The Virtual 5k

After a 4 day drive with some visiting along the way I am in Miami with my two baby girls (well my oldest is turning 4 in a couple days so I guess she officially is not a baby any longer). 

My sister flew up to Kansas to drive down with me and help with the kids, man I am so glad she did.  Two kids would have been too much even for me on this long drive.  We made it to Miami on Sunday and that night I went out to do my Virtual 5k that Tara Tosta was hosting to help find a cure for diabetes. 

My sister was going to do this 5k with me, but she got sick on the trip and was not feeling well so she stayed home.  I can be a bit of a chicken running in a new place so I took there dog Cheyenne with me on my run.  After several days of traveling and not much sleep (I don’t sleep well in hotels, and my 4mo old still does not sleep through the night) this run did not go as well as I would have liked.  It was hard to say the least, but I pushed through and did it even if there was some walking involved.

I know that I will get back to my old running self where a 5k is just a walk in the park but it can be frustrating when you know you use to run this distance for fun and it is so hard now.  Some days I go out and 3 miles is not so bad so I know I am getting better, just have to keep pushing through and in time I will be knocking out 10 milers like nothing.

As I mentioned in my previous blog, Tara got many companies to support her 5k by donating tons of great items to auction off for the participants.  I was super excited to find out that I won a $15 gift card for RoadID.  I am a huge fan of RoadID, I think everyone who goes out to run should have one.  You never know when something bad may happen and I for sure would want my family to be notified if I was hurt.  So I am super excited to have won this, I may already have a RoadID but members of my family who run don’t so you know they will be getting one for sure now :).  Looks like Tara is going to do this race yearly so check out her blog that way you don’t miss out on the fun next year.

I am running a 5k with my sister in a few days and can’t wait to see how we do.  I will be rested and not coming off a 4 day drive so I am planning on kicking some 5k booty this time. 

Happy Running all and remember we may have a bad run but that just means the next one will be better!!! So get out there and run!

Need some motivation please!!

It has been 4 months since I had my new baby girl, and I have to say that I am struggling to get back to my healthy ways.  My diet is not too terrible but I forgot how hard it was to lose weight.  For me I have to really watch what I eat and not cheat if I want to lose anything.  The first 12 pounds seemed to just fall off but now these last 10 I am really struggling with.  Some days I am right on point and others I cheat badly.  I will keep on fighting this and know that even though it may be hard I will get back to my old weight and fit in to all my clothes!!!

As far as working out, well this is difficult to say the least with two kids around.  I have gotten some great workouts in and do manage to work out every week.  But having a normal workout routine has proven difficult.  I am finding that I cannot commit to work out every day at a certain time because the baby may have a bad night and wake up 20times and I am too tired or I can’t get her down for a nap to get my run on in the afternoon.

Even though I seem to have some really great excuses on why after 4 months I am not in better shape, I think one of the things I am struggling with the most these days is motivation.  Some days I got it, others not so much.  So to help with my motivation I have signed up to run 2 5k’s in the next couple of weeks. 

Virtual 5KThe first 5k is for a cause I believe in.  My Ultra running friend Tara is hosting a virtual 5k to help raise money for Type 1 Diabetes.  If you don’t know anything about Type 1 diabetes just know that this disease sucks big time.  It is nothing like Type 2 and there is no cure.  So if you want to do something to help this cause just click here to sign up for this 5k it is only $10 to enter and she has a pretty nice list of times that were donated to raffle off to the runners, so go check it out.

My second 5k is down in Miami with my sister for July 4^th.  We (meaning my sister and I) are racing each other.  Now I have been running a lot longer than my sister and have always kicked her booty.  So going into this challenge I really did not feel the pressure.  Well I find out yesterday my big sister has really been training.  Yes folks I better kick it in gear or she is going to beat me.  

I am planning on going out and getting 4miles in this morning after my hubby wakes up so he can take care of the kiddos while I get my run on.  I really don’t feel like it but I know that I have to push myself.  I am waiting for those mornings when all I want to do is run.  I remember those days and look forward to getting them back.  

