Atlanta Warrior Dash

Matt and I registered for Warrior Dash 2013 last September. A friend had encouraged our entire community group to run this race together. This sounded great, a little weekend getaway with our church community group in Mountain City, GA the weekend of May 4th. Then on December 19th, we all received emails saying the date was being moved to April 13th AND the location was also being moved, to Douglasville, GA. The new location is only an hour away, bonus.

On Thursday, we received an email giving a suggested timeline for race day and the address for where we would be parking (also noting it was $10/car). I read all the details, even about the free shuttles from parking to the race site. What I failed to do, was map where the parking was located in relation to the race site.

We arrived right at 10:00am, an hour and a half early as recommended. We parked and began our haul through a huge field to the shuttles. Turns out the shuttles were local school buses, and there was a huge line snaked around to best accommodate all the runners and spectators. While the loading process was fairly quick, the buses seemed to take forever to return. Luckily half our party was already in line so we "cut" ahead saving us at least 15-20mins in line. One friend mentioned the distance from parking to the race site was over 8mi! (And when I mapped it after returning home I came up with 11.9mi.) No wonder people were arriving much faster than they could get shuttled over. It ended up taking us an entire HOUR to arrive on site after parking. What a build up!

Pre-Race

It was very easy to get our race numbers although the male and females separated because we got different shirts. We found a spot for a family member to camp out and leave our bags, without having to use gear check. Our race numbers got pinned on and we tied the timing chips to our shoe laces. Unlike other races, these timing chips are reusable. In order to ensure racers return these chips, they are labeled to trade after the race for a free beer.

Corrals were being sent off every 15 minutes so we did not have to wait very long before we were on our way. I do have to admit the huge pyrotechnics at the start line were pretty cool. The first mile or so was along a creek with low key obstacles. The first bigger obstacle had us swimming through a pond and I was a bit disappointed to be getting so wet and muddy so early in the course. Running in wet muddy shoes, and having muddy hands to wipe your face isn't ideal...but, hey, it's a mud run.

Muddy Mayhem, Warrior Dash Stock Photo 

It seems like each Warrior Dash event can have a variety of different obstacle depending on the event location. The amount of water obstacles depend on the race site and this site must have more than others. There were numerous stretches where we had to run through 4-6in of slippery muck, and it stunk (literally stinky smelling). Matt embraced running through the muck with huge manly gazelle strides which sent mud flying so I stayed far away from him as I walked through the less mucky portions.

One of my favorite obstacles was similar to this Giant Cliffhanger pictured below. The ropes on our obstacles were shorter, so you had to run a few steps up the incline and grab the rope before sliding down. This was the first obstacle to really cause a bottleneck since only one runner could be on each rope at a time and once you hurdled over, there was a rope to belay you down the backside (not a climb like the stock photo shows below). I saw a lot of warriors who were taller than me or looked more fit, who needed a second attempt. This psyched me out a bit but I was going to at least try, and I was surprised I did it so easily. Go me!

Giant Cliffhanger, Warrior Dash Stock Photo

I could not find a picture or name of one of my least favorite obstacles. There were giant logs, still with bark, floating in a pond but were tethered to keep them all in place. When a warrior climbed over the log, it would get submerged under the dirty pond water making it slightly dangerous. As soon as the warrior's weight was off the log, it would spring back to the surface. My legs got scraped a bit on these logs as they bobbed in the water.

The course seemed much longer than only a 5K! Maybe because it's tougher to run when you're covered in mud? Maybe because the pollen count was crazy high causing my allergies to affect my asthma so I couldn't run my best? Maybe because the sun was hot, the fields were dusty, and the water obstacles were not as refreshing as a cup of water? Speaking of, water, there were two water stops on the course and all the water was baking in the heat of the sun. Warm water is not refreshing.

When Matt and I rounded the corner where the corrals started we knew were close to the finish! It was fun running past the warriors just beginning their race, their energy and excitement infused me and I ran a bit faster up the slightly rocky hill (and a bit slippery from dripping wet warriors who have gone before us). Only two obstacles remain!

Last month, Warrior Dash tweeted a fun picture captioned "Couples who hurdle fire together stay together." I re-tweeted this pic to Matt asking if that would be us on race day, and we did! (Official race photos will not be posted until April 30th so I'll come back and post our photo in a few weeks.)

The last obstacle was rough! I was wet clay mixed with small rocks, giving it a wet cement feel to it. Barb wire was overhead so we had to stay low and it was very tough to move through. The volunteers "supervising" and "encouraging" at this obstacle described the mixture as a chunky peanut butter. It was SO thick and the bottom was slippery which made it difficult for your foot to find traction. Lots of people were using exposed roots on the sides for assistance. One of our friends lost his wedding band, and I'm sure he wasn't the only one. 

After we made our way out of this last obstacle, there was a professional photographer taking photos so we posed for a shot then proceeded on to the finish line. Matt and I got our Warrior Dash medal, which is also a beer bottle opener, and was handed water. While I still feel like a rookie runner, even with the few races I have run, finishers usually get water and some form of snack at the end of a race. Snacks usually are bananas and granola bars, but Warrior Dash had nothing. It may have been awkward for us to eat being so dirty but I would have loved something for after I cleaned up a bit. All the food on site came with a price tag, very disappointing since we were all starving and the food selections were not extensive and prices were not cheap.

