Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Welcome Baby Phillip!!

Well,  we survived Sandy with minimal damages around our parts...The beach is another story and my thoughts and prayers go out to everyone affected by the hurricane!

As I was heading into work this morning I saw a fellow runner braving the elements and running in the freezing cold rain!!  We are a special bunch of people I tell ya.  So my adorable pregnant friend Michelle was having her baby today and I was able to go in for her...Michelle and Chris are such amazing friends and people!  They are the type of friends that will do ANYTHING for you and are always there for you..so this was such a special moment to be able to give back!  We were not sure whether Baby G was a boy or a girl until they made their little way into this world....Best surprise ever and there was not a dry eye in the room!  Chris and Michelle are going to be the BEST parents EVER and I cannot wait to see their little family grow together.......Congrats Chris and Michelle and Baby Phillip:
It's a BOY

Proud Daddy!

Mommy Michelle, Aunt Kim and Phillip

Welcome Baby!!!
Phillip Paul 7 lbs 13 oz, 20 inches.......Welcome to the gang buddy!!

Happy Running!

Monday, October 29, 2012

Dear Sandy

Ok so we are in the middle of the hurricane and I am already getting anxious about being stuck inside!  So far we still have power and the boys are not driving each other too crazy just yet!  If you are out and about going to work ( all my medical personnel friends ) please be safe!  Fingers crossed Sandy plays nice. 

Stay safe and dry!

Happy Running!  ( well...not today )

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Best Halloween Party, Epic Fail and Hurricane

Friday night we had The Walsh Family Haunted Halloween Party to attend!  This was such a blast!!  We all went in costume and my hubby had the best costume of the night:
Wow!!

He decided to go as me since we were going to be around a bunch of my running buddies!  He is such a nut and I love him for it!  He even wore my Garmin, BIC band, iFitness belt and Road ID.  I went as a cowgirl...Yeehaw!  They boys decided to be a ghost pirate and skate boarder..they had the best time and did not want to leave at the end of the night.  Here are some of the yummy treats from the party:
Mummy Dogs

Fingers

Eye of the Newt

Spider Venom

Vodka

Yummy dip
And this is just a few pics of what was there but there was soooooo many more delicious treats!  Angel was a Silent Movie Actress and looked awesome:
And the Host with the Most:
Angel's hubby Greg did the BEST haunted house and really went all out with the decorations throughout their house and yard!!  Greg also had a special treat for me:


 So much fun and I cannot wait for next year.  Angel and I had the NOT so bright idea to meet at 6:30 am to run 13 miles after a late night and a tempo run the day before...Well we started of in a negative mindset and the run just went down hill from there.  We got to mile 4 and stopped to talk to Shara and from that moment on we both called it quits!  We have NEVER quit on a run before and have never had to call for a pick up ride but after much mental struggle we called Greg to pick us up!  On the bright side this did happen:
We showed up wearing the EXACT same outfit!!  That is how you know you are running wives!  Lol.  We did end up with 6 miles but even though the run sucked we did have a few good laughs.  We both learned a lesson...1st we are not 20 yrs old anymore and need more rest, 2nd if you do not feel recovered DO NOT risk injury by pushing it, 3rd do not be afraid to cancel if you are not feeling the run!

The boys both had games and Chase did amazing...his team won 50-26!
I love this pic!
 
It is so neat to see my hubby coach these kids and how he is such a positive influence on them!  We tried to enjoy the day outside as much as we could since the next few days are suppose to be awful here!  Hurricane Sandy is coming and she is ruining our plans!  So after hurricane proofing our house/yard I headed do the Ginny's house where we had a girls night and talked running and tri's!  Best conversation, company and chili!  I have such admiration for Ginny and her husband and the dedication they have to triathlons! 

Today I wanted to make up for yesterday's epic fail run so I headed to the Y and got to business.  12.25 miles in 89 minutes with most of my miles @ 7:13-7:18 pace and my last mile a 6:58.  It just felt right today...I did do all my PT moves pre run and feel like they help me get going and warmed up.  Now that I got my run in we are preparing for the storm!

Hope everyone in DE stays safe and dry during Sandy!

Happy Running!

Friday, October 26, 2012

Highlights, Happy Feet, and Halloween

I finally went and had my hair done and feel like a whole new person!  My hair gets very light in the summer and I was looking a little bleached with roots galore.:
Going darker for the Fall/Winter
 
 I love the way my hair dresser does my hair and how straight she gets it but then I try and re-do it and it never ever looks as good!  She has the magic touch!!

