Finishing the race year strong: Red Nose Run 5k

In October I completed my New Year's Determination of running 14 races in 2014. So when Shannon asked me to run the Red Nose Run Half Marathon in December, I said heck no, but I'll run a 5k instead and cheer you on to the finish of your half. Yup. Make that 15 races in 2014. (Which means next year's goal of 15 races in 2015 is totally doable).

Friday night as I laid out my last flat Stef of the race year, I got a little emotional at all that I had accomplished. And then I laughed when Mitzi sent me a message that said "Get that year end PR!" I thought no way, this course will be hilly! I had no expectations going into this race except to run the race set before me and cheer on my friends to their finish.

On Saturday morning Shannon, Diane and I got up bright and early and trekked up to Thomasville, GA where they both ran the half marathon and I ran a 5k. Diane and I had epic bib numbers: 1234 for her and 222 for me.

I planned to just coast through this race, after all it would be my bonus race for the year. But as we lined up on the course and got prepared to take off down the street, Mitzi's words came back to me and I thought you know, why not try for an end of year PR? My best 5k race to date had been 27:54 at the BFD Catfish Crawl - a perfect weather day on a flat, paved course that was made for PR'ing.

So I thought hey, I've been running a lot of distance races lately, why not try for around 27 min? Plus there were a ton of kids running this race and you know darn well I wasn't going to let THEM beat me. So we took off and I hit the first of several hills on the course. But all those training runs full of hills and my recent new love of running ramps and stadiums and cycle classes helped me power through those hills like they were speed bumps.

Another round of hills on the way back, and some self doubt crept in - could I really finish this race around 27 min? So I hunkered down, encouraged the kids around me who were starting to fade and saw the finish line. Seeing that race clock in the distance I was shocked! I knew I could do close to 25 min finish time so I willed my frozen legs to go a bit faster and crossed the finish line at 25:20. A new PR, my fastest mile ever recorded (8:10) and a 1st place finish in my age group (30-39).

Now let me tell you, shaving minutes off your half marathon time is a feat and something I was so proud of after my last half this year. But shaving minutes off your 5k time? Well that made me so proud, you have no idea. To think back on how strong I've grown in one year - I just know that 2015 has a whole new meaning in store for challenging me to be a stronger, better, faster me.

And when Shannon crossed the finish line of her half marathon at 1:38, finishing 4th place over all and the 2nd woman, and when Diane also got a PR that day and placing 3rd in her age group, well I just burst with pride for the amazing women I am so blessed to call my friends.

What a wonderful way to end the race year indeed.

Meeting my goal: 90.3 miles of races in 2014

Welp, I did it. I officially completed my New Year's Determination by running 14 races in 2014. And its only mid October too! When I took time this weekend to think of the total mileage in those races I was absolutely shocked and a little speechless that it totaled 90.3 miles. And that doesn't even count the hundreds of training miles I've logged two to three days a week leading up to each race and the countless hours of cross training between running days. To say I feel proud of myself is an understatement. When I crossed the finish line of that 14th race and saw the total number of race miles added up - well, I truly felt like a badass.

On January 1st, instead of setting a New Years Resolution that was sure to be lost, I took the advice of my trainer and friend Shannon and instead set a goal for the whole year - a New Year Determination. I saw Mitzi, Allison and Shannon's 2013 goal of running 13 races and thought, why not go for it? At the beginning of the year I thought for sure it would likely consist of a lot of 5ks and I doubted I could complete it. But when I broke it down this weekend I realized it came out to this:

2 - half marathons
1 - 10Miler
2 - 15Ks
2 - 10Ks
1 - 4.5 Mi Trail Race
and 6 - 5Ks

One 5K included a 1st place finish in my age group! (I doubt I'll be seeing that again for a few years now that I move into the 35-39 age group and will be running with several of the speedy Badass Babes including Allison and Shannon!) And throughout this year I continued to improve my race time from a few seconds a race in the beginning to a whopping 20 min between my first and second half marathon (2:34:50 to 2:14:06). But I think the best example of race transformation was running the entire Army 10 Miler with only walking the water breaks on my 14th and final race.