Warriors!

Okay, so we're extremely dirty and it's time to wash off. The private showers were exclusively for Warriors for St. Jude who raised a minimum of $200 and everyone else had the pleasure of The Warrior Wash. Especially after the few obstacles with spraying water, I would have expected some type of similar "feature" for clean up. Nope, The Warrior Wash was a pond, fairly similar to a few we swam through already. The picture below is Matt after washing up a bit and changing out of his clay soaked shirt (notice the color of the water!). The men were able to take their shirts off and change easily, while the women were left to be exhibitionists or change in a port-a-potty. I decided I would change in a port-a-potty but half were out of commission as the company cleaned out the facilities mid-day, causing very long bathroom lines for the other half of the port-a-potties.

We decided to trade in our time chips and leave. The only trade option for our time chips was a large can of Miller Lite. I, myself, do not drink beer and Matt does not drink cheap domestic beer, so we ended up giving our free beers to others in line. I was again very disappointed, this was strike three for me. I was just done. We decided to leave.

We did not expect yet another line to get back to our car. We were dirty and wet and there was a bit of a breeze, I was freezing. I didn't time how long we waited but it was easily another 30mins, it didn't seem like as many buses were en route at 2pm as when we arrived at 10am. Our bus ride back was less than ideal, I overheard lots of colorful language and the bus driver was just as speedy as our earlier driver (which didn't feel safe on the narrow two lane roads and school buses do not have seat belts). Once we arrived back at the parking lot, I was completely surprised there was still a huge line of people waiting to get to the race site.

Overall, while the race itself was fun, I am very disappointed with the execution of this event as a whole. I had heard very positive reviews of The Warrior Dash Atlanta in past years. There are too many different obstacle races and mud runs to choose from to want to be highly inconvenienced with an event like this. The Warrior Dash posted to their Facebook page stating their event logistics "didn't live up to the expectations [they] set over the last several year" also promising they "will make it up to [warriors] in 2014". Warriors replied to this post, and it is not pretty...I read a bunch and it turns out conditions just continued to decline throughout the day. We must have had it pretty good in comparison, which is very sad. I'm interested to see how the organizers decide to proceed with their Atlanta event going forward, only time will tell.

In other news, remember that friend who originally encouraged us to run The Warrior Dash? Well, because of the date swap he wasn't able to participate. The Warrior Dash event date was moved to the same date he was registered for The Great Urban Race and since he & his wife placed second in 2012 they wanted a rematch. This was a great choice for Team Stovall as they placed FIRST this year! The added bonus of bragging rights is it qualifies them to compete in the National Championship in Puerto Rico. Congratulations again, we look forward to cheering for Team Stovall again in December!

QUESTIONS:

-Have you ever participated in an race with obstacles or a mud run? Did you enjoy your experience?

-Have you ever attended an event (race or another event/concert/etc) that failed to live up to expectations or hype from others? 

Training Recap: April Week 2

Starting a new week on a high from the previous is such a great feeling! I had a successful April Week 1 of "my" new training plan and I really enjoyed my scheduled rest day at Turner Field with my family on Sunday. In case you missed my training blog post, I am using Another Mother Runner's Half Marathon: Finish It Training Plan. While I have now run a full marathon and 3 half marathons, I have run all of these using run:walk intervals. My goal to run an entire 13.1mi without intervals at the completion of this training plan.

Knowing Matt & I are registered for the Warrior Dash on Saturday, I really swapped around my training this week.

Monday: Fun work-out

I decided to run some treadmill hills to also start training for the infamous "Cardiac Hill" of the Peachtree Road Race, which I will be running on July 4th. I checked out the course elevation map and it looks like right before Mile Marker 3 runners will start up a 100' climb. 

I created my own plan for this treadmill attempt...

.25mi 3.0 Incline at 3.5mph, .25mi 5.0 Incline at 5.0mph, .50mi 0.0 Incline at 5.0mph

.25mi 3.0 Incline at 3.5mph, .25mi 6.0 Incline at 5.0mph, .50mi 0.0 Incline at 5.0mph

.25mi 3.0 Incline at 3.5mph, .25mi 8.0 Incline at 5.0mph, .50mi 0.0 Incline at 5.0mph

I didn't want to push myself too much since I still had a full week of training still to go. I felt comfortable with this hill training, it was a bit of a challenge and I will continue to increase the incline, distance of incline and will hopefully be able to increase my speed as well. I really want to be prepared for the PRR Cardiac Hill.

To incorporate some "fun" into today's training, I attended the Active class at Gold's. The class gets your heart rate up with Step, switches over to some weight training and finishes off with a bit of core. I timed this class with my Polar FT7, it lasted 52 minutes long and I burned 540 calories!

Tuesday: 5 Miles

Instead of 5, I decided to do the 7 mile long run since we'll be at the Warrior Dash. I have followed other bloggers who are training/have trained for full or half marathons and they will just add a run to their race day. I will probably do this at some point in my training. I am not familiar with the location of the Warrior Dash so I wanted to get this long run under my belt for the week and not have to worry about it on Saturday.

