It's been a while...

.... that's for sure.

I haven't been on here in over 3 months and I don't even know where to start. I can honestly say the last 6 months have been a whirlwind of an experience for me with a wide variety of emotions, changes, and so forth. I don't even know if I want to blog anymore, as I don't want this to be something that I feel I have to keep up.

For those of you I am not friends with on FB, yes, I just recently married and am enjoying married life very much so. Love it. Work is crazy, but it's a job and I am greatful. I am not doing what I love, but I am working in the teaching profession. Every day I count my blessings and think about my high school students often outside of school. Not many of them have it easy, or good.

I haven't been training for anything and can't remember the last race/event I did. Sad. Workouts have been few and far between, but I THINK I am getting back into the swing of things. Like I said, I am not training, but just enjoying workouts here and there, changing things up and bit and trying to try different things.

I will leave you with one of my favorite wedding photos. We haven't gotten all of them back from our photographers, but I do have a handful and this one reminds me of how happy I was that day!

Testing testing

Is anyone still out there? I know it's been quite a long time, but I am thinking about getting back into blogging...

... my peeps still there?!

Wordless Wednesday: Monday's Stormy Sunset

 

Three Things Thursday

1. Just keep swimming! I absolutely love how swimming makes me feel. The feeling of jumping into the pool and just gliding through the water. It get this sense of clarity, as I often spend a lot of my swim clearning my mind. Something I feel I can do more swimming than running or biking. But, after a mile or more of swimming, I am sometimes left with a feeling of complete exhaustion. After Monday's swim workout of 2400 Yds, I came home and fell asleep for a half hour. After waking I felt so groggy and out of sorts. Anyone else deal with this and how can I overcome this? Is it something with nutrition?
2. Running with the fiance.... J and I have ran together in the morning before he heads off to work a handful of times. These runs have been some of my favorite runs this summer. This morning was absolutely gorgeous - 58*, cool, no humidity, and we got to witness how beautiful our surrounding neighborhood is with the sun coming up and pink skies. I look forward to more runs down the road. I wonder if I am going to be able to get him to join me for outdoor runs this fall/winter as the mornings will be dark and cold?!
3. Hills ... I have never really been fond of hills. I mean, who is? Over the past 10+ years, whether I was living in Grand Forks or Fargo, there were minimal hills to run. In all honesty, I don't think there was a single hill in either city, unless you count a bridge going over the interstate or railroad tracks. Now that I have moved back to the central part of the state, there are more hills, trees, beautiful scenic views.... And in our neighborhood? You can't run a mile without going up or down a hill. And I love it! There's a hill a couple blocks from our house that I couldn't run all the way up today, but I am bound and determined to conquer that hill this summer!

Weekend in the cities & Twins Territory 4K Run

My fiance, J, and I spent the weekend in the cities with my sister and BIL. Saturday afternoon, we did a little bit of shopping and Steph and I found shoes for me for my wedding! I was so excited when I found something that fit, that I liked, and were comfortable for only $34! So pumped!

That afternoon, before heading to the Twins game, we hit up a restaurant that was new to all of us... Psycho Suzi's! If you are ever in the cities and looking for something to try I highly recommend it! They have some crazy drinks and awesome pizza! J and I decided to "create our own" and had chicken and BBQ sauce on ours. It was delish! Afterwards we headed to the Twins game and watched them lose. Booh. 

Yesterday all four of us participated in the Twins Territory 4K Run. My sister and BIL participated last year with my parents and enjoyed it, and I was sad I missed it,  so J and I decided it would be fun to do this with them this year.

Prior to the start of the 4K, my tummy was not happy with me. In fact, it had been bothering me for almost a day and I think a lot of it had to do with the icky food I ate in the past week. Steph and I made one last pit stop at the porta-potties before the race start, choosing the slowest line ever. It was so gross and I couldn't believe there was NO hand sanitizer in my stall what-so-ever. To top it off, when I was exiting the potty, TC was standing outside my stall, pointing to his imaginary watch on his wrist and shaking his head. Everyone started laughing and I was totally embarassed!

A few minutes after that we were at the starting line, ready to go. This was to be J's first race ever and I was super pumped to be running with him! The race started at 7am, and as we all complained about getting up so early, it was a nice, calm and cool morning, with a beautiful sunrise.

The course was laid out, starting just behind the metrodome (home of the Vikings), and finished at the new Twins outdoor stadium. There were markers for each kilometer that we ran, first base, 2nd, base, 3rd base, and home plate across the finish line. I missed the first base, so I didn't even notice until the 2nd base showed up. By this point, I had been running most of the first half of the 4K run, but my right knee started bothering me. I was so frustrated and spent most of the 2nd half of the 4K walking/running. booh. The outside of my right knee was feeling icking, like my ITBand was tight. I was frustrated, but finished strong across that finish line. It seems like I never know when my knees are going to act up.

At the finish line, we grabbed our metals, water, fruit, and snickers protein bars! I had never tried them before, and I really enjoyed it! We took some photos and walked the long walk back to the car!

I am looking at some other races or events in the near to distant future, but fear I won't have much time to train with wedding planning. There's a 5K in September that I might check into.... we'll see!!

