My Blog Isn’t Dead, I Promise!

The other evening, the night in which I had PR’d my 10K that morning, my husband asked me, “Why haven’t you updated your fans??” Of course I laughed hysterically & then said, “I have no fans!” Okay, sure … I have people who follow my running & friends who care about my adventures; but I wouldn’t say that I have fans. I am no elite; just a girl next door doing a sport I love. Regardless though of how you’d categorize these lovely folks, a blog update is long overdue. If for nothing else, simply for me to look back on just how far I have come in my running & life adventures.

I thought about writing in my traditional fashion, but really, that would take a long time. And my “fans” may become bored with a bunch of long paragraphs. Life is busy. I get that… preaching to the choir. A lot has happened in the 4 months since my last blog post! So, in simple & random {hopefully concise, too!} order, enjoy 18 things that I have done since my last 2018 update:

1. Miles, loads of them. The first almost 3 months of CIM {my next marathon, coming up on December 2^nd} training is nearly complete & in those 12 weeks, I have run almost 710 miles. For you math geeks out there, that an average of roughly 60 miles per week.
2. Easily linked to #1, I completed my 2018 goal of 2,018 miles for the year at the end of October… the 23^rd to be exact; 68 days ahead of schedule. I am late for everything; but arrived quite early to this goal & that made me uber proud!
3. I finally found a gel that is comprised of decent ingredients, as well as tasty & tolerable for races. Huma gels for the win!!
4. Likewise, I started consuming a “normal” amount of pre-race/long-run calories instead of my normal 190 calorie Luna bar. It’s amazing what happens when you’re fueled for the long haul! For that, Picky Oats Performance Oatmeal has been amazing! Despite not liking beets, my go-to fave has been the “Can’t Beet Chocolate”. Yummmmm!!
5. And while we’re on the subject of chocolate & food, probably worth mentioning my love of Shalane Flanagan & Elyse Kopecky’s newest cookbook — “Run Fast Cook Fast Eat Slow”. So many great recipes! I have already made 3 batches for my house alone of the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups … & that doesn’t include ones I have made to take to events!
6. Trips. Anyone who knows me knows my LOVE of travel. I certainly don’t go as many places as I wish I could; but who does when they have little ones around?! We did however enjoy a family trip to the mountains outside of Charlottesville for a few relaxing days in some gorgeous scenery. Despite persistent rainy weather, I did get some solid elevation gain miles in, as well as adrenaline pumping while being chased by mountain dogs. That part was NOT fun, ha!
7. Another mountainous trip that will forever hold a piece of my heart was Flagstaff McKirdy Trained Camp. I met & became friends with a dozen other like-minded runners who have fueled my fire & made me realize that I can be destined for greater. Those were 5 unforgettable days & I can’t wait to go back next year!!
8. While a few weekend trips are approaching, one place I will not be going this year is New York City. I have officially deferred my NYC Marathon to 2019. Watch out Big Apple, #RoD is coming at ‘cha next year!! #girlsweekend
9. Although the current temps are not indicative of fall-leaf-changing-weather, it is safe to say that I “survived” the summer’s sweltering heat & humidity for another year. Whew! Hopefully, the days of losing 3-4 pounds of sweat every run are behind us for a number of months!
10. Along those same lines, this past summer I fell in love with the THREE Bs: 1) Sports BRA running, 2) BRAIDED hair, 3) BEER {if you count cider beer…} I blame the sweat from #9 on these newfound loves.
11. Not related to running was a professional change since I last blogged. While I still work at the same hospital that I have since I was 21-years-old {love CHKD!}, I have taken on a new role in my Neonatal Nurse Practitioner career. I am essentially splitting my time between my main high-intensity NICU & a lower-intensity NICU. Main difference in the new role is that I have to attend deliveries & basically be the primary person for newborn resuscitation … if things are not going well. Talk about stressful!! Despite that, I am thoroughly enjoying the new challenges that this role brings.
12. Although this new job isn’t adding to my salary, per se, I did splurge on buying a pair of the Nike VaporFly 4% shoes. I’ve only worn them once, but I am looking forward to them helping improve some race times by four percent!!
13. Shall we talk races?! Shortly after my last blog post, I did a couple Summer 5Ks. Naturally, I never expect to PR in the summer… & spoiler alert, I didn’t. The July 4^th race ended with a time of 23:04 (7:25/mile). A few weeks later, I PR’d my mile time on the road in 6:45. One week after that, at the Memorial Scholarship 5K, I finished 2^nd in my age group in 23:12 (7:28/mile). It was nice to do a little speed in the summer, but my heart is truly in Fall/Winter distance running.
14. Next up were two sweltering Half Marathons—the Rock n’ Roll VA Beach (1:46:01, 8:05/mile) & the Crawlin’ Crab (1:44:50, 8:01/mile). I totally view summer racing as a means to a beautiful end…. the “end” being gorgeous cold–weather PRs!
15. Somewhere in between training runs & races, another 12-person relay event was thrown in. Bourbon Chase Ragnar in the beautiful state of Kentucky DID NOT disappoint! Another fun event with 11 friends, my #BALG, where I covered 21.51 miles {over 3 legs} at an average pace of 7:57/mile. Yessss!! Well on my way to my Fall marathon goal!
16. Finally, a 10K PR! As mentioned in the beginning of this saga, I recently PR’d in the 6.2 mile distance. At the Wicked 10K last weekend, I dug deep in some windy conditions & pulled out a 47 second PR—that’s over 7 seconds per mile! I finished the festive event in 46:17 (7:27/mile); knowing on a decent weather day, I’d easily have been in the 45s. Onward & upward!
17. As for my twins, the cutest 6-year-olds I know—they started 1^st Grade & have been continuing with swimming lessons {both} + soccer {Alexander only}. It is a lot to juggle with two full-time working parents, but we make it work as best as we can!
18. Life. Isn’t that the common theme of the previous #’s 1-17? So cliché, but living my best life is always goal #1—whether in marriage, parenting, work, running, or friendships. I’m not always successful, but dang if I don’t try to live it up in some way, every single day.

So as the next month progresses, I will race 2 half marathons {Richmond & Norfolk Harbor}, plus 1 full marathon {California International Marathon aka CIM}; as well as log a bunch of miles. My goals are big, but so is my determination & drive. Coach Sarah Bishop says I am fit & I couldn’t agree more. I’ve never felt more capable of crushing some PRs! And since it makes you more accountable, albeit vulnerable, to share your heart & goals with the world… I have my eyes set on a sub-1:40 half & a sub-3:30 full. Eeeekkk! Let’s do this damn thing!

Thanks for reading {& enjoy some pics below from the last few months!} & I will take all the good vibes you can send my way, as I work toward crushing these goals—both HAPPILY & HEALTHILY reaching the start & finish lines!!