Year of Dates - January

So a few years ago, I came across this on Pintrest - A Year of Dates!

 Turns out, it was a lot harder than I thought.  I didn't have the money to pre-pay for these dates, as is suggested (I still don't).  Instead, I wrapped up 12 mostly empty manila envelopes with each month written across the top.  I had a few ideas in the first three, but nothing after March.  As a result, we didn't follow through and our dates became hit or miss.

Having two small children and a husband who travels for work has made going out on a date very difficult.  So, I decided to give this idea another try.  I came across another blog that had the same concept, and I'm really bummed I can't find it again because there were some really good ideas!  So instead, I'll just share what I came up with!  And yes, I managed to channel my creative juices and come up with a variety date ideas for each month.

We had planned to go see the last Hobbit movie the weekend of our anniversary, but Hubby was sick with the flu.  So, we decided to fulfill January's envelope and a bit early on December 29th since that is when we found childcare.

We went all out and went to Cinebistro, a luxurious (overpriced) movie theater that serves you food and alcohol to enjoy during the movie.  The movie did not live up to Hubby's hopes or expectations and the food was only so-so, but it was lovely to return to MiddleEarth #OneLastTime! 

 What do you do for Date Night?

New clothes

Clothes.  The bane of my existence lately,  primarily because 1) I'm down to one pair of jeans, and 2) warm nursing tops are non-existent.  Motherhood Maternity has some cute summer/spring/fall tops, but nothing suitable for a girl who doesn't like to be cold.  

And then I found Latched Mama, a Richmond - based company that sells affordable, functional nursing shirts and dresses.  I couldn't wait to try them out! 

 

Can anyone say ,"Comfortable"???  I have all but lived in this sweatshirt for the last week!  It's warm.  It's modest (thank you, side-access-nursing).  It's warm!  It has a pocket!!  Did I mention that I've been warm??  :)  

I haven't quite figured out the cowl part of this hoodie, but Baby Thunder has started to enjoy pulling at the strings.  The fabric is so soft.  I love that I can wear this shirt with another tank top underneath, by itself, or under my favorite black jacket.  And, it goes great with my one pair of jeans! 

It may not be the most trendy, but I'll take functional over fashionable any day of the week.  If anyone has some extra Christmas money they are wanting to give away, this is next on my list: 

Size small, in Butter Cream, please!

Note: No, I'm not being paid to say any of this.  I just wanna share the love!  :)

The Challenge

Christmas is now over.  The New Year is upon us. This is the time people start making new commitments or resolutions. Lose weight. Eat healthy. Be more generous. These are all fine goals, but they are not specific enough. As a result, these resolutions remain unfulfilled until the following year. To increase your chance of success, you need to be S.M.A.R.T. - Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-Based. 

Which brings me to my challenge. 

Starting January 1, 2015, I am committing to #100DaysOfMiles.  According to their Facebook event, there are 4 simple rules:

#1 NEVER GO 3 DAYS WITHOUT RUNNING
#2 RUN AT LEAST 3 DAYS A WEEK
#3 NEVER MISS A MONDAY
#4 NEVER GIVE UP!

That's it.  No minimum distance, no streak.  Just to run 100 days by December 31, 2015.  It's that "easy"!

Will you join me? 

Training plans

I still have not decided on a specific running goal.  But, I'm shopping around with regards to training plans, specifically for the marathon.

There are two marathon training plans I have been considering:  Hanson-Brooks and Run Less, Run Faster.

Hanson-Brooks had an interesting article in Runner's World a few years back that sounded interesting.  The longest run of their training plan was 16 miles - yes, you read that right.  "Only" 16 miles for a marathon training plan?  They had you running 6 days a week, with the concept of cumulative fatigue.  This concept was that it taught you how to run on tired legs, to fight through the inevitable fatigue that comes in the latter half of the marathon.  In short, the whole program trained you for the last miles of the marathon; the last 16 miles, not the first 16.  

Initially, I was sold.  I really struggled with my first marathon; maybe this is the secret ingredient that will guarantee a BQ!  But, looking at it realistically, I would have to run 6 days a week.  Ugh.  I have never been able to consistently run more than 4 days a week, even in the midst of marathon training!  Add two small kids along for the ride, and the very idea feels overwhelmingly daunting.

