Hopefully I’ll have a post up in the next few days, with a video that my hubby put together last night!

I’m going back to bed.

Dayna

After I got done training this morning, the plan was to come home get changed, eat my pre-run snack, snag up the hubby and head out.

The weather sucked today.  It wasn’t raining, but it was cloudy and gloomy.

58* F

This is what it looked like today, minus the big yellow thing in the sky.

It was the kind of day where you just want to cuddle up on the couch with a blanket, the kitties, and some good blogs.

I was feeling super, super tired and fatigued this morning and when I got home the challenge of running 17 miles seemed almost impossible due to the way I was feeling.  So, I said “eff-it, I’m going tomorrow”,put on my sweats and decided to take a rest day.  This is what I did.

Recycled picture

Took a much needed nap after chatting on FB with the cuz for a while and catching up on my blog reading.

When the hubby came home from doing whatever it was that he was out doing, I decided to go to my favorite little health foods store and get us some lunchy.

I wasn’t planning on blogging today so I didn’t take a pic of the food I got.  DOH! (note to self: start taking pics of food anyways so your posts aren’t so lame)

I got a gynormous salad from the organic salad bar as usual.  Nomnomnom!  On my plate I had:

• Spinach
• red and yellow peppers
• carrots
• mushrooms
• beets (my fav!)
• roasted tofu
• peas
• corn
• kidney and black beans
• yummy chicken curry on the side
• pita chips

Marlene's Salad Bar (this pic does it no justice)

This salad was freakin delicious!!!  I ate it 4 hours ago and I’m still full!  That says a lot for me since I’m pretty much always hungry.

I got the hubby a ham and turkey sammich on wheat bread with lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles (on the side), and swiss cheese.  He’s not a huge fan of the health food store and thinks that the food I eat has no taste, but he loved this sammich!  That made me happy.  :)  Oh, and I got him a slice of carrot cake too.  I may or may not have had a few bites, and it may or may have not been the best carrot cake I have ever had!!

After our nummy lunch I decided to get off my lazy ass up and do some chores around the house.

I am now back to my regularly scheduled lazyness and loving it!  The hubbs and I are about to watch a movie and just enjoy our Saturday night.

I have a meeting at the studio tomorrow morning, and then we’re going to head out so I can do my run and hubby can join me on his bike.  I’m so excited that he’s going with me…good times for us!  Woohoo!

The forecast for tomorrow looks a lot more promising than today, which is why I didn’t mind pushing my run back one more day. (I’m a poet and didn’t know it.)

54* F

Even though it’s supposed to be colder today than yesterday (due to the lack of cloud cover), the sunshine always gives me an extra boost of energy.  Getting to sleep in tomorrow morning isn’t a bad thing either.

Well, I’m off to watch the movie with the hubs. Wish me luck on my 17 miles tomorrow….that number is really daunting.  Having him there with me will definitely keep me focused though.  I’ll be posting a recap as soon as I can peel myself off of the couch tomorrow night.

Have a great Saturday night!!

Dayna

How’s your week been?  Mine has been pretty good besides a few speed bumps here and there.  Like, stepping on my clients glasses and crushing them on Wednesday morning, and making a few scheduling errors.  No biggie though, I’ve since recovered.  :)

I’ve had some pretty fantastic runs this week.  Last week I was super fatigued and tired, and  I could really feel it in my runs.  After using the process of elimination to try and figure out why I was feeling so crappy, I looked at my marathon training plan and saw that I was coming off of two really high mileage weeks.  My body was telling me that I needed a break and really needed to slow down and rest.  Thank goodness that my long run was “only” 11 miles last Saturday.

Here’s the training plan that I’m doing, which was color coded and dated by my cousin so that I can stay on track.

I'm already in week 10 of my marathon training!!

After taking last weekend to rest, after running my 11 miles of course, I feel so much better and it really showed in my runs this week!

I set a PR on every run that I did this week and can’t believe how strong I feel and felt afterwards!  It’s such a great feeling to know that all of my hard work is paying off!!  I’ve got this marathon locked down and I’m gonna rock that shit!

Here are my stats for this weeks runs:

Tuesday: 4 miles

Mile 1: 8:26

Mile 2: 8:22

Mile 3: 8:44

Mile 3: 8:17

Total:  33:53

Wednesday: 8 miles (usually on my runs longer than 5 miles I average between a 9:15 and 9:30 pace, my average on this run was 9:08!)

