Last Saturday Run

Well my ponytail is about to bounce back across the Bay Bridge.  We are about to move to the Columbia area.  I am so excited about this move.  Personally and professionally there are SO many good things about this move.  However I will be leaving my friends at Live Long Fitness and the Ocean City Running Club.  I am worried about my training...I'm really not good at running on my own.  I'm much better when there is a group holding me accountable for getting my runs in.  I'm sure that eventually I will find a running group over there, but I have so many other things that need to be done first.

Yesterday was my last Saturday morning run.  It was a bittersweet day.  I will really miss that group.  I have met some great friends and some amazing people during my time here in Ocean City.  I want to take a moment to acknowledge the fact that without Lisa Long I wouldn't be running today.  She has been a great friend, trainer, mentor and inspiration.  I am SOOO thankful that I met her.

I will definitely be back to visit and run in races with my friends.  It's just going to be a challenge for me to stay on track on my own.  So to all my readers, help keep me inspired!  Please!!!

Where Did the Time Go???

We have all said at one time or another that time flies.  This year has really flown by for me.  I've had my struggles and my challenges but overall, this year has flown.  Here we are at the end of July.  This time last year, I was in full gear training mode.  I was mentally committed to running the Baltimore Half Marathon.  This year I have registered for the Baltimore Half Marathon but I have not really started my training.  ugh.

I'm still going to the gym and running here and there.  But as far as daily tracking of my training...nope.  I haven't run more than 3 miles in months.  I think I'm in trouble.  I really need to get off my butt and get serious about training...or else I'm going to be in sad shape come race day. 

OK readers...I know you're out there...what motivates you to start training?  And you can't say register for a race since I've already done that!  Give me some ideas for inspiration.  PLEASE!  I know that the next few months are going to fly by also and I'm really worried that if I don't get serious soon, I won't be able to complete the Half...much less get a decent time.

Live Long Fitness Summer Challenge

So by now, if you have been reading my blog for awhile, you realize that I'm just a bit competitive.  So when Live Long announced their summer challenge, I was all in...then I found out what was involved.  It was a combination of your best deadlift, your highest box jump and your farthest 5 minute row.  I'm good at the row and OK on the box jump, but the deadlifting scared me.  My daughter Ryann can deadlift over 200 lbs.  She's working on getting 250!  WOW.  I am a weakling.

So I put up my row almost immediately.  I didn't realize it but one of our workouts involved deadlifting and our weights for that workout were used for the challenge.  One day that Ryann was working out with Daina Kaz, I decided to mess around and put up a pretty wimpy box jump...but it was the highest I'd ever jumped.  That was all back in the beginning of June.

The competition lasted until this past weekend.  As the competition was getting closer to it's end, I realized that I wasn't too far back from the leader.  I deadlifted 30 lbs more than my previous best! 

So I worked on the box jump and added 3 inches to my previous best.  Adding the scores, I realized that I only needed just over 100 meters on my row to catch Christine!  So I had Sandra rowing next to me and Dave yelling at me.  I did absolutely everything I could on the row and only added 10 meters to my previous row. 

So I ended up 2nd.  I am proud of second place but I really want to win one of these competitions!  I have to congratulate Christine.  She is such an amazing rower and she deadlifted a monster amount!  Here she is landing her box jump.  YAY CHRISTINE!

I really need to work on my deadlifts.  I did well for me but I'm still wimpy!  Here are the final scores.  I included the results for the men too.  These 3 guys are incredible!


Christine B. 1271 row + 225 deadlift + 25.25 box jump  1521.25 Total
Karen C. 1206 row + 175 deadlift + 29 box jump 1399 Total
Dana M. 1101 row + 225 deadlift + 34.25  1360 Total



Scott 1445 row + 365 dead + 49.5 box jump  1859.5 Total
Sydney 1431 row + 385 dead + 52.25 box jump 1858.25 Total
Ross 1369 row + 340 dead + 44.5 box jump 1753.5 Total

Mom First, Runner Second

Stephen is away this weekend taking pictures for a wedding.  I had to work last night, and Ryann babysat the little ones for me.  So when she said she would rather sleep in than watch them again in the morning, I knew that my only choice was to bring them along to the running group. 

This is the extra 100 pounds I was working with today!  And no, it's not a jogging stroller so it really isn't made for running.

