Mid-Year Review 2019

Happy July! I seriously can't believe it's already July. I say this every year, but where has the time gone? Before we know it, Christmas will be here!

So, how has the first half of this year gone in my little corner of the world? Well, let's take a look!

Running/Fitness

From a running standpoint, it's been great. This past spring, I managed to PR in the 5K and 10K distances and felt strong with both races. Orangetheory attendance has been a twice weekly occurrence over here and I love it! I also somehow managed to place first in my AG division for the April Half Marathon challenge at Orangetheory. Mayhem was another challenge I completed during the month of May which was so much fun.

Since May, I somehow did something crazy to my hamstring/ligament/bursa of my right leg. I took two weeks off from working out and running after Mayhem was over (except one 2 miler in Alaska on national running day), hoping that would help and it did not. After seeing an orthopedic doc last week, he decided it would be best if I began with physical therapy and go from there. My first evaluation is today and I'm really looking forward to getting some answers and hopefully some help! If you saw my instagram story, you heard me say that he also ordered dry needling (which I'm so freaked out about) and I appreciate everyone's kind words and expertise/advice. As a nurse, I'll poke you all day long, but I do not like needles pointing my way! 

Weight Loss

I'm still mostly following the Faster Way lifestyle and feeling great. I did totally bomb it while we were on vacation but it was fairly easy jumping back into it once we returned home. I've lost the extra weight put on during the cruise but haven't lost any additional weight, which I'm working on now. 

Family Time

We spent 10 days in Canada/Alaska at the end of May/beginning of June with Jason's family and had a BLAST! I've been posting a few recaps here and there with more to come. Returning home and reliving the trip through photos and videos is so much fun and I love sharing it with you guys!

Brayden is also GROWING so fast. He literally grew 1/2 inch between May and June! He's in the 95th percentile for height and grew 5 inches total since his 2 year old checkup. Crazy, I tell ya!

That's about all I can think of that was exciting or stood out as noteworthy this year! Tell me something exciting that's happened in your life in 2019!

Today, I'm also linking up with KookyRunner and Zenaida for Tuesday Topics! 

My Experience With the FASTer Way to Fat Loss Program

When I began the FASTer Way to Fat Loss program at the end of January, I knew I would be embarking on a program that would help me lose weight and feel better. What I didn't plan on was all the added benefits and bonuses that would come along the way!

What is the FASTer Way, you might ask? Well, it's a 7 week program (including prep week) where you are connected with a certified coach who assists with your individualized macro goals. The program also includes workouts of varying degrees as well as a daily "fasting" window. The best part about this program is it allows you to eat to your likes and what works best for you. It also allows you to eat carbs and is totally a do-able lifestyle for me.

Wow...does that sound overwhelming and difficult to process? I promise you, it's not. This program does take a little pre-planning, yes - but once week 2 rolled around, it almost came like second nature. Having a coach along every step of the way helped tremendously, too!

My initial program began at the end of January and carried through to the beginning of March. After this program was complete, I re-joined as a returning client for an additional 6-7 weeks which ended in the middle of April.

Within the first 6 week program, I lost 4.5 inches and 10 pounds. I also began sleeping better and noticed better performance times in my running as well as at Orangetheory. We even managed a Disney trip in there where I didn't follow the program at all because our meal plan was set and in place long before I decided to do this program. Please note: I didn't go to Disney World and eat all the cupcakes. I did indulge on a daily basis in a sweet, but I didn't go overboard. :)

My sleep improved tremendously and I also noticed that I had a TON of extra energy!

During the 2nd program as a returning client, I was excited to return and attempt a full cycle that didn't include a vacation. At first, I was a little iffy about the benefits of the returning client round but now that it's complete, I'm definitely glad I did it. Having the option of continuing to work with a coach and really get the basis of the program down did a world of good for me. This won't be the same in every case but for me, I needed that additional time to really cement this lifestyle into my brain. Also, please note - while I did partake in a couple of Faster Way workouts here and there, I mostly stuck to Orangetheory and long runs on the weekends.

It was during this second round where several non-scale victories took place:

I somehow managed 2 PR's in the same weekend in both the 5K and 10K distances. Both PR's were from races before I had Brayden which shocked me completely! I've never run this fast in my life!