I struggled with the first 2 miles, not sure if I would be able to complete all 7. Somewhere between 3-4 I got into a groove and cruised through the rest. (This is very normal for me and I hope somewhere along the line, this will just be a crazy memory instead.) I kept my pace steady at a 12mm (minute mile) so I could avoid the run:walk intervals. With under a half mile to go, I increased my speed to challenge myself. My total time for these 7mi was 83min (an average 11:51mm pace). 

Wednesday: XT; or Rest

I chose to return to the Wednesday Power class at Gold's. My lower behind or upper thigh area (couldn't decipher where exactly) was a bit sore last week for a couple days after class. Nothing felt off during class, so I wanted another attempt to see if I could pin point which exercise caused this soreness. I kept the same weights as last week but went lighter for squats. I found that muscle area! The soreness was caused from "downstairs" squats, well that's what the instructor calls them anyway. I was able to avoid that uncomfortable soreness this week!

Thursday: 4 Miles

I have had an open invitation to swim laps while Abigail is taking her swim class for over a year now. It always seems like so much extra work, having to take my change of clothes in addition to Abigail's stuff. Well, until it's a regular habit, it will seem like extra work. So I took all my stuff to swim laps.

I swam the first 10 laps using a kickboard and flippers. My next 5 laps were on my back still using the kickboard and flippers. Then I put the kickboard aside and did 10 full laps freestyle. I'm proud of myself, I even did a few flip turns! I took breather breaks in between a few of the laps, I haven't swam laps like this since high school. Overall it was a great workout and I need to make sure I'm incorporating this into my training on a more frequent basis.

Friday: 3 Miles; or XT

Originally, I had planned to log some miles on Friday. Other responsibilities took priority and Friday ended up being a rest day. 

Saturday: LR: 7 Miles
I am looking forward to the Warrior Dash! We registered for this race with other couples from our community group. Unfortunately, the ring leader encouraged us all to sign up for Warrior Dash wont be competing with us Saturday as he'll be competing in The Great Urban Race with his wife throughout Atlanta. Originally, our race was scheduled for May but then the date AND location was moved, and while the location is now closer to us, it double booked this couple for Warrior Dash. If I remember correctly, they placed 2nd out of all the 2012 600 participants.  We will miss them but wish them lots of luck in The Great Urban Race!

Keep an eye out for a recap of the Warrior Dash this weekend! 

QUESTIONS:

-How did your training go this week?

-Is there a sport or hobby you used to play/do when you were younger and picked it up many years later?

Stupid Pollen

I was diagnosed with springtime allergies when I was six, so I do not remember liking spring. Most people are inconvenienced with that lovely yellow dust layer on EVERYTHING. I'm not "most people", I'm seriously inconvenienced with itchy, watery eyes, lots of spontaneous sneezing...and the wonderful headaches that coexist. 

The pollen count in Atlanta has been in the "extremely high range" since Sunday. Atlanta Allergy & Asthma Clinic said "today's pollen count third highest in more than 20 years". Lovely. Last year when the pollen count spiked into the 8000s, it increased another thousand the following day so I don't have much hope for tomorrow...but it's supposed to rain! All of this nastiness needs to be washed out of the air!

In 2012, this extremely high pollen count arrived in March and lasted a full three weeks. Our next three weekends are very eventful and I would really hate to not be able to enjoy all that is planned! Here's hoping for LOTS of rain today and tomorrow!

QUESTIONS:
-Do you suffer from allergies? Or are you just inconvenienced by the nastiness?

Braves Sweep the Cubs

We attended the Braves game this afternoon for their last game against the Chicago Cubs. While we have attended games at Turner Field the last two summers, we have never attended a game this early into the season (the season opener was on April 1st). I had purchased our tickets using a deal site, Goldstar, and we got $16 tickets for Club Level. A great price fro great seats!

Abigail was super excited to go to the baseball game because I had told her she could have popcorn. She even tried to refuse breakfast before church too, she wanted to save room for the popcorn.

Not long into the game, Abigail stated "I see someone has a silly face on!". I looked around and saw this extravagant Braves fan with his face fully painted in red and white, with Indian headdress AND a Napa flag (not sure where the flag plays into the #1 Braves fan attempt, but okay.). As always, Abigail is very observant!

After Abigail had enough popcorn, her and I headed off to search the Club Level for a foam tomahawk. She thought the giant foam finger was cool but wouldn't let me take her picture with it. The tomahawk seemed to be most helpful to shield Abigail's sensitive ears from all the cheering when the Braves got on base or an RBI.

When we were searching for the tomahawk Abigail described to me "the thing with the white stuff on top". Her little memory always amazes me! This little girl remembered us splitting a funnel cake from our last Braves game back in June 2012. Abigail then spotted a guy selling bags of cotton candy, she wanted that too. I had to explain she had to choose a funnel cake or cotton candy. Thank goodness she decided on the cotton candy because I could not have resisted a few bites of funnel cake. Abigail was sweet enough to share some with her daddy instead.

