Fitness Friday...May 30th Edition!

This week was our first official week of summer vacation! Monday was Memorial Day and we spent the day together as a family. I did a little more clothes shopping and then we spent the afternoon at the park and flying kites. The rest of the week we didn't do much...because it has rained the past 3 days!!! My goal of taking the boys swimming this week did not happen due to the weather.

On the bright side though...I've been doing lots of planning and prepping for our trip to California! It takes a lot of effort to go on vacation with kids lol! That includes making a call to the airline to ensure we can all sit together on the planes. Our last flight said there were no seats available and that worried me because I was afraid the flight was overbooked. Luckily the airline picked our seats and put us all together! Whew! It will be my boys' first time flying and I know they are going to want to be sitting by their Momma!

Another plus...I've been doing lots of running this week since the Runner's World Run Streak has begun! This will be my third summer in a row streaking. You may remember when I streaked last year and didn't break the streak while we were on vacation in Disney World! Yes...I plan on continuing the streak while we are in California too. The day we fly home will be a challenge though since our plane leaves pretty early.

Other awesome news...some of you may have seen my post last week about my Garmin starting to flake on me. Well I was scrolling through Facebook a few days later and my friend Kymberly had a status asking if any of her runner friends were interested in her Garmin Forerunner 210. I was definitely interested so I asked her how much she wanted for it. Her response...nothing! She just wanted it to go to someone who would use it! WHAT???? So yes...I am now the proud owner of a almost new (she'd only had it for about a month) Garmin Forerunner 210!!! I LOVE it!!! Thank you so much Kymberly...for the thousandth time!!! It's so awesome that there are people out there that are so giving!

Yes, our first run together was in the rain!

Now it's time for Fitness Friday! Hold on because there was a ton of running done this week! I love streaking!!! (I'm starting with last Friday this week since that was the day I did my long run)

• Friday- 6.2 mile run in 1:04:46 average pace 10:27

• Saturday- #plankaday 1:05

• Sunday- 2.25 mile run in 20:30 average pace 9:07

• Monday- 3.11 mile run in 29:38 average pace 9:32

• Tuesday- #plankaday 1:10, 1 mile run in 8:45

• Wednesday- #plankaday 1:07, 3.11 mile run in 29:44 average pace 9:34

• Thursday- #plankaday 1:11, 1 mile run in 8:58

• Friday- #plankaday 1:00, 1 mile run

Weight loss this week: 2 lbs.

Weight loss total: 16.8 lbs.

It was a great week of runs! I love to streak! Even running just one mile helps me feel accomplished for that day. My plan is to get a long run of about 5-6 miles in this weekend. There's rain in the forecast so I may be running in the rain again. As far as the running plan while I'm in California goes...I'm going to run at least 1 mile every day to keep the streak going. If I can I will run a few 3 milers while I'm there. I'm not sure if I will be able to run anything longer than that. It all depends on the neighborhood where my friend lives.

The weight loss this week was amazing! I couldn't believe I lost 2 pounds especially since I ate so many lunches out with friends last week! But I'll take it! It's going to be tougher while I'm in California...as I am sure Stephanie is going to want to take me to all of the yummy places to eat! I'm going to try my best to make the healthiest choices I can. I want to make sure to not gain any weight...even if I don't lose any. But continuing to lose will be awesome! :-)

I hope everyone has a great weekend! :-)

QOTD: What was your best run or workout this week?

Leaving on a Jet Plane!

I have some amazing news!!! Me and my boys are headed to San Francisco, California in a few days!!!! I couldn't be more excited!

You may remember my best friend Stephanie that moved to San Francisco last summer? Her husband is in the Coast Guard and got stationed there. I miss her and her family so much! I never in a million years thought I would be able to travel to California to see them...but we are!!!

We've had so many fun times together! I can't wait to make even more memories with my best friend!!!

And my boys can't wait to see their best friends again too!!! It's going to be so awesome seeing them all together again!!!

I've never been to California and can't wait to see it! This is going to be a once in a lifetime trip for my boys as well! I'm so excited they are going to get to experience this!

I'll be taking my laptop with me...but the next few weeks I may not post everyday. So please bear with me! I'll try to blog when I can! Be sure to follow me on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook to follow along on our journey!

