Death Star Challenge Recap

This weekend my Moms Run This Town chapter decided to do a virtual 5K. It was put on by another chapter leader in another state but it was The Death Star! Who wouldn't run for that?

We all signed our families up, or at least our boys, and met at a local trail to have some fun. 

I hosted it and my kids all slept in that morning so when I got home my family and I hit the road and got in our 3.2 miles. Can I just say that running with kids is way harder than doing it by yourself???

The kids all loved getting out and "running a race" though and they are even more in love with their medal than I thought they would be!

Now that they have a taste of the bling they want more so I see a lot of family races in my future. 

St Paddy's 5k

Saturday, Girly and I ran a local 5k race.  This is the 3rd 5k we've run together and she continues to amaze me =)

Hardly any training in the last couple months and she's still able to run under 30 minutes.  And she's such a rock star, that she took first in her age group.

Once we got home, Junior asked if I would go with him on a bike ride.  Since my bike needs some work, I laced up my shoes and headed out for another 3 miles with him.

The roads are still a bit muddy in places.

And then when Junior and I got back, Squish said he wanted to go for a ride.  So, back out for another mile and a half.  My legs are a bit tired now =)

I'm A Quitter

I've been struggling lately. Perhaps you have noticed in the lack of blogging and Facebook activity, or maybe you were enjoying the silence...

Like I said, I've been struggling. I am supposed to run the Illuminations Half on December 20th in San Antonio. This is supposed to be my first half and as of last week I made the tough call to pull out of the race. I'm somewhat devastated and somewhat relieved.

This wasn't an easy decision, I've lost sleep over it but it's the right decision. 

I have had SEVERE Plantar pain since I had Emma. The kind of pain that causes you to not be able to walk. My chiropractor and I have been working on it, I've bought amazing inserts, I've done exercises for it, and used oils but there were still days that I could not walk comfortably and running was painful. 

I spent all of November sleep deprived because my sweet six month old decided to go on a sleep strike. I also got Strep, threw my back out, and had a two year old with a stomach bug. 

Most importantly though, running became a drag and a chore not something I love. 

After having a nightmare that I was at the race and people were laughing at me for being a DNF so they cut off my legs I decided I was done!

I haven't quit running though! I am leading a C25K group that starts on Saturday and I CAN'T wait!

I have been keeping up with my bootcamp and they have us run a lot but most importantly it's fun, bootcamp really is my first love. 

Will I do a half? I hope so, I've always wanted to complete one but this just isn't the right time. I signed up while I was pregnant so that I wouldn't be a slacker. For some reason I thought that training would be a breeze, HA! I don't really consider this as being a bad thing but just readjusting my goals for what I need right now.
What about you, have you ever had to readjust your goals?

Running by The Book

A few weeks ago, I started a new Bible study with a group from my Wednesday night church (yes, I go to different churches on Sundays and Wednesdays).  I was apprehensive about it at first, because I couldn't figure out how you could tie a Bible study to running.

I've changed my mind about that =)

The beginning of August, we started Running by The Book by Corrine Baur.  

Each week she presents a training plan that helps the beginner train for a half marathon in 12 weeks (she also has a 10k program in the back of the book).  The plan is very doable and gradually increases the intensity of the program.

Each week, she gives you something physical to work on.  So far we have covered form, physical imbalances, core strength and nutrition tips.

The really cool part comes with how well the author ties the physical to the spiritual.  This week we talked about form and physical imbalances- what causes them and what to do to fix them.  The author then took the same 6 reasons for physical imbalances and related them to spiritual imbalances in our lives.  She gives numerous Scripture references to help you strengthen your imbalances.

Each week I've found myself challenged and encouraged to continue on.

Even though the book has a full week of training, the study part of it only takes 2 or 3 days.  Which is perfect because I have a hard time fitting that in each week =)

If you're looking for a good way to start a Bible study that touches on physical fitness as well, this is the perfect study.

Level UP Update

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the Level Up training program.