Three Things Thursday

1. All moved in! This past Saturday, with the help of many friends and family, we were moved into our new home! We are still working to figure out where everything is going to go. Not working right now has allowed me to spend most of the day unpacking, organizing, re-organizing, and cleaning at my own pace. Pictures to come soon!
2. Still Jobless.... yes, I am still looking for work. In fact, it seems like more positions are opening up as we are getting closer to the start of school, but still really no jobs in my area. It's so frustrating, but I am trying to make the most of it and hope something good will come of this situation.
3. Workouts have been sporadic, but I am still trying to get in 5 workouts a week. The past week has been a little crazy with moving but I am doing something. I just wish I had something I was training for... hmmm..

Friday Fun Facts

Once again, it's been a while since my last post.... life is still crazy busy. Here's an update:

• Finishing up my grad class for the summer. Don't know if I will be taking my last grad class this fall, since I don't qualify for the traineeship scholarship without a teaching job in place for the fall.
• I have my fifth interview of the summer this afternoon. It's a different position, so I am still weighing the pros and cons, but will have to wait and see if I actually get offered the position before I decide if I want it for sure.
• Wedding plans are still going: wedding dress is in and fits wonderfully, just ordered a couple pairs of shoes online and hoping one of them fits perfectly, flowergirl dress has been ordered, still working on decreasing the guest list, wedding bands have been picked out, groom's and groomsmen's tuxes have been figured out... all and all things are going well. I have designed my own invites and the paper has arrived - I am looking forward to putting them together. We haven't figured out our honeymoon plans, as it kind of depends on my job situation - teachers don't get much personal leave.
• We move into our house in a week and I can hardly stand the wait. I am so excited to get into our home.
• Looking forward to a weekend in the Twin Cities with my sister and brother-in-law in two weeks. We plan to go to a Twins game Saturday night (against the White Sox), and then take part in the Twins Territory 4K! I missed out on this last year due to other committments so I am super excited! Check out this Swag! Love it!

What's new with you?

Bigger Update

Sorry it's been so long, peeps, but things have been crazy busy around here. I can't believe how much has happened in the past couple of months. It's been quite a ride.

In May...

... I did work on the house, painting door frames and had a new door installed to apease a buyer that was interested in my twinhome..
... Many meetings with the Fargo Marathon Committee. Had a great turnout for the Youth Run. Walked the 5K with family and friends. Was designated photographer for those running the half marathon Saturday morning, as I was not up to par to run.
... My fiance closed on our new home, but we are not in it yet. We said they could rent it from us until August 1st (at the latest) to allow them to finish building their home. We are renting from his roommate who bought his house.
... My parents, with the help of many friends and family, began fighting for their home along the Might Missouri River. We built a dike around the house, moved things upstairs. Then we decided to move more things out - including all appliances and other larger furniture.
... still on the hunt for a teaching job in Bismarck/Mandan
... finished up my 4th grad class... working towards my ASD credential. 2 more to go!

In June....

... I finished out the school year, tears and all. It was bittersweet to leave my team at school, and my kiddos, but I was ready to move back home and be with my fiance and family.
... Kicked off my summer by participating in the Tour De Cure Bike ride with my sister, a friend, and brother-in-law. The Fiance came along to witness such fun and took some great photos. It was a perfect day for a nice 28 mile ride to fight for a cure for diabetes!
... I stuck around a couple weeks to pack up the house. My parents and fiance came and helped me move things out. Fortunately, we were able to find a couple storage units in Mandan to store all my crap for a couple months - since most were taken by those displaced from their homes with the Missouri River Flooding...
... I closed on my house in mid-June and walked a way with a sense of releive and a nice little check form the title complany.
... I moved in with the Fiance and we are enjoying the fact that we are able to see each other every day - unlike every weekend when we were 200 miles apart.
... Started my 5th grad class working towards my ASD Credential...
... My parents took a two-week trip to Germany with my sisters and brother-in-law. I chose to stay back and watch their dogs. It's like training for kids. I also took it upon me to check in on the house from time to time... Things are still dry - thanks to the dike that was built around our neighborhood. It still may be another couple months before my parents get to move back in...
... I am still wedding planning... but there's a lot to do. Trying to figure out invites, cake, flower girl dress, and guest list as of right now! It's fun tho!
... I have had a couple interviews this month. One with the state - that I didn't get, but I was glad I got an opportunity to interview. The other was with Bismarck Public Schools and I am still waiting to hear from them.. Cross your fingers, I hope this is the one!
... I have no training plans or races scheduled as of right now. But I am getting back into the swing of working out on a regular basis again. Unfortunately, Bismarck Y does not offer BodyPump but I was thinking about trying a couple other classes... maybe Kick Boxing?!
... I am thinking about the Bismarck Half Marathon in September... or maybe just the 5K. They don't have a 10K. We'll see.

What have you been up to? I am hopefully going to get into some of your blogs in the near future. We don't have internet at the house so I get to enjoy my time at starbucks each day, working on homework and a little web surfing if there's time!

mini update...

I can't believe it's been a month since my last post. However, if you knew everything that has been going on since the 24th of May, you would understand my MIA.

I am working on an "Update Post"... so bear with me. As for now, I am slowly trying to get back into the swing of things with working out and such. So many changes in the last month and I am trying to find my routine and get comfortable with all the changes!

