Honolulu Marathon Training Month 1 Recap

Hello! Oh, how I have missed you all! Thank you so much for those of you who are still pinning, clicking and commenting on my older blog posts. It means the world to me that you are all hanging around during this whole "hiatus" season. Since moving to Okinawa and welcoming our second child, I have been trying to decide where to take the blog and what sort of content I want to bring to all of you. I have some exciting things in the works and hope to be up and running in the next month or two, with lots of  new posts. Until then be on the look out for a few giveaways and special posts here and there. Also make sure to catch me on Military Moms Blog and over on OkinawaHai!

Being pregnant and recovering from Cecilia's birth really drove home how much I love running. I was not able to run throughout my pregnancy, but I did keep up with physical activity and other workouts. The entire time I really, like really, missed running. Right after having Cecilia the Okinawa Marathon took place and the start line was literally right out our front door. We took the kids out and cheered on all of the runners and the entire time I was sitting there, wanting to join in. I missed the feeling of training for a race, I missed the butterflies that happen while in the start line and I really missed the satisfaction I got when I completed a run. That day, I registered for the Honolulu Marathon.

Now, let me back up here. I have only ever done one half marathon and it was a trail half. An extremely hard trail half, you can fund my race recap here, and after that I took a much needed break from running races. Then I got pregnant. So, it had been well over a year since I was doing serious mileage or training for any sort of race. But, the thought of completing a marathon within a year of having Cecilia was something that I knew I wanted to do and something I knew would be difficult, but so rewarding. Now you may be thinking why Honolulu? Well, there is no time limit to the Honolulu Marathon which makes it a popular race for first time marathoners. Most races here on the island and mainland Japan are timed and strictly timed at that. Also, Honolulu is relatively easy for us to get to from the island since there are constantly flights to and from. Ryan and I discussed this runcation and knowing that he would be ready for dose of America we decided to make it a family vacation. Knowing my Uncle loves running and was actually the one who helped fuel my love for running, I invited him. He responded by saying he would think about it. A few weeks later, he was officially in. I can not not tell you how excited I am to be doing a race with him.

The dreaded Trail Half Marathon that was maybe the hardest thing I have ever done.

Me, next to my Uncle (and our team) after completing my second Dances with Dirt. 

So, I set off on finding the right training plan. With Ryan being gone for the first half of my training, I knew I wanted to give myself some extra weeks and was leaning towards a 26 week plan. I was starting with very little mileage, so I needed a lot of time to build up. The best laid plans always go awry, am I right? I started the 26 week plan while back in Ohio visiting family, and a week in my kids and I got seriously sick. Like, sick for over two weeks, sick. There was not much running happening during that time unfortunately. So, I moved on to a 22 week plan. So far, so good. I did take a week off due to us flying back to Okinawa. I knew with the flying and adjusting to the time difference my long run would be nearly impossible to complete that week.

So, here we are, one month into my training plan and things are going well. Let me start by saying the weather right now is less than ideal when it comes to running. We wake up to hot and humid and we go to bed to hot humid. There is not much relief. I try to get out early for my stroller runs and the stroller has not one but TWO fans for Cecilia. When Lucas bikes with us, we stop for water breaks a lot and usually have more than one rest stops in the shade. I have been utilizing a babysitter for my long runs. These typically start around 9AM due to Cecilia's schedule. She is still exclusively nursing and not wanting to take a bottle or a sippy cup, so even though she can go a few hours in between nursing sessions, I try to work with her nap schedule as much possible. Starting a 8 mile run at 9AM when the temperature is already near 90 degrees is hard, but I am making it work. Lots of fluids and just taking it easy is my game plan. I have also decided to utilize the run/walk method for this marathon. More on that in a later blog post, but basically I wanted to give the method a try and thought my first marathon was a good starting point.

Training for a marathon with a jogging stroller and sometimes a 4 year old on a bike is hard. Don't get me wrong, there are days where there is bribery in the form of an ice cream cone to get the run in, but we are doing it. Not only am I checking these runs off the bucket list, but I am being active with my kids and that is so important. Sure, sometimes I shave off a mile or two if I feel it is too hot, but I am feeling stronger and more solid with each long run. I wanted to breakdown my miles so you can see how I am running them.

Total August Miles - 58.14

Stroller Miles - 32.45

Bike and Stroller Miles - 14.6

Isn't that amazing? Lucas rode almost 15 miles this month. I let him know this impressive stat and he laughed and said, "Well, ya we love running and riding my bike!" I hope to update you all through this journey, including recapping TWO half marathons I doing, one of which will be my first local race.  Okinawa is an amazing place to run. There are always so many people out and about, and the views are absolutely breathtaking.