I thought I would give an update on it.  I'm starting level 7 this week (9th week with recovery weeks) and I am still loving it.  

The workouts are getting a bit more challenging.  My long runs are getting longer and there's more speed work.  Mile repeats still aren't my favorite, but I am seeing improvements in my mile time =)

Although, the training didn't really help me run faster at my last race...

Brave the Mud Run

Because I, apparently, have not been doing enough upper body strength work ;)

I have about 2 months left before my target race and am feeling pretty confident about my training.  The fact that I've stuck with a plan this long without getting bored or skipping most of the workouts says a lot about the program.  I will definitely be using this program for more of my races.

Running on Empty

I had planned on doing a write up on my Hot Chocolate 5k.  I had a good time freezing my butt off with my running buddy from Dallas.  We finished, not with great times but not too shabby either since we walked most of it.  However, I'm going to be honest with you guys instead. 

I'm tired.  I'm 27 weeks pregnant and half the time I'm pretty sure that this baby girl is going to fall out.  

Walking isn't bad but running right now is miserable.  

Seriously.  I'm kind of starting to hate it. 

Will I always hate running?  NO!

However, right now it isn't pleasant and that's okay. 

I am really enjoying some workouts that I found online, weights and pilates are what my body  is craving. 

I sat in my midwifes office yesterday and told her that I was pushing myself to get in a run/walk two to three times a week but that I hated it.  She looked at me and asked me what I was trying to prove.  It really hit home that I have nothing to prove to anyone.  My job is to be as healthy as I can to have a healthy baby but if my body is saying, "STOP!" then it's okay.  I'm not sitting on the couch eating candy bars all day, I'm just doing what works for me right now.  

The most important thing for any of us, pregnant or not, is to listen to our bodies.  That's what I'm doing right now.  In my head I wanted to be a SuperMom that ran up until the day I delivered but I am okay with being a SuperMom that lifts weights and does Pilates instead. 

How I Became A Runner

Today I have a special treat for you...  We have our first, of what I hope to be many, guest post.  Today's guest is Megan from Elbow Glitter.  You can also run over there today and read my (Kelli) post. Now sit back, relax, and enjoy!

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In 2006, I was a law student looking for a new way to relieve stress. I was going to the gym regularly, but usually getting on the elliptical or occasionally the bike.  I mentioned that I lived in a neighborhood with a lot of runners, and a friend told me I should give running a shot.

Umm, hello, I’m no runner.  I can’t run more than a minute without thinking I will die.

But she pointed me in the direction of Couch to 5K and so I decided to try it out.

I’m not going to lie to you.  It was hard.  I repeated weeks a number of times.  I had days where I went out for a run that ended in what I considered complete failure.  But I did start to see progress.  And that was rewarding.

I ran my first 5K that August.  It was a walker friendly race, and people often walked with strollers.  Great, I thought.  I won’t be last.  

Then it rained.  A lot.

Guess what?  I was one of the last runners to come in.  Not the best feeling.  Looking back at my time, it was a pretty good 5K for me!  It was definitely a mental setback though.  But I refused to give up.  I just kept at my training.  It’s definitely been worth it and I’m so glad I didn’t give up.

I learned a lot in that first year of running.  I learned a lot about running, but more importantly, I learned a lot about myself.  I can’t teach you anything about yourself, that you have to learn on your own.  But I can offer some tips I discovered along the way.

If you follow a plan like Couch to 5K (which I do recommend), don’t worry about following it to the letter.  I repeated weeks a number of times.  If I didn’t feel ready to move on to the next week’s workouts, I stuck with what I knew worked.  I know a lot of people like to have a goal race, but I didn’t want to sign up for one right away.  Besides, since Couch to 5K had me running by time and I’m a slow runner, by the time I “finished” the program, I still wasn’t quite up to 5K.

Another important tip - less is more.  No, really.  You won’t become a runner any quicker by running every day.  All you’re going to do is hurt yourself.  And if something hurts, don’t run.  (Of course, every runner I know tends to run injured, but we are a stupid breed.)