Thursday is my Pre-school Gym Aide day and I love that I can spend time helping my little mans class.  There is something so special about these little kids and how proud they get when they succeed! 

After gym I decided to go to the Y and ride the Expresso bike and wow did I pick a hilly course!  I did 13.3 miles of killer hills in 50 minutes and did my PT stuff after with the kettle bells.  Another reason I decided not to run was because I needed to go pick up these:
I am rocking my favorite Oiselle T-shirt and LOVE it!!  I had to pick up my new Mizuno Wave Rider 15's...I was trying to hold out for the 16's but my feet/hips/knees had different plans!  I absolutely love DE Running Company and how knowledgeable they are in there.  If you are local and need new sneaks definitely go there!

Today's run was a quick tempo run...I nailed 9 miles in 67 minutes and felt pretty darn great.  I love the feeling of new shoes and how happy my feet are!  I also had my PT session today and feel like a whole new runner after leaving!  My hip flexor got a little irritated after my 22 miler on Sunday so I needed a little help with that.  I am getting super excited for the Anthem Richmond Marathon and I will be able to add Va to my list of marathons! 

We have a super spooky Haunted Halloween Party to go to tonight so I gotta run to paint some faces!!

Anyone else running Richmond?

Any Halloween parties this weekend?

Happy Running!

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Recovery and Speed Work!

I decided to take Monday off for a recovery day and rest my legs and body after the 22 mile run on Sunday.  We had an amazing dinner with my parents and brother for my Dad's birthday!!  My dad's birthday was on Sunday and he and my mom were at the beach for the weekend, the boys had another birthday party and I had to work so we decided to celebrate on Monday.  My dad chose Kenny's Pan Asian for dinner which is our favorite place for sushi.  Good times!!

Tuesday I was going to do my speed work but my legs/knees were still a little sore from my run and I thought I needed the extra day of recovery...so I swam 1650 yards in 32 minutes then met Angel and did 25 minutes on the expresso bike, 22 minutes on the stairmonster, and some kettle bell work!  I am loving the kettle bells and using them properly has made a difference in my training.  After all this I got to go snuggle with Baby Mason who is 3 weeks old and soooooooo cute and play with Jordan and Aiden who are both 2 years old and adorable!!  Thank you Kim for feeding me after my workout. 

Today's workout was my speed work session!!  I started with a 2.6 mile warm up outside at the park which was absolutely beautiful.  Then I hit the TM for my speed intervals...8 x 800 meter repeats with 90 seconds of recovery in between.   I was worried because I am on the fence with needing new sneaks and was afraid my feet would feel the pain of this speed.  But all was good.. I finished with 9.5 miles in 72 minutes ( including the warm up ) then moved over to run next to Angel while she finished her last 3 repeats and I did my cool down mile.  Glad this one is over and I am learning to not hate speed work so much.  I planned on lifting after my run and did a few triceps, bicep and leg work until my muscles locked up and I couldn't straighten my arm!!  WHAT THE!  This is a sign I needed to be done. 

Now time to refuel with some amazing homemade chili and sweet potatoes with coconut oil and raw honey!!  Thanks Kim for getting me hooked on Chili!!!!

Hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful fall day.

Happy Running!

Monday, October 22, 2012

M.I.A....Fallapalooza and a Long Run

Ahh I cannot believe it has been so long since my last post!  It has been hard around here since returning back to reality from Disney!  I got sick the day we returned and battled it for 4 days and finally just started to feel like myself yesterday.  I also worked the entire weekend and fit in our Annual Fallapalooza and a 22 mile run.

Now to back track a little:  We had an amazing time in Disney and could not have asked for better weather.  We loved the Halloween Parties and ended up with a ton of "good" candy!  We let the boys spend a good amount of time at the pool and enjoy the sunny Florida weather.  The boys were sad to come home but the got right back into the swing of things. 


love my ghost pirates
Dance party!!
 


