14 in 2014 Challenge Halfway Update

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2014 Challenge, Biking, Exercise, Mental Health, Pilates, Planks, Race, Relationships, Running, Walking

Happy July! Are we seriously half way through the year already? This has been such a strange year of my life, and so different than the last few years, so it’s been hard to judge the passage of time the same way. Since we’re now halfway through the year, I thought I’d do an update on my 14 Challenges in 2014.

I challenge myself to run 200 miles. Running has gone much better this year than last year, and I’m not fully sure why that is, but I’m not complaining. So far I’m at 147 miles for the year.

I challenge myself to walk 275 miles. Last year I had to stop walking quite so much due to my tendinitis and IT band syndrome, but this year has felt ok. I try to hold back on pace and distance just so I don’t put extra strain on everything, since I don’t want to have to stop running. So far I’m at 177 miles.

I challenge myself to bike 900 miles. I’m right at 516 miles for the year. Many of those miles have been done on my bike trainer, and most of the first 3 months of miles for the year were spent studying for my big test I took in mid-March. Since then I’ve had some great outdoor rides too!

I challenge myself to 75 hours of pilates. 75 hours may have been a little too high, and I refuse to push myself to do it just because I “HAVE to”, and then get burnt out on it. Either way I’ll end up pretty close. Right now I’m at 38.25 hours for the year, which definitely has me on track. We’ll see. I’m still really enjoying pilates though, and really appreciate all that it gives to my body.

I challenge myself to 250 minutes of planks. This one has been pretty easy so far, although less so now that it’s warm. In cold weather (October-March) I seem to have no problem doing planks, but the summer months I definitely cut down. No idea why? So far I’ve clocked a total of 152 minutes for the year.

I challenge myself to run 10 races for the year. Like 2013, these races can be in person or virtual, but I’d like at least 5 of them to be in person! So far I’ve done 4 races in person and 5 virtual races, so I’m doing well! I have a few more races set for the rest for the rest of the year too!

I challenge myself to read at least 14 books. This one has been so fun, and now that summer, it’s been REALLY easy. So far I’ve read 13 books this year, and have really gotten into crime books that have me on the edge of my seat (like John Grisham novels!). I’ve also read a few inspiring books like The Hiding Place and Notes From A Blue Bike. 

I challenge myself to go through all the clothes that I own. This one I finished at the end of January when I got rid of 54 or 56 (I forget which) items of clothing. I just did another haul at the beginning of June, getting rid of another 75ish items. I think that just shows how much I’ve really held on to over the years that’s been ridiculous! This podcast (Freedom From Stuff) has been inspiring!

I challenge myself to continue to be present. Am I present every single moment of every day- no, but I don’t think that’s fully possible for most of us! But being present has really changed my life, and I’m continuing to enjoy this challenge!

I challenge myself to continue to hunt for provisions and blessings (continuing to develop gratitude in my life). Yes! I’ve written it down twice a week, and am really enjoying it. I even started a gratitude journal outside of this blog, and it’s great to have a hard copy I can flip through.

I challenge myself to read the entire Bible this year. I found a plan online (it’s this one if you’re interested) and have been following that. I don’t necessarily exactly read what is outlined on the day, as sometimes I get ahead or behind (and then have to catch up). I’m just a few days behind on the reading plan, so I’m close to being on track!

I challenge myself to publish an article this year. I haven’t published it yet but I’ve written it and it’s gone through a few rounds of revisions now! We’re close to submitting it to the review board now!

I challenge myself to put more time and energy into friendships and relationships. YES! This one has been so much fun, and I’m loving the relationships that I’ve either strengthened or built over the last three months. I’ve even made some new blogging friends, like Melissa and Meg.

I challenge myself to be brave. Oh yes! I wish I could write blog posts about this, but at this point I can’t so much. Brave (or courage) is my word for the year, and while this probably deserves an entire post of it’s own, I thought I’d throw it out there anyways. I want to continue to push myself to be brave in any area of my life…

So, overall, I’m pretty much on point with where I “need” to be for the year in each of these goals, although slightly behind with one. It really hasn’t felt like too much effort, but knowing these goals are out there helps keep me motivated. So, we’ll see how this next quarter goes–

Now it’s your turn to share! How are you going on your goals/challenges/resolutions etc… for the year? Is there anything that you hope to accomplish in the next three months?

