She Likes Purple

Biggest Blogging Loser: 2013 Edition

Two years ago, I started a weight-loss competition called the Biggest Blogging Loser, and I opened it up to anyone interested. It was both very, very awesome and very, very not awesome. On the one hand, I met incredible people through the group. I reconnected with a college friend who's now important to both Mike and me, someone he didn't even know before BBL. I met Caitlin, who is pure joy, and an incredible friend. But, it was much more stressful than I expected and with over 100 participants that first round, it was just too much. (I'm leaving this all purposefully vague, but there were some genuinely not good parts, trust me. Oof.)

I've managed a few additional rounds over the last two years, on a more exclusive basis--inviting people via email or word of mouth--and it was much more enjoyable when I felt I really knew the participants and the number of people was more manageable. 

This fall, I handed the torch to Regan, and she managed it solo. She did a great job, and a lot of people have shown interest in another round. I think we're going to take all we've learned over the last couple years and manage this next round together. Here are the basics:

• I'm capping it at 50 people. This is more than the smaller rounds, but a lot less than the first (too-big) round. I think this gives enough people a chance to participate without making Regan or me lose our minds.
• Edited to add: The competition runs from January 7 - April 1, 2013
• The entry fee is $20. This is a totally non-refundable fee. As soon as you send your money, you can't get it back. Even if you drop out day three, the money stays in the pot. 
• The pot will be split like this: 50% to 1st place; 30% to 2nd place; 20% divided weekly to a randomly chosen participant who weighed in that week. 
• Winners are decided by percentage of weight loss, not pounds lost.
• You have to send your scale pictures (to me) each week (you can miss up to two weeks) or you'll be eliminated. (Again, with no refund.)
• You have to send full-body AND scale pictures the first and last week.
• Regan will be co-hosting this with me, so both of us will have access to your stats but no one BUT us will. Really, I've never been more of a vault than with your personal weight information. No one will know those numbers but us, swear it.
• By Friday of each week (no promise of earlier), we'll send the top-five leaders of the week with the percentage they lost included. No one in the competition will know your actual pounds lost unless you tell them.
• You'll email everything to ME each week ([email protected]). You can also email me any questions before starting! 

If you want in, awesome! I'm really excited about this round. Send $20 VIA PAYPAL to [email protected] by JANUARY 4th and you can expect the first group email to go out a day or so after that with the final pot amounts and all this information reiterated.

Again, I'm capping this round at 50 people. If it seems like it's getting close to filling up, I'll let you know either here or on Twitter (@shelikespurple)!

Here's to a healthy 2013!

Get It Together

I've been regularly going to a yoga studio for about three months now. I say "regularly" but I want you to know that means three times a week here, no times a week there. It means I go, and I do love it, but I don't yet have a solid routine or a yoga physique. I assume both are to come, but for now I consider myself to be somewhat of an experienced beginner.

Anyway, I get a free guest pass with my membership, so I drag friends with me whenever I can. I like working out with a buddy, and I really like working out with Kristie.

I've been dragging her to my favorite Thursday night yoga class for a couple weeks now.

This past Thursday, the class was pretty empty. It was practically an individual session at times, which is great when the individual session is with anyone in the class but you. It didn't make things easier that the teacher was tough. A good tough (I ultimately really liked her) but, still, TOUGH. Wouldn't let you half-ass a pose, would correct any mistakes, would encourage you with phrases like, "The burning you are feeling is temporary, and it means your muscles are doing what they're supposed to be doing" tough. I thought at one point, "I'm going to throw up and that will be what my stomach is supposed to be doing."

Okay, I'm getting off-track. So, yes, it was a tough, small class with a teacher we'd never had before. We introdcued ourselves before class, and she repeated all the students' names the first few moments of class, so it felt like we were becoming familar rather quickly.

So when she kept saying, "Jennie, move your ankle up an inch, lower your knee, LIFT YOUR HIP HIGHER, JENNIE," I was thrown because, honey, my hip is going to DISCONNECT FROM MY BODY IF I LIFT IT ANY HIGHER. I was showcasing my skills from the last three months at 200%--because, again, she was tough--and TRUST ME my hip was high.

It then became clear that she had my name mixed up with Kristie's. It's not that I'm some badass and Kristie isn't--she's a total badass--but we were clearly being corrected on THE WRONG THINGS. My hips were fine and when she firmly corrected Kristie on her knee rotation, that was alllll me.

It was hilarious after class, though, when I was talking to Kristie and she said, "She corrected 'Jennie' so much that I looked over and glared at you and thought, 'Really, Jennie, get it together.'"

GET IT TOGETHER. 

I plan to say this to her every time I see her now.

***

I'm dabbling with the idea of posting every day of November. This could be a very fun way to encourage more posting, something I've talked about recently. This could also be a very horrible idea that leads to nothing more than pictures of Kyle from November 20-30. We'll see! 

Week 1 of Half Training: Highs & Lows

I said I wasn't going to recap my half-marathon training by week this time around and here I am recapping my half-marathon training by week this time around. I will work on being a person of my word in 2013.

Anyway, I thought I'd break this week into the highs and lows, the winners and losers, the silver linings and the you've-got-to-be-kidding-mes, if you will.

The Highs

1. New shoes!

2. I went to a yoga class alone. Okay, you're probably squinting your eyes at the screen now, convinced you read that wrong, but nope. That's kind of a big deal in my little world. While I love group exercise (and love groups in general), I really only love group exercise with a friend. I'm shy in big groups when I'm flying solo. (Is that surprising?) So, I sucked it up and went to yoga last week all by myself, even though I was a bundle of nerves. Of course, it was fiiiine. No one laughed directly at me, and I made it out in one piece. Little victories!