Maybe tomorrow I will catch you all up. 5 months until our wedding so I am looking at some good pre-wedding workouts!

Fargo Marathon Weekend Recap

I wasn't going to do a recap becuase I was not 100% happy with how the weekend played out. But, I knew that if I didn't write something up, I would be kicking myself for it. So, here goes.

Fargo Marathon Weekend kicked off with the Youth Run Thursday evening. The weather couldn't have been better with 72 degrees or so, a slight breeze and partly sunny! We had approximately 2,000 little kiddos running either in the 1/2 mile race or 1 mile race. There were kids as little as 2 years old running. It was so exciting to be a part of something like this ... and watching kids fall in love with running!

The forecast for the rest of the weekend wasn't looking nearly as good as it was during the Youth Run. Storms were supposed to roll in Friday, leaving us with 70-80% chance of rain and thunderstorms. Lovely.

Friday evening was the 5K. The plan for me, my sisters, brother-in-law, parents, and another friend was to walk the 5K and then run the Half Marathon the next day as part of the Go-Far Challenge. Well, we walked the 5K and the weather was decent, in the low 60's, but extremely humid. I think it is honestly more painful to walk a 5K than it is to run. It seemed to take us FOREVER to finish.

After Friday night's 5K, I knew I didn't have the Half Marathon in me. I wanted to run it so bad. I knew that I probably could have finished the 13.1 miles even if I had to walk a good chunk of it. But, I knew that I didn't want to injure myself further for lack of quality training. It just wasn't there. So, I made the decision to not run it. I was kind of excited to be on the other side of the race, watching, cheering, and taking photos of family members coming to the finish line.

The weather held out. It was in the low 60's again for the morning events, with a few sprinkles from time to time. Over and over again, I heard so many people saying how the conditions were ideal for half marathoners and marathoners. Cool temps, flat route, tons of fans, music at every mile marker, etc.

The excitement of being a fan on the sidelines soon diminished as everyone took off running and I realized I had a good 2-3 hours of nothing to do. I took some more pictures, ran into people I knew who had finished the 10K, and spent a lot of time thinking about my running. I thought about my poor training, about my struggles with random "injuries" occuring just as things seem to be falling into place, I thought about what my goals are, whether or not I want to attempt the HM distance again... etc.

I have an awesome long-sleeved Half Marathon shirt in my closet that I will probably never wear and it bugs me a lot. I feel like I owe it to myself to redeem myself and get back out there. I want to do another half. Someday.

Overall, the weekend was nice and it was wonderful to spend it with family. My brother-in-law completed his first HM. My sister completed her first since being diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, and my parents completed there 12th or 13th HM! I am so proud of all of them!!

Three Things Thursday

It's been too long...

• Stress at work is decreasing! with the end of the year approaching us fast (9 more days after today), things are finally starting to slow down a work a bit. Kinda. Almost all of my paperwork and assessments for the year are done. I just need to compile grades and write up progress reports for IEP's next week. YAY!
• It's Fargo Marathon Week! The past couple weeks have been super busy with committee meetings. The Youth Run is this evening and we are expecting over 1,300 kids to participate! Friday my sisters, brother-in-law, parents, and a friend will be walking the 5K. Saturday morning almost all of us plan to run the Half Marathon. However, I am not very well-prepared wtih taking a couple weeks off after my longest run of 8 miles. Eeks. AND... the weather doesn't look to promising. Rain will be rolling into the area late tonight and staying until monday with a huge chance of thunderstorms Saturday morning. grrr..
• Almost Sold! I think it is safe to say I have sold my house, almost. The fourth person to look at it made an offer, I counter offered, she counter offered, and I accepted ... pending an inspection and appraisal. The inspection went will with only having to replace the front door due to wood rotting, and some trimming around another door. A little spending, but it could have definitely been worse. The door has been replaced, I have a little painting to do, and the appraisal needs to be done. We are hoping to close in mid-June! It won't be long before I am back home for good!

April: Month in Review

April has been another crazy busy month. I haven't posted since the 7th, and have had little desire to do so. I am just going to update with some number and such and hope to be posting again in the near future...

Month in Review: April 2011

Swim - 00 yds ....................... 00 yds in March
Bike - 157.63 miles .............. 90.74 miles in March
Run - 11.54 miles ............... 35.27 miles in March


Total Number of:
Swims - 0
Bikes - 11
Runs - 4
BODYPUMP Class - 2
Pilates Class - 0
Yoga Class - 0
REST Days - 12


Highlights of the Month:

• Tried something new - this massively huge stair stepper that looks like an actual set of moving stairs. Doesn't bother my knees while on it, but I did notice that if I am on there for too long, it does start to bother them - like when I was on it for 45 minutes on Saturday - going 3.2 miles and 170-some flights of stairs... my knee was bothering me quite a bit after that.
• Participated in the Great American Bike Race back home with the fiance and friends from his work. The proceeds for this went to families of children with Cerebral Palsy. It was so much fun!

Lows of the Month:

• Ankle pain got worse (only when running - not when walking or biking) - took 2+ weeks off of running. This has killed my half marathon training and I will probably have to switch to the 10K. I am not happy with this at all.

