Well, hello there....

It has been a while! My life is starting to get back in order. My husband has been home from deployment for over a month now and will be returning to his civilian job shortly. We have been in and out of town quite a bit this year. Mostly trips to Disney World for races and short family trips. I also had my first Disneyland experience in January for the Tinker Bell 10K and Half Marathon. I will try to recap my past races now that I have time to sit in front of the computer and write it all out. So basically this post is to say hi and you will be hearing from me more in the future!  

So I suck.....

I haven't posted here in forever and it really upsets me. I really wanted this whole blogging thing to work for me, but right now it just isn't the time I suppose. I am having a hard enough time being a woman trying to do it all while my husband is deployed, a mom to a very clingy needy 4 year old who constantly wants my attention all day long while her brother is at school. Spending as much time with my kids as I can, they are only young once and they are the priority in my life. Then there is running my oldest to and from school everyday, volunteering in his class every Friday, football Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, my youngest has gymnastics on Monday and dance on Wednesday. Then there is half marathon training, strength training, all the prep that goes into eating clean and making all meals at home, as well as all the daily chores that need to be taken care of. I can't seem to find the balance with all of that and writing blogs on a regular basis. Who am I kidding I have a heard enough time trying to balance all of that alone!

My dream to one day be a rockstar blogger becomes more and more distant everyday. :( I don't have the time it takes to write and finish a blog post. I have about 20 in draft at the moment. I don't have the time to read others blogs to try to work my way into that great running/fitness blogger circle. I don't have time to constantly post on twitter to get my name out there and more followers. Social media is a lot of work. It is a job in itself and unfortunately I don't have what it takes right now. I know what I am doing is what is right for my family at the moment. Right now I need to continue to stand behind my husband while he works on his career and his dreams. My day will come, but for now I am going to enjoy my current path and soak up every ounce of time I can with my family.

This isn't goodbye, more so a I will be a fly by blogger for a while post. When I find the time you will see me on here posting recipes, workouts, race recaps, ideas for kids, parenting, etc. That is what I wanted this blog to be about. Being a marathon mom in not just in a running aspect, but a parenting aspect as well. Until then keep checking in because you never know when I might have something new to read about. :)

Energy Bits Review and Discount Code

I was given the opportunity to review Energy Bits and I was thrilled since I had been intrigued with them from the moment I heard about them a couple weeks prior. My sample arrived in a cute little tin that would be perfect for traveling. I opened up the tin and my first thought was, OMG this smells like fish food! I knew the scent would be similar so I am not sure why it was so shocking when I opened up the tin. It is algae after all! Thankfully they taste MUCH better than they smell. 

For my first trial I took a serving of 30 tabs. It was easy for me since I was used to swallowing a handful of pills daily after being diagnosed with an auto immune disorder. Someone who is not good at swallowing pills may have an issue, but you can chew them. I took 10 pills at a time with a gulp of water. That method worked very well for me. After I took them I changed into my running clothes, stretched and headed for the treadmill. I was supposed to run 11 miles, but had to quit at 4 miles do to pain. It was a shame since my head was so clear and I was ready to run. I felt the energy long after I got off the treadmill. 

Fast Forward a couple of weeks later, I was finally able to run again. I had been out of town for 4 days, which included a lot of time in the car. I was exhausted, feeling under the weather, and with a to do list a mile long. I skipped my morning dose of caffeine (none in the house since I was too tired to go to the grocery store) and grabbed for the energy bits in hopes it would help me make it through the morning. Shortly after I took them I was already feeling better. I jumped on the treadmill, ran 3 miles, did some ab and arms exercises, then started tackling my to do list. I never did hit my usual afternoon fog/desperate need to lay down. It was amazing. Oh did I mention I never did have my daily dose of caffeine that day AND I never got the usual caffeine withdrawal headache. Score!!!