Maybe I need to find a special reward to give myself if I stay on track for a month and loose these last 10pounds and keep a decent workout schedule (I say decent because a normal schedule is just not going to happen right now).  Maybe a new running skirt or a pair of Nike Frees (I have wanted to try them).  What do you all think is a good reward that could help to motivate me so I stay on track?  

 How do you stay motivated when life gets in the way and sleep does not always happen? 

My first TRI

Well I did it, I finished my very first Triathlon this past Sunday and I must say it was harder than I thought. However I can’t wait to do it again.


The morning of the Tri, by brother-in-law went with me to help me set up because I was way too nervous to go alone. He helped me load up the car and did not flip out when we had to turn around and go back to the house when I forgot my goggles. He was really great and I was so thankful that he went with me.

Once we got to the race I actually ran in to some friends from work and they gave me some pointers and tried to calm my nerves. I really just wanted to get started so I could stop thinking about it. When the time came we headed off to the beach and I was glad to see that they had 3 huge buoys marking the swim. Since I had to leave my glasses back in transition it was nice that these buoys were big enough that there was no way I could miss them. We watched as each wave took off and I decided that I would defiantly start in the back of my wave to avoid the madness at the front.

When it was time for my wave to line up I found a good place in the back and quickly learned that all the girls in the back with me were first timers too. When the gun went off I walked in the water and let the madness go before me. When I finally started swimming I realized that the pool is very different than Open Ocean and I started to freak out a little every time I put my face in the water. You see with everyone churning up the water you could not see a thing, and then the salt water would splash in your face and the taste and feel of it is totally different than the pool. Even tough I started to freak out there was no way I was quitting so I decided to just swim it with my head out of the water. I knew this would slow me down but at least I could still do it. All in all I was very happy with my swim time; I ended up finishing the swim in 10:21 which was still a PR for me.

The transition between the swim and bike was long. We had to run all the way up the beach into the parking lot and over to the transition area. Once I got out of the water I started running up the beach and then realized that I must have pushed harder than I thought on the swim since my heart was racing so much I was having a hard time catching my breath (this could also have been a side effect of the whole freak out thing), so I ended up walking a bit up the beach so I could catch my breath and calm down. The total transition time ended up taking me over 6:47 and really just took way to long. This I am sure if from being a newbie and just not really knowing what I was doing.

Once on the bike I felt good. I borrowed my sister’s mountain bike for the race and although she is much taller than I am it ended up working fine, I just had to really lean it down to get on and off of it but that was no big deal. The morning of the Tri there was a pretty good wind blowing and the bike section of the race was and out and back that took us over a HUGE bridge and then you turn right around and go back over the bridge. On the way out the wind was to our back, so I was making pretty good time with out working too hard. Once I got down the bridge and turned around I got hit by that wind and thought OH CRAP! I tried to pick up the speed so I could get as far up that hill as possible but it really did not help much. The wind was blowing so bad that all you could hear was the wind, I just kept thinking of my friend Tara who was out running in a 24 hour race and knew what ever she was feeling was much worse than my stupid little hill and wind situation so I just kept peddling along. I really can not express the total utter relief I felt when I finally made it to the top of that bridge and knew that the hardest part of the bike was now over, my smile must have been huge. When I turned the final corner to get back to the Transition area I saw my family. They all came out to cheer me on and it really meant so much to me. Even my little 3yr old daughter was there holding up a sign, and the smile she shot me really made my whole day. My bike time was not the best but it was better than my worst I finished the bike in 50 min.

The transition between the bike and the run went much faster than the first one and I was in and out in 1:57 which I am very pleased with.

Going into this I knew the run was going to be my weakest point. Not only because it was the last thing but since my leg started to bother me again, I never even got up to running 3 miles before this race. My longest run in several months was 2.5 miles on the treadmill. So although I was disappointed when I had to stop and walk I was not really that surprised. My goal was to finish and I did so should not be upset about my run time but I am a runner and to say that I am disappointed would be an understatement. My time for the run was 40:30 my worst time ever since I started running a couple years ago. I know I was not ready for the run section and could rattle off a ton of excuses for my time but really it just comes down to I was not ready for it and I knew that going in.