YEAR-TO-DATE:

Swim - 3200 Yds

Bike -441.99 miles

Run - 90.88 miles

I have a feeling May is going to be a better month, all around!

Three Things Thursday

1. The house is ready to be sold! This past weekend my fiance, mother, and sister came to town to help me do some things around my house to prep for sale. My personal attendant for the wedding helped out too! In 24 hours we were able to paint a bedroom and a bathroom, clean both, fix the fan in the bathroom, clean windows and kitchen, vacuum and shampoo all rooms but one, run garbage to the city dump, fix the vent cover ouside, and organize and pack up some clutter. Phew. On Sunday I finished shampooing my bedroom, put up curtains in the bedroom and bathroom, cleaned some more, and de-cluttered some more. I met with a realtor last night, filled out paperwork and figured out my asking price. Before he left a lock box was put on the door and a sign is in the yard! Such a good feeling! Let's hope it sells fast!

2. Training is still going .... This half marathon training seems to be on one week, and then off the next. I can't get my running in consistently with everything else that seems to be going on, but I am surviving. Actually, my ankle was acting up again after my 5 miler on Sunday. I was only able to get in 2 miles Tuesday morning. It almost feels arthitic and sending pain up the inside of my shin. However, last night, it felt like a needle was poking me in the back of my lower calf every time I stepped, but my ankle felt better. I might try and run a couple miles tomorrow morning to see how it feels...

3. Wedding planning and getting ready for the move is in full force! In a matter of a month from the engagement we have chosen the date, church, reception location, rehearsal dinner location, attendants, found my dress, found the bridesmaid dresses, chosen the photographer, chosen the DJ, made an offer on a house back home, put my house on the market, put in my resignation at school, applied for a job in two different districts... yada yada.


How's you're week going?

Month in Review: March

I can start this post like I do with every month-in-review... April already??? March has been crazy, wonderful, busy, stressful, all at the same time, but.....

LIFE ... IS... GRAND.

Month in Review: March 2011
Swim - 00 yds ....................... 00 yds in February
Bike -  90.74 miles .............. 105.59 miles in February
Run - 35.27 miles ............... 28.96 miles in February

Total Number of:
Swims - 0
Bikes - 6
Runs - 9
BODYPUMP Class - 3
Pilates Class - 0
Yoga Class - 0
REST Days - 14 (Yikes!)

Highlights of the Month:

• Got engaged on March 4th!
• Spent a long weekend in Las Vegas with the fiance and another couple
• Put in my resignation at work
• Applied for a couple teaching positions (still waiting)
• 8 mile long run
• Found my wedding dress!

Lows of the Month:

• Telling everyone at work that I was not going to be returning next year :(
• Sporadic training for the half marathon... trying to make it work with my crazy schedule

YEAR-TO-DATE:

Swim - 3200 Yds

Bike -282.36 miles

Run - 79.34 miles

March has most definitely been a whirlwind of a month and I can only expect the same from April. I am getting my house ready to put on the market, moving some things back home, training for this so-called half marathon in May, planning a wedding, finishing my grad class for the semester, and trying to stay afloat with paperwork and meetings at work. Love it!

How did the month of March treat you? Or how did you treat March?

Test

This is a test...


Just checking...

Week 8 HM Training

I finished off week 8 of half marathon training with a nice long 8 miler (on the treadmill). Overall, this week of training was quite successful and I am happy! WEEK 9: HALF MARATHON TRAINING MONDAY (3/21): Run 2.6 mi (30:00) Stretch 10:00 TUESDAY (3/22): Bike 21.6 miles (1:00:00) SSC (25:00) WEDNESDAY (3/23): Shoveling - 1 hour THURSDAY (3/24): Run 4 mi (45:00) Stretch 15:00 FRIDAY (3/25): REST SATURDAY (3/26): REST SUNDAY (3/27): Run - 8 mi (1:32:05) Asside from training, I think we booked our reception/dance site for the wedding this week, and got a bit of a discount on the rental of the ballrooms. The fiance was able to use his charm and get the hospitality room that we are going to use for rehearsal dinner for free! This weekend my parents, as well as my sister and bro-in-law, came to town to help me find my wedding dress! I didn't purchase one, but I found the one I want! I think we also found the dress for the bridesmaids! Exciting! Okay...why can't I get my posts to post right, with correct spacing?! It's all one BIG paragraph!? help?

Snow day and Training

Today was a snow day for us. The weather yesterday afternoon and evening was the weirdest I have ever experienced. Just as our snow was almost gone, it started raining/sleeting yesterday afternoon. Once I got home from work, the lightning and thunder show began. The snow started in the evening and overnight.... leaving us with heavy drifts and a day of no school. I don't know how much snow we got but I think it was close to 10 inches. As happy as I was to have a day off from work - to get work things done at home, I am sad to see us have to make it up Easter monday. Oh well.

I wanted to post my Week 7 of half marathon training... not because it was great, but because I have posted the last 6. Anyone notice that my last two weekly posts said week 5? hehehe.

