2016 Runs for Cookies Virtual 5K Sign-Up

Introducing...

Finally! No, I did not forget about the annual virtual 5K. I just kept procrastinating working on the bib, t-shirt logo, and social media logo stuff (because I'm not good at things like that, and it takes forever to make the tiniest change--like the date!). Anyway, I was sick on Sunday, so I finally didn't have any excuses, and I got it done. Sorry it took so long!

If you've been reading my blog for a year or more, then you are familiar with the annual Runs for Cookies Virtual 5K. It all started in 2013, when I turned 31. I wanted to do something fun for my birthday, and you all know I love numbers--my 31st birthday was also my "5K" birthday (5K= 3.1 miles; 3.1, 31... yeah, it made sense at the time. I was probably drinking wine when I had the idea).

Random fun fact: My birthday is on January 25th, and who could possibly be a more fun person to share it with than Steve Prefontaine?! I had no idea who he was until I became a runner, but after watching the movie Prefontaine (if you haven't seen it, you should!), I read more about him, and learned that he, too, was born on January 25th. So, if you don't want to run for me, then run for Pre! ;)

I thought that hosting a virtual 5K would be an awesome way to celebrate 31 years... how cool would it be to run a 5K "with" hundreds of friends? The "race" is just for fun--to keep it free, I don't offer medals or t-shirts or anything like that. I just want as many people as possible to commit to running or walking 3.1 miles with me on my birthday!

The event will take place on January 25th (as always). This year, it's a Monday. Here's how it works: 
1) Sign up on the form below, to state your commitment.
2) Any time you'd like on January 25, run or walk 3.1 miles.
3) PLEASE take a picture to share! Not required, but so much fun to see.
4) Fill out the "finisher's form", which will be posted on my blog that day (it will ask for your finishing time--this is optional, but make sure you take note of it in case you want to share it).
5) (Optional) Upload your picture to social media using the hashtag #RfCVirtual5K, and/or post it on my Facebook page to share a little about your run.

The part I love best about the Virtual 5K is going through all the photos on social media and reading about others' experiences--people running or walking in all different countries around the globe, some running in snow, some running in heat, some using the treadmill or doing laps in their basements. It's very cool to see so many people achieve the same goal in so many different ways!

Noah did it in 2013

Eli in 2013

I have a printable bib that you can wear (or not, it's up to you). FYI, if you print this at 100% (NOT "fit to page") it will be a normal "bib-size" and not a massive 8-1/2 x 11 size.

I have a t-shirt logo, in case you want to use it to make your own t-shirt. This has a transparent background, so it's best to use this logo when printing a shirt; the other logos have white backgrounds.

Finally, here is a "social media" logo, in case you wanted to share on social media that you'll be doing the event. You can use hashtag #RfCVirtual5K if you'd like.

Sorry it took me so long to get this info up! Next year, I'll aim to get it up sooner ;) If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment. Otherwise, here is the sign-up form below:

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Motivational Monday #134

Happy Motivational Monday! I hope everyone is off to a great start for 2016 :) I woke up with a stomach bug yesterday morning, and felt miserable all day. I wish I could say I was better today, but I was still feeling really weak and my stomach felt gross. So, for the past couple of days, I've been resting and recovering with lots of Gilmore Girls (how had I never found this show before? I love it!) and working on a puzzle. I really hope I'm back to normal tomorrow!

Anyway, I have a couple of motivating stories to start off your Monday. Enjoy!

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An email from Steph:

"Because of Katie's blog and all the Motivational Mondays, I was inspired. Many stories brought me to tears because I could never imagine doing something so difficult. Yet, so many people were showing up and doing these amazing races. One mile seemed impossible, but none the less, I was motivated to try. I did a 5K and two 10K's this year; but the distance between a half-marathon and a 10K seemed too scary, so I just ran a few days a week and stopped training for races. On Thanksgiving, I ran another 10K Turkey Trot and decided to take the plunge and add in more mileage. I am still doubtful that I can run that long and far, but after yesterday, I am gaining confidence. While my family was enjoying Christmas festivities, I ran 8 miles in a ton of snow. The weather was in the single digits and I had icicles on my eyelashes and hair. But I pushed on and am proud of the progress I have made."