For me, 2014 was about a year of putting me first. About treating my body like the temple it is; nourishing it with delicious and nutritious food I made, building lean strong muscles, and being thankful every day that I can wake up, lace up and go for a run. It's discovering that hidden deep within me I really am a runner. And what's more, I really enjoy running. I've made some amazing friendships along this journey and had some incredible race weekends with the Badass Babes. The memories and the pictures, the race bling and bibs tell a story of an incredible year and an incredibly rewarding journey. I'm so excited to complete this goal that I've already set my goal for 2015 to include 15 races. The race bib and medal holder is already up on the wall waiting to be filled. Who's joining me in running a race?

 

Running the Army 10 Miler

October 12th I completed my 14th race of 2014 - the Army 10 Miler in Washington, DC. I ran this race with my longtime friend Robb, fellow Badass Babe Tammie and her friend Laura. We had a great race, with great weather, beautiful sights and wonderful company along the route.

I wish we weren't such rule followers and had brought our phones with us on the race - I would have selfied like no one's ever selfied before - such hot military men all over this race course! It certainly gave a whole new meaning to race bunny. And running the monuments was pretty amazing too. But without stopping for photos (really without stopping at all along the course except for walking the water breaks) I finished this race in 1:43:06. Roughly the same pace as my half marathon, which I'm proud of since I had just ran that race two weeks prior.

At the encouragement of several DC friends I made this race into a much needed long weekend, spending a few days before the race to take in the sites, catch up with friends and eat some amazing meals besides just work. And we did just that.

On Thursday Marcus helped me put work on hold for a little while to see and visit the floor of the US House of Representatives, the Speaker's Balcony, the US Senate chambers and gallery, and the Reading Room of the Library of Congress. I also perused through the First Ladies Archives and visited Julia Child's kitchen at the Smithsonian. On Friday we took the elevator to the top of the Washington Monument with Robb, walked through the Newsium (cried through the 9/11 exhibit in the Newsium), and picked up our race bibs for the Army 10 Miler.

 

View from the Speaker's Balcony

Thomas Jefferson's Library at the Library of Congress

halls of the US Senate

View from the top of the Washington Monument

Robb and Marcus take in the sites

Julia Child's kitchen

9/11 memorial at the Newsium

I had my beloved Pi pizza (despite it being a "chain" - apparently blasphemy in Robb's eyes) where I got my gluten and dairy free pizza, we ate heavenly food at Mike Isabella's restaurant Kapnos, ate a pre-race meal at American Tavern with Tammie and Laura, and got drinks with Marcus and Sarah at POV at the top of the W hotel. And before the weekend was up, I saw Evita on stage of the Kennedy Center Opera House with Marcus, Robb and Matt.

 POV

My pizza's better of course

 

Phew! I'm exhausted just thinking about it! But it was a wonderful few days in a city I love, with people I love even more, and I couldn't have been happier for my final race of the year to include a restful and relaxing (and a little working) long weekend. Can't wait to do the Army 10 Miler in 2015 - with headphones and music and cell phone cameras, of course.     

Nashville WRS half marathon

Welp. I did it. 13.1 in 2:14:14. And I couldn't be more proud.

On Wednesday the Badass Babes loaded up a fire engine red Expedition complete with NY license plates and headed west (and then north) to the great city of Nashville. Or as we like to call it - NashVegas. After an overnight in Montgomery, AL we arrived in the great city prepared to kick off an incredible weekend. 8 hours of travel is always made more fun with epic music video making and mustache selfies of course.