QOTD: Have you ever been to San Francisco? What are the things we MUST DO AND SEE while we are there?

A Hilly 10K!

Last week's long run was done on Friday instead of Saturday. My hubby was going out of town for the weekend so he wouldn't be there to watch my boys while I ran Saturday morning. So I decided to run Friday morning while the boys were in school instead. I thought I would have to run this one solo but luckily my friend Andria was off work and came to run with me! It's always more fun to do long runs with friends!

Our route was one I haven't run in a while. It involved several hills so I knew I would have to slow down some. But I was ready!

Normally I fuel for a run the night before with pizza. But the night before this run was Sawyer's gymnastics extravaganza and we went out to eat at a Mexican restaurant with my in-laws after the show. So I was worried about not being fueled properly.

The first 2 miles of the run were mostly flat. There was an incline at the beginning. But once we hit mile 2 the hills began! Luckily, I was feeling strong. I got tired on the hills but pushed through. It helped having Andria there with me. Otherwise I might have given in to my head telling me to walk lol! But we didn't. We ran the entire run!

This route is very pretty. We even got to run on a few wooden bridges. Sorry about the blurry picture...I was running lol!

Once we turned around (this was an out and back course) the hills were tougher. I didn't realize we had several downhills in the first half. But I really felt them that second time!

Once we got close to our planned 6 miles we decided to go ahead and make it a 10K. It's hard not to when you're so close lol! It ended up being a really great run! I ran strong and apparently my taco from the night before fueled me well! ;-)

And after running hills I always feel like a beast! Love that feeling of accomplishment!!! :-)

Even better was the fact that this hilly run was only 3 seconds slower than last week's 98% flat 10K! :-)

After our run was done, Andria and I stood in the parking lot and talked for about 30 minutes. As if we didn't get enough talking in for 6 miles lol! You'd think we wouldn't have anything left to talk about lol! This was a great start to my weekend!!!

QOTD: Do you like to run hills? Do you prefer to run alone, with one friend, or with a group?

Sawyer's Gymnastics Extravaganza!

So I hope y'all don't mind but this post is all about my son Sawyer! I am a proud mom who has to brag on him a bit!

Sawyer had his Gymnastics Extravaganza (end of the year show) last Thursday night. Just a little background about him...he's been doing cartwheels and round offs since he was 3 years old. He just taught himself how to do it all. He's a natural! I tried for years to get him to take gymnastics but he kept telling me no. Finally this past September I was able to get him to try his first class. The minute he walked out he told me to sign him up...and I did!

He was in the boys recreation class and loved it! Right after Christmas his coach came up to me after his class and said, "Sawyer is really really good. I want him to be on the boys pre team." It was music to my ears! I knew that was where he belonged. The coach said he could try it the first time to make sure he liked it...which of course he did. So instead of once a week he now goes twice a week and his gym time is also longer.

I see him do his gymnastics all the time at home. He's constantly flipping and doing cartwheels! But I was excited to see him in his show.

We weren't allowed to use a flash so my pictures are not as good as I'd hoped. Here he is walking into the gym when his class was announced! He had his arms folded and looked mad! But I think he was just a little bit nervous lol!

Sawyer did 4 routines...a floor routine, tumble track routine, parallel bars routine, and rings routine. I took video of all of it but the parallel bars...which I took pictures of...but now wish I'd taken video lol!

Here is Sawyer on the parallel bars. I was amazed that he could hold his legs up off the bars like that!

Here is a video of his floor routine!

And here is video of his rings routine!

I took video of his tumble track routine too but it is about 4 videos so I won't include them. But I was SOOOO proud of my little guy! He did AMAZING!!!

And he was super excited that he got an award!!! :-)

Here he is with Coach Justin! Sawyer LOVES him! Justin is so amazing with these boys!

I am super excited about Sawyer getting to compete in the future. I know he is going to do great!

Thanks for reading and listening to me brag! :-)

QOTD: Is your family active in any sports?

The Weekly Chase #73!

First of all...Happy Memorial Day! I am so grateful for all the men and women who sacrificed their lives for our country. Be sure to remember them as you enjoy your day today.

