Ready for 2019?

Yes, I am going to do this again.  I started out well in January last year.  But somewhere along the way, I fell so far off the wagon that I cannot find it right now.  (Yikes!  All my new to me scrub pants are about to burst at the seams.  Not good or pretty!).  My goal in 2019 is to feel better about myself for me and my kids.  Enough already!!!!  I am tired of being tired.  I need to get back on the self care train and stick to it.

To help me out, I signed up for Another Mother Runner's MANY HAPPY MILES training program.  They start on January 1, too.  I got new running shoes last week, so here we go!  I really need to get out the door and away for my stress relieving runs again.  I want to run with my kids in fun runs again.  I hope to train for and run a half marathon with my oldest daughter this summer, before she heads off to college this fall.

I started listening to a few fun podcasts this past year.  One of them is HAPPIER by Gretchen Rubin. I love the fun tips they offer weekly to "make life a little easier and (hopefully) a little happier."  With the holidays, I am behind in my listening.  Last year, Gretchen and her sister, Elizabeth did a list of 18 items they wanted to do in 2018.  This year, they proposed 19 in 2019.  I need to finalize my list, but I will share it when I do.

What are you aiming for in 2019?

Off n Running,
AnnMarie

Sunday, again!

Happy fall Sunday blog readers,

Where has the month gone?  We are already over halfway done with our Whole 30.  WOW!  And I am happy to report that I have not knowingly cheated!  I say "knowingly" because in the beginning I was not as good about reading those pesky labels.  My DH is not being as strict as I am about this round.

As you know, I am a Girl Scout leader.  In the fall, in our Council, we sell nuts and candy.  (Cookies are in January!)  I ordered a couple of items from each of the girls to boost their sales and was so excited to get my cans of Whole Cashews.  Then I read the label: Cashews, Salt, Peanut Oil.  Wait, WHAT?!?!?  Why would you put peanut oil on cashews?  Yesterday, I was at Aldi, and DH likes the Lightly Salted Almonds.  I read that label and there is peanut oil on those roasted nuts too?!?!  Who knew?  Well, know I know and sadly the can of cashews will be wrapped up for the bus drivers Christmas gift.  So, I guess that is a small win, as I won't have to decide what to get her.  😉

So, I think I told you all that DH borrowed the Whole30 book from his bus buddy.  I found a book store in my area that is sadly going out of business.  I got the last copy of the book!  Woo Hoo for me!  We gave Bus Buddy the new copy, since we are wearing the copy they borrowed us out.  I am loving everything that I have tried, except the mayo recipe.  I cannot figure out how to get it to emulsify.  I am pretty sure I added the oil too fast and now I have a jar of separated mess in my fridge.  I am going to try again, as I really want to make Deviled eggs for one of my Thanksgiving treats.

Was texting with my sister-in-law last night.  We are spending a few nights with them for Thanksgiving.  She has a son in college, a son who is a Sophomore in High School and an eighth grade daughter.  My brother, owns a farm and these kids help out AND are active in athletics and other school activities.  Add my three and we need to cook up a few feasts a day to feed this crew.  So, we laid out a meal plan.  I did tell her that DH and I are doing the Whole 30, so we will be bringing some of our own ingredients.  She suggested tacos/nacho bar for one night.  I just found this great recipe I want to try for Sweet Potato chips as your nacho chips.  If this works, I will be snacking on chips and salsa again really soon!

I love Pinterest.  For Thanksgiving, we will be going out to a restaurant to celebrate my parents 50th wedding anniversary.  This will be our brunch/lunch time meal.  For dinner, we are all pitching in and bringing food to serve the masses.  I am going to try these stuffed mushrooms, I found them this morning on Pinterest.  I am also going to bring the Chicken Pot Pie soup I Pinned and my family LOVES!  And I will see if anyone is bringing a veggie tray.  I need to try the Ranch dressing from the Whole 30 book, so we can dip our veggies legally, if we want to.

Today is a Girl Scout meeting.  We are going to be finalizing the plans for the Winter Wonderland Brunch that is in less than 2 weeks.  Ack!  I have 8 registered girls, and I know that 2 of them are not going to be at the meeting.  We have a lot to do with so few girls in attendance.  Wish me luck.  And have a great week everyone.  Happy Thanksgiving, if I don't get time to blog again before then!  I have been thinking a lot about the new year coming and what that might look like for me and my family.  My son, needs to get a fire lit under him so he can rank up this spring before tennis and baseball season.  My oldest daughter needs to get started on her Gold Award project so that we can have it approved and work all next summer on it.  My youngest wants to earn her Bronze Award this summer before she bridges up to be a Cadet Scout.  Whew that makes me tired, but also makes me excited to see what the kids dreams are and where life will take them.  I will be having my meniscus repair surgery on December 21, 2017.  So, I hope to get on the road and actually run a bit in the new year.  We will see.