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Cornfields and a 50 Mile Biking PDR!

Tags

Biking, Nature

On Wednesday morning I set out for what I was planning on being about a 25-28 mile bike ride. I’ve been sticking in the 20-22 mile range since hitting the road again, so I thought this would be a nice step up. My first few miles flew by, and I was feeling really good. I decided to try a new-to-me part of the trail, and ended up going about 14 miles before deciding to turn around, which would put me at home around mile 28. I enjoyed biking alongside the corn and soybean fields- I think they’re beautiful and really peaceful. The trail had people biking and walking on it, but there were plenty of times I didn’t see people for a few miles. (I do bring pepper spray with me though!) I listened to a few Jillian Michael’s podcasts, a podcast from How To Blog, and enjoyed a few miles of silence in the middle of all that too. When I hit mile 26, I decided I was feeling good, so I kept going on the trail in the other direction. At some point, I think around mile 32, I realized that I was feeling great, didn’t want to stop biking, and could easily beat my bike PDR I set last August at 40 miles, so I kept going!

That’s when I realized that I definitely wasn’t prepared. I had brought enough fuel to easily get me through about 30 miles, but not much beyond that. I hit hills around mile 32, and that, combined with it being the longest ride I’ve done since August 2013 and the lack of fuel really caused me to start bonking (although not nearly as bad as this ride!). Around mile 38 I stopped back by my place, grabbed about 14 ounces more to drink, ate a string cheese and two more shot bloks, and finished up my last 12 miles. Those miles felt strong, and I was able to maintain a pace fairly similar to my first few miles, which I was happy about!

My bike, biking alongside a farm, and a new-to-me gel to try.

I loved getting to spend so much time in nature! I loved seeing the fields, the flowers growing alongside the train tracks, another muskrat running down the trail, birds chirping, and chipmunks playing alongside the trail. The sun was shining (I have some awesome lines from my bike shorts now), there was a gentle breeze (but not bad enough to make it difficult to ride except for maybe 2-3 miles)- all in all, it was a fantastic day for a ride!

I definitely could’ve kept going, but had to shower to head in to work for the afternoon, so I cut my ride at 50… which is probably better for my body anyways!

50 miles done! And a stream I biked over at one point…

Here’s what my nutritional breakdown looked like: I started the day by eating a bowl of oatmeal with almond milk, blueberries, and a handful of life cereal on top, with 10 ounces of orange juice. Then while riding:

• mile 6.5: 2 fruit punch (extra caffeine) shot bloks
• mile 14.8: half of a gel
• mile 21.5 other half of a gel
• mile 38ish: 1 cheese stick, 2 margarita shot bloks
• To drink: 20 ounces water w/1 camelbak elixir electrolyte tab in it (orange- w/caffeine), 12 ounces water w/half of a nuun tab in it, about 6 ounces of plain water.

I definitely would’ve liked some fuel between mile 21 and 38, but I’m glad I had something other than water with me, so at least that provided me with something! I’m definitely getting my nutrition down more and more each ride that I do. I actually was thinking about a PB and honey sandwich at some point along the way. Would that be weird to bring a sandwich with me? 🙂

I use runkeeper to track my mileage and pace, and I enjoy that it’ll talk over my music at regular intervals! I put one earbud in my right ear, but leave my left one out so I can hear my surroundings better. All in all, this bike ride was one of my favorite rides I’ve ever done. The time flew by, I felt strong (minus the few miles when I ran out of fuel), and it was really peaceful.

Now it’s your turn to share! Tell me about one of your favorite experiences outdoors? What’s your favorite fuel for a long bike ride?

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Group Riding

Tags

Biking, Exercise, Training

In the fall of 2013 I was invited to join a group ride through a cycling shop in town. I’m not the fastest rider, and biking scares me a little bit (especially in large groups), so I held off on going all fall. Then I went into the bike shop to get my back tire changed (since the tread was rubbed off due to the constant rubbing on the trainer), and the guy invited me to join the ride. I told him my average pace, and he said they had a slower group that I’d be fine riding with.

