Strength Training For Runners: Quick Core Workout

Full disclosure here:  I am completely muddling through my second half marathon training.  I don't feel nearly as committed as I did for the first one.  It doesn't help that I've been plagued by everything except the plague:  Poison Ivy, pink eye, bulging disc in my lower back, a never ending cramp in my left foot and endless stomach issues.  Just name it and I've got it these days.

I have managed to keep up with my strength training circuits though.  Yay for something going right!  The circuit I worked on this week from the Train Like a Mother Club was the Super Short Strength Circuit 3 which highlights a lot of quick ab work.  A strong core is essential for runners because strong abs increase the stability of your hips, pelvis, and even your knees during running. The result is less strain on your muscles and connective tissues and consequently less chance of injury. Also, by minimizing wasteful movement at the joints, strong abs make your stride more efficient, so you can run faster, longer.

So what are you waiting for?  Burn, baby, burn!

My First Half Marathon Recap: Gate City Took Me for an Emotional Ride

 Anyone close to me, my parents, my husband, my friends that are my family, know that I'm notorious for holding myself back in life. Whether it's in my career, my schooling or just getting ahead I do things to sabotage myself. My weight is a prime example of this. I know how to eat healthy and exercise, but I can go long periods of time where I consciously abuse myself with food.

My running is not safe from my self-sabotaging.

And this is exactly what I did to myself during my very first half marathon, the inaugural Gate City Half on Sunday, May 15. The race I'd been training 4 months for. 

All that training, all the time away from my family, all of my hard work and effort that I put in and I fell back into old habits and held myself back. I kept myself from running the race I knew I could. I let myself down. 

Let me just say that before we go any further I don't want you to think I'm going to be all emo about my race results. These past few weeks I've gone back and forth between feeling extremely proud of myself for completing a half marathon when less than a year ago I couldn't stand running and extremely disappointed in how I ran that race, that I held myself back and didn't run the race I was capable of. 

At the start of it I was nervous, scared even. The enormity of what I was about to do got to me. I tried to tell myself it was just another long run but my brain knew better. I was nervous but excited too. After the gun went off I spent a good 5 minutes slowing my pace down. I couldn't run a 9mm half marathon. I wouldn't make it past 5 miles. I managed to get myself down to an 11 minute mile where I knew I would be comfortable for the first 5 miles or so of the race. Then I needed to pee. 

I tried not to think about it but as I was completing the first loop (it consisted of 3) back to the start I remembered where the porta-potties were and made a break for it. I didn't care that it would add 2 minutes to my finishing time. I wanted to be comfortable for the next 7 miles.

The Halfway Point

After kissing my family and hugging a childhood friend who surprised me by coming out to watch me run, I was off for loop 2. The wind really beat me up here. I knew that I needed to crank up the pace but I just couldn't. I felt like I was running in place for most of it.  I also had lost my pack so I was running solo. I felt incredibly lonely. Usually, I prefer to run by myself but today this really bugged me. I did pass a runner here and there, but I noticed even the water stops didn't have many volunteers. The vibe was different. It was desolate.  

Surprisingly, it took me until mile 8 to believe I could finish the race that no matter what happened I would get it done. This was another proud moment and I think it shows in my time for the following mile. 

By mile 9 Florence and the Machine's "Dark Days are Over" came on over my headphones and I was finally able to crank my pace up. Incredibly,  this was my fastest mile of the half marathon. It still wasn't as fast as I knew I could go this late in the game though. 

Let me say that again:  Mile 9 was my fastest mile. I'm proud of that. 

By mile 10 "AC/DC's "Highway to Hell" came on which was perfect because my left ankle started to go and I felt like I was on my way to hell. Searing pain radiated up from it. I stopped at the next water station to stretch it out but it didn't help. I pushed on. 

By this point I just floated on the realization that I was going to see my family for the second and last time before the finish. 

Mile 11 took me back to the start/finish line. While grabbing Gatorade the volunteer looked at me, looked at my bib and said, "Sabrina!  Look over there!"  My family was screaming and cheering me on to keep moving.  I also saw my friend Ang and called to her.  She had been wanting to run a leg with me and I knew she would catch up with me at the end which is exactly what she did.  She told me to hurry up and we were off for the last 2 miles.