Off n Running,
AnnMarie

The test results are in...

I am not sure how much I have shared live and how much I have plotted to share in my head!  BUT... Some time in September, I think, I FINALLY made an appointment with the Physical Therapist.  Last August, the pain in my leg/hip/knee got so bad I could hardly walk. So, I stopped running.  I thought I will give it a rest and stopped cold turkey.  I was still working my office job and sitting a lot.  I felt like and 80 year old woman getting up from that office chair.  In January, the Mother Runners at Another Mother Runner, offered a "STRIDE INTO THE NEW YEAR" program to kick start 2017.  I joined in the fun.  I got onto the facebook group and started the program.

This is a run/walk program.  I had never done that sort of program before.  I am a go out and hit the pavement hard kinda gal, usually.  Since my fall in 2014, I have learned to slow it down.  I do not have to be the fastest.  Take time and look at the scenery, is my new mind set.  The first couple of days went well, then I started running more and walking less.  My knee didn't like that at all.  I think I made it half way through the plan and stopped.  I was so disappointed.  I was really hoping to do some running this year.  I wanted to defend my age group title at the Run for the Paws in July!

As usual, life, husband stuff, kid stuff, work stuff all took over my plate.  We adopted a dog and taking her for walks has been my main form of exercise this year.  I did join Burn Bootcamp in June for a free month, but there were days when my knee was not happy about that!  Started doing a program with them again in September, and that is when I said ENOUGH ALREADY!  and call E my Physical Therapist.

I made a series of appointments with him.  He gave me some exercises and stretches.  I pulled 2 days of standing at events/work.  And by full days, I mean I worked at Petfest from 8am until 6pm and mostly stood the whole time.  Then next day, I had a 12-8 shift at my job behind the front desk, no sitting there.  Saw E the next day, and was in so much pain!  He did some testing and sent me to see the Orthopedic Doctor.

Last week I had a MRI on the knee, and could not get in to see Doc until yesterday.  E was right, Doc was right, I have a torn meniscus.  Doc said his scheduler will give me a call.  Now we wait.  My DH was not pleased with this diagnosis.  So, now we wait!  I pray that I can get it repaired before the new year.  Then I can recover and start planning my comeback.

Off n Running,
AnnMarie

Just signed up for a challenge

Happy Week Two of 2017!

How did week one go for everyone?  Remember I said I was going to blog more?  Sorry, time was not on my side, and the basement is cold, and ...  I was lazy and thought about posting several times.  I just didn't do it.

I also said I was going to start my better eating plan too.  Well, I found some candy and cookies and fell flat on my face off that wagon.

This morning, before taking my gymnast to her first meet of the season, I was trying to catch up on emails.  I subscribe to too many blogs and things, so I get behind in my reading/looking at them.  Today, for the first time in a VERY LONG TIME, I stopped and read a few that I have just opened then deleted.  Today, I read the post/email from Another Runner Mother.  I think reading it before made me feel bad because running was causing me pain, so I stopped back in August.  So, I didn't want to read all about other mother runners doing what I couldn't without pain.  Today I sucked it up and read the post.  Today was the last day to sign up for some of the fun training stuff they offer.  Last year, I was very tempted to sign up for their heart rate training program.  I was tempted because many of the mothers were saying they were able to run pain free.

Today, I took the plunge and signed up for the STRIDE INTO THE NEW YEAR Challenge.  It is a 35 day run, walk or run/walk plan.  I just printed it off and am putting it on the fridge when I get done posting this.

Today, my husband and I also got signed up for his companies insurance incentive program.  They have a new fun app to track your workouts and join challenges and stuff.  So, my "rally age" is 47, same as my real age.  With my Running program in hand, and my calendar a bit empty this month, I hope to lower that age before lets say April!

Some of the challenges I signed up for were to do Yoga twice a week.  Something I want to do for real, so hopefully this will help.  Declutter for 10 minutes.  This I want to do for real every day, the app says once a week.  Again, something I need/want to do anyway.  Eat more fruit and veggies.  Get enough sleep.  Do something creative.  This is a fun app.  Rally is part of our insurance incentive, does your company do this?

PeeWee is in bed and waiting for me to tuck her in.  Best get to that...

Off N Running,
AnnMarie

Shaklee Life Plan - The Best, Most Comprehensive Nutritional System in t...