Mile 1: 8:45

Mile 2: 9:05

Mile 3: 9:13

Mile 4: 8:57

Mile 5: 9:08

Mile 6: 8:56

Mile 7: 9:09

Mile 8: 8:58

Total: 1:12:19 (fastest “long” run yet!)

Wednesday: 4 miles (these are usually a pretty slow run for me because I am tired from the higher mileage of the day before, but I rocked this one and beat Tuesday’s time!)

Mile 1:  8:20

Mile 2: 8:23

Mile 3: 8:40

Mile 4: 8:09 (wholy crap!! that was a fast ass mile!)

Total: 33:39!!

I’m having a little bit of a dilemma with yesterday’s run though, and I’m not really sure if I should count it as a PR.  The reason is because I ran a route near my house and got stopped at two really long traffic lights.  Like, I had to wait for almost 5 minutes at one of them.  I feel like that was a pretty good amount of time to recover and regain my energy and maybe that’s why I was able to beat my previous time even though I was pretty tired.

So, what do you guys think?  Should it count even though I had two small breaks due to being stuck in traffic?   What do you do in these situations?

Today, I’m not running obviously since it’s a rest day.  My rest days are active though, and after I’m done with this afternoon’s clients I’m going to go to the gym for a good and intense CrossFit workout so that I can get my strength training in.

So, I mention in my title…I got an awesome prize this week!

The owner of the studio where I work has such a big heart, and treats me so well!  There are only 3 trainers there (including me), so Kristi and I spend a lot of time there working together with our clients.  She sees me like the daughter that she never had, so she is always surprising me with little gifts and treats or prizes as she calls them.  She is always wearing such cute work out clothes and has matching shoes and jewelery for every outfit, I try to do the same because there is no reason that you can’t look cute even if you’re in workout clothes all day long.

She has a client that makes jewelery, and since I wear a lot of pink and black she surprised me with these!

Black!

Pink!

How freakin cute are these earrings!

She also knows that I’m training for my marathon, and how passionate I am about running.  She’s not a runner, but fully supports my efforts and is always bragging about my to her clients and asking me for advice to give her girls that run.

She was shopping the other day and happened to stumble upon this awesome Adidas running jacket and bought it for me!  Running jackets (and clothes for that matter) are NOT cheap, and when I saw this I was literally jumping up and down with excitement.  I can wear it for work and for my runs when it gets a little colder this fall and winter.

Love it!

So Comfy!

The coolest thing about this jacket…and the main reason that Kristi bought it for me, is this label on the upper left hand corner…

Boston Marathon!

Kristi got this for me because she knows how dedicated I am to my running and knows that someday I hope to run in the Boston Marathon! How awesome is that!?

Not only is this jacket super cute, but it has a mesh lining on the inside, and pockets on the sides and the back so that I can carry my key, gu, etc.  The Adidas stripes are also bright yellow and reflective so I will be more visable to cars when running (another reason that Kristi got me this jacket).  I can’t wait to wear it on a run…it just hasn’t been cold enough yet so I’ve been wearing it to work.  AWESOME!!

Well, I’m going to go get ready to train my afternoon clients and then hit the gym for my workout.

I have my first 17 mile run tomorrow and the hubby is going to go with me and ride his bike so that I don’t get too bored and have a good supply of fuel and water.

Look for a recap of my run and our adventure, as it should be up some time this weekend.

Have an awesome weekend ladies!!!

Dayna

So, I’m a healthy eater.  I am aware of the types of lean proteins, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats that I need to have in my daily diet.  I count my calories, and I also make sure that I am eating every 2.5-3 hours to make sure that my metabolism and blood sugar stays up.  But dayyummm, this Body For Life challenge certainly lives up to it’s name (well the challenge part anyways), and it’s a lot more challenging that I thought it would be.  I didn’t realize just how high my carbohydrate to protein ratio was, and just how many carbohydrates I actually eat.

Meh….I’d be lying if I said that I’m not a little discouraged with this today.

Although I have made healthy choices, and all of my foods have been BFL friendly they have just been really sporadic and heavy on the carbs.