My runs suffered because of being sick but I was able to make up my miles this weekend:

I did a 10.2 mile tempo run in 76 minutes and it was just a great steady run!
My speed work day was 10 x 400 meter with a 400 meter RI between.  This was HARD.  I did 7 miles in 50 minutes and was sopping with sweat when done!  The man next to me told me "You are too fast for me"  he actually switched TM because I was making him run too fast...WTH?!?!
My long run this weekend was 22 miles.  I ran my 22 down through Middletown and never looked at my watch.  I planted water at my Uncle's house @ mile 6 and mile 15.  I had 1 pit stop to go potty and kept my watch running.  There is one place on the run where the road slants so bad......A few curse words slipped out on this road.  I am very pleased with this run !!
Lots of foam rolling and PRO Compression and ice after this run!!  I had to work my final midnight shift of this stretch and and definitely wearing my compression socks to work! 

We also had our Annual Fallapalooza with our dear friends!  We have a lot of boys in the gang with I believe 8 so far and 1 little girl and 2 babies still waiting to be born!!  We had great fall food, candy hunt, pumpkin carving and a bonfire! 
How Cute is She?!?!
 
A Few of the Boys!

Elmo!!

Dragon!!!

Ming-Ming!!

Best Friends!

Love this pic!!!
 
Just a few pics from the fun!   We love our friends and cherish all the great times we have with them!

What are you being for Halloween?!

Happy Running!

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Halloween Parties and Magical Times!

Thursday I started the day with a 10 mile run before everyone else was awake.  I was able to do 10 miles in 78 minutes and kept the pace steady for an average of 7:47 per mile.  We have a Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween party tonight and tomorrow night so we kept it low key all day and let the boys hang by the pool.
Love this weather!
We relaxed while the boys had a blast then it was time to get ready for the party!  My hubby and boys came up with our costumes:
Team Sparkle Skirt!!
Dash x 2
I picked up this Team Sparkle skirt from the Disneyland Expo and absolutely love it.  They offer so many sparkle skirts and in all different colors.  It's a fun way to sparkle while you race! We got so many compliments on  our costumes and even asked to have our pictures taken multiple times!  Too much fun!  The Halloween party was so much fun and we were able to walk right on to many rides and the kids scored BIG time with the Halloween candy on the trick or treat trails!  We probably have at least 50 lbs of good good candy!   Both boys made it right up until the end when they both fell asleep.  Obviously they are too big for strollers so I got to carry 42 lb little guy and my hubby got to carry 80 lb bigger guy!  Wow, that was a workout walking back to the hotel.

We all slept in and took the morning easy.  The boys both have appointments at the Pirates League for pirate makeovers so we hung out in Magic Kingdom until it was time for their appt.  We just so happen to run into Wanya Morris from Boyz II Men!!
We had passed him yesterday in one of the parks but didn't say anything so today when we saw him I had to say something...Nicole this one is for you!  Super friendly and more then willing to take a picture.  He loved the fact that Cameron thinks they are "the Beach Boys"!  HA!

Here are the after pictures of my scary Ghost Pirates:

 
The boys loved every second of the Pirates League experience...They really go all out here and make the boys look awesome.  And if the mess up their make up they will touch up all day long!  Cameron had a little too much fun eating dinner and totally ate off his lip makeup.  We went back right before the party and they re-did his whole face!! 

We have so many great memories for the past few days here and cannot wait to make some more!

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Happy Running!

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Marathon training and Vacation

Monday was a rest day for me considering I got off work at 8 am and had to finalize packing and making sure we had everything we need.  We picked the boys up from school at 1 pm and headed to BWI airport for our flight.  We decided to fly down a day early and stay at Pop Century hotel for the night and start fresh and early on Tuesday morning!  The boys were so excited and absolutely love Disney. 
Poppop and boys
Tuesday we moved hotels over to the Bay Lake Towers dropped off our luggage then went straight to the Magic Kingdom!
I love Disney this time of year

We did a ton of rides with the boys, had dinner at the Crystal Palace then went back to the hotel.  Chase did his homework while I snuck in a quick 5 miler then we all went to the pool.
Space Mountain in the background!
I am in the final weeks of marathon training before my taper starts and still need to get my runs in.  Disney's Deluxe resorts all have very nice fitness centers as well as multiple places outside to run.  The weather is pretty awesome here right now so I will hopefully get some of my shorter runs done outside.  So to time manage and still fit in my runs without taking away from family time I make sure to get up early and get my runs in or do them while boys are resting!

Wednesday we started the day off by shipping the boys off on a Pirate Adventure Cruise!  They were so excited and love it!!  The hubby and I got to spend 2 hours kid free together! Woohoo!
Ahoy Pirates!
Pirate or Gangsta??
What a fun time!!  Afterwards we went to Epcot and enjoyed the Food and Wine Festival and had lunch at Via Napoli...Holy Yum!
Via Napoli
Grapefruit Beer from Germany!
This is my new all time favorite beer: Schofferhofer Grapefruit!!!!!!

