Cellcom Green Bay Marathon Recap

Finally I am getitng this recap done! I should have done it sooner but I have had a crazy week with work! I picked up extra shifts and then had the holiday weekend so I have gotten behind! I am sure there are lots of things that I have already forgotten but here goes.....

 

 We got to bed early the night before the race and it was a good thing we did because those early hours were the best (and almost the only) sleep we got. At about 2:20 AM there were several very loud people in the hallway of our hotel that woke us up. Then both of us were up several times because our stomachs were bothering us. I am not sure what the deal was- if we ate something that didn't agree with us or if it was nerves. I didn't feel nervous but who knows! We finally fell back asleep around 3:30 only to have our alarm go off at 4:30! It was a good thing that we had gotten a few good nights sleep prior to that night!

 

Once we were up and dressed we each grabbed breakfast- oatmeal for me and a bagel with peanut butter for Tim. Neither of us were very hungry and our stomachs were still a little off but we forced ourselves to eat what we were use to eating before our long runs. We loaded up to go and had to get a few pre-race pictures before heading off to Lambeau.

 

Pre-race- ready to head to Lambeau

Tim- Pre-race

 We made the few minute trip to Lambeau Field and found a great parking spot not far from the finishers area- at the time we arrived there were tons of parking spaces still available. We made sure to use Body Glide one last time on our areas of concern and headed off to meet up with Julie and Steve. We found them inside the Lambeau Field Atrium and we spent a few minutes visiting and sat down to do a little stretching. It wasn't long and the guys decided to head back to the cars to get our camera for Steve (who was doing the half) to have for when we finished. At this point I decided to hit the port-a-potty line. They had a bunch of port-a-potties and the line didn't take too long. It was fun visiting with other runners around me to pass the time. By the time I was getting to the front the guys came back and Tim got into line too. I waited with Julie and Steve and as soon as he was done we headed to the start line! 

Julie and Steve

 I was feeling really good at the start line! I really didn't feel nervous- just excited to be there and to be doing the marathon! Tim and I agreed to take it easy, run smart, and to enjoy the race!

 

Getting into place at the start line.

Looking towards the start line.

Looking behind us.

 In our packets for the race was a blue and yellow bracelet that said "WE RUN AS ONE" and "BOSTON 2013" on it. As we lined up and did the National Anthem we also did a 26 second moment of silence with our arm (wearing the bracelet) raised into the air. Seeing everyone united- with their arm raised- gave me chills! It was amazing to be apart of that moment and to think back to what happened and how runners everywhere have united to help the people affected by such a tragic event. It gave me a boost of energy to get the marathon done for those who weren't able to finish that day!

 

Shortly after the moment of silence the elite runners were off and the crowd of people slowly moved forward towards the start line. I was anxious to get going but was also trying to take it all in and just enjoy the moment. Tim and I planned to do the 4:1 run/walk but knew it would be tough to do in the beginning so we decided to start out running and take it easy until we felt like the crowd had thinned out enough to start our run/walk ratio.

 

Coming up on the start line.

 We crossed that start line and we were off and running! It was really hard to hold back in the beginning and take it easy. We were eager to get going but we knew it was going to get hot and we had A LOT of miles ahead of us. I kept an eye on our pace and we had to back off a bit a few different times. We ran the first 2 miles and at that point there was enough space that we decided to move to the far side of the road and start the Gymboss timer to our 4:1 run/walk intervals. At this point we really didn't need to but we knew that it was the right way to go since it worked so well in our long training runs. It got a little tricky when our intervals didn't line up with the water stops though. We knew that we needed to start drinking right away at the first water stop so we just adjusted our intervals as we needed when we came to each water stop. We walked through each one and made sure to grab a cup of water and Gatorade each time.

 

About mile 5 we opened a pack of Honey Stinger Chews and each had a couple before the water stop so we could have the water to wash them down. In the early miles we were feeling really good and were just trying to enjoy the whole experience. The spectators along the course were amazing! We enjoyed reading all of the signs and had fun giving kids high fives. This part of the race was through the neighborhoods around Lambeau Field so there were lots of turns which was nice for us since we usually run in town. I felt like it really helped break it up and made it go fast.