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An email from Andréa:

"On January 1st,  I completed my third 5K in 38 minutes. A personal best by far! I made it over a mile and a half before I walked, which is a huge accomplishment for me. I have also continued to lose weight and am now at 72 pounds lost!" (Andréa blogs at The Girl Behind the Mask)

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Congrats to Steph and Andréa--great accomplishments, ladies!

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Heart rate spikes

Well, 2016 is off to a great start :) It feels awesome to start the year at my goal weight, and without any weight loss goals for the year. Since I started taking my easy runs *truly* easy (keeping my heart rate below 146), I have also felt really good about my training. I am still progressing in my speed work on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so I hope that continues. But running at an easy pace the other days is actually really enjoyable!

Yesterday, I had a 30-minute easy run on the schedule. Jerry was off work, so I suggested we go to the state park--he and the kids could walk the short loop while I ran the 5K loop with Joey (Joey was thrilled with this idea). It was cold outside, but I definitely underestimated just HOW cold it was going to be.

I wore my Cold Gear tights and a Cold Gear top. I also wore a jacket, a Bondiband, and my thin gloves. In retrospect, I should have worn a much warmer jacket, and heavier gloves. And something to cover my neck.

Anyway, Joey and I started the 5K loop while the kids and Jerry did the shorter loop (I think it's about 1.25 miles).

(I wasn't trying to match my outfit to my shoes, but the jacket and shoes go well together!) It was hard to keep my heart rate down for the first mile, because Joey was all over the place. My hands were so cold that I started to worry about frostbite! I pulled my fingers down into the palm portion of my gloves so that I could make a fist inside of the glove, and that helped a little. My fingers finally felt okay about two miles in, but I never did break a sweat. I guess that's the downside to running at a slow pace--it's hard to warm-up in this kind of cold.

I was relieved to get back to the car to warm up. The kids said it was much colder than they'd anticipated, too.

This morning, I wasn't going to take any chances with my long run. The "real feel" temp was 18, so I dressed extra warm. Cold Gear tights and top, a fleece over the top, my warmest running gloves, and a hat. This was a step back week for my long run, so I only had to run 60 minutes (again, keeping my heart rate below 146).

I started running at a very slow pace, and almost immediately, my heart rate shot up to 160 bpm. I knew I wasn't pushing myself hard, but I slowed down anyway. I was barely running at a slow jog, and it was still high. Finally, I just turned off the alert because it was annoying and I knew I wasn't pushing myself that hard. A couple of miles in, I tried adjusting my sports bra a little, and making sure the sensors on the heart rate strap were pressed against my skin. That was when I noticed it corrected my heart rate right away, going from 160 to 133.

The farther I ran, the less often I had the weird spikes. As I thought about it, I think I figured out why it was doing that. I don't normally wet the strap before I put it on, even though I really should do that (it helps the monitor to get a reading). Since it was so cold outside, I wasn't sweating for a long time; and because I wasn't sweating, the HR monitor wasn't picking up my heart rate correctly. Toward the end of my run, I was sweating a little, which is why it continued to improve the longer I ran.

This makes a lot of sense to me, because it happens very often that the first mile or so, my heart rate is wacky (usually very high spikes). That's probably because I haven't broken a sweat, so the monitor isn't able to get a correct reading. To fix this, I'll just have to make sure to wet the strap a little before I put it on. Hopefully that will work!

Anyway, I felt absolutely fantastic during my run. Normally, I don't enjoy the actual running part; I just enjoy how it makes me feel afterward. But today, running at an easy pace was very enjoyable!

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The boys are staying the night at my parents' house tonight, so Jerry and I were talking about doing a date night. I'm not sure what we'll end up doing. Although, with it being as cold as it's been the past few days, I'm thinking a "Netflix and chill" kind of night sounds perfect ;)

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Goals for 2016

Happy New Year! I'm am welcoming 2016 with open arms and an open mind. The past couple of years have been tough for me in so many aspects of my life--a few things that I've shared on my blog, and a few things that I have not. While there were a lot of great things that happened in 2015, I am glad that the year is over, and I really look forward to what 2016 has in store.