So my final time for the race was 1:50:23 which was 10min faster than I was hoping for. I am pleased with my final time and think I did pretty well for a first timer and being 2 months pregnant. I am however very disappointed that I can not do another one till after this pregnancy. I know I can do better and want to get out there and do it again. But I guess this will be a great goal for after I have this baby. I have already told my husband that we need to look into getting me a Tri bike because I am going to do this again.

My big comeback plan for after this baby is to do a couple where the swim is in a pool, then switch to a lake. Once I am feeling more comfortable with a lake swim I want to give the ocean a try again. I don’t like that I was so freaked out and will not give up until I can do an ocean swim and feel completely comfortable and relaxed.

Prerace jitters or lack of training?

My very first Triathlon is just a few days away and I have to say I am getting nervous. I am starting to wonder why I get myself into these things and if I am just nuts. I feel like I could have used a few more weeks of training. As a matter of fact I have not done much training in the last couple of weeks at all.


You see my husband was activated and is down helping with the oil spill so he has been gone, which cuts down on my workout time. Then I planned a trip to drive down to see him and then visit my family in Florida (which is where the triathlon is) so I had to get ready for that and then drive the 2000 miles with my toddler, dog, and two cats. I also had my daughters third birthday that we went out of town for in this time frame. And then I found out that I am pregnant and with it being the first trimester I have been so tired that a few times I actually opted for a nap instead of a swim or run.

I know sounds like a lot of excuses right. I knew all this was coming up but really thought I would still have the time to get my training in. I was wrong. Last week I did nothing but pack, work, plan, and clean. No swimming, biking, or running at all. Now with just a few days till the race I am starting to wonder if I am really ready for this. I know each thing individually I can do but with them all thrown in together I am not as confidant anymore. And the last run I did the pain in my leg came back, so that has me very worried. I am going to try for one last run tonight then no running till the race because I am too worried about reinjuring the stress fracture again.

I know all my nerves could just be pre race jitters but then again I am not too confidant in my training this time around so not sure if that is all it is. To be honest I am almost feeling like not doing the race at all but feel like that would be quitting and I am not a quitter. I guess I signed up for this thing so I am going to give it my best and hope that is good enough. I just hope I do not embarrass myself in the process.

How do you all deal with prerace nerves when you are not totally confidant in your training?

The Barefoot Running Book - Review

The Barefoot Running Book

By: Jason Robillard

As you all know by now after suffering another running related injury I finally decided to go barefoot. I have been back to running for a couple of months now and was ordered by my doctor to take it VERY slow. So this gave me the perfect opportunity to go all out barefoot.

I was contacted around the same time by Jason to see if I would be interested in reviewing his new Barefoot Running Book. I cannot even tell you how excited I was to get it and absorb all the information Jason could share. And man does he have a lot of useful information in this book.

By the time I got Jason’s book I had already started my barefoot journey, but still found the beginning of the book very helpful with all of his drills. You see Jason takes a do it slow and well kind of approach to bare footing it. He tells you how to get your feet ready to go totally shoe less and gives you drills to practice being barefoot. No matter what your barefoot level is you can benefit from doing his drills.

The book is broken down to sections for the beginner, intermediate, and advanced barefoot runner. For the beginner you will learn how to start going barefooted and what to expect as far as blisters go. Jason also gives you several drills to do so you can get your feet conditioned and use to sensing what is under them. The advanced section is for after you are able to run about 2 miles without discomfort during and after the run. This section talks about varied terrain, hills, and speed training. Jason also gives you more drills to practice these things and get your foot eye coordination working to peek level. For the advanced level you will learn about racing and he gives you ideas of what to do with that timing chip that goes on the shoes you left at home. He also talks about trail running and extreme weather.

I have to say Jason has covered it all. If you are thinking about going barefoot you really must get this book. He will walk you through every step to get you barefoot and running as soon as possible. This book has really helped me in my barefoot journey and will continue to help me as my feet get stronger and I can do more of Jason’s drills.

