A Bittersweet Auburn A-Day

Our morning started earlier than we expected, Abigail woke up at 5:30CT telling us "the sun is up". Matt's alarm went off about 15mins later, I think when he set his alarms he didn't realize our clocks switched over to Central Time. We decided to get ready and pop over to Toomer's Corner before the crowd arrived in the afternoon. It was perfect, very quiet and very few people around at the early 8am hour.

The Toomer's Oaks look so sad, they had been poisoned by a very disgruntled Bama fan the weekend after Auburn won the 2010 Iron Bowl. This hateful man called to brag about his actions on a sports talk radio show the week after Auburn had a huge rally to celebrate their 2010 BCS National Championship. Auburn proceeded to test the soil around the oaks and eventually confirmed the poisoning. Immediately there was an incredible outpouring of love and sadness from the Auburn Family, and beyond. Auburn's Horticulture department and Auburn's Tree Preservation Committee tried effortlessly, for two years, to repair the damage of the "very lethal dose" of herbicide. Unfortunately, the destruction could not be repaired and this A-Day game would be the final rolling of Toomer's Oaks.

Matt created this Toomer's Oaks design, right, when all the reports were being released in early 2011. I remember many Auburn fans making this design their Facebook and Twitter profile pictures (without permission). Matt was even requested to change the colors of the tree to crimson and white because there were plenty of Alabama fans also disgusted that one wretched fan can be so hateful. Yes, we each want our own teams to be successful on and off the playing fields, but to intentionally destroy property and another school's tradition is outright awful. So on this sad day, we will roll the Toomer's Oaks one last time.

Photo courtsey of AL.com

As Matt, Abigail and I were examining what was left of the poor trees we were approached by a photographer for AL.com. She asked us a few questions including "In one word: What does Toomer's mean to you?". The one word we selected was MEMORIES. Matt and I rolled Toomer's Corner while students at Auburn, it was always amazing to watch thousands and thousands of fans exit Jordan Hare Stadium walk around the Haley Center, down Thach and cross Samford Lawn to Toomer's Corner. A few block down from this iconic spot for Auburn fans, Matt and I first met while working at the Auburn University Hotel and Conference Center. Our first date was to the SEC Championship Game against University of Florida on December 3, 2000 (there is another story behind this, ask one of us sometime). Fast forward years ahead, and we couldn't wait to return to The Plains to bring Abigail to her first Auburn A-Day game.

April 18th, 2009

It wasn't until we returned after Auburn claimed the 2010 BCS National Championship, when we first shared the tradition of Rolling Toomer's with Abigail. She had recently turned 2yo and had fun with the orange and blue shakers, we danced to the music of the band and applauded the players and coaches for this amazing achievement.

Rolling Toomer's at National Championship Celebration, January 2011

On this A-Day in Auburn, Alabama we celebrate Auburn University, the traditions, the Auburn Family, the memories we have made on The Loveliest Village on the Plains, the new head coach Gus Malzahn and we plan to send off our Toomer's Oaks with a huge, amazing goodbye. We stopped into the newer Auburn Arena to buy tickets and we ran into Michael, he and Matt were classmates. Abigail had fun meeting Madison and we were surprised to learn a new Walker will be arriving during the 2013 football season!

    

A-Day is always the perfect event for families, especially for the children to be introduced to Auburn football. There are plenty of kid friendly activities like jump houses, face painting booths, they can throw footballs and baseballs and run drills on the football practice fields. Oh, and game tickets are priced MUCH cheaper than fall tickets!

   

We met back up with Matt's cousin Johnree and his wife Mandy to sit with and watch the A-Day game. Abigail really enjoyed being able to hop from Matt and I to Johnree and Mandy. I was really surprised how fast Abigail warmed up to them, she even shared her popcorn with them!

