Group Training at it's Best!!!

What a great night with this group! 

Still smiling!!! We must be good at running!?!?!

Stacy G was back with us tonight! She ran a solid 30mins straight without stopping (getting 3+miles in). And Staci R (who despises running) came to try a mile without stopping and ended up with 2miles under her belt. She was still happy and breathing when she finished!!! Mrs. Wendy got her goal of 3miles in 30mins and Angel ran 4.5miles and looked and felt great the entire run!  We are making some great progress!!! LOVE!!!

For me, I got three workouts in today!  But I can honestly say, I actually took two days off the last couple of days so my legs were really fresh!
**But today I did it all!  I did crossfit this morn (even got a little over a mile of running in then), then this evening before group training I took off and got 7.75miles. And then I ran another 2.75miles with the ladies at group training.  I got 11.50+miles in today!  ROCK ON!!!

Bye! Bye Calories (from my 2 running workouts)

And for thrills and kicks----how about some video of us running!! Sorry ladies, but we will look back at this in April and May and enjoy our progress!!!!

Keep running hard ladies!! Yall are doing awesome!! :-).

Random Pics

Despite the cold, crisp wind....we managed to get a good 45minute run in on Monday at group training.  Morgan was able to run with us for about 30mins.  Angel ran 45mins straight and without walking (4.5miles or MORE), while Wendy ran most of the 45mins and completed about 3.75miles (a guess).  I ran about 3miles since I really was supposed to have a rest day to prepare for an upcoming 15miler.  I am due for that run this week.  I am shooting for running that tomorrow or Thursday! ***wish me luck:-).

Ain't they adorable---even when running:-).

They sexy and they know it!!! ----WORK IT, GIRLS!!!

On a completely different note!  I am super happy today to be back into my skinny jeans---and able to breath and sit comfortably!!! :-)  I still have a ways to go, but there is PROGRESS---FINALLY!!!!  I did my measurements last week and have lost over 4.5inches.  My weight is dropping (still slower than I would like).  But I am eating very healthy!  I am concentrating on getting my 5 veggies, 5 proteins, 3 fruits, and only one grain a day in. I am NOT calorie counting, but I am eating way more than I have in a long time!!!! And yes,  I do admit, I allow myself to have a "little more" grain once a week if I have burned at least 3500 calories that week:-). 
***The only bad thing about losing weight.....is I think I always lose my boobs first:-(  Why can't I keep those and get rid of the waist line instead! HAHA 

I am in my "skinny" jeans again!!

Baby Got Back!!!! 

I hope the bootie snap shot didn't scare ya too much!! At least this is one of the AFTER PICS...and not a BEFORE PIC! LOL!

Don't forget to check Monday's Blog Post if you need workout schedules for this week:-).

Happy Running my awesome friends!!!!

Which Race?

Happy Monday Ladies!!!

It is nearing the time to finalize our sign ups for the races.  We will need to get everyone registered ASAP and form relay teams and/or races.  If you have not officially signed up.  We need for you to at least pay your registration fee for the race.  The hotel and food cost can be paid out if need be. 

What are the options?
Full Marathon (26.2)
Half Marathon (13.1)
Or The Marathon RELAY

I think many are wanting to do the Marathon Relay.  If so, we need to form relay teams.  Each relay team consist of two 5Krunners, two 10K runners, and one 12K runner. 
                                          (3.1miles)                  (6.2miles)                          (7.5miles)

**And please do not be intimidated to run in a relay because you are afraid you will slow the team down.  We are not trying to WIN the marathon.  We just want to run and have fun! No stress! 

Please let us know SOON which race you prefer!!!!

Today we are supposed to have group training.  I have been waiting on the weather to see if it will be rainy or not....but so far, we look good for a run.  But if not, I'll text you for sure. 

This Week in Training: (I am including 3 workouts for you do this week)
10K/12K workouts:
30-45min run (walk and stretch when need be)
2 x 1mile run with 2min recovery betweeen each mile,
a 3.5mile run or 3 x 1mile with 2min recover in between each mile.
Half Marathoners:
30-45 min run (walk and stretch when need be),
3mile run
4mile with a 1minute walk every 10mins.