I know that New Year's resolutions are cliche, and the chance of actually sticking to them is slim; but as a goal-setter, there is something so fun about starting the new year with a clean slate. I love to write goals for the new year!

Last year, I had the following goals:

-Run the Detroit Free Press Marathon
-Run a half-marathon each month
-Cut out most processed foods
-No ice cream at home

Since 2015 ended up being "the year of the never-ending stress fracture injury", I wasn't able to complete my running goals. In fact, I actually had to drop out of several races that I'd registered for because of my stress fracture.

I started the year very well with cutting out processed foods. However, I gained several pounds while I was eating "clean", and I had really hoped that I'd have been able to lose weight. I've experimented several times over the years with clean eating, and it just doesn't work well for me--physically, I have a hard time with weight loss; and mentally, I'm just not happy. So, when I started counting calories in August, I didn't make any foods off limits, and I ate whatever I wanted while counting the calories. I am much happier, and I was able to get back down to my goal weight rather quickly that way. So, while I failed at my goal of cutting out processed foods, I am happy with the way it worked out.

I did stick with the "No ice cream at home" goal, though (at least from what I remember). If I did have ice cream here, it was from a single serving container, so there wasn't any sitting in the freezer. Most of the time, though, if I wanted to eat ice cream, I would go out and eat it.

I guess one out of four goals is pretty good! The running goals were out of my hands, because of the injury. If I hadn't gotten injured, I probably would have met those.

Now, on to 2016...

I've been thinking hard about this, and here is what I came up with:

-Cook one new recipe each week. I've already created a Pinterest board with 52 recipes, so I will choose one each week to try. They aren't all "healthy" recipes--just foods that sounded good and I wanted to try.

-Get in 7,000+ steps per day, for at least six days per week. I'm using an app called Momentum on my phone to track this. On the days that I run, it should be fairly easy; but on my rest days, getting in 7,000 steps is tough!

-Continue my binge-free streak. Currently, I am 150 days binge-free!

-Do my best to PR my 10K. If not in the spring, then I'll try again in the fall. It's going to be the most challenging goal I've ever set for myself, but I'm willing to work hard to do it. I won't be upset if I don't actually set a new PR as long as I try my best. I don't want to look back thinking that I could have done it if I had given a little more effort during training.

-Finally, I want to maintain a weight of 135 pounds or less. I've been doing well with maintenance for the past month, staying between 130-133, so I'm happy with that. If I could do it through the holidays, I can certainly continue to do it. Summer is the most challenging time of year for me, so again, I will do my best.

So, there they are, in black and white--my goals for 2016. I don't have anything standing in my way right now (injuries, excess weight, etc), so I am looking forward to working on my goals! Anyone else have goals for the new year?

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Top 15 of 2015

I thought this was going to be a very difficult post to write. I thought that 2015 was the worst year I've had, and in some aspects, that's true. I dealt with a running injury for 10 months, my depression was really bad, my anxiety was the worst it's ever been, and I was dealing with a 27-pound weight gain from 2014. I felt terrible about myself, and I put a ton of pressure on myself to get it together.

However, once I started going through pictures from this year, I saw that I had a ton of really great experiences! I started flagging photos to use on this post, and when I was done, I had over 30. THIRTY experiences that could have made my "Top 15 of 2015". It was tough to narrow it down.

In the end, this is what I decided on. Here are my Top 15 of 2015, in chronological order:

1) We adopted Joey! Bringing Joey into our lives has been so amazing. I used to have a big fear of dogs, but adopting Joey and spending so much time with him has helped me to "read" dogs much better. I no longer get scared of them when I see them on a run. Joey has also changed my kids' lives--they've learned that Joey will always be their best friend, and they have a blast playing with him.

2) I traveled to Portland to visit my BFF and see the Pacific Northwest for the first time. I fell in LOVE with Portland, and it is my favorite destination I've ever visited. While on the trip, I went on my very first hike, and I couldn't have picked a more beautiful place--14 miles of the most gorgeous scenery I've ever laid eyes on. It was during this hike that I decided the Pacific Northwest was my favorite place that I've traveled.