November trip continued...

We had a busy day in front of us.  The race start time for the Jingle Jungle 5K at Animal Kingdom was set for 7am.  They asked that all of the runners be there an hour before the start.  What a fun morning this was.

The moon greeting us in the early morning!

 
We all got to see the sun rise.  We found the Port-O-Lets and then the sun was up enough to take some pre-race photos.  Dancing Princess was Minnie Mouse for Halloween.  I had gone searching for a dress for her costume and found one for me!  I have never worn a costume in a race in my life!  This definitely was a first.  And I have never worn a dress in a race either.  I did buy the polka dot leg warmers for the race, but made the ears for Dancing Princess and all the Mickey Hands for everyone.

They had "Snow Machines" going.  In the photo here you can sort of see the snow falling.  I am sorry I didn't get more of the costumes in this shot.  They were really awesome.

A bad shot of the starting line.  Sorry, I am still perfecting my smartphone shots.  

Mickey was there too!

  What I loved about being in Corral A was that there were NO LINES to take photos with characters!  I came over a little knoll in the course and there was someone waiting to take my camera and capture this AWESOME shot!  Goofy as Santa, perfect.  You can see my costume a lot better here!  (Side note:  A client of mine borrowed me this belt.  I saw the company at the expo and they showed me how to use the bib number ties!  No more pins for this lady, I have to get my client her belt back after I get one for my self, of course.) ;)

  You can see the yellow cones on the right side of this photo.  We took our picture and turned around to head back toward the park.  As we did, I saw all of these hot air balloons.  What an amazing site that was.  Along with the beautiful sunrise and sky, what a great morning for a run. 

I think there might be some mist coming off this little patch of water.  There was a man dressed as a Safari guy holding off crocodiles along this stretch of road too.  

I know I used the Strava app to log this mileage, today was day 99 in my challenge to myself!  What a fun way to mark this special day.  This was not a timed race.  The medal is really a rubber and I think it would be cool if it were really a magnet for my fridge.  LOL!  

I know after we all finished our events, (one of Deanna's kids ran their first mile race and had so much fun!  Way to go everyone.) we headed back for lunch and naps.  The half marathon start time was at 10:00pm.  We knew we would have to wait awhile before the gun went off, so most of us took naps.

  We are ready and at the bus stop.  The forecast called for rain.  We were hoping it would hold off until midnight or so, that way neither one of us would have to run in it for too long.  No such luck.  It was a sprinkly, spitty kind of rain.  I was getting wet and Deanna had to wait longer to start.  I prayed she would keep her feet dry before the race and I avoided as many puddles as I could during.  

A bad picture of the starting line.

My medal, bib and t-shirt.

Tink medal, Wine & Dine medal and Coast to Coast medal.

The rewards from the weekend!

Here are the finished run shots.  Because of the rain, I couldn't get my smartphone to take pictures with my cold wet fingers.  The Epcot photo was taken by SwimChick.  

If I could, I would definitely do this race again on a non-rainy night.  My official time for this half even in the rain was 1:59.01.  I can't believe I came in just under 2 hours.  I was soaked.  I was given a special wrist band to collect my Coast to Coast medal from a special tent.  Even in that tent, I didn't feel warm.  I collected my gear and contemplated going to change into dry clothes and wait for Deanna.  I waited for her at our designated location.

I am so thankful for the lady who gave me her foil blanket, it helped some.  And even more thankful that Deanna finished un-injured and said she just wanted to go home and get warm.  Part of me is sad we didn't take in the party.  Honestly more of me was happy we could get on a warm bus and go home to a hot shower.  In hindsight, I would go change next time and find a dry place to wait.  And I should have taken a HOT bath when I got home.  

This race ended after midnight for me, so I counted it as my 100th day of running in a row, too!  What a fun way to do that.

During this race, I did not see many characters out.  Deanna said there were long lines and lots of characters.  I did see places where I thought there might be characters, but they were not there as I trotted by.  I am thinking they brought them earlier and took them in to warm up and get dry costumes!  LOL!

The next morning, most of us went to Downtown Disney and played at Disney Quest.  My kids LOVED it.  On Monday, we went to Animal Kingdom Resort for a delicious breakfast.  Yummy food was had by all.  That night was the Very, Merry Christmas Party.  My family was so excited.  I highly recommend going and hope to do it again another time.  We saw fireworks, light shows, and an amazing parade.  I have never seen a Parade that smelled of Christmas!  Really as floats went by you could smell cookies and Christmas trees!  We got to eat all kinds of Snickerdoodle cookies.  Dancing Princess loved them so much she asked if we could make those cinnamon cookies when we did some cookie baking for Christmas.