I was scheduled to do a 7 mile run this morning, and my plan was to go around 8:30am when I finished up with my morning clients, but it was sooooo cold so I chickened out and came home.  (yeah, I was being a big baby, it was only 55*)  I ended up pushing back meal #2 (which was my pre-run fuel) and was starving by the time I got home, so I had a small bowl of Kashi Go Lean with some almond milk to get me through the next few hours until I went for my run.

When I was finally ready to get my lazy ass bootie out the door, I realized that I needed my pre-run snack or I wouldn’t make it through my 7 miles, so I had an Orowheat Sandwich Thin (sorry, I had an off day and completely forgot to take pics of my eats) with a tbsp of almond butter.  I usually have 1/2 of a banana with the AB, but ran out so I subbed it with the sandwich thin.  I think this is where I went wrong.  It didn’t give me the energy I needed, on top of that fact that I have been feeling “off” all day anyways, and when I set out on my run I could feel it.  I knew within the first mile that I wasn’t going to make it the whole distance today.  Usually I have those thoughts and I just say to myself, “Quit being a baby, after a few miles you’ll feel just fine and be happy to be out here.”  It always works, but not today.  I had to stop after 4 miles because I literally couldn’t pick up my feet anymore, my body was exhausted and begging for a break.  For some odd reason, my blood sugar also dropped about half way through my run which made it real hard to function.  I think that subbing the sandwich thin for the banana was the culprit.  **mental note: must make sure I always have bananas in the house before a run**

So, here’s where I think the problem began with my food today.  I had fueled for a 7 mile run when I only did 4, and my carbs to protein ratios were all messed up.  Because my plans had changed it threw my meal planning off and I kind of ate whatever I had available.  I won’t go into the eats for the rest of the day because I’m pretty sure you guys are tired of listening to my whining, but that incident pretty much threw off the rest of my day.  I got discouraged and just kind of called it a fail and decided to eat as healthy as possible, and get back to the BFL guidelines first thing tomorrow.

Okay….enough of my whining and complaining.  Thanks for “listening” to my rant.  I kind of went into the challenge thinking that it would be super easy.  Yeah, maybe not super easy, but easy none the less.  Hello wake up call!  I may be discouraged, but I’m not gonna quit!  Tomorrow is a new day and it will be great!  Oh, and I went grocery shopping tonight so I have lots of yummy BFL eats in the fridge and new meals planned out for the week.  I’m making pumpkin soup tomorrow, and will be sure to take pics and share the recipe with you guys!

So, here are some questions….for you you fellow BFL’ers like this chick, and this chick too (or any of you out there that have tried similar challenges).  Have you ever had a total “off” day that left you discouraged and ready to give it up?  What do you do when your protein and carb percentages are not where they need to be and you’re not sure if you can fix it?  Do you try to make up for it, or just call it a day and try to do better tomorrow?

Thanks for “listening” to my bitching and moaning.  I got it out of my system not and tomorrow is going to be a new and totally awesome day!!

Speaking of awesome….I’ll leave you with a pic of my babies.

The Hubby, Spike and Molly in a kitty sammich

Nighty-Night!  Dayna

So, I have been reading a lot of new (to me) blogs lately and there are two ladies in particular that have really inspired me to start my own 12 week Body For Life challenge.  I have read Janetha and Therese‘s blogs inside and out in regards to their body for life challenges and I really feel inspired to do this.  It’s not that I don’t know how to eat healthy, I mean I council my clients on proper nutrition for goodness sake!  But, I am human too and I need a little push and a little motivation, and something to look forward to.  I have my marathon to look forward to of course, but I also want to become a better, faster and stronger runner.  In order to do that, I need to get super serious about my nutrition.

So, I started my 12 week challenge today, but I’m going to have to do the workout portion a little differently than the plan calls for.  Because I am training for a marathon, that consists of 4 days of running for me and some days I don’t have the time or energy to do my strength training.  On the days that I do get into the gym to work out (or stay after my clients leave and work out at the studio), I do CrossFit workouts because they focus on full body movements and building endurance which is super important for me right now.

I’m not sure if I’ll be posting every day’s eats because I’m a creature of habit and sometimes eat the same stuff every day.  I will however be keeping a food journal so I can keep track of my eats.  How boring would that be for you guys to have to look at the same meals day in, day out?  But, I do have a little bit of a dilema….I’m also wondering if I’m going to be able to follow this exactly, meaning that I really only crave or, have the desire to eat complex carbs (whole grains, oats, etc) in the morning and early afternoon.  If I eat them too late in the day, they sit like a rock in my stomach.  My dinner staples are chicken and veggies usually, and that works just fine for me.  I do log my food into a calorie counting data base, which tracks my percentages of carbs/proteins/fats so I can at least make sure I end the day somewhere around the 40/40/20 percentages.  I’m gonna give this a whirl and see how it goes!

