Week 47 of 2014

Goals for next week, Get in the pool and swim at least 1000 yards, bike indoors on the trainer, Run 5 separate times, teach all regularly scheduled classes.  Feel better.


Monday: Body Sculpt and Zumba
Tuesday:2 Body Sculpt classes
Wednesday:Body Sculpt
Thursday:Ran 2.14 miles
Friday:ran 3 miles, Body Sculpt
Saturday:Ran 8.07 miles
Sunday:walked 2.10 miles

Ran 13.21 miles, 5 Body Sculpt,  1 zumba

Good for week 47:  by Thursday finally felt better so I ran.  Even though I didn't feel good the first half of the week I still completed my scheduled classes.

Bad for week 47: Didn't swim or bike.

Totals for year:
Elliptical 27.47 miles
Running 775.95 miles
Swam 24,737.30 yards (14.55 miles)
Body Sculpt classes 151
Zumba classes 27
Biking minutes 762 (12.7 hours) Indoors
Biking miles outside 311.09 miles
Step classes 2
Yoga classes 6
Nia classes 1
Cross Fit class 1
Push ups on toes outside of teaching class:175

Goals for week 48:  Swim, bike and work on my elliptical at least once.  Run 5 times or more.  Try to hit 25 miles for the week.

Week 46 of 2014

Goals for week 46:  Run at least 25 miles, swim once, bike once.  Elliptical at least 2.50 miles.

Monday;  Ran 3.17 miles
Tuesday:Sculpt, ran 5.10 miles, Sculpt again.
Wednesday:Sculpt, Elliptical .75 mile
Thursday:Sick and Rest
Friday: Sick and Rest
Saturday: Ran 7.05 miles (.85 warm up before 5K, 3.20 was 5K race, ran 3 miles as a cooldown).
Sunday: none, still sick, not sure how I pulled off 7 miles yesterday.

totals for week 46:
ran 15.32 miles
3 Sculpt classes
.75 mile of Elliptical

Good for week:  Ran 4 separate times.  Got on the elliptical, just didn't do much because I didn't feel good.

Bad for week 46:  Didn't feel good all week, not sure how I ran at all when I did.  Missed teaching 2 Sculpts and Zumba because of feeling like garbage.


Totals for year:
Elliptical 27.47 miles
Running 762.74 miles
Swam 24,737.30 yards (14.05 miles)
Body Sculpt classes 146
Zumba classes 26
Biking minutes 762 (12.7 hours) Indoors
Biking miles outside 311.09 miles
Step classes 2
Yoga classes 6
Nia classes 1
Cross Fit class 1
Push ups on toes outside of teaching class:175

Goals for next week, Get in the pool and swim at least 1000 yards, bike indoors on the trainer, Run 5 separate times, teach all regularly scheduled classes.  Feel better.

Week 45 of 2014

Goals for week 45:  Bike once, run 5 times, swim once.


Monday:  Ran 5.0 miles, Sculpt
Tuesday:  taught Body Sculpt twice
Wednesday: ran 4.05 miles, taught Body Sculpt
Thursday:Elliptical 2 miles, ran 3.10 miles
Friday:Sculpt
Saturday:Ran 4.10 miles
Sunday: Rest

Good for week 45:  ran 4 times, got on the elliptical for a couple miles.
Not so good for week 45:  didn't run on Friday like I had planned.  Didn't bike or swim.
Totals for week 45:
Ran 16.25
Elliptical 2 miles
5 Body Sculpt classes

Totals for year:
Elliptical 26.72 miles
Running 747.42 miles
Swam 24,737.30 yards (14.55 miles)
Body Sculpt classes 143
Zumba classes 26
Biking minutes 762 (12.7 hours) Indoors
Biking miles outside 311.09 miles
Step classes 2
Yoga classes 6
Nia classes 1
Cross Fit class 1
Push ups on toes outside of teaching class:175

Goals for week 46:  Run at least 25 miles, swim once, bike once.  Elliptical at least 2.50 miles.