Week 7 HALF MARATHON TRAINING:
MONDAY (3/14):
REST

TUESDAY (3/15):
REST

WEDNESDAY (3/16):
BODYPUMP (1:00:00)

THURSDAY (3/17):
REST

FRIDAY (3/18):
REST

SATURDAY (3/19):
REST

SUNDAY (3/20):
REST

Isn't that sick? What kind of traning is that? Two nights of conferences, another late night at work, and a weekend of wedding planning sure got the best of me. Oh well. That's life. This week is already looking better!

Today's workout was supposed to be BODYPUMP class. Instead I spent over an hour doing a shady job of shoveling. It felt more like I was shoveling sand, instead of snow. That stuff was stinkin' heavy! It was a nice core, back, shoulders, legs, and glutes workout! haha

Updates!

Wow, the past couple of weeks have been quite the whirlwind. I don't know if I am coming or going!

Last week Thursday the fiance, I, and another couple took a nice 4 day/4 night trip to Las Vegas! The weather was a perfect 75 degrees or so each day! We enjoyed some comedy/magic, a cirque du soleil show, dueling pianos, time at the pool, sun and warmth, and lots of good food and drinks. It was my second trip and their first, so it was definitely a new experience!

I cam back to a short week of school, but it has been long enough with evening conferences Tuesday night, and then again tonight. 12 hour days are not my style!

Some of you gave me a hard time for slipping my engagement announcement into my last post as if it wasn't a big deal! Well, I just want to clarify that it is a huge deal! BIG DEAL! I just didn't know how much I wanted to put out there, just yet!

This spring/summer is going to be a busy one with me finishing my spring grad class, starting a summer grad class, finishing out the school year, selling my twinhome, moving back home, finding a new teaching job back home... oh, and planning a late fall wedding! It's going to be an exciting 8 months! The thing that makes me the most nervous right now is trying to sell my home with everything else going on!

With everything going on in the past week or so, training has been so darn sporadic and oftentimes non-existance, but I am hoping next week will be a bit better! I was excited to get in a solid run while in Vegas... I guess we did do a lot of walking!

WEEK 5 HALF MARATHON TRAINING:
MONDAY (3/7):
REST

TUESDAY (3/8):
Bike 10.8 mi (30:00)

WEDNESDAY (3/9):
Run 2 mi (25:00)
BODYPUMP (1:00:00)

THURSDAY (3/10):
Bike 15.07 mi (42:00)
SSC 20:00

FRIDAY (3/11):
REST - walking in Vegas

SATURDAY (3/12):
Run 4.5 miles (52:00)

SUNDAY (3/13):
REST - walking in Vegas

Maybe I will have a little time to check into your worlds next week?! Who knows!

40 days ... and a random update

Let the Lenten season begin. I am a firm believer that Lent is not all about what you give up, but what you do to better yourself. So, I will be trying to do a little bit of both by doing the following:

• Cutting back on soda - hopefully to nothing :)
• Drinking more water
• Cutting back on Caribou and Starbucks... allowing maybe one a week
• Taking my vitamins and supplements on a regular basis again
• cutting back on sweets - no baked goodies, bars, cookies, donuts, etc. The work place is consumed by it and I need to stay away!
• doing more yoga

Are any of you giving up or doing anything to better yourself?

Other random updates:

• Maybe I should be giving up running for the next 40 days. After my okay 6.4 miler on Sunday, I attempted to run today and the shin/ankle was bothering me again. It's weird and I am afraid if I keep running on it, it will get worse. Maybe time to see the doc?
• I got engaged over the weekend! Time to start planning a wedding!!!
• It's been snowing like crazy here and I can't wait to leave for Las Vegas tomorrow with the fiance and another couple. We will miss the cold weather and yet another storm system rolling through on Friday/Saturday! 70 degree weather will be greatly appreciated for 4 days!

Another one down!

This past week was another successful week of half marathon training. I was able to get in 6 days of solid workouts. Still, no yoga or swimming, but hope to get some of that in the next week or so... promise!

WEEK 5 Training:

MONDAY (2/28):
BODYPUMP (1:00:00)

TUESDAY (3/1):
Run 3.6 mi (43:29)
Stretch 15 minutes

WEDNESDAY (3/2):
Bike 15.10 mi (45:00)
SSC - 30 min

THURSDAY (3/3):
REST

FRIDAY (3/4):
Run 3.17 mi (35:05)
SC (25:00)

SATURDAY (3/5):
Bike 10.88 mi (30:00)
Stretch 10:00

SUNDAY (3/6):
Run 6.4 mi (1:18:12)
Stretch 20:00

My long run on Sunday felt really long. I look forward to backing off a bit this week. Next week I hope to get in a 7.5 miler... but until then, I have a busy-short week before leaving for Las Vegas on Thursday! Woot woot!

A New Month is upon us....

March already??? February sure came and went so fast. Wow.

Month in Review: February 2011
Swim - 00 yds ................ 3,200 yds in January
Bike - 105.59 miles .............. 76.04 miles in January
Run - 28.96 miles ............... 15.13 miles in January

Total Number of:
Swims - 0
Bikes - 9
Runs - 10 (with a couple less than a mile)
BODYPUMP Class - 4
Pilates Class - 0
Yoga Class - 0
REST Days - 10


Highlights of the Month:

• Four busy weekends with the BF, family, and friends. Busy, but so worth it!
• Doning more runs - and longer than 2-3 miles!
• Really hitting the strength and core training, as well as doing A LOT of stretching!