3) In April, I ran a race with all three of my siblings for the first time ever! I'd done a race with one or two of them at a time before, but never all three. It was so much fun!

4) In May, I went to the Indianapolis 500 Festival Mini Marathon with seven of my Sole Mates Ragnar team! We had so much fun--tons of laughs, a couple of the teammates showing up as a surprise to everyone, more bonding, fro-yo lasagna, and more great memories of my team.

5) My younger brother, Nathan, and I were the top fundraisers for Justin Verlander's Wins for Warriors Detroit 9K. The money went to a charity that meant a lot to Nathan and me--it provides mental health support to Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans and their families. Since Nathan experienced post-war PTSD firsthand; and as his sister, I saw the effects it had; we wanted to do what we could to help. Thanks to so many of YOU, we raised more money than any other fund raiser! We were invited to attend a Tigers game in a suite, and meet Justin Verlander himself. Nathan ran the 9K, and I was a volunteer at the race. It was a great experience overall!

6) When the last person to pass by my volunteer station at the Detroit 9K, something deep inside me told me that I should walk the rest of the race with him (I learned his name was Daron). The sweeper was walking with him, but I just wanted to be there to encourage him to finish. It was an amazing experience--we were dead last to finish, but the Detroit Police were awesome in giving us an escort the whole way, and even giving Daron a bottle of water as needed. He hadn't realized how far 9K actually was, and it was a huge struggle for him, but he FINISHED!

7) In July, Jerry was able to come with me to New York, where I was going to be sitting on a panel for Prudential at the BlogHer Conferences. Jerry and I rarely get to travel alone together, so even though it was a very short trip, we had so much fun!

8) Both of my brothers happened to be in the Pacific Northwest on the exact same day for work, and naturally, I couldn't stand the thought of them being in my favorite place without me ;) Brian offered me a buddy pass to fly out there, and I was able to spend the weekend with my brothers and sister-in-law in Portland!

9) Jerry and I celebrated 12 years of marriage in August, and we returned to the chapel where we were wed so that we could take some fun pictures!

10) I coached cross country for the 2nd-4th graders at Eli's school. I absolutely LOVED coaching the kids, and I hope to do it again.

11) Thomas came to visit in October in order to run the Detroit Marathon. I was originally supposed to run it with him, but due to my stress fracture, I wasn't able to. Thomas, Jerry, and I spent a full day in Detroit, which was my favorite part of his trip--we went to Redsmoke for lunch, lost our money at Greektown Casino, walked on the Riverwalk, sampled coney dogs from the two rival Coney Islands (American vs. Lafayette--Lafayette was our favorite!), had a beer at a dive bar, and then watched the Red Wings lose. It was a super packed day, but I loved spending time with these two.

12) Jerry, the kids, and I ran a 5K together in November. It was a fun, active family thing to do together. The kids enjoyed it, and asked if we could do races together more often.

13) I did something I'd always wanted to do--a boudoir photoshoot! Even though I wasn't at my goal weight, I embraced the body I had at the moment. I had my hair and make-up done, and the photoshoot was so much fun!! I felt beautiful and girly, and the pictures turned out amazing. It was one of the best experiences of my life--honestly.

14) In November, I went to NYC with Purina. Purina hosts some amazing blogger events, and I've met some really great people at them. On this trip, I also conquered my fear of the subway system--I used Google Maps and actually figured out how to get around on my own! I even took the subway and a bus to get to the airport, saving myself about $40 in cab fare.

15) Just before Thanksgiving, I got back to my goal weight!! I switched from Weight Watchers to calorie counting on My Fitness Pal, and it was a much-needed change. I stopped feeling obsessed with food, and the weight pretty much fell right off. It happened quickly and without feeling deprived. I am thrilled with the results!

As you can see, I had a pretty awesome 2015... and I look forward to 2016!