3. These delicious and so-easy-to-make tacos. 

4. I did (nearly) everything on my training plan last week. Self high-five! I even felt GOOD after my 1.5 miles run last night. I'm sure that'll change next run. Running doesn't let you feel impressed with yourself for very long. Oh, running.

5. I totally curbed late-night snacking (which is my diet KRYPTONITE, you guys) all last week, and the scale reflected a loss this morning.

The Lows

1. I got sick last week. A sinusy/head cold-type thing. IN AUGUST! I have been cranky and bitter about it. I rarely get sick and then I get a cold when it's 108 degrees outside? (Come ON immune system. Step up!)

2. I indulged a little too much on Saturday (my no-rules day) and felt sluggish and gross all Saturday night/Sunday morning.

3. I need a dozen more sports bras so I don't have to do the laundry so much during this training schedule. (That's a weird low, but can we agree that more laundry is always a low, NO MATTER THE CAUSE?)

2012 Half-marathon Training Plan + Thoughts

Last year I modified a Hal Higdon training plan for my first half-marathon. Main thing, I extended it to include more weeks. I didn't want to kick things off running three miles and then immediately hate life. That sounded like zero fun. Instead, I wanted a few easing-me-into-the-pain weeks, so I took the plan from 12 to 18 weeks.

A couple things I learned from my training:

1. I didn't make cross-training a priority. I took a few kickboxing classes and did the 30-Day Shred a handful of times, but running was my focus. Strangely, the weeks I incorporated cross-training, I saw a difference in my runs. Actually, that's not strange, that's obvious to almost everyone, and this time around I'm going to try to remember it myself.

2. I didn't run far enough. Many plans tell you not to train for the full distance you're running. In general, I hear you should train half the distance for a 5K and 10K and then 10 miles for a half-marathon. So, my longest run was 10 miles, and I only ran that once. I did run all 13.1 miles of my race, but those last three were awful, worse than I can even describe with words I feel comfortable having my mother read. So, this year I've added an 11- and 12-mile run.

3. I let myself off the hook too often and too easily. There's no way I can stick to this plan 100%--there's life and family and work and illness, etc.--but I can't let myself off the hook just because I don't want to run/work-out.

4. I depended on my partner too much. Kristie is awesome, and I love her more than almost anyone I'm not legally obligated to love, but when she was out of town or busy, I would slack off. I need to have as much confidence in my ability to do something as I have in my ability to do something with someone.

5. I didn't eat right. Last fall, I possibly worked out more than I have in a decade, but I ate like I was constantly at a frat party. I'm not just planning my work-outs this time, but my meals, too. It affects performance, it affects how I feel, it's pretty essential to success.

So, I modified last year's plan to include more cross, to include a few longer runs, etc. (Drumroll) Here it is:

(Click on the image to enlarge!)

I officially start this coming Monday, wish me luck! New shoes are on their way, too. I tell you what, there is no better way to stare down 18 weeks of work-outs than with new shoes.

(Well, maybe with champagne, but that seems counter-productive.)

Race Recap: 2012 Cowtown 10K

I ran the Cowtown last year, and it's become one of my favorite courses, which doesn't make much sense because it's a bitch of a course with a few really stupid hills and one part in the middle where a wide road narrows down to a trail so everyone just sort of slams into each other. (I like to think of this particular part as the time I find motivation to run faster than everyone who is annoying me, though.) Also, this year the course was exactly the same as last year except for the finish line, which was moved a few tenths of a mile further down the road. I don't know how that happens either. 

But there's a steady crowd cheering, the course weaves the runners through a nice part of Fort Worth, and each mile is a little different. Also, plenty of water stops.

I didn't train nearly as much for this race (or the 3M) as I wish I had. Oh hindsight! You are so cruel! I told Kristie, when she asked if I'd been training regularly, that I wish you could count watching a pathetic amount of Sons of Anarchy as training because then I'd probably win all the races.

Unfortunately, evolution and science have failed me again, and knowing the intricate details of Jax Teller's tattoos and having just watched the season three finale TWICE IN A ROW the night before did nothing to help me across the finish line. 

I actually hurt my foot mid-run, either because of uneven terrain or needing new shoes or, as Mike so sweetly said, "maybe you shouldn't run the next race without training." THANKS BABE. YOU GET TO RUB MY FOOT FOR BEING SO SPOT-ON. It's feeling much better today, thank everything, because yesterday I was convinced I'd never run (or work-out or walk without a limp) again. 

(That's a little peek inside my fun brain. I hurt my foot in a race and five minutes later I'm convinced life as knew it is over.)

Anyway, my finish time was 1:16:33, so about five minutes slower than last year. This is the wrong way, I know! Oof! But, we have lots of months left in this year, so I'm still gunning for a PR time next 10K. 

Thanks to Kristie for snapping my finish line shot. She got a shot right before this of someone else entirely, thinking it was me, so I'm just impressed with her camera's recovery time. Or perhaps that's a sign of how slow I was moving.

After the last two races, I feel dusty as a runner and have some questions for the runners among us to recharge my running mojo.

1. I need new music suggestions. I tend to lean on Pandora a little too much when I'm running, which is great if the song that kicks on in my headphones is a good running song. Not so good when the song is a ballad and I have to fetch my iPhone out of my belt to switch songs. Any good songs you've been working out to lately?
2. Do you have a pair of running shoes you love? I plan to get re-fitted, just like I did last time, but my foot and gait seem to be relatively normal so, last time, I was offered a few shoes that would fit my needs. I picked the one (at the time) that felt most comfortable in the store and on the in-store treadmill, but I'd love to go in armed with even more information, if possible.