 

Around mile 7- if you look close, runners fill the street as far as you can see.

Around mile 10 we each ate some more of the chews and we talked about how around there was where we saw Julie for the first time last year. There was a relay exchange in that area so there were lots of spectators and tons of energy there!  We were still feeling really good and had done a great job of running smart! Shortly after that the half marathoners split from the full. We turned a corner and the road had arrows painted on it directing half marathoners to the left and full marathoners to the right. As we kept going there was caution tape dividing everyone. The half marathoners were making really encouraging comments to all of us on the right side of the tape. I can't even remember what they were saying,  but I do remember the feeling it gave me- it gave me chills and made me feel so proud that I was doing this!! They admired us for what we were doing and it felt amazing to be the one they were looking up to at that moment!

 

At that point the crowd really thinned out. Tim and I still felt really good and were continuing to talk and enjoy everything about the race. Since we were doing the 4:1 run/walk we kept "leap-frogging" the same people over and over. We would pass them as we ran but then we would walk and they would pass us. At the mile 12 water stop we both needed to pee so we quickly used the port-a-potty and grabbed water and Gatorade and kept moving.

 

We passed the half-way point and were still feeling really good but it was starting to get hot! I honestly don't remember much through this stretch. As we crossed the bridge around mile 16 we had some more chews. After crossing the bridge we made our way onto the Fox River Trail- this stretch is where it started to feel really warm as the wind was now at our backs.

 

We made it to the mile 17 stop and I was feeling like my left underarm was starting to rub so we made a quick stop at the aid station for a little bit of Vaseline. I rubbed it on quick and we kept going. We discussed how this was the area where we were waiting for Julie last year and how she looked so good yet at that point. We also commented that we were still feeling pretty good.

 

Along the Fox River Trail- beautiful course!

As we closed in on the mile 19 stop I was feeling like my bra was starting to rub in the front and back so we once again made a quick stop at the aid station and had to ask for Vaseline. The volunteer got me a large q-tip with a bunch on it. I lifted my tank top up and didn't even care who was around or who was seeing me- all I cared about was Tim gooping the Vaseline on and getting back to running.

 

Along the race course- Fox River Trail

It wasn't long after that aid station when we came up to another water stop. At this water stop we got a surprise! Julie was there waiting to hand us water. She came around to give me a cup of water and said, "I'm done!" I was so confused and was thinking that it wasn't possible for her to have finished already and to have gotten back to that point. I knew we weren't THAT slow and I also knew that she wasn't THAT fast. That is when I realized what she was telling me and it almost broke my heart! I know I had tears in my eyes! She said again, "I am done. I can't go on." She walked with us as we drank our water and we talked a bit. She explained that she was struggling with a sore foot and she had been pushing it for a while already. She was suspecting a stress fracture and knew that she couldn't continue to push it. We all walked together as she used my cell phone to call her hubby (who had done the half) to come get her at the mile 20 stop. We talked a bit more and she gave us hugs and told us we were doing great and then we started running again. It was so hard to leave her! I can't even explain how hard it was to leave her behind! She was my inspiration for doing this marathon. I still get emotional just thinking about it- this was HER race, I was just here to be a part of it! We all came here so she could finish it and I had a hard time thinking that Tim and I were going to finish but she wouldn't.  I think at this point there was no doubt in our minds- we were going to finish this race for ALL of us!  

 

It wasn't long and we came to the Mile 20 WALL. We literally ran through an inflatable wall but I honestly have to say that we didn't "hit the wall" here. We were still feeling pretty good at this point. It was nice that there were so many people along this stretch of the trail though to help boost our energy.

Mile 20 ahead- The WALL Party!