The most important thing I learned was to run my own race.  And the same theory applies to every single training run.  What I mean by that is to not compare yourself to anyone else when you run.  Don’t push yourself because your friend is faster.  Don’t be offended when a very pregnant woman goes flying past you (it’s happened to me more often than I want to admit).  Or a guy in a crab costume running sideways (yes, that happened too).  Don’t worry that someone is watching you on your training run and thinking you’re slow.  Just focus on you.  Do what’s right for you.  You’re worth it.

A Busy Couple of Weeks

It's been a busy couple of weeks here at Camp Berger.  Between my parents visiting and Squish's birthday, there has been plenty of things to do and food to eat.

While my parents were here, my dad and I had a chance to run a local 5k race.  The race was run on a Friday night in conjunction with the local Balloon Fest.  The weather didn't really cooperate for us.  A couple minutes before the gun went off, the rain started coming down.  But that didn't keep us from running a good race.

My dad took second in his age group (4 seconds behind 1st) and I took 1st female.  The medals were really cool laser engraved wood.

On Saturday we spent the entire day at the festival and then went out to eat at a local restaurant.  And there was a little bit of excitement.

We were able to watch one of the balloons crash land in the parking lot across the road.  Thankfully everyone was okay.

Since my parents were here, we decided to celebrate Squish's birthday a few days early.  He requested a construction cake, and this is what I came up with.

I think he was more excited that he got to play with the decorations after the cake was gone =)

Papa spent some time fixing up the kids' bikes...  And then took one of them for a spin. (anyone else hearing the clown college theme song?)

Safety first!

Papa built the kids some new toys.

Sweet Pea took a break reading a book.

Out of the seven eggs we wanted to hatch, we got five chicks.  Sweet Pea wasn't too sure about them and tried to keep her distance. 

Sarge picked up a new cooking toy.

We filled it up with some meat, potatoes, carrots...

And set it to cook.

It was delicious and was more than enough for the 12 people who ate that day =)

So, you can see that I've been keeping pretty busy.  I'm hoping that things start slowing down just a bit so I can catch up on all the chores that have gotten missed the last couple weeks (the kids don't really need clean clothes, do they?)

What's My Workout?

One of the first blog posts I did was about what my workout was.  However, that has changed as my life has changed so I thought I would fill you in some.  I have been VERY honest with you guys and my motivations since May has been *ahem, cough, cough* lacking.  However, I still try/attempt/strive to get moving at least five days a week.  Here's how that looks. 

Monday/Wednesday/Friday (really whatever days end up working): A friend and I meet to walk/run for an hour.  We normally get 3 to 4 miles in.  Some days we are slower and some days we are faster.  I love it because we also get to catch up so the time flies.  

Tuesday/Thursday (really the opposite days of my walk) I attempt to do a dvd with either weights, Pilates, or Yoga.  I honestly LOVE this workout and have asked for this set for Christmas.  

Picture by Amazon

I have also just used several of the weight workouts that Lynette and I have posted here on this blog!  

My workouts have obviously changed as the challenge of looking for a house to buy added some stress.  Now the stress of packing and waiting on a closing date has settled over the house.  Added to that, my bootcamp membership expired and I didn't want to renew while things were up in the air.  Then, I bought a Groupon for a yoga studio and that expired.  So now I am just winging it, and I LOVE it!  I am working out at my own pace, whenever I have the time.  Some days I only have thirty minutes; other days I have longer, and that's okay!  

What are your workouts looking like?

This post contains affiliate links that Mom 4ce receives compensation for.  This money is used to keep our blog up and running and one day if we ever have excess money from these affiliate links we plan on buying more fitness equipment.  We will NEVER post a link for something that we wouldn't use or do use in our own homes.

Going Streakin'

I may or may not have written about it being hot and lacking motivation to exercise. 

I have decided to remedy that problem...I am going streakin'!

No, not that kind of streaking!!!  

I am going on a running streak. 

I plan on running or walking every day for at least fifteen minutes, everybody has a spare fifteen minutes somewhere. 

