George Sheehan Classic (Red Bank, NJ)

This race can be summed up in four sentences. It was humid. Mother Nature won. I got a new personal worst. The end.

Okay, that sounds boring, right?

You all probably want to know the "how" right? Plus, I don't know. Maybe see some pictures of my newest Sparkle Athletic skirt? ;-)

Well, here you go. This recap won't be pretty, much like the race itself. But I tend to wear my heart on my sleeve, and am still emotional about yesterday, so this does have a lot of raw emotion. 

I went into this race with four goals:

A+: Overall PR of 34:35 or faster. With the crowding and hill in this race, it would be a long shot, but if everything was in sync, it would be possible (hence the "plus").

A: Course PR (below 35:51). I would not have an overall PR, but would beat my time from this race in 2012 and have a course PR. This was the actual goal I had going in to this race.

B: Between 35:51-36:46. This would not be any type of PR, but would not be a personal worst. 

C: Finish in the upright position with a smile on my face. Hey, sometimes this is all you need, right?

Spoiler: None of these happened. Just keep reading, okay? Sheesh! ;-)

I was nervous going into this race as is (the infamous Tower Hill), but the forecast for Saturday was making the nerves worse. Temps were forecasted into the 70's with humidity around 60-70 percent. Can we say "Ugh" now?

Anyway, I was as prepared as I could get in terms of running in the humid air and with the hill work over the last month or so. Still, even as I laid out my Flat Tracy, I was beyond nervous.

Shirt: Abundant Heart, Belt: Spibelt, Leg Sleeves: Zensah. Shoes: Asics Gel Contend 2, Shorts: Under Armour, Skirt and Shwings: Sparkle Athletic.

I had trouble sleeping on Friday night, partially nerves, partially heat. Still, I did manage some sleep, and still woke up around 6 on Saturday morning.

I did my usual pre-race meal, checked my social networks, and got dressed. Goal was to be in the car at 7:30, and I was in at about 7:26. Win!

Once I got down to Red Bank, I parked and paid for my spot up to about 11:00, since I didn't know how long I was going to be down there after the race.

After that was taken care of, I hung around the start area and tried to stay calm and loose before the race. I was also looking for Janine and her husband Brian who were also running.

Sure enough, about 20 minutes before go time, I spotted them! Or maybe they spotted me first. You know, because so many people wear red Sparkle Athletic skirts...haha. ;-) We chatted for a bit before the start, and eventually we had to part ways, since they were sub 30:00 runners, and I was hoping for about 35:00.

Oh, and I got my pre-race pic. Pretty sure this was the happiest I looked all morning.

It's almost go time! I'm ready, I'm ready! Not really, but we can pretend, right? ;-)

I was as set as I was going to get at this point. Training was done, now was the time to trust that it was enough. 

The rest of the pre-race was fast. Race director said his few words, the national anthem was sung, and then we were off! See y'all on Tower Hill, then the finish!

I started kind of far back, so it was just over a minute before I hit the start mat and my race would "officially" begin. 

Approximate position of my start. It took me 1:08 to hit the start mat.

Once I crossed the start mat, adrenaline kicked in, and I started off strong, running for about 90 seconds or so. That wound up being the longest stretch I ran for the entire race.

I attempted to stick to a 1:1 ratio (a minute running to a minute walking), but with the humidity feeling like it was climbing, this was short lived. 

My clock time for the first mile was about 12:23, so I figured I was about 11:23 or so, which was on pace for the course PR.

Then Mother Nature decided she wanted more. What I forgot about this race is that most of it is in the sun. And it sucked yesterday. It was blistering, and coupled with the humidity, felt awful. I am beyond thankful for all the Red Bank and Little Silver residents who were up cheering on us crazy people and had their hoses and sprinklers going. That support was AWESOME and part of what kept me going!

The second mile of any race has always been tough for me, but today was where it got bad. I hit the two-mile marker at about 25:20, which meant any hope of a course PR was down the toilet. The overall PR got shot at mile 1. At this point, it was just a battle to finish. 

Yeah, Mother Nature wants more than I do. Is this over yet?

Ironically, I felt strong going on to Tower Hill. It wasn't as bad as I remember it being (maybe all the hill work I did over the last month), and I actually ran up about halfway! Not perfect, but hey, it was something more than I did three years ago!

Once I got past Tower Hill, I was spent. I was still hoping for my "B" goal and not PW, but I was struggling, like many around me. I was a mess, and wanted to cry at so many points in this race, but I just kept trudging forward, running where I could, and just thought that maybe I wouldn't get a PW after all.

It wasn't meant to be. I hit Broad Street, and tried to run the whole stretch, but couldn't do it. I did stop for a pic with Jogsey (the Run Jersey mascot), and probably looked so stupid doing it, but at that point, I didn't care. I was done. I just wanted this race to be over. (Still waiting on the pic from Run Jersey and will post when I get it).

I did manage a sprint for the last few tenths, and had a clock time of 40:15, which I figured was a chip time of 39 and change. Yup, I had a brand new personal worst. Very disappointing finish to a race where my goal time was about four minutes faster. 

