FOODIE PEN PAL REVEAL DAY!!!!

My favorite part of the month is getting my foodie pen pal package in the mail! This month I received a box from Elizabeth and she hit a home run!

Trader Joes!!!!! I live in a tiny town in Ohio that does not have a Trader Joes and the closest one is 1.5 hours away. So this box was full of goodies I had never tried from my favorite store (except the yummy blueberry mixed granola), the apple strawberry flakes are amazing! I had never had them before and was impressed with them. I am super excited to try the pumpkin soup on a super busy day. Also Luna bars are something I have never tried before so I am looking forward to trying them. All in all I love this box and this program! Thank you so much Elizabeth!!!!

Hurricans and the track

This hurricane is killing my training schedule. Ok that is not completely true it is just making it more boring because I have to run on the indoor track. Yesterday was my first indoor track workout since i started training and let me tell you I learned a lot! So yesterday was a 6 mile run aka the farthest I have ever run in my life and I did indeed run the whole thing with no walking! However there is no proof of this because I found that when I hit the track runkeeper went crazy and told me that I had covered a mile in one minute...not true I'd be flying. Second: long runs on a track that takes 9.25 laps to equal 1 mile feels like it takes years! I'm telling you trying to count how many miles you have completed and how many laps within that mile you have completed gets super confusing really fast! Third: I might have been the slowest person on the track but I ran 6 miles in 1 hour and 12 minutes I am impressed with myself! Fourth: it is easy to be consistent in speed on the track because I get less distracted.  Fifth: by the time I hit mile 5 I was like well what is one more right? I hope that attitude sticks around forever! Sixth: Music is more important! That is my track running experience and until Sandy passes and the sun comes back out I will continue to have them.

This week I covered 13 miles in total. That is how many I am shooting for all in one run aka half marathon! This weeks run should be 4, 5, 7 which would put me at 16 miles for the week. I must say I am liking this running thing more and more as i keep going.

How did your workouts go this week?

-Felicia

sleeping in

This morning I slept in! If you know me you will know that 7:00am is the latest during the week I ever sleep, but today class was canceled and I didn't have to be in to work till 1:00. So this means I slept till 9:00am and boy did i need it. Once awake this morning I found that I kind of felt like lead. I hoped that as I started my run that I would begin to loosen up. I had never tried this method of working through stiffness this way.


This morning following my 9:00am wake up call I went for my 4 mile run. It was nice paced in the beginning and slowed a little while I continued.

 

It was a slow go but like I have said a million times  (to remind myself) this first half marathon is about getting to the finish line in one piece and feeling good about it. My goal is to finish somewhere around 3hrs. I know I can do it I just have to keep running. I also think I need to start cross training more (or at all really) 

On a different note i think I am going to abandon the scale and order a dress to wear to the opening of a musical after thanksgiving. I am going to work on feeling good in my skin instead of what the numbers say. I will write more about this later, I just wanted to let you guys in on my secret. 

-Felicia

Life's Choices

Today I kind of made a really hard choice for me. Most people say the choice is a no brainer and it shouldn't bother me but it does.

So about a month ago I put my name in the ring to go to London for the semester in the spring. I didn't know anything about it except I had always wanted to do it. It is on my bucket list of life to live in London for any period of time.

The second thing is running the Disney half marathon in January. It is the first physical activity I have been excited about in about 8 years. The first thing since I was dancing competitively. This is also the first physical activity i have ever allowed someone else I care about to partake in with me.

Back to today. Today I was asked if everything goes well would I be willing to skip my race to go to London. Of course I said yes, but it is killing my soul a little inside. I know that there is always next year and I can run other races in the mean time, but for some reason it meant a lot to me to run this race this year.
It means a lot to me to run the Disney World half marathon 












The Disney Land half marathon

And to gain this lovely little gem

I guess when the time comes I will be grateful for both opportunities and keep training even if it isn't till next year that I collect any of these priceless gems.

-Felicia

When life takes over

 Sorry it has been a few days since I have been here things got crazy with a trip home. Though the trip home was awesome and well needed it did not boast well for my 1/2 marathon training. I kind of cheated on my marathon with spending time with my boyfriend. So yesterday was my first day back on the pavement after taking a few days off not sleeping preparing for a party(we might talk about that later)

This run was my body making me pay for the time I took off without any cardio work outs or healthy foods. Mile 1 11:46, mile 2 11:50, mile 3 12:10, with an average of 12:15.

The other thing I did on this run I chose a new route. It was so dark this morning that I didn't think it was safe to run the river trail by myself. So what I did instead was head down the busiest street in town. There is a sidewalk all the way down which is really nice, but there are also street lights! This is exciting around here it might be the only street with street lights. The one down side to this route is that it has to cross the entrance to the highway meaning there is no music allowed to keep myself good and safe. It also means I have to pay extra special attention to what is going on around me at all times, and as I found yesterday, it makes it harder to find a groove.








 Ok so back to this party! This past weekend my boyfriend and his friends threw a huge Halloween party they call canoween. This party includes about 1,200 beers, 25 deep fried turkeys, and more bags of chips and salsa then I care to count. There is a $10 cover and an awesome dj with awesome lighting! (Ok I am a little bias it's my other half and our company) We partied till 4:30 and had a blast!!! I being the designated driver took us home at 4:30am and put my other half to bed to sleep till noon the next day.

-Felicia

Oh today...

All right we hit the pavement today! It is weird I ordered a fitbit zip a week or so ago and it came in the mail yesterday. Today was the first time I had worn it and walked/ran 22,146 steps wich equals 9.63 miles in one day! I promised myself that for the first week I would wear it zip and just go about my daily routine (which isn't very routine). I couldn't believe the number that came across the screen when I crawled into bed to write this post, and yes I know it is only 9:15, but the president is coming tomorrow and I have a dress rehearsal.

 On to today's run...it wasn't great 3.03 miles. Mile 1 11:50, mile 2 12:16, mile 3 12:36 needless to say I am less than thrilled. It's not the slowing down part that bothers me so much as the terrible need I feel to stop running sometimes. It is a huge mind over matter game and today I won the game. I ran all 3.03 miles! Thursday is scheduled for 4 miles and Saturday 6! I have never run that far in my life! I realized today that almost every Saturday from now until race day with be a PR in distance for me. Holy goo that's a large pill to swallow!

Ok Ok Ok that is all for tonight I will post some photos from my last show and the dance concert I am in tech for right now soon!

How was your run today?

-Felicia

First Race!

It is official I have entered my first race!!!! Hot chocolate 15K in Columbus, OH!! The hot chocolate 15K/5K is a race geared toward donating to the Ronald McDonald House. For me I have set a goal to raise $250 for the cause, and to finish the race with a 13:00 mile average.

https://ramracing.racebx.com/fundraising/view/5079c8d6-e7e4-4b94-b504-35b1c0a86524
If you would like to help me raise money for the cause please go to the website and make a donation. There is no pressure it is just a request. I hope you all have a great rest of the weekend.

Are you entered in any races?

-Felicia