Marathon Time!!!!

Okay, I know, I know! Carlsbad Marathon was January 17, 2016 and it is now February 17th, so I am a month late in posting my race recap. But I am going to get everyone all caught up real quick on life. A lot happened the week after the #marathon, and it slowed my #blogging down. But better late then never!

Expo and Packet Pickup, we are ready, we think.

So, lets get right to the fun stuff. I am a MARATHONER! I finished and I lived! I know a lot of people will never understand my #obsession with #running, to be honest I don't understand it myself. However, here I sit, one completed and already signed up for another one. So this is how the weekend played out. I had pretty specific nutritional instructions from my coach. Friday I was to eat a good dinner with fish/seafood and a fine glass of wine. Then get to bed early and get a good night sleep. I did just as I was told. Who am I to argue when being told to drink a good glass of wine, honestly. Then Saturday I was instructed to hydrate, stretch, mobilize, go for an easy walk, foam roll (or use "the Stick") as needed, then eat a big 3 egg omelet with healthy veggies. I was again more than happy to oblige, all these seemed easy enough. The tricky part of the instructions was to take it easy Saturday afternoon, you know, nap, watch a movie, etc. Apparently he forgot I have 2 young kids and a husband that believes in staying very active. In fact, hubby wanted me to help him weed the back hillside.  I must admit, I laughed at him when he said that. Just what I should be doing before a race i have trained 7 months for, climb up a steep embankment and give the gluten and hamstrings a good workout, nope I am good I told him.  I did help with the weeding, on the lower level, then left him to do the rest. I was busy packing any way. My running partner and I had plans to stay up close to the start line so we could actually sleep and not be distracted by the kiddos during the night.

Flat Mommas are ready to go!

So around noon on Saturday the family left for a friends birthday party and I finished packing and rested, picked up my running partner and headed up to the expo to pick up our bibs, buy last minute necessities (like gu and a running pouch) and get her foot taped at the Roc Tape booth. After that we headed to Claim Jumpers for our required chicken, sweet potato, and veggies. It was delicious let me say. Then headed to the hotel, rolled, stretched, laid everything out, and got to bed by 9 PM. It was a fairly good night sleep, woke up a few times, ate my bagel, prefuel, took my salt stick, hydrated etc.

Then the alarm goes off at around 4:15 AM, wow that is early! It was dark and COLD. But we got up and out the door, almost on time. Found a starbucks for the prerace fueling of a breakfast sandwich. Coach said to get an egg mcmuffin, but sorry I cannot eat McDonalds, it just isn't happening. So got a substitute from Starbucks. Got the the start line in plenty of time for a quick warm up and pics from a friend. Coach was running also so he met us at the start line and stayed with us to keep the nerves down until just before the gun went off. Thankfully my running partner had an extra "throwaway" shirt to help keep me warm. It was a brisk 49 degrees for most of the early miles.

The race itself started well. Can I just say there are WAY less people running the marathon then the 1/2 marathon. There were no corrals and it was super lax. Great atmosphere. We started running and used the first mile or two to get warmed up and find our good pace. In those miles we met some other "mother runners" that were out there. It is so funny to meet people you have seen posts from on social media but never met in person and then it is like, "hey we have talked or commented on each others posts." All of a sudden they have a face and are even more fun in person (hint we should get out and off our phones more often). We would proceed to switch lead with them the rest of the run! I will say miles 1-7 we felt pretty good. Then we hit the hill. We knew we would not be able to run the down hill the way we wanted due to my running partners injured foot, so we worked really hard at nailing the up hills. It was all about form and keeping moving. #Posemethod of running was completely the reason we were able to get up the hills in good form and not kill our legs in the process.  So miles 8-15 were all about the up and down of the hills. We were still feeling strong and hanging in. At mile 13 we were met by my wonderful husband and daughters. It was great to see them. They were also at mile 15, 21 and the finish line. Cannot begin to tell you the encouragement it brought to me, so happy my daughters saw me finish something I had trained so hard for, but I am jumping ahead.