I got there on Tuesday (this was May 20th), and was the only female there. Everyone else looked like they were solid riders, and I was sitting there in my running shoes and my white and pink helmet. I felt ridiculous, but also couldn’t help but laugh at how silly I was in the middle of this group of solid male riders. Luckily right before the ride started another female came in, and she stuck with me. She said her average pace was in the 15 mile range, and I said that right now most of my rides are about 14 but I wanted to get faster.

Within a few miles we were dropped by the male riders (see- I’m so glad she showed up or I would’ve been stranded out in the country on roads I don’t know!), but we had a great time riding together. Around mile 10 I stopped to get some sports beans. At this point I really realized my mistake. When I’m on my trainer in the winter, I usually went through about 16 ounces of water and no fuel for a 20 mile ride. However, the bike trainer doesn’t have wind resistance or hills, so it wasn’t as intense. I had grabbed about 20 ounces of water and a half a packet of sports beans before I headed out the door, and that was clearly not enough.

By mile 15 I was almost completely out of water and felt really depleted. The woman that I was with had forgotten fuel as well, so we were stuck. I kept trying to power through as best as I could. The last 4 miles I rode with another guy in the group who had also hit a wall due to a lack of fuel (clearly it’s the start of the season and we’re all trying to remember what we need to bring), so it was a struggle-fest for us as we got back to the shop.

These rides intimidate me. They are FAST, but I also know that, as I stick with the woman who is faster than I am, I can also get faster. When I got back to my car, I realized that perhaps my pace had something to due with why I sort of hit the wall during my ride: I was hitting 14.5-15.5 mph while on hills, with wind. While this is great to push myself, 20 miles at this pace when I’m not used to it at all, and only my 2nd ride on the road for the year, was a little rough. I’ll be back, but it’ll have to wait a few weeks because of my upcoming half marathon.

At least the next 20 miler I did brought a little redemption…

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A Muskrat and 21.5 Miles

Tags

Biking

I just wanted to pop in to chat quickly about the awesome bike ride I had earlier today. Yes- it’s taper time, and I really shouldn’t have gone as long as I did (but to be fair… it’s still the start of taper so I have some time…), but it was sunny and it’s what I really wanted to do today! Today is also the first real day of my “summer break” (where I work far fewer hours), so I had the entire day free after about 10:30 am.

I decided to do part of my ride on a new-to-me part of a trail, and had a great time. It was about 83 and sunny when I left, but the trail had lots of shady spots for most of the 21.5 miles that I went, which was nice. I brought appropriate fuel and gatorade & water this time (unlike a group ride I did last Tuesday), which definitely helped.

Around mile 10

The first few miles felt pretty easy. I clocked them in at 13.31, 14.98, and 14.05 mph respectively. The next few miles were uphill and straight against wind- TOUGH. I clocked those in between 11.75 and 12.4 mph respectively. I initially got annoyed knowing that my pace was dropping, but then I realized that uphill against wind is excellent training, and that a stupid number at the end doesn’t matter as much as how the workout went. I put my head down and pushed through, trying to enjoy the fields I was biking through. I turned around, knowing that I’d head downhill! I clocked those next three miles at 17.8, 16.7, and 15.3 mph, and enjoyed the breeze as the uphill portion had been in straight sunlight and heat. The rest of the ride was smooth sailing, and I ended my last three miles of the ride with paces between 14 and 15.2 mph- a solid finish to the ride. I ended up eating half a package of sports beans and 2 shot bloks on the ride, and that with the gatorade was sufficient (It’s so funny how different road vs. trainer biking is. On the trainer I didn’t need any fuel for a 20 mile ride, but on the road with hills and wind I definitely need some!).

What I love most about biking outside is seeing all of the wildlife and nature (flowers, trees, the fields, etc…). I ended up having to slow down because a muskrat was running down the trail ahead of me. Once I got close to him he ran off to the side of the trail and laid flat against the ground and didn’t move until after I passed. It was pretty cute- I wish I had a movie of the entire thing. I ended the ride smiling, happy to be out in the sunshine flying down the trail.

Now it’s your turn to share! Do you enjoy biking? If you do- what’s your favorite part about it? 