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Some fun facts for 2015: 

• I ran 457 miles (down from 1,151.86 miles in 2014). I spent much of the year injured, which is why my mileage is down so much.
• The day of the week I ran most often was Thursday; the least often was Wednesday.
• The month that I had the highest mileage was July, with 77.3 miles.
• My average pace for the whole year was 10:31/mi (up from 9:51/mi in 2014).
• I burned 49,752 calories from running... that's equivalent to over 14 pounds of fat (or 638 chocolate chip cookies)!
• My most memorable meal was at McMenamins in Portland--I had a Chicken Caesar Wrap and Cajun Tots. Very simple, but SO very good! 

• My current favorite breakfast is a Larabar with peanut butter, and tea.
• My current favorite evening snack is a couple of cookies.
• The thing I am most looking forward to in 2016?  Focusing on the 10K distance. I'm really excited to see my potential when I work my hardest at it! 

Happy New Year, Friends!!

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Week 20 weigh-in

With the kids being off of school right now, I almost forgot to weigh in this morning. It feels like it should be a weekend! I was pleased when I got on the scale, though:

I weighed in at 132 today, which is the exact same as last week; and still one pound below my goal weight!

I thought for sure my weight would be up a little this week, because I ate more calories this week than I have since I started counting in August. My average daily calorie intake was an even 1,900. So far, maintenance is looking pretty good! I think I just have to make sure that I continue to count my calories; in the past, whenever I've tried to keep the weight off without counting, I get way off track and end up gaining.

Over the past several days, with the kids being home, I've had a hard time with wanting to snack. I know I'm not physically hungry between meals, but I get the urge to eat anyway. I started doing puzzles again, which has helped tremendously! The time passes so quickly when I'm working on a puzzle, so it has helped keep me from snacking. The current one that I'm working on is actually really difficult, which I enjoy.

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A few people have asked me what 10K training plan I'm following. I don't have to fully commit to a plan just yet, because I still have about 14 weeks until my goal race. However, I'm pretty sure I'm going to end up using this plan by Run Britain:

This is my modified version so I can run on the days I choose

As of right now, I'm following the last five weeks of that plan to see if I like it; if I do, and I think it's working well, I'll start with it in full on January 31st. The "F" stands for "Fast", and on this plan, that means faster than race pace (my race pace will be 7:55/mile or better). The "T" stands for "Threshold", and on this plan, that means 85-90% of my maximum heart rate (approximately half-marathon pace, 8:20/mile). The "E" stands for "Easy", of course, and for those, I'll keep my heart rate at less than 145 bpm.

The only thing that makes me nervous about this plan is that there aren't any segments longer than 6 minutes that are done at race pace. Even the tempo portions are just 12 minutes. I'd like to try a "test" 10K in the last week of January to see if I can break 52:00. If I can, then I'll use this plan to continue on to (hopefully) PR with sub-49:23. If I can't... well, I'll probably still use this plan, haha. Let's just hope I can run sub-52:00 by January 30th ;)

Speaking of running, I was honored to have been interviewed a couple of months ago for the Runners Connect podcast. I love their website, and I had no idea there was a podcast! I chatted with the podcast's host, Tina Muir, about everything from my weight loss, to my blog, to running, and advice for newbies. I haven't listened to it (I don't like hearing my own voice!) but if you're interested in giving it a listen, here is a link. I adored talking with Tina, and I was surprised to learn that she is an elite runner--SUPER fast! I was a little intimidated until I learned that she loves sweets just as much as I do. Anyone who will eat frosting right from the container is a friend in my book! ;)

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Dinner and bowling

Last night was the night we were supposed to get together with some of my childhood friends, like I do every year around Christmas, but we ended up having to cancel because we couldn't figure out a day that worked for everyone. I was super bummed, because I look forward to it every year!

We still ended up having a fun night, though. Jerry and I met Nathan, Kendall (his girlfriend), and Becky (my sister-in-law) for dinner. We went to Public House, a newish restaurant that Jerry and I have grown to love over the last year or so. We don't go there often, but when we do, we always love it.

I wasn't very hungry by dinnertime (I usually eat super early, at 4:00, and we had plans to meet at 6:30--so I'd snacked a little too much while I was waiting to head out, and spoiled my appetite). I ended up ordering half a Michigan salad (greens, dried cherries, candied walnuts, cherry vinaigrette, and blue cheese--I ordered it without the blue cheese, because I am not a fan of it).