My plan is to see how long I can go with a goal of ninety days.  

A normal person would start on the first, but I'm not normal so I am starting on August 26th and I would love some company so feel free to join me.  In fact, I will make a group on Facebook called The Mom 4ce Streakers so join us there and get ready to STREAK!  

The group will be free to join and will just provide encouragement and fun...who knows, I may even have some giveaways!  

Who's with me?

I Run 4

I've been struggling with my runs lately.  I seem to have lost my motivation...  Or at least trying to motivate myself.

But then I remember who I run for.  I run for a little girl in Florida who can't run for herself.  She was born with half a heart and a missing chromosome.  She has a feeding tube and a trach tube.  She can't do a lot of things for herself, but that doesn't stop her bubbly personality from showing through.

Sweet Pea has a runner too.  Someone she can motivate to keep going when they think they can't.  

And in return, I am encouraged and inspired by someone wanting to run for Sweet Pea.  

These two matches came about through a group called I Run 4.  It was founded on the simple phrase "You can run for me anytime."

As founder Tim Boyle says on the website: 

"We all have friends who say “run some for me” because they don’t WANT to run… what about those who physically CAN’T run?  After an inspiration from a close friend who was battling bilateral hip dyspasia – Founder Tim Boyle found a whole new inspiration to run.

The mental and emotional encouragement for both runner and honorary runner is proving to be a whole new level of motivation and awareness.  Runners are able to find a whole new sense of purpose in their running while sharing who they are running for and bringing awareness to diseases and disabilities of all types." 

Right now they are looking for people (adults and children) with special needs to match to their runner waiting list.  If you have a child, or are an adult, with special needs, please sign up and see how inspiring it can be to have a runner!

If you are a runner (or walker!) sign up as well, but know there is a wait for matches right now.  Let someone who can't become your motivation for doing what you can.

To find a runner to be matched with or to find someone to run for, click the “Match Me” link. Just sign up and when you get matched – dedicate your runs/workouts to your match!!  You can make signs, tshirts, body paint, whatever you want to do to make your match feel special!!  Upload pics and tag the child’s parent on the facebook group!  Give  your running a whole new motivation!!

The Art of Patience

A friend recently posted an article about what running harder won't help you get faster (Running Harder Won't Help You Get Faster) and it got me thinking.

Having run competitively through high school and college, I was trained hard for 3-4 months to *peak* for the big races at the end of our season (track and/ or cross country).  And most of the time I ended up with some nagging injury that kept me from optimal performance at that race.

Would I have been in better shape at the end of the season if my coaches had taken a more moderate approach?  Or if my coaches had trained me to my ability and not to the ability of the top runner?

An excerpt from the August 2013 issue of Running Times from Ryan Hall

As I've gotten older, I've realized that I cannot train at high intensities anymore.  But that doesn't mean I can't improve my race times.

Please include attribution to RunnersConnect with this graphic.

High intensity workouts usually lead to an injury which then sets back your training.  If the cycle is continually repeated, you'll end up behind the person who trained at a moderate intensity.

What does this mean for you?  It means that by slowing down and taking a more moderate approach to your training (and your weight loss!) you will end up further ahead than if you had gone all out from the start.

As I start the journey to an ultra marathon, I've taken a different approach.  I'm slowing down my runs and I'm adding in more strength training.  I'll still hit some longer runs, but I'll make sure I'm running those on fatigued legs.  I'll be running 3 days in a row with increasing milage each day so that the last run more closely resembles the last miles of the ultra.

My strength training will focus one more functional moves: push- ups, pull- ups, squats, lunges.  I'll mix up my routines so that I'm not following the same weight workout each week.

And I'll make sure that I'm taking my rest days seriously.

I Am A Runner?

I really consider Lynette the runner of Mom 4ce.  I consider myself more of "not the runner". 

In fact I am a chapter leader for Moms Run This Town and I haven't really considered myself a runner.  Yes, I am that weird!

I ran my first 5k over two years ago, I have no idea what my time was.  All I know is that I finished it!

