What a whirlwind summer!!

Hard to believe it is already almost mid July already...this summer is going by way too fast!! Hard to believe that in about 6 weeks my boys will be back to school!! Where is this summer going?!?! 

So this week I sent off my hubby and youngest to Scout Camp...and the poor things have pretty much been rained on almost every day except today. Yesterday they had a tornado warning which cancelled our usual family night...bummer! But I was able to go out and check on them...what a muddy mess scout camp is! I swear every time our boys go camping they get the worst weather imaginable!! There should be an "Extreme Weather" merit badge, because name an extreme weather event and my boys have been through it...below zero weather...done it...flooding conditions and torrential downpours ..been there...windstorms...yep that too...tornado warnings...mark that one down...extreme heat...uh huh...been there done that...did I miss anything??? And I am not joking! It's kind of the inside joke with us...when we plan a camping outing people know NOT to plan anything because they know the weather is going to be bad. I was scared when I went to West Virginia with these boys because I didn't know what kind of weather I'd run into...luckily all we got while I was there was a little rain. 

So this month is and will be a total blur...between scout camp, and then my middle son leaves for National Scout Jamboree on Monday for 10 days of high adventure...so excited for him! Then me and a few of my girlies are doing this next Saturday:  The Color Run 

This is going to be such a blast...I can already tell...girls weekend here we come!

Then as soon as I get back from the Color Run I am leaving to go do this:

I'm honored and humbled to be going on this trip...I know God is going to do great things on this mission trip and I can't wait to see what God does while I'm there!

Then when I get back from Oklahoma our family is going to be taking a much needed vacation together....not sure what yet and not sure where....but we are getting away to just unplug and relax together for a while....it is so much needed after all the whirlwind of July.

Then the first full week of August my middle son goes for Boy Scout leadership training for a week. Boy has that boy had an adventurous year as well!! Phew...quite the jet setter indeed!!

Then I'm hoping to do a few 5K/10Ks in August. The first one, depending what we do for vacation, will be this one on August 3rd: Coshocton Firefighters IAFF Local 216 MDA 5K.  I am kind of partial to this particular 5K as this was the first 5K race I ever did 2 years ago...hard to believe that it's been that long already. Then on August 17th I will be doing my first 10K race for Feed The Need with New Life Ministries. Our church did the 5K race together as a team last year which was fun...looking forward to that one. Then possibly if my sister wants to...hint hint sissy...we may do this 5K together on the 24th: Lady Tutu 5K...we shall see....would so love to do a race...even if we walk most of it...with my sissy...and who knows, maybe there will be a Mellow Mushroom pizza waiting at the end :)

So busy busy busy....oh, and I forgot to mention....I have to fit a birthday in there somewhere...my youngest will be turning 11...wahhh!! Why do they have to grow up?!?!? So wish they would stay little longer!

Well I hope you are enjoying your summer!

What a year so far!!

I've been wanting to do this post for the last few weeks, and I'm finally finding a few minutes in my busy schedule to do so. I wanted to take a moment to reflect on my year so far...and I must say I think I have had a great and adventurous year so far...and my word for 2013 has definitely served me well (see post here for more on my Word for 2013). I began the year of course with my half marathon training for the Capital City Half Marathon in Columbus...I ran that in May and what a huge accomplishment that was!! In fact, I went ahead and signed up last week for the 2014 Capital City Half...so excited! Then on Memorial Day I was able to run a 5K race with my aunt which is something we had talked about for over a year...another accomplishment off the bucket list. Then a couple weeks ago I did my first obstacle race with the Indian Mud Run...what a blast that was!! Here are a few pictures from that day..

I was then able to go on a weekend excursion with our Boy Scout Troop to West Virginia and hike the Rail Trail...23 miles over 2 days. What a blast that was...I so love camping and the boys treated me like a queen...it was truly an awesome weekend!





So right now I'm getting ready to send my youngest and the hubby to Scout Summer Camp for the week and then the following week my middle son has the amazing opportunity to go to the Boy Scout Jamboree in West Virginia...50,000 scouts from all over the country and beyond in one place...10 days of adventure...I feel so happy for him that he's able to go....and I'll be honest, I kind of wish I was going with him. :)

I will then be doing The Color Run 5K on the 20th with some great friends and then I have the wonderful opportunity to go with some of my church family to Oklahoma for a mission trip to help those devastated by the tornadoes...I've never been on a mission trip and thanks to my amazing father in law who is keeping an eye on my boys while I'm away I am able to go on this trip. I'm kind of excited, not only because I'll be helping people but I've never been to that part of the country before. It's an amazing rare opportunity for me and I'm excited to be going.