Alone

Tonight I rushed over to the track.....literally running over from my house, in a complete panic.  I had about three extra 9yr olds in my yard waiting for my husband to arrive home to take them to baseball practice (he was also running late from work to get home to them, too).  I had a friend pulling into my driveway to take my 11 yr old to practice and my oldest daughter was left home to watch these 9yr old boys and work on a school project.  I was running late to workout.....or at least I "thought" I was.  I arrived at the track at 5:10 or so....and no one from our running group was there.   Then it dawned on me, I was early!! HAHA!  Group training wasn't scheduled till 5:30, even though I was thinking it was 5pm the whole time!

So I ran about a mile and a half....a few 800s. And waited.  Then 5:30 came, 5:30 went. I ran and waited.  Then 5:45 came, and 5:45 went. I ran and I waited.....  I realized in that moment I was running alone.  I admit, I was a bit frustrated and disappointed and even sad.  I felt like a failure.  Here I am with my first running group....we started out strong (very strong).  But within six weeks we had dwindled down to just me tonight.  I even grabbed my belongings and started walking off the track back towards my house....when I stopped, being confused, and reconsidering the thought of walking home. 

I don't know what stopped me from walking off, as I really had a ton of stuff to do and a house full of chaos that I am sure needed me.  But, I stopped and turned back around.....I got back on the track and I began to run a little more....and prayed.  The frustration and sadness was gone. And again, I am reminded of what a blessing it is that I can run!  The thought of one foot in front of another for miles and miles, without injury, without pain, is just amazing to me! 

Yes, I love sharing that passion with my running friends (especially if they are new to running and don't think they can do this type or exercise).  But, at the end of the day, or month, or come April 28th on "Race Day" it all will boil down to WHAT I DID to prepare me for my race. ** For me, 26.2miles is a very long way to run.....it is a long way to run on one's own strength and energy.  I will need to involve God in each and every step cos that's the only way it will be possible. 

I now realize that my chaotic life had distracted me from remembering this.  But tonight, as I ran on that track, I was reminded.... I am NEVER ALONE!

Thank God for that:-).

"My steps have stayed on your path;
 I have not wavered from following you" 
                                           Psalm 17:5

Get Back on Track!

O Goodness Ladies!  I just realized my Monday post didn't submit properly!  I apologize for that! :-(

February has been an extremely "off" month for all of us.  We have had "out of towners", sicknesses, some stranded at sea, and basketball games (for myself).  But let's try to finish up February strong and get back on track before March.  I am back for both Monday and Thursdays trainings from here on.....as basketball will end tomorrow night for us!!  (CHAMPIONSHIP GAME TOMORROW!!)

I know we all have our excuses......but please trust me when I say you won't regret choosing to stick to training for the next 9.5 weeks.  Get it in when you can!  Sneak away even if it's for a short run.  Or take advantage of a pretty day if you see the weather forecast calls for unfavorable conditions. 

If running conditions are not favorable.....find a treadmill (aka the dreadmill) or come to one of Morgan's Get Fit Classes (there is a GET FIT CALENDAR TAB on this blog).  Any exercise will be beneficial!  Just COMMIT TO DOING THIS and MAKE IT HAPPEN! Hey girls, I am running 26.2 miles in April!  If I can do that.....you can do a 5K, 10K or half marathon!  YOU CAN!!! 

COMMITMENT!!! Just do that! Go get the papers and sign up for the Oklahoma Memorial Race!!! Pay the fee to run, so you won't turn your back on this!  And if you are committed and haven't done your paperwork, we will need that asap, as we need to register you and order tshirts!

It looks like the next few days are very poor weather days for running:-(.  So get what you can in....however you can!   Hopefully we can meet Thursday for running, but if not, we can meet at a Get Fit Class.   STAY TUNED........

Can't wait to see everyone back......Missing you all very, very much!!!!

Happy Valentine's Day

Matthew 22:36-40 reads,  “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments

 

If you aren't on a hot date tonight!!! Come join me for a run at 5:30pm.  What better way to spend your evening.....running....with ME!! HA! 