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First Bike Ride Of The Season

Tags

Biking, Training

On Saturday I finally sucked it up and took my bike to the shop to get my back tire changed. Because I’ve been riding on my trainer since the start of December, my back tire has been rubbed down such that it wouldn’t be that safe to ride out on the road. (I just checked and I rode about 462 miles on my trainer from December-mid May).

While I was excited to finally hit the road biking again, I was also a little nervous. Biking has been a nerve-wracking thing for me. These nerves kept me from biking for 11 years, but biking has also been a place where I’ve gotten to practice overcoming fears. Biking has led to exciting moments, like my first triathlon, as well as my second triathlon, and a great 40 mile ride at the end of last summer. To me, biking feels like fear, but it also feels like freedom.

So, while I was nervous, I knew I just needed to get back out there to re-discover why I loved it so much. The first three miles felt a little tough. I wasn’t used to standing up while going over bumps, I wasn’t used to biking against the wind, and I had just done my long run 24 hours before, so my legs were a bit tired.

By mile 4, I’m pretty sure that a smile had found its way to my face, and I felt like I was flying again. I forgot that biking gives a sense of freedom that running and walking can’t give- to fly down the road with the wind feels awesome.

All winter I wondered if I was going to lose any of my biking fitness over the months; I wondered if my pace would drop back down again. When I finished the ride, I was happy to see that, even with tired legs, my pace matched my two fastest rides last year, which happened right before I switched back to my trainer.

So, I’d say that I’m happy with the way I trained over the winter, and I’m happy where I’m at going into the summer. My goal for the summer is to try and pick my pace up 2 mph or so for many of my bike rides- we’ll see how it goes!

Now it’s your turn to share! Have you done anything lately that’s scared you?

Looking for more ways to connect?

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Carmel Half Marathon Training Week 12 Recap

Tags

Biking, Exercise, Half Marathon, Pilates, Running, Training, Walking

Well, here we are, almost at the end of this training cycle. The next training recap I post will be after my half marathon, and I can’t believe how quickly these last 3 months have gone! Training for this half marathon definitely helped me deal with all the nasty weather this winter, so I’m pretty thankful for the training. Here’s what my week looked like:

• Friday (3/28): 3.5 mile run
• Saturday: 10.75 mile bike
• Sunday: 1 hour pilates, 2.35 mile walk
• Monday: 3.9 mile walk
• Tuesday: .6 mile walk, 35 minutes pilates
• Wednesday: 14.75 mile bike, 1.75 mile walk
• Thursday: 30 minutes pilates, 30 minutes strength training
• Friday: REST

I still had a busy week of workouts, but I decreased the duration and intensity as taper started. Taper has bothered me a bit this time– more than other times. I’ve found myself getting pretty antsy, which is why I walked more this week. I tried to force myself to walk pretty slowly, but the antsy-ness combined with beautiful sunny days led to walks being a necessity 🙂

Now it’s your turn to share! Do you go on walks when the weather is nice? How do you handle the taper- crazies? 

14 in 2014 Challenge First Quarter Update

Tags

2014 Challenge, Barre, Biking, Exercise, Pilates, Race, Racing, Running, Thankful, Walking

Happy April (and Happy April Fools’ Day). Did anyone play any good pranks on other people? I don’t play pranks on people now, but when I was little I did stupid little things (screaming about a huge spider in the bathroom was one that I’m embarrassed to think about. haha). Since we’re now through the first quarter of the year (WHAT?! How did that happen?), I decided to do a “14 Challenges in 2014” Update.

I challenge myself to run 200 miles. I’m at 60.3 miles for the year, which has me right on track with about 30% of my mileage done.

I challenge myself to walk 275 miles. I’m at 74.8 miles for the year, which also has me right on track with a bit over 26% of my mileage done for the year.

I challenge myself to bike 900 miles. I’m right at 237 miles for the year, which also has me just over 26% done for the year. All of those miles have been done on my bike trainer, and most of them were spent studying for my big test I took in mid-March.

I challenge myself to 75 hours of pilates. I am starting to think that it might be difficult to get in 75 total hours for the year, and I don’t want to push myself to do it just because I HAVE to, and then get burnt out on it. Either way I’ll end up pretty close. Right now I’m at 17.5 hours for the year, which puts me at 23% done for the year. Obviously this doesn’t even put me at the quarter mark. Like I said, I had no idea how many hours of pilates I did each year, so I just chose a random number.

