OktoBEARfest 5k

Last week we did the first annual OktoBEARfest 5K fun run for Bears Who Care, an organization who provides teddy bears and books to children in need throughout the community:)

It was really well organized with great entertainment and lots of enthusiastic volunteers:)

The medals were cute too!

After hardly running the last couple of weeks I was super happy to finish in 37:42. Mike finished his in just 28:47 which was amazing!

Looking forward to some cooler days soon:)

Global Energy Race 5K

It's been such a long time since Mike and I did a race together!  We've been going to the gym pretty steadily since we settled into the new house so we thought it would be good to have a race date on the calendar to shoot for and signed up for the Global Energy (5K for me and 10K for Mike) Race about a month ago:). By race day we didn't feel 'ready' but decided to go anyway and do the best we could. It's a huge event in 23 different countries so there are plenty of walkers in the 5K category at least which made the whole thing a little less intimidating:)

Mike took off for his 10K about 10 minutes before I lined up. Once I was on my own I felt nervous but so inspired by the people around me and really proud of myself that I'd managed to make it to the starting line! I decided to run for at least the first mile and then do intervals after that until the end.

After a strong first mile, I did a lot of walking but still finished under 40 minutes which I was pretty happy with:). It was very hot and I know I'll get faster if I stick at it:).

Once I'd had some water I headed over to the finish line to cheer Mike in...

He came in at just over an hour! It was a really well organized event and amazing value for money. For just $10 registration we got hats, dry fit shirts, medals and running sleeves! There was music and food and a ton of support from race volunteers too! We really enjoyed it and felt great:)

Hopefully it will be a bit cooler next time:)

One Tough Mother Runner Virtual 5k

It’s been a bit of a lazy May so I decided to kick June off a week early and get a run under my belt. It was slow going and a sweaty affair but I got it done:). The cause for this race was the Family Lives On Foundation who provide support to children who have lost one or both parents. 

Only a month or two until we move again so it’s key to lock in some good habits now. I have big plans for June!

Run Like The Wind Virtual 5K

Finally! A Team Daaaaamn! reunion! We all met at Lu's house at the weekend to complete our first 5K together in a long time. The weather was kind and we had a really nice morning:)

The charitable cause this time was for Donate Life America - a foundation focused on increasing the number of donated organs, eyes and tissue available to save and heal lives through transplantation while developing a culture where donation is embraced as a fundamental human responsibility. On average, 22 people die each day because the organ they need is not donated in time. If you are not already an organ donor, you can become one at RegisterMe.org.

Superhero Virtual 5k

I did my 5K today and Mike ran 5 miles! We have been running and doing weights at the apartment gym for the last few weeks and it's starting to pay off! The charity I picked for this month supports abused children. The medal was super cute:)

I ran 4:1s for the first 25 minutes and then just did the best I could for the remainder of the distance. The weather was perfect and I was shooting to finish in under 38 so I was really happy to break 37 minutes! For April, I am shooting for an in person race and under 36. I can do this!

Solving the Puzzle Virtual 5K

If I do an event every month (and a couple extra:)) I should be able to complete 50 before I’m 50! Now that’s a motivating thought! We didn’t get time to do much of anything during the move in January but now we are in an apartment until we can move into our destination home so we have plenty of time to work out:). We started going to the gym a couple of weeks ago and we’ve been working really hard:)

So tonight I did a Virtual 5K for the first time in a while:). I ran the first 10 minutes and then walked/ran the rest. The goal was to finish under 40 minutes so I was really happy to finish just over 39 minutes! I did the race for autism in honor of my adorable nephews who I love so dearly.

The medal was very cool - you could remove the puzzle pieces to see the inscription below. Some of the medals had prizes hidden underneath too!

I have a long way to go!

Turkey Trotters

It was a Team Daaaaamn! comeback today with all 3 of us completing a 5k!

Things have changed since the last time Lu and I did a race together. My Runkeeper app, her wireless headphones, online registration the morning of the race were all unavailable back in our old running days! It’s been way too long!

But some things haven’t changed - we are as close as ever - and running together brings out the best in both of us:)

Meanwhile in Tampa, Mike was busting out an amazing speed demon performance...

And running into old friends:). So much to be grateful for this Thanksgiving!

Beagle Rescue 5k

It was a slow, hot and sweaty night but sticking to the 3 runs a week is really helping and now I've done 6 virtual 5Ks for some really great causes this year! I'm finally starting to get faster and can run for longer without walking now. Hopefully the weather will let up soon:)

Family Lives On Virtual 5K

A Service Dog for J Virtual 5K

For my virtual 5K this month I really liked this cause. Instead of a big charity, the proceeds went directly to one family so that they can get a service dog for their son Jameson, who has autism.

I was two days late for my April run but I still got it done! My time has really suffered so I need to work on that this month and stay focused especially as it gets even hotter....

Heart of Gold Virtual 5K

For my event this month I signed up for the Heart of Gold virtual 5K to benefit the Joyful Heart Foundation at virtualstrides.com. This charity was created by Mariska Hargitay who plays Olivia Benson on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. The content of the scripts, the work she did to prepare for the role, and the letters she received from her viewers opened her eyes to the epidemics of sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse. Sadly:

One in three women report being physically or sexually abused by a husband or boyfriend

Every two minutes in the United States, someone is sexually assaulted

More than five children die every day in this country as a result of child abuse and neglect and up to 15 million children witness domestic violence in their homes each year

The mission of the Joyful Heart Foundation is to transform society’s response to sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse, support survivors’ healing, and end this violence forever. A worthy cause indeed...

