Happy Halloween!

Howdy, folks!!  Happy Halloween!!

 

 

I love Halloween and wish that I could wear a costume to work. I guess I'll go as a nurse/runner!!  :-)

Just a little Halloween FYI for you: a bag of candy is about 5000 calories and the average adult consumes about 2000 calories. Make good choices today!!

I know I will be!!

I'm running 4 miles with Pathways after work and after that, I'll do Insanity Cardio Recovery. I'm so happy to be doing Insanity again!!  I'm smiling because I LOVE IT!!

Have a safe and fantastic Thursday!!

Work Out Wednesday #20

Hello, hello folks!
Happy Hump Day! We're halfway through another work week, which makes me happy beyond all belief!
Thanks for the encouragement for my lofty goal of running a marathon. I really appreciate it and will be counting on y'all for moral support!
The clean eating (mostly clean) is going well. I feel less bloaty, as I usually do when I don't eat junk!
Yesterday was day 2 of Insanity. I don't know what was up, but I got nauseous halfway through the workout and had to turn it off. I think  I may have gotten too hot  because I felt better after drinking some cold water and turning the air conditioner down. I'll try it again tonight, because I was actually ahead of schedule :-)
Today is also Workout Wednesday! You know how I love body weighted circuit training because it can be done any where and easily modified if need be. Today I've got a good fat burner for you. Check it out and let me know what you think!
Have a wonderful Wednesday!

It's on!!

Good morning folks!!  We survived another Monday and we're one day closer to the weekend!! 

Yesterday was actually a very good day!!

I was productive at work and no major issues arose. I wanted to run a 3 - 3.5 mile recovery run after work. I couldn't find anyone that wanted to go with me, so I went by myself. I did 3 miles in 30 minutes with an average pace of 10:02. The weather was perfect!!  I'm always surprised when I bust out these quick miles. I wish I could sustain that pace for 13 miles. Maybe someday......

I've got my fall racing schedule set in stone now and I've ordered cute new gear so now it's on like bing bong, Jack!!

I finally signed up for the Route 66 half marathon. With a goal of a half marathon in 50 states, I'm not wanting to repeat the ones I've already done. But I love the Route 66 and it is sorta my "hometown" race. All my friends are doing it and they changed the course this year so I'm eager to see what that's all about. Plus, I am going to coach some of my Pathwayers to their first half, so I've got lots of reasons why I should do it.

In December, I'm going to St. Louis to run the Hot Chocolate 15k. Hopefully, I will get to see some of my favorite bloggers Melanie and Holly

In January, I plan to do the Go Short, Go Long 25k.....15 miles.....EEK!!

And now, for the BIG news........I've decided that I'm ready to run a MARATHON!!  Yep, that's right!!  26.2 miles!!  I'm planning to sign up for training through Fleet Feet Sports Tulsa and I've got my sights set on the Little Rock marathon, which essentially means that my training starts now as the race is the end of February.  Eeek!!  I'm a little scared but on the other hand, I think I'm ready for the challenge.

I started Insanity again last night. I'm hoping that will help with increased endurance, flexibility and balance which will all help with the marathon training.


Alrighty, that's all the news I've got for now. Take care and have a terrific Tuesday!

Tulsa Run race recap

Good morning folks!

Happy Monday!!

I'm sure hoping this week goes better than last week did!!


Last Saturday, I ran the Tulsa Run 15k. This is the 3rd time I've run it, the 2nd time I've run it as a Pathways coach and possible the 1st time I've really enjoyed it!  The weather was perfect. It was cool when we started. I wore shorts, a short sleeved Nike shirt and arm sleeves. There was a chilly wind that made me wish I had worn gloves, but I pulled my sleeves down over my hands and was fine after we started running. I dropped hubs off for the 5k and went to Fleet Feet Sports Tulsa to find my group. After a fee group photos and final bathroom stops, we made our way to the starting area. As coaches, we were there to pace the runners if they wanted/needed it, but we encouraged them to do their own thing as it was their race. We came up with pacing strategies and split up based on our project pace/finish time. My plan was to run around an 11:45. The gun went off at 9 am and we were off!!