The salad was delicious! I adore dried cherries, and the cherry vinaigrette was awesome. I also ate a few bites of Jerry's food, because he ordered my favorite dish on their menu--chicken and waffles.

After dinner, we went bowling. My back as been really painful lately, so I chose not to bowl (but I still like to go hang out while others bowl). I played Keno, and my numbers were doing pretty well--I thought I was going to hit all four a couple of times, but no such luck. I ended up winning $19 (after paying $20 to play, so I technically lost $1--but it was worth it, because Keno is fun!)

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After doing easy runs all weekend, I was a little nervous about today's run. I had 4 x 6:00 at "faster than race pace" on the schedule. Six minutes is a long time to run at a fast pace!

We had terrible weather all day yesterday (freezing rain all day, and then just a downpour of rain last night). I was hoping that today would be nice enough to run outside, but it was super windy--and the wind would have made running at a fast pace really difficult. Jerry went out for a run before I did this morning, and he said he wished he'd run on the treadmill, because the wind was terrible.

Anyway, I headed out to the garage to run on the treadmill. I set up my Garmin for a 10:00 warm-up, 4 x 6:00 at fast pace with recovery between each interval until my heart rate got down to 136 bpm.

I started out with the easy warm-up. I did that for 10 minutes, which ended up being just under a mile, and then I bumped the speed up to 7.7 mph (a 7:48/mile pace). I was expecting it to be super hard, like when I run 400-meter intervals, but I was surprised at how good I felt. My heart rate got into the correct zone (about 95% of maximum). It wasn't easy, but it wasn't half as bad as I imagined.

Once I hit six minutes, I switched to a slow walk (3 mph) until my heart rate dropped down to 136 bpm; then I bumped the pace up again and ran another interval. I felt surprisingly good throughout the whole run! One of the benefits of taking easy runs TRULY easy is that you save enough energy to hit your goal paces during speed workouts. So, while I felt like I was running way too easy over the weekend, I think it will pay off when I do speed work.

I did four intervals total, and then stopped my Garmin. I had done 24 minutes at a 7:48/mile pace! Even though I had three short walk breaks during those 24 minutes, I was really happy with how good I felt. Now, I just have to work on running that pace for a total of 49 minutes without any walk breaks--haha ;)

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Several people have emailed me to ask about whether I'm going to host the Runs for Cookies Virtual 5K again in January. This year snuck by so fast! It's hard to believe that it's past the time I should have posted about it. I've done the virtual race for the last three years, so it would be a shame to stop now. Yes, I will be hosting it--it will take place on January 25th, as usual. I will hopefully get all the details up this week!

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Easy runs

Yesterday was my long run, and it was the longest run I've done in a very long time--nearly seven miles. I say "nearly" because it was actually 6.84 miles. Like I mentioned, I'm checking out a 10K-specific running plan that lists each run by time instead of miles. Yesterday's long run was a scheduled 75 minutes.

I've been reading a ton about 10K-specific training, and something that I really struggle with is running my easy runs at an easy pace. There are two very beneficial zones for improving as a runner--the "easy pace" zone, which does all sorts of great changes for your body (I'll have to write a whole post about it soon); and the "aerobic threshold" zone, which is pushing yourself pretty hard. If you tend to run in the middle of those two zones, you're not doing much for your body as far as improving speed.

I am one of those people that does nearly all of my running in between those two zones. Yes, I can improve a little just by running regularly, but I should be running different paces to hit my full potential as a runner. Running at an easy pace is actually far from easy! Most runners (including me) actually run their easy runs too fast, which causes them to hit that in-between zone. (Again, I'll write a whole post about this later.)

So, in this 10K training period, I really want to focus on doing it right. Easy runs should be run at about 60-70% of maximum heart rate. My maximum heart rate is 182, and my resting heart rate is 60, so I calculate the percentages using the Karvonen formula:

Maximum heart rate minus resting heart rate; multiply that number by the percentage; then add the resting heart rate back on.