Also starting the end of this month I will begin training for my next half marathon in Cleveland in October for the Rock n Roll Half. Hard to believe that that's coming up so soon. I have a few 5Ks and a 10K coming up in August too..phew makes me tired typing about it!

So so far this year has been quite the adventure and I feel very blessed and incredibly happy. God has opened so many doors and so many great opportunities for me and I am grateful. I am enjoying just taking it all in...it's by far the most exciting year of my 46 years on this planet...and I am so excited to see what else God has in store for me for the rest of 2013.

So how is your year going so far??

Bring on the Mud!!

Gearing up for my next race...though this one is quite different from any other I have done. So in just a couple more days the mud will be flying....yes it's time for the Indian Mud Run!! Now I missed out on doing this last year because of a prior commitment but I made sure to sign up for it this year. This race is not for the faint at heart, but if you're a lover of trail running and love those obstacle races this is the perfect combo for you. Now this week, our Boy Scout Troop 406 and I had the privilege to take on doing the kid's course this year. I must say that I'm pretty impressed with what the boys have done. Here is just a few of the obstacles the boys have made for the kids course this Saturday:

So if you're up for adventure...come out to the Indian Mud Run in Coshocton this Saturday...and if you have kids, bring them to the kids course...the boys worked hard and they really made some great obstacles for the children...for  $ 10.00 they can go through the course as much as they would like. Warning...you will get dirty, because if you come out clean, you did it wrong...lol!

The Essentials

So I was recently asked what are the absolute essentials that you must have for your runs... So here are a few of the essentials that I must have on my runs:

EOS Lip Balm
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this lip balm!! I mean I'm a fanatic about it. By far the best lip balm ever made! I always wear this before going out on a run, especially if I'm running outside in this cold weather. I have one of these beauties in each one of my purses, on my desk and by my bed....yes I LOVE it that much!! They are amazing! And not to mention they are 95% organic and 100% natural. My faves are summer fruit and lemon drop, but I'm really enjoying my new raspberry pomegranate...it's delish! Try them if you haven't yet...you won't be disappointed.

Gum
I must have gum on a run....keeps my mouth moist while I run. It's a must! My favorite....Stride Spark Orange. I love the fact that it has B vitamins in it....a nice plus! But regardless of what kind of gum it is, I just have to have gum....it's not a good run without it.

Tunes
I can't do a run without my auditory motivation. I love my music!! I always have my iPod Touch with me and playing my tunes...and with an ADD girl like me it's nice having that musical distraction while I run. One of my favorite spots to get great running tuneage right now is from Rock My Run. They have great DJ mixes of great workout songs. My favorite right now is 80 Reasons to Run and Mash Up My Run. They also have great Christian running mixes by a DJ named Lloyd which I like as well. So if you are looking for great motivating music...check out Rock My Run....they have lots of different genres and great mixes.

Fuel Belt Handheld Water Bottle
I just recently found this water bottle and I'm glad I did! I was looking for a water bottle to conveniently take with me on my long runs. It's not too big and fits nicely in the hand. I was debating between handheld or a fuel belt that wraps around the waist. I think for me this will be better for me and less distracting. I really like it. It also has a zipper pocket to fit an ID, some money and energy gels so it's great. And I found it on a recent trip to TJ Maxx and got it for $ 7.00!! Works great AND a great deal?? Yeah I'll take that!

Mizuno Shoes

I heart my Mizunos!!! Anyone who knows me knows I love these shoes soooo much! My favorites...My Wave Precision 13. The color on the link is not the ones I have are these beautiful pink pair.  I can't say enough about these shoes. When I first got them I swear I heard angels singing...it was that monumental. They are amazing! I also have a pair of the Wave Rider 16 and I like them too now that I finally broke them in....I think I like my Precisions a bit better though. But honestly you can't go wrong with Mizuno. They have this amazing precision fit program you can do on their website that tells you which running shoe is best for you...absolutely amazing! Check them out!

Well that pretty much sums it up. As long as I have these essentials I know it's gonna be a pretty decent run. What do YOU need for a good run?? Have a great day!

It's a piece of cake!!