At this point we were on our longest run ever! 6.2 miles left to go! Not long after this point we got of the trail and were back on city streets and for a stretch it got really hot and there was no air movement. Between miles 21 and 22 we walked a bit extra and ate some ice to help cool down. Everyone around us was waking at that point- it was HOT! We started to run again as we crossed another bridge and got back into more of a residential neighborhood. We started taking advantage of the sprinklers that residents had out and by about mile 23 it was getting harder and harder to start running again when we would walk. I got a side-ache at one point and we ended up walking through a run interval to help it to go away. Around mile 24 I was ready to just be done! At this point we ate the last of our chews to get ready for a strong finish.  It wasn't long after that when Lambeau Field came into view and we knew that we had this! Seeing Lambeau gave me the boost of energy that I needed. As we got closer you could hear the spectators at the finish line and the energy there was amazing. Before we knew it we were entering Lambeu through the players tunnel. As we got into the tunnel it felt amazing- the air conditioning and the excitement combined! I am not really a Packer's fan and I can't even explain the feeling I got as we got on the track to go around the field. I started to choke up and got very emotional as we ran around the field. It was such an amazing place- we made sure to take it all in and enjoy every bit of that moment going around the field!

 

inside Lambeau Field

Almost done with our first marathon!!

Julie and Steve having a little fun with our camera while they waited for us!

We made it around the field and entered the players tunnel again and I could once again hear the crowd at the finish line. We knew that we were getting close so we picked up the pace! Before we knew it we could see the finish line. It came up faster than either of us thought it was going to and we took off to finish it!! I heard Steve yelling, "Go Wellendorfs" and then I saw him and Julie there cheering us on! At that point it got very hard for me to breath but not because I was running too fast- it was because I was choking back the tears!

 

Here we come to the finish!

It felt AMAZING as we crossed that finish line together! We collected our medals,  grabbed some water and Gatorade and made our way to Julie and Steve.  The first thing I had to do was take off my shoes! I couldn't wait any longer to get them off my feet. My feet were the only area bothering me- my legs still felt pretty good but my feet were killing me!

 

We made our way towards the food and grabbed some cookies, fruit, and chips and sat down on the concrete in the finisher's area. 

 

My amazing husband Tim the marathoner!

replacing some of my salt with chips..
 I don't normally like plain chips but these were amazing!

We didn't sit there long before we decided to head to our cars to get cleaned up and head to Golden Corral for some serious calorie replacement!

We did it!!! We are marathoners!!!
Once again we finished with the same time as each other- 4:52:07

It would have been really nice if there would have been showers somewhere for us since we had to check out of our hotel before the race. We did the best we could using "Fresh Bath" (The Body Wipe for Outdoor Activities) and baby wipes. We put blankets over windows and created a little changing room in the back of our van! It felt so good just to get out of all of our sweat soaked clothes and put on something dry.  

 

After getting some much needed food at Golden Corral we had to take a few minutes to apply the 26.2 sticker to my van before we could part ways with Julie and Steve to head home. This was one part of the trip that I think we were all dreading- sitting for almost 4 hours in the car!

 

 

 

About half way home we stopped at a Kwik Trip to use the bathroom and to move around a little. The Kwik Trip we stopped at had a car wash with a wonderful strip of grass alongside of it. The grass was in the shade and made a great place to sit and stretch for a while. After spending about 20 minutes stretching in the grass we felt like new and were ready to make the rest of the trip home!

 

What an amazing adventure- this recap doesn't even begin to summarize how it felt to finish my first marathon! I have to admit that the last several miles were tough- I never thought about giving up or not finishing, but I was ready for it to be done. My feet hurt but I still felt strong and it felt amazing to push myself to finish. It was more emotional than I thought it would be! Looking back I think part of that comes from finishing the race when Julie wasn't able to! I think I was holding myself back at the end because I was having a tough time knowing that I was going to finish a race that she so badly wanted to finish. At the finish I swore that I would never do another and that the relay would be the way to go in the future! Just over a week later- I am ready to do it again! Maybe not soon but I know I will do another marathon in the future!

 

Looking back at how far I have come in the past few years amazes me and makes me so proud of all that I have been able to do! Just over three years ago it was an amazing accomplishment for me to run a full mile! Since then I have run several races- 5k, half marathon, and now a full marathon! 

 

The year 2013 started off with me at one of my lowest points- full of fear and worry- having surgery to remove melanoma and not knowing what that would all mean for my future! Now 2013 has brought one of my proudest moments- I am a marathoner! I have shown my three boys that when you set your mind to do something, you take the time and do the work to get there, you can do anything!! With a little bit of determination.... anything is possible!