What I am excited to share most is that Deanna completed an amazing goal of running 4 half marathons in one year!  Considering she had not done one ever until we went to California for Tinkerbell, that is an amazing thing!  

My next most exciting thing to share is that 2 of my 3 kids want to run a Disney Half marathon and 1 wants to do a shorter race!  So we are now starting to save up for 2017 or 2018!  

Off N Running,

AnnMarie

Happy New Year!!!

I know, I know that the New Year was 19 days ago. But if you read my last post, you will know that I could not type on New Year's day, due to my giant splint! You would have also read that I was going to spend the next few days catching you all up on our crazy lives! :)

I can't remember how long ago, Deanna told me of a "project" she and her family do on the last day of school: They sit down and each member writes out 10 things they want to do for the summer. How awesome is that!?!?! We tried it for a couple of summers and never did complete our lists, because we ran out of money or summer! So, I changed it to the first of the year and for the whole year. Some items on the kids lists last year were going to Great America, going camping, going to visit another state, spend a week at each grandparents... Some items were simple like going to swim at the beach.

2014 was a great year of travel for me. It was one year ago today that I was in California for my Tinkerbell Half marathon with Deanna! (Her first half, WOO HOO!!!!) I got to go to Denver, CO for the National Massage Convention, and OH to visit my brother (whose family is now in California) and I took the kids with me to Florida in November to see Deanna and I complete our Coast to Coast challenge at Disney World!

Here is my 2015 list:

Mama’s 2015 List of Goals

*2015 in 2015 with Marie

*Do a full marathon (Lakefront or the Inaugural Milwaukee Marathon)

*Start my running streak over!

*Run 15 or more races in 2015

*RAGNAR?

*Badgerland Strider Challenge again

*Take the Personal Trainer test

*Start training at the WAC

*Look into Girls on the Run certification

*Help Swimchick earn her Silver Award

*Take PeeWee's troop camping/overnight camp in our backyard

*Read 1  book a month for fun/ 1 book a month on self-help

*Blog more

*Cut sugar out of my diet

*Better at menu planning

*Try to add more real food to our menus and less eating out.

*Pay my dental bill
*Pay off my surgery


SO, there it is everyone. My list of goals. I have not signed up yet for the Badgerland Strider Super Strider Challenge. (Money is a bit tight at the moment. I do need to see when the challenge closes, to be sure I don't miss it!!!!) My friend, Marie, asked if I would join her in the 2015 in 2015. As a team, we have to complete 5.5 miles of walking or running every day in 2015. Check it out here. I signed myself up on the website, and to date have only logged 2.75 miles of walking.  It was torture! Physically and mentally. I was sore the next day, not used to walking, and the pace was killing me. If I had not been in that splint, I would have laced up my shoes and hit the pavement. I had to go to the gym and use a treadmill. The next day, the kids and I went to visit my parents, and I didn't bring any exercise clothes. (excuse, excuse, excuse!) Anyway, I signed up and am part of team: Hot Tamales! Go Team GO!!!!

Today is my New Year, and I am planning to go for a run of at least 3 miles. {The weather has been super nice for January in WI. I am planning to do the "park loop" when my husband leaves for work. SHHH!!!} I need to figure out how far behind I am and get caught up. LOL!

Last year, I found a blog boasting a 14 in 2014 race challenge. I did that, and could have done more runs over the summer, but didn't. SO, I am going to challenge myself to do 15 this year. :) And before I fell and got put into a lovely hard cast, I was feeling like I could take on a full marathon again. {I am not sure how you go about doing the 50 states challenge but I have never run a full marathon in WI! HI, IL, MN and FL yes.} Some runners in WI have decided to do a Milwaukee Marathon weekend in Oct/Nov. Oh, my bad, I just looked it up and it will be named MILWAUKEE RUNNING FESTIVAL WEEKEND. I have not decided if I would like to do this full or if I would like to do the LAKEFRONT MARATHON. Again, I need to see what the fees are and when they go up or close the entries. Then decide and talk with my running partners to see who is up for what. I would like to use Another Mother Runners Own It program for my halves and this whole marathon this year. 

I know several folks who have done a RAGNAR race. I think it would be a fun time. I put a question mark on that one, because I have been asked to join a team, and then they filled up. So, I might be able to join if someone else can't make it. We will see!

Oh, for the book reading: I am slowly reading THE FRED FACTOR as my personal growth book. And I started reading FIFTY SHADES OF GREY last night. (I finally got the library e-book reader to work on my phone, and am into chapter 3 already!) I am on Goodreads.com if anyone wants to follow me and see what I have read!