So, I am going to have hubby take pictures of me so I can track my progress, but I’m not sure if I have the guts to put them on the blog.  To be honest, I’m a little embarrassed/shy about putting pics of myself in a bikini on my blog page for all to see.  I don’t even like to wear one in public.  What do you guys think I should do?

So, here are my meals for day 1 of the Body For Life challenge:

Meal 1:

Breakfast

Protein oats with about 1/4 of a banana on top.  Much better than my pumpkin oats from a few days ago!

Meal #3

Lunch

This was freakin delicious!!!  Tuna with a little bit of light mayo and mustard rolled up  in put in romaine lettuce leaves with slices of carrots and celery.  This kept me full for about 3 hours too, I was really surprised!

Meal #3

Snack before heading into the studio to train clients

1 apple and a table spoon of almond butter.  Almond butter is a serious weakness of mine…so.damn.delicious!

Meal #4

I had a Zone Perfect Fudge Graham bar, sorry forgot to take a pic before I ran out the door but I’m sure you have all seen one before.  It was good, but not great.  I was between clients and literally had about 2 minutes to eat, so this did the trick.

Meal #5

Dinner

This is pretty much what I eat every night.  Grilled chicken breast with a crap load of steamed vegetables.  I mix it up a bit, but tonight I had yellow squash, zucchini squash, brussels sprouts, mixed peppers, carrots, and lemon pepper.  It’s so easy tastes good, so I just stick with it.  I’m also kind of lazy with cooking lately and haven’t really felt like venturing into making new things.  Trying new recipes actually intimidates me a bit but, I’m trying to get over that.  I’m sure I’ll get sick of this soon and start making new meals.

Usually I’m a bottomless pit, but I really have not been hungry today.  Like, the thought of food just wasn’t appealing, so there’s no meal #6 today.

K, there’s day one!  Woohoo!!

Question for you guys:

How many of you out there follow Body For Life?  How has it turned out for you?  Have you been in the position where you have to deviate a bit from the plan and still had results?

Have a great night!!

Dayna

I only take gel’s, gumies, or beans etc. (no “real” food) when I’m on my long runs, as I’ve discovered that I don’t need to refuel until I’ve hit the 55-60 minute mark.  Like I mentioned before, I have insulin resistance/type 2 diabetes, and need to make sure that I keep my blood sugar up and stay hydrated while on my runs.

So, in my water I always drop 1 Nuun tablet to help me stay hydrated.  Nuun is “a complex electrolyte drink that recharges your salts, but is refreshing and more efficiently absorbed than water alone or most sports drinks on the market.” (source)  I can really tell the difference in how I feel if I haven’t had my electrolytes in my water during a run.  I always feel a lot more refreshed afterwards.

Because I’ve had a few issues with dehydration on previous runs, I always bring my water bottle with me for any distance longer than 4 miles.  I have tried several different types of hydration systems, and by far this is my favorite and I couldn’t be happier with this product!!

Nathan Thermal Quick Draw Hydration System

On my past few long runs, I’ve taken two packets of Clif Shot Gel to keep me fueled through my runs.

My favorite flavor is Chocolate! Nom, Nom, Nom!

But, my only problem with these (and other gel’s), is that they are really hard to open and eat while running, and I end up getting it all over my hands and making a complete mess.  Or, I have to stop to eat it (which sometimes isn’t always a bad thing).  Has anyone else had this problem, or am I just a complete klutz? I also noticed that I was starving within about 10 minutes of eating one of these…when you have 5+ miles to go, that’s no bueno.

So, on Friday I went to REI to try some new fuel and hopefully find something that would work better for me.  I asked one of the guys that was working if he had tried the different types of gels, bloks, beans, etc and if he had any recommendations.  He recomended a few different things to me, but was all about this stuff….(like jumping up and down excited about how well it works.)

HEED = Bleh!!!