Now miles 12-13.1 were uncharted territory for me.  My training had only taken me as far as 11 miles.  In retrospect, I really wish I had made the effort to get the full 13.1 miles in.  It would have lessened some of my pre-race anxiety.  I really feel like my nerves just zapped me.

I expressed my concern to my friend and told her that my pace was waaaay off.  She quickly replied with what I kept telling myself in my head but my heart didn't believe, "No, it's not.  It's your first half marathon.  Whatever you get is a PR. You don't want to set the bar too high on your first time out because then you can't PR the next time."

I kept moving.

I hit mile 12.5 and it sucked.  In order to complete the last 2 miles of the race I had to re-do part of the first loop I ran.  The volunteers warned us that some of it was going to look familiar and not to worry.

I let out a loud, "Ugh. Not this again." when I saw where we were.  This part of the course wasn't bad, it wasn't scenic either, but I just had no desire to be back where I had started.  I just wanted to be D-O-N-E.

At this point I really wanted to walk.  I was hurting.  I felt like I was just walking fast and barely moving.  But my friend just kept encouraging me and taking pictures of me to document the moment. It kept my mind off the pain in my left ankle.

When I hit the mile 13 marker the volunteers started clapping and other runners that were done racing gave me thumbs up.  I started singing out loud, "My quads are in fire!" as I approached the finish line.

But I did it.  I hobbled to the finish line.  As soon as I was done the race director gave me my medal and told me she loved my Wonder Woman headband because she has the same one.  I told her it was my first half marathon and that earned me an extra congratulations.

I limped back to my family who immediately sat me down.  My best guy friend who had driven down from Maine to cheer me on asked, "Um, you do realize you are limping, right?"  Right.

My 3 year old daughter gave me my Train Like a Mother 13.1 medal that I had earned for completing the half marathon training program through Another Mother Runner.

Friends from my running group, Mom's Run This Town, came over to congratulate me.

Ang handed me a jello shot.  I had earned it.

I spent the rest of the day relaxing and trying to figure out what happened, why my pace was so off.  Why couldn't I ever seem to speed it up?  Why did I hold myself back yet again?  Surely, I did something to sabotage this race for myself.  Why can't I live up to my potential once and for all?

Then I looked at my Garmin, specifically at the elevation chart. One look at it told me all that I needed to know.  This wasn't a flat course.  It was fairly hilly with an elevation gain of over 300 feet.  My poor ankle that sustained a ligament tear in the fall was put to the test with all the of rolling hills.

Realizing this gave me some reassurance that I ran the best I could on a hilly course while being battered by wind gusts of up to 30 MPH.

I'm proud to be a half marathoner.  I didn't run like I knew I could but there were circumstances out of my control.  You can't train for wind for one.

There was only one way to make myself feel better about this race.  I signed up for my next one on October 2.  Smuttynose Rockfest here I come!

It's billed as being flat and fast by the way.  

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Global Running Day!

I linked up with Jonesin' for a Run to answer some questions about Global Running Day! Because if there is one thing us runners like to do just as much as running it is talking about running.

Why do you run?

The short answer is I run for my health.

Before I started running I had gained 80 pounds during my pregnancy.  I lost 25 of it quickly, but the other 55 pounds stuck around for over 2 years.  When, during a routine physical, my doctor discovered high levels of inflammation in my blood I knew something had to change.  I had been experiencing migraines, intense shoulder and neck pain and excruciating stomach pains. It took a few months but I was ultimately diagnosed with leaky gut.  Prior to this diagnosis I had made small changes like cutting out soda and coffee, increasing my water intake to a gallon a day, practicing intermittent fasting and following a high fat, low carb diet.  It wasn't enough.  Over July 4th weekend 2015 I finally jumped on my neighbor's old treadmill that she said I could have and slowly jogged a mile.

I was overjoyed!  I was the fat kid in school and never ran a mile without stopping before in my life.  I averaged a 15 minute mile pace but I didn't care.  Besides, I didn't really know what pace meant back then anyway.  It wasn't too long before I was "training" for my first 5K.  Less than a year later I've completed 9 races including a half marathon.   

How do you plan to celebrate National Running Day?

