2014 in a picture nutshell

Have a safe, healthy, and FUN 2015!

Calling All Spartans! See What's New! Also...Free Race Entry!!!

Newbies and veterans! There's hot news coming from Reebok's Spartan Race! The events in 2015 are bigger, better and STRONGER than ever.

First, we have the improved 2015 Annual Pass! Get down and dirty all year with some AMAZING perks!!!

Second, founder of the Spartan Race, Joe Desena, author of "Spartan Up!" is hosting his own podcast starting NEXT WEEK! It's free for all so there's nothing to lose. That is, unless you don't sign up! Then you would be missing valuable tips for your own training and interviews with top athletes. Perfect for the long run! :)

Sign up for the FREE podcast here! I have!

Third, we have the Spartan Cruise which will take its maiden voyage in March 2015. Take an early vacation this year and get muddy with fellow Spartans.

Last, but certainly not least, the Spartan 2015 World Championship is moving to Lake Tahoe this year!

Oh, but before you go, I have something just for you! A CONTEST! Who doesn't like free stuff!? When you comment on this entry, you will be entered to win a free entry to any Spartan Race in the continental US. Just answer the following: Name your top goal for 2015! A winner will be chosen at random when I return from my honeymoon on January 17th!

You may also use the promo code SPARTANBLOGGER to receive 10% off a race of your choosing!

Let's Get Post-Holiday Healthy!

It's time to revamp our eating habits! Sure, it's not January 1st quite yet, but why not get a head start?!

I am going at it full force! For the last few weeks, I have put my body through torture. The large portions of holiday ham and the inhalation of sugary snacks are now showing their true colors. My face is breaking out, my belly is bloating beyond comfort, and I am downright irritable. I need to make a change and I need to make it now!

I began to change my habits last night. I was feeling so miserable that I decided to start my healthy eating for my evening snack (I will not wait until the next day if I am truly feeling horrible). I blended up some of Arbonne's Vanilla Protein Powder, Fiber Boost, almond milk, ice, and lots and lots of spinach! My body has been without fresh veggies for far too long so I added a couple of handfuls of it.

Despite the shake being so cold, I nearly chugged it since it tasted so good! I think my body was just happy to be reintroduced to greens again!

I also gave myself a facial since my face has suffered from this unhealthy eating. The breakouts have not been kind, so I wanted to give my face a fresh start as well. I have decided I would also abstain from makeup for a few days until things got back on track.

This morning, I actually got up and STAYED up (this never happens) to do a yoga workout. Typically, I will get up at 6, put on my makeup, eat breakfast and then go back to bed until 7. I know. It's so weird. Anyway, I am no master yogi and am not sure if doing yoga will help with my detox, but starting my morning out with stretches and breathing exercises can't hurt!

As soon as I finished the 30 minute session, I drank a liter of water at room temperature to get the digestive track working.

Not what I had today, but this is what I chug every morning.

I actually do this on a daily basis but thought I would mention it to those that may also be considering a "detox." Introducing water to your body first thing in the morning helps wake up your digestive system and move out what's been sitting over night.

After that, I decided to try oil pulling. I found an article on it when I googled "detox methods" last night. Oil pulling is when you take a tablespoon of coconut oil and gently swish it in your mouth for about 15-20 minutes.

You do this before you eat for the day. After the time has passed, you spit out the oil in the trash. This method is used to remove toxins from your mouth and body. I figured if it can remove harsh toxins from my mouth, maybe it will get rid of some of the sugar cravings I have had!

At work, I spent the majority of the day stuffing down fruits and veggies. I indulged in a banana for a morning snack. For lunch, I enjoyed green beans and a salad. The salad was packed with spinach, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, onions, peppers, sugar snap peas, almonds, and cheese. It was nearly too much, but I forced it down knowing that this was necessary! For an afternoon snack, I had an apple. I had plenty of water and herbal tea in between to help flush out any other lingering toxins.