I purchased one single serving packet so I could try it instead of committing to a big ole container, and I am so glad that I did.  This stuff was TERRIBLE!!  Blehhhhhhh!!  It tasted like a cream sicle, which taste good when you’re eating ice cream…not drinking an electrolyte replacement drink.  It gave me a really upset stomach (I had to stop 4 times in my first 5 miles due to stomach issues), and I think actually dehydrated me a bit.  I couldn’t stomach the stuff and actually had to find a water fountain on our route so I could pour it out and put regular water in my bottle.  I will NEVER buy this stuff again.  Nasty!

The other product that I decided to try were GU Chomps.

See my container of Nuun in the background?

The flavor that I got was cranberry/apple.  Eight chews come in one pack for a total of 180 calories, and I have to say that these things were good!  They did exactly what I needed them to do, and fit perfectly into the little zip up pouch on my water bottle holder.  They were easy to pop out of the package and into my mouth and didn’t make a mess at all.  Better yet, there wasn’t the weird Gu-like texture.  I will be buying these again!

So, all together….here’s what I took with me on my run:

Long run necessities

The banana was actually part of my pre-run snack that I ate about 30 minutes before we headed out.

Deliciousness!

I had a sandwich thin with 1/2 of a banana and 1 tbsp of almond butter!  Perfect pre-run fuel, if you ask me!

My run went really well dispite the stomach issues that I was having, and the fact that the HEED made me want to vom!

I’ll share my experiences on my 15 miler with you guy in my next post.

Questions:

What different types of electroite replacement drinks/chews/gel’s have you tried?  Which ones were you favorites, and which ones did you dislike the most?  I’m still on the hunt to try new products.

Have a great Sunday!!!

Dayna

So, I got a can of pumpkin on sale the other day at the grocery store and was trying to think of creative ways to eat it, besides in my cottage cheese like I always do.  Have you tried that Janetha?  It’s more savory than sweet…I don’t really like my cottage cheese sweet either (unless I add mixed berries to it).

I have been addicted to my morning oats lately….I go through phases with stuff and if I like it, I’ll eat it every day until I just can’t look at it anymore.  That’s how it’s been with my protein oats, and I just wanted something different for a change

So, I decided to make Pumpkin Oats.

Bleh!

In the mix:

• 1/2 cup of quick oats
• 1/4 cup of pumpkin
• 1/8 cup of unsweetened almond milk
• a crap load of cinnamon
• water

So…..I was so disappointed!  This didn’t taste like anything…at all.  There was really no distinctive taste that came to me when I was eating this, and it was just really freakin bland.  Honestly, if I wasn’t so frugal and not a huge fan of wasting food, I wouldn’t have eaten this.  I imagine that if the oats were sweetened, they would have tasted better, but I don’t put sugar in my food, and don’t have any Stevia….so unsweetened it was.

It’s a good thing I had my regular Hugh Jass (shout out to Mrs. LovIN) cup of joe to give me a little bit of morning satisfaction.

My cup is the color of my oats....hmmmmm

I know one that was definitely missing from my oats was protein, which means that I’ll probably be hungry in about an hour (actually now that I think of it…my tummy just start rumbling).  Bleh, what a waste of a meal.

So, my question for you guys is…..what did I miss?  How can I re-create this meal again and actually make it taste good?  What are your favorite combinations to put in your oats?  I’m looking for some new ideas.

Thanks for reading my breakfast rant.  :)

Dayna

My hubby and I even drove 4 hours over to Eastern Washington to meet him in July so that we could run my last long run before my half marathon together!  It was awesome…..and really freakin hot!

10 mile run in Goldendale, WA

(I didn’t realize that we are so tiny in that pic…sorry)

So, I’m not working with Coach D anymore because he decided to leave me hangin after I finished my half marathon is super busy with other aspects of his life, which I totally understand.  I learned a lot from his coaching and can take those tools and use them in my marathon training.  So, in my search for a good marathon training plan, I asked my cousin for some advice.  He highly advised that I do one of Hal Higdon’s marathon training plans, as he has used his for all three of his past marathons and been pretty successful.  Dan (my cousin), suggested that I do the Novice 2 Training schedule, and he even color coded the months for me and put dates on all of the days so I would know exactly what run to do on what dates.  Thanks Dan!!!  I tried to do a screen shot of my training plan so that you could see it, but I’m challenged and can’t figure it out, bummer (I was so excited to show it to you guys).  Click here to look at my training plan, I am currently on week 8.