I think this one is self-explanatory. I'll be running.

How many miles have you run so far this year? Do you have a mileage goal for the year?

Honestly, I have no idea. I made it a goal to keep track starting at the beginning of the year with the goal of hitting 750, but to me it is just one more thing to do and I don't care that much about tallying it all up.

What big events do you have on the race calendar so far this year?

Well, I just completed my first half marathon on May 15. I didn't run it as well as I knew as I could so I didn't know if I would do another one in the fall, but after 3 days I signed up for the Smuttynose Rockfest Half Marathon in October.

Before I leave for a run I must have: 

Oh lord, where do I start? I'm a very ritualistic person and because of all of my health issues there is a lot of prep work I have to do before going for a run. I even blogged about it HERE.

Do you track your runs? If so what do you use?

I use a Garmin Forerunner 620 that my husband purchased for me for my last birthday.

Who is your favorite running partner?

My friend, Ang. She's been running forever and ran her first marathon in the fall. I was so proud!

What races have you run so far this year?

• Lowell First Run 10K
• Snowflake Shuffle 3 Miles
• Fat Tuesday 5K
• Shamrock Shuffle 2 Miler
• Northshore 10 Miler
• Cinco de Miles 5K
• Gate City Half Marathon
• Boston's Run to Remember 5 Miler

Up Next:

• Rockin' Ribfest 5 Miler
• Finish at the 50 10K
• Smuttynose Rockfest Half Marathon

If you have to give someone one piece of advice about running, what would it be?

Start small by setting small, short and achievable goals. Then, go buy yourself some nice running shoes. Talk to your running friends and find a store that does professional fittings. Your feet and legs will thank you.

Me after the first time I ever ran a mile without stopping.  Took me 15 minutes.  I was proud.  

Describe your relationship with running in one word:  

Lifesaving

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Race Night Rituals

 ***UPDATE******

I've since run this race finishing it in 1:47.  I couldn't have enjoyed it more!  You can read my write up of it HERE.  

This post contains affiliate links.

In less than 13 hours I'll be standing at the starting line of my longest race to date  - the North Shore 10 Miler in Ipswich, MA.  My training plan calls for 11-12 so I'll be hitting the treadmill nice and early so I can get a solid mile in at minimum before I leave for the coast.

Although my goal race isn't for another 3 weeks, a lot of preparation has gone into this race as well.  I started my Half Marathon training back on February 1 keeping in mind that I would be training for this race in the process.  This 10 miler is a "training race" for me.  It will allow me to test my pre-fuel, fueling and recovery process.  Also, I will be running in new shoes so it will allow me to test those as well.  Not to mention the new calf sleeves (for compression), socks that prevent blisters and my new sparkle skirt although I don't think it will be warm enough to test out that one.  Boo.

In the week leading up to this race I've been working hard to make sure my nutrition is on point, lots of water, a New Nuun Active: Hydrating Electrolyte Tablets, Citrus Berry Mix, Box of 4 Tubes  every day and tons of protein and veggies.  The 2 days prior I bumped up my carb intake too even though my body isn't a fan and doesn't always like to absorb it.  I eat the healthier carbs like quinoa.

Cardio the day before the race. For me not my dog.

Since this race is on the coast and cell reception is likely to be spotty I got some assistance from my wonderful husband to download songs for a new playlist.  I'm hoping 2 hours is long enough.  Let's face it if it's not than I'll just listen to myself cry my way to the finish line.  I'd really like to finish around 1:45.

In case you are curious, my run will start with the song "Misirlou" from the Pulp Fiction Soundtrack and will continue to be fun but low key for the first 45 minutes.  Then halfway through around mile 5 Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now."  Yes, I think of Shaun of the Dead every time I hear it which makes me laugh.  Finally, a little GNR to get me through the last push with "Welcome to the Jungle."  I'll know I am taking too long if I hear Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire."  Here's hoping this extra mental motivation will work!

My pre-race fuel and my recovery drink are both from Vega Sport Pre-Workout Energizer, Acai Berry, Tub, 19oz   I'll be fueling up around mile 5 with my gummy Honey Stinger Organic Energy Chews, Fruit Smoothie, 1.8 Ounce (Pack of 12)  and Nuun will be in my hydration pack.