Screaming Pumpkin - Saturday October 25, 2014 5:50 p.m. - Peoria, IL

Last two years I have done this race it has been super cold, like bitter, but this year I could wear shorts and by the end of the race I was too warm because I was giving it my all. Perfect running weather for an October night!

This race takes place in Lower Glen Oak Park, in Peoria, IL.  You run through Springdale Cemetary.  It is the hilliest course I've ever ran in my life.  Here is the WEBSITE that tells you all about it.  Here are results if you care:  Full results!

There was a costume contest.  Both Jason and I participated, but at his request there are no pictures of his costume because he absolutely HATES to dress up.  He really doesn't even like Halloween, yet I love it.  Anyway, I dressed as the Bearded lady from the circus and won 3rd place.  However the prize was tickets to a hockey game in Peoria on Sunday, November 9th, which is today.  So I advertised them on facebook to see who would want them and found someone that lives in Peoria that was super excited to go to that game and I mailed them my tickets.

The race started about 3 minutes after they advertised it would so that was at about 5:53p.m.  I ran as fast as I could until the first long steep hill.  Hills just zap me.  I practice them all the time, seriously.  I run hilly routes on purpose so that flat routes will be easy for me, but then I get to hills in a race and don't do well.

Two years ago I ran this race for the first time but because I went off the course and fell in a ditch, I sprained my ankle.  I should have stopped at that point and waited for medical to arrive, then.  Instead my friend that I was with insisted I walk on it and then try and run.  I did that and I only ended up running because I was finishing faster and getting the pain over with.  It was a super painful night which ended up costing me over a year of therapy on the ankle, a boot, crutches and lots of pain.  My lesson I learned is "Never go off the course".  Anyway that final time that year was 1:37:01.  I walked so much of that course and took a long break when initially getting hurt..  The next year in 2013 I ran with my husband and good friends Lisa and Kyle.  We ran most of it, but goofed off so much of that race.  Our time was 1:36:58.

This year I took the race seriously.  Jason and I were both trying to have a great race time.  My PR for a Quarter Marathon (6.55 miles) was set in Columbus, Ohio the first Saturday of May in 2013.  I was still having significant ankle pain, but was able to run for the most part without pain.  That record was 1:12:15 and was set on a totally flat course.  I was determined to beat that this year, even though this course was extremely hilly, I am very healthy this year and no longer suffer from ankle pain.  So I thought, hilly or not, I'm beating that time.  Sure enough I did.  My chip time was 1;08:40.  I knew I could do even better than this, however with running a 5K that morning and having a side cramp for most of this race, I'll take just a 3:35 minute PR.  I know now that had this been a flat course I could have really killed it because in my last half marathon, I hit the 6.55 point at 1:02 something, so I have it in me for another major PR at some point!   Jason and I ran together until mile 5 when I told him to just go.  He finished in an amazing 1:05:24 for this hilly course.  So a PR for both of us.

Good things about this race:
The finishing medal is awesome!  One of my most favorite finishing medals.
The bib for your scrapbook is nice.
It was chip timed by a company that does immediate finishing results.  Basically they are posting your results before you even have a chance to look them up.  Cool!
Amazing food after the race.
Unique race.  How many races do you know are at night running through a cemetary?
Extremely organized
Medical help on the course.
amazing true to size dri fit long sleeve shirt.
costume contest

Not so great things about this race:
That course is the hilliest, craziest course ever. (If you despise hills, then don't even sign up wimp.)
It's dark and the course has some places that you could trip and fall, so make sure you have a light on your body that you can see the ground at all times.
Lots of course debree like pinecones, rocks,hedge apples, lots and lots of leaves that can be slippery if wet, potholes, broken cement and much more.
Only one water station and you hit that twice, but I felt like there should have been something like at mile 2.5 or 3.  Not sure how those marathoners on this course do with lack of water, but hopefully okay.

