Happy Half New Years!!!

Okay, here I go!  I have taken a break from too many things in my life and I need to get back onto track!  Where do you start on your "to do list" when everything needs to happen, like, now?!?!  It's June 2nd and it seems as the past couple years I have reflected on June 1st as an excellent "Ready, Set, Go!" date.  Already half way through 2015 and where are my new year's resolutions?  Ut-oh...

For the remainder of 2015 I want to just be. Be a good mom, wife, daughter, sister, friend... Be a better follower of Christ. Be content (this has been an ongoing prayer request and it's working).  Be healthy. What's your list?

By the time 2016 rings in: I will have finished a half marathon with Kooken (more about that soon)! Celebrating Christmas, New Years, and Christmas break with a 1st grader and my last preschooler. Visiting Iowa more.

I originally started this blog to spread my love for running.  I haven't been running... Let alone working out!  So help me please! I'm going to keep writing more and more to help with my accountability.  My mumbles of writing will be unfiltered, honest, funny, and hopefully relatable.  I'm not the only kooky mama around Frisco/McKinney! Enjoy the reading! :)

To Do Lists and Not To Do Lists

Well looky there... I wanted to blog regularly and then life happens.  Since my last post our family rang in the new year and headed into 2015 healthy and happy.  Social media makes it real easy for you talk yourself into commitments... January 1st I really thought that with the help of two other runners we could conquer 2,015 miles (672 miles each).  Then flu bug made its rotation through our house and I was hit hard.  Last month I barely ran out of the house let alone around the block.  I was feeling the loss of running physically and mentally.  January stats: 5 runs, 21 miles

February was quickly approaching with a countdown in my head to a race that I have been looking forward to for a long time.  The Dallas Hot Chocolate 15k would be a great distance with a great friend, amazing swag including the hoodie, chocolate, and a medal!  I was very hesitant up to the day of the race being under trained and with knee pain.  All-Star Judith, my race partner, shared with me that I motivated her to start running... little did she know that race day she motivated me!  We had a goldilocks race with great weather; running the whole time except through the water/whiskey stations and maybe a couple hills.  Would this race be what I need to motivate me to get back out there?  I thought so, but my runkeeper app says something else.  February stats: 1 run, 9.52 miles

On a different note I was blessed to attend an amazing gathering of women through our church.  The IF Gathering from Jennie Allen was also the weekend of the Hot Chocolate race.  I loved listening to how God has worked and transformed the women at the conference as well as the personal gathering that I attended.  Wow!  I was convicted of so many things but I know that I'm broken with sin  and with Jesus I'm forgiven.  The prayers and worship are still so fresh in my heart.  Now, IF continued to IF Equip- a women's Bible study online with daily scripture and web chats.

Stick with me and hear me out...

  

We are studying Hebrews, specifically 4:1-13.  We are instructed to rest.  Coincidentally my blog is named "Running Kooky,"  not from my hobby of running but from my life.  I am running through the days and not maturing my faith (Hebrews 5:14).  Wow!  The study has by wheels turning.  My heart is filled with joy that I receive from moments in my life.  Though, I want to grow more in His word.  Is my faith hidden within my "stuff?"  I'm going to keep running and trying to be healthy but I'll probably will not run 672 miles this year (sorry Amanda).  I probably will not schedule myself so many call days next month.  I love being busy and checking off my To Do list items.  Have you ever started a Not To Do list allowing you more time with your loved ones, with our Lord, in his word?

http://www.ifequip.com/

Krazy End of 2014

Wow!  Where did 2014 go?  Around our house we are counting down until Christmas.  I love this time of the year.  And this year is no exception but as you can tell from the blog posts after July my life got a little Krazy... I was Running Kooky!