We got busy touring the many sites of Nashville - the Opryland Hotel, Ryman Auditorium, Johnny Cash museum, and the Country Music Hall of Fame. We ate some amazing meals at Pub 5, Merchant's Restaurant, Puckett's Grocery & Restaurant, and The Palm, and got candy from Savannah's Candy Kitchen Nashville and the Goo Goo Shop. Shannon and I bought some boots (because duh what else do you buy in Nashville?). We saw things we'd like to forget at Coyote Ugly (#SJGR). And it wouldn't be a trip to Nashville without listening to live music at BB Kings and Tootsies and all the bars in between.

But the main reason we were there was to run a race - the Women's Running Series Nashville Half Marathon. For Shannon, Allison and Mitzi this was a repeat race to enjoy and complete. Heck, Mitzi selfied through the last few miles! For me it was a chance to beat my Donna time - 2:38 and change. And for Ashley and Erin this was their first time ever running a half marathon. We each came to Nashville with a goal and met or exceeded it. I thought of every one of them while on the race course, and their strength and determination helped me complete my race stronger than I ever thought possible.

I had serious doubts going into this race and I feared the expectations I had put on myself were not going to be attained. I had a hard goal of finishing in a sub 2:30 time, which I expected I could finish, but I really wanted to see if I could finish in sub 2:20. Mitzi paced me through mile 6, offering me encouragement and distraction through the toughest beginning miles of the course. At mile 6 she peeled off and I continued to run now looking for the other Badass Babes I knew were ahead of me as they hit the switchback and ran towards home on the opposite side of the streeet. And when I was feeling tired, there came the babes, first Shannon, then Allison and finally Erin all running strong. Once I hit the switchback I was distracted by looking for Mitzi (who wasn't but a few minutes behind me and still in front of the dreaded 2:15 pacer) and Ashley running down near the 2:45 pacer. Once I hit mile 8.5 I was cruising, and just trying to stay ahead of 2:15 man.

I remembered one of my favorite race signs "run like there's a hot guy in front of you and a creepy guy behind you" for motivation, and appreciated the sororities and the Comic Con inspired cheering sections along the route (Comic Con was in Nashville that weekend also). I was struggling through miles 10-12 as the sun was high in the sky, and by that point and my legs were getting so very tired. And I began to think of all the people at home who had offered encouragement through my training and before the race. Of those who had let me know that I inspired them to begin a new fitness regimen, to train for a race of their own or to start eating better. I thought of my friends who were crossing the finish line themselves. I prayed and talked with the big man upstairs thanking him for being able to run the race set before me (Hebrews 12:1). And I especially thought of all those who couldn't run to motivate me to the finish. But most of all, I just kept thinking about the 2:15 pacer who continued to gain on me.

Crossing that finish line and seeing the 2:15 clock, knowing that my official time would be a sub 2:15 was so incredible, that the giant boot medal was just icing on the cake. To the Badass Babes - you are an incredible and inspiring group of women who motivate me to be a better person. Mitzi the consummate race planner, Allison the motivator, Shannon the rabbit, Erin the epic photobomber, and Ashley with your infectious laugh. I am so happy to call you my friend. Thanks for an amazing weekend, and I can't wait to do it again.

Running through heat and fire

Its been a while since I last posted. Life, running around and running have gotten in the way. In exactly 3 days I'll be running my second half marathon ever - the Nashville Women's Running Series. To say I have nerves is silly. Of course I have nerves. I have set a goal of running this race in a sub 2:30 time. I ran the Donna half marathon in 2:38 so I think I can do this.

I think I have trained right. Sure my eating could have been better. But I have trained through the blazing heat of a Florida summer.  I have combined running short and long distances with cross training, including both cycle and TRX strength training. I have downloaded and set my playlist, which shall be epic. I've picked out my "racers uniform" (or rather Mitzi picked our uniform and I've packed it). But most importantly I have an awesome support network of friends and badass babes running this race with me. I can't wait for this race weekend to commence!