I alternated running and walking.  I was shocked at how much upper body work was involved in just keeping the stroller going in the right direction!  My arms were burning after about a half mile.  I made it 2 miles which normally I would think was pathetic but today I'm pretty proud of that accomplishment.

There are some days that you have to sacrifice in order to get your run in...there are other days when sacrificing just isn't an option.  So instead of skipping a run, I just made it work.  Hopefully my extra work pushing the stroller makes up for the lack of miles I got in.  The half marathon training doesn't officially start until next week, but I really wanted to get a jump start on it.

It's Official

I have registered for the Baltimore Half Marathon!  No turning back now...

Training begins Saturday.  Look out feet, we have some miles to run!

I'm nervous and excited all at the same time.  You would think this was my first half marathon.

Half Marathon Training

We had an informational meeting tonight for the Baltimore half marathon.  Just talking about the Baltimore half marathon makes me nervous.  What an experience it was!  I was not prepared for how hilly the course was...even though I had trained on the Assateague Bridge...I still felt very unprepared for the hills.

I ran the Baltimore Half with my friend Teresa.  I met her through my friend Janeann and we bonded over going to see local bands in Baltimore when I lived in that area.  Teresa has a great spirit about her and I have fun with her every time I see her.  When we discussed running the Baltimore Half together, I was really nervous.  I wasn't sure what her pace would be.  I didn't want to hold her back and I didn't want to be held back.  I knew that running with a friend could be frustrating.

I am so thankful for cell phones.  I don't know that Teresa would have ever recognized me with no makeup and my hair pulled back!  Luckily thanks to modern cell phone technology, we were able to find each other before the race.  We made quick stops at the bag check-in and the porta potty line.  Then we headed to the starting line.  Luckily we were in the same starting corral.  It was her first half marathon and my second.  She kept saying that she "just wanted to finish".

Colleen and Keith, Barry and Jeannie came to cheer me on.  I was so thrilled to have friends there, especially since my family was not able to be there.  We saw them at the start of the race and then at the end.  As soon as the race started, Teresa was cheering.  She was enjoying the entire experience.  I was just nervous.  She kept a very fast pace...under 9 minutes for the first few miles. At one point I knew I had to tell her that I couldn't keep up.  She was so nice to slow down for me.

I think it was mile 10 when I finally told her to go on ahead of me.  I knew that I was holding her back and as a runner, I knew it was not fair.  She went on ahead of me and ended up beating me by over 3 minutes.  I was really happy with my finishing time of just over 2 hours and 8 minutes.  But I was a little traumatized by the hills.  I am still worried about the hills.  I have not signed up for the Baltimore Half this year.  I will probably run it, especially since so many of my friends are running it.

So...to my readers of this blog...stay tuned.  I have so many changes coming up in my life and training for a half marathon at this point is definitely going to be a challenge.  Keep reading.  I can't promise a personal best, but I promise to give it my all in Baltimore this October!

Ode to Dr. Jeff Michaels

I love Dr. Jeff Michaels.  Not in a romantic way...strictly in a "he fixed me when I was really hurting" way.  After injuring my shoulder I went to see him at his office.  He works out with the 6 am group so he knows the craziness that we go through on a daily basis.  Colleen has been to see Dr. Jeff for several sessions after she hurt her knee and foot in the half marathon.  She loves Dr. Jeff Michaels too.  Actually, Dave and Lisa love Dr. Jeff Michaels too.  Everyone who has ever gone to see him seems to share our feelings!

Colleen sent me a text as I was walking into Dr. Jeff's office for the first time.  She simply said "remember he can dead lift 450 lbs".  Great...just what I need...some additional fear of the pain he's going to inflict!  Several people have asked me what it was like.  I describe it as a combination of a massage and torture...more like torture.  But the fact that a week after the injury, I am able to work out and run again without pain is amazing!  There are a few movements that I can't do...like rowing (oh shucks)...but I am back in action!

I am in Baltimore today and will be here until tomorrow morning.  That means that I'm unfortunately going to miss the Snow Hill 5K.  I loved that race last year so I am disappointed that I can't run it this year.  Plus there aren't many registrants at this point so an age group award would definitely be possible.  Colleen and Barry are running so I hope that they do well and get some awards to make the Ocean City Running Club proud!  I hope to run another race soon.  I love racing!!!