Energy Bits are 100% organically grown Spirulina Algae. There is only 1 calorie per tab and it contains the highest concentration of protein in the world!!! They are not pills, supplements or vitamins, they are food. Anyone who knows me well knows that I am very conscious of what I put in my body and try to eat as clean as I can. That is what I love so much about Energy Bits. They are 100% natural which is very hard to come by when it comes to items that claim to boost energy. I refuse to even try 99% of what is on the market these days due to all the chemicals they fill them with. Just ask my husband who I constantly get on to about his "poison" drinks, bars and gels. One day he will come around to my clean ways. Unfortunately it is not as easy for him to gain access to those items since he is a soldier serving overseas. Anyway, I can rest easy knowing that I am putting such a great product into my body and one that I don't have to worry about it disagreeing with my body mid run. If you are a distance runner I am sure you have at least one energy fuel gone wrong story. Don't make that mistake again and go for the bits!  

Overall this is a product I will be buying for myself. I felt it gave me more energy than I would have had without them and without the energy crash once it wears off. That is my biggest issue with other products that I have tried. The constant need to take in more because the crash is worse than the initial lack of energy. While I have not run the distances I would normally be taking energy fuel for, I look forward to what it can do for me when I do get back to those distances. 

You can use Energy Bits for more than just running. Here is a short list of uses: 

• Increasing Energy 

• Increasing Endurance

• Increasing Mental Vitality

• High Protein Snack

• Curbing Hunger 

• Meal Replacement

• Balancing Blood Sugar

• Lowering Blood Pressure

• Reducing Fatigue

Along with Energy Bits they also have Recovery Bits, Vitality Bits , and Skinny Bits.  Want to know more about these products? Head on over to the Energy Bits website. I am sure you will be just as intrigued as I was and anxious to try them. You can use code "blog" on their website to receive 20% of your order of bits. If you would like to try a sample before you buy a larger size head on over to Neon is My Color's blog to purchase one or more sample packs. 


Now get out there and be #poweredbybits! 

Don't forget to follow @energybits on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter! 

Note: Energy Bits provided me with a sample for this review, however all opinions are my own. 

Happy 1 year runaversary to me!!

1 year ago today I did something a little crazy, I signed up for the Princess Half Marathon. The fact that I signed up was not the crazy part, the crazy part was that I had never really run before!!! I could probably count on my hands how many times that I had run in my life! I picked out a couch to 13.1 plan I thought would work for me and started running just like that. It has been a year of pain, heartache, more pain, but most of all more reward than words can describe.

One year ago I could not even run a mile and since January, through injury, major health issues, and life in general I have managed to run 363 miles!!!! A half marathon, one 5k, and one 4 mile race are included in those miles. I have 3 races under my belt and a ton more to come. Race season is upon us and I am ecstatic!! I can't wait to get out there and start collecting some PR's and some bling! Yes, I run for the bling!! :) Today also marks the first run day of my new 13.1 training plan. In just 81 days I will be running my second half marathon!

Monday Miles 9/23

Yes, there was no update last week and that is due to there being no miles to report. :( As I said in my previous MM report I was having pains in my shins again. I went to my primary Dr., who didn't even look at my leg, and went straight for a referral to a sports medicine Dr. I was evaluated by that Dr. a few days later and started Physical Therapy 3 times a week for the next 6 weeks. At PT they are using ultra sound, massage, ice massage and exercises to get me on my way to being injury free again.

I was told to take another week of from running, but 4 days later I could not take it any more and went for an easy 3.1 on the treadmill. While telling the physical therapist that I went for an easy run the night before little did I know the Dr. was right behind me. Whoops. Thankfully she was OK with me doing an easy run, and even laughed at my "only 3 miles" remark. She says us distance runners are crazy. Another cool thing about the clinic I am going to is that one of the therapists there ran the inaugural Disney Marathon! So cool! She totally gets me. :)

Anyway, enough rambling and off to my very easy week.

Week of 9/16-9/22
Monday:
Tuesday: 3.1 miles
Wednesday:
Thursday: 2 miles
Friday:
Saturday: Elliptical 45 minutes
Sunday:

Weekly totals: 5.1 miles
Monthly totals: 26.1 miles
Yearly totals: 363 miles
73% of my goal to run 500 miles this year complete!

As a side note I decided to ditch my previous training plan. If you have been following along I have been running a ton of miles, much more than I feel I should be this far out from my half marathon. It had me run 13 or more miles multiple times before my race, which I have since learned is completely unnecessary. This week I am starting a new plan, Hal Higdon's Novice 2 13.1 plan to be exact. After looking it over I think it is going to be great for me and I love that I can ease back into running with this plan. Hopefully be injury free from now on as well!