My HDL or "good cholesterol" improved and it's been in the "red zone" for at least 2 years now...

This was something  I wasn't counting on and could not have been more shocked when I saw my results!

Marathon Month also took place at Orangetheory in April and I somehow managed to place first in my age group (Half Women's 30-39 in case you can't make out the image above).

Additionally, I was also able to purchase shorts in a size I haven't ever fit in as far as I can remember!

I also lost 4 additional pounds during this round and an additional 7.5 inches.

In total since January, that's 14 pounds down and 12 inches lost! 

If you came here looking for before and afters well, sorry...I don't have those. What I can tell you is that I carry most of my weight around my mid-section (always have) and while that is currently shrinking, it still needs more work.

Will I continue with the FASTer Way on my own? Absolutely. After having completed 2 rounds, I definitely feel as if I have the tools to carry me through and hopefully the amazing results will continue!

Interested in joining in the next round? Well, you're in luck because my friend and coach Jen is starting another round in just a few weeks. If you have any questions at all, please don't hesitate to ask!

Although this post does contain affiliate links, I believe in this program 100% and would tell anyone the same things mentioned above, affiliate or not. :)

Have a fabulous weekend, friends!

Journey To (2) PRs

The weekend before Easter was a signifiant one in my life. No, I didn't accomplish anything great in terms of the world's standards (like finding a cure for cancer or winning a Nobel Peace Prize), but something seemingly small to others yet incredibly significant to me took place. Somehow, someway, I managed to PR in both the 5K and 10K distance in the same weekend.

Why is this so significant, you might be asking? It is just a couple of PR's after all...

Well, it's significant to me for several reasons (hear me out here).

For starters, these PR's were both at least 4 to 5 years old. Those original PR's were obtained back in 2014 and 2015 when I was at the height of my personal running "career". I'd also managed to break 2 hours in the half marathon during that time frame. 

Then, time simply.....happened. I slacked off from running as much. I got pregnant and had a forced break from running. I had a baby. Childbirth took its toll on my body. I had a newborn. I had post-baby weight. You get the picture.

Something I've never shared here are the struggles I faced post-childbirth. I haven't opened up about  them because I was waiting on the right time to do so and I honestly didn't know how to talk about it. Having these recent PR's is a huge part of the "whole" picture and since this blog is a story of the every day struggles and victories in life, I am sharing it with you today. 

Without going into significant detail (as I'm sure you can put the picture together), things didn't just....well, go back into place like they should have after delivering Brayden. He was born in April of 2016.  By fall of 2016, I knew something wasn't right. I spoke with my OB who confirmed that something was indeed wrong but she reassured me that a LOT of women experience the same issues after childbirth. My problem revolved around the fact that my child was born posterior instead of anterior (meaning he was face up instead of face down). Thanks, son. Little known fact - only 4-10% of babies born vaginally are born posterior! Interesting!

Was there much I could do? Well, yes and no. My options to "help" things along (notice I didn't say "fix") were surgery (no thank you) or physical therapy by a specialist trained in pelvic floor issues. 

Also to complicate things is the fact that I'm a runner. Running puts pressure on the pelvic floor and can worsen the issues I was having if not properly treated. I was instructed specifically to not (ever) lift more than 50 pounds at a time or do crossfit. Period. 

Although the options to help these issues along are there, they are not a permanent fix and this is something I will deal with for the rest of my life. I'm also incredibly thankful that mine is not on the severe end of things!

So, in the spring of 2018, off I went to my second bout of physical therapy (the first being for IT Band issues way back in the day). Why did I wait so long? Honestly, I was scared. What did pelvic floor physical therapy entail? I had no clue and was beyond scared to find out. 

Much to my surprise, I had nothing to be scared of. My physical therapist was incredible, y'all. She seriously made me feel SO comfortable and helped correct the "whole" person, not just my one main issue. She taught me so much about proper form, alignment, breathing techniques, and stretching, all while treating my pelvic floor issues. In total, I spent two and a half months with my physical therapist and I know I made a life long friend because of it! 

Side note: If you ever have to go through pelvic floor physical therapy I'm here to tell you there's nothing to be scared of. After attempting to research online (without any luck because there's VERY little out there) and speaking with several PT friends, I was amazed at how easy it all was. Seriously. 