So from about mile 15-19 we hung on. Running partners foot was starting to bother but she was staying positive an strong. At mile 17 we saw some orange peels on the ground and started to fantasize about a cold orange slice, then as if an angel was there a spectator was there handing out orange slices and pretzels, it was AWESOME!!! Unfortunately the GU's I had taken at mile 5 and 10 were not helping me, in fact they gave me such bad acid reflux it was actually hindering my breathing. Note to self, I am currently testing real food options for the long runs.

Always fun to see my favorite Mother runners!

Mile 17 brought us a visit from running partners family and friends. They had signs for both of us. In fact I didn't recognize them so I saw a sign that said "GO CARRIE 26.2" and thought, "huh, look at that another Carrie is running the marathon today." Then we got closer and running partner recognized her family and I realized the sign was for me! That gave us a little boost and got us thru to mile 19, were they were waiting for us again to cheer.

Mile 19-23 were a bit more difficult. We took turns hitting the wall and we hit is hard. We were both hurting and running partners foot was REALLY hurting. I did discover the miracle spray #biofreeze, wow that stuff smells but is amazing! At mile 21 we came across my family, meet another couple mother runners who were also first time marathoners and found another angel handing out orange slices.  At around mile 23 I hit my second wind and we both were able to start thinking on the positive side. At this point the time goal of 5:20 was out the window and we were just shooting to finish in the time limit and under 6 hours. At mile 25 we finally caught a speed walker we had been chasing the WHOLE frickin' race and it gave us some motivation to finish strong.

Around Mile 23ish, no other choice but to finish at this point.

As we came around the corner with .1 left to go we saw our families and coach (who finished a good 2 hours ahead of us). Our kids were able get over the barriers and run in to the finish line with us. My 5 yr old loves to tell people that she beat me across the finish line, haha I let her believe she is the winner because why not! She told me that someday she was going to run the marathon and win it. I told her with hard work and dedication I had no doubt she would (and she is a fast little thing so it is possible!)

After we finished we cooled down, took pics with everyone and then left for some pizza. Would you believe after running 26.2 miles I barely ate the rest of the day, and sleeping that night was not really happening. All the #adrenaline and lactic acid was swirling and made if very hard to sleep. But come Monday, I could NOT get enough to eat and was exhausted. I could not even muster enough energy to type up the blog post! I did make it to the gym for stretching and mobilization that felt AMAZING!

Our awesome support crew, could not have done this without these two men!!

I had every intention of writing this on the Friday after, and then. . .the car accident happened. I will tell you more about that in the next post! Stay Tuned!

We did it! We are Marathoners! And the pants were a big hit too. 

6 Days!!!

I am getting very nervous and excited today! It dawned on me that this time next week I will have accomplished a goal I have been working toward for a very long time. I will be a marathoner! Just a quick recap of the past week.

San Diego is known for its beautiful weather year round, so last week was a little bit of a blow to the training schedule. El Nino kicked in full force and we got flooded. I mean it was bad! Thankfully the house escaped and because we got the back hillside landscaped there were no mudslides in the back yard. I am sure the neighbors at the top of the hill behind us are grateful for that. I would hate to have their house fall into ours because of our landscaping (or lack there of previously). So, we escaped that one. However, this SoCal gal doesn't really run in that much rain. I will gladly race in rain and I will run in a nice slight rain shower, but not during flash floods.

Yes, this was the weather report at 3 on Wednesday, 1/6/16

So, my Wednesday hill repeats got pushed to a treadmill on Thursday and that meant my Friday run was delayed til Saturday. But I am so glad I was able to get the run on Saturday in. My oldest daughter had the opportunity to swim and learn from the high school students on her swim team and so that meant getting her up and to swim practice on a cold but beautiful Saturday morning. I took that time to get in my 3 miles. I enjoy when I have a time limit because it pushes me to get done a little faster. I was pretty pleased with my splits on that run.

