Ready...Set...Marathon???

Well, I did it, I signed up for a Marathon! I will be training and (if all goes well) running on January 17, 2016 in the Carlsbad Full Marathon. Who is excited? This gal! Who is scared to death? THIS GAL!! In case you haven't heard, it is a long freaking way to run!! 26.2 miles of one foot in front of the other! I got this and I am ready! Stay tuned as I do some major strength training and weight loss to make sure I am in the best shape I can be in going into the training.

Here is my plan for the summer to get ready! First I plan to do about a 20 week training plan so that puts me starting towards the end of August. Leading up to that I am going to start consistently running 3-4 days a week. I want my average mileage each week to be around 20 miles, so I am going to start getting in 3 - 5 mile runs a week with a longer run on the weekends. However, since I have been pretty lax the last month that means I need to work up to that, so I am giving myself until July to get there, should be sufficient time since I already run about 10 miles a week.

Along with running I am going to start a new 30 minute work out program that should last about 60 days. This will be 5-6 days a week of 30 minute home videos using my own body strength to get my strength where I want it. I need you all to help keep me accountable. Please feel free to ask me regularly how I am doing! I know if you are asking me I will want to make sure I can give a good answer and make my goal!

I am also going continue eating a cleaner and healthier diet. That is the best way to make sure I continue to lose weight. Exercise alone will not get weight off. I need to eat to fuel my body for optimal performance while burning the excess fat.  Sounds so technical and easy and yet it is so hard when I am craving all that sugar and junk food!

I am going to post weekly how my work outs are going. Once I finalize my training plan for the Marathon I will let you know :-). Happy Last Weekend in May 2015! Lets make it a fun, fit and healthy one!

Motivation and Transformation

So, I am feeling lazy these days. I am focusing on work and my business but it is coming at the expense of my work outs! I find myself needing to remember what my why is and what my next goal is. So here I sit. Have no fear, I will be running this afternoon. Goal today, run to my daughters school (about 3 miles) and then walk her home. It is a win win for us all. We can all get our exercise in!

Today I am working on remembering where I was, am, and where I want to go! Feel free to come along for the shortened version!

So, today I am here with my pants about to fall off me. I did solve that problem and found that Levi's make a great jean for us ladies with curves :-). I have hips, always will (thank you Dad for that gene :-)). I am happy where I have gotten, but I am not done with my journey.

May 15, 2015 Where I am now!

To really appreciate where I am I have to think about where I came from. When searching my photos to try and find a good "before" photo I realized that I really don't have many. Funny thing, when you aren't happy with the way you look you don't want to document that look! So the best I can do is April 2013 getting ready for a girls night. I stayed away from colors because black hides the weight right?

April 2013

As all of you know I started running to help me lose weight. Like a lot of late starting runners, before December 2011 I HATED running. But I kept hearing that it burned the most calories and thus best way to lose weight. Well, it worked a little. I dropped some weight, but it wasn't coming off like I wanted. I finally realized I needed to do something about my nutrition. Running helped so I didn't continue GAINING weight, but it wasn't getting any more off. 

This led to me connecting with a great friend from High School who got me into the Insanity Max:30 program. And wow! Along with drinking Shakeology daily I started seeing definition and toning in my body. 

Breakfast of Choice

The Shakeology helped me to stop the sugar cravings, but I knew I was still lacking on my portion controls. After the 60 day program finished I knewi needed something else in March to continue the slow momentum.  I had some big races, and vacation, in April that I wanted to really be ready for. Thank you Autumn Calabrese for coming out with 21 Day Fix Extreme just in time! Once I got a hold of the food containers and the program the weight finally started to drop! I was focused and ready to get the weight off. From January 2015 to March 2015 I lost 20 lbs and have been able to keep it off even after all the "big" events!

April 11, 2015 End of Ragnar So Cal!

Now, I have nothing major to train for until next fall and I find myself at a lack of motivation. I need to remember that now is the time to get these next 20 lbs off so my marathon training goes smoothly. (Yes stay tuned I will be training for a marathon starting in August). 

I will be posting this on my mirror so that I remember every day that my body is the only one I get in this life. I need to treat it with respect and take care of it! I am going to do another round of 21 Day Fix Extreme starting on June 8th! If anyone would like to join me please email me at carriesjouney2health@gmail.com and we can get you started on your journey too!

I Own This Hill #runlajollahalf

So, I had a busy weekend! It was jam packed with fun. Ok, some may think my idea of fun is a little warped since it includes running 13.1 miles up a very big couple of hills. But I can't think of a better way to spend a beautiful Southern California weekend morning. Let me break down the week/weekend briefly (or not so briefly) for you.

My last run before my goal race, La Jolla Half Marathon, was a treadmill hill workout. I was not feeling like running on the treadmill, but didn't want to push the stroller either, so treadmill won. I decided to mix it up and make it interesting by doing a little hill interval workout. I did an easy 10 min jog warm up and then the fun began. I did 1 min intervals starting the incline at 1 and then jumping to 3, 6, 9, and then 12% inclines. I ran each incline for 1 minute and then did an easy 1 minute recovery run on 0% incline. Then I reversed the inclines and did 12, 9, 6,3, and 1% with the 1 minute recovery run in between each increase. So, if you are doing your math I have now ran for 30 minutes, when I didn't want to run at all! After a 10 minute cool down run I have now ran about 3 miles and feeling great! I am confidant after that run that I can conquer La Jolla and "the Hill" at Torrey Pines. I got this!

I can run any Hill after that workout!