So, I am running 4 days a week, trying to get in cross training on Sunday’s, which means some bike riding….

Gearing up for my Sunday bike ride

...and it ended up being a lot of fun!

...even though this happened to my hubby the previous week, and he couldn't join me.

I am also trying to get in a CrossFit workout at least 3 days a week, so that I can keep up with my strength training.  On top of that I am also training “full-time” at the studio, which means that I train 2-3 clients in the morning M-Sat and then 2-4 clients in the evenings M-F which gives me the mornings and afternoons to train for my marathon and do my strength training.  I am also trying to fit in yoga at least once a week, which has been great!

The most challenging part about my training for me so far has been my long runs.  My speed is increasing and my endurance is getting better, but I am really struggling with the mental aspect of long distance running.  At the same time, I am learning a lot about pre-long run fuel, making time for water stops (meaning parking the car 1/2 way through the route so I can refill the water bottle), and what to take with me during the run.  I have type-2 diabetes, so the whole carb-loading thing the night before makes no difference for me at all, and I have to make sure that I have at least 2 GU packets with me just in case my blood sugar drops.  I have also learned that it is a MUST to make sure that I drink at least 100 ounces of H2O the day before the long run, and get in lots of proteins, complex carbs, and veggies so that my body is happy when I wake up the next morning.

So, last Saturday I did my first 14 mile run, and despite being really nervous about it….it felt so great!!  Dave ran the first 7.6 miles with me, and I did the rest on my own.  Last Saturday was Dave’s last full day here before heading up to Bellingham to go to school, so I was happy that he took time out of his day to run with me.  We picked out a new route and had a great time!  The sun was out and it was about 70* with a light breeze…that didn’t suck at all!  :)

Dave waiting for me to get my shit together so we could go.

After seeing how wonderfully awesome my Garmin is, and how helpful it is with training…Dave decided to order one of his own!  Woohoo.  We couldn’t help it, we had to get a pic of the Garmin’s!

Mine is the green one, his is black.

So, after running the first loop (which was 6.40 miles), we stopped back at our cars so that Dave could take off and get ready to head out-of-town.  I refilled my water bottle, ate a Clif Shot, and said my goodbyes to my friend.

So sad to say goodbye to my Saturday morning running partner.

After Dave left, I set off to run the rest of my 14 miles.  I felt so strong!!!  I maintained a 9:15 pace when I was running on my own…I think because I had my music on and was lost in my thoughts.  Everything was great up until the last mile when I hit the wall.  My legs were donezo, and I was so ready to be done.  Needless to say, I finished strong and was so happy that I hit a new running milestone!!  I finished my 14.0 miles in 2:11:11 with an average per mile pace of 9:21.  That’s right where I wanted to be too, which made me happy.  I aim to be between 9:15 and 9:30 on my long runs.  :)

All done!!!

When I got home, I took a much needed shower (I smelt like ass!!), and then ate an Amy’s Organic Beans and Veggie burrito (sorry, no pic) with a bunch of salsa on top, and laid down for a nap.  I was pooped!!!

This is what you look like after your first 14 mile run!

I laid around for the rest of the day and just relaxed…and drank tons of water!

Well, if you haven’t fallen asleep by now, that means you made it to the end of my post.  Thanks for reading!  :)

I’m scheduled for my first 15 mile run this Saturday and hopefully it’ll be interesting enough to do a recap for you guys.  Hubby and I are also going to a bbq at our neighbors house so I’m sure I’ll have lots of good eats and pics to share with you guys.

Have a great day everyone!!!

Dayna

To give you a short recap on my half, it went great!  I was super nervous, and after I was done running it, I had no idea why I had worried so much.  I rocked that shit, and it felt awesome!  I finished in 2:01:20, which was right around where I wanted to be.  Secretly I was hoping to finish in 1:59:59 so that I could say I did it in under 2 hours….but maybe next time, hehe.  The best part about running my first half was the fact that my hubby was there to support me (as always), and my Dad and Step-mom came up from the Oregon Coast to support me as well!  Seriously, knowing that they were waiting for me at the finish line is what kept me feeling so strong!