Sunday was another cold but dry day. We did have clouds and originally I was excited thinking I only had to do 5 - 1 Mile repeats. I could go down to the park and hammer those out in the loop that goes around the soccer fields, nice and flat with a bathroom and water fountain if I needed a refill. No big deal. And then my coach sent me a revised plan. He decided we needed just one more lesson on hills. A 5.8 mile lesson of major ups and downs to be exact. Plus, as an added bonus he would meet us bright and early at 7:30 AM at the starting location. I was glad and sad at the same time. Glad because he would be there to help me get my form correct and really make sure I was doing what needed to be done. Sad because that meant I had to set my alarm and really show up ready to work with no excuses. But none the less we did it. Amanda and I got there and got thru it with some good times despite the injury on her foot and the head cold that hit me on Saturday (did I mention I have no time to be sick!). Best words we heard at the end of our training run, DON'T RUN ON MONDAY and NO GYM ON MONDAY. Yes, that is right I am excited for a rest day today!

Coach Bill, me, and my running partner Amanda

The rest of the week will be minimal training runs and some yoga/pilates. Taking the youngest on an easy stroller jog on Wednesday, just 3 miles, and then an easy 30 minute run on Friday just to keep loose. The hardest part will be making sure I am fueling correctly this week. I am still craving sugar after the holidays and have been working on that, but otherwise I am good to go!  Saturday it is off to the expo, dinner with friends, good
night sleep in a hotel (so no littles with bad dreams can keep me up) and then race day! I am as ready as I will be. Praying that is enough!

2016 Goals

So, here I am on January 6th, 2016. A new year has started. I have my goals set, I think. Last year was a year full of new experiences with new friends and old. Things have changed in my life and I am learning to adjust and roll with the punches. As for my fitness goals last year I met some and didn't quite get to others. I did see a major shift in my mindset and that is a big change and a great thing. I stopped acting like I needed to go on a "diet" and started make lifestyle changes. 2015 was a pretty good year all the way around.

Now onto 2016. Goals for this year? Lets start with goals I will be achieving this month: Run my first marathon! For those that don't run, that is 26.2 miles, and yes I may be that person that puts the sticker on her car. I am sorry but that is a really big accomplishment and if my sticker upsets you that is not my problem (said with love). I have been training for 7 months now and am excited and scared to finally hit the start line on January 17th. Best part about it has been getting to know a new running friend and training partner better! I don't know if I would be as prepared and motivated with out Amanda by my side!

I am allowing myself 1 week to recover and then on to the next thing. I will be starting the new Masters Hammer and Chisel program on January 25th. It is a 60 program and I am very excited to start. A lot of my friends started it on the 4th so I am behind the curve on that, but the Marathon is the goal and so I decided to wait. I want to give it all my attention when I start to get the best results. Now, that isn't to say I won't still be running at this time, but no major goal races so these are all just for fun!

Race schedule at this point thru April - Carlsbad Marathon on 1/17/16; Mermaid 1/2 Marathon on 2/13/16; Hot Chocolate 5K with my 9 year old on 3/20/16; Ragnar SoCal with Mermaids Out of Water on 4/1-4/2/16. I had plans to do all these big races this year. Once I evaluated the training time and the goals for the year I decided I am taking it month by month and only doing races that I want to do because they sound fun, not because I want a PR or because I think I should and it fits in a schedule.

Ultimate Goal is to continue setting an example for my daughters of what a healthy and balanced lifestyle looks like. I am also setting the goal to blog weekly and keep everyone up to date on my training, nutrition, and life in general. Keeping the list small and attainable. Stay tuned for more posts on what I am doing to live a happy, active, and balanced life!

Turning a #Negative #Mindset Around

So, here I sit almost half way thru July and WOW it has been a crazy couple of months. I have had some ups and some downs. I have been struggling with getting my #motivation to keep up with my #workouts and #running.

