TCS New York City Marathon - Get Your New York On Challenge

Link: TCS New York City Marathon - Get Your New York On Challenge

I just entered the 2014 TCS New York City Marathon Get Your New York On Challenge. Read my story and VOTE for me!

It would be so awesome if you guys could vote for me! I would love to win this opportunity! 

Marathon Madness

So I’ve been very MIA in updating with an actual blog! I know I could type on the app with my iPhone, but I also hate when the app closes in the middle of a blog! So bare with me! Marathon training is very time consuming, and I feel like I’m stretching myself out as far as I can go as it is, but I really want to blog when I can!

So far I’m 8 weeks into my 18 week training program, and so far its been going pretty good! I’ve had a few bad and ugly runs, but I know its those runs that are going to help me during the marathon. Because pushing through those moments you’d rather give up, are the ones that show how much heart you really have. 

Currently I run 4 days a week with one day of cross training. I’m trying to add in one more day, but I’m not always successful in doing so. Sleep is getting harder for me, I’m beginning to feel anxious about the rest of my training. The month of September is when all the mileage really starts taking place, and I’m just hoping I can manage it! So far I’m also really glad I chose the Hal Higdon Novice training plan, because its pretty simple and flexible when I need it to be.

I’m always hungry now too! Ugh, if I could control my stomach that would be perfect! I’m doing my best to eat healthy foods, but I get these late night hunger pains in my sleep! I know I’m eating enough food, because the scale isn’t going down, it actually went up a few pounds. (Depressed about that but, not stressing my weight that much.)

I think I’m doing ok with managing my life and training, but that’s because the first 8 weeks were pretty easy, it’s the next 10 that I’m a nervous ninny about!

But I’ll do it, because I’ve never wanted something so bad before. I was never even supposed to be a runner, I was an overweight hot mess! And the fact that I’m here today and I’m able to say I run and am training for a marathon is mind blowing, but I’m proud of it. Because I’m doing it, and I will do whatever it takes to get to the finish!

Til next time…hopefully its a short hiatus, I’ll try and update weekly going forward, as the intensity increases, so fingers crossed! And thanks for all the support!

xoxo 

Day 1

Today began my journey to the finish line of the TCS NYC Marathon. Well my training that is, the journey to this decision started long ago, but today is when it all becomes real and the real hard work starts! I chose to follow the Hal Higdon method after reading his book, Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide. The schedule has tolerable mileage during the week, and long runs that gradually increase maxing at 20 miles. I could try a plan with more mileage, but my only goal is to finish healthy. Besides slow and steady wins the race, and I don’t want to rush through it, I want to relish every moment that day brings me! 

Today’s run called for 3 miles. I had issues with my Garmin, so I had to use my Nike+ app, and logged 3 miles in 32:37 with a 10:52 pace per mile. The weather was muggy, and humid, and the air was very thick! But my run went very well, I took it nice and slow, and ran with ease! But I do need to invest in a water bottle ASAP, I was thirsty really fast, and I know the longer runs ahead will definitely  require me to hydrate throughout! 

All I know is that I have a long road ahead, but I’m going to give it my all, and try my best to do what it takes to get to the finish line! 

Still breathing!

Need to write up a blog will do hopefully this weekend! Many things I want to do, and the beginning of marathon training is on the horizon! Anxiety is kicking in!

The Battle Continues

Still trying to find a balance and control, over my healthy lifestyle. I’ve been so stressed out lately, and have a lot of things outside of my running life going on. My stress loves food. I haven’t been terrible staying on track, but by the weekend I’m a mess! What I need to really do is focus on staying on track all week, and allow myself to cheat on the weekends within my points and weeklies. My goal this week is to stay within the daily points range during the week, and save as many weeklies for the weekend, so that when it does come, I’ll have more than enough points, that I won’t feel so guilty, and go off the deep end! 

My workouts have been pretty good, worked out 5 days last week, ran twice! I feel like I’m lacking in my running, but then I had to remind myself, that this month I wanted a break from running. Beginning July 1st, marathon training starts, and  I don’t want running to feel like its all I do by then, because I’m sure by November it’s mostly what I’ll be doing each week! I also am hoping to fit strength training at least 3x a week when I hit marathon training. I like to do Jillian Michael’s DVD’s, because most of her workouts are no more than 35 minutes, so if I wake up at 5 am, on those mornings, then I can still fit in my run or cross training after work, before my house wife duties kick in! 

Being a housewife is a whole other battle I still have yet to conquer! So far I think I’m doing ok, I just hope when marathon training begins and progresses that my guy will be understanding that I won’t feel up to tackling everything that needs to been done at home right away! 

I’m also hoping to post weekly updates on marathon training until November, I’m thinking of coming up with a pros and cons format for weekly updates, that way I can make changes where necessary! We’ll see, my life is so hectic sometimes that I have no clue what I may be doing in the next 5 minutes!

Till next time…

Panera is Evil

Had meetings all morning at work, and the host of said meetings brought the office lunch since the meetings cut right into our lunch hour (which is a whole other story, that I disagree with!) Lunch was a Panera nightmare! Bread, sweets, gooey fatty foods, that had the hidden healthy stuff within it! Either way bc Panera is a) way too expensive b) far from where I live & c) not very WW friendly, I hardly if ever eat it. And to top it off the conference room is located in the basement with no cellular service, so I couldn’t even look up PP values for anything! (Only WW friendly peeps will get this!)
So I chose what looked the least harmful. I had half an Italian combo sandwich, side salad of lettuce, and a pickle. Well, thank god my instincts told me to hold off on the kettle chips included with the sandwich because that lunch cost me 17 PP! That’s more than half of my daily allowed value!

I thought about that sandwich the entire time I worked out tonight at the gym! But it’s tracked, and there are NO meetings with lunch tomorrow! :)

Panera is Evil, that is all.

Finding my Mojo

This past weekend has me feeling like I’m in such a rut, it’s so hard to get out of. I’ve made horrible food choices, binging to the point where I’m sick, and I don’t care. And I slacked on my workouts since last Wednesday. I don’t understand why I don’t have the same drive anymore. I feel unfocused and like mentally it’s all to much to deal with. My only goal this week is to try harder, to get better, and hopefully see some results.
Here’s to trying yet again, and never giving up.

Fingers crossed.