The first couple of miles were all down hill. It was my goal to keep them from going out too fast. The course flattened out and thinned out some when we got to Riverside. We had trained with intervals, but I don't run a set interval when I race. I advised them of  that prior to starting and they were ok with that plan. We walked through the first water stop. They were doing great! We were planning to walk the next water stop, which was at the turn around, but there was NO WATER!!  What?? We took a quick walk break, about 30 seconds and then resumed our pace. There was no water at the next water stop either. WHAT?! We kept running. At the 31st street plaza, one of my runners and I actually ran over to the bathrooms to get a drink at the water fountains. We continued north on Riverside for another mile, then we turned onto Boulder Avenue. At Veteran's park, there was a water stop that still had water.....hallelujah!!  I knew I would need water before we started up Boston hill. The last 2 miles were all up hill!!  We headed up 18th street and then turned north on Boston. I felt myself starting to pick up the pace a little bit because I knew that we were almost done. Because this race is a Tulsa tradition and close to Halloween, people often run in costume. There was a group of 6 women dressed as cave women ahead of me. As soon as I saw them, I knew that I had to beat them. And I did!! 

My finish time was 1:49. Not my best 15k time, but better than last year!!  But, I had so much fun pacing the runners. They stayed with me the whole way and ran with minimal intervals!!  I was so proud of them!!  Their goal was a 2 hour finish time and they surpassed that by about 10 minutes!!  Pacing is my biggest concern as a coach because I don't feel like I am consistent enough, but I was consistent when it counted!! 

We got really cool spinner medals but I would have preferred a less flashy medal and water on the course/food at the finish. The Tulsa Sports Commission did a better job than last year, but they still have room for improvement!!

Now, on to the Route 66 half marathon next month!!

The rest of the day was uneventful. I rested, relaxed, watched college football and movies. All in all, it was a perfect Saturday!!  Yesterday, I didn't feel well and we were busy winterizing our camping trailer and moving it to storage for the winter so I didn't get any food prepping done. I'm planning to run 3 miles at lunch today so I should be able to get some meals prepped tonight after work. I'm also going to start Insanity again tonight. I didn't think that I had seen any results because I didn't get ripped abs, but I definitely had more flexibility, better balance and could tell a huge difference in my endurance when I did it the first time. I'm hoping to see even better results this time around!!

Ok, that's all for now. Have a wonderful Monday!!

Friday

TGIF!! 


Oh yeah, I'm doing the Friday happy dance!!

It's been a long, craptastic week!! I'm ready for a break!!

Work has been hectic crazy and I've been out of sorts this week. Tomorrow is the Tulsa Run. I'll be running the 15k with my Pathways group that I've been coaching for 12 weeks now. I'm excited for them! They've been a good group to work with! Initially, I had some issues with my registration (very long, confusing and frustrating story) but I have friends in high places and I got them all straigthened out so I'm ready to go now!!

I'm planning to pace them starting at a 12 and then hope to progress to an 11:45. We'll walk when we need to and just play it by ear. Plus, I'm super excited to learn that I'll be coaching some of them to complete their first half marathon!! The Route 66 half marathon is in 3 weeks. Many of them want to go on to do that but aren't sure that they can train for it on their own so we've decided to extend the session to accomodate them. I'm so excited! I remember the excitement of my first half and I'm so excited to be part of theirs!!

I've tried to clean my diet up this week and I've been about 75% successful. I've noticed a little improvement and I'll just continue to work on it. I need to do a little better job of meal planning and prep this weekend. I haven't worked out as much as I should this week but that is going to change on Monday. I've decided to do Insanity again starting Monday!!

I can't think of any other tidbits at this time, so until next time......take care!!

Workout Wednesday #19

Howdy y'all!

We've finally made it to Hump Day.....it's all down hill now!