I especially can't wait for this weekend after all that I've been quietly working through in my life the past few months. I've been dealing with some health issues over the past several months, culminating in test results Monday that are both good and not so good. I won't use this as a forum to tell you all the sordid details but rather to say that these types of health issues have put so very much into perspective for me. It's made me reevaluate what I prioritize in my life; what I want and need vs. what I'm willing to put up with. It's made me think long and hard about the excuses I have created for why I can't or won't do certain things in my life. And it's made me reevaluate my friendships and relationships, prioritizing those who lift me up rather than those that put me down.

Training for this race has afforded me many quiet mornings running in the heat and dark, to think, to pray, and to contemplate my future. What Monday's test results and training for this race have given me is a renewed sense of priority and for that I am thankful.

Today the badass babes embark for NashVegas for what is sure to be another epic road trip! And I'm sure after all that we have ALL gone through these past few weeks and months, I speak for everyone when we say bring on the weekend!

   

Week 4 of Bootcamp and Breaking the Scale

I'm currently at the midway point of my third round of Tabata bootcamp because I love it so much. The workouts are really, REALLY fun and produce serious results at the same time. And with each round I'm challenged a little bit more. Today I did my first pushups with the band around my back. It's taken me 11 months to do them, but I did 'em. I'm determined by the end of this round I will master the hover.

Two weeks ago we did our first of the bi-weekly assessments of my third round of tabata bootcamp where we are weighed and measured, and tested for strength gain. If you've read my previous blogs you know my first assessment after starting my first round of bootcamp was maddening. I saw 1 lb and barely an inch lost after working out for two of the hardest weeks of my life. I was so discouraged I wanted to quit, but I kept going and the results for those assessments on were great. So much so that by the end of the second round of bootcamp (18 weeks total) I had lost 30 lbs and more than 13 inches overall.

Well two weeks ago I stepped on the scale confident I would see more lbs and inches lost after completing a Whole30 and continuing to improve in my exercise and running. But the opposite happened. I had gained 3 lbs and no inches were lost. It was the hardest weigh in to date. And despite the fact that I was running faster, my clothes felt better and I had just completed a Whole30 (which is TOUGH) I was so freaking upset with the number on the scale.

That morning I let the scale define me. I let it get the best of me. I was crushed. I nearly cried that morning. Instead I skull crushed and butt kicked and lunged until I hurt. But my wonderful friend and coach Mitzi sent me this very encouraging message "Don't let the number on the scale own you, it doesn't know that you ran the largest hill in Tally on Saturday and 8 stadiums Sunday. It doesn't know that you ran multiple races of different lengths and PR'd most of them! It doesn't know that you feel better than ever before or that you're stronger than you ever dreamed imaginable! It's just a number!! Love you my friend!!! For the record, I think you're amazing!"  Boy did I need that.

I guess I wasn't the only one who had a bad weigh in day, because the following Monday we broke the scale in bootcamp. Literally crushed it beneath our feet. It felt so good stomping that scale and making it my biatch. I told it who's boss like a champ. And today when we did our weigh ins I'm back down 4 lbs and another inch lost and continue to grow in strength. But more than that, I have real honest goals that have nothing to do with weight or measurements. Now I will be happy for, and will continue to work towards seeing the number on the scale go down as well as inches, but my focus isn't on that anymore. Its on eating cleanly to fuel my workouts. Its getting enough sleep at night. Its working towards moving up in corrals for races because I'm getting faster. It's finishing races with new PR's. It's completing 10 stadiums instead of 8 or running double the ramps at the stadium. And I will finally master the hover.

Breaking the scale broke my dependence on the scale. And for that, and for all that the Badass Army and it's amazing team of coaches and students provide me everyday, I am so grateful.  

Whole30: If I Can Do It, You Can Too

Whole30 - completed.