For dinner, I came home to calico bean soup with shredded chicken. It was slow cooking in the crock pot while Peter and I were working.

I was day-dreaming about it all day and it did not disappoint!! It was super good and will definitely return to dinner for an encore! What's even better? We have leftovers for days!!!

I don't know what snack I will end my day with. In all honesty, I am having a hardcore sugar craving, but hope that I can find a healthy option that will satisfy my taste buds. I feel better already from eating pretty decently today!

What do you do to get your eating habits back in order after the holidays?

Vlog! The 20 Miler

Yesterday, I thought I would change things up and do a vlog for my long run! Enjoy!!!

Have you ever set out on a long run without any plan and ended up running way more than you anticipated?

Have you ever went on a long run without water or food? How did you do?

On the Trail to my First Ultra-Marathon: Research

Over the course of the next 328 days, I will be focused on prepping myself for my first ultra-marathon, the JFK 50. Unlike my first personal marathon attempt, I want this event to go smoothly (which it won't because we all know how that goes). The most I can do is properly prepare myself physically and mentally. Prior to my physical training, I am researching every aspect I can about ultra-marathons, trail running, and the JFK 50 race itself.

I have started with reading the book. It provides me with a training schedule that lasts 24 weeks (I would begin training literally 1 week after my marathon...how's that for timing?) and advice on gear, weather conditions, burnout, over-training, cross-training, and so much more! I am also looking into trail running books/guides. You may have heard me in the past talking about "hitting the trail," but don't be mistaken. That "trail" is the C&O Canal.

 It is flat and does not have any jagged rocks or tree roots like the AT does. Yes, I have still managed to trip and severely rip open my knee on this generally flat path, but that's beside the point. The Appalachian Trail (AT) is 100x more technical.

Thanks, Competitor.

I have already started researching the race itself. I am very familiar with the C&O Canal portion of this race, as I run on it at least 2 times a week during the winter months and nearly 5 times a week during the summer.

 I also have run portions of the last 8 miles which are on pavement. The only section of the JFK 50 I have not yet trekked is the AT. I have read several race reports and have watched many YouTube videos from runners who have participated in past races to familiarize myself with what is coming my way (my favorites: JFK 2012 & JFK 50 2013). However, most of the bloggers I am running into are seasoned trail runners, some of which have scoffed at the walkers that could not handle the rocks hidden underneath the fall leaves. Others have detailed their injuries or have witnessed others get severely beat up by falling. To say the least, I got little sleep last night as I visualized myself tip toeing through the rocks that could send me to the hospital.

I've still managed to hurt myself on the canal

I decided that I will need to see the AT for myself. Not just see it, but train on it. Lucky for me, I live less than 20 minutes away from where the JFK 50 turns onto the AT. I see that as an advantage. There are many runners that run the JFK without ever having the opportunity to run the route. I have literally no excuse for not training on this trail. I may not be able to run or explore the route in its entirety, but to understand the difficulty and become comfortable with the danger that's ahead is the best I can do.

Also, I imagine that adjusting to a new terrain will only improve my running and who knows, maybe I will start finding the C&O so incredibly boring that I will just take to the REAL trails from here on out! I don't anticipate on attempting running the AT until I am actually within my 24 weeks of training. The last thing I want is to injure myself prior to my marathon in May. Until then, I may hike it, but I will primarily keep my nose in the books and learn more about ultra-marathon training and trail running.


Are you a trail runner? How did you familiarize yourself with this terrain? How did you feel comfortable, even in dangerous areas?

What is the best advice you can give to a first-time trail runner?

Any book recommendations for first-time ultra runners or trail runners?

Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays!

Random holiday photos to share! Have a good one!

The 2015 Goals

Last year, I failed at achieving 90% of the goals that I set for myself. I ended up burning myself out mid-year and had about 2-3 months of poor performance. This year, I am going to make my goals with keeping burnout in mind. Trying to overachieve may end in injury and cause lack of motivation. So, with that being said, here are my goals for 2015.