Around this time, our Orangetheory was about to open and I was super scared for that as well. Should I try it? How about the weight floor and lifting? Would I even be able to do it? Prior to joining, I spoke with several OTF friends who encouraged me to try it out and I'm so glad I did! One of the best parts about Orangetheory is the ability to work at your own pace and use weights to your own specifications aka - I can lift as much or as little as I need! 

Over time, I can tell that my post-childbirth issues have gotten better thanks to the information I learned from PT. This past fall, I saw my OB for my annual checkup and she again confirmed the way I was feeling - things had improved significantly. Her words were had she not known of my "issue" before, she wouldn't have even been able to tell that there was a problem at all!

I definitely call that a win-win for sure! 

Since that appointment, I've been able to dial the intensity up a bit in both running and Orangetheory while still being careful to not overdo it. I've noticed that my speed has also increased with better weight training at Orangetheory and weight loss thanks to the FASTer Way (more on that in another post). 

Prior to running the 5K two weekends ago, I didn't even check my previous PR. I just knew it wasn't a goal I could ever obtain again and honestly, I didn't even realize I achieved a PR until after we were leaving the race venue!

On the morning of the 10K, I did check my previous 10K PR and told Jason in the car that there was no way I could accomplish that one again. 

Imagine my complete and utter surprise that both PR's were obtained in one weekend, the 5K PR by 14 seconds and the 10K PR by 1 minute and 16 seconds! 

It's been a long and tough road getting back to this place again. Was it worth it? Absolutely. Our lives would not be what they are without the peaks and the valleys. Those tough patches we face are what make us stronger and those peaks all the more sweet!

If you've made it all the way through this, thank you for sticking with me. I love the running community and sharing in the struggles and accomplishments this journey can bring!

What's been the biggest struggle you've had to overcome as a runner?

Today, I'm also linking up with KookyRunner and Zenaida for Tuesday Topics!

2019 Strawberry Strut 10K

When registration opened a few months back for this year's Wine & Dine Half Marathon in Walt Disney World, I realized that I did not currently own a "good" proof of time to submit for corral placement. My options were: a 10 mile trail run that I ran while I had the great lung plague, a handful of Rock n Roll races I didn't run to my full potential because I stopped to take pictures along the way, and the Princess Half Marathon weekend races which I definitely didn't run to my full potential! My previous "good" 10K time expired by 2 days for the cutoff for Wine & Dine. Whomp whomp.

This left me in a dilemma.  Should I submit the best proof of time from one those races or try to find a 10K that I could really run and try my hardest to get a better time? Once I decided on the later option, another dilemma arose. Races with mileage higher than a 5K don't really exist in the south past March because it's just getting too hot (they are definitely few and far between).

So, I spent an afternoon searching everywhere between Houston, north Louisiana, New Orleans...anywhere I could find that would work on a weekend when Jason was also off of work. Somehow (miraculously), the stars aligned and that's when I found the Strawberry Strut 10K in Ponchatoula, Louisiana (about 2 1/2 hours from home). I even loved how the timing worked out for this race to be on a Sunday morning, that way we could take Brayden to the church's Easter egg hunt before leaving for Ponchatoula. (More on the Easter egg hunt later.)

A crazy freak storm passed through the night before the race which left the temperatures incredibly chilly on the morning of the race. Guess what? We were NOT prepared!! Luckily, I had a pair of capri tights with me as well as a jacket, but poor Jason didn't have anything. Instead, he decided to wear jeans since he was planning on walking the 5K with Brayden. Whoops.

Our hotel was a short 5 minute drive to the start line, and we arrived in plenty of time to pick up our packets. We weren't sure we would receive official race t-shirts since we registered after the cutoff, but the shirts were in our packets! Yay!

We hung out in the car for a while and as usual, I looked up my previous 10K PR. I'd mentioned in a blog post last fall that I figured that 10K time was "it" for me and I'd never be able to reach that one again. After saying my thoughts out loud, Jason's response was "you never know"! How right he was!

We made our way to the start line, the National Anthem played, and before I knew it, we were off!

I was not sure how I would feel for this race since I pushed myself so hard the previous day. I realized during this race just how much of a difference the weather makes. With this race (as opposed to the day before with warm temps and humidity), I was able to push myself without my lungs burning! I also tried to stick as close to an 8 minute per mile pace as possible. I knew if I could do that, I would PR.