One of the perks to this Sunday afternoon is kids can run the bases after the game. Abigail ended up running out of steam during the bottom of the 7th inning. She snuggled with me, saying she just wanted to rest but soon enough she was passed out! Even though today was my rest day, I carried all 30lbs of her through the stadium and almost to the car. ;)

After the game Matt dropped me off at our church so I could drive the Jetta and pick up Brewer on the way home. Our sweet friends had Brewer over for a puppy playdate so we didn't have to leave him in the crate for 6+ hours today. He must have played lots and lots with Maxine, because all he's done since coming home is snooze! Both Matt and I agree we need to let him have playdates more often, he's so much sweeter when he doesn't want to take all his crazy, puppy energy out on us!

When I arrived home, Matt showed me the last picture he took of Abigail. She rode with him in the Clubman while I went to get Brewer. From the picture, you can decide from yourself, is she completely terrified or does she love riding in daddy's new car!?!

Overall, it was a great day! Matt was extra happy because the Braves swept the Cubs in this series. We look forward to attending a few more games this summer!

QUESTIONS:
-Do you follow baseball? Do you ever attend games?
-What is your "favorite" baseball team, if you have one?

Training Recap: April Week 1

I really underestimated the Sugar Detox upon first reading. I thought I could tackle this challenge without a hitch! What I failed to think through as we drove from FL to GA was how to officially execute this challenge. We had been out of town for 5 days I had nothing fresh in the house. How could I have started on the right foot without the proper food!?! As a reminder, below I've posted the details of the Sugar Detox Challenge.

From Laura's blog post MommyRunFast.blogspot.com...

Here’s what I’m proposing:

1. What: Choose Level One- eliminating all added sugars (honey, maple syrup, rice syrup, added fructose, etc) OR Level Two- sugars and processed foods, which often have the same effect as sugar when broken down in our system, including white flour/bread/crackers/energy bars, etc
2. When: Seven day detox, from Monday, April 1st to Sunday, April 7th (have your Easter Sunday final treat if you want to!)
3. For extra support, use the hashtag #sugardetox to connect with other participants on Twitter or Instagram
4. PRIZES! Sign up below, and (optional) tweet or share for an extra entry to win a few fun prizes, including ProCompression socks, a box of healthy snacks from NatureBox, a box of Bites of Bliss Superfood Bites, and more.

Monday
Like I said before, how could I start off on the right right foot without the proper food? I think I snacked on cottage cheese and a cheese stick until Matt returned from the grocery store with milk and banana. Abigail asked for cinnamon rolls for breakfast, and I usually indulge because it's easier than fixing two different meals. Oh and see the little icing container & lid, I have always licked these bad boys clean before throwing in the garbage. I guess with this challenge being fresh and new, I had the will power to toss them even with the icing remnants!

Abigail and I ended up rushing out the door for her swim lesson and I grabbed one of my Quest Bars. These protein bars are delicious and have no sugar, but I completely failed to think it through...as it's obviously a processed food. Speaking of "processed", NUUN doesn't have sugar so I'm allowing it this week, I know I can use the extra electrolytes while on this detox and to help keep me hydrated during my training. I also just picked up their new flavors last Saturday and am hooked! Watermelon & Cherry Limeade are sooo good!

Training called for 3mi plus 4 strides or XT, I chose to run. I have trained so much since November running intervals that running 3mi straight without walk breaks was a bit of a challenge. I took it easy and only ran at a 12mm (minute mile) pace. At the end I ran 4 strides, which is basically sprinting for 30 seconds, at 8mph (around a 7.5mm pace).

Tuesday
I knew it was going to be a rough day immediately upon waking to Brewer's insistent barking at 7:15am. I rolled out of bed with a pounding headache, the sugar withdrawal headache. Lovely. I trucked on with my coffee flavored milk (no fancy creamers), fruit and cottage cheese. The headache persisted through Abigail's swim class and through her dance class. I even tried a Starbucks Venti Non-Fat Latte (no flavor at all, I've liked it like this for years) in hopes the caffeine would help the headache, no luck. Then it was time for my run.

Training called for 4-5mi. I headed to Gold's and knew it was going to be tough running as my brain felt like it was bouncing in my skull.  This was definitely a challenge! I kept my pace slow, which took me longer to finish, but I knew I couldn't push my luck with the headache. After my cool down, my mileage was just over 5mi.

Wednesday
The sugar headache disappeared sometime during the night, thank goodness! Abigail and I spent our morning at MOPS and then her 4yo pediatric well check was in the afternoon. I had been dreading this appointment because I remember how much she hated her 3yo vaccines, but it's a necessary evil. Abigail had been very upset (cue waterworks) any time I brought up her needing to visit the doctor and never gave me a reason and upon lots of conversation, I asked if she wanted to switch to a female doctor and she agreed. The nurse was a young male, with lots of positive energy and she felt comfortable with him taking her blood pressure and helping me answer some routine questions. The pediatrician was wonderful! She was very personable and had pleasant conversation with us before starting her routine well patient checks, this gave Abigail time to warm up to her a bit which was nice. Abigail is finally 30lbs (30.2 to be exact) and is 40in tall. She had three vaccines, in which she screamed, but she picked out a "new friend" as a treat after we left.