The medal was a box of chocolates containing 11 removable chocolate charms. Some medals contained special prizes too (but not mine!). My goal was to break 37 minutes this month which I managed to do. I was especially happy that I motivated myself to complete it on a workday morning as well!

So I've managed a 5K each month now for the last 4 months which I'm really proud of. Now to book next month's challenge...;)

Run for the Rescues Virtual 5K

For my event this month I found another virtual race on Flex It Pink's Facebook page benefiting Marley's Mutts - a dog rescue organization. I picked a great day - it was perfect weather for a run!

Despite the lovely conditions, I haven't been running much this month so I found it really difficult and my time was about 10 seconds slower than last month. Regardless, I did it which I'm really happy about (since that's 3 5Ks in the last 3 months!) but I do need to start training if I'm going to be able to continue through our hot and sticky summer months:)

Puppy Rescue Mission Virtual 5K

For 2017 my goal is to complete at least one event per month. I also want to align my activity with causes that I'm passionate about. I saw this virtual run for Puppy Rescue Mission (sign up here!) and thought it would be a perfect way to start out the year!

The Puppy Rescue Mission helps deployed soldiers adopt stray dogs of war. Animals rescued by and bonded with soldiers overseas are often logistically difficult to bring home. This organization assists with the process to enable soldiers to bring home their companion animals from war.

My senior puppies had no interest in joining me but I could feel them rooting for me from their couch:)

My time was over a minute faster than December which I was really happy with since it was my first run this year! The medal was also adorable and says "Soldiers savings Puppies and Puppies saving Soldiers" at the bottom. There are still medals left so you can still sign up and choose any distance too!

Light up the Night 5K

Exactly 9 weeks after my surgery I am proud to have completed my first 5K in a very long time! The race was to  raise money for a local teacher who is battling cancer and it was really inspiring to see how many neighbors, parents and students showed up on a Thursday night to show their support. We ran through the streets of Independence and the decorated homes were a great distraction! 

It's hard not to compare my current pace with the past but considering everything my body has been through I am happy to have come in under 40 minutes:)

It felt good to be active again and at the same support such a worthy cause. Looking forward to getting out there more in 2017!

The Road to Recovery!

Now that I am recovered from my surgery, it's time to get activity back into my life as a priority. I feel so much better it's incredible and I'm looking forward to feeling even better still as I get back into the habit of working out regularly:)

Pink on Parade 5K

Lu and I had a perfect morning at the Pink on Parade 5K in Celebration! I haven't been running hardly at all lately so it was really nice to just focus on supporting the cause and enjoying the experience. I ran when I could, and walked when I needed to. I was very slow but I did it:).

Getting up before 6 at the weekend (particularly after a late night out) was tough but I did the old drill of laying out all my stuff and it wasn't too bad once I was actually out of bed...

Like peas in a pod again:)

We loved the T-shirts!

I was so nervous on the start line - I haven't run for 3 miles since May!

 And we got cute medals!

I'm feeling really inspired to focus on my health right now and I'm working on Daily Habits to stay on track for the last 100 days of the year. It's going really well. I read an excellent article (Forget the Goals) which explains the philosophy perfectly. I'm determined to end this year stronger!

Miles for Milk 5K

Lu and I have been doing Couch to 5K together over the past few weeks and it's felt great to get back into our old routines:). We were so happy when we realized that the Miles for Milk 5K - one of our all time favorite races - was towards the end of our training schedule so we signed up!

Miles for Milk is to support the creation of a much-needed Milk Bank for Florida. It's at Bill Frederick Park which is close to home and so pretty and on Mother's Day weekend, naturally:)

Last time we did the run, Lu wasn't even pregnant yet - and now she's an actual breast feeding mom - what a perfect celebration for her first Mother's Day and my birthday weekend!

We both had such a great time. No pressure (it was a training run for us), plenty of chatting and thanks to some misleading signs we ended up with an extra half a mile at the end to take in the scenery:)

And we made a new friend too - hi Leslie!

All that fun calls for a sweaty hug :)

Love ya sister!

Love all

No races this month but we did manage a game of tennis with the Simards which was a lot of fun!

Lady Track Shack - making a comeback!

The Lady Track Shack 5K is one of my favorite races of the year! Lu, Maddy and I registered months ago to celebrate our comeback after Lu's baby, and Maddy's first 5K - together! It all felt like a bit of a fantasy after a whole year of not racing but I completed my Couch to 5K training on schedule and managed to complete a couple of practice runs. I laughed my head off when I saw the email that Track Shack sent out this week to promote their next event...

I thought it was one of those clever personalized emails until I got a whole bunch of texts from people who got it too. How hilarious!

On the big day I felt really nervous and out of sorts but ready to try a race again. It felt so strange to get ready at 5 a.m. when it was still dark and I was thrilled that Maddy decided to come (I wouldn't have blamed her if she had wanted to stay in bed!) and Lu pulled off the small miracle it takes to leave a 2 month old princess and get out of the house!!

The T-shirts and tutus were so cute and it felt really great to be among 2,700 amazing pink ladies running to provide free mammograms within our community:) And to be back with Lu was really special - we took a million pictures just like the good old days!

And with Maddy too this time!!!

 I have waited so long to share a day like this with my baby...

The weather couldn't have been more perfect and I managed to run (slowly) the whole way just like I had planned. We had beautiful medals at the end and I was super happy with my performance:)

But Maddy stole the show and managed to pull in a sub-40 minute 5K without trying or training!  We were all really proud of ourselves and each other!

What an amazing day!!! Now I need to take my own advice (!) and "Stay Motivated" - it's going to be a great year!