This race was also much easier for me to run when compared to the 5K the day before. It's truly amazing how much of a difference the weather makes!

By mile 4, I knew I needed water. I'd passed all the previous water stops and wanted to make sure I took a cup this time. In my head, I figured out that I was about 3 minutes ahead of my PR, so I decided if I grabbed a cup and walked for 20 seconds or so, I'd be ok.

That water break was just what I needed and I was able to find my groove once again.

As I approached the finish line, I spotted Jason and Brayden. I later learned that they'd taken a wrong turn (where the 10K and the 5K split...whoops) before realizing their mistake and turning around, so they technically did a little more than a 5K! 

Anyway, after crossing the finish line, I officially held a new 10K PR (by a minute and some change) and could NOT believe it! These PR's (from the 5K the day before and this 10K) were pre-baby PR's from 4-5 years ago! I didn't want to pinch myself for fear of waking up from a dream!!

After catching my breath for a second, I turned around and snapped this picture of Jason and Brayden crossing the finish line!

...and there it is! My new 10K PR!

My watch also told me that I ran the 5K portion of this race faster than I ran the 5K the day before! What?! 

Brayden wanted to wear "dad's medal", so of course we let him! I can't wait until he starts earning his own (apart from his few Disney ones)!

The post-race treat was strawberry shortcake and ya'll....it was SO GOOD!

We waited around for a few minutes to catch our breath and enjoy some strawberry shortcake when we heard the awards being called. I knew I had a decent time (for me) but definitely didn't think I placed! It's hard to tell these things when a course doesn't loop on itself, which this one did not.

Much to my surprise (again), I placed 2nd in my age group!! I seriously could not believe it!

What a weekend!

If you're ever thinking about heading over to Ponchatoula to run the Strawberry Strut, you should! They had adequate water stops along the course, the course was nice and flat, the medals and shirts are precious, and the strawberry shortcake after the race was a unique offering and it was delicious, too! After the race, you can head over to the Strawberry Festival and enjoy the rest of your day (like we did)!

Have you ever surprised yourself with a race PR?

2019 Warrior 5K

Happy Monday! It's been a LONG time since I blogged on a Monday, but it's a holiday week and I wanted to hit the ground rolling after having an amazing weekend in the world of running!

As I mentioned in my spring race plans post, this past weekend was filled with running adventures. It all began on Saturday with a local 5K at the high school where I graduated, followed by a road trip to Ponchatoula Louisiana for a 10K and the strawberry festival. (More on that in a later post!)

On Saturday morning, the weather was iffy. Lots of rain, wind, tornado warnings, etc. Thankfully, it all held off and our events (the 5K and an Easter egg hunt) were able to go off as planned! This race also wasn't set to start until 9 a.m., which I thought was odd and kind of late for a race, especially one in April in the south. This 5K was the kickoff to an all-day event, so once I saw the schedule, it made more sense as to the timing of it all.

As I mentioned, this race was at the school where I graduated, so it was fun being back and seeing all of the memories and familiar faces. This school is actually preK3-12, so I spent a LOT of years there. When I walked in the front door, I heard my Spanish name "ROSITA" (long story) and my Spanish 2 teacher was there to greet me with a big hug. It was so much fun seeing her again! (Y'all, it's been almost 20 years since I graduated!)

My sweet dad came along as my race support while Jason took Brayden to our church's Easter egg hunt (and I met up with them later).

Being back in the gym where I spent SO much time was so weird!

They even kept our poster with our softball winnings! I was on the 1999 & 2000 teams!

After a little opening ceremony, it was time to begin the race. Thankfully, the race director is a runner and knew we were ready to get going, so we only stayed in the opening cerremonies for a short amount of time.

This race was small and once they called "GO" I quickly realized that I was in the lead. What. The. Heck. I had read about all of the roads to turn on, but wasn't sure I could remember them. Thankfully, the course was well marked and I was able to follow the signs just right!

After finding my groove, I just kept focusing on moving forward. It was warm and humid and I was running fast (for me). My first mile clocked in at a 7:47 and I knew I couldn't keep that up all three miles. I also had a guy on my heels and I didn't want him to pass me. This course was not closed either, so the cars on the road made me a little nervous.