Marathon Weekend- Part 1

Today I have another very special birthday boy! Tonight at 8:45 PM it will have been eleven years since we became parents for the first time. Riley surprised us by coming 16 days early and continues to surprise us everyday with his love of learning and sports. It is so much fun to watch him grow, learn new things and develop into the responsible, caring young man that he is becoming! Watch for my interview with Riley- coming soon!

 

Riley at 11 years old
 Happy Birthday!

 

Next up....

 

...Cellcom Green Bay Marathon Weekend- Part 1

 

Tim and I got the boys off to school last Friday morning and then loaded up the car, dropped Aidan off at daycare and headed for Green Bay. It was pouring down rain but we were ok with that- we said that it could rain as long as it wanted on Friday just as long as the weather was good for race day.

 

 As we were driving we realized that we were on the same road and only 20 minutes or so behind our friends that we were going to be meeting up with. Julie and I were texting back and forth about funny things that we were seeing and it felt like we were all riding together! They stopped in Oshkosh to wait for us and we decided to eat lunch together at Legends.

 

From there we headed to Lambeau Field for packet pick-up and the expo.

 

I have to say that it was laid out much better this year! Last year we surprised Julie by being near the packet pick up area when she arrived. It was in the atrium (same area as the expo) and seemed congested. This year, packet pick-up was on the Club Level so it was separated from the Expo area and it really made a difference. Pick-up was a breeze- no lines and lots of great volunteers eager to help us! We walked right up to the area designated for our numbers, grabbed our packets and were on our way back down to the expo in no time.

 



Expo

 We spent a good amount of time checking out all of the vendors at the expo. Tim and I found some new sunglasses and we picked up our 26.2 stickers for our cars after the race.

 

Expo

There was one vendor that I couldn't wait to visit and I ended up getting a 26.2 shirt and my first flower to wear in my hair on race day.

 

 Several weeks ago I came across these "share" posts on Facebook that I really connected with. They were from Fellow Flowers- what is that? I decided to check it out and what I found was super exciting!

 

 I love their philosophy and how it all started. Then as I "stalked" their Facebook page and website I learned that it all started in Green Bay and that they were going to be at the expo! I couldn't wait to get my own flower- the hardest part was deciding which color I was!

 

 

 It was tough to decide on a color because I could relate to parts of several different ones. Green? Yellow? White? In the end I decided on......

 

ORANGE- The original!  
My flower came with this card.

After really thinking about my journey over the past several years I knew it had to be orange! It was the color that related most to my journey in life, in running, and in doing my first marathon!

 

 My marathon journey started a year ago when I attended the Green Bay Marathon as a spectator- there to surprise my best friend as she was going to do her first marathon.  Due to the 2012 race being called due to extreme heat, Julie had unfinished business and knew she was going back for 2013. After being there, in that atmosphere, we often talked about when I would do my first marathon. Knowing that she was going back to Green Bay it was only fitting to make that my first marathon.

 

 

After the expo we each went our separate ways to check into our hotels and get things organized there. We decided to meet back up for supper at Applebee's. Once Tim and I were settled into our room we needed to find a grocery store to pick up a few things so we would have some snacks and breakfast on Sunday before the race. We also checked out a Run Away Shoes that was across the street from our hotel. We checked out the area around our hotel and found a better way back to Lambeau for race morning. Before we knew it, it was time to meet up at Applebee's. We enjoyed a great dinner and then drove around the area and did a little shopping at Dick's Sporting Goods before each heading back to our hotels for the night.  

 

Once back at the hotel, Tim and I decided to head to the hot tub to relax for a while before bed. It felt good to begin with but didn't last long- maybe 10-15 minutes before we each got too warm and decided to head back to the room and go to bed.

 

Saturday morning we slept in and had breakfast at the hotel. The plan for the day was to take in the sights of Green Bay with Julie and Steve. Apparently Tim thinks having underwear is important so we had to stop at Shopko for him to get some on our way to pick them up. While we were there we also did a little shopping for more "athletic apparel". We picked up Julie and Steve from their hotel and headed to Bay Beach where we all had a little fun!