I thought I would beat the packet pick up rush for the La Jolla Half Marathon by picking up my packet on Friday afternoon. I thought surely on this rainy afternoon the expo won't be to busy. I spent the morning cuddling with my youngest cutie watching movies and praying the rain would disappear before Sunday morning.

Tapering Friday cuddling with my youngest daughter.

So, after cuddling with cutie, and Hubby got home from his rainy golf game I set off for the expo. I was very wrong about the expo being a quick in and out. Apparently the majority of the 7,500 runners thought Friday would be a better day to get their bibs. It was crowded. I was to lazy to wait in lines so I decided I didn't need to buy any GU. They had them at mile 7 when I ran in 2013, surely they would again this year, right? But I did run into my Ragnar Team Mate and had time to snap a selfie as before I escaped the madness that was Road Runner Sports! Always fun to see Cristina at any event! Her smile is contagious and she is such an encouragement to anyone that knows her!

Cristina, queen of selfies!

Bib picked up and now I am ready to relax on Saturday. Funny thing is, normally you get your bib on Saturday and the race is the next day. Something about packet pickup makes the race very real for me. So know I found myself with an extra day to stress about the run. Thankfully I was still feeling confidant from my great Ragnar runs and my mid week treadmill hill work. "I own this hill" was going thru my head over and over again!

We also spent Saturday with family celebrating birthdays. That was a nice distraction. Other than sitting in a LOT of traffic it was a nice slow day. My legs got a lot of rest. According to my fitbit I didn't even walk a full 2,000 steps that day. I may have been a little TOO lazy, but hey, I was tapering!  We got home and cooked up a pizza we had in the freezer. Carb loading has never been a big deal to me. Studies debate the benefits of it so I never worry about it, but it was late in the evening when we got home and we wanted to eat what we had, so pizza was better than a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Because while I am not worried about carb loading before a race, I am worried about getting some nutrition and calories in me. I admit, I also enjoyed a beer after getting done laying out my clothes for the race. I have a hard time passing up a Belching Beaver Peanut Butter Milk Stout, I will admit it! It just tastes so good! Plus 1 beer is just enough to help me get a good night sleep before a race.



Flat Mama ready to go!

So finally, around 10 PM I head to bed. Alarm is set for 5 AM. I want to make sure I have plenty of time to eat something and get to Del Mar for the MRTT (Mother's Run This Town) Group picture. at this point I am scared and tired. I own this hill is my mantra for this run. Nerves make for interesting dreams. I always forget what they are exactly but remember they are weird!

Often plans change and it is key to be flexible, even on race morning. Originally hubby was going to drive me and pick me up. He was supposed to run with me, but due to injury that had been axed a month ago. However, Sunday morning he became sick. So, adjusting and I drove myself. I was glad I got up a little earlier then necessary. Left me time to deal with traffic getting into Del Mar Fairgrounds. Thankful they allow free parking and free shuttle back to start! Really is a great setup!

I got there, parked, grabbed my garbage bag to keep me warm and headed for the bathrooms. If you get there early enough they aren't smelly yet and the lines are not bad. Remember I am trying to hydrate for the run. Thankfully, after the rain on Friday and Saturday I woke Sunday to a cool and clear sky! I was so happy to see the sun. I love the rain but was not prepared to run in it when I was trying to PR. I got to the start corals just in time to meet up with a few of my Ragnar teammates (who I had been missing since we finished 2 weeks ago).

#teamfoxinsocks From Ragnar SoCal

 After a fun quick meet up and pictures time to get warmed up and ready to run. Now in my head I was questioning if I had done enough training. These are some major hills I am about to face. I felt good. I have lost some weight, but am I being realistic with a goal of 2:30-2:40 for La Jolla? I was really questioning myself. I decided to start just behind the 2:30 pacer. I figured if I could stay with him until the hill I would have a strong shot at making my goal.

I made it thru the first 4 miles and feeling strong. The miles seemed to fly by. I was running alone and had my music and the beautiful setting to carry me thru. I saw another Ragnar teammate at the 3rd water station, that was awesome to have her tell me I was looking strong when I was beginning to feel weak gave me the push I needed to keep going. Then around mile 5 as I came down a small hill heading towards "THE" hill I saw Cristina. I knew if I pushed myself just a little I would catch up to her, and I did. She is not only the selfie queen, she is also a "runfie" queen. I had never heard the term before I met her, but she snapped an awesome picture of us with the pacific ocean in the background as we came up on mile 5.5. 

"Runfie" with the always smiling Cristina

Then it was on to the hill.  I wanted so desperately to slow down but knew I had to push thru. I was so excited to finish it and see my time was right on track with my goal. I pushed thru the blisters I could feel coming on and came up the last hill at mile 12. I had about .6 miles left when my watch read 2:30. I knew I was almost there and it was all downhill so I decided there was absolutely no stopping at that point. I literally gave it all I could and started running as hard as I could. I knew I would make the 2:40 goal if I just allowed my body to go. Never did I think I would cover that .6 miles in 4 minutes and 33 seconds. But I did! I crossed the finish line with an official time of 2:34:33. Yes, on a hilly course I BLEW away my previous PR by over 12 MINUTES! It is ridiculous to think of what I accomplished with hard work! I got my weight down, did cross training, and got most of my runs in. Hard work pays off! I am getting faster every day and I will continue!

Finish Line photo, I got my medal!

Official Time

What is next for me, I am thinking some PiYo to continue the weight loss and then. . . Marathon training! Yes, Marathon time for this gal!