I'm pretty sure I looked like a flying moron in my finisher pic, but again, I didn't care. This race took everything I had, and pretty sure my "C" goal wasn't even accomplished. I finished, but the smile was fake, and I was never more happy to be done with anything in my life. 

After I crossed the finish line, I got my finisher gift (a tote bag) and headed down to the festival to get some snacks and see if Janine and Brian were still around. 

I found them and found out they both did awesome! Ten minutes ahead of me awesome! I congratulated them, hung out for a few minutes, then got a post race pic with Janine before they left. 

So awesome to meet social media pals in real life! Janine is awesome! (Thank you Janine for letting me use this pic!)

The results were being posted as fast as they could get them, so after a few minutes at the festival, I found mine. Clock time: 40:15.3. Chip time: 39:07.5 (Pace: 12:36/mile). New PW by just under three minutes. I knew the weather had a lot to do with it (damn heat and humidity), but the feeling still sucked, especially when hearing of people who actually PR'd. I had my goals set high for this race, and Mother Nature had her way with me. I know that not every race can be a PR, and that I gave everything I had, but it wasn't enough. Heat kicked in and beat my ass. I wanted to give up so many times, but I told myself that the DNF wasn't worth it. I had to remember that there was a time where I wouldn't have even tried to do this, and I had eleven times now! 

After I had walked around a bit, I went down by the Navesink River, and asked someone to take a picture of me by the water. I needed one bright spot in my day, and the picture did just that.

Seriously, every race along the water should have it as a finisher photo-op. It is GORGEOUS!

I think that the saying "Expect the unexpected" should apply to runners everywhere. You never know what race day will bring, and yesterday, it was nothing like I was hoping for. Sometimes, the course and/or Mother Nature will want more. Yesterday, they both won and then some. Still, I did finish, and that's what counts. 

Even with the conditions and everything, this race will still hurt for awhile. I think anything that ends up way less than what you hope for does in general. I'm just glad I finished and even though it wasn't fun, I think I became stronger as a result. 

So maybe I did come out on the right side after all. Whatever. I know I'm not done with this race yet. I WILL be back for my revenge on Tower Hill! Next time, for real! ;-)

May Recap and June Goal

Hi, everybody! When the hell did it get to be June? This year is just FLYING by!

Well, guess that means I should recap May, no?

Here were my goals for this month:

Here's how I did:

1) Plank-a-Day. NAILED IT! I went from struggling to rocking a 3:30 straightarm last night! Maybe the habit will stick this time? We'll see...

2) Put $1 for every workout into a saving jar. This worked for a bit, then fell to the wayside.

3) Hit 11,000+ steps twice a week. ROCKED IT! I did this every week, and there were some weeks I was over the 12,000 mark on those days! Go me!

4) Try one meatless recipe. FAIL! I didn't do as much cooking as I liked, and never got to try anything meatless. Oops...

5) Write two "non-fluff" blog posts. YES! I wrote my 5K recap and my Yankee Stadium experience. I'll call this a win!

So, I decided to hold off on the shirt as a result of not going in the direction I wanted to this month. Besides, the Rangers lost, so I wasn't getting one anyway.

I decided for June that I'm not focusing on several goals, but one big one.

POSITIVITY.

I still struggle with focusing on the good things instead of the bad, even though I have gotten better with it. So, for June, I decided to take on another round of the #30DaysofPositivity. I found it hard on some days to come up with three, especially without repeating any. I decided to take this a different way this round. I'm going to post two: one thing about myself and one bright spot in my day. I may do this as either a Textgram or a photo collage, depending on the day. Totally doable. Plus, I loved the feeling of going to bed on a happy note, so why not go for it again? Anyone coming with me? 

As for my reward: Either an Alex and Ani bracelet or a pair of Momentum Jewelry footnotes! I have ten Alex and Ani pieces as well as two Momentum bracelets. Positivity breeds positivity! 

Hope your June is awesome! I know mine will be! Fitbloggin' bound in 24 days!

First Trip to Yankee Stadium!

Confession: I love sports. Shocker, I know. ;-) If you follow me on Twitter and Instagram I make this kind of obvious, especially with the Rangers so far into the playoffs. 

So when my dad told me he won tickets to see the Yankees, you know I was excited! I haven't been a fan all that long (going on six years), so getting to go to my first game was exciting!

The game was on Tuesday night, and the Yanks were playing the Kansas City Royals, to whom they gave a home run clinic to the day before.

Since my dad won the tickets just the week before, they would be held for us at the stadium. My only hope was that they weren't bleacher seats. I know, I shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth, but a girl can hope, right?

Well, we didn't get bleacher seats. We were actually one level up from the field, in section 210!

After we picked up the tickets, it was a wait in line to get through security and get into the stadium. That took a few minutes, and went through no problems (well, minus my collection of Alex and Ani bangles...haha). Once that was done, we were FINALLY in the stadium!

Hello, House That George Built!

Of course, anyone who goes to Yankee Stadium MUST make Monument Park part of the trip! They open it with the gates and keep it open up to 45 minutes before the first pitch.

Yankees who played before I knew what baseball was.

Well, it was a very short walk through, and sadly, the Bernie Williams monument wasn't up yet. I wasn't surprised, since his ceremony was on Sunday night, but it would have been cool to see it up close!