 



$1/ride on the wooden roller coaster, 25 cents/ride on the slide, 50 cents/ ride on the carousel,

spending time with friends and making memories over those few hours = priceless!

After all of the fun at Bay Beach we were hungry! We picked up sandwiches at Jimmy John's and headed to another park for a picnic and a little relaxing. We then decided that we would try to drive around to find another area where we could get close to the water.

 

Picnic, relaxing, and the water front

 

 Who knew that it would be so hard! We drove on all kinds of "dead end" roads and even found a few gravel roads (we didn't think Wisconsin had gravel roads). Finally we found one little "public access" area. We had to get out and take a few pictures since we worked so hard to find this one little area. Too bad we didn't know it at the time- we were only about 20 miles away from being in Michigan!

 

Steve wanted to find a tank top so we stopped back at Shopko and then walked around the mall before we decided to grab and early dinner at IHOP. Pancakes and french toast have proven to be good pre-race meals in the past so we thought we would go for those again. 

 

As we were taking Julie and Steve back to their hotel we decided to drive the race course. I like to check out the course in advance when I can- it's nice to have an idea of what it's like going into the race. Julie and Steve's hotel was right along the course, near mile 21, so we dropped them off and finished driving the route before going back to our hotel. 

 

We laid out all of our stuff for the race, made sure all electronics were charged, and packed up everything else so that we would be ready for our early race morning! We were in bed with lights out before 10- that is crazy for us!!!

I am a marathoner!!

We did it! My husband and I finished our first marathon on Sunday! It feels amazing! Right now I am still processing the whole experience so a full recap will be coming shortly.

 

 

On Sunday it was just my feet that were bothering me. Yesterday I woke up and my feet were fine but my quads were screaming and I am pretty sure this is what I looked like yesterday and today!

training is in the books...

My marathon training is officially in the books! I headed out for one last training run this morning! Two miles felt like nothing after all of the miles we have put in over the past several months.

 



 

 We made the decision to do this way back last fall. It defiantly took more than just the desire- it took lots of determination and dedication to get in all of the necessary training runs!

 

 

There were times that we weren't sure that we could stick with it and the idea of doing the marathon started to sound daunting but we stayed loyal and committed to our goal!

 

 

 We ran on the treadmill when we had too (which was a lot with our lovely Wisconsin winter this year) and we ran outside when we could. We ran in sleet, snow, rain, wind, and now the heat. We pushed the stroller when we had to so that we could get a run in (even if it was for 18 miles). We had to get creative at times to make it all work! We successfully made it to the end of our training.

 

All that is left now is to pack our bags for our weekend away to Green Bay and to get our minds right to enjoy the last leg of this journey.

 I am more than halfway there- I not only BELIEVE, I KNOW I can do it! We are going to be smart over the next few days and are going to take it easy and really enjoy all of the hard work that we have put into this training. I am a bit nervous but I am also super excited! During our training Tim said more than once that this will be our only marathon until the kids are out of the house- I am not so sure! SHHHH, don't tell him this (and I guess I will see how often he reads my blog) but I am pretty sure that there is another marathon in my future! I say this now before actually having run one but I really have enjoyed the journey. I have loved the time that we have gotten to spend together as we did our long runs. I love a challenge and this has challenged me in more ways than I can even express- I have not always loved every minute of it but now looking back, it was all necessary to get to this point. I have more confidence in myself and I am proud that I pushed through.

 

I know that I am not super fast and I will never win a race or age group in the marathon. That is not what it is about. This is MY race! My main goal is to finish and to have fun along way! I also have a goal in my head-  I guess I will put it out there- my big goal is to finish under 5 hours!