 

 

Since this A-Day was extra significant,  two of Matt's old classmates also brought their families to Auburn to bid a fond farewell to the Toomer's Oaks. Because life happens, our wedding 7yrs ago was the last big Industrial Design reunion. Jessica now lives back in Kentucky with her husband and twin girls, it was so nice finally getting to meet Alice & Nora and introducing them to Abigail. Uma lived abroad for a few years, her husband is military, but while they do live much closer to us (compared to Europe) we don't see them often either.





















It was so great seeing all five of our girls playing together. They were running around (maybe playing tag? we couldn't tell), collecting sticks and putting them in a big pile (you can see it in the picture at our feet). They even had lots of fun rolling one of the smaller trees in front of Samford Hall, a couple of them kept saying they were decorating a Christmas tree.

While we were able to spend time with old friends, Matt and I had lots of friends who were unable to attend this special day. There are so many amazing memories we made during our Auburn days  and while we know there are more memories to be created in years to come, it will never be the same. We mourn the Toomer's Oaks but trust that Auburn University's plan for Toomer's Corner will become an even more special place for all of the Auburn Family to continue this tradition we all love. Trees can die but their memory and spirit will live on.

War Eagle!

Training Recap: April Week 3

Going into this week, I knew it was going to be a bit crazy. We will be heading down to The Plains on Friday to enjoy all the Auburn A-Day Festivities: celebrating the new head coach Gus Malzahn, view the 2013 Auburn players and enjoy one last roll of our beloved Toomer's Corner Oaks. Knowing our travel plans, I expected Friday and Saturday to be rest days so I would try to rearrange my training with that in mind. Little did I realize how crazy this week would unfold.

Monday: 3 Miles + 4 Strides or XT
I woke up and enjoyed coverage of The Boston Marathon. I was able to watch live online and the elite runners blew my mind.  I was tracking fellow runDisney enthusiasts Leah Conner & Linda Bachand and cheering them on from my living room. One of the guy's I ran the WDWMarathon with lives in Boston and his cousin was running and another Twitter friend was there spectating as her husband ran. It was fun following Twitter, so much excitement for those running in Boston! I have learned Boston isn't just another marathon, you actually have to qualify before you can register. I am in awe of these runners who qualify, they have great speed and great dedication for running!

I stepped away from my laptop and returned to find a ton of tweets about the finish line explosions. I immediately switched on the news while pulling up the runner tracking site to see where everyone was. Two runners had finished and two runners were halted before the Mile 26 marker. My heart broke for all the runners who had their race cut short, unable to finish after so much training to get to Boston. My heart broke as news clips replayed the explosions, knowing many people had to be injured or dead. My heart shattered when one of the reported deaths was an 8 year old child. I was speechless.

The runners didn't seem to be injured, it was the spectators. All those amazing families, friends and complete strangers who came out to watch and cheer on all the runners. My family has been there, at the finish line of my races. I am still speechless.

I couldn't take it anymore, I had to go for a run. I wanted to run away from the heartache. I wanted to run for those who were unable to finish their race. As I ran I couldn't stop thinking of the 8 year old child. A child getting to experience the tradition that is The Boston Marathon. I'm sure this day was to be remembered for many years, possibly dreaming of one day also running this prestigious race, just like Shalane Flanagan.

I was introduced to Shalane earlier in the day as one of the elite female runners, she was from Boston and first watched her dad race Boston when she was 8 years old. This was her dream and she placed forth in her first appearance of The Boston Marathon, after years of dreaming and training. But dreams can be cut short so devastatingly quick. So I ran and I ran, watching news coverage from the treadmill at the gym, I ran. I didn't intend on running 8 miles, that was not my plan, but I did. I just could not stop thinking about this child and his family.

Tuesday: 5 Miles
Since I started running, I have enjoyed the encouragement and support of the running community. It doesn't matter where we live or where we race, we are united as runners. This unity was only enhanced by this tragedy, it was and is truly amazing. The running community decided to wear race shirts to show their support for the Boston runners, the Boston community and for those injured and killed from the explosions. Abigail and I proudly sported our shirts from the WDWMarathon.