Finally, if you are a runner too, how funny is this shirt? Order by March 1st, and you can have it in time for St. Patrick's Day!

February Menu

Let's all ignore today's date and pretend this isn't laughably late and maybe also pretend you're still interested in seeing my monthly menus. This month got away from me (probably partly because of my newly-formed Sons of Anarchy addiction) so a few of these I didn't get around to making but all the recipes look delicious, so I wanted to share/link to them anyway. 

Indian Spiced Vegan Chili; Whole Wheat Roasted Red Pepper + Fontina Pizza; Roasted Grape, Goat Cheese, and Honey Stuffed Sweet Potatoes; Easy Black Bean Soup; Black Bean and Sweet Potato Enchiladas; Mike's Pizza (which is this Buffalo Chicken Pizza); Meatless Muffalettas; Gnocchi Mac-and-Cheese; Goat Cheese & Honey Sandwich; Avocado & Black Bean Salad; Veggie Lasagna; Tomato Basil Soup; Hummus & Avocado Toasts; Veggie Burgers (probably just Morning Star)

(January's menu!)

Making/Made anything delicious this month?

Thanks, Guys.

I've got personal emails coming to each of you who commented on yesterday's post. I was so touched. There wasn't even a single slightly negative-leaning comment and turns out a lot of us are struggling with wanting to eat all the donuts when stressed or sad or emotional or just breathing. 

I think we're gonna be okay, though.

I promise to keep talking my way through this as best I can and to also break up all the waist-size/fragile self-esteem talk with lots of pictures of Kyle or thoughts on this season's The Bachelor. (OMG, is this the worst batch of women ever to appear on a reality dating show or what? How has Ben not walked to the front of a rose ceremony yet and been all, "Peace, I'm out, you're all batshit." They're all a considerable step down from Ashley. How is that possible?) 

Anyway, last night I went to bed at 8:15 despite really needing to clean, cook, and work-out. I said to myself: "Uh, no, actually you need to watch The Vampire Diaries and go to bed." So I listened to myself.

This is the first step I've been meaning to tell you guys about. Listening to my gut. My gut is the exact opposite of those whispers I mentioned yesterday. My gut is a genius and knows exactly what it's talking about. It wants me to be a rockstar who doesn't just achieve goals but makes those goals my bitch. My gut screams at me every day and often I ignore the heck out of it. 

When my gut talks, I'm trying really hard to listen now. 

Keep Fighting

(I very nearly hit delete on this post that I wrote a little while ago because it's, well, it's so tough. The toughest thing I've written, maybe. I got a lot of strength and inspiration from this post I stumbled upon today by way of Elizabeth. Thanks to her and to the post writer. Thanks so much.)

***

The thing about eating disorders is that they never really go away.

The other day I stepped onto an elevator and caught the smell of the cologne my first boyfriend used to wear. After a brief moment where I mercilessly judged whatever professional was wearing Tommy cologne in 2012, I was instantly taken back to 1998, unexpectedly and without warning, and it was like one of those bad movie montages in my head. A good-and-bad highlight reel began playing and it's not that I really missed him or us (or ever really do) but memory just sort of works this way: one moment you're 30 and married and a mom and happy and stepping onto an elevator, thinking about an email you need to send or groceries you need to buy and the next moment you're 16 and dancing in a high school cafeteria and you can't help but think, I wonder if he ever catches my smell on an elevator? 

This is kind of how eating disorders work. You go months and months figuring shit out and losing weight by eating less and exercising more and rocking it and then one day you're walking down the hall to grab laundry or to check on your sleeping preschooler and something whispers, "eat something bad for you, keep eating until you hate yourself again," and you don't know how it happened, or how you lost control or even why (except that this is just how your brain defaults handling stress, without your consent), but the whispers, man, they sure seem to come out of nowhere sometimes.

I recently heard someone answer the question, "How is your eating disorder?" with "It's really loud right now," and I couldn't think of a better way to describe an eating disorder or (I'd guess) an addiction of any kind. Sometimes it's silent, but that doesn't mean it's gone. Other times, it can be all we hear. 

The last six months of 2011, despite working out regularly and with incredible dedication, I overate a lot, and I know that this is an eating disorder all its own. I know that this is bulimia without throwing up. I could list all the reasons this happens sometimes but it's not actually because of my job or my broken friendship with someone I thought would be there for me forever or my sometimes-fragmented-always-complicated relationship with my father. It's not really about any of that, although those triggers sure do contribute, it's just about my inability to handle life's stresses in a way that doesn't involve food. When stress is tossed my way, I stiffen externally and when the house is quiet and no one is looking, I break down, so to speak. I tip-toe into the kitchen and eat. Sometimes I eat a lot. 

I did this at 16 and 17 and 18 and 21 and 24 and 27 and while I haven't thrown up in so many years I can't quite remember exactly how many, I now realize that all this yo-yoing with my weight and my eating habits is still an eating disorder.

I want it not to be. I want all those reflective and introspective posts I've written before to be true, that I'm better, that I'm good, that I'm immune. This one in particular, and I felt so good when I wrote that. I was in such a good place that day. But I know that good periods come with bad, and I'm not immune to the lure of the whispers. I don't know if I'll ever be. I just need to figure out how to ignore them more consistently. Not just sometimes but most times.

I've become self-conscious to talk about exercise and eating here, two topics I kind of talk about a lot (remember when I was training for a half-marathon? Man, I did nothing but talk about exercise). It feels more "part of this crazy up and down pattern" than "being healthy." I fear you're all rolling your eyes because it sure can be annoying to live with such inconsistencies and I imagine at least partially annoying to hear about.