I have a few pictures:

Before the race.

Another before the race with the giant cat.

Amazing finishing medal.

The dri fit long sleeve shirt that is awesome!

Haunted Hustle for hearing - Saturday, October 25th 9 a.m. - Iowa City, IA

It was a cold morning, but not too bad for an October morning near Halloween. I was able to race in shorts and that means it wasn't too hot.  This race suggested you run in costume, but I didn't want to. I was trying to go for a PR (personal record) so I only dressed in normal running clothes. The course was flat until you turned off of Normandy Drive left onto Park Rd. You had to go straight up a steep hill. That's when I stopped running. I sped walked that hill, but it totally zapped me.   This I'm sure is what cost me the PR today, but oh well, I'm fine with that. I ended up placing 3rd in my age group and I'm perfectly happy with that given the bad course.

 Good things about this race:
 It was chip timed
There was a shirt
There was a bib for your scrapbook
There was food after the race.

 Not so great things about this race:
 The shirt was cotton and not dri fit
The course had a huge steep long hill.
They only gave gift cards for 1st in each age group and didn't even recognize place 2 and 3 in the age groups.
Having an out and back course would have been MUCH better and wouldn't have involved a huge long steep hill.

My results are  HERE !

Pictures are below.

My race bib.

My results!  Not bad.  3rd in my age group out of 5.

Jason took this picture of me running!

The best costume at the race:  Richard Simmons.  Hilarious.

Front of shirt

Week 44 of 2014

Goals for week 43:  Run 5 or more separate times.  Complete all scheduled classes.  Bike once and swim once.  Complete at least a mile on the elliptical.

Monday:  Sculpt, Zumba,  biked 8 miles
Tuesday:  Ran 5.25 miles with Tyler, 2 Sculpt classes.
Wednesday:Sculpt class
Thursday:Ran 5.26 miles alone
Friday:Sculpt
Saturday: Ran 6.07 miles part of it with Jason, Biked 9.22 miles with Caleb
Sunday: Rest

Ran 16.58 miles
Biked 17.22 miles
5 Sculpt classes
1 Zumba class
lots of walking.

Good for week 44  I got out and biked twice.  Completed my scheduled classes.

Not so great for week 44:  I didn't make time for the elliptical or swimming or running 5 times.

Totals for year:
Elliptical 24.72 miles
Running 731.17 miles
Swam 24,737.30 yards (14.05 miles)
Body Sculpt classes 138
Zumba classes 26
Biking minutes 762 (12.7 hours) Indoors
Biking miles outside 311.09 miles
Step classes 2
Yoga classes 6
Nia classes 1
Cross Fit class 1
Push ups on toes outside of teaching class:175

Goals for week 45:  Bike once, run 5 times, swim once.  Make time for the elliptical. Try 2 miles.

Week 43 of 2014

Goals for week 43:  Ran 5-6 separate times, mileage more than last week.  Complete all scheduled classes.  Bike once, swim once!

Monday:  Ran 5 miles, taught Sculpt and taught Zumba
Tuesday:  Ran 1.04 miles, taught Sculpt
Wednesday:Ran 3.22 miles, taught Sculpt
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Sculpt class,
Saturday: Ran 10 miles (Ran.25 in a warmup, 3.20 in a 5k race, Ran 6.55 in Quarter marathon race).
Sunday: Rest

Ran 19.26 miles
1 Zumba class
4 Sculpt classes

Good for week 43:  Ran 5 separate times.
Not so good for week 43:  Didn't bike or swim.

Totals for year:
Elliptical 24.72 miles
Running 714.59 miles
Swam 24,737.30 yards (14.55 miles)
Body Sculpt classes 133
Zumba classes 25
Biking minutes 762 (12.7 hours) Indoors
Biking miles outside 293.87 miles
Step classes 2
Yoga classes 6
Nia classes 1
Cross Fit class 1
Push ups on toes outside of teaching class:175

Goals for week 43:  Run 5 or more separate times.  Complete all scheduled classes.  Bike once and swim once.  Complete at least a mile on the elliptical.