Training called for XT or rest, and I decided to cross train. It's been a while since I've attended a Power class at Gold's, it's a group fitness class with weights all set to music. Since Thursday, Friday & Saturday all called for runs I decided to keep my weights low so I wouldn't be miserably sore. Setting up myself for success is important!

Dinner was interesting to say the least. We went to a local Mexican restaurant to meet up with a Mini Cooper group. I made myself a smoothie before heading out. (Smoothie: spinach, plain Greek yogurt, tart cherry juice, strawberries, pear, almonds & flax seed.)

LOVE Wish Farms Strawberries!

Thursday
I woke up a bit sore from Power, even though I took it easy and didn't get to heavy with the weights! It's been too long since I've attended this class and paid for it. I sat on the couch and watched a bit of the Today Show (after popping some Advil of course!). While this was probably smart for my training, it was not a smart way to schedule my day. Abigail had afternoon swim and gymnastics, then we rushed the gym so I could get my miles in.

Training called for 3-4mi as 10min warm up, sprint intervals (6 x 30sec) with 1min recovery and a 10min cool down. My total mileage was 2.97mi. I love that in the training plan it says "The mileage is simply a guide, so no need to run around your block one more time to reach three miles.". I'm sure as I continue my training and get faster I will surely total more miles.

Friday
To start off the day, I got in a 3mi run before the Centergy class at Gold's. Centergy is a unique group fitness class that incorporates Yoga and Pilates in fluid motions all set to music. It's a great class to stretch out and gain flexibility, both helpful for runners. I had a huge bowl of oatmeal and a smoothie for lunch. (Smoothie: spinach, plain Greek yogurt, tart cherry juice, mango, raspberries, almonds, banana.)

Another interesting dinner, as we went out for pizza with Matt's parents and our nephew. The garlic knots from St.Angelo's are a delicious combination of bread, garlic and Parmesan cheese. I seriously considered calling the Sugar Detox quits just for these. I had not had an urge to quit until this point. I managed to drink my water throughout dinner then eat when I got home. When we got home, I got a crazy chocolate craving. It was serious. I usually have a sweet tooth, but it's never chocolate. I went to sleep early instead to be completely rested for my long Saturday run.

Saturday
I originally planned to go run with a group from our church. Brewer didn't seem to like this and he had a nice surprise for Matt & I to clean up first thing this morning. Because of this, I ended up also sweeping/mopping the kitchen, and doing lots of laundry. I was about to get ready to head out for a run on the treadmill at the gym (I hate running outside solo) and my friend Kristen sent a text inquiring if I had run yet. Her timing couldn't have been more perfect. We decided to meet at The Silver Comet Trail to knock out my 6mi.

We ran intervals of 2:30:1 and I practically had to beg for all those interval walks. At the halfway point I paused my watch, Kristen said she had a surprise for me. We proceeded down this tiny paved trail through the trees and then I saw the old, abandoned mill. It was beautiful, the remaining stone walls and steal infrastructure. We took a wrong path back up to the trail, so we had to back track some so our total hike "break" was 33min. Instead of turning around, Kristen instructed there were water fountains close. After a quick drink we turned back and continued intervals. Since we didn't turn around at the halfway point, we got a nice cool down walk back to our cars & it was nice to have conversation without my huffing and puffing.

AB April
Somehow I managed to keep to the training plan but completely forgot Wednesday and Saturday "Improve Your Plank Workout" assignments. Good think I have another three and a half weeks left to April to continue to improve my planks.

I am really happy with this first week of my new training training plan and my success with the Sugar Detox. I would like to try to stay away from a lot of the sugars I gave up in this detox but I really must allow a bit occasionally, like some dark chocolate with sea salt and almonds (not to be specific or anything). This Sugar Detox and excluding processed foods made me realize how much I snack on Abigail's food throughout the day, no bueno!

Questions:

-Have you ever done a Sugar Detox? What did you like/not like about it?

-How did your week of training go? Is there a specific goal you are training for?

No More Fooling Around

One aspect I have enjoyed most about racing is I have continued to train without much downtime, until March.  The month started as I was still recovering from a virus and I decided it would be best to take it easy not wanting a relapse. I was also helping organize/run my MOPS group's bi-annual consignment sale from March 3-9; these weeks never seems to leave extra time for exercise. The week following consignment sale week is always a catch-up week for me, so again no runs or workouts. 

I really had no idea what to expect from myself going into the Georgia Publix Half Marathon on March 17th. After only running 2.83mi between The Princess Half and Georgia Publix Half, I still managed to set a new PR for myself. I know this is because I have trained a lot since my first Half Marathon on November 18th, and I was under trained going into that race. It's reassuring to know little slip ups in my training wont be too devastating BUT I wonder what I could have PR'd if I had continued better training.

This idea of better training has had been analyzing other bloggers training plans and researching different training options. I followed the Couch to 5K App training plan, then really just did my own thing beyond that.  I notice that when I get into one type of training, I have a really hard time adding in variety. I think the best plan for me would be to actually have a plan!