Complete 5-10 Races
I failed on this goal in 2014. I set a goal of achieving 10, but only was able to get 8, which is fine, but I don't like not achieving my goals. Knowing that I am going to try to do my second marathon and my first ultra-marathon this coming year, I was more lenient on this goal, hence the 5-10 allowance.







Here are the races I am want to compete in or have already signed up for...

    1. January 10th - Walt Disney World Half Marathon
    2. March 8th - Chambersburg Half Marathon*
    3. April 18th - Flannery's Pub Run Half Marathon
    4. May 1st & 2nd - American Odyssey Relay Run
    5. May 31st - Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon
    6. September - Mad Anthony Half Marathon
    7. November 21st - JFK 50 Ultra Marathon*
    8. November 26th - Hagerstown Community College Turkey Trot 5K*

* Tentative

I plan on reducing my 5K participation because I will be training for a marathon and ultra-marathon from February to November. 5Ks really don't fit into the schedule and I don't want to overdo it. So they will be on the back burner.

Finish a Half in 1:45:00
This is a continuation of one of my 2014 goals. I barely missed this one by 2 minutes. It's frustrating, but I have plenty of halfs I plan on doing in 2015, giving me plenty of opportunity to achieve this. Halfs are my favorite distance, so I should not have an issue getting this goal!



Finish a Marathon in 4:30:00
This may be a little brave of me. I finished my only marathon in 4:47ish, with the simple goal of finishing under 5:00:00. I want to at least get under 4:45:00 as this is the Class C qualifying time for woman to participate in the JFK 50. Though I intend on participating in the JFK 50 as a charity runner (I won't need a qualifying time), I want to get it, so if in the future I chose to participate without running for charity, I have that option. This brings me to my next goal...





Compete in the JFK 50 & Finish in 10:00:00
Again, this goal time may be a little much. I have never participated in an ultra, but I think going into it with a goal gives me something to train harder for. I have already started prepping myself even though I have just under a year until race day. I have started reading ultra marathon training books, researching the trail by watching participant videos, I have developed my training schedule, and even saving the money for it (please see my gofundme page to help me out! Thanks!). It is going to be a grueling adventure, but I am really excited for it!

If Frodo can travel from the Shire to Mordor and destroy the Ring, I can run an ultra.

Practice Injury Prevention
This is actually a combination of various goals, I just decided to combine them into one. First, I want to do yoga a couple of times a week. This will serve as both a cross-training activity and one that will allow me to gain flexibility (something I have no possession of). I also need to stretch more often. I suffered a toe injury earlier this year and went from stretching every day, to not stretching at all. Stretching actually worsened the injury. After leaving it alone, it got better. Then I never got back into stretching. Foam rolling will also become a higher priority. How hard is it to roll & watch TV? Besides, with all the training I'll be doing, I can't afford an injury.

Get Back into Strength Training & Ab Workouts
After getting married, building muscle was the least of my priorities. I worked hard at  building my bridal body, that I just stopped building once I had a ring on it. Switching between abs and strength a few times a week shouldn't be hard to get back into.








Improve Eating Habits
This is a goal every year. I feel that everyone can always improve in this area. This is why I have built an eating plan for the first month of the year. It's not so much a diet (I hate the word). It just helps me plan my meals ahead of time, rather than making last minute, unhealthy decisions when I can't think of what to make for dinner that night.

So there you have it! I will keep you updated on my progress through out the year, especially when it comes to my ultra training as that will take up half of my year!


Please share with me what your 2015 goals are?

Night Run Selfies, Cat Pictures, and Raynaud's

***Just a quick note! In 2015, I have every intention on participating in the JFK 50 Miler as a charity runner. Though the event is not until November, registration begins in April. I want to ensure that I secure a spot sooner rather than later. So in order to become a charity runner, I need to raise $500 to donate. The money will benefit several organizations in the area. Please see the GoFundMe site I have started! Any donation would be GREATLY APPRECIATED! Even a simple share would be awesome! Thanks ahead of time!!!***

Anyway! Back to my update!