So let me sum up the past five months:

In August I prepared lesson plans for my two year old preschool class while also preparing my heart to send our baby girl to kindergarten.  One week into school we left for Disneyland.  I completed the Disneyland Dumbo Dare challenge- running a 10k on Saturday and half marathon on Sunday.  So much fun!!!  My husband states that we will never return to WDW and only visit Land... I'm planning our next Florida vacation for next fall! :)

September and October flew by with church, school, work, Girl Scouts, dance class, T-ball, birthday party, Halloween... The only running that was occurring were the wheels in my head once I finally laid down to go to sleep.

November hit me like a ton of bricks!  I was T-60 days until my 2014 Running Finale; the Fairview New Year's Eve FULL marathon.  Say what?  I seriously thought that I could do it.  While traveling for Thanksgiving, my brother held me accountable at 4:45am on a snowy Iowa morning to go and run!  I was logging training miles but not near enough to run a full marathon.  I planned on completing the event with the Galloway method by doing run/walk ratio segments.

And now here we are at December.  Planning Kindergarten room parties, preschool parties, Girl Scout parties, starting basketball (I think I lost my dance princess), and Christmas shopping.  My running still has not been up to par even for a half marathon training, let alone a full.  Then was the race medal reveal party and I was banking on that extra motivation to push me toward the run... and it did the opposite.  I requested a refund and cancelled my race.

So what does one do with so much passion for running but accidentally fell off the wagon?  I am planning my 2015 race calendar; keeping it with in reality of my time, mind, and money.  This next week rather than stressing out on logging miles; I am so glad that I can focus on the true reason for the season by celebrating Jesus' birth with my family!  Merry Christmas!!!

Feb 7, 2015   Dallas Hot Chocolate 15k
Nov 6, 2015  Disney World Wine and Dine Half Marathon

Just keep Swimming... Wait, what?

It has been a CRAZY month- especially the past two weeks!  Our family is in complete summer mode... Road trips, swim lessons, and lots of family time.  I have also been putting more onto my plate therefore running has been on the back burner (literally, every time I go for a run I'm burning!)

Last weekend we tackled Chicago!  I ran the Chicago Rock n Roll marathon series 5k on Saturday and half marathon on Sunday.  Oh wait, there's more!  We explored the city on Saturday afternoon by foot, logging over 13 miles towards my "Beat The Heat" half marathon virtual race through Jost running.  Not only did we walk off our Chicago deep dish pizza, saved on cab fees, and collected bling.  SCORE!  But coming off my running excitement left me tired and sore :(

 








All week passed by with my running shoes sitting at the front door waiting for me.  I did try to swim, but Kinnick and Cooper can swim better than me- although it's quite the cardio workout!  This morning I actually told my husband that I'm thinking about retiring from "running."  An hour later I was putting on my new Lululemon workout top and heading towards the gym.  Wow!  My Newton running shoes are just getting warmed up and ARE NOT heading into retirement.

My run this morning was on a quarter mile track (in the Texas sun) outside at the gym.  I did 4 min run/1 min walk intervals for most of the 3 miles and it was amazing.  Through out the workout I listened to music, prayed, and just took MY time.  I remembered what I loved about running- not the next race I was registered for or my slower pace, but MY time by myself!  Do you all enjoy that too?

So what do you or who do you run for?
I run for:
myself- to be a better mom/wife
to pray/worship
to eat (run to eat/eat to run)
enjoyment of my environment

Next on my plate:  Bible study, Girl scout leader orientation, Creating preschool curriculum, Jury Duty, etc... How many days until Kindergarten and then Disneyland?  :)

"Easy" Cross Training Day!

I love how I had admirations of blogging every other day, then it turned into once a week... Well folks, summer happens and it's been two weeks.  I have been watching my "steps" with my new Fitbit and I LOVE it, but I feel like my "steps" are my workout for the day.  My running has been pretty scarce.  T-26 days until I run my next physical race.  It's just a half-marathon in Chicago!  In the windy city hopefully I'll have the wind with me because I am going to need all of the help that I can get!!!

My next virtual race is Friday morning!  I love JostRunning!  This virtual race is the perfect motivation that I need to get moving, log miles, and collect BLING!  How cool is my racing bib? Anyone up for run/walking 6 miles with me?