I usually love Wednesday because we're halfway through the work week, but today I'm a little bit sad. This is my last run with my Pathways group that I coach. This has really been a fun session. I've had a lot of fun working with them! The next session won't start until sometime in January. While I'll welcome the extra time in the evenings, I'm going to feel a little bit lost for the next couple of months. I'll continue to run and cross train, it just won't be the same :-( 

I've been loving the body weighted circuits that I've been doing lately, so I thought I would share those with you for Workout Wednesday. What I love about this workout is the fact that it's so easy to modify based on your current fitness level. You can add weights with the squats or lunges to increase intensity or do the pushups on your knees if needed, omit the burpees, etc Try it and let me know what you think:

Busy, busy busy....

Good morning folks!!

Quick recap of the weekend:

We went to Iowa to visit my stepson, his wife and our grandbabies. We arrived Friday afternoon. The kids were on a school field trip, so the grown-ups went to lunch. Then the boys went to the John Deere hay equipment plant and I went shopping. I got some major deals at Kohls!  The kiddos were home when I got back from shopping. We had a nice dinner and played with the kiddos until they wore us out

 

 

Saturday morning, hubs and I woke up early to go for a little run. I got in 6 miles; hubs did 4.5. It was a cold, but beautiful morning.  





 

We discovered that Ottumwa has a very nice trail system. It was fun to run in a different area!

 

After our run, we met the rest of the family for the kiddos sporting events. Parker is playing flag football and Kennedy plays soccer.

 

 

Later that night, the grown-ups went out to dinner and shenanigans.

 

 

It was a fun night/trip!  The ride home yesterday wasn't much fun however. We were stuck on the highway in standstill traffic several times which made our trip about 2 hours longer than usual....UGH!!

 

This is going to be a super busy week!!

 

It's race week!!  This Saturday is the Tulsa Run 15k, the race that my Pathways group has been training for. I know that they are ready and will rock that race! We only have 2 more runs left. I won't be running with them tonight though, because I'm volunteering at a free medical clinic.

 

I tried to be diligent about my food and workouts while I was in Iowa but the scale tells the true story! I did my Betty Rocker workouts and got in the 6 mile run. Diet was my downfall as usual. I did ok until we had queso and chips and spent 8 hours in the car yesterday!

 

Today, hubs and I start the Body Fuel clean eating system. Well actually, I'm going shopping after the clinic tonight and will prep meals later tonight. Technically tomorrow will be the first official day of clean eating for us.

 

Ok , that's all I've got for now. Until next time......take care and be awesome!!

 

3 Things Thursday

Good morning folks!! 

Happy Thursday!

Sorry I've been AWOL the past couple of days. I've just been super busy and have had some technical issues with my computer :-(  After spending about 2 hours on the phone with tech support, it turned out to been something very simple, I had to change some setting in my ISP control panel and BAM! I was back in business. It was very frustrating though as I'm not a very technical person.

Anyway, I digress.....

3 quick things just to keep y'all updated with how exciting my week has been:

1: I ran with Pathways Monday and Wednesday evenings. Both run were cool and damp too. Monday night, the group was smaller and everyone stayed close together.  Last night, was a good run too. We finished right before it started to rain. I was happy about that because I was SO cold!!  It was about 55 degrees when we started with a brisk north breeze. I had on capri's and a shirt with arm sleeves. I really wished that I had gloves and ear warmers too!  That probably would have been excessive. :-) I know the 20 degrees warmer rule, but I just could not warm up.