I think it may be impossible to take a good selfie when you are out on a night run.

Flash be damned!

It's also impossible to come home from a run where my cat didn't find every awkward way of climbing all over me.

Then, there's also the regular Raynaud's flare up I get. It wouldn't be a cold night run without it. See how my ring finger is so much whiter than the rest of my fingers?

For those of you who are not familiar with Raynaud's, it is a disease that causes the extremities, like your fingers and toes, to have a reduced blood flow. Though some cases may be caused by medications, connective tissue disorders, eating disorders, and more, mine is caused by cold temperatures. They call it "being allergic to cold." Even when I slip into 2 pairs of gloves, I can still suffer. It sometimes happens in one finger, all fingers, the tips, or the entire length of each finger.

Raynaud's can cause numbness, reduced mobility, and worse, pain when the blood flow returns. Sometimes, I get extremely worried that I will do permanent damage to my hands on a long run when I lose the feeling in them from the start.

I've been looking into crazy warm gloves to wear, even if it is 40 degrees out. I'd rather my hands sweat than endure the pain I can get from it. I think it's going to take some trial and error to find what's best. For now, two pairs of gloves will just have to do!

For more information on Raynaud's, check out www.Raynauds.org!

Do you suffer from Raynaud's Disease? What do you do to prevent a flare up?

Going to California & Long Run Weekend

Before I tell you about my weekend, I wanted to let you know that I am now officially signed up for the Rock N Roll San Diego Marathon!

 I have never traveled so far from home! The farthest I have ever been from the east coast was Gatlinburg, TN. So I am both excited and scared for this race! It will be just days after my 27th birthday and I will also be able to spend an entire week with my brother who lives just 15 minutes away from the start line. The only way that I would not be able to participate is health reasons. Keep your fingers crossed that my doctors appointment goes well in February! Pray for no surgeries!

Anyway, you may have noticed from my last post that I was caught up in logging lots of miles!

Let's start with Saturday!

I had planned an 18 miler and decided to make it interesting. In the past, I have only done my long runs on the road or on the canal, but this time, I decided to do both.

I started just outside my front door and took back roads to the canal, which was about 3.5 miles. I spent the next 7 on the C&O. Once I reached McMahon's Mill, I took the most direct route to my parent's house which was just about 8 miles.

It was actually a really good run. I was surprised how good I felt throughout the route. The only part that bothered me was the last 8. It wasn't due to energy levels, but the pavement had a severe slope, so one of my legs was positioned lower than the other. Yet, that happened to be where I ran at a faster pace. I guess I just wanted to get back to flatter ground again.

I arrived at my parent's house in just under 3 hours. My mom made me hot tea and then drove me home. Gotta love our moms!!! :)

I only suffered some slight pain in my hip, probably because of the road camber. It wasn't enough to deter me from running on Sunday.

I wasn't sure how far I was going to go. I thought it may have been more like 5 miles due to the hip issues. I didn't want to push it, but I was willing to give 10 a try. Although there was some nagging, I was able to get through 10 miles without a problem. In fact, I think it made my hip feel better to run on the soft trail. My original intention was to keep it slow, but I felt really good and was able to get some miles in under 9 minutes. I was not expecting that after an 18 miler the day before!

Today and tomorrow are rest days. I feel good enough to run, but I know my body needs rest after a 28 mile weekend so I will play it safe!

Anyway, that was my weekend! Tell me about yours?

What miles did you log this weekend?

Have you ever mixed trail runs with road runs?

Who's running with me in San Diego this coming May?

Silent Sunday: The Weekend

Hope you all had a great weekend! Update coming soon!

Brink of Injury

Have you ever felt that you were a run away from injury? You felt the aches and pains through out your entire body and thought that one run would push you to the edge and either tear a muscle or fracture a bone.