Just figure it out! I want to scream at myself and I assume some people want to scream at me. I'm 30! This is getting old.

I can't change that this is what it is, though. I'm exhausted that I'm still fighting this fight. I'm angry, too. I'm an adult, a wife, a mother, a professional. I should not still have food issues, but I do.  

So I keep fighting.

Exhausted just isn't an excuse to stop.

I keep saying that 2012 is my year, and it is. It's my year. It's my year to do so many things, I can't wait for you to see them all. I feel like I'm going to overcome a lot and conquer a lot and rock a lot and it's going to be grand. (It IS.) But, I think a big part of that is to take the next step in this fight and that's to make an appointment, finally, to see a therapist and maybe a nutritionist.

Then I think I'll make an appointment to take a really long nap. 

January Menu & Fitness Plan

Doing something a little different, friends. Each month of 2012, I'm going to post my menu and fitness plan. To keep myself accountable, for easy reference, because I'm crazy. All apply! 

You can see I'm easing back into things this week -- and I changed item #75 on my list to "run for my birthday" since I'm running tomorrow instead of yesterday, but it still counts 'cause it's my list! -- but starting Monday, I'm officially getting hardcore. I'm starting this coming Monday instead of this past Monday because when you have a January 3rd birthday, you need that extra week to enjoy it properly. I'm pretty sure that's law. (Awesome birthday recap to come post-party this weekend!)

{Click on the image to expand} 

1/4: Spicy Bean Burritos; 1/9: Vegetarian Chili; 1/11: Corn Cakes with Tomato Avocado Relish; 1/12: Black Bean Sliders; 1/16: Thai Red Curry; 1/17: Grilled Cheese and Brussels Sprouts; 1/18: Lasagna Soup; 1/20: Veggie Fajitas; 1/23: Meatless Muffalettas; 1/24: Baked Sweet Potatoes and Salad; 1/25: Broccoli Cheddar Soup; 1/31: Veggie Tamale Pies

One reason I'm getting so hardcore is because I got very un-hardcore the last half of 2011 even though I was training for a half-marathon. I ate horribly, I focused on my long runs toward the end of training and not much else, I ate horribly. Did I mention I ate horribly? 

Another reason is that I have an April date looming on the horizon and it's a motivating date because it's a date that includes A BEACH, WHERE SWIMSUITS ARE REQUIRED. Well, maybe not required, I tend to get dramatic, but definitely preferred to pj pants and the ill-fitting t-shirts I'm used to wearing. This beach happens to be in Puerto Rico, where Mike and I just booked our five-year anniversary trip to, and we'll be there a week and I don't know if there's anything more motivating than a ROMANTIC GETAWAY on a BEACH to push me away from all that horrible food and into the arms of a few fitness instructors/Jillian Michaels/my running shoes.

(Oh! Hey! If you have any tips or suggestions or must-dos in Puerto Rico, we're all ears. We plan to split our time between the main island and Vieques, but that's about all the decision making we've done. I've mainly spent my vacation research on Pinterest looking at pretty pictures. So pretty!)

There you have it. What I'm doing this month to return to hardcore. And also return to exhausted because, man, I'm tired just thinking of it all. It's times like these I wish watching Biggest Loser and searching yoga classes from my couch was all I really needed to do to get fit and trim. 

Science, get on that!

(The End of) Half-Marathon Training: Week 18

Well, friends, this is officially the last recap before the race recap when I return from Vegas next week. I bet you're all a little relieved this space will stop being about running and here's where I destroy your wishes and dreams by confessing I've already signed up for a a few races in 2012 including both a 15K and another half-marathon in January (the 3M half in Austin). I know, I know, I'm insane, but runners are known to be a very strange group. A group that basically lives by the mantra: "This is crazy, I hate it, let's do it again next weekend."

For anyone interested in reading every single half-marathon related post I've written (I'd wager no one!), here they all are anyway, in one organized place.

Wednesday: 2-mile run

I got my running partner back this week and Kristie and I reunited for a morning run and post-run coffee. It felt great to get back to our regular routine and while I don't think we'll be as insane about our morning runs beyond Sunday, I do hope we continue to work out together. It's been invaluable having her throughout this process.

Thursday: 10K Turkey Trot

Texas is flat, you often hear, and whoever goes around promoting that bag of lies never ran the Fort Worth Turkey Trot 10K. Boy, was it hilly. Kristie and I struggled a little around mile 3-4, and probably walked 2-3 times total but still managed to finish in 1:08, my personal 10K PR (a 10:58 pace).

{My first mid-running photo!}

It did feel great to kick off Thanksgiving in a healthy way even if I put those calories right back on my hips after one (of four) helping of mashed potatoes.

{Part of our Running to Drink group!}

I also need to write an email to the organizers of the race, who we watched pour out all the extra water in a parking lot instead of taking it back with them to donate to a needy group or keep at the YMCA of Fort Worth, who the race benefitted. I have no idea their rationale behind doing that, but I'm going to try my best to find out.

Sunday: 10-mile run

Kristie and I planned to meet early Sunday morning, to knock out our last (and longest) long run. She texted me the night before and said, "It's going to be 38 at 7:30 tomorrow. OMG." I don't often wish for Kristie to be wrong, but OMG IS RIGHT. It was that cold. Our usuallly busy trail was empty, but we set out to do what we needed to do. Run 10 miles. 10 MILES IS A LOT OF MILES, and the only reason I believe I finished is because I had someone with me as a witness. But, I do have something to say about running long distances in general:

Do whatever you have to do to finish.