I did get a picture next to Mariano Rivera's monument though, since he was one of my favs and only the all-time greatest closer ever. Of course, I was directly in the sun, and my eyes were pretty much squinted shut here. Sunglasses next time! 

Gotta go to Mo! ;-)

Once my dad and I were done in Monument Park, we made our way to our seats. The view was awesome! Not too bad for giveaway seats, huh? ;-)

Gorgeous view! 

First pitch was a little after 7, but before the game, there was a ceremony for a member of the Wounded Warrior Project who walked from George Steinbrener Field (Yankees Spring Training base) in Tampa to the Stadium in the Bronx to raise money for the cause. So awesome to be there for that moment. Kind of wish I had pictures, but I just wanted to soak it in, so the phone and iPod stayed put.

After that ceremony, the National Anthem was sung by a local choir, the first pitch was thrown, and then it was game time!

In between innings, I splurged and got some cookies and cream Dippin' Dots. I try not to eat sweets during the week, but my first trip to the Stadium is a special occasion, right? ;-)

Dippin' Dots are AWESOME!

The game itself went very fast, and the Yankees won 5-1. Not the home run derby from the previous day, but still a good game. My phone and my iPod both died (Lesson-Invest in a portable charger!), so I just soaked in the experience and enjoyed it all. 

You know nothing is complete without a selfie, so I got the perfect one before the game ended.

Now my first trip to the Stadium is official. ;-)

Oh, and of course I had to add a Yankee Stadium bracelet to my Alex and Ani collection! 

#CharmedArm at the Stadium with my newest bangle!

After the game, my dad and I made it back to Manhattan and waited outside Penn Station and watched the Rangers on the Jumbotron outside Madison Square Garden with at least three dozen other people. (They won on Tuesday, but sadly lost last night.)

Eventually, we got on the train to come home, and my awesome night was over. Hope to get to more games in the future! Yankee Stadium is totally awesome!

Have you been to any sporting venues? Which is your favorite or "Must Go To?" Besides the Stadium, I love Madison Square Garden, and have several "bucket list" baseball stadiums and college arenas!

2015 Spring Into Summer 5K (Middletown, NJ)

This post should really be titled "That Time I Came Within 5 Seconds of a PR in the Pouring Rain."

All week long, I was stressing about this race. Not just the race itself (the usual nerves), but the weather as well. I was incredibly lucky and had sunshine for all of my previous races. Granted, some had another less than ideal element thrown in (either heat or wind), but at least the sun was out. There was rain in the forecast on Saturday morning, but I kept hoping it would hold out until after I crossed the finish line.

As you can see from my outfit, I was NOT planning for rain at all. I mean, how was I supposed to sparkle in the rain? Priorities, people! ;-)

I woke up to sun on Saturday morning. Some clouds, but there was sun! My hopes were high for a clear race!

I got to the race site a little later than last year, but nerves were still high. Again, partially due to the weather, partially the usual race stuff.

This year seemed to go a little faster than last before the 5K start. The one mile race was first, and that's always one of the awesome parts of this event. Lots of kids running and they are always so cute to watch! 

In between the mile and 5K, I had to get a picture of how my outfit came together! I LOVE how it came out, even more than last year's!

It was a big hit with so many of the other runners! The skirt and the wings got the most compliments (Thank you, Team Sparkle!), although the tape and sleeves were close. Hey, I figured "Go big or go home," right? ;-)

Anyway, after pictures, it was time to line up at the start. This race is awesome in that there's a mat at the start, which means that your "official" 5K time doesn't start until you cross that mat. This is meant to avoid the chaos of scrambling for spots in the front, and for a mid-pack runner like me, this is HUGE! This is one of the main reasons I love this race and keep coming back!

'

The rainbow flag on the right is where the start mat is. I was quite a ways back, but again, I was fine with that due to the mat in the first place.

Moments later, the whistle was blown, and we were off! #10 was underway!

I felt like it took me less time to cross the start mat than in the past, and I later found out that it did. It only took me about 25 seconds, and I was walking up to it. Uh, okay? 

One I crossed the mat, I started running, and actually ran for about three minutes! Not at a crazy pace, but enough to build my confidence. Maybe this would be my day after all. There was the usual weaving due to crowds, but I kept my rhythm going, and knew that as the faster runners broke away, the crowds would thin.

After the first few minutes, I realized my app and my watch were not in sync, and at that point, decided to shut off my phone's picture but kept my music going. I had my Polar going, so that would give me a general idea of my time as I crossed the mile markers.

About 10 minutes into the race, when I was around 0.9 of a mile in, the rain came. It came fast and hard. It felt good, but at the same time, it was so annoying! I decided that I would keep my 1:1 running/walking ratio going as long as I could, and still hope that I could PR.

I hit the first mile just short of 11:00, which was PERFECT! I have a tendency to go out WAY too fast and hit my first mile closer to 10:20-10:30, so those extra few seconds made a huge difference! I was feeling good and kept my pace going despite the rain.

Every year, the second mile is always the most mentally challenging, and this year was no exception. In fact, it might have been WORSE because of Mother Nature.

