Running and Reading Long Week 8

Almost two weeks ago I was supposed to post for my Running and Reading Long group. Well, I had to go on a trip with my husband (AGAIN!) and I totally forgot to post before I went. Then last week we had a break, I know I should have posted then but I was lazy sheesh. So here it is this week and then later on in the week you will see week 9.


I finished up Dean Karnazes Ultramarathon Man during this post session. I have to say I finished the book way before I was supposed to. I started reading it and I just couldn't put it down. And I've already passed it along to a friend. What a great book! 


During my training I was supposed to go Ultra, but with the travel and trying to find a new place to live I did the exact opposite. Well not exact, but I didn't get to run anywhere near what I would have wanted to. I run for the very first time on a track since my knee surgery in 2003 (I will discuss that later this week for this group) and I am happy with that.

For my life, I believe going Ultra is setting a goal and going for it. I think follow through is the best type of Ultra there is. And I do my best to obtain every goal I set. For that very reason I have a Running Bucket List. Do you? Here is mine: 

1. 10k – Completed 5/2012 Fiesta 10k 59:52
2. Double Bridge Run (15k) – Completed 2/4/12 1.34:23 101/179 (my age group)
3. McGuire’s 5k Prediction Run – Completed 3/10/12 35:16.09 27/1040 (for time in my age group), 4^th place for predicted time in my age group.
4. The Color Run REGISTERED
5. Tough Mudder
6. Half Marathon REGISTERED
7. Marathon Relay
8. Trail Race (any length) – Blackwater 10mi Trail Challenge 4/21/12 2.07:38 65/75overall
9. Seaside Half Marathon
10. “Run For Your Lives” 5k
11.   Run at Pensacola Beach—5/16/12 4.8mi with Dawn
12. Specific for 2012
1. Run in five or more states
2. Run a half marathon

So I challenge you! Get out there, set a goal and accomplish it!

Happy Anniversray to my husband and I! I love you Mr Miller. Happy 7th! xoxox Don't you just love my random side note :)

God Bless.

Races Recap. Halfway through 2012.

So it's July, we are half way through this year. What races have you run? I was planning the rest of my race year and it made me think about what I have run.


January: No race :(
February: Double Bridge 15k 1hr 34min 101/179 in my age group <---my longest road race so far
March: McGuire's Prediction 5k Run 35:16 5th in my age group for closest to prediction time. There were 15,000 other runners! It's the nation's largest prediction run. Meaning, you can't time yourself, you predict your time when you register and try to hit that time.
April: – Blackwater 10mi Trail Challenge  2.07:38 65/75overall <---my longest race ever
May: Darn another no race month.
June: And yet another (too much travel!). Though I did race against myself and have my own mile time trial. I did one mile at 7:55. That's my fastest post baby mile.
July: I know I won't have a race this month. Poop.


Ok, so I was on a streak but it didn't last. Shoot. Oh well. But I know I have a race planned in August. It's the Bushwacker 5k and it will be my last race while living in Pensacola. Then in September I will be running The Color Run in Richmond VA. And I'm soooo excited about this race. I have been wanting to do a Color Run for almost a year. I don't have a race for October yet but in November I will be running my very first half marathon. Yikes. Scary and exciting all at the same time. I will be running the American Family Fitness Half Marathon. That just leaves December. 


Now all I need to do is add up my miles and see how far I have gone. Thanks to Map My Run I see that so far this year I am up to 392 miles. My goal this year is 520 so I think I am well on my way to surpassing that goal. Yeah me!


Sorry my blog has been lacking, but if you haven't picked it up from this post or the last couple. We are getting ready to move. We will be moving at the end of August to Virginia. I'm looking forward to a change but I'm not looking forward to leaving my friends, my running buddies and my run routes. But I know that God has something great in store for my family and He will provide all that I need.


And now to tell you that today I am participating in a blog hop hosted by one of my fellow Sweat Pink sisters. You can find her blog here and also see some of my other Sweat Pink sisters. It's a great community and I am proud to be a Sweat Pink Ambassador.


Get out there and sweat.


God Bless.

Running & Reading Long Week 7

This week I'm going to start my Running and Reading Long post by talking about my training. I am supposed to be following the half marathon training program. But unfortunately due to the traveling we have been doing with my husband's upcoming job change some of those runs just haven't happened. I haven't been getting in the long runs like I wanted but I'm still getting in lots of miles. To supplement my training I have increased the miles on the days that I can run. For instance today, I was supposed to run 30 mins instead I ran for 51 mins which equaled out to five miles. So far I think the hardest part of the training is that I can't totally stick to the plan. I am such a planner that it's hard for me to deviate from something once it has been planned. But oh well, such is life.


I am excited to say that I have now officially registered for my goal race. It's on November 10th. So I can start the training plan over in about mid August and then hit my goal race. Which makes me feel so much better about not hitting all the runs like I should right now.