Week 42 of 2014

Goals for week 42:
Run 5-6 separate times.  Mileage back up to what it was a couple weeks ago 25 or more miles for the week.  Bike once, Swim once of more yards than last week.  Complete all scheduled classes.  Eat well!

Monday:Ran 5.25 miles with Tyler, Body Sculpt
Tuesday:Ran 2.06 miles, 2 Body Sculpt classes
Wednesday:Elliptical  1.06 miles, ran 3.04 miles,1 Body Sculpt
Thursday:Ran 7.18 miles (3.33 was with Meridith. 3.85 was alone)
Friday:Sculpt class, lots of walking
Saturday:Ran 7.60 miles, bunch of walking.
Sunday:  some walking


Ran 26.19 miles5 Sculpt classes
1 Zumba class
lots of walking.
Good for week 42:  Ran 6 separate times.  Taught all of my classes.
Not so great for week 42:  Didn't swim or bike.
Elliptical 1.06 miles
Totals for year:
Elliptical 24.72 miles
Running 695.33 miles
Swam 24,737.30 yards (14.55 miles)
Body Sculpt classes 129
Zumba classes 24
Biking minutes 762 (12.7 hours) Indoors
Biking miles outside 293.87 miles
Step classes 2
Yoga classes 6
Nia classes 1
Cross Fit class 1
Push ups on toes outside of teaching class:175

Goals for week 43:  Ran 5-6 separate times, mileage more than last week.  Complete all scheduled classes.  Bike once, swim once!

Running Dead 5K - Moline, IL - Saturday, October 11, 2014

The day was gorgeous.  Jason and I were going to run a half marathon in Nauvoo, Illinois that morning, but since Jason got injured in  the Timber trek race last week we decided to not run the half.   Thank goodness we hadn't registered for the race in Nauvoo or he would have lost out on the registration fee.  We were waiting until the 8th to see how we felt since the Timber Trek mud/obstacle race before registering for another half. So since neither of us signed up, we both slept in really late.  We decided to clean carpets instead.  Then we did some yard work.  I found this race online and it said it was an afternoon race.  It looked amazing.  My only regret is that I didn't sign up sooner to save money.  We weren't sure we would go, but as the day progressed we decided to go.

It was a 5K on the side of the Mississippi river.The area was absolutely beautiful.  We arrived nice and early and I asked at the registration if I could get a shirt.  I was only going to do the race IF I could get a shirt since the fee was higher to sign up race day.  Otherwise we would have both just volunteered and then went out to dinner instead.

The race started at 4 p.m. and since we arrived early we had a chance to walk alongside the Mississippi river and relax for a bit.  Here is a picture that Jason took of the Mississippi River

I didn't take any pre-race pictures and I'm not sure why.

At about 3:30 Jason walked to the place where he needed to block off a street since he was a course monitor for the race.

I began to warm up.  I did a .30 mile run then some high knees, some kick backs, some side twisting run things, some skips, then another .30 mile run, then walked about a half mile.  I felt great.

I lined up near the front and when the gun went off I took off a little fast.  I had a 7 minute mile pace to start.  That is too fast for me and I knew I'd die off soon.  But I felt good so I kept going.  I only maintained that for about a half mile when I slowed a bit.  My first mile was an 8.20 mile pace.  Not bad.  Mile 2 was a little slower, but not by much.  I was still maintaining the 8.20-8.40 for most of it.  There was a turn around at 1.30 and that worried me a bit because I remembered the race course being an out and back course on the internet.  If we were turning around at 1.30 then the course would end up being REALLY short.  But I figured that when we got near the finish line we would go past it and have another turn around to make it a 5K distance since this WAS a 5K right?