Despite the rain, the crowds were as great as they were in previous years! In fact, there was one guy crazy enough to stand in the rain wearing a Rangers jersey and cap (they won yesterday...lol), and I was crazy enough to yell "Go Rangers!" as I ran past him. Did I look like an idiot? Probably. Then again, what are the chances of me seeing him again anyway?

After that point, I had found a strong groove, and finally hit the second mile at about 22:00. I was at 11:00 miles and was feeling awesome! I was still believing that I could PR, but this third mile would make or break it.

I was doing awesome throughout the third mile, and was strong heading into the final half mile on the high school track, despite being soaked from head to toe.

Then I hit the track and started to feel slipping, so this was where I decided that the PR was not worth it at this point. I walked a little bit, then had a full out sprint and jump across the finish line! #10 was done!

I didn't pay much attention to my EXACT clock time, but I knew it was around 35:00. At this point, I thought I had a PR, but couldn't tell since I had no exact idea of my pace at all.

After crossing the finish, stopping my app and music, and walking a bit to recover, I grabbed a water and a half banana while I waited for the official results. At that point, that was about all I could stomach. This race has a BBQ after, and to this day, the thought of hamburgers and hot dogs at 9:00 in the morning after running a 5K still makes me queasy. 

I walked around some more, both to loosen up and dry out. I was soaked, and forgot to bring a spare set of clothes. Live and learn, I guess?

After a few minutes, the official results were in. My clock time was 35:05.9, with a chip time of 34:40.8, five seconds off of a PR. So close, yet so far. At first, I had the "Really?!" reaction, but then realized that conditions played a big part into it, especially with having to slow down at the end. Still, I was super happy with that time! I felt super consistent with my pace, which has NEVER happened before! Also, I proved to myself that I had it in me to do it again! 

I told myself that if I was this strong in the rain, imagine what I could do if it was clear out! I let myself have that moment, then moved on. There is no way of knowing, and I just had to live with the race that happened.

There is a reason runners train in just about anything, and yesterday was proof that it is a must. You never know what race day will bring, and need to be prepared. For me, this includes bringing spare clothes and a towel for after the race.

Overall, this is one of my favorite races, and you can bet I WILL be back in 2016!

April Recap and May Goals

Happy Saturday, everyone! I'm currently watching the Rangers and they came to play today! Let's just say I'm glad I got my workout in early!

While I'm watching the game, I decided to post this little recap of last month and what I'm working on for this one!

Here's a refresher on my April goals:

Here's how I did:

1) Write and post three daily positives about myself. NAILED IT! I seriously can't thank Dani enough for starting the #30daysofpositivity! (Seriously, I don't know where I would be without her!) Some days were tougher than others, but I managed to end each day with my three. I think that this will stick, even if I end up knocking it down to one or two.

2) Complete a 30 Day Ab Challenge. NAILED THIS TOO! It was tough toward the end (200 crunches and 125 sit-ups on day 30), but I did it! I feel stronger, and this led to one of my May goals!

3) Limit my coffee out to three days a week. Yes and no on this one. There was one week where I had coffee out four days, but two of them were freebies. I feel like I did pretty good with this!

4) Back to Treat-End ONLY. I did really good with this too. I did cheat twice (once with a bite of brownie and on Thursday with free Carvel), but I feel like I can maintain this. Will I beat myself up over one slip-up? No, but I won't use that as an excuse to go hog-wild either.

5) Try one new recipe. I made the Hungry Girl Cobb Burger, but put my own twist on it. It came out so good! Plus, it shows I don't need bread with my burgers all the time!

I feel like I had a really good April! I made huge strides in my mental confidence, and proved that I am stronger than I think! I'll be buying myself some music pretty soon!

As for what I'm working on in May, here you go:

1) Plank-A-Day. I REALLY need to get back into this. I did a plank every day in April as part of my ab challenge, so it's just about keeping it up and changing the planks themselves!

2) Put $1 for every workout into a savings jar. I've seen this on Pinterest, and decided to give it a shot. It's a different approach to savings, and I work out enough, so why not? I'm up to $3 in two days!

3) Hit 11,000+ steps twice a week. Okay, we all know I can hit 10,000 with the best of them! I just want to up the game and move a little more!

4) Try one meatless recipe. I don't eat meatless often enough. Plus, I would love to make something different!

5) Write two "non-fluff" blog posts. I've been in and out with my blogging lately, and most of it is "fluff" (Friend Makin' Mondays, Currently, etc.). Two posts that actually have thought should be easy enough.

My reward for this month will be some sort of sports T-shirt. I still haven't decided which one. All I know is it won't be a Rangers related shirt since they're still playing at this point.

Here's to an awesome May!

What are you working on this month? What would you like to see on this blog?

20 Random Facts About Me!

Hi, all! Spring has finally arrived to the Jersey Shore! Beautiful weather means more outdoor running and trees starting to bloom! Yippee!

Today is a rest day for me though, and after seeing my friend Carlee's "20 Facts About Me" post on her blog, I decided to do one of my own!

1) I have one sister, who is five years younger than me, with a (almost) two year old son. 

2) I can't whistle.

3) I've been a New York Rangers fan for three years. Started with the 2012 playoffs and I've been sucked in since. Not too hard when your parents have been fans for decades.