Need some motivation to run while you are parenting solo? Need some motivation to train for your next race? Let me know! I love chatting strategies with people. 

21 Days Runners Reset Review

I have been in a runner's rut, lately! I am not sure what is causing it. I think it may be the fact that I have had a lingering cold for going on two months, or the fact that the trail half marathon I did in December was really hard on my mental game. I set a goal of running 10 miles every week this year, and while I am completing that I think I have had 1 run where I get that runner's high and feel really good throughout the run. I have also been working on my strength training and that takes it out of your legs, I notice such a difference in my runs after a hard leg day. 

After the new year I was looking for a reset of some kind, to get back into my healthy eating and recharge my body. It is going on 2 years now that I have lived a healthy lifestyle, lost all my baby weight and have made working out a daily goal of mine. I was ready for something to revitalize me. Enter, The Runner's Reset. 

Laura is a running coach, a mom and a nutrition expert! Her website name, MommyRunFast, came about because of her daughter saying that phrase to her while running with her in the jogger. Now you know my love for throwing Luke into the jogger and hitting the pavement, so I knew I would love her approach. 

http://www.laurapeifer.com/ 

The 21 Day Runner Reset focused on nutrition, strength training and trying different methods of running. I am relatively new to this running game, so I learned so much! For instance the Maffetone method of running, which focuses on keeping your heart rate low while running, I liked this a lot and I found it was nice to take things a bit slower and look at the world around me. I also really enjoyed the fasted runs, also known as Glycogen depleted runs. I would wake up in the morning and just run, without anything to eat or drink. It made my runs quite a bit faster, since I was running quickly to get back to the house for breakfast! 

Nutrition wise it was very similar to other resets, cut out sugar and processed food and focus on a 40/30/30 diet (carbs to protein to fat). My family is pretty good about not eating processed foods, so that was not a change for me. I did try to cut out sugars most days, and 100% cut out my love for wine throughout the time, but if I must be honest there were still days I had some sugar. Laura included a bunch of recipes that were easy and within the guidelines of the reset. My favorites were the pumpkin spice smoothie (of course) and the Crock Pot Greek Peppers! 

I loved the weight training throughout the 21 days! Like I said up top, I have been working on strength training and it was so nice to see some new workouts and try them out. The workouts ranged from HIIT workouts, to ab workouts to even some tricep work. They were all easy to include in my daily workout and I loved how quick most of them were. I incorporated running as much I could throughout the 21 days, though running with a stuffy nose is a nightmare. I would have liked to run a bit more, but was happy with what I was able to do. 

All in all, I learned so much throughout the time. Mainly, I learned that having group support is huge and cutting sugar does in fact make you feel stronger and more energized. Laura is extremely easy to work with, and she communicated to us throughout the entire time. It was nice to wake up and have an email waiting for me, with motivation and encouragement to get it done. 

Laura offers private nutrition coaching, specifically for runners and don't forget to follow Laura on Instagram! Stay connected and be on the lookout for her next reset, I highly recommend it!

Happy running, 

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a year of running

I run to breathe the fresh air. I run to explore. I run to escape the ordinary. I run to savor the trip along the way. Life becomes a little more vibrant, a little more intense. I like that.

- Dean Karnazes

Last year, I had met a HUGE goal of mine which was losing my baby weight and becoming more active. I was so happy with the progress I had made, and the person I had become. Not only was I down the baby weight, but I was also the healthiest I had ever been. Fitness had become a daily routine for me, and I was proud of myself for that.  I am also proud that I have maintained that weight and that lifestyle, through 2015.

 I knew I would need another goal, because after all it is not just about the number on the scale. So, I made a goal to make running a BIG part of my year. I have never been a lover of running. I barely made the softball team, because my mile and half was seconds away from the slowest cut-off. I dabbled in the whole running thing, but honestly I would complain the entire run. It is amazing to me how much I have changed my mind about running. I love the saying that if you don't find an answer to your problem during a long run, than there isn't an answer. 

Trail running has become a huge passion of mine. My uncle introduced me to trails, over a year ago and I have not looked back since. My favorite thing about trails is that you have to constantly look around you and soak in everything, because if you don't, you will end up on your face. About half way through this year, I started to run just to run. Before that I would always run for a certain amount of time or run to burn a certain amount of calories. I eventually realized it is so much more fun to just hit the trails, and run. Who cares how far, who cares if you are forced to walk some, all that matters is that you are running and just enjoying the surroundings. 