Well it's officially summer here on the Gulf Coast! And it definitely FEELS like summer too! ;-) This weekend was hot! We've had a busy weekend! Friday and Saturday my hubby was out of town hanging with some of his high school friends so it was just me and the boys! Friday afternoon, after they got off the bus for the last time this school year, we went shopping. I was in desperate need of some clothes that fit! All of my shorts from last summer (that were tight on me last summer) are way too big! :-) So I got some new shorts...and I am happy to say that I had to buy them 2 sizes down!!! I also got several new tops for the summer! After I shopped I took the boys to a store of their choice so they could spend some of their report card money. Then it was pizza and movie night!

The boys were definitely entertained in Old Navy while I shopped lol!

Saturday I got to sleep in since I ran my long run Friday morning. We hung around the house that morning. That afternoon we met my sister and took the boys for ice cream. Then I ventured into the world of swim suit shopping since once again mine from last year is falling off of me. Luckily I found one!

Sunday was a family day with the hubby since we missed him so much this weekend! We went with his parents to Pensacola to the Naval Air Museum! We also went to the Pensacola Lighthouse and climbed up the 177 steps to get to the top! This is the second time we've done this and it never gets old!

Now it's time for another Weekly Chase! I'm ready to tell you all about my goals for this week! I hope you will link up your own goals with me too! And feel free to use the badge below in your post too! You can grab the badge HERE! :-)

Here are last week's goals!

• Goal #1: Run 3 times this week. Yes! I ran 4 times this week! I ran 3 short ones and a long one on Friday!
• Goal #2: Roll and stretch daily. 75%. I missed a few days. 
• Goal #3: Log and stay under all my calories this week. Oh yes! And even though I ate out a lot more for lunch this week the scale has been down. I can't wait to see the official number on weigh day!
• Goal #4: Cook most of our meals at home this week. We ate at home every night but Thursday and Friday. Thursday night my in-laws took us out to dinner after Sawyer's gymnastics end of the year show. And Friday was pizza night like always. 
• Goal #5: Spend time with friends this week. Yes! I had a blast this week! I ate lunch with 4 of my friends this week! :-)

Here are the goals I will be chasing this week!

Goal #1: Run every day! Yes that's right...every day! Today starts the Runner's World Summer Run Streak! I do this every summer and love it! The requirement is to run at least one mile every day from Memorial Day to July 4th! That makes 40 days of consecutive running! I plan to still run at least 2 short runs (2-3 miles) and a long run. All the other days I will just run a mile! :-)

Goal #2: Roll and stretch daily. This will be very important now that I'm streaking!

Goal #3: Log and stay under all my calories this week. I only have about 10 more pounds to go to be at my goal weight!!!

Goal #4: Cook most of our meals at home this week. This really helps me eat healthier foods when I prepare them myself. 

Goal #5: Take the boys swimming at least once this week. The boys have been begging me to go swimming. I plan to have them do at least one activity this week that involves water! 

So that's the plan for this week! Hope your week goes great as well!

QOTD: What are your goals this week?

Runner Spotlights #87

It is the boys' first weekend of summer! They were so excited when they got off the school bus on Friday! Summer is finally here!

Now it's time for another runner spotlight...my favorite time of the week! I love reading other runners' stories about their running journey! If you are interested in being spotlighted on my blog please email me at mindy@roadrunnergirl.com! I'd love to spotlight you! You don't have to have a blog to be spotlighted...you just have to be a runner! ;-) And I'm running low on spotlights so now's your time to shine!!!

Today I'm spotlighting Kimberley from Black Dog Runs Disney! Yep you guessed it...she's a Disney lover like me! And she has the cutest black dog named Calypso! Keep reading to learn more about her and her running journey!

Name:  Kimberley

State:  Florida

When and why did you start running?  I ran cross-country in high school and stunk at it.  I started again when I moved to Florida in 1995 because…why not?  Who wouldn't want to run in weather like we have?!

What is your favorite race and race distance?  The Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon, hands down.  I love the night start and the after party in Epcot to celebrate the Food and Wine Festival is the best!  That being said, 13.1 is definitely my favorite.  For the moment anyway.  That 26.2 is just dangling out there like a really big diamond!