 


Today, again not feeling like running, I opted for an "easy" stay at home workout day.  I have new Zumba DVD's and a new Plyo Fix DVD from Beachbody.  So much for easy!  30 minutes of Zumba and I looked like a hot sweaty mess! But the chick on the DVD was barely glissening, urg, and with those abs!  So I figured since I was already sweaty what's an extra 15 minutes of burpies, squats, jumps, etc???  OMGoodness!  I'm pretty sure I made the easy example on the DVD look good!

In conclusion, I'm sticking to running.  Just kidding- I need to cross training but I need to appreciate the workout as a workout and not an easy day.  It's all about calories in and calories out!  Hopefully good calories in and AMAZING calories out, Right?!  What are you favorite cross training workouts?  How many "easy days" to you have?  Lastly, I am serious, who's joining me Friday morning?!?!

Summer Challenge

June 2nd... The year is almost half over! How are your New Year's resolutions going? Ha, ha...right? Do you even remember? Now is the time to set goals and strive for them!

 

The new year brought me to the end of my marathon training and January 12th I became an official marathon runner.  Since then I've been on and off track but now I'm jumping on and not looking back!  For me, running is my way to get away.  Sometimes Vegas is a good get away too!  When I run, I can listen to music or just nature and I can think about things bothering me or think about nothing... It's your run!

 

I workout better when there is a challenge and a medal/reward at the end.  So now I'm challenging you! It's summer, it's hot, and it's easy to be lazy.  To be apart of the challenge all you have to do is to log miles--- walking or running through summer (6/1-8/31).  Post your miles on my Facebook page www.facebook.com/runningkooky  There will be two winners: one for the most miles logged and then one random one from a drawing.

   

But while logging all those miles register for JostRunning virtual races and make them count! I bet you could get a few medals per month for 5k, 10k, half marathon , and reach even for a full!

    

The challenge is on! Do you accept this challenge?

          www.facebook.com/runningkooky

http://runningkooky.blogspot.com/

          www.JostRunning.com (Virtual racing)

www.mapmyrun.com (website and app to track miles)

In Summer... •insert Olaf voice•

It's officially the end of the first week of summer break!  Did you enjoy yours?  Kinnick, Cooper, and I started the week off by making a list of 100 things to do in the 100 days of summer.  I am pretty proud of our checklist and we have already accomplished a few!  Dress up was on the list; not so much like a member of the Robinson family from Duck Dynasty but how cute!!!

 It was hard to want to workout on Tuesday but I did make it to the gym to run.  I haven't really done any tempo running training, because I need more information of the correct training sequence.  On Tuesday I turned on some music and ran the fasted mile that I could, followed by the fasted mile I could walk.  Mile three was a combo of jogging and sprinting.  I enjoyed the run and it was good practice for the half marathon I am going to be doing with my husband in August (I have a feeling we will be walking a lot)!

Wednesday morning I was ready to work out!  I watched the finale of Dancing with the Stars Tuesday night and went to bed thinking, "I am pretty sure if I get into better shape that I could dance like that too!"  Who doesn't want to dance with Derek Hough and MAKS!  So I ran... fast!  I used to run a solid 11 min mile, then 10:30, and have been stuck at a 10 min mile.  Now, I have consecutively ran two 5k's less than 29 minutes!!! After running I went inside for Zumba Toning (aka kick butt Zumba).  I left the gym so thankful for my lungs, legs, endurance, etc... 

So what's next?  I am running a 10k in the am--- anyone want to join me? :)  I will be running the full 6 miles but if you register for the Jost Running virtual 10k you have other options!  You can "Brave a New Route" by running, walking, biking in increments for a total of the 10k distance!  Check out their site at: www.jostrunning.com

I am also registering for their half marathon and you can too!  Don't roll your eyes!  Log 1 mile everyday for 2 weeks and then collect your amazing bling.  I run for medals!  Do it, Do it!