Wow, time sure has been flying by! With a 9th grade son participating in Marching Band and Cross Country and a 7th grade daughter very involved with dance lessons and dance team, the fall and winter were a blur. To top it off, I moved into a new position as a high school guidance counselor. After 7 years of teaching 2nd grade, it has been a big change returning to a guidance position at the high school level.
Now for an update on the running. I completed a half marathon in Indiana over Labor Day weekend, a full marathon in St. Louis in October, a 5K Turkey Trot in November, and the Hot Chocolate 15K in December. My husband completed two half iron man triathlons (one over Labor Day and one the following weekend), the full marathon in October, and the 5K Turkey Trot in November. We took some time off from running in the winter months, since the weather was not ideal for running this winter, and focused on strength training using the P90X program. I have missed not participating in any races the past few months, but I have been hesitant to commit to a race with the extreme cold, winds, snow, and ice we have had throughout the winter. As I returned to running more often, I tried out a 3 day pass at one gym and a 14 day pass at another gym to use the treadmills while the roads were covered in snow and ice, and the wind chills were below zero. Now that spring has sprung, the weather is still running colder than normal most of the time. We are starting to have some nice days here and there, which is making running more enjoyable again.
We do have upcoming races planned. Our next race is the RNR Country Music Nashville Half Marathon at the end of April. I started training in February. I liked returning to following a running training schedule. I like the structure and getting to cross off each completed workout. I am also planning to sign up for a half marathon in May in Columbia, MO (because it has a cute medal along with a wine glass for finishers), and a half marathon in Arvada, CO while we are there on vacation in June. My mom and I are considering The Biggest Loser Half Marathon in Chicago at the beginning of August, since I like to do a half within my fall full marathon training. I have already signed up for a fall full marathon. I will be running the Prairie Fire Marathon in October in Wichita. We have friends in the area, and my friend is planning to run with me. Can't wait!
Dave has committed to a Full Iron Man! He has begun training. He has two workouts most day. He gets up before work at 4am for his first workout, then he completes his second one after work. It keeps things busy, and it will only get worse as the length of time required for the workouts increase. His Iron Man is at the end of August in Louisville, Kentucky. As part of his training, he will do a sprint tri in May, an Olympic tri in June (in Boulder, CO while on vacation), a half ironman in July, then the full iron man in August. It will be a very eventful spring and summer!
With the cutback in running over the winter, I have gained a few pounds. It is so frustrating! I am hoping as my running is increasing again, I will be able to quickly drop the extra pounds and get back down to where I was last year at this time. I think my appetite increased while training for the full marathon, and I kept eating the same way when my running decreased. It doesn't help that Dave can eat whatever he wants right now with all his training. I just need to be aware of portions again and make healthier choices. I know I can do it!