4) I have four pillows on my bed, but I only sleep with two. 

5) I hated coffee until I was almost out of college, and now I can't live without the stuff.

6) I have spent six years living healthy through eating good food and exercising (four and a half losing weight, and one and a half maintaining).

7) My birthday is on August 7 (8/7...me being a number dork...haha).

8) I actually enjoy cooking.

9) I own nine Alex and Ani bracelets. My first was the compass and my most recent was the teddy bear.

10) I have ran nine 5K's and will be going for my tenth on May 16.

11) I don't share peanut butter too well.

12) My favorite ice cream flavor is vanilla.

13) I own 37 Sparkly Soul headbands. I'm not obsessed or anything. ;-)

14) I've seen every Pixar movie at least once, with my favorite being Brave.

15) I have been a college basketball fan for 15 years, with UConn being my main team. I also like Duke on the men's side and Oklahoma and Maryland on the women's. 

16) I love most types of music, with my current favorite being alternative, especially Coldplay and Bastille.

17) My favorite workout is spinning.

18) I know pretty much every line to the movie Independence Day. 

19) I don't sleep past 7:00 in the morning very often. 

20) I've only had two jobs in my life, working nine years at the first and recently hit three with the second. 

What is one fact about YOU?

March Recap and April Goals

Hello, world! I can't believe tomorrow's April already and Saturday starts Final Four weekend! Who do you all have winning? I'm rooting for Duke on the men's side and my beloved UConn on the women's. Looking forward to an awesome weekend of basketball!

Anyway, since tomorrow starts a new month, I guess I should recap this one, huh? ;-) Here was what I wanted to do in March:

Here's how I did:

1) Meal plan one week. Planning took some work, but I did make a plan. Execution was about 75%. Not the greatest, but better than nothing. I may give this another shot in the future. Baby steps, right?

2) Register for two 5K's. Half accomplished. I signed up for one (Spring Into Summer on May 16). My race schedule is planned though, and after my next paycheck, I plan on signing up for others.

3) Hit 10,000 steps 25 days. NAILED IT! I hit my 25th day last night, and it's looking like I'll hit 26 today! Woo hoo! I think I may strive for this every month now. It's not hard if you think about it...or have a job on your feet eight hours a day...haha. ;-)

4) Drink 100 ounces of water daily. I made it 15 days, then started to realize that 100 ounces is simply too much for my body. After some calculating, I figured about 70-80 will suit me fine. I stuck with that and it works.

5) Complete a squat challenge. I made it about 20 days. Still, in that time, I felt a difference! This is something that I may try again as well. Just not in April.

So, since this month was not the greatest, I'm not buying the shirt I planned on. I did get two Sparkly Soul headbands to help support my friend Dani's Boston Marathon fundraising efforts, and taking that as the reward for what I did, plus discovering what worked for me too.

I already have a fresh set of goals which I started working on. Here they are:

1) Write and post three daily positives about myself. I'm a perfectionist who is working on being less perfect. I tend to dwell on the negative and focus less on the positive. Hoping to turn that around in April. Thanks to Dani for giving me the idea!

2) Complete a 30 Day Ab Challenge. The squats may not have worked, but the abs are worth a shot! I found this challenge on Pinterest, and it's from 30 Day Fitness Challenges. It looks realistic but challenging. Bring it on! 

3) Limit my coffee out to three days a week. I was good with this for a bit, then Rook Coffee opened up about 10 minutes away from me. In fact, I went there twice in one weekend. My wallet hates me. All that money does add up. Knocking it back down to three trips a week will allow me a treat while still saving some money. I do have a Mr. Coffee with K-Cups, so I can still get my Dunkin fix at home for a fraction of the cost. My wallet will thank me. ;-)

4) Back to Treat-End ONLY. Maybe it will stick this time! I do good with it, then I break down. Hello, Free Ice Cream Day was on March 16! Anyway, back to limiting sweets and alcohol to Friday-Sunday. I'm extending this to include any sweetened drinks like lattes and smoothies at work, but not chocolate milk. Hey, it's a better recovery drink than Gatorade!

5) Try one new recipe. Just looking to make something new! Skinnytaste and Runner's World have a ton of yummy looking options! 

My reward will be $15 in music downloads! I'm always looking for new music and this will be an awesome treat!

Well, that's how March went down and how I plan on buckling down and rebuilding me in April!

How about you? Do you have anything planned to make April awesome?

Friend Makin' Mondays: Food

Hi, everyone! Another Monday, another day it's still too cold here. I want it to be spring for real! =(

Anyway, I have some downtime, and decided to do a Friend Makin' Monday post, especially after I saw this week's topic: food!

For those who don't know what Friend Makin' Monday is, Sara over at Sara Runs This Weigh posts a different theme every week, with questions corresponding. You answer the questions (either on your own blog or in the comments), and link up to others!

Here are this week's set of questions:


Food

1. What is your favorite food dish?

Baby back ribs with fries. I limit it to once a year (usually my birthday).

2. What is your favorite food type (Italian, Mexican, etc)?

Barbeque/steakhouse type stuff

3. What is your favorite snack?

Luna and KIND bars, smoothies, or yogurt

4. What do you usually eat for breakfast?

Either Van's waffles and a tablespoon of PB or old-fashioned oatmeal topped with walnuts and cinnamon.