As you can see, I like to be prepared.  Here's hoping all of these pre-race rituals will pay off!

Good night!

Week 5 Half Marathon Training Recap

How have 5 weeks come and gone already?!  Just 10 more weeks and I'll be running the Gate City Half Marathon in Nashua, NH.  Eeek!  Sometimes I have a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that just 8 months ago I jumped on the neighbor's old treadmill for the first time and jogged a mile at a gingerly 15 mile per minute pace.  Now, here I am training for my first half.  All things considered it's a lofty goal indeed.

Monday

Today's run was supposed to be a circuit followed by SSSC 3.  Since these runs really only amount to a half hour or about 2 miles, my plan was to get it done after work.  That plan was quickly foiled when I was created by an aging corgi at the door who was clearly in pain.  Her back was crumpled up, she was whining and just couldn't get comfortable.  I frantically called our veterinarian's office and got no help.  I called 2 other places and they couldn't see her.  I took the hint, dosed her with more baby aspirin, quickly got the circuit part done (arm circles and the such) and the SSSC 3 and called it good.  I spent the rest of the night snuggling with her on the couch.  In case you are wondering, by Wednesday she was just fine!  

Tuesday

The plan called for 5 easy miles.  My legs and mind were a wreck from Sunday's dehydrated long run so I did 3 and called it good.  I spent a lot of time resting and rolling my legs on this day.

Wednesday

REST DAY!  Hallelujah!  My legs and body just needed it.  Usually, I hate rest day, but not on this day.  I was hurting.  Looking back, I now have first hand experience on why nutrition and hydration are so important for athletes.  If you don't do it right your whole body pays for it.  I did complete the SSSC 3 exercises though.  The Russian twists kill me (in a good way, I think).  

Thursday

Check out my new MRTT shirt!  

My Swag Bag from Another Mother Runner arrived!

Easy 3-5 miles you say?  I set my alarm for what I thought was 4:30 am but it turns out that I just set two alarms for my normal wake up time of 5:30 am.  My body knew something was up because I jolted away at 4:41 am and in a panic got ready for my treadmill run.  I find that if I don't shower the night before than I have even more motivation to get up and get these early morning runs done before work because I'm going to have to get up early for a shower so I might as well get sweaty anyway.  I completed 3 glorious miles. My legs felt so much better!  All of the rolling, hydration and wearing compression socks non-stop paid off.  

Friday

I happily woke up at 4:30 am to get 3 miles in before work.  Legs still felt great and I pushed myself on the pace because I felt that good.  I was supposed to get another round of SSSC 3 in, but it just didn't happen.  I forgot to squeeze it in during the day and by the time I got home from work all I wanted was a dance party in the kitchen and a cold beer!  It's the little things in life, you know?

Saturday - Long Run Day!  

Splits from my Garmin Forerunner 620

8 miles were to be completed today with a 5 minute strong finish.  If you think back, you'll remember that I completed my first 8 mile run, my longest ever, just a few weeks ago.  My goal was to run it without stopping which has been hard lately.  I always seem to need to stretch my calves or my arms or run home for water because I am D-Y-I-N-G.  One of my very good friends, really she is more of a sister to me, texted me to see what my plans were.  We decided to meet up that afternoon once it warmed up to bang out 8 miles.  She's one of the best runners I know so I was worried that my 11 mm race pace would be too slow for her, but she said it was exactly what she needed, plus she did 10 miles of intervals before hand on the treadmill so this was more of a recovery run for her.  

Splits from my Nike Plus running app.

The weather was beautiful, not too cold, not too hot and the sun was out.  This was my first run with a friend and without my music.  I was nervous about that at first, but our conversation made the time go by faster which I appreciated.  I did have some pretty bad side stitches but that could just have been from talking more than normal.  Yes, I did eat my raisins at mile 6 so we did stop for that, but nothing else.  We even conquered 2 big hills and 1 small one!  I'm happy that I was well hydrated for this run, that I ran in a new location with a good friend and just generally got out of my comfort zone.  It's amazing what all of that combined does for your mental focus.

When I got home I treated myself to a good beer, Sebago's Bonfire Rye, and a hot bath with Epsom salts.  I even managed to get a few pages read in my book, Tales from Another Mother Runner.  