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

PS----Wendy Enloe has posted on FaceBook recently!  They are fine and in good spirits and seem to have a story to tell!!! Can't wait to hear about it!!!

A Prayer for the Enloes

I am sure most of you are aware of the Carnival Cruise ship that is stuck out in middle of the gulf.  But I am not sure you are of aware that our Mrs. Wendy and her husband, Jeff, are on that ship!  Bless their hearts!

The cruise ship was due home on Monday but had an engine fire that caused the boat to quit working properly.....leaving them with little to no food, little to no water access, and no electricity and stranded!  They are all safe, but the conditions are getting worse as time goes on. They are "expected" to be docked in Mobile, Alabama tomorrow!!  You can see a news feed from this link: http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/carnival-apologizes-stranded-cruise-ship/story?id=18472936

Please be praying for our friend!!  I know Wendy well enough to know, she is probably still in good spirits, probably singing, and bringing other passengers joy during this hard time!  However, it has to be so tiring and frustrating to have to wait so long to get home to the "normal" life.  Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers as the end of this terrible situation draws closer to ending!

WE LOVE AND MISS YOU WENDY (and Jeff).

Six Week In.....Eleven to Go!

Today we begin our 6th week of training....with just 11 weeks left to train!!!

For myself, I am beginning to up my mileage every 7-10days to prepare for the 26.2 mile race.  Yesterday, I ran 11.2miles.  It's the first time in months that I have ran double-digit mileage! So I was pumped.  I felt great, too! But today was a different story!  I went to CrossFit class and it was a flippin' SQUAT day!  We warmed up with squats and our WOD (Workout Of The Day) included 150 total squats.  My hips were BURNING!  I really had to fight back the tears today!! OUCH!!! But I pushed through and I FINISHED!  I keep telling myself, that this kind of push is preparing me for that last few miles in the marathon when it will hurt!!  Needless to say, I will be taking it easy tonight at group training!  My hips need some down time and alot of stretching out!

GROUP TRAINING:
I know we still have Wendy and Becky out for tonight.  ***Say a prayer for Wendy and her hubby, Jeff.  They went on a four day cruise and were due back today.  But the ship caught fire!!!!  All is ok and no one hurt.  But the cruise ship is stuck at sea for a few more days working off of limited power. CRAZY!!!  I am sure she is running laps around the ship to stay fit!! :-).

Because we have been a little off schedule, I plan to meet yall at 5pm and we can decide what is best to do tonight, depending on who is there and what they have been doing on their own.  If you can't meet tonight, please try to get out and do 5mins of running/1min walk X 8.  This could be done on the treadmill, too.

I am so looking forward to having our group back on track--literally!

Random Thoughts and Pictures!

We didn't have group training tonight because we had so many gals out of town or unable to attend!  And to be honest, I found myself not really wanting to go run at all today! First of all, I woke up with a bit of a funky tummy situation (cos I have been eating very clean lately, but last night I ate a hotdog.....OUCH).  And the thought of putting the PJs on early and crawling into my bed was very appealing!!

But I just decided to go ahead and put on my running gear and go!!  Even if it was a short run.  

The funny thing is, after 5 years of running, you'd think I'd learn that these "not want to run" runs are usually the best runs.  That is EXACTLY what happened tonight.  It seemed that as soon, as I started off, even up that dang Kerfoot Hill, I immediately felt good.   And the crazy wind had died to down to a nice evening breeze and only a few clouds were in sight from far away.   But then I started seeing the sky changing...and the colors and sunshine reflections were beautiful.  The entire run was just awesome, watching the sky change and taking in God's creation!!!  Loved it!

Here are a few pictures (that don't do justice to what I was really seeing) of tonight's scene.

Storm clouds off to the north-early in my run

Clouds moving in on my way back

Clouds way off to the east with a pretty reflection of the sun

My favorite!! This was at the end of my run when the wind picked up! Stunning!

I also wanted to leave you with some other very random pics from this run!  HAHAHA!!

Thought I'd bless you all with a pic of Selfie---ME!