5. Do you eat your veggies?  What are your favorites?

I love carrots and steamed broccoli.

6. What is your favorite junk food/guilty pleasure?

Fro-yo and Italian ice, especially since all the Italian ice places are open for the season.

7. Do you cook most/all of your own food?

I do most of my own cooking for breakfast and dinner. Lunch during the week is usually food from work and I do get something out on the weekend.

8. Are you vegetarian or vegan?  If not, have you ever considered or tried it?

No way. I love my chicken and turkey too much.

9. If you eat meat, do you eat red meat, and if you do, how do you like it cooked?

Steak is usually my go-to in restaurants, and I love making my own burgers. Always well done. I hate seeing any pink in my meat.

 

10. Is there a food or a dish that you have always wanted to try and is there a reason you haven’t tried it yet?

I've been wanting to make cookies from the Runner's World Cookbook. Only constraint is time. I can never block off enough time to bake and do everything else I want to do. =/

MIA, Some Reassessing, and Other Ramblings

This post may go off as a bit ramblish as the title hints to. You've been warned. ;-)

Happy Saturday and Happy First Full Day of Spring! Although the weather here in Jersey says otherwise. Snow is still on the ground here from last night. I mean, REALLY?! Okay, who pissed off Elsa?!

Anyway, I haven't been blogging as much lately as I've been doing some soul searching and reassessing a few things.

Work has been crazy lately. Then again, in food service, it is more often than it's not. However, we're going audit crazy and I feel like one little mistake, and poof. All the hard work is down the tubes. I know, it's not all about one person, but the team as a whole. However, I'm one of the higher ranked employees, and feel like there's more pressure on me because of that. Eh, it'll be over soon enough. One of these days I'll learn.

One of my monthly goals was to drink 100 ounces of water a day. I made it 15 days before I realized that I was feeling the effects of that much water. In a nutshell, it was too much for my body. So, I looked up how much to drink, and figured out that I should be at about 72 ounces (half of my body weight), and decided to ballpark between 70-80. I've been doing this since earlier in the week and I'm feeling much better. Plus, it allows me to drink an iced tea once in awhile too. =)

Over the last few weeks or so, I've realized that I'm a perfectionist who will never be perfect and needs to stop trying to be. I don't have a size 2 body and probably never will. I love cookies and French fries. I can't whistle. I will never be the fastest runner in a 5K. Okay, enough self-pity. You get the idea. ;-) Point is that I may be just average on the surface, and far from perfect, but I can be the best ME I can, and that will be just fine. Whoever doesn't like it, it's their loss. Time to let it go and be happy with the me I am!

Okay, enough with the blah-blahs here. Time for some fun updates!

First, if you haven't noticed on the sidebar, I'm going to Fitbloggin' this year! I bought the ticket last week, and am so excited! It'll be my first since 2012, and can't wait to see everyone! Just waiting on the extra money (taking an extra week's pay instead of a second week off work), and I can get my flights booked! I can't wait!

Second, I signed up for my TENTH 5K! It's going down on May 16 at my fourth straight Spring Into Summer! This course is one of my favorites, and it's big but not overwhelmingly huge. Something else I can't wait for!

Third, I went bracket-free for March Madness this year and it's making watching the tournament more fun! Okay, maybe if UConn was in it, it would be, but still, I'm enjoying watching basketball just to enjoy it! See, this whole letting go thing is working already! ;-)

Whew! I think I said everything I wanted to in this post! Here's to a Happy Spring to you all!

Friend Makin' Mondays: Hobbies

Happy Monday, everyone! It's gorgeous here in Jersey! Temps in the 40's and 50's and the sun is shining! Best part is that I have spin tonight!

Anyway, I had some downtime, and haven't done a Friend Makin' Monday post in what feels like FOREVER, so I decided to do one today!

Here’s how it works: You copy the questions, answer them and post them to your own blog.  Then you go to Sara's blog at Sara Runs This Weigh, and in the comments, post the link to your blog post with your answers to this week’s questions.  If you don’t have a blog of your own, just post your answers in the comments.

Hobbies!
 

1. What do you do for fun?

Work out, watch sports on TV, read, and shop

2. What do you do to relax?

Write blog posts, run, bake, and watch TV (currently obsessed with Madam Secretary)
 

3. What do you do to waste time?

Spend too much time on the Internet!

4. What hobbies do you have that you do regularly?

Working out and blogging

5. Is your hobby something that could make you money? 

Not unless I get sponsored posts through Fitfluential or FitApproach.

6. Do you make money from your hobby?  Or would you like to?

I currently don't. If I get sponsored post opportunities with money and product compensation, then all the better. As for the working out, I would eventually like to become a personal trainer or group fitness instructor, but I am still thinking that through at this point.

7. Do friends or family make fun of your hobby?

No, they kind of just let me be.

8. Is your hobby expensive, moderate, or free to support?

Working out is a bit pricey, since I have a gym membership and need to get new gear every so often, but the money is worth it since I love it and keeps me healthy! Blogging is free, since I don't self-host.