Why do I need a plan? Even though I have a 26.2 and 13.1 magnets on my car, I still consider myself a rookie in this sport. I only started the Couch to 5K training in June 2012. I have come a long way, but there is still lots to learn and I want to treat my body right. If I follow the right plan, I will achieve my goals without any overuse injury. 

What are my goals? Currently my 5K PR is 34:17 from the ATC Heart & Sole 5K on February 9th and my 13.1 PR is 02:36:17. I would like to sub-30min on a 5K (and maybe sub 28 for the Vinings Down Hill in August). I would like to sub-02:15 by October for optimal corral placement for the Wine & Dine Half Marathon. I also would like to be able to run an entire half marathon without walking intervals.

I have decided to try Another Mother Runner's Half-Marathon: Finish It Plan. This plan seems to be the best option for MY success. This training plan was written by two mothers, so there is flexibility throughout. On the actual training plan there are two icons, a coffee cup and a water bottle. The coffee cup is a "Bail if Necessary" option saying "If you need your usual running time to fill your empty fridge or take care of some other task, go for it.". Obviously the water bottle is the opposite, it "simply must be done in order to ensure success". I'll be following the first week as listed here below.

     Monday: Easy 3 miles with 4 strides; or XT (Bail if Necessary)

     Tuesday: 4-5 miles

     Wednesday: XT; or Rest

     Thursday: 3-4 miles

     Friday: 3 miles; or XT

     Saturday: Long Run: 6 miles

     Sunday: REST

The more I workout and exercise, the healthier food choices I make. When I slack on exercise, I end up making poor food choices. Since March was so minimal in the training department, I have noticed myself allowing more flavored coffee creamer than the suggested servings and splurging on candy around the house left over from Valentine's and Easter Egg Hunts. Last week I saw a friend ReTweet a Sugar Detox Challenge. I emailed the link to myself so I could read later and I didn't get around to reading it until our drive home from Florida last night. This challenge is being organized by Laura of MommyRunFast.com to help hold herself accountable and is offering prizes for those who participate. Again, this detox will only enhance my training so I'm giving it a go. 

Since I'm starting April out with a bang, I might as well restart my planks. Back in the fall I started planking daily, but like usual, something got me out of my routine and it was difficult restarting. Planking is also not easy when you have sore legs from running! Carissa, from Fit2Flex, tweeted last night a blog post about an "AB APRIL" Challenge to "improve your plank workout". Since the core is very important to running, I'm also going to incorporate this "AB April" Challenge to my training.

So now that all this training is actually "on paper", I hope it will help me with my training and to achieve my goals. I plan to use my scheduled REST on Sunday from training to recap this first week of April.

QUESTIONS:
-How do you decided on a training plan?
-Do you have any current goals you are working towards? This does not have to be fitness related!

How Is It Spring?

It is officially Spring but from the cold weather we've still been having in Atlanta, you would never know it. The weather has been insane these last few month. When I ran the 20th Anniversary WDW Marathon on January 13th, I ended up with a minor sunburn. Now it's the end of March, I'm still sporting my UGG boots and heaviest jacket daily.

Normally I dread Spring. I'm allergic to 90% of trees which results in a few very miserable weeks for me. Since I was diagnosed in 1987 (when I was in Kindergarten), I have tried just about every medication on the market and none of them work as prescribed for me. But right now, I completely welcome these few miserable weeks if it means I can say "Adios" to the cold temperatures!

I'm ready for our yard to bloom into beautiful colors! I never cared for Azaleas but there a huge bush in our backyard that get covers perfectly white. Last year, the Azaleas bloomed before the last cold snap and all the white turned brown and they sat like that through summer and fall. I'm hoping for a different view this season. I'm hoping this last cold snap won't affect all the buds that have started to appear! (I'm also hoping this is the LAST cold snap!!!)

I'm also ready for our four blueberry bushes to not look like sticks . There are tiny little buds on the edges of all the little limbs. Abigail and I really enjoyed picking blueberries last year. I covered the bushes with a bird net and I couldn't believe how many berries came off our small bushes. I'm anxious to see what grows this year.

Last year I started a bunch of seedlings indoors, then when I moved them outdoors they were all eaten by rolypoly bugs. I ended up purchasing some habanero pepper plants and a small fig tree. The habanero plants did great & we got a few peppers but I never moved them indoors for fall/winter so they died. I did move the fig indoor and it's doing great. It has already come out of winter hibernation, has new stem growth and has sprouted lots of leaves.

Also last year, my aunt & uncle in Florida inspired me to try to grow my own pineapple plants after purchasing from the grocery store. They said to slice the "crown" off the pineapple then plant it directly in soil. It sounded too easy to be true. Then I decided to try it out for myself after finding a new dinner recipe that called for pineapple. I now have two pineapple plants growing in pots, they are also indoor as they would not survive the cold temps.

Hopefully April will be the turning point for this weather, I'm a FLgrl born and raise and cannot handle much more of this cold. Abigail is ready to play more outdoors too!

QUESTIONS:
-What are you most looking forward to about Spring?
-Have you had luck growing your own fruits or vegetables?