I challenge myself to 250 minutes of planks. This one has been REALLY easy so far, and I’ve clocked a total of 100 minutes for the year, putting me right at 40% complete! I guess this winter just called for lots of planks?

I challenge myself to run 10 races for the year. Like 2013, these races can be in person or virtual, but I’d like at least 5 of them to be in person! So far I’ve done 4 virtual races, but I have my first “in person” race of the year coming up soon! I’m on track with this for the year!

I challenge myself to read at least 14 books. This one has been so fun! I’ve read 6 full books and half of another book so far this year. I’m doing great with this goal.

I challenge myself to go through all the clothes that I own. This one I finished at the end of January when I got rid of 54 or 56 (I forget which)

I challenge myself to continue to be present. Am I present every single moment of every day- no, but I don’t think that’s fully possible for most of us! But being present has really changed my life, and I’m continuing to enjoy this challenge!

I challenge myself to continue to hunt for provisions and blessings (continuing to develop gratitude in my life). Yes! I’ve written it down twice a week, and am really enjoying it. I even started a gratitude journal outside of this blog, and it’s great to have a hard copy I can flip through.

I challenge myself to read the entire Bible this year. I found a plan online (it’s this one if you’re interested) and have been following that. I don’t necessarily exactly read what is outlined on the day, as sometimes I get ahead or behind (and then have to catch up). I’m right on track where I should be at this point in the year though.

I challenge myself to publish an article this year. I haven’t published it yet but I’ve written it and it’s gone through a few rounds of revisions now! On my way…

I challenge myself to put more time and energy into friendships and relationships. YES! This one has been so much fun, and I’m loving the relationships that I’ve either strengthened or built over the last three months.

I challenge myself to be brave. Oh yes! I wish I could write blog posts about this, but at this point I can’t so much. Brave (or courage) is my word for the year, and while this probably deserves an entire post of it’s own, I thought I’d throw it out there anyways. I want to continue to push myself to be brave in any area of my life…

So, overall, I’m pretty much on point with where I “need” to be for the year in each of these goals, although slightly behind with pilates. It really hasn’t felt like too much effort, but knowing these goals are out there helps keep me motivated. So, we’ll see how this next quarter goes–

Now it’s your turn to share! How are you going on your goals/challenges/resolutions etc… for the year? Is there anything that you hope to accomplish in the next three months?

Snow Day Fun

Tags

Biking, Cooking, Walking, Winter

I never thought that as an adult I would get snow days, but I’m lucky enough to have a job where I do get a few (my place of work has closed down 4 days in the last 4 winters, but two of them were when I was in Ecuador, so I didn’t get to enjoy those days…). I assumed with this winter that we were having that at some point we would have a travel ban in our county and work would be closed, and two weeks ago was the day!! (See- there are good things to be happy about in the winter!)

I woke up and found out that work was cancelled, so I headed back to bed, sleeping until 7:15. Got up, ate breakfast, and watched storm footage for awhile. Then I turned on NCIS: LA and hopped on my bike trainer for an extra long ride (extra long= half an hour longer than I would’ve done sans snow day) at an hour and a half. The time flew by and felt like about 25 minutes.

I spent a few hours in the afternoon and early evening baking cookies. I made these heart shaped gingerbread cookies and heart shaped sugar cookies, which I then frosted and sprinkled! I’m so thankful to have had some extra time to do that, as this past weekend was busy and I didn’t have a few extra hours to spare!

Even though I had exercised that morning, I of course made sure to go out on a short 30 minute (but very slow due to the layer of ice underneath the snow) walk so I could enjoy the snow and beauty around me! I’ve really enjoyed going on short walks while listening to podcasts lately, even though it’s cold and snowy!

I made breakfast for dinner (isn’t that the best?!) for my brother and myself and we ended the night watching a movie. Of course my snow day fun ended to early, as my pilates sessions have started up again, so I have a 4:45 wake up call for teaching again.

Now it’s your turn to share! What’s one of your favorite “snow day” activities (either now or when you were growing up!)? Have you gotten a snow day yet this winter?