I did grab a cup of water at two of the water stops, but I kept running while drinking the water (which was kind of a mistake). I also kept willing for it to rain so I could cool off a bit! Unfortunately, it never did.

As we passed the 3.1 mile mark, the guy that was behind me passed me (of course) and went on to cross the finish line just a few steps ahead of me.

After he turned around, I realized who he was and made a joke about it. I work with his dad! Small world, huh?

I seriously gave this race all I had. My lungs were burning and I just couldn't go anymore. Even though I didn't cross in first, I still placed as first female and received a certificate towards a pair of shoes from our local running store! (This was our 2nd annual Warrior 5K and I also placed as first female last year!)

 
After grabbing a bottle of water and saying goodbye to everyone, my dad and I set out for our church and the Easter egg hunt.

On the way there, I was talking about my PR and mentioned that I didn't come anywhere close to it, even though I felt like I was running fast (for me). My dad asked if I was sure...so I looked it up and much to my surprise, I DID PR...by 14 second with an average pace of 8:02 per mile!

I could not believe it! Having a PR at a race held by my school is extra special to me, so this one means just that much more, especially since my previous PR was from 2015 (and pre-baby)!

It was a great start to the weekend and I couldn't wait to see what the rest of it had in store (more great running things to come so stay tuned)!

Have you ever had that nostalgic return-to-your-high-school kind of feeling?

4 on the 4th 2018

Another 4 miler on the 4th of July has come and gone and yes, this was another one to remember for sure! For starters, rain was in the forecast all week for the 4th of July and I wasn't sure if this race would actually take place.

After I picked up my race packet on Tuesday afternoon, they told me that if the race was called due to rain, it would be a last minute decision. 

When we woke up on Wednesday morning, the skies were overcast but it wasn't raining at that moment which was a good sign. (Although it had been raining off and on all night)

We arrived at the race start location and met up with my dad who came out to cheer me on.

After a quick port-a-pottie stop, I made it to the start line with literally moments to spare!

Literally as soon as the national anthem ended, the rain started. It felt cool although the humidity level was through the roof. I also figured that this race could go one of two ways - either a lot of people would come out since it wasn't a sweltering 100 degrees at 7 a.m. or no one would come out due to the rain. Well, the first one won out - there were so many people at the race this year!

We began running and I felt amazing. Y'all, there's seriously something to this Orangetheory thing! I was keeping a steady 8:20 pace and knew I could PR this race once again.

There were two downfalls to this race for me and neither issue was the race's fault itself. For one, certain parts of the course were incredibly slick, so I was constantly having to watch my footing so I didn't fall. Thankfully that wasn't the case for the entire course. Second, if y'all remember from WAY back with the little heart issue I have? Occasionally my heart will jump into PSVT, and it doesn't happen often (probably not in the last year), but I felt it coming on with just about .25 miles to the finish line. Although I tried to will it away, I couldn't. At the same time, something that's never happened to me occurred as well - I felt as if a giant rubber band was around my lungs and I couldn't fully inhale or catch my breath. When my heart does its crazy thing, I usually have to squat for a second and hold my breath to get it to stop. Well, I couldn't do either because I couldn't inhale. Then, just as quickly as they came on, both issues passed. The whole thing seriously lasted about 45 seconds. As I began walking again, I passed an officer who asked if I was ok. My response? "I'm fine...I have a heart thing...and I'm a nurse...we're good..." hah!

At that point, I felt ok to run again so I did...and I crossed the finish line while running without any problems. After stopping my watch, I realized that I STILL managed a PR! Even though it was just about a three second PR, I'll take it anyway!

I'm going to mention the lung thing to my doctor at my next appointment. I've already been checked for asthma but not exercise induced. I wonder if that could be the case? We shall see what he has to say.

While cheering runners on at the finish line, I realized that I recognized someone - she was pushing a chair for an "Ainsley's Angels" athlete - it was Jennie Finch! If you follow sports at all, she's a local star around here - she was a part of the USA Olympic softball team who won a Gold and Silver at the games. She was also more recently on the Dancing With the Stars Athlete edition! How neat it was to be running the same race as her! I kinda geeked out a little I'm not going to lie. :)

My cheerleaders!