Lows of the Month:

• No Yoga or Swimming - March will be different!
• Getting yet another cold. This school year has been the worst for me getting sick.

YEAR-TO-DATE:
Swim - 3200 Yds
Bike -191.62 miles
Run - 47.67 miles

How was your February?

HM training

WEEK 4 of Half Marathon Training looks like this....

MONDAY (2/21):
REST

TUESDAY (2/22):
Run 3.15 mi (40:00)
SSC - 20 min

WEDNESDAY (2/23):
Bike 7.28 mi (21:00)
BODYPUMP (1:00:00)

THURSDAY (2/24):
Bike - 11.53 mi (34:00)
SSC (30:00)

FRIDAY (2/25):
Run 3.15 mi (39:00)
Stretching (10:00)

SATURDAY (2/26):
REST

SUNDAY (2/27):
Run 5.44 mi (1:05:00)
SSC (25:00)

No swimming, no yoga, but A LOT of stretching, lifting, core work, and my first long run in what seems like ages!!!! It was so nice to be able to run more than 2 or 3 miles yesterday! 5 miles makes me super happy. I can't wait for my 6-7 miler in the next week or so!

Happy Monday, everyone! Here's to a wonderful week ahead of us all!

Where have I been?

Boy, time sure does fly by when one is having fun! I would like to say this month has been ALL fun, but I would be lying ... it's been fun, crazy busy, extremely stressful, but all is GOOD.

I haven't updated on the last couple weeks of Half Marathon training, so here's what the past two weeks looked like:

WEEK 2:
MONDAY (1/7):
REST

TUESDAY (1/8):
Run 1 mi (12:00)
Bike 13.05 mi (36:00)
SSC - 25 min

WEDNESDAY (1/9):
Bike 15.87 (45:00)

THURSDAY (1/10):
Run 3.26 (40:00)

FRIDAY (1/11):
REST - traveling for work

SATURDAY (1/12):
Bike 21.61 (1:00:00)

SUNDAY (1/13):
REST

WEEK 3:
MONDAY (2/14):
BODYPUMP

TUESDAY (2/15):
Run 3.5 mi (40:04)
SSC - 20 min

WEDNESDAY (2/16):
REST

THURSDAY (2/17):
Run 2.75 mi (32:00)
Bike 12.75 mi (35:00)
SSC - 20 min

FRIDAY (2/18):
REST

SATURDAY (2/19):
Bike 15.17 mi (42:00)

SUNDAY (2/20):
REST

As much as I would like to say I am happy with that, I am not... not 100% happy. But, given the time and every thing going on, I am okay with it. You do what you gotta do with the time you have... *smiles*

Tuesday Tidbits

Because there's so much going on, and so much on my mind, I bring you my random tidbits via da bullets:

• One step forward, two steps back - Sunday I had a glorious 3.36 mile run, the first run that was longer than 2 miles in weeks. It was completely pain free and followed by a good 35 minutes on the bike. Today I went to run 2-3 miles and couldn't go past 1 mile due to some achy pain in my shin/ankle area. Either I need rest for another couple weeks and then try again, or schedule an appointment. Suggestions?


• dealing with the blues? - no not really. However, a couple times in the past week I dealt with my left hand fingers turning blue. No lie. The first time this happened was a week ago saturday, after sitting on bleachers and leaning on my hand for over an hour while watching high school wrestling. A sharp pain on the top of my hand followed by intense tingling and fingers turning white and blue. It was scary. Then, it happened a little bit last monday afternoon, without the tingling. Then again, This Saturday afternoon, where I began to panic and took a trip to the walk-in clinic. Diagnosis? Raynaud's disorder. I am not quite sold on this, because my elbow, wrist, and shoulder, were in bit of pain/discomfort, so I thought there was a pinched nerve. If it happens again, I don't know what I will do....


• Don't mess with me - Today I have a day long training in CPI. Crisis Prevention Institute, that is. I have had this training before, but now that I am one of the official members of our CPI team at our school, I have to have the 8 hour training again.
  
• Sandbag Central - Monday marks the first day of Sandbag Central here in the Fargo area. Yes, we are already starting to fill sandbags in preparation for the 2011 Flood. Remember what we dealt with a couple years ago? Last year wasn't as bad, but we have more snow and ground moisture than we did a couple years ago. This should make for quite the interesting spring...


• Stressed much? I am trying to gauge how stressed I am right now. I don't think I am that stressed, but when I think about my blue fingers, everything going on at work, grad school, etch... maybe I am a bit overwhelmed? I need a vacay.... March can't come soon enough!

Definitely starting out slow, but good...

Week 1 of many for the 5K/Half Marathon training is in the books! Here's what it looked like:

MONDAY (1/31):
Run 2.43 mi (30:00)

TUESDAY (2/1):
Bike 18 mi (50:00)

WEDNESDAY (2/2):
Run .75 mi (10:00)
BODYPUMP (60:00)

THURSDAY (2/3):
Run - 2.6 mi (32:00)
SSC - 25 min

FRIDAY (2/4):
REST - conference out of town

SATURDAY (2/5):
REST - conference out of town

SUNDAY (2/6):
Run 3.36 mi (40:00)
Bike 11.86 mi (35:00)

Overall, the week was pretty good. The only things that I didn't get in that I would have liked was yoga and swimming. But, the week was pretty crazy busy with work and traveling for a conference, so I am pleased with what was accomplished. To top it off, my run on Sunday was the longest run since December and I am happy to say it was completely pain free!