So broken down this book is a must have for anyone who wants to go barefoot. No matter what your level you will find useful information in this book. And Jason’s humor makes it a fun easy read. For those of you who are worried about the looks and comments you will get from going bare there is even a chapter to cover that. So this book is truly your one stop barefoot running shop.

Note: Even though I was sent me this book to review, the review is my opinion and I was not paid in any way to write this. I truly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it

Decided to TRI

Since my injury, I have had to do a lot more biking and swimming to keep my fitness level up. And now that I can finally run again I have still been keeping up with the bike and swimming so I finally decided to go for a Triathlon.


I have always wanted to do a TRI but fear the swim. I am not a strong swimmer and have never had any professional lessons. So all I have been doing to train is jump into my pool most afternoons and try to swim as much as I can. I am for the first time in my life feeling a little confidant in my swimming. Now I am not fast and I don’t think I even look like a real swimmer, but I am able to swim a couple hundred yards no problem.

I have been planning a trip down to Miami, Florida to visit my family for a couple weeks and decided that I will do my TRI there. I made this decision for a couple reasons, the first being that it is FLAT. No hills for the bike or run which is a huge plus. The second reason is because I am so nervous about this having a big cheering crowd for just me will be helpful and I have a lot of family and friend there to cheer me on.

So now I have 2 more weeks to train before I leave for Miami, then I will have one week there before the big race. Holy Moly that is not a lot of time. I have never done an open water swim and this Tri starts in the ocean, so I guess this is a great way to break me in right? It was suggested that when I get down there I should go for a swim in the ocean and see how it is, but to tell you the truth I think it will scare me even more. If I just wait till race day, I will be nervous anyway and then really have no choice but to do it. Maybe not the best plan but the best plan for me I think.

These next couple of weeks are going to be filled with a TON of training, I need to swim or bike 6 days a week and run every other day (still recovering so can’t push it). And then on race day I will just have to hope that it was enough. This is a Sprint Tri so it is a ¼ mile swim, 10mile bike, and a 3.1 mile run.

I would love to hear any advice you have for my first TRI. What gear should I bring? What do you tell yourself when you feel like running back to the car instead of in to the ocean for the swim? How do you handle the first time you get kicked in the face during the swim? What fuel do you bring? It is going to be hot so is a wearing a camel pack with water okay for the bike or too much?

Please share your knowledge, I know nothing and need all the help I can get… YIKES am I really doing this?

Running = Happy Mommy

It amazes me how even a little bit of running can make me feel great. I have finally made it to over a mile today 1.2 miles to be exact and on concrete too (which my doctor strictly forbade me from). The doc said it was too hard of a surface for my legs, but I am hoping the barefoot running will compensate for that (you know the built in shock absorbers in my feet/legs). I am getting sick of the treadmill and my feet need more of a workout on some other surfaces too so every other run I will try and get outside.


So far my leg is doing fine; to be completely honest I am aware of the spot that was hurting before. But only the day of my runs then it goes away, still not sure what it is but I am rolling with it for now unless it starts to hurt more.

The barefoot running is going great, I am reading “The barefoot running book” by Jason Robillard and following his advice (a book review will come soon). I was surprised today that my feet did not hurt and did not get tender the entire run. This tells me that I am not only on track with building my mileage up but my feet are adapting well too.

I have also decided to start swimming this week, and guess what that is going great too. I am finding the breathing to be the hardest part but find that every day I am getting better.

One other major thing going on right now is that my fellow running mom Anna Stein has brought me on as a partner on some websites. I always knew I loved doing graphics but never realized how much I really loved web design till now. We have created one site totally together www.activities-for-toddlers.com and now we are working on a total site makeover on her www.running-mom.com site. Thanks to Anna I have decided that this is what I want to be doing. I find that I can spend the whole day working on the websites and never feel like I am working at all. Of course my family is getting a little annoyed with me for being on the computer too much so I need to find the right balance, but at 33 years old I have finally figured out what I want to do for a career.

I just find it so amazing that when I could not run I felt sad and depressed. I fought more with my family and was just stressed out all the time. Now that I can run even a little I am so much happier and my life feels like it is coming together. I believe that if everyone in the world ran that the world would be a happier place, I know my house is when I run.