ROADKILL LEFTOVERS---Yap, I took a pic of the remains of a skunk! LOL

The Biggest Loser

As I am typing this, I am watching THE BIGGEST LOSER!  It is soo motivating!  To see these individuals work so hard to CHANGE bad habits, to build self-confidence, and to achieve things they never thought they could.  It seems every shows starts out with a RUNNING challenge on the first day.  And, usually not one contestant can run a mile without collapsing (sound familiar?).  But within weeks, they are able to run a 5K!  When they are able to do that in just a few weeks of hard work, the realization that THEY CAN DO HARD THINGS seems to become a reality!  (And, yes, I cry each time I see them run their first race!!!---HAHA!)

But things will eventually begin to plateau!  The progress slows, but is still there!  But it gets harder to keep pushing when the results are NOT IMMEDIATE!  It becomes a challenge---mentally and physically!!  Just like these weigh ins on THE BIGGEST LOSERS, running/training can be a challenge, too.

But keep after it.  Even if you missed a few workouts due to work, travel, sickness, etc....  Don't give up on yourself!  You have already done the hardest thing....which is to start training!  The second hardest thing is to continue training!

This week, we have had smaller group.... which is to be expected from time to time due to life!  But, I challenge you to keep running or moving even if it's the smaller things.  If you can, run or workout on your own!  Any movement is better than no movement! 

THURSDAY'S WORKOUT:
Half mile warm up and stretch, followed up with a 35minute run/walk workout!  Finish up with 5mins of stretching!

WEEKEND CHALLENGE:
Walk 5minutes, run 20mins straight, walk 5mins, run 10mins, walk 5 mins....  Don't forget to stretch!!! :-).

Don't Forget to Stretch

Happy Monday Running Friends!!!

I think our group will be light tonight.  So if you are unable to make it, please try to do this run workout before Thursday.

MONDAY'S WORKOUT AGENDA:
Jog 2 laps slow and follow up with stretching
Run for 12 mins/ walk 2 mins ---do this TWICE. (If the last 12mins of running is hard, you can walk ONE TIME for ONE MINUTE)
Then run 5 minutes straight WITHOUT ANY WALKING!!!
Walk 5minutes and do stretches (especially hip and calve stretches)


Stretching is VERY IMPORTANT ladies!  PLEASE, please don't waste all your time and energy on getting good runs in and bypass the stretching!  It will eventually cause you to get injured in some way......  TRUST ME-BEEN THERE, DONE THAT!!!!!  ---Click on the link STRETCH for a few ideas on some stretches!!! And I am a big believer on the hip swings we do on the fence, so please do those before each run!!!  Also, check out the Get Fit page on the blog for the yoga classes Morgan offers!!!!

STRETCHES


If you are wanting an additional midweek workout here it is:  Run 5mins/walk 1min (6-8times).

This reminds me of some of our DEEPEST conversations while warming up! HAHA!

Don't Let This Weekend Get Away....

Can yall believe you all have been training for almost a month? It has gone by soo fast! And it has been sooo much fun!!! 

We are three months away from the Oklahoma City Marathon!  :-). So exciting!!!!  And yes, I am a bit nervous cos it's time for me to take my training up a notch if I am going to do the FULL MARATHON!  YIKES! It's gonna get intense!

You ladies should be very proud of your accomplishments in the last month.  For one, you STARTED running!  TWO,  you have kept running!!!  THREE, you are gonna continue to run!  And WOWZERS!! Yall have made some huge strides of improvement!!!! :-). 

So the plan for this weekend is pretty simple: Go Run.  It's another beautiful weekend to get out.  So here is what I'd like you to do.  Don't time yourself (meaning check your watch for pace).  And take off for a nice, slow run.  But go LONG!  Walk when you need to. Enjoy your time out.  And TRY to run/walk for one hour!  Take music if you want! Or listen to a podcast! Stop and stretch a few times!  Pray! Count your blessing!  Just move for one hour!!!!! AND ENJOY IT!!!!

Send me a picture or a text telling me about your run too:-).

FYI:  This are my favorite types of runs!!! Hope you will think the same thing.

Have a blessed weekend!