And today is the first day of our 14 week Challenge with 100 Days of Real Food. (The challenge is closed for this year, sorry.) Every Thursday I will get an email with the next weeks challenge on it. We are to start on Monday. This week we are to add more fruits and veggies to every meal. And we are not to buy anything with more than 5 ingredients in it. It is surprising to read the ingredient labels to see how often sugar is listed.

Well, that is the summary. What do your 2015 goals look like? I'd love to read them here in my comments! ;)

Off -n- Running,

AnnMarie

Chatching up

Happy January 17!  I have been meaning to post more and here we are 17 days into the new year and this is my first post.  Such is life.

SO, I just saw that I never posted about our trip to Disney in November.  I have not updated about my dad, or myself.  I will spend the next few days doing that.  I never posted about my New Year Goals or resolutions...

Here we go.  I will start out with my arm.

Here is a picture of the fracture(s) in my radius.  If you look closely, you can see the bone fragments are sort of all over the place!

Here is what happened, as I remember it:  Early in the day, 8:00am-ish, we got a drizzle rain.  I was going to work, at the office job I picked up (another thing I should update you all on!)  Anyway, the rain was freezing on my windshield.  At the office, I saw lots of slow moving vehicals and when I left for the day, the salt had been applied.

I DID NOT GET UP AND RUN IN THE MORNING!!!!!  So, I went home put on my running gear, picked up kids, dropped off kids, per our normal Thursday after school routine.  I was going out the door around 6pm, to pick up kids and WHAM!!! I fell literally right on my face!!!!!   I am not joking here, all I remember is my right knee hitting the pavement and K-POW my forehead hit next.  As I lay there, I thought, "Don't passout, don't passout, don't passout..."  Then my next thought was, "I have to get up, I am probably bleeding profusely from my forehead.  OH GREAT!'  And don't forget the thougthts of, "Oh, crap, I put a hole in my favorite running pants!"

When I did try to get up to assess the damage, I couldn't use my left hand normally.  It felt weird, like my fingers weren't connected anymore.  My sleeve had gotten pushed up a bit, and I saw my wrist/arm didn't look right.  There was this curve in there, where it is normally straight.  "Now, what?" I thought.  My husband was in the house, and I screamed and reached for my phone, cuz I wasn't sure if he could hear me.  He came out and instead of the sympathetic "Oh my, are you ok? What happened?" you would like to think you would get from your loved ones, I got:  "Honey, you just warned everyone about the driveway being slippery, what were you thinking?"  That made me feel SOOOO much better!  He came out and I told him to be careful, and I helped me up.  My head was kind of hurting and my arm didn't feel right.  I wasn't sure what was going to happen.

We got me inside, found a ride home for the kids I was supposed to go get, put some ice on my arm, called a neighbor to come be with the kids and went to the ER.  They were impressed with our make-shift splint of a couple of CD cases and a kitchen towel.  (Sorry, no photo of that!)

The x-ray above was taken that night.  We saw Dr. Nicholas Webber the next day and couldn't get in to do surgery until the Tuesday after that!  The blog post from Dec 19, is the photo of the splint I got in the ER.

Surgery was on December 23, scheduled for 4:30 in the afternoon.  I didn't get taken in until about 5:30.  I was blessed with this lovely plate and 9 screws that night.

I do not come out of anesthisia very well.  My husband kept trying to get me to wake up and move around so that we could get home.  It was funny, from what I remember.  They wanted me to eat and walk before going home.  I took about two bites of sherbert and fell asleep.  Hubby let me sleep about 30 more mintues, and I thought is was 5, came in and asked that I just try to stay awake for the next 2 minutes.  Um, sure right!  I just wanted to sleep.  Seriously, that was a crazy night.  We got up and going, sort of, and made it home around 10:30pm.

So now I have this stuff in my arm.  I was given a soft splint and an appointment to see the Doc again in a few weeks.

On January 6, I went to the office and the soft splint came off, they took these x-rays to see how I was healing.  Because I am a massage therapist, the doc put me in a hard cast, to allow the bone to heal up to perfection, so that I can go bck to doing massage in the future.

Every day it feels a bit better.  Today, my fingers are a little swollen, but I am typing on the computer with the broken arm!  And I feel no pain doing that, at the moment.  I might need a nap in between writing all these posts I want to write to catch you all up on stuff!  LOL.

The end result, of course I picked purple, my favorite color!!!