Abigail wearing her "My Mom Ran 26.2" shirt.

Adidas

Adidas, one of the Boston Marathon sponsors, quickly designed the Boston Tribute Tee with all profits being donated to The One Fund Boston. Other companies followed suit...these companies were also represented in Boston for the Marathon Expo and could have had employees running or spectating, everyone is taking this tragedy personally.

I was extra pleased when I learned two businesses I have fallen in love with since I've started running also created designs with all proceeds being donated to One Fund Boston. Sweaty Bands had 3 Boston designs and added 3 new Boston Strong styles. Raw Threads also had Boston specific items then added new Boston designs in order to help those most affected. There are so many opportunities to support Boston and I hope everyone is able to contribute something.

Raw Threads

Wednesday: XT or Rest

I tried my best to make it to the same Power Class I've attended the last two Wednesdays. I was a few minutes late, as we were coming from Abigail's swim class, but instead of bailing on the class all together, I just hopped on in. After Power, I even intended to run a few miles on the treadmill after Power but failed to wear the correct sports bra. I barely ran a half mile before deciding to walk. I logged two miles, walking. I was not pleased but it would have to do for today.

Thursday: 3 Miles Sprint Training
Abigail and I attended a skating rink playdate where for $5/kid admission you can skate (includes skate rental), play on their indoor playground or bring a ride on toy to share on the skating rink. Abigail prefers to skate because there are "skating helpers" (made from PVC pipe and wheels from inline skates) so she can be independent. We have been here a few times and Abigail really enjoys skating which thrills me because I used to love to skate when I was a kid too, and I love how this is something fun we can do together. She gets better each time we return! I can tell she's anxious to skate better because she kept trying to imitate me as I did a skating spin to turn around to watch her or try to take pictures/video.

Abigail had asked if I would skate with her so I decided to wear my Polar FT4 and see what type of calories I would burn skating. We skated for a bit over 30 minutes and I burned about 150 calories. If I had been continuously skating for 30min straight, I'm sure it would have been a higher calorie burn.

The lady helping Abigail is Miss Denise, she's an employee of the skating rink and couldn't be nicer! She is so encouraging with all the children and helps them learn to skate without the skating helpers. Abigail is definitely cautious but you can tell she seems to appreciate the help because she's doing it more independently than with the skating helper. So much fun!

Friday: 4 Miles or XT
Abigail and I attended another morning playdate before coming home to pack for our weekend in Auburn. Brewer was also getting his own separate weekend outing, so I had to get his stuff together as well. As expected, there was no working out or running done. On our way to Auburn we stopped to have dinner with my in-laws, nephew and niece. I was nervous about the not fried options at O'Charley's. I ordered tilapia and sweet potato fries (my new favorite) and managed to resist THREE baskets of their delicious rolls.

Saturday: LR: 8 Miles
While I'll post separately about A-Day in Auburn, as expected I did not get a true workout or run but from all the walking we did around the campus I had to have walked a good couple miles throughout the day. I tried to make good food choices throughout the day, and while they were not great choices, I did also resist the funnel cake Abigail wanted (and we waited at least 15mins for). It was slight torture seeing the sad bit of funnel cake that would not get eaten, but I was very proud of myself for not giving into the "there are hungry children in this world" mentality.


Sunday: Rest
We took it easy coming home from Auburn which was much needed after a very long Saturday! When we made it back home, Matt took Abs to pick up Brewer while I headed to the gym to get in a run. I managed a 5mi run at an 12mm pace. I struggled the first two miles like I usually do but by the time I was almost finished, I didn't want to stop. It's probably better I did stop at 5mi because I don't need to overdo it before the new week even starts.

QUESTIONS:
-Have you purchased any item contributing to or donated directly to The One Fund Boston?
-How do you manage crazy weeks, when they are expected or unexpected?

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!