Another one in the books

Note: original draft date was 6/16/14!

So, it has been AGES since I made time to blog...

If you recall, I took a couple challenges on this year.  One with the local running club, where I signed up for 8 races.  I completed race number 2 over the weekend.

I did get to watch my friends run the Summerfest Rock N Sole races.  These signs were placed all over the course last year.  I took a few photos as a spectator!

So true!  Proud of all those who finished what they started. 

Thankful I didn't need to do this!

On Saturday June 14, 2014 was the inaugural Hartfest Half Marathon.  It was at 1:00pm!  It got hot and I got to work on my runners tan!  

I have been trying to fix my hamstring injury.  Found an awesome Physical Therapy place and have been trying to do my exercises daily.  (I forgot how to do some of them!). Because of the injury, I did not train for this half as I would/should have!  All in all I survived another half, and will do another one.

Results: 2:06, not bad, if I do say so myself!

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

South Shore Half Marathon

Me with my neighbor, best mother runner, Paula just before the run started.

So back in January, I had time to read through my running club newsletter.  I had seen in the past that they host a challenge and they are doing it again this year.  The challenge is to complete 8 of 9 races they host starting in January and ending in November.  (They host and sponsor many races, there are 9 specific races to choose from for this challenge!). I got out my calendar and there was only a conflict with the November race!!!!  I was in!!!!!

So Saturday April 5, was the first of the races/runs in this challenge.  It was tough but I had my Best Running Friend with me every step of the way.  

*Side note: I started physical therapy on my hip/leg last week.  If you didn't know, I pulled something in my butt last summer.  I vowed, in February, to get it figured out and found a place...FINALLY!  So I am doing my exercises and the therapist adjusted something in my right hip, that I probably messed up on Saturday!

I have always said that you learn something at every race.  This time I relearned that I really need to follow a training plan!  Paula was kind enough to stay with me for the entire race, we crossed the finish together- IT WAS AWESOME!  Then we had to crawl up a hill and hobble back to our car!  We are both sore still today.  Lesson learned by both of us.

For not training and being injured, I am proud to say we finished in 2 hours and 11 minutes. And I have my first run of the challenge completed!  Woo hoo!!!!!! 

Ahhhh massage...

* Note:  I started writing this article on March 8, 2014!!!

This weekend  is the AMTA-WI (American Massage Therapy Association) Spring Education conference in Milwaukee.  I am the secretary for the Chapter.  A year ago, I decided to fill a vacant seat and am up for re-election this year.  I did this "job" a couple of years back for something like 5 years.  It is a pretty simple job really.  In return for taking the minutes at every meeting, I get to go to some fun places.  This Spring the conference is in Milwaukee, so I didn't have to travel far.  In the fall, the conference is in Eau Claire, my college town!!!!

Today is March 21, the second day of Spring.  I am cleaning up the house and my blog today!  I did get re-elected to the Board that weekend.  I am excited to go to Eau Claire in August and cannot WAIT to run the streets again there!  I am also going to take some facial massage classes.  Not sure what is more exciting to me the classes or getting to run over my old stomping grounds.  LOL!

I was going to write about the benifits of massage for runners.  I will tell you that it really does help in the recovery after hard work outs.  Many professional athletes as well as Olymipans get massages at least once every other week if not every week.  If you want to read some articles on the benifits of massage check out the AMTA website here!

On this website you will find all kinds of AWESOME information.  Including information on the National convention this fall in Denver, CO.  As a board member, we need to submit a letter of intent to the rest of the board.  I have been thinking about my letter and am going to submit one in the next week.  I would LOVE to see Dr. Oz and check out Denver!

Off n Running,
AnnMarie

New motivation found...

Seems my posts from my iphone have not made it to the actual site.  Hhhhmmmm… I will have to look into that!

I have been a busy beaver here in my little corner of the world.  The weekend of March 5, I was at the AMTA-WI Chapter Spring Conference.  I was elected as the chapter secretary for another 2 years.  Kind of exciting really.  I will blog about that another time.  Today I want to tell you of some awesome blogs I have found in the past few weeks!

First, I am not sure if I have linked up with Another Mother Runner here.  So I am going to plug them again.  I know I mentioned that I got to meet Sarah and Dimity in January at the Tinkerbell Half.  These two are awesome.  They are moms just like me trying to stay healthy and fit for their families.  Every Wednesday they offer a giveaway.  They have been following a mother runner on her marathon training every Friday.  Once a week they offer a Follow that Mother post and highlight a mother runner blogger.  I think this is how I found Jill.  Maybe I found her on Instagram or Pinterest…  At any rate, I am now getting her emails in my inbox.