Example:
182 - 60 = 122
122 x 70% = 85
85 + 60 = 145

So, I should be running my easy runs with a heart rate of 133-145 beats per minute. My aerobic threshold runs should be done at 85-90%, which is 164-170 bpm. Based on my run data from the past few months, my heart rate for easy runs is typically 155-160 bpm--right in that "dead zone" that really isn't doing much for my running potential.

Yesterday's long run was the first run where I decided to try and keep my heart rate in the 133-145 range. I set the alarm on my watch to beep if my heart rate went over 145. Then I headed outside for a 75-minute run, not knowing in the slightest what kind of pace I'd be running. It was interesting! I knew I'd be going much slower than I'm used to, and I was okay with that. In fact, I was actually looking forward to running at a slower pace, because it's so much more enjoyable than huffing and puffing!

I realized that my "happy pace" (easy pace) was right around 11:00/mile. There were a couple of sub-11:00 splits, but that was when I had a tailwind. I felt really great the whole time, though, and it felt like I could run forever.

My average heart rate was 141 bpm and my average pace was 10:58. Much different from my previous outdoor long run, which was a pace of 9:12 and a heart rate of 160!

Twice per week, I'll be running in the aerobic threshold zone, which is when I do intervals or tempo runs. The rest of my runs will be at an easy pace like this one was. I'm very curious to see how it pans out!

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We got some very sad news yesterday. On Christmas day, Jerry's uncle apparently woke up with a severe headache. He went back to sleep, and later, his wife found him unresponsive and not breathing. It turns out that he had an aneurysm and a heart attack, and because of the lack of oxygen to his brain for so long, the brain damage was severe. He was on life support all day, and then at around 1:30 in the morning yesterday, he passed away. He was only 48 years old.

Aside from how sad it is for the family, Jerry and I were especially struck by how suddenly it happened. Jerry had the same complaint a couple of weeks ago--a severe headache--and because of what I'd read about aneurysms, I took him to the hospital. I'm so thankful that he turned out to be okay, but now I feel very reassured that we did the right thing. As we've started getting the medical bills in the mail, Jerry was thinking that it was stupid for us to have gone to the emergency room; but now we are sure we made the right call. I just wish that Jerry's uncle had been able to get to the hospital in time. He was a very fun, nice guy, and Jerry always enjoyed seeing him. The whole family was really shocked by it.

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This afternoon, my mom and I took Noah and Eli to a Harlem Globetrotters game. I wasn't sure if I would like it, but it ended up being really fun and entertaining!

Don't all basketball players jump up on the rim and take pictures
with a selfie stick? ;)

The kids had a lot of fun--they are at the perfect age for a Globetrotters game. (My mom had gotten them the tickets for Christmas.)

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Don't forget, tomorrow is Motivational Monday! I have plans with friends tomorrow evening, so I'll be putting the post together in the morning (here is how you can submit a photo). I know it's a busy time of year for everyone, so if I don't get many submissions, I will just hold off until next week.

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A very warm Christmas

Today doesn't really feel like Christmas! It feels like just any other day, really. Jerry had to work today, so we did all of our Christmas stuff yesterday.

Bright and early yesterday morning, we opened Christmas gifts. The kids were happy with everything they got, and it was fun to watch them open their gifts. Jerry gave me a nice suitcase (a couple of days early, actually), which I was thrilled with! I have been traveling quite a bit the past couple of years, so I'm sure I will get a lot of use out of it.

It's super light weight, so I can pack more stuff in there without exceeding the airline's weight limit ;)

I gave Jerry a Keurig coffee maker. We used to have one, but it broke and we never replaced it. Jerry loves his coffee, and lately he's been saying that seeing the Keurig at the store makes him feel nostalgic for it. So, it was either going to be a ladder (something he really needs) or the Keurig for Christmas--I figured he'd enjoy the Keurig more than a ladder!

After we opened gifts, I made what is quite possibly the most indulgent breakfast EVER. I found the recipe on Pinterest, and it's called Apple Streusel French Toast Bake. It was AMAZING. It wasn't healthy in the slightest, but it was perfect for an indulgent Christmas breakfast. It basically tastes like a Cinnabon with warm apples and pecans.