Now I'm on to week 6 and my first NINE mile run on this coming Saturday!  

Half Marathon Training Week 4 Recap: Birthday Week

I'm not going to lie and try to make this week sound better than it was. It sucked. My training plan was fairly easy and thankful so because my birthday fell on the Thursday of this week so I was mopey. Yes, mopey is the only word that truly captures how I felt. I had Impending Birthday Doom. I definitely was not looking forward to it. If I could have curled up in a ball eating chips and mac and cheese all week I would have. Instead, I did the bare minimum I needed to get my training done and indulged in beer, wine, birthday cake and Chinese food!  

Just a note, I did switch things up a bit on my training plan to fit my family's schedule better this week.  I'd rather get it done just on different days than not at all.  

Monday

Stayed home with a sick kiddo today, but I decided to get in a 6 mile run once my husband got home so I didn't have to wake up at 4 am tomorrow to run 7 miles. I was exhausted and my stomach hurt, but I found the drive to get it done. I'm glad I did because I felt so much better afterwards.

Tuesday

I switched up Monday and Tuesday's workout on the plan.  Tuesday ended up being a rest day with a Super Short Strength Circuit (SSSC) to work my triceps and core.  I really wasn't into these set of moves this week.

Wednesday

Wednesday should have been a fun workout with SSSC, but the fun never happened.  I honestly can't remember what I did instead, probably just made dinner and cuddled on the couch.  Remember, I wasn't really feeling it this week. 

Thursday - My Birthday!  Yay? 

My birthday AND I get to run INTERVALS.  YAY!  I decided to spend the first day of my 38th year circling the sun by getting up at 4:30 am to get this done.  I won't lie - I originally got back into bed, but after 30 seconds or so I had guilt tripped myself into getting up again to run.  

According to my plan I had to do a 10 minute warm up, Then 3 rotations of 1 minute in zone 4-5 with a 2 minute recovery then 2 minutes in zone 4-5 with a 2 minute recovery.  Cool down was 10 minutes.  

It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be and I was happy to get it done.  It gave me enough energy to get through the day which ended in beer and birthday cake.  

Friday

I took Friday off from work for my birthday and so Scarlett and I could get our physical exams done for the year.  I did manage to squeeze in a 3 mile run (was supposed to be 4) before we left.  It was hard fought and I'm pretty sure I sweated out all of my beer from the night before.  There was really nothing easy about it, but again I was just happy to get something done.

Saturday

Today was supposed to be my long run day, but since Sunday was supposed to be the nicer of the 2 days I switched it.  Instead we all took a 1 mile family walk around the neighborhood to enjoy the Spring-like weather.

Sunday (Long Runday)

The day was finally here!  It was time to get my 7 mile long run done.  Before my run I made sure to stretch out my calves because they have been so tight lately.  It felt good to stretch and I was hoping they would hold up for this run.  I headed out around mid-morning hoping the weather would be just perfect.  I bought a runner's water bottle, you know the kind that straps to your hand, and tried it out for the first time.  I was irritated with it after the first mile so I dropped it at home.  By mile 4 I had regretted that decision and had to stop home for a drink.  I just needed enough to wet my whistle.  

Overall, this run was just OK.  I felt dehydrated, and my stomach was really unhappy.  Hell, even my allergies were bugging me.  My calves stayed sore for most of the run.  I still managed to make pretty good time all things considered.  

I'm definitely going to have to figure out something to eat at mile 6 besides raisins.  I haven't perfected how to eat them while running and without dropping them all over the ground.  I do have an idea that I am working on and it involves my fat bomb!  Stay tuned!  

Half Marathon Training Week 3 Recap!

Week 3 has come and gone and I happily stuck with the plan even though I had to make some modifications.

Day 1 - Monday

Today I had to complete Circuit Run 2 and Super Short Strength Circuit 2.  If you remember from Week 1, I surprised myself by LOVING the circuit run.  It broke up the monotony of a regular run.  For this circuit run I had to warm up for 10 minutes at an easy pace.  Then stop and do one exercise for 1 minute before jumping back on the treadmill for 5 minutes.  I had to repeat this pattern until all 4 exercises were done.  Those exercises were:  Push-ups, walking lunges, jump rope and plank.  It was a great workout and I got 2 miles in.