A local business was out there with gourmet popsicles after the race...mine was watermelon mint and it was delicious!

I screen shot this after we finished. The weather was perfect the entire race, although the 93% humidity made it a little difficult.

Oh yes, and compared to last year where I placed 5th in my AG, (just to show you the crowd levels this year), I placed 14th in my AG this year.  I'm glad they had such a great turnout, though!

After a 2 and a half hour nap (for both of us), we had a late lunch at my parent's house. My mom cooked one of my favorites - roast with rice and gravy and it was delicious!

After playing at my parent's house a while, we went to my friend Kim's house to swim in their pool, then we ended the evening while watching the Magic Kingdom fireworks via live stream!

It was beautiful as always!

In all, the day was perfect and more than I could have asked or hoped for! I loved spending time with friends and family and just simply relaxing and enjoying the day!

Thanks to Lake Area Runners for another great race and thanks to my friends and dad for coming out and supporting me while I ran!

4 Miler On The 4th Of July (& A New PR)!

Hello and happy Wednesday! I hope everyone enjoyed their 4th of July!

As I mentioned on Monday, I debated running the local 4th of July 4 Miler - it's one I've done several times but just wasn't sure if I really wanted to this year. The logical side of my brain kicked in on Monday afternoon once I realized that I was going to get up the following morning and go for a run anyway, so why not make it a fun one?

Since I hadn't preregistered, I knew I needed to get there with time to spare before the race began. Parking and logistics isn't hard, thankfully (it's a small town).

On the way there, I decided to look up information on my PR from this race/distance in years passed and after reading it to Jason, I knew that goal was NOT obtainable (I even said so to Jason). Three years ago on race morning, I woke up INCREDIBLY late and made it to the start line with moments to spare. I somehow PR'd that race at 35:04! The following year, I tried to beat my time and missed it by mere seconds (35:06). Of course this year, I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I wouldn't even come close to a PR.

Oh well - I decided that I would just have fun and take this one as a training run. No big deal!

I seem to always end up in the same outfit for this race every year! Haha whoops!

Registering for the race and stashing everything away in the vehicle was a breeze. I even had time to foam roll and make a potty stop! Bonus!

Off we go!

Shortly after starting this race, I saw a girl ahead of me that I recognized from other local races. She's in my age group and super fast, so I decided I would try and keep up with her for as long as possible. I managed to do so until a little after mile 3 when I lost her. 

Throughout the race, I kept checking my watch to see how my timing was going. Somehow, I noticed that I would be very close to a PR if I kept pushing myself...although my timing in my head told me that I would be off by just a bit. I wondered how in the world I was even close to a PR? I'm still not sure! Maybe pushing a jogging stroller for so many runs helped my leg strength? No telling...

I slowed down a bit at mile 3 because I didn't think I was going to get a PR and I seriously felt like I was about to fall over. Hello July heat and humidity in the south! Once I realized towards the end of mile 3 that I was actually going to PR by a good bit, I kicked it into as high of a gear I could muster and made it across the finish line.

My PR? It was by a whole 30 seconds!!

I couldn't believe it!

After crossing the finish line, I was handed a bottle of water which was so nice (vs having to bend down to pick one up) and I made a bee line to the closest shaded spot I could find.

Another noteworthy addition to this year's race (from the one I ran in 2015) was an adequate amount of water stops! This one had three vs the last time I ran where there was only one water stop. Thanks, guys!!

Jason and Brayden found me shortly thereafter and were excited about my PR, too!  (Well, Jason was excited...Brayden just wanted food!) Hah!

Jason also purchased a delicious and incredibly refreshing popsicle for me! These are made by a local company and they use all fresh ingredients and real fruit!

The popsicle flavor I tried after the race was a Mango Cherry one and it was so good!

I love my support crew so much! They are amazing!

The official race results were posted which showed that I placed 5th in my AG out of 29 women! I'll take it! 

After I cooled down, we stopped by a local diner for breakfast.

I so enjoyed my morning at the race and my time spent with two of my favorite guys! I am so glad I made the decision to get up and go run! :) Accomplishing something I thought was impossible was really fun, too!

How was your 4th of July? Did you run any races or eat any good food (or both)?