I picked it up from the library this week before wanting to commit to buying it.  I'm intrigued.  Run a PR marathon with only 3 runs and 2 mandatory cross training days per week?  Interesting.  Doable?  Maybe.  A Speed workout, a Tempo, and a Long Run, with specific paces every week.  Having to go to the gym to cross-train via cycling, swimming, or rowing twice a week.  Going to the gym twice a week means I get the kids out of the house and doing something at least 2 days a week while Hubby is gone - that's a win!  On the other hand, figuring out how to do the quality runs at specific paces with a stroller will be challenging.  A tempo run I could figure out; just go by effort than minutes per mile.  Speed workouts would require child care, at least during the winter months.  I could (theoretically) let them play on the infield while I run laps on a track in the spring and summer.  Pushing a 50+ pound stroller on a long run of 10 or more miles would be doable, but boring.  If worse comes to worse, there are always treadmills.  

I'm gonna keep reading, put this book on my Christmas wish list *hint-hint*, and probably give the 10k training plan a try.  After all, I'd really like a sub-50 minute 10k at Monument this year!  :)

The Great Marathon Waffle

Waffling.  That's a verb, right?  You know, going back and forth about a decision - the whole "she loves me, she loves me not" kind of thing.  Waffling.  That's what I've been doing in regards to my 2015 running goals.

I know what I want to do: Run a Boston Qualifying marathon.  My running buddy qualified for the 2016 Boston at MCM (Marine Corps Marathon) this year.  As such, I think it would just be so cool if we ran it together.  But, that means I have until September to qualify.  Unfortunately, most BQ marathons are run in the fall.  :(  So, I have a bit of a dilemma.  Hence the waffling.

I'm trying really hard to be realistic here.  Something I'm not very good at when it comes to my running.  For instance, I ran a half marathon 11 weeks postpartum when I really had not trained for that kind of long distance.  Did I finish?  Yes, with a fairly decent time (all things considered).  Was it pretty?  Nope!  I wouldn't say I got injured, but I was walking like the Tinman for the next 2 days.  Which has not happened since I ran 26.2 miles.  Maybe my age is catching up to me...

Anyways, back to realistic goals.  I am now a stay at home mom, which means I don't have to fit my training around my work schedule.  The thing is, I'm now a stay at home/single-parent mom 4-5 days per week (due to Hubby's new job), which means I have 2 small children to consider and work around.  Which means running solo will be a rare treat.  Which means a lot of time running with a double stroller.  In the winter.  Hmm....  So, is it realistic to be breastfeeding an infant, chasing a 2 year old, and train for a marathon without having Hubby coming home every night?  I just don't know.  Should I attempt a spring and fall marathon?  What about the other races I really enjoy?  The Monument 10k in late March, Historic Half Marathon in May, Richmond Marathon in November?  Should I look for a destination spring marathon, as a sort of family vacation, despite the prospect of packing/relocating in the middle of summer?  Or should I just train for a fast 10k and half marathon and save the marathon for the fall?  

At the moment, I'm very open to suggestions.   

Does anyone have a favorite spring marathon, preferably in the months of late April, May, or June? 

Turkey trotting

I apologize for this late post - I started it the day after Thanksgiving and then Life got in the way.  :)  Without further ado...

I have a tradition this time of year - to run on Thanksgiving.  This tradition for me started in 2005 or so, when my mom had signed my siblings up for a running club that ended with the annual Fredericksburg Turkey Trot.  This club, run by a close family friend, is what got my mom hooked on running, which ultimately made it's way to me.  I was unable to participate in this running group because I happened to sprain my ankle very badly.  So, my 5k debut was in 2006.  And ever since I started running more seriously in 2009, I have run at least 3 miles on Thanksgiving.

Since we will be moving away from my beloved RVA (and because I couldn't justify spending $35 for a 5k), I decided to run the Richmond Turkey Trot 10k at the University of Richmond.  My little sister wanted to run a turkey trot with me this year, so I signed her up to run her first 10k!

This race with her was very important for me.  We are 12 years apart, so I consider her my "first baby".  In 2011, we ran her first 5k together at the Fredericksburg Turkey Trot.  This year, I got to run another new, bigger distance with her. 

Pre-race: Me and my sister (and Dad photo-bombing)

Okay, race review.  Holy hills, Batman!  Do not run this race and expect a PR - this is not a flat course!  But, it was beautiful.  The campus at UofR is beautiful!  We started by a little lake, ran some hills, ran part of a little trail (so glad I read that strollers were not allowed!), ran some more hills, and finished by the lake again.  It was a very chilly, drizzly morning, but it became quite nice once we started running.  I had signed Little Man up for the Kid's Run (which ended up being a 200m dash), but Hubby didn't want to stand around in the wet/cold with Baby Thunder while Miss Molly and I ran.  I'll have to find another little race for him next year.  I really enjoyed the challenge of the hills, especially since it was on Thanksgiving (gotta earn that Pumpkin Pie!).  Miss Molly (my sister) and I finished in 1:04, beating my first (flat) 10k by at least a minute! 

Post-race selfie in the car!