2: Last week, I was pretty lazy and didn't cross train as much as I should have. I only did my Betty Rocker workout 2 times. I've been feeling rather sluggish and would easily give in to the negativity but I know that I can't. So, last night after the run, I got back at it. This is week 3 of the Rocktober challenge. It builds on week 1 & 2. I did a little "hybrid" of all three weeks. I did 3 full sets but the first set was the week 1 workout, then week 2, followed by week 3 and then did an ab series. I felt great afterward. I must definitely get back on the bus!! I just found out that there is a half marathon about an hour away from where we're visiting. I'm very tempted to run it!! :-D

3: Tonight after work, hubs and I will load up and head north. We're going to travel to Iowa to visit his oldest son, daughter in law, and grandbabies. This is the Iowa trip that we postponed from the summer when I was having dental issues. My diet has been really crappy the past 2 days and I know that it's probably going to suffer more on this little trip. Therefore, I will start the Betty Rocker Fuel system (basically clean eating plan) next Monday after our trip. I decided yesterday that because summer is 9 months away and a new person is born every 9 months, that it is time for this old girl to be "reborn" and FINALLY get it in gear/shape!!!

Just FYI, I'll be blogging from the road tomorrow, so it will probably be short and sweet. :-)

Have a fabulous day!!  Keep on keepin' on!

Golf Ball Hill recap

Good morning folks!!

Happy Monday!!

I hope that you all had a fabulous weekend. Ours wasn't too bad for the most part.

Saturday morning, my Pathways group was scheduled to do 9 miles, which included the infamous "Golf Ball Hill" They are training for the Tulsa Run 15k and this past week was by far their hardest week to date with the most mileage and some hilly courses. Now, you would think that Golf Ball Hill would be associated with a golf course, but that is not how it earned it's name. It's a hill in a housing addition in south Tulsa. Its about 800 ft elevation with a steep approach on 1 side and a long, steady climb on the other. At the top is a water tower that resembles a golf ball on a tee which is why we refer to it as "golf ball hill" It is a rite of passage for almost all Fleet Feet Sports Tulsa runners as it is included on nearly every training schedule every season. The purpose for including it, is to prove that if you can conquer that hill, you can accomplish anything!!

 

It was a challenging run but they all conquered the hill!!

 

I lead them up the hill (and didn't get lost!!) and Coach Steve led them down while I waited with an injured runner for a ride back to the store. The car from the store picked us up and dropped me off with the group when we located them out on the course. We returned to the store for a water/bathroom break and then set out for the final 3 miles of our 9 miler. (I missed out on a mile, but I was ok with 8) There were some other nagging injuries that caused problems for some people. I suggested that a couple sit out the last 3 miles which hurt some feelings. But having had an injury myself, I know how important rest is for healing.

 

After we finished our run, we enjoyed some refreshments:

 

Post-run mimosas



That was my last Saturday training run with them. I'll be in Iowa this weekend and the Tulsa Run is the following weekend.  It's been a good session! I've really enjoyed working with them all. I'm not the most consistent pacer but I try to be supportive and make the training runs fun. I think that I succeeded!

 

The rest of our weekend was pretty uneventful. It involved college football and sitting around with feet up recovering from the long run. Sunday, we did our weekly grocery shopping. I was out of sorts so it wasn't a pleasant experience. I didn't get much meal prepping done for the week. I did cook a pork tenderloin in the crockpot and managed to cut up some romaine lettuce for salads, but that's all I accomplished. I hope that I haven't set myself up for failure! EEK!! I think that I'll make a pot of taco soup tonight and bake some "hard boiled" eggs tonight.

 

Tonight, the PW3 group is scheduled for a 3 mile recovery run. It's supposed to rain :( I'm not really a huge fan of running in the rain. I don't like wet feet. In addition to the run, I'm planning to do my week 2 Betty Rocker/Rocktober workout.

 

Gotta run! Have a fabulous Monday!!

 

 

 

 

 



Fridays, Fall, and Football

TGIF folks!!

I hope that you've had a fabulous week!!

It's been pretty good here although pretty uneventful and I'm OK with that!!

We've been blessed with some beautiful fall weather this week, so I took advantage of that on Wednesday and went for a run on my lunch break. I did 2.3 miles in 23 minutes. Then, after work, my Pathways group ran 4.5. We did stairs and hills. It was a good run!! Then I came home and did the full body workout that I posted on Wednesday. I was wiped out!!