Then, I had a bunch of problems with my Plantar, sprained my ankle, got pregnant, had a baby and totally quit running.  Lynette encouraged me to get back in touch with my fit self and so I started C25K and some exercise dvd's.  From there I signed up for The Color Run because a friend of a friend was setting up a team.  We texted each other every night to check in on our running!  I finished the 5k in 45 minutes and felt like a superstar; however I still didn't consider myself a runner. 

From the Color Run I signed up for The Jigglebutt (yes that really is the name of the race) and ran that with Lynette.  On a side note, this race was on my husband's birthday and he watched all eight kids.  He seriously is a great husband!  Oh and this is also the day that my daughter took her first steps.  This is also the day that I ran a 5k in 37 minutes (my PR)!  I was ecstatic that I had run another 5k but I still did not think I was a runner. 

After the Jigglebutt some girlsI do bootcamp with decided to run the Hot Chocolate 5k and some were doing the Hot Chocolate 15k.  I knew I wasn't ready for the 15k but decided to do the 5k.  Okay, fine I really wanted the sweatshirt!!!  So I signed up and ran.  I finished in 39 minutes felt like I was something amazing and decided that next year I would do the 15k.  I also decided that I would sign up for the Cinco de Miler which is a 5 mile course.  However, I am still not a runner.  

For one of my training runs for the Cinco de Miler I ran 5.5 miles with a friend from bootcamp and we discussed how much we really didn't like running.  Yes, we discussed this while we ran.  The conversation was something about how we like how running relaxes us and makes us stronger but we don't like how boring it is unless you have a friend.  We love the races and the friendships but we wouldn't really call ourselves hardcore runner.  I left that run on a huge high, I had never run 5.5 miles; I knew that I could do the Cinco de Miler without a problem.  I "HAD" this and could quit worrying.  

I ran the Cinco de Miler in 60 minutes, consistent with my 12 mile a minute mile pace.  I crossed that finish line and realized that I could easily do a half if I could run 5 miles!  Then I knew; I am a runner.  

It's an addiction, I can't help but run.

I am not the fastest runner and will probably never be. 

I run because I have to, no I need to.

I go through phases where getting out the door to run doesn't happen as much as I want to but I am still a runner. 

Through all of this I learned something important; you can tear yourself down more than anyone else can.  Don't do that!  

Mom 4ce's 5k Training Group

One of the reasons Kelli and I started Mom 4ce was to encourage moms to get out and get fit.  And one of the ways that we're doing that is to offer work out groups for our local fans.

After talking to some of the moms, we found that a few of them had the goal to run a 5k.  So we decided to start a 5k training group.  Following along the lines of the ever popular C25k programs, we're going to be working towards running a 5k by the end of May.

The plan for the group, right now, is to have them run twice during the week by themselves and then meet on Saturdays to do our "long run" together.

The response so far has been great!  Except for one morning that was canceled due to hail and lightening, we've been out there every week since the beginning of March.  I am so proud of the ladies who have joined us and have made the commitment to get fit, get healthy.

Just Keep Moving

Lately I have not been motivated to run.  

There, I said it.  You know the truth.  

I've been doing other workouts.  I'm hitting bootcamp.  I have been doing Tai Cheng with my husband.  

I have even gone on some runs but the magic isn't happening and I feel like I am running through mud.  

So, what do you do when the motivation is missing?

First off, ask yourself; "What am I trying to avoid?"  For me am I really avoiding running or am I unwilling to push myself to the next mile, challenge, etc.  

Second, let yourself enjoy the exercise you are doing.  Focus on the enjoyment of that exercise and don't call it training.  For me, I have been focusing on the love of running and stepped back on training for a race and looking at my times. 

Third, listen to your body.  If your body is tired it may be time to step it back on that particular exercise and cross train.  For me I do several different types of exercise so that I can prevent burn out.

Finally, have fun!  If you really aren't motivated then go do what you are motivated to do.  

Now, I am off to go run in the beautiful sunshine.  What are you going to do?