Run Hood to Coast with NUUN

A week ago I saw NUUN tweet they are accepting applications from "Lady Running Bloggers" to fill two relay teams to run The 32nd Annual Hood to Coast Relay. I immediately looked up the link to read more about all the details. The gears started turning in my head...

I have heard of The Ragnar Relay Series. Some runDisney enthusiasts I follow on Twitter have formed a team to run in the northeast. While each person runs alone, you are part of a team so there's individual and team success. I really enjoy running with others, you get encouragement and get to encourage. I know this is something I would like to do at some point, but probably in the Florida Keys where it's the most flat location of all the Ragnar events. I'm not sure when a Ragnar Relay might happen for me so when I read the NUUN tweet I was intrigued. 

Immediately I recommended my friend Lena apply, she lives on the west coast. I "met" Lena on Twitter and started following her blog, The Beginners Runner, and so much of her running journey reminded me of my own. She had been training (properly, unlike myself) for her first half marathon. Lena was training for The Princess Half Marathon at Walt Disney World and I was going to be running that race too. And it turns out, we ended up running the race together too!

According to the Nuun blog post, in order to apply, one must meet these five criteria...

1. Have not run Hood to Coast with Nuun in the past
2. Are female
3. Have an active blog
4. Love Nuun
5. Are really fun!

I have only run in Georgia and Florida, so nope I have not run Hood to Coast, let alone with Nuun in the past. I am female, check. I have a blog, it's almost 5yrs old...I'm not sure about that "active" part as I would like to blog so much more than I do. Other priorities arise but I have been slowly trying to go back and blog about things and details I know I will forget over time. Yes, I love Nuun, check. I actually felt like some sort of Nuun pusher when trying to introduce it to my Auburn friends who came down to run The Princess Half Marathon. And lastly, I think I'm really fun...I hope others think I'm fun too. :)

A few days passed after I recommended Lena apply and I was still thinking about the possibility of NUUN Hood to Coast. I decided to throw caution out the window and apply. I wasn't really sure what to say or how to make myself stand out. Instead, I decided to make a slideshow of sorts reviewing my running journey over the last 9mo and why I'd like to participate. I am very happy with the end result of my application. 

2013 Jill Barnes NUUN Run Hood to Coast Application

Applications will be accepted through midnight of April 5th and teams will be announced on April 17th. I have no idea how many women actually apply or what might chances might be to actually get selected. Either way, I'm proud of myself for even applying and I am happy others are getting see how my running experience started when they view my video. 

QUESTIONS:

-Have you ever run a relay race before? Does this type of event even seem appealing to you?

-Have you ever thrown caution out the window to apply for something? What was the result?

The Mini Cooper Clubman

Back in February, I accidentally killed Matt's Montero towards the end of February. Matt got the Montero after graduating from Auburn, he's had it for 10.5yrs and it had over 200,000mi. The Montero served us well and while it's been a great vehicle, the fix was going to be way too expensive. 

Matt started researching vehicles and on March 9th we went to Carmax to see a variety of vehicles in the least amount of time. He was mostly looking at smaller SUVs, thinking he would get the Jetta and I would get the "new to us" vehicle. I wasn't completely sold, we don't really have a need for an SUV. The Jetta is big enough for our little family and there is plenty of trunk space. I also wasn't ready to sacrifice a few MPGs just to have a SUV. An SUV would only make sense if we upgraded to something with a third row, which isn't a current *need* for us right now.

I am not a car person, that is all Matt. I would much rather do lots of other unpleasant things (like clean toilets or get cavities filled) before choosing to look at cars. Abigail and I started to walk aimlessly through the car lot when we stumbled upon a couple Fiats and Minis. I was really surprised to see the low price (compared to the SUVs) and the high MPGs. Abigail kept wanting to climb into every car so we decided to look at The Mini Clubman, the longer/extended Mini. While the backseat isn't super roomy compared to an SUV, it seemed big enough for Abigail's carseat. We decided to take it for a test drive WITH Abigail's Britax. I sat in the back with Abigail and didn't feel cramped next to the Britax. We left Carmax with a completely different mindset than when we arrived. 

What I could not see at Carmax was "internal Matt", he must have been jumping up and down like a little kid on his birthday. As my mother commented on Facebook, "...and the sleeping giant awoke with [my] suggestion." Over the next two weeks, Matt started researching this vehicle in depth. He learned all about the different types of Mini, there's a "justa" and a sport version (maybe more but that's all I remember). Matt "liked" a few Atlanta Mini Clubs on Facebook and was searching for this car through the Carmax website. 

Matt found a 2011 Mini Clubman at a Carmax in Kentucky, it only had 4300mi and it was priced around $19000. If you find a vehicle within a 250mi radius, Carmax would ship it to your location free of charge. Outside of the 250mi, it was $200 which still keeps this car priced right. Matt made the call and the waiting game began. He was very anxious for for the car to arrive.

The next two weeks seemed to drag on forever to me as Matt researched and learned more about the little world of Mini owners. Turns out owners wave at each other and name their Mini's. The local Atlanta club has an annual Easter Scavenger Hunt. Matt found another event near Pigeon Forge, TN called MINIs on the Dragon where people go to drive curvy roads together. Then Matt stumbled up an event he knew I would really approve, Mickey & Mini! I have no idea what this event really is, but anything at Disney is a win in my book!

