How is it 2014?!! Happy New Year!

TWO-thousand-FOURTEEN! Amazing.

Random thought: Why are we not in flying cars by now?? hmmm

Kapri spent the night at Grammy's with her 2 cousins...and my sister Chelsea & her BF Andrew came over to 'cheers' to the New Year, before they went to dinner & to hang with friends in another part of town.

After our sweet photo sesh, we headed out to have fun ringing in the New Year with the hubs & some friends at a club in downtown San Diego:

While being out, I decided it was time to turn over a new leaf...make a new tradition. I realized that I would much rather have gone to a really nice dinner, reflected on the past year's ups & downs together... and rang in the New Year with a glass or two of champagne at home with my loves...and/or maybe with a few friends over ---- in our PJ's, banging on pots & pans like when I was little! 

It's NOT at all that 31 is OLD, but I definitely felt a teensy tiny bit out of place on the dance floor last night...once I looked around & realized that probably most the other people around me were a solid DECADE younger than me...it was in that moment that I did truly feel: Old - weird.

And I'm okay with that...just next year we're sticking with our original plan (as mentioned above).

CHEERS to the NEW YEAR! I can feel there will be lots of transition in store for our little family of 3...

OH - and 'goals of the year' - as I like to call them:

...Our joint New Year's Resolution....is one date night per month (we had hardly any last year). Since we married on "8/22", we decided that every other month James would plan it (on the 8th) and every other month in between, I would plan it (on the 22nd). So, something fun to look forward to...planning on checking for unique 'activity' type deals Groupon & Living Social!

...My individual goal for the year is to run around 2-3 5Ks and maybe 2-3 10Ks (toward the end of the year) - would love to have more bibs & medals to proudly call my own.

...Another personal goal is to read 2 or 3 books, front to back! Last year I got through 2 which was HUGE for me...a person who 'can never find the time to read' and if I do...'I'm constantly thinking about other things I could be getting done', haha.

...Lastly, a new career. Whoa...that sounds crazy to actually write down. But the fact is, my company/position will be relocating soon (to a whole other state!)...so I know that my 7-year gig or 'book' so to speak, will soon come to an end & be closed for good - I'm assuming mid-year. I'd love to find something I have more of a passion for... it'll just take some major digging & soul searching. Fingers crossed!

1/2 Marathon Training - Month 1 Recap

A month has seriously flown by and our marathon training is going strong! Within our first month, my sisters & I have stuck with our strict schedule & have walked/jogged 20 days out of the last 28 days (though our very first day wasn't logged in the Nike app)...which is pretty freakin awesome!! A few times I have found myself 'itching' to do something active on Friday afternoons (one of our 'off' days)... because we walk/jog Mon-Thurs.

Saturdays are our long group runs - and last Saturday's was no joke....it was our longest yet - a timed 10K - to find out where we are in terms of pace. For us, we clocked in our 10K at a time of 1hr 15min., with an average pace of 11'47"/mi. - thank goodness for our Nike+ iPhone App!!

exact mileage can be slightly incorrect (either higher or lower) - depending on your GPS signal strength, length & pace of run...above screen shot should've only bee 6.2 miles {10K}

Not only does it do an awesome job of tracking each & every walk/jog we do...but it also syncs with Nike+ online...so I can look at my history of runs, charts and times...like this:

Pace overview from last night's run...in the RAIN and freezing COLD!

My GOAL to run 80 times by July...still have 62 more to go...wow

An overview of all 19 runs so far...it only gets more intense from here on out!

Anyway...back to the 10K...As we pushed through the last stretch of our run, I swore I could've cried at the finish line... I was soooo proud of us!! We all were in pain (mostly our calves/shins) - I was just so happy that we made it and got a pretty good time, for beginners following an interval program!!

Afterwards, we all went to a cute little place on 101 in ENC called 3rd Corner - where we ate yummy omelets and congratulated each other over a few mimosas. We thought it was well-deserved ;-)

What I've Learned
1 Month Mark

• Having my sisters running along side me is so amazing...I highly recommend getting a running buddy...it's great accountability!!
• Water, water...and more water! But for me, I cannot drink any about an hour before my walk/run... I am massively prone to side aches!
• Bananas are a runners BFF...lucky for me, I HEART them!!
• Stretching is extremely important - for me, it's my calves...they tighten up really bad, so pre & post helps a ton. I read that for those under 40 yrs old, to hold each stretch for 30 seconds...feels so good!
• Gradually introducing jogging with an interval system is key to maintaining stamina & injury prevention... changing it by 1 min. every few weeks. We started at 4/1 (walking 4 min. &jogging 1 min) are currently at 3/2 intervals, and change to 2/3's next week...ahhh!
• I really really enjoy our 'core strengthening' work outs - which involves a lot of planks (standard / sides), butt lifts, standard push-ups, etc.
• Getting my runs done during my lunch break is best, for me at least...it leaves the rest of my afternoon open for other things! And I'm hesitant to run while pushing K in our jogger...not sure I'd be able to keep up well on my intervals. I'm sure I'll have to here & there in the future... but for now, lunch breaks work just fine ;-)
• A good pair of shoes & custom molded inserts is CRITICAL!! I bought my Nike's almost 2 years ago... and according to the fantastic folks over at Road Runner Sports, I just found out that running shoes really should be replaced about once a year (less of course if you run more often). I knew the typical "replace every 500 miles max" rule of thumb, but I hadn't tracked any of my casual walking/jogs since I bought these shoes...so it's hard to know. But my goal was to make it through to the 1/2 way point of training (late March/early April)...and treat myself with a new pair of shoes...which also gives me time to properly wear them in before the Half Marathon on June 3rd.