9. How did you first get started with your hobby?

I started with the fitness five and a half years ago, when I was overweight and wanted to change my life. I've gone to loving working out, and actually get excited to do it (most of the time...haha). Blogging started shortly after as a way to document my progress.

10. Is your hobby something that you can do with other people?  If so, do you?

I take group classes at my gym, but do my own thing too. As for blogging, I currently don't, but if anyone is interested in a guest post, let me know! =)

February Recap and March Goals

Or, as I should say "How February Sucked and Here's How I Plan to Make March Better."

You read that right. My February was an epic fail.

First off, EVERYONE in my house was sick! Started with my mom, then I wound up with a bad cold, followed by my sister's husband and my nephew with bronchitis and/or pneumonia, and finally, my dad was in the hospital last week with double pneumonia. How he pulled that one off, I can't say. Anyway, everyone is at least starting to feel better, and we're back to being as normal as things get here.

Second, the weather was awful. I know, I live in the Northeast and we can't have sunshine, 70+ degrees, and rainbows all year, but it just seemed to be a case of "Snow, snow, and a little more snow." Not as bad as New England, but it was enough to make everyone miserable. Spring is coming though! Rita's opens tomorrow, and the Yankees start training games on Tuesday! See, there is a light at the end of the tunnel! ;-)

Well, being sick and crappy weather put a damper on my February goals. Meh. Here's what I set out to accomplish on February 1:

Here's what actually happened:

1) Six days a week of at least 10,000 steps. FAIL! The one sick week I had sent this one down the toilet. I think I got 10,000 about 15 days. Well, at least it's something.

2) Meal prep one week. Another bust. I could have this earlier in the month. Did I? Nope. No one to blame here but me.

3) Three days a week of core work. Hit and miss here. I got it in two weeks of the four. Still trying to get back into a routine here.

4) Comment on five or more blog posts a week. Something I actually accomplished! This was the easiest thing to do, and it helped me enjoy reading blogs more! I think I'll stick with this!

5) Create a new weight training routine. Yes and no. I found some new workouts (Thank you, Pinterest), but haven't gotten a chance to do them. Eh, there's always next month.

So, needless to say, there will be no new workout skort for me. Oh well. Life happens.

Tomorrow's March 1, and that means a new set of goals to crush! Here's what I came up with for the month:

1) Meal plan one week. I didn't do this in February, so I'm going to make it happen in March! I may not get to prep food, but of I have a set menu, I'm at least going in the right direction.

2) Hit 10,000 steps 25 days. With 31 days in March, this is realistic! It allows me to have a few "off" days while making sure I stay moving most of the month!

3) Register for two 5K's. Spring is coming, people! With that means running season is almost here! Races will be popping up and I want to have at least two to work toward this season. I already have a few in mind, but I'm not telling until I register!

4) Drink 100 ounces of water daily. This needs to happen again! I've been slacking, and I feel it! Breaking out Plant Nanny again and tracking every drop. On a positive, I have been consistent with drinking 16 ounces before I drink coffee in the morning!

5) Complete a squat challenge. Just looking for something different to challenge myself. I found PopSugar's squat circuit challenge on Pinterest, and I think that's the one I'm going with. It has four different types of squats, a reasonable number of reps, plus rest days!

Okay, since I'm going to make this month rock, I guess I should get something, right? ;-) I decided on a "Run Far Girl" shirt. I've seen a few of the pieces and I love them all. Something new to wear for a race or in the gym? I'm going to make one mine this month!

Follow me on Twitter and Instagram (@Tradledee85 on both) to see how I'm doing this month! If you don't see something, say something! I'm open to tough love!

How do you plan on making March rock?

January Recap and February Goals

Happy February! Hope this month finds us less snow! For those in the Midwest and New England, I hope Winter Storm Linus isn't too harsh on y'all.

I set some goals in January. In case you missed them, here they are:

Here's how I did:

1) Go one social media free day a week. REALLY good with this. I did have one week where I was online every day (Damn you, Juno!), but I did find that going offline was nice. I might be taking an "offline" day every once in awhile now.

2) Place $40 into savings. Nailed it! $20 each paycheck, and I have an extra $40 saved up! It's nice to see that money grow. Not sure what I want to use it for, but it will be worth it!

3) Read one book. I am in the process of finishing Pat Conroy's My Losing Season. If you're a sports fan, especially basketball, check it out. It's Conroy's memoir with an emphasis on The Citadel men's basketball team's 1967-1968 season. So worth a read.

4) Try one new-to-me workout. Check! I tried a workout from the Nike Training Club app called "Perfect Score." From my initial look at it, I was expecting a strength training workout with a little bit of core work. What did I get? A core-heavy workout with a little bit of strength training. Still a good workout and something I would do again.

5) Bake something healthy AND from scratch. Did it! I baked Skinnytaste's Double Chocolate Walnut cookies! They weren't the softest ever, but they still didn't taste too bad! I call that a win!

As you can see, I wasn't perfect, but I still did awesome! I did order myself a Momentum bracelet yesterday, and even got it customized! You'll have to keep an eye on my socials to see the final product! ;-)

Well, since January's over, I guess I have to get some new goals for February, right?