Yesterday, I was reading over a challenge Jill at Fitness, Health and Happiness put forth.  March 20 is the first official day of Spring on the calendar.  Jill is hosting a virtual race to welcome Spring.  As I was reading about this challenge, I saw she is also hosting a 14 races in 2014 challenge.  If you know me at all I am up for a good challenge!  I have not taken the time to read through all of her race plans, but started to think about mine.  I think this is TOTALLY do-able for me.  I already have one race in this year and signed up for 8 more with Badgerland Striders.  Plus my friend, D and I signed up for the Disney Wine & Dine Half in November.  I am also going to do the Jungle Jingle 5K that weekend.  (It's all about the awesome medals!!!!!)  SO if I am counting right, that is 11 races right there.  Lets not forget the Run 4 the Paws in July, the my sister is the race director for and that I hope to make this year!  If I sign up for Jill's virtual race that would make 13!

That's it, I am signing up for both the 14 in 2014 and Jill's virtual race this weekend.  I will keep you posted.

Off N Running to yoga this morning,
AnnMarie

Day 6 of 45...

Whew, what a week!  I am on the bike again today.  I am thinking about the past few weeks and realized that I have not been updating everyone on my successes and pitfalls very consistently.

I started my 45 day challenge on February 10.  I was doing well, I guess, until last weekend when I got a flu bug or something.  So, I restarted my challenge on Monday February 24 with a 45 minute ride on my beautiful Felt bike.  I shared my tragic flu story with my Monday night client.  We decided to do an 8:00am yoga class on Tuesday.  She announced at yoga, that she was going to join me on my challenge and that was day one for her!  Cool I have someone to be accountably to, awesome!!!!  

When I went home to tell my husband, he replied, "You're doing a challenge?"  Seriously, I don't think he listens and HEARs me when I talk! Anyway, today is day 6 for me.  My butt bones are not too sure what to think about sitting on that seat, but my legs are loving it!

I have not added more yoga as I wanted to.  I have not gotten to a chiropractor or figured out what is bothering my butt.  I did roll it out on the ball and that seemed to help.  So I'm going to add rolling daily to my list.

*NOTE:  Written on March 1, and posted March 2, so today is day 7 of 45.  Off to yoga at the gym…

Off N Running,
AnnMarie

What to do on the bike for 45 minutes?

So, that's a great question.  It is much harder to read on your bike when it is not a recombant stationary bike, that's for sure.  It is harder to blog here too.  Today I am sacrificing my time to get a post in because I haven't in a few days.

This is a pile of books that I gathered up from my shelves.  Once apon a time, I belonged to a couple of sites for bloggers who read and posted their review on their blog.  Some of these books are from that time.  Some I bought for guidance and wisdom for myself, some were gifts... 

I follow some bloggers that post their list of reading material and it got me thinking about my time on my bike and trying to make the minutes pass faster.  Over the course of this challenge I have used my time to listen to some podcasts, check my mail, blog and read.  

Yesterday, it sank in that Lent starts on Wednesday.  As a Catholic, we observe in three ways: fasting, prayer and alms giving.  I think I am going to focus on getting the sugar out of my diet over lent, I am also going to tackle this pile of books, or at least the POWER OF A PRAYING  MOTHER one.  And this weekend I am going to talk to my children about who we can give to and how.  

I think that is a good plan, don't you.  Of course I will still be figuring out my training plan for all the races ahead this year, too!  

*NOTE:  I wrote this on March 1, 2014.  Editied and posted on March 2, 2014.  

Planning on a yoga class today for my exercise.  I also sat down and scheduled time with my trainer again, I have not worked out with her since maybe Christmas time!?!!?  SO, I booked all of the Mondays in March and what she had available in April, that's a start and gets me to my next race.  I am planning, weather and children illness permitting to attend the Hard Core Class on Tuesday mornings and the 7-week Interval Treadmill class on Thursday mornings at the gym.  Now to get the running legs back and add more yoga classes…  Currently I am committed to a 6am Wednesday yoga session, I would like to add at least 2 more times a week to that schedule.  Fingers crossed that it happens by April!!!  Happy Sunday to you all.

Off n Running,

AnnMarie