I get this cast off on February 6.  I asked about running and the nurse said I had to wait a bit longer, walking is fine (Does she know how tourcherous it is for me to walk on a treadmill verses running on one?!?!?!)

I have been seriously going through withdrawls, just ask my kids.  I am WAY behind on my 2015 in 2015 challenge, too!  I will tell you all about that later.  :)

Off n Running,

AnnMarie

Labor Day?!?! WHAT?!?! NNNOOOOO…..

From Wikipedia…

Thirty days hath September is a traditional English mnemonic rhyme, of which many variants are commonly used in English-speaking countries to remember the lengths of the months in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Here is one version of the rhyme attributed to Mother Goose:

Thirty days have September,

April, June, and November.

All the rest have 31,

Except February alone,

And that has 28 days clear,

And 29 in a leap year.

Thirty days have September,

April, June, and November

All the rest have 31,

Except for February.

Other sources list the Mother Goose version differently:

Thirty days have September,

April, June, and November;

February has 28 alone,

All the rest have 31;

Except leap year, that's the time,

When February's days are 29.^[1]

Where did the summer go?  I cannot believe today is the first day of September.  There were so many things we were going to do and now school starts tomorrow.  With that means a new swim season, a new soccer season and Dancing Princess would like to try Gymnastics.  (I may have to change her name here.  LOL!)

Last month, I quietly decided that I need to stop pretending to be training for a run and just get out the door already.  I put myself up to the challenge of running one or more miles every day for the month.  And I DID IT!!!!!  WOO HOO!!!!  31 days in a row I logged at least one mile, usually a little bit more.    I also did a few races in that month too.  Yesterday, I ran a 5k for a church festival.  It was a small field and I placed 3rd over all!  What the?????  It was my 10th race for 2014.

So, today is our last day of summer vacation.  My oldest two are not very excited to start a new school year.  My youngest, cannot wait to get back into it.  We got to meet their teachers last week.  My oldest, will be an 8th grader and is in a couple of High School classes.  I am officially worried about that!  One is Spanish, they started 7th grade in the freshman book.  That's cool.  So this year they will finish that book and she can take Sophomore Spanish as a freshman next year.  When she got her schedule we both saw Algebra 1 on it.  We still are not sure if that is a mistake, but the teacher seemed pretty nice.  He is a HUGE Brewer Baseball fan.  The floor in his classroom is laid out as the field.  That's kind of comforting too!  LOL!  We will see in October where she is and how it is going.

The other two kids will be fine.  My son, is starting in a new self driven program.  I pray that he gets his work done and we don't have too many fights about it this year.  I know it will be good for him and he will do well.

OK, getting back on topic...

As for me, tomorrow they all get on the bus and then what?  I hope to get into a running routine.  I really want to get back into the gym and meet up with a trainer a couple of times a week.  Maybe I will get back into that treadmill class I loved last summer?!?!  I really need to get into a yoga studio about 3 times a week to get these tight hips loosened up.

September Goals:  Last month was run at least 1 mile a day.  I am going to continue that streak.  I have been complaining about my diet for forever, so I am going to cut out dairy this month.  Dairy makes my mucus membranes go bonkers!  In 2001, I read a book written by Marilu Henner called TOTAL HEALTH MAKEOVER.  I had seen her on the Today show promoting a different book.  I got this one from the library and read it cover to cover.  When I got to the chapter about Dairy I had an AH HA! moment.  She talked about the "dairy sludge".  And how as humans cows milk is not properly digested.  It is also produced to bulk up baby cows.  I had a couple of flashbacks reading this chapter.

FLASHBACK #1:  I was in kindergarden when I had to have my tonsils taken out and tubes put in my ears.  This book said that kids drinking cow milk tend to get more ear infections!  AH!

FLASHBACK #2:  Drinking cows milk tends to get the mucus in your body to build up and go crazy! As a kid, we moved to a new town, new school.  My classmates used to sing song "AnnMarie Frances Ihm, oh great ball of Slime!"  I always felt like my nose was running.  I have a very nasally voice, that I notice when I am not on dairy, isn't as nasally!  FLASHBACK #2.0: As a senior in High School, we did a class night where they jokingly predicted where we would be in 10 years.  They predicted that I would be the new Wendy Whiner on Saturday Night Live!

FLASHBACK #3:  In college, I ran on the track and Cross Country teams.  I used to spit for distance.  You know the big loogies you really got to work up to get out of your throat.  I had team mates ask me to teach them how to spit!  Seriously, I really did!  How embarrassing.  I was also always doing a Farmer's blow on a run, year round, I always had a runny nose.  This I know now is from the dairy.