Day 2 - Tuesday

The plan called for an EASY 6 mile run, but I didn't sleep well the night before so there was no way I was getting up early to get it in.  I decided to swap it out with Wednesday's Rest plus SSSC 2 instead.  

6 miles at 4 am?  No problem.

Day 3- Wednesday

Since I swapped days, today was the day that I had to plan on that EASY 6 mile run.  Since when did 6 miles become easy?  So, like any crazy person I set my alarm for 4 am and actually GOT UP!  What is even crazier is I got it done and still got to work on time.  I kept my pace between a 10-11mm.  I had to stop often to do quite a bit of stretching of my calves, arms and lower back and it actually wasn't until mile 4 or so that I started to feel like I was in the groove.

Day 4 - Thursday

Sigh, I wasn't looking forward to today's schedule of hill repeats mostly because it is too dark for me to run before or after work and my husband told me to NEVER EVER use the incline on my ancient treadmill.  Today I needed to improvise.  After warming up for 10 minutes on the treadmill, I worked in my hill repeats by climbing the stairs in my home for 15 minutes.  Talk about boring.  But I had to get it done and I really need work on maintaining my pace on hills.  Never was I so glad to hear an alarm go off before!  After my 15 minutes of stairs, I headed back downstairs to the treadmill to cool down for 10 minutes.

Day 5 - Friday

Yay for cross-training day!  Since it had been awhile I decided to do a morning yoga video for my cross-training.  If you haven't checked out Yoga with Adrienne on Youtube you really should.  They are really well made videos with lots of different levels.  I was so happy to only have to set my alarm for 15 minutes earlier today to get up and get it done (Yay for 5:15 instead of 4am).  The stretch felt good and I set my intention for the day to stay away from veggie chips and sticks since I don't need the extra carbs, but I've been addicted lately to them both.

I also had to do SSSC 2 again which I fit in later in the day.  I was so happy to enjoy a glass of wine (or 2) after work.

Day 6 - Saturday 

Hello, long run day!  8 miles you say?  Sounds good although 7 was my longest and now I had to push it 1 mile longer.  I took this outside in the beautiful 50 degree, sunny New Hampshire weather.  I way overdressed:  Fleece running tights, long sleeved shirt with fleece jacket and a fleece headband.  The "what to wear" guide for running in the temperature it was even suggested mittens!  No way.  I ended up going home after mile 1.5 to ditch the fleece jacket and headband.  I almost went home later on to change into a short-sleeved shirt, but I toughed it out.  At mile 4 I stopped for water at home and at mile 6 I ate raisins so I slowed down considerably.

8 miles, done and done.

Overall, I'm happy with my pace and the fact that I was able to do it.  I kept my pace consistent and I figure I'll be running my half marathon at an 11mm although I'd like a 10 mm pace.  My calves were tight and it took until the end for them to really feel good.

I did come home to ice my ankles because I felt some tendinitis coming on.  My knees hurt pretty bad too and I don't know if it was runner's knee or my arthritis flaring up.

How thankful am I though that next Saturday's long run is "only" 7 miles?

And yes, I did maintain my pace up a bunch of hills on the neighborhood course I created for myself so all those stairs earlier in the week worked out great for me.  

Half Marathon Training Week 2 Recap

Week 2 of my half marathon training through Another Mother Runner is DONE!  I enjoyed the activities this week, especially the "fun" exercise with my daughter on Monday.  She must have really enjoyed it too because she can't stop talking about dancing with mommy while daddy took pictures of us.  I'm so happy that I am role modeling to her how to be healthy.

New England got clobbered with snow so unfortunately there was no "runching"(running on lunch break) this week.

Monday - Day 1

Today's assignment was to complete a "fun" workout and Super Short Strength Circuit (SSSC)1 (we have 4 different sets of these).  Since it still gets dark too early to go outside and do anything, I opted for putting on some dance music and "dancing" with my daughter which was really just us jumping, twirling and running in a circle.  I got a good exercise in but more importantly she LOVED it.  