Here's my weakness - it's much like everyone's weakness. I enjoy food. No, I REALLY enjoy food. When I was younger and before my metabolism took a nose dive off a sharp cliff I used to work out so I could enjoy whatever food and adult beverages I wanted. If I put on a little weight, I just worked out a bit longer or a bit harder. Not the case after about my 30th or 31st birthday. My waistline was growing but I ignored it until it was staring me in the face and I couldn't ignore it any longer.

I signed up for tabata bootcamp thinking I could simply change my body without changing my food habits. When that wasn't working, I tried what "they" say you're supposed to do - eat less to lose weight. That didn't work either. So after being told the same things from my trainer, my doctor and endocrinologist, I got serious and made serious changes to my diet. I started by reading It Starts With Food by Melissa and Dallas Hartwig, the premise of Whole30 eating. I cleaned up my eating habits and cut gluten and dairy out altogether. That alone made a huge difference in my life. I ate clean, eating more protein, veggies and fruit. And I filled my plate full of it! I cut out snacks, and dropped to maybe a glass of wine or cider here and there.      

But I could never wrap my head fully around the Whole30 food plan. It seemed too daunting. So I put it off, and off and off. And when Shannon challenged a few of us to do Whole30 with her, well I knew it was now or never. No more excuses. May 15th we started Whole30 - 30 days of clean eating. No wheat, no dairy, no soy, no legumes, no sugar, no alcohol and especially no cheating. What's left you wonder? Protein, fruit and veggies, and healthy fats. I'm not going to lie - I worried about my variety of foods. I worried about how hard it would be when I traveled. I especially worried about the days when I hate cooking for one and tend to pick up take out. I knew I would miss my coffee with stevia and soy French vanilla creamer in the mornings, Starbucks, and especially sushi.

There were days when I wanted to quit. Like the first 3-5 days where the sugar withdraw headaches were tough, or days 5-8 where I was felt like I was walking around in a sleepy fog. I surely wanted to quit about 20 days in when I had a near epic meltdown in Whole Foods over how many sauces on the shelves had sugar, soy or both and couldn't figure out a single meal to make. And I craved sushi from Day 23 until the end like a pregnant lady craves pickles and ice cream. But in the end, it was so worth it. I slept better, felt better, and I'm sure my body appreciated me more because of it. The food was pretty good too, because let's be real - I'm a pretty darn good cook.

I'll be honest, I got some serious stares from the checkout staff, and questions from people in line about what some of the things on the conveyor were and how do I eat them.

 

But my seared ahi tuna with plantains and asparagus, "spaghetti" and meatballs (spaghetti squash with bison meatballs and a homemade veggie sauce), and this chicken and apple sausage with yucca "fries", plantains and sautéed spinach with figs were a few of my favorite dishes.

So when Day 30 came and my last meal was eaten, I celebrated with a friend and half a glass of red wine, (which surprisingly didn't taste all that great). And Saturday, despite all the warnings to be careful how I reintroduced foods back into my system, I dove head first into the not-Whole30 pool of food with sweet potato pancakes and sugary bacon from Canopy Road Café for brunch, a big cup of coffee with soy French vanilla creamer and stevia when I got home, and later that evening Madison Social's hummus and pita, chicken tenders with honey mustard dressing and a glass and a half of ice cold cider. Needless to say, my stomach hated me Saturday night. The worst part about it? None of it tasted as good as I remembered, or thought I remembered. Not even a bite of this Madison Social chocolate chip cookie in a skillet (please don't tell Matt!).

 

Today I woke up knowing that Whole30 wasn't just 30 days and then back to eating as "usual". Whole30 helped me change my eating habits for the good. It taught me that nourishing my body with good foods helps me to be successful in my bootcamps and in my running. And it also taught me that eating healthy doesn't have to be a lot of work. I don't plan to do another round of Whole30 anytime soon, if ever. But I do plan to eat a modified Whole30 from here on out, like tonight's delicious dinner of wild caught grouper grilled with a spice blend and topped with an apricot chipotle sauce, served over rice, with a side of maduros and brussel sprouts. And I'm sure I'll do some Whole3, Whole7 or Whole14s from time to time - especially for the sugar detox.