About .20 away from the finish line when we COULD HAVE GONE straight and gone down the street more and then turned around and come back to the finish line people were going straight into the finish line.  Weird I thought, this can't be?????  "If we go straight to the finish line then my time will be 22 minutes something and the distance isn't right.  Something is WAY off by like a half mile off."  Sure enough it was WAY off, it was tiny bit more than a half mile off.  This made the race a 4K, not a 5K.  I was bummed.   I was set up to have another major PR in a 5K.  I'm pretty sure I could have knocked another 30 seconds off my record, maybe more.  I felt so good and I usually speed up at the end of the race.  Oh well, every race can't be perfect, but having the distance off that much was a bummer.

I expected to place since not a lot of girls passed me and I only had 4 in front of me when I started, but I never expected to receive 1st in my age group or be 10th out of 100 women.  Pretty cool.  The next closest person in my age group behind me was 3 minutes and 10 seconds behind me.  Now if I had to run another .55 miles would I have kept this lead?  I don't know.  I hope so and I was hoping to place in this race since the awards were really sweet looking, but you just never know who will sign up or show up.  The full race results are HERE!

Good things about this race:
Chip timed for a gun and chip time.
Cute bib for your scrapbook
Great looking shirt.
Food after the race.
Sweet looking age group and overall awards
Race started on time.
Race course was flat.
Lots of volunteers

Not so great things about this race:
The course was short.

I took a few pictures and those are below.  None of me this time.

Shirt with the medal.

Up close picture of the medal.  It is a wood medal with a ceramic piece on top.

My race bib

Timber trek - Amana, IA - Saturday, October 4, 2014

It was a super bitter cold day, like 48 degrees with a brisk wind of about 15 mph. However, even though it was cold I did have to complete this race. I have this thing that IF I register for a race then I do it unless I'm injured. Weather conditions do NOT deter me no matter what. I'm tough that way and I don't like to loose out on money that could have been spent elsewhere.  I donate plasma to get extra money and I use that extra money on races, so I register for one, I do my best to complete it.

This year Jason and I talked Kari and her husband Noah into doing the race also.  I have a bunch of pictures.

I already did a 5K that morning at one of my favorite 5K races around.  Not only did I run that first race, but I ran it super hard and set a new 5k PR, so my body was a bit tired.  Since I love this race I couldn't miss it so I had to do two races in a day!

Even though I started out tired, I did this race 8 minutes faster than last year.  Also last year I was 15th in my age group out of 29 with an average pace of 14:10.  This year I placed 6th out of 20 in my age group and had an average pace of 12:30 so I have improved a lot.

Results are HERE !  Some of the pictures are out of order and I tried to fix that, but it isn't working, so enjoy the pictures anyway out of order.


Good things about this race:
It's a Mud/obstacle race that is well thought out
It doesn't cost a ton to do like Warrior Dash
It is chip timed for a gun and chip time.
Food after the race
volunteers on the course to show you where to go.
Hard obstacles to complete so you feel like a boss when you are done.
5 miles of awesomeness.
Age group medals for 1st -3rd in each age group.
Bib for your scrapbook
Awesome looking shirt that I really like this year.
The race committee takes pictures of you on the course and doesn't charge you for them so you have memorable pictures for your scrapbooks and blogs.
They have door prizes although this year I missed them because I was getting dressed in dry clothes and they did the door prizes before the awards and last year they did them after.  Bummer for me in case I was picked.  :(
Instant results printed on a paper for your scrapbook.

Things that could be improved for next year's race:
The weather!  Ha

Jason, me, Noah, Kari before the race began.

Our race shoes.

Before the race.  Jason is being goofy.

Another silly picture.

Front of race shirt

Back of race shirt.

Our race bibs after the muddy race.

Crossing the creek.

crossing the small creek.

Stepping in the mud.  Gross, but oh so fun.

Posing for my finishing picture.

Our friends Kari and Noah post race.  Wow they are muddy!

The next day, cleaned up with our new race shirts on!

Our finishing picture.