For me, especially in training, this (now) means walking when I need to, stretching when I need to, stopping to fill up my water bottle when I need to, slowing down when I need to, grabbing a bite of something half-way when I need to, and on and on. We walked four times: at miles three, four, six, and eight, for about a minute each break. (There was a bathroom stop at mile four, so that was probably a little longer.)

Our final time was 1:52 (that's an 11:12 pace).

This run didn't feel impossible although the last two miles were tough and the last half mile was really tough. It felt long and hard and boring at times, sure, but it was possible, and that's maybe the big-picture message to take from all this training, all this running: it's possible.

You don't have to be skinny (I'm annoyingly bigger now than I was when I started training), and you don't have to be in perfect shape, and you don't have to run the fastest, and you don't have to run without stopping. You can still be a runner regardless of any of those things, and you can run 10 miles (or 1 or 2 or 7 or 8). You can do it. It is possible.

Trust yourself.

I've felt discouraged often throughout this journey because it's just been so hard, so trying. But, I finally know I can do this and I'm finally looking forward to it, too.

***

In case you're interested (my mom, for starters!), the race is this Sunday, at 5:30 PM PST, so you might be asleep on the east coast by the time I finish in Vegas, but I'll update Twitter, for sure. Before I wrap up this long final recap, I want to say a huge thank you to each person who's supported me, in all the many different ways I've felt supported. Through comments, emails, tweets, my awesome running group, those traveling to Vegas with me, or those staying behind to watch Kyle so I can take this trip at all. All of your faith in me has helped me find faith in myself.

I'm so very grateful and humbled to know each of you.

Race Recap: Arbor Day 10K

Last week was another week I didn't get many training workouts in but, oh guys, last week was full of suck. Not to be confused with full of sick, although they're both totally accurate. I got sick, then Kyle got sick, then Kyle got sicker, then I felt a little sick again, then we all got better, then I ran a 10K.

Obvious chain of events, no?

Anyway, Saturday was the Arbor Day 10K, which was my very first 10K last year. I definitely wanted to go back and run this one again, to see if my original time could be squashed like I recently squashed my original 5K time. 

It was a beautiful day (albeit pretty chilly starting off) and I felt reasonably good the entire time. The last mile was tough in the way that all last miles are -- "I'm so close, I'm so close, WHY ARE YOU THE LONGEST MILE EVER?" -- but I felt good. I thought I was pushing it, but turns out, not really.

2010 time: 1:19
2011 time: 1:11
Pace: 11:25 (nearly a minute and a half slower than my average 5K pace)

Sure, that's eight entire minutes I shaved off, but I was actually aiming for 1:05. Now, I also stopped at various times to stretch out my tight left calf and I walked through every water station, so I could really drink the water (drinking from a paper cup while running is not super effective), but I think it's ok that I was a little bummed about my finish time.

That feeling stems from thinking I could have done better and, you know, I could have. So, next race, that's my goal. In fact, I'm running another 10K Thanksgiving morning. (I also have an 8-mile run planned this weekend and a 10-mile run the following and, along with some shorter runs and work-outs, I'll be just about to race day.)

(HOLD ME OMG)

Anyway, after the Arbor Day race, we went to a delicious brunch at Whiskey Cake, and I cannot recommend this place enough if you're in the DFW area. Three words for you: pulled pork benedict. I KNOW, RIGHT?

***

Also, a very enthusiastic shout-out to my mom, who ran her first 5K in 20 years the same morning as my 10K. My mom who finished THIRD IN HER AGE GROUP and then got her PHOTO TAKEN with HER AWARD and was less than a minute shy of the second place runner and, how inspiringly awesome, right? She said to me, after she got her award, "I want to sign up for all the races now!" Congrats, mom!

Race Recap: Fort Worth's Vampire Run

In addition to my weekly half-marathon training recaps (although I'm skipping last week since I did nothing beyond this 5K, I KNOW), I've also decided to recap each race I run. (You can see my last race -- the Rahr's 5K -- recap here.)

It was the Vampire Run's first year, which meant there were certainly a few kinks, but I was eager to run an afternoon race since my half has a 5:30 PM start time. I gathered my Running to Drink crew and nearly all of us signed up or showed up. (We have a Facebook group where we post runs, happy hour invites, links and tips, and it's been awesome.)

I hadn't run in a week before the run, and I never know if a few days off will recharge my batteries or suck the will to run straight from my bones. This was a little of both.

The run kicked off fine, although my entire group shot out in front of me. I couldn't find the energy to push myself much at the start, but I'm glad, since I needed that saved energy for the last half mile, WHICH WAS AWFUL.

A few pros:

• The course. It was through a local park and on a trail, which was nice, and it was well-marked (I've run quite a few races where the miles aren't even marked; what the hell is UP with that?)
• The weather was amazing.

A few cons:

• One water station. Most 5Ks have just one water station, and I'm sure this is a budget issue (right?) but, man, I need more water than that even for just three miles. I think I'll try running with my own water next race. 
• The kids. I know! I sound like an asshole, but (generally speaking) kids aren't the most considerate runners. They sprint at full speed and then stop right in front of you to walk or tie their shoes or talk to their friends or dance (I wish I were kidding).
• Timing. They timed us on the gun time, not our chip time, so I have no real idea what my time was.

My time:

Gun time: 31:26
GPS time: 31:54 (Of course, I forgot to hit stop until I was at the post-run water table chugging water, so....)

Then my entire group went to eat Mexican food and drink margaritas because our Running to Drink name isn't about gatorade, as if you thought it was.

Next race: A local 10K in two weeks

Sponsored post: Healthy Lifestyle Tips

Thanks to Tervis for sponsoring my writing. Visit their website http://www.tervis.com to learn more about the world’s first smart cup.