 



Interview with Isaac at age 8

This post is dedicated to my sweet, spunky little boy ISAAC! He turned 8 years old last week and I recently interviewed him to capture this time in his life. My plan is to interview each of they boys around their birthday each year so that we can see how they change over time. It was really fun to sit down, one-on-one, with Isaac and get into his head a little. Some of his answers surprised me and I can't wait to see how some of them change as he gets older. Here is my interview with Isaac:

 

 

1. Name: Isaac Paul
2. How old are you? 8 years old
3. What is your favorite thing to do? play sports & get active
4. Who is your best friend? Matt & Dirk
5. What is your favorite color? Green turquoise- a blueish green, it's beautiful
6. What is your favorite food? Dad's pizza
7. What do you like to do with your family? go hiking
8. What is your favorite toy? X-box
9. What do you want to be when you grow up? Police Officer or Veterinarian
10. What makes you happy? getting to see my friends almost everyday at school
11. What makes you sad? when people be mean to my friends
12. What is your favorite show? Kickin' It
13. What is your favorite book? Poacher Panic
14. What do you love to learn about? math & animals
15. What was the best part of your birthday? getting to spend time with my family
16. Where do you like to go? to Elkader to Grandma's
17. Who is your teacher? Mrs. Odegaard
18. What is your favorite treat? apple (shocking to me because he loves candy of any kind)
19. What do you think about before you fall asleep? what I am gonna do at school the next day
20. What was your favorite birthday present? Spark Scooter
21. What sport do you like best? baseball
22. What are you really good at? writing stories
23. What would you buy if you had $1000? a new car for Mom & Dad
24. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? vanilla
25. Who is your biggest hero? Police Officers- they protect all of us
26. What do you hope you'll get to do before your next birthday? go somewhere I haven't been
27. What do you like to do best with your friends? have a sleep-over
28. What is your favorite song? Gangham Style
29. I am very proud because....    I can run fast. (Note: his mile time on 5/8/13 was 7:43 and he came home beaming with his time written on his hand so he wouldn't forget what it was)
30. I am afraid to....   mess up in a baseball game.
31. Imagine that you can become invisible whenever you wanted to. What are some of the things that you would do? Scare my brothers.
32. Pretend that you can fly whenever you wanted. Where would you go? Los Angeles, that is where they make movies and where the people in movies are at.
33. Where do you want to go on vacation? DisneyLand
34. What is your favorite thing to do with Mom or Dad? go places- travel

Isaac with his best friends- they came for a sleepover for his birthday.

What a year it has been! We have had our ups and downs but it is all part of the journey and it is making us who we are today. Isaac is helping me learn to be more patient and understanding and he has made me a better person because of it! We have dealt with multiple incidents of Isaac being bullied at school and have really had to work hard at helping him to see that he shouldn't let one or two people get him down along with giving him ideas on how to deal with it. This year we also discovered that he is dyslexic and we have been working hard to help him in whatever ways we can to deal with that- helping to boost his confidence to realize that it won't hold him back. He can accomplish anything he wants with hard work and determination. Isaac is strong-willed, stubborn, and determined- at times that can cause problems for us as parents but in the future it is going to work to his advantage as he has those characteristics to accomplish all of his goals! We are working to help him realize when to put those traits to good use!These situations have made us step back and realize how we deal with others and that we all need to have more patience and understanding for those around us as we don't know what they are dealing with in their life. 

Isaac is an active, spunky, energetic 8 year old that loves to be outside. He is super sweet, loving and caring. He is very sensitive and feels bad for others if they are having a tough time. He is a great helper and is proud of himself when he can make someone else feel good or when he can step in and do something for someone else. He loves animals and has a special gift when dealing with them. I am starting to see him have more confidence and more pride in himself when he accomplishes something. It breaks my heart that kids can be so mean and that they can knock someone down so much. I hate that he has to work so much harder on things that can come so easy for others! I love him with all of my heart and I can't wait to see him continue on his journey to becoming who he is destined to be! I have no doubt that he will accomplish what is important to him!

The Weekly Chase

 

I had a wonderful Mother's Day yesterday and hope that all of you did as well! We took off early and headed back to Iowa for a quick trip to surprise my mom and I am so glad that we did. It was my weekend to work (2:30-11 PM- Friday, Saturday and Sunday) so she didn't think that she would see us at all. We pulled up to her house and went to the front door and rang the doorbell instead of just going in the back door like normal. It was priceless to see her reaction when she saw it was us standing there! It was well worth getting up early and making the drive even though we had such a short amount of time to spend there. 