I planned to run again yesterday at lunch but I was having a little pain in my left shin, so I taped it and decided to rest it. I was going to do my Rocktober 30 workout last night but was way to tired, so yesterday became a rest day. I felt lazy but I know that rest is important too. I'll get back at it tonight.

Tomorrow, my group is doing 9 miles including the infamous "Golfball Hill" I hope they put on their big panties!!  It's pretty challenging but it's kind of a right of passage for all Fleet Feet Tulsa runners. I've been promising them mimosas all session. Since this is my last Saturday run with them before the Tulsa Run and it's also the OU/Texas weekend, I think I'll make good on my promise and have post run mimosas for them tomorrow. Maybe that will motivate them!!

I have no other plans this weekend other than watching college football and relaxing!!

I hope that you all have a fabulous weekend!!

Workout Wednesday #18

Good morning folks!!

What day is it??

 

Happy Workout Wednesday!!  I love Wednesday because it means that we're halfway through the work week!!

 

Last night, I did Week 2, Day 1 of the Rocktober 30 Day Challenge from The Betty Rocker. I love these workouts because they are basic moves that everyone knows and can be easily modified based on one's current fitness level. I was supposed to do globe jumps for 1 minute, but modified the move to do jump squats instead and still got in a good workout!

 

 

After work tonight, my Pathways group will be doing a 4.5 mile hill/stair run. I'm really excited about this! I love hills!!  We're getting really close to our goal race, the Tulsa Run 15k. This week is our highest mileage week and Saturday morning, we'll be doing the infamous "Golf Ball Hill" I've been promising them post-run mimosas to celebrate how far they've come.

 

 

After the run, I'll be doing the following workout:

 

Dumb bell workout --Do each exercise for 20 seconds/10 seconds rest—4 intervals: 

Dumb bell shoulder press

Dumb bell upright row

10 burpees

Dumb bell floor press

Dumb bell floor flies

10 burpees

Mason Twists

Bicycle crunches

10 burpees

Push ups

Tricep extensions

10 burpees

Dumb bell curls

Hammer curls

10 burpees

 

If I have anything left after all that, I'll do some abs too! Whew!! 

 

Have a wonderful Wednesday!! 

Make today AWESOME!!

 

What workouts are you currently doing??

 



Tuesday Quickie

Good morning folks!!

Thanks for all the visits and new followers via Where We Can Live Like Jack and Sally I appreciate the LOVE!!

Yesterday was a good day as far as Mondays go. Work wasn't too bad and I got in a good 3.5 mile run with my Pathways group afterward. I'm really loving the 70 and 80 degree temps with low humidity right now!!  It makes running fun!!

And I'm loving my Rocktober 30 workouts from The Betty Rocker I'm really wanting to try her eating/meal plan too, as that's what I struggle the most with. But, I'm going out of town next weekend and it would be difficult to follow the plan while I'm on the road, so I plan to start it when I get back.
I'm gonna get this body in shape BEFORE the holidays!!  That's my mission!!

Ok folks, that's all I've got for now. See you tomorrow for workout Wednesday!!  I've got a new strength training/fat burning circuit for you!!

Monday/weekend recap

Good morning folks!!

Here we go again!!

It was a pretty uneventful weekend for me and that's just what I needed after last week.

I woke up with a Charlie horse at 3:30 Saturday morning. I was able to go back to sleep but my leg was still sore when I woke up at 4:45 for my long run. We were scheduled to do 8 miles and I knew the course was extremely hill-y, so I opted to rest my calf muscle rather than risk serious injury. I hate that I missed my long run. I did get in a chest back and abs workout though so I felt good about that.

We went to the lake, picked up our boat and took it to the dealership for winter service. I got in some retail therapy while hubs took care of the stuff at the dealership. We got home just in time for the OU vs TCU football game. I fixed chili, we relaxed and watched the game/TV.

Yesterday, we were busy with household chores, grocery shopping, etc.

I got a lot accomplished and feel rested. I just hope this week goes better than last week did!!