Before this year, I had only ever done 2 races, and both of them were with my Aunt Cathy and Uncle Rick. I had been running, sure, but mainly to get back into shape and get over the baby weight. After doing a trail run towards the end of last year, I knew that I had opened a whole new world. Races give you something to look forward to, they give you a goal to set and most importantly they are FUN!  This year I ran 8 races, and all of them were such a fun experience. 

Running was a huge passion of mine this year, so I thought it would be nice to end the year with a half marathon. 

I registered for the Vail Half Marathon, which was a trail run and labeled as "mostly downhill." Honestly, I didn't really prep for it as much as I should have. I did a few 11 mile trail runs, but the trails I used were relatively flat and packed dirt, not so much like the real thing. I cross trained, and made sure to work on my endurance. I had big plans of doing one last long run on a local trail, but I got a horrible cold about a week and a half out from the race. So, that last run never happened and honestly not much happened the week leading up to the run. I could barely get out of bed, let alone train, so I crossed my fingers and hoped. 

I woke up Saturday morning, knowing it wouldn't be the easiest race, but I was excited.  They loaded us onto a bus and drove about 25 minutes to the start. Talk about a rough mental start, we were just driving and driving and all the time I am thinking, "umm, this is a half marathon not a full, right?" We finally arrived at the starting point. I used the tent toilet at the start, said a little prayer and tucked myself into the back of the pack.

The first 4 miles were rough! It was mainly uphill and was no where near a flat and even trail. I found myself letting my mind wander and I would quickly lose my footing. I hit my first high around mile 4.5 and ran with that for a few. I updated my cheer team (Ryan and Luke) when I was nearing 7.5 miles and at that point, I was feeling OK. Than came mile 10, I hit a wall. My legs were aching, my lungs were filled with the flem and I was THIRSTY! 

Mentally, I was spent. Physically, I was tired. I knew Ryan and Luke were waiting for me at the end, which was huge motivation, but I was just done. Honestly, the last few miles I did a lot of walk/running and just focused on finishing. I reflected on my year, thought about where I was just a short 16 months ago and I trekked on. Running has become a passion. I started running to prove a point, I kept running because I am naturally competitive, I am still running because somewhere along the way I have realized that it calms my inner crazy better than anything else. 

Yes, I finished. No, it was not the time I wanted. But, I did finish and I did cross that finish line to a smiling and dirty little boy. 

Thank you to each and every one of you who have been my running "partner" throughout this year.  To my husband, Ryan, thank you for being my constant and for pushing me to be the best I can be, I love you! To my parents, thank you for letting me to continue to run even it means taking Luke the second you get in the door from a long work day. You both are the reason deployments don't suck so bad. To my Uncle Rick, thank you for inviting me to Dances with Dirt and thank you for always having a smile on your face when you finish a race, you are such a motivation. Thank you to my best friend, Briana, your smiling face and conversations in the gym are half the reason I have been so successful at this whole "living a healthier life" thing. And thank you to Luke (you can't read yet but someday you will see this), your patience in the jogging stroller amazes me each and every time, and your little voice saying, "Go, MOMMA!" is reason enough to finish any race. And to anyone who has supported me throughout this journey, thank you! I love you all! 

I am so excited to be joining a few runners and complete the January Reset. I am really looking forward to improving my time and learning more about how weight training can help my running. If this is something you are interested in, let me know! It is through mommyrunfast (Laura Peifer) and more information can be found here. Ready to sign up? Use code "blog" for 10% off and register here. 

21 Day Runner's Reset - http://www.laurapeifer.com/

Next year, will be all about the trails. I want to improve, I want to run an ultra and I want to continue to conquer the inner crazy. Thanks, for sharing my journey! 

Happy running, 

september recap

 I am SO happy to report that I completed my September goal. I ran 75 miles, well 75.5 if we are being exact!!! It was so rewarding and felt so great to get back to focusing on running. These miles were done on the treadmill, solo and some with the jogging stroller. I am so happy I made and completed this goal! 

I did two wonderful races, the first being the Pink Strides trail run in Granville, OH. It was such a pretty trail, filled with lots of scenery. I was the 3rd overall female finisher, and got a 5K PR time of 29:36. It felt so amazing to see my hard work pay off, and I can't even begin to tell you how special it was to me that my parents came to the race. I am almost 30 years old and seeing my parents smiling faces at the end of the race, still meant so much to me! I also got to run with my cousin, Sara. It was a great morning. 