So, I stopped eating Dairy back in 2001.  Replaced it with some nasty alternatives or just didn't eat it at all.  Then of course over time, it crept back into my diet.  I have been pretty flemmy on runs this year.  I can't take it anymore.  So, bye bye dairy.  Was at the Co-Op last night stocking up with some yummier alternatives.  So here we go, Welcome September!

Off N Running,
AnnMarie

Strider Half

This is the starting line, about 5 minutes before the air horn started the race!  Race time was 8:00am.  You can sort of see the fog in the trees in the distance.  And everyone looks sweaty before the race!

I started to hydrate on Thursday afternoon and continued until race time.  Our summer has been pretty cool as far as Wisconsin summers go.  So to complain about the humidity on race day?!?!  I think it was allowed.  (Then again I am going to enjoy the heat as much as I can after the freezing cold winter we have had.)

I have not been following any training plans this summer.  This is my 4th HALF marathon of the year.  As you may recall, I started the year with an injury.  (I thought it was my piriformis, turns out it was/is a hamstring thing!)  Any way, with all my crazy challenges this year, I have not followed a plan.  I have not seen much of a trainer or taken classes at the club I work at.  So, I go into these races with the goal of only crossing the finish line.  And so far this year, that is what I have done.

This is how I started my Saturday race!  I just need to finish.   As the air horn blasted, I pushed start on my Strava app and tucked it into my race belt.  And we were off.  Just me and about 1000 other men and women.  I put on my headphones and FUN. was running along with me.  After about mile 5, I decided that was enough music and tucked the headphones away.  Then I took in the race down the path, it was nice.  I wished for a breeze and a dry shirt!   

We hit the turn around and it occurred to me that I had not heard my app update me on my race time.  I have been enjoying the app, I like to listen for my splits.  I am not very good at even splits and tend to just run.  She keeps me charging forward!  

I crossed the finish line and took my phone out, only to see that it didn't record my run!  AAAAHHHH!!!!!  Seriously, I don't know what happened but it didn't record.  I had been using the app to track my month and now it will look like I missed a day of running.  

Thankfully there is a results tent and I could get my official time and stuff:  1:56.15, 6th in my age group.  Not to bad for not following a plan!

Sweaty selfie at the end of the race.

This was my 9th race for the year.  So I have 5 more to complete my 14 in 2014.  This was my 4th race in the Badgerland Strider Challenge too.  

I saw my friend, Sara there and met the dude who wears pink ALL THE TIME!!!!  I have seen him in many of my Challenge races and wondered what his deal was.  Sara asked him about it and he told us he just likes the color pink.  He also said he gets asked a lot about that and that he really likes girls too!  Poor guy.  He is funny and friendly, so if you are in the Milwaukee area and at a race, you will find him, I promise!  

It was a great day for a run with my friends, I hope to see them all again soon.  Until my next post...

Off n Running,

AnnMarie

Race 7 for the year!

I was once again asked by neighbor to run in their company race - ROOTS & WINGS.  She asked me two weeks ago about it and which race would we like to do.  I said the 10k!  She said, "Really, that's 6 miles."  Yup it is.  She signed us up for the 5k.

Today was the race.  What a beautiful morning.  Because of construction the race course changed from last year, I thought this year was much flatter.  And was just as fun as last year.

Not sure of my official time but my Strava recorded 24:40.  I am pleased.

Now I need to figure out what other races I can add to my calendar to hit my goal of 14 in 2014!

Off n running,

AnnMarie

Race Calendar for 2014

I know it is already April, and I should have put this up a couple of months ago, but here it is as of today!

I have been slowly getting my act together here and will be adding some races yet.  I did officailly sign up for the Badgerland Strider Challenge AND 14 in 2014 challenge over at Jill's site.  I will mark my races and let you know how I am doing here as well.  SO here it is…

January 19, Tinkerbell Half in California^

April 5, South Shore Half* in Milwaukee, WI

May 10, Cupcake Run 5K in Bayside, WI

June 11, Super Run 5K* in Milwaukee, WI
June 14, Hartfest Half* in Wauwautosa, WI

July 4, Firecracker 4* in Hales Corners
July 5, Run 4 the Paws in Crandon, WI  Sign up here!

July 27, Cudahy Classic 10 Mile* 

August 16 ?Madison Mini?  Thinking about joining two friends here.  Not sure yet if I will run this or not.