Bottom line, I not only survived, I thrived on Whole30 and developed a new outlook on food that will stay with me forever. Thanks Dallas and Melissa Hartwig for your program, thanks Shannon for encouraging me to try it in the first place, and especially thanks to the other Badass Babes who did it with me.

Starting Whole30 and my First 1st place Medal

This week a group of the badass army started Whole30, myself included. If you are looking for a way to clean up your eating and get your body back on track then Whole30 is for you (or so I've heard). Pick up a copy of the book It Starts With Food. For those who are wondering, Whole30 is basically eating right: proteins, fruits and veggies and healthy fats. I'm not going to get into the specifics because, ahem, that's what the book is for, but here's a run down of what isn't allowed: dairy, butter, wheat, white potatoes, rice, legumes, alcohol, and sugar.  Since I was traveling this week for work I started Whole30 in my hotel in St. Petersburg. I checked in with my cooler and totebag full of food and immediately stocked the mini fridge in my hotel room.  

I'm so glad I brought extra food with me because my first breakfast in the hotel included learning that "eggs" aren't really eggs.  I had planned to order eggs, veggies and a bowl of fruit. After interrogating my waitress I learned that I couldn't order eggs over medium, only scrambled. And why only scrambled? Because the hotel only uses egg beaters. And what's in the egg beaters? (she brought me the container from the kitchen) second ingredient was whey (dairy) and third ingredient was skim milk. I learned my lesson and ate both breakfasts in my hotel room. I'm also glad I brought food for lunch because my work companions ordered from Taco Bus and brought in both cake and pie for the training. Yaye for my homemade yummy salad of chicken, egg, green bell peppers, tomatoes, carrots, avocado, slivered almonds and homemade oil and vinegar with spices dressing. I'm also so glad I had a Cavegirl Bakes muffin to help fend off the wanting of sugar in the chocolate cake they brought in!

I really thought this was going to be super difficult but now that I've realized I can commit to the meals (well hopefully, it's only day 4) then I can commit to this whole program for 30 days. I was already gluten and dairy free to begin with so what's the big deal if I give up a little more? (ok I'm not going to lie. I already miss my homemade coffee with soy French vanilla creamer and stevia in the raw, and of course, Starbucks and sushi. Plain, English tea isn't really doing my coffee justice. But if it wasn't for Whole30 I'm not sure my grocery shopping would look like this:

Or that I'd be eating as clean as I did with this delicious meal of grilled mahi mahi, plantains, yucca "fries" and green beans with garlic:

After getting home from work travel this week a few of the Badass Babes, Mitzi, Crystal, Erin, Ashley and Robin drove to Blountstown for the BFD (Blountstown Fire Department) Catfish Crawl 5k. Thank you so much Mitzi for recommending this race!

It was a beautiful race morning on a flat out-and-back course on a paved trail. It was made for PR'ing which our entire group did. I crossed the finish in 27:54 with a pace time of 8:58. It earned me a 1st place medal for my age group. I also later found out I was a bunny for the first time for Tonya. I'm used to chasing folks, but have never been chased. I was honored to be her bunny!
  

I was so excited to see that clock time and the medal was just the icing on the cake. Running that race injury free reminds me of how far I've come since running the Donna back in February. This week coming up will be back to a full work and workout mode. I'm really looking forward to seeing what Mitzi has in store for us in HIIT Kamagon on Monday and Allison has for us in TRX Circuit Power on Wednesday. And I'm really excited for Tuesday, the opening day of registration for the Washington, DC Army 10-miler. We'll finish the week with one of my favorite workouts - Bootcamp in Doak Campbell stadium on Saturday. Feel free to join me for a workout or a meal, or both this week!