On Friday I had to get up early and drive 75 miles to a conference.... on icy roads. The conference was okay, but I was hoping to get a little more out of the two days of speakers. Oh well.

This coming week is going to be just as busy, if not more. I have an all day training on Tuesday and then leave Thursday after school for Mandan. A handful of us are visiting a couple schools there that are school-wide title schools. Planning for a sub one day is one thing, but two days in one week is just insane. I think my 2nd week of half marathon training will keep me sane!

January done, already!

I seriously can't believe today is the first day of February. January was a whirlwind of a month ... let's look at the stats:

Month in Review: January 2011
Swim - 3,200 yds ................ 1,600 yds in December
Bike - 76.04 miles .............. 115.38 miles in December
Run - 15.13 miles ............... 20.70 miles in December

Total Number of:
Swims - 2
Bikes - 5
Runs - 8 (most under 3 miles)
BODYPUMP Class - 5!
Pilates Class - 0
Yoga Class - 1
REST Days - 15


Highlights of the Month:

• Starting a new year!
• Signing up for the Tour De Cure ride to fight Diabetes with my sister and others. Check out my fundraising site HERE or click on the picture in my sidebar if you are interested in donating!
• Getting in BODYPUMP class at least once a week, sometimes once every 5 days!
• Celebrating one WONDERFUL year with the BF! Boy time sure does fly!

Lows of the Month:

• Taking two weeks off due to shin pain. Hopefully it helped prevent things from getting worse while I train for my half marathon!
• Getting the flu one weekend, and then a cold 5 days later.... it definitely influenced how many days I went to the gym!

Did you kick 2011 off with a bang?

Tour De Cure 2011

Almost a couple years ago I participated in the American Diabetes Association's Tour de Cure in Fargo, ND with another friend.

This year, on June 4th, 2011, I will be cycling in the American Diabetes Association's Tour de Cure fundraising event. I will be riding with my sister, Steph, who was recently diagnosed with TYPE 1 DIABETES this past summer. Along with her hubby, and possibly a few other friends, we will be riding 25 miles in Minneapolis, MN!

Each mile I ride, and the funds I raise will be used in the fight to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. Through my sister, I have have learned that it is so much more than pricking her finger and taking insulin multiple times a day. I have seen how this has changed her life and how she is still learning to make the most of it. She has been so positive in almost every way possible.

I will not beg all of my readers to donate to this cause. However, if you feel the desire to support such a great cause, no matter how small or large, your generous gift will help improve the lives of nearly 24 million Americans who suffer from diabetes, in the hope that future generations can live in a world without this disease. Together, we can all make a difference!

If you are interested in making a donation, please refer to my fundraising site by clicking HERE and leave a comment with this post. And, thank you, in advance for helping to make a difference!

P.S. For those of you unfamiliar with my sister, check out her blog HERE.

Random Update

It has become apparent to me that I am struggling to keep up with this blog, but I am no where near ready to leave the blog world. I peek into your worlds from time to time but don't always leave a comment. Please accept my appologies.

Moving on.

What can I say, the new year has been a busy one at work and at play. January has been an exceptionally busy month of assessments, meetings, trainings, committee meetings, with some good workouts and fun times in the mix. Life IS good.

I haven't run at all for the past week and a half and have enjoyed the time to get in some more time in the saddle and under water. I have been going to BODYPUMP class at least once every week, if not every five days. I went to a Yoga class last week on my day off and it left little to be desired. I was truly disappointed with the instructors desire to fill us with random yoga facts and his personal believes on cleansing and so forth. I would have much rather enjoyed an hour of intense stretching, strengthening, and flexibility. Silly instructor let us know of all the times he teaches Yoga, so now I know which classes to AVOID at all costs.

This past weekend I was inflicted with the flu bug and it pretty much came out of nowhere. I had traveled back west to attend the BF's Christmas party and see family, but ended up spending most of the weekend on the down low. By Saturday night, I was feeling a lot better and we still attended the Christmas party for a few hours. I was present, but wasn't able to really take advantage of ALL of the wonderful appetizers and OPEN BAR. Oh well, it was fun to meet some of the BF's co-workers and their spouses. The BF took good care of my sick self all weekend. What can I say, I am a lucky girl!

Today I am finally at 100% and was able to hit the gym for a short ride. Next week, I hope to get back into a running routine and jump start my Go Far Challenge training schedule! Let's hope that my shin gives me the good-to-go sign and we can get rollin'!

Are you training for anything specific at the moment?

Second week

This past week was supposed to be my second week of base building before I start following a plan for the Go Far Challenge (5K/HM) in early February. The idea for these three or four weeks was to get back into a routine with running at least 3 times a week, biking once or twice, swimming once, and BODYPUMP at least once a week.

However, I was still dealing with some minor shin pain. The pain isn't as nearly as bad as it was during the week of Christmas and the week that followed. My runs this past week were very short, but not so sweet. I kept them short, to avoid further injurying my shin. So, now I have decided to take this week off from running, COMPLETELY. In fact, I might even take the following week off as well to play it safe. We'll see.