 

Me with my mom and my boys

After dividing some of her perennials so that we could take some home with us we headed to a local restaurant to meet up with her mom and all of her sisters and brother. Once again my Grandma was surprised to see us. I love to surprise people! It is so much fun to see their reactions when they don't expect to see you! It was nice to be able to see my family and my Grandma as I haven't been able to attend many family functions due to them falling on my weekends to work.

Me with my grandma, my mom, and my boys

We were very limited on our time there so once we ate, visited for a bit it was time to head back north for me to get to work! As we were driving I realized that we never got a picture of just me with the boys! We made it back to my work with some time to spare so we were able to get a few pictures before it was time for me to finish my Mother's Day out by celebrating with my work family and other new mom's as they were celebrating their first Mother's Day! Nothing better than new babies born on Mother's Day!!

I love this picture! Me with my three favorite boys:)

These three boys are my greatest blessings! They make me so proud and have made me who I am today! I want to be the best example to them that I can in all aspects of my life! It brings tears to my eyes to see how big they are getting already! Where has the time gone? 

 



Riley- Mother's Day 213

Isaac- Mother's Day 2013

Aidan- Mother's Day 2013

Today Aidan and I tried a new snack that I found while "stalking" Let's Move it Momma's over the weekend! Marissa's blog was one of the very first ones that I started following and I love her! She is such a great mother, is dedicated to being a wonderful example to her boys, and is someone that I can totally relate to. She has been making huge progress with her eating and fitness this year so I went back over the weekend and read through some of her ideas.


Super easy and very yummy snack!!!
Apples with a little peanut butter and sprinkle of cinnamon.

Aidan gave this snack a thumbs up!

 

Aidan wanted me to add a picture of the two of us when we were making our snack.
I love this little boy:)

Now it is time for another Weekly Chase!

 

 Here were my goals for the past couple of weeks:

Challenge Goal: Improve my eating habits!

• This week I will make sure to have at least one fruit or vegetable with each meal/snack. I would say I was about 75% successful with this over the past few weeks. This something that is going to be hit hard in the future.
• This week I will remain aware of portion sizes and not have seconds. I was more aware and did very good with this over the past few weeks. I think I did have seconds a few times but it was better than in the past!

Challenge Goal: Become a stronger runner!

• This week I will do my daily planks and at least two core workouts. I only missed 3 days of doing my planks (weekends- ugh!). My focus has really been running and getting through marathon training so I only did my planks and no other core work.
• This week I will make sure to get in at least two cross-training session. Done!
• This week I will get all of my marathon training runs completed. Almost! I missed one 4 mile run due to life getting crazy with baseball last week.

Challenge Goal: Become a better mother!

• This week I will make time to spend time with Isaac individually. Done! I had a few opportunities over the past few weeks to get some time with Isaac.
• This week I will have conversations with the boys about what they would like to see change in our life/family so that we have stronger connections. Still haven't gotten this one. I have a plan for this week though!

 

Now for my goals for this week!  It is a new month and Molly has a new challenge for us! It's called Bring a Friend Along. Bring a friend into part of your goal making...whether it be for exercising, sanity, prayer partners, etc. We all know how important goal setting is...let's get our friends involved with us!



With our marathon being on Sunday my goals are very simple this week!

• Hydrate properly each day this week in preparation for the marathon.
• Eat right- make good choices, watch portion sizes, and skip seconds.
• Sleep- start getting a good nights sleep each night this week.
• Taper- continue to follow the training plan and do the miles it tells us- no more than what it says because they don't feel like enough!
• Enjoy the weekend in Green Bay with my best friend, her husband and my wonderful hubby!
• Enjoy our first full marathon!

My wonderful husband has been right by my side through this incridible journey and I can't wait to do this together! My best friend has also been along for this whole journey (she inspired it when she ran this marathon as her first a year ago). I am excited that she will be there running the marathon too!

 

Did you have a good Mother's Day? How did you celebrate?

 

Do you like surprising people or like being surprised?

 

What is a new favorite snack/meal that you have tried lately?

 

Any final tips for our last week before the marathon?