I felt that way on Sunday and Monday. After my 17 miler, my big toe ached, which resembled an injury I suffered earlier this year during my marathon training. I also had pain in my hip. When I walked, it felt like my hip could have given out at any moment. Despite feeling the energy to run, I suppressed the urge and took a rest day on Monday. What made the rest day so hard was watching Peter leave the house in his running gear to hit the road for a 5 miler. I was jealous.

I didn't regret my decision, however. My body felt as if it were on the brink of injury. It needed a recovery day. That and I had many wreath orders to catch up on, as well as a Save the Date race bib to design. Really, it worked out in my favor. Not only did I catch up on my orders, but I also felt a lot better the following day. There wasn't any more toe pain, nor did my hip feel like it was ready to break. So last night, I went out to the neighborhood for a 5 miler myself.

My recovered body slammed out 8+ minute miles, even with the sky-high hills I had to endure. In fact, I feel that I went faster uphill than I did on the flat portions. I felt amazing. I think that the 17 miler broke me in. I had to hurt again before I could get better and achieve that runner's high again.

I ran tonight with Peter in my parent's neighborhood and had a decent time as well. I plan on taking the next two days off though so I am ready to put down an 18 miler this weekend. It's supposed to be in the 40s (my IDEAL running temperature). This long run going to be a mix of both trail and road unlike last week. Road just KILLS me. Anyway, I intend on making it from my house to my parents again. There's no rain that will impact me this time!!! I will let you all know how it goes!!

Have a great week, everyone! I'll be back this weekend!

 What are some signs that let you know it's time to take a break?

What are your long run plans this weekend?

The Sunday 17 Milers

After my failed attempt to complete 17 miles on Saturday, I made attempt 2 on Sunday. Typically on Sundays, I will tag along with Peter for his long run, but since he was only up to a 10 miler, I went out to the canal to get a head start. The plan was to run 7 miles alone and then meet up with Peter for his 10. I told him that I didn't want to leave him alone for his second attempt at 10 miles, but I think it was more that I needed his support/motivation to help me finish 17 miles.

The first 7 was just me and my iPod. I ran to Dam #4, then texted Peter to let him know I would be back to the start in about 30 minutes. My pace remained around 9:45. I think I was still recovering from my rainy, cold, hilly run from the day before. Though I felt slow, I felt pretty good.

Once I returned back to meet Peter, I quickly changed at my car (it was warmer than I anticipated) and grabbed my bag of peanut butter M&Ms. We restarted the same path I just ran. I got my second wind (or fifth) and we ran at about the same pace for the first couple of miles. My big toe began to bother me a little, which prompted worry, but I tried to ignore it. Once we got about 2-3 miles in together, the pace quickened. Peter seemed to have A LOT of energy despite this being only his 2nd 10 mile run ever. I was impressed, but felt so weak in comparison. Whenever the path would into one lane, I let Peter go in front of me, as I, at times, struggled to keep up. He was definitely the stronger runner during this run.

Around 12.5 miles into my run, we stopped at one of the boat launches off the river. They have bathrooms in the parking lot and I had to make a pit stop. That's also when we decided to sugar up on our M&Ms, just to keep fueled for the final 4.5 miles. I was hurting a little. Though the toe pain subsided, my body was aching, especially in my hips. Just placing my hands on my hips was a little painful! I tried not to let it get the best of me, as we still had a few more miles to go. So once we emptied our bladders, we immediately resumed.

It was really difficult to get started. The flow my body had was now out of sync. Peter ran as though this run was effortless, saying how good it felt. I, on the other hand, didn't talk to much. We were running anywhere from 9:00-9:30 pace, which was way faster than where I started. I complained a little of the pace and although Peter was willing to slow down for me, I told him not to. The faster we ran, the faster we would finish.  Our last mile was done in about 8:45.

My legs turned to lead as soon as I came to a stop. Though my body was thumping in pain, I was happy that my goal was complete. We returned home for a celebratory lunch of leftover spaghetti.

My toe has since began to bother me again and one of my hips is aching, so today is a rest day and perhaps tomorrow as well. Though I packed my bag to run after work, I decided to be smart and not try to injure myself. I am happy with my decision as my aching bones & muscles feel so much better this evening!