Here's what this past week looked like:

MONDAY (1/10):
Run 1.5 mi (17:13)
BODYPUMP (1:00:00)

TUESDAY (1/11):
Bike 21.68 mi (1:00:00)

WEDNESDAY (1/12):
Run 2.5 miles (30:00)
SSC (25:00)
Shovel (30:00)

THURSDAY (1/13):
REST

FRIDAY (1/14):
Swim 1600 Yds (40:00)

SATURDAY (1/15):
Run 1.05 mi (12:15)
BODYPUMP (1:00:00)

SUNDAY (1/16):
Bike 12.6 mi (35:00)
SSC (25:00)

I went to yoga this morning and wasn't to thrilled with the class. The instructor really knew his stuff, but spent more time talking about yoga than actually doing it. Or so it seemed. Don't get me wrong, I was glad I went and happy with the stretching, breathing, and balancing work, but it just wasn't what I expected. I might go to yoga class again later this week.

Now, I need to spend the rest of my day off getting some paperwork done. Oh, and maybe watch a little college hoops while doing so!

Happy Monday, everyone!

2011 up and running

It's been over a week since I have posted last and I am struggling to take the time (and effort) to post anything with relative meaning. So, a random post it is. *smile*

2011 is off to a good start. Work is extremely busy and overwhelming right now. It seems tom go in streaks for weeks on ends, so I look forward to when things slow down. At least I hope things will slow down a bit - maybe in the end of February.

My graduate class for this semester is just starting. I am taking my fourth class, of six; working towards to my Autism Credential. This course is an elective and we will be focusing on Autism assessments and screening tools.

The workouts/training for 2011 is going well so far. I have spent the last week and a half working on getting back into a comfortable routine and a base for my running. I hope to begin half marathon training in early February. Ironically, my left shin has been bothering me on and off for the past couple of weeks and I am wondering if I should just lay off running for a complete week and let it heal, rather than making it worse? I think I just answered my own question.

As of yesterday morning, the Fargo area had 51 inches of snow this winter. A year ago this date, we had 29 inches of snow. Last year we were worried about flooding; not as bad as two springs ago, but still worried. Add in the fact that we had a really wet fall and almost double the snow we did last winter, I hate to think what March and April is going to be like. To top things off, I think we are expected to get another few inches over the next few days.

Quote of the day:

A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; in optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty. -Winston Churchill

Goals & Resolutions: It's all about BALANCE

Last year I broke my goals into three different categories: personal, health, and fitness. I also mentioned 4 races that I wanted to partcipate in, and completed only 2 of the 4. But, I did end up doing 6 events in 2010, so it was good in that aspect!

At work we were asked to think of ONE WORD that we think of when thinking about 2011. The word I chose was BALANCE.

So, here are a list of my goals, resolutions, etc. for 2011, broken into the following categories:

Fitness/Health/Training:

• Train smart = stay injury free
• More Yoga, Pilates, and Strength Training/Core Work (BODYPUMP)
• Run outside more and ride my bike more = stay away from the gym when weather permits
• Swim more yards than 2010 (64,400)
• More clean eating
• Vitamins and Suppliments
• Fargo GoFar Challenge = 5K Friday Night/Half Marathon Saturday Morning (REGISTERED!) - May 20/21
• Tour De Cure - Ride for Diabetes - Minneapolis, June 4th
• Possibly another triathlon or two, mixed in with a 10K or something

Career/Work:

• Complete my ASD Credential (3 classes to go!)
• Enjoy my job
• Spread positivity at work/don't feed into negativity and complaining

Personal:

• Volunteer for the Fargo Youth Run Committee, and work the event
• Travel and visit friends
• Do more reading for fun
• Do more painting for fun
• Enjoy the busy-ness of life
• Attempt to learn more about gardening and photography, and apply it
• Find BALANCE in life, work, and training - enjoying every minute of it all
  

What's your overall goal or ONE WORD for 2011?!

Month in Review: December

Three days into January 2011 and here I finally post my December Month in Review . A little late, but not forgotten.

Month in Review: December 2010
Swim - 1,600 yds ................ 1,700 yds in November
Bike - 115.38 miles ........... 101.31 miles in November
Run - 20.70 miles .............. 31.75 miles in November

Total Number of:
Swims - 1
Bikes - 9
Runs - 10 (including runs off the bike)
BodyPump Class - 1 (Gasp!)
Pilates Class - 0
Yoga Class - 0
REST Days - 14 (TOO many!)

Highlights of the Month:

• Jingle Bell 5K!
• Two Birthday Celebrations for my 30th!
• Wonderful Christmas with my family and the BF's!
• Enjoying a long week and a half break from work!
• New Years with the BF and another friend - dinner and movie!
  

Lows of the Month:

• Very busy with two nights of parent-teacher conferences and finishing my final project for grad class. Definitely interfered with my workout schedule.
• Once again... limited swimming and BODYPUMP
• no Yoga or Pilates
• Too many holiday goodies and lots and lots of food!
  

How was your December? Busy and a blur like mine?!

I hope to get my goals and New Years Resolution up in the next couple of days!