What is your race day routine? Throw whatever is handy at the alarm clock when it goes off at what is typically some ungodly hour of the night.  Roll off bed, narrowly missing the dog.  Pick up pieces of demolished alarm clock.  Stub toe on bed post.  Curse incessantly.  Throw on whatever random pieces of running clothes I spent hours laboring over the night before.  (Not really.  As long as everything is somewhat tolerable to the human eye, it’ll work).  Stumble into kitchen and curse at whoever left the light dimmer switch on high from the night before.  Warm up either some oatmeal or a bagel with peanut butter and down a couple bottles of grape Propel.  Make sure gear bag has iPod, sunglasses, baby wipes and requisite Tylenol, (I like to be prepared!), and stumble out the door.  

What is your most favorite piece of running gear? Rock or KT Tape.  I really don’t think I’d be able to run without it!  I also love the 8+ Beecause Charms I have on my running shoes.  Who says a girl can’t run with a little bling?

Do you follow any diet or take any specific supplements that complement your running? I take a multivitamin and an iron supplement.  I also occasionally take echinacea and goldenseal to help keep my immune system working properly.  If I start feeling a little under the weather, I’ll also add in some zinc.

What do you wish you’d known when you first started running?  Pay less attention to what everyone else is doing and more to improving what you can do.  Comparing yourself to what other runners are capable of doing is surefire way of driving you right into the dumps.  The only competition you need to be concerned about is the one with yourself.

What is your fondest running memory?  Crossing the finish line of the 2013 Wine and Dine Half Marathon at Disney.  It was my best time at a Disney race and even though I didn’t hit my goal time, (thank you ITBS for trying to take me out at Mile 12!), I made it through and felt great when I made that final turn to the finish.

What is one thing that most people do not know about you? I know every word to every song played during the Illuminations show at Epcot. I know – total Disney Dork.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us? Completely obsessed with Labradors, all things Disney, and Moose Tracks ice cream. Much to my hips dismay.

Here are all the different ways you can connect with Kimberley!

Blog: http://blackdogrunsdisney.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Vixen1267

Facebook: Black Dog Runs Disney

Instagram: http://instagram.com/szzllips

Thanks so much for sharing with us Kimberley!!!

QOTD: Are the kids out of school for the summer where you live?

Fitness Friday...May 23rd Edition!

Whew! What a busy but so much fun week I've had! I've been up at my boys' school every day this week. From honors assemblies to end of the year school parties I was so happy to be there and experience it with my boys! It's hard to believe that I now have a 2nd and 4th grader! They are getting too big way too fast!

I also got in some fun time for me too! It was me and Andy's 13th wedding anniversary on Monday so we were able to eat a quick lunch together since I wasn't working this week. On Tuesday, I ate lunch with my friend Paige! On Wednesday, I ate lunch with my sister Christy! And Thursday morning I ate brunch with my work friends Erika and Sarah! It's been a blast! And I've tried to make healthy food choices too. :-)

Last night was also Sawyer's End of the Year Show at Gymnastics! He did amazing!!!! I am so proud of him!!!

It's Fitness Friday time! I'm excited to tell you all about my runs this week! I got to run 4 times again this week!!!

• Saturday- 6.2 mile run in 1:04:43 average pace 10:27

• Sunday- 2.25 mile run in 20:10 average pace 8:58

• Monday- 3.11 mile run in 28:02 average pace 9:01 (the run where my Garmin wouldn't work...grrr)

• Tuesday- #plankaday 1:01

• Wednesday- #plankaday 1:15, 4 mile run in 38:08 average pace 9:32

• Thursday- #plankaday 1:06

• Friday- #plankaday 1:00, 6 mile run

Weight loss this week: 1.1 lbs.

Weight loss total: 14.8 lbs.

It was a great week run wise! I ran by myself all week. I changed my run schedule up and ran in the mornings after the boys went to school since I wasn't working this week. Today I am running my long run instead of tomorrow (Saturday). My hubby is playing golf Saturday with friends so I have no one to watch my boys while I run. So I'm getting it in today. And luckily my friend Andria is off work so she is going to run with me!!! I'm looking forward to sleeping in on Saturday! I can't remember the last time I slept in on a Saturday! 

The weight loss was great this week! I'm sure next week will be hardly a loss since that seems to be the pattern my body is taking. We will see. People are starting to notice the weight loss now and I won't lie that it feels good hearing that I am getting skinny! :-) I want to lose at least another 10 pounds. I know it will get harder the closer I get to my goal weight. 

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

QOTD: What was your best run or workout this week? Any fun weekend plans?