Was talking to my awesome father in law...(yes by the way I DO have the most awesome father in law ever) and we were talking about races and how I have a 5K race this coming Monday...he says, "After doing a half marathon a few weeks ago this should be a piece of cake for you." Funny how just not quite two years ago I did my first 5K race and I remember when I crossed that finish line how I felt like I was going to die! Now after training and doing a half marathon, he's right.... a 5K isn't so bad anymore. Just goes to show that if you stick with something sometimes those little feats don't seem so bad anymore and how you just want to do just a little bit more and get better.

So this past Saturday I did the Coshocton Relay for Life 5K with my friend Jess Gress. Hubby thought that the 5K was going to take place on the fairgrounds race track...not sure where he had gotten his information, but it was NOT on the race track...which was fine with me...until I found out that the route was going to take us up AND down a major hill in our area. Luckily it was going up towards the beginning and down towards the end of the race. This of course was not a major or chip timed sort of race...I think if we were lucky there were maybe 35-40 runners and walkers for this race. Not a big one at all...in fact probably the smallest I'd been to. So surprisingly the route was not bad, despite the hill...I think a lot of my hill training for the half helped me in that area. Luckily  part of the route was part of the school route that I run all the time so it was familiar and I knew the area...not to mention the downhill helped push me the final bit. Overall, again despite the hill, according to whoever was keeping the time, this was my best 5K yet with a time of 27:08!! So I am super happy about that.

My running has been a bit sporadic since the half. May is always a super busy month for me and this year is no exception. I haven't been as consistent as the past, but I'm ok with that. Was glad to get in few runs this week even if they weren't as long as I would have liked. I'm hoping now that school is finally over and summer break is upon us that maybe I can get back to some sort of routine with my running.

This weekend I am traveling to Tallmadge, Ohio to run the Tallmadge Memorial 5K with my aunt. We have been wanting to do a race together for a while so this is finally it! I'm excited to get to run with family and another plus is there's a pancake breakfast at the end :) Hoping the weather is nice. Ohio is a fickle sort and it seems that summer and winter have been here this week. Last night and tonight we have a frost warning...really?? Had to cover my plants last night...hoping they make it...my poor basil got nipped a little bit last night...sad face :(

Now that school is out I have been trying to get caught up on my podcasts. One of the many running ones I listen to is the Runner Girls Podcast. I was listening to their April 9th episode called Jumping In the Ditch and they always pick a Runner Girl of the Week...on this particular episode imagine my surprise when they picked me as their Runner Girl of the Week!! How exciting!! They picked me because of my training for my first half. So cool!! So if you are looking for a running podcast to listen to with some down to earth, keeping it real girls...check them out!

Well that's all for this week...will give you a race recap...and hopefully pictures from my Tallmadge 5K next week.

So what are your running plans for this weekend??

Have a great Memorial Day....and thank you to all those veterans and those that still serve our country...YOU ROCK!!

So what happens now???

So it's pretty much almost 2 weeks after my incredible experience with my first half marathon. Though I'm still basking in the thought of the fact that I actually accomplished it and marked that off my happy bucket list, it's time to move forward and people have been asking me..."What's next??"

To be honest I've been asking the same of myself...what now?? After all that training and build up of getting to the half and now that it's over, what is in store now?? Well first of all, and many have asked...I am NOT doing a full marathon anytime soon. I admire those who can pull off that distance and kudos to each one of them..seriously! Honestly I see no marathon in my immediate future..definitely not this year. I'll be honest, training for the half took a lot of time and commitment and the fact that I have three boys that are going to be leaving my nest sooner than I'd like I'm not sure I want to nor have the time to dedicate to training for a full marathon. Maybe someday...and I know I'm not getting any younger, but I've come to a peace that if I do decide to someday, I'll do it, if not...I'm perfectly ok with that too. The marathon is a huge feat, not to be taken lightly...as I learned to respect the distance of the half marathon. I'm not totally ruling out a marathon someday, just not in my immediate future at the moment...and anyway I am perfectly happy with the distance of the half right now and I want to have a few more of those under my belt before I attempt twice the distance. So there...dispelling that rumor.

Right now I have been enjoying just running to just run...no training schedule, no commitment where I HAVE to run 10 miles today...I can run as long as I want, as fast as I want...no worries...and I have loved it immensely! I noticed my runs have gotten progressively better since my half...and I haven't been running as long or as often. It's so much nicer since the pressure is off. And it's nice to say I just don't want to run today. I decided I would give myself 2 weeks of "luxury and rest" and that is about up. After this I plan on just gearing up for a few 5K's and then the Indian Mud Run in June. I'm thinking of gearing up my workouts for the next month and doing a little less running since the mud run incorporates a little muscle for some of the obstacles. We shall see how that goes...cause I love being outdoors and working out usually means being inside. Again we shall see.