***

Sponsored posts can be eye-roll inducing, don't I know, which is why I only agree to write one if it's a topic I'd write about anyway. For instance, when Clever Girls and Tervis asked if I'd write about smart and healthy lifestyle tips, I jumped at the chance because this is something I've wanted to write about for a while.

I have a few tips, you see, that I've gathered after finally incorporating work-outs into my ridiculously busy schedule (and we all have busy schedules, am I right?). It can be done. You can work out and focus on healthy habits while also commuting and parenting and squeezing in date nights and paying bills and doing laundry and maintaining a social life.

• Find a work-out partner or organize a work-out group. This might be my top fitness tip of all time, actually, because it's been the one thing to completely change my attitude about exercising. When you have someone waiting for you at 6am at the gym across town, you just back out a lot less often, and you enjoy the work-outs a lot more. 
• Embrace early work-outs. Okay, this sounds a little awful, I know, but after a few months of frequent early morning work-outs, I can genuinely say I've never regretted a single one. It's the work-outs I skip that I regret. You feel fantastic afterward, you've started your day on a healthy foot, and you come home after work without any guilt about collapsing onto the couch.

{Early morning trail run}

• Accessorize. This sounds like a strange tip, but if you have the right music, the right shoes, the right-fitting and most-comfortable clothes, and a few other right things, you can focus on the exercise and very little else. 
• Schedule, schedule, schedule. I usually plan all of my weekly work-outs on Sunday evening. I mark them on my Google Calendar and also on a Google doc I keep. This is invaluable to me. When I don't have every last work-out planned, I spiral into an "I'll just think about it tomorrow!" train of thought. Sure, I sometimes bail and things come up, but this schedule keeps me honest more than ever before. 

So, tell me, what are your healthy living tips for the busiest among us?

***

I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. To learn more about Tervis, visit their website http://www.tervis.com.

Half-marathon Training: Week 12

Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Week 11

***

This is a bit of a cop-out post because last week was insane and I ultimately worked out very little. Elizabeth came into town on Wednesday afternoon, and we headed south on Thursday for a long weekend of debauchery in Austin for The Blathering. The Blathering is not a half-marathon training get-together, you should know, so my work-outs were basically all sidelined, but I did eat fabulously and drink at least one jalapeno margarita that was so delicious, it deserves a post of its own, but all that makes for a light training recap post.

Tuesday: 3 miles

Kristie and I were going to do a measly 2.5, but we pushed on and did 3. Because we're badasses, that's why. (Or wanted to get home faster, whatevs.)

Saturday: 6 miles

I organized a small run on Saturday morning in Austin, and it ended up being just five of us (Sarah, Julie, Kristie, Katie, and me), and we ran-slash-walked around the North Austin neighborhood we were staying in. It was so humid, and it was kind of ridiculously awful when I decided we could tackle this steeeeeeep hill around mile 3, but it was also kind of wonderful.

I loved running with a small group like this. Sometimes we were all together, sometimes we pulled away at our own paces, but when we reached our front door and Kristie decided to push on the extra .2 miles to make it an even 6, the other four of us just joined suit behind her. Even though so many of us (read: me) were just done. Running is such a magical community, and it continues to remind me of this, over and over. 

This whole weekend was incredible in hard-to-describe ways, even though I hope to try and describe it all soon (tomorrow? Friday? I need more hours in the day!), but that Saturday morning run was such a highlight for me.

Thank you, ladies.

Half-Marathon Training: Week 11

Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10

I've been slightly veering off my training plan the last couple weeks as I work my new gym membership into my schedule. I make sure to work in my long runs, and I try to get in another run or two beyond that, but the addition of more cross- and strength-training has been a positive physical change. My legs were constantly achy and tight just a few weeks ago, always on the verge of a possible injury, I feared, and they feel so much better now.

So, this week:

Monday: yoga

I swapped out a run for yoga, which was great. It was a nice and easy way to start the week and there was a pretty intense ab section mid-class, which reminded me I've been pretty much ignoring that area for months.

Tuesday: rest

Wednesday: Body pump

This was my strength training for the week, and it was pretty challenging. The instructor was also very pregnant and in much better shape than I'm in. That's a nice, humbling way to start the day, am I right?

Thursday: AM Run & PM Kickboxing

Oh, boy, this run. It was supposed to be 4 miles and I think I made it maybe 1.5. I didn't feel good, at all, and I nearly puked before, during, and after. I had to stop and sit down at one point, even. I think this was more about being really poorly rested the night before than anything else.

Kickboxing was the last thing I wanted to do, but I rallied and actually had a little bit of fun, and a great work-out, which was good after such a crappy morning. (Although I laughed re-reading this post from four years ago.)

Friday & Saturday: rest

Sunday: 6-mile run

I had to do this long run solo because of scheduling conflicts with Kristie, but I woke up, got ready, and headed out. The first 3.5 miles were ok, not too bad, and then I hit the sunny part of the trail, and was hot and tired, and I had to stop and walk a little. Instead of getting overly discouraged, I would just push myself to run as much as I could and then walk when I needed.

I probably walked a total of a half mile, maybe? I finished 6 miles in 1:05, which is still about a 10:30 mile (a little faster than my average pace, even). So, I feel pretty good about it.

Funny enough, I hate walking during any run. I'd rather slow way down than walk, and I think that's more about what walking does to me mentally than anything else. But, at the end of this run, especially with the time I still managed to clock, I felt great.

So, I had to walk. Big deal. I still ran for most of it and finished 6 miles well within my pace's window.

This particular run changed my view of walking mid-race, and it was a real motivation-booster for me.

