook ground turkey until browned. Seperate into 5 dishes. Heat and serve on wrap with one slice of cheese. Mashed sweet potatoes are very easy. Peel, cut into cubes, put the cubes into a pot with cold water. Heat on high until it boils. Lower temperature and keep at a boil for 15 minutes or until soft. Mash using a hand masher or a food processor. Salt, butter or coconut oil to taste. Mmmmm! **TIP** When re-heating: cover with a damp paper towel so the food doesn't dry out. I would love to hear from you! What type of food do you eat for lunch? Do you eat clean? What have you experiences been with 'dieting'? When I registered for my ½ marathon, I realized it wouldn't be an easy undertaking, especially, since I haven’t even been running for a full year until 9/22/14, yet I wasn't prepared for the mental and physical toll. I had a long run on Wednesday. 1 hour and 40 minutes. It included a 5 minute warmup followed by two rounds of 40 minutes running at ½ marathon speed and 6 minutes of jogging. The first 40 minutes flew by but then, the 6 minute break. After this it was so hard to get my body to turn back on and run at the same speed I had been. A big motivator was when my running ap notified me that my 6 mile mark was at minutes and change. I knew I would be able to hit a 10k under an hour. I hit that goal but for the rest of the run I kept feeling weird pains and started to doubt myself. I think the negative self talk had risen from the pains, so I reassured myself that I would be able to finish and kept going. I had a cramp in my back, my hands felt numb, my foot felt like it was missing from the ankle down but I kept pushing. Every time a pain crept in (or stabbed me), I kept pushing knowing it would soon subside and if it didn’t… I knew I’d be that much closer to completing the run (and then the pain would stop). When I completed the run I was so proud. It was worth every second of 'pain'. Don't get discouraged if you have a bad run, weight in, etc. Sometimes it helps to look back and see how far you have come. I like to use pictures. It helps keep me motivated and show me where I was, where I am now and where hard work can get me. As cheesy as it sounds training for this race (and getting into shape) has kind of been a metaphor for life. Sometimes things are going great, sometime life knocks you down; sometimes it hurts but if you keep pushing things will get better. Stay positive, be kind and good things will happen. Hope you have a wonderful Friday & a great weekend! The race is complete. It always is amazing how quickly a race goes. Yet while you're running it there are points where it seems like you will never get to the finish. As soon as the race started an extreme shot of adrenalin pumped through my body. I haven't felt anything like that since the days I competed at nationals in cheerleading. I started off very strong. I thought maybe to fast. I looked at Nike+ and was at a 7:45 min mile. Way to fast (Or so I thought). So I pulled back and tried to run a consistent race. Reflecting on my run, I realize I should have let myself go and not pull back so much. But you race and you learn. I am still very happy. Ended up 27:26 (according to Nike+) or 27:36 official. I am not sure why the Nike+ shows a faster time because I started the app before I even passed the starting line. I can't complain though, the time difference would not have effected my age group place. My goal was top 5 in my age group. I got 4th! Next year I want to win my age group. In 1 year I managed to shave 6 minutes off of my time. Back to training! Next race 1/2 marathon 10/12/14. "If you dream it, you can achieve it" Happy running! Tomorrow is the big day! One year ago I registered for the Berkeley Heights 5k to bond with my sister. I had run when I was much younger and was never really a fan. I still don't know what changed but that run, that I had no intention of enjoying, changed my perception about running. Now, one year later, I am running that race again with a completely different attitude. Last year my goal was just to complete the race without walking. I am beyond that now but I am still not where I want to be with my speed. I am really hoping for a PB and top 5 in my age group. So, now I sit here. All of my gear is ready and now I can relax. Tomorrow is a milestone. 1 year of running and hopefully a trophy. |
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