August 23, Strider Half Marathon* in Milwaukee, WI

September 6, Tosa-fest 5K* in Wauwautosa, WI

October 25, Lakefront Discovery Run 15K* on Milwaukee, WI

November 9, Jingle Jungle 5k with RunDisney in Florida
November 9, Wine & Dine Half wiht RunDisney in Florida^


*  These are the races in the Badgerland Strider Challenge
^  These are the races in the runDisney Coast to Coast Challenge

Happy Mail

A few weeks ago, my prayer partner sent me a forwarded message from this artist.  I saw at the bottom of the email, this blogger has an app called INSTANT PEP TALK.  I signed up, because it is a free app and who couldn't use an instant pep talk once in awhile!  :)

I really am enjoying these posters she creates.  I do not know a lot about this blogger/artist but THANK YOU!  I especially liked this poster.  It has been about a year now since my best friend and I had a lunch date that changed a lot in both if our lives.

A long story short, she cut off all ties and has moved on.  We were Girl Scout leaders together for 8 years.  I am still not sure exactly what I did wrong, but I too am moving forward.  It has been a year of changes and I am leaning on God more as I move forward.

This is not the first and I am sure not the last time I upset a friend.  Or one of us gets too busy, moves out of town, ...  This summer will be the 18th year anniversary of my meeting my husband.  He is the cousin of my then best friend.  Man, did I mess that relationship up at the time, over a boy even!!!!!!  I am not sure that I ever prayed on the situation and we have since moved past that weekend.  She was my personal attendant and witness at our wedding and a few years later I stood up in hers.  She lives in Northern WI, and I see her when we go visit family, so I am greatful for that and her friendship.  (She recently FaceBook messaged me about a 5k/half marathon in Eau Claire this summer.  I might help create another mother runner!). ;)

Anyway, if you get a chance you should check out the Instant Pep Talk app.  I know it is available for Apple devices, it is on the family iPad too.  You can set a timer so you get a reminder about it daily.  

Enjoy it for yourself and let me know in the comments here if you found a poster that speaks to you.  And if you have been enjoying my posts, please feel fee to follow me here!

Off n Running,

AnnMarie

Tinkerbell half Marathon...

What a fun run…  If you have NEVER done a Disney race, you have got to save up for it and go.  Their expo is HUGE!!!  I didn't even get to see all the booths, because we wanted to meet my friend and tour LA.  As you saw in Friday's post, I went with money to spend and intentions of purchasing fun stuff.  I will blog about those items another time, for now  ON WITH THE SHOW….

The race was scheduled for 5:00am start time.  As with most big races I have attended this past year, the start line was by corrals.  The letter on your bib number is where you are slotted to start.  Do you see my letter?!?!?  How in the world did I get slotted for corral A?  I saw that if you plan on running a 2:30 or less time you got into corral A.  That's pretty cool, all my halves have been less than 2 hours.

I started with D in her corral.  Even she was shocked to see that she was slotted for corral C.  Pretty cool for her first half.  When you register for these events, they ask what you believe you will finish in. And they ask for proof of faster times.  So, I put on my registeration the Summerfest Rock N Sole time, and that I would be running in the Madison Mini and Brewer Mini later in the year.  We couldn't remember if D's only proof of time was ther Summerfest Rock N Sole 5K, or if she told them of her 10k time as well.  No matter, we waited our turn in corral C.  It was AMAZING!!!  So many people dressed up as characters.  We saw all sorts of fairies, Captain Hooks, Smee's, even some of the villains were there.

Many people can't believe they start the races so early in the morning.  Sometimes they have to start that early because of the heat of the day.  I think Disney does it to show off the lighting in the parks.  It is sooooooo cool.  Keeps you hyped up for the whole race, that's for sure.

 

At the starting line.  (Sorry its blurry!?!?!)

There were lines to meet characters:
The Incredibles

Now entering Magic Kingdom...

Me: Turn around, I will get you with the castle.
D:  What?  Are you crazy?
Me:  Yup!!!!  LOL.
(Her daughter made "Shwings" for her shoes.  They are cool!)

I HAD to stop and get a photo of the race namesake.

It's a Small World all lit up.  Oh, look a runner dressed as Tink in my photo too!

It was a fun race day.  We crossed the line together at 3:09.  D only walked at the water stations and even tried her first Clif Shot.  Told me she does not want to try something called GU. The name alone grosses her out.  LOL!

The finish line proof.  She did it.  I am sooooo proud of all she has learned in the past year and how far she has come.  Keep up the awesome work and keep sharing your amazing success story with everyone!!!!!

A close up of the medal.  Tink spins in the middle.  And this baby is HUMUNGOUS!!!

Now to save up for our Coast To Coast adventure in November!  Visit runDisney to learn more about this challenge and all the fun races they have to offer.  

Off n Running,

AnnMarie