On Friday night, Matt got the call that his car had arrived. We basically dropped everything to go see the much anticipated vehicle. Carmax was going to be closing soon so we knew there wasn't time for all the paperwork. Matt inspected the vehicle and took it for a test drive; he approved. He snapped this picture and posted it to Facebook saying "Hello there, Mini! Yes, I had you sent down from Kentucky. And yes you're coming home with me tomorrow." 

We returned in the morning and Carmax processed the Montero as a trade in. Like I mentioned before, the Montero had a good run...and had all the dings, dents and scratches to prove it. We didn't get much for the vehicle but we were able to transfer the Auburn tag to the MINI. Two long hours later (again, I'm not a car person), we were driving off the lot in the MINI and my husband could not have been happier.

Matt's post to Facebook, "Brought the new Mini home today. Hugs the road tightly, and that 6-speed is a blast." I'm not sure if he posted this before or after I started to get carsick while riding. My tummy is not used to manual transmission driving, but less time looking at my iPhone helped a lot.

It wasn't until the following morning, when it was finally Abigail's turn to take her first ride. She was thrilled! Next to the full size passenger door, there's a cute Abigail door for easier access to the backseat. She really loves Matt's new car and even suggested a few times that mommy should drive it and daddy take Nano's car (which was on temporary loan from my dad after the Montero died).

So now the only thing left is to give Matt's new MINI a name (yes, I eyeroll every time). Matt originally suggested "CamBo" which was also name thrown out for Brewer, I declined with both. Matt's nickname has been CRASH since college and his new business is CB CREATIVE. He loves Auburn (hence the CamBo creation from Cam Newton & Bo Jackson). The MINI still needs a name!

QUESTIONS:

-Do you name your vehicles? If so, what type of car do you have and what's it's name?

-Can you give us a suggestion or two to throw in to the naming pot for our new nameless Mini?

Puppy Love

For the last 11 months, we have been a family without a dog. Matt and I both agree we are dog lovers and would eventually get another dog. I had a lot of guilt in this department, I felt like I was replacing Toby. I know this wasn't the case but in the end he was really sick and I really questioned the care I gave him and if I had done everything I could do...it was not easy making the call, but it wasn't fair to let him suffer any longer.

Back in September while the Jetta was getting the tires rotated and balanced, Abigail and I walked over to Petland. She absolutely LOVED looking at the different puppies. We got to snuggle with a few different puppies and her favorite of the day was this little Chihuahua. Abigail named him Mickey.

I was not ready for a puppy. Petland seemed like a good "fix" for Abigail, who was ready to welcome a new dog into our family. I did ask how much Mickey cost, $1300. WHAT? A dog can cost more than our mortgage? No thank you. Because these dogs cost so much, I had no problem saying good-bye to them. Abigail wanted to way visit more to often than we ever went. Instead we started praying for the dogs we were visiting and we prayed for a dog 'somewhere out there' that would be the perfect dog for our family. 

Over Christmas I was discussing with Matt's cousins about how Abigail told me she wanted a puppy for Christmas. Her actual description was her version of Lady and the Tramp, when Darling opens the present and Lady jumps out. It turns out Jerome & Chastity's dogs just had a liter of 9 on December 12th. The dad is a Labrador and the mom is a Lab-Weimaraner mix. They planned to only keep one of the nine so Matt and I chatted, and it was the perfect opportunity. (This picture to the right is Matt & Abigail with Jerome & Chastity's boys, Dylan & Dalton. Dylan is ONLY 14yo and is a good few inches taller than Matt, who is 6'1". Although Dylan likes University of Georgia, Matt is no so secretly hoping Dylan will be recruited by Auburn University.) 

On our way back home from our trip to Florida for the WDW Marathon on January 14th I got a text from Chastity. It was a sad text. Turns out the momma dog Ellie got into some bones, one punctured her stomach and  died the weekend before. Chastity was doing her best to feed the nine puppies with a blended mixture of dry milk, water and dog food. It wasn't easy so she said we were welcome to come and select a puppy. We went late on Friday the 18th and the three of us had a difficult time choosing which puppy to welcome into our home.

It took a few days to name this little guy but we settled on Brewer. The name reflects Matt's love for beer and our love for coffee, little did we know that Brewer also likes coffee!

At Brewer's first vet appointment he weighed under 6lbs. He has done well sleeping in his crate at night, not crying much at all. We definitely have a long road ahead of us in regards to potty training...

Brewer also got quite an introduction in Abigail's room, we had to teach him that none of the toys on Abigail's bed are chew toys. And at the exact moment I took the picture, Brewer turned to grab Abigail's Tramp. My favorite quote from Abigail was "He doesn't want to play with a toy. He thinks I am a toy!" #AbsMakesMeLaugh

We definitely have an interesting few months ahead of us. Brewer, welcome to the family!

QUESTIONS:
-Have you ever welcomed a new puppy into your home?
-What would be your best advice for families selecting a new pet?