I am now loosely training for Carlsbad Marathon. I do mean loosely! Let me explain. I have a new running friend who uses a coach. I thought that would be a great idea. What I didn't realize is this coach practices the Pose Running Method.  For more information on Pose Method of Running check out an article from competitor.com here.

I am completely fine with this because I understand what it is. However, what I didn't realize is how much harder it would be to implement thru my body what I know in my head. It seems weird, I realize to talk about "learning" to run. But it is learning a new way to run. It is a more efficient way and I am totally down with learning it. I just have also been really #down on myself for not getting it perfect after the first 2 practices. I try to tell myself that I have been running for 3 years so that is a lot of muscle memory to try and recreate. But it get frustrating and brings up a lot of negative self talk.

Let me just give a little back story here. I tend to be a lazy person. I want to be healthy and active, but at the same time if I could be a skinny me and sit on the coach watching TV, I would not mind at all. I also tend to do a lot of self sabotage. Self esteem has been a downfall for me pretty much most of my life. I don't think I deserve to succeed so I make sure that I don't. I can't tell you how many times I have started something to quite when it got hard. Or to not even start because I thought it would be to hard and I wasn't capable. Sticking with something until the end has not been my strong suit. I could list the reasons, but I will save that for another day.

Running partner and I after our first session with Coach Bill, poured on us but it felt great!

The point is, I am queen of self doubt and negative talk. After the first session I was feeling good. Coach Bill took it pretty easy on me. It rained on us, it was a humid muggy day, but I had fueled well that day and it was a new fresh experience. As you can see from the picture I came away from the experience optimistic and excited.

Session 2 was a little more difficult, but still went ok. I have a hard time not over thinking things. That is another problem. But I would get to much in my head. I was still thinking positively. That was on Monday.

Wednesday came and I was in a funk. All day I spent thinking about how I can't get off the ground fast enough and thinking about everything I do incorrectly. I didn't eat properly or drink nearly enough water. This led to a difficult time getting excited about running practice. I was also nervous because we were meeting in Coronado at the beach. Gorgeous setting but running in the soft sand is HARD!

Coronado Beach - yes I was running in the soft sand!

Both my running partner and myself were struggling on the drive out there to get in a happy mood. We were more in the mood of lets just get this done. It is only an hour and we can do this. When you are learning a new running technic this is not the best mindset to have!

We got there and we started warming up. My feet felt like lead, I was not getting off the ground soon enough, my form was awful, and I felt like I was having an asthma attack (I don't have asthma I have seen the doctor about it already). So, I decided to just tell Coach Bill exactly how I was feeling. In the past I would have kept it to myself or just given up. But this time I told him exactly what I was thinking and feeling.

You want to know how I know I have the right coach for me? He didn't ease up on me, but he did show me how my own thought process was hindering my learning and progress.  I was saying things after a drill like "I wasn't pulling, I was on the ground to long, I wasn't leaning enough." All those statements are negative and looking at what I did wrong. However, Coach Bill started asking me what I did right each time. I started realizing that I was running with the right foot placement, I kept my arms where they needed to be, etc. Then he would ask what I need to do better this next time. Then it became statements such as "I need to get off the ground sooner, I need to lean more." But as he wisely pointed out to me, the mindset is how to improve ( #positive thinking) in the future instead of what went wrong in the past ( #negative thinking).  I still have a lot to work on, but I felt much better after practice that while I am not doing everything perfect, I am doing more things correctly then I was doing 2 weeks ago! I will get it and I won't give up.

Carlsbad Marathon is roughly 6 months away. I am setting my goals now. 1 - Finish in 5 hours or less, 2 - Finish the race, 3 - Not be injured in the training or racing process! With a positive mindset, great running partner and coach I feel confident today that I will do just that! I have always tried to be a person that thinks of the glass as half full, not half empty. But every know and then I need a reminder of how to do that!

Carlsbad Marathon Here I Come!!

Are you are #glasshalfempty or a #glasshalffull type of person? What do you do to turn a #negative into a #positive?

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!