Of course I do! Here they are:

1) Six days a week of at least 10,000 steps. I got a Fitbit on January 2, and hit 10,000 or more 20 days last month. Just looking to up the game!

2) Meal prep one week. This needs to happen big time. I slack on the planning and sometimes end up making not-so-good choices. I decided to plan my meals one week this month and see what happens. I might end up doing it more!

3) Three days a week of core work. Core work has been slacking. I found a few workouts on Pinterest to supplement my Core classes. A little planning, and this should rock!

4) Comment on five or more blog posts a week. I do a lot of reading, but not so much commenting. I want to change that this month. Hello, interaction!

5) Make a new weight training routine. I'm in a rut with my solo weight training. Just looking to change a few things to do when I'm on my own. Again, Pinterest will come in handy here!

As for a reward? New workout skort! I want something cute to wear in the gym for Power classes or solo workouts. Because, let's face it, capris get boring. ;-)

What about you? What are you planning on working on in February?

Friend Making Mondays: Looking Forward to 2015

Hey, everyone! I haven't done a Friend Makin' Monday post in FOREVER, and I just wanted to post something a little on the light side!

Here’s how it works: you copy the questions, answer them and post them to your own blog.  Then you go to Sara's blog, and in the comments, post the link to your blog post with your answers to this week’s questions.  If you don’t have a blog of your own, just post your answers in the comments.

1) What are you most looking forward to this year?
I'm hoping to continue to rock it out on the 5K courses! I'll be racing one or two for the first time, and repeat a few others. Also a week off in June!

2) Do you have any vacations planned this year? What and where?
I have my sights set on Denver for Fitbloggin in June! I had to miss the last two, so I really want to make this year happen!

3) Do you have any plans with your job or career?
None at this time.

4) Are there any major purchases you plan to make this year?
Possibly a Garmin! I have to wait until after income taxes come in and see how it works out for Denver, but time will tell.

5) Are there any festivals you attend every year? Are there any festivals you plan to attend for the first time this year?
Street fairs in my town are common in the spring and summer. Not planning anything new though.

6) Are you going to attend any concerts or performances (musical, ballet, orchestra)?
Not sure right now. I would rather spend my money on sporting events. Those who follow me on Twitter know sports are more my thing. ;-)

7) Do you keep a day planner? If you do, what kind of things do you put in it?
Uh...I need to work on this.
8) Are you a reader? If so, do you have any reading goals for the year?
I love to read, and just want to read a few books this year. Currently working on Pat Conroy's basketball memoir My Losing Season. Hoping to find some of the Rizzoli and Isles novels next! (I'm a fan of the show!)

9) Is there a hobby that you've always wanted to do and plan to take up this year?
I don't plan to take up anything new, but would love to start vidding again! I was a decent one a few years ago, but have lost time and inspiration to make stuff!

10) Do you have any big anniversaries or birthdays or other notables coming up this year?
My 30th birthday is on August 7 and September 28 will mark two years since I hit goal weight!

December Recap and January Goals!

Happy New Year, everyone! I hope 2015 brings you all nothing but the best! I didn't party last night, woke up feeling great, and went to the mall! Nice day of leisure, no? ;-)

Anyway, 2014 ended not so well for me. Remember those goals I set last month? 

Well, they didn't go too well. Here's the full recap:

1) Two days of strength training a week. Okay, I did great with this. I got my Power classes in every week. I added a mix of my own workouts as well as Active classes (mixed cardio and weights in one hour) to get the two in. 

2) Unplug for 30 minutes nightly before bed. Eh, I got about 20 of 31 days. Not great, but not terrible either. I'll take it.

3) Try two new recipes. I tried one, which was a quinoa enchilada bake. If I made more of an effort, I would have done another. Oops...

4) Read one book. FAIL! I started True Compass (Ted Kennedy's memoir), but only got about four chapters in. Ugh. I should have nailed this one. Meh.

5) Celebrate daily victories, no matter how small. Not perfect with this either, but I tried to look at the positive in each day. Every little bit helps, right?

As you can tell, the month was kind of a wash. So no bracelet for me. It was my own fault. I let life happen. Oh well. Lesson learned.

I took some time to refocus and set a new set of goals for January. Here they are:

1) One social media free day a week. I actually did this as part of the Skinny Snowman challenge and it made me realize how much time I waste online. So I'm taking one day a week off the grid. It does a mind and body good. 

2) Place $40 into savings. I haven't saved any money in two months. Those damn holidays. So, I decided to change that this month!

3) Read one book. Let's try this again! I think I'm going with something a bit shorter though. Pat Conroy's My Losing Season looks good. I mean, it's a basketball memoir, after all!

4) Try one new-to-me workout. I'm in a bit of a workout rut. I love my spin classes and all, but just want to try something new! Suggestions are welcome (other than Crossfit-no access to it here)!

5) Bake something healthy AND from scratch. Confession: I've never baked from scratch. Or anything healthy. I have a ton of recipies between Hungry Girl and Skinnytaste, so there's lots to work with!

Since I didn't earn the bracelet in December, I'm trying for it again in January! New year, new month, and new focus! I'm going to make this month awesome!

How are you planning to make this month and start of 2015 awesome?