Thankful Thursday

Tags

Biking, Thankful, Winter

There’s nothing like below zero temperatures, whipping winds, and more and more snow every day to make me feel incredibly thankful for the things that I have. (Just me thinking that is a HUGE mindset shift from a few years ago, when I would’ve done nothing but complain and make myself feel “miserable”- but no more. How sad to live like that!). Here’s what I’m thankful for right now:

I’m thankful for a cozy day at Starbucks! Last weekend I headed down to a new-to-me Starbucks with a friend who works a few towns away. I hung out at Starbucks while she worked (I needed a change of environment and minimal distractions as I had an article to work on), and it was so cozy and nice! The Starbucks had a fireplace (this was a happy surprise when I walked on), and provided warm and a great environment in which to work!

I’m thankful for shirts with thumb holes. Does anyone else feel immediately more relaxed and cozy when they have shirts with thumb holes on (or is that only me??)? Thumb holes combined with the fire at Starbucks made for a perfectly cozy feeling.

I’m thankful for how beautiful fresh snow is. I love watching it snow outside, whether the snow is gently falling or it’s whipping around. Seeing the snow on the ground and trees is also so beautiful! Part of my goal under my 14 challenges is to be present, so as it’s snowing I try to pause and stand by the wind (or even go outside), breathe deeply, and enjoy the moment.

I’m thankful for an abundance of fresh water and tea bags! Besides thumb holes and fireplaces, there is almost nothing that makes me feel more warm, cozy, and relaxed in the winter than a cup of hot tea. I drink anywhere from 4-5 cups of tea on average a day at work, and probably just as much on the weekends. I’m thankful I have all the fresh water I want to make tea.

I’m thankful for crock pots and delicious, warm soup! This past weekend I made this delicious hearty soup, and have been eating it for dinners all week. Not only is it REALLY healthy and delicious, but it’s warming as well!

I’m thankful I have a bike trainer. It’s so nice to be able to get an awesome cardio workout in while in my living room. This polar vortex can’t completely mess with my workouts now! 🙂

Now it’s your turn to share! What’re you thankful for right now? What’s one of your favorite cold weather things?

Bike Trainer Riding.

Tags

Biking, Training

This polar vortex that has been hitting so much of the U.S. has really been messing with my workout grove. I have been on some short walks outside, but mostly my outside time consists of saying a prayer as I do a weird shuffle run from whatever building I’m at to my car. My new bike trainer has been a cardio lifesaver this winter as I’ve been able to get solid workouts in no matter what the weather outside is.

I set the trainer up in my living room (right in front of the doors to my porch so I can look outside as I bike!) so I can watch TV as I ride. I’ve found that Criminal Minds and NCIS make excellent viewing while on the trainer, as the intensity of that show is naturally in flux. In the calm moments my legs slow down a bit, and when the show hits really intense moments, my legs fly! Those shows provide a great interval workout!

I’ve done a mix of shorter (30-40 minute) rides, along with some long rides (my longest so far has been a 1 hour 50 minute ride a few hours after getting home from Ecuador). This is what I tend to do:

• Shorter rides: Interval workouts. I either let it happen naturally if I’m watching a show that is likely to guide the workout, or I’ll watch the clock and “sprint” for a minute or two, then go lighter for a minute, and continue to rotate between the sprint and slower rotations for 30ish minutes.
• Longer rides: I do these just like my long rides outside. Slow and steady…

Once or twice I’ve read on the bike for part of the time, and that has helped. If I am trying to catch up with a friend or family member, I’ll sometimes call on one of my longer rides (and warn them that I’m biking so that if I’m out of breath a bit they don’t wonder what I’m up to!). Between reading, talking, and watching TV, the time flies by surprisingly quickly!

Riding on the trainer is certainly not as good as the real deal, but it’s allowed me to keep my bike fitness so far this winter when riding outside wouldn’t happen. It’s also allowed me to work on fueling for rides in the comfort of my own home. I’m hoping to get in some longer rides this winter as I continue to train for my half marathon!

Now it’s your turn to share! Have you ever tried a bike trainer or a stationary bike? What’s one of your favorite at home & indoor workouts for the winter?