The second race was Dances with Dirt - Hell. This is the race that started it all for me a year ago. Well, I guess if we are being technical my first race was well over 15 years ago with my Aunt Cathy and Uncle Rick. They talked me into a 5k, and gifted me a pair of sweet running tights. Running became something that I loathed, until February of 2014. 

I had been running for fun for a few months when my Uncle Rick asked if I would be interested in running a 100k trail relay with him and 3 other people. I needed a good goal at the time, so I joined in. I fell in love with trail running and saw first hand how much running in races can help with motivation and accountability. 

Dances with Dirt- Hell 2014 

Dances with Dirt - Hell 2015! This was taken after my second leg, through the swamp! It is called, "This Sucks!" 

This year proved to be just as amazing, and I loved tackling my portion of the race, which was just over 13 miles throughout the day. This year was much more challenging than last year, mentally and physically. I joked with my uncle and told him that if he would have given me these legs last year, I may have stopped running again. I pushed myself more this year, but I also took a lot of time throughout the race to just be thankful. Thankful to my husband for being so supportive of my endeavors, thankful to Luke for making me a mom, thankful for the opportunity to meet some amazing people through running and thankful for the opportunity for time to focus on me. 

 

So, onto new goals. Other than bringing you loads of pumpkin fun in the month of October, I am also going to be journaling. I would like to journal once daily, and see if I can get excited about this idea. I know it is good for the soul to write things out, but most importanly I want to be able to look back and remember what I was feeling and what I was doing. It may be a bit late to start, but hey better than never. 

Who's with me? Even if you have been journaling for awhile, maybe join in to make sure you have an entry every day, or if you have taken a hiatus, pick it back up! 

#sbmjournalingadventure 

Happy goal setting,

the 1st of the month brings a new goal..

It's September 1st! How is that even possible? Fall is my favorite time of year, by far. I grew up in Ohio so that means changing leaves, apple picking in jackets, comfortable outdoor running, lots and lots of pumpkin and of course FOOTBALL! 

I have A LOT going on this month, so I wanted to set myself a fitness goal that I feel is slightly unattainable. I know sounds funny, right? But, my whole fitness journey has been about me surpassing goals that I NEVER thought were possible. I push myself because I love proving myself wrong. 

I am currently signed up for two races this month. Pink Strides (5k trail race) and Dances with Dirt, the relay trail race that started it all for me. I am so excited for that weekend, it is an amazing time and a chance to be with family while running! 

Dances with Dirt - Hell (2014)

Dances with Dirt - Hell (2014)

 I thought I would do a monthly total mileage goal. I have never done one of these, but have seen many people conquer their personal goal and thought this was the perfect month. Finding time to run this month will be challenging for me, and 85% of my runs will be with Luke in the stroller, but those are the best! 

Personally, I think 50 miles would be safe. So, naturally I am going for 75 miles in the month of September. Now, last winter this would have been an easier goal for me, but I have really been focusing on sculpting, group classes and lifting this summer and not doing too much running (averaging 8 miles a week). I have a bit of a head start since I will be doing 12-14 miles the weekend of Dances with Dirt, but that is at the end of month. 

I started my month with a bang. I have wanted to try PortaPT running workouts for awhile now. I saw one of my running friends, Emily, post about purchasing one and knew that now was the time.  I opted for the Crazy Sprints workout, I have been wanting to improve my time, so I thought this was perfect. 

Whew, it was a doozie! I am proud that I made it through, and really only did about 3 minutes of walking recovery throughout, while maintaining my jogging recovery. I totaled 3.5 miles, not too shabby since I haven't ran since my Texas visit. 

Make sure to check out some of her treadmill workouts, use code  sbmrunchall for 25% off!! She coaches you and gives you some great motivational support throughout the entire run. I loved them and can't wait to purchase more!


I am amazed I was able to smile after that workout!

Who wants to join me? 
Do less miles than me, do more miles than me, try a walking goal, whatever you want let's just do it together! I am doing this to hold myself accountable, so will be happy to check in and do random posts to make sure we are all hitting our goals. 

If you are wanting to join, comment below and I will make sure to check in and include you on posts regarding the goal! Let's make it super easy to track and use hashtag #SBMrunchallenge! Or if you want a more personal approach, shoot me an email and we can hold you accountable that way!
Get moving!! 

Happy running, 

buns of speed!