It was 549 calories for 1/12th of the 13x9 pan! Totally worth it, though. I had Jerry take the leftovers to work with him today, so that I wouldn't be tempted to plow through it.

After breakfast, I went out for a run. On the schedule:
-1 mile warm-up
-6 x 2:00 fast with recovery walk to heart rate of 136
-4 x 1:00 fast with recovery walk to heart rate of 136
-Cool down

I've been trying some workouts from a sub-50 10K training program I found online, and the workouts go by time rather than distance. It seems like a nice, solid plan, so I may end up using it exclusively for my PR training. I still have about four weeks before I have to make a decision on a training plan, so I'll try it for a couple of weeks and see what I think.

I ran the one mile warm up, and then went right into the 2:00-fast intervals. It was tough! Last week, I'd done 45-second intervals, so 2 minutes felt like forever. I walked very slowly in between the intervals, so that my heart rate would get down to 136 as quickly as possible. As soon as it hit 136, I started the next interval. It was tough!

After the two-minute intervals, I had to switch to one-minute intervals. Those went by really quickly, because I'd gotten used to doing the two-minute ones. I was tired, though, and by the time I finished the last interval (at mile four), I was ready to be done. My splits were good! I've improved since the last quarter-mile intervals I did outside:

These are the splits from two weeks ago:

The average of the 2:00 minute intervals was a 7:30/mile pace yesterday; two weeks ago, it was a 7:40/mile pace for roughly the same amount of time. Not a super drastic improvement, but definitely noticeable.

After my run, I took a quick shower and then we went to Jerry's parents' house to exchange gifts with them. The rest of the day, we just took it easy. We watched movies in our pajamas and the kids played with their new toys.

Today feels nothing like Christmas, as I said--not just because we did "Christmas" yesterday, but because it's so warm outside. This morning, Eli and I went for a run. The kids had asked for hydration backpacks for Christmas, and he wanted to take his on a run. I was planning to do a 30-minute easy run anyway, but I took Eli along for the first mile (we stopped at my parents' house, and he stayed there). He looked so cute with his new storm trooper running shirt and hydration backpack!

After I dropped Eli off at my parents' house, I continued on. Running past the lake, I simply couldn't believe that it is actually December 25th. Look at the lake!

It was 43 degrees, but felt much warmer outside because it was so calm. My parents' next door neighbor was actually on a stand-up paddle board on the lake this morning... wearing shorts. Crazy!

Anyway, today is another relaxing day. I started working on a new puzzle--it's been a while since I've done a puzzle, and I kind of miss it. I hope everyone had a very merry Christmas!

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A quickie weigh-in (week #19)

Just a quickie post for a Wednesday Weigh-in...

I was 132 today, which means I am up 1.5 pounds from last week--but I'm still 1 pound below my goal weight, so I'm happy with it. Last week's weight was abnormal, because I'd had such a crazy week with Jerry being in and out of the hospital, and my calories were low. This week, I ate a "normal" amount of calories, and wound up at 132. My average daily calorie intake was 1,749.

This coming week is going to be a challenge for me. Tomorrow, Jerry and I are celebrating Christmas with the kids because Jerry has to work on Christmas day. I'm going to make an indulgent breakfast (Apple Streusel Baked French Toast--a recipe I found on Pinterest), and Jerry and I will probably have a glass or two of wine tomorrow afternoon. With the heavy breakfast, I'm going to try and keep dinner on the light side.

On Monday, Jerry and I invited some friends to a "Mystery Dinner & Bowling"--we posted the date and time, but not the location. We only disclosed the location to each person as they RSVP'ed "yes". It drives me crazy when people don't respond to an invitation, so I thought it might be a fun way to know for sure how many people to expect ;)

Renee's family invited Jerry, the kids, and I over to their house on Tuesday, so I'll need to plan for that as well. I'm going to enjoy all the stuff we have planned over the next week, but I'm going to try my best not to overindulge and to keep my weight in my goal range!

Sorry for the short post... Jerry and I have lots to do tonight to get ready for the kids' Christmas tomorrow morning :)

I hope everyone has a fantastic holiday!

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