Do you train/workout on vacation?

Happy Running!

Monday, October 8, 2012

Long Treadmill Run and Disney!

On Sunday I had my long run to do between working my midnight shifts and packing for Disney!  Since it was cold and rainy I decided to stick to the treadmill and mentally tough it out.  I warmed up for the first 10 mins @ 8:34 pace then set the speed at 7:35 pace I was feeling pretty good so I pushed the pace and ended up running 19 miles in 2:20:16...I ran a cool down mile to finish it all off!  As I was running I was going over my list of things to do before leaving for Disney...I don't know about y'all  but I hate packing!!  I always feel like we over pack big time and end up bringing way too much stuff.  My Mom, Dad, Brother, Hubby, my boys, and myself are all going to Disney for the Epcot Food and Wine Festival and Halloween Celebration.  So I may be slacking in my post this coming week...I will be sure to update as soon as I get back!

Off to have a Magical time!

Happy Running! 

Friday, October 5, 2012

Speedwork, Procrastination, and Getting it Done!

Yesterday was my "speedwork" day and I have to confess that I would rather run for 20+ miles at a steady pace rather than run really fast for 800 meters!!!  This is a hurdle that I have to overcome to get to my goal.  My plan called for 3 sets of 2 x 1200 meter repeats with a 2 min recovery interval between repeats.  Ugh...I literally procrastinated ALL day long.  First, I had to help with my little guys preschool gym class then I was hungry so I ran home for some lunch then I started to watch my DVR'd shows and digest my lunch.  Oops, then I fell asleep for a quick nap!!  Who am I ?!?  I usually cannot wait to lace up and hit the road/TM but this workload scared me!  After running a few errands it was time to get the boys from school:
Laced up and ready to go
So finally I made it to the Y and started this session...Warm up pace for 10 mins then started the 1200 meter repeats @ 4:33 - 4:39 pace with recovery pace 7:24 - 7:41...Total miles: 8.20 in 59 mins.  I was so glad to be done this run and was happy with overall workout.  I followed up with my PT stretches then my little guy, my brother and I went Halloween costume shopping.

Today was a recovery day so I decided to hit up the Expresso bike for a quick sweat fest!  My goodness I left a puddle on the floor with this ride.  15 miles in 50 minutes followed by some kettle bell work. 

I am working the next 3 nights and have a ton of things to get done before Monday!  Plus I have to squeeze in an 18 mile run!

Best of Luck to everyone racing this weekend.  Chicago, Twin Cities, Long Beach, San Jose and any other races out there!!

Happy Running!

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

I Love Packages!


Yesterday's tempo run was spot on!  I warmed up for 10 minutes then settled into my MP ( marathon pace ) for 12 miles...Overall I ended with 13 miles in 1 hour 34 mins with an average pace of 7:13...Lets just hope I can maintain this for 26.2 miles!
Sweaty Mess!!
You know it is a great run when you have shin sweat and your shirt that was light gray is now dark gray!

I actually let out a huge squeal when I saw my Team Oiselle package arrived!!  I am totally in love with this company and their clothing.  I am even more honored to be a Team Oiselle Athlete...If you get a chance checkout their fabulous running clothes and my Athlete profile!!  Here are some of the amazing items and racing gear:

LOVE!!!!!



I cannot wait to race for this amazing team!

Love the arm warmers with thumb hole!


 
Plan to see a lot of this outfit!

And then after swimming 2500 meters in 1 hour 10 mins I came home and found this:
Pumpkin cupcakes with cinnamon icing and lemon cookies

Potato Soup!!!!
Lauren is uber talented and can whip up the most amazing treats and food!  This was the perfect treat post swim because I was starving!  The boys came home from school and did the biggest happy dance while eating the lemon cookies!!  So DELISH!!!  Thank you Lauren you are the BESTEST ever!   What a perfect day and looking forward to racing in my new gear! 

I have coupon codes for 10% off if anyone wants to purchase some fantastic clothing/gear!

 Oiselle is partnered with Every Mother Counts and for all my Labor and Delivery/ Maternal Child friends out there this is a great cause!!  If you click the link it will give you more info!

Please check it out!

Happy Running!