Down a race

Well, I am down a half marathon for the year and I am pretty bummed about it. I was supposed to do the St. Augustine 10K on a Saturday and the Half on Sunday. An email was sent that they are now doing all the races on Sunday. I am already signed up for the 10K so that is the one I am stuck with. I was using the two races to gauge how much more training I needed to do for the Tinkerbell 10K and Half in January, where I am aiming for a 2 hour or less half time. Oh well. I do have another half I am very tempted to do and may go ahead and take the plunge and sign up for it even though it is weeks earlier and I am currently injured. More about that in my next blog post.

Have you ever been excited about a race and it was canceled?

5 New Runner Tips

I am a fairly new runner and there are a few things I wish I had known at the start that would have helped me out. My pain is your gain. :)

#1 Running shoes are NOT created equally
Anytime one of my friends starts running the first thing I tell them to do it to go to a running shoe store and get properly fitted. I am not talking about a Foot Locker or equivalent, go to a store that specializes in running. Your body will thank you for it! Many of these stores do more than just measure your feet. They analyze your foot and even have you get on a treadmill to analyze your stride. Yes, real running shoes cost more money, but trust me you will spend a whole lot more on shoes and possibly injury related expenses down the road if you don't make the right shoe choice.

#2 Set a goal
My biggest motivator is having a goal! Time, distance, total mileage, you pick, just make sure you set one and when you surpass that goal set a new one! I started running because I signed up for a half marathon. Yep, I was that person who had never really run yet I signed up for a half marathon and then started running. Totally backwards I know. I only had 5 months to do it in too! January 1st I also decided to set a mileage goal for the year. I thought 500 miles was a realistic goal. If I had not battled with my health so badly at the beginning of the year I would have already reached that goal, but the point is I will reach that goal before the end of the year. I also sign up for races to help motivate me and keep me on track. You can see all that I am currently registered for over there -----> So after you finish reading this, set a goal and start working towards it.


#3 Fuel your body
Your body needs fuel to work properly and it needs good fuel at that. Try to eat as little processed foods as you can. Always eat an hour or more before you run. A well balanced meal with protein will do wonders for your body. You are what you eat. You eat crappy food you will in turn feel crappy. Don't believe me, eat clean for a week and see how amazing you feel and how much better you perform! I also do not believe in carb loading before long runs. That is a personal preference and one that many runners agree with.
Hydrate! If you are not properly hydrated before your run you will encounter cramps, fatigue, sore muscles and much worse things can happen especially if you are dehydrated. Make sure you are drinking AT LEAST eight 8oz glasses a day. Thankfully this has never been a problem for me since I drink a ton of water and that is usually the only beverage I have throughout the day.

#4 Mind over matter
Running is totally mind over matter. Still to this day I have times where my mind it telling me "you can't do this" I look down to see I am not even a mile in. No mind, I CAN do this and I WILL do this!! Sometimes it is hard to shut your mind up and just run, but once you figure out how to do it, you can run forever! When I run I try to focus on any and every positive aspect that I can. Sometimes the positive is the beautiful weather, the animals along the path, the faster pace I am currently at, the fun things I am going to do when I finish my run, something one of my kids said, reliving a moment in my head, etc. I envision myself crossing that finish line of a race and the sense of accomplishment I will feel. This helps me a ton when I am having an off day and just want to quit. The more I think about that finish line the harder I run. Anytime I find myself going towards a negative I try to quickly get myself out of it before it totally ruins my run and trust me it does!

#5 Running takes time
You wont be able to get out there and run a mile right away, especially if you are truly new to running. I tried to run several times in the past, but gave up shortly after starting do to the frustration of not being able to run a mile straight. What I neglected to realize is that I may have not been able to run that mile, but each time I was getting a little closer. With all the running apps out there these days it is so easy to track your progress and see that you are getting better. That was what made me stick with it this last time around. I logged my runs each and every time. A run that was just a few seconds faster made me so happy. I currently use Runkeeper and love it! I set my goal for the year, I am currently using one of their training programs, and I have several friends that use the app as well so I am able to check in on them and cheer them along too.

I hope these little tips help you out. Now get out there and start running! :)