My plan is to get two 5 milers in this week, then kick it up to 18 this weekend. After that, I don't anticipate on upping my mileage. I feel I am already risking injury prior to the Disney half. So I will max at 18 until after that one.

Anyway, hope you all had a happy Monday! Let's make it a great week!

Rainy Run

Though I am no virgin to running in the rain, today was a first. A long run with a consistent downpour. I was determined to get my 17 miler in, despite the forecast, so I suited up with little rain gear that I have and went out to the roads, without a set route in mind.

It has been a while since I have turned to the road for a long run, but there was no way that the canal was going to be a better choice. I had no doubt that there would be mud and perhaps streams of water that pushed me into a dead end.

So the road it was.

The only plan I had was to get from my house to my parents and have 17 miles of distance in between. I also wanted to conquer new roads I have not run in the past.

Because there wasn't any chance I was going to miss getting wet, I had to be prepared to the best of my ability. Since it was SUPPOSED to be in the 50s, I lay out a 2 short sleeved shirts, a pair of capris, and two pairs short ProCompression socks. I packed doubles so if I needed dry clothes at any point in my run, I could call Peter to drive them out to me. I also set out my HipsSister belt, 2 plastic baggies (one for my phone and one for my iPod), and a hat to help shield the rain from both my head and face. I did not pack food or water. Instead, I brought my credit card in case I would pass any nearby gas stations like Sheetz. They would more than likely carry Gatorade and the Power Bars I like.

I texted my mom, letting her know a general time that I would be arriving at her house and also gave Peter a general idea of where I would be, so in the case he didn't hear from me, he would know where to come looking. After that, I was off just after 9am. Thankfully, it was only misting at that point. Anything else may have deterred me from running at all. It was just a little more cold than I would have hoped, but I knew that my body would warm up soon after I started.

I took some back roads near our home and began to head towards the canal. I didn't intend on running on the trail, but just thought I would take the roads around there since I never actually ran them. I knew I was in for a massive hill climb too....

The bottom of that steep hill you see is about 315 feet. The top of the first slope is 421 feet, which took about 3 minutes to scale. I was only 4.5 miles in to my run when that came up. But that wasn't the only abuse I had to endure.

The rain became heavy around the time I got near that hill (of course!). My arms became red and were next to numb from the cold rain. My hands became harder to move, but I was hopeful that the rain would lighten up.

Not even.

I was determined to finish and told myself that I would call Peter for dry clothes onceI was halfway done. So, I pressed forward and headed towards Dam #4 Road. I wanted a taste of the JFK 50 route. At that point, I decided was going to follow Dam #4 Road to Speilman Road and then into downtown Williamsport, just as the end of the JFK 50 does. 

Though I wasn't at all tired, my body was chilled to the bone. As cars passed me, their tires pelted me with water. I know they didn't do it purposefully, but I would curse under my breath as I took the spray to my already soaked body. I knew of a pavilion that was just before I would make my turn onto Speilman, so I made the decision to stop there to call Peter.

It put me beyond the halfway mark by a mile.

Once I was shielded from the elements, my numb hands dialed Peter's number. I asked him to bring me my extra clothes and a towel to help dry myself a little. He would be about 10 minutes before he found me.

I tried to keep my heart rate up by jumping around and I tried warming my hands my placing them in my pants, just at the hips, but I was soaked. I began to shiver violently. I ended up sitting down at one of the benches and watched the rain as I waited.

I swear, it is pouring here!

As I did, I made the decision to call this run quits. I made it far enough in the elements. Especially those I wasn't used to or had proper gear for.

I was so thankful when Peter arrived. His car was my savior. My ride to warmth. My ride to the comfort of a scolding hot shower.

I think I will do the 17 miler tomorrow instead. When it is not raining.


Tell me! What is your rain gear recommendation? I need a nice jacket to shield me from getting soaked!