Happy Monday ya'll! I hope your coffee was strong and your "to do" list short! 

 Which one to choose? Who else loves a near empty gym? I find myself singing and dancing along to my music, and with no one else in the treadmill area, it means I can let loose!

I am not sure how I have not shared this treadmill workout. I like to call this workout, "Buns of Speed"! It is a good calorie burner and in a perfect world it would be 3 miles, instead of just short, but when I am on the treadmill I am really going for time, not distance. 35 minutes is the perfect amount for me, because it gives me enough time to stretch and visit the weight room, but still feel like I got in a good cardio workout.

Buns of Speed!

Here is my recap! If you must hit that 3 mile mark, than add on 5 minutes which would add on roughly 1/2 a mile, or extend your warm up by a minute! Also, remember the idea is to get the incline so you choose the speeds that work for you. 

I think it may be time to share some of my favorite workout tunes with you. Here is a link to my go to running mix, it is quite the mix. 

http://open.spotify.com/user/rnye1/playlist/4aiwZHQj0hofE7wqXyMNyb

You will notice a good amount of Britney on this list, she is amazing and will forever be my Work B*tch! 

What's your running jam?!

Happy running, 

Meredith 

praise for the incline!

Running in the desert during the summer, is similar to running on a treadmill in the sauna. You feel wore out way before you hit your high, and your legs are just jello. It is rough! Ryan, Luke and I went for a 4.5 mile run Sunday morning, and while I felt a bit better this run than I have the past few, it is just so hard to have an enjoyable run in July. So, I am back to the treadmill grind this week, maybe we will try a bit earlier next weekend, or maybe not!

Luke fell asleep on our run, which he has not done in over a year. I blame it on early wake up, due to him discovering he can get out of his crib! I think we will be transitioning to the big boy bed soon, be on the look out for updates on that! 

 In other big news, Ryan and I have decided to run the Phoenix Rising Half Marathon in November (now that I have announced it to the masses, you are for sure doing it, Ryan)! Ryan has been running more and more, and we think it will be fun to train together and accomplish something that large, together! 

Inclines are my best friend on the treadmill. There are days where sprinting just isn't on the books for me, and those days I typically focus on the incline buttons! According to Self Magazine, incline work targets your thighs, calves and booty. Who doesn't need to work their booty?  Also, since I have started to do incline work, I have noticed a huge difference in my pace as well as less shin splints. Clearly, I am a big advocate of adding incline! 

This is my "go to" workout for days where I feel like spending a big chunk of my gym time on the treadmill, but I am not in the mood to just run. It burns a lot of calories and gives me a good solid distance. 

Here is my workout recap! 

I feel the same as every average American, treadmill running is not fun, but I hope my last few treadmill posts have helped you to change up the monotony! Tweak them how you need, maybe you start faster, maybe you start slower, whatever you do just START! 

Happy running, 

Meredith 

why the gym is my happy place (plus a really fun treadmill workout)

Vacation is officially over! Look for a vaca recap in the next few days, but until then Luke and I are back to our daily grind. Considering Luke is still on east coast time, and is waking up around 5:30AM, this morning was exactly what I needed. Today's workout was perfect, I got in some best friend time (thanks for the breathless chat, Briana), along with a great workout!!

My cowboy and I walking into the gym! This is his gym attire, he insists on wearing his boots and hat everyday!

The gym is my happy place, there are very few days that I have to force myself to go to the gym. It took a few months for me to feel this way, but it has become a habit for me. Saying this, I will admit that I am semi addicted to the gym because I am also addicted to "me" time. 

Gasp!! I know, a mom that is admitting to loving time to herself. I'm human enough to admit that not all days are easy around the Nye household, some days are downright hard. The gym is a place for me to not worry about what is for dinner, not think about how long it has been since Luke went #2, and most importantly not worry about cleaning the kitchen for the 19th time that day. Luke is safe and happy playing in the child watch with his best buddies and I am happily sweating out the stress and thinking about ME! 

Here is another one of my favorite treadmill workouts. It is a pyramid workout, your up tempo speeds start at a certain point, you work your way up and than come back down to the original speed. 

Start where you are comfortable, even if that means doing a walking speed. If you opt for walking always add in some incline, it is amazing how much more effective it will be. This is a short 25 minute program, but you will be sweating quickly and feeling amazing by the end. 

Here is my workout summary! Woo hoo to 256 calories burned, that is like 1/4 a cup of chardonnay, right?

Happy running, 

Meredith