My Road Runner "ShoeDog" Assessment and new custom molded inserts!!

To sum it up...we're all feeling great & looking forward to the future...dare I even say that?!! haha

1st Week of Training + Schedule

Well it's here - our first official week of marathon training...which will be 18 weeks in all. Oh boy. Our first meeting/group run this past Tuesday night went great...although I had a crazy pounding headache allll day long (thinking a sinus-related thing)... but for the first 3 weeks or so, we're doing 4/1 intervals...walk for 4 min and jog for 1 min...for 40-60 min. throughout the early weeks.

A perk of joining our fab group, is a fully laid out schedule...which I took, broke down and compiled it across the next 4 months. My sisters & I needed something we could print out and easily look at each day to know exactly what we need to do.

Another perk - receiving detailed, informative emails that we receive each week from our coach...being newbies to this whole thing, these are life-saving!!

2 apps that I'm going to rely on heavily are the Nike+ GPS app and the SIT app {Simple Interval Timer}. The Nike one is great for tracking your distance by GPS, tracking each & every run, tracking your pace, and even stops your music briefly to tell you which mile you've hit, your pace, and how much longer you have (if timing your run). Love. And the SIT app is is pretty self-explanatory...a basic, easy to use timer....if you are a beginner/interval runner, like moi!

Also - I washed & hung up my Rock 'n Roll Marathon t-shirt the other day....it's staying on this wall between my closet & bathroom until the race!!

K, I'm off for my walk/jog during my lunch break now!! Which reminds me....I need a good iPhone armband...think I'll head over to O.CO!!

*UPDATE* - to my 2012 Goals!

Well - I suppose putting this particular 'goal' in writing helps make it more real.

Just 2 short weeks after writing my 2012 Goal POST - I decided to attend an orientation for a Vavi Running Club - led & coached by our wedding DJ, Blake Miller!! I somehow managed to coax my sis & sis-in-law to join me at the orientation AND we all signed our lives away...okay, not lives, but definitely the next 4 months, haha!

I'm actually going to do this - WE are, together...for the first time in our lives, the last year of my beloved 20's...we will be training to participate in the Rock & Roll Marathon on June 3, 2012!!!

I'm glad we're training for this particular one, because it was created in 1998 and originally started IN San Diego...since then, around 25+ other R&R marathons have sprouted up in cities across the US (and a couple overseas). The 40+ stages of live music is just another enticing reason!

Of course we'll be doing a HALF not a FULL...but still, pretty amazing. It's the first step. It's bought & paid for...so we're locked in. There's no turning back now!!

The next step, literally...is our first group run which takes place next Tues. Jan. 31st...so nervous. But sooo excited to do something like this. My 2 big worries are:

1. How in the hell am I going to balance running 4 days/week, plus a few days of additional strength training...full time job, part time side job...mommy/wife duties...oh boy! But if all these other people can do it (20,000+ runners), then we can.... right?!!
   
2. My calves - in the past whenever I've gotten into a major fitness kick, my calves get the best of me. I'm not entirely sure if they're shin splints, or if I'm just not stretching good enough. But after a bit, they start to feel like the muscle is going to explode out of my skin. Not a very fun feeling. It's actually brought me to tears before. So this is something I'll definitely have to work on and overcome... hopefully!

Wish me luck!!!

*Hopeful* 2012 GOALS

After having a full ELEVEN days free from a cubicle and commute to work - I had a bit of personal reflection time. Although I did fill up the days with tons of activities and felt very accomplished in the end...{crafting, seeing friends, playdates, baking, errands, cleaning out K's too-small clothes, working on CfC orders and the holiday adventures in general}...I also realized that I want to make & get the most out of the new year.

Though I hate to call them 'resolutions' - because in my mind the word is so strict. Each January, the word is tossed around so casually and typically forgotten much too quickly. Rather I'd like to think of them goals:

This year I've had more of a desire to actually sit down & write a list. And it feels really good to have this list planted firmly in my brain! My biggest goal of the year is to train for & complete a half marathon...my first ever! I can't stop thinking/talking about it...so, I just have to do it. I think it's because I'll be 30 in just 11 months, and would love to accomplish this before I say goodbye to my beloved 20's!

Wish me luck!! I think I may print this out & keep it on my bathroom mirror...I need constant reminders like this.