***

So, three things: 

1. What do you think about walking mid-run? 

2. I saw this quote on Pinterest Saturday night, and I swear I repeated it to myself a hundred times during my long run:

"It's never a question of can you but will you?" (yeah, not always that simple, sure, but it certainly changed my perspective this particular day)

3. This post by Linda was poetically perfect for me to read today, especially the last paragraph:  

Still, maybe that kind of running holds its own magic. You can do this, you can do this. Say it enough and you start to believe it. Say it enough and it stops just being about running.

There's so much to say to this, and I even attempted to respond in depth, but all I can really think to say is: yes, yes, yes. And then yes a million more times.

Half-Marathon Training: Week 10

Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9

Monday: cross

I did Level 2 from the 30-Day Shred.

Tuesday: rest

I think my rest included the Teen Mom 2 finale.

Wednesday: 4-mile run

This run wasn't bad at all. It was a little hilly, which is always annoying, but the weather was nice and I felt pretty strong throughout.

Thursday: 3-mile run

Now, THIS run, I wanted to stop the entire time. Training is hilarious. You can run four miles one day and have no problem and then struggle through a shorter distance the very next morning. Hoooooow?

Friday: Should have been strength

I cancelled on my early morning strength training date with Kristie. I realllllly wanted to sleep in. (Well, sleep in till 6:45 instead of 5:30, which is depressingly not that much later.)

Saturday & Sunday: Should have been 5 & 3 miles, respectively

It rained all weekend and my running partner was out of town, so I didn't get EITHER run in. I'm not proud. But, I'm trying to keep it honest here.

I have ambitious plans this week, and I hope to stick to them. Keep your fingers crossed.

***

This week I also signed up for 24-Hour Fitness. For my cross and strength, I really enjoy group exercise but my current small town rec doesn't include classes and any independent place I've tried (yoga, Zumba, etc.) is only affordable if I have a Groupon-type discount. They were also waiving the initiation fee for a limited time, so I signed up.

I go to my first class tonight, so I'll keep you posted.

***

Also, as we were running one morning this week, a car stopped to let us cross the street and then the driver rolled down his window to holler out, "Keep it going, ladies! Good job!"

It was such a small gesture. It doesn't take much effort to speak, you know? But, it was just what Kristie and I needed at that exact moment. That small, random act of encouragement will stick with me and, I hope, motivate me to do something similarly encouraging for other runners and exercisers.

It's also nice to keep in mind, in general, I think. Look around for someone who might be in need of a little encouragement today. Give them a high-five, a smile, a "you got this!" It's so small. But, then again, it's not. It's huge.

Half-Marathon Training: Week 9

I am halfway through my training. This means I'm supposed to run a half-marathon in nine weeks. Acutally, less than nine weeks, if you can believe that, which I cannot at all. Oooooh, nervous tummy.

Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8

This week was kind of weird because Mike's schedule was turned upside down at work and my running partner was out of commission, so lack of Kyle-wrangling and lack of motivation prevented a couple runs. I got the long run in, though, which perhaps foolishly makes this week a success in my eyes.

Monday: Should have been a 3.5-mile run

I bailed on this morning's run because Kyle is doing this really adorable* thing where he wakes up like a million times a night requesting various things like juice or more blankets or kisses or NON-WHITE SOCKS I AM NOT KIDDING. I love my son, you know this, but, MAN, does eBay sound appealing when I blurrily see 3am and 3:30am and 4am, all before I'm supposed to be up at 5:30 for a run.

*HAHAHAHA NOT ADORABLE AT ALL

Kristie and I did make it to yoga on Monday night, for a great fire series class, though

Tuesday: should have been a 2-mile run

Crossed wires foiled this run.

Wednesday

Rest

Thursday

Yoga 

Friday: cross

I did a 30-Day Shred video for my cross

Saturday: should have been a 3.5-mile run

I squeeeeeezed in a 1.75 mile run (I had about 20 minutes before I needed to get ready for dinner), and it was fine. I was proud I got out and ran around my neighbhorhood when I wanted to bail since I was so short on time. Good reminder that doing something is better than nothing, I guess.

Sunday: 5-mile run

I really can't believe I did this and that it wasn't even that bad after basically taking a week off from running. It was boring, more than anything. I mean an hour of running (well, 55 minutes) is a long time to do any one thing without stopping unless that thing is watching the CW (just me?). But, this was ... kind of nice? I guess? I mean, I rarely feel fantastic during a run. It's always about 10 seconds after I stop when I feel I can and should conquer the entire world, but this run was kind of enjoyable for a while in the middle.

I rewarded myself with coffee and a Target trip. It was a nice morning indeed and then Kyle and I went to the park and made cupcakes together for Mike's birthday. Sunday win!

***

A couple questions for you:

1. What workout videos do you love? I am a tried and true 30-Day Shred loyalist but my copy broke and while I can occassionally download certain levels from my DirecTV queue, I'd love to pick your brains about other awesome videos I should be trying instead.
2. What do you eat for breakfast/lunch (if it's relatively healthy)? I'm really struggling with my diet. I'm making poor choices and eating too much (especially at night) and I just need a little eating inspiration. So, tell me what YOU eat for breakfast and lunch, especially if it's good for you and also just plain good.

Until next week!

Half-Marathon Training: Week 8

Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7

***

I fear this is becoming a running blog, and that's not what I want, but I also know that life ebbs and flows. There will be a time of inactivity ahead of me, when my greatest daily accomplishment will be clearing out my DVR queue, and when my ass is deeply imprinted in my couch during that time, these posts might inspire me off of it. So, I write them. Because it feels like something I'll enjoy looking back on one day.

Monday: 3.5 miles

I remember this one kind of sucked. That's all I remember, so let's leave it at that.