The SSSC consisted of 1 minute of each of the following 4 exercises:  Push-ups, squats, leg lifts and spiderman wall climbs.  These exercises are so easy you can really do them anywhere which is nice.  One minute might not sound like a lot, but its long enough.  Trust me.

Tuesday - Day 2

I needed 5 easy miles today.  I got in 4.  I really should have woken up early to get it done before work, but I was exhausted from not sleeping well on Sunday night still and if I don't sleep well, then I don't run well.  Tuesday was also the First in the Nation Primary Voting here in New Hampshire so I waited in line in my car after work for 25 minutes just to park to vote so I lost some time there.  By the time, Scarlett and I got home after voting and got our chores done I was lucky I got in 4 easy miles at all.  

Wednesday - Day 3

The plan called for cross-training or rest plus the SSSC 1.  I opted for rest and completing the SSSC1 on a break at work.

Thursday - Day 4

Here we go.  Here is where I learned from my planning mistakes earlier in the week.  I set my alarm for 4:30am and dutifully got up to get 4 easy miles in BEFORE work.  I'm proud that I did it, but I was exhausted by the time I got out of work 12 hours later at 4:30 pm.  

Friday - Day 5

3 easy miles or cross-training plus the SSSC1.  I decided ahead of time that I was going to do yoga for some cross-training since I haven't been able to fit in a session in awhile.  Originally, I wanted to get up early to do it while everyone slept, but again I didn't sleep well so I needed to get some more rest.  It was a busy, long day at work and Scarlett had a short play date after school here but I did manage to fit in about 25 minutes of yoga plus the SSSC1.  I felt so good after the yoga!  My legs, especially my feet were really fatigued so they were crying out for a good stretch.  My long run was planned for the next day, Saturday, so I couldn't risk them being tired or in pain.

Saturday - Day 6

Our long runs are always planned for the weekend, thankfully, otherwise I wouldn't know how to fit them in.  7 miles was scheduled for today, which if completed, would be my longest run ever.  I decided to get up at 6:30 am to get 4 miles in on the treadmill before I had to shower, get dressed, get my daughter up and dressed and out the door by 8:45 am for her 2 dance classes.  I'm happy to report that I successfully did all of this!

Now, you might be wondering, why only 4 miles?  Don't you need 7?  

Well, I decided around 2 weeks ago to register for the Fat Tuesday 5k through Millennium Running simply because they rescheduled it from Tuesday, February 9 at 7pm to Saturday, February 13 at 1pm.  The change was due to Manchester, NH city officials urging the race to be rescheduled due to it being on the same night as the First in the Nation Primary.  I didn't want to do the race on the first date because it was going to be after work and I didn't want to deal with traffic or choose between running and voting.  Voting is more important in my book.

Not only was I going to run 7 miles for the first time, but this was going to be the first time I ever put in 4 miles BEFORE running a race!  I really didn't know what to expect.

The best part?  The temperatures were going to be downright dangerously frigid and there was a possibility of an inch of snow!  Why did I register for this again?  Oh yeah, I'm a little crazy AND there was a blingy medal to get.

Thankfully, someone in my Mom's Run This Town running group posted what to wear in such frigid conditions because I would have been waaaaay underdressed.  Instead, I was toasty warm with my wool socks, 2 pairs of pants, 2 long sleeve shirts with a fleece on top, a gaiter, a hat and 2 hoods plus wool mittens and Vaseline on my face.  WOW.  Just wow.

The race started off great.  My legs felt good and I fought my way past some slower moving people.  Mile 1 was a bitch as always and the wipping wind didn't help.  Mile 2 ended up being my slowest mile because of a hill.  I powered my now lead-filled legs up and around it.  I ended up zoning out after that and luckily looked down at my Garmin to see that I was crawling along at a 13:45 mm pace!  Considering my first mile was done in 9:41 this was so slow for me.  After that I snapped out of it and powered down the hill and onto the final mile.  I stayed pretty steady in my final mile and actually managed to zoom UP the final hill before the finish line. I powered past quite a few people that I had been chasing.

I always give myself a cheer for making it to the finish line.