So I have a 5K to run tomorrow at the Coshocton Relay for Life and then on Memorial Day I am running the Tallmadge Memorial 5K with my Aunt....we've been wanting to do a race together for a while so this is finally our chance! Can't wait! Then I am still kicking around the Kingwood Center 5K since the hubby has family up there we thought it would be a great time to visit. Then again at the end of June is the Indian Mud Run. Then in July a bunch of us girls are heading to Columbus for The Color Run....should be a blast. Can't wait for that one!! Then in August I'll probably do the MDA Firefighters 5K and then August 17th I'll be doing the Feed the Need 5k/10k...I'll probably do the 10K since I'll be gearing up and be in the thick of my half marathon training for the Rock and Roll Half in Cleveland.

So there you have it...pretty much my next few months in a nutshell. Looks like it's gonna be a busy summer :)

Have a great weekend everyone :)!!

Capital City Half Marathon Recap

How many people can say that they had an epic day...I mean a day that goes down as one of those that you'll never ever forget. Saturday was definitely that day because...

I completed my first half marathon!!!

Yes it was a truly amazing experience...one that honestly I plan to do again, despite all the hard work and pain I went through to get there...crossing that finish line was all worth it! 

So here is the recap: Luckily we were able to get a room (thanks to my awesome brother in law) pretty much right at the starting line. I mean I literally walked out the door and not even a half block and I was there. Coming down the elevator on race day and seeing all those people lining the streets...at that point it all hit me...oh my goodness...I'm running a half marathon!! This is it!! The weather couldn't have been more perfect for the Capital City Half Marathon...the weather was amazing!! And before the race started they played Sweet Caroline in honor of Boston...a very nice touch. My friend, Jess Gress and I waited in anticipation for the start of the race...we were in the next to the last corral...needless to say I knew that once they started us off I wouldn't see Jess until the end...she's much faster than I and much younger...lol. 

So one of the most inspirational things that I saw in the race were the military guys in their fatigues and huge backpacks walking/jogging the course...amazing!! I tried to high five and encourage all the ones that I saw. It truly was inspiring. Then there were those who were obviously on teams and running for a cause or a person. The one team was pushing a young man in a jogging stroller...he was having fun and made me thankful that I was even able to run...bless his heart and his team. 

I was having a good time myself. The music along the route was fun. I was playing my Christian running mix during the first part of the race and I remember the song Heart of Worship came on and I just had my hands in the air and praising God...it was an amazing moment...though I'm sure the people behind me must of thought I was whacked...lol...oh well.

So for the most part the course was great!! Relatively no hills, a few inclines but nothing major at all....and it seemed to go by quickly. The bands were fun and so amazing hearing people on the side cheering you on and just being there for support. Sure kept the adrenaline going. By mile 5 I was starting to fade a little so I took some of my energy blocks and that helped a bunch...kept me going. The water stations were placed perfectly....and done well. About mile 11 I was getting pretty tired. Even my sports beans weren't helping much...I was just ready for it to be over. I pretty much had to pray through the last 2 miles. I never did see the mile 12 marker, but when we turned the corner onto High St. and I saw the finish line about a half mile or so away I knew that I just really wanted this to be over...I was tired. So when I finally got to about 400 yards or so away from the line I just sprinted for it...gave it all that I had left. I crossed the line in 2:21:42!! I was hoping to finish between 2:20 - 2:30 so I was very pleased with my results...especially being my first half. 

So after I crossed the line I just busted into tears...I couldn't believe that I just did that...that I accomplished my goal. My hubby and boys met me shortly there after and hubby had to help me stay upright because the emotions and just being exhausted was making me a bit wobbly, but after I got some of my sports drink and a bagel in me I started to feel better. My sister and nephew got to see me at the end of the race...so glad they were there supporting me!! Thanks Jackie and Treyce! The only thing I didn't like about the race was after crossing the line they kind of corralled you and herded you into the party area....it was very congested and very hard for people to meet up with their loved ones...but other than that the whole race experience was incredible!! I will definitely be doing this again!

Overall it was an amazing EPIC day!! Thank you to all those who supported me, cheered me on and sent me well wishes....it meant the world to me!!

So enjoy these pics from the race...until then, onto the next :)