Tonight, we're running a 3.5 mile recovery run, then I'll do some strength training with hubs.

Until next time...

Week from Hell!!

TGIF folks!!

I know I say it every week, but this week especially, I am SO glad it's Friday!! This has been one very challenging, stressful week! Between Medicare documentation changes and some very sick, needy patients, I'm one super stressed out girl!! 

Wednesday, I was supposed to run 4-4.5 miles with my Pathways group, but I really wasn't feeling it. I had charting that I needed to catch up on. I showed up to run and there were a couple of coaches from the other store who had come to run with my group. They said they didn't mind subbing for me, so I bailed out. I was planning to workout with my husband when I got home, but my body had other things in mind. I made the mistake of laying down while I was waiting for him to get home and I fell asleep. So, Wednesday was supposed to be an intense workout day but it turned into a much needed rest day!!

After work last night, I tried a new workout plan that I found thanks to my friend, Christy @ My Dirt Road Anthem She posted on Instagram that she had just done her first Betty Rocker workout. I like to change up my regimen and I'm always looking for new routines so I thought that I would check it out. I signed up for the 30 day  Rocktober fitness challenge at The Betty Rocker After I verified my email, I got my week 1 workout via email. Hubs and I did it last night and I really liked it. It's a body weighted strength circuit that is approximately 25 minutes depending on how many rounds that you do. I did 3 rounds and my arms were like jello. I really like that they have a video and give you options to add intensity or modify moves for beginners, because everyone has to start somewhere!!  I'm looking forward to doing this circuit again and the rest of the workouts!!  I'll keep you posted!

I'm really looking forward to this weekend. I am scheduled to run 8 miles with my Pathways group in the morning. We've got a cool front moving in tonight. It's supposed to be about 55 degrees when we run in the morning. That will be fabulous especially if it isn't very humid!!

The rest of weekend, I don't plan on doing anything else except watch college football and cook chili.

I think I've a good handle on my fitness now. Next week, I'm hoping to start cleaning up my eating....AGAIN!!  That is the hardest part for me!! I've drastically reduced gluten products in the past week and feel much less bloated that I was feeling. I'm open to any and all clean eating recipes that you want to share with me!!

Well, ok.....I've got to get back the grind.

Have a fabulous and safe Friday/weekend!!

Ch, ch, changes......

Good morning folks!!

Monday night was speed work night at the track for my Pathways group. It was a great run!

Yesterday was the first of a new month and a day of many changes/firsts. So, I thought it would be a perfect day to try something new with my workout regimen. I started my day with a 5:45 am spin class at the gym. I haven't been to a spin class in over a year. I enjoyed it. It was challenging for me. But, I'm just not a morning girl in any way, shape, or form. I had to pack my work clothes and toiletries the night before. Then I had to get up at 4:15, pack my lunch, grab my Advocare Spark and my "stuff" and leave my house at 4:45 am to make it to the gym 45 miles away. It didn't really set the mood for the rest of my day as I had hoped it would. I was very irritable and I think it was because my morning routine was disrupted. I think I'm more of an afternoon or evening workout girl and I don't think that I'll be going back to spin or any other class that early in the morning again. :/

After work, I got in a little much needed retail therapy. Then I did a shoulder, biceps, and triceps circuit followed by an ab circuit.  It felt good and my shoulders are sore this morning!!

Work was challenging yesterday and I'm expecting more of the same today and for many days to come. With the introduction of the Affordable Care Act and changes to Medicare requirements/reimbursement, my job is profoundly more difficult. For the first time in 20 years of nursing, I'm really nervous and seriously considering a career change.

I'm looking forward to my run with Pathways tonight. I'm running with the 10 minute mile pace group tonight. I sure hope I can keep up. We'll be going about 4 miles and I'm anticipating that we'll do hills. At least I've got an outlet for my work frustration!! Then, I'll be doing an Insanity workout. Gotta get this body in shape before the holidays!!

Make it a wonderful Wednesday!!


Do you prefer morning, afternoon, or evening workouts??