I didn't PR, in fact I was 19 seconds off from my 5k PR time, but I'm not upset.  I put in 4 miles before the race and ran 7 miles for the first time in a day.  Plus it was just downright COLD.  What I am going to take away from this race is that once I crest the top of a hill I just need to get moving again.  Now more lollygagging at the top! Thats where I lost a good 40 seconds at least.

Sunday is a well earned rest day and then it is on to week 3!  

Total Miles this week:  15

Let the Half Marathon Training Begin!

 I START HALF MARATHON TRAINING THIS MONTH! 

This means that now my family time will be even more limited although I did use some of my Fantasy Football winnings to purchase a training plan from Another Mother Runner which will help me stay on track but allow for some downtime too, if you count being a wife and mommy as "downtime".  If you haven't heard of them, you should really check them out.  They understand the challenges of being an athlete and a mother.  I recently ordered their book Tales from Another Mother Runner:  Triumphs, Trials, Tips and Tricks from the Road.  I can't wait to delve into it!

Week 1, Day 1

Monday, February 1 was Week 1 Day 1.  My first run was a circuit run which means I did a 5-10 minute warm-up, then alternated performing 4 different moves for at least a minute before jumping back on the treadmill for 5 minutes in between each one.  The moves were squats, planks, arm circles (forwards and backwards) and push ups.  I didn't think I would like this kind of run but I really did and I'm looking forward to the next one.

Week 1, Day 2

For day 2 I had to put in 4-5 easy miles.  I decided to run on my lunch break rather than wake up at 4:30am when my alarm went off.  I'm so glad I did!  It was a beautiful, warm and sunny day out!  If you look at my splits you can see that I have no idea how to pace myself. Granted, it didn't help that I was dodging beer bottles, sticks, ice, patches of snow, puddles and just random pieces of garbage floating around Manchester, but still I think those times are horrible even for me.

Day 3, today, was a rest day except for performing a Super Short Strength Training Circuit.   The circuit consisted of performing each of 4 moves for 1 minute.  The moves were:  Push ups, leg lifts, spider man walks and of course, squats!

Tomorrow I need to run some intervals so I'll be "runching" (running lunch) it again!

For the record I am running the Gate City Half Marathon in Nashua, NH on Sunday, May 15! 

February Low Carb, High Fat, Gluten Free Dinner Menu

Happy February!

Smoked Sausage Cheddar Beer Soup .

February is a very special, very busy and very expensive month for us.  Both the Mister and I have our birthdays, there is Valentine's Day and my brother and mother-in-law have birthdays as well.  And there is the Super Bowl too which we actually get to relax and watch this year since our beloved Patriots won't be in it.  Crazy.

February also brings with it a new dinner menu.  During the last week of the month prior I sit down with my pen, paper and log into Pinterest to start planning out the next month's menu.

I started menu planning a year ago and it really has been a game changer for me.  I don't grocery shop nearly as much because I have everything I need to make dinner already.  We also don't eat out as much because frankly, if I can make it at home why would I pay someone 3 times as much to eat it at their restaurant?  Menu planning has definitely made me picky about eating out.

Now, I don't cook every night and most of our lunches tend to be leftovers from the night before.  The reason I don't cook every night is because I get such little time to spend with my family that I really can't bear to stand at the stove for an hour, hour and a half every night.  Plus, I start Half Marathon training this month!

February Dinner Menu

Super Bowl/Husband's Birthday Meal  

• Bacon Cheeseburger Crock Pot Dip:  I buy GF chips, but they are NOT low-carb so be careful here if you want to stay in Ketosis.
• Smoked Sausage Cheddar Beer Soup  

Cuban Pot Roast from I Breathe I'm Hungry.

Rest of the Month

• Tuscano Soup
• Smoked and Pulled Pork Butt
• Low Carb Chili
• Taco Soup
• Beef Stew
• Smothered Pork Chops
• Cuban Pot Rost

The Ketogenic Cookbook Recipes

The Following recipes can be found in the book The Ketogenic Cookbook.  

• Zucchini Tot Hot Dish
• Swedish Meatballs
• Easy Mortadella Ravioli
• Kielbasa and Braised Cabbage
• Herb and Ricotta Rotolo 
• Asian Lettuce Wraps 

I'd love to hear about which recipes you've tried and which ones were hits or misses!

Until next time!

Sabrina