Tuesday: 1 mile (speed training)

We were set to do 1.5 miles, but I cut mine short and did a mile at about a 9:30 pace.

Wednesday

Rest

Thursday: 2 mile morning run + evening Zumba

We had 3.5 miles on the plan, but we knew a Saturday 5K was ahead of us, and we wanted to ease up a little on the running beforehand, to give our legs a break so we could leave it all on the course on race day. These two miles felt great, though.

Then, that night A'Dell and I took a Zumba class together, and it was ... different. Odd. Weird. Not bad, though, and definitely more a work-out than I anticipated. I looked like a complete and utter idiot throughout, hands down, but I am actually quite familiar with that feeling. I also now vow to take a salsa dance class at some point in the future. My hips really should move better than they do.

Friday: yoga

Kristie and I continued our 6am work-outs and dropped in on a yoga class at a local studio (they offer an introductory 10 days of limitless classes for $10!). I stretched out my tight right leg, and it felt great. Even though we got in trouble from the noise police pre-class. Yoga ain't messing around.

Saturday: 5K

Recap here!

***

My question for the day: When do you work-out best?

See, Kristie and I get up before paper boys (it feels like) to get in a work-out before 1) our boys are up, so we don't miss any more time with them and 2) work. We knock out our work-outs (most often) in the very very very early morning, and I am not a morning person, you should know. But, man, nothing feels better than getting it out of the way that early in the day.

So, yeah, I never thought I'd say this, but I might prefer morning work outs, even beyond training. You?

Race Recap: Rahr & Sons Oktoberfest 5K

Last year, the Rahr & Sons Oktoberfest 5K was only my second 5K to finish, so it felt good to return to the course this past weekend and see if I could smoke my time. Last year, it rained the entire race (which I actually didn't mind) but this year it was the exact opposite: really sunny and really warm.

I've been training for my half-marathon with Kristie, but we're lucky to have other friends who run, too, and this group of ladies has dubbed itself the Running to Drink Team (fitting, right?). We run, we brunch, we laugh, we high-five. They're fantastic.

We even have our own signs bedazzled for us.

We all run at slightly different speeds, but Kristie and I took off at the start together. Pretty soon after that, though, she pulled ahead. It was hot, and I didn't want to force myself to go any faster than I could, especially not at first. I knew the run was going to end on a tough hill, so I tried to focus on that as I slowed down a little.

My initial goal was to finish under 33 minutes but not even a half-mile in, I didn't think that was going to happen. The sun! Oof, it was a bitch.

I somehow caught back up with Kristie around mile two, and that re-energized me to push on. On that last, horrible hill, I saw my friend's husband, holding the sign above, and it was then that Mumford & Son's "The Cave" came on, which pushed me over that hill, feeling pretty good.

Then, right at the finish, I saw Mike. All it took, and we finished strong!

Last year's time: 45:38 (a 14:41 mile)
This year's time: 31:17 (a 10:04 mile)

I shaved over 14 minutes off my time and over 4 minutes off my mile pace. I'm running another 5K this weekend (in addition to a five-miler) and I'm hoping to finish under 30 minutes, if the weather cooperates and everything else falls into place. Cross your fingers!

It was a hard but good run with an incredibly supportive group of friends around me. We headed to The Pour House afterward for oh-my-goodness-so-good food and cheap brunch-y drinks.

It was such a nice day.

(Well, until kick-off of the second half of the A&M game. Ouch.)

Half-Marathon Training: Week 7

Thanks for the comments on last week's post. For being such a solitary activity, running has given me a surprising community within my already-awesome blogging community, and I consider that a real gift. It's really wonderful to know you're reading and following along.

So, here we go.

Monday: 3.5 mile run

It inched back up into the low 100s and high 90s early last week and that made running tough again. Kristie and I met after work and tackled 3.5 miles but it was awfully warm, making the run kind of awful. (I will not mention that Kristie made us run uphill the last half mile except, oops, I think I may have just mentioned it.)

Tuesday: 1.25 speed run

These speed runs are tough. Our usual pace is 10:30-12 minute miles, depending on incline and weather, but we kick it up to 9-9:30 these mornings. Good for our endurance, bad for our everything else's. We treat ourselves to coffee after our early morning runs, and on this day, coffee was the only thing getting me to the end.

Wednesday: rest

Same as always. Rests are easy as pie.

Thursday: 3 mile run + cross 

Kristie and I did hills on this run and I actually felt pretty great throughout. The weather was breezy and cool, and something just clicked. I had plans to Zumba after work but they fell through so I did nothing instead. Nothing is actually not a very effective cross work-out, just so you know.

Friday: rest

I took my mom out to eat for her birthday (happy belated birthday, mom!) and enjoyed pizza, a glass of bubbly, and an early bedtime. This was one of the best rest days ever.

Saturday: long run (4 miles)

I have not run this distance in training .... nearly all year. I was nervous the entire drive to the trail, and I just couldn't shake the fear that I'd probably fall over before finishing four miles. My calf and ankle felt tight for a while, too, but the trail was the perfect choice. We passed so many friendly runners and we did a nice two-mile out and two-mile back run. It passed quickly, which is the first time I've ever said that in the history of ever. I also ran this one with a borrowed Camel Bak (thanks Kristie!) and while it felt a little odd, it was great to have water right there when I needed it. This was my week's best run.

{Start of our run; pretty trail at a local park}

After our run we got coffee and walked around the small, local farmers market. It was a nice morning, followed by lunch and a nap with my boys.

***

Speaking of support, what are you training for (if anything)? When and where is your next race or event? Tell me all about your plans, so I can send you virtual high-fives when it's time.