And now on to the book. We started reading Dean Karnazes' Ultra Marathon Man this week. Ok wait, we were supposed to start it. And I did, but I also finished it. It's such a good read. I just couldn't put it down. I kept wanting to know what he was going to accomplish next. Before I started reading this book all I knew about Dean Karnazes was that he was a marathoner. I didn't realize he was an Ultra marathoner. He has such a cool story about the places and races he has ran.


I would recommend this book to runner and non-runners alike. It's a very inspirational book. He isn't saying that just anyone can do it but he does prove that everything takes effort and with that effort you can accomplish goals. Big thumbs up for Dean Karnazes!


Have a great rest of the week.


God Bless.

Running and Reading Long Week 6 and LIFE.

So I'm still reading Cami Ostman's Second Wind. I have like 11% left according to my Kindle. It will get finished tonight! But I'm enjoying it more now. I noticed that I do kind of skim when she talks about her inner being where I would normally think of Christ. I make my choices just like her, so she talks about it and I skim it :)


But in this book Cami sets out and achieves her goal of running a marathon on each of the seven continents. I was asked this week in Running and Reading Long to summarize something that I saw Cami learned from each continent. But, I decided I just wanted to go with the most common theme that I picked up over the whole book. And that was PERSEVERANCE. Cami got physically sick before one race and still race, started her menstrual cycle during another and even had a trip rescheduled multiple times for another race. But she stuck it out and completed her goal. If that isn't awesome I don't know what is. For that I give her big props.


My training this week has been good. I have run a little more than was planned for the week but that's ok. And my long run will be with a good friend on Saturday morning. It's a route I have never run before but I have heard that its a good loop, so I am looking forward to it. 


I can now officially say that I have picked out my goal race for this year. My goal distance is a half marathon and it has been chosen. I will be running the American Family Fitness Half Marathon in Richmond VA in November. My husband just a new job in VA and we will be moving shortly. So I picked my race according to where we would be going. And I am also pleased to announce that I will finally get to run the Color Run. I have been dying to run the Color Run but it hasn't worked out for where we are living. Well, there is one in Richmond the week of my 28th birthday. I'm already registered alongside my husband and a friend. I'm so excited for both races. I can't wait!


Happy Miles.


God Bless.

Running and Reading Long Week 5 and National Running Day

So I'd like to start off by saying Happy National Running Day. I celebrated today but doing a mile time trial. I hadn't done one in over a year. So I did. And I ran it in 7:55, which makes that my post baby (I have a 3 yr old) PR and just five second shy of my all time college PR. YAY me! I hope you celebrated today too.


My other runs this week have been plagued with hot weather and bad leg cramps but I have pushed on. I have upped my Nuun in take and added more fruit to try and get more vitamins. And I added some Insanity workouts this week with my husband. If running doesn't make you feel out of shape, try Insanity it sure can!


For my running and reading long group we started reading Cami Ostman's Second Wind. According to my Kindle I am only 32% into this book so I can't give you an overall judgment yet but I can tell you how I feel about it so far. And so far it's not one of my favorite reads.


I do like how Cami using running as a healing time. It's her time to forget about everything and focus on her. I can say in a lot of ways that is how my runs are except that I try not to focus on myself. I try, even when I am with a friend, to spend part of the time of my run in prayer. I feel like I can focus on God and let of my mind best during a run. It doesn't always work so well when I am hurting on a run but I try. God is important to me even when my life sucks, as are my runs but they come after my family where God comes first. And I didn't really see this until I read Cami's book.


I have to say it really bothers me how Cami walked about from God, her husband, and her life. To me it's seemed selfish and wrong, but that's just my opinion and I have not walked in her shoes. I am Christian and proud to say it. I was raised by a God fearing mom. I watched a broken relationship all throughout my parents marriage and yet neither of them walked away from each other. I think if anything Cami's life made me more appreciative of the foundation I have built in Christ. And knowing that no matter what, even if my family falls apart, I will and do always have him.


God Bless.

Virtual Run

Check out this virtual run from one of my Sweat Pink Sisters. I just signed up :) 


http://www.runninglovingliving.com/2012/06/welcome-to-summer-virtual-5k10k-registration-is-open.html#

God Bless.

My impromptu lesson from Batman

My husband turned 35 this week. And to help celebrate I made him a batman cake.

This cake was nothing but problems. 

1. My cake pans are packed in storage. So I overcame but baking in a fluted pie plate and trimming the cake to be round.
2. I chose to try and make fondant this time. It was really soft and hard to work with. I think I will give it one more shot.
3. Because the fondant was so soft I couldn't do the batman logo that I wanted to do on it. So I used a button my mom had purchased and a batmobile candle. The button ended up cuter than I thought it would be.
4. I couldn't find any of my round cake boards so I had to use a rectangle one.

But even with all my problems my husband loved it :) He has a way of making me feel good even when I am not happy with the outcome. So it's not my best fondant or cake work, but I'll still show it off.

God Bless.