Me and the hubby before the race

Me with my handsome Daddy and amazing Step-mom Joeanne

The weather was perfect starting out.  It was about 65* and a little foggy, and then at about the 1:30 mark the clouds started to break and it started to heat up really quickly.  I’m glad that it was cool out for most of the race, because when I’m running if it’s over 75*, the heat sucks the energy right out of me!

Geeze....can you tell that I was excited?

That picture was taken by my hubby at mile 2 I think…….and before I knew it (okay not really…it felt like I was running forever), I was at the finish line and listening to the local band playing and all of the spectators yelling!  Music to my ears….literally!

Crossing the finish line!! I felt like I was flying

My average minute per mile pace (according to my amazing Garmin 405) was about a 9:30 but I ran the last 2 miles at about a 8:30 because I was so excited to cross the finish line and felt so strong!  That’s why I looked like this when I was done…..

Having my timing chip removed.

When I got to the finish line my family was there cheering me on, and it was so awesome!  I was immediately handed a bottle of water and a finishers glass (that I forgot to take a picture of).  The glass is the best gift that I got from the race…even cooler than the t-shirt!

Then I stretched out the legs a little and we walked around and checked out all of the cool booths and I grabbed some food samples too!  The other best part about races.

My hubby is quite the photographer.

When we were walking around I noticed that they were offering free 10 minute massages and each additional minute for just $1 to all race finishers!!  Who could pass that up!?  NOT ME!

I ended up getting a 15 minute massage

After my massage we walked around for a while and then the hubby and I headed home so I could shower, eat, and get cleaned up.  My Dad, Step-mom, and I went up to Seattle for the afternoon so that they could see Pike Place Market, and we had a blast!!

Pike Place Market

I have to say that the day I ran the half was one of the best days that I can remember.  Not only because this was one of my biggest accomplishments, but because I got to share it with some of the people who I love the most!!  Love you Timmy, Dad, and Joeanne!

I hope you all enjoyed my race recap….I can’t wait to share my marathon training plan and how that has been going, but this was a long post and that will have to wait for my post tomorrow.

Have any of you out there run a half marathon, or had a major accomplishment that you feel has changed your life or given you a difference perspective on yourself?  Please share it with me!  :)

Have a wonderful weekend bloggies!

Dayna

I was also really starting to not enjoy the food aspect of my blog, as far as taking pictures of everything I was eating and then sharing it with everyone.  Although I love reading food blogs, and have learned so much from all of you lovely ladies out there, I was starting to feel like taking pictures of every meal that I was eating and then talking about it was a bit daunting.  It also started to feel unhealthy for me, for reasons that I don’t feel like sharing right now because they just feel too personal.

So….with that being said, I’m going to change the way I blog and am hoping to keep my readers and gain some new ones.  I am a totally regimented person and once I get set in my ways I have a hard time changing.  That is something that I am always working on, and I felt that if I didn’t blog about my meals and what I was eating every day then, what the hell would I talk about?  And do I even have anything interesting to say?  Well, my new goal with this blog is to just write and share my life with you guys, with photo’s included of course.  I mean, this is “The Life of the Hopeful Runner”, and I want to share my adventures in running, working out, enjoying good eats, enjoying my friends and family…and just what’s going on in my head.  So, if that means that sometimes I blog about my meals and some days I blog about my outdoor activities then fine….but I don’t have to be stuck doing one thing or the other, and life does not have to be that regimented.

Hehe, can you guys tell that I have given this some thought???

Alright, enough of all of that.  I’m back!!  Since I’ve been “gone”, I’ve still been obsessively reading all of your blogs and have found some awesome new ones as well!  Well, new to me maybe not to you.  This chick is awesome, and I really like reading her stuff, it has become a daily enjoyment for me.  I also have enjoyed the positive and funny words from her, I’ve really enjoyed reading about the adventures of her new puppy, and I love reading about her new operation that is so very beautiful!

There have been a lot of awesome changes in my life lately and I have so much to share with you guys….along with a lot of cool pictures!  I will update all of you on what’s been going on in my next post because I’m about to head out of here.

It’s 75* outside and way too beautiful to be sitting inside.  I think I’ll go out and sit on the deck and read my book for a bit, then it’s off to yoga at 5:45.  I’m lovin yoga right now, and I really need it tonight…since I’m scheduled to run my first 14 miler tomorrow!!! More on that tomorrow when I get back!

It’s great to be back everyone!  Have a beautiful weekend and I’ll catch up with you all very soon!

Dayna